Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Engagement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council creates 33-member advisory committee to guide sports-and-entertainment district plans
Summary
After public comment pressing for transparency, the council approved a resolution to establish a 33-member citizen advisory committee for the proposed sports-and-entertainment district; debate focused on whether the committee would have access to negotiating documents and how to ensure district-wide representation.
City staff presented a proposed resolution to establish a 33-member advisory committee to guide development of a sports-and-entertainment district and review a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) framework. The staff presentation said the framework currently under discussion included a $75,000,000 benefits allocation from the Spurs over 30 years and described the committee’s role in advising on planning, pre-construction, construction and implementation phases.
Public commenters urged broader community representation and more transparency. Susan Scott, former general manager of the San Antonio River Authority, recommended including Bexar County and a broad set of community organizations in the committee. Kathy Veil, who said she worked at the state Department of Housing and Community Affairs, warned the county-wide November vote showed narrow support and called for sustained public access to planning documents. Councilmembers debated amendments on ethics requirements and whether committee presidents should be drawn from Districts 1, 2 and 5; council adopted an amendment requiring members to sign the city’s code of ethics, rejected the residency/presidency amendment, and ultimately approved the original resolution by voice vote.
