Dear Neighbors,

I truly want to thank everyone who dropped off food and clothing at our District 7 field office for Hurricane Harvey evacuees.

Your concern and generosity ran deep. We lost count of how many boxes of donated items San Antonio Food Bank workers picked through mid-September. You were eager to ease the burden of fellow Texans who lost so much in the storm and subsequent flooding.

That is the District 7 I grew up in, and that I’m proud to represent – caring and always willing to pitch in. Thank you.

I would also like to encourage you to reach out to the victims of last week’s deadly earthquake in Mexico City and other regions of Central Mexico, and of Hurricane Maria. The images coming of these areas are heart-breaking, the destruction widespread. They need our help.

To contribute to UNICEF’s relief efforts in Puerto Rico and other areas devastated by Hurricane Maria, click here .

Please click here to give to the Mexican Red Cross.

Again, thank you for being part of what makes District 7 a special community.

Yours in public service,

In San Antonio, legality of tobacco use might climb to...

"Metro Health is surveying residents now about raising the legal age to buy tobacco products to 21 from 18 in order to discourage people from getting hooked at an early age and developing smoking-related diseases."

Read more

www.houstonchronicle.com

Saldaña and Sandoval Team Up to Increase Carpooling...

"'Ultimately, we want San Antonio commuters to spend less of their time stuck in traffic, away from their families, and we want to reduce air pollution,' Sandoval said."

Read more

www.sanantonio.gov

Council Members Launch Carpooling Push

"Two San Antonio city council members are teaming in an effort to increase carpooling and use of mass transit."

Read more

www.ktsa.com

Dear Ana,

Do you support giving companies City incentives to move their headquarters to San Antonio?

Signed,

Curious

Dear Curious,

Corporate headquarters are important to every large city in this country. They usually offer higher-than-average pay and benefits, attract talent from near and far, and serve as potential employers for our graduates. And as they grow, their executives frequently become involved in the civic life of San Antonio, including through corporate philanthropy.

So, yes, I do support providing incentives to companies that hold that kind of promise for San Antonio, provided that:

But we must balance these incentives with support for the homegrown businesses that help fuel our regional economy.

I hope that answers your question. Thanks for asking!

Ana

The League of Women Voters of the San Antonio Area presents a forum on

Transportation Needs of San Antonio:

How are we preparing for the future?

Councilwoman Sandoval will participate in a panel discussion with Commissioner Kevin Wolff, UTSA Professor Bill Barker, and President/CEO of VIA Jeff Arndt. UTSA Professor Dr. Francine Romero will moderate the discussion.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg will deliver the keynote address.

The forum is on Monday, October 9th, from 6pm to 8pm. It will take place at the San Antonio Central Library (600 Soledad St.). The event is free and open to the public. Parking is free in the Central Library parking garage. For questions, call 210-657-2206.

1604/Bandera - Displaced Left-Turn Interchange

Last week's nightly lane closures at 1604 and Bandera Rd. are part of a TxDOT project to construct a displaced left-turn interchange on Bandera. This will be the second displaced left-turn interchange in all of Texas and is expected to improve driver safety and congestion in this area. Construction is anticipated to be completed in 2018.

The following image depicts the project. For a video of how the construction project will affect traffic flows, click here.

For more information on this project, visit TxDOT's project site: http://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/projects/studies/san-antonio/sh16-loop1604.html

 

TxDOT San Antonio has an extremely informative blog to keep you up to date on all closures in the city. Check it out here: http://txdotsanantonio.blogspot.com/

C-12 Sewer Improvement Project

The C-12 Sewer project continues with construction beginning on St. Cloud, from Donaldson Ave to Senisa. Construction is expected to last 10 days, weather permitting. St. Cloud will be closed to traffic during this time. Once ready, SAWS will be posting detour routes on Nextdoor and sharing with the District 7 Office for us to include in our next e-blast.

Leon Vista Trailhead Parking Expansion

The Leon Vista Trailhead Parking Expansion Project (8561 Rochelle St.) will begin next week. The project will consist of 28 additional parking stalls at the Leon Vista Trailhead. The additional parking and adjacent trailhead will include low impact development (LID) features such as permeable parking stalls and a bio swale/ rain garden.

Additionally, the scope includes a new layout for the trail head with new signage to improve the flow of pedestrian and bicycle traffic to the trail. These improvements will become unique additions to the municipal park system’s creekways program for hiking, biking, and other recreational uses.

 

It is anticipated that construction will be completed before March 2018.

Mystic Park Pedestrian Refuge Island

On October 2, 2017, TCI will begin the construction of concrete median, ramps and pavement markings on Mystic Park (Bandera Rd to Guilbeau Rd). The project is anticipated to last until October 30, 2017, weather permitting.

While improvements are underway, please note that vehicles should not be parked on the street from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Unfortunately, if vehicles are in the path of construction improvements and no one is available to move it, it will be towed to Kenrock Ridge.

If you have any questions or concerns about the construction, or need special accommodations, please call 311 or Hector Luna at either (210) 207-4182 or (210) 289-2024. After regular business hours or weekends, you may direct your calls to (210) 206-8480.

Si desea información en Español, llame al teléfono (210) 207-4182

E-mail address: [email protected]

Woodlawn-Neulon Area Drainage Improvements Project Meeting

The TCI Storm Water Team is planning to conduct a public meeting to inform citizens of the Woodlawn-Neulon Area Drainage Improvements project located at the intersection of Neulon and Woodlawn. The public meeting is anticipated to be held on Thursday, October 5th, between 6pm and 8pm. The location is at the Memorial Library at 3222 Culebra, near St. Mary’s University.

Scope of work:

This project will construct a storm drain inlet at the low point at 111 Neulon Drive. The storm drain system will be conveyed to the existing drainage system on W. Woodlawn. Neulon Drive will be reconstructed to improve conveyance to the existing curb inlets located near Neulon and Woodlawn. The street reconstruction will include driveways, sidewalks, curbs and pavement.

Metro Health Survey on Raising the Minimum Age to Purchase Tobacco Products

Metro Health want to know what you think about increasing the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21 years of age. Give your opinion by completing this short community survey. Your opinion will help gauge interest and support for this measure.

The SA Corridors Strategic Framework Plan draft is now available for review. SA Corridors plan is one of the first steps to implementing VIA's Vision 2040 Plan and the City of San Antonio's SA Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan. It is the product of 18 months of collaboration with the community and in-depth market analysis of San Antonio's future transit corridors. We appreciate your feedback and will accept public comment on the draft plan documents through  September 30th, 2017. The plan is broken up into four parts, available for download below:  

http://sacorridors.com/framework-plan/

The Mayor’s Housing Policy Task Force will hold its first working meeting from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 3 in the auditorium of the Central Library, located at 600 Soledad. The meeting is open to the public and will include Spanish-language translators. It will also be recorded and archived for those who can’t attend.

The Mayor will open the meeting by outlining his housing vision and the charge he’s given the task force members. Created by Mayor Nirenberg, the task force consists of five community advisors, and is charged with developing a framework for a comprehensive and compassionate housing policy to address the pressing housing challenges — from availability and affordability to gentrification and displacement — that the city faces. The action-oriented policy recommendations will be informed by public input and technical working groups. The final recommendations will need to be approved by City Council. The working meetings are open to the public but designated community input meetings will also be scheduled.  

The Mayor’s Housing Policy Task Force will work in tandem with City and agency staff to develop policy recommendations, and connect its recommendations to the City’s SA Tomorrow comprehensive plan and SA2020.

AACOG, along with key federal, state and area organizations, is pleased to offer this workshop to highlight available resources.

This event is designed for economic development professionals, community leaders and elected officials.

Presenters will provide an overview of resources as well as interactive discussions on potential projects.

The workshop is scheduled for Thursday, October 19 from 8:30am to 4:00pm.It will be held at the Alamo Area Council of Governments office at 8700 Tesoro Drive, Suite 100, San Antonio, TX 78217.

There is no fee to attend, but pre-registration is required. To register, click here. For more information, please contact Gloria Vasquez at 210-362-5212 or email her at [email protected].

The COSA Charitable Campaign Softball Game is this week-end on Sunday, October 1.

Volunteers Needed: We are looking for 6-8 volunteers to help out in two hour shifts, 5pm to 7pm and 7pm to 9pm. Volunteers will help sell tickets and t-shirts, and assist with games between innings. If anyone is interested please contact Jeanette Morin at 210-207-5011.

City government is big and complex. It can be intimidating, but shouldn't be. To help you get the most of your government, every week we will dedicate part of the District 7 newsletter to City services you may not be aware but that you might find useful.

This week, we're highlighting the Transparency SA Data Portal.

Here's how the Finance Department describes the program:

Financial transparency is important to all citizens. The Transparency SA Data Portal is a tool to explore the City’s financial data. Use it to understand the sources of revenue for the City and how that money is spent. Begin exploring the tool by clicking below.

With the Transparency SA Data Portal, you can review how the budget evolved between proposal and adoption and exactly where your tax dollars go.

To begin diving into the City's budget, click here.

Historic Homeowner Fair

Date: September 30

Time: 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM

Location: The Pearl Stable

For more info, click here.

Ladies' Choice Book Club

Date: September 30

Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Location: Maverick Branch Library, 8700 Mystic Park

Westside Going Green

Date: September 30

Time: 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Location: 1510 West Commerce

For more info, click here.

COSA Charitable Campaign Softball Game

Date: October 1

Time: 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Location: Nelson Wolff Stadium, Hwy 90 and Callaghan Rd

For tickets, click here.

Mayor's Housing Task Force Meeting

Date: October 3

Time: 4:00 PM

Location: Auditorium, San Antonio Central Library, 600 Soledad St.

National Night Out

Date: October 3

Time: Varies

For more info, click here.

Public Meeting on Woodlawn-Neulon Area Drainage Improvements Project

Date: October 5

Time: 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Location: Memorial Library, St Mary's University, 3222 Culebra

City of San Antonio Air Quality Summit

Date: October 6

Time: 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Location: Norris Conference Center, 618 NW Loop 410 #207

Register here.

League of Women Voters Forum on Transportation Needs of San Antonio

Date: October 9

Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location: San Antonio Central Library, 600 Soledad St.

Free admission. Free parking. Open to the public. For questions, call 210-657-2206.

AACOG Federal & State Resource Workshop

Date: October 19

Time: 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM

Location: Alamo Area Council of Governments, 8700 Tesoro Drive, Suite 100

No fee to attend, but pre-registration is required. Register here. For more info, contact Gloria Vasquez at 210-362-5212.

10th Annual City Manager's 5K Walk & Run

Date: October 22

Time: 8:00 AM

Location: Alamo Plaza, 300 Alamo Plaza

Appreciation BBQ Luncheon for Prue Road C.O.P. Alumni

Date: October 25

Location: SAPD Prue Road Substation, 5020 Prue Road

Only for Prue Road C.O.P. Trained Volunteers. Must provide C.O.P. ID card or certificate and be on the RSVP list. RSVP to [email protected] no later than September 30.

SA Parks System Plan Community Workshop

Date: November 8

Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location: Gilbert Garza Community Center at Gilbert Garza Park, 1450 Mira Vista