Councilwoman Rebecca J. Viagran

District 3 Newsletter

THE MISSION

A MESSAGE FROM COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN

City of San Antonio

Dear Neighbors,The D3 staff and I hope your year is off to an incredible start! District 3 has much too look forward to this year and we are excited to continue working together. We want to thank you the residents in our community for voicing your support and concerns and sharing your input throughout 2018, together we were able to accomplish so much.

The World Heritage Area Legacy Business Grant Pilot Program, Grand Opening of Confluence Park, Resolution of Support for affordable housing rental, OKIN BPS North American Headquarters at Brooks, park improvements, are just some of last year’s successes. In this issue you will see other triumphs made towards the end of 2018 and will also find a budget breakdown of the 2019 Fiscal Year Approved Budget along with completed Infrastructure Improvements.

On the last page you will find a contact list for the District 3 staff. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with our team so that we may better serve you.

In City related news, the recruitment period for the City Manager position has closed and the City received a total of 31 applications. City Council will vote to appoint a new City Manager in late January or early February.

Please know that the District 3 staff will continue to provide updates on all District 3 and City news through our weekly e-blast, social channels and the City website on any district related projects, additions and improvements. As we begin 2019 we want to continue gathering your input and joining conversations towards a better and bolder District 3.

Our vision going into 2019 is to continue to bring everyone together, develop a strong workforce through investments and working together with our constituents for the district that represents the past, present and the future of this City. Let’s continue moving forward! Thank you.

Yours in service,

ALLOCATION HIGHLIGHTS

As we start a New Year I want to encourage you to review the Fiscal Year Approved Budget for 2019 below. We are especially thankful for the input provided by District 3 constituents. Thank you to our City Manager for her steadfast leadership and support in bringing a balanced budget for us to approve . We also appreciate the hard work the Assistant City Manager team did in listening to our budget priorities, starting with the goal-setting sessions and leading up to the successful passage of a $2.8 billion budget, which is 5.5% more than the Fiscal Year 2018 budget. This year’s adopted budget does not include an increase to the City Property Tax Rate.

Through much work with City staff, we was able to designate dollars to meet the specific needs of District 3 residents and their priorities were reflected in the budget requests.

APPROVED BUDGET & BOND PROGRAM

2 SAPD SAFFE Officers specifically assigned to District 3 3 Code Enforcement Officers assigned to the southern

sectors of San Antonio and one of them specifically forDistrict 3

Signage and new basketball canopy at Southside LionsPark.

Funding for Southside First economic development Healthy Corner Store Project in targeted neighborhoods

to focus on food deserts in District 3 More than $3 million in infrastructure and stormwater

drainage improvements, including:1.Petaluma Drainage Project from Pleasanton Rd. toBascum Blvd2. SGevers Drainage Project3. Jo Marie Drainage Improvements

We have this increase in our budget, because of the the input provided by District 3 constituents, which enabled me to bring to the table in-depth knowledge of key issues and allowed us to effectively advocate for the allocation of more funds for public safety, code enforcement, animal care services, parks and infrastructure improvements.

This past Fall my staff and I hosted the 6th Annual Fall Fest 5K. I want to thank everyone who participated this year, it was a tremendous success! We had over 600 runners and walkers of all ages and fitness levels come out to enjoy a beautiful morning of running, walking, and yoga at Greenline Park on the Brooks Campus.

Special congratulations to those runners who placed and to the wonderful patrons who came out to show support. Thank you to all the volunteers and partners who helped make this event a huge success. Bringing health conscious and free events such as the Fall Fest 5K has been a priority since in office and I hope D3 residents are encouraged to participate in more health conscious activities. We look forward to seeing you all again next year.

The D3LLI students kept busy over the holidays with several holiday events. On Thanksgiving Day they generously gave back to our community and volunteered their time at the Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner. Since 1979 the Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner provides seniors and families in need with a place to enjoy a hot holiday dinner. The students wrapped up 2018 at our Holiday Networking Mixer where they met one on one with community leaders. The students were provided with business cards and utilized communication and networking techniques they have acquired through the program.

Thank you to the comunity leaders for giving their time to mentor the class. The D3LLI students participate in a series of leadership development programs intended to open a wide array of opportunities that will not only build upon their leadership skills, but provide an opportunity to develop a broader understanding of civic engagement, networking and career building.

“I enjoyed meeting leaders from my community. Thanks to D3LLI I was able to make these connections that I otherwise

would not have the chance to meet. ”Elizabeth De La Rosa, Sophomore

Harlandale STEM Early College High School

During the FY 2019 Adopted Budget, I advocated for $50,000 for a Healthy Corner Store initiative for District 3. We will be partnering with University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) School of Osteopathic Medicine and Food Policy Council of San Antonio (FPCSA) to implement the Healthy Corner Stores pilot project by collaborating with convenient stores in target neighborhoods to increase the availability of healthy, affordable foods where Food Deserts exist starting in 2019. D3 staff will provide updates on locations once finalized.

HEALTHY CORNER STORE INITIATIVE Many neighborhoods in San Antonio lack access to grocery stores creating food deserts. According to a report by the Economic Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture, about 2.2 percent of all US households live more than one mile away from a supermarket and do not own a car.

Some families rely on corner stores to purchase food items, and the majority of these stores sell packaged foods with little to no healthy options. We know in parts of D3 are going through a food desert, we are working with FSD and our neighborhoods to get grocery stores and healthier options in D3.

SPOTLIGHT ON D3

6TH ANNUAL FALL FEST 5K

DISTRICT 3 LEGACY LEADERSHIP INIATIVE

The City of San Antonio's Transportation & Capital Improvements will be working to improve the following streets:

INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS

BEFORE

COMING SOON

• Christine between Sandra to S. Pineo Scheduled to be completed January 2019

• Fairview between S. Hackberry to S. Pineo Scheduled to be completed January 2019

Pleasanton Rd required maintenance of a mill and overlay from Mauermann Rd to City Limits.

AFTER

• Ada Street and S. New Braunfels Avenue new traffic signalo Scheduled to be completed later this year

• Goliad Road and Kate Schenck Avenue new traffic signalo Scheduled to be completed later this year

• Jubilee Academy Traffic School Zone Flasherso Scheduled to be completed January 2019

Traffic signals will be added to improve the efficiency and safety of vehicular and pedestrian traffic at the following intersections:

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

District 3 kicked off 2019 right with the first groundbreaking of the year, in all of San Antonio, with improvements to Stinson Park’s Five Diamonds Little League Complex.

A new parking lot and improved access road that will continue to serve the growing youth sports programs and surrounding community around the park for years to come. The league serves nearly 1,800 participants each year along with hundreds of other visitors.

Passage of the 2017-2022 Bond Program by our voters the park will add 220 parking spaces, including 7 accessible parking spaces for the sports complex. Approximately 44,892 sq ft. of new asphalt will be installed for both the parking lot and access road, while existing pavement will be resurfaced and receive new striping and signage. This project is scheduled to be completed in March, just in time for youth sports programs to begin.

I am excited to see this project come to fruition and will continue to provide updates on the progress.

In November San Antonio City Council unanimously approved a resolution supporting women’s safety, health, and economic opportunity.

The resolution reaffirms the City’s commitment to encourage and take action to drive equitable outcomes for women by supporting strategies to reduce domestic violence rates, improve health outcomes for women, and promote equitable access to economic and business opportunities.

STINSON PARK/5 DIAMONDS LITTLE LEAGUE

GROUNDBREAKING

Such strategies should include accountability measures including the use of disaggregated data to design the most effective strategies and action.

The women of San Antonio continue to make tremendous impacts across countless genres and industries, it's time to take appropriate action to recognize and support these achievements.

WOMENS EQUITY RESOLUTION

UPCOMING DISTRICT 3

EVENTS

BASURA BASHDate: Saturday, February 16 Time: 8:00 AM- NoonPlace: Espada Park- 1750 SE Military DrTo volunteer please call, 210.858.8520

SOUTHSIDE LIONS PARK BOND PROJECT COMMUNITY MEETINGDate: Tuesday, February 19 Time: 6:30 PMPlace: Southside Lions Community Center - 3100 Hiawatta

COFFEE & CONVO W/THE COUNCILWOMAN Date: Saturday, February 23 Time: 10:00 -11:00 AMPlace: James A Bode Center- 901 Rigsby Ave

WORLD HERITAGE UPDATE

MISSION DESIGN

MANUALAt the end of 2018 the City of San Antonio Historic Design Guidelines amended to include the Mission Historic District Design Manual for the Mission Historic District and designated structures in the World Heritage Buffer Zone.

The manual will act as district-specific design guidelines for the Mission Historic District and serve as a consolidated resource for design requirements within the district. It will also articulate the unique and character-defining features of the district, and demonstrate best-practices concerning land development in sensitive areas. Each section of the manual addresses a specific area of the historic district, covering particular local issues, opportunities and approaches to design.

The Mission Manual will be an important addition and resource and I want to thank our community for their input and our partnerships with the Office of Historic Preservation and World Heritage Office for their contribution to this resource for our property owners.

District 3 is home to four of the five Spanish Colonial Missions. As we grow and develop this manual will be critical for us as we preserve our authenticity and character and will bring a sense of place and arrival. The Office of Historic Preservation hosted multiple community meetings and open houses, and provided regular updates at neighborhood association meetings and utilized innovative methods of community engagement such as cultural mapping and visual presence surveys to collect community input.

"The Mission Design Manual gives us the sense of arrival and sense of place, so we know where we are and that you're in the

World Heritage Area. "

Councilwoman Rebecca J. ViagranCity of San Antonio, District 3P.O. Box 839966District Office Phone: 210.207.0969

To learn more about city sponsored events in your neighborhood, visit www.sanantonio.gov

FOLLOW COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER

DISTRICT 3 STAFF CONTACTS

Chris Villa Zoning & Planning CoordinatorPhone: 210.207.7002Email: chris.villa@sanantonio.gov

Salvador "Sal" ValdezDirector of Constituent ServicesPhone: 210.207.0969 Email: salvador.valdez@sanantonio.gov

Ruben Lizalde Chief of StaffPhone: 210.207.7006Email: ruben.lizalde@sanantonio.gov

Deborah Hosey Senior Executive SecretaryPhone: 210.207.7064Email: deborah.hosey@sanantonio.gov

Kellie Rose AlcozerMedia & CommunicationsPhone: 210.207.7008Email: kellie.alcozer@sanantonio.gov

Deborah GunnCouncil AidPhone: 210.207.0696Emai: deborah.gunn@sanantonio.gov

Nina ParkerCouncil AidPhone: 210.207.0696Email: nina.parker@sanantonio.gov

Ida RamosSenior Center LiasonPhone: 210.207.096