A Guide to the Target '90/Goals for San Antonio Records, 1971-1992 (bulk 1982-1989)

Historical Note

Target '90/Goals for San Antonio (1983-1989) was a comprehensive community planning organization created to implement strategies for meeting San Antonio's economic, cultural and social goals. This city-wide organization was designed to bring together diverse civic constituencies to carry out the goals developed by the Target '90 Commission (1982-1984) and United San Antonio (1977-1984).

United San Antonio was created in 1978 to try and mediate a dispute between the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and Citizens Organized for Public Service and restore consensus about the economic development policy of the city. City Councilman Henry Cisneros, Mayor Lila Cockrell and USAA executive General Robert McDermott were the first Tri-Chairs of the organization. The group sponsored a number of conferences and events designed to bring together the different ethnic and cultural groups within the city. It also had regular contact with a large number of public and private groups planning a variety of activities.

Mayor Henry Cisneros officially formed the Target '90 Commission in July 1983. He envisioned it as a platform through which the diverse political, ethnic and cultural groups within the city could reach consensus about the future of San Antonio. The group's purpose was to identify and prioritize specific goals to be achieved by 1990. The group consisted of several large task forces each with a different focus, which were further divided into committees and subcommittees. Over the next year, more than 500 volunteers from 145 different groups participated in the Target '90 process and helped to identify goals for the city. Several public forums were also held so that popular opinion could be considered. In May 1984, the Commission submitted a report that identified 93 goals. These goals concerned almost every area of development from street repair to funding for the arts. The report also recommended that the Commission be merged with United San Antonio to form a new group that would monitor the implementation of the goals.

The resulting organization, Target '90/Goals for San Antonio, was formed in December 1984. It had a similar structure to the Commission. A series of councils examined broad areas and each council was further split into various committees. Target '90/Goals for San Antonio oversaw and facilitated the implementation of the goals made by other groups. It also carried out several programs dealing with community issues such as education, automobile safety, and drug abuse. The group issued several reports, which showed the status of the goals and programs. The last report, "Destiny 2010", was issued in 1989. It examined the conditions that the city would have to confront in the early 21st century. Due to budgetary concerns, the Board of Trustees decided to disband Target '90/Goals for San Antonio at the end of 1989.

In January 1990, the UTSA Alliance for Education was created to continue some of the educational programs, such as the school business partnership program, begun by United San Antonio and Target '90/ Goals for San Antonio.

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Scope and Content Note

The records of Target '90/ Goals for San Antonio date from 1971 to 1992 but the bulk of the material is from 1982-1989. The records document the efforts to identify and implement city planning goals by the year 1990 by Target '90/Goals for San Antonio and its predecessor organizations, United San Antonio and the Target '90 Commission.

The records of United San Antonio, 1977-1984, include committee records and correspondence as well as information about various conferences which were sponsored or attended by United San Antonio. Information detailing United San Antonio's work with other groups is also included.

The Target '90 Commission, 1982-1984, has records from its various task forces and committees which include reports, minutes, correspondence and memoranda. The records are divided into Phase I (1982-1984) and Phase II (1984). Information about conferences and public forums is also included. The main task forces are Arts, Basic Services, Biosciences, Development, Education, Human Services, Southern Sector, Technology, Transportation and Utilities. In some cases, there is overlap of interest between the task forces or committees and similar information appears in various sub-series.

The Target '90/Goals for San Antonio records, 1984-1989, include information from the Councils and Committees that were part of the organization. This information includes minutes, correspondence reports and other documents that help to show the activities of the groups. The contacts between Target '90/ Goals for San Antonio and other groups is also documented. This includes information about the UTSA Alliance for Education that would continue some of the educational programs of Target '90/ Goals for San Antonio after 1989. The main councils are Arts and Culture, Economic Development, Education, Health and Human Services, Neighborhood Security and Services, and Physical Resources. In some cases, there is an overlap of interest between two or more committees and similar information appears in various sub-series.

The Special Formats series includes the non-textual records from the collection. This series includes audiotapes, slides, photographs and videotapes. The material is sorted by format and by which organization the material concerns.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Researchers are required to wear gloves provided by the Archives when reviewing photographic materials. Otherwise, there are no restrictions on these materials.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the collection must be obtained from the Archives and Special Collections, University of Texas at San Antonio.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Target '90/Goals for San Antonio, MS 33, Archives and Special Collections, University of Texas at San Antonio Library.

Acquisition Information

Received as a gift in 1989 (1990-002).

Processing Information

Processed by Eric Hartmann, Processing Archivist, May 1998.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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