* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [CALL TO ORDER]
          [00:00:29]
          2021 WATER IN WASTEWATER COMMISSION, REGULAR MEETINGS. 
          [A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
MOTION MADE BY VICE CHAIR, PERRY FOR APPROVAL. 
          IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND MADE BY COMMISSIONER?  ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND, SHOWING ALL PRESENT, UH, CONSENT TO IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NOW 
          [B. ITEMS FOR COMMISSION’S REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION FOR APPROVAL TO CITY COUNCIL]
LET'S MOVE TO ITEM B AND WE WANT TO GO AROUND THE TABLE AND ESKER COMMISSIONER. 
          YOU'VE GOT ANY QUESTIONS OR RECUSE SAUCE. 
          AND IF WE GOT RECUSED, THOSE PLEASE STATE THE REASON THAT YOU'RE RECUSING YOUNG. 
          IT, WE START WITH COMMISSIONER MORIARTY, COMMISSIONER PAIN QUESTIONS, NO RECUSALS COMMISSIONER, MICHELLE QUESTIONS, RECUSAL AND ITEM B SEVEN. 
          MY ENGINEERING FIRM IS WORKING FOR THE DEVELOPER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTION OR THE QSO VICE CHAIR. 
          CASTLEBERRY. 
          NO QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER UP. 
          NO QUESTIONS. 
          NO RECUSALS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS, NO QUESTIONS. 
          NO RECUSAL. 
          COMMISSIONER FISHER, NO QUESTIONS. 
          NO RECUSALS. 
          OKAY. 
          SORTA CONSENT ITEMS ARE ITEM B 1, 2, 3, 4 5 6, 8, 9, 10, AND 11. 
          AM I CORRECT? IS THERE A MOTION MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER MORIARTY AND SECOND BY A COMMITTEE? VICE CHAIR, CASTLEBERRY. 
          ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND SHOWING APPROVAL AN MSD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          [B.7. Recommend approval of a resolution authorizing the issuance by Pilot Knob Municipal Utility District No. 3 of $11,390,000 Unlimited Tax Bonds, Series 2021.]
NOW LET'S MOVE TO ITEM B SEVEN. 
          WE COMMEND APPROVAL TO NEGOTIATE AN EXECUTE, AN ADVANCED NO, WHAT? I'M SORRY. 
          NUMBER SEVEN. 
          WE COMMAND APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ISSUE OF PARADOX NAP. 
          MONISH PAUL, YOU DID DISTRICT NUMBER THREE OF  $90,000 UNLIMITED TEXT PONG. 
          SHE READS 2021 AND COMMISSIONER MICHELLE IS RECUSING ON IT. 
          IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OR ANY MOTION MOTION MADE BY, UH, VICE CHAIR? CASTLEBERRY IS THIS SECOND SECOND MADE BY COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS SHOW IN PAYNE. 
          MONIA T CASTLEBERRY. 
          UH, UM, WE SURE. 
          MAX GROPE AND WILLIAMS AND, UH, COMMISSIONER MICHELLE ABSTAIN. 
          ELOCUTION. 
          I'M SORRY, ACCUSING. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          OKAY, LET'S MOVE ON. 
          LET'S JUMP TO THE AGENDA. 
          I DID OPIATES. 
          UH, LET'S MOVE 
          [D.2. Capital Contracting Outreach Briefing]
TO ITEM T TO CAPITAL CONTRACTING OUTREACH BRIEFING. 
          GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS SHANE RAWLS, ROLSON ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OR ENGINEERING SERVICES. 
          UH, AND TONIGHT WE HAVE, UH, UH, DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL CONTRACTING OFFICE, ROLANDO FERNANDEZ HERE TO GIVE US A BRIEFING ON OUTREACH EFFORTS. 
          GOT IT. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          I'M ROLANDA FERNANDEZ WITH THE CAPITAL CONTRACTING OFFICE. 
          THANK YOU, SHEA FOR INVITING ME HERE. 
          UH, MR. UH, DIRECTOR, GREG  IS NOT HERE WITH US, BUT ALSO FOR THE INVITATION TO COME HERE AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT OUR PROCESS FOR A CAPITAL CONTRACT IN OFFICE. 
          RIGHT? SO WHAT DOES CAPITAL CONTRACT IN OFFICE BEFORE I GO ON MY PRESENTATION, ULTIMATELY THE OFFICE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROCUREMENT OF ALL CIP CAPITAL PERMIT PROJECTS RELATED CONTRACTS. 
          SO, UH, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SUCH AS ENGINEERS, ARCHITECTS, 
          [00:05:01]
AND THEN CONSTRUCTION. 
          SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE DO IN THE PRIOR POINT AND THEN REALLY FOCUS ON AN AREA OF CONCERN THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS HAD REGARDING ONE BIDDER SOLICITATIONS. 
          SO IT HAS SOME DATA TO SHARE WITH YOU AND THEN, UM, REALLY PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT ON OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, QUITE HONESTLY, AND THEN SOME IDEAS OF WHAT WE HAVE COMING UP, UH, MOVING FORWARD AND REALLY, UH, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL MAY HAVE DURING THE POWERPOINT, OR WE CAN WAIT TOWARDS THE END OF THE POWERPOINT WHEN WE HAVE A SLIDE THAT SAYS QUESTIONS. 
          SO I'M HERE AT YOUR SERVICE AND I'M HAPPY TO ADDRESS ANY CONCERNS THAT Y'ALL MAY HAVE. 
          OKAY. 
          SO I'LL START WITH SLIDE NUMBER ONE AND, UH, Y'ALL HAVE COPIES. 
          GREAT. 
          I KNOW IT'S HARD FOR ME TO SEE THE SCREEN SINCE I'M GOING TO BE LOOKING HERE JUST TO STAY ON POINT AND, UH, WE'LL GO FROM THERE. 
          SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO TALK ABOUT? WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR VISION, OUR MISSION AND GOALS, UH, HOW WE CONDUCT AND WHAT WE DO FOR A INVITATION FOR BID PROCUREMENTS, WHICH IS WHAT OTHER PEOPLE CALL IT. 
          SOME PEOPLE CALL IT COMPETITIVE BIDDING. 
          WE'LL LOOK AT SOME COMPARISON DATA REGARDING PRE-BID THE INFORMATION MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE FOR FOLKS TO COME IN AND LEARN ABOUT THE PROJECTS AND THEN THE RESULTS OF OUR BID PROCESS. 
          WE'LL ALSO FOCUS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, WHAT WE DO WHEN WE SEE LOW ATTENDANCE AT, UH, PREVIOUS MEETINGS AND BIDS, THE MIDDLE, UM, SOME INFORMATION ON OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. 
          UM, THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN CONSIDERING DOING MOVING FORWARD. 
          AND THEN AGAIN, ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS, UH, FOR YOU ALL. 
          SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR VISION AND MISSION. 
          UM, OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO BE A VALUABLE BUSINESS PARTNER FOR DEPARTMENTS LIKE AUSTIN, WATER, AVIATION, AUSTIN, ENERGY WATERSHED PROTECTION. 
          SO EVERY DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT HAS A COUPLE OF PERMIT PROGRAM WORKS THROUGH US TO PROCURE THE CONTRACTS NEEDED FOR THEIR DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR SERVICES. 
          AND SO I KIND OF SEE THIS AS A THREE RING CIRCUS, RIGHT? IT'S US CCO. 
          THERE IS A DEPARTMENT OF AUSTIN WATER AND THIS EXAMPLE, AND THEN THERE'S PUBLIC WORKS, WHO PROVIDES A LOT OF THE PROJECT MANAGERS THAT OVERSEE THOSE PROJECTS AND THAT'S THE CITY SIDE. 
          AND THEN THERE'S THE OFFSIDE SIDE, RIGHT? WHICH IS THE CONSULTANTS AND THE CONTRACTORS THAT ARE VALUABLE THAT WE NEED TO HELP DELIVER OUR CIP PROJECTS. 
          WE CAN'T DO THIS ON OUR OWN. 
          AND SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT, WHEN I TALK ABOUT THE STUFF THAT WE DO, RECOGNIZING THAT WE COULDN'T BE SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT OUR PARTNERS AND THE ENGINEERING COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA COMMUNITY AND THE CONSTRUCTION COMMUNITY. 
          SO THOSE ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR US AND WE BUILD OUR PROGRAM AND THE WAY THAT WE WANT TO HEAR THEIR FEEDBACK AND COMMUNICATE THEM IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE FOR THEM TO COME IN AND, AND, AND SUBMIT RESPONSES OR BIDS THROUGH OUR PROJECTS. 
          SO THAT HAVE A BUSINESS PARTNER TO OUR PARTNERS IN CIP, BUT ALSO IN THE EXTERNAL FOLKS THAT WE WORK WITH ON A DAILY BASIS, OUR MISSION IS TO PROCURE AND MANAGE CONTRACTS, SUPPORTING CAPITAL AND PREMIERE PROJECTS, UH, THAT IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE. 
          SO OUR COMMUNITY, OBVIOUSLY THEY PLAY, THEY TOUCH, THEY SEE, UH, ALL OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT FOLKS, UM, IN THE CITY PROVIDE FOR THEM IN THIS CASE, UH, WATER WATERWAY SERVICES, A COUPLE MORE GOALS. 
          UM, WE FOCUS A LOT ON ENSURING TIMELY SERVICES OF OUR CONTRACTS. 
          UM, FOR ME AS A PERSON THAT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OVERALL DELIVERY OF OUR SERVICES, YOU KNOW, REALLY EMPHASIZED TO MY TEAM MEMBERS IN MY OFFICE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE REALLY FOCUSED ON QUALITY AND ON TIME DELIVERY, RIGHT. 
          WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK GOING ON AND WE WANT TO GET THOSE CONTRACTS OUT IN A TIMELY MANNER, UH, AND A HIGH LEVEL OF QUALITY OF SERVICE. 
          THE NEXT GOAL IS REALLY MORE INTERNAL FOR US. 
          AND IT'S BASICALLY TALKING ABOUT CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE MY TEAM MEMBERS, UH, THEY FEEL CONNECTED WITH ONE ANOTHER. 
          THEY FELT EMPOWERED AND THEY'RE COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE. 
          I AM A FIRM BELIEVER THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE HAPPY DOING WHAT THEY DO, THEY DO BETTER WORK AT IT. 
          AND SO MY RESPONSIBILITY AS A DIRECTOR IS TO ENSURE THAT THEY COME FROM AN ENVIRONMENT OR WORK IN AN ENVIRONMENT IN THIS CASE, THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS ARE STILL WORKING FROM HOME WHERE THEY FEEL CONNECTED AND EMPOWERED, UH, VALUED, TRUSTED, UM, AND THAT WAY THEY CAN DELIVER THE BEST SERVICES FOR US. 
          ONE OF OUR GOAL HAS BEEN EVEN, OR NOT IS TO PROMOTE COMPETITION IN RCIP CONTRACTS. 
          SO Y'ALL RAISED A REALLY GOOD POINT PREVIOUSLY WHEN Y'ALL HAD ITEMS COME TO YOU FOR CONSIDERATION TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDED MARION COUNCIL, WHERE YOU ONLY SAW ONE BIDDER, IT'S BEEN OUR PRIORITY FOR, FOR A LONG TIME NOW TO REALLY ENSURE THAT WE HAVE COMPETITION IN OUR CONTRACTS. 
          WE BELIEVE THAT WHEN THERE'S COMPETITION, WE GET BETTER SERVICE FOR IT, RIGHT? WE GET BETTER VALUE IN TERMS OF PRICING. 
          WE GET BETTER VALUE IN TERMS OF THE QUALITY OF THE COMPETITION. 
          AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS KNOW THAT THE CITY IS OPEN, RIGHT? AND WE WANT THEM TO COME IN AND SUBMIT RESPONSES OR BIDS THROUGH OUR PROJECTS. 
          AND, AND I'LL TALK TO SOME ABOUT HOW WE DO THAT. 
          UM, SO IT'S BEEN A GOAL OF OURS AND I'LL JUST TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'VE DONE AND WHAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO IN THAT AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY. 
          AND THEN SOMETHING 
          [00:10:01]
THAT A LOT OF FOLKS ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH. 
          AND THIS IS REALLY DROVE FROM A COUNCIL RESOLUTION WHERE COUNCIL WANTED US TO LEVERAGE OUR CONTRACTS, TO PROVIDE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR COMMUNITY. 
          SO IN OUR CONTRACTS IN AUSTIN WATER CONTRACTS, DEPENDING ON THE DOLLAR VALUE, WE ACTUALLY SAID, UM, REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CONTRACTOR THAT GETS THE CONTRACT TO BRING ON BOARD APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES OR, UH, ON THE JOB TRAINEES. 
          AND WE WORK WITH, UM, THE LOCAL UNION, UH, NETWORK. 
          WE ALSO WORK WITH, UM, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS, THE NONPROFIT SIDE TO CONNECT THE FOLKS THAT THEY SERVE, RIGHT. 
          AND PROVIDE THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO COME IN AND WORK AND HOPEFULLY GAIN A REALLY GOOD JOB, RIGHT. 
          AND IN OUR, WITHIN OUR CONTRACT. 
          SO THAT'S ONE OF OUR GOALS HERE AS WELL, BUT REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON THE ONE THAT, UM, IS KEY TO THIS CONVERSATION, THE COMPETITION FOR CIP CONTRACTS. 
          SO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR VISION MISSION AND OUR GOALS, AND NOT WHEN I PROVIDE YOU SOME, UH, SOME DATA THAT YOU'RE GOING TO FIND ON SLIDE NUMBER SIX. 
          SO SINCE AUGUST OF 2019 TO CURRENT, UH, WE VISITED 30 SOLICITATIONS FOR THE AUSTIN WATER DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY AUSTIN WATER AND WATERWAY SERVICES. 
          IT'S THE DEPARTMENT OF AUSTIN WATER, REGARDLESS OF THE TYPE OF SCOPE OF WORK OVERALL 30 CONTRACTS THAT WE'VE ISSUED SINCE AUGUST OF 2019, THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF NUMBER OF BIDS THAT WE RECEIVED PERSONALIZATION IS 4.3. 
          AND, UH, GOING BACK AND LOOKING AT THAT DATA, WE'VE HAD FIVE SOLICITATIONS, OH, SORRY. 
          I THOUGHT I PUSHED IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE'VE HAD FIVE SOLICITATIONS TO WERE, UH, INDEFINITE DELIVERY, INDEFINITE QUANTITY, UH, WHICH ARE STILL COMPETITIVE BIDDING. 
          WE'RE LOOKING AT THE LOWEST BID, BUT WE SAT, UH, QUANTITIES THERE TO, UH, DEVELOP THE PRICE. 
          AND THEN WE'VE DONE THREE SMALL STANDALONE PROJECTS. 
          SO 30 SOLICITATIONS OF THOSE FIVE WHERE WE SAW ONE BIDDER RESPOND TO THIS, TO THIS STATION. 
          SO A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THOSE FIVE CONTRACTS. 
          YOU'LL SEE ON SLIDE NUMBER SEVEN, UH, THE PROJECT ON THE SECOND COLUMN, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THE PRIME FIRMS THAT ATTENDED THE PRE-BID MEETING. 
          SO LET ME TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS. 
          SO WHEN WE ISSUE A SOLICITATION ABOUT A WEEK AFTER WE HOLD WHAT WE CALL A PRE-BID MEETING, WE USED TO DO THEM IN PERSON. 
          WE DO THESE, THESE NOW VIRTUALLY BECAUSE OF COVID SITUATION, WHERE WE INVITE FOLKS THAT ARE INTERESTED, UH, TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR PROJECT TO COME IN, UH, LEARNING FROM THE PM, THE CONSULTANT, MY STAFF, UH, SMB ARE, OR AT THIS MOMENT NOTED BUSINESS RESOURCE DEPARTMENT THAT SETS THE GOALS FOR THESE PROJECTS ABOUT INFORMATION ON THAT SOLICITATION. 
          SO THAT THEY'RE REALLY INFORMED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DOES THAT PROJECT MAKE SENSE TO THEM? DO THEY HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE? DO THEY UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE SUBMITTING A COMPETITIVE BID FOR THIS PROJECT? UM, AND SO VERY IMPORTANT MEETING THAT WE, AGAIN, INVITE FOLKS TO COME IN AND MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO COME IN SO THAT THEY CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT. 
          AND WE USE THAT AS SORT OF OUR WIND INDICATOR TO SHOW HOW MUCH INTEREST THERE IS IN THE PROJECT. 
          AND BEFORE I THINK THE LAST FEW YEARS IT WORKED AS AN INDICATOR, UM, I THINK OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE'VE SEEN THAT THERE'S JUST A LOT OF WORK RIGHT NOW. 
          AND PEOPLE ARE REALLY BUSY THAT PEOPLE CAN GET THE SAME INFORMATION JUST BY READING THE DOCUMENTS AND THEN ASKING QUESTIONS TO MY STAFF, UH, AS THE AUTHORIZED CONTACT PERSON AND MAYBE NOT HAVE TO MAKE THAT MEETING. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND SO WE'VE BEEN SEEING A LITTLE BIT TURNER, A LITTLE BIT LESS, UH, SHOW UP. 
          AND WHEN WE TALK TO FOLKS ABOUT THAT, IT'S JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE CAPACITY, RIGHT. 
          IF I'M GOING TO SEND SOMEBODY TO THAT MEETING IT, IT MIGHT, IT MIGHT NOT BE THE BEST PERSON TO SEND SOME WHITE SENSE, SOMEBODY AT ALL THIS KIND OF, UM, WHAT WE'RE HEARING, RIGHT. 
          UNLESS YOU'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT A COMPANY THAT'S SOLELY FOCUSED ON THAT SCOPE OF WORK. 
          LIKE THAT'S ALL THEY DO IS THAT SCOPE OF WORK. 
          AND SO BILL POLY SEMEN THAT IN THAT MEETING, BUT, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF JUST SEEING, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE LEVEL OF WORK THAT'S GOING ON, NOT ONLY IN CENTRAL TEXAS, BUT ACROSS THE STATE, BECAUSE THE COUNTRY IT'S JUST, WE'RE SEEING AND THEN TALKING TO MY PEERS AND OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, IT'S KIND OF THE SAME THING THAT THEY'RE SEEING. 
          IT'S JUST, THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLKS REALLY CAN PICK AND CHOOSE WHAT THEY WANT TO, YOU KNOW, GO AND PURSUE. 
          SO YOU SAW, YOU SEE THE ESTIMATE OF THE DOLLAR AMOUNT. 
          AND THEN, UM, ONE OF THE PROJECT PROCESSES THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY IS WHEN WE GET LIMITED RESPONSES, UM, MY STAFF WORKING WITH THE PROJECT MANAGER WILL REACH OUT TO THE CONTRACTORS THAT ATTENDED THE PRE-BID MEETING OR HAD SHOWN SOME INTEREST, UH, HA YOU KNOW, RAISED THE QUESTION ABOUT THE PROJECT, THAT'S THE STATION TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY. 
          IT SEEMED LIKE YOU HAD SOME INTEREST, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU DIDN'T PURSUE BY THE PROJECT BY SOME, IN THE BID. 
          WHY WAS THAT RIGHT? AND SO YOU'LL SEE IT IN A BRIEF SUMMARY, WHAT THE RESPONSE WAS THAT WE RECEIVED SMALL PROJECT IT'S SMALL SCOPE GOT TOO MUCH GOING ON, AND I REALLY CAN DEDICATE THE STAFF THAT I CAN THAT NEEDED TO DEDICATE FOR THIS PROJECT, OR, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, THE VALUE ISN'T THERE, RIGHT? THE PROFIT ISN'T FOR ME. 
          AND THIS ONE, UM, THE ID IQ FOR FACILITIES, EMERGENCY LIFT, UH, EMERGENCY LIFT STATION ID IQ, UH, THE RESPONSE AREAS IS THAT 
          [00:15:01]
KIND OF ON-CALL TYPE OF SERVICE, RIGHT? THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE REQUIREMENT, BUT WAS IT SOMETHING THAT, THAT CONTRACTOR REALLY FELT LIKE THEY WANTED TO PURSUE? UM, AND THEN SPECIALIZED SCOPE OF WORK, THE WORK THAT AUSTIN WATER DOES. 
          UM, AND, AND THESE FACILITIES, THE TRUE FACILITIES, LARGE FACILITIES, IT'S COMPLICATED WORK, UM, CONFINED SPACES, TECHNICAL WORK. 
          AND SO CERTAINLY THAT, UH, CAN LIMIT, YOU KNOW, UH, CONTRACTORS WHO MAYBE ARE NOT READY YET IN TERMS OF EXPERIENCE TO PROCEED, UM, AND PROVIDING THE RESPONSE RIGHT TO THAT, TO THAT BID. 
          SO THAT'S THE STATION, EXCUSE ME. 
          SO IT'S THE MORE DATA ON SLIDE NUMBER EIGHT. 
          SO THIS IS JUST KIND OF TAKING THE BIGGER PICTURE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF STEPPING UP A LITTLE BIT HIGHER AND ALTITUDE, AND NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT NOT JUST, UH, AUSTIN WATER BASE, SO THE STATIONS, BUT ALL OF CCO IFB PROCUREMENTS, RIGHT? SO AGAIN, I TALKED ABOUT, WE DO THIS FOR AUSTIN WATER, AUSTIN, ENERGY PARKS, AND RECREATION, AND WATERSHED PROTECTION, TRANSPORTATION, AVIATION. 
          AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UM, THE FIRST CO UH, YOU KNOW, TABLE, THEY'RE ALL CCO, IB PROCUREMENTS, THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF PRIME BITTERS ATTENDING PRE-BID MEETINGS IS FOUR. 
          AND THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF BIDS RECEIVED IS 4.1 AND COMPARISON. 
          NOW FOCUS SOLELY FOCUSING SOLELY ON AUSTIN, WATER, IB PROCUREMENTS, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, THREE ATTENDING THE PRE-BID MEETINGS. 
          AND THEN THE AVERAGE BID RECEIVED THIS 4.3. 
          SO WE'RE SEEING LESS ATTENDANCE AT THE PRE-BID MEETINGS AND THEN SLIGHTLY HIGHER, YOU KNOW, POINT TO, UH, RESPONSES OF, UH, IN, IN RE TO THE SOLICITATION. 
          AND THAT'S A SUMMARY STATEMENT THAT WE HAVE HERE. 
          UM, AND MY, MY NEXT SLIDE I'LL CARRY ON THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE BEEN RECEIVING A PHONE CONTRACTOR IS ABOUT WHY ARE WE SEEING THAT? I MENTIONED SOME OF THAT ALREADY, BUT, UM, THIS ONE REALLY HITS IT HOME AGAIN, THIS IS NOT ME MAKING STUFF UP AND KIND OF JUST GUESSING AT IT. 
          IT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE CONTRACTORS THAT HAVE DONE WORK FOR US BEFORE. 
          AND WE HOPE THAT THEY DO WORK FOR US IN THE FUTURE, AND THERE'S A RELATIONSHIP THERE, AND, YOU KNOW, THE FEEDBACK THAT I GET FROM THEM, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY LISTEN TO IT AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WANT TO DO SOMETHING RIGHT TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, FUTURE IN A BETTER POSITION TO RESPOND THROUGH OUR SOLICITATIONS. 
          UH, IN SUMMARY HERE, IN MOST CASES, WE, ONE DAY WOULD RECEIVE THE NUMBER OF BITTERS, UH, PRIME BITTERS ATTENDING. 
          THE PRE-BID MEETING WAS RELATIVELY LOW FOR AUSTIN WATER, UM, CONTRACTORS FEEDBACK FOR A SINGLE BID IT'S ON AUSTIN PROJECTS OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, AGAIN, BETTER HAS REALLY LIMITED CAPACITY, UH, TO TAKE ON THE ADDITIONAL WORK. 
          UM, AND, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT, RIGHT? AND WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? YOU KNOW, THIS IS A REPUTATION, YOU KNOW, THAT A BAD PERFORMANCE IN THEIR PROJECT, YOU KNOW, STAYS WITH THEM FOR QUITE A WHILE. 
          YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN HIDE AND NOT SHOW ON YOUR RESUME. 
          IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT AND SEE. 
          UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE KEEP RECORD OF PERFORMANCE. 
          UM, THE STATE HAS RECORD OF A PERFORMANCE, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS KEEP RECORD OF, OF PERFORMANCE. 
          AND SO I THINK, AND TALKING TO THE CONTRACTORS, THEIR REPUTATION IS VERY IMPORTANT. 
          AND SO THEY, WHEN THEY PURSUE SOMETHING, IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THE BANDWIDTH, THE EXPERTISE, THE CAPACITY, RIGHT. 
          TO DO THAT AND DO IT REALLY WELL. 
          UM, AGAIN, LOW DO THE SMALL PROJECT SIZE, AND THEN THE SCOPES OF WORKS, UH, FOR WHICH A LOW NUMBER OF POTENTIAL BIDDERS WERE AVAILABLE THAT SPECIALIZE, UH, AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, UM, REALLY IMPACTS US IN SOME CASES. 
          SO WHAT IS OUR PROCESS WHEN WE SEE, UH, LOW ATTENDANCE AT PRE-BID MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, OUR CURRENT PRACTICE HAS BEEN THAT WE LOOK AT THAT, UM, WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE LEARN FROM THAT? UM, MOVING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS MAY BE THAT WE HAVE MULTIPLE PROJECTS THAT ARE THE SAME KIND OF SCOPE OF WORK THAT AUSTIN WATER WANTS US TO PROCURE AT THE SAME TIME. 
          AND IS IT, THAT, IS THAT THE RIGHT THING TO DO? YOU KNOW, CAN WE SPACE THEM OUT? IS THERE A CAPACITY IS BASED UPON, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THIS IS REALLY DEPENDING ON, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN WATER MOVING ALONG THROUGH THEIR BO THEIR, THEIR CIP PROGRAM IN A TIMELY MANNER WHERE THEY'RE MAINTAINING OR UPDATING THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE SO THAT IT DOESN'T BREAK, OR IT DOESN'T IMPACT THE SERVICE DELIVERY THAT THEY HAVE. 
          AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SO WE PUT THINGS ASIDE JUST TO TRY TO SEE IF WE CAN GET BETTER COMPETITION. 
          DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? RIGHT? UH, OR WE, WE GOTTA MOVE ON IT NOW BECAUSE IF NOT, AS SLOWS DOWN THE OVERALL PROGRAM. 
          AND SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE CONSIDER IN THE FUTURE IS TO SAY, LET'S DELAY THAT A LITTLE BIT. 
          THESE ARE THE SAME KINDS OF CONTRACTS. 
          ONE IS HERE IN A SOB. 
          ONE IS IN THE NORTH, AND WE KNOW THAT IF WE'D LET THEM OUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S GONNA BE HARD TO GET RESPONSES OR GIVE RESPONSES FOR BOTH OF THOSE. 
          SO THINGS LIKE THAT ARE, THINGS ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN KEEP IN MIND AND WORK WITH AUSTIN WATER TO ENSURE THAT, AGAIN, WE'RE NOT SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR FAILURE, UM, AND REDUCING THE RESPONSES BECAUSE OF HOW WE'RE APPROACHING THE DELIVERY OF THESE PROJECTS. 
          UM, SO THAT'S, AGAIN, LISTENING TO THEIR FEEDBACK AND THEN TRYING TO USE THAT IN FUTURE CONSIDERATION. 
          WE'RE ALSO TRANSPARENT ABOUT THAT IN OUR REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION, THE EXACT SAME THING THAT Y'ALL LOOK AT WHEN WE'RE RECOMMENDING CONTRACTS AND AWARD IS WHAT GOES TO MARIN COUNCIL. 
          AND IN THE BELOW THE LINE, WE PUT INFORMATION OUT THERE ABOUT, HEY, LOOK, WE ONLY GOT ONE BIDDER, BUT HERE'S WHY WE ONLY GOT ONE BITTER. 
          AND IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT, BECAUSE NUMBER ONE, THAT BITTER 
          [00:20:01]
WAS RESPONSIVE AND RESPONSIBLE. 
          THEY HAD THE NECESSARY EXPERIENCE. 
          THE PRICING WAS IN LINE WITH OUR ENGINEER'S ESTIMATE, AND WE FEEL GOOD ABOUT, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THERE THAT WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS CONTRACT AWARD. 
          UM, A QUESTION THAT Y'ALL MAY PERHAPS BE PONDERING IS, YOU KNOW, DO WE EVER DECIDE JUST TO REBID IT, IF WE GET LOW PARTICIPATION IN THE BID PROCESS, IF WE ONLY GET ONE BETTER, DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO JUST GO AHEAD AND SCRATCH THAT AND REDO IT ALL OVER AGAIN? UM, AND THAT'S NOT AN OPTION THAT I LIKE TO TAKE, UH, IN MY EXPERIENCE WHEN WE'VE HAD TO REBID FOR THINGS OUTSIDE OF MAYBE JUST ONE BIDDER, UM, THE BID PROCESS HASN'T RESULTED IN MORE COMPETITION OR IN BETTER PRICING. 
          SO WHEN WE OPENED UP THE BID, THAT BID IS READ OUT LOUD, PUBLICLY, IT'S A STATE REQUIREMENT. 
          AND SO BITTERS THEN BECOME AWARE OF MY PRICE, YOUR PRICE, YOUR PRICE, YOUR PRICE, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALL PUBLIC, IT'S A, IT'S A PUBLIC RECORD NOW. 
          AND THEN IF THAT ONE LONE BIDDER HAS EXPERIENCE, THEY MET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE NOTED IN THIS LIMITATION, RIGHT THERE PRICES WITHIN THE ESTIMATE, IF WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT CONTRACT TO THEM, RIGHT. 
          WHICH IS PRETTY STRONG IN STATE STATUTE, THEY HAVE EVERYBODY TO COME PURSUE US AND, AND MAKE THEIR ARGUMENT ABOUT WHY WE DIDN'T AWARD THAT CONTRACT TO THEM. 
          UM, SO I, IF IT MEETS OUR REQUIREMENTS, RIGHT, WE SHOULD BE MOVING FORWARD. 
          EVEN IF WE FEEL LIKE THERE WASN'T MORE COMPETITION AND WE CAN JUSTIFY WHY WE DON'T FEEL LIKE THERE WAS ENOUGH COMPETITION IN MY EXPERIENCE. 
          AGAIN, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IF WE WAIT EVERY BIT AT LATER ON, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO PAY MORE AND WE'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA SEE AS MUCH, UM, RESPONSES THAT WE SAW EARLIER ON. 
          UM, I'VE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH A CONTRACTOR, UH, AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS, WELL, I DON'T HAVE ANY CAPACITY, UH, RIGHT NOW, BUT IF I WAIT, YOU KNOW, BUT IF YOU REBID IT LATER ON, I MAY BE ABLE TO, AND THERE'S NOT A HARD COMMITMENT. 
          THERE IS NOT A HARD COMMITMENT THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, TO REBID IT. 
          BECAUSE AGAIN, THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT THEY'RE GONNA GET THE CONTRACT. 
          IT'S, IT'S BASED ON LOW BID. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND THAT'S FOLLOWING THE STATE STATUTE. 
          AND SO, UM, AGAIN, IN OUR EXPERIENCE THAT LOW BITTER MEETS ALL THE REQUIREMENTS THERE ESTIMATES WITHIN THE ENGINE, THEIR BID IS WITHIN THE ENGINEER'S ESTIMATE. 
          WE'RE GOING, GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, UM, WITH THAT, UH, BID. 
          UM, AND IF WE DECIDE TO DO SOMETHING, UH, LIKE A REBID, THEN THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING THAT CHANGES IN THE DESIGN DOCUMENTS IN OUR, IN OUR SPECS. 
          WHY ARE WE CHANGING IT? UM, IS THE QUESTION THAT WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES, IS THERE A REASON THAT RESULTED IN LESS SUBMITTALS OR THE PRICE BEING TOO HIGH? AND IT'S BECAUSE MAYBE THE SCOPE WAS TOO BIG, MAYBE, UH, THERE WAS CONFUSION IN THE SPECS. 
          UM, MAYBE WE, WE ISSUED TOO MANY ADENDA AND SO THERE WAS A REVISION TO THE DRAWING, ANOTHER ONE, ANOTHER ONE, AND IT KINDA GOT CONVOLUTED. 
          AND, AND FOLKS MAYBE JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE INS AND OUTS OF THIS PROJECT. 
          AND SO THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED WAS LIKE, MAYBE IF WE REPACKAGE IT AGAIN, CHANGE A COUPLE OF THINGS. 
          MAYBE THE SCHEDULE MAYBE ALLOW FOR MORE TIME, UH, BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROJECT AND WE'LL MEET, MAYBE WE'LL GET BETTER RESPONSES. 
          SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I LOOK FOR THAT THE PROJECT MANAGER OR THE SPONSOR DEPARTMENT WILL LOOK FOR IT TO SAY, IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO REBID BECAUSE OF THESE THINGS. 
          AND IF WE MODIFY THESE THINGS THAT WE CHANGE, THESE THINGS PERHAPS WILL RESULT IN BETTER COMPETITION, BUT AGAIN, IT'S, IT MAY, IT MAY NOT. 
          AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO RELY ON, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE NOT REALLY IN FAVOR OF JUST AUTOMATICALLY REBIDDING, EVEN IF WE GET ONE BIT. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, IT'S JUST BECAUSE IF THEY MET EVERYTHING ELSE, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE YOUR BEST OPTION. 
          MAYBE THERE'S NOTHING TO CHANGE IN THE SPECS. 
          AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT WILL CHANGE DIFFERENTLY IN THE NUMBER OF BITTERS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU REBID IT. 
          UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT JUST BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS A QUESTION THAT I RECEIVED AND, UM, FIGURED OUT SOME QUESTION THAT Y'ALL WERE THINKING ABOUT AS WELL. 
          I'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT. 
          SHOULD I PAUSE NOW AND MAYBE TAKE SOME QUESTIONS OR DO YOU ALL WANT ME TO FINISH THE SLIDES? UM, LIKE I'LL FINISH UP. 
          I GOT ABOUT 35 MORE SLIDES. 
          I'M JUST KIDDING. 
          IT'S JUST THE HANDFUL, A FEW MORE SLIDES AND THEN WE'LL END THERE. 
          SO, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, ONE OF OUR GOALS IN OUR OFFICE WAS TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S COMPETITION FOR OUR PROJECT. 
          SO HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE DO THAT? UM, SO WE PROVIDE WHAT WE CALL OUR UPCOMING, UH, PROJECTS REPORT. 
          SO ON OUR WEBSITE, WE HAVE A SPREADSHEET THAT LISTS OUT EVERY SOLICITATION THAT WE HAVE COMING UP OVER THE NEXT YEAR. 
          AND IT HIGHLIGHTS WHETHER IT'S CONSTRUCTION OR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OR ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY, LIKE A CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK OR DESIGN BUILD. 
          AND WE PUT IN THERE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SCOPE OF WORK, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT WE HAD SUSPECT THAT, YOU KNOW, BEING FOR THE MONTH THAT WE ANTICIPATE RELEASING THAT. 
          AND ALSO WE PROVIDE, UM, THE SPONSOR DEPARTMENT. 
          THIS IS AN AUSTIN WATER PROJECT. 
          THIS IS A PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT. 
          AND SO OUR HOPE IS THAT BY PROVIDING THIS INFORMATION AS EARLY 
          [00:25:01]
AS A YEAR, CONTRACTORS MAY SEE THAT AND SAY, THAT'S A PROJECT THAT I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN. 
          I FEEL LIKE I'LL BE REALLY COMPETITIVE FOR THAT PROJECT. 
          AND SO I'M GOING TO TRY TO SAVE MY RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO COMPETE FOR THAT DOWN THE ROAD. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DID BASED ON FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED DURING A SESSION FROM CONTRACTORS, HEY, CITY OF AUSTIN, CAN YOU DO THIS? OR CAN YOU DO US A FAVOR AND KIND OF LET OUT A LIST OF UPCOMING PROJECTS, RIGHT. 
          UM, AND, AND WE WORK EVERY MONTH TO UPDATE THAT AND ADVANCE IT ONE MONTH FURTHER IN THE FUTURE, UH, BY WORKING THROUGH OUR DEPARTMENT OR WITHOUT DEPARTMENTS TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE INFORMATION IN THERE THAT IS AS ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE, AND AS CLEAR AS POSSIBLE FOR FOLKS CAN MAKE THAT KIND OF DECISION. 
          SO WE HAVE THAT. 
          AND THEN WE DO, YOU KNOW, WE ADVERTISE THAT USING OUR WEBSITE, OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO KIND OF GET THAT OUT THERE. 
          WE COMMUNICATE THAT WITH OUR ASSOCIATIONS. 
          UH, WE SEND IT OUT TO OUR MINORITY TRADE ASSOCIATIONS AS WELL. 
          SO PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, MINORITY ASSOCIATIONS, YOU KNOW, TRY TO GET OUT THERE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. 
          LAST WEEK, WE HAD A MEETING WITH THE TRADE ASSOCIATIONS AND WE WALKED THROUGH SOME OF THAT INFORMATION AGAIN FOR, THEY CAN GO BACK AND THEN SHARE WITH THEIR MEMBERS. 
          AND THEN WE WERE ALSO OPEN TO MEETING WITH OUR MEMBERS SPECIFICALLY, IF THEY HAVE SOME, UH, REQUESTS FOR ONE-ON-ONE CONTACT ON THIS INFORMATION, WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL OUR CIP PARTNERS ACADEMY. 
          UM, SO A WHILE BACK, WE WERE NOTICING THAT FOLKS WERE COMING IN AND WANTING TO BID THE BID ON OUR PROJECTS, BUT IT WAS OUR FIRST TIME, MAYBE THEIR SECOND TIME. 
          AND THEY WERE MAKING ERRORS. 
          THEY WERE UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS AND I HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS. 
          AND SO WHAT WE PUT TOGETHER IS WHAT WE CALL OUR CIP PARTNERS ACADEMY, OR WE BASICALLY HAVE A S A SCHOOL AND WE HAVE MONTHLY SESSIONS ON WHAT STARTED OFF MONTHLY AND WE'VE MOVED. 
          AND NOW WE KIND OF SPACE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE, A LITTLE BIT BROADER, UM, WHERE WE, THEY HAVE, THEY CAN COME IN, WE DO A PRESENTATION, A SHOW AND TELL, WE ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS. 
          AND THE HOPE IS THAT THEY WALK AWAY EDUCATED ON THE REQUIREMENTS, AND IT'S NOT JUST HOW TO BID A PROJECT, BUT IT'S HOW TO PUT A, A COMPETITIVE BID TOGETHER. 
          IT'S UNDERSTANDING OUR INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS. 
          IT'S UNDERSTANDING HOW TO READ OUR DESIGN DRAWINGS, RIGHT? SO REALLY FOCUSED ON EDUCATING OUR CONTRACTING COMMUNITY SO THAT THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL PURSUING OUR JOBS. 
          WE KNOW IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY TO BID OUR PROJECTS, AND WE WANT THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL OR COMPETITIVE AND NOT FOUND NON-COMPLIANT BECAUSE THEY MISS SOMETHING HERE OR THERE, RIGHT. 
          AGAIN, A LOT OF COMMUNICATION WITH OUR TRADE ASSOCIATIONS AND OUR, UM, MINORITY ASSOCIATIONS. 
          AND ON THAT LIST, WE ALSO ARE ABLE TO TAKE QUESTIONS. 
          SO ROUTINELY I HAVE CONSULTANTS OR CONTRACTORS CALL ME, HEY, I SAW THIS PROJECT ON THE ARE COMING REPORT. 
          CAN I CAN ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS? AND IF I CAN ANSWER THEM, I'LL POINT IT TO THE RIGHT DIRECTION, UH, DEPARTMENT OR PROJECT MANAGER FOR THAT THEY CAN GET MORE INFORMATION AGAIN, HOPEFULLY THEY'RE, THEY'RE RESERVING THEIR CAPACITY TO COMPETE FOR THAT PROJECT DOWN THE ROAD. 
          WHEN IT COMES UP, I CAN SHARE A LINK TO, UH, TO THAT WEBSITE, BUT IT'S THERE, IF Y'ALL WANT TO DO THAT LATER ON. 
          UM, AND YOU CAN REACH OUT TO ME AND I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS FOR YOU OR FOLKS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT MAY HAVE QUESTIONS ON THAT. 
          I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT RCIP PARTNERS ACADEMY. 
          I KNOW THESE SLIDES SO MUCH, I'M ALREADY GOING TO GET IN THE HEAD WITH CHANGING THE SLIDE ON, WELL, THERE IS THE WEBSITE FOR THE LINK, AND YOU CAN FIND THAT MONTHLY REPORT THERE. 
          WE JUST UPDATED IT FOR OCTOBER. 
          AND SO WE UPDATED THE LAST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER FOR OCTOBER. 
          AND THEN AS WE CLOSE UP TO THE END OF OCTOBER, WE'LL, WE'LL RELEASE IT FOR NOVEMBER. 
          AGAIN, IT'S THE MORTGAGE INFORMATION ON OUR CIP PARTNERS ACADEMY THAT I ALREADY TALKED ABOUT REALLY TRYING TO, UH, ENSURE THAT CONTRACTORS KNOW ALL, BUT HOW WE WORK OUR REQUIREMENTS, UH, TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPETE FOR OUR PROJECTS. 
          AND, UH, I'LL SHOW YOU THE, UM, THAT'S THE LINK THERE TO OUR WEBPAGE FOLKS CAN REGISTER. 
          UH, WE WERE DOING THEM IN PERSON AND NOW WE DO IN VIRTUALLY. 
          AND THEN THE GREAT THING ABOUT DOING THEM VIRTUALLY NOW IS THAT IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND A LIVE, UH, WE RECORD THEM AND THERE ARE FUNDING OUR WEBSITES. 
          SO YOU CAN ALWAYS GO BACK AND CATCH THAT LATER ON, UM, REALLY POPULAR. 
          UM, THERE ARE SOME SESSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD TO DO DOUBLE JUST BECAUSE THE CAPACITY, UH, WAS SO GREAT AND THEY WERE REALLY POPULAR. 
          AND SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CONTINUED ON NOW, AND WE DO EVERY YEAR. 
          UH, WE DO A SURVEY AND THE SURVEY REALLY INFORMS US ABOUT WHAT SESSIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE NEXT YEAR BASED ON THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GET FROM OUR ATTENDEES. 
          NEXT, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, UH, OUR OUTREACH EVENTS, AGAIN, SUPPORTING THE GOAL THAT WE HAVE TO ENSURE COMPETITION IN OUR SOLICITATIONS. 
          WE DO A LOT OF OUTREACH. 
          WE DO A LOT OF SESSIONS WITH STAKEHOLDERS. 
          UM, THESE ARE A FEW OF THOSE. 
          THE BLUE ARE SPECIFIC TO CONSTRUCTION SERVICES. 
          THE, UH, THE, THE BLACK, UH, COLOR TONE IS, UM, FOR, UH, ENGINEERING SERVICES, OUR SERVICES. 
          SO OUR, OUR 2019 CONSULTANT FORUM, UM, WE GO ON AND PRESENT AT ASSOCIATIONS LIKE THE AUSTIN CONTRACTORS AND ENGINEERS ASSOCIATION. 
          AND WE'VE BECOME REALLY GOOD FRIENDS WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 
          [00:30:01]
AND MAKE OURSELVES AVAILABLE TO THEM AND THEIR MEMBERS. 
          UH, IN 2019, WE HAD A CONSULTANT AND CONTRACT A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR SYMPOSIUM. 
          AND SO, UM, WHAT WE DO THERE REALLY IS WE HAVE LIKE A ONE DAY SESSION WHERE WE, UH, WE TALK ABOUT OUR PROCESS. 
          WE INVITE THE DEPARTMENTS LIKE AUSTIN WATER, OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO COME IN AND TALK ABOUT THEIR PROCESSES, THEIR PROGRAMS. AGAIN, THE IDEA IS TO PROVIDE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE SO THAT FOLKS CAN GET EXCITED ABOUT THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE UPCOMING AND CAN RESERVE SOME CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO THOSE, AND THEN REALLY UNDERSTAND THE WAY THE CITY FUNCTIONS IN TERMS OF THE BIDDING CONTRACTING PROCESS. 
          HERE ARE SOME MORE THAT WE'VE DONE. 
          UM, AND WHEN, UH, COVID HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, REALLY THE ONLY THING THAT CHANGED IS THAT WE WENT FROM DOING THEM IN PERSON TO VIRTUAL, UM, AND STILL GET A LOT OF GOOD RESPONSE IN VIRTUE AND, AND GET REQUESTED A LOT OF, UM, SESSIONS, UH, WITH OUR ASSOCIATIONS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, CONTINUE EDUCATION TO THEIR MEMBERS. 
          YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE FOR OTHER PROGRAMS IS, AND, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO START DOING FOR AUSTIN. 
          WATER IS BE MORE TAILORED TO THEIR NEEDS. 
          UH, SO FOR UPCOMING, UH, SO THIS STATIONS THAT AUSTIN WATER HAS, UH, FOR US TO, UH, HELP THEM DELIVER, WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING SESSIONS THAT ARE REALLY MARKETING. 
          THE FOLKS THAT ARE, ARE THE CONTRACTORS THAT HAVE INTEREST IN THOSE PROJECTS AND REALLY KIND OF GET MORE TAILORED, UH, COMMUNICATIONS, UH, CONVERSATIONS Q AND A WITH THOSE FOLKS. 
          SO THAT AGAIN, THEY CAN BE AWARE OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES AND, AND ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROJECTS ALL BEFORE. 
          UH, THIS STATION HITS THE STREET. 
          THIS LIMITATION PROCESS HAS, UH, SEVERAL WEEKS OF ADVERTISEMENT. 
          WHAT, WHAT WE CALL IS IT'S OUT THERE AND FOLKS CAN READ ALL THE INFORMATION THAT'S AVAILABLE ON THAT, ON THAT PROJECT. 
          THEY CAN ASK QUESTIONS ALL BEFORE THE BIDS RICARD, BUT I THINK THE MORE WE DO IT UPFRONT, UM, THE MORE INFORMATION THAT WE PROVIDE UP FRONT, HOPEFULLY THAT'LL PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE THE RESPONSES THAT WE GET. 
          SO WE'RE DOING ONE ON THE CAPITAL CONVERSATIONS LAUNCH, UM, MOSTLY OPEN OFFICE DOMINIQUE'S FOR INFORMAL DISCUSSION AND SHORT PROCUREMENT, UH, CONTRACTING TOPICS. 
          AGAIN, REALLY TAILORED TO A SPECIFIC AREAS OF, OF DEPARTMENTS, WHETHER IT'S AUSTIN, WATER, UM, AVIATION, UM, CONVENTION CENTER, WE'RE WORKING ON A HUGE PROJECT FOR THEM. 
          AND THAT ATTRACTS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF CONTRACTOR, AND THEN REALLY GOING, HUNTING INTO THE SPECIFIC ONES FOR AUSTIN WATER, RIGHT? SO A VIRTUAL EVENT TO PROMOTE UPCOMING AUSTIN WATER FACILITIES, IDQ IQ AND OTHER UPCOMING AUSTIN WATER PROJECTS FOR POTENTIAL BETTERS. 
          SO THAT'S ANOTHER LAYER OF, OF, UM, OUTREACH THAT WE'RE GOING TO START TAKING, UH, TO HOPEFULLY INCREASE THE COMPETITION THAT WE SEE, UH, FOR SPECIFIC TYPE OF CONTRACTS, ID, IQ, SMALL SCOPE OF WORK PROJECTS THAT, UH, AUSTIN WATER HAS A MARKETING. 
          UH, AGAIN, WE USE A LOT OF DIFFERENT TOOLS, UH, MECHANISMS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO OUR VENDORS, OUR WEBSITE, OUR FACEBOOK, UH, REGULAR MEETING, UH, EMAILS THROUGH OUR TRADE ASSOCIATIONS, UH, IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL MEETINGS WITH THEIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OR THEIR BOARD, UH, AND THEIR STAFF. 
          UH, WE HAVE A VENDOR MAILING LIST. 
          UH, WE DO EVENT BRITE INFORMATION. 
          WE HAVE ONSITE KIOSK, NOT ONLY IN OUR OFFICE BUILDING, BUT WE ALSO PARTNER WITH, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, OTHER LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES WHEN THEY'RE HAVING EVENTS. 
          AND WE PROVIDED STAFF TO GO THERE AND TALK ABOUT HOW TO REGISTER WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND THEN ALSO HOW TO UNDERSTAND OUR PROCUREMENT BIDDING REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE. 
          SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE DID A LITTLE BIT ON THE PREVIOUS AUSTIN WATER PROJECT. 
          I BELIEVE IT WAS THE AUSTIN WATER PLAN. 
          AND, UH, MR. MORIARTY, I THINK YOU WERE REALLY INVOLVED IN THAT ONE. 
          AND IT WAS TRYING TO ENSURE THAT THE CONSULTANTS THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR TO HELP US WITH THAT PLAN WERE AWARE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CONTRACT THE CITY. 
          AND SO WE ACTUALLY ADVERTISE IN AUSTIN WATER-RELATED MAGAZINES, NEWSPAPERS ARTICLES, TO TRY TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE HAVING THAT LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE, RESPOND TO OUR PROJECTS. 
          AND SO FROM THAT IDEA, THAT CAME FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR APPROACH OF WHEN WE HAVE THESE OTHER TYPES OF STATIONS, WHERE OUR EXPERIENCE TELLS US THAT IT'S LIMITED COMPETITION, WHICH SHOULD LEVERAGE THOSE RESOURCES AND UTILIZE THOSE TO MARKET. 
          THOSE ARE THE STATIONS AS WELL AS, SO WE'LL BE DOING SOME OF THAT AS ON THAT AREA. 
          AND THEN, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF WE CAN, UH, INCREASE, UH, INTEREST PARTICIPATION IN OUR PROJECTS, UH, WHEN WE SEE FEWER ATTENDEES AT OUR PRE-BID MEETINGS. 
          SO THAT SECOND BULLET THERE TALKS ABOUT WHEN WE SEE THREE OR FEWER PRIME BIDDERS AT OUR, AT OUR PRE-BAKE CONFERENCE, YOU KNOW, LET'S TAKE A STEP BACK AND SEE IF WE CAN DO SOME MORE DIRECT OUTREACH TO SPECIFIC CONTRACTORS THAT WE KNOW DO THAT KIND OF WORK HAVE BID ON THIS PREVIOUS WORK BEFORE, OR HAVE DONE THAT WORK BEFORE WITH US OR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. 
          [00:35:01]
UM, WE MIGHT WANT TO EVEN CONSIDER EXTENDING THE BID ADVERTISING PERIOD. 
          SO THE STATE STATUTE SAYS THAT A CITY, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN, ITS SIZE HAS TO ADVERTISE FOR A MINIMUM TWO WEEKS. 
          UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE ADVERTISING ANYWHERE FROM 46 WEEKS. 
          AND IT'S, IT'S BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM CONTRACTORS. 
          THEY NEED MORE TIME. 
          UM, SO ON THE, UH, THAT'S A GOOD THING, RIGHT? BUT ON THE FLIP SIDE, IT, IT COMPRESSES OUR SCHEDULE. 
          YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO PUT THINGS OUT AS QUICKLY, TURN THIS CONSCIOUS AROUND SO THEY CAN GET THE WORK DONE ON A TIMELY FASHION, BUT WE THINK THERE'S VALUE IN THAT. 
          UM, AND AGAIN, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE HEARD DIRECTLY FROM CONTRACTORS ON, AND WE MODIFIED THAT. 
          UM, IF CONTRACTORS FEEL LIKE THEY WANT TO, UH, THEY MISS THE FIRST GROUP OF MEETING OR THE SITE VISIT AND THEY WANT TO ATTEND ONE OF THESE OR EVEN DO A SECOND SITE VISIT. 
          WE WANT TO ACCOMMODATE THAT. 
          SO THAT AGAIN, TRY TO INCREASE OUR COMPETITION, UM, RECOGNIZING THAT THEY'RE BUSY, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK GOING ON. 
          AND SO CAN WE DO OTHER STUFF TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION AND THEN HOPEFULLY THEY MAKE AN EDUCATED DECISION ABOUT PURSUING THAT PROJECT BECAUSE IT MAKES SENSE FOR THEM. 
          RIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          I AM DONE WITH MY SLIDES AND, UM, I KNOW WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION AND I'M HAPPY TO GO BACK TO ANY OF THE PREVIOUS SLIDES OR ASK OR ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL MAY HAVE COMMISSIONER HAS GOT ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. , REGINA MORIARTY PRIESTS, UM, MICROPHONE WORKING. 
          OKAY. 
          YES, SIR. 
          UM, WHEN I'M CONCERNED IS THAT YOU ALL ARE TRYING TO CONDITION US THAT THIS IS OKAY. 
          AND I DON'T THINK IT IS. 
          I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE MULTIPLE BIDDERS FOR THESE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS OR THERE'S A POTENTIAL FOR, UH, OVERPRICING. 
          AND, UM, SO, UH, IS, IS, UM, I'M NOT CONVINCED BY WHAT YOU TOLD ME. 
          UM, WHEN I LOOK AT THESE FIVE PROJECTS THAT YOU HAD THE SINGULAR BITTERS, I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE LITTLE ONES, BUT MAYBE WE DON'T SEE THOSE. 
          AND, UM, BUT THERE IS NO REASON WE COULDN'T HAVE HAD MULTIPLE BIDDERS ON THOSE OTHER PROJECTS. 
          I MEAN, WE SAT HERE AND TALKED ABOUT IT. 
          THE FIRST ONE, THAT LIFT STATION ONE, WE ACTUALLY VOTED NOT TO APPROVE THAT. 
          UH, THE SECOND ONE WE VOTED TO APPROVE, ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T VOTE FOR IT, BUT I REALLY THINK THIS IS BAD PRACTICE. 
          AND, UH, I THINK THERE'S SOME BAD THINGS GOING ON, UM, THAT I THINK SOME OF THESE CONTRACTS, THERE'S, THERE'S PEOPLE DISCOURAGING, BITTERS DISCOURAGING, AND THAT'S WHY THERE'S ONLY ONE BIDDER. 
          AND WHAT I THINK OUGHT TO BE DONE WITH THOSE TWO CONTRACTS IS THEY OUGHT TO BE LOOKED INTO IN DEPTH. 
          AND WHEN THE GENTLEMEN WERE HERE BEFORE, UH, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO A POST-BID SURVEY, UH, OR THEY HAD DONE IT AND THEY WERE REALLY KIND OF UNCERTAIN. 
          WHAT WAS DONE. 
          WAS IT EMAIL? WAS IT AN INTERVIEW? UM, I THINK IF YOU DO THAT SURVEY AND MAYBE YOU'VE ALREADY DONE IT, AND IF YOU HAVE DONE IT, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE RESULTS. 
          YOU'LL PROBABLY SAY I CAN'T SEE HIM BECAUSE I WORKED FOR THE CITY, BUT, UH, I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO DISCOVER THAT THERE'S THINGS THAT WERE NOT DONE PROPERLY. 
          SO, UH, MY INTEREST, A COUPLE OTHER THINGS I'VE BEEN A LITTLE DISTURBED ABOUT IS WHEN WE BROUGHT THIS UP IN THE PAST AND WE SAY, WELL, HOW DO WE KNOW WE'VE GOT A GOOD PRICE OR NOT, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER BIDDERS. 
          AND, UH, THE CITY PEOPLE SAID, WELL, WE CHECKED WITH THE LAST TIME WE BID IT THREE YEARS AGO. 
          WELL, HOW MANY BIDDERS DID WE HAVE THREE YEARS AGO? WELL, WE HAD ONE. 
          SO WE'RE STILL IN A KIND OF AN NON COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT. 
          WE'RE COMPARING NON-COMPETITIVE TO NON-COMPETITIVE. 
          SO, UH, AND THEN I ALSO HEARD THE STORY THAT, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE TIME. 
          THESE ARE CRITICAL PROJECTS, AND IF WE REBID IT WILL, BUT THESE TWO BIGGER CONTRACTS, THESE ARE LIKE A THREE-YEAR ROTATION. 
          SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE WHEN YOU AWARD THE FIRST ONE, YOU KNOW, IN THREE YEARS, YOU'RE GOING OUT TO BID AGAIN BECAUSE THE CONTRACT AMOUNT WILL BE USED UP. 
          SO WHY NOT START A LITTLE EARLIER SO THAT THERE IS TIME IN THE PROCESS TO, TO REBID THESE THINGS. 
          IF WE DON'T ATTRACT, I THINK IF THE CITY DID WORKED AT THIS HARDER AND INTERVIEWED THESE CONTRACTORS AND 
          [00:40:01]
FIND OUT REALLY WHY THEY DIDN'T BID AND JUST SAY, EVERYBODY'S BUSY, THEY DON'T WANT TO BID IT BECAUSE THESE ARE SUBSTANTIAL JOBS. 
          $12 MILLION JOB IS NOT A SMALL CONTRACT AT ALL. 
          AND THE OTHER ONE IS BIG. 
          SO I SAY TO MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS AND MAY NOT AGREE WITH ME. 
          I THINK WE, AS A COMMISSION SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS THAT MAYBE EVEN CONSIDER CREATING A RESOLUTION THAT WE'RE NOT VOTING FOR ANYTHING THAT DOESN'T HAVE THREE BIDS. 
          AND I TRULY BELIEVE THAT'S NOT THAT HARD TO DO. 
          UH, I PERSONALLY WOULD NEVER BRING A DEAL LIKE THIS WITH ONE BIDDER WOULD NEVER EVEN CONSIDER IT WOULD TAKE IT RIGHT BACK OUT AND REDO THE DESIGN, MEET WITH THE CONTRACTORS, WITH THEIR SOMEWHAT UNUSUAL THING THAT CAUSED EVERYBODY, NOT THE BID OR WHAT IS IT, THE WRONG BID DATE THAT THE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT WAS TAKING BIDS THAT DAY. 
          AND YOU WERE TOO BUSY. 
          ALL OF THOSE THINGS, MY INTEREST IN OUR JOB HERE IS, IS OVERSIGHT. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S ALL WE DO. 
          WE'RE HERE TO CHECK THESE CONTRACTS AND VOTE ON, AND I'M VERY DISTURBED ABOUT THIS, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE PRECONDITIONS. 
          AND IF I MAY JUST REALLY QUICK, I, UM, JUST TWO POINTS IN THAT. 
          AND I APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK, SIR. 
          AND, AND CERTAINLY, UM, THE FACT THAT IT'S ONE OF, ONE OF OUR GOALS IS BECAUSE I, I AGREE IN THE SENSE OF THE COMPETITION IS IMPORTANT, RIGHT? UH, THE FIRST POINT THAT I WANTED TO MAKE IS, YOU KNOW, CAPITAL AN OFFICE, THIS OFFICE THAT I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR AT THE TIME BEING, UM, IT'S A STANDALONE ENTITY IN A SENSE WHERE I DON'T REPORT TO THE DIRECTOR, AUSTIN WATER, I DON'T REPORT TO THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, IN FACT, I REPORT TO THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND THAT WAS DONE INTENTIONALLY, UM, YEARS BACK, THIS OFFICE WAS PART OF A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT. 
          AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT WAS SEPARATED IS BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO HAVE THAT INDIVIDUAL OVERSIGHT FOR THE WATER CONTRACTS AND THE OVERSIGHT OF CONTRACTS. 
          SO THAT FROM THE OFFSITE, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THERE IS NO FAVORITISM, OR IT HAS TO BE THIS VENDOR. 
          AND THAT ONLY THAT VENDOR CAN HAVE BEEN ANYBODY ELSE, OR THERE WAS FEEDBACK ON YOU, CAN'T GET THIS CONTRACT. 
          UM, AND YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT THE PROCESS THAT WE LEAD AND AWARDING THE CONTRACTS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN STAND FIRM ON, RIGHT. 
          UH, THAT, UM, THERE IS, UH, INTEGRITY, RIGHT? THAT THERE'S, UM, IT'S TRANSPARENT. 
          AND I TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN THAT, AND WE PUT A LOT OF MEASURES IN PLACE SO THAT WHEN IT COMES TO DECISIONS ABOUT WHETHER WE AWARDED AN AWARD, A CONTRACT IT'S NOT MADE BY THE PROJECT MANAGER, OR IS NOT MADE BY SPONSOR PARTY, THEIR, THEIR FEEDBACK IS VALUABLE. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          THEY'RE EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELD, THEY'RE EXPERTS. 
          THEY IMAGINED PROCESS, UH, OF THE PROJECT, RIGHT. 
          BUT YOU KNOW, THE STATUTES, UM, THE, THE ORDINANCES THAT GOVERN HOW WE DO, UH, PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACTING REALLY FALL ON THE PROCUREMENT OFFICE IN THIS CASE, MY OFFICE. 
          AND SO, UM, WE HAVE MEASURES IN PLACE SO THAT WHEN WE'RE DOING SOMETHING LIKE TO NOT AWARD A CONTRACT OR TO MOVE FORWARD TO CONTRACT IS BECAUSE THE DUE DILIGENCE HAS BEEN DONE IN TERMS OF THEY MET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE, RIGHT. 
          AND THEN THE SECOND POINT ABOUT THE PRICE, RIGHT? SO EVERY SOLICITATION THAT WE ISSUE FOR A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, BUT EVEN THE IDEA IQ ON THE INDEFINITE DELIVERY, WE SET OUT WHAT WE THINK IS OUR BUDGET. 
          HERE'S HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE TO SPEND ON THIS PROJECT. 
          RIGHT? BUT IN TERMS OF THE COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS, WE RECEIVE, WHETHER IT'S, IN-HOUSE THROUGH A PUBLIC WORKS ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, A DIVISION WHERE THEY PROVIDE ENGINEERING SERVICES, WE HAVE AN ESTIMATE, AND THEN THE CONSULTANT PROVIDES US AN ESTIMATE. 
          AND THAT, THAT ESTIMATE IS AS DEVELOPED THROUGH, YOU KNOW, 30, 60, 90 INCREMENTAL PERIODS OF THE DESIGN PROCESS. 
          AND WHEN THEY GET TOWARDS THE END, IT HAS TO BE WITHIN FIVE, YOU KNOW, LIKE 5% OF ACCURACY THAT THAT'S THE BID PRICE. 
          WHEN WE GET, WHEN WE GET A BID, WE'LL LOOK AT IT AND SAY, HOW DOES THAT LOOK? IS THAT WITHIN THE ESTIMATE? IS IT NOT? WHY IS IT NOT RIGHT? CAN WE GO BACK AND RUN THE NUMBERS? SO THERE IS A DUE DILIGENCE THAT'S DONE BY A PUBLIC PROJECT MANAGER SPONSORED DEPARTMENT. 
          AND THEN THE CONSULTANT ENGINEER THAT WE RETAIN, RIGHT. 
          TO GIVE US THAT THIRD PARTY PERSPECTIVE ON THAT PRICING. 
          AND WE DO THAT, WHETHER THE BID IS HIGH OR EVEN LOW, LIKE IF THEY COME IN LOWER THAN THE ENGINEER ASSESSMENT, WAIT A MINUTE, WHAT DO THEY MISS? RIGHT. 
          WHAT, WHY THIS SO LOW? SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE ASKING OURSELVES, BECAUSE THE WORST THING THAT WE CAN DO IS, IS GET AN UNDER CONTRACT WITH SOMEBODY THAT EITHER UNDERBID IT OR OVERBID IT, OR THEY'RE NOT QUALIFIED, OR, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCES OF THE PROJECT, BECAUSE THEN IT BECOMES A LOT HARDER TO GET OURSELVES OUT OF THAT CONTRACT OR MANAGE THROUGH THAT. 
          SO I APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK START. 
          WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS. 
          WE WILL DO OUR BEST, CONTINUE TO DO OUR BEST, TO GET MORE COMPETITION IN OUR CONTRACTS. 
          BUT I WANTED TO ASSURE YOU THAT THOSE PROCESSES ARE IN PLACE IN TERMS OF THE INTEGRITY, THE OVERSIGHT OF HOW WE WORK CONTRACTS, AND THAT WE DO LOOK AT PRICE AS PART OF OUR, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR CHAT. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, BUT REALLY WANT TO, UM, 
          [00:45:01]
APPRECIATE THAT FEEDBACK AND CONTINUE WORK ON THIS. 
          SO YOUR PROCESS THAT'S LACKING IN MY OPINION, IS WHEN YOU GET ONE BIDDER, YOU NEED TO REBID IT. 
          THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          COMMISSIONER GOT A QUESTIONS FOR MR. FARENTHOLD COMMISSION, MISS, UH, COMMISSIONER MASCARO PRIESTS. 
          WHEN YOU HAD THOSE FOCUS MEETINGS WITH THE CONTRACTOR ASSOCIATIONS, DID THEY EVER COME OUT THAT THE CITY ISN'T SOMETHING THEY WANT TO WORK FOR? AND IF THEY'RE BUSY WITH OTHER JOBS, THEY DON'T NEED A CITY JOB BECAUSE OF THE PAPERWORK OR THE RATES THEY HAVE TO PAY EMPLOYEES, OR THE QUICKLY HOW QUICKLY WE PAY ON, YOU KNOW, STATEMENTS. 
          SO I JUST WAS WONDERING IF THAT WAS A REASON AT ALL, WHY YOU WEREN'T GETTING YEAH. 
          THAT THAT'S, THAT'S CERTAINLY IS AS, UM, AS FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT IN, RIGHT, AS A, YOU KNOW, AS A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY, RIGHT. 
          WE, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO COUNCIL POLICY TO SET ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF OUR CONTRACTORS, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, PREVAILING WAGE, A LIVING WAGE, $15 AN HOUR PREVAILING WAGE, WHERE IT'S, YOU KNOW, DOL DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, UH, SET RATES WHERE WE INTEGRATE OUR CONSTRUCTION TRAINING PROGRAM, WHERE WE INTEGRATE OSHA TRAINING OF 15 HOURS OR 30 HOURS FOR THE, FOR THE SAFETY SUPERINTENDENT. 
          I MEAN, YOU KNOW, REST BREAK ORDINANCE. 
          I MEAN, WE, WE DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS IN OUR CONTRACTS AND IT IS OUR HOPE THAT CONTRACTORS SEE THAT AS, UM, GOOD THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, BUT IN SOME CASES WE HAVE HEARD FEEDBACK THAT IT'S JUST, IT'S MORE WORK FOR ME. 
          IT'S MORE REQUIREMENTS FOR ME. 
          AND, AND IN THIS CASE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT BECAUSE THERE'S OTHER PLACES I CAN GO WORK. 
          SO CERTAINLY I'VE HEARD THAT. 
          AND OUR, MY GOAL AS A DEPARTMENT IS TO IMPLEMENT THAT POLICY IN THE WAY THAT ACHIEVES THE GOAL OF THE COUNCIL. 
          BUT IT ALSO DOESN'T IN A WAY THAT IT DOESN'T IMPEDE A BURDEN, THE CONTRACTORS RIGHT BY, OH, I GOTTA DO THIS NOW. 
          AND IT JUST TAKES ME SO MUCH TIME AND EFFORT THAT IT'S NOT EVEN WORTH IT. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND SO THAT'S THE GOAL OF HOW WE GO ABOUT IMPLEMENTING POLICY IN OUR CONTRACTS. 
          UM, BUT, BUT THERE DOES, THERE DOES COME SOME ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES, YOU KNOW, W YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE GOVERNMENT. 
          UM, I WOULD SAY THIS THOUGH, IN MY, IN MY EXPERIENCE, UM, IN THIS OFFICE, AND I'VE BEEN IN THIS OFFICE SINCE 2010 AS IS THE DIRECTOR, NOT OFFICER, WE'VE BEEN, WE ALWAYS STAY PRETTY STEADY. 
          THERE ARE TIMES THAT WE'RE REALLY BUSY, LIKE RIGHT NOW, BUT THEN I'VE NEVER FELT LIKE A, A SLOW SLOWDOWN IN OUR CONTRACT AWARD. 
          WE WERE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, PUTTING OUT PROJECTS, PUTTING OUT PROJECTS. 
          AND I, AND I SAY THIS IN A WAY WHERE, LIKE, IF YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE CITY PROCESS REQUIREMENTS AND, UM, THAT THERE'S ALWAYS OPPORTUNITY WITH US, RIGHT. 
          AND OUTSIDE THE CITY, IT MAY SLOW DOWN. 
          RIGHT. 
          OR IT MAY SLOW, YOU KNOW? AND SO I THINK IT'S ALWAYS, I ALWAYS RECOMMEND THAT PEOPLE COME IN AND PURSUE THE CITY WORK BECAUSE IT'S STABLE. 
          RIGHT. 
          WE'LL BE REALLY BUSY AND WE'LL SLOW, SLOW DOWN A LITTLE BIT, BUT NOT IN A WAY WHERE THEY'RE NOT PUTTING ANY PROJECTS OUT. 
          I MEAN, WE, I, I WAS EXPECTING THE SLOW DOWN DURING THIS WHOLE COVID SITUATION. 
          THE ONLY ONE WE SLOWED DOWN WAS THAT FIRST SPRING BREAK, THAT AFTER COVID HAPPENED, WHERE WE WERE SHUTTING DOWN AND IT WAS TO TRANSITION US FROM BEING IN THE OFFICE, TO BEING AT HOME. 
          AND WE PUSHED OUT A COUPLE OF BIDS AFTER THAT, YOU KNOW, I WAS GETTING CALLS FROM CONTRACTORS AND CONSULTANTS, HEY, I WANT TO BID THE PROJECT. 
          I JUST WANT TO DROP IT OFF IN PERSON. 
          CAN YOU DO IT VIRTUALLY? CAN I DO IT ELECTRONICALLY? AND THAT WAS OUR FOCUS. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND WE DID THAT AND WE HAVE NOT SLOWED DOWN. 
          IT'S IT'S, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK GOING ON. 
          WE HAVE DEPARTMENTS LIKE AUSTIN WATER THAT GIVES US, KEEP US REALLY BUSY. 
          WE HAVE BOND PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MEET THE COMMUNITY'S EXPECTATION TO GET IN, EXECUTE IT WITHIN A TIMEFRAME THAT WE COMMITTED TO. 
          AND SO, UM, YEAH. 
          SORRY. 
          GOT ANY QUESTIONS FOR MRS. FERNANDO? I'D LIKE TO COMMENT ALSO CHEERLY ON, UM, AS A SPONSORING DEPARTMENT, UH, WE ARE MAKING A LOT OF EFFORTS TO MAKE OUR PROJECTS, UM, ATTRACTIVE AND COMPETITIVE. 
          I THINK YOU ALL HEARD WHEN YOU APPROVED THE, OR WHEN YOU VOTED ON THE, UM, ID, THE FACILITIES, LIFT STATION ID IQ CONTRACT THAT HAS THE EMERGENCY PROVISIONS IN IT. 
          THAT ORIGINALLY WAS A SINGLE ID IQ FOR OUR WORK IN ALL OUR FACILITIES. 
          AND WE SPLIT THAT INTO TWO. 
          SO THAT ONLY ONE OF THEM HAS THE EMERGENCY PROVISIONS IN IT. 
          AND WE'LL BE BRINGING YOU, WE'LL BE BIDDING THE, THE SECOND FACILITIES ID IQ THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE EMERGENCY PROVISIONS IN IT, UM, SHORTLY. 
          AND THAT IS THE ONE THAT, UH, ROLANDO WAS TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, BITTER OUTREACH THAT WE'RE DOING. 
          SO WE ARE, UM, JUST LIKE, UH, ROLANDO WAS SAYING YOU'VE COVERED THE, THE, THE ISSUES VERY CLEARLY. 
          UM, AND WE'RE FULLY ENGAGED WITH CCO TO ACHIEVE COMPETITIVE BIDS. 
          UH, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY ALLEGATIONS OF, OF, UM, UNDERHANDED DEALINGS. 
          UH, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH CCO TO MAKE SURE WE FOLLOW THE PROCESS. 
          WE GIVE THE BITTERS ENOUGH TIME TO GIVE US GOOD BIDS. 
          WE GIVE THEM GOOD DRAWINGS 
          [00:50:01]
TO BID ON AND, UM, AND GET OUR, GET OUR PROJECTS BUILT. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          I THINK WE ARE FOCUSING TODAY IS ON THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS. 
          BY THE TIME WE GO OUT FOR BID ON THE STREET, IT'S, IT'S BEYOND, ALMOST BEYOND OUR CONTROL. 
          IT'S VERY DIFFICULT. 
          I THINK WE NEED TO FOCUS ON BEFORE, PUT ON THE, FOR ADVERTISEMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'VE GOT A TIMES WE ARE PULLING THIS HANCOCK ONE OR TWO IN PRINT OR HPAC. 
          THE PRAM IS ONLY WORKING 50%. 
          AND THEN THE SUB, THE OTHER SUB GOT 50% OF THE WALK. 
          SHOULD WE PACKAGE IT EDITED WITH DIFFERENT DIFFERENTLY? I THINK WE NEED TO CONSIDER THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE A GENERAL CONTRACTOR. 
          SO I STRIPPED OFF HALF OF THE BUDGET TO DO THAT. 
          YES, THEY ARE SOME MANAGEMENT STAFF THERE, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD BE PACKAGING ON THAT STUFF, THEIR PROPERTY PACKAGING, THE STUFF SORT OF SPECIALTIES. 
          YOU KNOW, WE GOT A LOT OF TIMES WE DON'T GO OUT FOR THEM FOR, ESPECIALLY FOR IT FOR GENERAL COUNTRY. 
          THEY SAY, HEY, I WANT WATER, WATER PRINT. 
          I WANT THE WATER. 
          WELL, I WANT TO BUILD IT THE GROUND STORAGE TANK. 
          AND I WONDER INNOVATIVE STORY. 
          THINK YOU DON'T WANT THE, TO PICK OUT AS A ONE BIG POCKET PACKAGE BECAUSE THEN THE GENERAL COUNTRY THAT GOT HIS STUFF RAIL, IF YOU PICK OUT SEPARATED BEFORE THE SPECIALTIES, I'M SPECIALIZED IN ARABIC, IT'S SLOW. 
          I THINK I GIVE YOU A GOOD PRICE. 
          I GOT GOOD. 
          GIVE YOU A GOOD QUALITY PRODUCT. 
          I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL ON IT. 
          AND WHAT YOU IN THE DESIGN AROUND TIMES, WE DO SEEM TO BE, TO SAY, WHY YOUR BEEF SO HIGH WAY YOUR, YOUR CONTRACT TIME IS TOO TIGHT. 
          I KIND OF DIFFICULT TO MAKE IT. 
          SO THOSE KINDS OF THINGS WE NEED TO DO PREVENTIVE BEFORE, GET TO THE DRAWINGS BEFORE PUT ADVERTISE ON NEWSPAPER. 
          THOSE THINGS NEED TO BE REVIEWED. 
          WHEN WE DO THE PRETTY BID, WE DO THE PRETTY BID. 
          WE NEED TO SURVEY THE, THE POTENTIAL CON UH, PETER'S SAYING, HEY, ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO PUT THE PIT? YOU KNOW, ARE YOU SERIOUS? OR YOU ARE NOT INTEREST. 
          IF NOT, WE HAD BETTER POSTPONED IT ONE WEEK, TWO WEEKS. 
          IT WON'T HURT IT THAT MUCH, BUT GIVE US A MAP. 
          DEEP REPEATERS ARE PRETTY SURE THAT THEY DAY SOME OTHER PEOPLE, SOME ARE PEERS GOING TO COMPETE WITH YOU. 
          SO THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE I AM NOT ONLY THAT PETER, I WILL CHECK UP 10%, 15%. 
          THEY ARE SO MANY THINGS LIKE GET UP FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICE, OR IF Q IT'S NOT AUSTIN, BUT I SEEN SOME COMMUNITIES. 
          THEY PUT THE IFQ TWO WEEKS BEFORE, SINCE GIVEN TWO WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS, YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS TRYING TO DO, THEY TRY TO REDUCE THE EXPOSURE AND THEY CAN GIVE IT TO THIS PRE FOR ENGINEERING INFORMS OR CONSULTANT TO DO IT. 
          THAT'S WHAT THEY DO. 
          I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT AUSTIN. 
          I'M TELLING YOU THE OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT WE EXPERIENCE. 
          YEAH. 
           WE THINK WE NEED TO, TO BE CAREFUL ON SOURCING AND A PURGATORY ITEMS. WHEN THE, WHEN THE ENGINEER DESIGN IT, WE NEED TO BE AS MANY CHANCES, GET ON THE SHELF ITEMS AND SAY, THIS IS THE BEST ONE ONLY, ONLY MR. MORIARTY CAN DO IT. 
          OF COURSE, HE'S A PRICE GOING TO BE UP, BUT THERE'S NOT REALLY NECESSARY TO HAVE MR. MORIARTY'S DESIGN TO BE INCORPORATED IN THIS PROJECT. 
          AND THOSE, THOSE ARE THE THINGS. 
          AND THEN SUBCONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES, YOU KNOW, EVEN WE GOT AT ONE PETER, BUT THEY ARE ONLY, THERE'S ONLY TWO GUYS, THE PRIME CONTRACTOR, THEY GET THE OTHER GUY 50%. 
          THE OTHER, OR ONLY SUB-CONTRACTOR IS $8,500 FOR A CONCRETE. 
          WE, THE, THE, THE, THE PUB, UH, YES, MBO NEED TO GET MORE IN SUBCONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT THE SMALL AND MINORITY BUSINESSES. 
          THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE NEEDED. 
          WE NEED TO, TO, TO, TO THINK ABOUT IT THAT ENOUGH. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. 
          COMMISSIONER. 
          GOT ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER PEN. 
          YEAH. 
          I JUST HAD SOME COMMENTS. 
          MAYBE THERE THEY'LL TURN INTO QUESTIONS. 
          I'M NOT SURE, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED WAS THAT THIS WAS AN ISSUE IN CENTRAL TEXAS, AND I THINK I WOULD BE CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF THE STATS WERE AND MAYBE HOW OTHER CITIES WERE HANDLING THIS. 
          I KNOW RECENTLY THERE HAS BEEN SOME BIG PROGRAMS IN SAN ANTONIO WHERE THEY HAD TO HAVE HAD, UH, UH, A S A SLUG OF WORK COME OUT AT THE SAME TIME, AND MAYBE THEY HAD THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. 
          AND I THINK I RECALL FORT WORTH IMPLEMENTING A SYSTEM TO MAYBE PACE OUT THEIR WORK A LITTLE BIT SO THAT IT WAS, UM, EASIER TO, TO SOLICIT PROJECTS IN A MORE PACED OUT WAY. 
          SO THAT'S SOMETHING I WAS, YOU KNOW, MIGHT BE WORTH 
          [00:55:01]
LOOKING INTO. 
          UM, I LIKE THE IDEA OF TALKING TO THE CONTRACTOR ASSOCIATIONS. 
          I THINK IF YOU GET FEEDBACK FROM A CONTRACTOR, RIGHT AFTER A SOLICITATION, THEY MAY NOT GIVE YOU, THEY MAY NOT WANT TO GET INTO THE, TO THE WEEDS OF EVERY REASON WHY THEY DIDN'T GO UP FOR IT, BUT MAYBE A CON THE CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATIONS, THEY, THEY REPRESENT THE CONTRACTORS AND THE WHOLE, SO THEY'LL MAYBE GIVE MORE FEEDBACK. 
          AND, UM, THEY MIGHT ALSO CHIME IN ON THE EXTENDING. 
          THE, I THOUGHT IT WAS AN INTERESTING IDEA EXTENDING THE TIME PERIOD FOR THE BIDS. 
          IF YOU THINK THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE LOW TURNOUT, AND THEN MAYBE GETTING SOME FEEDBACK, IF IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD ACTUALLY, THEY WOULD CONSIDER ADDING THE BID, UH, PUTTING IN A BID IF THEY HAD MORE TIME IN THOSE CASES. 
          AND THEN THE LAST THING IS, I THINK ON SOME OF THE CONTRACTS WITH INCUMBENTS, I THINK THOSE ARE PROBABLY MORE PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING BECAUSE YOU'VE HAD SOMEBODY DOING THIS FOR THREE YEARS, FIVE YEARS, THEY FIGURED IT OUT. 
          THEY'VE GOT A PRICE AND MAYBE SOME OF THE OTHERS ARE DISCOURAGED BECAUSE CAN I COMPETE WITH SOMEBODY THAT ALREADY DOES THIS? AND THOSE MIGHT, MIGHT BE MORE CHALLENGING AND TO LOOK INTO, AND HOW DO WE GET COMPETITION ON THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS MAY, MAY REQUIRE SOME OTHER IDEAS. 
          SO, UH, I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION. 
          I KNOW THIS IS A IMPORTANT ISSUE TO GET COMPETITION AND TO HAVE AT THE SAME TIME, QUALITY CONTRACTORS DOING THE WORK AND, UM, AND, AND HAVING A STRONG, FAIR PROCESS FOR EVERYBODY. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          APPRECIATE THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GOT IT. 
          ANY MORE QUESTIONS, MS. CHU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          JUST CURIOUS, ARE THESE PRE-BID MEETINGS MANDATORY SO THAT YOU CAN ENSURE GET A GAUGE, A REAL GAUGE FOR WHO'S GONNA SHOW UP? SO THE MAJORITY OF THE PREVIOUS MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE ARE NOT MANDATORY, UM, WE HAVE A CRITERIA THAT IS DEVELOPED THAT WE DEVELOPED AND IS IT'S LIKE A THREE-LEVEL APPROACH TO SAY, WHY ARE WE GOING TO GET TO A MANDATORY BB MEETINGS? I DON'T, I DON'T NECESSARILY RECOMMEND PREVIEW MEETINGS, UH, MANDATORY PRE-BID MEETINGS, EXCUSE ME, JUST BECAUSE, UH, IT REALLY KIND OF CONFINES US TO LIKE, WELL, YOU ONLY HAVE ONE. 
          AND SO WHAT DO YOU DO NOW? RIGHT. 
          UM, IF IT'S MANDATORY, UM, ESPECIALLY IN THIS KIND OF MARKET THAT WE IN, SO NO, NOT ALL OF THEM ARE MANDATORY. 
          AND IF IT'S MANDATORY, IT'S BECAUSE THERE IS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO BE SHARED OR COMMUNICATED OR EXPRESSED TO THE CONTRACTOR, WHETHER IT VERBALLY, OR DO YOUR POWERPOINT POSITION THAT IS NOT MAYBE, AND EASILY GATHERED FROM THE DESIGN DOCUMENTS, RIGHT? ALL THIS SOLICITATION INFORMATION OR VISUALLY BY BEING AT THE SITE VISIT, RIGHT. 
          WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO GO IN AND SAY, WOW, I REALLY HAVE TO CONSIDER THIS CONFINED SPACE. 
          RIGHT. 
          OR I REALLY HAVE TO CONSIDER WHERE AM I GOING TO PUT ALL MY MATERIAL? THERE IS NOWHERE HERE FOR ME TO DO THAT. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO AM I GOING TO HAVE TO PUT IT SOMEWHERE ELSE AND THEN HAVE TO CHUCK IT IN EVERY DAY? AND YOU KNOW, SO THE FACT THAT WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE CONTRACTORS TO LOOK AT THE SPACE, LOOK AT THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING THE WORK IN SO THAT THEY CAN CONSIDER THAT AS PART OF THEIR BID RESPONSE, YOU GET MANDATORY BECAUSE THERE IS A VALUE GAIN THAT YOU CAN GET BY JUST READING THE DOCUMENTS AND LOOKING AT THE DESIGN SPECS. 
          RIGHT. 
          YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO SEE IT WHEN YOU GET THERE. 
          AND YOU'RE LIKE, OKAY. 
          COMPLEX, COMPLEX, COMPLEX. 
          LET ME MAKE SURE THAT I'M CONSIDERING THAT AS PART OF MY BID. 
          RIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THAT PROBABLY APPLIES MORE TO AUSTIN WATER THEN THAN OTHER DEPARTMENTS. 
          UM, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BIG COMPLICATED PROJECTS ON BIG COMPLICATED SITES. 
          SO WE DO HAVE A FAIR NUMBER OF MANDATORY PREBATES. 
          I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD HELP GIVE A LITMUS LITMUS TEST OF WHO AND GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, TO REACH OUT BEFORE, BECAUSE AFTER IT'S BEEN ALL AGREE WITH YOU, MOST OF THE TIME IT COMES BACK MORE, IF YOU REBID IT. 
          UM, SO ALL YOUR OPPORTUNITY IS ON THE FRONT END TO GET IT. 
          BUT THAT BEING, BEING ABLE TO HAVE, UM, OR CREATE OPPORTUNITIES TO GET A FEEL FOR HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE BIDDING WITHOUT TO COMMISSIONER MED SCRUBS POINT, CREATING BURDEN FOR THEM TO, YOU KNOW, OR OBSTACLES THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO BID BECAUSE IT'S TOO DIFFICULT. 
          UM, BUT IF MOST OF AUSTIN WATER PROJECTS ARE MORE COMPLEX ANYWAYS, THAT COULD BE A POTENTIAL VEHICLE TO, TO HAVE A GOOD IDEA AND MAYBE MAKE ADJUSTMENTS BEFORE THE ACTUAL BID. 
          UM, YEAH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT. 
          AND JUST THE CONCERN ON THAT IS ONCE WE MAKE IT MANDATORY 
          [01:00:01]
AND THEN WE DECIDED TO HOLD ANOTHER ONE, IT'S LIKE, WELL, IF YOU WEREN'T THERE, THE FIRST ONE WE CAN KEEP, WE CAN ADD YOU NOW TO THE BIDDING PROCESS. 
          SO LIKE, IF YOU WERE NOT AT THE MANDATORY PRE-BID OR SITE VISIT, YOU'RE PRETTY MUCH PRECLUDED FROM BIDDING THAT PROJECT. 
          AND THAT'S JUST THE TRANSPARENCY PART OF IT WAS MANDATORY TO BE THERE. 
          AND IF YOU'RE EITHER NOT THERE, OR YOU ARRIVE NO MORE THAN 15 MINUTES LATE, JUST BECAUSE OF THE CONTENT OF INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE AND, YOU KNOW, UM, AND, AND FOLKS PAY ATTENTION TO THAT, YOU KNOW, BITTER, UH, PAY ATTENTION TO WHO WAS THERE, WHO WASN'T THERE, WHAT TIME DID THEY SHOW UP? AND THEY WILL HOLD THOSE AS A KIND OF BULLET TO FOLLOWING OUR PROTOCOL. 
          SO FOR ME, MAKING IT NOT MANDATORY ALLOWS FOR US TO DO THAT LITMUS TEST RIGHT. 
          AND SAY, OKAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE NEED MORE TIME. 
          WE NEED, LET'S ADD SOME MORE TIME TO THIS ADVERTISING PERIOD. 
          UM, AND THEN THE, THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE GETTING, YOU KNOW, REQUIRES US TO BE MORE DELIBERATE ON THE RESPONSE THAT WE PROVIDE. 
          AND THEN ALSO ADD MORE TIME, RIGHT. 
          BECAUSE, AND IF WE'RE MAKING CHANGES TO THE DESIGN DOCUMENTS, UH, WE WE'RE DOING CLARIFICATION'S TO THEM, YOU KNOW, UM, THEN ALL THE IMPACTS THEIR ABILITY TO PUT THEIR PRICING TOGETHER, BUT THEN ALSO DO TO DO THEIR COMPLIANCE PLAN. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO THEN ANY MORE TIME FOR THAT AS WELL. 
          UM, SO ALL THOSE THINGS, WHEN WE HAVE, UH, UH, A PRE-BID MEETING, YOU KNOW, REALLY THE MORE PEOPLE SHOW UP, THE MORE QUESTIONS THAT WE GET THAT TO ME IS WHAT, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF, OKAY, I THINK I FEEL PRETTY GOOD ABOUT THIS, RIGHT? AND THEN SOMETIMES YOU CAN FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT IT. 
          AND I'M LIKE, I GET THE, THE, THE BID SHEET FOR MY STAFF MEMBER THAT SAYS, WELL, WE ONLY HAD LIKE, REALLY, I THOUGHT THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD PROJECT. 
          WE WERE, WE WERE, YOU KNOW, SHAY TALKED ABOUT THAT EXAMPLE OF, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA OF KEY FOR EMERGENCY, AND THEN DOING THE NON MERCY. 
          WE'VE DONE SIMILAR PROJECTS WHERE WE BROKEN IT DOWN AND IT'S MORE WORK FOR US, BUT THERE'S VALUE TO THAT WHERE WE SAY, INSTEAD OF DOING ONE CONTRACT FOR $10, LET'S DO FOUR FOR 2.5. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND WE'LL SPACE THEM OUT. 
          AND THEN THE BIDS COME OUT AND WE GET THE SAME BIDDER, YOU KNOW, FOR MULTIPLE OF THOSE. 
          AND IT'S LIKE, WOW, WE REALLY THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHER FOLKS TO GET ON BOARD. 
          UH, WE THOUGHT THAT, UH, THE BONDING WAS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LOWER. 
          SO THAT NEW CONTRACT IS TO KIND OF GET IN THERE AND BE ABLE TO BID THIS PROJECT CAUSE THEY CAN BE BONDED FOR THAT AMOUNT. 
          UM, SO WE WERE REALLY TRYING TO BE CREATIVE AND FIGURE OUT WAYS TO GET MORE COMPETITION, YOU KNOW, BIDDERS, AND, AND SOMETIMES IT WORKS OUT IN SOMETHING THAT IT DOESN'T RIGHT. 
          I MEAN, SOME CONTRACTORS ARE LIKE, WELL, EVERY OPPORTUNITY IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY WANT TO SEIZE ON A CONTRACT. 
          AND SO WE THINK MAYBE THEY ONLY WANT TO PURSUE THESE BIG PROJECTS. 
          AND THEN NEXT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALSO PURSUING THE SMALL ONES AND THEN LIKE JUST KIND OF TALKING WITH THEM, IT'S LIKE, WELL, THEY GOT STAFF TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, AND THEY DON'T WANT TO LOSE THEM. 
          THEY WANT TO KEEP THEM BUSY, YOU KNOW? AND SO IT'S A, THAT'S THE EXCITING PART ABOUT THIS, RIGHT? IS THAT YOU THINK YOU KIND OF FIGURED IT OUT AND IT'S LIKE, SOMETHING HAPPENS WHERE LIKE, WELL, MAYBE NOT. 
          AND SO, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL KEEP WORKING ON IT. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. 
          GOT ANY MORE QUESTIONS? NO, THANK YOU, MR. FERRANDO. 
          THANK YOU ALL. 
          GOOD. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          LET'S HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          LET'S 
          [D.1. Advanced Metering Infrastructure (MyATXWater) Update]
MOVE ON TO ITEM D ONE AT EVENTS METERING INFRASTRUCTURE, MY ATX WATER UPDATE. 
          YOU GOT IT. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          COMMISSIONERS RECORD NATTO AUSTIN WATER SYSTEM, DIRECTOR FOR, UH, OPERATIONS. 
          UH, TONIGHT I'M GONNA KIND OF GO OVER A, AN UPDATE FOR THE MITX WATER PROGRAM. 
          UM, THE LAST TIME WE SPOKE, UH, RELATED TO THIS TOPIC, UH, WE HAD ONE, UH, A BRIEFING WITH COMMISSION BACK IN AUGUST OF 2020. 
          THAT'S WHEN WE WENT OVER, UH, THE, UM, THE PROGRAM ON MY CAKES WATER, WE HAD JUST STARTED TO, UH, IDENTIFY AND DEFINE THE, THE PILOT AREAS. 
          UH, THAT WAS ABOUT, UH, 5,000 METERS THAT WE WANTED TO KIND OF, UH, TEST OUT BOTH IN THE MUELLER WINDSOR PARK RIVER PLACE, AND EVEN, UH, UH, I THINK IT WAS A CANYON LONG CANYON NEIGHBORHOODS, ABOUT 5,000 METERS. 
          THEN, THEN WE DID ALSO DO, UH, AN UPDATE WITH YOU ON OCTOBER, 2020 WITH A KIND OF A, A LITTLE DEEP DIVE INTO THE CUSTOMER PORTAL. 
          UH, SO WE DID HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DIVISION TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE PORTAL. 
          UM, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, WE DID NOT, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO PRESENT TO YOU, UH, THE, UM, THE CONTENT THAT WE, UH, DID GIVE TO THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE BACK IN MAY. 
          UH, WE GOT A LITTLE BIT, UM, UH, ON SCHEDULE WISE, WE DID HAVE A LITTLE BIT, UH, INTO THE WINTER STORM UPDATES. 
          AND SO WE KIND OF HIGHLIGHTED A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE HAD NOTICED, UH, DURING THE WINTER STORM 
          [01:05:01]
THAT WAS RELATED TO THE USE OF THE, MY ATX PORTAL. 
          UH, I'M GOING TO ATTEMPT TO TRY TO GO THROUGH THE AGENDA THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU NOT ONLY A LITTLE BRIEFING OF WHAT, UH, WAS PRESENTED IN THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, BUT ALSO, UH, THERE THERE'LL BE A LINK THERE THAT YOU CAN KIND OF GO TO AND, UM, KIND OF GET THE DEEP DIVE ON SOME OF THAT CONTENT AS WELL, AND FEEL FREE TO ASK ANY OF THOSE QUESTIONS AS WELL. 
          UM, I'LL ALSO GO THROUGH THE DEPLOYMENT PROGRESS, UH, SINCE, UH, LAST SUMMER. 
          UH, SO WE'VE, WE'VE HAD ABOUT A YEAR'S WORTH OF DEPLOYMENT PROGRESS. 
          UH, NOT ONLY, UH, WILL I TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE CUMULATIVE, UH, METER INSTALLATIONS, BUT ALSO OUR PROGRESS TOWARDS FULL, UH, DEPLOYMENT OR IMPLEMENTATION THROUGHOUT THE CITY? UM, W WE DID PIVOT A LITTLE BIT TO TRY TO, UH, INVEST IN A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, IT SYSTEMS FOR DISASTER RECOVERY, AND ALSO KIND OF TALK ABOUT THE METER TO BUILD PROGRESS. 
          AND WHEN DO WE EXPECT TO, UH, START TO, UH, CONVERT SOME OF THOSE METERS TO, UH, THE BILLING PROCESS FROM MANUAL READS TO AMI READS, UH, AND ALSO DISCUSS, UH, SOME OF THE RESILIENCY EFFORTS THAT WE, UH, UH, KIND OF WENT THROUGH, UH, OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS, UH, RANDY JENKINS, UH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF OUR OP UM, CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IS NOT HERE TONIGHT, BUT, UH, I'LL COVER SOME OF HER CONTENT AS WELL, A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE CUSTOMER OUTREACH AND PORTAL ENGAGEMENT, UH, AS WELL AS SOME PRELIMINARY INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED FROM, UH, THE ALERTS AND NOTIFICATIONS, UH, THAT WE HAVE FOR THE MITX PORTAL. 
          SO THE DEPLOYMENT PROGRESS, UM, THIS GRAPHIC KIND OF DEPICTS KIND OF, UH, THE REPORT CARD OF WHERE WE ARE IN PROGRESS. 
          UH, THIS REPRESENTS A NUMBER OF AMI METERS THAT HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN THE GROUND AND ARE NOW REGISTERING ON THE NETWORK. 
          UH, THERE'S JUST SHY OF, UH, 14,000 METERS. 
          UH, I MENTIONED, UH, THAT THE PILOT AREA WAS ABOUT 5,000. 
          UH, SINCE THEN, IF YOU NOTICE A GRAPHIC, UH, BETWEEN OCTOBER AND JANUARY, WE DID, UH, HAVE AN UPTICK AND INCREASE. 
          WHAT WE DID IS WE, UH, HAD THE VENDOR COME IN AND BRING A TRAVEL TEAM TO HELP WITH SOME OF ESTABLISHMENT OF, OF THE, UH, PILOT AREAS. 
          AND SO THEY WERE ABLE TO GET ABOUT 5,000 METERS, UH, ROUGHLY SHY OF 5,000 METERS. 
          AND THEN WE HAD THE WINTER STORM THAT KIND OF DID A LITTLE DELAY AND, AND INSTALLATIONS. 
          UH, THE MAJORITY OF THE RESIDENTIAL METERS HAVE BEEN, UH, REPLACED THEY'RE IN THE PILOT AREAS. 
          WE STILL HAVE TO WORK ON SOME OF THE LARGER, UH, THREE INCH AND LARGER METERS THAT WERE, UH, THEY'RE A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED. 
          THEY REQUIRE SOME CONFINED SPACE ENTRY, OR MAYBE EVEN SOME METER EXCHANGES THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN, LARGE METER EXCHANGES. 
          UM, BUT THEN, UM, ABOUT MAY WE DID, UM, ALLOW THE VENDOR TO NOW, UH, PROGRESS INTO WRAPPING UP THEIR WORKFORCE AND, UH, UM, IMPROVING ON SOME OF THE QUALITY PROCESSES THAT THEY HAVE. 
          UH, AND SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE AN UPTICK THROUGH THE SUMMER OF ABOUT, UH, PROBABLY ABOUT 500 AVERAGE PER WEEK OF INSTALLS. 
          UM, AND SO, UH, I'LL KEEP THIS IN MIND AS, AS, AS YOU KNOW, WE DO UPDATES, WE'LL HAVE THIS ALSO IN OUR, UH, MITX WATER PORTAL, UH, EVEN OUR PERFORMANCE DASHBOARD FOR AUSTIN WATER. 
          THIS IS KIND OF OUR METRIC RIGHT NOW TO, TO IDENTIFY OUR PROGRESS ON GETTING A CITYWIDE IMPLEMENTATION. 
          SO IN THE FALL, YOU SHOULD START SEEING ANOTHER INCREASE WHERE OUR TARGETED, UH, OBJECTIVE IS TRY TO GET AT LEAST A THOUSAND METERS PER WEEK. 
          UH, I BELIEVE THIS WEEK WE HAVE ABOUT 800 IN THE SCHEDULE. 
          SO WE'RE GETTING THERE SLOWLY. 
          UH, WE HAD TO, UM, UH, HIRE MORE STAFF EXTERNALLY, AND WE ALSO, UH, WITH YOUR APPROVAL, GOT ADDITIONAL EIGHT STAFF MEMBERS THAT WE'RE HAVING WHERE AUSTIN WATER THAT'S GONNA HELP US, UH, THROUGH SOME OF THOSE TRANSITIONS AND ANYTHING FROM THE IT DISCIPLINE TO MEET HER INSTALLERS TO CUSTOMER SERVICE. 
          SO WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AS WELL. 
          I WANT TO, UM, TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO, UH, THIS, THIS DASHBOARD. 
          THIS IS OUR METER INSTALLATION MAP. 
          UH, IT IS NEW TO MY ATX WATER.ORG. 
          AND SO A CUSTOMER CAN GO TO THAT LANDING PAGE AND PULL UP THIS, UH, IMPLEMENTATION MAP AND IT COVERS THE ENTIRE CITY. 
          SO YOU CAN DRILL INTO HOTSPOTS, EH, TH THAT WILL SHOW 
          [01:10:01]
UP ON THE MAP. 
          THIS ONE JUST REPRESENTS THE SOUTHEAST. 
          SO WE, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO ESTABLISH A, UH, WHAT I CALL A, UH, DATA COLLECTION, UH, UNIT AT ONE OF OUR RESERVOIR SITES. 
          AND WE'RE ABLE TO NOW, UH, INSTALL IN THE VICINITY OF THIS, OF THIS LOCATION. 
          AND SO YOU HAVE A SOUTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAS, UM, THE BLUE REPRESENTS INSTALLED, THE YELLOW REPRESENTS A PENDING INSTALLATION. 
          SO IT'S UNSCHEDULED, UH, UH, I'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE GOT DURING THE PILOT ON COMMUNICATIONS TO TRY TO GET THESE, UH, METERS INSTALLED AS WELL AS TO COMMUNICATE WITH A CUSTOMER. 
          UM, BUT THIS IS A VERY, FAIRLY NEW TOOL AND IS IN ANYONE CAN ACCESS THAT. 
          AND SO IT IT'S, UH, IT'S AN, IT'S AN IMPROVEMENT FROM THE LAST ONE THAT I REPORTED, OR IS MORE STATIC WHERE IT JUST SAID THAT, UM, THIS IS THE AREA THAT THE PILOTS IS IN. 
          THIS ONE IS A LITTLE MORE DYNAMIC AND IT'S UPDATED ROUTINELY. 
          SO AS WE GET NEW SCHEDULES OUT, THEY'LL, IT'LL REFLECT THESE, UH, INDIVIDUAL METER LOCATIONS. 
          SO OUR PROGRESS TOWARDS CITY-WIDE, UH, IMPLEMENTATION, I MENTIONED, UH, YOU HAD GOTTEN A BRIEFING LAST YEAR ABOUT THAT. 
          WE'RE GOING INTO THE CITY, UH, PILOT AREAS. 
          AND THEN, UH, WE STARTED TO ADVANCE SOME OF THESE, UH, DIFFERENT COMPONENTS, OBVIOUSLY. 
          UH, THIS IS A VERY LARGE COMPLEX PROJECT THAT HAS MULTIPLE ASPECTS, EVERYTHING FROM THE ITN TO THE HARDWARE INSTALLATION, THE INTEGRATIONS, THE CUSTOMER, UH, PORTAL, AND, AND THAT OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATION. 
          SO WE HAVE MULTIPLE FRONTS ON THIS PROJECT. 
          UH, SO TODAY I MENTIONED, WE HAVE, AS WE'RE BUILDING A NETWORK, WE'RE ABOUT 28% THROUGH THAT NETWORK INSTALLATION, UH, AND THAT NETWORK INSTALLATION CAN CONSISTS OF, UM, UH, DATA COLLECTION UNITS ON, UH, WOOD POLES, UM, AAE LIGHTS. 
          UH, THOSE ARE THE NEXT LEVEL OF, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE WE'RE GOING TO START USING IS KIND OF A DUAL PURPOSE, LIGHT AND DCU POLE. 
          UH, WE HAVE UTILIZED MANY OF THE RADIO COMMUNICATION TOWERS. 
          UH, WE ALSO USE OUR, UM, RESERVOIR TOWERS WHERE, WHETHER THEY'RE THE ELEVATED OR THE GROUND STORAGE, MANY OF THE PROPERTIES THAT, UH, INCLUDE INCLUDE, UH, AUSTIN WATER FACILITIES, SUCH AS LIFT STATIONS, PUMP STATIONS. 
          SO WE'RE MAXIMIZING ALL THE, THE, UH, PROPERTIES FOR THE CITY, INCLUDING EVEN FIRE STATIONS. 
          SO, UH, DEFINITELY WE'RE, WE'RE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD PROGRESS ON THE DCU INSTALLATIONS. 
          AND THAT HELPS FEED INTO THE NEXT PORTION OF THE PROCESS IS THE PLANNING OF, UH, FIELD SURVEY INSPECTIONS OF THESE PITS. 
          SO THAT'S A KIND OF A, A KEY COMPONENT. 
          WE, WE, UH, PUT INTO THE PROJECT TO ENSURE THAT THEY CAN, THAT, UH, THE CONTRACTOR GOES AND INSPECTS THE PITS, UH, ENSURES THAT WE HAVE THE ADEQUATE, UM, UH, METER BOXES OR LIDS INVENTORY WE GAVE DURING THE BID PROCESS. 
          WE HAD ESTIMATES OF CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THOSE FIELD SURVEYS. 
          THIS IS REQUIRED TO PLAN THEIR WORK, AND THAT KIND OF ENSURES THAT THEY'RE READY TO GO WHEN THEY GET THERE. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT MAY INVOLVE CLEANING AT SOME POINT. 
          SO, SO THOSE, THOSE METER BOXES HAVE TO BE CLEANED BEFORE THE INSTALLER COMES IN AND, UH, REMOVES THE METER AND REPLACES IT. 
          UH, WE HAVE, UH, ADJUSTED SOME SUPPLY CHAIN, UH, ISSUES, UH, OBVIOUSLY, UM, YOU KNOW, A PROJECT LIKE THIS, THAT PLANNING COMES REAL IMPORTANT AND GETTING THE NUMBER OF BOXES, METER BOXES IN PLACE LIDS, UH, NOT ONLY THAT, BUT, UH, THE INVENTORY OF METERS, THE METER MTU HARDWARE, UH, AND SO FORTH. 
          SO ALL THAT IS A PREPLANNED, UH, MULTIPLE MONTHS IN ADVANCE. 
          AND SO WE'RE ENSURING THAT AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS, WE HAVE MULTIPLE MONTHS OF INVENTORY AND THE CONTRACTOR HAS A WAREHOUSE TO KIND OF MAINTAIN THAT AS WELL. 
          UH, SO EVEN THOUGH, UH, WE'VE, WE'RE EXITING THE PILOT AND WE'RE NOW INTO FULL DEPLOYMENT PLANNING, UM, THERE'S STILL THOSE, THOSE PLANNING EFFORTS THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN. 
          UM, THE OTHER BULLET I HAVE IS, IS, UM, RELATED TO WORKFORCE THAT IS, UH, A VERY, UH, LARGE CHALLENGE, NOT ONLY FOR AUSTIN WATER, BUT THE, ANY OF THE CONTRACTORS IN THE AREAS IS TRYING TO GET A WORKFORCE THAT'S TRAINED AVAILABLE. 
          AND, UH, DURING THE SUMMER, YOU'LL SEE SOME DIPS IN, IN A WORKFORCE ONLY BECAUSE 
          [01:15:01]
THIS IS A VERY, UH, AGGRESSIVE ENVIRONMENT. 
          IF YOU'RE WORKING OUT IN THE HEAT AND EXCHANGE SOME OF THE METERS, JUST LIKE A MANUAL METER READER, UH, CONTRACTOR, THEY MAY LOSE SOME STAFF AND THEN HAVE TO REBUILD AGAIN. 
          SO WE'RE IN THE REBUILDING PHASE TO TRY TO GET THE CONTRACTOR TO GET MORE INSTALLERS. 
          AND THAT'S WHERE WE'VE SEEN A LITTLE BIT UPTAKE IN THE INSTALL RATE GOING FROM 500 AVERAGE, ABOUT 800 AVERAGE. 
          SO WE HOPE TO KEEP AHEAD OF THAT CURVE. 
          AND, UH, THEY'VE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE CONTRACTOR, HAS TO TRY TO INCENTIVIZE SOME STAFF TO, TO HIRE WHETHER IT'S SIGN ON BONUSES OR EVEN A HIGHER RATES OR BENEFITS THAT, THAT GOES A LONG WAY TO TRY TO GET AN ESTABLISHED WORKFORCE LOCALLY, UH, TO, TO GET THROUGH SOME OF THE LARGER VOLUME, UH, INSTALLS. 
          UH, AND I ALSO MENTIONED, UM, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN WATER HAS TO PREPARE ON OUR END AND HOW TO MEET THAT DEMAND AS THE NUMBER OF INSTALLS INCREASE, OUR, OUR CHECKS AND BALANCES HAVE TO INCREASE. 
          YOU MIGHT HAVE TO HAVE, UH, OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE PRACTICES IN PLACE IN CASE OUR METER INSTALLERS HAVE TO DO SIMILAR WORK. 
          UH, SO WE WILL ALSO BE HIRING A COUPLE OF INSTALLERS IN THIS COMING FISCAL YEAR THAT WAS APPROVED THROUGH THE BUDGET, INCLUDING, UH, I MENTIONED IT STAFF AND CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF. 
          UM, AN IMPORTANT NOTE IS, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, AS WE'RE MOVING THROUGH THIS, UH, PROJECT, WE HAVE TO ALSO BE AWARE THAT WE ALSO ARE DOING SOME LEAD SURVEYS SURVEYS. 
          AND SO WE HAVE A STAFF THAT ARE DEDICATED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CLEAR THOSE, UH, AREAS THAT WE'RE GOING TO INSTALL TO, THAT THERE'S NO LEAD SERVICES IN THE AREA. 
          AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY WE ALSO KIND OF HAVE TO INCREASE OUR, OUR WORKFORCE. 
          UH, LET'S SEE HERE. 
          I MENTIONED, UH, WE DID, UM, DURING THE WINTER STORM, WE KIND OF RECOGNIZE THE VALUE OF THIS PROJECT AND THE SERVICES THAT ARE ADDED, UM, WITH AMI, UH, VERY, VERY MUCH SO THAT, UH, WE INVESTED INTO, UH, DISASTER RECOVERY EFFORTS, UH, IN, IN LIEU OF HAVING MULTIPLE DAYS OF BACKUP. 
          UH, WE SHORTENED THAT TIMEFRAME TWO HOURS. 
          SO, SO IT'S NO LONGER, THE HIGHEST VALUE IS NOT FOR, UH, BILLING EFFORTS, BUT FOR OPERATIONAL EFFORTS TO USE THIS INFORMATION TO KIND OF GAUGE NOT ONLY, UH, LEAKS FROM THE CUSTOMERS, BUT ALSO THE STABILITY OF WHERE, WHERE WE MIGHT HAVE OUTAGES, HOW WE COMMUNICATE WITH CUSTOMERS. 
          THERE'S A LOT OF ADDED VALUE TO THIS PROGRAM THAT, UH, WE RECOGNIZED DURING THE WINTER STORM. 
          AND SO WE INVESTED IN, IN HAVING MULTIPLE DATA CENTERS AS A BACKUP, AND WE'VE TESTED THOSE. 
          SO WE HAVE, UH, TWO AREAS OF THE COUNTRY WHERE WE BACK UP, UH, THIS INFORMATION, THE METER DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, AND WE HAVE INVESTED A LOT OF INTEGRATIONS FOR THAT TEST. 
          AND SO WE'RE COMFORTABLE NOW TO NOW, UM, HAVE MORE, UH, METER EXCHANGES MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE OF THE DISASTER RECOVERY EFFORTS THAT WE'VE HAD. 
          UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ARE, UM, UH, TESTING OUR METERS FOR ACCURATE READS. 
          I MENTIONED WE HAVE THE MANUAL RE CONTRACTOR AND, AND WE DO COMPARISONS WITH THE AMI READS AS WELL AS THE MANUAL READ. 
          AND, AND WE HAVE, UH, MULTIPLE CHECKS AND BALANCES THAT WE WANT TO ENSURE ACTUALLY IT'S LIKE 10 POINT CRITERIA THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN IN THE GROUND FOR SO LONG OR, UH, THE INFORMATION MATCHES THE MANUAL READ WITHIN A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE. 
          SO, SO WE HAVE MULTIPLE CHECKS AND BALANCES, AND WE'LL DEVELOP MORE AS WE LEARN, UH, TO TEST A COUPLE OF THOSE METERS THAT ARE, UM, CITI METERS, UH, TO GO FROM A MANUAL, READ TO A BILLING READ, OR AN AMI BILLING READ. 
          AND SO WE'LL LOOK AT EXPANDING THAT OVER TIME. 
          AND SO THE NEXT SIX MONTHS IS GOING TO BE GEARED TOWARDS CONVERTING SOME OF THOSE MANUAL READS TO AMI READS. 
          AND I MENTIONED, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, IMPROVING RESILIENCE OF THE VALUE OF THIS, UH, PROGRAM IS SUCH THAT, UH, WE'RE INVESTING IN ALL FRONTS, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, HIRING STAFF TO, UH, DEDICATE TO THESE INTEGRATIONS. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE SAW IS, UH, DURING THE WINTER STORM, THE IMPACT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SOUTH WEST, UH, LOSE WATER SOONER, AND HAD, WE HAD MORE INFORMATION 
          [01:20:01]
WE COULD GAUGE, YOU KNOW, WHERE SOME OF THE OUTAGES WERE OR EVEN COMMUNICATE WITH, WITH, UH, INDIVIDUALS, BUT THAT DOESN'T STOP US FROM DOING THAT CITYWIDE. 
          IT JUST HAPPENED TO, TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE HAD A, AN AREA OF OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF GROW SOME OF THE INSTALLS. 
          SO WE HAVE SEVERAL THOUSAND INSTALLED IN THE SOUTHWEST AND GROWING, UH, I KIND OF DISPLAYED, UH, ANOTHER GRAPHIC THAT WE ALSO HAVE SOME IN THE SOUTHEAST. 
          WE ACTUALLY HAVE THEM IN AT LEAST SEVEN TO EIGHT DISTRICTS RIGHT NOW. 
          AND SO AS WE GROW THE PROGRAM, UH, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THEM CITYWIDE AND NOT CONCENTRATED IN ANY ONE PARTICULAR AREA. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, THE VALUE OF, OF NEAR REAL TIME WILL ALSO BE INVESTED IN, UH, THAT I MENTIONED THE, THE, UH, IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS CITYWIDE. 
          YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE REGISTERED FOR THE PORTAL FOR US TO KINDA, UH, SEND OUT EMERGENCY RESPONSES OR COMMUNICATIONS. 
          UH, IT IS, UH, KIND OF ONE OF THOSE FEATURES THAT WE HAVE LAUNCHED DURING THE WINTER STORM IS THAT WE DID SEND OUT LIKE 750,000, UH, MESSAGES DURING THAT TIMEFRAME AS WELL. 
          SO YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO REPEAT REGISTERED TO THE PORT FOR THE PORTAL. 
          UM, WE'RE GOING TO ENHANCE MORE TOOLS. 
          UH, WE HAVE NOT INSTALLED ANY OF THE DEVICES SUCH AS PRESSURE OR LEAK DETECTION, BUT I WOULD SEE THAT STARTING TO RAMP UP IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, AS WELL AS TO KIND OF TEST OUT SOME OF THOSE DEVICES AND THEN LOOK TO SEE WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE ON A CITY-WIDE EFFORT. 
          SO, SO I'M GOING TO TURN OVER A LITTLE BIT TO, UM, A DIFFERENT TOPIC ON THE CUSTOMER OUTREACH AND PORTAL ENGAGEMENT. 
          I MENTIONED THAT WE HAD SOME LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE PILOT AND, AND, UH, SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT FROM CUSTOMERS ON WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE MOVING FORWARD, UH, UH, DURING SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY EVENTS, AS WELL AS OUR, UH, SURVEYS THAT WE SENT OUT, UH, THE AREAS, UH, THAT ARE IN THE PILOT. 
          UM, SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO, UH, CUSTOMER OUTREACH, AND ACTUALLY WE HAVE, UH, A VIRTUAL MEETING SCHEDULED NEXT WEEK. 
          UH, WE HAVE THAT POSTED ON MY TAKES WATER.ORG, UM, ON SCHEDULE UPCOMING SCHEDULED FOR VIRTUAL MEETINGS. 
          UH, WE'RE ALSO GONNA CONTINUE TO SEND OUT A CUSTOMER MAILERS, UH, MULTIPLE WEEKS IN ADVANCE THAT YOU GET A METER INSTALLED. 
          IT KIND OF IS KIND OF A INTRODUCTION MAILER. 
          UH, THAT'S KIND OF A MAILED OUT, UH, TO HELP YOU, UH, UNDERSTAND THE PROGRAM AND SOME OF THE BENEFITS THAT, AND, AND, UH, WAYS THAT YOU CAN, UH, ACCESS THE MITX WATER PORTAL. 
          IN ADDITION TO THAT, SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED FROM CUSTOMERS, THEY PREFER EMAIL COMMUNICATION. 
          UH, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT AT, UH, INDIVIDUALS OR, UH, RESIDENTS THAT DON'T, UM, HAVE ACCESS TO EMAIL, UH, W THAT'S WHY WE CONTINUE TO USE SOME OF THE, UH, UH, MAIL OUTS AS WELL. 
          UH, BUT WE DO SEND AN EMAIL PRIOR TO A WEEK PRIOR TO THE INSTALLATION. 
          AND SO THAT'S A COMMUNICATION POINT, AND IT HELPS WITH THE EXPECTATION FROM THE CUSTOMER THAT, UH, WE ARE CLOSER TO WHEN THE INSTALL HAPPENS. 
          AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE HAD TO MAKE, HAD TO IMPROVE WHEN WE SENT COMMUNICATIONS AND WHEN WE ACTUALLY DID AN INSTALL AND, UH, UH, SO THAT HAS IMPROVED GREATLY THROUGH, UM, NOT ONLY, UH, GIVING CUSTOMERS A MAP OF WHERE WE ARE, BUT ALSO TO PREPLAN WORK. 
          AND THEN ONCE WE ARE READY TO GO TO A CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOOD, THEN THAT COMMUNICATION GOES OUT TO CUSTOMERS. 
          SO THEY KNOW TO EXPECT THAT IN ADDITION TO THAT, THOSE WHO, UH, AREN'T, UH, ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR, UH, UH, HAVE THESE EMAILS SENT OUT, WE DO HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD YARD SIGNS THAT WE CONTINUE TO PUT OUT TO, TO ENSURE THAT AT LEAST THEY ARE AWARE THAT WE'RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL. 
          UM, AND ALSO TO COMMUNICATE WITH, IF THEY HAVE HOA OR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS TO NOTIFY THEM OF, OF, UH, SOME OF OUR PROGRESS AS WELL. 
          I'M SORRY, I MISSED THE WHOLE GRAPHIC THERE. 
          UH, LET ME MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE PORTAL ENGAGEMENT. 
          UM, WE HAVE, UM, ABOUT JUST OVER 5,600 CUSTOMERS REGISTERED IN THE PORTAL. 
          UM, AND I MENTIONED, WE ALSO INVITE, ONCE WE INSTALL 
          [01:25:01]
THE METER, WE SENT AN INVITE, UH, EMAIL WISE, UH, TO THE CUSTOMER THAT THEY CAN, UH, NOW REGISTER FOR THE PORTAL. 
          AND WE'VE NOTICED, UH, AN INCREASE UPTICK ON THE REGISTRATION RATE. 
          SO ONCE WE SEND THOSE EMAILS, UM, THERE'S ABOUT A 75 CONVERSION TO ACTUALLY REGISTER FOR THE PORTAL, WHICH I THINK THAT'S A GREAT, UH, PROGRESS. 
          WE'LL STILL LOOK FOR OTHER AVENUES TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE TO REGISTER. 
          UM, AGAIN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE REGISTERED TO RECEIVE SOME OF THESE NOTIFICATIONS TO DATE WE'VE SENT OVER A MILLION NOTIFICATIONS, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH INVITATION THROUGH, UH, UH, FOR REGISTRATION OR PRE-INSTALL NOTIFICATIONS, OR IF THEY'VE RECEIVED A CONTINUOUS USE ALERT, UH, CONTINUOUS LOSE USE, OR AKA KIND OF A LEAK ALERT. 
          UM, SOME OF THAT IS, IS A KIND OF A LOW THRESHOLD, CONTINUOUS USAGE SAY THREE GALLONS PER HOUR. 
          THAT'S A, THAT WOULD KIND OF TRANSPIRE INTO ALERT. 
          WE'RE STILL EVALUATING WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S THE RIGHT MIX, BUT CUSTOMERS CAN HAVE THE OPTION TO CHANGE THAT DEFAULT THAT WE HAVE, UH, THAT LOWER THRESHOLD, UH, HIGH USE, UH, NOTIFICATIONS. 
          UM, AND ALSO WE SEND OUT BILLING AND CONSERVATION MESSAGING, INCLUDING, UH, WHAT I MENTIONED THE EMERGENCY MESSAGING THROUGH THIS SYSTEM. 
          ON THE, ON THE RIGHT SIDE, YOU SEE A KIND OF A GRAPHIC OF, UH, A POSSIBLE BURST LEAK. 
          SOMEONE, UM, MAY HAVE RECEIVED A MESSAGE THAT THEY USE 33, 76 GALLONS OF WATER IN LAST EIGHT HOURS. 
          UH, A BURST THRESHOLD RIGHT NOW IS SET. 
          DEFAULT IS ABOUT 120 GALLONS PER EIGHT HOURS, WHICH THIS ONE WOULD BE SEVERAL TIMES HIGHER THAN THE BURST, THE LEAK. 
          UM, AND IT GIVES THE CUSTOMER THE OPTION TO NOT ONLY, UH, DIAGNOSE OR CHECK, YOU KNOW, WHERE THAT LEAK MAY BE, BUT IT ALSO CAN, UM, ALLOW THE CUSTOMER TO NOTIFY US THAT THEY, UH, THERE FOUND SOMETHING OR THEY DIDN'T. 
          AND THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN KIND OF, UH, UM, VERY VALUABLE INFORMATION AS WE KIND OF START TO CAPTURE THIS INFORMATION AND TRY TO, UH, NOW SLICE AND DICE WHERE SOME OF THESE LEAKS ARE OCCURRING. 
          UM, AND, AND SO I'LL, I'LL HAVE A NOTE ON ANOTHER SLIDE ON, ON, ON WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE. 
          SO HERE'S A, AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE PORTAL NOTIFICATIONS, UH, ON THE RIGHT SIDE IS, IS KIND OF, UH, ACCESS OF, UM, A LANDING PAGE WHERE IT SAYS THAT YOU HAVE IRREGULAR WATER USAGE. 
          UH, AND SO YOU USED, UH, 2348 GALLONS OF WATER IN FIVE HOURS. 
          UH, THIS CONTINUOUS LEAK I MENTIONED, UM, COULD BE, YOU KNOW, GREATER THAN FIVE GALLONS OR GREATER THAN THREE GALLONS PER HOUR AND NOTIFICATION, OR THE BURST CAN BE, UM, GREATER THAN 120 GALLONS PER HOUR IN AN EIGHT HOUR TIMEFRAME. 
          SO THOSE ARE KIND OF OUR PRESET NOTIFICATION THRESHOLDS, BUT THEY ARE ABLE TO, LIKE I MENTIONED, INVESTIGATE THAT POSSIBLE LEAK, OR THEY CAN, UM, THEY CAN ALSO RESPOND TO AUSTIN WATER THROUGH THIS PORTAL AND LET, LET US KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THEY ACTUALLY IDENTIFIED ANYTHING, UM, ON THE RIGHT IS MORE OF A HOMEPAGE WHERE WE HAVE ACCESS OR LINKS TO HOW TO PAY THE BILL. 
          UH, DEFINITELY HOW TO UNDERSTAND YOUR BILL. 
          IF YOU HAVE A HIGH BILL, UH, GIVES THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO ADJUST THEIR, UH, NOTIFICATION THRESHOLDS. 
          UH, DEFINITELY THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. 
          WE CONTINUE TO NEW FEATURES TO THIS PORTAL. 
          I THINK WE HAVE ON THE HORIZON, A FORECASTING TOOL TO SEE WHAT YOUR BILL MAY BE. 
          IF, IF SAY THE AMI READS ARE, UH, WE HAVE ABOUT A WEEK OR TWO WEEKS OF, OF DATA, WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN A MONTH, UH, OR AT THE END OF THEIR BILLING CYCLE. 
          SO WE'RE LOOKING AT OPTIONS THAT MAKE THIS MORE VALUABLE TO THE CUSTOMER AND ARE ALWAYS ACCEPTING A CUSTOMER FEEDBACK ON THIS. 
          UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME STATS ON LEAK, ALERT, AND PRELIMINARY INFORMATION THAT WE'VE RECEIVED SINCE, UH, I'D SAY ABOUT JUST OVER A YEAR, UH, THERE'S ABOUT 84 OR 82 CONTINUOUS USAGE ALERTS THAT HAVE BEEN SENT OUT. 
          UM, THE MAJORITY OF THOSE ARE THROUGH EMAILS. 
          IF YOU CAN, IF YOU WANT TO OPT INTO OTHER OPTIONS, YOU HAVE TEXTS ROBOCALLS AND JUST RECEIVING LETTERS. 
          [01:30:01]
UH, W WE MAY SEND THOSE AS WELL. 
          UM, ONE OF THE NOTES THAT I WANTED TO BRING FORWARD IS THAT AS AUSTIN WATER CONTINUES TO ADD STAFF AND CHANGE AND TRANSITION SOME OF THE DUTIES OF AUSTIN WATER STAFF, INCLUDING THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DIVISION, WE'RE GOING FROM TYPICAL BILLING ADJUSTMENTS TO NOW SUPPORTING, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CUSTOMER ON WHAT THEY'RE SEEING ON THEIR BILL. 
          I THINK THIS TOOL IS NOW BEEN A VERY VALUABLE TOOL THAT HELPS THEM WALK THROUGH WITH THE CUSTOMER, WHAT THEY'RE SEEING ON THEIR END. 
          AND IT'S VERY HELPFUL TO KIND OF DIAGNOSE, BUT ALSO TO KIND OF HELP EDUCATE THE CUSTOMER AS WELL AS AUSTIN WATER ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE SEEING ON THEIR BILL OR THEIR, THEIR INFORMATION ON THE RIGHT SIDE. 
          YOU HAVE A GRAPHIC OF A LITTLE HARD TO SEE, BUT THIS JUST KIND OF, UH, GIVES YOU A SENSE OF THE TYPES OF LEAKS THAT CUSTOMERS HAVE, UH, NOTIFIED US ON THE NUMBER ONE, UH, LEAK HAS BEEN A COMMON TOILET LEAK, AND THAT REPRESENTS ON THIS GRAPHIC 26% OF THE LEAKS THAT HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED BY THE CUSTOMER AS THEY USE THE, THE  WATER PORTAL. 
          AND I'LL END WITH THIS QUOTE FROM A CUSTOMER, UH, LOVE MY SPOUSE, BUT THEY DIDN'T TELL ME THAT THEY FORGOT TO SHUT OFF OUR HOSE OUT BACK. 
          ALSO, THIS ALERT WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THIS KIND OF HIGHLIGHTS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S MORE VALUE IN WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE. 
          THEN WE REALLY REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE BIG ADVANTAGES OF THIS PROGRAM IS THAT, UH, WE ARE GIVING THE CUSTOMER, UM, TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO HELP MANAGE THEIR WATER AND THEIR BILLS VERY, UH, VERY SHORTLY AFTER WE'VE INSTALLED A METER. 
          UH, THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE, UH, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THESE METERS HAVE BEEN IN THE GROUND FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND HAVE BEEN UNDER REGISTERING. 
          WE ARE, ARE PUTTING TOGETHER A PROGRAM THAT REPLACES, UH, AGE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THAT IS MORE ACCURATE THAN THE METER THAT YOU HAVE FOR RESIDENTIAL IN THE GROUND. 
          AND SO TO GIVE THEM A TOOL TO HELP SEE THAT AND MANAGE THAT AS VERY IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND, AND CONTINUE TO RAMP UP ON, ON FULL CITYWIDE DEPLOYMENT. 
          SO WITH THAT, I'LL KIND OF LEAVE THAT UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE ON ANY OF THE CONTENT OR EVEN PREVIOUS, UH, PRESENTATION MATERIAL. 
          UM, RICK, HOW LONG IS IT GONNA TAKE TO PUT THESE METERS IN FOR THE WHOLE CITY, FOR THE WHOLE CITY? WE HAVE A PROGRAM THAT, UH, WILL EXTEND THROUGH 2025. 
          UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT, UM, AT THIS PACE TO TRY TO ESCALATE, UH, BECAUSE WE SEE A HIGH VALUE FOR THIS PROGRAM TO BE COMPLETE IN THE SUMMER. 
          THERE, THERE IS A CHALLENGE WITH THE LARGER METERS, WHICH IS A SMALL PERCENTAGE, BUT WE ARE, UH, LOOKING TO HAVE A SEPARATE RESOURCES FOR THE LARGE METER EXCHANGES. 
          BUT FOR THE RESIDENTIAL, WE HAVE THE CONTRACTOR HERE TO 2025, UH, WITH FULL DEPLOYMENT STARTING TODAY. 
          UH, YOU WOULD SEE ANOTHER, UH, THREE AND A HALF, MAYBE FOUR YEARS OF INSTALLS AT A RATE OF AT LEAST FIVE TO 6,000 PER MONTH. 
          AND WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS TO KIND OF ACCELERATE THAT AS WELL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, WHEN YOU HAVE DONE THESE LIMITED NUMBER OF COMPARISONS TO THE OLD PROPELLER METER VERSUS THE NEW METER, WHAT'S THE COMPARISON LOOKING LIKE ARE THE NEW METERS MATCHING THE OLD METERS? ARE THEY REGISTERING HIGH, LOW? WHAT ARE YOU SEEING? SO RESIDENTIAL, UH, PD METERS HAVE HISTORICALLY MEASURED, UM, UNDER REGISTERED. 
          SO, UM, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT'S GOING THROUGH IS NOT, UM, REGISTERING, UM, ACCURATELY, ESPECIALLY ON THE LOW FLOW N AND SO THESE NEW METERS, UH, REGISTER MORE ACCURATELY ON THE LOW FLOW AND NOW AS WELL, THEY'VE BEEN SPECKED THAT WAY. 
          UH, BUT SOMETIMES THEY MAY BE REGISTERING IN THE AVERAGE OF, UH, UH, IN EXCESS OF TWO TO 5% SOUNDS ABOUT, RIGHT. 
          YEAH. 
          SO THE NEW NEW METERS WILL REGISTERED TWO TO 5% HIGHER. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THAT'S BEEN THE, FROM THE DATA THAT WE'VE WE'VE HAD WHEN WE EXCHANGE 
          [01:35:01]
METERS AND WE TEST THEM ON THE BENCH, THAT'S BEEN THE AVERAGE THAT I SAW PRIOR TO, UH, US DOING THIS PROJECT, AND WE CONTINUE TO, TO MONITOR THAT AS WELL. 
          OKAY. 
          IT MAKES TOTAL SENSE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER FISHER. 
          YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GREAT PRESENTATION. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH ON A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. 
          UM, IN LOOKING AT THE METER INSTALLATION MAP, I SEE, UH, KENNEL COMPLETED AND SCHEDULED. 
          DO YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF METRICS ABOUT HOW THE TRANSMISSIONS OCCUR AFTER YOU GET THEM IN THE GROUND OR LIKE 95% REPORTING IN LIKE, THERE'S, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A HUNDRED. 
          I KNOW THAT, BUT YEAH. 
          CAN YOU, CAN YOU KINDA TELL US, I KNOW THAT THAT MIGHT BE LIKE A, I DID NOT, I DID NOT DISPLAY THAT, BUT WE HAVE MULTIPLE METRICS. 
          ONE IS HOW, HOW WE'RE SEEING THAT, THAT SIGNAL REPEAT ON ONE DCU COVERAGE, TWO DC COVERAGE, OR THREE DC COVERAGES. 
          THE NUMBERS THAT I'VE SEEN ARE MINIMUM OF, UH, ON THE, THE ONE DCU COVERAGE IS SOMEWHERE IN THE MID NINETIES ON THE HIGH END IS PROBABLY, UH, IN THE 99%, BUT WE'RE CONTINUALLY EVALUATING THAT AS WELL. 
          SO VERY GOOD COVERAGE THAT WE'VE SEEN. 
          UH, WE EVEN WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT COVERAGE DURING THE WINTER STORM EVENT AND ALL THE DCS WERE STILL ACTIVE. 
          UH, SO THAT HAS NOT DROPPED OFF. 
          THAT'S AWESOME. 
          AND REGARDING THE WINTER STORM IN PARTICULAR, DID YOU SEE ANY EFFECTS ON THE BATTERIES FOR ANY OF THE MTUS IN THE GROUND? I WOULD THINK THAT A HARDCORE FREEZE WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASE THE BATTERY CAPACITY OF AN MTU. 
          HAVE YOU SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT? I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY FAILURES OR INDICATION OF BATTERIES, UM, UM, ALERTS, UM, DURING THE WINTER STORM. 
          YEAH. 
          AND THEN COVERED UNDER SOME KIND OF WARRANTY, RIGHT? LIKE A SEVEN-YEAR BY THE MANUFACTURER. 
          YEAH. 
          WE HAVE, UH, PRORATED WARRANTIES, UH, UP TO AT LEAST SEVEN YEARS IS PROBABLY FULL. 
          AND THEN IT KIND OF PRORATES FROM SEVEN TO 15 TYPE OF TIMEFRAME. 
          YES. 
          THEY, WOULD THEY DING US AT ALL FOR THE HARD COLD FREEZE, OR IS THAT GOING TO BE LIKE, IF WE HAVE TO FILE A BUNCH OF CLAIMS ON THE FREEZE, WOULD THEY SAY, WELL, IT'S OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY, EXCLUSION OR SOMETHING? MY SENSE IS IF THE, IF THEY MEET THE SPECIFICATION REQUIREMENTS OF BEING ABLE TO, UM, UH, BE IN THAT TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT, THEN I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE AN ISSUE. 
          COOL. 
          AND MY LAST QUESTION IS KIND OF ABOUT THE DATA. 
          IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO BE GETTING A TON OF GREAT DATA. 
          DO YOU GUYS HAVE LIKE A RAW DATA STREAM FROM THERE, FROM THE DATA, FROM THEIR, UH, THE DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM? DO YOU GUYS HAVE THE RAW DATA OR DO YOU JUST HAVE LIKE THE ANALYTICS THAT WE SEE IN THE DASHBOARDS? SO, SO SOME OF THE ANALYTICS THAT I DISPLAYED IS WHAT'S COMING OUT OF THE PORTAL. 
          WE ALSO HAVE ANALYTICS THAT WE HAVE NOT, UH, UH, EXPLORE TOO MUCH ON THE, UM, UH, CLARA ONE, THAT'S THE METER DATA WAREHOUSE, UM, OR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. 
          AND WE'RE USING THAT FOR PERFORMANCE DATA AT THIS POINT, BUT WE DO EXPECT TO START USING IT FOR MORE, UH, ADDITIONAL ANALYTICS MOVING FORWARD. 
          THAT'S AWESOME. 
          I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO LIKE, REALLY LOOK AT THE ABILITY TO USE THAT DATA INTERNALLY FOR MODELING AND FORECASTING. 
          I THINK IT'S VERY VALUABLE. 
          IT'S HARD TO GET, SO YOU HAVE IT, RIGHT. 
          SO I'M HIGHLY ENCOURAGED A LOT OF RESEARCH INTO THE MACHINE LEARNING SIDE OF THAT, AND ESPECIALLY THE MODELING SIDE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS AND KIND OF GOING OFF OF THAT QUESTION, AS YOU SAID, YOU'VE GOT, HAD MORE THAN A MILLION PORTAL NOTIFICATIONS. 
          IS THAT JUST FOR THE 5,668 OR NO? UH, THE EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION WAS, UM, DID NOT HAVE TO BE THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO BE REGISTERED BASICALLY. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THEY'RE NOT GETTING A HUNDRED THOUSAND A PIECE OR FIVE, NO, WHATEVER. 
          THE LAST FIVE, 5,000 PEOPLE ARE NOT GETTING A MILLION HITS. 
          I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED. 
          UM, THEN THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I HAD RELATES TO THE ANALYTICS QUESTION, IT LOOKS LIKE AT LEAST SOME PERCENTAGE OF THESE WERE FOR CONTINUOUS FOR LEAKS AND FOR HOW YOU USE NOTIFICATIONS. 
          AND I ASSUME CONSERVATION MESSAGING IS KIND OF RELATED TO THOSE. 
          UM, HAVE YOU HAD ANY, I MEAN, MAYBE YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO DO THIS, OR MAYBE IT'D BE TOO DIFFICULT, BUT TO USE IT SORT OF LIKE FROM A MODELING STANDPOINT OF HOW MUCH WATER, UM, JUST SO FAR, THESE, THESE NOTIFICATIONS MAY HAVE SAVED FROM THESE ACKNOWLEDGED LEAKS WHERE THEY SAID, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          I WAS OUT STOP THAT, YOU KNOW, AND YOU SEE THAT, THAT LEAK GET RECTIFIED. 
          I KNOW IT'S HARD TO KNOW CAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW HOW LONG A WEEK HAD BEEN GOING ON BEFORE, OR MAYBE HOW LONG IT WOULD'VE GONE ON UNTIL THEY CAUGHT IT. 
          BUT IS THERE ANY WAY OF QUANTIFYING THAT FROM A CONSERVATION STANDPOINT? SO, SO I'LL ADD HER IT THIS WAY IS IT IS A LOT OF DATA TO GO THROUGH RIGHT NOW. 
          AND, UH, AS WE'RE EXPLORING SOME OF THE ACTIVE 
          [01:40:01]
LEAK ALERTS, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UM, I LOOKED AT, UH, TODAY'S METRICS. 
          WE'RE PROBABLY IN THE 300 ACTIVE LEAK ALERTS, UH, RANGE OF THE 14,000, UH, AMI METERS. 
          THERE'S ABOUT 300 THAT ARE ABOVE THE THREE GALLONS PER HOUR THRESHOLD. 
          IF WE TAKE THAT AND SAY, OKAY, WHICH ONES ARE ABOVE THE SEVEN GALLONS PER HOUR THRESHOLD? UH, THERE'S HALF THAT. 
          AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE ANALYTICS AND SEEING WHETHER OR NOT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN COME UP WITH SOME ESTIMATES ON WATER CONSERVATION, BUT, UH, WE HAVE NOT, UH, HAD A DEEP DIVE ON SOME OF THOSE ANALYTICS. 
          WE ARE BUILDING OUR ANALYTICS TEAM UNDER, UH, RANDY JENKINS TO KIND OF HELP, UH, SUPPORT SOME OF THOSE EFFORTS, UH, AS WE HIRE NEW STAFF THIS YEAR AS WELL, THAT ALSO BE FOCUSED ON, UH, A LOT MORE ANALYTICS ON THE ITN, AS WELL AS SUPPORTING THE SYSTEMS THAT ARE INTEGRATED COMMISSION. 
          WE'LL SEE THAT THE MORE QUESTIONS FOR MR. COLORADO, IF NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          [C.1. Update from Austin Integrated Water Resource Planning Community Task Force]
OKAY. 
          LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM SHE ONE UPDATE FROM AUSTIN, INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE PLANNING, COMMUNITY TASK FORCE COMMISSION, PNEUMONIA, YARDI. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, UH, THE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE AUSTIN WATER DEPARTMENT HAD A VERY POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT LAST WEEK AT THE CITY COUNCIL. 
          AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, UH, PART OF THE WATER FORWARD PROGRAM IS WE DEVELOPED CERTAIN ORDINANCE REVISIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO SAVE WATER. 
          AND THOSE ORDINANCE REVISIONS BECAME PART OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AND THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE GOT DERAILED. 
          AND OF COURSE OUR WATER CONSERVATION ORDINANCE PIECE GOT DERAILED WITH IT. 
          SO, UH, THE THOUGHT WAS, COULD THEY PULL THIS OUT OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AND SIMPLY PROCESS IT AS AN INDIVIDUAL PIECE? SO, UH, AND DO CREDIT TO THE STAFF OF THE AUSTIN WATER DEPARTMENT FOR BEING VERY, UH, UH, ASSERTIVE IN GETTING THIS THROUGH, BECAUSE IT WAS KIND OF DICEY FROM MY PERSPECTIVE. 
          AND I ALSO WOULD SAY OUR CHAIR AND FORMER CHAIR, JENNIFER WALKER, AND CHARLENE LURIE DID SOME VERY POWERFUL ADVOCACY, BUT JUST TO TELL YOU VERY QUICKLY, WHAT THIS ORDINANCE INCLUDES IS NEW DEVELOPMENTS SUBMITTING A SITE PLAN WILL BE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A WATER BENCHMARKING APPLICATION. 
          UH, IF IT'S A LARGE DEVELOPMENT GREATER THAN A QUARTER MILLION SQUARE FEET, YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO MEET WITH UTILITY STAFF TO DISCUSS WATER EFFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS IN REBATES. 
          THIS CODE CHANGE WILL TAKE FATE PLACE DECEMBER 1ST, 2021 ON ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEMS AND ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEM WILL BE REQUIRED FOR NEW LARGE DEVELOPMENTS GREATER THAN A QUARTER MILLION SQUARE FEET. 
          FOR WHICH A SITE PLAN IS REQUIRED. 
          JUST CODE CHANGE WILL TAKE EFFECT DECEMBER 1ST, 2023, RECLAIMED WATER CONNECTION. 
          THIS IS MY FAVORITE NEW LARGE DEVELOPMENTS GREATER THAN A QUARTER MILLION SQUARE FEET LOCATED WITHIN 500 FEET OF A RECLAIMED WATER LINE WILL BE REQUIRED TO CONNECT TO THE RECLAIM SYSTEM AND USE RECLAIMED WATER FOR COOLING TOILET FLUSHING AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT NON-POTABLE WATER USES IDENTIFIED IN THE WATER BALANCE CALCULATOR. 
          THIS CODE CHANGE WILL TAKE EFFECT DECEMBER 1ST, 2021. 
          NEW LARGE DEVELOPMENTS WITH A MULTIFAMILY COMPONENT WILL BE GRANTED A VARIANCE FROM THE ABOVE REQUIREMENT UNTIL DECEMBER 1ST, 2023, UH, AFFORDABILITY REPORT BY DESCENT BY SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2023, STAFF WILL DELIVER A REPORT AND POSSIBLE ACTIONS TO COUNCIL REGARDING THE IMPACT OF THE ONSITE WATER AND EXPANDED RECLAIMED CONNECTS REQUIREMENTS ON HOUSING AFFORDABILITY. 
          SO, UH, IN OUR SEPTEMBER 7TH MEETING, UH, STAFF OF THE WATER DEPARTMENT SUPPLY TO WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK, UH, STAFF PROVIDED A PRESENTATION ON UTILITY SIDE WATER LOSS MITIGATION EFFORTS. 
          AND, UH, AS I SAID, CHARLENE  LORIG AND MEMBER DIANE KENNEDY HAVE RESIGNED FROM THE TASK FORCE AND WERE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR SERVICE. 
          JENNIFER WALKER IS THE NEW CHAIR. 
          ROBERT MA MACE IS THE NEW VICE CHAIR. 
          [01:45:01]
UM, AND I, UH, THANK MARISA FLORES GONZALEZ WHO PROVIDED ME WITH THIS VERY NICE WRITE UP BECAUSE I SURE AS HECK WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE IT OUT, BUT I'M REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THIS BECAUSE, UH, THE, THESE ORDINANCES WILL HAVE A DRAMATIC EFFECT, UH, OVER TIME ON, UH, WATER CONSERVATION. 
          SO THAT'S MY REPORT YET. 
          THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER  COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER MANJARI. 
          THANK YOU. 
          IF NOT, 
          [C.2. Update from Winter Storm Working Group]
WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM C TO UPDATE FROM WINTER STORM WORKING GROUP VICE CHAIR CASTLEBERRY. 
          UH, THE WORK GROUP MET LAST, UM, WEEK WAS THE SIXTH MEETING, UM, AND LAST, UH, FOR JUST NEW TOPICS, WE WENT OVER THE ENTERPRISE RESILIENCY, UM, AND COMPARED THEIR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLANS. 
          UM, THIS WE'LL HAVE ONE MORE MEETING, WHICH IS OCTOBER 20TH. 
          WE WILL BE TO SUMMARIZE ALL, UH, PRIOR AND HELP TO, UM, HELP, UM, AUSTIN WATER TO PRIORITIZE, UM, THE DIRECTIONS THAT THERE'LL BE PUTTING THEIR, THEIR ENERGIES. 
          SO THAT'S ANY QUESTIONS. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT. 
          OKAY. 
          [E. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
LET'S MOVE ON TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. COMMISSIONERS GOT ANY ITEMS THAT WANT TO PUT ON THE FUTURE AGENDA. 
          UM, I GOT A TWO HERE. 
          ONE IS, UH, WE, THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE BOLTING ON 2020S, UH, CALENDAR AS MEANS WHAT, WHEN, WHAT ARE THE DATE WE ARE GOING TO MEET OR THE NEXT YEAR? THAT'S WHAT WE ARE. 
          UH, THE OTHER THING IS, UH, WE HAVE A MEMBER REPRESENTING, UH, WHAT IN WASTEWATER COMMISSION TO ATTEND AND THE JONES SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, WHICH WAS, UH, SERVED BY COMMISSIONER, UH, NET HALL IN A SENSE HE'S NOT, UH, HE'S TOMMY'S PILES. 
          SO WE NEED TO SELECT OR APPOINTED ONE TO ATTEND THAT COMMITTEE. 
          THIS COMMITTEE IS, UH, TO ADVISE THE CITY COUNCIL ON MATTERS RELATED TO CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY. 
          SO THEY ARE TASKED WITH REVIEWING THE CITY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES RELATED TO AUSTIN COMMUNITY CLIMATE PLAN. 
          AND THE COMMITTEE MEETS ONCE A MONTH UNDER NUMBER FOUR FOURTH WEEK, WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH. 
          IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, YOU WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO, INTO MEETING IN THE NETWORKING WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM FOOD, THE PARTY, SHE BORE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, ECONOMIC, UH, POST PARTY COMMISSION, ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION, RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION, URBAN TRANSPORTATION, COMMISSION PARK, AND RECREATION, BOARD HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE AND APPOINTING COMMISSION. 
          SO THAT'S WHERE WE A GOOD NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY ON BEHALF OF THE WATER AND WASTE WATER COMMISSION. 
          SO IF SO, ANY, ANY COMMISSIONER INTEREST IN THAT, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. 
          SO WE'LL APPOINT YOU TO ATTEND THAT THE COMMITTEE THAT WILL BE THE NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE NOVEMBER 3RD, WEDNESDAY SIX O'CLOCK SEVEN LOCATION HERE, AND THE DECEMBERS MEETING WILL BE DECEMBER 4TH, THE SAME LOCATION HERE. 
          AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE ANY ITEMS, ANY HOUSEKEEPINGS IF NOT THE MEETING ADJOURNED AT SEVEN 50. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.