A Look Back and a Peek Forward - Part 2

July 22, 2019 - Downtown San Antonio

Article By: William Timmerman - Writer, SA Sentinel

May 19th was the first Session for the new members. Although the Legislative session is on recess for the month of July, this meeting gave the new council a chance to spread their wings in a low-pressure celebratory environment.

The Joint Base San Antonio citizens were out to celebrate the anniversary of the creation of the Army. The celebrations included cake and special presentations, as well as a presentation by Clayton Perry where he honored members of The City of San Antonio that were women veterans and praised their leadership in the civilian world. The University of the Incarnate Word community came out to honor the new women of the first majority women council in San Antonio history as well. UIW Sister Martha Ann Kirk donated a dozen hens to a program in Africa that has made efforts to reduce poverty in the region by providing renewable economic and food resources in their honor. The Council members noted the unusualness of the gift, but recognized the effectiveness of the project and the goodwill of Sister Kirk.

The more controversial motions were pulled for this meeting including a motion related to Market Square, which has been accused of opening up the historic market to larger commercial interests in preference to the legacy of small business representation in the near-Westside vendor mecca. Another motion that was pulled from the agenda had to do with the annexation of a property for use by Halliburton on the City’s far South side next to an existing property which was never provided with a water connection. The Halliburton annexation would have provided a new water main that still did not connect with the property. The Council tabled the annexation until District 3 worked out a solution to this ongoing issue.

A member of the San Antonio Healthcare system addressed the council to emphasize that San Antonio needs a bolder plan to ensure blood access (particularly for Type O blood) to citizens in need. ‘Stop the Bleed’ kits are now being distributed to the community as a preventative in the same way that defibrillators were a few years ago, due to the critical shortage.

This is the second in a series of articles that will outline everything that has happened from the election to the current summer hiatus. Check back for more to come soon!