Remarks by Amanda Rodriguez
219 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 4 of 9
- Play at 2:28:01
“Oh, yes, ma'am. So just for, I guess, procedural purposes, did the city formally vote on these incumbents or you're just saying because they're in place? Did we formally cast votes for these people?”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 2:28:29
“I'm going to abstain for this. To your point you made earlier, you just don't know. That's fine.”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 2:28:55
“And maybe if this comes to us again, correct? Oh, that's not consent. That's right. Because I was going to say maybe staff could answer the question if council had previously.”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 2:30:01
“All right. I understand the item's been disposed of, but I think the motion was for the incumbents, correct? Yes. Am I misreading that place three does not have an incumbent?”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 2:30:55
“I'm sorry, Mayor Houston, who seconded it?”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 44:25
“Yes, ma'am. We've touched on it quite a bit. And so I'm trying to understand for the sake of tonight, the purpose of tonight, one of the things that is listed on there is the approval of the resident write-off. And so... I think the definition of what defines a resident is very much germane, but I guess I'm trying to understand that should the council, its conversations are already going that way, want to address what that definition should fit, I'm guessing that we still have time. Help me understand what comes next.”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 45:51
“So I have some comments on the rates, but I will, given that we're discussing residency right now, I guess, Chief, help me understand that scenario's happening currently. You have somebody may not have the acceptable form of ID, which I think you attested to as a driver's license.”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 46:42
“Okay, so I'm thinking about a common scenario. Should council eventually decide the acceptable forms of ID Somebody could have an incident where they get taken to a hospital. And I guess, so they have time, from my understanding of what you just said, they have time afterwards to handle all this to find whatever acceptable ID. I don't have to have it on my person as well.”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 47:47
“I just wanted, for the public watching, given the novelty of the issue, right, the municipally owned issue that's before us today, we're not denying care simply because somebody doesn't have the necessary document on their person. So thank you for the clarification. I guess so switching over to the fee schedule, I understand that we are to be approving the fee schedule as proposed. And so I was going sort of piece by piece and looking at the percentage increases from 2024 to now. And I do appreciate the column that gets into the difference via dollar amount. But when you look at the…”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 48:52
“Stuff is always different. Okay, so the BLS for the public. Let's see, what is that BLS disposable? What are we talking about?”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 49:05
“Because that and the oxygen, and I have heard the price of oxygen has increased substantially. But help me understand, because these two areas, you're looking at a 40% increase, if my math is correct, for the BLS, and then, I might be wrong. No, yes, 40% increase, and then a 37.5% increase in oxygen. I guess help me understand a little bit more about some of these rates. I wanna get comfortable with it. I've understood that doing so leads to better benefits, but just help me understand a little bit more.”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 51:57
“I appreciate that. The lack of formality with all of the services, it is a bit intimidating, admittedly. So that helps. But you got at sort of the purpose for my question. So the explanation on bringing this up to market rate is beneficial for me. And you mentioned a 2% increase. And so when we talk about fee schedules, it's very routine for us to address fee schedules within a period of three years as to prevent shock. I guess I'm trying to understand the 2% increase. Is that a statutory cap? And that's established by the legislature, okay. And in terms of frequency of a potential increase,…”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 53:20
“Perfect, because I just wasn't sure if a potential 2% increase was going to be proposed for the next fiscal year, given that there is not substantial data that I imagine would come from just a year of implementation.”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 55:41
“And I think to follow up, Mayor, I think it's a completely valid concern, and that's why I was sort of trying to understand process and procedure moving forward. At what point, you know, from the time, because I know we go live October 1, correct me if I'm wrong, From that time period, given that we have one meeting prior to that October one period, when we would revisit this to work through the definition of what a resident is, it sounds like to even potentially work through the geographic boundaries within that decision and then as well as acceptable forms of ID. So just trying to…”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 57:58
“Perfect, I appreciate that, because we've talked a lot about continuity of care, and most of that conversation has really been around the actual care that's performed by our EMSP personnel, right? But continuity of care also includes billing. And so given that we're going to be talking about potential considerations for people who may not be able to afford it, I guess my concern was mainly without some sort of check-in, these people being sort of the test cases and things not going the way we had anticipated in terms of being able to get access to those benefits. And so, yeah, six months for…”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:00:07
“And for the purpose of intent, mayor, just to, I really appreciated the financial viability discussion because not only are we considering financial viability for the purpose of general fund and city operations, but also for our residents and whether the rates are financially viable for them too. And so I appreciate the two prong approach.”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:01:08
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:05:13
“Yes, only question would be, I know the last time we had this discussion, there were a multitude of options presented, some ranging from incredible write-offs to some not. Which one did we, because I'm personally for the most we can do. in terms of, am I misremembering that first one?”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:06:54
“Well, we're going to have to decide that pretty darn quick.”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:10:11
“That's aligned with, I think you had mentioned in the message board another city does that, or wasn't there something that touched on?”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:12:21
“And mayor, that's, that's why I was sort of, that's where I was. That's why I was going down that road.”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:12:25
“That's why I was sort of trying to get at what happened subsequent to this. I understand the six month for the purpose of a more cumulative review of what, what happened within that time period. But I feel that without a discussion prior to October one or immediately following. that question is still very much up in the air. Um, and not something that has really, uh, that we have had time to fully understand what currently is done and to, to define. And so I, I feel like it's incumbent on, on us to be able to have these discussions either before or immediately after October one.”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:14:12
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:14:31
“I should have said after October 1. Okay.”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 1:19:40
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
City Council · Sep 1, 2026