[CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
[00:00:03]
IT IS 6 0 9 AND WE HAVE QUORUMS MEETING TO ORDER.
UM, WHAT IS IT HELPFUL IF WE GO THROUGH AND DO ROLL CALL, ARE YOU ABLE TO JUST KIND OF DO THAT FROM THE SCREEN? OKAY.
SO AS A REMINDER, ANYBODY ATTENDING REMOTELY, YOU DO NEED TO KIND OF AT LEAST SHOW YOUR FACE RIGHT NOW TO BE COUNTED AS PRESENT AND, UH, ALSO FOR ANY VOTES.
AND WHEN YOU'RE SPEAKING, YOU NEED TO BE ON CAMERA.
SO, UM, I'M, I'M SEEING LOUIS, SAM, CHARLOTTE, AND DANA ATTENDING REMOTELY AND OH, SHANE, REBECCA, AND THEN IN-PERSON, THERE'S CABER PAUL AND LISA.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
DO HAVE ONE SPEAKER, UH, SIGNED UP, UH, CARLOS SOTO.YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK ON WHATEVER TOPIC, UH GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT COMMUNITY ADVANCEMENT NETWORK AND THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN ENGAGED IN IN THE PAST YEAR, FOR THOSE THAT ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH OUR ORGANIZATION, COMMUNITY ADVANCEMENT NETWORK IS A PARTNERSHIP OF GOVERNMENT, NONPROFIT, PRIVATE AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH LEVERAGE MUTUAL RESOURCES TO COLLECTIVELY IMPROVE THE SOCIAL HEALTH, EDUCATIONAL AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS INCLUDES PARTNERS FROM A VARIETY OF ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING GOVERNMENT EDUCATION, BASIC NEEDS SUCH AS HEALTH AND TRANSPORTATION, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION, UM, AND COLLABORATIVE IN PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS AND TOGETHER, UM, WE'VE BEEN PROMOTING AND SUPPORTING THE POWER OF COLLABORATION FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS.
AND THAT INCLUDES IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES TO COORDINATE AND ALIGN SERVICES AMONG OUR PARTNERS AND OTHER COMMUNITY SERVICE PROVIDERS, SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO, UH, ADDRESS COMMUNITY CHALLENGES THROUGH COLLECTIVE ACTION, UH, CREATING CIVIC INFRASTRUCTURE FOR CIVIC DIALOGUE AND A CIVIC ACTION, ENSURING THE RIGHT STAKEHOLDERS ARE PART OF ASSESSING AND ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES OUR COMMUNITY FACES AND INCREASING UNDERSTANDING OF EMERGING ISSUES AND TRENDS AND IDENTIFYING PROACTIVE STRATEGIES THAT MAY BE PURSUED FOR THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION.
THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT ARE RELEVANT, RIGHT.
UM, SO HOW DO WE DO THIS? WELL, WE DEVELOPED DEVELOP TOOLS TO INFORM SUCH AS THE CAN DASHBOARD, WHICH HAS 18 DIFFERENT INDICATORS THAT ASSESS OUR COMMUNITY'S OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLBEING.
AND THAT'S WHAT I DO AS RESEARCH ANALYST FOR COMMUNITY ADVANCEMENT NETWORK.
THAT'S MY MAIN JOB IS TO, UH, UPDATE, UH, THE INDICATORS AND TO COLLABORATE WITH OUR PARTNERS AROUND THEM.
UM, WE'VE ALSO HELPED DEVELOP THE RACE EQUITY ACTION FRAMEWORK, WHICH WE PUBLISHED LAST YEAR AND IT HELPS US US LOCAL NEEDS AND IDENTIFY WHERE MORE ATTENTION IS NEEDED.
AND I SENT A DIGITAL COPY OF THIS FLYER THAT I'M DISCUSSING THAT I SHOULD HAVE PASSED AROUND.
UM, BUT EACH ONE OF THESE TOOLS HAS LINKS ON THEM AND I'M GOING TO LEAVE THIS STACK OVER HERE WHEN I'M DONE.
UM, UH, BUT WE ALSO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE.
UH, WE CREATED THE WEEKEND ATX WEBSITE, UH, AS PART OF THE COVID-19 RESPONSE SO THAT WE COULD GET INFORMATION ABOUT RESOURCES, UH, AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY IN LANGUAGES, OTHER THAN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, BECAUSE, UM, RESOURCES ARE OFTEN AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH OR HELP, BUT NOT IN OTHER LANGUAGES THAT ARE, UH, COMMONLY SPOKEN IN OUR REGION.
UM, BUT, UM, SOMETHING THAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING WAS THE REGIONAL SUMMIT.
SO, UH, I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN ENGAGED IN.
SO, UM, IF YOU'D LIKE YOU CAN REACH OUT AND I'LL, I CAN, UM, PRESENT THANK YOU AND HAVE A GREAT MEETING.
APPRECIATE YOU COMING TO TALK TO US AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME, COME BACK AND TELL US MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE WORKING ON.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Resource Management Commission Regular Meeting on June 21, 2022.]
WE HAVE APPROVAL OF OUR MINUTES FROM THE JUNE 21ST MEETING.HAS EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THOSE, ANY EDITS OR IF ANYBODY WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION?
[00:05:01]
SO MOVE.I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE FROM PAUL ROBBINS.
UH, ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO SECOND, SECOND LOOSE DOWN.
I WOULD LOVE TO ACCEPT YOUR SECOND, BUT I GOT TO SEE HER YOUR LOVELY FACE.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS.
WE'RE NOT SEEING YOU, SO YOU'RE I THINK EVERYBODY ELSE I HAVE YOUR VOTE.
DID YOU RAISE YOUR HAND? SAM YOU'RE MUTED, SO, OH, I'M SORRY.
UH, I WAS SAYING THAT I WASN'T IN ATTENDANCE IN JUNE.
THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED, LOOKS LIKE FIVE EACH, UH, IN FAVOR AND ONE ABSTENTION.
SO WE HAVE, UH, A STAFF BRIEFING, UH, A COUPLE DISCUSSION ITEMS AND A DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM.
UH, HERE IS EVERYBODY GOOD WITH MOVING THROUGH THE SCHEDULE? UH, AS IT IS POSTED, UH, I WAS TOLD THERE MIGHT BE SOME REQUESTS TO CHANGE THINGS AROUND.
IF YOU HAVE SUCH A REQUEST, PLEASE MAKE IT.
I WOULD PREFER TO MOVE VITAMIN FIVE BEHIND ITEM THREE.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OBJECTION TO THAT? OKAY, PAUL, ARE YOU SAYING SOMETHING IF THAT'S WHAT YOU PREFER? UH, LEWIS, I, THINGS WOULD GO FASTER FOR YOU IF YOU NEED TO LEAVE EARLY.
I FIGURED IT ONLY MAKES SENSE TO HEAR FROM TEXAS GAS ON WHAT THEIR PROPOSAL OF WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT AND NOT EMBRY FIRST.
THEN, UH, HEARING NO OBJECTIONS, WE'RE GOING TO BASICALLY JUST SWITCH THE ORDER OF ITEMS FOUR AND FIVE.
[2. Staff briefing regarding a quarterly update of the Water Conservation Program by Kevin Kluge, Environmental Conservation Division Manager of Austin Water]
UH, THE STAFF BRIEFING FROM, UH, LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, UH, KEVIN PRESENTING.KLUGIE THE WATER CONSERVATION DIVISION MANAGER, AUSTIN WATER.
ARE WE ABLE TO PULL UP THE VERY GOOD? OKAY.
THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT'S BRIEFING ESSENTIALLY IS TO DISCUSS THE WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK THAT WE WERE FACING AS WELL AS THE STAGE ONE DROUGHT REGULATIONS THAT WE'RE UNDER AT THIS POINT.
AND THEN FINALLY SOME PROGRAM UPDATES FROM THE WATER CONSERVATION DIVISION.
DIVING RIGHT INTO THE WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK.
THIS HERE IS A MAP FROM THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD SITES SHOWING THE LEVEL OF DROUGHT ACROSS THE STATE.
UH, THE ONE RELEASED TODAY DIDN'T LOOK A WHOLE LOT DIFFERENT AND IT LOOKED A WHOLE LOT THE SAME 87%, OR I'M SORRY.
97% OF THE STATE IS UNDER SOME LEVEL OF DROUGHT.
THE DARKER, THE RED, THE WORST DROUGHT IN THAT AREA.
AS YOU MIGHT NOTICE IN CENTRAL TEXAS TO THE WEST OF TRAVIS COUNTY AND THE HIGHLAND LAKES, MUCH OF OUR WATERSHED IS IN OR EXTREME DROUGHT.
THERE'S OFTEN A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
HOW DOES THIS YEAR COMPARE TO 2011? IT'S HOT AND DRY THIS SUMMER, BUT HOW WAS IT IN 2011, THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO IN THE UPPER LEFT-HAND CORNER OF THIS SLIDE, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN MAKE IT OUT.
IT'S A LITTLE SMALLER, BUT THAT WAS IN JULY OF 2011 AND ALMOST THE ENTIRE STATE WAS THAT DARK ANGRY RED OF EXTREME DROUGHT.
SO THIS YEAR IS, IS LESS SEVERE DROUGHT.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY SOME TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT IN TERMS OF WATCHING OUR WATER USE.
NEXT SLIDE TO PULL BACK JUST A LITTLE BIT FROM THE STATEWIDE LEVEL, WE HAVE NATIONAL PROJECTIONS FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER FROM THE NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION.
THEY HAVE OUTLOOKS FOR BOTH TEMPERATURE AND FOR PRECIPITATION
[00:10:02]
ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE, CLOSEST TO ME IS THE OUTLOOK FOR TEMPERATURE AUSTIN ON OUR UPSTREAM WATERSHED FALLS INTO THE CATEGORY OF THE PERCENTAGE OF 50 TO 60% CHANCE OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES, WHICH YOU COULD PROBABLY IMAGINE.AND THEN ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SCREEN IS THE OUTLET FOR PRECIPITATION OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS.
AUSTIN AND AUSTIN REALLY IS BORDERING ON THE WHITE AND THE LIGHT TAN, UH, THE WHITE BEING NORMAL PROBABILITY BETWEEN ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION OR LESS NORMAL PRECIPITATION.
THE TAN INDICATING THAT THAT AREA THERE'S A 33 TO 44% CHANCE OF BEING BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION.
SO GOING FORWARD, THEY THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE HOTTER THAN NORMAL, AND WE MIGHT BE DRIER THAN NORMAL NEXT SLIDE, BUT TO GO FROM THAT NATIONAL LEVEL AND THAT, THAT STATE LEVEL REALLY DOWN TO THE WATERSHED LEVEL, YIELD'S IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
THIS TABLE HERE DISPLAYS THE INFLOW OF VOLUMES INTO THE HIGHLAND LAKES, INTO LAKE BUCHANAN AND LAKE TRAVIS.
THE LIGHT BLUE BARS ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE ARE THE AVERAGE MONTHLY INFLOW VOLUMES INTO YOU CAN AND, AND TRAVIS FROM 1942 TO PRESENT.
SO IT'S THE LONGTERM AVERAGE, NOT THE HIGH, BUT THE AVERAGE SINCE 1942.
AND YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A BIG SPIKE IN MAY AND JUNE, AND THEN OCTOBER WHAT'S NOTABLE IS THE NEXT THREE BARS.
THE NEXT BAR OVER TO THE RIGHT, THE DARK BLUE BARS ARE THE AVERAGE INFLOW VOLUMES INTO THE LAKES DURING THE LAST DRY PERIOD FROM 2008 TO 2015, WHICH ENCOMPASSED THE 2011 AND THAT'S SEVERE DROUGHT.
SO THAT'S THE AVERAGE DURING THAT DRY PERIOD YOU SEE GENERALLY IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN THE AVERAGE, BUT ALSO TO NOTE IS THE, I GUESS, GOLD, IT'S A LITTLE DARKER, MAYBE BROWN ON THE SCREEN BEFORE YOU THAT'S THE INFLOW FROM 2021.
AND THAT'S EVEN LESS THAN THAT AVERAGE DURING THE DRY PERIOD.
AND THEN WE HAVE THIS YEAR'S INFLOWS INTO THE HIGHLAND LAKES.
YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO SEE THEM RIGHT ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF ALL THOSE MONTHS.
THOSE ARE THE GREEN BARS OF INFLOWS INTO THE HIGHLAND LAKES THIS YEAR, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN ALL OF THE OTHER BARS, BUT THE AVERAGE, THE DRY PERIOD AVERAGE.
AND THEN LAST YEAR IN ACTUALITY, THE INFLOWS BETWEEN JANUARY AND JULY ARE THE LOWEST ON RECORDS ON RECORD, UH, THE INFLOW INTO THE HIGHLAND LAKES FOR A SIX MONTH TIME PERIOD.
THE JULY IN FLOW OF 586 ACRE FEET IS 1% OF THE HISTORICAL AVERAGE IN JULY FOR AUGUST.
WE HAVE HAD NO MEASURABLE INFLOW INTO THE HIGH END LAKES SINCE AUGUST 1ST.
AND THAT'S REALLY UNPRECEDENTED TO GO 15, 16 DAYS, UNLESS SOMETHING'S CHANGED SINCE YESTERDAY, UH, TO GO 15 OR 16 DAYS WITH NO MEASURABLE INFLOW INTO THE HIGHLAND LAKES.
IT'S UNPRECEDENTED BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY BEEN 13 INSTANCES OF DAILY INSTANCES OF NO INFLOW INTO THE HIGHLAND LAKES.
SINCE THE LAKES WERE CREATED IN THE EARLY 1940S, WE HAD FIVE DAYS IN 19 54, 7 DAYS IN 1964 AND ONE DAY IN 1984, WHERE THERE'S NO INFLOWS INTO THE HIGHLAND LAKES AND THIS SUMMER WE HAVE 15 OR 16 OF THEM IN A ROW.
SO THAT'S REALLY SOMETHING TO KEEP AN EYE ON.
AS WE GO FORWARD INTO THE YEAR, HOW MUCH WATER IS GOING TO BE COMING INTO THOSE LAKES.
NEXT SLIDE, THIS GRAPH DISPLAYS THE VOLUMES THAT ARE RESULTING FROM THE INFLOWS INTO THE HIGHLAND LAKES.
THIS SHOWS A LAKE LEVELS FROM 2005, ALL THE WAY TO CURRENT ON THE RIGHT-HAND FAR RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE GRAPH.
YOU SEE THAT THE VOLUME OF THE HIGHLAND LAKES DIPPING DOWN GOING DOWN AND THAT'S US TODAY.
BUT YOU ALSO GET TO SEE THAT 2008
[00:15:01]
TO 2015 PERIOD, THAT DRY PERIOD WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT THE BLUE BARS AND THE PREVIOUS, JUST WHAT THOSE LOW INFLOWS DID DURING THAT, THE BIG TROUGH, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS GRAPH, THAT'S THE 2008 TO 2015 PERIOD MIXED FLOW.NOW OUR NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS THE LAST SLIDE OF THIS WATER SUPPLY UPDATE, AND REALLY FOCUSES ON GOING FORWARD FOR THE, THE HIGHLAND LAKES AND OUR WATER SUPPLY.
THIS IS THE PROJECTION FROM THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY ON AUGUST 1ST, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THERE, YOU HAVE A GOLD VERTICAL BAR TO THE LEFT OF THAT IS THE HISTORICAL VOLUMES IN BUCHANAN AND TRAVIS.
THERE'S A DARK BLUE LINE THAT GOES FROM 1.7 MILLION ACRE FEET DOWN TO 1.15 MILLION ACRE FEET TODAY.
AND TO THE RIGHT OF THAT GOLD VERTICAL BAR ARE THE DIFFERENT PROJECTIONS OF THE VOLUMES.
UM, AND THEN THE ORANGE AND RED PROJECTIONS ARE FOR DRY AND EXTREME DRY CONDITIONS, UM, WHICH WE MIGHT ASSUME THAT WE'RE UNDER.
FORTUNATELY LCRA IS PROJECTING THAT WE WILL NOT, UM, HIT THAT NEXT STAGE OF DROUGHT.
AND I NEGLECTED TO MENTION THAT THERE ARE HORIZONTAL BLACK DASHED BARS.
THE TOP ONE IS THE TRIGGER FOR OUR STAGE ONE DROUGHT REGULATIONS.
WE HIT THAT BACK IN JUNE, JUNE 6TH IS WHEN THE REGULATIONS CAME INTO EFFECT AND THAT LOWER ONE IS FOR STAGE TWO AT 0.9 MILLION ACRE FEET.
SO AS YOU SEE, FORTUNATELY, CROSS OUR FINGERS, LCRA IS PROJECTING THAT WE WILL NOT HIT STAGE TWO DROUGHT, UH, THROUGH FEBRUARY OF NEXT YEAR.
SO WE'LL KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED THAT WE WILL BE GETTING SOME RAIN IN OCTOBER, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, TO KEEP THE LAKE LEVELS FLATTENED OUT THERE.
AS I MENTIONED ON JUNE 6TH, WE ENTERED DROUGHT STAGE ONE REGULATIONS.
NOW, AUSTIN, AS I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE IS A VERY FORWARD-LEANING COMMUNITY.
IN TERMS OF WATER CONSERVATION, WE HAVE WATER CONCERT, WATER WATERING RESTRICTIONS, YEAR ROUND, AND OTHER RESTRICTIONS YEAR ROUND TO SAVE WATER ALL THE TIME, NOT JUST IN DROUGHT.
SO WHEN WE DO GO INTO DROUGHT ONE STAGE OR STAGE ONE FOR DROUGHT, UH, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF CHANGES GOING INTO STAGE.
ONE SIMPLY REDUCES HOW MUCH TIME AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION SYSTEMS HAVE TO OPERATE.
UH, IN OUR BASE STAGE, AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION SYSTEMS CAN RUN ON THEIR DAY UNTIL 10:00 AM.
AND WE DIAL THAT BACK TO 8:00 AM FOR STAGE ONE, TO REDUCE SOME OF THAT EVAPORATION THAT COMES FROM BEING RUN IN THAT MID TO LATE MORNING.
SO PRIMARILY WE ARE RESTRICTING HOW MUCH WATERING GOING ON, BUT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING BEYOND RESTRICTIONS.
WE ARE AMPING UP OUR MEDIA MESSAGES.
YOU MAY SEE ON TWITTER OR FACEBOOK OR RADIO, REALLY TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THAT SUPPLIES ARE BEING STRETCHED.
THEY'RE BECOMING LOWER AND THEY NEED TO SAVE WATER.
WE ARE UNDERTAKING FOCUSED OUTREACH, PRIMARILY EMAILS, BUT ALSO NEXT DOOR, UH, POSTINGS TO NEIGHBORHOODS OR TO INDIVIDUALS THAT TYPICALLY HAVE A LOT OF IRRIGATION WATER USE OFFERING TO LET A CONSERVATION STAFF MEMBER COME AND HELP THEM WITH THEIR IRRIGATION SYSTEM.
HOPEFULLY RESET IT TO A MORE REASONABLE LEVEL.
AND WE ALSO HAVE STAFF GOING OUT AND PATROL FROM THE LADY NEEDS TO THE EARLY MORNING, UH, LOOKING FOR A WATERING ON THE WRONG DAY OR WATER WASTING ACTIVITIES, AS WELL AS RESPONDING TO ALL CITIZENS.
3, 1, 1 REPORTS ABOUT THESE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES.
STAFF RESPOND ALMOST 90% WITHIN ONE DAY.
AND THEN, UH, CERTAINLY WITHIN A SECOND DAY FOR ALMOST ALL ACTIVITIES LOOKING FORWARD, WE ARE WORKING TO HAVE SIGNS READY TO GO OUT.
IF WE NEED TO REALLY START CONTINUING TO AMP UP OUR MESSAGE TO AUSTIN RESIDENTS ABOUT WATERING, ABOUT THE WATERING RESTRICTIONS.
THEY SEE A SIGN THERE THAT WE'LL BE DISTRIBUTING.
WE'RE ALSO PREPARING INFORMATION KITS FOR
[00:20:01]
AUSTIN AREA RESTAURANTS AND BARS ABOUT SAVING WATER INDOORS.IF WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO TIGHTEN UP THAT WATER USE NEXT SLIDE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR THE DROUGHT TO ADDRESS THESE, THESE TIGHT WATER SUPPLY CONDITIONS, PROGRAM UPDATES AS USUAL, WE'VE SUBMITTED A, UH, PDF OF UPDATES THAT WE DO MONTHLY, THAT YOU HOPEFULLY YOU HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT.
UH, JUST KIND OF A RECAP OF THAT.
OUR RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS ARE PICKING UP NOW THAT IT'S DRY AND PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN SAVING WATER.
SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS COMMERCIAL PROGRAMS STILL CONTINUE TO BE A CHALLENGE.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA REALLY NEED TO FOCUS ON NEXT FISCAL YEAR ON HOW, ON HOW WE GET COMMERCIAL ENTITIES BACK INTO THE GAME WITH OUR PROGRAMS, UH, WATERING AND WATER WASTE WARNINGS ARE GOING UP, WHICH YOU MIGHT EXPECT.
AND PUBLIC PUBLIC OUTREACH ALSO HAS GONE UP AN EXCITING POINT OF, UH, NEWS IS THAT AUSTIN'S AUTOMATIC OR AUTOMATED METERING INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM, OR MY ATX WATER, THE SMART METERS.
THAT'S AN EASIER WAY TO SAY IT IS PROGRESSING, IMPLEMENTING THESE SMART METERS AND INSTALLING THEM.
WE HAVE 65,000 OF THESE METERS INSTALLED NOW ON OUR WAY TO OVER 200,000.
SO WE'RE ABOUT QUARTER OF THE WAY THERE, BUT IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THESE NEW SMART METERS INSTALLED SO THAT CUSTOMERS CAN HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF HOW MUCH WATER THEY'RE USING.
SO IF YOU SELECT UPDATES, NEXT SLIDE BEYOND WHAT WE SENT YOU.
THE FIRST ONE IS OUR LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH.
I MENTIONED THIS A COUPLE OF TIMES EARLIER IN THE YEAR, BUT THIS IS A STRATEGY IN THE WATER FORWARD PLAN, THE 2018 WATER FORWARD PLAN.
AND, UH, THE COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER BOTH ENCOURAGED US TO STEP UP THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS STRATEGY, WHICH GENERALLY WILL INVOLVE EITHER ORDINANCES, INCENTIVES AND, OR BOTH ON TRANSITIONING NEW SINGLE FAMILY HOMES TO MORE SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPES.
UH, IT COULD BE, AS I MENTIONED, ORDINANCES OR INCENTIVES OR BOTH, IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE A BIT OF BOTH, BUT IN THE SPRING, WE TOOK A LOT OF TIME TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE, STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT WHAT THEY WOULD SUGGEST THE SUMMER.
WE'RE PUTTING THOSE IDEAS TOGETHER, PUTTING COSTS, NUMBERS, AND SAVINGS NUMBERS WITH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER.
AND THEN IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THOSE BACK OUT TO THE PUBLIC, TO STAKEHOLDERS, TO THE COMMISSIONS.
WHAT HAVE YOU TO GET YOUR INPUT ON THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CHANGE LANDSCAPES? NEXT SLIDE, A FEW NOTE ON AUSTIN ENERGY PARTNERSHIPS.
THE FIRST ONE IS THE INSTANT SAVINGS PILOT, WHERE WE ARE WORKING WITH AUSTIN ENERGY'S INSTANT SAVINGS PROGRAM TO PUT, OR TO OFFER INCENTIVES FOR HOST TIMERS AT FIVE HOME DEPOT LOCATIONS AROUND AUSTIN.
INITIALLY HOME DEPOT HAD PROJECTED THAT WE WOULD SELL, THEY WOULD SELL ABOUT A THOUSAND HOST HOMES OR HOST TIMERS BETWEEN FEBRUARY AND JULY.
AND IT TURNS OUT THAT THAT NUMBER HAS DOUBLED.
NOW I'D LOVE TO TAKE ALL THE CREDIT AND SAY, OH, THOSE ARE, YOU KNOW, $5 INCENTIVE THAT CAUSED THE NUMBER OF HOST TIMERS TO DOUBLE, BUT IT ALSO COULD BE THAT IT WAS JUST A REALLY HOT AND DRY, UH, TIME PERIOD.
SO I AM NOT ABLE TO TEASE OUT WHICH OF THOSE TWO CAUSE THE NUMBER OF TIMERS TO DOUBLE BEYOND THE PROJECTIONS, BUT IT'S A GREAT, UH, PILOT THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING TO SEE IF THIS IS SOMETHING WE COULD DO IN LIEU OF REBATES IS TO OFFER SAVINGS AT THE STORES.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER WATER SAVING DEVICES THAT MIGHT BE USED IN THIS MANNER.
ALSO ALL STAR KITS, WE'RE PARTNERING WITH AUSTIN ENERGY TO DISTRIBUTE SEV 7,000 KITS OUT TO ALL THE MIDDLES, ALL THE, UM, SIXTH GRADERS IN THE AUSTIN ENERGY SERVICE AREA, GIVING THEM INFORMATION, GIVING THEM IN THEIR FAMILIES, MORE IMPORTANTLY, INFORMATION AND WATER SAVING DEVICES.
AND FINALLY, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON OUR, UH, GO REPAIR PROGRAM OR PLUMBING PROGRAM GO REPAIR IS A PROGRAM THAT IS IMPLEMENTED BY THE HOUSING PLANNING
[00:25:01]
DEPARTMENT.AND WE JOINED THEM BACK IN 2019 PROVIDING FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM TO HELP IMPLEMENT PLUMBING REPAIRS.
THE LARGER GO REPAIR PROGRAM OFFERS FUNDING TO AUSTIN RESIDENTS, AUSTIN HOMEOWNERS, UM, TO COMPLETE NECESSARY REPAIRS IN THEIR HOMES IF THEY ARE ECONOMICALLY CHALLENGED.
SO WE ADDED FUNDING TO DO THAT FOR PLUMBING REPAIRS ALSO.
UM, HOWEVER, IN THE FIRST SEVERAL YEARS, 20 19, 20 20, EVEN INTO 2021, THE RESPONSES IN TERMS OF PLUMBING, REPAIRS WERE KIND OF SLUGGISH.
SO HOW WAS IT IN PLANNING? I MEAN, AN EXCELLENT SUGGESTION AT THE END OF LAST YEAR TO ESTABLISH A SEPARATE PLUMBING PROGRAM OUTSIDE OF GO REPAIR.
UM, BUT, BUT STILL BEING ADMINISTERED BY HOUSING AND PLANNING.
AND WE DID THAT IN JANUARY WITH THE COUNCIL'S APPROVAL.
AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT SINCE JANUARY, UH, WE'VE HAD 20 HOUSES THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HELP AVERAGE ABOUT $8,000 A HOUSE ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE SCREEN, YOU SEE KIND OF A LIST OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF REPAIRS BEING INCLUDED IN THOSE HOUSES, UH, FOR THE, THOSE CHALLENGED CUSTOMERS.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY HAPPY THAT WE COULD UTILIZE THESE FUNDS AND TO HELP THE AUSTIN RESIDENTS FOR THESE 20 DIFFERENT HOMES, SAVE WATER LAST SLIDE.
AND WITH THAT, I'D SAY I'M OPEN FOR QUESTIONS, BUT I'D LIKE TO ALSO ADD THAT WHETHER IN OUR MONTHLY REPORTS OR IN THESE QUARTERLY UPDATES, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD SPECIFICALLY LIKE US TO ADDRESS, UH, PLEASE, UH, PARTICULARLY LET TASHA KNOWS SHE CAN CONVEY THAT TO US.
UH, AND WE CAN GET THAT SET UP, BUT WE'RE ALWAYS HAPPY TO ADD OR ADJUST WHATEVER WE SEND OR PRESENT, UM, GOING FORWARD WITH THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE, I THINK AT LEAST A COUPLE COUNTIES IN SOUTH TEXAS THAT HAVE LIKE TOTALLY RUN OUT OF WATER OR ESSENTIALLY RUN OUT OF WATER RECENTLY.
AND, UM, I APPRECIATE THE, YOU KNOW, THE YELLOW AUSTIN WATER REALLY IS PROACTIVE AS YOU CAN BE IN TRYING TO CONSERVE OUR RESOURCE.
AND AS OUR CLIMATE CONTINUES TO CHANGE, I THINK THIS IS ONLY GOING TO BECOME MORE URGENT.
SO, SO THANKS FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING.
I DO A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, BUT I WANT TO OPEN IT UP TO OTHER COMMISSIONERS IF ANYBODY HAS A QUESTION, DANA, AND THANKS CAN EVA, AND THANKS VERY MUCH, KEVIN, FOR THE, THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAVE, UH, THREE QUESTIONS, UH, OR I THINK QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UM, THE FIRST IS THANKS FOR SHARING THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP WITH, WITH AUSTIN ENERGY.
UM, UM, ONE OF THE TOPICS THAT'S FLOATED AROUND THIS COMMISSION A LITTLE BIT IS THE IDEA OF ALSO PARTNERING WITH THE GAS UTILITY.
UM, AND I THINK MAY EVEN BE IN, IN SOME OF THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE.
AND ONE OF THE RESOLUTIONS THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING I'M CURIOUS IS IF YOU ALL HAVE, UM, THOUGHT ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE GAS UTILITY AS WELL, I'M SPECIFICALLY THINKING ABOUT HOW GAS CONSERVATION PROGRAMS CAN FOCUS ON WATER SAVING TECHNOLOGIES LIKE, UM, LOW FLOW SHOWER HEADS, AIR RATERS, AND COMMERCIAL DISH RINSERS IS WHAT WE HAVE, UH, IS THE LANGUAGE I BELIEVE THAT'S POSTED.
UM, IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE, WOULD YOU MAYBE COMMENT ON, ON ANY INITIAL REACTIONS TO THAT SUGGESTION? I THINK IT COULD BE A REALLY GOOD IDEA.
UM, I THINK AS YOU MENTIONED, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SPECIFIC, UM, ITEMS THAT WE COULD LOOK INTO.
UM, I THINK IT WOULD JUST BE A MATTER OF GETTING INTO, IN TOUCH WITH SOMEONE WHO COULD DO THAT AND WHO COULD GIVE US THESE SPECIFICS AND SEE WHERE WE GO WITH IT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT FEEDBACK.
UM, MY SECOND QUESTION HAD TO DO WITH, UM, YOU MENTIONED THE LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION INCENTIVES THAT ARE UNDERGOING THE PROCESS THAT YOU DESCRIBED, UM, INCENTIVE OR ORDINANCES.
UM, AND FORGIVE ME, I, THERE'S A CHANCE I ASKED THIS QUESTION IN YOUR LAST UPDATE.
UM, I KNOW YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS POINT AT, AT NEW RESIDENTIAL NEW CONSTRUCTION, UM, IS EXISTING, MAYBE NOT ORDINANCES, BUT INCENTIVES MIGHT EXIST INCENTIVES TO BE ON THE TABLE FOR EXISTING RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS.
IS THAT ANYWHERE ON THE RADAR FOR YOU GUYS FOR EXISTING HOMEOWNERS OR EXISTING HOMES? RIGHT, RIGHT.
I MEAN, WE HAVE A BROAD RANGE OF, UM, INCENTIVES,
[00:30:02]
UM, FOR EXISTING HOMES AND THOSE INCENTIVES THAT WE'RE WE'RE KICKING AROUND FOR THE NEW HOMES ARE KIND OF JUST MAYBE A LITTLE MORE AMPED UP VERSIONS OF WHAT WE HAVE EXISTING.SO WHILE IT WON'T BE PART OF WHAT WE ROLL OUT FOR THE, THIS LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION IDEA, WE, WE DO HAVE ON PLAN TO LOOK AT OUR CURRENT INCENTIVE PROGRAMS AND SEE IF THOSE ARE IN A SENSE COMPETITIVE OR STILL, YOU KNOW, ATTRACTIVE TO PEOPLE IN TERMS OF UTILIZING THEM.
SO, YES, I THINK JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT WE MAY INCENTIVIZE FOR THE NEW FAMILY, YOU KNOW, WE EITHER HAVE, OR ARE CONSIDERING FOR SINGLE EXISTING SINGLE FAMILY.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
UM, AND THEN MY, MY THIRD POINT WAS, UM, OUR THIRD KIND OF QUESTION WAS REALLY RELATED TO, UM, SEPARATELY.
I KNOW THERE WAS A DISCUSSION AMONG, UM, THIS COMMISSION ABOUT THE HORNSBY BEND BIOGAS PROJECT.
AND, UM, I THINK I, I, UH, SUGGESTED PERHAPS WE GET AN UPDATE, UM, AT THIS MEETING IN YOUR QUARTERLY UPDATE.
AND, UM, I THINK IT WAS DECIDED THAT IT MADE SENSE TO, TO MAYBE MAKE THAT ITS OWN AGENDA ITEM.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S AN AGENDA TOPIC THAT WE CAN BRING UP, BUT MOSTLY I'M SAYING THIS FOR THE, THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS AND KEVIN, IF YOU HAVE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO, TO COMMENT, PLEASE DO.
UM, BUT, UM, I DO THINK THE, THE BIOGAS PROJECT, UM, IS, IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GIVEN THE PURVIEW OF THIS COMMISSION WITH BOTH, UM, BOTH WATER AND GAS IS SOMETHING THAT IS A REALLY INTERESTING INTERSECTION FOR US.
UM, AND SO JUST KIND OF GIVING THE HEADS UP THAT I THINK I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, UM, AND KEVIN, IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT, UM, WE CAN, UH, PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL SO THAT YOU, YOU GUYS MIGHT STRUCTURE A PRESENTATION OR AN UPDATE FOR US, PLEASE, PLEASE LET US KNOW THAT THAT WAS ALL I HAD, BUT, BUT THANK YOU AGAIN VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ALL THE WORK YOU GUYS ARE DOING.
WORK WITH NATASHA ABOUT THAT REQUEST OR THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS, TWO THINGS.
ONE, YOU PROBABLY KNOW THIS ALREADY, BUT THERE'S A REPRESENTATIVE FROM TEXAS GAS SERVICE IN THE AUDIENCE AND YOU, HE HE'S RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW.
UH, IF, IF YOU WANT TO MAKE CONTACT WITH HIM, IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE OTHER THING I WAS GOING TO SAY ON A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SUBJECT IN PLANE, AND THIS WOULD BE A TOPIC FOR ANOTHER TIME WOULD BE, UH, THE PROPOSED AQUIFER STORAGE RESERVOIRS.
UM, RIGHT NOW I THINK AUSTIN WILL PROBABLY GET THROUGH THE STROUT, BUT I CAN FORESEE A TIME IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE WHEN WE COULD COME DANGEROUSLY CLOSE OR TWO RUNNING OUT OF WATER OR EVEN RUN OUT OF WATER.
AND THOSE RESERVOIRS WOULD BE A LIFELINE.
I'M WONDERING HOW FAR THE DEVELOPMENT, THE, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE HAS GONE.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU CAN ANSWER THAT QUICKLY, BUT MAYBE THAT WOULD BE A GOOD BRIEFING FOR, UH, A FUTURE, UM, AGENDA ITEM.
THEY, ASR PROJECT IS CERTAINLY UNDER STUDY, UM, IN TERMS OF WHERE IT WOULD BE BEST MIGHT BE BEST TO HAVE IN GENERAL AREAS WHERE BEST TO HAVE THESE STORAGE, UNDERGROUND STORAGE AREAS.
UM, BUT EH, AS YOU MENTIONED, I, I THINK YOU'D PROBABLY BE BETTER FOR A SPECIFIC, UH, PRESENTATION WITH SOMEONE WHO REALLY HAD THEIR PULSE ON THAT.
SO IT IS MOVING FORWARD AND, UH, WE'D BE HAPPY TO COME BACK WITH A PRESENTATION ABOUT IT WHENEVER THE COMMISSION ASKS FOR IT.
UM, WELL, I'M REQUESTING IT, UH, IF THERE'S OTHER MEMBERS THAT WANT TO JOIN IN, UM, I'D, I'D BE VERY INTERESTED.
DO OTHERS HAVE QUESTIONS? OKAY.
I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE GOAL REPAIR.
UM, KEVIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
UM, I WAS JUST WONDERING HOW THIS INFORMATION
[00:35:01]
GETS TO THE CUSTOMERS.IS IT THROUGH MEDIA, SOCIAL MEDIA, THROUGH, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY BILLS? CERTAINLY IT, YOU KNOW, IT WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA TO SOME DEGREE.
UM, BUT AS I UNDERSTAND IT WITH, UH, HOUSING PLANNING DEPARTMENT, THEY CONTRACT WITH DIFFERENT NONPROFITS TO ORGANIZE THE REPAIRS AND PUT PEOPLE IN TOUCH WITH THE CONTRACTORS TO DO THE REPAIRS.
SO I DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT IT AND I HAVE TO ADMIT, UM, BUT I, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THOSE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ALSO TAKE A HAND IN, UM, MATCHING PEOPLE UP WITH THIS PROGRAM.
SO I'M AFRAID IT WASN'T A COMPLETE ANSWER, BUT THAT'S WHAT I UNDERSTAND TAKES PLACE.
ONE OF MY QUESTIONS WAS ALSO ABOUT THAT PROGRAM.
I WAS WONDERING IN TERMS OF THE 20 THAT WERE SERVED, IF THAT WAS THE LIMITATION OF FUNDING, OR IF THAT WAS JUST ALL THE REQUEST THAT YOU RECEIVED, THAT'S ALL THE, I MEAN, WE'VE CAME IN THROUGH, I GUESS IT WAS JULY.
SO NO, THERE'S NOT A, THEY HAVEN'T HIT THE FUNDING CAP YET, SO HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, THERE'LL BE MORE BEFORE THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
IT DOES STRIKE ME AS A LOW NUMBER.
I JUST ASSUME THAT PEOPLE HAVE PLUMBING PROBLEMS, BUT I'M IN AN OLDER HOUSE.
UM, MY OTHER QUESTION WAS, AND I APOLOGIZE IF I'VE ASKED YOU THIS QUESTION.
I THINK I ASKED IT IF SOMEBODY HAD AUSTIN WATER BEFORE, BUT ABOUT THE, UM, KIND OF LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE COULD GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT STANDS OUT TO ME IN THAT IMAGE.
UM, IT'S JUST THE AMOUNT OF LIKE STONES LIKE THAT ARE, THAT ARE THERE.
AND YOU MAY HAVE BEEN THE ONE THAT I ASKED THIS TO YOU BEFORE, BUT I THINK JUST LIKE WITH OUR INTENSE HEAT, IT IS REALLY LIKE VERY KIND OF ON MY MIND, LIKE HOW WE CAN AVOID EXACERBATING OUR URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT THAT WE HAVE HERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE MORE PEOPLE LANDSCAPE WITH JUST LIKE GRAVEL IN THEIR FRONT LAWN.
LIKE IT, IT DOES NOT, UM, I DON'T THINK IT COLLECTIVELY SERVES US.
I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULD DO TURF FOR SURE.
WE SHOULDN'T, BUT LIKE NATIVE PLANTS AT LEAST ARE LIKE, YOU KNOW, MORE OF A HEAT SINK.
JUST WONDERING IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO ANYTHING THAT'S BEING DONE AS YOU MOVE FORWARD TO, LIKE, DIS-INCENTIVIZE JUST LIKE GRAVEL ESSENTIALLY, AS OPPOSED TO NATIVE PLANTS.
SECOND IS WE, IT'S CERTAINLY A LOT OF A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION AS WE ARE FORMULATING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, SO WE'RE DEFINITELY THINKING ABOUT IT.
AND, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE, MIGHT HAVE CONCERNS REGARDING THIS, UH, REGARDING THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT, HEAT ISLAND EFFECT, OR EVEN, UH, AGGREGATES GETTING INTO THE STORM DRAINS AND SO FORTH.
SO THAT'S ON DEFINITELY ON OUR RADAR AND WE'LL ANYTHING WE PRESENT, WE'LL HAVE SOME CONSIDERATION ON HOW TO, HOW TO MITIGATE THAT OR, OR AT LEAST NOT ADD TO IT.
I MEAN, I THINK, UM, UNDERSTANDABLY I SEE THAT SOME PEOPLE JUST GO TO FORK.
IT'S CERTAINLY LIKE, TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAINTAIN IT, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU PUT IT ON THE GRAVEL AND THAT'S KIND OF, KIND OF IT.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S LIKE MAYBE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S AN INCENTIVE FOR MOVING YOUR TURF GRASS, BUT THERE'S LIKE ANOTHER INCENTIVE FOR LIKE ACTUALLY PUTTING IN NATIVE PLANTINGS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING, BUT JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO FINANCIALLY SEND THE SIGNAL THAT, HEY, LIKE DON'T JUST PUT DOWN ROCKS SO THAT WE ALL BAKE.
PAUL, DID YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT ROCKS ALSO ENCOURAGE WE KILLERS BECAUSE MANY, MANY PEOPLE TO NOT WANT TO WEED THEIR ROCKS BY HAND.
AND SO YOU HAVE THIS DANGEROUS CHEMICAL LYING ON THE ROCKS WAITING TO BE WASHED OFF IN THE URBAN RUNOFF.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING TO CONSIDER.
I, I AGREE WITH YOU GUYS ANOTHER GOOD POINT, PAUL.
UH, THANK YOU AGAIN, KEVIN, ANY FINAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS? YEAH.
SO ALSO ON THE LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION, DO YOU ANTICIPATE IN THE FALL, WHEN YOU COME BACK TO THE COMMISSIONS
[00:40:01]
WITH, YOU KNOW, ALL THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU'VE COLLECTED, WILL THAT BE IN THE FORM OF A PROPOSED LANGUAGE FOR A CODE REVISIONS OR NEW CODE SECTIONS? I ANTICIPATE THAT WHEN WE COME BACK, IT'LL INITIALLY BE WITH OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.WE MAY HAVE THE CODE PROPOSED CODE FULLY DEVELOPED OUT, OR IT MAY BE KIND OF IN CONCEPT AT THAT POINT.
UM, WHEN WE BRING THIS BACK TO YOU ALL FOR YOUR INPUT, AS WELL AS WATER WASTEWATER COMMISSION AND WATERFORD TASKFORCE, THEN WE'LL TAKE ALL OF THAT FEEDBACK WE GOT FROM COMMISSIONS, TASKFORCE, STAKEHOLDERS, PUBLIC, AND GO MACK, MAKE ANY CHANGES OR TWEAKS.
AND THEN WE'LL START THE PROCESS AGAIN TOWARDS COUNCIL.
AND WHICH I ANTICIPATE WILL PROBABLY BE THE EARLY NEXT YEAR.
YOU'LL SEE IT WITH OUR INITIAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
IT'S PRIDE YOUR FEEDBACK, AND THEN YOU'LL SEE IT AGAIN.
UH, EARLY 20, 23, I EXPECT WITH THE RCA, UM, MOVING FORWARD.
[3. Presentation by Texas Gas Service regarding a quarterly update of the Central Texas Energy Efficiency Program by Jasmine King-Bush, Energy Efficiency Program Manager.]
WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY TEXAS GAS SERVICE.THIS IS THE QUARTERLY UPDATE ON THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS AND IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, JASMINE, ARE YOU PRESENTING? ALL RIGHT.
GOOD EVENING, VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON COMMISSIONERS.
UM, COMING BEFORE YOU TO GIVE THE QUARTERLY REPORT FOR THE TEXAS GAS SERVICE ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM.
AND, UH, WE'LL START OFF WITH THE, UH, PROGRAM UPDATES AS FAR AS EVENTS AND OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES.
WE'VE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF, UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR, UH, DURING THE Q A PORTION OF THE YEAR, WE PARTNERED WITH AUSTIN ENERGY AND PARTICIPATED IN THE KITE FESTIVAL.
UH, THIS IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE WERE VERY EXCITED TO DO BECAUSE DUE TO PENTIUM IT CAN, UH, CONDITIONS.
WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO REALLY BE IN FRONT OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WE SERVE AND THAT WE'RE TRYING TO REACH.
UH, SO WE PARTNERED WITH AUSTIN ENERGY AND WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, PROVIDE INFORMATION, UM, ANSWER QUESTIONS, UH, BRING MORE AWARENESS TO THE EXISTENCE OF THE PROGRAM.
WE'RE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO DO, UH, AT LEAST ONE MORE, UM, OUTREACH OPPORTUNITY OR EVENT THIS YEAR WITH REGARDS TO COMMERCIAL PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS.
SO THIS IS NOT CUMULATIVELY, UH, Q1 AND Q2, UH, THE CLEAR RESULT, UH, AGENCY WHO IS OUR THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT THAT WE UTILIZE TO DO OUR COMMERCIAL DIRECT INSTALL, UH, WITH THE COMMERCIAL REBATES SERVED, UH, SIX CUSTOMERS.
AND, UM, THEIR ESTIMATION IS ABOUT 37.5, UM, THOUSAND THERMS SAVED.
AND THAT'S BASED UPON THE MEASURES THAT WERE INSTALLED IN THE PROPERTIES.
AND ALSO THERE'S AN ESTIMATION OF 930,000 GALLONS OF WATER SAVED.
AND I KNOW, UH, KEVIN STEPPED OUT, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY SEEING A REQUEST FOR MORE WATER SAVINGS, UM, IMPLEMENTATION AND, AND ASKING FOR MORE OF THAT.
SO, UM, THAT'S, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT IN COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL AS WELL FOR THE RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM, UH, WE'VE MADE A COUPLE CHANGES TO THE NEWSLETTER COMMUNICATIONS PREVIOUSLY.
WE HAD AN ENERGY EFFICIENCY SPECIFIC NEWSLETTER THAT WAS DISTRIBUTED TO CUSTOMERS THAT OPTED IN FOR, UH, ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION.
AND WE'VE JOINED FORCES WITH THE, UM, TEXAS GAS, UH, PIPELINE NEWSLETTER.
WE FIND THAT THAT INCREASES OUR REACH AND GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET BEFORE MORE PEOPLE THAT, UM, MAY NOT BE A PART OF THE SERVICE AREA AS FAR AS INSIDE SERVICE AREA, BUT CAN STILL BENEFIT FROM BEHAVIOR EDUCATION, EVEN IF THEY CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM.
AND, UH, WE HAVE ANNUALLY, WE OFFER A WATER KITS.
SO I THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ROBINS FOR MENTIONING OUR PRESENCE.
I'M HAPPY TO, TO PARTNER WITH, UM, AUSTIN WATER AND LOOK AT WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE.
UH, BUT TO DATE, WE'VE DISTRIBUTED 263 WATER KITS.
UM, WE DO HAVE A WATER KIT PROMOTION COMING UP, UM, THAT, UH, I'LL REPORT ON IN A FUTURE QUARTERLY REPORTING.
AND THEN I JUST PROVIDED, UH, THE, UH, YEAR OVER YEAR COMPARISON, 20 20, 20 21 AND 2022 FOR Q2 ONLY.
SO THAT, UH, IS INCLUDED ON SLIDE FIVE.
UH, YOU WILL SEE THAT LAST YEAR, WE DEFINITELY HAD A GREAT DEMAND, ESPECIALLY FOR, UM, THE WATER HEATERS.
AND THAT IS LARGELY ATTRIBUTED TO, UH, THE DEMAND THAT WE SAW INCREASED POST
[00:45:01]
STORM URI WITH REGARDS TO THE LOW INCOME AND FREE EQUIPMENT PROGRAM.WE'VE ASSISTED 30 FAMILIES, 43 APPLIANCES HAVE BEEN REPLACED.
UH, WE CONTINUE TO PURSUE THE GOAL OF, UH, LOOKING FOR NEW REFERRAL SOURCES AND STRENGTHENING EXISTING RELATIONSHIPS.
UM, I WANT TO POINT MAKE A POINT OF NOTE.
THERE IS THAT EVERY YEAR WE SEE THAT THIS PORTION OF THE PROGRAM IS COMPLETELY SUBSCRIBED.
UM, AND SO THE, UH, DESIRE TO SOURCE NEW REFERRAL SERVICE, A NEW REFERRAL AGENCIES IS NOT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT RECEIVING REFERRALS, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DISTRIBUTING THE FUNDS INTO AREAS, UH, INTO ALL THE AREAS THAT MAY QUALIFY.
SO WE DON'T WANNA, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT JUST RECEIVING REFERRALS FROM ONE CONCENTRATION, UH, AN AREA IN AUSTIN.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DIVERSIFYING THE OUTREACH.
AND THEN WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR.
WE UPDATED THE, UH, CONTRACTOR REIMBURSEMENT RATES, AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO MONITOR TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE, UH, ON, ON TRACK WITH WHAT THE MARKET, UH, IS COSTING AS FAR AS LABOR AND ACQUISITION COSTS.
UH, WE, WE DO SEE THIS YEAR A LITTLE BIT, UM, FOR OUR RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM AND IMPACT WITH SUPPLY CHAIN, UH, DELIVERY ISSUES AND DELAYS.
SO, UH, WE DO SEE THAT IMPACT AS WELL.
AND WE'RE TALKING TO CONTRACTORS AND SEEING WHAT CAN BE DONE AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THAT ARE IN NEED OF APPLIANCE REPLACEMENT ARE, UH, RECEIVING THEM.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION UNLESS ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS.
I KNOW THAT, UH, THERE WAS A CHANGE, UH, IN THE PROGRAM SO I CAN STAY UP IF YOU'RE GOING TO GO TO AGENDA ITEM FIVE.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM? YEAH.
MY INTERNET WENT OUT FOR JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES, SO I COMPLETELY MISSED, UM, THE MIDDLE.
UM, COULD YOU REPEAT A COUPLE OF SLIDES ACTUALLY? SORRY ABOUT THAT.
WHERE DID YOU HEAR? WHERE'D YOU HEAR LAST? UM, I THINK LET'S SEE.
CAN YOU KEEP GOING THROUGH YOURS? UM, MAYBE AFTER JUST STUFF FOR THE KITE SLIDE.
SO WE COVERED THE COMMERCIAL PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS.
UH, THIS IS FOR Q2 ONLY, AND, UH, WE'RE JUST HIGHLIGHTING THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS THAT WERE SERVED AND THEN THE EXPECTED ANNUAL SAVINGS THERE, UH, FOR, UH, THE MEASURES THAT WERE INSTALLED.
AND I COMMENTED THAT WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN BOTH COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL FOR WATER SAVINGS, UH, EFFORTS.
SO, UM, UH, THE, THE BULK OF THE WORK DONE AT THE SIX, UH, PROPERTIES, UH, WERE, UH, LOW FLOW SHOWER HEADS, UH, REPLACEMENTS FIXED AND, UM, HANDHELDS.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SEEING THAT, UM, LARGE EXPECTED ANNUAL SAVINGS IN WATER.
UH, AND THEN NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
WE ALSO MADE A SMALL CHANGE TO HOW WE COMMUNICATE OUR EDUCATION TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
SO PREVIOUSLY WE HAD AN ENERGY EFFICIENCY, SPECIFIC NEWSLETTER, WHAT WE'VE DONE, UH, THAT WAS THE CONSTRAINTS THERE WERE, THAT WAS ONLY DISTRIBUTED TO CUSTOMERS INSIDE SERVICE AREA WHO HAD OPTED INTO THE PROGRAM, UH, TO RECEIVE ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION, UH, BY ADDING, UH, HIGHLIGHTS AND TIPS AND TRICKS INTO THE TEXAS GAS PIPELINE NEWSLETTER.
WE'RE ABLE TO REACH A, A LARGER, UH, PLATFORM OF PEOPLE, UM, AND SPREAD MORE EDUCATION TO HOW PEOPLE CAN CHANGE BEHAVIORS AND USAGE TO SEE SAVINGS, BOTH ENERGY AND DOLLARS, UH, IN THEIR NATURAL GAS, UH, BILL.
AND, UM, WE CAN ALSO HAVE IMPACT BEYOND THIS, THE, UM, CITY LIMITS, AND THEN, UH, TO DATE, WE'VE DISTRIBUTED 236, 263 WATER SAVINGS KITS.
UM, AND I, I WAS THINKING COMMISSIONER ROBBINS.
UH, WE ARE DEFINITELY OPEN TO PARTNERING WITH AUSTIN WATER AND SEEING HOW WE CAN HAVE A GREATER IMPACT WITH, UH, WATER CONSERVATION EFFORTS.
UM, AND WE ARE EMBARKING UPON A WATER SAVINGS KIT CAMPAIGN THAT WILL TAKE PLACE, UH, IN SEPTEMBER.
SO I'LL BE REPORTING THAT IN THE APPROPRIATE, UH, QUARTERLY REPORT.
AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE PROVIDES A YEAR OVER YEAR, LOOK AT PROGRAM PERFORMANCE, A COST RETROFIT AND NEW RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION.
UH, I DID HIGHLIGHT AGAIN, AND I'VE, I'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, BUT I HIGHLIGHTED THE, THE, THE BANNER YEAR, I GUESS I WOULD SAY, UM, FOR 2021, AND THAT'S LARGELY ATTRIBUTED TO THE, UH, INCREASED DEMAND WE HAD FOR REBATES FOR, UM, RESULTING FROM STORM MURIE.
SO THE, THE PROGRAM PERFORMANCE THIS YEAR IS MORE ON TRACK TO WHAT YOU WOULD SEE IN 2020, WHICH IS MORE ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT.
SO THIS LAST SLIDE HERE IS PROVIDING INFORMATION ON THE PERFORMANCE FOR THE LOW-INCOME
[00:50:01]
AND FREE EQUIPMENT PROGRAM.WE'VE ASSISTED 30 FAMILIES, 43 APPLIANCES HAVE BEEN REPLACED.
WE CONTINUE TO PURSUE THE GOAL OF, UH, INITIATING NEW PARTNERSHIPS WITH SOCIAL SERVICES AGENCIES AND REFERRAL SOURCES, UH, WHILE STRENGTHENING THE RELATIONSHIP WITH ONES THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH.
AND I WAS EXPLAINING THAT, UM, WE'RE PURSUING NEW RELATIONSHIPS, NOT BECAUSE THE PROGRAM IS EVER UNDER SUBSCRIBED, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, OTHER AREAS OF AUSTIN OR, OR ALL AREAS OF AUSTIN HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM.
OR WE'RE NOT JUST SEEING CONCENTRATION FROM ONE OR TWO REFERRAL SOURCES.
AND THEN WE ARE CONSTANTLY MONITORING THE, UH, CONTRACTOR REIMBURSEMENT RATES THAT ARE OFFERED BY THE PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE ON TRACK WITH WHAT'S WHAT'S OFFERED IN THE MARKET.
I JUST MIGHT, I WOULDN'T WANT YOU TO MISS OUT ON ANYTHING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS JASMINE? YES, MA'AM.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION ON THE RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM PARTICIPATION NUMBERS THAT YOU SHARED.
I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT THESE WERE THE, THE, UM, NUMBERS WERE THROUGH Q2 ARE THE 20, 20 AND 2021 NUMBERS ALSO JUST THROUGH Q2, ARE THOSE FULL YEAR PARTICIPATION NUMBERS.
THOSE ARE JUST TO Q2 SPECIFICALLY.
I WAS LOOKING AT THE, UM, THE NEW CONSTRUCTION, UH, UM, NUMBERS, UH, HERE THAT YOU'RE SHOWING AND NOTICING IT, IT DID LOOK LIKE IN 2021, UM, THE SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF WATER HEATERS, BUT THAT WAS BECAUSE OF URI THIS OKAY.
AND SO THEN AT THIS POINT YOU EXPECT THAT THAT BACKLOG I SUSPECT IS, IS WHATEVER, IS, ARE YOU, DO YOU EXPECT THAT YOU'RE BACK TO A NORMAL PROGRAM PARTICIPATION THIS YEAR? YES.
THIS SEEMS TO BE MORE ON TRACK WITH WHAT WE'VE COME TO EXPECT YEAR OVER YEAR.
AND THEN PAUL, UM, JASMINE, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UM, I HAVE A QUESTION BY THE 43 APPLIANCES REPLACED THAT'S IN LOW-INCOME FREE EQUIPMENT PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS.
I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THOSE APPLIANCES ARE ALL GAS APPLIANCES, OR IF A LOW-INCOME FAMILY HAS SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, IT ELECTRIC STOVE.
UM, THAT WAS PART OF THOSE REPLACEMENTS.
NO, SIR, THESE ARE SOLELY NATURAL GAS APPLIANCES.
SO IF THE FAMILY, UH, HAD A NATURAL GRASS RANGE, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THE NATURAL GAS RANGE WAS, UM, NOT FUNCTIONAL, UH, THEN, AND THEY PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM THAT WE WOULD REPLACE THE RANGE AND THE VENT, AND ALSO GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE ROOF IF NEED BE.
CALL THE, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, WILL NOT GIVE REBATES MORE THAN ONCE EVERY 10 YEARS FOR ITS SOLAR PROGRAM IT'S AND IT'S AIR CONDITIONER REBATE PROGRAM.
WHY DOESN'T TEXAS GAS SERVICE HAVE A SIMILAR, UM, CONCERN, A SIMILAR ROLE WITH REGARDS TO JUST ALL OF OTHER REBATES OR SO WE DO, WE DO HAVE, UH, CONSTRAINTS AGAINST PARTICIPATION, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE DRYER REBATE, THEY HAVE TO HAVE AN ELAPSE OF THREE YEARS FOR THE DRYER REBATE.
UM, WE DO ALSO CONSIDER THAT WITH REGARDS TO OTHER REBATES.
WE DO, UH, LOOK INTO, UH, WHEN THE PARTICIPATION WAS PREVIOUSLY, UH, UM, TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY THE ACCOUNT.
UH, WE DID SEE A GREATER NEED FOR THE WATER HEATERS DURING THE STORM URI.
UM, AND WE HAD PEOPLE THAT WERE PARTICIPATING THAT DEFINITELY SUBMITTED, UM, THAT THEY HAD TO HAVE IT REPLACED.
SO WE HAD CONTRACTORS STAY IN THAT THEY WERE REPLACING BROKEN UNITS.
AND SO THE, THE PARTICIPATION WAS GRANTED.
AND MY POINT IS THAT AUSTIN ENERGY WOULD NOT DO THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU, JASMINE.
[00:55:01]
UM, SO,[5. Discussion and possible action regarding a resolution on Texas Gas Service Conservation Programs.]
UH, AS A REMINDER, WE'RE, WE'RE SWITCHING ITEMS, UH, FOUR AND FIVE.SO WE'RE GOING TO HEAR, UH, FROM AUSTIN ENERGY AFTER WE TAKE UP AT, UM, FIVE, UM, WHICH IS A RESOLUTION, UH, RELATED TO TEXAS GAS CONSERVATION PROGRAMS. AND PAUL, I THINK, ARE YOU LAYING THIS OUT? I WILL DO MY BEST.
UM, THIS WAS, UM, PUNTED AT OUR LAST MEETING WHILE COHIBA AND DANA AND I WORKED OUT WHAT WE COULD COME TO A CONSENSUS ON.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE BASICALLY SEEING HERE TONIGHT.
UM, IF IT WERE ME, I WOULD HAVE GONE FURTHER, UH, AND I HOPE THAT WE TAKE UP FURTHER, UM, DISCUSSION OF THIS IN THE FALL, BUT THIS IS WHAT I THINK WE CAN GET TO CITY COUNCIL QUICKLY.
UH, THE MEAT OF IT, THE SORRY, PAUL, CAN I INTERRUPT YOU? IS IT POSSIBLE TO BRING THIS UP ON THE SCREEN? THANK YOU.
UM, THE, THE GIST OF IT IS THERE ARE FOUR POINTS WHERE WE EXCLUDE REBATES FOR NATURAL GAS EQUIPMENT IN NEW CONSTRUCTION, UH, EXCLUDE REBATES, UH, FOR CLOTHES, DRYER, GAS STUBS, UH, IN EXISTING HOMES.
UH, AND, AND THIS ADDRESSES THESE TWO THINGS ADDRESS, UM, THE WISH TO STOP, UH, NATURAL GAS, UH, STOP INCENTING, NATURAL GAS IN NEW BUILDINGS.
THE THIRD, UH, POINT, WHICH I'M ACTUALLY, UM, AMBIVALENT ABOUT IS TO REDIRECT THESE FUNDS, UM, FROM THE SAVINGS FROM THESE FUNDS TO DUCT CEILING, CEILING INSULATION AND WEATHERIZATION, WHILE I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA.
UM, AND THIS IS WHAT WE, WHAT THE COMMISSION PROPOSED FOR CENTER POINT, TEXAS GAS SERVICE ALREADY HAS REBATES FOR DUCKS CEILING, CEILING INSULATION, AND WEATHERIZATION MEASURES.
AND MAYBE THIS ITEM, MAYBE THESE FUNDS COULD JUST BE REIMBURSED BACK TO THE RATE PAYER OR, UH, JUST SPENT IF THERE'S A NEED.
AND THEN THE FOURTH IS WHAT WE BRIEFLY DISCUSSED DURING, UM, KEVIN'S PRESENTATION, WHICH IS TO TRY AND GET SOME SYNCHRONICITY BETWEEN TEXAS GAS SERVICES PROGRAMS, IT'S SAVE WATER AND THE WATER CONSERVATION DIVISION, AND ANY OTHER WATER UTILITIES THAT, UH, TEXAS GAS OVERLAPS WITH.
UM, AGAIN, I'LL GO BACK TO ITEM THREE.
UM, IF IT'S A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, UM, CAN WE SCROLL DOWN IF WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT SPECIFICS? THANKS.
OH, IT'D BE ON THE SECOND PAGE.
SO THE WEEKEND, I THINK IT HELPS TO BE ABLE TO FOLLOW ALONG.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO MAGNIFY, UH, BAD? UH THANK YOU.
NOW, ITEM THREE, I HOPE THIS IS LEGIBLE TO SOME PEOPLE REDIRECT FUNDS FOR APPLIANCE PROGRAMS TO BE EXCLUDED, TO REBATES FOR DUCKS, CEILING,
[01:00:01]
CEILING INSULATION, AND OTHER COST EFFECTIVE WEATHERIZATION MEASURES.I'M NOT AGAINST, BUT IF THERE ARE READY HAVE THESE PROGRAMS AND THEY'RE ALREADY WORKING WELL, THEN LET'S JUST PUT THIS MONEY BACK, GIVE IT BACK TO THE RATE PAYER, OR PUT IT INTO OTHER CONSTRUCTIVE PROGRAMS, BUT AT ANY RATE, THAT'S A GOOD SUMMARY.
UM, DANA AND KAI, AND I WORKED VERY HARD ON THIS, UH, THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO SUPPORT IT, BUT I HOPE YOU WILL.
DANA KIBO, DO YOU WANT TO FOLLOW UP DANA? I KNOW YOU HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS, UH, SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, DO YOU WANT TO SHARE ANYTHING? SURE, SURE.
UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU TO YOU, PAUL, AND TO KIOWA FOR, FOR THE WORK ON THIS.
UM, AND I'LL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR ME PERSONALLY, UM, MY MAIN CONCERN IN, IN PUSHING THIS FORWARD WAS REALLY TO ANY OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE TO NOT LOCK IN NEW EMISSIONS.
UM, I THOUGHT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO PUT FORWARD AND SEVERAL COMMISSIONERS.
UM, HERE DID JOIN, UM, A DISCUSSION, UM, ABOUT A MONTH AGO THAT TEXAS GAS SERVICE PUT ON FOR US, UM, REALLY TALKING ABOUT HOW, UM, IT, IT WAS A COST EFFECTIVE AND IT'S A DISCUSSION, BUT, UM, BASICALLY INDICATING THAT THE INCENTIVES FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION, UM, WILL INFLUENCE USUALLY NOT WHETHER GAS IS INSTALLED IN A HOME, WHAT NOT, WHETHER ALL ELECTRIC OR NOT, BUT WILL INFLUENCE, UM, APPLIANCE, UH, DECISIONS, WHETHER ELECTRIC OR GAS.
UM, AND SO AS IT STATES IN THE KIND OF THE, THE WHEREAS LANGUAGE AT THE TOP, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE AS PART OF REALLY WHAT THIS COMMISSION IS, IS TRYING TO PUSH FOR, UM, IS, YOU KNOW, TO ADOPT THE, UH, TO, TO ADVANCE THE GOALS OF A CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN EQUITY PLAN, WE'D LIKE TO START MAKING PROGRESS, UH, FOR EMISSIONS REDUCTION.
AND HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE SEE TO DO.
SO, UM, I DO WANT TO PUT ON THE TABLE THAT THE CURRENT, UH, TARIFF REQUIRES A, A THREE-YEAR PROGRAM REVIEW, UM, AND, AND TEXAS GAS HAS MADE CLEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, THIS PROGRAM WAS APPROVED IN DECEMBER OF 2021.
UM, AND THEREFORE IS AN UP FOR REVIEW AGAIN UNTIL 2024.
UM, I THINK THAT THE SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, AND I THINK THE, THE OTHER, UH, ALL IN, IN KIBO WORKING, UH, ON THIS, DO YOU FEEL THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ENOUGH, UM, RECOMMENDATION AND OPPORTUNITY TO ENCOURAGE COUNCIL TO REVISIT, UM, EVEN OUTSIDE OF THAT KIND OF STANDARD, UH, TARIFF ADJUSTMENT CYCLE.
UM, SO THAT IS WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING, UM, HERE IS, IS TO KIND OF MAKE THAT EXCEPTION AND JUST WANTED TO KIND OF MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS KNOWN, UM, EXCUSE ME, WE DID TAKE HER OUT.
UM, THERE, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION AROUND COST-EFFECTIVENESS AND THERE WAS A VERSION OF THIS RESOLUTION THAT WAS PROPOSED AT OUR LAST MEETING, WHICH HAD MORE COST-EFFECTIVENESS LANGUAGE IN IT.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO PUT, PUT FORWARD THAT I WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, OUR, UM, FIRSTLY OUR ABILITY TO EVALUATE COST EFFECTIVENESS AS NON-EXPERTS AND, AND REALLY, UM, SOME OF US ARE NON-EXPERTS, UM, AND, UM, UNDERSTANDING KIND OF WHAT THAT MEANS FOR, FOR DIFFERENT PIECES OF THE PROGRAM, BUT THEN ALSO REALLY THAT THE TARIFF, UH, STATES THAT PROGRAMS ARE REQUIRED THAT TEXAS GAS SERVICE CONSERVATION PROGRAMS ARE REQUIRED TO BE COST-EFFECTIVE.
UM, AND, AND REALLY THERE'S, YOU KNOW, AFTER THAT POINT, IT'S UP TO, TO SOME OF THE, THE ENFORCING OR THE REGULATION PIECE AND NOT NECESSARILY THE POLICY ADVISING PIECE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE PIECES THAT I, I FELT, UM, FAIRLY STRONGLY ABOUT THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITHIN THE CONFINES OF, OF THE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
UM, AND THEN THE, THE THIRD PIECE THAT I'LL MENTION, UM, OR THE FINAL PIECE THAT I MENTIONED, EXCUSE ME, IS THAT, UM, I, I THINK PAUL MAKES A GOOD POINT ABOUT ITEM NUMBER THREE HERE.
UM, AND IF THAT DOES CAUSE ISSUE, UM, FOR REDIRECTING FUNDS TO WEATHERIZATION, I HAVE NO OBJECTION TO STRIKING THAT IF IT MEANS IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PASS.
UM, SO THERE'S SORT OF MY KIND OF GENERAL THOUGHTS.
YEAH, JUST A FEW CLARIFYING QUESTIONS FOR ME.
UM, SO FOR ITEM TWO HERE, UM, YOU KNOW,
[01:05:01]
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A SITUATION WHERE A HOME DOESN'T HAVE A GAS STEP, RIGHT? SO IT'D BE AN INSTALLATION OF A NEW GAS STUB IS WHAT WOULD BE EXCLUDED.AND SO, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE, UM, PROPOSAL, IT SAYS EXCLUDE REBATES, BUT THIS IS AN ELIMINATION OF THE REBATES.
AND I GUESS WHAT I REALLY, UM, THE ONE POINT I DIDN'T FOLLOW, I THINK IS ON 0.4, WHICH I DON'T DISAGREE WITH.
I HAD THOUGHT THAT MAYBE YOU ALL WERE SUGGESTING THAT THOSE ELIMINATED, UH, REBATES B UH, CHANNEL TWO, ITEM FOUR FOR THE CO-FUNDING, BUT DOES THAT NOT CORRECT? IT COULD BE, UH, I I'M, I SHOULD MAKE IT CLEAR TO ANYBODY.
UH, CAUSE NOT EVERYBODY WATCHING THIS RECORDING KNOWS ME, BUT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON ENERGY CONSERVATION SINCE 1977 AND WOULD BE LOW CRITICIZED MOST PROGRAMS. UH, I, UM, SO WHEN YOU WOULD TALKS ABOUT EXCLUDING REBATES, I'M NOT AGAINST CONSERVATION, I'M JUST, UH, I'M EXCLUDING REBATES THAT I DON'T THINK MAKES SENSE.
IF THERE'S MONEY THAT COULD BE REPURPOSED TO SOMETHING BETTER, I'M ALL FOR IT.
I THINK MY POINT WAS MORE, UM, JUST IN THE CONTEXT OF SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, I WASN'T HERE AT THE LAST MEETING AND I DID GO BACK AND WATCH IT.
UM, BUT I DO ALWAYS THINK ABOUT WHEN I READ SOMETHING, IF SOMEBODY WHO HASN'T HAD THE BENEFIT OF, YOU KNOW, OUR DISCUSSIONS, IF THEY, IF THEY CAN LOOK AT IT AND QUICKLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
AND SO TO THAT, I WOULD, I WOULD SUGGEST FOR ITEM TWO, THAT YOU, THAT WE ADD NEW, THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW GAS STUB IT'S IMPLIED, BUT I THINK IT'S CLEAR IF YOU JUST SAY THAT.
UM, I THINK IT REALLY GETS TO THE POINT OF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE TRYING NOT TO ENCOURAGE NEW GAS INSTALLATIONS, WHICH I DO SUPPORT.
SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ON THREE, UH, I HAVE HESITATION ABOUT 0.3 AS WELL BECAUSE IT, IT FEELS LIKE IT NEEDS MORE CONTEXT OR STUDY.
UM, SO I WOULD NOT BE OPPOSED TO THAT ITEM, UM, COMING OFF, BUT IF IT STAYS, I WOULD SUGGEST A SLIGHTLY REWORDED SENTENCE.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM OTHERS ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS ON 0.3 AND WHETHER THAT STAYS OKAY.
LISA, I'M WONDERING, AND PAUL TOO, IF WE COULD JUST MAYBE ADD 2.3 AND SAY SOMETHING LIKE UP TO THE POINT THAT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, COST-EFFECTIVE OR UP TO THE POINT THAT IS, UM, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW.
THAT'S PROBABLY THE EASIEST THING.
I DON'T KNOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT YEAH, IT'S NOT MONEY WASTED, BUT JUST ADDITIONAL WORK HAPPENING.
WOULD THAT THE ISSUE FOR YOU, IT WOULD BETTER ADDRESS THE ISSUE FOR ME.
I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A SMART CHANGE.
THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO REMOVE, UH COST-EFFECTIVE FROM THE LAST PHRASE AND OTHER, AND THEN STRIKE COST EFFECTIVE AND THEN WEATHERIZATION MEASURES.
SO UP TO THE POINT THAT IT IS COST EFFECTIVE, I THINK THAT THEY ARE COST-EFFECTIVE THAT THEY ARE COST EFFECTIVE COMMA, REDIRECT FUNDS FROM THE APPLIANCE PROGRAMS TO BE EXCLUDED, TO REBATES FOR DUCT CEILINGS, CEILING INSULATION, AND OTHER WEATHERIZATION MEASURES UP TO THE POINT THAT IT IS COST-EFFECTIVE.
WELL, TH THAT WOULD BE AT THE BEGINNING UP TO THE POINT THAT THEY ARE COST EFFECTIVE REDIRECT FUNDS FOR THE, FROM THE APPLIANCE PROGRAM TO BE EXCLUDED, TO REBATES FOR DUCT CEILING, CEILING INSTALLATION AND OTHER WEATHERIZATION MEASURES.
I THINK THE SUGGESTION, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION ON THE NEW INSTALLATION OF A NEW GAL STUB, EASY, WELL, THAT'S ON ITEM TWO.
UH, OTHER OTHER CO-SPONSORS ANY OBJECTIONS OR CONCERNS, THOUGHTS ABOUT THESE CHANGES
[01:10:01]
THAT WERE, I GUESS, THE COMMISSIONER AT LARGE, BUT ANY, ANY THOUGHTS ON THESE CHANGES? UH, QUESTIONS, GO AHEAD.UM, SO ON THIS NUMBER THREE, UM, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU ALL, UM, HOLIDAY AND UNKIND BEFORE WORKING ON THIS.
UM, AND DANA WAS MENTIONING THAT WELL, OR A COUPLE OF OTHERS THAT WE COULD GET RID OF THIS OR STRIKE IT OUT, UH, THREE, UH, NUMBER THREE, BUT IF WE LEAVE IT, IT'S, IT'S GONNA HARD TO, FOR ME TO READ THAT OR THAT IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD TO WHERE, WHERE IT SAYS TO BE EXCLUDED THE TWO, IS IT FROM REBATES FOR DUCKS? SO IT DOESN'T, TO ME, IT KIND OF DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO BE EXCLUDED WHAT WE'RE TAKING IT OUT FROM THE REBATES OR DUCT CEILING.
AM I READING THIS CORRECTLY? SAM? I THINK IT'S CONFUSING WORDING.
IT'S INTENDED TO BE BASICALLY THE MONEY THAT'S CURRENTLY BEING SPENT ON NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER TWO, PUT IT INTO THESE THINGS.
I HAVE A REVISION, I THINK, CAUSE THAT WAS PART OF WHAT I WAS THINKING WAS KIND OF AWKWARD.
HOW ABOUT IF WE SAID RE REDIRECT FRIENDS FROM THE ELIMINATED A PLANT'S PROGRAMS APPLIED TO REBATE PROGRAMS, I THINK, UM, TO REBATES FOR DARCY LANE, ET CETERA.
SHOULD I READ IT ONE MORE TIME UP TO THE POINT THAT THEY ARE COST-EFFECTIVE REDIRECT FUNDS FROM THE APPLIANCE, FROM THE ELIMINATED APPLIANCE PROGRAMS TO BE EXCLUDED, TO REBATES FOR DUCKS TO BE EXCLUDED? YOU CAN STRIKE THAT, RIGHT? LET'S TRY AGAIN, UP TO THE POINT THAT THEY ARE COST-EFFECTIVE REDIRECT FUNDS FROM THE ELIMINATED APPLIANCE PROGRAMS TO REBATES FOR DUCT CEILING, CEILING INSULATION AND OTHER WEATHERIZATION MEASURES.
UH, LIKE IT, TH THERE WAS ANOTHER COMMENT ABOUT THE THINGS IN ITEM FOUR.
UH, WONDER IF WE SHOULD ADD WATER SAVING TO THAT LIST WOULD, WOULD THAT WE COULD, SO ARE YOU THINKING WE WOULD COMBINE THREE AND FOUR TO CAPTURE? ARE YOU JUST SAYING THOSE FUNDS COULD GO THAT WAY? YEAH, BECAUSE LIKE ADDED TO THE LIST, KEEP FOR THEIR CAUSE IT'S REALLY ABOUT COOPERATION AND PARTNERSHIP, BUT LIKE IN TERMS OF REDIRECTING.
THAT, I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO SHOULD I PUT IT AFTER CEILING SLATE? WELL, NO.
UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO ELIMINATE AND, AND IT WOULD BE OTHER WEATHERIZATION MEASURES AND WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES.
IF YOU PUT CEILING INSTALLATION, WATER SAVING TECHNOLOGIES AND OTHER WEATHERIZATION MEASURES, I THINK THAT GETS YOU EVERYTHING.
I WAS TRYING TO KEEP ALL THE WEATHERIZATION TOGETHER, BUT ON WATER CONCER, THEY SHUN MEASURES.
WELL, WE HAD SAID, UM, WATER SAVING TECHNOLOGIES.
YOU COULD SAY WATER CONCENTRATION.
I WANT TO GET YOUR WINE WITH WATER, ACTUALLY GOING TO THINK THAT THE MEASURES MIGHT BE BETTER.
IT MIGHT NOT BE SO MUCH TECHNOLOGY IS LIKE FIXING PIPES OR SOMETHING.
WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES AND OTHER WEATHERIZATION MEASURES.
UH, NATASHA, I'LL GET THIS TRANSCRIBED TO YOU AFTER THE MEETING.
I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION ON, ON PAGE ONE.
CAN, CAN WE SCROLL BACK UP PLEASE? THANK YOU.
SO I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, WHEREAS, UM, THE SEVENTH ONE WHERE IT SAYS TEXAS GAS CONTINUED USING A LARGE PORTION OF ITS ENERGY CONSERVATION.
UM, SO IT SAYS THAT A LARGE PORTION OF ITS ENERGY CON CONSERVATION BUDGET TO PROVIDE INCENTIVE, TO INSTALL APPLIANCES WHERE NON PREVIOUSLY EXISTED.
UM, I WAS JUST WONDERING WHERE THIS INFORMATION,
[01:15:01]
UM, WHAT DID WE GET THAT INFORMATION? DID IT COME FROM TEXAS GAS OR, UH, S UH, THAT BROKE MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE? OR HOW DO WE KNOW BASICALLY, HOW DO WE KNOW TEXAS GAS DID THIS? YEAH.SAM, THANKS FOR THAT QUESTION.
SO THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE, WE ACTUALLY JUST SAW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE UPDATE THAT WE JUST GOT, BUT IN THOSE QUARTERLY UPDATES, UH, THEY HAVE BEEN BREAKING OUT NEW CONSTRUCTION VERSUS EXISTING CONSTRUCTION.
AND OF COURSE, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE TARGETING NEW CONSTRUCTION WITH THESE PROPOSED CHANGES, BECAUSE INHERENTLY, IF IT'S NEW CONSTRUCTION, THERE WASN'T AN APPLIANCE THERE BEFORE.
NOW, OF COURSE THERE COULD BE SOME WITHIN EXISTING RESIDENTIAL THAT IS IN FACT ALSO, YOU KNOW, REPLACING, SAY A, UM, AN ELECTRIC APPLIANCE WITH A NATURAL GAS APPLIANCE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT DATA DATA.
WHAT WE DO HAVE IS THE DATA ABOUT NEW CONSTRUCTION VERSUS EXISTING.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? AND YES, WE GET THAT FROM TEXAS GUESTS.
I WAS JUST WONDERING ABOUT THE SOURCE OF, UM, THAT THAT'S INFORMATION.
IF I MAY OFFER, UM, ANOTHER, UM, I GUESS POINT THAT WAS OFFERED BY TEXAS GAS SERVICES, UM, CONSULTANT OR ROB, UM, IN OUR, UM, TRAINING, UH, ABOUT A MONTH AGO WAS, UM, WHILE THEY, I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY COLLECT THE DATA FOR THE AUSTIN AREA, THEY DO COLLECT, UM, CONSUMER SENTIMENT, DATA, CUSTOMER PREFERENCE DATA, UM, FROM A LOT OF THEIR CUSTOMERS AND THEIR OKLAHOMA SERVICE TERRITORY, WHICH I THINK IS MUCH LARGER.
AND SO THERE IS, UM, THEY DO COLLECT DATA ON, UH DECISION-MAKING AND WHETHER HOMEOWNERS ARE CHOOSING TO MAKE WHAT WHAT'S DRIVING DECISIONS TO ENGAGE WITH THE REBATE PROGRAM.
UM, THAT COULD BE A REQUEST THAT WE COULD MAKE, UH, TO, TO SEE THAT, THAT DATA.
AGAIN, I DON'T BELIEVE THE DATA THEY'RE COLLECTING IS AUSTIN SPECIFIC, BUT THEY DO HAVE THAT FOR THEIR TEXAS GAS DOES HAVE IT, I BELIEVE FOR THEIR PORTFOLIO.
UM, AND JASMINE OR LARRY, LARRY, IF I'M MISSPEAKING THERE, PLEASE, PLEASE CORRECT ME.
UM, BUT WE COULDN'T MAKE THAT REQUEST.
YEAH, JUST AS A POINT OF REFERENCE IN THE LAST PROPOSED ANNUAL BUDGET PER TEXAS GAS SERVICE, IT WAS ROUGHLY 50 50, UH, BETWEEN THE NEW COMMERCIAL, UH, APPLIANCE REBATES AND THE EXISTING HOME APPLIANCE REBATES.
UM, SO IF ANYBODY HAS A QUESTION OR COMMENT TO MAKE ABOUT THIS, UH, FEEL FREE TO SPEAK UP.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, FIRST OF ALL, THIS, I THINK THIS IS GREAT WORK THAT YOU AND DANA AND PAUL HAVE PUT TOGETHER.
AND, UH, I, I AM, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD THING FOR US TO DO AS A COMMISSION.
I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE RESEARCH BY THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE, UM, IN THAT PARTICULAR CAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE READ A LOT ABOUT GAS STOVES, LARGE SOURCE OF TOXIC AIR POLLUTION.
UM, AND YET THERE, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANYTHING IN THIS RESOLUTION OR IN TEXAS GAS THAT IS INCENTIVIZING GAS STOVES.
SO I'M JUST, UM, I'M WONDERING ABOUT THE, THE RATIONALE FOR INCLUDING THIS PARTICULAR CLAUSE IN THE RESOLUTION.
UH, I PUT THAT IN THERE, SO I'LL RESPOND TO IT.
THEY DO NOT INCENTIVIZE NATURAL GAS STOVES.
UM, HOWEVER, IF A HOME IS BUILT WITH NATURAL GAS CONNECTION, SAY THAT PRIMARILY BE BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING AN INCENTIVE FOR HOT WATER HEATING OR DRYER OR ANYTHING ELSE THEY'RE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO THEN ALSO INSTALL A NATURAL GAS STOVE.
WHEREAS IF THEY AREN'T GETTING THAT INCENTIVE FOR THOSE OTHER, UM, APPLIANCES, THEN THEY'RE LESS LIKELY TO HAVE THE HOUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, PLUMBED FOR NATURAL GAS AND, YOU KNOW, RARELY ARE YOU GOING TO SEE A HOME THAT HAS NATURAL GAS INSTALLED JUST FOR THE STOVE AND NOT WITHOUT THOSE OTHER APPLIANCES.
SO IT'S SORT OF A, YOU KNOW, A SIDE EFFECT OF THOSE OTHER REBATES, I WOULD SAY.
[01:20:01]
GOT IT.OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, LARRY.
I DON'T HAVE YOU ON OUR SPEAKER LIST.
ARE YOU WANTING TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK? OKAY, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU THREE MINUTES.
I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IN THE FUTURE IF YOU, IF YOU DON'T MIND SIGNING UP LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, BUT, UM, YOU CAN GO AHEAD.
WELL, OKAY, WELL, THANK YOU, KYLA.
I ASSUMED THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO HEAR FROM US AND YOU KNOW, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UM, WE, YOU KNOW, WE DISAGREE WITH THIS.
WE, WE WENT THROUGH THIS, WE GOT APPROVAL.
SO WE'RE DISAPPOINTED THAT YOU'RE ASKING US TO DISRUPT THAT.
SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ON THE RECORD STATING THAT WE DISAGREE WITH THIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF CONFUSION ABOUT DO THE REBATES AND SENT HOME BUILDERS TO BUILD, TO USE GAS.
AND I THINK WE REALLY DISAGREE WITH YOUR ASSUMPTION THAT IT DOES.
SO WHEN PEOPLE BUILD HOMES, IT'LL COST THEM 2,500, $3,000 TO INSTALL GAS PIPING FROM THE METER TO SERVE THE WATER HEATER, THE FURNACE, THE STOVE.
AND THEN WE DO GIVE THESE REBATES FOR SOME GAS APPLIANCES THAT ARE MORE EFFICIENT THAN WHAT THE CODE REQUIRES.
AND IF YOU NET IT OUT, THEY'RE STILL SPENDING MONEY TO INSTALL.
THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY THAT WE'RE GIVING THEM TO INCENT THEM TO USE GAS.
THEY'RE GOING TO USE IF WE DON'T HAVE THESE FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION, WE FIRMLY BELIEVE AFTER YEARS OF DISCUSSING AND TALKING ABOUT THIS WITH THE BUILDERS, THAT THEY WILL INSTALL GAS AND THEY WILL JUST INSTALL, UM, EFFICIENCY THAT THE CODE REQUIRES.
SO WE, WE, WE FUNDAMENTALLY DISAGREE WITH THAT.
AND I GUESS JUST TO WRAP UP, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME, I MEAN, WE'RE KIND OF DISAPPOINTED THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING THIS.
DANA DID CONTACT ME, BUT THERE'S NO INVOLVEMENT FROM US.
AND, YOU KNOW, I GOTTA SAY THIS AND PAUL SIT DOWN, BUT I AGREE WITH YOU ON NUMBER THREE, RIGHT? I MEAN, NO ONE TALKS TO US ABOUT THIS.
YES, WE HAVE PROGRAMS FOR, UH, DUCT CEILING AND ATTIC INSULATION, BUT IT'S NOT AS IF WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY.
THOSE PROGRAMS ARE FULLY SUBSCRIBED.
IF WE ADD MORE MONEY TO THEM, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN MORE PEOPLE WILL GET THAT.
AND THAT, THAT'S JUST ONE PIECE THAT WHEN YOU GUYS DECIDE TO WORK AMONGST YOURSELF AND NOT INCLUDE US AND NOT WORK WITH US, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A RESOLUTION THAT HAS A LOT OF ERRORS AND PROBLEMS WITH IT.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW WE WOULD IMPLEMENT THIS IF THE COUNCIL WERE TO GO FORWARD AND ASK US TO, TO, TO DO THESE THINGS.
SO ANYWAY, I JUST WANTED US TO BE ON THE RECORD TO SAY, WE DISAGREE WITH THIS, AND WE'RE DISAPPOINTED THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING THIS IN A VACUUM.
SO WITH THAT, AND I DON'T WANT PAUL TO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T REALLY WANT TO GET INTO AN HOUR LONG DEBATE, BUT I DO WANT TO SAY FOR THE RECORD ONE THAT THIS RESOLUTION WAS FIRST DISCUSSED IN, I GUESS, JUNE.
AND I THINK THERE WAS A DRAFT OF IT.
AND I ACTUALLY PROPOSED THAT IT BE ON THE AGENDA IN MAY AND DANA HARMON.
IT'S TRUE THAT THE COMMISSION DID NOT ENGAGE TEXAS GAS SERVICE A BODY, BUT DANA HARMON WENT OUT OF HER WAY TO, UM, SOLICIT, UH, THE COMPANY'S INPUT.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE DOING THIS IN A VACUUM AND I DON'T KNOW THAT, UH, THE GAS COMPANY HAS A RIGHT TO FEEL BLINDSIDED.
I WILL RESPOND TO THAT COMMENT.
UM, AND ONLY BY SAYING WHILE I DO THINK THAT AS A COMMISSION, I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN WORK TOWARD MORE COLLABORATIVE PROCESSES.
[01:25:01]
I, I DID REACH OUT TO LARRY.WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT.
THEIR POSITION WAS QUITE CLEAR.
I TRIED TO COMMUNICATE THAT, UM, REGARDING THE THREE-YEAR PROGRAM CYCLE, ET CETERA.
UM, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULDN'T SAY THAT THIS IS, WAS A COLLABORATIVELY WRITTEN PROPOSAL NECESSARILY.
I WOULD LOVE TO GET TO THE POINT THAT WE COULD.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS, THIS IS THE PROPOSAL ON THE TABLE AT THIS TIME.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULD BE OPEN TO OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO MAKE IT BETTER.
I THINK I, I THINK THE POINT ABOUT THE WEATHERIZATION IS, IS WELL FOUNDED AND I THINK WE'RE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE, WE, WE DEFINITELY DO WANT TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED, UM, AS A WHOLE.
AND I HOPE WE CAN GET BETTER AS A COMMISSION, FRANKLY, UM, WITH, WITH CO-DEVELOPING RESOLUTIONS THAT HAVE A CHANCE OF BOTH PASSING THIS BODY, BEING ADOPTED BY COUNCIL AND HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, A CHANCE OF IMPACT ON THE GROUND, WHICH AGAIN IS ULTIMATELY, I THINK WHY, WHY WE'RE ALL HERE AND WHAT WE'RE ALL DOING THIS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY RESPONSE.
UM, THE THREE-YEAR TARIFF FIRST CAME ABOUT IN 2018, UH, TO GIVE THE COMMISSION A SLIGHT BIT OF HISTORY.
THE CONSERVATION PROGRAMS THEMSELVES FOR TEXAS GAS SERVICE.
IT WAS THEN CALLED SOUTHERN UNION GAS.
THEY WERE IMPLEMENTED IN 1985 AND BETWEEN ABOUT 1987 AND 1997, THE CITY OF AUSTIN ACTUALLY ADMINISTERED THEM.
AND THEN WHEN AUSTIN ENERGY TOOK OVER THE ENERGY CONSERVATION PROGRAMS, UH, THE GAS COMPANY FELT THAT THEY WERE, UM, THEY WERE, UH, HAD A CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND THE GAS COMPANY WANTED TO MANAGE THEM AGAIN.
SO BETWEEN 1997 AND 2018, THERE WAS A ONE YEAR TARIFF EVERY YEAR, UH, STARTING IN 2018, THERE WAS A THREE-YEAR TARIFF.
AND I WAS AT THE HEARING AND I WATCHED SOME OF IT TODAY BEFORE THIS MEETING.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION THAT I HAD, UH, COULDN'T BE SHOWN, UH, DUE TO TECHNICAL PROBLEMS, BUT TO PARAPHRASE, UM, A TEXAS GAS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WHO WAS THERE, WE WILL NOT WAIT THREE YEARS TO CORRECT SOMETHING.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO I, WE HAVE, I CHECKED WITH THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER WHO OVERSEES THIS, AND THEY SAID THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THIS.
IF THE CITY CHANGES THE TARIFF, THE CITY HAD A ONE-YEAR TARIFF FOR OVER TWO DECADES.
AND I THINK THAT WE CAN GO FORWARD IF WE WANT TO.
AND I DO WANT TO THANK DANA FOR REACHING OUT TO LARRY, EVEN THOUGH HE DOESN'T AGREE.
I, I, I DO THINK WE, YOU KNOW, VIA DANA DID THAT OUTREACH AND, AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR CARRYING THAT BALL FOR US COLLECTIVELY.
UM, I DO WISH THAT WE COULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, COME TO SOME, UH, AGREEMENT.
I DO JUST WANT TO POINT OUT, UH, YOU KNOW, ITEM A FIVE ON THE WHEREAS LIST.
UM, DOES REFERENCE A PREVIOUS RESOLUTION BY THIS BODY BACK IN 2017.
WE'RE IN WHICH WE, WE KIND OF STARTED ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE, NAMELY WANTING TO ACTUALLY REDUCE THE USE OF ONSITE NATURAL GAS, NOT JUST THROUGH KIND OF A CALCULATION OF, OF EMISSIONS AND, UM, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, BUT IT'S NOT BEING, BEING MET.
AND, AND IT'S BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S PRETTY IMPOSSIBLE TO MEET SUCH A GOAL.
IF YOU KEEP ADDING ADDITIONAL APPLIANCES THAT ARE USING NATURAL GAS.
AND I WILL SAY THAT AT LEAST AT THE TIME, MY RECOLLECTION IS THAT TEXAS GAS AGREED TO THE CONTEXT, THE CONTENT OF THAT RESOLUTION.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, IT, IT, WHATEVER PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR MIND, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S OKAY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I JUST KIND OF DO WANT TO SAY THAT, LIKE THIS, THIS BODY, THIS COMMISSION, EVEN THOUGH SOME, SOME OF US MEMBERS HAVE CHANGED, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE FOR A WHILE.
[01:30:01]
KIND OF THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP, ESPECIALLY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CLIMATE PLAN THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE IN OUR CITY.UM, UNLESS ANYBODY ELSE, OTHER COMMENTS, MAYBE WE CAN HAVE A MOTION.
I MOVE THAT WE PASSED, UH, THE PROPOSED MOTION, UH, WITH THE TWO W WITH THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED.
UH, I CAN UNDERSTAND IF YOU DON'T WANT ME TO READ THOSE CHANGES INTO THE RECORD, BUT I WILL, IF YOU NEED ME TO, I THINK WE HAVE THEM IN THE RECORD.
IS ANYBODY UNCLEAR BEFORE WE VOTE ON THE CHANGES? OKAY.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY PAUL A SECOND BY SHANE.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
IF YOU WANT TO BE VOTING, UH, LOUIS, YOU DO NEED TO COME ON THE SCREEN.
THAT'S UH, IS ADOPTED AND I WANT 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 9 TO NOTHING VOTE.
[4. Discussion regarding Austin Energy Rate Changes for Residential Rate Structure, Value of Solar, and Energy Efficiency Services.]
GO BACK TO EIGHT ADAM FIVE ON OUR AGENDA.NO, WHAT WAS ITEM FOUR ON OUR AGENDA? UM, AND REALLY THIS WAS, UH, I THINK PAUL'S PRESENTATION.
SO, PAUL, UH, I DON'T, I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR PRESENTATION.
UH, DO YOU STILL WANT TO SAY SOMETHING ON THIS, ON THIS ITEM? UH, I DO, UH, I'LL FOLLOW YOUR LEAD BECAUSE, UH, YOU HAVE A LOT TO SAY, OR AT LEAST SOME THINGS TO SAY ON A, UH, SOLAR.
ARE YOU, ARE YOU GONNA SHARE ANY SHARE ANYTHING OR DO YOU WANT ME TO JUST KIND OF SHARE WHAT KAYVON AND I BROUGHT THIS FORWARD, BECAUSE THERE IS A RATE CASE, UH, IN, UH, THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
AND IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, UH, THERE ARE RADICAL CHANGES BEING PROPOSED.
MANY OF THESE THINGS ARE NOT IN OUR PURVIEW TO COMMENT ON, BUT A FEW OF THEM ARE, AND THOSE WOULD BE, UH, SOLAR, UH, THE VALUE OF SOLAR RATE, UH, THE, UH, ENERGY EFFICIENCY SERVICES AND THE, UH, RATE STRUCTURE, UH, AND HOW THAT RATE STRUCTURE INCENTIVIZES CONSERVATION.
UH, AND I'M HOPING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE ON SOME OF THOSE, SOME OF THOSE PIECES, I GUESS I'LL START WITH THE VALUE OF SOLAR PIECE.
UM, THERE IS A PROPOSAL TO, UM, UPDATE THE METHODOLOGY USED TO CALCULATE THE VALUE OF SOLAR TARIFF.
AND JUST AS A REMINDER, THE VALUE OF SOLAR TARIFF IS HOW ALL, UM, RESIDENTIAL AND MOST COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS.
I THINK THERE'S MAYBE SOME CATEGORIES THAT ARE EXCLUDED CURRENTLY, BUT ESSENTIALLY ALL, ALL CUSTOMERS WHO CHOOSE TO PUT SOLAR ON THEIR PROPERTY FOR ONSITE USE THE WAY THEY'RE COMPENSATED FOR THAT ENERGY.
THE WAY THAT IT'S MONETIZED IS THROUGH THE VAL VALUE OF SOLAR TARIFF.
UM, SO THE CALCULATION FOR THAT IS PROPOSED TO CHANGE WHILE THE ACTUAL VALUE IS BEING PROPOSED TO, UM, INCREASE, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I PERSONALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, AND OUR EXPERTS DO THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME, UM, PENATE TROUBLING ELEMENTS TO THE CALCULATION.
I DON'T THINK, UH, NOW IS THE TIME TO GET INTO ALL THE DETAILS OF THAT, BUT ESSENTIALLY IT GOES FROM A, UM, KIND OF COMPLEX, UH, CALCULATION THAT ADDRESSES DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH, UH, SOLAR IS RESULTING IN AVOIDED COST TO THE UTILITY, UH, TO SOMETHING THAT, THAT STILL, UH, KIND OF FUNDAMENTALLY DOES LOOK AT AVOIDED COST.
BUT, UH, THERE ARE ELEMENTS OF THOSE AVOIDED COSTS THAT ARE NOT PART OF THE CURRENT CALCULATION THAT WERE PART OF THE PAST CALCULATION.
THERE ARE OTHER DIFFERENCES LIKE USING CURRENT DATA, WHICH IS A GOOD THING AS OPPOSED TO, UM, THEORETICAL DATA WHEN, WHEN, WHEN THE REAL DATA KIND OF WASN'T AVAILABLE PREVIOUSLY.
SO THERE, THERE ARE SOME GOOD CHANGES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THERE ARE ALSO SOME, SOME CHANGES THAT, THAT
[01:35:01]
MAYBE ARE NOT, UH, IN THE BEST INTEREST OF ADVANCING THE USE OF ONSITE SOLAR ENERGY.UM, MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE FOR PEOPLE TO READ AT LEAST SOME OF THE PIECES THAT HAVE BEEN FILED, UM, IN THE RATE CASE PROCEEDING ON THE VALUE OF SOLAR.
UM, I, I THINK THAT IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE FOR US TO AT LEAST SEND LINKS OUT TO, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST WHAT, YOU KNOW, SIERRA CLUB AND PUBLIC CITIZEN SUBMITTED, BUT ALSO WHAT AUSTIN ENERGY SUBMITTED.
SO, SO THE FOLKS CAN, CAN GET A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN UNDERSTANDING BEFORE WE NEED TO VOTE ON IT, BECAUSE IT DOES GET A LITTLE BIT COMPLEX.
AND I, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT, I'LL SAY NOW, JUST AS A, LIKE INTRO JUST, I, I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO THIS COMMISSION'S WORK AND I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO, TO READ AND I CAN SEND AROUND, UH, THE LINKS TOO, TO KIND OF THE KEY BRIEFING DOCUMENTS, IF, IF PEOPLE WANT TO GET KIND OF UP TO SPEED, UM, AND I WILL EMPHASIZE, OR REEMPHASIZE THAT THE NEW PAIN, THE NEW PROPOSED PAYMENTS FOR SOLAR WILL BE MUCH REDUCED FROM THE CURRENT.
UM, NO THAT THE ACTUAL RATE IS PROPOSED TO SLIGHTLY INCREASE.
THE VALUE OF SOLAR RATE WOULD GO FROM, I BELIEVE, 9.70 CENTS CURRENTLY TO, UH, OR S YEAH, I THINK 9.9, I'M GOING OFF MEMORY CHECK ON THAT.
UH, I WAS UNDER A DIFFERENT IMPRESSION.
UM, THERE W THERE WAS ALSO A CALCULATION IN THEIR STUDY THAT CALCULATED THE VALUE FOR 2020, AND I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER MEMORIZED, BUT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, I THINK SOME SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT LESS, AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ONE OF OUR CONCERNS ABOUT THE NEW CALCULATION.
IT IS IT'S BASED ON ONE YEAR OF DATA, SO IT'S INHERENTLY MORE VOLATILES.
SO THE 2021 CALCULATION IS A SLIGHT INCREASE.
THE 2020 CALCULATION WOULD HAVE BEEN A DECREASE WHO KNOWS WHAT THE NEXT YEAR BRINGS.
UH, THEN THERE'S ALSO THE COMPLICATION THAT, UH, WHERE, WHERE THOSE PAYMENTS COME FROM.
DOES IT COME FROM ENERGY EFFICIENCY SERVICES, UH, OR DOES IT, UH, COME FROM PAYMENTS FROM THE UTILITY ITSELF? AND IF IT COMES FROM ENERGY SERVICES, WILL IT REDUCE THE OTHER PROGRAMS AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY SERVICES, WILL MONEY BE SIPHONED OFF FROM SOMETHING SOMEWHERE ELSE? AM I GETTING THAT RIGHT? YES.
THAT IS ANOTHER ELEMENT OF THE PROPOSAL.
UH, CURRENTLY THE WHOLE VALUE OF SOLAR TARIFF IS, IS RECOVERED THROUGH THE POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT FEE OR PSA.
THE PROPOSAL IS TO START RECOVERING THE SOCIETAL SLASH ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, BENEFITS, UH, WHICH, UH, IS CALCULATED BASED ON THE SOCIAL COST OF CARBON, UM, TO RECOVER THAT THROUGH THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY SERVICES FEE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WILL NOTE THAT, I THINK IN ADDITION TO THE, YOU KNOW, CONCERN, THE PAUL RAISES, THERE IS ALSO THE ISSUE THAT THERE ARE SOME CLASSES OF COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS THAT ARE EXEMPT FROM PAYING THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY SERVICES FEE.
SO IT'S NOT, UM, IT'S NOT TOTALLY CLEAR THERE THAT DOESN'T SAY THAT THEY ARE EXEMPT FROM RECEIVING THE VALUE OF SOLAR CREDITS.
SO IT APPEARS THAT THEY COULD BE, UM, BENEFITING FROM A POOL OF MONEY THAT THEY DON'T PAY INTO.
OF COURSE, EXCLUDING THEM FROM VALUE OF SOLAR ENTIRELY IS ALSO NOT A GREAT SOLUTION BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO BE DISCOURAGING LARGE COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS FROM UTILIZING SOLAR.
SO MAYBE THERE'S SOME SORT OF CREATIVE SOLUTION THERE, BUT I'M JUST FLAGGING THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S DEFINITELY, YEAH.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
UM, REGARDING LARGE COMMERCIAL, THERE'S ALREADY SOME LARGE COMMERCIAL CLASSES THAT ARE EXEMPT FROM THE, UH, THE WRITER.
UM, RIDERS ARE SURCHARGES ON A UTILITY BILL.
MOST OF YOU KNOW THIS, BUT A FEW OF YOU MAY NOT.
[01:40:01]
SITTING AT HOME WATCHING THIS, UH, MAY NOT.SO IF IN ONE CASE AUSTIN ENERGY IS PROPOSING A NEW RATE CLASS FOR A CERTAIN CUSTOMER, AND THAT CUSTOMER WILL NO LONGER BE CHARGED, UH, AN ENERGY EFFICIENCY RIDER.
AND AS SUCH, UM, WE WILL HAVE, OUR PROGRAMS WILL HAVE LESS FUNDING, UH, AND THEN THERE'S ALREADY COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS EXEMPT, UH, AND WE HAVE LESS FUNDING.
AND THEN THERE'S THE RIGHT STRUCTURE.
UM, SINCE 1981, UH, AUSTIN HAS HERE, WE HAVE HUMAN TO A, A, AN ETHIC OF CONSERVATION AND WE HAVE HAD FOUR MAIN TOOLS.
THEY WOULD BE THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS, THE GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM, THE ENERGY BUILDING CODE AND PROGRESSIVE RATES.
AND WE'VE HAD PROGRESSIVE RATES SINCE 1981, AUSTIN ENERGY PROPOSES TO BASICALLY SLAUGHTER THEM.
UH, INSTEAD OF HAVING A $10 SURCHARGE AND GRADUATED INCREASING TIERED RATES, WE WOULD HAVE A $25 SURCHARGE AND VERY LITTLE, AND THERE WOULD BE THREE TIERS AND VERY LITTLE PRICE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM.
AND THIS WOULD TAKE OUT A LOT OF THE INCENTIVE TO SAY, RETROFIT A HOME, UH, BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T SAVE AS MUCH ENERGY AS YOU DID BEFORE.
AND ALL, IT'S ALSO, UH, IN A GREAT WAY, RATHER INSENSITIVE TO POOR PEOPLE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES AUSTIN ENERGY NEEDS TO BE TOLD THIS.
THEY KEEP COMING UP IN RATE CASE AFTER RATE CASE SAYING THAT POOR PEOPLE USE MORE ENERGY THAN AVERAGE.
AND THEY JUSTIFY THIS BECAUSE THE 7% OF CUSTOMERS WHO GET CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE, THE LOW-INCOME DISCOUNT PROGRAM, UH, ARE SLIGHTLY, UH, HIGHER CONSUMERS.
UM, THAT'S IS LARGELY BECAUSE THEY LIVE IN ALL ELECTRIC APARTMENTS AND ALL ELECTRIC APARTMENTS USE MORE ELECTRICITY.
UH, HOWEVER, I WISH AUSTIN WE'RE SO LUCKY THAT THERE WERE ONLY 7% POOR PEOPLE IN THIS JURISDICTION IN THIS CITY.
NOW IT'S, IT'S MUCH, MUCH HIGHER.
AND WHEN I TOOK AUSTIN ENERGY'S OWN DATA, UH, FOR, UM, ZIPCAR FROM A ZIP CODE ANALYSIS AND MATCHED THEM TO CENSUS DATA, IT, WHATEVER OTHER, UH, STUDY IN THE COUNTRY SHOWED, WHICH IS THAT INCOME AND CONSUMPTION TRACK EACH OTHER, THE MORE YOU MAKE GENERALLY A LITTLE MORE YOU USE.
SO IF YOU HAVE A RATE THAT CHARGES MORE FOR LOWER USAGE, IT, IN MOST CASES, IT DEMOGRAPHICALLY IS GOING TO HURT POOR.
NOW I HAD THIS ALL CHARTED OUT AND UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, I CAN'T SHOW IT TONIGHT, BUT I CAN SEND IT ALL TO YOU.
AND I, I, UM, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
SO THE, THE, THIS IS JUST AN INTRO.
UM, I HOPE THAT WE CAN BRING THIS UP IN SEPTEMBER AND THAT WE CAN DISCUSS THESE THINGS AT LENGTH AND THE COMMISSION CAN COME TO, UH,
[01:45:02]
AND A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL ON THEM.UM, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE, YEAH.
UM, FIRSTLY, YES, PLEASE, PLEASE DO SEND THE INFORMATION.
UM, BOTH, UH, THE, THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED AND PAUL, IF YOU'LL SEND OUT THE, THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, THAT WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED.
UM, AND THEN, AND THEN SECONDLY, I HEARD YOUR HOPE THAT WE CAN, UH, BRING THIS UP IN SEPTEMBER.
UM, I BELIEVE RICHARD, UM, GAVE US A TIMELINE FOR THE RATE CASE, AND I FORGET, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS.
WHEN IS THERE AN APPROPRIATE POINT IN THE PROCESS FOR US TO INSERT A RECOMMENDATION? UM, IF WE'RE GOING TO ENGAGE, I'M SURE NOW IS THE TIME TO DO IT, BUT JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE TIMELINE AND THE PROCESS FOR THE RIGHT CASE, UM, CAN EITHER OF YOU SPEAK TO YEAH.
I'M GOING FROM MEMORY, BUT MY MEMORY IS THAT THE PRESENTATIONS TO COUNCIL ARE SUPPOSED TO START.
I THINK MAYBE MID-OCTOBER SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT COUNCIL IS SCHEDULED TO VOTE ON IT UNTIL, WELL, I DON'T THINK IT'S LIKE ON THEIR SCHEDULE, BUT IT WOULD, MY EXPECTATION WOULD BE PROBABLY LIKE LATE NOVEMBER.
UM, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE THAT'S, THAT'S UP TO THEM, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY CHOOSE TO PROCEED.
THEY MIGHT TAKE LONGER, THEY MIGHT MOVE QUICKER OR WHATEVER, BUT I THINK THAT THEY START GETTING THE PRESENTATIONS IN MID-OCTOBER.
SO YEAH, PROBABLY OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
THE INDEPENDENT HEARINGS EXAMINER WILL MAKE HIS RECOMMENDATION.
UH, I BELIEVE AT THE END OF AUGUST, BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER, I THINK IT'S NOW SEPTEMBER 9TH.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, UH, THE COMMISSIONS CAN CHIME IN, UH, THIS WILL, OF COURSE GO TO THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION.
THEY HAVE A BROADER PURVIEW THAN WE DO, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT THAT THIS AFFECTS OUR PROGRAMS, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE COMMISSION TO ENGAGE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS? OKAY.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
I HAVE TWO THINGS, ONE FROM PAUL AND ONE FROM DANA WHO HAVE, THAT HAVE BEEN REQUESTED FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. YOU'VE GOT THOSE BOTH.UM, DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD PAUL? UM, YEAH, UM, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN IN SEPTEMBER, UH, AND IT MAY NOT HAPPEN AT ALL, BUT IF I CAN ENVISION SUPPORT FROM THE COMMISSION, I WOULD LIKE TO PUSH TEXAS GAS SERVICE FURTHER, UH, AND SEE IF WE CAN AGREE TO SOME STANDARDS ON COST-EFFECTIVENESS AND MAYBE WE CAN, AND MAYBE WE CAN'T, BUT I'D LIKE TO TRY TO DO THAT SOMETIME THIS FALL.
AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO MAKE A SUGGESTION ABOUT TWO OTHER THINGS.
ONE, UM, DANA AND I WERE TALKING AND THE SUBJECT CAME UP AGAIN ABOUT THE PURVIEW OF TEXAS OF, OF THIS COMMISSION REGARDING TEXAS GAS SERVICE.
THERE IS NO CITY COMMISSION THAT ADVISOR'S COUNCIL ON THE GAS UTILITIES AND THEIR RATES, THEIR FRANCHISES, THEIR LOW-INCOME PROGRAMS, ET CETERA.
UH, WE ARE EXTREMELY LIMITED NOW TO WHAT WE CAN DO, AND MAYBE WE SHOULD ASK COUNCIL TO BROADEN OUR PURVIEW.
UH, THE OTHER THING IS THAT IN THE PROCESS OF THE RATE CASE, UH, I ASKED FOR SOME REALLY TAME INFORMATION FROM AUSTIN ENERGY AND THEY REFUSED TO PROVIDE IT NOW IN ONE CASE.
AND I KID YOU NOT COMMISSION, UH, SOME OF THIS INFORMATION IS LITERALLY ON THE INTERNET, BUT THEY CLAIM THAT IT'S COMPETITIVE IN PRIVILEGED.
UH, I KIND OF THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A DISCUSSION OF WHAT IS AND IS NOT PUBLIC.
[01:50:02]
I MEAN, IF THEY CAN'T EVEN GIVE US WHAT'S ON THE INTERNET, ALL RIGHT.JUST RUN A W WE'RE ON JUST REQUESTING FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. SO YOU'RE REQUESTING AN ITEM ON PROVIDING PUBLIC INFORMATION, ENERGY.
ANY OTHER ITEMS? ALL RIGHT, GREAT.
UH, ANYBODY WANT TO MAKE THE MOTION TO ADJOURN? I'LL MOVE TO ADJOURN.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY OBJECTS TO THAT.
I APPRECIATE YOUR PARTICIPATION THE NIGHT EXALT CHAIRING.