[00:00:10]
ALL RIGHT, I'M GOING TO CALL THIS
[CALL TO ORDER]
A REGULAR MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.I WILL BEGIN WITH ROLL CALL COMMISSIONER THOMPSON HERE.
LAMBERG COMMISSIONER GUERRERO HERE.
[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES AND ACTION]
ONE A APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM MAY 5TH, 2021.I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
YOU HAVE A COMMISSIONER BROWN RICE.
SECOND SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER BRIMER.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER, UM, EDITS CHANGES PRIOR TO OUR VOTE? UM, ALL IN FAVOR, JUST RAISE YOUR HAND OR SAY YES.
MOTION CARRIES HAVE SEVEN, SEVEN.
[2a. Austin Civilian Conservation Corps Program Overview—Daniel Culotta, Innovation Office (20 minutes)]
OUR AGENDA OR, UH, STAFF BRIEFINGS, UH, TO EIGHT, WE WILL BEGIN WITH THE AUSTIN CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS PROGRAM OVERVIEW.UH, WE HAVE MR. COLETTA HERE, I BELIEVE TO SPEAK ON THIS.
EXCELLENT, GREAT JARON COMMISSION.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY TO PRESENT ON THE AUSTIN CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS PROGRAM.
UH, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND JUMP TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO, UH, AS YOU MAY ALL BE AWARE THE S UH, CONSERVATION CORPS OR A TRIPLE C AS WE CALL IT, UM, WAS CREATED BY COUNCIL RESOLUTION, UH, ABOUT A YEAR AGO NOW, UH, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO THE ATRIAL SEAT.
UM, IT IS A PROGRAM THAT WAS, UM, IT WAS A CUPBOARD RESPONSE PROGRAM, UH, THAT WAS FRAMED TO HELP AUSTINITES, WHO'VE BEEN ECONOMICALLY IMPACTED BY COVID-19, UH, EARN AN INCOME, UH, SO THEIR COMMUNITY AND GAINED SKILLS, UM, THAT CAN LEAD TO NEW CAREERS IN CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY FIELDS.
WE WERE REALLY WANTING TO FOCUS ON IS PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, ACTUALLY ECONOMIC EFFECTED IN SECTORS.
I LEFT A MESSAGE SAYING I CAN'T COME TO, UM, AND, UH, THAT, UH, THAT HAD BEEN, UH, IN ECONOMIC SECTORS THAT WERE HEAVILY AFFECTED ABOUT A PANDEMIC AND MAYBE TO, UH, SWITCH JOBS AND SWITCH CAREERS AND WERE INTERESTED IN THIS TYPE OF WORK.
UM, WE ARE FOCUSING ON A BROAD RANGE OF GREEN JOBS, UM, CERTAINLY KIND OF OUTDOOR CONSERVATION RELATED JOBS INITIALLY, BUT ALSO ALSO THINGS LIKE PUBLIC ART, GREEN BUILDING.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, ITEMS IN CIRCULAR ECONOMY, UM, STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON CREATING EQUITABLE ACCESS, UM, THROUGH LOW BARRIER SUPPORTIVE PROGRAMS, UH, THAT ALSO HELP CREATE PATHWAYS, UM, TO ADDITIONAL JOBS AND CAREERS.
UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING THIS, UH, UH, WITH A PROGRAM TEAM, UH, THAT I'M HEADING, UH, AND WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT, UH, EXCELLENT DEPARTMENTS,
[00:05:01]
UH, WATERSHED PROTECTION, PARD, UM, CPIO ARR, UH, EBD AND MANY OTHERS.UH, AND WE'RE ALL COMING TOGETHER TO PUT THESE PROJECTS TOGETHER AND SUPPORT THEM AS A CARRIED FORWARD.
UH, WE WERE GIVEN $500,000 FROM GENERAL FUND RESERVES, UM, INITIALLY WITH THE PROGRAM OR AUTHORIZED TO SEEK A 2.5 MILLION MORE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
SO THAT BASICALLY MEANS, UM, IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS, EXISTING BUDGETS, YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO WHERE WE ARE NOW, UH, OVER THE YEAR, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CREATE, UH, SEVERAL PROGRAMS THROUGH LOTS OF GREAT PARTNERSHIPS, UM, WITH, UH, DEPARTMENTS AND, UH, OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS.
SO NONPROFITS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY TO HELP US IN THEIR, THESE ADMINISTER THESE PROGRAMS WE'VE CREATED, UM, A AND EIGHT POSITIONS, UM, THROUGH THOSE DIFFERENT, UH, PROGRAMS. UM, WE HAVE NOW ABOUT A LITTLE OVER $3 MILLION, UH, ALLOCATED OR IN PLAY FOR THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROGRAMS. AND, UM, SEVERAL OF THE PROGRAMS HAVE FUNDING FOR NOW INTO THEIR SECOND YEAR.
UH, AND YOU CAN SEE AT THE TOP AND THE TOP ROW THERE, THAT WE HAVE MANY DIFFERENT FOCUS AREAS, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO ADDING SEVERAL MORE AS THIS PROGRAM CONTINUES AND, UM, HAS MADE A PERMANENT PART OF THE CITY, YOU A THAT SLIDE.
SO THIS ARE, THESE ARE POTENTIAL PROGRAMS THAT WE IDENTIFIED, UM, AGAIN WITH OUR PARTNER DEPARTMENTS, UM, THESE WERE THINGS, THINGS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO OR HOPE TO DO, OR THINGS THAT THEY SEE A NEED FOR, BUT DON'T HAVE FUNDING THAT THEY CAN ALLOCATE TO.
SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S, THERE'S $5 MILLION AT LEAST OF WORK THAT WE'VE FOUND ALREADY THAT COULD CREATE, YOU KNOW, CLOSE TO 300 ADDITIONAL JOBS AND PARTICIPANTS, UM, FOR PEOPLE, UH, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THIS PROGRAM.
UH, WE ARE, UH, WE MAY POTENTIALLY GET AN ALLOCATION THROUGH THE, UM, RPA SPENDING FRAMEWORK.
UM, AND IN ANY CASE WE INTEND TO, UH, MAKE THE PROGRAM PERMANENT, UM, AND CARRY IT FORWARD AND, UH, UNDERTAKE, UH, AT LEAST, UM, HOPEFULLY THE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE PROGRAMS AND MANY OTHERS THAT WE HAVEN'T EVEN IDENTIFIED YET.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL HERE, UM, TO GET PEOPLE WORKING IN THESE FIELDS, AUSTIN, YOU HAVE THE NEXT SLIDE PARTNERS HAVE BEEN CRUCIAL TO OUR WORK.
UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS IN WORKING WITH DEPARTMENTS IS THEY HAVE THE WILL.
IN MANY CASES, THEY CAN, UM, HARNESS THE RESOURCES TO CREATE PROGRAMS LIKE THIS, BUT ADMINISTERING THEM, UM, IS DIFFICULT.
AND, UH, OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS HAVE EXCELLENT TIES TO THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THOSE COMMUNITIES, WHICH WE REALLY WANT TO SERVE WITH THIS PROGRAM, UM, THAT, THAT TRADITIONALLY HAVE NOT HAD ACCESS TO THESE TYPES OF JOBS, UM, AND THIS TYPE OF TRAINING.
SO WE WORKED WITH A VARIETY OF PARTNERS.
YOU CAN SEE HERE, UM, AMERICAN YOUTH WORKS GABA, UH, THE CARPENTER'S UNION, UM, MOBILE LOAVES AND FISHES THAT'S COMMUNITY, FIRST VILLAGE CREATIVE ACTION, THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION, AND RAISING IN THE SUN ON A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT MODEL WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP HAVE THEM HELP ADMINISTER IT.
UM, AND I, AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE AS WE DO EXPAND OUR PORTFOLIO.
SO AS FAR AS OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT GOES, UM, WE DO HAVE A WEBSITE, UH, AS WELL AS, UM, ADVERTISE OPPORTUNITIES AS COME UP THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, UH, AS WELL AS, UM, A COMMS TEAM THAT'S LED BY, UM, THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE, UH, AND HAS MEMBERS FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND THEY DISTRIBUTE INFORMATION ABOUT PROGRAMS, UM, RUN SOCIAL CAMPAIGNS, ET CETERA.
WE ADVERTISE THESE OPPORTUNITIES AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE.
UM, SO, SO BASICALLY AS FAST AS WE CAN GET THESE PROGRAMS OFF THE GROUND, WE, WE THEN, UH, RECRUIT PEOPLE AND GET THEM, GET THEM WORKING SO THEY CAN START EARNING INCOME AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO THAT'S WHY THEY, THEY COME OUT, UM, UH, NOT, NOT ALL TOGETHER IN A GROUP.
UM, THE, OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS THAT I MENTIONED ON THAT LAST SLIDE, UH, AGAIN, THEY HAVE GREAT TIES WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES, SO THEY CARRY OUT, UM, THE RECRUITMENT AND APPLICATION PROCESSES PRIMARILY, UH, WITH SUPPORT FROM US.
WE'VE BEEN REALLY INTENTIONAL AND HAVING AS LOW BARRIER OF AN APPLICATION PROCESSES WE CAN, UM, SO THAT PEOPLE AREN'T BLOCKED FROM THESE, UH, PROGRAMS. UM, AND, UH, OUR, OUR ONLY REAL REQUIREMENTS
[00:10:01]
ARE THAT, UH, THE, THE PARTICIPANT HAS BEEN ECONOMICALLY AFFECTED BY COVID, UM, PAST THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANT TO MAKE IT AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO PARTICIPATE, UH, AND, AND DO THIS WORK THAT WE THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN.UH, WE DO HAVE, UH, SOME DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING METRICS THAT ARE SHARED ACROSS ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROGRAMS SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT WORKING WHAT'S WORKING, WHAT ISN'T, UM, IN WALES, WHERE WE MAY HAVE NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND.
UM, AND WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH THE COUNTY AS THEY'VE BEEN, UM, INTERESTED AND ARE CREATING THEIR OWN VERSION OF THE CONSERVATION CORPS.
SO OUR INTENTION IS TO CONTINUE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THEM AND HOPEFULLY, UH, CREATE, UM, UH, SOME TYPE OF AGREEMENT OR A WORK STRUCTURE, SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PRETTY EASILY COLLABORATE ON WORK OF SIMILAR TYPES, UH, WITH THE SAME CREWS, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, WE REALLY WANT TO, UH, I THINK ADVANCE THIS FROM A COVID RESPONSE PROGRAM TO A COMMUNITY-BASED AND AN ACUTE COMMUNITY INFORMED PROGRAM THAT HELPS ALL THE RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN, UM, ENTER THESE, THESE CAREERS OPPORTUNITIES AND PURSUE OUR, UH, CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS.
SO FAR, WE'VE DONE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY OF IDENTIFYING, UM, PROGRAMS THAT DEPARTMENTS WOULD LIKE TO DO.
AND NOW WE UNDER ONE UNDER NOW, WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT RESIDENTS WANT AND NEED FROM THESE PROGRAMS, UM, AND START TO FILL THOSE AREAS, UH, AS WELL AS WHAT SOME OF THE LARGER ECONOMIC TRENDS SUGGEST THAT WE SHOULD START DEVELOPING.
UH, WE'RE DOING THAT, UM, WITH THREE PROGRAMMATIC ELEMENTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENT AND ON THE GROUND NOW.
SO WE'RE DOING A COMMUNITY RESEARCH AND CO-CREATION WITH TWO PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO GET A REAL DEEP SENSE OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF THE ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC IN COMMUNITIES, AND ALSO WHAT THEY WOULD WANT TO SEE FROM A CONSERVATION CORPS AND WHAT FEATURES AND THE PROGRAMS THEY WOULD NEED FROM A SUPPORT STANDPOINT, UM, TO BE ABLE TO, TO TAKE ON THESE, THESE JOB CHANGES AND INJURE THESE CAREERS.
WE'RE ALSO DOING A GREEN JOBS, ECONOMIC ANALYSIS WITH UT.
UH, WE NEED A MUCH BETTER SENSE OF THE GREEN JOBS LANDSCAPE IN AUSTIN, BOTH WHAT IT IS NOW AND WHERE IT MAY DEVELOP IN THE FUTURE.
UH, SO WE'RE EXCITED TO WORK WITH THEM ON THAT, UM, AND ADVANCE SOME OF THE METHODOLOGIES AND THOSE AREAS AS WELL, UM, AND LEARNED SOME OF THE HIGHER LEVEL TRENDS THAT WE CAN DEVELOP TOWARDS.
AND FINALLY, WE KNOW THAT THE WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS ECONOMIC VALUE ANALYSIS IS GOING TO, UH, ELIMINATE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE PROGRAMS TO FILL YET.
SO WE WANT TO CREATE A GREEN JOBS PROGRAM, INCUBATOR OR ACCELERATOR, IF YOU WILL, WHERE WE CAN DEVELOP PROGRAMS TO FULFILL THOSE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE CAN THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, DESIGN THEM, PROTOTYPE THEM, UM, GET THEM WORKING REALLY WELL AND THEN INVEST IN THEM MORE, UM, AS THEY GET OFF THE GROUND.
SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT DOING, WE'RE NOT PASSING UP ARTS OPPORTUNITIES JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A PROGRAM TO RUN IT.
WE WILL HELP CREATE THOSE OR SUPPORT PEOPLE IN CREATING THOSE SO THAT WE CAN, UM, PURSUE THOSE GOALS.
WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING TO OBTAIN FUNDING COMMITMENTS FROM DEPARTMENTS FOR THESE PROGRAMS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE STARTED, UM, OR NEW ONES, UH, IN FYI 22 AND BEYOND SO THAT WE CAN KEEP THESE JOBS GOING.
AND WE ARE ALSO WORKING TO, UH, AS I MENTIONED, PERMANENTLY ESTABLISHED THE CONSERVATION CORPS, UH, THROUGH THE FYI 22 BUDGET, UH, AND POTENTIALLY THE, THE RPA SPENDING FRAMEWORK, UM, SO THAT IT BECOMES A PERMANENT PROGRAM.
UH, WE ARE JUST STARTING TO GET DATA AND FOR SOME OF OUR FIRST PROGRAMS ON THEIR EFFECTIVENESS, REALLY GREAT RESULTS SO FAR AS WE CONTINUE TO GET THAT, WE'LL USE THAT DATA, UM, TO, UH, AND COMBINE IT WITH THE USER RESEARCH ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, UM, UH, AND, AND OTHER ITEMS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S WORKING AND WHAT'S NOT, AND HOW TO DEVELOP OUR PORTFOLIO FURTHER TO MEET ALL THE GOALS OF THE CONSERVATION CORPS.
YOU KNOW, THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, THIS IS A BIT OF A SUMMARY OF WHAT I JUST DISCUSSED.
ESTABLISH OUR MAIN GOALS ARE ESTABLISHED IN THE CONSERVATION CORPS AS A PERMANENT CROSS DEPARTMENTAL PROGRAM, UM, WITH, UH, WITH AN ALLOCATED BUDGET, SO THEY CAN CONTINUE IN THE FUTURE.
WE WANT TO EVOLVE INTO A MORE COMMUNITY DRIVEN PROGRAM OR RESIDENTS HELP INFORM THE DIRECTION AND STRUCTURE.
UH, WE WANT TO PARTNER ADDITIONAL GROUP WITH ADDITIONAL GROUPS, UH, BOTH WITHIN THE CITY AND OUTSIDE, SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO EXPAND BOTH IN OUR POSITIONS, IN THE AREAS THAT WE'RE WORKING IN, AND ALSO EXPAND THE NUMBER OF AREAS THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE WORKING IN AT SUPPORT, UH, PROGRAMS. AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE
[00:15:01]
TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY AND BEYOND TO EXPAND TO A REGIONAL APPROACH AND ALIGN WITH, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR STATE AND FEDERAL INITIATIVES.YOU'RE ALL AWARE OF THE CLIMATE CORP AND OTHER WORK THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS DOING IN THIS AREA.
AND, UH, WE'RE VERY, UM, KEYED INTO THAT AND WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE WELL POISED TO, UH, PARTICIPATE IN ANY LARGER, UM, INITIATIVES THAT ARE, UM, PART OF THAT PART OF THAT, UH, FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND PROGRAMS. AND WE ALSO WANT TO HELP OTHERS REPLICATE OUR MODEL.
UH, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN VERY WELL-RECEIVED, UM, ACROSS THE CITY, UH, WITH RESIDENTS AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE BUILDING, UM, A MODEL FOR, AGAIN, PROVIDING MORE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO GREEN JOBS, UH, WALL, SO, UH, ACHIEVING ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS AND OUTCOMES.
UM, AND WE HOPE THAT WE CAN SHARE THAT AND SPREAD IT AS FAR AS WE CAN.
NEXT SLIDE, WHICH I THINK IS THE LAST ONE.
SO YEAH, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TODAY AND HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS FROM ANYONE HERE AT THIS EVENING? UM, COMMISSIONER PRIMER, UM, DANIEL, UM, HOW MANY, HOW MANY FOLKS FROM THE COMMUNITY IN YOUR CONCENTRATION EFFORT, IF YOU MENTIONED THAT? YEAH, SO WE HAVE A FEW, JUST A BIT OVER A HUNDRED RIGHT NOW, JOHN CLEMENT.
THAT'S THE IVY TECH, I DIDN'T KNOW MY MICROSOFT, MY APOLOGIES.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, A LITTLE OVER A HUNDRED RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO REALIZE THAT WE HAVE, THESE PROGRAMS ARE STRUCTURED DIFFERENTLY, RIGHT? SO, UM, SOME OF THE PUBLIC ART INSTALLATIONS MAY BE A FEW WEEKS LONG.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE TRAINING PROGRAMS ARE, ARE A BIT OVER A MONTH, AND THEN SOME OF THE CONSERVATION CREWS RUN FOR THE BETTER PART OF A YEAR.
SO CUMULATIVELY, I SHOULD SAY WE'VE HAD, UH, A LITTLE BIT OVER A HUNDRED AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO ADD MORE AS WE GO.
SO MY FOLLOW-UP QUESTION WOULD BE, WHERE DO YOU RECRUIT THESE PEOPLE? I MEAN, WERE THE PEOPLE THAT FILL THESE POSITIONS, WHERE DO YOU RECRUIT THEM FROM? YEAH, SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE PRIMARILY WORKING THROUGH COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT HAS A REALLY STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, TRADITIONALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, UM, AND, AND OTHER, UH, VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
UH, THESE HAVE BEEN VERY HEAVILY EFFECTED BY THE ECONOMIC, UM, PANDEMIC.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH, UH, ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE OR TIES TO, FOR INSTANCE, THE ARTISTS COMMUNITIES, UM, WHO WOULD BE OBVIOUSLY MOST APPROPRIATE TO DO A PUBLIC ART INSTALLATION, FOR INSTANCE.
SO IT'S REALLY A VARIED APPROACH.
UM, CAN WE TRY AND WE TRY AND DO VERY TARGETED RECRUITING, UH, WITH THE COMMUNITIES AND THEIR ORGANIZATIONS THAT, UH, THAT THE PROGRAM, UM, MAYBE BEST SUITED FOR.
WE ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND THIS AS WE, UH, DO THIS COMMUNITY RESEARCH, UM, THAT I MENTIONED, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS WE'RE DOING IS GETTING FEEDBACK AND CONSULTATION ON OUR RECRUITING SO THAT WE CAN DO IT AS COMPREHENSIVELY AS POSSIBLE WHILE STILL MAKING SURE THAT, UH, PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT BE ABLE TO TRADITIONALLY ACCESS THESE OPPORTUNITIES HAVE ACCESS TO THEM.
AND THE REASON I ASK IS I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF THE WORK REQUIRES SPECIALIZED SKILLS.
FOR EXAMPLE, YOU MENTIONED THE ARTISTS AND SO FORTH, BUT, UH, YOU ALSO MENTIONED UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
THE REASON I ASKED SPECIFICALLY, BECAUSE BECAUSE OF THE, UH, HOMELESS POPULATION, EVERYTHING, TO ME THAT SEEMS LIKE A, UH, AN AREA WHERE PEOPLE WITH A GENERALIZED, UH, SKILLSET MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO SOME WORK, UH, YOU KNOW, AN AREA THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE AN IN-DEPTH, YOU KNOW, A SPECIFIC SKILL LIKE ART, OR, YOU KNOW, STONE CUTTING, OR I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICALLY, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE MIGHT BE SOME, DO YOU WANT TO BRING UP THREE HEADS, FISH AND LOAVES AND ALL THOSE THAT SLOTS SHOW THE ORGANIZATION SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE YEAH.
AND, AND WHILE THEY'RE BRINGING UP THAT SLIDE, UM, I CA I COMPLETELY AGREE.
AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION, UH, WHO RUNS THE WORKFORCE FIRST PROGRAM.
UM, THEY'VE CREATED A CREW THAT, UH, WORKS WITH THE CONSERVATION CORPS THAT HELPS, UH, CLEAR INVASIVES AND, AND PICK UP TRASH AND DO OTHER TASKS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WATERSHED, UM, DEVELOPMENT, UH, I'M SORRY, WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND THE CARPENTER'S UNION IS DOING WORK, UH, WITH THEIR PARTICIPANTS AT COMMUNITY FIRST VILLAGE.
[00:20:01]
IS AND FISHES, AND WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO RECRUIT, UH, WITHIN THAT COMMUNITY SOON AS WELL.SO, I MEAN, YOU, YOU REALLY NAILED IT.
UM, THERE'S, THERE'S PLENTY OF WORK THAT THESE FOLKS CAN DO, UH, THAT ARE, THAT ARE LIVING THAT EXPERIENCE OF HOMELESSNESS.
UH, WE HOPE TO EXPAND THOSE OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE ONE OF OUR, OUR BIG GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF THE CONSERVATION CORPS IS THAT WHILE PEOPLE ARE GETTING PUT TO WORK, THEY'RE ALSO GETTING TRAINING, THEY'RE GETTING CERTIFICATIONS, THEY'RE GETTING EXPERIENCE AND THEY'RE GETTING SUPPORT TO TAKE THEIR NEXT STEP.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT PEOPLE, PEOPLE THAT PARTICIPATE IN THESE PROGRAMS ARE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT.
AND THAT'S CERTAINLY A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO SERVE EVEN MORE WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, WE HAVE ESPERANSA COMMUNITY.
AND SO I'M JUST WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN REACH OUT THROUGH THE OTHER ONES TO REACH ANY YOUTH THAT ARE OVER THERE, BECAUSE THEY ARE ALREADY DOING A YEMEN'S TASK OF CLEANING UP THE, THE, THE WOODS AREA THAT SAID JASON.
UM, SO I, I JUST DIDN'T WANT THEM TO FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS, AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU WOULD REACH OUT TO THEM PLEASE.
AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING.
I'M REALLY GLAD THAT YOU'RE DOING THIS.
AND WE ABSOLUTELY REACH OUT TO THEM.
UH, I JUST, UH, I JUST NEED TO SAY, I, I JUST, YEAH, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING OUT.
I KNOW THAT YOU'VE PRESENTED SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE AND I'M REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING.
AND SO I HAD REQUESTED THAT YOU COME HERE AND, UM, JUST WANTED TO SAY, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
UM, I KNOW THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER BEDFORD, UH, WAS JUST RAISING HIM.
I JUST HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION.
I WAS CURIOUS IF THERE WAS LIKE AN AGE LIMIT THAT Y'ALL TRY AND RECRUIT FOR THE JOBS YOU WORK WITH TEENAGERS ALSO, OR IS IT KIND OF LIKE 18 AND UP? YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
UH, IT'S IN A WAY, IT IS, UM, SPECIFIC TO THE PROGRAM, ESPECIALLY CAUSE WE'RE WORKING WITH PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, FOR INSTANCE, AMERICAN USE WORKS, DID EXPAND THEIR PROGRAM.
UH, THEY RAISED VARIOUS LIMITS OF 35.
UH, UH, THE CARPENTER'S UNION THOUGH HAS HAD, UM, YOU KNOW, A FEW PEOPLE THAT ARE OVER 60.
SO WE TRY AND BE AS INCLUSIVE AS WE CAN AT THIS POINT.
UM, WE'RE, I DON'T BELIEVE IN OUR PROGRAMS WORK, UH, WITH NEIGHBORS OR RESIDENTS UNDER UH AJT.
UM, BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL HIGH SCHOOL, UM, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE HOPING TO CONNECT WITH, UM, AND HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO GET, UH, INVOLVED IN THOSE EVEN SOONER THAN, THAN WHEN THE KIDDOS ARE COMING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, I DON'T SEE ANYONE ELSE, BUT I DO HAVE A FEW COMMENTS.
I WANTED TO MAKE MYSELF, UM, UH, PERSONALLY OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WAS INVOLVED WITH ONE OF THESE GROUPS TO REDO IT, A PORTION OF OUR TRIAL, AND IT WAS A LONG EXPERIENCE AND WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THIS GROUP, THIS CREW THAT WAS INVOLVED, DANIEL AND, UH, AND, AND THEY WERE SO GRACIOUS EVERY TIME THEY WERE LIKE, WE MISCALCULATED THIS, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SAID, WE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S WORKED THROUGH IT.
BUT, UM, IT ALL IN ALL WAS A GOOD EXPERIENCE.
I DO WANT TO SAY THAT I'VE GOTTEN SOME COMMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY AND SOME OF THEIR CONCERNS THAT THEY RAISED WITH ME IS THE MAINLY TRAINING AND SUPERVISION.
SO YOU NEED TO INCLUDE IN YOUR BACKUP NEXT TIME, THE TYPE OF TRAINING, HOW LONG THE TRAINING IS, IS, UM, AND LIKE SPECIFICALLY THE COMMENTS I RECEIVED WAS FOR TREES.
UM, THEY WOULDN'T, UM, THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT CERTIFIED ARBORIST, CUTTING TREES OR CUTTING LAMBS THAT COULD DAMAGE THE TREE HOUR TO AN INEXPERIENCED ON UNSUPERVISED.
SO I DO WANT IT TO PASS ON AND SHARE THOSE COMMENTS I RECEIVED, UH, FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AS THEY'RE DOING CREEK RAICES RESTORATION OR FORESTRY, THAT, THAT THEY LOOK AT THE TRAINING AND THAT WE ARE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THE TYPE OF TRAINING THEY'RE GETTING AND, UH, WHO IS PLUGGING INTO TRYING THEM.
AND SO, UM, UH, I'M SURE THAT, UM, YOU HAVE, UH, SOME DATA YOU CAN SHARE WITH US AS TIME GOES
[00:25:01]
ON.AND, UM, AGAIN, THOSE WERE THE TWO THINGS THAT CAME FORWARD WAS TRAINING AND SUPERVISION.
AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT DATA NEXT TIME WE'RE HERE.
ANYTHING ELSE? THANK YOU FOR, FOR COMING OUT THIS EVENING.
SEE, I KNOW THIS IS, THIS IS AUDREY BARRETT.
UM, ONE QUICK QUESTION IS, HAVE YOU FOUND THAT YOU, UM, THE PROGRAM IS, UM, HAVING A HARDER TIME RECRUITING PEOPLE OR HAVING A HARDER TIME GETTING PARTNERSHIP, GETTING PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO BE INVOLVED, OR IS IT KIND OF JUST GROWING SORT OF SAMUEL TAPE SIMULTANEOUSLY? UM, OVERTIME? YEAH, I WOULD SAY, I WOULD SAY IT'S GROWING SIMULTANEOUSLY, FOR SURE.
TYPICALLY THERE'S A VERY HIGH DEMAND FOR THIS TYPE OF WORK FROM THE COMMUNITY AND FROM RESIDENTS, WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAD ANY TROUBLE FILLING THE SPOTS.
UM, SO MANY PEOPLE WERE INTERESTED IN THIS TYPE OF VARIED WORK.
UH, WE ARE CONTINUING TO DEVELOP, UH, CAPACITY WITH ORGANIZATIONS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S JUST SO MANY, THERE'S ONLY SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN, FOR INSTANCE, HIRE, UM, AND, AND SUPERVISE AND PROVIDE TRAINING, ET CETERA, OR A CAREER.
SO, UM, THROUGH THAT, THROUGH THE ACCELERATOR PROGRAM THAT I MENTIONED, UH, WE HOPE TO CONTINUE TO HELP BUILD THAT CAPACITY, UM, WITH ADDITIONAL PROGRAM PARTNERS AND FIND SOME INNER INTERESTING AND INNOVATIVE COLLABORATIONS THAT MAYBE AREN'T THERE NOW, BUT TOGETHER WE CAN, WE CAN SERVICE THOSE PROGRAMS. MADAM CHAIR, YOU ARE MUTED FOR UPDATING US AS THE NEXT STAFF PERSON.
SO, UM, OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS
[2b. Update on Country Club West at Roy G. Guerrero Park—Janna Renfro, Engineer, Watershed Protection Department (20 minutes)]
TO BE UPDATE ON COUNTRY CLUB WEST AT THE ROY G. PARK.AND WE HAVE JENNA RENFRO PRESENTING THIS EVENING.
WELCOME, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
DO AN INTRO WHILE THIS COMES UP.
UM, WE'VE, UM, WE'VE BEEN BRIEFING Y'ALL, UM, ON THIS PROJECT FOR A FEW YEARS.
UM, AND SO THIS IS JUST, UH, AN UPDATE, UM, BUT WE WILL COVER SOME HISTORY.
UM, SO MY NAME IS JANA RENFRO.
I'M AN ENGINEER WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.
UM, I'M THE PROJECT SPONSOR FOR THIS CHANNEL STABILIZATION PROJECT IN ROY GUERRERO PARK.
I'M GOING TO PREEMPTIVELY APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INTERRUPTIONS BY DOG OR CHILD OR OTHER, UM, AND, AND JUST KEEP MY FINGERS CROSSED.
SO, UM, IN THIS PRESENTATION, THIS UPDATE, UM, THERE'S, UM, THIS IS PURELY INFORMATIONAL, SO I WANT TO MAKE THIS AS USEFUL TO Y'ALL AS POSSIBLE, BUT WE'LL COVER BRIEFLY THE HISTORY OF, OF, OF THE PROBLEM, THE SOLUTION THAT WE'RE PROPOSING, AND THEN UPDATES ON WHERE WE'RE AT IN TERMS OF, UM, SCHEDULE AND COSTS.
AND THEN, UM, TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU'LL HAVE THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
LIZ JOHNSON DROPPED OUT OF THE CALL AND HAD TO COME BACK.
AND WHEN SHE CAME BACK, OH, IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH JANNA? I'M HERE.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME, KAYLA? YOU ARE COMING THROUGH SAYING JANET, CAN YOU HEAR US? I CAN HEAR YOU ALL.
SO, UM, JUST SO THAT WE'RE ALL ORIENTED, CAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE GIVEN SEVERAL UPDATES ON THIS, ON THIS PROJECT.
UM, SO THIS WILL BE, UM, KIND OF OLD, OLD INFORMATION TO SOME, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
UM, SO THE PROJECT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS EVENING IS LOCATED WITHIN
SO THE, THE MAP THAT YOU'RE LOOKING, THE LARGE GREEN POLYGON THAT'S THE PARK ITSELF, THERE ARE, UM, THE PARK IS LOCATED AT ABOUT 400 ACRES LOCATED ON THE COLORADO RIVER, JUST DOWNSTREAM OF LONGHORN DAM.
SO YOU CAN SEE LADY BIRD LAKE THERE ON THE TOP LEFT AND LONGHORN DAM, AND THEN THE COLORADO RIVER
[00:30:01]
DOWNSTREAM, THERE ARE TWO CREEKS THAT GO THROUGH THE PARK.ONE IS COUNTRY CLUB WEST, THAT'S THE BLUE LINE ON THE LEFT SIDE.
AND THE OTHER IS COUNTRY CLUB EAST ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THAT MAP, THE PROJECT AREA IS LOCATED IN COUNTRY CLUB WEST.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT BLUE LINE USED TO GO OUT TO THE COLORADO RIVER, KIND OF TOWARDS THE EAST A LONGER PATH.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT OUR PROJECT AREA AND KIND OF THROUGH THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE POLYGON, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE IS A NEW CHANNEL THERE.
SO THAT IS THE NEW PATH OF COUNTRY CLUB WEST.
AND THIS IS THE AREA THAT IS CURRENTLY ERODING ACTIVELY.
AND, UM, IT'S THE AREA THAT WE WILL BE STABILIZING WITH THIS PROJECT.
THE NEXT SLIDE IN, UM, 2015, I THINK MANY OF Y'ALL REMEMBER THAT WE HAD VERY SEVERE FLOODING BOTH MEMORIAL DAY AND HALLOWEEN, UM, FLOOD.
UM, THIS IS THE, THESE ARE THE EVENTS THAT, UH, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN KIND OF A, UM, UH, A PROBLEM WITH THE PARK FOR, FOR VERY, A LONG TIME.
BUT IT WAS THESE EVENTS THAT REALLY CREATED THIS MUCH SHORTER DRAINAGE PATH TO THE RIVER.
SO COUNTRY CLUB WEST IS AN ENGINEERED CHANNEL.
IT'S A FLOOD BYPASS, UM, THAT WAS, UM, CREATED OR CONSTRUCTED IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES, LATE SEVENTIES TO REMOVE FLOODPLAINS FROM A, UM, APARTMENT DEVELOPMENT ALONG RIVERSIDE.
AND, UM, SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE AN EAST AND WEST.
UM, IT ACTUALLY BIFURCATED THE CREEK AND, UM, ALL OF COUNTRY CLUB WEST IS A CONSTRUCTED CHANNEL.
THIS CHANNEL WAS UNFORTUNATELY NEVER FINISHED, NEVER TAKEN TO THE RIVER IN A STABLE MANNER.
AND SO THERE HAVE BEEN, LIKE I SAID, PROBLEMS OVER THE YEARS, BUT THE FLOODS IN 2015 ARE REALLY WHAT, UM, WHERE THE TIPPING POINT FOR THIS CHANNEL TO TAKE ALL THE WATER, UM, IN THIS SHORTER PATH TO THE RIVER AND THAT TRIGGERED, UM, EROSION THAT REALLY IS NOT, UM, IS NOT STOPPABLE WITHOUT A LARGE CAPITAL PROJECT, UM, A CIVIL ENGINEERING PROJECT TO, UM, TO FIX IT.
SO, UM, THIS CHANNEL, UH, WHAT YOU SEE THERE IN THE PICTURE IS THE CHANNEL ITSELF.
UM, THE BALL FIELDS ARE, UM, ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PICTURE, TOWARDS THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PICTURE.
AND THEN TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PICTURE IS WHERE THE DISC GOLF COURSES, THE BRIDGE THAT YOU SEE GOING ACROSS, THERE WAS A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED BY, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT PROJECT IN 2010.
AND SO THE EROSION, UM, BASICALLY SWEPT THE RUG OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THIS, THIS BRIDGE.
AND IT COLLAPSED IN 2015, UM, THIS POINT, UM, FROM, SO THE TOP OF THE PICTURE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS THE UPSTREAM.
AND SO THE COLORADO RIVER IS, UM, IS TOWARDS THE END OF THE, UH, THE BOTTOM OF THE PICTURE.
AND SO THE, THE WATER THAT WAS FLOWING, UM, TOWARDS THE COLORADO, FROM THE TOP OF THE SCREEN TO THE BOTTOM, THAT EROSION CONTINUED TO WORK ITS WAY UPSTREAM.
SO IN BETWEEN MAY OF 2015, WHEN THAT BRIDGE STARTED TO REALLY COLLAPSE, UM, AND DECEMBER OF 2017, THE EROSION AND THE CHANNEL PROGRESS 1500 FEET APPROXIMATELY UPSTREAM.
AND SO IT'S A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF EROSION IN A VERY SHORT TIME PERIOD.
THIS IS UNLIKE ANYTHING THAT WE REALLY SEE IN CHANNELS.
AND OFTEN IT'S A COMBINATION OF THE SAND AND THE HYDROLOGY, BUT REALLY THE, THE PROBLEM IS THAT THIS PROJECT WAS NEVER PROPERLY FINISHED AND TAKEN TO THE RIVER IN A STABLE MANNER MANNER.
SO THE SOLUTION TO STABILIZE THIS CHANNEL IS TO DO EXACTLY WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE FOUR DECADES AGO, WHICH IS TWO STEPS IS CHANNELED DOWN IN A STABLE WAY SO THAT IT CAN MAKE IT SWAY TO THE COLORADO RIVER WITHOUT DOING ALL OF THIS, UM, UH, ERODING THAT'S HAPPENING NOW.
SO THE, UM, PICTURE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING HERE IS AS A PLAN THAT IS, UM, OUR ENGINEERING PLANS FOR THE PROJECT, THE BLUE, UM, THE BLUE POLYGON IS THE CHANNEL, THE PROPOSED CHANNEL ALIGNMENT, AND THE RED BOXES THAT YOU SEE THERE ARE THESE, UM, WHAT THEY WILL BE CONCRETE, UM, DROP STRUCTURES, AND THESE STRUCTURES ARE NECESSARY.
ALTHOUGH WE TYPICALLY REALLY LIKE TO AVOID CONCRETE IN OUR CREEKS, THESE STRUCTURES ARE NECESSARY IN ORDER TO, UM, STEP THE WATER DOWN TO THE RIVER AND REALLY TAKES THE ENERGY OUT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE IN ALL THE REST OF THE BLUE AREA AS MUCH OF A NATURAL CHANNEL AS POSSIBLE,
[00:35:01]
UM, THAT IS REALLY, UH, HONORS KIND OF THE WILDLIFE OF THIS AREA AND THE PARK-LIKE SETTING.AND SO THE, THE RED, UM, STRUCTURES WILL BE LARGE.
THEY WILL BE CONCRETE, BUT WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD IN THE ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS TO MAKE THEIR FOOTPRINT AS SMALL AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THE REMAINDER OF THE CHANNEL COULD BE, UM, NATURAL.
THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE WILL BE LOCATED OVER THE, UM, MIDDLE STRUCTURE THERE, UM, WHERE IT SAYS PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, AND THAT WILL BE LOCATED ABOVE THE, THE, UM, A HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD EVENT.
AND, UM, WE'LL BE STABILIZED ON THAT, THAT MIDDLE STRUCTURE.
UM, WHILE WE'VE BEEN IN THE PROCESS OF DESIGNING THIS PROJECT, UM, THE CHANNEL HAS CONTINUED TO RAPIDLY ERODE, AND SO WE'VE DONE A NUMBER OF TEMPORARY REPAIRS TO REALLY TRY TO HOLD THE LINE BECAUSE EVERY TIME IT RAINS AND THERE'S MORE ROADS THAN THIS PROJECT BECOMES MORE COMPLICATED AND MORE EXPENSIVE, UM, TO THE CITY.
SO THE VERY FIRST PROJECT WE DID WAS TO PROTECT, UM, EROSION THAT WAS APPROACHING THE BALL FIELDS.
SO YOU CAN SEE A BEFORE PICTURE IS BANK CONTINUED TO WORK ITS WAY TOWARDS THE BALL FIELDS.
UM, AND THEN AN AFTER PICTURE, THIS, THIS PROJECT WAS DESIGNED BY OUR STAFF AND CONSTRUCTED BY OUR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE STAFF.
NEXT SLIDE, THE SECOND PROJECT THAT WE COMPLETED, UM, AS I MENTIONED, THE EROSION CONTINUED TO WORK ITS WAY ALMOST 1500 FEET UP THE CHANNEL IN A MATTER OF 18 MONTHS OR SO.
AND SO OUR GOAL WITH THIS PROJECT WAS TO STOP THAT EROSION FROM PROGRESSING ANY FARTHER UPSTREAM.
SO WITHOUT SOME KIND OF MEASURES TO STOP THIS, UM, WHAT WE CALL A HEAD CUT, UM, IN KIND OF LIKE OUR, UH, NERDY CHANNEL SPEAK, UM, IN ORDER TO STOP THAT WE HAD TO STABILIZE THIS, UM, WHAT YOU SEE IN THE BEFORE PICTURE IS WHAT WE CALL THE HEAD CUT.
SO IT'S THIS KIND OF WATERFALL THAT IS, UM, CAUSING SOIL LOSS.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE EVERY TIME IT RAINS, THAT'S JUST A BARE SOIL, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BANK THERE, WATER JUST FALLS OVER THAT AND CONTINUES TO ERODE, AND IT JUST KEEPS MOVING UPSTREAM.
AND SO THE AFTER PICTURE SHOWS, UM, WHERE WE STABILIZED THAT, UM, TO HOLD THAT LINE SO THAT WE, UM, WE'RE AT LEAST KEEPING THE FOOTPRINT OF THIS PROJECT, UM, AS, AS STABLE AS POSSIBLE, UM, THAT WAS COMPLETED IN 2018.
SO UPDATES SINCE WE LAST SPOKE WITH YOU ALL, UM, WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'VE CONTINUED TO DO TO HOLD THE LINE ON THIS PROJECT AND PROTECT PARKLANDS AND PARK RESOURCES.
UM, SO WE'VE COMPLETED THREE ADDITIONAL TEMPORARY REPAIR PROJECTS, UM, THAT I'LL SHOW PICTURES OF.
AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW WHERE WE ARE IN OUR DESIGN, UM, FOR THE PERMANENT SOLUTION, UM, FOR THE PROJECT.
SO, UM, SINCE WE LAST UPDATED, Y'ALL, WE'VE REACHED THE DESIGN MILESTONES FOR 60 AND 90% DELIVERABLES.
AND WITH THAT WE'VE, UM, RECEIVED UPDATED CONSTRUCTION, COST ESTIMATES, AND UPDATED SCHEDULE, NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO TEMPORARY REPAIRS THAT WE'VE DONE, UM, WE, UH, FLEW THIS WHOLE AREA.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE A DRONE THAT CAN PICK UP TOPOGRAPHY.
SO IN 2009 SUMMER OF 2019, WE FLEW THE FULL AIR WHOLE AREA TO TRY TO SEE WHAT'S CHANGING.
CAUSE IT'S VERY LARGE, THERE'S A LOT OF DOWN TREES.
IT'S KIND OF HARD TO TELL WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE HAD A 54 INCH EXPOSE AN ACTIVE WASTEWATER LINE.
AND THEN WE ALSO SAW THAT WE HAD GOTTEN QUITE A BIT OF ROW OF EROSION THAT WAS PROGRESSING TOWARDS THE PARK ROAD TO ACCESS THOSE BACK BALL FIELDS.
SO THE, UM, THIRD PROJECT WAS THE THIRD PROJECT WAS TO, UM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTIN WATER, PROTECT THIS THE 54 INCH, UM, WASTEWATER LINE.
AND SO THERE'S A BEFORE AND AN AFTER NEXT SLIDE.
THIS IS, UM, SHOWING PROTECTION OF THAT PARK ROAD TO ACCESS THE BASKETBALL FIELDS IN THAT BACK PARKING LOT.
AND SO JUST STABILIZING THAT TALL CUT BANK, UM, WITH SOME ROCKETS OF TOE TO KEEP IT FROM CONTINUING TO WORK ITS WAY TOWARDS THE ROAD.
AND THEN, UM, UNFORTUNATELY OUR, YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT THE SECOND PROJECT WAS, UM, TO HOLD THAT LINE SO THAT WE WEREN'T GETTING ADDITIONAL EROSION UPSTREAM THAT PROJECT AFTER A GOOD,
[00:40:02]
I GUESS TWO YEARS OF, UM, REALLY TRYING TO HOLD ON, UM, DID FINALLY FAIL.AND SO WE, UM, CONSTRUCTED A REPAIR FOR THAT AND REALLY TRIED TO BEEF IT UP.
UM, SO THAT WAS OUR TEMPORARY PROJECT NUMBER FIVE, UM, TO JUST CONTINUE TO HOLD THAT PROJECT FOOTPRINT AS TIGHT AS WE CAN.
UM, SO SINCE WE'VE LAST UPDATED, UH, THE COMMISSION WE'VE GONE THROUGH 60% DESIGN MILESTONE, AND THEN JUST IN THIS PAST MONTH IN APRIL, WE RECEIVED OUR 90% DESIGN DELIVERABLES.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE AN UPDATED CONSTRUCTION COST ESTIMATES, UM, 22 MILLION TO 28 MILLION IS THE CURRENT, UM, ESTIMATE RANGE, NEXT SLIDE.
AND, UM, THE PROJECT SCHEDULE THAT WE HAVE, UM, CURRENTLY UPDATED FROM, UM, THE ENGINEER IS THAT WE WILL COMPLETE DESIGN THIS YEAR.
WE WILL GO TO BID AND CONSTRUCTION IN 2022.
AND, UM, FROM WHEN WE START CONSTRUCTION, WE'RE ANTICIPATING ABOUT A 24 MONTH CONSTRUCTION PERIOD.
AND SO COMPLETING CONSTRUCTION IN 2024.
AND SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY, ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL HAVE QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONERS YES.
UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS OR, OR MAYBE JUST, IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT KIND OF RED CHECK STRUCTURES, UM, ARE THOSE GOING TO HOLD BACK ALL WATER OR LIKE, UM, DURING EVERY EVENT OR JUST FOR, YOU KNOW, A, A LARGER EVENT AND THEN KIND OF HOW YOU, YOU HAD SAID THAT MAYBE TRYING TO KEEP THE CHANNEL A LITTLE MORE NATURAL BETWEEN THOSE STRUCTURES.
UM, IF YOU COULD MAYBE EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S A SENIOR PILOT CHANNEL OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT BETWEEN THE BIG, UH, RED CHECKS.
AND, UM, MAYBE I DIDN'T ACCURATELY DESCRIBE THOSE STRUCTURES SO THAT THEY WILL BE WEIRD WITH, UM, BASICALLY AN ENERGY DISSIPATION BELOW, SO THEY WON'T HOLD BACK ANY, UM, ANY WATER THEY WERE, UM, WE USE THE, AT THE TIME, THE 500 YEAR DESIGN STORM BECAUSE WE KNEW ATLAS 14 WAS COMING.
UM, AND WE WOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, A LARGER A HUNDRED YEAR STORM.
SO, UM, THEY ARE DESIGNED FOR ESSENTIALLY WHAT'S THE CURRENT 100 YEAR EVENTS TO CONVEY THOSE.
UM, AND THEN THE CHANNEL IN BETWEEN, UM, W WE'VE DONE QUITE A, UM, THE CONSULTANT HAS DONE QUITE A BIT OF WORK ON LOOKING AT WHAT, UM, AMOUNT OF VEGETATION WE CAN ALLOW TO GROW IN THAT CHANNEL AND STILL, UM, CONTAIN THE FLOWS WITHIN THE CHANNEL BECAUSE, UM, WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT THEM GETTING OUT AND CAUSING EROSION, UM, AROUND IT.
THE STRUCTURES ARE ELSEWHERE IN THE PARK.
SO WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE ARE GOING TO, UM, THERE MIGHT BE DIFFERENT MAINTENANCE REGIMES, BUT WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, NATIVE GRASSES MOST CERTAINLY, UM, ON THE, ON THE CHANNEL BANKS.
SO IT'LL BE A 150 FOOT WIDE, ESSENTIALLY TRAPEZOIDAL SHAPED CHANNEL, UM, WITH VEGETATED BANKS, THE BED, UM, THE BED WILL BE KIND OF WHAT IT WANTS TO BE.
SO RIGHT NOW I DON'T, I WOULD, I WISH WE WERE KIND OF OUT THERE.
I HAD A PICTURE OF IT, BUT THERE'S, IT'S KIND OF DEVELOPED THIS REALLY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PRETTY BRAIDED CHANNEL.
UM, IT'S REALLY HAS A LOT OF INTEREST ACTUALLY.
LIKE IT'S KIND OF FUN TO WALK IN AND LIKE, WE'LL GET, PICK UP ROCKS AND STUFF.
SO WE WANT TO LEAVE THAT BED AS NATURAL AS POSSIBLE.
WE IMAGINE THAT THERE WILL BE, UM, IT'LL ACTUALLY BE KIND OF DYNAMIC AND CHANGING WITH STORM EVENTS AS CHANNELS SHOULD.
UM, BUT IT WILL BE CONTAINED IN THAT 150 FOOT WIDE CHANNEL.
SO, UM, WE WILL GIVE IT A PILOT CHANNEL TO BEGIN WITH THAT IS IN THE DESIGN AND IT'S PART OF OUR CORE PERMITTING.
UM, BUT WE ALSO IMAGINE THAT IT WILL KIND OF MAKE IT WHAT IT WANTS TO BE.
AND SO WE WON'T, UM, WE TO BE ABLE TO ENCOURAGE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A NATURAL AESTHETIC IN-BETWEEN THOSE DRAFT STRUCTURES.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
I KNOW WE LOST A LOT OF TREES, LIKE HUNDREDS OF TREES IN YOUR BACKUP.
ARE YOU PLANNING TO REPLANT ANY
[00:45:01]
OF THOSE OR IS THAT IN YOUR BUDGET? AND THEN I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW, BECAUSE YOU HAVE ALREADY EXPLAINED TO US THAT THERE WAS ONE UNEXPECTED FAIL, AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF UPSTREAM DEVELOPMENT COMING.UM, HAVE YOU ALLOWED FOR THAT IN THE PLAN AND ARE YOU TRYING TO LIMIT UPSTREAM DEVELOPMENT FROM, UM, USING COUNTRY CLUB CREEK DURING THIS TIME WHEN YOU'RE IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS? SURE.
SO, UM, THE FIRST QUESTION ON TREES, UH, WE ARE IN CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH PARD AND PART FORESTRY ON THIS PROJECT.
UM, WE DEFINITELY FEEL THAT LOSS LIKE AS STAFF VERY PERSONALLY, UM, WE ARE GOING TO DO OUR BEST TO PLANT AS MANY TREES AS WE CAN WITHIN OUR PROJECT FOOTPRINT, UM, OUR DIRECTION AS A PROJECT TEAM, UM, IN THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH SENIOR MANAGEMENT IN WATERSHED AND PARD, THE DIRECTION THAT THEY'VE GIVEN US IS, UM, DO WHAT YOU CAN WITHIN THE PROJECT FOOTPRINT AND LET'S GET THIS JOB DONE.
UM, WE WILL BE ACCOUNTING FOR TREE LOSS, UM, TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITIES SO THAT WE HAVE DOCUMENTATION.
AND THEN, UM, WE'VE DISCUSSED DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO, UM, SOME LEVEL OF MITIGATION SPECIFICALLY WITHIN THAT PARK, BUT WE DON'T HAVE, UM, ANY, UH, CON I DON'T HAVE ANY CONCRETE PLANS TO SHOW WITH YOU, BUT I WILL SHARE WITH YOU, I WILL SAY IT IS A DISCUSSION THAT IS, UM, ACTIVE AND TOP OF MIND FOR US.
UM, AND IN TERMS OF UPSTREAM DEVELOPMENT, THIS PROBLEM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR CREEKS KIND OF OUR URBAN CREEK SYNDROME OF, YOU KNOW, DEGRADATION AND INCISION AND WIDENING IS, IS VERY MUCH A PRODUCT OR A FUNCTION OF OUR URBAN HYDROLOGY.
UM, THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IN THE SENSE THAT IT'S, UM, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A MECHANICAL PROBLEM.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF WE TOOK, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE DEVELOPMENT OUT OF COUNTRY CLUB CREEK, WEST WATERSHED, THIS, THIS CHANNEL WE'LL CONTINUE TO TRY TO FLATTEN ITSELF OUT.
AND SO, BECAUSE IT WAS A CONSTRUCTED CHANNEL, YOU KNOW, WATER WAS PUT HERE AND NEVER GIVEN A REALLY, UM, STABLE PATH TO THE RIVER.
IT WILL CONTINUE TO TRY TO MAKE ITSELF AS FLAT AS SAND WANTS TO BE, WHICH IS BASICALLY COMPLETELY FLAT, UM, UNTIL SOMETHING IT, SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A FUNCTION OF HYDROLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT AT THIS POINT, IT'S DEFINITELY A FUNCTION OF, UM, GETTING A STABLE, A STREAM BED AND, AND NOT REALLY REQUIRES THESE, THESE KIND OF BIG STEPS DOWN TO THE RIVER, UM, WHICH IS WHAT WILL STABILIZE IT.
WE HAVE DESIGNED THIS, UM, THIS PROJECT TO CONVEY THE FULLY DEVELOPED UPSTREAM CONDITIONS FOR THE A HUNDRED YEAR, UM, CURRENT A HUNDRED YEAR STORMS. SO MY QUESTION WAS, HAVE YOU, UM, IS THERE SOME SORT OF WAY TO DEAL WITH THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE COMING ONLINE AND ADDING TO THAT? OR DID I JUST NOT HEAR YOU ANSWER ME ABOUT THAT? THEY JUST NEED A CLEAR PATH.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? THAT IS THE ANSWER TO THAT.
IF, IF THERE IS, UM, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT'S WITHIN THE COUNTRY CLUB CREEK WATERSHED, THE ENGINEERING PROJECT IS DESIGNING FOR FULLY DEVELOPED CONDITIONS.
UM, I, YEAH, UM, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, THIS IS LIZ JOHNSTON WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION.
AND, UM, WE ARE AWARE OF THE, THE PROJECTS, UM, THAT ARE PROPOSED UPSTREAM OF THIS DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THEY ARE REGULATED BY THE EAST CORRIDOR REGULATING PLAN.
HOWEVER, THAT PLAN DOES NOT GRANDFATHER THEM OUT OF STORMWATER, UM, REGULATIONS.
THEY WILL HAVE TO MEET CURRENT CODE FOR BOTH DRAINAGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, CONSIDERATIONS.
AND SO WE WILL, UM, YOU KNOW, ENSURE, UM, THROUGH THE DSD ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW STAFF AND WATERSHED PROTECTION REVIEW STAFF THAT, UM, OUR CURRENT CODE IS, UM, MET WITH THOSE UPSTREAM DEVELOPMENTS.
AND SO THOSE DEVELOPMENTS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO INCREASE FLOWS FROM WHAT THERE IS TODAY.
I'M HOPING THAT THAT IS THE CASE OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONER WORSE.
UH, THIS COMMISSIONER BRIMER AGAIN, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FIRST, UH, IS, YOU KNOW, CREEKS HAVE A WAY, ESPECIALLY IN FLOOD CONDITIONS TO KIND OF CREATE THEIR OWN PATH.
[00:50:03]
AN IDEA OF HOW LONG THE SOLUTION THAT YOU ARE CREATING? THIS IS GOING TO LAST, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY YOU WANT IT TO LAST FOREVER, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU FEEL IS GOING TO BE A CONTINUING PROBLEM GOING FORWARD? THAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE MONITORED AND ADJUSTED AS THE YEARS PROGRESS.IT'S, UM, ONE OF OUR MANTRAS AS THE PROJECT TEAM THAT WE WANT TO BE THE LAST ONES TO TOUCH THIS.
SO THIS IS A, WE ARE DESIGNING THIS, UM, IN MANY WAYS WITHOUT GOING INTO A LOT OF THE DETAILS, ALTHOUGH I'D BE HAPPY TO GO INTO THEM.
UM, WE ARE DESIGNING THIS WITH A EXTREME AMOUNT OF CONSERVATISM.
UM, WE'VE ALL LEARNED VERY TOUGH LESSONS FROM THIS CHANNEL.
IT HAS SHOWED US, UM, IT'S KIND OF THE POWER AND THE, UM, THE VOLATILITY OF THIS CONDITION.
AND WE ARE, UM, WE WANT THIS PROJECT TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS, UM, WE WANT THIS BRIDGE TO LAST FOR GENERATIONS.
UM, SO NO, THIS IS, I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD, BECAUSE, UM, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, YOU TOUCHED ON THIS TOO.
THE INTERIM PROJECTS THAT I SHOWED, UM, IN THE PRESENTATION, THOSE WE KNOW ARE BAND-AIDS, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THAT THAT CREEK, UM, WILL NOT JUST KIND OF EAT THOSE ALIVE WITH TIME.
UM, BUT WE WANTED TO DO WHAT WE COULD TO TRY TO HOLD THE LINE, UM, SO THAT THE PROJECTS THAT WE WERE DESIGNING TO BE A PERMANENT SOLUTION WILL NOT, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, COULD BE AS, UM, NOT CONTINUED TO GET WORSE OR BIGGER, I GUESS.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION COMMISSIONER? UH, YES.
AND MY SECOND QUESTION IS, UH, WHEN YOU, I NOTICED THOSE COUNTRIES STRUCTURES, YOU'RE BUILDING THERE TO SLOW THE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE SPEED OF THE WATER IS IT MAKES ITS WAY TO, UH, THE COLORADO RIVER.
UM, A LOT OF TIMES I SEE, OR EROSION ON THE, UH, YOU KNOW, ON THE, ON THE EDGE OF THAT, UH, OF CONCRETE WHEN THAT'S DONE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE WATER SWIRLS, UH, UNDER THERE, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE PLANNING FOR, OR HAVE ADJUSTED FOR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO THOSE STRUCTURES DON'T FAIL AS TIME GOES ON.
UM, SO JUST TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF INSIGHT INTO ONE OF THE MORE EXCITING PARTS OF THE DESIGN PROCESS IS, UM, WE, WE WENT THROUGH THE EXTRA STEP OF BUILDING A PHYSICAL SCALE MODEL WITH A, UM, A, UM, A LABORATORY IN VANCOUVER.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S RENOWNED FOR THIS TYPE OF, UM, HYDRAULIC MODELING IN A LABORATORY ENVIRONMENT, UM, TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THE STRUCTURES THAT WE WERE BUILDING AND THE CHANNEL, UM, COULD, COULD WITHSTAND, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, HIGHEST FLOWS THAT WE WOULD, UM, IMAGINE THAT, THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE IN IT, UM, BASED ON THE DESIGN STORM.
UM, AND SO THOSE MODELS DID SHOW US WHERE WE MIGHT EXPECT TO SEE EROSION, UM, DOWNSTREAM OF THE STRUCTURES AND HOW MUCH SCOUR WE MIGHT SEE.
AND SO THE, UM, ENGINEERING TEAM HAS DESIGNED, UM, KIND OF PROTECTIVE MEASURES USING LARGE DIAMETER, RIP RAP, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LARGE LANGSTON BOULDERS, UM, TO PROTECT THOSE AREAS DOWNSTREAM.
I MEAN, WE, WE DO EXPECT TO SEE THAT KIND OF SCOUR AND ADJUSTMENT, BUT THE OVERALL CHANNEL, UM, THE STRUCTURES AND THE CHANNEL HAVE BEEN, UM, DESIGNED TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT.
AND FINALLY, UM, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO RECLAIM THE OLD STREAM BED? YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE REDIRECTING THE, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU YOU'RE ALLOWING FOR THE NEW BED, BUT WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE OLD STREAM BETTER? YOU'RE GOING TO CRY THE REPLAYING THAT AT ALL.
UM, CURRENTLY THAT, THAT OLD, UM, SO COMMISSIONERS, I THINK REMEMBERING THAT FIRST SLIDE OF THE PARK, HOW COUNTRY CLUB WEST USED TO GO OFF TO THE EAST AND THIS PATH, AND NOW WE'RE TAKING IT'S THE SHORTER PATH TO THE RIVER THAT WE'RE FORMALIZING WITH THIS PROJECT, UM, AND STABILIZING WHAT THIS PROJECT THAT, UM, OLD CREEK BED, WE ACTUALLY ANTICIPATE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN EXCESS AMOUNT OF PHIL FROM THIS PROJECT.
AND SO WE WILL BE TRYING TO, UM, USE THAT PHIL TO, UM, FILL IN THAT OLD BED THAT IS COMPLETELY ABANDONED.
SO NO WATER GOES, UM, GOES THERE ANYMORE.
NOW THAT THE PAST OF THE RIVER THAT IT'S SEEKING NOW IS MUCH LOWER.
UM, AND SO WE WILL USE ANY ADDITIONAL FILL THAT'S LEFT OVER FROM THIS PROJECT, AND WE WILL USE IT, UM, TO FILL IN THAT OLD STREAM BED.
[00:55:04]
OKAY.FIRST OF ALL, DO NOT LEAVE UNTIL THIS IS COMPLETED THROUGH THICK AND THIN.
UM, BUT I DO WANT TO KNOW IF THOSE FEDERAL FEMA GRANTS IS STILL GOING TO BE ABLE TO COVER THE COST, THE JAR WOULD YOU LOOKED AT THAT SEEMS EONS AGO, OR Y'ALL HAVING CONCERNS ABOUT COVERING THOSE COSTS? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, SO WE, THIS PROJECT, WE CONSIDER IT FULLY FUNDED.
I THINK YOU WILL REMEMBER THAT THE INITIAL COST, UM, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING ON THIS PROJECT, WE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THIS CHANNEL WAS GOING TO NEED TO REALLY BE STABLE.
AND SO PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING GAVE US AN IDEA.
SO WE WERE THINKING AROUND 15 MILLION, UM, THE FEMA GRANTS COVER, WE, THAT IS STILL, UM, WE STILL HAVE THAT AVAILABLE TO US.
IT COVERS EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION OF THE COST.
UM, THE REMAINDER OF THE COST OF THAT COMES FROM A COMBINATION OF, UM, FUNDS FROM PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT DRAINAGE, UTILITY FUND, AND 2018 BOND FUNDS.
SO W WE ARE, UM, COMMITTED TO FUNDING THIS PROJECT, EVEN WITH THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS ESTIMATES THAT ARE, UM, ARE, ARE COMING UP NOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS IT GOES OUT TO BIDDING, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALWAYS A CONCERN BECAUSE PART OF THIS HUGE CATASTROPHE IS BECAUSE OF SOME SORT OF, AND I CAN SAY IT, YOU CAN'T INCOMPETENCY FROM SOMEONE ELSE THAT BID IT OUT AND BUILT THE ORIGINAL ONE THAT FAILED FURTHER DOWN OR UP.
AND SO, UH, WHAT KIND OF INSPECTION WILL HAPPEN, UH, AFTER IT'S FINISHED? WELL, THERE, WE ALL BE ABLE TO INSPECT IT, OR HOW DOES THE INSPECTION PROCESS GONNA GO? OKAY.
SO WE WILL HAVE CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION THROUGH THE CITY THROUGH PUBLIC WORKS.
WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING WITH OUR PROJECT MANAGER AND THE ENGINEERING DESIGN TEAM ABOUT, UM, WRITING QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE BID PROCESS, SO THAT WE'RE SURE TO GET, UM, CONTRACTORS THAT ARE COMPETENT TO BUILD THIS PROJECT.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A, CERTAINLY A DIFFERENCE IN THE DESIGN, UM, BETWEEN THE PREVIOUS PROJECTS AND THIS PROJECT.
AND SO WE, UM, HAVE, YOU KNOW, CONFIDENCE THAT THE DESIGN IS, IT WILL RISE TO MEET THE NEED FOR THE CHANNEL.
THAT'S VERY REASSURING TO HEAR I, THAT SOUNDS REALLY GOOD.
AND THEN FINALLY, I KNOW THAT WE'LL TALK, W WE ONLY HAVE ON OUR AGENDA TO DO THIS PORTION OF IT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HANDLE, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER SECTION OF THE COUNTRY, CLIFF CREEK, UM, AREA, BUT WE DO NEED TO TALK ABOUT OTHER EROSION ISSUES THAT FLOW INTO THAT PARK AND, AND THOSE CONSTANT PROBLEMATIC SITUATIONS.
AND BECAUSE OF ALL THIS FLOODING, ANOTHER PIECE OF THIS WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, THIS PARK WAS IDENTIFIED NOW AS PART OF A POTENTIAL CAMPING SITE, UH, FOR THE HOMELESS.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF THIS AREA'S FLOODING, YOU KNOW, DOES THAT JUST TAKE IT OFF THE TABLE OR NOT? I KNOW WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT ANYTHING LIKE THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME BACK AND DO SOME OTHER AGENDA STUFF REGARDING THE WHOLE CREEK, NOT JUST THIS SECTION.
AND OF COURSE I DO GET COMMENTS AND I GET, UH, EMAILS REGARDING THE, IS IT CALLED THE RIVER DEVELOPMENT, WHATEVER IT'S CALLED THE RIVER, UH, AND HOW THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT.
SO, UM, WOULD THAT BE YOU, OR WOULD THAT OUT OF YOUR, OUT OF THAT, THAT'D BE SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
I THINK THAT WE WOULD BE HUM FIND THE RIGHT FOLKS FOR THAT DISCUSSION.
UM, THAT CONCLUDES CONCLUDES IF THERE'S NO MORE QUESTIONS.
UH, WE APPRECIATE IT, JENNIFER.
THANK YOU FOR HANGING IN THERE.
[3a. Discussion and recommendation of Austin Water Capital Improvement Projects located in the Drinking Water Protection Zone for approval to include in the 5-year Capital spending plan as required by Financial Policy #8—Aurora Pizano, Financial Manager II, Austin Water (15 minutes)]
ALL RIGHT, GUYS, WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD TO THREE ON OUR AGENDA ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION POSSIBLE ACTION.THERE WAS NO PUBLIC HEARINGS ON ANY OF THESE ITEMS. THREE, A DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION OF AUSTIN WATER, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS LOCATED IN THE DRINKING WATER PROTECTION ZONE FOR APPROVAL TO INCLUDE IN THE
[01:00:01]
FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL SPENDING PLAN AS REQUIRED BY FINANCIAL POLICY.NUMBER EIGHT, WE HAVE, I WILL.
FINANCIAL MANNERS MANAGER HERE TO SPEAK TO US TONIGHT.
AURORA ROSANO, IS SHE HERE? I AM HERE.
I, THE FINANCIAL MANAGER FOR CITY OF AUSTIN WITH AUSTIN WATER DEPARTMENT, AND WITH ME IS LAUREN CAN SUPERVISE AN ENGINEER.
I DO NOT HAVE A PRESENTATION, UH, BUT THERE WAS A MEMO POSTED WITH THE AGENDA THAT HAS, UM, A CIP PROJECT SUMMARY TABLE AND NEEDLE.
SO IT HAS SOME SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION IN IT IN A MAP.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY YOU'RE ABLE TO PULL THAT ON YOUR END.
UM, BUT BASICALLY I'M HERE TO, UH, BECAUSE EACH YEAR AS PART OF CITY OF AUSTIN BUDGET APPROVAL PROCESS, AUSTIN WATER SUBMITS A PLAN FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM SPENDING FOR THE UPCOMING FIVE-YEAR PERIOD, AUSTIN WATERS, FISCAL YEAR 22 TO 26 CIP PLANNING INCLUDES PROJECTS LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE CITY, INCLUDING THE DRINKING WATER PROTECTION ZONE.
AND SO INCOMPLIANCE WITH THEIR FINANCIAL POLICY.
WE HAVE A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS LISTED HERE, UH, THAT ARE LOCATED IN THIS DRINKING WATER PROTECTION SOWN.
AND THESE PROJECTS WERE PRESENT IMPROVEMENTS REQUIRED TO MEET AUSTIN WATER, OPERATIONS STANDARDS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE.
UM, SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE THOSE AT THIS TIME.
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS.
HOWEVER, I HAVE GOTTEN SEVERAL COMMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY, SO I WILL JUST PASS THEM ON, UH, SEVERAL LONGSTANDING AND HIGHLY RESPECTABLE, UH, CITIZENS HAVE WRITTEN IN.
I KNOW THIS IS MORE OR LESS, UM, A COURTESY THAT Y'ALL DO WHEN Y'ALL COME FORWARD TO US.
UH, WE DON'T GET THE KIND OF FULL DETAILS THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, PEOPLE WOULD WANT US TO PROBABLY HAVE FOR THIS KIND OF A, UH, AGENDA ITEM.
SO I'LL JUST PASS ON THESE QUESTIONS SO THAT YOU CAN CARRY THEM ON AND BE ABLE TO KNOW THAT THESE, THESE HAVE BUBBLED UP.
UM, UH, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WAS REGARDING WATER TOWERS.
WHAT WILL THEY LOOK LIKE? HOW TALL AND BIG WILL THEY BE? WILL YOU SHOW A DRAWING OF THE AREA? AND THE PROPOSED NEW TOWER HAVE RESIDENTS IN THE AREA, HAD PROJECT SHOWN TO THEM.
ARE THERE ANY ALTERNATIVES THAT WOULD BE LESS INTRUSIVE IN THESE ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS? UM, THAT CAME FORWARD.
ALSO SOMEONE BROUGHT FORWARD ANOTHER QUESTION, UM, THERE SHOULD BE A MUCH BETTER MAP OF EACH PROJECT SHOWING TOPOGRAPHY AND THE EXTENT OF THE DRINKING WATER PROTECTION ZONE IN THAT AREA.
AND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WERE THE AREAS SERVED APPROVED BY THE SERVICE BY THE CITY COUNCIL, WHEN WERE THE AREAS SERVED APPROVED BY SERVICE BY THE CITY COUNCIL, AND ONE OF THE AREAS TRY TO GET OUT OF THE, THE DISTRICT AND THEY TRY TO LEAVE US, HOLD ON.
AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION IS, UM, WHAT OLD EXISTING AREAS ARE TO RECEIVE SERVICE FROM THE PROJECT.
THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT THE CITIZENS HAVE.
AND THEN WHEN THIS IS BROUGHT FORWARD TO US, THEY EXPECT IT'S KIND OF A DEEP DIVE.
AND I KNOW THIS IS KIND OF A PUNK FUNCTIONARY PASSING OF THE TORCH ONWARD, BUT I DO WANT YOU TO BE AWARE OF THE CONCERNS THAT CONSISTENCE HAT, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON.
WELL, ALONG THAT VEIN, I KNOW THAT LOST CREEK, UH, THE WATER MAIN IMPROVEMENT IS, UM, IS PLANNED FOR, AND THEY DID GO TO THE LEDGE, BUT FORTUNATELY THAT THEY ARE STILL IN, IN THE, IN OUR, IN THE CITY.
SO I GUESS THAT CAN PROCEED FORWARD, BUT THAT WAS A BIG QUESTION.
AND, UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I'M ASKING IS THE SOUTHWEST PARKWAY TRANSMISSION MAIN, UM, I'M WONDERING IF THAT NEEDS TO BE IN AS OF DEVELOPMENT.
[01:05:01]
SIMPLE, STRAIGHTFORWARD QUESTION.UM, BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THAT AREA FOR MANY YEARS.
I'D JUST LIKE TO KNOW YES OR NO.
I DON'T NEED FOR YOU TO ELABORATE.
UH, THANKS ROY LAUREN KING, AUSTIN WATER, UM, CIP AND ASSET MANAGEMENT.
UM, THE, UH, PROJECTS ARE ALL DESIGNED WITH, UM, UH, APPROVED SCRS, UH, KNOWN.
AND SO OUR SYSTEMS PLANNING TEAM IS WELL AWARE OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND, YOU KNOW, THE POSSIBILITIES OF THAT DEVELOPMENT AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MAKING STRATEGIC CHOICES BASED ON THOSE.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, OUR GENERAL POLICY IS THE DEVELOPMENT PAY FOR DEVELOPMENT.
SO THESE AREN'T, WE AREN'T, WE DON'T ADD SPECULATIVE CAPACITY, UM, TO PROJECTS.
AND THESE ARE JUST A FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL PLAN TOTAL.
SO IT'S POSSIBLE THAT PROJECTS HAVE A, UH, A LARGER TOTAL VALUES AND YOU CAN SEE IN THE FIVE-YEAR.
I WILL ALSO ADD, UM, THAT WE WILL BE, I MEAN, AS PART OF OUR FINANCIAL POLICY, THERE WILL BE, UH, PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT BY COUNCIL AND ON JULY 29TH, AND THEN WE'LL BE, WE'LL BE CONDUCTING THAT PUBLIC HEARING ON AUGUST 11TH.
THIS IS COMMISSIONER BRIMER AURORA.
I HAVE, UH, JUST TWO PRETTY SIMPLE QUESTIONS.
UH, THE LOOP THREE 60 ELEVATED RESERVOIR AND THE NORTHWEST AREA LIFT STATIONS.
UH, CAN YOU GIVE ME A, AN IDEA OF WHERE THOSE ARE PHYSICALLY LOCATED? I WILL DEFER THAT TO LAUREN.
IF YOU WILL, UH, GO TO THE FIFTH PAGE OF THE MEMO, WE HAVE INCLUDED A MAP THAT HAS THE LOCATION, UM, OF THOSE PROPOSED PROJECTS.
AND, UH, IT'S FREEZING UP AT THIS EXACT MOMENT.
SO I'M, UH, IT WILL ASSIST YOU, BUT THOSE WILL BE CALLED OUT BY THE SUN PROJECT ID NUMBER ON THAT MAP, UM, FOR YOU, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? I WAS HOPING TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT AND TELL YOU WHERE THEY WERE, BUT THAT'S NOT HAPPENING AT THIS MOMENT.