* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:04] ALL RIGHT. GOOD [1. Opening Prayer: Christopher Bozeman, Colon Cancer survivor] MORNING. WELCOME TO COMMISSION'S COURT MEETING OF TUESDAY, MARCH 10TH, 2026. UH, COMMISSIONER REBECCA CLAY FLORES, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR FOR OPENING PRAYER AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. GOOD MORNING. MARCH IS COLON CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. AND, UM, BEFORE I INTRODUCE MR. BOZEMAN, WHO'S GONNA BE HAVING THE PRAYER, I WANT TO THANK, UM, ALL THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES WHO WORE BLUE ON FRIDAY, NATIONAL WEAR BLUE DAY, AND POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL THE TEAMS WHO GOT TOGETHER TO DO THAT. UH, MANY OF YOU RECEIVED A LITTLE BLUE LAPEL PIN. I'M ASKING YOU IF YOU COULD PLEASE REMEMBER TO WEAR THAT THROUGHOUT THE MONTH. AND I WANNA THANK OUR COUNTY EMPLOYEES WHO SAT THERE AND PUSHED THROUGH 15,000 PINS. UM, EVEN DAVID SMITH. I KNOW A LOT OF YOU THINK HE'S MEAN, HE'S REALLY NOT EVEN DAVID SMITH CAME AND HE WAS PUSHING THROUGH. SO I WANNA THANK THE OFFICE OF, UM, THE COUNTY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THE DA STAFF, UH, FROM THE DA CIVIL DIVISION WHO CAME UP TO HELP THE BEAR HERITAGE CENTER, WHO CAME UP TO HELP. AND MINNIE ON THE 10TH FLOOR IS STILL SITTING THERE PUSHING THROUGH AS SHE'S ANSWERING PHONES AND DIRECTING YOU ALL WHERE YOU NEED TO GO. SO AT THIS TIME, IT'S AN HONOR FOR ME TO INTRODUCE CHRISTOPHER BOMAN, IF YOU CAN, PLEASE COME FORWARD. CHRISTOPHER BOMAN ATTENDED IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY EARNING A DEGREE IN SOCIOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE. MR. BOMAN HAS SERVED AS A FORMER POLICE OFFICER AND A DEPUTY UNITED STATES MARSHAL BEFORE RETIRING AFTER 25 YEARS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. IN 2021, MR. BELMAN WAS DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE FOUR COLORECTAL CANCER. THROUGHOUT HIS JOURNEY, HE HAS DEMONSTRATED REMARKABLE RESILIENCE AND STRENGTH SUPPORTED BY HIS FAITH, HIS FAMILY, AND ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THRIVE CANCER FOUNDATION, WHO'S ALSO HERE THIS MORNING. DESPITE BEING DIAGNOSED WITH COLON CANCER, MR. BOZEMAN CONTINUES A VERY ACTIVE LIFESTYLE THAT REFLECTS A LIFE OF RESILIENCE AND FAITH IN GOD. MR. BOZEMAN, THE TIME IS YOURS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I JUST WANNA START OUT BY SAYING, UH, THANK YOU TO JUDGE SECAI AND ALSO COMMISSIONER CLAY FLORIDA'S FULL, THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO PUBLICLY HONOR OUR FATHER GOD IN HEAVEN, AND ALSO OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. MY DIAGNOSIS, AS WELL AS THE JOURNEY WITH CANCER HAS SHOWN ME THAT THIS IS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN ME, IS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN WHAT WE ENDURE AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH IT. AND SO I'M JUST THANKFUL, AND, AND I'M, I'M HONORED TO BE ABLE TO STAND BEFORE YOU RIGHT NOW, AND I ACTUALLY, WE ALL BOW OUR HEADS AND WE GO INTO PRAYER. FATHER GOD IN HEAVEN, WE CAN JUST COME TO YOU RIGHT NOW. HUMBLY, WE COME TO YOU WITH OPEN MINDS AND OPEN HEARTS, AND WE JUST WANNA, FIRST OF ALL, JUST GIVE YOU ALL THE HONOR AND THE PRAISE BECAUSE YOU ARE SO DESERVING OF IT. WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR YOUR NEW GRACE AND MERCY THAT YOU BESTOW UPON US EACH AND EVERY DAY. ALSO, THE BLESSINGS THAT YOU GIVE TO US, EVEN AT TIMES THAT WE ARE NOT DESERVING. WE'RE THANKFUL FOR EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM FOR US TO BE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER AS ONE, AND TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THE RECOGNITION TO COLON CANCER AWARENESS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PEOPLE TO KNOW, TO GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET TESTED. AND FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE GOING THROUGH THIS JOURNEY TO NOT ONLY BE TREATED, BUT TO BE CURED. I AM THANKFUL FOR ALL OF US THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THIS JOURNEY RIGHT NOW. AND WE ARE CONSIDERED CANCER SURVIVORS. BUT I SAY THROUGH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, MY LORD AND SAVIOR, WE ARE CANCER WARRIORS. BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE DAY WE BATTLE AS WE GO THROUGH THIS JOURNEY, WE BATTLE SOMETIMES JUST TO EVEN GET OUTTA BED IN THE MORNING. WE BATTLE AT TIMES TO BE ABLE TO GO TO CHEMOTHERAPY AND GO TO RADIATION AND KNOWING WHAT THE SIDE EFFECTS ARE GONNA BE. WHEN WE GET DONE WITH THIS TREATMENT, WE BATTLE WITH THE MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL DISTRESS THAT WE THINK ABOUT. HOW LONG ARE WE GONNA STILL BE HERE TO BE WITH OUR FAMILY MEMBERS? HOW LONG ARE WE GONNA STILL BE HERE TO BE WITH OUR FRIENDS? WE BATTLE EVERY SINGLE DAY TO BE STRONG AND TO PUT A SMILE ON OUR FACE FOR OUR FAMILY MEMBERS AND FOR OUR FRIENDS AND FOR OUR LOVED ONES [00:05:02] SO THEY CAN FEEL SAFE AND THEY CAN BE, FEEL SECURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO THIS BATTLE. AND RIGHT NOW, I JUST ASK THAT, FATHER, YOU CONTINUE TO GIVE US NOT ONLY YOUR STRENGTH AND YOUR POWER, BUT YOU ALSO CONTINUE TO GIVE US HOPE. HOPE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO ENDURE AND BE ABLE TO SEE THE NEXT DAY. BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT TOMORROW IS NOT PROMISED AND THAT WE SHOULD LIVE IN THE MOMENT. AND FATHER GOD, WE ALSO PRAY FOR OUR LOVED ONES WHO ARE ALSO GOING THROUGH THIS JOURNEY WITH US. THERE'S TIMES THAT THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO SUPPORT US. THERE'S TIMES TO WHERE THEY, THEY JUST WANT TO TAKE AWAY THE PAIN AND FRUSTRATION AND THE SUFFERING THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH. AND FATHER GOD, I ASK THAT YOU GIVE THEM PEACE AND UNDERSTANDING, KNOWING THAT AT TIMES THEIR PRESENCE IS ENOUGH TO HELP US GET THROUGH OUR DAY TO DAY. AND RIGHT NOW, WE COME TO YOU SO HUMBLY AND WE ASK ALL OF THESE PRAYERS AND OUR REQUESTS IN A MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD AND SAVIOR AND GOD'S PEOPLE SAID, AMEN AND AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU. THE UNITED STATES, AMERICA, AND TO REPUBLIC, WHICH STANDS ONE INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUST COMMISSIONER CLIFF FLORES, I JUST WANT TO NOTE FOR THE RECORD, I'M WEARING YOUR PURPLE PIN FOR COLON CANCEL AWARENESS. THANK YOU, JUDGE. YOU'RE WELCOME. ALRIGHT, UH, WE'LL GO TO [3. Request of Commissioners Court to identify items from the Consent Agenda for additional discussion and to approve remaining Consent Agenda items.] ITEM THREE, GOT A LITTLE REVERB, TURN IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT. UH, REQUEST OF COMMISSIONER'S COURT TO IDENTIFY ITEMS FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION TO PROVE REMAIN CONSENT. AGENDA ITEMS, KATE, I BELIEVE THERE ARE SOME ITEMS TO PULL, AND I BELIEVE THERE ARE A COUPLE ITEMS THAT NEED AMENDMENTS. SO WOULD YOU PLEASE NOTE THAT FOR THE RECORD? YES, SIR. ITEM 23 UNDER PUBLIC WORKS IS BEING PULLED FROM THE AGENDA. 23 IS PULLED, AND ITEMS NUMBER 25 AND 26 UNDER DA'S HEADING, UM, THOSE NEED A FEW AMENDMENTS. IS THAT A, THAT'S A DA ITEM. ARE THE DAS HERE? CORRECT? I THINK, CAN Y'ALL COME FORWARD SO THAT WE CAN JUST MAKE SURE WE GET THE CORRECT? I UNDERSTAND WE'RE JUST CORRECTING THE AMOUNT THAT THE COUNTY'S GOING TO PAY. SO KATE OR JAMA, DO YOU WANT TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD? LET'S AMEND ITEM NUMBER 25. GOOD MORNING. UN UNDER ITEM NUMBER 25. THE OVERHEAD COSTS TO BE PAID BY THE COUNTY IS $4,829. $4,829. YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT. AND UNDER NUMBER 26, THE OVERHEAD COSTS TO BE PAID BY THE COUNTY IS $3,754. DO WE NEED A MOTION ON THAT? IS THERE A MOTION TO MOTION BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ? SECOND. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CLAY FLORES ON THE AMENDMENTS OF 25 TO THE AMOUNT. 4,008 $29. ITEM 26 $3,754. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SINGLE BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. ALRIGHT, ARE THERE ITEMS TO PULL? COMMISSIONER CLAY FLORES FOR INDIVIDUAL? NO, I DON'T HAVE TO POLL AN INDIVIDUAL. COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. I'M GOOD. JUDGE COMMISSIONER MOODY, WHO I BELIEVE IS PARTICIPATING BY ZOOM. YES, JUDGE. UH, A FEW ITEMS. ITEM 33. 33. 34. 34. 40, 42. OKAY. HOLD ON. 40 42. OKAY. AND ITEM FIVE. WHAT WAS THE LAST ONE? WHAT WAS THE LAST ONE? 55. 55. OKAY. APPROVAL OF THE BALANCE OF THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA. ALRIGHT. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER [CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS:] CALVARY. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ ON THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTION? MOTION CARRIES. LET US NOW, LET'S GO TO CEREMONIAL. [4. CEREMONIAL ITEM(S)] IF WE WILL. WE'LL COME BACK TO THE INDIVIDUAL. UM, PLEASE NOTE THE AMENDMENTS ON ITEMS 25 AND 26 AS AMENDED AND APPROVED BY MOTION. ALRIGHT. [00:10:03] OKAY. WE'RE GONNA GO TO, WE'LL COME BACK TO THE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS, BUT ON FOUR, A PRESENTATION OF SERVICE PEN. RECOGNIZE THE EMPLOYEES FOR 25 PLUS YEARS OF SERVICE. LET US, WE HAVE MARIA LINDA MURDA FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE 25 YEARS. WOULD YOU COME FORWARD WITH YOUR FAMILY, YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR COLLEAGUES, YOUR CHIEF. HELLO, CHIEF SANFORD. HOW ARE YOU? GOOD MORNING. ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING, JUDGE. GOOD MORNING. AND HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT. MY NAME IS NANCY SANFORD. I'M THE DEPUTY CHIEF OVER THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DIVISION, ALONG WITH LINDA MIRANDA AND OUR SVU SPECIAL VICTIM UNIT. INVESTIGATORS ARE ALL HERE ALSO. UH, IF I CAN JUST FOR A MOMENT, REID, UH, LINDA'S BIO TO DATE, WE GATHER TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE REMARKABLE CAREER OF MARIA HERLINDA MIRANDA, KNOWN TO MANY OF US AS LINDA MIRANDA, AS SHE RETIRES. AFTER 25 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE WITH THE BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, LINDA BEGAN HER CAREER WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ON OCTOBER 16TH, 2000 AS A CRIME VICTIM LIAISON. SHE OFFICIALLY RETIRED ON FEBRUARY 28TH, 2026. LINDA EARNED A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN 1984 FROM TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY. THROUGHOUT HER TIME WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, LINDA WAS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN NUMEROUS INITIATIVES THAT STRENGTHENED VICTIM ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY AWARENESS. SHE SERVED ON THE VICTIM'S ADVOCACY COUNSEL, LED THE TREE OF ANGELS EVENTS FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND PARTNERED WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE DURING NATIONAL CRIME VICTIM RIGHT SUITE. SHE ALSO WORKED WITH FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION SERVICES AS PART OF THE DART DEATH ANALYSIS, DEATH ANALYSIS REVIEW TEAM, AND HELPED LAUNCH BEXAR COUNTY'S COMMUNITY AWARENESS EFFORTS FOR NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH EACH OCTOBER. DURING HER CAREER, LINDA SUPPORTED VICTIMS IN COUNTLESS CASES, INCLUDING HOMICIDES, TRA, TRAGIC TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND SEXUAL ASSAULTS. SHE WORKED TIRELESSLY TO ENSURE VICTIMS AND FAMILIES RECEIVED CRITICAL RESOURCES SUCH AS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, HOUSING SUPPORT, FOOD VOUCHERS, CAMERAS, AND EVEN FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS WHEN FAMILIES HAD NOWHERE ELSE TO TURN. SHE ALSO STOOD BESIDE MEMBERS OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE FAMILY DURING TIMES OF CRISIS, ASSISTING THE FAMILIES OF DEPUTIES, INCLUDING JOSEPH CANALES, MIKE GONZALEZ, AND MARTIN MORENO. LINDA IS SUPPORTED BY HER LOVING FAMILY, INCLUDING HER HUSBAND, ALFREDO ABREGO, AND HER DAUGHTER VICTORIA GARCIA. LINDA, ON BEHALF OF THE BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THE COUNTY OF BEAR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR 25 YEARS OF SERVICE, COMMITMENT AND COMPASSION. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR RETIREMENT AND WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN THE NEXT CHAPTERS OF YOUR LIFE. I WOULD FIRST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU, JUDGE , BECAUSE, UM, IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU BEING, UM, TO HAVE BE DETAILED, THEN I WOULDN'T BE THE WORK BACK BACKS. YES, WE DID CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES BACK TO CHILDREN'S COURT. YES, WE DO. YOU WERE A CPS CASEWORKER. YES. AND SO I KNEW AND I WAS PRETTY TOUGH ON YOU, WASN'T I? YES, YOU, I WAS. I AND YOU'VE DONE WELL, LINDA. YES, YOU WERE. YOU'VE DONE VERY WELL. YOU WERE, BUT THAT MADE ME THE WORKER THAT I WAS. AND TO BE DETAILED AND TO SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE AND TO LET, UM, THE INVESTIGATORS THAT I WORK WITH, YOU KNOW, DON'T LEAVE ANYTHING ALWAYS PUT. SO THAT'S THANKS TO YOU. AND I APPRECIATE, UH, DURING THE TREE OF ANGELS. I KNOW I ALWAYS CONTACTED YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT I WAS A PART OF AND YOU ALWAYS PARTICIPATED. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, AND I REALLY WANT TO THANK MY BLUE FAMILY. EVEN THOUGH I'M A CIVILIAN, I DEFINITELY FEEL LIKE I ALWAYS PART OF THE BLUE FAMILY AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT THEY DID FOR ME AND SUPPORTED ME AND REALIZED THAT I WAS THERE TO BE ABLE TO HELP THEM AS WELL. AND THEN MY, DEFINITELY MY FAMILY. IS YOUR FAMILY HERE? MY [00:15:01] HUSBAND IS. GET 'EM UP HERE, BRING 'EM UP, DOWN. COME ON, GET, GET RECOGNIZED. COME ON. HERE WE GO. HOW HE WAS DEFINITELY SUPPORTIVE THROUGH ALL THESE YEARS WORKING CPS AND THEN WORKING WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AS WELL. AND THEN ALSO I HAVE THE TU WHO'S ACTUALLY WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT INTERVIEWED ME. MM-HMM . WHEN I FIRST STARTED. AND THEN, UH, LINDA SILVA, WHO IS FROM CPS AND THEN ROXANNE MATA, WHO USED TO BE WITH OKAY. I MET THROUGH DPS. SO DURING MY TENURE, I DEFINITELY WAS ABLE TO NETWORK TO BE ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE. WELL, LINDA, I HOPE YOU'RE NOT DONE. SO THINK ABOUT THE NEXT PATH. YOU'RE GONNA GO ON . SO, ALL RIGHT. WOULD YOU COME FORWARD EXCEPT YOUR 25 YEAR PEN AND COME EVERYBODY, COME FORWARD, EVERYBODY'S INVOLVED. COME FORWARD, TAKE A PICTURE. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU FOR SERVICE. ALRIGHT. DOING SIR. GIVE HER ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE. THANK YOU, CHIEF. THANK YOU CHIEF. ALL RIGHT. YOU KNOW THAT THAT WAS LONG TIME AGO WHEN SHE WAS A CASEWORKER. THAT WAS LONG TIME AGO. JUDGE WOO. UH, PRESENTATION PROCLAMATION BEHALF OF COMMISSION COURT RECOGNIZING APRIL 6TH TO APRIL 12TH, 2026. IT'S NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK IN BEXAR COUNTY. I'LL TAKE THAT FOR ALL THOSE ON THE PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK COME FORWARD AS I READ OUT YOUR PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK, NPHW COMMEMORATES THE NATIONAL WEEK OF COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES TO CELEBRATE. THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC HEALTH PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE THE COLLECTIVE EFFORTS THAT STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY HEALTH. AND WHEREAS THE AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION DESIGNATED APRIL 6TH THROUGH APRIL 12TH, 2026, ITS NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK. AND WHEREAS BEX COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT CREATED THE PUBLIC BEAR BEAR COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN 2022 TO FACILITATE THE SIGNS AND PRACTICE OF PROTECTING AND PROVING THE HEALTH OF PEOPLE LIVING IN BEXAR COUNTY AND BEYOND. AND WHEREAS THE BEXAR COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT CONSISTS OF FOUR DIVISIONS, PREVENTIVE HEALTH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, TEXAS A AND M, AGRI, AGRILIFE, EXTENSION, AND ANIMAL CARE. THE DEPARTMENT PRIORITIZES COMMUNITY PARTNERS, ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS AND PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTIONS. AND WHEREAS PUBLIC HEALTH, BEXAR COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH PARTNERS PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN ADDRESSING SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, ADVANCING TRAUMA INFORMED AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE APPROACHES, AND EXPANDING ACCESS TO SERVICES THAT SUPPORT PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING. AND WHEREAS BEXAR COUNTY WILL COMMENCE NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH SUMMIT, CO-HOSTED WITH THE KATE MARION SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, PART OF UT SAN ANTONIO, AND PARTNERING WITH UT SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE OF HEALTH COMMUNITY AND POLICY UT HEALTH, SAN ANTONIO FAMILY AND COMMUNITY MEDICINE, METHODIST HEALTH MINISTRIES, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO METRO HEALTH, SAN ANTONIO VASCULAR ENDOVASCULAR CLINIC, TEXAS A AND M, UNIVERSITY OF SAN ANTONIO, COMMUNITY HEALTH, UNIVERSITY HEALTH, UT HEALTH, SAN SAN ANTONIO CENTER FOR MEDICAL HEALTH AND FITNESS ETHICS AND UT HEALTH. HOUSTON HOUSTON, UH, SAN ANTONIO REGIONAL CAMPUS, WHERE BEAR COUNTY JUDGE PETER AKA. WILL ISSUE THE WELCOME ADDRESS NOW THEREFORE BE RESOLVED THAT THE BEXAR COUNTY COMMISSION'S COURT HEREBY RECOGNIZES AND PROCLAIMS APRIL 6TH THROUGH 12 20 26 AS NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK IN BEXAR COUNTY. SIGNED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE COURT, DR. G. THANK YOU JUDGE. FOR THE RECORD, I AM DR. ANDREA GUERRERO, DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH FOR BEXAR COUNTY. AND I'M REALLY HONORED TO BE JOINED BY MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES BEHIND ME HERE WHO WORK IN PUBLIC HEALTH ACROSS BEXAR COUNTY. TODAY'S PROCLAMATION AND RECOGNITION OF NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK IS A CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, PROGRAMS, [00:20:01] COLLABORATION, AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE WELLNESS FOR ALL PEOPLE OF BEXAR COUNTY. OUR COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ELIMINATE ILLUMINATED VITAL WORK AS EPIDEMIOLOGISTS AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERTS AND PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES AND COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS WORK TO IDENTIFY THE VIRUS, TREAT DISEASE, AND PREVENT TRANSMISSION THROUGH SIMPLE PREVENTATIVE MEASURES LIKE HANDWASHING AND MASKING. AND FINALLY, THROUGH POPULATION LEVEL IMMUNIZATION, PUBLIC HEALTH WAS VERY VISIBLE DURING THAT TIME. WE COULD SEE IT IN ACTION, BUT SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONS CAN GO UNNOTICED IN OUR DAILY LIVES. PUBLIC HEALTH PROTECTS SAFE DRINKING WATER PROVIDES GREEN SPACES FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND COMMUNITY GATHERING. IT IS THE PRODUCTION AND PROTECTION OF OUR FOOD. PUBLIC HEALTH IS ABOUT PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT AND PREVENTION. IT IS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING. PUBLIC HEALTH IS PREVENTATIVE SCREENING FOR DIABETES AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH AND MANY TYPES OF CANCER. AS COMMISSIONER CLAY FLORES REMINDS US, I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT HOW PUBLIC HEALTH SHOWS UP IN OUR DAILY LIVES. BUT MOST OF ALL, AND PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, PUBLIC HEALTH IS ABOUT ENSURING THAT EVERYONE, EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO THESE RESOURCES REGARDLESS OF THE ZIP CODE IN WHICH THEY WERE BORN. AND ESPECIALLY IN A COUNTY WHERE HISTORICAL INEQUITIES HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO POOR HEALTH, HEALTH OUTCOMES. AMONG POPULATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE THE MOST VULNERABLE NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK EXISTS TO REMIND US THAT HEALTH DOES NOT ONLY HAPPEN IN A DOCTOR'S OFFICE OR IN A HOSPITAL, BUT PUBLIC HEALTH IS BUILT INTO ALL THE WAYS THAT WE LIVE, WORK, PLAY, AND PRAY TO ENSURE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR EVERYONE. THE HEALTH OF ONE NEIGHBORHOOD AFFECTS THE WELLBEING OF OUR ENTIRE COUNTY. SO THANK YOU TO THE COURT FOR THIS PROCLAMATION FOR RECOGNIZING EVERYONE, BOTH PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, AND FOR OUR NEIGHBORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO WELLNESS EVERY DAY. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF OUR DEPARTMENT, UM, AND FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SUMMIT. WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO, UM, TO BRING TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS TYPE OF EVENT. UM, THE THEME OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SUMMIT IS COLLECTIVE ACTION, COLLECTIVE WISDOM. AND OUR INTENT WAS TO, UM, GATHER AND SOLICIT ABSTRACTS ABOUT, UM, COMMUNITY DRIVEN STRATEGIES, ESPECIALLY AMONG THOSE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE WHO DO THE WORK OF PUBLIC HEALTH EVERY DAY AND PROVIDE SERVICES EVERY DAY. UM, AND SO WE HAVE A FULL DAY ON APRIL THE SIXTH, THE FIRST DAY OF NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK, AND REALLY PROUD TO HAVE OUR PARTNERS. UM, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE DR. CARMEN VALDEZ, WHO'S FROM THE CAPE HARMONY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, AND ASK HER TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT OUR PARTNERSHIP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MY NAME IS CARMEN VALDEZ, AND I AM A PROFESSOR AT THE CAPE MARION SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND ALSO ASSOCIATE DEAN OF RESEARCH AND PARTNERSHIPS. UM, IT IS AN HONOR TO BE HERE, UH, TODAY AND TO, UH, REQUEST THAT THE COURT RECOGNIZE NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK, BUT ALSO THE PUBLIC HEALTH SUMMIT. AS, UM, MANY OF YOU ALREADY KNOW, ONE OF THE STRENGTHS OF SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY IS THE NUMBER OF NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WORKING TIRELESSLY TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY HEALTH. AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH SUMMIT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THESE ORGANIZATIONS TOGETHER TO SHARE ON THEIR WORK AND TO EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION AND, UM, SHARING OF RESOURCES. SO, UM, JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE ALL OF THE PARTNERS THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED, UM, AS YOU HAVE MENTIONED, UM, JUDGE SAKA. THANK YOU. YES. UM, CAN I ALSO RECOGNIZE DR. CAROL HUBER? SHE IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC HEALTH FOR UNIVERSITY HEALTH. UM, UH, UNIVERSITY HEALTH AND COMMUNITY FIRST HEALTH PLANS HAS, UM, MADE A GENEROUS SPONSORSHIP TO SUPPORT THE SUMMIT AS WELL. AND I'D LIKE TO ASK HER TO SAY SOMETHING. BRING HER UP. GOOD MORNING. SHE DOESN'T LIKE TO TALK. . GOOD MORNING. IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE TO BE PART OF THIS COALITION, BRINGING THIS SUMMIT, UH, TO LIFE. AND WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE EVERYONE THERE ON APRIL 6TH. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER LER. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, I JUST WANT TO THANK, UH, EVERYONE THAT'S HERE TODAY FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN PUBLIC HEALTH. UH, IT'S AN IMPORTANT LANDMARK THAT WE MOVE OUR COMMUNITY FOR THROUGH DATA, THROUGH COLLABORATION. UH, AND I HAVE NOTED IN THE PAST THAT, UH, SAN ANTONIO BE COUNTY HAS NOT TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF. ITS IN ITS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE. AND I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GET TOGETHER. I WANT DR. VALDEZ, I WANT, UH, SAY THAT I'D LOVE TO CONVENE, UH, A POLICY, UH, MONTHLY LUNCHEON WHERE THE COMMUNITY OF, OF HEALTHCARE, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, WORKERS AS WELL AS POLICY LEADERS GET IN A LUNCHEON AND DO A LUNCH AND LEARN SO THAT WE CAN TAKE THE DATA OF THE VARIOUS ENTITIES WORKING ON PUBLIC [00:25:01] HEALTH AND ACTUALLY FOLLOW IT THROUGH WITH POLICY. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING I'VE SEEN LOS ANGELES DO AND OTHER BIG CITIES. AND WE'RE A LITTLE BIT BEHIND, BUT WE'RE CATCHING UP. WE'VE GOT OUR, UH, VITA SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND PRECINCT ONE. WE'VE GOT, UH, THINGS GOING ON IN UT HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER. WE'VE GOT A DEPARTMENT NOW AT THE COUNTY IN PUBLIC HEALTH. ALL OF THAT IS SHOWING THAT WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AND WE HOPE THAT WE CAN BE, UM, VERY MUCH IMPLEMENTERS AND NOT JUST HAVE IT SIT ON A SHELF. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL, FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK, ALL OF YOU. LET'S GIVE THEM ANOTHER ROUND. APPLAUSE. TAKING A PICTURE. BYEBYE. THANK YOU. DR. YOU, THERE'S MR. CLAUDE. WHAT'S GOING ON, BROTHER ALBERT? YES. HEY. AMEN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING, BROTHER. ALL RIGHT. LET'S SEE THE PRESENTATION. PROCLAMATION BEHALF OF COMMISSIONER'S COURT, RECOGNIZING AND PROCLAIMING MARCH, 2026 AS COLON CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. COMMISSIONER CLAY FLORES, THIS IS YOURS. YES. UM, ELENA AND, UH, MR. BOZEMAN, IF YOU WANNA COME UP FOR COLON CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. THANK, THANK YOU. I, UH, MR. BOWMAN, I DIDN'T REALIZE YOUR WIFE WAS HERE EARLIER, SO I WOULD'VE RECOGNIZED YOU HAVE YOUR FAMILY HERE WITH YOU TOO. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. YES, SIR. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. WHEREAS COLON CANCER IS THE SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF CANCER DEATHS IN THE UNITED STATES. WHEREAS EARLY DETECTION THROUGH ROUTINE SCREENINGS HAS BEEN PROVEN TO DRAMATICALLY REDUCE THE MORTALITY RATE OF COLON CANCER. A COLONOSCOPY IS A PROCEDURE IN WHICH THE ENTIRE COLON CAN BE VISUALIZED AND PRECANCEROUS POLYPS CAN BE REMOVED. ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF GASTROENTEROLOGY, CANCER RISK IS REDUCED BY 90% AFTER COLONOSCOPY AND POLYP REMOVAL. COLORECTAL CANCER RATES HAVE INCREASED IN PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF 50 AND THE RECOMMENDED AGE TO BEGIN COLON NOSIES LOWER TO 45. THE RATES HAVE BEEN INCREASING IN YOUNG PEOPLE, INCLUDING THOSE IN THEIR TWENTIES AND THIRTIES. AND WHEREAS A HEALTHY DIET THAT INCLUDES VEGETABLES, FRUITS, AND WHOLE GRAIN FIBER AND IS LOW IN FAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH A LOWER RISK OF COLON CANCER. AVOIDING TOBACCO AND HEAVY ALCOHOL USE CAN DECREASE THE RISK OF COLORECTAL CANCER, REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MAINTAINING NORMAL BODY WEIGHT AND BENE IS BENEFIT ARE BENEFICIAL AS WELL. AND WHEREAS OBSERVING COLON CANCER AWARENESS MONTH DURING MARCH PROVIDES A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE AWARENESS AND OFFER EDUCATION ON THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY DETECTION AND SCREENING. THE COLOR BLUE IS USED TO SYMBOLIZE COLON CANCER AWARENESS. AND SEVERAL COMMUNITY-LED INITIATIVES ARE WORKING TO SPREAD THE MESSAGE THAT COLON CANCER IS ONE OF THE FEW CANCERS THAT CAN BE PREVENTED WITH TIMELY SCREENINGS. AND WHEREAS BEXAR COUNTY CALLS UPON RESIDENTS TO SEEK REGULAR SCREENINGS AND CON CONSULT WITH HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS REGARDING THEIR RISK FOR COLON CANCER AND URGES ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT AND PARTICIPATE IN EDUCATIONAL PREVENTIVE INITIATIVES THAT WILL HELP REDUCE THE INCIDENTS AND MORTALITY RATES OF COLON CANCER IN OUR COMMUNITY. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE BEXAR COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT HEREBY RECOGNIZING PROCLAIMS MARCH, 2026 AS COLON CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. SO I WANNA THANK ON TH THRIVE FOR BEING HERE. TH THRIVE IS ONE OF THE, A FEW LOCAL CANCER ORGANIZATIONS WHEN I GOT DIAGNOSED WITH COLON CANCER THAT I WAS ABLE TO, UM, REACH OUT TO FOR RESOURCES AND ABLE TO PARTNER WITH THEM. SO, SO HAPPY TIME'S YOURS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, MY NAME'S ELENA WINE, AND I'M THE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR WITH RIVAL CANCER FOUNDATION. AND WE PROVIDE ACCESS TO CARE WITH THINGS AS, AS SIMPLE TO US AS TRANSPORTATION. JUST MAKE, MAKING SURE PEOPLE CAN GET TO ALL OF THEIR TREATMENT, COMPLETE THEIR TREATMENT. WE ALSO PROVIDE FREE COUNSELING SERVICES, NOT ONLY FOR THE PATIENT, BUT FOR THEIR CAREGIVERS AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THEIR SUPPORT COMMUNITY. UM, WE DO A SMALL AMOUNT OF RESEARCH AND WE ALSO, OUR, OUR FLAGSHIP IS OUR DIVA AND DUKE PROGRAM, WHICH IS WHERE THE, UM, COUNSELING PROGRAM FALLS UNDER, AS WELL AS, UM, PROVIDING NUTRITION AND FREE EXERCISE FOR ANYONE WHO'S EVER FACED ANY DIAGNOSIS IN PARTICULAR. THIS MONTH, WE, UM, WE PUT FORWARD, UH, AWARENESS ABOUT COLON CANCER, UM, CRC, UH, JUST THAT IT'S A HIGHLY, HIGHLY PREVENTABLE DISEASE [00:30:01] WITH EARLY DETECTION. AND DO NOT IGNORE YOUR SYMPTOMS. CHECK YOUR COLON, CHECK YOUR COLON COLS, COLONOSCOPY. SAVE LIVES. THANK YOU. YOU WANNA COME FORWARD FOR A PICTURE? YES. WHO? ONE PERSON SHE WANTED? EXPLAIN. OH, YES. OH, MAYBE NOT. OKAY. MAYBE NOT. OKAY. YEAH. OH, WHAT'S THE PHOTO? I WAS, I HAD SOMETHING TO SAY. THAT'S WHY I WAS, UH, OH. THE COLORECTAL CANCER ARE YOU WITH, WITH UT HEALTH? OKAY. I THINK THEY'RE READY. OKAY. 1, 2, 3. ONE MORE. ONE, TWO. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I WILL, I WILL. IF Y'ALL WOULD STAY AFTER AT THE END OF THE CEREMONY, DR. GUERRERO. OKAY. THE NEXT CEREMONY ITEM WILL BE PRESENTATION PROCLAMATION OF BEHALF OF COMMISSIONER COURT, RECOGNIZING BIOMED ESSAYS, BIO COMMISSIONER CLIFF FLORES. I APOLOGIZE. WE'LL TALK LATER. THANK YOU. HI. GOOD TO SEE YOU, HEATHER. UM, OUR NEXT PRO PROCLAMATION READS, WHEREAS BIOMED ESSAY IS A NON-PROFIT MEMBERSHIP BASED ORGANIZATION THAT SERVES AS THE MOST IMPORTANT CONVENER OF ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS, PROMOTING GROWTH OF THE HEALTHCARE AND BIOSCIENCE SECTOR IN SAN ANTONIO AND THE SURROUNDING REGION. AND FEST DAYS IS A SERIES OF EVENTS. COORDINATE AND PROMOTE IT BY BIOMED SA, AIMING TO FOSTER CONNECTIONS, SHOWCASE INNOVATION, AND SOLIDIFY THE SAN ANTONIO ERAS POSITION AS AN INNOVATION HUB WITHIN THE NATIONAL BIO SCIENCE LANDSCAPE. AND WHEREAS BIO FEST DAY SERVES AS A CATALYST FOR SECURING NEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SAN ANTONIO BASED BIOSCIENCE STARTS FACILITATING OVER $65 MILLION IN NEW INVESTMENTS IN OUR AREA SINCE 2021. AND WHEREAS BIO FEST DAYS' PROGRAMS AND EVENTS INCLUDE BIO FEST INVEST AND INVESTOR PITCH COMPETITION FOR STARTUPS, TOURS OF KEY COMMUNITY ASSETS, NETWORKING EVENTS, THOUGHT LEADERSHIP MEETINGS, AND EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE BEARER COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT HEREBY RECOGNIZES BIOMET ESSAYS BIO FEST DAYS. HEATHER, THE TIME IS YOURS. THANK YOU, JUDGE. AND COMMISSIONERS, WE APPRECIATE IT. I WAS GONNA INTRODUCE EVERYONE HERE WITH ME TODAY ON BEHALF OF BIOMED SAY, BUT I THINK THAT WOULD TAKE A WHILE. SO, UM, I WANNA POINT OUT OUR CHAIR. LARRY SCHLESINGER, UM, FROM TEXAS BIOMED IS HERE, AS WELL AS WE HAVE MEMBERS FROM RESEARCH COMPANIES, UNIVERSITIES, STARTUPS, CONSULTANTS, SUPPLIERS AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE, UH, MEMBERS FROM RESTAURANTS, HOTELS, AND REAL ESTATE BECAUSE THE, UM, BIOMEDICAL SECTOR IS THE LARGEST SECTOR IN SAN ANTONIO AND CONTRIBUTES SO MUCH TO OUR ECONOMY THAT THEY RECOGNIZE THAT AS WELL. UM, SAN ANTONIO IS AT A TURNING POINT. OUR REGION IS GROWING FAST, AND WE HAVE A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME A NATIONAL BIOSCIENCE HUB IF WE CONTINUE INVESTING IN RESEARCH, TALENT, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT MAKE INNOVATION POSSIBLE. BIO FESTS DAYS IS ONE OF THE CLEAREST EXAMPLES OF HOW WE SEIZE THAT OPPORTUNITY. SINCE THE START OF BIO FESTS INVEST IN 2021, BIO FEST DAYS HAS BECOME A POWERFUL INDUSTRY DRIVEN 12 DAY SERIES OF EVENTS THAT BRINGS INVESTORS, ENTREPRENEURS, AND LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO SEE SAN ANTONIO'S CAPABILITIES FIRSTHAND. BIO FEST INVEST STANDS OUT AS A SIGNATURE EVENT TO THE SERIES, BRINGING IN 60% OF IT, ITS ATTENDEES FROM OUTSIDE THE REGION, AND HELPING SAN ANTONIO STARTUPS THAT HAVE PITCHED THERE SECURE MORE THAN 65 A MILLION DOLLARS IN INVESTMENT. THIS IS THE KIND OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY THAT RAISES INCOMES, EXPANDS OPPORTUNITY AND STRENGTHENS MOBILITIES FOR FAMILIES ACROSS OUR CITY. OUR HEALTHCARE AND BIOSCIENCE SECTOR ALREADY CONTRIBUTES OVER $44 BILLION A YEAR AND SUPPORTS MORE THAN 180,000 HIGH PAYING JOBS. BIO FEST DAYS AMPLIFIES THESE STRENGTHS BY GIVING COMPANIES, STUDENTS, RESEARCHERS, AND INVESTORS A HIGH VISIBILITY PLATFORM TO ENGAGE WITH OUR ASSETS AND SEE WHAT MAKES SAN ANTONIO A CITY OF SCIENCE AND HEALTH. WE'VE SEEN WHAT'S POSSIBLE COMPANIES LIKE PAST BIO FEST WINNER VASCULAR PROFUSION SOLUTIONS ARE ADVANCING LIFESAVING TECHNOLOGIES AND ATTRACTING NATIONAL RECOGNITION. BUT WE MUST KEEP BUILDING WITH SUSTAINED INVESTMENT AND STRONG PUBLIC-PRIVATE COLLABORATION, SAN ANTONIO CAN SECURE ITS PLACE AS A LEADER IN BIOSCIENCE INNOVATION AND A BEACON OF SCIENTIFIC AND MEDICAL EXCELLENCE. [00:35:01] THANK YOU. I WANNA, UH, THANK COMMISSIONER CLAY FLORES, UH, AND FOR BOTH OF THE LAST TWO RESOLUTIONS, AND I WANNA THANK ALL OF THE PARTNERS THAT ARE HERE TODAY. UM, CAN YOU JUST REMIND US, UH, WHAT ARE THOSE DAYS THAT WE HAVE THE FEST AGAIN? ONE MORE TIME? YEAH. BIO FEST INVEST IS ACTUALLY APRIL 14TH, BUT BIO FEST DAYS RUNS APRIL 6TH THROUGH THE 17TH, AND THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT EVENTS GOING ON, AND YOU CAN LOOK@BIOFEST.NET TO FIND OUT WHICH ONES YOU WANNA ATTEND. WELL, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING. UH, OBVIOUSLY IT'S MAKING AN IMPACT AS BEXAR COUNTY'S NUMBER ONE EMPLOYER IS IN THIS SECTOR. ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK WE CAN COLLABORATE ON IN THE FUTURE IS REALLY MAKING THIS KIND OF, UH, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST KIND OF FEEL. UM, AND, AND THAT COMES THROUGH SPONSORSHIP, UH, THROUGH, UH, ENTERTAINMENT NIGHTLIFE. AND THE REASON I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A BROAD PANEL OF INVESTORS AND TO GROW THE PANEL OF INVESTORS FOR THESE BIO, UH, HEALTH, UH, BUSINESSES. AND WE'VE GOT SO MUCH MONEY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT HOW DO WE PARTNER WITH AUSTIN MONEY? HOW DO WE PARTNER WITH HOUSTON MONEY, WITH DALLAS MONEY? UM, AND PART OF THAT CAN BE WE BRING THOSE, UH, VARIOUS INVESTMENT ORGANIZATIONS TO SAN ANTONIO. UM, YOU MAY BE DOING SOME OF THIS ALREADY, BUT WE JUST WANT TO REALLY HELP YOU, UM, PUT THIS MORE ON THE MAP AND REALLY HERALD THE DIVERSITY OF OUR ECONOMY IN SAN ANTONIO BAYAR COUNTY, SO THAT PEOPLE DON'T JUST SING ABOUT BOSTON OR SOME OTHER CITY AS A PLACE TO INVEST IN THESE, IN THIS INDUSTRY. UM, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO FOLLOWING UP. I KNOW CARLOS, MY WHO SERVED A GOOD TOUR OF DUTY HERE AT BEAR COUNTY IS WITH YOU. AND, UH, HE CAN HELP US LIAISE A A GOOD CONVERSATION TO HELP MAYBE UNDERWRITE, UH, SOMETHING TO TAKE YOUR NEXT YEARS TO ANOTHER LEVEL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, LARRY . LARRY, COME FORWARD. TELL US SOMETHING NEW. YES, SIR. WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT THERE? I'M SORRY. TELL ME SOMETHING NEW THAT'S HAPPENING OUT THERE. WELL, FIRST LET ME SAY HOW HONORED I AM TO BE HERE TODAY, UH, WITH HEATHER AND BIOMED SA TO THANK YOU AND ALL THE COMMISSIONERS FOR YOUR SUPPORT. I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT PUBLIC HEALTH WAS HERE TODAY AS WELL. SO WE HAVE AN ENTIRE SPECTRUM HERE TODAY. UM, I'M EXCITED BECAUSE I THINK SAN ANTONIO IS CONTINUING TO GROW AND HAVE IMPACT. AND AS THE COMMISSIONER STATED, OUR IMPACT NEEDS TO GO BROADER. UM, AND I THINK ALL OF US WHO ARE COMMITTED TO THIS SECTOR ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO ADVANCE, UM, THE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH THAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY THE R AND D UH, THAT LEADS TO MORE MANUFACTURING. SO I THINK THAT WE HAVE A PROMISE AHEAD FOR ALL OF US, UH, AND I WANNA BE PART OF THAT CLEARLY. UH, AND I WANT TO THANK, UH, COMMISSIONER FLORES FOR HER SUPPORT, UM, AND HAS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF TEXAS BIOMED AND A BIOMED ESSAY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY A FEW WORDS. APPRECIATE, THANK YOU. LET'S GIVE HIM ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE. COME FORWARD. HOW ARE YOU? ALL RIGHT. OUR NEXT PROCLAMATION WILL BE PRESENTATION ON PROCLAMATION BEHALF OF COMMISSIONER COURT, RECOGNIZING CLARENCE ARROW, GIDEON DAY, RECOGNIZED AS 63 60 THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF THE LANDMARK DECISION OF GIDEON VERSUS RAIN WHITE. COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, JUDGE. GOOD MORNING. THOSE THAT ARE HERE, I, I THINK I SAW JIM BETH E WHOEVER'S HERE FOR THIS PROCLAMATION, IF WE STEP FORWARD. HEY, JIM, GOOD MORNING. UH, THIS IS SOMETHING WE DO EVERY YEAR, UH, TO COMMEMORATE AND, UM, UNDERSCORE THE IMPORTANCE OF INDIGENT DEFENSE IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO I'M GONNA READ THE PROCLAMATION AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU, JIM. UH, THE PROCLAMATION READS, WHEREAS BEXAR COUNTY VALUES ALL OF ITS RESIDENTS AND RECOGNIZES THAT MANY INDIVIDUALS CANNOT AFFORD LEGAL REPRESENTATION. AND WHEREAS IN 1963, THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT HELD IN GIDEON VERSUS WAIN WRIGHT, THAT THE CONSTITUTION PROHIBITS STATES FROM IMPRISONING INDIVIDUALS WHO CANNOT AFFORD A LAWYER WITHOUT PROVIDING COUNSEL AFFIRMING THAT FAIR TRIALS REQUIRE LEGAL REPRESENTATION. [00:40:02] AND WHEREAS THIS RIGHT TO COUNSEL WAS EXTENDED IN 1967 THROUGH, IN RESULT, ENSURING THAT JUVENILES FACING DELINQUENCY PROCEEDINGS ARE ALSO GUARANTEED LEGAL REPRESENTATION. AND WHEREAS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THESE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES, BEXAR COUNTY FUNDS AND MAINTAINS BOTH A PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE AND A MANAGED ASSIGNED COUNSEL OFFICE TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE PROFESSIONAL REPRESENTATION TO INDIGENT ADULTS AND CHILDREN FACING LOSS OF LIBERTY. AND WHEREAS THE ANNIVERSARIES OF THE GIDEON AND GAULT DECISIONS PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REAFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER THE LAW FOR ALL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AT THE BEXAR COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT, HEREBY RECOGNIZES CLARENCE EARL GIDEON DAY SIGNED THIS 10TH DAY OF MARCH, 2026 BY YOUR COMMISSIONER'S COURT. UH, LET'S GIVE ALL OF OUR DEFENDERS OF JUSTICE A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE. AND JIM, JIM, WOULD YOU SAY A FEW WORDS ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP? YES. COMMISSIONER JIM BETHKE, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BE COUNTY MANAGED TO SIGN COUNCIL PROGRAM. GOOD MORNING, JUDGE COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU FOR BEING OUR SPONSOR. GIDEON VERSUS WAYNE WRIGHT AFFIRMED THE SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL PRINCIPLE THAT JUSTICE IN AMERICA SHOULD NOT DEPEND ON A PERSON'S ABILITY TO PAY FOR A LAWYER. THAT DECISION RECOGNIZED THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL AS ESSENTIAL TO THE PROMISE OF EQUAL JUSTICE AND FAIR TRIALS. TEXAS REINFORCED THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROMISE THROUGH THE T THE PASSAGE OF THE TEXAS FAIR DEFENSE ACT IN 2001, CALLING UPON ALL 254 COUNTIES TO BUILD SYSTEMS THAT ENSURE PEOPLE RECEIVE TIMELY AND EFFECTIVE REPRESENTATION. BEAR COUNTY WAS ONE OF THE FIRST COUNTIES TO ANSWER THAT CALL A LITTLE OVER 20 YEARS AGO. THE COURT INVESTED IN ESTABLISHING THE PUBLIC DEFENDER OFFICE, AND MORE RECENTLY, IN 2021, Y'ALL MOVED FORWARD WITH ESTABLISHING THE MANAGED ASSIGNED COUNCIL PROGRAM. BEAR COUNTY, SINCE THAT TIME, HAS BECOME RECOGNIZED AS STATEWIDE LEADER IN INDIGENT DEFENSE. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE RECEIVE QUALIFIED REPRESENTATION EACH YEAR. YOUR CONSTITUENTS, OUR CLIENTS, THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S CLIENTS BENEFIT FROM STRONGER ADVOCACY ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. PADILLA ADVISE ADVISES SPECIALIZED LEGAL RESOURCES FOR JUVENILES MAKING OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM FAIR, STRONGER, AND MORE ACCOUNTABLE. THAT WORK WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE DEDICATION OF THE ATTORNEYS THAT DO THIS WORK EVERY DAY. THE PUBLIC DEFENDERS AND THE HUNDREDS OF PRIVATE ATTORNEYS WHO ACCEPT COURT APPOINTMENTS CARRY OUT THE PROMISE OF GIDEON EVERY DAY IN OUR COURTROOMS HERE IN BEXAR COUNTY. I THANK ALL OF YOU. I ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR JUDICIARY, THE CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURTS, THE COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTS, AND THE JUVENILE COURTS WHOSE COORDINATION AND COMMITMENT HELP ENSURE THAT THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL IS MEANINGFUL AND EFFECTIVE IN EVERY CASE. GIDEON REMINDS US THAT THE STRENGTH OF OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM IS MEASURED NOT BY HOW WE TREAT THE MOST POWERFUL, BUT HOW WE TREAT THE MOST VULNERABLE WITH THOSE WITH THE LEAST RESOURCES. JUSTICE SHOULD NEVER DEPEND ON WEALTH. BECAUSE OF YOUR LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT FOR INDIGENT FENCE, BERK COUNTY CONTINUES TO MAKE THE PROMISE OF GIDEON REAL FOR THE PEOPLE WE SERVE. FOR THAT, MY TEAM AND I THANK EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORTMENT SUPPORT COMMITMENT TO EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER THE LAW IN ENSURING FAIR TRIALS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'D LIKE, OH, MR. CLAY. YEAH, I JUST WANNA, UM, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ FOR BRINGING THIS, UH, TO COURT EVERY YEAR. ALSO, JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE SO MANY COUNTY EMPLOYEES WHO WORK TOGETHER TO GET THIS DONE. UM, OF COURSE, JIM BETHKE AT MACK, BUT ALSO, UM, JUSTIN ON HIS STAFF. JUSTIN, WAVE YOUR HAND IN CASE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW YOU. I'M EMBARRASSING YOU. I'M SORRY. UM, WHO WORKS WITH OUR, OUR, UM, NON-PROFITS WHO WORK WITH THE IMMIGRATION DEFENSE FUND. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE, UM, DR. NORMA, OUR PUBLIC DEFENDER IS HERE, AND DR. PIPER, UM, FORMER CHAIR OF TOP NOW A TOP MEMBER, NO STAFFER. AND I RECOGNIZE OTHER TOP MEMBERS AND OTHER TOP STAFF WHO ARE BEING HERE. SO IT TAKES ALL THE WORK IN THIS COMMUNITY TO DO THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO, ESPECIALLY, UM, I DON'T THINK I NEED TO REITERATE, BUT ESPECIALLY AT A TIME LIKE THIS, UH, THE DESTRUCTION OF AMERICA BEFORE OUR EYES AS WE, AS WE USED TO KNOW IT. SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE, AND LET'S KEEP FIGHTING. WE, YEAH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER FOR POINTING OUT ALL OF THE, UH, FOOT SOLDIERS, SO TO SPEAK. UM, I KNOW LAWYERS GET A BAD RAP SOMETIMES, BUT I THINK THIS IS A DAY TO CELEBRATE, UM, THE WORK THAT YOU DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT. JIM, IN COORDINATION WITH OUR CHIEF PUBLIC DEFENDER, CARRIE MALLON, THANK YOU, CARRIE, FOR BEING HERE AS WELL. UM, I THINK REALLY SET, UH, AN EXAMPLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, UH, TO MAKE SURE. AS YOU MENTIONED, [00:45:01] JIM, UM, ACCESS TO THE COURTHOUSE OR JUST TO THE, A SIMPLE DEFENSE SHOULD NOT DEPEND ON WHAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR WALLET OR YOUR BANK ACCOUNT. UM, IT SHOULD BE EQUAL, UH, FOR EVERYBODY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK YOU DO. PLEASE COME UP AND, AND HAVE A PICTURE. THANK YOU. LEMME LET ME, LEMME SAY THIS. LET ME SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU, DR. PIPER. GOOD MORNING. HOW ARE YOU? JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF Y'ALL WHO, AS, AS COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ SAYS, YEAH, I'M A LAWYER TOO, JUDGE TOO. SO, YEAH, SOMETIMES WE GET A BAD RABBIT. I WANT TO JUST PUT ON RECORD, AS I STATED DURING MY CAMPAIGN, THE CONSTITUTION DOES NOT DEFEND ITSELF AND IT TAKES OFFICERS OF THE COURT, JUDICIARY, THE LAWYERS, THE PEOPLE THAT TRULY WANT TO PROTECT THIS CONSTITUTION. THANK YOU FOR WHAT Y'ALL DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT, AND LET'S NEVER TAKE YOU FOR GRANTED. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. COME FORWARD AND TAKE A PICTURE. CAN WE GET SOME OF THIS, OF THIS SIDE? CAN, CAN SOME OF Y'ALL GO ON THIS SIDE TO THE RIGHT? CAN SOME OF Y'ALL GO ON THIS SIDE TO EVEN IT OUT? YEAH, LET'S EVEN IT OUT. AYE, AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. NOW LET'S TAKE UP 69, [69. Discussion and appropriate action related to granting an exception to Administrative Policy 1.2 to authorize the consideration of the following late filed Agenda Item #69a. a. Discussion and appropriate action regarding approval of a request from Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores to allocate outside agency funding in the total amount of $49,999 for the agencies and amounts listed; as part of Precinct 1 's Contributions to Outside Agencies from the General Fund.] A DISCUSSION, APPROPRIATE ACTION REGARDING APPROVAL OF A REQUEST FOR COMMISSIONER REBECCA CLAY FLORES TO ALLOCATE OUTSIDE AGENCY FUNDING AND THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF 49,999 FOR THE AGENCIES AND AMOUNTS LISTED AS PRECINCT ONE'S CONTRIBUTION TO OUTSIDE AGENCIES FOR THE GENERAL FUND. THRIVE WELL, CANCER FOUNDATION, COMMISSIONER CLAY FLORES, THE OTHER FLOOR. THANK YOU, JUDGE, AND THRIVE. WELL, WOULD YOU PLEASE STEP FORWARD? THANK YOU, JUDGE SAKA, UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, UM, THRIVE WELL WAS ABLE TO GIVE BACK. UM, WHEN YOU WORK WITH CANCER PATIENTS AND SURVIVORS, THERE'S AN URGENCY OF THE WORK THAT, THAT THEY ARE DOING. SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL WERE ABLE TO GET BACK TO DOING THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. UM, I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THIS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE WERE ABLE TO ALLOCATE ALMOST $50,000 FOR A SPONSORSHIP FOR A ZOOMBATHON FUNDRAISER BECAUSE EXERCISE IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR CANCER SURVIVORS. UM, AS WE CONTINUE TO RECOVER AND SO, SO HAPPY, UM, ALMOST $50,000 FOR THE ZOOMBATHON FUNDRAISER. AND THIS FUNDING SPECIFICALLY GOES TO THE COUNSELING DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH CANCER, UM, AS I REALIZE CANCER DOESN'T JUST AFFECT THE ORGAN, BUT AFFECTS THE ENTIRE BODY. SO, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN, BUT IF YOU WANTED TO SPEAK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THIS FUNDING AMOUNT, UM, AND JUST THE WORK THAT THE COURT HAS BEEN DOING TO SUPPORT THRIVE WELL IN CANCER PATIENTS. THANK YOU. NO, THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH. YES. SLASH AS YOU MENTIONED, CANCER DOES NOT JUST AFFECT THE DIAGNOSIS AND THE ACTUAL ART OF GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS. IT'S MIND, IT'S BODY, IT'S CHANGING YOUR LIFESTYLE. IT IS SO MANY THINGS BEYOND, UM, CHRIS CAN SPEAK TO THAT BETTER THAN I CAN AS A SURVIVOR AND A WARRIOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. UH, DEFINITELY WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO, UH, THIS CANCER JOURNEY, WE DO GO THROUGH A LOT. UM, WE UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH CHEMOTHERAPY, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH RADIATION. THERE ARE GONNA BE CERTAIN SIDE EFFECTS THAT ARE GOING TO, UH, PRETTY MUCH TAKE OVER NOT ONLY OUR BODIES, BUT ALSO OUR MINDS. UH, BECAUSE WE'RE CONSTANTLY THINKING ABOUT HOW CAN THIS CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENT, HOW CAN THIS RADIATION REALLY HELP US TO GET BETTER AND TO REALLY KILL THE CANCER THAT WE HAVE IN OUR BODIES? AND A LOT OF TIMES, UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE CANCER PATIENTS THAT HAVE TO DECIDE BETWEEN TREATMENT AND PAYING THEIR RENT. THEY HAVE TO DECIDE BETWEEN RADIATION AND KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON AT HOME. AND SO WHEN IT COMES [00:50:01] DOWN TO THE FUNDING THAT THRIVE OIL CANCER FOUNDATION RECEIVES, ALL OF THIS MONEY GOES TOWARDS THE PATIENTS THAT ARE A PART OF THIS GREAT ORGANIZATION. AND SO, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT AS A CANCER SURVIVOR, AS A SURVIVOR AND A WARRIOR, I'M VERY, VERY THANKFUL FOR THE SUPPORT THAT THRIVE WORLD CANCER FOUNDATION HAS GIVEN ME OVER THESE YEARS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND JUST IN THE LAST MONTH AND A HALF, THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY CAME OUT WITH THE NEW STAT THAT, UM, AMONGST CANCERS COLON CANCER IS THE NUMBER ONE KILLER, KILLER FOR PEOPLE UNDER 50. SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, EVEN FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. UM, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE SECOND MOTION BY COMMISSIONER KELLY FLORES, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SECOND BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT. LET'S CONTINUE THE SPECIAL PRESENTATION [5. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS ITEM(S)] ITEMS FIVE. A PRESENTATION BY REPRESENTATIVE OF JOINT COMMISSION ON ELDERLY AFFAIRS TO RECOGNIZE AND FORMERLY COMMEND THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT AT COUNTY JUDGE PETER, AKA FOR HIS CONTINUED LEADERSHIP SUPPORT AND COMMITMENT TO IMPROVING THE WELLBEING AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF OLDER ADULTS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES THROUGHOUT BEAR COUNTY. GOOD MORNING, MS. FERNANDA. GOOD MORNING, JUDGE. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME MS. FERNANDA CARNA. AND I HAVE THE HONOR OF BEING THE CHAIR OF THE JOINT COMMISSION ON ELDERLY AFFAIRS. I WANT TO EX EXTEND MY SINCERE THANKS TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND TO JUDGE SAKAI AND EVERYONE INVOLVED IN OPENING THE DOORS TO THE SOUTH ENTRANCE AND ENSURING THAT IT IS FULLY A DA ACCESSIBLE PROJECTS LIKE THIS REQUIRE COLLABORATION, COMMITMENT AND A WILLINGNESS TO LISTEN TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. AND I WANT TO FIRST RECOGNIZE ALL THE WORK AND CARE THAT WENT INTO MAKING THIS POSSIBLE FOR MANY OLDER ADULTS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH MOBILITY CHALLENGES AND ACCESSIBILITY CAN MEAN THE DIFFERENCE IN BETWEEN PARTICIPATING AND ISOLATION. AND IN THESE CASES, ACCESS TO JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SERVICE SHOULD NEVER DEPEND ON MOBILITY, STRENGTH, OR CIRCUMSTANCES. IN MY ROLE ON THE JOINT COMMISSION ON ELDERLY AFFAIRS, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE AND RESPONSIBILITY TO ADVOCATE FOR POLICY IMPROVEMENTS THAT SUPPORT THE DIGNITY AND INDEPENDENCE OF OUR OLDER ADULTS IN THE COMMUNITY. THIS WORK IS DEEPLY IMPORTANT TO ME, NOT ONLY IN MY PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY, BUT ALSO ON A PERSONAL LEVEL. MANY OF US HAVE PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, AND LOVED ONES WHOSE MOBILITY CH CHANGES AS THEY AGE. WE SEE THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE, AND WE UNDERSTAND HOW MEANINGFUL IT IS WHEN COMMUNITIES TAKE THOUGHTFUL STEPS TO REMOVE THESE BARRIERS. THE JOINT COMMISSION ON ELDERLY AFFAIRS EXISTS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR OLDER ADULTS BY ADVOCATING FOR EQUITY, DIGNITY, AND COMPASSION. TODAY'S REOPENING REFLECTS WHAT'S POSSIBLE WHEN WE LISTEN, ACT, AND LEAD WITH INCLUSION. A COMMUNITY IS ONLY AS STRONG AS ITS HOLINESS TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE CAN FULLY BELONG, PARTICIPATE, AND BE SEEN. I'M PROUD OF THIS COMMUNITY AND GRATEFUL FOR THE LEADERSHIP THAT MADE THIS IMPROVEMENT POSSIBLE AND HOPEFUL FOR THE PROGRESS THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE TOGETHER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, I JUST, I JUST WANTED, UH, TO RECOGNIZE FERNANDA, WHO'S MY CONSTITUENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO FOR, FOR THE ELDERLY AND ALWAYS, UM, ASKING ABOUT MY MOM AND EVERYTHING AND, AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO FOR, FOR SO MANY MOMS AND SO MANY ELDERLY IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE MAYA APPOINTEE, UM, JAY VALENZUELA. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU, UH, JUDGE. THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING HERE. UH, FERNANDA, I KNOW YOU DO SO MUCH WORK OUTSIDE OF, UH, THIS BODY, BUT ALSO WITH, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE NONPROFIT AND THE GONZAGA FAMILY. UH, SO MANY, UH, PEOPLE THAT, THAT DO GREAT WORK THERE. I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT I, I THOUGHT I SAW TERRY KILMER, UH, SOMEWHERE BACK THERE. ONE OF MY, ONE OF MY CONSTITUENTS. UH, TERRY. TERRY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU. THERE YOU ARE. UM, AND OF COURSE, JERRY, MY APPOINTEE. JERRY, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU DO. UH, SO MANY. UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS LOOK TO YOU ALL AS, UH, LEADERS ON THIS COMMISSION. SO WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND WE APPRECIATE EVERY DAY, UH, THE WORK THAT YOU DO. UH, NOT JUST AT, UH, YOUR, YOUR SPECIFIC, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD OR COMMUNITY, BUT, BUT COUNTYWIDE. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS RECOGNITION'S ABOUT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU JUDGE COMMISSIONER COVER. THANK YOU. I WANNA JOIN MY COLLEAGUES AND THANK THE JUDGE FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM TO US. UH, I THINK THE, THE, ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD FOR YOUR SERVICE, BETTY ECKERT, MY LONGTIME APPOINTEE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LONGTIME SERVICE, UH, DATING BACK TO COMMISSIONER ATKINSON, ACTUALLY. AND, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK YOU DO. SO I WANTED TO JUST SAY THAT TOGETHER, WE NEED TO WORK TOWARDS MORE HOME HEALTHCARE HELP FOR OUR SENIORS, UH, THE, AND, AND PAYING THOSE HOME HEALTHCARE WORKERS AT A WAGE THAT IS, UH, COMMISERATE WITH THE CARE THAT'S NEEDED. THINKING ABOUT HOW UNIVERSITY HEALTH CAN ENTER THAT SPACE. THINKING ABOUT HOW UNIVERSITY HEALTH CAN CREATE HOUSING FOR SENIORS THAT IS AFFORDABLE AND CLOSE TO MEDICAL DOCTORS [00:55:01] AND MEDICAL CARE. THOSE ARE VERY IMPORTANT MOVEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE IN PLACES LIKE FLORIDA THAT HAVE BEEN DONE IN THE COOPERATION, UH, WITH THE PUBLIC COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENTS. UM, AND SO WE'VE MADE PROGRESS, FOR EXAMPLE, OVER THE YEARS, I WANNA THANK THE, THE, THE COMMISSION FOR MAKING PROGRESS ON ELDER FRAUD ABUSE. YES. WHEN I STARTED, I WAS THE FIRST COMMISSIONER TO TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE WAS ALL KINDS OF FINANCIAL CRIMES BEING COMMITTED AGAINST OUR SENIOR CITIZENS. UH, I KNEW BECAUSE MY FAMILY WAS AWARD FOR A SENIOR CITIZEN, UH, WHO HAD HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN HER RETIREMENT TAKEN BY A JAMAICAN ORGANIZED CRIME NETWORK. AND SO WE'VE MADE PROGRESS. WE NOW HAVE, UH, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS INVESTIGATORS FOR THAT. THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT NOW HAS INVESTIGATORS FOR THAT. SO I, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR MAKING PROGRESS TOGETHER, ADVOCATING FOR THE HEALTH NEEDS, THE FOOD NEEDS, THE HOME HEALTHCARE NEEDS, THE ACTIVITY AND CONNECTIVITY NEEDS. YOU ALL HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU, JUDGE FERNANDA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU AND WE WILL CONTINUE AS YOU'RE THE CHAIR. LET ME ALSO RECOGNIZE MY APPOINTEE. LAUREN JIMENEZ, UH, WHO I'VE PUT POINTED ON THERE. SHE, I THINK WAS FORMERLY WITH ACOG ON THE ELDERLY COMMITTEE OVER THERE. JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF Y'ALL. UH, Y'ALL HAVE BROUGHT ISSUES TO THIS COURT. I WANT TO THANK THE COURT FOR THE COMMITMENT IN THIS REGARDS TO THE ACCESS TO THE COURTHOUSE AND THEN OPEN UP AND THE EXPENSES THAT WE NEED TO DO THAT. WE ALSO, AS YOU COULD SEE ON OUR MONITORS, WE HAVE SIGNED INTERPRETERS NOW GIVING ACCESS TO THE DEAF AND HEARING IMPAIRED. AND THE, ALSO THE CREATION OF THE SENIOR JUSTICE CENTER, WHICH WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF JUDGE VERONICA VASQUEZ OUT OF PROBATE COURT, WILL SEE THAT OUR COMMITMENT OF COMMISSIONER'S COURT WILL CONTINUE. AND FERNANDA AND WHOEVER SUCCEEDS YOU AS THE CHAIR UNDERSTAND THAT'S ONE ONE OF THESE PAR COMMITTEES HAS BEEN VERY POWERFUL IN BRINGING AWARENESS TO THE, TO THE LEADERSHIP HERE. AND I HOPE THAT Y'ALL WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT. WE DON'T ALWAYS GET IT RIGHT, BUT WHEN WE POINT IT OUT, I EXPECT THIS COURT TO ALWAYS RESPOND TO Y'ALL. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF Y'ALL AND WHAT Y'ALL DO FOR THIS COMMUNITY. CAN WE GIVE THEM ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE? COME TAKE A DO. LET'S GET A PICTURE. YES. AND FOR THE RECORD, I ALL HAVE SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS AND I'LL ASK THAT IT BE FILED. LUCY, WE GOT A RESOLUTION THAT NEEDS TO BE FILED. THANK YOU. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT, JACKIE. THAT'S RIGHT. HOW ARE YOU? PUT A [6. TIME CERTAIN ITEM(S)] TIME CERTAIN, WE'RE RIGHT ON TIME HERE. WE'RE GONNA GO 10:00 AM PRESENTATION DISCUSSION, APPROPRIATE ACTION REGARDING THE FOLLOWING ITEMS RE RELATED TO THE ETT THEATER. ONE UPDATE ON DESIGN CONSTRUCTION, AUTOMATED THEATER, AND TWO APPROVAL AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO NEGOTIATE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE ALAMEDA THEATER CONSERVANCY TO REFURBISH, RESTORE THE ICONIC NEON BLADE SIGN AND MARQUIA THE HISTORIC ALAMEDA THEATER IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED TWO $2,500,000. OKAY, MR. TONY CONES. MORNING, JUDGE. COMMISSIONERS. UH, MY NAME IS TONY CONES. I'M WITH THE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. I ALSO SERVE AS THE, UH, COUNTY'S REPRESENTATIVE TO THE ALAMEDA THEATER CONSERVANCY BOARD. UM, I'M HERE TODAY TO INTRODUCE AN ITEM TO PROVIDE EXCITING UPDATES, UH, ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE RENOVATION TO THE HISTORIC ALAMEDA THEATER. I'M JOINED TODAY BY MR. TRADE JACOBSON, WHO IS THE INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CONSERVANCY. WE ALSO HAVE IN THE AUDIENCE, UH, UH, MR. PETE CORTEZ, WHO'S CHAIR OF THE BOARD, AND LINDSEY HOLLAND, OUR VICE CHAIR. UM, AND WE'RE ALSO JOINED BY CHRISTINA AND EDDIE ALTI, WHO HAVE BEEN, UH, UH, INCREDIBLE PARTNERS FOR US, UH, HELPING US WITH FUNDRAISING. SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO TREY. LET HIM, UH, PRESENT YOU THE, UH, UPDATES. AND THEN WE WILL, UH, UH, STOP FOR QUESTIONS. [01:00:04] HELLO, MR. TRE, JUDGE COMMISSIONERS. GOOD MORNING. UH, AGAIN, FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS TRE JACOBSON. I'M, UH, SERVING AS THE INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE ALAMEDA THEATER CONSERVANCY. UH, WE HAVE A BRIEF ITEM, UH, I WANT TO COVER AT A VERY CURSORY LEVEL. 'CAUSE WE, WE'D GO ON FOR HOURS AND TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF ANIMATED THEATER. SO MANY PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW ABOUT THE HISTORY, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ANIMATED THEATER. SO I WANT TO COVER THAT BRIEFLY AS WE LEAD INTO WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY. SO THE ALAMEDA THEATER OPENED IN MARCH OF 1949 WITH OVER 2,500 SEATS. UH, AT THE TIME, IT WAS ONE OF THE LARGEST THEATERS. UH, BUT WHAT DISTINGUISHED THE ALAMEDA FROM ITS OTHER THEATERS AT THE TIME IS THAT IT PROVIDED SPANISH LANGUAGE, MOVIES AND ENTERTAINMENT TARGETED TO THE MEXICAN AND MEXICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY THAT WAS FLOURISHING AND CONTINUES TO FLOURISH. BUT WHAT IT REALLY MADE IT UNIQUE WAS THAT AT THAT SAD TIME IN OUR CITY'S HISTORY, MANY OF THE THEATERS IN SAN ANTONIO WERE SEGREGATED, AND THEY DISCOURAGED AFRICAN AMERICANS AND MEXICAN AMERICANS FROM BEING CUSTOMERS. DURING THE 1950S AND SIXTIES, THE THEATER FLOURISHED. IT WAS THE GOLDEN AGE OF MEXICAN CINEMA. UH, AND ALL OF THE FAMOUS MEXICAN ACTORS, SINGERS, COMEDIANS, FLOCKED SAN ANTONIO AND PERFORMED AT THE ALAMEDA. AND DURING THE 1960S AND EARLY SEVENTIES, THERE WAS EVEN A SPANISH LANGUAGE VARIETY SHOW THAT WAS HELD THERE. BUT IT WASN'T THE ENTERTAINMENT AND THE ARTS THAT WOULD HELP MAKE THIS BUILDING PARTICULARLY SPECIAL AS WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE OFFICE BUILDING THAT SURROUNDED IT. THOSE, THERE WERE HISTORICAL TENETS, HISTORICAL THINGS GO ON THERE. THE MEXICAN CONSULATE WAS IN THE COSTA DE MEXICO BUILDING, WHAT WE NOW CALL THE HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, WAS IN THAT BUILDING. CIVIC LEADERS LIKE HENRY B GONZALEZ'S EARLY OFFICES WERE THERE. THE FIRST SPANISH LANGUAGE RADIO STATION. ULTIMATELY THE FIRST, UH, SPANISH LANGUAGE MEXICAN AMERICAN AND UHF CHANNEL IN THE, IN THE NATION WAS THERE. AND MEXICAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS WERE FOUNDED, INCLUDING MALDEF. HOWEVER, A 2,500 SEAT MOVIE HOUSE COULD NOT COMPETE IN THE 1980S AGAINST THE MEGA PLEXES THAT WE ALL KNOW TODAY. SO SADLY, IN 1990, THE ALAMEDA CLOSED ITS DOORS FOR GOOD. AND EVER SINCE THEN, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CLOSING, THERE WAS EFFORTS TO REVIVE THE THEATER. HOWEVER, IN FIVE YEARS LATER, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, IN AN EFFORT JUST TO PRESERVE THE BUILDING, THAT'S IMPORTANTLY RICH CULTURALLY IMPORTANT BUILDING, THEY ACQUIRED IT IN 1995. THERE WERE SEVERAL FAILED EFFORTS BY OTHER NONPROFITS TRYING TO RESTORE IT. HOWEVER, IN 2017, BEAR COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT, OR ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE ALAMEDA THEATER CONSERVANCY, ALONG WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, LA FAMILIA CORTEZ, AND TEXAS PUBLIC RADIO, WHO'S ONE OF OUR TENANTS, THEY WERE GETTING SERIOUS. THEY PUT SOME MONEY FOR THIS PROJECT TO GET GOING. AND THEN IN THE INTERVENING YEARS FROM 2017 TO 2026, UH, THE CONSERVANCY, EVEN DURING THE PERIOD OF COVID STRATEGICALLY PLANNED THE RESTORATION. WE HAVE FULLY DESIGNED AND IN FACT ENHANCED THE DESIGN OF THE PROJECT. WE HAVE CONTRACTORS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT. WE HAVE PERFECTED $22 MILLION WORTH OF STATE AND FEDERAL TAX CREDITS. WE'VE ADOPTED A SELF-SUFFICIENCY PLAN. WE'VE BEEN ACTIVELY PERFORMING, UH, WITH A CAPITAL CAMPAIGN, AND WE PROVIDED FOR THE PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT OF THAT THEATER. WE'VE CONTRACTED WITH AMBASSADOR THEATER GROUP, UH, UM, WHICH YOU MAY NOW LOCALLY KNOW, IS RUNNING THE MAJESTIC AND THE EMPIRE THEATER. YOU KNOW THEM LOCALLY, BUT THEY ARE GLOBALLY A TOP TIER THEATER MANAGEMENT COMPANY WITH TICKETING PLATFORMS AND THE SPAN TO BE ABLE TO BRING SHOWS, UH, TO SAN ANTONIO. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, FOR THE CONSERVANCY, THEY HAVE HONORED OUR COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE FOR LATINO FOCUSED ENTERTAINMENT, WHICH AGAIN, REFLECTING THE CULTURAL HISTORY OF THIS IMPORTANT THEATER. THEY ALSO HAVE A LONGSTANDING RELATIONSHIP WITH LOCAL NONPROFITS AND EDUCATORS THAT TRIED THAT IN TERMS OF HOW THEY SUPPORT THOSE GROUPS. WE'VE FURTHER BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH AMBASSADOR TO PROVIDE FOR 14 RENT-FREE DAYS FOR COMMUNITY USE OF THE THEATER. THIS COURT WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ALLOCATE FIVE OF THOSE FREE DAYS AS IT SEES FIFTH EACH YEAR TO COMMUNITY GROUPS. THE CITY WILL ALSO HAVE FIVE DAYS, AND THE CONSERVANCY WILL PROVIDE FOR FOUR OF THOSE DAYS, AGAIN, FOCUSING ON THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UH, OTHERS TO BE ABLE TO USE THE THEATERS. SO YOU MIGHT REALIZE THAT WE'RE NOT SIMPLY FOCUSED ON RESTORING THE THEATER. WE SEE THE CONSERVANCY AS A VITAL PRESENTER OF LATINO ARTS CULTURE AND EDUCATION, AND USING THE [01:05:01] THEATER AND THE ORGANIZATION AS A PLATFORM TO DO IT, BECAUSE WE BELIEVE WE'RE DELIVERING ON A PROMISE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE THOSE PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS AND NONPROFITS, SUCH AS AROUND MUSIC AND PERFORMANCE, BUT ALSO PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL AGES. WE ALSO ARE CO-LOCATED AGAINST TEXAS PUBLIC RADIO. AND USING THEM AND THEIR BROADCAST OPPORTUNITIES AS A PLATFORM PROVIDES AN IMMENSE NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THIS COMMUNITY. JUST TO KIND OF, WELL, SO JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF COMMUNITY USES THAT MAY BE IMPORTANT IS THAT ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE FOCUSED ON IS ACCESSIBILITY FOR EDUCATION AND, AND, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UH, CHILDREN WHO ARE K THROUGH 12, PARTICULARLY IN S-A-I-S-D AND OUR OTHER PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO ENJOY AND, AND BE INTRODUCED TO CULTURAL PERFORMANCES. AND IT JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, ALSO WE WERE, WE'VE BEEN RECENTLY APPROACHED BY A, A LARGE COMPANY, I WON'T DESCRIBE WHO THEY ARE, BUT HAS AN INTEREST IN MILITARY FAMILIES AND VETERANS, AND HOW WE CAN PARTNER WITH THEM TO PROVIDE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES OR DISCOUNTED RENT, UH, DISCOUNTED, UH, PROGRAMS FOR, UH, MILITARY FAMILIES. SO WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE PROJECT? IN SHORT, WE'RE READY TO GO. WE'VE HAVE FULLY DESIGNED, FULLY COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION DESIGNS. WE ARE COORDINATING RIGHT NOW WITH THE CITY ON OUR, UH, UPDATED PERMITS. WE HAVE ALL OF OUR HISTORICAL APPROVALS. WE'RE ESTIM OUR CONSTRUCTION, UH, BIDS LATER THIS SPRING. WE, WE ARE WORKING WITH HI HISTORIC TAX CREDITS. WE HAVE, UH, TERM SHEETS. WE'RE WORKING ON OUR BRIDGE FINANCING THAT WE NEED. AND OUR CAPITAL CAMPAIGN IS FINALLY SHOWING SUCCESS. AND IF WE ARE ABLE TO DO THIS, WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT WE WILL CLOSE ON OUR FINANCING AS EARLY AS JUNE 30TH OF THIS YEAR, WHICH WOULD ALLOW US TO ACTUALLY OPEN THE THEATER AND THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE SPRING OF 2028. THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES TO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT. BUT WHAT IT ALSO TAKES TO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT IS $64 MILLION, WHICH THROUGH THE CITIES AND COUNTIES, GENEROUS SUPPORT AS WELL AS THE TAX CREDITS AND CAPITAL AND OUR, AND OTHER PRIVATE DONATIONS WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING TOWARD. BUT EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE HERE TODAY, IS TO TALK ABOUT THIS BEAR COUNTY FUNDING AGREEMENT. UM, THERE ARE FUNDS, UH, I BELIEVE YOU KNOW, FROM THE COURT THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY ALLOCATED OF $2.5 MILLION FOR THIS PROJECT. WE'RE LOOKING TO ENTER INTO A FUNDING AGREEMENT FOR THOSE PURPOSES. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS, THIS UNIQUE AND ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTION BY THE COUNTY SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON THE NEON BLADE SIGN AND THE MARQUEE THAT IS CLEARLY AND WILL EVER BE THE MOST VISIBLE ASPECT OF THIS PROJECT, IS ALSO ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE SINGLE ELEMENTS OF THIS BUILDING AT $2.5 MILLION. IT REQUIRES A COMPLETE RESTORATION INSIDE AND OUT. WE INTEND, IN ADDITION TO THE GENERAL LARGE REC APPRECIATION RECOGNITION FOR BEXAR COUNTY, WE WANT TO HONOR THROUGH THIS FUNDING AGREEMENT, A GIFT RECOGNITION FOR BEARER COUNTY, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE, THE BLADE SIGN, AND PROVIDE CEREMONIES IN THE FUTURE BY WHICH BEXAR COUNTY COULD ACTUALLY FLIP THE SWITCH AND TURN IT ON. UH, FURTHER, THIS PROJECT'S BEEN GOING A LONG TIME. WE WERE PROPOSING THAT ANY FUNDS THAT, UH, ARE ALLOCATED TO THIS FUNDING AGREEMENT ONLY BE RELEASED TO BACK TO THE PROJECT WHEN WE'RE FINANCIALLY CLOSED AND READY TO GO. SO, THAT CONCLUDES MY REMARKS ABOUT THE HISTORY AND AN UPDATE ABOUT THE PROJECT. AND, UM, IF THE COURT WILL INDULGE US FOR A MINUTE, I, IT'S HELPFUL FOR YOU TO SEE WHAT THIS THEATER PROJECT IS GOING TO BE. AND SO WE HAVE A VIDEO, A FLAT THROUGH VIDEO BASED UPON THE ACTUAL DESIGNS OF THE THEATER THAT WE'RE GONNA RUN NOW. AND, UH, AND THEN AFTERWARDS, PETE CORTEZ, OUR CHAIR, WILL MAKE SOME JUST CLOSING REMARKS. THANK YOU. THANKS, TRE. SHOW US VIDEO. VIDEO. OKAY. [01:11:51] GOOD MORNING. MORNING JUDGE AKAI, MEMBERS OF THE COURT. UM, I HAVE THE PURPOSE OF KNOWING MOST OF YOU, BUT FOR THE RECORD, I'M PETE CORTEZ. UH, I WANNA RECOGNIZE MY VICE CHAIR, LINDSEY HOLLAND AND OUR CAPITAL CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIRS, UH, CHRISTINA NET ALTE. SO, IN ADDITION TO, UH, RUNNING MI TIERRA SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, UM, AT OUR OTHER FAMILY RESTAURANTS, I SERVE AS BOARD CHAIR OF THE ELEMENTAL THEATER. I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK THE COURT FOR ALL THE SUPPORT THAT YOU'VE PROVIDED OVER MANY, MANY YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT. AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE. FIRST OF ALL, UM, ONE OF OUR FOUNDING BOARD MEMBERS, DAVID SMITH. THANK YOU, DAVID. HOPE THE VIDEOS COME A LONG WAY. THE PROJECTS COME A LONG WAY. UM, I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE TONY CANES, UH, WHO'S DONE A FANTASTIC JOB REPRESENTING THE COUNTY, UM, BOTH AS A BOARD MEMBER AND A SECRETARY OF THE BOARD. FOR MY FAMILY AND I, THE PRESERVATION AND REACTIVATION OF THE ALAMEDO THEATER HAS BECOME A MULTI-GENERATIONAL ENDEAVOR. AS YOU MAY KNOW, MY LATE FATHER, JORGE CORTEZ, WAS A VOCAL ADVOCATE FOR PRESERVING LATINO CULTURE ON THE WEST END OF DOWNTOWN. CURRENT AND PAST MEMBERS OF THIS COURT WILL NO DOUBT REMEMBER HIS PASSION, WHICH LED TO MANY IMPROVEMENTS, INCLUDING MOST RECENTLY, SO, AND SAN PEDRO CREEK, AND THE BOND PROJECTS THAT ARE JUST NOW WRAPPING UP AMONGST HIS MANY PASSIONS. HOWEVER, NONE WERE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE ELEMENT OF THEATER. HE UNDERSTOOD THE CULTURAL IMPORTANCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS ICONIC THEATER, AND HE FOUGHT TO ENSURE THAT IT WOULD ULTIMATELY BE RESTORED TOWARDS HISTORIC GLORY. HE OFTEN REFERRED TO THIS THEATER AS THE CROWN JEWEL. AS THIS COURT HAS LONG SHARED, THAT COMMITMENT AND IS, ALONG WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, PROVIDES SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES TOWARDS THAT GOAL. TO INVOKE A FOOTBALL METAPHOR, WE HAVE ADVANCED THE BALL INTO THE RED ZONE, WHICH IS FURTHER THAN WE HAVE EVER BEEN BEFORE. AS YOU SAW IN THE VIDEO, WE HAVE FULLY COMPLETED DESIGNS, THE REQUIRED PERMITS, SIGNIFICANT HISTORIC TAX CREDITS, BRIDGE FINANCING, A WORLD-CLASS THEATER MANAGER, AND WE CONTINUE TO RAISE PRIVATE FUNDS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT. IN SHORT, ALTHOUGH IT'S TAKEN A LARGE PART OF MY ADULT LIFE TO GET TO THIS POINT, WE ARE FINALLY READY TO GO. WE ARE INSIDE THE FIVE YARD LINE, BUT WE NEED THE COUNTY SUPPORT TO HELP US GET OVER THE GOAL LINE. THIS FUNDING WILL GENUINELY MOVE US FORWARD IN MEANINGFUL WAYS, AS TREY OUTLINED. BUT BEFORE. SO, ON BEHALF OF THE CONSERVANCY BOARD, LET ME THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND DIVISION AND OUR EFFORTS TO BRING THE PSYCHOTIC BUILDING BACK TO LIFE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, PETE. COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JUDGE. UH, PETE, TONY, TREY, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. EDDIE AND CHRISTINA, WHY DON'T YOU COME UP TOO? 'CAUSE I, I WANT TO, UH, RECOGNIZE YOU ALL AS WELL. THI THIS HAPPENS TO BE IN PRECINCT TWO, THE WESTERN EDGE OF DOWNTOWN. BUT THIS IS A PROJECT, A THEATER, UH, AS YOU MENTIONED, PDAY LABOR OF LOVE, UH, THAT'S COUNTYWIDE. AND, AND IN IN PARTICULAR, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE, UH, COME FROM THE WEST SIDE, UM, WHO HAVE, UH, COINCIDENTALLY YESTERDAY, I THINK WAS THE 77 YEAR, UH, ANNIVERSARY OF WHEN THE THEATER OPENED. [01:15:01] UM, I KNOW THAT FOR A COUPLE REASONS. ONE, IT'S IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT TWO, UH, MY MOM ALSO TURNED 77 THIS WEEK. UH, SO, UH, SHE GREW UP ON, UH, THE WEST SIDE. UH, MY GRANDPARENTS, UH, BOTH SETS OF GRANDPARENTS, UH, WENT TO THE THEATER WHEN IT WAS A MOVIE THEATER INITIALLY. THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT. THEY'VE BEEN WAITING ON THIS PROJECT FOR SOME TIME. I WANNA POINT OUT A COUPLE THINGS. ONE, UM, THIS IS NOT NEW MONEY. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER ELIZONDO CHAMPIONED, UH, GOSH, PROBABLY 15 YEARS AGO. UH, SO IT'S BEEN IN THE BUDGET, AND THIS COURT'S ACTUALLY, UH, VOTED ON THIS ALREADY THE LAST FEW YEARS TO CARRY IT OVER. WE'RE FINALLY AT THE POINT WHERE WE CAN, UH, APPROPRIATE THESE FUNDS AND, AND GET THE, THE, UH, SIGN LIT. AND SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE, THE COURT SUPPORT ON THAT. I, I DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE PROJECT. AND, UH, TO THAT END, I WANTED TO HAVE EDDIE AND CHRISTINA JUST SAY A FEW WORDS BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE DOING SOME OF THE HEAVY LIFTING WITH RESPECT TO LEVERAGING PRIVATE SECTOR DOLLARS. AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT THESE, UH, PUBLIC DOLLARS CAN HELP YOU, UH, LEVERAGE THAT, SO TO SPEAK. BUT IF YOU WANNA JUST GIVE A QUICK WORD ON HOW THAT'S GOING. MAKE A PLEA MAYBE TO OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, UH, TO HELP SUPPORT THIS IMPORTANT PROJECT FOR, UH, NOT JUST THE LEGACY OF THE THEATER, BUT THE LEGACY OF OUR CITY. EDDIE. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. UH, WE'RE VERY PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT. UM, WE HAVE BEEN BIG FANS OF THE ALAMEDA FOR YEARS, AND HAVE, UH, OVER THE YEARS LOOKED FOR WAYS TO BE SUPPORTIVE. IT'S AN IMPORTANT ASSET IN THE COMMUNITY WITH SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL VALUE. AND THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF INGREDIENTS THAT MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE, UH, TO THE PRIVATE DONOR COMMUNITY. AND WHAT WE'VE DISCOVERED IS WHAT LOOKED LIKE AN INSURMOUNTABLE HILL TO CLIMB, TO GO RAISE THE PRIVATE DOLLARS. WHAT WE'VE DISCOVERED OVER TIME IS THAT WHEN ONE PERSON FINDS THAT ONE OF THEIR COLLEAGUES OR PEERS GIVES, THEN THEY DECIDE, OKAY, I'M GONNA STEP UP AS WELL. JUST THE OLD FASHIONED PEER PRESSURE, IT IS . UM, SO WE'VE BEEN VERY PLEASED WITH, UH, THE REACTION THAT WE'VE HAD. UM, IT HAS TAKEN A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, AND WITH EACH, UH, CONTRIBUTION, YOU KNOW, MANY OF THESE START OUT AS PLEDGES. UM, AND THAT MAY BE AN UNNAMED PLEDGE, UN WITHOUT A DOLLAR AMOUNT. LIKE, YES, I'M GONNA GIVE. UM, AND THEN THEY LEARN MORE AND THEY SEE MORE, AND THEY SEE THE PROGRESS. AND THEN THE, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT GIVES, UH, COMES IN, UH, AND THEN A LITTLE MORE TIME PASSES BY. AND THEN THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT, UH, INCREASES. UM, AND ALONG WITH, UH, WHAT THE OTHER, UH, FRIENDS AND PEERS AND COLLEAGUES ARE DOING. SO WE HAVE LOOKED AT, AND WE ARE REACHING, UH, PEOPLE, UH, HERE IN THIS COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS, UM, INDIVIDUALS, PHILANTHROPISTS, AS WELL AS OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY, PEOPLE WHO TRULY SEE THE ALAMEDA AS A REGIONAL ASSET AND NOT JUST A SAN ANTONIO BARAR COUNTY ASSET. WELL, THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE VERY MUCH. I KNOW FOR A LOT OF YOU, UH, THIS IS, UH, NOT YOUR FULL-TIME JOB, BUT YOU'RE SPENDING SOMETIMES FULL-TIME HOURS, UH, AS, AS A HOBBY AND A LABOR OF LOVE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. SO WE THANK YOU EDDIE AND CHRISTINA FOR, FOR BEING PARTNERS WITH US. ABSOLUTELY. AND AGAIN, WE, WE WELCOME, UH, ANYONE WHO MAY HAVE INTEREST. WE WELCOME A CONVERSATION WITH THEM TO SHARE MORE INFORMATION AND THE PLANS AND THE TIMETABLE. UM, THERE ARE NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES FOR NAMING RIGHTS AT VARIOUS LEVELS. UH, SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT AS WELL. GREAT. WELL KEEP US POSTED AND, AND LET US KNOW HOW WE CAN BE HELPFUL IN THOSE ENDEAVORS AS WELL, UM, WITH OUR, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL TIES TO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. WE CAN ALSO REACH OUT. I'M HAPPY TO DO IT MYSELF. UM, LET ME ASK TREY REAL QUICK TO COME BACK UP. UH, TREY, I WANTED TO JUST MENTION, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME ONGOING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, UH, PROGRAMMING. UH, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY GONNA BE ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THEATERS WHEN IT'S DONE IN THE COMMUNITY, SO THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF INTEREST. UH, BUT I WANTED, UH, TO ASK YOU TO TAKE A MINUTE TO TALK ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY, AND NOT JUST FROM A PHYSICAL POINT, BUT A, UH, COMMUNITY POINT, RIGHT? WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS, UH, FROM THE WEST SIDE, NONPROFIT GROUPS, UH, PERFORMANCE, UH, GROUPS HAVE ACCESS TO THIS THEATER. THIS IS THE PEOPLE'S THEATER. UH, SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AT THIS POINT AND, AND HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO FRAME THAT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN GET MORE EXCITED ABOUT THE PROJECT? FOR, FOR COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN TAKING VERY SERIOUSLY. IT'S IN FACT, IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AS AN ORGANIZATION, [01:20:01] WE'VE HAD, UH, ONGOING AND EARLY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW THIS THEATER CAN PROVIDE ACCESSIBILITY FOR ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT, UH, IN, IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS. UH, I, I MENTIONED BRIEFLY IN MY REMARKS THAT WE, UH, ARE, ARE LOOKING FOR AND ANTICIPATING PROGRAMS AS, AS THE THEATERS OPENS TO BE ABLE TO, TO PROVIDE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR YOUTH IN THIS COMMUNITY, BUT PARTICULARLY THOSE IN SAID, WHERE THEIR ARTS FUNDING HAS BEEN LARGELY OBLITERATED AS A RESULT OF STATE FUNDING. PROVIDE SOME OF THOSE ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT OPPORTUNITIES BY PROVIDING SUBSIDIZED OR FREE SHOWS, BRINGING THEM TO THE THEATER WHEN WITH A RELEVANT PROJECT FOR THEM. UH, AT, AT, WE'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT IT IN THE CONTEXT OF DIGEST YOUTH, BUT SENIORS, THERE'S SENIOR, UH, UH, GROUPS THAT ARE DOING ACTING. UH, UTSA HAS PROGRAMS WHERE LITERALLY IN THEIR BACKYARD AND ACROSS THE STREET FROM US, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THAT. WE'VE EVEN TALKED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO WORK WITH OUR THEATER MANAGER AS A SHOW IS COMING IN AND BEING ABLE TO TAKE SOME OF THOSE PERFORMERS OUT INTO THE SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE THEM SOME INTRODUCTIONS TO THAT. UM, WE LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE SPONSORSHIPS FOR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND MUSICAL EDUCATION OURSELVES. UH, WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED INTERNALLY ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UM, MARIACHI GROUPS, MARIACHI COMPETITIONS AND, AND OTHER THINGS WITH SCID. UH, THERE ARE NONPROFITS IN THE COMMUNITY. UH, ONE IN PARTICULAR THAT COMES TO MIND IS THE GUADALUPE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER. THEY, UM, HAVE PROGRAMS THAT THEY'RE, ARE BECOMING SO SUCCESSFUL THAT THEY'RE OUTGROWING THEIR OWN FACILITIES. WE'VE HAD EARLY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HAVING THEM COME IN AGAIN AS PART OF THOSE FREE COMMUNITY USE DAYS TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE THEATER AND BENEFIT AND PROFIT FROM THAT AS WELL. SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME EARLY, I MEAN, BROAD CONCEPTS, BUT WE ARE OPEN TO ALL OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AS THEY PRESENT THEM. YEAH. AND, AND CERTAINLY NOT LOOKING FOR A, UH, HARD COMMITMENT TODAY, BUT I THINK A, UH, COMMITMENT IN SPIRIT, UH, GOING FORWARD, THAT THERE'S GONNA BE, UM, THOSE CONVERSATIONS TO BE HAD. AND, AND, UM, I KNOW THAT, BUT I WAS, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY TO HEAR THAT AS WELL. YEAH. SO, THANK YOURE, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. UH, PETE, LET ME JUST CALL YOU BACK UP AND JUST THANK YOU. UM, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T THINK A DAY GOES BY WHEN I, UH, COME THROUGH MICRA, UH, AND I SEE YOU THAT YOU DON'T MENTION THIS PROJECT. SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, YOU AND YOUR FAMILY'S COMMITMENT TO THIS. UM, I KNOW, UH, NOT JUST THIS, BUT YOU'VE DEALT WITH, UH, A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION IN AND AROUND THE RESTAURANT OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST FEW YEARS. IT'S LOOKING LIKE IT'S OPENING UP A LITTLE BIT, BUT I REMEMBER VISITING YOU DURING COVID WHEN YOU TURNED IT INTO A BODEGA, UM, JUST TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON AND KEEP EMPLOYEES. A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESSES DID THAT DURING COVID. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. UH, LOOK FORWARD TO HOPEFULLY FLIPPING THIS SWITCH WITH YOU. YES, YES, ABSOLUTELY. UH, IN 2028. UH, BUT AGAIN, PETE, MY HAT'S OFF TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU. YOU, BUT THANK YOU. ALSO, WE COULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY WITHOUT ALL OF THE SUPPORT FROM THIS COURT. YEAH. I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE JUDGE MOTION BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CALVERT. COMMISSIONER CALVERT, YOU ON THE FLOOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ ON MOVING THIS PROJECT FORWARD. I KNOW, UH, COMMISSIONER ELIZONDO CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THIS AS A ENTERTAINER, UH, WHO WAS A BAND LEADER. HE CERTAINLY, UH, HAD MANY MEMORIES THAT HE TALKED ABOUT, UH, AROUND THE ALAMEDA. I WANTED TO ASK, UH, WHOEVER CAN ANSWER THIS QUESTION, AND, AND FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO IS PART OF THIS FUNDRAISING EFFORT'S. A VERY IMPORTANT CULTURAL, UH, HERITAGE SAVINGS THAT WE ARE GETTING AND AN IMPORTANT INVESTMENT. UM, WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE FUTURE SIZE OF THE THEATER COMMISSIONER? UM, I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT, UH, THE, WHEN IT WAS A MOVIE HOUSE, IT SEATED 2,500 PEOPLE. UH, THIS THEATER, UM, IS GONNA BE 1200 SEATS IN A FULLY SEATED CAPACITY. UH, THE LOWER FLOOR RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE STAGE, ALL THOSE CHAIRS CAN BE EASILY REMOVED. AND, AND, AND IN THOSE TYPES OF CAPACITIES, WE COULD DO DANCE FLOORS, PARTIES, OR GENERAL ADMISSION CONCERTS, WHICH PUSH THE, UH, TENANTS UP TO 1400. UH, YOU'RE WONDERING WHY WE'VE GONE FROM 2,500 TO 1200. IT'S BECAUSE WE ARE FACTUALLY TALLER AND WIDER THAN WE WERE IN 1949. AND, UH, AS AND SUCH, WE HAVE VERY COMFORTABLE NEW SEATS, UH, THAT WOULD, WOULD TAKE UP A LOT OF SPACE. WE'VE ALSO CREATED SOME DIFFERENT RELAXED SEATING OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE THEATER. SO FULLY ACCESSIBLE. OH, AND FULLY ACCESSIBLE, I SHOULD ADD. THANK YOU. THAT'S GREAT. SO, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, MAYBE FIVE YEARS AGO, THE COUNTY, UH, PUT ABOUT $18 MILLION. IT MAY HAVE BEEN 9 MILLION. THE CITY, 9 MILLION COUNTY. I CAN'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS 18 FROM THE COUNTY. I DON'T KNOW IF DAVID REMEMBERS, BUT, UH, DAVID, WAS IT 18 OR NINE I [01:25:01] NINE? IT WAS NINE NINE FROM EACH. OKAY. SO 18 TOTAL. I GOT IT. UM, SO TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROGRESS THAT'S BEEN MADE FROM THAT EXPENDITURE, OR, OR WERE YOU HOLDING IT FOR, UH, LARGER TRANCHE TO DO MORE CONSTRUCTION? UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, YOU ALMOST ANSWERED THE QUESTION WITH YOUR FINAL COMMENT. SO, DURING, UH, COVID WITH, UH, CITY AND COUNTY FUNDS IN THE BANK, UH, THE BOARD AT THE OP TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO STRATEGICALLY START SOME OF THE CONSTRUCTION IN THE BUILDING. SOME OF THE RISKIER, UH, TYPES OF THE CONSTRUCTION. FOR EXAMPLE, ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION, UTILITIES. AT THE TIME, SAN PEDRO CREEK WAS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION. SO IT WAS AN OPPORTUNE TIME FOR US TO SAVE MONEY, UH, AND BE ABLE TO EMPLOY CONTRACTORS AT A TIME WHEN THE WORLD WAS LARGELY SHUT DOWN. UH, SO WE DID A LOT OF THAT WORK. WE'VE TAKEN A LOT OF THE RISK OUT OF THE PROJECT. 'CAUSE WE'VE FINISHED THOSE THINGS. WE DID TWO PHASES OF PROGRESSIVE CONSTRUCTION. WE STILL HAVE SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS IN THE BANK. UM, WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED, AND I THINK REALLY THE COUNTY HAS SEEN OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS WITH COST INFLATION, THAT MONEY SITTING IN THE BANK ACTUALLY LOSES VALUE FROM A CONSTRUCTION STANDPOINT, BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT WORTH AS MUCH. SO WE WERE ABLE TO USE SOME OF THOSE FUNDS TO, TO EXECUTE A GOOD PORTION OF THE PROJECT. WE DID GET TO, AS YOU JUST DESCRIBED, A POINT WHERE WE NEEDED TO JUST DO THE FINAL RUN. AND SO WE'RE, THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE TODAY, ALONG WITH THE TAX CREDITS AND THE MONIES THAT WE'RE RAISING THROUGH THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN SUPPORTED BY OUR LOCAL BANKS AND BRIDGE FINANCING, WILL ACTUALLY ALLOW US TO EXECUTE TO COMPLETION. SO, WELL, THAT, THAT'S WONDERFUL NEWS. I'M, I'M EXCITED AND WE CAN'T WAIT TO GET THAT OPEN. UM, TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, I KNOW THE, A THE ORIGINAL ARCHITECT, UH, ALSO HELPED BUILD TEMPLE BETH EL, UH, VERY WELL KNOWN, RENOWNED ARCHITECT IN THE FORTIES. UM, AND THERE WERE ARTISANS, MR. TRAN HELPED WITH, UH, SOME OF THE MURAL WORKS. UM, HOW ARE LATINO ARTISANS CONTRACTORS, HOW ARE THEY BEING INCORPORATED IN ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION? JUST TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THAT IS WORKING. YEAH, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. THAT. SO, AS PART OF OUR FUNDING AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, WE, WE HAVE, UH, GOALS AND CONSTRUCTIONS AROUND, AND EVEN AROUND THE DESIGN AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TO PROVIDE, UH, LOCAL MINORITY WOMEN CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT. THAT IS A GOAL THAT WE'VE BEEN EXECUTING THROUGHOUT THIS PROJECT. UM, AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT, UH, TO DATE, UH, IF YOU'D LIKE, WE CAN ALSO KIND OF GIVE YOU A, AN ACCOUNT ACCOUNTING OF WHERE WE'RE AT ON THAT. BUT THUS FAR, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MEET AND EXCEED THOSE GOALS. I, I, I, I CAN LET PETE SPEAK FOR THE BOARD. I WOULD JUST SAY THAT, UH, THE, THE, WE, WE UNDERSTAND THE CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE OF THIS BUILDING, PARTICULARLY TO THE MEXICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY. SO WE'VE NEVER REALLY LOST SIGHT OF THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT COMMUNITY TO BENEFIT, NOT JUST AS THE BUILDING AND WITH ENTERTAINMENT, BUT DURING ITS DEVELOPMENT AS WELL. SO, FINAL THING, UM, I WILL SAY, UH, AS A POINT REALLY FOR ALL OF US, NOT, NOT JUST YOU ALL, IS, YOU KNOW, SEEING ANTONIO HAS, AND SO MY FATHER WAS A CONCERT PROMOTER AND PRODUCER FOR MANY YEARS. I GREW UP AROUND THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS. I THINK THE COURT HAS PROBABLY HEARD ME TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE ARE BRANDED IN THE PROMOTER'S WORLD AS A WALK UPTOWN. AND PEOPLE OFTEN WONDER, WHY DO CONCERTS PASS US BY? UM, IT'S THE SAME REASON THAT WE DON'T GET AIRLINE FLIGHTS. WE'VE GOTTA IMPROVE THE DISPOSABLE INCOME OF THE FOLKS IN SAN ANTONIO. UM, WHETHER THAT IS, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONTRACTING OR OPPORTUNITIES FOR UPSKILLING THEIR, UH, PARTICULAR WORKFORCE SKILLS, UH, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO FOCUS ECONOMICALLY ON GETTING FOLKS WHO CAN BUY TICKETS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE DISPOSAL INCOME. BUT THEY CALL US A WALK UPTOWN BECAUSE PEOPLE MAKE THE DECISION THAT DAY WHETHER THEY CAN HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY A TICKET FOR THAT PARTICULAR CONCERT. SO THE MACRO LEVEL, UH, HOPE THAT CAN ONLY BE SIMULATED BY A COALITION OF BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, IS THAT WE REALLY LOOK AT POLICIES THAT CAN ELEVATE. I WANT YOU TO BE SUCCESSFUL. THAT'S WHY I'M RAISING THIS POINT. YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. BECAUSE YOUR LONG-TERM SUCCESS IS BASED UPON YOUR TICKET SALES. AND WE KNOW RIGHT NOW THAT THE LATINO COMMUNITY IS FACING A LOT OF, UH, WINS AGAINST THEM, UH, IN TERMS OF WAGES AND ALL KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES IN AMERICA. SO, UH, IF THAT'S THE FOCUS, I THINK WE ALSO HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER SUBSIDIARY CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT CAN THE ALDA, THROUGH THE ARTS, THROUGH CONNECTION WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENT, WHAT CAN WE DO TO RAISE WAGES FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT'S GOING TO SUSTAIN THIS PARTICULAR INVESTMENT? AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE WE AS A COUNTY ARE [01:30:01] AN INVESTOR, RIGHT? AND WE CAN BE ONE OF THOSE, UH, INVESTORS NOT ONLY IN THE ALAMEDA, BUT IN, IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY THAT WILL, UH, AND BY AND LARGE, UH, BE ONE OF THE, UH, GREAT, UH, PARTICIPANTS IN THE SHOWS THAT HAPPEN. SO I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT AS A POINT, UH, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE MISS THE FOREST FOR THE TREES. UM, WE'RE, WE'RE LIVING IN SOME AWFULLY FASCIST TIMES. AND, AND UNFORTUNATELY, UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE SEEN THE POLICY OF FASCISM ROLL OUT. UM, AND IT IS CREATED AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE TARIFFS CREATED CONSTRUCTION COSTS THAT WENT UP. AND THEN THE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE AT THE STATE LEVEL HAVE TO STOP ALL THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS 'CAUSE THERE'S COST OVERRUNS. AND IT'S LIKE, WELL, YOU SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT BEFORE YOU MADE THAT KIND OF POLICY. SO CONNECTING SOME DOTS. I, I'M SO PROUD THAT YOU'VE GOT A COMMUNITY GROUP THAT IS HELPING THIS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN. IT'S GONNA PAY OFF. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JUDGE. SO LET ME SAY THE FINAL WORD HERE. SO LET ME JUST THANK THE ENTIRE ALAMEDA TEAM AND TONY CONES AND, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY, I THINK YOU SIT ON THE BOARD. SO YOU'VE BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART OF MAKING SURE THAT MAY REST IN PEACE. COMMISSIONER ONS DREAM CAN FINALLY BE FULFILLED WITH THE COMPLETION REVERBERATION RENOVATION AT ALAMEDA THEATER. LET ME THANK ALL THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, EDDIE AND CHRISTINA ETTE TO THANK YOU FOR, I THINK Y'ALL WERE ONE OF THE FIRST ONES TO BRING IT TO MY ATTENTION. AND ALL I'LL SAY IN CLOSING IS IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME THAT WE GOT THIS THING DONE. SO I AM PROUD TO SUPPORT THIS AND ASK THAT Y'ALL MOVE FORWARD. UH, Y'ALL STILL HAVE MUCH MORE WORK TO DO, BUT I HOPE AS WE'VE DISCUSSED, THAT Y'ALL CAN LEVERAGE AND THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS IS TRULY A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP THAT WILL BE A CERTAIN ADDITION IN, UH, FILLING THE SOUL AND SPIRIT OF THE DOWNTOWN, UH, SAN ANTONIO, ESPECIALLY FROM THE HISPANIC WEST SIDE CULTURE. SO THANK YOU, ALL OF YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. I BELIEVE THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER ARD. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? I THINK IT'S MOODY. OH, COMMISSIONER MOODY. THANK YOU, JUDGE. UH, I'LL BE REALLY BRIEF. UM, I JUST WANT TO, UH, ECHO, UH, SOME OF THE COMMENTS, UH, APPRECIATE THE, THE LEADERSHIP OF, UH, PETE AND EDDIE AND CHRISTINA AND OTHERS, UH, WITH THIS PROJECT. AND, YOU KNOW, UH, THE, THE PUBLIC ACCESS PART OF IT IS OBVIOUSLY IMPORTANT, BUT AGAIN, JUST REITERATING THE POINT THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS A PROMISE THAT WAS MADE, UH, BY PREVIOUS COURTS AND, AND WE'RE FOLLOWING THROUGH ON IT. UH, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL WITH NEW PROMISES AND NEW COMMITMENTS GIVEN OUR CURRENT, UH, DEBT LOAD. BUT THIS WAS A PROMISE THAT HAS BEEN MADE AND, AND WE'RE KEEPING IT HERE TODAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONER CLIFF FLOORS? YEAH, JUST FOR THE RECORD, I KNOW WE'RE TALKING A LOT ABOUT THE WEST SIDE CULTURE AND WEST SIDE THIS AND WEST SIDE THAT, BUT SOUTH SIDE WILL BE THERE REPRESENTED AS WELL. SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. SOUTH TEXAS. ALL RIGHT, WELL I'M CALLING FOR A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SECOND BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ATTENTION? MOTION? YOU ABSOLUTELY CONSENT. MOTION CARRIES. GOOD LUCK Y'ALL. ALRIGHT, I, UH, FOX SIX B IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING SIX, A PRESENTATION DISCUSSION, APPROPRIATE ACTION REGARDING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INNOVATION GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF 200,000 TO THE TECH BLOCK IN SUPPORT OF THE 2026 TECH FIELD COMPETITION. MS. DEBRA CARTER, IS MR. BETO HERE TODAY? THERE HE IS. MR. BEANO AND MR. BETO GOMEZ? NO, COULDN'T MAKE IT TODAY. COULDN'T MAKE IT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, DEBORAH. GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS COURT. UM, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY. SO AGAIN, I'M DEBORAH CARTER, DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HERE AT BEAR COUNTY. UH, A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND. BEAR COUNTY CREATED THE INNOVA INNOVATION FUND TO ENTICE SMALL INNOVATIVE COMPANIES TO MOVE THEIR OPERATIONS TO BEXAR COUNTY ASSIST LOCAL INNOVATORS TO TAKE THEIR IDEAS TO MARKET AND THEN SCALE THEM IN BEAR COUNTY. AND THEN TO FUND TALENT DEVELOPMENT COMPETITIONS, PROFESSIONAL AND, UH, TECHNICAL TRAINING AND BRAND BUILDING. AND WE ARE HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE TALENT COMPETITION. SO I WILL HAND IT OVER TO BETO, THE CEO OF TECH BLOCK. THANK YOU, DEBORAH. APPRECIATE IT. GOOD MORNING, JUDGE. COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TODAY. BEFORE I BEGIN, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK BERRY COUNTY ECONOMIC COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TEAM, DEBORAH CARTER, NICOLE GALINDO, AND MARSHALL HOKE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THE IMPACT AND THE FUTURE OF THE TECH FUEL PITCH COMPETITION. AN INITIATIVE POWERED BY THE BAR COUNTY INNOVATION FUND. OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS, TECH FUEL HAS EVOLVED [01:35:01] FROM A SIMPLE STARTUP CONTEST TO A REAL ECONOMIC ENGINE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. OUR MISSION IS STRAIGHTFORWARD. USE EARLY STAGE COUNTY CAPITAL TO HELP PROMISING COMPANIES STAY HERE, SCALE HERE, AND HIRE HERE IN BARETT COUNTY. BEFORE WALKING THROUGH THE PROGRAM ITSELF, WHICH IS THE DECK THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, I WANT TO BRIEFLY HIGHLIGHT THE RESULTS THAT THE PROGRAM HAS ALREADY PRODUCED SINCE 2019. TECH FUEL FINALLY HAVE COLLECTIVELY RAISED MORE THAN $12.3 MILLION IN FOLLOW ON PRIVATE FUNDING. TO PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE, FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT THE COUNTY HAS HISTORICALLY INVESTED IN PRIZE FUNDING, THE PROGRAM HAS HELPED CATALYZE MORE THAN $20 IN PRIVATE CAPITAL FLOWING INTO COMPANIES CONNECTED TO BEXAR COUNTY. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SHOULD LOOK LIKE. SMALL PUBLIC INVESTMENTS UNLOCKING MUCH LARGER PRIVATE ONES. WE'RE ALSO SEEING GLOBAL VALIDATION FROM HOMEGROWN TALENT. LOOK AT ALBI. A COMPANY WITH ROOTS AT UTSA HAS RAISED MILLIONS AND DISRUPTING THE PROSTHETICS INDUSTRY WITH MORE AFFORDABLE BIONIC TECHNOLOGY. OR ACES, WHICH IS NOW PARTNERING WITH COMPANIES LIKE GOOGLE AND TESLA. THESE ARE NO LONGER JUST STARTUPS. THEY ARE EMERGING GLOBAL COMPANIES WITH STRONG TIES TO BEAR COUNTY. I ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT ANOTHER EXAMPLE THAT REFLECTS A DIFFERENT BUT EQUALLY IMPORTANT DIMENSION OF THE PROGRAM. I MYSELF, IN 2017 STARTED AS A SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR, MEANING THAT YES, THROUGH BUSINESS YOU CAN CREATE SOCIAL IMPACT. ONE OF THOSE COMPANIES IS SUPPORTED THROUGH THE TECH FUEL COMPETITION WAS BETTY'S CO A SAN ANTONIO STARTUP FOCUSING ON WOMEN'S HEALTH AND PREVENTATIVE CARE. THEIR MISSION IS TO IMPROVE AWARENESS AND EARLY SCREENING AROUND CRITICAL HEALTH ISSUES SUCH AS COLON CANCER AND BREAST CANCER. THESE ARE THE KINDS OF PROBLEMS WHERE EARLY DETECTION SAVES LIVES. AND COMMISSIONER REBECCA CLAY FLORES, I KNOW YOU'RE HIGHLIGHTING THE AWARENESS MONTH OF COLON CANCER. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE ON THAT FRONT. SUPPORTING COMPANIES LIKE BETTYS CO MEANS SUPPORTING INNOVATION THAT DIRECTLY IMPROVES THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY WHILE BUILDING COMPANIES HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. THAT'S THE KIND OF IMPACT WE WANT TECH FUEL TO HAVE. BEYOND INVESTMENT, THE PROGRAM IS ALSO CREATING JOBS IN HIGH GROWTH SECTORS. COMPANIES IN TO TECH FUEL NOW EMPLOY MORE THAN 250 PEOPLE ACROSS INDUSTRIES LIKE AEROSPACE, BIOTECH, CYBERSECURITY, AND ADVANCED MANUFACTURING. LOOK AT APORT SPACE TECHNOLOGIES, WHICH NOW EMPLOYS MORE THAN 150 PEOPLE WORKING ON LUNAR INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGIES. OR AMGENS, A BIOTECHNOLOGY COMPANY THAT GREW ITS WORKFORCE BY 60% LAST YEAR, WHILE ADVANCING LIVESTOCK REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES THAT IMPROVED GLOBAL FOOD PRODUCTION. THESE ARE HIGH SKILL HIGHWAYS JOBS THAT HELP STRENGTHEN LONG-TERM ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS IN OUR REGION. NOW LET'S JUMP INTO THE STARTUP, UH, COMPETITION. WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE EACH YEAR, WE LAUNCH AN OPEN CALL FOR STARTUPS APPLICATIONS. WE PARTNER WITH ORGANIZATIONS LIKE GEEK, WHICH IS REPRESENTED BY CHARLES WOODEN TODAY. HE'S THE CEO ORGANIZATIONS LIKE CAPITAL FACTORY. WE WORK WITH NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY. WE REACH OUT TO EVERY CORNER OF THE CITY AND THE COUNTY FROM THE POOL. WE SELECT 25 SEMI-FINALISTS. THOSE FOUNDERS PARTICIPATE IN WHAT WE CALL FOUNDER PREP LABS, WHERE THEY REFINE THEIR PITCH AND PREPARE TO RAISE VENTURE CAPITAL, MEANING THAT THEY DO NOT JUST DEPEND ON THE FUNDING THAT IS COUNTY COMING FROM THE COUNTY. AND THIS YEAR, WE'RE REALLY PROUD TO PARTNER WITH GTAM, A KNOWN ENTITY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO FOR LAUNCHING MULTIPLE STARTUPS, WHICH I MYSELF LAUNCHED MY COMPANY. FROM THERE, FROM THE ACCELERATOR, WE HAVE A PANEL OF VENTURE INVESTORS THAT EVALUATE COMPANIES AND SELECTS FIVE FINALISTS WHO ADVANCE TO THE FINAL PITCH COMPETITION. THIS STRUCTURE ENSURES THAT THE COMPANY THAT WIN ARE NOT JUST GOOD AT PITCHING. WE KNOW WE'VE SEEN THEM ALL RIGHT, BUT THAT ARE ALSO PREPARED TO ATTRACT LARGER INVESTMENT THAT ARE SERIOUS ABOUT THEIR SERVICES AND PRODUCT AND CONTINUE GROWING AFTER THE COMPETITION HERE IN BEAR COUNTY. THIS YEAR, WE'RE ALSO EXPANDING TECH FUEL TO INCLUDE A FULL DAY OF PROGRAMMING CALLED TECH DAY. THE GOAL IS TO BRING TOGETHER THE ENTIRE REGIONAL ECOSYSTEM, THE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM THAT IS DRIVING TECHNOLOGY AND THE EMERGING INDUSTRIES FORWARD IN SAN ANTONIO. AND BEXAR [01:40:01] COUNTY SPONSORS AND PARTNERS ALREADY INCLUDE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE ACTIVE CAPITAL, A VENTURE CAPITAL FIRM HERE IN SAN ANTONIO THAT JUST HAD THEIR FIRST MAJOR EXIT. WE ALSO HAVE FOLKS LIKE WELLS FARGO, ALAMO ANGELS, AND MY COMPANY, IRIS TECHNOLOGIES SPONSORING AS WELL. TECHDAY HELPS MAKE ENTREPRENEURSHIP VISIBLE AND ACCESSIBLE ACROSS THE COMMUNITY, WHILE CONNECTING FOUNDERS DIRECTLY WITH INVESTORS, MENTORS, AND INDUSTRY LEADERS. IT ALSO HELPS POSITION BEAR COUNTY AS A PLACE WHERE INNOVATIVE CO COMPANIES CAN IMAGINE THEMSELVES BUILDING A COMPANY, GROWING AND SCALING AND HIRING. NOW LET'S JUMP INTO THE BUDGET REAL QUICK. HALF OF THAT FUNDING GOES DIRECTLY INTO STARTUP AWARDS. THE REMAINDER SUPPORTS WORKSHOPS, PROGRAMMING, DATA COLLECTION, EVENT INFRASTRUCTURE, AND PREPARES FOUNDERS TO RAISE LARGER INVESTMENT ROUNDS AND SCALE THEIR BUSINESSES HERE IN MAY COUNTY. THE WAY THAT THE AWARDS WORK IS THAT THE GRAND PRIZE IS $50,000, FOLLOWED BY ADDITIONAL AWARDS TO OTHER FINALISTS FOR MANY EARLY STAGE FOUNDERS, THAT EARLY CAPITAL CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONTINUING TO GROW LOCALLY HERE IN BEXAR COUNTY OR RELOCATING TO ANOTHER MARKET. I KNOW THIS THE POWER OF VALIDATION FIRSTHAND. MY OWN COMPANY, IRIS TECHNOLOGIES, AS I MENTIONED, WE STARTED IN A SMALL OFFICE SPACE AT TUM IN 2017, LAUNCHING THE 3 1 1 SAN ANTONIO MOBILE PLATFORM. WE PARTICIPATED IN TECH FUEL IN 2019. TODAY WE HAVE 87 EMPLOYEES, AND WE WORK WITH OVER 10 15 CONSULTANTS IN BEAR COUNTY, TOTALING OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE THAT WE ENGAGE WITH AS A COMPANY. 20 OF THOSE EMPLOYEES LIVE HERE IN BEXAR COUNTY, EARNING AN AVERAGE SALARY OF ABOUT $80,000. THAT REPRESENTS ROUGHLY 1.6 MILLION IN ANNUAL LOCAL PAYROLL FROM JUST ONE COMPANY ALONE THAT INTERACTED WITH THIS PROGRAM. AND THAT WAS MY COMPANY. AND BY THE WAY, I, I DID NOT WIN THE, THE PITCH COMPETITION. I WAS A SEMI-FINALIST, BUT I MET INVESTORS, ADVISORS, AND CLIENTS THROUGH THAT PROGRAM THAT NOW ENABLE ME TO EMPLOY A HUNDRED PEOPLE HERE, NOT JUST IN BEXAR COUNTY ACROSS THE US BUT WITH 20 EMPLOYEES BASED OUT OF BEXAR COUNTY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JUDGE. APPRECIATE IT. APPRECIATE IT. TECH FIELD IS MOVING THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THE PROGRAM IS HELPING FOUNDERS ACCESS CAPITAL BUILD COMPANIES IN GREAT JOBS IN BEAR COUNTY. AND $200,000 IS THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE SEEKING. AND I THINK WE NEED MUCH MORE INVESTMENT INTO THE WORLD OF INNOVATION IN SAN ANTONIO, ESPECIALLY WITH THE EMERGING TRENDS THAT WE SEE IN TECHNOLOGY, ESPECIALLY, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE SEE AI TAKING OVER SO MANY JOBS. AI LITERACY HAS BECOME A PRIORITY. AND I HOPE THAT ALL OF YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE INVESTMENT THAT HAS TO BE DONE SO THAT EVERY CORNER OF THE CITY, THE SOUTH SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO, THE WEST SIDE, THE EAST SIDE, THE NORTH SIDE, DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO CAN GET ACCESS TO AI LITERACY, THE TOOLS, THE ROLE-BASED RESKILLING FOR SENIOR WORKERS AND PATHWAYS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO LEARN HOW TO USE THESE TOOLS. OTHERWISE, WE'RE NOT GONNA STAY COMPETITIVE IN THE 21ST CENTURY. WITH YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT, WE CAN ENSURE THAT THE NEXT MAJOR, MAJOR COMPANY THAT EMERGES FROM OUR REGION STAYS HERE AND GROWS HERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. AND NOW I WANT TO INTRODUCE, UH, OUR CHAIR FROM TECH BLOCK. WILL CONWAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME, GUYS. UH, THIS IS REALLY EXCITING. IT'S SO COOL THAT YOU GUYS COME TOGETHER TO DO THIS. IT'S MY FIRST TIME HERE, UH, HOPEFULLY WON'T BE MY LAST. SO MY NAME'S WILL CONWAY. UH, I WENT TO UTSA IN 2003 TO 2007, RACKSPACE IN 2008. UM, AND THEN 2017 WE SPUN A COMPANY OUT OF RACKSPACE THAT HAD ACQUIRED CALLED MAIL GUN. UM, THAT COMPANY WAS BOUGHT BY TURN RIVER CAPITAL FOR 50 MILLION. AND THEN IN ABOUT FIVE AND A HALF YEARS LATER, WE SOLD IT FOR 2 BILLION TO A COMPANY CALLED CINCH. SO, SUFFICE IT TO SAY, TECHNOLOGY CHANGED MY LIFE. UM, AND IT'S CHANGED LIFE OF A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE TOO. UM, AS BETO MENTIONED BEFORE, TECH FUEL IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GET OUT THERE AND ENGAGE WITH OUR COMMUNITY. UM, YOU'RE PROBABLY ASKING YOURSELF LIKE, DO YOU GUYS NEED TO GET INVOLVED IN ORDER FOR FUNDRAISING TO HAPPEN FOR ENTREPRENEURS? PROBABLY NOT. YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE. IT IS ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT, HOWEVER, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ENGAGED IN THE FEEDBACK LOOP OF SOME COMPANIES IN SAN ANTONIO. UH, IT USED TO BE THAT TO START A TECH COMPANY, IT TOOK YEARS AND HUNDREDS, OR NOT HUNDREDS, IT TOOK MILLIONS OF THOUSANDS OR MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, UM, IF NOT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN AI. THAT'S NO LONGER THE CASE IN [01:45:01] AI. YOU CAN START COMPANIES IN TWO TO FOUR MONTHS AND FOR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE'RE FUNDING, THAT MAY BE ALL YOU NEED TO GET TO PRODUCT MARKET FIT. THAT'S RIGHT. SO FOR US RIGHT NOW, IT'S CRITICAL FOR US TO STAY IN THE FEEDBACK LOOP OF THE COMMUNITY AND SEE WHAT COMPANIES ARE BEING STARTED, WHERE ARE THEY GETTING BOGGED DOWN, WHERE CAN WE GO AND, AND HELP TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE GETTING THROUGH THE, UH, HURDLES THAT THEY NEED. SO BY US PARTNERING WITH THE COUNTY, THIS ALLOWS FOR ALL OF US TO GET THAT VISIBILITY. WE CAN ALL SEE WHAT COMPANIES ARE, UH, UP AND COMING AND THRIVING. WHAT ARE THE PRODUCTS OF THOSE COMPANIES COMING DOWN THE PIKE FIVE TO SIX YEARS LATER. SO, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN AN ABSOLUTELY INVALUABLE WAY FOR US TO GET TOGETHER. AND NOW THAT WE HAVE PROGRAMMING THAT'S GOING INTO TECH FUEL AS WELL, WE'RE NOT JUST GOING AND HEARING PITCHES. WE ARE ABLE TO ADDRESS WHAT WE THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF GETTING THESE ENTREPRENEURS FUNDED AND THEN HAVING 'EM TO GO AND SCALE. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL THAT YOU GUYS HAVE PARTNERED WITH US IN THE PAST. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I JUST WANNA, UM, CONGRATULATE BETHEL AS THE NEW, UM, HEAD OF THE HELM HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. APPRECIATE IT. SO CONGRATULATIONS, AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN SUPPORTING FOR SEVERAL YEARS, SO I'M HAPPY TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT, UM, THE GOOD WORK THAT MARSHALL AND UM, DEBORAH ARE DOING. THANK SO I'D TO MAKE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL. MOTION SECOND . YEAH, YEAH. JUST, JUST BRIEFLY, JUDGE, UH, BETO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. I KNOW WE HAD A CHANCE TO VISIT RECENTLY. UH, SO, UH, I WON'T GO INTO DETAILS OR ASK A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS PUBLICLY, BUT, UM, I, I THINK THIS COURT HAS SHOWN A COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING, UH, THE ECOSYSTEM, UH, THERE, HERE IN SAN ANTONIO WITH RESPECT TO, UH, GROWING EMERGING TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES. WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT. WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR LEADERSHIP AND, UH, HOPEFULLY I CAN, I CAN MAKE IT OUT THIS YEAR, UH, TO SEE SOME OF THESE AMAZING, UH, COMPANIES BECAUSE I WE WOULD LOVE TO. YEAH, I MEAN, IT, IT IS, UH, I, I I, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, UH, NUMBERS YOU JUST, UH, KIND OF TICKED OFF JUST, UH, AMAZES ME WITH RESPECT TO THE POTENTIAL FOR, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WITH AI, BUT JUST IN GENERAL GROWING, UH, BUSINESS AND THE TECH SECTOR HERE IN BEXAR COUNTY. I, I THINK WE'RE JUST AT THE, THE TIP OF THE SPEAR. UH, AND WE'VE GOT A LOT MORE TO GO. SO THANK YOU FOR VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING YOU. THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS. AND, AND IT'S THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT, RIGHT? IT'S THAT LONG-TERM MENTALITY ABOUT HOW WE CAN INVEST IN OUR PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO AND OUR ENTREPRENEURS. SO, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER COWARD. THANK YOU JUDGE. THANK YOU SO MUCH, BETO, FOR A REALLY GREAT PRESENTATION. LET ME START AT THE BASIC LEVEL. TELL US, WHERE WILL THE COMPETITION BE? WHAT DAY WILL IT BE? YES, , LETS JUST START THERE. TIME. YES, ABSOLUTELY. SO WE HAVE TECH FUEL IS GONNA TAKE PLACE AT UTSA, SAN PEDRO, THE BUILDING HERE NEXT DOOR. AND THAT'S GONNA BE THE COMPETITION WHERE WE'RE GONNA SELECT THE FIVE FINALISTS AND THEY'RE GONNA PITCH, AND I WELCOME EVERYONE TO JOIN US. THAT'S GONNA BE APRIL 20TH. SO IT'S 20TH, IT'S A MONDAY. OKAY. APRIL 20TH. AND I KNOW THAT IT'S DURING FIESTA, BUT WE DID IT ON PURPOSE SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE ALSO FOLKS THAT ARE ENGAGING IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA OR THAT ARE COMING FROM OUTSIDE OF THE BARAR COUNTY REGION. SO THAT TAKES PLACE ON THE 20TH, THAT'S MONDAY. AND YOU'RE BASICALLY GETTING LIKE A TV COMMERCIAL THROUGH THIS BROADCAST, RIGHT? ? YES. THAT'S THE PURPOSE. SO HAS THE DEADLINE IF YOU WANT TO PITCH, HAS THAT PASSED ALREADY? IT HAS NOT. COMMISSIONER MARCH 22ND IS A DEADLINE. IT TAKES ABOUT 15 MINUTES TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION. WE ALREADY HAVE OVER 30 APPLICANTS. SO WE HOPE TO SEE YOUR APPLICATION IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, UH, IN JOINING THIS PROGRAM. YEAH, WHY NOT? MAYBE I SHOULD MAKE AN APPLICATION. YOU KNOW, I'M ALWAYS COOKING UP SOMETHING AROUND HERE. NO, BUT I THINK FOR THE BROADER PUBLIC, THEY NEED TO KNOW MARCH 27TH IS THE APPLICATION. WHY? BECAUSE, UH, TECHNOLOGY CAN HAVE A TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT ON YOUR INCOME AND THE TRAJECTORY OF POVERTY IN OUR CITY. AND WE'VE DEFINITELY, UH, I WANNA PERSONALLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR VISION THAT YOU TALKED WITH ME ABOUT A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. WE ARE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THAT. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING, UH, LEADERS TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN IMPROVE OUR TECH AI INFRASTRUCTURE FOR, UM, THE FUTURE COMPETITIVE, UH, MARKET. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS AT THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE, UH, EVENT AT THE TOBIN, AND THE STATISTICS INDICATED THAT WE HAD DROPPED SOMEWHAT IN TERMS OF, UH, INVESTMENT IS MAINLY ON THE REAL ESTATE SIDE. YEAH. BUT I IMAGINE IT COINCIDES WITH A LOT OF OTHER SECTORS. AND WE DROPPED TO LIKE NUMBER 19 IN THE COUNTRY. UH, I THINK WE WERE AT SOME POINTS IN THE TOP 10. UH, AND SO THINGS HAVE SLOWED DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ME TALK ALL MORNING ABOUT ABSOLUTELY. HOW CAN WE HELP GET THIS SECTOR STIMULATED? HOW CAN WE PARTNER TO DO X, Y, AND Z? SO I JUST WANNA SAY, I THINK WE'RE IN SYNC. I THINK WE ARE, UH, GOING TO HAVE, UH, NEW ENERGY THAT WILL HELP OUR [01:50:01] ECONOMY STRENGTHEN AND AI WITH ITS DISRUPTIVE NATURE, WE REALLY HAVE TO BE VERY ON TOP AS A COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF THE EDUCATIONAL LEVELS OF OUR COMMUNITY. YEP. ABSOLUTELY. BEING AT THE FOREFRONT OF POTENTIAL CUTS. UH, AND HOW CAN WE GET AHEAD OF THAT HOMELESSNESS THAT, UH, THAT JOBLESSNESS THAT COULD BE AS A RESULT OF THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS, A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF JOB POTENTIAL CUTS. BUT THERE ALSO COULD BE A TREMENDOUS GOLD RUSH IF PEOPLE UNDERSTAND ABSOLUTELY. SOME BASIC AI LITERACY. AND THAT'S, UH, I THINK A SHARED GOAL THAT WE DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY, UH, BECOME DEPRESSED. ABSOLUTELY. UH, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATING WHERE THE WORLD WAS GOING. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR INSPIRATION. WE'RE GONNA FOLLOW THROUGH AND I LOOK FORWARD TO ALSO, UH, APRIL 20TH. IT'LL BE JUST AFTER TAX DAY, SO WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING RICH. ABSOLUTELY. AND, AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, APRIL 21ST, WE HAVE TECH DAY TAKING PLACE AT BOEING CENTER AND SPOT ON COMMISSIONER, IN TERMS OF INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY. WHEN I THINK ABOUT, UH, ORG, YOU KNOW, INDUSTRIES LIKE CYBERSECURITY, ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, AEROSPACE AND BIOTECH, I THINK THERE'S A BIG POSSIBILITY FOR UPWARD MOBILITY IN OUR COMMUNITY. I SEE THEM AS THE MODERN TRADES. THEY DON'T REQUIRE YOU TO GO TO A FOUR YEAR INSTITUTION TO BE COMPETITIVE IN THOSE SPACES. I, IN MY COMPANY, HAVE EMPLOYED PEOPLE THAT HAVE A CERTIFICATE THAT TAKES A YEAR TO ACCOMPLISH, AND THEY GET PAID OVER $75,000. SO WE NEED TO INVEST IN THOSE INDUSTRIES. WE NEED TO INVEST IN AI LITERACY IF WE WANNA BE COMPETITIVE IN THE 21ST CENTURY AND IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS. SO, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER FOR YOUR WORDS. BETO. YES, SIR. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR THIS COMMUNITY. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR INNOVATION WITH YOUR OWN STARTUP COMPANY. AND YOU'RE AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT A TRUE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP CAN BE. AND YOU WEREN'T ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE I TALKED TO WHEN I FIRST BECAME COUNTY JUDGE. AND SO IT'S BEEN A GREAT JOURNEY TO SEE HOW THE TECH INDUSTRY, ESPECIALLY THE TECH FUEL, THE TECH BLOCK, AND DEBORAH CARTER AND MARSHALL OAK, THANK YOU. FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THIS PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, BETO, WE'RE BOTH VALLEY GUYS. THAT DONE GOOD, RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT. WE'VE DONE GOOD. AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD ASK THE COURT AND THE COMMUNITY IS TO ALWAYS LOOK FROM A REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE. ABSOLUTELY. AND LET'S LOOK AT THE COMMON TIES WITH OUR REGION, ESPECIALLY SOUTH TEXAS, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE VALLEY. 'CAUSE I THINK YOU, YOUR COMPANY AND YOUR OUTREACH HAS GONE DOWN TO THE VALLEY AND THEY'RE DUPLICATING, SO TO SPEAK, MANY OF THE INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE STARTED HERE. SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO HELP SUPPORT YOU AND MAKE SURE US VALLEY GUYS, WE'VE DONE GOOD. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU JUDGEY MOODY SUPPORT. APPRECIATE IT. YOU'RE WELCOME. COMMISSIONER MOODY. THANKS, JUDGE. UM, UH, AGAIN, I'LL, I'LL BE BRIEF. UM, I KNOW, UH, BETO, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, WORK AND LEADERSHIP ON THIS INTO OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNER DEPARTMENT FOR ALL OF THEIR EFFORTS. UM, I KNOW WE'VE INCREASED THE FUNDING OVER TIME FOR THIS, AND YOU MENTIONED THE, UH, THE NEED OR THE DESIRE TO EXPAND IT FURTHER. THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO, UH, TO LEAN ON OTHER PARTNERS, WHETHER THAT'S PUBLIC OR PRIVATE, TO, UH, TO HELP SUPPLEMENT THIS IN THE FUTURE. ABSOLUTELY. COMMISSIONER MOODY, UH, AND THAT'S THE GOAL, RIGHT? I I I'M MEETING WITH, UH, NONPROFIT LEADERS AND, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE SECTOR LEADERS SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO FUND THIS PROGRAM BEYOND THE $200,000, RIGHT? UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK FOR US IS HOW DO WE LOOK AT IT FROM A, AN AN, AN APPROACH OF, OF MEASURING THE OUTCOMES, RIGHT? SO WHEN I TALK ABOUT AI LITERACY, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, NOT JUST IN BEXAR COUNTY, BUT ACROSS THE UNITED STATES THAT WE CAN BRING, UH, TO SAN ANTONIO. SO YES, COMMISSIONER MOODY, WE'RE NOT JUST GONNA DEPEND ON THESE $200,000 TO ACCOMPLISH THOSE GOALS AND MEASURE THOSE OUTCOMES THAT, THAT WE REALLY WANT BRING TO, TO BEAR COUNTY. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. YEAH. UH, THAT'S WONDERFUL TO HEAR. AND, UH, APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENT ABOUT MEASURING OUTCOMES. YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU COMING FROM THE, UH, PRIVATE SECTOR, YOU KNOW, THE IMPORTANCE OF PERFORMANCE METRICS AND MEASURING OUTCOMES AND, UH, SO, SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND SELL THIS, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT THAT WE'RE SEEING A RETURN ON INVESTMENT WHEN IT COMES TO JOBS, WHEN IT COMES TO CAPITAL INVESTMENT, WHEN IT COMES TO CONSTRUCTION HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND I REALLY DO THINK THERE'S A, THERE'S A IMPORTANT ROLE FOR, FOR BEXAR COUNTY TO PLAY IN ALL THIS IN TERMS OF SETTING THE STAGE AND CREATING A FERTILE ENVIRONMENT FOR, FOR BUSINESSES TO FLOURISH HERE. UM, SO I'M, I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT THIS. UM, I THINK AS, AS WE CAN CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD AND THINK ABOUT WHAT ARE THOSE [01:55:01] THE BEST INVESTMENTS THAT WE CAN MAKE, YOU KNOW, AS A COUNTY, AS A COMMUNITY, UH, TO ENSURE THAT WE SEE THAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT AND MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE A, UH, A FERTILE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT THAT CAN CONTINUE TO, UH, TO GROW AND CREATE JOBS. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MOODY. AND, AND, AND I AGREE, RIGHT? I, I THINK WHAT IT'S IMPORTANT HERE IS THAT WE HAVE, UH, A STREAMLINE OF COMMUNICATION AND THAT WE COLLABORATE WITH THE COUNTY. SO ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE, I SEEK YOUR, YOUR MENTORING IN TERMS OF IDEAS THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR DISTRICTS, UH, FROM COMING FROM YOUR CONSTITUENTS, AND WE CAN IMPLEMENT THEM THROUGH TECH BLOCKS. SO FEEL FREE TO ALWAYS REACH OUT TO ME. YOU HAVE MY PHONE NUMBER, MY EMAIL ADDRESS. LET'S COLLABORATE, LET'S BUILD CONSENSUS. LET'S MOVE BEXAR COUNTY FORWARD. YOU WISH COVERED. THANK YOU. I, I APOLOGIZE FOR, UH, TAKING THE MIC AGAIN, BUT I, I HAD SOME TEXT MESSAGES FROM FOLKS WATCHING. OF COURSE, THERE ARE PEOPLE WATCHING ACTUALLY, UH, GOOD, UH, . SOMEBODY'S WATCHING. UH, AND, AND THEY SAID YOU FORGOT TO TALK ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT. NOW YOU AND I KNOW YES. WHEN WE TALKED, THAT WAS A CENTERPIECE OF OUR CONVERSATION RELATED ABSOLUTELY. TO AI AND THE ENVIRONMENT. I RECENTLY SPOKE IN MIAMI AT A CONFERENCE TALKING ABOUT AI AND WATER. AND I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, UH, I LET THE TECH COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND THAT THE VERY, UH, GROWING OPPOSITION TO AI BASED UPON ITS WATER CONSUMPTION COULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE INTEGRATION OF AI WITHIN OUR ECONOMY AND WITHIN OUR SOCIETY. ABSOLUTELY. AND, AND, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UH, UNDERSTANDING THAT AI CAN BE USED TO, UH, IMPROVE, UH, WATER SAVINGS. AND, UM, AND, AND I ALWAYS BELIEVE, UH, FROM A POLICY STANDPOINT AND BRINGING PEOPLE ALONG STANDPOINT THAT THE, THE, THE USE AND THE CON CONSERVATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT, AIR, POLLUTANTS, WATER, THOSE THINGS, IF WE CAN SOLVE BETTER WITH AI TECHNOLOGIES, PHYSICAL AI, EVEN DETECTING LEAKS IN SYSTEMS AND, AND, AND ALL KINDS OF OTHER APPLICATIONS, IT WILL HELP SMOOTH THE WAY. BUT WE'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE IS DIFFERENT WAYS TO COOL. WE MAY BE USING ABSOLUTELY THE WORST, MOST EXPENSIVE WAY. HAVE SOME GOOD IDEAS, BY THE WAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, YOU KNOW, WE JUST STAY AT A HOLIDAY EXPRESS, AND EVERY NOW AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TRY TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING GOOD. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT SPACE AND HOW, UH, THERE ARE CERTAIN APPLICATIONS. WE KNOW THERE'S A LATENCY, LATENCY IN SPACE, BUT THERE ARE APPLICATIONS WHERE, YOU KNOW, LIKE AS I SAID, IF I DO A SEARCH ON A, I DON'T NEED IT IN INSTANTLY. UM, I DON'T MIND WAITING FOR A SATELLITE OR LATENCY DELIVERY FROM, FROM SPACE. UH, BUT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT DEEP WATER. YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S NEEDS FOR DESALINIZATION, BUT HOW THAT CAN BE, HOW THAT CAN BE CLEANLY USED WITHOUT RAISING THE TEMPERATURES OF THE EARTH. ALL OF THOSE THINGS CAN BE PART OF THE DISCOVERY THAT WE HAVE, UH, IN OUR BACKYARD WITH, UH, UH, UH, SWRI AND MANY OTHER INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE PART OF SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION. SO, UM, UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN I TALK ABOUT, UH, THIS NEW AI ECONOMY, IT IS COMPREHENSIVE. UM, AND I THINK YOU SHARE THAT SAME, UH, DESIRE. 'CAUSE WE, WE BOTH, UH, HAVE A LOT OF LIVING TO DO. AND YOU GOT A LITTLE ONE NOW, A COUPLE. YEAH. SO, SO THOSE, THOSE LITTLE ONES NEED TO HAVE AN EARTH THAT IS SUSTAINED FOR THEM AS WELL. SO, ABSOLUTELY. UH, SO I, YOU CAN SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT. I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS THAT. NO, NO, NO, ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, WE HAD A, A LONG DISCUSSION ABOUT, UM, DATA CENTERS, RIGHT? WE TALKED ABOUT IT AND, AND, AND I THINK THAT INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY CAN COEXIST ABSOLUTELY. BUT I THINK IT ALSO TAKES, UH, REGULATION, IT TAKES GOVERNMENT BODIES TO DEMAND AND PUT PRESSURE TO COMPANIES TO EVOLVE THEIR SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES. THEY DO HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY, THEY DO HAVE THE KNOW-HOW. IT'S ABOUT HOW SOON THEY CAN DEPLOY THOSE SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES, INCLUDING RECYCLING, DESALINATION, AND SO MANY MORE THAT THEY'RE COMING UP WITH THAT WILL ENSURE THAT WE BUILT A SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE ACROSS THE FIELD OF AI THAT INCLUDES DATA CENTERS. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, RIGHT? BUT THAT TAKES ALL OF YOU. IT TAKES THE JUDGE, IT TAKES THE CITY, IT TAKES THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO EXPRESS THE INTEREST IN WORKING AND COLLABORATING WITH THESE ENTERPRISES THAT ARE SETTING UP IN SAN ANTONIO, IN BEAR COUNTY, AND DEMAND THOSE, UH, SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES. 'CAUSE I KNOW ACROSS THE AISLE, ON THE PRIVATE SECTOR, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE OPEN TO THAT LINE OF COMMUNICATION, AND THEY WANNA ENSURE ALSO THAT THEIR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN HAVE A BETTER EARTH IN THE NEXT 50 YEARS. BUT I THINK COMMUNICATION IS KEY AND COLLABORATION IS KEY, AND HAVING A STRONG FIST IN TERMS OF WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES THAT YOU EXPECT AS A GOVERNING BODY. BUT [02:00:01] I'M, I'M, YOU'RE SPOT ON. AND I SUPPORT THAT. AND TECH BLOCK SUPPORTS THE SUSTAINABILITY, UH, OUTCOMES. AND OF COURSE, UM, AS AI GROWS, MORE USAGE OF THOSE DATA CENTERS WILL BE NEEDED. SO THINGS OF, YES, LUNAR EXPLORATION IS AN IDEA THAT IS BEING, UH, THROWN AROUND SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES. WATER DESALINATION IS ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT ARE BEING PRESENTED. WE HAVE TO GET CREATIVE, BUT WE HAVE TO RUSH. WE HAVE TO HURRY UP IN ORDER TO CREATE THOSE SUSTAINABILITY PATHWAYS. BUT IT STARTS ALSO HERE. IT STARTS IN THIS ROOM. IT STARTS WITH THE PEOPLE DEMANDING FROM THEIR LEADERS AND DEMANDING FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR THAT WE ENSURE, UH, PROSPERS, UH, FUTURE AND, UH, ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS FUTURE. SO THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CLAY FLOORS, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY EXTENSION MOTION? YOU UNANIM THE CARRIES. GOOD LUCK. YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT. COUNT, UH, COURT, LET ME JUST TRY TO, WE, WE, LET'S TRY TO GET THROUGH THE REST, BUT WE STILL HAVE SOME INDIVIDUAL ITEMS, PLUS WE HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, SO WE'LL, WE'LL FIGURE THIS OUT AS WE MOVE FORWARD. SO I'M GONNA MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM [7. Filing for record the following legal and administrative documents and directing the Criminal District Attorney's Office to take action, if necessary] NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH IS FILING FOR THE RECORD, THE FOLLOWING LEGAL ADMINISTRATIVE DOCUMENTS DIRECTED THE CRIMINAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO ACTION, TAKE ACTION IF NECESSARY, A THROUGH MOVE FOR APPROVAL. SO NOTED. THEN [8. Approval of the Commissioners Court minutes for Tuesday, February 17, 2026.] WE GO TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH, 2026. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CALVER. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNAL BY SAYING, AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? NATI? MOTION CARRIES. ALRIGHT, WE'RE AT, UM, [9. Communications from citizens who signed the register to speak. (Part 1 of 3)] ITEM NINE. AND I, I'M ASKING FOR SOME INPUT FROM THE COURT. WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP. UH, WE HAVE, UH, AND I, I'M GOING TO YIELD TO THE COURT BECAUSE SOME OF THIS, I BELIEVE I HAVE ITEM 65, WHICH IS OVER 30 PEOPLE I BELIEVE ARE SIGNED UP. I GOT ITEM 70, WHICH I HAVE ABOUT 15 PEOPLE SIGN UP. AND THEN WE JUST HAVE ITEM NINE, WHICH IS THE GENERAL COMMENTS THAT WILL, PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED UP THERE ABOUT, THERE'S ABOUT FIVE OF THEM THERE. SO, UH, COMMISSIONER CALVERT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE NOTE? SO TO HELP THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME TO THE COURT TO BE HEARD, I WANT TO MAKE SURE, BE RESPECTFUL TO THEM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I BELIEVE THERE'S A MATTER THAT, UH, I BELIEVE YOU AND COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ WOULD LIKE TO PUT ON RECORD. GO AHEAD. THANK YOU, JUDGE. UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, RODRIGUEZ AND I WORKED TOGETHER TO GET CONSENSUS ON THE COURT TO ADD LEGAL OPTIONS FOR THE COUNTY. UM, SPECIFICALLY WE ADDED IT TO THE RESOLUTION ABOUT COMPLIANCE WITH LAW AND STANDARDS. AND, AND, AND SO FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE RESOLUTION, UH, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE THAT NOW THE COUNTY HAS BOUGHT INTO EXERCISING LEGAL OPTIONS. UM, AND SO I, WE DID EMAIL THAT LAST NIGHT, UH, TO, TO GET A, A REVISED VERSION. BUT THAT MAY MODIFY SOME OF YOUR COMMENTS OR MAYBE YOU WANNA PASS. UH, BUT I THINK THAT OPENS THE DOOR FOR THE COUNTY TO WORK WITH LEGAL INSTITUTIONS. UM, THERE MAY BE OTHER COMMENTS, IT'S ALL HEALTHY. WE WANT, WE WANT TO HEAR FEEDBACK FROM YOU. BUT I DID WANNA THANK COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ FOR WORKING ALONGSIDE TO ADD THE LEGAL LANGUAGE BACK INTO THE RESOLUTION. AND, AND I MEAN, I WOULD SAY WE SHOULD JUST BRING IT UP. I THINK WE CAN DISPENSE OF THE RESOLUTION. YEAH. UM, AND IF, IF WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE CAN DO ITEM 65 AND READ THE RESOLUTION, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IF THOSE STILL WANNA SPEAK, THEY CAN SPEAK. YEAH. AND, AND WHAT, WHAT I WOULD JUST ADD IS, UH, AS YOU MENTIONED, JUDGE, THERE'S A NUMBER OF FOLKS WHO'VE SIGNED UP. UH, CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR. AND IF YOU, YOU DESIRE TO STILL SPEAK ON THE ITEM. BUT I THINK IN, IN, UM, UH, I GUESS IN BACKING UP WHAT COMMISSIONER CALVERT SAID, SOME OF THE CONVERSATION AND THE EMAILS I RECEIVED, UH, WERE RELATED TO LANGUAGE, UH, THAT MAY HAVE BEEN IN A, A, UH, EARLY COPY OF THE RESOLUTION. UM, AND COMMISSIONER CALVERT AND I WORKED THROUGH LAST NIGHT TO GET IN A CLAUSE THAT ESSENTIALLY, AND I'LL READ IT JUST FOR THE RECORD, IT'S ITEM, IT'S, IT'S UNDER NUMBER FOUR OF THE RESOLUTION. AND IT READS, THE COUNTY MAY EVALUATE, UH, POTENTIAL LEGAL AND POLICY OPTIONS THAT ENSURE THE RIGHTS OF CITIZENS AND IMMIGRANTS ARE, ARE MAINTAINED, WHICH MAY INCLUDE WORKING WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, LEGAL, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, THE COUNTY, FURTHER FURTHER URGES, DHS ICE, AND ALL RELEVANT FEDERAL ENTITIES TO ENSURE THAT ANY FACILITIES OR OPERATIONS ULTIMATELY LOCATED WITHIN BEXAR COUNTY ARE CONDUCTED IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE FEDERAL STATUTES, CONSTITUTIONAL [02:05:01] PROTECTIONS, AND GOVERNING DETENTION STANDARDS, INCLUDING THOSE RELATED TO DETAINEE HEALTH, SAFETY DUE PROCESS, AND ACCESS TO COUNSEL. SO, SO SOME OF THE, UH, FEEDBACK WE HAD GOTTEN ON AN EARLY VERSION WAS, UH, THAT, UH, WE WANTED TO INCLUDE THAT LANGUAGE OR THE, THE CONSTITUENTS COMMUNITY WANTED TO INCLUDE SOME LANGUAGE THAT GAVE US SOME LEGAL OPTIONS, SHOULD WE CHOOSE TO PURSUE THAT. SO THANK YOU COMMISSIONER CALVERT FOR WORKING WITH US ON THAT. UM, BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, JUDGE, IF, IF YOU WANNA TAKE UP THAT ITEM NOW AND, AND HEAR FROM THE FOLKS WHO ARE HERE. UH, BUT JUST KNOW AS YOU COME UP WITH YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS, IF THEY'RE RELATED TO THAT LANGUAGE MISSING. IT IS NOW IN THE RESOLUTION. WHAT'S YOU WANT? TAKE IT UP, COMMISSIONER CA, ARE YOU ASKING 65, 65 TO BE TAKEN UP? IS THERE ANY OBJECTIONS I WILL NOW TAKE UP AND THEN CITIZENS TO BE HEARD? WE'RE GONNA COME BACK TO YOU. ALL RIGHT. IN LIGHT OF YOU WANNA HEAR HIM OR, YEAH, WHY DON'T WE HEAR HIM? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO IN LIGHT OF THAT, LET US GO DOWN THE LIST THEN. CHERYL GONZALEZ, CHERYL, AND THEN ROBERT PAGET. YOU HAVE YIELD YOUR TIME TO CHERYL GONZALEZ. IS THAT STILL YOUR WISH? YES. ALRIGHT. SO CHERYL, YOU HAVE ROBERT PAGET. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE HAS YIELDED TIME TO CHERYL GONZALEZ? WHO, WHAT'S YOUR NAME? RE WHAT WAS THE FIRST RODRIGUEZ BAR? BAR? RE YEAH, RE PEDRO. OKAY. PEDRO, YOU'RE YIELDING YOUR TIME TO CHERYL. ANYBODY ELSE YIELDING TIME TO CHERYL? ALRIGHT, CHERYL. OKAY, I'M GOOD. NINE MINUTES. OKAY. THANK YOU, JESSICA. WE HAVE ALL HEARD THE PHRASE, LAND OF THE FREE AND HOME OF THE BRAVE. MANY OF US LEARNED IT AS CHILDREN IN SCHOOL, BUT TODAY I WANNA PAUSE AND ASK WHAT DOES THE WORD FREE TRULY MEAN? IF WE LOOK IT UP, FREE MEANS NOT UNDER THE CONTROL OF ANOTHER, NOT CONFINED, NOT IN PRISON. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DETENTION CENTERS, HOLDING FAMILIES AND CHILDREN, ARE THOSE CHILDREN FREE FACILITIES DESIGNED FOR 2,400 PEOPLE HAVE REPORTEDLY HELD THOUSANDS MORE. AMONG THEM ARE HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN, TODDLERS, ELEMENTARY, SCHOOL AGE, KIDS, BABIES, BURLEY OLD ENOUGH TO SPEAK. THEY HAVE NAMES, THEY HAVE FAVORITE COLORS, THEY HAVE DREAMS. THEY ARE NOT STATISTICS. ON JANUARY 28TH, 2026 CONCERNED RESIDENTS OF BEXAR COUNTY TRAVELED TO DILLEY TO PEACEFULLY PROTEST AND STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH DETAINED CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. WE GATHERED PEACEFULLY. THERE WERE CHILDREN, WHISTLES AND BUBBLES, REMINDERS THAT WE WERE ADVOCATING FOR KIDS. WE LOCKED ARMS AND SAID, WE ARE NOT CRIMINALS. WE ARE PEACEFUL PROTESTORS. AND YET WE WERE MET WITH FORCE CS. GAS WAS DEPLOYED ON CIVILIANS. MANY OF US SUFFERED SEVERE HEADACHES, NAUSEA, DIZZINESS, AND SKIN IRRITATION. SOME OF THOSE SYMPTOMS LASTED FOR DAYS. BUT BEYOND THE PHYSICAL IMPACT WAS SOMETHING DEEPER. A GROWING FRACTURE IN TRUSTS BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND THOSE SWORN TO PROTECT THEM. WHEN PEACEFUL PROTESTS IS MET WITH CHEMICAL AGENTS, IT SENDS A MESSAGE. WHEN CHILDREN ARE DETAINED BEHIND FENCES, IT SENDS A MESSAGE. WHEN HUMAN BEINGS ARE REFERRED TO AS BODIES, IT SENDS A MESSAGE AND THE MESSAGE IS, THIS CONTROL MATTERS MORE THAN COMPASSION. NOW WE ARE HEARING CONCERNS THAT A WAREHOUSE NEAR HOUSTON STREET AND LOOP FOUR 10 MAY BE CONVERTED INTO A ICE DETENTION FACILITY. THIS IS NOT JUST A POLICY DEBATE. THIS IS ABOUT THE MORAL DIRECTION OF OUR COMMUNITY. AS A BEAR COUNTY RESIDENT AND AS A LATINA ONE WOMAN, I AM ASKING YOU TO CONSIDER THE LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF ALLOWING SUCH A FACILITY IN OUR BACKYARD. CHILDHOOD TRAUMA IS NOT TEMPORARY. WHEN I WAS SIX YEARS OLD, MY 8-YEAR-OLD BROTHER WAS SHOT. WHILE HE WAS ASLEEP, I WAS NEXT DOOR PLAYING. AND IN THE AFTERMATH, I ENDED UP IN A STRANGER HOME FOR MONTHS. I DIDN'T KNOW IF MY FAMILY WAS ALIVE. I DIDN'T KNOW IF I WOULD EVER SEE THEM AGAIN. WHAT I DID KNOW WAS FEAR. [02:10:02] I KNEW WHAT IT FELT LIKE TO CRY CONSISTENTLY. I KNEW WHAT IT FELT LIKE TO FEEL ALONE. I KNEW WHAT IT FELT LIKE TO HAVE MY SENSE OF SAFETY RIPPED AWAY OVERNIGHT. THAT FEAR STAYS WITH YOU. CHILDREN SEPARATED FROM THEIR FAMILIES AND PLACED IN DETENTION CENTERS WILL REMEMBER THOSE MOMENTS FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. THEY MAY GROW UP WITH ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, NIGHTMARES, AND DISTRUST OF AUTHORITY. THEY MAY CARRY THAT TRAUMA INTO ADULTHOOD. AND TRAUMA DOES NOT JUST AFFECT INDIVIDUALS, IT AFFECTS COMMUNITIES. SO THE QUESTION BEFORE YOU IS NOT ADMINISTRATIVE. IT IS MORAL. WHAT KIND OF COUNTY DO WE WANT TO BE? ONE THAT NORMALIZE DETAINING CHILDREN, OR ONE THAT PRIORITIZE DIGNITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND HUMANITY. WE CANNOT CALL OURSELVES FREE WHILE ACCEPTING SYSTEMS THAT CAN FIND CHILDREN. WE CANNOT BUILD TRUST WHILE EXPANDING DETENTION. WE CANNOT HEAL COMMUNITY DIVIDES WHILE CREATING NEW SOURCES OF TRAUMA. JU TODAY I RESPECTFULLY ASK YOU TO STAND WITH THE RESIDENTS OF BEAR COUNTY, COMMIT PUBLICLY TO OPPOSING THE CREATION OF AN ICED D DETENTION FACILITY IN SAN ANTONIO. CHOOSE TRANSPARENCY, CHOOSE ACCOUNTABILITY, AND CHOOSE HUMANITY BECAUSE FREEDOM MUST APPLY TO ALL OF US, OR IT MEANS NOTHING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, GABRIEL. GABRIEL ROSALES. GABRIEL ROSALES. GABRIEL, COME ON UP. I, I THOUGHT I HEARD YOU SAY GONZALEZ MINUTE. UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT, MRS. CLAY, MR. RODRIGUEZ, MR. CALVERT, UH, WE'RE HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE, THE, UH, RESOLUTION. UH, IT'S TIMELY. SO NOT ONLY HERE, BUT YOU, YOU'RE LEADING, UH, AS AN EXAMPLE SO THAT WE CAN GO ACROSS THE STATE. THIS ISSUE'S NOT JUST IMPACTING BEXAR COUNTY, IT'S, IT'S IMPACTING OUR COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE. AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THE LULAC MEMBERSHIP, OUR NATIONAL PRESIDENT, PALAMAS, TO STAND UP IN HUTCHINSON, TEXAS. WE'RE MOVING ACROSS TO HOUSTON TO, UH, MOBILIZE OUR COMMUNITIES. UH, SO WE DO KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS, AND THIS RESOLUTION BEING PASSED HERE CAN SET THE EXAMPLE FOR THE REST OF OUR COMMUNITIES, THE REST OF OUR STATE, TO GO FORWARD. BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S NOT JUST TEXAS. IT'S ACROSS THE COUNTRY. SO WE NEED TO STAND UP AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND STAND AGAINST WHAT'S HAPPENING. SO WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT THESE, THESE CONCENTRATION CAMPS, RIGHT, HAVE DONE HORRIBLE DAMAGE AS IS IS IT GONNA DO DAMAGE? NO, THEY ALREADY ARE. SO WE NEED TO STAND UP AND THEY CONTINUE TO EXPOSE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY. IT'S UNDERSTOOD. WE'RE NOT GONNA, WE CAN DO VERY LITTLE. WE'RE GONNA WORK TOGETHER WITH YOU. OUR NATIONAL LAWYERS UP IN WASHINGTON, DC ALONG WITH MY LOCAL LAWYERS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR AVENUES TO SLOW THIS DOWN, BECAUSE THAT PATHWAY RIGHT IS COMING IN NOVEMBER. WE NEED TO VOTE THESE PEOPLE OUT. WE NEED TO STOP THE INJUSTICES OF WHAT'S HAPPENING TO OUR CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. IT'S A VERY EMOTIONAL ISSUE FOR US. IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S TAKING ME THROUGH AN EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER IN, IN HAVING TO TAKE AND INTAKE CALLS. THEY'RE PICKING CHILDREN UP AT YOUR SCHOOLS IN THE HARLANDALE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. THEY'RE PICKING CHILDREN UP AT, IN, IN, IN SEVERAL OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHERE I'M GETTING PHONE CALLS AND FEEL VERY, VERY FRUSTRATED. UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S WHERE'S THEIR RELIEF? AND SO, SO PASSING A RESOLUTION LIKE THIS SENDS A STRONG MESSAGE TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT THIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER COURT CARES. AND I KNOW YOU DO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. PLEASE SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION, TOO. CLAUDIA SANCHEZ. CLAUDIA SANCHEZ RIGHT HERE. CLAUDIA. CLAUDIA. CLAUDIA, GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU TO, UM, ALL OF OUR, UM, COMMISSIONERS FOR, UM, LETTING US SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THIS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE. UM, WE ARE VERY CONCERNED. UM, MY NAME IS CLAUDIA SANCHEZ. I'M THE TEXAS, UH, LULAC IMMIGRATION CHAIR. AND AS WE HEARD FROM BEFORE, [02:15:01] YOU KNOW, WE'RE HEARING REPORTS ACROSS THE STATE OF A LOT OF CASES HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITIES. JUST YESTERDAY, I GOT A CALL ABOUT A FAMILY OUT IN THE SAN PEDRO AREA THAT THEY WENT INTO THEIR HOUSE AND ARRESTED, UH, FAMILY MEMBERS FROM THAT COMMUNITY, THAT AREA. AND SO WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THIS DETENTION CENTER, WE'RE HEARING THAT THERE'S GONNA BE 1,500 BEDS IN THE FACILITY. AND RIGHT NOW WE ARE IN THE NINTH, UH, NINTH AND CITY OF IN THE NATION, UM, WITH THE MOST ICE ARREST. SO HOW IS THAT GONNA IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY, NOT JUST IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, BUT AS WE'VE SEEN THE REPORTS OF U UNITED STATES CITIZENS BEING ARRESTED, BEING INCARCERATED FOR DAYS, THAT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT THE LEGAL PROCESS, UH, PEOPLE THAT ARE SICK IN THERE, THE CHILDREN, PREGNANT WOMEN. I MEAN, WE'RE GONNA BE, GOD FORBID, SEEING THAT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. AND WE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR COMMUNITIES, HOW THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT OUR CHILDREN. AS YOU HEARD BEFORE FROM OUR OTHER, UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS. HOW IS THAT GONNA IMPACT OUR COMMUNITIES? THE LEGAL ASPECTS? UM, TERRORISM, AS WE'VE SEEN, IS ALREADY DECLINING. PEOPLE ARE NOT GONNA WANNA COME TO SAN ANTONIO, UM, TO, FOR FEAR THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE QUESTIONED OR DETAINED JUST SIMPLY BY THEIR PHYSICAL ASPECTS, THEIR LOOKS. SO WE'RE ASKING OUR, OUR CITY COUNCIL, OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, AND OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AT THE STATE AND AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, WE'RE WORKING. WE'RE CALLING, WE'RE SPEAKING TO THE MEETING WITH THEM RIGHT NOW TO MAKE SURE HOW WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS BEING PROTECTED OF THEIR RIGHTS, WHETHER THEY'RE UNDOCUMENTED OR NOT. UM, WE KNOW HUMAN, YOU KNOW, WHETHER YOU'RE UNDOCUMENTED DOESN'T MEAN YOU DON'T HAVE ANY RIGHTS. YOU STILL HAVE RIGHTS AS A HUMAN BEING. UM, YOU ARE NOT GONNA BE TREATED WITH, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT RESPECT, WITHOUT, UM, DIGNITY NOT BEING ALLOWED TO SEE DOCTORS. CHILDREN ARE BEING, NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE DOCTORS FOR UP TO FIVE DAYS WITH THE FEVER. I MEAN, JUST PUT, WE HAVE TO PUT OURSELVES IN THEIR SHOES. HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOUR CHILDREN WERE RUNNING A FEVER FOR FIVE DAYS, NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE A DOCTOR? AND WHEN YOU HEAR THE CASES OVER AND OVER, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S OUR CONCERNS AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE ASKING EVERYONE TO COME TOGETHER AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING THE LAWS AND THE LAWS ARE BEING APPLIED CORRECTLY. AND, UH, WE THANK YOU'ALL FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING IN THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU CLAUDIA. ELAINE CUMMINGS. ELAINE CUMMINGS. SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY JUDGE, AKA AND THE BOARD MEMBERS. I THINK YOU HAVE A COPY OF MY COMMENTS AND I REALLY WAS HERE MAINLY TO SPEAK ABOUT PUTTING THE TEETH BACK INTO THE RESOLUTION. AND YOU'VE DONE THAT. AND, UH, SO I'M NOT GONNA TAKE UP ALL OF YOUR TIME, BUT ATTACHED TO MY COMMENTS IS MY, UH, UH, BIO THAT SHOWS INDICATES SOME WAYS THAT I CAN HELP. I'M ALSO HERE TO VOLUNTEER. I'D LIKE TO HELP WITH THIS. I HAVE A LOT TO OFFER, I THINK, IN THIS AREA. AND SO I HOPE YOU'LL CALL ME OR TEXT ME OR EMAIL ME, UH, AND HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE HOW I COULD HELP. BUT AGAIN, I WANNA COMMEND YOU FOR PUTTING THE TEETH BACK INTO WHAT, WHAT WAS THERE? ARE YOU ASKING THAT THIS MAY BE PART OF THE RECORD? YES, I WOULD. THANK YOU. WHERE'S LUCY? MS. PO CLARK. MAKE IT PART OF THE RECORD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. DR. DOSHI PIPER. SAY IT AGAIN. JUDGE DOSHI PIPER. DR. PIPER, YOU WERE HERE A WHILE AGO. I THINK SHE LEFT. SHE ALREADY LEFT. OKAY. DOC DOSHI, OR SHE YIELDED HER TIME TO ME. DID YOU SIGN UP? NO, NO. OH, SORRY. DEBORAH MONTEZ FELDER. UM, EITHER GOOD MORNING OR GOOD AFTERNOON. IT'S STILL GOOD MORNING. OKAY. GOOD MORNING. UM, I AM, UH, I HAVE LISTENED TO OR SPOKEN TO, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, CALVER. AND I'VE WRITTEN TO, UH, MY PRECINCT, UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, REBECCA CLAY FOREST. AND THAT EMAIL WAS SENT TO YOU. I DON'T KNOW YOUR STAFF, I THINK I ALSO SENT IT TO YOUR STAFF, FRANKIE. UM, [02:20:01] SO I WOULD LIKE THAT ENTERED INTO THE RECORD AS WELL, IF POSSIBLE. BUT, UM, I'M HERE TO ALSO SHINE A LIGHT. I THINK BECAUSE DHS HAS DONE THIS IN A VERY UNDERHANDED MANNER IN THE DARK, AND THEY'VE DONE IT ACROSS THE NATION. UH, I'VE RECEIVED INFORMATION FROM, UH, THE SAVE AMERICA MOVEMENT FROM, UH, ARIZONA. MARICO. MARICOPA COUNTY IS ALSO, UH, DEALING WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS, THE, THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS IN THEIR COMMUNITY. UH, GEORGIA IS ALSO DEALING WITH THIS. AND THERE WERE OTHERS. UH, NEW JERSEY I THINK WAS ANOTHER, WELL, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD SHINE A LIGHT AS WELL. 'CAUSE THEY'RE OPERATING IN THE DARK AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE, I DON'T KNOW, UH, HOW THEY PURCHASED THIS THING, HOW THEY PURCHASED THE EXISTING WAREHOUSE ON THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN. UM, BUT I THINK YOU OUGHT TO BE, UH, CONCERNED ABOUT THOSE DETAILS. HOW DID THEY DO THIS? WHERE'S THE MONEY TRAIL? WHO OWNS THIS? WHERE'S THE MONEY GONNA GO TO? BECAUSE THAT, UH, CONCENTRATION CAMPUS GOING TO BE OPERATED. WHAT? IN, IN, BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR? WHERE ARE THOSE MONIES GOING? SO I, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. AND I THINK WE DON'T HAVE INDIVIDUALLY AUTHORITY TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS, BUT AS A GROUP, AS A COMMUNITY, WE HAVE, WE HAVE A VOICE, A STRONG VOICE TO SAY, HEY, WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING HERE? AND IT IS, IT'S AN AFFRONT TO SOMEONE WHO LOOKS LIKE ME AND HAS A NAME OF DEBRA EZ AND MY MARRIED NAME FELDER, THAT YOU'RE PUTTING THIS CONCENTRATION CAMP IN OUR COMMUNITY TO HOUSE AND DETAIN AND IMP PRISON PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME, WHO ARE HARDWORKING PEOPLE FOR THE MOST PART, THE MAJORITY. AND THEY'RE SENDING THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL. THEY SEND THEIR KIDS TO, UH, ENLIST IN THE ARMY, UH, THE AIR FORCE, THE MARINES, WHATEVER, TO FIGHT FOR OUR COUNTRY. AND THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE INSULT. AND I CAN CLEARLY TELL YOU, UH, I'M, I'LL TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT I THINK ICE SHOULD BE ABOLISHED. THEIR MALICIOUS HATE IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE AUTHORITIES THAT ARE ALLOWING THEM THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GO AFTER PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME. AND I, I JUST THINK IT'S AN INSULT. SO WHILE YOU MAY HAVE, UH, ADDED TO YOUR RESOLUTION, BACKS OF LEGAL AUTHORITY IN THERE TO EXTEND YOUR REACH AND, UH, OF, UH, OPTIONS, BUT THE REALITY IS YOU, I THINK TIME HAS EXPIRED. COMMISSIONER'S COURT NEEDS TO TAKE A STAND AND SAY, THIS IS WRONG. WE DON'T NEED CONCENTRATION CAMPS. IT'S A SHAM. NOW, WHAT WE NEED CONCENTRATION CAMPS FOR MAYBE WOULD BE FOR PEDOPHILES, PEDOPHILES OR CHILD SEX TRAFFICKERS. WE NEED THOSE KIND OF CONCENTRATION CAMPS. AND ANYONE WHO IS INVOLVED IN THAT, WE NEED THOSE BIG CONCENTRATION CAMPS. AND WE NEED A LIGHTS SH SHOWN UPON THAT WHOLE ISSUE. AND FROM WHOEVER IS INVOLVED FROM THE VERY TOP, FROM THE OVAL OFFICE ON DOWN, UH, NEEDS TO BE DETAINED AND, UH, EVALUATED AND QUESTIONED. SO THAT'S MY TAKE ON THIS AND I HOPE, UM, COMMISSIONER COURT WOULD, YOU KNOW, REALLY EXERCISE THEIR AUTHORITY AND POWER 'CAUSE ON OUR OWN. AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE IT, BUT WE ALL CAN JOIN IN THIS. THANK YOU. MELODY PACKARD. MELODY PACKARD. MELODY PACKARD. OKAY. THERE, SHE'S, I DUNNO, IS THAT, HELLO JUDGE COMMISSIONERS IN COURT. THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME TODAY. I AM A CONSTITUENT IN PRECINCT FOUR. I HAVE TWO POINTS TO BRING BEFORE YOU TODAY. FIRST, I DO NOT SUPPORT ICE DETENTION CENTERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. I AGREE WITH AGENDA ITEM 65, FORMERLY EXPRESSING OUR STRONG OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED DETENTION FACILITY CENTER IN BEXAR COUNTY. SECOND, I URGE YOU TO PRIORITIZE THE IMMIGRANT LEGAL DEFENSE FUND ON YOUR UPCOMING AGENDA [02:25:01] AND PLAN HOW YOU CAN RENEW THIS FUND TO PROVIDE VITAL LEGAL SERVICES FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND I THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE ON IT SO FAR. AS CONTEXT FOR BOTH OF THESE POINTS, I'D LIKE TO SHARE A RECENT QUOTE BY ACTING ICE DIRECTOR TODD LYONS DISCUSSING DETENTION CENTERS RECENTLY. HE SAID, QUOTE, WE NEED TO GET BETTER AT TREATING THIS LIKE A BUSINESS LIKE AMAZON PRIME, BUT WITH HUMAN BEINGS. THIS IS A DISGUSTING WAY TO VIEW HUMAN LIFE. WE HAVE BUILT INTERNMENT CAMPS HERE IN TEXAS IN OUR SHAMEFUL PAST. WE CAN'T CHANGE THIS, BUT WE CAN PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. I BEG YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING. A GREAT PLACE TO START IS TO RENEW THE IMMIGRANT LEGAL DEFENSE FUND AND OPPOSE ICE DETENTION FACILITIES IN OUR CITY USING ALL OF OUR AVAILABLE TOOLS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU AUSTIN. JUDY AUSTIN, HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE YOUR LAST NAME? CHUY. CHUY, THANK YOU. MORNING COMMISSIONERS. UH, MY NAME IS AUSTIN CHUY. I RESIDE IN DISTRICT 10, PRECINCT THREE. I'VE COME HERE THIS MORNING TO HOPEFULLY CONTINUE TO DO WHAT MY PEERS HAVE DONE AND WHAT OTHERS HAVE DONE BEFORE ME. AND THAT IS TO CONTINUE TO IGNITE THE SPARK OF HOPE, THE LIGHT OF THAT TORCH THAT BURNS WITHIN US ALL THESE DAYS. MY OWN TORCH HAS GROWN DIM AT THE ABSURD SITE OF WHAT OUR PEOPLE HAVE BEEN THROUGH AND ARE GOING THROUGH. NOW, I THINK BACK TO THOSE LESSONS OF AMERICA WHERE I WAS TAUGHT THAT WE ARE ALL ONE BIG MELTING POT. I THINK BACK TO THE STATUE OF LIBERTY AND HOW SHE CRIES OUT WITH SILENT LIPS. GIVE ME YOUR TIRED, YOUR POOR, YOUR HUDDLED MASSES YEARNING TO BREATHE FREE. THE WRETCHED REFUSE OF YOUR TEAMING SHORE. SEND THESE, THE HOMELESS TEMPEST TOSSED TO ME. I LIFT MY LAMP BESIDE THE GOLDEN DOOR. 32 PEOPLE DIED IN ICE CUSTODY LAST YEAR, AND THAT'S WHAT'S BEEN REPORTED TO US. 11 PEOPLE HAVE DIED SO FAR THIS YEAR. THERE'S BEEN MEASLES OUTBREAK IN THE DAILY DETENTION CENTER FOR GODS SAKES. WE OWE ALL OF THEM A DIGNIFIED PROCESS TO CITIZENSHIP, NOT A CONCENTRATION CAMP. WE ARE A NATION OF AND FOR IMMIGRANTS. ICE IS NOT WELCOME HERE. PLEASE USE ALL OF THE POWERS WE HAVE GIVEN YOU TO STOP THIS DETENTION CENTER FROM OPENING. AND PLEASE USE ALL THE POWERS WE HAVE GIVEN YOU TO RENEW THE ILDF TO ENSURE THAT WE PROTECT THOSE WHO ARE KIDNAPPED BY ICE, ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE. THANK YOU. ZACH HALL. HELLO JUDGE SAI AND COMMISSIONER'S COURT. APPRECIATE YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY. UH, I'M GONNA KEEP IT SHORT AND SWEET, JUST HERE TO SUPPORT. SAME THING EVERYBODY ELSE IS. VOTE YES ON ITEM 65. ICE DOESN'T BELONG HERE. IF ANY OTHER 23-YEAR-OLD WENT THROUGH THE STREETS SHOOTING PEOPLE IN THE FACE, THEY'D BE ARRESTED AND PUT THROUGH PRISON. THIS IS CRIME. UM, PLEASE ADD THE IMMIGRANT LEGAL DEFENSE FUND TO THE AGENDA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. AND VOTE YES ON THAT SO THAT WE CAN SUPPORT OUR PEOPLE AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. RONALD FARNSWORTH. RONALD FARNSWORTH. HI NEIL. I OKAY. ALRIGHT, I GOT IT. UH, PRISCILLA OLIVAREZ. MY NAME IS PRISCILLA OLIVAREZ WITH THE IMMIGRANT LEGAL RESOURCE CENTER. OUR ORGANIZATION IS A MEMBER OF SA STANDS. I'M ASKING COMMISSIONERS TO DO EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER TO STOP ICE FROM OPENING THE WAREHOUSE. LET ME BE CLEAR. ICE IS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A PERMANENT INVESTMENT IN DETAINING AND DEPORTING OUR COMMUNITY. IF THIS WAREHOUSE OPENS, IT WILL MEAN MORE OF OUR RESIDENTS TARGETED, MORE UNLAWFUL DETENTIONS AND MORE DEPORTATIONS OF INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES. ICE WILL DO EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER TO FILL THIS FACILITY BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THEY DO. DETAINING AND DEPORTING FAMILIES IS A BUSINESS TO THEM. CURRENTLY, ICE IS DETAINING MORE THAN 70,000 PEOPLE IN ITS EXISTING NETWORK OF DETENTION CENTERS, AND IT IS SEEKING TO DETAIN MORE, INCLUDING HERE IN BEXAR COUNTY. SO IF BEXAR COUNTY DOES NOT DO EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER TO STOP THIS FACILITY FROM OPENING, IT WILL REMAIN OPEN FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. YOU MENTIONED THE RESOLUTION IS LOOKING TO PURSUE ALL LEGAL OPTIONS. ONE OF THOSE OPTIONS SHOULD INCLUDE RENEWING THE IMMIGRANT LEGAL DEFENSE FUND. THE OPENING OF THE WAREHOUSE WILL ALSO MEAN MORE ARRESTS OF RESIDENTS AND MORE INDIVIDUALS WILL NEED LEGAL REPRESENTATION. [02:30:01] MORE DENIED DUE PROCESS. MORE BEAR COUNTY FAMILIES AND CHILDREN DENIED THE BENEFITS OF FAMILY UNITY, THE BENEFIT OF A FAMILY BREADWINNER AND THESE BENEFITS, UM, AND THE BENEFITS THESE INDIVIDUALS BRING TO OUR COUNTY. THE WAREHOUSE HIGHLIGHTS THE URGENCY TO RENEW THE COUNTY'S IMMIGRANT LEGAL DEFENSE FUND. WE CANNOT LET PAXTON'S BASELESS LAWSUIT, WHICH A LOCAL JUDGE ALREADY RULED AGAINST, STOP OR DELAY THE FUND'S RENEWAL. TODAY, YOU JUST CELEBRATED GIDEON V WAIN WRIGHT AND ISSUED A PROCLAMATION SAYING, THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL IS FOUNDATIONAL TO ENSURE EVERYONE HAS THEIR DAY IN COURT. THERE IS NO RIGHT TO APPOINTED COUNSEL ON IMMIGRATION PROCEEDINGS. SO IT FALLS TO OUR LEADERS TO UPHOLD THE PRINCIPLE OF DUE PROCESS. BEXAR COUNTY DID THIS IN 2022 WHEN YOU CREATED THE HISTORIC IMMIGRANT LEGAL DEFENSE FUND. AS OF LAST MONTH, THE FUND HAS EXPIRED. EVEN THOUGH IT IS CLEAR THE LITIGATION IS GOING IN THE COUNTY'S FAVOR, THIS MEANS MORE FAMILIES ARE AT RISK OF BEING DEPORTED. THIS MEANS WE ARE AT RISK OF LOSING THE BENEFITS THESE IMMIGRANTS PROVIDE. AS ENFORCEMENT INCREASES, WE ARE AT RISK OF LOSING SO MUCH. AND SO I'M ASKING THE COUNTY TO REMAIN STEADFAST IN ITS COMMITMENT TO DUE PROCESS FOR ALL. DO NOT BACK DOWN BE COURAGEOUS AND STAND FIRM TO OUR CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES. I'M ALSO ASKING COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO DEMAND A FULL ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW THE ICE WAREHOUSE WILL HAVE ON OUR COUNTY BEFORE IT OPENS. INDUSTRIAL WAREHOUSES DO NOT HAVE THE SEWAGE AND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE TO ENSURE BASIC HEALTH. FOR THE 1500 PEOPLE WHO WILL BE DETAINED AT THIS FACILITY, THE WAREHOUSE WILL THREATEN TO OVERWHELM LOCAL WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM INFRASTRUCTURE LEADING TO HARMFUL POLLUTION INTO OUR WATERWAYS. THE WAREHOUSE WILL RESULT IN THE DIVERSION OF LOCAL RESOURCES. RESOURCES. OUR COMMUNITIES NEED TO MEET THEIR BASIC NEEDS. RESOURCES YOU HAVE ALL PROMISED YOUR CONSTITUENCY WILL FIGHT FOR RESIDENTS DEMAND ANSWERS FROM ICE. THE COUNTY SHOULD PURSUE ALL LEGAL OPTIONS TO COMPEL ICE TO PROVIDE THESE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS WE DESERVE TRANSPARENCY AND ICE MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MOLLY. MOLLY? NO, MOLLY. UM, YOUR HONOR, I SIGNED UP ON NINE ON A DIFFERENT TOPIC AND ALSO SIX FIVE. OKAY. WHAT SHE SHE SIGNED UP ON NINE TEN SIX FIVE SIXTY FIVE. DO YOU WANT ME TO TALK ABOUT OKAY. TOPICS, BUT THAT'S ABOUT MOLLY. WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR NAME? MOLLY. OH, YOU'RE MOLLY? YES. I DID NOT ANSWER. YOU WANNA SPEAK NOW OR YOU WANNA SPEAK ON BOTH TOPICS? OH, JESSICA. OKAY. WELL, YOU, YOU SIGNED UP FOR THIS. GO AHEAD. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. 4 65. OKAY. YES. GOT IT. OKAY. UM, JUST QUICK POINT ON NUMBER 65. IF YOU TELL ME THAT ICE AGENTS IS NOT RACIAL PROFILING, THAT IS COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY FALSE. UM, I MYSELF HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED IT, BUT, UM, THEY, I MEAN I MYSELF HAD EXPERIENCED ICE AGENTS THAT WERE FOLLOWING ME ONE NIGHT AND THEY WERE TRAILING ME. AND YEAH, I WAS SH I MEAN SCARED. SORRY. I WAS VERY SCARED AND I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT I CHOSE TO GO TO A POLICE STATION NON SAPD. AND AS SOON AS I RODE UP ON THAT POLICE STATION PROPERTY, I SAW THE TWO UNMARKED SUVS THAT WERE FOLLOWING ME. THEY WERE, ONE WAS STILL PARKED OVER HERE AND THE OTHER ONE LIKE TOOK OFF. AND THEN EVENTUALLY THE OTHER ONE FINALLY LEFT WHEN I, THEY REALIZED I WAS GETTING HELP FROM THAT NON SAPD POLICE STATION. SO YEAH, ICE AGENTS DO RACIAL PROFILING. AND I UNDERSTAND THE PRESIDENT SAYS THAT WE NEED BOOTS ON THE GROUND UP IN ISRAEL WHEN I RAN GHOST IN THE ICE AGENTS OVER THERE, SEND THEM THERE. JUST GO SEND 'EM OVER THERE. WE DON'T NEED THEM HERE IN BEAR COUNTY, BUT I'LL TALK TO YOU ABOUT NUMBER NINE WHEN YOU CALL IT SARAH RAMIREZ. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS SARAH RAMIREZ AND I OPPOSE THE OPENING OF ANY ICE PROCESSING AND OR DETENTION CENTERS IN BEXAR COUNTY. I'VE BEEN A NURSE FOR 11 YEARS AND MOST OF MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN WITH KIDS. HEARING ABOUT HOW THE CHILDREN HAVE BEEN TREATED OR LACK THEREOF AT DILI IS ABYSMAL. PUTTING CHILDREN THROUGH ANY SORT OF DETAINMENT IS TRAUMATIZING. TAKING PARENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS AWAY FROM CHILDREN IS TRAUMATIZING. BESIDES THE TRAUMA THESE CHILDREN AND ADULTS ARE GOING THROUGH, THEY'RE GETTING SICK AND THERE'S A LACK OF ADEQUATE, ADEQUATE MEDICAL CARE BEING PROVIDED. THE AMOUNT AND QUALITY OF FOOD ISN'T GREAT. LIVING CONDITIONS ARE FAR FROM SUFFICIENT AND THEIR HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF AGENTS ON DETAINEE ASSAULTS WITHIN THE FACILITIES. PEOPLE [02:35:01] OF SAN ANTONIO ARE ALREADY NERVOUS ABOUT GOING OUT IN PUBLIC TO SHOP TO ALLOW THEIR CHILDREN TO CONTINUE GOING TO SCHOOL DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING DETAINED REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS. MY MOM AND BROTHERS WHO LIVE IN OASIS COUNTY VISIT ME FREQUENTLY. SHE OPTED TO TAKE ONE OF MY BROTHERS WHO IS DARKER SKINNED OUT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL AND HOMESCHOOL HIM INSTEAD, SHE WHO IS ALSO DARK SKINNED, DOESN'T SHOP IN STORE. SHE DOES CURBSIDE OR SENDS ONE OF MY OTHER BROTHERS WHO IS LIGHT SKINNED LIKE I AM IN TO DO THE SHOPPING. IF AN ICE PROCESSING AND OR DETENTION CENTER OPENS IN BEXAR COUNTY, SHE WILL NO LONGER FEEL SAFE VISITING ME. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING I WANT TO HAPPEN. I DON'T WANT SAN ANTONIO THE PLACE THAT I HAVE CALLED HOME FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS TO BE KNOWN AS A CITY WITH AN ICE FACILITY. I DON'T WANT TO LIVE IN A CITY WITH AN ICE FACILITY. THANK YOU. DARCY WALKER. DARCY WALKER. THANK YOU, YOUR HONOR. WHY DO WE NEED SO MANY ICE FACILITIES? OVER 200 NOW ACROSS THE COUNTRY? I KEEP HEARING THAT THE PRESIDENT WANTS TO RESTRICT VOTING FOR THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS. WHAT BETTER WAY TO BLOCK VOTING THAN TO ARREST PEACEFUL CITIZEN PROTESTORS BEFORE EARLY VOTING STARTS, THEN BUST THEM IN CHAINS TO A DETENTION CAMP OUT OF TOWN, MAYBE TO DILI, THEN HOLD THEM UNTIL VOTING IS OVER SO THEY CAN'T VOTE. THEN ICE CAN PURSUE CHARGES OR DROP CHARGES. AS LONG AS THE PEACEFUL CITIZEN PROTESTORS RIGHT TO VOTE WAS BLOCKED. AND IF YOU THINK HOLDING PEACEFUL CITIZEN PROTESTORS SO THEY CAN'T VOTE IS JUST CRAZY TALK. IT'S NO CRAZIER THAN SOME POLICIES COMING OUT OF WASHINGTON. I AM A FREQUENT PEACEFUL CITIZEN PROTESTOR. I DON'T HAVE FRIENDS OR FAMILY RIGHT NOW IN IMMEDIATE DANGER OF DETENTION. THIS IS MY PERSONAL TAKE ON CREATING EVEN MORE DETENTION CAMPS, WHICH CAN LATER BE USED TO HOLD CITIZENS WHO OBJECT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HEY REBECCA. HEY. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU. GOOD MORNING. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR RACES, . UM, I WANNA THANK, UH, COMMISSIONER CALVERT AND UH, FOR THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU INTRODUCED AND OF COURSE THE CHANGES THAT I THINK SOME OF YOU WORKED ON TO MAKE IT STRONGER. UH, BECAUSE WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO MAKE IT STRONGER AND WE HAVE TO USE ALL THE FORCE THAT WE HAVE, ALL THE POWER THAT WE HAVE IN THIS CITY, IN THIS COUNTY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WEST SIDE, THAT THE EAST SIDE DETENTION CENTER IS, DOES, DOES NOT SEE THE, THE LIGHT OF DAY. I KNOW, I KNOW. PROCESSING PLANTS. WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THOSE SINCE 2014. THE PROCESSING PLANTS THAT EXISTED IN THE BORDER OR HORRENDOUS, THEY CALLED THEM ICE HOUSES. AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE PLANNING ON DOING HERE, WHERE THEY KEEP PEOPLE IN ICE COLD SITUATIONS WITH NOTHING TO COVER THEMSELVES. THEY KEEP CHILDREN IN THOSE SAME SITUATIONS IN CAGES. DO WE WANT TO SEE THAT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO? I DON'T THINK SO. AND THEY CONTINUE TO EXIST IN THE VALLEY IN MCALLEN. WE CANNOT, WE CANNOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN. WE CANNOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN. I FRANKLY AM SHOCKED TO HEAR, BECAUSE I'M SURE YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. UH, YOU SEE THE MEDIA AS MUCH AS I DO. BUT IN THE ISA, THE IMMIGRATION COURTHOUSE ON THE ON, ON EVA IN OSA, THEY PICK UP PEOPLE WHO GO INTO TO CHECK IN. THEY SAY, WELL, IT'S TIME TO CHECK IN. COME ON IN, CHECK IN WITH YOUR CO AT THE COURT. AND THEY PICK 'EM UP THERE, THERE IS A BIG BUS SITTING ON THE SIDE OF THE, OF THE PARKING LOT WHERE THEY FORCE THESE, THESE FOLKS WHO ARE CHECKING IN, UH, INTO THOSE BUSES AND ON OVER TO DETENTION CENTERS. AND THAT'S WHO IS NOW IN DILI AND EVERY OTHER DETENTION CENTER IN IN THE, IN THE COUNTRY. THOSE FOLKS WHO THOUGHT THEY WERE ASKED TO GO AND REPORT IN AND THEY DID SO AND THEN THEY WERE SENT TO DETENTION CENTERS. MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN DETENTION CENTERS HAVE NOT COMMITTED ANY CRIMES. IF THEY, THEY MISSED, THEY DIDN'T PAY A PARKING TICKET OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. ARE Y'ALL LISTENING? YES. I'M, THANK YOU. SO I AM PERSONALLY SHOCKED THAT THE IMMIGRANT LEGAL DEFENSE FUND HAS NOT BEEN RENEWED. [02:40:01] I GUESS THEY'VE BEEN OUT OF FUNDS NOW FOR TWO MONTHS. AND I GUESS I WANNA ASK THE QUESTION, WHY HASN'T IT BEEN RENEWED WITH THE, THE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE SITTING IN THESE DETENTION CENTERS HERE IN THE, THE STATE OF TEXAS, MANY OF THEM FROM SAN ANTONIO. WHY HASN'T THAT FUND BEEN RENEWED? I'D LIKE TO FIND OUT WHEN IT'S GONNA BE RENEWED. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. WE ARE SITTING IN A TERRIBLE SITUATION AND WE HAVE GOT TO GET ALL OF YOU WHO ARE ELECTED AND CAN DO THIS. I JUST WATCHED TWO, $2.5 MILLION BEING GIVEN FOR SOME SIGN ON THE WEST SIDE TO ATTRACT TOURISTS. AND WHY CAN'T WE DO THE SAME THING ON THIS ISSUE THAT'S SO IMPORTANT TO US? I REALLY WANNA HEAR A GOOD RESPONSE ABOUT THAT FUNDING BEING RENEWED AND IMMEDIATELY THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VOX. VOX ROSE. VOX ROSE. AND I UNDERSTAND ROSE SANCHEZ REVEALED YOUR TIME TO VOX ROSE. VOX. ARE YOU VOX? UH, MY NAME'S RES AND I'M GONNA BE SEATING MY TIME TO VOX ROSE. OKAY. WHAT WAS YOUR NAME AGAIN? UH, EN RES E-N-J-O-L-R-A-S. OKAY. WHAT WAS THE LAST NAME? SAY WHAT? SAY YOUR NAME AGAIN. RES. CAN YOU SPELL IT? E-N-J-O-L-R-A. AND IS LAST NAME REESE? YEP. OKAY. YOU YIELDING TIME TO VOX? YEP. YIELDING TIME TO VOX AND ROSE, ARE YOU YIELDING TIME? YES. MY NAME IS ROSE SANCHEZ. I'M YIELDING MY TIME TO VOX ROSE. OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE YIELDING TIME TO VOX? ALRIGHT, VOX, NINE MINUTES. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON JUDGE SAKA AND COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS VOX ROSE OF DISTRICT EIGHT, BUT I GREW UP ALL MY NIGHT LIFE IN DISTRICT TWO AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN UNCOMPROMISING SUPPORT OF ITEM 65. I WANT IT ON THE RECORD. BARROW COUNTY SAID CATEGORICALLY REJECT ANY FORM OF DETENTION CENTER INTERNMENT FACILITY, OR SO-CALLED PROCESSING CENTER FOR MIGRANTS AND OR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. LET'S STOP HIDING BEHIND SOFT LANGUAGE. WHAT WE ARE REALLY TALKING ABOUT ARE PEONAGE CAMPS AND INTERNMENT CAMPS PLACED WHERE HUMAN BEINGS ARE CAGED SORTED AND EXPLOITED UNDER COLOR OF LAW. THESE FACILITIES DO NOT HAVE THE SEWAGE CAPACITIES TO HOUSE HUMANS, AND WE ALSO ASK TO RENEW THE IMMIGRANT LEGAL DEFENSE FUND. THESE ARE NOT NEUTRAL BUILDINGS, THESE ARE ENGINES OF TRAUMA. THEY ARE DESIGNED TO DISAPPEAR PEOPLE, TO ISOLATE THEM FROM THEIR FAMILIES, THEIR COMMUNITIES, AND THEIR RIGHTS. WHEN YOU BUILD A PNH CAMP, YOU ARE NOT PROTECTING THE PUBLIC. YOU ARE INSTITUTIONALIZING CRUELTY. I ALSO WANT TO UPLIFT AND SECOND, THE POSITION THAT COUNCIL MEMBER JAYLEN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ HAS TAKEN IN THE CITY CONTEXT. THE CALL FOR A MORATORIUM RATHER THAN A SIMPLE CODE CHANGE. A MINOR CODE TWEAK IS WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU ACTUALLY, WHEN YOU WANT, WHEN YOU WANNA SAY YOU DID SOMETHING WITHOUT ACTUALLY CHANGING THE POWER DYNAMICS. A MORATORIUM IS WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU RECOGNIZE THE HARM IS SO SERIOUS. YOU MUST STOP FULL STOP AND GIVE THE COMMUNITY TIME AND SPACE TO REWRITE THE RULES. I'M ASKING THIS COURT TO MATCH THAT LEVEL OF COURAGE AT THE COUNTY LEVEL. TAKE THE MORATORIUM APPROACH SERIOUSLY, PUT A HALT TO NEW DETENTION RELATED FACILITIES OF ANY KIND WHILE A REAL WHILE REAL COMMUNITY LED PROCESS BUILDS LASTING PROTECTIONS. NOW I WANNA TALK ABOUT WHO THESE PH CAMPS ACTUALLY TARGET CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. WE LIKE TO PRETEND THIS IS ABOUT DANGEROUS CRIMINALS AND NATIONAL SECURITY. BUT IN PRACTICE IT'S KIDS WATCHING THEIR PARENTS DRAGGED AWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. IT'S TEENAGERS LOCKED IN CAGES FOR MONTHS, MISSING SCHOOL, LOSING LANGUAGE, LOSING FAITH IN ANY IDEA OF JUSTICE. IT'S TODDLERS LEARNING THE SOUND OF A GUARD'S BOOTS ON CONCRETE BEFORE THEY EVEN LEARN TO READ. EVERY TIME WE ALLOW ANOTHER CARCERAL FACILITY TO OPEN, WE ARE MAKING A DECISION ABOUT WHAT CHILDHOODS IN BEAR COUNTY, WHAT CHILDHOOD LOOKS LIKE IN BEAR COUNTY. DO CHILDREN HERE GROW UP BELIEVING THAT THEY BELONG OR THAT THEY'RE ONE MISTAKE? ONE RAID, ONE DATABASE MATCH AWAY FROM BEING LOCKED IN A METAL ROOM. WHEN YOU PROVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF DETENTION, YOU ARE SIGNING OFF ON CHILDHOODS UNDER SIEGE. IT DOESN'T JUST STOP AT PHYSICAL CAGES. WE ARE TALKING, WE ARE BUILDING DIGITAL ONES. DIGITAL CAGES TOO. I'M TALKING ABOUT SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY, FACIAL RECOGNITION CAMERA, AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS, FUSION SENSOR DATABASES, PREDICTIVE POLICING SOFTWARE, DATA SHARING AGREEMENTS WITH DPS, ICE AND PRIVATE VENDORS. THESE TOOLS CONSIST ARE CONSISTENTLY INACCURATE AND DISCRIMINATORY, ESPECIALLY AGAINST BLACK, BROWN AND INDI INDIGENOUS AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES. THEY MISIDENTIFY PEOPLE OF COLOR AT HIGH RATES. THEY FLAG SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR. THAT'S JUST ORDINARY LIFE IN A WORKING CLASS NEIGHBORHOOD. IMAGINE A KID WALKING HOME IN A HOODIE, A MOM DRIVING AN OLD CAR WITH AN OUT-OF-STATE PLATE, A FAMILY GATHERING IN A PARKING LOT AFTER WORK. THESE BECOME DIGITAL RED FLAGS THAT FEED BIASED ALGORITHMS, [02:45:01] WHICH THEN JUSTIFY MORE STOPS, MORE QUESTIONING, MORE ARRESTS, AND MORE SEPARATION. IT'S A FEEDBACK LOOP OF CRIMINALIZATION DRESSED UP AS INNOVATION. SO I'M GONNA ASK THE COURT TO DO TWO THINGS. DRAW A HARD LINE AT PEONAGE CAMPS. DRAW A HARD LINE AGAINST DIGITAL PEONAGE, MASS SURVEILLANCE WITHOUT CONSENT, OVERSIGHT, OR EFFECTIVE SAFEGUARDS. THIS MEANS REAL DATA PROTECTION RULES, STRICT LIMITS ON COLLECTION. REAL TRANSPARENCY ABOUT WHAT SYSTEMS. WE USE. INDEPENDENT AUDITS FOR RACIAL BIAS. CLEAR BANS ON CERTAIN TECH, LIKE FACIAL RECOGNITION AND SENSITIVE SPACES AND ABSOLUTELY NO BACKDOOR POP, UH, DATA PIPELINES TO ICE JUDGE SAKA. I WANT TO TALK TO YOU DIRECTLY. YOU HAVE SPOKEN PUBLICLY ABOUT YOUR OWN FAMILY'S EXPERIENCE WITH WORLD WAR II INTERNMENT AND WHAT IT MEANS WHEN A GOVERNMENT DECIDES AN ENTIRE GROUP OF PEOPLE AS A SUSPECT. YOU KNOW IN YOUR BONES WHAT A CAMP LOOKS LIKE, THE LOSS OF A HOME, THE HUMILIATION, THE GENERATIONAL TRAUMA. THAT LEGACY, THAT LEGACY SHOULD NOT JUST BE A STORY FOR SPEECHES OR COMMEMORATIONS. IT SHOULD BE A COMPASS FOR HOW THIS COMMUNITY TREATS MIGRANTS AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. RIGHT NOW, I ASK YOU AND THE COMMISSIONERS TO TURN EVERY STONE TO ENSURE THIS CAMP AND ANY FUTURE ONES ARE NOT POSSIBLE. FOR THE FOLKS OBSESSED WITH THE ECONOMIC STATE FOR SAN ANTONIO'S ECONOMIC STATE, IT'S A DAMN SHAME YOU BACKED PROJECT MARVEL AS SOME JOBS SAVIOR YOU CLAIMED. IT BRINGS OPPORTUNITY, BUT IT FUNNELS PUBLIC RESOURCES INTO LOW WAGE MENIAL POSITIONS WHILE HIGHER PAYING COMMUNITY ROOTED WORK GETS IGNORED. AND LET'S TALK ABOUT, I WON INDUSTRIAL ZONING BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE REAL GAMES GET PLAYED. I KNOW THE POWER TO REZONE. THIS SITS WITH THE CITY, NOT WITH THIS COURT. BUT THAT DOESN'T LET YOU OFF THE HOOK. YOU CAN EITHER SIT QUIETLY WHILE THIS I WON WHILE I WON, GETS USED AS A DUMPING GROUND FOR LOW WAGE INDUSTRY AND P AND H STYLE LOGISTICS SITES. OR YOU CAN USE YOUR PLATFORM TO DEMAND BETTER OPPOSE CONTRACTS, OPPOSE COUNTY PARTICIPATION AND OPENLY LOBBY FOR I ONE LAND, UM, NEAR OUR COMMUNITIES TO BE CONVERTED TO C ONE AND C TWO COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR COMMUNITY BUSINESS AND HIGHER WAGE WORK, NOT CAGES. IF YOU CLAIM YOU CARE ABOUT ECONOMY, THEN STOP HIDING BEHIND JURISDICTION AND USE THE POWER YOU DO HAVE TO KEEP HE AND HISS INFRASTRUCTURE OUT OF BEAR COUNTY. YOU HAVE SHOWN THROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TRIPS AND HIGH PROFILE INITIATIVES THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO PUT BEAR COUNTY ON THE MAP FOR INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT IN BIG PROJECTS. I'M HERE TO SAY IF WE CAN MOBILIZE THAT LEVEL OF ENERGY AND FUNDING TO COURT CORPORATIONS, WE CAN ABSOLUTELY MOBILIZE IT TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM LEGAL SERVICES TO INVEST IN HOUSING, TO CREATE REAL ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION SURVEILLANCE. IF WE CAN FLY ACROSS OCEANS TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS FOR INDUSTRY, WE CAN CERTAINLY WALK ACROSS TOWNS TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THESE COMMUNITIES TARGETED BY THESE POLICIES. AT THE SAME TIME, SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT THIS COUNT COUNTY HAS ENTERTAINED OR SUPPORTED SIGNAL A DANGEROUS COMFORT WITH CARCERAL AND SURVEILLANCE LOGIC. IF WE CAN FIND MILLIONS FOR NEW TECH TOYS, FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, FOR ARMORED VEHICLES, FOR WATCH TOWERS AND CAMERAS, INTELLIGENCE SYSTEMS, THEN DON'T TELL US THERE'S NO MONEY TO KEEP KIDS OUT OF CAGES. THERE'S MONEY. NO MONEY FOR MENTAL HEALTH. NO MONEY FOR YOUTH PROGRAMS, NO MONEY TO KEEP FAMILIES HOUSED IN TOGETHER. WE NEED TO BE HONEST ABOUT THE STATE LEVEL MACHINERY DRIVING THIS GOVERNOR, GREG ABBOTT AND ATTORNEY GENERAL KEN PAXTON HAVE TURNED THE BORDER AND MIGRATION INTO A PERMANENT CAMPAIGN STUNT OPERATION. LONE STAR IS A PIPELINE OF CRIMINALIZATION ARRESTING ASYLUM SEEKERS FOR TRESPASSING, STAGING SOCIAL FORCE PATROLS REROUTING PUBLIC FUNDS INTO MILITARIZED THEATRICS. THEY CALL IT SECURITY, BUT FAMILIES ON THE GROUND. BUT FOR FAMILIES ON THE GROUND, IT LOOKS LIKE FEAR HARASSMENT AND THE CONSTANT THREAT OF SEPARATION. AND AS ABBOTT SAID, TEXAS IS THE BLUEPRINT. THIS COUNTY CAN EITHER BE A WILLING PARTNER IN THIS AGENDA OR A LINE OF RESISTANCE. YOU DON'T CONTROL AUSTIN, BUT YOU DO CONTROL WHAT YOU LEGITIMIZE HERE. YOU CONTROL WHETHER DATA FROM OUR COMMUNITY ENDS UP IN STATE, IN STATE AND FEDERAL DRAGNETS. YOU CONTROL WHETHER WE ADD MORE JAIL BEDS, CONTRACT, UM, WITH MORE PRIVATE DETENTION PLAYERS OR PRIVATELY ACCOMMODATE NEW P AND H INFRASTRUCTURES UNDER THE GUISE OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. SO HERE IS MY ASK AND MY WARNING AS SOMEONE WHO CARES DEEPLY AND WHO WILL REMEMBER THIS VOTE, VOTE YES ON ITEM 65 AND MAKE CLEAR THAT BEAR COUNTY WILL NOT HO WILL NOT HOST P AND H CAMPS. NOT NOW, NOT LATER, NOT UNDER SOME REBRANDED EUPHEMISM. MOVE TOWARDS A POLICY FRAMEWORK THAT FREEZES NEW DETENTION, UM, RELATED FACILITIES AND OPENS A REAL COMMUNITY DRIVEN PROCESS FOR LONG-TERM PROTECTIONS. DO NOT CONTRACT WITH THE COMPANIES THAT RUN THESE CAMPS, HAVE PRIVATE OR HAVE PRIVATE EQUITY IN THESE CAMPS. COMMIT TO STRONG DATA AND SURVEILLANCE PROTECTIONS. NO FACE RECOGNITION, NO SECRET DATA SHARING, NO UNCHECKED DIGITAL EXPANSION, NO UNCHECKED DIGITAL POLICING TOOLS THAT TARGET BLACK, BROWN AND IMMIGRANT AND POOR COMMUNITIES. REDIRECT ENERGY AND FUNDING AWAY FROM CAR. SO SOLUTIONS TOWARDS HOUSING, HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION, YOUTH PROGRAMS, UM, REINSTATING THE IMMIGRANT LEGAL DEFENSE FUND. AND, UM, COMMUNITY BASED, UM, THINGS THAT REINSTATE COMMUNITY BASED SAFETY. THINGS THAT ACTUALLY KEEP CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SAFE. I'M NOT HERE TO BEG FOR DECENCY, I'M HERE TO DEMAND IT. IF YOU BUILD P AND H CAMPS, PHYSICAL OR DIGITAL, YOU WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR THAT. [02:50:01] IF YOU CHOOSE TO PROTECT CHILDREN TO SHIELD FAMILIES FROM CAGES AND RAGE AND CONSTANT SURVEILLANCE, YOU WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR THAT TOO. BE THE LINE THAT CAN'T BE CROSSED. BE THE HOT IRON THAT BURNS P NAGE OUT OF OUR FUTURE BRAND, OUT OF OUR FUTURE INSTEAD OF BRANDING IT INTO THE NEXT GENERATION. THANK YOU MARTHA. SP MARTHA SPS. NOW I'VE GOT PEOPLE YIELDING, SO I HAVE FRED HOFSTRA. YES, YOUR HONOR. YOU ARE YIELDING RONALD FARNSWORTH, ARE YOU YIELDING? YES. AND SHARE MCGRATH MCRAY? YES, YOUR HONOR. ALRIGHT, IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE YIELDING TO MARTHA? YOUR HONOR, I'M FRED HOFSTEDER. I'D LIKE TO TAKE ONE OF MY MINUTES AND THEN LEAVE THE REST TO MARTHA IF THAT'S OKAY. NO, EITHER YIELD OR SPEAK. I'LL SPEAK. OKAY. WHAT'S YOUR NAME? FRED HOFSTEDER. OKAY. ALRIGHT, FRED, WE'LL LET MARTHA GO AND THEN WE'LL LET YOU GO. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SIR. WHO ELSE IS WANTING TO YIELD? WHAT'S YOUR NAME? I YIELD MY TIMES TO MARTHA. AND YOUR NAME? THOMAS MAY. THOMAS MAY. OKAY. GOT THOMAS MAY. ALL RIGHT. I BELIEVE KATE, WE GOT FOUR MARTHA AND THREE PEOPLE. SO MARTHA, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. BEFORE I BEGAN, I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU HOW MUCH I LOVE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND HOW MUCH I HAVE ENJOYED THE HOUR AND A HALF, TWO HOURS WE'VE SPENT THIS MORNING BEFORE. LISTENING TO EVERYBODY WHO'S TALKING RIGHT NOW TO ALL THE MAGNIFICENT THINGS THAT WE'VE ACHIEVED IN THIS COMMUNITY THROUGH CULTURE AND INDUSTRY, I ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE, I'M SORRY THE ALLERGIES ARE GETTING ME. I ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME AND ATTENTION THAT YOU GAVE TO ALL OF THE PRESENTERS. THE FRIENDLY AND POSITIVE INTERACTION WHERE YOU ENVISION TOGETHER AT GREAT LENGTH WITH MANY PEOPLE WHAT THE FUTURE OF THIS CITY COULD BE. HAVING BEEN ON THAT OTHER SIDE OF PROMOTING NONPROFITS TO GOVERNMENT, I KNOW ALL ABOUT THOSE SLICK PRESENTATIONS THAT THEY BROUGHT AND I THINK THEY'RE WONDERFUL. AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT BEING SARCASTIC ABOUT THAT. I'M FULL IN ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT. HOWEVER, I WISH THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE STANDING BEHIND ME TODAY DISCUSSING 65 HAD THE SAME KIND OF OPPORTUNITY AS ALL OF THE IN INDUSTRY AND CULTURAL REPRESENTATIVES THAT WE SAW EARLIER TODAY, WHERE THERE IS THIS INTERCHANGE AND INTERACTION WITH YOU AND WE TALK TOGETHER ABOUT HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS CITY GREAT. SO IF I HAD MY WISH, THIS WOULD ALL KIND OF BE REDONE AND WE'D HAVE A REAL COMMUNITY CONVERSATION. BUT THE QUESTION AT HAND IS NOT ALL OF THE OBSCENITIES THAT ARE BEING PRESENTED BY THE PRESENCE OF ICE AND THE SUGGESTION OF HAVING A CONCENTRATION CAMP, A DETENTION CENTER, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT, THOSE OBSCENITIES HAVE BEEN VERY WELL DOCUMENTED LONG BEFORE WE GOT HERE AND REITERATED TODAY WITH THE EMOTIONAL TESTIMONY OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE SPOKEN TO YOU. AND I, I HOPE YOU'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO THAT. BUT HERE'S SOMETHING I DON'T GET TO DROP IN CONVERSATIONS AT COCKTAIL PARTIES VERY OFTEN I HAVE A PHD IN SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY FROM AN IVY LEAGUE UNIVERSITY. AND MY RECOMMENDATION, HAVING REMOVED THE, REVIEWED THE THREE ITERATIONS OF YOUR POLICY, THAT IS THE RESOLUTION YOU'VE PROPOSED TODAY IS THAT YOU NOT APPROVE IT TODAY FOR THE MOST BASIC REASON. AND THAT IS JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO, I GOT TO SEE THE, WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE VOTING ON TODAY. I SAW COMMISSIONER CALVERTS, THAT WAS A GOOD TRY. I SAW JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ'S, UH, VERSION OF THAT COMPLETELY DEFAMED IT. VERY DISAPPOINTING. NOW YOU'VE COME TO SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT US TO GIVE OUR APPROVAL TO, AND MAYBE WE SHOULD, BUT WE SHOULD NOT DO THAT UNTIL WE'VE ALL HAD A CHANCE TO READ IT. AND IT WASN'T AVAILABLE UNTIL LATE LAST NIGHT. BUT GOING ON AND, AND SHOWING OFF MY, UH, MY PHD IN SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO YOU THAT THIS IS NOT A RESOLUTION. THIS THING THAT YOU'VE WRITTEN, A RESOLUTION EXPRESSED SOME KIND OF RESOLVE, A POSITION, A PLAN, A DETERMINATION TO GUIDE OR DIRECT US TOWARDS SOMETHING AT THE VERY MINIMUM TO HOLD FAST TO AN ETHICAL POSITION. THIS DOCUMENT, AFTER ALL ITS WAREHOUSES AND THEREFORES SAYS THIS. AND I'M GONNA PARAPHRASE FOR YOU WHAT IT SAYS. SINCE I'M AN INTELLECTUAL AND I HAVE A PHD, DEAR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR WHOEVER IS BOTHERING TO READ THIS DOCUMENT, WE ARE CONCERNED THAT YOU HAVE DISREGARDED ALL LAWS AND CUSTOMS RELATED TO THE PURCHASES OF A PROPERTY IN BEXAR COUNTY. WE [02:55:01] REALLY WISH YOU WOULD SHOW US A LITTLE RESPECT BECAUSE THERE ARE LAWS ABOUT THIS AND WE THINK IT WOULD BE PROBLEMATIC. QUOTE, IT RAISES SERIOUS CONCERNS RELATED TO POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON THE BEXAR COUNTY COMMUNITY, INCLUDING IMPACTS EMERGING FROM EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, WATER AND SEWAGE INFRASTRUCTURE, ELECTRICITY USAGE, TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT, AND PUBLIC SAFETY RESOURCES. HMM, LET'S SEE WHAT'S MISSING? OH, HUMAN ATROCITY. THAT, THAT WAS OVERLOOKED. I GUESS THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH THAT I'M GOING TO PARAPHRASE FOR YOU SUMMARIZES WHAT YOUR RESOLUTION IS. AND HERE'S WHAT PARAGRAPH SIX SAYS, INTERGOVERNMENT DIALOGUE QUOTE, DESPITE OPPOSITION BEAR COUNTY SUPPORTS CONSTRUCTIVE INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMUNICATION AMONG FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES TO FACILITATE INFORMED DECISION MAKING REGARDING SIGNIFICANT MATTERS AFFECTING THE BEXAR COUNTY COMMUNITY. NOW LET ME PARAPHRASE THAT ONE FOR YOU. DEAR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR WHOEVER IS BOTHERING TO READ THIS DOCUMENT, LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE TIME TO GET TOGETHER FOR A CHAT. WE LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS WE ELECTED YOU. AND I KNOW YOU DON'T NEED TO BE REMINDED THIS, BUT I JUST WANT TO PASS UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE LEADERS WHO REPRESENT THE WISHES OF THE PEOPLE TO SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION. I WAS HERE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS ABOUT A MONTH AGO, AND ALL OF YOU ASSURED ME THAT YOU UNDERSTAND BECAUSE YOU TAKE AN OATH TO SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION. BUT WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, WHAT I SEE IS SOMETHING THAT IS WEAK AND PASSIVE. IT NOT ONLY JEOPARDIZES THE FISCAL AND HEALTH STANDARDS OF OUR COMMUNITY, THE RESOLUTION'S, WEAKNESS AND PASSIVITY JEOPARDIZES DEMOCRACY, WE HAVE TO FIGHT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT, THE STATEMENT. AND IT IS A STATEMENT. IT'S NOT A RESOLUTION BECAUSE IT SHOWS NO RESOLVE DOES NOT BEGIN TO DO THAT. IT DOES NOT BEGIN TO SOLVE A PROBLEM. SO I RECOMMEND MY COLLEAGUES BACK HERE THAT THEY DO NOT SUPPORT YOUR RESOLUTION, AT LEAST UNTIL THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ IT. BECAUSE WHAT I READ A FEW MINUTES AGO IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE TWO ITERATIONS THAT I SAW. AND I CAN'T IMAGINE WHY WE COULD RESPONSIBLY SUPPORT YOU IN APPROVING SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN. AND THEN AGAIN, IF IT HAS NO TEETH, IF IT'S JUST A SUGGESTION AND NOT A RESOLUTION, WHY BOTHER APPROVING IT? THANK YOU. THANK YOU FRED. COST. FRED, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS FRED HOFSTETTER. AND JUDGE ZAKA, YOUR FAMILY KNOWS ABOUT THIS FROM A PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW. MM-HMM . MY FATHER WAS BORN AND RAISED IN SAN ANTONIO, WENT OFF TO WORLD WAR II AND WAS IN THE JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL CORPS. HE INVESTIGATED WAR CRIMES IN EUROPE AND HE SERVED IN THE WAR CRIMES COMMISSION, PROSECUTING WAR CRIMINALS AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THAT ALLOWED CONCENTRATION CAMPS IN THEIR CITIES. AFTER WORLD WAR II, HE WATCHED OR HE HEARD OF ALL THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND THE POPULATIONS WHO TURNED A BLIND EYE TO CONCENTRATION CAMPS IN THEIR JURISDICTIONS. THEY JUST ACTED LIKE THEY WEREN'T THERE. NOW WE FIND OURSELVES CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTY AND YOU, OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES AT THE SAME DECISION POINT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JONAH WILSON, LAYLE, JONAH. UM, GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, MY NAME IS JONAH WILSON. LEOS MY GREAT-GRANDMOTHER. MY FAMILY HAS BEEN HERE SINCE THE 18 HUNDREDS. MY GREAT-GRANDMOTHER WAS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF LULAC. MY GREAT-GRANDMOTHER WAS GREAT. MY GREAT-GRANDMOTHER WAS A MEMBER EARLY ON IN ACOG. SHE WAS ALSO A BOARD MEMBER OF THE CARVER CULTURAL CENTER. THIS CITY AND MY FAMILY HAS A LONG STORY TRADITION OF PROTECTING THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED. AND NOW, NOW ICE WANTS TO BUILD A DETENTION CITY ON THE, ON THE [03:00:01] STREET THAT MY FAMILY LIVES ON. MY GRANDMOTHER, WHO WAS A PRINCESS FOR LULAC IN HER EARLY LIFE, LIVES ON CLARK STREET. MY COUSIN AND HIS WIFE AND HIS BABY LIVE ON RIGSBY. MY T AND MY TS, THEY LIVE ON RIGSBY. MY OTHER TIO AND TS LIVE ON RIGSBY. AND NOW YOU WANNA PUT THIS, AND NOW WE ARE ALLOWING THIS CONCENTRATION CAMP TO BE BUILT IN OUR COMMUNITIES. AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR, UM, PASSING THE, UM, IMMIGRANT LEGAL DEFENSE FUND BACK IN 2021. THAT WAS FIVE YEARS AGO. AND AS A AND AS A BOARD OF MINORITIES, YOU KNOW, IT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO JUST BE GOOD ONE TIME. YOU HAVE TO SHOW UP EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND HISTORY HAS A LONG MEMORY. AND IT WILL NOT JUST REMEMBER THE ONE TIME THAT YOU SHOWED UP, BUT IT WILL REMEMBER EVERY WAY THAT YOU FAILED. AND YOU DO NOT HAVE THAT OPTION. YOU DO NOT HAVE THE OPTION TO NOT BE ADEQUATE. NOT WHEN YOUR CITY IS IN DANGER, NOT WHEN MY FAMILY'S CITY IS IN DANGER. YOU HAVE TO BE ENOUGH. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS DEBBIE STRAIN AND I AM IN SUPPORT OF ANY EFFORTS MADE BY THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT TO PREVENT THE OPENING OF ICE DETENTION CENTERS HERE IN BEXAR COUNTY. CURRENT CONDITIONS AT ICE PROCESSING AND DETENTION CENTERS ARE CONSTANTLY MAKING HEADLINES. 9 1 1 CALLS FOR MEDICAL ATTENTION NOT BEING PROVIDED BY THE PRIVATE. FOR-PROFIT ENTITIES LIKE CORECIVIC AND GEO GROUP WILL INCREASE STRAIN ON AN ALREADY OVERBURDENED SYSTEM. IN ADDITION TO THE STRAIN ON OUR EMS SYSTEM, WE CAN EXPECT IMPACT ON EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS THE ROADS SURROUNDING THE FACILITY. OUR ALREADY QUESTIONABLE ELECTRIC SERVICES AND RAPIDLY DWINDLING WATER SUPPLY. THANKS TO AI DATA CENTERS, I HAVE SEEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN DURING MY WORK AFTER THE JULY 5TH FLOOD AND IN THE WAKE OF ICE KIDNAPPINGS OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. HOW THE COMMUNITY STEPS UP AND SHOWS UP WHEN THE GOVERNMENT FAILS. I KNOW THAT THE COMMUNITY WILL CONTINUE TO SHOW UP WHEN THE GOVERNMENT FAILS US AGAIN. I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH THE SAME QUESTION I POSED TO MAYOR JONES. HAVE YOU ALREADY BEGUN YOUR STATEMENT FOR WHEN THE FIRST COMMUNITY MEMBER IS UNJUSTLY MURDERED BY UNTRAINED AGENTS IN THE STREET? WHAT ABOUT FOR WHEN THE FIRST REPORTS ARE RECEIVED FROM THE DETENTION CENTER ABOUT DETAINEES BEING RAPED, STRANGLED, OR DENIED MEDICAL CARE IN THE FACILITY, OR WHEN IT BECOMES A PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT DUE TO THE OUTBREAK OF A HIGHLY COMMUNICABLE DISEASE? I HAVE BEEN WORKING ALONGSIDE SEVERAL AMAZING GROUPS OF PEOPLE WHO I KNOW WILL NOT SIT IDLY BY AS THIS FACILITY IS OPENED AND THE PRESENCE OF ICE INCREASES BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT SITTING, SITTING IDLY BY NOW. IF TODAY'S TESTIMONY IS ANY INDICATION. SO PERHAPS WHEN YOU'RE AT HOME SAFELY, AT THE END OF THIS LONG DAY OF TESTIMONY, THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'LL SAY. WILL YOU BE ABLE TO SAY THAT YOU DID EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO PREVENT THESE DEATHS, THESE THIS HARM TO MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITIES? BECAUSE IF THIS FACILITY OPENS, IT'S NOT AN IF BUT A WHEN. YOU'LL NEED TO RELEASE THAT STATEMENT. THANK YOU. ANTONIO DIAZ. ANTONIO GAVE HIS TIME. WHAT'S THAT? HE GAVE ME HIS TIME. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO DEANNA, THAT'S YOU RIGHT? WHAT'S THAT? ANTONIO? IS ANTONIO HERE? YEAH. ANTONIO'S GIVING HIS TIME TO DEANNA. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT DEANNA, THEN LET'S GO. YOU ANTONIO'S YIELDING TIME. LET'S GO FIRST. I WANNA THANK GOD BECAUSE THIS LAND BELONGS TO HIM. DOESN'T BELONG TO NOBODY. IT BELONGS TO HIM AND US. I WANNA UH, SAY WE'RE NOT ILLEGAL HERE. WE'VE BEEN HERE, WE WEREN'T DISCOVERED. WE'RE NOT SAVAGES. WE'VE BEEN HERE. I, UH, WE'VE BEEN OPPRESSED SO MUCH AND YET WE JUST GOT RECOGNIZED BY THE CITY AND YOU ALL THAT WE'RE HERE. INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ARE HERE. THANK YOU FOR THAT. 'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN HERE FOREVER. MY ANCESTORS WERE KEPT AT THE SAN JOSE MISSION. MY ANCESTORS FROM MY DAD ARE FLORESVILLE. I AM FLORES. [03:05:02] BUT RIGHT NOW WE ARE GOING THROUGH A LOT OF, A LOT OF CHAOS. LOT OF STUFF IS GOING ON. LOT, UH, DIFFERENT, UH, STUFF IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW WITH IT. ALL OF US. YOU ARE A HUMBLE MAN, PETER SAKA. AND I JUST WANNA SAY WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER ICE, UH, FACILITY WAREHOUSE OR WHATEVER HERE. I DON'T WANNA BE SCARED BECAUSE I, I WENT TO THE STORE SOMEWHERE AND I FORGOT MY ID OR MY PAPERS. IF YOU WANT, WE SHOULDN'T BE GOING THROUGH THAT. I COME TO YOU BECAUSE WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THOSE WAREHOUSES. THEY DON'T LET THE PEOPLE IN. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULDN'T BE THAT WAY WITH THE PEOPLE. WE SHOULD ALL BE A ONE TEAM, ONE RACE, ONE HUMAN RACE. YOU ARE SEATED AT YOUR SEATS. YOU ARE ELECTED TO THESE SEATS. ALL YOU GOVERNMENT PEOPLE BY THE PEOPLE. AND YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING JUSTICE FOR THE PEOPLE BECAUSE WE SET YOU IN THOSE SEATS. YET YOU DON'T WANT US TO MARCH. YOU DON'T WANNA HEAR FROM US AND YOU IGNORE US A LOT. BUT YET, YES, WE SET YOU IN THOSE SEATS TO DO JUSTICE FOR THE PEOPLE. WE SAY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. DO YOU REALLY MEAN THAT PLEDGE? OR YOU ARE JUST SAYING IT AND JUST GET ALONG WITH WHATEVER. BECAUSE EITHER WAY, YOU'RE GONNA DO WHAT YOU CHOOSE. YOU DON'T CHOOSE FOR THE PEOPLE, YOU CHOOSE FOR YOURSELF. AND THAT'S NOT RIGHT. YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO FOR ALL OF US. WE'RE ALL HERE. WE'RE ALL GOD'S CHILDREN. AND THERE'S ONLY ONE GOD FOR EVERYONE. WHETHER YOU BELIEVE OR YOU DON'T, THERE'S STILL ONE GOD AND HE'S STILL IN CONTROL. YAKI, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE AROUND THIS, THIS WAREHOUSE WE ALREADY HAVE. TWO, HAVE Y'ALL CHECKED UPON IN THOSE, THOSE BUILDINGS, SEE HOW THEY'RE TREATING THE PEOPLE IN THERE? THEY'RE ALL HUMAN. WE ALL BLEED THE SAME. WHEN WE DIE, WE ARE NOT GONNA TAKE NOTHING. MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL, BUT YET WE STILL NEEDED TO SURVIVE, RIGHT? TO PAY OUR BILLS AND EVERYTHING. IF YOU DON'T DO JUSTICE FOR US, WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO OUR HANDS AND MARSH FOR JUSTICE BECAUSE YOU DON'T GIVE US JUSTICE. I I ATTENDED THE MARSH WOMEN'S MARCH BECAUSE IT WAS WOMEN'S MONTH BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE TO TAKE UPON, UH, OURSELVES TO HELP OUR, OUR FAMILIES. SOME OF 'EM HAVE TO TAKE THE ROLE OF BOTH FATHER AND MOTHER. WE NEED HELP. ALL OF US, YOUR TEAM. YOU'RE NOT SEPARATED. IF YOU'RE SEPARATED, THEN YOU'RE DIVIDED, AND THEN IT'S, IT'S NOT GOOD. YOU NEED TO UNITE. WE ALL NEED TO UNITE ALL OF US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DR. CHRISTINE WELDY. DR. WELDY. DR. [03:10:01] CHRISTINE, ARE YOU HERE? NO. OKAY. OH, CHRISTINE, IS SHE HERE LOOKING RIGHT? WHAT? CHRISTINE WELD. OH, SORRY, SORRY. SO CHRISTINE. HI. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. OR IS IT AFTERNOON NOW? SO MY, YES, , MY NAME IS, UH, DR. CHRISTINE WELDY. UM, I, I INITIALLY, UH, WAS GOING, WAS RELYING ON MY COLLEAGUES TO SPEAK, BUT THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION ON WHAT WE ARE ACTUALLY VOTING ON. SO LET ME, LET ME, UH, ASK FOR CLARITY. SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN VERY, VERY PASSIONATELY, UM, ABOUT NOT VOTING NO FOR AN ICE DETENTION FACILITY IN SAN ANTONIO. SO IS THAT WHAT IS ON THE AGENDA? BECAUSE, SO WHEN THEY GAVE THEIR VOTE AND SAY, I VOTE NO FOR AGENDA ITEM 65, THAT'S WHAT THEY UNDERSTOOD WAS THE AGENDA. I TRIED TO GET CLARITY OUT IN THE HALL WITH THE STAFF AND THERE WAS, UH, AGAIN, SOME CONFUSION. I BELIEVED COMING INTO THIS MEETING THAT WHAT ITEM 65 WAS, IS DO WE SUPPORT THE RECENTLY REWRITTEN RESOLUTION? UH, AND ARE WE VOTING YES ON THE RESOLUTION AS WRITTEN OR ARE WE VOTING NO BECAUSE WE DON'T AGREE WITH THE RESOLUTION AS WRITTEN BECAUSE IT'S TOO WEAK. SO THAT'S, THAT WAS WHAT MY POSITION WAS. I DO NOT SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION AS WRITTEN. THE LANGUAGE IS TOO WEAK FOR ALL THE REASONS MARTHA SPS MENTIONED. BUT LET ME JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST FOR SOME CLARITY HERE. SO THE ORIGINAL RESOLUTION SAID WE WILL EXERCISE EVERY LEGAL ACTION WE CAN TO ENSURE CONGRESSIONALLY MANDATED PROCESSES ARE FOLLOWED, ENCOURAGED, AND IT GOES ON FROM THERE. VERY STRONG, STRONG LANGUAGE. RIGHT? THE NEW ONE SAYS THE COUNTY MAY EVALUATE AS APPROPRIATE POTENTIAL LEGAL AND POLICY OPTIONS. OKAY, THIS FOR ME SAYS IT ALL. THAT PARAGRAPH MUST BE STRENGTHENED. WE MUST TIE THEM UP IN LITIGATION BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY RED FLAGS RELATED. SO NOT, I'M NOT, I'M GOING BEYOND JUST THE OBVIOUS MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF HAVING A DETENTION CONCENTRATIONS CAMP IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE, THE, THE, THE, THE, OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS PAID 66 MILLION FOR A FACILITY THAT SAT VACANT, I AM TOLD FOR THREE YEARS AND WAS VALUED AT 37.6 MILLION. REALLY? WE PAID 28 MILLION MORE. AND DOES, ISN'T THAT LIKE A HUGE FLASHING RED FLAG? RED FLAG? WE PROBABLY SHOULD INVESTIGATE THIS AND CALL FOR AN INVESTIGATION CALL FOR LEGAL ACTION ON WHY THAT HAPPENED. THEN WE GET INTO THE ACQUISITION PROCESS WHERE THEY USE THIS VERY NEBULOUS NAVY CONTRACT AND ACQUISITION PRO, UH, PROCESS. AS SOMEONE WORKED FOR DODI KNOW ABOUT CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS, WE SHOULD INVESTIGATE THAT. WE SHOULD CALL FOR AN INVESTIGATION OF THAT WE SHOULD DEMAND LEGAL ACTION THAT LOOKS INTO THAT WITH THE GOAL OF PREVENTING THE OPENING OF THIS ICE DETENTION FACILITY. EVER. EVER. OKAY. UM, THERE WAS TIME IS EXPIRED. YEAH. LA LANGUAGE ABOUT AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY. THAT'S ANOTHER AREA THAT NEEDS TO BE EXPLORED. THANK YOU JESSICA. NO. IS THAT HER? OKAY, GO. JESSICA. HELLO COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS JESSICA SOLIS AND I'M A VOLUNTEER WITH THE RAPID RESPONSE HOTLINE. I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ON TWO URGENT DEMANDS. ONE TO DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO STOP THE ICE DETENTION WAREHOUSE THAT IS BEING, UH, LOOKED AT ON THE, ON THE EAST SIDE AND TO RENEW, BUT ALSO INCREASE THE FUNDING FOR THE IMMIGRANT AND LEGAL DEFENSE FUND. SO AS A VOLUNTEER FOR THE HOTLINE, I GET TO SEE HOW WE GET OVER A HUNDRED PHONE CALLS A MONTH. I CAN TELL YOU WHAT SOME OF THOSE STORIES SOUND LIKE. I CAN'T TELL YOU EACH ONE, ONE BY ONE. THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH TIME. BUT THEY'RE ALL A DIFFERENT VERSION OF A NIGHTMARE BEING LIVED BY YOUR RESIDENCE. I HAVE WIVES SOBBING BECAUSE THEIR HUSBANDS WERE GRABBED ON THEIR WAY TO WORK. I HAVE STUDENTS ASKING, HOW [03:15:01] CAN I GET MY MOM TO COME HOME? I HAVE FATHERS ASKING ABOUT GETTING THEIR PARTNERS OUTTA JAIL. THEY'RE ALONE, STRUGGLING TO KEEP THE FAMILY TOGETHER. PEOPLE ARE UNABLE TO FEED THEIR FAMILIES. PEOPLE ARE UNABLE TO SEE THEIR BABIES. PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR HOMES BECAUSE THEY'VE LOST BREADWINNERS OR THE DUAL INCOME. THEY NEED TO HAVE THEIR RE THEIR NEEDS MET AND THEY'RE ALL SEARCHING FOR DUE PROCESS. THEY CALL US ASKING FOR RESOURCES. HOW CAN I FIND A LAWYER TO GET MY PARTNER OUT SO WE CAN KEEP OUR FAMILIES TOGETHER, OUR LIVES TOGETHER, OUR BUSINESS TOGETHER. AND THERE'S HARDLY ANYONE I CAN TURN THEM TO BECAUSE THE FUNDING IS VERY LIMITED. MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT CALL US ARE TELLING US THAT THEIR LOVED ONES WERE TAKEN WHILE NOT, WHILE THEY WERE RUNNING AWAY FROM THE LAW. THEY WERE DRIVING TO WORK, THEY WERE RIDING TO SCHOOL, THEY WERE DOING A GROCERY RUN AND ICE KIDNAPPED THEM ON THE STREETS. DHS IS WORKING WITH ICE TO TURN OUR STREETS INTO HUNTING GROUNDS. AND THIS IS AFFECTING OUR CITY. JUST THIS MORNING WHILE I WAS SITTING RIGHT HERE OUTSIDE ON THESE BENCHES, I TOOK A CALL FROM A MAN TRYING TO GET HIS WIFE OUT OF DETENTION. HE SAID THAT SHE'S BEEN THERE TWO MONTHS. HE'S HOME ALONE WITH THEIR BABIES. AND HE TOLD ME SOMETHING THAT WE ALL SHOULD ALREADY KNOW. AND IF WE DON'T KNOW, IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR CITY. HE LIVES AND WORKS NEAR THE AIRPORT AND HE TELLS ME THE STREETS ARE EMPTY EVERY SINGLE DAY. RESTAURANTS ARE CLOSING EARLY OR CLOSING DOWN COMPLETELY. HIS KIDS AND THEIR FRIENDS, THEY DON'T PLAY IN THE PARK ANYMORE. EVERYONE'S AFRAID TO GO OUTSIDE. PEOPLE ARE LOCKED UP INSIDE THEIR HOMES FOR MONTHS ONLY COMING OUT WHEN THEY NEED TO GET GROCERIES. I AND DHS AGAIN HAVE TURNED SAN ANTONIO STREETS INTO HUNTING GROUNDS AND OUR COMMUNITIES ARE PRISONERS IN THEIR OWN HOME. THIS IS THE COMMUNITY PICTURE THAT IS NOT JUST IN THIS AREA NEAR THE AIRPORT, BUT ALL ACROSS OUR CITY. AND WHO IS DEALING WITH THE FALLOUT OF THIS TERROR CAMPAIGN? IT'S NOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. IT'S NOT DHS AND IT'S NOT ICE. IT'S US. IT'S IT'S YOUR RESIDENTS. IT'S THE UNPAID VOLUNTEERS ORGANIZING, TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE WHERE THEY CAN. IT'S THE OVERWORKED ADVOCACY GROUPS AND THE UNDERFUNDED LEGAL AID GROUPS LIKE AMERICAN GATEWAYS AND IMMIGRANT LEGAL RESOURCE CENTER. WE'RE ALL TRYING OUR BEST TO HOLD OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER. WHILE THIS FEDERAL AGENCY IS TEARING OUR, OUR COMMUNITY APART, THE ILDF IS THE ONLY LEGAL LIFELINE THESE FAMILIES HAVE. TIME HAS EXPIRED. OKAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, LET'S STOP THE 1500 DETENTION WAREHOUSE 'CAUSE IT'S ONLY GONNA LEAD TO MORE DETENTIONS, MORE DESTRUCTION, AND WE NEED A FIGHT LIKE CITIES ALL AROUND THIS COUNTRY ARE TRYING TO FIGHT BACK. THANK YOU. HASHI POOL LUTHERAN, DID I PRONOUNCE IT RIGHT? UH, NO, IT'S, UH, LITHIUM. LITHIUM, YES. EXCUSE ME, LITHIUM, SORRY, GO AHEAD. NO, YOU'RE FINE. UM, HELLO. MY NAME IS LUTHERAN NICOLE HASHIM LEDESMA. I AM A FIRST GENERATION IMMIGRANTS AND AS AN IMMIGRANT, I KNOW THAT UNDOCUMENTED INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT CRIMINALS. THEY'RE SIMPLY PEOPLE WHO WANT A BETTER LIFE. AND IN FACT, ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN IMMIGRATION COUNCIL, AS OF 20 26, 73 0.6% OF THE UNDOCUMENTED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN DETENTION CENTERS HAVE NO CRIMINAL RECORD. PEOPLE HAVE DIED IN THESE FACILITIES. AND AS A CITIZEN, THIS DOESN'T MAKE ME FEEL SAFE. THIS MAKES ME FEEL AFRAID. THESE FACILITIES DON'T PROTECT CITIZENS. THEY DETAINED THEM. MORE THAN 170 CITIZENS HAVE BEEN DETAINED AS OF THIS YEAR. IF YOU WANT CITIZENS TO BE PROTECTED, DON'T BILL CONCENTRATION CAMPS. IF YOU WANT THEM TO BE SAFE. IF YOU WANT US TO BE SAFE AND PROTECT US FROM OUR COMMUNITIES AND STUFF, RENEW THE LEGAL, UH, DEFENSE FUND. AND I IMPLORE YOU TO SEE THE INJUSTICE THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS BROUGHT UPON US. WE DON'T WANT ANOTHER DEATH CAMP. WE DON'T WANT MORE DEATH AS KORA. I ASK ALL OF YOU FROM ONE HUMAN BEING TO ANOTHER, I IMPLORE YOU TO USE EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO STOP ICE DETENTION CENTERS, UM, WAREHOUSE FROM OPENING ON THE EAST SIDE, AS WELL AS RENEW THE IMMIGRATION LEGAL DEFENSE FUND TO ENSURE THAT OUR NEIGHBORS HAVE ACCESS TO LEGAL REPRESENTATION. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU. ISA LEE. DID I PRONOUNCE THAT RIGHT? HI. GOOD AFTERNOON, JUDGE COMMISSIONERS. UM, I HAVEN'T PREPARED A STATEMENT, BUT, UM, JUST LIKE MANY HERE, UM, I'VE COME TO SPEAK ON ITEM 65. UM, I, [03:20:01] I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE ENSURE THAT THE LANGUAGE, UH, FOR THE RESOLUTION IN DEFENSE OF THE IMMIGRANT LEGAL DEFENSE IS STRENGTHENED TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT IT, IT HONORS THE DEMANDS OF OUR COMMUNITY, THE OVER OVERWHELMING DEMANDS. UM, YOU KNOW, OUR POSITION, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TAKING TO THE STREETS. WE'VE SHOWED, WE'VE SHOWN UP AT COUNCIL SESSIONS, YOU KNOW, SESSION AFTER SESSION STUDENTS HAVE WALKED OUT OF THEIR HIGH SCHOOLS ALL ACROSS SAN ANTONIO. CONSTRUCTING, ALLOWING ICE WAREHOUSES IN SAN ANTONIO WOULD BE A BLIGHT ON THE CITY'S HISTORY. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE. AND IT'S SENDING A VERY CLEAR MESSAGE TO THE YOUTH IN THIS CITY. AND I HOPE THAT YOU TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. AND WE ASK THAT YOU DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER, EVERYTHING IN YOUR CREATIVITY TO, TO BLOCK THESE WAREHOUSES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ELSIE MARTINEZ. IS IT ELSIE OR ELISE MARTINEZ. IILS. YEAH. I, HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE IT? I, ISIS. OKAY. SORRY. SORRY. ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING, GUYS. UM, GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, MY NAME'S ISSA. I AM A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF SAN ANTONIO. I'M A SOCIAL WORKER. I'M A DAUGHTER OF IMMIGRANTS. UM, I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON TWO THINGS LIKE EVERYONE ELSE HAS SAID. UM, THE IMMIGRANT, THE LEGAL DEFENSE FUND EXPIRED. AND FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK YOU YOUR THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE IN THE PAST AND CREATING IT AND FUNDING IT. UM, BUT IT'S EXPIRED AND IT NEEDS TO BE RENEWED. IT NEEDS TO BE RENEWED ASAP BECAUSE LIKE, UH, OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID, UM, THE CALLS THAT WE GET FROM THE IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTER ARE AWFUL. WE HAVE PEOPLE DESPERATE, UM, FOR THEIR PARENTS, FOR THEIR PARTNERS THAT HAVE BEEN LOCKED OFF FOR MONTHS THAT WANT THEIR, UH, FAMILIES TO BE, UH, REPRESENTED BY LEGALLY. UM, BECAUSE I'VE DEALT WITH THE IMMIGRATION SYSTEM, I KNOW HOW UNFAIR IT IS. I KNOW THAT, UM, ICE IS JUST GETTING PEOPLE WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH NO LEGAL JURISDICTION. THEY'RE JUST GRABBING PEOPLE IN THE STREET. THEY'RE GRABBING CITIZENS, AND THEY'RE PUTTING THEM IN THESE INHUMAN CONDITIONS. UM, THERE IS NO NEED TO HAVE THESE CONCENTRATION CAMPS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO OR EVER. THEY'RE NOT TO SIGN FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN JUST TORTURING IMMIGRANTS, TERRORIZING OUR COMMUNITIES LIKE THEY'VE DONE FOR DECADES. UM, THERE IS NO NEED TO HAVE THIS IN SAN ANTONIO, UH, BECAUSE LIKE SOMEBODY ELSE SAID, ONCE IT'S CREATED, IT'S GONNA STAY CREATED. AND ALL IT'S GONNA DO IS JUST CREATE A DEMAND TO FILL THOSE BEDS. AND IT'S GONNA BE TERRORIZING SAN ANTONIO MORE THAN THEY'VE ALREADY DONE. ICE IS ALREADY GOING TO GROCERY STORES. THEY'VE BEEN IN VIA BUSES. IN CASE YOU GUYS DIDN'T KNOW, I WORK WITH IMMIGRANTS AND THEY'VE TOLD ME HOW THEY'VE GONE INTO THE VIA BUS, LOOKED AROUND AND THEN LEFT. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS BEING DONE THERE. THEY'RE AFRAID TO DRIVE, THEY'RE AFRAID TO GO ANYWHERE, UH, SHOP. AND, AND SO PEOPLE THAT ONLY CARE ABOUT THE ECONOMY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, IT'S AFFECTING THE ECONOMY IN SAN ANTONIO. PEOPLE AREN'T GOING, UH, TO OUT TO EAT IN RESTAURANTS. UM, AND SAN ANTONIO'S BUILD OF IMMIGRANTS. YOU GUYS GO TO THE RESTAURANTS, YOU GUYS GO SHOP THEIR BUSINESSES AND THEIR SERVICES, AND THERE'S NO NEED FOR THEM TO BE TERRORIZED TO GO TO WORK EVERY DAY. UH, THESE ARE HUMAN BEINGS. THESE ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS. AND THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT MAKE SAN ANTONIO THE COMMUNITY THAT IT IS, AND MAKE THE CITY THE BEAUTIFUL CITY THAT IT IS. AND HAVING THIS DISCUSSING DETENTION CENTER IN SAN ANTONIO IN THE EAST SIDE, IS GONNA BE A STAIN ON ALL OF Y'ALL'S LEGACY. SO I ASK YOU GUYS TO PLEASE DO EVERYTHING THAT'S IN YOUR POWER, EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN MAKE, ALL THE STUDIES, MAKE DELAY, THIS, JUST DO NOT ALLOW THIS INTENTION CENTER TO BE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. AND THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THAT IS IT FOR 65. IF YOU, IF I FAILED TO CALL YOU, YOU DIDN'T SIGN UP, WE'RE NOW, I'M GONNA GO TAKE BACK TO THE MOTION OF 65. I'M A SECOND. I'M THE SECOND PERSON THAT SIGNED IN. WHAT'S YOUR NAME? . YOU SIGNED UP FOR NUMBER NINE. LYDIA HAS SIGNED UP FOR CITIZENS TO BE HEARD. DID YOU WANT US SEEK ON 65? YES. YOU WANNA SPEAK ON 65? YES. OR YOU WANNA SPEAK ON SOMETHING ELSE? OH, I'M NOT. OH, OKAY. YEAH, THEY'RE NOT. I GOT PEOPLE THAT WANT TO SPEAK FOR OTHER ISSUES. I'M GONNA CALL YOU UP, ALSO HAVE SPECIFICALLY FOR 70, UH, AGENDA ITEM SEVEN, BUT THAT'S AN EXECUTIVE SESSION. SO I'M, I'M GIVING YOU NOTICE THAT WE WILL NOT CALL YOU UP UNTIL WE, UH, GO TO EXECUTIVE SESSION. I WILL ALERT THE COURT THAT AFTER CITIZENS TO [03:25:01] BE HEARD, WELL, ACTION ITEM ON THIS. FINISH THIS TO BE HEARD. WE'LL BE GOING TO EXECUTIVE SESSION. ALRIGHT? AND THEN WE'LL FINISH OUT THE AFTERNOON. ALRIGHT, SO, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, LET'S, WE WE'RE ON AGENDA ITEM 65. [65. Discussion and appropriate action regarding approval of a Bexar County Commissioners Court Resolution formally expressing its strong opposition to the proposed plan by Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") to open a processing and detention facility in Bexar County; requests timely and comprehensive information on proposed facilities; emphasizes the importance of considering the voice of Bexar County residents in those decisions; demands full compliance with applicable federal statutes, constitutional protections, and governing detention standards, including those relating to detainee health, safety, due process, and access to counsel; reaffirms Bexar County's enduring commitment to safeguarding public health, and protecting the welfare of Bexar County residents; and supports constructive dialogue by and between governmental entities.] GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JUDGE. UM, LET ME, LET ME, FIRST OF ALL, THANK EVERYBODY THAT'S BEEN HERE, WAITED ALL MORNING, UM, FOR THEIR TIME, TIME TO, TO BE HEARD. AND WE APPRECIATE THAT AND WE HEAR YOU. UM, LET ME AT THE OUTSET, SEPARATE TWO THINGS. 'CAUSE I, I HEARD A FEW PEOPLE SPEAK ABOUT THE IMMIGRANT LEGAL DEFENSE FUND. UM, THAT IS NOT REFERRED TO IN THE RESOLUTION. THAT IS A SEPARATE ISSUE. UH, YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE WERE, WE WERE SUED BY THE AG. SO WE'RE, WE'RE DISCUSSING THAT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. BUT I WOULD UNDERSCORE THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT. IN FACT, UM, THAT WAS, THAT WAS MY INITIATIVE BACK IN 2022. TO PUT THAT MONEY ASIDE, I DID NOT HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL. I COULDN'T HAVE ENVISIONED, UM, THE, THE, UH, THE EVIL WITH WHICH THIS ADMINISTRATION IS TREATING PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO, UH, I'M THANKFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THAT. AND, AND CERTAINLY WE'RE GONNA DELIBERATE THAT AND ISSUE SEPARATELY IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT. AND, AND, AND THEN AS IT RELATES TO THE RESOLUTION, LET ME, LET ME JUST SAY, UH, 'CAUSE IT WAS REFERRED TO AS MY RESOLUTION. THIS IS NOT MY RESOLUTION. UM, I KNOW YOU'VE SEEN A COUPLE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THIS, BUT THIS IS A COLLECTIVE, UH, RESOLUTION. UM, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE COULD CAPTURE ALL OF THE, UM, EMOTION AND ANGER, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST THE, THE CONSTERNATION WE ALL HAVE WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING IN ONE DOCUMENT WITH WORKS. UM, OUR JOB IS TO, IS TO BUILD CONSENSUS HERE. UM, WE ATTEMPTED TO DO THAT BY GETTING INPUT FROM ALL, UH, PRECINCTS, ALL COMMISSIONERS, THE COUNTY JUDGE'S OFFICE. UM, AND THIS IS KIND OF WHERE WE LANDED. IT'S NOT PERFECT, BUT I THINK IT EXPRESSES WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF OPPOSING, LET'S MAKE THAT CLEAR OPPOSING, UH, THIS ICE FACILITY IN OUR, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO, UM, WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS? I DON'T KNOW, BUT REST ASSURED THAT I THINK WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM HERE. I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF WHEN I HEARD THE, THE, THE COMMENTS. UM, I'M, I'M AGAINST IT IN OUR BACKYARD. AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA TAKE EVERY LEGAL ACTION THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO US. BY THE WAY, UH, THIS RESOLUTION WAS DRAFTED, UM, ALONGSIDE COUNSEL FROM OUR LAWYERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UH, DIRECTING THIS IN A WAY THAT WE HAVE ACTUALLY SOME ACTIONABLE COURSE, UH, TO, TO TAKE. SO, UM, I, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S NOT PERFECT. WE SAY IN GOVERNMENT ALL THE TIME, LET'S NOT MAKE, UH, PERFECT BE THE ENEMY OF GOOD. UM, AND SO I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE RESOLUTION MOVING FORWARD. UM, I'LL MAKE THAT IN THE FORM OF A MOTION JUDGE. BUT AGAIN, I KNOW THIS IS NOT THE END. WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE HURTING OUT THERE. WE HAVE FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO NEED THE LEGAL SERVICES. BUT I THINK THIS RESOLUTION EXPRESSES, UH, THE CONCERN THE COURT HAS, UH, NOT JUST WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING IN, UH, HERE IN, IN SAN ANTONIO BEAR COUNTY WAS WHAT IS HAPPENING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO MY, MY, UH, COLLEAGUES' COMMENTS. BUT AGAIN, THIS IS A COLLECTIVE EFFORT. OUR JOB ON THIS COURT, SOMEONE MENTIONED, WE'RE A TEAM, WE'RE NOT ALWAYS UNANIMOUS, BUT OUR JOB IS TO BE, UH, CONSENSUS BUILDERS. AND TO GET ANYTHING DONE, WE HAVE TO HAVE AT LEAST THREE VOTES. SO, UM, I HOPE I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND WE CAN MOVE THIS FORWARD. JUDGE. THANK YOU, MR. CLIFF FLOS. I'LL SECOND THAT. AND, UM, I JUST WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT. AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, WHEN THERE ARE CITIZENS TO BE HEARD, WE ALLOW YOU TO SPEAK WITHOUT COMMENTING. SO THAT'S WHY WE ALLOWED YOU TO SPEAK WITHOUT THE BACK AND FORTH ENGAGEMENT. AND I WANNA BE CLEAR HERE WHO THE ENEMY IS. IT IS THE TYRANT AT THE TOP OF THE FEDERAL TICKET THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DID NOT VOTE, PERIOD, BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THAT THEIR VOTE DOESN'T COUNT. SO I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT COLON CANCER AWARENESS MONTH AS I AM RECOVERING FROM COLON CANCER, AND I'M SITTING HERE AND I'M EXHAUSTED BECAUSE I'M STILL RECOVERING AND THE COLOR IS BLUE. AND IF EVERYONE IN HERE AND EVERYONE LISTENING MOBILIZES TO TURN THE STATE BLUE, WE COULD HAVE DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS TOGETHER. SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE EXERCISE OUR RIGHTS TO VOTE. [03:30:02] I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR MY COLLEAGUES. I AM TOTALLY AGAINST CONCENTRATION CAMPS. IE THE I CENTER. I HAVE PEOPLE IN MY OWN LIFE WHO HAVE BEEN PICKED UP AND AS POWERFUL AS I AM, AS BRAYER COUNTY COMMISSIONER, THERE'S JACK THAT I CAN DO ABOUT IT. BECAUSE WHETHER YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND IT OR NOT, WE DO HAVE JURISDICTION AND LAWS, AND THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT P PEOPLE IN MY OWN PERSONAL LIFE WHO ARE SITTING IN DETENTION CAMPS RIGHT NOW. NOT TO MENTION MY OWN CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE DEALING WITH ALL OF THE THINGS THAT YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT TODAY. WHAT I'M NOT GONNA DO, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW ME WELL, SOME OF MY CONSTITUENTS, I DON'T OVER PROMISE AND UNDER DELIVER. SO WHAT I'M NOT GONNA DO IS SIT HERE AND MISLEAD YOU AND SAY THAT I CAN DO SOMETHING THAT I DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO DO, BUT I FIGHT LIKE MAD FOR WHAT I CAN DO THAT IS WITHIN MY POWER. AND WE ARE TOTALLY AGAINST THESE CONCENTRATION CAMPS. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW ME AND HAVEN'T FOLLOWED ME, I DON'T PUT EVERYTHING ON SOCIAL MEDIA. I DON'T POST PICTURES FOR EVERYTHING. BUT DURING COVID, WHEN WE OPENED UP AN EMERGENCY SHELTER AT THE FREEMAN COLISEUM FOR MIGRANT KIDS, I WAS THERE THREE TIMES A WEEK AS A VOLUNTEER DURING WORSHIP SERVICE FOR MY BOYS. WHEN THE CITY HAD THE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTER, I WAS IN THERE EVERY WEEK DURING THE WORSHIP SERVICE AS A VOLUNTEER. YOU WON'T SEE THAT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. YOU WON'T SEE PICTURES. BUT I LIVE THIS LIFE, NOT BECAUSE I'M COMMISSIONER, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN DOING THIS MY ENTIRE LIFE. AND REGARDING THE IMMIGRANT LEGAL DEFENSE FUND, WHICH COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ BROUGHT TO COURT, WHICH I SUPPORTED, DESPITE PRESSURE, DESPITE SOME LEGAL COUNSEL, WE, THOSE OF US WHO VOTED FOR IT, DEFIED THE STATE AND THEIR THREATS TO SUE US, WHICH WE ARE BEING SUED IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN PAYING ATTENTION. WE DEFIED THAT AND WE EXTENDED THAT CONTRACT ANYWAY. SO WE ARE DOING THINGS BEHIND THE DOORS AS MUCH AS WE CAN AS SOON AS WE HEARD ABOUT THIS BEING DONE, BECAUSE IT'S PRIVATE AND PRIVATE PEOPLE WHO OWN SOMETHING CAN SELL WHATEVER THEY WANT, UNFORTUNATELY. BUT THAT'S THE FREEDOM WE HAVE IN THIS COUNTRY. AND AS SOON AS WE HEARD ABOUT THAT, WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED WORKING WITH LARRY TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT, IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING IN OUR BACKYARD? IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO? AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO FIGHT AGAINST THIS. MANY OF YOU SAID IT YOURSELVES, JUX HAS TALKED ABOUT IN HIS OWN FAMILY. AND SO WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO MOBILIZE. WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT BECAUSE THE WORK IS NOT YET OVER. BUT I ENCOURAGE ALL OF US TO BRING THIS ENERGY, TO BRING EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON, THOSE OF, YOU KNOW, AND LET'S MOBILIZE AND LET'S TURN TEXAS BLUE. I DON'T HAVE PASSWORD, SO NO, GO JUDGE. I, I, I HAVE COMMENTS. WELL, MR. MOODY, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, JUDGE. UM, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A, UH, UH, AN EMOTIONAL ISSUE FOR A LOT OF FOLKS, AND, UM, HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THROUGH SOME OF THESE COMMENTS AND PEOPLE CAN GIVE THEM SOME THOUGHT. BUT, UH, I THINK WE NEED TO BE CAUTIOUS, FIRST OF ALL ABOUT CAMPAIGNING, UH, FROM THE DIOCESE. UH, WE ALSO NEED TO BE HONEST WITH FOLKS, AS, AS I WILL SAY, UH, COMMISSIONER CLAY FLORES KIND OF ALLUDED TO, THE COUNTY REALLY DOESN'T HAVE, UH, MUCH SAY AT ALL ON THIS. I THINK THAT THIS IS A ULTIMATELY POLITICAL POSTURING AND IN AN ATTEMPT TO LOOK AT LOCAL REGULATIONS OR THREATEN LEGAL PROCEEDINGS TO FORWARD A FEDERAL POLICY THAT SOME DISAGREE WITH. BUT I REALLY WANNA COME BACK TO SOME OF THE, UH, JUST ADDRESSING SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE HEARD TODAY AND THAT HAVE BEEN OUT THERE, RIGHT? BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A NATIONALIZED ISSUE, BUT LET'S, LET'S BRING THIS HOME LOCALLY AND, AND LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE DETAILS HERE. UM, FIRST OF ALL, AGAIN, I WOULD JUST CAUTION THE USE OF THE LANGUAGE THAT WE CONTINUE TO HEAR AROUND THIS. AND I KNOW, UM, PEOPLE GET, UM, EMOTIONAL [03:35:01] WITH REGARD TO IT. BUT TALKING ABOUT CONCENTRATION CAMPS, UH, ILLEGAL, UH, ACTS, KIDNAPPINGS, HUNTING ON THE STREETS, TERRORIZING TORTURE, TYRANTS, THESE KINDS OF WORDS, UM, HAVE MEANING. AND THEY, THEY FURTHER POUR GASOLINE ON THE FIRE OF THE NATIONAL DEBATE AROUND WHAT IS A BALANCED POLICY WHEN IT COMES TO ENFORCING BORDER SECURITY, WHEN IT COMES TO MAINTAINING PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, WHICH IS WHAT WE SHOULD ALL WANT AND BE FOCUSED ON. SO I WOULD JUST BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT THE LANGUAGE THAT WE CONTINUE TO USE ON THIS FRONT. UM, I DO WANT TO BRING BACK SOME HISTORY HERE. FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT, UH, IMMIGRATION NATURALIZATION SERVICES HAVE BEEN IN SAN ANTONIO SINCE 1933. IS ANYBODY BORN IN 1933 BEFORE 1933? UH, 94 YEARS, UH, THEY'VE BEEN IN SAN ANTONIO ICE CREATED IN 2003, HAS BEEN IN SAN ANTONIO EVER SINCE 23 YEARS THROUGH REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION'S, DEMOCRAT ADMINISTRATIONS, UH, THROUGH BOTH. I MEAN, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT IF, IF WE WANNA TALK ABOUT FACTS AND DETAILS. PRESIDENT OBAMA, DURING HIS EIGHT YEARS DEPORTED 2.7 MILLION INDIVIDUALS. IMMIGRATION, IMMIGRATION ADVOCATES. DO I HAVE ORDER? ORDER? PLEASE, ORDER, PLEASE. MANY IMMIGRATION ADVOCATES CALLED HIM THE DEPORTER IN CHIEF AT THE TIME. SOMEBODY MADE A REFERENCE TODAY TO, UH, WORLD WAR II INTERNMENT CAMPS. AND CLEARLY HISTORY'S IMPORTANT. WE NEED TO LEARN FROM HISTORY, BUT ALSO WITH QUICK, UH, UM, INFORMATION SEARCH. YOU CAN SEE THE, THE STARK CONTRAST, BECAUSE TWO THIRDS OF THOSE JAPANESE AMERICANS WERE US CITIZENS. COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, UH, HISTORY. AND, AND WE SHOULD HIGHLIGHT THE DIFFERENCES THAT, THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, WITH THE ENFORCEMENT OF IMMIGRATION POLICY TODAY. UM, I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING. SO I'M NOT SURE IF ANYBODY IN THE ROOM EXCEPT FOR ME, HAS ACTUALLY TALKED TO THE LOCAL ICE DIRECTOR. I WON'T PUT EVERYONE ON THE SPOT, BUT I KIND OF DOUBT IT. I REACHED OUT, SAT DOWN WITH, HAD MULTIPLE DISCUSSIONS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE DOING IN BEXAR COUNTY AND IN OUR REGION, ALRIGHT? AND WHAT THEY HIGHLIGHTED FOR ME WERE THEY HAVE FOUR PRIORITIES. THOSE PRIORITIES HAVE REMAINED LARGELY UNCHANGED. THE FIRST PRIORITY IS NATIONAL SECURITY. THE SECOND PRIORITY IS PUBLIC SAFETY, YOU KNOW, REMOVING CRIMINALS. UH, THE THIRD PRIORITY IS IMMIGRATION LAW, VIOLATORS THOSE WHO HAVE FINAL ORDERS OF REMOVAL AND HAVE, UM, CHALLENGE THOSE AND, AND REFUSE TO, TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY AFTER AN IMMIGRATION HAS COURT HAS DETERMINED THAT THEY ARE IN FACT TO REMOVE, REMOVE THEMSELVES, UH, FROM, FROM THE, UH, THE COUNTRY. AND FINALLY, THE FOURTH CATEGORY IS BORDER SECURITY. SO THOSE, THOSE ARE THEIR PRIORITIES. I WOULD JUST OFFER TO MY COLLEAGUES TOO, ON THE COURT, IF ANY OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SIT DOWN AND HEAR FIRSTHAND ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, CURRENT OPERATIONS, THAT THAT ICE HAS THEIR PRIORITIES AND WHAT THEY HAVE ACCOMPLISHED, UH, IN BEXAR COUNTY, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IN BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE, UH, THE OVERALL SITUATION. AND I'D BE HAPPY TO, UH, TO ARRANGE THAT. LET ME JUST READ SOME OF THE STATS THAT I DID GET FROM THE FOURTH QUARTER, UH, WHICH IS THE LAST QUARTER THEY HAD OF TOTAL STATS IN TERMS OF ARRESTS MADE IN BEXAR COUNTY. SO 160, UH, ARREST CRIMINALITY 34 WERE CONVICTED CRIMINALS 19 HAD PENDING CRIMINAL CHARGES AND 107 OTHER IMMIGRATION VIOLATIONS, UH, COME FROM 10 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. CHILE, CHINA, COLUMBIA, CUBA, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, HUNGARY, MEXICO, NICARAGUA, AND VENEZUELA. NOW, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ACTUAL CHARGES THAT THOSE GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN DETAINED AND REMOVED BY ICE HAD 17 ASSAULT CHARGES. ONE, BURGLARY CHARGE DAMAGED PROPERTY, NINE, DANGEROUS DRUG CHARGES, FORGERY, GENERAL CRIMES, UH, 35, IMMIGRATION CRIMES, INVASION OF PRIVACY, FIVE LARCENY, 15, LIQUOR FIVE OBSTRUCTING THE POLICE. EIGHT, I MEAN, IT GOES ON AND ON. WEAPONS [03:40:01] OFFENSES, SIX. SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WITH THE SECOND PRIORITY BEING PUBLIC SAFETY AND REMOVAL OF CRIMINALS, WHAT EXACTLY OUR LOCAL ICE AGENTS ARE DOING, UH, TO TRY TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE. AND, UH, I THINK WE CAN'T GET PAST THAT. UM, AS I SAID PREVIOUSLY IN COURT, THAT DOES NOT SAY THAT, THAT, UH, ANYBODY'S, UH, UH, ABOVE THE LAW AND ULTIMATELY, UM, WE NEED TO TRUST THE LEGAL PROCESS TO PLAY OUT IN CASES WHERE THERE ARE VIOLATIONS OF LAW THROUGH OUR COURT SYSTEM, AND LET THAT PLAY OUT THROUGH OUR CONSTITUTIONAL AND FEDERAL SYSTEM, THE WAY IT'S SET UP. BUT, UM, AGAIN, FED, FED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENFORCEMENT OF, UH, IMMIGRATION LAW. IT'S NOT BEXAR COUNTY'S RESPONSIBILITY OR PLACE. AND WE SHOULD ALLOW, UH, THOSE LEGAL CHALLENGES TO PLAY OUT, AS I JUST SAID. BUT IF INDIVIDUALS DISAGREE WITH THAT POLICY, THEY HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO HAVE THEIR VOICE HEARD. WHETHER THAT'S HEARING COMMISSIONER'S COURT AT CITY HALL OR CALLING YOUR, UH, FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES, CONGRESSMEN AND WOMEN SENATORS, THE WHITE HOUSE. BUT ULTIMATELY, I THINK A LOT OF THIS IS POLITICAL POSTURING, UH, SETTING THE STAGE FOR, UH, BELIEF THAT, UH, BEXAR COUNTY, UM, HAS ANY ROLE IN THIS OR ANY, UM, RESPONSIBILITY OR ABILITY TO CHANGE, UH, THE OUTCOME OF A FEDERAL AGENCY'S DECISION. IT SHOULD ALSO JUST BE CLEAR THAT THIS IS ALSO, UM, NOT HELPFUL AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON MANY OTHER IMPORTANT INVESTMENTS IN BEXAR COUNTY TO INCLUDE THE DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY TO INCLUDE, UM, AIR FORCE CYBER, TO INCLUDE, UH, OTHER UPGRADES TO JOINT BASED SAN ANTONIO, TO INCLUDE A VA HOSPITAL, ALL IMPORTANT NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND WHEN WE ARE, UM, OUT THERE USING THE WORDS THAT WE ARE USING, UH, IN THIS DEBATE, IT IS NOT HELPFUL TO THOSE OTHER CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU, MR. COWARD. I, UH, I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM ALL MY COLLEAGUES FIRST, AND THEN I'D LIKE TO PRESERVE THE RIGHT TO HEAR THE LAST WORD. JUDGE, DID YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? NO, I, I'M YIELDING TO YOU. GO AHEAD. OKAY. UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CAME. UH, IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THIS COURT, UH, HEAR FROM YOU TODAY. I THINK A BAROMETER OF WHERE OUR COMMUNITY WANTS US TO BE AT WAS JUST SEEN IN THE MARCH PRIMARIES RECORD TURNOUT HAPPEN BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE UP IN ARMS ABOUT WHAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS DOING TO US, AND THEY WANNA SEE LOCAL LEADERSHIP ACT IN A STRONG WAY. I THINK YOUR VOICES AMPLIFIED THOSE ELECTORAL MARCHES THAT PEOPLE TOOK TO THE POLLS TO EXPRESS, UH, THEIR OPPOSITION TO WHERE THE COUNTRY IS HEADED. UH, THERE IS A SAYING, THE DEVIL NEVER SLEEPS, AND THAT APPEARS TO BE ALIVE AND WELL IN THE WAY THAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS, UH, VICTIMIZED NOT ONLY IMMIGRANTS, BUT AMERICAN CITIZENS. BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT NEITHER DOES GOD. GOD NEVER SLEEPS, AND THE LIGHT NEVER SLEEPS. AND I THINK THAT WAS EMBLEMATIC OF YOUR PRESENCE. THOSE OF YOU WHO SPOKE ON THIS ISSUE TODAY, I THINK YOU ARE REPRESENTING THE LIGHT THAT NO LONGER CAN WE, AS ELECTED OFFICIALS JUST THINK THAT THINGS ARE NORMAL, THAT WE, WE HAVE TO TAKE EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES TO PROTECT THIS DEMOCRACY, OUR FREEDOM. UH, AND THAT IS WHY, UH, IN TWO WEEKS AGO, I TRAVELED TO WASHINGTON, DC TO MEET WITH NUMEROUS LEGAL GROUPS WHO HAD DIFFERING OPINIONS IN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ABOUT OUR ABILITY TO HAVE LEGAL RECOURSE. I DON'T AGREE WITH SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO SAY THAT THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO. I DON'T AGREE THAT THERE IS NO ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, LAW THAT CAN BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE WITH THE ADMINISTRATION. AND I DON'T THINK THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MARYLAND AGREE THAT'S WHY HE FILED A LAWSUIT BASED UPON NEPA. UM, AND I THINK OTHERS WILL BE FILING OTHER LITIGATION. WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS A FEDERAL OVERREACH. THE ADMINISTRATION HAS OVERREACHED ON NUMEROUS ISSUES, WHETHER IT WAS TARIFFS WHERE THE COURTS [03:45:01] PUSHED BACK AND THE COURTS SAID YOU WENT TOO FAR. UH, IF YOU HAD JUST LISTENED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT WHITE HOUSE AND MEDIA MACHINE, EVERYTHING WAS IN REGULAR ORDER. AND IF SOMEONE HADN'T, IF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY HADN'T SUED THE ADMINISTRATION AND OTHERS CONSUMER PROTECTION GROUPS, THEY WOULD'VE KEPT ON WITH THEIR FEDERAL OVERREACH. UH, AND SO TOMORROW MORNING, I HAVE A LEGAL BRIEFING FROM A VERY EXCITED GROUP OF LAWYERS IN WASHINGTON, DC WHO WILL OUTLINE WHERE THEY THINK THE LEGAL TEETH ARE FOR BEXAR COUNTY TO MOVE FORWARD. SO WHAT THE, WHETHER OR NOT THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT, UH, ASCRIBED ITSELF, OR, UH, ANCHORED ITSELF TO LEGAL ACTION, I WAS NOT GOING TO ALLOW MIKE, OUR COMMUNITY, OUR COUNTY, TO GO UNREPRESENTED IN THE COURTS WHERE WE CAN FIND JUSTICE. WE WILL PURSUE THAT WITH OR WITHOUT THE PARTICIPATION OF BEAR COUNTY, IT WOULD BE MUCH BETTER TO HAVE BEAR COUNTY, BUT WE CAN PURSUE THINGS WITH OR WITHOUT BEAR COUNTY. WE CAN HAVE PLAINTIFFS FROM THE COMMUNITY, BUSINESSES IMPACTED BY THEIR LOWER PROPERTY VALUES, COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS IMPACTED BY THE TRAUMA AND, AND, AND OTHER STANDING THAT THEY MAY HAVE. SO, UM, I, I CAN VOTE FOR THIS RESOLUTION BECAUSE IT DOES GIVE THE SMALLEST OF OPENINGS FOR THE COUNTY TO PARTICIPATE IN LEGAL ACTION. AND THERE ARE ATTORNEYS WILLING TO COMMUNICATE TO THE COURT WHAT THE LEGAL THEORIES THAT THEY BELIEVE THE COUNTY COULD TAKE. AND SO LONG AS THE COURT IS WILLING TO HEAR THEM IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, GIVE THEM A FAIR HEARING AND MAKE A DECISION, THIS RESOLUTION ALLOWS FOR THE WAYS THAT WE EQUALIZE THE, UH, THE PLAYING FIELD IN TRUMP'S AMERICA, WHICH IS THROUGH THE COURTS. THE, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN BEATEN BACK IN THE COURTS TIME, AFTER TIME AFTER TIME, JUST LIKE WE'RE BEATING, UH, KIM PAXTON IN THE LAWSUIT OVER THE IMMIGRATION DEFENSE FUND. UM, I WILL, UH, WORK WITH MY COLLEAGUES TO SEE IF WE CAN PUT THAT ON THE NEXT AGENDA, UH, FOR IDENTIFYING FUNDING TO CONTINUE THAT. UM, AND I WANNA THANK THEM FOR THEIR SUPPORT, UH, GOING, UH, IN THAT DIRECTION. UM, THIS PARTICULAR WAREHOUSE WAS BUILT BY, UH, UH, HUNT REALTY INVESTMENTS AND A SUBSIDIARY COMPANY, OAKMONT. UM, THIS OAKMONT GROUP AND HUNT DIVESTED ITSELF JUST TO MERE MONTHS, I THINK, BECAUSE OF HOW, HOW HIGH PROFILE THESE DETENTION CENTERS ARE. THE VERY FAMOUS HUNT FAMILY WHO HELPS RUN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OUT OF FORT WORTH, DIDN'T WANT THEIR FINGERS ON IT. BUT LET ME REST ASSURED, WE ARE GOING TO PROBE INTO THE HUNT FAMILY'S LINK TO BUILDING THIS, THEIR LINK TO PROJECT 2025, AND MOST SICKLY IS THEIR LINK TO REDEVELOPING THE COLISEUM AND FROST BANK CENTER. THEY AWARDED A CONTRACT BY THE COLISEUM ADVISORY BOARD IN THE COUNTY TO MASTER PLAN THE EAST SIDE. THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. IF THEIR HANDS WERE A PART OF THIS DETENTION CENTER, THEY PLANNED FOR THIS YEARS IN ADVANCE. WE WILL NOT BE FOOLED. WE WILL NOT BE FOOLED, AND WE WILL NOT BE FOOLS FOR PEOPLE TO COME INTO OUR COMMUNITY AND THINK THEY CAN STOMP ON US AND RUN ALL OVER US IF THE INFORMATION PROVES OTHERWISE IT PROVES OTHERWISE. BUT SO FAR, UH, IT, IT LOOKS VERY, VERY BAD, UH, IN TERMS OF THE CONNECTIVITY IN THAT REGARD. SO, UM, I I, I AM GOING TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS RESOLUTION, UM, BECAUSE WE NEED TO BE ON THE RECORD TO MOVE FORWARD IN SOME WAY, BECAUSE WE NEED TO GET TO COURT AND WE NEED TO GET TO ACTION. BUT REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT BELIEVES THEY HAVE, UH, ANY LEGAL RECOURSE AROUND NEPA, AROUND THE NAVY, WEX MACK, LEMME JUST SAY THIS ABOUT THE NAVY WEX MACK, WE ARE MILITARY CITY USA, AND IT IS A SPECIAL IMPORT FOR THIS BEXAR COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND ANY OTHER LEGAL JURISDICTION TO UPHOLD THE PRINCIPLE THAT THE MILITARY NOT SEEP INTO DOMESTIC, UH, ACTIONS. THIS IS WHAT HITLER DID IN WORLD WAR II. HE GOT THE MILITARY INVOLVED IN DOMESTIC ACTIONS, THOUGH THE WORLDWIDE EXPEDITIONARY MULTI, UH, ASSISTANCE CONTRACT, WEX MACK THAT WAS USED BY [03:50:01] THE NAVY WAS GIVEN, UH, AN EXPANSION IN 2025 FOR WORKING IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES. THIS WAS ALL PLANNED, UH, AS PART OF PROJECT 2025. BUT, UH, THE, THE, THE LAW THAT CONGRESS LAID OUT INDICATED THAT, THAT THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR CERTAIN, UH, TRIGGERS CONNECTED TO HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE, DISASTERS, UH, NOT LONG-TERM IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. THAT IS A POTENTIAL OVERREACH THAT SHOULD BE LITIGATED IN A COURT OF LAW. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT AS MILITARY COUNTY AND MILITARY CITY, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HOLD THE LINE TO ENSURE THAT FEDERAL OVERREACH OF THESE CONTRACTING LAWS IS NOT GOING FORWARD. UH, AND, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL HAVE INTERESTED LEGAL AUTHORITIES WHO BELIEVE THAT AS WELL. UH, THIS HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT DIALOGUE ABOUT OUR FREEDOM, ABOUT OUR COUNTRY, ABOUT THIS DEMOCRACY, ABOUT OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ABOUT THE INFLUENCE OF POWERS THAT BE IN POLITICS. BUT IT IS IMPORTANT NOW TO MOVE FORWARD TO THE COURTS. UH, I DO NOT WANT TO GIVE ANYONE A FALSE SENSE EITHER THAT THERE IS MORE THAN WE CAN DO, BUT I ALSO DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP ON WHAT WE CAN DO WHILE WE CAN STILL DO IT. AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ACT BECAUSE WE HAVE OUR COUNTRY AT STAKE. AND THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS WE CAN HOLD THE LINE, WE CAN, WE CAN POTENTIALLY DELAY. AND, AND MAKE NO DOUBT, THIS IS EXTREMELY POLITICAL. UH, THE FACT THAT THE ADMINISTRATION SAID THAT THEY WOULD NOT OPEN THIS FACILITY UNTIL NOVEMBER IS AN INDICATOR THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF HOW ANGRY THESE FACILITIES ARE MAKING COMMUNITIES. THEY KNOW THAT IN TEXAS, WHICH IS IN PLACE STATEWIDE, THAT IF THEY HAVE STORIES ABOUT THE CHILDREN WHO HAVE LIGHTS ON. I JUST MET WITH THE VENEZUELAN WOMAN IN DHI WHO'S TOLD ME THAT HER CHILD STILL DOES NOT SLEEP TO THIS DAY OVERNIGHT. HER CHILD WAS GIVEN VEGETABLES WITH WORMS AND ROTTEN FOOD. THE THE LIGHTS WERE LEFT ON, LIKE THE TORTURE WE DID TO VIETNAM VETERAN SOLDIERS, LIKE IT WAS HAPPENING IN AFGHANISTAN, LIKE HAPPENED IN GUANA GUANTANAMO BAY. AND THERE IS NO REASON THAT WE SHOULD EXPECT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO ANY DIFFERENT WHEN THEY OPEN THE SAN ANTONIO FACILITY, THEY MAKE IT ICE COLD. THERE ARE KIDS RUNNING AROUND WITH FLU, WITH ALL KINDS OF MEASLES, WITH ALL KINDS OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. UM, AND THIS COMMISSIONER'S COURT ALSO HAS, UH, OVERSIGHT OVER EVERY ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION THAT TCEQ CAN ENFORCE. WE DO NOT EVER ENFORCE THEM, BUT WE DO HAVE THE SAME ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY AS THE TCQ AND I SUBMIT THAT THE CITY HAS A RESPONSIBILITY WITH RESPECT TO WITHHOLDING POWER AND WATER UNTIL THERE IS ADEQUATE BATHROOMS AND ADEQUATE MEDICAL AND ADEQUATE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS ESTABLISHED FOR THE HABITATION OF INDIVIDUALS. WE DON'T WANT IT AT ALL. WE DON'T NEED IT. UH, WE HAVE HAD PROCUREMENT PROCESSES THAT PROBABLY HAVE BEEN OVER, UH, UH, REACHED AND NOT DEALT WITH BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SHORTCUTS WERE MADE. UM, AND I THINK IT TAKES COURTS TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THOSE SHORTCUTS WERE MADE. AND WHAT IS THE REDRESS, UH, THE RESIDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD TO TRY TO IMPROVE THE RIGSBY FOUR 10 AREA. UM, WE ARE, WE ARE JUST BEGINNING TO GAIN MOMENTUM OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE NEVER HAD. BUT THERE ARE NEPA STUDIES THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS CONDUCTED IN THE PAST WHEN THEY BUILD FEDERAL DETENTION STUDIES CENTERS THAT THEY DIDN'T DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY, THAT INDICATE THAT PROPERTY VALUES LOWER BY AS MUCH AS 9%. AND WHEN YOU HAVE A LOWERING OF PROPERTY VALUES, THE COURTS GIVE YOU TAKINGS. THEY GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO BE COMPENSATED FOR YOUR LOWER PROPERTY VALUES. AND OUR PROPERTY OWNERS, UH, DESERVE NOTHING LESS THAN FOR US TO FIGHT TO ENSURE THAT ALL LAWS ARE FOLLOWED. AND IF WE CAN STOP IT, WE WILL. IF WE CAN DELAY IT, WE SHOULD. AND WITH THAT, I THANK YOU JUDGE AND COMMISSIONER COURT. CAN YOU DO THAT? LET ME MAKE CLEAR WHERE I STAND. [03:55:04] I HAVE PUBLICLY CONDEMNED THE KILLING OF RENEE NICOLE GOODE BY ICE. I HAVE PUBLICLY CONDEMNED THE KILLING BY ICE OF ALEX PRETTY, I PUBLICLY CONDEMNED THE ASIAN US CITIZEN DRAGGED OUT OF HIS HOUSE WITHOUT A COURT WARRANT. I PUBLICLY CONDEMNED THE INCARCERATION OF LIAM RAMOS AND HIS FATHER IN DILI, AND RECOGNIZED THE POWER OF COMMUNITY WHO, WITH THE OUTROAR, WAS ABLE THROUGH CONGRESSMAN JOAQUIN CASTRO, TO GET AT LEAST THAT CHILD AND THAT FATHER BACK HOME. OBVIOUSLY, THERE ARE MANY, MANY MORE PEOPLE BEING AFFECTED BY THE VIOLATION OF THE CONSTITUTION IN REGARDS TO IMMIGRANTS. THIS COURT HAS TAKEN A STRONG STANCE THAT EVERYONE BY THE CONSTITUTION IS ENTITLED TO LEGAL PROTECTION DUE PROCESS. AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE HAVE SUPPORTED THE IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES THAT WE HAVE PROVIDED FOR ALL CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY IN THIS TIME OF NEED. SO TODAY, I ABSOLUTELY STAND IN OPPOSITION TO THE ICE DETENTION FACILITY IN SAN ANTONIO. AND WITH THAT, I WILL CALL FOR A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SIGNIFY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? NO. ANY ABSTENTIONS. MOTION CARRIES. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. WE WILL CONTINUE [9. Communications from citizens who signed the register to speak. (Part 2 of 3)] THE CITIZENS BE HEARD ON THE NINE 70. YOU'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA COME DO THAT AFTER WE GOT GET OUT, AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. LYDIA. ALRIGHT. OKAY. HOLD ON. OKAY, HOLD ON. HOLD ON. CAN WE ASK, CAN WE ASK THE CROWD TO, IF YOU'RE EITHER, WE GOT CITIZENS TO BE HEARD, EITHER PLEASE EXIT OR HAVE A SEAT, PLEASE. OKAY, LYDIA, LET'S GO. MY NAME IS LYDIA LAOS. I'M THE FOUNDER OF VOICES BEHIND THE CELL MOTHER OF JULIAN. JULIANNA. GOOD MORNING, JUDGE PETER, AKA AND COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS SI AM THE MOTHER OF JULIAN, WHO DIED WHILE IN CUSTODY AT THE BEAR COUNTY SHERIFF'S JAIL, OFFICE JAIL. AFTER MY SON PASSED AWAY, JULIAN BECAME AN ORGAN DONOR. AND THROUGH THE GIFT OF SOMEONE ELSE BEING ABLE TO RECEIVE LIFE, EVEN IN DEATH, MY SON HELPED ANOTHER HUMAN BEING LIVE. THAT IS THE KIND OF PERSON JULIAN WAS. I AM HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF VOICES BEHIND THE CELL AND ON BEHALF OF FAMILIES WHO EN ENJOYED UNIMAGINABLE PAIN OF LOSING LOVED ONES WHILE THEY WERE IN GOVERNMENT CUSTODY. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE ISSUE I AM RAISING TODAY MAY NOT APPEAR AS A SPECIFIC ACTION ON TODAY'S AGENDA, BUT THE FAMILIES WHO LIVE WITH LOSSES NEED THE NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY. AC UH, COMPLIANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY CANNOT WAIT FOR THE RIGHT AGENDA ITEM. I STAND HERE NOT ONLY FOR MY SON, BUT THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN FORGOTTEN, OVERLOOKED, AND REDUCED STATISTICS. MY SON, JULIAN WAS NOT A NUMBER. HE WAS A HUMAN BEING. HE WAS LOVED AND HE MATTERED. AND LIKE MANY FAMILIES, WE HAVE TO CARRY OUR GRIEF WHILE ALSO FIGHTING FOR OUR LOVED ONES NAMES ALIVE, KEEPING OUR NA THEIR NAMES ALIVE, AND TO SEE CANCERS FROM THE SYSTEMS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR CARE. RECENTLY, ANOTHER TRAGEDY HAS BROUGHT CONCERNS, SORRY. ON FEBRUARY 7TH, 2026, 59-YEAR-OLD WOMAN INSIDE THE BEXAR COUNTY JAIL WAS VIOLENT, ATTACKED BY HER CELLMATE. SHE HAD BEEN ARRESTED ON A LOW LEVEL CHARGE OF FAILURE TO IDENTIFY SHE LATER DIED FROM THE INJURIES SHE SUFFERED. THE TRAGEDY RAISES SERIOUS QUESTIONS THAT FAMILIES HAVE BEEN ASKING, WHERE PROPER SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE WHERE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS PROPERLY ASSESSED? WHERE HOUSING DECISIONS MADE SAFELY WAS DETENTION STANDARDS FOLLOWED? AND WHEN FAILURES OCCUR, WHY DO [04:00:01] FAMILIES HAVE TO STRUGGLE SO HARD TO OBTAIN TRANSPARENCY? THIS IS NOT ONE CASE. THIS IS, THIS IS NOT ABOUT ONE CASE. IT'S ABOUT A PATTERN THAT DESERVES ATTENTION. PUBLIC TRUST CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY. COMPLIANCE WITH DETENTION STANDARDS CANNOT SIMPLY BE ASSUMED. AND TRANSPARENCY CANNOT BE OPTIONAL WHEN LIVES ARE LOST. FAMILIES WHO HAVE, WHO HAVE LOST LOVED ONES IN CUSTODY SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED OR LEFT SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS. I AM ASKING BERK COUNTY LEADERSHIP TO DO BETTER, NOT ONLY IN WORDS BUT IN ACTION. WE NEED REAL TRANSPARENCY WHEN DEATH OCCURS IN CUSTODY. ACCOUNTAB ACCOUNTABILITY. WHEN DETENTION STANDARDS FAILS, STRONGER SAFEGUARDS FOR VULNERABLE IN INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY THOSE EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, RESPECTFUL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FAMILIES WHO ARE LEFT BEHIND. I AM HERE TODAY BECAUSE MY SON'S LIFE MATTERED. THE LIFE OF OTHERS WHO HAVE DIED WHILE IN CUSTODY MATTERED. AND FAMILIES WHO CONTINUE TO SPEAK OUT MATTER. OUR LOVED ONES ARE NOT NUMBERS, THEY ARE NAMES. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT AND THE VOICES OF THE FAMILIES CAN BE HEARD. THANK YOU, LIDDY. THANK YOU, MOLLY. MOLLY, DID YOU LEAVE? SHE LEFT. SHE LEFT MOLLY ALL, UH, DR. CHRIS WELDY. YOU SIGNED UP ON NUMBER NINE. MY SECOND TIME UP. SO, , I DIDN'T PLAN TO SPEAK THE FIRST TIME. I JUST WANTED TO ADD CLARITY TO THE, THE ISSUE WITH WHAT WE WERE VOTING ON. UM, UH, NOW IT REALLY IS WELL INTO THE AFTERNOONS ON CAN I JUST, I, AND DON'T DR TIME, BUT KATHY STEIN, ARE YOU STILL HERE? YOU YIELDING YOUR TIME TO DR. SHE'S, SO THERE'S, UH, KATHY STEIN YIELDING TO DR. WELDY. GO AHEAD, DR. WELDER. OKAY, GOOD, GOOD AFTERNOON. SO I WANNA, UM, UH, GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND. I, UH, RECENTLY RETIRED AFTER 41 YEARS AS A FEDERAL CIVIL SERVANT, UH, WORKING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. AND, UH, DURING THAT TIME, I, I, UH, WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME OVERSIGHT AT THE HEADQUARTERS FOR FAMILY AND CHILD PROGRAMS. BUT I ALSO DID AUDITS, INSPECTIONS, AND CERTIFICATION VISITS. SO THAT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT LATER WHEN I, I'M GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE AS AN ELECTION WORKER, UM, AND, AND SPECIFICALLY WITH THE LAST ELECTION. UM, SO AGAIN, WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY ABOUT THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATION IN BEXAR COUNTY. THE RIGHT TO VOTE IS ONE OF THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS IN OUR DEMOCRACY. AND ENSURING ELECTIONS ARE ADMINISTERED FAIRLY EFFICIENTLY AND TRANSPARENTLY AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITY AS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT. I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE THE TREMENDOUS WORK OF ELECTION WORKERS AND VOLUNTEERS WHO HELPED ADMINISTER THE RECENT ELECTIONS, SOME OF WHOM ARE IN THE AUDIENCE NOW. UM, MAINTAINING PUBLIC CONFIDENCE THOUGH REQUIRES THAT WE REVIEW WHAT WORKED, WHAT DIDN'T WORK, AND WHERE IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE MADE. SO I WANNA SHARE MY OBSERVATIONS AS A POLL WORKER. UM, I WAS ONE OF THOSE WHO WORKED A LONG 16 HOUR DAY. SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES AT THAT SAME SITE ENDED UP WORKING 17 OR 18 HOURS. UM, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I WANNA ENSURE, UM, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COUNTRY, THAT WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HAVE OUR OWN HOUSE IN ORDER HERE IN BEXAR COUNTY. SO, I'M GONNA START WITH SEVEN MAIN THINGS THAT I OBSERVED THIS ELECTION, ONE OF WHICH WAS VERY LONG, UM, VOTER WAIT TIMES AT SOME LOCATIONS, NOT ALL LOCATIONS. AND SOME OF THAT WAS DUE TO INSUFFICIENT VOTING MACHINES, SOME TECHNICAL ISSUES. I KNOW AT MY LOCATION WE HAD TECHNICAL ISSUES FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. WE CALLED BACK TO THE MAIN OFFICE. WE WERE GIVEN A NUMBER OF TECH SUPPORT. IT WAS THE WRONG NUMBER. SO WE WERE CALLING THIS UNANSWERED NUMBER UNTIL SOMEBODY EVENTUALLY SHOWED UP. UM, IT APPEARS BASED ON TALKING TO SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES THAT THERE'S NOT A GOOD PROCESS TO KNOW WHAT HISTORICAL AND ATTENDANCE WAS AT SOME SITES. SO, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S SOME, UH, PROPER DISTRIBUTION OF, OF THE, THE MACHINES. THE SECOND THING, UH, THAT CAME UP AS ISSUES, AND IT WAS REALLY A CONCERN FOR MANY VOTERS, IS THEY SHOWED UP PANICKED THAT THEIR VOTE MIGHT NOT COUNT BECAUSE THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED THEIR MAIL-IN BALLOT. MEANING THEY HAD REQUESTED A MAIL-IN BALLOT, NEVER RECEIVED IT. SO I, I THINK THIS CALLS FOR A LOOK AS TO WHAT BROKE DOWN. YOU KNOW, WHY, WHY DID THAT BROKE BREAK DOWN AND WHY, UH, WAS IT BECAUSE OF INTERNAL ISSUES AT THE BEXAR COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE? WAS IT RELATED TO THE FACT THAT TEXAS STATE [04:05:01] HAD, YOU KNOW, THE SECRETARY, UH, UH, OFFICE HAD DELAYS IN GETTING REGISTRATION CARDS OUT? IN FACT, I DON'T THINK THEY EVER GOT OUT RIGHT BEFORE ELECTION. THAT'S WHAT WE HEARD. UM, AND SO, UH, BUT THERE WASN'T AN INTERNAL CHANGE WHEREBY, UH, THE COUNTY HIRED, UH, A THIRD PARTY VENDOR TO DISTRIBUTE MAIL ORDER BALLOTS. SO AGAIN, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT. WE JUST NEED TO SEE WHY, UH, WHAT BROKE DOWN. UM, WE ALSO HEARD REPORTS OF PEOPLE MAILING IN THEIR COMPLETED BALLOTS, BUT IT NOT SHOWING UP AT THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S SITE. SO MEANING THEY WENT IN TO SEE AS MY VOTE COUNTED. IT WASN'T, AGAIN, SOME CONFUSION THERE. SO IN ORDER TO ENSURE THEIR VOTE COUNTED, THEY ASKED TO VOTE PROVISIONALLY, UM, THOUGH THEY KNEW THEY HAD, UH, MAILED THEIR VOTE IN TO ENSURE THEIR VOTE COUNTS. AGAIN, THIS IS WHERE I THINK WE NEED TO SEE WHAT BROKE DOWN HOLD THE STATE RESPONSIBLE. IF THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DELAY IN REPORTING. WE HAD A HOT, VERY HIGH NUMBER OF PROVISIONAL BALLOTS. I'VE HEARD IN THE THOUSANDS. UM, I KNOW AT MY SITE, COMPARED TO PREVIOUS TIMES, I WORKED, SOME SITES ACTUALLY RAN OUT OF THE FORMS FOR PROVISIONAL BALLOT. LIKE MEANING PEOPLE SHOWED UP, THEY WAITED, THEY WERE TOLD THEY NEEDED TO VOTE PROVISIONALLY. AND UNFORTUNATELY, SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE LEFT. THEY LOST THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE BECAUSE WE WEREN'T PREPARED. UM, UM, SOME, SOME VOTERS WHO, UM, REGISTER OR GOT REGISTERED TO VOTE WHEN THEY GOT THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE WERE NOT SHOWING UP IN THE SYSTEM. SO AGAIN, WE NEED TO SEE WHAT BROKE DOWN. UH, THE TEXAS STATE IS RESPONSIBLE, I BELIEVE, TO MAKE SURE THAT PIPELINE FLOWS TO THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT. WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED? UM, THIS WAS ESPECIALLY, UM, CONCERNING FOR ME WHEN I SAW FIRST TIME VOTERS WHO WE HAD TO SAY, SORRY, WE CAN'T FIND YOU IN THE SYSTEM. NOW, IN SOME CASES, WE FOUND THEM IN THE SYSTEM THAT SUGGESTED THAT THERE WAS A BACKLOG AT THE BEXAR COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE. MEANING THEY EVENTUALLY FOUND IT, THEY FOUND AN APPLICATION. SO AGAIN, THIS IS JUST SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. SO, UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS JUST GENERAL SUPPORT FOR POLL WORKERS. I KNOW THAT I CALLED SEVERAL TIMES TO THE OFFICE, EMAILED SEVERAL TIMES TO GET A RESPONSE, EVEN FINALLY CALLED AND SAID, AM I GONNA HAVE TO DRIVE DOWN? WHICH I DID TO GET AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION THAT I NEEDED. SO, AGAIN, I'M ALREADY MENTIONED THE LONG HOURS THAT PEOPLE WORK, WE'VE JUST GOTTA MAKE SURE IT'S TOUGH TO GET POLL WORKERS. WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SUPPORTED PROPERLY. UM, APPARENTLY THERE WERE SOME ISSUES AT THE END. SO AFTER WORKING A 16 HOUR DAY, I'M WAITING TO SEE THE RESULTS AND I'M LIKE, WHY ARE THE RESULTS TAKING SO LONG TO COME IN? UM, AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THERE WERE SOME DELAYS WITH THE TABULATION SOFTWARE BECAUSE OF ISSUES WITH OUR, YOU KNOW, WITH SOFTWARE THAT NEEDS TO BE UPGRADED. SO AGAIN, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT. UH, WE NEED TO BE READY FOR NOVEMBER, UM, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE PROCESSES IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE AUDITS AND CHECKS OF EQUIPMENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT ARE DONE. SO WITH THAT, UH BEING SAID, I DO HAVE, UM, A TIME HAS EXPIRED. OH, OKAY. WRAP IT UP. WRAP IT UP. ALRIGHT. I HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS. I'LL LEAVE THEM FOR YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, YOU CALLING ME? BUT I HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM REALLY BAD. OKAY, MOLLY, COME ON. IT BE SUPER QUICK. SUPER, SUPER QUICK. WHAT? GO AHEAD. SECONDS. WHERE MOLLY? UM, COMMISSIONER CALVERT AND I, UM, AND A FEW OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS WE'RE BLESSED TO HAVE FOUR BACK TO BACK MEETINGS DIRECTLY WITH YOU, SIR, ABOUT, UH, ESTABLISHING BOLD SOLUTIONS. UM, ELIMINATING HOUSELESSNESS TO ZERO, OR AT LEAST VERY CLOSE TO ZERO, WHERE OUR MANAGE, WHERE THE NONPROFITS, IT'S JUST TO A MANAGEABLE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE NON-PROFITS IN OUR ORGANIZATIONS CAN ASSIST WITH UNHOUSED RESIDENTS NEEDS THAT, UM, PRESENTATION POLISHED BY YOU, UM, MR. HOLLER, AND MS. JACKSON AND I, WE SHOPPED IT AROUND TO ALL OF YOUR, YOUR STAFFS. UM, AND WE SPOKE DIRECTLY WITH COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, WHICH YOU HAD SAID THAT IT WAS SUCH A GOOD, BOLD SOLUTION AT ELIMINATING HOMELESSNESS THAT YOU EVEN THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GOOD TO DO A PILOT PROGRAM. REMEMBER YOU TOLD ME THAT. SO, UM, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION. I, I UNDERSTAND YOUR STAFF, EACH OF YOU, YOUR STAFF HAD GIVEN YOU A SUMMARY OF THAT MEETING. IT'S BEEN A YEAR. SO I'M SURE YOU'VE BEEN SUMMARIZED BY YOUR STAFF ABOUT WHAT WE ALL TALKED ABOUT, COMMISSIONER CALVERT'S STAFF AND MYSELF. SO I JUST HAVE A QUESTION. WHERE ARE WE ON THE PALLET HOME VILLAGES THAT COMMISSIONER CALVERT INTRODUCED WITH TERRY CASTILLO IN THAT PRESS CONFERENCE THAT I, WITH MR. HOLLER AND MS. JACKSON TALKED TO ALL OF YOUR STAFF, I'M SORRY JUDGE, THAT YOU DIDN'T WIN. 'CAUSE THAT WOULD'VE BEEN AWESOME TO [04:10:01] GO FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT WITH YOU. UM, I DON'T KNOW WHERE RON NUREMBERG IS ON THIS, IF HE BEATS THE OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE RUNNING, BUT ANYWAY, I'M ASKING AT LEAST COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ AND COMMISSIONER CLAY FLORES, WHERE ARE YOU STANDING AT IF YOU READ THE SUMMARY FROM YOUR STAFF? DO YOU, ARE YOU ALONG WITH COMMISSIONER CALVERT? AND I UNDERSTAND COMMISSIONER MOODY'S STAFF ALSO EXPRESSED POSITIVE REVIEWS. SO WE GOT NOTHING BUT POSITIVE REVIEWS FROM ALL FIVE OF YOU ARE STAFF MEMBERS. UM, A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED FROM COMMISSIONER MOODY BECAUSE I, AS AN EXPERIENCED PERSON, ADMITTED THAT HIS DISTRICT HAS THE MOST AMOUNT OF DISCREET HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT YOU DON'T KNOW ARE HOMELESS, BUT HIS DISTRICT HAS MOST OF THEM. HIS STAFF WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, SO WHERE ARE WE ON THIS PALLET HOME VILLAGE ELIMINATING HOMELESSNESS TYPE OF PACKAGE. THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING ALL OF Y'ALL. SO, PRESSURE'S ON BY MOLLY AGAIN. THANK YOU, MOLLY. ALL RIGHT. CHRISTINA. NO LAST NAME CHRISTINA. ONCE, TWICE, THREE TIMES. ALL RIGHT. ALRIGHT. SO AT THIS TIME THAT CONCLUDES YES, STEVE, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SAID EARLIER, YOUR HONOR, ARE YOU GONNA MAKE US WAIT OR CAN WE WELL, YES, BECAUSE 70 AND WE HAVE A, A GROUP IS GOING TO BE DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE. THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING TO EXECUTIVE AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK OUT. SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND AT THIS TIME, I'M CALLING FOR A RECESS. LET'S TAKE A BREAK, BUT I'LL ASK THAT WE COME BACK IN TWO EXECUTIVE SESSION. SO WHAT'S THAT? YES. AND SO LET ME JUST PUT ON THE RECORD, [EXECUTIVE SESSION (DISCUSSION ONLY: CLOSED TO PUBLIC)] THE TIME IS NOW 1:17 PM AN EXECUTIVE SESSION. ITEMS MAY BE DISCUSSED IN ACT UPON IF APPROPRIATE AND OPEN SESSION 5 5 1 0.071. CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY FOR ADVICE REGARDING A, UH, PENDING OR CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION SETTLEMENT OFFERS IN THE MATTER SHOT VERSUS BEX COUNTY, STATE OF TEXAS VERSUS BEXAR COUNTY. B MATTERS IN WHICH OF DUTY OF THE ATTORNEY OF THE GOVERNMENT BODY, AND THE TEXAS DISCIPLINARY RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT. THE STATE BAR CLEARLY CONFLICTS WITH CHAPTER 5 5, 1 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE. SPECIFICALLY ONE LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO THE ONGOING CONDEMNATION PROCESS INVOLVING PROPERTY AT 47 15 FREDERICKSBURG ROAD, OWNED BY HANOVER. PARTNERSHIP INVESTMENT. UH, TWO LEGAL ISSUES REVISING FOR THE MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT, A PRECINCT THREE CONSTABLE AND THE RELATED LITIGATION GARCIA VERSUS BEXAR COUNTY AND CAUSE NUMBER 25 CI 1 9 6 6 5 INCLUDING THE SCOPE AND APPLICATION OF RELEVANT EXCLUSION UNDER THE BEXAR COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT COVERAGE POLICY. THREE. LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO CERTAIN UNLAWFUL TRAFFIC CITATIONS ISSUED BY THE USE OF AUTOMATED TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE BY THE CONSTABLE PRECINCT. THREE FOUR LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO PROPOSED AGREEMENT. SOUTH TEXAS REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL, RAC, A 5 0 1 C3 NONPROFIT TAX EXEMPT MEMBER ORGANIZATION. ALSO 5 5 1 0.0725 DELIBERATION REGARDING CONTRACT BEING NEGOTIATED TO DELIBERATE BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL ISSUES RELATED TO THE NEGOTIATION OF A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING OR SIMILAR DOCUMENT PROPOSED TO BE NEGOTIATED BETWEEN BEAR COUNTY, A TEXAS POLITICAL SUBDIVISION, THE COLISEUM ADVISORY BOARD, AND SAN ANTONIO LIVESTOCK EXPOSITION, A TEXAS NONPROFIT CORPORATION RELATED TO THE REDEVELOPMENT REVITALIZATION OF THE FREEMAN COLISEUM COMPLEX GROUNDS AND FACILITIES. SO LONG AS BEFORE CONVENING THE CLOSED MEETING, ONE THE COURT VOTES UNANIMOUSLY THAT DELIBERATING AN OPEN MEETING WOULD'VE A DETRIMENT EFFECT ON THE POSITION OF THE COMMISSION'S COURT NEGOTIATIONS WITH THIRD PAR THIRD PERSONS AND THE ATTORNEY ADVISING THE COURT ISSUES, A WRITTEN DETERMINATION THAT DELIBERATION AND OPEN MEETING WOULD HAVE A DETRI DETRIMENTAL EFFECT ON A POSITION OF THE COURT IN NEGOTIATION WITH THIRD PERSONS. AND FINALLY, PERSONNEL MATTERS UNDER 5 5 1 0 7. FOUR. LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO REVIEW OF CERTAIN PERSONNEL ISSUES IN THE BEXAR COUNTY MILITARY AND VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE, INCLUDING DISCUSSION OF PERSONNEL MATTERS RELATED TO THE BEXAR COUNTY VETERAN SERVICE OFFICER. I NEED ADVICE. COUNSEL. WE NEED, DO WE NEED TO GET A VOTE IN REGARDS TO THE DISCUSSION OF THE MOU? DO WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO OPEN? UM, SO VOTE BEFORE YOU GO. OKAY. SO WE NEED TO GO WE'RE I I CALL A RECESS, BUT LET'S VOTE ON THE MOU ON THE RECORD. NOW TAKE A VOTE. GO IN ORDER TO DISCUSS THE MOU. YES. SO WHAT IS THE MOTION? THE MOTION NEEDS TO BE WHAT ALL THE MEMBERS DISCUSS. OH, I'LL AGREE. AS LONG AS WE BRING OUR LUNCHES IN. YEAH, I MAKE THAT IN THE FORM OF THE MOTION. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CLAY FLOORS. I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO DISCUSS MOU IN EXECUTIVE SESSION SIGNIFY [04:15:01] BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTION IS UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED. WE'LL DISCUSS THAT MATTER IN OPEN IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND THEN WE'LL TAKE ACTION IF NECESSARY. IN OPEN. SO AT THIS TIME, THE TIME IS NOW 1:20 PM LET US, UH, RECESS. WE'LL COME BACK AND OPEN, UH, BRING OUR LUNCHES BACK TO THE DA AND WE'LL TAKE UP AND JUST GO THROUGH EXECUTIVE SESSION. BUT I'M TAKING A LITTLE BREAK AND GET LUNCH READY. SO AT THIS TIME I'LL ASK THE COURTROOM CLEAR. WE DON'T KNOW. WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT'LL TAKE. DO ELIZABETH, YOU READY? YES, SIR. ALL THE TIME IS 2:47 PM THE COURT WILL COME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION. [63. Discussion and appropriate action related to the approval of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Bexar County, the Bexar County Coliseum Advisory Board, d/b/a the Community Arenas Board (CAB) and The San Antonio Livestock Exposition, Inc., a Texas non-profit corporation d/b/a the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo (SALE) regarding the proposed improvements to the existing facilities and related infrastructure; and permission to proceed to negotiate the final, definitive, long-form agreements to govern the project in greater detail, to be approved by Commissioners Court once fully negotiated.] OUR FIRST ITEM TO TAKE UP AN OPEN SESSION IS EXECUTIVE IS, UH, AGENDA ITEM 63, DISCUSSION APPROPRIATE ACTION RELATED APPROVAL AND MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING MOU BETWEEN BEXAR COUNTY, THE BEXAR COUNTY COLISEUM ADVISORY BOARD, DBA, COMMUNITY ARENAS, BOARD SEAT CAB, AND THE SAN ANTONIO LIVESTOCK ACQUISITION INC. A TEXAS NONPROFIT CORPORATION, DBA SAN ANTONIO STOCK SHOW AND RODEO SALE REGARDING THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING FACILITIES RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE. PERMISSION TO PROCEED TO NEGOTIATE THE FINAL DEFINITIVE LONG-TERM AGREEMENTS TO GOVERN THE PROJECT TO, IN GREATER DETAIL TO BE APPROVED BY COMMISSIONER'S COURT ONCE FULLY NEGOTIATED. IS THERE A MOTION MOVE FOR APPROVAL? SECOND. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CLAY FLORES. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. IS ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? DAVID, DID YOU WANT TO PUT ANYTHING ON THE RECORD? I WAS TOLD A LONG TIME AGO, IF YOU HAVE THREE VOTES SHUT UP. SO I'M SURE. ALRIGHT. COURT'S GONNA CALL FOR A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SECOND BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTION? MOTION UNANIMOUSLY CARRIES. CONGRATULATIONS GUYS. UH, IF THE RODEO IS HERE. YEAH. UNLESS WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'VE GOT SO MUCH BUSINESS. WE'LL, WE'LL TALK TO YOU LATER. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, NOW WE'RE GOING TO THEN JUMP TO ITEM. NO. 73. NO, 73. YEAH. NO, 70 ISN'T IT? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU READING? YEAH, NO, I'M SORRY. WHAT? WHERE YOU LARRY? I WAS, I WAS LOOKING AT OH, YOU'RE THE EXECUTIVE. SORRY. ALRIGHT, I'M PULLING UP. [70. Discussion and appropriate action related to the consideration of certain personnel matters and the position of Executive Director of the Bexar County Veterans Service Office.] UH, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 70. NUMBER 70, DISCUSSION APPROPRIATE ACTION RELATED TO THE CONSIDERATION OF CERTAIN PERSONNEL MATTERS AND THE POSITION OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BEXAR COUNTY VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE. I KNOW WE GOT, WE GOT CITIZEN TO BE HEARD. I'M GONNA, WE'RE GONNA GET TO, IS THERE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR? I'D LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION TO TERMINATE THE VETERAN SERVICES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KEITH WILSON AND APPOINT CALVIN HENRY AS THE INTERIM DIRECTOR. SECOND, THERE'S A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CLAY FLORES IS SECOND BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. WE WILL NOW [9. Communications from citizens who signed the register to speak. (Part 3 of 3)] GO OPEN TO CITIZENS TO BE HEARD, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION BY THE COURT. FIRST ONE, JIM BETHKE, ARE YOU STILL HERE? JIM BETHKE. ALL RIGHT. HE'S ON HIS BACK. HE'S ON HIS WAY. WELL, ALL RIGHT, SIR, WE SIGNED UP AS A GROUP. OKAY. WELL, ARE YOU, ARE Y'ALL YIELDING THE TIME? AND IF YOU ARE, TELL ME WHO YOU ARE YIELDING TIME TO. THERE WAS, THERE WAS ACTUALLY A TOTAL OF 14 OF US. SOME OF THEM HAD TO LEAVE THE TIME CONSTRAINTS. RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT SEVEN OF US WANTED. OKAY. SO, SO WHO, WHO WAS GONNA BE THE PRIMARY SPEAKER? THAT'S ME, SIR. STEVEN PRICE. GOT IT. HOLD ON, STEVE. OKAY, I GOT STEVEN PRICE. NOW TELL ME WHO'S YIELDING TIME TO STEVEN PRICE. YOU CANNOT, YOU CAN EITHER SPEAK OR YIELD. WHO'S YIELDING TIME TO STEVEN PRICE? OH, WELL I HAVE, I GET MY THREE MINUTES? YEAH, YOU GET YOUR THREE. WHO'S YIELDING TIME TO STEVE SO HE CAN. GINA POE. I'M YIELDING MY TIME TO STEVEN PRICE. AND YOUR NAME? GINA POE. PONC. GINA, SHOW YOUR NAME, JONATHAN. HOLD ON. HOLD ON, HOLD ON. IS IT GINA POE? YES. OKAY. GINA POE. THANK YOU. YOU'RE YIELDING TO STEVE. WHO ELSE IS YIELDING TO STEVE? JONATHAN, WHAT IS THAT? STILL HAVE I CAN'T HEAR Y'ALL. JONATHAN STRE. JONATHAN? YES. JONATHAN RENER. YOU'RE YIELDING TIME OKAY. TO STEVE. ALL RIGHT. WHO ELSE IS YIELDING TIME TO STEVE AT THE END? WHO? THIS IS? [04:20:01] UM, KEITH'S SISTER. OKAY, WE'RE GONNA, WHAT'S YOUR NAME? WE'RE GONNA YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME WHEN I'M DONE TO HER. SIR, I'M SORRY, STEVE. I'M GONNA YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME. NO, NO, NO. STEVE, YOU DON'T YIELD. YOU, YOU, YOU'RE GETTING ALL THE TIME AND YOU USE IT OR YOU LOSE IT. SO HOW MUCH TIME DO WE, YOU'VE GOT, YOU'VE GOT TWO SPEAKERS OF YOU, YOU GOT NINE MINUTES RIGHT NOW. WHO ELSE, WHO ELSE WANTS TO YIELD TIME TO STEVE TALKING ALEXANDER? NO, I GOT PEOPLE THAT ARE WILL, ARE YIELDING. WHAT ABOUT MIKE TORINO, ARE YOU STILL HERE? NO, HE'S LEFT. OKAY. SO MIKE, YOU, YOU HAVE LEFT. YOU HAD YIELD YOUR TIME TO STEVE. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO'S YIELDED TIME TO STEVE? MICHELLE ALEXANDER. MICHELLE ALEXANDER, YOUR HONOR, IF I MIGHT, OKAY. MICHELLE ALEXANDER, ARE YOU YIELDING TIME TO STEVE? NOT HERE. YES. OKAY. ALRIGHT. IS SHE HERE? WHERE? WHERE'S, WHERE'S MICHELLE? MICHELLE, IF YOU'VE LEFT, SHE'S LEFT. IS SHE, DID SHE LEAVE STEVE? NO, SHE JUST WENT TO THE BATHROOM. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. ANYBODY ELSE THEN? STACEY, APPARENTLY YOU'RE SPEAKING AND SOME PEOPLE HAVE YIELDED TIME TO YOU, CORRECT? UH, I'M GONNA YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME. NO, NO, NO. YOU CAN'T YIELD THE REST OF THE TIME. I CAN'T DO THAT. NO. ALL RIGHT. SO LET US BEGIN. I'M GONNA LET STEVE, YOU'VE GOT 12 MINUTES TIME. MS. STACY, KATE. GOT IT. STEVE, YOU GOT THE FLOOR. IT'S GOOD. AFTERNOON, JUDGE COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER FLORES, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, COMMISSIONER CALVERT, AND COMMISSIONER MOODY. MY NAME IS STEVEN PRICE OF THE VOICES OF OUR VETERANS. I'M HERE TODAY TO TESTIFY REGARDING MY LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP AND ADVOCACY WITH FORMER LIEUTENANT COLONEL KEITH WILSON, UNITED STATES RETIRED. WE BOTH SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY, NOT AT THE SAME TIME, BUT SOLDIERS LIKE MYSELF, BELIEVE IN CORE VALUES OF HONOR, LOYALTY, INTEGRITY, AND PERSONAL COURAGE FOR YEARS, MANY OF US IS STANDING HERE. THERE WERE 14 OF US. AND I, I'M REMISS THAT THOSE FOLKS DID NOT GET TO YIELD THEIR TIME OR HAVE THEIR SPEECH OR BE HEARD HERE TODAY. UM, IN LIEU OF THE FACT THAT, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THAT YOU DID HAVE EXECUTIVE SESSION AND YOU'VE ALREADY CALLED THE MOTION AND THE COMMISSIONER HAS ALREADY WALKED OUT IN REGARDS AND MADE HER STATEMENT. SO I HAVE TO SAY THIS, MANY OF US HERE STANDING TODAY ADVOCATE FOR VETERANS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS AND BEAR COUNTY, MILITARY CITY, USA, PARTICULARLY ON ONE MOST PAINFUL ISSUE FACING OUR COMMUNITY. AND I THINK YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS. IT'S BETTER THAN SUICIDE. OUR MISSION HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO BREAK THE SILENCE. I'M GONNA LET YOU KNOW WHY I PARTICULARLY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WHAT HAPPENED HERE TODAY, YOUR HONOR, RECENTLY I WAS APPROACHED BY THE ATTORNEYS INVESTIGATING THIS CASE. I WAS CALLED TO QUESTION MY RELATIONSHIP WITH KEITH AND THE WORK THAT I DO WITH KEITH IN THE FIELD. IT IS OBVIOUS TO ME, PETER, IT'S OBVIOUS TO ME, AND THERE ARE PEOPLE WATCHING, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS. I WAS INVESTIGATING A QUESTION WITH MY RELATIONSHIP WITH PETER, AND LET ME BREAK THE SILENCE AND SAY CLEARLY HERE FOR THE RECORD. MY RECORD WITH MY WORK WITH KEITH IS BOTH PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL AND AT TIMES HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL BECAUSE VETERANS OFTEN SHARE DEEPLY PRIVATE STRUGGLES WHEN THEY SEEK AND PROVIDE HELP TO OTHERS. AND KEEP IN MIND, WHAT'S HAPPENING TO KEITH RIGHT NOW IS DEFINITELY NOT COMFORTABLE. OUR ADVOCACY WORK GOES FAR BEYOND COUNTY LINES AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT SAVING LIVES AND HELPING THEM NAVIGATE SYSTEM DESIGNED TO SERVE THEM. FOR THAT REASON, I DO NOT APPRECIATE THE IMPLICATIONS THAT THERE WAS ANY IMPROPER, ANYTHING IMPROPER ABOUT THE TWO OF OUR VETERANS RELATIONSHIP. WHEN THE INTEGRITY OF VETERANS ADVOCATES IS QUESTIONED, IT TOUCHES SOMETHING DEEPER. IT TOUCHES THE SACRED OF TRUST THAT WE HAVE FOR THOSE WE SERVE IN THE COUNTY, AND THOSE THAT DEFEND THIS COMMUNITY, THE SAKE OF TRUST MATTERS GREATLY IN A CITY THAT PROUDLY CALLS ITSELF MILITARY CITY USA. I'M GONNA CUT TO THE END BECAUSE I'M GONNA YIELD MY TIME, BUT I HAVE FIVE QUESTIONS. YOUR HONOR, I'M OFFENDED BY YOUR BEHAVIOR. HOW MANY VETERANS TOOK THEIR LIVES IN BEXAR COUNTY IN 2025? DO [04:25:01] YOU KNOW THE ANSWER, SIR? WHEN VETERANS ADVOCATES ARE QUESTIONED, HOW'S THE STAKE OF TRUST BETWEEN VETERANS AND THEIR PUBLIC SERVANT BEING PROTECTED? QUESTION NUMBER THREE. ARE WE TRULY LEAVING UP TO THE MILITARY CITY? USA STANDARD NUMBER FOUR, ARE WE, THIS IS CRITICAL BECAUSE THIS IS STATE LAW AND THIS IS SOMETHING I WAS DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH TO PREVENT SUICIDE. AND KEITH ON THE FACT THAT I AM PUBLICLY STATING THAT I'M IN FEAR OF WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE POLITICALLY. AND MY FRIEND KEITH WILSON'S BETTER HEALTH AND WELFARE THERE ARE WE FULLY IMPLEMENTING THE INTENT OF HB 39 HOUSE BILL 39 CALLS FOR THE BEXAR COUNTY TO LET US KNOW AND LET THE STATE KNOW HOW MANY VETERANS TOOK THEIR LIVES IN THE LAST YEAR. AND YOU NEED TO REPORT THAT BY THE END OF THE YEAR TO THE TEXAS STATE LEGISLATURE AS PER RAY LOPEZ AND MYSELF AND THE TEAM THAT WROTE THAT LEGISLATION, I'LL CLOSE WITH THIS. ARE OUR SYSTEMS STRONG ENOUGH TO SERVE VETERANS RE REGARDLESS OF POLITICAL CYCLES AND PERSONNEL CHANGES OVER THE 10 YEARS I'VE SEEN KETA, I'VE SEEN KAREN, AND NOW I'VE ALREADY HEARD MY COMMISSIONER MAKE A MOTION. BASED ON WHAT I DIDN'T GET TO STATE MY CASE BEFORE YOU CALLED THIS THE ORDER. MR. SAKAI MILITARY CITY, USA, I'LL BE DAMNED. I'M GONNA YIELD MY TIME TO KEITH'S SISTER. HOLD ON. IS UH, MIKE, DID YOU COME BACK? MIKE LEFT. SIR. WHAT ABOUT PAUL BURN? OH, YOU MY TIME, YOUR HONOR. WELL, YOU'RE YIELDING, WHO ARE YOU YIELDING THE TIME TO? KEITH? SI. OKAY. TO WHO? TO STACY. STACY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. HOW ABOUT MATT HOPKINS? HE YIELD HIS TIME. HE, HE'S NOT BACK. IS HE HERE? NO. NO, HE LEFT. OKAY. HOW ABOUT FRED ALVARADO? HE LEFT AS WELL. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. STACY, SOUNDS LIKE, UH, PAUL BURNELL HAS YIELDED TIME. WHO ELSE IS YIELDING TIME TO STACEY TRACE? ALL THOSE OTHER PEOPLE WOULD ASK THAT I KNOW, BUT IF THEY LEFT, THEY LEFT IS, UH, STA IS ANYBODY ELSE? JANAE? YOU STILL, ARE YOU HERE? JANAE? YES. SERGIO, YOU'RE HERE. YOU WANNA SPEAK? I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, YEAH. OKAY. I'LL LET YOU CALL CHRIS MARJO. CHRIS MARJO, HE LEFT AS WELL. OKAY. HOW ABOUT TONY FUENTES? HE LEFT AS WELL. OKAY. HOW ABOUT SERGIO DICKERSON? HE LEFT AS WELL. OKAY. HECTOR DOMINGUEZ. HE'S ACTUALLY COMING BACK FROM THE BATHROOM. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. KEEP HECTOR THERE. AND ALMA ZUNIGA. I'LL BE, SHE'S HERE. I'LL BE SPEAKING. YOU WANNA SPEAK? OKAY, GOOD. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. STACY, YOU HAVE SIX MINUTES. STACY, SIR, GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CONFUSION WITH THE YIELDING OF TIME, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, CAN I HAVE NINE MINUTES? MY HUSBAND YIELDED HIS TWO STEVE THINKING THAT IT WAS FOR A GROUP. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL. ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON, JUDGE. COUNTY, COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS STACY RENER, AND I'M THE SISTER OF KEITH WILSON, THE DIRECTOR OF MILITARY AND VETERANS SERVICES FOR BAYER COUNTY. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU ALL TODAY, NOT AS A LAWYER OR A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL, OR EVEN A COMMUNITY LEADER, BUT SIMPLY AS A FAMILY MEMBER, AS HIS SISTER. I'VE KNOWN KEITH MY ENTIRE LIFE, 47 YEARS. HE AND I HAVE REMAINED VERY CLOSE. AS ADULTS, WE SPEAK ALMOST DAILY, AND I HAVE PERSONALLY WITNESSED FIRSTHAND THE HONORABLE PERSON AND LEADER. KEITH HAS ALWAYS PROVEN TO BE DAY IN AND DAY OUT. TIME AND TIME AGAIN. TODAY, I AM HERE REPRESENTING OUR FAMILY PERSONALLY, ATTESTING TO HIS CHARACTER AND ASKING YOU TO SIMPLY ENSURE THIS PROCESS IS FAIR, COMPLETE, AND AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE, THEN ALLOW KEITH TO RETURN TO DUTY TO SERVE THE VETERANS AND COMMUNITY OF BEXAR COUNTY. THIS IS TRULY WHAT'S BEST FOR EVERYONE. MY BROTHER AND I GREW UP RIGHT HERE IN THIS COMMUNITY, RAISED BY A SINGLE MOTHER WHO DEDICATED HER LIFE TO GIVING US BETTER OPPORTUNITIES THAN WHAT WE EXPERIENCED IN OUR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED HOME. LIKE MANY YOUNG PEOPLE WHO LEAVE HOME TO SERVE THEIR COUNTRY, KEITH LEFT SAN ANTONIO AS A TEENAGER TO ATTEND THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY. [04:30:01] AT WEST POINT. AFTER GRADUATING, HE WENT ON TO SERVE THIS COUNTRY FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS OF HONORABLE SERVICE. AS AN ACTIVE DUTY ARMY OFFICER, INCLUDING MULTIPLE OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENTS. AFTER NEARLY THREE DECADES OF SERVICE, HE DIDN'T CHOOSE TO RETIRE SOMEWHERE ELSE. HE CAME RIGHT BACK HERE TO OUR HOMETOWN, TO THE COMMUNITY THAT RAISED HIM BECAUSE HE WANTED TO CONTINUE SERVING. HIS ENTIRE LIFE HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO SERVING OTHERS, AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HE HAS DONE IN HIS ROLE. LEADING BEAR COUNTY'S DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AND VETERAN SERVICES. THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SPOKEN OR WILL SPEAK, UM, ON BEHALF OF KEITH HERE AT COMMISSIONER'S COURT, REPRESENT ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF THE PARTNERSHIPS AND RELATIONSHIPS KEITH HAS BUILT ACROSS THIS COMMUNITY. THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ARE SOMETHING HE ALWAYS HIGHLIGHTS AND GIVES CREDIT TO, AND I'VE SEEN HIM BRING DOZENS OF PEOPLE HERE INTO THE, INTO THE COURT TO SPEAK WITH ALL OF YOU BECAUSE HE TRULY BELIEVES THAT NONE OF THIS WORK HAPPENS ALONE. THOSE PARTNERSHIPS HAVE HELPED EXPAND SERVICES ACROSS THE COUNTY, INCREASE BENEFITS CLAIMS FOR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND BRING TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN BENEFITS BACK INTO THIS COMMUNITY. OUR FAMILY FELT COMPELLED TO SPEAK AFTER THE RELEASE OF THE DISPUTED PIP OR PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT HAS BEEN USED TO SHAPE THE PUBLIC NARRATIVE ABOUT KEITH. THAT DOCUMENT, WHICH KEITH FORMALLY AND INFORMALLY DISPUTED, REMAINS UNRESOLVED AFTER OVER THREE MONTHS OF ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE. THE CONCERNS CITED IN THE PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT PLAN ARE DIRECTLY DISPUTED BY DOCUMENTED FACTS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE PLAN SUGGESTS THAT KEITH WAS FREQUENTLY ABSENT FROM THE OFFICE, BUT THE NATURE OF HIS JOB IN HIS LITERAL JOB DESCRIPTION REQUIRES HIM TO BE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY MEETING WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS, VETERAN ORGANIZATIONS, AND PARTNER AGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTY, BECAUSE HIS ROLE IS TO BUILD THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT ALLOW THE DEPARTMENT TO SERVE VETERANS EFFECTIVELY. HE AND HIS DEPARTMENT ALSO ORGANIZE AND ATTEND EVENTS AND DIRECT SUPPORT OF EACH OF YOU AND YOUR CONSTITUENTS. THE PIP OVERLOOKS THE FACT THAT DURING KEITH'S TENURE, THE DEPARTMENT EXPANDED FROM ONLY TWO SERVICE LOCATIONS TO 10 ACROSS BEXAR COUNTY, SIGNIFICANTLY, SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASING ACCESS FOR THE VETERANS AND FAMILIES IT SERVES. THE PLAN ALSO SUGGESTS THAT HE DELEGATED RESPONSIBILITIES WITHOUT OVERSIGHT, BUT MANAGING A DEPARTMENT WITH MULTIPLE SERVICE LOCATIONS AND VAST OUTREACH FUNCTIONS REQUIRES DELEGATION AND THE RECORD SHOWS. THERE WERE WEEKLY LEADERSHIP MEETINGS, CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH HIS LEADERSHIP TEAM AND STRUCTURED OVERSIGHT ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT. AND TO OUR UNDERSTANDING, NEITHER KEITH NOR MEMBERS OF HIS LEADERSHIP TEAM WERE INTERVIEWED BEFORE THAT DETERMINATION WAS MADE. SO IT BEGS THE QUESTION, WHO DETERMINED THAT OVERSIGHT WAS NOT PROVIDED WITHOUT SPEAKING TO KEITH OR HIS TEAM MANAGER, OR, I'M SORRY, PERHAPS MOST CONCERNING. THE PLAN SUGGESTS HE FAILED TO ACT ON REPORTS OF MISCONDUCT. THE DOCUMENTATION SHOWS OVER THREE YEARS, HE REP REPEATEDLY ELEVATED CONCERNS THROUGH THE PROPER COUNTY CHANNELS, INCU, INCLUDING HUMAN RESOURCES, THE OMBUDSMAN COUNTY LEGAL, AND THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY MANAGER, AND IMPLEMENTED THE RECOMMENDATIONS THOSE OFFICES PROVIDED. EVEN THE PUBLISHED FINDINGS OF THE MOST RECENT INVESTIGATION, CREDIT KEITH WITH FORWARDING THOSE CONCERNS FOR EXTERNAL INVESTIGATION. THESE ARE NOT SMALL DISAGREEMENTS. THEY DIRECTLY COUNTER THE NARRATIVE THAT HAS BEEN CREATED PUBLICLY. BUT KEITH HAS CHOSEN TO REMAIN PROFESSIONALLY RESTRAINED AND PUBLICLY SILENT, WHILE THE FORMAL PROCESSES, INCLUDING AN ONGOING COUNTY INVESTIGATION AND COMPLAINT RECENTLY FILED WITH THE EEOC MOVE FORWARD. HE'S DONE THAT OUT OF RESPECT FOR THIS INSTITUTION AND THE PROCESS. BUT IT'S IMPORTANT. IT'S IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT MANY OF THE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THE ACTIONS TAKEN AGAINST HIM ARE ALSO THE SAME INDIVIDUALS NAMED IN HIS CHARGES OF RETALIATION AND DISCRIMINATION. THAT MAKES FAIRNESS AND TRANSPARENCY ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT, ENSURING THAT FAIRNESS IS A CHARGE THAT ULTIMATELY RESTS WITH YOU, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS OF THIS COUNTY. YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO ENSURE THAT DECISIONS ARE BASED ON THE ENTIRE RECORD AND TO ENSURE THE RESULTS ARE HANDLED FAIRLY. WHEN YOU LOOK AT KEITH'S RECORD, YOU SEE NEARLY 30 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP SHAPED BY SERVICE. FOUR YEARS AT WEST POINT AND MORE THAN 25 YEARS IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY. THAT KIND OF LEADERSHIP CARRIES A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, AND THE MILITARY LEADERSHIP MEANS TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR PEOPLE, ADDRESSING PROBLEMS [04:35:01] DIRECTLY, AND BUILDING TEAMS THAT ACCOMPLISH THE MISSION TOGETHER. THAT SAME PHILOSOPHY GUIDED HIS WORK HERE IN THE COUNTY. HIS OWN DEPARTMENT WILL TELL YOU THAT, AND MANY HAVE CONVEYED THOSE FEELINGS PUBLICLY IN FRONT OF THIS COURT AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA. THAT'S WHY SO MANY PEOPLE, BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT, HAVE REACHED OUT TO EXPRESS THEIR SUPPORT. THAT'S WHY WE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE HERE FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE WORKDAY, WANTING TO SPEAK ON HIS BEHALF. YOU'VE HEARD FROM SOME OF THEM, YOU'LL HEAR FROM A COUPLE OTHERS, BUT THERE ARE MANY MORE WHO SIMPLY COULD NOT BE HERE. IN AN ORGANIZATION WHERE BUREAUCRACY IS OFTENTIMES THE PRIORITY, MAYBE WE SHOULD TAKE PAUSE AND REFLECT. WHEN SOMEONE BRINGS A TRULY HUMAN-CENTRIC LEADERSHIP STYLE, IT MIGHT ACTUALLY DO ALL OF US A LITTLE BIT OF GOOD, BECAUSE THIS MOMENT IS ABOUT MORE THAN ONE DOCUMENT OR ONE NARRATIVE. IT'S ABOUT WHETHER NEARLY 34 YEARS OF HONORABLE SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP TO OUR NATION AND OUR COMMUNITY WILL BE WEIGHED, WEIGHED COMPLETELY AND FAIRLY. IT'S ABOUT RESTORING A CULTURE OF DIGNITY AND RESPECT TOWARD EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE ENTIRE INSTITUTION. AND IT'S ALSO ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO DEPEND ON THE WORK OF THIS DEPARTMENT, OUR COMMUNITY, THE SERVICE MEMBERS, VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES OF BAYER COUNTY DESERVE LEADERSHIP THAT IS FOCUSED ON SERVING THEM, NOT LEADERSHIP THAT BECOMES SIDELINED BY UNRESOLVED DISPUTES OR OVERLY BUREAUCRATIC PROCESSES. WE CANNOT NEGATE THE HUMAN FACTOR. AS A SISTER, I CAN TELL YOU THIS HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT FOR OUR FAMILY TO WATCH BECAUSE WE KNOW THE CHARACTER OF THE PERSON AT THE CENTER OF IT. WE KNOW THE INTEGRITY HE HAS CARRIED THROUGHOUT HIS ENTIRE LIFE AND CAREER. WE BELIEVE THAT IF THE FULL RECORD IS REVIEWED FAIRLY, THEN YOU WILL ALSO SEE THAT. AND WE ALL KNOW HOW DEEPLY HE CARES ABOUT SERVING THIS COMMUNITY AND THOSE WHO DEPEND ON THIS DEPARTMENT. SO TODAY, I SIMPLY ASK THIS, AS YOU CONTINUE TO REVIEW THIS MATTER, PLEASE APPLY THE SAME FAIRNESS AND DILIGENCE THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT IN ANY DECISION AFFECTING OUR COMMUNITY. LOOK AT THE ENTIRE RECORD. CONSIDER THE DOCUMENTED FACTS. SPEAK WITH THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED WITH KEITH, AND IF NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE, SPEAK WITH KEITH HIMSELF. IF YOU DO THAT, WE'RE CONFIDENT YOU'LL SEE THE SAME THINGS SO MANY OTHERS HAVE. THE BEST THING FOR THIS COMMUNITY AND FOR YOUR RESIDENTS WHO RELY ON THIS DEPARTMENT IS TO ALLOW KEITH WILSON TO DO WHAT HE HAS WANTED TO DO FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, AND THAT IS TO WORK SERVING BEXAR COUNTY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. HECTOR DOMINGUEZ. HECTOR. MR. YOUR HONOR, UM, IF YOU MAY GIMME A SECOND. SURE. I, I, I HAVE SOMETHING THAT I WROTE DOWN THAT I WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE TO SHARE FROM MY HEART. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. BEFORE I BEGIN, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT WE TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE TO HONOR THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR OUR COUNTRY. THANK YOU. AS A COMBAT VETERAN WHO SERVED FROM 2001 TO 2015 WITH THREE DEPLOYMENTS TO IRAQ AND ONE TO AFGHANISTAN, I CARRY WITH ME THE MEMORY OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHO NEVER MADE IT HOME. THESE WARRIOR GAVE EVERYTHING SO THAT WE COULD STAND HERE TODAY IN FREEDOM. SO AT THIS TIME, I ASK THAT WE BOW OUR HEADS AND OBSERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR OUR FELLOW HEROES. THANK YOU. WE WILL NEVER FORGET THEIR SACRIFICE. FOR MANY OF US VETERANS, THE BATTLE DOESN'T END WHEN THE UNIFORM COMES OFF. SOMETIMES THE HARDEST BATTLES ARE THE ONES WE FIGHT WITHIN OURSELVES. DURING MY DARKEST MOMENTS, I HELD ONTO THIS VERSE, MATTHEW FOUR 11, THEN THE DEVIL LEFT HIM AND ANGELS CAME AND ATTENDED HIM. MY WIFE ERICA, WHO HAS STOOD BESIDE ME THROUGH MY EVERY STEP OF THIS JOURNEY, THE TEAM OF WARRIOR'S HEART WHO HELPED ME FACE THE TRUTH AND BEGIN HEALING. AND THE INCREDIBLE LEADERS OF PEER SUPPORTERS FROM BEAR COUNTY SERVICES AND VETERAN TREATMENT COURT, ROGER, ALMA, KEITH, GINA, MICHELLE, AND THE ENTIRE TEAM WHO BELIEVE IN WHEN I WAS STILL TRYING TO BELIEVE IN MYSELF, WHO BELIEVED IN ME, WHEN I WAS STILL TRYING TO BELIEVE IN MYSELF BECAUSE OF THEM. I STILL STANDING HERE TODAY WITH THE MISSION TO REUNITE THE FLAME, NOT JUST IN MY LIFE, BUT IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS, OTHER VETERANS WHO MAY STILL BE FIGHTING BATTLES ONE NO ONE ELSE CAN SEE. BECAUSE WHEN WE COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY, WE [04:40:01] REMINDED EACH OTHER OF SOMETHING POWERFUL THAT NO VETERAN OR ANYBODY ELSE SHOULD FIGHT ALONE. AND I JUST CLOSED THIS, UM, WITH A LOT OF GRATITUDE. I APPRECIATE THE TIME TO SPEAK ON MY, MY BEHALF. IT'S BEEN A TRUE JOURNEY FOR MYSELF. AND I'M, I'M STILL PRACTICING WHAT I NEED TO PRACTICE TO STAY PRODUCTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY. I, I'VE LEARNED TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, THROUGH COMMUNITY, UNDER THE BRIDGE, ALL THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT I NOW HOLD VERY HUMBLE TO. AND I JUST ASK THAT INSTEAD OF BRINGING A A PROBLEM, LET'S BRING A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. AND FOR ME, IT'S US UNITING US. ONE, WE ALL HAVE A VOICE, BUT THEN WE ALL STOOD, STOOD UP TO DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, WHICH GIVE US THE CIVIL RIGHTS TO VOICE OUR CONCERNS. AND WE WE'RE OKAY TO VOICE 'EM. WE'RE OKAY TO HAVE EMOTIONS, BUT FOR ME, IT'S NOT OKAY TO STAY STUCK. I GOTTA PROCESS IT. AND THIS IS THE BEST WAY I CAN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT. AHMA ZUNIGA. GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, MY NAME IS ALMA SUNGA AND I'M A LICENSED MASTER SOCIAL WORKER. MY JOB IS TO SPEAK UP FOR THOSE WHO MAY HAVE, MAY NOT ALWAYS HAVE A VOICE. AND TODAY I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR BOTH OUR VETERANS AND THE LEADERSHIP THAT HAS HELPED US SERVE THEM EFFECTIVELY. THE NARRATIVE THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED ABOUT OUR DEPARTMENT DOES NOT REFLECT THE EXPERIENCE OF MAJORITY OF US WHO WORK DIRECTLY WITH VETERANS EVERY DAY. A SMALL GROUP OF EMPLOYEES DOES NOT REPRESENT THE ENTIRE STAFF IN BEXAR COUNTY MILITARY AND VETERAN SERVICES. THERE ARE MANY OF US WHO HAVE FELT SILENCED OR OVERLOOKED, BUT WHO FULLY SUPPORT THE LEADERSHIP OF BOTH KEITH WILSON AND NANCY TTA. THEIR LEADERSHIP HAS NOT JUST BEEN ADMINISTRATIVE, IT HAS BEEN TRANSFORMATIVE. NANCY TTA SECURED GRANTS THAT ALLOWED OUR DEPARTMENT TO, TO EXPAND SERVICES INCLUDING PEER SUPPORT AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR VETERANS IN NEED. KEITH WILSON'S LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY HELPED MOVE THOSE INITIATIVES FORWARD SO THEY COULD BECOME REAL PROGRAMS THAT DIRECTLY IMPACT VETERANS IN OUR COMMUNITY. BECAUSE OF THAT VISION AND COLLABORATION, WE HAVE SERVED OVER NEARLY 600 VETERANS THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS. THESE ARE REAL PEOPLE, VETERANS WHO NEEDED SUPPORT, CONNECTION, AND RESOURCES TO MOVE FORWARD IN THEIR LIVES. STRONG LEADERSHIP PROVIDES DIRECTION, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND THE ABILITY TO BUILD PROGRAMS THAT TRULY SERVE OUR VETERAN COMMUNITY. WITHOUT THAT LEADERSHIP, THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE AND THE SERVICES VETERANS RELY ON ARE AT RISK. I ASK THE FULL PICTURE BE CONSIDERED, INCLUDING THE VOICES OF THOSE OF US WHO SUPPORT THE LEADERSHIP THAT HELPED BUILD THESE PROGRAMS AND SERVE OUR VETERANS WITH DEDICATION. THANK YOU. A SERGIO JANAE. GOOD AFTERNOON JUDGE. COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. UM, AND JUST AS KEITH IS SERVING OUR COMMUNITY, I WOULD COME UP HERE AND ADVOCATE FOR ANY OF YOU IF YOU NEEDED IT AS WELL. I'M AN ADVOCATE FOR THE VETERAN COMMUNITY. I ADVOCATE FEDERALLY AND NATIONALLY. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE COME TO A COUNTY, UH, COURTHOUSE TO ADVOCATE. BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE JUST AS WE'RE SERVING OVER 150,000 VETERANS HERE IN BAYER COUNTY, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMEMBER THAT THESE COMMUNITY LEADERS, THESE VETERANS WHO ARE PUTTING, CONTINUING TO SERVE, ARE ALSO PROTECTED AND GIVEN THOSE PROTECTIONS. I WANNA KIND OF SHARE A STORY WITH YOU. A COUPLE, COUPLE DAYS BEFORE KEITH WAS PUT ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE, HE CAME AND MET WITH ME PERSONALLY TO DISCUSS THE, UM, SUICIDE OF ENRIQUE RAMOS AT THE VA. HE WANTED TO GET IDEAS FROM FELLOW COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WHICH ENDED UP RESULTING IN US, IN US BRINGING 50 COMMUNITY LEADERS TOGETHER SO THAT WE COULD DISCUSS THE ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING AT THE VA. UH, KEITH DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT. HE TOOK TIME. HE DIDN'T WANNA SIT BEHIND HIS HIS DESK AND JUST DO ADMINISTRATIVE WORK. HE WANTED TO GET OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND ACTUALLY SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING. UH, JUST LIKE KEITH HAS BEEN ADVOCATING FOR OUR VETERANS, AND HE MAKES SURE THAT THERE'S SWIFT ACTION BEING TAKEN WHEN THEY NEED SUPPORT, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT LENDS TO THE, TO THE SUICIDE PANDEMIC THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY. IT'S THE DELAYS. IT'S THE TIME THAT WE MAKE VETERANS WAIT FOR SERVICES TO HAPPEN. IT'S THE TIME THAT WE MAKE VETERANS WAIT TO SEE IF THEIR LIVE LIVELIHOOD IS GONNA BE ON THE LINE. KEITH HAS BEEN WAITING AS A VETERAN LIEUTENANT COLONEL OF THE ARMY. HIS LIVELIHOOD IS ON THE LINE. I'M AN ADVOCATE AND A MENTOR FOR KEITH. I HAVE PERSONALLY WITNESSED AS HIS MENTAL HEALTH HAS DEGRADED AN HONORABLE VETERAN IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO HAS CONTINUED TO SERVE. OKAY? SO I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR HIM JUST LIKE WE WOULD ANY OTHER 150,000 FAILING HIM. YOU'RE FAILING 150,000 VETERANS. YOU'RE SHOWING THE EXAMPLE TO OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW WE SUPPORT OUR VETERANS ON A GRAND SCALE. AND THIS IS TEARING OUR COMMUNITY APART. IT'S, IT'S CAUSING DISRUPTION IN THE COMMUNITY. THIS HAS TO BE RESOLVED. IT HAS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF SO THAT WE CAN START TO REBUILD THE TRUST OF BAYER COUNTY WITH YOUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS. [04:45:01] OKAY? THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE FOR. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, FA FAMILIAR FACES. I'VE SEEN YOU GUYS EVERYWHERE. SO APPRECIATE YOU GUYS AND THE WORK YOU'RE DOING. WE'VE GOTTA GET THIS RESOLVED AND WE'VE GOTTA GET KEITH BACK TO WORK BECAUSE HE DESERVES IT. JUST LIKE THE VETERANS HEAT SERVICES. OKAY, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, JIM BEKE, I BELIEVE THAT'S THE LAST ONE I HAVE SIGNED UP. IS ANYBODY ELSE SIGNED UP? GOTTA BE SIGNED UP. GO AHEAD, JIM. JUDGE COMMISSIONERS, UM, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. I'M JIM BETHKE. I'M SPEAKING AS A PRIVATE IN INDIVIDUAL US ARMY VETERAN AND A RESIDENT OF BEAR COUNTY. ALSO, LET ME BEGIN BY SAYING THAT I DO NOT KNOW THE FACTS SURROUNDING THE PERSONNEL MATTER BEFORE THE COURT TODAY. I AM NOT HERE TO WEIGH IN ON THAT PROCESS. I RESPECT THE COURT'S RESPONSIBILITY. I'M HERE FOR ONE REASON, AND IT'S TO SPEAK ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF MY FRIEND AND PROFESSIONAL COLLEAGUE KEITH WILSON, WHO JOINED THE COUNTY AROUND THE SAME TIME I DID ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO. I KNOW HIM PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY. WE'VE BECOME FRIENDS. WE'VE WORKED ON WORK MATTERS TOGETHER. WHEN ALMA GOT HIRED, HE'D REACHED OUT TO OUR OFFICE TO COORDINATE, UM, WHICH I APPRECIATED IS NOTED. HE'S A WEST POINT GRADUATE, HIGHLY DECORATED ARMY OFFICER, AND SOMEONE WHO HAS DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO SERVICE BOTH IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES AND IN THIS COUNTRY. IN BEAR COUNTY. HE HAS CARRIED THAT SAME COMMITMENT TO HIS WORK TO THE VETERAN COMMUNITY. UM, UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP, THE VETERAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAS EXPANDED, UM, ITS REACH ACROSS THE COUNTY WITH 10 SATELLITE OFFICES AND STRENGTHENED PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER BE COUNTY DEPARTMENTS AND NONPROFITS ADVOCATE GROUPS. BUT BEYOND HIS RESUME AND ACCOMPLISHMENT, WHAT MATTERS MOST IS THE CHARACTER THAT I'VE SEEN BOTH IN PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SETTINGS. IN THE ARMY, YOU LEARN VERY QUICKLY WHO YOU CAN TRUST WHEN THINGS GET DIFFICULT, YOU LEARN WHO YOU WOULD WANT BESIDE YOU WHEN THE STAKES ARE REAL. FROM EVERYTHING I HAVE SEEN BOTH PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY. HE IS A PERSON OF INTEGRITY, SOUND CHARACTER, AND DEEP COMMITMENT TO THE PEOPLE HE SERVES. BEAR COUNTY NEEDS PEOPLE LIKE KEITH WILSON OF THAT CHARACTER SERVING IN THIS COMMUNITY AND SERVING OUR VETERANS. AND IN THE ARMY WE JUDGE PEOPLE BY WHETHER WE WOULD TRUST THEM WITH OUR LIFE. I CAN TELL YOU WITHOUT HESITATION, I WOULD TRUST KEITH WITH MY LIFE. UM, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. OKAY. BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THE COURT HEARING? YEAH, JUDGE. YES. COMMISSIONER MOODY. UM, JUST A COUPLE WORDS. I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S, UH, TAKING THE TIME TO, UH, TO SPEAK TODAY. UM, I JUST WANNA SAY PERSONALLY, I I WISH WE WEREN'T, UH, HERE. UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT, UH, KEITH HAS DONE TO SUPPORT VETERANS IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND I SALUTE HIS SERVICE TO OUR NATION. UM, I HAVE TO MAKE A TOUGH DECISION THOUGH BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED TO ME. AND, UM, I HOPE, UH, KEITH KNOWS, UH, THAT I CARE FOR HIM AS A BROTHER IN ARMS AND AS A SHIPMATE. BUT, UM, WITHIN THE NAVAL ACADEMY AND WITHIN, UH, THE NAVY, WE HAVE A SAYING, SHIP SHIPMATE SELF. UH, THE IDEA BEING FIRST YOU HAVE TO PROTECT THE SHIP AND THEN YOUR BROTHERS AND THEN YOURSELF. AND, UH, ULTIMATELY I THINK THAT THAT LEADS ME TO A DECISION THAT I FELT MUST BE MADE TO PROTECT THE SHIP, THE ORGANIZATION, UM, WITH THIS VOTE. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA CALL FOR A VOTE, BUT I'D LIKE THE RECORD TO REFLECT THAT WE DID HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THE COURT. IT WAS AN EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER AGENDA ITEM 73 5 5 1 0.074 PERSONNEL MATTERS, THOSE LEGAL ISSUES IN REGARDS TO THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION. OBVIOUSLY, I WANT THE RECORD TO REFLECT THAT THOSE ISSUES ARE CONFIDENTIAL AND I'D ASK THE COURT TO BE PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL OF, OF THOSE LEGAL ISSUES. YES, MA'AM. I'M SORRY. UM, I SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. WHAT IS YOUR NAME? MICHELLE ALEXANDER. WHAT'S HER NAME? MICHELLE ALEXANDER. GO AHEAD. I APOLOGIZE FOR INTERRUPTING. UM, I DID JUST WANT THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE MY VOICE HEARD. GOOD AFTERNOON, JUDGE AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT. MY NAME IS MICHELLE ALEXANDER AND I AM A PROUD ARMY VETERAN. I RETIRED IN 2018 AFTER SERVING 25 AND A HALF YEARS AS A COMBAT MEDIC. DUE TO MY INABILITY TO CONTINUE PERFORMING MY MILITARY DUTIES, I RECEIVED A MEDICAL RETIREMENT PRIMARILY [04:50:01] FOR PTSD. MY TRANSITION INTO CIVILIAN LIFE WAS CHALLENGING AS I NO LONGER HAD THE SUPPORT OF MY MILITARY COMMUNITY. AND INTEGRATING BACK INTO SOCIETY WAS DIFFICULT FOR A LONG TIME. MY ONLY SUPPORT CAME FROM SPORADIC MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT THROUGH THE VA AND VERY LIMITED RESOURCES. IN FEBRUARY, 2025, I ATTENDED MY FIRST EVENT WITH BEXAR COUNTY VETERAN SERVICES. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, OUR PEER SUPPORT GROUP WAS FORMED. SINCE THEN, I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS ACTIVITIES SUCH AS EQUINE THERAPY, ART THERAPY, WEEKLY DOG WALKS, VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES, AND MOST RECENTLY A COMEDY SHOW. FOR MANY VETERANS LIVING WITH PTSD, IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO LEAVE HOME EVEN FOR SOMETHING ENJOYABLE. HOWEVER, THIS GROUP PROVIDES SOMETHING FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN FREE ACTIVITIES BETTER. UM, BEXAR COUNTY VETERAN SERVICES OFFERS VALUABLE RESOURCES, INCLUDING ASSISTANCE WITH MILITARY TRANSITION, HELP WITH VA DISABILITY CLAIMS, FINANCIAL GUIDANCE, AND CONNECTIONS TO EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATION. OUR PEER SUPPORT GROUP FOSTERS PEER-TO-PEER CONNECTIONS, NETWORKING AND A SAFE SPACE WHERE VETERANS CAN REBUILD THE CAMARADERIE SO MANY OF US LOSE AFTER LEAVING THE SERVICE. OUR GROUP INCLUDES VETERANS FROM ALL ERAS AND CONTINGENCIES, VIETNAM, THE PERSIAN GULF, IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, AND EVEN SOME WHO ARE STILL SERVING. IT HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY SINCE I JOINED, AND WE WELCOME NEW MEMBERS DAILY IN A COMMUNITY OF MORE THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND VETERANS. THERE ARE ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF SUPPORT GROUPS THAT TRULY CARE. PROGRAMS LIKE THIS ARE NOT JUST HELPFUL FOR MANY OF US. THEY ARE ESSENTIAL. DUE TO MY LEADERSHIP QUALITIES, EMPATHY, AND MY PASSION FOR HELPING OTHERS, I WAS CHOSEN TO SERVE AS A PEER MENTOR WITHIN THE GROUP. THE POSITIVE IMPACT THIS PROGRAM HAS HAD ON ME PROVIDES ME THE MOTIVATION TO REACH OUT TO OTHER VETERANS, SHARE MY STORY, AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO CONNECT WITH THESE RESOURCES. WHAT BEXAR COUNTY VETERAN SERVICES PROVIDES IS MORE THAN JUST ASSISTANCE. IT PROVIDES HOPE, CONNECTION, AND A PATH FORWARD FOR VETERANS WHO MAY OTHERWISE FEEL ALONE. SO I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU TAKE ALL OF THIS INTO CONSIDERATION AS YOU EVALUATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BEARER COUNTY VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE POSITIONS THAT MAKE THIS WORK POSSIBLE. THE SUPPORT THEY PROVIDE TRULY CHANGES, AND IN SOME CASES SAVES THE LIVES OF MANY VETERANS IN OUR COMMUNITY. TO INCLUDE MY OWN THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I WILL CALL FOR THE QUESTION AND ASK FOR THE VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTION? MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL GO BACK. LET'S GO BACK TO THE, UH, LET'S TAKE UP THE LATE FILE. IS THERE A MOTION FOR LATE FILE OF ITEMS? AGENDA ITEM 66, 67 AND 68. MOVE MOVED BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CALVERT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? SECOND BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED, ALL THOSE ABSTENTION [66. Discussion and appropriate action related to granting an exception to Administrative Policy 1.2 to authorize the consideration of the following late filed Agenda Item #66a. a. Discussion and appropriate action regarding approval of a professional services agreement between Bexar County and Chris Robichaux for strategic communications, media relations and community engagement services on behalf of the Office of the County Judge for a term to commence on March 10, 2026, and end on June 30, 2026, in the amount not to exceed $56,000.] WE'LL TAKE UP NOW. 66 A. WHAT'S THAT? YEAH. OKAY. HOLD ON. LET ME LOOK. WE'RE GONNA, THESE WILL BE REAL QUICK. UH, DISCUSSION. APPROPRIATE ACTION REGARDING APPROVAL OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BETWEEN BEX COUNTY, CHRIS ROBO FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS, MEDIA RELATIONS, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY JUDGE FOR TERM TO COMMENCE ON MARCH 10TH, 2026. AND ON JUNE 30TH, 2026 IN THE AMOUNT, UH, NOT TO EXCEED 56,000. THIS IS, UH, UH, UH, A CONTRACT EMPLOYEE THAT WE HAVE WORKED OUT AND HAVE THE CONTRACT APPROVED BY LARRY, CORRECT? YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT. AND I'M ASKING FOR APPROVAL. IS THERE A MOTION? MOTION MOTION BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ? THERE? SECOND. SECOND THERE. SECOND. SECOND. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MOODY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? SIGNAL. I SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTION? MOTION CARRIES. WE'LL [67. Discussion and appropriate action related to granting an exception to Administrative Policy 1.2 to authorize the consideration of the following late filed Agenda Item #67a. a. Discussion and appropriate action regarding approval of subdivision plat# CP202515 within the Extra Territorial Jurisdiction of the City of St Hedwig: ECISD Elementary No. 10, owner: East Central ISD, Nearest Intersection: F.M. 1346 and Dabbling Road: Southwest, not within the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. Precinct Number 4.] TAKE UP 67. A DISCUSSION AND APPROPRIATE ACTION. APPROVAL OF SUBDIVISION PLAT CP 2 0 2 1 5 15 WITHIN THE EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OF THE CITY OF ST. HEDWICK, E-C-I-S-D ELEMENTARY, NUMBER 10, OWNER EAST CENTRAL ISD NEAREST INTERSECTION, FM 1346, DABBLING ROAD, SOUTHWEST. NOW WITHIN THE EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE ZONE PRECINCT NUMBER FOUR. COMMISSIONER CALVERT. IS THERE A MOTION? MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CALVERT? SECOND. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION? SECOND, I SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTION? MOTION CARRIES ITEM 66 A [68. Discussion and appropriate action related to granting an exception to Administrative Policy 1.2 to authorize the consideration of the following late filed Agenda Item #68a. a. Discussion and appropriate action related to a professional services agreement with Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody for certain legal representation of Bexar County, Texas in the matter of State of Texas v. Bexar County, et al. in the amount of $50,000, without further amendment of the agreement.] 68. A [04:55:01] DISCUSSION APPROPRIATE ACTION RELATED TO A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH GRACE DOUGHERTY, HER AND MOODY FOR CERTAIN LEGAL REPRESENTATION. BERK COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF STATE OF TEXAS VERSUS BERK COUNTY IN THE AMOUNT OF 50,000 THOUSAND, $50,000 WITHOUT FURTHER AMENDMENT OF THE AGREEMENT. MR. ROBESON, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANNA PUT ON RECORD? UH, NO SIR. THIS IS RELATED TO THE STATE OF TEXAS. UM, OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE HANDLING SOME APPELLATE WORK FOR US RELATED TO THAT VERY IMPORTANT, UH, LITIGATION ON THE COUNTY'S BEHALF FOR THE IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES CONTRACT. SO MOTION TO APPROVE. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. SECOND. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CALVERT. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? SECOND BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSITION? ANY ABSTENTION? MOTION CARRIES. I BELIEVE. OH, NO, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE INDIVIDUALS WE, WE STILL WANT. SO WE, WE'RE NOT AT THE END GUYS, BUT LET'S TAKE UP [64. Discussion and appropriate action regarding direction to staff to identify funding in the amount of $1,700,000 for possible land acquisition of 2.4595 acres at 715 Chestnut Street and develop framework for an agreement with Prima Materia LLC to assist in the development of 134 units of affordable housing, including allocating $2,800,00 from Precinct 4 Capital Funds for a total project amount of $4,500,000.] ITEM 64, AN INDIVIDUAL DISCUSSION. APPROPRIATE ACTION REGARDING DIRECTION OF STAFF TO IDENTIFY FUNDING THE AMOUNT OF $1,700,000 FOR A POSSIBLE LAND ACQUISITION OF 2.4595 ACRES AT 7 1 5 CHESTNUT STREET AND DEVELOP FRAMEWORK FOR AN AGREEMENT WITH PREMIUM MATERIAL LLC TO ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF 134 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, INCLUDING ALLOCATING 2,800,000 FROM PRECINCT FOUR CAPITAL FUNDS FOR A LOCAL PROJECT IN THE AMOUNT OF $4,500,000. COMMISSIONER CALVERT. THANK YOU, JUDGE. UM, I THINK ROB KILLEN IS GONNA COME UP AND PRESENT. I THINK THERE'S BEEN A FOLDER, UH, PART OF THIS 1.7 MILLION IS AS A RESULT OF ARPA FUNDING, UH, THAT DURING THE PANDEMIC WAS SET ASIDE FOR THE PURCHASE OF THIS LAND. BUT BECAUSE OF THE DECEMBER 31ST, 2024 DEADLINE, UH, WE PUT THAT INTO REVENUE RECAPTURE. AND WHILE IT HAS BEEN UTILIZED ON OTHER HOUSING PROJECTS, UH, IT IS PART OF OUR CARRYOVER. SO I'LL ASK, UH, ROB TO, UH, TO PLEASE MAKE A PRESENTATION FOR US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, COMMISSIONER CALVERT, UH, JUDGE SKY, UH, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ AND COMMISSIONER, UH, MOODY WHO'S JOINING US REMOTELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE HAD A LONG DAY AND I WILL KEEP MY COMMENTS BRIEF. BUT I AM ROB KILLEN. I'M AN ATTORNEY WITH THE LAW FIRM OF KILLEN GRIFFIN AND FAIRMONT. OUR ADDRESS IS 1 0 1 0 1 REUNION PLACE IN SAN ANTONIO. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM WHO'S DEVELOPING THE RESIDENCE AT BROOKLYN AVENUE. I'M JOINED BY CARL GAMBOA AND KEN LOWE. YOU GUYS WAVE, YOU CAN STAND, WAVE. UH, WE ARE HERE, UH, ASKING FOR SOME ASSISTANCE. WE'RE ACTUALLY THOUGH NOT ASKING YOU TO COMMIT A SINGLE PENNY TODAY. WE'RE ASKING YOU TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP SO THAT WE CAN COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT HOW THE COUNTY CAN PARTICIPATE. I WANNA START, FIRST OF ALL BY THANKING EACH OF YOU. I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE HAD, UH, FOCUS ON EACH OF YOUR TEAMS TO LOOK AT HOW YOU'VE DEDICATED TIME TO LOOK AT THIS. I APPRECIATE THAT INVESTMENT OF YOUR TIME AND ENERGY. UH, I WANNA ALSO THANK YOU IN GENERAL AS A COURT FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BOTH THROUGH YOUR WORDS AND YOUR ACTIONS AND THROUGH YOUR ADOPTION OF POLICY AND THROUGH PRIOR ALLOCATIONS OF DOLLARS TO ACTUALLY SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I ALSO WANNA THANK THE COUNTY TEAM THAT HAS BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO IF WE MOVE FORWARD TODAY. BET THIS ISSUE IN PARTICULAR SUMMER, GREAT HOUSE, ROBERT RENA, AND OF COURSE, UH, DAVID SMITH AND HIS TEAM. WE APPRECIATE THAT. AND FINALLY, I WANNA THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE SENT LETTERS IN SUPPORT DENVER HEIGHTS, DIG, WHITTY HILL, VELOCITY, TEXAS SAGE, AND, UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVE BARBARA GERBERT HAWKINS HAWKINS, WHO HAVE ALL SENT IN LETTERS OF SUPPORT. YOU SHOULD HAVE COPIES OF THOSE LETTERS. IF NOT, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE ON THE RECORD. AND SO WE HAVE A PRESENTATION TODAY. I'M GOING TO USE SOME OF IT IF I CAN DO THIS. UH, BUT, UH, THERE HAS BEEN A MULTIPLE ITERATIONS OF A PRESENTATION THAT HAVE FLOATED AROUND. AND SO SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU MAY HAVE SEEN IS OUTDATED OR INACCURATE. SO WE'RE NOT REALLY GOING TO FOCUS ON THE PRESENTATION. I'M GONNA USE A FEW SLIDES OUT OF IT JUST TO ORIENT YOU TO THE PROPERTY. SO THE PROPERTY IS A TRIANGULAR SHAPED PIECE OF LAND THAT IS LOCATED NEAR THE HAY STREET BRIDGE. SO IT'S, IT'S FOUNDED BY BROOKLYN AND HAYES AND CHESTNUT JUST EAST OF I 37. IT'S IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, ZONE D, WHICH AS THE DOWNTOWN ZONING, WHICH MEANS YOU CAN DO, UH, RESIDENTIAL AT, AT HIGH DENSITY. SO FROM A LAND USE PERSPECTIVE, THIS FITS IN NICE. UH, IT IS AN AFFORDABLE, IT'S A 4% LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT DEAL. WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH, UH, THE STATE ON THIS. 134 UNITS. A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THESE UNITS ARE AFFORDABLE, INCLUDING 14 THAT ARE AT THE 30% OF AREA MEDIAN INCOME, WHICH IS THAT DEEPLY AFFORDABLE CATEGORY UP TO THE THE 80%. SO, UH, LIKE I MENTIONED, WE'VE GOT SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM HERE. UH, FOUR STORY, 134, UH, UNITS. IT IS A 4% LITECH DEAL. UM, [05:00:01] I'M GOING TO SKIP OVER. I DO WANT TO, UH, NOTE THIS THOUGH, THAT THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH POLICY THAT THE COUNTY HAS ADOPTED PREVIOUSLY. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL. BUT AGAIN, THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT, UH, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. I DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT THE TRANSACTION ITSELF TODAY, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY IS WE ARE ASKING YOU NOT TO ACTUALLY COMMIT DOLLARS, BUT TO ALLOW US TO GO IN WORK WITH THE COUNTY AND DISCOVER WHERE IN THE BUDGET WE CAN HELP COVER THE, UH, GAP. SO WE'RE ASKING THE COUNTY IN GENERAL TO HELP US COVER THE 4.5, 4.5 MILLION, THE 4.8 MILLION PURCHASE PRICE, WHICH IS SOMETHING THIS COUNTY HAS NEVER DONE, BUT IS CERTAINLY CONSISTENT WITH POLICIES THAT YOU HAVE ADOPTED AND THINGS WORK PLACES WHERE YOU HAVE PARTICIPATED BEFORE IN PROJECTS. BUT AGAIN, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS THERE IS $2.8 MILLION IN THE PRECINCT, FOUR CAPITAL FUNDS THAT THOSE WERE DOLLARS THAT WERE ALREADY EARMARKED THE REMAINING 1.7 MILLION OF THAT. WE'D LIKE TO WORK WITH COUNTY STAFF TO HELP DETERMINE WHERE THAT IS AND IF THAT MAKES SENSE. AND THEN COME BACK TO YOU, COME BACK TO YOU AT YOUR NEXT MEETING AND LAY OUT THE CASE TO USE THOSE DOLLARS. WALK THROUGH ALL OF THE ECONOMICS AND ALL THE FINANCIALS FOR THIS PROJECT. THE REASON WE'RE HERE TODAY, AND THE REASON THERE IS SOME SENSE OF URGENCY, IS THAT OUR TEAM HAS A PROPERTY UNDER CONTRACT AND THERE IS AN APRIL 15TH CLOSING DATE. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE SEEKING SOME DIRECTION FROM THE COURT TODAY. BUT WE COME BACK AND ASK FOR FINAL APPROVAL ULTIMATELY AT YOUR NEXT MEETING, WHICH WOULD BE THE 31ST, THE LAST DAY OF THE MONTH. UH, COUPLE OF CONDITIONS. ONE, OF COURSE, WE'VE GOTTA WORK WITH COUNTY AND DETERMINE WHERE THAT 1.7 IS IN THE COUNTY BUDGET. WE THINK IT'S THERE. WE THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE ALREADY THOUGHT ABOUT. AND, UH, TWO IS WE NEED A GENERAL PARTNER FOR THIS DEAL. SO IT CAN BE A TAX EXEMPT PIECE OF PROPERTY. AND SO THAT'S ON US TO HELP IDENTIFY THAT GENERAL PARTNER AND COME BACK WITH A COMMITMENT ON THE GENERAL PARTNER TO COME BACK AND ANSWER ANY OUTSTANDING FINANCIAL QUESTIONS AND WALK THROUGH THE DEAL AGAIN WITH COUNTY STAFF AND YOUR OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS, HAVING LOOKED THROUGH ALL OF THE DEAL POINTS AND THEN IDENTIFYING WHERE THAT ONE POINT, WHERE THAT 1.7 COMES OUT IN THE BUDGET. SO AGAIN, WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU TO COMMIT A SINGLE DOLLAR TODAY. WE'RE ASKING FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING AND PRESENT THIS WITH THOSE QUESTIONS ANSWERED. SO THAT I'LL CONCLUDE MY REMARKS AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, COURT, I'LL, UH, I'LL BE BRIEF. I THINK, UH, ROB, FOR HIS CLARITY ON, ON TODAY. UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, SINCE DECEMBER WE'VE, WE'VE SOUGHT FEEDBACK FROM ALL OFFICES ABOUT HOW CAN WE MAKE SOMETHING WORK THAT HELPS US WITH OUR S-A-I-S-D BASEBALL AGREEMENT. I WANT TO THANK YOU, JUDGE, FOR NEGOTIATING THAT. UH, I THINK COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, YOU ALSO WERE A BIG PART OF THAT. UM, AND WE BELIEVE THAT THIS PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT COULD BE A PART OF THAT LEGACY THAT, THAT WE LEAVE AS A COURT. AND WHAT I'M ASKING THE COURT TO CONSIDER IS OUR PRECEDENT. WE DO HAVE SOME PRECEDENT WHEN A DEVELOPER HAS A DEADLINE. WE HAVE WORKED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY TO KEEP THE FIRST STEP MOVING. AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT, AS ROB MENTIONED, THIS IS, UH, MOVING IN A FIRST STEP TO KEEP THE DEAL MOVING. UH, THE, THE DEVELOPER IS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO THIS COMMUNITY, IS COMMITTED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, HAS COMMITTED SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN EARNEST MONEY TO DO THIS AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT. AND WHAT THE, WHAT THE MOVEMENT FORWARD DOES IS INCORPORATE, I THINK BOTH THE SENTIMENT OF, OF, OF YOU JUDGE AND YOU COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ WITH RESPECT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE, GETTING A NONPROFIT PARTNER THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE FINANCE IN LIKE A HOUSING TRUST OF SAN ANTONIO OR OPPORTUNITY HOME OR ANY NUMBER, UH, THAT THAT, THAT THE PURCHASE WOULDN'T MOVE FORWARD UNTIL THOSE THINGS WERE DONE. UM, BUT I WANT TO GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES JUST SO IT, IT, YOU KNOW, IT BECOMES CLEAR AND IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S SO OUT OF LEFT FIELD FOR THE COURT TO KEEP THE BALL MOVING. SO WHEN WE'VE HAD A DEVELOPMENT DEADLINE AND, AND BEEN ASKED TO KEEP THE PROCESS FORWARD, WE'VE DONE THAT, UH, EVERY TIME WE DO AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING APPLICATION TO THE STATE FOR TAX CREDIT. SO WHEN WE FIRST GIVE OUR CLEARANCE THIS, THE DEVELOPERS COME TO THIS COURT AND THEY SAY, THIS IS NOT COMMITTING YOU TO APPROVE THIS PROJECT. THIS ALLOWS THE, THE US TO STAND IN LINE FOR THIS. AND SO WE GRANT THAT PROVISIONALLY TO STAND IN LINE. UM, ALSO, WE'VE DONE THIS, UH, WHEN WE'VE DONE PITS, UH, WHEN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS AN AGENDA ITEM AND THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT THE COUNTY, UH, YOU KNOW, IS GOING TO APPROVE IT. WE, WE LOOK AT WHAT THE CITY'S TIMELINE IS AND WE WILL SAY, OKAY, WE'LL PUT IT ON THE AGENDA TO MOVE [05:05:01] THAT FORWARD. UM, WE'VE ASSISTED WHEN WE'VE HAD, UH, A CELL AND A REASSIGNMENT AND A DEVELOPER NEEDED TO REASSIGN THE TAX ABATEMENT THAT WE MAY HAVE, AND THEY HAVE A CLOSING DEADLINE. AND SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE WORKED WITH THOSE DEVELOPERS ON THAT. AND THEN OF COURSE, THE SPURS AGREEMENT WAS ONE WHERE THEY COMMITTED 1.5 BILLION FOR PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT. BUT ALL OF THE DETAILS OF, YOU KNOW, WHO'S GONNA PARTNER ON WHAT BUILDINGS AND WHAT PARCELS, THAT WASN'T FULLY TOGETHER. BUT WE WENT AHEAD, THEY WANTED TO DO A MAY ELECTION, WE WENT AHEAD AND MOVED THAT FORWARD. SO THE, WE HAVE THIS APRIL 15TH DEADLINE, UH, THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO US. AND THIS VOTE HELPS, UH, TO, UH, KEEP THE STAFF LOOKING AT THE IDENTIFICATION OF FUNDS. UM, AND IT ALSO PROTECTS THE INTERESTS. THE COUNTY IS NOT HELD LIABLE FOR OPERATIONS OF THE DEVELOPMENT. THERE, THERE, THERE'S NO, UH, UH, IF WE PUT IN THE, THE PROTECTIONS OF THE MOTION. UM, NOW FOR CONTEXT SAKE, WELL, OUR COUNTY HASN'T DONE THIS. DALLAS COUNTY HAS, UH, HARRIS COUNTY, TARRANT COUNTY, JEFFERSON COUNTY, ATASCOSA WEBB, HI DOGGO, CAMERON, VAL VERDE, SAN MARCOS, FORT WORTH, AND EVEN POLK COUNTY HAVE DONE SIMILAR DEALS. AND THE STATE, THE STATE HAS SOMETHING CALLED THE STATE OF TEXAS STATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CORPORATION, WHICH HAS LAND BANKED. SO AGAIN, THE DEVELOPER IS NOT HOLDING THE ACCOUNTABLE, THE COUNTY LIABLE FOR MANAGEMENT, MAINTENANCE AND OTHER OPERATIONS TO PROPERTY AND FOR ASSISTING IN THE FINANCIAL TRANSIT IN TRANSACTION. AND POTENTIALLY THE COUNTY CAN BENEFIT BY RECEIVING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR ASSISTANCE WITH THE PAYMENT THAT WE CAN PUT INTO OTHER PROJECTS. UM, AS I'VE MENTIONED TO SOME OF YOU, UH, I HAVE TO PROTECT THE TAXPAYERS AS WE ALL DO. LET'S JUST SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THAT, UH, THAT WE'VE GIVEN A ONE YEAR PERIOD FOR THIS GROUP TO GET ALL OF THE DUCKS IN A ROW. UH, WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY DON'T? UH, SO TO THAT QUESTION, ONE IS THE COUNTY CAN DO AN RFP AND HAVE ANOTHER NONPROFIT DEVELOPER DEVELOP IT. TWO, IF THERE ISN'T ANOTHER NONPROFIT DEVELOPER, UH, THAT THE COUNTY COULD SELL IT. HERE'S THE GOOD THING ABOUT THE APPRAISAL. WE HAVE OUR, WE HAVE OUR RISK MANAGEMENT AND LAND, UH, FOLKS HERE. I'M NOT SURE, I CAN'T SEE WHERE THEY ARE, BUT THEY'RE SOMEWHERE BACK, UH, HERE. UH, THE APPRAISAL THAT WE'RE BUYING IT FOR 700,000 LESS THAN IT'S APPRAISED FOR UNDER THIS PRICE, IT IS APPRAISED AT $5.3 MILLION. UH, AND THEY HAVE HAD OFFERS BASICALLY ALL THE WAY UP TO, UH, WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT TODAY, ALL THE WAY UP TO ABOUT $4.4 MILLION. UM, SOME OF THOSE ARE, ARE FAIRLY ACTIVE. THE THE OWNER IN DALLAS HAS HAD THIS LAND FOR SOME TIME, BUT THEY WANTED TO GO TOWARDS AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS PART OF THEIR FAMILY LEGACY. THEY DON'T NECESSARILY WANNA DO A HOTEL, UH, OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE. NOW, WITH RESPECT TO THE MARKET ABOUT THE SALE, THERE IS, IN OUR BACKGROUND PACKETS, THERE IS A 29 PAGE COMMERCIAL REPORT FROM SIDIO COMMERCIAL BROKERAGE. AND IN THAT REPORT, THEY CALLED THIS QUOTE, ONE OF THE MOST COMPELLING URBAN INFILL REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE SAN ANTONIO METRO AREA END. SO IN CONTEXT, OUR INVESTMENT IN THE ARENA, UH, IN THE, IN THE ARENA, UH, IS GOING TO STIMULATE A LOT OF HOUSING. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST GENTRIFIED NEIGHBORHOODS IN SAN ANTONIO. THAT'S DENVER HEIGHTS, AND THAT'S WHY DIGNA, WITTY HILL, THE STATE REP, AND SO MANY OTHERS HAVE WRITTEN IN SUPPORT BECAUSE THIS COUNTERBALANCES THAT UPWARD PRESSURE ON HOUSING COSTS, UH, BY PUTTING SOMETHING COMMISERATE WITH WHAT THE COMMUNITY CAN AFFORD. UM, AT 30% TO 70% A MI THERE IN MY 12 YEARS ON THE COURT, THERE ARE VERY FEW DEEPLY AFFORDABLE PROJECTS THAT COME THIS CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING. UM, AS I WENT YESTERDAY BY THE PROPERTY, I NOTICED THAT ABUTTING THE PROPERTY WERE TENTHS HOMELESS CAMPS. UH, THERE WERE ALL KINDS OF HOMELESS FOLKS THAT WERE ABUTTING THE PROPERTY. THIS HELPS OUR COMMUNITY, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WITH OUR UNHOUSED. UH, THIS, SOME OF THE FOLKS, UH, DEPENDING ON THEIR CIRCUMSTANCE, MAY BE ABLE TO HAVE AN APARTMENT AT THIS LOCATION. UM, AND I THINK IT HELPS THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH RESPECT TO, UH, THE CHALLENGES OF THAT PARTICULAR PARCEL. SO, UM, THE, THE REPORT ALSO INDICATED THAT IT WOULD TAKE 12 MONTHS OR LESS IF WE HAD TO SELL IT, UH, BASED UPON THE MARKET DATA AND THE [05:10:01] CURRENT, UH, UNSOLICITED OFFERS THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN. UH, BUT THE, I THINK THE REASON TO KEEP THE BALL ROLLING IS REALLY THAT WE HAVE, AND WE ARE GOING TO INCREASE HOUSING COSTS THROUGH THE STIMULUS MONEY THAT WE'VE PROVIDED FOR THE ARENA. AND I THINK IT HELPS US FULFILL OUR AGREEMENT WITH THE S-A-I-S-D AROUND THE STADIUM AND THE, AND THE S-A-I-S-D SERVICE ZONE. SO, UM, I KNOW AFFORDABILITY IS A TOP ISSUE FOR EVERY MEMBER OF THE COURT. UM, I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR THE FEEDBACK BECAUSE ALL THE FEEDBACK HAS MADE THIS PROCESS BETTER. ALL THE STAFF HAVE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH TALKING THROUGH THIS, AND I THINK WE'RE AT A VERY GOOD POINT. I THINK WE'RE AT A MUCH BETTER POINT. UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED TO PUT THIS IN CONTEXT THAT THIS IS, UH, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE, UH, THAT WE REALLY HELP SOME OF THE FALLOUT OF THE INCREASE IN HOUSING THAT WE'RE SEEING WITH GAS PRICES AND MATERIALS COSTS, AS WELL AS A LOT OF INVESTMENT IN DOWNTOWN. SO, UM, I YIELD THE FLOOR FOR ANY QUESTIONS TO ROB THE DEVELOPERS. NOW, ONE THING I DO WANNA SAY ABOUT THE DEVELOPERS, SOMETIMES PEOPLE CAN'T HEAR YOU UNTIL, YOU KNOW, UNTIL THEY KNOW YOU. AND I MUST SAY, UM, I DIDN'T, UH, REALLY KNOW MR. GAMBOA, BUT I HAVE TOLD HIM I HAVE BEEN, UH, APPRECIATIVE AND THANKFUL FOR HIS INCREDIBLE SERVICE TO SAN ANTONIO. I DON'T KNOW HOW WE DIDN'T REALLY COME ACROSS EACH OTHER'S PATH BECAUSE WE'RE BOTH TRYING TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY IN SIGNIFICANT WAYS. BUT I JUST WANT THIS COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT, UH, MR. GAMBOA, UH, HAS PUT TOGETHER A NUMBER OF MULTIFAMILY, UH, APARTMENT COMPLEXES. SOME OF THOSE DID HAVE TAX EXEMPT BONDS TIED TO THEM, ALL OF THEM WENT FORWARD WITHOUT A HITCH. UH, HE IS, UH, SERVED ON FIVE OR SIX BANK BOARDS, UH, AS A DIRECTOR. UM, BUT I THINK THAT PERHAPS AMONG DOING MEDICAL FACILITIES AND HOUSING FACILITIES, IT'S HIS CHARITABLE AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHICH GOES FROM, YOU KNOW, THE ALAMO BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION TO, YOU KNOW, THE WHEELCHAIRS FOR WARRIORS, UH, TO THE SUNSHINE COTTAGE, TO SAM MINISTRIES, SALVATION ARMY PROJECT MEN. THERE'S OVER 25, UH, NONPROFITS HE HAS SERVED, UH, AND HELPED. AND THAT'S, THAT'S AN UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF, OF, OF SERVICE. UH, IN ADDITION TO HELPING THE FIRST HISPANIC OWNED, UH, INVESTMENT BANKING SOUTHWESTERN CAPITAL MARKETS, ROBERT RODRIGUEZ, GOOD FRIEND OF MINE. UM, AND SO I JUST WANNA SAY THAT THAT'S A LOT OF GOOD FOUNDATION UPON WHICH TO WORK WITH AND, AND, AND, UH, AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR PUTTING IN THIS SERVICE ONCE AGAIN TO THE COMMUNITY. AND SO, UM, I'LL LEAVE IT OPEN FOR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, JUDGE. JUDGE, UM, BEFORE WE START, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR OUR FEDERAL FRIENDS, THAT ARPA WAS EXPENSED COMPLETELY. THERE ARE NO CARRYOVER FUNDING, SO THAT JUST IN CASE OUR FEDERAL FRIENDS ARE WATCHING, THERE'S NO RECAPTURE THAT WE RECEIVE. AND TINA, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE VERIFY THAT THAT ARPA WAS FULLY EXPENSED, THAT THERE'S NO CARRYOVER FUNDS, SO THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOES NOT ASK US TO REPAY. UM, THANKS. IS THAT CORRECT, THOMAS? YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. I, I AGREE WITH YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. YEAH, WE CAN MOVE ON. LEAVE IT TO THE LAWYERS. THANK YOU, LARRY. UM, SO LET ME, LET ME JUST ASK SOME QUESTIONS AND I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO TRY TO BE HELPFUL HERE AND BE SUPPORTIVE. I KNOW I, I THINK I UNDERSTAND WHAT COMMISSIONER CALVERT WANTS TO DO, BUT I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS, UM, A LITTLE UNCONVENTIONAL AND MAYBE EVEN UNPRECEDENTED IN TERMS OF THE WAY THAT WE'VE DONE PROJECTS HERE IN THE PAST. UM, SO LET ME UNDERSTAND, I GUESS THE, I KNOW YOU GUYS MET WITH MY STAFF AND I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT LET ME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND, ROB. UM, CURRENTLY AS THE PROPERTY SITS, UM, IT IS OWNED BY WHO? IT'S OWNED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, CORRECT. SO SELLING, SO, SO OUR CLIENTS, COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, OUR CLIENTS HAVE THE PROPERTY UNDER CONTRACT WITH A, THEY'VE EXTENDED AND THEY'VE EXTENDED IT AS WE'VE WORKED THROUGH THIS PROCESS OKAY. WITH A HARD AND FAST APRIL 15TH CLOSING DATE. AND, AND YOUR, YOUR CLIENT ROB IS MR. GAMBOA. OKAY. MR. GAMBOA, MR. HIS DEVELOPMENT GROUP, YES. OKAY. AND, UH, THE COMMITMENT IS THAT THEY'RE ASKING THE COUNTY TO TAKE, UM, I MEAN, LET'S BE HONEST, SOME, SOME DEGREE OF RISK IN PURCHASING THE PROPERTY TO ASSIST WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF, UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY UNITS. 134. OH 34, YES. UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS. IS THAT RIGHT? SO OUR ASK TODAY IS NO RISK TO THE COUNTY. OUR ASK TODAY IS LET US MOVE FORWARD WITH STAFF TO VET THIS OUT, AND WHEN WE COME BACK YES, THAT WILL BE OUR ASK. SO, SO IF YOU'RE SATISFIED WITH THE DEAL POINTS, SO, SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD CLARIFICATION. YEAH. SO WHAT PREVENTS YOU FROM CONTINUING TO WORK WITH STAFF [05:15:01] AND BRING US A, A NICER, YOU KNOW, MORE WELL-VETTED, UH, PROJECT ON MARCH 31ST? SO, SO GREAT QUESTION. AGAIN, UH, ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ARE GREAT. , THESE QUESTIONS ARE GREAT. UH, SO THE, THE 2.8 MILLION FROM THE PRECINCT FORD CAPITAL FUNDS, THAT'S REALLY ALREADY EARMARKED FOR THESE KINDS OF PROJECTS. YEAH. IT'S THE 1.7 MILLION. SO IT, IT WOULD BE HARD TO GO TO DAVID AND SAY, HEY, LET'S START DIGGING THROUGH YOUR BUDGET WITHOUT DIRECTION FROM THE COURT THAT WE WANT YOU TO DO THIS. I'M NOT GONNA PUT WORDS IN ANYONE'S MOUTH, BUT AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S REALLY TO INDICATE DIRECTION. NOW. IT'S SOMETHING NOT, WE DON'T DO VERY OFTEN WITH COMMISSIONER'S COURT. WE DO THIS IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS ALL THE TIME, PARTICULARLY SMALLER CITIES WHERE WE GO AND WE SAY, LOOK, WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING TONIGHT. YEAH. BUT WE WANT YOU TO GIVE DIRECTION SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD. THAT'S REALLY ALL WE'RE ASKING FOR. YEAH. TODAY. SO, SO I GUESS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS MAYBE MORE FOR DAVID, AND I'M NOT, I GUESS EXPECTING YOU TO COME UP WITH A, A LIST NOW, BUT POTENTIALLY THIS WOULD BE, UH, SOMETHING MAYBE WE LOOK AT THE, THE, UH, HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION, IF THAT WAS A POSSIBILITY. WE DO NOT HAVE THAT KIND OF CAPACITY THAT I RECOLLECT IN THE HFC. UM, AND EVEN IF WE DID, UH, THIS WOULD PROBABLY CONSUME MOST OF THAT CAPACITY. UH, SO THAT'S, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A CONCERN. NOT YOUR PROBLEM, ROB. THAT'S OUR, OUR PROBLEM. BUT THAT IS A, UH, FUND THAT WE'VE SAID, UM, TYPICALLY IN MOST CASES TO PROVIDE KIND OF LAST MILE GAP FUNDING FOR PROJECTS. RIGHT? SO, UM, AGAIN, NOT, NOT YOUR ISSUE, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO CONSIDER IS, UH, AS A POSSIBILITY. BUT, BUT IT IS YOUR ISSUE. WE OBVIOUSLY WANNA WORK COLLABORATIVELY AND HELP YOU IDENTIFY THOSE FUNDS. AND IF HSC CAN'T GET THERE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S ONE THING. IF THERE'S A WAY THEY COULD GET THERE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT TOO. OKAY. BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO TAKE THE TIME REALLY TO VET. THE, THE OTHER, UH, QUESTION I HAVE IS, UM, I SAW IN THE, I GUESS THE PRESENTATION PUT TOGETHER, UM, THAT ONE OF THE DEAL POINTS OF THE PROPOSED STRUCTURE IS THAT YOU WOULD BE WORKING MAYBE WITH THE HFC AS THE BOND ISSUER OR A SIMILAR ENTITY. SO, SO THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD DO. THAT'S THE OTHER THING WE WOULD DO BEFORE WE COME, BEFORE YOU AGAIN, IS IDENTIFY THAT GENERAL PARTNER AND IDENTIFY THE BOND ISSUER. SO, LIKE I SAID, SOME OF THE DEAL POINTS, SOME OF THE TRANSACTIONAL PIECES IN THE PRESENTATIONS, THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT ITERATIONS OF PRESENTATIONS MAY BE OUTDATED. BUT AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE A SOLID ANSWER BEFORE WE APPEAR IN FRONT OF YOU AGAIN. WHO, WHO ARE THOSE GROUPS THAT, THAT WE COULD GO TO? SO THEY'RE, UH, OPPORTUNITY HOME, WHICH IS THE OLD SAN ANTONIO HOUSING AUTHORITY. NOW, OPPORTUNITY HOME SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST, ARE BOTH GREAT EXAMPLES OF PARTNERS THAT COULD, IF THEY WERE PART OF THE DEAL, COULD MAKE A TAX EXEMPT. OKAY. YEAH. UM, I GUESS THE OTHER, THE OTHER, UM, ASSUMPTION, I GUESS IT, IT GOES HAND IN HAND IN TERMS OF WHAT I COULD PICK UP FROM THE, THE PRO FORMA, IS THAT THE ASSUMPTION IS THE, THE, THE PARTNER, LIKE THE HFC YES. UH, TO MAKE THIS WORK, UM, THE, THE 100% PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION TO MAKE THE YES. ECONOMICS WORK. RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT. OKAY. AND THAT'S WHY AGAINST DIFFERENT CONVERSATION, BUT HFC IS THE MOST NATURAL PARTNER. YEAH. FOR THIS, IT MAKES THE MOST SENSE. BUT, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE WILLING TO WORK, UH, WITH, WITH THE ENTIRE TEAM TO FIGURE THAT OUT. OKAY. BUT YES, IT'S GOTTA BE TAXED. ARE THERE ANY OTHER SIMILAR, UH, SIMILARLY SITUATED PARTNERS THAT YOU VISITED WITH YET ON, UH, POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIPS? SO, SO AGAIN, GREAT QUESTION. AND SO GETTING DIRECTION FROM THE COURT TODAY ALLOWS US TO APPROACH THOSE PARTNERS, RIGHT? AND SAY, LOOK, COMMISSIONER'S COURT IS, IS WILLING TO CONSIDER IT. THEY'RE ALREADY, THEY'RE WILLING TO DO THE DEEP DIVE INTO THE DEAL POINTS. NOW, WE'D LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER THIS AS A PARTNERSHIP. OKAY. SO IT'S, IT'S A CHICKEN AND EGG QUESTION, COMMISSIONER. SO, AND, AND LOOK, I'M, I'M SENSITIVE TO THE FACT THAT YOU GUYS HAVE A DEADLINE. I GET THAT. UM, THAT'S WHY I'M TRYING TO, I'M TRYING TO GET THERE, UH, TO BE SUPPORTIVE. IT'S JUST VERY, IT'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF DEAL. AND UNLIKE, UH, SOME OF THE EXAMPLES, COMMISSIONER THAT YOU MENTIONED, WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO HELP WITH DEADLINES, UM, YOU KNOW, A, A, UH, RESOLUTION TO GET IN LINE FOR BONDS, A DIFFERENT SCENARIO FROM A LIABILITY WISE THAN PICKING UP, UH, UH, A PIECE OF PROPERTY, RIGHT. WHERE WE'VE GOT SOME, SOME LIABILITY. UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S A CONCERN. UM, I, I GUESS, LET ME ASK, UM, I KNOW I SAW, I MEAN, I KNOW SUMMER'S HERE, BUT SUMMER, YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT AS ENGAGED IN THIS YET BECAUSE IT'S NOT COME. WELL, AND I, AND I LOOKED AT YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE A HOUSING, UH, LAWYER, UM, AND WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO VISIT, BUT I DON'T WANNA PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT I I HAVE YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, TO KIND [05:20:01] OF VET THIS AND GIVE US AN, AN IDEA OF, 'CAUSE IT IS, WOULD YOU AGREE DIFFERENT THAN SOME OF THE STUFF WE'VE DEALT WITH IN THE PAST? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. AND SO IN THE PAST, WHAT THE HFC HAS HISTORICALLY, THE, THE ROLE IN WHICH THE HFC HAS HISTORICALLY SERVED IS AS BOND ISSUER ONLY. OCCASIONALLY THEY PROVIDED GAP FUNDING. AND, UM, WHEN WE COME TO YOU, RIGHT, AND I, I'M VERY CLEAR IN OUR PRESENTATIONS WHEN WE COME TO GET IN LINE, THAT IS A NON-BINDING RESOLUTION. YOU HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DEAL UNTIL WE GET ALL THE DEAL TERMS FIGURED OUT AND EVERYBODY'S READY TO COME IN WITH THEIR MONEY AT THE END. AND THEN WE COME BACK TO YOU AND WE SAY, HEY GUYS, WE'VE VETTED THE DEAL. WE'VE LOOKED AT ALL OF THE TERMS, WE'VE NEGOTIATED ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS, ALL OF THE DEAL POINTS, AND THEN NOW IT'S TIME TO APPROVE THIS PROJECT. SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT ROLE IN THAT WE'RE HAVING TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS OR ASKED, YOU'RE BEING ASKED TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS BEFORE WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO DO THAT. I KNOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOOKING TO DO HAVE A THREE WEEK PERIOD. UM, WE'RE NOT, I'M NOT GONNA HAVE FINAL DOCUMENTS IN THREE WEEKS. WE HAVEN'T EVEN SUBMITTED THIS DEAL WAS INDUCED BY YOU ALL, UM, PREVIOUSLY WITH A DIFFERENT DEVELOPER. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THE TEXAS BOND REVIEW BOARD DOES NOT ALLOW THAT TO BE TRANSFERRED. GOTCHA. SO WE WILL HAVE TO COME, I WILL HAVE TO COME BACK TO YOU, WE'LL HAVE TO REINDUCE IT WITH THE HFC BEING THE BOND ISSUER, UM, AND THEN WE'LL RESUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO THE TEXAS BOND REVIEW BOARD, GET BACK IN LINE, HOPEFULLY GET THAT MONEY AND THEN START THE PROCESS. RIGHT. SO IT IS THE CLOSING THAT'S HAPPENING ON APRIL 15TH IS NOT THE BOND AND TAX CREDIT CLOSING WHERE WE ARE. RIGHT. ACTUALLY, IT'S PURCHASE OF THE LAND TO START THAT PROCESS. YEAH. AND, AND TO BE CLEAR, UM, SINCE YOU BROUGHT UP THAT OTHER, UM, SCENARIO, THAT WAS AN INDUCEMENT RESOLUTION JUST TO GET IN LINE, UM, IT WAS NOT A SCENARIO LIKE THIS WHERE WE'RE BEING ASKED TO PURCHASE LAND. CORRECT. IT WAS A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT SCENARIO. WELL, THE, THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS PASSED BY THE, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY DISCUSSION OR ANY OTHER ACTION. YEAH. BUT THE DIS THE, THE ACTION THAT THE HFC TOOK WAS STRICTLY AS THE BOND ISSUER. OKAY. OKAY. AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD SOME INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS AMONGST THE COURT AND STAFF ABOUT, UM, LAND BANKING, UM, AS A, AS A GOAL, AS A STRATEGY. UM, WE'VE NOT YET WORKED WITH YOU ON A FRAMEWORK WITH, FOR THAT OR, UH, WITH, WITH, UH, WITH STAFF OR I SEE ROBERT IN THE BACK. UM, SO THAT, THAT'S THE OTHER THING THAT'S, UH, MAKING ME A LITTLE BIT UNEASY IS, LOOK, THIS COULD BE A PROJECT THAT IS PERFECTLY SUITED FOR WHAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH, BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT DISCUSSION AND SET THOSE PRIORITIES NOR FRAMEWORK. UM, AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I I'M, I'M TRYING TO, TO TO GET WHERE TO A POINT WHERE I'M COMFORTABLE, I WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THEY CAME BACK WITH THIS TIED UP WITH A BOW ON IT MARCH 31ST, UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GET THERE, COMMISSIONER, BUT, BUT JUST BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THIS BEING A LITTLE BIT, UM, NOT A LITTLE BIT SIGNIFICANTLY, UH, DEPARTURE FROM WHAT WE NORMALLY DO, UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD SUPPORT IT TODAY. UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT A FEW MORE WEEKS TO, TO TRY AND FIGURE IT OUT. IT'S, IT'S YOUR CALL. BUT THAT, THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHT. AND THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS I HAVE ABOUT THE PROJECT. MR. MOODY, ARE YOU STILL WITH US? NO. IS HE GONE? YEAH, I'M, I'M HERE. UH, NO COMMENTS. SO LET ME ASK SUMMER OR COMMISSIONER MOODY, DID YOU HAVE, DID YOU HAVE QUESTION? NO QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY. THE, THE WORD LIABILITIES, WED IN HERE. SO THAT'S WHERE I'M AT. SO WHEN YOU TELL ME JUDGE JUST DOESN'T HAVE PRECEDENCE, SO TO SPEAK, AT LEAST WITHIN THE HSC. CORRECT. SO, SO TO THE LAY PERSON, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT TYPICALLY REGULAR COURSE OF SCOPE, ALL THE I'S WOULD BE DOTTED T'S CROSSED PAPERWORK, THE SALE WOULD BE OF COMPLETED, EVERYBODY'S FINANCING WOULD BE LINED UP, AND THEN WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD. IS THAT WHAT YOU REPRESENTED IN THE GENERAL WAY? I'M JUST TRYING TO GET TO THE CLARITY OF WHAT YOU WERE SAYING. SO THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS, AND I CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE REPRESENTING AS COUNSEL. CORRECT. SO THE HFC PREVIOUSLY, WHEN WE COME TO ISSUE BONDS AND FINALIZE A PROJECT, EVERYTHING HAS BEEN NEGOTIATED. WE'RE AT THE BEGINNING. THIS [05:25:01] IS THE VERY BEGINNING OF, OF THE PROJECT. THAT'S TYPICALLY THE VERY END. SO, RIGHT. SO AGAIN, WE, I HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T EVEN INDUCED THIS PROJECT YET, WHICH IS THE VERY BEGINNING. AND I COME HERE AND I SAY, THIS IS AN NON-BINDING INDUCEMENT. WE'RE JUST COMING, WE'RE JUST GETTING IN LINE. WE ARE AT THAT POINT IN THIS PROJECT, RIGHT? THE, I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE TERM SHEETS FROM THEIR DEBT AND THEIR EQUITY, AND THEY'VE GOT A LOT OF FOLKS ON BOARD. THEY'VE DONE, UH, SOME DILIGENCE, THEY'VE DONE SOME ENVIRONMENTAL WORK ON THE PRO, THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF, OF THE LEGWORK. BUT WE HAVEN'T STARTED NEGOTIATING AND WE HAVEN'T NEGOTIATED DEAL POINTS. WE DON'T KNOW WHO THE GENERAL PARTNER IN THE PROJECT'S GOING TO BE. WE DON'T THE CO THE HOUSING TRUST AND OPPORTUNITY HOME AND THE HFC, WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THE, THE PARTIES AREN'T FULLY BAKED AT THIS POINT. SO THE, THE REAL, YOU, YOU MENTIONED THE WORD LIABILITY, THE, THE LIABILITY IS, IS PURCHASING THE PROPERTY AND THEN THE DEAL FALLING APART. AND COMMISSIONER CALVERT SPOKE TO THAT, THAT THERE ARE POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES TO EITHER DEVELOP THE LAND THAT THE COUNTY CAN TAKE ON, YOU COULD SELL THE LAND. THO THOSE ARE BUSINESS DECISIONS THAT AREN'T LEGAL DECISIONS THAT I CAN ADVISE YOU ON. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DETERMINE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COUNTY WANTS TO UNDERTAKE THROUGH A POTENTIAL KIND OF LAND BANKING PROGRAM THAT WOULD BE OPERATED UNDER THE HFC. UM, AND SO THAT, THAT'S NOT, WE'RE NOT TYPICALLY AT THAT POINT, WE'RE NOT BEING, YOU'RE NOT BEING ASKED TO DO THAT TYPICALLY. BUT THAT'S THE REAL LIABILITY IS, IS THAT ASPECT OF IT, IS THAT THE PROJECT DOESN'T GO THROUGH OR THAT WE ARE TRYING TO NEGOTIATE THE PROJECT AND THERE ARE, UH, TERMS THAT THEY PUT IN THE DEBTOR EQUITY PUT INTO THE PROJECT THAT THEN WE SAY, OKAY, WELL WE WANNA PARTICIPATE IN IT. WE ALREADY HAVE FOUR AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN THE PROJECT, BUT THESE OTHER TERMS AREN'T ACCEPTABLE TO US, BUT WE ALREADY HAVE FOUR. SO THERE, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S KIND OF A, A, A, YOU'RE BEING PUT IN A POSITION WHERE YOU ALREADY HAVE MONEY IN THE DEAL, AND SO YOU'RE NEGOTIATING POINTS. OUR NEGOTIATING STRENGTHS MAY NOT BE AS STRONG IF YOU DECIDE TO SERVE AS A GENERAL PARTNER OR YOU DECIDE TO SERVE AS A, AS A BOND ISSUER, BECAUSE YOU, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK TO, TO ROBERT AND TO THE OTHER FOLKS IN, IN THE COUNTY WHEN WE'RE NEGOTIATING THESE CONTRACTS. AND THAT'S GOING TO BE A DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, WHICH IS, WELL, HEY, WE ALREADY HAVE SOME MONEY IN THE DEAL, SO ARE WE WILLING TO TAKE LESS ON THE TERMS THAT WE WOULD NORMALLY NEGOTIATE VERY HARD ON, BECAUSE NORMALLY YOU DON'T HAVE ANY SKIN IN THE GAME WHEN WE GO INTO THESE NEGOTIATIONS. RIGHT. SO I'M ABLE TO NEGOTIATE VERY, VERY HARD ON YOUR BEHALF BY SAYING, LOOK, MY CLIENT IS A GOVERNMENT ENTITY. THEY DON'T ACCEPT ANY LIABILITY AND THIS IS THE WAY IT'S GONNA BE. OR YOU CAN GET ANOTHER ISSUER, AND BY THE WAY, NO ONE ELSE CAN ISSUE THE BONDS IN THIS SITUATION. RIGHT. SO THAT GIVES US A VERY, VERY STRONG NEGOTIATING POINT. THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS I'M CONCERNED ABOUT AS COUNSEL FOR THE HFC, IS NOT BEING ABLE TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE I FEEL LIKE I HAVE THAT SUPER STRONG NEGOTIATING STRENGTH. OKAY. I HOLD ON MR. CO. MM-HMM . FOR EXAMPLE, WE MADE A BIG, WE MADE A DECISION TODAY BASED ON THE RODEO AND THE NON-BINDING MOU, WHICH DID NOT REALLY CREATE ANY LIABILITY, BUT IT GAVE US THE FRAMEWORK OF HOW THE COUNTY HAD SALE WERE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD SO THAT NOBODY CLAIMS THAT THEY WERE MISLED OR THERE WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING. CORRECT. THAT'S THE REASON WHY YOU DO MMOU OR SOME TYPE OF NON-BINDING AGREEMENT. SO EVERYBODY WORKS IN GOOD FAITH. CORRECT. BECAUSE WHEN THESE DEALS BREAK APART, THAT'S WHEN LAWSUITS HAPPEN, DON'T THEY? SUMMER? CORRECT. AND SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW, DO WE? WE DON'T. I MEAN, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD WORK TO DO. THREE WEEKS, I WILL TELL YOU IS NOT A LOT OF TIME. UM, WE'VE HAD, WE HAD A MEETING WITH, UM, WITH THE, THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM AND, AND I WAS ASKED, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO? AND, AND MY RECOMMENDATION IS MORE TIME WOULD GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO THINK THROUGH. THERE ARE, THERE ARE ISSUES THAT WHEN AN A GOVERNMENT ENTITY, AND, AND I KNOW THAT THEY MENTIONED HARRIS COUNTY DOING THIS, I REPRESENTED HARRIS COUNTY WHEN THEY PUT IN, UM, $120 MILLION OF ARPA FUNDING INTO A KIND OF LAND BANKING PROGRAM THAT WE THEN CLOSED PROJECTS ON, UM, IN RAPID SUCCESSION. THERE ARE, THERE ARE CONCERNS THAT, THAT WE WERE GONNA HAVE WITH YOU GUYS PUTTING SUCH A BIG INVESTMENT INTO THIS PROJECT THAT WE WANNA HAVE THE TIME TO WORK THROUGH AND THINK THROUGH THAT, THAT WE CAN PROTECT YOUR INTERESTS IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE. AND SO, YES, WE CAN, WE CAN WORK TO TRY TO DO THIS IN THREE WEEKS. UM, I WILL DO MY BEST IF THAT IS THE DIRECTION THAT IS GIVEN. BUT I WANT TO ALSO SET EXPECTATIONS THAT THIS IS A REALLY FAST TIMELINE. SO IS THAT WHY I HEARD THE REFERENCE TO ARPA MONEY BASED ON THE POSS NO DIFFERENT. NO, THAT WAS, THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT, THIS IS, AND THIS IS WITH RESPECT TO [05:30:01] HARRIS COUNTY. OKAY. THERE, THERE WAS A, A MENTION THAT HARRIS COUNTY HAS ENGAGED IN THIS TYPE OF INVESTMENT. AND THEY HAVE, AND AND I, I WAS THE ONE WHO HELPED NEGOTIATE THOSE PROJECTS. YOU MADE REFERENCE TO, THERE WAS APPARENTLY THIS PRO, THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY HAD A PRIOR DEVELOPER THAT DIDN'T FOLLOW THROUGH. SO AGAIN, THERE'S, THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT THESE PROJECTS COME TO BE CORRECT. THESE, THESE PROJECTS ARE EXTREMELY, EVERY TAX CREDIT DEAL THAT COMES BEFORE YOU IS AN EXTREMELY COMPLICATED WEB OF, OF RELATIONSHIPS AND, AND MONEY AND LEGAL TERMS. THESE DEALS ARE INCREDIBLY COMPLICATED. THEY'RE 150 TO 200 ILLEGAL DOCUMENTS THAT WE REVIEW AND NEGOTIATE. THAT'S WHY Y'ALL MAKE SO MUCH MONEY, HUH, . THAT'S WHY WE DON'T HAVE ANY PERSONAL LIVES, BUT IT'S, THEY'RE VERY COMPLEX TRANSACTIONS. AND SO BY THE TIME THAT WE GET HERE TO, TO THE END, IT'S, THERE'S A LOT THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN FIGURED OUT BEHIND THE SCENES AND THEY'RE JUST VERY DIFFICULT TO CLOSE. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK OUT LOUD, WE WE USUALLY HAVE STAFF INVOLVEMENT IN THIS. CORRECT. SO I WANT, USUALLY WE GET A REPORT WHETHER THEY SUPPORT, DON'T SUPPORT OR TAKE A, WELL, SUMMER IS OUR STAFF. I MEAN, ON, ON THE, I'M I'M YOUR OUTSIDE COUNSEL. I'M NOT COUNTY STAFF, ROBERT. SO I DON'T KNOW IF, IF, CAN I, CAN I HOLD ON. I ASK, DO YOU THINK APRIL 14TH, WHICH IS OUR COMMISSIONER'S COURT MEETING BEFORE THE, THE DEADLINE THAT GIVES AN ADDITIONAL SI BASICALLY I GUESS SIX PLUS WEEKS. UH, IS THAT A BETTER TIMELINE TO TRY TO TIE UP SOME OF THE LOOSE ENDS? IT IS, IT IS A BETTER TIMELINE AND I THINK IT DOESN'T REMOVE SOME OF THE ISSUES, BUT IT IS A MUCH BETTER TIMELINE IN TERMS OF, I MEAN, AGAIN, THE MORE TIME THAT WE CAN GET TO KIND OF THINK THROUGH WHAT THE ISSUES ARE AND ADDRESS THOSE, NOT ONLY WITH THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM. 'CAUSE I THINK THAT YOUR DEVELOPMENT TEAM IS EXTREMELY, IS EXTREMELY, UM, MOTIVATED AND HAS SHOWN THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO WORK AND MOVE FORWARD IF DO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE REQUESTED. UM, BUT THEY'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES INVOLVED. WE ALSO HAVE A, A BANK THAT'S GONNA BE LENDING AND WE HAVE A, UM, AN INVESTMENT, UH, ORGANIZATION THAT'S GONNA BE PROVIDING THE EQUITY ON THIS. AND THEY'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE TO SIGN OFF ON IT. THEY CAN, THE DEVELOP DEVELOPERS, WE GET AN MOU WITH THE DEVELOPER, THEY CAN AGREE TO THINGS ALL DAY LONG. AND THIS HAPPENS, WE GET AN MOU ON A DEAL MOVE FORWARD, AND THEN IT, ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BANK SAYS, YEAH, NEVERMIND. WE, WE CAN'T DO THAT. THAT DOESN'T WORK FOR US. AND THEN SUDDENLY THE DEAL THAT I ALREADY HAVE SIGNED WITH THE DEVELOPER, I'M HAVING TO GO BACK AND OKAY, LIKE, HOW CAN WE THINK THROUGH THE, THE BANK WHO HAS $20 MILLION IN THIS DEAL, HE WHO HAS THE GOLD MAKES THE RULES. WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND ACCOMMODATE THAT WITH OUR PUBLIC ENTITIES. SO THOSE TYPES OF THINGS ARE THE THINGS THAT I JUST WANT YOU GUYS TO BE AWARE OF IN TERMS OF THIS. BUT NOT THAT IT'S NOT DOABLE, NOT THAT THE RISK IS INSURMOUNTABLE, BUT THERE IS RISK. LET ME ASK YOU JUST REAL QUICK ABOUT THE, UH, THE WHOLE POOL. THERE AREN'T AS MANY PROJECTS HAPPENING. WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF, UH, SEEING A DECREASE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS. I THINK I HEARD EIGHT MAYBE FROM THIS REGION, OR MAYBE THERE'S EIGHT PLUS SLOTS OR I, BUT IT MAYBE IT WAS FOUR. MAY A RELATIVELY GOOD PROBABILITY THAT THE STATE WOULD, EVEN IF WE GO INTO THE BACK OF A LINE, STILL A GOOD PROBABILITY OF THAT FINANCING. AND THEN I THINK THE DEVELOPER HAS DONE SOME WORK WITH, UM, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ARM OF BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY AND PRIVATE BANKING TO GET LOAN APPROVAL. SO I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THEM ON THAT. BUT JUST, I WANNA, I WANNA UNDERSTAND THE MARKET. 'CAUSE I THINK ONE OF THE BAD THINGS ABOUT THE YEAR WE'RE IN IS WE ARE NOT SEEING A LOT OF DEVELOPERS INTERESTED AS MUCH AS PAST YEARS AND WE HAVE RISING COSTS, AND THAT IS POTENTIALLY GOING TO LEAD TO MORE UNHOUSED OR HOUSING AND SECURITY ISSUES. SO CAN YOU JUST TALK TO US ABOUT THE MARKET THEN, IF I COULD? AND THEN BOOM, BRO, ROBERT IN, I WANT TO ASK THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY ABOUT THEIR, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, UH, THE DEVELOPER ABOUT THE FINANCING COMMITMENTS THAT THEY HAVE. YES. SO I'LL ADDRESS, UM, THE, THE MARKET WITH RESPECT TO THE TEXAS BOND REVIEW BOARD, WHICH IS THE LIST THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO. UM, WE, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2019 THAT IT HAS NOT BEEN OVERSUBSCRIBED, WHICH MEANS MORE PROJECTS ARE SEEKING TAX EXEMPT BONDS THAN THERE IS VOLUME CAP AVAILABLE AT THE STATE LEVEL. SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO, IF THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY RIGHT NOW, A DEAL WILL FALL OUT AND IT WILL GET FUNDED WITHIN, WITHIN A SHORTER AMOUNT OF TIME, UNLIKE THE PAST FIVE YEARS WHERE WE'VE HAD MAJOR ISSUES GETTING, IN FACT, SOME PROJECTS JUST NEVER GOT FUNDED THOSE YEARS. SO I THINK THAT IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A FUNCTION OF DEALS ARE MUCH HARDER TO DO INTEREST RATES, CONSTRUCTION COSTS, AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, UM, THE RENT MARKET SOFTENING IN TEXAS, UM, AS WE'VE SEEN LESS MIGRATION TO TEXAS, UH, THE RENT MARKETS HAVE SOFTENED. AND SO THAT'S WHERE, AND THAT, WHAT THAT DOES IS THAT MEANS RENTS ARE COMING DOWN NATURALLY WITHOUT HAVING ALL OF THE, UM, SUBSIDIES AND, AND TOOLS. US HAVING TO, TO INCENTIVIZE HOUSING AS MUCH, BECAUSE [05:35:01] WE'VE BUILT A LOT AND LESS PEOPLE ARE COMING TO TEXAS, DOESN'T MEAN THERE'S NOT STILL A NEED, BUT IT IS A SOFTER MARKET COMMITMENT THAT, UH, YOU ALL HAVE FROM THE, OKAY. WHOEVER CAN SPEAK TO THAT. YOU, YOU'VE GOT SOME, AND LEMME JUST SAY SUMMER, WE'VE HAD AT LEAST TWO OR THREE MEETINGS WITH, WITH YOU. AND THEN, UM, I KNOW ROBERT WAS OUTTA THE OFFICE FOR SOME WEEKS DUE TO A FAMILY, UH, MATTER. BUT, UM, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF MEETINGS WITH THE, WITH, WITH YOU. OKAY. SO I JUST WANT TO CLEAR THAT UP. JUDGE, I'D, I'D LIKE TO RESPECTFULLY CALL THE QUESTION, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE QUESTION IS, BUT I, I WANT ROBERT, ROBERT, GIVE US A REPORT. I THINK YOU HAVE TO RESPOND TO CALL WITH THE QUESTION. RIGHT? LET ME, LET ME HAVE, ROB, I, I ASK THAT HE SPEAK. GO AHEAD, ROBERT. I'M SORRY, JUDGE, WHAT WAS THE QUESTION? WHAT'S YOUR, WHAT'S YOUR, WHAT'S YOUR RECOMMENDATION? UM, MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT, UH, STAFF, UH, CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THE PROPOSAL WITH CAREFUL ATTENTION TO THE FINANCING ASSUMPTIONS AND OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE IF THE COURT WISHES TO PROCEED. STAFF RECOMMENDS ENSURING THAT ALL FINANCING GAPS ARE RESOLVED IN KEY STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS, INCLUDING PARTNERSHIP ROLES AND FEE STRUCTURES ARE CLEARLY DEFINED PRIOR TO ANY TRANSFER OF FUNDS. UM, AND GIVEN THAT THIS INVOLVES, UM, BUYING THE, UM, BUYING THE LAND ON THE FRONT END, I ALSO RECOMMEND, UM, THAT WE CONSIDER THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF POTENTIAL LAND BANKING. SO ESTABLISHING A LAND BANKING, UH, POLICY, UM, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE, UM, CONCERNS THAT COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, UM, BROUGHT UP. THANK YOU. I CAN SUPPORT THAT. ALRIGHT. I THINK COMMISSIONER MOODS CALLING FOR A QUESTION. IS THERE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR? WELL, CAN I CAL TAKE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION, STAFF RECOMMENDED MOTION. I'D LIKE TO MOVE THE, UH, AFOREMENTIONED MOTION BY ROBERT. ALL RIGHT. THERE'S A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CALVERT. KEEP EXPLORING, TRYING TO WORK ON THE DETAIL THERE A SECOND. SO, JUDGE, I, I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR FOR THE, THE MINUTES WHAT THE MOTION THAT WAS MADE, JUST WHAT IS THE MOTION? IT SOUNDED TO ME, IT SOUNDED TO ME, ROBERT, I'M SORRY TO PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, BUT YOU GAVE TWO DIFFERENT SCENARIOS, UM, ONE RECOMMENDATION, BUT THEN YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT, BUT IF, UH, THE COURT DECIDES TO, TO MOVE FORWARD X, Y, AND Z. SO THAT'S WHY I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED HOW WE WOULD MAKE THAT IN THE FORM OF A MOTION. SO MAYBE YOU CAN REPEAT, UH, WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT SO ADDITIONAL TIME TO EVALUATE THE, THE STRUCTURE. OKAY. BUT SIMULTANEOUSLY EXPLORING THIS AS A LAND BANKING OPPORTUNITY. SO WE'D ALSO CONSIDER DRAFTING A LAND BANKING POLICY. SO, SO COMMISSIONER THAT WAS NOT BEFORE THE COURT. YEAH, THAT WAS NOT RELATED. SO THAT I THINK WOULD BE OUTSIDE, THAT WAS NOT GERMANE TO THIS ISSUE. IF THE COURT STAFF WANTS TO DO THAT AND BRING IT BACK, THAT'S FINE. I, I AGREE WITH THIS. I'M GONNA SUSTAIN THAT POINT OF POINT OF ORDER. SO WE'RE NOT GOING ON THE LAND BANK UNLESS WE WANT TO DEFER THIS AND BRING IT BACK. WELL, I WOULD SAY JUDGE, AND WE CAN SKIP THE LAND BANK PART, BUT THE MOTION WAS TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ANALYSIS FROM STAFF ABOUT THE DEAL. AND THAT'S, THAT IS, UH, ON THE, FOR THE COURT'S CONSIDERATION. AND SO TO THAT END, I'D LIKE TO OFFER THAT IN THE FORM OF A MOTION, MOTION ABOUT COMMISSIONER CALVERT. SO JUDGE, JUST TO BE CLEAR EXACTLY WHAT MOVING FORWARD MEANS, I DON'T, A LACK OF CLARITY HAS BEEN A PROBLEM. SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN MOVING FORWARD? YOU WANNA JUST BRING IT BACK IN TWO WEEKS OR THREE WEEKS OR? YES, I THINK IF WE NEED TO GET A STAFF EVALUATION AS TO CAN WE BRING IT BACK IN THE MARCH 31ST OR THE APRIL 14TH MEETING WITH THE DETAILS HAMMERED OUT? I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S BASICALLY THE, THE I WHAT I TAKE, ROBERT, I THINK I'M INFERRING, I DON'T WANNA PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, BUT I THINK ROBERT IS SAYING THIS IS STARTING TO GET, UH, YOU KNOW, SHORED UP. WE'RE GETTING CLOSER TO HAVING SOME DETAILS. THERE ARE A FEW DETAILS THAT ARE OUTSTANDING. WE SHOULD KEEP GOING TO WORK THROUGH THOSE DETAILS SO THAT IF THOSE ALL THINGS THAT PROTECT THE COUNTY SHORE UP, THEN WE MAY HAVE A, A, AN OPPORTUNITY APRIL BY APRIL 14TH TO VOTE ON IT. AND SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE DIRECTION, THE STAFF TO KEEP NEGOTIATING AND WORKING THROUGH THE DETAILS WITH THE DEVELOPER. THAT'S, IS THAT ALONG THE LINES OF PROB MOTION? I THINK THAT'S FAIR. OKAY. SO THAT, HOLD ON. LET, LET'S GET LAWYERS WAY IN. LAWYERS. SO JUDGE, HAVING A DEAL FINISHED BY THE 14TH IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WORKING THROUGH MEANS. SO I, I WANT TO GET THE COURT'S INTENT IF YOU WANT THE STAFF TO KEEP EXPLORING [05:40:01] OR DO YOU WANT A FINAL DEAL ON THE 14TH? THOSE ARE VERY 2D TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. WAIT, IT DOESN'T MATTER TO ME, IT'S TO THE COURT. I WANNA BE SURE AND CAPTURE THE COURT'S INTENT. IF YOU WANT STAFF TO HAVE A FINAL DEAL ON THE 14TH PROPOSAL DEAL, THAT'S FINE. I THINK IF YOU WANT THEM TO, I, I THINK I CAN CLARIFY FOR THE COURT. I JUST NEED TO ASK THE DEVELOPER. IS THE 14TH, IS THAT, IS THAT DOABLE? IF IT'S, IF THE COURT MEETS ON THE 14TH AND IS COMMISSIONER THE ONLY AN HONEST ANSWER I CAN GIVE YOU IS YOU JUST , EXCUSE ME, I SAY COMMISSIONER, THE ONLY HONEST ANSWER I CAN GIVE YOU IS I, I DON'T KNOW. UM, WE ARE, UH, WE'RE COUNTING ON THE, UM, UH, ON THE, ON THE PATIENTS OF THE, OF THE SELLER HERE. UM, HE'S, HE, HE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE TRANSACTION FOR ALMOST SIX YEARS. UH, HE WAS IN INVOLVED, I BELIEVE THE COURT IS AWARE, CERTAINLY SOME MEMBERS OF THE COURT ARE VERY AWARE THAT THE PRIOR DEVELOPER, UH, WAS IN FOR A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME AND, UM, FOR WHATEVER REASON, UH, HE HAD TO WITHDRAW. AND SO, UM, AS A RESULT OF THAT, I'VE GOT, UH, I WAS REQUIRED TO PUT UP NON-REFUNDABLE FUNDS IMMEDIATELY. AND BETWEEN THAT AND THE, AND THE, UH, STUDIES THAT WE'VE HAD, UM, THAT WE NEEDED NO MATTER WHAT, BUT SOME OTHER STUDIES THAT WE HAD BECAUSE, UH, STAFF, UM, FELT MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THEM. UM, TODAY, AS WE SIT HERE, WE'RE IN FOR A LITTLE OVER $200,000, UH, NON-REFUNDABLE. AND, UM, I'M REQUIRED TO PUT UP ANOTHER $125,000 TOMORROW AND THE CLOSING DATE IS ON THE 15TH. SO WE THOUGHT WE'D FOUND AN ELEGANT SOLUTION IN THAT WE MADE THE, THE CONCERNS OF STAFF CONDITIONS OF US GETTING APPROVED, ASKING FOR TIME TO PLEASE GIVE US THE TIME TODAY. AND IF WE DON'T COME BACK SATISFYING THE CONDITIONS THAT STAFF HAS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU ALL ARE CONSIDERING, THEN WE'RE OUT. OKAY? AND IF WE DO, HOPEFULLY, ROB, CAN YOU JUST HELP US? UH, THANK YOU. CAN YOU HELP US PLEASE? AND, AND SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR WHAT YOU WANT. FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA REITERATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU HEARD FROM SUMMER THERE IS, THERE'S THE ONLY RISK, THERE'S NO RISK TO THE COUNTY. IF YOU VOTE TODAY, WHATEVER THE MOTION ENDS UP BEING, WE'LL, WE WILL WORK ON THAT, RIGHT? UH, THE RISK IS ALL TO THE DEVELOPER. AS CARL JUST SAID, HE'S GONNA PAY ANOTHER $125,000 AND ERNEST MAY TAKE US OUT TO APRIL 15TH. WE, ON OUR SIDE, ARE COMMITTED TO WORKING DILIGENTLY BETWEEN NOW AND 31ST THREE NOW AND THE 14TH IF NEED BE TO GET THIS THING FINALIZED. WE'VE HEARD SUMMER, WE'VE HEARD THE TEAM, THEY'RE COMMITTED ON THEIR SIDE. SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING FOR. OUR HOPE IS THAT DOESN'T GO OUT TO THE 14TH BECAUSE THAT IS THE DAY BEFORE CLOSING, RIGHT? SO WE WOULD NEED THAT STRAIGHT UP OR DOWN ANSWER ON THE 14TH. UH, WE'D LIKE TO GET IT DONE SOONER. WE'D LIKE TO GET IN FRONT OF COURT ON THE 31ST IF WE'VE GOT SOMETHING THAT SATISFIES EVERYONE'S INTEREST, KNOWING THAT THE 14TH COULD BE A BACKUP DATE, KNOWING THAT THAT IS LITERALLY DOWN TO THE WIRE. SO, SO OUR, OUR GOAL IN THIS, IN THIS MOTION AS YOU COME UP WITH A MOTION, IS THAT IT REALLY KIND OF GOES BACK TO AGAIN, ROBERT'S COMMENTS AND HIS RECOMMENDATION AND WHAT WAS PRESENTED IN THE SLIDE AS WELL IN YOUR BACKUP MATERIAL. AND THAT IS DIRECT STAFF TO GO LOOK AT THE 1.7 MIL, LOOK FOR THE 1.7 MILLION AND GIVE US TIME TO COME BACK AND PRESENT THAT TO THE COURT. AND, AND COMMISSIONER, IF I COULD JUST, I, I'M JUST TRYING TO BE HELPFUL. I, I THINK THE ONLY, UM, MOTION I COULD SUPPORT TODAY IF YOU WANNA MOVE FORWARD, IS JUST TABLE IT TILL THE MARCH 31ST MEETING. I'D BE HAPPY TO SUPPORT THAT, TRY AND WORK WITH YOU TO GET IT DONE. BUT ANY OTHER, UH, DIRECTION, LANGUAGE, I, I JUST, I JUST CAN'T SUPPORT, I MEAN, THE QUESTION IS, UH, DOES THAT MEAN THAT THE STAFF CAN'T LOOK AT THE FUNDING? NO, I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK IT SOUNDS, IT SOUNDS LIKE TO ME YOU'VE BEEN WORKING WITH SUMMER. SHE'S LOOKED AT IT. ROBERT, I THINK YOU CONTINUE THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND IF ONE OF THOSE, UH, DISCUSSIONS HAPPENS TO BE WHERE CAN WE POTENTIALLY GET THIS MONEY FROM THEN, YOU KNOW, I THINK AT LEAST IT LEAVES THE DOOR OPEN, IS WHAT I'M SAYING. I, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MY THOUGHT. SO, SO JUDGE, I JUST WANNA REITERATE THAT COMMISSIONER MOODY CALLED THE QUESTION AND WE'VE WENT FAR PAST HIS MOTION AND THAT SUPERSEDES ALL OF THIS DISCUSSION. SO I THINK WITH RESPECT TO COMMISSIONER MOODY, THAT IS A GOOD POINT OF ORDER. ALRIGHT, I'LL, I'LL SUSTAIN THAT. BUT SO THERE, WHAT IS THE MOTION FOR PURPOSE AND CLARITY, LARRY? IT IS CALLING THE QUESTION. SO [05:45:01] WITH ONLY FOUR COMMISSIONERS, THREE OUT OF FOUR MUST VOTE. 'CAUSE IT'S A SUPER MAJORITY. SO TO VOTE TO CALL THE QUESTION WHATEVER THE MOTION IS, IF IT'S TABLED, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE MOTION, LARRY? IT CUTS OFF THE DEBATE. IT'S CALLED THE QUESTION, WHICH MEANS MUST VOTE ON THE ACTUAL WHATEVER THE ISSUE IS. THERE HASN'T BEEN A MOTION COMMISSIONER, UH, RODRIGUEZ MADE THAT, BUT COMMISSIONER MOON, THERE HASN'T BEEN A MOTION YET. SO YES, COMMISSIONER MOODY MADE IT. HE MAY, HE MADE A MOTION TO CALL THE QUESTION ON A MOTION THAT DOES NOT EXIST, BUT THE DEBATE IS ONGOING. SO THAT CUTS OFF THE DEBATE. AND SO THAT, YES, HE MADE IT. SO WE NEED TO VOTE ON THE QUESTION. NO CALL THE QUESTION ON THAT, BUT THERE IS NO QUESTION WE DON'T HAVE A MOTION. OKAY? SO TO VOTE ON CALL, THE QUESTION IS CALLING THE QUESTION TO VOTE TO CUT OFF DEBATE, RIGHT? IT CUTS OFF DEBATE, RIGHT? COMMISSIONER MOODY MADE THAT MOTION, AND SO THE COURT NOW MUST VOTE ON THAT. AND IF THREE OUT OF FOUR COMMISSIONERS VOTE, THAT CUTS OFF DEBATE AND THEN YOU VOTE ON THE ACTUAL MOTION, WHATEVER THAT MAY BE. SO I CALL THE QUESTION, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE QUESTIONS SIGNIFY SAYING, AYE. AYE. AYE, AYE. OKAY. NOW NO MORE DEBATE. YOU'VE CUT OFF DEBATE. SO NOW WHATEVER MOTION THAT COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ MAKES, IF IT'S TABLED OR THE ACTUAL ITEM, YOU CAN ONLY VOTE ON THE MOTION. NO MORE DEBATE. MOTION TO TABLE UNTIL THE 31ST. THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE, JUDGE. SO HE NEEDS A SECOND. IS THERE A SECOND? SO AGAIN, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, YOU INDICATED THERE'S NO ISSUE WITH THEM, STAFF CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THEM BY TABLING IT. I MEAN THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT, THAT'S WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING. SO I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT. OKAY. OKAY. SO WE, WE WILL PROCEED FORWARD, UH, TO BRING THIS BACK ON THE 31ST. SO TABLING IS WHAT'S ON THE, ON THE AGENDA. AND SO IN ESSENCE, IT'S THE SAME THING. SO WE'RE TABLING WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA TO THE 31ST. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. MOTION TO TABLE. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CALVERT. DEBATE BEING CUT OFF. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO TABLE SECOND BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTION? NO. COMMISSIONER MOODY? NO. ALRIGHT. YES. WE'LL SEE YOU ON, UH, 31ST OF MARCH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS AFTERNOON. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, JUDGE. THANK YOU YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, I BE, UH, KATE, I THINK WE JUST GOTTA GO BACK TO THE CONSENT, CORRECT? YES, SIR. AND IS IT MY UNDERSTANDING, THE FIRST ONE IS ITEM 33. [Items 33 & 34] [33. Granting a discretionary exemption to the competitive bidding requirements set forth in the Texas County Purchasing Act for the purpose of awarding a purchase order to GT Distributors in the amount of $145,609.68 for the purchase of weapons required accompanying equipment, pursuant to and in accordance with Texas Local Government Code 262, Subchapter C, §262.024, Discretionary Exemptions (a) (2) an item necessary to preserve or protect the public health or safety of the residents of the County, as requested by the Bexar County Sheriffs Office; and authorizing the Purchasing Agent to execute and file the appropriate award documents for record.] [34. Granting a discretionary exemption to the competitive bidding requirements set forth in the Texas County Purchasing Act for the purpose of awarding a purchase order to Fields USA in the amount of $236,875 for the purchase of ammunition, pursuant to and in accordance with Texas Local Government code 262, Subchapter C, §262.024, Discretionary Exemptions (a) (2) an item necessary to preserve or protect the public health or safety of the residents of the County, as requested by the Bexar County Sheriffs Office; and authorizing the Purchasing Agent to execute and file the appropriate award documents for record.] OH BOY. I HOPE THEY'RE STILL HERE. UH, GRANTING A DISCRETIONARY EXEMPTION TO COMPETITIVE BIDDING REQUIREMENTS SET FORTH TEXAS COUNTY PURCHASING ACT FOR PURPOSE, AWARDING A PURCHASE ORDER, UH, TO GT DISTRIBUTORS IN AMOUNT OF $145,609 68 CENTS FOR THE PURCHASE OF WEAPONS REQUIRED ACCOMPANYING EQUIPMENT PURSUANT TO AND ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 2 62 SUBCHAPTER DISCRETIONARY EXEMPTIONS, AN ITEM NECESSARY RESERVE OR PROTECT THE PUBLIC HEALTH OR SAFETY OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE COUNTY AS REQUESTED BY THE BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AUTHORIZED AND PURCHASE AGENTS TO EXECUTE AND FILE THE APPROPRIATE AWARD DOCUMENT FOR RECORD. SHERIFF, ARE YOU STILL HERE? AND THEN COMMISSIONER MOONEY, YOU HAVE A BOARD YOU YOU ASKED FOR? YEAH. WITH WITHOUT OBJECTION. WE'LL TAKE UP 33 AND THREE FOUR TOGETHER. THREE THREE AND THREE FOUR TOGETHER. OH, THIRTY THREE THIRTY FOUR. I'LL CALL UP 34. THEN GRANTING IN THE DISCRETION EXEMPT COMPETITIVE BIDDING IN REGARDS TO, IT'S THE, UH, PURCHASE ORDER TO FIELDS USA, AN AMOUNT OF 236,875 FOR THE PURCHASE OF AMMUNITION. SO THEY'RE BOTH SHERIFF'S ISSUES. COMMISSIONER MOODY, YOU BOTH, YOU PULLED BOTH. AND, AND THIS, YOU KNOW, IS, IS MAYBE MORE OF A PURCHASING QUESTION, UH, ALTHOUGH IF THE SHERIFF OR HIS REPRESENTATIVE WANTS TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS, BUT I'LL BE VERY BRIEF, UH, JUST WANNA BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT THE OVERUSE OF EXEMPTIONS, UM, FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, RIGHT? 'CAUSE WE COULD, UM, I THINK MAKE ANYTHING THAT'S RELATED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, FALL UNDERNEATH THIS, THIS BROAD UMBRELLA OF PUBLIC SAFETY. BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE KEEPING WITH THE SPIRIT OF PURCHASING LAW. UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THESE, UH, CONTRACTS, I, I DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, SPECIFIC CONCERNS AND, AND THE PRICE POINTS LOOK REASONABLE AND EVERYTHING BUT HER OR STANDARD POLICY ABOVE A HUNDRED K, UH, THESE WOULD BE BID OUT. THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, RIGHT? SO WE'RE USING AN EXEMPTION TO GO AROUND THAT PROCESS, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT USING THAT, UH, ROUTINELY. UM, UNLESS THERE'S, YOU KNOW, EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES THAT REQUIRE IT. IS, IS OUR PURCHASING AGENT AVAILABLE? COMMISSIONER? YES, I'M HERE. COMMISSIONER. [05:50:02] SORRY. I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING 'CAUSE MY, MY FACE COMES UP ON THE CAMERA AND THAT'S THE ONLY THING I SEE WHEN I'M TALKING. NOW I CAN SEE YOU. THERE WE GO. I, I THINK HE WAS ASKING JUST RESPOND. GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER MOODY, IF YOU'D JUST LIKE TO RESPOND BASED ON MY, MY COMMENTS CONCERNS. SO YEAH, WHAT WE DO IS WE LOOK AT THE, UH, WHEN UTILIZING THE EXEMP EXEMPTIONS OR DIS DISCRE DISCRETIONARY EXEMPTIONS, WE LOOK AT THE BACKUP DOCUMENTATION, THE JUSTIFICATIONS, RIGHT? WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE NEED IS THERE, THE SPEED IS THERE. UH, DEFINITELY UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE SENSITIVE NATURE IS IN THIS CASE. AMMUNITION ON MUNITION. AND CAN, CAN YOU JUST SPEAK TO THAT SPECIFICALLY, MR. GALLOWAY, TO MUNITIONS ONE, LIKE THE, THE TIME, TIME SENSITIVITY OF THIS ITEM. SPEAK TO THAT. GO AHEAD. CHIEF. CHIEF GARS, I CAN SPEAK TO THAT COMMISSIONER. UM, SO OF COURSE YOU'RE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON, UM, ACROSS THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. UM, AND SO THIS IS CREATING A TIME SENSITIVE ISSUE FOR US WITH REGARDS TO BEING ABLE TO, UH, OBTAIN THE AMMUNITION AT THE COST THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET AT NOW AT ROUGHLY 21 CENTS PER ROUND. UH, WITH WHAT'S GOING ON GLOBALLY, WE ANTICIPATE THAT PRICE TO GO UP. IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'RE STILL REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN OUR STATE MANDATES FOR TRAINING. UM, LAST YEAR WE HAD 14 DETENTION CLASSES GO THROUGH THE ACADEMY AND FOUR LAW ENFORCEMENT CLASSES THIS YEAR, UH, RIGHT NOW AT THIS DATE, I HAVE, UH, FIVE CLASSES GOING ON AT THE ACADEMY. THREE OF THEM BEING THE PATROL COURSES, UH, TWO FOR DETENTION AND ANOTHER DETENTION COURSE STARTS MONDAY. WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TRAIN, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO RELY ON THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE'RE PURCHASING AND WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO USE THE VENDORS THAT WE'VE USED IN PAST YEARS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, TO MAINTAIN THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC. OKAY. I APPRECIATE THE, UH, THE BACKGROUND THERE, BUT, UM, I, I HOPE, UH, BOTH SIDES WILL CONSIDER MY COMMENTS, UH, GOING FORWARD AND, AND TRYING TO, UM, OBVIOUSLY CAN'T PREDICT, UH, NECESSARILY, UH, WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST. BUT, UH, I'M MORE GENERALLY MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PURCHASING FIREARMS ON A TIMELINE AND, AND THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AS, AS THE, THE PURCHASING PROCESS THAT'S APPROVED BY THE COURT. SO, UM, OKAY. SO WE DID, WE DID REACH OUT TO OTHER, UH, UH, VENDORS AND THE, THE, THERE ARE NO LOCAL VENDORS THAT CAN MEET OUR DEMAND. UM, AND WHEN WE REACHED OUT TO OTHERS, UH, THE PRICING JUST DID NOT MEET WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO OBTAIN RIGHT NOW. OKAY. UH, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. I'LL MOVE APPROVAL FOR BOTH ITEMS. THREE, THREE AND THREE. FOUR. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION THE SECOND THE CLERKS INDICATED WE HAVE TO TAKE THOSE UP SEPARATELY. UH, COMMISSIONER, SO LET'S DO ITEM 33 FIRST AND YOU HAVE A MOTION ON ITEM 33. UH, SURE, BUT I'M NOT SURE WHY WE HAVE TO TAKE THEM UP INDIVIDUALLY GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE DO CONSENT AGENDA WITH, YOU KNOW, 80 ITEMS AT ONCE. BUT SO BE IT. UH, I MOVE APPROVAL FOR ITEM 33. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ITEM 33. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THAT MOTION CARRIES. DO YOU HAVE A MOTION ON 34 COMMISSION MOVE APPROVAL? 34. WE HAVE A SECOND ON ITEM 34. SECOND MOTION IS SECOND. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THAT MOTION CARRIES. I THINK IT'S, UH, ITEM [40. Ratification of the approval and acceptance of all terms and conditions of the FY2026 Continued Improvement Grant award to Bexar County from the Texas Indigent Defense Commission in the amount of $232,328 for the Bexar County Public Defender Padilla Plus Program by Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai on behalf of Bexar County, and authorization to execute any additional required documents related to acceptance of the FY2026 award. The Grant was awarded at Commissioners Court on 8/5/2025, Item #37, but language to accept the award was not included as part of that item which is required to receive grant funding. This item corrects that administrative error and allows for approval and acceptance of the FY2026 grant.] 40 IS NEXT THAT YOU COMMISSIONER MOODY RATIFICATION OF THE CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT GRANT AWARD. SURE. AND, UM, I WILL TRY TO MAKE THIS, UH, BRIEF AND CONCISE. UM, WE'VE HAD MANY DEBATES ABOUT THE, UH, THE AMERICAN GATEWAYS, UH, PROJECT AND, UH, THE PADILLA PLUS AT OUR PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE. UM, AND QUESTIONS REMAIN. UH, I KNOW THIS IS AN ADMIN ERROR CORRECTION, BUT MY CONCERNS REMAIN ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND, UM, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS. NOT ANYTHING MORE, ANYTHING MORE IS A POLITICAL DECISION. I'VE BEEN VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT. UH, SO I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO, UH, SUPPORT THIS ITEM. OKAY. UH, MS. BALLON, YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING TO THIS? WE, WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE. WE HAVE A SECOND JUDGE. YOU CAN MAKE A SECOND. SECOND . UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? OH, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? NO, THAT MOTION CARRIES ITEM 42, [42. Authorization for the County Judge to execute a funding agreement between Bexar County and Build San Antonio Green (BSAG) in the amount of $70,000 to provide services and programs in the area of energy efficiency for the period of October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026.] I THINK IS NEXT, THE AUTHORIZATION FOR THE COUNTY JUDGE TO EXECUTE A FUNDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN BEAR COUNTY AND BILL SAN ANTONIO GREEN. MR. CURRY IS AT THE DAIS. COMMISSIONER MOODY FLOOR IS YOURS. YEAH. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED A PLAN TO SLOWLY WEAN OURSELVES EXTREMELY SLOWLY. WEAN OURSELVES OFF [05:55:01] OF THIS, UM, PROGRAM, LITTLE SAN ANTONIO GREEN CUTTING $5,000 OFF THE PROGRAM EVERY YEAR. IS THAT CORRECT? UH, THAT'S CORRECT. SO THIS YEAR THE CONTRIBUTION IS 70,000. UH, I'M ALSO AWARE THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO CUT THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO 50,000, IS THAT CORRECT? UH, THEY DID, THEY DID. THAT WAS TWO YEAR, UH, LAST YEAR THEY REDUCED THEIRS TO 50. WE'RE TAKING A MORE GRADUAL APPROACH. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, UH, THE CITY IS NOT NECESSARILY KNOWN FOR THEIR PHYSICAL HAWKISHNESS OVER THERE. SORRY, TAKING A CHEAP SHOT AT OUR FRIENDS AT THE CITY. BUT, UM, IF THEY'RE CUTTING TO 50, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE COULDN'T CUT TO 50 AS WELL. UM, ALSO, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A, A TRI LATERAL AGREEMENT WITH CPS ENERGY, UM, CPS ENERGY PROVIDING OVER $400 MILLION A YEAR TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. SO I DON'T SEE WHY THIS IS NECESSARY. I DON'T SEE IT AS A, A FUNCTION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT. UM, I'M GOING TO MOVE TO AMEND THE ITEM TO REDUCE THE CONTRIBUTION ON THE CONTRACT TO THE 50,000 FROM THAT MATCHES THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION TO, UM, GO AGAINST STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND REDUCE THE AMOUNT FROM 70 TO 50,000. IS THAT CORRECT? COMMISSIONER MOODY? CORRECT. DO WE HAVE A SECOND HEARING? NO SECOND. THAT MOTION FAILS. WE HAVE A MOTION TO PROVE IT AS, UH, POSTED AT $70,000. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? WE HAVE A SECOND. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THAT MOTION CARRIES? NO. OH, SORRY. WE'LL NOTE YOUR NO FOR THE RECORD. MR. MOODY. DAN. THANK YOU, SIR. LAST ITEM 55, IS THAT RIGHT? CORRECT. 55 IS APPROVAL AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY AUDITOR TO PAY AN INVOICE OF 16,770 TO THE SOUTH TEXAS REGIONAL CERTIFICATION AGENCY COMMISSIONER MOODY, YOU PULLED THAT? YES. REALLY QUICK FOR, UH, FOR THOMAS AND FOR COUNTY STAFF AND, AND ALSO FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESS, UH, UM, ORGANIZATION. SO MY CONCERN IS NOT WITH THE BILL NECESSARILY, BUT WITH THE GO FORWARD PLAN HERE WITH, UH, S-C-T-R-A. IS THAT GOING TO CONTINUE, DAVID? NOT WITH S-C-T-R-A. IT'LL BE WITH SUPPLY SA. OKAY. UM, SO WITH SUPPLY SA, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT CONTRACT WAS SCOPED, BUT WAS IT UNDERNEATH THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT WHERE THERE ARE ONLY A HANDFUL OF DESIGNATIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES? UH, I THINK IT WAS. I THINK OUR PARTICIPATION IN THAT ORGANIZATION, WELL PREDATES THAT. OKAY. AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW ALL THE DETAILS. I JUST ASK COUNTY STAFF TO, TO LOOK INTO THIS. I KNOW THAT PREVIOUSLY WITH S-C-T-R-A, UH, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 6, 7, 8 DIFFERENT DESIGNATIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND THEY WERE CERTIFYING THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES WITHIN THOSE CATEGORIES. SOMETIMES IT REQUIRED A LOT OF PAPERWORK AND DOCUMENTATION. UM, GOING FORWARD, IF YOU ARE ONLY TALKING ABOUT WHETHER YOU'RE VETERAN OWNED BUSINESSES OR A SMALL BUSINESS, UM, OR A LOCAL BUSINESS, THERE'S SHOULD BE A GREAT REDUCTION IN PAPERWORK AND REQUIREMENTS FOR ANY KIND OF DOCUMENTATION CERTIFICATION. SO THAT'S THE POINT I WANTED TO MAKE. AND WHATEVER THAT GO FORWARD PLAN LOOKS LIKE WITH SUPPLY SA I THINK WE SHOULD JUST THINK ABOUT THAT IN TERMS OF THE SCOPE OF THE CONTRACT. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO COMMISSIONER, I MIGHT CAN HELP YOU WITH THAT. RENEE SHOP, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH HER ON HER REVISED POLICY AND UNDER THAT POLICY ONLY LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES AND SMALL BUSINESSES. AND TO MY, UM, DISCUSSING THAT WITH HER, AND YOU MAY WANNA REACH OUT TO HER, BUT SHE'S GONNA DO THE, WHAT WOULD BE CERTIFICATION OF A SMALL BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE. SHE REVIEWS THEIR FINANCIALS. UM, SO YOU MAY WANT TO TALK TO HER ABOUT THAT. THEY'RE NOT GONNA DESIGNATE, UM, ANY OTHER DESIGNATION. IT'S GONNA BE SMALL BUSINESS AND LOCALLY OWNED. AND THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO DESIGNATIONS. WHAT ABOUT VETERANS? UM, I DON'T KNOW WHO DOES THE VE VETERANS THAT MAY BE, BUT SHE'S, I HADN'T TALKED TO HER ABOUT VETERANS. BUT AS FAR AS THE OTHER DESIGNATIONS, OUR POLICY ONLY COVERS SMALL BUSINESS AND LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES. AND THAT COVERS MANY OF THE BUSINESSES THAT WOULD BE OTHERWISE COVERED UNDER THE OLD, THAT'S NOT THE PURPOSE OF IT, BUT IT'S BASED ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, THEIR SIZE UNDER THE, UH, SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DESIGNATION. THAT'S A FEDERAL DESIGNATION BASED ON PURELY [06:00:01] ON THE BUSINESS SIZE. SO, YES, NO, UH, THAT'S GOOD BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND TOTALLY IN LINE WITH, WITH MY THINKING, RIGHT? COULD WE DO THIS IN-HOUSE OR IF NOT IN-HOUSE WITH A VERY SCALED DOWN CONTRACT WITH, WITH A THIRD PARTY? OBVIOUSLY NOW THAT'S ONLY THAT COMPONENT. THERE MAY BE OTHERS, LIKE DAVID MENTIONED, VETERANS, WHICH DAVID'S MORE FAMILIAR WITH THAT SIDE OF IT. VETERANS. VETERANS SHOULD BE EASY AS WELL. 'CAUSE YOU PROVIDE A DD TWO 14 PROOF OF SERVICE. THAT'S IT. PERIOD. CHECK, CHECK THE BOX. SO, UM, ANYWAY, I I HOPE COUNTY STAFF WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THAT. WE'LL TALK WITH, UH, RENEE WATSON AND, AND HER TEAM TO, TO TRY TO GET SOME MORE INFORMATION. BUT WITH THAT I'LL MOVE APPROVAL. OKAY. DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO PAY THE INVOICE? MOTION? AND DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I, I MOVED SECOND. MOTION IS SECOND. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. A AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? THAT MOTION CARRIES. I THINK THAT'S THE ITEM, KATE. SO WE'LL NEED A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SO MOVED. I MAKE MY FIRST MOTION. WOW. MOTION TO ADJOURN. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY THE OPPOSED THAT WE'VE GOT? UH, I'VE GOT A COUPLE ON BEHALF OF COMMISSIONER CLAY FLORES. I'D LIKE TO MOVE. WE ADJOURN IN THE NAME OF JUAN A. LOPEZ. HE'S THE FATHER OF RUDY LOPEZ, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE THOMPSON NEIGHBORHOOD. UH, DEREK HAW BROWN, WHO'S A UHS EMPLOYEE. AND JENNIFER RODRIGUEZ, WHO WAS AN EMPLOYEE FROM BEAR COUNTY IN THE, IN THE DA'S OFFICE. AND IN, UH, ON BEHALF OF PRECINCT TWO, UM, LIKE TO ADJOURN IN THE NAME OF ANDREW ANDY GREEN, UH, FORMER DISTRICT SIX, UH, STAFFER, ORLAN RODRIGUEZ. GONZALEZ, UH, MADRID, THE MATRIARCH OF THE MADRID. UH, CHRIS MADRID FAMILY. UM, ISABEL, RENA AND ALFONSO PUENTE JUDGE OR COMMISSIONER CALVERT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'D LIKE TO ADJOURN IN HONOR OF VALERIE FOSTER, BARBARA RICE, MIA MORRIS, THE MUSICIAN, AGIE MYERS. HEY BABY KESO. UH, JENNIFER RODRIGUEZ, UH, ALSO AND FRANCISCO CHOPPA. VERY GOOD. COMMISSIONER MOODY, DO YOU HAVE ANY I DON'T. THERE WAS A NOTE. JUDGE, YOU HAVE ANY? YES, I HAVE ARGUE WHO WAS A FAITHFUL CATHOLIC TO THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND SHE WAS A RECIPIENT AND I GOT TO MEET HER OF THE LOCAL MEALS ON WHEELS PROGRAM. UH, I ALSO WANT TO JOIN IN WITH JUAN LOPEZ. FATHER RUDY, REVEREND RAYMOND. EARL JUDD, WHO RECEIVED HIS BA IN M MD DIVINITY FROM, UH, TRINITY IN PRINCETON. AND HE WAS A LONGTIME MINISTER HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. DR. JOSEPH BORNSTEIN, BORN IN MEXICO. HE WAS A PEDIATRICIAN, PRACTICED FOR OVER 50 YEARS, ALSO TWO, I BELIEVE WE HAVE BURT PICKLE, FORMER CHAIR OF THE MAYOR'S FITNESS COUNCIL, AND ALSO PART OF THE JOINT COMMISSION ELDER AFFAIRS. AND DORIS GRIFFIN, RENOWNED SENIOR ADVOCATE IN NAMESAKE OF THE CITY'S DORIS GR SENIOR CENTER. ALRIGHT, VERY GOOD. UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNING IN THE NAME OF THE AFOREMENTIONED SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. WE OPPOSE. MOTION CARRIES FOR ADJOURN. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.