[CALL TO ORDER]
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AND THIS IS A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, AUGUST 25TH, 2021 AT 6:04 PM.
VIA VIDEO CONFERENCING, UH, LOW CALL HARRIS HARRIS HERSHEY.
UH, RACHEL SCOTT DISTRICT TWO.
PAM THOMPSON, DISTRICT THREE, KATIE COYNE, DISTRICT FOUR, ERIC AUDREY BARRETT, BIXLER DISTRICT FIVE, I GUESS DISTRICT SIX, JENNIFER BRISTOL DISTRICT SEVEN, KEVIN RAMBERT DISTRICT EIGHT, LINDA GUERRERO, DISTRICT NINE.
PRESENT RICHARD BRIMER DISTRICT 10 BEER AND PERRY BEDFORD MAYOR'S APPOINTEE HERE.
ALRIGHT, SO I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY GENERAL CITIZEN COMMUNICATION THIS EVENING THAT I'M AWARE OF.
SO THIS IS OUR RETREAT AND FIRST, UH, ONE
[1a. Review of key watershed regulations in City Code Chapter 25-8—Atha Phillips, Environmental Program Coordinator, Watershed Protection Department]
A WE'RE GOING TO KICK OFF WITH THE REVIEW OF KEY WATERSHED REGULATIONS IN THE CITY CODE CHAPTER 25 DASH EIGHT.MS. PHILLIPS IS HERE TO PRESENT TO US THIS EVENING.
WELL, AND I, I JUST, UH, THIS IS LIZ JOHNSTON BEFORE SHE BEGINS.
I JUST WANTED TO WELCOME EVERYONE AND SAY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THESE RETREATS ARE TYPICALLY DONE IN PERSON AND REGRETTABLY.
WE HAVE TO STILL DO ONE MORE YEAR, UM, VIRTUALLY, BUT, UM, I HAVE TO HOPE THAT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT OR AN ENLIGHTENING INFORMATION THAT YOU'LL RECEIVE THIS EVENING.
ALSO WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT, UM, STAFF HERE.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE AN ATTENDANCE, SARAH HARTLEY, WHO'S OUR INTERIM ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER.
UM, SHE'S THE EXECUTIVE LIAISON TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IN THIS TIME UNTIL WE, UM, HAVE THE OFFICIAL, UH, FINAL PERSON NOMINATED AND THEN SHE WILL, UM, HAVE IT BACK TO HER ORIGINAL ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, UH, POSITION OVER A SUPPORT SERVICES IN WATERSHED THAT WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE HER HERE THIS EVENING AS WELL.
AND I SEE THAT BEAR THAT CLOSED HERE.
ALL RIGHT, SO THANKS EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
SO, UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME IS AVA PHILLIPS AND I'M AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM COORDINATOR WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.
I'LL PROVIDE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF RELEVANT ENVIRONMENTAL CODE AND THE POSSIBLE VARIANCES ASSOCIATED WITH EACH ONE.
SO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE INCLUDES REQUIREMENTS FOR BUILDING WITHIN AUSTIN AND THE EXTRA TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OR ETJ.
YOU'LL HEAR THE WORD ETJ A LOT.
AND SO I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND PROVIDE A DEFINITION FOR YOU.
THE ETJ IS A BUFFER AREA LOCATED JUST OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS.
SO EACH MUNIS PALLET T IS AFFORDED ETJ BY THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE AS A METHOD OF DEFINING POTENTIAL GROWTH IN FUTURE SURFACE BOUNDARIES.
SO THERE'S THE ZONING JURISDICTION.
AND THEN WE HAVE AREAS THERE'S LIKE A TWO MILE ETJ AND A FIVE MILE ETJ.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S CLEAR BECAUSE YOU'LL HEAR ETJ KIND OF THROWN AROUND AND YOU'LL BE LIKE, WHAT ARE THEY SAYING? UM, BUT THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE COVERS ALL THE REQUIREMENTS FOR DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO ZONING TRANSPORTATION, UTILITIES DRAINAGE, WHICH INCLUDES FLOOD THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE PERMIT PROCESS.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL SECTION IS 25 8 ENVIRONMENT.
MOST SECTIONS OF THE LDC ALSO HAVE THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENT AND TWENTY-FIVE EIGHT IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA MANUAL.
AND WE ALSO CALL THAT THE ECM.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER ACRONYM THAT YOU'LL HEAR THROWN AROUND.
AND SO I LIKE TO THINK THAT THE CODE IS THE WHAT, LIKE WHAT YOU NEED TO DO AND THE ECM IS HOW YOU DO IT.
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RULES FOR HOW YOU, UH, PERFORM THE REQUIREMENTS OF CODE NEXT SLIDE.SO AS WE DIVE FURTHER INTO 25 8, IT IS MADE UP OF TWO SUB CHAPTERS, SUB CHAPTER, A WATER QUALITY AND SUBCHAPTER B TREE AND NATURAL AREA PROTECTION WITH A ENDANGERED SPECIES.
AND SO I SAY THAT THE TREE TEAM IS HERE TODAY.
AND SO THEY CAN TALK TO THAT SUB CHAPTER.
SO ALTHOUGH THE WATER PROTECTION DEPARTMENT SETS THE ENVIRONMENTAL WATER QUALITY AND DRAINAGE POLICY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT REGULATES MUCH OF THE CODE, INCLUDING SOME OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CODE WHEN VARIANCES ARE PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSION, REVIEWERS FROM PARTNERING DEPARTMENTS WILL TYPICALLY BE PRESENTING THESE VARIANCES.
THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DOES STILL REVIEW AND REGULATE FLOOD PLAIN CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES AND FLOODPLAIN MODIFICATION.
SO TONIGHT, UM, MY PORTION WILL, UH, FOCUS ON TWENTY-FIVE EIGHT SUB CHAPTER A WATER QUALITY.
THIS IS WHERE MAJORITY OF THE VARIANCES THAT YOU WILL SEE COME FROM.
IT'S NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LOOK AT CODE, BUT WE'LL HIGHLIGHT THE AREAS THAT, THAT YOU WILL NEED TO BE FAMILIAR WITH.
NEXT SLIDE SO TWENTY-FIVE EIGHT TO 11 IS THE REQUIREMENT FOR WATER QUALITY CONTROLS.
EVERY PROJECT MUST REMOVE OR PROVIDE THE REMOVAL OF FLOATING DEBRIS OR STORMWATER RUNOFF, URBAN WATERSHEDS HAVE THE OPTION TO PROVIDE A PAYMENT IN LIEU OF WATER QUALITY CONTROLS.
THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A VARIANCE THAT WE CAN FIND WE'VE BEEN TRACKING SINCE 2007, THAT ANYONE HAS BEEN GIVEN A VARIANCE TO THIS SECTION.
AND SO ALL PROJECTS ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE SOME SORT OF WATER QUALITY, UM, OR, UH, PROVIDE A PAYMENT IN LIEU OF.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO WATER QUALITY PONDS, THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT METHODS.
AND THE MOST COMMON IS THE SEDIMENTATION FILTRATION POND.
AND THERE IS ALSO AN OPTION TO BUILD GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.
THIS INCLUDES RAIN GARDENS, BIOFILTRATION PONDS, A VEGETATED FILTER STRIPS AND RETENTION IRRIGATION.
NEXT SLIDE SO HERE ARE OUR PICTURES OF THE TWO MOST COMMON WATER QUALITY CONTROLS.
THE SEDIMENTATION POND IS THE ONE YOU'LL SEE AROUND TOWN.
UH, THE DEPTH OF THESE PONDS WILL ALL WILL USUALLY REQUIRE A FENCE AROUND THE PERIMETER.
AND SO THEY'RE USUALLY QUITE DEEP.
AND THEN THE RAIN GARDEN IS THE ONE TO THE RIGHT, AND IT'S AN INTEGRATED SOLUTION THAT ALLOWS THE APPLICANT TO SITES, SMALLER SHALLOWER, WATER QUALITY PONDS AROUND THE PROJECT.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S LITTLE BIT MORE ATTRACTIVE AND, UH, PROVIDES AN AMENITY AS WELL AS WATER QUALITY.
NEXT LINE 25 8 2 6 1 CRITICAL WATER QUALITIES ZONE DEVELOPMENT SPEAKS TO WHAT IS ALLOWED IN CREEK BUFFERS.
ONLY CERTAIN DEVELOPMENT IS ALLOWED, AND IF IT IS NOT LISTED WITHIN THIS SECTION OF CODE, IT REQUIRES SOME VARIANCE, ALLOWABLE DEVELOPMENT INCLUDES OPEN SPACE TRAILS OR ATHLETIC FIELDS, UTILITY LINES, AND CERTAIN WATER QUALITY PONDS ARE ALLOWED, BUT THESE ITEMS MUST MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF CREEK SETBACKS, ALIGNMENTS AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS.
VARIANCES ARE USUALLY DUE TO, UH, PSYCH CONSTRAINTS.
UH, LAST YEAR OF VARIANTS CAME TO THE COMMISSION THAT WAS, UH, SEEKING A VARIANCE, UH, TO A WASTEWATER LINE BEING IN THE INNER HALF OF THE CRITICAL.
AND SO STAFF WAS ABLE TO PROVE THAT THERE WERE OTHER ALIGNMENTS THAT THIS UTILITY LINE COULD, UM, TAKE.
AND AS A RESULT, THE VARIANCE WAS NOT RECOMMENDED.
NEXT SLIDE SO HERE ARE TWO PIT, UH, PICTURES THAT SPEAK TO WHY THE CODE APPLIES BUFFERS.
THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITIES ARE SERVED NOT ONLY TO PROTECT THE CREEK, BUT ALSO TO PROTECT PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT AROUND THE CREEK.
WE POLICY ROSHAN, AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO STABILIZE A CREEK BANK ONCE IT STARTS MOVING WITHOUT, UM, ENGINEERING REQUIREMENTS.
AND SO IT WILL OFTEN REQUIRE THE PLACEMENT OF GABIONS OR CONCRETE, UM, ALONG THE
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CREEK BANKS TO STABILIZE THAT NEXT SLIDE.SO WASTEWATER PIPES AND CREEKS ARE A PROBLEM WHEN IT COMES TO CREEK HEALTH, UM, A PIPE FAILURE CAMERA RELEASE SEWAGE INTO THE CREEK MANHOLES AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE CAN BE UNCOVERED AND EXPOSED BY EROSION AND FLOOD WATER OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE FLOOD FLOW FURTHER ERODE THE CREEK IN THE PHOTOS.
YOU CAN SEE THE DESTRUCTIVE NATURE OF FLOOD CLO ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO 25, 8 TO SIX, TWO CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE STREET CROSSINGS.
ANOTHER WAY THAT COULD PROTECT CREEKS IS BY MINIMIZING CROSSINGS CROSSING A CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE WITH THE ROAD CAN CAUSE EROSION AND THE NEED FOR HARDENING AROUND THE CROSSING CODE ALLOWS FOR SOME ROADS TO CROSS WITHOUT A VARIANCE, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY SOUND.
THE MOST COMMON VARIANTS ASKED FOR IS A PRIVATE DRIVEWAY TO PROSPECT CREEK.
ANOTHER VARIANT SEEN IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS WAS MULTIPLE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY CROSSINGS ON THE SAME PROJECT.
AND SO USUALLY DUE TO SITE SITE CONSTRAINTS, STAFF WILL SUPPORT THE FIRST CROSSING, BUT NOT ALWAYS THE SECOND CROSSING NEXT FLOOD.
WHEN BUILDING A CREEK CROSSING, THERE ARE TWO STANDARD OPTIONS COLBERT'S OR A SPAN BRIDGE CULVERTS ARE A CONCRETE BOX THAT IS PLACED INTO THE CREEK.
AND HERE YOU CAN SEE THEY'RE ACTUALLY TWO BOXES PLACED SIDE BY SIDE, AND THE FURTHER, YOU KNOW, THE WIDER THE CREEK IS THE MORE BOXES GET PLACED.
SIDE-BY-SIDE UM, BUT WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT THE FLOOR OF THE CREEK IN THAT SECTION IS CONCRETE.
AND SO THE WALLS COMING OFF OF THE CON UH, CULVERTS ARE CALLED WING WALLS AND THEY'RE THEY'RE INSTALLED PROJECT AGAINST EROSION AND UNDERMINING OF THE STRUCTURE.
THE SPAN BRIDGE WILL HAVE PEERS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE MAIN FLOW OF THE WATER AND LEAVE THE CREEK UNDERNEATH IN A NATURAL STATE.
THIS IS A LESS INVASIVE WAY TO CROSS THE CREEK AND STAFF WILL TYPICALLY ASK FOR THAT.
A VARIANCE GRANTED TO THIS SECTION INCLUDES A SPAN BRIDGE, NEXT SLIDE, 25 8 2 8 1 CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES, CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES ALSO CALL THEM CES.
THAT MAY BE IN ANOTHER ACRONYM THAT YOU'LL HEAR FRONT AROUND.
UM, INCLUDES SPRINGS, SEEPS, RIM, ROTS, BLUFFS, KARST VOIDS, OR CAVES AND WETLANDS.
THERE IS A BUFFER SURROUNDING THE FEATURE TO ENSURE ITS PROTECTION.
SACK IS ABLE TO ADMINISTRATIVELY MODIFY AND MITIGATE THESE BUFFERS EXCEPT FOR SITES WITHIN 500 FEET OF LAKE AUSTIN.
THESE ARE THE VARIANCES THAT YOU WILL TYPICALLY SEE.
AND SO A VARIANCE WOULD ASK, SO A TYPICAL VARIANCE THAT YOU MIGHT SEE WOULD BE TO CONSTRUCT A BOAT DOCK WITHIN THE BUFFER OF A C A AND I, YOU GUYS HAVE PROBABLY SEEN A COUPLE OF THOSE THIS YEAR.
YOU'RE A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES WHERE THE FEATURE WAS COMPROMISED DUE TO DEVELOPMENT ON THE LEFT, WE HAVE A RIM ROCK ALONG BULL CREEK, WHICH WAS CUT INTO FOUR, A POND DISCHARGE PIPE.
SO THE PIPE, BASICALLY THE SITE WAS ABOVE THE RIM ROCK AND THEY NEEDED A PIPE TO OUT FALL INTO THE CREEK.
WELL, THEY JUST CUT A LITTLE NOTCH INTO THE RIM ROCK.
AND, UM, YOU CAN'T REPAIR THAT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO LOOK LIKE THIS NOW.
AND, UM, THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE AT THE TIME CODE WAS SILENT ABOUT THE PROTECTION OF CFS, BUT THAT'S NO LONGER THE CASE, JUST SO YOU KNOW, UM, ON THE RIGHT, UH, SITE WAS GRANTED A VARIANCE TO CONSTRUCT A TRAM ON A BLUFF AND DURING THE CONSTRUCTION, A PORTION OF THE BLUFF HOLD AWAY, AND THAT PROJECT ACTUALLY HAD TO STOP CONSTRUCTION.
AND, UM, THAT PROBABLY TOOK THREE YEARS TO GET AN ENGINEER THAT WOULD SIGN OFF ON A PATH FORWARD FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THAT TRAM.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN YOU START TO KIND OF GET INTO THESE
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FEATURES.AND SO THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS POSSIBILITIES DURING CONSTRUCTION.
SO 25 8 3 4 1 IN 25, 8 3 4 TO DEAL WITH CUT AND FILL.
SO CUTTING INFILL ARE LIMITED TO 14 AND LIMITATIONS ARE PUT IN PLACE TO MAINTAIN THE NATURAL CHARACTER OF THE LAND AND ACTUALLY TO PUSH INTO THE YEARS TO DESIGN WHAT THE CONTOURS OF THE LAND.
AND SO APPLICANTS IN URBAN AND SUBURBAN WATERSHED CLASSIFICATIONS CAN REQUEST AN ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCE UP TO EIGHT FEET OF CUT AND FILL, BUT THEY HAVE TO PROVE THE NEED.
AND THEN, UM, PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE, IN THE DRINKING WATER PROTECTION ZONE ARE LIMITED TO FOUR FEET.
SO ANYTHING ABOUT FOUR FEET MUST COME TO THE COMMISSION FOR A LAND USE SUBMISSION VARIANCE APPLICANTS WANTING MORE THAN EIGHT FEET OR NOT MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCE MUST GET A FORMAL VARIANCE IN A CONDITION OF THE V IS OFTEN THAT SLOPES BE CONTAINED BY RETAINING WALLS.
OH, AND ONE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO MENTION IS THAT IN THE URBAN, UH, WATERSHED CLASSIFICATION, THERE ARE NO LIMITS ON CUTTING FILL.
SO ON THE LEFT IS A PHOTO OF BARTON CREEK MALL.
IT USED TO HAVE A HILLTOP, BUT WAS FLATTENED TO CREATE THE MALL AND PARKING LOT.
AND SO THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WE HAVE CUT AND FILL LIMITS TODAY.
AND THAT WE ASKED THAT PEOPLE DESIGN WITH THE LAND INSTEAD OF JUST CUTTING TO MAKE SOMETHING FLAT OR BUILDING IT UP TO MAKE IT WIDE.
AND SO ON THE BRIGHT BUSINESS SKETCHUP, JUST CUT AND FILL SO THAT YOU CAN VISUALIZE IT.
SO YOU CAN SEE HOW CUTTING INTO ONE SIDE OF THE HILL AND FILLING ON THE OTHER SIDE CREATES A FLAT AREA.
AND SO MOSTLY S UH, SITES WHAT'S LOW ARE THE ONES THAT WILL UTILIZE THE CUT AND FILL BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE THINGS FLAT IN BOTH THE CUTTING FILL OR STRUCTURALLY CONTAINED IN THE SKETCH.
YOU CAN SEE A WALL ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CUTTER, PHIL, NEXT SLIDE.
SO 25, 8 0 1 IN 25, 8, 3 0 2, UM, SPEAK TO CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES.
THE INTENT OF THE CODE IS TO ENCOURAGE ENGINEERS, TO DESIGN AGAIN, DESIGN WITH THE LAND TO MAINTAIN THE NATURAL CHARACTER.
IT'S ALSO PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF THE SLO.
IT LIMITS THE CONSTRUCTION OF DRIVEWAYS THAT CROSS LOAVES, UNLESS THEY ARE GETTING TO AREAS, UH, WITH FLATTER LAND OR WITH FIVE RESIDENTIAL UNITS.
IT ALSO RESTRICTS PLACING A BUILDING OR PARKING GARAGE ON SLOPES GREATER THAN 25% COMMON VARIANCES INCLUDE A SECONDARY ACCESS TO THE SAME SITE THAT CROSSES, UM, SLOPES OR BUILDING ON SLOPES THAT ARE GREATER THAN 25%.
SO HERE YOU CAN SEE THESE PHOTOS, UM, WHEN YOU CUT INTO A SLOPE AND BASICALLY WHAT'S LEFT.
AND SO IF THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO TRY AND PROTECT THE SLOPE OR RETAIN THE SLOPE, UM, THERE WOULD BE A GOOD DEAL OF EROSION THAT SLID DOWN, UM, THE SLOPE ON THE LEFT.
AND SO WHEN ACTUALLY IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE THEY'VE TRIED TO FIX IT IN THE PAST, CAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE SOME LANDSCAPE FABRIC IS LAYING THERE AND MAYBE THERE WAS A HEAVY RAIN AND CAUSE THE SLOPE TO WASH OUT AND THE SLOPE ON THE RIGHT HAS BEEN RETAINED AND LOOKS PRETTY STABLE.
SO IT'S NOT GONNA SLIDE LOOKS LIKE IT'S, UM, IT'S BEEN REPAIRED TO A DEGREE THAT IS MORE STABLE NOW, NEXT SLIDE.
SO ARTICLE EIGHT THROUGH 13 SPEAKS TO WHAT IS THE LOUD EACH WATERSHED CLASSIFICATION AND THESE SECTIONS, IT STATES THE AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS COVER THAT IS ALLOWED THE URBAN AND
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SUBURBAN.PACIFICATIONS ALSO KNOWN AS THE DESIRED, SORRY, DESIRED DEVELOPMENT ZONE USES GROSS SITE AREA AND THE DRINKING WATER PROTECTION ZONES USE NET SITE AREA WHERE YOU CAN SEE THAT THE NET SIDE AREA IS THE GROWTH AREA MINUS THE AREA WITHIN THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE, THE WATER QUALITY TRANSITION ZONE, WASTEWATER FIELDS, AND THEN CERTAIN PERCENTAGES OF THE SLOPE THAT CREATES THE NET SITE AREA.
THE DRINKING WATER PROTECTION ZONE INCLUDES WATER SUPPLIES, BOURBON, WATER SUPPLY, RURAL AND BART, AND THE BARTON SPRINGS ZONE.
THE BARTON SPRINGS ZONE IS THE MOST RESTRICTIVE, COMMON VARIANCES INCLUDE INCREASING THE IMPERVIOUS COVER OR SHIFTING ALLOWABLE IMPERVIOUS COVER WITH THEM WATERSHEDS.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS REMEMBER THE PROJECT THAT WE BROUGHT, I THINK LAST YEAR WHERE HALF THE SITE WAS IN WATER SUPPLIES, THE BOURBON AND HALF WAS IN WATER SUPPLY, RURAL, AND THEY WANTED TO SHIFT THE ALLOWABLE AND PERVIOUS COVERING KIND OF A BLENDED.
AND SO, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THOSE SITES ARE RARE, BUT THEY, THEY HAPPEN NEXT LINE.
SO OUR LAST SLIDE IS ARTICLE 13, WHICH IS SAVE OUR SPRINGS AND SAVE OUR SPRINGS WAS A BALLOT INITIATIVE PASSED BY THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN.
SO THEY GOT ALL THE SIGNATURES AND THEY GOT IT PUT ON THE BALLOT AND THEN PUT IT UP FOR A VOTE AND IT PASSED AND IT LIMITS IMPERVIOUS COVER AND REQUIRES ADDITIONAL WATER QUALITY IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE EDWARDS AQUIFER BARTON CREEK AND BARTON SPRINGS.
SO YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THIS SLIDE, THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT REGULATIONS BASED ON WHERE THE PROJECT IS LOCATED WITHIN THE BARTON SPRINGS ZONE AND THEN LAND OVER THE EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE ZONE IS THE MOST RESTRICTED, BUT IT'S 15% NET SITE AREA ALLOWABLE AND PERVIOUS COVER.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THERE ARE NO VARIANCES ALLOWED IN THIS AREA THAT RELATE TO IMPERVIOUS COVER OR WATER QUALITY.
SO IF A SITE NEEDS TO VARY FROM CODE STAFF WILL BRING A SITE SPECIFIC SOS AMENDMENT THAT WILL COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION, UH, BEFORE HEADING TO LAND USE COMMISSION AND THEN COUNCIL WHERE IT WILL NEED A SUPER MAJORITY VOTE.
AND THAT IS NINE, UH, NINE MEMBERS NEED TO AGREE.
UM, SO THIS CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION.
UH, LISTEN, I ARE HERE, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE FOR QUESTIONS OR YOU CAN REACH OUT PERSONALLY ANY TIME, UH, TO US WE'RE ALWAYS AVAILABLE.
AND, UH, ONE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO REMIND YOU GUYS, UH, THIS LAST YEAR I CAME WITH A CITATION ON VARIANTS CONDITIONS AND, UM, JUST REFERRED THAT IF YOU'RE EVER LOOKING FOR CONDITIONS FOR A VARIANCE, BECAUSE LAW HAS TOLD US THAT THE CONDITION MUST BE RELATED TO THE VARIANCE.
AND SO IN THAT, ON THE SHEETS, IT ACTUALLY HAS A LIST OF CONDITIONS THAT YOU CAN APPLY TO CERTAIN VARIANCES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH QUESTIONS, UH, REGARDING THIS PRESENTATION, ANYONE.
UM, I, I GUESS IT'S NOT SO MUCH A QUESTION, BUT WOULD YOU MIND MAYBE SENDING OUT THOSE CONDITIONS AGAIN? UM, I KNOW I HAVE THEM RIGHT BY MY BEDSIDE AND I LOOK AT THEM OFTEN, BUT, BUT UH, SOME OF THE OTHER NEWER COMMISSIONERS MAY NOT, UH, HAVE THEM, BUT IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND JUST SENDING IT OUT TO OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS EMAILS, THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.
ANYONE ELSE HAVE A QUESTION? YES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, DO THESE, UH, RULES APPLY TO THE A E T J SO ALL OF 25 8 APPLIES TO THE, SORRY, NOT ALL 25 8 SUB CHAPTER A APPLIES TO THE EAVES OR APPLIES TO THE ETJ.
SO THE WATER QUALITY PORTION, BUT NOT THE, UH, TREE AND NATURAL AREA PROTECTION PORTION.
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COMMISSIONER SCOTT.HI, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, CAN, CAN YOU GO OVER THE, UH, WHAT YOU MEAN BY THE ETJ AGAIN? I'M NOT SURE.
I REALLY VISUALIZE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND I CAN ACTUALLY SEND OUT A MAP THAT VISUAL, YOU COULD SEE THE ZONING JURISDICTION OF BOSTON, AND THEN WE HAVE A TWO MILE ETJ AND THEN A FIVE.
AND SO I COULD SEND YOU OUT A MAP THAT SHOWS THAT, BUT, UM, IT USED TO BE, I, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, IT USED TO BE THAT THIS LAND WAS SET ASIDE.
SO THE CITY OF BOSTON COULD PLAN AN X-WING AND SERVICES, BUT NOW THAT THE CITY CAN'T ANNEX ANYMORE, I DON'T KNOW HOW HELPFUL IT IS, BUT, UM, BUT WE STILL DO REGULATE, YOU KNOW, WATER QUALITY AND, AND OTHER THINGS IN THE ETJ.
SO WHAT DOES ETJ STAND FOR? OH, EXTRA TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION.
THAT'S THE KEY DIFFERENCE, UM, BETWEEN THE ETJ AND THE FULL PURPOSE IS THAT THERE IS ZONING AND LAND USE, UM, RESTRICTIONS AND THE FULL PURPOSE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN THE ETJ.
SO WE DO NOT REGULATE USE THAT YOU TJ.
UM, I THOUGHT I JUST WANTED TO GET CLEAR IN MY BRAIN, UM, WHEN THERE'S A VARIANCE AND WE GIVE A CONDITION OR VOTED UP OR DOWN, WHERE DOES IT GO? WHAT'S THE STATUS? DO MOST VARIANCES, THEN GO TO THE LAND COMMISSION OR DO THEY THEN GO, CAN YOU TELL US THAT PROCEDURE? YEAH.
SO ALL VARIANCES THEN GO TO ZONING AND PLANNING OR PLANNING COMMISSION, DEPENDING THERE'S ROLES AS TO WHICH ONE THEY GO TO.
AND, UM, ONLY THINGS LIKE AN SOS AMENDMENT OR A SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST WILL, OR A PDA.
I MEAN, THERE, THERE ARE WEIRD AGREEMENTS LIKE PUDS THAT WILL GO.
UM, IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHAT THE PROJECT IS, BUT IF IT'S JUST A SITE PLAN OR A SUBDIVISION, IT PRETTY MUCH STOPPED THAT LAND USE COMMISSION.
DOES THE, DO, DOES THE LAND USE COMMISSION MISSION USUALLY TAKE IN CONSIDERATION OUR RECOMMENDATIONS? OH YEAH.
THEY, UM, AND LIZ, YOU MIGHT SPEAK TO THIS.
I HAVEN'T BEEN IN AWHILE, BUT THEY ALWAYS LOOK AT YOUR RECOMMENDATION AND IF YOU DIDN'T RECOMMEND IT, THEY REALLY PAY ATTENTION.
AND THEY ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
LAST SEVERAL ENVIRONMENTAL VARIANCES THAT I HAVE BEEN FAMILIAR WITH OVER THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS.
UM, IF THEY WERE RECOMMENDED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND STAFF, THEY ARE OFTEN TAKEN UP AS CONSENT.
UM, AND TYPICALLY SOMEONE ON THE COMMITTEE, UM, ZONING AND PLANNING OR PLANNING COMMISSION WILL MAKE SURE THAT THE, ANY CONDITIONS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR APPROVALS.
SO IF YOU HAVE CONDITIONS FROM THIS BODY, THOSE WILL USUALLY, YOU KNOW, CARRY FORWARD.
AND SO IT, SO IF WE ARE RECOMMENDING IT WITH CONDITIONS, MANY TIMES THE LADIES COMMISSION WILL TAKE IT CONSENT.
THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO, BUT THAT OFTEN HAPPENS.
AND IF WE DO NOT RECOMMEND IT, THEN THERE WILL LIKELY BE A DISCUSSION ABOUT, OKAY, GOOD.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMISSIONERS TO KNOW THAT, UH, YES.
AUDREY, DID, DID YOU WANT TO ASK A QUESTION? WELL, ALONG THE LINES OF, SO YOU MENTIONED THE PADS AND OTHER THINGS, SO THEN THEY DON'T START OFF WITH THE LAND USE COMMISSION AND THEY KEEP GOING RIGHT.
ALL THE WAY TO COUNCIL OR DO THEY HAVE, HAVE SEVERAL OTHER STOPS BEFOREHAND? UM, I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO MUCH IN THE WEEDS, BUT I KNOW THAT LIKE A PIED FOR IT DOESN'T TO ALWAYS GO FOR VOTE, LIKE IF IT'S CITY COUNCIL OR NO.
BUT IT STOPS THE LAND USE COMMISSION FIRST.
SO PART OF THE TYPE OF ZONING, SO ALL ZONING CHANGES HAVE GO THROUGH COUNCIL HUD'S ARE ONE OF THE FEW ZONING CASES THAT COME TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, UM, BECAUSE IT'S A REQUIREMENT THAT THEY DO.
UM, AND SOMETIMES PUDS WILL AFFECT OTHER BOARDS OR COMMISSIONS SUCH AS THE PARKS BOARD.
SO THEY COULD RE EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY NOT BE REQUIRED TO GO THERE,
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THOSE BOARDS OR COMMISSIONS MAY REQUEST THAT PUDS BE HEARD AS WELL.BUT AS FAR AS REQUIREMENTS GO, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IS REQUIRED TO HEAR PUDS.
THEN IT GOES TO THE LAND USE COMMISSION AND THEN COUNCIL THAT DEVELOPMENT.
UH, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT, THAT'S WHAT A PUTT IS.
I, I KIND OF ZONED OUT BECAUSE I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEAN BY PUD, SOS AND PDA.
UM, CAN YOU, CAN WE SEND THEM TO YOU THAT HAS ALL THOSE DEFINITIONS ON IT.
EVERY NEW, EVERY NEW MEMBER SHOULD KNOW, OH, WAIT, WE START TALKING GOOD.
AND SO W WE NEED TO GET THAT TO YOU.
IS IT IN THE HANDBOOK OR NOT LIST THOSE DEFINITIONS? OH, NO, NO.
THERE'S A DEFINITION OF THOSE.
KAYLA, CAN YOU PIPE UP IF THERE IS, BUT IF NOT, WE CAN PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF COMMON ACRONYMS QUESTION, SCOTT, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP.
I'M JUST NOT EVEN FOLLOWING THE CONVERSATION.
CAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT A P BUT IS.
UH, SO I'M LOST IN THAT AND I CAN'T REALLY WEIGH IN IF I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
MADAM CHAIR, THIS IS KAYLA CAMPER.
UH, SO IF RACHEL, AFTER THE MEETING, YOU GO BY THE HEALTH COMMISSION, WE CAN BARELY HEAR YOU.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S AN ISSUE FOR OTHERS, SATURDAYS.
UM, IF AFTER THE MEETING, IF YOU GO TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONING WEB PAGE WITH THAT AGENDA FOR THIS MEETING, WE HAVE POSTED THE PRESENTATION, THE PRESENTATIONS FROM TONIGHT.
SO THOSE, UH, ITEMS ARE DEFINED IN, IN EIGHT, THIS PRESENTATION THERE.
AND THEN IN THE HANDBOOK, WE ALSO HAVE RESOURCES THAT WILL TAKE YOU BACK TO, UM, THE DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE CITY CODE THAT SHE REVIEWED TONIGHT, WHICH WILL ALSO HAVE THOSE DEFINITIONS IN THE CODE.
SO I CAN PROVIDE THOSE LINKS TO YOU AT THE MEETING, IF YOU'D LIKE TO TAKE A DEEPER DIVE INTO THOSE RESOURCES.
ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE NEXT ITEM ON THE ARCH? JUST, JUST ONE QUESTION THAT I WAS HOPING THEY COULD CLARIFY A LITTLE BIT, UM, JUST TO REFRESH MY MEMORY.
I THINK, UM, VARIANCES IN OUR STUDIES ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU SEE.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE SOME CONFUSION ABOUT, I THINK WE HAD ONE WHERE IT WAS LIKE, DOES THAT LANDED HER NEEDS TO COMPLY WITH EXISTING ZONING? OR ARE THEY GRANDFATHERED INTO PREVIOUS? LIKE, CAN YOU, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT LIKE GRANDFATHERING IN, UH, AND WHAT PROPERTIES MIGHT NEED TO TAKE A DRIVE OR FOODS WHEN WE MIGHT SEE A SITUATION WHERE SOMEONE IS MAYBE OPERATING UNDER AN OLD ORDINANCE? UM, YEAH, I CAN TAKE THAT.
UM, THERE ARE CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS AND ABILITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS TO, TO VEST, TO CURRENT, TO PREVIOUS RULES.
AND SO TYPICALLY THAT HAS TO DO WITH, UM, WHEN THE FIRST PERMIT WAS REQUESTED AND WHAT THE STATED USE WAS.
AND SO DEPENDING ON, YOU KNOW, IF, IF, UH, UM, A PROJECT HAD A SUBDIVISION FROM THE SEVENTIES AND THEY SAID, UH, WELL, THIS PLOT OF LAND IS GOING TO BE A MULTIFAMILY PROJECT.
AND THEN 30 YEARS LATER, THEY COME BACK AND THEY SAY, WE'RE GOING TO BUILD THAT PROJECT.
THEY MAY HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEVELOP UNDER PREVIOUS RULES, UNDER STATE LAW, UM, WITH THAT IN, AND THAT MAY JUST, UM, THEY WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO COMPLY WITH ANY RULES THAT WEREN'T SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO HEALTH AND SAFETY SUCH AS FLOOD PLAIN AND SOME OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, AND SO THAT, THAT DOES HAPPEN SOMETIMES.
UM, AND THERE IS A COMMITTEE LED BY THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICE DEPARTMENT.
FOLKS, WATERSHED DOES HAVE A PRESENCE WITH THAT.
UM, BUT IF, IF, IF A PROJECT IS VESTED UNDER STATE LAW, WE ARE REQUIRED TO GRANT THAT VESTING RIGHT BACK TO WHATEVER DATE, UM, UM, THEY ARE LEGALLY ALLOWED TO BEST BACK TO.
SO IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE DATE IS AS TO WHAT THEIR RULES ARE.
AND IF THE FACEBOOK VISITATION OR PRESSURE IS GREAT.
SO WE'RE MOVING ON WITH OUR RETREAT AND WE HAVE ANOTHER BRIEFING, ONE B HERITAGE TREE 1 0 1.
WE HAVE BOTH, UH, NAOMI WROTE TO MAIL THE CITY, ARBORIST HAIR AND TEETH MARS, THE DIVISION MANAGER FOR THE TREE PRESERVATION DEPARTMENT HERE.
[00:35:01]
LET ME JUST PUT THIS OUT THERE BEFORE WE START.ONE OF THE REASONS I'VE ASKED FOR THIS ONE-ON-ONE IS BECAUSE THERE'S AN ISSUE COMING FORWARD REGARDING A TREE GHOSTING, WHICH MAY REQUIRE US TO DO A DEEP DIVE ON THIS ORDINANCE.
AND SO I REALLY WANTED US TO GET CLEAR ON THE ORDINANCE ORDINANCE NOW, SO THAT WHEN IT COMES FORWARD FOR POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATION TO CHANGE THE POLICY, WE UNDERSTAND THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THOSE.
THE LAST THING I'LL SAY ABOUT THIS IS THAT AS CHAIR, I GET TREMENDOUS EMAILS WHEN THERE'S A EROSION PROBLEMS BY CITIZENS, UH, AND NEIGHBORHOODS AND TREE SITUATIONS THAT POP UP ON WEEKENDS.
I AM VERY CONFUSED WHY THE CITY ARBORIST IS WITH DSD AND NOT WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION.
AND IT'S VERY HARD BECAUSE WHEN I'VE HAD TO GO TO BAT ON SOME OF THESE HARD POLICY DECISIONS, I REALLY DON'T HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE DIRECTOR OF DSD, WHICH KEITH AND NAOMI ARE UNDER.
AND IT GETS VERY DIFFICULT AT TIMES AND UNCOMFORTABLE.
OUR RELATIONSHIP IS WITH JORGE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION.
SO I'M REALLY CONFUSED WHY THERE HASN'T BEEN A SHIFT FOR THEM TO COME UNDER WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.
AND I'LL JUST SAY THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER BAG OF WARMS, BUT LET'S MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR PRESENTATION.
UH, MR. MORRIS PUT THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UH, CHAIR, ACTUALLY, WHEN I STARTED AND TREES WERE ACTUALLY PART OF WATERSHIP PROTECTOR, WE LOST, WE LOST KEY.
THAT POWERPOINT WAS A BIT TOO MUCH FOR HIS COMPUTER.
WOULD YOU REPEAT THAT PLEASE? YES.
WE LOST KEITH AND WE'RE JUST LOOKING INTO IT RIGHT NOW TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON TO THE FLOOR, SO TO SPEAK.
I MEAN, JUDGING FROM THE LITTLE YELLOW EXCLAMATION POINT, I THINK LIKE HIS COMPUTER PROBABLY FROZE OR THE PROGRAM FROZE OR SOMETHING.
WHENEVER WE TRIED TO OPEN UP POWERPOINT.
IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, KEITH IS GOING TO BE LOGGING BACK IN.
UM, NAOMI, OUR CITY ARBORISTS WAS ALSO HAVING SOME TECHNICAL ISSUES.
SO IF YOU WANT TO WAIT A FEW MINUTES, WE CAN DO THAT.
OR WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM AND COME BACK TO THIS WHEN KEITH AND NAOMI ARE BACK, OKAY, WHY DON'T WE GO THERE? WE'LL COME BACK.
CAUSE I REALLY WANT THEM TO BE ON AND NOT HAVE ISSUES.
AND THEY ASKED BEFORE THIS EVEN STARTED, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE FEARFUL SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
[2a. Discuss returning to in-person meetings in September and pilot program for hybrid meetings]
THE ITEMS FOR DISCUSSIONS TO A, UH, WE REALLY NEED TO DISCUSS RETURNING TO IN-PERSON MEETINGS IN SEPTEMBER AND THE PA PROGRAM FOR OUR HYBRID MEETINGS.UH, TAYLOR, ARE YOU GOING TO LEAVE THIS DISCUSSION SINCE YOU'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH CITY HALL? YES MA'AM.
UH, HEY, THIS IS KAYLA CHAMPLIN, WATERSHED PROTECTION.
Y'ALL CAN'T SEE ME HERE TONIGHT.
I'M ACTUALLY OVER AT CITY HALL, SO I DON'T HAVE CAMERA CAPABILITIES, BUT UM, YOU LOOK AT THIS LOVELY PICTURE OF, UH, TREATIES INSTEAD.
SO, UM, CAN YOU GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SIDE? ALL RIGHT.
SO I'M NOT SURE IF Y'ALL HAVE SEEN MY EMAIL YET, BUT I YESTERDAY I DID SEND OUT AN EMAIL WITH SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THIS NEW PILOT PILOT PROGRAM THAT THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE IS DOING.
UM, THE CITY COUNCIL AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE HAS AUTHORIZED A PILOT PROGRAM FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETINGS THAT ARE CURRENTLY TELEVISED BY ATX THEN TO HOST HYBRID MEETINGS STARTING OFF SEPTEMBER 1ST.
SO IF YOU'RE ON ANOTHER BOARD OR MAYBE A COUNCIL APPOINTED COMMITTEE, IF YOU ARE NOT REGULARLY TELEVISED, THEY, YOU MAY FIND OUT THAT THOSE MEETINGS ARE REQUIRED TO GO BACK TO FULL INCLUSIVE
[00:40:01]
MEETING.BUT BECAUSE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IS TELEVISED, WE ARE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PILOT PROGRAM.
UM, HOWEVER, THAT DOES NOT ALTER THE REQUIREMENTS IN STATE LAW OR CITY CODE.
UM, WHICH MEANS THAT WE DO HAVE TO HAVE SOME COMMISSION MEMBERS ATTENDING IN PERSON AND SOME ATTENDING THE MOVIE.
SO THE RULES THAT APPLY OR THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A PRESIDING OFFICER AND A SECOND OFFICER PHYSICALLY PRESENT AT THE MEETING AT CITY HALL.
SO EITHER THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR OR THE VICE CHAIR AND THE SECRETARY, BUT WE ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE A BACKUP IN CASE ONE HAS TO STEP OFF THE DIET SO THAT WE DON'T LOSE OUR FORUM.
AND WE DON'T LOSE OUR PRESIDING OFFICER.
WE ALSO HAVE TO HAVE AT LEAST A QUORUM PRESENT, PHYSICALLY PRESENT AT THE MEETING.
UM, ALL, ALL PUBLIC TESTIMONY ALSO HAS TO BE IN PERSON.
SO THAT'S ANYBODY WHO SIGNS UP TO SPEAK ON CITIZEN COMMUNICATION, OR IF WE HAVE APPLICANTS COMING TO SPEAK ON A PROJECT, THEY ALL HAVE TO BE IN-PERSON.
UH, AND THEN LIZ AND I WILL ALSO BE PRESENT PHYSICALLY PRESENT AT THOSE MEETINGS TO HELP GUIDE YOU IN RUN THE MEETINGS FROM CITY HALL.
SO FOR THE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MEETING, UM, THERE ARE SOME VERY IMPORTANT FEATURES.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHILE WE'VE BEEN DOING THE REMOTE MEETINGS, SOMETIMES COMMISSION MEMBERS WILL KEEP THEIR SCREEN OFF, OR WE MAY LOSE YOU BECAUSE OF A TECHNICAL ISSUE.
BUT, UM, UNDER THESE NEW RULES, YOU MUST BE CLEARLY VISIBLE AND HOW TO MAKE COMMUNICATION THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE MEETING.
AND IF AUDIO OR VIDEO COMMUNICATION IS LOST FOR ANY PORTION OF THE MEETING, THE REMOTE PARTICIPANT IS CONSIDERED ABSENT DURING THAT TIME.
SO UNFORTUNATELY IF YOU ARE PARTICIPATING REMOTELY AND YOU GET KICKED OUT OF WEBEX FOR A REASON, UNKNOWN TO YOU, UM, YOU MAY BE COUNTED ABSENT IF YOU END UP MISSING A LARGE PORTION OF THE MEETING.
UM, AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS A LITTLE LATER, UH, IN THE MEETING.
SO, UM, OUR STAFF ARE WATERSHED STAFF ARE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOLS SERIOUSLY.
AND SO, UM, WE HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT WAYS THAT WE CAN DO THAT.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT THE EASIEST WAY IS THAT WE TRY TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF COMMISSION MEMBERS PHYSICALLY PRESENT AT THE MEETING.
AND SO IF WE CAN TRY TO DO SEVEN COMMISSION MEMBERS PHYSICALLY PRESENT THAT WILL HELP US TO ENSURE THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE A BACKUP IN CASE WE DO HAVE A QUORUM ISSUE OR SOMEBODY NEEDS TO RECUSE OR STEP AWAY, WE WON'T LOSE QUORUM.
UH, THE COUNCIL DIETS, UH, IN CITY CHAMBER IN THE, IN CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS, I BELIEVE THEY HAVE 12 SEATS OVER 13 SEATS UP THERE.
I THINK THEY HAVE A FEW EXTRA FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY AND THE CITY MANAGER.
SO IF WE ONLY HAVE SEVEN PEOPLE PRESENT, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE EMPTY DIOCESE IN BETWEEN EACH MEMBER, WHICH WILL ALSO CREATE SOME ADDITIONAL DISTANCING.
AND THEN, UH, WE WILL, OF COURSE BE ADHERING TO THE CITY RULES OR STAFF AND VISITORS ALL BE WEARING MASKS ON CITY PROPERTY AND THAT'S CITY HALL.
AND WE'LL BE PROVIDING DISPOSABLE FACE MASKS FOR ANYBODY WHO COMES IN, WHO ISN'T WEARING COVID FACE COVERINGS.
UH, WE ALSO PLAN TO SOCIALLY DISTANT PUBLIC ATTENDEES WHO ARE SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE AND LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE PHYSICALLY PRESENT.
AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, THE, YOU THINK THE MOST, THE EASIEST WAY TO DO IT IS TO HAVE STAFF PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING REMOTELY.
UH, WE'LL ALSO HAVE HAND SANITIZER STATIONS, NOT COUNSELED CHAMBER, AND WE'LL PROVIDE YOU WITH SOME LIFESTYLE WAX FOR YOUR AREA WHERE YOU'RE SITTING THAT YOU CAN WIPE DOWN WHEN YOU JOIN THE MEETING.
SO I WANT TO STRESS THAT IF, IF WE PROCEED WITH THESE HYBRID MEETINGS, COMMUNICATION IS KEY TO MAKE THESE MEETINGS WORK, UM, AND IT WILL BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER THAT YOU KEEP UP WITH YOUR EMAILS AND RESPOND PROPERLY TO ATTENDANCE SURVEYS, BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE TO, UM, REALLY BE KEEPING IN TOUCH CLOSELY.
IF YOU NEED TO BE ABSENT, IF YOU NEED TO RECUSE ON AN ITEM, OR IF YOU HAVE A CHANGE IN PLANS, IF WE LOSE OUR QUORUM, THEN WE WON'T BE ABLE TO MEET.
SO, UM, IT WILL BECOME A LITTLE BIT TRICKIER IF WE ONLY HAVE SEVEN PEOPLE PRESENT.
UM, SO I WILL BE PROVIDING THIS INFORMATION THROUGH SURVEYS TO DETERMINE YOUR AVAILABILITY AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH MONTH.
AND THAT IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT COMES UP THAT PREVENTS YOU FROM ATTENDING, UM, YOU CAN JUST LET ME
[00:45:01]
KNOW THROUGH EMAIL OR BY GIVING ME A CALL, UM, JUST AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE MODIFICATIONS FOR THEM.AND THEN I WOULD JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT THIS IS A PILOT PROGRAM, SO IT'S NOT A PERMANENT OPTION YET.
AND WE MAY, UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS MAY CHANGE.
SO WE DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TRY TO COME UP WITH A GOOD PLAN, UM, TO MAKE THIS WORK FOR EVERYBODY SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO USE THIS RESOURCE.
AND, UH, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, I, I DID SEND OUT A SURVEY MONKEY SURVEY YESTERDAY, AND THAT SURVEY INCLUDES QUESTIONS ABOUT ATTENDANCE FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER.
AND SO PLEASE DO RESPOND TO THAT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, REALLY NEED TO HEAR BACK FROM Y'ALL IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, SO THAT WE CAN PLAN FOR NEXT WEEK COMMUNITY.
AND THAT, THAT SURVEY ALSO INCLUDES QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT TO DETERMINE, HELP US DETERMINE WHO WANTS TO ATTEND 10%, WHO WANTS TO, OR NEEDS TO ATTEND REMOTELY AND, UH, SOME CONSIDERATE KIND OF SOME CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT YOUR NEEDS, UM, IN ATTENDING REMOTE MEETINGS, IF YOU HAVE ANY HEALTH CONCERNS, OR IF YOU HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS, IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE HEALTH CONCERNS, OF COURSE YOU WOULD BE OUR PRIORITY FOR PARTICIPATING REMOTELY.
SO THAT IS THE END OF, UM, I'M GOING TO STOP THERE SO THAT WE CAN, UH, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS YOU CAN ASK ME AT THIS TIME AND THEN WE CAN GO BACK TO KEEP, BEFORE WE GO ON TO THE NEXT ITEM QUESTIONS FOR KAYLA REGARDING THIS, UM, NEW DECISION, NEW FORMAT, NEW IN PERSON SITUATION THAT WE'LL NOT HAVE TO HAVE AT OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING.
UM, KAYLA, UH, THANKS FOR EXPLAINING THAT.
UM, SO SOMETIMES WHEN I'M ON AT HOME, LIKE IF I WANT TO TAKE A SIP OF WATER, JUST LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, YOU GUYS SAW MY SON LIKE CLIMBING BEHIND ME LAST WEEK.
IF THERE'S A DISTRACTION, LIKE I'LL JUST QUICKLY TURN MY VIDEO OFF.
SO IT'S LIKE GOING FORWARD IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU SAID THAT YOU COULD POTENTIALLY NOT BE COUNTED AS PRESENT IF YOU TURN YOUR VIDEO OFF.
SO DO YOU RECOMMEND JUST KEEPING IT ON, EVEN IF, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO CHUG SOME WATER OR, YOU KNOW, TAKE A SIP OF WINE, I'M KIDDING ON THAT PART, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? YEAH.
I WOULD GOING AHEAD AND KEEPING IT ON THE ENTIRE TIME BECAUSE THAT'S THE GUIDANCE WE'VE RECEIVED FROM THE CLERK.
BAD THING THE CHAIR CAN DO IS THAT WE CAN TAKE A BREAK.
LIKE I CAN SAY AFTER 30 MINUTES, WE'RE GOING TO NOW TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK.
AND SO THEN EVERYONE CAN GO DO SOMETHING REAL QUICK AND THEN WE'LL JUST COME BACK.
I THINK THERE'S WAYS TO WORK AROUND THIS WHERE WE CAN TAKE IN PER INCREMENT BREAKS SO THAT YOU CAN ATTEND TO THE OTHER THINGS THAT NEED ME TO DO, BECAUSE EVEN WHEN WE'RE AWARE, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE WOULD GET UP AND JUST LEAVE AND GO DO GET SOME WATER OR DO WHAT WE NEEDED COULD DO, AND THEN WE'D COME BACK, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS THERE WAS ALWAYS A QUORUM.
SO I THINK WE CAN TAKE BREAKS.
I DIDN'T, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YEAH.
UM, UH, AND THEN I THINK BREMMER'S GOT ONE AFTER ME.
UM, THE QUIET QUESTION, I THINK I'LL PROBABLY BE THERE IN PERSON.
UM, BUT IF SOMEONE DID, DID THE RECUSE AND THEY WERE ON REMOTELY, HOW, WHAT ARE THE LOGISTICS OF TURNING YOUR CAMERA OFF OR, OR THE DETAILS OF THAT AND GETTING KICKED OUT OF THE MEETING OR WHATEVER.
UM, SO TYPICALLY IF YOU WERE ATTENDING A MEETING IN PERSON, UM, YOU WOULD JUST KIND OF STEPPED DOWN FROM THE DYADS, MAYBE GO STEP OUT OF THE MEETING ROOM.
IF YOU LIKE, OR GO SIT IN THE AUDIENCE, YOU CAN STILL BE PRESENT.
YOU JUST CAN'T PARTICIPATE IN THE CONVERSATION.
IF YOU REMAIN ON SCREEN, AS LONG AS YOU DON'T ASK ANY QUESTIONS OR PARTICIPATE IN THE VOTE, UM, IT SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM TO TURN OFF YOUR CAMERA AT THAT TIME.
BUT I WILL JUST SAY AS A DISCLAIMER, IF YOU'VE HAD ISSUES IN THE PAST WITH TURNING YOUR CAMERA BACK ON, FOR SOME REASON OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, YOU MIGHT WANT TO JUST LEAVE IT ON SO THAT YOU DON'T RUN INTO ANY TECHNICAL ISSUES THAT PREVENT YOU FROM PARTICIPATING AFTERWARDS.
ARE WE GOING TO HAVE THE MEDIA AND THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS? YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
I'M PROBABLY GOING TO ATTEND IN PERSON AND WE DO HAVE A STAMP, SO YOU'LL, YOU'LL GET A TICKET WHEN YOU GO INTO THE PARKING LOT AND THEN, UH, KAYLA USUALLY WILL STAMP IT.
SO IT'S, IT WILL BE PAID FOR, AND IF Y'ALL FEEL COMFORTABLE SHARING, NOW, YOU CAN JUST DO A SHOW OF HANDS IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING
[00:50:01]
IN PERSON.UM, THAT WILL JUST KIND OF GIVE US AN INDICATOR IF WE'RE GOING TO BE CLEAR FOR NEXT WEEK TO HAVE A QUORUM.
IS THAT IT KAYLA? THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR ITEM TWO A SO I THINK WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GO BACK TO
[1b. Heritage Tree Ordinance 101—Naomi Rotramel, City Arborist, Development Services Department and Keith Mars, Community Tree Preservation Division Manager, Development Services Department]
ANY PRESENTATION.ARE THEY, ARE THEY ON, ARE THEY READY? YES, THEY ARE.
WE ARE GOING TO MOVE THEM OVER F AND HANDLE US AND THEN WE'LL GET THEIR PRESENTATION ON NOW.
NAOMI, YOU SHOULD BE GOOD TO GO TO START WHEN YOU'RE READY.
UM, I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
KEITH IS EXPERIENCING SOME AUDIO AND, UM, HE IS NOT ABLE TO CONNECT RIGHT NOW, SO I WILL GO AHEAD AND GET HEARTED.
UM, NAOMI RICH, MEL, I'M THE CITY ARBORIST AND I WORK UNDER KEITH MARS.
HE WAS THE FORMER CITY ARBORIST AND HERE WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT OUR, UM, GUIDE AND OUR CITY OF, UH, TWO CITY BOSTON'S TREE REGULATIONS AND AN OVERVIEW OF THAT.
IF KEITH JUMPS IN, UM, I WILL PASS IT OVER TO HIM BECAUSE HE WAS GOING TO START TALKING AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS AND I HAD A FEW COMMENTS INSIDE, BUT I DON'T SEE KEITH ON THIS.
NAOMI COMMISSIONER IS MY APOLOGIES ON FOR THAT.
UM, I HAVE THIS RUNNING ON PARALLEL NOW, SO I'M GOING TO TRY AND SPEAK AND IF I GET KICKED OFF MY COMPUTER, THEN I WILL, UH, I WILL TRANSITION OVER TO MY, TO MY PHONE.
I'M THE DIVISION MANAGER OF OUR COMMUNITY TREE PRESERVATION DIVISION.
UH, WE'RE IN THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND, UH, NOW I'M, MEL'S ALREADY INDUCED HERSELF AND SHE IS OUR, UH, AUSTIN CITY ARBORIST.
SO NOW, I MEAN, I WILL GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF NOT JUST THE HERITAGE TREE ORDINANCE, BUT SOME OF THE OTHER ORDINANCES OF, OF OUR CITY, UH, ALONG WITH SOME OF THE HISTORY OF IT AL WE ADMINISTER THE ORDINANCE, UH, AND THEN ALSO SOME OF THE FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS, UH, AS AUSTIN CONTINUES TO GROW.
SO I'VE PUT THIS SLIDE IN HERE FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND REFERENCE IT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY TREE PRESERVATION DIVISION.
THERE ARE TWO PROGRAMS, THE CITY ARBORIST PROGRAM, WHICH IS OUR REGULATORY WING, THAT'S THE CODE APPOINTED CITY ARBORIST AND HER STAFF.
AND THEY REVIEW THE, THE, THE GAMUT OF DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS.
THE OTHER PROGRAM WITHIN A DIVISION IS THE URBAN FORESTRY PROGRAM.
AND THAT IS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
THAT IS OUR WORK ON, UH, ON CLIMATE RESEARCH.
THAT IS OUR WORK ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH, UH, WITH THEIR URBAN FOREST AND THEN IMPLEMENTING THE CITY'S URBAN FOREST PLAN.
WHEN YOU GET THIS MATERIAL IN YOUR BACKUP, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO CLICK ON THIS HYPERLINK AND IT'LL TAKE YOU TO ALL THAT GREAT WORK THAT THE URBAN FORESTRY PROGRAM IS DOING.
I WANTED TO PUT THAT IN FRONT OF YOU TONIGHT.
SO YOU SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE OF WHAT, UH, WHAT OUR WORK IS, BUT I KNOW TONIGHT'S FOCUS IS REGULATIONS.
SO WITH THAT NEXT TIME, I PLEASE, SO ONE OF THE THINGS FOR THIS COMMISSIONED TO KNOW, AND, AND MANY OF YOU ARE WELL AWARE OF WHERE YOU CAN GO AROUND TOWN AND SEE THE TREES AND OUR COMMUNITY IS THAT WE HAVE A VERY LONG HISTORY OF PROTECTING TREES IN THE CITY.
WE HAVE SOME OF THE OLDEST REGULATIONS AND WE HAVE SOME OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE REGULATIONS.
SO OUR, IT ADOPTED ITS FIRST TREE PRESERVATION REGULATION IN 1983.
THAT'S WHAT WE CALL THE PROTECTED TREE ORDINANCE.
AND IT IS A LARGELY REMAINED UNCHANGED SINCE THAT TIME.
ONE OF THE THINGS FOR THIS COMMISSION TO KNOW ABOUT OUR TREE REGULATIONS IS THAT IT IS, IT IS THE EMBODIMENT OF OUR HOME RULE AUTHORITY, A HOME RULE, AND ITS MOST SIMPLISTIC FORM IS LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS ABLE TO PASS ORDINANCES AS LONG AS IT DOES
[00:55:01]
NOT CONFLICT WITH STATE LAW.UH, THAT IS ONE OF THE KEY FEATURES OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.
IT IS IN OUR STATE CONSTITUTION, UM, OBVIOUSLY TREES AND OTHER MATTERS.
IT HAS LED TO SOME MATTERS OF CONTENTION BETWEEN STATE GOVERNMENT AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT, BUT NONETHELESS TREE REGULATIONS ARE AN EXTENSION OF OUR HOME RULE AUTHORITY, UH, PASSED FIRST IN 1983, THE PR THE HERITAGE TREE ORDINANCE WAS PASSED IN 2010.
AND THE PURPOSE OF IT IS, IS PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE.
WHAT I MEAN BY DISCRETIONARY, WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO THIS MORNING.
I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE YOU A, AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT DO WE MEAN BY THAT? DISCRETIONARY MEANS THAT THE TREE MUST BE PRESERVED AND PROTECTED OR HERITAGE TREE MUST BE PRESERVED.
AND UNLESS IT PREVENTS A REASONABLE USE WHERE REASONABLE ACCESS OF THE PROPERTY AND THE, THE, THE FOUNDATIONAL PART OF THAT FOR OUR CITY IS REASONABLE USE AND REASONABLE ACCESS ARE IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER.
IT IS FOR THE CITY, OUR TO DETERMINE WHAT THAT MEANS CLEARLY REASONABLE USE AND REASONABLE ACCESS IN 1983 IS A VERY DIFFERENT CITY THAN WHAT AND DEVELOPMENT TYPE THAN WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN 2021.
IT'S ALSO VERY UNIQUE IN THE COUNTRY.
THAT IS A TREE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE, AND THAT'S WHY WE SAY WE REPLANT IT RE PRESERVE TREES FIRST.
AND THEN WE REPLENISH MEANING THAT ONE NAYS PROTECT THE TREE UNTIL YOU CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT IT PREVENTS A REASONABLE USE OR REASONABLE ACCESS TO THE PROPERTY.
AT THAT POINT, YOU CAN PLANT BACK.
I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS, BUT, UH, WE'VE ALSO PIVOTED TO, UH, RECOGNIZING THAT A BETTER ALIGNMENT BETWEEN POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION OF ALIGNING HOW WE CONDUCT OUR WORK WITH THE COUNCIL OF STRATEGIC OUTCOMES, UH, WHICH WE'LL ALSO HEAR AS STRATEGIC DIRECTION, 2020 I THREE.
SO KIND OF WHERE THE SET THIS AS A, AS A FOUNDATION, UH, TREES ARE INSTRUMENTAL TO FULFILLING A LOT OF OUR PUBLIC POLICY OBJECTIVES IN THE CITY.
THE TREES ARE ONE OF THOSE UNIQUE THINGS THAT TREES ARE INFRASTRUCTURE, THEIR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND TREES ACTUALLY ADD VALUE OVER TIME.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, LIKE WHAT OTHER PIECE OF INFRASTRUCTURE ACTUALLY GROWS MORE VALUABLE OVER TIME, BRIDGES, ROADS, ET CETERA, REQUIRE UPKEEP MAINTENANCE.
AND OF COURSE, TREES DO AS WELL, BUT THEY HAVE A LIFETIME TO THEM THAT EVERY DAY THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR VALUE WAS THE NEW GREATEST VALUE OF DAY ONE.
WHEREAS TREES, THE PRESERVATION AND CONTINUATION OF THOSE TREES IS INSTRUMENTAL TO MOBILITY OUTCOMES, HAVING SHADED SIDEWALKS SO THAT WE CAN BECOME MORE CONNECTED THAT CULTURE AND LIFELONG LEARNING OUR COMMUNITY HAS A DEEP, DEEP VALUE OF TREES AND WHAT IS MORE ICONIC THAN CENTRAL TEXAS BONNET AND THEN LIVE OAKS, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT PICTURE OF, OF TREES IN CENTRAL TEXAS, UH, THE, THE TRIO, WHICH WE CAN PROBABLY GO INTO ITS OWN SESSION ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THAT TREE.
THIS COMMUNITY HAS A VERY DEEP APPRECIATION OF TREES AND IS DEEPLY VALUED THEM.
UM, ALL OF THE BENEFITS THAT ARE LISTENING TO THOSE BULLETS ARE REAL, TANGIBLE THINGS THAT OUR COMMUNITY BENEFITS FROM EVERYDAY.
SO I WON'T GO OVER THE HOME RULE STATEMENT AGAIN, UH, BUT IT, IT IS AN EXPRESSION OF OUR COMMUNITY VALUES.
UM, IT'S ALSO CRITICAL THAT THESE VALUES CARRY THROUGH WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
AND PART OF THAT IS EXTENDING A MUCH BIGGER TENT, A BIGGER UMBRELLA OF TREES BENEFIT ALL OF US.
UH, THE, THE, THE AUSTIN ON THE BOTTOM LEFT IS MARGARET HOFFMAN.
MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW, OR HAVE HEARD OF MARGARET IS, IS KNOWN AS THE TREE LADY.
SHE WAS ONE OF THE EARLY ADVOCATES OF, OF TREE PRESERVATION REGULATIONS.
I'M FELICIA ACTUALLY SERVED, UH, UH, COUNCIL IN THE EARLY, BUT WE MUCH LIKE TREES GROW OVER TIME AND REPLACE ONE ANOTHER.
THIS COMMISSION, UM, RE IS REPLACED OVER TIME AND CARRYING THROUGH WITH THOSE VALUES AND THEN MELDING THAT WITH THE OTHER VALUES OF THIS COMMUNITY, TO BE MORE, JUST TO BE MORE FAIR, UH, TO BE MORE EQUITABLE, UH, TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT, GOOD GOVERNMENT TREES ARE FOUNDATIONAL IN TO THAT NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AND I'M GOING TO PASS IT OVER TO NAOMI TO TAKE IT FROM HERE.
[01:00:08]
THAT'S A SPENCE, BUT THIS IS KATE MARSANNE.IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE, UH, HAVING SOME, SOME, SOME PROBLEMS ON NOMI'S END.
I MEAN, FEEL FREE TO CHIME IN IF YOU, UH, WHEN YOU'RE AVAILABLE, I WILL, UH, I WILL GO AHEAD AND JUST CONTINUE US.
UH, KAYLA, I THINK NAOMI SHOULD BE ABLE TO NAME YOU WANT TO TEST YOUR MIC NOW? OKAY.
UM, CAN I TAKE YOU THROUGH YOUR PATIENTS? UM, NAOMI ROUGE, MOUSE, CITY ARBORIST.
UM, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE FEW THINGS SINCE OUR HERITAGE TREE ORDINANCE WORK WAS FIRST ADOPTED IN THE BREWERY OF 2010.
WE'VE HAD OVER 16 COMMISSION VARIANCES OVER 5,000 REVIEWS FROM CITY ARBORIST STAFF, MORE THAN 70,000 INCHES OF HERITAGE TREES REVIEWED AT A 95% PRESERVATION RATE, WHICH IS A NATIONAL MODEL PART OF, UM, HERITAGE TREE ORDINANCES DOES FALL UNDER, UH, 25 8 CHAPTER B, AND WE ARE CHARGED WITHIN ADMINISTRATING THE TREE ORDINANCE, THE PREDATOR NATION AND THE HERITAGE TREE ORDINANCE.
WE HAVE A STAFF, UH, REVIEWED STAFF AT 15.
UM, THERE ALMOST ALL ARE CERTIFIED ARBORIST, UH, TRUEST QUALIFIED OAK WILT SPECIALISTS AND, UM, BOARD MASTER CERTIFIED ARBORIST.
AND THEN ON OUR INSPECTION SIDE, WE HAVE ABOUT 10 RESIDENTIAL INSPECTORS AND 16 COMMERCIAL ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTORS.
UH, SO SIMILAR TO SUB CHAPTER A OF THE WATERSHED PROTECTION.
ORDINANT OUR TREE REGULATIONS.
UNLIKE SUB CHAPTER EIGHT OF CHAPTER B.
OUR TREE ORDINANCE DOES NOT APPLY IN THE ETJ.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S THE EXTRA JURISDICTION.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT ADMINISTRATIVE THE TREE ORDINANCES AND THE PROCESSES THAT, UH, WE GO THROUGH WITHIN THE REVIEW PROCESS.
UH, FIRST I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE LEVELS OF REGULATIONS AND THE LEVELS OF PROTECTION OF TREES, EIGHT INCHES IN DIAMETER, AND THAT'S THE DIAMETER ARE REGULATED AND SURVEYED ON COMMERCIAL SITE PLAN, SUBMITTAL THREES, 19 INCHES AND LARGER ARE PROTECTED SIZE TREE.
19 INCHES IS THE SAME AS 69, 19 INCHES.
DIAMETER IS THE SAME AT 60 INCHES OR COMPETENCE.
SO THAT IS ABOUT, THAT IS DIRECTLY THIS, THE LENGTH OF A SEAMSTRESS TAPE.
SO IF YOU CAN WRAP A SEAMSTRESS TAPE AROUND A TREE, IT'LL BE PROTECTED.
ALL TREE SPECIES ARE PROTECTED.
THIS INCLUDES INVASIVE TREES AS WELL.
YOU DO NEED A PERMIT TO REMOVE THEM.
AND A TREE PERMIT IS REQUIRED FOR IMPACTS FOR REMOVAL ON RESIDENTIAL AND PUBLIC PROPERTY TREES, 24 INCHES OF A CERTAIN SPECIES, SUCH AS OUR OAKS PECANS, ELMS WALNUTS REQUIRE ARE LISTED UNDER HERITAGE TREE SPECIES.
IT REQUIRES A VARIANCE FOR REMOVAL OR IMPACTS THAT EXCEED CODE REQUIREMENT VARIANCES CAN BE ADMINISTRATIVE AND GREATER IMPACTS FOR UN-PERMITTED IMPACT GREATER PENALTIES FOR IMPACT FOR UN-PERMITTED IMPACT.
ONCE THESE HERITAGE TREES REACH A SIZE OF 30 INCHES DIAMETER OR GREATER THESE, ANY PROPOSED VARIANCES MUST GO THROUGH THE PUBLIC PROCESS.
AND THAT PROCESS IS THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION.
NEXT SLIDE CODE CRITERIA FOR PROTECTED AND HERITAGE TREES.
UH, AS KEITH MENTIONED BEFORE, UH, IT IT'S QUOTE CRITERIA FOR REMOVAL AND IT'S THAT PREVENTIVE REASONABLE USE PREVENTS REASONABLE AXIS AND IT'S DEAD, OR IS DEAD DISEASE AND AN IMMINENT HAZARD.
AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, I HAVE A VERY COMPETENT REVIEW STAFF AND INSPECTION STAFF IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT A CONDITION OF THE TREE AND, UH, AND, UM, DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT ITS TENDENCIES IN THE AND HAZARD.
[01:05:01]
SO JUST LIKE EIGHTH, I HAD POINTED OUT, UM, THE CODE, THIS IS 25 8, UH, IS THE CODE IS THE WHAT AND OUR ECM ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA MANUAL IS THE HOW.THE SECOND PART OF THE SLIDE RIGHT HERE IS THE RULES FOR PROTECTING AND BUILDING AROUND TREE.
AND IT IS POSSIBLE TO IMPACT THE FULL, CRITICAL ROOT ZONE.
SO IF YOU TAKE A TREE THAT'S 20 INCHES IN DIAMETER, UM, IT'S ABOUT A LITTLE OVER 60 INCHES CIRCUMFERENCE, AND YOU WALK OUT, UM, 20 FEET.
YOU CAN, UH, ACCORDING TO PRESERVATION RULES, UM, YOU CAN IMPACT THAT CRITICAL ROOT ZONE, BUT THE BULL CRITICAL ROOTS ON CANNOT BE IMPACTED OVER 50%.
UM, SO YOU HAVE A STRUCTURE, A HOUSE ON THAT CRITICAL ROOT ZONE.
YOU, IF THAT PART HAS BEEN, UH, IMPACTED, WE GO TO OUR HALF CRITICAL ROOT ZONE AND SIMILAR TO THIS IS A TERM THAT'S THROWN AROUND IS A CRC SIMILAR TO WATERSHED PRODUCTION, THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY SOUND.
WELL, THIS IS THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE OF THE TREE.
SO THE CLOSER YOU GET TO THE TREE, THE MORE CRITICAL IT IS TO EAT THOSE ROOTS ALIVE.
AND SO INSIDE THE HALF, THERE'S NO CUTTING BILL AND SIMILAR TO OUR REGULATIONS FOR LAND AND PER CUT AND KILL VARIANCES.
THE EIGHTH DIMENSIONS, WE HAVE CERTAIN, NO IMPACTS ARE NO CUT AND PILL, UM, GREATER THAN POOR INCHES WITHIN THAT HALF CRC CRITICAL ROOT ZONE.
ONCE YOU GET REALLY CLOSE TO THE TREE, THAT'S WHERE THE BIGGER ROOTS ARE, AND THERE'S NO IMPACTS ALLOWED.
AND WHEN WE REVIEW PLANS AND I'LL TURN TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, THIS IS THE PROCESS FOR ADMINISTERING THE HERITAGE TREE ORDINANCES, AND BASICALLY HOW WE REVIEW PLANS.
SO SAID IT DOES LOOK LIKE A PLUMBER'S DIAGRAM, BUT, UM, AN APPLICATION WILL COME THROUGH EITHER FROM A RESIDENTIAL OR COMMERCIAL SITE OR SUBDIVISION.
AND THERE'S MANY PROCESSES THAT THIS REVIEW WILL GO THROUGH FOR US TO LOOK AT AND BASE OUR DECISIONS AND, UH, EITHER, UM, ALLOW FOR REMOVAL OR ALLOW HER PERMIT PRESERVATION UNDER THE RULES IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA MANUAL.
AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AND I'LL HAVE KEITH SPEAK MORE TO DUE DILIGENCE OR REASONABLE OF YOU, KEITH.
SO I WANTED TO WALK THE COMMISSION THROUGH, HAVE, UH, A VIEW OF WHAT CITY ARBOR STAFF LOOKS LIKE, UH, OR IT LOOKS AT DURING A REVIEW.
UH, KNOW, AGAIN, YOU'RE ON HENRY RE REPEAT THE PHRASE OR THE STATEMENT OF REASONABLE USE REASONABLE USE, KIND OF OVER AND OVER.
IT IS SO CRITICAL TO US ADMINISTERING THIS ORDINANCE.
AND OFTEN TIMES WE ARE IN A POSITION WHERE STAFF NEED TO KNOW JUST AS MUCH ABOUT LAND DEVELOPMENT AS THEY DO TREES, THE GREATER ACUMEN WE HAVE IN LAND DEVELOPMENT, THE GREATER CHANCE WE HAVE OF PROTECTING TREES, BECAUSE WE CAN, WE KNOW WE CAN LOOK AT SOMETHING AND DETERMINED THAT THERE IS A REASONABLE USE OF PROPERTY OR NOT.
SO TO START THE, THE, WHAT IS THE ZONING OF THE PROPERTY, AS WE MENTIONED, OUR CITY OR OUR TREE REGULATIONS ONLY APPLY IN OUR CITY'S ZONING JURISDICTION, THE ZONING OF A DOWNTOWN PROJECT, CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, UH, IS SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT THAN THESE ZONING FOR A SINGLE FAMILY STRUCTURE THAT'S CALLED SF OR MULTIFAMILY WITH MF ZONING, VERY DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF IMPERVIOUS COVER, VERY DIFFERENT AMOUNT OF DENSITY, UH, VERY DIFFERENT, JUST VERY DIFFERENT TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION.
ONE OF THE KEY THINGS OF HOW WE ADMINISTER OUR ORDINANCES, THE ZONING REGULATIONS ARE AN ALLOWABLE AMOUNT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS COMMISSION MAY HEAR, BUT THE STAFF HERE IS IT IS THIS MISPERCEPTION THAT IT IS A BUY RIGHT ALLOWANCE.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF SOMEONE IS ZONED FOR 60% IMPERVIOUS COVER, THAT IS A, THAT IS AN UP TO AMOUNT.
THERE MAY BE OTHER THINGS SUCH AS TREES, CRITICAL
[01:10:01]
ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES, OTHER CONSIDERATIONS THAT MAKE THAT 60%, NOT A REASONABLE IMPERVIOUS COVER FOR THE PROPERTY.NEXT, NEXT, I THINK IT'S STILL IN THE SAME SLIDE, BUT, UH, NEXT BULLET POINT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'LL SEE IN OUR CITY TOO, IS WE ARE REALLY BASED ON, ON A, ON USE BASED ZONING.
UM, THIS HAS BEEN A BIG ISSUE IN THE REWRITE OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
UM, YOU WILL HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT OVER TIME, UH, USE BASE EUCLIDEAN ZONING, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT YOU SINGLE PANEL AND MULTIFAMILY INDUSTRIAL, UH, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT THIS COMMISSION WILL HEAR, AND IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR ALL OF US TO BE MORE EDUCATED ON, ON THAT ZONING AND THEN HOW THAT RELATES TO BETTER PRESERVING TREES.
SETBACKS ARE ALSO SOMETHING WE'LL LOOK AT CONSIDERATION OF.
WE HAVE COMPATIBILITY SETBACKS IN THE CITY.
IF SOMEONE IS CONSTRUCTING A MULTIFAMILY STRUCTURE, YOU PROBABLY HAVE SETBACKS AWAY FROM THEIR FAITH.
IF IT'S SURROUNDING RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, ALL OF THOSE THINGS PUSH AND PULL ON OUR ABILITY TO PRESERVE TREES.
IT ALSO GIVES US OPPORTUNITIES TO MAXIMIZE PRESERVING TREES.
IF WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF, OF THE DUE DILIGENCE THAT WE WORKED THROUGH WITH THE APPLICANT.
THIS IS THE WHOLE FOODS UP NEAR THE DOMAIN.
UH, AND ANOTHER THING THAT'S COME TO, TO LIGHT FOR US THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS IS REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE FIRE CODE.
UH, FIRE REQUIRES ACCESS TO MOST BUILDINGS AND CONSEQUENTIALLY.
IT REQUIRES THE ACCESS OF A FIRE TRUCK TO, TO THESE FACILITIES.
YOU CAN SEE THIS IMAGE AND SEE HOW LARGE SOME OF THE, WHAT WE CALL THE DRIVE AISLES ARE, RIGHT? THAT'S WHERE YOU DRIVE THROUGH TO YOUR PARKING SPACES.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO WITH THIS, UH, WITH THIS PROJECT IN ORDER TO PRESERVE ALL OF THESE VERY LARGE LIVE OAKS, UH, WAS TO, TO REARRANGE THE PARKING, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO BETTER ALIGN THOSE THAT DRIVE WHAT WE CALL AGAIN, THE DRIVE AISLE, WHAT YOU'LL SEE AT THE BOTTOM PART OF THE SCREEN AND HOW IT CONNECTS WITH THE DRIVE OUT JUST TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN.
AND THEN ANOTHER ONE THAT HEADS OUT TO WHAT WOULD BE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF YOUR SCREEN.
WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE CAR DEPARTMENT AND WORK WITH THE APPLICANT TO COME UP WITH A DESIGN THAT WAS COMPLIANT WITH FIRE REGULATIONS, BUT ALSO PRESERVING EVERY BIG LIVE OAK ON THIS PROPERTY.
AND THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN TIMES, AND, AND NOT, NOT HERE BECAUSE OF OUR REGULATIONS WHERE THIS SITUATION MAY HAVE BEEN TOO BURDENSOME TO TRY AND PRESERVE THESE TRUES TOO MUCH WORK, TOO MUCH DUE DILIGENCE, BUT WITH SOME CREATIVITY AND AVOIDING MUTUAL OR AVOIDING ZERO-SUM OUTCOMES, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO FIND A WAY TO SATISFY BOTH MOBILITY NEEDS, THE PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS AND PRESERVING TREES.
SO AGAIN, GETTING BACK TO THAT ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC DIRECTION, 20, 23, LIKE HERE'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT.
WE WERE ABLE TO DO ALL OF THESE THINGS ON THIS PROPERTY JUST REQUIRED A LOT OF WORK.
SO I WANT TO FINISH UP WITH JUST SOME, SOME CHALLENGES FOR THIS COMMISSION TO CONSIDER, UH, UH, AS, AS YOU COME TOGETHER IN YOUR CHARACTER'S TREE CASES IN THE FUTURE, THESE ARE THE, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT I WOULD SAY THAT, UH, THAT, THAT KEEP US UP AT NIGHT.
UH, NEXT, UH, SO WE JUST HAVE 2020 CENSUS DATA COMING OUT OF THE INITIAL OUTCOMES FROM THAT IS OUR REGION, THE AUSTIN BROWN ROCK STATISTICAL OR METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA.
SO THE CENSUS COUNTS CENSUS COUNTS.
IT IS THE FASTEST GROWING AREA IN THE STATE.
TRAVIS COUNTY GREW ABOUT 25% IN POPULATION FROM 20 TO 2020 HAYES AND WILLIAMSON COUNTIES, BOTH NEARLY DOUBLED IN POPULATION.
YOU CANNOT SEPARATE POPULATION GROWTH FROM LAND USE, AND YOU CAN'T SEPARATE LAND USE FROM PROTECTING TREES.
THEY ARE ALL RELATED AND IT'S GOING TO BE INCREASINGLY BE MORE CHALLENGING FOR US TO PRESERVE TREES, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN DO IT.
IT JUST REQUIRES, UH, THE SMART PLANNING, LIKE THE EXAMPLE I SHOWED YOU A MINUTE AGO NEXT, THE NEXT IMAGE.
SO THIS IS WHAT WAS LIKE A KIND OF BASIC GRAPH, BUT IT ILLUSTRATES A VERY POWERFUL POINT.
THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF TREES IN OUR CITY ARE NOT REGULATED.
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ARE, UH, PROTECTED OR HERITAGE SIZE.UH, I KNOW THAT WE REGULARLY EIGHT TO 18 INCH DIAMETER TREES ON COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, BUT EVEN WHEN YOU INCLUDE THOSE, IT STILL REPRESENTS SUCH A SMALL PORTION OF THE OVERALL TREE POPULATION.
SO THAT BRINGS ABOUT THE ISSUE OF EVEN WITH THE CITY THAT IS VERY EFFECTIVE AT PROTECTING TREES AND THE DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT.
WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT THE SMALLER TREES IN OUR COMMUNITY? THOSE THAT MAY NEVER REACH, PROTECT THE SIZE, THOSE YOUNG TREES, THAT SEPARATE ONE HOUSE FROM THE NEXT, THE TREE THAT MAY BE IN AN ALLEY THAT HAS NEVER BEEN MAINTAINED, BUT IT'S STILL THERE PROVIDING ALL THESE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES.
THAT IS A VERY VEXING CHALLENGE FOR US, BOTH FROM A REGULATORY PERSPECTIVE, AND THEN ALSO JUST A URBAN FOREST HEALTH.
HOW ARE WE MAINTAINING OUR CANOPY COVER IN THE CITY? NEXT SLIDE.
SO THIS IS YEAH, A MAP OF OUR PLANTING PRIORITIZATION IN THE CITY.
THIS WILL LOOK VERY SIMILAR TO THE, THE CLIMATE VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS.
THE REASON WHY IS THIS IS WHERE EVERYTHING YOU SEE IN RED IS WHERE WE ARE PLANTING OR ARE PRIORITIZING THE PLANTING OF TREES FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS AND VERY COMPLEX REASONS.
WE DO NOT HAVE THE TREE CANOPY COVER EAST OF
AND AGAIN, IT IS COMPLEX AND IS VARIED.
BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS WE WITH DEVELOPMENT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
HOW DO WE SHAPE THAT FOR THE BEST OUTCOMES FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND GETTING CANOPY INTO AREAS THAT DO NOT HAVE CANOPY COVER, UH, BE THAT FOR MYRIAD NUMBER OF REASONS, UH, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, UH, TO PLANT TREES AND PROVIDE ALL THOSE BENEFITS, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, MOVING FORWARD, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
AND ON THE FINAL POINT, THIS IS A STUDY THAT JUST CONCLUDED WITH THE US FOREST SERVICE, UH, AND THAT IS THE CLIMATE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT.
AND IN SHORT, AS WE GET HOTTER AND WE GET DRIER, ESTABLISHING TREES WILL BECOME MORE DIFFICULT.
KEEPING NATIVE SPECIES HERE WILL BE MORE DIFFICULT.
WE HAVE NATIVE SPECIES THAT WILL BECOME, OR ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THOSE CHANGES.
ALSO PLANTING TREES WILL BE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO LONG PERIODS OF DROUGHT AND THE ABILITY TO SURVIVE.
SO NOW IS THE TIME FOR ACTION OF MAINTAINING WHAT WE HAVE AND FINDING WAYS TO BE MORE RESILIENT WITH OUR REPORTS.
AND THAT CAN BE BOTH FROM A REGULATORY APPROACH, BUT THAT ALSO CAN BE FROM AN URBAN FOREST STEWARDSHIP APPROACH AND A COMMUNITY APPROACH.
SO WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.
UH, NAOMI, I GREATLY APPRECIATE YOU, UH, UH, JOINING WITH ME ON THIS CALL, UM, THE CITY AS A NEARLY 40 YEAR HISTORY OF HAVING A, A CITY ARBORIST AND, UH, SHE IS DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB IN THIS ROLE, AND I GREATLY APPRECIATE THE COMMISSION'S ATTENTION TONIGHT AND, AND YOUR INTEREST IN THIS MATTER.
NAOMI, ANY FINAL THOUGHTS? I MEAN, IF YOU'RE TALKING YOU'RE YOU'RE MUTED.
UH, I GUESS I WAS SAYING SOMETHING THAT REALLY WANTED TO APPRECIATE, UM, COMMISSIONERS ON THIS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UM, IT'S A REALLY, UM, GREAT OPPORTUNITY AND ALWAYS FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO ME IF YOU HAVE ANY CITIZEN CONCERNS AND SUCH I'M ALWAYS AVAILABLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT A TREE IN MY BACKYARD THAT, UH, I HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
APPARENTLY IT DIDN'T, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, THE LEAVES HAVEN'T SHOWN UP YET.
SO THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER IT'S DEAD OR NOT.
SO I HAVE THE QUESTION CAUSE IT'S A PRETTY BIG TREE.
SO AS FAR AS IMPACT, THERE ARE FIRST ARE JUST LIKE SOIL, LIKE DIGGING UP ON SOIL AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
FROM WHAT I KIND OF GATHERED FROM THE DIAGRAMS, Y'ALL HAD, IT DOESN'T REALLY HAVE TO DO THE BRANCHES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WE EXPERIENCED ALL OF THE CENTRAL TAXES IN TEXAS, AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF DAMAGE FROM THE WINTER FREEZE.
IT VERY MUCH AFFECTED OUR ARIZONA ASHES, OUR RED OAKS AND,
[01:20:01]
UM, MANY OTHER TREE SPECIES.SO WE ARE PROCESSING A LOT OF DEAD DISEASE AND IMMINENT HAZARD TREES THAT DIED FROM THE STORE.
SO WE RECEIVE A LOT OF RESIDENTS THAT ARE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR TREES.
UM, ONE OF THE CRITERIA FOR IMPACT BY REMOVAL IS A PERCENTAGE OF CANOPY OF LIVE CANOPY.
SO YOU CAN TRIM OUT THE DEADWOOD IN YOUR BACK YARD, BUT IF YOU INTEND TO REMOVE MORE THAN 25% OF A PROTECTED TREES, CANOPY WILL NEED TO GO THROUGH A PERMIT THROUGH OUR OFFICE.
AND WE DON'T GO OUT AND DO CONSULTATIONS FOR PRIVATE HOMEOWNERS.
UH, WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE STAFF AND IT'S NOT SUPPORTED BY CODE, BUT WE WILL REVIEW IF YOU WANTED TO SEND IN A PERMIT OR HIRE AN ARBORIST, WHAT CAN WE DO TO SAVE THE TREE? THEY SAY, IT'S NOT THE ANNUAL, STILL REVIEW IT AS THAT CODE CRITERIA, DEAD DISEASE, AN EMINENT HAZARD.
SO IT'S, AUSTIN DID SUFFER A LOT OF TREE DAMAGE FROM THE WINTER STORM.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE, UH, IF, UH, IF A BRANCH DOES NOT HAVE ANY LEAVES, RIGHT, IF IT ESSENTIALLY LOOKS DEAD, THEN WE WON'T NEED ANY PERMIT OR SOMETHING TO REMOVE THOSE BRANCHES.
CAUSE IT WAS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW AS A BRANCH OR LIKE IN WIRES, BUT IT'S NOT IN LIKE THE TOP WIRE THAT'S AUSTIN ENERGY, RIGHT? IT'S IN LIKE THE LOWER LIKE TELECOM WIRES OR SOMETHING.
UM, SO UNFORTUNATELY AUSTIN ENERGY WOULDN'T DO IT.
UH, WHICH MEANS I GOTTA DO IT MYSELF.
SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A PERMIT REQUIRED FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? AND IT SOUNDS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THERE ARE NO BRANCHES THEN PLAY BALL OR IF THERE ARE NO LEAVES AND PLAY BALL, SO WE ARE STILL WAIT, I WOULD GO AHEAD AND SUBMIT A PERMIT.
WE ARE STILL DOING A WAIT AND SEE APPROACH BASED ON INFORMATION FROM CITY FORESTERS ACROSS THE STATE, BASED ON THE INFORMATION FROM THE FOREST SERVICE THAT SOME OF THE TREES ARE COMING BACK WHEN MAY CAME AROUND.
SO MANY TREES DID NOT LEAVE OUT.
SO UNCERTAIN TREE SPECIES, ESPECIALLY OUR LIVE MOAKS AND ESPECIALLY OUR POSTO.
UH, WE ARE STILL CONTINUING WITHIN REASON A WAIT AND SEE APPROACH ON, THEY MAY COME BACK, UM, BASED ON OUR BEST EVIDENCE FROM SORT OF ACROSS THE STREET.
SO YOU CAN PRUNE THOSE DEAD BRANCHES WITHOUT A PERMIT.
UH, NAOMI, I DON'T WANT TO INTERRUPT YOU AND I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN FOR THE TREE, BUT, UM, IS, IS THIS ONLINE WHERE HE CAN PULL UP THE INFORMATION RIDE IN, SUBMIT SOMETHING TO YOUR DEPARTMENT? BECAUSE I THINK ALL CITIZENS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROCESS THEY NEED TO GO THROUGH REGARDING, UH, THE TREES AND, AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT GENERALLY WE DON'T GIVE OUT, YOU KNOW, WORK ON PERSONAL SITUATIONS WITHIN THE COMMISSION.
I DON'T, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE SEEN AS UNETHICAL AT THIS POINT AND SOME WEIRD WAY, BUT ANYWAY, UH, HE DO, THERE ARE STEPS ONLINE THAT HARRIS CAN GO TO SUBMIT SOMETHING SO THAT Y'ALL COULD LOOK AT IT WITH THAT APPLICATION.
ON OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES WEBSITE.
SO YOU CAN GOOGLE CITY ARBORIST AND YOU WILL GET, BE TAKEN TO INSTRUCTIONS, OR YOU CAN EMAIL CITY ARBORIST AT AUSTIN, TEXAS DOT, UH, WE COULD PROVIDE YOU WITH INSTRUCTIONS.
AND, UM, A PART OF ME, MERIDEN CHAIRMAN, I'VE RECEIVED SO MANY CONCERNED CITIZENS, UM, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THEIR TREES AND THE PRIESTS DEVASTATING REALLY REALIZE UNTIL MY NEIGHBOR TOLD ME, I WAS LIKE, YEAH, IT DOES LOOK DEAD.
SO I'M SURE IT'S A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM FOR SURE.
I HAVE A FEW CAKES, BUT I'D RATHER YES.
UH, AUDREY BARRETT BIXLER YOUR NECK.
THE FIRST ONE'S QUICK, UM, I WAS KIND OF ZOOMED IN ON THE POWERPOINT, SO I MIGHT'VE MISSED LIKE A CAPTION, BUT WHERE IS THE LOCATION OF THE EXAMPLE THAT WAS PROVIDED OF THE GOOD DEVELOPMENT WHERE THE FIRETRUCKS CAN GET IN AND OUT AND THE WHOLE FOODS AT THE DOMAIN? OKAY.
AND THEN, UM, THE MORE, I GUESS IN MY MIND MORE COMPLICATED QUESTION, UM, IS TALKING ABOUT WEIGHING THE PLUSES AND MINUSES, I GUESS KIND OF THE COST OF SORT OF LIKE THE MITIGATION EFFORT, WHICH HAS COME UP WHEN RECENTLY, I MEAN, I THINK I'VE BEEN SERVING SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR NOW, BUT THE COUPLE OF TIMES WHEN WE'VE HAD THIS COME UP THERE'S IS IF A TREE
[01:25:01]
IS, IS, UM, YOU KNOW, CLEARED, I GUESS, FOR, UM, REMOVAL, THEN THERE'S USUALLY SOMETHING THAT THE COUNTY THAT OUR COMMISSION SAYS, BUT YOU NEED TO PLANT 10 TREES OR 15 TREES AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SORT OF TAKING THE, KIND OF THE WHOLE LIKE LIFE CYCLE PERSPECTIVE HERE, WHICH, UM, YOU KNOW, IN, I GUESS EVEN IN LIKE 83, PEOPLE MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN THINKING AS MUCH ABOUT LIKE THE CARBON EMISSIONS AND THE CARBON SINKS WITH PLANNING MORE AND HOW YOU CALCULATE THE BENEFITS OVER TIME AS THEY GROW.SO THAT'S KIND OF MY QUESTION, BUT I KNOW I DIDN'T EVEN GIVE YOU A SPECIFIC QUESTION EXCEPT FOR, I KNOW IT'S A REALLY, UM, INTERESTING COMPONENT AND I'M SURE IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS REALLY HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING AT THESE VARIOUS REQUESTS.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I FEEL LIKE I'M NOT SUPER SMART ON, BUT IT HAS COME UP IN THESE MEETINGS, I GUESS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, JUST MORE EDUCATION ON HOW TO PROCEED WITH THAT.
UM, AND I GO, I KNOW WE'RE NOT ARBORIST, BUT JUST KIND OF FULLY UNDERSTANDING, LIKE IT MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER.
LIKE, OH YEAH, YOU'RE GOING TO PLAY AT 15 AND WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE STILL DOING SOMETHING.
BUT JUST REALLY HOW, HOW DOES IT ALL WEIGH OUT? UM, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER PARROT, UH, I'LL SPEAK TO ONE PART OF THAT QUESTION AND THEN TURN IT OVER TO KI, UH, THERE ARE STANDARD RATES OF MITIGATION IN SPELLED OUT IN OUR CRITERIA MANUAL FOR TREE CLASS SIZES OR TREE SPECIES WE HAVE, UH, IN OUR CRITERIA MANUAL, THERE IS, UH, AN APPENDIX F WHICH LISTS THE SPECIES AND STANDARD FORMULAS FOR MITIGATION RATES.
AND THEN I'LL PASS THE REST OF THE QUESTION ONTO KEY COMMISSIONER.
I, I DON'T THINK THERE'S, THERE IS NOT ONE OR EVEN A STRAIGHTFORWARD ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, THE MITIGATION, THE REQUIREMENT FOR MITIGATION DATES BACK TO THE EIGHTIES.
THEN AGAIN, IT WAS CHANGED IN THE NINETIES, UM, IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
AT THOSE TIMES, IT WAS, IT WAS MORE OF A FOCUS ON COMMUNITY VALUE THAN, OR THE AESTHETIC VALUE.
AND WE, WE ANECDOTALLY KNEW OF ALL THESE BENEFITS THAT TREES PROVIDE, BUT THERE'S BEEN SUCH AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE SCIENCE BEHIND THAT, OF THE BENEFITS THAT TREES PROVIDE, THE TANGIBLE BENEFITS THEY PROVIDE.
I DO BELIEVE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMISSION, UH, AND HOPEFULLY ALONG WITH STAFF TO PROVIDE UPDATED AND REVISED MITIGATION APPROACHES FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION WHEN, AND OR IF, AND WHEN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REWRITE COMES BACK SO THAT WE CAN THINK A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY AND MORE HOLISTICALLY ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY IS IT THAT WE ARE MITIGATING THE LOSS OF THE TREE? UM, COMMISSIONER SCOTT, I, I REVIEWED, UH, AN EARLIER, UH, COMMISSION, UH, MEETING.
AND, UH, I REMEMBER, UH, THERE WERE, UH, A NUMBER OF CASES WHERE DEVELOPERS HAD GONE AHEAD AND REMOVED, UH, HERITAGE TREES AND, AND, UH, THE, UH, UH, AND I BELIEVE THAT MAYBE, MAYBE IT WAS, WAS, UH, UH, WAS, WAS YOU SPEAKING, UH, UH, MR. MAURICE, I'M NOT SURE, UM, THAT THE, UH, THE PENALTY FOR, UM, THE TREE REMOVAL IS, IS, IS SO MINIMAL AS TO NOT BE MUCH OF A DETERRENT, WHICH, UH, WHICH MADE ME WONDER, UH, I, I'M NOT SURE WHO IT IS THAT WOULD, WOULD CHANGE THAT, BUT IT MAKES ME WONDER IF THAT SHOULD BE CHANGED AND, UM, UH, POSSIBLY POSSIBLY EVEN DIFFERENT WAYS, UH, CHANGED IN DIFFERENT WAYS, SUCH AS, UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE, UM, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU DRIVE ALL INTOXICATED, YOU COULD LOSE YOUR LICENSE.
SO IF YOU DEVELOP AND JUST MOW DOWN TREES, UH, SHOULD YOU BE ALLOWED TO DEVELOP, I MEAN, JUST, I'M THROWING THAT OUT FOR, UH, PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT'S NECESSARILY, UM, THAT MAY BE TOO DRACONIAN, BUT, UM, I, I, IT'S NOT, TO ME, TO ME, I THINK THOSE TREES ARE PRETTY IMPORTANT.
UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT A LARGE DEVELOPMENT IN, UH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT SITUATION THAT YOU SHOWED US WITH, UH, UH, UH,
[01:30:01]
THE, UH, THE SHOPPING CENTER, UH, TO, TO LOSE THAT MANY, UH, HERITAGE LIVE OAKS WOULD BE, UH, UH, A REALLY A TRAGEDY, UH, AS WE'RE IN THE KIND OF, UH, CLIMATE CHANGE, UH, UH, ENVIRONMENT THAT WE ARE NOW.UM, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A BIG CONCERN FOR ME IS THE SECOND CONCERN I HAVE IS SHOULD WE BE DOING MORE TO, UH, DO, UH, UH, FIND THE TREES BEFORE THEY'RE CUT DOWN? UM, CAN WE ENLIST THE HELP OF THE COMMUNITY IN, IN, IN DOING THAT? UM, MAYBE, MAYBE, UM, AGAIN, THIS IS A PLACE WHERE IT COULD JUST BE, UH, A MATTER OF, UM, UH, DOING SOME BRAINSTORMING I'VE THOUGHT I'VE THOUGHT, FOR EXAMPLE, OF, UM, UH, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, UH, MAKING, UH, A GRID OF THE CITY AND THEN TAKING A PART OF THAT GRID AND, AND, UH, GIVING THEM A CHANCE TO, UH, TO LEARN HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE, UH, IT'S, IT'S ALL THE LIVE OAKS, IT'S THE, IT'S THE WALNUT TREES, THE BIG COUNTRIES, I MEAN, AND TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THOSE TREES AND THEN, UH, ANOTHER ASPECT THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED.
UH, UH, UM, A FRIEND OF MINE TOLD ME IN, IN, UH, IN AN ASIAN COUNTRY WHERE EVERY, UH, TREE HAS A US CITIZEN, WHO IS, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE ASSIGNED OR IF THEY VOLUNTEERED TO PROTECT THAT TREE.
AND I, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, UH, MAY SOUND STRANGE TO, UH, TO US AND IN OUR, UH, COMMUNITY AND THE WAY WE DO THINGS, BUT I KIND OF LIKED THAT.
I LIKED THAT IDEA OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND, AND, UH, MAYBE MORE THAN THAT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW OFTEN DO WE GET A CHANCE TO BE THAT INVOLVED IN, IN, UH, YEAH, THIS IS MY COMMUNITY AND I'M, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M STANDING UP FOR THIS, UH, THIS PART OF MY ENVIRONMENT.
AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW, IT CAN BE KIND OF CRAZY, BUT, UM, UH, WHEN I HEARD ABOUT TREES BEING LOST AND NOT EVEN KNOWN ABOUT UNTIL AFTER THE FACT AND JUST, UM, JUST REALLY MADE ME SAD AND, AND WONDER IF, IF WE COULD DO MORE.
SO I JUST, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THESE ARE CRAZY IDEAS, UM, BUT I'M JUST THROWING THEM OUT AS IF OR A FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SCOTT.
AND AS WE KNOW, UH, THE URBAN FORESTRY IS UNDER REGULATIONS.
WE HAVE A MANUAL, AND THAT'S PART OF THE ISSUE IS THAT, WELL, THERE ARE CONSTRAINTS WITHIN WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE SUPPOSEDLY PROTECTING OUR TREES.
UH, I WOULD LIKE EITHER NAOMI OR OUR TEETH TO SPEAK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, OVER ROAD, OUR THREE OAK TREES ARE VOTE AND PROTECTED THOSE TREES AND SOUTH, I THINK SOUTHWEST WEST, SOMEWHERE IN AUSTIN.
AND ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT, THAT, UH, COMMISSION SAID WAS THAT THE MITIGATION IS NOT SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH.
AND IF WE COULD TAKE THAT INFORMATION THAT THEY BROUGHT FORWARD AND CHALLENGED US, OUR COMMISSION, AND LOOKED AT THAT ON WHY THE MITIGATION IS THE WAY IT IS WRITTEN, WHICH REALLY DOES NOT PROTECT.
IT'S NOT AN EYE FOR AN EYE, LET'S SAY.
AND SO I THINK THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE WOULD NEED TO LOOK INTO THAT FURTHER TO SEE HOW WE CAN WORK WITH Y'ALL TO SEE IF THERE COULD BE SOME SORT OF A CHANGE AS WE LOSE, UM, MORE AND MORE OF OUR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND, UM, AND IF Y'ALL THINK THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD PURSUE JUST WANTED TO REALLY QUICK, UH, KEITH COMMISSIONER BEDFORD WAS RAISING HIS HAND, SO YOU CAN GO NEXT.
AND THEN I HAVE A COMMENT AND A QUESTION AS WELL.
UM, I JUST HAD ONE QUICK QUESTION.
I KNOW THAT IN THE PRESENTATION, IT WAS MENTIONED THAT IT SEEMS TO BE LESS TREES ON THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN VERSUS THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN.
AND SO I WAS JUST KIND OF CURIOUS IF THERE WAS A SPECIFIC REASON THAT'S LIKE LESS TREES ON THE EAST SIDE.
LIKE IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF SPECIAL ORDINANCE OR, UM, LIKE CONSTRUCTION ORDINANCE TO WHERE IT'S LIKE A LAX MORE ON THE EAST SIDE VERSUS ON THE WEST SIDE, FOR SURE.
BEDFORD, UH, I'D BE HAPPY TO, TO ANSWER THAT.
SO THERE ARE MANY REASONS I'LL, I'LL TOUCH ON A COUPLE OF THEM.
[01:35:01]
ONE IS WE DO TRULY HAVE A, A ECOLOGICAL DIVIDE IN THE CITY.YOU HAVE THE ERROR'S PLATEAU TO THE WEST, AND YOU HAVE THE REMANENCE OF BLACK LAND PRAIRIE TO THE EAST.
THE, THE BLACKLINE PRAIRIE SIDE OF TOWN REALLY EAST OF 35 IS INHERENTLY GOING TO HAVE LESS TREES AND PART BECAUSE OF PRAIRIE.
BUT THEN PART THAT WAS, UH, AN AREA THAT WAS, UH, WAS MUCH MORE HEAVY AGRICULTURE, WHERE WE DO HAVE TREES TEND TO BE IN THE FLOOD PLAIN.
NOW, WHEN IT, WHEN IT COMES TO THE LAND USE ISSUE, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE ESPECIALLY SEEN AS, AS EAST AUSTIN HAS IN PARTICULAR HAS CHANGED OVER REALLY THE PAST 10 TO 15 YEARS AND THE EASTERN CRESCENT FOR OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AND AN ASPECTS OF A TREE REGULATIONS REPRESENT A TIME WHEN GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENT WAS, WAS THE, THE MARQUEE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY, GREENFIELD, MEANING PREVIOUSLY UNDEVELOPED PROPERTY, UH, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES BEING BUILT IN THAT AREA IN THE PAST 10 TO 15 YEARS, THAT WE HAVE SEEN SO MUCH GROWTH IN THE URBAN CORE OF AUSTIN.
WE DO NOT HAVE TREE PLANTING REGULATIONS FOR URBAN INFILL.
THE ONLY TIME A PERSON HAS TO PLANT A TREE IS ONE, THEY REMOVE A PROTECTED OR REGULATOR OR PROTECTOR TO HERITAGE TREE.
I'M SPEAKING OF SINGLE FAMILY IN PARTICULAR, AND WE REQUIRE MITIGATION TO BE REPLANTED, OR THEY ARE A GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENT AND THE CODE TRIGGERS THE PLANTING OF THOSE TREES.
SO TO BE VERY CONCRETE ABOUT THAT, WHEN WE SEE NEIGHBORHOODS AND AREAS CHANGE, AND ESPECIALLY IN EAST AUSTIN, THAT THERE ARE NO PLANTING REQUIREMENTS, UH, AND AN AREA THAT DIDN'T HAVE POSSIBLY DIDN'T HAVE TREES IN THE FIRST PLACE.
WE HAVE NOT SEEN THOSE TREES PLANTED OVER THE PAST DECADE, TWO DECADES, THREE DECADES.
SO WE'RE SEEING THE MANIFESTATION OF THAT TODAY OF LACK OF TREE COVER, AND THERE'S OTHER REASONS AS WELL, MANY OTHER REASONS, BUT I'LL HIGHLIGHT THOSE TWO.
I JUST HAVE TWO QUESTIONS AND THEN, UH, I JUST SAW BREMMER RE RAISING HIS HAND.
UM, SO KEITH, THANKS SO MUCH IN, IN NAOMI.
UM, I WAS GOING TO ASK A SIMILAR QUESTION TO JUST, I WANTED TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT JUST IN TERMS OF HOW YOU BENCHMARK GOALS BASED ON THOSE TWO DIFFERENT ECOSYSTEMS AND LIKE, WHAT IS, WHAT WOULD BE GREAT ON THE BLACKLAND PRAIRIE SIDE VERSUS VERSUS ON THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN? UM, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT THE PRIORITY MAP.
OH, SURE THING, COMMISSIONER CORN, UH, KEITH BARS AGAIN, UH, THE, THE FIRST PART IS SINCE DEVELOPMENT IS SO INFLUENTIAL IN THIS CITY, UM, DEVELOPMENT HAS SUCH A MASSIVE IMPACT ON TREES, BOTH AN OPPORTUNITY TO PLANT TREES AND ALSO IN THE REMOVAL OF TREES.
UH, THE MAJORITY OF OUR CANOPY COVER IS WEST OF
THE MAJORITY OF CANOPY COVER THAT IS PROTECTED FOREVER.
TIVITY IS ALSO A WESTERN TOWN, THE AREAS IN EAST OF, OF TOWN THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE STRONGEST STREET PROTECTION OR NOT TREE PRAYS WITH PRE-PROJECT TREE PROTECTION REGULATIONS AT ALL.
IT'S ACTUALLY OUR WATERSHED REGULATIONS THAT ARE PROTECTING THE DRAINAGE ACREAGE AND PROTECTING THOSE, YOU KNOW, THOSE HEADWATERS TO 64 ACRES, UH, IN, IN GREATER OF, OF TRIBUTARIES THAT ARE STILL HAVE WOODED FLOODPLAINS TO THEM.
UM, THAT IS A BIG PRIORITY FROM US AS A, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT PROTECTED TREE PROTECTED TREE.
IT SHOULDN'T NOT MATTER IF IT'S BECAUSE OF A WATERSHED REGULATION OR TREE REGULATION.
IT'S IF WE'RE OUTCOME ORIENTED, IT'S ALL ABOUT PROTECTING THE TREE.
SO LOOKING AT EAST OF TOWN DIFFERENTLY OF WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENTS, THAT IS SOMETHING I THINK WE OUGHT TO BE MORE COGNIZANT OF SOMETHING.
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVEMENT.
SO THE PLANNING UNIT DEVELOPMENT HIERARCHY SYSTEM IS BASED ON PRESERVATION, BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO PRESERVE AL CAN WE BE MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH PLANTING BACK PLANTING QUALITY TREES, UH, CREATING NATURAL AREAS IN ADDITION TO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE STREET TREES, THE FRONT YARD TREES.
SO IT'S REALLY NOT A MATTER OF WHICH ONE OF THOSE OPTIONS IT'S, IT'S REALLY ALL OF THOSE OPTIONS.
UM, I THINK WE ACTUALLY HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY IN THE COMING YEAR, ESPECIALLY WORKING WITH COMMUNITY OF, OF RECOGNIZING, WELL, WHAT ARE, WHERE ARE THE VALUES AND HOW DO WE SHAPE A BETTER URBAN FOREST OR FOR ALL OF AUSTIN? UM, MR. YOUR FIRST QUESTION, AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION ON THE TREE PLANTING PRIVATIZATION MAP.
[01:40:01]
AND I SEE HARRIS AS RAISING HIS HANDS WHO CAN GO AFTER BRIMER, UM, JUST WANT TO CUE EVERYONE UP, UM, THE PRIORITY MAP, LET ME ACTUALLY HOLD THAT CAUSE THE SOUTHERN ONE'S MORE RELEVANT.I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO WAIT FOR LDC TO RESURRECT, UH, OR, OR D CAN WE ISN'T THIS MORE ECM, LIKE ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA MANUAL? LIKE, CAN WE GET INTO SOME OF THE ENHANCED MITIGATION AND ALSO MAYBE EVEN THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, EVEN INCENTIVIZING MORE PLANTING EVEN WHERE THERE ISN'T MITIGATED MITIGATION REQUIREMENT.
CAN'T WE DO THAT IN ECM, I THINK WITH A STRONG COALITION APPROACH DEMONSTRATING THE NEED AND WHAT OUTCOME WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE, UH, PERHAPS ABSOLUTELY.
BUT I THINK THAT WOULD REQUIRE THE INTERESTED PARTIES, THIS COMMISSION, UH, AND STAFF WORKING TOGETHER, UH, TO, TO FORMULATE SOME IDEAS, PUTTING PEN TO PAPER FOR ECM UPDATES.
WELL THEN I THINK THAT, I KNOW THAT THIS IS A LITTLE EARLY ONE OF OUR AGENDA ITEMS. OUR LAST AGENDA ITEM IS GOAL SETTING FOR, FOR THIS NEXT YEAR FOR THE COMMISSION, I THINK ENHANCED MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS, AS WELL AS SOME, SOME PROACTIVE PLANTING REQUIREMENTS OR AT LEAST INCENTIVIZATION THAT, THAT DOESN'T CURRENTLY EXIST, INCLUDING ALSO A SUBSET OF THAT THINKING ABOUT PLANNING UNIT DEVELOPMENTS AND HOW WE INCREASE, UH, THE WAY WE PRIORITIZE PRE-PLANTING THERE.
I THINK THOSE WERE ALL LIKE THREE KEY GOALS THAT WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MORE LATER.
UM, AND THEN LAST QUESTION, AND THEN TO BRIMER UM, KEITH, JUST WONDERING ON THE PRIORITIZATION MAP, IS THAT JUST LOOKING AT, JUST AT PRIORITY BASED ON LACK OF CANOPY OR WHAT OTHER FACTORS ARE GOING INTO THAT PRIORITIZATION SURE.
SO THAT, THAT WORK IS COMING OUT OF OUR URBAN FORESTRY PROGRAM IN, IN MY DIVISION, UM, DOING FANTASTIC WORK.
SO IT ACTUALLY INCLUDES A NUMBER OF, OF INDICES AND ESPECIALLY THE SOCIO SOCIOECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS.
UH, ONE THING, FOR EXAMPLE, IT DOES INCLUDE THE, UH, I BELIEVE IT DOES INCLUDE THE UT UH, DISPLACEMENT STUDY AS PART OF THIS.
UH, IT INCLUDES SOME OF THE CENSUS DATA.
I DON'T BELIEVE IT HAS 2020, ACTUALLY.
I KNOW IT DOESN'T HAVE 2020 THAT'S TOO NEW.
UM, BUT MANY OF THOSE TYPES OF CONSIDERATIONS FACTOR IN, UH, TO HOW WE CALCULATE THE SCORE.
SO THERE'S ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL VULNERABILITY, AND ALL OF THAT LEADS TO, UM, WHERE TO DIRECT INVESTMENTS FOR IMPROVING OUR REPORTS OUTCOMES.
AND I CAN GET YOU A LIST OF, OF WHAT THOSE DETAILS ARE, BE HAPPY TO.
I FIGURED IT INCLUDED A LOT OF THAT STUFF.
AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT, I GUESS WHAT I'M WONDERING THOUGH, IS THAT IT SEEMS LIKE, YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF PLACES THAT ARE REALLY HIGH PRIORITY FOR PLANTING.
AND IS THERE DIGGING INTO THAT DATA IN, IN A MORE NUANCED WAY, A WAY TO TRIAGE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT AND BE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ORIENTED WITH WHERE WE SHOULD BE PRIORITIZING AND THE VERY, VERY NEAR TERM MIDTERM, LONGTERM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THING.
AND, AND LAST THING I'LL SAY IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE MANY, UM, GEOSPATIAL APPLICATIONS THAT I'VE SEEN OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, APPLYING SOCIOECONOMIC VULNERABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN, IN, IN AN OVERLAPPING WAY.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE DOING THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE DOING IT IN A STANDARDIZED WAY ACROSS THE CITY.
AND I THINK THAT THIS IS LIKE, IS WATERSHED WATERSHED IS PROBABLY GOING TO DO THAT FOR THIS STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS THAT THEY'RE ABOUT TO DO.
I KNOW THAT OTHER DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING THAT SAME KIND OF VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT WORK.
AND I REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE WORKING WITH EQUITY OFFICE TO STANDARDIZE THAT SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND, AND GROUPS WHO ARE DOING IT IN DIFFERENT WAYS, WEIGHTING FACTORS DIFFERENTLY, ET CETERA, EVEN THOUGH RECOGNIZING THAT THERE'S DIFFERENT UNIQUE CONTEXTS BASED ON WHAT, WHAT, WHAT YOU WANT THAT INFORMATION TO INFORM.
BUT DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO Y'ALL BASED ON YOU GUYS DIVING INTO THIS? YEAH.
ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO BREAK DOWN THE SILOS AND FOCUS MORE ON OUTCOMES AND LESS ON DEPARTMENTS.
UH, I AM RIGHT THERE WITH YOU AND BE HAPPY TO WORK ON THIS TOGETHER.
AND A NAME, WE APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, THE PRESENTATION.
UM, ONE OF THEM IS WHAT THE PROCESS FOR THE PUBLIC TO NOTIFY YOU FOLKS, IF THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH, OR THEY BELIEVE THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH A TREE BEING CUT DOWN, THAT SHOULDN'T BE SPECIFICALLY DURING THE OFF HOURS THAT IS, YOU KNOW, NOT DURING OFFICE HOURS.
[01:45:01]
YOU KNOW, THAT SOMEONE CAN BE ALERTED, THEY CAN GET A CITY EMPLOYEE OUT THERE TO INTERVENE IN THAT.AND MY SECOND QUESTION IS, UH, WITH THE PROBLEM OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND PUTTING INCREASED STRESS ON THE EXISTING TREES, ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT, UH, PLANTING TREES THAT WILL BE MORE, YOU KNOW, UH, CLIMATIZED TO THE CHANGING CLIMATE, YOU KNOW, UH, IF WE'RE GETTING WARMER AND DRYER, ARE WE LOOKING AT PLANTING TREES, THEY'RE GOING TO BE MORE, UH, YOU KNOW, HAPPY IN THIS CHANGING ENVIRONMENT.
SO THOSE WERE MY TWO QUESTIONS COMMISSIONER BRAMMER.
I CAN ANSWER THE FIRST ONE, THE BEST WAY TO GET A HOLD OF, UH, IF THERE IS A TREE OFF HOURS, ESPECIALLY THAT YOU BELIEVE IS, UM, WE HAVE AN OPEN OR TOLL AND OPEN SYSTEM, UM, AUSTIN BUILDING CONNECT WHERE YOU CAN LOOK UP, UH, IF THERE'S A PERMIT ON THAT PROPERTY, THE BEST WAYS TO CALL 3, 1, 1.
AND THERE IS ALSO A, AN RESOURCE ACCOUNT, UM, DST ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTIONS AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOVERNMENT.GOV, UH, THAT WILL ALSO ALERT INSPECTIONS DIVISION ON THAT.
AND THEN THE LASTLY, UM, WE DO HAVE A RESOURCE ACCOUNTS IN THE ARBORIST AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV THAT IS MONITORED AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE ABOUT THREE AVENUES TO CALL IN, AND THEN I'LL TURN THE SECOND PART OF THE QUESTION OVER TO KEY SPECIES COMMISSIONER.
UH, WE ARE ON UPDATING PLANTING LISTS TO RECOGNIZE THE CHANGING CLIMATE.
ACTUALLY, SOME OF THE ECM WORK THAT IS ONGOING WILL ACTUALLY HELP FACILITATE THAT.
SO THIS IS ACTUALLY BUILDING ON COMMISSIONER POINTS, SUGGESTIONS ON THAT ECM.
SO WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH A PLAIN LANGUAGE UPDATE TO THE ECM, REALLY FOCUSED ON GOOD GOVERNANCE, UH, REMOVING EXTRANEOUS INFORMATION, REMOVING INFORMATION THAT IS, UH, OVERLY TECHNICAL WITHOUT A PURPOSE.
UM, BUT AS AN UNDER THAT IDEA OF BETTER USABILITY, WE ALSO ARE GOING IN AND REMOVING SOME OF THE SELF-IMPOSED BARRIERS TO WHAT TREES CAN BE PLANTED.
WHEN WE UPDATED THE TREE PLANTING LIST IN 2010, IT WAS HEAVILY FOCUSED ON A CENTRAL TEXAS NATIVE ONLY PLANTING OUR VIEW ON THAT.
AND MANY PROFESSIONAL VIEWS ON THAT HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME IN PART BECAUSE RECOGNIZING THE CHANGING CLIMATE.
SO WE HAD OUR, WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE ECM AND REMOVING THAT BARRIER, ALLOWING OTHER SPECIES TO BE PLANTED, UH, ALLOWING THE CITY ARBORS THROUGH TO CONSIDER A SPECIES IN SUCH A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT THAT SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH CODE AND RULES UPDATES.
IT ALLOWS PROFESSIONAL DISCRETION.
UH, THIS PAST FEBRUARY, THE WINTER STORM REALLY, REALLY CHANGED THAT PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE A LOT OF THE TREES FROM WEST TEXAS OR THE SOUTH TEXAS BRUSH COUNTRY, ARE WE SOLVE A SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THEM, UH, ARIZONA ASH, WHICH IS NO LONGER.
SO PRACTICALLY SPEAKING IS NO LONGER PLANTED.
WE'RE PROBABLY SEEING 90 PLUS PERCENT MORTALITY WITH THOSE TREES.
UM, THAT TOO IS ALSO A SOCIOECONOMIC ISSUE BECAUSE WHERE THOSE TREES ARE PLANTED OR HADN'T BEEN PLANTED HISTORICALLY.
IT IS CHANGING QUICKLY AND WE ARE TRYING TO BE MORE RESILIENT, ADAPTIVE BY UPDATING THE SPECIES LIST.
AND I THINK THERE'LL BE MORE TO COME AND BE HAPPY AND WANT TO INCLUDE THIS COMMISSION AS PART OF THAT PROCESS, ESPECIALLY PAIRING IT WITH THE REQUESTS TO LOOK MORE BROADLY AT MITIGATION.
I THINK THIS ISSUE DOVETAILS NICELY WITH THAT.
I MEAN, UH, I'LL JUST TRY AND BRIEFLY ON THE TREE SPECIES THING.
I THINK THESE BLIZZARDS ARE GOING TO BECOME MORE AND MORE COMMONPLACE.
AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO PREPARE OURSELVES FOR THAT INEVITABILITY.
I SAY THAT WITH A HEAVY HEART AS A NATIVE TEXAN, BUT, YOU KNOW, LET'S BE REALISTIC ABOUT THE WAY THINGS ARE HEADED.
ANYWAYS, MY QUESTION WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONERS, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, BEDFORD AND COYNE KIND OF TOUCHED ON THIS, I REPRESENT DISTRICT ONE, WHICH IS, UH, AS MANY OF YOU ARE PROBABLY WELL AWARE AS, AS SHERIFF, UH, YOUR EQUITY ISSUES OVER THE YEARS, DECADES, CENTURIES, RIGHT.
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO, YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL
[01:50:01]
KIND OF, UH, ISSUES.YOU KNOW, I ACTUALLY LIVE ON ROCKY AND MAINER, WHICH IS CLOSE TO THE, UH, THE WALNUT CREEK SORT OF GREENBELT AND SORT OF SEEING THAT CHANGE RIGHT OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 15 YEARS LIVING HERE, RIGHT.
WHEN I FIRST MOVED HERE, IT WAS LIKE NOTHING BUT TREES EVERYWHERE.
YOU KNOW, NOW YOU HAVE A LOT MORE DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE DEVELOPMENT ON 51ST STREET, YOU HAVE A LOT OF THE DEVELOPMENT ON, UH, YOU KNOW, SPRINGDALE AROUND ROGGIE AND 51ST YOU HAVE A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT AROUND 180 3 AS WELL.
AND SO I'VE NOTICED, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE TREES GETTING CHOPPED DOWN.
AND SO I'M WONDERING WHAT EXACTLY ABOUT THAT GREENBELT IS PROTECTED.
IS THERE ANY SORT OF MITIGATION ON DEVELOPMENT THAT'S BEING DONE THERE AS FAR AS LIKE, YOU KNOW, NEW TREES BEING PLANTED, EITHER IN THE AREA OR AROUND THE AREA OR WHATEVER.
UM, I WAS JUST CURIOUS AS SOMEONE WHO LIVES IN THAT AREA AND SORT OF SEEING THE CHANGES FIRSTHAND, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER KEITH PART IS AGAIN, UH, I, I, I, TO SHARE YOUR CONCERN, I, TO A DISTRICT, ONE RESIDENT OF IT, MOST OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT I HAVE, THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH THEM, THAT YOU HAVE SEEN SO MANY OF THE TREES IN THAT AREA, WE'RE NOT A REGULATED SIZE.
SO OUTSIDE OF OUR DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS, THERE IS REALLY, THERE IS NO REGULATORY REASON TO PROTECT THE TREES, UH, THAT THAT GETS INTO OUR BROADER CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT IS IT WE'RE TRYING TO PROTECT AND HOW DO WE MITIGATE THAT? BECAUSE OTHER THAN THE LANDSCAPE PLANTING REQUIREMENTS, IF A TREE IS NOT REGULATED, THERE IS NO REGULATION TO PROTECT IT.
AND LIKEWISE, THERE IS NO REGULATION TO MITIGATE FOR IT.
SO THAT MAKES IT VERY COMPLICATED.
AND I, TWO AREAS THAT I THOUGHT WERE GREEN BELTS ARE ACTUALLY NOT GREEN BELTS.
THEY JUST SIMPLY HADN'T BEEN, UH, HADN'T BEEN DEVELOPED.
AND I THINK WE'RE SEEING A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF APARTMENT RESIDENTIAL, UH, ESPECIALLY IN THE AREA THAT YOU WERE MENTIONING HOPE THAT PROVIDES SOME CONTEXT FOR THAT.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, UM, THERE'S NOT REALLY ANY PROTECTION FOR THAT AREA.
IT'S JUST LAND AND NOBODY REALLY OWNED, OR IF THEY OWNED IT, THEY WERE, THEY NEVER BOTHERED TO DEVELOP IT.
AND SO THAT'S WHY THERE WERE SO MANY TREES THERE.
AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, THERE ARE NO REAL REGULATIONS ON SORT OF WHAT TREES CAN BE CUT DOWN AND WHAT, OR WHAT AREAS HAVE, ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE TREES CUT DOWN RATHER THAN THE SIZE OR DIAMETER REQUIREMENTS.
THE COMMISSIONER IS DEFINITELY THE LATTER PART.
UM, MANY, IF NOT, MOST OF THOSE TREES NEVER DID NOT.
THERE WERE A LOT OF TREES, BUT THEY WERE NOT LARGER TREES AND THEREFORE THEY WERE NOT PROTECTED BY REGULATIONS.
APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER SCOTT.
WELL, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE, UH, PRESENTATION AND, UM, ALSO I, I DO FOLLOW, UM, UH, THE, UM, THE EMAIL APP, UH, FOR THE, UM, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND, UH, THERE'S, UH, I REPRESENT A DISTRICT TWO AND THERE'S, UH, WHICH IS, UH, AS IS, UH, AIR HARRISON'S DISTRICT KIND OF ON THE, UH, UM, SIDE OF, OF, UM, KIND OF LOSING OUT ON SOME OF THAT, SOME OF THE, UH, THE FINER ASPECTS OF, UH, UH, AUSTIN, UH, UH, UH, LIFE.
BUT, UM, AND, AND, AND WE DO HAVE TREES, BUT ANYWAY, MY POINT IS THAT IS THAT THERE ARE, UM, THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF INTEREST IN THE COMMUNITY IN, UM, IN TREES, IN, IN PLANTS, IN GENERAL, UH, IN, IN, UH, GARDENING.
UM, AND, UH, I, I THINK THAT, THAT YOU'LL, YOU'LL FIND THE COMMUNITY IS REALLY RECEPTIVE.
UH, IF WE HAVE A, IF WE HAVE A PROGRAM FOR, UM, UH, GIVING AWAY TREES OR, UM, UH, WHATEVER, WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE IN MIND AT THAT, THAT WILL, UH, PROMOTE SOME, UH, SOCIAL EQUITY FOR, UH, FOR OUR, UM, OUR AREA IN, ON THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST SIDE.
I THINK THAT, UM, YOU'RE GOING TO FIND IT, THAT PEOPLE ARE REALLY, UH, REALLY WANTING IT AND REALLY RECEPTIVE TO IT.
AND, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL STEP FORWARD AND, UM, HELP MAKE HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UH, UH, TO BOTH OF YOU FOR, FOR, UM, UH, BEING HERE AND, AND, UH, GETTING US CAUGHT UP TO SPEED.
[01:55:01]
FINAL CALL BEFORE WE LET OUR, UM, SPEAKERS GO AND WE MOVE ON IN OUR AGENDA.ANYONE ELSE HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? I THINK, UH, CLEARLY AS, AS CHAIR, I GET, UH, EMAILS FROM EVERY AREA OF TOWN WITH CONCERNS ABOUT TREES.
NOT ONE AREA DOES NOT COME FORWARD WITH EXTREME COMMUNITY CONCERNS.
SO THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
I'M GOING TO PULL UP THE AGENDA AND SEE FOR A WEEK.
[2b. Refresher on boards and commissions rules]
DID TWO AR ALREADY.SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE, THIS IS A REFRESHER ON BOARD AND COMMISSION RULES, AND BASICALLY, AND KAYLA, I'M GONNA LEAN ON YOU A LITTLE BIT ON THIS.
I WANTED US TO BE CLEAR ABOUT OUR NUMBER OF ABSENCES WE CAN HAVE PER YEAR.
IF YOU GO OVER THOSE ABSENCES, YOU REQUIRE A WAIVER FROM THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBER THAT APPOINTED YOU.
I'M SURE Y'ALL GOT ALL THIS INFORMATION AND TRAINING, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE, UH, FORUMS, WHAT CONSTITUTES A QUORUM.
WE MAY HAVE A SITUATION WHERE, UM, WE ONLY HAVE SIX MEMBERS ON THE DIOCESE AND, UM, IT WOULD REQUIRE ALL SIX VOTES IN ORDER TO PASS AN ITEM, UH, OR IT WOULD FAIL.
THOSE THINGS HAPPEN, WORKING GROUPS.
THIS IS WHERE WE DO OUR DEEP DIVES ON THAT PAD, A PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT THAT COMES FORWARD, WHERE I THINK THE COURSE, THE QUORUM KAYLA FOR A WORKING GROUP, UH, LINDA, I HAVE SOME SLIDES READY IF PEOPLE LIKE YOU JUST TO GO AHEAD AND GO THROUGH THAT.
HERE'S THE EXCITING STUFF, GUYS.
SO AS LINDA MENTIONED, UM, THIS IS NOT A COMPREHENSIVE PROFESSORS.
A LOT OF YOU HAVE RECENTLY BEEN THROUGH THIS, BUT WE JUST PULLED OUT SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT COME UP FREQUENTLY OR RECENTLY HERE.
SO I DID JUST INCLUDE SOME OF THE BASICS ON ATTENDANCE SO THAT YOU HAVE THE BACKGROUND HERE.
SO FOR EXCUSED ABSENCES, THESE, THIS IS WHAT, UM, THIS IS WHAT MAKES UP AN EXCUSED, ABSENCE YOU EITHER ILLNESS OR INJURY TO YOURSELF, OR AN IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBER, ACTIVE MILITARY SERVICE, BIRTH, OR ADOPTION OF A CHILD FOR UP TO 90 DAYS AFTER.
UM, AND THESE MUST BE REPORTED IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING TO BE CONSIDERED AN EXCUSED ABSENCE.
SO, UM, I ALSO INCLUDED LATE OR PARTIAL ATTENDANCE BECAUSE THIS HAS COME UP A LOT IN THE PAST.
SO IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO LEAVE A MEETING EARLY OR COME LATE, PLEASE LET US KNOW IN ADVANCE SO THAT WE CAN KNOW WHETHER WE'LL HAVE A QUORUM OR NOT, BECAUSE THAT WILL OFTEN AFFECT OUR ABILITY TO TAKE ACTION ON ITEMS. UM, SO PLEASE DO NOTIFY US IN ADVANCE, UM, IN ORDER TO BE COUNTED AS PRESENT FROM THAT MEETING, YOU STILL HAVE TO BE PRESENT FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE MEETING, UM, OR NOT CAUSE A COMMISSION TO BREAK A QUORUM ON ANY ACTION ITEMS. AND, UM, AND THEN I ALSO JUST INCLUDED AS A NOTE, UM, WHICH WE ALREADY DISCUSSED, THE NEW RULES WERE REMOVED PARTICIPATION AT, YOU NEED TO BE VISIBLE THE WHOLE TIME AND AUDIBLE THE WHOLE TIME, OR, OR AT LEAST WHILE YOU'RE ABLE, WHEN YOU NEED TO SPEAK.
UM, BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE ANY TECHNICAL ISSUES DURING THE MEETING, YOU'LL BE COUNTED AS UNEXCUSED DURING THAT TIME.
HERE'S ANOTHER ONE THAT'S COME UP IN THE PAST.
IF WE DO HAVE TO CANCEL A MEETING BECAUSE WE HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM, WHICH IS SIX MEMBERS PRESENT AND UNEXCUSED ABSENCES STILL COUNT.
SO IF I CONTACTED YOU BEFORE A MEETING TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE GETTING A QUORUM.
ARE YOU PLANNING ON ATTENDING? AND YOU SAY, NO.
UM, AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF AN EXCUSED REASON, YOU'LL BE COUNTED AS ABSENT STILL.
AND THAT WILL GO ON TOWARDS YOUR RECORD.
SO IF YOU DO HAVE AN ATTENDANCE VIOLATION, WHICH IT IS EITHER MISSING UP TO, SORRY, ONE-THIRD OF ALL REGULAR MEETINGS IN A 12 MONTH TIMEFRAME OR THREE MEETINGS IN A ROW THAT ARE UNEXCUSED ABSENCES, THEN YOU GET AN ATTENDANCE VIOLATION AND THOSE VIOLATIONS ARE REPORTED TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
AND THEN THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS COORDINATOR IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE, NOTIFIES THE NOMINATING COUNCIL MEMBER OF WHAT THEIR OPTIONS ARE.
AND SO THEIR OPTIONS ARE EITHER TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A WAIVER, AN ATTENDANCE WAIVER, OR THEY CAN DECIDE TO JUST GO AHEAD AND
[02:00:01]
LET YOU VACATE THAT POSITION.AND THEY WILL HAVE TO APPOINT A NEW MEMBER.
SO IT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THAT'S UP TO THE DISCRETION OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER.
THEY, THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO COUNT, BUT TO GIVE YOU AN ATTENDANCE WAIVER, IT'S JUST THEIR DECISION IF IT DOES HAPPEN.
SO, UH, SHIFTING TOPICS A LITTLE BIT, AND WE'RE GOING TO SOME OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE COME UP IN COMMISSION MEETINGS REGARDING CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.
SO AS IN CITIZEN COMMUNICATION OCCURS EITHER AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING AS GENERAL STATISTICAL COMMUNICATION, OR IT CAN ALSO BE ON A POSTED AGENDA ITEM.
SO ON GENERAL CITIZEN COMMUNICATION, WHICH IS TOPICS THAT ARE POSTED FOR, UM, DISCUSSION RESIDENTS CAN SIGN UP TO SPEAK FOR THREE MINUTES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.
AND, UH, AS A MEMBER, YOU CAN ASK CLARIFYING QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DISCUSSING, BUT WE CANNOT HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THAT ITEM.
YOU CAN ASK STAFF TO REPORT THAT ON IT.
UM, YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, ASK ABOUT WHO DO THEY NEED TO BE PUT IN TOUCH WITH THE CITY STAFF TO GET THEIR ISSUES ADDRESSED, BUT WE CAN'T HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE COMMENTING ON.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL HAVE TO BRING UP AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM IF NECESSARY, OR ADDRESS THROUGH ANOTHER AVENUE.
UM, ON CITIZEN, DOES THIS JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN ELABORATION HERE ON STAFF BRIEFINGS? CITIZENS CAN NOT SIGN UP TO SPEAK ON STAFF BRIEFINGS, AND THAT'S JUST A GENERAL COMMENT THERE ON PUBLIC HEARING.
SO ON THE AGENDA, USUALLY PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE ITEM THREE OR FOUR ON THE AGENDA.
UM, TYPICALLY THE WAY THAT WILL GO IS STAFF WILL PRESENT ON THE ITEM THAT'S UP FOR A PUBLIC HEARING, AND THEN MAYBE AN APPLICANT WILL ALSO GIVE THEIR PRESENTATION.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, THE CHAIR TYPICALLY TAKES UP ANY CITIZEN COMMUNICATION ON AN ITEM AFTER ALL OF THE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION IS FINISHED AND THE COMMISSION HAS ANSWERED ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY WISH TO ASK OF EITHER THE APPLICANT OR THE CITIZENS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THAT ITEM.
SO THEN WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THAT ITEM.
AND SO TYPICALLY ONE OF THE MEMBERS WOULD SAY SOMETHING LIKE CHEERING UP TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, ANOTHER MEMBER WILL SECONDED, AND THEN THE CHAIR WILL ASK ALL IN FAVOR, SAY, AYE, OR RAISE YOUR HAND.
AND THEN AT THAT POINT, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CONSIDERED CLOSED.
SO, UM, THAT ITEM CAN'T BE THAT PUBLIC HEARING CANNOT BE REOPENED, UM, TO, TO DISCUSS THOSE ITEMS OR THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAD SPENT IT TO SPEAK INTO A LONGER SPEAK AFTER THAT POINT ON NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
ANOTHER ITEM ON OUR GENDERS AT THE END OF THE MEETING WAS HOW THIS NEW BUSINESS OR NEW BUSINESS OR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. AND, UM, I WANTED TO JUST REVISIT THIS CAUSE WE'VE ALSO HAD SOME QUESTIONS COME UP ABOUT THIS BECAUSE ANYTHING WE, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND ASK THE THINGS, BE ADDED TO THAT AGENDA TO FEATURE TO A FUTURE AGENDA.
BUT WE, AGAIN, CAN'T HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT, OR WE CAN'T ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT DURING A MEETING IN WHICH IT HASN'T BEEN POSTED ON.
UM, AND I WANTED TO ALSO JUST MENTION THE RULES FOR GETTING AN ITEM ADDED TO THE, TO A FUTURE AGENDA.
SO, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN DOING AS FORMALLY, BUT I WANT TO JUST MAKE YOU AWARE OF THEM.
SO TYPICALLY A MEMBER MAY ASK FOR AN AGENDA ITEM AT A, AT A MEETING TO BE ADDED ON A FUTURE AGENDA AND TWO OR MORE MEMBERS SHOULD SAY THAT THEY WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HAVE THAT ITEM PUT ON A FUTURE AGENDA IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE ADDED.
SO, UM, THAT'S THE, WHERE THE SPONSORSHIP HAS RECEIVED FROM TWO OR MORE MEMBERS, UH, THAT SHOULD HAPPEN AFTER A MEMBER SUGGESTED, SUGGESTED AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER AVENUE IS THAT OUTSIDE OF THE MEETING MEMBERS CAN ALSO REQUEST THE CHAIR TO INCLUDE AN ITEM ON A FUTURE AGENDA.
UM, THAT IS AT THE CHAIR'S DISCRETION.
IF YOU USED TO TAKE THAT AVENUE, UM, SHE MAY SUGGEST, UM, THAT IT MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR A BRIEFING, BUT THAT STAFF COULD DO AN UPDATE AS A MEMO OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT WE WILL ALWAYS TRY TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED.
UM, IT MAY, IT MAY JUST DEPEND ON, WE MAY MAKE A SUGGESTION THAT YOU, UM, THAT WE PROVIDE THE INFORMATION IN ANOTHER WAY OR THAT
[02:05:01]
WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION HE HAD.SO IT NEEDS TO BE POSTPONED UNTIL WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH, UM, THE FULL INFORMATION.
SO WE WILL TRY TO GET IT ON YOUR REQUESTS ON THE NEXT AVAILABLE AGENDA.
THAT TYPICALLY, IF, IF YOU'RE ASKING FOR A BRIEFING FROM STAFF, IT WILL TYPICALLY TAKE AT LEAST A FEW WEEKS TO GET THAT ORGANIZED.
AND, UM, TYPICALLY WE HAVE, WE HAVE A QUEUE OR AGENDA ITEMS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO TAKE THINGS INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT THE PRIORITY IS FOR THOSE.
UM, SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WELL, IF YOU'RE REQUESTING LIKE A STAFF BRIEFING OR SOMETHING THING LIKE THAT, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO THIS IS JUST A, ANOTHER GENERAL COMMENT THAT I THINK CAME UP IN THE LAST MEETING.
AND, UH, WE CAN REVISIT THIS FOR DISCUSSION IF NEEDED, BUT I WANTED TO MENTION THAT, UM, THE CITY CODE PROHIBITS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS FROM MEETING IN A CLOSED SESSION, UNLESS THEY HAVE RECEIVED PRIOR APPROVAL FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY.
AND AT LEAST TO MY KNOWLEDGE, WE HAVE NEVER HAD A CLOSED SESSION WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
UM, WE'VE NEVER HAD A CITY ATTORNEY THAT ATTENDS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEETINGS.
SO, UM, THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION USUALLY DOES.
SO JUST SO YOU'RE AWARE, UM, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
ANOTHER THING THAT WE WANTED TO MENTION TO MAKE SURE YOU WERE AWARE OF IS THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER OF THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT IS AN EX OFFICIO MEMBER OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
SO OFTEN YOU WILL SEE, UM, LIZ AND OUR FORMAL ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER, WHO'S HEARING 10, UM, STEPPING IN AND HELPING, UM, EXPLAIN SOME OF THE TECHNICAL ISSUES IN A PROJECT OR A PUBLIC HEARING THAT'S GOING ON.
AND, UM, SO THEY ALWAYS ATTEND THE MEETINGS AS THE EXECUTIVE LIAISON AND THEN ALSO TO, UM, HELP MAKE ANY CLARIFICATION OR, UM, MAYBE CALL A POINT OF ORDER IF NEEDED, UM, DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, LINDA MENTIONED, SO W SHE WANTED TO GO OVER, UH, WORK IN GROUPS AND HOW THOSE WORK.
SO I WENT AHEAD AND JUST CREATED A SLIDE TO SHOW YOU THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COMMITTEE AND A WORKING GROUP.
SO WE, AT THIS POINT, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION ONLY HAS ONE STANDING COMMITTEE, THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE.
SO THAT IS A PERMANENT BODY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE MEETING ON A QUARTERLY BASIS AND ALSO PRESENTING AN ANNUAL REPORT TO THE, UM, FOR THOSE MEETINGS.
WE HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, WHICH MEANS WE HAVE TO POST AGENDAS IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING BEFORE THE MEETING, AND WE MUST HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT, AND THAT'S NOT A FORUM OF THE FULL COMMISSION.
IT'S A QUORUM OF THE COMMITTEE.
SO THAT'S, UM, AND MINIMUM OF THREE MEMBERS MUST BE PRESENT IN ORDER TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS.
UM, THE COMMITTEES ARE FOCUSED ON LONG-TERM MATTERS, AND THEY CAN ONLY BE DISSOLVED BY AMENDING THE BYLAWS.
AND THOSE ARE APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.
SO IF, UM, YOU KNOW, RECENTLY WE FOUND THAT A LOT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEES WEREN'T MEETING ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND WE WEREN'T COMPLYING WITH THE RULES, UM, ABOUT MEETING QUARTERLY.
SO THE COMMISSION DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND DISSOLVE SOME OF THOSE COMMITTEES AND JUST HAVE THEM MEET ON AS A WORKING GROUP ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS.
SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND, TOO.
IF WE EVER WANTED TO FORMALIZE ANOTHER COMMITTEE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO AMEND THE BYLAWS, HAVE IT APPROVED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, BY THE FULL COMMISSION.
AND THEN IT HAS TO GO TO, UM, THE COUNCIL AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE FOR CONSIDERATION, AND THEN ONTO COUNCIL FOR FINAL APPROVAL.
AND THEN, UM, SO FOR WORKING GROUPS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST SHOWS.
THESE ARE, AGAIN, THEY'RE ARE TEMPORARY BODIES THAT MAKING MEET ON AN AD HOC BASIS.
THERE AREN'T ANY MEETING REQUIREMENTS.
UM, IT REALLY JUST NEEDS TO BE TWO TO FIVE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN A QUORUM OF THE FULL COMMISSION, BUT ANYWHERE FROM TWO TO FIVE PEOPLE, UM, YOU, THAT WORKING GROUPS CAN'T MAKE FINAL DECISIONS.
THEY MUST REPORT BACK TO THE COMMISSION FOR ACTION.
AND AGAIN, THEY DON'T HAVE TO POST AN AGENDA OR RECORD THE MEETING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND THEN, UM, THE, THE WORKING GROUP AUTOMATICALLY DISSOLVES AFTER IT REPORTS IT'S RECOMMENDATION BACK TO THE FULL COMMISSION.
AND, UH, AND AGAIN, THE PURPOSE OF THE WORKING GROUP IS TO BE FOCUSED ON A SPECIFIC SHORT TERM ASSIGNMENT OR TASK.
AND, UM, AND THEN AGAIN, IT DISSOLVES ONCE THOSE TASKS ARE COMPLETED.
SO, UM, THOSE ARE THE ONLY SLIDES I HAVE ON, UM, REFRESHER ON, ON BOARDS AND COMMISSION RULES, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR, OR, UM, THINGS THAT THEY WANT TO DISCUSS.
[02:10:01]
LET ME KNOW.WHEN, UM, SOMEONE IS PROPOSING A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, AT WHAT POINT DOES THAT PERSON SEEK SPONSORS SPONSORSHIP? SO IS IT PROPOSED LIKE AT THE END OF THE MEETING? AND THEN YOU JUST SAY, THIS IS WHAT I RECOMMEND, AND THEN YOU'RE SILENT.
AND THEN, LIKE, I KNOW YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO EMAIL EVERYONE AT ONCE.
SO THEN LIKE HOW, HOW DOES A SPONSORSHIP HAPPEN? IS IT LIKE AN EMAIL INDIVIDUALLY OR IS IT IT'S OUTSIDE OF THE MEETING THEN? YES.
YOU CAN EMAIL INDIVIDUALLY TO SEEK SPONSORSHIP, OR YOU CAN SEND OUT AN EMAIL THROUGH ME SAYING I WOULD, THIS IS SOMETHING I'M INTERESTED IN HEARING AT A FUTURE MEETING.
UM, IF ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS ARE INTERESTED IN HAVING THIS, PLEASE LET US KNOW I'M LOOKING FOR SPONSORS AND THEN, UM, AND THEN YOU CAN DO IT THAT WAY.
AND THEN THE CHAIR AT THAT POINT CAN SAY, YES, GO AHEAD.
OR OTHER COMMISSION MEMBERS CAN SUPPORT IT AND RESPOND TO ME DIRECTLY AND WE CAN GET IT ADDED OR, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, I GUESS THE MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD WAY IS JUST TO HAVE PEOPLE GO AHEAD AND CHIME IN AFTER YOU MAKE YOUR REQUEST DURING A MEETING AND SAY, YES, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR A BRIEFING ON THAT ALSO.
AND THEN AT THAT POINT, WE WOULD KNOW THAT WE HAVE TWO MORE SPONSORS AND THEN MOVE AHEAD WITH GETTING IT SCHEDULED AS A FUTURE BRIEFING.
I GOT ONE MORE QUESTION ABOUT THIS STUFF, UM, PLEASE, UM, FOR WORKING GROUPS.
SO I SAW THAT IT'S LIKE TWO TO LIKE TWO TO FIVE.
YOU SAID COMMISSIONERS, BUT THEN IS THERE A STAFF MEMBER INVOLVED IF A WORKING GROUP HAS PROPOSED, HOW DOES IT WORK FROM YOUR SIDE OF IT? CAITLIN, IT'S UP TO YOU.
UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO HELP YOU ORGANIZE IT, BUT IT'S NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE STAFF THERE.
SO, UM, YOU CAN ALSO HAVE STAKEHOLDERS ATTEND WORKING GROUPS.
SO IF YOU WERE WORKING WITH ORGANIZATIONS IN YOUR COMMUNITY OR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SOME PROJECT GOING ON, ET CETERA, UM, THEY ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND THOSE SORTS OF MEETINGS.
UM, BUT STAFF ARE ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU AS A RESOURCE, IF YOU WANT US TO HELP ORGANIZE TEAM MEETING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO HELP.
THINGS LIKE RESOURCE, UM, YOU KNOW, STAFF THERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT A PROJECT, SOMETHING, UM, WE CAN ORGANIZE THAT AS WELL.
WE CAN ALSO IN A WORKING GROUP, HAVE THE APPLICANT COME AND PRESENT INFORMATION TO US DIRECTLY.
WE'LL JUST MENTION IF YOU ARE MEETING WITH THE APPLICANT AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE, UH, TALKED ABOUT, HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT IN A WHILE, BUT YOU WILL WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE YOUR, UM, OH GOSH, I'M SORRY.
I'M BLANKING ON WHAT IT'S CALLED.
UM, YOU WERE REGISTERED LOBBYISTS DISCLOSURE UPDATED ON YOUR EMAIL, UM, LIKE ON YOUR SIGNATURE BLOCK, THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THEY FILL THAT OUT.
IT'S ON THE BURDEN OF THE APPLICANT TO DO THAT, BUT IF YOU ARE A MEETING WITH AN APPLICANT, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE MAKING THAT AVAILABLE TO THEM, ANYONE ELSE? UM, DO WE STILL HAVE TO START AT A CERTAIN TIME? AND THEN, UM, IF WE DON'T HAVE QUORUM, THE MEETING CSUS WAS LIKE 15 MINUTES OR SOMETHING AFTER THE SIX O'CLOCK.
UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT'S 20 MINUTES AFTER 20.
WE ALL, WE HAVE TO MEET MY 20 MINUTES AFTER AND HALF A QUORUM OR ELSE IT'S CANCELED.
UM, WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE PUBLIC CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARINGS, UM, WE CAN STILL DISCUSS THE TOPIC ON THE DAYAS.
WE JUST CANNOT HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC EITHER THE APPLICANT OR PEOPLE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THAT AGENDA ITEM.
IS THAT CORRECT? YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
YOU'RE MUTED WITH, UH, WITH KEVIN'S QUESTION.
UH, CAN WE, CAN WE, UH, ADDRESS, UH, THE SPEAKER AND THANK THEM FOR THE REMARKS OR, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, HOW WHAT'S THE, HOW STRICT IS THIS, UH, DISCUSSION POLICY?
[02:15:01]
ARE YOU REFERRING TO PUBLIC HEARINGS? YEAH, I MEAN, IF, IF SOMEBODY HAS A COMMENT, CAN YOU AS A COMMISSIONER, CAN I SAY, UM, UH THAT'S THANK YOU FOR THAT.UM, UH, I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT CONCERN.
I MEAN, CAN YOU, OR DO YOU JUST, CAN YOU SAY NOTHING AT ALL? I MEAN, WHAT, WHERE'S THE, WHERE'S THE LINE OR SO FOR ANYTHING THAT'S, THAT'S POSTED AS A PUBLIC HEARING, UM, THAT ITEM IS POSTED FOR DISCUSSION.
SO IF, UH, IF A RESIDENT SIGNS IT TO SPEAK ON, ON THAT ITEM, YOU ARE WELCOME TO ASK THEM QUESTIONS ABOUT IT, ABOUT COMMENTS, BECAUSE IT'S POSTED FOR DISCUSSION.
UM, BUT ONCE THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED, THOSE, UM, ANY INTERACTION WITH, WITH RESIDENTS OR WITH APPLICANT IS CLOSED AT THAT POINT AND THEY CAN'T CONTINUE TO COMMENT AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED.
ANY OTHER QUESTION? ANYTHING ELSE? IT'S EIGHT 20 LET'S MOVE ON.
IS THAT, IS THAT, ARE WE IN AGREEMENT? OKAY.
[2c. Review the purview of the Environmental Commission]
UH, ITEM C REVIEW THE PURVIEW OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.DO YOU HAVE SLIDES FOR THIS TO KAYLA? YES, MA'AM I DO.
UM, CAN I GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE? OKAY.
SO, UM, FOR THIS ITEM, BASICALLY WHAT I DID IS I WENT INTO OUR CITY CODE SECTION TWO DASH ONE DASH 1 44, WHICH TALKS ABOUT THE PURVIEW OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
AND, UM, AS YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE THE PURVIEW IS QUITE BROAD.
UH, BUT WE WANTED TO GO OVER THE SIDE TOO, BECAUSE IT DOES HAVE A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION.
UM, THINGS THAT YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF IS COVERED IN YOUR PREVIEW.
SO, UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND DIVE INTO IT.
SO HERE WE SEE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IS THE POWER TO REVIEW AND ANALYZE THE POLICIES RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OF THE CITY ACT AS AN ADVISORY BOARD TO THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY MANAGER AND THE DEPARTMENT AND THEIR EFFORTS TO OVERSEE THE PROTECTION AND INTEGRITY OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
SO AS YOU KNOW, UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IS THE OVERSIGHT COMMISSION FOR THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO FOR THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
AND, UM, AND IN SOME AREAS THE AUSTIN WATER.
SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND ALSO, AS YOU SEE THINGS COMING BEFORE YOU, WE, UM, THE COMMISSION HAS ALSO EMPOWERED TO PROMOTE GROWTH MANAGEMENT AND LAND USE PLANNING, MINIMIZE DEGRADATION OF WATER RESOURCES, PROTECT DOWNSTREAM AREAS AND PROMOTE RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND ADVISE AND RECOMMEND ON ANY ISSUES WHICH THE COMMISSION DETERMINES NECESSARY OR ADVISABLE FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OR STEWARDSHIP OF THE URBAN FOREST, BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE.
IN THE NEXT SECTION, IT TALKS ABOUT HOW, UM, THE COMMISSION, WHEN ANOTHER PART OF THE COMMISSION'S ROLE IS TO ASSIST THE CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY MANAGER, AND THE HARTMAN IN STEADYING PROMOTING AND ENFORCING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION POLICIES, POLICIES TO ENSURE THE HEALTH, SAFETY, WELFARE, AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF ALL RESIDENTS WITHIN THE CITY'S INCORPORATED BOUNDARIES, AS WELL AS THOSE WITHIN ITS EXTRA TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION WHERE THE BOUNDARIES APPLY.
BUT I THINK THAT'S AN INTERESTING ONE STUDYING, PROMOTING AND ENFORCING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION POLICIES.
AND THE NEXT SECOND SECTION, UM, THE CODE KIND OF OUTLINES SOME OF THE AREAS THAT FALL WITHIN THE COMMISSIONS PER VIEW.
AND, UM, THE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES WILL SHOW THIS, BUT THERE ARE QUITE A FEW THINGS LISTED.
UM, SOME OF THE THINGS YOU SEE QUITE REGULARLY, SOME NOT AS, AS OFTEN.
UM, SO WE HAVE WORK QUALITY AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT, LAND USE PLANNING.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE SEE QUITE A LOT INSTRUCTION CONTROLS FOR EROSION AND SEDIMENTATION.
AND WE SEE THOSE TWO VARIANCES CITY ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES REGARDING MONITORING ENFORCEMENT, SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL, PLANT ALTERNATIVES, NOT SOMETHING THAT THE COMMISSION SEES VERY FREQUENTLY, UM, BUT IS WITHIN YOUR PURVIEW, WATERSHED PROTECTION, ROADWAY, PLANNING, UNIFICATION, RECREATION, RESOURCES, PUBLIC EDUCATION ON ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGER MATTERS, HAZARDOUS WASTE MATERIALS MANAGEMENT.
THAT'S ANOTHER ONE THAT YOU DON'T SEE VERY FREQUENTLY REST, UH REVEGETATION AND LANDSCAPING AIR QUALITY.
WHY IS ABATEMENT AND ALL MATTERS PERTAINING TO THE CITIES ARE FOREST, INCLUDING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE TREES, WHICH WE JUST TALKED ABOUT EARLIER THIS EVENING.
[02:20:05]
UM, UNDER ITEMS THAT THE COMMISSION SHALL REVIEW VARIANCES TO REQUIREMENTS FOR WATER QUALITY PROTECTION MONITORING, A STORMWATER RUNOFF IN DEVELOPED AND UNDEVELOPED AREAS, EFFICIENCY OF EXISTING AND PROPOSED STRUCTURAL AND NON-STRUCTURAL WATERFALL AND CONTROLS EFFECTIVENESS OF SET OF CHAPTER 25 DASHBOARD, WHICH IS SUBDIVISION WASTE TREATMENT COMMENTS WITHIN THE CITY'S EXTRA TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION, LLCS AND PROGRAMS FOR FLOOD CONTROL, EROSION AND WATER QUALITY CONTROL AT HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT PROPOSALS AND AMENDMENTS ROADWAY PLAN AMENDMENTS, URBAN RUNOFF STANDARDS AND ELEMENTS, ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS OF PETS.HEY, WE'RE NEARING THE END, UM, SECTION J AND K THE PERMISSION MAY RECOMMEND AND INITIATE WITH THE ADVICE AND CONSENT OF CITY COUNCIL SPECIFIC PROJECT STUDIES CONCERNING ANY MATTERS DESCRIBED IN SUB CHAPTER H, WHICH IS, UH, JUST THE, THE TWO SLIDES THAT WE JUST SAW.
AND I, UM, ANY OTHER RELATED ENVIRONMENTAL OR URBAN FORESTRY ISSUE AND COMMISSION CAN MAKE REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STANDARDS AND CRITERIA CONCERNING ANY OF THESE MATTERS AS WELL, PLEASE.
AND THEN LASTLY, THE COMMISSION SHALL PROMOTE CLOSE COOPERATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND ALL PRIVATE RESIDENTS, INSTITUTIONS, AND AGENCIES INTERESTED IN AND CONDUCTING NATURAL RESOURCE ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITIES, SO THAT ALL SIMILAR ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE CITY MAYBE WERE NEEDED TO SECURE THE GREATEST PUBLIC WELFARE.
SO I HOPE THIS GIVES YOU A GOOD PICTURE OF KIND OF THE SCOPE OF THE COMMISSION'S PURVIEW AND ALSO THE LEVEL OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONS PER VIEW.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE WIDE SCALE.
YOU'RE ALSO LOOKING AT YOUR DISTRICT SCALE AND I THINK THIS HELPS PAINT A PICTURE OF JUST HOW MANY THINGS THE COMMISSION CAN BE INVOLVED IN AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY RELATING TO THE LAST, LIKE WE LOOKED AT, UM, RECOMMENDING AND INITIATING, UM, SPECIFIC PROJECT STUDY, UM, CONSERVATIVES CONCERNING THESE MATTERS, UM, REALLY THAT'S, UH, QUITE A POWERFUL PURVIEW.
SO THESE ARE JUST A FEW DISCUSSION QUESTIONS TO GET US STARTED AND ALSO TO HELP MOVE US INTO THE NEXT SECTION WHERE WE TALK ABOUT THE COMMISSION'S GOALS.
UM, HOW ARE WE MEAN THE DIRECTION GIVEN TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IN CITY CODE AND WHAT IS YOUR PERCEPTION OF PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND SOME OF THESE ISSUES THAT ARE WITHIN THE COMMISSIONS PER VIEW, AND THEN WHAT IS YOUR PERCEPTION OF PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES WITH THE COMMISSION? UM, SO THESE ARE JUST SOME, SOME STARTER QUESTIONS AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT PURVIEW, UM, BUT I WILL TURN IT OVER TO LINDA AT THIS POINT.
AND YOU, IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER ITEMS YOU'D LIKE TO DISCUSS, THANK YOU, KAYLA, YOU DID A PHENOMENAL JOB WITH ALL OF THIS.
UM, I'M SO GRATEFUL, UM, FOR YOUR HELP AND ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT.
UH, I JUST WANTED Y'ALL TO SEE THAT WE ARE, WE ARE HEAVY AND THAT WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS RESPONSIBILITY, UM, AT SO MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS.
AND YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN WE HAVE AN AGENDA THAT'S LOADED AND WE'RE OUT, YOU KNOW, IN A SESSION UNTIL 11, O'CLOCK TRYING TO WEIGH THROUGH SOME OF THESE, UH, DIFFICULT, UH, PROJECTS THAT COME FORWARD.
THERE'S A REASON THAT YOU SIGNED UP TO DO THIS, THAT YOU ACCEPTED THIS RESPONSIBILITY AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONER AND, YOU KNOW, UM, CITIZENS EXPECT US TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND TO ENSURE THEIR PROTECTION AND SAFETY OF THEIR SURROUNDINGS AND THAT'S THEIR NATURAL AND QUALITY OF HEALTH.
AND SO, UM, JUST WANTED TO, TO, TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL AWARE OF THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER AND IN OUR NEW YEAR.
AND, UH, ANYONE HAVE A QUESTION FOR KAYLA BEFORE WE GO TO GOALS AND, UH, PLANNING THE NEW YEAR, SO TO SPEAK.
UH, CAN WE HEAR AMBER? OKAY, THANK YOU.
UM, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, CAN YOU EMAIL THOSE TWO POWERPOINTS OR PDFS OF THEM OR SOMETHING TO US SO WE CAN USE THEM AS REFERENCE? I THINK THAT WILL HELP ME, UM, YOU KNOW, THREE MONTHS FROM NOW OR SO WHEN, WHEN WE'RE KIND OF GETTING MORE BACK INTO THE WEEDS.
[02:25:01]
YES, ABSOLUTELY.AND, UM, THE BYLAWS ARE ALSO A REALLY GREAT RESOURCE, WHICH, UM, BASICALLY REPHRASES THE, THAT, UM, CITY CODE, BUT I THINK THE CITY CODE ALSO, UM, PROVIDES A LOT OF OTHER MORE DETAILED INFORMATION THAT'S HELPFUL TO HAVE.
I GOT SCOTT THAT I CAN HOLD IT.
UH, IT WAS REALLY A LOT OF HELP.
I THINK I LEARNED MORE WITH THAT SLIDE WITH THAT SERIES OF SLIDES THAN I DID IN, UH, UH, GOING THROUGH THE INTRODUCTION TO GET ON THE COMMISSION.
UM, AND IT'S, UH, IT'S A POWERFUL, UH, IT'S POWERFUL WHAT WE CAN DO.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR MAKING, UH, ME AND, UH, THE REST OF US AWARE THAT YOU'RE CERTAINLY WELCOME AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU THINGS.
WELL, ONE THING, UH, ARE YOU GOING TO BE POSTING THESE SLIDES JUST IN CASE WE WANT TO REFERENCE LATER ON THE, UM, WEBSITE, BECAUSE I KNOW THEY AREN'T POSTED ONLY THE FIRST TWO INITIAL PREDICTIONS OR IN THE VERY LEAST USE.
AND I DIDN'T HEAR THE LAST PART OF YOUR QUESTION.
I WILL POST THEM ON THE WEBSITE AFTER THIS MEETING.
I THINK JUST THE LAST THING I WANTED TO MENTION TOO, I THINK THAT IT HAS TO BE WITH PURVIEW.
AND I THINK WE'VE TOUCHED ON THIS AND EVEN LINDA EARLIER TONIGHT, BUT I THINK I, AS A NEW COMMISSIONER, STRUGGLED A BIT WITH THE SCALE AT WHICH I WAS THINKING AS A COMMISSIONER, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, ME AS A CITIZEN, ME IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, ME IN MY COMMUNITY OR MY DISTRICT, OR ME THINKING ABOUT THE CITY AS A WHOLE.
AND I THINK THAT ACROSS THOSE SCALES, IT'S SO IMPORTANT AND THIS IS THE CONCLUSION I'VE COME TO, YOU KNOW, THAT WE REALLY TRY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE AT LEAST THINKING AT A NEIGHBORHOOD TO DISTRICT SCALE AND, AND THAT ANYTIME SOMETHING'S COME UP, THAT'S VERY PERSONAL TO ME THAT I'VE TAKEN THAT OFFLINE, GONE THROUGH THE NORMAL CHANNELS THAT A NORMAL CITIZEN WOULD NEED TO GO THROUGH BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT FEELS ETHICALLY.
UM, I DON'T EVER WANT ANYONE TO THINK THAT I'M MISUSING THIS POSITION THAT I'M SO REALLY HONEST, HONESTLY, HUMBLED TO SERVE IN, IN ANY WAY, OTHER THAN TRYING TO FURTHER BROAD ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR CITIZENS OVERALL.
AND I'LL JUST GIVE A, UH, UM, UH, A LITTLE EXAMPLE IN MY PERSONAL NEIGHBORHOOD, THERE WAS AN ISSUE AND I HAD TWO NEIGHBORHOODS VERY, VERY CLOSE TOGETHER.
IT WAS A CREEK, IT WAS A VIOLATION IN THE CREEK AND IT TOOK EVERYTHING FOR ME TO JUST TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND GO, AND INSTEAD WE HAD NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS AND WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS AND WE WENT THROUGH THE TRAINS OF THE CITY AND WE WENT THROUGH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS AND EMAILS AND MEETINGS AND MORE MEETINGS.
AND FINALLY, TWO YEARS LATER, YOU KNOW, WATERSHED GOT INVOLVED.
IT WAS LIKE, OH, AND THIS HAS BEEN FIVE YEARS.
WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH THIS ITEM IN THESE TWO NEIGHBORHOODS.
BUT YOU KNOW, IT GOES BACK TO, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ME TO, YOU KNOW, TRY TO FLEX MUSCLE.
IT'S JUST SITTING BACK AND GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT EVERYONE ELSE HAD TO GO THROUGH.
SO THANK YOU, KATIE, FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
UM, I THINK WE ALL HAVE THOSE MOMENTS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, OH, BEAR, GO FOR IT.
SO THIS IS, UM, UH, SHERWIN, GUERRERO.
I KNOW YOU DIDN'T HEAR THIS AT THE LAST MEETING, BUT, UM, AT THE END WE HAD KIND OF TALKED ABOUT, I THINK KATIE WAS KATIE SUMMED IT UP WELL ABOUT, UH, LIKE FOLLOW UP FROM WHEN OUR COMMISSION, UH, YOU KNOW, MAKES A RECOMMENDATION OR KIND OF HAS LIKE A HEATED DISCUSSION.
UM, AND IT JUST, HOW, HOW I KNOW PERSONALLY, I'VE BEEN REALLY CURIOUS ON SOME OF THESE ITEMS, LIKE, LIKE THE DAC ONE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE WE KNOW THAT IT WOULD KIND OF LIKE PARKS HAD ALREADY VOTED AND WE VOTED DIFFERENTLY THAN THEM, AND THEN IT WENT BACK AND THEN, THEN I THINK IT WAS WHAT ALREADY IT WENT TO COUNCIL.
AND THEN I WAS LIKE, OH, I'LL GO SEE WHAT HAPPENED.
AND THEN I LIKE TRIED TO GO INTO THE, UM, YOU KNOW, CITY COUNCIL RECORDED VIDEO AND IT WAS LIKE FIVE
[02:30:01]
HOURS OF LIKE THEM TALKING.AND I WAS LIKE, HOW DO I FIND, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, THE SPECIFIC, UM, YOU KNOW, SUBJECT HERE.
AND SO IT'S JUST REINFORCING, UM, AT LEAST, UH, THIS, UH, AT LEAST I DON'T HAVE SOME INTERESTS THAT I HAVE IN, IN SOME OF THE FOLLOWUP FOR SOME OF THOSE LIKE KIND OF MORE CONTROVERSIAL, UM, ITEMS THAT COME OUR WAY.
AND, UM, AND I GUESS THE BEST WAY FOR US TO, TO TRACK THAT, UM, OVERALL THANKS.
AND THAT WE CAN PUT THAT IN ONE OF THE GOALS.
AND CHRIS WAS USUALLY PRETTY GOOD ABOUT THAT, BUT I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN.
PRECISELY GABRIEL, CAN I RESPOND TO THAT REAL QUICK? THIS IS TINKLING.
UM, SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE BEST WAY TO APPROACH THIS IN PAST.
UM, TYPICALLY FOR REALLY CONTENTIOUS ITEMS OR ITEMS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE MISSION WEEK.
CHRIS WOULD COME BACK DURING THE ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER UPDATES AND PROVIDE AN UPDATE DURING THAT TIME.
UM, SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
AND, UM, THERE, I THINK A FEW DIFFERENT AVENUES WE CAN TAKE THERE.
YOU CAN LET US KNOW AFTER A PUBLIC HEARING, IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU WANT TO HEAR AN UPDATE ON, OR, UM, YOU CAN LET US KNOW WHAT KINDS OF PROJECTS YOU WANT TO SPECIFICALLY HAVE UPDATES ON.
UM, SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO COME UP WITH A, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE NOT JUST DOING IT ON AN AD HOC BASIS, AND WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING ALL THE UPDATES YOU WANT TO HEAR.
UM, WE CAN ALSO DO IT AS IN A DIFFERENT WAY, LIKE AS A WRITTEN UPDATE OR A SUMMARY THAT YOU GET ON A, EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS OR SOMETHING.
SO, UM, IF Y'ALL HAVE THOUGHTS ON THAT NOW, UM, OF HOW YOU'D LIKE TO RECEIVE THOSE UPDATES, THAT WOULD BE COOL.
I PREFERRED CHRIS, THE ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER COMING FORWARD AND GIVING US THAT INFORMATION, BUT THAT'S JUST MY, YEAH, I AGREE.
AND I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT'S NEW PERTINENT RIGHT NOW IS I HAD MENTIONED IN THE LAST CALL THAT I'D LIKE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT TRACKING AND, UM, I CONSIDER YOU THE LINK KAYLA, BUT THE JFC, UH, DRAG SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, UM, IS DOING TWO THINGS.
THERE'S TWO TABS IN THE SPREADSHEET.
I'LL SEND YOU ONE IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BE MORE TARGETED WITH, UH, EACH MONTH BEING ON A SPECIFIC TOPIC, BUT OBVIOUSLY BEING FLEXIBLE WHEN NEED BE.
SO WE'LL HAVE ONE MONTH IN G JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE IS GOING TO BE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION FOCUS, BRINGING IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL FOLKS TO TALK ABOUT THE INTERSECTION OF CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY AND WEATHER ISSUES.
SO WE CAN BE A LITTLE BIT MORE IMPACTFUL.
BUT THE OTHER THING IS THAT THEY CREATED THIS RECOMMENDATION TRACKING SHEET THAT HAS THE, UM, THE NUMBER OF THE RECOMMENDATION IN THE TITLE, THE DATE OF THE RECOMMENDATION, UH, THE SUMMARY OR DESIRED KIND OF KEY OUTCOME OF STATUS COLUMN, AND THEN OTHER NOTES.
AND SO WHAT THEY'VE DONE IS THEY'VE SET THAT UP AS A GOOGLE SHEET SO THAT IT CAN, IT DOESN'T, IT'S NOT A STATIC DOCUMENT AND THAT STAFF CAN UPDATE IT.
THEY'VE GOT IT AROUND FORUM ISSUES.
CAUSE I KNOW IF WE CAN ALL TOUCH THAT SHEET AND EDIT IT, THEN THAT WOULD BE A CORE OF ISSUE, BUT IT'S VIEW ONLY.
UM, AND I PERSONALLY, I NEED, LIKE, I HAVE A HARD TIME TRACKING AND I HAVE TO LIKE GO FIVE PAGES BACK SOMETIMES AND LOOK AT OUR AGENDAS AND TRY TO FIT.
LIKE I ENDED UP LOOKING AT 10 AGENDAS BEFORE I FIND THAT OLD ITEM THAT I AM TRYING TO REMEMBER THE DETAILS ABOUT AND WHATEVER THIS WOULD BE SO HELPFUL.
DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR TRACKING RECORDS THAT WE USE FOR THE ANNUAL REPORT? SURE.
UM, WELL WE'RE NOT UPDATING IT AS FREQUENTLY, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO ATTACH TO THE ANNUAL REPORT AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND, UM, IS AVAILABLE ONLINE NOW.
I THINK THERE'S A MORE EFFECTIVE WAY WE CAN DO IT.
LIKE YOU JUST MENTIONED AT KATIE WHERE WE COULD DO IT ON, UM, GOOGLE SHEETS OR ONE OF THE OTHER PLATFORMS SO THAT YOU CAN JUST CLICK A LINK AND VIEW IT AT ANY TIME AND THEN, UH, LINKING BACK TO OTHER RESOURCES FROM THAT MEETING.
SO ABSOLUTELY WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
AND I EVEN THINK IT COULD EVEN BE MORE USEFUL BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SO MANY MORE RECOMMENDATIONS AND IT'S ANOTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AND WE CAN EVEN PUT A FILTER ON WHERE YOU CAN SORT BY DIFFERENT TYPES OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
IF YOU WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE VARIANCES THAT WE HAVE PASSED THE RECOMMENDATION ON, LIKE WE COULD HAVE A COLUMN THAT'S ON LIKE TYPE OF RECOMMENDATION AND THEN I JUST, OR EVEN LIKE DISTRICT, UM, I THINK I DON'T WANT TO CREATE TOO MUCH WORK FOR YOU, BUT HAVING SOME LIKE MINOR FUNCTIONALITY ABOUT FILTERING AND BEING ABLE TO LOOK BACK ON PREVIOUS CASES, I JUST NEED TO BE REMOVED.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE I WILL GET CALLS FROM OTHER COMMISSIONERS OR PLANNING COMMISSIONERS OR PSAP, AND THEY'LL SAY, WHAT WAS YOUR RECOMMENDATION
[02:35:01]
ON SUCH AND SUCH? I'M LIKE, OH MY GOD, THAT'S LIKE A ONS A GO, YOU KNOW, AND THEN I HAVE TO GO DIG, DIG, DIG, DIG, DIG, DIG, DIG.USUALLY I, BUD KATELYN'S I SENT IT TO HIM.
YOU KNOW, I CAN'T KEEP DIGGING FOR THIS RECOMMENDATION WE MADE, BUT YEAH, I LOVE THAT IDEA.
SPEAKING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER, KAYLA, DO YOU KNOW IF THEY'VE CLOSED THE, UM, POSITION YET? I BELIEVE THAT IT IS STILL OPEN, BUT WE ALSO WE'LL HAVE OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.
HE COULD PROBABLY SPEAK MORE TO THE STATUS OF IT.
I WAS TRYING TO GET IMMUNE TO, CAN YOU ASK THE QUESTION ONE MORE TIME? THEY CLOSED THE, UH, POSITION FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL DIRECTOR YET? SO YES, THE POSITION HAS TECHNICALLY CLOSED, BUT, UM, OUR DIRECTOR, JORGE MORALES IS KEEPING THE POSITION POSTED WHILE WE GO THROUGH THAT INTERVIEW PROCESS, JUST IN CASE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WALKED THROUGH THE PROCESS AND WE DO HAVE ADDITIONAL CANDIDATES THAT WANT TO APPLY AND ENDED UP BEING PART OF THAT PROCESS.
SO THE HOPE IS THAT THIS FALL, WE WILL BE ABLE TO HIRE THAT FULL-TIME, UH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SLASH ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER AND HAVE THEM ONBOARD A LITTLE BIT LATER THIS FALL.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING AT ALL YOU NEED, I MAY NOT BE THE SAME TECHNICAL EXPERTS THAT YOU HAVE IN LIZ, WHO IS AN INCREDIBLE DEPUTY.
AND OF COURSE, KAYLA, WHO IS AMAZING AT BEING THE LIAISON, BUT I'M HERE IF YOU NEED ANYTHING.
APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TONIGHT.
LET'S MOVE TO OUR LAST ITEM AND THANK YOU, SARAH IS WHAT I WAS SAYING.
I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TONIGHT WITH US.
[2d. Discuss the Environmental Commission’s goals and objectives for the new calendar year (July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022)]
D DISCUSS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR.IT'S OPEN THE T THE FLOOR IS OPEN IF I DON'T SEE YOU, SOMEONE ELSE WILL.
ANY THOUGHTS FROM THE COMMISSIONER'S? NOPE.
UM, I'VE I I'VE HAD, UM, MY EYE ON, UH, UH, A CONCERN THAT, UH, I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO BRING UP UNTIL TONIGHT, AND THAT IS, UH, THAT, UM, IT'S COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT, UH, QUITE A FEW OF OUR WATERWAYS ARE OBSTRUCTED WITH, UM, STUFFED IT'S JUST, UM, UH, ACCUMULATED IN, IN THE, THE, UH, FLASH FLOODS AND, UH, RAINS THAT WE'VE HAD.
AND, UH, I DID FIND IT OUT BECAUSE, BECAUSE, UH, OF, OF, UH, GETTING AN INSPECTOR TO COME AND LOOK AT LARK CREEK, UM, WHICH IS BEHIND MY HOUSE, BUT, BUT, UM, HE, WHEN HE, WHEN HE SHOWED UP, HE SAID HE APOLOGIZED FOR SHOWING UP THREE MONTHS AFTER MY 3 1, 1 CALL, BUT THAT HE'D HAD 177 OTHER COMPLAINTS TO GO THROUGH FIRST, BEFORE HE COULD GET TO MINE.
AND, AND THEN, UH, UH, HE WAS, UH, IT WAS VERY GOOD.
HE, UH, I, I, UH, PUT ON MY LL BEAN, UH, UH, GORE-TEX BOOTS AND, AND HIKED UP RIVER FOR, UH, FOR ABOUT, UH, A QUARTER OF A MILE.
AND HE CAME WITH ME AND, UM, UM, WE SAW ABOUT THREE AREAS THAT COULD BECOME COMPLETELY DAMNED DOING THE NEXT TORRENTIAL RAIN.
AND, AND HE SAID, YEAH, THIS DOES LOOK LIKE IT WARRANTS, UH, A WORK TICKET IN, UH, OH, DEFINITELY DO THAT.
BUT HE SAID, I CAN'T PROMISE WHEN IT WILL BE DONE, BECAUSE, UH, THERE'S A LOT THAT ARE AHEAD OF YOU.
AND, UM, UH, AND IN SOME OF THEM ARE EVEN COMPLETELY DAMNED.
AND I SAID, WELL, HOW MANY ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? LIKE A COUPLE DOZEN? AND HE SAID, YEAH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WELL, WE, WE LIVE IN A CITY WHERE WE'VE HAD SOME, SOME, UH, RECENT, FAIRLY RECENT, UH, UH, FLOODS AND NONE OF US WANTS TO FLOOD THAT IS PREVENTABLE.
UM, HE, HE TOLD ME THAT THE CITY CREWS WERE UNDERSTAFFED BECAUSE OF THE COVID PANDEMIC.
UM, AND, AND I CAN SEE, I CAN SEE THAT, UH, IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE JOBS, UM, NOT THAT I SEE THEM POSTED,
[02:40:01]
I DON'T SEE ANY JOBS POSTED FOR HEAVY EQUIPMENT WORKERS, FOR EXAMPLE.SO I DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND WHO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A DISCONNECT FROM WHAT HE TOLD ME AND WHAT I SEE IN TERMS OF A CITY JOB APPLICATIONS.
I DON'T SEE OPENINGS FOR A MAINTENANCE STAFF FOR THE COMMISSIONER, LET'S GET NOISE.
WHAT YOU'RE, I THINK WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT AND STUDYING, UH, UH, HOW WELL WE'RE, UM, MAINTAINING THERE ARE OUR WATERWAYS, UM, JUST TO JUST PURE MAINTENANCE.
I MEAN, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I CAN GO ON AT LENGTH ABOUT, UM, A MORE ESOTERIC, UM, UH, CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES, BUT, UH, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WANTS A PART OF AUSTIN TO GET SWEATED BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE, UH, AT SOMETHING ELSE AND WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS KEEPING OUR, OUR, OUR RIVERS OPEN.
AND I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK INTO THAT AND FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, UH, THE LOG JAM, SO TO SPEAK AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, GET, GET THIS STUFF CLEARED OUT.
IT'S JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME.
UM, I'VE JUST HAD, YOU KNOW, MINE IS SORT OF NOT EVEN A CREEK, IT'S A SWALE, BUT, UM, UH, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, UH, IT, WE ALL KNOW AT ANY TIME THAT, THAT, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE HEADED INTO THE HURRICANE, UH, OR OF THE HURRICANE SEASON FOR TEXAS.
AND WE NOW KNOW THAT THERE IS NO MORE NORMAL.
SO I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE BE MORE ALERT AND MORE, UM, UH, PROSPECTIVE, UH, WHAT'S THE WORD I'M THAT THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT WORD, A MORE PROACTIVE IN TERMS OF, UH, SEEING THAT, THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S ON THE BOOKS IS WE DON'T HAVE TO INVENT IT.
IT'S JUST, JUST A MATTER OF GETTING PEOPLE TO DO THEIR JOB.
I THINK I THOUGHT AT THE END FOR YOUR COMING FROM WE'LL NEED TO FIND OUT IF THIS DEPARTMENT WORKS ON THOSE SPECIFICALLY, OR THIS RELATES TO A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT, BUT WE'VE GOT THIS DOWN.
W W WE IT'S, IT'S IN IT'S, UH, IT'S UNDER, UH, THE, UH, WASTE WATER MANAGEMENT COMMISSION, COMMISSIONER SCOTT.
WE OPERATIONS DIVISION OR GROUP DOES, UM, MAINTAIN OPEN WATERWAYS.
AND WE CAN, IF YOU, SO DESIRE, BRING A STAFF BRIEFING ON THAT WORK AT A LATER DATE, I WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO HAVE, I'D ALSO LIKE TO PROPOSE IF, IF I, IF, IF THERE IS INTEREST FROM THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS, UH, UH, UH, WORK GROUP ON THAT, UM, JUST BECAUSE I, I REALLY, I REALLY DO THINK IT WOULD BE, UH, UH, UNCONSCIONABLE TO HAVE, UM, A NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, FLOODED AND PEOPLE DIED, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE BECAUSE WE IGNORE A PROBLEM THAT TO ME IS, IS, IS, UH, UH, GLARING.
AND, AND IT SEEMS TO BE UNDER OUR PURVIEW.
UH, A STAFF BRIEFING WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM AND THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT THE, THIS GROUP, IT'S A PRETTY LARGE GROUP.
UM, AND THEY DO A LOT OF GOOD WORK.
I KNOW THAT, UH, COVID MAY HAVE SLOWED THEM DOWN, UM, BUT IT NORMAL, NORMALLY THEY, THEY DO GO OUT EVERY DAY AND REMOVE OBSTRUCTION.
SO I THINK THAT THAT MIGHT BE VERY HELPFUL, UM, BRIEFING ANSWER SOME OF ALL RIGHT.
SO I AM INTERESTED AND I GUESS FOR ME, BUT I'M ALWAYS HESITANT TO COMMIT TO TOO MUCH, BUT, UH, FOR ME, UH, WORKING GROUP FOR THE BRODY OAKS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, IF ANYONE ELSE IS INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THAT, UM, OKAY.
I SEE, I SEE ONE, AND AGAIN, THAT, THAT TIES BACK TO MY QUESTION, LIZ FROM LAST WEEK, BECAUSE I WAS CURIOUS AS TO STATUS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, ABOUT LIKE WHERE THEY WERE IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
AND, UM, IF NOW IS THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO START, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPING A WORKING GROUP AND KIND OF TRYING TO START LIKE, TRACK IT AND ENGAGE MORE, OR LIKE OUR, THE QUESTION TO YOU IS I GUESS WHEN WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO START DOING IT.
I THINK, UM, FOR, AS, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING OF ONE OF THOSE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER UPDATES, UM, THE NEXT COMMISSION MEETING I CAN BRING, UH, I CAN BRING THAT TO THE GROUP, UM, AND HAVE IT POSTED, UH, APPROPRIATELY.
UM, AND AT THAT POINT WE COULD TALK ABOUT THE WORKING GROUP.
YES, HARRISON LANDMARK, AND THEN HARRIS.
[02:45:04]
ALL RIGHT.UM, I HAD PUT ON, UH, THE WORK PLAN LAST YEAR TO, UM, DO A REVIEW OF THE CITY'S WASTEWATER, UH, TREATMENT SYSTEM, AND THAT KIND OF FELL BY THE WAYSIDE WITH COVID AND THOSE THINGS.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK INTO, ESPECIALLY WITH THE PRESENTATION WE HEARD LAST, UM, COMMISSION MEETING ABOUT, UM, BACTERIA LEVELS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN ACTION, BUT, UM, GETTING AN UPDATE FROM THE CITY ON CONDITION OF WASTEWATER FACILITIES AND, UM, AND HOW THEY'RE MAINTAINING THOSE, I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
WE'LL HAVE THAT DOWN NEXT WORSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, YOU KNOW, COIN TALKS ABOUT A LOT, SO I'M KIND OF, YOU KNOW, CRIBBING OFF OF WHAT SHE SAYS, BUT I THINK REPRESENTING DISTRICT ONE, YOU KNOW, I THINK LOOKING AT AS FAR, LIKE, YOU KNOW, UH, LONG-TERM ENVIRONMENTAL EQUITY ACROSS DIFFERENT SECTORS OF THE CITY, RIGHT.
ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO, UH, DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS AND HOW PUBLIC MONEY HAS BEEN DIVVIED UP OVER TIME.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THAT AND LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN, UM, JUST CREATE, YOU KNOW, A MORE EQUITABLE LIVING SITUATION FOR, YOU KNOW, THE DESERT DENIZENS OF THE CITY AS A WHOLE, RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, UH, A FEW WELL OFF AREAS AND TIME LEAVING EVERYBODY ELSE TO SUFFER WITH NO TREES.
BUT, UH, I THINK THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT, UH, I THINK SHOULD BE, UH, RELATIVELY AT THE TOP OF THE LIST FOR SURE.
AND WE DO HAVE AN EQUITY REPORT THAT WAS GIVEN, AND WE NEED TO GET THAT TO YOU.
UH, WATERSHED PROTECTION IS WORKING ON GOALS, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE WHAT THEIR LATEST REPORT WAS, WAS TO GIVE IT TO US A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, BUT I AGREED.
WE WANT TO KEEP THAT ON OUR RADAR FOR SURE.
WHO'S NEXT COMMISSIONER BEDFORD.
AND THEN THAN ME, I THINK, UM, I JUST HAD, UH, ONE THING THAT POPPED IN MY HEAD RECENTLY WAS, UM, WHEN TEXTILE HAD, HAD ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WERE FORMING A PLAN TO WIDEN I 35 AND, UM, ALL THE RESIDENTIAL HOUSES AND, UM, BUSINESS, UH, COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES BEING DISPLACED.
BUT I WAS JUST KIND OF BEEN WONDERING IF THERE'S A WAY TO KIND OF LOOK INTO THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF LIKE WHAT ALL'S GOING TO BE.
IF THEY'RE, UM, TEARING DOWN HOUSES, I WOULD ASSUME THAT THEY'RE TEARING DOWN TREES AND, UM, WATERWAYS AND STUFF TOO.
SO I WAS JUST, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT POPPED INTO MIND.
I ALSO THINK THAT, UH, THEY'RE WORKING WITH TXDOT RIGHT NOW IN THE NEPA PROCESS AND DOING FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.
SO YEAH, I THINK WE NEED TO HEAR WHAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT WILL BE 4 35 AND D LET'S GET, UM, THEY ARE ALL STILL ACCEPTING PUBLIC COMMENT ON THAT AS WELL.
UM, THEY EXTENDED THAT PERIOD FOR A FEW MORE WEEKS.
SO IF YOU WANT TO GIVE A COMMENT, YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO DO THAT AS WELL.
SO FOR THE, UH, OF MY BOWEL, JUST TO ALSO GROW THE TWO 90 SLASH 71 EXPANSION THAT THEY'RE DOING, I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW IF THAT'S IN THE SAME, UH, UH, POSITION IN THE PROCESS OR WHATEVER, SINCE I KNOW THEY STARTED CONSTRUCTION AND TURNED DOWN TREES AND A JUDGE HAD TO GIVE AN INJUNCTION OR WHATEVER, BUT I THINK IT'S A PRETTY, UH, SIMILAR SORT OF IDEA AS FAR AS EXAMINING WHAT'S BEING DONE AND WHAT CAN BE DONE BETTER.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CORNS.
YEAH, I KNOW I ALREADY MENTIONED IT WAS BROUGHT UP AGAIN.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S ON THE GOALS TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE MITIGATION AND BEING PROACTIVE ABOUT TREE PLANTING PIECES.
I ALSO WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW WE'RE EMBEDDING EQUITY AS A FRAMEWORK, AND REALLY TRYING TO PULL IN THE EQUITY OFFICE, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THEIR BANDWIDTH IS TIGHT.
UH, AND SO WANTING TO BE COGNIZANT OF THAT, BUT MAKING SURE, EVEN JUST IN THE TALK WITH CHIEF MARS TODAY, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO SEE THAT WE'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, USING CONSISTENT METHODOLOGY FOR UNDERSTANDING HOW TO APPLY EQUITY THROUGH THIS ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY LENS.
UM, I THINK TWO OTHER KIND OF KEY GOALS FOR ME ARE I KNOW THAT WATERSHED'S DOING STRATEGIC PLAN, AND I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY VITAL FOR US TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT THE ROLE IS AS ADVISORS ON THAT.
UH, EVEN THOUGH IT'S OBVIOUSLY IT'S A STAFF LED INITIATIVE.
[02:50:01]
I THINK ANOTHER THING IS, UH, JUST THIS WEEK THEY POSTED THE CHIEF RESILIENCY OFFICER POSITION FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.AND SO ONCE THAT POSITIONS FILLED THAT WORK IS GOING TO START MOVING.
AND SO REALLY LOOKING AT HOW THIS COMMISSION CAN HELP SUPPORT, UH, AROUND ENVIRONMENTAL RESILIENCE FOR THE CITY.
UH, I THINK, I THINK THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT TO BE A PART OF, UM, THERE WAS ONE MORE THING.
OH, IN TERMS OF LIKE SPECIFIC, UH, PLACES.
I KNOW WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE RODEO, THE, SOME OF THE, LIKE THE HIGH CAP STUFF, THE TWO 90, UM, I THINK TOM DISTRICTS, UH, WORK DOWNTOWN, UH, WE'VE ALREADY HAD A TALK ABOUT THAT.
THE, THE PLANNING INITIATIVE THAT'S HAPPENING.
SO IT IT'S CALLED PON DISTRICT PLANNING INITIATIVE.
LINDA'S JUST GIVING ME A LOOK LIKE SHE CAN'T HEAR ME.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOT VERY WELL OR WHATEVER, OR SOMETHING ELSE, PALM DISTRICT, THE PALM DISTRICT DOWNTOWN.
I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK THAT'S DONE DOWNTOWN THAT I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING, YOU KNOW, UH, URBAN GREENING OPPORTUNITIES, AS MUCH AS WE'RE TRYING TO PRESERVE THE TREES OR CONSERVING SOME OF THE WILDLANDS AND THE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY.
YOU, WE NEED TO PUT AS MUCH EFFORT ON THINGS THAT ARE IN THE URBAN CORE, THAT FEATURE, HOW WE CAN BE INNOVATIVE ABOUT GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND REALLY URBAN PLACES TOO.
AND SO TO ME, THAT'S A REALLY CRITICAL PLACE TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THAT I THINK THAT'S IT, BUT I'VE SAID A LOT FISHER BRENNER.
I, UH, I'M NOT SURE HOW, HOW TO, TO, TO POSE THIS.
THERE ARE, OR TO, UH, UM, MAKE IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE TO ME, UH, IN THE MA IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS MEETING, I'M REALIZING THAT OUR, OUR, THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE CAN DO MAYBE, UH, GREATER THAN I THOUGHT, UM, I'D REALLY LIKED SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO, UM, TO MAKE FAR LESS OF THE CITY, UH, UH, A PLACE THAT YOU HAVE TO GET IN A CAR TO GO SOMEWHERE.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT, UH, UH, THE, OUR LEADERS AND, AND, AND I THINK WE HAVE TO, TO CONSIDER OURSELVES AS, AS A, UH, AT LEAST, UH, SOME PART OF LEADERSHIP THAT, THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING, UH, UH, UH, A LIGHT YEAR AHEAD IN, IN AND SAY, WELL, IF CLIMATE CHANGES IS, IS GOING TO BE CHANGING LOGARITHMICALLY, WHICH IS WHAT I THINK IS HAPPENING WELL, THEN I THINK WE NEED TO LEAP FORWARD OUT OF THE, OUT OF THE, UH, UH, EARLY 19 HUNDREDS AND SAY, LET'S GET PEOPLE OUT OF CARS AND FIND ANOTHER WAY TO MAKE IT REALLY CONVENIENT TO GET AROUND.
AND YOU CAN DO THAT IN EUROPE.
WHY CAN'T WE DO IT IN, IN AUSTIN? IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME.
I THINK, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE SO FAR BEHIND.
I, I, I REALLY, I REALLY FEAR FOR OUR SPECIES.
UH, I JUST THINK WE'RE, WE'RE JUST NOT, WE'RE JUST NOT BEING A VISIONARY ENOUGH ABOUT, ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE, TO BE ABLE TO DO IT FAST ENOUGH TO HAVE THE IMPACT THAT WE HAVE TO DO TO, TO GET WHERE WE NEED TO GO.
AND IF AUSTIN CAN BE, UH, IN THE FOREFRONT AS IT HAS BEEN WITH SO MANY OTHER ISSUES, I MEAN, I, I WAS BLOWN AWAY WHEN I MOVED HERE, WHICH WAS ABOUT NINE YEARS AGO AT THE THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING HERE.
I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD, WE COULD REALLY BE A LEADER IN IF, YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF WE, UH, IF WE'RE BOLD ENOUGH TO BE THINKING IN THOSE TERMS. SO I JUST THROW THAT OUT THE LOOP ON THAT.
I THINK WE CERTAINLY CAN DEAL WITH THAT IF WE RELATE IT BACK TO YOUR QUALITY, ESPECIALLY WELL, AND SO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE BASING ALL THESE THINGS IN THAT PRESENTATION THAT KAYLA TALKED ABOUT IS REALLY MEETING THAT.
I KNOW THAT RYMER WAS NEXT, AND THEN I THINK WE HAVE MR. BARRETT'S.
THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT I'M INTERESTED IN AND IT GETS BACK TO, UH, UH, SOMETHING MINIATURE.
SCOTT WAS JUST, UH, AGGRESSING, UM, WHAT WAS AIR QUALITY AND OUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO AFFECT THAT.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND HAD TO DO WITH, UH, WATER QUALITY, UH, I'M CONCERNED, UH, COMMISSIONER COYNE MENTIONED, UH, YOU KNOW, WORK WITHIN THE CITY WITH REGARD TO URBAN FOREST AND THAT SORT OF THING.
BUT TO ME, THAT GOES PART AND PARCEL WITH URBAN RUNOFF AND HOW THAT FLOWS WITH BREAKS.
[02:55:01]
I BELIEVE THE LAST MEETING, WE HAD SOMEONE SPEAK TO A WATER QUALITY IN SOME OF THE MAJOR, UH, YOU KNOW, WATERWAYS IN AUSTIN.AND, UH, BUT I THINK THERE'S MORE THAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE THE WATER, UH, QUALITY IN SOME OF THE URBAN WATERSHEDS, UH, BETTER THAN WHAT IT IS.
UH, WE HAVE TOO MANY TIMES WHEN THE WATER IS NOT SAFE PEOPLE TO WAIT IN AND EVERYTHING.
AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE EVER GOING TO GET BACK TO THE POINT WHERE IT'S ABSOLUTELY PURE TO DRINK IN, BUT WE NEED TO DO BETTER THAN WHAT WE ARE.
AND, UH, IF WE ALSO, AGAIN, BACKING UP TO THE AIR QUALITY ISSUE, UH, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN WORK ON, UH, AS WELL PART AND PARCEL WITH THE WATER QUALITY TO INSPIRE.
I'D LIKE TO SEE US WORK ON THOSE TWO ITEMS AS WELL.
AND PERHAPS REPORT, AS KAYLA MENTIONED, ONE OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES OR ABILITIES IS TO REPORT TO THE COUNCIL, UH, AND PERHAPS WE CAN MAKE REPORT TO THE COUNCIL ON RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO THAT'S MY TWO ITEMS, AUDREY, AUDREY, THANK YOU.
UM, TAGGING ONTO THAT WITH, FROM AIR QUALITY.
I THINK IT'D BE GREAT IF WE COULD, UM, CONTINUE TO TRY TO TIE THAT AS WELL TO PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, THAT I THINK ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, STRENGTH STRENGTHENS THE ARGUMENT FOR ACTING, UM, WHEN YOU CAN TRY TO TIE IN THE PUBLIC SHELF COMPONENT.
AND, UM, YEAH, I MEAN, FROM THE CLIMATE SIDE, THE AIR QUALITY SIDE, THE WATER QUALITY, ALL OF THAT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'D BE HAPPY TO, UM, TRY TO, TO DIVE DEEPER INTO, UM, THROUGHOUT THE TIME THAT I'M SERVING.
AND JUST AS A TOUGH OLD BIRD OVER HERE, I DO WANT TO SAY THAT WE HAD TO DISMANTLE OUR AIR QUALITY COMMITTEE BECAUSE WHAT WE FOUND AND WENT ROUND AND ROUND AND ROUND WAS THAT WITHOUT REGULATIONS, WE HAVE NOTHING TO HOLD ANYONE'S FEET TO THE FIRE.
WE WOULD GET SO FRUSTRATED WITH THESE PADS BECAUSE WE WANTED SOMEHOW TO INCLUDE AIR QUALITY.
BUT SINCE THERE'S NO REGULATIONS, THERE WAS ESSENTIALLY NOTHING THERE TO PUT AS A CONDITION.
UM, WE, YOU KNOW, W COULD DO A WORKING GROUP, BUT IF WE WANT TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT SOME OF THE PREVIOUS, I GUESS WE DISMANTLED IT TWO YEARS AGO.
I CAN'T REMEMBER BECAUSE OF SO MUCH FRUSTRATION OF THERE NOT BEING REGS AND, YOU KNOW, GETTING PRESENTATIONS.
AND IT WAS LIKE, WELL, BUT IF WE ONLY HAD WEDS AND WE COULD BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, AND MAYBE IT'S TIME FOR US TO PUSH FOR REGULATIONS.
SO, ALRIGHT, I'M GOING TO WRAP THIS UP.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WE'VE GOT A LOT OF STUFF HERE.
I, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WHAT YOU JUST SAID WAS, UH, COMMISSIONER BARROW JUST SAID, WHAT COMMISSIONER, UH, BRIMMER, BEFORE YOU, BEFORE HER SAID ARE ALL IN THAT SAME PURVIEW AND WHY COULDN'T OUR, UM, WHY COULDN'T WE ALSO BE LOOKING AT PROPOSING SOME REGULATIONS THAT WOULD BE, I MEAN, IT'S A, IT'S A BUILDING BLOCK OF YOU'D NEED THE REGULATIONS.
BUT I MEAN, THAT'S JUST PART OF WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.
I MEAN, IT'S A, THERE IT'S A HUGE PUZZLE OF A LOT OF PIECES TO GET SOMETHING THAT, UH, THAT BIG TO HAPPEN.
UH, AND, AND CAN WE DO IT? I DON'T KNOW, BUT, UH, WE CAN'T DO IT UNLESS WE TRY.
SO, UH, THAT'S JUST MY 2 CENTS.
AND YOU MIGHT WANT TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT WHAT THE PREVIOUS COMMITTEE DID FOR SEVEN YEARS, BUT I LOVED THE FRESH IDEAS WE GOT HERE TONIGHT, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
UM, I AM GOING TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING.
I CAN TELL BY MY HAIR I'M WIPED OUT HERE.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE, I DON'T CARE.
NO, YOU DID NOT MISS ANYTHING.
I'LL JUST THROW MY 2 CENTS IN REAL QUICK.
AND JUST REMINDER TO PLEASE THESE GO FILL OUT THAT SURVEY MONKEY SURVEY.
I CAN, I FEEL I SENT OUT YESTERDAY OR TODAY.
[03:00:01]
UH, BUT PLEASE DO GET THAT INTO US THIS FEE.Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR COMING TONIGHT.
WE ARE SO GRATEFUL THAT YOU ARE HERE AND PARTICIPATED LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND, UM, TAKE CARE, STAY SAFE, AND I'M GOING TO ADJOURN IT FOR CHAT CHOW.