[00:00:04]
[CALL TO ORDER ]
I BELIEVE HAVE A QUORUM HERE, SO I'M GOING TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.UM, THANKS EVERYBODY FOR JOINING.
I'M GLAD THAT OUR TECHNOLOGY IS WORKING TODAY.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE A LITTLE BIT OF ADJUSTMENT, I THINK, TO OUR AGENDA, BUT, UH, WE CAN GET STARTED WITH ANY CITIZEN COMMUNICATION IF WE HAVE ANY OR SIGNED UP.
UM, THEN WE CAN GO ON TO APPROVAL OF MINUTES, BUT BEFORE THAT, UM, SARAH, CAN YOU JUST, UH, FEAR KIND OF WHAT ORDER YOU THINK WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL IN TERMS OF OUR NEW BUSINESS? AND SHOULD WE STICK WITH THIS ORDER OR DO YOU THINK THAT WE SHOULD MOVE SOMETHING AROUND OR SHOULD WE JUST PLAY IT BY EAR? I THINK WE JUST DO THIS ORDER.
THE, UH, THE ONLY, ONLY ISSUE WAS THAT THE SPEAKER FOUR C CIVILLY CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS, HE CAN'T JOIN UNTIL SIX 15 OR SO.
SO WE DO THE OTHER ITEMS. I THINK WE'LL JUST NATURALLY GET TO A PLACE WHERE HE'LL BE HERE AND THEN WE'LL GET TO SEE.
THAT SOUNDS SOUNDS RIGHT TO ME.
[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
APPROVAL OF MINUTES, HAS EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE MINUTES? I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES.ARE YOU A SECOND NAME, ROB? I CAN, BUT I HAVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE MINUTES.
LET'S, LET'S MOVE TO DISCUSSION.
AND ROB, YOU HAVE, UH, AN EDIT.
UH, THE MINUTES, SHOW ME IN ATTENDANCE AND ALSO ABSENT.
THAT'S FAIR, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN GET THAT, GET THAT CHANGED.
ANYTHING ELSE THAT ANYBODY SAW THAT, UH, WE MIGHT NEED TO ADJUST ON THE MINUTES? ALL RIGHT.
SECOND BY ROB, UM, ALL IN FAVOR, EITHER.
I THINK FOR CYA, I WOULD SAY, AYE, NOT ALEXIS.
DO YOU HAVE, I NEED A POST AS WELL.
UM, ANY OPPOSED OR ABSTAINING NOW? HOW ARE YOU VOTING? I DON'T SEEM TO HAVE NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ARE TRYING TO SPEAK, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
AND KAREN IS HE YOU'VE JOINED US.
UM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO VOTE ON THE MINUTES? OH, SORRY.
UH, I'LL ABSTAIN RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I'M NOT JUST GETTING SET.
SO I HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THEM.
UM, I THINK WE'RE GONNA, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE SHOULD COUNT MAYBE OFF THE DIET AND THANK YOU.
SO WE HAVE ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN IN FAVOR, ONE ABSTENTION, AND NOW OFF THE DIOCESE.
UM, SO WE'RE STARTING OFF WITH, UM, A COUPLE ITEMS THAT I'M HOPING, UH, LIKE THREE ITEMS THAT I'M HOPING WILL KIND OF LEAD INTO OUR BUDGET DISCUSSION,
[2a) Update on Climate Resilience (Discussion and/or possible action) ]
STARTING WITH THE UPDATE ON THE CLIMATE RESILIENCE PLAN FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE SYNDROME.[00:05:02]
YEP.SO THAT IS MARK CRUDE AIR AND MARK CRUDE AIR IS GOING TO LEAD YOU THROUGH THAT PRESENTATION.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
ALRIGHTY, THANK YOU EVERYBODY.
AND WHEN YOU GOT A BRIEF UPDATE ON WHAT'S GOING ON WITH CLIMATE ADAPTATION WITHIN OUR OFFICE AND, UM, REALLY FOCUS IN ON THE COUNCIL RESPONSE AND WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON SINCE THEN, UH, THE LAST YEAR.
SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT CLIMATE ADAPTATION FOR SOME TIME, UH, DENNY BACK TO CAMPO AND A PROJECT THAT WE DID AROUND LOOKING AT THE VULNERABILITY OF OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM ON A REGIONAL SCALE, WHICH LED TO A COUNCIL RESOLUTION TO LOOK AT CLIMATE PROJECTIONS IN AUSTIN.
UM, QUICK THING ABOUT CLIMATE PROJECTIONS, ACCORDING TO CLIMATE SCIENTISTS, WE WERE ONLY LOOKING AT AN INCREASE IN HEAT, DROUGHT, FLOOD AND WILDFIRE, NEVER DID ICE STORMS COME UP IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
AND I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE TO RETHINK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CLIENT PROJECTIONS AND WHAT IT ACTUALLY MEANS, UM, THAT LED TO AN INTERNAL DISCUSSION AROUND LOOKING AT ASSETS AND OPERATIONS FROM THOSE FOUR LENSES, HE DROPPED FLOOD WILDFIRE, WHICH LED TO THE CALM RESILIENCE ACTION PLAN THAT WE PROVIDED TO YOU AND CITY MANAGER AND MADE PUBLIC.
THIS LED WITH OTHER EXTERNAL FORCES LED TO A COUNCIL RESOLUTION TO LOOK AT WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING AND THEN POTENTIALLY OPTIONS TO DO A LARGER, COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE RESILIENCE PLAN, WHICH I'LL GET INTO IN A SECOND.
SO A QUICK OVERVIEW ON THE CLIMATE RESILIENCE ACTION PLAN ASSETS AND OPERATIONS.
UH, THIS WAS COMPLETED IN APRIL, 2018.
IT REALLY FOCUSED ON FOUR BUCKETS, EMERGENCY RESPONSE, STAFF, SAFETY, EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE, AND NEW INFRASTRUCTURE ON EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
IT WAS MOSTLY ABOUT BETTER COMMUNICATION BETWEEN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND COUNCIL, BUT ALSO INTERNAL COMMUNICATION WITHIN STAFF.
UM, THIS WAS BEFORE COVID, SINCE COVID, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT COMMUNICATION IS, UH, BETTER OR THE SAME, HOPEFULLY BETTER.
UM, AND THERE'S ALSO DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW DO WE EVACUATE LARGE EMPLOYERS CENTERS, LIKE ONE TEXAS CENTER DURING AN EVENT FOR THE STAFF SAFETY.
A LOT OF THAT WAS AROUND, UH, HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT PEOPLE WHO WORK OUTSIDE ARE SAFE? WE ACROSS ALL THESE DEPARTMENTS, WE HAVE DIFFERENT PROTOCOLS FOR HOW TO DEAL WITH EXTREME HEAT OR BAD AIR QUALITY, SUCH AS OZONE ACTION DAYS.
SO HAVING THESE GROUPS TALK TOGETHER ABOUT WHAT IS THE BEST PROTOCOL GOING FORWARD, AND THEN HOW DO WE TRAIN PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT TO DO DURING A WILDFIRE OR A HOT DAY FOR EXISTING FACILITIES? WE LOOKED AT ROADS AND BRIDGES AS WELL AS COMMUNITY FACILITIES TO SEE WHICH ONES HAVE CAPABILITIES OF EITHER SHELTERING STORING FOOD, UH, WHICH ONES HAVE SOLAR, WHICH ONES HAVE BACKUP.
WE ALSO LOOKED AT EXISTING TELECOMMUNITY TELECOMMUNICATION, WHICH IS FIBER NODES.
SO WE HAVE A SERIES OF FIBER NODES AROUND THE CITY ENSURING THEY HAVE BACKUP ELECTRICITY AND THAT THEY'RE NOT IMPACTED BY A SAFE FLOODING.
AND THEN FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION, WE ALIGNED THE POTENTIALS FOR QUOTE-UNQUOTE RESILIENCE, HUBS, PASSIVE SURVIVABILITY FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION.
UM, AND THEN ALSO SAY THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE MIGHT NEED IN THE FUTURE IN TERMS OF UTILITIES OR UTILITY MANAGEMENT, THAT WORK IS ALMOST ALL OF IT IS WITHIN OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS TO FULFILL THESE STRATEGIES ARE DE IDENTIFIED BY CITY DEPARTMENTS.
AND, UH, WE KEEP AN EYE ON WHAT THEY'VE ACTUALLY DONE AND WE CAN PROVIDE THAT NEXT SLIDE.
BUT I DO WANT TO TOUCH ON THE LAST, UH, SUBMISSION WE PROVIDED TO COUNCIL BACK IN 2020.
SO IF YOU REMEMBER, IN 2019 COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION, ASKING OUR OFFICE TO DO A LITERATURE REVIEW ON WHAT CURRENT RESILIENCE PLANNING IS GOING ON IN PEER CITIES ALSO EXPLORE POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIPS.
AND COUNCIL REALLY WANT US TO LOOK AT A HUNDRED RESILIENT CITIES, WHICH AT THE TIME IS, WAS DIFFERENT, BUT CITIES STILL USE THE SAME PROTOCOL AND SAME FORMAT TO DO RESILIENCE PLANNING AND THEN PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COMING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY WIDE CLIMATE RESILIENCE PLAN.
ALSO IN THAT DISCUSSION, THERE WAS, UH, ASKED TO SEE IF THE, WHAT OUR CURRENT, UM, CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICERS, WHAT ARE THEIR POSITIONS LIKE IN OTHER CITIES, WHICH WE PROVIDED.
AND ALSO IF THERE'S ANY FUNDING OR OPPORTUNITY TO HIRE A CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER.
[00:10:01]
EXCELLENT.SO OUR RESPONSE TO COUNCIL WAS BROKEN UP INTO, WELL, THE FIRST ONE WAS AROUND WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING.
UM, WHAT A CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER TYPICALLY DOES AND WHERE THEY ARE IN, IN THEIR OWN STRUCTURE.
AND BASICALLY MOSTLY JUST RESEARCH.
THE SECONDARY RESPONSE WAS AROUND WHAT STRATEGIES WE CURRENTLY HAVE UNDERWAY AND WHAT STRATEGIES ARE OPTIONS TO INCREASE RESILIENCE OR CLIMATE ADAPTATION GOING FORWARD.
SO THIS IS A LIST OF CURRENT EFFORTS UNDERWAY.
I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT WE SUBMITTED THIS IN MARCH OF 2020, SO EXACTLY A YEAR AGO, UM, RIGHT BEFORE THE CITY CLOSED DOWN FOR COVID.
UM, SO THE FIRST ONE IS CREATE A DIGITAL MAP OF POPULATIONS MOST IMPACTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE.
THIS WAS COMPLETED WITH THE HELP OF, UH, PATRICK BIXLER AT THE LBJ SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY.
AND IT MOSTLY LOOKED AT FOOD OF ALL THE POPULATIONS BASED ON AGE, LANGUAGE, INCOME IN OTHER FEATURES, AND THEN HOW THEY MIGHT BE SENSITIVE, OR WHAT ARE THE EXPOSURE TO HEAT FLOODING AND WILDFIRE.
WE CAN PROVIDE YOU THAT LINK THAT WORK IS COMPLETED.
THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN.
WE INITIATED A DISCUSSION WITH A CO CONSULTANT ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, UH, THAT WORK IS NOT COMPLETE.
AND IT WAS MOSTLY LOOKING AT THE BASELINE OF WHAT IS CURRENTLY IN PLACE SO THAT WE CAN THEN TAKE THAT AND EXPAND INTO MORE WORK AND GOING IN THE FUTURE.
SO THAT'S STILL STARTED AND ONGOING.
WE LOOKED AT THE A HUNDRED RESILIENCE, SORRY, THE HUNDRED YEAR PLAN FOR AUSTIN WATER.
ALSO A BOARD THAT IS ONGOING AND WE'LL BE GONE GOING FOR SOME TIME.
ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THE WORK AROUND WILDFIRE RISK AND FUEL MITIGATION WITH AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND ALSO IN WATER AND OTHER LANDS THAT IS STILL GOING ON AS WELL IS CREEK FLOODING, MITIGATION PLANNING WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION.
THERE'S ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WAS COMPLETED.
PARKS AND REC HAS A PROGRAM CALLED CONNECTING CHILDREN TO NATURE.
AND THEY HOOKED UP WITH A PROFESSOR TO DO HEAT SENSING AT THREE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO IDENTIFY HOW CHILDREN MIGHT BE IMPACTED BY HEAT DURING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.
THEY'VE, UH, USED THE SENSORS, THEY'VE DONE THE ANALYSIS THEY'VE DONE.
ANOTHER ACTIVITY IS TO LOOK AT THE OCTOBER, 2018 FLOOD EVENTS AFTER ACTION REPORT AND SEE WHAT IS CURRENTLY HAPPENING AND MAKING SURE THAT GOES ON.
WE HAVE TALKED TO ALSO WATER THAT WORK HAS BEEN STARTED, UH, WAS NOT ABLE TO CONNECT WITH HOMELAND SECURITY TO SEE HOW FAR THEY'VE GOTTEN ON THAT WORK.
UH, WE'VE ALSO MENTIONED THAT WE WILL BE ONGOING WORK AROUND THE CLIMATE RESILIENCE ACTION PLAN TO SEE YOU WHO'S MAKING PROGRESS AND HOW THAT'S GOING.
AND THEN LASTLY, AIR QUALITY ASSESSMENT PILOT, WHICH PHOEBE I THINK HAS PRESENTED TO YOU ALREADY.
UM, SO THAT IS WE'RE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY.
THE NEXT SLIDE ARE THE OPTIONS THAT WE PROVIDED, UH, THAT IN ADDITION TO DOING A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WE THOUGHT WERE REALLY IMPORTANT ASPECTS TO BE CONSIDERED.
WE CAN PROVIDE YOU A LINK TO THE DOCUMENT THAT HAS DOLLAR AMOUNTS FOR ALL OF THESE, UM, IF, IF NEEDED.
SO THE FIRST THING WE PROVIDE AS AN OPTION IS TO HIRE A CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER.
THE CITY HAS IDENTIFIED SOMEBODY NAMED ALL OF US AND YOU KNOW, THAT PERSON REPORTS TO A CITY MANAGER AND THAT'S WITHIN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE DEPARTMENTS.
THE SECOND THING WE HIGHLIGHTED WAS A NEED FOR A, UM, BETTER ORGANIZED ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY IN AREAS THAT ARE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE TO EXTREME WEATHER.
AND THIS WAS ACTUALLY TO PROVIDE A STIPEND TO PEOPLE, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, TO ENGAGE WITH THE CITY, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT ALSO TO ENGAGE WITH THEIR OWN FAMILY CONSTITUENCIES, UH, IN A LONG-TERM BASIS.
SO THAT BEFORE AN EVENT HAPPENS, THEY KNOW WHAT TO CONSIDER.
AND THEN DURING THE EVENT OR THE MAIN CONTACT OR THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT COMMUNITY.
IN ADDITION, WE WOULD DO A COMMUNICATION PILOT IN THREE COMMUNITIES AND THESE THOUGHTS DIDN'T, UM, IDEALLY YES, THIS HAS NOT FORMALLY STARTED AS A PROGRAM.
WE AS A CITY HAVE WORKED WITH GABA TO LAUNCH COMMUNITY RESILIENCE, NAVIGATORS AND DUFF SPRINGS.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE WORK WITH GARVIN TO TRAIN A HANDFUL OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABOUT HEATS, ABOUT FLOODING AND ABOUT OTHER EVENTS.
AND THEN THEY WOULD GO TO THEIR OWN CONSTITUENCIES TO TELL THEM ABOUT WHAT TO CONSIDER GOING FORWARD.
NUMBER THREE IS SMALL BUSINESS CARE FOR AND RECOVER FROM CLIMATE RELATED DISASTERS.
WE HAD THE IDEA OF, EXCUSE ME, OF PAIRING LARGE BUSINESSES TO SMALL BUSINESSES.
[00:15:01]
DURING A BIG EVENT, SOMEBODY LIKE DELL OR SAMSUNG OR SOMEBODY ELSE WOULD BE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH SMALL BUSINESSES IMPACTED BY A FLOOD OR ANOTHER BIG EVENT TO SEE IF THEY NEEDED, UH, RESOURCES, PEOPLE, ANYTHING SORT OF MAKE THEM COME BOUNCE BACK FASTER.THE IDEA HERE IS THAT THE BIG BUSINESSES HAVE THE RESOURCES AND CAN AID THE SMALLER BUSINESS WHEN NEEDED.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, HOW CAN THE CITY HELP IN THAT CAPACITY, SINCE THIS WAS RELEASED? UH, THERE WAS COVID-19, THERE'S BEEN SOME WORK AROUND PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO CITIES, TO BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY COVID-19.
AND, UH, THAT IS ONGOING FOR IS A COMMUNITY WIDE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS CAMPAIGN, UH, THOUGHT OF AND DESIRED BY HOMELAND SECURITY, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
I DON'T THINK THIS WAS EVER STARTED, UH, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT ON THIS WAS PRETTY HIGH.
UH, AND THEN NUMBER FIVE, AS AS CRITICAL COMMUNITY FACILITIES FOR ENERGY AND WATER NEEDS PER THE COLORADO RIVER FLOODING AFTER ACTION REPORTS.
WE HAVE NOT DONE AN ASSESSMENT OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES.
UH, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THAT NEXT UNDER THE RESILIENCE HUBS DISCUSSION.
UM, BUT THE STAFF IS STILL DOING SOME WORK AROUND THE COLORADO RIVER, UH, ATTRACTION REPORT.
WE, UH, IDENTIFIED THE NEED FOR A WILDFIRE EVACUATION ASSESSMENT.
UH, IN 2019, TRAVIS COUNTY WORKS WITH FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OTHERS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE NEED IS DURING A WILDFIRE TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF THE COMMUNITY.
THEY DID THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF WHERE THE TRAFFIC IS, BUT NEVER TOOK THE NEXT STEP OF IDENTIFYING WHERE THOSE REFUGEE AREAS ARE AND WHERE PEOPLE SHOULD GO DURING THE EVENTS.
WE PROVIDE AN OPTION TO SAY THAT WE NEED FUNDING TO DO THAT NEXT STEP OF IDENTIFYING WHERE THOSE REFUGE AREAS ARE THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED.
UM, WE IDENTIFIED THE NEED TO EVALUATE AUSTIN'S FOOD SHORTAGES, RESILIENCE, THE FOOD SHORTAGES, UH, UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS CAME OUT IN MARCH OF 2019, THE, OUR STAFF AT THE OFFICE, SUSTAINABILITY HAS BEEN VERY MUCH ENGAGED IN PROVIDING FOOD AND FOOD ACCESS TO COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN, IN AUSTIN.
SO I CAN'T SAY THAT WE'VE DONE A PLAN AROUND THIS, BUT WE'VE DEFINITELY BEEN ENGAGED IN THAT, UH, FOOD, UH, SECURITY WORLD.
AND THEN THE LAST TWO IS INSTALLED NEIGHBORHOOD RESILIENCE, KIOSKS.
THESE ARE SORT OF SMALLER PIECES WITH POTENTIALLY WIFI AND OR SOLAR WITH CHARGERS IN THE LASTLY IS CONDUCTED RESILIENCE, HUB ASSESSMENT AND PREPARE AN ACTION PLAN.
SO I'LL GO INTO GREATER DETAILS ABOUT THE RESILIENCE HUB, UH, ASSESSMENT IN THE MEANTIME, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS OR DO YOU WANT TO TAKE QUESTIONS AT THE END? SO SAY QUESTIONS AT THE END? YEAH.
JUST, JUST, CAN I JUST ASK FOR ONE CLARIFYING POINT THOUGH, OF MARK? GO AHEAD.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU JUST MAKE CLEAR FOR FOLKS WHO HAVEN'T BEEN FOLLOWING, UM, THINGS AS CLOSELY, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 2019 AND THE 2020 RESOLUTION.
CAUSE IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE CONFLATING A LITTLE BIT.
AND, AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 2019 RESOLUTION FOCUSING SPECIFICALLY A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICALLY ON CLIMATE RESILIENCE, WHERE IT WAS ASSUMED WHERE THE 20, 20 RESOLUTION, AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE TRACKING HERE ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIED TO A MORE HOLISTIC RESILIENCE ACTION.
CAN YOU CLARIFY THAT MARK A. LITTLE BIT? YEAH.
SO TO CLARIFY IT, THERE WAS ONE RESOLUTION IN 2019, BUT WE PROVIDED TWO RESPONSES.
UM, FOR REASONS OF I'M NOT GOING TO GET INTO THE FIRST RESPONSE WAS BASICALLY, UM, A LITERATURE REVIEW AND SORT OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S HAPPENING NATIONALLY AROUND CLIMATE RESILIENCE.
AND IT WAS MOSTLY OVERVIEWS WITHOUT ANY SPECIFIC ACTION.
THE SECOND RESPONSE WAS SPECIFICALLY, UM, STRATEGIES, BOTH EXISTING AND NEW OPTIONS TO DO A CLIMATE RESILIENCE PLAN OR SOME KIND OF PLAN.
SO EVEN THOUGH THE RESOLUTION WAS THE SAME, THE RESPONSES FROM OUR SIDEBARS WAS KIND OF TO, UM, THE QUESTION OF CLIMATE RESILIENCE VERSUS LARGER RESILIENCE.
I THINK THAT WAS PICKED UP, UM, BY COUNCIL AND THEN THEY CAME OUT WITH ANOTHER RESOLUTION IN 2020, UH, CREATING A CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER AND A LARGER NEED FOR A BROADER DISCUSSION ON CLIMATE, ON RESILIENCE.
SO NOT CLIMATE, NOT JUST CLIMATE RESILIENCE, BUT GENERAL, GENERAL RESILIENCE.
AND THAT WAS, UM, THAT WAS ALLOCATED TO, UH, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER.
I JUST DIDN'T WANT FOLKS TO CONFLATE AND HOPEFULLY THAT HELPS CLARIFY.
[00:20:01]
ABOUT THE 2020 VERSION RESILIENCE.SO, UM, WE DID WANT TO DO A LITTLE BIT DEEPER DIVE INTO THE RESILIENCE HUB DISCUSSION BECAUSE THERE'S A CHANCE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A RESILIENCE HUB.
UM, COUNCIL RESOLUTION, PROBABLY NOT TOMORROW, PROBABLY IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO.
SO, UM, IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING, UH, WE'VE HAD A REALLY, UM, IMPACTFUL COUPLE OF WEEKS, UM, BASED ON WHETHER THAT WAS NOT EXPECTED OR AT LEAST NOT AS STRONG AS THE SUPPORTIVE AND THE QUESTION OF RESILIENCE HUB HAS COME UP IN POLITICAL CIRCLES, BUT ALSO IN COMMUNITY CIRCLES.
SO WHY DO WE NEED RESILIENCE HUBS? UM, IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT THE CLIMATE IS CHANGING, WE'RE ARE DEFINITELY GETTING MORE HEAT, MORE DROUGHT OR FLOODS AND MORE WILDFIRE, BUT WE'RE ALSO BECOMING MORE CLEAR THAT THAT IS A HUGE IMPACT ON PUBLIC HEALTH AND THAT THE PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACT HAS TO BE CONSIDERED.
WHEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS, THEY ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN NO LONGER JUST LOOK AT HEAT, DROUGHT, FLOODING, AND WILDFIRE, THAT THINGS LIKE ICE STORMS OR JUST THINGS WE JUST NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT ARE GOING TO COME.
AND THAT WE HAVE TO PREPARE FOR THINGS NOT BEYOND THE USUAL.
AND THAT ALSO THERE'S A CASCADING IMPACT.
WE CAN'T JUST LOOK AT AN EVENT SINGULAR THAT, BUT THAT THERE'S ALSO AN IMPACT ON INFRASTRUCTURE, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, COMMUNITY GROUPS, A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, AND THAT IT CANNOT JUST BE A SINGLE SINGULAR DISCUSSION.
UM, RECENT EVENTS HAVE DEFINITELY HIGHLIGHTED THAT WE NEED COMMUNITY SPACE.
I MEAN, THIS COULD BE OTHER SPACE INDOOR SPACE, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE ACCESSIBLE.
SO WHEN WE LOSE OUR ABILITY TO DRIVE ON ROADS, HOW DO PEOPLE GET TO PLACES? UM, AND THAT WE CAN'T AS TUNE PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY SAY CROSS A FREEWAY TO GET TO A SPACE, THE, A SENSIBLE, AND THAT WE HAVE TO BE THINKING ABOUT SPACES, NOT JUST, UM, OR BASIC NEEDS, BUT ALSO FOR DISTRIBUTION, SUCH AS WATER FOOD MEDICINE.
NOW WITH VACCINES ALSO THAT THESE SPACES HAVE TO HAVE BACKUP POWER.
BACKUP WATER ALSO CAN BE USED MI POTENTIALLY DURING THE SHELTERS DURING EVENTS, BUT ALSO HAD THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY INFORMATION.
LIKE HOW DO WE ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY IN A SPACE? RESILIENCE, HUBS ARE PHYSICAL, BUT THEY'RE ALSO PROBABLY PROGRAMMATIC.
SO THEY'RE NOT JUST THE SPACE ITSELF, BUT IT'S ALSO HOW DO WE ENGAGE WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND IT HAS TO BE TIED TO AN INFORMED COMMUNITY.
SO WE CAN'T JUST ASSUME THAT PEOPLE COME AND THAT WE WILL TAKE CARE OF THEM, THAT THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ACTUALLY DO OUTREACH AND ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND CHEM, THEY SHOULD BE COMMUNITY FACILITIES, NOT JUST CITY FACILITIES, IT COULD BE CHURCHES, IT COULD BE SCHOOLS, IT COULD BE HEALTH CENTERS AND THAT THEY HAVE TO BE TOOLS FOR EMPOWERMENT, THAT, THAT PEOPLE CAN GO TO A SPACE THAT THEY ARE CONFIDENT OF, THAT THEY TRUST AND THAT IT MAKES THEIR LIVES BETTER.
SO WHEN WE DID RESEARCH ON RESILIENCE HUBS IN GENERAL, WE DID NOT COIN THIS TERM.
UM, THE AMOUNT OF BIG OF BALTIMORE, WE'VE THINKING ABOUT IT, IT'S SORT OF IN THREE STAGES OR THREE BUCKETS, THE FIRST ONE BEING MINIMAL FUNCTION AT THE VERY MINIMUM, IT HAS TO, WE HAVE TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COMMUNITY NATURALLY GOES, HOW THE COMMUNITY THINKS CULTURALLY, HOW THE COMMUNITY FUNCTIONS AS A NEIGHBORHOOD, AS A, AS SORT OF A NETWORK AND ENSURING THAT WE ARE ENHANCING AND INCREASING ADAPTIVE CAPACITY OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND SEEING WHAT IS THE LOCAL SPACE THAT MIGHT NEED IN ORDER TO BE SH UM, SAFE DURING BOTH A SHOCK AND A STRESSOR THAT THESE ARE ACCESSIBLY BY PHYSICAL LOCATIONS SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO CROSS, LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE A FREEWAY, OR THAT THEY HAVE A TREELINE STREET OR A PLACE, A WAY TO GET THERE, THAT'S SAFE DURING HEAT DURING ANY KIND OF LARGE EVENT.
AND THAT WE INCLUDE A COMPONENT THAT IS RELATED TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SO THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY PAYING AND WORKING WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, AROUND DISASTER BEFORE WE ACTUALLY THINK ABOUT A SPACE BEFORE WE ACTUALLY IDENTIFY RESILIENCE HOME.
SECOND PIECE OF THAT IS, OKAY.
SO AS A MINIMUM, YOU HAVE THIS, THE SECOND THING IS HOW DO WE START TALKING ABOUT BACKUP POWER, BACKUP WATER, BUT ALSO BACKUP KEY MEDICATION SYSTEMS? WHAT PLACES CAN ACTUALLY STORE FOOD? WHAT PLACE CAN REFRIGERATE FOOD, WHICH ONES HAVE DRINKING WATER? WHERE CAN WE STORE THINGS, BUT ALSO THINKING ABOUT REFRIGERATING MEDICINE AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES, AND THEN THE THIRD TIER THAT IS HOW CAN WE THINK ABOUT SPACES AND HOW CAN WE, UM, IDENTIFY SPACES WE CAN USE FOR SHELTERS? SO THESE ARE SPACES WHERE PEOPLE WILL SLEEP OVERNIGHT FOR UP TO 72 HOURS AND THAT HAVE ALL THESE OTHER FUNCTIONS TO IT.
SO I CAN SEE FROM THE GRAPHIC BELOW, IT'S NOT JUST SAY EVERY BACKUP, IT'S A LOT
[00:25:01]
OF DIFFERENT COMPONENTS WITHIN A SPACE.WE'VE DONE SOME WORK AROUND THIS.
UM, STARTING BACK WITH THE ASSET AND OPERATIONS PLAN, WHERE WE WORKED WITH STAFF AND IDENTIFIED THE NEED FOR RESILIENCE SCIENCE, BUT ALSO THE NEED FOR PROTOCOLS AROUND PASSIVE SURVIVABILITY, THE NEED FOR UPDATING EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE AND EXISTING, UH, COMMUNITY CENTERS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE UP TO CODE AND, UH, FUNCTIONING.
WE'VE ALSO WORKED WITH SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, UM, NOT SEXUAL CLASS TO LOOK AT WHAT MIGHT BE THE VISION FOR A FUTURE FOR RESILIENCE HUB.
SOMETIMES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FLOODS AND FIRES, IT GETS KIND OF DEPRESSING.
SO IT'D BE GOOD TO HAVE SOME KIND OF VISIONARY UPLIFTING VIEW OF IT.
WE'VE HAD INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS, SORT OF CHARRETTES WHERE, UM, DEPARTMENTS COME TO US AND SAY, HEY, WE HAVE A PROJECT COMING UP.
WHAT SHOULD WE BE CONSIDERING? AND THEN WE'LL PULL TOGETHER A TEAM TO REVIEW THAT WE'LL PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, PARKS AND REC HAS TAKEN THE LEAD IN GETTING A MEDIA FELLOW BACK IN 2018 TO LOOK AT COMMUNITY FACILITIES.
AND THEY'VE IDENTIFIED THREE FACILITIES.
THEY'D LIKE TO TURN INTO A RESILIENCE HUB, GHOST KERSEY, UH, UH, DOVE SPRINGS AND I'M BLANKING ON THE THIRD, BUT I'LL THINK OF IT IN 2019.
SO WE REACHED OUT TO AISD TO SEE WHAT THEY MIGHT NEED LOCALLY.
AND THEY RECOMMENDED THAT WE WORK WITH AUSTIN MANAGER, GREEN GOLDEN TO CREATE AN INNOVATION CREDIT AROUND EMERGENCY RESPONSE OR SOME KIND OF CLIMATE DISCUSSION AROUND THE SPACE.
SO WE WORKED AS A TEAM OVER THE PERIOD OF THREE OR FOUR MONTHS TO CREATE INNOVATION CREDIT THAT DEALS WITH, UH, REFUGEE AREAS, PORTABLE WATER OUTSIDE PLAYS FOR SHOWERS PLAYS FOR, UM, OR STAGING.
AND THEN LASTLY, IN 2020, WE PROVIDED A RESPONSE TO THE COUNCIL THAT DENSIFIES RESILIENCE HUBS AS A STRATEGY THAT WE SHOULD DO.
SO I'M NOT SURE IF YOU KNOW, BUT COUNCIL WAS PLANNING TO, AND STILL COULD HAVE A COUNCIL RESOLUTION TOMORROW ON RESILIENCE HUB WHERE ASKING THE OFF SUSTAINABILITY TO DO A, UM, ASSESSMENT ON ALL THE BUILDINGS, BOTH CITY BUILDINGS, BUT ALSO TRAVIS COUNTY AND AISD BUILDINGS, AND THEN EXPLORE OPTIONS FOR A PASSIVE SURVIVABILITY.
SO HOW CAN A BUILDING FUNCTION AFTER IT LOSES WATER AND ELECTRICITY AND THEN MEET EXISTING DEPARTMENT GOALS? SO WHAT DO WE HAVE IN PLACE AND HOW DOES THIS HELP? AND THEY'RE KEEN TO GET US TO COME BACK BY JUNE 21, 2021 IN ORDER TO GET IT INTO THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, WHEN WE THINKING ABOUT RESILIENCE HUB, HOW DO WE LOCATE THESE SPACES TO THEY'RE WITHIN A 15 MINUTE PARKING SHED OF EACH NEIGHBORHOOD IN AUSTIN? EXCELLENT.
SO I THINK THAT IS THE END OF MY PRESENTATION.
I WILL JUST SAY I'M ABSOLUTELY THRILLED THAT, UH, THIS RESILIENCE HUB IDEA SEEMS TO BE GAINING MOMENTUM.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, BUT WANT TO PITCH IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES FIRST, IF ANYBODY HAS QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, I HAVE A FEW QUICK QUESTIONS, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
UM, AND MARK, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
IT WAS REALLY INFORMATIVE AND REALLY HELPFUL.
SO, SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UM, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE EARLY ON IN THE PRESENTATION WAS I REMEMBER KAREN'S POINT IN OUR LAST MEETING ABOUT TALKING ABOUT, UM, FOOD INSECURITY AND AUSTIN AND CHALLENGES AROUND THAT.
AND IT MADE ME THINK OF FARMERS AND IF THEY WERE INCLUDED IN SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, AND YOUR POINT ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WOULD HELP, UH, PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES DURING EMERGENCY TIME PERIODS.
DO YOU KNOW IF THEY'RE INCLUDED AS FAR AS WE HAD NOT INCLUDED, UH, FARMERS IN THE DISCUSSION OF SMALL BUSINESSES, UH, WE NEVER MADE THAT CONNECTION AND, YOU KNOW, YOU SAY THAT, AND IT SEEMS LIKE SUCH A GREAT IDEA.
UM, I DO WANT TO SAY THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DOES HAVE A STAFF ON HAND THAT DOES LOOK AT FOOD.
UM, AND THEY ARE ENGAGED ON FOOD AND A SECOND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSION.
AND THEN STAFF IN OUR OFFICE ARE LOOKING AT FOOD SECURITY AND HAVE BEEN, HAVE BEEN HEAVILY INVOLVED IN FOOD RESPONSE IN THE PAST YEAR.
THAT'S A GREAT IDEA, RIGHT? YEAH.
KAREN BROUGHT THAT UP LAST TIME AND I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING TOO.
UM, KAREN, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ON THAT BEFORE I ASK ANOTHER QUESTION? YEAH, I WAS GOING TO, YEAH, THANKS.
I WAS GOING TO DEFINITELY TRY TO ADD ON THERE
[00:30:01]
CAUSE IT'S GOOD TO SEE.YEAH, THERE'S A GIVEN THE LAST YEAR AND THEN THE LAST MONTH IT'S, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY NOTABLE IN THE FIRST HALF, HOW FOOD WAS MISSING AND IT'S GOOD TO SEE IT ADDED, BUT I WOULD DEFINITELY WANT TO SEE SOME EMPHASIS ON IT.
AND ESPECIALLY IN THE, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S TALKING ABOUT THE SPACES AND THE RESOURCES THAT THE CITY IS GOING TO PROVIDE AND LOOKING AT, THERE'S JUST A LOT OF ANALYSIS TO BE DONE ABOUT WHAT'S WORKED AND WHAT'S NOT MOSTLY NOT WORKED OVER THE LAST YEAR BECAUSE WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHO'S PROVIDING THE FOOD AND AT WHAT LEVELS, YOU KNOW, JUST MAKING SURE, LIKE, I IT'S, IT'S DISTURBING TO SEE A COMMUNITY GARDEN LIKE CALLED OUT IN A RESILIENCE HUB.
LIKE THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE A FOOD SOURCE RIGHT.
SO IT'S IN THEIR WRITTEN, BUT I JUST WANT TO SEE A LOT MORE EMPHASIS ON IT BECAUSE RIGHT.
IT'S EVERYTHING FROM, OH YEAH.
FARMERS OR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TO LIKE COMMERCIAL KITCHENS ARE NEEDED TO COOK FOOD.
AND HOW DOES THAT LIKE WHERE THOSE ARE LOCATED WITHIN AUSTIN? YOU KNOW, SOME OF IT, I GUESS THE, THE, THE FINE TUNING TO THE SPECIFICS OF AUSTIN, AND THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION TO PULL OUT FROM THE LAST YEAR, FROM THE LONG DISASTER.
AND THEN THE SHORT CRISIS, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE REALLY INFORMATIVE, I THINK, TO THIS AND JUST WORKING TO ENSURE AS THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT OFFICES, SUSTAINABILITY STAFF, YOU KNOW, DOING AND HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN THE LAST YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT FOOD GETS ELEVATED TO THE LEVEL OF NECESSITY AS, AS THE OTHER ITEMS WOULD BE MY MAIN COMMENT OVERALL.
ONE OTHER QUICK QUESTION SLASH COMMENT THAT I HAD WAS, UM, I LOVE HOW YOU ALL WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BUILDING MORE MAPPING AROUND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR LOCATIONS AND POPULATIONS THAT ARE MOST EFFECTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF IN YOUR PLANS, AND THIS IS KIND OF A RECENT WITH WINTER STORM AREA, BUT THERE WAS A REALLY GREAT PHONE-A-THON PROCESS THAT WAS HAPPENING, I THINK, THROUGH THE CITY OR, UM, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN AUSTIN.
AND I WONDER IF THERE'S DATA AND INFORMATION YOU CAN USE FROM THAT TO UNDERSTAND WHERE SOME OF THE LOCATIONS AND POPULATIONS WERE THAT WERE MOST AFFECTED SPECIFICALLY BY, YOU KNOW, COLD WEATHER AND WINTER STORMS THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADD TO THE MAPPING PROJECT THAT, THAT YOU'RE PUTTING TOGETHER.
THAT IS, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
WE, UM, WE HAVE NOT SPENT A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT THAT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, AS SOON A WATER HAD MAPS OF PLACES THAT HAD LEASED AREAS THAT HAD NO WATER IN PLACES, I HAD WATER, ALL SYNERGY HAD MAPS OF AREAS THAT HAD LECTURES.
HE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH OF A CITY, SO WE COULD MAP THAT GOING FORWARD.
THAT'S AN INTERESTING IDEA AND SOMETHING WE HADN'T CONSIDERED YET.
UM, WELL, I'M GOING BACK TO KAREN'S POINT TOO, WITH THE PHONATHONS THEY ALSO CAPTURED INFORMATION ON WHO DIDN'T HAVE FOOD, UM, WHO COULDN'T LEAVE THEIR HOUSE.
LIKE JUST A LOT OF EXTRA INFORMATION THAT CURRENTLY THE MAPS THROUGH AUSTIN ENERGY AND AUSTIN WATER, AS GREAT AS THEY ARE THERE, THERE WERE JUST CLEAR GAPS THAT THEY WERE PICKING UP ON.
SO IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF THERE IS A WAY TO, TO USE THAT IN YOUR LARGER EFFORTS TO YEAH.
I WOULD SAY ADDING FOOD TO THAT LIST WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN THE, AND THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION FROM MY, I THINK THE UNITED WAY, THE TWO, ONE, ONE SYSTEM ABOUT WHERE CALLS ARE COMING IN FROM AROUND FOOD SHORTAGE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, SORT OF, YEAH.
WORKING ON THE FOOD, ADDING IN THE FOOD SYSTEM TO THAT MAPPING AS WELL.
IT'LL BE REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THE AFTER ACTION REPORT UNVEILS, UH, AFTER THIS AND WHETHER IT CAN CAPTURE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DURING THE EVENTS.
IT, IT FEELS LIKE, UM, AND I'M NOT WITH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, BUT IT FEELS LIKE THERE WAS A LOT OF FAILURES ON STRUCTURAL, BOTH CITY, STATE, AND NATIONAL, AND THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS SORT OF STEPPED UP AND HELPED.
BUT HOW DO YOU TRACK THAT AND HOW DO YOU CALL TO FIND THAT IS, I THINK IT'D BE AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION TO GO TO HAVE IT IN COMING MONTHS.
AND THAT THE LAST POINT THAT I HAVE TOO, IS I NOTICED ON THERE THAT YOU SAID THAT EMERGENCY COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE WASN'T FUNDED, IT WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU WANTED TO PUT MORE TIME AND ENERGY TO, BUT IT WASN'T FUNDED.
AND I THINK TO YOUR POINT THAT YOU JUST MADE, IT COULD BE REALLY USEFUL FOR US TO HAVE MORE COORDINATION, MORE INVESTMENT IN THAT.
AND SO, UM, I I'D LOVE ANY RESOURCES AROUND, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WAS PUT IN THE PLAN ORIGINALLY AND HOW MUCH FUNDING WAS REQUIRED TO, SO
[00:35:01]
ON OUR COMMISSION, WE CAN KIND OF THINK THROUGH HOW TO SUPPORT THAT EVEN MORE.AND, AND THE IDEA THAT YOU ALL BROUGHT UP TO IMPLEMENT.
THANKS, ALEXIS, OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UM, I GUESS, LIKE I SAID, I'M, I'M PRETTY EXCITED.
UM, HOPEFULLY SOMETHING IS MOVING FORWARD ON THE RESILIENCE HUBS.
I'M WONDERING IF YOU HAVE ANY, UM, INTELLIGENCE TO WHY IT MIGHT BE DELAYED.
UM, AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S LIKELY TO CHANGE AND WHAT IS CURRENTLY IN THAT RESOLUTION.
UM, AND THEN I GUESS ANOTHER RELATED QUESTION I SAW THE AUSTIN, UH, AUSTIN ISD WAS LISTED AS A POTENTIAL, UH, PARTNER, BUT THEY'LL VALLEY.
AND SO I WAS WONDERING IF THERE WAS A SPECIFIC REASON IN THERE, OR IF IT WAS MAYBE JUST AN OVERSIGHT.
UM, WE WERE NOT INVOLVED WITH WRITING THE RESOLUTION.
UM, WE PROVIDED INFORMATION THAT WE HAD AND THEN THE STAFF JUST, OR COUNCIL STAFF DISTILLED IT INTO THE RESOLUTION.
UH, I AGREE THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE ONLY LOOKING AT AISD.
I THINK THERE'S OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, WE SHOULD ALSO BE OPEN TO OTHER COMMUNITY, UM, FACILITIES SUCH AS CHURCHES OR OTHER LOCATIONS, WHETHER A Y HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK.
MY SOURCES, I COULD SEE USE THAT LOOSELY, UH, SAYS THAT IT HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK TO APRIL 8TH.
SO IT'S BEEN PUSHED BACK A WEEK, MAYBE TWO.
UM, BUT I HAVE NO IDEA WHY DIDN'T, IT'S NOT HAPPENING TOMORROW FOR ALL.
I KNOW IT MIGHT HAPPEN TOMORROW.
AND YOU, THIS IS NOT GO AHEAD AND JUMP IN FOR A SECOND, PLEASE.
SO THANKS FOR THE, THANKS FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE, SORT OF THE TIMELINE GOING BACKWARD.
UM, I'M HOPING THAT IN THE FUTURE BRIEFING, WE CAN HAVE A MORE GOING FORWARD ONCE THE CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICERS FULLY ENGAGED AND SETTLED IN.
UM, BUT THE QUESTION RELATED TO THIS PRESENTATION IN PARTICULAR IS, UH, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT THE, THE HUB CONCEPT ALREADY KIND OF CAME INTO FRUITION PRIOR TO THE URI, UH, EVENT.
ALTHOUGH TO BE HONEST, I WASN'T EVEN AWARE OF IT.
SO I THINK THERE MIGHT BE SOME, UM, SORT OF OUTREACH EDUCATION EFFORT THERE, BUT ON THAT REGARD, DID YOU OBSERVE, OR DID STAFF HAVE ANY KIND OF ANECDOTAL, UM, NOT EVIDENCE, BUT, YOU KNOW, INSTANCES WHERE THE RESILIENCE HUB THAT WASN'T PLANNED WORKED OUT WELL DURING THE SNOW STORM OR VICE VERSA, IF THERE'S AN EXAMPLE THAT IT DIDN'T HAVE WORK OUT VERY WELL, HAD YOU PICKED A PARTICULAR LOCATION? LIKE, I'M CURIOUS TO SEE IF YOU HAVE GATHER ANY EVIDENCE ON ANY KIND OF SPECIFIC, UH, ANECDOTAL INSTANCES, UH, AND WHERE I'VE ALWAYS GONE WITH THAT WAS, I DO A LOT OF WORK WITH AISD ON MY DAY JOB.
AND I'M THRILLED TO SEE ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT ROUND ROCK LEANDER TO BE A PART OF A SORT OF A NETWORK.
UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF THE SCHOOL CAMPUSES OR BUILDING THE FIFTIES 60.
I KNOW AFTER THE STORM STAFF SPENT, I DON'T KNOW, FIVE, SIX DAY NONSTOP ASSESSING DAMAGES TO BUILDING BECAUSE OF WATER AND FREEZE AND STUFF.
AND SO IT WILL BE A GREAT LOCATION FOR COMMUNITY HUB BECAUSE EVERYBODY KNOW THE SCHOOL AND THE CAMPUS HAS A REALLY STRONG NETWORK, BUT, UM, I FEEL LIKE IF THAT HAD BEEN A HUB THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM FROM, UM, YOU KNOW, UH SAFETY'S AND, AND ACCESS TO WATER STANDPOINT.
SO I JUST THOUGHT I'LL BRING THAT UP AND SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY EXAMPLES.
UM, I GUESS THE FIRST QUESTION IS THIS HAS BEEN RECORDED, RIGHT? UM, I KNOW MY KIDS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO DO THAT, BUT YES.
UM, I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR WHAT I HEARD AND WHAT I EXPERIENCED.
UM, SO I CANNOT SPEAK FROM A TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD.
AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE IS I HEARD PALMER, UM, WAS OPENED UP FOR FOOD DISTRIBUTION, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, PEOPLE COULDN'T GET THERE BECAUSE THE BUSES WERE NO LONGER RUNNING AND THE ROADS WERE FROZEN.
THE OTHER ASPECT IS THAT, UH, STAFF FROM THE OFF SUSTAINABILITY, INCLUDING MYSELF, SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN THE MILLENNIUM,
[00:40:01]
THE FOLLOWING FOUR OR FIVE DAYS AFTER THE EVENT.AND THERE WERE A LOT OF FOOD DISTRIBUTION THROUGH THAT CENTER.
UM, IT WAS MOSTLY ORGANIZED BY LOCAL GROUPS AND I THINK THEY DID A WONDERFUL JOB.
UH, COULD IT HAVE BEEN BETTER? ABSOLUTELY.
BUT I THINK FOR WHAT THEY HAD AT THAT MOMENT AT THAT SPACE FUNCTIONED AS NEEDED.
SO THAT IS BOTH SORT OF SITU SITUATION RIGHT HERE, WHICH DIDN'T GO WELL IN A SITUATION WHERE I HEARD WHERE IT MIGHT'VE BEEN.
UM, AND I FORGET THE SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION.
I WOULD JUST MENTION THAT SCHOOL CAN USE SCHOOLS DESIGN AND PLANNING TO BE RESILIENT THEMSELVES.
I LIKE THE, THE LOCATION BEING FLAT BECAUSE IT'S EMBEDDED IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A JOINT EFFORT TO, UM, YEAH.
SO, SO HOMELAND SECURITY, MERCY MANAGEMENT HAS AN AGREEMENT WITH THE SCHOOL IS THAT IF A BIG EVENT HAPPENED LIKE A TORNADO OR HURRICANE, THEY CAN TRIGGER THOSE SCHOOLS AND TAKE THEM OVER FOR A PERIOD OF 72 HOURS.
UM, BUT YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THE, THE SHAPE OF THOSE SCHOOLS REALLY DEPENDS BY THE SCHOOL.
AND I'VE HEARD STORIES ABOUT DURING THE COLD SPELL, YOU KNOW, WATER PIPES BROKE AND THERE WERE ISSUES.
UM, OUR SCHOOL IS THE BEST OPTION AND A LOT OF CASES IN THE SHORT TERM YES, BECAUSE AS YOU SAID, PEOPLE KNOW THEM, BUT AT SOME POINT THEY HAVE TO GO BACK INTO SERVICE AND KIDS NEED TO GO TO SCHOOLS.
SO THERE'S ALWAYS THIS TENSION AFTER THE 72 HOURS, RIGHT.
AND AS WE LEARNED FROM COVID, AND EVEN AN ICE STORM STORMS DON'T FIT WITHIN THAT 72 HOUR PERIOD, AND NOW WE GET EXTENDED ISSUES.
SO WE ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE BACKUP, YOU KNOW, UH, REDUNDANCIES IN OUR SERVICES AND IN OUR SHELTERS.
SO WE DO HAVE AS A CITY, UH, WAREHOUSES, IN OTHER LOCATIONS WE CAN USE, BUT THOSE AREN'T ALWAYS IN PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN ACCESS THEM.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO DO A HARDER LOOK OF LIKE, WHAT IS AVAILABLE AND HOW DO WE ACTUALLY TRIGGER THEM IF EVENTS GET OUTSIDE OF OUR PARAMETERS.
AND I, I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY KINDA, MY POINT IS, YOU KNOW, STAFF HAD DONE A GREAT JOB TEEING UP TO THIS POINT AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF SORT OF ONGOING EFFORT ALREADY.
AND I THINK, I DON'T JUST WANT TO POSE SORT OF A FRIENDLY CHALLENGE OF KIND OF TAKE THE ANECDOTAL AND SOME OF THE EXPERIENCES THAT WE'VE LEARNED AND KIND OF MAP OUT FORWARD AND BE MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE AGGRESSIVE IN TERMS OF SETTING THE EXPECTATION.
BECAUSE I, I REALLY HOPE THAT WITH THIS EVENT COMES A LOT MORE ACCEPTANCE TO INVESTMENT IN THAT TYPE OF SCENARIO.
UH, WHILE IN THE PAST PEOPLE WOULD SAY, WELL, LET'S NOT BUILD FOR THAT KIND OF CRAZY EVENT THAT ONLY HAPPENED 100, YOU KNOW, ONCE EVERY A HUNDRED YEARS OR YOU NEVER KNOW, RIGHT.
A HUNDRED YEAR STORM IS NOW THE NORM.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S THE KIND OF CONVERSATION THAT I'M HOPING TO SEE MORE AND MORE IS, UM, JUST, JUST KIND OF STEPPING UP ON IN TERMS OF THE PLANNING ASPECT, UH, AND ECHO THE FOOD CONVERSATION.
I THINK IT'S VERY TRAGIC THAT A LOT OF RESTAURANT LOST FOOD IN THEIR FREEZER BECAUSE THEY COOK AND CHEF COULDN'T COME IN TO COOK THEM.
I FEEL LIKE THEY COULD'VE COOKED THEM AND DONATE NOT LETTING THEM SOILS AGREED.
UH, YOU KNOW, I HAD ANOTHER QUESTION THAT KIND OF LINKS TO THAT.
UM, UM, I'M WONDERING MAYBE YOU HAVE AN ANSWER TO THIS OR COULD HELP US GET ONE, WHAT THE CITY'S CAPABILITIES ARE IN TERMS OF CLEARING ROADS, YOU KNOW, OF ICE AND SNOW.
UH, I REALIZE OBVIOUSLY THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA INVEST IN, LIKE WE'RE CHICAGO, WE'RE BUFFALO, BUT, UM, DO WE HAVE ANY CAPABILITY? UM, I'M PRETTY SURE THE ANSWER IS NO.
UH, I DON'T THINK WE OWN ANY PLOWS NOR DO WE, I DON'T THINK WE OWN ANY SALT TRUCKS.
UM, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION INTERNALLY OF ASKING THE QUESTIONS SHOULD PUBLIC WORKS BY A PLOW OR TWO.
UM, BUT I'M, I'M PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO REMOVE SNOW BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S NOT VERY COMMON.
UM, BUT WHO KNOWS? DO YOU, UM, WHAT THE COST WOULD BE? I DON'T KNOW, BUT I, YOU KNOW, SORRY, I WAS JUST GOING TO RESPOND TO THIS SPECIFICALLY.
SO WE I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER WHAT THIS CONVERSATION WAS, BUT I HAVE HEARD A PRESENTATION MORE FROM THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT SPEAKING DIRECTLY ON THIS.
UM, AND I, I THINK IF WE WANT TO MAYBE PULL TRANSPORTATION INTO THIS CONVERSATION, MAYBE FOR A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM SPECIFICALLY ON THAT, THAT MIGHT BE, I KNOW THAT THEY WILL HAVE SOME RESPONSES, BUT,
[00:45:01]
UH, WE WERE TALKING TO THEM, UH, TO POTENTIALLY COME TO ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND ASK THE SAME QUESTION QUEBEC I'D ALSO RECOMMEND PUBLIC WORKS BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT WOULD ACTUALLY MAINTAIN THE ROADS.MAYBE IT WAS PUBLIC WORKS AND NOT TRANSPORTATION, BUT YEAH, WE WE'VE BEEN IN SOME EXCHANGES IN EMAILS, UM, TO COME TO ENVIRONMENTAL.
KATIE, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON THAT.
UM, FOR THE LAST, FOR OUR SPECIAL MEETING AND I WAS, I WAS HOPING TO, TO GET SOMEBODY TO SPEAK TO THAT, UM, I GUESS I WOULD SUGGEST THAT IN MY OPINION, SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE WEST TO HAVE SOME CAPABILITY HAVING NONE JUST SEEMS, UM, I DON'T KNOW, SEEMS LIKE WE'RE LIVING ON THE EDGE.
AGREED OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR PER MONTH.
I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND, AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS.
AND FOR, YOU KNOW, BEFORE YOU GO MARK, UM, WE ARE GOING TO BE TAKEN UP, UH, AN ITEM TO MAKE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, JUST WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR, UH, THOUGHT OR OPINION ON WHAT OF THESE ITEMS NEEDS SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, ATTENTION FROM THIS OR OTHER COMMISSIONS AND COUNCIL IN TERMS OF THE FUNDING? SO, UH, I'M NOT SURE IF I CAN ADD ANYTHING, IT'S OUR CHECK FUNCTION HERE, BUT I CAN, WE CAN GIVE YOU THE LINKS TO THE RESPONSE TO COUNCIL THAT WE PROVIDED, UM, AND RECOMMENDATIONS, WELL, OPTIONS I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN IS MORE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND FUNDING COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND AREAS THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENSURING THAT WE HAVE CONTINUOUS ONGOING ENGAGEMENT WITH THOSE COMMUNITIES.
I THINK THAT'S, UM, NUMBER TWO IN THE RECOMMENDATION.
SO WOULD THAT MAYBE BE SOMETHING LIKE, UH, LIKE THE, UH, CLIMATE AMBASSADORS, CORRECT.
GOD HAS GOT A PROGRAM CALLED THE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE NAVIGATORS, SO IT'S SIMILAR, JUST SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
UM, I THINK THAT COULD BE A GOOD MODEL AND THIS IS ZACK.
I SENT THE LINK TO THAT MEMO THAT HAS ALL THOSE DOLLAR AMOUNTS, UM, AFTER THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING TWO WEEKS AGO.
WELL, LET'S, UH, LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM THEN.
[2b) Update on Austin Climate Equity Plan Implementation (Discussion and/or possible action) ]
UM, NEXT UP, WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON THE AUSTIN CLEMON EQUITY PLAN AND, UH, IMPLEMENTATION OF ADAM'S AND THE PLAN.I THINK ZACH, YOU'RE DOING THAT, RIGHT? YES.
I'M DOING THAT, UM, CITY HALL WHERE YOU PULL UP THE POWERPOINT.
THIS IS A STATUS UPDATE AND A SUMMARY OF SOME WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT, UH, SORT OF NEAR TERM FOCUS AREAS, UM, WITH THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN NEXT TIME.
THERE'S SOME RECENT EVENTS, UM, AND RESPONSE AND KIND OF THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON.
SO THE FIRST THING, UM, IS THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN THE DIRECTION FROM, UH, THE CITY MANAGER TO NOT BRING THE PLAN, THE COMMON EQUITY PLAN FOR ADOPTION.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE WERE INITIALLY PLANNING ACTUALLY FOR THE COUNCIL MEETING TOMORROW.
UM, BUT BECAUSE OF STATE LEGISLATIVE ISSUES AND BECAUSE OF, UM, SOME ONGOING SORT OF QUESTIONS, UH, RELATED TO, UH, NATURAL GAS, WE WERE SORT OF PUSHING THE ADOPTION DATE LIKELY OUT TO LIKE THE MAY JUNE TIMEFRAME.
UM, BUT WE WERE GIVEN THE DIRECTION FROM THE CITY MANAGER THAT WE SHOULD START TALKING TO DEPARTMENTS ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION AND GO AHEAD AND START SOME OF THIS PLANNING NOW, UM, WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PLAN WILL EVENTUALLY GET ADOPTED.
ANOTHER THING, UM, THAT WE'VE RECEIVED IS, UM, A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT SORT OF NEGATIVE LETTERS, SORT OF ANTI CLIMATE HAVE COME IN, UM, FROM SOME ORGANIZATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC, BRINGING UP QUESTIONS OF AFFORDABILITY AND
[00:50:01]
IMPLEMENTATION OF MOVING AWAY FROM NATURAL GAS.UM, IT'S BEEN IN CONJUNCTION WITH TEXAS GAS SERVICE AND WITH, UM, UH, LOBBYISTS THAT THEY'RE WORKING WITH.
UM, SO I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS OBVIOUSLY THE WINTER STORM HAPPENED.
SO BASED ON THESE THINGS, WHAT ME AND MY TEAM HAVE BEEN DOING IS WE HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH, WE MET WITH OVER 15 DEPARTMENTS TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT BASED ON WHERE THEY ARE NOW, SORT OF, WHERE DOES EVERYTHING STAND? THAT'S IN THE PLAN AND WHAT'S IN MOTION AND WHAT'S NOT IN MOTION.
AND THE SECOND, YEAH, THERE, BASED ON THIS FEEDBACK FROM TEXAS GAS ARE SORT OF GEARING UP TO DO SOME KIND OF BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT, UM, TO PROBABLY HAVE SOME PRESENTATIONS, UH, POTENTIALLY WITH, UM, UM, OF THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE IN TOWN, MAYBE SOME SPECIFIC BUSINESSES THAT HAS BEEN SORT OF BROUGHT FORWARD TO ENGAGE ON THIS, THE QUESTION OF GAS USAGE IN EXISTING BUILDINGS AND NEW BUILDINGS, UM, AND TALK ABOUT THE REALITY AND THE COST AND ALL THAT.
UH, THE NEXT THING IS THAT BASED ON THE, UH, THE STORM, WE RE-ENGAGED WITH SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS ADVISORY GROUP, AND HAVE NOW STARTED UP A CONVERSATION ON EXTREME WEATHER RESILIENCE AND, YOU KNOW, NOT AIMING TO LIKE TURN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN INTO LIKE A FULL RESILIENCE PLAN, BUT WHERE THERE ARE INTERSECTIONS OF REDO THINGS THAT CAN REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND THINGS THAT CAN MAKE US MORE RESILIENT TO CLIMATE CHANGE, MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THINGS ARE IDENTIFIED AND LIKE BROUGHT UP IN THE PLAN.
AND THEN IN A FUTURE VERSION, THOSE SORT OF ITEMS WILL BE REFLECTED IN THERE.
UH, THE KIND OF THINGS THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE PASSIVE SURVIVABILITY, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THAT SORT OF GOES ALONG WITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND BUILDING ENVELOPE AND BUILDINGS, WHICH REDUCES EMISSIONS AND ALSO WILL KEEP YOUR HOUSE WARM.
YOU KNOW, IF IT, IF THE ELECTRICITY GOES OUT, UM, OTHER THINGS LIKE, UM, ONSITE STORAGE FOR WATER BATTERIES, UH, STORAGE FOR SOLAR, THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, ANOTHER, UH, THE THING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS WE HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, UH, FROM LOTS OF DEPARTMENTS AND THE PUBLIC SORT OF ALL AROUND ABOUT, UH, WHAT WERE THE, THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM CENTERING EQUITY IN THE CREATION OF THIS PLAN.
AND SO WE ARE NOW WORKING ON A WHITE PAPER, SORT OF SUMMARIZING SORT OF EVERYTHING THAT WE TRIED AND KIND OF WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DIDN'T WORK AND SORT OF TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE THAT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND AVAILABLE TO OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY ORGANIZATION.
UM, A COMPANION PIECE TO THAT IS WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON, UH, TAKING OUR EQUITY TOOL, WHICH WAS KIND OF DONE IN POWERPOINT AND GOOGLE DOCS AND ALSO TURNING IT INTO LIKE A STANDALONE WHITE PAPER PIECE.
SO THOSE THINGS CAN BE SHARED WITH OTHERS AND SORT OF LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, USE THAT AS, UM, GUIDANCE TO HELP OTHERS SORT OF GO DOWN THIS ROAD.
UM, AND THEN THE FINAL THING IS THAT WE ARE STILL, UH, TRYING TO FINALIZE THIS NEW DRAFT FINAL VERSION OF THE PLAN, AND IT WILL BE RELEASED SORT OF LIKE, UM, IN THE TIMELINE OF AIMING FOR, YOU KNOW, BRINGING THIS TO COUNCIL IN LATE MAY OR EARLY JUNE.
SO JUST A REAL QUICK REMINDER OF WHAT'S IN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, AND I'M GOING TO SORT OF BREEZE OVER THIS IS THAT THERE WERE FOUR CROSS CUTTING STRATEGY STRATEGIES THAT WERE BROUGHT FORWARD AT THE TOP 17 QUANTITATIVE GOALS, AND THEN 74 INDIVIDUAL STRATEGIES, THE 74 STRATEGIES.
THOSE ARE THE SORT OF LIKE THE PROJECTS THAT THINGS TO GET DONE, THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO ACTUALLY BE IMPLEMENTED.
SO WHEN WE TOOK THIS LOOK AT IMPLEMENTATION, WE REALLY FOCUSED ON THOSE 74 STRATEGIES.
SO ME AND MY TEAM WENT BACK TO ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WERE CALLED OUT NAMED CONNECTED TO ALL OF THOSE 74 STRATEGIES AND HAD DETAILED CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THEM WITH THEM ABOUT EACH ONE OF THE STRATEGIES AND TRIED TO UNDERSTAND WHERE IS, WHERE ARE THESE INITIATIVES? HOW FAR IS THIS ALONG? IS IT STARTED AS A, NOT STARTED AS A DREAM.
THIS IS GOING TO BE SUPER HARD AS THIS NEED LOTS OF MONEY.
LIKE WE JUST TRIED TO SORT OF GET THE LANDSCAPE ON WHERE IS EVERYTHING.
SO WE BUILD OUT A BIG SPREADSHEET THAT HAS ALL THAT INFORMATION.
AND THEN WHAT WE DID WAS SORTED THOSE 74 STRATEGIES INTO THREE CATEGORIES.
SO THE FIRST STRATEGY THIS FIRST CATEGORY IS THE ONE THAT I'VE SORT OF BROUGHT FORWARD TODAY, WHICH IS THE SHORT LIST OF THINGS THAT ARE READY TO GO RIGHT NOW.
LIKE THERE ARE EITHER, UM, DOABLE OR THEY'RE TO SOME WAY STARTED.
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UM, IF JUST THERE WERE MORE RESOURCES AVAILABLE AT THE, YOU KNOW, AT THE BUDGET LEVEL FOR EITHER STAFF OR FUNDING, UM, THAT THEY COULD GET OFF THE GROUND AND GET STARTED LIKE IMMEDIATELY.SO THE FOCUS THERE WAS IN, IN THE REAL, LIKE HOW WE PICKED THOSE THINGS WERE FIRST THING WAS JUST EASE OF IMPLEMENTATION.
IF YOU HAD MONEY, YOU COULD DO IT.
AND THEN THE SECOND THING WAS, UH, THE HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF IMMEDIATE, IMMEDIATE AND DIRECT EQUITY BENEFITS BEING CREATED.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FOCUS OF THE PLAN ALL ALONG HAS BEEN EQUITY.
SO WE REALLY JUST TRIED TO MAKE SURE, AND THERE WERE, THERE WERE QUESTIONS WITH OUR STEERING COMMITTEE KIND OF ALL ALONG THE PROCESS OF IF WE START PRIORITIZING COST-EFFECTIVENESS OR PRIORITIZING LIKE SCALE OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS THAT WE MIGHT GET AWAY FROM, UH, FOCUSING ON EQUITY.
SO WE JUST DECIDED THAT WE WERE ONLY GOING TO BRING THINGS FORWARD IN THE SHORTLIST OF, YOU KNOW, SORT OF LIKE IMMEDIATE EQUITY BENEFIT.
THEN THE OTHER TWO CATEGORIES, WHICH WILL BE USEFUL IN THE COMING MONTHS WERE PROJECTS THAT ARE CAPITAL INTENSIVE, THAT ARE GOING TO REQUIRE LIKE LARGE AMOUNTS OF FUNDING TO BUY THINGS, PIECES OF EQUIPMENT, UM, TO REALLY LIKE CREATE SOMETHING THAT WILL, UM, END UP CREATING GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTIONS IN THE FUTURE.
SO IN THE THOUGHT WITH THOSE CAPITAL INTENSIVE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY SOME FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE BILL OR SOMETHING RELATED TO CLIMATE CHANGE, WHERE THERE MIGHT BE ACTUALLY LIKE, UH, LARGER CHUNKS OF FUNDING.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS WAS DONE WITH THE ERA PROGRAM BACK IN 2009, IF SOMETHING COMES ALONG LIKE THAT, HAVING CAPITAL INTENSIVE PROJECTS THAT LIKE CAN USE LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY QUICKLY TO GET SOMETHING BIG IMPLEMENTED HAVING THAT LIST IS IMPORTANT.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST, THE LAST SECTION IS COMPLEX PROJECTS, WHICH ARE NEW AND DIFFERENT AND, UM, JUST COULDN'T BE IMPLEMENTED IMMEDIATELY.
SO THOSE ARE GOING TO NEED A MUCH MORE DETAILED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, WHICH WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND SORT OF GET INTO IN THE COMING YEAR.
AND LAST THING ON THESE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU ALL OF THESE STRATEGIES STRAIGHT OUT OF A PLAN.
WE DID NOT DEVELOP DETAILED COST ESTIMATES ON ANY SINGLE ONE OF THESE.
UM, WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME TO DO IT.
THE DEPARTMENTS DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME TO DO IT.
SO WHEN YOU ALL ARE THINKING ABOUT BUDGET AND WHAT YOU SORT OF WANT TO SUPPORT AND RECOMMEND IN YOUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE PROJECTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE SOME UP THAT WE COULD DO, LIKE AFTER THIS MEETING.
UM, BUT I THINK IT WOULD JUST HAVE TO BE MORE GENERAL LIKE SUPPORT XYZ PROGRAM, UM, IN A KIND OF GENERAL.
SO THIS IS THE BREAKDOWN OF, UH, THE 74 STRATEGIES.
UM, HALF OF THEM 37 OF THEM WERE IN THE MORE COMPLEX, FURTHER OUT CATEGORY.
16 OF THEM WERE CAPITAL INTENSIVE.
AND THEN THERE WERE 21, WHICH WERE THE THINGS THAT IF WE HAD MONEY, IF WE HAD FUNDING, IF YOU HAD A PERSON THAT YOU COULD ACTUALLY GET THIS THING OFF THE GROUND RIGHT NOW.
SO ON THE NEXT FIVE SLIDES ARE ESSENTIALLY JUST THOSE 21 PROJECTS LISTED OUT.
SO, AND THEY ARE DONE BY THE CATEGORY IN THE PLAN.
SO WITH SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, THESE ARE THE FIVE STRATEGIES THAT WE, THAT WE PULLED OUT THAT ESSENTIALLY LIKE, COULD GET GOING IMMEDIATELY.
SO, UM, I'M NOT GOING TO READ THROUGH ALL OF THESE IN DETAIL.
I SENT YOU THIS ALL YESTERDAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU ALL SHOULD PROBABLY JUST BE THINKING ABOUT, UM, LIKE, WHICH ONE OF THESE ARE OF MOST INTEREST TO YOU, WHICH ONE OF THESE, YOU KNOW, BASED ON YOUR KNOWLEDGE, DO YOU THINK LIKE COULD GET TRACTION QUICKLY AND GET OFF THE GROUND? UM, YOU'LL NOTICE WE PULLED OUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THINKING ABOUT EQUITY AND SCREENING FOR EQUITY, WE PULLED OUT, UM, MOST OF THE PROJECTS ACROSS ALL OF THE CATEGORIES, UM, IT FOCUSED ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
SO, UM, WE KNOW THAT THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, THING TO BE FOCUSING FOR ON, FOR EQUITY THING OF YOU FOCUSING ON FOR, YOU KNOW, UH, REBOUNDING THE ECONOMY AND COVID, UM, AS WELL AS THE CO THE NEXT PRESENTATION THAT YOU'RE GONNA HEAR ON THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS.
SO THAT'S JUST THE THING TO KEEP IN MIND.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE THIRD ONE HERE IS, UM, EQUITABLE WORKFORCE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING FOR EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.
UH, SO NEXT SLIDE, UH, THESE ARE THE TRANSPORTATION AND LANIUS PROJECTS THAT WERE BROUGHT FORWARD.
[01:00:02]
UM, SO MOSTLY AROUND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS AROUND BIKES AND BIKE TRAINING.
UH, THE THIRD ONE, THIS IS TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION.
UM, THIS TOP ONE, UM, IS AN IMPORTANT ONE.
THIS WAS SORT OF LIKE THE FIRST STRATEGY THAT WAS COMING UP IN THIS, UM, IN THIS SECTION, UH, FOCUSING ON AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT, AND REALLY STARTING TO UNPACK, UH, THE ISSUES OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND EQUITY AND HOW IT ALL INTERSECTS IN OUR CITY NEXT LINE, UH, NATURAL SYSTEMS. UM, YOU CAN SEE THERE'S, UH, SIX HERE, UM, NUMEROUS THINGS RELATED TO TREE PLANNING, FARMERS, UH, REGENERATIVE, AGRICULTURE.
UM, YOU WERE AS THINGS HERE THAT COULD GET GOING, AND THERE'S DEFINITELY MOTIVATION, UM, IN DEPARTMENTS TO FOCUS ON THESE AND LOTS.
THE LAST ONE, UM, IN THE CONSUMPTION SECTION, SO CONSUMPTION REMEMBER IS FOCUSED ON FOOD, INSTITUTIONAL, PURCHASING, CIRCULAR ECONOMY, THOSE SORT OF THINGS.
UM, THE TOP ONE WAS SORT OF THIS, THIS RECOMMENDATION THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME ABOUT COMMUNITY DRIVEN TOOLS AND ENGAGEMENT RELATED TO AFFORDABLE PRO CLIMATE, PROHEALTH FOOD, UM, NUMEROUS THINGS CONNECTED HERE TO CIRCULAR ECONOMY.
I THINK THE TOPIC OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND JOB TRAINING AND FIXING THINGS AND LOCAL JOBS AND REUSE THOSE THINGS ARE, ARE AGAIN, SORT OF IMMEDIATELY APPLICABLE TO OUR SITUATION WITH COVID AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY, ET CETERA.
SO, UM, AS I SAID, UH, WE ARE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW, LIKE, WHAT IS THIS BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT GOING TO LOOK LIKE, UM, IN CONNECTION TO GAS AND HAVING THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, GAS, CONNECTIONS IN BUILDINGS, HOMES, COMMERCIAL, UM, ALL OF THAT GOING FORWARD.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, IN THE COMING MONTHS, WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, WE HAD ENGAGED WITH ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS LAST FALL AROUND THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
NOW A LOT HAS HAPPENED IN A LOT OF TIME HAS HAPPENED.
UM, A LOT OF TIMES GOING BY A LOT OF THINGS HAVE HAPPENED.
SO WE'RE GOING TO RE-ENGAGE WITH ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE COMING MONTHS.
AND I KNOW THE STEERING COMMITTEE IS GOING TO BE, UM, PART OF THAT PROCESS.
AND WE ALSO HAVE TWO NEW MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL THAT HAVE NOT BEEN BRIEFED ON THIS PLAN, AND WE HAVE NOT TALKED TO THEM.
SO THAT'S GOING TO BE AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION.
AND THEN FINALLY WE'RE AIMING FOR, UH, HOPEFULLY THE DRAFT FINAL PLAN RELEASED IN MAY, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS, UM, WITH THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND SORT OF WHERE THINGS STAND WITH, UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, ALL THE BILLS THAT ARE RELATED TO CLIMATE CHANGE THAT ARE FLOATING AROUND RIGHT NOW, UH, WITH THE LEGISLATURE.
UM, AND THEN AT THAT POINT WE WILL FINALIZE THESE COUNSELING COMMITTEE COMMIT COUNT THESE COUNCIL COMMITTEE PRESENTATIONS, AND, UH, BRING THAT RCA, UH, TO CITY COUNCIL TO ADOPT THE PLAN.
SO THAT, UH, THAT'S, IT, THAT'S SORT OF WHERE WE ARE, HOPEFULLY THAT LIST.
I KNOW IT'S NOT PERFECT THAT WE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, COST ESTIMATES AND, UM, ALL THE INFORMATION, BUT HOPEFULLY THAT SHORTER LIST OF 2021 THINGS SORT OF LIKE GET YOUR GUYS', UM, UH, IMAGINATION IS GOING ON.
WHAT COULD GET IMPLEMENTED SOON, MAYBE YOU MUTED.
UM, I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THE, THANK YOU, I'M WONDERING IF THE LIST THAT YOU JUST SHARED WITH US IS THAT THE LIST THAT YOU JUST REFERENCED A COUPLE OF MINUTES AGO, OR WAS THAT A DIFFERENT LIST THAT YOU SAID YOU SENT AROUND AFTER THE LAST MEETING? AFTER, OH, AFTER THE LAST MEETING WAS THE COUNCIL MEMO, THE MEMO THAT WE SENT TO COUNCIL ON CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND IN THAT MEMO, THERE WERE ACTUAL THEY'RE ACTUALLY DOLLAR VALUES.
UM, WHEN I SAID I SIT AROUND AND WHAT I MEANT WAS I SENT HER ON YESTERDAY.
I THINK, I THINK I HAVE WHAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS LOOKING AT THE RIGHT THING.
UM, WELL, I GUESS KIND OF, OH GOSH, I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS HERE, BUT I'LL, I'LL START WITH ONE, THIS CONVERSATION AROUND GAS AND GAS CONNECTIONS, UM, WHO WAS INVITED TO THAT CONVERSATION.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE CONVERSATION? CAN YOU GIVE US MORE ON
[01:05:01]
THAT? UM, WE HAVE NOT, YOU HAVE NOT ENGAGED IN LIKE ANY ENGAGEMENT AROUND THAT TOPIC.UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ESSENTIALLY JUST BEEN CREATED BY TEXAS GAS SERVICE IN THEIR, THEIR LOBBYISTS, YOU KNOW, CONTACTING ME AND MY BOSS AND ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS AND ESSENTIALLY LIKE BRINGING INFORMATION WITH THEIR CONTACTS, SAYING THAT THEY HAVE BUSINESSES AND THEY HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE SUPPORTIVE OF CONTINUING TO USE GAS.
SO NOTHING HAS HAPPENED BEYOND THAT.
IT'S ESSENTIALLY JUST BEEN LIKE, WE'VE BEEN GIVEN THE, UH, SORT OF DIRECTIVE TO LOOK INTO THIS AND TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND EXPLORE THAT FURTHER.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE HAS DIRECTED YOU ALL WITH THE OPPOSITE SUSTAINABILITY TO HAVE ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS WITH TEXAS GAS AND THEIR SUPPORTERS ON THIS TOPIC.
I MEAN, THERE WASN'T LIKE A DIRECTIVE, BUT YEAH.
I MEAN, THEY, THEY CAME TO US AND HAD A MEETING AND THEN WE AGREED.
YES, WE WILL HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
I GUESS I'M JUST WONDERING HOW THAT CONNECTS BACK TO THE CLIMATE PLAN AND EVERYBODY ELSE WHO ENGAGED IN THE CLIMATE PLAN, YOU KNOW, THIS, UM, FEELS A BIT LIKE A REPEAT OF WHAT HAPPENED OVER THE SUMMER.
KIND OF WANTING TO FIGURE OUT IF THAT IS WHAT'S HAPPENING OR YEAH.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I WOULD AGREE LIKE VERY HONESTLY THAT, YOU KNOW, IT DOES FEEL LIKE ASKING FOR DELAY ASKING FOR MORE INPUT.
LIKE IT FEELS LIKE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I MEAN, THEY DO BRING, YOU KNOW, I GUESS PART OF THE CHALLENGE IS THAT WE'RE IN THIS NEVER-ENDING CHALLENGE, RIGHT.
OF WHEN WE CREATE A PLAN LIKE THIS, WE ENGAGE WITH LOTS AND LOTS OF PEOPLE, TONS OF BUSINESSES, WE'RE AT THE TABLE.
WE HAVE THE CLIMATE LEADERS INITIATIVE WITH BAD, YOU KNOW, 50 BUSINESSES SIGN ON TO SUPPORT THE PLAN.
BUT THE CHALLENGE IS WE DID NOT, YOU KNOW, ENGAGE WITH EVERY SINGLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
WE DID NOT ENGAGE WITH EVERY SINGLE BUSINESS IN THIS CITY.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE GET INTO THIS AREA WHERE LIKE, THEY CAN ALWAYS FIND A BUSINESS.
THEY CAN ALWAYS FIND A GROUP THAT LIKE, WE DIDN'T ENGAGE WITH AN ASK THEM EXACTLY HOW THEY WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THE PLAN, WHAT THE EXACT COST BENEFITS WERE.
I MEAN, IT'S A CHALLENGE IN OUR WORK IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SELECT PEOPLE, WE WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY TO CREATE THESE PLANS AND WE DON'T REACH EVERY SINGLE PERSON.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, LIKE THEY HAVE A HARD TIME SAYING NO, BECAUSE IT'S LIKE, YES, WE ARE THE CITY.
YES, YOU ARE OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
WE DID NOT EXACTLY TALK TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU.
SO IF YOU DO SHOW UP, WE DO HAVE TO, AT THE VERY LEAST HAVE THE CONVERSATION WITH YOU.
I JUST, I HEAR THAT, UM, MY CONCERN IS THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE NOT BEING HAD A PUBLIC VENUE AND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PLAN WAS CREATED WITH A FAIRLY OPEN, INCLUSIVE PROCESS WHERE ANYBODY WHO WANTED TO SHOW UP WAS ABLE TO SHOW UP.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME FOLKS DID NOT, PERHAPS THEY WEREN'T AWARE I DID ALL THAT.
UM, TO ME THAT SEEMS TO BE, UM, PERHAPS RAISING A FLAG, BUT AT SOME POINT THIS PROCESS IT'S JUST NOT APPROPRIATE FOR.
UM, THE, THE CONVERSATION FEELS LIKE IT'S ONE THAT NEEDS TO MOVE ON TO, YOU KNOW, EARL ELECTED LEADERSHIP AT SOME POINT.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WITH, WITH SESSION GOING ON, THAT THIS IS A CHALLENGING TIME FOR THAT.
UM, I GUESS MY CONCERN IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THIS DOES, I NORMALLY GET TO COUNCIL IN MAY, IS IT GOING TO BE WHAT WAS CREATED BY THE ADVISORY GROUPS IN THE STEERING COMMITTEE, WHICH WERE PUT TOGETHER WITH A REALLY INTENTIONAL FOCUS ON EQUITY AND DIVERSITY AND IMMUNITY, OR IS IT GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT AT LEAST IN THE AREA OF ENERGY IS, UM, YOU KNOW, BEEN TAKEN OVER BY TEXAS GAS AND WHOEVER THEY HAVE CONVINCED IS BEING HARMED BY, BY THE PLAN? YEAH.
SO THE FIRST THING, I MEAN, I'VE MADE THE COMMITMENT AND THE PROMISE TO THE STEERING COMMITTEE THAT THEY ARE CO-CREATING THAT DECISION-MAKING PROCESS WITH ME.
SO LIKE, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE GET TO THAT FINAL STAGE, THE STEERING COMMITTEE WILL LIKE, WE'LL HAVE
[01:10:01]
THAT LOOK AND BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT INPUT AND MAKE THAT CALL.BUT I THINK THE POINT THAT YOU BROUGHT UP THE WAY THAT WE, THE WAY TO MAKE THIS THE MOST TRANSPARENT FOR EVERYONE IS WHEN WE DO ANY SORT OF BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT RELATED TO THIS TOPIC, THAT WE JUST HAVE IT BE A PUBLIC FORUM WHERE THE ADVISORY GROUP AND, OR THE STEERING COMMITTEES ARE INVITED TO THAT MEETING TABLE.
AND SO YOU AND ANY OTHER STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER CAN BE IN THAT SAME MEETING AND STAND UP FOR THE ISSUES THAT YOU WANT TO STAND UP FOR.
AND SO IT DOESN'T BECOME THIS CORNERED OFF CONVERSATION WHERE ALL THE VOICES ARE BEING HEARD.
SO, I MEAN, I WILL TAKE THAT, THAT SORT OF PIECE OF INFORMATION AND LIKE, UM, AND RUN WITH IT.
IN FACT, I APPRECIATE THAT, YOU KNOW, BUT I HOPE, I HOPE MY COMMENTS HERE DON'T, YOU KNOW, COME OFF AS, YOU KNOW, AN ATTACK AGAINST YOU AND YOUR WORK AND YOUR STUFF.
UM, I REALIZE IT'S A DIFFICULT SITUATION.
UM, WHAT, WHAT OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS DO FOLKS HAVE HERE? I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, ZACH, I HAD MENTIONED IT BEFORE THAT THE CITY IS ADOPTING NEW BUILDING CODES THIS YEAR AND THE CITY STAFF HAS ALREADY DRAFTED WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING FOR THE MECHANICAL CODE, THE PLUMBING CODE AND THE ENERGY CODE.
I HAVEN'T DIGESTED ALL OF THOSE YET, BUT I'M WONDERING IF THEY USE THIS CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN AT ALL TO INFORM THOSE DRAFTS.
SO THEY, I DID HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH, UM, STAFF AT DSD AND THEY, BECAUSE THE PLAN HAS NOT BEEN ADOPTED BY COUNCIL YET.
LIKE THEY ARE NOT TAKING, LIKE, THEY ASKED THAT QUESTION, THEY'RE LIKE, HAS THE PLAN BEEN ADOPTED IN, DO WE HAVE LIKE, IS THIS THE DIRECTIVE? AND I SAID, THE PLAN HASN'T BEEN ADOPTED.
SO I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT IT'S DIRECTIVE, LIKE IT'S A DRAFT THING AT THIS POINT.
UM, YOU COULD TAKE THOSE CONCEPTS AND RUN WITH THEM.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT TO THE POINT WHERE LIKE IT'S A RESOLUTION OR ORDINANCE OR LIKE A DIRECTIVE THAT IT, THAT IT HAS TO BE INCLUDED AT THIS POINT.
AND I, THAT'S JUST THE HONEST, THAT'S JUST MY HONEST ANSWER.
SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO GO THROUGH AND WALK AS TO THE END TO SEE WHAT IS ACTUALLY LIKE BEEN INCLUDED OR NOT EQUIPMENT? WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT PROBABLY HASN'T DONE, WHICH I THINK IS VERY UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE TYPICALLY THE CITIES ON A FIVE-YEAR CODE CYCLE.
AND SO UNLESS COUNSEL'S WILLING TO MAKE CODE CHANGES IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT CYCLE, WE MAY NOT SEE THOSE CHANGES HAPPEN FOR QUITE A WHILE.
THANK YOU FOR RAISING THAT, DAVID.
I DID NOT REALIZE THEY HAD ALREADY DRAFTED, UH, DRAFTED THOSE THAT'S THAT'S A REAL PROBLEM.
AND I WILL SAY FROM HAVING TRIED TO GET A VERY MINOR PIECE OF CODE CHANGED MID CYCLE, UM, IT'S A REAL CHALLENGE, ROB.
SO JUST ON THAT, UM, I JUST WANNA REITERATE THAT DISAPPOINTMENT AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT'S JUST AN UNUSED ZACK, BUT W WHAT WE DID HERE, YOUR REPORT FROM LAST FALL THAT THE CITY MANAGER WAS DIRECTING CTE DEPARTMENTS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A COLUMBIA PLAN.
DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE COUNCIL HADN'T ACTED, I GUESS IT WAS A PRACTICAL MATTER.
UH, MAYBE THIS QUESTION FOR DAVID, OR ARE THESE CODE REVISIONS GOING TO HAPPEN BEFORE MAY? BECAUSE IF THEY HAPPEN AFTER MAY, PRESUMABLY THERE WILL BE A NEW, UM, THE CLIMATE PLAN WILL BE ADOPTED AND THEY WILL NEED TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES POTENTIALLY.
ANYWAY, UH, THE, THE AMENDMENT THEY'VE ALREADY DONE THE AMENDMENTS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO PROPOSE, UM, THE PLUMBING CODE AND MECHANICAL CODES SPECIFICALLY HAVE ALREADY GONE THROUGH PUBLIC COMMENTING AND HAVE THE ENERGY CODE IS STILL OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND CURRENTLY CLOSES, I BELIEVE THE MIDDLE OF APRIL.
UM, BUT ALL THE CODES I BELIEVE ARE DUE TO GO TO COUNCIL THIS SUMMER FOR ADOPTION.
AND THEN THEY TYPICALLY GIVE A 90 DAY GRACE PERIOD.
SO THEY WOULD GO INTO EFFECT IN SEPTEMBER, TYPICALLY IS WHEN THAT HAPPENS.
SO THEY'LL, I THINK THEY'LL GO TO COUNCIL PROBABLY IN JUNE.
SO, UH, SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S GOING TO GIVE STAFF ENOUGH TIME TO BE ABLE TO INCORPORATE ANYTHING THAT THEY HAVEN'T CORPORATED FROM THIS PLAN.
AND THERE ARE SPECIFIC THINGS RELATIVE TO WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, LIKE REQUIRING GAS, WATER HEATING AND ALL RESIDENTIAL UNITS.
NO, I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING THEY'D PUT IN THE CODE,
[01:15:01]
SOMETHING LIKE 10 YEARS AGO.UM, SO THERE'S DEFINITELY THINGS IN THE CODE THAT, UM, THIS WOULD AFFECT WELL, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE IS A, I HAVEN'T READ IT YET, UM, THE EXACT LANGUAGE, BUT I KNOW THERE IS, IS AN OPTIONAL KIND OF AMENDMENT THAT CAN, CAN BE ADOPTED ON THE LOCAL LEVEL THAT WOULD REQUIRE BASICALLY AN ALL ELECTRIC READY, UH, BUILDING.
SO IF YOU HAVE, UH, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO INSTALL NATURAL GAS APPLIANCES, OR ELECTRIC APPLIANCES, YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT ELECTRICAL WIRING AND A PLUG SO THAT IF THE NEXT PERSON COMES IN, OR IF THAT OWNER CHANGES THEIR MIND, AND THEN IF THEY WANT TO SWITCH FROM NATURAL GAS TO ELECTRIC, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET AN ELECTRICIAN IN THERE AND START TEARING OUT DRYWALL TO, YOU KNOW, PUT THAT NEW APPLIANCE AND YOU JUST PULL OUT THE GAS ONE AND PLUG IN THE ELECTRIC.
AND, UM, YEAH, TIME, FRANKLY, TO, TO MAKE THAT SWITCH.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WONDER IF THEY'VE VETTED AT ALL THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ON THAT SPECIFICALLY.
WELL, JUST, JUST SO YOU GUYS KNOW, I JUST FOUND THE EMAIL THAT, UM, THE COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE ENERGY CODE WENT LIVE ON MARCH 15TH.
AND WHEN YOU GO IN THERE, IT'S A VERY USER-FRIENDLY WEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN SEE, YOU CAN PULL UP TRACK CHANGES AND SEE EXACTLY WHAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED TO CHANGE AND NOT MAKE COMMENTS.
UM, I CAN SHARE THAT WITH EVERYBODY.
RABBITS ARE YOUR HAND, UH, YEAH, JUST, UM, UH, MORE GENERALLY ZACH, UM, UH, AND YOU SORT MENTIONED THIS, AND THEN WE SAW THE PRIORITIES.
I JUST WANTED TO BE SURE IF AND WHEN AN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL MOVES FORWARD, UH, ARE YOU PRIORITIZING OR ARE YOU MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE READY TO GO TO GET AS MUCH FEDERAL RESOURCE AS WE CAN? LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE MONEY FOR MUNICIPALITIES TO DO MORE, UH, ELECTRIFICATION FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
LIKE, ARE, ARE WE POISED FOR WHAT WE EXPECT MAY COME DOWN TO TAKE ADVANTAGE TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT AND ARE THERE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO IN BUDGET IN THE BUDGET TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE THAT'S UM, THAT'S, WE'RE STARTING TO THINK ABOUT NOW.
SO WE IDENTIFIED, I THINK IT WAS 16.
WE IDENTIFIED THOSE 16 SPECIFIC PROJECTS IN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN THAT ARE VERY CAPITAL FOCUSED.
SO WHAT I'M GOING TO JUST PLAN ON DOING, AND THIS ISN'T LIKE PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS, THIS IS JUST, WE JUST WANT TO BE READY.
IS THE NEXT STEP, WOULD YOU BE TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION WITH THOSE DEPARTMENTS ABOUT LIKE, HEY, LET'S START THINKING ABOUT HOW MUCH REALLY WOULD THIS COST AND LIKE, WHAT WOULD A PLAN LOOK LIKE? SO IF WE GET ASKED IN THE COMING MONTHS OR YEARS, LIKE WE NEED TO START TO BE READY AND ARE, IS THERE, DO WE HAVE ANY LINE OR INTEL ON, OR ARE WE WORKING WITH MEMBERS OF THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION THAT HAS CONNECTIONS INTO AUSTIN, UH, TO HELP US IDENTIFY WHAT THOSE AREAS MAY BE AND HOW WE CAN BEST DRAW DOWN THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT? YEAH, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW YET, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY, UH, UH, CONGRESS PERSON, UH, WHITE DOG IT'S OFFICE IS ACTUALLY LIKE REALLY GOOD ABOUT REACHING OUT.
AND I ACTUALLY, UM, HAVE A CONNECTION AND SORT OF A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS LOCAL STAFF PERSON I'LL REACH OUT TO THEM AND ASK LIKE WHAT THEY KNOW AND LIKE HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE UP TO DATE ON THAT CALL THE CONVERSATION.
HEY, ZACH, I HAVE A QUESTION TOO, UM, ABOUT, AND THIS MIGHT NOT BE POSSIBLE, BUT I WANT TO ASK IT JUST IN CASE SINCE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE CLIMATE PLAN, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO INCLUDE THEM YET.
AND THE DIFFERENT CODES THAT ARE BEING, UM, PUT TOGETHER, IS THERE A WAY TO HAVE AN EXTENSION ON THE DIFFERENT CODES, UM, AND SAVE, YOU KNOW, DUE TO UNFORESEEN EVENTS WITH WINTER STORM YURI AND MANY OTHERS.
UM, AND WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING THIS PAST YEAR, WE ARE RECOMMENDING, YOU KNOW,
[01:20:01]
TO COUNCIL TO EXTEND THE CODE REVIEW OR ANYTHING, OR ALLOW FOR MORE FOR THE NEXT MONTH OR SOMETHING, TRYING TO THINK OF LIKE OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE WE GET ON SOME OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS SINCE THERE IS A FIVE-YEAR CYCLE, IS OTHER COMMISSIONERS PLAY IT OUT? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.I DON'T KNOW, BUT I COULD ASK OR DAVID OR DAVID JOANIE CAN TELL US, UH, NO, BUT I WILL SAY THE ADOPTION ALSO COINCIDES WITH THE STATE ADOPTION OF CODES.
AND, AND ONE THING I DIDN'T MENTION TOO, THERE'S A STATE BILL WAS INTRODUCED RECENTLY FOR, UH, PLUMBING AND MECHANICAL CODES STATEWIDE, AND THOSE ARE USED DIFFERENT.
IT'S A DIFFERENT MODEL CODE THAN WHAT WE USE IN AUSTIN.
SO IF THAT GETS PASSED BY THE STATE, WE'LL HAVE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BUILDING OR A PLUMBING AND MECHANICAL CODES THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY.
UM, BUT THAT ADOPTION CYCLE IS TO GO INTO EFFECT, UH, IN SEPTEMBER ALSO.
AND SO I THINK TYPICALLY THAT'S WHY THE CITY OF AUSTIN KIND OF LINES THERE'S IN SEPTEMBER.
SO ALL NEW CODES GO INTO EFFECT AROUND THE SAME TIME.
WHAT IS THE DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS ON THE CODE? YEAH, I THINK IT'S APRIL 15.
IT WAS OPEN MARCH 15TH GOES TO APRIL 15TH, SO PLENTY OF TIME, PLENTY OF TIME, BUT THAT WOULD COME BEFORE OUR NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING.
THE NEXT MEETING NEXT JC MEETING IS APRIL 28TH, I THINK.
WELL, WE CAN, WE CAN CIRCLE BACK TO THAT OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
WHEN WAS THAT PRESENTED? YEAH, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I WILL CHIME IN THAT.
THIS IS A FAIRLY, UH, IN MY OPINION, COMMON CONUNDRUM, UH, BECAUSE IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE DOESN'T EVEN GET THAT FIVE-YEAR UPDATE EITHER.
UM, I THINK BEING ON THE OPTIMISTIC SIDE, I THINK WHAT NOT TRYING TO BE NAIVE, I THINK WHEN WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE POSITIVE CHANGES, DRIVEN BY POLICY RATHER THAN TECHNICAL CODE, I THINK WE SHOULD SEIZE IT AND WE SHOULD MAKE GOOD OF IT.
AND THE BEST EXAMPLE, AND I FEEL LIKE I'VE SHARED THIS ON THIS BEFORE WHAT WE SPENT YEARS AND YEARS TRYING TO WRITE THAT LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REVISION AND IT FINISHED AND IT STUCKED IN COURT, BUT, UH, THE AFFORDABILITY AND LAW POLICY WAS WRITTEN IN THE SPAN OF ABOUT THREE TO FOUR MONTHS UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED, AND THAT HAVE CREATED MORE POSITIVE IMPACT IN MY OPINION, IN THE LAST SIX YEARS THAT I'VE VOLUNTEERED TO HELP WRITING THE LINE OF ELEMENT CODE.
AND I'M SURE OTHER PEOPLE LIKE ROB HAD VOLUNTEERED HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF HOURS THEMSELVES.
SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE TRYING TO INSERT OURSELVES IN THE TECHNICAL CODE ADOPTION.
IT IS A FULL-TIME, YOU KNOW, EFFORT AS MUCH AS I THINK THAT THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
I THINK IF WE TRULY WANT TO INSERT OURSELVES, WHAT WE PROBABLY SHOULD DO IS, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CLIMATE PLAN THAT DOES GET ADOPTED INCLUDE AN AUTOMATIC TRIGGER OF COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY HAVE COUNCIL ALSO ISSUE A POLICY THAT DIRECT STAFF TO LOOK AT THE CODE AND IDENTIFY MOST, YOU KNOW, CODE THAT CAN BE CHANGES, UH, FOR OFF CYCLE ADOPTION, KNOWING THAT THAT MIGHT NOT BE EASY, BUT I THINK AT LEAST IF A POLICY DIRECTION COMES OUT, UM, THAT BASICALLY DICTATE TWO YEARS FROM NOW THAT WE HAVE TO ADOPT A BUNCH OF COACHING AIMING TOWARD IMPLEMENTING THE, UM, CLIMATE PLAN.
THAT'S GOING TO BE ADOPTED THIS MAY.
I THINK THAT MIGHT BE OUR BEST BET AS FAR AS THIS COMMITTEE'S WORKED.
SO MAYBE WE CAN WRITE THAT RESOLUTION AND TRYING TO PUSH IT TO IN FRONT OF COUNCIL SO THAT IT'S IN FRONT OF THEM WHEN THEY DO ADOPT THE CLIMATE SIGN.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY DISCUSSION YOU DON'T WANT TO HAPPEN.
I JUST HAVE ANOTHER THOUGHT ON JACK PRESENTATION WHEN WE'D UNDER THE BANK.
I WANT A SECOND, UM, NATS RECOMMENDATION ON HOW TO PROCEED ON THAT.
OTHERWISE IT'S KIND OF DEPRESSING.
[01:25:08]
YEAH.I MEAN, I GUESS I HEAR THAT NOW, I'M, I AM CONCERNED THAT MISSING THIS UPDATE THAT IS COMPREHENSIVE OR MORE COMPREHENSIVE, THEN JUST, YOU KNOW, PUTS A TARGET ON THESE ITEMS THAT ARE ALREADY GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY HOTLY CONTESTED BY TEXAS GAS AND WHATEVER OTHER INDUSTRY SUPPORTERS THEY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BACK IN THEM.
UM, SO I MEAN, THAT'S JUST, THAT'S THE DOWNSIDE OF DOING, DOING THE ONE-OFF, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE, YEAH.
IF WE COULD HAVE THAT COMMITMENT TO DOING THAT REVISION, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO.
I FEAR IT'S GOING TO BE CHALLENGING.
AND I DON'T MEAN, YOU KNOW, JUST RANDOMLY PICK ONE LINE OF CODE AND TRYING TO PUSH IT IN A YEAR FROM NOW.
UM, IF YOU, UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO KIND OF SHARE MORE INFORMATION, BUT IF YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE AFFORDABILITY IN LIKE THE ORDINANCE ITSELF IS FAIRLY SKINNY, IT'S ONLY ABOUT NINE PAGES OR SO, BUT WHAT IT DOES IS IT GIVE THE FRAMEWORK FOR A PROCESS.
AND THEN FROM THERE, UH, STANFORD FROM THEIR STAFF GO INTO SORT OF THE CO-WRITING MODE, COME BACK WITH SPECIFIC CODE AND THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS AND SO ON.
AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF, UH, WHAT I THINK THE RESOLUTION THAT WE'RE GOING TO PUT FORWARD SHOULD BE ABOUT NOW, WHATEVER CHANGES THAT YOU THINK LAYERED.
BUT I THINK THE PROCESS THAT I HAVE IN MIND IS WHAT EVERY CLIMATE, UH, EQUITY PLAN UPDATE GOING FORWARD THAT SHOULD HAVE AN AUTOMATICALLY CLOCK TRIGGER THAT WITHIN, I DON'T KNOW, 12 MONTHS OR TWO YEARS THAT A COMPREHENSIVE TECHNICAL CODE REVIEW TO MAXIMIZE THE ADOPTIONS OF ANY CODE TO ALIGN, THE CLIMATE PLAN SHOULD BE ACTIVATED.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THE, THE PROCESS ENDED UP WITH YEAH, EVERYTHING THAT WE ALREADY WANT TO ADOPT HAS ALREADY BEEN ADOPTED BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE WORKING PROACTIVELY THEN THAT'S GREAT.
BUT IT GENERATED THAT SORT OF TRANSPARENCY THAT YOU MENTIONED, BECAUSE I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN EVER STOP THE LOBBYING PROCESS.
I MEAN, IT'S A FAIRLY WELL ESTABLISHED PROCESS, BUT, UM, TECHNICALLY ANY CODE CHANGE HAS TO BE SORT OF LOOKED AT REGARDLESS HOW IT WAS PROMPTED, RIGHT? REGARDLESS OF WHERE IT WAS MOTIVATED FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERY CODE CHAIN NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT AT A COMMUNITY LEVEL.
SO AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO DWELL TOO HARD ON THAT, BUT I THINK TODAY RIGHT NOW, GIVEN THE TIMELINE THAT WHERE WE ARE, I THINK THE BEST WAY FOR US AS A COMMITTEE TO ACT IS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PLAN FORWARD, UH, IN A COMPREHENSIVE WAY, RATHER THAN TRYING TO SQUEEZE OURSELVES INTO ONE CODE LEGIS AND OTHER CODE.
I THINK WE, WE'RE KIND OF TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
LIKE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT AFFORDABILITY LOCKED, THAT'S THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, IT'S LOCAL AND SPECIFIC TO AUSTIN.
BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BUILDING CODES, WE, WE LIKE A LOT OF CITIES USE A MODEL CODE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND THEN WE REVISE IT.
AND SO OUR CODE CYCLES ARE BASED ON WINDOWS CODES ARE UPDATED AND, AND THE, THE SOONEST, THOSE THEY'RE UPDATED EVERY THREE YEARS.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THE CITY, IN MY EXPERIENCE I'VE EVER SEEN THEM UPDATE THOSE BUILDING CODES, UH, WITHIN THAT CYCLE.
UM, SO IT, IT MAY BE A BIGGER, YEAH, MAY BE A BIGGER ASS VERSUS THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
THE CITY CHANGES IT ALL THE TIME.
UH, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE NOT ANYMORE, THEY'RE, I'M BEING TOLD THEY'RE NOT MAKING ANY CHANGES UNTIL THAT LAWSUIT'S FIGURED OUT.
SO, UM, ANYWAY, JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT YOU MENTIONED YOU HAD ANOTHER TOPIC YOU WANTED.
WOULD YOU SAY, I JUST WANT TO COMMENT REAL QUICK ON, ON ZACK PRESENTATION AND ZACH, I APPRECIATE YOU SORT OF HIGHLIGHT AND PRIORITIZE THE READY NOW.
UM, UH, I JUST WANT TO ASK REAL QUICK ON THE, ON THE BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT, UM, HAS THAT, HAVE YOU IDENTIFIED ANY, AND I KNOW THIS IS STILL AN ONGOING, HAVE YOU IDENTIFY ANY KIND OF, UH, EXAMPLE A BUSINESS THAT REALLY JUST STEPPED UP AND SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GREAT.
WE WILL HELP YOU GUYS DRIVING FORWARD.
[01:30:01]
AND I'M JUST THINKING OUT LOUD, THERE'S A COMPANY IN OUR BACKYARD NOW, YOU KNOW, TESLA THAT CAN REALLY OWN ONE OF THESE ITEMS AND REALLY INJECT A LOT OF, UH, ENERGY AND FRANKLY, FINANCIAL SUPPORT INTO THE ELECTRIFICATION.UM, I MEAN, HAS, HAS THAT BEEN MADE AS A BIG ASK BECAUSE I KNOW CITY OF AUSTIN DIDN'T REALLY OFFER A WHOLE LOT OF INCENTIVE WHEN TESLA CHAIRMAN IN THE TOWN, I THINK MOSTLY THE COUNTY AND THE STATE REALLY MAKE THAT DEAL, BUT MAN, THEY ENDED UP BACK HERE NOW AND THEY BUILDING FASCINATING AND BLOWING.
I MEAN, IS THERE, IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO PUT SOME FRIENDLY PRESSURE FOR THEM TO REALLY STEP UP AND BE A BIG PART OF OUR COMMUNITY? I KNOW THEY ALREADY DOING A BUNCH OF STUFF.
I FEEL LIKE THIS COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT THIS IN FRONT OF THEM AS WELL.
I DON'T HAVE ANY SPECIFIC INTEL ON TESLA.
UM, I WOULD SAY SORT OF WHERE WE ARE WITH THE BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT IS THAT LIKE, IN TERMS OF LIKE SUPPORTING THIS STUFF OR NOT SUPPORTING IT IS THAT THE, THE BUSINESSES THAT WERE PART OF CREATING THE PLAN TENDED TO BE ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS AND LIKE PEOPLE WHO WERE AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF THIS STUFF.
AND SO THEY UNDERSTAND THE COST AND THE BENEFITS, AND THEY UNDERSTAND THAT LIKE THEY UNDERSTAND THE DESIGN ELEMENTS OF LIKE, THIS IS POSSIBLE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY I WAS INCLUDED IN THE PLAN, LIKE AS A FUTURE LOOKING THING, SOME OF THE RESPONSES THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY ARE BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN EXISTING BUILDINGS AND EXISTING SITUATIONS.
LIKE NOT THINKING ABOUT THE CUTTING EDGE, NOT THINKING ABOUT LIKE, WHAT'S NEXT, THEY'RE JUST THINKING ABOUT WHAT'S THE COST GOING TO BE FOR ME, LIKE RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO THAT'S SORT OF WHERE, SO I THINK PART OF IT IS JUST THAT WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT KIND OF MORE ANGLES TO THE, TO THE CONVERSATION, BUT, BUT YOUR COMMENT ABOUT LIKE REALLY BIG BUSINESSES THAT ARE FLASHY AND ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF CARBON, LIKE THAT, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
DAVID, I'M WONDERING WHAT YOUR THOUGHT IS IN TERMS OF THE, THE BUILDING CODE SITUATION.
DO YOU THINK THAT THIS BODY SHOULD TAKE SOME ACTION NOW WHILE THE COMMENT PROCESS IS STILL OPEN? UM, SHOULD WE TRY TO GET A MEETING SCHEDULE AND ANOTHER MEETING SCHEDULE BEFORE IT CLOSES? OR SHOULD WE DO NOTHING? YEAH, I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S WORTH MAKING THE STATEMENT.
I THINK PROBABLY WHAT ZACH SAID WILL BE STAFF'S RESPONSE THAT THIS PLAN IS NOT ADOPTED BY COUNCIL.
AND SO WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T HAVE ANY DIRECTION TO INCORPORATE THIS INTO THE CODE.
UM, BUT IT DOESN'T HURT TO, TO ASK.
THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, I, I BROUGHT THIS UP MONTHS AGO BECAUSE I SAW, I SAW IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN THIS WAY AND, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S FOR POLITICAL REASONS OR WHATEVER, OR THE CITY MANAGERS DECIDED TO PUSH THIS OFF AND PUSH THIS OFF, AND NOW IT'S PUT US IN THIS POSITION, UM, WHICH IS UNFORTUNATE.
WHICH, WHICH KINDA JUST MEANS THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, BUT BY THE WAY, TEXAS GAS IS POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, BY BUYING AT LEAST FIVE YEARS MAYBE, UM, OR AT LEAST THREE AT THE MINIMUM.
WHAT DO OTHERS THINK, UH, SHOULD WE MAKE SOME SORT OF BRIEF, UH, RECOMMENDATION NOW AND MAYBE RETURN TO THIS IN MORE DEPTH NEXT MONTH? AT LEAST ON MY END.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DIRECT, SORRY, GO AHEAD.
OH, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY I, BASED OFF OF WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM EVERYONE, IT SEEMS LIKE MAKING SOME SORT OF STATEMENT OR RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE WISE JUST TO CONTINUE TO FLAG.
UM, WHAT OF COURSE DAVID HAS BROUGHT UP BEFORE AND MANY OTHERS.
SO THAT'S MY THOUGHT FROM, I AGREE.
I'M WONDERING TO WHOM WE DIRECT THIS.
[01:35:01]
DIRECT IT TO COUNCIL OR TO THE TECHNICALLY OVER RECOMMENDATIONS ARE TO COUNCIL? SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU.THAT'S WHERE IT GETS TRICKY, RIGHT? BECAUSE I'VE BEEN IN THIS SITUATION BEFORE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, WE'RE GOING TO ASK COUNCIL TO DIRECT STAFF TO INCORPORATE, UH, TH THIS CLIMATE PLAN INTO THE ENERGY CODE, BUT COUNCIL HASN'T SEEN THE CLIMATE PLAN YET EITHER.
SO MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T HAVE, I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE TO SAY INCORPORATE THE CLIMATE PLAN AS A WHOLE.
WE COULD JUST HIGHLIGHT WHAT IT IS THAT IS RELEVANT TO THE ENERGY CODE UPDATE.
AND, AND I MEAN, WE COULD REFERENCE THE CLIMATE PLAN, BUT INSTEAD OF SAYING, INCORPORATE THE CLIMATE PLAN, SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS CLIMATE PLAN DEVELOPED WITH COMMUNITY INPUT POINTS TO ELECTRIFICATION AND IMPROVED ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND DEPLOYMENT OF ONSITE, RENEWABLE ENERGY AS IMPORTANT SOLUTIONS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND EQUITY.
AND YOU SHOULD INCORPORATE THOSE INTO THE COVID UPDATE.
I WILL SAY I'M, UM, I'M MEETING WITH AUSTIN ENERGY STAFF NEXT WEEK TO REVIEW THE PROPOSED ENERGY CODES, BOTH COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL.
AND SO I'LL HAVE A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION AFTER EARLY NEXT WEEK.
UM, AND I CAN, I COULD ACTUALLY BRING THIS UP AS PART OF THAT CONVERSATION.
WELL, DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD TRY TO SCHEDULE A SPECIAL MEETING JUST TO TAKE THAT UP AFTER YOU HAVE THAT MEETING? OR SHOULD WE TRY TO DO SOMETHING NOW AND THEN TAKE IT UP AT OUR MEETING AT THE END OF THE MONTH? WELL, GIVEN THAT WE'RE MAKING RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO DO THAT BEFORE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD CLOSES.
SO AS LONG AS IT HAPPENS, LIKE IF IT HAPPENS IN THAT NET, OUR MEETING NEXT MONTH, THAT'S STILL PLENTY OF TIME BEFORE IT GOES TO COUNCIL, UH, TO GIVE THEM TIME TO CHANGE IT.
SO I THINK THAT'S FINE IF THEY JUST WAIT UNTIL NEXT MONTH, I'D BE ABLE TO ASK COUNSEL TO, FOR AN EX, LIKE, WOULD COUNSEL BE ABLE TO GRANT US ANY EXTENSIONS ON, UM, ADOPTING THINGS WITHIN THE CODES.
I DON'T HAVE AS MUCH BACKGROUND ON THAT.
SO I MIGHT NOT BE ASKING THE QUESTION CORRECTLY, BUT IT, IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW IF FOR THEM, IF THEY COULD EITHER ALLOW FOR, YEAH, I DUNNO MORE EDITS OR CHANGES OR SOMETHING GIVEN WHAT HAPPENED WITH WINTER STORM AREA.
BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THERE'S AUSTIN ENERGY, THERE'S PROBABLY OTHER CODES YOU WERE MENTIONING PLUMBING BEFORE, UM, THAT COULD, YOU KNOW, IT COULD INCLUDE WINTERIZATION RECOMMENDATIONS OR DIFFERENT THINGS IN THERE THAT WE PROBABLY DON'T HAVE RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, COUNCIL HAS POWER TO DO WHATEVER THEY WANT.
SO, UM, SO I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOUR RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT YOU HAVE THIS MEETING AND THEN WE PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WE SHOULD PROBABLY TRY TO GET SOMEBODY FROM, UH, DSD AND MAYBE SOMEBODY FROM AUSTIN ENERGY TO COME TALK TO US NEXT MONTH.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE AT THAT NEXT MEETING, WE'LL BE NEEDING TO TAKE ACTION ON, UH, COMMENTS THAT JOINT SUSTAINABILITY WOULD.
I MEAN, WE PRESUMABLY WE COULD MAKE COMMENTS IN THE PUBLIC DOCUMENT AS A COMMITTEE AND, OR DIRECT SOMETHING TO COUNCIL.
I THINK IF WE WANT TO MAKE COMMON SENSE, UH, THROUGH THE PROCESS, THAT'S OPEN NOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'D HAVE TO DO THAT AS INDIVIDUALS, UNLESS WE TAKE SOME ACTION NOW OR SCHEDULE A SPECIAL MEETING.
BUT IF WE ARE JUST, UM, GOING TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL AT OUR REGULAR MEETING,
[01:40:01]
THEN I GUESS IN THAT PORTAL WILL NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE TO US.BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MATTERS.
W WHEN DOES BECOMING PERIOD QUESTION APRIL 15TH? YEAH.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE ALL MAKE COMMENTS INDIVIDUALLY THROUGH THAT PORTAL BEFORE THE 15TH, AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK NEXT MONTH AS A COMMITTEE AND DO A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL.
I'LL PROBABLY REACH OUT TO YOU TO TRY TO, UH, COORDINATE GETTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO COME SPEAK AND PRESENT AT THAT MEETING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE PREPARED TO GIVE US THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED.
AND I'LL, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AFTER I HAVE THAT MEETING NEXT WEEK, TOO.
THANK YOU ON THAT EARLIER, THE BETTER, BECAUSE THE EARLIER I CAN MAKE THOSE CONTACTS, THE MORE THEY WILL BE PREPARED.
UH, SO WE'RE STILL ON THE, THE CLIMATE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION, UH, ITEM HERE, ZACH, I DID HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION.
I NOTICED THAT IN THE ENERGY SECTION, THERE WASN'T ANYTHING INCLUDED AROUND EFFICIENCY AND FUNDING BUDGET FOR EFFICIENCY.
UM, AND IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT SINCE THERE ARE, THERE ARE ALREADY EXISTING PROGRAMS THAT, YOU KNOW, EITHER BOOSTING FUNDING IN GENERAL OR ADJUSTING INCENTIVES SPECIFICALLY FOR EFFICIENCY, UM, OR ELECTRIFICATION TO, TO BE MORE EQUITABLE IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WOULDN'T BE A HEAVY LIFT.
AND I'M WONDERING WHY THAT THOSE THINGS DIDN'T MAKE IT INTO THE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF NEAR TERM PRIORITY.
THE FIRST TWO, UM, BOTH, I THINK SAY THEY'RE BOTH RELATED TO THAT, UH, THE FIRST TWO ON SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS OR BOTH, UM, CONNECTED TO ENERGY CONSERVATION AND INCENTIVES, LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES, UM, ENERGY UNDERSTANDING, ENERGY SAVINGS OPPORTUNITIES, EXPANDING.
THE FIRST TWO ARE FOCUSED ON THAT.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE ABOUT GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT AND HAVING A STRATEGY, BUT NOT PUTTING THE MONEY BEHIND IT.
THOSE WERE, THOSE WERE JUST STRAIGHT OUT OF WHAT IS IN THE PLAN.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S A STRATEGY IN THE PLAN THAT JUST SAYS, LIKE DO ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
I MEAN, YOU'RE RIGHT, BECAUSE IT'S BUNDLED IN WITH THE GOSH, WHAT IS IT, I GUESS IT'S, I THINK IT'S STRATEGY THREE IN THAT SECTION AND THERE'S JUST SO MUCH UNDER IT.
MAYBE THAT'S A DOWNSIDE OF THE WAY THAT WE WROTE THESE STRATEGIES.
UM, I DUNNO, I'M JUST FLAGGING THAT AS ONE THAT I, I DUNNO, I THINK WOULD BE WORTHY AND NOT A HEAVY LIFT NECESSARILY DO OTHERS, UM, SEE THINGS IN THIS LIST THAT YOU WANT TO KIND OF CALL OUT FOR? I MEAN, I GUESS WE CAN, WE CAN TAKE THAT UP ALSO IN OUR, OUR BUDGET ITEMS. SO WE CAN, WE CAN COME BACK TO THIS LIST, I GUESS.
AND FOR THE NEXT TIME WE STILL HAVE A SPEAKER THAT'S WAITING.
WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND DO THAT AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AROUND TO BUDGET.
[2c) Austin Civilian Conservation Corps Briefing— Daniel Culotta, Innovation Office (Discussion and/or possible action) ]
AGENDA ITEM TWO C BRIEFING ON THE AUSTIN CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS.CAN YOU, UH, DO YOU SEE DANIEL COLETTA? AND CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? OH, THERE YOU ARE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
UH, I KNEW A FEW OF YOU AND HAPPY TO MEET EVERYONE ELSE AND REALLY APPRECIATE THE IMPORTANT WORK YOU ALL DO HERE.
I'M HERE TODAY TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE AUSTIN CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS PROGRAM, UH, WHICH WAS STARTED LAST YEAR, UH, THROUGH A COUNCIL RESOLUTION, GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT IT IS, WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHERE WE'RE GOING AND HAPPY TO HAVE ANY QUESTIONS DURING THE PRESENTATION OR AFTER, WELL, ANY THOUGHTS ON COLLABORATION GOING FORWARD
[01:45:01]
AND JUMP TO THE NEXT SLIDE? UH, SO YEAH, I'LL START WITH BACKGROUND AND STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM.SO THE US FISH, CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS, UH, WAS FORMED AGAIN THROUGH COUNCIL RESOLUTION AT THE END OF MAY, 2020.
UH, AND IT, UH, WAS TO HELP PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN ECONOMICALLY IMPACTED BY THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC TO EARN INCOME, SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY AND GAIN SKILLS THAT CAN LEAD TO STRONG NEW CAREERS IN CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY FIELDS.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP, UH, ALL, ALL PARTS OF THAT DEFINITION IN MIND.
IT, THIS PROGRAM BOTH GIVES PEOPLE DIRECT INCOME IMMEDIATELY, UH, IN MOST CASES AND ALSO TRAINING.
SO, SO IT SERVES A REALLY GREAT DUAL PURPOSE.
I THINK THAT IT'S NOT JUST A TRAINING PROGRAM THAT YOU HOPE YOU GET A JOB AFTERWARDS, AND IT'S NOT JUST A WORK PROGRAM TO GIVE YOU INCOME.
NOW THAT THAT KIND OF LEAVES YOU AT THE END OF YOUR TIME.
SO IT FOCUSES ON, WELL, LET'S SAY WE'VE FOCUSED IT ON KIND OF GREEN JOBS WRIT LARGE.
IT DOES HAVE, UH, SOME DEFINITE FOCUS ON MORE CONSERVATION OUTDOOR RELATED WORK.
UH, THAT'S WHAT IT WAS FRAMED AT IN THE RESOLUTION.
UH, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO BE INCLUSIVE OF ALL TYPES OF GREEN JOBS AND GREEN SKILLS.
IT'S IN SPIRIT AFTER THE 1930S CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS PROGRAM THAT HELPS, UM, UH, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, MILLIONS ACTUALLY, UH, EARN INCOME AND, AND GET BACK TO WORK DURING THE DEPRESSION, WE'VE TAKEN A STRONG STANCE.
SO WE WANT TO FOCUS ON EQUITABLE ACCESS AND LOW BARRIER PROGRAMS. AND WITHIN THE CONSERVATION GORE THAT ALSO PROVIDES SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, AS PEOPLE ARE ENROLLED IN THEM, AS WELL AS PATHWAYS TO ADDITIONAL JOBS OR CAREER TRAINING.
CURRENTLY IT'S RUN BY A PROGRAM TEAM, UH, INCLUDING ME WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM EIGHT DEPARTMENTS, UM, COORDINATING THE PROGRAM I'M IN THE INNOVATION OFFICE.
UH, AND WE ALSO HAVE, UM, LOTS OF GREAT WORK BY OUR SUSTAINABILITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PARD, UM, WATERSHED, EDD, UH, ARR CBIO AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND AREA IS THE, IS THE EXECUTIVE SPONSOR ON THIS, THE RESOLUTION? WELL, THE BUDGET OFFICE AFTER THE RESOLUTION, I SHOULD SAY THE RESOLUTION FRAME, THOSE TO USE CARES, ACT MONEY.
THE BUDGET OFFICE DECIDED THAT, UH, WE SHOULDN'T, AND INSTEAD IT GAVE US $500,000 FROM GENERAL FUND RESERVES AND AUTHORIZED US TO SEEK UP TO $2 MILLION FROM DEPARTMENTS, WHICH MEANS WE WENT TO GO, GOT TO GO ASK PEOPLE FOR, TO GIVE US MONEY, WHICH IS ALWAYS FINE.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE, SO WHERE WE'RE AT NOW, AND YOU CAN THE NEXT ONE.
SO CURRENT PROGRAMS AND FUNDING, UH, THIS IS A SUMMARY, UM, BUT WE HAVE A HUNDRED POSITIONS, 11 PROGRAMS, UH, WE HAVE, UH, HAD ALLOCATED OR COMMITTED, UH, ABOUT 2.8 MILLION.
UM, AND THE TWO YEARS IS THAT MANY OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE A FEW OF THESE PROGRAMS, AT LEAST NOW HAVE, UH, HAVE HAD COMMITMENTS TO EXTEND IT TO THEIR SECOND YEAR.
UH, WE'VE WE'VE BROKEN IT DOWN INTO THESE FIVE, FIVE AREAS.
NOW, PARKS RESERVES IN WILDFIRE.
MOSTLY PEOPLE IN CREW FORMATS GOING OUT TO WORK, UH, IN GREEN SPACES AND, UH, WILDFIRE FUELS, MITIGATION, GREEN BUILDING AND SOLAR, UH, IS A AS A TRAINING PROGRAM.
AND IN THAT FIELD, UH, CULTURAL ARTS HAS BEEN MOSTLY PUBLIC ARTS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE MURAL, THE NEW MURALS AT LAMAR AND FIS, UH, WERE A BUR UH, PROJECT THAT WE SUPPORTED.
THE GREEN PATHWAYS PROGRAM, I THINK IS REALLY EXCITING.
WE MADE UP THAT NAME, BUT BASICALLY WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT THERE ARE NOW A FEW, UH, TEMPORARY POSITIONS IN THE CITY.
WE'RE HOPING TO GET SOME FULL-TIME POSITIONS AS WELL, THAT HAVE, UH, LISTED AS A PREFERRED QUALIFICATION, UH, PARTICIPATION AND CERTAIN, UH, I'LL SEND CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS PROGRAM OUTCOMES.
SO THAT MEANS THAT PEOPLE THAT PARTICIPATE IN, IN A TRIPLE C PROGRAMS ARE NOW MORE QUALIFIED FOR THEIR NEXT STEP IN CITY JOBS.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY CREATING THIS PIPELINE, UM, TO BOTH WORK WITH AND FOR THE CITY AS WE GO, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY EXCITING.
AND COMMUNITY CO-CREATION IS THE LAST ONE.
IT'S A LITTLE, UH, A LITTLE DIFFERENT, IT'S NOT A DIRECT JOBS PROGRAM, BUT, UH, THE WE'VE ARRIVED AT THESE PROGRAMS SO FAR IS WE BASICALLY WENT TO DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY QUICK THING.
AND HOW QUICK, HOW FAST COULD WE, CAN WE GET HELP TO PEOPLE WHO WENT TO DEPARTMENTS AND BASICALLY ASKED WHAT THEIR NEEDS WERE, RIGHT.
[01:50:01]
WHAT DO YOU NEED CLEAR IN YOUR BACKLOG? WHERE CAN YOU SUPPORT? WHERE CAN YOU PUT SOME MONEY BEHIND? I HAVE NO IDEA IF THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY WANT TO DO OR NEED TO DO, UH, OR IF IT'S WHAT, UH, THE COMMUNITIES WANT TO SEE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, OR HOW WE WANT TO DRIVE, UM, THIS PROGRAM GOING FORWARD.SO WHAT THE COMMUNITY CODE CREATION IS DOING IS WORKING WITH, UH, TWO COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, WANT TO CALL IT, MEASURE WITH THE OTHER, WITH BUILD WITH HUMANITY.
AND IT'S DOING A DEEP LOOP EXPERIENCE, RESEARCH SURVEYS, FOCUS GROUPS, UH, TO FIND OUT WHAT PEOPLE'S NEEDS, DESIRES AND BARRIERS ARE AROUND WORKING IN GREEN JOBS FIELDS, UM, WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND HOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PROGRAM LIKE THIS, SERVE THEM.
UH, IT'S FOCUSING ON HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, UH, WHICH IS THE GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN MOST IMPACTED BY COVID AND ARE MOST IMPACTED, UM, BY, BY CLIMATE AND MANY OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES AND WHO REALLY, UM, TAILORING AND ONE AFFIRMATIVELY MARKETING AND DID ALL OF THIS PROGRAM WITH, AND FOR A, YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS ALONG THE BOTTOM THERE, UM, AS WELL AS THE FUNDING LEVELS FOR EACH, UH, PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO CALL OUT SO FAR, ALMOST ALL OF THE PROGRAMS WE'VE DONE HAVE BEEN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A NONPROFIT OR NONPROFITS.
UH, THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY SUCCESSFUL MODEL FOR US BECAUSE MANY OF THEM ARE ABLE TO, FOR INSTANCE, STAND UP AND MANAGE WORK CREWS MUCH FASTER AND MUCH CHEAPER THAN WE WILL BE ABLE TO DO INTERNALLY.
UH, AND ALSO DEFINITELY MUCH CHEAPER THAN, THAN USING A PRIVATE CONTRACTOR TO DO THIS TYPE OF WORK.
THEY'RE ALSO ABLE TO PROVIDE THE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES WORK WITH HONORABLE POPULATIONS.
AND OVERALL IT'S BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE.
I THINK IN THE FUTURE, WE COULD HAVE MORE CITY LED PROGRAMS, BUT RIGHT NOW, AS PARTNERSHIP MODELS WORKED OUT GREAT.
SO I WANTED TO THROW THIS IN HERE BECAUSE I'LL, I'LL, I'LL TAG BACK TO IT HERE IN A BIT.
SO AS I MENTIONED, WE'VE ASKED DEPARTMENT, WE WENT IN AND ASKED THE DEPARTMENTS, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY WHAT CAN WE DO NOW? WHY CAN WE PARTNER WITH YOU ON, YOU KNOW, THIS MOMENT? WHAT CAN, WHAT CAN WE GET YOU TO STRETCH ON A LITTLE BIT? UH, BUT WE ALSO FOUND MANY PROGRAMS AS WE'VE GONE BECAUSE WE'VE, WE'VE HAD, UH, THE, THE ABILITY, UM, AND THE, THE GOOD LUCK TO TALK TO.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WE'VE IDENTIFIED MANY PROGRAMS THAT WE COULD DO, AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS NOW, UM, THAT BASICALLY NEED TO RESOURCED.
AND IF THEY WERE A RESOURCE WE COULD GET GOING ON THEM.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S, UH, IT'S ABOUT $5 MILLION, UM, WITH MANY PARTNER DEPARTMENTS, UH, YOU KNOW, NEARLY 300 PARTICIPANTS, UM, THROUGH THESE, UH, IN ALL TYPES OF DIFFERENT FOCUS AREAS.
AND MANY OF THEM WOULD ALSO INVOLVE SOME CITY POSITIONS, UH, WHICH IS ONE OF THE BARRIERS FOR GETTING THEM OFF THE GROUND, UH, TO HELP RUN THOSE PROGRAMS. SO, UH, WE CAN COME BACK TO THIS AND ASK YOU TO JUST KIND OF KEEP IT IN YOUR MIND.
UM, WHILE WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT, UH, THESE, THESE GREAT PARTNERS THAT WE'VE HAD.
UM, THIS WOULD ALSO BE SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LOVE FEEDBACK ON OF WHO ELSE WE SHOULD BE WORKING WITH.
THIS IS ALSO SOMETHING WE'RE WORKING WITH THOSE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DOING THAT, LIKE EXPERIENCE RESEARCH.
SO IDENTIFY MORE PARTNERS, AMERICAN YOUTH WORKS HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN AMAZING TO WORK WITH.
UM, I'M SURE YOU'RE ALL AWARE OF IT, BUT THEY HAVE A REALLY STRONG PROGRAM.
UH, THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH GABA, WE'VE GOT A CREW SPECIFICALLY IN THE DOVE SPRINGS, LOWER AND CREEK AREA, UM, THAT, THAT GOD HAS BEEN HELPING RECRUIT AND SUPPORT, UH, THE CARPENTER'S UNION, UH, TO THE GREEN BUILDING, BUILDING AND SOLAR INSTALLATION TRAINING PROGRAM.
THEY PARTNERED WITH MOBILE LOAVES AND FISHES, WHICH RUNS COMMUNITY FIRST VILLAGE, UH, TO DO SOME PRACTICAL BUILDING FOR THEIR STUDENTS OUT THERE.
WE WERE HAPPY TO, TO HELP FORM THAT PARTNERSHIP, UH, CREATIVE ACTION AND RAISING IN THE SUN ARE DOING MOST OF THE PUBLIC ARTS PROGRAMS. AND THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION ALSO HAS A CREW THAT'S WORKING PRIMARILY WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION ON, UM, INVASIVES, CLEANUP, AND LITTER, AND THEY'RE DOING SOME FOCUS DOWNTOWN, UM, AS WELL AS IN THE PARKS AREAS.
YOU GO THE NEXT LINE, AS FAR AS OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT GOES.
UH, WE DO HAVE SOME COMMUNICATION AND WEB PRESENCE.
UM, I W WE HAVE AN, WE HAVE AN AWESOME PARTNERSHIP WITH THE, UM, TEAM AND CPIO, UH, THAT HELP US PUT TOGETHER A LOT OF STUFF.
ALSO, UH, VERY MUCH, UH, REALIZING KNOWLEDGE THAT THE CITY IS NOT THE GREATEST SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
[01:55:01]
AND WE'VE INTENTIONALLY BEEN RELYING ON MANY OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO HELP US, UH, GET INFORMATION OUT, UH, TO RECRUIT, UM, AND, UH, TO CARRY OUT VERY LOW, THEIR OWN LOW BARRIER APPLICATION PROCESSES AND PARTICIPANTS SELECTIONS, UM, SO THAT WE CAN, WE CAN EXTEND OUR REACH, FRANKLY, BEYOND THE, THE CITY'S CHANNELS, UM, BECAUSE, BECAUSE OUR PARTNER CHANNELS ARE STRONGER.UH, SO IT'S A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH.
AND AGAIN, IT'S WORKED VERY WELL.
UH, WE DO HAVE, UM, A SHARED DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING METRICS THAT ALL THE PARTNERS USE.
AND THAT'S HELPED US TO GET A, A KIND OF A COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF HOW THESE PROGRAMS ARE WORKING.
NOT, UH, I DO THINK IT'S, UH, I'D LIKE TO MENTION HERE THAT, UH, WE DO TRY AND KEEP THIS EXTREMELY LOW BARRIER, UM, FROM THE, THE TOP LEVEL OF THE ATRIAL.
SEE, UH, THE ONLY THING WE REQUIRE IS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN ECONOMICALLY EFFECTED BY THE COVID PANDEMIC.
AND THAT IS BASICALLY WHAT WE ASK, UH, DO NOT CARE TO SEE BANK STATEMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE.
UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO JOIN THESE PROGRAMS AND, AND YOU WRITE THAT STATEMENT, THEN YOU CAN GO ON FROM THERE.
MANY OF THE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS, UM, THAT, THAT THEY GO AFTER, BUT WE, WE SELECT ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, UH, IN PART BASED ON THEIR ABILITY TO HAVE VERY LOW BARRIER TO ENTRY AND VARIOUS SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF POPULATIONS.
SO THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE ARE NOW, AS FAR AS WHAT'S NEXT, WE'RE CONTINUING TO BUILD THIS ATRIAL CE PROGRAM.
WE'RE STARTING TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO HAVE STARTED AS A PANDEMIC RESPONSE PROGRAM, UH, GROW INTO WHAT CAN HOPEFULLY BE A VERY BROAD ORIGINALLY COLLABORATIVE AND NATIONAL MODEL, UM, FOR, FOR EQUITABLE GREEN JOBS DEVELOPMENT, UH, IN A RAPIDLY GROWING CITY.
UH, SO I'VE MENTIONED AGAIN, WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB, UM, WITH IDENTIFYING PROGRAM OPPORTUNITIES FROM DEPARTMENTS.
NOW, WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS TO THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WE'RE DOING THAT KIND OF IN THREE PRONGS, THE COMMUNITY CO-CREATION PROCESS, WHICH I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE ARE WORKING TO GET A GREEN JOBS, ECONOMIC ANALYSIS DONE, UH, WITH, UH, POTENTIALLY WITH UT WE'RE IN TALKS WITH THEM.
NOW, WE, FRANKLY DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THE GREEN JOB LANDSCAPE LOOKS LIKE IN AUSTIN, UM, AND WHAT THE FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES ARE.
THE SECOND OMIC ANALYSIS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE ARE VERY BROAD AND MOST GREEN JOB ECONOMIC ANALYSIS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE, JUST PULL EXISTS IN JOB CODES.
UM, AND, AND HAVEN'T TAKEN A REALLY CREATIVE OR UPDATED VIEW ON, UH, DIFFERENT TYPES OF JOBS THAT COULD BE GREEN IF THEY WERE APPLIED IN A DIFFERENT WAY, OR HAD A DIFFERENT SKILLSETS, UM, OR AS WELL AS GREEN SKILLS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT ADVANCING THE METHODOLOGY THERE, AS WELL AS GETTING A BETTER SNAPSHOT IN AUSTIN.
WE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE A LOT OF PROGRAMS THAT WE FIND A NEED FOR THAT DON'T USE THIS YET.
UH, AND THAT'S NOT TYPICALLY THE BREAD AND BUTTER OF, OF DEPARTMENTS IS DEVELOPING NEW COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. UM, AND MANY, MANY COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT WOULD DO SO WOULD NEED, UH, SUPPORT AND SPACE TO DO IT.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE INPATIENT OFFICE HAS DONE IN THE PAST WITH SOME SUCCESS, UH, AND THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO HERE IS CREATE A GREEN JOBS, INCUBATOR ACCELERATOR TYPE PROGRAM TO HELP DEVELOP THESE NEW PROGRAMS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND DEPARTMENTS, SO THAT THEY COULD GET OFF THE GROUND, GET GOING, FIND OUT WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T, AND THEN HOPEFULLY GROW INTO A PLACE WHERE THEY COULD, THEY PARTNER WITH DEPARTMENTS GOING FORWARD OR DIRECTLY WITH A TRIPLE C, UH, WE'RE WORKING TO OBTAIN FUNDING COMMITMENTS FROM DEPARTMENTS FOR A LOT OF THESE PROGRAMS THAT WERE STARTED, UH, INTO NEXT YEAR AND BEYOND, UH, AS WELL AS GET AN AGILE BUZZER ALLOCATION THAT'S FOR THE, FOR THE TRIPLE C ITSELF, UH, THAT'S OUTSIDE, UH, EMERGENCY CODE FUNDING.
UH, IT DOES LOOK LIKE, UH, OR, OR AT LEAST THERE, THERE HAVE BEEN STRONG RECOMMENDATIONS ON A LOT OF SIDES, UH, TO GET MORE FUNDING FOR THIS, UM, SUBSTANTIALLY MORE FUNDING FOR THIS, THROUGH THE RECOVERY BILL THAT JUST PASSED.
UM, WE'LL SEE YOU WHAT, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S ONGOING DISCUSSIONS RIGHT NOW WITHIN COUNCIL, UM, AND, AND STAFF PUTTING TOGETHER THE SPENDING FRAMEWORK FOR THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, ESPECIALLY WHO IS THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR OF THIS RESOLUTION.
I WAS IN FAVOR OF EXPANDING IT MORE.
UM, AND MANY PEOPLE IN THE CITY ARE AS WELL.
IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN ECONOMICALLY EFFECTIVE.
UH, IT'S BEEN EFFECTIVE AS A RELIEF PROGRAM.
UM, AND FRANKLY, AS YOU GUYS CAN PROBABLY SEE IT ACROSS CUTS A LOT OF THINGS AND, AND HELPS US ACHIEVE A LOT OF GOALS.
UM, WE CAN GO A LOT OF PLACES WITH THAT.
SO I'M CONFIDENT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, UH, AN, A TRIPLE C PROGRAM GOING FORWARD, UM, AND, AND KIND OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, WHERE IT SITS, UM, AND HOW MUCH MONEY IT HAS,
[02:00:01]
UH, IS TO BE DETERMINED, BUT I'M CONFIDENT WE'LL HAVE THOSE ANSWERS SOON.UH, WE'LL ALSO CONTINUE TO USE DATA, UM, FROM THE INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS, UM, THE USER RESEARCH, WE'RE DOING THE ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, ET CETERA, TO ADOPT THE PROGRAM.
I DON'T WANT TO SET IT AND FORGET IT FOR FIVE YEARS.
THIS THIS'LL BE A VERY ACTIVE PROCESS AS WE GO.
SO IN THE, IN THE FAR FUTURE, THE LONG-TERM GOALS, UM, REITERATING, ESTABLISH THE HLC AS A PERMANENT CROSS, THE MINIMUM APARTMENT PROGRAM WITH BUDGET.
UM, IT MAY SIT WITHIN AN EXISTING DEPARTMENT OR OFFICE AND MAYBE ITS OWN THING.
UH, BUT HAVING STAFF AND BUDGET TO SUPPORT IT, I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
UM, AND I THINK WE CAN DO A LOT OF GREAT STUFF WITH IT.
I WOULD LOVE TO EVOLVE IT INTO A COMMUNITY DRIVEN PROGRAM WHERE RESIDENTS INFORMED THE DIRECTION AND STRUCTURE.
UH, JUST AS MUCH AS THE CITY DOES.
I WANT TO CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH ADDITIONAL GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS OUTSIDE OF THE ORGANIZATION, UH, EXPANDING TO, TO NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS, UM, AND OTHERS, AS WELL AS BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS, AGAIN, THAT THAT'S REALLY, WHAT'S DRIVEN THE CONSERVATION CORPS SO FAR, AND I WANT TO KEEP GOING WITH IT.
UH, I WANT TO, AND I, I, WE WILL EXPAND HER ORIGINAL APPROACH, UM, IN LINE WITH SEVERAL SIMILAR STATE AND FEDERAL INITIATIVES, MUCH OF THE RELIEF MONEY THAT'S COMING DOWN NOW.
UH, YOU KNOW, TRAVIS COUNTY IS GETTING ME MORE THAN WEED.
WE HAVE, UM, WE CAN WORK TOGETHER WITH THEM.
WE'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATION, UH, ON THE STATE LEVEL, UH, WITH WHAT WE MIGHT DO THERE.
AND OF COURSE, UH, WE HAVE, UM, THE SPENDING BILL THAT WAS JUST PASSED ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
THEY HAVE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE CLIMATE CORP, UM, THERE'S EPA GRANTS COMING DOWN AND THEY HAVE AN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL THAT BILLS PROBABLY THAT ARE FORTHCOMING AND WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY INCLUDE THINGS LIKE THIS.
SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE TO BE POISED, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE AND ALIGN WITH THOSE, UM, AND FRANKLY HELP DRIVE THOSE WHERE WE CAN.
AND ON THAT LINE, WE'D HELP LOVE TO HELP OTHERS REPLICATE OUR MODEL.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET GOING FAST, UM, KEEPING EQUITY AT OUR CORE AND SET UP AN EXAMPLE HERE SO THAT WHEN HOPEFULLY MORE OF THESE PROGRAMS COME ONLINE THROUGH THE CURRENT FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION, WE CAN, WE CAN SHOW A MODEL, SET AN EXAMPLE, AND HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE VALUES ARE INCLUDED.
I KNOW I'M CONSCIOUS OF OUR TIME HERE.
UH, SO I, I'M ALSO HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS, UM, UH, VIA EMAIL OR AT ANY OTHER TIME, BUT I'M HERE FOR YOU NOW.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR GREAT PRESENTATION.
IT'S JUST FANTASTIC TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT ALL OF YOU ALL ARE DOING OVER AT THE OFFICE OF INNOVATION.
IT'S REALLY, REALLY GREAT WORK.
UM, I DIDN'T HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT A GAP THAT WE HEARD ABOUT IN OUR FORMER PRESENTATION WITH REGARDS TO CONDUCTING A CITY-WIDE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS CAMPAIGN, UM, TO THE 2019 RESOLUTION RESPONSE.
UM, MARK, WHO IS SPEAKING WITH US SAID THAT THERE WAS NO FUNDING ALLOCATED FOR THAT.
UM, AND THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO PUSH THAT FORWARD.
SO I WAS REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT IN YOUR PLAN AND WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING.
IT LOOKED LIKE ALLOCATED FOR, UM, EMERGENCY AND CLIMATE PREPAREDNESS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY, REALLY, REALLY NEEDED.
AND, UM, AND THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY WORK THAT I'M A PART OF, WE'VE ALSO DISCUSSED THE REAL IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A COMPREHENSIVE DIGITAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGY AND, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES.
SO WE'RE ALL PREPARED AND READY TO ACT WHEN THERE'S EMERGENCIES.
SO, UM, I'M MORE SO JUST WANTED TO VALIDATE THAT REALLY GLAD YOU, WHAT YOU HAVE IN THERE, AND WE NEED MORE OF THAT.
AND ALSO VERY IMPORTANT, UM, THAT W THAT, THAT PROGRAM, AT LEAST AS IT'S PITCHED NOW, I THINK IT, I THINK IT COULD ALSO DOVETAIL WITH THE CLIMATE AMBASSADORS THAT THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE HAS DONE A GREAT JOB ESTABLISHING.
UH, BUT, BUT THAT PROGRAM NOW I THINK IS REALLY INTERESTING.
IT IS, UH, THE PITCH IS ESSENTIALLY TO, TO TRAIN COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND COMMUNICATIONS AND, UH, ACTUALLY PAY THEM A STIPEND, UM, TO BE, UH, AVAILABLE FOR WHEN, UM, WHEN THOSE SITUATIONS MAY OCCUR.
SO IT'S, IT'S ESSENTIALLY ALIGNING WITH, UM, AND REALLY LEVERAGING THE AMAZING COMMUNITY RESPONSES WE SAW, UM, IN, IN THE WINTER STORM RECENTLY, UH, AS WELL AS, AS ACKNOWLEDGING SOME OF THE CITY'S SHORTCOMINGS, UM, SO THAT WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT DISPERSED NETWORK, UH, AND, AND HAVE THOSE TYPES OF RESPONSES AS COMMUNICATION.
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE WHERE THAT ONE GOES AND, UH, I'M HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THOSE TYPE
[02:05:01]
OF, OF INITIATIVES, WHETHER IT'S THAT OR OTHERS, UH, THROUGH THIS, THROUGH THE I TRIPLE C.OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAD ONE I'M WONDERING, UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU.
I'M SO GLAD THAT THIS HAS, UH, JUST KIND OF TAKEN OFF THE WAY IT HAS AND THAT IT'S CONTINUING, UM, I'M WONDERING WHAT THE PROCESS WAS FOR, UH, ESTABLISHING THOSE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND WHAT THE PLAN IS FOR HOW YOU BRING IN ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY PARTNERS AS YOU TRY TO RAMP UP.
AND, AND THOSE, THOSE TWO PARTS OF YOUR QUESTION IS EXACTLY HOW, HOW I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IT.
SO TO ESTABLISH THE INITIAL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, WE FRANKLY HAD TO DO A PRETTY QUICK ASSESSMENT OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK IN THIS SPACE IN THE WAY THAT WE WANTED.
SO WITH, WITH AN EQUITY AND SUPPORTIVE FOCUS AND THAT THAT FRANKLY COULD MANAGE, UM, WORK A WORK PROGRAM, RIGHT? SO SOME CAN YOU RECRUIT AND HIRE PEOPLE, CAN YOU MANAGE THEM? CAN YOU DO PAYROLL? CAN YOU DO THINGS LIKE THAT? UH, WHICH, WHICH KIND OF CUTS DOWN YOUR OPTIONS, BUT LUCKILY THE OPTIONS WE HAD ARE REALLY GOOD.
SO, SO THOSE ARE THE ONES WE WORK WITH NOW.
UH, ALSO ONES THAT IT WORKED WITH THE CITY BEFORE ALLOWED US TO MOVE REALLY FAST WITH CONTRACTING, I'D SAY FAST, YOU GUYS GET IT FAST DISH FOR THE CITY.
UH, IN THE FUTURE THOUGH, I'M REALLY, I'M REALLY DEVOTED TO EXPANDING THAT GROUP, UM, AND BUILDING CAPACITY WITHIN ORGANIZATIONS, WITHIN BUSINESSES WITH, WITHIN, UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN, EVEN NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS, ET CETERA, TO, TO WORK WITH AND SUPPORT PROGRAMS LIKE THIS.
UH, WE'LL RELY A LOT ON OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND RESEARCH TO FIND OUT WHO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS ARE AND WHO WE SHOULD BE WORKING WITH.
AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, GROUPS LIKE THIS.
LIKE I, YOU, YOU KNOW, WHO WE SHOULD BE TALKING WITH.
UM, AND I WOULD, I WOULD LOVE TO EXPAND THAT LIST.
UM, ARE, YOU KNOW, I REALLY DON'T SEE MUCH OF A LIMIT TO THIS, SO, SO HAPPY TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK THERE.
THANKS FOR, THANKS FOR SUCH A GOOD ENERGY PRESENTATION.
UH, YOU, THESE MEETING OVER ZOOM USUALLY DOESN'T GIVE ENOUGH POSITIVE ENERGY.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION YOU GIVE.
UM, AND I JUST WANT TO GIVE A QUICK SHOUT OUTS INTO YOUR PRESENTATION.
REMIND ME OF THE AUSTIN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THAT THE CITY HAS.
UM, I WAS IN LEADERSHIP, AUSTIN ESSENTIAL, AND I KNOW THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD, UH, GATEWAY FOR US TO GET YOUNG PEOPLE TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, AND I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD, UM, GOOD WAY TO BRING IN FOLKS TO QUALITY FOLKS THROUGH THE CITY.
UM, NOW ON, ON THE TOPIC THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED, I'M GLAD THAT Y'ALL TAPPING INTO THE COMMUNITY AMBASSADOR PROGRAM AND REALLY, I DON'T KNOW, BUILD THE GREEN ECOSYSTEM OF, OF, OF ECONOMICS AROUND, UH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, UH, CLIMATE RELATED, UH, STAFF.
UH, IT, CAN YOU, UM, CAN YOU EDUCATE ME A LITTLE BIT IN TERMS OF OBVIOUSLY COVID ARE NOT PERMANENT, RIGHT.
LET'S ALL HOPE THAT IS NOT, YOU KNOW, GONNA BE TEMPORARY VERY SOON IS THERE LONG-TERM PLAN AND I'M HOPING THE ANSWER IS YES TO BASICALLY CONTINUE TO EVOLVE THIS PROGRAM WELL BEYOND THE COVID, UH, OR REGIONAL CONTACT.
UH, AND, AND, AND HOW CAN THAT BE, UH, HOW, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THESE KINDS OF THINGS ARE, UH, FOR, FOR A VERY LONG TIME AGO TO COMMENT AND REALLY EMBEDDED INTO OUR FABRIC OF HOW WE ENGAGE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHILE CREATING JOBS, WHILE CREATING THIS VERY POSITIVE IMPACT, UH, FEEDBACK LOOP.
UH, SO YEAH, JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST WANT TO THROW IT OUT THERE FOR YOU.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING WITH NOW.
YOU KNOW, I REALLY SEE US IN A PERIOD OF, OF TRANSITION BETWEEN DOING PANDEMIC RESPONSE AND CREATING THIS AS, AS WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE NOW? THE PANDEMIC'S OVER, UM, WE ARE ACTIVELY, I LIKE EVERY DAY I'M TALKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, WE WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE THAT THIS PROGRAM, UH, IS BASICALLY THE WC MANAGERS PROGRAM.
RIGHT? SO IT WASN'T, YOU KNOW, GIVEN TO EDD WHO GAVE IT TO SOMEBODY WHO GAVE IT TO SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, IT'S
[02:10:01]
HERS.SO WE HAVE A PRETTY DIRECT LINE SHE'S BEEN ABLE TO WATCH IT, UH, AND, AND SEE THE SUCCESSES THEY CREATED.
SO LUCKILY WE'RE, WE'RE PRETTY NEAR THE TOP OF BEING ABLE TO, UM, HOPEFULLY NEGOTIATE THIS INTO JUST BEING A PERMANENT PROGRAM.
LIKE IT'S, THERE'S JUST A CONSERVATION OR PROGRAM FROM, FROM HERE ON OUT.
AND YEAH, IT STARTED AS A PANDEMIC RESPONSE PROGRAM, BUT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY STAY THAT WAY.
UH, I THINK IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING, UM, A SIGNIFICANT ALLOCATION FROM THE, THE, UH, THE, THE MOST RECENT, UM, SPENDING BILL, UH, AS WELL AS POTENTIALLY THE INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING BILL, UH, WE WERE ALREADY IN THE, IN THE INITIAL FRAMEWORK THAT, UH, STAFF SUGGESTED THAT COUNCIL ASKED FOR A LITTLE MORE WORK ON IN THE LAST WORK SUIT, UH, SESSION.
WE WERE THE BIGGEST ALLOCATED WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
UM, SO, SO, UH, THERE'S A, THERE'S A STRONG INTEREST IN IT.
I'LL ALSO SAY THAT THINGS CHANGE ALL THE TIME AND WHO KNOWS.
UH, BUT I THINK WE'RE RIDING ALONG THERE AND ALIGNING WITH THINGS LIKE THE CLIMATE PLAN.
I MEAN, Y'ALL HAVE, UH, A GREEN JOBS PROGRAM IN THERE.
HERE IT IS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MORE WE CAN ALIGN WITH THAT, THE MORE WE CAN ALIGN WITH STDS TWENTY-THREE IMAGINE AUSTIN, ET CETERA.
UH, I THINK THE STRONGER CHANCE WE HAVE, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO CONCENTRATE ON THOSE THINGS AS WE GO FORWARD.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR DANIEL? ALL RIGHT.
HOW ABOUT, HOW ABOUT A LITTLE ROUND OF APPLAUSE? CAUSE, UM, AWESOME WORK.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU COMING HERE, ANYTHING, SORRY, WE KEPT YOU WAITING A LITTLE BIT, UM, REALLY APPRECIATE HEARING FROM YOU ANYTIME.
LET'S, UH, MOVE ON DOWN OUR AGENDA, UM, TO
[2d) Budget Discussion (Discussion and/or possible action) ]
BUDGET DISCUSSION, UM, AS EVERYONE MAY RECALL, I BELIEVE THE DEADLINE IS APRIL 9TH, I THINK FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO MAKE, UH, BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.UM, OBVIOUSLY WE CAN MAKE ADDITIONAL, MORE DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS AS THE PROCESS GOES ON, BUT THESE ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WILL KIND OF FLOW INTO THE PROCESS WITH ALL OF THE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
SO, UM, I GUESS FIRST OF ALL, IS ZACH, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO PRESENT TO US IN TERMS OF, AND I SEE THAT LUCCI IS HERE WITH US.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S HERE PERHAPS TO, TO DO THIS TISSUE OR ANYTHING ABOUT THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE BUDGET.
NO, I DIDN'T HAPPEN TO THINK TO PRESENT ABOUT THAT.
WELL THEN LET'S TURN BACK TO THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE GOT, I GUESS, IN THE, IN THESE, UH, DISCUSSIONS AND BRIEFINGS, UH, TONIGHT, AS WELL AS ANYTHING FROM LAST MONTH THAT ANYBODY MIGHT WANT TO PULL IN, WHAT IS, WHAT IS RISING TO THE TOP THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IS, UM, FLAGGED AS A BUDGET PRIORITY FOR THIS.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF LISTS HERE AND ONE FROM, FROM ZACH IN TERMS OF THE WHAT'S IN THE CLIMATE PLAN THAT I THINK WE CAN DRAW FROM, AND THEN ALSO THIS LIST OF, UH, RESILIENCE, UH, EFFORTS, SOME OF WHICH ARE ONGOING AND SOME OF WHICH ARE NOT.
YEAH, I GUESS HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT US TO PULL IN SPECIFIC LANGUAGE VERSUS REFER TO THOSE TWO PRESENTATIONS? I WOULD SAY, UH, LET'S, LET'S, UH, TRY TO TRY TO KEEP IT, UM, AS, AS SIMPLE AS WE CAN, SINCE WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING THIS ON THE FLY, BUT WITH ENOUGH DETAIL THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S CLEAR WHAT OUR, WHAT OUR GOAL IS.
I THINK WE CAN REFER TO THESE, UM, ITEMS AND THEN WHOEVER IT IS WHO'S, UM, YOU KNOW, BRINGING UP AN ITEM, WE CAN PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, GET THE, GET THE WORDS IN THE RIGHT ORDER, UM, LATER, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE BULLET POINTS ARE AND, AND, AND PUT THAT TOGETHER.
AND THIS IS FOR OUR COMMISSION'S BUDGET RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL,
[02:15:01]
CORRECT.ONE THING ON MY MIND, UM, THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE TOP PRIORITY, BUT ONE THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED IS, UM, HAVING A BUDGET FOR, YOU KNOW, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS BASICS FOR WINTER STORMS. SO LIKE SALT, SOME SORT OF, YOU KNOW, PLOWS, EVEN IF THEY'RE PLOW ATTACHMENTS.
UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT ON THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION TOO.
SO DOUBLING DOWN ON THAT FOR A SPECIFIC BUDGET RECOMMENDATION, WE'LL BEGIN THERE.
I LIKE IT AND MAKE THEM OUT HERE.
I THINK THAT, UM, FUNDING ANY KIND OF THE, THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT HIGH-IMPACT EQUITY GOALS IN ZACH'S, UH, PRESENTATION MAKES SENSE.
UM, BUT I ALSO THINK, UM, THIS IS NOT, I WAS GONNA CATCH YOU ALL UP ON THIS AT THE VERY END, BUT THERE'S SOME CONVERSATIONS STARTING TO HAPPEN WITH ALL THE SERRANO, THE CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER AROUND TRYING TO RAISE SOME MONEY TO PAY FOR THE ACTUAL PROCESS, THE PLAN PROCESS FOR RESILIENT AUSTIN.
UH, AND I THINK THAT THERE IS AN IDEA THAT, UM, WE WOULD POTENTIALLY BE ABLE TO FUND THAT WITH EXTERNAL FUNDS, AT LEAST IN PART, BUT THAT WE WOULD CERTAINLY REQUIRE SOME SORT OF SKIN IN THE GAME, ON THE PART OF THE CITY.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LANGUAGE LOOKS LIKE, BUT I, YOU KNOW, I THINK SOME SORT OF CITY MATCH TO HELP NEGOTIATE IN FUNDRAISING FOR, YOU KNOW, KICKING OFF RESILIENT AUSTIN.
SO I HAVE TWO ITEMS THERE FROM YOU, KATIE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT WITH AN EQUITY FOCUS AND FUNDING FOR RESILIENT AUSTIN PLANNING.
UH, THIS IS DESIRE, UM, PULLING FROM, UH, ZACK'S PRESENTATION, UH, BUDGET FOR THE FIRST ITEM IN THE SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, UM, STRATEGY, FULL COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY, POVERTY, MITIGATION STRATEGY.
UM, GREAT FOR NOW I'M JUST DOING SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, GO ONE STRATEGY ONE, BUT WE CAN COME BACK TO IT.
UM, SINCE I'M NOT, UM, I'M TAPING AND GRABBING THINGS FROM THESE OTHER DOCUMENTS, SO I CAN'T ALSO SEE YOU ALL.
SO FEEL FREE TO JUST, UM, SPEAK UP IF YOU'RE RAISING YOUR HAND.
UH, THIS IS NOT, NOT, NOT, UH, NOT A SUGGESTION FOR THE LIST, BUT MORE LIKE AN FYI.
UM, SINCE I HAVEN'T HAD A MEETING WITH AUSTIN WATER COMMISSION SINCE THE, UM, UH, THE, THE FREEZE PART OF THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IN MY OPINION, UH, IS, IS RELATED TO SOME OF THE FORWARD PLANNING OF, UM, EQUIPMENT AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD IT, YOU KNOW, SEEN IN THE NEWS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE SWITCH BETWEEN BACKUP POWERS VERSUS AUSTIN ENERGY, POWER, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE OLDER EQUIPMENT THAT, UH, HARDER TO OPERATE IN.
AND THEN THERE ARE CERTAIN VALVES THAT HAS TO BE REPLACED.
YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE WAS A PLAN FOR ALL OF THOSE, UH, BUT OBVIOUSLY THESE, UH, CLIMATE CHANGE GOING TO ACCELERATE THE REPLACEMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF THOSE.
UM, SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS APPROPRIATE TO DISCUSS AT THIS COMMITTEE, BUT I THINK THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT AS THE WATER WASTEWATER COMMISSION, UH, SEEK THIS NEXT BUDGET CYCLE, THAT'S GOING TO BE THINGS THAT WE LOOK FOR IN TERMS OF COMPREHENSIVELY PLAN FORWARD.
UH, SO THAT JUST MORE SOMETHING THAT I THINK WAS TOPICAL, UH, BUT NOT SO MUCH A PRECISE ITEM TO ADD TO THE LIST.
UM, BUT THAT, THAT I'LL SHARE THAT.
CAN I JUST ADD ONE MORE THING TO THE RESILIENT AUSTIN PIECE? UM, THAT RIGHT NOW ALL THE IS, HAS BEEN APPOINTED IN THIS POSITION AND IS BASICALLY, I THINK OFTEN STILLNESS IT IN INNOVATION OFFICE, BUT THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN FUNDING ALLOCATED FOR A PERMANENT LONG-TERM
[02:20:01]
CRO POSITION.IT'S JUST BEEN A, A STAFF SHIFT.
AND SO IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE SERIOUS ABOUT DOING A LONG-TERM, THEN THEY SHOULD BE CREATING A PERMANENT FULL-TIME POSITION AND ALLOCATING BUDGET TOWARD THAT.
ARE YOU SAYING HER POSITION? ISN'T PERMANENT.
WELL, I'M A LITTLE UNCLEAR ON THIS BECAUSE SHE WAS THE NRM FOR AWHILE AND SHE STILL IS TECHNICALLY IN THE INNOVATION.
LIKE IT'S, I FEEL LIKE A LITTLE BIT IN FLUX, BUT IT DOESN'T, AND MAYBE ZACH CAN OFFER INSIGHT, BUT IT DOES NOT FEEL LIKE IT IS A PERMANENT SALARY POSITION SPECIFICALLY FOR THE CRO IT'S SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN IN INNOVATION AND IS BEING GIVEN THAT ROLE.
BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS IN TERMS OF THE WAY THE CITY DOES THE BUDGET FOR THE STAFF POSITION.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD THERE.
I MEAN, I LIKE, THERE'S NOT A RESILIENCE OFFICE.
I MEAN, SHE, YOU KNOW, SHE HAS THE TITLE OF CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER, SO I DON'T, I DON'T, I JUST DON'T KNOW.
SO KATIE, ARE YOU WANTING LIKE HER, WHO ARE YOU WANTING HER TO HAVE, LIKE HER OWN DEPARTMENT FOR, OR, YOU KNOW, TO, FOR THAT POSITION TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, EMPLOYEES UNDER THEM OR WHAT ARE YOU, WHAT ARE YOU, I GUESS WE CAN LEAVE IT, WE CAN LEAVE IT AT THE MORE BROAD ADVOCACY AROUND FUNDING WAS LATE AUSTIN PLANNING PROCESS, UH, AT THIS POINT, CAUSE IT'S A LITTLE UNCLEAR AND EARLY IN THE PROCESS, BUT YEAH.
YEAH, LET'S JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.
UM, I HADN'T KNEW THAT I WANTED TO PUT HER FOR CONSIDERATION, UM, THE RESILIENCE HUBS, WHICH DOES SEEM LIKE IT HAS SOME MOMENTUM, BUT SINCE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, NOTHING'S LOCKED IN YET.
UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD THING FOR US TO, UH, SUPPORT, UM, IMPLEMENTED FUNDING TO IMPLEMENT.
UM, AND, UH, THE OTHER THING, AND I GUESS FIRST A QUESTION ZACH, WITH THE CLIMATE AMBASSADORS, I BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT THERE IS, THERE IS POTENTIALLY SOME FUNDING, BUT NOT ENOUGH FOR THAT TO REALLY BE A FULL-TIME CONTINUOUS PROGRAM OR W WHERE, WHERE IS IT? UM, LET'S SEE.
SO THE FIRST ROUND OF CLIMATE INVESTORS THAT WE DID WAS, UH, I THINK THE TOTAL COST WAS $25,000, PLUS OUR LIKE STAFF COST TO MANAGE IT.
UM, I MEAN, THAT'S WELL WITHIN LIKE IT'S IN OUR, OUR WORK PLAN THIS YEAR TO SPEND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CASH ALLOCATION THAT WE HAVE TO DO ANOTHER ROUND OF THAT PROGRAM.
SO, UM, I MEAN, IF IT'S KEPT AT THAT SAME LEVEL OF, YOU KNOW, 10 TO 15 INDIVIDUALS, LIKE, W WE WE'LL JUST, THAT'S JUST IN OUR PLANS, BUT IF THERE WAS THERE'S SOME WE HAVE NOT DREAMT OF WHAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, THE 200% AMBASSADOR PROGRAM OR SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S DIFFERENT, I GUESS THAT, UM, THAT LEVEL ALSO WAS NOT ONLY JUST THAT NUMBER OF AMBASSADORS, BUT ALSO A RELATIVELY SMALL TIME COMMITMENT FROM EACH AS OPPOSED TO SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S SO MUCH IN THESE, UM, THIS LIST OF PRIORITIES THAT IS ABOUT OUTREACH AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY, THAT IT WOULD BE THAT IT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR THAT TO BE A MORE ROBUST PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, THE SAME, SAME MODEL, BUT YEAH, MORE AMBASSADORS AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE AROUND AND, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS MORE HOURS FOR ME TO HAVE THEM, BUT AT THE VERY LEAST LIKE YEAR ROUND AND MORE NUMBERS.
AND I GUESS, I MEAN, THAT WOULD REQUIRE ADDITIONAL FUNDING, RIGHT? YES.
SO, I MEAN, I WANT TO HEAR WHAT PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AS A PRIORITY.
WHAT ELSE DO PEOPLE HAVE TO ADD TO THE LIST? WE CAN DISCUSS ALL THIS,
[02:25:02]
BUT I WANT TO GET, GET ALL THE IDEAS HERE.I JUST WANT TO SAY SIMILAR TO THAT IS LIKE FROM THE FOOD POLICY BOARD WHERE WE'RE DEVELOPING OUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS NOW, AND WE'LL VOTE ON THEM ON OUR MEETING IS I THINK IS APRIL 5TH.
SO I CAN'T BRING FORWARD ANYTHING NOW, BUT THERE, I MEAN, THERE'LL BE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WILL, I THINK, ALIGN WITH A LOT OF THE PRIORITIES HERE IN TERMS OF LONG-TERM PLANNING, ESPECIALLY FOR THE FOOD SYSTEM AND FUNDING A PROCESS.
AND IT WAS A RECOMMENDATION WE MADE LAST YEAR AND WE'RE, IT'S, IT'S BEING BROUGHT FORWARD AGAIN, BUT A MODIFIED.
SO I DON'T HAVE, I CAN'T BRING FORWARD ANYTHING AT THIS POINT, BUT I CAN BRING THAT, UM, AT A LATER DATE, BUT WE'RE ALSO WORKING TOWARDS THE SAME DEADLINE TO GET IT IN FOR DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS, BUT THEN CAN STILL BRING IT FORWARD IF THERE'S INTEREST FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, INFORMING AND POTENTIAL SUPPORT.
SO YOU'RE SAYING, IS THE, IS THERE A SIMPLIFIED VERSION OF THAT THAT YOU WANT TO INCLUDE IN THIS LIST? OR YOU'RE SAYING NO, NOT RIGHT NOW.
UNFORTUNATELY JUST MISMATCHED TIMING.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THE LIST? ALL RIGHT.
SO RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS FUNDING FOR, UH, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR WINTER STORMS, INCLUDING IN D I SEEN.
AND I CAN'T REMEMBER IF THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE ON THAT LIST, THE MAINTENANCE SAY THAT AGAIN, THOSE WERE THE MAIN ONES.
UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT WITH AN EQUITY FOCUS FUNDING FOR RESILIENT, AUSTIN PLANNING, UM, FUNDING FOR THE SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, GOAL ONE STRATEGY, ONE, WHICH IS PURSUING COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY, POVERTY, MITIGATION, UM, FUNDING FOR RESILIENT, UH, HUBS AND FUNDING TO MAKE THE EXPAND THE CLIMATE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM TO INCLUDE MORE AND MORE AMBASSADORS IN YOUR ROUND.
OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZE THIS, PUT A LITTLE WORDING AROUND IT, BUT MAYBE FIRST WE CAN KIND OF, THOSE ARE SIX ITEMS. UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY THOUGHTS TO SHARE ON ANY OF THOSE ITEMS? I FEEL LIKE THAT'S A SUCCINCT, BUT, UH, BROAD REACHING LIST.
BASED ON OUR CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE HAD OVER THE LAST FEW MEETINGS.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY, ANY PROBLEMS, I GUESS, WITH ANY OF THE ITEMS THERE, OR SHOULD WE KIND OF MOVE INTO WORDSMITHING THIS AND, OR DOES EVERYBODY FEEL COMFORTABLE ENOUGH ADOPTING THAT LIST AND LEAVING IT TO THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THE SUGGESTIONS TO PROVIDE THE EXACT WORDING I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THE LADDER? I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH WE NEED TO WORDSMITH, LIKE THE RECOMMENDATION LANGUAGE.
OH, HENRY, I'M FINE WITH THE CHAIR TAKING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND TURNING IT INTO A MORE FORMAL DOCUMENT.
I WOULD LOOK TO, TO KATIE AT LEAST TO HELP WITH, WITH THE ITEMS THAT SHE SUGGESTED, BUT, UM, I'M HAPPY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
SO I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, UH, UH, ADOPT A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION THAT INCLUDES THESE SIX ITEMS THAT I'VE READ OUT.
AND I CAN SEE PREPAREDNESS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, RESILIENT, AUSTIN PLANNING, COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY, POVERTY, MITIGATION, RESILIENCE, HUBS, AND THE CLIMATE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM.
UM, I GUESS ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND OR SAY I, IF YOU CAN TURN
[02:30:01]
ON YOUR VIDEO AND RAISE YOUR HAND.I HEARD NOW I THINK I HEARD ALEXIS EMPHASIZE, DID YOU ALL THREE SAY AYE? YES.
AND DAVID, DID YOU RAISE YOUR HAND? YES.
SO ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT IN SUPPORT.
UH, AND THAT'S ALL WE HAVE, SO THAT IS ADOPTED.
WELL, LET'S MOVE ON DOWN THE LINE.
UM, I THINK WE'VE DONE A LITTLE BIT OF THIS ALREADY, BUT I'M
[2e) Commission members report back on any relevant discussions from their respective boards and commissions – (Discussion and/or possible action) ]
REPORTING BACK ON ANYTHING RELEVANT FROM OUR COMMISSIONS.UM, JUST, WELL, ARE WE GOING TO TALK ABOUT POTENTIAL FEATURE ITEMS RIGHT AFTER THAT? YEAH.
I'LL WAIT UNTIL THAT ACTUALLY THEN, RIGHT.
I THINK WE KIND OF ALREADY DID OUR UPDATES IN THE COURSE OF, OF OUR CONVERSATIONS, BUT IF ANYBODY HAS ANYTHING THAT WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT AND YOU WANT TO SHARE.
THE ONLY THING I WAS GOING TO SHARE IS THAT THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION DID PASS A WINTER STORM AREA RECOMMENDATION.
I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEK, UM, THAT I CAN SEND TO ZACKER, UM, KOBE, I CAN SEND IT TO YOU TO SEND AROUND TO THE GROUP, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE MAKING OUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT THAT IS AN UPDATE ON THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY.
UH, YEAH, YOU CAN SEND THAT TO ZACH.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE MOST APPROPRIATE FOR HIM TO SEND THAT AROUND TO EVERYBODY.
NAT HAD RAISED A COUPLE OF ISSUES, INCLUDING, UM, UH, POSSIBLE CODE CHANGES THAT MIGHT IMPACT HARDENING LIKE ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND I'VE HAD AN INITIAL CONVERSATION, UH, RELAYED THE INFORMATION TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION SHARE.
AND, UH, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO STAFF AND SEE, UH, WHAT'S NEXT FOR THAT AND I'LL REPORT BACK.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
UH, GO ONTO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, WE HAVE A FEW ITEMS THAT HAVE KIND OF BEEN HANGING OUT ON OUR LIST, UM, AND WE'VE JUST BEEN KIND OF TRIAGING.WHAT IS MOST TIME SENSITIVE, BUT WE HAVE AUSTIN AREA SUSTAINABILITY INDICATORS, UH, THE USDA FORESTRY FOUR, THREE ADAPTATION, UH, CITY OF BOSTON GREEN BUILDINGS POLICY.
AND THAT ONE I THINK MIGHT BE TIMELY NOW IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
UM, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY I'M GOING TO DISCUSSION ON HOW THE CLIMATE PLAN.
I KNOW WE MENTIONED THIS AND, UH, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE MAY NEED TO HAVE, UH, AN ITEM FOR, UH, TO MAKE, UH, TO TAKE ACTION ON A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL ON, UH, VARIOUS COATED OPTIONS.
UH, I THINK THAT ONE DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE ON THE LIST, SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP, CAUSE I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL, UH, LAST WEEK, WHICH I THINK IS WHEN IT WENT PUBLIC, UM, THAT THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, UH, NURIA RIVERA OF UNDERMINE IS LEAVING, UH, AND IS AS TAKING THE CITY MANAGER POSITION WITH THE CITY OF BOULDER.
UM, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY ON TOP OF THAT BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE A LOT OF WORK IN OUR PURVIEW, WHETHER ON RESILIENCE OR EQUITY, YOU KNOW, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, WORK THAT I THINK SHE WAS WORKING ON WITH THE DIRECTOR OF WATERSHED PROTECTION.
UM, I DON'T WANT ANY OF THAT TO FALL BY THE WAYSIDE AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS THAT SHE'S LEAVING.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE AS AN AGENDA ITEM, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, I WANT TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW THAT TRANSITION IS HAPPENING SO THAT WE DON'T LOSE ANY MOMENTUM THAT IS ALREADY KIND OF STALLED ANYWAY.
UM, THAT'S ONE, I GUESS WE CAN REVISIT AS WE CHECK IN PRIOR TO MAKING THE AGENDA.
DOES THAT SOUND GOOD, KATIE? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
[02:35:01]
ALSO JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT.SO FOLKS ON THE COMMITTEE WERE AWARE AS WELL.
ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE SHOULD ADD TO OUR LIST? WHETHER IT'S FOR NEXT MONTH OR, OR COMING UP? ALL RIGHT.
IF YOU THINK OF SOMETHING, FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME.
YOU CAN ALWAYS, UH, COPY KATIE AND ZACH CAUSE ULTIMATELY THE THREE OF US WILL JUST BE HAVING A, HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT ANYWAY.
SO IT'S A HELPFUL IF YOU JUST COPY US ON IT, ANYBODY WANT TO MOVE TO ADJOURN? ALL RIGHT, ROB.