District 10 News!

Hi neighbors, Happy Friday!

HUGE NEWS…

Last week I filed a Council Consideration Request (CCR) calling for the City to adopt a Zero-Base Budget for FY2027 and then every five years thereafter. The budgeting process is the most important function City Council undertakes each year. ZBB (Zero-Based Budget) will require each city department to build its budget from the ground up, starting from a “zero base,” so that the needs and priorities of the specific department can be analyzed. Budgets are then built around what is needed for the upcoming period with every department having to justify every dollar budgeted for in the context of the results they expect to achieve in the coming year. ZBB is designed to move away from incremental budgeting, where the previous year’s budget is used as a starting point, and instead analyze whether past spending patterns are necessary and truly provide the public with the best return on their tax dollars.

Since the first day I got in office, I promised to do what I could to push the City to look at how we can spend our money in a more advantageous way for our citizens. There is simply no better time than now to start over with our budget to determine if there are more innovative and efficient ways to spend our residents’ tax dollars. A zero-based budget gives us the best chance to ensure we are spending our money in a way that gives our residents the best return on investment while increasing accountability and transparency. This process will hold the City more accountable for allocating funds based on expected results and desired outcomes. It’s budgeting for results, rather than budgeting just to spend money. I want to thank Councilmen Courage, Pelaez, and Councilwomen Havrda and Aldrete Gavito for joining me in this effort. Our shared recognition of the need to take a fresh look at our city budget is something that will pay immediate and long-term dividends for our City.

So many thank you's...

My very first District 10 Fiesta was such a great one. I can't thank you all enough for attending, and the Catholic Life Insurance Building for hosting us. I want to also extend my gratitude to all the organizations, and entertainers for providing joy to our neighbors. We were honored to kick off the Fiesta season with you.

Mark your calendars...

Are you in need of de-cluttering? We're hosting Shred-It, a paper shredding event, Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 10:00 am, at the Catholic Life Insurance (1635 NE Loop 410). Please remove any large metal pieces from any paper that will be shredded. Limit one box per person. The box can be no larger than 20'' X 14'' X 14''. We hope to see you there!

Coming up...

My office in collaboration with Councilman Pelaez of District 8 is inviting you all to a Town Hall on Elder Fraud, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at the Northeast Senior Center (4135 Thousand Oaks) from 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm. We will have special panelists who can speak and offer insight into the importance of protecting our elders. We hope you all can attend.

Be on the lookout...

We have a lot of construction improvements all around District 10 including new Fiber Deployment. Visit the City's website for additional information on Fiber.

Seeking volunteers!

Our Office is seeking volunteers for all our community events, and special tasks. If you're interested in getting involved, contact our Special Assistant to Council, Rosalinda Guia at: rosalinda.guia3@sanantonio.gov.

Let's get you involved!

Do you have any ideas that you would like to see in your community? If so, please email councildistrict10@sanantonio.gov.

Thank you for being active community members and leaders here in District 10. Please do not hesitate to contact our office if we may be of any assistance to you. The District 10 team is on hand and available to address your needs and concerns.

-Marc

Connect with us on Social Media!

Community Corner:

Thousand Oaks Elementary Spring Carnival:.

Couldn't think of a better way to spend Friday night than with the community of Thousand Oaks Elem at their Spring Carnival!

Northeast Neighborhood Alliance Meeting:.

What a night! Overjoyed to spend Monday night with our neighbors at the Northeast Neighborhood Alliance Meeting! In case you missed it, click here to watch.

Coffee with Councilman:

Coffee with Councilman #6! Talk about a great morning with our Emerald Forest neighbors. Thank you to Minnie and Joe Rodruiguez for hosting! As always, if you're interested in hosting a coffee in your neighborhood, email our office at: councildistrict10@sanantonio.gov

District 10 Fiesta:.

District 10 Neighbors + Fiesta Season = PRICELESS. I can't express how grateful I am to all our sponsors, organizations, entertainment and finally our family and friends for coming to our District 10 Fiesta celebration this past Tuesday. Seeing you all was the highlight of my week. Special thank you to Catholic Life Insurance for hosting us. We hope you have a festive Fiesta season!

Policy Update:

Councilman's Council Consideration Request (CCR)

on Zero-Base Budgeting:

District 10 Calendar!

*District 10 specific

*May, 07, 2024: Meet with the Councilman, Catholic Life Insurance Building, 1635 NE Loop 410, 78209, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM. Sign up HERE.

*May, 11, 2024: Shred It with District 10, Catholic Life Insurance Building, 1635 NE Loop 410, 78209, 10:30 AM.

*May, 14, 2024: District 10 Town Hall on Elder Fraud, Northeast Senior Center, 4135 Thousand Oaks, 78217, 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM.

*May 20, 2024: District 10 Community Meeting, Meals on Wheels, 2718 Danbury Dr, San Antonio, Texas, 78217, 6:00 PM.

*May, 23, 2024: Blood Drive in District 10, Catholic Life Insurance Building, 1635 NE Loop 410, 78209, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Sign up info further down!

*May, 29, 2024: Property Tax Workshop Session, Catholic Insurance Building, 1635 NE Loop 410, 78209, 10:00 AM.

Plan ahead during Fiesta time!

VIVA FIESTA! While Fiesta is an exciting time in our city, we want to make sure you plan ahead for traffic, detours and parking. Keep up with the latest tips and tricks HERE to make your Fiesta season as smooth as possible. Stay safe neighbors!

Sign up HERE to Meet the Councilman

Heads up:

Watering Rules from San Antonio Water System:

Proactive planning has helped our community weather many serious droughts, and the current one is no exception. Thanks to diverse water supplies, long-term conservation and reasonable landscape watering rules, San Antonio has not needed more severe drought restrictions. But to be effective, all SAWS customers need to follow the rules.

Under Stage 2, landscape watering with a sprinkler, irrigation system or soaker hose is allowed only from 7-11 a.m. and 7-11 p.m., one day a week, based on the last number of your street address. You can still hand-water with a hose-end nozzle any time.

More than 6,000 water waste citations have been issued to home and business owners so far in 2023, and patrols are ongoing, including inside gated communities and outside city limits.

While 9 out of 10 customers do follow the rules, the ones who don’t are driving up water demand. This has prompted SAWS leaders to consider updating the rules and the way they are enforced.

“We want the watering rules to be more fair, effective and efficient,” said SAWS Conservation Vice President Karen Guz. “We think it’s important to shift away from a criminal process to one that can apply to all SAWS customers equally, regardless of where they live.”

Currently, homes and businesses in separately incorporated cities cannot get a water waste citation.

“It’s also important that enforcement consequences are meaningful, even for large commercial properties,” Guz said, noting that high volume users and repeat offenders could see higher fees.

SAWS staff has begun meeting with city leaders and will gather public input over the next several months. The SAWS Board would ultimately need to vote on any proposed changes, followed by City Council consideration.

Learn more about proposed new watering rules, request a presentation, or give us your opinion at www.wateringrules.com.

Be a part of history as the San Antonio Pothole Patrol begins its 8^th Annual Pothole Patrol Blitz! We are challenging residents to help us reach our goal of locating and fixing more than 10,000 potholes in April by calling 3-1-1 or by reporting potholes through the 311sa app on their smart phone.

The Public Works Department will be distributing Pothole Patrol Fiesta Medals at various pop-events during the month of April. Below you'll find event dates and locations:

District 7 - Woodlawn Park

on April 20, 2024

at 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

District 8 - Bonnie Conner Park

on April 24, 2024

at 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Pothole Patrol Program

The San Antonio Pothole Patrol is managed by the Public Works Streets Division. Residents made more than 4,600 calls to the City’s 311 hotline to report potholes in 2023, roughly 5% of the total potholes Public Works repaired. Public Works’ 14 Pothole Patrol crews fixed approximately 333 potholes each day.

Each pothole takes roughly 20 minutes to repair and costs about $35. San Antonio’s extremely hot weather, followed by bouts of rain, causes the expansion and contraction of asphalt and creates the perfect conditions for water to seep into the asphalt and create potholes.

Learn more about the Pothole Patrol April Program!

Learn about the PACE Program:

The Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program provides commercial, industrial, and large multi-family property owners access to affordable, long-term, 100% upfront private financing (typically 20 - 25 years) that is not available through traditional funding sources. PACE enables owners to lower their operating costs and use the savings to pay for eligible water conservation, energy efficiency, resiliency, and distributed generation projects with little or no capital. To realize the program’s benefits and determine eligibility, please visit https://www.texaspaceauthority.org/.

Motor Oil and Water Don't Mix:

That old saying is especially true when it comes to used motor oil and our local water supplies. It is estimated that American households improperly dump about 193 million gallons of used motor oil every year which could leak into our storm drain system and eventually contaminate our rivers, creeks, and lakes. Recycling used motor oil reduces this pollution threat.

Did you know that the City of San Antonio operates a permanent drop off location for used motor oil?

Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Facility

7030 Culebra Road

San Antonio, Tx 78238

Tuesday-Friday: 8am-5pm (except holidays)

Saturday: 8am-12pm (except holidays)

For a list of drop off requirements, please visit sa.gov/swmd.

Construction Project Updates:

Bulverde Road - Phase I

(Limits: Butterleigh Drive to North of Quiet Meadow)

The contractor is currently working on completing curbs, sidewalks and driveways, drainage features and asphalt throughout the project.

Located North of Quiet Meadows Street, Contractor will focus on completing the medians, the remaining traffic signal work and landscape installation.

The final steps will be installing the last 2” of asphalt for the entire length of the project, striping and clean up. The contractor will be complete by the end of this year.

From Northside ISD:

ELECTRIC WATER METERS ARE HERE!

SAWS ConnectH2O is the union of a technology and a philosophy to empower every San Antonian to help manage our community’s water in a way that’s sustainable, simple and secure. Learn more!

City is now accepting applications for REHABARAMA!

The City’s Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) is expanding its REHABARAMA program. If selected, participants may receive minor home repairs at no cost.Eligibility restrictions apply.

One goal of REHABARAMA is to preserve aging housing stock for the purpose of allowing residents to age in place & gain generational wealth. “Our older housing stock provides a high proportion of naturally occurring affordable housing that remains largely unsubsidized and unprotected. These existing homes can be at risk of deterioration or demolition due to deferred maintenance, and once they are gone, we lose the affordability,” says Shanon Miller, Director of the Office of Historic Preservation. “Prioritizing repair and maintenance programs for our older housing stock is supported by the City's Strategic Housing Implementation Plan as an environmentally and economically sustainable method of housing preservation.”

Qualified participants are eligible to receive assistance with home repair and maintenance projects focused on arresting deterioration and prolonging the useful life of the home. Typical scopes of work include projects that address one or more of the following:

Building envelope (siding, soffit, fascia, roof penetrations, skirting)
Structural systems (foundation, stabilization, reinforcement of structural elements, masonry)
Non-compliance with property maintenance code issues
Weatherization & comfort (wood window repair, windows screens, door repair, insulation)
Longevity (scraping, caulking, painting, flashing, gutter repair)
Safety (porch repair & decking, accessibility)

To be eligible, the home must be constructed prior to 1960, and the income level for the household must be at 80% of the Area Median Income or below.

To apply, homeowners can visit the REHABARAMA website or call 210-207-3327 to request an application by mail or email.

Beyond preserving aging housing stock, another goal of REHABARAMA is to integrate trades education and learning opportunities into every project. The City is seeking to hire contractors that would be willing to host an apprentice at no cost. Interested contractors can call 210-207-4680 or visit the REHABARAMA website to submit the Contractor Interest Form.

San Antonio Community Resource Directory:

Do you know where the closest food pantry is or where you can find utility assistance? Do you or a friend need help learning how to make the most of your paycheck? Have you experienced loss and are looking for grief support or mental health resources? The San Antonio Community Resource Directory, SACRD.org, was created to answer these questions and much more.

SACRD.org is a free, comprehensive online platform that offers an array of resources encompassing food, housing, health, legal, aid, education, work, transportation and more. These resources are provided by nonprofit agencies, government programs, congregations, and other compassionate groups located in and around the San Antonio area.

SACRD.org also offers three specialized portals designed to address specific needs more effectively. The Mental Health Portal offers resources customized to users' experiences, spoken language, age, insurance coverage, and other factors influencing their mental well-being. The Housing Finder helps users locate properties in the greater San Antonio area based on income, housing type, and potential rental barriers. The Housing Stability Portal focuses on housing needs beyond finding a place to live, such as home repair, legal assistance, financial assistance, relocation, and homemaking.

With almost 11,000 programs in over 140 categories, you will always find something at SACRD.org.

Start your search today at SACRD.org on your phone or computer. Enter your ZIP Code and find support.

LEARN ABOUT PROJECT QUEST:

Zero Percent Interest Loans Now Available for San Antonio Small Businesses!

The City of San Antonio, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (SAHCC), and LiftFund have secured $500,000 in the FY23 Budget for the City of San Antonio’s 0% Interest Program, a program aimed to support the growth of San Antonio small businesses, especially in light of recent economic challenges.

Small businesses located in or relocating to San Antonio city limits can apply for up to $100,000 in 0% interest funding through the program, double what has been offered by the program in the past. The funding can be used for startups as well as the majority of regular business expenses including inventory, payroll, equipment, and working capital.

According to the program website, the initiative prioritizes funding small businesses looking to hire additional staff, in efforts to help create jobs in the city. Those that have not received a 0% interest LiftFund loan in the past two years also have priority, to help those that need support the most.

Learm more about LiftFund:

https://www.liftfund.com/cosabusinessloans/

Join Ready To Work!

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.

Learn more about the City of San Antonio's Fiber Deployment!

April 2024 Thousand Oaks Library Programming

4618 Thousand Oaks Dr. | San Antonio, TX 78233 | 210.207.9190

Monday & Tuesday: 12 pm - 8 pm | Wednesday - Sunday: 10 am – 6 pm

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING (For ages 0-12)

Baby Time

Every Tuesday at 1pm – 1:45pm (except April 2)

Enjoy a lap-sit story time especially for babies 0-18 months and their caregivers. Short stories, songs, rhymes and fingerplays are followed by a brief playtime.

Let’s Move! Music & Movement

Sat, April 20 & 27 at 10:30am – 11:15am

Join us for a morning filled with music, songs and rhymes! Best for children under 10. No registration required.

Let’s Create! Arts & Crafts Friday

Every Friday at 3:15pm – 4:15pm (except April 26)

Unwind from the school week with a relaxing arts and crafts activity. This program is for children ages 6-12 but younger children may participate with caregivers’ help.

Read to a Dog!

Every Friday at 4:15pm – 5pm (except April 26)

Children practice developing literacy skills by reading aloud to a certified therapy dog, accompanied by the animal handler. Recommended for ages 6-12.

TEEN PROGRAMMING (For ages 13-18)

Teen Time

Every Monday at 6pm – 7pm

Join us in the teen area every Monday night! Get creative, be artistic, watch a movie, do some gaming – what we do is up to you.

ADULT PROGRAMMING (For ages 18+, unless otherwise noted)

Tai Chi Class (for beginners & experts!)

Every Thursday at 12pm – 1pm

Improve breathing and balance, increase strength, and decrease stress with certified instructor Debra! Comfortable clothing recommended and no equipment required. Classes limited to first 15 attendees to arrive.

Plant Swap

Sun, April 21 at 11:30am – 1:30pm

Join us for our first plant swap of the year! We welcome potted plants, plant cuttings, seeds and gardening supplies to trade or give away. All plants must be healthy and free of pests and disease. Limit 2 free plants per person. All ages welcome!

Senior Book Club

Wed, April 24 at 10am – 11am

Copies of “Night Music” by Jojo Moyes are available at Thousand Oaks Library. E-book and e-audiobook copies are also available through the Libby app with a Library card. For adults 60+ years. Held at the NE Senior Center | 4135 Thousand Oaks Dr.

Beginning Genealogy

Wed, April 24 at 10am – 11am

Are you curious about finding out more about your family’s history? Not sure where to start? Join us for beginning genealogy where you will learn basic rules of research and briefly discuss resources you can access through the San Antonio Public Library and how.

All Libraries are closed Friday, April 26 for the holidays.

Hours will be Friday – Sunday, 10am – 4pm and Mondays, 12pm – 6pm.

Please call the Thousand Oaks Library for details on any of the listed information.