[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
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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.