[CALL TO ORDER ]
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AFTER SIX O'CLOCK, I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY 6 0 5.
I'D LIKE TO, UH, CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
AND, UH, AS A FORMALITY, I'M GONNA CONDUCT A ROLL CALL HERE.
I'M TRYING TO FIND MY AGENDA HERE.
AND, UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU ONLINE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO SHOW YOUR FACE IN ORDER TO, UH, BE PARTICIPATING.
UH, AND WE HAVE, UH, ETHAN MYERS.
UH, JONATHAN BARONA, ABSENT, AND, UH, KABA WHITE.
ALL RIGHT GUYS AND MYSELF PRESENT.
WE HAVE A QUORUM OF SIX UP HERE.
HAVING SAID THAT, UH, LET'S SEE.
THE AGENDA'S A PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD, UH, DOCUMENTS.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
WE'VE GOT, UH, THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FIRST OFF, AND THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES ARE BASICALLY THE NOVEMBER 9TH LAST MEETING THAT WE HAD OF LAST YEAR.I THINK WE HAD SOME QUESTIONS ON THAT.
THEY THINK THEY'VE BEEN RESOLVED, AND HOPEFULLY THE COMMISSIONERS HAD A CHANCE TO GO OVER THOSE.
IF SO, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
I DON'T RECALL WHO HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
DO YOU KNOW, WAS IT AMANDA? I THINK IT WAS, UH, AMANDA.
AMANDA, DID YOU HAVE YOU HAD THE QUESTIONS ON THE LAST AGENDA ON THE, UH, MINUTES LAST TIME? WHAT ARE THEY? UH, OKAY, GREAT.
ALRIGHT, I'LL AGAIN ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR, I WILL PRESENT THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM NOVEMBER.
COMMISSIONER TUO MOVES APPROVAL.
DO I HEAR A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
HEARING A MOTION OUT THERE? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
AYE, COMMISSIONER WANNER HAS JOINED US, SO THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT, GUYS, THE MINUTES PASS.
IT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE THE EASIEST THING WE CONDUCT TONIGHT.
[2. Budget Overview with Timeline Expectations - Victoria Rieger ]
UH, WE HAVE SOME DISCUSSION ACTION ITEMS HERE, OR DISCUSSION ITEMS I SHOULD SAY.AND IT'S THE BUDGET OVERVIEW WITH TIMELINE EXPECTATIONS BY, UH, VICTORIA VIC.
CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME OKAY? OH, GOSH, I CAN'T HEAR IT TOO.
IF YOU COULD TURN THAT UP JUST A WEE BIT HERE.
IT'S, I CAN TRY AND GET CLOSER.
UM, I'M HERE TO UPDATE YOU ON THE CITY'S BUDGET PROCESS.
THERE IS A SLIDE, HOPEFULLY THEY CAN PULL THAT UP.
IT'S JUST A PICTURE OF THE, OF THE BUDGET TIMELINE.
I'LL GIVE HIM A SECOND TO PULL THAT UP.
SO, I FIRST PRESENTED TO YOU ALL THIS TIMELINE AT YOUR SEPTEMBER MEETING, AND I WANTED TO BRING IT FORWARD AGAIN TO ENSURE THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF THE UPCOMING BUDGET PROCESS AND DEADLINES WITH RESPECT TO ACTIONS BY THIS COMMISSION.
UH, IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR OF 2022, ARR, DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP HELD A BUSINESS PLANNING RETREAT WHERE WE SPENT THE DAY REVIEWING DEPARTMENT PERFORMANCE METRICS RESULTS, AND DISCUSSING ISSUES THAT MIGHT HAVE A BUDGET IMPACT OVER THE NEXT TWO TO FIVE YEARS.
WE DISCUSSED BOTH THE OPERATING AND THE CAPITAL SITES.
UM, AT THIS STAGE IN THE BUDGET TIMELINE, WE'RE ENTERING THE BUDGET FORECAST DEVELOPMENT PHASE.
UH, THE CITY WILL OFFICIALLY KICK OFF THE FISCAL YEAR 24 BUDGET DEVELOPMENT LATER THIS MONTH.
HOWEVER, WE EXPECT SIMILAR DEADLINES TO LAST YEAR.
SO THIS MEANS THAT THE DE DEPARTMENT'S FORECAST WILL BE DUE, UH, IN EARLY MARCH THIS TIME PERIOD.
ALSO, MARKS THE BEGINNING OF THE CITY'S ANNUAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WILL AGAIN BE ASKED TO SUBMIT
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ANY BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BUDGET OFFICE.THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO PUT FORWARD ANY BUDGET PRIORITIES OR INITIATIVES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT.
THIS YEAR'S PROCESS WILL BE SIMILAR TO LAST YEAR, UM, ALTHOUGH LAST YEAR THEY HAD AN ONLINE PORTAL.
THIS YEAR THEY'RE DOING AWAY WITH THE ONLINE PORTAL.
UM, SO YOU SHOULD EXPECT AN EMAIL FROM THE BUDGET OFFICE IN THE COMING WEEKS WITH FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE GONNA BE DUE AT THE END OF MARCH, SO THAT'S A KEY DATE TO BE AWARE OF.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PUT FORWARD ANY SORT OF RECOMMENDATION PROPOSAL, SUPPORT RESOLUTION, MARCH 30TH IS YOUR, UH, DATE TO BE AWARE OF.
UM, WE PLAN TO COME BEFORE YOU, UH, AT YOUR MARCH WAC MEETING TO, UM, GIVE YOU THE PRELIMINARY NUMBERS FOR OUR FORECAST.
WE SHOULD, SHOULD HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF, OF, UH, OF, UH, OUR FORECAST AT THAT POINT.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, SO ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ARE GONNA BE DUE AT THE END OF MARCH, AND THAT GIVES THE CITY THE OPPORTUNITY TO CITY AND THE DEPARTMENT SPECIFICALLY THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, SPEND THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, APRIL AND MAY, UH, EVALUATING THOSE PROPOSALS.
UM, AGAIN, THE END OF MARCH IS A HARD DEADLINE, SO JUST SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF.
UM, WE WILL, UH, ONCE WE'RE NOTIFIED THAT THE BUDGET OFFICE HAS HAS KICKED OFF THAT ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, I'LL DO MY BEST TO, TO KIND OF WORK THROUGH YA L TO, TO GIVE YOU ALL A HEADS UP THAT, THAT, UM, UM, THAT THAT EMAIL HAS GONE OUT.
SO, AGAIN, OUR PLAN IS TO PRESENT OUR PRELIMINARY FORECAST TO YOU AT THE MARK SW MEETING, AND WE EXPECT TO HAVE THE PROPOSED BUDGET, UH, PRESENTATION AT YOUR JUNE OR JULY MEETING.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR, UH, FOR VICTORIA ON THE BUDGET? I'VE, I'VE GOT A FEW QUESTIONS.
UH, AGAIN, NUMBER ONE, I'M CURIOUS.
NOW WE HAVE, IN THIS BUDGET, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE GOALS OR DESIRES OF THE DEPARTMENT, I E THE, UH, NORTHEAST TRANSFER STATION, THE, UH, ELECTRIFYING OF THE VEHICLES.
UH, GOD, WHAT ELSE? UH, PERHAPS SOME OTHER ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT.
ARE THOSE ITEMS GOING TO BE ADDRESSED IN THE, UH, TWO TO THREE, OR I SHOULD SAY THE, UH, THREE TO FIVE YEAR TIME SPAN IN THIS BUDGET? WE DEFINITELY, UM, WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER, UM, IN THE FORECAST THIS YEAR.
PRIOR YEARS, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO INCLUDE ANY NUMBERS, BUT WE ARE GETTING CLOSER TO THAT, COMING TO, UH, FRUITION.
WE HAVE SOME, SOME ADDITIONAL HURDLES TO CROSS IN TERMS OF FUNDING BEFORE WE KIND OF GET THE GREEN LIGHT TO INCLUDE THOSE IN OUR FORECAST.
BUT AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME, WE DO EXPECT THE FORECAST TO INCLUDE AT LEAST IN THAT, THAT FIFTH YEAR, UH, SOME OPERATIONAL COSTS RELATED TO THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER.
YEAH, I GUESS WHAT I, AS WELL AS THE CAPITAL PROJECT.
BUT YEAH, THOSE KINDS OF PROJECTS, FACILITY NEEDS, MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS ARE, YOU KNOW, A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS COMMISSION MIGHT DECIDE TO PUT FORWARD AS A RECOMMENDATION OR SUPPORT.
AND I'D LIKE TO PUT THAT FORWARD AS A RECOMMENDATION, BECAUSE THOSE ARE VITAL.
I MEAN, THOSE ARE LITERALLY PRETTY MUCH, UH, ESTABLISH THE, THE, THE FUTURE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
I MEAN, WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO AND HOW WE'RE, HOW WE'RE, UH, ABLE TO COST EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY IMPLEMENT THOSE, THOSE GOALS AND TO KEEP THE DEPARTMENT RUNNING IN AN EFFICIENT, UH, MANNER.
IN ADDITION, I'M, I'M HOPING THAT THIS DEPARTMENT AND, UH, AND STAFF IS, IS LOOKING AT, UH, AGAIN, THE BIGGEST, UH, FACTOR I THINK IS, IS WAGES.
I MEAN, WAGES, EMPLOYEES, EMPLOYEE WAGES ARE, ARE A FACTOR.
IT'S, UH, I MEAN, IT'S A COMPETITIVE DISADVANTAGE AT TIMES FOR US.
AND, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN SOMEHOW BALANCE THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT WITH THE, UH, PROPOSED BUDGETS WITH OUR PROPOSED BUDGET, I SHOULD SAY.
BUT ANYWAY, COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS OR QUESTIONS HERE? WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO, YOUR MIC, IS IT ON? YEAH.
SINCE WE'RE RECOMMENDING OR HOPEFULLY GONNA SEND THE RESOLUTION TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON THE MULTI-FAMILY COMPOSTING, UH, HAS GINA, HAS THAT BEEN ADDED, UH, FOR WHAT'S, WHAT'S IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND THEN YEARS AFTER THAT FOR OUR BUDGET? YES.
[00:10:01]
QUESTIONS FOR, UH, VICTORIA OR STAFF ON THE BUDGET? KABA, GO AHEAD.UM, I GUESS, UH, JUST, I DON'T KNOW A COMMENT, AND MAYBE THIS CAN'T BE CHANGED, UM, BUT I GUESS JUST GIVEN THE TIMELINE OF, YOU KNOW, THE COMMISSION DEADLINE, UM, OF END OF MARCH, SO IN OTHER WORDS, WE NEED TO ACT AT OUR MARCH MEETING, LIKE GETTING THE INITIAL PRESENTATION, UM, OR FORECAST, UH, IN MARCH JUST MAKES THAT A LITTLE CHALLENGING.
SO, UM, YEAH, JUST PLUGGING THAT IS, IS A BIT OF A LOGISTICAL DIFFICULTY.
UM, AND SO I GUESS WHATEVER, AS SOON AS WE CAN GET IT, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO BE ABLE TO MAKE MEANINGFUL RECOMMENDATIONS AT OUR MARCH MEETING.
UM, AND THEN I GUESS, JUST KIND OF A FOLLOW UP ON THE QUESTION, JERRY WAS ASKING ABOUT THE TRANSFER STATION.
DID I HEAR CORRECTLY THAT, THAT, THAT WOULDN'T, THAT WOULDN'T BEGIN UNTIL FIVE YEARS FROM NOW? I CAN CERTAINLY LET KEN SPEAK MORE TO THAT, BUT THAT IS, UM, IN TERMS OF PRIORITY, GONNA BE BEHIND THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER.
HE MIGHT OFFER, UH, A BETTER TIMELINE FOR YOU COMMISSIONERS, RICHARD MIHAIL, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF FOR RESOURCE RECOVERY, UH, UH, JERRY MISSPOKE.
IT'S NOT A NORTHEAST TRANSFER STATION, IT'S A NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER.
UH, SO THOSE WILL BE, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? UH, TRANSFER STATION WOULD BE WHERE WE WOULD TAKE TRASH TO BE TRANSFERRED ONTO OTHER VEHICLES TO GO TO ANOTHER FACILITY.
THIS WILL JUST BE A, A BASE BASICALLY FOR OUR OPERATIONS, UH, AND FOR FLEET.
UM, SO WE'LL STAGE OUR, UH, NORTH PORTION OF OUR FLEET, UH, ON THE JOHNNY MORRIS FACILITY.
UH, SO WE'LL HAVE OPERATIONS ARE GOING OUT OF THERE FOR TRASH RECYCLING, EVERYTHING, BASICALLY DUPLICATING WHAT WE DO AT OUR KENNETH GARDNER SERVICE CENTER DOWN SOUTH.
BUT, UH, THE FIVE YEAR, UH, ESTIMATION IS ABOUT RIGHT.
AND THAT WOULD BE ABOUT THE TIME THAT IT WOULD TAKE, IF WE WERE TO START TODAY, IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT A FIVE YEAR PROCESS TO YEAH.
ACTUALLY MOVE INTO THAT BUILDING MM-HMM.
BUT, SO THERE WOULD BE A BUDGET IMPLICATION PRIOR TO FIVE YEARS? I DIDN'T HEAR THE FIRST PART OF THAT.
COULD YOU REPEAT THAT? SO YOU'RE SAYING IF YOU WERE, IF IF IT WOULD FIVE YEARS TO FULLY IMPLEMENT IT, THEN PRESUMABLY THAT WOULD SHOW UP IN THE BUDGET SOONER THAN THAT, RIGHT? YEAH, WE'VE, I MEAN, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED BUDGETING FOR THE CAPITAL POR PORTIONS OF IT, THE, THE ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES THAT WE'VE ALREADY ENGAGED IN.
SO MONEY IS ALREADY GOING TOWARDS THAT PROJECT.
UM, AND SO DOES THAT, UM, WOULD, WOULD THAT ACHIEVE WHAT Y'ALL WOULD NEED IN ORDER TO, UM, START TRANSFERRING THE FLEET TO ELECTRIC, UH, VEHICLES, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ACTUAL TRASH AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL YOUR COLLECTION, UM, VEHICLES, OR DO YOU NEED THE TRANSFER STATION AS WELL? UM, WE'D LIKE TO HAVE THE TRANSFER STATION AS WELL, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY BEGIN THAT PROCESS.
FACT, WE'RE ALREADY STARTING, UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT A, UH, BIKE LANE, ELECTRIC BIKE LANE SWEEPER, SO THAT'LL BE PROBABLY ONE OF OUR FIRST PURCHASES THAT WE MOVE INTO BECAUSE RANGE ISN'T REALLY AN ISSUE FOR THAT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
BUT, UH, UH, WE CAN DEFINITELY BEGIN THE PROCESS BECAUSE PART OF THE, THE INITIATIVE TO MOVE UP NORTH WAS TO DECREASE OUR ROUTE MILES.
SO INSTEAD OF VEHICLES TRAVELING FROM, SAY, FAR NORTHWEST AUSTIN BACK TO, UH, TODD LANE, UH, WILL ONLY HAVE TO GO TO, UH, JOHNNY MOORE FACILITY.
UH, WE DO PROJECT SOME SAVINGS, UM, FROM HAVING A FACILITY THERE, SOME OPERATIONAL SAVINGS.
UM, BUT, UH, I THINK AT THAT POINT ALSO WE'LL SEE SOME INCREASED BATTERY TECHNOLOGY BY THE TIME.
SO I THINK, UH, WE'LL KIND OF MEET AT A NICE PLACE AND BE ABLE TO PROBABLY START, REALLY, CUZ WE HAVE A, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE CLIMATE EQUITY, UH, PLAN AND I THINK WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, EIGHT YEARS.
SO WE, OUR REPLACEMENT CYCLE IS ANYWHERE FROM FIVE TO EIGHT YEARS.
SO WE REALLY NEED TO START BUYING SOME OF THOSE VEHICLES NOW TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CARBON NEUTRAL WHEN THAT PLAN IS, UH, GOES INTO, UH, OR THE GOAL FOR THAT PLAN THE DATE.
I, I A HUNDRED PERCENT, UH, AGREE, UH, ON THAT.
AND YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T REMEMBER WHERE IT WAS, BUT I, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY JUST WAS POSTING SOMETHING THE OTHER DAY ON INSTAGRAM OF LIKE A CITY WITH AN, AN ELECTRIC TRASH TRUCK, AND I WAS LIKE, YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S AWESOME.
UH, YOU KNOW, BE NICE, NICE FOR AUSTIN TO, TO GET IN ON THAT.
I REALIZE IT'S STILL RELATIVELY EARLY, BUT I THINK IT'S STARTING, STARTING TO BE, YOU KNOW, A, A VIABLE OPTION.
SO I JUST, YEAH, THAT, THAT'S THE NATURE OF MY WHY.
I'M ASKING, JUST WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT IF, IF SOMETHING BEYOND WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE, UH, BUILT IN IS NEEDED, UM, YOU, YOU HAVE MY SUPPORT FOR INCLUDING WHATEVER INFRASTRUCTURE YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO, UM, I GUESS JUSTIFY ELECTRIC TRASH COLLECTION VEHICLES, UH, THE
[00:15:01]
NEXT TIME THAT THE PURCHASE IS NEEDED.YEAH, NO, WE'RE, WE'RE ALREADY IN THE PROCESS.
IN FACT, UH, WE'RE ACTUALLY CURRENTLY UNDERGOING SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR TODD LANE FACILITY TO INSTALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE, SOME CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE THERE.
SO, UM, THAT PROJECT IS MOVING AHEAD.
SO, UH, WE, WE SHOULD BE RECEIVING OUR FIRST ORDER OF THE FORD, UH, F-150 LIGHTNING ELECTRIC PICKUPS.
UH, THOSE SHOULD BE ARRIVING SHORTLY AS WELL.
I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION RELATED TO THAT.
UM, SO IN REGARDS TO THE NORTHEAST CENTER, UH, ARE THERE ANY UPDATES ON THAT? HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN ABLE TO ACQUIRE ANY ELAND YET, OR, SO WE, WE, WE ALREADY OWNED THE LAND.
WE'VE OWNED THE LAND FOR A WHILE, SO IT'S, UH, ABOUT 132 ACRES ON JOHNNY MORRIS ROAD.
SO, UM, UH, WE'VE HAD ALREADY ENGAGED A ARCHITECTURAL FIRM TO DEVELOP A DESIGN CRITERIA MANUAL FOR THAT, UH, FOR THAT PROPERTY.
SO WE BASICALLY HAVE THE, THE BLUEPRINTS, UH, I, I SHOULDN'T SAY THE BLUEPRINTS, BUT KIND OF THE ROADMAP MAP OF, OF HOW WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO SECURE FUNDING FROM THE CITY AND, UH, GO AHEAD AND BID THAT OUT AND GET A, UH, FIRM TO, TO GO AHEAD AND, UH, DO THE ACTUAL DESIGN AND BUILD ON IT.
SO IS THERE, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SPEED UP THE TIMELINE? UH, I WOULD LOVE IF WE COULD MM-HMM.
UM, CERTAINLY WE, WE WILL WANT TO, SO IF THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES, WE, WE DEFINITELY WILL TAKE THOSE.
AND IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR THIS COMMISSION TO, UM, TO INFLUENCE THOSE DECISIONS, WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THAT AS WELL.
IS THAT JUST A MATTER OF FUNDING OR? NO, NO, IT'S NOT A MATTER OF FUNDING.
IT'S, IT'S MORE A, A MATTER OF THE PROCESS, CITY PROCESS.
OH, NO, NO CLARIFYING QUESTION HERE.
I GUESS, WHAT WAS IT? OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING OR THE NOVEMBER MEETING, WE HAD THAT WONDERFUL PRESENTATION ON TRANSFER STATIONS.
NOW, DID I MISS SOMETHING HERE? I THINK WHEN YOU SAY NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER, DIDN'T WE ORIGINALLY DISCUSS THIS NORTHEAST FACILITY BEING KIND OF A, UH, HYBRID FACILITY FOR NOT ONLY, UH, YOU KNOW, CHARGING VEHICLES, STORING TRUCKS, BUT ACTUALLY TRANS TRANSPORTING AND TRANSFERRING TRASH FROM THAT POINT TO WHEREVER IT'S GOING TO BE DISPOSED OF IN ADDITION TO THE, UH, HOUSEHOLD HAZARD IS WASTE, UH, COLLECTION, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE NORTHEAST SECTOR.
WEREN'T ALL THOSE PART OF THAT CONVERSATION? UH, THERE WAS A CONVERSATION AND IT INCLUDE, UH, FLEET OPERATIONS OUT THERE.
WE NEVER HAD PROPOSED A TRANSFER STATION ON THAT PROPERTY, UM, BECAUSE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, THE SURROUNDING AREAS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A, UH, AREA THAT HAS, UM, BEEN THE HOME TO A LOT OF WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES.
PROBABLY NOT, UH, PROBABLY NOT THE BE BEST PLACE TO PUT IT RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR OTHER LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OKAY.
TO, UH, TO CITE, UH, MULTIPLE TRANSFER STATIONS.
SO WE'D LIKE TO AT LEAST HAVE TWO, ONE IN THE NORTH AND ONE IN THE SOUTH.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WASN'T GOING CRAZY HERE, BUT, UH, SO THOSE STILL, THOSE STILL ARE ON? WELL, THE HH W UM, HAS BEEN TAKEN OUT OF THE FIRST PHASE OF THE NORTHEAST CENTER, ONLY BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE HOW WE ARE GOING TO, UH, THAT PROGRAM'S GONNA MOVE FORWARD.
WE'RE CURRENTLY RUNNING A PILOT INTO THE, UH, COUNCIL DISTRICTS, UH, WHERE IT'S AN ON-CALL PILOT.
SO OUR STAFF ARE GOING TO THOSE AREAS AND IT'S, IT'S WORKING OUT RATHER WELL.
SO WE'RE REALLY SEEING IF WE NEED TO INVEST IN ANOTHER BRICK AND MORTAR FACILITY, OR MAYBE WE CAN EXPAND THE ON-CALL PROGRAM.
SO THOSE DECISIONS HAVE YET TO BEEN MADE.
AND WHAT DO YOU ENVISION THE, UH, NORTHEAST CENTER ACTUALLY DOING, UM, DOINGS? UM, SO IT'LL BE, LIKE I SAID, ANOTHER SERVICES PROVIDED.
IT, IT WON'T BE NECESSARILY A FACILITY THAT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, SO THIS WILL BE MORE OF OUR SERVICE CENTER, SO IT'LL STAGE ALL OF OUR TRUCKS.
FLEET WILL HAVE A FACILITY JUST FOR US, AND THEN WE'LL WORK ON OUR TRUCKS.
THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY, UM, IS DIVIDED BY A DRY CREEK, SO THERE'S ABOUT A THIRD OF THE PROPERTY IS REALLY UNDEVELOPABLE.
UM, SO THE SOUTHERN PORTION, UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR FLEET DEPARTMENT.
UM, THEY'VE BEEN, UH, TRYING TO CONSOLIDATE A LOT OF THEIR OPERATIONS AS WELL.
SO, UH, THE PLAN IS THAT THEY WOULD OCCUPY THAT SOUTH PORTION, UH, AND MOVE A LOT OF THEIR OPERATIONS THAT THEY HAVE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO THAT, UH, TO THAT AREA TO CONSOLIDATE.
AND WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE, UH, LIFESPAN LEFT ON OUR CURRENT, UH, CONTRACT DISPOSAL CONTRACT? NINE YEARS, I BELIEVE.
SO WE REALLY ARE NEEDING TO, TO GET GOING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE SOME POSITIVE FEEDBACK ACTUALLY FOR THE, THE HAZARDOUS WASTE PILOT.
UM, MY DISTRICT, OR AT LEAST MY NEIGHBORHOOD ANYWAYS,
[00:20:01]
IS A PART OF THAT.AND SO I TOOK ADVANTAGE OF TESTING IT OUT AND IT WORKS LIKE CHARM, SO IS MINE ACTUALLY.
ANY, ANY UM, UH, AMPLIFICATION OF THAT MESSAGE TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS? WE WOULD LOVE, CUZ WE'VE SEEN KIND OF, UH, TURN OUT, UH, THE PARTICIPATION HAS KIND OF DROPPED OFF HERE AND IT, IT COULD BE A SEASONAL THING MM-HMM.
TO MAKE SURE FOLKS ARE AWARE OF THAT AND WE GET THOSE MATERIALS, UH, OUT OF THE WAY STREAM.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? A COMMENT ON THAT? UM, I'M, I'M ALSO VERY, VERY GLAD TO HEAR THAT THAT PILOT MIGHT BE EXPANDED CITYWIDE, BUT I THINK THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT CUZ SO MANY PEOPLE I THINK, UH, JUST DON'T HAVE TIME OR INCLINATION TO, TO DRIVE THAT STUFF, UM, OR ANYTHING TO THE DROP OFF CENTERS.
SO, UM, I LOVE THAT AND, AND I JUST, LIKE, I WOULD KIND OF EXPECT THERE TO BE A DROP OFF AFTER AN INITIAL LAUNCH BECAUSE PROBABLY SOME PEOPLE HAD THINGS STOCKPILED IN THEIR HOMES.
UM, SO JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE AS ONE, ONE THEORY.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT, WHAT'S WHAT WENT HA WHAT WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED, BUT IT, IT COULD BE.
UM, I DID HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION THOUGH, UM, JUST AROUND THE BUDGET, IF THERE IS ANY PLAN, UH, AS OF RIGHT NOW TO INCREASE THE CLEAN COMMUNITY FEE TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE, UM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS LITTER, UH, ABATEMENT THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE GOT THAT PRESENTATION ABOUT THE, THE STATE OF OUR, OUR CREEKS AND, UM, YEAH, JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S A, A PLAN IN THE BUDGET TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.
SO WE'RE STILL EVALUATE EVALUATING FEES RIGHT NOW, BUT WE, UM, RECENTLY HAD PUT A SOLICITATION OUT OR ANOTHER, UH, CITYWIDE SOLICITATION WENT OUT FOR A CLEANUP, WHICH WE HAD INCREASED OUR FUNDING FOR LITTER CLEANUP BY ABOUT 300,000.
SO WE'RE PUTTING ABOUT $1.2 MILLION TOWARDS THAT CONTRACT, AND A LOT OF THAT WORK WILL BE WORKED THAT'LL BE DONE IN PARKS AND ALONG, UH, CREEKS MM-HMM.
SO WE ARE PUTTING MORE RESOURCES TOWARDS IT.
UH, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE, SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU ALL HAD, UH, SEEN, UM, FROM WATERSHED AT THE PRESENTATION THEY GAVE BACK IN NOVEMBER.
UM, SO LOOKING AT SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THAT REPORT AND SEEING HOW WE CAN, UH, MAYBE MODIFY SOME OF OUR OPERATIONS TO, UH, TO IMPROVE THAT, UH, SUCH AS OUR SWEEPING, UH, SCHEDULES.
SO DID I, DID I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION THERE? YOU DID.
UM, I GUESS, I GUESS MY, MY FEEDBACK WOULD BE LIKE, I, I HOPE YOU GO FURTHER THAN THAT.
UM, AT LEAST OVER HERE, LIKE IN THE RIVERSIDE AREA, THERE'S JUST, THERE IS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF TRASH THAT, UM, IT'S NOT IN THE STREET.
UM, IT'S, IT'S IN THE, UH, THE GRASS AND SUCH, UM, TO THE SIDE, YOU KNOW, AT THE SIDE OF THE STREET.
UH, AND SO REALLY, YOU KNOW, THE, LIKE, THERE'S THE ON, THERE'S ONLY REALLY ONE WAY TO GET IT OUT OF THERE AND IT'S, IT'S PEOPLE PICKING IT UP, UM, AND IT, WHATEVER, IT'S EITHER DISINTEGRATING INTO THE GROUND OR IT'S GETTING THEN FLUSHED INTO CREEKS.
SO I, I HOPE WE CAN PRIORITIZE, YOU KNOW, HIRING ENOUGH PEOPLE TO, UM, ADDRESS THE ISSUE.
WE, WE DEFINITELY SEE THE ISSUE.
AND, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS IT.
THIS MAY BE YOUR PREMATURE QUESTION, BUT THE 1.2 MILLION, WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY INCLUDE AND WHAT IS THAT? ACTUALLY GOING TO, TO THAT IS, UH, 1.2 MILLION FROM OUR CLEAN COMMUNITY FEE THAT WILL GO TOWARDS, UH, FUNDING FOR A CONTRACTOR OR MULTIPLE CONTRACTORS TO BE ABLE TO BE, UM, REACTIVE, UM, USUALLY WITHIN 72 HOURS, UM, TO GET A SITE CLEANED UP.
SO THEY'LL GO TO CAMPS THAT MAY BE OCCUPIED AND WE'LL ASK FOLKS.
UM, THEY'LL ALSO GO TO UNOCCUPIED SITES, UM, AND DO CLEANUPS.
SO BOOTS ON THE GROUND BASICALLY.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH PAR.
HOW DO WE SUPPORT THEM? IS I, I GUESS MY QUESTION, SO WHAT WE WE'RE FUNDING THE INITIATIVE, BUT IT'S REALLY A PART WILL, WILL HELP IN DIRECTING THE, WHERE THE ACTIVITIES NEED TO OCCUR.
SO WE'RE JUST KIND OF, UM, THE STEWARD OF THE CONTRACT AND MAKING SURE THAT THE CLEAN COMMUNITY FEE, UH, IS BEING SPENT APPROPRIATELY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MELISSA? GO AHEAD.
YEAH, I JUST, UH, WANNA MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THE SERVICE CENTER THAT IS POTENTIALLY GONNA BE BUILT OFF OF JOHNNY MOORE'S ROAD BECAUSE, UM, I WAS, I WAS THINKING, I WAS LIKE, WAIT, ISN'T THAT WHERE ALCON'S WORK IS LOCATED? AND IT'S ALSO WHERE THERE IS A, A LANDFILL, THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY LANDFILL.
SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE A LOT OF REFU LOCATIONS ALREADY
[00:25:01]
ALONG JOHNNY MORRIS, AND THEN NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE THIS ADDITIONAL PROPERTY SERVICE CENTER.I GUESS FOR SOME REASON, WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT THIS SERVICE CENTER, I THOUGHT THE IDEA WAS TO PUT IT IN THE NORTHWEST AREA TO HELP WITH THE TRUCKS NOT DRIVING SO FAR.
UM, I DON'T KNOW, IT JUST SEEMS ODD THAT WE HAD LIKE ANOTHER CENTER BEING BUILT WHERE WE ALREADY HAVE A RECYCLING PLANT AND WE ALREADY HAVE A LANDFILL, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I BELIEVE RICHARD, UM, SO THIS, WHAT WHAT IS BEING BUILT IS REALLY JUST AN, AN ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES AND A OPERATIONAL OFFICES AND PARKING FOR OUR TRUCKS.
THERE'S NO, NO WASTE IS GONNA BE DISCHARGED AT THAT FACILITY, NO RECYCLING OR ANYTHING.
THAT'S JUST WHERE THE TRUCKS WILL PARK.
SO THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME BENEFITS TO BEING UP IN THAT AREA.
SO OUR RECYCLING TRUCKS WILL OBVIOUSLY ONLY HAVE TO DRIVE ABOUT A MILE ONCE THEY DUMP AT BALCONIES, UH, FOR THOSE TRUCKS THAT OPERATE NORTH OF THE RIVER, UH, TO GET BACK TO THAT YARD.
SO DEFINITELY SOME BENEFITS THERE.
SO THEY, THEY DO THEIR JUMP AT THE LANDFILL OR AT THE RECYCLING CENTER AND THEN THEY CAN CHARGE AT, AT THIS STAGE THEN? YEAH, SO JUST, JUST THE RECYCLING CENTER.
WE DON'T USE THAT LANDFILL UP ON THAT AREA.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? HEARING, AND RICHARD, THANK YOU, VICTORIA, THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND WE'LL BEAT YOU UP IN FEBRUARY, SO WITH MORE ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONERS, MOVING ON HERE.
[3. Staff Recommendation to Council on Multifamily Composting - Selene Castillo ]
UH, THE NEXT ITEM OF, UH, BUSINESS IS A DISCUSSION ARE THE DISCUSSION ACTION ITEMS. AND, UH, THE FIRST ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS A STAFF RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL ON THE MULTI-FAMILY COMPOSTING, UH, ORDINANCE OR IMPLEMENTATION I SHOULD SAY.AND I THINK CELINE WAS GOING TO GIVE US A PRESENTATION ON THAT.
AND THEN WE HAVE TWO SPEAKERS WHO'VE SIGNED UP TO, TO ADDRESS THE ITEM.
SO, HELLO, CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? OH, YES, THANK YOU.
I'M WITH AUSTIN RESEARCH RECOVERY, AND TONIGHT I'M GOING TO SHARE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL ON MULTIFAMILY COMPOSTING.
SO STARTING OFF WITH SOME BACKGROUND STAFF CONDUCTED A PILOT TO TEST CON COMPOSTING AT EIGHT MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES FROM 2021 TO 2022.
AND COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION THAT DIRECTED THE CITY MANAGER TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNSEL ONCE THE PILOT WAS DONE ON POSSIBLE POLICY CHANGES THAT WOULD INCLUDE COMPOST COLLECTION AT MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES.
AND SO STAFF PROVIDED THE RECOMMENDATIONS VIA A MEMO TO COUNSEL.
AND THIS PRESENTATION BASICALLY IS A SUMMARY OF THAT MEMO AND YOU ALL SHOULD ALSO HAVE A COPY OF THE MEMO IN CASE YOU WANT TO FOLLOW ALONG IN CASE YOU WANT MORE DETAILS BEYOND THIS PRESENTATION.
SO WE INCLUDED A SNIPPET, REALLY, OF THE PILOT FINDINGS IN THE MEMO ITSELF, AND WE ALSO ATTACHED THE PILOT'S SUMMARY REPORT THAT WE PRESENTED TO YOU ALL A FEW MONTHS AGO.
UM, SO THE, THE SNIPPET INCLUDED THE RESIDENT PARTICIPATION RATE, THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT FROM RESIDENTS, FROM PROPERTY MANAGERS, OF COURSE THE COST AND ALSO THE CAPACITY THAT WAS PROVIDED IN THESE PROPERTIES.
SO AFTER THE PILOT, WE HELD A SERIES OF STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS.
AND SO WE HAD THREE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER.
AND THEN WE HAD TWO EURO COMMITTEE MEETINGS THAT WERE IN OCTOBER AND DECEMBER.
AND SOME OF THE ATTENDEES OR STAKEHOLDERS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THESE MEETINGS ARE LISTED HERE.
SO WE HAD SOME RESIDENTS, WE HAD SOME CALLERS, AND WE HAD, UM, THE AUSTRIAN DEPARTMENT ASSOCIATION AS WELL.
[00:30:03]
SO SOME OF THE FINDINGS FROM THOSE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS IS THAT CONVENIENT ACCESS AND EDUCATION WERE CONSIDERED NECESSARY IN ORDER FOR PARTICIPATION TO HAPPEN.COSTS WAS DEFINITELY A CONCERN, INCLUDING HOW COSTS MIGHT BE PASSED ON TO RESIDENTS IF A POLICY IS APPROVED.
CONTAMINATION WAS ALSO A CONCERN THAT WAS SHARED ACROSS MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDER TYPES.
SO WE HAD RESIDENTS, UH, PROPERTY MANAGERS AND ALSO, UM, ORGANICS PROCESSORS, UM, ALSO MENTIONING CONTAMINATION FEES AND JUST THE UNPREDICTABILITY OF THEM.
UM, FLEXIBILITY IN TERMS OF COMPLIANCE WAS ALSO, UH, DESIRABLE FOR ANY REQUIREMENTS THAT MIGHT AGAIN, BE APPROVED.
AND PROPERTY MANAGERS ALSO VOICED CONCERNS WITH PESTS WITH ODORS, LIMITED SPACE AND COSTS.
SO WE DEVELOPED A RESIDENT SURVEY TO GET MORE INPUT FROM MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTS, AND WE OPENED THAT FOR TWO MONTHS FROM NOVEMBER TO DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, AND WE HEARD ABOUT 350 RESPONSES DURING THAT TIMEFRAME.
SO FROM THOSE SURVEY RESPONSES, WHAT WE HEARD WAS THAT OVERALL THE PEOPLE WHO RESPONDED WERE IN FAVOR OF HAVING ACCOMPLISHED STEAM SERVICE AT THEIR PROPERTY.
THEY DID VOICE CONCERNS WITH CLEANLINESS, ODORS, AND PESTS, WHICH WERE ALSO MENTIONED DURING OUR STAKEHOLDER CONSIDER THE
AND AUSTIN'S VISION IS TO BE A NATIONAL THROW WASTE LEADER, AND WE SEE ESTABLISHING CONVENIENCE FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS TO DIVERT MATERIAL AS A KEY COMPONENT OF THAT EFFORT.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS FOR CELINE ON THE PRESENTATION? HEARING? NO QUESTIONS.
WE DO HAVE TWO SPEAKERS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
UH, THE FIRST SPEAKER IS DANIELLE, TED ROWE.
SHE WAS GOING TO CALL IN, HAVING SAID, THEN OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JEFF PAYNE.
GOTTA GET USED TO THIS THING AGAIN.
YEAH, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A WHILE.
I AM THE CO-OWNER OF BREAK IT DOWN.
WE PROVIDE COMPOSTING AND RECYCLING SERVICES HERE IN AUSTIN.
WE STARTED IN 2009 OUT OF MY FRONT YARD AND, UH, A LOT OF SWEAT EQUITY.
AND HERE WE ARE 14 YEARS LATER.
UH, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, KNOW ALL THE FIGURES, BUT LOOSELY I WOULD SAY WE HAUL MORE COMPOST FROM MORE DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS IN AUSTIN THAN EVERY OTHER HAULER COMBINED.
UH, AND CERTAINLY THERE ARE OTHERS THAT DO A VERY GOOD JOB AT IT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO, UH, IMPRESS THAT I HAVE QUITE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE, BOTH PERSONALLY AND MANAGERIALLY WITH HANDLING A WHOLE LOT OF FOOD WASTE.
UH, AND SO I JUST THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT REGARDING OUR EXPERIENCE WITH,
[00:35:01]
UH, MULTI-FAMILY AS WELL AS SOME OF MY CONCERNS.UH, WE'VE BEEN COMPOSTING WITH ABOUT 15 DIFFERENT MULTI-FAMILY, UH, APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND CONDOMINIUMS AROUND TOWN CURRENTLY, I THINK THE OLDEST ONE IS A COIA CONDOMINIUM ON SOUTH LAMAR.
UH, AND TYPICALLY AT ALL THESE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, UH, REALLY ONE CART SUFFICES FOR THE MAJORITY.
UH, IN GENERAL, UH, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH, UM, PARTICIPATION TO REALLY WARRANT A SECOND CART, ALTHOUGH AS THE ORDINANCE RESOLUTION SPEAKS TO, WE OFTEN HAVE MORE THAN ONE CART WHEN THERE'S SUCH A LARGE CAMPUS THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE DUMPSTERS THROUGHOUT THE COMPLEX.
SO I THINK THAT, UH, DOES MAKE A LOT OF SENSE.
BUT AS FAR AS THE CONCEPT OF, UH, COMING UP WITH A QUANTITY PER UNIT, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A POINT THAT IN GENERAL, ONE CART PER DUMPSTER AREA, I THINK WOULD SUFFICE WELL, UH, BECAUSE ANYTHING MORE THAN THAT WOULD JUST BE EXTRA COSTS WITHOUT MUCH ADDITIONAL BENEFIT AT THIS TIME.
CERTAINLY AS PARTICIPATION RATES GROW AND INCREASE, THAT CAN ALWAYS BE, UH, REEVALUATED AND ADJUSTED.
AND IN MY EXPERIENCE, UH, JUST AS THE MANAGERS, UH, SPOKE ABOUT CONCERNS ABOUT PESTS AND ODORS, THEY'RE TYPICALLY NOT INTERESTED IN HAVING AN OVERFLOWING CART EITHER.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD EVEN BE FAIRLY WELL SELF-MONITORED.
SOMETIMES IT'S NICE TO HAVE AN ORDINANCE ON THE BOOKS ANYWAYS.
IN OUR EXPERIENCE, THERE'S VERY LITTLE CONTAMINATION WITH ANY OF OUR, UH, ACCOUNTS.
UH, AND SO ANYONE THAT WANTS TO PARTICIPATE NEEDS TO GO THROUGH THAT STEP OF GETTING THE COMBINATION.
AND TYPICALLY THAT IS ENOUGH OF A BARRIER TO KEEP OUT UNWANTED MATERIAL AND, UH, NOT ENOUGH TO PREVENT ANYONE FROM COMPOSTING THAT WOULD LIKE TO.
UH, SO WE REALLY DON'T SEE MUCH OF AN ISSUE WITH COMPOSTING, UH, CONTAMINATION AT ALL FROM THE MULTI-FAMILY.
UM, THE COMMERCIAL SIDE IS OF COURSE VERY DIFFERENT.
IS THAT CUTTING ME OFF ALREADY? NO, GO AHEAD, JEFF.
I, YOU KNOW WHAT, THE OTHER PART I WANTED TO SHIFT TO IS, IS A GENERAL CONCERN THAT I HAVE AROUND, UH, COMPOSTING AND SPECIFICALLY IT WOULD BE AROUND THE USE OF DUMPSTERS FOR COMPOSTING.
UH, TO BACK UP FOR A MOMENT TO EXPLAIN WHY CONTAMINATION WITH COMPOSTING IS A REALLY CRITICAL CONCERN.
UH, WE ONLY USE CARTS BECAUSE THIS ALLOWS US TO MONITOR, PREVENT, AND REMOVE CONTAMINATION IN A TIMELY MANNER SO THAT WE CAN MAXIMIZE DIVERSION AND KEEP AS MUCH OUT OF THE LANDFILL AS POSSIBLE.
THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT DUMPSTERS IN OUR OBSERVATION THAT JUST TEND TO ATTRACT CONTAMINATION.
THE LARGER THE BIN YOU HAVE, THE EASIER IT IS FOR SOMEONE TO SEE IT AND TREAT IT LIKE A TRASH DUMPSTER, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY INTENDED FOR VERY DIFFERENT USES, UH, TIME AND AGAIN, WHAT WE SEE IS THAT LARGE DUMPSTERS JUST DON'T REALLY WORK THAT WELL FOR PREVENTING CONTAMINATION.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE A FRONT LOAD TRUCK PULLING UP TO A DUMPSTER, IT HAS TO BASICALLY PICK THAT UP AND EMPTY IT.
SO ANY CONTAMINATION THAT BEN IS GOING IN THAT TRUCK, IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE FOR A MULTI-FAMILY COMPLEX TO DO WELL AND FILL A DUMPSTER WITHOUT TRASH.
BUT THE IDEA OF ALL OF THEM DOING WELL ENOUGH TO KEEP CONTAMINATION OUT OF THE GARBAGE TRUCK, IN MY OPINION, IS NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE.
I THINK THE SERVICE, UH, WITH DUMPSTERS IS FATALLY FLAWED.
UH, SO IF DUMPSTERS ARE ALLOWED IN THIS SORT OF ORDINANCE FOR MULTI-FAMILY, WHAT YOU END UP WITH IS A REALLY SIMPLE BUSINESS AS USUAL RESULT THAT COULD BE WELL INTENDED, BUT NOT WORK OUT HERE IS YOUR COMPOST DUMPSTER, TOO MUCH TRASH ENDS UP AT IN IT.
INEVITABLY, TOO MUCH TRASH IS IN THE GARBAGE TRUCK INEVITABLY, AND IT ALL GOES TO THE LANDFILL.
I HAVE LITERALLY LOOKED IN AND DOCUMENTED HUNDREDS OF DUMPSTERS FROM THIS STANDPOINT.
IF THIS STORY SOUNDS FARFETCHED TO YOU, I CAN TELL YOU THAT I'M ALSO AWARE OF THREE DIFFERENT WASTE HAULERS IN THE CITY CURRENTLY WITH COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS WHO HAVE THIS EXISTING PROBLEM WITH COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS.
AND THOSE BINS MARKED FOR COMPOST ARE ROUTINELY AND ALWAYS HAULED DIRECTLY TO THE LANDFILL.
SO AGAIN, I WANTED TO IMPRESS THE FACT THAT IF DUMPSTERS ARE ALLOWED TO BE IN THE MULTI-FAMILY ORDINANCE FOR COMPOSTING, IT WOULD BE VERY SIMPLE FOR ANY WASTE HAULER THAT WANTS TO, TO OFFER COMPOSTING DUMPSTERS AND THEN UNFORTUNATELY HAVE
[00:40:01]
TO HAUL IT TO THE LANDFILL.AND NOW WE HAVE COMPOSTING ON PAPER, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ACTUAL COMPOSTING GOING ON, AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE ALSO AT WITH A NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS IN THE COMMERCIAL.
SO, UM, THE LAST THING I WANTED TO SAY VERY BRIEFLY IS JUST AROUND ENFORCEMENT.
ENFORCEMENT HAS TO BE CONSIDERED AS A PLAN FOR MULTI-FAMILY.
IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE REEVALUATED FOR THE COMMERCIAL COMPOSTING SIDE TOO.
WE HAVE ABOUT 6,000 FOOD PERMANENT BUSINESSES, AND I WOULD ESTIMATE PERHAPS A THOUSAND OF THEM ARE CURRENTLY SENDING MATERIAL TO THE LANDFILL.
SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THE CURRENT COMMERCIAL ORDINANCE IS NOT WORKING WELL, AND IF WE PASS THE MULTI-FAMILY IN THE SAME MANNER, WE WILL GET THE SAME RESULT.
UH, TRY TO BE AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE.
ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. PAYNE?
UM, WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST IN TERMS OF ENFORCEMENT? CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT POINT AT ALL? IN, YOU SAID IT, WHAT DO I SUGGEST IN TERMS OF ENFORCEMENT? ENFORCEMENT? OH, ENFORCEMENT.
WELL, THERE'S DIFFERENT POTENTIAL LAYERS THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED.
UH, ARE, ARE YOU ASKING FOR APARTMENTS OR COM OR COMMERCIAL OR BOTH? EITHER, BOTH.
I MEAN, I THINK A R R OR CODE OR WHOEVER'S SUPPOSED TO DO THIS NEEDS TO HAVE SOME BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
UM, AND FIRST OF ALL, START ASSESSING WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE ARE COMPLYING WITH THE ORDINANCE.
ONE OF THE ISSUES WITH THE COMMERCIAL ORDINANCE RIGHT NOW IS THAT WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY PASSED, AND I WAS PART OF PASSING IT WHEN I WAS ON WAC, I THINK WE DID OUR BEST AND I THINK IT WAS A GREAT START, BUT IT IS SOMEWHAT WATERED DOWN.
SO YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE SENDING ONE, TWO TONS A WEEK OF FOOD WASTE TO THE LANDFILL.
THEY ARE COMPLIANT WITH THE EXISTING ORDINANCE BECAUSE THEY MIGHT HAVE A NACENT FOOD RECOVERY PROGRAM THAT SENDS A FEW LOAVES OF BREAD TO THE LOCAL PANTRY.
UH, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE FOOD DIVERSION AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT TRYING TO INTERFERE WITH THAT.
BUT IF ZERO WASTE IS OUR GOAL AND WE WANT TO MOVE THE DIAL, UH, WE MIGHT NEED TO RATCHET DOWN THE COMMERCIAL ORDINANCE, UH, YOU KNOW, AT ANOTHER LEVEL.
WHILE I HATE TO SAY IT, THERE MIGHT NEED TO BE SOME MONITORING OF THE HAULERS AS FAR AS WHAT'S HAPPENING AFTER THAT BIN GETS PICKED UP.
I DON'T PARTICULARLY WANT TO HAVE TO DO MORE PAPERWORK.
AND PAPERWORK IS THE KIND OF THING THAT'S FAIRLY EASY TO, UH, PUT IT DOWN ON PAPER, JUST LIKE YOU CAN COMPOST ON PAPER.
WHERE IS IT ACTUALLY ALL GOING? THIS WILL PROBABLY BE A LONGER DISCUSSION, BUT I'D HAPPY TO HAVE IT WITH YOU LATER.
I, UM, I HOPE THAT WE'LL BE TAKING UP, UH, ADDITIONAL U R O UPDATES IN, IN THE U R O COMMITTEE.
AND, AND I HOPE YOU'LL, UM, KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THOSE MEETINGS.
BUT I WOULD ALSO LOVE TO MEET AND TALK WITH YOU.
I APOLOGIZE THAT I HAVEN'T MADE THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS.
THIS IS, UH, A GOOD EXAMPLE THIS WEEK.
I'M ON MY ABOUT 26TH HOUR AND TWO DAYS OF WORK, SO THEY ARE LONG DAYS TRYING TO DO WHAT WE DO.
COMMISSIONER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, COMMISSIONER TU YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TONIGHT.
UH, I REALLY LIKED YOUR COMMENTS.
UH, WHEN YOU SAY THAT THE RESIDENTS HAVE TO HAVE A CODE, IS IT, DO THEY JUST GET THE CODE WHEN THEY MOVE THERE OR WHEN THEY INITIATE THE PROGRAM AND THEN THEY KEEP IT THE CODE? OR IS IT MORE UH, WELL WE ALWAYS USE THE SAME, THE FOUR DIGIT CODE FOR ALL OF OUR LOCKS AT ALL, THE MULTI-FAMILY.
SO IT WOULD SIMPLY BE A MATTER OF HOW THE, UH, APARTMENT MANAGER WOULD WANT TO SHARE THAT CODE WITH THE TENANTS.
UM, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, WRITTEN DOWN ON THE LOCK OR ANYTHING.
I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW IT IS SHARED, BUT, UH, I CAN'T IMAGINE IT COULD BE TOO MUCH OF A BARRIER SINCE WE DO SEE MATERIAL IN THE BIN.
UM, I CAN IMAGINE SOMEONE MIGHT SHOW UP ONCE AND HAVE FORGOTTEN OR OTHERWISE, BUT, UH, THAT PROBABLY OUTWEIGHS THE RISK OF HAVING A LOT OF CONTAMINATION THROWN IN WHEN YOU'RE JUST HOLDING TRASH AND YOU JUST NEED TO GET RID OF IT.
SO WHEN YOU SAY CONTAMINATION, YOU'RE MAINLY TALKING ABOUT THE RESIDENCE, YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE THAT DON'T LIVE THERE THAT COME OH, IT, IT CERTAINLY COULD BE BOTH, AND IT WOULD REALLY DEPEND ON WHERE THE BIN IS LOCATED AND THE SITUATION, YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR MULTI-FAMILY, THE BIN IS INSIDE OF A GATE, THERE IS NO WAY TO ACCESS IT UNLESS YOU KNOW HOW TO ACCESS THAT COMPLEX.
UH, BUT WE HAVE OTHER CONTAINERS THAT MIGHT JUST BE IN A BACK ALLEY AS ANOTHER EXAMPLE.
AND SO, UM, PASSER BUYERS ARE OFTEN THE
[00:45:01]
GREATEST PROBLEM WITH CARTS IN THE BACK ALLEY.SO AT OUR, OUR LAST U R O COMMITTEE MEETING, THE LAST ONE, YES.
UH, WE HAD TWO DIFFERENT COMPOST HOLLERS THERE WHO SPOKE ABOUT CONTAMINATION, AND THEY BOTH SAID THAT IT REALLY WASN'T AN ISSUE IN TERMS OF REMEDIATING IT.
AND SO THE BEHAVIOR ANYWAYS, SO THEY SAID THAT ONE OF 'EM DIDN'T DO FINES IN ORDER TO CORRECT THE BEHAVIOR CONTAMINATION, AND THE OTHER ONE DID.
AND THEY BOTH SAID THAT EACH APPROACH, WHEN THEY CONTACTED THE PERSON WHO WAS CONTAMINATING, THAT THE BEHAVIOR CHANGED PRETTY MUCH IMMEDIATELY.
ARE YOU FINDING THE SAME THING? WELL, UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE REALLY HAD TO CONTACT MULTI-FAMILY APARTMENTS AT ALL AS FAR AS CONTAMINATION ISSUES, BUT IF I WERE TO THINK ABOUT RESTAURANTS AND NOTIFYING THEM OF CONTAMINATION, UM, THERE IS A RANGE OF RESPONSES AS FAR AS HOW QUICKLY PEOPLE WILL GET IT OUT.
SOMETIMES IT IS TAKEN CARE OF IMMEDIATELY AND SOMETIMES IT MIGHT, UH, IT MIGHT LINGER FOR A WEEK OR SOMETIMES THEY MIGHT LITERALLY TELL US, CAN YOU JUST PULL IT AND CHARGE US? SO THERE, THERE'S A, THERE'S QUITE A RANGE JUST DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF BUSINESS.
UM, AS FAR AS HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THAT.
WE DO CHARGE CONTAMINATION FEES WHEN WE NEED TO.
UH, WE PREFER NOT TO, BUT I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT STICK AVAILABLE WHEN YOU'RE HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE ABOUT IT.
THIS SOUNDS LIKE, UH, I GUESS GIVE OR TAKE 25 YEARS AGO WITH THE MULTI-FAMILY ORDINANCE THAT, UH, WE ROLLED OUT WAY, WAY BACK THEN.
BUT ANYWAY, JEFF, THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS, ANY OF THE QUESTIONS FOR MR. PAYNE? JEFF, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND DON'T GO TOO FAR.
SO
THEY'VE GOT SOME OTHER HOLLERS IN THE AUDIENCE, BUT THEY DIDN'T SIGN UP TO YOU.
CORRECT? DO WE WANT WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T DO THAT.
[4. Review and Presentation of ZWAC Multi Family Composting Resolution – Vice Chair Cathy Gattuso and Commissioner Kaiba White ]
GOSH.THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS IS THE ACTUAL, THAT WAS ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS A, UH, REVIEW AND PRESENTATION ON THE, I THINK, UH, INCLUDED MULTI-FAMILY COMPOSTING RESOLUTION, AND I THINK THAT'S A JOINT EFFORT BY, UH, COMMISSIONER GATTUSO AND COMMISSIONER, UH, WHITE AND ALSO MELISSA AND MELISSA.
SO ANYWAY, IT'S A JOINT EFFORT.
THE, UH, ACTUAL ORDINANCE WAS PRESENTED IN THE, IN THE ACTUAL, UH, BACKUP MATERIAL, AND HOPEFULLY WE HAD A CHANCE TO GO OVER THIS.
IT'S, JERRY, IS IT OKAY IF I SAY SOMETHING? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
UM, I, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHERS THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT WE JUST HEARD, BUT, UM, I, I THINK THE POINT ABOUT BINS VERSUS, UM, DUMPSTERS WAS A REALLY GOOD ONE.
LIKE IT INTUITIVELY MAKES SENSE BASED ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT I SEE WITH DUMPSTERS AT MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW IT'S MOSTLY, UM, RECYCLING DUMPSTERS, BUT I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY ROUGH.
UM, AND, AND OBVIOUSLY UNLIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET A PRETTY LARGE VOLUME OF RECYCLING ONCE YOU GET ALL THOSE BOXES AND EVERYTHING IN THERE.
BUT, UM, GIVEN, YOU KNOW, THE TYPE OF MATERIAL WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, REALLY JUST BEING, YOU KNOW, FOOD WASTE AND, AND COMPOSTABLE TAKEOUT CONTAINERS, UM, BUT NOT REALLY YARD TERM REMAINS.
I, I DON'T KNOW, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE MAYBE A GOOD IDEA FOR US TO SAY THAT THERE SHOULD BE CARTS AND THAT THEY SHOULD BE SECURED UNLESS, YOU KNOW, UM, A PROPERTY CAN GET A VARIANCE FROM THAT, YOU KNOW, AND SHOW THAT THAT'S GONNA WORK FOR THEM, UM, THAT THERE'S NOT GONNA BE CONTAMINATION ISSUES.
I, I DID HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH JEFF EARLIER AND, AND YES, THERE, THERE'S, IT'S CERTAINLY EASIER TO POLICE A CART A 65 IN OR 95 GALLON CART.
IT'S EASIER TO PULL SOMETHING OUTTA THAT BEFORE IT ACTUALLY GETS INTO THE MAIN LOAD
[00:50:01]
AND CONTAMINATES SOMETHING.UH, YOU KNOW, HERE I, AGAIN, IT'S, I GET FRUSTRATED WITH THE FACT THAT, UH, YEAH, RIGHT NOW, MAYBE AT TWO YARD DUMPSTER IS NOT FUNCTIONING AS WE PLANNED, AND THEREFORE IT IS KIND OF AN ISSUE ON THE CONTAMINATION SIDE.
HAVING SAID THAT, IT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY, AGAIN, I'M GONNA GO BACK TO THE, UH, LET, LET'S GO TO THE COMMERCIAL FOLKS, THE COMMERCIAL FOLKS.
I SEE THEM WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THOSE, THOSE TWO YARD DUMPSTERS ARE KEPT AND, AND USED FOR WHAT THEY WERE INTENDED FOR.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LOADING THESE DUMPSTERS, ASSUMING THEY'RE LOCKED, WHICH I'M ASSUMING ALL THESE DUMPSTERS ARE LOCKED, ESPECIALLY AT RESTAURANTS, IF THEY'RE LOCKED, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OPENING AND UH, LOADING THOSE CONTAINERS ARE THE FOLKS WHO ARE EMPLOYED BY THE FACILITY.
AND THEY, AND AGAIN, THIS IS IN A PERFECT WORLD, THEY WOULD BE THE ONES THAT I WOULD, UH, YOU KNOW, HOPE WOULD CONT CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRAM.
I MEAN, ORGANIC, UH, COLLECTION IS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT.
AS, AS IT IS WHEN YOU DUMP THAT DUMPSTER INTO A FRONT LOAD TRUCK, WHATEVER'S IN THERE IS GONNA BE MIXED WITH, WITH ALL THE OTHER MATERIAL.
NOW, DO WE WANT TO, I'M GUESSING THAT YOU'RE GONNA SUGGEST THAT PERHAPS WE INCLUDE THAT IN THIS ORDINANCE AS, AS NOT A, A VIABLE COLLECTION METHODOLOGY.
IS THAT WHAT I'M ASSUMING HERE? OR IS THAT YEAH, THAT WAS WHAT I WAS SAYING.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I, I, BUT I WAS SUGGESTING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT A PROPERTY COULD REQUEST A VARIANCE ON IF THEY COULD DEMONSTRATE A NEED FOR GREATER CAPACITY AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, A WILLINGNESS AND, AND ABILITY, UM, UM, THEIR PART TO, TO KEEP THE CONTAMINATION OUT.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I GUESS I WOULD JUST SAY LIKE THE DEFAULT, I, YOU KNOW, HEARING, HEARING WHAT WE HEARD AND, AND SEEING WHAT CERTAINLY I SEE AT MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES, I, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T WANT THE, I DON'T WANT THIS TO BE MEANINGFUL.
I DON'T WANT IT TO BE A NAME ONLY.
AND I, UM, HAVE SEEN THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ISSUES WITH RECYCLING AND, AND COMPOSTING.
WHEN I, WHEN I, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M ONE OF THOSE NERDS WHO, LIKE, I GO TO A RESTAURANT, I, IF I HAPPEN TO SEE THE TRASHMAN I'M, OR THE RECYCLING BENZ OR WHATEVER, I'M, I'M LOOKING MM-HMM.
UM, SO YEAH, I'D RATHER, I'D RATHER JUST DO IT RIGHT, I GUESS IS WHERE I STAND NOW, IF YOU WANT TO INCLUDE THAT AS A THEREFORE ITEM, THEN PLEASE LET'S, LET'S, LET'S DO THAT.
I ALSO WANTED TO ADD A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO, TO YOUR, UH, TO YOUR RESOLUTION IF IT'D BE PERMISSIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE.
I'D LIKE TO ADD AN ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM TO THIS.
I MEAN, RIGHT NOW, THE RESOLUTION, DOES NOTRE ADDRESS ANY TYPE OF ENFORCEMENT OR POLICING OF THIS? AND I MEAN, I, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS SOMETHING TO THE EXTENT THAT, YOU KNOW, BE THE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION RECOMMENDS SUPPORTS AND ENCOURAGES A R R TO DEDICATE STAFF TO WORK WITH AUSTIN CODE ENFORCEMENT IN OVERSEEING THE PROPER IMPLEMENTATION AND PARTICIPATION OF SAID MULTI-FAMILY ORDINANCE OR RE UH, ORGANIC ORDINANCE, WHATEVER TERM WE WANT TO USE HERE AT THE END.
BUT ENFORCEMENT TO ME, IS ABSOLUTELY THE KEY.
IT'S LIKE, IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN HAVING A SPEED LIMIT OUT THERE.
YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA GO THAT SPEED.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE GONNA IMPLEMENT SOMETHING LIKE THIS AND PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE PAYING FOR THIS AND WANTING TO USE IT, THAT THEY GET THE BEST USE FOR IT.
AND THAT MAY, MAY INCLUDE OR MAY NEED TO HAVE SOME KIND OF, UH, POLICING MECHANISM OUT THERE.
AND AGAIN, I, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THAT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT IF IT'D BE.
AND I WAS WONDERING ALSO IF, UH, WHAT JEFF WAS SAYING ABOUT THE MONITORING OF THE HOLLOWS MM-HMM.
UM, UH, WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK OF THAT?
CARRIE, I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD READ WHAT YOU SAID.
AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN READ MY WRITING, BUT, UH, UH, UH, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT
[00:55:01]
THE ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION RECOMMENDS SUPPORTS AND ENCOURAGES AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY TO DEDICATE STAFF TO WORK WITH AUSTIN CODE ENFORCEMENT IN OVERSEEING THE PROPER IMPLEMENTATION AND PARTICIPATION OF SAID MULTI-FAMILY RECYCLING AND ORGANIC COMPOSTING ORDINANCE.DOES THAT IMPLY THAT IT'S, UM, JUST THESE CHANGES? I MEAN, CAN WE JUST SAY THE ENTIRE U R O ORDINANCE? WELL, AND THAT'S, I LIKE ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN, I, OKAY, I BROKE IT DOWN BASED ON THE TITLE OF YOUR, UH, RESOLUTION HERE.
SO WE ARE, WE ALREADY HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF, YOU KNOW, CROSSOVER HERE, AND THAT JUST SEEMS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, WELL THAT THANK, AS FAR AS THE ONE THEY MIGHT AS WELL, JUST LIKE FORTH THE WHOLE THING.
AND JUST REAL QUICK CLARIFICATION STAFF, THIS IS GONNA BE PART OF THE U O, CORRECT? IS THAT WHAT OKAY.
SO PERHAPS JUST ADDRESSING IT AS U O WOULD BE FINE.
I ALSO WANTED TO ASK, UH, IS IT THROUGH CODE COMPLIANCE OR DO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN PEOPLE TALK TO MONITOR THIS? I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE CODE IF ALL THESE MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES ARE INDEPENDENTLY CONTRACTING WITH COMPOSTERS.
HOW WOULD A R R BE THE ONES MONITORING THAT? GOOD EVENING, GINA MCKINLEY, AUSTIN RESOURCE RESOURCE RECOVERY FOR THE UNIVERSAL RECYCLING ORDINANCES.
NOW WE ACTUALLY HAVE STAFF WITHIN AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY THAT ARE PART OF A COMMERCIAL COMPLIANCE UNIT THAT HANDLE THE, UM, ENFOR COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE UNIVERSAL RECYCLING ORDINANCES.
SO IT WOULD FOLLOW THAT, THAT THAT SAME SET OF STAFF WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY AMENDMENTS MADE TO THAT ORDINANCE.
DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD NEED TO INCREASE YOUR STAFF? YES.
NOW DOES THE STAFF WHO DOES MONITOR, ARE THEY CAPABLE OR DO THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACTUALLY ISSUE CITATIONS? AND THEY DO.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DID YOU KNOW WHAT ABOUT THE MONITORING OF THE HAULERS? UH, WHAT IS YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION? UH, IT WAS MORE FROM WHAT JEFF PAYNE WAS SAYING ABOUT MONITORING KINDA WHERE ONCE THEY COLLECTED, WHERE DOES IT GO? AND THAT IS, THAT IS REALLY NOT THE CITY'S, THAT IS MORE OF A TCEQ ISSUE IN TERMS OF REGULATING HAULERS.
THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY DOES.
UM, THERE'S A HAULER ORDINANCE THAT REQUIRES CERTAIN, CERTAIN THINGS ARE SUBMITTED TO THE CITY A COUPLE TIMES A YEAR AS PART OF THAT LICENSING REQUIREMENT.
BUT ASIDE FROM THAT, THE MO MORE MONITORING AND REGULATION THAT IS, THAT IS AT THE STATE LEVEL, NOT CITY.
SO IF THE CITY EVER THINKS THAT THIS IS GOING TO THE LANDFILL, DO THEY CAN, DO YOU TALK TO, UH, TCE, E Q? IS THERE ANY COMMUNICATION ABOUT THIS? UM, I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE I'M FOLLOWING WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
IF, IF THERE'S A COMPLAINT, LISTEN, THE CITY IS REALIZING THAT, THAT WHAT THEY'RE COLLECTING IS GOING TO THE LANDFILL.
DO, DO YOU ALL HAVE COMMUNICATIONS WITH T C E Q ABOUT THIS? WELL, IN TERMS OF, UM, OUR OPERATIONS AND THE MATERIAL THAT WE MADE, LET'S SAY THE HAULERS PICK UP COMPOSTING OR RECYCLING, RIGHT? THE MAT, THE MATERIAL THAT WE MANAGE, WE DO THAT AS, YOU KNOW, VIA CONTRACT.
AND SO IF WE HAD ANY CONCERNS, WE WOULD, WE WOULD TALK TO, UM, OUR CONTRACTORS AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
IN TERMS OF, UM, THE OTHER, THE OTHER PORTION OF THE CITY, UM, IF THERE ARE COMPLAINTS GENERATED, THOSE WOULD GO TO THE TCE Q DIRECTLY.
UM, THE CITY DOESN'T REALLY GET INVOLVED NECESSARILY IN, IN THOSE MATTERS.
AND DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA IF THE TCEQ FOLLOWS UP? I BELIEVE THEY DO.
THAT IS, THAT IS WHAT THEIR, THEIR ROLE IS.
I, I MEAN, I'M RESPECTFULLY, I CANNOT IMAGINE THAT T C Q IS, UM, PENALIZING OR ANOTHER WAY, ANY OTHER WAY, LIKE MAKING A HAULER TAKE, UM, WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPOST TO A COMPOSTING FACILITY VERSUS A LANDFILL? I MEAN, I, I JUST, THAT SEEMS, UM, THEY, THEY DON'T EVEN ENFORCE LIKE, MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL VIOLATIONS THAT LIKE, CAUSE REAL PHYSICAL HARM TO PEOPLE, UM, LIKE IN THE IMMEDIATE.
SO I, I, I JUST, YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE CAN RELY ON ZQ FOR ANYTHING.
COMMISSIONER, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? UH, I, I GUESS I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CURRENT MONITORING THAT IS HAPPENING, AND IF YOU GUYS THINK THAT WHAT'S IN PLACE IS WORKING OR IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR SOMETHING STRONGER THAT WE SHOULD BE PUTTING INTO THE ORDINANCE.
SO JUST ARE, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE PROPOSAL FOR THE ORGANICS REQUIREMENT
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OR JUST IN GENERAL IN THE UNIVERSAL RECYCLING ORDINANCE? I MEAN, JUST IN GENERAL, I GUESS FOR THE ENTIRE ORDINANCE, YOU SAID THAT THERE IS A DEPARTMENT AT AR THAT MONITORS THE CONTRACTS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE WITH PRIVATE ENTITIES.AND SO I'M, I'M JUST ASKING WHAT DOES THAT REALLY LOOK LIKE AND DO YOU THINK THAT IT'S WORKING IF IT'S NOT WORKING, DO YOU LIKE, WHAT SO RESOURCES DO YOU NEED? SO IN TERMS OF COMMERCIAL COMPLIANCE, THAT IS A NEWER, UM, GROUP WITHIN AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY, THAT'S HOUSED WITHIN OUR QUALITY ASSURANCE DIVISION.
AND WE HAVE TWO COMMERCIAL COMPLIANCE OFFICERS, AND THEY WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR BUSINESS OUTREACH TEAM.
UM, TWO AND TWO, ENFORCE UPON ANY ORDINANCE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, THAT'S HEAVILY THE UNIVERSAL RECYCLING ORDINANCE.
UM, AS YOU ARE WELL AWARE, THAT'S COMMERCIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF COMMERCIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, SO THAT TEAM HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OF DEVELOPING PROCESSES AND STANDARDS AND FOLLOWING THE CODE AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE RULES AS THEY'RE WRITTEN.
UM, IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT COMMERCIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES ARE ABIDING BY THE R THE, THE CODE, UM, IT IS ONLY TWO PEOPLE.
SO THAT IS, AS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT OUR BUDGET FORECAST MM-HMM.
SO I THINK COMMISSIONER WHITE WENT, OR I THINK IT WAS ACTUALLY, UM, COMMISSIONER GATTUSO WHO ASKED ABOUT THE MULTI-FAMILY, AND IF WE WERE TO EXPAND THE LOOKING AT RESOURCE NEEDS AND THE, AND THE BUDGET AND THE UPCOMING BUDGET PROPOSAL, THAT WOULD BE AN AREA WHERE I THINK WE COULD GROW SOME RESOURCES.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS OR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT.
WELL, I, WHAT DON'T WANNA ASK, UH, OKAY.
BUT, UH, CAN YOU THINK OF ANY, ANYTHING ELSE TO PUT IN HERE SO THAT WITH THE ENFORCEMENT SO THAT, UH, WE MAKE IT AS STRONG AS WE CAN IN AUSTIN? WELL, I MEAN, I, I LIKED WHAT, WHAT JERRY, UM, SAID.
I, I'LL ADMIT, I
WELL, UM, I GUESS THE, THE, I I, I LIKE, I THINK, I THINK WHAT YOU SAID, IF IT WAS JUST U R O AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, JUST REFERENCING THIS, I, UM, I'M CERTAINLY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
ADDING THAT IS ANOTHER, WHEREAS NO, I CAN, I CAN READ THAT BACK AND HOPEFULLY FOR THE RECORD ALL IT, IT'S, IT'LL BE ON THERE AND, UH, AND AGAIN, WE'LL JUST CHANGE IT TO U O INSTEAD OF THE OKAY.
AND I'M GONNA TRY TO CHECK OUT YOU'RE, TAKE THE CO COMPLIANCE PART OUT THAT DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THEY HAVE THAT WITHIN THEIR ARR.
WELL, I THINK NOW DO YOU WANT CLARIFICATION HERE? AGAIN, IN THE OLD DAYS WE DID WORK WITH CODE, CORRECT, MA'AM.
AND WE NO LONGER WORK WITH CODE AT ALL.
IS THAT RIGHT? AT ONE POINT, AT ONE POINT IN OUR HISTORY, WE WERE ONE DEPARTMENT EXACTLY.
AND WE HAVE SINCE DISSOLVED, AND FOR THIS PORTION OF THE CODE, THERE WERE INITIAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW AND WHO WOULD ENFORCE THE UNIVERSAL RECYCLING ORDINANCES.
AND SO YOU, THE, YOU ARE CORRECT IN YOUR THINKING THERE IN THAT CODE.
WE WERE ONE DEPARTMENT AT ONE TIME AND THERE WERE MM-HMM.
YOU KNOW, I BASICALLY, HERE, I'LL JUST READ IT BACK AND I'LL SKIP THAT LAST PART ABOUT THE ENFORCEMENT AND WE'LL FILL THAT IN AFTER WE GET A PROPER NAME FOR THE, UH, THE ACTUAL DIVISION AT A R R THAT DOES THIS.
BUT, UH, AND JUST BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE, UH, ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION RECOMMENDS SUPPORTS AND ENCOURAGES AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY TO DEDICATE STAFF TO WORK WITH DEDICATES.
WHAT'S THE STAFF CALLED? IT'S, UH, THE DIVISION OR COMPLIANCE OFFICERS COMPLAINT INSURANCE.
THE ASSURANCE TO WORK WITH AUSTIN AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY COMPLIANCE OFFICER.
LIKE A STAFF WITHIN A R RIGHT.
IT'S STAFFED IN A R UH, TO, TO BASICALLY TO OVERSEE THE PROPER IMPLEMENTATION AND PARTICIPATION OF SAID MULTI-FAMILY RECI OR OF, UH, THE U R O BASICALLY TO IMPLEMENT, TO OVERSEE THE PROPER IMPLEMENTATION AND PARTICIPATION OF THE UNIVERSAL RECYCLING ORDINANCE.
COULD WE JUST SAY ENFORCEMENT OF THE SURE.
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THE PROPER IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFOR ENFORCEMENT? I MEAN, THIS IS YOURS.WHATEVER YOU WANT TO WORDSMITH THE TWO.
THE RESULT THAT THE ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THAT THE AUS THAT AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOMMENDS SUPPORTS AND ENCOURAGES, SORRY, I STARTED TYPING, RECOMMENDS SUPPORTS AND ENCOURAGES A R STAFF TO, AND WE JUST SAY TO OVERSEE THE PROPER IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE U R O, CORRECT? IS THAT, I GUESS I'M JUST, I THINK I'M MISSING, ARE YOU CHEATING BY TYPING? THAT'S WHAT WOULD THAT GO IN THE SECTION ABOUT THE ORDINANCE ITSELF THOUGH? SO RATHER THAN AS A SEPARATE, UM, THEREFORE IT SHOULD BE RESOLVED IN THE DETAILING OF WHAT THE ORDINANCE SHOULD INCLUDE.
THOSE, UM, HOW MANY POINTS IS IT? NINE.
I MEAN, I, I, THAT WAS MY INITIAL INSTINCT, BUT THAT WOULD THEN JUST HAVE ENFORCEMENT FOCUSED ON COMPOST, STAYING AT RES AT MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE, OR WE DO HAVE EXISTING ISSUES ELSEWHERE, SO I DON'T KNOW.
IT SORT OF FEELS LIKE IT MAYBE NEEDS TO BE ITS OWN THING, LIKE JURY DRAFTED A LET LET ME ASK ONE MORE QUESTION, STAFF.
NOW, DO YOU HAVE, AGAIN, YOU GIVE A CITATION CORRECT.
WHAT DOES THAT CITATION ENTAIL? DOES IT TELL ME TO CLEAN UP MY ACT OR IS IT ACTUALLY, OR COULD THAT ACTUALLY INCLUDE SOME SORT OF FINE MECHANISM? SORRY, JASON
UM, FIRST WE TRY WITH EDUCATION, WE, OUR EDUCATION TEAM THAT GOES OUT FIRST AND TALKS TO EVERYBODY.
WE THEN, IF THAT FOR WHATEVER REASON IS NOT GETTING ANYWHERE, WE DO HAVE OUR COCO COMPLIANCE TEAM GO OUT THERE AND THEN TALK TO THEM.
I'M STILL IN THE OLD WAYS TOO.
UM, AND, UH, THEY THEN WILL GO OUT AND TALK TO THEM AS WELL.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN DOING THAT TO DATE AND HAVE SEEN A PRETTY GOOD UPTICK TOO, AND PEOPLE JUST FINDING WAYS TO COMPLY NOW THAT WE HAVE A PERSON WITH A BADGE SHOWING UP.
THE END RESULT THOUGH WOULD BE TECHNICALLY A CLASSY MISDEMEANOR THAT'S ALREADY WITHIN CODE AND THEN WOULD THEN GO TO COURT, AND THEN A JUDGE WOULD THEN DECIDE UPON THE LINE.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR ME TO SHARE SO WE CAN SEE THE WORDS TOGETHER? UH, WE'VE KIND OF LOST YOU ON THAT ONE.
COULD I POSSIBLY SHARE MY SCREEN? SURE.
I DON'T WANT TO LOOK FOR THE COMPOSTING.
UM, SO THIS, THIS WAS MY ATTEMPT AT A LITTLE BIT OF WORDS, METHANE.
HOW DOES THIS LOOK TO EVERYBODY? SOUNDS GOOD.
FURTHER RECOMMEND SUPPORT? ANY CONCERNS? WELL, I'M JUST WONDERING, UH, WE DON'T WANNA DILUTE ANY OF THIS FOR THE COMPOSTING SINCE IT'S BRAND NEW AS WELL, BUT I'M JUST WONDERING IF IT SHOULD SAY, OVERSEE THE IMPLEMENT PROPER IMPLEMENTATION OF MULTIFAMILY COMPOSTING AND IN AND THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE REST OF THE U R O, HOWEVER YOU WOULD SAY THAT.
IT, IT IS A COMPOSTING, IT'S A COMPOSTING RESOLUTION.
SO WHILE I APPRECIATE THAT OTHER PARTS OF THE U R O MIGHT NEED ENFORCEMENT YEAH.
IS FOCUSED ON MULTI-FAMILY COMPOSTING.
ALTHOUGH THE EDUCATION PIECE IS ALSO, UH, TOUCHES ON RECYCLING.
SO IS THAT THE FINAL DRAFT HERE? CAN I ASK A FEW MORE QUESTIONS? SO THAT THE, I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THE 10%, UM,
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SEE.HOW DID WE DECIDE ON 10%? I, I, TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST, I PULLED THE NUMBER OUT THAT SEEMED, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE IN THE REALM OF PERHAPS REASONABLE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M OPEN TO OTHER NUMBERS.
IT WAS AN ISSUE THAT WAS RAISED, YOU KNOW, AT, AT, UH, ONE OF THE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS.
SO IT WAS AN ATTEMPT TO ADDRESS A CONCERN THAT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MAGNITUDE OF IT IT IS.
UM, BUT YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW, 10% IS RIGHT OR IF IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING, I GUESS.
I SAW THE SAME FEEDBACK AND I WOULD, I WOULD BE WORRIED AS A RESIDENT AS WELL THAT I'M GOING TO HAVE SOME VERY INFLATED COSTS BECAUSE OF THE ADDITIONAL SERVICE.
ONE CONCERN WITH THIS IS THE ENFORCEABILITY OF IT.
THE, IS, YOU KNOW, WONDERING IF THAT IS THE RIGHT PERCENTAGE AND IF WE HAVE A SENSE FOR WHAT THE TYPICAL LIKE ADMIN FEE IS FOR THOSE SORTS OF SERVICES AT PROPERTIES, THAT THAT COULD BE A GUIDELINE.
UM, SO I, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO IT.
I'M JUST CURIOUS, AND I'M MAYBE TREPIDATIOUS, I DON'T WANT THIS TO WEAKEN ANYTHING.
IF, IF WE HAVE SOMETHING HERE THAT SEEMS VERY OUT OF THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY FOR THESE, UM, PROPERTY COMPANIES THAT, YOU KNOW, MANAGE THE MULTI-FAMILY UNITS, AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT CONCERNED ME ALSO.
HOW DO YOU BASICALLY ENFORCE SOMETHING LIKE THIS? RIGHT? YEAH.
AND HOW DO YOU KNOW IT'S 10% OR 50% OR THERE, THERE'S REALLY NO WAY OF, OF TRACKING THAT UNLESS YOU HAVE ACCESS TO MANAGEMENT'S INTERNAL BOOKS.
I, I THINK IT'D ALMOST BE FOR THE RESIDENTS, BUT THEY PROBABLY WON'T KNOW ABOUT THE
BUT, UM, I THINK THAT, UH, THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THIS, THAT THERE WAS OVERCHARGING, UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE COULD GET THAT WORD OUT, BUT IT, IT'S THERE.
I THINK MAYBE IT ALSO, SOMEBODY WANTS TO USE SCALE THE SAME FOR DIFFERENT SIZES OF PROPERTY, RIGHT? UM, SO 10% OF THE FEE FOR A SMALL PROPERTY MIGHT BE PERFECTLY SUFFICIENT FOR THEIR ADMINISTRATION OF IT.
UM, YEAH, YOU THINK IT NEEDS TO BE MORE THAN 10%.
I, I, I, I AM REALLY STRUGGLING.
UM, SO I'M THINKING ABOUT OUR, LIKE UNIVERSITY OPERATIONS AND WHEN WE USE OVERHEAD, I MEAN, IT DEPENDS.
IT CAN BE ANYWHERE FROM FIVE TO 30% REALISTICALLY, DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH WE HAVE TO DO TO ADMINISTER THE SPECIFIC THING.
IS IT, YOU KNOW, ARE WE ADMINISTERING A SCHOLARSHIP OR ARE WE ADMINISTERING A PROGRAM? ARE WE MANAGING PERSONNEL? THOSE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT COSTS.
AND SO YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I'M A LITTLE, A LITTLE NERVOUS ABOUT COMING UP WITH A NUMBER HERE.
UM, THAT IS TOO FAR OUT OF RANGE.
I THINK 10 PERCENT'S PROBABLY PRETTY CLOSE, BUT DID WANNA JUST KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT, HOW WE ALL FEEL ABOUT THIS NUMBER AND IF WE THINK THAT THAT'S IN THE RIGHT RANGE, YOU KNOW, BRINGING IT BACK, BACK IN HERE, I'M, I'M MORE CONCERNED AGAIN WITH THE ENFORCEABILITY.
I MEAN, CAN WE ACTUALLY SUGGEST TO ANYONE, I MEAN, THE END OF THE DAY, I MEAN, BY, OR BEWARE, I MEAN, IF I'M FEELING THAT I'M BEING GOUGED ON MY GARBAGE RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING AS, AS COMMISSIONER GATTUSO SUGGESTS THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY GONNA LOOK FOR ANOTHER PROPERTY, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, UH, GOES A LONG WAY IN INCREASING THE PARTICIPATION OF ORGANIC RECYCLING AND, AND, UH, BASIC RECYCLING DIVERSION IN GENERAL? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE IN THERE THAT'S GOING TO HELP PEOPLE DO MORE OF THAT DIVERSION? AND IF IT, IF IT IS, WELL THEN LEAVE IT IN.
IF NOT, YOU KNOW, WHY MUDDY THE WATERS AND AND KEEP IT IN THE MY 2 CENTS AND COMMISSIONERS, PLEASE? I, YEAH, I MEAN, I GUESS I HAVE A, A COMMENT ABOUT THE 10%.
SO IF A PROPERTY WAS SAYING THAT THE COST WAS ACTUALLY MORE THAN 10%, I THINK THAT WE JUST HAVE A PROCESS WHERE THAT PROPERTY CAN PROVE THAT THEIR COSTS ARE MORE THAN 10% AND THEY GET SOME SORT OF EXEMPTION VARIANCE, ET CETERA, TO THAT IN THE SAME VEIN OF HOW WE, YOU KNOW, TRY TO GIVE PEOPLE VARIANCES FOR OTHER THINGS.
I LIKE THAT, THAT, YEAH, THAT, THAT SEEMS VERY APPROPRIATE.
SO WE'LL HAVE A MECHANISM OR A RECOMMEND OR A MECHANISM IF THE COSTS ARE EXCEEDING A 10% MARKUP.
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IT.IT'S ACTUALLY 40% THAT WOULD ARBITRARILY SAYING, HEY, IT COSTS SAYS 50% EXTRA TO ADMINISTER THIS.
DO YOU WANT TO ADJUST THAT? IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT TO NO, THAT'S GOOD.
I MEAN, I, I DON'T, I GUESS THERE'S NO SIMILAR, UH, YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY, WE HAVE THE THING ON THE VARIANCE, UM, IN HERE, BUT I GUESS WE DON'T, THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE FOR RECYCLING, SO WE NEED TO ADD THAT.
UM, DO YOU THINK THE STAFF WOULD HAVE ANY FEEDBACK ON THIS? I DON'T HAVE STAFF.
DO YOU HAVE ANY FEEDBACK ON THIS AT ALL THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO SHARE? DID YOU BRING YOUR BADGE WITH YOU,
SO YEAH, I THINK OF ALL THE ONES LISTED, I THINK IT'S, IT'S CAPTURED A LOT OF WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
AND, UM, THIS IS THE ONE I THINK THAT CAUSES THE MOST PAUSE FOR US AS STAFF.
UM, THERE ARE LEGAL QUESTIONS, I THINK, AROUND IT AS WELL THAT WE'RE STILL TRYING TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY YOUR RECOMMENDATION AS A, AS A COMMISSION.
UM, I, I THINK THE INTENT IS, IS A GOOD REFLECTION OF WHAT WE HEARD, UM, ABOUT THE CONCERN.
BUT I WOULD, IF I HAD TO PICK ONE OUT, THIS IS ONE THAT DOES, I THINK WE NEED TO A LOT MORE RESEARCH ON TO SEE THE FEASIBILITY OF IT AND ENFORCEABILITY OF IT, AND IF WE CAN EVEN DO IT CONTR, YOU KNOW? MM-HMM.
AND, AND WE DID DISCUSS THAT AT THE U R O COMMITTEE, UM, AND KIND OF WHERE WE LANDED THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS STEP ONE, THE ORDINANCE NEEDS TO BE DRAFTED, GO THROUGH ADDITIONAL, UM, YOU KNOW, STAKEHOLDER PROCESS AND COME BACK TO US AND GO THROUGH COUNCIL.
SO, UM, IF INDEED THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE, THEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, PUTTING IT IN HERE AS, AS, AS AN INTENTION IF IT IS POSSIBLE.
AND I, I DO THINK THE NEXT ROUND OF STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, WE WILL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH THE, THE COMMITTEE AFTER THIS TO START SCHEDULING THE NEXT ROUND OF MEETINGS.
WE WILL START TALKING ABOUT POLICY, YOU KNOW, STRIKE THROUGH AND WE'LL, WE'LL BE REFERRING BACK TO THIS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN WALK THROUGH THESE IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL, HAVE DISCUSSIONS WITH STAKEHOLDERS AS WELL.
COMMISSIONERS, WHY? I THINK RICHARD HAS SOMETHING.
UM, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS WE COULD LOOK, YOU KNOW, WE DID THIS WITH UNIVERSAL RECYCLING ORDINANCE, SO WE DID RECYCLING AT APARTMENT COMPLEX.
I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY ISSUES, UH, THAT WE RECEIVED ABOUT BEING OVERCHARGED BY THE COMPLEXES.
SO I THINK WE HAVE SOME PRECEDENT THERE.
AND THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT THE COMPOST, UH, HAULERS ARE ALL THE SAME TYPE OF FOLKS THAT PICK UP RECYCLING, BUT, UM, I, I JUST WANT TO BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
UM, AND I, THE CONCERN WASN'T WITH THE HAULERS, JUST, JUST TO CLARIFY, THE CONCERN RAISED WAS THAT THE HAULERS WERE GONNA CHARGE SOME AMOUNT, AND THEN THE APARTMENT MANAGEMENT WAS GOING TO UPCHARGE THAT WAY MORE.
SORRY, I, I MEANT, UH, APARTMENT MANAGEMENT, NOT HAULERS.
UM, WE, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT T C Q AND ENFORCEMENT.
IN THAT CASE, I DON'T THINK THAT'S GONNA BE THE CASE IN TEXAS.
I, I, I DON'T THINK T C Q'S GONNA HAVE A ROLE IN THIS.
UH, HONESTLY, T CQ PROBABLY DOESN'T CARE WHERE IT GOES.
UH, SO, UM, I THINK WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK, UH, GET WITH LAW AND SEE EXACTLY, UM, WHERE THE, THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ENFORCEMENT WILL, WILL FALL WITH THAT.
BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S GONNA BE TCQ, BUT I, I COULD BE WRONG ON THAT AS WELL.
UM, AND JUST TO, TO MATCH EXPECTATIONS, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE THE, THE 10% IN THERE AND WE HAVE A, A DEADLINE OF, UH, DECEMBER 23, UH, WITH THAT 10%, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY GONNA ENTAIL A LOT OF LEGAL REVIEW BY THE CITY.
UM, SO JUST, JUST BE AWARE, I, I, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GONNA GET A CHRISTMAS PRESENT IN DECEMBER FOR, UH, UH, A RESPONSE FROM THEM.
SO JUST KNOW THAT THAT'S GONNA BE VERY CHALLENGING FOR THIS WHOLE PROCESS TO GO THROUGH AND HAVE LEGAL REVIEW AND HAVE THIS DONE BY DECEMBER.
SO I JUST WANNA MANAGE THE EXPECTATIONS ON THAT AND, AND MAKE YOU BE AWARE OF IT.
CA I MEAN, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE REST OF IT HAS TO BE HELD UP FOR THAT PIECE, OR CAN WE MOVE FORWARD AND SEE WHERE THAT STANDS A FEW MONTHS? YOU KNOW, AND IF THEY HAVEN'T REVIEWED IT, THEN WE CAN SURE.
OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU WANNA MOVE FORWARD THE RESOLUTION WITHOUT THAT, YOU CAN CERTAINLY
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DO THAT.AND PERHAPS AT A LATER TIME, IF COUNCIL DECIDES TO TAKE THIS ON, THEN THAT, THAT COULD BE AMENDED IF THAT DOES TURN OUT TO BE AN ISSUE.
WELL, I GUESS I MORE MEANT LIKE IF WE, IF WE LEAVE THAT IN AND Y'ALL DRAFT UP THE ORDINANCE TO INCLUDE IT, BUT IT STILL NEEDS LEGAL REVIEW, CAN WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE STAKEHOLDER PROCESS AND THEN LEGAL CAN GET TO IT WHEN THEY GET TO IT? YEAH.
SO WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, JUST WAITING ON THEM.
AND, AND IT'S NOT JUST A PROCESS.
UH, OUR LAW DEPARTMENT, JUST LIKE US, WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE THAT IS ASSIGNED FROM LAW TO OUR DEPARTMENT.
UM, SHE WAS ABLE TO, TO ACQUIRE A NEW POSITION.
SO SHE HAS MOVED ON AND SO HAVE SEVERAL OF THE OTHER, UH, OFFICIALS IN THE LAW DEPARTMENTS.
SO THEY ARE ALSO, UM, A BIT BEHIND.
SO, UM, THIS WOULD OR NORMALLY BE A ALARM PROCESS ANYWAY, JUST TO HAVE THAT, THAT, UH, LEGAL REVIEW.
BUT WE CAN PROBABLY EXPAND, EXPECT IT TO BE EVEN A LITTLE BIT LONGER AT THIS POINT.
I, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND.
CAN, CAN THE STATEHOLDER PROCESS MOVE FORWARD BEFORE THE LEGAL REVIEW HAPPENS? ABSOLUTELY.
RICHARD? UH, I JUST WANNA ADD ONE MORE THING.
UH, THERE ARE GONNA BE A LOT OF PEOPLE PROBABLY, UH, GOING TO CITY COUNCIL ON THIS.
AND, UH, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WHOEVER WANTS TO
AND IT SEEMS LIKE THIS ITEM RIGHT HERE, THE 10% WOULD WOULD ANGER OF SOME OF THEM.
IT WOULD BE LIKE WE'RE NOT TRUSTING THEM AND THAT THEY'RE ALREADY GUILTY BEFORE CHARGED, UH, OR HAVE A FAIR TRIAL.
SO I'M, I DON'T WANNA SACRIFICE THE RESIDENTS, BUT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT KEEPING THAT IN RIGHT NOW.
THAT, THAT'S, THAT WILL DEFINITELY BE A CONCERN, UM, FROM THAT COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT I THINK ALSO SOME OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT YOU'RE BEING VERY PRESCRIPTIVE ON AS FAR AS WHAT TYPE OF CONTAINERS, UM, THAT MAY ALSO MM-HMM.
WE NEED TO GIVE THEM A LITTLE, UH, LEEWAY TO, TO IMPLEMENT THEIR OWN PROGRAMS. AND AS LONG AS THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE, I THINK WE'RE OKAY WITH THAT.
BUT RICHARD, IF WE, IF WE FOR THE MOST PART KNOW THAT CARDS ARE GONNA BE BETTER FOR CONTAMINATION, THEN THE DUMPSTERS, IS THERE ANY WAY WE COULD PUT THE, IT SAYS, AND THERE'S ABOUT THE CARTS, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THAT THEY COULD TALK TO THE DEPARTMENT TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT SURE.
YOU, YOU CAN PUT IN WHATEVER YOU WANT.
I'M JUST, I'M JUST GIVING SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND, AND IT MAKES MORE SENSE FOR CARTS.
I MEAN, WHEN YOU GET THAT, THAT FOOD WASTE, I MEAN THE DUMPSTERS, IT'S, IT'S REALLY NOT FILLING UP THOSE DUMPSTERS.
AND THAT MATERIAL IS VERY HEAVY THOUGH.
UM, BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE THROUGH NINE, A LOT OF THESE THINGS ARE ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, ISSUES, NOT NECESSARILY POLICY ISSUES.
SO JUST WANT TO PUT THAT ON THE TABLE TOO, THAT, UM, A LOT OF THESE THINGS ARE THINGS THAT WE WOULD BE WORKING WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND TRYING TO, AND THIS COMMISSION TO GO AHEAD AND IMPLEMENT.
SO I'M JUST A LITTLE WARY ABOUT PUTTING ALL THIS STUFF OUT THERE JUST TO BEGIN WITH.
UM, AND THE POT POTENTIAL FEEDBACK FOR THAT, BECAUSE WE MAY GET SOME NEGATIVE FEEDBACK AND THEN SOMEBODY TRIES TO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, UH, STOP THIS PROGRAM BECAUSE I THINK, UH, BETWEEN ARR AND Z SWAC, I THINK WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
WE JUST MAY HAVE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT TIMELINE OF HOW WE WANT TO GET THINGS DONE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER WHITE.
WELL, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, I'M, I'M HEARING SEVERAL OF Y'ALL, UM, OR AT LEAST A FEW CONCERNED ABOUT THIS 10%.
IT'S A LITTLE HARD FOR ME TO FOLLOW
SO I ALMOST WOULD JUST MAYBE ASK IF WE, IF, UH, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY WANTS, SOMEBODY WHO'S CONCERNED ABOUT IT, WANTS TO, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE, SO I'M, I'M GONNA MOVE APPROVAL OF, UH, MOVE, MOVE APPROVAL FOR ADOPTING THIS, UH, ORDINANCE.
SO THAT WITH THE NOTE NOTED CHANGES WITH THE RED, WITH THE NOTED, UH, RED LINE CHANGES.
WELL, WE HAVE, WE HAVE NOT DISCUSSED TO THEM ALL YET, SO I, I GUESS, OKAY, SURE.
I MEAN, IF PEOPLE ARE GOOD WITH NUMBER SIX, BUT WE CAN COME BACK TO THAT AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN SUB, WE CAN DEFINITELY GO AHEAD.
I GUESS I'M JUST SUGGESTING CAN, IF SOMEBODY CAN JUST MAKE A, MAKE A MOTION TO AN AMEND STRIKING NUMBER EIGHT, THEN MAYBE WE CAN JUST TAKE A VOTE ON IT.
YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THERE'S PROS AND CONS.
I WOULD NOT LIKE, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A
[01:25:01]
FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO NUMBER EIGHT IF POSSIBLE, RATHER THAN VOTE TO STRIKE IT.SO YOU SEE THE PIECE OF LANGUAGE YOU HAVE ON NUMBER SIX THAT SAYS, UNLESS A PROPERTY DEMONSTRATES A NEED FOR GREATER CAPACITY AND AN ABILITY ADD PARALLEL LANGUAGE TO AID, SO ESTABLISH THE 10%, UM, DA, DA, DA, DA, DA PACE THE SERVICE PROVIDERS, UNLESS A PROPERTY DEMONSTRATES A NEED FOR GREATER ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.
OKAY, SO YOU DIDN'T, THE, THIS DIDN'T, IT'S THERE ALSO, BUT LET'S PUT IT IN NUMBER EIGHT BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE GONNA SEE THE 10%.
SO IN THE OTHER AMENDMENTS, I, I GUESS DOES THIS MAKE PEOPLE FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE? LIKE, I DON'T WANT US TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT US FEELING A LITTLE MORE PALATABLE THERE? I MEAN, IT'S, IT, IT'S, I'M MORE COMFORTABLE.
I'LL TELL LESS YOU WHY I'M MORE COMFORTABLE.
I THINK THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO PLEASE THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AND THE RESIDENTS EQUALLY.
RIGHT? THEY, THEY, THEY COULD, BUT THEY'RE, WE, WE'D BE LEAVING SOMEONE OUT BY EITHER STRIKING IT COMPLETELY OR LEAVING IT IN WITHOUT A, A MECHANISM FOR THE, THE MANAGEMENT TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE APPEALS ON THIS.
SO THAT'S WHY I LIKE IT, AND I'M, I'M HAPPY WITH IT, WITH BOTH OF THOSE COMPONENTS IN IT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, COMMISSIONERS LEGAL IS GOING TO
ABOUT WHAT IS PERMISSIBLE AND WHAT'S NOT.
BUT, UH, I GUESS THE QUESTION IS SUBMITTING SOMETHING THAT, UH, THEY WILL, WILL BE ABLE TO REVIEW.
AND I GUESS RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A COUPLE OF CHANGES TO THIS.
IS THAT RIGHT ITEM? THE ORDINANCE SHOULD, AND, AND THEN BASICALLY ITEM, IS THAT SIX ESTABLISHED A BINS NOT? YES.
AND THEN ITEM NUMBER, UH, EIGHT, UNLESS THE PROPERTY CAN DEMONSTRATE ITEMS, ITEM SIX, I'M SORRY, I WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT ON ITEM SIX.
SO WHEN JEFF WAS SPEAKING, HE, HE WAS SAYING HOW THE CONTAMINATION COULD OCCUR AT A, AT A HIGHER RATE IN DUMPSTERS SPENT.
SO THAT'S THE REASON FOR HIS LENGTH HERE.
BUT HE, HE WAS ALSO MAKING COMMENTS ABOUT HAVING HEAT PADS OR SOME SORT OF BLOCK ON, ALSO ON THE, ON THE CARTS TO HELP DISSUADE, UM, CASHER BUYERS FROM, FROM DUMPING IN THERE.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD ALSO INCLUDE WITH, UM, OFFERING THAT AS ANOTHER MECHANISM FOR, I'M SORRY, YOU'RE BREAKING UP THERE.
IS THAT SOMETHING WE COULD INCLUDE AS WELL ON ONE OF THESE ITEMS SAYING, UM, SUGGESTING LOCKS OR SORT OF LOCKING MECHANISM ON THE PARTS? UH, I'M SURE WE CAN, I MEAN, IT'S, YEAH, I MEAN, I, I, I'LL, I'LL GO WITH, YOU KNOW, WILL OF THE GROUP ON THAT ONE.
I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S PROOFS AND CONS TO IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CONTAMINATION ISSUE, THEN IT, IT'S PROBABLY GONNA, UM, CUT DOWN ON PARTICIPATION, HUH? YEAH, WE'RE NOT GONNA REQUIRE THE PROPERTIES TO HAVE A CERTAIN TYPE OF SITUATION ON, ON THEIR POVERTY, BUT IT'S JUST IF THEY, IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A CART AND THAT THEY WOULD PREFER IT TO BE LOCKED, UH, CUZ THEY WANT TO AVOID ANY POTENTIAL FEE OR FINE.
CAUSE THEY, THEY WANT TO AVOID ANY, ANY, UM, LEGAL DUMPING, THEN MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN OFFER A CARD WITH A LOCK.
I, I, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS MAKE IT CLEAR THAT IT'S PERMISSIBLE TO HAVE A LOCKED CAR IF THERE'S A CONTAMINATION ISSUE.
IS THAT YEAH, OR IF THEY JUST WANNA AVOID CONTAMINATION ALTOGETHER.
AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE IMPLEMENTING FOR THEIR VERY FIRST TIME ON THESE NEW PROPERTIES, IF THEY JUST WANNA START IT OFF BY BEING PROACTIVE AND MINIMIZING CONTAMINATION, START OFF WITH THE LOCK.
YOU KNOW, I I, I HAVING, YOU KNOW, HERE GOING THROUGH THIS, UH, DISCUSSION HERE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I GUESS IT'S, IT'S, IT WOULD BE A BUSINESS DECISION BY THE RESPECTIVE PROPERTY AND THEIR HAULER ON ACCOMPLISHING THE MOST EFFICIENT, COST EFFECTIVE PROGRAM OUT THERE.
AND IF I'M GONNA GET SCARED WITH A THREAT OF A FINE, BECAUSE I HAVE CONTAMINATION IN THERE, I'M PROBABLY GONNA WANT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT, WHICH MIGHT INCLUDE LUXE.
[01:30:01]
I'M MELISSA.I, I AGREE WITH YOU, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK THAT THIS IS, AGAIN, A BUSINESS DECISION THAT IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE DECIDED BY MANAGEMENT AND THE SERVICE PROVIDER ON ACCOMPLISHING A MINIMAL CONTAMINATION SITE OR CONTAMINATED CONTAINER.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS THE OTHER, THE 10%, I, I LIKE THE ADDITIONS ON THAT.
BASICALLY THE, UH, I GUESS I'M NOT, I'M NOT, UM, I'M NOT CERTAIN WHAT THE CURRENT ORDINANCE SAYS ABOUT LOCKING, SAY, A RECYCLING BIN, BUT NOT A TRASH BIN.
DOES ANYBODY, CAN ANYBODY SPEAK TO THAT? IS THIS, I THINK JASON'S COMING UP HERE.
LOCKS ARE CURRENTLY ALLOWED BY CODE.
WE HAVE THAT, ACTUALLY, IT'S OUR ADMINISTRATIVE RULES.
SO IT IS ALLOWED OR AS, OR MANDATORY? THEY'RE NOT MANDATORY.
BUT THEY ARE, THEY CAN BE USED BY, YOU KNOW, A BUSINESS IF THEY CHOOSE TO.
AND, AND SO BASICALLY THAT WOULD APPLY TO THIS AS WELL, CORRECT? YES.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS, COMMENTS? IT IS YOUR, IS YOURS ON THERE AS WELL? I DON'T, NO, I THINK THERE IS A RIGHT THERE.
COMMISSIONERS WITH THE RED LINE CHANGES.
IS THIS, IS THIS A VISION THAT YOU SEE SUCCEEDING OR YES.
SORRY, I, WERE YOU ASKING US A, A QUESTION, JERRY? I COULDN'T REALLY KNOW.
IS THIS THE FINAL PRODUCT RIGHT HERE? IF, IF EVERYBODY'S GOOD WITH IT? UM, I THINK IT IS.
DO I HEAR A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT.
ALL RIGHT, GUYS, IN ORDER TO VOTE, I NEED TO SEE YOUR PRETTY FACES SO WE CAN, UH, CONDUCT A VOTE HERE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
WAIVE, DO WHATEVER LOOKS LIKE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
OH, UNANIMOUS OR YAWN, ARE YOU? SEVEN? OH, YAWN.
OFF THE DIAS AND, UH, OFF THE COMPUTER THERE.
BUT, UH, NONETHELESS, SEVEN OH, PASSES.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS VERY MUCH.
I, I APPRECIATE YOU ALL AND, AND APPRECIATE THE EDITS.
THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS IS THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT TONIGHT.
GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS
UM, FIRST LET ME START OFF BY WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY NEW YEAR.
WE HAVE A NEW YEAR, 2023, SO I KNOW WE ARE VERY EXCITED, UH, AT ARR FOR THIS YEAR.
SO, UM, SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, UM, BUT WE DID HAVE A, UH, RETIREMENT.
SO ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WILLIAMSON HAS, UH, RETIRED, I THINK HER LAST DAY AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
SO SHE WILL BE MISSED IN THAT ROLE.
UM, BUT I DO HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS.
UH, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE, UH, WERE ABLE TO ADD TWO ADDITIONAL NEW ADDITION, UH, ASSISTANT DIRECTORS.
UM, ONE, UH, SO MY POSITION ON WHEN I WAS AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO HAS BEEN VACANT SINCE THEN.
AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IS WE'VE BEEN RUNNING DIFFERENT STAFF THROUGH THAT POSITION AND KIND OF AN ACTING ROLE FOR SIX MONTH PERIODS TO GIVE FOLKS A LITTLE BIT OF A CHANCE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, UH, HOW THINGS OPERATE AT THE NEXT LEVEL.
UM, SO WE RAN THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
UM, AND SO, UH, THE FIRST, UH, SO THE PERSON THAT REPLACED ME WILL BE, UM, OUR OWN GINA MCKINLEY.
UM, FORMALLY THE DIVISION MANAGER FOR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES.
GINA'S BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR 12 YEARS, AND SO WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE HER ON OUR EXECUTIVE TEAM AND, AND HER INSIGHT AND EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE U R O, UH, AND A LOT OF THE OTHER DIVERSION PROGRAMS. UH, AND OUR OTHER, UH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR IS OUR OWN RON ROMERO.
UH, OUR, UH, HE IS A FORMER DIVISION MANAGER OVER OUR RECYCLING AND COLLECTION PROGRAMS. OUR, OUR LARGEST, UH, DIVISION.
UM, SO WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE WE HAD A, A LARGE POOL TO CHOOSE FROM, FROM, UH, SOME, UH, LOCAL CANDIDATES, UM,
[01:35:01]
AND OTHERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY.UH, BUT WE, WE HAD A LOT OF HOMEGROWN TALENT, SO WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE A COUPLE PEOPLE UP IN OUR ORGANIZATION.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
SO THE, SO THEY'VE SEEN A LOT OF THINGS.
THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT OF SWAC MEETINGS, SO IT SHOULDN'T, UH, THERE SHOULDN'T BE TOO MUCH OF A, A LEARNING CURVE HERE.
SO, BUT WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING, UH, AND COLLABORATING WITH THE THIS COMMISSION.
CUZ LIKE I SAID EARLIER, WE HAVE A LOT OF THE SAME GOALS.
SOMETIMES OUR TIMELINES DON'T MEET OR SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, HOW WE WANT TO DO THINGS DON'T ACTUALLY MATCH UP, BUT IN THE END, I THINK WE ALL WANT THE SAME THING.
SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, UH, THE COOPERATION, UM, THROUGH THIS NEXT YEAR.
SO, UH, AND WITH THAT, I WILL GO AHEAD AND, UH, GO TO THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
UM, WE DID HAVE A STAFF RESPONSE TO, UH, THE SINGLE PLASTICS RESOLUTION THAT WE SUBMITTED.
UM, AND THAT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE CITY MANAGER, UH, ABOUT THAT PROGRAM.
UM, ADDITIONALLY WE HAD SUBMITTED THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON THE MULTI-FAMILY RECYCLING ORDINANCE WHERE WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.
SO THOSE ARE TWO OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD SUBMITTED.
UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS IS WE HAVE, UH, IDENTIFIED YA AS OUR SINGLE PART, YOUR SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT.
UH, SO ANY ISSUES THAT YOU MAY HAVE OR ANYTHING THAT YOU, QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE, UM, IN ORDER TO KIND OF STREAMLINE COMMUNICATION AND THERE NOT BE ANYTHING DROPPED, WE WOULD JUST ASK THAT, UH, THAT YOU EMAIL HER, UH, THROUGH YOUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS EMAIL, UH, TO, TO EMAIL HER ANY ISSUES.
AND IF THERE'S STUFF THAT SHE NEEDS TO SEND THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT, WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT.
AND, UH, THAT GOES ALSO FOR SUBCOMMITTEES AS WELL.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT'LL BE AN EASIER WAY AND WE CAN, UH, PREVENT ANY ITEMS FROM FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS.
SO, UM, SHE'S REAL GOOD ABOUT RETURNING PHONE CALLS, SO I I THINK SHE'LL BE, SHE'LL WORK OUT WELL IN THAT ROLE.
SO, UM, AND, UH, OUR LIT ABATEMENT FOLKS, UM, AMY'S GROUP, UM, HAS AN AGREEMENT WITH THE EMERGENCY SERVICE DISTRICT FOUR, WHICH HAS SOME AREAS AROUND THE CITY.
AND WE ARE WORKING IN THOSE AREAS, UH, TO ELIMINATE SOME OF THE BRUSH, UH, AND AN EFFORT TO, UM, MITIGATE ANY POTENTIAL WILDFIRE ISSUES, UH, THAT MAY BECOME.
SO THAT'S BECOME A BIG PRIORITY FOR THE CITY.
UM, SO WE ARE DEFINITELY DOING OUR PART TO, TO HELP MITIGATE THOSE, UM, THOSE AREAS.
AND THERE'S A MAP IN YOUR, UH, AREA OF THE FIVE AREAS OF THAT ESD FOUR.
UM, RICHARD, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? SURE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN ON THE GREEN BELTS THAT WE HAVE, THEY WILL CUT LIMBS, BIG LIMBS TO, FOR THE TRAIL MM-HMM.
UH, IS THAT, IS THAT THROUGH PARKS AND RECREATION OR? SO THAT WOULD BE A PARK, UH, ENDEAVOR.
UM, AND SO I, I WOULD'VE TO FOLLOW UP WITH THEM CUZ I, I DON'T KNOW THAT, THAT'S PROBABLY, UM, IT'S OUR, IT'S JUST A FIRE HAZARD.
IT, IT MAY BE MORE OF A LOGISTICS ISSUE WHERE THEY HAVE ONE GROUP THAT CUTS IT, ANOTHER GROUP HAS TO COME IN LATER AND, AND GET THAT MATERIAL OUT SO WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON THAT AND JUST, UH, AT LEAST RELAY THE CONCERNS TO, TO PART AND MAYBE HAVE SOME KIND OF RESPONSE ON THAT.
THANK, WE'LL, WE'LL GET THAT FOR YOU.
COMMISSIONER WHITE, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR OH, I WAS JUST GONNA, I, I, I MEAN, I'M, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE EXACT SITUATION, BUT SHARE THAT I, I THINK THE PART SOMETIMES DOES THAT INTENTIONALLY FOR, UH, KIND OF ECOLOGICAL REASONS AND, UM, IT CAN ALSO BE A STRATEGY TO TRY TO HELP REDUCE EROSION.
SO IT, IT MIGHT BE INTENTIONAL.
WELL, NO, I, I UNDERSTAND, BUT I THINK THINGS ARE DIFFERENT NOW THAN WHEN THAT GOT STARTED.
SO I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ISN'T FIRE MITIGATION AT THIS POINT.
UH, SO IF YOU COULD FOLLOW UP ON THAT AND ABSOLUTELY.
MAYBE WE'LL PUT THAT ON ONE OF THE AGENDAS TO SURE.
WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL HAVE RESPOND.
WE, IN FACT, WE CAN PROBABLY, YOU'LL RESPOND, EMAIL SOMETHING OUT EVEN BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING.
UNLESS Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO, CONGRATULATIONS.
WE'VE BEEN A LONG, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE WE'VE HAD A FULL EXECUTIVE TEAM.
SO LIKE, WE BOTH HAD HAIR BACK THEN.
BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU GUYS VERY, VERY MUCH.
I MEAN, THIS IS, AGAIN, IT'S A WELCOME, UH, WELCOME EDITION AND I'M SURE IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT SUCCESSFUL ONE AT THAT.
CAN I ASK ONE MORE QUESTION? YES, GO AHEAD, PLEASE.
UH, RICHARD, ON THE FIRST, THE FIRST PARAGRAPH ABOUT THE STAFF RESPONSE TO THE SINGLE USE PLASTICS MM-HMM.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS WAS, BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY GET, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT ALSO ONLINE.
WE CAN SEND YOU THE LINK OR A COPY, HOWEVER YOU IT, SO WE'LL
[01:40:01]
GET THAT TO YOU.UH, I HAVE A QUESTION, UM, ABOUT A SECTION OF THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT, IF I MAY.
ON THE SOLICITATIONS, UH, SECTION, THE MATTRESS SOLICITATION, THE MATTRESS RECYCLING, I SEE THAT IT'S NO LONGER THERE AND IT WAS IN DEVELOPMENT FOR QUITE A LONG TIME.
UM, BUT YEAH, SO WHAT'S THE STATUS ON THAT? UH, WE, WE'VE STILL GOT IT.
I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S NOT ON THE LIST, BUT, OKAY.
UM, WE HAD SENT OUT, UH, SOME INFORMATION TO GET SOME FEEDBACK AND IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
WE GOT SO MANY PROJECTS AND THAT ONE IS JUST KIND OF GETTING PUSH BACK AND I'M TRYING TO GET IT BACK UP TO THE FRONT AND SEE WHAT OPTIONS WE HAVE TO GET THE, THIS MATERIAL RECYCLED.
IT'S, IT'S BEEN IN DEVELOPMENT FOR Y'ALL FOR A LONG TIME, SO THAT'S WHY I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT IT.
IT'S, I'M GLAD STILL'S, I WOULD SAY 99% DONE JUST TWEAKS HERE AND THERE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MICHAEL? I LIKE SAYING THAT, BY THE WAY.
[DIRECTOR’S REPORT ]
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
QUESTIONS, GUYS, THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS IS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. AND OBVIOUSLY THE BUDGET IS, IS, UH, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN COME BACK WITH SOME, SOME, UH, GOOD TOUGH QUESTIONS ON THAT BUDGET, KIND OF A WISHLIST.
BUT, UH, ANYWAY, HAVING SAID THAT, THAT, AND, UH, WHAT ARE THE ITEMS THAT YOU WANT TO PUT ON THERE? YOU KNOW, I'LL TELL YOU, LET ME, LET ME GET WITH THE COMMISSIONERS AND WE CAN COME BACK YAEL WITH, UH, WITH SOME PROPOSED FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. BUT RIGHT NOW, DEFINITELY THE, UH, THE, UH, BUDGET IS PRIORITY AT THIS STAGE.
SO ANYWAY, COMMISSIONERS, HAVING REACHED THE END OF THE, UH, THE AGENDA, I'LL, UH, ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR DISMISSAL, ADJOURNMENTS MOTION TO PRO TO, UH, ENTER TO RUN AWAY.
DO I HEAR A SECOND ON THAT? I'LL SECOND.
AND EVERYBODY PLEASE RAISE, I MEAN, RAISE YOUR HANDS OF YOUR FAVOR, GUYS.
THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.