Your District 7 Newsletter
VOLUME 30 | March 2, 2018
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As your Councilwoman, I believe that meaningful public participation is the foundation for well-developed public policy. We should expect a high bar with regards to how the city conducts public engagement. When you take the time to attend a public meeting, you should know how your input is used and what impact it had on the outcome.
That is why I have requested city staff to review how the city currently approaches public engagement.
Specifically, I have asked for a unified set of principles to guide meaningful public participation by city departments, a review of the "Citizens To Be Heard" process, a tool to connect residents with updates in their area of interest, and the means to ensure that geographic and demographic diversity is part of all public participation.
You can read the proposal
here.
Stay tuned for updates on this proposal in the coming months.
Thank you.
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P.S. As a reminder, if you own a small business in District 7 and have not yet registered for our first-ever District 7 Small Business Town Hall next Friday, you may do so
here.
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On Saturday, Councilwoman Sandoval joined SAPD for their "Coffee with the Cops," where residents are invited to get to know their local law enforcement.
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Councilwoman Sandoval sat down with a local Brownie Troop to talk about leadership this past week.
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On Monday, Councilwoman Sandoval joined Environment Texas to talk about the wave of electric vehicles expected to hit San Antonio's streets in the next decade and the infrastructure challenges that poses.
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Councilwoman Sandoval addresses the newly selected members of the Steering Committee and Technical Working Groups of the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan on Wednesday.
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One of the ways Councilwoman Sandoval wants to give you the answers you need about city government is through "Ask Ana Anything", a recurring part of the weekly District 7 newsletter. Have a question for Ana? Email it to
district7@sanantonio.gov with the subject line "Ask Ana Anything".
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Dear Councilwoman Sandoval,
I just voted early and saw a lot of commotion at the polls about a petition the Firefighters Union is circulating. I even saw the Mayor come out against it. What’s the big deal? It’s just a petition.
Thanks,
Actual Voter
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Dear Actual Voter,
First, let me say that I hold our first responders in the highest regard. They bravely protect us in the most dangerous of circumstances, while their families pray every day for their safe return. Our firefighters are professional, highly skilled, and dedicated. I support the union’s right to advance the well-being of their membership.
Unfortunately, the petitions circulated by the leadership of the firefighters union do not have the best interest of their membership—or our city—in mind. These three proposals pose a vast change to our longstanding form of city government. Such dramatic changes should not be hastily formulated by the leadership of one single union. Proposals to change our government should be developed openly and thoughtfully, with the opportunity for all San Antonio residents to have their voice heard.
While the proposals may seem harmless, they are not. They force our city to give up the right to go to court. They tie City Council’s hands when it comes to selecting a city manager. They undermine your representation at City Hall.
As a former union member, I appreciate the benefits that organized labor negotiated for me. I’m disappointed that we have been unable to negotiate with our firefighters’ union for four years. But petitions and ballot initiatives are not the way to negotiate benefits. Coming to the table is.
For a press release from the city on this, click
here.
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Sincerely,
Councilwoman Ana Sandoval
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Connect with Your Councilmember
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"District 6 Councilman Greg Brockhouse, District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry and District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval have submitted a Council Consideration Request to form a task force to improve and prevent mail theft."
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$60 million drainage project about to enter final phase
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"The city’s about to start the final phase of a more than $60 million drainage project near Woodlawn Lake. When Seeling Channel is done, more than 100 homes will be out of the flood plain. But the project’s had its share of headaches."
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"'The city of San Antonio's newly formed Climate Action Plan Committee will be tasked identifying key locations — public and private — to install charging stations,' District 7 City Councilwoman Ana Sandoval told the Business Journal."
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Take Part in the Community
Conversation at St. Mary's University
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St. Mary’s University will explore “Environmental Issues and Policy: Challenges for San Antonio’s Health and Growth” on
Tuesday, March 6, in a Community Conversations panel discussion.
Panelists include District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval; Elena Craft, Ph.D., Senior Health Scientist for the Environmental Defense Fund; and Douglas Melnick, Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of San Antonio. The program will be moderated by Amy Hardberger, J.D., St. Mary’s University School of Law Associate Dean and Professor of Law. The panel will cover a wide range of topics, including how students and other young people can get involved.
There will be a reception at 5:30 p.m., with the
program beginning at 6. Afterward, there will be a question and answer session with the audience. Community Conversations will be held on the
St. Mary’s campus in the University Center, Conference Room A. The event is free and open to the public.
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Join Us for the First District 7
Small Business Town Hall
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Small businesses are the backbone of San Antonio’s economy. Most of us work for small companies, and they account for a large share of the jobs created across our city.
In District 7, we want to work with these businesses, and help them any way we can. One of our challenges in District 7 is attracting new jobs and investment.
To start the conversation, we’re hosting the first-ever District 7 Small Business Town Hall on Friday, March 9th.
Here are the resource tables participating in the event:
- UTSA Small Business Development Center
- Westside Development Corporation
- San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- LiftFund
- City of San Antonio Economic Development
- LaunchSA
- Najim Center for Business Innovation
- PTAC – Procurement Technical Assistance Center
- SAWS – Small Minority and Women Owned Business Program
- PeopleFund
- SCORE
If you own your own business, please
RSVP and plan to attend! We want to get to know you and your company.
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Councilwoman Ana Sandoval values your input (and coffee). That's why we're inviting you to: Coffee with Ana on March 10th at the Braun Station East Clubhouse (9350 Knighthood). It will be held from 10am to noon.
District 7 residents have the opportunity to have a 20-minute, one-on-one conversation with Councilwoman Sandoval. These conversations are by appointment only.
To make an appointment, call 210-207-0872 or send an email with the subject line "Coffee with Ana" to district7@sanantonio.gov.
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Are you interested in becoming more active in your community? Help us beautify District 7 by donating your time and efforts.
Annual Graffiti Wipeout Volunteer Day
Saturday, March 3, 2018
8:30 am - 12 PM
Questions? Contact Melissa Escamilla at 210-207-8178 or Lisa McKenzie at 210-207-5430.
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Tomorrow is the last day for early vote! For a list of locations, click
here.
If you miss the early vote period, election day is
March 6.
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Councilwoman Sandoval met with our District 7 Representative on the City's Commission on Veterans Affairs, Ramon Gonzalez, this past week to discuss how the commission's latest work and potential initiatives.
Mr. Gonzalez is a veteran, having retired as a USAF Master Sergeant after 23 years of service. He is the Regional Director of Volunteers of America, where he leads two programs helping homeless veterans and providing substance abuse treatment. We are incredibly lucky to have his years of experience and leadership serving our city's veterans.
Mr. Gonzalez wanted to make sure the following upcoming veterans job fairs are highlighted:
The City Commission on Veterans Affairs serves as the community’s liaison and advocate for veterans’ affairs. They advise on issues affecting San Antonio veterans and their families and make recommendations for improving services.
If you have any input or questions for Mr. Gonzalez, you may contact him at 210.204.4701 or at rgonzalez@voatx.com
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Construction Project Updates
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TCI will soon begin constructing sidewalks on the south side of Riverdale Dr., from Hillcrest Dr. to NW 36th St. The projected start date is March 19, 2018.
The project will consist of the installation of concrete curb, sidewalk, and driveway approaches (the portion of the driveway typically in the Right-of-Way from the curb to the property line). The primary purpose of this project is for safe pedestrian access as required by the Americans With Disability Act (ADA).
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Oversized Vehicle Parking Violations Increase to $500
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Thinking about getting your pets fixed? Well, we offer FREE & low cost spay and neuter services! Learn more about the services and book your appointment by contacting the clinics below:
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District 7's Own Dibble's Hobbies Named Living Heritage Legacy Business
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The first 10 businesses to launch the Living Heritage Legacy Business Program were announced February 14. They are Del Rio Tortilla Factory, Del Bravo Record Shop,
Dibble's Hobbies, Jim's Restaurants, Roddis Lumber & Veneer Company, Bolner's Meat Market, Santikos Entertainment, Friedrich Air Conditioning, Steves & Sons, and Pioneer Flour.
The Legacy Business Program is a component of our ScoutSA Living Heritage Initiative. ScoutSA encourages San Antonians to explore, discover, and celebrate the historic resources that make San Antonio unique.
Businesses eligible for this program have been around for 20 years or more and contribute to the history, culture, and authentic identity of San Antonio. Boot makers and hat shops, piñata-makers and sellers, restaurants, ice-houses, saloons and cantinas, schools of ballet folklorico, butchers and bakers and candlestick-makers are all eligible!
Watch a video about the inaugural Legacy Businesses
here.
Help OHP Identify Legacy Businesses
Email info@sapreservation.com, send a letter of nomination to the address below, or tag #legacybizsa on social media to nominate a historic business.
Office of Historic Preservation
attn: Legacy Business Program
1901 S. Alamo St.
San Antonio, Texas 78204
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Oversized Vehicle Parking Violations Increase to $500
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Oversized vehicle parking within residential areas is prohibited by City Code. Violations of this prohibition continue to increase. As a response, today City Council voted to approve increasing the violation amount from $35.00 to $500.00.
An oversized vehicle: A motor vehicle, trailer, or boat which by itself or together with other structure(s) or vehicle(s) attached to it exceeds twenty-four (24) feet in length, eight (8) feet in width or eight (8) feet in height, exclusive of accessories such as antennas, air conditioners, luggage racks, and mirrors. If an oversized vehicle is also a recreational vehicle, it may not be parked on the street in a residential district. If it does not meet the criteria for an oversized vehicle it may be parked on the street provided that it is not being stored there. It may park on the street only for such time as is actually necessary to load and unload passengers, freight and merchandise. There is no exception for trip preparation. This rule applies 24 hours a day.
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“Every call is important, but not all calls are emergencies,” San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said. “We need our operators available to handle dire and life-threatening emergencies, and we hope this campaign will help residents remember the difference between emergency calls and regular calls for service.”
Appropriate times to call 911 include medical emergencies such as a heart attack or stroke, house fire, a domestic violence incident, burglary- or theft-in-progress, suspicious activities or a car accident with life-threatening injuries.
Incidents that require first responders but are not emergencies can be reported to 210-207-SAPD. Requests for general City services should be reported to 311.
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To view more events, visit the calendar on the Your District 7 website
here.
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Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
Wednesdays: 12:00 - 7:00 PM
Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Location: Forest Hills Libary, 5245 Ingram Rd
VITA staff and volunteers will be available to assist with filing your tax returns. This is for people with $60,000 or less in taxable income. This will occur weekly until April 14th.
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Date: March 3
Location: Witte Museum, 3801 Broadway St
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I
n
ternational Women's Day March
Date: March 3
Location: Columbus Park, 799 W Martin St
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Date: March 3
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Location: Hangar 9, 8081 Inner Circle Road
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Date: March 5
Time: 6:00 - 7:30 PM
Location: Board Room of Development Services, 1901 S. Alamo
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C.O.P. Class
Date: March 7
Time: 6:00 - 10:00 PM
Location: SAPD's Prue Substation, 5020 Prue Road
Here is an opportunity to learn how to make your home and neighborhood safer, and the cost is right- no charge!
The goal of the COP training class is to provide everyday citizens with the knowledge to become the “extra eyes and ears” of the police in our community.
After successful completion of the four hour training class, graduates may choose to join a San Antonio police officer on a ride-along experience to familiarize themselves with patrol procedures. This is one of the most educational, valuable and enjoyable parts of COP training.
For more information, please email Kimberly.Kory@sanantonio.gov.
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Date: March 12-16
Location: Gilbert Garza Park, 1450 Mira Vista; other locations
available.
Registration is now open for the Parks and Recreation Department's Spring Break Camp for children ages 6 to 14. Register
here.
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Date: March 24
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: 1504 E. Commerce Street
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Date: March 24
Time: 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM
Location: Friendship Church Parking Lot, 14015 San Pedro Ave
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- Joseph Bravo
- Chief of Constituent Services & Administration
- 210.207.2727
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Brass Professional Center
4414 Centerview Dr #160
Monday - Friday:
9am - 5pm
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Maury Maverick Library
8700 Mystic Park
By appointment only.
Please call 210-207-2727.
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