[00:00:01]
AND WE WILL START WATER IN A WASTEWATER COMMISSION, MARCH MEETING.WE GOT COMMISSIONED PNEUMONIA HAN ABOUT ALL MICHELLE.
PRESIDENT AND THE COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS ON REMOTE.
[ A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
UM, ITEM A ONE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 16TH, 2021 AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION.GOT HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT IN ANY MOTION.
I MOVE APPROVAL MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER MORIARTY.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MS. SURE.
OH, IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS SHOW IN A POOP AND MSD OUT WITH COMMISSION.
UH, COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS, SAY RAISE HER HAND AND SAY YES.
[B. ITEMS FOR COMMISSION’S REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION FOR APPROVAL TO CITY COUNCIL]
N WE WILL GO AROUND WITH CABLE TO SHE COMMISSIONERS GOT ANY QUESTIONS OR WE Q SOWS AND WE WILL START WITH COMMISSIONER MORIARTY.NO QUESTIONS, NO RECUSALS COMMISSIONER.
AND I, I GOT A QUESTION ON ITEM B 11 NODDLE QSO, VICE CHAIR.
CASTLEBERRY QUESTION ON ITEM NINE.
DID I SKIP YOU COMMISSION NUMBER SHOE? I HAVE A QUESTION OR AN ITEM EIGHT AND A RECUSAL ON ITEM SEVEN.
MY FIRM SUBMITTED A STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS ON THAT CONTRACT.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MUSCLE GLOBE, NO QUESTIONS, NO RECUSALS AND COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. MY UNDERSTANDING IS YOU GOT A QUESTION ON ITEM B NINE, RIGHT? OKAY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR THE QSO? NO OTHER QUESTIONS.
SAW OF CONSENT ITEMS ARE ITEM B 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, AND 10.
CONSENT ITEMS OR NUMBER A B 1 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, AND 10.
I MOVE APPROVAL MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER MORIARTY.
I SECOND, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER.
SHOW US, UH, APPROVE AN EMISSARY AND THE COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS RAISING HER HAND.
[B.7. Recommend approval to negotiate and execute a professional services agreement with Pape-Dawson Consulting Engineers Inc., (staff recommendation) or one of the other qualified responders for Request for Qualifications Solicitation No. CLMP324A to provide engineering services for Project Connect – Water/Wastewater Utility Support Program in amount not to exceed $3,000,000. (Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 9) ]
NOW LET'S MOVE TO ITEM V SEVEN, RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO NEGOTIATE.A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH PEG THOUSAND CONSULTING ENGINEERS, INC.
THAT'S STAFF RECOMMENDATION, OR ONE OF THE OTHER QUALIFIED AT LEAST FOUNDERS FOR REQUESTS FOR QUALIFICATIONS, SORRY, STATION NUMBER SHEAR MP 3 24 A TO PROVIDE ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR A PROJECT CONNECT WATER WASTEWATER UTILITY SUPPORT PROGRAM IN AMONG NOT TO EXCEED $3 MILLION AND IS IN DISTRICT 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, AND A NINE IN IBD WITHOUT A COMMISSION MICHELLE GOING TO RECUSE.
AND IS THERE ANY COMMISSIONER GOT ANY QUESTION OR IN THE TENDER EMOTION I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE.
WHAT WAS YOUR MADE BY COMMISSIONER CASSELBERRY AND COMMISSIONER MUSGROVE.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
AND THE SHOWING WE SURES PAN CASTLEBERRY AND UH AND THEN COMMISSIONER MICHELLE, UH, RECUSE.
AND WILLIAMS, AUSTIN WILLIAMS. I'M SORRY.
[00:05:01]
JUST JOINED US.[B.8. Recommend approval to award and execute a construction contract with Cedar Hills Construction, LLC, for the Southwest Allandale Neighborhood Water and Wastewater System Renewal project in the amount of $4,676,368.50 plus a $467,636.85 contingency, for a total contract amount not to exceed $5,144,005.35. (District 10)]
LET'S MOVE TO ITEM B EIGHT, RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO A WALL AND A SCUTE A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT WITH CEDAR HILLS CONSTRUCTION, L L SHE FOR THE SOUTHWEST AARON TEO NEIGHBORHOOD WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEM.WE KNEW OUR PROJECT IN THE AMOUNT OF 4 MILLION, $676,368 AND 50 CENTS PER US.
A $467,636 AND 85 CENTS CONTINGENCY FOR A TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT, NOT TO EXCEED 5 MILLION, $144,005 AND 35 CENTS.
AND THIS IS IN DISTRICT NUMBER 10.
UH, MY QUESTION WILL BE DIRECTED MOSTLY TO CONTRACTING, UH, OUR CONTRACTORS CEDAR HILLS.
I HAVEN'T, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THEM.
I HAVEN'T SEEN THEM BID ON OTHER CONTRACTS.
SO I WAS CURIOUS IF THIS WAS THEIR FIRST CONTRACT WITH THE CITY, OR IF THEY'VE DONE OTHER WORK FOR THE CITY, PLEASE TURN IN YOUR MIND AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF, PLEASE, SIR.
DO THE PERSON BUTTON, THERE YOU GO.
GARRETT COX CAPITAL CONTRACTING.
UH, YES, MR. THIS IS THEIR FIRST CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH A RESPONSIVE CHECK-IN AND, UH, SUBMITTED PAST PROJECT HISTORY, UH, SAFETY RECORD, ALL THAT STUFF.
SO THEY'VE, THEY'VE BEEN A RESPONSIVE BETTER.
IS THIS A ROSEHIP CONTRACT? UM, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THIS ONE IS, UH, ROSA IS OVER 5 MILLION, SO YEAH, DON'T THINK THIS ONE IS, AND I GUESS THE QUESTION FOR STAFF, THEY WERE, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE 20% LOWER THAN THE, THE NEXT LOWEST BIDDER GIVEN THAT THEIR, THIS IS THEIR FIRST FORAY WITH THIS CITY.
ANY, ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR ABILITY TO HANDLE THE SCOPE? YEAH.
KEVIN COLER MANAGING ENGINEER FOR AUSTIN WATER.
I KNOW THAT CAPITAL CONTRACTING REACHED OUT TO THE CONTRACTOR AND ASKED THEM TO VERIFY THEIR BID BASED ON THE BIDS THAT WE RECEIVED.
UM, WE BELIEVE THEY CAN DO THE WORK IN COORDINATION WITH CAPITAL CONTRACTING.
UH, COMMISSIONER MORNING, ADDY, PLEASE.
I JUST LIKE TO COMMEND CAPITAL CONTRACT AND AUSTIN WATER FOR GETTING SO MANY BIDDERS ON THAT JOB.
MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER SHOW.
IS THERE A SECOND SECOND MADE BY COMMISSIONER? ALL IN FAVOR.
SHOWING EVERYBODY AGREE ON IT.
AND COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS RAISE HER HAND.
[B.9. Recommend approval of an ordinance amending City Code Chapter 2-13 (Administrative Adjudication of Violations) relating to establishing administrative penalties and penalty ranges for water conservation violations and Chapter 6-4 (Water Conservation) relating to obtaining and submitting evaluations.]
TO ITEM B NINE.WE RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF AN AUDIENCE AMENDING CITY CODE CHAPTER TWO, TEST 13 ADMINISTRATIVE AT THE JUVENILE SECTION OF MY ORATIONS RELATING TO ESTABLISHING ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES AND A PENALTY RANGES FOR WATER CONSERVATION BY OUR RELATIONS AND THE CHAPTER SIX DASH FOUR WATER CONSERVATION DO 18 TO OBTAINING AND SUBMITTING EVALUATIONS.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. YOU GOT A QUESTION? GO AHEAD.
SINCE I HAD SUBMITTED A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS EARLIER TODAY AND WRITING DID, DID YOU WANT ME TO RESTATE THEM OR WITH STAFF GOING TO STATE THEM AND THEN PROVIDE ANSWERS? KEVIN CHRITTON AND AUSTIN WATER.
CERTAINLY RESTATE THEM FROM HERE AND THEN PROVIDE THE ANSWERS.
KEN, CAN YOU TURN YOUR MIC ON KEVIN? CAN YOU HEAR ME? HOW ABOUT THAT? GREEN LIGHT GREEN.
CAN YOU HEAR HIM? CRITTENDON AUSTIN WATER.
AS KEVIN KLUGIE TO READ THE QUESTIONS, HE'S GOT THEM IN FRONT OF HIM.
COMMISSIONERS, KEVIN, CHLOE, WATER CONSERVATION, FOR US TO MONITOR, THERE ARE THREE QUESTIONS THAT
[00:10:01]
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS SENT OVER EARLIER TODAY.UH, THE FIRST ONE WAS SOME OF THE VIOLATIONS APPEAR TO BE CHRONIC OR ONGOING GOING RATHER THAN ACUTE OR ONE TIME WILL THESE VIOLATIONS BE ASSESSED PER DAY? IF SO, HOW WILL THE TIMEFRAME BE DETERMINED? SHE HAD A GOOD POINT.
SOME VIOLATIONS MIGHT HAPPEN OVER AND OVER.
THEY MIGHT BE LATE FOR A REPORT ONE DAY AND THEN THE NEXT DAY AND THE NEXT DAY.
UM, OR THERE MAY BE SOME VIOLATIONS THAT MAYBE ONE TIME SUCH AS, AS A LEAK OR, UM, MAILER WATERING ON THE WRONG DAY, IN TERMS OF ISSUING NOTICES OF VIOLATION.
WE, WE COULD ISSUE A NEW NOTICE OF VIOLATION EVERY DAY THAT THAT, THAT, UH, VIOLATION IS IN PLACE.
BUT THAT REALLY IS NOT OUR INTENT.
OUR INTENT IS NOT TO PILE ON AND FIND PEOPLE A LOT.
OUR INTENT IS TO HAVE THE ACTION CORRECTED.
SO WE'D WANT TO GIVE THEM SOME TIME, UM, TO CORRECT THE ACTION, GIVE THEM SOME DUE PROCESS AND GOING THROUGH A HEARING IF THEY CHOSE TO GO THAT WAY.
AND ALSO BASED ON THE MAGNITUDE OF THE, UH, THE RISK, UH, VIOLATION.
SO IT COULD BE ISSUING THEM ONCE A MONTH.
UM, WE'LL HAVE TO SEE AS WE GET INTO IT AND RETAIN SOME FLEXIBILITY ON HOW OFTEN, BUT IT WILL NOT BE EVERY DAY TO ISSUE NOTICES OF VIOLATION.
THE SECOND QUESTION, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE PROTOCOLS AREN'T DEVELOPED YET.
UH, HOWEVER, WHEN WILL THEY BE AT IT'S OFTEN ILL ADVISED TO DEVELOP PENALTIES BEFORE YOU'RE SURE HOW YOU'LL ACTUALLY ENFORCE, UM, A BIT OF CLARITY.
WE DO HAVE ENFORCEMENT PROTOCOLS DEVELOPED AND WE'VE HAD THEM FOR SOME TIME.
UM, BUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO WITH THESE NEW PENALTIES AS WE'RE DIFFERENTIATING THESE PENALTIES, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ADJUST THOSE PROTOCOLS.
SO WE'RE NOT STARTING FROM ZERO.
WE ARE, WE'LL HAVE TO ADJUST THOSE PROTOCOLS TO ACCOUNT FOR THE DIFFERENT PENALTIES IN THE HEARING PROCESS AND HOW, HOW LONG OR WHEN WILL THEY BE? UM, I WOULD IMAGINE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS THEY CAN BE DEVELOPED, UH, WE'RE TAKING IT TO THE COUNCIL IN APRIL.
UH, SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD TIMEFRAME.
AND THEN THE THIRD QUESTION, WELL, THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION BE INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DOCUMENT.
SINCE I ASSUME IT WILL BE AN INTERNAL POLICY, NOT SPECIFICALLY AS THIS IS AN INTERNAL PROCESS AT AUSTIN WATER, AND IT DOES NOT REQUIRE COUNCIL APPROVAL, THE PROTOCOLS THAT IS, UH, BUT WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO UPDATE THE COMMISSION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION PROTOCOLS AND PROCESSES ONCE WE GET THEM IN PLACE AND ENGAGE IN DISCUSSIONS, UM, WITH ALL OF YOU, IF THAT'S WHAT YOUR DESIRE IS.
I THINK THOSE WERE THE THREE QUESTIONS.
I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT, UM, THAT YOU MAKE IT CLEAR IN THE CODE IF AT THE VERY LEAST IN THE, IN THE POLICY, BUT, AND THE CODE, IF POSSIBLE, UM, ABOUT WHICH ONES WOULD BE CONSIDERED SORT OF CHRONICALLY APPLIED RATHER THAN ONE TIME, OR IF YOU'RE GOING TO ONLY APPLY THEM.
SO WHEN THE FIRST ON THE FIRST INSTANCE, UM, SO THAT IT'S CLEAR THAT THAT'S HOW IT'S GOING TO BE APPLIED.
THERE COULD BE SOME, UM, INTEREST IN THE COMMUNITY TO WANTING TO PILE ON WHEN YOU GUYS ARE MAKING THE CHOICE TO NOT, AND YOU WOULD NEED TO JUSTIFY THAT, THAT POSITION.
UM, IF NOT IN THE CODE, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE SURE THAT THAT'S HOW YOU'RE GONNA APPROACH IT, TO PUT THAT IN THE CODE, AS IT WOULD ONLY BE, YOU KNOW, EXERCISE ON THE FIRST INSTANCE OR AT THE VERY LEAST, AND THE POLICY AND THE PROTOCOLS, SO THAT YOU COULD POINT TO THOSE PROTOCOLS AND INDICATE THAT IT WOULD JUST BE ON THE FIRST INSTANCE.
AND IT WOULD NOT BE SORT OF A COMPOUNDING PENALTY, BUT THAT CAN, CAN BE PROBLEMATIC AS I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE FROM OTHER PENALTIES THAT YOU ASSESS FROM OTHER AREAS WITHIN AUSTIN ARE VERY GOOD.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS, UH, HAS A STAFF ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS AND THE, DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTION? NO, THAT, THAT CONCLUDES MY QUESTIONS.
UH, CASTLEBERRY GOT A QUESTION PLEASE.
UM, AND IT'S RELATED TO COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. UM, I HAD THE SAME QUESTION ON THE TIMING FOR THE GUIDELINES.
[00:15:01]
I THINK, UM, IN READING THROUGH THIS, I PERSONALLY WOULD FEEL BETTER SEEING THOSE GUIDELINES IN A PACKAGE TOGETHER WITH THESE PENALTIES, BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF, UM, AMBIGUITY AND KNOWING HOW THESE WOULD BE APPLIED.UM, SIMILARLY I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN W THE WHOLE PROCESS ABOUT IF, YOU KNOW, A CUSTOMER, UM, FELT THAT THEY WERE INAPPROPRIATELY FINES AND HOW THAT WOULD BE HANDLED, UM, I DO SUGGEST THAT THERE NOT BE A, A FEE FOR THEM TO FILE.
I THINK THAT IF THEY'RE THEN FOUND, IF THERE, IF, UH, CAUSE IT SAYS, UM, THERE WOULD BE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO PAY A NON-REFUNDABLE FILING FEE.
SO I THINK MAYBE MAKING IT, IF THEY'RE FOUND TO BE AT FAULT, THEN THEY WOUND UP PAYING THAT FEE, BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE A DETERRENT THAT SOMEBODY DISAGREES OR FEELS UNJUST TO BE ABLE TO SAY, HEY, I NEED SOMEBODY TO LOOK AT THIS.
IT SHOULDN'T BE A FEE ASSESSED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT RIGHT.
SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT CHANGE BE MADE.
UM, AND I WOULD, YOU KNOW, I WOULD PREFER SEEING, UM, WHAT ALL THOSE GUIDELINES LOOK LIKE.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I KNOW OUR INTENT IS NOT ILL, BUT, UM, SOME, SOME CUSTOMERS COULD MAYBE SEE IT, UM, AND BUILDING THAT TRUST WITH OUR CUSTOMERS IS SUPER IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW.
SO HAVING IT VERY CLEAR AS TO HOW THESE WOULD BE ASSESSED, HOW THE HEARING OFFICER WOULD ASSESS THAT.
I THINK IT'S JUST, IT'S SMART THING TO DO TO HAVE IT PACKAGED TOGETHER.
AND WHAT THE, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE FEE FOR THE MUNICIPAL COURT, UM, I DON'T LIKE, I PROBABLY WASN'T VERY CLEAR IN OUR WRITTEN ANSWERS, BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE END RESULT WHEN YOU GET TO THE MUNICIPAL HALL.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE AT THE END OF ANY APPEALS, UM, WHEN THEY FIRST RECEIVE, OR WHEN STAFF FIRST, UH, ARE AWARE OF A VIOLATION, THEY'LL GET A WARNING, THE CUSTOMER WILL GET A WARNING.
UM, AND THEN IF THAT'S FOUND SUBSTANTIATED, THEN THEY'LL GET NOTICE OF VIOLATION AND THE CUSTOMER CAN, THEN IN THIS, YOU HAVE A GOOD POINT THAT THIS SHOULD BE CLARIFIED, THAT THEY WILL HAVE A, UH, A SUPERVISORY, THEY CAN REQUEST A SUPERVISOR REVIEW.
UH, THAT'S HISTORICALLY BEEN OUR PROCESS.
AND IF THAT'S STILL FOUND TO BE SUBSTANTIATED, THEN THEY WILL GO TO THE THIRD PARTY HEARING.
NOW THERE'S NO FEE FOR THAT SUPERVISORY REVIEW, OF COURSE, OR THE HEARING, UM, IT JUST TO GO TO THOSE.
THE FEE FOR THE MUNICIPAL COURT IS ACTUALLY ALREADY IN CODE, UM, THAT WE HAVE.
SO, UH, JUST TO CLARIFY THAT IT PROBABLY, WASN'T VERY CLEAR IN THE ANSWER.
I THOUGHT TO HAVE A THIRD PARTY WOULD BE A FEE, UM, AND WHO IS PAYING THE THIRD PARTY HISTORICALLY? THE, UH, UTILITY HAS PICKED UP THIRD-PARTY HEARING FEE.
WE HAVE, WE WORK WITH AUSTIN ENERGY AND WE HAVE A CONTRACT FOR THESE THIRD PARTY HEARING OFFICERS.
UH, HISTORICALLY WE HAVE HAD VERY FEW HEARINGS, UM, BECAUSE THE WAY IT HAD BEEN SET UP, UM, FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS IS THAT CUSTOMERS, WHEN THEY GOT A NOTICE OF VIOLATION, THEY WOULD GET A SUPERVISOR REVIEW.
UM, AND THEN THEY COULD CHOOSE IF THEY WANTED A HEARING.
THEY CAN HAVE A HEARING VERY FEW OPTED TO GO TO A HEARING, UM, SO THAT IN THE PAST AWESOME WATERS PICKED UP THE COST OF THOSE HEARINGS.
AND THAT, THAT MAY BE DIFFERENT GOING FORWARD, DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF HEARINGS THAT WE HAVE SINCE, UH, THE PROCESS IS CHANGING TO AN AUTOMATIC HEARING.
SO I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD JUST A POINT OF CLARITY.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION HERE.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT, I MEAN, TO KEVIN'S POINT, I MEAN, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSES ALONG THE WAY THAT PROVIDE, UH, FOLKS THAT ARE ACCUSED OF VIOLATIONS TO HAVE THOSE, UM, ISSUES CONSIDERED
[00:20:01]
AN ESCALATED.AND THAT'S LONG BEFORE YOU GET SORT OF INTO SOME OF THESE DETAILS HERE, WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING, FRANKLY, GIVES US MORE TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO EXECUTE CERTAIN VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES AND MATCH THOSE BETTER.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN FRONT OF YOU.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE BEFORE THE, THE LIST OF PENALTIES IS FAIRLY SMALL, SO THERE'S A, A MUCH BIGGER AMOUNT OF, OF DIRECTION THAT WE HAVE TO GIVE TO STAFF AND THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY TO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE TO EXERCISE JUDGMENT OVER THIS ACTUALLY GIVES THAT KIND OF SHRINKS THAT DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND GIVES US BETTER DIRECTION HERE.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT.
OBVIOUSLY OUR GOAL IS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TRY TO GET COMPLIANCE AND IT'S NOT TRYING TO PENALIZE, FRANKLY, ONCE WE'VE GOTTEN TO THAT POINT, WE'RE IN A VERY, YOU KNOW, UM, UNHEALTHY PLACE.
AND SO WE HAVE MANY OPPORTUNITIES ALONG THE WAY FOR CUSTOMERS TO, YOU KNOW, COMPLY ALONG THE WAY.
UM, AND CERTAINLY BEFORE WE GET INTO THIS, THIS KIND OF PUNITIVE SITUATION, SO I JUST WANT TO ADD THAT.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHY IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO SEE SOME SORT OF GUIDELINES SO THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT EXACTLY WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, SO THAT AUSTIN WATER IS NOT LOOKED AT AS, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST THAT YOU'RE OUT IN THE OPEN WITH, WITH THE APPROACH AND THE INTENT, THE INTENT IS TO, TO CONSERVE WATER FOR EVERYBODY AND TO FOCUS ON THAT, NOT TO COLLECT FEES, NOT TO, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THE WORDING, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PENALTIES THAT ARE NEEDED FOR MORE AGREGIOUS AND PERSISTENT VIOLATIONS.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? YOU KNOW, WHAT'S, WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE? AND I THINK THOSE GUIDANCE WILL HELP.
WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF THAT? AND SOMEBODY COULD READ THAT AND SAY, WELL, YEAH, THAT THAT'S BAD, YOU KNOW, OKAY.
THAT'S NOT JUST, IT JUST GIVES A LITTLE BIT OF BOUNDARIES AND EXPECTATIONS THAT I THINK WILL PAVE THE WAY FOR PEOPLE UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTING.
CERTAINLY, AND AGAIN, THIS IS ALSO AN ATTEMPT TO TRY TO ALIGN OUR PENALTY AND FEE PROCESS WITH THE CITY'S OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE FEE PROCESSES.
SO IT IS A BIT OF A, AN ALIGNMENT, A CONSISTENCY ISSUE AS WELL.
SO WE'RE KIND OF TRYING TO WATCH WALK THAT BALANCE A LITTLE BIT, SO THAT WE'RE APPROPRIATELY, THE SPECIFICS OF WATER CONSERVATION PENALTIES ARE ALIGNED WITH THE FINDING, BUT ALSO FITS INTO THE RUBRIC OF OVERALL CITY VIOLATIONS.
UH, QUESTION IS THIS ITEM IS NOT A TIME SENSITIVE ITEM.
SO MY SUGGESTION IS IF THAT'S OKAY, WHY DON'T THE STAFF PREPARE A MAURICA INFORMATION PACKAGE OR WHATEVER, THEN RECITAL ALL THE SITUATIONS, WHAT'S THE INTENT OF THIS ACTIVITY, AND THEN GET A BRIEFINGS OF THE APPEARING PROCESS OR WHATEVER.
AND THEN THAT WAY, THAT WAY, WHEN WE SEND THIS OUT TO THE CUSTOMERS, UTD PAY RATE PAYERS, IF WE ARE MORE COMFORTABLE, THAT'S, WHAT'S THE THEORY BEHIND IT AND HOW TO IMPLEMENT IT.
I THINK THAT WILL HELP SATISFY A VICE-CHAIR KESSEL CASSOWARIES CONCERN.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE ARE GOOD PR FOR THE .
SO MY TAKE IS IF THAT'S OKAY, CAN WE POSTPONE? CERTAINLY WE CAN.
I MEAN, WE CAN CERTAINLY PREPARE A MORE COMPLETE BRIEFING THAT KIND OF GIVES MORE DETAIL THAN WHERE THAT'S ALLOWED SORT OF IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RCA.
SO WE CAN GIVE YOU A BETTER BRIEFING OF THAT.
AND I THINK WE CAN STILL WORK THAT OUT, KIND OF WITH OUR OTHER SCHEDULES, WE DO HAVE TO GO TO RMC FOR THIS RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION FOR THIS AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN ULTIMATELY HAVE TO GO TO COUNCIL, BUT ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO CLARIFY THIS COMMUNICATION WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO COME BACK TO Y'ALL AND EXPLAIN BETTER.
AND, UH, WE'LL UH, SEE IF WE CAN MOVE THIS FORWARD NEXT MONTH.
SO IT IS OUR OWN CABLES TO TABLE IT AND TYRANNY.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO POSTPONE IT UNTIL WE GOT MORE INFORMATION PACKAGE ON IT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, IF NOT ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SHOWING ALL AND APPROVE AN MSD AND THE COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. RAISE HER,
[00:25:01]
RAISE HER HAND.[B.11. Recommend approval to negotiate and execute an amendment to the cost reimbursement agreement with William Lyon Homes to increase the amount of the City’s cost reimbursement by $852,145.00 for a total amount not to exceed $1,675,000.00 for costs associated with the design and construction of an oversized wastewater force main and appurtenances related to Service Extension Request No. 4117R3 that will provide wastewater service to a proposed single-family development located at 6001 Kellam Road. ]
MOVE TO ITEM B.IT, EVAN RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO NEGOTIATE AN EXCUSE, AN AMENDMENT TO THE COST THAT REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENT WITH WILLIAM RYAN HOLMES TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF CITY COST REIMBURSEMENT BY 850, $2,145 FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $1,675,000 FOR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DESIGN AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN OVERSIZED WITH WATER FORCE MEN AND APPRENTICES RELATED TO SERVICE EXTENSION REQUESTS.
NUMBER 4, 1, 1 7, OR THE THREE THAT WE ARE PROVIDED WITH WASTEWATER SERVICE TO PROPOSE SINGLE FAMILY DEPARTMENT LOCATED AT 6 0 1.
I GOT A ONE CURIOUS QUESTION, IS THAT WHEN WE ORIGINALLY DO THE COST REIMBURSEMENT AND THEN NOW, BECAUSE OF COVID BECAUSE OF WHATEVER REASONS, AND NOW WE ARE, OF COURSE, UH, REIMBURSEMENT GOES UP 96% FROM THE ORIGIN ESTIMATE.
I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH, YOU KNOW, EVERY SINGLE PRICE GOES UP.
I AGREE, YOU KNOW, THE PROJECT TODAY UNDERSTAND BECAUSE THEY ARE COUNTRY THAT CANNOT GET TO THE MATERIAL STUFF THERE, BUT CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY THE PIT PRICE, THE CONTRACT PRICE IS SO HIGH AND HOW MANY PETERS PARTICIPATE? NOT IT.
SO AGAIN, KEVIN CRITTENDON AUSTIN WATER, UM, I'LL FIRST ADDRESS IT AT A HIGH LEVEL AND THEN SWEAT THE PONDERING HE'S HERE WITH ME AS WELL.
THEN WE CAN GET INTO SOME OF THE DETAILS.
UM, I THINK ONE OF THE NUANCES HERE IS, UM, UNDERSTAND THAT COST REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENT IS NEGOTIATED AT A VERY EARLY END OF THE PROJECT WITH THE DEVELOPER.
SO IN THIS CASE, IT WAS SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
UM, SO THERE'S A, THERE'S A GREAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHEN THE COST REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENT IS STRUCK AND WHEN THE, THE DEVELOPER ACTUALLY GOES THROUGH THE PROCESS TO SOLICIT BIDS.
SO A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU'RE USED TO SEEING FOR AUSTIN WATER PROJECTS, RIGHT? AUSTIN WATER PROJECTS, YOU SEE THE BID IN VERY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO WHEN THE DESIGN WAS DONE.
AND THEN IN THIS CASE, WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IN THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT IS GENERAL COST INFLATION THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING ACROSS THE CITY AND ACROSS THE UTILITY.
UM, SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK ON THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT WE DID RECEIVE, OR EXCUSE ME, THE CONTRACT, THE DEVELOPER DID RECEIVE THREE BIDS ON THIS PARTICULAR CONTRACT.
UM, I BELIEVE THE LOW BID WAS, UM, THROWN OUT FOR NOT MEETING GOOD FAITH EFFORTS.
SO THIS IS THE SECOND LOW BID.
UM, ALL THE BIDS WERE, UM, TIGHTLY CLUSTERED.
I MEAN, SO THERE'S NOT ANY REAL OUTLIERS IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE.
UM, AND I ALSO THINK THAT THE OVERALL UNIT COSTS THAT WE SAW EVEN IN THE SUCCESSFUL BIDDER IS VERY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE WOULD SEE IN OTHER, UM, LINEAR PROJECTS THAT WE WOULD OTHERWISE BE BIDDING OUT OURSELVES.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE HIGH LEVEL, UM, BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, UH, COMMISSIONER MORIARTY, PLEASE.
UM, SO KEVIN, ARE YOU KIND OF SUGGESTING THIS 96% INCREASE WAS PURELY INFLATION? WAS THERE ANYTHING LEFT OUT, WAS THE INITIAL ESTIMATE INCORRECT? WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE PROBLEM? UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE ARE PROBABLY SOME SLIGHT SCOPE CHANGES ALONG THE WAY THAT WERE PROBABLY NOT REFLECTED IN THE ORIGINAL COSTS CONTRACT, JUST BECAUSE AS THEY GOT INTO THE DESIGN PROCESS.
SO THERE MAY, I CAN'T REMEMBER ON THIS ONE, LIKE, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT SCOPE AND LET THAT ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS , UH, BUSINESS STRATEGY MANAGER, AUSTIN WATER, UM, ON THE WASTEWATER SCR ITSELF, SPECIFICALLY, THERE WERE SIX, THIS IS A FORCE MAIN, IT'S A 16 INCH OVERSIZED FORCE MAIN THE DUCTILE IRON PIPE AND THE ALMOST DOUBLED IN PRICE FROM THE ESTIMATE.
THAT WAS ONE PART OF THE INCREASE ALONG WITH THE PANDEMIC ON THE WATER PORTION OF IT.
THE SCOPE ADDITION WENT FROM A HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONAL DRILL AND JACK AND BORE THAT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL SCOPE.
SO THAT'S CLOSE TO ABOUT A THOUSAND LINEAR FEET OF HDD AND THE ORIGINAL SKULL PAD,
[00:30:01]
FIVE 50 LINEAR FEET OF JACK AND BOARD, AND NOW IS CLOSE TO 500 LINEAR FEET OF JACK AND BORE.SO THOSE WERE THAT THAT WOULD EXPLAIN A LOT OF IT IN MY OPINION.
WOULD YOU NOT AGREE MA'AM YES, SIR.
JUST A COMMENT, UM, BECAUSE IT DID RELATE TO ITEM 10 AS WELL.
IF WE COULD REALLY EMPHASIZE THAT IN THE WRITE-UP AND THE BACKUP, IT WOULD HELP A LOT THAT WE DON'T ASK THOSE QUESTIONS.
GOT ANY MORE QUESTION FOR STUFF? IF NOT, WE'LL ENTERTAIN MOTION CHAIR ON MOVE TO APPROVE MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER MS. CHER AND SECOND BY COMMISSIONER OH, IN WEBER PRIESTS, RAISE YOUR HAND AND SHOW HIM APPROVE AN MSC AND COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. RAISE HER HAND.
[C.1. Appointment of Budget Committee Members and Officers; Chair and Vice-Chair ]
NOW WE MOVE ON TO ITEM C1, APPOINTMENT OF BUDGET COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND OFFICERS CHAIR, AND VICE CHAIR.SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE GOT COMMISSIONER IS THE CHAIRPERSON, AND WE GOT, UH, ARE YOU THE VICE CHAIR? VICE CHAIR IS, UH, COMMISSIONER MICHELLE.
AND, UH, WE GOT, UH, TESLA COMMISSION VICE-CHAIR CASTLEVANIA AS A WOMAN, OTHER THE COMMITTEE BUDGET COMMITTEE, OR YOU'RE NOT YOU HAVEN'T, UH, COMMISSIONER PANTIES, RIGHT.
AND WHO ELSE? OH, COMMISSIONER FISHER.
SO, AND CHRISTINE TOO, WE GOT SOLD.
I THINK I WAS ON IT, BUT I'M NOT TAKE AWAY ANYBODY.
SO RIGHT NOW WE GOT COMMISSIONER AS THE CHAIRPERSON AND COMMISSIONER MICHELLE AS THE VICE CHAIR.
AND WE GOT A COMMISSIONER FISHER AND WILLIAM WILLIAMS AS THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
AND I'D LIKE TO S CAN YOU GUYS TO CONTINUE SERVICE ON YOUR POSITIONS IF THAT'S OKAY.
AS A COMMISSIONER TODAY HAS, UH, ECONOMIC SHE'S WAITING TO CONTINUE TO SERVE AS A CHAIRPERSON AND A COMMISSIONER.
MICHELLE IS WAITING TO SH TO SERVE AS THE VICE CHAIR AND THEN COMMISSIONER FISHER AND, UH, COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. YOU'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SERVE AS A BUDGET COMMITTEE MEMBER.
I'D LIKE TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE MEETING SCHEDULE BEFORE I COMMIT.
[C.2. Discussion of meeting schedule for Budget Committee ]
TO ITEM C TWO.SHE WENT FOR NOW IN THE JUMP ON TO ITEM C TO DISCUSSION OR MEETING SCHEDULE FOR BUDGET COMMITTEE AND A CHAIR TO RITA TO GIVE US AN IDEA OF THE MEETING SCHEDULE.
SO, UH, IF I CAN INTERRUPT THIS AS BLANCA.
SO, UH, THIS, THIS, UH, AGENDA ITEM IS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BY NEXT MONTH THERE WILL BE OPTIONS.
UH, I WILL HAVE TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH TO SECURE LOCATION AND, UH, GIVE OPTIONS TO THE MEMBERS OF WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO THEM.
BECAUSE LAST TWO YEARS IT'S BEEN VERY LIMITED.
SO I WILL REACH OUT TO THE APPOINTED BUDGET COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND FOLLOW UP, UH, TO GIVE THEM AN OPTION.
AND THEN BY NEXT MEETING, THEY CAN CONFIRM WHAT THE MEETING SCHEDULE WILL LOOK LIKE IF THAT'S OKAY WITH EVERYONE.
UM, I CAN ADD TO THAT, THAT WE USUALLY MEET THREE, MAYBE FOUR TIMES.
SO THE SOUGHT A CHAIRPERSON 38 HAD MENTIONED THAT THE MEETINGS USUALLY THREE OR FOUR TIMES, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE WEBPACK DEPENDS ON THE BUDGET RESULT OR WHATEVER, OR MORE QUESTIONS THEY MAY BE, HAVE ADDITIONAL MEETINGS.
SO I PUT THIS WAY, LET'S, IT'S, UH, ASKING COMMISSIONER TO SERVE THE CHAIR, COMMISSIONER MICHELLE AS A VICE CHAIR AND A COMMISSION PAN AND FISHER AS A COMMITTEE, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
AND WE ALL RESERVE COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS
[00:35:02]
AND US, WHENEVER YOU, THIS EU, UH, AVAILABLE OR SCHEDULE IS NOT CONTRADICTING, AND WE WILL INVITE YOU ANY TIME TO JOIN THE BUDGET COMMITTEE.AND WE DON'T NEED TO BOLT, RIGHT.
BUT WE DON'T NEED TO BOTH DELETE THAT'S RIGHT, SIR.
[D.1. Update from Joint Sustainability Committee ]
ON TO ITEM UPDATE FROM THE JOINT PDT COMMITTEE.THAT'S GOING TO BE COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. OH.
WE HAD A MEETING THIS PAST MONTH.
UM, AND THE MAJORITY OF THE MEETING WAS DISCUSSING HOW THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CLIMATE ACTION EQUITY CLIMATE EQUITY ACTION PLAN WAS GOING TO BE DONE AND WHO WAS GOING TO MANAGE IT.
UM, WE DISCUSSED POTENTIALLY TRYING TO GO TO COUNCIL TO GET ALL OF THE RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS, TO PITCH IN, ON A STAFF PERSON, UM, TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE THE IMPLEMENTATION, UM, AND THE TASK TRACKING AND REPORTING, ET CETERA, UH, TO DO THAT.
AND THERE WAS ALSO SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT, UM, BEING, ALLOWING THE TASK FORCE TO BE COMPRISED OF THE, UM, ADVOCATES THAT THEY WOULD POTENTIALLY BE HIRING, UM, THIS YEAR TO ALSO SERVE ON THE TASK FORCE COMMITTEE, BECAUSE THERE POTENTIALLY THERE, THERE, THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY COULD BE THESE TASK FORCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS COULD BE PAID, AND THAT HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED AS A WAY TO TRY TO ENCOURAGE GREATER PARTICIPATION IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO THERE WERE NO, UM, SORT OF RESOLUTIONS TO THIS QUESTIONS AT THAT MEETING, BUT, UM, THERE WILL BE SOME MORE DISCUSSION AT THE NEXT MEETING AND POSSIBLY, UM, REACHING OUT TO CITY COUNCIL ABOUT SOME BUDGETARY, SOME RELATED BUDGETARY REQUESTS.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT.
COMMISSIONER GOT ANY QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS, IF NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[D.2. Update from the Austin Integrated Water Task Force ]
LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM D TO UPDATE FROM THE AUSTIN INTEGRATED WATER TASK FORCE, COMMISSIONER MORIARTY.UM, WE HAD A, UH, THE WATER FORWARD GROUP IN AN EFFORT TO KIND OF, UH, CONSOLIDATE THE NUMBER OF SUB COMMITTEES.
WE HAVE ESTABLISHED BASICALLY TWO SUB COMMITTEES AND WE HAD SEVERAL BEFORE AND THE FIRST SUB COMMITTEE IS WHAT'S KNOWN AS IMPLEMENTATION.
SO THAT SUB COMMITTEE WOULD BE INVOLVED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WATER FORWARD PLAN, THE SECOND SUB COMMITTEE AND KEVIN, YOU CAN COME UP HERE CAUSE I I'M GOING TO FORGET SOME THINGS.
AND KEVIN KNOWS ALL THE ANSWERS.
UM, THE SECOND SUBCOMMITTEE IS, IS RELATED TO THE UPDATE OF THE WATER FORWARD PLAN FOR MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.
THE WATER DEPARTMENT IS IN THE PROCESS UPDATING THE PLAN, WHICH THEY AGREED TO DO EVERY FIVE YEARS.
SO LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE POPULATION GROWTH, ET CETERA, AND, AND ALL THE STRATEGIES.
SO WITH THAT, UH, BASIS, OUR SUBCOMMITTEE ON IMPLEMENTATION, WHICH I AM A MEMBER OF, I'M NOT A MEMBER OF THE OTHER ONE.
SO, BUT WE MET LAST WEEK ON MARCH 1ST.
AND THE PRINCIPAL ISSUE THAT WAS DISCUSSED WAS THE WATER DEPARTMENT IS DRAFTING AN ORDINANCE, OR IT MAY BE SUPPLEMENTING AN OLD ORDINANCE, BUT THE POINT OF THE ORDINANCE IS TO ADDRESS RESIDENTIAL WATER CONSERVATION.
SO KEVIN WHO WAS THERE, HE WAS UP HERE EARLIER.
HE WAS THE PRINCIPAL, UM, PRESENTER ON DEVELOPING THE ORDINANCE THAT WOULD RELATE TO HOW RE RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES ARE TREATED FROM A WATER CONSERVATION PERSPECTIVE.
SO, UM, THEY'RE DOING, UH, QUITE A BIT OF OUTREACH TO PEOPLE LIKE LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES THAT WOULD, UM, HAVE INPUT
[00:40:01]
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS.AND SO THE QUESTION THAT I KIND OF ASKED AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THIS MEETING WAS WHAT DO WE THINK THIS IS GOING TO TURN INTO? AND I, WE KIND OF DISCUSSED IT A BIT AND IT WAS, WOULD WE SHRINK THE IRRIGATED AREA FOR A TYPICAL LOT IN A SUBDIVISION, WHICH OF COURSE WOULD BE A GOOD THING TO DO.
ONE THING I RECOMMENDED THAT SHE WAS GOING TO FLY, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT PUTTING, MAKING THESE DEVELOPERS PUT PURPLE PIPE IN THE STREET AND RUNNING WHERE IT'S FEASIBLE RUNNING RECLAIMED WATER TO EVERY HOUSE.
AND, UM, SO IT'S THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT THE WATER DEPARTMENT IS KIND OF LOOKING AT.
SO WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT AND KEVIN, THAT WAS THE BIG ITEM AND GO AHEAD AND SUPPLEMENT WHAT I JUST SAID, BUT WHAT, UH, WHAT DID I FORGET? AND I APOLOGIZE.
SO, NO, I'M AGAIN, KEVIN CRITTENDON AUSTIN WATER.
UM, I WOULD JUST SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS.
NUMBER ONE, IT'S A LITTLE AWKWARD.
UM, WE HAD ANTICIPATED TO HAVE THE FULL WATERFORD TASK FORCE MEETING BEFORE NOW.
AND SO I THINK THIS ITEM REALLY IS A REPORT OUT ON THE FULL MEETING THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE OF SCHEDULING ISSUES WITH CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
SO WE DID PIVOT AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET IN SOME SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT COMMISSIONER MARIOTTI IS REFERRING TO, UM, THE FULL, SO THOSE WERE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS THAT WERE HELD ON MARCH 1ST.
WE WILL BE HAVING A LEGITIMATE TASK FORCE MEETING ON MARCH 21ST.
SO YOU'LL GET A MORE COMPLETE UPDATE AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
UM, BUT ADDITION TO THE ITEMS THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER MORIARITY TALKED ABOUT, I THINK REALLY, UM, AGAIN, THE BIG ITEM IS A LOT OF OUR PRELIMINARY WORK THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW WITH LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION THAT HE MENTIONED AGAIN, THAT WAS A KEY ITEM IN WATERFORD PLAN.
UM, THAT'S BEING LED BY THE WATER CONSERVATION DIVISION.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPTIONALITY THAT MAY BE EXECUTED THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
IT COULD BE TYPES OF PLANTS THAT ARE ALLOWED TO BE PLANTED IN RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPES, UM, COULD HAVE TO DO WITH IRRIGATION SYSTEMS AND IRRIGATION SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS.
THERE'S A WHOLE LONG LIST OF THINGS THAT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED.
THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE INVOLVED WITH RIGHT NOW IS SORT OF A, UM, OUTREACH PROCESS.
SO WE'VE HAD AT LEAST ONE, IF NOT TWO, THREE MEETINGS, THERE YOU GO.
WE'VE ALSO SET UP A SPEAK-UP AUSTIN PAGE TO TRY TO GATHER INPUT THROUGH THAT.
SO YOU'LL BE HEARING MORE ABOUT THAT.
WE'RE VERY EARLY IN THE PROCESS.
SO, UM, OTHERWISE I THINK ON THE IMPLEMENTATION SUBCOMMITTEE, REMEMBER THAT, UH, WE PASSED THE WATERFORD OR COUNCIL PASSWATER FORD IN 2018.
WE'RE DUE TO UPDATE THAT IN FIVE YEARS, WE'RE GOING TO BE A LITTLE DELAYED BECAUSE OF DELAYS IN, UM, DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION FROM THE CENSUS.
AND SO WE'RE MOVING 24 WOULD BE OUR 20, 24 WOULD BE OUR UPDATE.
UM, I THINK, UH, WE'RE VERY FORMATIVE STAGES THERE.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY SPEAKING, LOOK TO SEE A VERY SIMILAR PROCESS IN THE UPDATE THAT WE EXECUTED KIND OF ORIGINALLY.
UM, I THINK REALLY WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON RIGHT NOW AT A STAFF LEVEL IS, UM, GUIDING PRINCIPLES, GOALS AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
SO AGAIN, THE SUBCOMMITTEE WILL BE WORKING THROUGH KIND OF THE WORD SMITHING OF SOME OF THOSE GOALS AND MAKE SURE THERE'S CLARIFICATION THERE.
WE'LL BE SHARING THAT FROM THE SUBCOMMITTEE WITH THE FULL WATERFORD TASK FORCE AND A BROADER DISCUSSION AGAIN ON THE 21ST.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE QUICK NUTSHELL IN ADDITION TO WHAT COMMISSIONER YEAH, LET ME ADD A LITTLE BIT, YEAH, I KNOW IN OUR MEETING, THE QUESTION CAME UP BECAUSE BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THERE'S NOT A LOT OF SUBDIVISION DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN THESE DAYS THAT THE CITY IS RELATIVELY BUILT OUT.
SO THE QUESTION WAS, DO THESE RULES APPLY TO THE ETJ, WHICH I HOPE THEY DO.
AND AT THE TIME YOU WEREN'T SURE THAT KEVIN, BUT DID YOU FIGURE THAT OUT NOW? I DON'T HAVE AN EXPLICIT ANSWER.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE RUN THE DETAILS OF THAT DOWN.
SO AGAIN, SO MY QUESTION WAS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE PUTTING THOUSANDS OF HOMES UP BY THE TESLA FACTORY AND, UH, WE, WE GOT TO MAKING THESE DEVELOPMENTS A MODEL, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE ONES THAT ARE NEAR THE PURPLE PIPE, THAT WE COULD GET THEM TO GET THE DEVELOPERS, TO PUT THE THIRD PIPE IN AND HOOK UP THE HOUSES.
UM, THAT, THAT OUGHT TO BE SOMETHING WE, WE, WE LOOK AT VERY, VERY HARD.
I UNDERSTAND IF YOU'RE MILES AWAY, PROBABLY IT'S GOING TO BE HARDER TO GET PEOPLE TO EXTEND LINES THAT FAR, BUT IN THE SOUTHEASTERN PART OF TRAVIS COUNTY, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF PURPLE PIPE AND WE SHOULDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM GETTING, GETTING
[00:45:01]
WATER OVER THERE.SO I SAY THAT, AND THEN, UM, I I'VE THOUGHT OF SOMETHING ELSE THERE, KEVIN, I KIND OF FORGET, BUT, UH, BUT THAT WAS KIND OF THE BIG ISSUE GETTING THE, THE PLAN REVISED.
OH, UM, I NOTICED ON MY EMAIL THAT THE UTILITY IS DOING OUTREACH ABOUT AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY.
AND WHY DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT? I THINK THAT'S KINDA GOOD.
SO AGAIN, YOU'LL RECALL THAT AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY IS OF A SIGNIFICANT COMPONENT TO OUR WATER FORWARD PLAN.
THE IDEA THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE, UM, TREATED SURFACE WATER AND TIMES OF EXCESS AND STORE THAT IN AN UNDERGROUND, UM, UH, GEOLOGIC OR AQUIFER, UH, TO USE IN TIMES OF DROUGHT OR IN TIMES OF UPSET.
UM, SO WE'VE DEVELOPED A NUMBER OF COMMUNICATION ITEMS AROUND THAT, INCLUDING, UM, WE'VE GOT A, KIND OF A SLICK VIDEO VIDEO, WHICH WE'LL SHARE WITH YOU ALL, UM, PROBABLY IN A MORE OFFICIAL UPDATE.
UM, BUT WE ARE INVOLVED IN AN OUTREACH PROGRAM RIGHT NOW THAT FIRST STARTED WITH, UM, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND SO ON, HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH THAT AND STAFF BASICALLY TRYING TO REACH OUT WITH, UM, FIRST COUNCIL OFFICES, BUT THEN COUNTY OFFICIALS, UM, STATEWIDE OFFICIALS, AND THEN ALSO NEIGHBORING COUNTY OFFICIALS.
UM, SO THAT IS IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW, MOSTLY AT THIS POINT, IT'S REALLY JUST AN EDUCATION EXERCISE, IF NOTHING ELSE, TO TRY TO ALLEVIATE ANY CONCERN THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS GOING OUT AND TRYING TO MINE, GROUNDWATER AND GROUNDWATER ISSUES ARE VERY LOCAL.
AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT CONFUSING WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THAT ACTIVITY.
IT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN WELL RECEIVED AT THIS POINT.
AND, AND IT'S ALL PART OF A BIGGER PLAN TO KIND OF CONTINUE EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY AS WE MOVE ALONG AND GET ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK TO HELP US MAKE GOOD DECISIONS.
I'M CURIOUS HOW THE, UH, ANNA, HAVE YOU ACTUALLY MET WITH SOME OF THOSE OTHER COUNTIES OUTSIDE OF TRAVIS AND TALK THROUGH HOW HOW'D THAT GO? YES, WE ACTUALLY, UH, MET WITH, UM, THE COUNTY JUDGE AND A COMMISSIONER FROM LEE COUNTY HAD A VERY PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION AND I'LL JUST INTRODUCE MYSELF FOR THE RECORD ON, UH, BRIAN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS SERVICES AT AUSTIN WATER.
UH, WE'VE REACHED OUT TO COUNTY OFFICIALS FOR BACKDROP LEE AND OF COURSE TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, BUT HAD A VERY PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION.
AND PART OF THAT WAS TO EXPLAIN THAT WE'RE IN THE VERY EARLY STAGES OF A DESKTOP BOTTLING AND PREPARING FOR PILOT TESTING.
SO WE'RE COMING TO THEM EARLY TO SEEK THEIR COMMUNITY INPUT ON THE PROJECT.
AND, UM, IT REALLY WAS, AS KEVIN SAID, AN EDUCATIONAL CONVERSATION WHERE WE WERE SHARING WHAT OUR PROJECT COULD ENTAIL, BUT ALSO WHAT IS THEIR PERSPECTIVE, THEIR COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE ON WATER ISSUES.
AND IT'S VERY MUCH AS KEVIN DESCRIBED.
SO IT'S BEEN PRODUCTIVE SO FAR COUNTY PEOPLE SAY, UM, THE, UH, THEY'RE EXPERIENCING GROWTH IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THEIR COUNTY AND, UH, GROUNDWATER IS A CONCERN FOR THEM.
AND SO WE TALKED ABOUT HOW, HOW OUR PROJECT WOULD BE, UH, AS KEVIN DESCRIBED IT, TAKING WATER FROM OUR WATER SUPPLY IN TIMES OF PLENTY AND PUTTING IT INTO STORAGE THERE RATHER THAN EXTRACTING IT.
SO THEY SHOULD HAVE SAID WHAT A GREAT DEAL WE GOT.
SOME, WE GOT SOME GOOD FEEDBACK AND WE GOT, WE ALSO GOT THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON CONCERNS AND RISKS, AND THAT WAS VALUABLE.
UM, SO YEAH, I WOULD SAY IT WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE OPENING EDUCATIONAL CONVERSATION, BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY MORE TO BE DONE, UM, WITH, WITH THEM AND WITH OTHERS WHO, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LIKE TO BE WORKING AS PARTNERS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND I'LL CONCLUDE WITH, I SAID THIS BEFORE THAT, UH, SEVERAL OF US, UH, IN 2018, WENT DOWN AND SAW THE SAN ANTONIO ASR FACILITY.
AND AT SOME POINT, BECAUSE WE HAVE MANY NEW PEOPLE, WE OUGHT TO GET THAT BUS AND GO DOWN THERE AGAIN SO THAT PEOPLE ARE UNDERSTANDING.
CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO MIMIC IF I COULD USE THAT, THAT TERM.
BUT I REMEMBER IN 2018, VICE-CHAIR CASTLEBERRY AND, UH, COMMISSIONER YETTA AND I, AND OTHERS WENT DOWN THERE AND SAW THIS THING.
AND, UH, WELL, WE'RE GOING TO PUT A LOT OF MONEY INTO THAT, ASSUMING IT WORKS.
AND, UH, SO ANYWAYS, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL CONCLUDE.
UH, COMMISSIONER HAS GOT QUESTIONS.
UH VICE-CHAIR CASTLEBERRY, PLEASE.
I ALSO GOT THE EMAIL ABOUT THE ASR EDUCATION, AND EVEN WHEN IT COMES TO MEETING, I COMMEND YOU GUYS FOR
[00:50:02]
TAKING A VERY PROACTIVE APPROACH.EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO ACCEPTANCE.
SO, UM, I THOUGHT THE VIDEO WAS GREAT.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. YOU'VE GOT A QUESTION.
[E.1. Federal and State Infrastructure Funding ]
TO ITEM E ONE FEDERAL AND STATE IN FAR STRUCTURAL FUNDING COMMISSIONERS.WE HAVE, UM, TINA ROMERO COMING TO, UH, PRESENT THIS BRIEFING ON FEDERAL FUNDING THAT YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY REQUESTED.
MY NAME IS CHRISTINA ROMERO AS, UM, ANA.
I GO BY TINA AS WELL, AND I WILL PRE PRESENTING TODAY, THE INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING STRATEGIES FOR AUSTIN WATER.
TINA, LET ME GET IT ON THE RIGHT FORMAT.
OH, I THINK THAT'S A DIFFERENT PRESENTATION.
I NEED TO BRING THIS A LITTLE CLOSER.
UM, SO IN THIS OVERVIEW TODAY, I WILL BE GIVING A LEGISLATION UPDATE.
I'LL BE, UM, UPDATING ALSO ON TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD LOANS, UH, REGARDING OUR SWIFT, UH, LOAN FOR REUSE PROJECTS AND ADVANCED METERING INFRASTRUCTURE.
I'LL ALSO BE GIVING AN OVERVIEW OF DRINKING WATER AND CLEAN WATER STATE REVOLVING FUND PROJECTS AND THE AGGREGATE SAVINGS.
IN ADDITION, I'LL BE PRESENTING ON FUTURE PROJECTS FOR POTENTIAL TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD FUNDING.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, ON THIS SLIDE.
UM, THIS IS OUR LEGISLATION UPDATE.
SO ON NOVEMBER 15TH, 2021, PRESIDENT BIDEN SIGNED INTO LAW.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT ALSO KNOWN AS THE PROVIDES FOR AN OVERALL $973 BILLION IN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS.
TEXAS IS ESTIMATED TO RECEIVE A TOTAL OF $35.44 BILLION FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS THAT ARE SHOWN ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS SLIDE.
MAJORITY OF THE WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS FROM THE EPA WILL FLOW
[00:55:01]
THROUGH THE DRINKING WATER STATE REVOLVING FUNDS ALSO KNOWN AS GWS, RF, AND CLEAN WATER STATE REVOLVING FUNDS ALSO KNOWN AS CWS RF.AND THESE ARE PROGRAMS USED BY STATES TO PROVIDE LOW COST FINANCING FOR LOCAL WATER PROJECTS.
THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD WILL BE RECEIVING THOSE FUNDS FOR THESE PROJECTS AS THEY ADMINISTER THE CLAIM WATER AND THE DRINKING WATER SRS.
AND THEY'RE ESTIMATED TO RECEIVE $2.9 BILLION TO BE SPREAD OVER FIVE YEARS FROM THROUGH 26, IN WHICH 71% OF THOSE FUNDS THAT THEY RECEIVE WILL BE FOR DRINKING WATER SRF AND 29% FOR CLEAN WATER SRF AND PER EPA.
UM, WE'RE ALSO, UH, MONITORING FOR, UH, ANY DIFFERENT AND COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS.
UH, SO SOMETHING ELSE WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH THESE FUNDS AT THE BOTTOM, WE HAVE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, UH, THAT'S $8.3 BILLION, UH, THAT BUREAU RECEIVED, AND THAT WILL BE ALLOCATED OVER FIVE YEARS.
AND THE MAJORITY OF THAT FUNDING IS ALLOCATED FOR EXTRAORDINARY MAINTENANCE FOR RESERVED AND TRANSFERRED WORKS FOR RURAL, UH, WATER PROJECTS AND FOR WATER.
SO THIS SLIDE IS AN UPDATE OF OUR CURRENT TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD SWIFT AND SRF LOANS.
UM, SO THE SWIFT STANDS FOR STATE WATER IMPLEMENTATION FUNDING, UH, FOR TEXAS.
AND CURRENTLY WE HAVE $65.6 MILLION THAT WE HAVE USED FOR REUSE PROJECTS.
WE ARE ALSO IN, UM, IMPLEMENTATION, CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION FOR ADVANCED METERING INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT.
AND SO, UM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE, UH, THAT LOAN COMMITMENT OF $80.1 MILLION FOR A DRINKING WATER SRF.
WE HAVE THE NORTH AUSTIN RESERVOIR AND PUMP STATION AND THAT LOAN COMMITMENT IS $43.2 MILLION FOR ALL RIDGE WATER TREATMENT PLANT PUMP STATION ELECTRICAL FEED THAT'S $24.6 MILLION.
AND THEN DOWN TO OUR CLEAN WATER SRF, WE HAVE WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT PUMPING IN SLEDGE TICKNER AT $42.3 MILLION.
OUR SAR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT ELECTRICAL SUBSTATION PROJECT IS AT $10.7 MILLION.
SO IN TOTAL, OUR CURRENT LOAN COMMITMENTS FROM TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD FOR THOSE PROJECTS I JUST LISTED, UH, IN THE PREVIOUS SIDE, UH, PROVIDE A LOAN COMMITMENT OF $266.6 MILLION IN TOTAL.
AND TODAY, UM, AUSTIN WATER HAS CLOSED ON $197.7 MILLION, UM, OF THAT LOAN COMMITMENT.
IN ADDITION, WE HAVE SAVED $34 MILLION IN PRESENT VALUE SAVINGS TODAY.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, IN 2022, WE RECEIVED THE MOST SAVINGS AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE, WE CLOSED ON A LOT MORE DOLLARS IN 22.
SO THIS VIDE, UM, WE'LL JUST BE GOING OVER SOME OF THE FUTURE PROJECTS FOR POTENTIAL TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT, BOARD FUNDING.
SO UNDER SWIFT, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY, BUT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE RECLAMATION FUNDING SINCE THEY JUST RECEIVED FUNDING FROM THE I A FOR DRINKING WATER SRF.
WE ACTUALLY JUST RECENTLY SUBMITTED LAST WEEK, A TOTAL OF SEVEN PROJECT INFORMATION FORUMS TO THE WATER, TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD, AND FOR OUR CLEAN WATER SRF, THESE PROJECTS LISTED HERE, WE'VE SUBMITTED FIVE, UH, PROJECTS LAST WEEK, UH, TO THE BOARD AS WELL.
SO TOTAL PROJECTS WE'VE SUBMITTED LAST WEEK, A MOUNTAIN TO $289 MILLION.
AND NOW OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE COMMISSION KNOWS.
HE GOT A QUESTION FOR THE STAFF COMMISSION NO MORE.
UM, DID AUSTIN WATER CONSIDER TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ANY OF THE LEAD, UH, MONEY? UM, SO FOR, UH, THE DOLLARS THAT ARE ALLOCATED FOR LED AT THIS TIME, UM, WE DID GET WITH OUR ENGINEERS AND, UH, THEY ARE WORKING THROUGH, UM, THE LED PROJECTS AS THEY GO.
SO WE, WE DID NOT SEEK ANY DOLLARS FOR LED
[01:00:01]
AT THIS TIME, BUT WE DO KEEP TRACK TO SEE IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO, UM, NEED IN THE FUTURE AT THE FILING DEADLINE.WE, WE LOOK AT ALL OF OUR CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AND WE HAVE AN INTERNAL TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD COMMITTEE WITHIN AUSTIN WATER.
AND WE GO THROUGH OUR ENTIRE PLAN TO, UM, LOOK AT PROJECTS THAT, UM, CAN BE SELECTED FOR FUNDING.
UH, DOES THIS, THE AUSTIN WATER DEPARTMENT HAVE AN ISSUE WITH PFS? I'M SORRY, CAN YOU, UH, EXPLAIN WHAT THAT IS? UM, PROBABLY CAN'T I LIVE IT JUST, I JUST KNOW THE ACRONYM.
THESE ARE THE FOREVER CHEMICALS THAT THE, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN HAS ENORMOUS, UH, GRANTS AVAILABLE IF THAT'S AN ISSUE FOR YOUR UTILITY.
AND I GUESS I'M ASKING THE QUESTION, IF IT WERE AN ISSUE HERE COMES RICK CORNETTO TO EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS, UH, RECORDING AND ALSO WATER AT THIS TIME.
THAT THAT IS NOT AN ISSUE FOR ALL SOME WATER.
UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR, UM, THROUGH ANY OF THE REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS FOR P PHOS, BUT THAT IS NOT ONE OF THE, BUT YOU TEST FOR IT ON A REGULAR BASIS, NOT ON A REGULAR BASIS.
THERE IS A REQUIREMENT ON A CERTAIN TIMEFRAME.
I DON'T RECALL THE LAST TIME WE TESTED.
UM, BUT THERE WASN'T A CONCERN WHEN WE DID TEST.
WELL, I JUST WANT TO COMMEND YOU FOR DOING SUCH A THOROUGH JOB AND SAVING THAT $37 MILLION AND, UH, KEEPING, UH, KEEPING AN EYE ON ALL THESE PROGRAMS AND ALLOWING THE AUSTIN WATER DEPARTMENT TAKE ADVANTAGE.
COULD I JUST ADD, UM, I THINK WHEN YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE LED PROGRAM, THE GALVANIZED WATER SERVICE LINES, IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS SUBMITTED.
SO THAT WOULD BE ALSO PART OF THE PROGRAM.
SO YOU DID GO AFTER SOME LED DOLLARS GALVANIZED.
CAUSE THE GALVANIZED SERVICES GET TREATED LIKE A LEAD SERVICE IN THAT PROGRAM BECAUSE THOSE ARE SUBSTANTIAL GRANTS, UH, FOR, FOR LED WORK.
COMMISSIONERS GOT ANY QUESTIONS FOR A STEP? OH, I SEE MR. JOSEPH ON THE VIDEO.
YOU WANT TO ADD SOMETHING? JOSEPH? JUST REMEMBER 10 MUTE.
JOSEPH GONZALEZ SYSTEM DIRECTOR, AUSTIN WATER.
UH, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING FURTHER TO ADD.
I WAS, UH, AT THE READY THOUGH IN, IN CASE THEY NEEDED TO JUMP IN.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR THE STAFF? IF NOT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO
[E.2. Winter Storm Implementation Plan/Quarterly Update]
ITEM E TWO WINTER STORM IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, QUARTERLY UPDATE.COMMISSIONERS ON A BRIAN BOREHOLE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS SERVICES AT AUSTIN WATER.
I WILL INVITE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, SHEA RAULSON AND OPERATIONS MANAGER.
WE WILL BE PRESENTING TO YOU THIS EVENING, A, THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF QUARTERLY UPDATES ON OUR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT RESULTED FROM THE AFTER ACTION REVIEW FOR WINTER STORM.
MARY, I SEE THAT BLANCA HAS THE SLIDE DECK PULLED UP AND LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE'LL BE TALKING WITH YOU ABOUT TONIGHT, REALLY WHAT WE WANT TO DO THIS EVENING IS PROVIDE YOU A STATUS UPDATE SINCE OUR LAST BRIEFINGS TO YOU IN THE FALL ON OUR AFTER ACTION REVIEW.
IF YOU RECALL, DURING 2021, WE WORKED WITH OUR WINTER STORM WORKING GROUP AND, AND KEPT YOU UPDATED AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF THE AFTER ACTION REVIEW AND DEVELOPING RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, WHAT WE WANT TO DO IN 2022 HAS REALLY TURNED THE CORNER TO FOCUS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND SO TONIGHT, UM, I'LL BE SPEAKING WITH YOU ABOUT OUR PRIORITIZATION IMPLEMENTATION AND REPORTING PROCESS, AS WELL AS COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND MESSAGING AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
STEPHANIE SUE WILL SPEAK TO WINTERIZATION OF OPERATIONS AND SHAY RAULSON WILL SPEAK TO INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT PRIORITIES.
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OKAY.SO, UM, IN JANUARY, UH, WE BRIEFED OUR AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON OUR IMPLEMENTATION PLANS.
AND WE WANT TO BRING YOU UP TO SPEED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE SHARED WITH THEM.
SOME OF THESE ITEMS WILL BE FAMILIAR TO YOU BECAUSE WE REPORTED OUT ON PROGRESS OF SOME OF THESE ITEMS AS WE WERE WORKING OUR WAY THROUGH THEM LAST FALL.
UM, AND YOU WILL RECOGNIZE SOME OF THESE FROM DISCUSSION THAT YOU HAVE SEEN IN OUR AFTER ACTION REVIEW REPORTS THAT WE SHARED WITH YOU FIRST, WE, WE WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT AS WE WORK THROUGH THE RECOMMENDATIONS, WE RECOGNIZE THAT OUR WINTER STORM WORKING GROUP PROVIDED A VERY VALUABLE SERVICE TO HELP US PRIORITIZE, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
AND SO AS WE MOVE DOWN THE PATH OF DEVELOPING PROJECTS, WE ARE KEEPING THOSE PRIORITIES TOP OF MIND, AS WE SCHEDULE OUT OUR PROJECTS, WE HAVE SET UP IMPLEMENTATION TEAMS THAT WILL OVERSEE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THESE ARE CHAIRED BY MEMBERS OF OUR EXECUTIVE TEAM.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE GET THE BENEFIT OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU ALL HELPED US DEVELOP.
AND SO WE PLAN TO VERY PROACTIVELY MONITOR AND OVERSEE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE FULLY IMPLEMENTED.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE, WE'VE SET UP, UH, LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT FIVE SUBCOMMITTEES, EACH BEING CHAIRED BY ONE OF OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTORS.
UM, THE SUBCOMMITTEES ARE FOCUSED ON TOPICAL AREAS, SUCH AS, UM, CIP PROJECTS, WHICH ASSISTANT DIRECTOR RAULSON WILL BE CHAIRING EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, WHICH I WILL BE CHAIRING.
AND YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE OTHERS ON THE LIST.
SO THESE SUBCOMMITTEES WILL REPORT UP TO A MASTER COMMITTEE, WHICH IS CHAIRED BY OUR DIRECTOR.
THE MASTER COMMITTEE WILL MEET REGULARLY, UH, TO OVERSEE PROGRESS.
NEXT, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT WE WILL BE REPORTING OUT QUARTERLY.
THERE WILL BE ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY FOR MAKING PROGRESS ON THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO WE WILL BE REPORTING OUT TO OUR AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, AND WE WILL BE REPORTING OUT TO YOU ON A QUARTERLY BASIS AS WELL.
UM, WE, WE MENTIONED ON THIS SLIDE, THE 2018 COLORADO RIVER FLOOD, THAT WAS ANOTHER MAJOR EMERGENCY THAT HAD AN AFTER ACTION REVIEW REPORT.
AND IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO US TO ENSURE THAT WE TOOK ACTION ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT REPORT.
AND SO IN BRIEFING OUR AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, WE PROVIDED A SUMMARY OF THE PROGRESS THAT HAD BEEN MADE ON THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
MANY OF THOSE, UH, ITEMS WERE, UH, COMPLETED FULLY.
SOME OF THOSE HAVE CONTINUED TO CARRY FORWARD AS COUNCIL ITEMS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, I BELIEVE OUR POLYMER FEED SYSTEM IS A PROJECT THAT HAS RECENTLY, UH, MOVED FORWARD.
AND SO WE JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, WE ARE CITING THAT FLOOD IS AN EXAMPLE OF OUR COMMITMENT TO IMPLEMENTING FULLY THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE PLAN TO BRING THAT SAME APPROACH TO IMPLEMENTING THESE WINTER STORM RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO, UH, I'M GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT, UM, KIND OF A SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED, BUT WHAT I'D LIKE TO EMPHASIZE IS THAT IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, AS WINTER WEATHER APPROACHED, WE WERE REALLY, UM, FOCUSED ON BEING READY FOR WINTER WEATHER.
UH, NOT ONLY WITHIN THE UTILITY, BUT ALSO HAVING OUR COMMUNITY FEEL PREPARED FOR WINTER WEATHER.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO EXECUTE THOSE STRATEGIES, UH, THAT YOU WILL SEE HERE TONIGHT.
SO LET'S GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, THIS IS A TABLE OF STATUS OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING ITEMS MOVE FROM ONGOING AND NOT STARTED INTO THE COMPLETED CATEGORY, BUT WHERE WE STAND TODAY IS THAT ABOUT 54% OF THE 79 RECOMMENDATIONS IN OUR AFTER ACTION REPORT HAD BEEN COMPLETED.
35% ARE ONGOING AND ABOUT 10% HAVE NOT YET BEEN STARTED.
I'M GOING TO SHARE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND MESSAGING.
I'M SHARING THIS ON BEHALF OF ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, RANDY JENKINS, WHO COULD NOT BE HERE WITH US TONIGHT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT RANDY AND HER TEAM, UM,
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WORKED VERY HARD TO PREPARE IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS SO THAT WE WOULD BE READY FOR WINTER WEATHER THIS YEAR.AND SO HERE YOU SEE AN OVERVIEW OF THE KEY RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO COMMUNICATIONS.
WE NEEDED TO ADJUST AND ENHANCE OUR WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS MESSAGING INCREASE THE USE OF, UH, OUR NOTIFICATION SYSTEMS DURING EMERGENCIES.
WE NEEDED TO CONDUCT TARGETED OUTREACH TO MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES, AND WE NEEDED TO ENHANCE GUIDANCE AND TRAINING FOR OUR STAFF ON THE USE OF OUR PUBLIC NOTIFICATION SYSTEMS. WE HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ON ALL OF THESE ITEMS AND LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
I'D LIKE TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS MATERIALS THAT OUR COMMUNICATION STAFF PREPARED AS YOU'RE PROBABLY AWARE BY NOW.
UM, WE PREPARED WINTER WEATHER TIPS.
UM, THESE WERE PUBLISHED IN SIX LANGUAGES.
THESE WERE POSTED WIDELY ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, MANY OF OUR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS AMPLIFIED THOSE MESSAGES ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY REPOSTING OR RE-TWEETING THOSE MESSAGES.
WE ALSO, UH, PREPARED WINTER WEATHER TOOLKITS WITH METER KEYS AND HOSE.
BIB COVERS MORE THAN 10,000 ITEMS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE REALLY LEVERAGED THE AVAILABILITY OF OUR CITY OF AUSTIN UTILITY SERVICE CENTERS.
WE ALSO DISTRIBUTED THESE AT SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTERS AND RECREATION CENTERS.
UM, WE HOSTED COMMUNITY EVENTS AND YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE, ONE OF OUR FRIENDLY STAFF, READY TO SHARE THESE ITEMS WITH THE PUBLIC.
UM, WE ALSO PUBLISHED EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT OUR WINTER STORM WORKING GROUP HAD EMPHASIZED TO US THE NEED FOR MORE EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS FOR THE PUBLIC.
WE PUBLISHED TWO VIDEOS AS WELL.
ALL OF THE, UM, BRAND, WE ALSO DISTRIBUTED THESE ITEMS. UH, THE, THE TIP SHEETS WERE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH OUR CITY OF AUSTIN BRANCH LIBRARIES.
SO WE DID GET A GOOD BIT OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY AROUND THIS.
IT WAS REALLY OUR GOAL TO DIMINISH ANXIETY AS, AS WINTER WEATHER APPROACHED.
AND I'LL JUST SHARE WITH YOU ONE POSITIVE QUOTE THAT WE RECEIVED.
UH, ONE OF OUR CUSTOMERS WROTE US SAYING, I LIVED DOWN IN SOUTH AUSTIN.
ABOUT 10 DAYS AGO, YOU GUYS WERE PASSING OUT FREE WATER KEYS AND HOSE BIB COVERS.
AND I WENT DOWN AND GOT ONE AND THERE WERE ALSO PRINTED BLUE AND BLACK SHEETS THAT WERE THE BEST TIPS I HAVE EVER SEEN ON PREVENTION AND FIXING OF WATER LAKES.
IS THERE A POSSIBILITY YOU COULD SEND ME SOME MORE COPIES? I'D LIKE TO GET SOME, TO PASS OUT TO SOME OF MY NEIGHBORS.
SO OF COURSE WE WERE VERY HAPPY TO PROVIDE HIM THESE ITEMS TO SHARE WITH HIS NEIGHBORS.
AND THIS IS REALLY A GOAL OF, UM, CONVERTING A CUSTOMER INTO REALLY A FAN AND AN ADVOCATE OF AUSTIN WATER, SOMEONE WHO WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE OUR MESSAGES WITH NEIGHBORS, LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, A FEW ADDITIONAL, UH, ACTIONS THAT WE HAVE TAKEN.
AND, UM, THAT WE CONTINUE TO IMPROVE UPON RELATED TO COMMUNICATIONS.
UH, WE HAVE MADE IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR NOTIFICATION SYSTEMS. WE USE WARREN CENTRAL, TEXAS AS A NOTIFICATION SYSTEM.
WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE BASE MAPS AND PRESSURE ZONE MAPS TO THE CITY'S HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, SO THAT THOSE MAPS COULD BE PRELOADED, WHICH WOULD ALLOW US WHEN WE NEED TO USE THOSE SYSTEMS TO ACTIVATE THEM MORE QUICKLY.
WE ALSO TRAINED OUR STAFF ON HOW TO, UH, CONTINUE USING OUR, MY ATX PORTAL TO, UM, REACH OUT TO CUSTOMERS.
WE IMPROVED OUR MEDIA COORDINATION DURING, UH, INCIDENTS.
WE, WE MADE A PLAN FOR THAT AND WE WERE ABLE TO SUCCESS SUCCESSFULLY, UH, EXECUTE THAT PLAN TO ALIGN OUR COMMUNICATION UPDATES, UH, WITH THE NEWS CYCLE.
UH, WE ALSO WERE PREPARED TO USE RADIO ADS AND CONVERT THOSE TO EMERGENCY MESSAGING.
WE IMPROVED OUR COORDINATION WITH THE STAFF IN 3, 1, 1, AND IMPROVE THE ROUTING OF CALLS THAT WERE RECEIVED.
AND THEN WE ARE REALLY PROUD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO IMPROVE OUTREACH TO OUR MULTIFAMILY CUSTOMERS.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO DEVELOP A WINTER PREPAREDNESS E NEWSLETTER WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH AUSTIN ENERGY.
UM, ON, IN JANUARY WHEN COLD WEATHER STARTED TO SET IN, WE WERE ABLE TO ACTIVATE
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THAT AND SEND IT OUT TO OUR MULTI-FAMILY CUSTOMERS.AND, UH, WE CAN PLAN TO CONTINUE THAT QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION.
WE ALSO LEARNED FROM WINTER STORM URI THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO INCLUDE, UH, MORE REAL-TIME INFORMATION ABOUT SERVICE OUTAGES.
AND SO OUR STAFF DEVELOPED A SERVICE OUTAGE MAP, WHICH YOU SEE A SCREENSHOT OF IT RIGHT HERE.
IT INCLUDES LEAKS AND SHUTOUTS.
ALL OF THIS INFORMATION IS BROUGHT INTO ONE PLACE WHERE OUR CUSTOMERS CAN ACCESS IT.
SO CUSTOMERS CAN FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING NEAR THEIR HOME OR NEAR THEIR BUSINESS.
UH, IT IS LIVE ON OUR WEBSITE.
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE UPON IT.
SO IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS, WE WOULD WELCOME THOSE.
AND NOW LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
I'M GOING TO TRANSITION INTO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
JUST WANT TO BRIEFLY RECAP SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE HAVE MADE WITH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
WE TALKED ABOUT OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN DURING THE WINTER STORM WORKING GROUP.
THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN IS REQUIRED BY AMERICA'S WATER INFRASTRUCTURE ACT.
AND AS WE PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED WITH YOU, WE DID, UH, PREPARE A PLAN AND COMPLIANCE WITH, UM, THE, THE DEADLINES OF THAT LAW.
HOWEVER, WE LEARNED THROUGH WINTER STORM URI, THAT WE HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO REALLY STRENGTHEN THAT PLAN.
AND SO YOU SEE HERE, SOME OF THE ELEMENTS THAT WE ADDED TO THAT PLAN, WE DEVELOPED AN EXTREME COLD RESPONSE PLAN.
WE ALSO DEVELOPED DECISION MATRICES THAT GIVE US GUIDANCE FOR WHEN TO ACTIVATE OUR INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM.
AND SO USING THOSE, UM, THOSE DECISION MATRICES, WE'RE REALLY ABLE TO, UM, I WOULD SAY TAKE SOME OF THE GUESSWORK OUT OF WHEN IT IS TIME TO ACTIVATE OUR INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM.
AND WHEN IT IS TIME TO GO FROM BEING IN NORMAL OPERATIONS TO A LEVEL OF ELEVATED AWARENESS WHERE WE MAY NEED TO PUT THE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM ON STANDBY, THOSE DECISION MATRICES THAT WE DEVELOPED CONSIDER THINGS LIKE THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST FOR EXTREME WEATHER CONSIDER WHETHER WE'RE HAVING ANY OPERATIONAL ISSUES AND WHETHER THERE ARE OTHER EXTERNAL EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT COULD CAUSE US TO, UM, BE, UM, FACING AN EMERGENCY OR THE HEIGHTENED RISK OF AN EMERGENCY.
UM, WE ALSO, THROUGH THE UPDATE OF THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN, WE ENHANCED OUR PLANS FOR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS TO THE PUBLIC.
WE DEVELOPED PLANS FOR ALTERNATE DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES.
UM, WE ADDED TO OUR PLAN TO MAKE IT MORE COMPREHENSIVE, TO COVER WASTEWATER FACILITIES, WHICH IS BEYOND THE REQUIREMENTS OF AMERICA'S WATER INFRASTRUCTURE ACT.
AND THEN WE PREPARED EMERGENCY WATER USE RESTRICTIONS PROCEDURES.
FINALLY, I'LL JUST SPEAK TO OUR EMERGENCY WATER SUPPLIES.
I MENTIONED THE ALTERNATE DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES, AND REALLY WE DEVELOPED A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH, UM, THAT WE, UM, WERE ABLE TO, UH, HAVE AT THE READY THIS WINTER.
UM, WE DEVELOPED A HUB WAREHOUSE THAT'S EQUIPPED FOR INCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES.
THAT INCLUDES THE SHELTER IN PLACE SUPPLIES THAT ARE NEEDED TO SUPPORT OUR STAFF AS WELL AS OUR EMERGENCY WATER DISTRIBUTION SUPPLIES.
UM, FOR CUSTOMERS THAT INCLUDES BOTTLED WATER, THE WATER TOTES AND, UH, FIRE HYDRANT, ADAPTERS.
WE ALSO PURCHASED THE TWO POTTABLE WATER TRUCKS.
UH, YOU SEE ONE OF THOSE PICTURED HERE.
UH, THOSE WERE RECEIVED PREPARED AND READY TO GO INTO SERVICE.
AND WE, UH, BUILT UP OUR BOTTLED WATER CONTRACTS.
SO WE HAVE A LOCAL, UH, VENDOR WITH WHO MAINTAINS SUPPLY ON HAND, AND THEN WE HAVE A SECOND VENDOR, UH, WHO CAN PROVIDE MULTIPLE TRUCKLOAD SHIPMENTS FROM OTHER LOCATIONS.
SO REALLY THOSE ALTERNATE DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES WE'RE S WERE AT THE READY.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO DEPLOY THOSE STRATEGIES DURING THE BOIL WATER NOTICE OF, UM, IN FEBRUARY OF 2022.
NEXT SLIDE, I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO STEPHANIE SUE TO GIVE A SUMMARY OF OUR WINTERIZATION OF OPERATIONS.
MY NAME IS STEPHANIE SUE AND I'M THE OPERATIONS MANAGER FOR WATER TREATMENT AT AUSTIN WATER.
UM, AND AS ANA MENTIONED, UM, UM, I, WE, WE
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DID PROVIDE A BRIEFING TO THE AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE IN JANUARY.AND SO, UM, WHAT I'M GOING TO COVER IS REALLY JUST THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THAT.
AND, UM, IF THERE'S MORE DETAILED NEEDED, OBVIOUSLY I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
AND ALSO, UH, THERE WAS A LOT MORE DETAIL PROVIDED IN OUR, UM, AWOL PRESENTATION, BUT, UM, WHAT I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TODAY IS, UH, WHAT WE HAVE DONE ON THE OPERATION SIDE, UM, IN PREPARATION FOR, UM, OUR WINTER WEATHER THIS YEAR, UH, THE FIRST BULLET, UM, COVERS OUR WINTER WEATHER PREPARATIONS.
UM, FIRST THING BEING INSTALLATION WAS A BIG, UH, UH, ITEM THAT WE HAD TO REPAIR AND REPLACE AT ALL OF OUR WATER TREATMENT PLANTS.
UM, A LOT OF THE DAMAGE THAT WE SUSTAINED THROUGH WINTER STORM YURI HAD TO DO WITH A BROKEN PIPE, UM, AND INSTALLATION THAT HAD TO BE RIPPED OFF TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHERE THE BREAKS WERE COMING FROM THEN, AND THEN THE REPAIR.
SO THE TOP LEFT-HAND CORNER PHOTO THERE SHOWS A PHOTO FROM OLRICK, UM, OF A, UH, BANK OF PIPES THAT, UH, IT REALLY REPRESENTS A LOT OF WHAT WE HAD FOCUSED OUR EFFORTS ON LAST YEAR FROM A IMPROVEMENT TO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE STANDPOINT, IN ADDITION TO REPLACING THE INSTALLATION, WE ALSO DID A LOT OF, UM, SURVEYS OF OUR EXPOSED EQUIPMENT, CHEMICAL FEED SYSTEMS, PIPING, WHATNOT, AND MADE SURE AGAIN THAT WE FORTIFIED THOSE AND, AND HAD, UM, THE RIGHT, YOU KNOW, UH, PROTECTION AND INSULATION IN PLACE FOR THIS WINTER.
UM, WE ALSO STOCKED UP ON OUR SUPPLIES, THINGS LIKE SAND DEICING FLUID, UM, UH, SNOW CHAINS FOR OUR TRUCKS, UM, AS WELL AS, UM, HEALTH AND SAFETY ITEMS FOR OUR STAFF, UH, IN CASE THEY HAD TO SHELTER IN PLACE, WHICH WAS SOMETHING THAT WE HAD TO DEAL WITH DURING WINTER STORM URI.
SO THE BOTTOM LEFT HAND CORNER SHOWS A PHOTO SHOWS.
UM, SOME OF OUR, UH, FOOD PROVISIONS, WE HAD AIR MATTRESSES, COTS, UM, THINGS LIKE BOOT SPIKES, WHICH WAS SOMETHING THAT, THAT CAME OUT OF, UM, SOME OF OUR AFTER ASHCON ACTION DISCUSSIONS THAT, THAT PROVED PRETTY HELPFUL THIS YEAR.
UM, JUST SPIKES THAT WE CAN PUT ON OUR, OUR, OUR WORK BOOTS TO ALLOW OUR STAFF AGAIN, TO SAFELY TRAVERSE THE PLANT AND GET TO WHERE THEY NEED TO.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UM, WE, WE ALSO CAPITALIZE ON A LOT OF OUR EXPERIENCE FROM WINTER STORM YURI TO IMPROVE ON OUR STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR WINTERIZATION.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAD SLPS, UM, ALREADY WRITTEN UP MOSTLY TO COVER SOME OF THE COMMON FREEZING THAT, THAT WE'RE USED TO GETTING THE ONE, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN TWO DAYS OF FREEZING.
UM, WE REALLY BEEFED UP OUR SOP TO COVER HARD, A HARD FREEZE, UM, THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, DRAINING LINES THAT AREN'T IN USE DURING AN EVENT, UH, TURNING OFF CHEMICALS THAT ARE NOT, UM, CRITICAL, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, REALLY, UH, THROUGH THE END OF LAST YEAR, UM, WORKED A LOT ACROSS ALL OF OUR MAJOR FACILITIES ON, UM, IMPROVING UPON OUR, OUR, OUR, UH, WINTERIZATION SLPS.
UM, THE NEXT BULLET ITEM HAS TO DO WITH, UM, REALLY UPDATING OUR APPROACH TO CAPACITY PROTOCOLS, UM, AND CONSIDERATIONS FOR MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES.
SO, UH, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT, THAT WE LEARNED COMING OUT OF WINTER STORM YURI WAS, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE REALLY NEED TO MAINTAIN A CERTAIN CAPACITY IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO REACT TO THE DEMAND OF THE CITY.
AND SO THAT THE TOP RIGHT-HAND CORNER OF PHOTO IS A PHOTO OF, ONE OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS ACTUALLY CLEANING AN EMPTY BASIN AT DAVIS WATER TRUMAN PLAN.
AND THIS IS A PRETTY INTENSIVE, UM, UH, ACTIVITY THAT HAPPENS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS WITH ALL OF OUR BASINS AT ALL AT ALL OF OUR WATER PLANTS.
AND SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S INTENSIVE AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WE TYPICALLY DO DURING WINTER TIME, UH, BECAUSE OF THE COOLER WEATHER IS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY BECAUSE OF LOWER DEMAND.
AND, UM, SO TRADITIONALLY OUR APPROACH HAS BEEN TO TAKE CARE OF A LOT OF THESE, UM, THESE IMPORTANT, UH, ACTIVITIES DURING THE WINTER TIME.
AND, UM, REALLY WHAT WE HAD TO DO COMING INTO THIS WINTER WAS TO UPDATE THAT APPROACH AND UPDATE OUR STRATEGY FOR, UH, REALLY MINIMIZING THE NUMBER OF BASINS OFFLINE, BUT STILL RECOGNIZING THAT THESE ACTIVITIES ARE IMPORTANT AND THEY NEED TO CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.
SO, UM, A LOT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT WE HAD TO DO AS FAR AS GETTING READY FOR THIS WINTER WAS TO UPDATE THAT STRATEGY.
AND, UM, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE DID THAT WAS REALLY TO AN ENHANCE OUR, UM, THE WAY THAT WE, UH, COMMUNICATE ABOUT, UM, OUTAGES, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE COORDINATING WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT FACILITIES KIND OF ACROSS THE BOARD, MAKING SURE WE HAVE OUR CONTINGENCY PLANS IN PLACE.
UM, AND THEN, UM, ALSO, UH, UTILIZING OUR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, UM, TOOL, UH, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOLKS, UM, HAVE, HAVE, UH, HAVE BROUGHT, BROUGHT TO US AND THAT WE WERE ABLE TO REALLY, UH, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO USE SO FAR A LOT THIS YEAR, AS FAR AS COMMUNICATING UNPLANNED OUTAGES AND KIND OF MAKING SURE AGAIN, THAT FACILITIES ARE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON KIND OF ACROSS THE BOARD.
UM, I DO THINK THAT WE WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO INVEST, YOU KNOW, IN OUR FACILITIES, AS FAR AS
[01:25:01]
AGAIN, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MAINTAIN A CERTAIN CAPACITY YEAR ROUND, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, TAKING THE BASEMENTS OFFLINE AND DOING THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE NEED TO DO, UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, REALLY.AND SO I'LL, I'LL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL NEED TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR FACILITIES TO ALLOW FOR THAT KIND OF CAPACITY TO BE MAINTAINED.
BUT, UM, THE BOTTOM RIGHT-HAND CORNER, UH, IS, IS, IS KIND OF REPRESENTATIVE OF JUST SOME INNOVATIONS THAT ALSO WE'RE, WE'RE INVESTING IN.
IT'S A, THAT IS A PHOTO OF A, UM, REMOTELY OPERATED CAMERA, UH, FOR AN INSPECTION OF, OF, UH, UM, WATER TANK.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING TYPICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU HAVE TO DO ON A, ON A FREQUENT BASIS.
UM, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, REQUIRES THE TANK TO BE DE-WATERED AND, YOU KNOW, INSPECTED AND WHATNOT.
AND SO THE USE OF A TECHNOLOGY LIKE THE, LIKE AN ROV CAMERA ALLOWS US TO, AGAIN, MAINTAIN CAPACITY WHILE STILL FULFILLING THE NEEDS OF OUR, UM, OF, OF MAINTAINING EQUIPMENT.
UM, I THINK THAT'S ALL I WAS GONNA COVER.
UM, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS SHEA ROLSON ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ENGINEERING, AND I WILL BE REVIEWING OUR UPDATES TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS.
SO AFTER WINTER STORM URI, WE REVIEWED SOME OF THE VULNERABILITIES THAT WE FOUND IN OUR SYSTEM AND DETERMINED THAT ADDITIONAL STORAGE AND TRANSMISSION, UM, W WAS, IS IMPORTANT.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE ACCELERATED THREE PROJECTS THAT WERE ALREADY IN OUR CIP, BUT THEY WEREN'T PLANNED TO START YET.
UM, AND SO THOSE ARE LISTED HERE.
THE SOUTHWEST PARKWAY ELEVATED TANK AND TRANSMISSION MAIN WILL, UM, IMPROVE RESILIENCY FOR SOUTHWEST, BE PRESSURE ZONE.
THE MCNEIL ROAD TRANSMISSION MAIN, UH, ALLEVIATES A BOTTLENECK IN OUR TRANSMISSION MAIN SYSTEM THAT WILL ALLOW ADDITIONAL FLOW FROM HANCOCKS AND TO NORTH AND NORTHWEST PRESSURE ZONES.
AND THEN THE CENTER STREET PUMP STATION, THAT'LL BE, UH, UH, COMPLETE PUMP STATION REPLACEMENT, INCLUDING ELECTRICAL.
UH, SO THAT'LL IMPROVE OUR PUMPING RESILIENCY INTO THE SOUTH ZONE.
SO ALL OF THREE OF THESE PROJECTS WERE, UM, OR KNOWN PROJECTS THAT WE INTENDED TO THAT WERE IN OUR LONG RANGE CIP, BUT WE ACCELERATED THEM TO START THEM NOW.
SO, UM, WE'LL BE, WE'VE ALREADY, WE DID THAT RIGHT AFTER THE WINTER STORM.
AND SO THEY'RE GOING INTO PLANNING, UM, RIGHT NOW, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF ONGOING RESILIENCY PROJECTS THAT, UM, THE COMMISSION WORKING GROUP, UH, HELPED US WORK THROUGH AND IS AWARE OF.
UM, AND YOU HAVE SEEN RCAS FOR MANY OF THESE.
SO NORTHWESTERN RESERVOIR THAT IS REPLACING THE RESERVOIR THAT WAS BUILT IN 1913, WHICH I HOPE IS THE OLDEST ASSET IN OUR SYSTEM.
UM, AND THAT RESERVOIR IS CONSTRUCTED AND WE'LL BE GOING ONLINE THIS SUMMER.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT NEWS GETTING THAT PROJECT INTO, INTO OPERATION.
UM, MY ATX WATER IS THE SMART METERS.
THOSE THAT, UM, WILL REALLY HELP US IN.
I THINK YOU ALL HAVE SEEN, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH WE ARE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH OUR CUSTOMERS AND ALSO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE METER.
UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IN ANOTHER SITUATION WHERE MASSIVE PRIVATE SIDE BREAKS ARE A PROBLEM, WE'LL, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE IT WHEN WE HAVE THAT DATA, BUT LOTS OF OTHER USES THAT WE'RE FINDING FOR THAT DATA AS WELL.
UM, RENEWING AUSTIN IS OUR PROGRAM FOR REDUCING POOR PERFORMING SMALL DIAMETER PIPE.
AND WE SAW IN WINTER STORM URI THAT, YOU KNOW, SIX AND EIGHT INCH CAST IRON WAS THE REAL CULPRIT ON, IN TERMS OF PUBLIC SIDELINE BREAKS.
AND SO WE, WE HAVE, UM, 37 MILES OF NEW WATER PIPELINE AND ASSOCIATED WASTEWATER LINE IN THOSE CORRIDORS, UM, IN THE WORKS WITH NINE PROJECTS AND CONSTRUCTION Y'ALL APPROVED, UM, ANOTHER ONE TONIGHT AND 30 MORE IN DESIGN.
AND THEN OF COURSE, ASR, WHICH, UM, YOU ALL TALKED ABOUT EARLIER IN THE MEETING, WHICH CAME OUT OF OUR WATER FORWARD PLAN, WHICH ORIGINALLY WAS A DROUGHT STRATEGY, BUT WE'VE SEEN HOW THAT WOULD REALLY IMPROVE OUR RESILIENCY IN ALL KINDS OF EMERGENCY PROJECTS.
SO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, OF COURSE, A BIG PART OF WHAT CAME OUT OF WINTER STORM AREA WAS AN EMPHASIS ON ELECTRICAL RESILIENCY.
UM, THESE ARE OUR TOP, PROBABLY OUR TOP FIVE ELECTRICAL RELIABILITY PROJECTS THAT ARE ONGOING.
AND ALL OF THESE WERE, UM, EITHER IN PLANNING, DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION
[01:30:01]
AT THE TIME OF WINTER STORM AREA, BUT THERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CONTINUING TO IMPLEMENT THESE AND GET THEM INTO SERVICE.SO THE DAVIS, UM, POWER DISTRIBUTION UPGRADE IS COMPLETE AND IN SERVICE, UM, ORRICK, LOW SERVICE PUMP STATION, ELECTRICAL FEED RENEWAL IS IN CONSTRUCTION.
UM, THE DAVIS LANE PUMP STATION, UM, WE'LL BE WORKING ON, OR WE ARE WORKING ON SECONDARY POWER SOURCE, EITHER DUAL FEED OR A LE OR, UM, RESILIENCY AS A SERVICE AS PART OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S NEW PROGRAM.
AND, UM, SOUTH AUSTIN SUBSTATION NUMBER ONE IS IN CONSTRUCTION.
AND THEN WE HAVE ADDED A NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL GENERATORS TO OUR FIVE-YEAR CIP.
SO LOTS OF ELECTRICAL WORK, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THAT'S A, THAT'S AN ONGOING, UM, EMPHASIS FOR US, AND WE CONTINUE TO BE COMMITTED TO THAT.
UM, AND I DO WANT TO SAY ON THIS SLIDE, UM, JUST ONE OF THE, UM, ONE OF THE REALLY POSITIVE OUTCOMES OF ALL OF THE AFTER ACTION EFFORTS HAS BEEN OUR CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH AUSTIN ENERGY.
I MEAN, WE WERE GOOD PARTNERS WITH THEM TO BEGIN WITH, BUT AS THEY'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH THEIR AFTER ACTION AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH OUR AFTER ACTION, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF GOOD COLLABORATION THERE AND THEY'VE, THEY'VE, THEY'RE REALLY TREMENDOUS PARTNER TO US.
AND THEN I'LL JUST END WITH A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE SB THREE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN.
UH, SO THIS SB THREE WAS PASSED BY THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE SHORTLY AFTER THE WINTER STORM, AND IT REQUIRES WATER UTILITIES TO PREPARE AND PLAN FOR A SYSTEM WIDE POWER OUTAGE OF LONGER THAN 24 HOURS.
UM, AND THE PLAN HAS TO DEMONSTRATE YOUR ABILITY TO MAINTAIN 20 PSI AND OUR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.
SO THERE WERE A FEW DEADLINES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
TWO OF WHICH HAVE PASSED THE NOVEMBER DEADLINE TO ALERT ALL OF OUR POWER PROVIDERS, UM, WHAT FACILITIES WE HAVE.
UM, AND THE SECOND WAS MARCH 1ST, LAST WEEK WHERE WE SUBMITTED OUR ACTUAL PLAN AND THEN IMPLEMENTATION IS DUE IN JULY.
UM, AND SO, UH, TCQ DEVELOPED, UH, A, UM, TEMPLATE FOR THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN AND IT INCLUDED 14 OPTIONS, AND YOU CAN PRETTY MUCH PUT THOSE OPTIONS INTO THREE BUCKETS.
UM, ONE IS, UH, CONNECT TO SOMEONE BIGGER THAN YOU.
THAT'S NOT REALLY AN OPTION FOR US.
THE SECOND BUCKET IS, UM, ELECTRICAL RESILIENCY.
UM, AND SO WE WILL TAKE CREDIT FOR A LOT OF THE, THE, UM, ITEMS THAT WERE ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, AS WELL AS OUR FUTURE PLANS.
AND THEN THE THIRD BUCKET IS SYSTEM RESILIENCY AND THAT'S REALLY AROUND STORAGE AND TRANSMISSION.
UH, AND SO WE WERE TAKING CREDIT FOR ALL THE GOOD THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING AND THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN.
IT WAS A REALLY GOOD EXERCISE IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAD ALL OUR BASES COVERED.
UM, SO THAT PLAN IS IN AND, UM, AND WE WILL, UH, BE WORKING ON THE, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS, UH, THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION, BUT WE'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, THE TRANSFER SWITCH, THE MANUAL TRANSFER SWITCH AT THE ALRICK WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
THAT WAS TO BE CONVERTED TO AN AUTOMATIC SWITCH.
HAS THAT JOB BEEN COMPLETED? SO THE, UM, THAT JOB HAD MULTIPLE COMPONENTS.
UM, THE, UH, THE THIRD FEED, AUTOMATIC TRANSFER SWITCH IS COMPLETE THE OTHER, UM, THEY'VE ALSO REHABBED THE BREAKERS THAT'S COMPLETE.
AND THEN WE JUST GOT NOTIFIED, UM, EARLIER THIS WEEK THAT THEY ARE SCHEDULING THE TIME.
UM, THERE'LL BE SCHEDULING WITH US THE TIME TO DO THE NEXT AUTOMATIC TRANSFER SWITCH ON THE ONE OF THE TWO PRIMARY FEEDS.
AND THEN THEY'LL DO THE SECOND ONE AND THEN WE'LL BE DONE.
SO WHEN DO I GET ALL MY TRANSFER SWITCHES REPLACED? PROBABLY IN THE FALL.
I SAW SOMETHING ON TWITTER, UH, THE OTHER DAY THAT WAS KIND OF RECOGNIZING THE AWARD OF THESE POLYMER CONTRACTS IN THE LAST WEEK OR SO, AND REPRESENTING THAT THOSE WOULD, IF THOSE IMPROVEMENTS HAD BEEN IN PLACED IN 2018, WHEN WE HAD THE TURBIDITY EPISODE THAT SHUT ALL OF OUR WATER PLANTS, THAT THOSE, THAT POLYMER FEED SYSTEM WOULD HAVE SOLVED THAT PROBLEM.
IS IT, I MEAN, I, I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WOULD
[01:35:01]
HAVE HELPED US AS MAYBE, BUT IN TERMS OF IT WOULDN'T HAVE SOLVED THE WHOLE PROBLEM.I, I, I'M NOT SURE WE CAN SAY THAT.
I MEAN, THE POLYMER FEED SYSTEMS WERE A DIRECT RECOMMENDATION COMING OUT OF THE FLOOD EVENT AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE'RE INSTALLING THEM AS TO HANDLE THE NEXT FLOOD EVENT.
SO IN YOUR MIND, IF YOU HAD A REPEAT OF THAT 2018 EPISODE, YOU'D BE FINE.
I'M A GOOD ENGINEER AND I HATE TO SAY ABSOLUTES, BUT I, YES, WE WOULD BE IN MUCH BETTER POSITION TO HANDLE, UM, THE EXCESSIVE, UH, INCOMING TURBIDITY AND NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UH, TESTING THAT WAS DONE, UM, ON NOT HIGHLY TURBID WATER, THAT'S WHAT WE USE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT POLYMER TO BUY.
UH, MY LAST QUESTION, AND THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OFF TOPIC, BUT QUICK YES OR NO, THE AFTER ACTION REPORT FOR THE MOST RECENT EPISODE, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GET THAT FAIRLY SOON.
TRUE, UM, STAFFER PREPARING THAT REPORT.
AND WHEN IT IS PUBLISHED, IT WILL BE SHARED WITH YOU.
WE HAVE A BRIEFING ON, ON THAT, UM, BOIL WATER NOTICE.
I CAN PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
SO WHEN DO YOU THINK WITH THE REPORT IS DONE, I'M NOT GOING TO PROVIDE A SPECIFIC DATE.
WE STAFF HAS WORKING AS, AS QUICKLY AS THEY CAN TO COMPLETE IT, UNDERGOING THE APPROPRIATE REVIEWS WITHIN THE CITY, AS WELL AS WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT, BUT WE ARE WORKING VERY, UH, INTENTLY TO COMPLETE THAT.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS AT ANY QUESTION FOR STUFF, COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION FOR THE STUFF? NO, I DO NOT.
THANK YOU, WORLD PRESENTATION.
LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM,
[E.3. Update on 2022 Boil Water Notice]
WHICH IS EASE THREE UPDATE ON 2022, BOIL WATER NOTICE COMMISSIONERS.I'LL PROVIDE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE, UH, 2022 BOIL WATER NOTICE.
UM, AS COMMISSIONER MORIARTY HAS ALLUDED TO OUR STAFF, UM, THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY OF THE, UH, 2022 BOIL WATER NOTICE THAT IS STILL CONTINUING.
UM, WE ARE ALSO PURSUING ACTION AT THE DIRECTION OF OUR CITY COUNCIL RELATED TO A POTENTIAL BILL RELIEF ON MARCH 3RD CITY COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO CONSIDER OPTIONS FOR A ONE-TIME BILL CREDIT AND AN ALTERNATE ALTERNATIVE OPTION TO REALLOCATE, UH, SIMILAR FUNDS INTO THE OPERATING BUDGET OR CIP TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FUTURE EMERGENCY EVENTS IN LIEU OF THE BILL RELIEF.
UM, STAFF ARE WORKING TO PREPARE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COUNCIL IN RESPONSE TO THIS RESOLUTION.
THE NEXT STEP FOR US IS THAT WE HAVE AN AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, UM, SPECIAL CALLED MEETING ON MARCH 31ST TO DISCUSS AND TAKE ACTION POSSIBLE ACTION ON, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS ON ISSUES RELATED TO THE BOIL WATER EVENT.
UM, AS OUR STAFF, UH, CONTINUE TO COMPLETE, UH, MATERIALS RELATED TO THE BOIL WATER NOTICE, UM, AS WE ISSUE THOSE TO COUNCIL, THOSE SAME ITEMS WILL BE SHARED WITH YOU AS COMMISSIONERS.
I'LL BE HAVING TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONERS GOT A QUESTION FOR THE STOP, IF NOT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR UPDATE.
[F.1. Discussion of administrative matters ]
MOVE ON TO ITEM F1 DISCUSSION OF AT DEMONSTRATED MATTERS.I FORGOT TO, WE ALL COME, UH, OUR NEW COMMISSIONER ADDICTS NEMO TO JOIN THE COMMISSION.
AND IF YOU DON'T MIND, GIVE US A BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF YOURSELF AND THEN TELL US HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR FIRST MEETING.
UM, SO I'M ORIGINALLY FROM LOCKHART AND SOUTH OF HERE.
UH, WHAT'S FUNNY IS WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THIS, UH, VANESSA FLINT TOLD ME TO APPLY.
I SAID, OH, I CAN USE MY CHEMISTRY DEGREE NOW.
SO I WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN.
UH, I GOT MY CHEMISTRY TOGETHER AND MASTER'S IN PHARMACOLOGY, WAS IN THE STARTUP WORLD HERE IN AUSTIN, AND I'M DOING COMMERCIAL
[01:40:01]
REAL ESTATE.UM, FIRST MEETING WAS VERY INFORMATIVE.
IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF PROACTIVE STEPS AND A LOT OF GREAT QUESTIONS AS WELL.
[G.1. Discussion of future agenda items ]
LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM G ONE DISCUSSION OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, COMMISSIONER SCOTT, ANY ITEMS ONE TO PUT ON THE UPCOMING MEETINGS, AND ANYTIME YOU HAVE ANY ITEMS, NOT THINKING ABOUT PUTTING OUT AN ITEM, JUST NEED TO, UH, LET US KNOW, UH, TEXT MESSAGES, AND THEN I'LL SEE IF WE CAN FIND A CO-SPONSOR TO DO THAT AND NOT WHERE WE WILL COORDINATE WITH THE STAFF TO GET THE AGENDA.ANY OTHER ITEMS, DISCUSSIONS, COMMISSIONER WILLIAM.
SO YOU GOT ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
AND IF NOT, THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 7 54.