Presentation, Discussion and Appropriate Action Regarding the Approval of a Cooperative Agreement between the University of Texas at San Antonio and the San Antonio River Authority

Staff Report & Agenda Item Details

The Cooperative Agreement between The University of Texas at San Antonio and the San Antonio River Authority (River Authority) is for a (5) five-year term. This Cooperative Agreement will enable both organizations to collaborate on scientific, engineering, and environmental research projects specifically focused on the health and sustainability of the San Antonio River Basin. The Cooperative Agreement operates through a flexible Work Order process, allowing the River Authority to request specialized services—ranging from AI-driven flood modeling to environmental data collection and analysis—with a total funding cap of $5,000,000. The encumbrance mechanism will be through a work order linked to the Cooperative Agreement. Attached is Work Order #1, which is the development of an AI tool to make flood forecasting much faster. By using AI to learn from existing watershed models, the tool aims to cut run times and show the inundation from storm events. This first phase will focus on testing the technology on a small urban watershed.

This motion is scored as RESTRAINS_GOVERNMENT (Impact Weight: 4.3/10). Under the Bastiat Liberty Watchdog Index, voting YES on measures that cap or reduce ad valorem tax burdens, expand taxpayer exemptions, retire debt early, enforce competitive bidding caps, or remove regulatory/zoning barriers to private property rights earns a positive Pro-Liberty score.