BY PARKS KUGLE AND BEN THOMPSON
State eyes UTSA ‘cyber command’ cybersecurity, educational and military foundation and
State leaders are looking to create a Texas Cyber Command, a new component of The University of Texas system charged with preparing for and responding to cybersecurity threats statewide, through House Bill 150. During a March hearing for HB 150, Jeff Webster, president and CEO of Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, and San Antonio council member Marc Whyte called out the San Antonio City Council voted unanimously to move forward with the Construction Mitigation Grant program to provide relief for small businesses affected by construction during its April 3 meeting. The overview The ordinance authorizes a $1.385 million contract with LiftFund to oversee the grant program. As the administrator, LiftFund will manage $1.2 million in direct grants to eligible small City provides business relief
workforce in “Cyber City USA” as reasons it should house the new initiative. The command would carry an estimated $413.85 million price tag through 2030. That total includes tens of millions of dollars of building and costs at UTSA and tens of millions more for scores of full-time employees and contracted workers.
City o cials and Google representatives held a groundbreaking ceremony in March. PARKS KUGLE COMMUNITY IMPACT Google Fiber expands to Shavano Park
On March 18, Shavano Park City Council celebrated the onset of Google Fiber’s installation in the city with a groundbreaking ceremony at City Hall. The gist John-Michael Cortez, head of Government and Community Affairs at GFiber, said the option for residents to use Google Fiber will add to the community’s overall quality of life. He also emphasized how the installa- tion process for Google Fiber is designed to be as minimally disruptive as possible. “For residents, they’ll expe- rience most of the construction activity in less than a day,” Cortez said. “We may be in that neighborhood for a few weeks
[or] several weeks, depending on the size of the neighborhood. But for most folks, the direct impact to them and their property will just be less than a day.” Assistant City Manager Curtis Leeth said providing high speed internet to residents is an integral part of the city’s 2023 Town Plan. “Several years ago, it was noticed that a lot of neighbor- hoods around us ...were getting high speed internet directly to their homes, and Shavano Park at the time had no residents that had fiber internet direct to their homes,” he said. Installation of Google Fiber across Shavano Park is estimated to be completed in 2026.
Stabilization Construction Grant: Available for small businesses currently
impacted by construction projects
Mitigation Construction Grant: prepares small businesses that will be a ected by future construction Accelerate Recovery Construction Grant: supports small businesses impacted by projects for a year
SOURCE: CITY OF SAN ANTONIO
businesses. According to city documents, the program will assist small businesses in certain commercial corridors affected by city-related construction projects.
7
NORTH SAN ANTONIO EDITION
Powered by FlippingBook