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WHEN OUR TECH GUYS ARE READY AND SET UP AND READY TO BROADCAST.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND, UH, UH, GAVEL US IN ON TWO MEETINGS.
UH, WE'LL RUN THEM SIMULTANEOUSLY.
UH, THE FIRST IS THE, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION.
UH, AND THE SECOND BD IS THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, UH, TO, TO ADDRESS THE WATER BOIL SITUATION.
WE JUST WENT THROUGH, UH, AS WAS REQUESTED BY A COUNCIL OF MEMBERS ELLIS AND HARPER SAID, UH, I THINK OUR BEHALF OF MULTIPLE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WANTED THIS, THANK YOU FOR MAKING THEM FORMAL REQUESTS.
UH, TODAY IS, UH, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH, 2022.
WE HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT IN THIS HYBRID MEETING.
ONE OF OUR MEMBERS, UH, IS, UH, A PERIOD OF VIRTUALLY, UH, EIGHT OTHERS OF US, UH, ARE IN THE, UH, THEY S AT THIS POINT LIVE, UH, WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN AS WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, ON THE MESSAGE BOARD WITH THE, UH, UH, ITEM THAT WAS A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING.
AND AS WE LAID OUT, UM, UH, TRIED TO ASK, UH, CALIFORNIA ELLIS TO, UH, TO OPEN THIS UP, UH WE'RE AS GIVE THE STAFF AND THE BADGER AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
WE'LL COME BACK UP TO THE, TO THE DAY AS TO, TO ARTICULATE QUESTIONS OR ISSUES THAT THE COUNCIL, UH, BEVERS WAR TO HERE.
UH, UH, SO WE GET KIND OF THE, THE THRUST OF THE QUESTIONS OUT.
WE'LL GO BACK TO THE MANAGER AT THAT POINT TO RESPOND, AND THEN WE'LL COME UP FOR QUESTION AND ANSWER BOARD SPECIFICALLY, UH, FOR HOWEVER LONG, THE IT'S THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL TO, UH, TO PROCEED ALSO ON OUR AGENDA, THE WORK SESSION TODAY PULLED ITEMS, BUT WE HAVE DONE THAT WERE, UH, FILED, UH, AHEAD OF TIME.
UH, WE DO HAVE, UH, UH, TWO BRIEFINGS, UH, THE, UH, UH, SMB BRIEF HAGAR, THE CADET CLASS BRIEFING.
WE ALSO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, ITEM FOR US TO, UH, HIT, UH, TODAY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THIS WILL GO THIS MORNING.
UM, SEVERAL OF US ARE GOING TO LEAVE THE DICE MOMENTARILY ABOUT 11 O'CLOCK, UH, MAYOR PRO TAB.
IF YOU'LL TAKE THE HELM AT THAT POINT, I THINK THAT WE COULD GO AND COME BACK RELATIVELY QUICKLY.
UM, UM, THE HOPE IS MAYBE WE COULD DO THIS.
MAYBE WE COULD DO THE, UH, BR UH, UH, PRESENTATION, THE SPORT, SPORTY, TAKE A BREAK FOR LUNCH, AND THEN NOON TO SHOWER.
DO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEM, UH, COME BACK FOR THE, UH, CADET CLASS BRIEFING, UH, RIGHT AFTER LUNCH GENERALLY IS A WAY TO GO.
I'M TRYING TO ABSORB THE RUN OF SHOW, BUT WOULD YOU MIND JUST LAYING IT OUT AGAIN? SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THE SPECIALTY, CORRECT? THEY WILL DO THAT UNTIL PEOPLE ARE FINISHED WITH THAT.
IF THERE'S TIME BEFORE LUNCH, WE'LL TEE UP THE, UH, ASSET BR BRIEF, HEY, OR BREAK FOR LUNCH ABOUT NOON-ISH HOUR.
AND DURING THAT LUNCH BREAK, WE'LL HAVE THE EXECUTIVE SESSION ON THE LITIGATION, UH, ISSUE IN FRONT OF US.
WE'LL COME BACK FROM LUNCH AT THAT POINT AND PICK UP THE CADET CLASS BRIEFING.
AND YOU, I THINK YOU MENTIONED SEVERAL OF US ARE PLANNING TO ATTEND.
SO STEP OFF, AND I THINK THAT'S A, UH, A ZUBE, UH, ISSUE.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, UH, WE'LL SEE WHERE WE ARE, BUT I TOLD THE MAYOR PRO TEM, MAYBE SHE COULD KEEP RUNNING IN THAT MEETING RATHER THAN, THAN, THAN KEEP RUNNING IN THIS MEETING RATHER THAN RECESS AGAIN.
UH, BUT LET'S MAKE SURE THAT PROVIDED A PLACE THAT WE NEED EVERYBODY HERE
[1. Discuss issues related to the boil water notice in effect in Austin beginning February 5, 2022.]
FOR.SO WITH THAT, UH, UH, COUNSELOR, BRAD LS, DO YOU WANT TO FRAME UP OUR BOARDING FORCE? YES.
AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SOME BRIEF REMARKS TO OPEN US UP.
I USUALLY LIKE TO, UM, BE A LITTLE MORE OFF THE CUFF WITH MY STATEMENTS, BUT I JUST KNOW THAT THIS PAST WEEK HAS MEANT A LOT TO PEOPLE AND HAS AFFECTED PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE MY REMARKS WERE WELL THOUGHT OUT PREVIOUSLY,
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I CALLED THIS SPECIAL CALLED MEETING IN COLLABORATION WITH COUNCIL MEMBER, NATASHA HARPER MADISON, BECAUSE OF THE INSTANT FEEDBACK WE GOT FROM THE COMMUNITY.MANY PEOPLE WERE CAUGHT OFF GUARD BECAUSE WE FIGURED WE MADE IT THROUGH THE FREEZE ONLY TO BE SURPRISED BY A BOIL WATER NOTICE AUSTINITES DESERVE A SAFE, RELIABLE, AND RESILIENT WATER SYSTEM.
THEY CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE IN, AND I'M HOPEFUL.
THIS PROCESS WILL ACHIEVE THAT.
THE GOAL OF THIS MEETING IS TO ADDRESS THE RECENT ERRORS THAT CAUSE THIS BOIL NOTICE AND TO IDENTIFY WHAT CHANGES NEED TO BE IMPLEMENTED SO THAT WE ARE PREPARED NO MATTER WHAT COMES OUR WAY TODAY IS THE BEGINNING OF MANY STEPS.
THE CITY MUST TAKE TO REBUILD THAT PUBLIC TRUST.
WE ARE ALL AWARE THAT THIS LATEST CRISIS WAS A FRUSTRATING AND PREVENTABLE EVENT.
THIS ONE WAS DUE TO AN EMPLOYEE OVERSIGHT AT THE ORECK PLANT, AND I CERTAINLY DO NOT WANT TO VILIFY A HANDFUL OF EMPLOYEES.
WE KNOW THAT OUR CITY STAFF HAS BEEN THROUGH A LOT OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, BUT RATHER I'D LIKE US TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE.
ARE WE TRAINING AND PAYING STAFF EFFECTIVELY? OUR FRONTLINE WORKERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
AND I WANT TO KNOW THAT THEIR WORKING CONDITIONS ARE SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE BECAUSE AS WE'VE LEARNED, THERE ARE SO MANY KNOWN AND UNKNOWN CHALLENGES THAT MAY ARISE.
OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE, CLIMATE CHANGE IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO WREAK HAVOC ON OUR COMMUNITY AND WE MUST BE PREPARED FOR ANYTHING.
LAST YEAR'S WINTER STORM TAUGHT US THAT THE HALLOWEEN AND MEMORIAL DAY FLOODS IN THE RECENT PAST HAVE TAUGHT US THAT THERE ARE, THERE ARE ANY NUMBER OF CATASTROPHIC NATURAL DISASTERS WE NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR, WHICH IS WHY THIS LATEST EVENT STRUCK A NERVE WITH SO MANY, AND THAT IT DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE RELATED TO A WEATHER EVENT.
IN SOME WAYS THIS PAST WEEK FELT LIKE THE LAST STRAW FOR SO MANY PEOPLE.
OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE EXHAUSTED.
THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE MOST TRYING TIMES IN HISTORY AND OUR CITY EMPLOYEES HAVE PERSEVERED THROUGH IT ALL.
WE'VE FACED SO MANY CRISES IN THE RECENT PAST THAT THE TERMS NEW NORMAL AND UNPRECEDENTED ARE NOW CLICHE.
SO KNOWING THAT LET'S GET TO WORK ON RIGHTING, THE WRONGS TODAY'S MEETING IS JUST A FIRST STEP.
THEN WE'LL CONSIDER MAYOR PRO TEM, ALISON ALTARS, EXTERNAL AUDIT RESOLUTION ON THURSDAY, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER OF VANESSA FUENTES WILL TAKE UP THIS ISSUE AS SHE CHAIRS THE AUSTIN WATER WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AT THEIR MEETING NEXT WEEK, MY COLLEAGUES, OUR COMMUNITY, AND I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS.
AND I WANT TO THANK CITY STAFF FOR QUICKLY, BEGINNING TO ANSWER THOSE POSTED ON THE MESSAGE BOARD AND THROUGH THE COUNCIL Q AND A PROCESS THAT WILL HELP US TO BE MORE EFFICIENT IN OUR WORK HERE TODAY.
SO FINALLY, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE DIRECTOR GREG BIZARROS AND THE ENTIRE AUSTIN WATER TEAM.
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT AN IMPOSSIBLE WEEK AND A HALF THIS HAS BEEN FOR YOU AFTER MANAGING THROUGH LAST YEAR'S WINTER STORM AND THE FLOODS BEFORE THAT AND WILDFIRES BEFORE THAT THIS CITY HAS GROWN DRAMATICALLY SINCE YOU TOOK THE HELM IN 2007, THE YEAR THAT I FIRST GOT TO AUSTIN, AND SINCE THEN YOU'VE OVERSEEN THE WATER FORWARD PROCESS, THE CONSTRUCTION AND LAUNCH OF THE HANCOCK'S WATER TREATMENT PLANT AND IMPLEMENTED INNOVATIVE WATER CONSERVATION STRATEGIES THAT MANY OTHER BIG CITIES LOOK TO US FOR GUIDANCE ON YOU HAVE MUCH TO BE PROUD OF, AND I WISH YOU NOTHING BUT THE BEST.
AND AS A PERSONAL NOTE, I HAVE RECEIVED CALLS AND TEXT MESSAGES ABOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
AND WE ARE SAD TO SEE YOU GO, BUT I KNOW THIS IS A REALLY TRYING TIME FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE WITH US TODAY TO HELP US WORK THROUGH THESE PROCESSES SO THAT WE KNOW THAT AUSTIN WATER HAS WHAT IT NEEDS FROM US AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT YOUR EMPLOYEES KNOW THEY ARE SUPPORTED, AND WE WANT TO WORK THROUGH THESE PROCESSES TOGETHER.
WITH THAT, UH, MANAGER, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
IT'S UH, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS ALL OF YOU THIS MORNING.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, THE PERIOD BEGINNING IN LATE SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH, AND THROUGH LATE EVENING OF TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8TH WAS A TRYING TIME FOR ALL OF US.
UH, IT WAS TRYING ON OUR COMMUNITY ON OUR CITY ORGANIZATION AND IN BIG AND SMALL WAYS, IT IMPACTED EACH OF US PERSONALLY, DURING THIS ROUGHLY 72 HOUR PERIOD, OUR COMMUNITY EXPERIENCED ITS THIRD CITYWIDE BOIL WATER NOTICE IN FOUR YEARS.
AND WHILE EACH OF THESE THREE EVENTS AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT CAUSE THEM ARE UNIQUE, WE SHARE THE COMMUNITIES AND THE CITY COUNCIL SENTIMENT THAT THIS IS SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE.
OUR COMMUNITY MUST HAVE THE FULL FAITH AND TRUST IN ITS PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM AND THE LEADERS CHARGED WITH OVERSEEING IT.
AND CERTAINLY NO COMMUNITY SHOULD EVER BE IN THE POSITION TO DOUBT THE SAFETY
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AND RELIABILITY OF THAT SYSTEM.AS LEADERS IN THIS ORGANIZATION, WE ARE THE STEWARDS OF THIS PUBLIC RESOURCE.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT, THAT THIS INCIDENT HAS DIMINISHED THE PUBLIC'S TRUST.
AND WE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT.
WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THE IMMENSE AND IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITY OF RESTORING THAT PUBLIC TRUST.
AS I, AS I HAVE SAID EARLIER, NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT TO ME AND TO OUR ORGANIZATION AS THE FIRST STEP IN REBUILDING THAT TRUST WE HAVE PROVIDED TO CITY COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC IMPORTANT INFORMATION RELATED TO THIS EVENT.
THIS INCLUDES A MORE DETAILED TIMELINE OF EVENTS THAT TRANSPIRED ULTIMATELY LEADING TO THE DECISION TO INITIATE A BOIL WATER NOTICE AS WELL AS INFORMATION ADDRESSING MANY OF THE COUNCILS, THEN PENDING QUESTIONS.
IT IS OUR HOPE THAT THIS INFORMATION MIGHT HELP SERVE AS A BASIS FROM WHICH WE HAVE TODAY'S DISCUSSION.
BUT OUR WORK IS FAR FROM OVER.
WE STILL HAVE MUCH TO LEARN FROM THIS EVENTS, BOTH TO UNDERSTAND MORE DEEPLY WHAT OCCURRED AND HOW AND HOW TO HELP MITIGATE ANY SUCH FUTURE EVENT FROM OCCURRING.
THE DEPARTMENT IS CURRENTLY CONDUCTING AN ADMINISTRATIVE INVESTIGATION INTO THIS INCIDENT TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S APPROPRIATE ACCOUNTABILITY, AS WELL AS PERFORMING AN AFTER ACTION REVIEW, WHICH IS A STANDARD PRACTICE IN THE WAKE OF SUCH AN EVENT.
TODAY WE ARE BEFORE YOU TO ADDRESS SOME OF THIS IN GREATER DETAIL, AS WELL AS ADDRESS OTHER REMAINING QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS YOU MAY HAVE BEFORE I TURN THIS OVER TO DIRECTOR MAZARRA HOWEVER I WANT TO BRIEFLY ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK THOSE EMPLOYEES OF AUSTIN, WATER, HOMELAND SECURITY, AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM, AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS WHO DIRECTLY SUPPORTED THE CITY'S EFFORTS TO RESTORE NORMAL OPERATIONS AT ALL, RICK AND QUICKLY ADMINISTER THE DISTRIBUTION OF POTABLE WATER AND BOTTLED WATER ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY.
I ALSO EXTEND A HEARTFELT THANKS TO THE MANY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER PARTNER AGENCIES WHO ASSISTED IN THIS MASSIVE EFFORT.
WE SHOWED THAT NO MATTER WHAT, WE WILL OVERCOME ANY CHALLENGES BEFORE US AND WE'LL DO IT TOGETHER.
AND WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT WITHOUT YOU.
LASTLY, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE GREG BIZARROS AND THE EMPLOYEES OF AUSTIN WATER DIRECTLY FOR 15 YEARS, GREG HAS LED AN ORGANIZATION WITH A RICH HISTORY, GOING BACK OVER A HUNDRED YEARS.
AUSTIN WATER IS A PROUD AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION AND AMONG THE HIGHEST REGARDED PUBLIC WATER UTILITIES IN THE COUNTRY, DESPITE THESE RECENT CHALLENGES AND DISAPPOINTING SETBACKS, YOUR AUSTIN WATER EMPLOYEES WORK TIRELESSLY EACH DAY TO ENSURE ALL OF US ENJOY A SAFE AND RELIABLE WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEM AMONG THE MOST ESSENTIAL OF ANY CITY INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO DELIVER ON THAT EXPECTATION AND CARRY OUT THIS VERY CRITICAL SERVICE, NO MATTER WHAT.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DIRECTOR MASCARAS.
GREG, THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER.
AND THANK YOU, MEMBER COUNCIL MEMBER LS FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL WORDS.
UM, I JUST WANT TO KIND OF FRAME UP TODAY AND HAVE SOME OPENING STATEMENTS, UH, UH, TO GO OVER, UH, THE EVENT AND, UH, AND SOME OF OUR EXPERIENCES AND OBSERVATIONS.
LET ME SAY FIRST, ANYTIME WE ISSUE A BOIL WATER NOTICE, IT'S BECAUSE OF A HEIGHTENED RISK OF SAFETY IN THE DRINKING WATER AND AS WATER PROFESSIONAL, UH, REPRESENTING OVER 1300 AUSTIN WATER EMPLOYEES.
THAT'S, THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE TO US.
WE NEVER WANT TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE ISSUING BOIL WATER NOTICES AND, UH, AND HAVING HEIGHTENED RISK.
AND, AND WE'RE GOING TO WORK TIRELESSLY TO, UH, TO GET US BACK ON A BETTER TRACK AS, AS THE CITY MANAGER AND COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS DESCRIBED AS SOMETIMES BOILED WATER NOTICES ARE BECAUSE OF CATASTROPHIC WEATHER EVENTS.
THAT WAS WHAT HAPPENED IN 2018 WITH THE COLORADO RIVER FLOOD WINTER STORM YURI.
SOMETIMES THEY'RE CAUSED BY INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURES, A TRANSMISSION MAIN FAILURE OR SOMETHING OF THAT SHORT, BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, AS I'VE DESCRIBED EARLIER, THIS WAS REALLY ABOUT OUR OPERATIONS OF THE PLANTS, HOW WE COMMUNICATE, HOW WE MAKE DECISIONS, HOW WE RESPOND TO ALARMS, UH, HOW WE ESCALATE.
THOSE ARE ALL WITHIN OUR CONTROL AND HIS COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS SAID ULTIMATELY PREVENTABLE WITH THIS BOIL WATER NOTICE.
AND SO THAT'S, WHAT'S SO DIFFICULT HERE, AND I AM JUST PROFOUNDLY SORRY THAT WE HAD THIS EVENT.
UH, I KNOW IT WAS PAINFUL AND, UH, AND DIFFICULT COMING ON TOP OF ALL THE OTHER EVENTS THAT NOT ONLY WE'VE HAD WITH THE PANDEMIC AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S, UH, THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN STRUGGLING WITH.
UM, I'M SORRY, THE COMMUNITY SUFFERED.
I KNOW THIS IS SCARY AND DISRUPTIVE AND FRUSTRATING AND TIRESOME.
I'M SORRY TO MY COLLEAGUES, UH, ALL THOSE THAT PITCHED IN TO HELP LAUNCH, UH, WATER DISTRIBUTION AND CAME BACK TO THE EOC.
AND, UH, AND WE'RE GOING TO WORK AT AUSTIN WATER TO DO THE BEST WE CAN TO SEE THAT WHAT IS PREVENTABLE IS TRULY PREVENTED ON FRIDAY, WE ISSUED A MEMO THAT SUMMARIZED VARIOUS Q AND A RESPONSES THAT WE'VE RECEIVED, THAT WE
[00:15:01]
RECEIVED FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WERE ON MESSAGE BOARDS.AND SO HOPEFULLY THAT'S A RESOURCE FOR YOU.
WE'RE CONTINUING OUR REVIEW OF THIS INCIDENT.
UH, THE REVIEW OF THIS IS A HIGHEST PRIORITY.
WE'RE GOING THROUGH A THOROUGH AND THOUGHTFUL PROCESS, BUT THIS ISN'T JUST A REVIEW OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
THIS IS A REVIEW OF PEOPLE AND DECISIONS AND INTERVIEWS, AND THERE ARE CERTAIN PROCESSES THAT WE NEED TO FOLLOW.
I APPRECIATE YOU SPEAKING ABOUT NOT VILIFYING EMPLOYEES AND, AND JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS THAT I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE WORK THE PROCESS IN A WAY THAT'S RESPECTFUL OF ALL THAT ARE INVOLVED.
I WANT TO MAKE A FEW STATEMENTS ABOUT MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES, UH, WITH REGARDS TO THE OPERATION SIDE, I WANT TO SAY FIRST THAT EVERYTHING THAT I'VE SEEN AND READ AND EVERYONE I'VE TALKED TO, THAT THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF WHAT I WOULD DESCRIBE GROSS NEGLIGENCE BY OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS NOTHING WHERE EMPLOYEES WERE SLEEPING ON DUTY, WHERE THEY LEFT THE PLANT, WHERE THEY WERE, UH, FABRICATING DATA.
I HAVE SEEN NO EVIDENCE OF THOSE KINDS OF GROSS NEGLIGENT BEHAVIORS.
CERTAINLY OUR INTERVIEW PROCESSES ARE NOT COMPLETE, BUT IN TERMS OF MY UNDERSTANDING OF ALL OF THAT AND WHAT I'VE HEARD AND HOW I'VE ASKED PEOPLE, THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I AM SEEING OR BELIEVED HAPPEN.
THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF SPECULATION AND RUMORS AND GOSSIP WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS, AND I WANT TO TRY TO PUT SOME OF THAT TOO BAD.
THERE'S BEEN, UM, SEVERAL RADIO CALLERS THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTEDLY AUSTIN, WATER EMPLOYEES CALLING INTO RADIO STATIONS AND GIVING THEIR OPINION OF THE EVENTS.
FIRST, I'D ASK THAT YOU DO YOUR BEST TO IGNORE THOSE, RIGHT.
THERE'S ALL KINDS OF SPECULATION.
PEOPLE CAN CALL IN AND SAY WHAT THEY WANT AND REPRESENT WHAT THEY WANT.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO LET A FORMAL INTERVIEW AND A REVIEW PROCESS MOVE FORWARD.
I WILL SAY HERE RECENTLY, I LISTENED TO ONE OF THE RADIO CALLERS AND THEY MADE AN ASSERTION THAT THIS WAS BECAUSE OF A FREEZE EVENT AND FAILED VALVES THAT FROZE DURING THE WINTER STORM.
I WANT TO SAY, I HAVE SEEN NO EVIDENCE THAT THAT WAS WHAT CAUSED THIS WHATSOEVER.
WE MAINTAIN SIGNIFICANT DATA ON OUR PLANTS IN TERMS OF, UH, OF LOGS AND, UH, ALARMS AND CALLS AND INQUIRIES AND BENCH DOGS AND TASKS AND SAMPLES.
NONE OF THAT HAS SUGGESTED THAT THIS WAS BECAUSE OF AN INFRASTRUCTURE FREEZE EVENT.
I'VE ALSO REACHED OUT IMMEDIATELY DURING THE EVENT, I TALKED TO RICK CORNETTO, THE HEAD OF OUR OPERATIONS.
RICK'S BEEN HERE OVER 25 YEARS.
I TALKED TO BRIAN HAWES, WHO'S THE HEAD OF OUR PROCESS ENGINEERING AND LABS AND OTHER PARTS BRIAN'S BEEN HERE FOR WELL OVER 20 YEARS WAS THE PROCESS ENGINEER AT ORRICK EARLIER IN HIS CAREER, I SPOKE TO JULIE, HOLLAND'S WORTH OUR DIVISION MANAGER OVER TREATMENT OPERATIONS.
JULIE STARTED AS AN ENTRY-LEVEL OPERATOR, BECAME A SUPERVISOR, A SUPERINTENDENT OF A PLANT.
AND NOW OUR DIVISION MANAGER, I ALSO SPOKE TO STEPHANIE SHOE, OUR OVERALL WATER TREATMENT OPERATIONS MANAGER.
STEPHANIE'S WITH US TODAY, I SPOKE TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE PLANT ON OPERATIONS MOLE GROUP.
ALL OF THOSE FOLKS DID NOT IN ANY WAY INDICATE THAT THIS WAS A FROZEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEM.
AND SO I WANT TO, I WANT TO DISABUSE THAT, THAT THAT'S A BELIEF I HAVE AGAIN, SEE NO EVIDENCE OF THAT.
AND WE'RE WORKING THIS PROCESS TO, TO, UH, TO DOCUMENT WHAT TRULY HAPPENED.
ALL THE DATA CONTINUES TO POINT AS WE'VE COMMUNICATED IN OUR MEMO, THAT THIS ALL ORIGINATED WITH THE STARTING OF WHAT WE CALL BASE AND SIX, ONE OF OUR TREATMENT BASINS THAT WE STARTED OUT AT THE PLANT.
IT'S VERY COMMON FOR US TO START UP TREATMENT BASINS.
UH, THE START-UP OF BASIN SIX CASCADED OUT OF CONTROL, UH, SPILLED OVER INTO THE FILTERS AND ULTIMATELY INTO THE FINISHED WATER.
WE'LL ELABORATE THAT ON A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT THAT IS THE PATH THAT THE DATA CONTINUES TO SUGGEST THAT WAS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS EVENT.
HOW WE STARTED UP IN MANAGED A BASIN SIX AND THE IMPACTS IT HAD, UH, DOWNSTREAM IN THE PLANT AND THE DATA TELLS THE STORY.
UH, I'LL JUST SUMMARIZE VERY QUICKLY HERE ON FRIDAY.
UH, FEBRUARY 4TH AT 10:00 PM, BASED IN SIX, HAD BEEN STARTED UP.
OUR TURBIDITY IS OUT OF BASIN SIX, WHERE 8.7, TYPICALLY A BASE IN STARTING UP.
YOU WOULD EXPECT THAT ABOUT FIVE TO 10 TURBIDITY IS TAP WATER, FINISHED TAP WATER.
TURBIDITY IS WHERE 0.04, 2.06.
WELL WITHIN ANY REQUIREMENT ON SATURDAY, THE NEXT MORNING AT, UH, AT ON THE SIXTH AT 2:00 AM, FOUR HOURS LATER, BASED IN SIX TURBIDITY HAD RISEN TO 21.
AGAIN, YOU'RE EXPECTING ABOUT FIVE TO 10.
YOU CAN SEE THIS BASIN IS STARTING TO HAVE SOME PROBLEMS. AGAIN, FINISH WATER TAPS ARE STILL FINE.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A BUFFER, YOU KNOW, AS YOU'RE MAKING NEW WATER
[00:20:01]
AND IT'S MOVING ITS WAY THROUGH THE PLANT, THE OLD WATER THAT YOU'VE MADE IS IN THE RESERVOIRS.SO AS YOU HAVE A PROBLEM INSIDE THE PLANT, IT DOESN'T IMMEDIATELY CAUSE A PROBLEM IN THE TAPS.
WHAT THAT, WHAT THE PUBLIC IS SEEING PUMPED OUT.
AND THAT'S GOOD THAT GIVES YOU A BUFFER TO TRY TO ANALYZE PROCESS PROBLEMS AND DEAL WITH THEM BEFORE THEY ULTIMATELY TRANSLATE OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
BASED IN SIX, CONTINUED TO DETERIORATE AGAIN ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH AT 6:00 AM, FOUR HOURS LATER BASED IN SIX TURBIDITY READINGS ARE NOW 1 45, A BASIN THAT'S TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL.
UM, TAPS ARE STILL GOOD 0.05 TO 0.06, BUT THIS HIGH TURBIDITY WATER FROM BASIN SIX IS POURING ON THE FILTERS.
THE FILTERS ARE GOING TO, ULTIMATELY THEY'RE NOT DESIGNED TO HANDLE THOSE KINDS OF LOADS.
THEY'RE GOING TO START TO BREAK THROUGH HIGHER TURBIDITY WATERSHED AND START TO GET INTO THE RESERVOIR.
AND ULTIMATELY THAT'S GOING TO GET PUMPED OUT AND THEY'LL FINISH WATER TURBIDITY.
THESE ARE GOING TO START TO RISE.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED AT, UH, AFTER 6:00 AM, BY ROUGHLY A MID-MORNING WE HAD SHUT DOWN THE PLANT AND, UH, AND HAD ISSUED, OR HAD STARTED THE PROCESS OF PREPARING FOR, AND ULTIMATELY ISSUING A BOIL WATER NOTICE.
SO AGAIN, THE DATA IS ALL PULLING BACK TO BASE AND SIX, AND THAT'S REALLY THE HEART OF OUR INVESTIGATION AND INTERVIEWS IS, IS HOW DID COMMUNICATIONS BREAK DOWN? WHY WEREN'T WE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH BASIN SIX? WHAT REMEDIES, WHERE WE IMPLEMENTED WHEN A REMEDY DIDN'T WORK, WHAT ADDITIONAL REMEDIES, WHERE WE TURNING TO.
UH, AND SO, SO ALL OF THAT DECISION MAKING AND A COMMUNICATIONS, HOW ARE WE RESPONDING TO ALARMS AS WE WERE RECORDING THIS DATA, AS WE CONTINUOUSLY MONITOR THE BASINS, AS WE SAW THESE DATA'S RISE IN THE CONTROL ROOM, HOW ARE WE RESPONDING TO THESE ALARMS? AS THE ALARMS WENT INTO THE FILTER SYSTEM, HOW ARE WE RESPONDING TO THE FILTER ALARMS? WHAT WERE WE DOING OR NOT DOING? HOW WAS THAT ALL HAPPENING? HOW ARE WE ESCALATING? DID WE CALL FOR HOW, HOW DID WE CALL FOR HELP? WHEN DID WE CALL FOR HELP? HOW DID WE PASS DOWN KNOWLEDGE? WE'RE EVALUATING ALL OF THAT.
AND THAT'S ALL, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CALL OPERATIONS AND, UH, AND, UH, AND THE DECISION-MAKING COMMUNICATION AND RESPONSES AND ESCALATIONS THAT WE'RE DOING THERE.
WE EXPECT TO BE COMPLETE SOON, YOU KNOW, WITHIN A WEEK OR TWO, WE WANT TO, WE'RE PUSHING HARD.
BUT AGAIN, THESE ARE PEOPLE YOU'RE INTERVIEWING PEOPLE.
YOU'RE DOCUMENTING, YOU'RE WRITING REPORTS.
I'M NOT INVOLVED IN INTERVIEWING.
I'M NOT INVOLVED IN REPORT WRITING.
THIS IS BEING DONE BY HR PROFESSIONALS AND OTHERS, SO THEY CAN HAVE AN OBJECTIVE AND, UH, AND, AND, AND GOOD REVIEW OF, UH, OF THE HUMAN SIDE OF THIS.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE WITH THIS.
AGAIN, THERE'S MORE ELABORATION IN THE MEMO AND, UH, AND RICK'S HERE.
HE HAS A FEW SLIDES TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
I THINK I PROBABLY COVERED SOME OF THE PROCESS UNDERSTANDING, BUT RICK CAN AMPLIFY THAT AND CERTAINLY ALSO SPEAK TO SOME OF THE INITIAL, UH, PREVENTATIVE MEASURES THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN PLACE, UH, GIVEN OUR EXPERIENCE ON THIS EVENT.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS NOW, OR IF YOU'D LIKE, LIKE TO CONTINUE WITH RICK, UH, REALLY AT THE PLEASURE OF, OF, OF THE COUNCIL MAYOR.
I THINK WE WANT YOU TO CONTINUE TO DO YOUR PRESENTATION, THEN WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK UP TO THE DIOCESE.
WE'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO COLLECTIVELY ASK QUESTIONS.
WE'LL GO BACK TO YOU AGAIN, BUT YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO SEE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS.
SO WE'LL LET YOU GO AHEAD AND HELP FRAME.
WELL, RICK, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
OH, YOU DON'T THINK THIS TEST, TEST AGAIN, A RECORDER, NOT ALL ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS, UM, CITY MANAGER, MAYOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, I JUST KINDA WOULD LIKE TO KIND OF ADD TO, I KNOW YOU HAVE A SLIDE DECK THAT HAS SOME OF THE DETAILS THAT, UH, GREG BIZARROS HAS GONE OVER.
UM, I JUST WANT TO REINFORCE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE DATA, THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN RECEIVING, INCLUDING, UM, THE, UM, THE OPERATIONS OF THE SETTLED WATER BASIN, NUMBER SIX, AND THAT KIND OF, UH, TALKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE A GOOD, UH, SOLIDS HANDLING THAT, THAT OPERATE THE BASIN ITSELF.
UH, WE HAVE PROCESS CONTROL INFORMATION THAT NOT ONLY IS INSTRUMENTATION THAT'S ONLINE, BUT ALSO LAB TESTS THAT ARE PERFORMED BY THE OPERATOR ON A ROUTINE BASIS.
ALL THAT INFORMATION HAS, UH, PROVIDED US WITH A DIRECTION THAT IT WAS A, THE BASIN THAT WAS UPSET THAT ULTIMATELY IMPACTED, UH, THE PROCESSES DOWNSTREAM OF THAT.
UH, ONE OF THE SLIDES THAT YOU HAVE, UH, RE REGARDLESS WHAT HAPPENED INCLUDES, I'M SORRY, MAYOR.
IF WE CAN HAVE THOSE EMAILED TO US,
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THEY'RE POSTED IN THE BACKUP FOR THE SPECIAL CALLED I THINK THEY WERE POSTED THIS MORNING.IS IT POSSIBLE TO STOP? THE TICKING CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT IT'S LIKE, IF YOU'RE SPEAKING, THERE WAS JUST A TICKING NOISE.
I THINK THE MIC DAVEY TECH, I HAVE TWO PRESENTATIONS AVAILABLE AND I WILL PUT UP WHAT I, WE HAVE IN OUR RNT FOLDER.
AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE AND APOLOGIES IF THOSE ARE NOT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
AND THE PRESENTATION MAYOR WAS SENT OUT AT 8 31 FROM KATIE POWERS.
SO LET ME JUST KIND OF TALK THROUGH, AND THEN, UH, I'LL REFERENCE, UH, ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE, UH, RELATED TO SOME OF THOSE SLIDES AS YOU RECEIVE THEM.
SO AN IMPORTANT PART OF, UH, THE PROCESS OF STARTING UP A BASIN, WE KIND OF HAD THAT, UH, AS A REQUIREMENT, UH, FOR FLOW M UH, INCREASES, UH, THE, THE BASIN THAT WAS STARTED HAD TO BE SEATED.
WHAT WE CALL SEEDING THE BASIN IS ADDING SOLIDS, UH, THAT COMBINED WITH THE CHEMICAL ADDITION PROVIDES US WITH, UH, UH, CONTROL OF, UM, OF OPERATIONS FOR THAT BASIN AND MAKE SURE, UH, IF, UH, THEY MEET A CONTINUE, OKAY.
THERE, THEY'RE ASKING, DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE? OR ARE WE OKAY? SO I MENTIONED THAT THERE'S A TOTALLY AT THE BASIN, THE CENTER, UM, OF THE BASIN IS WHAT WE CALL A MIXING WELL, AND THAT HELPS THE OPERATOR DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE WITHIN PARAMETERS CONTROL PARAMETERS OF THAT BASIN.
THEY'LL A SAMPLE FOR NOT ONLY PH TURBIDITY OR IN THIS CASE, SETTLEABLE SOLIDS, THERE'S A RANGE IN WHICH THAT, THAT BASIN WILL OPERATE, UH, TO ENSURE THAT IT IS A, UM, IT WILL PRODUCE GOOD WATER.
THEY ALSO PROVIDE WITH TESTS THAT, UH, EXIT THE BASIN PRIOR TO GOING TO THE FILTERS AND ALL THOSE, UH, INDICATIONS, WHETHER THEY WERE ALARMS THAT WERE ONLINE AND ALSO SAMPLES TAKEN INDICATED THAT THERE WAS AN UPSET IN THAT BASIN.
OBVIOUSLY THE NEXT STEP OF THE PROCESS IS ALSO TO FILTER THAT WATER.
ONCE THAT WATER HAS EXITED THE BASIN, IT ENTERS INTO A COMMON PIPELINE THAT GOES TO MULTIPLE FILTERS.
THERE'S A TOTAL OF 18 FILTERS AT ALRICH WATER TREATMENT PLANT, AND MULTIPLE FILTERS EXPERIENCE THAT HIGH TURBIDITY WATER GOING ON TOP OF THE FILTERS EVENTUALLY, UH, THE FILTERS, UM, THEY PERFORM WELL INITIALLY, BUT EVENTUALLY THAT BREAKTHROUGH OF THOSE SOLIDS WENT THROUGH THE FILTERS, THE FILTERS THEN, UM, EXIT THE WATER, EXITING THE FILTERS, GO INTO WHAT WE CALL A CLEARWELL, WHAT THE CLEARWELL IS, IS INTENTIONALLY JUST, UH, A UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK.
SO THAT STORAGE TANK IS OUR RESERVOIR TO, UM, PUMP OUT TO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.
SO YOU WILL, UH, YOU KNOW, ONCE THOSE FILTERS RECEIVE WATER AND FILTER THAT INFORMATION OR THAT, THAT, UH, THAT WATER, UM, THERE WAS ALARMS THAT WERE SET FOR, UH, THE PERFORMANCE OF INDIVIDUAL FILTERS, UH, AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, LOW-LEVEL ALARMS, HIGH LEVEL ALARMS THAT INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THOSE FILTERS.
UM, THEY, THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT WE COULD NOT OPERATE ANY VALVES RELATED TO THE FILTERS OR ANY EQUIPMENT FROM THE TOP END, WHICH WE CALL THE CONTROL CENTER, THE SCADA CONTROL SYSTEM CENTER, UM, THAT WE WEREN'T RECEIVING INFORMATION.
WE RECEIVED ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WAS RELEVANT TO THE PROCESS CONTROL OF THOSE OPERATIONS.
UM, THAT WATER THEN, UH, ENTERED INTO THE, THE GROUNDWATER, THE, A STORAGE TANK UNDERGROUND BEFORE IT WAS PUMPED OUT, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF OF HIGHER TURBIDITY WATER THAT, UM, EXCEEDED SOME OF THE REGULATORY STANDARDS.
UH, UH, WE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
WE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION THE NEXT MORNING, UH, THAT ALSO ADDRESSED THE ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUATION.
UH, THE PLANT WAS SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY, UH, THAT INCLUDED ALSO, UH, STARTING TO CLEAN UP SOME OF THE FILTERS.
[00:30:01]
UM, WE ALSO NEEDED TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.SO WE RAMPED UP BOTH DAVIS AND AL DAVIS AND HANCOCK'S WATER TREATMENT PLANT TO MEET THOSE DEMANDS INITIALLY.
UM, AND THOSE PLANTS WERE OPERATING WITHIN ALL REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING A STRONG DISINFECTION, WHICH ALL RICK ALSO EXPERIENCED STRONG DISINFECTION THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PROCESS, BUT THAT WAS, UH, THAT ALLOWS US TO KEEP, UH, THE DEMAND, UM, UH, NEEDS FOR THE COMMUNITY WHILE WE WERE ASSESSING OLRICK WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
I WANT TO KIND OF POINT OUT, YOU KNOW, UH, OBVIOUSLY THAT IS OUR LARGEST PLANT, ALL RECORDED THROUGH IMPLANT CAN ONLY SUSTAIN SO LONG BEING OUT OF WATER.
SO WE, WE DEFINITELY, UH, SAW THE NEED TO, UM, PIVOT TO THE OTHER WATER TREATMENT PLANTS TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE STILL MEETING, UH, THE, THE DEMAND REQUIREMENTS AS WELL AS FIRE FLOW PROTECTION.
SO I WANT TO KIND OF POINT OUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME ONGOING ACTIONS AS SOME INITIAL ACTIONS THAT ARE GOING ON.
UH, WE, I PERSONALLY HAVE MET WITH ALL THREE PLANTS TO ENSURE THAT, UM, THEY CONTINUE TO STAY FOCUSED WITH THEIR DAY IN DAY OUT OPERATIONS, UM, WHETHER THEY WORK DAY SHIFT NIGHT SHIFT, OR THEY, IF THERE'S SUPPORT FOR THE ENTIRE PLANT, I'VE MET WITH THE TEAMS FROM OLRICK WATER TREATMENT PLANT, UH, INCLUDING THE MANAGEMENT STAFF HAVE MET WITH THE TEAMS. UH, WE'VE MET WITH THE DAVIS WATER TREATMENT PLANT STAFF, AS WELL AS THE HANCOCK'S WATER TREATMENT PLANT STAFF.
ONE TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THERE DAY IN DAY OUT, JOB IS VERY VALUED IN THE COMMUNITY THAT, UM, THEY PRODUCE HIGH QUALITY WATER EVERY DAY, AND THAT WE WANT TO KEEP THEM FOCUSED TO ENSURE THAT THEY CONTINUE TO DO SO, UH, TO ENSURE THAT THEY COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR COWORKERS FROM GOING FROM ONE SHIFT TO ANOTHER, THAT'S THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION THAT THEY, UH, ADDRESS ANY NEEDS THAT THEY MAY HAVE TO ESCALATE IF THE, TO MAKE THAT SUCCESSFUL FOR THEM TO OPERATE THE PLANTS 24 7.
UM, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO CONTINUE TO REINFORCE THAT ENCOURAGEMENT THAT THEY'RE SUPPORTED BY NOT ONLY THEIR, THEIR CHAIN OF COMMAND, BUT IF THEY NEED TO REACH OUT TO ME DIRECTLY TO DO SO.
SO THAT, THAT IS AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL THE EMPLOYEES FOR AUSTIN WATER.
AND, UH, EVEN THROUGH THIS CRITICAL TIME, AS WE ASSESS SOME OF THE NEEDS FOR THE PLANTS, UM, THAT MAY INCLUDE EVALUATING SOME ADDITIONAL PROCESS CONTROL MEASURES THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE PLANTS, UM, THAT MAY ALSO INCLUDE SOME, UM, UH, TECHNOLOGY NEEDS THAT MIGHT ADDRESS SOME, UH, MORE ADVANCED NOTIFICATION OR SOME NOTIFICATIONS THAT ARE EXTERNAL TO THE TEAM.
UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THE TRAINING PROTOCOLS.
I THINK SOME OF THE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN AROUND, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE AN OPERATOR HERE AT THE FACILITY? AND SO THEY, ANYONE WHO HAS TO PERFORM PROCESS CONTROL MUST HAVE A LICENSE, UH, FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS, UH, WITHIN A YEAR.
AND THEY SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, PERFORMING THAT WORK UNDER A LICENSED OPERATOR.
SO THAT IS BEING MET WITH ALL OUR, OUR, UH, FACILITIES.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THAT NEED, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF TRAINING THAT GOES ON THAT'S, UH, ON THE JOB TRAINING.
UH, WE HAVE HAD, UM, A WORKFORCE THAT TURNS OVER, UH, YOU KNOW, QUITE FREQUENTLY BECAUSE OF THE HIGH DEMANDS FOR THIS SKILL SETS.
UH, THEY ARE OPERATING A VERY HIGHLY TECHNICAL FACILITY AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THEIR TRAINING NEEDS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'LL CONTINUE TO REVIEW THE ALARMS, THE ALARM PROTOCOLS, THE TESTING PROTOCOLS, AND ANY NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES FOR IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, I STAND HERE BEFORE YOU, UH, VERY APOLOGETIC THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED, BUT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO EVALUATE AND MAKE, UM, THIS A STRONGER WORKFORCE TO ENSURE THAT THEY MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS A DAY IN DAY OUT.
AND THEY'RE SUPPORTED BY AUSTIN WATER AND THE CITY, UH, DAY IN, DAY OUT TO ENSURE THAT THEY PRODUCE SAFE DRINKING WATER.
THANK YOU, UH, COLLEAGUES, I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO, UH, UH, CAL'S BARBARA, ALICE AND COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, FIRST TO, UH, WE'RE GOING TO STAY ON THE DYES HERE TO ASK QUESTIONS, UH, UH, MANAGER DIRECTOR, IF YOU'D TAKE NOTE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE BEING ASKED, WE'RE GONNA JUST GOT TO GO DOWN THE, THE DIAL SO PEOPLE CAN ASK QUESTIONS.
YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO ORDER THEM, BUT
[00:35:01]
IN GROUPS, I'LL GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO RESPOND TO THAT FIRST, UH, COLLECTIVE QUESTIONS.AND THEN WE'LL COME UP TO THE, TO THE DIASTAT SPECIFIC QUESTIONS IN REAL TIME.
DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU USED YOUR OPENING TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT? WE'LL GIVE YOU A CHANCE IF YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE AT THIS POINT I DID, AND I DON'T WANT TO HUG THE MICROPHONE CAUSE I KNOW EVERYONE'S GOT QUESTIONS, BUT DID YOU WANT ME TO LIST THEM AND EVERYONE TO KIND OF SAY WHAT THEY'RE THINKING OR HOW WERE YOU IMAGINING? WELL, YEAH, I THINK YOU'VE ASKED THE QUESTION IN YOUR OPENING.
I THINK YOU'VE ASKED THOSE QUESTIONS AND I THINK THAT THEY HEARD THOSE QUESTIONS.
IF YOU, IF THAT'S YOU HAVE AT THIS POINT, THAT'S GREAT.
I WOULD THAT GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER, HARPER, MADISON, IF SHE WANTS TO ADD ANY QUESTIONS FOR, FOR THOSE FOLKS TO ANSWER OF OUR HOPPER BATESON.
OH, YOU KNOW WHAT? I HONESTLY, I'D LIKE TO HEAR WHAT MY COLLEAGUES ARE THINKING.
IT'S NOT QUESTIONED SO MUCH THAT REALLY DIDN'T GET THE OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO THE PRESENTATION, ONCE AGAIN, I'M TOO POLITE FOR MY OWN GOOD.
I DIDN'T HOLLER UP BEFORE THE MANAGER SPOKE.
I REALLY JUST WANTED TO ECHO WHAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS SAID EARLIER.
AND I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE OBVIOUSLY UNDERSTAND THAT OUR CITY STAFF THEY'VE WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK TO MITIGATE THIS RECENT EVENT.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
I APPRECIATE HEARING FROM DIRECTOR ZEROS.
UM, THEY CONTINUE TO WORK AROUND THE CLOCK TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED, HOW TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.
BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M CLEAR ABOUT RECOGNIZING THE DEEP FRUSTRATION THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS VIEW.
UM, I'VE, I'VE HEARD APOLOGIES THAT I PERSONALLY, I REGISTERED THEM.
AND I THINK MOST PEOPLE WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY OF THE, YOUR JOB, THEY THINK YOU MEAN IT TO, BUT THIS IS COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT THAT THIS EVENT REALLY JUST ECHOED THE TRAUMA OF LAST YEAR, AS YOU KNOW, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE RESOLUTION THAT WE DID OR I'M SORRY THAT THE PROCLAMATION WE DID THIS MORNING.
UM, SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE ARE SAYING, THERE'S NO DIRECT LIKE FAULT, BLAME, ET CETERA, UM, THAT WE'RE TOSSING IN THE DIRECTION OF CITY STAFF.
WE DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RECOGNIZE THE FRUSTRATION OF OUR CONSTITUENTS.
I HAVE JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT ARE UNANSWERED CURRENTLY, BUT I REALLY DO WANT TO HEAR WHAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE TO SAY.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT TO RECOGNIZE THAT BOTH THINGS CAN BE TRUE.
THIS IS COMPLICATED, AND WE APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK OF CITY STAFF.
WE APPRECIATE THE FRUSTRATION OF OUR CONSTITUENTS.
BOTH THINGS EXIST AT THE SAME TIME.
LET'S JUST GO, LET'S JUST GO DOWN THE, THE DEUS, UH, CASPER KITCHEN.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS YOU WANT TO THROW IN? UM, I FIRST OFF, I WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, I, UH, ECHO WHAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, ELYSSA SAID, I APPRECIATE, UH, THE WORK OF DIRECTOR MASSARO SO WE WILL MISS HIM.
AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, UH, FOR ALL THE, UM, WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE OVER THE YEARS, INCLUDING SOME IN A VERY INNOVATIVE EFFORTS.
I THINK THAT, UM, THE KINDS OF QUESTIONS THAT, THAT YOU ARTICULATED WHEN YOU SPOKE IS WHAT I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND.
AND THAT IS THAT BOILS DOWN TO HOW DID, WHAT WAS THE RESPONSE SYSTEM, BOTH FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE WORKFLOW FOR STAFF, UM, AND THE TECHNOLOGICAL ALERTS.
SO I THINK THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US FIRST OFF.
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THIS IS NOT, UH, THIS IS NOT AN EXERCISE IN, IN BLAMING ANY OF OUR STAFF.
I THINK WE'VE ALL SAID THAT IT IS AN EXERCISE IN UNDERSTANDING EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED AND WHERE IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE MADE.
SO THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ARTICULATED, UH, DIRECT MASSARO.
SO THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO UNDERSTAND, AND THAT'S THE DETAILS AROUND, UM, THE RESPONSE.
SO, UM, HOW AND WHO, AND WHEN, AND FROM A, FROM A PERSON STANDPOINT, IS THERE ANY TECHNOLOGY THAT COULD BE ADDED THAT WOULD HELP WITH THAT RESPONSE SYSTEM? SO THANK YOU.
I FIRST LIKE TO START BY THINKING DIRECTOR OF FOR HIS 15 YEARS OF SERVICE TO AUSTIN WATER, UM, YOU HAVE EMBODIED WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PUBLIC SERVANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND YOUR SERVICE TO OUR UTILITY.
AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, UM, FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR SERVICING YOUR LEADERSHIP.
AND I KNOW WE OWE YOU A LOT OF GRATITUDE FOR THAT, AND I ALSO WANT TO EXTEND MY GRATITUDE TO THE HARDWORKING STAFF AT AUSTIN WATER, UM, FOR YOUR HARD WORK DURING OUR RECENT BOIL WATER NOTICE.
UM, CERTAINLY YOU RESPONDED QUICKLY TO GET OUR WATER BACK ONLINE AND, UH, AND MAKE SURE THAT DRINKING WATER WAS AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
I WAS ABLE TO VISIT ONE OF THE WATER DISTRIBUTION SITES IN MY DISTRICT AND, UM, CONNECT DIRECTLY WITH AUSTIN WATER STAFF AND GOT TO BE WITH
[00:40:01]
THEM AS WE, UM, YOU KNOW, LOADED UP CASES OF WATER, UH, IN, IN VEHICLES.AND SO I KNOW DESPITE EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON, THEY WERE VERY COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT OUR VULNERABLE COMMUNITY WAS GETTING WHAT THEY NEEDED.
AND SO I JUST, UM, JUST WANTED TO SAY THINGS FIRST AND FOREMOST, I'M ALSO WANTING TO HIGHLIGHT, YOU KNOW, WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY, THAT EVEN WITH THE BEST INTENTIONS, NEARLY 1 MILLION AUSTINITES AND CENTRAL TEXANS WERE WITHOUT, UH, DRINKING WATER FOR OVER 72 HOURS.
AND UNFORTUNATELY TOO MANY HAVE LOST FAITH IN OUR UTILITY AND THE SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE.
AND SO, UH, WE'VE EXPERIENCED TOO MANY WATER QUALITY ISSUES OVER THE YEARS TO, TO NOT DEMAND BETTER.
AND I KNOW, UM, MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES SHARE THAT SENTIMENT AS WELL.
AND SO I WAS APPRECIATIVE OF YOUR OPENING COMMENTS DIRECTOR, UM, WHEN YOU SHARED ABOUT REALLY FOCUSING IN ON THE OPERATIONS, ON THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS ON, UH, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE PROTOCOLS AND PROCEDURES WE HAVE PLACED, BECAUSE CERTAINLY THAT'S THE LENS THAT I'LL BE LOOKING AT, UH, FOR TODAY'S CONVERSATION AND REALLY LOOKING TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
I THINK, UH, IN ORDER TO GET TO THAT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HONE IN ON WHAT ARE OUR PROCEDURES AND, AND DECISION-MAKING PROCESS.
AND SO I APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUES FOR CALLING, UH, THIS MEETING TODAY.
AND I KNOW AS THE NEWLY APPOINTED CHAIR OF AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, THAT I'M ALSO COMMITTED TO THAT WORK TO ENSURE THAT WE WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR UTILITY OVER THE NEXT 30 DAYS.
UM, AND BEYOND BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT ALL THE NEXT DAYS ARE CRITICAL AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED.
UM, THE REAL WORK LIES AHEAD IN MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING THE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS AND CHANGES.
AND SO, UM, AS WAS LAID OUT BEFORE ME EARLIER, WE'LL BE TAKING A LOOK AT THE AUDIT THAT, UM, WILL, THAT WILL HAPPEN, UM, AS WELL AS ENSURING THAT THERE IS A SMOOTH TRANSITION.
UM, I DID WANT TO HIGHLIGHT FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT DURING OUR LAST WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MEETING, WHICH WE HAD, UM, IN JANUARY, WE RECEIVED AN UPDATE ON, UM, THE EFFORTS TO MODERNIZE OUR POWER DISTRIBUTION EQUIPMENT AT THE OLD RIG PLANT.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE SIGNIFICANT INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS UPGRADING CONTROL PANELS, REPLACING PUMPS AND CHANGING OUT MOTORS.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF IMPORTANT WORK UNDERWAY AT AUSTIN WATER AND THAT, UH, CRITICAL WORK THAT WE HAVE IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE HERE AS A CITY, UM, IS IMPORTANT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT TO UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT EXACTLY WE NEED TO HONE IN ON, UM, AND TO ENSURE THAT THE ACT IN THE ACTION PART IS DONE AND, AND THAT WE, UM, HOLD OUR SYSTEM ACCOUNTABLE.
AND SO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE TO BUILD OFF WHAT CUSTOMER KITCHEN WAS SHARING, UM, IS LOOKING AT UNDERSTANDING IF THERE IS A STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE THAT AUSTIN WATER HAS FOR SEEDING THE FILTERS AND WHAT THAT PROCESS IS IN PLACE, OR HOW THAT PROCESS LOOKS LIKE ALSO LOOKING AT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHY WAS THE, UM, WHY DID THE SEEDING PROCESS GO SO LONG? YOU KNOW, WHY WAS IT NOT TERMINATED SUCCESSFULLY? UM, WHY DID THE ALARMS NOT GO OFF OR THEY INTENTIONALLY DISABLED? IT WAS IT A MATTER OF US NOT HAVING, UM, A SYSTEM IN PLACE WHERE THE ALARMS WERE ACTIVATED APPROPRIATELY WHEN THE LEVELS WERE EXCEEDING THE REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS.
UM, ALSO LOOKING AT, UM, WHERE THERE ARE VALVES THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CLOSED TO PREVENT THE HIGH TURBID WATER FROM LEAVING THE PLANT.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE QUESTION THAT REALLY HONES IN ON THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT.
UM, AND SO I HOPE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO COVER THOSE QUESTIONS TODAY.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, WE'LL CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION NEXT WEEK AT OUR AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MEETING.
UM, AND THERE, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS THAT I ALREADY PUT ON THE MESSAGE BOARD THAT I KNOW IS ALREADY OUT THERE IN AN ATTACHMENT, UM, THAT Y'ALL HAVE PROVIDED RESPONSES TO.
SO I MAY ASK CITY MANAGER, UM, IF STAFF CAN PUT THOSE IN THE BACKUP AS WELL, JUST SO PEOPLE KNOW WHAT QUESTIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ANSWERED, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE WHEN WE WALK AWAY FROM THIS MEETING TODAY, WE HAVE THE ANSWERS JUST ABOUT TRAINING AND OVERSIGHT.
UM, THE ALARMS AS OTHER FOLKS HAVE MENTIONED, UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT NO ONE GOT SICK AND THE TAPS THAT WERE COMING THROUGH TO PEOPLE'S HOMES, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS WAS VERY PREEMPTIVE AND ENSURED THAT THERE WAS ACTUALLY SAFE DRINKING WATER, AS PEOPLE WERE TOLD TO CONSERVE AND TO BOIL WATER, THAT THERE WAS NO CONTAMINATED WATER THAT ACTUALLY GOT OUT TO ANY OF THE CUSTOMERS AND CAPACITY AT THE TREATMENT PLANTS AND WHETHER OUR INFRASTRUCTURE CAN CURRENTLY HOLD ALL THE CAPACITY THAT IS NEEDED DURING EVENTS, SUCH AS THIS, ANY UNFUNDED INFRASTRUCTURE.
I KNOW YOU HAVE MULTIPLE YEARS OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLANNING IN THE WORKS.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IF THERE'S ANYTHING COUNCIL NEEDS TO DIRECT FUNDING TO THAT, WE UNDERSTAND THAT.
[00:45:01]
THE LAST ONE WOULD BE THE REPORTING PROCESS TO TCEQ.I'VE HEARD SOME FOLKS SAY, UH, IT COULD HAVE BEEN REPORTED EARLIER AND I'VE HAD OTHER FOLKS SAY YOU ACTUALLY GOT AHEAD OF THE GAME AND DID IT BEFORE YOU, YOU NEEDED TO.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE KNOW HOW THAT TESTING AND CONVERSATIONS WORK WITH TCEQ TO KNOW, UM, WHICH END OF THAT IT IS.
UM, AND I WILL LEAVE IT THERE CAUSE I KNOW OTHER FOLKS HAVE MORE QUESTIONS, UH, DIRECTOR.
I JUST WANT TO SAY TO YOU AND TO THE WATER DEPARTMENT STAFF AGAIN, THAT, UH, UH, IT'S A DEPARTMENT THAT WE'RE ALL REAL PROUD OF AT OUR CITY.
SO MANY AWARDS OVER TIME, THEY ADVANCES THE WORK, NOT ONLY OPERATIONALLY, BUT A WATER FORWARD WORK, UH, IN OUR CITY.
UM, UH, WE REALLY DO HAVE A DEPARTMENT THAT WE CAN BE REAL PROUD OF AND YOU HAVE LED IT FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AND, AND DESERVE MUCH OF THE CREDIT, UH, FOR THAT.
IF I WANT TO TAKE YOU FOR THAT SERVICE, IT'S REALLY HARD BEING THE GUY WHO'S IN CHARGE OF THE, IN CHARGE OF THE DEPARTMENT, UH, BECAUSE THEY USE WELL WE'LL, WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE I'VE BET THAT WILL GO WRONG IN THE NATURE OF THINGS.
NO OPERATION CAN EVER BE PERFECT.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S ALWAYS A SUFFICIENT ABOUT THE GOODWILL, UH, AND, AND THE FAITH IN RESERVE, UH, TO BE ABLE TO WEATHER THOSE FUTURE EVENTS, UH, WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY HAPPEN IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN, OBVIOUSLY STAR-CROSSED HERE, UH, IN THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, UH, WHICH HAS IMPACTED KIND OF THAT RESERVOIR.
UM, BUT AT ANY BETTER WANT TO THANK YOU AT A STAFF WOULD, WHO I KNOW HAVE WORKED TIRELESSLY, AND I'VE BEEN THROUGH MANY OF THOSE EVENTS WITH YOU TO KNOW, UH, JUST HOW HARD YOU AND THE STAFF WORK.
I WOULDN'T SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT.
THE QUESTIONS THAT I'D LIKE YOU TO ADDRESS FOR ME WHEN WAITER COMES BACK TO YOU WOULD BE, I GUESS, A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL AS WELL.
YOU STARTED OFF BY URGING PEOPLE TO, TO BE REALLY CAREFUL ABOUT THE INFORMATION AND DATA THAT THEY USE.
THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THAT COMMUNITY TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND IT'S REAL HARD TO KNOW AT SOME POINT WHAT'S TRUE AND WHAT'S NOT TRUE, WHICH IS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE THIS MEETING HERE TODAY, THE OVERSIGHT MEETING NEXT TUESDAY, THE CONVERSATION WE'LL HAVE ON THURSDAY AT THE COUNCIL MEETING, UH, AND IN THIS SOCIETY THAT WE LIVE IN TODAY, SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT'S TRUE AND WHAT'S NOT TRUE.
YOU MENTIONED IN PARTICULAR, THE PERSON WHO CALLED IT DID THE KLBJ RADIO SHOW AND WAS MAKING REPRESENTATIONS, INCLUDING THAT THEY WERE ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAD BEEN SUSPENDED.
UH I'D LIKE YOU, YOU START OFF BY SAYING YOU WISH PEOPLE WOULD IGNORE THAT CALL IF I'D LIKE YOU TO TELL US WHETHER YOU THINK THAT THAT WAS A PERSON, ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO GOT SUSPENDED, UH, OR WHETHER WE HAD SOMEONE TO CALL, I GET WHO PURPORTED TO BE THAT THEY'RE PURPORTED TO KNOW THAT INFORMATION WHEN IN FACT WAS REALLY THAT SUB ONE THAT WAS SUSPENDED.
CAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO, TO, TO GO WHETHER HARRY, TO BE ABLE TO EVALUATE IT.
THE SECOND THING IS I'M STILL A LITTLE CONFUSED AS TO TIMING IN THE REPORTS THAT YOU GAVE US.
YOU SAID THAT I DID THE OUTLINE AT THE TIME OF YOU GAVE US THAT THE TURBIDITY WAS DETECTED AT THE PLANT AT 8:00 AM.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHERE THERE WAS A SHIFT CHANGE AND ANOTHER SHIFT CAME IN THAT SAW IT WHERE, OH MY GOODNESS, THE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN HIGH BECAUSE IT, FROM WHAT YOU ALSO SAID, IT SOUNDS AS IF IT WAS ACTUALLY DETECTED AT ABOUT 2:00 AM.
WHEN THE NUMBER HAD GONE UP THE 21 OUT OF THE RAGE OF THE, UH, UH, UH, FIVE TO DAD SO THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN REPORTED AT 8:00 AM UP THE CHAIN, BUT IT WAS DETECTED AT TWO.
AND I WANT TO KNOW IF I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT CORRECTLY.
THE PART OF THE CHALLENGE IS THAT WHILE IT WAS DETECTED AT TWO, IT WAS NOT SUFFICIENTLY REPORTED OR ACKNOWLEDGED FOR WHAT IT WAS UNTIL EIGHT.
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE IF I'M UNDERSTANDING IT, THAT, THAT, UH, THAT THE HUMAN ERROR, UH, THAT WAS INVOLVED HERE WAS THAT PERIOD OF TIME BETWEEN 2:00 AM AND 8:00 AM WHEN WE STARTED PUTTING IN MOTION, UH, MEASURING AND THEN RESPONDING TO WHAT WE SAW.
THE SECOND QUESTION CONCERNS THE 12 HOURS AFTER 8:00 AM, BEFORE WE GOT TO THE WATER BOIL, I THINK IT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO KNOW THAT THERE WERE NO CONTAMINANTS THAT WE KNOW OF THAT WERE IN THE WATER AND THE PLANT HAD RELEASED OUT TO THE PUBLIC AS GOOD TO DOE, BUT WE KNOW THAT, BUT WE DON'T.
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS, IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE TURBIDITY,
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WE COULDN'T BE SURE OF THAT AT THE TIME.AND IT'S BECAUSE WE COULDN'T BE SURE OF IT AT THE TIME BECAUSE OF THE TURBIDITY THAT WE DID THE WATER BOIL.
SO IT SEEMS AS IF WE DID THE WATER BOIL, BECAUSE THERE COULD BE BACTERIA IN THE WATER.
WE DIDN'T KNOW, WE HAVE NO EVIDENCE THAT THERE WAS, BUT WE DID THE WATER BOIL BECAUSE WE COULDN'T.
AND THE QUESTION IS WE WENT FROM 8:00 AM TO 8:00 PM, WAS THE POTENTIAL FOR BACTERIA TO BE RELEASED INTO THE DRINKING WATER DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME, 8:00 AM TO 8:00 PM.
AND WOULD THE AMOUNT OF ORDER THAT WAS RELEASED BE OF SUFFICIENT CONCENTRATION IN OUR OVERALL SYSTEM, THAT IT WOULD PRESENT, UH, ANY REAL RISK TO THE PUBLIC.
WHAT RISK DID THE PUBLIC FACE IF EDDY FROM 8:00 AM TO 8:00 PM WHEN IT'S POSSIBLE WAY WE NO DOUBT NOKIA TABLETS WERE RELEASED, BUT DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME WHERE WE DID IT, THOUGH, WHAT WAS THE RISK IF EDDIE TO THE, UH, TO THE PUBLIC? THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE IS PROBABLY THAT A QUESTION TO BE ANSWERED HERE, BUT I JUST WANT TO LOG IT IN.
WE'VE HAD THREE CITY-WIDE BOILS IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WE'VE HAD TWO OTHER WATER BOILS THAT WERE MORE CONTAINED, UH, GEOGRAPHICALLY, AND THEY APPEAR TO BE REALLY DISSIMILAR EVENTS WITH THE SIMILAR CAUSES, BUT YET IT'S A LOT TO HAVE AT A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
SO, UM, IT IS A QUESTION THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE MORE THAN WHAT YOU COULD, NO DOUBT THE ANSWER.
I THINK THE QUESTION I HAVE IS, IS THERE A COMMONALITY, UH, OVER THE COURSE OF THOSE FIVE THINGS, IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S HAPPENING THAT, THAT, UH, LED TO EITHER THESE WIDELY DIVERGENT INCIDENTS RESULTING IN WATER BOILS? HOWSOEVER TOBO THANK YOU.
UM, I TOO WANT TO ADD, UH, DIRECTOR MAZARRA MY, THANKS TO YOU.
UM, SERVING THE PUBLIC IS, IS CHALLENGING, NO MATTER WHAT ROLE YOU HAVE, BUT I THINK YOU'VE HAD AN EXTRAORDINARILY CHALLENGING ROLE, UM, HERE DIRECTING OUR WATER UTILITY AND, AND YOU'VE DONE SO, UM, DURING AN UNBELIEVABLY CHALLENGING PERIOD FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP.
AS THE MAYOR SAID, WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN WATER HAS BEEN AN INNOVATOR NATIONALLY AND UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP.
UM, WE'VE MOVED FORWARD WITH WATER, WATER FORWARD AND OTHER KINDS OF REALLY INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS. AND I'VE BEEN HERE LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT YOU ALSO LET US THROUGH AN EXTRAORDINARY DROUGHT, UH, A DROUGHT OF RECORD.
AND SO THERE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, IN THE COURSE OF, OF YOUR TIME HERE AT THE CITY OF BOSTON, IT HAS BEEN, THERE'VE BEEN ALL KINDS OF UNEXPECTED AND, AND REALLY CHALLENGING OBSTACLES.
AND I KNOW, UM, AND I JUST, I, I SEE THAT AND I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR WORK ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND, UM, I JOIN OTHERS AND JUST WISHING YOU THE VERY BEST AS YOU, AS YOU TAKE YOUR NEXT PATH.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR THE WAY IN WHICH YOU RESPONDED, AS THE MAYOR SAID, WE'RE GOING TO ENCOUNTER UNEXPECTED CRISES AND CHALLENGES.
AND IT'S REALLY HOW WE RESPOND THAT I THINK SHOWS THE STRENGTH OF OUR CITY.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT IN THOSE WATER DISTRIBUTION EFFORTS, YOU LEARNED FROM ANNE AND IMMEDIATELY IMPLEMENTED SOME OF, SOME OF WHAT YOU HAD DESCRIBED IN THE AFTER ACTION REPORT.
UM, THE NETWORK OF WATER DISTRIBUTION WAS, WAS MORE ORGANIZED, UH, MORE GEOGRAPHICALLY DISTRIBUTED.
I MEAN, I APPRECIATE YOU AND OUR OTHER CITY LEADERS FOR REALLY RESPONDING TO THAT.
THAT IS NOT IN ANY WAY TO, TO IGNORE.
UM, WHAT, WHAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON SAID, WHICH IS OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ENORMOUSLY FRUSTRATING FOR, FOR MANY OF OUR AUSTIN RESIDENTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL GONNA WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THAT WE'RE FIGURING OUT WHAT CAN BE DONE DIFFERENTLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT FACING AND WE'RE NOT IN THE SAME PLACE AGAIN.
SO, UM, MY QUESTIONS AND I'M TRYING TO SIPHON OUT THE ONES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN ASKED, WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE COLOR AND SOME OF THE ASSERTIONS THAT PERSON MADE.
I THINK YOU'VE ADDRESSED THIS DIRECTOR MASSARO, BUT I WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU WOULD DO SO, UM, AGAIN AND A LITTLE MORE CLEARLY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I TOOK AWAY FROM THAT COLOR WAS AN ASSERTION THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO MATCH ANY OF THE INFORMATION WE'VE RECEIVED THAT WEATHERIZATION ON THE PLANT HAD FAILED IN SOME WAY, OR WAS FAULTY.
IF YOU COULD PLEASE ADDRESS THAT, WHICH AGAIN, DOES NOT SEEM TO BE SUPPORTED BY ANY OF THE, ANY OF THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD OR ANY OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE PROVIDED.
I THINK IN THIS, IN THE SUBSEQUENT WEEK, WE'VE HEARD ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND IN OTHER PLACES, ASSERTIONS THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS OLD FAULTY, THAT WE AS A
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CITY HAVE FAILED TO FUND IT.IF YOU COULD ADDRESS THAT TOO, AND AGAIN, DO WHAT YOU, I THINK I'VE DONE THROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION AND THROUGH ALL OF OUR INFORMATION.
AND AGAIN, UM, JUST VERY CLEARLY PROVIDE YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT.
AND, AND AGAIN, HIGHLIGHT, UM, THAT IT DOES APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN A, UM, AN ERROR IN TERMS OF HOW THE STAFF RESPONDED AND THEN FOR, FOR, UM, ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS BASED ON SIX, THANK YOU FOR DESCRIBING THAT PROCESS.
I'M STILL TRYING TO FOLLOW ALL THE INS AND OUTS OF THE DETAILS.
IF YOU COULD TELL US HOW MANY BASINS ARE IN THE PLANT AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN BE DETACHED FROM THE REST OF THE SYSTEM.
I THINK YOU'VE ANSWERED THAT ON PAGE TWO, BUT I DON'T ENTIRELY FOLLOW ALL OF THE DETAILS OF THAT ANSWER.
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT WITH THAT YOU ARE GOING TO NOW LOOK AT INTERLOCK TECHNOLOGY, PREVENTING HIGH TURBIDITY WATER FROM ENTERING THE FILTERS.
I THINK THAT'S THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION OF WHETHER THE BASIN CAN BE DISCONNECTED FROM THE SYSTEM, BUT I'D APPRECIATE IF YOU'D JUST FOCUS IN ON THAT AND TELL US WHETHER, UM, WHETHER ASSIST, WHETHER THE SYSTEM COULD BE CHANGED OR UPGRADED IN SOME WAY THAT THAT WOULD CUT OFF THE BASE IN A PARTICULAR BASIN.
UM, IF, IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS DETECTED WITHIN IT, THE SAME WITH THE LINKAGE AMONG THE WATER TREATMENT, AND THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING THAT QUESTION, WHICH WAS ONE THAT I HAD FORWARDED ON THE MESSAGE BOARD.
I THINK THAT TOO IS SOMETHING THAT CAME UP AGAIN AND AGAIN IN THE PUBLIC CONVERSATION.
WHY, IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM AT ONE WATER TREATMENT PLANT, WHY WE COULDN'T JUST RELY ON THE OTHER TWO, IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN WHETHER THAT'S A SYSTEM THAT COULD CHANGE.
UM, YOU'VE ANSWERED THIS QUESTION ON PAGE TWO OUT OF SIX, AND I THINK IN ATTACHMENT THREE OUT OF THREE, THAT THE WATER, WHEN IT LEAVES THE DISTRIBUTION PLANTS, UM, INTERMINGLES, WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO ALTER THAT SITUATION? I THINK, I BELIEVE THERE MAY BE SOME UTILITIES WHERE THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
IS THAT SOMETHING WE WANT TO WORK TOWARD? AND WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO GET TO, TO THAT PLACE? I'M REALLY NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY THEY ALARMS DID NOT, DID NOT, UM, ACTIVATE A DIFFERENT RESPONSE AMONG THE STAFF.
AND SO MAYBE YOU COULD HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS A COMMENT AND I'M NOT SURE, I'M SORRY.
I DON'T REMEMBER WHICH OF YOU MADE THE COMMENT THAT THERE MAY NEED TO BE.
THERE MAY NEED TO ONE TECH TECHNOLOGY NEED THAT YOU MAY ASSESS IS WHETHER ALERT SHOULD BE EXTERNAL TO THE TEAM.
AND SO I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT THE ALERTS WERE ALL INTERNAL TO THE STAFF.
AND FOR SOME REASON THEY WERE NOT ATTENDED TO NOT HEARD, NOT UNDERSTOOD, NOT, I'M NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED THERE, IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN, UM, JUST REALLY CLEARLY, IF THERE WERE ALARMS GOING OFF, WHAT HAPPENED THERE, WHY WEREN'T THEY, WHY WEREN'T THEY GETTING THE ATTENTION THEY NEEDED? UM, AND THEN THERE IS A PARAGRAPH ON PAGE TWO THAT I WOULD APPRECIATE YOU KIND OF TALKING US THROUGH.
THIS IS THE ATTACHMENT AND IT IS THE ATTACHMENT B PAGE TWO OF THREE.
PLEASE DESCRIBE THE CONDITIONS THAT ALL WRIT ALL WORK DURING THE HEAVY RAIN AND ICE.
I THINK THAT ANSWERS A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING, BUT IT IS, IT IS STILL A BIT TECHNICAL, I THINK, FOR THE GENERAL AUDIENCE TO FOLLOW AT LEAST THIS GENERAL AUDIENCE NUMBER.
SO IF YOU WOULD KIND OF TALK US THROUGH THAT RESPONSE A LITTLE BIT, THAT WOULD BE REALLY, I'D BE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
I ALSO WANT TO SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, GETTING A MEMO LIKE THIS SO QUICKLY AFTER WAS EXTRAORDINARILY HELPFUL.
AND, AND THAT TO ME REALLY REPRESENTS A LEARNING FROM, FROM WHAT WE EXPERIENCED LAST YEAR.
AND SO IN THE SAME WAY, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT BY THE TIME WE HAD OUR AFTER ACTION PRESENTATION AND THE AUDIT YOU DIRECTOR BIZARROS COULD STAND UP AND TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT YOU HAD ALREADY PUT IN PLACE TO REALLY RESPOND TO THAT, TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MORE RESILIENT THAT WE'RE LEARNING FROM THE EVENT.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS.
THIS IS REALLY, IT WAS THOROUGH.
IT ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE IMMEDIATELY ON PEOPLE'S MIND AND IT DID SO IN, IN A REALLY TIMELY WAY.
AND I WANT TO START WITH, THANK YOU IS TO, UM, TO, UH, DIRECTOR MAZARA SEND STAFF FOR SO QUICKLY BRINGING US THE REPORT.
IT, IT MADE A WHOLE LOT OF DIFFERENCE.
I THINK IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT DID AND DID NOT HAPPEN.
UM, THE, THE TWO AREAS THAT I'D LIKE TO HAVE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON GO TO WHO THAT CALLER WAS AND, UM, HOW THAT PERSON WAS PURPORTING TO BE ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE CREW.
AND, UM, NOT THAT WE HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER IT, BUT
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WHAT VETTING MIGHT'VE BEEN DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT PERSON'S IDENTITY WAS THAT PERSON WAS WHO HE SAID HE WAS.SO, UM, UH, YEAH, I'D LIKE TO DIG DOWN A LITTLE BIT INTO, UM, WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED AMONG THE CREW MEMBERS.
I ALSO UNDERSTAND WITH PERSONNEL ISSUES THAT WE'RE, WE'RE VERY CAREFUL ON WHAT WE, UM, DO OR SAY BEFORE AN INVESTIGATION, BUT I THINK THE INVESTIGATION WILL BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED AND WHETHER WE NEEDED TO HAVE ADDITIONAL ALARMS ON TOP OF ALARMS WATCHERS OF THE WATCHERS, IF YOU WILL, UH, FOR OUR SYSTEMS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
UM, SO EXCELLENT REPORTING BACK TO US ALL.
I THINK WE ALL APPRECIATED THAT.
THANK YOU CITY MANAGER FOR MAKING SURE THAT THAT HAPPENED AND DIRECTOR MISSOURI'S FOR SO CLEARLY PUTTING THE INFORMATION TOGETHER SO QUICKLY.
UM, AND THEN, UM, ALSO THE, THE ASSISTANCE THAT YOU GAVE TO THE COMMUNITY IN, UM, IN HELPING WITH GETTING US BACK ON TRACK, UM, I'M SORRY THAT YOU'RE LEAVING US.
I HAVE APPRECIATED THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, UH, QUIETLY AND WITH GRACE.
AND, UM, BUT I RESPECT YOUR DECISION AND UNDERSTAND WHY, WHY YOU'RE MAKING THE CHANGE.
UM, I WANT WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR STAFF WHO REMAINED, UM, RECOGNIZE HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE TO THIS DIOCESE AND TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TO THE WORK THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO GOING FORWARD.
IT'S A VERY STRONG UNIT THAT YOU HAVE, THE AUSTIN WATER UTILITY HAS A GOOD REPUTATION, AND I KNOW THE CHILD WILL CONTINUE TO, TO HOLD THAT FLAG UP REALLY HIGH AND WAIVE IT BECAUSE, UM, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WHAT YOU OFFER AND PROVIDE TO OUR CITY.
UM, MR. ROSARIO'S, UM, LIKE MY COLLEAGUES, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS OVER THE YEARS.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THE NEED OUR COMMUNITY HAS TO RESTORE AND THE NEED THAT OUR CITY HAS TO RESTORE, UM, FAITH AND TRUST IN OUR UTILITY.
AND, AND, UM, YOUR CHOOSING TO RETIRE IS GOING TO BE HELPFUL TO US, EVEN IF WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO MAKE A TRANSITION IN LEADERSHIP.
UM, ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE OUR CITY STAFF ACROSS DEPARTMENTS WHO HELPED IN THE PROCESS.
UM, I'M GOING TO ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS, SOME HERE.
NOW, SOME LATER I'VE BEEN WORKING ON PUTTING TOGETHER THE EXTERNAL AUDIT RESOLUTION.
UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, BEFORE I TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE QUESTIONS, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT I TALK TO ABOUT HOW BEST TO PROCEED, UM, ACKNOWLEDGED YOUR APPROACH TO TRANSPARENCY AND OPENNESS AND, AND MANY OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE DONE AS A LEADER OVER THE YEARS.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, I HAVE FOUR PAGES OF QUESTIONS AND I'M NOT GOING TO ASK THEM ALL.
NOW I'M GOING TO TRY TO SUMMARIZE THEM.
I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN GETTING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE OPERATIONAL SYSTEM AIRS OF THE ORGANIZATION SO WE CAN FIX THEM AND FIGURE OUT WHAT RESOURCES WE NEED TO INVEST TO PREVENT FUTURE WATER QUALITY AND SUPPLY FAILURES.
I'M REALLY LOOKING FOR ANSWERS AND, AND BETTER UNDERSTANDING.
UM, ONE SET OF QUESTIONS HAS TO DO WITH STUFF THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE, HAVE BROUGHT UP, UM, WITH RESPECT TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE ALARMS AND WHY THEY WERE NOT ANSWERED.
YOU SEEM TO BE SAYING THAT THE ALARMS ALL WENT OFF, BUT NOTHING WAS DONE.
UM, AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WERE NOT MONITORED OR DETECTED BY OTHER FAIL-SAFES.
UM, THE PARAGRAPH THAT COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO JUST SHOWED INDICATES THAT CERTAIN THINGS WERE NOT IN PLACE THAT SEEMED LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN PLACE.
SO I WANT TO UNDERSTAND IF WE ARE FOLLOWING BEST PRACTICES FOR OUR MANUAL OPERATIONS AND AUTOMATION LEVELS, WHETHER WE NEED TO UPDATE OUR SCADA SYSTEM, WHETHER WE NEED STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE REVISIONS, WHETHER WE NEED TO CHANGE TREATMENT APPROACHES, WHETHER WE NEED TO RECOMMEND UPDATE TO TCQ, UM, REGULATIONS.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THROUGH THIS PROCESS, WE ARE ASKING, WHY ARE WE DOING WHAT WE DO IN WATER TREATMENT? AND ARE WE ASKING OURSELVES IF THIS CAN BE DONE IN A MORE EFFICIENT AND MORE RESILIENT WAY, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SHORT TERM, MEDIUM TERM AND LONGTERM, UM, RESPONSES AND THERE'S THINGS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THIS ISSUE, BUT THE GOAL IS TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.
AND IF WE HAVE LEARNED ANYTHING OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, IT WON'T HAPPEN IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY.
AND SO WE REALLY HAVE TO BE LOOKING AT OUR SYSTEMS AND HOW THEY, HOW THEY MOVE FORWARD.
UM, I HAVE LOTS OF DETAILED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AUTOMATION AND WHATEVER I'M GOING TO SPARE YOU THOSE AND HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.
AND, AND WE CAN KEEP ASKING THOSE.
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I DO NEED TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, ON A BROADER LEVEL, WHETHER WE HAVE SCADA OR OTHER AUTOMATION FAILURES THAT ARE HAPPENING WITHIN OUR TREATMENT PLANTS, UM, THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE REPORTED TO MANAGEMENT.UM, I WANT TO UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE CHOICES THAT WERE MADE ON SATURDAY.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE DO NOT COMPARTMENTALIZE OUR WATER.
UM, HOWEVER STATE RULES WOULD HAVE ALLOWED AUSTIN WATER TO ISSUE A HYDRAULIC MODEL BASED BOIL WATER NOTICE TO JUST SOME PARTS OF TOWN, UM, THAT ARE MOST LIKELY TO HAVE RECEIVED WATER FROM ULRICH.
INSTEAD, WE HAD A CITY-WIDE BOIL WATER NOTICE, AND I WANT TO UNDERSTAND IF YOU CONSIDERED SMALLER AREAS FOR THE BOIL WATER NOTICE, AND IF NOT, WHY NOT? MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT ALDRICH MOSTLY SERVES SOUTH AUSTIN AND CORE DOWNTOWN.
UM, AND WE COULD HAVE PERHAPS RUN A HYDRAULIC MODEL DISTRIBUTION MODEL TO PREDICT THE ZONES OF IMPACTS OF THE HIGH TURBIDITY WATER AND THEREFORE REDUCED THE SCOPE OF THE BOIL WATER NOTICED, UM, A LOT OF OTHER SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
UM, BUT I WANT TO, I WANT TO, UM, CHALLENGE THIS NARRATIVE THAT ALL OF THE BOIL WATER NOTICES AND THE ZEBRA MUSSELS WERE A FUNCTION OF THINGS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL.
UM, THIS NARRATIVE THAT IT WAS A FUNCTION OF THE WEATHER TO ME SEEMS PROBLEMATIC, UM, FOUR OF THE FIVE WATER QUALITY SUPPLY THINGS, NOT INCLUDING THE FIRE RETARDANT, ALL RELATED TO ULRICH.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE TO BE ASKING IF THERE ARE THINGS GOING ON AND RICH, UM, IN 2018, WE KNOW THERE WERE INTAKES ALONG LIKE AUSTIN AROUND LAKE TRAVIS, WHO SYSTEMS HANDLED THE HIGH LEVEL OF TURBIDITY WITHOUT NEEDING TO DO A BOIL WATER NOTICE IN 2020 WITH STORM YURI.
UM, THAT WAS ALSO A PROBLEM AT ALL.
RICH, ULTIMATELY IT WAS OBVIOUSLY, UM, STARTED BY WEATHER ISSUES AND POWER FAILURES.
UM, BUT WE DIDN'T PRACTICE THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO BE ABLE TO SWITCH THE EMERGENCY GENERATOR POWER ON, OR AT LEAST THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.
AND I, AND I STAND TO BE CORRECTED IF I'M WRONG.
UM, ZEBRA MUSSELS WAS ALSO, AS I UNDERSTAND RELATED TO ALDRICH, AND THERE'S A LOT OF COMPLICATED THINGS AND IF I'M MISSING SOMETHING I WANT TO KNOW, BUT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THESE THINGS.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THE SYSTEMS IN PLACE AND THE EVIDENCE THAT I HAVE BEFORE ME SUGGESTS WE NEED TO DO MORE.
UM, AND THE LAST THING THAT I WANT TO RAISE FOR THIS PORTION, UM, AND IT IS FRANKLY FRUSTRATING NOT TO BE ABLE TO GET ANSWERS.
UM, IS, HAVE WE EVER DONE A THIRD-PARTY REVIEW BY INVITING HIGH PERFORMING U S WATER OR, UM, OTHER UTILITIES TO REVIEW OUR PRACTICES, TO IDENTIFY AREAS OF NEEDED IMPROVEMENT, SUCH AS PEERS IN THE AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION, THAT'S OVER KELLY.
WHEN I WAS INFORMED ABOUT THE FAILURE OF THE OLD RICH WATER TREATMENT PLANT, THAT WOULD REQUIRE AUSTIN TO UNDERGO ANOTHER BOIL WATER NOTICE, I WAS FRUSTRATED.
I WAS UPSET AND I WAS ANGRY, BUT SO WERE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AUSTINITES PAY TAXES FOR CITY SERVICES.
AND AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE ARE TASKED WITH BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF TAXPAYER MONEY.
MY HOPE IS THAT THIS SHARED FRUSTRATION LEADS TO AN OUTCOME THAT WILL HOPEFULLY PROVIDE ANSWERS TO THE COMMUNITY AND REBUILD TRUST IN A UTILITY SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN BROKEN.
TODAY'S DISCUSSION IS A GOOD FIRST STEP.
WE KNOW FROM HISTORY THAT BROKEN SYSTEMS CAN BE REPAIRED AND THAT THERE CAN BE A STRONGER OUTCOME.
ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE MUST DIG DEEPER INTO THIS SITUATION TO ENSURE THAT AUSTIN RESIDENTS HAVE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED AND PAY FOR.
AFTER THE BOIL WATER NOTICE WAS ISSUED, I WENT TO HELP AT THE KELLY REEVES ATHLETIC COMPLEX IN DISTRICT SIX, BY PASSING OUT CASES OF WATER.
I LEARNED A LOT BY SPEAKING WITH FAMILIES THAT PASSED THROUGH THERE, INCLUDING THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS RESILIENT.
I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT AND THANK OUR PARTNERS AT WILLIAMSON COUNTY FOR BEING THERE FOR US AS WELL.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT THIS MORNING.
ALSO AUSTINITES COME TOGETHER IN TIMES OF CRISIS.
WE'RE TOUGH PEOPLE AND WE DON'T BACK DOWN.
I WANT TO ECHO MY COLLEAGUES SENTIMENTS ABOUT THINKING AUSTIN WATER STAFF, INCLUDING DIRECTOR MS. SORROWS FOR THEIR WORK.
WHEN TIMES GET TOUGH COLLEAGUES, WE ARE DEFINITELY FACED WITH AN IMPORTANT CHALLENGE FOLLOWING THIS BOIL WATER INCIDENT TO NOT LET AUSTINITES DOWN.
AND WE HAVE A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE UP TO OUR PROMISES AND TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND CORRECT.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO FUTURE DISCUSSIONS, BUT HERE ARE SOME OF MY QUESTIONS I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW THE EMERGENCY MANAGER WITH AUSTIN WATER UTILITY WORKS TOGETHER WITH THE HSE I'M DIRECTOR.
AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT STEPS ARE IN PLACE TO REPEAT, UM, TO PREVENT A REPEAT OF INITIAL FINDINGS DURING INVESTIGATIONS IN PREPARATION FOR THIS MEETING TODAY, I REVIEWED ALL OF THE AFTER ACTION REVIEWS FROM PREVIOUS INCIDENTS AT AUSTIN WATER.
I SAW SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO EMERGENCY TRAINING, FOR EXAMPLE, ON PAGE THREE OF THE WINTER STORM URI AFTER ACTION REPORT, ONE OF THE
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FINDINGS WAS THAT SOME OF THE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM STAFF HAD NOT PARTICIPATED IN, IN INCIDENT COMMAND TRAINING AND HAD A LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS THAT HINDERED THE OVERALL FUNCTION OF THE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM.UM, IT WAS SAID THAT PART OF THE REASON FOR THAT NOT HAPPENING WAS BECAUSE WE WERE UNDER COVID RESTRICTIONS.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT TRAINING HAS BEEN DONE SINCE THAT RECOMMENDATION WAS MADE AND HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO KNOW THE STATUS OF OUR, UM, SENATE BILL THREE, WE'RE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT DOCUMENTS TO, UM, TCEQ FOR APPROVAL.
IT STATED IN ONE OF THE AFTER ACTION REVIEWS THAT IT MUST BE SUBMITTED BY MARCH 1ST, 2022.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW THE STATUS OF THAT PLAN IF IT'S BEEN SUBMITTED.
AND IF COUNCIL COULD RECEIVE A COPY OF THAT.
AND THEN FINALLY HERE I HAVE ONE MORE AFTER THIS, UM, DURING PREVIOUS INCIDENTS WITH AUSTIN WATER, IT WAS IDENTIFIED THAT THE UTILITY WAS NOT ABLE TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH TENANTS WHO DON'T HAVE DIRECT BILLING ACCOUNTS.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW DURING THIS BOIL WATER NOTICE INCIDENT, HOW WE HAD OUTREACH TO MULTIFAMILY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES, TENANT ASSOCIATIONS, AND PROPERTY MANAGERS.
AND THEN FINALLY, MY LAST QUESTION HERE IS MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WATER TREATMENT PLANT NUMBER FOUR IS ONLY PUSHING OUT 50 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER PER DAY.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IT MIGHT TAKE TO GET THAT ELEVATED TO POSSIBLY 150 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY OR MORE BUILDING CAPACITY IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED IN CASE WE HAVE ANOTHER ISSUE AT ANOTHER WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
CAN I THROW A VALET? MY COLLEAGUES HAVE MOSTLY COVERED MY QUESTIONS.
I'LL KEEP MY REMARKS BRIEF, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTRA I SHARE HER, UH, SENTIMENTS WITH REGARD TO THE NATURAL DISASTERS WILL HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, FLOODS, FREEZES, UH, BUT OUR RESPONSE IS WHAT WE CAN CONTROL AS A, AS A CITY, AS AN INSTITUTION.
AND MY SENSE, AND I WOULD SAY THAT THE COMMUNITY SENSE IS THAT THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN SUBPAR THAT OTHER WATER SYSTEMS HAVE NOT HAD THE KINDS OF PROBLEMS AGAIN, WITH THE FLOODING AND WITH THE FREEZE, EVERYBODY STRUGGLED, BUT, UH, WE SEEM TO HAVE STRUGGLED A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN, UH, OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE.
UH, AND THAT'S A MAJOR CONCERN FOR, FOR MYSELF AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY FOR THE CITIZENS OF RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN.
UH, MY, THE ONE QUESTION THAT, THAT I HAVE THAT I HAVE NOT HEARD, BROUGHT UP IS WE'VE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF CONSTITUENT COMMUNICATIONS REGARDING CREDITS TO, UH, BILLS, UH, REGARDING, YOU KNOW, REFUNDS, SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.
AND I W W IS THERE ANY PRECEDENT FOR SOME TYPE OF BILLING CREDIT FROM AUSTIN WATER TO ITS CUSTOMERS, UH, AS WELL AS STATEWIDE? I MEAN, IS THERE ANY PRECEDENT FOR ANY MUNICIPAL UTILITY TO HAVE, UH, GIVEN SOME TYPE OF CREDIT, UH, UH, REFUND SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT TO THEIR CUSTOMERS? UH, AND AGAIN, GIVEN THAT IN THIS SITUATION, THAT THERE WAS NO KIND OF, UH, NATURAL DISASTER PROXIMATE CAUSE, UH, AND AGAIN, I WOULD EXTEND THIS QUESTION TO THE CITY ATTORNEY AS WELL.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY LIABILITY, CIVIL LIABILITY, YOU KNOW, CLASS ACTION, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THOSE ARE CONCERNS THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT COME UP, UH, FROM MYSELF AND, UH, CONCERNS THAT HAVE SEEN THAT WE'VE RECEIVED THROUGH THROUGH EMAIL AND THROUGH OTHER COMMENTS, UH, INTO THE OFFICE.
ALRIGHT, MANAGER, YOU'VE GOT A LIST OF QUESTIONS.
DID PEOPLE WANT TO SAY ANYTHING? OH, I'M SORRY.
UH, MEMBER, MEMBER, HARPER, RADISSON AND COUNCIL EVER READ DIARRHEA.
IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO ADD.
THANK YOU, MAYOR COUNCIL, OBVIOUSLY THE DETAILED NOTES THAT WE WERE TAKING DURING THIS, SO WE CAN TRY TO ADDRESS AS MANY OF THESE QUESTIONS AS POSSIBLE.
IT'S GOING TO BE CRITICAL, BUT KNOWING THAT THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF THIS CONVERSATION.
AND SO IT HAS BEEN POINTED OUT LATER, THERE ARE GOING TO BE MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THIS DIALOGUE TO CONTINUE.
SO WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO ADDRESS THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN ARTICULATED, UH, KNOWING THAT WE HAVE, UH, MORE TIME AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO FURTHER ADDRESS THAT EITHER IN WRITTEN COMMUNICATION OR FUTURE MEETINGS.
UH, BUT I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DIRECTOR MISSOURI'S THANK YOU MANAGER.
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I'LL GET STARTED ON SOME QUESTIONS.CERTAINLY WE'LL ASK RICK AND OTHERS TO CONTRIBUTE AND, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO, UM, ANSWER AS MUCH AS WE CAN TODAY AND SOME OF THESE WILL BE TOP OF MINE, RIGHT.
SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF I DON'T NAIL EVERY SINGLE DETAIL DOWN, CORRECT.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO FOLLOW UP AND AMPLIFY OR ADDRESS QUESTIONS THAT WE DON'T, WE DON'T COVER TODAY.
UM, SO LET, LET, LET ME START, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, I'LL START WITH, WITH YOU, YOU ASKED ABOUT, UM, IN THE MAYOR, ASKED US TO, YOU KNOW, ABOUT COMMONALITIES OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD GONE VERY LONG TIME WITHOUT BOIL WATER PROBLEMS, AND THEN WE'RE KIND OF CONCENTRATING NOW.
AND WE HAD, UH, WE HAD THE COLORADO RIVER FLOOD, WHICH WAS REALLY, REALLY A WATER QUALITY UPSET, UH, OF, OF THE SOURCE WATER.
WE HAD THIS EVENT, WE HAD A ZEBRA MUSSEL TASTE AND ODOR ISSUE AT, AT ORRICK.
IT REALLY, IT WASN'T A PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, BUT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, A VERY UNPLEASANT EVENT.
AND THEN THERE WERE A COUPLE, YOU KNOW, SMALLER SCALE DISTRIBUTION ONES THAT YOU MENTIONED WE HAD OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CROSS CONNECT THEIR FOAM TRUCK INTO OUR SYSTEM.
AND, UH, AND, UH, I DON'T RECALL IF THERE WAS, UH, ANOTHER, AND IN TERMS OF THE COMMONALITY OF THAT, WHILE THEY'RE ALL DISTINCT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY, UH, ONE OF, ONE OF THE FOCUS AREAS IS STRENGTHENING ALRICH, UM, THAT, UH, OUR ORRICK PLANT IS, UH, IS, IS UNIQUE IN SEVERAL WAYS.
ONE, IT IS OUR BIGGEST PLANT BY FAR, AND WHEN ALL WIC IS WOBBLY, THE SYSTEM IS GOING TO BE WOBBLY.
AND, AND I THINK FOCUSING ON ALL, RICK IS CRITICAL.
WE AUSTIN WATER, WE, WE IDENTIFIED ALL REC AS A FOCAL POINT, UM, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, UH, AT LEAST, AND, AND HAVE REALLY BEEN TRYING TO FOCUS ON STRENGTHENING ORRICK AND, AND NOT JUST STRENGTHENING INFRASTRUCTURE.
I THINK IT, IT IS FUNDAMENTALLY ALSO STRENGTHENING THE CULTURE AND, AND, AND THE WORKFORCE, UM, AND, AND THE TRAINING ACROSS THE BOARD AND, AND NOT JUST DARK.
I MEAN, THERE'S OTHERS PARTS, BUT I THINK ALL REC IS, IS, IS REALLY, REALLY CRITICAL TO STAY LOCKED IN ON.
UH, AND NOT ONLY IS IT OUR BIGGEST PLANT, BUT IT, UM, IT IS A UNIQUELY SITUATED WITH REGARDS TO OUR, OUR, OUR DISTRIBUTION AND TRANSMISSION SYSTEM THAT, THAT, UM, IT, ISN'T JUST THE WATER YOU HAVE AT YOUR PLANTS.
IT'S HOW YOU CAN MOVE IT AROUND THE SYSTEM.
AND ORRICK HAS A REALLY, UH, SOME OF THE LARGEST LINES IT'S UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO SERVE SOUTH OF THE RIVER.
UH, THE OTHER PLANTS DON'T HAVE THE SAME CAPABILITY WHILE THEY CAN SUPPLEMENT SOUTH OF THE RIVER.
ALL REC IS REALLY JUST THE WAY THE DISTRIBUTION AND TRANSMISSION SYSTEM IS SET UP, UH, REALLY THE KEY PLANT FOR THAT AND, AND WHY IT CAN'T BE OUT OF SERVICE FOR LONG BEFORE WE START TO GET TO GET ANXIOUS.
AND SO, UH, SO I THINK, I THINK THAT IS A COMMONALITY IS BETWEEN ALL OF THAT IS OUR ALL WORK PLAN HAS BEEN STRUGGLING THE MOST.
AND, UH, AND WE'VE BEEN PUTTING A LOT OF ENERGY INTO IT IN TERMS OF, OF, OF, OF NEW STAFF AND NEW MANAGEMENT AND ADDITIONAL MANAGEMENT, BUT, BUT WE'RE NOT THERE YET.
AND I THINK THAT THAT, THAT HAS TO CONTINUE.
AND I WOULD SAY STAFFING IN GENERAL, UH, IS, IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING ENORMOUS TURNOVER AT AUSTIN WATER.
UH, JUST ONE EXAMPLE HERE, YOU KNOW, VIVID THE LAST MONTH IN JANUARY 20 EMPLOYEES LEFT AUSTIN WATER.
THAT'S THE MOST WE'VE EVER HAD LEAVE IN ONE MONTH.
AND, AND OUR, OUR EXPERIENCE IS BEING DILUTED.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE USED TO TURN AROUND WHILE YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OPERATORS THAT HAVE 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE, THOSE THOSE DAYS ARE GONE, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE JUST, WE JUST ARE, ARE, ARE SEEING A PERSISTENT TURNOVER.
YOU'RE EXPERIENCING THE WITHERING EFFECTS OF THIS PANDEMIC IS, IS A PART OF, OF ALL OF THIS TOO.
AND SO, SO FOCUSING ON STAFF ON CULTURE AND ON ALL RICK IN PARTICULAR, I THINK IS, IS, IS IF I'M DEPARTING, I AM THE PARTY, UH, THAT, THAT WOULD BE MY, MY RECOMMENDATION TO EVERYBODY, INCLUDING MY OWN TEAM.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN CLEAR ABOUT THAT FOCUS.
UM, I WOULD, UH, THERE, THERE WAS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CALLER.
SEVERAL OF YOU HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COLOR AND I'LL DO MY BEST TO ADDRESS THAT.
AND, UM, THE CALLER THAT CALLED IN THERE ARE TWO CALLERS TO LBJ, UH, OR THE LBJ TO, UM, KLBJ RADIO.
AND, UH, AND THE LATEST ONE TO IDENTIFY HIMSELF AS LAWRENCE.
AND HE SAID HE WAS ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES THAT WAS, UM, SUSPENDED WELL OF THE THREE EMPLOYEES SPENT IT.
NONE OF THEM ARE NAMED LAWRENCE.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU WOULD CALL IN AND SAY, YOU'RE ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES, BUT YOU GIVE A DIFFERENT NAME.
AND I DIDN'T DO LIKE, YOU KNOW, VOICE ANALYSIS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
BUT FROM WHAT HE SAID, IT'S INCONSISTENT WITH ANYTHING THAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING, UH, FROM, FROM THIS EVENT.
AND IT WAS QUITE A, UH, A, A WEAVING IN AND OUT NARRATIVE.
AND, UH, IT, AND I DON'T BELIEVE IT WAS ONE OF THOSE EMPLOYEES.
UM, I, I THAT'S MY OWN PERSONAL BELIEF, RICK, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE A DIFFERING OPINION.
[01:20:01]
IT MAY BE A AUSTIN WATER EMPLOYEE.I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW THAT, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T THINK IT WAS ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES ON THE SHIFTER OR, OR, OR, BUT RICK ANY, YEAH, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO SUGGEST THAT EVEN THE, THE INFORMATION THAT WAS, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO SUGGEST THAT EVEN THE INFORMATION THAT WAS RELEVANT TO, YOU KNOW, THEY TALKED ABOUT FILTER VALVES, NOT FUNCTIONING.
AND I, THE CONTROL SYSTEM FROM WHAT I GATHERED IS, WAS FULLY FUNCTIONAL.
YOU COULD TURN OFF, UH, FILTERS.
SO I THINK THAT IN ITSELF WAS NOT EVEN CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE'VE BEEN COLLECTING SO FAR, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL PRESS ON THAT MORE SPECIFICALLY IN TERMS OF, OF DOCUMENTATION AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THE INTERVIEWS AND THE QUESTIONS AND, AND REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, PUT THAT TO BED ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
BUT, UH, I, I, THAT'S MY BELIEF IN TERMS OF, OF, OF THAT, OF THAT PROCESS.
UM, THERE WERE, UM, SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, HANG ON A SECOND, THERE WERE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE, UH, INTEGRATION OF OUR PLANTS AND SYSTEM AND, AND WHY WE, WE COULD HAVE, OR CHOSE NOT TO DO A, UH, A, UM, A MORE LIMITED IN SCOPE, BOIL WATER NOTICE.
I DON'T REMEMBER WHO ASKED THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL, MAYBE THAT ASKED THAT, AND I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, UM, ADDRESS THAT.
WE, WE DO HAVE, WE HAVE THREE PRIMARY, UH, LARGE-SCALE DRINKING, WATER PLANTS, ALL RICK IS OUR LARGEST, UH, DAVIS IS NEXT AND, AND, UH, HANCOCK'S OR PREVIOUSLY CALLED PLANT FOUR IS, IS OUR THIRD AND NEWEST PLANT.
UM, UH, UH, ORRICK WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT IN THE, IN THE, IT STARTED IN THE SIXTIES WAS EXPANDED MANY TIMES, UH, DAVIS WAS BUILT IN THE FIFTIES AND EXPANDED SEVERAL TIMES.
AND THEN, AND THEN HANCOCKS WENT INTO SERVICE IN 2014.
THEY ALL, THEY ALL INTERLINKED, OKAY.
SO OUR SYSTEM IS INTERLINKED, UH, THE THREE PLANTS ALL PRODUCE WATER THAT MOVES INTO OUR SYSTEM AND CAN BE DISTRIBUTED ABOUT OUR SYSTEM.
UH, THERE ARE SOME, SOME, AS I DESCRIBED, SOME PLANTS ARE BETTER, ARE BETTER SUITED TO SERVE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE SYSTEM, BUT WE CAN MOVE WATER ABOUT.
AND THAT'S AN OVERALL STRENGTH THAT, THAT IS, THAT IS BY DESIGN, THAT THAT IS, IS DONE.
THAT ALLOWS, UH, MULTIPLE POINTS OF REDUNDANCY AND RESILIENCY, UH, BOTH WITHIN THE PLANTS, THE ABILITY TO MOVE WATER FROM DIFFERENT PLANTS AT DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE SYSTEM, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT WE DID WHEN WE HAD TO STOP ALL RICK IS WE, WE COMPENSATED AS BEST WE COULD FROM THE OTHER PLANTS AND MOVING WATER ACROSS THE SYSTEM.
IT ALSO IS REDUNDANCY WITHIN THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.
IF YOU HAVE A TRANSMISSION MAIN SYSTEM PROBLEM, OR YOU HAVE TO ISOLATE A TRANSMISSION MAIN BECAUSE YOU'RE RELOCATING IT FOR A MOBILITY PROJECT, THIS GIVES YOU THE ABILITY TO MOVE WATER IN AND AROUND YOUR SYSTEM WITH PARTS OF IT OUT OF SERVICE.
I THINK THAT IS A STRENGTH AND, AND, UH, AND WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD BE THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE THAT ABILITY, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, IT DOES PLAY A ROLE WHEN WE HAVE A PLANT HAVE AN UPSET.
SO WITH REGARDS TO, UH, HOW WE WORK THAT WITH THIS PLANT IS A AS ORRICK, UH, HAD THE UPSET AND WE WERE MAKING, UH, UH, DETERMINATIONS ON, UH, WITH TCQ ON A BOIL WATER NOTICE AND ENGAGED ON SHARING DATA AND WORKING THROUGH THOSE PROCESSES.
WE DID EVALUATE WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD DO A MORE LIMITED SCOPE OIL-WATER NOTICE.
UM, AND WE DID THAT IN CONSULTATION WITH TCEQ.
UM, WE DETERMINED THAT ALL RICK SERVES, UH, SOUTH OF THE RIVER, THE CENTRAL ZONE.
IT, IT DOES PRODUCE WATER THAT GOES UP TO THE EAST, UH, EAST AUSTIN PUMPING STATION, WHICH CAN PICK UP ALL RIC WATER AND PUMP IT INTO THE NORTH SYSTEM.
IT'S NOT AS MUCH WATER GOING UP THAT WAY, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE THAT WATER COULD GET UP THAT WAY.
ALL RICK WATER PROBABLY DOESN'T GET ALL THE WAY UP TO THE FAR NORTHWEST, BUT, UH, IN TALKING WITH TCEQ, THE PROCESS TO DOCUMENT FOR THEM, ALL THE VALVE SETTINGS AND OUR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, UH, TO, TO RUN A HYDRAULIC MODEL, TO RUN A HYDRAULIC MODEL THAT HAS AN AGE OF WATER ANALYSIS, THAT THAT WOULD TAKE MANY HOURS OF WORK.
AND, UH, AND WOULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT TCQ WOULD SUPPORT A, A MORE NARROW SCOPED BOIL WATER NOTICE AT A MINIMUM, WE KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE AT LEAST TWO THIRDS OF THE CITY AT A MINIMUM.
AND, AND YOU'RE BALANCING THIS DESIRE TO GET THE FACTS RIGHT, AND UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED AND WORK WITH TCQ AND CONFIGURE YOUR BOIL WATER NOTICE AND LINE UP TO NOTIFY THE PUBLIC WITH THE TIME.
I MEAN, MANY OF YOU BROUGHT UP THE TIME.
YOU DON'T WANT TO WAIT TOO LONG TO ISSUE THE BOIL WATER.
NOTICE YOU WANT TO BE THOUGHTFUL IN YOUR DECISION-MAKING, BUT REGULATORY-WISE, AND WE FIND THAT'S OUR BIBLE IS REGULATIONS
[01:25:01]
IS, IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S AT LEAST 24 HOURS.YOU MUST DO IT IN 24 HOURS, IDEALLY SOONER.
AND SO THAT, THAT WAS THE INTERPLAY.
AND, AND I'LL SAY I MADE THE DECISION.
I SAID, LET'S DO A CITY-WIDE BOIL WATER NOTICE.
THAT'S THE MOST PROTECTIVE OF THE WHOLE CITY.
IT'S, IT'S GOING TO ALLOW US TO DO IT IN THE MOST REASONABLE TIME, UH, WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY.
UM, AND, AND I, AND I MADE THAT DECISION.
AND, UH, AND THAT'S THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE DID.
UM, AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED AT TCEQ.
I KNOW IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN MORE TIME.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY WE WOULD'VE HAD A MAJOR BOIL WATER NOTICE, BUT MAYBE A QUARTER OF OUR SYSTEM WOULDN'T WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, I JUST, I MADE THE BEST DECISION BASED ON, ON THE KNOWLEDGE AND JUDGMENT THAT I HAD.
UM, AND IN, IN THAT SAME VEIN, THERE WAS A SERIES OF QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE, WHY DID YOU WAIT 12 HOURS, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT RISK, WHERE YOU'RE BALANCING.
AND SO AS YOU WORK THROUGH AN EVENT LIKE THIS IS, AGAIN, WE GO THE REGULATIONS OR REGULATIONS, UH, SPECIFY 24 HOURS.
THOSE REGULATIONS ARE BASED ON, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS.
YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO MAKE A GOOD DECISION WITH REGARDS TO BOIL WATER NOTICES IN THE BEGINNING WHEN THIS WAS FIRST HAPPENING.
AND AS WE WERE MOBILIZING IN, I MEAN, THERE WAS A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, JUST VERIFYING, MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, DID THE SCADA SYSTEM HAVE A FLAW? WAS IT HACKED IN SOME WAY? YOU KNOW, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT, THAT LET'S TAKE MORE HARD READINGS AND HARD SAMPLES AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE SHOWING THE SAME DATA THAT THE MONITORS ARE SHOWING.
UM, YOU'RE, UM, REVIEWING THE REGULATIONS.
I CONSULTED WITH OUR ENGINEERING STAFF, WITH OUR REGULATIONS, UM, EXPERTS WHO USED TO WORK AT TCEQ AND ASK THIS, AND NOT JUST ME PERSONALLY, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE COLLECTIVE TEAM THAT WAS HELPING TO MANAGE THIS EVENT, UM, THEY ADVISED THAT IN THIS CASE, THEY WOULD RECOMMEND A SIGNIFICANT CONSULTATION WITH TCQ AND TO SHARE DATA ON THE EVENT, UM, BECAUSE THIS WAS PROCESSED WATER, INTERNAL PROCESS WATER THAT, UM, HAD BEEN SEATED INTO THIS BASIN AND HAD GONE THROUGH CONSIDERABLE DISINFECTION, MORE DISINFECTION THAN YOU WOULD NORMALLY HAVE WATER GO THROUGH, JUST BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCESS.
THERE WAS SOME SENSE THAT THIS MAY HAVE BEEN CHARACTERIZED AS A TREATMENT TECHNIQUE VIOLATION, AS OPPOSED TO A BOIL WATER VIOLATION, A TREATMENT TECH VIOLATION REQUIRES PUBLIC NOTICE, BUT IN WRITING, IT DOES NOT REQUIRE A BOIL WATER NOTICE, UH, TCQ, UH, REVIEW THAT DATA AND ULTIMATELY DETERMINED THAT, YOU KNOW, THE REGULATIONS DID NOT ALLOW THAT.
AND, AND LET ME SAY PUBLICLY, AND WE SAID THIS IN OUR Q AND A TCEQ WORKED TIRELESSLY HERE.
UH, THEY, THEY, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE.
I KNOW THEY EVEN GOT FRUSTRATED WITH SOME OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND, UM, AND, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A SATURDAY, THEIR WORLDS FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN.
AND I JUST SAY THAT THEY WERE, THEY WERE PROFESSIONAL THROUGHOUT THIS, UH, DEMANDING EXACT THING AS YOU WOULD EXPECT REGULATORY AGENCIES TO DO.
AND, UH, AND SO I JUST, I JUST WANT TO NOTE THAT, BUT, UH, BUT WE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WORKED THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
WE CONSULTED WITH THEM, WE REVIEWED WHETHER OR NOT THIS WAS A, UH, UH, PROCESS TECHNIQUE VIOLATION, UH, WHETHER IT WAS A BOIL WATER NOTICE THEY, THEY WENT BACK, THEY SAID, NO, THIS, THIS IS A BOIL WATER NOTICE.
THEN WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE LIMIT IT? HOW WOULD THAT WORK? WHAT WOULD YOU NEED FROM US FOR THAT TO HAPPEN? UM, AND, AND WE WORKED THROUGH THAT PROCESS, CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, NOTIFIED THE MANAGER, WE GOT READY AT HES.
UM, WE REACHED OUT TO ELECTED OFFICIALS.
WE QUEUED UP FOR COMMUNICATING THIS BOTH THROUGH OUR PORTAL AND THROUGH WARREN TANTRUM SEXIST AND ULTIMATELY ISSUED THE BOIL WATER NOTICE.
I THINK IT WAS AT SEVEN 30 THAT EVENING, YOU KNOW, WELL, WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF, OF ALL THE REGULATIONS, UM, AS I INDICATED, EVERY BOIL WATER NOTICE IS, UH, IS, UH, IS, IS YOU'RE DOING IT RIGHT.
YOU'RE DOING IT BECAUSE THERE'S A HEIGHTENED RISK.
AND SO I DON'T WANT TO MINIMIZE THIS RISK.
AND I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THOUGH THAT OUR DISINFECTION SYSTEMS REMAINED WELL ABOVE MINIMUM STANDARDS THROUGHOUT THIS EVENT, UM, THAT, UH, OUR OTHER PLANTS, AND EVEN ALL RICK UP UNTIL THIS, UH, UP UNTIL THE LAST FEW HOURS WAS PRODUCING VERY HIGH QUALITY WATER.
UM, UH, WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE FELT, UH, YOU KNOW, PRETTY, PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT WE COULD MANAGE THIS EVENT.
AND, UM, AND, UH, BUT, BUT, UH, BUT THAT, THAT, THAT'S WHERE WE ENDED UP THERE.
THE RISK YOU'RE MANAGING IN A, IN A EVENT IS, UM, UH, REALLY THERE'S TWO BARRIERS IN, IN, IN TREATMENT THAT, THAT YOU'RE MANAGING.
ONE IS DISINFECTION SYSTEMS WHERE YOU APPLY VARIOUS FORMS OF DISINFECTION.
WE USE CHLORINE AT OUR PLANTS, UH, TO, UH, TO KILL HARMFUL MICROORGANISMS. THE OTHER IS TURBIDITY, AND THAT APPLIES PARTICULARLY TO SURFACE WATER UTILITIES, GROUNDWATER UTILITIES ARE NOT AS SUBJECT AS MUCH TEACHER ABILITY, UPSETS AND REGULATIONS.
UM, YOU'RE, YOU'RE REALLY BY HAVING A VERY
[01:30:01]
LOW TURBIDITY, VERY LOW CLOUDINESS.UM, YOU'RE, UH, THAT'S ANOTHER, A WAY TO REDUCE RISK OF MICROORGANISMS THAT COULD BE HARMFUL SHERTON MICROORGANISMS CAN BE RESISTANT TO CHLORINE.
AND, UH, AND SO YOU, UH, YOU CAN USE TURBIDITY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE MINIMIZING THE RISK OF THOSE MICROORGANISMS BEING IN THE SYSTEM.
UH, THERE'S, THERE'S REALLY NOTHING FOR THEM TO CLEAN TO, OR TO HIDE TO THESE ULTRA HIGH OR A HIGH STANDARDS FOR LOW TURBIDITY HELP MANAGE THAT RISK.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE FORTUNATE OUR SHORES WATER TYPICALLY FALLS IN A VERY LOW RISK FOR THOSE TYPE OF MICROORGANISMS, BUT IT'S NOT A ZERO RISK.
AND SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT THAT'S WHY TURBIDITY IS REALLY IMPORTANT IS THAT THAT'S ANOTHER WAY FOR SURFACE WATER UTILITIES TO MANAGE HARMFUL RISK, UH, FROM MICROORGANISMS. IT'S NOT THE PARTICLE ITSELF, THAT'S RISKY, IT'S THE MICROORGANISM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT COULD, YOU KNOW, GIVE YOU GASTROINTESTINAL DISTRESS OR A PROBLEM THAT THAT'S REALLY, THAT'S REALLY WHAT YOU'RE MANAGING WITH WITH TURBIDITY.
UM, UH, I, UM, THERE WAS, UM, A SERIES OF QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, ALARMS AND WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH, YOU KNOW, DOCUMENTING ALL OF THAT PROCESS.
AND RICK, I'M PROBABLY GOING TO NEED YOUR HELP HERE, BUT, UM, UH, OUR PLANTS ALL HAVE SCADA SYSTEMS. EACH PLANT HAS A CONTROL ROOM.
THE CONTROL ROOM SHOWS YOU THE STATUS OF THE PLANT IN TERMS OF, UH, OF, OF PUMPING AND TURBIDITY AND THERE'S ALARMS AND ALARMS ARE SET FOR DIFFERENT STANDARDS.
WE EVEN HAVE SOMETIMES HIGH ALARMS AND HIGH HIGH ALARMS TO INDICATE, UH, KIND OF ESCALATING, UM, TO THE BEST OF ALL OF MY KNOWLEDGE, OUR ALARMS WERE WORKING, UH, DURING THAT SYSTEM.
AND THEY WERE BEING ACKNOWLEDGED, BUT THE DECISION-MAKING FOR THAT WAS WHERE IT WAS BREAKING DOWN.
I DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT NOW.
I THINK THAT'S THINGS THAT WE'RE STILL INVESTIGATING, UM, THERE, UH, AS, AS THIS SITUATION, UM, INTENSIFIED THERE, UH, DURING THE NIGHT, THERE WAS NOT A CALL FOR HELP, UH, UH, FROM OUTSIDE OF THE STAFF THAT WERE OPERATING THAT I DON'T ENTIRELY KNOW WHY THEY FELT THAT THEY HAD IT HANDLED.
UM, UH, THAT, THAT IS THE KIND OF THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CONTINUE TO EXAMINE AND ULTIMATELY STRENGTHEN.
I KNOW RICK, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO THAT MORE? I'LL ADD TO, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE ALARMS, I THINK I MENTIONED THIS, UH, THE SCADA CONTROL SYSTEM, KIND OF THAT THE MONITORING AND CONTROLS SOFTWARE THAT, UH, PICKS UP, UH, DIFFERENT DEVICES, OPERATIONAL STATUSES FOR EQUIPMENT, UH, WE'RE ALL FUNCTIONING.
UH, I THINK THERE WAS SOME, UH, REFERENCE THAT I MADE ALSO THAT THIS IS ALL INTERNAL CONTROLS MONITORING WITHIN THE PLANT.
UM, THERE ARE SOME, UM, UM, TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE THAT WE'RE EXPLORING.
ONE IS TO REMOTE INTO THE PLANT TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, IF, IF SOMEONE REACHED OUT FOR ASSISTANCE, UH, FROM ONE OF OUR SUPERVISORS OR MAYBE ANOTHER, UM, MONITORING, UH, LOCATION THAT WE HAVE, THAT THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO US, AND WE'RE EXPLORING TO, TO GET THOSE, AND WE'VE ACTUALLY, UM, RECEIVED OR ACCESS TO SOME OF OUR SUPERVISORS STAFF.
SO THAT WAY THEY CAN MONITOR THE, THE SYSTEM ITSELF, THEY CAN'T CONTROL IT REMOTELY, BUT THEY CAN MONITOR THE SAME VIEWS THAT THE OPERATORS ARE HAVING.
UH, WE TALKED ABOUT ALARMS A LITTLE BIT.
UM, THERE WERE MULTIPLE LEVEL ALARMS AND, UM, THEY HAVE, UH, BOTH, UH, VISUAL AND AUDIBLE ALARM SETS.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHETHER OR NOT THEY CONTINUE TO BE ALARMING, OR IF THEY WERE, ONCE THEY WERE ACKNOWLEDGED, THOSE AUDIBLES WENT AWAY, BUT THERE'S STILL A VISUAL.
SO WE'LL EXPLORE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S SOME, UH, TECHNOLOGY OR PROGRAMMING THAT CAN BE DONE, UH, WITHIN THE SYSTEM TO ENSURE THAT, UM, THERE'S MORE OVERSIGHT OR MAYBE EVEN TIGHTER CONTROLS.
UM, THAT INCLUDES, UM, UH, EVEN SHUTTING DOWN PORTIONS OF THE PROCESS UNITS, NOT NECESSARILY THE BASINS, BUT MAYBE AT LEAST THE FILTERS.
SO WE'RE EXPLORING THAT TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN MIMIC FROM THE OTHER PLANTS, UH, ESPECIALLY THE, OUR NEWEST PLANT, OUR HANCOCK'S WATER TUNE PLANT, WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN HAVE SIMILAR CONTROLS TO THAT.
AND SO THAT, TO ME, IN ADDITION TO THE ALARM SETTINGS, UH, REVIEWING AND HAVING OVERSIGHT OF ACCESS TO THE SYSTEMS ARE ALL THOSE THAT ARE IMMEDIATE ACTIONS THAT WE'RE UNDERTAKING
[01:35:06]
THERE.UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE WERE QUESTIONS I COULD, YOU VIOLATED BASED IN SIX, YES.
YOU COULD HAVE TURNED OFF BASED IN SIX OR ISOLATED IT FROM THE FILTERS.
YOU CAN ISOLATE INDIVIDUAL FILTERS.
YOU CAN ISOLATE THOSE FROM THE CONTROL ROOM.
IT'S NOT LIKE YOU HAVE TO GO AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, PHYSICALLY TAKE TWO OR THREE HOURS TO TURN THOSE OFF.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T ENTIRELY UNDERSTAND WHY, WHY SOME OF THAT WASN'T DONE, OR AT LEAST WHY, WHY THERE WASN'T MORE OF A CALL FOR HELP, WHY THAT PLANT STAFF SHIFT THOUGHT THEY COULD HANDLE IT ON THEIR OWN? UM, I, I THINK THERE'S, YOU KNOW, OTHER THINGS IN TERMS OF ALARMS AND KNOWLEDGE, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN SHIFTS CHANGE, WE RUN 12 HOUR SHIFTS FROM SEVEN TO SEVEN.
SO YOU HAVE A SHIFT FROM SEVEN TO SEVEN AND THEN SEVEN IN THE MORNING TO SEVEN AT NIGHT.
I THINK THERE WERE, THERE WERE MISUNDERSTANDINGS OR BREAKDOWNS OR A NEED TO IMPROVE WHAT WE CALL THE PASSED DOWN PROCESS, HOW ONE SHIFT PASSES DOWN DATA AND INFORMATION TO ANOTHER.
I THINK THAT THAT'S, THAT'S A PART OF OUR, OUR REVIEWS.
SO A LOT OF WORK IN THIS ARENA THAT WE HAVE TO DO STRENGTHENING SOP.
SOMEBODY MENTIONED THAT I THINK THAT THAT IS A PART OF THIS.
AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU GET, YOU GET KIND OF COMPLACENT AND YOUR SLPS ARE ONE OF OUR LEAD OPERATORS ON THIS SHIFT, A SENIOR, YOU KNOW, HE HAD BEEN WITH US 10 YEARS, UH, BE LICENSED INDIVIDUAL.
AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU ASSUME PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THINGS OR KNOW THINGS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE TO REVISIT THOSE ASSUMPTIONS, THINGS THAT WORKED FOR THE LAST 10 OR 20 YEARS, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES BREAK DOWN AND WE HAVE TO HAVE TO EXAMINE THOSE.
UM, THERE, THERE WERE QUESTIONS THAT SOME OF YOU HAD ABOUT, UM, ABOUT, UM, I GUESS IT WAS FUNDING AND, UH, AND, UH, AND, UM, AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, AND, AND LET ME SAY THAT, UM, IN MY 15 YEARS AS DIRECTOR, UM, WHENEVER WE HAVE PROPOSED A RATE INCREASE OR NEED TO FUND A PROJECT, WE MIGHT GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE WORKED THROUGH THOSE PROCESSES, BUT IN THE END, WE GOT THE SUPPORT, WE NEEDED THIS, THIS WASN'T BECAUSE WE DIDN'T GET FUNDING FROM THE COUNCIL OR ALONG THE WAY.
I JUST, I JUST WANNA WANT TO BE CLEAR.
WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, PLANNING PROCESS.
YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO MODERNIZE OUR PLANTS.
WE NEED TO STAY UP WITH THOSE THINGS.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF NEED IN OUR UTILITY, UH, AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, GROWING RISKS FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT THREATS, OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM IS EXPANDING.
AND, UH, AND A, AND, AND THAT WILL CONTINUE INTO THE FUTURE, BUT I, I, I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THAT THE SYSTEM WAS STARVED FOR FUNDING.
UM, NOW, AND WE'VE GONE, WE'VE GONE THROUGH A PERIOD WHERE WE HAVEN'T RAISED RATES FOR SEVERAL YEARS AFTER A PERIOD OF RAISING RATES EVERY YEAR WE'RE, WE'RE REENTERING, UH, RATES INCREASED WHERE WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO ENGAGE WITH THE COUNCIL ON OUR RATE PLANNING.
AND, UH, AND, UH, AND, UM, ALL THAT GOES WITH THAT, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL HAD REQUESTED DURING OUR LAST RATE INCREASE THAT WE GO THROUGH, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE, UM, FULL, INDEPENDENT HEARING EXAMINER PROCESSES, WHERE YOU KIND OF SIMULATE A, A, UH, A, UM, UH, TEXAS PUBLIC UTILITY PROCESS FOR RAISING RATES.
THAT'S, THAT'S VERY COMPLICATED AND TIME CONSUMING AND EXPENSIVE TO DO.
AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, MY ADVICE IS THE DEPARTING DIRECTOR WOULD BE, MAYBE YOU SHOULD, RE-EXAMINE, RE-EXAMINE THAT.
AND, AND MAYBE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TACKLE SOME RATES IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T COST US SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS AND TWO OR THREE YEARS OF TIME TO DO THAT.
AND, UH, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU MAYBE RECONSIDER THAT DIRECTION WOULD BE ONE OF THE REQUESTS THAT I WOULD HAVE TO ALLOW OUR TEAM A LITTLE EASIER PATHWAY TO ENGAGE WITH YOU ON RATES AND DISCUSSIONS AND HOW THAT'S CONNECTED TO CAPITAL AND STAFFING AND CLIMATE.
UM, I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD BE A RECOMMENDATION I WOULD HAVE FOR YOU.
UM, WE, UM, HAD QUESTIONS, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU HAD A QUESTION ABOUT CREDITS AND, UH, AND I WILL SAY THAT, UM, I TALKED TO MY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, JOSEPH GONZALES.
I TALKED TO THE MANAGER, WE ARE EVALUATING HOW WE COULD GIVE A CREDIT TO CUSTOMERS FOR THIS EVENT.
WE KNOW CUSTOMERS NOT ONLY ALL THE UPSET, BUT THEY MAYBE USED MORE WATER TO FLUSH THEIR PIPES.
UH, AND, UH, AND THERE'S, I THINK AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND, UH, AND GIVE A CREDIT TO CUSTOMERS, UM, YOU KNOW, ROUGHLY AT, UH, A CREDIT, YOU KNOW, A 2000 GALLON, UH, CREDIT, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR US WOULD, WOULD BE VERY, I THINK, MANAGEABLE OR SOMETHING OF THAT.
WE HAVEN'T FORMULATED THE FINAL RECOMMENDATION TO THE MANAGER, BUT, BUT THAT, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE ASKED JOSEPH AND HIS TEAM TO WORK ON AND TO ENGAGE WITH SPENCER AND THEN, AND THEN COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL.
UH, WE, WE W I THINK WE WOULD REQUIRE YOUR APPROVAL FOR THAT.
AND SO, UH, WE WOULD, WE WOULD COME BACK, UH, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO ATTEND TO THAT IN THE WEEKS AND MONTHS AHEAD.
[01:40:01]
UM, UH, THERE WERE, UM, A SERIES OF QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR TRAINING FOR HOMELAND SECURITY MANAGEMENT AND INCIDENT COMMAND TRAINING, AND, UM, UH, DANG, I'M GOING TO CALL ON ANA ANA, WOULD YOU MIND IF I ASKED YOU TO HELP ME WITH THIS ONE? GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'M ANA BRIAN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS SERVICES AT AUSTIN WATER COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR FEMA TRAINING PROGRAM AT AUSTIN WATER.UH, WE DO REQUIRE OUR STAFF TO TAKE BOTH ONLINE FEMA COURSES AND IN-PERSON FEMA COURSES.
WE HAVE TWO STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE CERTIFIED FEMA TRAINERS WHO DELIVER THOSE IN-PERSON CLASSES TO OUR STAFF.
UH, WHEN WE DELIVER THOSE CLASSES, WE ALSO OPEN THEM TO THE COMMUNITY AND A STAFF FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN OR IN THE COMMUNITY ARE ABLE TO REGISTER FOR THOSE CLASSES THROUGH PREPARING TEXAS.ORG IN RESPONSE TO YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION ABOUT THE COVID IMPACTS.
YES, WE DID HAVE TO PAUSE THOSE IN-PERSON, UM, INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM TRAINING COURSES DURING COVID IN NOVEMBER OF 2021, WE RESUMED THE IN-PERSON TRAINING CLASSES.
WE OFFERED INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM 300, WHICH IS THE INTERMEDIATE COURSE.
WE OFFERED IT IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER.
WE HAVE SCHEDULED ANOTHER INSTANCE OF THAT CLASS COMING UP IN JULY OF THIS YEAR, AND WE WILL BE OFFERING THE ICS 400, WHICH IS THE ADVANCED INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM, UH, INTERNALLY TO OUR DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR.
UM, I COULD PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR TRAINING PROGRAM, BUT IS, IS THAT SUFFICIENT? OKAY.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RESPOND TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT HOW OUR EMERGENCY MANAGER AT AUSTIN WATER INTERACTS WITH THE HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UH, DIRECTOR.
WE DO HAVE A MANAGER OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WHO OVERSEES A STAFF OF FIVE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE DEDICATED TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AT AUSTIN WATER.
OUR EMERGENCY MANAGER SERVES AS AUSTIN WATER'S SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT TO SOME, UH, THAT PERSON ATTENDS REGULAR MEETINGS WITH .
I BELIEVE THAT THAT IS A MONTHLY COORDINATION MEETING, AND, UH, THAT IS A LONG STANDING PRACTICE FOR US TO INTERACT WITH HUSAM IN THAT WAY.
UH, YOU ALSO KNOW FROM EARLIER PRESENTATIONS TO COUNCIL THAT IN THIS, UM, BUDGET FISCAL YEAR, WE HAVE ADDED A NEW POSITION.
IT IS OUR EMERGENCY PLANS, OFFICER SENIOR, PART OF OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM.
THAT POSITION WILL BE CO LOCATED AT HE SOME TWO DAYS PER WEEK, AND WILL BE A SHARED RESOURCE TO HELP BOTH AUSTIN WATER AND HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CONTINUE TO ENHANCE OUR BONDS OF COLLABORATION AS WE WORK TOGETHER.
UH, THAT POSITION HAS, UH, IS VERY NEAR THE END OF THE HIRING PROCESS.
I'VE RECENTLY APPROVED, UH, SOME PAPERWORK AND DECISION-MAKING RELATED TO THAT POSITION.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT? THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, ANA, A FEW OTHER QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, UH, YOU ALSO ASKED ABOUT, UM, SENATE BILL THREE SUBMITTAL, AND, UH, AND WHAT IS CALLED THE EPP OR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN.
THAT WAS A PART OF A RECENT AFTER URI REQUIRING, UM, WATER UTILITIES TO DO SEVERAL THINGS.
ONE NOTIFY ALL THEIR POWER PROVIDERS, UH, WHICH, WHICH, UH, FACILITIES THEY HAVE THAT ARE CRITICAL.
AND, UH, AND WE HAVE DONE THAT, THAT WAS DONE IN NOVEMBER.
UH, AND, UH, AND WHILE HE IS OUR PRIMARY PROVIDER, WE HAVE OTHER PROVIDERS ALSO THAT WE DO LIKE BLUE BONNET AND PER ANALYSIS.
THE OTHER IS A, IS A, IS A SUBMITTAL TO TCQ, UM, UH, DOCUMENTING, UH, AND, UH, AND SUBSTANTIATING, UH, HOW OUR SYSTEM IS SET UP TO PROVIDE A RELIABLE UP POWER DURING AN EMERGENCY.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF FINALIZING THAT THE DUE DATE IS MARCH 1ST AND, UH, WE, WE WERE ON COURSE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
AND, UM, I, I'M ASSUMING WE'RE STILL ON COURSE SOME OF THE SAME FOLKS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THAT ALSO HELP US WITH THE WELL WATER NOTICE, BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA, THEY CAN, I BELIEVE THEY'RE STILL ON SCHEDULE FOR THAT SUBMITTAL, AND WE WILL CERTAINLY PROVIDE YOU THAT SUBMITTAL, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF SENSITIVE INFORMATION ON THAT AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND HOW IT'S SET UP AND HOW IT'S POWERED.
[01:45:01]
THAT IN A WAY THAT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE THOUGHTFUL WITH, IN TERMS OF, OF, OF RISK.SO, BUT, BUT WE, WE WILL CERTAINLY DO THAT.
THERE IS AN OPTION IN, IN THE LAW TO REQUEST AN EXTENSION OF 90 DAYS ON YOUR SUBMITTAL.
AND AGAIN, I DON'T ANTICIPATE US EXERCISING THAT OPTION, BUT IF SOMEHOW WE FELL BEHIND WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT BE AN OPTION THAT WE MIGHT NEED A SLIGHT SITE EXTENSION, BUT I DON'T THINK SO.
IT WOULD BE MY, MY SENSE OF IT.
THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT TENANTS AND HOW WE WORK WITH, WITH TENANTS HERE.
AND WE, WE DID, UM, WE DID HAVE A SPECIAL MAILER TO TENANTS, UH, AS A PART OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS WE IDENTIFIED IN OUR, IN OUR PREVIOUS AFTER ACTIONS.
AND, UH, AND WE DID, WE DID WORK WITH AEA ON IT, THE TENANT COMMUNICATIONS RE RANDY, I HAVE THAT CORRECT ON IT.
SO WE, WE, WE DID, WE DID DO THAT AND WE CAN FOLLOW UP MORE ON WHAT WE DID THERE.
UM, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER HAD A QUESTION ABOUT PEER REVIEW AND, UH, AND WE HAVE DONE PEER REVIEWS.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE PARTNERSHIP FOR SAFE WATER.
UH, THE PARTNERSHIP FOR SAFE WATER IS A GROUP OF UTILITIES AND REGULATORS AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT ENCOURAGE, UH, SURFACE WATER UTILITIES, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO TURBIDITY TO GO BEYOND JUST THE MINIMUM REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS.
WE'VE BEEN A LONG-TERM PARTNER.
I THINK MAYBE EVEN A FOUNDING PARTNER OF THAT FROM THE NINETIES, THERE'S A SERIES OF LEVELS OF PARTNERSHIP THAT YOU GO THROUGH.
AND IT'S A VERY DATA INTENSIVE PROCESS THAT YOU SUBMIT.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT AND ACTUALLY OUR ALL PLANT HAD BEEN ONE OF THE HIGHEST CERTIFIED PLANTS, UH, OF ITS SIZE IN THE NATION.
UM, I, I THINK WE'VE PROBABLY NOT BEEN AS ACTIVE IN THE PARTNERSHIP THE LAST FEW YEARS AS, AS, AS WE CAN BE.
AND I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING TO RENEW AGAIN, UH, W WITH OUR COMMITMENTS THERE, WE'VE HAD, UH, BRIAN HAWES, WHO I MENTIONED HAS SERVED AS AN OFFICER OF THE PARTNERSHIP FOR SAFE WATER.
HE'S DONE PEER REVIEWS OF OTHER UTILITIES AND THEIR DATA.
UM, AND, UH, AND HE'S VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE, BUT I'VE CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, RICK, I WOULD ASK THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU SPEAK TO BRIAN AND OTHERS IN THAT WE RENEW THAT COMMITMENT AGAIN ON, ON PARTNERSHIP FOR SAFE WATER.
UM, AND, UH, AND COUNCIL MEMBER, IN ADDITION TO, YOU KNOW, THE AUDIT PROCESSES THAT, THAT, THAT YOU WOULD DO.
SO WE DO TAKE DRINKING WATER SAFETY SERIOUSLY, AND PARTICULARLY TURBIDITY.
AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST, UM, BUT W W W W WE WILL, WE WILL COME BACK TO THOSE, UM, UH, I THINK I PROBABLY TOUCHED ON A GOOD PART OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
UH, CERTAINLY WE'LL FOLLOW UP.
AND I THINK AS THE MAYOR WAS DESCRIBING, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GET OUT THIS, UH, FIRST ROUND, AND THEN IF THERE'S, UH, ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT, UH, WERE TRIGGERED BY SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE BY, UH, DIRECTOR MASSARO OR OTHERS, UH, UH, WE CAN GO THROUGH A, ANOTHER LINE OF QUESTIONING, UH, OR WE CAN JUST, UH, UH, WELL, WE'RE HERE TO, TO ANSWER ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AS, AS DESIRE MANAGER.
I DO WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL FOR ALL THE COMMENTS.
IT MEANT A LOT, UH, CASPER ALICE, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
WE WERE JUST LOOKING AT EACH OTHER TO FIGURE OUT THE NEXT STEPS.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT THOROUGH RUNDOWN.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT NOT ONLY ARE BEING ASKED TODAY, BUT WE'LL ALSO, UM, BE ASKED AND ANSWERED MOVING FORWARD.
UM, I TRUST IN, AS WE WEIGH THE MAYOR PRO TEM EXTERNAL AUDIT RESOLUTION LATER THIS WEEK, UM, THAT THE CONVERSATION WILL BE IN GOOD HANDS AS IT CONTINUES.
AND WE'LL ALSO CONTINUE WITH THE WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE THAT MY COLLEAGUE CHAIR, VANESSA, VANESSA FONTEZ IS CHAIRING RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND SO I KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO STAY IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE WATER UTILITY.
I WAS JUST THINKING THAT Y'ALL ARE ALWAYS SO GOOD WHEN WE HAVE A QUESTION AND MY OFFICE HAS THE SIMPLEST QUESTION THAT BOTH YOU AND AUSTIN ENERGY BRING LIKE 10 OR 12 PEOPLE TO THE MEETING.
YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THE QUESTIONS GET ANSWERED.
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DAYLIGHT THOSE.
UM, BUT I THINK WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT HERE IS, YOU KNOW, WE ALL UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE KNOW A LOT OF WHAT HAPPENED HERE IS TRIGGERING FROM THE WINTER STORM.
WE JUST HAD THE LOVELY PROCLAMATION ISSUED THIS MORNING WITH THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.
EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN STORY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHY THIS WAS SO TRIGGERING WAS THAT EVERYBODY WAS BRACING FOR THE STORM AND THEN TURNED AROUND AND SAID, OKAY, WE'RE IN THE CLEAR NOW.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN GOT, YOU KNOW, SURPRISED BY THE BOIL WATER NOTICE.
I KNOW THAT IT WAS DONE IN A WAY THAT WAS VERY CALCULATED AND CALIBRATED AND WAS DONE WITH A LOT OF THOUGHT AND CARE.
UM, SO I KNOW THAT WE'RE WE'RE, WE DON'T HAVE EVERY SINGLE ANSWER TO WHAT TOOK PLACE.
[01:50:01]
WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THOSE TRAINING AND OVERSIGHT AND ALARM SYSTEMS AND REPORTING SYSTEMS MOVING FORWARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO BE A LEADER IN CLEAN WATER AND WATER CONSERVATION IN A PLACE LIKE CENTRAL TEXAS, WHERE IT IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE.BUT TO ALSO UNDERSTAND, THERE MAY BE, THERE MAY BE SOME FOLKS OUT THERE THAT ARE TRYING TO SPREAD MISINFORMATION, AND THEY WANT YOU TO DISTRUST OUR PROCESSES AS A CITY.
AND IT'S INCREDIBLY UNFORTUNATE THAT SOMEONE MAY HAVE POTENTIALLY IMPERSONATED AN AUSTIN WATER EMPLOYEE.
MAYBE THAT'S NOT THE CASE, BUT THAT COULD BE AN OPTION THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AND I THINK THAT'S INCREDIBLY DAMAGING TO THE REPUTATION OF THE CITY.
YOU CERTAINLY CAN NOT IMPERSONATE A POLICE OFFICER WITHOUT REPERCUSSIONS.
AND I WANT PEOPLE TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT THAT THERE MIGHT BE FOLKS OUT THERE WILLFULLY TRYING TO SPREAD MISINFORMATION AND SAYING, THIS IS A LACK OF FUNDING AND INFRASTRUCTURE CAPABILITIES, WHICH WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE HERE IS NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE LOOKED AT THAT NEED TO BE RESOLVED.
UM, BUT THIS IS NOT, UM, THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE IS NOT A MATTER OF CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE AND UNDERFUNDING.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I WILL PASS IT BACK TO THE MAYOR.
I KNOW WE HAVE OTHER WORK TO GET THROUGH TODAY, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
SO COLLEAGUES, LET'S TALK FOR JUST A SECOND ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
I AM SURE THAT WE ALL HAVE FOUR PAGES OF QUESTIONS WE WANT TO ASK, AND WE CAN EITHER STAY WITH THIS.
UH, I GET DIGITAL TO WORK WITH THIS.
WE COULD GO TO, TO A BRIEF A, I KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE DISCUSSION ABOUT THURSDAY AND AT THE WATER COMMITTEE MEETING, UH, BUT WE WANT TO DO, UH, WHATEVER IT IS THAT IS THE DESIRE OF THE COUNCIL.
SO LET'S JUST TAKE A SECOND HERE AND TALK ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT WE WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN NEXT.
THAT'S WHERE A KITCHEN BECOMES BURRITO.
I THINK THAT'S THE QUESTION FOR US RIGHT NOW.
UM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I, I, AGAIN WANT TO THANK DIRECTOR MORRIS SORROWS AND ALL OF YOUR STAFF, UH, AND THE CITY MANAGER FOR THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE PROVIDED TODAY.
I THINK THAT THIS IS, UH, YOU PROVIDED A LOT OF INFORMATION FOR US, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, PROVIDE SOME TIME FOR STAFF TO, UM, PERHAPS PUT SOME OF THIS IN WRITING, IN RESPONSE TO WHAT PEOPLE HAVE ASKED.
I KNOW WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK MORE ON THURSDAY.
I THINK THAT WHAT'S BEEN PRESENTED TO US AT THIS POINT IS SUFFICIENT.
UM, AND I, THE ONLY LAST QUESTION I WOULD HAVE IS, AND I THINK YOU'RE GETTING TO THIS MAYOR, WHICH IS OUR NEXT STEPS.
WE KNOW THE NEXT STEP IS WE HAVE MORE CONVERSATION ON THURSDAY.
WE KNOW THE NEXT STEP IS THE WATER COMMITTEE NEXT WEEK.
NEXT STEP IS, UM, THE INVESTIGATION THAT YOU ALL ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING RIGHT NOW.
AND WE APPRECIATE THE NEXT STEPS THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US TODAY, VERBALLY WITH ALL THE RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS.
AND I KNOW THAT'LL BE IN WRITING.
SO I, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, YOU ASKED WHERE WE WERE.
I, I AM, I THINK IT'S TIME THAT WE MOVE ON TO WHAT ELSE WE HAVE TO DO.
UH YEAH, I DON'T MEAN TO BE A CONTRARIAN, BUT I ACTUALLY HAD, WAS GOING TO ASK THAT WE CONTINUE THIS MAYBE FOR ANOTHER 30 MINUTES OR 45 MINUTES BEFORE BREAKING FOR LUNCH.
SINCE WE HAVE SO MUCH, SO MANY STAFF FROM THE AUSTIN WATER UTILITY HERE PREPARED TO ASK THE QUESTIONS, ANSWER QUESTIONS, WE'VE ASKED QUESTIONS.
AND I THINK THERE'S STILL SOME MORE REALLY USEFUL CONVERSATION THAT COULD HAPPEN THAT I BELIEVE STAFF HAVE ANSWERS TO RIGHT AWAY.
UH, AND SO IF WE, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE CONTINUE THIS A BIT FURTHER COLLEAGUES, OTHER VIEWS, HE WE'RE FULL.
I'D LIKE TO GIVE OUR STAFF AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A BREAK.
AND THEN ALSO TO LOOK AT THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO ANSWER FOR TIME CONSTRAINTS, OR JUST BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, GATHER THEIR THOUGHTS AND, AND MAYBE COMMIT SOME OF THE ANSWERS TO WRITING AND GET US SOME OTHER REPORT.
AND WE WILL HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE DIRECTLY.
AND ALSO ALL OF US WILL HAVE HAD TIME TO KIND OF THINK THROUGH THINGS AND ABSORB THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE ALREADY GOTTEN AND GO BACK AND ANALYZE WHAT WE, WHAT WE'VE RECEIVED SO FAR.
BECAUSE I THINK MANY OF THE QUESTIONS MAY ALSO BE IF ONLY PARTIALLY ANSWERED IN THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE ALREADY GOTTEN, AND I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BRIEFING AND THEN THE OTHER WORK THAT WE HAVE AHEAD OF US TODAY, RATHER THAN CONTINUING WITH THIS.
I TOO THINK THAT STAFF SHOULD TAKE A BREAK.
THEY'VE GIVEN US A LOT OF INFORMATION TO DIGEST AND I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THEIR TIME TODAY.
IT SEEMED TO BE THAT, THAT, YES.
UH, IT SEEMED TO BE THAT, UH, MOST OF THE PEOPLE OF THE DYES WERE SHAKING
[01:55:01]
THEIR HEAD, THAT THEY WERE READY TO TAKE A BREAK AT THIS POINT.I GUESS, IF THAT'S THE MAJORITY, UM, DECISION, THEN THAT'S FINE.
I GUESS I WOULD, I WOULD ASK MY COLLEAGUES TO THINK ABOUT WHETHER, WHETHER WE'RE REALLY ASKING OUR WATER UTILITY TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL, UM, WRITTEN ANSWERS, OR IF WE COULD HAVE THE CONVERSATION FIRST ON THURSDAY, IS IT JUST KNOWING THE WAY THIS PROCESS WORKS? IT JUST TAKES A LOT OF TIME TO PREPARE WRITTEN ANSWERS THAT ARE, AND THEN IN MULTIPLE LEVELS OF REVIEW AND WHATNOT, AND IT MAY, THEY MAY ACTUALLY PREFER ANSWERING SOME ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ON THURSDAY, VERBALLY, UM, PRIOR TO PREPARING YET ANOTHER WRITTEN MEMO.
SO THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD STEP AFTER THAT.
IT'S JUST A VERY SHORT TURNAROUND TIME FROM HERE TO THURSDAY.
AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO COME UP ON THURSDAY.
IS IT REASONABLE FOR US TODAY IS TUESDAY TO ASK PEOPLE TO SUBMIT WRITTEN QUESTIONS SO THAT WE CAN AT LEAST GET THE QUESTIONS OUT AND THEN WE CAN HAVE ON THURSDAY, THE STAFF RESPIRED, THEY DON'T HAVE TO WRITE SOMETHING UP.
THEY COULD JUST COMPARE IT WITH THAT LIST OF QUESTIONS, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE THEM AHEAD OF TIME, BUT WE COULD JUST GO STRAIGHT INTO THE ANSWERS, DOES THAT WORK.
AND I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A COMPROMISE BETWEEN THESE TWO PLACES BECAUSE OF, FOR THIS AND OR THAT WORKS.
AND I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE DO HAVE THE AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MEETING HAPPENING NEXT WEEK ON WEDNESDAY, WHICH WILL BE ANOTHER, AT LEAST TWO HOURS FOR US TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION.
THEN MAYBE WE PUT A TIME CAP OR WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO ON THURSDAY.
SO IT DOES IT SWALLOW THE, UH, THE, THE ATTIRE DAY COUNTS, BARBARA HARPER, MADISON.
UM, I AGREE WITH THE SENTIMENT THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SHARED, INCLUDING COUNCIL MEMBER, TOGO'S POINT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE POTENTIALLY NEEDING TO BEAT FURTHER CONVERSATION.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF US PUTTING OUR QUESTIONS OUT AND OFFERING STAFF THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THEM AND NOT HAVE TO ANSWER OFF THE CUFF.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S AS EFFICIENT AS IT COULD BE, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THAT A LOT OF OUR CONSTITUENTS AREN'T GOING TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, OR DON'T HAVE RATHER THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ, YOU KNOW, PAGES AND PAGES OF INFORMATION AND MIGHT WANT TO HEAR THE CONVERSATION.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE CONSIDERED WHILE I CAN APPRECIATE THEIR PROFESSIONALISM.
UM, FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD ABOUT THE DIRECTOR WE'RE LOSING, HE'S, HE'S THE BEST THERE IS.
UM, AND I'VE HEARD FROM MULTIPLE PARTIES, HE'S THE BEST DIRECTOR THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS, AND IT'S A DAMN SHAME WE'RE LOSING HIM.
AND SO I THINK TO SOME DEGREE, WE, WE NEED TO OFFER, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR STAFF TO REALLY JUST LET THAT SINK IN THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A LEADERSHIP CHANGE.
AND I CAN IMAGINE THAT HAS THAT EFFECT ON PEOPLE.
SO ASIDE FROM, YOU KNOW, NOT BELIEVING THAT ANSWERING OFF THE CUFF IS THE APPROPRIATE PATH FORWARD.
I DO THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR US TO OFFER STAFF THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY JUST KIND OF GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
I THINK IT'S PROBABLY DISHEARTENING FOR A LOT OF THEM.
MAY I APPROACH, UM, THANK YOU.
I WOULD APPRECIATE SOME ANSWERS IN WRITING.
I THINK IT'S HELPFUL FOR THE FUTURE WORK AND WHETHER IT'S THEY'RE ANSWERED BY THURSDAY OR, OR THE AUSTIN WATER COMMITTEE MEETING, UM, OR THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, IN THE APPROPRIATE TIME, WE MAY, MAY TAKE A LITTLE WHILE FOR SOME OF SOME OF THE ANSWERS.
I, I WOULD LIKE SOME ANSWERS IN WRITING.
I THINK IT IS PART OF THE OPENNESS AND TRANSPARENCY THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
UM AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING FOR THURSDAY, THIS WOULD THEN BE KIND OF PULLING MY ITEM 60 AND, AND HAVING THIS CONVERSATION UNDER THAT AS THE, THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION ON THURSDAY.
I THINK SO I THINK MANAGER, THE YOU'RE GOING TO DO AN AFTER ACTION REPORT ON THIS.
SO THERE'S GOING TO BE, UH, A WRITTEN REPORT AND I WOULD URGE YOU THE AFTER ACTION REPORT THAT YOU INCLUDE.
ALL THE QUESTIONS ASKED BY THE COUNCIL AT THIS MEETING ADDED AN EXTRA MEETING ON THURSDAY, UH, COLLEAGUES LET'S LET'S LIMIT THE DISCUSSION TO NO MORE THAN AN HOUR ON THURSDAY WITH ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
LET'S GET PEOPLE TO POST QUESTIONS OF THE BOARD BETWEEN NOW AND THURSDAY.
AND BASICALLY WE'LL JUST ASK STAFF TO RESPOND TO THE POSTED QUESTIONS.
UM, AND THAT WAY THEY HAVE THE QUESTIONS AHEAD OF TIME, BUT WE MIGHT BE MORE LIMITED, BUT WE WON'T GO LONGER THAN AN HOUR OR THURSDAY RECOGNIZE THAT WE CAN PICK UP NEXT WEEK COUNCIL MEMBER AT THE VIA.
YES, I, AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE, UM, UH, AN ANSWER ON WHAT WAS MENTIONING THAT A LOT OF THE EMPLOYEES WERE LEAVING AT LEFT, UH, THE WATER DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT'S KIND OF CONCERNING BECAUSE, UH, UH, UH, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO REACH, RETAIN OUR EMPLOYEES AND WHETHER IT'S THAT, IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE, UH, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE, UH, OH, A WAGE INCREASE.
AND BY THE WAY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A RATE INCREASE, WHICH IS KIND OF, IF WE GIVE A DISCOUNT, IS IT REALLY GOING TO AFFECT OUR OPERATION HERE
[02:00:01]
AND THEN TURN AROUND AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO INCREASE A HIGHER RATE TO MAKE UP FOR THAT.SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD LIKE ANSWER HELPFUL.
UH, IF YOU COULD GO AHEAD AND I READ THE REHAB, MAKE SURE YOU POST THAT ON THE MESSAGE BOARD SO THAT IT'S WRITTEN DOWN AND THEN IT'LL BE IN THE QUEUE TO BE, UH, UH, UH, ADS OR I COLLEAGUES.
UH, I WOULD PROPOSE, WE GO FROM HERE TO THE, UH, INCLUSIVE WORKING GROUP, S A B R REPORT.
SEE IF WE COULD BREAK FOR LUNCH RIGHT AT THE END OF THAT HIT THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, COME BACK THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE, UH, CADET GLASS BRIEFING, READY, UH, DIRECTOR.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING WITH US STAFF MANAGER.
UH, UH, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY.
UH, SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ADVANCEMENTS WE'VE MADE AS A CITY HAD WATER HAVE HAPPENED DURING YOUR TENURE.