[Call to Order]
[00:00:03]
6:00 PM I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND CALL THIS MEETING OF THE ZONING AND PLATTING COMMISSION TO ORDER.
IT IS TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20TH, 2022.
AND FIRST I'M GONNA TAKE ROLL AND COMMISSIONER ACOSTA DOES NOT SEEM TO BE HERE.
I'M COMMISSIONER BARREDA RAM RAMIREZ.
COMMISSIONER DINKLER? PRESENT? COMMISSIONER GREENBERG? HERE.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO OVER THE CONSENT
[Consent Agenda]
AGENDA.WE DON'T, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? NO.
SO, UH, FIRST IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS ON THE MINUTES OR FEEDBACK? OKAY.
OH, THERE'S COMMISSIONER WOODY.
UM, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON THEN.
THE MOPAC PARK DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT SEVEN.
UM, THE APPLICANT IS SEEKING INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT.
SO, AND THEN FOR ITEM THREE, ALSO ON THE CONSENT, IT'S S P 20 22 0 0 2 0 C, CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY SPORTS COMPLEX.
AND THAT IS, UM, ON CONSENT AS WELL.
AND I APOLOGIZE, I CAN'T SEE THE THING ON MY AGENDA, CUZ.
I STILL CAN'T SEE IT CUZ IT'S OVER THE THING.
UM, BUT IT'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL SITE PLAN VARIANCE.
AND THEN ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PRELIMINARY PLAN C 14 20 22 0 2 7 3.
THE LAGOS AUSTIN SECTION TWO PRELIMINARY PLAN.
UM, BUT THAT'S THE EXTENT OF OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
I UNDERSTAND THAT COMMISSIONER STERN WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
UM, I, I WANTED TO WANT, IT'S ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT.
UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, OUR BODY HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT THESE LARGE SITE PLANS AND ARE THEY PREPARING US FOR THE FUTURE AND CREATING CONNECTIVITY, UM, ON THE MASTER REVIEW REPORT, UM, THERE'S A, A, A LINK THERE TO IT.
AND ON PAGE 19 OF IT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN REALLY SEE WHAT THE, THE, THE ACTUAL PLOTS LOOK LIKE.
AND I WANNA GIVE SOME PRAISE TO THIS DEVELOPER.
UM, PARTICULARLY FOR ADDING PASEOS THAT CONNECT TO THE MAIN STREET, UM, ESSON STREET FROM A CUL-DE-SAC WITHIN, UM, PART OF THE SITE PLAN, THERE ARE SEVERAL INSTANCES WHERE THERE ARE PASEOS BETWEEN BLOCKS OR TO A GREEN SPACE.
I WOULD SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT SHOWS REAL PROGRESS.
I WILL SAY THERE ARE AREAS FOR OTHER IMPROVEMENT, UM, PARTICULARLY, PARTICULARLY ON LAGO, LEON ROAD OR ON LIVINGSTON DRIVE, THAT END IN CUL-DE-SACS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CONNECTED TO THAT ROAD AS WELL.
UM, THERE'S CERTAINLY A SECTION WHERE YOU HAVE TO WALK, LET'S SEE, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
SO 500 FEET, UM, TO GET TO ANOTHER BLOCK.
SO FIVE FOOTBALL FIELDS, YOU KNOW, IS A REASONABLE BLOCK LENGTH IN, IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S PLACES THAT WE CAN IMPROVE, BUT I DID WANNA AT LEAST TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY, I, I REALLY LIKE SEEING THESE, UH, CONNECTIONS WITH THIS PATH PATHWAY BETWEEN LOTS.
AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN ENCOURAGE STAFF TO ENCOURAGE THESE KINDS OF SET ASIDES TO MAKE CONNECTIVITY MORE USEFUL IN OTHER SITE PLANS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CLOSED PUBLIC COMMENT AND A MOTION TO APPROVE THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA? I MAKE MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
OKAY, SO I'LL SECOND AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO WITH THE MICROPHONE ON THIS TIME, DON'T MOVE.
SO MOVE FROM KIBA IN, SECONDED FROM SMITH.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA, CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO, UM, ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS ITEMS FROM THE COMMISSION.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE ANYTHING, UM, FOR THE LAND USE.
I MEAN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
[6. Briefing on Urban Stream Syndrome. Staff : Staryn Wagner, 512-974-2956. Watershed Protection Department]
MOVE ON TO SIX, WHICH IS THE BRIEFING ON URBAN STREAM SYNDROME FROM MR. WAGNER WAGNER.PLEASURE TO COME UP AND TALK ABOUT THIS WITH YOU.
LET'S, UM, I PROBABLY DON'T EVEN NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THAT.
UM, SO, UH, MY NAME'S STORM WAGNER.
I'M WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, AND, UH, I'M UP HERE TO TALK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT THE URBAN STREAM SYNDROME, UM,
[00:05:01]
WHICH IS, UH, SOMETHING WE'RE PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, IT WAS BETTER UNDERSTOOD BY EVERYBODY.UM, SO, UH, BASIC SUMMARY OF IT IS, UH, AND FURTHER ON, LET ME SOME MORE PICTURES AND LESS WORDS I PROMISE.
UM, UH, THIS IS, UH, IT'S, IT'S THE URBAN STREAM SYNDROME IS REALLY, IT'S ABOUT ALL OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, DEVELOPMENT AND OUR PRESENCE HERE, UM, DOES TO THE HEALTH AND ECOLOGY OF THE STREAM.
UM, IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR INCREASED IMPERVIOUS COVER HAS, UM, INCREASED THE STREAM FLOW, UH, DISCHARGE DURING STORM EVENTS, WHICH HAS, UH, SEVERE IMPACTS ON THE CHANNEL SHAPE AND, UH, THE FREQUENCY OF EROSION AND FLOODING AND, UH, THE NUMBER OF POLLUTANTS THAT GO INTO THE STREAM.
UM, WHICH ALSO THEN AFFECTS THE SHAPE OF THE STREAM, THE HABITAT AND THE STREAM, THE, UH, THE POLLUTANT LEVELS IN THE STREAM AND THE, UH, THE BASIC DIVERSITY AND RESILIENCY.
UM, THIS IS A STREAM FUNCTIONAL PYRAMID.
AND THIS IS, THESE ARE BASICALLY THE PROCESSES THAT BUILD UPON ONE ANOTHER THAT CREATE OUR STREAMS. AND, AND SO WHEN YOU LOSE A LOWER ONE, IT IMPACTS EVERY SINGLE ONE UP ABOVE IT, RIGHT? UH, HYDROLOGY, WELL, ACTUALLY EVEN BELOW HYDROLOGY IS RAIN.
AND THEN THE MOMENT RAIN HITS THE GROUND, IT BECOMES OUR HYDROLOGY, WHICH IS HOW THE WATER ACTUALLY MAKES ITS WAY TO THE STREAM CHANNEL.
IS IT GOING THROUGH THE GROUND AND INFILTRATING AND SLOWLY TAKING WEEKS, MONTHS, YEARS FOR THAT RAINDROP TO GET TO THE STREAM CHANNEL? OR IS IT GOING DOWN, UH, A STREET GUTTER AND INTO A STORM DRAINING, DELIVERED RIGHT THERE? THEN THAT AFFECTS THE HYDRAULICS, WHICH IS ACTUALLY HOW THE WATER MOVES THROUGH THE CHANNEL, THE VELOCITIES, THE VOLUMES, UM, THE FLOODING THAT OCCURS FROM IT.
UH, AND THEN ABOVE THAT IS GEOMORPHOLOGY, WHICH IS HOW ALL OF THIS AFFECTS THE SHAPE OF THE STREAM, THE GEOLOGY FOR WHICH THE, THE STREAM IS IN.
IS IT, UH, EDWARDS PLATEAU TYPE STREAM, OR IS IT A BLACKLAND PRAIRIE STREAM? UM, THEN ABOVE THAT, OH, AND THAT'S ALSO SORT OF YOUR BED LOAD MOVEMENT.
YOUR SEDIMENT, YOUR EROSION HAPPENS IN THAT SECTION.
UH, AND THEN WE HAVE THE PHYSIOCHEMICAL ONE, WHICH IS WHAT NUTRIENTS, WHAT DISSOLVED SUBSTANCES, UM, WHAT THINGS ARE GOING INTO THE WATER AND IN THE CHANNEL ITSELF.
AND THEN ALL ABOVE ALL THAT THEN COMES YOUR BIOLOGY.
SO WHAT IS YOUR AQUATIC LIFE THAT CAN, CAN EXIST IN THE CHANNEL? UM, HYDROLOGY, BASICALLY URAN, UH, HYDRAULICS IS, IS HOW THAT WATER IS MOVING THROUGH PHYSIOCHEMICAL.
UM, THIS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU CAN GET A LOOK AT THIS STREAM CHANNEL, A LOT OF OUR STREAM CHANNELS LOOK LIKE THIS.
NOW THAT, UH, THAT'S AN EXTREMELY HIGH DOWN CUT THERE.
UM, AND THEN OUR PHYSIOCHEMICAL AND THEN THE BIOLOGY, THE FISH RIGHT ABOVE IT, RIGHT? SO THIS, THESE ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT DEFINE OUR STREAMS AND THAT BUILD UPON ONE ANOTHER TO CREATE OUR STREAMS. WHAT ARE THE DRIVERS OF THE URBAN STREAM SYNDROME? WELL, UM, LAND USE MANAGEMENT IS A KEY COMPONENT OF IT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL THE THINGS THAT WE ARE PUTTING ON THIS LAND THAT KEEP US ALIVE, THAT WE LIVE IN, THAT GET US FROM PLACE TO PLACE THAT KEEP OUR, OUR THINGS FROM BEING DESTROYED.
UM, UH, WITH THAT ALSO COMES YOUR LOSS OF NATURAL VEGETATION.
SO WE'VE TAKEN THE LAND EARLIER ON, WE CLEARED IT FOR AGRICULTURE.
AND THOSE AGRICULTURAL LANDS THEN ARE BECOMING RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL LANDS.
UH, WE BROUGHT IN NON-NATIVE, NATIVE SPECIES, UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, TURF GRASS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A NON-NATIVE SPECIES.
UH, IT CHANGES THE SOIL, IT CHANGES HOW WATER CAN INFILTRATE INTO THE SOIL.
UH, YOU TAKE A TURF GRASS VERSUS, UH, A NATIVE GRASS, MUCH NARROWER ROOTS, UM, UH, MUCH SHORTER ABOVE GROUND, MUCH SHORTER BELOW GROUND, RIGHT? UH, IMPERVIOUS COVER.
SO WE'VE ADDED LOTS OF IMPERVIOUS COVER, RIGHT? THAT'S THE WORD WE'RE ALL WELL FAMILIAR WITH.
WE HAVE EFFICIENT STORM WATER SYSTEMS. SO NOW ALL OF THAT RAIN THAT'S LANDING ON ALL THIS IMPERVIOUS COVER IS, INSTEAD OF INFILTRATING INTO THE GROUND, IT'S BEING ROUTED THROUGH A VERY EFFECTIVE STORM WATER SYSTEM.
UM, AND ALL OF THAT WATER, THEN GETTING TO THE STREAM CHANNEL MUCH MORE RAPIDLY AND IN HIGHER VOLUMES, UH, IS CHANGING THE ACTUAL SHAPE OF THE STREAM CHANNELS THEMSELVES.
UM, AND ALONG WITH THIS INCREASED STORM EVENT COMES AN INCREASED POLLUTANT LOAD.
[00:10:01]
SO WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS THAT THESE CAUSE? WELL, WE NOW GET MORE FREQUENT, UM, AND LARGER FLOOD EVENTS BECAUSE THAT RAINDROP IS, AND ALL THOSE RAINDROPS THAT IT, THAT CAME DOWN WITH IT ARE AT THAT CHANNEL IN A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME.MORE FREQUENTLY, THAT CHANNEL IS JUST ENGORGING AND, AND GOING OUT BEYOND ITS BANKS IF POSSIBLE.
UM, WE HAVE INCREASED INCISION AND DOWN CUTTING OF THE CHANNEL SO THAT, THAT THOSE GREATER VOLUMES OF WATER MOVING THROUGH THERE MUCH QUICKER, FAST WATER PICKS UP STUFF.
IT'S, IT'S GOT ENERGY, SO IT'S PICKING THINGS UP AND MOVING THEM, RIGHT? SO IT IS JUST, IT'S NOW RESHAPING THAT CHANNEL TO FIT THE NEW FLOW REGIME, RIGHT? SO IT, IT DOWN CUTS UNTIL, TILL IT CAN'T GO ANY FURTHER.
UM, WE HAVE NOW, AND BECAUSE OF THAT DOWNCUTTING, WE'VE DROPPED THE BOTTOM OF THE CHANNEL OUT AND WE'VE DISCONNECTED THE, OUR NORMAL FLOWS THAT WOULD SPREAD OUT AND SLOW DOWN AS THEY GO OUT OVER THE FLOODPLAIN AND, AND DROP SOME OF THEIR SEDIMENT LOAD AND, AND, UM, SOME OF THEIR POLLUTANT LOAD AND NUTRIENTS WOULD BE TAKEN UP OUT IN OR DROPPED IN THE FLOODPLAIN.
UM, THOSE ARE, IT'S, THERE'S A GREAT DISCONNECTION BETWEEN THAT.
NOW, UM, WE HAVE A SIMPLIFIED RIPPLE RUN POOL STRUCTURE, WHICH, AND THE RIFF RUNS AND POOLS ARE LIKE THE FUNCTIONAL COMPONENTS OF A STREAM.
THE RIPPLES VERY SHALLOW PART WHERE YOU SEE THE WATER AGITATED OVER THE ROCKS AND IT'S ACTUALLY TURNING A LOT OF OXYGEN INTO THE WATER.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE MAIN PLACE THAT GETS IT.
THE RUNS ARE JUST SORT OF THE LONGER, DEEPER PARTS.
POOLS ARE REFUGE FOR THE AQUATIC LIFE.
WHEN OUR STREAMS MOSTLY DRY OUT, A LOT OF OUR STREAMS ARE INTERMITTENTLY FLOWING.
UM, THERE'S, AND AS A RESULT, WE'VE GOT LACK OF SUITABLE HABITAT IN THE STREAMS FOR THE AQUATIC LIFE THAT USED TO LIVE THERE.
UM, BECAUSE OF LACK OF HABITAT AND, AND THE CHANGE IN THIS FLOW REGIME, WE'VE LOST A LOT OF OUR SENSITIVE, UM, FAIR, OUR SENSITIVE AQUATIC LIFE AND PLANTS.
UM, AND ALONG WITH THIS COMES LOSS OF ECOLOGICAL FUNCTION IN THE STREAMS AND WITH OUR, WITH OUR WASTEWATER SYSTEMS AND, AND ALL THE VARIOUS THINGS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON IN A CITY.
WE HAVE INCREASED BACTERIA AND NUTRIENT PROBLEMS IN THESE STREAMS. SO, UH, I'D LIKE TO, UM, UH, EXPLAIN IN GREATER DETAIL THE HYDROGRAPH, RIGHT? SO WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT ABOUT THESE FLASHY, FLASHY STORMS, RIGHT? SO WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT HERE ARE, UM, TWO DIFFERENT, UM, POINTS IN STREAMS. ON THE LEFT IS BEAR CREEK, UM, JUST BELOW 1826.
IT'S AN, IT'S REALLY AN UNDEVELOPED WATERSHED.
UM, AND AT THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE THIS GAUGE, THERE'S 20 SQUARE MILES DRAINING TO IT.
ON THE RIGHT IS WALLER AT KIG.
UM, AND WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY KNOWS WALLER HIGHLY DEVELOPED, UM, WATERSHED DRAINING TO THAT POINT IS ONLY 1.09 SQUARE MILES, RIGHT? SO TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, LIKE THE BEAR CREEK WATERSHED THAT DRAINS TO THAT IS THIS, AND THEN THIS IS WALLER CREEK.
SO THIS IS ONE STORM 0.77 INCHES OF RAIN FELL.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THIS HYDROGRAPHIC, WHAT A HYDROGRAPH IS IS IT SHOWS YOU THE VOLUME OF WATER GOING THROUGH A STREAM CHANNEL, DISCHARGE FLOW CUBIC FEET PER SECOND IS THE UNIT.
SO ON THE BEAR AT THE BEAR CREEK SITE, 20 ACRES GETS EVERY INCH OF IT, 0.77 INCHES OF RAIN.
AND ALL THAT DOES WHAT IT'S GONNA DO.
THE CREEK UNNOTICEABLE GOES UP.
UM, AND I MADE THESE SCALES THE SAME.
SO IN REALITY, BEAR CREEK GOES FROM ABOUT FOUR CFS TO FIVE CFS, ONE CUBIC FOOT PER SECOND.
THAT EXACT SAME STORM OVER AT WALLER CREEK, DRAINING ONLY TO ONE MILE GOES UP TO ABOUT 140 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND.
MUCH SMALLER, RIGHT? SO THIS IS THE SORT OF CHANGE THAT THE RUNOFF FROM THE IMPERVIOUS COVER HAS ON THE STREAM CHANNELS.
AND, AND SO THESE STREAMS ARE NOW TRYING TO RESHAPE THEMSELVES FOR THE NEW FLOW REGIME, BUT IN MANY CASES, WE BUILT UP TO THE OLD CHANNEL SHAPE, RIGHT? SO WE'RE NOW IN THE POSITION OF HAVING TO DO THINGS IN THESE AREAS TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY TO PROTECT SOME PROPERTY BECAUSE THE CHANNEL NEEDS TO BE THIS BIG, BUT IT ONLY HAS THIS MUCH ROOM TO DO IT ANYMORE, UM, FOR THE FREQUENCY.
SO I'M STICKING WITH THAT BEAR CREEK SITE BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF OUR FEW, UM, UNDEVELOPED
[00:15:01]
SITES.SO I'LL ALWAYS USE THAT WHEN I NEED TO DO, UH, SOMETHING UNDEVELOPED.
AND THEN ON THE RIGHT IS WALNUT AT DESAL FARM, YOU KNOW, MORE SUBURBAN PLACE, BUT THESE TWO ARE NOW THE SAME DRAINAGE AREAS, RIGHT? SO IT IS MORE COMPATIBLE.
AND THIS IS OVER THE PERIOD OF A YEAR OF 2020.
WHAT I WANNA SHOW HERE IS JUST THE FREQUENCY OF THESE HIGH INTENSE FLOWS, RIGHT? SO WE'VE HAD ESSENTIALLY THE SAME RAIN IN BOTH OF THESE PLACES, BUT THERE'S I THINK ABOUT SIX TIMES, FOUR TO SIX TIMES AS MANY HIGH FLOW EVENTS IN THAT, UM, IN THAT WELL-DEVELOPED, UH, WATERSHED VERSUS THE UNDEVELOPED WATERSHED.
AND SO THAT FREQUENCY IS HOW OFTEN THAT STREAM CHANNEL IS NOW FLOWING REALLY HIGH AND ABLE TO ERODE AND START DIGGING AWAY AT THE CHANNELS, PICKING UP THE, THE BED LOAD, WHICH IS ALL THE, THE ROCKS AND SEDIMENT THAT'S IN THE CHANNEL THAT'S ALSO HABITAT AND JUST CARRYING IT DOWN, RIGHT? SO THE, THE CHANGES ARE JUST VERY DRAMATIC AND THEY'RE FREQUENT.
UM, AND THIS IS ALL BECAUSE WE HAVE AN AMAZING STORM SEWER SYSTEM.
I LOVE THIS 1940 AERIAL OF AUSTIN.
UM, AND THEN THIS FADES INTO SHOWING THESE ARE ALL OF OUR STORM DRAINS AND MOST OF THESE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT DRAINED DIRECTLY TO A CREEK.
AND THOSE ARE JUST THE PIPES THAT ARE UP THERE.
THEY ARE COLLECTING FROM ALL OF THE AREA AROUND THEM, RIGHT? SO JUST TO, UH, TO VISUALIZE ON THE RIGHT IN 1940 AND NOW IT'S STILL PRETTY UNDEVELOPED.
UM, BUT ON THE LEFT YOU CAN SEE THIS IS WHAT OUR, OUR INNER CITY OR OUR CITY HAS GOING ON, AND IT'S BEING TAKEN TO THE STREAM VERY EFFICIENTLY, RIGHT? THE EVERYTHING DRAINS DOWN TO THE, THE STREET THAT CURB AND GUTTER TAKES IT TO A STORM DRAIN.
AND THAT STORM DRAIN PIPES IT DIRECTLY TO A, A STREAM CHANNEL, LIKE ALL VERY RAPIDLY TOO.
EVERY RAINDROP THAT DOESN'T GET CAUGHT IN ONE OF OUR WATER QUALITY FEATURES, UM, ENDS UP RIGHT IN THE CREEK.
AND THIS GREAT RESOURCE IS THEN JUST GONE, RIGHT? WE'VE, WE'VE LOST THE BENEFIT OF ALL OF THAT WATER.
UM, WHAT KIND OF IMPACT DOES THIS HAVE? UH, THIS IS BOGGY CREEK, UPPER BOGGY CREEK JUST BELOW AIRPORT BOULEVARD ON THE LEFT.
YOU CAN SEE IN 1974 WHEN THEY PUT THE, UH, STORM DRAIN PIPE, UM, THEY, AT THAT POINT THEY WERE JUST SKETCHING ALL THEIR PROFILES RIGHT BY HAND.
AND THAT YELLOW ARROW POINTS TO THE STORM DRAIN PIPE AND IT WAS BELOW THE BOTTOM OF THE STREAM CHANNEL.
SO OVER ON THE RIGHT 2002, THE ARROW IS POINTING TO THE SAME STORM CHANNEL OR STORM WASTEWATER LINE, WHICH IS, IS NOW TWO FEET ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF THE CHANNEL.
AND I WOULD HIGHLY VENTURE TO SAY THAT THE REASON IT'S ONLY TWO FEET ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF THE CHANNEL IS CUZ IT RAN INTO BEDROCK, RIGHT? AND SO IT JUST COULDN'T DOWN CUT ANYMORE.
AND YOU CAN SEE BASED ON THE VEGETATION IN THAT CHANNEL, UM, IT'S ONLY BEEN 28 YEARS THAT DOWN CUT HAPPENED RATHER QUICKLY.
SO, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IT HAS A LOT OF VEGETATION IN IT NOW, WHICH LUCKILY THAT SPOT IS NOW GROW ZONE.
UM, SO THIS IS OUR INCISION PROCESS IN, IN THEORY, RIGHT? THE, THE TOP ONE, WHICH IS PHASE FOUR IS THE NATURAL STATE OR A STATE AND EQUILIBRIUM.
UH, WE GO IN, WE ADD MORE DRAINAGE, YOU GET PHASE ONE, WHICH HAPPENS VERY RAPIDLY IN, IN ONE TO FIVE YEARS.
PHASE TWO, IT STARTS TO WIDEN.
AND THAT'S THE EROSION THAT THEN STARTS CUTTING OUT.
AND THEN IDEALLY YOU HAVE PHASE THREE WHERE IT DROPS DOWN AND EVENTUALLY IT MAKES IT BACK TO PHASE FOUR.
WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THAT AROUND HERE.
MORE OF WHAT WE HAVE IS JUST A TWO PART.
IT STARTS TO DOWN CUT, AND THEN WE HAVE A DOWN CUT STREAM CHANNEL BECAUSE WE HAVE HOUSES AND ASSETS RIGHT ALONG THE EDGE OF THE BANKS THAT WE NOW HAVE TO PROTECT.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THE ROOM TO LET IT GROW OUT LIKE THAT AND, AND BECOME A NATURAL STREAM.
AGAIN, THIS IS THE INCISION PROCESS IN REALITY, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT HAPPENS VERY QUICKLY.
UM, ON THE RIGHT YOU CAN SEE BOGGY CREEK, UH, ALONG NILE STREET IN BETWEEN NILE AND NORTHWESTERN.
UM, AND YOU CAN JUST SEE THAT STEEP BANK OVER ON THE SIDE THAT ISN'T A NATURAL BANK.
THAT'S THE BANK OF A A DOWN CUT STREAM CHANNEL.
AND THAT'S WHAT MOST OF OUR STREAMS LOOK LIKE.
UM, ADDED POLLUTANTS, RIGHT? SO THAT'S, SO WE COVERED THE HYDROLOGY.
LET'S LOOK AT THE PHYSIOCHEMICAL.
UM, PRETTY MUCH ALL CONSUMABLES THAT YOU FIND IN A HARDWARE STORE OR IN AN AUTO PARTS STORE OR IN, IN CERTAIN AISLES IN THE GROCERY STORE, THEY'RE GONNA END UP IN THE STREAM.
UM, THE REASON YOU'VE GOT THESE REPLACEMENTS ON YOUR CAR IS BECAUSE THEY'RE EITHER
[00:20:01]
BURNING UP OR DRIPPING OUT OF THE CAR OR, UH, YOU KNOW, ENDING UP IN THE AIR AND MANY OF 'EM PRECIPITATE BACK OUT.UM, SO ALL OF THESE THINGS YOU SEE ON, YOU KNOW, THE ENTIRE PALLETS, THEY'RE ALL EVENTUALLY GONNA END UP IN OUR STREAM CHANNEL AGAIN, THAT'S JUST WHERE THEY GO.
UM, AND THEY GET THERE WITH A RATHER QUICK UNTREATED DELIVERY SYSTEM IF THERE AREN'T THE RIGHT THINGS IN PLACE AND, AND, UM, OR WHEN SOME OF THESE GOOD THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE FAIL, RIGHT? AND SO ALL OF THAT STUFF THAT YOU SEE IS EVENTUALLY MAKING ITS WAY TO THE STREAM.
SO THE GOOD PART, WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT? WE HAVE SOME GREAT REGULATION.
WE HAVE SOME GOOD WATER QUALITY, UH, UH, CRITERIA IN PLACE.
WE BUILD, UH, WE DON'T DO WET PONDS ANYMORE, BUT WE DO SAID FILL, WE DO BIOFILTRATION PONDS, WHICH ARE GREAT.
WE HAVE GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE THOUGH IT DOESN'T TREAT THE WATER QUALITY SO MUCH, WE HAVE DETENTION PONDS THAT, THAT HOLD BACK THAT LARGE FLOW.
UM, EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THEM METERING IT OUT, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THINGS IN PLACE, UM, AND WE HAVE NATURAL SYSTEMS, RIGHT? UM, I MEAN, WE HAVE WETLANDS.
WETLANDS DO A GREAT JOB OF, OF HELPING CLEAN WATER TAKE THE NUTRIENTS OUT.
SOME THINGS THAT I'D LIKE YOU TO THINK ABOUT IS ONCE THE WATER'S IN THAT CHANNEL, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
IT'S OUR OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON IT IS OVER.
IT'S BEFORE IT REACHES THE CHANNEL THAT WE CAN MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE ON THIS.
UM, WE CAN MODIFY THE HYDROLOGY SO WE CAN CHANGE THE WATER THAT'S FLOWING TO IT.
I MEAN, WE HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT.
UM, AND GREEN STORM STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE IS A FANTASTIC ONE.
AND, AND THERE'S MANY OTHER TOOLS, OR PROBABLY I'M SURE MULTIPLE OTHER TOOLS THAT WE HAVEN'T REALLY STARTED IMPLEMENTING HEAVILY THAT CAN HELP, UH, RAINWATER CATCHMENT'S A GREAT ONE, RIGHT? UM, SO WE CAN MODIFY THE HYDROLOGY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE STREAM CHANNEL CUZ IT HAS A LIMITED SIZE, BUT WE CAN'T MODIFY THE STREAM TO MATCH THE HYDROLOGY.
SO, UM, AND WE CAN CHANGE THIS WITH BETTER REGULATION OR, UM, MAKING SURE THE REGULATIONS ARE FOLLOWED, UM, AND MORE INCENTIVES AND EDUCATION.
I MEAN, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WANTS TO RUIN A BEAUTIFUL STREAM.
THEY'RE JUST, IT'S NOT WHAT THEY'RE FOCUSED ON.
THEY'RE USUALLY FOCUSED ON SOMETHING ELSE.
SO WHAT ARE OUR GOALS FOR OUR STREAMS? THANKS FOR ASKING.
UM, FISHABLE, SWIMMABLE RELATABLE, UH, ECOLOGICALLY FUNCTIONAL, BEAUTIFUL, LOVABLE, UH, MORE BASE FLOW IN THEM.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, EVERYBODY LOVES THAT.
UH, IT'S A GREAT GOAL TO HAVE.
UM, SO HOW DO WE ACHIEVE THIS? WELL, UH, WE'VE GOT STORMWATER TREATMENT ON INFIELD DEVELOPMENT.
THAT'S, THAT'S ALWAYS AN OPTION.
UM, PROGRESSIVE STORMWATER CONTROLS, GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES IN VALUES AND BEHAVIOR, WHICH HAS REALLY GOTTEN THROUGH EDUCATION AND OUTREACH.
AND, AND WE NEED TO KEEP MAKING SURE WE PUSH THAT, WE SPREAD, THAT WE FUND IT, UM, WE SUPPORT IT.
UH, AND, UH, WHAT ISN'T ON HERE IS PRESERVING THE, SOME OF THE NATURAL SYSTEMS THAT HELP CLEAN AND, AND CONTROL THE HYDROLOGY AND POLLUTANTS IN THE STREAMS. UM, SO IT REALLY LIKE WHAT WE DO HERE AND NOW DEFINES WHAT OUR LEGACY IS AND WHAT WILL OUR LEGACY BE? ARE WE GOING TO HAVE BEAUTIFUL STREAMS THAT MULTI-GENERATIONS CAN GO HANG OUT ON? AND GRANTED, THIS IS THE BLANCO RIVER, NOT ONE OF OUR STREAMS, BUT, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MONICA AND CAO AND HER GRANDCHILDREN.
UM, SO YEAH, IT, IT'S ABOUT PRESERVING NATURE AND WHAT LEGACY ARE WE GONNA LEAVE.
SO IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR DISCUSSION, I'D BE HAPPY TO ENGAGE YOU.
UM, COMMISSIONER GREENBERG HAS A QUESTION OR COMMENT.
SO THE STREAMS AT LEAST NEAR WHERE I LIVE, ARE BROKEN.
UM, THEY USED TO HAVE WATER OR PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE A LONG TIME AGO SAY THEY ALWAYS HAD WATER, AND NOW THEY'RE EITHER BONE DRY OR FLOODING.
UM, SO DOES ADDING INFILL MAKE THIS EVEN WORSE? OR IS THE BROKEN BROKEN TO THE POINT WHERE YOU CAN'T EVEN MAKE IT WORSE? WELL, YOU CAN ALWAYS MAKE IT BETTER, AND THERE'S A LOT OF WORK YOU CAN GOT TO DO FOR IT.
UM, EVEN IN INFILL, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SAY THAT, IT MAKES ME THINK OF SHOLL CREEK AND, AND, UM, YEAH, I LIVE BETWEEN SHOLL CREEK AND WALLER CREEK, YOU KNOW, AND THE, THEY'RE BROKEN PEOPLE I'VE TALKED TO WHO HAVE SPENT THEIR YOUTH FISHING AND SWIMMING IN SHOAL CREEK.
[00:25:01]
AND, UH, SO YEAH, ON THE STUFF, YOUR OPPORTUNITIES ARE LIMITED, BUT THEY ARE NOT ABSENT BY ANY MEANS.UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE SPACE FOR REGIONAL STORM WATER CONTROLS, WHICH ARE THOSE BIG BLOCK SIZE CONTAINMENTS.
WE DON'T REALLY HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE ANYMORE.
THAT PROPERTY IS EXTREMELY VALUABLE AND IT'S, IT'S, MOST OF IT'S BEING USED ALREADY, RIGHT? UM, BUT SIMPLE THINGS LIKE GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE, IT'S, IT'S A SMALLER SCALE, UM, UH, LOT BASED SYSTEM THAT IS JUST SIMPLY RAIN GARDENS, UM, AND CISTERNS THINGS THAT HOLD THE WATER BACK ON A PERSON'S PROPERTY, LIKE THOSE IN LARGE SCALE.
WE'VE DONE MODELING, UM, FOR UPPER WALLER CREEK AND HAVE SHOWN THAT, UM, BASED ON OUR MODELING, THAT IT WOULD ACTUALLY CHANGE THE FREQUENCY OF THE STORM EVENTS AND INCREASED BASE FLOW.
UM, AND WE HAVE A STUDY GOING ON RIGHT NOW THAT'S POSSIBLY MORE THAN A DECADE LONG STUDY TO TRY AND, AND VALIDATE THAT.
BUT, UM, YEAH, SO MY ANSWER TO YOU IS GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE INFILL IS, IS THE BEST SOLUTION THAT I KNOW OF NOW.
COMMISSIONER THOMPSON, AND THEN COMMISSIONER WOODY.
I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THE BRIEFING.
UM, CAN WE TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT RECHARGE? AND I'D LOVE TO JUST HEAR SORT OF SOME OF YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT, UH, THE ROLE OF RECHARGE IN BASE FLOW AND, UM, KIND OF SLOWING THAT INFILTRATION OVER THE RECHARGE ZONE.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE TALKING SPECIFICALLY OF RECHARGE, UM, RECHARGE TO THE AQUIFER AREA, RIGHT? WE, WE, YES, WE DO SEE ZONING CASES OVER THE RECHARGE ZONE, SO I'D I'D LOVE TO HEAR THAT ABOUT THAT SPECIFICALLY.
UM, ON, UH, INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES, THERE IS, SO THERE ARE LIMITATIONS IN PLACE TO WHAT SORT OF INFILTRATION THAT YOU CAN ALLOW IN THE RECHARGE ZONE, AND THAT'S BECAUSE A LOT OF THE STORM WATER HAS IS CARRYING HEAVY POLLUTANT LOADS, SO MANY OF THE, UM, DETENTION PONDS AND, UH, WATER QUAL OR YEAH, WATER QUALITY PONDS HAVE LINERS IN THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO PREVENT THAT POLLUTED STORM WATER FROM GOING DOWN INTO THE AQUIFER.
OUR, WE HAVE CARS AQUI OR CARS RECHARGE.
IT DOESN'T PROVIDE A LOT OF FILTRATION.
UM, HOWEVER, ON A, ON A LOT BY LOT BASIS, UM, SOMETHING LIKE, UH, RAIN CAPTURE, RAIN HARVESTING FROM ROOFTOPS AND LEADING TO INFILTRATION INTO THE GROUND, UH, JUST RUN, YOU KNOW, SIMPLY PUTTING A CISTERN TO CAPTURE THE RUNOFF FROM THE ROOF AND LETTING IT SLOWLY JUST DRAIN INTO THE LANDSCAPING IS ONE POSSIBILITY TO, UH, ENABLE SOME RECHARGE OR TO PUT MORE FILTRATION INFILTRATION IN ABOVE THE RECHARGE ZONE.
UM, BUT ONCE, ONCE THE STORM WATER IS, HAS HIT THE STREET, THE, THE REGULATIONS ARE REALLY, UH, MAKE SENSE TO KEEP THEM LINED AS THEY ARE.
UH, ANOTHER THING IS TO CONTINUE TO LIMIT DEVELOPMENT OR THE AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS COVER THAT CAN BE IN THOSE ZONES.
IS THAT SUFFICIENT OR WERE YOU HOPING I WOULD TOUCH ON SOMETHING ELSE? NO, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S RIGHT.
I, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT THERE IS A, THERE'S A RELATIONSHIP TO INFILTRATION IN THE RECHARGE ZONE, IN THE BASE FLOW OF THOSE CREEKS, AND JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT.
BUT I, I THINK YOUR LAST COMMENT IS SPOT ON THAT, UH, BEING THOUGHTFUL ABOUT DEVELOPMENT IN THAT AREA, IT'S CRUCIAL.
UH, COMMISSIONER WOODY? OH, YES.
UH, HEY, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, THAT WAS REALLY GOOD, YOU KNOW, GOOD TO SEE.
UM, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY EQUITY BASED SOLUTIONS FOR LIKE, UH, SAY LIKE EAST UH, EAST AUSTIN, EAST TRAVIS COUNTY, BUT LIKE EAST AUSTIN AREA? UM, I KIND OF THINK ABOUT THAT IMPERVIOUS COVER.
UH, ONE THING THAT COMES TO MIND IS KIND OF LIKE THE TANK FARM THEY'RE PUTTING UP, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THAT'S GONNA TAKE UP A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF CEMENT ON THERE.
UH, AND ALSO KIND OF THINKING ABOUT, UH, THE STREAMS THAT WE HAVE ON, YOU KNOW, ON THE EAST THEY'RE KIND OF DRYING UP.
LIKE I'M THINKING ABOUT LIKE THE MINING PLACES THAT, THAT HAVE KIND OF GONE UP, LIKE RIGHT ONE RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE STATE PARK WHERE THERE USED TO BE, THERE'S THAT BIG CREEK AND THERE USED TO BE A TON OF WATER IN THERE, BUT NOW THERE'S LIKE, IT LOOKS DRY.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? ARE THERE, ARE THERE ANY KIND OF EQUITY BASED SOLUTIONS THAT YOU GUYS ARE WORKING ON? WELL, UM, THE,
[00:30:02]
MY GROUP SPECIFICALLY MOSTLY DOES MONITORING AND RESEARCH.UM, BUT THINGS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE EQUITY BASED THAT WOULD HELP OUT IN THIS SITUATION IS AUSTIN WATER UTILITY HAS REBATES, UM, AND, AND ACTUALLY WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT ALSO HAS REBATES FOR THINGS LIKE RAIN GARDENS AND CISTERNS.
UM, I WAS OVER AT, UH, DUB SPRINGS REC CENTER, UH, PROBABLY ABOUT NINE MONTHS AGO AS THEY WERE LOOKING AT THE SITE FOR A COMMUNITY GARDEN THERE.
AND, UM, WAS PROPOSING THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO USE, UH, I WAS WANTED TO DROP A PLAN FOR THEM SO THAT THEY COULD USE CISTERNS TO CAPTURE WATER OFF THE GIANT GYMNASIUM THAT THEY HAVE THERE SO THAT THEY CAN USE, UH, FRESH RAINWATER TO WATER THE, THE COMMUNITY GARDENS THERE.
UM, I WISH I HAD MORE TO TELL YOU ABOUT, AND I'M SURE THERE ARE MORE THERE.
I CAN, I'LL BET KATIE'S DYING TO
I CAN HELP YOU OUT ON THAT ONE.
KATIE COIN ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF WATERSHED PROTECTION.
I THINK FROM A POLICY SCALE, THERE'S A LOT THAT WE'RE STARTING TO WORK ON AND HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FROM AN EQUITY PERSPECTIVE.
YOU KNOW, EASTSIDE ECOSYSTEMS ARE DIFFERENT THAN WEST SIDE, AND SO WE WANTED TO UNDERSTAND THE SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATION FOR HOW TO MAKE MORE EQUITABLE POLICY FOR EAST SIDE ECOSYSTEMS. AND SO, UH, IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, OUR DEPARTMENT PUT TOGETHER A STUDY OF BLACKLAND PRAIRIE THAT I KNOW, UM, ANA GONZALEZ, UM, IS ONLINE IF WE, IF WE WANNA DIVE INTO MORE UNDERSTANDING OF, OF WHAT THAT, THAT STUDY, UH, GOT INTO.
AND THERE ARE SOME KEY ACTIONS THAT WE'LL BE STARTING TO MOVE FORWARD, UH, IN THE COMING YEAR OR TWO, UH, ABOUT THAT
UH, AND, UH, AND THEN OTHER THAN THAT, WE ALSO ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, WHICH IS CALLED RAIN TO RIVER.
WE'RE JUST FINISHING PHASE ONE OF ENGAGEMENT FOR THAT.
AND, UM, THAT SPECIFICALLY IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO EMBED EQUITY, CLIMATE JUSTICE, UM, AND, AND THAT BIGGER PICTURE THINKING AROUND MORE EXPANSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS WITH EQUITY AT THE CORE.
UM, AND THAT'S THE FIRST TIME WE'VE DONE A, A REAL FUNDAMENTAL OVERHAUL OF OUR PLAN IN 20 YEARS.
AND SO BIG PART OF THAT IS, IS REALLY BUILDING ON THE WORK OF THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN TO CENTER RACIAL JUSTICE AND RACIAL EQUITY, UH, AND DO SO FOR OUR DEPARTMENTAL STRATEGIC PLAN.
SEE, I COULDN'T HAVE SAID THAT
WE CHARACTERIZED THE STREAMS IN RECOGNIZING THAT WE HAD LESS INFORMATION, LESS DENSITY OF DATA ALONG OUR STREAMS IN THE BLACKLAND PERIOD, REALLY WANTING TO UNDERSTAND THE RESOURCES, WHAT WERE THE PRIORITIES, WHAT CONDITION THOSE STREAMS WERE, AND DEVELOPED, UH, A REPORT THAT WE WILL BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE A BRIEFING SHOOT YOU NEEDED ON WHAT ARE WORKABLE, ACTIONABLE, UH, ELEMENTS THAT WE CAN, AS A DEPARTMENT WORK ON.
IT'S A, IT'S A MASSIVE, UH, ENDEAVOR TO REPAIR A LOT OF THE CONDITION OF THOSE STREAMS. BUT YEAH, WE'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO, TO PRESENT INFORMATION ON THE, ON THOSE DETAILS AND, AND WE RECOGNIZING THAT WE ARE STARTING TO LOOK MORE, UH, INTO THE KNOWLEDGE GAPS THAT WE HAVE FOR THE UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RESOURCES STREAM RESOURCES IN THE BLACK LAMP PERRY.
WE GOT A LOT OF SURPRISES AND, AND THAT WE REALLY DIDN'T EXPECT, BUT YEAH.
OH, WHERE CAN WE FIND THAT INFORMATION OR WHERE CAN WE RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION?
UM, UH, WE'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO DO THAT AS WELL AS WE CAN SHARE THE LINK.
I, I, I WILL NEED TO SEARCH ON THE PUBLICATION OF THAT REPORT AND, AND PUT IT, I CAN PUT IT ON THE CHAT.
I'M ASSUMING WE HAVE A CHAT ON WEBEX, SO I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT.
UH, AND I THINK I SAW, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER KING'S HAND UP NEXT.
I APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION AND, AND THIS TOPIC TONIGHT.
AND YOU KNOW, AS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SEE THE, THE DEVELOPMENT GOING ON IN AUSTIN AND WEST AUSTIN HAS BEEN PROTECTED FOR DECADES NOW FROM, YOU KNOW, IMPERVIOUS COVER, YOU KNOW, AND THE, YOU KNOW, PROTECTING OUR, OUR, OUR ENVIRONMENT THERE.
AND THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR OUR CITY, FOR ALL OF US, BUT ALSO EAST AUSTIN THEN HAS TAKEN THE BRUNT OF THE DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO I WONDER, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY, HOW DO WE, WHEN THE SCALE HAS BEEN SO IMBALANCED FOR SO LONG, FOR DECADES, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE, IT SEEMS LIKE WE WOULD PUT THE, WE WOULD PUT THE BALANCE ON THE OTHER SIDE FOR A WHILE TO
[00:35:01]
LET IT BALANCE OUT.AND SO WHEN I, LET ME JUST BRING THAT TO SPECIFICS.
SO WE TALK ABOUT REDEVELOPMENT IN EAST AUSTIN, AND MOST OF THAT REDEVELOPMENT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RAIN GARDENS AND, AND, YOU KNOW, INTEGRATING, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE GREEN DEVELOPMENT, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, PROTECTIONS AND, AND, AND, AND CHARACTERISTICS IN THE DEVELOPMENT.
YOU KNOW, THAT DEVELOPMENT IS NOT FOR THE, THE, THE, THE LOW INCOME FAMILIES THAT ONCE LIVE THERE OR THAT MAY STILL LIVE THERE.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT JUSTICE AND EQUITY, WE SEE THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S SO SUPPOSED TO BE GREEN AND GREAT, AND YET THE FAMILIES THAT WOULD BENEFIT MOST CANNOT, CANNOT GET TO THAT DEVELOPMENT.
THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO LIVE THERE.
AND SO WHAT ARE WE DOING? WHAT ARE WE REALLY DOING NOW TO CHANGE THE SCALES OF BALANCE TO REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE NOW AND NOT INCREMENTALLY IN DECADES DOWN THE ROAD, WE FINALLY SEE SOME CHANGE.
WAS THAT A QUESTION FOR ME?
YOU CAN, YOU CAN HAND THAT RIGHT TO ME IF YOU WANT.
I, IT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
UM, AND IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CERTAINLY CAN'T ANSWER ALONE, JUST AS FOLKS WHO THINK ABOUT WATERSHEDS AND ENVIRONMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE TO THINK HOLISTICALLY ABOUT THE WAY WE LEVERAGE OTHER POLICIES THAT REALLY AREN'T IN WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT'S COURT.
UM, IN ORDER TO, TO THINK ABOUT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WE NEED MORE HOUSING AND WE DON'T SEE HOUSING AS A COMPETING GOAL WITH ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS.
WE NEED TO FIND WIN-WIN SITUATIONS.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF OUR RECENT CODE CONVERSATIONS OF PHASE ONE, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS RECOMMENDED IN OUR EQUITY, UM, REPORT THAT CAME OUTTA THAT INITIAL PHASE ONE ASSESSMENT WAS TO DEVELOP SOME COST SHARING FOR AFFORDABLE PROJECTS, UH, SO THAT WE AREN'T FLEXING ON AN, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS AND ACTUALLY POTENTIALLY CREATING, UM, YOU KNOW, A HIGHER LEVEL OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS.
UH, ANOTHER THING THAT WE'RE DOING IN THE NEXT YEAR WILL BE SCOPING, UM, A FULL EQUITY ASSESSMENT OF ALL ENVIRONMENTAL CODE.
UH, AND SO REALLY DOING A DEEP DIVE ON WHAT, HOW HAS THIS GONE WRONG IN THE PAST? HOW HAS THIS, WHETHER OR NOT WE INTENDED IT TO, UM, HOW IS IT ACTUALLY RESULTING IN INEQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT ON THE GROUND? UM, SO WE'RE DOING A FEW THINGS, BUT I HEAR YOU.
IT'S, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN FIX IN, IN ONE BITE AND IN ONE DAY.
UH, AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT, UM, I, I WILL SAY IN TERMS OF HOW THE SCALES ARE SHIFTING IN TERMS OF FOCUS, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT IN ORDER TO BE EQUITABLE AND FOCUSED, WE DO NEED TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE FOLKS AND TO THE COMMUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEMS THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE.
UM, AND THAT HAVE BEEN IGNORED FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, I, I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE SHOULD DESTROY ONE PART OF OUR CITY TO, TO MAKE IT RIGHT IN ANOTHER PART.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO ALL OF THESE THINGS.
IT'S NOT ONE OR THE OTHER, OR THIS OR THAT.
WE NEED TO, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR FOCUS ON THE EQUITY THING.
UM, YES, UH, MS. GONZALEZ, THANK YOU.
IF I MAY, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANNA EMPHASIZE IS THAT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING MORE CLOSELY AT WHAT ARE THE HEALTH AND HUMAN OUTCOMES OF OUR HEALTHY WATERSHEDS AND OUR HEALTHY STREAMS. I THINK FOR THE LONGEST TIME WE'VE EMPHASIZED THE BIOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES AND UNDERSTANDING THEM AS INDICATORS OF WATERSHED HEALTH, BUT DIDN'T REALLY NAILED INTO WHAT IS WHAT WE PEOPLE GET OUT OF OUR STREAMS. AND HAVING THAT HUMAN LENS TO UNDERSTAND AND TO, TO REALLY LOOK AT, UH, WHAT ARE THOSE EQUITABLE OUTCOMES, UH, HUMAN HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH, CLEAN AIR SHADE ACCESS TO HAVING URBAN HEAT ISLAND MITIGATION.
AND WE, WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT OUR STREAMS REPRESENT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY AS A NETWORK.
THEY ARE TO PROVIDE COOLING AND GREEN SPACE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES AND, AND REALLY EMPHASIZING OUR, THE POSSIBILITY THAT OUR STREAMS REPRESENT JUST TO PROTECT THE STREAMS, BUT REALLY PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY FROM WHAT'S COMING, UH, WITH CLIMATE CHANGE.
I KNOW THE DEVELOPMENT, UH, ON THE ROAD, SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT CUZ WE'VE BEEN PAYING MORE AND MORE ATTENTION AND BEING MORE, UM, EXPLICIT AND INTENTIONAL ABOUT THE WAY WE LOOK AT THOSE RESOURCES AND THE NEEDS TO IMPROVE THEM.
UM, THESE THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND I SURE APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER THOMPSON STEADFASTLY TRYING TO GET THIS BECAUSE IT'S REALLY HELPED ME UNDERSTAND THE BIGGER PICTURE.
I'D LIKE TO DIRECT THREE QUESTIONS TO OUR ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER, IF I MAY.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THE GOAL IS TO DO MORE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE ON INFIELD DEVELOPMENT.
DOES A DEVELOPER STILL HAVE THE OPTION TO CONTRIBUTE TO REGIONAL PONDS? UM, SECOND,
[00:40:01]
IN UPDATING YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN, ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT PROCESSES? WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF CASES, INCLUDING ONES ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER IN, UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, WOODY'S AREA WHERE THERE'S SIGNIFICANT EROSION AND WE ARE SEEING, UM, TRAILS BEING PROPOSED RIGHT ALONG THE, UH, PLACE WHERE THE EROSION IS HAPPENING.AND I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF YOU'RE DOING, UH, ANALYSIS MORE AT THE SITE PLAN LEVEL, HOW WE CAN EDUCATE PAR TO CONSIDER THE RATE OF EROSION BEFORE A TRAIL IS SUGGESTED TO BE PUT ALONG THERE.
AND THEN THIRD QUESTION, AND I'LL, I'LL SHUT UP, I PROMISE.
UM, OUTREACH, SINCE MOST CREEKS ARE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, ARE WE DOING ANY OUTREACH TO HOMEOWNERS TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO, UM, DO RIPARIAN VEGETATION? UM, HOW ARE WE WORKING WITH FOLKS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY IN TERMS OF EDUCATING THEM ON WHAT THEY CAN DO TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF, OF THE CREEK WATER? SORRY, LONG LIST THERE.
THOSE ARE ALL GREAT QUESTIONS.
I, UH, LIZ JOHNSON HAS DETAILS THAT I, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO GET TO YOU TO RESPOND, BUT I'LL SAY THERE IS A PAYMENT IN LIEU PROGRAM, UM, SO THAT FOLKS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO BEING ABLE TO FUND REGIONAL CONTROLS IF YOU ARE NOT PUTTING WATER QUALITY CONTROLS ON A SITE.
UH, AND THAT ONLY APPLIES IN CERTAIN WATERSHEDS.
UM, AND THEN, UH, THE ORIGINAL ON COLORADO RIVER IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE STILL CONSIDERING IN PHASE TWO CODE AMENDMENTS TO BRING BACK TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WITH A, A PROPOSAL AFTER DOING MORE SUBSTANTIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH LANDOWNERS ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER DOWNSTREAM OF LONGHORN DAMS. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL BE COMING AND IS NECESSARY.
WE KNOW THAT THOSE BANKS ARE EROSIVE.
UH, AND THEN I WILL DEFER TO POTENTIALLY, UM, MAYBE ANNA ON IN EDUCATION RELATED TO PRIVATE PROPERTY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP.
BUT I'LL, I'LL GIVE IT TO LIZ FIRST, WHO I KNOW IS TWO MINUTES AWAY FROM A FORCE, UH, RESTART ON HER COMPUTER.
MY COMPUTER JUST SAID, HEY, YOUR COM YOUR ORGANIZATION IS GONNA FORCE A RESTART.
AND THERE WAS NO OPTION TO POSTPONE IT.
SO, UM, QUICKLY, SO FOR INFILL, THE, THERE IS AN OPTION TO PAY, UM, FEE IN LIEU OF WATER QUALITY FOR CERTAIN SITUATIONS.
UM, IF IT'S UNDER AN ACRE, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND IN URBAN WATERSHED, UH, THE, THERE IS A PAYMENT IN BLUE OF WATER QUALITY OPTION.
UM, SO THAT HAS BEEN ON, UM, UH, CODE FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND IT HAS NOT CHANGED, UM, OTHER PARTS OF TOWN.
UM, UH, IT WON'T BE, UM, AN OPTION THAT'S AVAILABLE.
THERE ARE ALSO REGIONAL STORMWATER DETENTION.
SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING MOSTLY ABOUT WATER QUALITY.
THE WATER QUANTITY OPTION IS, IS ANOTHER, UM, POSSIBILITY FOR SOME SITUATIONS, NOT ALL.
AND REBECCA MCKAY IS IN CIVIL AS AN ENGINEER WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO ANSWER MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RSM P PROGRAM.
UM, AS FAR AS, UH, OUTREACH TO PAR TO EDUCATE THEM ABOUT EROSION, THAT'S BEEN A CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD.
AND WE HAVE A REALLY PRETTY, UH, GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH, UH, PAR UH, PLANNERS.
UM, THEY HAVE TALKED TO US AND REACHED OUT TO OUR EROSION ENGINEER STAFF ABOUT TRAILS PROPOSED ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER.
AND SO WE HAVE GIVEN THEM SOME, UH, RULES OF THUMB ON WHERE IS A RELATIVELY SAFE LOCATION TO PUT INFRASTRUCTURE, ALTHOUGH WITH THE IDEA THAT IT'S ONLY SAFE FOR, UH, CERTAIN NUMBER OF DECADES, BUT THE COLORADO RIVER IS GONNA GO WHERE IT WANTS TO GO.
AND SO REALLY NOTHINGS SAFE FOR QUITE SOME DISTANCE FROM THE THE BANK, BUT I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
SO THERE'S A QUESTION ABOUT OUTREACH TO PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS.
WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH KIP AUSTIN.
AND THAT'S ONE OF OUR BIG, UH, WAYS OF REACHING OUT COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ADOPT TRICK SECTIONS AND GET INVOLVED IN KEEPING THE CREEKS.
THIS IS, UH, AGNOSTIC TO WHETHER IT'S PUBLIC OR PRIVATE PROPERTY.
AND WE PROVIDE TECHNICAL GUIDANCE AND RESOURCES TO KEEP BOSTON BEAUTIFUL AND CREEK ADOPTERS TO REALLY GET, UH, ENGAGED.
AND WE'RE PUSHING HARD, UH, OUR, UH, PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO GROW THAT PROGRAM BEYOND WHAT THE CITY CAN DO.
AND, AND ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS ABOUT NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT THEY'RE UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO GROW AND USE CITY RESOURCES AS LEVERAGE AS A SPRINGBOARD TO DO MORE.
AND, AND, UH, WE'RE HOPING TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION.
THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF MILES TO
[00:45:01]
CREEK, SO IT REALLY TAKES, EVERYBODY TAKES THE WHOLE VILLAGE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM.SO THAT, DEFINITELY EMPHASIZING THAT.
AND, AND WE HAVE ALLOCATED, UH, QUITE A BIT OF RESOURCES ON IT.
WE ALSO HAVE, UM, OUR EDUCATION TEAM.
SO WE DO HAVE EARTH CAMP THAT, UH, PROVIDES, UH, ED ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION TO OUR, OUR STUDENTS IN FIFTH GRADE ON TITLE ONE SCHOOLS.
AND JUST GETTING THAT NEWER GENERATIONS REALLY EMBEDDED AND, AND KNOWLEDGEABLE AND ENGAGED WITH CREEKS, WITH OUR GROUNDWATER SYSTEMS. SO ON, ON OUR KEYS.
SO JUST, JUST, THOSE ARE TWO EXAMPLES OF EFFORTS ON OUTREACH AND EDUCATION REGARDING TACKLING HYDROLOGY,
WE'RE TESTING THE WATERS AND WHETHER, WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO ON IMPLEMENTING, ON INCENTIVIZING, UM, HOMEOWNERS TO INSTALL RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEMS AND RAIN GARDENS? DO NOT JUST CONTROL THAT STORMWATER, LIKE THAT'S OUR DEPARTMENT'S KIND OF MAIN THING, BUT ALSO TO HAVE THAT RESOURCE AS ALTERNATIVE WATER.
SO IT SUPPORTS WATER CONSERVATION, IT SUPPORTS HEALTHIER YARDS BETTER, YOU KNOW, BETTER USE OF THAT STORMWATER, THAT GOING RUSH, RUSHING DOWN TO THE STREAM.
SO YES, THERE ARE MANY ANGLES IN WHICH WE ARE, UH, REACHING OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY TO ELEVATE THE VISIBILITY OF OUR STREAMS AND, AND INVOLVE, UH, OUR COMMUNITY IN THE SOLUTION IMPLEMENTATION.
I'LL VOLUNTEER FOR THAT LAST ONE.
YEAH, I ACTUALLY HAD A FOLLOW UP.
I WAS GONNA ASK ABOUT THAT PROGRAM, THE RAIN CATCHER PILOT, AND JUST KIND OF CHECK IN.
I KNOW THAT HOMEOWNERS HAVE TO PAY $500 FOR THE PLAN THAT THEY GET, AND THEN THEY HAVE TO PUT THE BILL, WHICH THEY GET SOME REIMBURSEMENT FOR ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
BUT I'M CURIOUS HOW, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT THAT PROGRAM GOING FORWARD? AND DO YOU, DO YOU FORESEE A FUTURE WHERE THAT PROGRAM IS FUNDED SO THAT HOMEOWNERS DON'T HAVE TO FULLY BEAR THAT COST, AT LEAST FOR THE DESIGN? YEAH, I CAN SAY THAT IT DEPENDS ON EACH SITUATION, HOW MUCH OF A COPAY, UH, A HOMEOWNER HAS TO FOOT THE BILL FOR.
SO IT CAN BE CLOSE TO FREE IF THE, THE COMMUNITY MEMBER IS LIKE SUPER HANDY AND DO IT YOURSELF KIND OF GO.
AND IF IT'S WITH A CONTRACTOR, YOU KNOW, START ADDING COSTS.
UH, WE ARE WORKING REALLY DIGITALLY TO TRY TO MINIMIZE THE COPAY.
BOTH AUSTIN WATER AND WATERSHED PROTECTION ARE LUMPING THE INCENTIVES TO MAKE IT MORE AFFORDABLE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
IT DOES, I HAVE TO RECOGNIZE, AND, AND, AND WE ALSO HAVE, IF THE, IF THE SYSTEM INCLUDES A TREE, STRICT TREE, IT ALSO BRINGS IN FUNDING FROM THE TREE FUND.
SO WE HAVE TREE SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO REDUCE THE COPAY.
UM, I HAVE TO RECOGNIZE, AND, AND WE'VE, WE'VE HAD MANY HARD CONVERSATIONS AND THIS, IT STILL DEPENDS ON SOME DISPOSABLE INCOME.
SO IT IS NOT TRULY A, A EQUITY PROGRAM IN THE SENSE THAT IT CAN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN JUST WANTING IT HAPPENS.
RIGHT? THERE IS WORK TO DO ON THAT.
THERE'S ALSO, UH, REALLY HARD CONVERSATIONS ON WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES, WHICH OTHER GROUPS CAN COME IN AND BRING TO HELP CARRY THE BURDEN ON, ON FUNDING THESE PROGRAMS. BUT YES, UM, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S KIND OF THE, THE SHORT ANSWER DEPENDS ON WHICH SYSTEM YOU WANT AND HOW MUCH YOU DO YOURSELF AND, UH, OR WHETHER YOU WANNA MAKE CONTRACTORS.
BUT YES, WE'RE TRYING REALLY HARD TO MAKE IT AS LOW COST AS WE CAN MANAGE TO.
IF YOU WERE JUST, MY FEEDBACK FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN THAT $500 FEE FOR THE DESIGN IS REALLY AN A BARRIER TO ENTRY.
AND EVEN IF YOU ARE A HANDY PERSON, YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T GET PAST THAT $500 FEE, YOU KNOW, SO JUST, JUST A COMMENT, BUT WHAT A COOL IDEA.
AND I, I WISH YOU ALL THE WELLNESS WITH IT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I ALSO WANT TO ECHO THAT WE WERE VERY GRATEFUL THAT YOU GUYS CAME AND GAVE THIS PRESENTATION.
I KNOW YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA ONLY BE TALKING ABOUT URBAN STREAM SYNDROME, AND WE TALKED ABOUT ALL KINDS OF THINGS, SO I REALLY TOO YEAH, LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES THERE.
I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, THE WATERSHED STAFF COMING AND, AND, AND ANSWERING ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS.
UM, I ALSO WANNA SAY, I AM INTERESTED IN THIS SISTER AND AT DOVE SPRINGS REC CENTER, AND HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED, AND MAYBE YOU GUYS CAN CONTACT ME OR CONTACT SOMEBODY OFFLINE ABOUT HOW TO HELP PUSH THAT FORWARD, I THINK PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTIN'S PARKS FOUNDATION OR SOMETHING? YEP.
I THINK THAT, I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S AT RIGHT NOW.
BACK THEN, THEY STARTED THE PROCESS OF LO, YOU KNOW, WE DISCUSSED A GOOD SPOT FOR THE, THE, UM, COMMUNITY GARDENS WHERE IT'D BE HIGHLY VISIBLE, ACCESSIBLE TO SOME INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND, UM, AND A GREAT SPOT TO, EASY TO PUT RAIN CISTERNS IN THERE.
[00:50:01]
I, I HAVEN'T HEARD BACK FROM THEM YET THOUGH.BUT I WILL, UH, I'LL LOOK INTO THE EMAILS AND SEE WHAT I CAN FIND FOR YOU.
YEAH, I HAVE A CISTERN AND I LOVE IT.
SO, AND YOU GET GREAT REBATES, SO WE DON'T HAVE ONE.
UM, ONE LITTLE PLUG IS, I GAVE ANDREW A PDF OF THAT PRESENTATION, SO IF YOU WANNA RELIVE OUR TIME TOGETHER, THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR YOU AT THE END OF IT THAT I DIDN'T, UM, FLASH ONTO IS, UH, A LINK, A WEBSITE LINK TO OUR CITY OF CREEK'S LEARNING SERIES THAT HAS SOME OF OUR GREATEST HITS ON IT.
UM, PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, UH, GOOD SORT OF BEDTIME VIDEO STUFF, UH, URBAN STREAM SYNDROMES ON THERE, AS WELL AS OUR TRASH REPORT AND ALL THE MANY DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WATERSHED PROTECTION, UH, DEPARTMENT DOES.
I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, OH, WAIT, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PLANNING PROCESS.
CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR PLAN, YOUR STREAM TO CREEK? WHAT IS IT CALLED? OH, RAINOR RIVER, RAIN TO RIVER.
I'M NOT THE BEST ONE TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
UM, HAS ANYBODY ELSE, NOW KATIE AND ANNA ARE FAR MORE KNOWLEDGE OF IT THAN I AM.
IF FOLKS WANTED TO GET INVOLVED, HOW CAN THEY GET INVOLVED IN RANGE RIVER? SO THERE'S A WEBSITE OKAY.
UM, THAT, UH, WE CAN CERTAINLY SEND OUT A LINK TO, UH, WITH ANY OTHER FOLLOW-UP MATERIALS.
UM, I BELIEVE IT'S, I SHOULD KNOW THIS OFFHAND, BUT I'LL DOUBLE CHECK WHILE I'M ON THE VIDEO WITH YOU.
UM, BUT, UH, THERE'S A WEBSITE SO YOU CAN FIND ANY INFORMATION, UH, ABOUT THE PROJECT, UH, THERE.
UM, SO ANY UPDATES ABOUT COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT WE'RE ATTENDING, WE'VE ATTENDED A TON OF COMMUNITY EVENTS, UM, THROUGH THAT.
UM, YOU CAN ALSO, UH, TAKE OUR SURVEY THAT'S STILL OPEN.
UM, UH, YOU CAN ALSO, UH, POTENTIALLY INTERACT WITH ONE OF OUR, UH, AMBASSADORS.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE HIRED AND ARE PAYING, UH, A GROUP, A COHORT OF AMBASSADORS, UM, WHO WE RECOGNIZE LIKELY HAVE BETTER RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITIES THAT MAYBE HISTORICALLY AND CONTINUE TO NOT TRUST THE CITY.
UH, AND SO THEY'RE HOST HOSTING CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMUNITIES WHO TRUST THEM, UH, AND ACTING AS LIAISONS, UM, UH, BETWEEN MANY OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN HARD TO REACH AND WHO HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED IN THE PAST.
UM, SO THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS OR IN YOUR, IN YOUR, UH, DISTRICT, UM, FOR INTERACTION WITH AMBASSADORS.
THERE ARE ALSO, UM, SOME MINI GRANT RECIPIENTS THAT WE ANNOUNCED, UH, OVER ABOUT A MONTH AGO, I BELIEVE, MAYBE A LITTLE LONGER, UM, WHO ARE GONNA BE ALSO HELPING WITH ENGAGEMENT, UH, AND DOING SOME COMMUNITY-BASED PROJECTS TO AMPLIFY THE MESSAGE ABOUT RAIN TO RIVER.
AND SO YOU MAY SEE SOME COMMUNICATION FROM DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WHO WERE, UM, AWARDED THOSE MINI GRANTS.
UM, AND WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE ENGAGING, UH, THROUGH NEXT YEAR, UH, IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.
SO WE'RE HAPPY TO TALK, UH, AGAIN AND COME BACK AND, AND TALK MORE ABOUT RAIN TO RIVER.
UH, THERE'S ALSO GONNA BE A K VIEW, UH, STORY COMING OUT LIKELY WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO, UM, WHERE WE TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT EQUITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND TALK ABOUT RE TO RIVER, UH, AS WELL, UM, STARRING YOURS TRULY.
UM, BUT YES, THERE'S A TON OF INFORMATION ON, ON THE WEBSITE.
HONESTLY, IF YOU JUST GOOGLE RAIN TO RIVER, UH, IT'S THE FIRST LINK THAT THAT POPS UP.
HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
RAIN TO RIVER ATX AND PLEASE REACH OUT TO YOUR COMMUNITIES AND HAVE THEM FILL OUT THAT SURVEY BECAUSE, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT EVERYBODY PIPES IN ON THAT SO THAT WE HAVE EVERYONE'S PERSPECTIVE ON IT.
THANK YOU GUYS AGAIN FOR COMING.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ON, UM, WE HAVE OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. ARE THERE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT FOLKS ARE INTERESTED IN PROPOSING? I SEE NONE.UH, CHAIR, I NOTICED, UH, DURING OUR LAST MEETING FOR 7,900 SOUTH CONGRESS THAT, UM, THAT PROPOSAL INCLUDED A TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT SECTION.
UM, BUT I'VE NEVER HEARD ANY SORT OF FOLLOW UP ABOUT WHAT DOES TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT MEAN? UM, WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS? WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES? IS ANYBODY AUDITING THESE TDM PLANS WHEN THEY SAY THEY'RE A MEMBER OF THE TMA? WHAT'S THE TMA? UM, SO IT'S ALL BEEN VERY, UM, KIND OF HIDDEN.
I'D LOVE TO SEE A STAFF PRESENTATION ABOUT TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT, WHAT THAT MEANS, HOW WE'RE MONITORING IT, AND WHAT THE TMA IS.
[00:55:01]
UM, SO THAT WAY WE CAN MAKE MORE INFORMED DECISIONS WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE, BUT ALSO TO SEE IF THAT WOULD HELP US, UM, WITH OTHER STRATEGIES, UH, REGARDING TRANSPORTATION AS WE'RE REVIEWING THESE PLANS.I WOULD, I WOULD SUPPORT SOME KIND OF BRIEFING, STAFF BRIEFING.
COMMISSIONER GREENBERG ALSO, WE WERE JUST OFFERED A BRIEFING ABOUT THE, UM, BLACKLAND GREEKS.
I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THAT ONE TOO.
SO ALL THE, IT SOUNDED LIKE THEY'VE BEEN DOING QUITE A BIT OF RESEARCH, UM, ON THAT.
SO THAT WOULD BE GOOD TO HEAR BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A, WE DO SEE A LOT OF CASES THAT ARE LOOKING AT REDEVELOPMENT IN THAT AREA.
SO TWO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, ANY, I'LL MOVE ON TO COM OR UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHERS, I'LL MOVE ON TO COMMITTEE
[COMMITTEE REPORTS & WORKING GROUPS]
REPORTS AND WORKING GROUPS.WE ARE MEETING CODES AND ORDINANCES TOMORROW, JOINT COMMITTEE, UM, 6:00 PM AT THE PMNC THAT CHANGES TO THE REGULATING PLAN ON, UM, BURNETT ROAD GATEWAY.
AND THEN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN JOINT COMMITTEE.
THERE'S BEEN NOTHING SINCE LAST MEETING.
SMALL AREA PLANNING JOINT COMMITTEE.
MOST RECENT MEETING WAS CANCELED.
THE MOST RECENT MEETING WAS CANCELED.
AND THE ONION CREEK AND LOCALIZED FLOODING WORKING GROUP.
AND I THINK THIS MIGHT BE SOMETHING, UH, OUR LIAISON CAN HELP US WITH.
I UNDERSTAND IF A WORKING GROUP DOESN'T MEET FOR OVER A YEAR, IT AUTOMATICALLY BECOMES A DEFUNK COMMITTEE.
CAN YOU LOOK INTO THAT? AND CHAIR COMMISSION, LADIES, THERE'S NOTHING IN CODE THAT SPEAKS TO THE DURATION OF A WORKING GROUP.
IT'S THE ONLY DEMARCATION IS WHEN THE PRESENTATION OF THE OUTCOME OF A WORKING GROUP IS PRESENTED TO THE BODY, THEN IT'S DISSOLVED.
YOU HAVE TO MAKE A PRESENTATION.
BUT AGAIN, IF IT'S THE DESIRE OF THE, UH, WE DID WE HAVE COMMISSION, YOU CAN DISSOLVE.
SO WE, IS THAT WHAT THE COMMISSION WANTS TO DO? I THINK THERE'S A SENTIMENT, UM, AMONGST, UH, I, I'M NOT SURE HOW COMMISSIONER KING FEELS, BUT I GET A SENSE JUST FROM NODDING HEADS, THAT IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD CONSIDER DISSOLVING.
UM, AND IF IT'S APPROPRIATE TO GO BACK TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, PERHAPS WE CAN PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
DISSOLVE THE, UM, WORKING GROUP HERE.
THAT SHOULD BE LIKE A, ON OUR NEXT AGENDA.
EVERYONE HAVE A GREAT, HAPPY HOLIDAYS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SHOW ALL YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU DO.