City of Laredo, Texas Third Party Funding Advisory Committee, 7 Oct 2021

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From YouTube: THIRD PARTY FUNDING ADVISORY COMMITTEE 100621

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THIRD PARTY FUNDING ADVISORY COMMITTEE 100621

A

Thanks uh for being here with us for this agenda item, uh if we can have these, the the staff plays on the comments.

B

Just for the record, it's going to be at 5 50, more 554., so we have to start out with you, mr john beckham,.

B

You can take.

B

A

Okay, uh I believe we have the 15 minutes for citizen comments, we'll touch back on that. There are minutes from the last meeting to be approved.

C

We had we had included it also in your feed in your email and then it's right now, it's in your package, so these are the minutes. If you all have. I want to take a few minutes to review. If there's any questions you all want us to make, let us know that not you all can.

A

uh Market gaskins: is there any discussion, but there's another question: go ahead and move on to the previous question. I wasn't always the first to talk by saying I was supposed to have the same name.

C

It is already passed by 5, 45, okay, uh and we haven't received anybody to sign up, so they could have still come in. Even if you hadn't opened the meeting they could have signed up. There was no no sign, no, no sign of the sentence.

A

Because that the general is girl.

A

I guess we're not on a gentleman number five yeah there's some.

B

Guidance, so we do have the discussion council action on the review of the mid-year and close-up reports for fiscal year. 2021-2022 contracts.

C

So I do want to give an update to the committee. um We also included right now, um two spreadsheets, just so that you all uh are aware. This was what was presented to council as your workshop started back in um september august. I don't have about when I say september. uh In fact, in august what was presented to council during budget was your committee's recommendation and um on the general fund, when you do see, council amounts that were um based, basically amended and approved by council.

C

So the last um that that is what was actually awarded by council now um part of that discussion that we had. Of course we always present.

C

You know the committee's recommendation and any discussions that we have and um they asked they asked staff to come back to the committee and and also talk about um some additional reports that we can make possibly get from um the from all these agencies to ensure that they are complying each year, not just with their you know, uh expenditures and and reimbursements, but that they also have matrix and they have performance measures you know.

C

So this is what this is, the what we were wanting to present to the committee today in the packet that we gave you you'll, see two forms that one segment, your report and another one say sign a report.

C

As you recall, part of the application, there is performance measures that that every agency tells us, but they would always just tell us.

C

This is what we plan to do with the money and then, um but I uh I guess what we want to put together is a more tangible report where you know- and this is where these two come about- um where we can ask you know simple questions, how many people did you serve with this money or how did your or how many pounds of food did you just distribute or any other matrix that we would want to be able to compile and and then put on our website to disseminate this information to the community and basically say: okay, the x amount of funding for third party funding attributed to x amount of you know performance measures throughout the year.

D

C

Is just an example of something that we put together, I mean, if there's additional questions or additional um measures that you would want us to add. Let us know, but this is basically what um council wanted the committee to review you know and and and more on this, on the side of transparency, with with the with our friends right that we are giving to the community okay.

E

Yeah good question.

D

E

So the hotel multiplications, the only one that was changed, was the center for the arts. Is that correct.

B

uh They were negotiating their new contract.

C

So yeah, so the center of the arts um committee recommendation was 150. 000. um council approved all the the recommendation, because that was the money it was available and, and everyone asked that money and broke they were okay. With that. The reason I kind of put it in red is uh their lease is gonna, be up for renewal on november, so they might not have a need for their um they're re-negotiating their lease with the city, so they might not have the need for the whole 150..

C

So the way you usually read their contract reads is that 150 include the the lease payment toward the center of the arch, we're using that facility and then only it's about 41 000 that actually goes to the operations of the of the facility.

C

So um so I just wanted to make that clear to the council that you know that might change, because their lease is going to get renewed. So.

E

Okay, can we get any clarification on the general fund number changes.

C

E

That was there. Any discussion, like I see like main street, went from zero to 50 000., so.

C

So main street uh went that day during budget. They were there and they did advocate for funding, and they did uh you know, percent to council what they do and you know so. They basically were given fifty thousand dollars and.

E

So, okay, no okay, I'm just curious! It's like I saw some and then like crime, stoppers went up as well, so I didn't know: was there any? What was the council's? Well, it was uh how to ask this. The way I want to ask it. Was the council put off by the numbers that we originally gave, so they thought that they needed more or was it just the presentations that showed that the need was greater than what we had assessed.

C

I think a little bit of both I think they did um look at I presented how much they were requesting. I said I presented the the recommendation and I did remind them. You know the requests from all. I think they were totally in like 800 000 like everyone, so we knew we weren't going to be able to fund everyone, and I did explain that. I did explain that you know we evaluate that. I think they even asked me to pull up the score, so I did pull up the scores.

D

C

Look at the scoring, I said pretty much for the most part: everyone scored their average. You know, but then we also take into account needs and you know priorities. So then they also discuss priorities and certain. So they felt that certain um agencies they needed more funding. So that is why they opted to give them a little bit more funding. So during the budget process, you know that's usually what happens they kind of you know. City recommends. The city's recommendation was also to stay within the 372 right.

C

So then, um while budget is going on, they kind of put some certain things on wish list. Sometimes so they put these amounts on wish list, and then they fi they kind of from the overall budget kind of move things around so that they can give third party funding more money, so ultimately yeah. So ultimately that's kind of the way they they work this process. But yes, I believe there was discussion on that.

C

They felt that the real cancer society needed a little bit more, so they gave him the twenty thousand uh loreto crime, stoppers uh 25, uh literally the regional food bank. They lowered the regional food bank and what was.

F

The reason they just decided yes and then there was discussion.

C

On that, some of these food banks were receiving some stimulus money at that time and actually the city had even given them some additional money throughout the year. So they just that. That's why I think all that discussion just played in and that's how they uh came up with some of these numbers. um But but again um we know we always stress to them that your your hard work and your recommendations were what they are.

F

Not just well, I am curious too, because pareto main street has 50 000 and someone like mercy ministries. It's 21.

E

Main street is for one it was like. Is that that's not the jamboozy and all that so.

C

No loreto main street is actually the their mission is to uh promote like downtown business and.

F

Advance downtown sure, while the bridge is closed, it'll be come over, doesn't make that sense. While the bridge is closed and nobody can come over, so we would promote the businesses downtown. That can't come from that. You don't get clients right now and.

E

I think that's what we've discussed here too, is that, yes, we couldn't have events, the bridges were closed. We still had the pandemic pretty much in full throat. So not a lot. You can do there, but.

C

Well, and- and so this is another thing that that um I was gonna was gonna mention, but I won't I'll hold on to the next item, because I want to jump from here.

D

Okay, but yeah.

C

um But yeah, so these were some of the discussions, so I wanted to just let you all know and of course I'll remind you all um the meetings are recorded, so you all can always go back also to get a feel for some of the questions that we get asked and and how we answer and if you ever feel that we you want us to. You know, and you know, give them more information. We can and.

E

That wasn't my question I just wanted. I wasn't privy to the discussion. I didn't see it so I was just kind of curious kind of how that played out.

D

C

E

Item we need to look at the.

A

Report, that's the three.

E

Point new report.

A

And the final report correct right, I was looking at it. The questions on the questionnaire part are pretty, I mean they're a little more specific and I think we have like a wide range of organizations that you know not. Everybody would distribute food right. The liberal cancer societies so.

C

They can put not applicable okay.

A

C

Wanted to give them that option of like not.

A

Applicable, I was thinking maybe, instead of having ten specific questions you allow them to insert their own. You know like a statement like their own, their own report. Okay,.

B

But they're not necessarily.

A

These specific questions, so so the field.

B

For for the report was for the purpose to to know more how many people they're assisting with the funding they're getting from the city yeah.

D

And not more of like well, we.

B

Did 10 uh food distributions uh throughout the radio? It's like how many people did you assist without the funding you would have assisted ten thousand people without the u.s is at 20.

D

So basically, that's.

B

Why there's more specific questions and kind of fits to everybody like uh casa, misericorda uh mercy, ministries? That's how many clients did you? Did your organization assist and then more for the food banks? It's like how many food you distribute and for the events portion depends like special olympics. They do events, how many people attended your event and seminars. Some of these organizations do request money for seminars.

E

It actually may be better than the question you just asked, which is what was the differential between what you would have done with the monies that you had versus the monies that you've got, and that may be a better question for us to be asked, rather than what did you do, because if you have a million, I give you 10 more dollars and you'd like oh, we did.

E

You know 100 000 people, but if I gave you ten thousand dollars and you had ten thousand dollars and you served a whole bunch of people, the impact is greater. You see what I mean rather than it just being. Well, you know here's this little bit and we did this many because it's not really a good apples to apples comparison, because we wanted to compare what they did with the money. We gave not the money they already had.

C

So yeah and this and maybe we can strengthen that question, but I would want to see just so the use of funds you know they would. It may be that yeah. That needs to be a little bit more clear. We could definitely make that clear.

D

C

We envision is so the ten thousand dollars with the ten thousand dollars, how many people, how many people did you assist, or was it a seminar that you provided or was it food that you provided? What tangible you know number what matrix? Can you give me that I can then later populate a nice little report saying: okay, all this, this amount for third-party funding yields this much of assistance to our community.

C

So that's where um there I wanted to. um I guess, put some of those questions to allow us to give more numbers, because on statements that is part of the performance measure, so they do give us their performance measures saying you know we promise to do this and we're going to do this and they talk more about their services, but sometimes they don't give me the numbers. They don't tell me how like how many people did they did they assist, but we can definitely strengthen that and we can.

C

We can change the the wording too to make it sound more well with the funding provided by the city, how money?

C

What was your outcome and or we could put it always your outcome based on the following questions or other right, and they can write their own if there's so many tricks here that that we we didn't.

E

I agree with you on the I think. Well, I agree we need to strengthen the questions. I think there needs to be some way to differentiate. You know the support that we gave and how, how much better did they do? I think that's a better story.

D

E

I mean I think, you're correct, that we need to say okay, what did you do but then tell us how our money's helped you do more of what you were doing anyway.

D

E

Then that's that I think, even in their in their eyes, would be better for them to go back with and say. Look with the money you gave us, we were able to. You know, give a hundred more families food for x amount of you know, that's that's a good narrative to tell in front of city council and then, as you said, I think there needs to be a part where there's a narrative, so they can explain because these questions you're right, they're they're, somewhat rigid, and this way we have to keep the questions.

E

But we put a section for our narrative. I don't know exactly how to what the caption was or the intro of the narrative would be. But to tell them I don't know what we would tell them to put in the narrative, but I think this gives them a chance to tell their story.

D

E

Us to convince us.

F

To allocate money to you again right and tell.

E

Us which one yeah tell us they tell us if there's something outside of these questions or something that's a nuance in the questions that we just don't know that the narrative can provide that back story that we may need. You know to know right. It's like what you gave us during co bed. You gave us this extra money. We were able to feed them a hundred more families and provide x amount of things for children that another died.

E

So there's all these other things we did with the money outside of just this strict set of questions, and then you know it's just. I think. If we're the council will read these reports at some point correct. Are they.

C

Or they could yes, they could definitely.

E

They could- and I want you a better narrative for them too.

C

And I want to be able to also uh post these- I mean it could be that I post all of them, because right now on our website, we we had done. uh We would post our contracts like so that anybody could go in there and see the third party funding contract.

C

You know uh with all the attachments and everything, so I would like to have another one where it has reports right, so I could put the reports the way they write it and then maybe I I would do like a nice little just like matrix of numbers, but but yeah. We can definitely make this, like. You know visible to everyone.

F

And I can to combine what you both are saying: how many people did you serve? How many more people did you serve because of the money you received from us, and I think the numbers are obviously quantifiable. I think they're really important. Like you said you, I can narrate something that sounds beautiful and I'll. All I did was up my neighbor one person, so I think that both are necessary. Give me some hard numbers. I could see if what you've done and now let me announce wow me with your essay.

F

I think it's as simple as that is there. Is this an actionable idea that we need to discuss that we need to vote.

C

On something about this or no, I I think the the they had just asked us to come to the committee and get recommendations for your uh from from you all so that we can implement something well.

F

I think that would be the recommendation component dr gaskins said: leave them room for an essay, but absolutely what you just said: don't let them snake around the numbers with an essay by not giving numbers. So, let's do but specifically like we said how many people did you serve, how many more people did you serve or how many more food, how many more meals did you provide because of this.

E

Money now is this also going to be done for a hotel, so.

C

Hotel actually has a post-event report, okay, yeah, so what I think, um maybe we we failed to do- is just put it out there a little bit more, so we are gonna we're releasing them. We request them all the time at the end of the either at the end of the event or at the end of the fiscal year, which october 15 is the last report that they have to submit everything to close out the year. Okay,.

E

C

15, I should get everyone's post event report now. I knew a lot of events didn't happen. So a lot of money wasn't even spent, so I'm gonna put that into also and I'll present it to to the board. I think that'll be up to committee. I think that'll be a good uh report that I can bring to you all so y'all can see. You know. Kobe was in an interesting year, but at least you all can see what is it that they do report, but there is there's matrix for them.

C

They have to tell me how many heads to beds or how many people, the other event yields and stuff yeah.

F

I would have thought loreto main street would be hotel hotel, that's gonna, make sense.

C

To me they used to be, but a lot of their events were not bringing heads to beds anymore. They're. Local events like a farmers market is a local women right, so they were having trouble quantifying how many people they were bringing in. So it it's still serving a purpose right because it's bringing locals yeah. So then, yes, it was determined, I think, a year or two years ago that they were better um suited in general fund.

C

But then now in general fund, there's more competition right so now they're competing about with some agencies that are very much a need in our community yeah. But okay, so I I mean, unless you all want a motion block in motion, something or uh do.

E

You need emotion, or can we just submit the suggestions.

C

I think you can just.

A

Submit the suggestions? Okay, if you guys took sufficient notes about what you had said.

C

It was recorded so, yes,.

B

So the questions will now read. Basically how many more clients did you assist with their parties and with their party funding claims, or something like that and we'll go ahead and add that narrative, so they can give us more information as to the numbers submitted on top exactly all right.

B

C

That's what that's, what we wanted to bring you yeah so and what we want to present to you is that we will be requesting a mid-year report and a final report. Yes, so that we can have some information to the report. That's on the next item. Okay, so I think we're gonna go ahead and jump to item number six. Okay, so uh item number six is update on the 2021-2022 schedule for meetings, presentation, privatizations and any other matters and incidents there too.

C

So I did provide you all a draft of some potential dates for for presentations. I know this was something that was brought up during the application process and we did wanna you.

D

C

Think it's important that you all hear from the organizations before that application comes in right, so they could give us a report on what did they do last year? What are they doing this year with their money? You know not not what I want from next year. It's basically what are we doing right now? What uh so I wanted to invite the agencies over, and I believe we felt that with three four five.

D

With these six meetings.

C

We can, we can squeeze all.

D

C

In to at least a 10 minute, you know so we were thinking you know in a in an hour meeting. I would bring four agencies per meeting, so I'll still give you all time to open the meeting, discuss anything else and then go straight into the to the presentations. I don't know how you all feel about that now. I just put dates- um and I just put 5 30 but remember we you all vote on whatever time is, is available for you all uh or works best.

C

I know last time we talked about some noon meetings. We talked about afternoon meetings. We even talked about 6 p.m. Meetings. So I'm sorry that I made y'all come at 5 30 today, but I mean whatever works for you all. Let us know, and usually um it's easier when we have a a yearly calendar- it's usually it's usually easier for us to to schedule the meetings and stuff our conference room is is equipped to record and everything. So we could work through that.

C

um It's not what it's harder when we're fighting to use city hall for something. But you know we can always use this conference room for space, but um let me know what y'all think now we kind of broke it down with the top would be the schedule for presentations and then the bottom would be um scheduled for uh committee meetings. This would be this is what we're looking for to start the application process. Okay, so the bottom would be more of the application process right, yes, sir sure yeah.

C

So that's why you have two june meetings. That's why you have two main meetings and then we wanted to give you a little. You know a little break. You know maybe what's.

E

The deadline for the application for next year.

C

We haven't solidified that, but I would I would bring it. I could bring them to you all the, but we usually give them.

B

We usually start in mid march. They wouldn't give them a deadline for mid april anyways.

A

It would start with that that initial meeting that they have to attend.

B

After we open applications, we do a training for them, okay, and that is uh us giving them information how to apply how what's needed.

C

And we can definitely by december 14. We can have that schedule for you. So.

D

We can bring.

C

That to you, yeah we'll bring you the proposed schedule and then you all can. Let us know.

D

If you feel that.

C

You want to, you, know, extend the deadline or give them more time or give them less time or.

E

Well, I just wanted to see it, so we can kind of gauge okay. This is when the applications will be in this is where we'll need to start getting some bandwidth to review the applications.

E

C

Yeah, so usually we make them do around april. So then, that we're even giving ourselves some time so that we would present them to you. The first meeting of probably may 4th okay, yeah and.

B

That'll give us time to review the actual application before we present it to you guys really for completeness. Okay,.

F

So we're having our meetings while we're doing the presentation, the dates enter.

E

C

F

E

At the top are just the presentations on the bottom of the actual council meeting.

F

Right, what I'm saying is: somebody's presenting november 16th that's already past our meeting dates. Oh.

C

Yeah that that would be I I we just kind of bid. It.

A

Yeah, there's again there's a may between july. That's when we jump down to this the committee meetings and then once we're done with those it will continue in october, yeah.

B

Correct so the first three months of the year, you guys will be seeing uh you'll have community meetings with uh the presentations from certain organizations and.

D

B

We conclude the application process and your review process we'll go ahead and continue with the presentation.

C

Unless you all want to start sooner because the way I put it like this is you're you're, basically not going to hear from everyone before the application, do you see what happens.

D

So you're going to have generic.

C

March you'll have presentations, then you won't have any.

F

Presentations because.

B

F

Going to start.

C

Having the meetings on the application reviewing applications, so nobody will come in and, and you know.

F

Right and then, when we're through with our meetings, we'll get three more presentations.

E

Yeah yeah: that's what I'm saying that may be problematic, though, because it kind of we get prejudices between the advocate the presentations we see. First.

D

E

Let's just say that we see some and they they bomb the presentation, and so we penalize them. And then we see the later presentation after we've already put all our scores and done everything.

C

And they bomb it too remember the presentations are not supposed to be geared toward the new applications they're just so that the committee can get familiarized or have any questions. So what I would what I envision is, you know the presentations are more about what what do we do? What did we do last year or what are we doing currently with your funding? Yeah.

F

But isn't that supposed to help us during our meetings to decide.

B

E

We want to allocate the.

F

E

F

Saying that they're interspersed doesn't make a lot of sense. In other words, if you want to then maybe start a little earlier, no.

C

We can't and then presentations and then have them finish before the may 4th.

F

Meeting, okay right, so all the presentations are done when we start having our regular sessions too.

A

Why don't we just have these meetings in november and december, and this this is 2020.

C

Yes, well, we can always invite them. I mean yeah yeah, we'll start inviting them and start scheduling them. For you know we can start doing them.

F

F

We could have more than one meeting a month yeah. We could have other women just listen to presentations.

F

So if you can get four in how many up forget how many there were there's twenty-five.

B

We have a total of thirty-six with hotels.

B

Yeah so thirty-six, let's.

C

Say we were, we were saying: 36 um divided by at least four per meeting, so that actually well? No, we would have to push.

F

D

C

Five five per meaning would give you seven seven meetings.

F

When do we have to give our final recommendation to the city council that are never the date for.

C

The for every year um we usually like to enjoy.

B

D

Together, but that gives us.

C

Time to prepare all the budget presentation stuff, which is.

A

The which budget is usually.

C

August yeah yeah. So that's what we usually do july because um double we can present it to our budget department, they'll finalize it and then we, the presentation at council, is actually.

A

So I'd be open to starting it up this year, instead of waiting until january 19th.

C

I would suggest that we still start november so that we can at least give them. You know like three weeks so.

D

That they can prepare.

B

C

That you want in november, like I, have a calendar up right now, so.

F

C

And I never got so you all. We were doing wednesday meetings because everyone at one point had said that wednesdays would work.

F

That's something to answer are all these wednesdays.

E

Or wednesdays they're all wednesday they'll be november 17th. If you do it this year for 20 21 and december 15th for 2020.

C

Yes, does that work, yeah.

B

Why not? Okay, do you guys want to stick to 5 30 meeting through 6 p.m,.

A

B

A

To give us a little time to get here, I was a little late today.

C

Yes, I think yes, that's right, I think we we discussed this last time.

A

Let's, let's just say thank you ignored us anyway. Yes, I'm so sorry, I understand we'll get here at 6.

E

That's just the way, actually, I think that's what we decided.

C

Yes- and I am sorry that was mine- I don't know where she was testing us yeah. That's.

E

Trying to make sure you know somebody says say the excited time earlier so they'll get.

A

F

C

We had a nice conversation over food.

F

Food was great well when the meeting's over I'll make you some great recommendations for students like your restaurants,.

C

Not on the record.

D

C

So, okay, so we'll definitely change that, so the first meeting would be november, 17 um and then december, 15 and then january february and we'll gauge it. I mean if we I would say that november and december are usually probably harder to get like two meetings in that month.

D

C

I would suggest that maybe uh we'll start putting the schedule together and if we feel that we might need to double up in january february, we'll let you know um I think 10 minute presentations are good, because that gives you question and answer time for each committee.

E

Where are they going to do the presentation.

C

Sorry here they can yeah, we can prove.

E

That, because there.

C

Yes, it's been a while that we that I participated in one that we had presentation today. It was something that we used to do on uh before coming yeah sure well before covet, and then the committee at one point we just didn't. I remember the year we had just we talked about it and we hadn't done it, but I think it's something good, because there was a lot of questions on what is you know, the actual missions and the outcomes of these organizations. So what better way for them to come in and let.

D

You know what their story is all right.

C

um I know I was talking to other organizations um how they deal with funding. um You know, like I mean united way, does this. You know kind of exercise also on a yearly basis, so they have two different methods.

C

They have present, they have um their their organizations, come in and give presentations, and then they also encourage the committees to go out to the organizations and and see first hand, but I mean that's, that's just something else that you often think I was talking to actually uh a committee member from from united way and they were saying no, we do both.

C

You know sometimes they'll come and give us presentations and then other times, um but but we can definitely, um you know, have them present here I mean it's equipped here they can, they can come and bring a presentation or they can just talk, and you know, but that I think that'll be nice. I think that will work.

C

And we'll schedule them and we'll, let you know we'll we'll just go down the list alphabetical order. You know the way it is so that, or maybe we'll do um two from general front two from hotel multi at the beginning. So.

D

That it can kind of.

C

Be like balanced is that, okay with you all or you don't want.

A

Me to do all general fun first and then it has no preferences.

C

That way, you all put this.

A

Okay, so I'm gonna go ahead and move that we uh amend this. The schedule to include uh in november 2021 and december 2021, scheduled meeting in addition to the january and february march and with a possible extra meeting for january february and march, is that okay.

D

Is that correct? Yes,.

A

Center, yes, second and it's been sent by dr gaskins, is there any uh discussion about it? Any discussion, always in favor signify by saying all right I was opposing motion passes. uh I think we're now moving to new business. Is there any new business.

C

We don't have any new business on our side, but unless you all have anything.

A

If there's no new business to be uh discussed before the board I'll go ahead and entertain motion to adjourn, I should have been moved by my doctor gaston's through the churn. Although the famous certified sni, I was opposed to the same name.

A