San Antonio City Manager

I am pleased to announce that the City has raised more than $1 million as part of the 2012 Charitable Campaign. This is the first time in history the City has more than $ 1 Million for United Way Organizations.

The City is a pacesetter organization, which means our campaign begins in August and ends in October. This year, the City of San Antonio was also among the other $1 million campaigns including USAA, Valero Energy, HEB, NuStar, and Zachry Holdings.

Since 2008, the City has raised a total of $4.48 million including this year’s amount of $1,015,540.

Each year, the City sets goals for the departments along with a Citywide goal – this year was $985,000, and we raised 5.4% above our goal. The City departments did an outstanding job.

Each year, we encourage full participation among our 11,400 employees. I am proud to say that 63% of our employees support the Charitable Campaign and participating through payroll deductions and/or one-time contributions. Many more participate with the multiple fundraisers that the departments conduct throughout the campaign.

I also want to add that our Leadership Giving also increased this year. With 522 leadership givers (those contributing more than $500 per year), this was a growth of 10% from last year 473 givers. This includes many of our front line employees that are giving at this level.

Our City employees are an indication of this wonderful community we serve. A recent study by the Nonprofit Times ranked San Antonio Number One in best performing cities in America for United Way giving

I have been involved with United Way for many years here in San Antonio and in my previous cities. Next year I have the privilege of serving as the Citywide Chairperson for the 2013 Campaign for San Antonio and Bexar County.

I am looking forward to this opportunity to serve the community and support United Way which provides more than $49 million in assistance to great organizations who serve people in need throughout the San Antonio community.

The City of San Antonio and CPS Energy have committed to replacing 25,000 High-Pressure Sodium lights with more energy efficient GreenStar LED lights manufactured in San Antonio as part of a New Energy Economy agreement. In June 2011, GreenStar announced that it would move its assembly facility and corporate headquarters from Boerne to Alamo Downs Business Park in San Antonio along with 35 jobs.

The replacement of these lights will result in annual energy savings of 5.1 megawatts, enough to power 1,595 homes per year. The energy savings will help the City and CPS Energy reach the Save for Tomorrow Energy Plan’s (STEP) goal of achieving 771 megawatts of energy savings by 2020.

Three major phases of the project have been defined and include:

Phase 1 – The replacement of 23,500 streetlights on major thoroughfares (i.e., West Commerce, Judson Rd., SW Military, Fredericksburg Rd., Stone Oak Parkway, Lockhill Selma, West Ave.) within the City limits
Phase 2 – The replacement of 1,500 streetlights within CPS’ Downtown Network System.
Phase 3 – The replacement of 922 street light poles within CPS’ Downtown Network System.

Phase 1 began on Monday, October 15th and is expected to take 18 months to complete. Phases 2 and 3 are slated to begin in the fall of 2013 and will take 6 months to complete. All installations will be performed by the current CPS Energy street light contractor, L. E. (Letter L, Letter E) Meyers.

The estimated cost of the project is $16.5 million which will be funded by savings in the City’s annual streetlight bill. The CPS LED Tariff that was approved by Council on September 20, 2012 resulted in an annual reduction in our streetlight bill of approximately $1.1 million.

During the first full year of implementation in FY 2014, the annual savings are projected to be $1,374,000 which exceeds the expected debt service of $837,000 for the initial year.

Today, we begin five Community Budget Input Hearings to receive input on City services and programs as a part of the proposed FY 2013 Budget.  Please join us.

Budget Input Hearing Calendar.

Monday, August 20
6:30 PM
Parkhills Baptist
17747 San Pedro Avenue Church

Tuesday, August 21
6:30 PM
TriPoint YMCA Grantham Center
3233 N. St. Mary’s St

Wednesday, August 22
6:30 PM
Senior Center – District 5
2701 S. Presa St

Thursday, August 23
6:30 PM
St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church
1314 Fair Avenue

Thursday, August 23
6:30 PM
St. Paul’s Community Center
1201 Donaldson Avenue

Additionally, two Citywide Budget Hearings will be held at 6:00 PM in the City Council Chambers located at 114 W. Commerce.

Wednesday, August 29
6:00 PM
City Council Chambers
114 W. Commerce

Thursday, September 6
6:00 PM
City Council Chambers
114 W. Commerce

Here is a link to the complete FY 2013 Budget and the Budget Input Hearing Calendar.

San Antonio residents increased their approval rating of City services according to results of the 2012 Community Survey.  The City conducted its first-ever city-wide Community Survey in 2008 with the purpose of benchmarking feedback from residents regarding our services and identifying areas in which the City can improve.

ETC Institute conducted the City’s Community Survey. Since its founding in 1982, ETC Institute has completed research projects for clients in 46 states.  In Texas, ETC Institute recently conducted Community Surveys for the cities of Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and Austin.

The survey was offered to a random, stratified sampling of residents city-wide by traditional land lines and cell phone numbers in both English and Spanish.  In addition to the 2012 survey results, ETC Institute also conducted a 2010-2012 Benchmarking Analysis, provided comparisons to the National Average (San Antonio was compared to results of a survey conducted by ETC in April 2011 of U.S. cities with populations of 250,000 or more) and comparisons to cities of similar size (Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, Oklahoma City, Indianapolis and Kansas City, Missouri).

The Overall Satisfaction ratings with Major City Services in the 2012 Community Survey are indicated in the following table:

  Major City Services 2012 vs. 2010

 Percent rating as “satisfied” or “very satisfied”

*Asked as “Planning and Development Services” in 2010.

The results also indicated that residents’ overall opinions of San Antonio are favorable:

      Perceptions of the Community 2012 vs. 2010 vs. 2008

       Percent rating as “satisfied” or “very satisfied”

*The question was not asked in 2008.

The consultant provided the City with the following conclusions and recommendations.

The City of San Antonio’s ratings were among the highest compared to other cities of a similar size.  Among nearly 40 services that were assessed on the 2012 survey, the City of San Antonio rated at or above the U.S. average for cities with more than 250,000 residents in all of the areas rated. When compared to other large Texas cities, San Antonio’s satisfaction ratings were highest in 5 of the 9 City services assessed; the City also scored above average in all 9 of the City services assessed.

The City of San Antonio is moving in the right direction. The Composite Customer Satisfaction Index for San Antonio improved 2 points from 2010 and 7 points from 2008. Ratings for the City of San Antonio improved or stayed the same in 50 of the 70 services that were assessed in both 2010 and 2012.

For more information regarding the 2012 Community Survey, please click here.

• Pre-K 4 SA is designed to improve the quality and quantity of prekindergarten (Pre-K) childhood education for four-year-olds city wide focusing on numeracy and literacy as well as providing professional development for Pre-K through grade 3 educators.

• In 2011, Mayor Julián Castro convened a blue ribbon taskforce to identify the most effective method for improving the quality of education in San Antonio. The Brainpower Taskforce recommended the development of a program focused on high-quality Pre-K services for four-year-old children which studies show has the most impact in improving overall education outcomes for a community.

• There are approximately 5,700 four-year-old children living in San Antonio who are eligible for State funded Pre-K but currently are not enrolled in a full day Pre-K program. An estimated 2,300 eligible four-year-old children currently are not enrolled in any Pre-K program while 3,400 are enrolled in half-day programs in the City of San Antonio.

• The initiative will be funded by the City’s remaining 1/8 cent sales tax capacity that is projected to generate approximately $31 million annually. The 1/8 cent equates to less than $8.00 a year for a household of median income in San Antonio.

• The initiative will be governed by a City Council created corporation for education with a Council appointed 11 member board. City Council will provide fiduciary oversight for the initiative to include approval of the program’s annual budget. The initiative includes annual performance audits and assessments to measure success that will be conducted by independent third-party entities.

• The initiative will be for an eight-year period and will be subject to voter re-authorization in November 2020.

• Over eight years, Pre-K 4 SA will consist of an initial three year build-up in enrollment and five years of full enrollment and program evaluation. In years four through eight, 3,700 children would be enrolled annually. The initiative will educate a projected 22,400 four-year-old children over the initial eight year period.

• Enrollment will be free of charge for students who meet at least one of the State eligibility criteria. A four-year-old is eligible if they or their families are: o eligible for free or reduced lunch (is at 185% of the federal poverty level); or

• unable to speak and comprehend the English language; or
• homeless; or
• the child of an active duty member of the armed forces of the United States; or
• the child of a member of the armed forces of the United that who was injured or killed while serving on active duty; or
• is or has been in foster care.

• Four Education Excellence Centers will open during the initiative’s first two program years. Beginning in year four, the Education Excellence Centers will educate 2,000 four-year-old children annually in a high-quality program with classrooms having no more than 20 students per two teaching professionals (one teacher and one teacher aide).

• Ten percent of enrollment at the Education Excellence Centers will be made available to children who do not fall within the State eligibility criteria. These families will pay varying levels of tuition based upon their income.

• Enrollment for the Education Excellence Centers will be chosen through objective and unbiased lottery systems administered by participating school districts.

• The Education Excellence Centers will be strategically located in four different quadrants of the City and will be conveniently located near major highways and VIA transportation routes. Each Education Excellence Center will be approximately 50,000 square feet consisting of classrooms, family support rooms, teacher training areas and playgrounds.

• Extended day service will be offered at each Education Excellence Center to allow more parents the opportunity to use the Pre-K service and to ensure that children have access to a safe and positive learning environment.

• In the 2016-2017 school year, Pre-K 4 SA will offer competitive grants to school districts, charter, private/parochial schools, and community providers to offer full day and/or enhanced Pre-K services for approximately 1,700 four-year-old children annually.

• Pre-K 4 SA will provide annual in-service training for 2,300 to 3,150 teachers, principals, early education leaders, and community providers. This training will be extended to teacher and teacher aides in grades K through 3. In the Education Excellence Centers, training will be provided to Pre-K teachers and teacher aides in a learning environment that models best practices in early childhood education and provides an opportunity for teachers to work side-by-side with master teachers. The third training component consists of coaches who will model teach, mentor and provide feedback on implementation of best practices in the teachers’ home classroom on a regular and ongoing basis.

• Monthly workshops for informal community providers of childcare also will be offered at the Centers. The workshops will allow informal providers to work and learn from master teachers and will focus on strategies for literacy and numeracy development, assessing students’ progress and providing lesson ideas to use in their programs.

• Programming for family support and parent engagement within the Initiative will include family support services, parent leadership classes and education classes, and fatherhood initiatives.

• Funding for Pre-K 4 SA is contingent on the November 6, 2012, special sales tax election.

• For more information, contact Rebecca Flores, the City of San Antonio’s Education Coordinator, at 207-2066.

PRE-K 4 SA Summary Fact Sheet

The FY 2013 Budget is balanced and focuses on the City Council and Community priorities of Police, Fire, Streets and Sidewalks, Animal Care Services, Code Enforcement, Neighborhood Revitalization and Economic Development. The proposed budget aligns the City’s spending plan with SA2020 Goals. There is no City Property Tax rate increase or Solid Waste Fee increase included in the budget. There is a proposed increase of 50 cents per month to the Storm Water residential fee that will allow for more mowing of drainage channels and medians, more street cleaning and provide funds for improvements to heavy equipment service facilities.

The Proposed Consolidated Annual Budget for FY 2013, comprised of all funds, totals $2.3 billion, an increase of 3% from FY 2012, with operating expenditures totaling $1.6 billion and the FY 2013 Capital program totaling $647 million. Within the proposed operating expenditures for FY 2013, General Fund Expenditures total $977 million.

GENERAL FUND
The General Fund Proposed Budget is $977 million and reflects a 3% increase over the FY 2012 Adopted Budget of $948 million. The Proposed Budget maintains Budgeted Financial Reserves at 9% ($88 million in 2013) of General Fund Appropriations.
The Proposed FY 2013 Budget includes $8 million in reductions resulting from improvements to service delivery models, better utilization of city facilities, operational efficiencies and reduction of administrative overhead. Collectively, the proposed changes included within the FY 2013 Proposed Budget allow us to more efficiently serve the residents of San Antonio.

THE PROPOSED BUDGET INVESTS IN COMMUNITY AND CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
Streets and Sidewalks
In FY 2013, the Public Works budget of $63 million is augmented by an additional $12.5 million for street maintenance and infrastructure improvements. The Proposed budget allocates $4.5 million from Advanced Transportation District Funds (ATD) to street maintenance projects. Included in the Capital Budget is $8 million for infrastructure projects in City Council Districts ($800,000 per Council District) funded with Pre-2007 Bond Fund Balances

Public Safety
The FY 2013 Proposed Budget enhances the Police Gang Unit by civilianizing five officer positions. Five civilian dispatchers will be added to backfill the responsibilities of the five police officers. Additionally, the Budget includes resources to promote 5 police officers to Detectives to augment the Narcotics Unit. In FY 2013, the City will fully fund 50 Police Officers added in FY 2009 with Federal Stimulus grants.

Funding is included in the Proposed Budget to create a Fire Technical Services Division to expedite emergency response of specialized vehicles. 1 uniform and 1 civilian positions are added.

Library
Included in the Proposed Budget is $250,000 in additional funding for new books and library materials, this improvement will increase the annual book budget to $4.1 million. The budget also includes $1.7 million for library maintenance, security cameras and furniture replacement funded with Capital and operating funds.

Neighborhood Revitalization
Budget focuses on proactive code enforcement by allocating $500,000 in additional resources. Seven positions are added; five Code Compliance Officers and two Code Supervisors increasing focus on Code Enforcement and reducing span of control from 10 to 8.

Animal Care Services continues to be a priority for the Community. The Budget adds $1.1 million to control the stray pet population and increase spay and neuter surgeries to achieve a 70% Live Release Rate. The Proposed Budget includes additional $1.5 million to complete the Brackenridge Adoption and Education Center and Clinic.

The Proposed FY 2013 Budget also adds $1.26 million in funding for several neighborhood revitalization efforts. These efforts include Expansion of Fitness in the Parks Program ($150,000), reserve for Fitness Initiatives ($250,000) and revitalization initiatives to include Brownfield Environmental Assessments ($200,000), Platting and Development for Mission Drive-In ($160,000), development of a strategy to address economically challenged corridors ($250,000), and a City-wide Comprehensive Plan ($250,000) that will serve as a strategic guide to accommodate, distribute and direct future growth.

Economic Development
The Proposed Budget maintains $4.0 million to retain, expand, and attract businesses to create and retain jobs; and $3.0 million to stimulate downtown commercial, retail and housing development.

Delegate Agencies
The Proposed Budget maintains funding for Delegate Agencies at today’s level. Funding recommendations in the proposed budget reflect City Council Consolidated Funding Ballot Priorities. Some agencies funded today will not see the same level of funding in FY 2013.

A TOTAL OF $8 MILLION IN REDUCTIONS ARE PROPOSED IN THE BUDGET
Transition Community Link Center Model to a more flexible, On-Demand Model using City Libraries – $800,000 in Savings. The Proposed Budget transitions community link service center model to a more flexible on-demand model based on utilization. Services would transition Libraries, Valley View and Las Palmas Link Centers, and other community facilities

SOLID WASTE FUND
Additional programs are included in the Budget to increase recycling opportunities with the implementation of the organics recycling program.

STORM WATER FUND
A 50 cent monthly increase to the residential fee is proposed in the Budget. This increase will allow for additional moving, street cleaning and for better heavy equipment facilities.

Here is a link to the complete FY 2013 Budget and the Budget Input Hearing Calendar.

We have new non-stop service coming to San Antonio International Airport in September 2012 and some very positive numbers coming from our increase in international travel.

Alaska Airlines, a new airline to San Antonio, will begin direct service to Seattle beginning on September 17.  The new service marks the first time Alaska Airlines has served San Antonio, and the first time there has been non-stop service linking the two cities.  Seattle has long been on our wishlist for direct service and having a new airline, Alaska Airlines, provide that service is an exciting milestone for our airport.

We also have new service from  U.S. Airways a new non-stop service to Philadelphia.  U.S. Airways has a large East Coast presence, with Philadelphia serving as the airline’s international gateway.  The new service will begin on September 5.  Philadelphia is the third destination U.S. Airways flights to from San Antonio.  The airline also provides non-stop service to two of their major hubs:  Phoenix and Charlotte.  Philadelphia, like Seattle, has been a desired location for non-stop service from San Antonio and it is an exciting achievement to add these new destinations for our citizens.  Southwest will also begin new direct service to St. Louis in August.

San Antonio has not only been a hotspot for new domestic destinations, but also for international service, which has grown our international travel numbers tremendously.  Just this past May, San Antonio hosted the first international flight for Southwest Airlines through its AirTran subsidiary.  On May 24, flights for Cancun and Mexico City took off with much fanfare.

These flights join vivaAerobus and Interjet, who began service from San Antonio in November and December, respectively in 2011.  Interjet serves Toluca and Mexico City, while vivaAerobus flies to Mexico City and Monterrey.  All of these new flights have served to raise our international passenger numbers.  From October 1, 2011 through April 30, 2012, there have been 171,168 passengers compared to 69,716 over the same period in 2011 an increase of over 145%.  Remarkably, the first seven months of Fiscal Year 2012 has already exceeded 156,954, the total international passenger count for all of Fiscal Year 2010.

Our thanks to these airlines for investing in San Antonio and thanks to our residents and business community for accessing the service.

This year, we made improvements to the process we use to host Community Budget Hearings across the City. Residents had the opportunity last week to provide their input before the budget is prepared and additional meetings will be held after the proposed budget is presented to City Council on August 9.

This past week, five area-wide Community Budget Input Hearings were held to obtain input and feedback from the residents on the Community’s priorities. Almost 200 residents attended the Hearings.

During the Hearings, a brief video highlighting the major services provided by the City was shown.

Following the video, residents spent approximately 30 minutes in small groups discussing and identifying their top priorities for city services in the upcoming fiscal year.

Residents also were asked to identify 2 to 3 areas they would be willing to cut. While most residents were able to easily identify areas where they would like to see services increased, they had difficultly identifying potential reductions for the upcoming year.

At the end of the discussion, a resident from each table reported out the groups top five priorities and three lesser priorities.

The recurring service areas identified as priorities included (not necessarily in rank order)

• Public Safety
• Education
• Streets, Sidewalks & Drainage
• Animal Care Services
• Code Enforcement

The service area priorities identified at each meeting are summarized in a report.  As a reminder, after the FY 2013 Budget is proposed on August 9, residents will have an opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed budget at five additional area-wide Community Budget Input hearings scheduled across the City and two City-wide Budget Public hearings at City Council chambers.

Residents also can provide us with input at any time during the budget process through the Budget Input Box available on the City’s website and at the Budget Input Boxes located at City Libraries, Senior Centers and City Hall.

San Antonio has been ranked for the first time on Bicycling Magazine’s 2012  “America’s Top 50 Bicycle-Friendly Cities” list, debuting at  #47.

To determine top 50 bike-friendly cities for 2012, Bicycling Magazine evaluated cities with populations of 95,000 or more, using data provided by the Alliance for Biking and Walking and the League of American Bicyclists, as well as input from local advocates and bicycle and pedestrian coordinators.

To make the list, a city must possess both a robust cycling infrastructure and a vibrant bike culture.

Austin ranks #13, the only other Texas city on the list.  In the article about the selections, San Antonio is complimented for its proposed bike network through the award-winning Bicycle Master Plan, and Siclovia, which drew over 15,000 participants to the inaugural event.

At the City’s second Siclovia event last March, more than 40,000 people came out to “Play in the Street,” by walking, jogging, biking, skating, and wheeling their way up and down the two mile stretch of open boulevard along Broadway.

The publication acknowledged the City’s Efforts with a public bike share program that is helping promote bicycling in San Antonio.  Plans are in the works for more bicycle infrastructure improvements through our 2012 Bond street projects, the B-Cycle Mission Reach Expansion, and continuing construction of the Greenway Trails.

For FY2012, the Parks and Recreation Department received a budget enhancement to operate an extended season at four outdoor pools in order to provide additional opportunities for individuals to participate in physical activity. The four pools are Southside Lions (CD3), Heritage (CD4), Woodlawn (CD7), and LBJ (CD10).

These pools provided open swim and lap swimming opportunities during the month of October, the week of Spring Break, and started again this May and will run until the regular Summer pool season begins on June 16, and then will continue through September after regular Summer pool season ends.

The four pools operate Tuesday to Thursday from 4:00pm to 7:00pm and Saturday from 1:00pm to 7:00pm for open swim with lap swimming being offered on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings from 7:30am – 9:30am.

During the week of Spring Break (March 12 to 18), there were 6,131 visitors at the four pools.  Since reopening on May 5, the four pools have seen 7,336 visitors including 50 lap swimmers taking advantage of this fitness opportunity.

Beginning Saturday, June 16 the Summer Pool Season begins with all 24 of our outdoor pools opening throughout the summer free of charge.  The Summer Pool Season will run from mid-June to mid-August, with regular hours being Tuesday – Sunday from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m.  This year in an effort to provide more time in the evening for working families to enjoy the pools during the regular pool season the Parks Department will adjust the hours at 5 pools.  The five pools will operate from 2:00pm to 8:00pm Tuesday through Sunday; they will shift their hours to open an hour later but will stay open an hour later as well.  The pools designated for the adjusted schedule are: Fairchild (CD2), Kennedy (CD5), San Pedro (CD1), Springtime (CD8) and Sunset Hills (CD7).  The 4 pools currently providing Lap Swimming will continue to be offer it through the summer season on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings.

In addition there are a variety of programs available including the Summer Youth Program, Fitness in the Park, a Teen Connection program, swimming lessons, tennis lessons, and several other opportunities for fitness and fun.   Everyone is invited to come out and stay cool this summer and get in a little physical fitness while doing it.

For more information about any of our summer activities, the community can contact the Parks and Recreation Department at (210) 207-3000.