Sep 01, 2021 Environmental Commission

UH, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM TWO, A APPROVAL OF MINUTES AND ACTION.

THANKS LIZ.

[2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES AND ACTION a. Approval of the August 18, 2021 Environmental Commission Meeting Minutes (5 minutes)]

UH, THIS IS FROM THE AUGUST 18TH, 2021 ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES.

SIMMER HAD HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK THOSE OVER MOTION TO APPROVE.

UH, WE HAVE A FIRST BY, UH, COMMISSIONER GUERRERO, SECOND ROMBERG, SECOND BY ROMBERG.

UM, ALL IN FAVOR.

UH, WE'LL JUST DO A QUICK ROLL CALL SINCE WE'RE ALL IN PERSON OR I GUESS, UH, WE CAN DO HANDS FOR YOUR HANDS ALL IN FAVOR.

AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? UM, ANY ABSTAINING? UH, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER BEDFORD ABSTAINING.

UM, MOVING ON TO ITEM THREE, A, UH, BRIEFINGS UPDATE ON NORTHWEST PARK DAM MAINTENANCE AND MODERNIZATION PROJECT.

[3a. Update on Northwest Park Dam Maintenance and Modernization project—Annabell Ulary, Engineer B and Pam Kearfott, Supervising Engineer, Watershed Protection Department (30 minutes)]

WE HAVE ANNABEL LAURIE, UH, ENGINEER B AND PAM KEARFOTT SUPERVISING ENGINEER WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.

GOOD MORNING, OR GOOD EVENING, SORRY, COMMISSIONER GUERRERO AND, AND COMMISSIONERS.

UM, MY NAME IS PAM .

I'M A SUPERVISING ENGINEER AND THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.

AND I'M JOINED THIS EVENING BY ONE OF THE ENGINEERS ON MY TEAM AND WILL ELLORY WHO WILL BE PROVIDING YOU GUYS WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THE NORTHWEST PARK DAM MAINTENANCE AND MODERNIZATION PROJECT, WHICH IS A MOUTHFUL OF A NAME, UM, BEFORE SHE DOES THAT.

HOWEVER, IF WE COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I WANTED TO TAKE A COUPLE OF MINUTES JUST TO GIVE YOU ALL A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF DAM SAFETY IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

UM, WHEN WE THINK OF DAMS AND A LOT OF US THINK OF LONGHORN DAM, MANSFIELD DAM, THAT'S NOT THE KIND OF, THAT'S NOT THE SIZE AND SCALE DAM THAT THAT WE THINK ABOUT WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

WHAT WE THINK ABOUT ARE DAMS THAT

[00:05:01]

ARE CONTROLLING DETENTION PONDS, UM, ON OUR WATERWAYS THAT HELP PREVENT FLOOD RISK IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN DAMS IN THIS, IN THE CITY.

AND THE STATE ARE REGULATED BY THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, BASED ON A COMBINATION OF FACTORS, WHICH INCLUDES THE HEIGHT OF THE DAM, THE VOLUME OF WATER THAT THEY HAVE FOUND AS WELL AS WHAT'S POTENTIALLY AT RISK DOWNSTREAM OF THAT STRUCTURE, SHOULD IT FAIL? SO THERE ARE CURRENTLY 33 DAM STRUCTURES IN THE CITY OF BOSTON THAT DO MEET THE REGULATION REQUIREMENTS BY THE TCEQ.

AND WHILE THE TCQ DOES REGULATE FOR SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS, I WAS GOING AGAINST THE TWO THAT WE FOCUS ON THE MOST ARE THE STRUCTURAL STABILITY OF THAT DAM.

UM, AS THE NAME IMPLIES, IT'S ITS ABILITY TO, TO HOLD ITS INTEGRITY WHEN IT HAS WATER AND THE PRESSURE AND WATER UP AGAINST IT.

AND IF IT'S BEING OVER TOP THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO FAIL.

AND THE SECOND IS ITS ABILITY TO SAFELY PASS A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF WHAT WE REFER TO AS THE PMF, WHICH IS THE PROBABLE MAXIMUM FLOOD.

YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE 25 YEAR FLOOD, THE 100 YEAR FLOOD IN AUSTIN.

USUALLY IT'S ABOUT 75% AND BY SAFELY PASS, WHAT I NEED IS THE DAM ITSELF.

THE POND ITSELF DOESN'T HAVE TO HOLD THAT VOLUME OF WATER.

IT HOLDS AS MUCH AS IT CAN.

AND THEN WHEN IT NEEDS TO ENGAGE SPILLWAYS AND OTHER OUTLET STRUCTURES, IT'S ABLE TO PASS THAT EXCESS FLOW IN A WAY THAT IS SAFE AND THAT DOESN'T COMPROMISE THE INTEGRITY OF THE DAM ITSELF.

SO THE DAM SAFETY PROGRAM IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS MANAGED BY THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, UM, AND IT'S COMPRISED OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT FACTORS.

UM, PART OF IT IS INSPECTIONS OF THOSE STRUCTURES ANNUALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE IN GOOD REPAIR AND THAT THEY DON'T NEED MAINTENANCE.

UH, IT IS ALSO THE PREPARATION AND SUBMITTAL TO THE TCQ OF EMERGENCY ACTION PLANS FOR EACH OF THOSE DAMS. SHOULD WE GET REALLY HIGH INTENSITY RAINFALL THAT TRIGGERS SPILLWAYS ON ANY OF THESE DAMS? WE NEED TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE, UM, TO NOTIFY DOWNSTREAM.

UM, IF THERE'S ANY, ANY, ANY PROBLEMS THAT POP UP ON THE DAM, THE PROGRAM ALSO INCLUDES ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS OF THE PONDS AND THE DAM STRUCTURES THEMSELVES AND PROVING THE OUTLETS TO THEM AS THEY DISCHARGE BACK INTO CREEKS.

THEN THE LAST CATEGORY, AND ACTUALLY WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT IS WHEN WE DO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR THE MODERNIZATION AND LARGE REPAIRS ON, ON THE DAMS. SO BY MODERNIZATION, I GO, IT'S BACK TO THAT PERCENTAGE OF THE PMF.

A LOT OF THE DAMS WERE BUILT, UM, 10, 20 YEARS AGO, SOMETIMES LONGER, AND THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SAFELY PASS THAT PERCENTAGE OF THE PMF.

SO WITH A MODERNIZATION PROJECT, WE'RE ABLE TO GO IN AND EITHER THROUGH A COMBINATION OF ADDING CAPACITY TO THE DAM OR ADDING ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS TO THE DAM STRUCTURE ITSELF, TO HELP STABILIZE IT AND REINFORCE IT SO THAT IT CAN SAFELY PASS THAT TMS. THAT'S A MODERNIZATION.

SO THAT WILL TAKE US TO, UM, THE NEXT SLIDE.

AND I WILL HAND IT OVER TO ANNABELLE TO TALK TO YOU SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE NORTHWEST PARK DAM AND THE CIP PROJECT THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON HERE.

SORRY.

HOPEFULLY YOU CAN HEAR ME NOW.

UM, AS PAM SAID, MY NAME'S ANNABEL ALLERY.

UM, I AM WITH WATERSHED ENGINEERING OR WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.

UM, SO GOING THROUGH AND TALKING ABOUT NORTHWEST PARK, UM, IT'S A DUAL PURPOSE FACILITY THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALLY KNOW ABOUT.

SO I'M TO GO A LITTLE BIT BACKGROUND AND HOW IT ALL WORKS BEFORE DIVING INTO THE PROJECT.

UM, NORTHWEST PARK, THE REGIONAL DETENTION FACILITY AND DAM WERE CONSTRUCTED IN 1986 AS A RESULT OR AS A RESPONSE TO THE 1981 FLOODS THAT DEVASTATED SHOAL CREEK DURING MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND.

UM, THIS PARK WAS LOWERED TO SEVERAL FEET, UM, TO ALLOW WATER, TO COME INTO IT DURING STORM EVENTS AND, UM, RETAIN THAT WATER WHILE THE CREEK DOES ITS THING.

AND THEN AFTER THE WATER SEARCH AND RECITE A LITTLE BIT, THEN THE WATER WILL BE ABLE TO LEAVE THE DAM.

SO I'LL WALK THROUGH THAT A LITTLE BIT TO ORIENT YOU A LITTLE BIT ON THE PICTURE, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SCREEN NORTHWEST OR NORTH PART DRIVE, WHICH IS ALSO THE BASEBALL FIELD ENTRANCE TO THE PARK.

AND THEN WE HAVE SHOAL CREEK BOULEVARD, WHICH GOES AROUND FROM THE LEFT TO THE TOP.

AND THEN WE HAVE GREENLAWN PARKWAY ON THE BRIGHT AND THE RDF STREET ENTRANCE TO NORTHWEST PARK ON THE BOTTOM.

UM, YOU CAN ALSO SEE SHOAL CREEK.

IT SHOWS A BLUE LINE WITH LITTLE BLACK ARROWS AND THEN THE A HUNDRED YEAR

[00:10:01]

FLOOD PLAIN IS THAT BLUE SHADED AREA.

AND FINALLY THE DAM ITSELF, THE WHOLE REASON WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS IS THAT PINK DASHED LINE.

SO WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

UM, SO AS I SAID, WE'RE JUST GOING TO ZOOM IN A LITTLE BIT ON THIS AREA AS THE CREEK RISES, WHICH SHOAL CREEK RISES WATER WILL ENTER THE DAM OVER NEAR THE TENNIS COURTS, UM, AND THOSE YELLOW AREAS.

AND THIS IS JUST A YOU'RE WALKING THROUGH IT.

THIS IS A PICTURE OF IT FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CREEK.

IT'S THAT RAMP DOWN OVER NEAR THE TENNIS COURTS.

IT SEEMS, UM, LIKE IT DOESN'T HAVE A PURPOSE.

IT ACTUALLY DOES.

THAT'S HOW THE WATER GETS INTO THE PARK AND THE PARK FILLS UP WITH WATER.

UM, AND AS COMPLETELY SUBMERGED HERE IN YOUR A HUNDRED YEAR STORM EVENTS, UH, AND THEN ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'LL HAVE THE, UH, OUTFALL PIPES.

SO THIS PARK HAS, UM, TWO DIFFERENT OUTFALLS, ONE BY THE DUCK POND AND THE ONE OVER BY THE BASEBALL FIELDS.

UM, AND THESE BOTH AS THE CREEK FOR SIDES ARE SUBSIDES WATER LEAVES, BUT BOTH OF THESE ARE EQUIPPED WITH BACKFLOW PREVENTERS.

SO WATER IS ONLY ALLOWED TO LEAVE THESE PIPES.

IT DOESN'T COME IN THROUGH THESE PIPES.

AND THEN THE LAST THING ON THE NEXT SLIDE IS OUR AUXILIARY SPILLWAY.

SO DURING THOSE LIKE PMF PROBLEM, MAXIMUM FLOODS THAT PAM WAS TALKING ABOUT THE DAM PLANT OR THE FACILITY CAN'T REALLY HOLD IT.

SO WE HAVE TO HAVE A PLACE FOR THAT WATER TO GO.

UM, THE OXTELLAR SPILLWAY LOOKS A LOT LIKE YOU CAN SEE IN THIS PICTURE, LIKE THE INFLOW SPILL WAY, IT'S JUST A LITTLE LESS, UM, DRAMATIC.

AND IT IS THE, IF YOU'RE WALKING ACROSS THE TOP OF THE DAM, IT'S THE ONLY SEGMENT THAT ACTUALLY HAS CONCRETE ON IT RIGHT NOW.

UH, SO IN THAT CONCRETE THERE TO HELP PROTECT DURING, UM, THOSE TIMES WHERE IT HAPPENS TO BE ENGAGED, UH, IT KEEPS THE EMBANKMENT FROM BEING ERODED AT THOSE POINTS.

SO LAST SLIDE, OUR NEXT SLIDE, NOT LAST, UM, IT'S JUST A PLAIN PICTURE WITHOUT HOPE.

UH, THERE WE GO.

AND THEN WE'LL CLEAN PICTURE WITHOUT ALL THE, UM, THE PICTURE SHOWING ALL THE DIFFERENT DETAILS, BUT WATER COMES IN THROUGH THE YELLOW SPOTS, UM, OUT FOR THE CIRCLE BLUE CIRCLES OR OVER THE RED SPOT.

SO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'RE GONNA DIVE INTO WHAT THIS PROJECT IS ALL ABOUT, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.

UM, WE HAVE HDR WORKING ON THIS PROJECT AND WE DO HAVE JENNIFER, UM, LEONARD ON THE LINE, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS AT THE END THAT I CAN'T NECESSARILY ANSWER, BUT SHE HAS WITH HDR.

UM, THEY'VE GONE THROUGH AND LOOKED AT ALL THE WORK THAT CAN BE DONE AND THE REGIONAL FACILITY AND ON THE DAM AND CATEGORIZE IT INTO THREE MAIN CATEGORIES.

SO THE FIRST ONE OF THESE IS OUR DAM SAFETY ITEMS. THESE ARE ITEMS THAT ARE INTENDED TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC.

UM, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE REGULATED BY THE TCQ OR TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.

UM, LIKE PAM HAD MENTIONED EARLIER, OR EVEN OUR OWN DRAINAGE CRITERIA MANUAL HAS SOME REGULATIONS ON THERE.

THE NEXT ITEMS THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT ARE THE DAM MAINTENANCE ITEMS. THESE ARE ITEMS THAT DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE DAM, THE DAM, SOME STABILITY, BUT IF THEY'RE LEFT ALONE FOR WAY TOO LONG, UM, THEY CAN'T CAUSE AN ISSUE.

SO WE'D RATHER GET IN THERE AND TAKE CARE OF NOW, WHETHER IT'S A SMALL THING RATHER THAN WAITING UNTIL THERE'S SOMETHING BIG.

AND THE LAST THING WE LOOKED AT AT THIS POINT WERE SOME PART DRAINAGE AND WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS.

UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE ALL PART SEPARATELY FROM US.

UM, AND WE HAVE DARCY ENOUGH ALSO AROUND IT FOR QUESTIONS IF NEEDED, HOPEFULLY NOT, BUT IN CASE, UM, SO PART IS DOING A REVISION PLAN.

THEY'RE DOING A BUNCH OF REVAMPING FOR THIS PARK.

AND SO WE LOOKED AT IT FROM A WATER SHED PERSPECTIVE OF LIKE, HERE'S SOME DRAINAGE, POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS.

HERE'S SOME WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS YOU COULD DO AND USE THIS TO INFORM THEM DURING THIS TIME.

SO MOST OF THIS PROJECT IS FOCUSED ON THOSE DAM SAFETY AND DEANNE MAINTENANCE ITEMS, JUST BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO PROTECT THE DAM AT THIS POINT.

SO NEXT SLIDE IS, WHAT ALL DOES THIS MEAN? WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE? UM, THIS IS A LIST OF OUR DAM SAFETY ITEMS. UH, I WILL GO THROUGH THEM INDIVIDUALLY.

UM, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DIG INTO THIS TOO MUCH.

AND AGAIN, THESE ARE STATE REGULATED OR FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.

SO WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

WE HAVE OUR OVERTOPPING PROTECTION.

MOST OF THAT IN BANK MINT IS AN URBAN TRAIL.

LIKE YOU SEE IN THIS PICTURE, UM, EXCEPT FOR THAT AUXILIARY SPILLWAY, LIKE I TALKED ABOUT THIS, A DIFFERENT VIEW OF THAT.

SO THERE'S THE WAY WHERE IT'S THAT SEGMENT THAT'S ACTUALLY CONCRETE.

UM, SO WHAT WE'LL BE DOING FOR THIS OVERTOPPING IS, UM, CAPPING THE WHOLE DAMN WITH CONCRETE SIDEWALKS.

UM, THIS WILL HELP TO DURING THOSE PROBLEMS MAXIMUM FLOOD EVENTS, IT'LL KEEP THE DAM FROM BEING EXPOSED, THE EARTHEN DAM FOR BEING EXPOSED TO A RUSTLE VELOCITIES AND KEEP IT IN A GOOD WORKING CONDITION.

EVEN DURING LAUNCH STORM EVENTS.

NEXT SLIDE IS OUR WARNING SIGNS.

[00:15:01]

UM, SO RIGHT NOW THIS PART DOESN'T HAVE ANY TYPE OF INFORMATION, UM, THAT IT FLOODS AND IT FLOODS BY A LOT.

AND THERE'S NOTHING IN THERE THAT STATES IT AND OTHER WARNINGS TO THE PUBLIC.

UM, RIGHT NOW I'M SHOWING THESE WARNING SIGNS AS INTERIM AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE PARKING LOTS.

BUT AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, PART IS DOING THEIR VISION PLANNING RIGHT NOW, AND THEY ARE CHANGING THE WAY THE PUBLIC INTERACTS WITH THIS PARK.

AND SO WE'LL BE COORDINATING WHERE THOSE SIGNS AND WHAT THOSE SIGNS LOOK LIKE WITH PARK QUITE A BIT IN THEIR VISION PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT INAPPROPRIATE LOCATIONS NEXT ITEM ON THE NEXT SLIDE IS OUR WOODY VEGETATION MANAGEMENT AND ESTABLISHING A RIPARIAN VEGETATION.

UM, SO THIS PICTURE RIGHT HERE IS WHAT THE DAM LOOKS LIKE CURRENTLY.

AND THIS IS THE CREEK SIDE OF THE DAM.

THERE'S NO VEGETATION, THERE'S WHOLE BUNCH OF TREES.

TREES ARE NOT GOOD FOR DAMS. THE ROOTS CAN GO THROUGH AND CAN CAUSE ISSUES ON HUNDREDTH AND DAMS. UM, SO WE'LL BE EVALUATING THE TREES AND REMOVING SOME OF THEM THAT ARE CAUSING ISSUES, BUT AT THE SAME POINT, WE'LL ALSO BE ESTABLISHING SOME RIPARIAN VEGETATION.

SO RIGHT NOW IT'S A BUNCH OF GABIONS THAT YOU'RE SEEING AND WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH AND ADDING IN SOME SOIL ON TOP OF THE TWO GABIONS LIKE IT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED AND JUST WASHED AWAY OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS.

UM, AND RE-ESTABLISHING SOME REGULAR VEGETATION TO HELP PROTECT THAT.

NATE, NEXT ITEM IS OUR CREEK SIDE REHABILITATION AND OF THE EMBANKMENT OR DEALING WITH THE EROSION THAT'S GOING ON WITH DIVIDE THIS IN FOUR SECTIONS.

FIRST ONE'S OVER BY THE OUTFALL OF THE DUCK POND.

SECOND ONE'S AT THE FIRST CURVE.

THIRD ONE IS AT THE NEXT CURVE.

AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS OVER NEAR THE EXCELLERE SPILLWAY FOR EACH OF THESE AREAS.

UM, IT'S ALL ON THE CREEK SIDE.

YOU DON'T REALLY SEE IT WE'LL COME BACK, BUT WE'RE SEEING SIGNS OF EROSION THAT WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF.

SO EACH ONE OF THESE AREAS WILL HAVE, UM, LARGE RIPRAP INSTALLED A CLUB ACROSS THE CREEK TO HELP SLOW DOWN SOME OF THE WATER UP ROWS OF WATERS.

AND THEN IN AREAS ONE, TWO AND FOUR WHERE THEIR GABIONS AREN'T IN NORMAL PLACE.

UM, WE WILL BE INSTALLING SOME LIMESTONE BLOCKS.

SO LIKE AN AREA ONE, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S SOME OF THE ROCKWALL AND GAMING'S THAT ARE MISSING.

THE ROCKS ARE GONE.

UM, AREA TWO, YOU SEE THEM SAGGING AND AREA THREE THEY'RE COMPLETELY GONE.

THERE'S ALL WASHED AWAY.

SO WE'LL BE REPLACING THAT TOE WITH BOTTOM OF THE BANK WITH LIMESTONE BLOCKS.

THE NEXT PART IS LOOKING AT OUR MSC VERTICAL WALLS.

MSE IS MECHANICALLY STABILIZED EARTH.

SO IF YOU'RE IN THE PARK, IT'S THAT WALL THAT LOOKS KIND OF LIKE A JIGSAW PUZZLE TO A DEGREE.

UM, THESE WALLS ARE DESIGNED TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF MOVEMENT AND WE ARE SEEING SOME MOVEMENT.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT THAT MOVEMENT, HOW MUCH IT'S MOVED AND IF THAT'S WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE SOILS THAT ARE THERE AND THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED.

THE OTHER THING IS, AGAIN, THAT COORDINATION WITH PARD, UH, IN THE LAST VERSION OF THEIR VISION PLAN THAT I LOOKED AT, UH, THEY WERE LOOKING AT PARTIALLY REMOVING PART OF THIS BUTTRESS WALL THAT STICKS OUT INTO THE PARK TO HELP WITH FUNCTIONALITY THROUGH THE PARK.

AND SO WE'LL BE COORDINATING WITH THEM AND SEEING WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, UM, THROUGH DESIGN OF THE REPAIRS, THAT'S ALL OF OUR DAM SAFETY ITEMS. SO THE NEXT ONE, WE HAVE OUR DAM MAINTENANCE ITEMS. AGAIN, THESE ARE ITEMS THAT DON'T CURRENTLY IMPACT STABILITY, BUT IF WE LEAVE THEM ALONE FOR LONG ENOUGH, THEY COULD, AND I'M GOING TO WALK THROUGH THEM AGAIN, JUST LIKE I DID LAST TIME.

UM, SO IF THE FIRST ONE ON THE NEXT SLIDE IS REPAIRING OUR PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE EXPANSION PLATES, UH, THE BRIDGES AND METALS AS THE TEMPERATURES CHANGE, THEY EXPAND AND CONTRACT.

AND THERE TYPICALLY ARE SOME EXPANSION PLATES ON THE BRIDGE AT THE ENDS WHERE THEY ANCHOR INTO THE WALL THAT ALLOW THAT BRIDGE TO MOVE.

LIKE IT NEEDS TO, UM, THE PLATES ON THIS ONE, THEY AREN'T QUITE AT WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE.

AND SO WE'LL BE MAKING SOME MODIFICATIONS TO ALLOW IT TO MOVE A LITTLE BIT MORE.

THE BRIDGE CURRENTLY IS FOLLOWING THE WALL A LITTLE BIT AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE SECURE THAT.

AND THE NEXT ITEM IS REMOVING IRRIGATION SYSTEMS AND THE EMBANKMENT IRRIGATION SYSTEMS ARE GREAT FOR HAVING BREAK PRETTY AGGRESSIVE, BUT THEY DON'T WORK WELL WITH DAMS. UM, THERE'S ALWAYS THE POTENTIAL OF THOSE BREAKING OR FAILING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND SO, AND THEY CREATE SOME BIG PROBLEMS IN THAT EARTHEN DAM, LIKE LOTS OF, YEAH, CAN WE GET PROBLEMS? AND SO WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE THEM IN THERE AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS ONE IN THERE RIGHT NOW.

SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND REMOVE IT BEFORE IT BREAKS, UM, RATHER THAN HAVING TO GO BACK AND DO ALL THE REPAIRS AND STUFF AFTERWARDS, THE NEXT ITEM IS, UM, POST INSTALLING DRAINAGE AND CEILING PRACTICE ON THE REGULAR RETAINING WALL.

SO THESE ARE THE ONES THAT AREN'T THE JIGSAW PUZZLE ONES, THE NORMAL RETAINING WALLS OPENING THE BASEBALL FIELDS DOWN THE BOTTOM OF EACH OF THESE WALLS ARE WEEP HOLES TO ALLOW WATER TO DRAIN.

AND THEY ARE CURRENTLY FILLED WITH SEDIMENT AND THERE'S A LOT

[00:20:01]

OF PRACTICE ON THESE WALLS.

AND SO WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THESE IS GOING THROUGH AND POST INSTALLING.

SO WE ARE GOING TO TAKE THE WALL DOWN.

WE'RE JUST GOING TO GO FROM OUTSIDE AND IT'S PUSHED THROUGH AT THE CURRENT HOLE AND INSTALL A NEW SYSTEM THAT KEEP LETS THE WATER OUT FROM BEHIND THE WALL, BUT KEEPS ALL THE SEDIMENT AND FLEX.

SO THERE'S NO MORE BOYD'S BEING CREATED.

AND THEN SEALING THE CRACKS IS DOING, UM, AGAIN JUST KEEPS EVERYTHING WHERE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE, UM, AND ALL THAT.

SO THE NEXT PIECE IS STABILIZING THAT BASEBALL STRUCTURES, UM, THE STRUCTURES AROUND THE BASEBALL FACILITY HAVE SHIFTED OVER TIME.

IT'S KIND OF HARD TO PICTURE, UM, OR CAPTURING A PICTURE.

BUT IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY AT THIS PICTURE, THE SIDEWALK ON THE LEFT AND THE BUILDING ON THE RIGHT ARE BOTH TILTING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS.

AND SO THAT'S SHOWING THAT THAT'S IT, THERE'S SOME SHIFTING GOING AGAIN RIGHT NOW.

THEY'RE STILL STABLE.

IT'S NOT CAUSING A STRUCTURAL ISSUE, BUT THERE IS THAT EVIDENCE OF SHIFTING AND RATHER GO IN AND FIX THINGS AND STABILIZE EVERYTHING.

WHAT WE CAN BEFORE HAVING TO FIX SOMETHING BARGER.

THE NEXT OPTION ITEM IS OUR ROSA FOOT TRAFFIC WALKWAYS AND MAKING SOME REPAIRS.

THERE'S A LOT OF SPOTS ON THE DAM AND THE PIC AND THESE TWO PICTURES WHERE, UM, THERE'S NO PATH DOWN THE EMBANKMENT, LIKE YOU'RE WALKING ALONG THE TOP OF IT AND YOU HAVE NO WAY TO GET DOWN TO THE BOTTOM NEAR THE BASEBALL FIELDS OR GOING OVER TO THE POOL OR THE DUCK POND OR IN THE PARKING LOTS.

AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WORKING WITH PART AGAIN AND THEN FINDING WAYS TO ESTABLISH TRAIL SYSTEMS OR PATHWAYS FROM THE TOP OF THE BANK MOUNT DOWN TO THE BOTTOM.

SO WE AREN'T GETTING THOSE RUTS PUT IN FROM PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC ACROSS THOSE, THE WALKWAYS, AND THEN THE LAST PART.

UM, BUT THE DAY MAINTENANCE IMPROVEMENTS IS OUR LOCAL APPROACH AND REPAIR THEIR THOUGHTS AROUND THE DAM, WHERE WATER, AS IT RAINED OVER THE RAIN EVENTS HAVE WASHED OUT SOME OF THE SEDIMENT.

UM, SO WE'RE GOING THROUGH, AND RE-ESTABLISHING SOME VEGETATION AND PUTTING SOME IT BACK, UH, ON SOME DIFFERENT PARTS AROUND IT.

UM, YEAH, SO, AND THEN ALL OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS, UM, IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND THEY ALL SUM UP TO A TOTAL OF $3 MILLION, AND THIS IS BUDGETED CURRENTLY IN OUR FIVE-YEAR PLAN, UH, WE WILL BE RECEIVING DUFF OR DRAINAGE UTILITY FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT, AS WELL AS BOND FUNDING FROM THE LAST BOND ELECTION.

UM, AND IT'S READY TO GO.

AND THIS IS JUST FOR DAM SAFETY AND DAM MAINTENANCE IMPROVEMENTS.

NEXT SLIDE IS OUR PROJECT TIMELINE.

SO WE ARE CURRENTLY AT THE END OF OUR PR.

UH, WE'RE HOPING TO WRAP THAT UP IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS OR AIMING TO WRAP THAT UP IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, AND THEN WE WILL START DESIGN.

UM, ONE THING I WANT TO NOTE ON THIS SLIDE IS THE PROJECT IS THIS TIMELINE AND THE BUDGET IS BASED OFF THE DAM IMPROVEMENTS, UH, AND MONITORIZATION STUFF.

IT IS, THERE'S A COUPLE OF PIECES THAT WE CAN PARTNER AND THIS AREA, THERE'S A LOT OF PROJECTS GOING ON AT THE SAME TIME.

NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE THE PART, VISION PLAN PARTS, ALSO WORKING WITH THEIR POOL AND AUSTIN WATER HAS A, UH, WASTEWATER REHABILITATION PROJECT GOING THROUGH AS WE'LL BE DOING TO COORDINATE A LOT.

SO THERE'S A CHANCE THAT THE TIMELINE WILL CHANGE A LITTLE BIT DEPENDING ON HOW EVERYTHING GETS COORDINATED AND TOGETHER, UM, AND ALL OF THAT.

SO AT THAT POINT, I THINK WE'VE GOT A COUPLE MORE MINUTES FOR QUESTIONS.

IF WE WANT TO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, IT'S JUST A QUESTION SLIDE.

UM, AND IT'S ANOTHER VIEW OF THAT INFO SPILLWAY.

IF YOU'RE CURIOUS IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE THOSE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UH, REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION, UH, GO AROUND AND START WITH THE FOLKS IN THE ROOM.

COMMISSIONER BEDFORD, ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER COMMISSIONER, IF YOU JUST PRESS THE YEAH.

COMMISSIONER AND BEDFORD SCOTT.

YEAH, THERE YOU GO.

YOU KNOW, I'M A NEWBIE, LET'S START OVER RIGHT NOW.

JUST KIDDING.

UM, YEAH, SO I WAS JUST WONDERING, IS THIS COVER LIKE WORK ON THE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL PART TOO, OR JUST THE, UH, THE DAM.

THIS IS JUST THE DAM AT THIS POINT.

GOTCHA.

CAN I SHARE SCOTT? NOPE.

UH, COMMISSIONER BRIMER YES.

THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

UH, THIS WAS BUILT IN RESPONSE TO THE, UH, THE FLOOD CHILL CREEK IN THE EIGHTIES WITH THIS WHOLE BACK ENOUGH WATER TO PREVENT THE DAMAGE.

PAM,

[00:25:01]

IF YOU WANT TO JUMP IN.

I'M HAPPY TO HELP ANSWER THAT.

UM, BY ITSELF, THIS, THIS HAN WOULD NOT ELIMINATE ALL OF THE FLOODING.

THERE HAVE BEEN, UM, COUPLE OF DOZEN DIFFERENT FLOOD RISK REDUCTION PROJECTS ALONG THE SHELF CORRIDOR SINCE THE 1981 FLOOD, UH, COLLECTIVELY, UM, WOULD HAVE A TREMENDOUS IMPACT IN REDUCING THAT RISK.

UM, FIRST WE CAN NEVER MAKE A RAINFALL EVENT HAPPENED, THE EXACT SAME WAY THAT A PREVIOUS ONE DID.

UM, BUT ALL THE, ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE CITY, UM, IN THIS WATERSHED COLLECTIVELY WOULD DO YOU HAVE A, HAVE A GREAT IMPACT IN REDUCING RISK? UM, IT DOESN'T ELIMINATE ALL OF IT AS WE HAVE SEEN OTHER CONTINUES TO BE, UM, MAPPED FLOOD PLAIN IN THE WATERSHED AS WELL AS, ESPECIALLY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UM, RECURRING FLOODING.

UM, BUT IT, THE, THESE IMPROVEMENTS LIKE THIS POND DO HELP QUITE A BIT.

HAVE THERE BEEN, UH, HAS THERE BEEN ANY WORK DONE DOWNTOWN IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UH, TO MITIGATE DAMAGE FROM THE FLOODS ON SHOAL CREEK? UM, THERE HAVE BEEN IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

I'M NOT AWARE OF MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE, IN THE CREEK TO THE CREEK CORRIDOR ITSELF.

WE HAVE STUDIED IT AND EVALUATED WHAT SOME OPTIONS ARE, UM, THAT ARE NOT MOVING FORWARD WITH ANY OF THOSE AT THIS TIME.

UM, JUST PARTIALLY BECAUSE OF THE SIZE AND THE COMPLEX NATURE OF THEM, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN PURSUING IN THE FUTURE.

APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER BARRETT.

HI.

THANKS AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION.

I AM LEARNING NOW ABOUT THE DMS IN AUSTIN.

SO MY QUESTION IS, UM, GENERAL ABOUT, UM, SORT OF, KIND OF THE, THE LANDSCAPE OF ALL THESE 33 DNS.

I'M ASSUMING THEY WERE BUILT AT DIFFERENT TIME PERIODS AND, UM, THIS SORT OF, I MEAN, I DON'T, I DON'T NEED THIS SPECIFIC NUMBER, BUT ARE THEY GENERALLY AROUND THE SAME THING? AGE IS, YOU KNOW, OLDER IN THE SENSE THAT YOU'RE HAVING TO DO THIS TYPE OF MEAT, SAFETY AND MAINTENANCE REPAIRS ON SEVERAL OTHER ONES, UM, OUT OF THESE 33.

ALRIGHT, SORRY.

YEAH, I THINK I, I DON'T, I, WE, WE'RE HAPPY TO GET YOU THE SPECIFIC INFORMATION, UM, AS A FOLLOW-UP, BUT MOST OF THE AGES ARE SIMILAR, UM, TO THIS ONE, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE PROBABLY VERY FEW THERE THAT ARE OLDER THAN THIS ONE.

UM, AND SO IT'S NOT UNCOMMON THAT JUST THROUGH, UH, ANNUAL INSPECTIONS THAT SOME, YOU KNOW, MAINTENANCE NEEDS ARE GOING TO ARISE, THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH, TO ADDRESS IN ORDER TO, TO MAINTAIN THESE ASSETS.

UM, IT'S WHERE AS THE MODERNIZATION WORK IS CONCERNED, UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE JUST CONTINUE TO REEVALUATE, AS I'M SURE YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD ABOUT, UM, THE WORK THAT THAT WAS DONE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL CALLED F FOR ALICE FOURTEENS OR, YOU KNOW, TO REASSESS AND ANALYZE, UM, RAINFALL RECORDS.

AND SO THE, AND THAT SHIFTED THINGS A LITTLE BIT FOR US AS WELL.

SO WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT IT.

UM, I WOULD SAY THERE ARE SEVERAL DAMS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN MODERNIZED, UM, BUT THERE ARE ALSO MORE THAN THAT AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK, UM, THAT WILL, THAT WILL NEED TO BE MODERNIZED AS WELL.

AND WE TRY TO PRIORITIZE THOSE IN A WORST FIRST.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SCOTT, WE'LL MAKE OUR WAY BACK AROUND.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAS A FIRST CHANCE TO JUST REAL QUICK, UH, COMMISSIONER ROMBERG.

YEAH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.

UM, I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU GUYS COULD GIVE ME A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WOODY VEGE MANAGEMENT AND RIPARIAN AREA.

LIKE I KNOW THAT THERE'S KIND OF THIS INHERENT CONFLICT WITH TREES GROWING IN DAMS. UM, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT THAT'S A PRETTY ESTABLISHED KIND OF RIPARIAN CORRIDOR NOW.

SO WHAT, MAYBE IF YOU COULD PAINT A PICTURE FOR US KIND OF WHAT THE MANAGEMENT IS, IF IT'S REMOVING AND THEN IF THERE ISN'T ANY PLANTINGS, MAYBE WHAT THOSE MIGHT BE.

EVERYTHING AT A CERTAIN LEVEL OR SMALLER, WHICH IS FOUR INCHES I THINK HAS TO BE REMOVED AND THEN EVERYTHING ELSE IS, WILL BE TAKEN AFTER THAT TREE SURVEY ON DETERMINING HOW THE IMPACT OF THE TREE TO THE DAM AND SEEING HOW THAT GOES.

SO THE TREES ON THE DAM, UM, AND THEIR AREA ON THE CREEK SIDE, WE DON'T QUITE HAVE A TREE SURVEY JUST YET.

THAT'S GOING TO BE PART OF THE DESIGN SURVEY OR THE DESIGN PROCESS, BUT WE WILL BE LOOKING AT TRYING TO REMOVE SOME, MOST OF THOSE SMALLER DAMS OR THE TREES AT A MINIMUM.

UM, AND, AND SOME OF THOSE SLIDES, I DIDN'T BRING ATTENTION TO IT, BUT THERE ARE, THERE'S A NO PLANTING ZONE TYPE THING.

UM, AND THAT'S TO HELP HARD CAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT ANY NEW TREES TO BE ADDED TO THE DAM.

UM, TCEQ HAS REGULATIONS THAT STATE THAT

[00:30:01]

SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THANK YOU.

YES, SIR.

ALL RIGHT, WE'LL GO TO COMMISSIONER THOMPSON NEXT.

I WAS WONDERING, UM, YOU SAID THAT THERE WERE AREAS WHERE THINGS SHOULD NOT BE PLANTED.

AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, DIFFERENT GRASSES.

I KNOW THAT PEOPLE IN WATERSHED KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS THAN ME, THAT MIGHT ALSO ACT AS, UM, SOMETHING THAT WOULD HELP THE WATER BE, UM, FLOWING, NOT QUITE SO FAST.

SO I WONDERED IF YOU HAD CONSIDERED ANY OF THAT.

AND I, I ALSO KNOW THAT, UM, OUR RAIN EVENTS ARE DIFFERENT NOW AND AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT WE HAVE MORE IMPERVIOUS COVER AND A LARGER DRAINAGE AREA, WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH OF A SETBACK FROM THE CREEK THERE.

SO ALL OF THESE THINGS TOGETHER, I THINK ALL THE WAY UP AND DOWN SHOAL CREEK, UM, CONTRIBUTE TO THE FLOODING THAT WE HAVE DOWNTOWN.

SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE EFFORT HERE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE, UM, TAKEN TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION BECAUSE, UM, I'LL JUST TELL YOU AT OUR HOUSE, WE HAVE A PLANT IN THE FRONT AND IT RAINED FOR LIKE 10 MINUTES.

AND WE WENT OUT THERE AND EVERYTHING WAS JUST BENT OVER.

IT WAS LIKE SOMEONE HAD TAKEN A BUCKET OF WATER AND JUST POURED IT JUST DRENCHED EVERYTHING.

IT JUST CAME DOWN ALL AT ONCE.

SO THESE RAIN EVENTS, UM, ARE, I THINK THEY'RE UNUSUAL.

UM, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY'RE OCCURRING MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY.

SO WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE ON YOUR PLATE, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE DOING THIS, BUT THE GRASS IS, I THOUGHT, WELL, MAYBE THAT WILL BE PART OF PART, OR I KNOW SOMEBODY IN WATERSHED MIGHT CONSIDER IT, BUT THANK YOU.

SO REAL QUICK, JUST TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE, I MIGHT'VE MISSPOKE THAT NO PLANT ZONE IS FOR NEW TREES AND WOODY VEGETATION.

SO IT'S SIMPLY THE EMBANKMENT, UM, GRASSES AND NATIVE PLANTINGS THAT AREN'T, WE DON'T HAVE A BIG ROOT SYSTEM.

THOSE ARE, UM, OR INVASIVE SYSTEMS. THOSE ARE TOTALLY ALLOWED AND ALONG THE EMBANKMENT.

SO WE WILL BE PLANNING NEW VEGETATION ALONG THE WAY.

WE'LL REMOVE SOME OF THOSE TREES UP.

UH, WE'LL GO TO COMMISSIONER GUERRERO.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION FOR YOUR QUICK RESPONSE TO, UH, EMAILS THAT WERE RECEIVED REGARDING THIS PROJECT.

UH, REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

APPRECIATE Y'ALL JUMPING ON THOSE QUESTIONS.

HOWEVER, I HAVE GOTTEN SO MUCH, UH, SO MANY EMAILS REGARDING THE POND, AND I KNOW THIS IS THE DAM AND I NEVER COORDINATING WITH PARD, BUT I HAVE TO ASK Y'ALL IF YOU WILL HAVE A ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION WITH ME AND THE COMMUNITY REGARDING THE POND AND THE TREES, UM, I LOST AND LOTS OF QUESTIONS THAT WERE THROWN MY WAY, AND I DON'T WANT TO TAKE UP THE TIME TO GO THROUGH THEM INDIVIDUALLY, BUT THEY SEEM TO BE SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS REGARDING THE HABITAT AND THE FUNCTIONING OF THE POND AND THE REALLY, REALLY CONNECTED, BECAUSE THAT'S ALL ABOUT THE FLOODING.

SO IF IT'S POSSIBLE, AND EVEN IF IT'S A ONE WOMAN SHOW OF LADY WORKING GROUP BEFORE THIS PROGRESSES ANY FURTHER, IF I COULD ASK THAT BETWEEN DARCY AND PARK STAFF AND YOU GUYS, IF WE COULD JUST HAVE A QUICK, UH, ZOOM OR SOMETHING THAT I COULD SET UP AT SOME TIME REGARDING THE TREES, SPECIFICALLY THE WET POND AND THE, UH, HABITAT IN THE WET POND.

I DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION TO GIVE THEM BACK ON THAT.

AND I ALSO HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT THE INSPECTION AND THE STRUCTURE OF THE POND.

ANYWAY, IS THAT A POSSIBILITY THAT WE CAN DO A DEEP DIVE? YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR DARCY, BUT WE ARE HAPPY TO JUST SET UP A MEETING, UM, BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENTS AND YOU, AND REALLY KIND OF EVERYBODY'S ON THE SAME PAGE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I GREATLY APPRECIATE IT, SIR.

AND SOME OF THE LARGER SYSTEM SCALE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE AROUND, AROUND FLOODING, UM, IN TERMS OF RISK AND CAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO FAR OUT OF THE PURVIEW OF THIS SPECIFIC POSTED ITEM, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR ATTEMPT TO ANSWER IN CONTEXT FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT.

I'D BE HAPPY TO ATTEND

[00:35:01]

WE'LL GO BACK TO COMMISSIONER SCOTT, AND THEN, UH, MR. BARRETT, DID YOU ALSO RAISE YOUR HAND? OH, OKAY.

JUST COMMISSIONER SCOTT THEN.

HI, I'M TAKING FOR THE PRESENTATION.

I, UM, I'M NEW TO THIS, UH, COMMISSION AND I HAVE A LOT OF, UH, WORK TO DO TO GET, UH, THE, THE FULL HISTORY OF EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON.

AND SO, EXCUSE ME, IF I'M WITH MY QUESTIONS ARE NAIVE, UH, UH, WHICH THEY PROBABLY WILL, BUT Y Y UH, IF WE, IF WE'RE LOOKING IN TOTAL AT 33 DIFFERENT, UH, DAMS, AND WHY ARE WE LOOKING AT THIS SPECIFIC ONE? IS IT, UH, THE ONE THAT YOU HAPPENED TO BE WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT? ARE THERE OTHERS THAT ARE IN A SIMILAR OR WORSE CONDITION? HOW CONCERNED SHOULD, UH, WE BE ABOUT, UH, THE, SOME OF THE OTHERS? UH, I'M I'M JUST TRYING TO PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE.

UH, SURE.

I'M HAPPY TO HAPPY TO HELP, UM, ADD SOME CONTEXT TO WHY WE'RE WORKING ON THIS PARTICULAR DAM.

UM, THE DAM SAFETY PROGRAM IN WATERSHED PROTECTION WAS STARTED, UM, IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS.

AND AT THAT TIME THERE WAS AN EVALUATION DONE OF ALL THE DAM STRUCTURES IN THE CITY, AND A PRIORITIZATION METHODOLOGY WAS PUT IN PLACE TO HELP IDENTIFY, UM, DEPRIORITIZE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE ONES THAT NEEDED ATTENTION BEFORE OTHERS.

UM, AND SO WE HAVE THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING OFF OF THAT LIST.

UM, AND SO THIS NORTHWEST PARK WAS ONE OF THE ONES KIND OF UP NEXT IN THE QUEUE AFTER SEVERAL OTHERS THAT WE HAD COMPLETED.

UM, WE HAVE TWO OTHER, UM, OR ACTUALLY THREE OTHER DAY MODERNIZATION PROJECTS THAT ARE ACTIVE RIGHT NOW.

UM, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE YOU ADDRESS OTHERS AS WE, AS WE COMPLETE THESE, UM, AND HOW STAFF AVAILABILITY TO START WORKING ON OTHERS.

SO THERE IS A PRIORITY LIST IN PLACE THAT WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT, AND JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING, UM, THE GREATEST NEEDS FIRST.

UM, BUT WE ARE NOT, I PERSONALLY NOT CONCERNED THAT ANY OF THEM ARE, UM, IN IMMINENT DANGER IN ANY WAY.

UM, THEY'RE JUST THEY'RE ASSETS THAT ARE AGING AND THEY NEED TO BE MAINTAINED AND IMPROVED TO THE, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN TO HELP REDUCE FLOOD RISKS DOWNSTREAM.

IF, IF, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE HEADING INTO PROBABLY NOW IN THE, UH, THE WORST OF, UH, THE HURRICANE SEASON FOR TEXAS, UH, UH, FROM THE GOLD, UH, COMING IN FROM THE GULF THIS YEAR, UH, OUR, WHAT KIND OF CONDITION WOULD YOU SAY THAT WE'RE IN OVERALL, IF WE SHOULD GET SOME KIND OF, UH, UH, TORRENTIAL HURRICANE TYPE, YOU THINK WE'LL BE IN TROUBLE OR, OR HOW, HOW, HOW CONFIDENT DO YOU FEEL THAT WE ARE IN TERMS OF THE SAFETY OF THESE DAMS? I'D SAY, I MEAN, IT'S AN IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION TO ANSWER.

I KNOW THAT BECAUSE IF YOU SAY, OH, WE'RE FINE AND YOU'RE SURE TO BE PROVEN WRONG, AND, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO, UH, DO YOU FEEL, DO YOU FEEL THAT WE'RE AT, UM, SOME RISK, MODERATE RISK, HIGH RISK WHERE, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE SHOULD, HOW URGENTLY SHOULD WE BE LOOKING AT ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES? WELL, I MEAN, I THINK, WELL, LIKE, LIKE ALL OF THE ASSETS THAT THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT MANAGES, UM, THERE'S A CONTINUING NEED FOR US TO, TO CONTINUE TO INVEST, UM, MONEY AND TIME AND EFFORT INTO MAINTAINING THEM AND IMPROVING THEM AS WE CAN.

WE KNOW WE LIVE IN FLUSH FOOT ALLEY.

WE KNOW THAT REALLY LARGE GRADE EVENTS CAN AND DO HAPPEN.

UM, WE'VE SEEN THE EFFECTS OF THAT FLOODING IN THE CITY.

WE'VE ALSO SEEN THINGS LIKE HURRICANE HARVEY HIT HOUSTON COAST AND KNOW THAT IF THAT AMOUNT OF RAINFALL FELL IN AUSTIN, IT WOULD OVERWHELM EVERY SINGLE DRAINAGE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE.

UM, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT IS A TRICKY QUESTION, RIGHT? WE, WE, WE HAVE A FLOOD EARLY WARNING SYSTEM IF LIGHTNING, SO, YOU KNOW, FOR A REASON, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF STAFF IN THE DEPARTMENT FOCUS ON THESE KINDS OF PROJECTS BECAUSE WE DO SEE A NEED FOR THEM.

UM, BUT I WOULD NOT SAY THAT THERE'S, UH, THAT WE'RE IN, THAT WE'RE SLEEPING WITH ONE EYE OPEN EVERY NIGHT.

UM, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THEM AS, AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.

UM, YEAH, I APPRECIATE YOU TRYING TO ANSWER.

AND I THINK THAT THAT'S DEFINITELY A, A LARGER ISSUE THAT WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MORE, AND I THINK MAYBE EVEN GET A LITTLE BIT OF A REFRESHER, MAYBE ON A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM ON JUST ATLAS 14

[00:40:01]

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND I, I, UM, I DON'T MEAN TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.

I'M JUST TRYING TO GET SOME CONTEXT.

UH, ONE MORE COMMENT OR QUESTION COMMISSIONER GUERRERO.

UH, YES.

AND DO YOU WANT ME TO SPECIFICALLY SAY IN THESE QUESTIONS TO Y'ALL AHEAD OF TIME THAT ARE BEING ASKED REGARDING, UH, THE FUNCTIONAL, UM, WILDLIFE HABITAT AND IF, IF THERE'S, UH, DO Y'ALL DO ANY KIND OF STUDY ON THAT OR IS THAT SOMETHING HOW YOUR REALM THAT I NEED TO DO NOTES TO TAKE OFF THE TABLE AND THEN WHO IS GOING TO BE MAINTAINING THAT POND? IS IT GOING TO BE ALSO A DUAL MANAGEMENT OR NOT? AND I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE A TREE SURVEY COMING FORWARD, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.

THERE IS A TREE SURVEY COMING IN THE, UM, DESIGN PHASE FOR THAT.

UM, AND I THINK QUESTIONS AHEAD OF TIME, IF YOU HAVE THEM AHEAD OF TIME, THEN IT GIVES US A CHANCE TO LIKE, MAKE SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH RESEARCH TO BACK UP, WHATEVER WE NEED.

UM, SO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS BEFORE THAT BROWN TABLE DISCUSSION, WE'RE HAPPY TO LOOK AT THOSE AND KIND OF PREPARE SOME INFORMATION.

UM, I DON'T REMEMBER THE LAST PART OR THE OTHER PARTS OF THAT QUESTION, SORRY.

WHO'S ARE NOT DOING A DUAL MANAGEMENT WITH THAT POND FOR THE MAINTENANCE.

SO RIGHT NOW IT IS A ASSET OR AMENITY TO CART.

SO IT'S A PART MAINTENANCE ITEM.

IF IT IS CONVERTED TO A WET POND, UM, OR WATER QUALITY POND, THEN WATERSHED WOULD LOOK, WOULD TAKE OVER THE MAIN MANAGEMENT FROM LIKE THE WATER LEVEL DOWN AND PART WOULD HAVE AROUND IT IS THE PLAN RIGHT NOW.

SO IT'D BE DUAL IF IT'S CONVERTED, BASICALLY.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

I'LL GET THOSE QUESTIONS TO GET MY HEAD AT TIME.

WELL, I THINK WE, WE NEED TO MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM, BUT THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMING AND PRESENT.

AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE IN TOUCH SOON HEARING ABOUT PROGRESS ON THIS PROJECT.

AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY TO OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT YOU KNOW, FOR NEW COMMISSIONERS, UH, WE WANT YOU TO ASK ALL THE QUESTIONS.

WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING IT WITHIN THE BOUNDS.

SO DON'T BE SHY ABOUT CONTINUING TO ASK, ASK AWAY.

UM, BUT IT'S PART OF MY JOB AND, AND MADAM CHAIR'S JOB TO, TO PULL THINGS BACK.

MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE B UPDATE ON WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT AND EQUITY INITIATIVE, NICKY FELLER KELLY.

UH, THANKS AGAIN.

AND LET'S

[3b. Update on Watershed Protection Department Equity Initiative—Nikki Fowler, Kelly Gagnon, Victor Nelms, Jorge Morales, Janna Renfro, and Ramesh Swaminathan, Watershed Protection Department (30 minutes)]

GAGEN VICTOR NELMS, JORGE MIRALIS GENTLEMEN FRO, AND REMESH SWIM ON SWUM.

OH GOSH.

I'M SO SORRY.

RAMESH SWAMINATHAN, UH, WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.

HMM.

THIS IS KAYLA CHAMBERLAIN.

IT MAY JUST TAKE US A MOMENT WHILE WE GET EVERYONE LOADED ON THE SCREEN AND WE GET THE PRESENTATION UP.

NO WORRIES.

WELL, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

DOES THIS CALL HIM? WHAT IS THAT? DIRECTOR WILL START AS SOON AS THE PRESENTATION COMES UP, BUT, UH, IT'S GREAT TO BE IN THIS NEW HYBRID MODE.

UM, I LIKE THE FLEXIBILITY THAT WE'RE EXERCISING HERE, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AS WELL AS WE'RE ALL ADJUSTING TO THIS NEW FORMAT.

ARE WE READY TO START? IT LOOKS LIKE THE PRESENTATION IS ON.

CAN EVERYBODY TURN ON THEIR CAMERAS? THAT'S HELPING COPE PRESENTERS.

I THINK WE HAVE EVERYBODY.

IS THERE ANY WAY FOR THE FOLKS AT CITY HALL TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE PRESENTATION AND THE PEOPLE WHO WERE PRESENTING? NO.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

WE'LL ONLY BE ABLE TO SEE THE PRESENTATION HIGH, BUT THAT'S THAT'S OKAY.

OH, NO PROBLEM.

THAT'S THE MAIN PART, RIGHT? SO, UH, WE CAN ADD, TURN OFF THE PRESENTATION AT THE END AND EVERYBODY TURNED THE CAMERA ON AS WELL, BUT, UH, UH, LET ME TURN ON MY, MY SIDE, MY HOOKS TOO, SO I CAN ACTUALLY SEE IT.

SO I'LL GET THIS STARTED.

SO LIKE I SAID, MY NAME IS PAUL MORALES.

I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT AND I'M HERE TO CO PRESENT WITH THE EQUITY COORDINATION TEAM OF THE DEPARTMENT.

SO I'M GOING TO START BY LETTING THEM INTRODUCE THEMSELVES FIRST.

SO EACH ONE OF YOU CAN START NIKKI.

WELL, MY NAME IS SNEAKY FOWLER.

I'M THE HR MANAGER FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION.

I I'M KELLY GAGNIN, UH, AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM COORDINATOR IN THE PLANNING DIVISION OF WATERSHED.

HELLO EVERYONE.

MY NAME IS VICTOR NAMS AND I AM SUPERVISOR FOR POND MAINTENANCE FOR FIELD OPERATIONS DIVISION FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.

MY NAME IS JANA RENFRO.

I'M AN ENGINEER WITH FIELD ENGINEERING SERVICES, AND I BELIEVE WE'RE A MESS FROM NOT THEN I WAS

[00:45:01]

KICKED OUT, BUT AS SOON AS HE COMES BACK, UH, HE'LL HELP WITH A PRESENTATION AS WELL.

REMISSIONS THE, MANAGING THE ENGINEER OVER THE PROJECT, UH, DESIGN AND DELIVERY, UH, TEAMS IN OUR DEPARTMENT.

SO, UH, WANTED THEM TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES BECAUSE, UH, ONE OF THE, THEIR REPRESENTATION OF THE BROADER DEPARTMENT INITIATIVE, UM, WHICH HAS MANY STAFF THAT PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCESS PROCESS, THIS IS AN EMPLOYEE LED EFFORT THAT STARTED IN 2018 TODAY'S PRESENTATION.

WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON GIVING YOU AN OVERVIEW OF WATERSHED, UH, WHAT WATERSHED HAS DONE WITH THIS EQUITY INITIATIVE.

WE'LL ALSO TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT OF BUDGET AND BEYOND WHERE WE'RE GOING WAS THIS EFFORT WILL CONTINUE TO OUR EQUITY WORK.

AS A DEPARTMENT.

WE ARE ACTUALLY ADDING A NEW POSITION THAT WILL BE FOCUSED ON EQUITY INCLUSION PROGRAMMING.

AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

THIS PARTICULAR COORDINATION TEAM HAS BEEN DOING A LOT OF THE WORK.

IN ADDITION TO THE REGULAR DUTIES AT THE DEPARTMENT.

WE'LL ALSO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE UPDATE TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH IS GOING TO HAVE A BIG EMPHASIS ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

AND I BELIEVE I'VE SHARED THAT IN THE PAST WITH YOU ALL.

SO THERE'S A LOT WE COULD COVER, BUT WE ARE ONLY PROVIDING AN OVERVIEW TONIGHT AND WE CAN RETURN WITH OTHER SPECIFIC TOPICS ON EQUITY, IF YOU WISH FOR US, OR WE CAN PROVIDE MEMO UPDATES AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

SO CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? SO I WANT TO START WITH, UH, DEFINED DEFINITIONS, UH, AS IT RELATES TO EQUITY.

SO THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS THE EQUITY OFFICE AND THE WORK WE DO IS UNDER THEIR GUIDANCE AND THEIR SUPPORT, AND THEY DEFINE EQUITY WITH LEADING WAS RAISED.

AND LET ME JUST READ A LITTLE BIT FROM OUR, UM, EQUITY CHARTER AT THE DEPARTMENT, JUST TO HELP YOU GET THAT IN CONTEXT IN THE DEFINITION THAT WE USE IT AT THE CITY OF BOSTON.

SO EQUITY IS THE CONCEPT OF FAIRNESS, FOCUS ON EQUAL OUTCOMES FOR ALL IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

A PERSON'S RACE IS THE PRIMARY PREDICTOR OF THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.

THE CITY OF AUSTIN EQUITY INITIATIVE, THEREFORE SPECIFICALLY AIMS TO ADVANCE AND ACHIEVE RACIAL EQUITY ACROSS ALL QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATORS.

THE EQUITY INITIATIVE INCORPORATES OTHER IDENTITIES SUCH AS INCOME, GENDER, AGE ABILITY, AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION, OR THAT THE INITIATIVE LEADS WITH RACE BECAUSE RACE CONTINUES TO BE THE STRONGEST PREDICTOR OF OUTCOMES IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO HOW DOES EQUITY IN WATERSHED OPERATIONALIZE? SO IN WATERSHED, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE FOCUS ON THE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL, EXTERNAL, UH, HOW CAN QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES RELATED OUR DEPARTMENT, MISSION, SUCH AS FLOODING, EROSION, WATER POLLUTION, AND THE WORK ENVIRONMENT PREDICTED BY YOUR RACE.

FOR EXAMPLE, ARE YOU MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE FLOODING EROSION OR WATER POLLUTION BASED ON YOUR RACE, DO ALL RACES AND GENDERS EXPERIENCE THE SAME QUALITY OF LIFE AND HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES WORKING IN OUR DEPARTMENT, OUR DEPARTMENT HAS A LONG HISTORY OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND EMBEDDING EQUITY IN EVERYTHING WE DO IS WHAT WE STRIVE TO DO.

AN EXAMPLE IS THE IMAGE THAT YOU SEE IN THIS SLIDE IS FROM THE TENT FARM.

ORGANIZING FOR JUSTICE WAS A THEME THAT WE PRESENTED WITH A STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT, THE 20, 20 ANNUAL REPORT.

AND THIS CAME FROM THE EAST AUSTIN ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES WITHIN SOME OF OUR FOLKS IN OUR DEPARTMENT HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

SO IS THAT I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO THE TEAM AND I'LL START WITH JENNA.

SO AS A TEAM, WE FOUND A PARTICULAR APPROACH TO BE, OH, I'M SORRY.

NEXT SLIDE.

WE FOUND A PARTICULAR APPROACH TO BE HELPFUL.

AS WE WORKED ON EQUITY, IT WAS PRESENTED TO US BY THE EQUITY OFFICE AS A FRAMEWORK TO USE.

UM, IT COMES FROM A TOOLKIT DEVELOPED BY THE GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE FOR RACE AND EQUITY.

UM, ALSO I THINK A LOT OF TIMES REFERRED TO AS GEAR.

UM, SO YOU ALL MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THIS FRAMEWORK, BUT I'LL JUST TAKE A QUICK MINUTE TO REVIEW IT HERE.

UM, THE, THE APPROACH WE USE IS NORMALIZED, ORGANIZED OPERATIONALIZED, BUT NORMALIZE, NORMALIZES, JUST DEVELOPING A COMMON UNDERSTANDING OF RACE AND EQUITY, USING A PERSPECTIVE OF SYSTEMS AND HISTORY WE FOUND THIS IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE.

UM, OBVIOUSLY, UM, BECAUSE A LOT OF US COME TO THIS WORK RIGHTFULLY CRITIQUED CONFUSED.

AND SO GETTING, UM, UH, A COMMON ANALYSIS IS REALLY KEY TO HAVING THOSE PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS ORGANIZED MEANS WE'RE USING OUR RELATIONSHIPS IN THE ORGANIZATION AND IN COMMUNITY TO BUILD A NETWORK OF GATEKEEPERS OF DECISION-MAKERS OF POWER HOLDERS THAT ARE ALL WORKING WITH THAT COMMON ANALYSIS OF RACE AND EQUITY OPERATIONALIZES, THIS STUFF THAT THEN BUILDS OFF OF THAT COMMON ANALYSIS AND THE NETWORK WE BUILT TO ACTUALLY USE EQUITY TOOLS AND STRATEGIES THAT CREATE RESULTS.

THE THING IS, IS WE ALL WANT TO BE IN OPERATIONALIZED, RIGHT? UM, WE LIVE IN A WORLD OF PERFORMANCE MEASURES.

SO IF WE CAN'T SHOW WHAT WE DID, DID WE DO ANYTHING AT ALL, BUT NORMALIZE AND ORGANIZED IS REALLY CRITICAL WORK.

UM, AS WE'VE LEARNED AND IT'S, IT IS ALSO HARD TO QUANTIFY.

IT'S OFTEN INVISIBLE UNTIL YOU GET TO THE OPERATIONALIZED STEP AND YOU FIND OUT THAT YOU'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL OR NOT BASED ON WHETHER OR NOT YOU'VE REALLY DONE NORMALIZE

[00:50:01]

AND ORGANIZED.

SO WE CHOSE THIS STRATEGIC APPROACH AS A FORMAT FOR THIS PRESENTATION, BECAUSE IT FEELS IMPORTANT TO SHOW THAT PROCESS AT WORK FOR US.

UM, AND BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WHEN WE FIND OURSELVES STUCK OR LOST OR UNSUCCESSFUL IN AN EFFORT IN EQUITY, WE CAN LOOK BACK TO THIS FRAMEWORK AND REALLY REALIZE THAT EITHER WE DIDN'T DO A STEP FULLY, OR WE SKIPPED A STEP ENTIRELY, OR WE NEED TO JUST REALLY CYCLE BACK THROUGH THE PROCESS BECAUSE IT IS STEP, BUT IT'S MEANT TO BE A CONTINUAL CYCLE THAT BUILDS OFF OF EACH OTHER.

SO HOW HAVE WE NORMALIZED WORK IN WATER EQUITY WORK IN WATERSHED? OUR WORK OF NORMALIZED HAS FOCUSED ON USING UNDOING RACISM FROM THE PEOPLE'S INSTITUTE FOR SURVIVAL AND BEYOND THE PEOPLE'S INSTITUTE USES SEVERAL FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES.

AND THE ONES THAT HAVE SHOWN UP MOST PREDOMINANTLY IN OUR WORK AND WATERSHED ARE ANALYZING POWER, UNDERSTANDING GATEKEEPING LEARNING FROM OUR HISTORY, ESPECIALLY OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY.

LIKE JORGE MENTIONED THAT TANK FARMS, IDENTIFYING MANIFESTATIONS OF RACISM AND NETWORKING THE PROCESS BY WHICH WE NORMALIZE AND APPLY.

THESE CONCEPTS IS THROUGH THE CITY'S EQUITY ASSESSMENT TOOL, WHICH THE DEPARTMENT COMPLETED IN 2018 FROM THE EQUITY ASSESSMENT TOOL AND USING THESE PRINCIPLES, UM, TO APPLY THEM TO OUR ORGANIZATION.

WE FOUND FOUR AREAS, OH, I'M SORRY.

THANK YOU FOR MOVING THE SLIDE.

WE FOUND FOUR AREAS WHERE WE WANT TO FOCUS OUR WORK DATA PRIORITIZATION, ENGAGEMENT, AND INTERNAL EQUITY.

WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE FIRST FEW LATER IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT THE ONE THAT WAS CONTINUALLY HIGHLIGHTED AS A DRIVING NEED FOR OUR DEPARTMENT WAS INTERNAL EQUITY.

SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO US? AS HORNY MENTIONED, WHEN WE WORK ON EQUITY, WE LEAD WITH RACE.

SO PART OF THE EQUITY ASSESSMENT WAS BREAKING DOWN THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF OUR DEPARTMENT.

SO THERE ARE FOUR BAR BAR CHARTS CHARTS ON THIS SLIDE.

THE TOP BAR CHART SHOWS THE OVERALL RACIAL DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

THE SECOND BAR CHART SHOWS THE DEMOGRAPHICS AS A WHOLE.

I'M SORRY.

THE QUESTION, ARE WE EVER GOING TO HAVE A BLACK SUPERVISOR? I WOULDN'T PAY TOO MUCH ATTENTION TO THE STRUCTURE AT THAT TIME, I WAS NEW AND I WAS JUST EXCITED AND THRILLED AND ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT HAVING A NEW JOB.

FIRST TIMER.

UM, SO OVERALL COMPARING THE FIRST AND SECOND BAR CHART, WE, UM, ALMOST PERFECTLY NEAR OUR COMMUNITY DEMOGRAPHICS.

HOWEVER, WHEN WE CHOOSE TO GO A LITTLE FURTHER, WE LOOK AT THE BOTTOM TWO BARS, WHICH SHOWS THE THIRD BAR, WHICH ARE THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF OUR FIELD OPERATIONS DIVISION.

AND THEN THE FOURTH BAR, WHICH IS THE REST OF OUR DIVISIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT.

SO THIS SHOWS US THAT OUR OFFICE STAFF IS DISPROPORTIONATELY WHITE.

THAT'S THE BLUE ON THE FOURTH BAR COMPARED TO COMMUNITY AND OUR DEPARTMENT AND OUR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE STAFF IS PREDOMINANTLY PEOPLE OF COLOR.

SO THAT'S THE YELLOW COMPARED TO THE BLUE ON THE THIRD BAR.

SO EQUITY ASKS US TO LOOK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW THE DISTRIBUTION OF POWER AND RESOURCES MIGHT BE DIFFERENT.

SO MANY HANDED OFF TO VICTOR, TO D TO DISCUSS INTERNAL EQUITY AND ORGANIZING IN THE FIELD OPERATIONS DIVISION.

THANK YOU, JENNA, IF I WANT TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCE AS A, UH, WORKER IN FIELD OPERATIONS DIVISION FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPLOYMENT.

SO I WAS HIRED ON AT THE TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE IN 2011, AND PRIOR TO THAT, TWO YEARS PRIOR TO THAT, I HAD GONE THROUGH SOME ADVERSITIES.

AND WHEN I GOT HIRED ON WITH THE CITY, I WAS GOING TO REPORT TO A LOCATION ON BEN WHITE BOULEVARD.

AND AT THIS LOCATION THOUGH, THE, AN OLD BUILDING THAT WAS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A LITTLE SMALLER THAN A DOUBLE WIDE TRAILER.

AND IN THIS BUILDING, WE CONSIST OF FIVE CREWS AND WE HAD SIX TO SEVEN CREW MEMBERS PER CREWS AND OUR SUPERVISORS FOR THE CREWS.

AND I THINK THAT AMOUNTED TO ABOUT ANYWHERE FROM 35 TO 40 PEOPLE IN THAT TRAILER AND THAT BUILDING AND THAT IN THAT BUILDING, I RECALLED THERE WAS ONLY ONE RESTROOM FOR ALL OF US THAT RESIDED THERE, THERE WAS ONE RESTROOM.

AND THEN THAT ONE RESTROOM, THERE WAS ONE TOILET AND ONE WASH BASIN BASIN FOR WASHING UP.

AND I CAN RECALL THERE WAS ONE COMPUTER, ALL OF US CREW MEMBERS TO USE.

AND WE HAD BOB MONTHLY GOING, WE HAD TRAINING ONCE A MONTH, THEY CALL THIS TRAINING DIVERSITY AND WE WOULD MEET UP.

AND IN THIS TRAINING, WE WOULD WATCH MOVIES, WATCH MOVIES, EAT PIZZA, AND DRINK SODA.

AND THE MOVIES THAT WE WATCH, THEY WERE MOVIES THAT DEPICTED PEOPLE OF COLOR WHO HAD OVERCAME ADVERSITIES DUE TO RACISM.

AND AT THE END OF THOSE MOVIES, WE WOULD HAVE DISCUSSIONS AND Q AND A QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

AND I RECALL DISTINCTLY ONE OF THE CREW MEMBERS ASKED

[00:55:01]

BUT ONE DAY MY SUPERVISOR HAD ME ACCOMPANY HIM TO THIS PLACE TO GO PICK UP SOME SUPPLIES.

AND UPON ENTERING THIS PLACE, I NOTICED AS WE WAS DRIVING UP, IT WAS A BIG OLD BRICK BUILDING, 13 STORIES.

IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, AND WE ENTERED THIS WITH GLASS, GLASS, WINDOWS EVERYWHERE.

AND WHEN WE ENTERED THIS BUILDING, I WENT TO THE RESTROOM.

I NOTICED HOW CLEAN AND PRISTINE IT WAS.

AND I ALSO NOTICED THAT THERE WAS MULTIPLE TOILETRIES AND URINALS IN THE RESTROOMS, AND THERE WAS MULTIPLE WASH BASINS TO CLEAN UP IN.

AND WHAT I DID NOTICE ALSO WAS THAT THERE WAS TWO RESTROOMS, ONE FOR MEN AND ONE FOR WOMEN.

AND THERE WERE THE RESTROOM ON EVERY FLOOR AND WE PROCEEDED TO WALK THROUGH ANOTHER DOOR AND WE WILL WALK THROUGH THAT DOOR.

I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS THESE CUBICLES AND IN THESE CUBICLES, THERE WAS INDIVIDUALS SITTING DOWN IN THESE CUBICLES THAT HAD THEIR OWN SPACE.

AND EVERY EMPLOYEE IN THERE HAD THEIR OWN COMPUTER.

WHEN WE LEFT THAT PLACE, I ASKED MY SUPERVISOR, WHAT IS THIS PLACE? AND HE STATED TO ME THAT THAT WAS THE ONE TEXAS SENATE AND WHO IS THESE PEOPLE? AND HE STATED TO ME THAT THESE WERE HE PROTECTION EMPLOYEES.

THESE WERE YOUR COWORKERS.

AND AT THAT TIME, MY PERCEPTION CHANGED.

I REALIZED THAT THE DIVERSITY, THE MEETINGS THAT I WAS ATTENDING BEFORE, WASN'T VERY DIVERSE, VERY DIVERSE AT ALL, BECAUSE WE HAD PULLED DIVISIONS AT THIS ONE, TEXAS SENATOR, WHO WAS PREDOMINANTLY WHITE.

WHILE WE ATTENDED THIS DIVERSE MEETING OVER HERE AT FIELD OPERATIONS DIVISION, WHERE OUR EMPLOYEE WAS PREDOMINANTLY BLACK OR PEOPLE OF COLOR, SHOULD I SAY, I FELT MARGINALIZED.

I FELT LESS THAN, AND I ACTUALLY FELT SEGREGATED.

WE STAYED IN THAT BUILDING FOR, FOR SOME YEARS, AND WE EVENTUALLY WERE ABLE TO MOVE OUT OF THAT BUILDING, BUT NOT UNTIL THE BUILDING WAS INFESTED WITH ASBESTOSIS.

THAT WAS OUR ONLY REASON FOR BEING ABLE TO LEAVE THAT BUILDING.

THE SHAME ON US WAS THAT WE HAD MANAGEMENT AND THE EXECUTIVE TEAM INTO THAT BUILDING TO ADDRESS AS MANY A TIMES.

AND NOBODY NEVER DID ANYTHING TO CHANGE THE CONDITIONS OF THAT BUILDING AND THE CONDITION THAT WE WERE HAVING TO WORK OUT OF DAILY.

SO OUR HISTORY SHOWS THAT PEOPLE OF COLOR HAVE BEEN TREATED ON JUSTICE FOR YEARS.

I SAY, WHAT, WHAT DOES THE GRAPH SAY? THE GRAPH SAYS THAT WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT OR FIELD OPERATION, WHICH IS PREDOMINANTLY PEOPLE OF COLOR IS HALF, IS ALMOST HALF ABOUT DEPARTMENT, IS WHAT THE GRAPH SAYS.

AND SO WE GO THROUGH THESE KINDS OF ADVERSITIES AT WORK, BUT WE GO THROUGH THESE KINDS OF ADVERSITIES AND SOCIETY AT HOME AS WELL.

JUST THE NAME OF THROUGH POLICE BRUTALITY, RACIAL PROFILING, NOT TO MENTION GENTRIFICATION, OUR EMPLOYEES, OUR EMPLOYEES CAN'T EVEN AFFORD TO LIVE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

AND THEY WORK FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

AND WHEN THE EMERGENCIES DO COME, THE NATURAL DISASTERS, THE FLOODING, THE EROSION AND THE STORMS FIELD OPERATIONS DIVISIONS ARE THOSE THAT ARE CALLED DOWN.

AND WE CONTINUE TO ANSWER THAT CALL IN SPITE OF OUR OURSELVES SPITE OF OUR STRUGGLES.

SO WE STRUGGLE TO ALL THE MATH HERE BECAUSE OF A HIGHLY RACIALIZED HISTORY AND POWER DYNAMIC.

GROUNDWATER ANALYSIS, UH, THROUGH OTHER TEAM-BASED TRAININGS.

WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD AND I WANT THEM TO BUY IN TO AN EQUITY MESSAGE.

SO WE HAVE EQUITY INITIATIVE.

SO WE'VE HAD OUR ASSESSMENTS WE'VE GONE ON AND HAD OUR MEETINGS AND WE'VE CONDUCTED OUR TRAINEES, UH, UNDOING RACISM,

[01:00:01]

WELL, ONE THING I DO KNOW IN SPITE OF OUR STRUGGLES, WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT WORKED WELL TOGETHER AND COORDINATE WELL TOGETHER AND COME TOGETHER AS A TEAM WHEN KYLE DOWN ANY EMERGENCIES AND THEN OUR REGULAR DUTIES.

AND THAT'S OUR DIVISIONS.

WE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN ENDLESS PROJECTS TOGETHER.

WE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN ELLIS PROJECTS TOGETHER THROUGH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

ALSO JUST RECENTLY THIS WINTER STORM THAT CAME OUT OF NOWHERE, WATERSHED PROTECTION, THE EMPLOYEES COME TOGETHER AND WORK TOGETHER IN A STRONG TOGETHER.

SO I'LL END WITH A QUESTION.

HOW DO I TELL MY EMPLOYEES TO USE THEIR VOICE WHEN THE VOICE HAS BEEN FALLING ON DEAF EARS FOR YEARS? THANK YOU.

I'LL GO AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TO MY TEAMMATE.

REMISS SOMEBODY ELSE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THIS SOLOMON.

SO MONITOR.

SWAMP, SWAMP SWAMINATHAN.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE HEAR YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, VICTOR.

THAT WAS QUITE POWERFUL.

UH, UH, REAL QUICK.

MY NAME IS .

I'M A MANAGING ENGINEER WITH WHAT A SHED, UH, JUST TO FOLLOW UP WITH, UH, VICTOR, UH, WHATEVER THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

YES, THEY DO.

WE WERE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH SO MANY AGENCIES TO PROVIDE WATER, NOT JUST WITH THE NONPROFITS, BUT RIGHT THERE AT THE EOC WE WORKED AT SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, CAP METRO, UH, THEY HAVE A METRO TRANSIT PROGRAM, WHICH THEY USE TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO PEOPLE WITH, UH, UH, UH, DISABILITIES, BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO DO THIS WORK.

SO, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU IS, UH, JENNA SPOKE ABOUT HOW OPERATIONALIZES, THE KEY THING THAT EVERYBODY LOOKS FORWARD TO, UH, PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS CONCERNED, ARE WANTING TO KNOW WHAT EXACTLY ARE THEY DOING.

AND, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN AS WE GROW ORGANICALLY AND, UH, WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE A PROCESS FOR IT.

BUT WHAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY IS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE AND THE OPPORTUNITY HAS PRESENTED ITSELF.

AND, UH, AND THEN VICTOR MENTIONED IS THAT WE HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF EMERGENCIES LATELY.

AND, UH, AND THERE'S, UH, THESE HAVE BEEN OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE TRIED TO PUT, UH, THE THINGS THAT WE'VE LEARNED AND WHAT WE HAVE TRIED TO USE, LIKE WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT AND HOW WE CAN DO THE EQUITY ANALYSIS, THE, PUT IT TO WORK, UM, ON THE SLIDE IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU SEE A MAP ON THE LEFT SIDE AND THAT'S ACTUALLY THE MAP OF A CITY OF AUSTIN.

BUT IF YOU SEE THE DIFFERENT COLORS, WHAT WE TRY TO DO THIS IS DURING THE WINTER STORM EVENT.

AND ONE OF THE TOOLS WE HAVE USED IN OUR EQUITY ANALYSIS IS, UH, UH, IS, IS A DATA SET CALLED THE SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX.

UH, IT'S, IT'S A DATA SET THAT, UH, CENTRAL CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL PUBLISHERS.

AND IT REALLY LOOKS AT THINGS SUCH AS SOCIAL VULNERABILITY AS, AS THE NAME STATES, BUT IT REALLY LOOKS AT LIKE 15 DIFFERENT THINGS THAT IMPACT COMMUNITIES OF MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.

AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE USUALLY THE MOST IMPACTED WHEN AN EMERGENCY SUCH AS A PANDEMIC OR A WINTER STORM OCCURS.

UM, AND AN EXAMPLE OF THIS PARTICULAR THING IN WINTER STORM WAS THE EQUITY OFFICE WAS ACTUALLY ENABLED TO COME TO THE, YOU WILL SEE BECAUSE OF THE ICY CONDITIONS AND THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO DRIVE, BUT, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO DO IT, WHAT A SHED WAS ABLE TO DO IT.

AND WHAT WE DID WAS WE USED OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH, UH, WITH, UH, WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE TO RIGHT AWAY START DOING, UH, SOME OF THE EQUITY WORK BECAUSE IT GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, UH, A GOOD FRIEND CALIFORNIAN OFTEN SAID, IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT WE DO, BUT HOW WE DO IT.

AND THIS IS ONE OF THE EXAMPLES OF HOW WE DID IT.

WE LOOKED AT THE SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX, MAPPED IT ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND WE MADE SURE THAT WE LOCATE OUR WATER PODS THAT HOSTS THE DISTRIBUTION CENTERS THAT ARE IN, UH, IN CLOSE ACCESS TO THE PLACES WHERE THE WATER IS NEEDED MOST.

UH, AND THEN THE OTHER THING THEY DID WAS RIGHT AT THE COMMAND LEVEL, UH, WE SPOKE TO THE EQUITY OFFICE.

WE IDENTIFIED A WHOLE HOST OF NONPROFITS THAT WERE SERVING EACH OF THESE VARIOUS, VERY SUBSET COMMUNITIES THAT ARE NOT PRESERVED.

AND, AND I KNOW THERE ARE MANY THINGS ABOUT THE WINTER STORM THAT, UH, THE CITY CANNOT COOK COULD DO BETTER DIFFERENT.

UH, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THIS, THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY WE DID VERY WELL.

AND

[01:05:01]

WE WERE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH THEM.

SO WHEN THEY WENT TO CHECK ON THE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO DELIVER WATER, NOT ONLY TO THEM, BUT ALSO PEOPLE WHO LIVE NEAR THEM.

UH, THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE EXAMPLES OF WHAT WE DID.

AND MOVING FORWARD, WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO IS CREATE THIS SORT OF THIS EQUITY MINDSET WHO SPEAKS ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME AT WATERSHED, WE LEAD WITH EQUITY, AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE DO EVERYWHERE WE GO.

AND, UH, I WANT TO SHARE THAT THIS IS KIND OF THE WORK WE DO PRACTICALLY ON A DAILY BASIS ON EVERYTHING WE DO, NOT JUST WHEN IT COMES FOR AN EMERGENCY, BUT ALSO THE WORK WE TRY TO DO IN TERMS OF CAPITAL PROJECT DELIVERY IN HOUSE DESIGN AND ALL OF THE THINGS.

UM, SO I WANT TO STOP TALKING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I WANT TO SHARE THE, UH, LET NIKKI FOR OUR HR MANAGER SPEAK ABOUT SOME OF THE MORE FORMAL THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING.

SO MAYBE NIKKI, IF YOU HAVE, YOU CAN START, THANK YOU RAMESH FOR THAT.

UM, SO SOME OF THE HIRING PART, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING WITHIN WATERSHED TO KEEP THE EQUITY, AS REMESH MENTIONED, THAT I DIRECTOR HAS TOLD US TO LEAVE WITH EQUITY AS WELL AS EMPATHY.

SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WE'RE WORKING ON IS IMPROVING OUR HIRING PRACTICES, MAKING SURE THAT WE INCLUDE A DIVERSE PANEL, MAKING SURE THAT I, I, THAT FIRST PANEL IS ALSO A MIRROR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE CLEAR REPRESENTATION OF EXACTLY WHAT OUR CITY OF AUSTIN LOOK LIKE.

IF YOU COULD PLEASE CHANGE THE SLIDE FOR ME.

UM, ALSO, UM, WE ARE, UH, PARTNERING WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REACHING OUT TO THEM AND CASTING A WIDER NET TO INCLUDE ALL, TO INCLUDE A DIVERSE POOL OF APPLICANTS, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE BEST APPLICANT POSSIBLE TO FILL OUT VACANCIES WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT.

ONE, ANOTHER THING THAT WE'VE ALSO DONE IS WE'VE INCLUDED.

UM, I DIRECTOR HAS MADE SURE THAT THE ENTIRE LEADERSHIP TEAM, INCLUDING OUR EXECUTIVES, I MANAGERS SENIOR LEVEL MANAGERS, AS WELL AS OUR FRONT END MANAGERS ALSO PARTICIPATE IN UNDOING RACISM TRAINING AS WELL AS, UM, GROUNDWATER ANALYSIS.

AND TO DATE, WE HAVE HAD ALL OF OUR LEADERSHIP COMPLETE THE TRAINING AS WELL AS 55 EMPLOYEES.

UM, AND THAT ALSO INCLUDES SENIOR LEVEL MANAGEMENT, AS WELL AS EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THESE TYPES OF TRAINING.

UM, THIS IS A VERY SENSITIVE SUBJECT WITH US AND ONE THAT WE TAKE VERY KIND TO HEART IN ADDITION TO HIRING, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS AN INITIATIVE TO PROMOTE STATE A FAIR CHANCE HIRING.

AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE, LIKE I SAID, THAT OUR, UH, WORKFORCE MIRRORS THE COMMUNITY AT ALL TIMES.

AND BECAUSE WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS TRAINING WITH OUR LEADERSHIP, WE'RE ABLE TO OPEN UP HEALTHY CONVERSATIONS, UM, AS VICTOR CAN BE A TESTAMENT TO, UM, HE ACTUALLY CREATED HAVING TAILGATE MEETINGS WITH OUR FIELD OPERATIONS STAFF.

SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE SOME OF THE EQUITY CONCERNS.

AND WITH THAT, WE HEAR THEIR VOICE.

THEY BRING THEIR, THEIR CONCERNS BACK TO THE LEADERSHIP TEAM AND WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE CHANGES, CHANGES DON'T COME OVERNIGHT.

AS WE KNOW, THEY ARE SLOWLY AND BEING INTEGRATED WITH OUR DEPARTMENT, BUT WE ARE HEADED WHERE WE'RE COMMITTED TO THIS AND WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.

UM, ONE THING THAT WE'RE ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO IS WITH OUR FYI 22 NEW POSITIONS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN EQUITY, UM, INCLUSION MANAGER POSITION THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE AVAILABLE TO TAKE THIS INITIATIVE FULL SPEED AND RUN WITH IT AND GO FOR IT AT THIS POINT, I WILL TURN IT ON OVER TO KELLY.

THANK YOU, NIKKI.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

I WORK IN THE PLANNING DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT.

UM, AND SO TONIGHT I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE FINAL PART OF THIS NORMALIZED ORGANIZED OPERATIONALIZED STRATEGY, WHICH IS REPEATING THAT CYCLE.

OR AS WE SHOW ON THE SITE ON THE SLIDE, LISTEN, LEARN AND REPEAT.

AS JENNA MENTIONED EARLIER, WE SEE THIS COMPONENT AS FOUNDATIONAL TO THE SUCCESS OF EACH OF THE OTHER PARTS, UM, BECAUSE IT REMINDS US THAT WE ARE ALWAYS ACCOUNTABLE TO THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY.

SO AS WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS, UH, AND NORMALIZE THESE DISCUSSIONS WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION, AS WE BUILD NETWORKS AND ORGANIZE AROUND A DEFINED UNDERSTANDING OF EQUITY AND ULTIMATELY CHANGE HOW WE DO OUR WORK INFORMALLY AND FORMALLY, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE CHECKING IN WITH THOSE WE'RE ACCOUNTABLE TO ENSURING WE'RE ON THE RIGHT PATH AND CONTINUALLY INFORMING AND IMPROVING OUR PROCESSES.

SO TO DO THIS, THE EQUITY OFFICE HAS PROVIDED US WITH THAT EQUITY ASSESSMENT TOOLKIT THAT JANET DESCRIBED EARLIER, WHICH IS AN EXERCISE THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO AS A DEPARTMENT EVERY FEW YEARS.

AND THOSE RESULTS WERE ACTUALLY POSTED FOR THE PUBLIC.

UH, YOU CAN SEE IT ON THE EQUITY OFFICES, EQUITY ACTION TEAM

[01:10:01]

DASHBOARD.

UH, YOU CAN VISIT THAT PAGE TODAY.

THERE'S ACTUALLY A LINK ON THE BOTTOM, RIGHT OF THAT SLIDE, JUST A LITTLE HARD TO MEMORIZE.

SO YOU CAN GOOGLE CITY OF AUSTIN EQUITY ACTION TEAM DASHBOARD, AND YOU CAN SEE THE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR DEPARTMENT'S EQUITY ASSESSMENT.

AND, UH, I'LL ACTUALLY ALL OF THE OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE INITIATIVE.

WE DID WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ONE OF THE GRAPHICS ON THIS DASHBOARD, WHICH IS THE ONE THAT WE PUT HERE ON THE SLIDE, SHOWING THE RESULTS TO A SUBSET OF QUESTIONS TO THE LISTENING, TO THE WORKFORCE SURVEY, UM, CITY OF AUSTIN STAFF COMPLETE THE SURVEY ANNUALLY.

AND IT NOW INCLUDES QUESTIONS RELATED SPECIFICALLY TO RACIAL EQUITY.

SO STAFF ARE ASKED TO ANSWER FOR THEIR DEPARTMENT.

UM, IS IT VALUABLE TO DISCUSS IMPACTS OF RACE? DOES LEADERSHIP SUPPORT DISCUSSIONS OF RACE IS THE DEPARTMENT COMMITTED TO RACIAL EQUITY? HAS THE DEPARTMENT TAKEN STEPS TO REDUCE RACIAL INEQUITY? AND ARE YOU COMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT RACE IN YOUR WORKPLACE? WE THINK THESE QUESTIONS MAY SERVE AS AN, AS AN INDICATOR OF SELF-IMPROVEMENT WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT.

SO WE'RE REALLY PLEASED TO SEE THAT IN THE TWO YEARS OF DATA AVAILABLE SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE, THAT THERE WAS AN IMPROVEMENT IN SCORE FOR EACH OF THESE QUESTIONS FOR OUR DEPARTMENT.

AND WE ACTUALLY INCLUDED THE CITYWIDE AVERAGE TO THE RIGHT, UH, TO SHOW THAT THERE ACTUALLY A LARGER INCREASE IN OUR DEPARTMENT IN POSITIVE RESPONSES THAN THE AVERAGE CITY OF OSTEO AUSTIN EMPLOYEE RESPONSE.

AND WE SEE THESE TWO YEARS AS PARTICULARLY CRITICAL BECAUSE THE 2018 TO 2019 TIME PERIOD WAS WHEN WE COMPLETED THE EQUITY ASSESSMENT USING THAT TOOL DEVELOPED BY THE COMMUNITY AND BEGAN TALKING AND ORGANIZING AROUND RACIAL EQUITY AT A DEPARTMENT WIDE LEVEL.

SO WHILE THERE IS STILL MUCH WORK TO DO, WE'RE PROUD TO SEE THAT THIS PROCESS, AGAIN, GIVEN TO US BY THE EQUITY OFFICE AND THE COMMUNITY IS HAVING AN IMPACT ON HOW OUR STAFF PERCEIVED THESE ISSUES AS A PART OF OUR DAILY WORK.

UH, NEXT SLIDE.

SO THIS NEXT SLIDE IS LOOKING AT THIS PROCESS AND HOW WE EXTEND IT TO OUR RELATIONSHIPS IN THE COMMUNITY, NORMALIZING, ORGANIZING OPERATIONALIZING ON REPEAT, CHECKING BACK IN CONTINUALLY TO ENSURE WE'RE HEARING THINGS, RIGHT.

SO I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT TWO THINGS WE'RE DOING TO SUPPORT THIS FIRST.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO EXPAND OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT NETWORKS AND STRATEGIES.

SO THIS INCLUDES BUILDING ON EXISTING RELATIONSHIPS, SUCH AS THE EAST AUSTIN ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE THAT JORGE MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING AND CREATING OR BUILDING UPON RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY LED GROUPS LIKE RAMESH MENTIONED EARLIER, AND WE'RE STARTING TO EXPAND INTERNAL RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THIS.

AND ACTUALLY IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, WE'VE HIRED TWO NEW EMPLOYEES WITH A SPECIFIC ROLE OF EXPANDING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.

SO WE HAVE A NEW COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLANNER IN THE PLANNING DIVISION AND THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST IN THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE.

THE SECOND OPPORTUNITY TO INFORM THIS WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY IS THE UPCOMING INITIATIVE TO UPDATE OUR WATERSHED STRATEGIC PLAN.

UM, THIS IS A PLAN THAT MANY OF YOU WILL KNOW AS THE WATERSHED PROTECTION MASTER PLAN.

SO I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING THE NAME OF THE PLAN TO THE WATERSHED PROTECTION STRATEGIC PLAN, AND ELIMINATING THE USE OF MASTER PLAN, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THIS TERM BRINGS TO MIND AUSTIN'S 1928 MASTER PLAN, WHICH SEGREGATED OUR CITY ALONG RACIAL LINES AND BROUGHT LASTING HARM TO AUSTIN'S COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.

SO I WON'T TAKE TOO MUCH TIME ON THIS.

AS I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OTHER MEMBERS OF MY TEAM, INCLUDING OUR NEW COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLANNER WILL BE PRESENTING THIS TOPIC IN MORE DETAIL AT YOUR NEXT MEETING.

BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT HOW THIS EFFORT DIRECTLY TIES TO THE CITY'S EQUITY EQUITY INITIATIVE AND OUR DEPARTMENT'S INITIATIVE.

SO ONE OF THE MAIN DRIVERS OF THIS COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE IS TO EMBED EQUITY AS A CENTRAL PRINCIPLE AND HOW WE AS A DEPARTMENT DO OUR WORK AND HOW WE MEASURE THE SUCCESS AND IMPACT OF OUR WORK AND HOW WE ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY TO DO THAT WORK.

SO THIS WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TALK BOTH WITH THE COMMUNITY AND INTERNALLY AS A DEPARTMENT ABOUT THE THEMES IDENTIFIED IN OUR EQUITY ASSESSMENT.

SO WE CAN CHANGE HOW WE DO OUR BUSINESS, ENSURING EQUITY IS AT THE CORE.

SO I KNOW WE'RE TOWARDS THE END OF OUR TIME, BUT I DID WANT TO GIVE A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THOSE FOUR THEMES IDENTIFIED IN OUR ASSESSMENT AS THEY'RE REALLY GUIDING THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING INTERNALLY AND WILL BE A KEY PART OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HOPE TO HAVE AS PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.

AND SO, AS JENNA MENTIONED EARLIER, THE FOUR THEMES FROM OUR ASSESSMENT WERE INTERNAL EQUITY, WHICH WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT AND THEN DATA PRIORITIZATION AND ENGAGEMENT.

SO WHAT DO THOSE MEAN, UM, FOR DATA AS WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS THE DEFINITION OF RACIAL EQUITY, WHERE RACE IS NOT A PREDICTOR OF YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES? WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DATA, DO WE FIND THAT PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE NEGATIVE QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES RELATED TO OUR DEPARTMENT'S WORK SUCH AS FLOODING EROSION OR EXPOSURE TO WATER POLLUTION.

AND SO, AS PART OF THIS QUESTION, WE WANT TO EVALUATE HOW WE'RE COLLECTING OUR DATA TO ENSURE IT IS TRULY REPRESENTATIVE.

WE'RE IDENTIFYING OUR BLIND SPOTS AND ENSURING THAT WE'RE TELLING THE FULL STORY, THE NEXT THEME IS PRIORITIZATION.

AND THIS IS LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE INCORPORATE RACIAL EQUITY INTO OUR DECISIONS ABOUT HOW, WHEN AND WHERE WE DO OUR PROJECTS OR OUR WORK.

AND THE FINAL THEME IS A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

SO LOOKING AT HOW, AND WHEN WE ENGAGE WITH AND EMPOWER THE COMMUNITY WE

[01:15:01]

SERVE, AS WE DO OUR BUSINESS THROUGH THE STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE PROCESS, OUR DEPARTMENT WILL BE IMPLEMENTING NEW WAYS TO CONNECT WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND BUILD RELATIONSHIP SEEKING TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE REFLECTING THE VALUES AND PRIORITIES OF OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY.

SO LISTENING, LEARNING, AND REPEATING NEXT SLIDE WITH THAT, I'LL SAY ON BEHALF OF THE TEAM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TONIGHT.

WE'D BE VERY HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I WANTED TO JUST START BY SAYING THANK YOU TO THE WHOLE GROUP, BUT ESPECIALLY TO MR. NELMS FOR TELLING YOUR STORY.

I THINK I CAN AT LEAST SPEAK FOR MYSELF IN SAYING THAT IT WAS VERY POWERFUL AND I APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP IN, IN TELLING YOUR STORY ON THIS AND WE NEED TO DO BETTER.

UM, I'M GOING TO START WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER BEDFORD FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.

UM, I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

UH, WHAT ARE SOME WAYS THAT YOU'VE REACHED OUT TO MORE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES TO, UM, HEAR MORE OF THOSE, UH, MORE VOICES FROM, UH, PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE.

I CAN START WITH THAT ONE, IF YOU WANT COMMISSIONER.

UH, SO AS OUR DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO INTERACT ON, UH, DRAINAGE ISSUES OR EROSION ISSUES, WE'RE INTERACTING WITH THE LEADERS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

I KNOW IN E IN THE DUST SPRINGS AREA, WHICH, UM, FORMED RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WHEN WE GO TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE PANDEMIC, IT EVOLVED NOW TO HAVING MORE ZOOM MEETINGS AND ACTUALLY PROBABLY HAS IMPROVED OUR WAY TO COMMUNICATE AND ENGAGE.

BUT THE STRATEGY WE'RE DOING FOR OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING UPDATE IS REALLY GOING TO FOCUS ON THAT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, GOING TO THE COMMUNITY TO LEARNING, HOW CAN WE DO A BETTER JOB? AND THERE'S BEEN OTHER, UH, EFFORTS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN ALREADY THAT HAVE CHANGED THE WAY WE ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY.

AND SO WE WANT TO LEARN AND CONTINUE TO GROW FROM THAT, BUT WE WILL GO INTO THE COMMUNITY TO SEE HOW CAN WE DO A BETTER JOB, BUT, UH, THE PANDEMIC IN ONE WAY HELPED US TO BASICALLY LEAN INTO THAT, RIGHT THROUGH THE ZOOM MEETINGS, OTHER FORMATS, BUT OUR STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATES GOING TO BE REALLY AN EFFORT OF HOW DO WE IMPROVE THAT.

SO WE DON'T DO IT.

LIKE WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT IN THE PAST WHERE ONLY CERTAIN VOICES ARE HEARD.

I WAS JUST KINDA CURIOUS IF Y'ALL HAD REACHED OUT TO LIKE, UM, HISTORIC CHURCHES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, LIKE IN A COMMUNITY LIKE BLACK CHURCHES, LATINO CHURCHES, OR LIKE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY SPACES.

UM, THIS IS, I WAS JUST KIND OF WONDERING ABOUT THAT, A GREAT QUESTION COMMISSIONER AND NEXT WEEK, OR THAT THE NEXT MEETING, UH, YOU'RE GOING TO BE MORE DETAILED ON THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION.

YOU'RE ASKING FROM THE STRATEGIC PLANNING TEAM.

AND ALSO I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT HOW DO YOU ALL, UH, PARAMETERIZE, UM, YOUR RESPONSES TO CERTAIN COMMUNITIES THAT MAY NEED HELP? LIKE, DO YOU PRIORITIZE LIKE, UM, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE, HAVE BEEN LIKE HISTORICALLY LOWER INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS? UM, I JUST WAS CURIOUS IF Y'ALL HAD A SPECIFIC, LIKE A LIST OF PRIORITIES AND HOW DO YOU, UM, START RESPONDING TO PEOPLE? OH, GREAT QUESTION COMMISSIONER, ONCE AGAIN, THE STRATEGIC PLANNING UPDATE THAT IS REALLY OUR EFFORT OF HOW DO WE IMPROVE THE WAY WE PRIORITIZE.

SO WATERSHED ADOPTED OUR CURRENT MASTER PLAN IN 2001, AND IT'S BASED ON ENGINEERING SCIENCE AND, AND IT PRIORITIZES IN DIFFERENT FORMAT.

WE HAVE FORMULAS FOR DIFFERENT MISSIONS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT AND THERE THAT'S ON OUR WEBSITE RIGHT NOW.

SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS UPDATE IT, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY.

AND WE ACTUALLY STARTED COUNTING FOR SOME OTHER ASPECTS THAT WE HAVEN'T ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE PAST.

SO RIGHT NOW OUR, OUR PRIORITIZATION HASN'T CHANGED.

UH, WHAT'S ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE FOR THE DEPARTMENT IS STILL ACCURATE AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO ANYBODY ON THE TEAM THAT WANTS TO EXPAND ON THAT.

I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST MENTION THAT.

UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT HOLIDAY.

AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING AT IS TRYING TO USE RESILIENCY AS A, SORT OF AS A, AS A WAY FOR US TO LOOK AT SOME OF, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE COMMISSIONER MENTIONED, SUCH AS, UH, PLACES THERE, WE HAVE A LARGE POPULATION, ELDERLY INCOME LEVELS, AND SOME OF THOSE THINGS ARE ACTUALLY SHOWING UP IN THE SOCIAL INDEX AS WELL.

SO WE ARE STARTING TO LOOK AT THOSE THINGS TOO.

IT'S HOW WE CAN COME UP WITH AN EQUITY FILTER OR DEPRIORITIZATION THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OH, NO, THAT'S IT.

KNOW, TAKING THE TIME AND EFFORT TO CRITICALLY EXAMINE THE ORGANIZATION, HOW IT CAN IMPROVE.

WE'RE GOING TO GO TO COMMISSIONER CRUSHY NEXT.

AND THEN WE'LL GO TO COMMISSIONER GHETTO.

HEY, Y'ALL UM, FIRST OFF BIG FAN OF, UH, YOU KNOW, DEI INITIATIVE.

SO HATS OFF TO Y'ALL, UH, FOR, YOU

[01:20:01]

UM, I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS.

UM, YOU KNOW, I NOTICED THE SLIDE WHERE Y'ALL WERE TALKING ABOUT SORT OF THE ETHNIC DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN OF, YOU KNOW, DEPARTMENTS.

UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK FIELD OPERATIONS RIGHT, WAS PRIMARILY PEOPLE OF MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.

AND THEN YOU HAD OTHER DEPARTMENTS, RIGHT.

WHICH ARE PRIMARILY WHITE.

UM, YOU KNOW, I'M FROM AUSTIN.

SO I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS, LIKE, OH, WE'VE MET THE INCLUSION FOR DIVERSITY OR WHATEVER, RIGHT.

WE JUST HIRE A BUNCH OF BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE THAT DO ALL THE BROKE PERSON JOBS THAT DON'T PAY.

AND THEN ALL THE LEADERSHIP IS WHITE PEOPLE.

SO I WAS WONDERING, UM, IF YOU DID LIKE A SIMILAR DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN FOR LIKE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN WATERSHED PROTECTION, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE AND WHAT STEPS ARE Y'ALL TAKING TO HAVE THAT MORE ACCURATELY REFLECT THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE CITY AS A WHOLE? I CAN JUMP IN, BUT I'M GOING TO ASK THE COMMITTEE TO JUMP INTO, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO BE THE ONLY ONE ANSWERING, BUT YES, WE ACTUALLY HAVE DONE THAT ANALYSIS AND THERE'S A, UH, COMPARABLE, UH, SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU'VE SEEN, BUT, UH, NIKKI JANNA KELLY JUMPING IN THERE, BUT I WANTED TO LET YOU SPEAK FIRST.

UM, EXCELLENT QUESTION.

UM, AND I'LL TALK ON IT FROM A HIRING PERSPECTIVE AND SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT HR IS DOING, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, WE HAVE DEFINITELY PARTNERED WITH, UM, SOME OF THE LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT FOCUS SOLELY ON MINORITIES, AS WELL AS REACHING OUT TO SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS, UH, HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, UM, AND JUST REACHING OUT TO THEM AND DEVELOPING A PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM.

UM, AS WE ARE BRINGING ON, UM, INTERNS, WE'RE GETTING THEM READY BECAUSE AS OUR SEASONED EMPLOYEES ARE TRANSITIONING OUT, WE WANT TO RAISE UP THIS TALENT AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS A COMPLETE MIRRORING YOU YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.

WE WANT OUR UPPER MANAGEMENT TO LOOK TO MIRROR A DESK, AS WELL AS WHAT OUR COMMUNITY LOOKS LIKE AS WELL.

AND WE ARE TAKING ON THOSE INITIATIVES AS WE SPEAK NOW.

SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.

YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, YOU KNOW, UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, COMING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF HAVING BEEN LIKE A BROKE TEENAGER SLASH 20 YEAR OLD IN THIS CITY, I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND REACHING OUT TO LIKE HT ACC, YOU KNOW, UT ST EDS, ALL THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, HIGHER ED INSTITUTIONS IN THE AREA, UH, FOR, YOU KNOW, REACHING OUT TO THE YOUTH.

THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A CHANCE TO DEVELOP THEIR PROFESSIONAL TALENTS AND GIVE THEM A PLACE TO BE ABLE TO GROW THEIR SKILLS.

SO HATS OFF TO THAT.

I CAN'T THINK OF ANY OTHER QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW, BUT AGAIN, SHOUT OUT TO Y'ALL FOR DOING THIS GOOD WORK.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.

GOOD AT ALL.

UM, THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH, UH, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.

YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN UNCOMFORTABLE TOPIC, USUALLY NOT BEING VERY TRANSPARENT AND OPEN.

AND SO MY QUESTION AND IT MAY BE FOR ANOTHER TIME IS THAT, UM, IF I'M FEELING LIKE I'M BEING DISCRIMINATED, FOR WHATEVER REASON, WHAT'S THE STEPS, DOES IT START WITH YOU JORGE AND THEN MOVE ON TO HR? UH, IS THERE A SOMETHING THAT THERE'S UNSURE SPECIFIC GUIDELINES THAT ARE IN PLACE THAT ARE FAIR AND EQUITABLE GUIDELINES? MAYBE IF WE CAN GET THAT SENT TO US, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT HOW THOSE STEPS, HOW SOMEONE WOULD MOVE FORWARD AND FEEL LIKE THEY, UM, WERE ABLE TO GET, GET THEIR ISSUE OF CROSS, WHATEVER, HOWEVER IT WAS RESOLVED OR UNRESOLVED COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU FOR THAT GREAT QUESTION.

AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS VARIOUS STEPS, BUT YES, EMPLOYEES CAN CALL OUR HR OFFICE, OUR DEPARTMENT, HR OFFICE.

WE ALSO HAVE ANONYMOUS HOTLINE NUMBER THAT THE, UH, THAT, THAT PEOPLE CAN CALL AND COMPLAINT.

AND, UH, AND THEY CAN LEAVE INFORMATION WITHOUT ACTUALLY SAYING WHO THEY ARE AND THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, OR THE, UH, ETHICS OFFICE WILL INVESTIGATE THAT AS WELL.

AND I OFTEN WILL GET ANONYMOUS COMPLAINTS.

AND SO I, AS A DIRECTOR WILL WORK WITH MY HR STAFF WILL INVESTIGATE AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY MERITS TO IT.

BUT SOMETIMES, UH, PEOPLE ARE, WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE A CULTURE WHERE IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT WE WANT TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS.

AND SO TO THE GRAPH THAT, UH, KELLY WAS SHARING, I THINK OUR DEPARTMENT IS MORE OPEN TO HAVING THOSE COVERAGES CONVERSATIONS NOW THAN IN THE PAST, BUT THERE ARE SOME PROCESSES THAT ARE ALREADY AVAILABLE FOR FOLKS TO MAKE ANONYMOUS COMPLAINTS AS WELL.

TO ME AS AN EMPLOYEE DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO BRING THAT COMPLAINT OR THAT CONCERN TO ME, YOU CAN GO TO ANY SUPERVISOR THAT YOU FEEL WITH NO, NO QUESTIONS ASKED AND SHARE YOUR, YOUR THOUGHTS AND CONCERNS THERE.

AND I JUST LIKE TO ADD ON THAT, THAT WE ALSO HAVE A POLICY WHERE AN EMPLOYEE CAN WE ALL, OUR LEADERSHIP HAS AN OPEN DOOR POLICY.

SO JUST BECAUSE YOU REPORT

[01:25:01]

AND WE'LL DEFINITELY CHANNEL IT THROUGH THE CORRECT PLACE.

AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL KINDS OF DISCRIMINATION, BUT THAT WOULD INCLUDE SEXUAL HARASSMENT TO CORRECT.

THAT IS CORRECT.

UH, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND THEN WE'LL GO TO COMMISSIONER SCOTT THEN, UM, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON AND THEN COMMISSIONER BARRETT.

UM, ALL RIGHT.

I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEW STAFF PERSON.

SO HOW ARE THEY GOING TO BE STRUCTURED WITHIN THE HIERARCHY OF THE DEPARTMENT? WHO WILL THEY REPORT TO REALLY INTERESTED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THOSE POWER DYNAMICS WILL WORK? UH, GREAT QUESTION CHAIR.

SO THE, THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR, UH, EQUITY AND INCLUSION IS GOING TO REPORT DIRECTLY TO ME, THE DIRECTOR, AND WE'LL BE HELPING TO LEAD THIS EFFORT, WORKING WITH THIS COORDINATION TEAM.

WE HAVE OTHER SUB TEAMS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT AS WELL.

THEY'RE PART OF THIS PROCESS, BUT THAT POSITION WILL BE REPORTING DIRECTLY TO ME AND BE PART OF THE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR.

ANOTHER COMMENT FROM YOUR COMMITTEE SAW SOMEONE RAISE THEIR HAND.

YEAH, I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD TO THAT QUICKLY THAT WE HAVE, UM, A STRUCTURE WE CAN SHARE WITH YOU.

WE, WE FELT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THAT PERSON WASN'T ISOLATED AT THE TOP, THAT IT WAS REALLY A WELL-SUPPORTED, UM, UM, UH, POSITION WHERE THEY ARE.

THEY BASICALLY HAVE TEAMS OF TECHNICAL FOLKS.

LIKE WE DON'T NEED THAT PERSON TO BE A WATER RESOURCE PROFESSIONAL PER SE.

WE, UM, WANT THEM TO BE SUPPORTED BY OUR DEPARTMENT.

SO WE HAVE VARIOUS, BASICALLY LIKE FOUR TIERS WITH THEM AT THE TOP, BUT THEN THREE TEAMS BELOW THAT SUPPORTING THEM IN VARIOUS WAYS, EITHER STRATEGIC COORDINATION OR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, UM, OR JUST LIKE, UM, KIND OF THE FOUNDATION OF IT IS A MODEL THAT THE EQUITY OFFICE USES WITH THEIR EQUITY ACTION TEAM.

AWESOME.

I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT IF YOU DON'T MIND PASSING IT ALONG AND APPRECIATE THE THOUGHTFULNESS THAT WENT INTO THAT, UM, I GUESS I'M ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT PAY EQUITY AND IF YOU ANALYZE, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST ABOUT ROLES AND DIVISIONS, BUT ALSO PAY EQUITY ACROSS SIMILARLY SITUATED POSITIONS.

AND IS THAT SOMETHING YOU'VE LOOKED AT? OKAY, SO I'LL TAKE THAT ON AS HR AS WELL.

UM, YES, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DEFINITELY HAD HAVE LOOKED IN IN THE PAST, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR FIELD OPERATION STAFF.

AND I WILL SAY THAT A YEAR AGO WE DID A CULTURAL ASSESSMENT WITH OUR FIELD OPERATION AND JUST RESTRUCTURED THEM AND BROUGHT THEM UP TO, UM, WHAT WAS THE CITY OF AUSTIN? UH, MINIMUM WAGE WAS, WAS $15 AT THAT TIME.

WE THOUGHT THAT I EMPLOYEES COULD, YOU KNOW, COULD STAND A LITTLE MORE.

SO WE DID A CITYWIDE, UM, INITIATIVE, UH, AND WE BROUGHT ALL OUR EMPLOYEES UP WITH OUR FIELD OPERATIONS STAFF, WHICH ARE THE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE MAKING A LITTLE LESS THAN EVERYONE ELSE.

UM, WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS DEFINITELY SOME TRYING TIMES OUT THERE AS OUR MARKET IS UNAFFORDABLE HERE IN AUSTIN.

YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP? I FEEL STAFF OUT IN AS VICTIM NAILS TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND SO FORTH AND SO ON.

UM, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, TO HELP WITH THAT IF WE GET OKAY.

UM, AND JUST WANTED TO ASK ALSO ABOUT, ABOUT GENDER, YOU KNOW, I, I FULLY SUPPORT CENTERING RACE, AND I THINK THAT'S VITAL, BUT ALSO RECOGNIZING THAT THESE ARE INTERSECTIONAL ISSUES.

HAVE YOU LOOKED AT THAT AND IS THAT DATA YOU CAN PASS ALONG AS WELL FOR THE DEPARTMENT? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION SHARE.

AND SO, YES, UH, THE GENDER DISPARITY IS ALSO THE SAME AS YOU SEE THE GRAPHICS AS WE LEAD WITH RACE.

UH, YOU CAN SEE THE SAME THING WHEN YOU LOOK ACROSS THE LEADERSHIP, ESPECIALLY IN THE ERA THAT WE'RE ALSO TACKLING, AND YES, WE CAN SHARE THAT DATA WITH YOU, IF YOU WOULD LIKE, UH, THERE WAS A RECENT STORY IN THE, IN THE MEDIA ON THAT.

UH, AND A LOT OF THE FIELD OPERATIONS TYPE DEPARTMENTS ALSO SHOWED THE, THAT THE GENDER IS NOT EQUITABLE, BUT IT'S BECAUSE OF THE POSITIONS THAT WE USE, BUT THAT'S NOT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE AN EXCUSE.

WE'RE GOING TO SEE HOW WE CAN STRATEGIZE TO RECRUIT MORE WOMEN IN THOSE AREAS AS WELL BY AND FILL OPERATIONS.

BUT YES, WE'RE GOING TO SHARE THAT DATA, THAT DATA WITH YOU.

THANK YOU, JORGE.

AND, UM, I WAS CURIOUS KELLY ON THAT SURVEY THAT YOU DID.

I ONLY HAVE A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS.

I PROMISE THAT, SIR, THIS IS LIKE, SORRY, THIS IS MY JAM.

UM, ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT SURVEY THAT Y'ALL DID, UM, FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS, IT SEEMS LIKE WATERSHED'S TRACKING REALLY WELL IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, FOLKS FEELING MORE BOUGHT IN, WHAT ARE THE DEPARTMENTS WHO ARE REALLY STRUGGLING WITH GETTING BUY-IN, UM, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THAT, THAT CITYWIDE SURVEY, UH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

AND, UM, ACTUALLY I DO WANT TO CREDIT THAT, SO THAT IS THE CITY'S LISTENING TO THE WORKFORCE SURVEY.

UM, AND SO ACTUALLY WE GRABBED THAT GRAPHIC FROM THE EQUITY OFFICE, SO ALL CREDIT TO THEM FOR THEIR GRAPHING

[01:30:01]

PROWESS.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, W WE HAVE TALKED WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY, AND I THINK THAT THING I CAN ONLY CONTINUE TO CREDIT IS THAT WE CONTINUE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THEM AND THE PROCESS THAT THEY GAVE US AS JENNA LAID OUT, JUST REVISITING THOSE THREE THINGS.

AND WHEN WE FEEL LOST, UM, YOU KNOW, AS A TEAM, WE THINK, OKAY, HOW DO WE BRING THIS BACK TO, TO THAT STRATEGY, AS BASIC AS IT IS LEAD WITH RACE, DEFINE WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF RACIAL EQUITY? AND THEN HOW DO WE FRAME THESE, THESE CONVERSATIONS? UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S BEEN REALLY EFFECTIVE ABOUT, UH, SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS IS THAT IT'S AT ALL LEVELS.

UM, AND WE'VE HAD A LOT OF EXECUTIVE SUPPORT AS YOU CAN SEE, JORGE IS OUR EXECUTIVE SPONSOR.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S A LOT OF MOVEMENT THAT COMES FROM THAT OUR ENTIRE EXECUTIVE TEAM HAS INTENDED ON DOING RACISM.

LIKE NIKKI MENTIONED MO OUR LEADERSHIP TOO HAS BEEN, UH, REALLY ADVOCATING FOR AND OPEN TO LISTENING.

UM, SO I THINK THAT THE MULTIPLE LEVELS IS, IS, UH, IS PART OF THAT ORGANIZATION ORGANIZING STRATEGY.

I SAY THAT, AND WE ALSO HAVE HAD OUR STRUGGLES.

SO I THINK, UM, LIKE TO VICTOR'S POINTS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS W YOU KNOW, THEY SAY IT'S A, UH, AN EVOLUTION, A ROLLERCOASTER.

UM, IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF, UM, BUILDING THOSE CONNECTIONS AND THOSE RACIAL RELATIONSHIPS.

UM, SO I CAN'T, YOU KNOW, SPEAK REALLY WELL TO THE OTHER, UM, THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, BUT I CAN SAY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS FELT, UM, REALLY EFFECTIVE IN OUR DEPARTMENT IS THIS CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAM WITH THAT EXECUTIVE SUPPORT AND THEIR SUPPORT FOR US TO CONTINUE TO ORGANIZE WITHIN ALL LEVELS OF THE DEPARTMENTS.

I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OTHER TEAM MEMBERS WANT TO ADD TO THAT, MR. SWAMINATHAN, I SAW YOU RAISE YOUR HAND.

UM, ACTUALLY I WAS DOING IT RAVING TO MIKE PUSH YOUR MIND, BUT SHERRY, I DO WANT TO SAY THAT DATA THAT WAS PROVIDED WAS ONLY FOR OUR, SO WE DO NOT HAVE THE DATA THAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR, FOR THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.

THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD QUESTION FOR THE EQUITY OFFICE, BUT I DO WANT TO RESTATE THAT EQUITY IS A JOURNEY.

WE'RE ALL ON A DIFFERENT PATH, EACH DEPARTMENT WORKING ON THE EQUITY, ITS GUIDANCE.

AND SO WE WERE PRESENTING OUR JOURNEY TODAY.

YEAH, I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND TOTALLY, I JUST THINK IN TERMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION PURVIEW, YOU KNOW, IT GOES WELL BEYOND WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.

AND SO I DEFINITELY, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE TO, TO CONNECT WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT.

OR IF KAYLA'S ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THEM TO GET MAYBE THE MORE COMPREHENSIVE VERSION OF THAT SURVEY DATA, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

LAST COMMENT.

I, I JUST, UM, FIRST OF ALL, WANT TO SAY, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE EQUITY BECOME A REGULAR RECURRING ITEM ON AGENDAS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, UH, WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER REPORT OR REALLY ACTUALLY GETTING OTHER DIVISION HEADS AND OTHER STAFF TO COME IN AND TALK ABOUT EQUITY THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT.

UM, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE REALLY IMPACTFUL, BUT ALSO WANTED TO ASK IF THERE ARE OTHER WAYS THAT THIS COMMISSION CAN BETTER SUPPORT ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THESE, THESE GOALS, UM, FOR THE DEPARTMENT AND FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE.

AND THAT'S MY LAST QUESTION.

THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

UM, I BELIEVE THAT THOUGH, I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE COMMISSIONER, BUT I BELIEVE THERE ARE WAYS, AND I BELIEVE THAT MIGHT BE, UH, HAVE AN INFLUENCE BY CITY COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER POSITIONS ARE, THEY COULD HAVE AN INFLUENCE TO, UM, PROVIDE BETTER FACILITIES, UM, PROVIDE MORE FUNDING FOR, UM, INITIATIVES LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

UH, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS I CAN THINK IT WOULD JUST BE BY WAY OF INFLUENCE AND HAVE A, YOU CAN PROVIDE THAT.

THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

WE MUCH APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU, MR. GNOMES.

UM, WELL, REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE WITH ALL MY QUESTIONS AND WE'LL GO TO COMMISSIONER SCOTT NEXT.

I REALIZE THAT, AND, AND, AND I APPRECIATE IT JUST THAT MUCH MORE BECAUSE OF THAT.

UM, CAN YOU HEAR, YOU CAN HEAR ME OKAY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.

IT'S, UH, IT'S VERY TIMELY.

UH, UH, I THINK THAT OUR COUNTRY IS LITERALLY AT EACH OTHER'S THROATS OVER, UH, OVER THESE ISSUES.

AND, UH, UM, IT'S, I'M, I'M VERY GLAD TO SEE THAT WE'RE, UH, ADDRESSING THEM, UH, AND, UH, I DON'T EXPECT THIS TO BE, TO HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.

UM, I THINK WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO.

UM, AND I WANNA, I WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, THE, UH, THE, THE PRESENTATION, UH, THAT, THAT, UM, UH, UH, VICTOR NELMS THAT YOU GAVE AT, UH, I WAS, IT WAS EXTREMELY MOVING AND THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR, UH, IT'S KIND OF STICKING YOUR NECK OUT TO, YOU KNOW, TO TALK ABOUT THAT STUFF.

[01:35:01]

UM, UM, UH, CLEARLY A, A SUBJECT FOR ANOTHER DAY, BUT SPEAKING OF, OF A BLIND SPOT.

SO IF YOU WERE, UH, EXPOSED TO ASBESTOS, UM, UH, MY MIND COULD NOT HELP, BUT GO TO THE, UM, UH, TO WHAT HAPPENED AFTER NINE 11.

MY, MY, MY SISTER WAS THE, UH, GENERAL COUNSEL TO THE NEW YORK CITY MEDICAL EXAMINER, AND, UH, WAS, UH, DIAGNOSED WITH SARCOIDOSIS AND, UM, UH, WAS ABLE TO BE IN A PROGRAM THAT WAS DEVELOPED ONLY BECAUSE OF A LAWSUIT TO THAT WAS THEN ABLE TO SEE THAT EVERYONE THAT HAD BEEN EXPOSED, UH, GOT, UM, UH, PROFESSIONAL, UH, EXPERT ANNUAL SCREENING, UH, UH, FOR THEIR CONDITIONS AND, AND, UH, ASBESTOS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS EXTREMELY, UM, WELL, I'M, UH, I'M A RETIRED FAMILY PRACTICE PHYSICIAN AND WITH, UH, SOMETHING OF AN EMPHASIS IN OCCUPATIONAL, UH, HEALTH, UH, AS BEST AS CAN SHOW UP YEARS AND YEARS LATER, IT CAN SHOW UP, UH, AS ASBESTOSIS, IT CAN SHOW UP AS A LUNG CANCER OR AS MESOTHELIOMA.

AND, UH, THIS IS, THIS IS SOMETHING FOR ANOTHER TIME AND, AND, UH, ANOTHER COMMITTEE OR ANOTHER DEPARTMENT OR SOMETHING PROBABLY, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT DOESN'T GET IGNORED.

AND THAT IS, UH, THAT IF, IF THE EXPOSURE WAS SIGNIFICANT THAT, UH, THAT, UH, AT LEAST IT SHOULD BE, UH, UH, LOOKED AT IN TERMS OF, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT, THAT WOULD REQUIRE, UH, UH, UH, UH, ANNUAL SCREENING OF, OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO SPENT A SIGNIFICANT TIME IN THAT BUILDING? UH, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SAFE LEVEL OF ASBESTOS IS.

SO I, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT, UM, UH, IN TERMS OF THE, UH, EQUITY, UH, EQUITY POSITION, UM, THAT TAKES MY MIND TO ANOTHER PLACE AT A TIME WHEN, UH, I WAS WORKING, UH, UH, AS A, A NEWSPAPER REPORTER AND ASKED BECAUSE I DID KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT OCCUPATIONAL, UH, HEALTH ISSUES TO, UH, UH, QUOTE, DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE NOISE LEVELS IN THE NEWSROOM.

UH, CAUSE WE HAD A JACKHAMMER, UH, BEING USED WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO WRITE STORIES.

AND, UH, I DID LOOK INTO IT AND I, I ENDED UP BEING FIRED AS A RESULT.

UH, UM, UH, PROBABLY I WAS THE, THE, THE PERSON WHO WAS, UH, THE MOST VULNERABLE TO BEING FIRED AND NOT THE BEST PERSON TO BE ASKED TO LOOK INTO THAT.

UM, BUT I, UM, THAT, I DON'T KNOW THAT I, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT'S A POSITION THAT YOU WANT TO, UH, UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU DO THAT? IF THAT'S YOUR JOB, HOW DO YOU AVOID FROM BEING THE PERSON WHO EVERYBODY, UH, SHRINKS AWAY FROM? IS THERE ANOTHER WAY TO COUCH THAT POSITION? CAN I THINK IN THE NEWSPAPER BUSINESS ABOUT HOW THERE'S AN OMBUDSMAN AND THE OMBUDSMAN IS ESSENTIALLY UNTOUCHABLE, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF A POSITION THAT'S SO ON ITS OWN THAT YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T JUST SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, THE HECK WITH YOU AND YOU'RE OUTTA HERE.

SO, UM, IS IT BEST THAT THEY REPORT TO YOU OR IS IT, UH, UH, MR. MORRELL IS, OR, OR, UH, UM, I'M SORRY.

I, I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOUR TITLE IS.

I'M NOT ADDRESSING YOU CORRECTLY, BUT, UH, IS, IS, UH, IS IT BETTER THAT THIS BE SOME KIND OF A POSITION THAT HAS A, UH, A FAIL SAFE SO THAT, UM, UH, I THINK OF THINGS LIKE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT OFFICERS WHO ARE, WHERE THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE, AGAIN, LIKE AN OMBUDSMAN, THEY HAVE IMPUNITY, THEY'RE NOT IN A POSITION WHERE THEY COME UP WITH SOMETHING, SOMEONE DOESN'T LIKE, AND THE NEXT THING THEY KNOW, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, UH, THEY'RE ESCORTED BY SECURITY OUT THE DOOR.

UM, I JUST, JUST, I THROW THAT OUT.

JUST, UH, I THINK IT'S ADMIRABLE WHAT YOU WERE TRYING TO DO.

UM, I REALLY, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO IN ANY WAY, THROW COLD WATER ON WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO AT ALL.

I JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT IT'S REALLY WELL THOUGHT OUT SO THAT IT SUCCEEDS, UM, ASIANS HAVE NOT BEEN MENTIONED.

UH, UM, BUT I DO HEAR

[01:40:01]

ON THE NEWS, UH, THAT WE'RE IN A, UH, UH, CURRENTLY IN A POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH, UH, THERE THERE'S A GREAT DEAL OF ANIMOSITY, AT LEAST, UH, ON THE, UH, NATIONAL LEVEL, UH, TOWARDS THE ASIAN COMMUNITY.

SO I THINK THAT, UM, UH, IT'S, IT'S AT LEAST WORTH MENTIONING, UH, COMMISSIONER SCOTT.

DO YOU WANT, UM, DIRECTOR MIRALIS TO MAYBE RESPOND TO THE, THE, THE POSITION QUESTION THOUGH? YES.

SURE, SURE.

W WHAT, UH, WHAT WOULD YOU, WHAT WOULD YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT, UM, UM, MY COMMENTS ON, WELL, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER FOR, FOR YOUR COMMENTS, ANY CONCERNS, UH, THE MODEL THAT WE'RE USING IS COMING FROM THE GUIDANCE FROM THE EQUITY OFFICE.

SO THESE POSITIONS WERE CREATED RECENTLY BY OUR CORPORATE HR OFFICE, AND THERE'S DIFFERENT TIERS BASED ON THE DEPARTMENT SIZE.

SO WE ARE FOLLOWING A MODEL THAT IS SUPPORTED BY OUR EQUITY OFFICE, WHICH IS THE CITY OF LOSSES, UH, INITIATIVE FOR EQUITY.

AND I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT EQUITY IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF WHO WE ARE AS A CITY, THE STRATEGIC DIRECTION, 20 23, 1 OF THE MAIN ANCHORS IS ON EQUITY.

AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S SUPPORTED FROM THE TOP DOWN.

AND SO I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS AND CONCERNS, BUT WE DID STRUCTURE IT FROM THE FORMAT THAT OTHER DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING.

AND I BELIEVE IT'S IN GUIDANCE WITH WHAT THE EQUITY OFFICER HAS ASKED US TO DO ANYWAYS.

SO, UH, BUT WE'LL DEFINITELY KEEP AN EYE ON THAT, UH, TO THE COMMENTS AND CONCERNS YOU'VE SHARED.

I APPRECIATE, I APPRECIATE THAT.

UM, UH, THERE, I HAD ONE OTHER, I'M SORRY.

DO WITHIN OUR PURVIEW, BUT AS IT RELATES TO THE STIPENDS AND, AND DIFFERENT COST OF LIVING'S, THAT'S A LARGER CITY, UM, DISCUSSION VERSUS OUTSIDE.

UM, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, THIS IS NOT THE ONLY, ONLY DIVISION IN THE CITY THAT HAS THAT, WHERE EMPLOYEES HAVE TO LIVE OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN BECAUSE OF THE SALARIES.

AND, UM, UH, I, I GUESS I'M OLD ENOUGH, I'VE HAD SO MANY EXPERIENCES THAT, THAT, UH, UH, I HOPE IT, I HOPE THAT YOU CAN FIND IT HELPFUL OR NOT JUST ANNOYING, BUT, UH, IF YOU WORKED IN ALASKA FOR, UM, UH, UH, THE, UH, YUKON KUSKOKWIM, DELTA REGIONAL HEALTH SERVICES, YOU HAD TO LIVE IN, UH, IN, IN THE CITY AND, UM, AND THE SALARY WAS, UH, COMMENSURATE WITH, UM, UH, WITH THAT, SO THAT, UM, SO THAT YOU COULD AFFORD TO LIVE THERE, UH, UH, IN, IN, UH, I ALSO WORKED IN THE, UH, IN A PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, A GOVERNMENT POSITION IN, UM, UH, KOTZEBUE IN ALASKA WHERE EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE WAS GIVEN HOUSING.

UM, WELL, OKAY.

WE DON'T LIVE ON AN ISLAND OR, UH, IN A PLACE THAT CAN ONLY BE REACHED, UH, BY PLANE.

I REALIZED THAT, BUT, UM, BUT I, I JUST, I JUST WONDER IF, UM, AND THIS AGAIN IS IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S MORE, IT'S BROADER THAN THIS COMMISSION, BUT, UM, IT, I THINK WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT EQUITY, UM, SHOULD WE BE LOOKING AT WHETHER WHAT SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED FOR THE CITY ARE, ARE VALUABLE ENOUGH THAT, THAT WE PROVIDE SOME KIND OF COMPENSATION SUCH AS A HOUSING ALLOWANCE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN AFFORD TO LIVE WHERE THEY WORK.

UM, AGAIN, IT'S NOT FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO DECIDE, AND I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO SAY TOO MUCH TIME ON THINK.

I THINK IT'S A TOTALLY APPROPRIATE THING TO ASK, YOU KNOW, RELATED TO AFFORDABILITY OF LIVING IN THIS PLACE, COST OF LIVING.

AND, AND SO I THINK I'M SURE WE CAN GET SOME RESPONSES TO A SENIOR CITIZEN, AND I, I, I PAY LESS TAXES AS A RESULT.

AND, UM, UH, THAT CA UH, AND THIS ISN'T WHAT I'M SUGGESTING HERE.

UH, THERE ARE OTHER MODELS SUCH AS UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, UH, UH, BECAUSE THERE WAS A CAP ON THEIR, UM, UH, WHAT THEY COULD PAY SALARIES FOR PHYSICIANS.

UH, UH, THEY ALSO RECRUITED BY, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT, UH, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK IT WAS A MERCEDES-BENZ, BUT IT WAS SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THAT ALONG WITH THE SALARY.

SO, I MEAN, THEY, UH, THEY THREW IN COMPENSATION THAT, THAT MADE THE POSITION VIABLE FOR, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT THEY WANTED TO HIRE.

SO I'M SAYING THAT THIS IS NOT A UNIQUE IDEA STAFFER, IS THIS SOMETHING Y'ALL ARE THINKING ABOUT, UM, MOVING FORWARD? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

SHARE THE AFFORDABILITY ISSUE IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE AWARE OF.

SO WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT THERE'S POLICY, UH, LIKE CALLBACK, YOU KNOW, CAUSE OUR, OUR FOLKS COME IN LIKE, UH, VICTOR AND REMITS TALKED TO EARLIER FOR EMERGENCIES.

AND SO THERE'S THINGS WE CAN

[01:45:01]

UH IT'S SO IT'S BEYOND WATERSHED.

UH, BUT I BELIEVE THOSE ARE TOPICS THAT ARE BEING DISCUSSED, UH, AS WE LOOK INTO THIS, UH, FOR OUR CITY EMPLOYEES.

ALL RIGHT, WE'LL GO NEXT TO, UH, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON.

THANKS FOR YOU, YOUR PRESENTATION.

HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO SAY THAT ALL THESE DISPARITIES ARE HISTORICAL, AND I HOPE THAT, UM, BECAUSE WE CAN ACTUALLY SAY SOMETHING OUT LOUD NOW THAT I DON'T KNOW, PEOPLE WILL ACTUALLY HEAR IT.

SO I'M VERY PLEASED WITH ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS AND I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING SOMETHING TO MIND THAT WE'VE ALL SEEN, BUT NEVER SAID.

AND SO I, MY QUESTION IS BENEFITS.

I KNOW THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT PAY AND, UH, DISPARITIES AND IN RACE AND SO FORTH, BUT I KNOW THAT SOME OF THE JOBS THAT PEOPLE DO ARE SO INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT AND THE HEAT, AND I MEAN, WE, WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT WORK, UM, IN, IN PRETTY AMAZING CONDITIONS, THE WOODS AND, UH, HOMELESS PEOPLE.

AND SO I'M WONDERING IF YOU CAN TELL ME ABOUT, UM, THE BENEFITS.

I KNOW PEOPLE PROBABLY GET BENEFITS WHILE THEY'RE ON THE JOB, BUT I'M NOT SURE, UM, HOW THAT CAN BE IMPROVED AS WELL.

SO THAT IS, I DIDN'T HEAR IN YOUR PRESENTATION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT PLEASE.

OKAY, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, I'LL LET NIKI OR HR MANAGER SPEAK TO THAT, BUT THAT'S ALSO GOING TO BE A GLOBAL ISSUE VERSUS JUST OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT, BUT NIKKI, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.

AND WHEN YOU SAY BENEFITS, I'M ASSUMING YOU'RE SPEAKING OF LIKE HEALTH BENEFITS, DENTAL BENEFITS, AND SO FORTH, UM, INSURANCE, HEALTH INSURANCE.

UM, SO THAT IS, THAT IS MORE HANDLED AT OUR CORPORATE LEVEL.

THAT'S A GLOBAL LEVEL OF, OF DECISION THAT IS MADE.

AND THEN WE'RE JUST KIND OF GIVING THE INFORMATION AND WE FEED THAT INFORMATION OUT TO OUR DEPARTMENT STAFF, SO THAT THAT'S A DECISION THAT'S MADE, EVEN I BELIEVE AT COUNCIL WHERE THEY, THEY WOULD BE AT ON THE, UM, THE, THE PROPER, UH, CONTRACT OR THEY ARE GOING TO AGREEMENT WITH A DIFFERENT COMPANY.

AND AS IT RELATES TO THE COMPENSATION FOR THE JOB DUTIES, UH, THE DIFFERENT JOB DUTIES, UH, HAVE DIFFERENT DESCRIPTIONS AND THAT'S ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE JOB, THE JOB COMPENSATION.

SO LIKE AUSTIN ENERGY LINEMAN PROBABLY HAVE A DIFFERENT, UH, JOB DUTIES THAN OUR DRAINAGE OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE CREWS VERSUS TREATING BRIDGE VERSUS A WATER UTILITY.

SO THE FIELD OPERATIONS GROUPS HAVE DIFFERENT TITLES AND THEY HAVE DIFFERENT SPECIFIC JOB DUTIES.

AND I BELIEVE THE COMPENSATION IS CAP CAPTURED IN THAT.

AND TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT, THEY ALSO DO LIKE A MARKET STUDY WHERE THEY GO TO DIFFERENT STATES, DIFFERENT CITIES THAT ARE A LITTLE TO US AS WELL, AND THEY'RE COMPARED THEM TO THE JOB TITLES THAT WE HAVE TO THE LIGHT JOB TITLES THAT THEY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMPENSATION IS SOMEWHAT COULD WORK BASED ON THE COST OF LIVING IN THAT CITY OR STATE, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S EQUAL TO, TO WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN AUSTIN.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON? UM, WELL, I JUST WONDERED ALSO, UM, SINCE WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, GENDER ISSUES, UM, AGE AND SO FORTH, I IMAGINE WE'LL BE, UM, PART OF THAT DISCUSSION.

I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE OLDER MYSELF, I JUST TURNED AROUND AND FOUND MYSELF TO BE 70, WHO KNEW, I MEAN, THE ALTERNATIVE IT'S BETTER THAN THE ALTERNATIVE, BUT I, I THINK THAT, UM, PEOPLE, UM, OF ALL AGES OF ALL WALKS OF LIFE HAVE SOMETHING TO OFFER.

AND SO I'M WONDERING IN SOME OF OUR AREAS WHERE WE DO OUTREACH, IF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ARE, UM, ARE ABLE TO, UM, HAVE THINGS TO OFFER THAT WE, UH, COULD FIND VIABLE.

AND SO I JUST, I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU CAN DO THAT, BUT I'M HOPING THAT IT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED.

SO THANKS.

COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, UH, COMMISSIONER BARRETT.

HI.

UM, WELL THANK YOU.

THANK

[01:50:01]

YOU ALL AGAIN FOR, UM, YOUR PRESENTATION.

AND I PERSONALLY WAS IN REALLY IMPRESSED BY THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING TO LEAD WITH EQUITY AND EMPATHY.

AND, UM, I'M EXCITED TO, TO SEE AND LEARN, CONTINUE TO LEARN ABOUT THE PROGRESS THAT THAT'S BEING MADE, THAT YOU, THAT YOU ALL CONTINUE TO MAKE IN THIS AREA.

AND, UM, THANKS TO MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS FOR ASKING SO MANY GREAT QUESTIONS, UH, AHEAD OF AHEAD OF ME.

UM, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU GO WITHOUT ASKING WHAT THE QUESTION I HAVE ACTUALLY KIND OF, IT GOES OUTSIDE THE PURVIEW OF, UM, THE DEPARTMENT, BUT IT'S, IT'S LOOKING BACK AT, AT THE CITY.

AND, UM, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE WINTER STORM AND HOW IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN INTERESTING DATA SET BECAUSE IT IMPACTED THE, YOU KNOW, THE, BASICALLY THE WHOLE STATE, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, I WAS WONDERING, UM, IF THERE WERE AREAS WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT WHERE YOU ALL WERE ABLE TO LOOK AND SEE THAT THERE WERE CERTAIN, LIKE CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, COMMUNITIES OF, YOU KNOW, LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC AREAS OR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, WHETHER THEY WERE, UM, DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED, BE LIKE SPECIFIC TO, UM, YOU KNOW, INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEMS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT DAM OR, OR, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PIPES, THE, UM, I MEAN, I CLEARLY THERE'S THE GRID ISSUE AND AUSTIN ENERGY AND ALL THAT, BUT, UM, BUT I, I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS WERE ABLE TO GET DATA LIKE THAT AND SEE ACTUALLY, UM, THAT, THAT SORT OF THE, YOU KNOW, THIS OVERLAYS, I KNOW WITH THE, UM, SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX, BUT IF YOU GUYS HAVE KIND OF BEEN ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, HEY, WOW, THIS, THIS, THIS DISPARITY IS LIKE CARRYING ACROSS, UM, YOU KNOW, IT SPECIFICALLY, BUT THEN WITHIN LIKE HOW THE, THE DEPARTMENT IS, UM, I GUESS DOING ITS MAINTENANCE WORK THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND EVERYTHING, IS THAT A THING? UM, DID I, DID I ASK THIS SPECIFIC QUESTION? OKAY.

I CAN TRY AND ANSWER THAT QUESTION COMMISSIONER.

UH, SO AS YOU KNOW, WHAT IS SHIT'S MISSION? IT IS MAINLY STORM WATER.

WE DEAL WITH FLOODING AND WATER QUALITY, UH, EROSION AND THINGS LIKE THAT IN THE WINTER STORM, PRIMARILY IMPACTED, UH, THE WATER AND ELECTRICITY AND, UH, THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT ARE NOT QUITE WHAT A SHIT MISSION BACK.

SO, SO IT'S KIND OF NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT MORE AS INTERSECTION OF INFRASTRUCTURE IS WHERE THAT QUESTION COMES IN, BECAUSE, UH, WHAT A BIT IS FOUNDED WAS NOT JUST WITH ANY ONE PARTICULAR ACTIVITY.

IT DID LIKE IT IMPACTED EVERYTHING AND THE WORK THAT OUR WATER SHOULD STOP DEAD WAS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU'VE TAKEN THIS OPPORTUNITY TO OPERATIONALIZE IT.

AND ALL THE WORK WE DID IN TERMS OF BRINGING WATER AND FOOD.

AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE NOT EXACTLY LIKE THE THINGS THAT, WHAT IS SHOULD FEED STAFF BELTS.

THAT'S NOT KIND OF THE WORK THAT WE ARE A DRAINAGE, UH, OPERATORS AND MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL DO, BUT THIS WAS AN ISSUE THAT IMPACTED THE ENTIRE CITY.

AND WHAT IT REALLY REFLECTS IS THE IDEA THAT INCREASINGLY ALL THE ACADEMICS AND OTHER EMERGENCIES THAT WE SEE ARE NOT REALLY SPECIFIC TO EACH DEPARTMENT IT'S LIKE REQUIRES ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, ALL THE MISSIONARIES TO WORK ON.

SO I WOULD JUST, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, BUT THE ISSUES THAT WAS REALLY THE THINGS THAT REALLY IMPACTED SUCH AS WATER AND ELECTRICITY, OR NOT REALLY WATERSHED MISSIONARIES, BUT WE DID DO QUITE A BIT OF A LOT OF WHAT IT SHOULD PEOPLE WORKED ON IT.

UH, DESPITE THAT NOT BEING AN ENGINEER, I, I THINK THIS IS, UM, COMMISSIONERS.

THIS IS JANA RENFRO, JUST, I THINK I HEARD IN YOUR QUESTION AND SORRY IF I MISHEARD THAT YOU WERE KIND OF EXTRAPOLATING OUT AND ASKING HOW, IF WE MIGHT HAVE DATA SPECIFIC TO OUR MISSIONS AND OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, AND I JUST WANT TO STATE THAT, THAT I'M GOING BACK TO WHAT KELLY DISCUSSED, THE THEMES OF OUR EQUITY ASSESSMENT, UM, DATA AND PRIORITIZATION ARE TWO OF THOSE, THOSE MAIN THEMES WHERE WE REALLY WANT TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHERE DISPARITIES EXIST BASED ON RATES, IN RELATION TO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND OUR MISSION AREAS OF FLOODING EROSION AND STORM WATER QUALITY.

UM, IT, IT IS, WE HAVE SOME EXTRAORDINARILY SMART DATA FOLKS THAT, UM, WE'VE BEEN WRESTLING A LOT WITH HOW TO CUT THAT DATA IN THE BEST WAY.

UM, WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE'S NO, NO SUCH THING AS KIND OF AN EQUITY INDEX THAT WE CAN JUST PUT ON TO OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PROBLEMS SCORING THAT THIS REALLY, AND PART OF NORMALIZE AND ORGANIZE IT.

THIS, THIS CAN'T BE SOMETHING THAT JUST DISAPPEARS INTO A COEFFICIENT THAT WE WANT IT TO BE A SPECIFIC, UM, CONVERSATION

[01:55:01]

WITH OUR PROJECTS.

UH, SO I HOPE THAT MAYBE ADD SOME HELPFUL INFORMATION ON WHAT WE'RE THINKING.

I JUST WANT TO JUMP IN.

UM, CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME? YEAH, WE CAN HEAR YOU.

YEP.

UM, I GET EXCITED ABOUT THIS.

UH, JUST ADDING ON TO WHATEVER MISSION JENNA SAID.

ONE THING THAT I THINK HAS BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT ABOUT THINKING ABOUT DATA WITH THIS IS JUST LIKE I WAS MENTIONING, LOOKING AT HOW WE COLLECT THAT DATA AND LOOKING FOR BLIND SPOTS, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD DO A QUICK ASSESSMENT TO SAY, OKAY, WELL, IF WE LOOK AT ALL THE OUTAGES, HOW MANY, HOW MANY PEOPLE BY RACE, ETHNICITY, YOU KNOW, UH, AGE GENDER WERE IMPACTED AND DO A QUICK PERCENTAGE, BUT THERE'S SO MANY OF THAT, LIKE HOW QUICK WAS THE RESPONSE TIME? HOW QUICKLY DID PEOPLE WHERE PEOPLE RESTORED HIM WITH WATER, HOW YOU KNOW THAT WHO DIDN'T REPORT OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT WHAT'S MISSING FROM THAT DATA SET? SO I THINK THAT'S BEEN A REALLY KEY PART OF THESE CONVERSATIONS IS LOOKING AT DATA, ACTUALLY OUR, OUR IT MANAGER IN ONE OF THE FIRST PRESENTATIONS WE GAVE TO THE DEPARTMENTS THAT JUST BE REALLY CAREFUL BECAUSE DATA CAN TELL WHATEVER STORY YOU WANT IT TO TO.

SO MAKE SURE YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT DATA, WHERE IS IT COMING FROM? WHAT ARE YOU HEARING? UM, AND THAT, IT'S A, IT'S A, LIKE WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT WHOLE PROCESS.

SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT.

I MEAN, IT'S CLEARLY A REALLY INTERESTING DISCUSSION AND, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, DATA POINTS, FASCINATING DATA POINTS, UH, TO KEEP, UH, YOU KNOW, GATHERING TO, TO, TO TELL THE STORY AND TO CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS DISPARITIES THAT, THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WITHIN DEPARTMENTS AND THROUGHOUT THIS CITY AS WELL.

SO, SO THANK YOU.

I WILL GO TO COMMISSIONER BRIMER AND THEN WE'LL ROUND THINGS OUT WITH RAMBERT.

THE FIRST QUESTION RELATED TO THE RESPONSE LIKE EARLIER, I THINK WE CAN DIG DEEPER INTO THE DATA.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

IT'S VERY INTERESTING.

I WAS SEVERAL QUESTIONS HERE.

UH, ONE OF THEM HAS TO DO WITH, UH, ONE OF THE GRAPHS YOU HAD, UH, PUT UP.

IT SEEMED TO INDICATE IF I UNDERSTOOD IT CORRECTLY, THAT, UH, YOU'RE THE RESPONSIVENESS, OR YOU'RE GETTING A LOT BETTER GRADES, IF YOU WILL, UH, FROM THE WORKFORCE ON, YOU KNOW, YOUR ABILITY TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF RACE AND LEADERSHIP, SUPPORTING THE DISCUSSION RATES AND THAT SORT OF THING.

AND ALL IT LOOKS ALL VERY GOOD, BUT THAT'S LIKE THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT, YOU HAVE THAT STUFF BROKEN DOWN BY RACE, BY ANY CHANCE.

SO THE QUESTION IS, YEAH, THAT'S A NICE, IT'S AN AVERAGE, BUT DO, UH, IS THERE A RACIAL DISPARITY IN THE RESPONSES THAT, UH, IN THAT, UH, CHART? AND THEN MY, I BASICALLY, I HAVE THREE QUESTIONS.

THE OTHER ONE HAS TO DO WITH WHEN YOU'RE DOING THE RECRUITMENT, I BELIEVE, UH, MR. BEDFORD PERHAPS ASKS SOMETHING ABOUT, UH, TRYING TO ADDRESS, UH, YOUR, YOUR, UH, TALENT POOL AND HOW DO YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, BRING IN NEW TALENT AND SOMEONE MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, YOU GO TO HTC, BUT THERE'S ALSO LIKE TEXAS SOUTHERN AND OTHER, UH, UNIVERSITIES, UH, IN TEXAS, AS WELL AS NATIONALLY THAT HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, A WIDE, UH, YOU KNOW, A BROAD SET OF TALENT THAT COULD BE USED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

AUSTIN'S A VERY VIBRANT CITY.

AND I DON'T THINK YOU'D HAVE A HARD TIME RECRUITING FOR ENTRY-LEVEL POSITIONS, WHICH THEN BRINGS THE FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THAT IS MOST OF THE TALENT THAT ANY ORGANIZATION HAS, IS ALREADY ON STAFF.

IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE YOU'RE HIRING, UH, YOU KNOW, FROM EXTERNAL, YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN IN JOBS FOR ANOTHER, FOR, YOU KNOW, FIVE, 10 YEARS WHO ARE PERHAPS AT A JUNIOR LEVEL, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO DEVELOP THOSE PEOPLE, TO BE MANAGERS IN THE FUTURE? YOU KNOW, ARE YOU, DO YOU HAVE TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR THESE PEOPLE INTERNALLY? AND ARE YOU TAPPING THESE PEOPLE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT WE THINK YOU'RE GOING TO BE BENEFITING FROM, AND WE'VE GOT AN EYE ON YOU.

CAUSE THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF MAJOR CORPORATIONS DO.

YOU KNOW, THEY TAP PEOPLE AND SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL LOOK LIKE A MANAGEMENT MATERIAL AND WE'RE GONNA, OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE JOB IS AND WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT.

AND THEY TRY TO DEVELOP INTERNAL PEOPLE TO MOVE INTO THESE POSITIONS.

AND THAT WOULD BE ONE WAY TO, UH, YOU KNOW, ASSIST IN SOLVING YOUR EQUITY PROBLEM IS BY TAPPING THE INTERNAL TALENT, UH, THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE.

AND FINALLY, UH, WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE THE ORGANIZATION AND OUR OUTBOUND, THAT IS THEY'RE LEADING THE CITY AS WELL, BY ANY CHANCE, DO YOU DO EXIT INTERVIEWS WITH PEOPLE AND ASK THEM IF, UH, RACIAL FACTORS PLAY A ROLE IN THEIR DEPARTURE FROM THEIR JOBS WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT? AND THAT'S IT GREAT QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER, I'M GOING TO DO MY BEST OF SUCCINCTLY TRYING TO RESPOND TO THEM.

BUT IF ANYBODY ON THE TEAM WANTS TO JUMP IN, I, THE APPRECIATIVE OF THIS, WELL, SO

[02:00:01]

I THINK YOUR QUESTION IS, UH, THE RESPONDENTS TO THE QUESTIONS, IS THERE A SELECTION BIAS RIGHT ON THE PEOPLE THAT RESPONDED TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE, UH, AND THERE MAY BE, BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO COLLECT THAT DATA TO BE ABLE TO ADD MORE DETAILED ANSWER TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THAT OUR DEPARTMENT RELATIVE TO THE AVERAGE OF THE CITY IS A LOT MORE RESPONSIVE AND WILLING TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

AND, AND WE LINK IT TO THE CONVERSATIONS HIS DEPARTMENT STARTED HAVING IN 2018, AS IT RELATES TO THIS EQUITY INITIATIVE.

THAT'S WHAT, WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THAT.

BUT I THINK WE CAN DIG A LITTLE DEEPER AND GET BACK TO YOU ON, ON THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION.

UH, THEN THE NEXT QUESTION RELATED TO LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, THE CITY OF AUSTIN CORPORATE HR HAS PROGRAMS. WE HAVE SUPERVISOR ACADEMY MANAGERS, ACADEMY, EXECUTIVE ACADEMY.

SO WE HAVE VARIOUS PROGRAMS. WE HAVE LEAPS, WHICH IS, UH, AN EMPLOYEE DRIVEN, DRIVEN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE IN A LEADERSHIP CAPACITY.

WE HAVE A LIFELONG LEARNING.

SO THESE ARE ALL CORPORATE LEVEL, UH, LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS THAT WE DO HAVE TO DEVELOP EXISTING EMPLOYEES AND OUR DEPARTMENT IN THE LAST THREE, FOUR YEARS, WE'VE BEEN DOING WHAT WE CALL THE LEADERSHIP LAB, UH, WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING LEADERSHIP TYPE TRAINING FOR OUR DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES.

UH, AND THIS YEAR WE, WE JUST FIRST ROLLED OUT A LEADERSHIP TRAINING THAT WE'RE DOING TO CONTINUE TO LEARN TOGETHER AS A LEADERSHIP TEAM.

SO YES, I WOULD SAY THAT WE HAVE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY.

PLUS THE CITY PROVIDES A TUITION REIMBURSEMENT FOR THOSE THAT WANT TO SEEK HIGHER EDUCATION, UH, FOLKS THAT MAYBE WANT TO GET A DEGREE OR A HIGHER DEGREE AS WELL.

THE CITY HAS A TUITION REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM.

UH, I THINK I FORGOT THE LAST QUESTION YOU WERE ASKING, OR MAYBE I MISSED QUESTION NUMBER TWO, SIR.

AND JUST TO JORGE, I DON'T WANT TO CUT YOU OFF, BUT JUST TO ADD IN FOR CAREER PROGRESSION PROGRAM FOR OUR FIELD OPERATIONS, WE ALSO HAVE A BASIC SKILL TRAINING THAT HELPS THOSE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE COMING INTO THE WORKFORCE TO GIVE THEM THAT SKILLSET, TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE MANY DIFFERENT PIECES OF EQUIPMENT.

SO THEY CAN BE COMPETITIVE FOR THOSE SENIOR LEVEL POSITIONS AS THEY COME AVAILABLE.

MY FOLLOW-UP QUESTION HAD TO DO WITH, UH, EXIT INTERVIEWS AND YOU ASK PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT UNCOMMON FOR COMPANIES TO ASK PEOPLE ON THEIR WAY OUT, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE YOU LEAVING YOU? YOU DON'T LIKE TO PAY YOU, DON'T LIKE YOUR BOSS, YOU KNOW, THAT SORT OF THING.

AND THANK YOU FOR THAT REFRESHER COMMISSIONER.

AND SO I, OUR HR DEPARTMENT DOES HAVE A STANDARD PROCESS FOR THAT, BUT I, AS A DIRECTOR ALSO DO THAT MYSELF.

SO I USUALLY HAVE ABOUT 30 MINUTES.

ONE HOUR SESSION WAS EMPLOYEES THAT ARE RETIRING OR THEY'RE MOVING ON TO OTHER, OTHER, UH, OPPORTUNITIES.

SO THEY USE THAT AS, AS MY WAY OF GAUGING, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DEPARTMENT.

NIKKI, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE ACTUAL HR, UH, EXIT INTERVIEW PROCESS? YEAH.

SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS AS AN EMPLOYEE, WE RECEIVE NOTIFICATION OF EMPLOYEE WANTING TO EXIT THE WORKFORCE.

FOR WHATEVER REASON, WE DO HAVE A SIT DOWN CONVERSATION WITH THEM AND JUST ASK THEIR FEEDBACK.

WHAT WAS GOOD? WHAT WAS NEGATIVE? UM, WHAT AREAS CAN WE IMPROVE? UM, WHAT AREAS DID YOU THINK WE RESTORE THAT AND SO FORTH? WHAT WAS YOUR MANAGER LIKE? WHAT WAS SOME OF THE SKILLSETS THAT HE OR SHE CAN IMPROVE IN AS WELL? SO WE GET ALL OF THAT, ALL OF THAT DATA, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF IT YOU HAVE TO KIND OF CIPHER THROUGH WHAT'S REAL WHAT'S PERCEPTION.

UM, WHAT'S REALITY JUST AS IN ANY OTHER EXIT INTERVIEW, BUT THOSE ARE DEFINITELY OFFERED FROM AN HR STANDPOINT.

APPRECIATE THE APARTMENT WHILE IT WELL, AS CITYWIDE A CITY-WIDE ALSO HAS AN EXIT INTERVIEW WHERE, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS AN ORGANIZATION IS GRADED AS WELL GO TO COMMISSIONER RANDBURG, UH, AND THEN WE'LL SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAS.

GREAT.

UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.

UM, I THINK I'LL REITERATE WHAT THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE SAID.

IT WAS VERY WELL ORGANIZED AND VERY WELL EXECUTED.

IT GIVES US SOME GREAT INSIGHT INTO THE PROCESS THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING.

UH, I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION IN THAT.

UM, AND MAYBE IT'S A QUESTION IN A COMMENT, BUT I'M LOOKING AT THE CHART THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ABOUT THE RESPONSES FROM WATERSHED, UM, AND MAYBE THE CITYWIDE STAFF AS A WHOLE HAS, IS THAT SURVEY CONTINUING WILL, THERE'LL BE MORE DATA POINTS FOR 20, 20 AND 2021 TO WHERE WE CAN, WE CAN SEE, HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS BARRELING CLEAR PAST 84 AND, UH, AN A PLUS, UM, UH, BUT, UM, IF YOU, IF YOU GIVE US SOME INSIGHT INTO KIND OF WHERE THAT'S GOING, AND MAYBE WHEN WE WOULD SEE MORE INFORMATION COMMISSIONER, GREAT QUESTION.

THAT IS AN ANNUAL WORKFORCE SURVEY THAT'S DONE BY THE CITY.

I DO NOT BELIEVE WE DID A 2020 WORKFORCE SURVEY BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC AND THE SITUATION, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT WILL CONTINUE.

AND, UH, IT WAS, I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT TIMEFRAME AND WE, ONE OF MY TEAM MEMBERS KNOWS, BUT THE EQUITY QUESTIONS WEREN'T ON THERE, THEY WERE ADDED RECENTLY.

PERFECT.

UH, ANYONE HAD FOLLOW UPS? I KNOW WE HAVE COMMISSIONER SCOTT AND COMMISSIONER GUERRERO.

ANYONE ELSE? OKAY.

I WILL GO TO COMMISSIONER GUERRERO FIRST.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THIS IS MAYBE MY THIRD, UM, TIME THAT I'VE LISTENED TO THIS, UH, ON

[02:05:01]

AN AGENDA ITEM.

AND I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE Y'ALL ON THAT CLEARLY Y'ALL ARE BECOMING MORE, UH, MEANINGFUL AND YOUR PRESENTATIONS IT'S CLEAR HOW MUCH TIME AND ENERGY OR FOCUSING THE AMOUNT OF STAFF THAT Y'ALL ARE BRINGING FORWARD.

UH, YOU KNOW, ON THE STREETS EVERYBODY'S LIKE, OH, WATERSHED HAS A BREAK EQUITY PLAN.

THEY'RE REALLY, REALLY UP THERE.

AND I THINK Y'ALL NEED TO PAT YOURSELVES ON THE BACK FOR ALL OF THIS EFFORT THAT Y'ALL HAVE BEEN DOING OVER THE YEARS.

AND IT'S, IT JUST, Y'ALL JUST KEEP RAISING THE BAR EVERY TIME I HEAR THEY'LL COME FORWARD TO US.

AND I DO WANT TO THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SCOTT.

I, I HAVE TO, I HAVE NOT HEARD YOU SPEAK BEFORE, BUT I AM IMPRESSED.

I'M VERY IMPRESSED.

UM, UM, AND I FEEL LIKE SOMETIMES I, MAYBE I'M A BIT OF A, FOR A FIELD THAT I KEEP BEING, UM, THINGS THAT, THAT, THAT TIME HEARING TRIGGER, UM, FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOR LATER ON.

SO, UM, I'M GOING TO SPEAK VERY BRIEF ABOUT THIS AND THAT IS IN AN EXIT INTERVIEW.

UM, WE LIVE IN A CITY THAT FRANKLY HAS CLOSE TO MINIMAL TO NONE, UH, TO ALMOST NO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND, UM, WHICH I JUST HAPPENED TO BE WELL AWARE OF, UH, FROM MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

UH, AND I JUST WONDERING, UM, IN AN EXIT INTERVIEW, UM, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A GOOD TIME TO, TO MAKE SURE SOMEBODY IS, UH, REALLY NEEDS TO LEAVE OR DID THEY JUST NEED SOME TIME OFF IF THEY HAD, HAS THERE BEEN A DEATH IN THE FAMILY? ARE THEY UNDER A UNDUE STRESS FROM SOME OTHER REASON? AND, UH, I, I SUSPECT THAT THERE ARE, ARE TIMES WHEN, UM, A LITTLE, UH, JUST, JUST A QUESTION ASKED, MIGHT CHANGE THE COURSE, UH, THAT SOMEONE TAKES.

UH, BUT JUST BY BEING A LITTLE MORE SENSITIVE TO, UH, UH, PEOPLE WHO IN THAT SITUATION BECOME, UM, THEY DON'T DON'T NECESSARILY THINK OF OPTIONS AS MULTIPLE, BUT THEY THINK OF THEM AS BLACK AND WHITE EITHER.

OR, UM, AND I, AGAIN, I, I REALIZED THIS IS A MORE OF A, A GENERAL ISSUE, NOT JUST TO THIS COMMISSION, BUT I JUST WANTED TO REMIND PEOPLE OF THAT.

UM, BECAUSE I, I SEE IT AS A PROBLEM, BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU.

LAST ITEM BEFORE COMMITTEE REPORTS.

IT'S A GREAT, UH, A GREAT DISCUSSION.

AND I JUST FEEL LIKE, UH, UH, UH, PROUD TO BE A PART OF, UH, UH, A GROUP THAT IS, UH, TACKLING THESE ISSUES, UH, IN, IN, UH, IN SUCH A, UH, UH, STRAIGHTFORWARD MATTER WHEN IT IS SO DIFFICULT.

SOME BEHALF OF WATERSHED LEADERSHIP, BECAUSE I'M NOT IN A LEADERSHIP POSITION PER SE, BUT OUR EXECUTIVE TEAM I'M REALLY PROUD TO WORK FOR OUR DEPARTMENT.

I MEAN, BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING WITH THROUGH THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF I AM, WHEN I TELL PEOPLE THAT I KNOW HOW EMPATHETIC AND FLEXIBLE AND KIND OUR LEADERSHIP HAS BEEN AND HOW, HOW MUCH COMRADERY WE HAVE AS A DEPARTMENT, UM, AND SUPPORT WE HAVE FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND SELF CARE.

I MEAN, IT IS, UH, I COULDN'T FEEL LUCKIER, SO I JUST WANT TO BRAG ON THE BEHALF OF JORGE AND THE REST.

THANKS SO MUCH.

Y'ALL.

AND, AND I KNOW WE SPENT A LOT LONGER THAN 30 MINUTES, WHICH WAS WHAT WE WERE POSTED FOR ON THAT, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT WORK AND, UH, WE'D LOVE TO, TO GET REGULAR UPDATES FROM Y'ALL AND, AND REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU TAKING, TAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE TONIGHT.

UM, SO WE'LL, WE'LL MOVE ON.

UH, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A REALLY QUICK FIVE MINUTE BREAK.

WE'LL COME BACK AT EIGHT, UH, 17.

UH, I WANT TO KEEP THIS, THIS MEETING GOING WE'VE ONE ITEM LEFT.

UH, SO PLEASE, UH, TRY TO TRY TO MAKE IT SHORT NEXT, HERE TO ORDER, UH, WE'RE GOING TO BE CALLED BACK TO ORDER AT 8:23 PM.

YOU GET MY AGENDA UP.

WE'RE ONTO OUR

[4. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION a. Update and request for recommendation of support for the Waterloo Greenway Creek Delta Project—Diana Wang, Project Manager, Watershed Protection Department (30 minutes)]

WE'RE AT FOUR, A UPDATE AND REQUEST FOR RECOMMENDATION FOR SUPPORT OF THE WATERLOO GREENWAY CREEK DELTA PROJECT.

WE HAVE DIANA WANG, PROJECT MANAGER, WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.

[02:10:09]

SORRY ABOUT THAT.

I WAS HAVING SOME TROUBLE, UH, UNMUTING CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME OKAY.

YES, WE CAN.

AND, UH, IT IS GETTING YOUR PRESENTATION UP NOW.

GREAT, THANK YOU.

UM, WELL, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

UM, AS MENTIONED, MY NAME IS DIANE WANG.

I AM WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.

I'M CURRENTLY SERVING AS THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE WATERLOO GREENWAY CREEK DELTA PROJECT.

AND I'LL BE PROVIDING A PROJECT UPDATE TO YOU TONIGHT.

UM, I ALSO WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT REPRESENTATIVES FROM OUR PARTNERS ON THE PROJECT ARE IN ATTENDANCE AS WELL.

UM, SO THAT WOULD BE WATERLOO, GREENWAY CONSERVANCY AND THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.

UM, IN ADDITION, WE'VE GOT OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWER PRESENT, AND, UH, ALL OF THESE STAFF MEMBERS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AT THE END.

UM, AND OUR TEAM WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU TONIGHT AND GIVE YOU AND TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT OUR PROJECT.

UM, SO BEFORE HER KIND OF JUMPING INTO DETAILS ON, ON THE CREEK DELTA PROJECT, I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT, UM, UH, ABOUT OUR PARTNERSHIP AND THE PROGRAM AS A WHOLE.

UM, SO THE FIRST THING WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT IS AS A PROGRAM OVERVIEW, AND THEN FROM THERE, THE REAL PURPOSE OF OUR PRESENTATION TONIGHT IS TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE GREEK DELTA PROJECT AND HOPEFULLY GAIN, UH, FEEDBACK AND REQUEST, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS OF SUPPORT FOR THE OVERALL PROJECT.

UM, SO OUR PARTNERSHIP, UH, FOR THE WATERLOO GREENWAY PROGRAM CONSISTS OF A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE WATERLOO GREENWAY CONSERVANCY.

UM, THE S THE SPONSORING CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE WATERSHED PROTECTION AND THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND OUR NONPROFIT PARTNER IS THE WATERLOO AGREEMENT CONSERVANCY.

UM, ALL OF THE PARTIES ARE INVOLVED IN PROJECT DELIVERY, BUT WHEN ONE BIG BENEFIT OF OUR PARTNERSHIP IS THAT THE WATERLOO AGREEMENT CONSERVANCY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH, PROGRAMMING AND ONGOING OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.

SO KIND OF, UH, GIVING YOU A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, OF YOUR BEARINGS OF, OF OUR PRO PROGRAM AREA.

UM, SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS THE FULL WATERLOO GREENWAY PROGRAM.

AND SO IT IS BOUND BY 15TH STREET TO THE NORTH LADY BIRD LAKE TO THE SOUTH, AND THEN APPROXIMATELY TRINITY STREET TO THE WEST.

AND I HAVE 35 ON THE EAST.

UM, THE PROGRAM PROPOSES ABOUT 35 ACRES OF GREEN SPACE.

THAT'S CONNECTED BY APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES OF TRAIL, UH, ALONG A RESTORED WALLER CREEK.

UM, AND, AND YOU'LL SEE HERE ON THE MAP ON THE NORTH SIDE, UH, IN THAT THAT RED BOX IS THE FIRST PHASE OF OUR PROJECT, WHICH IS WATERLOO PARK AND ON THE SOUTH SIDE.

AND IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE BIT BOLD IS WHAT WE'RE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT, WHICH IS THE CREEK DELTA PROJECT, UH, SHOWN IN YELLOW AND OUR THIRD PHASE CONNECTING, CONNECTING THE TWO AREAS.

AND THAT INCLUDES, UM, DEVELOPMENT OF PALM PARK.

WORKING ON THE PROJECT NOW.

SO A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY ON THE PROGRAM, UM, DISCUSSIONS TO REDEVELOP THIS AREA ACTUALLY PREDATE WHAT WE'RE SHOWING HERE.

UH, WE'RE KIND OF SHOWING A MORE RECENT AND RELEVANT, UH, HISTORY, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, DISCUSSIONS HAVE BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE 1970S AND HISTORICALLY THIS, THIS SECTION OF WALNUT CREEK WAS PRONE TO SEVERE FLOODING AND EROSION ISSUES UNTIL THE WALNUT CREEK TUNNEL PROJECT WAS IMPLEMENTED TO PROVIDE FLOOD CONTROL.

SO, AS A RESULT OF, OF THE TUNNEL AND PREVIOUS PLANNING EFFORTS, THE CITY ENTERED INTO A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WATERLOO GREENWAY CONSERVANCY, WHICH WAS THEN KNOWN AS THE WALLER CREEK CONSERVANCY.

UM, AND THE WALLER CREEK LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION WAS FORMED IN 2011.

UM, SO THAT, THAT THING, AND I SHOULD NOTE THAT THIS IS A GOVERNING BODY THAT OVERSEES IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WATERLOO GREENWAY PROGRAM.

UM, SO THAT, THAT SAME YEAR AN INTERNATIONAL DESIGN COMPETITION WAS HELD, UM, FOR ALL PHASES OF THE PROGRAM.

AND DESIGN OF THE PROJECTS WAS AWARDED, UH, TO THE WINNING CONSULTANT TEAM, WHICH, UH, IS STILL

[02:15:01]

AND THEY BEGAN WORK ON A FRAMEWORK PLAN FOR THE PARK AND THE CREEK SYSTEM.

UM, I WON'T GO THROUGH EVERY MILESTONE, BUT, YOU KNOW, IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS, UH, THE, THE PARTNERSHIP CONTINUED TO DEVELOP, UM, FUNDING WAS CONFIRMED AND WE CAN NUDE ON WITH, UM, DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION, UH, OF THE PROJECTS WITHIN PROGRAM.

UM, YOU KNOW, ONE THING TO NOTE IS IN 2018, THE WALNUT CREEK TUNNEL WAS, WAS COMPLETED.

AND WHEN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE WATERLOO GREENWAY PROGRAM, WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT THE SURFACE IMPROVEMENTS.

SO THE TUNNEL IS, YOU KNOW, A SUBTERRANEAN TUNNEL THAT COVERS THE SAME SECTION OF CREEK, AND IT'S A VERY VITAL CONSIDERATION, UM, IN, IN OUR DESIGN AND UNDERSTANDING HOW THAT FUNCTIONS AND, UM, COMPLIMENTS OUR PROJECT IS IMPORTANT.

BUT, BUT WHEN WE SAY WATERLOO GREENWAY, WE'RE REALLY, UM, LOOKING AHEAD, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT THE SURFACE.

UM, SO MOVING FORWARD, WE'RE IN 21.

NOW THE CREEK DELTA PROJECT, UM, COMPLETED 90% CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS, UH, AND OUR FIRST PHASE OF THE WATERLOO GREENWAY WATERLOO PARK WAS CONSTRUCTED AND IS NOW OPEN.

AND HERE IT IS, IT ACTUALLY OPENED A FEW WEEKS AGO ON AUGUST 14TH.

UM, IT, IT IS AN AMAZING PARK, A REALLY GREAT EXPERIENCE.

UM, AND JUST AS A QUICK REMINDER, UM, WATER, THE GREENWAY CONSERVANCY AND THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT DID PROVIDE A BRIEFING TO THE COMMISSION ON, ON THIS PROJECT, UM, AND THE PROGRAM IN ABOUT 2019.

SO IT'S BEEN A LITTLE WHILE AND, AND THE PARK IS NOW OPEN.

SO WE WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE TO EXTEND AN INVITATION FOR THE COMMISSION TO TOUR THE PARK.

UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE SET UP WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE CONSERVANCY, AND IT WOULD JUST BE A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY JUST TO SHOW YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT SOME OF THE MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES AND DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS THAT WENT INTO CREATING THE PARK.

UM, AND JUST ANOTHER NOTE, THERE IS A SECTION OF WALLER CREEK THAT WAS RESTORED AS PART OF THE PARK PROJECT, WHICH YOU CAN KIND OF SEE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE PHOTOGRAPH.

UM, SO THAT WOULD ALSO BE A GREAT WAY TO GET A PREVIEW OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THIS NEXT PHASE, UH, IN CREEK DELTA.

SO, SO KIND OF BACK TO THE CREEK DELTA PROJECT, AGAIN, IT IS, UM, SHOWN HERE IN YELLOW.

IT EXTENDS FROM FOURTH STREET TO LADY BIRD LAKE, UH, ALONG WALLER CREEK.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE ZOOMING IN A LITTLE BIT.

UM, SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THE SCOPE, UM, YOU KNOW, AS MENTIONED THROUGH THE PREVIOUS PLANNING EFFORTS, THIS, UH, PHASE OF THE PROJECT WAS IDENTIFIED AND THE COUNCIL APPROVED WHILE THEIR CREEK DESIGN PLAN, UH, IT COVERS ABOUT 10 ACRES OF PROJECT AREA AND INCLUDES ABOUT A MILE OF TRAILS.

AND, UM, ALSO INCLUDES PEDESTRIAN, UH, BRIDGES, WATER QUALITY, AND UTILITY IMPROVEMENTS.

UM, RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, WE, UH, AS I MENTIONED, WE'VE FINISHED 90% AND WE'RE PREPARING 100% CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS, UM, THAT ARE IN ANTICIPATED BY THE END THE YEAR.

SO WHEN, YOU KNOW, DEFINING THE SCOPE, THIS IS THE SCOPE OF OUR PROJECT AND THE GOALS OF OUR PROJECT.

IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE WHAT WE WERE STARTING WITH.

SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS, UM, A SECTION OF CREEK THAT'S PRETTY REPRESENTATIVE OF EXISTING CONDITIONS WITHIN OUR PROJECT AREA.

UM, YOU KNOW, WATERSHED PROTECTION PERFORMS AN ASSESSMENT OF, OF CREEKS CITYWIDE, AND THIS SECTION RANKED IN THE TOP FIVE WORST EROSION SITES IN THE CITY.

SO IT IS DEFINITELY A, AN AREA OF NEED.

UM, YOU CAN SEE THE FAILED SLOPES THERE EXPOSED UTILITIES, THERE'S THERE'S CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT IS VITAL THAT WE, WE COME IN AND MAKE IMPROVEMENTS HERE.

RESILIENT URBAN CREEK, OUR PAIRING CORRIDOR, AND OF COURSE THE PARK SYSTEM AS WELL.

UM, SO UNLIKE A MORE TYPICAL RESTORATION PROJECT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT RESTORATION MEANS HERE IS REALLY RECONSTRUCTING THE SLOPES AND IN SOME WAYS KIND OF STARTING FROM SCRATCH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, A GUIDING PRINCIPLE OF THE WATERLOO GREENWAY PROGRAM IS, IS TO BUILD AN ECOLOGICALLY ROBUST AND

[02:20:01]

AND SO WHEN WE THOUGHT ABOUT A FRAMEWORK FOR STREAM RESTORATION, I THINK IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT SUCCESS MEANS FOR A STREAM IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT.

THERE ARE AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF CONSTRAINTS, UM, W WHEN YOU'RE NOT ONLY IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT THAT, BUT DOWNTOWN.

SO, UM, ONE THING, UH, THAT, THAT WE USED AS A TOOL FOR THE TEAM WHEN TRYING TO MEASURE SUCCESS AND, AND DEFINE IT WAS, UM, THERE IS AN EXISTING FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT, UH, OF A FLOODPLAIN HEALTH, UH, THAT IS PART OF THE CITY'S ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA MANUAL.

AND YOU CAN SEE ON THE LEFT AND, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO GET DIG THIS IT'S A LITTLE BIT SMALL THERE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CREATED A MATRIX THAT WAS BASED ON SOME OF THE GOALS FOR FUNCTIONAL UPLIFT THAT ARE DEFINED IN THAT FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT.

AND WE ESTABLISHED WAYS THAT WE COULD TRANSLATE THOSE GOALS INTO, UH, DESIGN FEATURES THAT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED AS PART OF THIS PROJECT.

UM, AND SO IN A WAY, WE KIND OF BUILT A LITTLE BIT OF A RESTORATION TOOLBOX THAT, THAT WE COULD USE AS WE WERE DEVELOPING OUR DESIGN.

AND SO THAT INCLUDES LIKE TAKING A SOFTER APPROACH IN HOW WE STABILIZE OUR STOPE SLOPES, USING NATURAL MATERIALS, UM, TO, TO SHORE UP THOSE SLOPES USING, UH, VEGETATION AND AVOIDING, YOU KNOW, HARD WALLS AND CONCRETE AS MUCH AS WE COULD.

AND ALSO JUST REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT DOES WILDLIFE NEED, WHAT DOES VEGETATION NEED TO THRIVE THIS ENVIRONMENT? UM, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT, BUT, YOU KNOW, OVERALL, UM, THERE, THERE ARE QUITE A FEW ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS AND, UM, SYSTEMS THAT, THAT WE USE TO, TO REALLY KIND OF PUSH OURSELVES TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS WAS THE BEST PROJECT THAT IT COULD BE.

AND SO WITH OUR FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT, WE'RE REALLY MEASURING, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE, HOW MUCH ARE WE UPLIFTING THAT OR THAT ENVIRONMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKING IT FROM POOR TO GOOD OR EXCELLENT WHERE WE CAN.

UM, WE'RE ALSO, UM, WE ALSO HAVE A GOAL OF ATTAINING A SUSTAINABLE SITE CERTIFICATION.

SO IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH LEAD OR OTHER GREEN BUILDING INITIATIVES, THIS IS THE LAND DEVELOPMENT OR OUR SITE EQUIVALENT OF THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN BE USED FOR PARKS AND, UH, CREEK PROJECTS.

UM, AND SO WE ARE AIMING FOR THAT GOLD CERTIFICATION AND WE'VE SUBMITTED OUR PRELIMINARY REVIEW, UH, OF OUR APPLICATION.

UM, I WON'T CITE ALL OF THE CREDITS, BUT JUST A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE MANAGING WELL BEYOND OUR BASELINE PRECIPITATION.

UH, HALF OF OUR FUNCTIONAL STORM WATER FEATURES ARE BEING DESIGNED AS PUBLIC AMENITIES.

WE'RE RESTORING 90% OF AQUATICS, UH, ECOSYSTEMS, AND 90% OF OUR TOTAL MATERIALS COSTS ARE SOURCED REGIONALLY.

AND, UM, OUR CURRENT INNOVATION CREDITS HIGHLIGHT EXEMPLARY PERFORMANCE AND CONNECTIVITY AND ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION, UM, AS, AS WELL AS SPOTLIGHTING WATER QUALITY TREATMENT IMPROVEMENTS.

AND THAT BRINGS ME TO MY, THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS WATER QUALITY.

OH, I'M SORRY.

BACK TO THE, THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.

UM, SO TYPICALLY TRAIL PROJECTS AREN'T REQUIRED TO PROVIDE WATER QUALITY, BUT THIS WAS A VERY IMPORTANT BUILDING BLOCK FOR A HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM.

SO IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY IN THIS AREA, WHICH IS NOT EASY BECAUSE THERE'S NOT SPACE DOWNTOWN TO, TO IMPLEMENT THE MEASURES THAT YOU NEED.

UM, BUT ONE REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY THAT, THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PURSUE.

AND THAT HAD BEEN KIND OF IN THE WORKS FOR A LITTLE WHILE, WAS CONVERTING AN EXISTING WET POND, UH, FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER TO A BIOFILTRATION POND.

AND SO THIS, THIS WET POND HAD, UM, SOME ISSUES WITH SOME OF THE STORM INFRASTRUCTURE UPSTREAM, UH, CLOGGING IT HAD SOME FUNCTIONALITY ISSUES AND, AND WAS JUST BUILT TO OLDER DESIGN STANDARDS.

AND SO WE PARTNERED WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER TO LOOK AT A NEW DESIGN FOR THIS, AND WE WERE ABLE TO TREAT 26 OR WE PLAN TO TREAT 26 ACRES, UM, A 26 ACRE DRAINAGE AREA, UM, AND ALSO INCREASE THE TREATMENT EFFICIENCY.

[02:25:01]

SO, UM, THE CURRENT BOND HAS A ABOUT A 25,000 CUBIC FOOT CAPACITY.

UM, WE'RE INCREASING THAT TO 43,000 CUBIC FEET OF WATER QUALITY VOLUME.

UM, AND, AND ONE MEASURE THAT WE REALLY LOOK AT AS AN INDICATOR OF, OF, YOU KNOW, HOW EFFECTIVE A POND IS, IS THE, THE AMOUNT OF TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS THAT ARE BEING REMOVED.

SO THAT WE'RE TAKING THAT FROM ABOUT 12,000 POUNDS TO 13,000 POUNDS.

UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ARE ADDING SOME, UH, FOR INLINE STORM WATER TREATMENT DEVICES.

SO THESE ARE DEVICES THAT ARE PLACED ON STORMWATER MANHOLES, AND THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO CATCH DEBRIS AND TRAP SEDIMENT BEFORE IT MAKES ITS WAY INTO THE CREEK.

UM, AND, AND THEN LASTLY, UH, TREES AND VEGETATION IN GENERAL.

SO AS PART OF THE SITES INITIATIVE, YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION TO CODE REQUIRED TREE PROTECTION, WE'RE ALSO DEFINING VEGETATION AND SOIL PROTECTION ZONES.

SO KIND OF EXPANDING THE AREAS WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO, UM, UH, PROTECT OUR EXISTING VEGETATION.

UM, WE ARE WORKING WITH THE PRIVATE DEVELOPER NEARBY TO TRANSPLANT A HERITAGE COUNTRY, UH, JUST NORTH OF, OF THE MAC PROPERTY.

AND, UM, NOT MORE THAN 95% OF THE PLANTS THAT WERE, ARE BEING BROUGHT TO THE PROJECT WILL BE NEGATIVE.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT OUR PROJECT GOALS AND KIND OF CREATING THAT HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM AND BRINGING WILDLIFE AND BRINGING, YOU KNOW, VEGETATION BACK TO THE CREEK.

BUT OF COURSE ANOTHER GOAL IS BRINGING PEOPLE, UM, UH, BACK TO THE CREEK AS WELL, AND CONNECTING, UM, PEOPLE WITHIN THE CITY TO NATURE.

SO CONNECTIVITY IS OF COURSE, A BIG GOAL.

AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE IS JUST AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF ACTIVITY AROUND US.

WE ARE KIND OF IN THE EPICENTER OF, OF A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE CHANGING AND EVOLVING, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF NOT SHOWN HERE, UH, IS THE MAC MAC PHASE TWO MASTER PLAN THERE'S PROJECT CONNECT, OF COURSE, WITH, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLE PLANS TO PUT STATIONS WITHIN OUR PROJECT AREA.

THERE'S THE EXPANSION OF .

AND THEN OF COURSE THERE'S THE, THE EXPANSION OF THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.

SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH ALL OF THESE STAKEHOLDERS, UM, TO ENSURE THAT THAT OUR PROJECT CAN ALSO SERVE THEIR NEEDS AND COMPLIMENT ONE ANOTHER.

UM, AND ASIDE FROM THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS, THERE ARE ALSO QUITE A FEW PRIVATE IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL.

UM, MIXED USE DEVELOPMENTS THAT INCLUDE SUPER TALL TOWERS AND, AND JUST A LOT OF VERY SUBSTANTIAL, UH, DEVELOP, UH, AS WELL.

UM, SO JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, UH, TRAIL CONNECTIONS AND BRIDGES THAT THAT WILL BE ADDED.

SO, UM, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS THERE ARE THREE BRIDGES, UM, PROPOSED SOUTH OF CESAR CHAVEZ.

AND, AND JUST TO NOTE, AS WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH VALUE ENGINEERING EXERCISES, ONE OF THEM, UM, IS, IS CURRENTLY LISTED AS A BID ALTERNATE.

UM, BUT THERE, THERE'S ALSO QUITE A LONG STRETCH OF ELEVATED WALKWAY, UM, THAT WILL ENABLE US TO GET PEOPLE CLOSER TO CREEK LEVEL AND INTO THESE TIGHT SPACES, UM, WHERE, WHERE IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO FIT SOME OF THESE TRAILS.

UM, AND, AND ONE THING I DID WANT TO POINT OUT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR TRAIL, UH, ONE THING WE'RE ENABLING, UH, PEOPLE IN THE AREA TO DO IS TO KIND OF BYPASS THAT INTERSECTION OF CESAR CHAVEZ AND RED RIVER, WHICH IS QUITE PROBLEMATIC, PLEASE.

AND HERE IS A RENDERING, UH, OF ONE OF OUR LATTICE BRIDGES, JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF, OF HOW IT WILL FEEL TO CROSS THE CREEK SOUTH OF CESAR CHAVEZ.

UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BRIDGES OF COURSE CARRY THAT THE FUNCTIONALITY OF, OF BRINGING PEOPLE ACROSS THE CREEK AND IN SOME CASES CARRYING UTILITIES.

BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, I, I, SOME OF THE INTENT WAS TO REALLY BRING PEOPLE TO THE CREEK.

AND SO WHEN YOU'RE WALKING ACROSS THIS BRIDGE, YOU'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO SEE THROUGH THE BOTTOM, UM, LOOK AT THE WATER AND REALLY KIND OF FEEL IMMERSED, UM, IN THE CREEK ENVIRONMENT.

AND AGAIN, ANOTHER RENDERING HERE, THIS IS NEAR THE CONVENTION CENTER CROSSING UNDERNEATH THE EXISTING CANOPY WALK THAT CONNECTS THE FAIRMONT HOTEL TO THE CONVENTION CENTER.

UH, JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, UH, OF THE EXPERIENCE, UH, ALONG THE TRAIL.

SO IN SOME INSTANCES, YOU'RE UP IN THE TREE CANOPY AND OTHER INSTANCES, YOU'RE, YOU'RE MORE AT CREEK LEVEL.

UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

[02:30:01]

SO, UM, JUST TO FEEL FOR THAT ELEVATED WALKWAY AND THAT RELATION TO THE CREEK, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

UM, AND THEN MOVING NORTH, UH, AS WE GET TOWARDS THE EDGE OF PALM PARK, UM, THERE IS A FEATURE HERE THAT IS, UH, BEING CALLED THE SPRING.

AND AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, THE DESIGN TEAM, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENHANCE WHAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE, UH, JUST A REGULAR STORMWATER OUTFALL, BUT WHERE YOU'RE SEEING, UM, THE ROCK, UM, OUR, THE STONE AREA HERE, IT'S, IT'S BRINGING PEOPLE CLOSER TO THE CREEK AND CREATING AN EXPERIENCE, UM, THAT, THAT BRINGS THEM, UH, YOU KNOW, TO THE WATER.

UM, I WILL MAKE ONE NOTE, YOU KNOW, AS OUR, AS OUR PLANS HAVE EVOLVED, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE HAVE BEEN SLIGHT CHANGES AND THIS RENDERING MIGHT INCLUDE SOME IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN THE PARK.

SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THE, THE NOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT AN EXACT MATCH FOR, FOR WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING WITH CREEK DELTA, BUT IT DOES GIVE US AN IDEA OF THE, THE ULTIMATE, UH, DESIGN HERE.

UM, NEXT SLIDE.

AND THEN LASTLY, UH, UH, AT THE NORTHERN MOST PART OF THE PROJECT.

UM, SO THIS IS JUST SOUTH OF FOURTH STREET.

UM, THIS IS THE, UH, CYPRESS GROVE.

AND SO, UM, IF YOU CAN IMAGINE STANDING ON FOURTH STREET AND LOOKING SOUTH ALONG THE CREEK TOWARDS THIRD STREET, UM, YOU HAVE A TRAIL HEAD THAT'S KIND OF OFF THE PAGE TO THE RIGHT.

AND, UM, IF YOU THINK ABOUT ALL OF THE THINGS IN THIS AREA, YOU'VE GOT THE DOWNTOWN RAIL STATION, UM, TO THE WEST, YOU HAVE THE LANCE ARMSTRONG BIKEWAY CROSSING HERE, AND A CONNECTION OVER TO EAST AUSTIN.

UM, SO THERE'S QUITE A LOT HAPPENING HERE.

UM, AND, AND WE'RE BRINGING QUITE A FEW PEOPLE TO OUR TRAIL SYSTEM, BUT IT MISSED ALL, ALL THE NEW VELA NEW DEVELOPMENT.

UM, THERE'S REALLY BEEN A STRONG EMPHASIS ON, ON WORKING WITH OUR NEIGHBORS AND STAKEHOLDERS TO KIND OF PROTECT THAT NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND STILL GIVE PEOPLE THE FEELING OF BEING IN NATURE.

AND SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS, THE TRAIL BRINGS YOU DOWN, UM, INTO THE CREEK.

AND IN A WAY, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF AN, UH, ESCAPE FROM, UM, THE, THE LARGE BUILDINGS YOU'RE SEEING AROUND YOU.

AND SO, AS FAR AS DELIVERING THIS WORK, UM, RIGHT NOW, AS, AS I MENTIONED, WE ARE IN THE DESIGN PHASE, UH, WE PLAN TO COMPLETE 100% CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS BY THE END OF 2021.

WE'RE ALSO WORKING CONCURRENTLY ON, ON OUR PERMITTING PROCESS, UH, FOR A SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT.

AND SO DURING THIS YEAR, IT'S BEEN IMPORTANT TO US TO MAKE SURE TO, UM, ENGAGE ALL OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT WOULD HAVE INPUT ON OUR PROJECT.

AND THAT OF COURSE INCLUDES THE MAC ORD, WHO WE GOT A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FROM IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR.

UM, AND NOW THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED THE PLANS A LITTLE FURTHER, UM, WE'RE COMING TO YOU TO PRESENT AND WE'LL BE GOING TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, THE DESIGN COMMISSION, AND, UM, OF COURSE TO THE WALNUT CREEK LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION, UM, WE ARE ALSO SEEKING A CONDITIONAL USE APPROVAL FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR, UH, DEVELOPMENT WITHIN ZONING.

SO ANY DEVELOPMENT OVER AN ACRE WITHIN THE PA ZONING DESIGNATION REQUIRES A CONDITIONAL USE SITE PLAN.

UM, SO WE DID THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT TO, TO COME HERE AND, AND, UH, TALK TO YOU ABOUT THIS AND, AND GET YOUR SUPPORT BEFORE PROCEEDING ON TO THESE OTHER, UH, ENTITIES.

UM, AND THEN LASTLY, UM, ONCE, ONCE WE'VE RECEIVED THESE APPROVALS, UM, WE'RE LOOKING TO BID THE PROJECT EARLY NEXT YEAR WITH CONSTRUCTION PROJECTED, UH, IN SUMMER OF NEXT YEAR.

PRIVATE DONATIONS FROM THE CONSERVANCY, UH, AND DEVELOPER AGREEMENTS WITH, WITH THE PRIVATE DEVELOPERS, UM, ADJACENT TO US.

AND AGAIN, JUST, JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW WE'RE DELIVERING THE PROJECT.

WE HAVE, UM, QUITE A FEW, UH, PARTNERS AND QUITE A FEW FUNDING SOURCES WHEN ONE OF THE LARGEST BEING THE WALNUT CREEK TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE.

UM, SO THE TERRORS, UM, AS WELL AS, UH, VARIOUS FUNDING SOURCES WITHIN WATERSHED AND PARKS AND RECREATION, UM,

[02:35:01]

AND I ALSO DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, YOU KNOW, UM, WE'VE HAD SOME GREAT PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS, UM, WHO HAVE INTEREST IN THE PROJECT AREA.

UM, I THINK WHEN, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT A SUSTAINABLE PROJECT, DO YOU THINK ABOUT ADDING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE OR GREEN THINGS, BUT THERE, THERE'S ALSO THE ELEMENT OF JUST, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTING SMARTER AND TALKING TO OUR CITY PARTNERS.

AND SO REALLY TAKING THAT, THAT DIG ONCE APPROACH.

SO WE ARE VERY THANKFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES, UM, THAT THAT WE'VE HAD WITH OUR, WITH OUR OTHER CITY DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENTS.

AND TH AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.

I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR GIVING US THE TIME TO, TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE, UM, AND, AND AS DISCUSSED, UM, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO SEEK TODAY IS A, A RECOMMENDATION OF SUPPORT, UM, FOR THE PROJECT.

UM, AND I DO WANT TO MENTION THAT, UH, AGAIN, OUR PARTNERS AT THE WATERLOO GREENWAY CONSERVANCY, THAT INCLUDES CHRIS PERKS.

WHO'S A PROJECT MANAGER AND MELISSA AYALA, UH, THE, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR, AS WELL AS, UM, PARKS AND RECREATION.

SO THAT'S LISA STORE AND OUR ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWER, UM, PAMELA, AND EXCUSE ME, IF I MISPRONOUNCE THIS, I'LL BE TELE.

UM, BUT THANK YOU AGAIN, AND, AND, UH, PLEASE, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR IT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MS. WEIGHING, I REALLY APPRECIATE THOROUGH, UM, PRESENTATION, AND I'M NOT GOING TO GO IN ORDER.

I KNOW WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE LATE THIS TIME, SO PLEASE JUST RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU HAVE A COMMENT OR A QUESTION AND I'LL CALL THEM FOLKS AS WE GO.

UH, WE'LL START WITH COMMISSIONER BRIMER.

A VERY NICE PRESENTATION.

IT LOOKS LIKE A VERY GOOD PROJECT.

UM, EARLIER IN THE EVENING, WE HAD A PRESENTATION ON SOME WORK AT A DAM ON SHOAL CREEK AND THE PURPOSE OF THE DAM WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT WAS TO MITIGATE, UH, FLOODS AROUND SHOAL CREEK.

AND I KNOW THAT THE, UM, THE BYPASS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE WATERLOO BYPASS OR WHATEVER IT'S CALLED WAS DONE TO IMPART WORK ON THAT AREA.

I GUESS MY CONCERN IS, UH, ARE THERE ENOUGH PROTECTIONS ENGINEERED INTO THIS DESIGN TO MITIGATE AGAINST, UH, YOU KNOW, FLOODS THAT WOULD OCCUR IN WALLER CREEK? THERE'S NOT A LOT OF, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF URBAN AREAS WHERE THERE, SO YOU CAN GET A LOT OF RUNOFF THERE.

THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE ABSORBED, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE GROUND AND THAT SORT OF THING.

SO WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS TO MITIGATE, UH, YOU KNOW, FLOOD WATERS AND SO ALL YOUR HARD WORK ISN'T WASHED AWAY.

AND THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

AND ACTUALLY THE, WHAT THE WALLET, WHAT THE WALNUT CREEK TUNNEL DOES IS IT ACTUALLY ALLOWS FOR FLOODWATERS THAT USED TO RUN THROUGH THE CREEK TO BE BYPASS THROUGH THAT TUNNEL SYSTEM.

SO IT GOES ALL THE WAY FROM WATERLOO PARK, WHERE THERE'S AN INDOLENT FACILITY, AND IT TRAVELS DOWN TO LADY BIRD LAKE, WHERE THERE THERE'S THAT BIG OUTLET STRUCTURE NEXT TO THE WALNUT CREEK BOAT HOUSE.

AND SO WHAT THAT DID WAS IT REDUCED THE AREA OF THE 100 YEAR FLOOD, PLAIN WITHIN THE SECTION OF WALLER CREEK THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.

NOW, AS FAR AS OUR DESIGN, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR GOAL TO KEEP THE TRAILS THEMSELVES, UM, OUTSIDE OF THAT 100 YEAR FLOOD PLAIN.

SO, UM, WE'RE PRIMARILY KEEPING THOSE TRAILS ABOVE THE A HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD PLAIN.

AND OF COURSE THE, THE ARMORING, THE SLOPE STABILIZATION, EVERYTHING ELSE HAS BEEN, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, DESIGNED IN A WAY TO SUPPORT WHAT WE'RE CALLING POST TUNNEL FLOWS.

SO NOW WE HAVE A NEW, UM, A NEW MODEL THAT CONSIDERS THE FACT THAT THE TUNNEL IS IN PLACE.

UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE IN THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT WERE AFRAID OF, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS OR WHATEVER, ATTACKING PEOPLE IN THAT AREA.

GO TO COMMISSIONER NEXT.

HEY, Y'ALL UM, YEAH, FIRST OFF, YOU KNOW, UH, WATERLOO PARK IS CRAZY, UH, VIA MOODY AMPHITHEATER.

I WAS THERE FOR ONE OF THE GARY CLARK JR.

SHOWS, UH, YOU KNOW, IMPRESSIVE VENUE THAT THE CITY, UH, HAS CONSTRUCTED.

UM, YOU KNOW, I'M A BIG TRAIL GUY TOO, SO, YOU KNOW, EVER SINCE THEY FINISHED OUT THE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL, YOU KNOW, WITH PEACE PARK AND ALL THAT, I'VE BEEN TAKEN BAD UP NORTH, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS UNTIL I CAN DO THE SAME WITH THIS, UH, THIS WALNUT CREEK WATERLOO CREEK THING ALL THE WAY UP NORTH.

UH, MY QUESTION WAS, UM, IT SEEMED LIKE WHEN YOU WERE TALKING AT THE END THERE THAT, UH, THE WORK WILL PROBABLY STOP, I GUESS, IN THIS PROPOSAL AROUND LIKE FOURTH STREET.

UM, I KNOW IN LIKE YEARS PAST, THERE WERE SOME ISSUES WITH THE PART OF WALNUT CREEK THAT'S AROUND LIKE SEVENTH AND RED RIVER AROUND WHAT USED TO BE BEER LAND.

UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK,

[02:40:01]

SO THEY LIKE, LIKE A FENCE THAT BLOCKS OFF WALNUT CREEK FROM LIKE AN ALLEY OR SOMETHING.

UM, DO Y'ALL IS THAT AS WORKING ON THAT AREA? PART OF THE PROPOSAL? UM, CAUSE YEAH, I MEAN, Y'ALL GOT WALNUT CREEK LOOKING LIKE YO Y'ALL TO TURN INTO LIKE BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA OR SOMETHING.

RIGHT.

VERY, VERY IMPRESSIVE, UH, YOU KNOW, PICTURES IN THERE FOR SURE.

AND I WAS JUST WONDERING HOW FAR THE WORK PLANS TO EXTEND OR IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY PLANS TO EXTEND IT AND SORT OF CONNECT THE AREAS OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, WATERLOO PARK AND SORT OF THE WATERLOO GREENWAY THAT Y'ALL ARE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

AND THAT'S THAT THIRD PHASE, UM, OF THE PROGRAM WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF, WE STARTED WITH THE NORTH AT THE NORTH WITH WATERLOO PARK, GOING TO THE SOUTH WITH A, WHAT WE'RE CALLING CREEK DELTA IN THE MIDDLE.

IT IS WHERE WE WILL BE DEVELOPING, UM, A TRAIL CONNECTION TO, TO PULL OFF.

SO THAT'S LIKE THE NEXT PHASE ESSENTIALLY.

OKAY, COOL.

COOL.

COMMISSIONER SCOTT, MIKE.

YEAH, THERE YOU GO.

I BEAUTIFUL PRESENTATION.

I COULDN'T, I WASN'T SURE.

UH, ARE YOU, HAVE YOU TAKEN, UH, UH, DISABILITY ISSUE? IT LOOKS LIKE FROM THE, YOU KNOW, THE BEAUTIFUL RAMPS AND SO FORTH THAT IT WOULD BE ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, UM, PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE ON A SCOOTER OR, UH, OR, UH, IN A WHEELCHAIR, SOMETHING OF THAT SORT, UH, OR TRICYCLE, WHAT WOULD, THESE ARE THE AREAS ALL, UH, DISABILITY, UH, ACCESSIBLE AND ALSO FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO, UH, CAN GO SO FAR AND THEN THEY REALLY NEED TO JUST TAKE A BREAK OR THEY'RE GOING TO BE ENOUGH BENCHES THAT YOU CAN FIND A PLACE TO SIT DOWN.

AND THOSE THAT'S ABOUT IT.

AND, UH, I CERTAINLY, I CERTAINLY THINK IT IS GOING TO ENHANCE THE, THE AREA.

IT REALLY LOOKS GREAT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.

AND WE ARE ABSOLUTELY MAKING THE TRAIL ACCESSIBLE, SO IT IS BOTH ADA ACCESSIBLE, UM, BUT WE'RE ALSO KIND OF EXCEEDING THOSE REQUIREMENTS AND, UM, TRYING TO DELIVER A UNIVERSALLY ACCESSIBLE TRAIL.

UM, AND LISA AND CHRIS, IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD TO THAT AS WELL, UM, OR FREE TO CHIME IN.

SUSTAINABLE ELEMENTS OF THE PROJECT.

SORRY, DIANA.

I WASN'T SURE IF, UH, CHRIS WAS GOING TO JUMP IN.

APOLOGIES.

UM, THANKS SO MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION.

UH, COMMISSIONER LISA, DO YOU MIND INTRODUCING YOURSELF JUST SINCE YOU HAVEN'T SPOKEN YET? CERTAINLY FACE HI THERE I'M LISA STORE, I'M A PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.

AND SO WE ARE THE CO-SPONSORS, UM, FROM THE CITY SIDE FOR THIS PARTNERSHIP IN THE ONE OF THE GREEN LINE, UM, THE ENTIRE PROGRAM AS A, AS DIANA SAID, A UNIVERSAL ACCESSIBILITY GOAL.

AND, UM, IT IS ALSO, I THINK IN, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S EXHIBITED IN THE DESIGN AT WATERLOO PARK, SO IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

UM, IF YOU ALL WERE, WERE WILLING TO COME OUT AND DO A LITTLE TOUR, WE CAN HIGHLIGHT THAT WITH YOU ALL AS WELL.

UM, ALL OF THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY PATHWAYS ARE DESIGNED TO BE ADA ACCESSIBLE.

AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT UNIVERSAL ACCESSIBILITY MEANS AND THE DIFFERENCE THERE, IT'S ESSENTIALLY THAT THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY SORT OF MAJOR SWITCHBACKS OR RAMPS WITH LANDINGS.

THE INTENTION IS THAT ALL OF THE SLOPES ABOUT PRIMARY TRAIL ARE, ARE LOW ENOUGH THAT THAT IT'S JUST LIKE A CONTINUOUS PATHWAY.

THERE DOESN'T NEED TO BE THOSE SORT OF, UH, AREAS OF REFUGE.

UM, IN ADDITION, I THINK MELISSA OR CHRIS, UH, FROM THE CONSERVANCY CAN PROBABLY TALK ABOUT THE INTERPRETATION, UM, THAT EXISTS OR THAT WILL EXIST FROM A SIGNAGE STANDPOINT, UH, TO BE OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL.

UM, MELISSA YALA WITH WATERLOO GREENWAY, UM, JUST TO ADD ON TO LISA'S POINT, UM, WE, IF YOU'VE BEEN TO WATERLOO PARK, UM, YOU, YOU WILL SCORE IF YOU DECIDE TO JOIN US.

UM, YOU'LL SEE A SERIES OF INTERPRETIVE SIGNS, UM, THAT SPEAK TO THE HISTORY OF THE SPACE, UM, HONORING THE HISTORY OF OUR ORIGINAL, UM, RESIDENTS, UM, SPEAKING TO OUR INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY, THE ORIGINAL BLACK COMMUNITY THAT LIVED IN WATERLOO PARK, BUT ALSO THE ORIGINAL WATERLOO PARK.

AND ALSO TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL WORK THAT WE'VE DONE, SOME OF THE TECHNIQUES THAT DIANA SPOKE TO WITH THE FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT, UM, AND THEN OUR VARIOUS

[02:45:01]

UM, AND SO WHAT YOU'LL EXPERIENCE AT CREEK DELTA IS A SIMILAR, UM, TYPE OF EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT, UM, THAT INCLUDES SIMILAR THEMES, BUT SPECIFIC TO THAT SPACE.

UM, SO WE'LL SPEAK TO THE HISTORY OF THE CREEK DELTA AREA, THE HISTORY OF THE MACK, THE INTERSECTION OF ALL THESE CULTURAL ASSETS AND REALLY HOW WE'RE CONNECTING FOLKS TO ALL OF THESE SITES, UM, IN HER PROJECT.

UM, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UH, ANOTHER QUESTION FROM COMMISSIONER GUERRERO, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO COMMISSIONER BARRETT AND THEN I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO WRAP UP COMMISSIONER GUERRERO.

I THINK SHE'S ON MUTE.

YOU'RE ON MUTE.

SORRY.

THERE YOU GO.

THIS SLIDE ON FUNDING SOURCES THAT YOU LISTED WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT, UM, YOU KNOW, PIECES.

I WOULD LIKE A PERCENTAGE, LIKE I WANT TO KNOW WHO'S GIVING THE TOP DOLLAR, WHO'S KEEPING THE LEAST AMOUNT HE'S GIVING 50, SO YOU COULD SEND THAT TO ME LATER.

YOU SHOULD INCLUDE PERCENTAGE JUST SO THAT WE KNOW WHICH HOW'S IT SHAKING OUT AND IF THIS TIF IS REALLY WORKING OR WHATEVER IT WAS, THANK YOU.

I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND WE CAN SEND THAT OVER.

COMMISSIONER BARRETT.

MY MIKE'S ON NOW.

UM, THANK YOU.

SO MY QUESTION IS SPECIFIC TO THE INCREASED ACCESSIBILITY, UM, TO THE, THE, BASICALLY THE, THE WATER FROM THESE URBAN AREAS ARE, AND THIS IS AN EDUCATIONAL QUESTION FOR YOU.

UM, IT'S NOT LIKE A LOADED QUESTION.

I'M JUST, I'M REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT THIS.

WHAT KIND OF SAFETY MEASURES ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE VETTED OUT IN THE PLANNING PROCESS WHEN YOU ARE LIKE INCREASING ACCESSIBILITY, LIKE TO THIS LARGER SCALE, LIKE IN ADDITION TO JUST SIGNS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, ARE, HOW DOES THAT GO INTO THE KIND OF ENGINEERING OF, OF THE TRAILS, UM, AND JUST, JUST KIND OF THE LAYOUT OF GREAT QUESTION.

SO, UM, I WILL SAY THAT, THAT SOME OF OUR RENDERINGS, YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE YOU GOT PEOPLE REALLY KIND OF INSIDE THE CREEK OR, OR A LITTLE BIT OF AN ELABORATION, WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY BRINGING SOMEONE INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE CREEK.

UM, BUT ANYTIME WHERE YOU, LIKE YOU SAID, WE'RE BRINGING, BRINGING PEOPLE CLOSER TO THAT WATER.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, ONE, ONE SAFETY, UH, CONSIDERATION, UM, IS, UH, SIGNAGE TO SAY IN THE EVENT OF A FLOOD, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S, IF THERE'S A RAIN EVENT, PLEASE KIND OF LEAVE THIS AREA.

SO HAVING THAT, UM, THAT SAFETY SIGNAGE, UM, WE'VE, WE'VE ALSO HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EMS ABOUT JUST UNDERSTANDING THEIR ABILITY TO GET TO ALL PARTS OF THE TRAIL.

UM, SO THAT WAS PART OF OUR DESIGN PROCESS AS WELL IS JUST KIND OF UNDERSTANDING, UM, YEAH, LIKE WHAT WILL THEY HAVE THAT LINE OF SIGHT AND WILL THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET TO SOMEONE QUICKLY? UM, AND OUTSIDE OF THAT, YOU KNOW, IF MELISSA OR, OR CHRIS, IF YOU'D LIKE TO COMMENT AS WELL.

YEAH, I'LL JUST ADD A LITTLE BIT.

SO, UM, ANOTHER DESIGN COMPONENT IS OUR LIGHTING, UM, OUR LIGHTING PACKAGE AND LIGHTING FOR OUR PRIMARY TRAILS AND SECONDARY TRAILS, AND MAKING SURE THAT EVEN AFTER SUNDOWN FOLKS CAN SEE WHERE THEY'RE GOING, UM, WHILE ALSO BEING SENSITIVE TO THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN PROTECT THAT SPACE AND NOT OVERWHELM, UM, THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT WITH OUR LIGHTING.

UM, AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, SO WATERLOO, GREENWAY, UM, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LONG-TERM OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF OUR SPACES.

UM, AND SO WHEN YOU GO OUT TO WATERLOO PARK, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WE HAVE A TEAM, UM, THAT WORKS IN THE PARK ON A DAILY BASIS.

UM, SO WE HAVE A PARKS DIRECTOR, UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, UH, IN THEIR AMBASSADOR PROGRAM.

UM, SO AT WATERLOO PARK, THAT'S BEEN A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ALSO HAVE A CONSISTENT PRESENCE ON THE GROUND.

UM, WITH FOLKS THERE WHO CAN BE A RESOURCE FOR INFORMATION, OR ALSO, UM, KEEPING TRACK OF ANY NEEDS FOR MAINTENANCE, ANY NEEDS FOR REPAIRS ON THE GROUND, TOO.

UM, JUST ANYTHING ELSE? COMMISSIONER BARRETT.

THERE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE PALM DISTRICT PLANNING INITIATIVE, THAT'S HAPPENING, I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN HOW THE FOCUSED EFFORT THAT'S HAPPENING ON WALLER CREEK CAN EXTEND INTO THE URBAN FABRIC AND STREETSCAPE OF SOME OF THE COMPONENTS OF DOWNTOWN.

JUST ONE, ONE QUICK COMMENT FROM ME.

AND I KNOW IT'S SLIGHTLY OUT OF THE BOUNDARY OF WHERE YOU'RE LOOKING, BUT I THINK ESPECIALLY WITH ALL OF THE ATTENTION THAT'S BEEN PLACED ON GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND RESTORING THE LOCAL ECOLOGY

[02:50:01]

AND SO I THINK I JUST SAW YOU RAISE YOUR EYEBROWS.

I, I'M GOING TO ASK ABOUT THAT AGAIN.

SO I WANT TO PUT IT A BUG IN YOUR EAR ON THAT ALREADY.

UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT I REALLY WANT TO HEAR MORE ABOUT AS PALM DISTRICT WORK KEEPS GOING.

UM, OKAY.

ANYTHING ELSE? ALL RIGHT.

I NEED TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.

UH, COMMISSIONER THOMPSON.

YOU HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.

COULDN'T FIND ON MUTE.

YEAH, JUST BIKE, UH, PARKING PLEASE.

THAT'S A GREAT COMMENT.

AND IT IS, UM, I BELIEVE IT'S A SITE'S CREDIT, BUT, UM, UH, AS WELL.

SO, SO YES, THAT IS, THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US.

WELL, THANKS AGAIN FOR, FOR A GREAT PRESENTATION.

UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF SOMEONE CAN GIVE ME A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, UH, COMMISSIONER BEDFORD AS A FIRST SECOND BY COMMISSIONER SCOTT.

UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.

I HAVE A MOTION, UM, FOR THIS ITEM, UH, THAT I'D LIKE TO READ OUT.

UM, WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND, UM, AND WATERLOO GREENWAY CONSERVANCIES WORK TO RESTORE AND ENHANCE THE WALLER CREEK DELTA WILL IMPROVE BOTH THE LOCAL ECOLOGICAL FUNCTION OF THE DELTA AS WELL AS PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO CONNECT WITH NATURE IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.

AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THIS PROJECT WILL PURSUE AN ATTAIN SUSTAINABLE SITES CERTIFICATION.

THEREFORE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THE CITY COUNCIL RECOMMENDS CITY COUNCILS OF THE WATERLOO GREENWAY CREEK DELTA PROJECT.

AND I DON'T HAVE ANY CONDITIONS LISTED CURRENTLY.

SECOND SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BEDFORD.

ANY DISCUSSION? DO YOU HAVE DISCUSSION? YEAH, SURE.

UH, W W WITH REGARDS TO SAFETY, I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO, UH, BE SURE THAT THERE AREN'T ANY, UM, UH, TRAILS WITH A DROP-OFF, UH, WHERE SOMEONE COULD JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN IMAGINE, I JUST WANT IT TO BE, THAT'S MY ONE CONCERN AS FAR AS THE SAFETY GOES, UM, BECAUSE THAT CAN BE A REAL PROBLEM.

IS THAT SOMETHING NEW, BUT YOU'VE, UH, MADE SURE THAT IS ADDRESSED ADEQUATELY COMMISSIONER SCOTT WE'VE CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.

WE USUALLY CAN'T ASK THEIR QUESTIONS ANYMORE.

UM, BUT IF THEY'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT ADA, THEN THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN TAKEN CARE OF ALONG WITH CITY CODE.

SO IN THAT IT'S, I JUST WANT IT TO BE, UH, UH, MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, THAT IT'S DOES MEET THE ADA REQUIREMENTS AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.

UM, I'M SURE THAT THEY'RE TAKING THAT INTO ACCOUNT AND THEY'LL TAKE YOUR COMMENT INTO ACCOUNT ON THE RECORD.

UM, THANK YOU.

BUT ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION ON THE TABLE? ALL RIGHT.

THEN WE WILL GO TO A VOTE, UH, STARTING WITH MR. BEDFORD.

COMMISSIONER SCOTT, UH, COMMISSIONER COIN.

COMMISSIONER CRASHING.

YEP.

AYE.

UH, COMMISSIONER BARRETT.

COMMISSIONER GUERRERA YES.

COMMISSIONER BRIMER YES.

COMMISSIONER THOMPSON.

MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

Y'ALL UH, REALLY GOOD LUCK.

CAN'T WAIT TO GET TO EXPERIENCE THIS PARK.

SO, ALL RIGHT.

MOVING ON TO OUR FINAL

[5. COMMITTEE REPORTS]

AGENDA ITEM OF THE NIGHT.

UM, WE'RE ON TO ITEM FIVE COMMITTEE REPORTS.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY, ANYTHING TO REPORT BACK FROM COMMITTEES? JUST, JUST TO QUICK UPDATE? YEP.

SCHWAB, ONE OF THE THINGS WATERSHED PROTECTION STAFF, LIZ JOHNSON, SHE'S WORKED, UH, WORKING WITH THE, UH, WORKING GROUP ON THE SHORELINE AT THE ENDEAVOR SHIP SITE.

AND, UH, WILLIE APPRECIATE HER HELP THIS, THIS PAST MONTH.

WITH REGARD TO, UH, UM, FURTHER WORK ON, ON, UH, CLIMATE EQUITY.

UM, I ALSO KNOW THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER SCOTT WANTED TO CHAT REALLY QUICKLY ABOUT COMMITTEE WORKING GROUP IDEAS.

YOU WANT TO DO THAT TONIGHT? I I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE THAT WE REALLY KNOW YET WHAT WE'RE DOING.

UM, WE'RE, UH, WE'RE EXPLORING, UH, IDEAS, UM,

[02:55:01]

UM, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO, WE DON'T WANT TO REINVENT THE WHEEL DO WHAT'S DUE, UH, SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE.

SO, UM, I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE FURTHER DEFINED AND PROBABLY BETTER DONE ELSEWHERE THEN, THEN, UH, THEN HERE TO TONIGHT.

IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE CAN DISCUSS MORE, UM, WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, GOING INTO QUORUM ISSUES, BUT I'M HAPPY TO CONTINUE CONVERSATION.

AND I THINK IT'S GOOD FOR OTHER FOLKS TO KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME CONVERSATIONS GOING ON WITH NEW COMMISSIONERS AROUND CLIMATE EQUITY WORK.

UM, SO THAT THAT'S GREAT.

AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT Y'ALL'S PASSION FOR IT.

YEAH, IT DEFINITELY, IT, ANYONE ELSE THAT, UH, IS INTERESTED IN, IN JOINING IN THAT, UH, HARRISON AND I HAVE TALKED BRIEFLY, UH, TWO EMAILS ABOUT IT, BUT, UM, NOT EVEN TO THE EXTENT OF, OF, UH, SPECIFIC IDEAS, IT'S SIMPLY AN AREA OF INTEREST.

SO IF ANYONE ELSE, UH, WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US IN THAT, UM, UH, PLEASE, PLEASE LET US KNOW.

GREAT.

ANY, ANY OTHER COMMITTEE, UH, REPORTS.

ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT BEFORE WE ADJOURN? OKAY.

THEN WE WILL ADJOURN AT NINE 10.