OR CAUGHT ANY PREPS CITY MAY BE DOING SHOULD SEE LESS. SO WE OKAY. LOTS TO DISCUSS. OKAY.
YOU’VE GOT QUESTIONS. WE’VE GOT
ANSWERS AND WE TAKE THEM RIGHT
TO THE SOURCE. AND TODAY, AS
WE LIKE TO WELCOME HIM ON A
WEEKLY BASIS OF POSSIBLE SAN
ANTONIO MAYOR RON NIRENBERG
JOINS US. MISTER MAYOR, THANK
YOU FOR YOUR TIME. AS ALWAYS.
>> THE THE NEW MIGRANTS, I
GUESS A PROCESSING CENTER IS
OPENED ON SAN WAS OPEN OVER THE
WEEKEND. I BELIEVE THERE BEEN
SOME QUESTIONS FROM PEOPLE WHO
LIVE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
TALK ABOUT THE NEED FOR THIS IN
OUR COMMUNITY AND WHAT YOU’RE
TELLING NEIGHBORS WHO ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT THIS IN IN AN
OLD CPS, ENERGY DISTRIBUTION
CENTER, I THINK OFF SAN PEDRO.
>> SURE. WELL, AGAIN, THIS IS
PART OF THE LEGAL ASYLUM
PROCESS THAT WE’VE ALREADY BEEN
ENGAGED FOR YEARS. AND PREVIOUS
TO THE CENTER OPENING, THEIR
OPERATIONS WERE SCATTERED ALL
ACROSS THE CITY.
WHICH CREATES A CHALLENGE.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU HAD FOLKS THAT
THAT ENDED UP BEING IN TRAVIS
PARK, FOLKS THAT WERE STAYING
AT THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THE
WAITING AREAS OF THE AIRPORT.
SO THIS IS A FACILITY THAT’S
GOING TO
OPERATED USING FEDERAL FEMA
GRANT DOLLARS THAT ARE FOR THE
PURPOSE AND ALSO VOLUNTEERS,
CATHOLIC CHARITIES, OUR FAITH
COMMUNITY STEPPING UP TO DO
WHAT WE’VE ALREADY BEEN DOING
BETTER, MORE EFFICIENT MANNER,
ENSURING THAT PEOPLE WHO COMING
ACROSS FOR THEIR ASYLUM
HEARINGS ARE REUNITED WITH
THEIR FAMILIES. THEY ARE
STOPPING HERE REGARDLESS.
AND SO WE’RE HELPING THEM GET
ON THEIR WAY TO REUNITE WITH
THEIR FAMILIES OR THEIR SPONSOR
FAMILIES AS THEY AWAIT THEIR
HEARINGS. BUT IT’S IT’S
CRITICAL TO NOTE A COUPLE
THINGS. NUMBER ONE, THE FOLKS
THAT ARE HERE ARE HERE LEGALLY
THEY ARE HERE WAITING FOR THEIR
ASYLUM PROCESSING. AND SO THEY
ARE COMING THROUGH SAN ANTONIO
AND WE’RE HELPING THEN GET ON
THEIR WAY IN A MORE EFFECTIVE
EFFICIENT MANNER THAT’S LESS
DISRUPTIVE TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND ALSO THIS IS BEING OPERATED
THROUGH A GRANT MADE POSSIBLE
BY FEMA. THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT YOU KNOW, WE THINK
THIS IS GOING TO BE MUCH MORE,
MUCH LESS DISRUPTIVE WAY OF
DEALING WITH THE MIGRATION
FLOWS THAT WE DO ON A ON A
DAILY BASIS THROUGHOUT THE
YEAR.
>> YOU TALK ABOUT FEMA MONEY
WHAT IS GOING TO ACTUALLY FUND
THIS? THAT’S A QUESTION A LOT
OF PEOPLE HAD WOULD CITY
DOLLARS BE GOING INTO FUNDING
THIS RESOURCE CENTER? WE’VE
TALKED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF
MIGRANTS COMING THROUGH SAN
ANTONIO. I THINK THE ESTIMATE
WAS 19,004 LAST MONTH. REALLY
JUST NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE NOT
SEEN BEFORE. AND WE UNDERSTAND
THAT YOU JUST GOT BACK FROM A
TRIP TO DC TO TALK TO HOMELAND
SECURITY ABOUT THIS VERY ISSUE.
>> YEAH. SO YOU KNOW, AGAIN,
WE’VE INCREASES AND THEN
DECREASES IN MIGRATION FROM
ACROSS THE SOUTHERN BORDER AND
REALLY THROUGHOUT THE WORLD ON
AN ANNUAL BASIS. AND SO
ESPECIALLY WITH SPECULATION
WITH REGARD TO THE TITLE.
42 REMAIN IN ORDER THAT WAS PUT
IN PLACE DURING THE PANDEMIC.
THE SPECULATION OF IT BEING
LIFTED THERE’S CREATED NEW NEW
CHALLENGES WITH PROCESSING.
SO WE WERE VISITING WITH
HOMELAND SECURITY TO LET THEM
KNOW THERE WERE GOING TO NEED
SOME ASSISTANCE. AND WE’RE ALSO
GOING TO NEED TO DISTRIBUTE
THE BURDEN ACROSS THE BORDER
REGION. SAN ANTONIO. I THINK
HE’S COME UP WITH A GOOD
SOLUTION FOR WHAT WE’RE SEEING
HERE LOCALLY, WHICH IS A
SOLUTION THAT COULD BE ADOPTED
AND MADE MADE MORE EFFICIENT
ACROSS THESE AREAS THAT ARE
ALREADY AGAIN, SEEING MIGRATION
FLOWS ON A DAILY BASIS
REGARDLESS OF TITLE 2 TITLE.
42.
>> A LOT OF YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY
THE WEATHER’S BEEN SUCH A HUGE
YOU KNOW, HOTTEST START TO THE
YEAR. OUR METEOROLOGISTS ARE
TELLING US DRIEST START TO THE
YEAR HEATING CENTERS ARE
OPERATIONAL. BUT WHEN YOU SEE
THE STRAIN, THE DAILY STRAIN
THAT IS PLACED ON THE TEXAS
ENERGY GRID, HOW CONCERNED ARE
YOU ABOUT IT? AND IS THE CITY
LOOKING AT WAYS TO MITIGATE THE
SITUATION? SHOULD THE GRID GO
DOWN?
>> WELL, HERE’S THE CPS ENERGY
ACTUALLY HAS DONE A VERY GOOD
JOB, MAKING SURE THAT THEIR
PLANTS ARE MAINTAINING THAT
WE’RE GENERATING LEFT ENOUGH
ELECTRICITY. THE CHALLENGE IS A
LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY, STATE
LEVEL AND WE ARE REQUIRED TO BE
PART OF THE WRITTEN THAT
ACCOUNTABILITY. ARE THERE GRID
OPERATORS AND OTHER PARTS OF
THE STATE WHEN THEY GO DOWN IN
OUR ARE INSUFFICIENTLY
SUPPLYING ENERGY TO THEIR OWN
COMMUNITIES WHERE YOU ARE
ORDERED BY THE STATE TO
CONTRIBUTE SOME OF THAT ENERGY
CAPACITY. SO WE’RE DOING FINE
IF WE DIDN’T HAVE TO COMPLY
WITH THOSE STATE REGULATIONS
THAT FORCES US TO GIVE UP SOME
OF OUR ENERGY CAPACITY, OTHER
COMMUNITIES AND THE CHALLENGES.
OF COURSE, WHEN THERE’S A LACK
OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND AND LACK
OF REGULATION ON ON UPKEEP OF
THOSE FACILITIES. WE’RE THE
ONES THAT END UP HURTING.
IF THERE IS A PIECE OF THE GRID
GOES DOWN, BUT CPS ENERGY IS
DONE. IT’S ITS PART TO MAKE
SURE THAT NUMBER ONE, WE’RE UP
AND RUNNING AND THEN OUR
COMMUNITY IS DOING WELL.
BUT WE’RE AT THE MERCY OF THE
STATE. IF OTHERS ARE FAILING IN
THEIR AND THEIR JOBS TO KEEP
ENERGY AND AND KEEP THE
ELECTRICITY GOING. THE OTHER
CHALLENGE, OF COURSE, WITH THE
ENERGY PRICES IS THAT IS THE
THE INSTABILITY WITHIN THE GAS
MARKETS WE’VE SEEN GLOBAL
MARKET INSTABILITY AS A RESULT
OF GLOBAL GAS IN OTHER PARTS
OF THE WORLD. AND SO THOSE ARE
AFFECTING THE GAS PRICES HERE
LOCALLY AND ACROSS THE STATE
OF TEXAS. AND SO WHEN THOSE
FLUCTUATE, THOSE ARE FEES THAT
EVERYBODY PAYS ON THEIR BILLS,
THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH CPS
TO PASS THROUGH. YOU KNOW,
THAT’S THE OTHER THING IS THAT
THAT’S CREATING A STRAIN ON
ON ENERGY PRODUCTION. AND IT’S
ALSO CREATING AN INCREASE IN
THOSE BILLS AS A RESULT OF THE
INSTABILITY IN THE GAS MARKETS.
>> SO BECAUSE CPS IS IN THAT
POSITION, THOUGH, OF BEING AT
THE MERCY OF THE STATE POWER
GRID AND PERHAPS BECAUSE OF
SOME OF THE LESSONS LEARNED
FROM FEBRUARY 2021, IS THERE
ANYTHING THAT CPS THE CITY IS
LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW TO SAY,
OK, IF WE DO HAVE TO SHUT OFF
POWER TO GIVE TO OTHER
COMMUNITIES. WHAT ARE WE GOING
TO DO HERE TO TRY TO KEEP
PEOPLE SAFE IN THAT SITUATION?
>> WELL, THERE’S THERE’S A FEW
THINGS. AND NUMBER ONE, IF
THERE IS A, IF THE STATE ORDERS
ROLLING BLACKOUTS AND WE HOPE
THAT THEY GOT THE MESSAGE LOUD
AND CLEAR LAST TIME THAT THESE
WERE NOT ROLLING BLACKOUTS.
THEY WERE JUST COMPLETE
BLACKOUT. WE CAN’T DO IT THAT
WAY. THE STATE CANNOT DO IT
THAT
WAY. AGAIN. BUT IF THAT DOES
HAPPEN LOCALLY, REST ASSURE
THAT THAT’S HAPPENING
THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THAT’S NOT OUR BURDEN TO BEAR
ALONE. IF WE WERE ON OUR IF
WE HAD COMPLETE CONTROL OVER
OUR ENERGY PRODUCTION AND
DISTRIBUTION, WE WOULD BE OK,
BUT AGAIN, THAT’S THIS IS A
CHALLENGE ON THE STATE GRID.
WHAT WE’RE DOING LOCALLY TO
MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS IS
CONTRIBUTING IN. AND I HAVE
TO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, SAY THANK
YOU TO EVERYBODY IN THIS
COMMUNITY WHO HAS RESPONDED
TO THE NEED TO POWER DOWN WHEN
WHEN YOU’RE NOT, YOU’RE NOT IN
THE ROOM, TURN OFF THE LIGHTS,
IF YOU CAN. IF WE’RE IN A PICK
HOUSTON AND ARE CAUGHT SENDS
OUT A WARNING, YOU KNOW,
INCREASE THE THERMOSTAT A
COUPLE OF DEGREES THAT’S
ACTUALLY BEEN WORKING AND WE’VE
BEEN ABLE TO SEE, YOU KNOW,
CAPACITY INCREASE SITUATION.
SO JUST PAYING ATTENTION TO
THE WARNINGS THAT THE STATE
ARE KIND GRID SENDS OUT IS
REALLY IMPORTANT. AND JUST, YOU
KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY,
WE’VE GOT A WE HAVE TO VOTE AND
VOTE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING
TO HOLD ACCOUNTABILITY AND THE
ENTIRE STATE ENERGY GRID.
THAT WOULD BE MY MY
RECOMMENDATION.
>> 10 TONY MAYOR RON NIRENBERG,
ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.