[00:00:04]
UH, WHAT TIME IS IT NOW? IT'S APPROXIMATELY FIVE AFTER SIX.
AND LET'S SEE COMMISSIONER'S UH, JONATHAN, I THINK YOU'RE YOU'RE HERE, BUDDY.
UH, ALBERT SCHWERTNER, ALBERT ALBERT.
HOPEFULLY WON'T REGRET JOINING US, BUT NONETHELESS, WELCOME GOD.
AND UH, LET'S SEE, UH, AMANDA MUSSINO ALL RIGHT.
AMANDA'S NOT WITH US YET, GUY.
WE OWE YOU GUYS ALL RIGHT FOR TAKING THE SHORT STRAW, BUT ALL RIGHT GUYS, I THINK WE DO HAVE A QUORUM IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, KEN, I THINK WE'RE READY TO GET STARTED HERE.
DID I COUNT CORRECT? ONE TWO? YES WE'RE.
[CALL TO ORDER]
ALL RIGHT GUYS.IT'S CALLED THIS MEETING TO ORDER, UH, THE HOPEFULLY COMMISSIONERS.
YOU HAD A CHANCE TO GO OVER THE, UH, THE AGENDA.
IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE SAME SIMILAR AGENDA THAT WE HAD BACK IN, OR THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE IN, UH, JANUARY, SINCE THIS MEETING HAS BEEN MOVED THIS DIRECTION, WE'VE KIND OF GOT RID OF SOME OF THE RCAS.
IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THOSE DID GO THROUGH AND THEY WERE, UH, NO LONGER ON THIS AGENDA.
UH, LET'S SEE THIS, UH, IT WAS PRETTY STRAIGHT FORWARD, SO I'M GONNA LEAVE IT AS IS ON THE AGENDA.
JUST RUN IT, UH, BASED ON, ON THE AGENDA AS POSTED, HAVING SAID
[1. APPROVALOF MINUTES: October13th, 2021, Regular MeetingMinutes]
THAT THE FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS IS THE APPROVAL OF OUR MINUTES, THE OCTOBER 13TH, UH, 2021 MEETING MINUTES.AND I'LL ENTERTAIN, UH, ANY EMOTIONS OR ANY CONVERSATIONS.
WELL, IT'S HARD TO ARGUE WITH THE CONTENT SINCE IT'S ESSENTIALLY THE TRANSCRIPTS.
UM, I MEAN, I GUESS MY ONLY QUESTION WOULD BE IS THAT, UH, THAT TYPE OF MINUTES THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO PRODUCE IT AND GIVE THEM THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT THAT IT WOULD TAKE TO DISTILL THOSE DOWN.
I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT THAT MIGHT NOT, IT MIGHT NOT BE REASONABLE TO DO MORE, BUT JUST, I GUESS, OPENING THE DISCUSSION FOR THAT, YOU KNOW, YANA, IN FACT, I LIKE THAT ACTUALLY IT'S A DWIGHT THE ACTUAL MINUTES THEMSELVES.
IT, AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A TRANSCRIPT OF WHAT OCCURRED.
AND WHO, WHO PUTS THAT TOGETHER? IS THAT YOU, OR IS THAT, YEAH, I GUESS IN THE PAST WE JUST KIND OF TOOK THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MEETING AND IF THERE WERE ANY ISSUES WITH A CERTAIN TOPIC OR, OR A CONVERSATION PIECE AT THAT POINT, WE, YOU KNOW, ASK FOR CLARIFICATION.
AND IT'S A LITERALLY JUST REHASHING THE ENTIRE MEETING, WHICH IS NOT A BAD THING.
BUT THEN AGAIN, I, I I'M CURRENTLY READING A BOOK RIGHT NOW, SO IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO GO BACK AND, AND READ THE ENTIRE TRANSCRIPT.
SO, BUT, UH, HAVING SAID THAT GUYS, I, I THINK YON GOOD POINTS.
AND IF THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE, WE CAN PROBABLY CONDENSE THAT TO, UH, THE READER'S DIGEST VERSION AND PERHAPS, UH, ANY QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER WHITE.
UM, I HAVE CERTAINLY NO OBJECTION IF IT'S A FEASIBLE WITHOUT A LOT OF WORK FOR, FOR SOMETHING THAT IS MORE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS, BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I AM ON ANOTHER COMMISSION THAT HAS WENT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND INCLUDES NOTHING ABOUT THE DISCUSSION.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS A FAR WORSE OUTCOME.
SO IF THE TWO OPTIONS ARE NOTHING OR EVERYTHING, I'D RATHER SEE EVERYTHING.
BUT, UM, I AGREE THAT HIGHLIGHTS COULD BE USEFUL.
I HAVE GREAT CONFIDENCE THAT THE WHITE GET IS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE, SO THAT, UH, HAVING SAID THAT THE WIDE NO PRESSURE, BUT IF COMMISSIONERS AGAIN, THE, UH, THE MEETING MINUTES ARE BEFORE US, THERE'S A MOTION.
I THINK YANA WAS AT A MOTION TO APPROVE THAT.
JONATHAN COMMISSIONER BARRONO SECONDS AT A HEARING.
WELL, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS HEARING, NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, WAVE, RAISE
[00:05:01]
YOUR HANDS OR DO SOMETHING.MELISSA, DID YOU GET THAT? DWIGHT? THANK YOU, BUDDY.
MOVING RIGHT ALONG HERE, GUYS.
[2A. Discussion and Action: 2022 ZWAC Proposed Meeting Schedule- Gerry Acuna]
THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS IS THE, UH, I GUESS A, A DISCUSSION ACTION ITEM ON THE, OUR PROPOSED MEETING SCHEDULE.YOU GUYS SHOULD HAVE HAD THAT.
I THINK IT'S PRETTY MUCH A SIMILAR, UH, SCHEDULE AS WE HAD THIS, THIS LAST YEAR.
I THINK OUR DAYS OFF OR MEETING TIMES OFF OR THE MARCH, IS IT MARCH AND SEPTEMBER ARE THE TWO TIMES THAT WE HAVE OFF.
AND AT MARCH OF JULY, IT LOOKS LIKE MARCH AND JULY.
AND OCTOBER AND OCTOBER AND WE'LL YEAH, IT'S SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
IT'S THE, WHAT IS IT? THE ACL.
AND, UH, WHAT'S THE OTHER WONDERFUL TIME, I GUESS YOUR SUMMER VACATIONS.
BUT, UH, ANYWAY, THIS IS BEFORE US, IS THIS A PROPOSED SCHEDULE, DOABLE FOR THE COMMISSION FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE COMMISSION MEMBERS? NO OBJECTION HERE.
ALL RIGHT, GUYS HERE IN HEARING THAT, UM, WE'RE GETTING SOME SUPPORT FOR THIS SCHEDULE.
YOU KNOW, ALBERT, I GUESS THAT'S YOU AND ETHAN.
SO HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS DID HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK THIS OVER AND, AND, UH, I GUESS COMMIT TO THOSE WEDNESDAYS SECOND WEDNESDAY OF THOSE MONTHS.
UH, LET'S LET'S DO I HEAR A MOTION ON THE X, EXCEPT IN THE, UH, SCHEDULE MELISSA MOTIONS, THE APPROVAL OF THE SCHEDULE TO HEAR A SECOND.
GUYS HEARING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR AGAIN, RAISE YOUR HANDS OR SIGNAL OR UNANIMOUS GUYS.
[2B. Discussion and Action: ZWAC FY22 Board Vacancies- Gerry Acuna]
A TO B IS BOARD VACANCIES.FOR AGAIN, TAKING THE, TAKING THE PLUNGE WITH US, HOPEFULLY WE'RE GOING TO FIND ANOTHER COUPLE OF MEMBERS.
I THINK KEN AND I HAD A CONVERSATION VIA EMAIL WITH ANOTHER PROPOSED, A PROPOSED MEMBER FROM DISTRICT FOUR.
IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, KEN, IS THAT RIGHT? IT DISTRICT FOUR.
AND TH TH THE VACANCIES ARE BEING FILLED, WHICH IS A WONDERFUL THING.
AND, UH, WE NEED DISTRICT FOUR AND DWIGHT, WHO IS THE OTHER OPENING? I'M SORRY, ALBERT.
NOW WHO APPOINTED YOU? WHICH A DISTRICT? NATASHA HARBOR.
SO DISTRICT ONE IS, SO WE HAVE LITERALLY JUST A TWO OPENINGS.
AND IS THAT CORRECT? NOW WE HAVE TWO OPEN AIDES, WHICH IS WONDERFUL.
SO WE HAVE A DISTRICT FOUR, WHICH HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, AND THAT LITERALLY WILL TAKE US TO ALMOST A COMPLETE COMMISSION.
THAT'S LITERALLY ALL I WANTED TO SAY ON THIS IS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, STAFF HAS DONE A GREAT JOB ON OPENING THE DOOR AND INVITING THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO APPOINT COMMISSIONERS TO, TO THIS, UH, TO THIS GROUP.
AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR ACCEPTING THE CHALLENGE.
HAVING SAID ALL THAT MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ITEM,
[2C. Discussion and Action: Proposal in ARR Wage Increases- Carina Hanson]
OUR NEXT ITEM IS THE, UH, PROPOSED ARR WAGE INCREASE.AND I THINK THERE'S A PRESENTATION BY A STAFF.
IS THAT CORRECT? KIM? THANK YOU.
[00:10:06]
YOUR PRESENTATION SHOULD BE ON THE SCREEN NOW.UM, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UM, THE CITY COUNCIL DID APPROVE RESOLUTION 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 1 DASH 0 6 1.
UM, AND WITH THAT RESOLUTION, THE GOAL WAS FOR THE CITY MANAGEMENT TO LOOK AT THE COMPENSATION TRAINING PRACTICES AND EXPLORE WAYS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE OUR OPERATOR PAY.
UM, THIS OUTLINE HERE IS GOING TO REVIEW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
SOME OF THE THINGS HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
UM, AND I HAVE SOME SEPARATE NOTES FOR THAT.
AND SOME OF THESE ITEMS WE ARE STILL LOOKING TO ACCOMPLISH.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, THIS, THESE ITEMS HERE THAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU, THIS HAS NOW BEEN ENACTED.
UM, AND WE HAVE AS OF JANUARY 16, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO CHANGE THE RATE FOR ALL NEW HIRE TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES TO $17 AN HOUR.
UM, THESE TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES TYPICALLY DO NOT HAVE A CDL, A COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE.
AND SO WE, WE PROVIDE THEM WITH TRAINING SO THAT THEY CAN GET THAT COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE, AND THEN THEY CAN GET A $1 BUMP AS SOON AS THEY HAVE THAT COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE.
WE, WE SEE THAT TYPICALLY MOST OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE GOING TO GET THAT DRIVER'S LICENSE WITHIN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS.
UM, WE'VE ALSO UPDATED OUR PAY FOR OUR TRAINEES TO $19 AN HOUR.
AND THAT TYPICALLY TAKES A NEW EMPLOYEE ABOUT NINE MONTHS TO REACH THAT SPOT AND THEN OPERATORS TO $20 AN HOUR AND OPERATORS SENIORS UP TO 2142 AN HOUR.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN WONDERFUL.
UM, WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO BRING ALL INTERNAL EMPLOYEES UP TO THAT MARK, AND WE HAVE, UM, 85 INTERNAL EMPLOYEES THAT WERE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM THAT PAY INCREASE.
UM, WE ARE STILL WORKING AND RECOMMENDING A RETENTION INCENTIVE, UH, THAT WOULD TARGET ALL OF OUR CURRENT EMPLOYEES.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE ABOUT, UM, OR OUR CURRENT EMPLOYEES.
WE HAVE ABOUT 321 CRITICAL ROLES THAT WE DO NOT WANT TO LOSE.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THE RETENTION INCENTIVE WOULD TARGET.
IT WOULD BE PAID OUT OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
WITHIN THE FIRST 90 DAYS, AN EMPLOYEE THAT'S CURRENTLY WITH US WOULD RECEIVE $500 WITHIN 80 DAYS, SIX MONTHS AND ADDITIONAL 500.
AND THEN OF COURSE, UM, DURING THAT FIRST CALENDAR YEAR, UM, THEY WOULD GET THE THOUSAND AND THEN THE NEXT CALENDAR YEAR, AN ADDITIONAL THOUSAND, UM, THE GOAL WITH THE RETENTION INCENTIVE, UH, IS SO THAT WE DON'T LOSE VALUABLE TALENT TO OTHER COMPETITION.
WE WILL ALSO HAVE A BONUS INCENTIVE FOR EXTERNAL APPLICANTS THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO HIRE, AND THAT WOULD FOLLOW VERY MUCH THE SAME FRAMEWORK WITHIN 90 DAYS OF HIRE, THEY WOULD RECEIVE $500 WITHIN SIX MONTHS, AN ADDITIONAL 500 AND SO ON.
AND IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS AS WE GO ALONG, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO LET ME KNOW.
UM, WE DID, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE REST OF THIS, UH, PROPOSAL ABOUT, UH, 22 TRAINEES RECEIVED THAT $19 BUMP ABOUT 27 EMPLOYEES RECEIVED THE $20 BUMP.
I MEAN, UP TO $20 OPERATORS, SENIORS, THERE WERE ABOUT SIX EMPLOYEES THAT RECEIVED THAT BUMP, UM, GOING ON.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE, UH, THE OTHER THING THAT WE ARE WORKING ON, UM, AND THAT HAS BEEN PUT TO HRD IS A INCENTIVE, UM, A, A RE A REFERRAL INCENTIVE.
SO BASICALLY SOMEONE WOULD REFER, UM, AN EMPLOYEE TO JOIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND IF THEY STAYED HERE FOR THREE MONTHS, THEN THAT SAID, EMPLOYEE COULD HAVE THE CHOICE OF EITHER $300 OR 12 HOURS OF ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE.
UM, NOW OF COURSE THERE ARE SOME COSTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, UM, WITH THE SALARY ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE HAD MOVING EVERYBODY UP TO THIS, UH, 16, 17, WELL, THE CURRENT EMPLOYEES UP TO 1920 AND 21, UH, COST US ABOUT A $78,000, THAT'S THE FIRST YEAR.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, IT'S GOING TO VARY DEPENDING ON HOW MANY EMPLOYEES WE HIRE.
[00:15:01]
THEN WHEN WE LOOK AT THE RETENTION INCENTIVE FOR THE FIRST PER YEAR, PRETTY MUCH WHERE WE'RE CALCULATING, IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT $321,000, AND THEN THE REFERRAL WILL BE BASED ON HOW MANY EMPLOYEES JOIN OUR DEPARTMENT AND THEN STAY WITH US.I MEAN, HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE.
THANK YOU FOR THIS INFORMATION ON THE 30TH, I WAS NOT WORKING.
UM, I, I GUESS KIND OF STARTING WITH THIS, UM, THESE HOURLY RATES, I'M WONDERING HOW THESE HOURLY RATES WERE DETERMINED.
AND I GUESS JUST AS A KIND OF STATEMENT, UH, THEY STILL SEEM VERY LOW TO ME.
UM, I SAY THAT BECAUSE I SEE LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'LL GO RESTAURANT LIKE HIRING FOR $17 AN HOUR.
AND THAT TO ME SEEMS LIKE EASIER WORK THAN BEING OUT ON A, YOU KNOW, A GARBAGE TRUCK.
UM, AND I'M NOT SAYING THERE'S NOT OTHER BENEFITS TO BEING A CITY EMPLOYEE, BUT I'M JUST SAYING THE EARLY RATES STILL SEEMS LOW TO ME.
AND I ALSO WAS TRYING TO DO SOME RESEARCH ON WHAT THE ACTUAL LIVING WAGE IS NOW, AND IT SEEMS THAT IT IS HIGHER THAN US.
SO, UM, YEAH, JUST IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO WHAT WENT INTO THESE NUMBERS AND ALL THAT, AND I APPRECIATE IT.
THERE WAS A LOT OF DIALOGUE, UM, AND A LOT OF COLLABORATION WITH, UH, COMPENSATION, THE COMPENSATION TEAM AT THE CITY OF BOSTON, WE HAD PUT FORTH A NUMBER OF PROPOSALS AND WE HAD BENCHMARKED OURSELVES WITH CITIES THAT WERE SIMILARLY SIZED TO US, BUT WE ALSO BENCHMARK OURSELVES TO AGENCIES THAT WE LOSE OUR PERSONNEL TO CEMENT, UM, TESLA, THERE'S A NUMBER OF AGENCIES THAT ARE POPPING UP, UM, WITHIN THE GREATER AUSTIN AREA.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH, AND THIS IS WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT COMPLETELY ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, BUT WE HAD TARGETED 22 TO $23 AN HOUR FOR STARTING, RIGHT? THAT WAS OUR INITIAL PROPOSAL.
IT SOUNDS MUCH MORE REASONABLE COMMISSIONER WIDE.
THIS IS KEN STEINS DIRECTOR, AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.
WE AGREE THAT THESE NUMBERS ARE A BIT LOW AND WE PROPOSE THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH THE, UM, THE NUMBERS.
UM, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO SURVEY THE LANDSCAPE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING AS COMPETITIVE AS, UM, WE THINK WE NEED TO BE AS, AS, UM, UH, KATRINA HANSON SAID, WE NEED TO BE IN THAT 23 TO $24 AN HOUR RANGE TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH THE MARKET.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A, UH, CRITICAL STAFF SHORTAGE WHERE ABOUT, UH, 50, UH, DRIVERS SHORT, OR JUST UNDER THAT RIGHT NOW.
AND WE'RE WORKING REALLY HARD TO TRY TO CLOSE THE LOOP.
WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT PAY IS ONE OF THE MAJOR FACTORS.
UH, ONE OF THE MAJOR REASONS THAT, UM, IS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS GAP.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK HARD TO CLOSE THIS GAP.
UM, THE REST OF THE WAY, UM, AS WE, UM, CONTINUE TO, TO, UM, WORK, TO GET MORE DRIVERS ON BOARD.
AND ONE MORE ITEM, UM, WHICH I HAD NOT SENT AHEAD OF TIME.
UM, WE DID GET IT PASSED AND IT WILL BE ACTIVE ON THIS PAY STUB FOR NEW FOR EMPLOYEES.
SO THEY WILL SEE THIS ON FEBRUARY 18 PAY, UM, STATEMENT, UM, OVER, UM, LET'S SEE OVER, LET'S SEE HOW MANY 58 EMPLOYEES ARE GOING TO BENEFIT FROM AN $80 STIPEND PER PAYCHECK.
UM, SO THAT IS SOMETHING, IT, IT, IT MAKES SOME DEBT FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES.
WE'RE ACTIVELY USING THEIR COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE, A WHICH IS A HIGHLY COVETED, UM, LICENSE.
SO THERE ARE SOME OTHER INITIATIVES THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO PUSH.
WE PUSHED FOR THE, THE STIPEND USED TO BE FOR THE CLASS, THE COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE WHEN YOU RECEIVED IT.
IT WAS A, UM, IT WAS A VERY SMALL AMOUNT.
UM, SO WE PUSHED THAT UP TO A DOLLAR AMOUNT.
UM, AGAIN, WE DO HAVE A WAYS TO GO.
WE INSTITUTED A SAFETY INCENTIVE AS WELL.
WE WANT TO TRY AND BE AS CREATIVE AS WE CAN.
SO EVERY QUARTER, UM, WE ISSUE $125 FOR OUR OPERATIONS EMPLOYEES, AND THAT IMPACTS APPROXIMATELY 321 DRIVERS.
UM, SO THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT, THAT WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO DO WHILE WE'RE STILL WORKING TO
[00:20:01]
GET THAT ENTRY PAY AT A HIGHER, MORE ACCEPTABLE RATE.WHAT IS THE, UH, WHAT IS TODAY'S LIVING WAGE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS? I, I'M NOT SURE.
I PROBABLY SHOULD'VE DONE THAT HOMEWORK.
UM, AND I GUESS A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, TWO YEARS AGO, I THINK IT WAS AT, UH, RIGHT AROUND 15, MAYBE 1543 AN HOUR.
AND MY POINT BEING IS AS COMMISSIONER WHITE, UH, AS AS ASKED FOR, I'M SORRY, ARE YOU DONE WITH THE PRESENTATION BEFORE WE GO INTO FURTHER QUESTIONS? YES, YES, SIR.
NO, IT'S, THIS IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT THIS DEPARTMENT HAS FACED AND WILL BE FOR QUITE SOME TIME, TRYING TO KEEP EMPLOYEES COMING IN TO ARR MORE IMPORTANTLY, HAVING EMPLOYEES AVAILABLE TO DO THE, UH, THE DIFFICULT WORK OF COLLECTING CITY OF AUSTIN, GARBAGE, RECYCLING, AND COMPOST.
IT'S, UH, IT'S NOT A FUN JOB, VERY, VERY DIFFICULT, FAST FORWARD TO, UH, TO A YEAR OR TWO DOWN THE ROAD.
UH, HOPEFULLY, HOPEFULLY THE EMPLOYEES, AS CANDICE STATED EARLIER THAT, UH, THAT WILL BE MORE COMPETITIVE.
AND WE WILL BE IN THAT 2023 TO $25 RANGE BECAUSE AS THE PRIVATE SECTOR CAN ATTEST TO IT'S, UH, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT.
I MEAN, YOU'RE, YOU'RE STARTING AT DRIVERS AT 22 TO $25 AN HOUR.
VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO COMPETE WITH THAT.
AND EVERYBODY IS IN, IS IN NEED OF CDL DRIVERS GAINS GOT, IS, UH, GOT IT HAS A CHALLENGE TO SAY THE LEAST, HOW DO WE WORK WITH YOU GUYS TO HOPEFULLY GET THROUGH THIS HUMP? AND AGAIN, IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET MORE CHALLENGING WITH THE SAMSUNGS, WITH THE TESLAS, NOT TO MENTION THE, THE A UPS, AMAZON FOLKS, GOD, NO SHORTAGE OF COMPETITORS.
I WISH WE COULD FAST FORWARD AND GET THIS MOVING MUCH QUICKER.
I LEAVE WITH ONE LAST COMMENT HERE.
THIS IS, THIS IS A KIND OF A REALITY CHECK TO, WE KNOW JUST SIMPLE ECONOMICS THAT IF WE DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, MORE COMPETITIVE COMPENSATION FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, THEN WE'LL PROBABLY NEED TO TALK TO TALK ABOUT IN THE, IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.
SOME, SOME, SOME RATE ADJUSTMENTS, MAYBE NOT JUST TODAY, NOT JUST NOW, BUT NONETHELESS, TO KEEP, TO KEEP, UH, ARR STAFFED AND TO, AND TO BE COMPETITIVE AND FAIR WITH THESE EMPLOYEES.
WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE THAT CONVERSATION SOONER THAN LATER, BUT NONETHELESS KINDA MY 2 CENTS COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS HEARING OVER THE QUESTIONS? CAN I LIKE TO ASK YOU AND STAFF AND CORRINA, WHAT CAN WE DO AS A COMMISSION TO KEEP THIS PROCESS GOING? I MEAN, WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE URGENCY OUT THERE? MAKE SURE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I GUESS THAT THE COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGEMENT UNDERSTANDS THAT HOW SURE OF IS TRULY IS.
I MEAN, I THINK THERE'S SUPPORT FOR WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN TERMS OF, UM, RAISING AWARENESS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO, UH, APPROPRIATELY PAY THE STAFF THAT PERFORM THIS WORK IS VERY HARD WORK.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT WORK, UM, IS, IS WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS JUST THAT SUPPORT AND TO CONTINUE TO HELP US MOVE THE MOVE, THE ENVELOPE, COMMISSIONER WHITE.
UM, I'M WONDERING WHAT THE TIMELINE IS FOR FURTHER ADJUSTMENTS.
WE'RE WORKING ON THEM RIGHT NOW.
UM, W WE JUST FINISHED THE ROLLOUT OF THIS PHASE OF IT, AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PUSH FORWARD.
UM, AGAIN, WE HAVE A TARGET IN MIND AND WE TRIED TO CREATE, UH, SEVERAL OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE THINGS THAT YOU JUST HEARD ABOUT, WHICH WERE, WHICH INCLUDED THE, UM, THE SAFETY BONUS, THE REFERRAL BONUS AND, AND THOSE, THOSE TYPES OF OTHER THINGS.
BUT OUR GOAL IS ULTIMATELY TO MOVE THE BAR ON THE BASE PAY RATE BECAUSE, UH, THAT TYPICALLY IS WHAT ENTRY-LEVEL PEOPLE OR PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO REPRESENT OURSELVES TO IS A GREAT ORGANIZATION TO WORK FOR.
UH, THAT'S TYPICALLY WHAT THEY LOOK AT.
AND SO, UM, AND THOSE NUMBERS, UH, OR WHAT, UM, YOU KNOW, HELP PEOPLE DOWN THE ROAD BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY COUNT TOWARDS THEIR RETIREMENT LONG-TERM.
UM, AND SO WE REALLY WANT TO CONTINUE TO PUSH THE BAR.
LIKE I SAID, OUR GOAL RIGHT NOW IS TO GET US PROBABLY IN THAT 22 TO $24 AN HOUR RANGE.
WE THINK THAT IS THE RANGE THAT WE WILL NEED TO BE AT TO MAKE US COMPETITIVE.
[00:25:01]
AND ALSO, AS WE, UH, CORRINA MENTIONED, WE'VE, UH, KIND OF LOOKED AT AS SOME OF OUR PEER CITIES.UM, I'M ASKING NOW THAT WE NOT ONLY LOOK AT OUR PEER CITIES THAT ARE HERE IN TEXAS, BUT THAT WE ALSO LOOK AT CITIES THAT HAVE A SIMILAR COST OF LIVING.
UH, SO, UH, IN THAT SPACE WHERE WE'RE NOW LOOKING AT PORTLAND, SEATTLE, DC, BOSTON, AND CITIES LIKE THAT, THAT WOULD HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COST OF LIVING SHOULD BE, UH, AND WHAT AN APPROPRIATE PAY RATE SHOULD BE, UM, IN THIS PARTICULAR LOCALE FOR THIS BODY OF WORK.
THERE'S A LOT OF ELEMENTS THERE THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON, BUT THAT YOU'RE, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU AND I ARE IN THE, HAVE THE SAME OPINION THAT, THAT, THAT BASE PAY RATE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE.
UM, SO SORRY TO ASK AGAIN, I JUST, DIDN'T QUITE, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE, YOU'RE IN MOTION ALREADY ON THAT, BUT THERE'S KIND OF NO SET TIMELINE FOR MAKING ANOTHER DECISION, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
NO, NOT RIGHT NOW, BUT WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING ON IT AND CONTINUING TO PUT INFORMATION TOGETHER AND, UH, AND WORKING RIGHT NOW, ACTUALLY WITH SOME OF OUR PARTNER AGENCIES WHO ARE ALSO STRUGGLING WITH GETTING STAFF.
UH, AND SO I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE, UM, THE EFFORT GOING FORWARD, UH, IS TO, TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO ACROSS THE BOARD, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN A KEEN FOCUS ON THE SPECIFIC BODY OF WORK THAT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR, UH, PERFORMING TWO THINGS TO ADD ONE, I'M GOING TO TAKE IT FROM SOMETHING KEN HAD SPOKE TO AND ANOTHER CONVERSATION, AND THAT IS EMPHASIZING HOW YOU CAN HELP, YOU KNOW, PROMOTE ARR.
A LOT OF AGENCIES DON'T LOOK AT ARR AS AN ENTERPRISE DEPARTMENT, AS A UTILITY DEPARTMENT, BUT OUR SERVICES ARE VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH UTILITY WATER, ENERGY, AND THERE'S THE SAME QUESTIONS ARE NOT ASKED OF WATER AND ENERGY WHEN THEY GO TO INCREASE PAY THAT ARE ASKED OF US.
SO I THINK IF INDIVIDUALS CAN START VIEWING THIS AGENCY MORE AS AN ENTERPRISE THAT IS DEFINITELY GOING TO HELP PUSH THE NEEDLE, UM, AS IT RELATES TO TIMEFRAME, TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS WHENEVER WE PROPOSE SOMETHING TO COMPENSATION IS THEY WANT US TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK WITH DEMONSTRATED STATISTICS OF HOW IT'S EITHER NOT HELPED OR REALLY NOT HELPED.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'LL ALSO BE PULLING TOGETHER IS DEMONSTRATING.
OKAY, WE DID MAKE THIS INCREASE.
WE'RE STILL NOT SEEING THE NEEDLE MOVE AS IT RELATES TO THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE'RE GETTING TO JOIN OUR DEPARTMENT AND TO STAY IN OUR DEPARTMENT.
IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, I THINK THE, UH, TCEQ AND THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CONSIDER GARBAGE COLLECTION, A HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUE, IF IT'S NOT DONE, THERE WILL BE SOME HEALTH AND SAFETY CHALLENGES COMING DOWN THE ROAD, AS WE HAVE LEARNED IN PREVIOUS, UH, PREVIOUS, UH, EXPERIENCES, COMMISSIONER, UH, ROTHER, MELISSA, AND I'M SORRY.
AND ALONG THOSE LINES OF, UM, REITERATING KAIA THIS SENTIMENT ABOUT, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE ALL ON BOARD WITH ADVOCATING FOR A HIGHER STARTING PAY FOR THESE EMPLOYEES.
SO I'M NOT SURE IF CITY COUNCIL HAD JUST WAITED THAT AMOUNT OF FUNDING FOR THE HIRES, OR IF THERE WASN'T ENOUGH CINEMA TO VALIDATE THE REASONING, TO HAVE IT TO BE THE $23 AN HOUR STARTING.
BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IF WE NEED TO HAVE SOME SORT OF VALIDATION FOR HAVING THAT $23 AN HOUR, INSTEAD OF THE 17, IT COULD BE LIKE A HAZMAT QUALIFICATION.
THESE PEOPLE ARE DEALING WITH HAZARDOUS MATERIALS.
THIS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, IT DIFFICULT, UH, ROLE THAT IS PHYSICALLY DEMANDING.
AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE BARRIER IS FOR, UM, BUMPING IT UP TO, IT SEEMS LIKE A LEVEL THAT WE ALL AGREE UPON IS FAIR AND EQUITABLE FOR THEM.
I THINK IT'S BUDGETING AND THAT'S NOT CORRECT.
BUT A BUDGETING IS A VERY IMPORTANT THING.
IN FACT, OUR BUDGET CONVERSATION BEGINS, I THINK NEXT MONTH IT WILL NOT MISTAKEN.
SO THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING TO CONSIDER WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR PROPOSED 20, 22, 23 BUDGET.
I MEAN, HOW DO WE, UH, HOW DO WE BRING A WAGE COMPENSATION TO PAR WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND LITERALLY WITH SOME OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, HOW DO WE, UH, BRING US TO AN EQUAL LEVEL AS THAT? BUT I CAN'T, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
NO, I WAS JUST SAY COMMISSIONER AND CHAIRMAN, UM, BUDGET'S ALWAYS A CONCERN OR A CONSIDERATION THAT WE PAY
[00:30:01]
CLOSE ATTENTION TO.UM, BUT, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT MAKES THE PROCESS FOR MOVING THE BAR, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE INCREMENTAL AND, AND, YOU KNOW, IT HAPPENS IN STEPS IS THAT THE CITY HAS TO REVIEW THE, UH, WAGES AND SALARIES ACROSS THE ENTIRE ENTERPRISE.
AND SO, UH, THERE'S A, A BIT MORE CAUTION AND REVIEW AND STUDY THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO MOVE THE BAR, UH, YOU KNOW, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT.
AND SO, UH, IF YOU, UM, KIND OF LOOK AT IT FROM THE STANDPOINT AND WE WERE AT $15, UH, AND TO GO FROM 15 TO 24 IS A HUGE JUMP WHEN MAJOR IMPACTS ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY.
SO I THINK THE, UM, THE APPREHENSION IS TO MAKE SURE WE REALLY KNOW WHAT THE FINAL COST IS GOING TO BE TO MOVE THE BAR, UH, ACROSS THE ENTIRE ENTERPRISE, UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACTS ON RATES AND RATE INCREASES, UH, FOR NOT JUST THE, THE BODY OF WORK THAT AR PERFORMS, BUT ALL OF THE FUNCTIONS ACROSS THE CITY.
JUST TO, JUST TO COMMENT ON THAT, IT'S, THAT ALL MAKES ABSOLUTELY PERFECT SENSE.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE AT SOME POINT IT COULD BE THAT THERE IS A POLICY THAT HAS A FORMULA TO DO WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE RATES LOOK LIKE IN OTHER COMPARABLE CITIES, ET CETERA, AS HAS ALREADY BEEN MENTIONED AND MAKE IT LESS OF A, WELL, WE FEEL LIKE IT SHOULD BE HIGHER DISCUSSION.
MORE OF, WE NEED TO PAY PEOPLE EQUITABLE AMOUNTS, GIVEN WHERE OUR CITY SETS, WHERE WE SAID COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES WHERE THIS JOB FITS WITHIN THAT SCALE.
AND THEN, UM, WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, THEN WE GET RATES IN LINE, UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO PAY IN ORDER TO GIVE, UH, PAY EQUITABLY AND, UH, KIND OF JUST TAKE IT OUT OF THE HANDS OF, UM, AN EMOTIONAL THING AND MORE FORMULAIC.
IT SEEMS, I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S AN ACTION ITEM THERE, BUT IT'D BE GREAT IF WE COULD GET IN THAT DIRECTION.
THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THAT COMMISSIONER.
ONE OTHER THING I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AS WELL IS UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUES WITH AFFORDABILITY IN OUR CITY AND THE FACT THAT MOST OF OUR ENTRY LEVEL WORKERS CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO LIVE IN THE CITY.
SO, UM, AS A $17 AN HOUR WAGE INCREASE, UH, OR $2 AN HOUR WAGE INCREASED TO $17 AT THIS POINT, UM, IS REALIZED COMPLETELY DIFFERENTLY WHEN YOU LIVE IN, SAY COLLEEN OR IN SAN ANTONIO, WHICH IS WHERE SOME OF OUR FOLKS LIVE AND THEY COMMUTE TO AUSTIN, UM, YOU KNOW, TO WORK FOR US, BUT THEY'RE HAVING TO CONSUME QUITE A BIT, UH, IN TERMS OF FUEL WEAR AND TEAR ON THEIR VEHICLES.
SO, UM, WE REALLY THINK THAT WE HAVE, UM, THE NEED TO PAY OUR PEOPLE MORE AND WE SHOULD BE PAYING THEM MORE.
AND, AND THAT'S THE GOAL IS TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE DO THAT, UH, WHILE STILL PROTECTING THE ENTIRE ENTERPRISE, BUT MAKING SURE THAT WE DO HAVE A FOCUS ON WHAT THE REAL NEED IS.
AND WE THINK THAT'S TO, UM, APPROPRIATELY, UM, YOU KNOW, PAY PEOPLE.
KEN IS YANA SUGGEST THAT THIS IS A DISCUSSION ACTION ITEM.
AND I THINK THERE WAS A RESOLUTION PRESENTED WITH THIS THAT HOPEFULLY THE COMMISSION COMMISSIONERS HAD A CHANCE TO, UH, TO REVIEW.
AND ANY QUESTIONS TO THAT, OR ANY ADDITIONS TO THIS RESOLUTION, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD THOSE OR COMMENT.
I SHOULD SAY, COMMISSIONER MELISSA, GO AHEAD.
UM, IN REGARDS TO WHAT ANN HAD JUST MENTIONED ABOUT THE HOUSING, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT DURING THE PRESENTATION IS IF THEY'RE STRUGGLING TO RETAIN EMPLOYEES AND THE PAY IS NOT ON PAR, THEN HOW ARE THEY DEALING WITH THE HOUSING? IS THIS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE OFFERED IF WE CAN HAVE THIS BUMP FROM 15 TO 17 WITH, IS THERE ANY SORT OF LIKE HOUSING BENEFIT THAT WE COULD OFFER THEM AS WELL THAT THE CITY COULD OFFER AS PART OF LIKE A HIRING PACKAGE? IT'S IRONIC YOU, YOU'RE ASKING THAT, UH, THE DIRECTOR AND I HAVE BEEN BACK AND FORTH REVIEWING SOME OF THE, UH, POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES, SUCH AS HOUSING.
WE HAVE SOME GREAT PARCELS OF PROPERTIES THAT ARE LOCATED IN AUSTIN.
WE'VE GOT A MAIN FACILITY ON EIGHT 12 THAT IS GONE THROUGH CLOSURE.
IT'S BEEN CLOSED FOR 20 YEARS.
IT'S GIVEN, IT'S BEEN GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT AND AS A RESULT, UH, COULD WE, COULD WE HYPOTHETICALLY DEVELOP THAT AND, AND PROVIDE SOME, SOME HOUSING AS WELL AS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, ECO INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST.
CAN WE ALSO PUT A HOUSING COMPONENT ON THIS, ON THIS PROPERTY? AND IF WE COULD, IS IT FEASIBLE TO PROVIDE SOME HOUSING TO
[00:35:01]
CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEES, NOT JUST ARR, BUT THE ENTIRE, THE ENTIRE, UH, SPECTRUM OF CITY EMPLOYEES, WHO, AGAIN, DON'T PROBABLY MAKE THE SAME AS A COMPUTER ANALYST OVER AT, UH, FACEBOOK OR GOOGLE, BUT STILL DOESN'T DESERVE TO BE DRIVING IN FROM CLEAN OR SAN ANTONIO TO S TO WORK.SO OUR, OUR CONVERSATION CONVERSATIONS ARE THEY'RE, I SHOULD SAY NOW THEY WERE GOING TO CARRY, HOPEFULLY COVER THAT IN APRIL AT OUR, UH, APRIL MEETING WITH SOME, UH, WITH SOME PRESENTATIONS AND THOUGHTS ON THAT.
COMMISSIONER, JUST A QUICK NOTE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, OR AT LEAST HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UM, WE HAVE DONE SOME PRELIMINARY INQUIRIES ABOUT HOUSING AND HOUSING SUPPORT FOR STAFF, AS YOU KNOW, THE CITY IS BROADLY REVIEWING AND CONSIDERING, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY.
UM, AND PRELIMINARILY, WHAT WE HEARD IS, UM, ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS WOULD PREVENT US FROM RESERVING HOUSING, JUST FOR CITY STAFF.
SO CITY EMPLOYEES COULD LIVE IN THAT HOUSING, BUT WE COULDN'T CARVE OUT SAY, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED, UH, HOMES OR UNITS FOR JUST CITY EMPLOYEES.
SO, UM, AS THE CHAIRMAN MENTIONED, WE HAVE, UH, HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO ON PROPERTIES THAT THE CITY OWNS, UH, BUT IT WILL BE PROBLEMATIC TO RESERVE THOSE, UH, UH, DWELLINGS JUST FOR, UM, CITY PERSONNEL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER WHITE? IT'S NOT A QUESTION, I GUESS, UM, JUST AS WE GO THROUGH THIS CONVERSATION.
WELL, ACTUALLY I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
MY QUESTION IS, UH, CAN, CAN SOMEONE FROM ARR, UH, TELL US APPROXIMATELY THE PERCENTAGE OF THE WORKERS WHO ARE ACTUALLY INVOLVED IN THE COLLECTION THAT ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR KEN OR CORINA CAN SORRY, THE PERCENTAGE OF WORKERS WHO ARE ACTUALLY INVOLVED IN COLLECTION A COLLECTION OF TRASH, CORRECT? YEAH.
IT RANGES BETWEEN THREE 50 TO 360 EMPLOYEES AS AN OKAY.
WE, YES, WE HAVE TEMPORARY POSITIONS THAT RANGE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 50 AND 60.
SO THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE CALLED UPON TO COLLECT TRASH, BUT THEN AS FAR AS OUR REGULAR POSITIONS, WE, WE USUALLY HAVE ARE BETWEEN THREE 50, UM, 3 43 50 EMPLOYEES.
AND I'M WONDERING ABOUT THE RACIAL DEMOGRAPHICS.
UM, I CAN PROBABLY, IF YOU GIVE ME A SECOND, I COULD PROBABLY PULL THAT.
UM, I CAN PROBABLY PULL THAT UP.
SO IF, IF GOING BY MEMORY, WE HAVE, LET ME SEE IF I CAN JUST PULL THAT UP REAL QUICK FOR YOU.
I GUESS OUR CHAIR, ARE WE GOING TO BE COMING BACK TO THIS AND THE RESOLUTION LATER IN THE AGENDA? IT'S PART OF THIS, ACTUALLY, THE RESOLUTION IS PART OF THIS ITEM.
SO, UH, COMMISSIONER MUSSINO, CAN YOU HEAR, CAN YOU, YES.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO, UH, HELP STAFF IN THIS.
WHAT, WHAT IS THE MESSAGE THAT WE CAN AMPLIFY, NOT JUST WITH THIS RESOLUTION, BUT MAYBE IN OTHER WAYS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS A PROCESS AND ET CETERA, BUT, BUT WHAT IS THE, THE AVENUE THAT WILL GET US WHERE WE NEED TO BE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE COMMISSIONER? I THINK THE SUPPORT THAT WE WOULD NEED AND WOULD APPRECIATE IS JUST HELPING US CALL ATTENTION BROADLY TO THE ISSUES SO THAT, UM, WE, WE RECEIVED THE SUPPORT THAT WE NEED TO ACTUALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, PAY PEOPLE, UM, ON OUR STAFF MORE, UH, THIS IS LIKELY TO TRIGGER A RATE INCREASE IF WE GO MUCH MORE THAN WE HAVE ALREADY.
AND SO, UH, WHERE THE RATE INCREASE COMES A LOT OF CONSTERNATION SOMETIMES FROM, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE.
AND SO, UH, WE WOULD JUST APPRECIATE SUPPORT AND ADDRESSING THE CONCERNS AND CALL ATTENTION TO THE NEED.
UH, AND THE FACT THAT THE CITY IS GROWING AT AN EXPONENTIAL RATE AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO GROW WITH IT.
AGAIN, THIS IS KIND OF A TIMELY ITEM SEEING THAT, UH, THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO, WE WILL BE DISCUSSING BUDGETS.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TRULY TAKE A, TAKE A LOOK AT AND SEE WHAT IMPACT IT WOULD IMPACTS IT WILL HAVE ON THAT
[00:40:01]
BUDGET.I MEAN, UH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND I BELIEVE THIS COMMISSION IS, UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF, OF IMPROVING THE, UH, COMPENSATION PACKAGES FOR ARR EMPLOYEES, AS WELL AS ALL CITY EMPLOYEES, PLAIN AND SIMPLE.
BUT, UH, THIS RESOLUTION THAT IS IN FRONT OF YOU IS IT'S KIND OF A START THAT SHOWS OUR SUPPORT COMMISSION WAS SEEN AS A CO-SPONSORED THIS, AND, AND TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT AGAIN, I WELCOME ANY ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS OR ANY, ANY COMMENTS TO THIS, BUT, UH, I'M SORRY.
UM, I GUESS, UM, UH, MAYBE IT WOULD WITH THE ANSWER TO MY QUESTION, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADD ANOTHER, WHEREAS, UM, I JUST KNOW THAT AT LEAST THE FOLKS SERVING MY STREET ARE GENERALLY PEOPLE OF COLOR AND IT LOOKS LIKE HARD WORK TO ME.
AND SO I THINK THAT WE SHOULD CALL THIS OUT AS A RACIAL JUSTICE ISSUE.
AND I THINK WE COULD PERHAPS ALSO, UH, CONSIDER CALLING THIS OUT IN A CERTAIN EXTENT, MAYBE A CLIMATE ISSUE CAUSE HEARING THAT PEOPLE ARE DRIVING IN FROM COLLEEN.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE TRYING TO REDUCE OUR EMISSIONS, UH, AND TRYING TO HAVE A MORE EQUITABLE CITY, IT SEEMS LIKE WE ARE UTTERLY FAILING.
IF OUR COMPENSATION IS FORCING PEOPLE TO DRIVE FOR, YOU KNOW, GREAT DISTANCES FROM OUTSIDE OF THE CITY, UH, TO WORK AT WHAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE POVERTY WAGES HERE.
SO, UH, I THINK MAYBE WE COULD ADD SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.
I MEAN, CO-CHAIR, DO YOU HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS TO ADDING TERMINOLOGY SUCH AS THAT, AMANDA, I'M SORRY.
NO, I DON'T SEE ANY OBJECTION TO MAYBE MAKING A REFERENCE TO WANTING TO REDUCE COMMUTE TIMES AND, AND CLIMATE IMPACT, UM, ON THE RACIAL JUSTICE IMPLICATIONS.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NECESSARILY NEED THE SPECIFIC DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE CITY EMPLOYEES TO MAKE THAT, TO INCLUDE THAT KIND OF LANGUAGE.
I WOULD WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, UH, PAY, PAY ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THERE'S A PERSONAL RACIAL JUSTICE IMPACTS FOR THEM.
SO TALKING ABOUT THIS AS A SECTOR WHERE THERE MAY BE RACIAL JUSTICE IMPLICATIONS I'M SUPER COMFORTABLE WITH, BUT IN THAT BROAD SENSE, RIGHT? NOT ON AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT IMPACT FOR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR VERSUS NOT.
SO THAT'S THE ONLY THING WE WANT TO BE CAREFUL, BUT IN THE PHRASING, I BELIEVE.
I, I DON'T INTEND TO SAY THAT.
OH, NO, I DIDN'T THINK THAT HE DID ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
JUST THINKING ABOUT HOW PEOPLE COULD PARSE THE LANGUAGE AFTER AND, AND WANTING TO BE CAREFUL THERE.
SO WHICH ONE OF YOU TWO IS GOING TO DO THIS, SO CORINA, I'M SORRY.
SO CURRENTLY THOSE WERE IN COLLECTIONS FOR GARBAGE RECYCLING, TRASH.
THEY REPRESENT PEOPLE OF COLOR REPRESENT 97.6, 4%.
ANY COMMENTS? QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
WE DO HAVE THE RESOLUTION IN FRONT OF US, AND I THINK THERE WAS A SUGGESTED ADDITION TO THAT, AN AMENDMENT TO THAT.
UH, DO I, CAN WE, CAN WE, UH, PRESENT THAT AMENDED, UH, ITEM TO YOU LATER OR TO STAFF LATER FOR INCLUSION? OKAY.
UH, COMMISSIONERS HAVE ONE OF YOU TWO WANTS TO RE WORDSMITH THAT JUST FOR THE RECORD.
AND HOPEFULLY IT WON'T BE TRANSCRIPTED TO US AT OUR, AT OUR MEETING MINUTES, BUT NONETHELESS, IF WE COULD WORDSMITH THAT JUST BRIEFLY FOR THE RECORD, WE CAN ALWAYS DRAFT THAT LATER ON.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT WE WANT TO SEE HERE, I CAN TAKE A STAB AT WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET AT.
SO I THINK, WHEREAS LOW WAGES THAT NECESSITATE WORKER CITY OF AUSTIN WORKERS DRIVING IN FROM FAR OUTSIDE THE CITY IS NOT ALIGNED WITH THE GOALS OF REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
[00:45:01]
WHEREAS 97, WHAT WAS IT? 97.6% OF AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY WORKERS INVOLVED IN COLLECTION OF GARBAGE, RECYCLING AND ORGANICS OR PEOPLE OF COLOR.THE S THE S UH, LOW WAGES IN THE SECTOR ARE A RACIAL JUSTICE ISSUE OR RACE RACIAL JUSTICE PROBLEM.
I GUESS I'M HAPPY FOR SOMEBODY ELSE TO TAKE A BETTER STAB AT THAT.
COMMISSIONER COMMISSIONER ROTH ROCK.
THE LANGUAGE MAKES ME A LITTLE BIT HESITANT WITH E AND I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH, IT'S RIDICULOUS TO THINK WE'RE MAKING ANY IMPACTS ON OUR CLIMATE.
IF WE'RE HAVING OUR EMPLOYEES FOR THE CITY DRIVE OUT OF TOWN TO COME HERE AND PICK UP OUR TRASH, BUT I DON'T WANT TO DISSUADE PEOPLE THAT NEED A JOB FROM TRAVELING HERE FROM OUT OF TOWN THAT WANT TO WORK HERE.
AND I DON'T WANT THE LANGUAGE TO IMPLY THAT WE DON'T WANT THEM, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO, UM, AND I DON'T WANT IT TO BE TO WHERE THERE IS A, THERE'S A PREFERENCE SELECTED THAT IF THEY'RE OUT OF TOWN, THEN THEY DON'T HAVE A CHANCE TO GET HIRED.
AND I JUST, I'M, I'M A LITTLE BIT HESITANT ON THAT, ON THAT REGARD.
IS THERE A WAY WE CAN WORD IT TO REFLECT THAT PROBABLY A NUMBER OF THESE PEOPLE MIGHT'VE LIVED IN AUSTIN AT ONE POINT, AND NOW DON'T LIVE IN AUSTIN WITHOUT ADDRESSED THAT CONCERN.
IF THEY, IF THEY'RE BEING PUSHED OUT OF AUSTIN DUE TO DUE TO NOT HAVING THE FINANCIAL MEANS TO STAY, BUT THEY STILL WANT TO KEEP EMPLOYED THEN, UM, I THINK THAT THAT LANGUAGE HOLDS TRUE.
UM, BUT I, I DO WISH THAT WE COULD KEEP THEM HERE, UM, RATHER THAN HAVING THEM GET PUSHED OUT AND THEN HAVING LANGUAGE THAT KEEPS THEM FROM STAYING EMPLOYED.
WELL, I CERTAINLY, WASN'T TRYING TO IMPLY THAT WE SHOULDN'T EMPLOY THEM JUST MORE THE, IF WE AREN'T PAYING PEOPLE ENOUGH SO THAT THEY CAN LIVE HERE, THEN IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE.
UM, SO LET ME TRY AGAIN, MAYBE SOMETHING MORE ALONG THE LINES OF, WHEREAS LOW WAGES, LOW WAGES IS A PRIMARY FACTOR THAT FORCES PEOPLE TO MOVE OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN.
HM THAT'S INCREASING, UH, TRAVEL DISTANCES AND, AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ASSOCIATED WITH TRAVEL, WHICH WAS NOT ALIGNED WITH THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
AND I THINK IT PUTS THE ONUS ON WHENEVER WE REVISIT THIS, UM, THE NEXT TIME WE HAVE A BUDGET TALK, I THINK THIS LINE ITEM WILL REITERATE THIS, THE SENTIMENT AND MAKE IT MORE, UH, STRENGTHENED TO BE ABLE TO PUSH FOR A HIGHER WAGE OR THAN TO KEEP THEM HERE.
SO THAT IS A, WHEREAS N A THEREFORE, UH, I WAS JUST PROPOSING THAT AS, UH, AS AWARE AS THEY'RE BOTH WAREHOUSES.
I WOULD, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT IT'S MAYBE WHEREAS LOW WAGES MAY CAUSE DISPLACEMENT AS OPPOSED TO A PRIMARY BECAUSE, UM, IT IT'S ALSO COSTS, RIGHT.
SO I THINK EITHER ONE OF THE FACTORS ARE LOW WAGES MAY CAUSE, OR MAY CONTRIBUTE IN IS, IS MAYBE BETTER THAN SAYING IT'S THE PRIMARY, UM, CAUSE IS A CAUSE.
SO IS THAT ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMMISSION? ALL RIGHT.
SO HEARING HEARING THE AMENDED, UH, RESOLUTION I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION COMMISSIONER, WHITE MOVES APPROVAL.
DO I HEAR A SECOND COMMISSIONER, ROTHROCK SECONDS, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION HEARING? NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.
IT LOOKS LIKE A UNANIMOUS, UH, SELECTION.
I LET'S SEE ALBERT, ARE YOU WITH US OR, YEAH.
[00:50:02]
I LOST YOU THERE FOR A SECOND.SO IT LOOKS LIKE A UNANIMOUS, UH, SUPPORT FOR ITEM FOUR, ITEM A TO C.
ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONER'S MOVING ON.
[2D. Discussion and Action: Trash/Water Wheel on Lady Bird Lake Update-Kaiba White]
ITEM OF BUSINESS IS ITEM THREE D WHICH IS THE TRASH WATER WHEEL ON LADY BIRD, LAKE UPDATE, COMMISSIONER WHITE.THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR, I THINK.
SO I PUT FORWARD A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS AND I KNOW A FEW OTHERS SUBMITTED QUESTIONS.
ARE WE GOING TO GET SOME SORT OF PRESENTATION, UM, ON, ON THAT WAS WATERSHED.
I THINK WATERSHED IS ON THE LINE TO ANSWER.
QUESTIONS IS PRESENT FROM ME, BUT DO YOU MEAN COMMISSIONERS? MY NAME IS DIRECTOR OF WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.
WE HAD SUBMITTED SOME WRITTEN ANSWERS TO, UH, AUSTIN RESOURCE RECORDING, EXHIBITED MANAGEMENT TO SUBMIT TO THE COMMISSION.
AND WE ARE HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT WE CAN, THAT YOU MAY HAVE THE BEAT DID NOT HAVE A PRESENTATION.
SO I GUESS I HAVE NOT SEEN THE WRITTEN INFORMATION THAT WAS PROVIDED.
IS THAT IN OUR PACKET SOMEWHERE? IS THAT IN? UM, NO.
UH, SO I COULD, I COULD PERHAPS JUST RIGHT.
UH, THAT WOULD BE A GOOD START.
I GUESS THE QUESTIONS WERE, THEY ACCUMULATED THE QUESTIONS AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS ACTUALLY PUT BACK IN A PRESENTATION FORM FOR THIS COMMISSIONS COMMISSION, COMMISSIONER, WIFE, FEEL FREE TO ASK THESE.
I'LL, I'LL JUST, UH, KINDA START IT OFF, BUT IF OTHERS HAVE QUESTIONS ALONG THE WAY, UM, FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN.
UM, JUST AS A REMINDER AND I GUESS, UH, NEW INFORMATION FOR SOME OF OUR MEMBERS WHO HAVE JOINED SINCE THEN, I THINK I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK BACK AGAIN AT THE DATE AND THE RESOLUTION, BUT ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO, WE PASSED A RESOLUTION, UM, ASKING OR CONSIDERATION OF A TRASH WHEEL OR WHEELS OR, UH, LADYBIRD BLAKE.
UM, THESE HAVE BEEN USED OTHER PLACES AND THEY LITERALLY JUST SIT THERE AND TURN AND PULL TRASH OUT OF WHATEVER BODY OF WATER, UM, AND ALSO TO LOOK AT WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO HAVE SUFFICIENT, UH, STAFF TO BE PRO LITTER PROBLEM IN AUSTIN UNDER CONTROL.
UM, SO WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR AS A FOLLOW-UP REALLY ON THAT RESOLUTION THAT WE ALREADY ADOPTED AS A BODY, UM, AND SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE TRASH WHEEL, YOU KNOW, HAS A TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY BIN, YOU KNOW, CONDUCTED ON, ON, WOULD THAT WORK IN THE LAKE HERE? ARE THERE SPECIFIC PLACES, WOULD IT THAT IT WOULD WORK OR NOT WORK? WHAT WOULD THE COST BE TO PURCHASE OR INSTALL WHAT'S THE OPERATION LOOK LIKE? DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THOSE THINGS? SO THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.
I WILL ANSWER THE QUESTION ON THE WATER BILL.
I THINK YOU HAD ASKED ABOUT A RESOLUTION, WHICH I BELIEVE, UH, PERHAPS SOMEBODY FROM ARR OR SOME PERSONNEL SORT OF, WHAT ARE WE IN CONCEPT? THE ONLY PLACE IT COULD ACTUALLY WORK IN CITY OF AUSTIN WOULD BE LADYBIRD LAKE BECAUSE IT REQUIRES A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF DEBT.
AND WE DID LOOK AT IT AWHILE BACK AND WE DETERMINED AT THAT POINT.
UH, IT KIND OF WORKS IN A VERY LARGE SYSTEM WHERE THE STRONG DRIVEN TRASH FLOATS AROUND A LOT, BUT IN THE NATIVE WOOD LAKE, WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT IT'S RELATIVELY NARROW AND FLASH QUICKLY MOVES TO THE, TO THE MARGINS AND DOWNSTREAM.
SO IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO PUT A TRASH TO KIND OF BE FLOATING SO THAT THE COULD CANNOT GO AND PICK IT UP AND DISCHARGE IT INTO SORT OF WHAT HAPPENS IS THERE'S A BOAT KIND OF STRUCTURE WHERE DISCHARGED JUST TAKES IT.
SO WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A PLACE WHERE IT, UH, IT ACTUALLY WORKS VERY WELL FOR, EXCEPT FOR LADY BIRD LAKE.
AND EVEN THERE, WE FOUND OUT THAT IT DOESN'T WORK.
AND FURTHERMORE, I THINK IN LADY BIRD LAKE, WE HAVE OTHER, UH, OTHER ISSUES LED TO THE BIOLOGY, THE NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS OF THE FREE-FLOATING GAMBIA AND THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE THERE.
SO THE WHEEL COULD ACTUALLY SORT OF UPROOT AND SORT OF POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE VEGETATION IN THE MAKE ITSELF.
THAT IS ALSO NOT VERY DESIRABLE.
[00:55:01]
ONE OF THE REASONS WE DECIDED WAS, UH, THAT WAS NOT A GOOD OPTION FOR US.WE DID LOOK AT IT AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION FOR THE WALNUT CREEK PANEL AT THE END, BUT EVEN THERE IT'S, UH, IT'S A RELATIVELY SMALLER POND, SO WE DON'T HAVE A LOCATION TO INSTALL IT.
IT USED TO BE A GOOD DISCHARGE.
IT, WE HAVE, UH, W MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AT THE INLET ITSELF WHERE THE WATER PUSHES THE DEGREE TO A MECHANICAL BAR SCREEN, AND WE HAVE SYSTEMS TO PICK UP THE TRASH.
SO THAT'S HOW WE, WE LANDED DOING THAT.
I WILL ALSO SHARE WITH YOU THAT LADY, BIRD LAKE AND WASHINGTON SECTION, WE DO HAVE A CREW THAT MEETINGS AND MOST FLOATABLES FROM LADY BIRD LAKE AND HAVING A PRODUCE MANAGER IS JUNK.
IF YOU CAN OFFER MORE DATA ON WHAT THE CREW SIZES AND WHEN WE STRETCH, WE PICK UP MODEL PERFORMANCE MEASURES ARE, IF YOU, IF YOU WANT IT.
UH, BUT JUST TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THE WATER BEANS, WE DID LOOK AT LADYBIRD LAKE.
NO, WE DIDN'T DO LIKE THIS REALLY FULL-FLEDGED STUDY OR ANYTHING, BUT JUST BASED ON PRELIMINARY EVALUATION, IT SAID IT'S NOT A GOOD CHOICE FOR US.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE QUESTION.
IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE CONCERNS, CAN I SHARE A WHITE WELL, UH, UH, MELISSA AND UP, SO I'LL LET HER, UH, THANK YOU.
UM, AND IN REGARDS TO THE VOLUME OF, OF TRASH, THAT'S BEEN ACCUMULATING AND IN THE LAKE, SINCE THE BACK BAN WAS THE BAGS, SINCE THE CAMPING BAN WAS REINSTATED, HAS THE VOLUME OF TRASH BEEN REDUCED? THAT'S BEEN CLEANED UP AND THE, AND THE LAKE, UH, COMMISSIONER, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE POINTS AT THE DATA WITH THE, WITH THE CAMPING BAN AND THE, UH, THE TRASH ACCUMULATION IN THE MAKE, BUT IT ALSO SHARED THAT A LOT OF THAT ALSO COINCIDED WITH THE COVID ISSUE.
SO COVID HAS IMPACTED OUR STAFF IN A VERY SIGNIFICANT WAY.
SO WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT WE WOULD NORMALLY PUT IN THE LAKE BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR STAFF HAVE BEEN BACK AT THE COVID AND WE'VE HAD LITERALLY LEAN WORKFORCE BECAUSE OF COVID.
AND THAT HAS PROBABLY HAS A BIGGER ACT ON THE LAKE RATHER THAN THE CAMPING ORDINANCE.
BUT I CAN, FOR A FACT, IN YOU WITH THE CAMPING ORDINANCE BY ITSELF, DOESN'T INCREASE TRASH IN THE LAKE.
IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING IS THAT, OH, UM, YEAH, I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF SINCE THE, UM, THE VOLUME OF TRASH, IF IT'S BEEN, IF IT'S COME DOWN OR IF IT'S INCREASED, UM, AND YOU KNOW, UM, I THINK HE PRETTY MUCH ANSWERED IT, SO I APPRECIATE IT.
YOU KNOW, MY FEEBLE MIND, I WOULD THINK THAT THIS WATER, WE WOULD MAKE A, MAKE A GREAT TOURIST TRAP WHEN YOU GET THOSE AMPHIBIOUS.
UH, I, OUR VEHICLE WAS RUNNING INTO THE WATER TO HAVE A, HAVE THAT WATER WHEEL NEXT TO THEM, SPLASHING THEM, COOLING THEM DOWN.
BUT ANYWAY, COMMISSIONER, WHY GO AHEAD.
UM, I, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU LOOKED INTO THIS AT SOME LEVEL, BUT I HAVE TO SAY GIVEN THAT IT WAS NOW TWO YEARS AGO, CAUSE I LOOKED BACK AND IT WAS FEBRUARY 19TH, 2020 THAT WE TOOK THIS ACTION.
AND, UM, THAT WAS BEFORE, I MEAN, TECHNICALLY COVID HAD STARTED, BUT THERE WASN'T STAFFING ISSUES BECAUSE OF COVID BACK THEN.
AND WE ONLY TOOK ACTION BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM THEN.
SO I DON'T THINK WE CAN, YOU KNOW, SAY THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, COVID OR, UH, THAT, THAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM.
I GET THAT, THAT, UM, IS A FACTOR IN, IN PERHAPS ADDRESSING, ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM.
UM, GRANTED, UH, SO JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, BUT ALSO, I GUESS I WOULD LIKE TO ACTUALLY SEE IF WHAT IT IS THAT Y'ALL LOOKED AT, CAUSE IN TERMS OF THE FEASIBILITY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT DEPTH IS NEEDED, HOW DEEP DOES THE WATER WHEEL EXPAND? WHAT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I HEAR YOU ON THE ECOLOGY.
I WANT THE ECOLOGY OF THE LAKE TO BE INTACT TOO, BUT YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH TRASH COULD IT TAKE OUT VERSUS MAYBE ONE SMALL AREA, NOT HAVING AS MUCH STUFF GROWING IN IT? YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS I THINK THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS OPPOSED TO JUST, IT'S NOT THE PERFECT SPOT FOR IT.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING.
UM, ARE YOU WILLING TO SHARE MORE DETAILED INFORMATION WITH THIS COMMISSION? UH, UH, COMMISSIONER WHITE? I HAVE SHARED ALL THE INFORMATION I HAVE AND, UH, I, I, I, I WILL, I WILL, I WILL SHARE WITH YOU WITH THAT.
THE, WHAT ARE, WHAT HAVE, WHAT HAS INFORMED ME SO FAR IS A LOT OF WORK BEING DONE.
WE HAVE NOT DONE A DETAILED, UH, VISIBILITY OF IT.
[01:00:01]
THAT, WE LOOKED AT IT, WE DETERMINED THE LAKE WOULD NOT BE A GOOD CHOICE JUST BECAUSE THE WAY THE TRASH, BASED ON OUR EXPERIENCE, MAINTAINING THE LAKE, THE DEBRIS TENDS TO GO TO THE SHORES AND IT DOES NOT STAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MIDDLE OF THE LAKE.SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE, BUT I GUESS I WOULD, I CAN TAKE THAT BACK AS A HOMEWORK ITEM TO SEE IF WE CAN BE ON A SPIRIT.
UH, BUT AT THIS POINT I HAVE SHARED WITH THE ONLY PERMISSION.
UM, I, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GO OUT ON THE LAKE, BUT I DO GO OUT ON THE LAKE AND I AGREE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF TRASH AT THE SHORES, BUT THERE IS NOW ALSO A LOT OF TRASH FLOATING AROUND IN THE LAKE IN GENERAL.
SO I'M JUST PUTTING THAT FORTH.
YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE A REAL PROBLEM HERE IN AUSTIN WITH DEALING WITH OUR GARBAGE ASIDE FROM DIVERSION ISSUES.
AND I HAVE ALSO KAYAKED DOWNSTREAM OF LADY BIRD LAKE AND SEEING THE HORRENDOUS AMOUNT OF PLASTIC AND OTHER GARBAGE, BUT PLASTIC STANDS OUT THAT IS ALL ALONG THE SHORES AND UP IN THE TREES FROM FLOOD EVENTS.
UM, SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE VERY SERIOUS PLASTIC POLLUTION CRISIS THAT IS NOW THE GLOBAL ISSUE, ALMOST UNSKILLED WITH CLIMATE CHANGE.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M BRINGING THIS BACK UP AT THIS COMMISSION SO THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS AND MAYBE IT'S NOT TRASH WHEELS.
I DON'T THINK THAT THAT IS THE ONLY SOLUTION FOR SURE, BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.
I WANT TO BELIEVE WE'RE IN AGREEMENT WITH HAVING TO DO SOMETHING NOW, WHAT IS THE SOLUTION THAT GETS, GETS US A CLEAN LAKE REMISSION WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IF WE COULD GO BACK AND LOOK AT, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OTHER OPTIONS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE WATERSHED PROTECTION OR WOULD THAT BE AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY, BUT IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS AND, AND COMMISSIONER WHY'D, I, I HAVE TO ECHO YOUR SENTIMENTS.
I MEAN, I HANGING OUT DOWN AT TOWN LAKE AND I SEE THE, YOU KNOW, AFTER BIG EVENTS, FLOOD EVENTS AND OR AFTER A, A FESTIVAL OR A BUSY WEEKEND, YOU'RE GOING TO FIND A LOT OF THE, UH, TRASH THAT IS COLLECTED AND FLOATING IN OUR BEAUTIFUL LADY BIRD LAKE.
NOW, IS THERE ANY WAY TO, TO, TO SOLVE THAT AND TO, UH, AT LEAST TO REMEDIATE THAT I'M SURE THERE IS WHAT THE SOLUTION IS? I DON'T KNOW, JUST YET.
SO REMISSION, I WOULD AGAIN, WELCOME, UH, COMMISSIONER.
WE DO HAVE, UH, A CREW WITHIN OUR FIELD OPERATIONS DIVISION, WHICH DOES GO UP ON THE BOAT INTO, UH, GO INTO THE LAKE.
UH, LIKE I SAID, I HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A DIVISION MANAGERS OR CS DON'T OWN OPERATIONS.
JOHN, IF YOU WANT TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILS ON WHAT CREW DOES TO THE, WHEN THE COMMISSIONERS, UM, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS, MY NAME'S JOHN BGM DIVISION MANAGER WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT THAT OVERSEES DOWNTOWN OPERATIONS, INCLUDING OUR LADY BIRD LAKE MAINTENANCE CREW.
I'M JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE MAINTENANCE CREW ITSELF HAS BEEN AN BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR OVER FOR OVER ABOUT 20 YEARS.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE A LARGE DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE, OF THE TRASH SITUATION OUT ON THE LAKE AND WHAT ARE SOME SOLUTIONS THAT WORK AND WHAT ARE SOME THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE CHALLENGING? UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KIND OF POINTED OUT WAS OUR FOCUS ON SOME OF THE ECOLOGICAL CONCERNS FOR THAT.
UM, AND HISTORICALLY OUR NUMBERS, UH, GOING BACK EARLIER IN THE DECADES OF WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OUT, WE WERE, UH, COLLECTING DEBRIS IN THE MAGNITUDES OF, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF HUNDRED TONS OF A YEAR.
UM, IN THE MID 2015, WE MADE THE DECISION AS A DEPARTMENT TO KIND OF SHIFT THAT DEBRIS COLLECTION FROM, UM, ANY TYPE OF LOGS OR THINGS LIKE THAT, ORGANIC MATERIAL TO SOLELY FOCUS ON THE TRASH.
AND ONCE THAT HAPPENED IN THE ABOUT 2016, WE MOVED DOWN CLOSER TO 16 TONS.
AND THEN WE HAD SOME YEARS AFTER THAT, THAT HAD BEEN IMPACTED FOR VARIOUS REASONS CURRENTLY TO THIS YEAR, WE'RE ABOUT SIX TONS OF DEBRIS REMOVAL, AND WE USE ALL METHODS OF DOING THIS.
SO WE, UH, THE, THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE FOUND MOST EFFECTIVE, UNFORTUNATELY ISN'T THE MECHANICAL MEANS OR TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES, UH, TRYING TO GET THE TRASH OUT OF THE LAKE IS, UH, LABOR INTENSIVE.
AND SO IT WAS REALLY USING THE ELBOW, GREETS, PUTTING PEOPLE IN WAITERS, DEPLOYING THEM WITH A SERIES OF BOATS.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE DIFFERENT SIZED BOATS TO USE FOR DIFFERENT SIZE LOCATIONS, YOU KNOW, SMALLER BOATS TO GET UNDER THE BOARDWALK AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
WE HAVE, UH, UH, SIX FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES THAT ARE DEDICATED TO, UH, ADDRESSING THE CONCERNS ON THE LAKE.
AND WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE, UH, CURRENTLY, AND THEN WE ALSO UTILIZE CITIZENS.
SO THIS, THIS PARTICULAR WEEK,
[01:05:01]
UH, WE, WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH KB IS, UH, WE ARE INCLUDED AS, AS PART OF THAT.AND WE HAVE SIX CLEANUPS A YEAR, UH, 20, 20 AND 2021 WAS IMPACTED WITH COVID.
AND SO A LOT OF THOSE DIDN'T HAPPEN, BUT WE HAVE ONE OF THOSE, UH, THIS COMING SATURDAY, OR WE KEPT UP WHERE'S UP A TON OF TRASH ON THERE.
UM, IT'S, UH, 13 MILES OF SHORELINE THAT WE LOOK TO DO THIS.
WE'VE SEGMENTED IT OUT IN 22 SEGMENTS WITH THE FOCUS ON, UH, UH, SOME OF THE MORE HIGHER VISIBLE AREAS, BUT WE ARE AWARE THAT THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TRASH, BUT WHAT WE HAVE FOUND IN THE PAST WHEN WE'VE USED, TRIED TO, UH, UTILIZE SOME OR MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT, WE HAD A, A SKIMMER BOAT, UH, IN THE LATE NINETIES, EARLY TWO THOUSANDS THAT WOULD DRIVE AROUND WITH A CONVEYOR BELT THAT YOU COULD USE TO TRY TO GRAB TRASH.
UM, AND THEN WE HAD, UM, UH, UH, A TRASH BOAT THAT KIND OF, YOU CAN DRIVE AROUND AS A STRANGER IN INCOME.
UM, BOTH OF THOSE THINGS WE HAVE FOUND WERE, WERE LESS EFFICIENT THAN JUST DOING IT MANUALLY.
AND WE WOULD FIGURE THE, THE WATER WHEEL WOULD BE A SIMILAR APPROACH.
AND PART OF THE CHALLENGE IS, IS WHEN YOU PUT SOMETHING IN THERE, IT'S INDISCRIMINATE OF A PLASTIC OR LOG OR A VEGETATION.
AND SO YOU'VE ENDED UP ON A RATIO OF ABOUT EIGHT TO, TO, UH, GETTING ORGANIC MATERIAL OUT OF THE LAKE WITH THOSE TYPE OF APPLICATIONS, AS OPPOSED TO A TRASH.
AND SO THEN YOU'RE DEALT WITH, UH, HAVING TO, UH, MANAGE A BUNCH OF, UH, WET, UH, ORGANIC MATERIAL THAT ACTUALLY PROVIDES AN ECOLOGICAL FUNCTION IN WHICH, UH, AND THEN IT, THEN IT ADDS TO THE WASTE STREAM IF WE HAVE TO HAUL IT, BECAUSE ONCE YOU COMBINE THEM, YOU CAN'T GET THEM SEPARATED.
AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CONCERNS WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A MECHANICAL SYSTEM, LIKE A WATERWHEEL, UM, YOU KNOW, W WE LOOKED AT, UM, SOME OF THE APPLICATIONS THAT IN LIKE THE BALTIMORE HARBOR AND STUFF LIKE THAT, UM, IT, IT JUST ADDS TO SOME, SOME CHALLENGES THAT WE FEEL IS BETTER HANDLED JUST WITH MORE HANDS-ON HANDS-ON APPROACH.
A QUICK QUESTION, IS THERE ANY WAY TO, TO PILOT THIS TECHNOLOGY, TEST IT OUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS MAY BE VERY DIFFERENT NOW, COMPARED TO THOSE BOATS FROM, UH, SEVERAL DECADES AGO.
SO IS THERE A WAY TO, UH, TRIAL SOMETHING OR, UM, POTENTIALLY LOOK AT WHAT THE RATIO OF ORGANIC TO PLASTIC IS LIKE IN OTHER CITIES THAT ARE DOING THIS? LIKE WHAT WERE, OR I DON'T KNOW ANY OTHERS, UM, I GUESS YOU MENTIONED BALTIMORE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, WE COULD GO BACK AND CONSIDER THAT COMMISSIONER.
UH, I THINK JOHN DESCRIBED, UH, SOME OF THOSE ISSUES THAT ARE SORT OF THE VERY SORT OF THE VERY PRINCIPLE OF THESE DEVICES ARE THEY ARE, THEY'RE NOT SELECTIVE IN WHAT THEY PICK UP.
SO WHEN THEY PICK UP SOMETHING, THEY'LL PICK UP TRASH AND THEY WILL PICK UP LOGS, THEY'LL PICK UP WEEDS, THEY'LL PICK UP ISLANDS OF GLENRIDGE STATION.
I MEAN, THEY'LL JUST PICK UP EVERYTHING AND WE REALLY DON'T WANT THEM TO DO THAT, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE DECIDED TO DO SORT OF MAKING A MAN WILL BE, SO WE WOULD SELECT TO BECOME, WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT TECHNOLOGIES, WHICH ARE, I MEAN, WE JUST KNOW INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE VERY SELECTIVE IN SAYING WE JUST PICK UP PLASTIC, TRASH VERSUS NOT BEING ABLE TO PLANT OR ANY FLOATING MEDICATION.
SO IT'S, IT'S ESSENTIALLY, THEY JUST PICK UP EVERYTHING.
WE DON'T WANT THEM TO BECOME JUST A TRASH CAN.
WE SHOULD DEFINITELY LOOK AT IT TO SEE IF THEY'RE OUT THERE.
I'M NOT SURE FULL FINISHED PILOT IS SOMETHING WE CAN COME INTO AT THIS POINT.
UM, WELL, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT MIGHT NOT BE THE SOLUTION FOR, FOR OUR APPLICATION HERE.
UM, I WOULD APPRECIATE IF, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WOULDN'T TAKE ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, UH, MAYBE CLOSER LOOK, UM, SINCE IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE WAS SOME PRETTY KIND OF PRELIMINARY ASSUMPTIONS MADE AND MAYBE THEY'RE CORRECT, BUT MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN HELP, BUT LET'S ASSUME THAT THAT YOU'RE RIGHT.
AND THAT IT'S NOT THE APPLICATION, UH, OR IN, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THE RIGHT PLACE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THEN I GUESS IT KIND OF GOES TO THE OTHER PIECE OF THIS RESOLUTION THAT WE ADOPTED, WHICH IS WHAT IS THE LEVEL OF STAFFING THAT IS NEEDED AND WHETHER IT'S ARR FUNDED THROUGH THE CLEAN COMMUNITY FEE OR WATERSHED, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS, WHAT IS ACTUALLY NEEDED IN ORDER TO MAKE IT? SO OUR WASTE FROM AUSTIN IS NOT HEADING DOWN THE SCREEN, WHETHER IT GOES INTO THE LAKE, OR IF YOU'RE OVER ON THE EAST SIDE,
[01:10:01]
LIKE I AM, IT MIGHT NOT EVEN HIT THE LAKE.IT SHOULD GOES STRAIGHT FROM THE STREAM INTO THE RIVER.
AND SO WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE CHANCE TO GET IT OUT OF THE LAKE BEFORE IT GOES DOWN.
UM, BUT IT'S STILL CAUSING A PROBLEM EVEN IF WE DON'T SEE IT IN THE LAKE.
SO I GUESS THAT'S KIND OF THE OTHER QUESTION AND I'M CAUSE I'M HEARING FROM Y'ALL, BUT ALL RIGHT, IT'S ACTUALLY JUST, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE POWER THAT IS MOST EFFECTIVE AT FOUR.
IF WE TAKE THAT AT FACE VALUE, HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE WOULD BE NEEDED TO REALLY DO THIS JOB.
AND I REALIZE YOU PROBABLY CAN'T ANSWER THAT HERE TONIGHT, BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT WAS THE INTENTION OF OUR RESOLUTION? ABSOLUTELY.
SO THE CLEAN CREEK HAS SOMETHING MAYBE CANNOT SPEAK TO.
UM, SO WHEN WE LOOK AT LADYBIRD LAKE, UH, WHAT SHOULD PROTECTION WE MADE IN ALL OF OPEN WATERWAYS AND LADY BIRD LAKE IS A VERY BIG PART OF IT.
SO WE LOOK AT, UH, TRASH AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE ALL ACROSS THE BOARD, NOT JUST MAKE A BIG LAKE.
SO ANY KIND OF COLONIZATION WE LOOK AT STAFFING FOR THAT WE'LL INCLUDE ALL OF THEM, NOT JUST A LITTLE BIT LIKE, UH, SO, UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT DOING SOME WORK ON THAT RIGHT NOW, WHAT IT SAID IS LOOKING AT, UH, DURING THE STUDY THAT THEY HAVE DONE THE STUDY.
AND, UH, SO THE RESULTS OF THAT IS NOT COMPLETE YET.
SO I THINK WORK HAS BEEN DONE ON IT.
SO I THINK THE RESULTS OF THAT IS GOING TO COME BACK AND YOU'LL BE BACK INTO STUDY, WILL INFORM US ON SOME ADDITIONAL DETAILS.
RAMESH, DID YOU COMMISSIONER, UH, DIRECTORS TERMINATE THEM, MENTIONED THE CLEAN CREEKS CREWS.
SO RECENTLY WE ESTABLISHED A CREW OF, UH, FOLKS THAT WOULD, UH, TAKE ON CLEANING, UH, THE CREEK AREAS THROUGHOUT THE, UH, VARIOUS DRAINAGE'S THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, AND, UH, WENT BACK TO THE PAY ISSUE AGAIN, BUT, UH, WE'VE HAD TROUBLE HIRING AND FILLING OUT THAT TEAM OF, OF FOLKS.
UM, BUT WE HAVE BEEN PERFORMING THE WORK.
UM, AND THE GOAL THERE IS TO PREVENT THE MATERIALS FROM TRAVELING DOWN THE CREEK DRAINAGE'S TO THE RIVER, TO THE, UH, TO THE LAKE.
UM, AND, UH, A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING HAS BEEN CENTERED AROUND CLEANING AND CAMP MINTS THAT ARE IN THOSE, UM, CREEK DRAINAGE'S AND IN THOSE, UH, SHARED AREAS.
UM, AND, UH, I MEAN, IT HAS BEEN EFFECTIVE, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF GROUND TO COVER.
UM, THE WORK IS STILL FAIRLY NEW, SO WE HAVEN'T YET HAD A CHANCE TO REALLY ASSESS HOW EFFECTIVE IT IS ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY.
SO WE'RE STILL IN THE INFANCY OF, UH, ESTABLISHING THAT TEAM, UM, FILLING OUT THE TEAM, UH, TO FULLY STAFF IT AND, UH, UNDERSTANDING THE, UH, THE BENEFITS OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GLEAN FROM THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE SO FAR.
I WOULD IMAGINE SOMEWHERE CLOSER TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR, WE MAY HAVE A BIT MORE DATA.
AND AT THAT TIME WE CAN HAVE A BETTER ASSESSMENT OF MAYBE, UH, IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE SEEING AND HOW EFFECTIVE IT IS AT PREVENTING MATERIALS FROM GETTING INTO THOSE WATERWAYS.
YEAH, RICHARD MCKAY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.
I JUST WANT, I KIND OF REITERATE WHAT, WHAT KNN REMATCH WOULD SAY.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THIS BEFORE WE DECIDE THAT WE NEED TO THROW MORE MOST AT THIS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE JUST NEED TO GET BACK TO OUR MAINSTREAM.
I MEAN, IF WE, THE BACON'S DEGREE THAT ENCODE IT, UH, IT'S REALLY IMPACTED THOSE CREWS, BUT ALSO OTHER CREWS.
SO DURING THIS, OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, BECAUSE OF THE STAFFING SHORTAGE THAT WE'VE ALSO HAD TO CUT BACK ON SOME OF OUR STREETS WE'VE BEEN ACTIVITIES.
SO THAT ALSO HAS, UH, HAS LED TO RELEASE MATERIAL AND GETTING TO BE WITH THOSE WATERWAYS.
SO I THINK WE'RE ABLE TO RECOVER FROM COVID AND WE GET STAFFING LEVELS BACK UP, OR WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET ALL OF THESE SERVICES BACK AND RUNNING.
AND AT THAT POINT, THEN WE NEED TO EVALUATE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ADDITIONAL STAFFING WE NEED TO PUT TOWARDS THAT.
ANY QUESTION? I WOULD COOK GAIA, GO AHEAD.
I WAS JUST WONDERING, YOU MENTIONED THE WAGE FOR THE, UM, RE CLEANUP CREW.
WHAT IS THE WAGE FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES? UH, YOU, I THINK THEY ARE ALSO STARTING RENA CAN JUMP IN AND TO BE STILL ON THE PHONE, BUT I THINK THEY ALSO WERE AFFECTED BY THE WAITING PRIESTS THAT WE DID.
HI, I'M THE COMMISSIONER IS AMY SLAGLE OFFICER RESOURCE RECOVERY THERE, UH, ASSOCIATE LEVEL OR OPERATOR TRAINEES, WHICH IS OUR, OUR, UH, ENTRY-LEVEL POSITIONS IN THAT BELIEVE THAT'S A 16 OR $17 AN HOUR 17.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR RAMESH OR JOHN? SORRY.
I HAD A QUICK COMMENT, MELISSA.
UM, I THINK ALL OF THIS IS SORT OF SOLIDIFIES WHY I EVEN WANTED TO BRING THIS UP IN THE FIRST PLACE, BECAUSE WITH THE BUDGET CUTS,
[01:15:01]
WE CAN'T NECESSARILY RELY ON THE INCREASED TRASH PICKUP VOLUME OR THE CITY STAFF TO GET IT.AND BECAUSE OF COVID AND THE STATUS OF OUR WORLD AT THIS POINT, WE CAN'T RE REALLY RELY ON COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION AND VOLUNTEERS TO PICK UP THE VOLUME.
SO I THINK WHAT WE REALLY NEED BRASS TACKS IS SOME SORT OF STRUCTURE, SOME SORT OF NET OUR CATCHMENT SYSTEM TO PICK UP EVERYTHING BEFORE IT GOES DOWN TO BASTROP.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE, IF THERE'S ANY SORT OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE CITY OF FASCIA, IF A LOT OF OUR WASTE GETS CYCLED DOWN TO THEM THAT ISN'T CAUGHT.
BUT, UM, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE STATED, THAT IS AN ISSUE WITH WHY WE HAVE LOWER NUMBERS OF PICKUP WITH OUR TONNAGE, LIKE IN 2018, IT WAS 16.7 TIMES THAT WAS PICKED UP BASED ON THIS CAKE, AN ARTICLE AND 2021, IT WAS 7.4 TONS, BUT THAT'S ONLY REPORTING IT BECAUSE THERE WASN'T MUCH PICKED UP BECAUSE OF COVID.
SO THERE WAS STILL PROBABLY A LOT OF GARBAGE THAT JUST WAS NOT PICKED UP AND POINTED DOWNSTREAM.
SO IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THIS RATE ITERATES, THE WHOLE POINT THAT KAYLA BROUGHT UP THIS MOTION IN THE FIRST PLACE THAT WE NEED SOME SORT OF STRUCTURE IN PLACE.
I AM WONDERING WHY THERE IS NO PLACE ON THE AUSTIN, 3 1, 1 APP TO REPORT ISSUES THAT, YOU KNOW, REQUIRE CLEANUP ATTENTION.
I CAN REPORT THAT SOMEBODY HAS THEIR GRASS TOO HIGH, BUT I CAN'T SAY THAT THERE'S LIKE A PILE OF TRASH ON MY STREET, WHICH LITERALLY HAPPENS BECAUSE PEOPLE COME AND DUMP THINGS.
I CAN BE SURE WHY JIMMY SLAGLE AGAIN, UH, WE, UH, HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT WITH AUSTIN 3, 1, 1, AND IT IS STILL A CALL AND SERVICE REPORT LETTER PRIMARILY REPORTED THROUGH A STREET SWEEPING REQUESTS.
UH, WE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AND SEE IF WE COULD ADD TO THE MOBILE APP, BUT THAT BRINGS IN A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR SITUATIONS WHERE PEOPLE WILL CONTINUOUSLY REPORTING, REPORTING CAMP MINTS AND LITERACY ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, OR MAYBE JUST THE SINGLE PLASTIC BOTTLE.
SO IF IT WOULD CAST A REALLY WIDE NET AND IT COULD OVERWHELM A WORKLOAD, SO IT'S SOMETHING WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS AND I COMMISSIONERS, THIS WAS A DISCUSSION ACTION ITEM AND A, THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANY ACTION UNLESS SOMEBODY WANTS TO PROPOSE A FUTURE, UH, A FUTURE ITEM, WHICH WE CAN GO OVER LATER, BUT NONETHELESS REMISSION, JOHN AMY, RICHARD.
[2E. Discussion and Action: Recycling Contract Processing Contracts Update- Victoria Rieger]
MOVING ALONG GUYS.THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM TWO E, WHICH IS THE RECYCLING CONTRACT, UH, RENEWAL CONTRACTS.
WELL, YOU HAD STAFF PRESENTATION.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
SO GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS VICTORIA RIEGER WITH AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY FINANCE DIVISION MANAGER.
THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL APPROVED AIRS R'S REQUEST TO AUTHORIZE THE NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF OUR SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED SERVICE SCHEDULE TO THE CITY'S, UH, EXISTING SINGLE STREAM RECYCLING CONTRACT WITH BALCONIES RESOURCES IN TEXAS DISPOSAL SYSTEMS ON AUGUST 19TH, THE DEPARTMENT INFORMED THIS COMMISSION OF THE ONGOING CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS WITH BOTH VENDORS TONIGHT.
I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE RESULTS OF THOSE NEGOTIATIONS.
SO THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES ARE, ARE A REPEAT OF MY LAST PRESENTATION PRESENTATION TO YOU, BUT I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER BENEFICIAL TO THE NEW COMMISSIONERS AND THE PUBLIC TO REMIND, UH, REMIND YOU OF SOME OF THE HIGH POINTS OF THE CONTRACT.
THE CITY IS CURRENTLY IN A 20 YEAR MASTER AGREEMENT WITH EACH OF THE PREVIOUSLY
[01:20:01]
NAMED VENDORS FOR THE CITY SINGLE STREAM, RESIDENTIAL RECYCLING PROCESSING, THE AGREEMENTS REQUIRE VENDORS TO RECEIVE COLLECTED MATERIALS INTENDED FOR RECYCLING.THE BASIC SCOPE OF THE AGREEMENT REQUIRES THAT THE VENDORS OPERATE IN MATERIALS, RECOVERY FACILITY, OR A MURPH FOR THE PURPOSES OF ACCEPTING SORTING, PROCESSING AND MARKETING THE CITY'S COLLECTED MATERIAL.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, AS MENTIONED IN THE LAST SLIDE, THE AGREEMENTS ARE 20 YEAR CONTRACTS.
EACH MASTER AGREEMENT ALLOWS FOR A RESET TO PERIODICALLY NEGOTIATE, NEW TERMS AND CONDITIONS OUTLINED IN EXHIBIT A OF THE MASTER AGREEMENT, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE SERVICE SCHEDULE, THE LONG-TERM AGREEMENTS, STIPULATE PERIODIC CONTRACT RESETS EVERY FIVE YEARS.
THE FIRST RESET OCCURRED IN 2016 AND WE JUST CONCLUDED THE SECOND RESET IN 2021.
THE NEXT RESET IS THE THIRD AND WILL OCCUR IN 2026.
AND WE'LL ESTABLISH THE NEW AWARD PERCENT, WHICH IS THE PERCENT OF CITY RECYCLABLE MATERIAL DELIVERED TO EACH VENDOR UNTIL THE NEXT RESET, UH, THE EVALUATION CRITERIA WE USED IN DETERMINING THE AWARD PERCENT INCLUDED THE VENDORS PRICING PROPOSAL, THE VENDOR'S PERFORMANCE AFTER THE FIRST RESET OR AFTER THE PREVIOUS RESET, UH, MEASURED IN PART BY THE PERCENTAGE OF RECYCLABLE MATERIAL THAT THE VENDOR SOLD TO REPUTABLE RECYCLING PROCESSORS OR OTHERWISE DIVERTED FROM DISPOSAL, FOR REUSE AND THE VENDORS, GOODWILL, TEAMWORK, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, RECYCLING EDUCATION EFFORTS, AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL RELEVANT FACTORS.
THE TIMELINE FOR THE RESET OFFICIALLY BEGAN WITH US NOTIFYING THE VENDORS IN AUGUST OF 2020 IN MARCH OF 2021, THE VENDORS SUBMITTED THEIR INITIAL PRICING PROPOSALS TO THE CITY AT WHICH POINT, CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS, COMMENCED CITY STAFF WORKED TIRELESSLY OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST YEAR IN ORDER TO EVALUATE THE CURRENT SERVICE SCHEDULE AND NEGOTIATE TERMS WITH BOTH VENDORS.
THIS CULMINATED WITH ESTABLISHING THE AWARD PERCENT ON SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2021, FOLLOWED BY CONTRACT FINALIZATION AND EXECUTION ON OCTOBER 15TH, 2021.
AND AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WORKED ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
UH, THE T THERE WAS A TEAM OF US LED BY THE EXECUTIVES DIRECTOR, KENT SNIPES, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, RICHARD MCHALE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, TAMMY WILLIAMSON, UH, SOME DIVISION MANAGERS, UH, DIVISION MANAGER OVER COLLECTIONS, RON ROMERO, STRATEGIC INITIATIVES, INITIATIVES, DIVISION MANAGER OF GINA MCKINLEY, CONTRACT MANAGEMENT, SUPERVISOR LORI SCOTT BUDGETING, CONTRACT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, BRENT PAGE MYSELF.
YOU'RE PROBABLY A REGER AND HOLLY HEINRICH, ONE OF THE CITY'S ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEYS NEXT.
SO THE CITY'S GOAL FOR THE, THE CITY'S GOALS FOR THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS AND RESULTING AGREEMENTS INCLUDED SOLICITING PRICING PROPOSALS THAT WOULD ALLOW EACH PART OF THE CONTRACT TO NAVIGATE A RANGE OF MARKET CONDITIONS AND TO SHARE IN BOTH THE RISK AND REWARD.
WE ALSO AIMED AT CREATING A STRONG LINE OF COMMUNICATION AND CONTINUED COLLABORATION WHILE EXTENT ESTABLISHING CLEAR EXPECTATIONS WHEN AIR ARE RECEIVED APPROVAL FROM THE CITY COUNCIL TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE THE CONTRACT RESET.
THEY ALSO DIRECTED US TO, UH, DO THE THINGS THAT ARE SHOWN THERE ON THE SLIDE.
I WON'T READ THEM ENTIRELY TO YOU, BUT, UH, JUST NOTE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER DID, UH, MAKE THE MOTION, UM, TO DIRECT THE CITY TO DO, DO THESE THINGS.
AND IT WAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED BY COUNCIL.
SO THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES HIGHLIGHT KEY NEGOTIATED AREAS OF THE CONTRACT.
THE CITY ESTABLISHED THE AWARD PERCENT AND OPTED TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT SPLIT WITH BALCONIES RESOURCES, RECEIVING 60% OF COLLECTED MATERIAL AND A TEXAS DISPOSAL SYSTEMS TDS RECEIVING 40% OF COLLECTED MATERIAL.
AND WE ALSO MAINTAINED THE MINIMUM, UH, MONTHLY TONNAGE, 2000 TONS PER MONTH ON AVERAGE TO EACH VENDOR.
SO ONE OF THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF BOTH AGREEMENTS IS THE REVENUE SHARE.
THE REVENUE SHARE IS HOW THE VENDORS COMPENSATE THE CITY FOR ITS RECYCLABLE MATERIAL IS THE PERCENT OF REVENUE THE VENDORS SHARE WITH THE CITY.
I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THE REVENUE SHARE SHOULD NOT BE VIEWED IN ISOLATION.
IT IS, AS IT IS ONLY ONE COMPONENT
[01:25:01]
OF THE FORMULA THAT DRIVES THE NET VALUE TO THE CITY.ANOTHER CRITICAL COMPONENT IS THE PROCESSING FEE ASSESSED BY THE VENDORS AND IS PAID BY THE CITY PER TON DELIVERED AND SEE ON THE TABLE.
UM, THE VALUES LISTED THERE, THE CITY ALSO PROPOSED A NEW CALCULATION FOR REVENUE SHARE, UH, TO WHICH ABOUT COUNTIES AGREED.
I'LL EXPLAIN A BIT MORE ABOUT THAT REVENUE SHARE IN ANOTHER SLIDE EXCITE.
SO THE MARKET VALUE OF COMMODITIES, SO EXAMPLE SOME EXAMPLES OF PLASTICS, ALUMINUM TIN PAPER, UH, IS ANOTHER DRIVING FACTOR IN THE REVENUE THAT THE CITY RECEIVED.
THE MARKET VALUE FOR RECYCLABLES IS DYNAMIC AND THEREFORE CHANGES DAILY.
EACH CLASS OF RECYCLABLE MATERIAL IS ASSIGNED AT PUBLISHED INDEX.
SOME ARE REGIONAL, SOME ARE NATIONAL, AND THE VALUE OF THE INDEX IS USED TO DETERMINE THE GROSS VALUE, THE MATERIAL IN AN EFFORT TO GAIN A BETTER VALUE FOR THE CITY.
AND WE PROPOSED CHANGING COMMODITY INDICES FROM AN AVERAGE PRICE TO A HIGH SIDE PRICE.
AL CONEYS RESOURCES AGREED TO THIS CHANGE.
TDS DID NOT PUBLIC OUTREACH AND EDUCATION OF AIR.
OUR CUSTOMERS IS PRIMARILY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF AIR RR, BUT IT BENEFITS BOTH THE CITY AND THE MERV.
AND AS SUCH, WE PROPOSE A CUSTOMER EDUCATION FEE BASED ON TONNAGE DELIVERED.
THE DOLLAR 50 PER TON FEE WILL SUPPLEMENT OUR EXISTING EDUCATION EFFORTS AND WAS AGREED TO BY BALCONIES.
HOWEVER, TDS DID NOT AGREE TO ENABLE PROOF, UH, AND TRANSPARENCY AS DIRECTED BY COUNCIL, THE CITY, UH, EXPANDED OPERATIONS AUDIT TERMS AND STRENGTHENED SAFETY INSPECTIONS TO WHICH BOTH VENDORS AGREED.
WE WERE ALSO SUCCESSFUL IN STRENGTHENING CERTAIN CONTRACT CLAUSES RELATED TO NONDEGRADATION TO ENSURE MATERIAL QUALITY AND ABOUT COUNTY'S RESOURCES, CONTRACTS, BUT NOT THE TDS CONTRACT.
AS MENTIONED EARLIER, THE CITY PROPOSED A NEW REVENUE SHARE PAYMENT CALCULATION, WHICH AIMS AT BENEFITING THE CITY FROM BETTER MARKET CONDITIONS.
TDS DID NOT AGREE TO THE NEW RE REVENUE SHARE FORMULA.
SO THEIR REVENUE SHARE PAYMENT CALCULATION REMAINS THE SAME.
AND AS SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE WHERE THE REVENUE PERCENT IS APPLIED TO EACH CLASS EVER RECYCLABLE MATERIAL.
AND THEN THE PROCESSING FEE, WHICH IS BASED ON TOTAL TONNAGE IS SUBTRACTED FROM THAT VALUE.
THE NET VALUE IS THE AMOUNT THAT THE CITY PAYS OR IS OWED TO US BY THE VENDOR.
ALCOA'S RESOURCES AGREED TO OUR NEW FORMULA, WHICH INTRODUCED A NEW TERM, THE GROSS VALUE OF RECYCLABLE MATERIAL.
SO RATHER THAN TAKING A PERCENT OF EACH CLASS OF RECYCLABLE MATERIAL, ALL MATERIAL IS VALUED AT THE GROSS LEVEL.
AND THE PROCESSING FEE IS THEN SUBTRACTED FROM THAT VALUE TO GET THE NET VALUE OF RECYCLABLE MATERIAL, THE REVENUE SHARE PERCENTAGE IS THEN APPLIED TO THAT NET VALUE TO DETERMINE THE REVENUE SHARE PAYMENT.
WHEN THE PROCESSING FEE EXCEEDS THE GROSS VALUE OF THE RECYCLABLE MATERIAL, THE CITY WILL INCUR THE DIFFERENCE IN THE PROCESSING FEE AND THE GROSS VALUE.
SO PUT ANOTHER WAY IN THIS REVISED CALCULATION, THE PROCESSING FEE IS SUBTRACTED FROM GROSS REVENUE, AND THEN THE REVENUE SHARE PERCENTAGE IS APPLIED TO THE REMAINING AMOUNT.
THIS ALLOWS BALCONIES TO RECOVER ITS COSTS THROUGH THE PROCESSING FEE, THEN SHARE IN THE UPSIDE WHEN COMMODITY VALUES ARE HIGHER THAN PROCESSING FEES DEMONSTRATE THE OUTCOME OF THE CHANGE IN REVENUE SHARE CALCULATIONS FOR THE FIRST TIME.
IN AT LEAST THE PAST NINE YEARS, THE CITY HAS EXPERIENCED A NET VALUE IN THE SALE OF IT, SINGLE STREAM RECYCLING.
THIS IS A FUNCTION OF THE NEW REVENUE SHARE FORMULA, AS WELL AS THE CURRENT HIGH MARKET VALUE OF COMMODITIES.
YEAH, WE ARE GENERALLY PLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME OF THE NEGOTIATIONS.
WE WANT TO THANK BOTH VENDORS AND THEIR TEAMS FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE PROCESS.
THE NEXT RESET DATE IS IN OCTOBER 1ST, 2026, WE PLAN TO CONTINUE TO MEET WITH EACH VENDOR DURING OUR STEERING COMMITTEE MEETINGS, WHERE WE DISCUSS OPERATIONS AND OTHER STRATEGIC INITIATIVES, WE COMMIT TO IMPLEMENTING REGULAR AUDITS OF BOTH VENDORS AS TIME AND RESOURCES ALLOW.
AND FINALLY, OUR ONGOING MATERIAL COMPOSITION STUDIES, THE RESULTS OF WHICH DETERMINE THE CITY'S SHARE OF REVENUE OCCURS TWICE A YEAR.
THE NEXT ONE IS SCHEDULED FOR APRIL OF
[01:30:01]
THIS YEAR.ALRIGHT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
WE ALSO HAVE STAFF AVAILABLE, UH, IF THERE'S ANY, UH, TECHNICAL TYPE FOR, THANK YOU, VICTORIA.
ACTUALLY, A COMMISSIONER IS I'LL OPEN THIS UP FOR QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.
UM, BUT I'M, I'M AFRAID IT MIGHT BE A LONG ANSWER ASKING FOR POTENTIALLY A COMPLICATED ANSWER.
UM, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO SEE A SCENARIO THAT SHOWS US WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE, UM, FOR EACH VENDOR? SO LIKE ASSUMING, UM, THE SAME TONNAGE GOES TO BALCONIES AND TO, UH, TDS, THEN WHAT WOULD THOSE NUMBERS BE LIKE FOR THE, UM, GROSS NET MARKET VERSUS GROSS MARKET? LIKE JUST KIND OF WALK US THROUGH WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR THE CITY, FROM EACH ONE, BECAUSE WITH THE CALCULATIONS BEING DONE DIFFERENTLY, IT IS A LITTLE HARDER TO TRACK WHAT THE IMPACT IS FOR THE CITY.
I MEAN, THE COMPARISON DEFINITELY IS, IS DIFFERENT AND THE SINGLE STREAM RECYCLING REVENUE REPORT, WHICH WE SUBMIT TO YOU GUYS ON A MONTHLY BASIS, UM, SHOWS, UH, THE IMPACT.
AND YOU'LL SEE IF YOU'VE LOOKED AT THE BACKUP MATERIAL WE'VE NOTATED ON THERE, THAT THE TWO VENDORS ARE, UM, CALCULATING THE REVENUE SHARE WITH A DIFFERENT FORMULA.
SO WE TRIED TO POINT THAT OUT, UM, AT, WHEN WE, WHEN WE EVALUATED, UM, THE AWARD PERCENT, UM, WE DEFINITELY TOOK A LOOK AT, UM, YOU KNOW, RAN LOTS OF NUMBERS, TOOK A LOOK AT, UH, DIFFERENT SCENARIOS, UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THEIR PRICING PROPOSALS.
AND WE DID, YOU KNOW, RUNS IN AREAS SUCH AS THOSE THAT YOU DESCRIBED, IF EACH VENDOR WERE TO RECEIVE THE SAME AMOUNT, WHAT IS THIS GONNA LOOK LIKE? SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE ALL OF THAT FINANCIAL ANALYSIS AS BACKUP MATERIAL.
UM, YOU KNOW, I CAN CERTAINLY COME BACK AT ANOTHER TIME AND KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH THAT IF YOU SO CHOOSE.
THAT WOULD BE THAT, THAT WOULD BE A GREAT THING.
I MEAN, JUST TO FAMILIARIZE THE COMMISSION ON, ON THAT PROCESS, BUT, UH, IN THE INTERIM, THE LAST PAGE OF THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT HERE AND LITERALLY THE, UH, THE, UH, RETURN ON THAT INVESTMENT.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY ONE CONTRACT IS BENEFICIAL TO THE CITY WHEN MARKET CONDITIONS ARE HIGH.
AND, UH, THE OTHER CONTRACT IS LITERALLY BENEFICIAL WHEN PRICES ARE EXTREMELY LOW.
IT, IT LITERALLY JUST KEEPS US FROM, FROM PAYING WAY, WAY TOO MUCH.
MY CONCERNS WERE ALWAYS THE COMMITTED VOLUMES THAT WE WERE SENDING OVER TO THE RESPECTIVE VENDORS.
I MEAN, I THINK IN THE INITIAL CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS WAY BACK WHEN WE HAD LOOKED AT MAYBE A THOUSAND TONS COMMITTED TO, TO EACH VENDOR, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE BALANCE GOING TO WHOEVER PROVIDES THE GREATEST RETURN TO, TO THE CITY.
AND THAT AGAIN, THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO THAT, THAT, UH, THAT SHIP HAS SAILED.
AND I, AGAIN, STAFF, I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW CHALLENGING IT CAN BE DEALING WITH TWO COMPLETELY, TOTALLY DIFFERENT, UH, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS, UH, PLANS FROM THE RESPECT OF VENDORS.
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT, UH, IF, IF ANYONE HAS A DIRECT QUESTION FOR EITHER ONE OF THE VENDORS, I THINK THEY'RE BOTH IN, UH, THEY'RE BOTH HERE AND THEY CAN PROBABLY ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS IF YOU WANT TO DIRECT, UH, ANY OF THAT TO, TO THE VENDORS.
UM, I THINK THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET AT AT THE, I WOULD LIKE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHEN THE MARKET, WHEN THE RECYCLING MARKET IS FAVORABLE AND WHEN IT'S NOT.
AND SO YES, APPRECIATING WE GET THE MONTHLY REPORT AND ET CETERA.
UM, I STILL DON'T QUITE GRASP LIKE WHERE THAT TIPPING POINT IS.
UM, AND IN PARTICULAR, LOOKING AT THE INDIVIDUAL MATERIAL PRICING VERSUS THAT SORT OF COMBINED PRICING, I THINK IF WE HAVE TIME AT A LATER MEETING, I WOULD LIKE A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON THAT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT COULD, THAT COULD PROBABLY GET DONE RELATIVELY EASY.
I MEAN, BRENT YOU'RE, YOU'RE PROBABLY ABLE TO RUN THOSE NUMBERS AND FIND THE SOFT SPOT THAT THE, UH,
[01:35:01]
THE SPOT THAT YOU WANT TO BE AT, IDEALLY IN THESE, IN THE MARKET.SO, BUT YEAH, I'M SURE THAT CAN BE DONE.
WELL, IF SOMEBODY FROM TDS IS ON THE LINE, I AM WONDERING IF THEY WILL SPEAK TO WHY THEY WERE UNWILLING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE EDUCATION, BE THEY'RE PRESENT HERE IN THE, UH, CHAMBER.
COMMISSIONERS ADAM GREGORY WITH TDS.
UM, THE REASON WE CHOSE NOT TO AGREE TO THAT, UM, WE HAD PROPOSED OUR PRICING MODELS EARLY ON IN THE PROCESS.
THEN LATER IT CAME A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT REQUESTS.
UM, AND WE CHOSE NOT TO AGREE TO A SIMPLE NET CHANGE IN THE PER TON VALUE OF A DOLLAR 50.
WE DID OFFER THE CITY THE OPTION TO, UM, UH, FOR PURPOSES OF ACCOUNTING AND MOVING MONEY INTO AN EDUCATION FEE, CHARGING A DOLLAR 50 SURCHARGE AND PAYING BACK THE DOLLAR 50.
UM, WE'VE DONE THAT IN THE PAST WITH A FACILITY FEE.
UM, BUT OUR, OUR, UM, PROCESSING FEE AND REVENUE SHARE THAT WAS CALCULATED VERY TIGHT.
UM, MARKETS GO UP AND MARKETS GO DOWN AND, UM, AND THAT'S THE REASON WE CHOSE TO STICK WITH OUR, OUR REVENUE SHARING PROCESSING FEE PROPOSALS, RATHER THAN AT THE END OF THE GAME.
JUST AGREE TO ANOTHER DOLLAR 50 PER TON, KA COMMISSIONER.
WHY DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? SORRY.
DIDN'T REALIZE I HAD MADE IT, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE RESPONSE.
UM, I GUESS MAYBE BACK TO VICTORIA, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A WAY THAT THOSE, SOME AMOUNT OF THOSE DOLLARS CAN BE USED FOR EDUCATION? SO, BUT THAT IS WHAT THE CUSTOMER, EXCUSE ME, CUSTOMER EDUCATION FEE IS DESIGNED TO DO, UH, WE PLAN TO UTILIZE EVERY SINGLE, UM, UH, PENNY IN, IN EDUCATING OUR RECYCLING CUSTOMERS.
SO, YEAH, BUT I MEAN, THAT, THAT IS THE INTENT.
WELL, I GUESS I'M ASKING FOR THE TDS, YOU KNOW, PORTION, IS THERE SOMETHING GOING TO BE ALLOCATED TOWARDS EDUCATION THERE OR IS IT JUST THE, YOU KNOW, THAT 40% IS NOT, YOU KNOW, CONTRIBUTING TO THE EDUCATION FEE.
UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE ARR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EDUCATION.
UM, WE HAVE A RECITE, A PROCESSING FEE AND A REVENUE SHARE AND THE CITY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT WITH THE REVENUE SHARE.
I WAS ACTUALLY ASKING THE CITY, SORRY ABOUT THAT.
SO THE, SO THE NEGOTIATION PERIOD ON THE CONTRACT TERMS HAS ALREADY COME AND GONE.
SO IN TERMS OF, OF, UM, YOU KNOW, AN ACTUAL CUSTOMER EDUCATION FEE, WE COULDN'T ACTUALLY ASSESS THAT TO THEM.
UM, WE COULDN'T TAKE IT OUT OF WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE PAYING US AND CALL IT A CUSTOMER EDUCATION FEE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THE MONEY THAT, THAT WE RECEIVE, UH, WHICH, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY HAS, HAS, UH, NOT BEEN ACTUAL, UM, IN THE POSITIVE THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO, TO OUR CUSTOMER EDUCATION EFFORTS.
CERTAINLY IF THE MARKETS REMAIN HIGH, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE'RE GOING TO INVEST, UH, AS MUCH AS WE CAN INTO ENSURING THAT OUR CUSTOMERS DO THE RIGHT THING AND, AND KNOW HOW TO RECYCLE SO THAT THE CITY CAN CONTINUE RECEIVING THE BENEFITS FROM THEM, THE HIGHER COMMODITY VALUES, COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER, ROTHROCK.
I HAVE A QUESTION IN REGARDS TO THE, FROM YOUR PRESENTATION, VICTORIA, ON SLIDE SIX, I WAS LOOKING AT IT AND, UM, FOR THE REVENUE SHARE, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE MISSING 5% AND I'M NOT SURE WHERE THAT MISSING 5% GOES TO IS 75%, UH, IS FOR BALCONIES AND THEN 20% TO TDS.
SO THOSE PERCENTAGES ARE, UM, BASED ON WHAT THE TWO VENDORS PROPOSED TO SHARE WITH US.
SO THE TWO TOGETHER WON'T EQUAL A HUNDRED.
IT'S WHAT THE VENDOR HAS PROPOSED TO SHARE.
THAT WAS JUST, UM, MY BAD MISUNDERSTAND.
[01:40:01]
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? AND AGAIN, I GUESS WE'VE, UH, COMPLETED A, A PROCESS THAT WILL GET US THROUGH THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OVERALL CHANGES TO THIS CONTRACT, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE FOUND A GREATER BALANCE THIS TIME AROUND, AND THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, TO HOPEFULLY HEDGE MORE EFFICIENTLY ON, ON GOOD MARKETS AND BAD MARKETS WITH THE, UH, WITH THE PRICING AND THE, UH, AND THE CONTRACT, UH, THE WAY IT IS SET UP.
I, UH, I, THEN I INVITE YOU TO LOOK AT THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT AND LOOK AT THE LAST PAGE WHERE IT LITERALLY JUST HIGHLIGHTS, YOU KNOW, THE PROS AND THE CONS OF MARKET CONDITIONS.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS A COMMODITY THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE.
IT CHANGES EVERY DAY AND AS WALL STREET DOES, OR THE CHICAGO BOARD DOES IT, THEY, UH, AIMING THOSE PRICES MOVE EVERY SINGLE, EVERY SINGLE HOUR.
AND THE DIFFERENCES WE'RE LOCKED IN ON OUR ACTUAL, UH, ABILITY TO, TO, TO, I GUESS, UH, REACT TO THOSE CHANGES.
BUT NONETHELESS, WE'RE HERE, WE GOT FIVE YEARS AND I'M OPEN.
THE MARKETS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GO NORTH, WHICH WOULD BENEFIT THE CITY CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND FOR THE FIRST TIME GUYS, THANK YOU.
I DON'T THINK WE, I THINK THE CHECKS WE WROTE THIS TIME AROUND ARE LITERALLY UNDER 50,000, SO THAT IS A WONDERFUL GIFT.
AND I THINK THERE'S SOME POSITIVE MONTHS IN THERE TOO, THAT, UH, I'M LOOKING FOR MORE OF THOSE, BUT ANYWAY, STAFF, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR DOING THIS.
KEN, RICHARD, TAMMY, EVERYONE, GINA, BRENT, ALL YOU GUYS.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR GOING THROUGH THIS AND COMMISSIONERS.
AND HAVING SAID THAT YOU GUYS, GOSH, THIS TAKES US TO THE DIRECTOR'S REPORTS.
CAN THAT FUN TIME OF DAY COMMISSIONERS AGAIN, KEN
[3. DIRECTOR’S REPORT]
SNIPES, AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.I'M NOT SURE IF THERE WERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THE ITEMS ON THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
THE QUESTION I HAVE NO QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS, ANY THOUGHTS? COMMENTS, QUESTIONS.
AGAIN, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK OVER THE DIRECTOR'S REPORTS AND I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PRETTY INFORMATIVE.
IT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT, UH, WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT AS A DEPARTMENT AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT, UH, WHAT OUR REVENUE SOURCES ARE, CHALLENGES YOU NAME IT OR IN THIS DIRECTOR'S REPORTS.
AND IT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, AGAIN, TAKE ANY CONFUSION IN THERE THAT, UH, WE WANT SOME CLARITY TO AND ASK HIM TO, TO BRING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION OR TO, I GUESS, DECIDE FOR THAT.
ANY THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS, GUYS? HI, I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE LITTLE BASEMENT SERVICES.
IS THAT WHERE ARE THOSE SERVICES BEING PROVIDED? IT WASN'T CLEAR FROM THE DESCRIPTION IN THE REPORT.
AMANDA, CAN YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION PLEASE? OH, THERE'S A, THERE'S A SOLICITATION EXPECTED TO BE POSTED FOR LEAD ABATEMENT.
AND I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND YET IS THAT LED IN ARR BUILDINGS ARE LED OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
THAT'S NOT AN IN OUR BUILDING.
SO OF VICTORIA, CAN YOU TOUCH ON THAT ONE? DO YOU WANT TO COVER THAT ONE? SURE.
SO, UH, ARR PROVIDES A REMEDIATION SERVICES, THE BROWNFIELDS REMEDIATION OFFICE WITHIN, UH, AIR RR DOES, UM, UH, SOIL REMEDIATION, LEAD REMEDIATION AS BEST AS REMEDIATION.
AND THAT'S WHAT THAT PARTICULAR SOLICITATION, UH, IS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT.
UH, BRENT, DO YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING TO THAT? BRENT OVERSEES THE CONTRACT DEVELOPMENT, SO HE MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILED ON THAT.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? JUST A LITTLE BIT, BUDDY? IS IT, IS IT BETTER NOW? GO AHEAD AND SPEAK BRANCH HERE.
[01:45:01]
UM, ANY COMMISSIONERS, BRENT PAGE, FINANCIAL MANAGER, BUDGET AND CONTRACT DEVELOPMENT, UH, ESSENTIALLY VICTORIA WITH BRETT THAT THAT'S WHAT THE PATIENT IS TO ASSIST OUR BROWNFIELD, UH, GROUP WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT.UM, IT'S ALSO TO HELP SUPPORT, UH, SOME OF THE REVOLVING LOAN FUND THAT WE HAVE, UM, CURRENTLY, UM, THOSE THERE, UH, THE BROWNFIELD GROUP IS LOOKING AT PROJECTS, UH, ACROSS THE CITY, UM, THAT NEED, UH, THESE LED, UM, ABATEMENT SERVICES.
THOSE COULD BE, UM, INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL, UH, THROUGH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
CURRENTLY, THERE ARE TWO INTERNAL PROJECTS FOR THE CITY THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH.
UM, AND THE BROWNFIELD GROUP IS CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR EXTERNAL PARTIES TO, UM, UTILIZE THEIR REVOLVING LOAN FUND WITH.
I NOTICED IT SAID NO EXISTING CONTRACT.
SO IT'S THIS ADDING TO THE SCOPE OF WHAT IS UNDER BROWN FIELDS OR SEPARATING OUT, LED INTO A DIFFERENT CONTRACT WHERE ORIGINALLY IT WAS SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SO THERE ARE CURRENTLY, UM, ANY BAD ABATEMENT IS NOT HANDLE INTERNAL TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS NOT HANDLED BY, UM, THE BROWNFIELD GROUP, UH, CONTRACTED IT OUT VIA A, UM, A ROTATION LIST.
AND THIS IS GOING TO ESTABLISH A CONTRACT WITH ARR SPECIFICALLY, UM, TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES FOR SPECIFICALLY OUR BROWNFIELD.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF DIRECTOR? I WAS JUST WONDERING ABOUT THE, UM, THE WAY BIRTH.
WHAT, WHAT, UH, KIND OF SITUATIONS ALLOW WAIVERS OR RESULT IN WEIGHT? LIKE WHAT ARE THE SITUATIONS THAT RESULT IN WAIVERS BEING APPROVED? W WHAT ARE YOU TALKING TO ME? GO AHEAD, CARRIE.
THIS IS GINA MCKINLEY, STRATEGIC INITIATIVES, DIVISION MANAGER.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE JASON MCCOMBS ON THE LINE, BUT I THINK KAI, YOU ARE ASKING ABOUT THE URL AND WHAT KINDS OF THINGS WOULD QUALIFY FOR WAIVERS.
I MEAN, I WAS SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT THE MULTIFAMILY, BUT I GUESS FOR EITHER THAT OR COMMERCIAL, I'M JUST CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S AN ACCEPTABLE REASON TO NOT MAYBE SOMETIMES HAVE THAT.
I'LL HAVE JASON GIVE YOU ADDITIONAL DETAIL, BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS LIKE SPACE RESTRICTIONS AND OTHER THINGS, AND WE'LL OFTEN GO OUT AND DO SITE ASSESSMENTS TO EVALUATE THE SITE AND ACTUALLY CONFIRMED THAT THERE, THERE ISN'T SPACE AVAILABLE AND PROVIDE ALTERNATIVES FOR COMPLYING WITH THE URL.
BUT JASON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE SOME MORE DETAIL ON SOME OF THE WAIVER REQUESTS? UM, YEAH.
SO AS PART OF THE, YOUR SUBMISSION THERE EVERY YEAR, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE WAIVERS.
UM, WE DO TRACK THEM VERY CLOSELY.
WE REVIEW THEM CLOSELY EVERY YEAR.
UM, IT'S SPACE IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST ONE THAT WE SAY, JUST LACK OF SUFFICIENT SPACE.
UM, BUT IF WE DO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE RUN INTO DAYS, WE DO PROVIDE EDUCATION TEAMS TO GO OUT THERE AND TALK TO THEM AND TRY TO REQUITE SOLUTIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES LACK OF MATERIAL, LIKE, UH, SUBSTANTIAL MATERIALS.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE HAVE BUSINESSES, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE ICE VENDING MACHINES TECHNICALLY FALL UNDER THE EURO.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT THE KIND OF A REASONABLE, YOU KNOW, RECYCLING OUTLET FROM, UH, FROM A RECYCLING BENDING BUILDING.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, THERE'S, UH, WHAT DOES IT MEAN? ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS, CAPACITY AND SPACE? I THINK THOSE ARE THE BIG ONES, BUT, UM, WE DON'T WANT TO PROVE A WHOLE LOT.
UM, BUT LIKE I SAID, WE DO, WE DO TRACK IT CLOSELY AND WE DO GET THEM IN AND WE FOLLOW UP WITH EDUCATION TEAMS ON PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THEM.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE DIRECTOR OR STAFF? YOU ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, STAFF.
OH, I, I WAS INTERESTED IN, UH, FINDING OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE BEYOND 34 AND IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, IT LOOKS LIKE AUSTIN AND PHILADELPHIA WERE AWARDED SOME SORT OF BENEFIT TO HELP US REACH OUR ZERO WASTE SCHOOLS AND CARBON NEUTRALITY GOALS.
[01:50:01]
US A BUDGET OR, UM, IT JUST SNOWBALL TYPE OF RESOURCES FOR EDUCATION.WHAT ALL IS INVOLVED WITH THE BEYOND 34 THAT WAS AWARDED TO US? IS THIS A GENE OF QUESTION? YES.
GINA MCKINLEY AGAIN, STRATEGIC INITIATIVES, DIVISION MANAGER.
AND YES, THIS WAS A REALLY EXCITING OPPORTUNITY, UM, THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN WAS PROVIDED.
UM, THE US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAS AN INITIATIVE CALLED BEYOND 34, THE 34.
AND THAT TITLE REFERS TO THE NATIONAL RECYCLING RATES.
SO ATTEMPTING TO ASSIST CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND EXTENDING BEYOND THAT 34%.
UM, AND WHAT IT PROVIDES TO US IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN CONCERT WITH THE CHAMBER, AS WELL AS THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, UM, AND HAVE ACCESS TO SOME RESOURCES, TO CREATE A STRATEGY, UM, AND DEVELOP OPPORTUNITY AREAS FOR CIRCULARITY PROJECTS IN AUSTIN.
AND THE WA WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS A YEAR LONG AGREEMENT.
SO WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING RIGHT NOW WITH A CONSULTING FIRM OUT OF THE NETHERLANDS CALLED METABOLIC AND DOING THE INITIAL PHASE OF THAT PROCESS IS REALLY DOING IT HEAVY DATA ANALYSIS, OR PROVIDING ALL KINDS OF DATA FROM OUR WASTE STREAM AND OTHER SUSTAINABILITY TYPE DATA, WATER, DATA, ENERGY DATA TO THE CONSULTING FIRM, UM, AT NO COST TO THE CITY, THIS IS SUPPORTED THROUGH THE CHAMBER, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN DO A TECHNICAL ANALYSIS.
AND THEN THE NEXT PART OF THAT PROCESS WILL THEN BE TO POST PUBLIC STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS AND REALLY INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S SOMETHING WE'D LIKE TO EXTEND AN INVITATION TO THIS COMMISSION TO BE A PART OF, AND TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS AND IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITY AREAS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND LOOK AT WAYS TO SUPPORT THOSE.
IT PROVIDES US SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCE AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SUPPORT AT REALLY NO COST TO THE CITY OTHER THAN OUR TIME AND HELPING TO FACILITATE THE EFFORT.
SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A HIGH LEVEL, HAPPY TO PROVIDE YOU MORE DETAIL IF NEEDED AFTER THE FACT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP WITH? UM, IT SOUNDS REALLY EXCITING AND LOOKING THROUGH IT WITH OUR PARTNER OF PHILADELPHIA AND THE PROCESS, THEY HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A STRINGENT GOAL THAN WE DO, BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BEAT US BY FIVE YEARS BY BEING 90%, ZERO WASTE BY 2035, AND THEY HAVE UTTER FREE ATTACHED TO IT.
AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THAT ATTACHED TO OUR ZERO WASTE SCHOOL OF BEING LEONARD FREE DOING.
I MEAN, I WOULD ARGUE THAT WE'VE, WE WOULD LIKE TO BE LITERARY AS A CITY, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S STATED IN OUR ZERO WASTE GOAL IS STATED AS 90% DIVERSION BY THE YEAR 2040.
I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE THAT IT'S ON PHILADELPHIA'S, UM, ZERO WASTE GOAL IS TO BE ZERO WASTE AND LITTER FREE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ZERO WASTE AND LITTER FREE ME DECIDES ZERO WASTE.
IS THAT SOMETHING ABOUT I COULD BE, I MEAN, I THINK PART OF THE PART OF OPPORTUNITIES LIKE BEYOND 34 IS IT GIVES US, UM, A MOMENT TO SHARE WITH OTHER CITIES TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
UM, AND AS SOME OF OUR INITIAL TRACKS WITH PHILADELPHIA, UM, THERE WERE THINGS THAT WE WERE DOING THAT THEY WANTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AND HOW THEY CAN IMPLEMENT THOSE INITIATIVES IN THEIR CITY AND VICE VERSA.
SO THAT'S THE NICE THING OF THE PEER LEARNING OPPORTUNITY AS A COMPONENT OF THIS EFFORT, COMMISSIONER KEN SNIPES DIRECTOR.
UM, I WOULD SAY THIS IS PROBABLY INDICATIVE OF THE FACT THAT AUSTIN HAS HAD A ZERO WASTE GO FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AND, UH, SOME OTHER CITIES LIKE PHILADELPHIA NOW BUILDING THEIRS AND MAYBE ADDING A, A FEW LITTLE THINGS HERE AND THERE, BUT, UM, OUR GOAL HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AND IN PLACE FOR A LONG TIME.
AND, UH, AS GINA SAID IS NOT THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE, OR THAT WE DON'T HAVE AN ASPIRATION TO BE LITTER FREE.
THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE DO ON A REGULAR BASIS EVERY DAY ANYWAY.
UM, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT YOU WILL SEE MORE AND MORE CITIES NOW ADOPTING THAT TYPE OF LANGUAGE, UM, AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, COMING ALONG AND TRYING TO ESTABLISH THEMSELVES IN THE SAME SPACE THAT AUSTIN HAS BEEN IN FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS ALREADY.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? QUESTIONS, GINA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[FUTUREAGENDAITEMS]
JUST TAKES US DOWN TO THE, UH, I GUESS LAST ITEM, WHICH IS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND, UH, GOD, I'M GOING TO OPEN THAT UP BRIEFLY.AND, UH, IF WE DON'T DECIDE ON TOO MANY ITEMS TONIGHT, WE CAN ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, CHIME IN LATER ON OUR NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING IS IN APRIL.
WE DON'T HAVE A MEETING IN OUR, NOT A SCHEDULED MEETING IN MARCH.
SO WE WOULD, UH, BE RECONVENING IN APRIL WHAT FORMAT THAT'S GONNA BRING.
I DON'T THINK A STAFF THAT HAS,
[01:55:01]
UH, ANY IDEA AT THIS STAGE COMMISSIONER WHITE.UM, I WAS IN A MEETING FOR ANOTHER COMMISSION THAT I'M ON AND WAS TOLD THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE SUBMITTED BY, I BELIEVE IT WAS MARCH 31ST.
SO I'M WONDERING HOW THAT MESHES WITH OUR SCHEDULE.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE MISSING THAT DEADLINE STAFF WITH BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS.
I THINK LAST YEAR WE SUBMITTED OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AT THE APRIL MEETING, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IS THAT CORRECT? UH, STAFF, I WOULD ASK VICTORIA TO SPEAK TO THE TIMING OF THAT.
I CAN'T RECALL OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD WHEN THAT RECOMMENDATION WAS PUT FORWARD, OR IF YOU HAVE RECOLLECTION THAT YOU DID, UM, PUT FORWARD, UM, UH, AN ACTUAL DOCUMENT THAT ISN'T RINGING ANY BELLS WITH ME, BUT, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, YOU'RE RIGHT.
WE DO NEED TO, TO GET THAT IN FRONT OF YOU.
UH, IF YOU ARE TO ISSUE A RECOMMENDATION TO US, UH, I'M IN THE LINE, UH, SPEAK TO THAT, UH, THE OFFICIAL DUE DATE FOR RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOARD MIFFLIN MAY 7TH.
UH, AND SO WE WILL BE PRESENTING NEXT MONTH AND WE'LL MEET ANY RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE A, UM, TYPICALLY SCHEDULED ME.
AND IF THAT WOULD BE BEFORE THE SECOND WEDNESDAY, THANK YOU.
THAT'S MUCH BETTER THAN MARCH 31ST.
WE WON'T EVEN HAVE OUR, UM, OUR FIVE-YEAR FORECAST SUBMITTED, UM, AND READY FOR THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED IS MINIMAL MODEL.
WE DON'T HIRE, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE PROPOSED BUDGET, UH, SOONER THAN LATER POSSIBLE THAT WE COULD GET SOMETHING ON THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, A WEBSITE IN MARCH.
THAT WOULD BE A WONDERFUL THING TO, TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT.
SO THEN WE DO COME IN HERE IN APRIL, WE ARE PREPARED WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS.
SO, I MEAN, IF THAT COULD, IF THAT COULD HAPPEN, THAT'D BE WONDERFUL.
WE CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE YOU THE FORECAST NUMBERS, UH, IN THE MONTH OF MARCH.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THAT TURNS INTO THE PROPOSED BUDGET, WHICH WE WORK ARE WORKING ON NOW AND IN THE MONTH OF APRIL AND MAY.
UM, BUT WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH THE FORECASTED NUMBERS.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR THOUGHTS? I'M SORRY, BRENT, ON THAT, UM, B THE NUMBER THAT WE WOULD ADMIT REPORT NOW THROUGH THE NUMBERS THAT WE SUBMIT FOR OUR ANNUAL BUDGET THAT YOU, UM, UH, HELLO, MAY I POP MY HEAD? I CAN'T, I CAN'T REMEMBER, BUT, UM, THOSE NUMBERS CAN CHANGE THE ETHAN AMOUNT.
UM, TYPICALLY IT WOULD BE A LOT OF THE, UM, TRANSFER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO, UH, CONTRIBUTE, UH, TO CORPORATE OFFICE, BUT USUALLY WE'LL HAVE A GOOD, UH, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SUBMIT IN OUR BUDGET.
UM, OF COURSE BEEN ATTENDING ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM Y'ALL AND WE RECOMMEND THE COUNCIL THAT WE MAY EAT.
UM, SO IT SHOULD BE FAIRLY SIMILAR, BUT IF CHANGE, THANK YOU, BRANDON.
ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONERS, I THINK THE L ON THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, JUST TENTATIVELY SPEAKING, WE DO HAVE A, THE FUTURE FM EIGHT, 12 LANDFILL POTENTIAL SCHEDULED FOR APRIL, AS WELL AS THE, UH, THE, UH, COMMISSION RETREAT TO DISCUSS AND PLAN FOR.
YEAH, I THINK THERE WAS A OLD OPEN GOVERNMENT DEMO DAY, I GUESS, AS SCHEDULED, UH, KEEP AUSTIN BEAUTIFUL UPDATE IS ON THERE FOR THE, UH, APRIL, UH, AGENDA AS WELL AS THE, UH, SMB ARE FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES AND INVOLVEMENT, UH, POTENTIAL.
AND THEN KEN, I'M GOING TO SAY ON THAT FMA 12 LANDFILL POTENTIAL ITEM, IS THAT, UH, GOING TO ALLOW US TO DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE AND, OR, YOU KNOW, JUST A WISHLIST OF, OF WHAT, UH, THAT PROPERTY COULD BE OR CAN BE AND WILL BE IS THAT COMMISSIONER CHAIRMAN, WE CAN SHARE THE THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT INTERNALLY.
AND THEN ALSO, I KNOW YOU HAD A NUMBER OF SUGGESTIONS OR IDEAS, UH, POSSIBLY FOR THE PROPERTY AS WELL.
SO, UM, WE, WE COULD, WE COULD PROBABLY DO BOTH.
[02:00:01]
THANK YOU, CAM.ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONER IS ANY OTHER ITEMS, IF NOT TONIGHT, FEEL FREE TO SHARE THOSE LATER ON, BUT, UH, HERE WE KNOW OTHER ITEMS I'M GOING TO GO TO OUR VERY LAST ITEM, WHICH IS A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT.
NOBODY WANTS TO GO HOME OR HAVE TO LEAVE YOUR HOME.
WHAT AM I DOING? I'M GOING TO GO.
ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONER, MUSSINA MOVES A GERMAN.
DO I HEAR A SECOND? DO I SEE A SECOND MELISSA SECONDS? EVERYBODY'S SECONDS.
THANK YOU JERRY, FOR BEING THERE NOW, ALBERT AND ETHAN.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING A PART OF THIS AND WELCOME.