Hello D6,

Another long-term vision we discussed this week was how our community is going to address and prevent violence.

The city's Metropolitan Health District presented their comprehensive Violence Prevention Strategic Plan to the council on Wednesday. This is the same plan presented to the Public Safety Committee, which I chair, at the beginning of the month.

What’s new and exciting about this plan is that it approaches violence from a public health point of view, a public health lens. This means that the city’s resources across all departments will be used to tackle violence and violent crime, rather than rely on law-enforcement alone.

This is an ambitious plan with a five-year goal that will change the way our city protects its families, its children, and the elderly, bu targeting the causes of violence rather than responding to incidents after the fact.

What I like about the plan is that it eases the burden that our police department carries in response to Violent crime.

Also during Thursday's A Session we had the opportunity to thank the Leija Family Foundatuion for their work in the community.

We recognized the Foundatiion and the brave fighters and supporters for a successful inaugural fight night charity gala. The Red Carpet Brawl, titled "Where Charity Meets Competition", was a philanthropic event like no other, raising money our city’s nonprofit organizations.

The Boeing Center at Tech Port was the perfect setting for the exhilarating event.

Looking forward to 2025! 

Our most gratifying work is when we have an opportunity to join supportive organizations, such as King’s Compassion, in advocating for our city’s elder residents.

The Kings Compassion  staff and volunteers provide services like lawn care, toiletries, paper goods, dog & cat pet food, non-perishable foods, care calls, diapers, bed padding, and gently used items for kitchens and appliances.

The entire D6 team joined Kings Compassion this week distributing food and necessities, it was a great day for all. I invite you to visit kingscompassion.org to learn more.

Have a great week!

Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda

Construction and Maintenance Notices

January 22nd –   February 26th

• Oak Fence @ Rim Rock Trail
• Oak Mill @ Oak Branch
• Oak Branch @ Rim Rock Trail

The work is estimated from 1/22/2024 to 2/26/2024, weather permitting.

Council Meetings and Committees

BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETINGS WEEK:

• Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 15 - North East Crossing
• Municipal Court Advisory Committee
• Public Input Meeting - Zarzamora Creek Trail Project
• San Antonio Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Executive Committee Meeting
• Arbitration Hearing
• SA Ready to Work Advisory Board Media Training
• Tom Slick Park - Public Input Meeting
• City of San Antonio Higher Education Student Advisory Board Meeting
• Municipal Civil Service Commission Meeting
• Updating the Short Term Rental Ordinance - Task Force Meeting
• Building Standards Board
• San Antonio Arts Commission's Arts Funding Committee Meeting
• Meeting: Renters' Solutions Subcommittee of the Housing Commission 
• Artist Grant Application Info Session 3

Community Bulletin Board

COSA Construction Resource Toolkit

As progress continues in our City so does construction.  I am reaching out to remind you that COSA has a Construction Resource Toolkit to help small businesses impacted by construction in their area.  This guide includes contacts, strategies, and other resources to help small businesses prepare and navigate the construction experience. This Toolkit is available digitally at the links listed below. 

• EDD Programs & Grants page
• Construction Resource Toolkit-ENGLISH
• Construction Resource Toolkit-SPANISH

The Texas Legislature recently enacted HB 114 requiring all school districts to implement mandatory disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP) placement for students found in possession of, using, selling, giving, or delivering e-cigarettes or vaping devices on school grounds or at a school-related event.

This alternative school placement, required by law, is made regardless of whether the substance being vaped is a controlled substance or not.

We ask that you discuss this new state law with your child(ren).

Pack your school bag with resources from San Antonio Public Library!

Local libraries offer school resources for students of all ages

The school year is once again upon us, and San Antonio Public Library (SAPL) wants to remind students and their families of the educational resources available at your library year-round. Throughout the year, SAPL is packed with free resources to support children, teens, and adults on their educational journeys.

In addition to a collection of over 2 million items and dozens of free online databases, SAPL offers online tutoring, Wi-Fi, low-cost printing services, and more for all ages. Sign up for a free SAPL card today to kick off the school year and enjoy several services and resources to assist in your educational pursuits. Visit MySAPL.org/CardSignUp or stop by your nearest SAPL location to register.

SAPL’s educational resources include:

Read-alongs

Available at all SAPL Locations

Do you have a young child learning to read or reading English or Spanish for the first time? Read-alongs, print books with built-in audio narration, are available in a range of English and Spanish titles. They are an entertaining, self-guided way to help enhance your little one's literacy skills. To borrow a read-along, visit the read-along shelf at your nearest SAPL location. Introduce children to the pleasure of independent reading and let them embark on a delightful literary journey with read-along stories. To learn more about these selections and to browse them in our collection, visit the children's services section of the SAPL website.

MySAPL App

Download instant access to the San Antonio Public Library collection on your phone or mobile device. The MySAPL app is free, easy, and available for both iOS and Android users — take the library wherever you go!

PrintOnline

Available at all SAPL Locations

PrintOnline is a mobile printing service available to all library cardholders. Get printing in four simple steps:

1. Access the PrintOnline portal
2. Upload documents from home, the office, a coffee shop, or anywhere you have internet access
3. Visit your nearest branch library to print your files
4. Enter your SAPL card number into the print kiosk at your library to finish printing your documents.

Free Indoor & Outdoor Public Wi-Fi

Available at SAPL Locations

You’ll always have the Wi-Fi password at SAPL! Wi-Fi is available at all SAPL locations daily.* Indoor Wi-Fi is available during normal service hours and outdoor Wi-Fi is available from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. every day.

* Locations undergoing building improvements or other projects may have adjusted hours. Details listed at MySAPL.org.

Ask a Librarian
Call (210-207-2500) or chat online (Ask.MySAPL.org)
Librarians are teachers in disguise. They’re available to make book recommendations for your next research project or help with account questions.

Homework Help

Daily | 11 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Connecting you to Homework Help heroes is what we do. Free online homework help from professional tutors is available in a variety of subjects for students in kindergarten through college. Available 11 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., seven days a week in English and Spanish. For more information, visit SAPL’s expert help website.

SORA App

SAPL has partnered with every public school district in the area to offer students unlimited access to age-appropriate materials in our digital library even if you don't have a SAPL card. Thanks to the Sora app by OverDrive, San Antonio students at participating schools can easily browse our extensive library. Head over to Sora’s website to see if your school is participating!

FAFSA Assistance   

Monday – Thursday, 1 p.m. - 10 p.m.

College preparation just got a little bit easier! Brought to you by Brainfuse, FAFSA tutors are available for live assistance Monday through Thursday, 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Visit SAPL’s featured services page for details.

Database Access
Looking for the August 1973 issue of National Geographic for a research project? Need access to over 60 years of articles about rock music? From Aardvarks to ZZ Top, San Antonio Public Library is your doorway to over 170 online databases, including popular news databases like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Some databases are library-use only, so visit your nearest SAPL location for these resources. To get started visit our database guide.

For more information on Back-to-School resources provided by SAPL, visit our guide.

Animal Care Services Extends Shelter Hours to Encourage Lifesaving

 San Antonio Animal Care Services (ACS) has expanded shelter hours to give would-be adopters, fosters, and rescue partners more opportunities to help pets in need. The municipal shelter will be open two additional hours, with adoptions and other services now available from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays. Weekend hours remain unchanged, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The $25 special adoption rate continues through the end of July. This special rate applies to dog, cat, puppy, and kitten adoptions. 

Fosters Desperately Needed to Help Local Pets in Need

 San Antonio Animal Care Services (ACS) and local animal welfare partners have been flooded with pets in need, including dozens of puppies and kittens. Fosters are urgently needed to provide temporary care for pets as they become adoption ready. Foster applications are available via the following links:

• Animal Care Services at: www.saacs.info/foster
• San Antonio Pets Alive! at: www.sanantoniopetsalive.org/programs/foster
• Animal Defense League at: www.adltexas.org/foster-application/

Fosters will receive food and other supplies for their temporary pets including medical care and vaccinations. Interested residents should check with the program of their choice for additional resources. 

Always dispose of pesticides properly

Pesticides and herbicides can be a convenient way to protect plants from pests and weeds. But when used or discarded incorrectly, these chemicals pose great risks not only to our ecosystem and wildlife, but also to our water, soil, air and human health.

The best way to avoid the perils of pesticides and herbicides is to stop using them altogether. But if you must use them:

• Always carefully read the product label and follow the disposal instructions exactly.
• Only purchase what you need and use it until it’s gone to avoid leftovers.
• Never discard these items in your trash bin for regular collection.  
• Don’t ever pour them down sink drains, toilets or storm drains.

Pesticides and herbicides must be disposed properly at a household hazardous waste site. For a schedule of monthly drop-off events, visit sa.gov/swmd.

A higher-paying career is now within your reach. San Antonio’s unprecedented Ready to Work program offers tuition assistance for education and job training.

Career coaches are with you from start to finish to evaluate what you need now to get started, guide you through career planning and get you enrolled to begin your path to securing a quality, higher-paying job.

No other program offers more support to ensure participants reach success. If you are ready for a change, take advantage of this opportunity now.

There are three easy ways to learn more and apply:

      1. Online: Visit readytoworksa.com

      2. Phone: Call 3-1-1 and ask for Ready to Work

          3. In Person: Visit Alamo Colleges District, Project Quest, Restore Education or Workforce Solutions Alamo

Animal Care Services joins Daisy Cares to feed hungry pets in San Antonio 

Pet food donations sought as holidays near and needs increase   

The San Antonio Animal Care Services (SAACS) team is joining Daisy Cares, a local non-profit, to host a holiday pet food drive that will help both organizations support pet parents in need by filling their pet pantries.    

Bags of dog and puppy food are especially needed in addition to other new or gently used pet items. All donations will be divided between the Daisy Cares pet food pantry and the SAACS Community Animal Support and Assistance (CASA) program, which uses a case management approach to assist pet parents in need with food, humane care support, and veterinary resources.   

Residents can bring pet food donations through the end of November to Animal Care Services during regular business hours. SAACS is located at 4710 State Highway 151 and is open on weekdays from 1 - 7 p.m. and 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. on weekends (except on City holidays). All donations are tax-deductible.

CPS energy has launched an updated webpage with information to help keep customers safe in the event of an outage: www.cpsenergy.com/prepare and in Spanish www.cpsenergy.com/preparar.

Customers are also encouraged to update their emergency contact information with CPS in case of an emergency.

For more information visit http://cpsenergy.com