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EVERYONE.[ATD 1. Call to Order]
CHAIR FERRES.IT IS NOW 5:03 PM AND I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE ORDER THE, UH, OCTOBER 22ND, A TD BOARD MEETING.
YOU MAY JOIN US A LITTLE BIT LATER.
SECRETARY MALONE, RESIDENT ASSISTANT SECRETARY COOPER.
[ATD 2. Moment of Reflection, Pledge of Allegiance]
REFLECTION.PLEASE JOIN ME IN RECITING THE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE US AND TEXAS.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL HONOR BY TEXAS FLAG.
THANK HONOR GOD ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.
UH, MR. ORANGE, DO YOU HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? I HAVE NO ANNOUNCEMENTS.
[ATD 3. Citizens to be Heard ]
THE CITIZENS TO BE PORTION OF OUR A TD MEETING.DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZENS TO BE HEARD? A TD FOR A TD? WE DO NOT HAVE ANY CITIZENS TO BE HEARD.
[ATD 4. Consent Agenda]
ITEM, UH, TRUSTEES.ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? IF NOT, MAY I HAVE A MOTION, A SECOND TO APPROVE AND THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEM AS PRESENTED.
THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEM IS APPROVED.
[ATD 5. *Legal Briefing ]
DO WE, UH, MS. ELDERS, DO WE HAVE A LEGAL BRIEFING? NO, SIR, WE DO NOT.TRUSTEES, WE HAVE REACHED THE END OF OUR MEETING.
I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING.
IT IS NOW 5:06 PM AND I WOULD LIKE
[1. Call to Order]
TO CALL THE ORDER THE OCTOBER 22ND VIA BOARD MEETING.D UH, ITEM TWO WAS ADDRESSED AT THE A TD MEETING.
[3. President/CEO Report]
NUMBER THREE, THE PRESIDENT AND CEO REPORT, MR. ARN.SO AT THIS POINT, WE WOULD TYPICALLY RECOGNIZE OUR STAR, UH, EMPLOYEE OF THE QUARTER.
UH, WE ARE GOING TO DEFER THE OCTOBER STARS, UH, FOR THE NOVEMBER MEETING, AND WE'LL DO PICTURES WITH THE BOARD FOR BOTH THE OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER FOLKS.
[4. Citizens to be Heard ]
WILL ADDRESS CITIZENS TO BE HEARD.DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZENS REGISTERED TO SPEAK? MR. CHAIR? WE HAVE FOUR CITIZENS REGISTERED TO SPEAK.
UH, BECAUSE OF THAT, I'LL READ THIS NEXT STATEMENT.
WE HAVE NOW COME TO THE CITIZENS BEAR PORTION OF OUR PUBLIC MEETING.
THE BOARD IS INTERESTED IN HEARING THE COMMENTS AND CONCERNS FROM OUR PATRONS AND CITIZENS IN SAN ANTONIO BEXAR COUNTY AREA.
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS CONCERNING PUBLIC BUSINESS OR POLICY, WHICH OVER THE BOARD HAS SUPERVISION AND CONTROL, MAY BE ADDRESSED AT A LATER DATE BY THE PRESIDENT AND CEO AND HIS STAFF.
THIS PROCESS ASSURES THAT YOU RECEIVED THE MOST ACCURATE RESPONSE TO YOUR QUESTIONS OR CONCERN.
AND WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME AND EFFORT TO SHARE YOUR COMMENTS WITH US THIS EVENING.
FIRST UP, WE HAVE JESUS MORENO.
I COME IN AND ON BEHALF OF BON VISTA, IT'S IN SA COUNTY.
UM, BUENA VISTA IS VERY HISTORIC.
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IT'S BEEN THERE SINCE BACK IN THE 18 HUNDREDS.BACK THEN, DON ONLY PAY YOU COULD BUY SUPPLIES FOR THE HOUSE WAS EITHER BON VISTA, CHICAGO, OR CALIFORNIA.
AND, UM, AT ONE TIME IT WAS, IT WAS A THRIVING LITTLE TOWN.
BUT WHEN THE RAILROADS CAME, THEY ASKED WHERE
AND EVERYBODY MIGRATED TO WHERE THE RAILROADS WERE AT AND WHERE
NOW, UM, THE NEAREST BUS STOP FROM THERE IS LIKE, UM, FIVE MILES DOWN, AND THEN WE HAVE TO WALK.
UH, AND, UM, WE HAVE TO WALK TO THE, UM, BUS, THE NEAREST BUS STOP.
THEY, THEY PASS, UM, THEY, THEY PASS RIGHT THROUGH ME SO FAST THAT MY HAT FLIES OFF.
AND, UM, I WOULD LIKE MY, A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM MY COMMUNITY, UM, WE, WE NEED A BUS LINE OUT THERE.
THEY USED TO HAVE A BUS LINE THAT, UM, RUNS OUT THERE, BUT THEY STOP AND, AND, AND THEY GO ALL THE WAY TO SOUTH SIDE HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THAT'S FURTHER AND THE WAY BACK.
UM, THEY CAN, UM, REROUTE IT TO WHERE IT, IT, IT WON'T, IT WON'T, IT WON'T, UM, LIKE BE THAT MUCH OF A DETOUR.
BUT, UM, IT'S NEEDED OVER THERE.
I'VE ASKED TWICE ALREADY, AND I'VE BEEN DENIED TWICE.
UM, THE, THERE'S LIKE FOUR SUBDIVISIONS GOING UP OVER THERE.
THERE'S A, UM, THERE'S ALSO, UM, THE SAUCE COMPANIES OVER THERE.
THERE'S, UH, OTHER, UM, COMPANIES THAT, UM, WILL BENEFIT A LOT FROM VIA, UM, UH, VIA US BEING OUT THERE.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TO LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT WE NEED ONE OUT THERE.
I APPRECIATE IT FOR YOUR TIME.
NEXT WE HAVE, UH, MR. CHRISTOPHER FARLEY.
IT, IT SHOULD BE TO THE RECORD.
UH, SOME OF YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE, BUT, UH, ON THE MORNING OF JULY 28TH, BETWEEN THREE O'CLOCK AND FOUR O'CLOCK, I WOKE UP TO GUNSHOTS.
UM, NOT, UH, WHAT IT WAS WAS A DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE BETWEEN, UH, A WOMAN AND HER BOYFRIEND.
SHE WAS ASSAULTED, AND, UM, SHE WAS, UH, THEY HAD TO RUSHED HER TO THE HOSPITAL.
AND, UH, SHE'S GOING, SHE'S, SHE'S EXPECTED TO SURVIVE.
BUT POLICE OFFICERS SHOT HIM DEAD.
UM, THE FEMALE OFFICER, POLICE OFFICER, SHE WAS, SAW HERSELF.
SHE HAD A LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY.
AND, UM, I, I'VE HAD TWO CLOSE CALLS THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
UH, JUNE, LAST JUNE, UH, THE BUILDING NUMBER TWO CAUGHT FIRE NEXT TO MY BUILDING, THREE OF THE ICAH APARTMENTS WHERE I STILL LIVE.
AND, UM, THERE WAS A TREE BETWEEN MY BUILDING AND A, A BUILDING WHERE I LIVE AT.
UH, I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK, BUT, UH, IT COULD HAVE BEEN THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
UH, I, IF I, I CAN, UH, IT'S HARD TO PUT IN THE WORDS TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
AND, UM, ON THE MORNING OF FRIDAY, OCTOBER THE FOURTH, UH, BETWEEN, UH, AROUND 11 O'CLOCK, I WAS WAITING AT BUS STOP, 4 6 9 6 6 WAITING FOR THE, UH, NINE SIX COME FROM DOWNTOWN.
IT WAS MORE THAN 10 MINUTES LATE.
UH, CAN SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY THE BUS IS LIKE NINE, SIX AND 6 0 2? KEEP RUNNING LATE ON A, WHAT APPEARS TO BE A MORE FREQUENT BASIS.
AND, UH, ON MY WAY HERE FROM WORK, UH, MY COWORKER WHO USED TO WORK IN NUMBER FOUR ON SAN PEDRO HILDEBRAND POINTED OUT THEY SPRAY PRAYING GRAFFITI ON OUR OUTSIDE OF OUR FORMER STORE.
UH, I DON'T KNOW WHO, I DON'T KNOW WHO WOULD DO SUCH THING LIKE THIS.
AND, UM, SINCE OUR STORE IS CLOSED, UH, I'M AT NUMBER 10.
THAT'S, THAT'S PAR BI NORTH LEASE LO LOOP FOUR 10.
UH, FEEL FREE TO COME VISIT OUR AT, AT MY NEW, UM, MY NEW LOCATION.
WE'RE FROM SIX O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING UNTIL 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.
UH, I WORK WITH A GREAT GROUP OF PEOPLE, UH, MANAGEMENT ON DOWN.
UH, THEY'LL TAKE A, THEY'LL TAKE GOOD, GOOD COVER.
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APPRECIATE IT.FOR THE MATTER OF RECORDING AND PRACTICE AND PROCEDURES, I'LL INTRODUCE MYSELF.
WILLIE MAC CLAY, HADN'T BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE.
I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU WHY, BUT, UM, I'M HERE AND I CAME FOR A PURPOSE.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T SHOW UP AND LOOK AT ALL OF YOU TILL I HAVE SOMETHING TO LAY ON YOU.
WELL, I'M HERE ABOUT TWO REASONS.
I WAS JUST LOOKING AT MY CALENDAR.
WENT BACK TO SEPTEMBER AND I BELIEVE IT MUST HAVE BEEN ON THE 24TH OR SO.
I DIDN'T BRING MY PLANNER WITH ME, BUT IT WAS A TIME THAT I HAD A COMMITMENT PRIOR TO HAVING TO GO TO A PART-TIME JOB AT THE CROSS BANK, UH, CENTER.
I'M ONE OF THE USHERS DOWN THERE.
I'M RETIRED, BUT COULDN'T SIT STILL.
SO I WENT OUT AND GOT ME A PART-TIME JOB.
AND ANYWAY, I WAS LEAVING AN AREA IN NORTHEAST SAN ANTONIO, NORTHEAST, UH, UH, MEDICAL CENTER, OKAY? WHERE THE NORTHEAST HOSPITAL IS.
AND I RESERVED THAT TRIP WHERE I'M SUPPOSED TO GET THERE.
IT'S TWO WAYS TO MAKE A RESERVATION.
YOU TELL 'EM WHAT TIME TO PICK YOU UP, WHAT TIME YOU NEED TO BE THERE.
I TOLD THEM WHAT TIME I NEEDED TO BE THERE.
WELL, I WAS PICKED UP IN A, IN A BIG BAND.
AND THE ROUTING WAS RIDICULOUS.
I'M NOT GONNA TELL YOU THE OTHERS.
BUT THE DRIVER WENT TO PICK UP SOMEBODY IN PARA VITAL.
THAT'S IN THAT AREA OF VILLAGE DRIVE.
OKAY? BUT THEN SHE WENT WAY OUT OF A WAY AND ANOTHER AREA.
CAN YOU BELIEVE I'M SUPPOSED TO BE GOING DOWN ON HOUSTON STREET, EAST HOUSTON STREET AREA? THE CROSS BANK CENTER PARKWAY.
BUT I ENDED UP WAY OVER HERE IN MEDICAL CENTER.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT EVERYBODY ELSE, BUT I DIDN'T BELONG ON THAT VAN.
SHE BARELY GOT ME TO WORK ON TIME.
I HAD ABOUT A MINUTE TO SPARE.
AND I'VE REPORTED ABOUT TWO INCIDENTS HAVING TO DO WITH RIDICULOUS ROUTING.
I UNDERSTAND SYLVIA ISN'T HERE ANYMORE.
SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CHANGES, AS WITH ME.
THERE'S BEEN CHANGES HERE, BUT NEVER GOT A RESPONSE WITH THE COM COMMENTS I MADE.
THERE GOTTA BE SOMETHING ABOUT ROWING.
LASTLY, AS RECENTLY AS FRIDAY, FRIDAY PASSED, IT WAS THE 18TH.
I'M IN FRONT OF THE POST OFFICE ON HOUSTON STREET, AND MY PLAN WAS TO GET THE BAMSEY, UH, FOR A SIX O'CLOCK PICKUP.
OKAY? I WAS GIVEN THE INFORMATION TO ZTRIP.
I HADN'T USED THE SERVICE BEFORE.
THE SUBCONTRACTOR REPLACED THE YELLOW CAN.
I CALLED IT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
I WAITED IN FRONT OF THAT POST OFFICE ON HOUSTON STREET FOR TWO HOURS.
AND ZTRIP NEVER FOUND, UH, AN ACCESSIBLE VAN FOR ME.
SO WHAT I DID WAS I CALLED VIA BACK AND I CANCELED.
I SAID, JUST SEND ME A LATE PICKUP AND TAKE ME HOME.
GET ME OUT FROM IN FRONT OF THIS POST OFFICE.
SO I DIDN'T MAKE IT TO BAMSEY THAT DAY.
BUT THE EXPERIENCE I HAD WITH Z TOOK WAS UNFORGETTABLE.
I GAVE THE LADY MY ID NUMBER AND SHE QUESTIONED IT SIMPLY BECAUSE I HAD THREE DIGITS.
SHE SAID, THE CALLS THAT WE GET, PEOPLE HAVE FIVE DIGITS.
I SAID, WELL, OKAY, BUT MINE IS THREE.
I SAID, AND IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE THAT, IT'S THREE NUMBERS, AND IT'S THE THREE NUMBERS I INDICATED, CALL VIA.
THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT THAT'S MY NUMBER.
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WELL, I WENT BACK AND FORTH TO HER ALMOST 20 MINUTES BEFORE SHE FINALLY BOOKED A TIP.I WANT SOMEBODY TO INVESTIGATE.
I'VE NEVER USED IT BEFORE, AND I NEVER GOT PICKED UP.
THANK YOU, MS. I WANT SOMEBODY TO LOOK INTO IT, OKAY? YES, MA'AM.
NEXT WE HAVE A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT TO BE HEARD.
UM, CAN YOU HEAR ME? I CAN HEAR YOU, MR. CLEOD.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR THE, UH, RECORD.
I WANT TO GO OVER A COUPLE THINGS.
UM, YESTERDAY, UH, UNBEKNOWNST TO ME, THERE WAS A DETOUR OVER BY INGRAM MALL.
UH, NO COMMUNICATION FROM VIA AHEAD OF TIME, LETTING PASSENGERS KNOW THAT THERE WAS DETOURS.
AGAIN, WHY ARE WE PROB HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM OVER AND OVER AGAIN? BUS RIDERS ARE NOT PSYCHIC.
WE DON'T RUN A PSYCHIC FRIEND'S HOTLINE.
UH, SO Y'ALL NEED TO, UH, GET WITH THE PROGRAM.
'CAUSE I KNOW YOU GET COMMUNICATIONS FROM TRANSPORTATION AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.
SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC WORKS WHEN A, UH, STREET IS ABOUT TO BE TORN UP, OR THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING WORLD WORK OF SOME KIND, Y'ALL NEED TO, UH, LET THE RIDERS KNOW IN ADVANCE.
IT'S GOING THERE IN THE MORNING, NO PROBLEM.
BUT IN THE AFTERNOON, DETOUR BUS STOP CLOSED, YOU HAVE TO USE THE NEXT BUS STOP, WHICH IS A FOOTBALL FIELD AWAY.
UM, Y'ALL DON'T CLEAN Y'ALL'S BUSES.
I KNOW Y'ALL DON'T CLEAN Y'ALLS BUSES DAILY BECAUSE I GOT A LETTER FROM, UH, MR.
THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE CITIZENS TO BE HEARD AT THE A TD VIA JOINT BOARD WORK SESSION THAT VIA BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING OF SEPTEMBER.
THE COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS YOU SUBMITTED WERE TO THE BOARD MEETING, HAVE BEEN NOTED AND FORWARDED TO THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS FOR FURTHER REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION REGARDING YOUR CONCERN ABOUT UNAPPROVED ADVERTISING.
IMMEDIATE ACTION IS TAKEN WHEN UNAUTHORIZED ADVERTISING ON OUR BOARD, OUR BUSES, OR AT BUS STOPS AS OBSERVED AND OR REPORTED.
UM, IT WAS PROBABLY OBSERVED BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THE, UH, PROPAGANDA THAT WAS ON THAT BUS WAS OVER.
THE MEETING THERE WITH THE, ON THAT PROPAGANDA PAPER WAS OVER A MONTH OLD.
SO TO THAT'S MISINFORMATION BECAUSE BASICALLY Y'ALL DIDN'T EVEN CLEAN THE BUS AND OBSERVE IT BECAUSE, AND IF YOU OBSERVED IT, YOU, YOU DIDN'T TAKE CARE OF IT BECAUSE IT'S BEEN THREE MONTHS SINCE THEN.
UH, I MEAN, NOT THREE MONTHS, THREE WEEKS SINCE, UH, YOU KNOW THAT THAT HAS BEEN ON THAT BUS.
WE CAN ALL SIMPLY SAY THAT BECAUSE THE DATE ON THE FLYER, UM, ALSO AT YOUR 3,600 BLOCK OF WORSE BLOCK OF OPPOSITE CRYSTAL HILL ACROSS THE STREET FROM BUS STOP NUMBER 7 9 8 6 9, ON THE 5 34 ROUTE, YOU HAVE A JOAQUIN CASTRO FOR CONGRESS, UH, POLITICAL CAMPAIGN SIGN, ZIP TIED TO THE SAFETY RAILING AT THAT BUS STOP THAT NEEDS TO COME DOWN.
CAN WE HAVE, UH, THE VICE PRESIDENT, UH, OF, UH, UH, PLANNING, UH, MR. ROD SANCHEZ DO IT, OR SOMEBODY IN MAINTENANCE TAKE CARE OF THAT PLEASE.
'CAUSE WE KNOW IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THERE.
ALSO, THERE WAS A HYPODERMIC NEEDLE AT BUS STOP, NUMBER 1 1 8 9 6.
THE PICTURE ON MY ZOOM, UH, WE NEED MORE PATROLS IF YOUR BUS STOP, BECAUSE THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE.
I DON'T THINK YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER WOULD LIKE TO WALK AND STEP ON THAT BY ACCIDENT.
THAT IS A VERY SY HAZARD AND IT NEEDS TO BE RECTIFIED.
AND WE NEED MORE PATROLS IN THAT AREA TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE BUS STOPS ARE CLEAN AND FREE OF SAFETY HAZARDS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CHAIR.
THIS ENDS CITIZENS TO BE HEARD.
[5. Consent Agenda]
MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE.CONSENT, THE AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS AN ACTION ITEM.
TRUSTEES, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? NOT MAY I HAVE A MOTION, A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT, THE AGENDA ITEM THAT AS PRESENTED? SO MOVE.
ANY OPPOSED? A THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEM IS APPROVED.
UH, NEXT WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER SIX.
MS. ELDERS, DO WE HAVE A LEGAL BRIEFING? NO, SIR, WE DO NOT.
UH, BEFORE I MOVE TO THE NEXT ONE, I'D LIKE TO TAKE THE PRIVILEGE OF READING THIS, UH, PART THAT I RECEIVED FROM THE MEDAL OF HONOR CELEBRATION IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.
IT SAYS, FERNANDO, I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR SUPPORTING OUR 2024 CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR CONVENTION AND CELEBRATION,
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ESPECIALLY THE PATRIOT ARTS.I'M SORRY, ESPECIALLY THE PATRIOTS AWARD GALA AND THE 2024 HOST COMMITTEE BOARD OF DIRECTORS WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS THEIR GRATITUDE TO YOU AND VIA METROPOLITAN TRANSIT FOR PURCHASING THE ROBERT COLE TABLE SPONSORSHIP.
UH, IT'S NOT EVERY DAY THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS 27 MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS VISIT OUR SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, POLICE AND FIRE STATIONS, AND ENGAGE IN MANY OTHER COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES.
UH, I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT, UM, I'M GLAD THAT WE SUPPORTED THAT EVENT.
UM, THESE, UH, 27 PEOPLE THAT CAME TO VISIT OUR COMMUNITY HAVE GIVEN EVERYTHING FOR OUR COUNTRY AND WE'RE WILLING TO RISK THEIR LIVES, UH, WHICH IS THE ULTIMATE, UH, THING THAT WE CAN DO.
AND SO I'M JUST GLAD THAT, THAT WE GOT BEHIND THAT.
I WANNA THANK THE STAFF AND JEFF AND, AND ALL THE EXECUTIVE BOARD, UH, FOR SUPPORTING THAT.
UH, WE MOVE TO ADJOURNMENT TRUSTEES.
WE ARE REACHED THE END OF OUR MEETING.
I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADJOURN THE VM MEETING.
I MOVED SECOND, UH, FIRST AND A SECOND ALL IN.
UH, AND DO I HAVE ANY, I'M SORRY.
BYE, Y'ALL A HAVE A GOOD EVENING.