[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER]
EVERYONE.IT'S 1209, SO WE'LL GET STARTED.
UM, AND LET'S DO A ROUND OF INTRODUCTIONS CUZ WE HAVE A NEW TASK FORCE MEMBER, PAUL D FK FROM D TWO.
UM, PAUL, YOU WANNA INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND THEN WE CAN GO AROUND AND DO INTRODUCTIONS? SURE.
I'M, UH, PURSUING, UH, LOCAL PUBLIC INTEREST ENVIRONMENTAL WORK.
UM, I'VE BEEN IN AUSTIN A FEW YEARS.
I SPENT THE TIME THAT I WAS HERE BEFORE, UM, SPLITTING MY, UH, WORK RESPONSIBILITIES BETWEEN PODER AND SAVE OUR SPRINGS.
SO I GOT A KIND OF INTERESTING EDUCATION, I THINK IN CENTRAL ED, TEXAS, UH, WATER ISSUES BOTH EAST AND WEST OF I 35.
UM, BEFORE THAT I WAS ON A TOTALLY DIFFERENT CAREER PATH AND I WAS WORKING IN BIG OIL AND I WAS TRYING TO SAVE IT FROM ITSELF.
YOU CAN PROBABLY IMAGINE HOW THAT WENT.
UM, BUT I DID SOME HOPEFULLY NET POSITIVE PROJECTS.
I THINK, UH, I WAS WORKING IN CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, SO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.
I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THOSE EXPERIENCES.
UM, WHAT ELSE? I'M ORIGINALLY AM FROM DALLAS.
I HAVE DEGREES IN POLITICAL SCIENCE, INTERNATIONAL, UH, BUSINESS AND FINANCE FROM DAVIDSON COLLEGE AND GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY.
SOME WOULD SAY I'M AN ADDICT, UH, BUT I AM NEVERTHELESS A REGULAR VOLUNTEER WITH THE LOCAL CHAPTER.
UM, YEAH, I'M, I'M THRILLED TO BE HERE.
I'M HONORED TO HAVE BEEN APPOINTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTEZ AND I, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL AND LEARNING FROM, UM, ALL THE EMINENT WATER EXPERTS IN THIS ROOM.
AND, UM, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO ANYBODY ON THIS COMMITTEE FOR ANYTHING THAT YOU MAY NEED OR BACKGROUND ON ANY OF THE THINGS WE TALK ABOUT OR FEEL FREE TO ASK QUESTIONS.
AND, UM, AND, AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING OUR, OUR SMALL BUT MIGHTY TEAM.
SO I'M GONNA PASS IT AROUND TO THE FOLKS ONLINE TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.
UM, VANESSA, YOU WANNA GO NEXT? OKAY, SORRY, I BUTTON WAS IN A DIFFERENT PLACE.
I AM, UH, VANESSA QUIG WILLIAMS. I, UM, WORK FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND ON GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY.
SO, UM, CROSS PATHS WITH SAVE OUR SPRINGS, OBVIOUSLY A LOT ON THAT.
UM, BEEN ON THE TASK FORCE NOW FOR A FEW YEARS AND UM, IT'S ALWAYS SUPER INTERESTING.
UH, I FEEL LIKE I LEARN A LOT EVERY MEETING AND UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE ALSO BEEN, UM, WORKING A LOT WITH JENNIFER AND THE CITY ON, UM, THE WELL BASE DIRECT ONSITE REUSE.
SO THAT'S BEEN KIND OF INTERESTING TO SORT OF TRY TO ADVANCE THAT, UM, ISSUE AND SORT OF SEE HOW IT PLAYS OUT TO YOU ON THE GROUND HERE IN AUSTIN.
SO, GLAD TO MEET YOU HEP TODD, HOW ABOUT YOU NEXT? GREAT, THANKS.
UM, TODD BART, LONGTIME AUSTIN RESIDENT, FORMER ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER, AND UM, YOU KNOW, NOW I'LL JUST DO SOME INVESTING IN, PARTICIPATE IN THE TASK FORCE.
YEAH, AM ALLEN, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEP.
UH, YEAH, A COUPLE OF THINGS QUICKLY.
PAUL, DID YOU SAY YOU WENT TO DAVIDSON COLLEGE? I DID, YES.
I HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS THAT BOTH WENT TO DAVIDSON.
REALLY? AND THEN, BUT THAT'S, UH, I DIDN'T REALIZE YOU WERE SO INVOLVED WITH THE E DF FOR WHAT THAT'S WORTH.
AND MY DAUGHTER'S, UH, VICE CHAIR, THE E D F, SO THERE YOU HAVE IT.
UM, I'M IN THE REAL ESTATE BUSINESS.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ALL OF YOU KNOW, ALL OF YOU KNOW CARMEN.
WHO IS MY NIECE? THE WRONG THING.
UM, I WAS APPOINTED BY PO DISTRICT THREE AND I'M STILL HANGING ON AND, UM, I FIND ALL OF THIS VERY INTERESTING.
I PROBABLY KNOW LESS PER SE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT I TRY TO UNDERSTAND IT AND I'M EXCITED BY IT AND I THINK WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
[00:05:01]
MY NAME'S, UH, ROBERT MACE.I'M, UM, REPRESENTING DISTRICT SEVEN APPOINTED BY LESLIE POOLE.
I THINK I'VE BEEN ON THIS COMMITTEE FOR PAST FIVE YEARS.
SHOULD GET A TROPHY OR SOMETHING.
UM, MY, UH, DAY JOB IS I WORK AT UNIVERSITY, UM, TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY AND, UM, LEAD THE META CENTER FOR WATER IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
UM, AND BEFORE I JOINED THE UNIVERSITY SIX, SEVEN YEARS AGO, I WORKED AT THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD FOR 18 YEARS.
SO VERY STEEPED IN WATER PLANNING, INNOVATIVE WATER TECHNOLOGIES AND, AND, UH, THIS COMMITTEE'S BEEN A HOOT.
YEAH, THIS IS A GREAT COMMITTEE.
UM, AND PAUL, WE KNOW EACH OTHER.
UM, AND FOR FOLKS THAT DON'T KNOW, UM, MY DAY JOB IS I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS COAST AND WATER PROGRAM AT NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION.
AND, UM, I'VE BEEN SERVING ON THIS COMMITTEE FOR A LOT LONGER THAN ROBERT, I THINK, CUZ I'VE BEEN SERVING, I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN SERVING ON THIS COMMITTEE SINCE BEFORE IT WAS A COMMITTEE SINCE BEFORE IT EXISTED, UH, WITH, WITH SOME OF THE FOLKS HERE.
SO, AND THEN THE OTHER THING, PAUL, WE HAVE, UM, FOLKS EX OFFICIO, NON-VOTING MEMBERS FROM DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS.
UM, SINCE THIS IS A ONE WATER OR INTEGRATED PLAN, UM, THE WATER FORWARD PLAN, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE FOLKS FROM OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS HERE, NOT ONLY TO LISTEN, BUT TO PUT THEIR INPUT IN BECAUSE A LOT OF THIS STUFF IS CROSS ORGANIZATIONAL THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OR CAN BE IF, IF WE WORK TO MAKE IT MAKE IT THAT WAY.
SO FOLKS FROM WATERSHED, FROM PARKS, FROM AUSTIN ENERGY, SO THEY, UM, ALSO VERY GENEROUSLY, UH, SHOW UP HERE AND SPEND TIME WITH US AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, LEONA, UM, FROM, UH, FROM PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT FROM PAR, UM, AND THEN TONY, UH, FROM AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.
AND THEN, UH, MICHAEL HOFFMAN.
UM, MICHAEL, WHO ARE YOU? WHICH DEPARTMENT? I'M NOT SEEING YOU.
I'M LIKE, HAVE THIS LIST HERE.
I'M GOING OFF OF, I'M WITH AUSTIN ENERGY.
AND THEN DID I MISS ANYBODY ONLINE? OKAY.
AND THEN I'LL JUST LET THIS, THIS AUSTIN WATER FOLKS HERE, JUST GO DOWN THE LINE AND INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.
I KNOW WE'RE TAKING A LOT OF TIME DOING THIS, BUT, UM, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO GET RESET AND WE'VE GOT, UM, OUR NEW AUSTIN WATER DIRECTOR HERE TOO, SO THIS IS A REAL TREAT TO HAVE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, IT'S GREAT TO BE WITH YOU ALL.
MY NAME IS SHAY ROLLS ROLSON, AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN WATER.
UM, I BECAME DIRECTOR ON JANUARY 1ST, SO, UM, JUST THREE-ISH MONTHS, UH, INTO THE JOB.
BEFORE THAT, I WAS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES WITHIN AUSTIN WATER.
SO, UH, RAN THE, UH, MANAGE THE TEAM WHO RUNS AUSTIN WATER'S, C I P C I P DELIVERY.
UM, THAT'S ALL OUR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT ACROSS THE UTILITY.
UM, BEFORE THAT I SPENT, UM, ABOUT 26 YEARS IN IN CONSULTING ENGINEERING, UM, WORKING FOR, UH, DIFFERENT CON THREE DIFFERENT CONSULTING FIRMS AND WORKING FOR UTILITIES ALL OVER TEXAS.
SO LOTS OF, UM, WATER WASTEWATER, RECLAIMED WATER, UM, PROJECT DELIVERY IN MY BACKGROUND.
AND, UM, DABBLED IN SOME WATER SUPPLY PLANNING AS WELL.
REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK OF THIS TASKFORCE.
UM, COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU ALL, AND I'M HAPPY TO TURN IT OVER TO OUR VERY CAPABLE STAFF.
THANKS FOR, UM, MAKING TIME TO BE HERE.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT SO QUICKLY.
MY NAME'S KEVIN KRUK AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR AUSTIN WATER.
I'M OVER OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AREA, SO I HAVE THE GOOD FORTUNE OF WORKING WITH OUR, UH, WATER RESOURCES PLANNING TEAM.
I, UM, HAVE A LONGER CAREER THAN I'D PROBABLY LIKE TO ADMIT.
I'VE GROWN UP AND LIVED IN AUSTIN FOR OVER 50 YEARS, UH, CIVIL ENGINEER BY TRAINING AND, UH, DONE WATER RESOURCES WORK FOR THE LAST, UH, NEARLY 40 YEARS.
I'M THE DIVISION MANAGER OR MANAGING ENGINEER FOR SYSTEMS PLANNING DIVISION, AND THAT'S THE DIVISION THAT, UM, UH, IS INVOLVED IN LEADING THE WATER FORWARD PROGRAM AND INCLUDES THE WATER RESOURCES TEAM THAT MARISA FLORES GONZALEZ LEADS.
AND, UH, IT ALSO INCLUDES, UH, RESOURCE AND IN ADDITION TO RESOURCE PLANNING, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING AND ANALYSIS FOR THE WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS. AND THEN ALSO, UM, FOR THE RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEMS. I'VE BEEN HERE A VERY LONG TIME SINCE, UM, JANUARY OF 1985 AND REALLY, UH, ENJOY THIS WORK AND, AND VERY HAPPY TO BE INVOLVED AND EXCITED ABOUT WATERFORD AND THE WATERFORD PROGRAM AND, UM, AND
[00:10:01]
WATER RESOURCES AND, AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THIS ARENA.J JANELLE, I FEEL LIKE EVERYBODY KNOWS ME.
I'VE TALKED WITH AND EMAILED ALL OF YOU
J L NICHOLSON, PROGRAM MANAGER AUSTIN WATER.
JANE JANELLE'S EMAILS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT
AND I'M MARISA FLORES GONZALEZ.
I'VE BEEN WORKING IN WATER WASTEWATER AND STORMWATER FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS.
I'VE BEEN AT THE UTILITY NOW FOR NINE YEARS, UH, IN MAY AND HAVE BEEN WITH THIS TASK FORCE SINCE THE BEGINNING, ALONG WITH TERESA, UM, AND SEVERAL OUR OTHER OF OUR MEMBERS.
UM, AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO HAVE SEEN THIS WORK GROW AND EVOLVE AND CONTINUE TO STAY STRONG.
UM, AND THEN, UM, WAIT, I THOUGHT I JUST SAW HIM, BILL.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, BILL MORIARTY.
BILL, WE'RE DOING INTRODUCTIONS.
WE HAVE A NEW TASK FORCE MEMBER, UM, PAUL D FIORI.
DO YOU WANNA INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND THEN WE'LL GET GOING WITH OUR AGENDA.
UH, I'VE BEEN ON TASK TASKFORCE, UH, SINCE THE BEGINNING.
UH, I'M AN ENGINEER, BUT I'M RETIRED.
UM, AND I ALSO SERVE ON THE WATER WASTEWATER COMMISSION, SO HAPPY TO BE HERE.
THAT WAS, UH, I FELT LIKE INDULGENT AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT ALSO NICE TO DO.
WE DON'T HAVE, WE HAVEN'T DONE IT IN A WHILE AND, AND, AND WE DON'T SEE EACH OTHER IN PERSON VERY OFTEN ANYMORE.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
GO AHEAD AND GET MOVING WITH OUR AGENDA.SO WE, UM, WE HAVE MINUTES FROM OUR DECEMBER 12TH MEETING.
UH, DO WE, DO I HAVE, UM, DOES ANYONE WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THEM?
THANK YOU, ROBERT, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? COULD JUST RAISE YOUR HAND.
IT'S UP TO YOU PEOPLE ON THE SCREEN.
ANY, UM, DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
[2. Update on water supply conditions, presented by Austin Water staff]
TO THE WATER SUPPLY CONDITIONS.UM, IT'S BEEN REALLY FUN LOOKING AT HYDRA MET THE PAST WEEK TO SEE YOUR RAINFALL TOTALS AND STREAM FLOW, BUT, UH, LET'S LET, UH, LET THE PROFESSIONALS DO MORE THAN THE ARMCHAIR METEOROLOGISTS LIKE ME ARE DOING.
WE'LL BE BRINGING UP OUR SLIDES AND I JUST WANTED TO NOTE, I THINK WE DISCUSSED IT OR MENTIONED IT, BUT JUST FOR THE, UM, THE VALUE OF THE RECORDING.
WE DID NOT HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION TODAY.
SO WE'LL NOTE THAT IN THE MINUTES AS WELL.
UM, WE WANTED TO PROVIDE, UH, A BRIEF WATER SUPPLY UPDATE, SO IF YOU CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT LINE.
UH, SO THIS IS A, A PRETTY STANDARD, UM, CHART THAT WE SHOW EVERY WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE MEETING.
JUST TO ORIENT YOU TO WHAT'S BEING SHOWN HERE.
THIS SHOWS HIGHLAND LAKES INFLOWS ON A MONTHLY BASIS, THE MONTHS FROM JANUARY TO DECEMBER.
ON THE X-AXIS, ON THE Y AXIS IS THE ACRE FEET OF INFLOWS, UM, INTO THE HIGHLAND LAKES.
THOSE, UH, INFLOWS AND ACRE FOOT, JUST FOR REFERENCE IS 325,851 GALLONS.
IT'S EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT YOU WOULD HAVE IF YOU FILLED A FOOTBALL FIELD, UH, FULL OF WATER TO A DEPTH OF ONE FOOT.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, SHOWN IN DIFFERENT COLORED BARS, SEVERAL DIFFERENT VALUES.
WE HAVE IN THE LIGHT BLUE, THE AVERAGE FROM 1942 TO PRESENT, WHICH IS THE PERIOD OF RECORD OR THE PERIOD OF TIME, UH, THAT THE HIGHLAND LAKES HAVE EXISTED SINCE THEY WERE BUILT.
UM, IN THE DARKER BLUE IS THE AVERAGE FROM 2008 TO 2015.
UM, AND THAT AVERAGE COINCIDES WITH OUR NEW DROUGHT OF RECORDS.
SO WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE THE, UM, WORST DROUGHT WE'VE EXPERIENCED HERE IN THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER BASIN, AND THEN IN THE GREEN AS SHOWN 2022 THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
AND THE PURPLE SHOWS A MONTHLY INFLOWS FOR JANUARY THROUGH MARCH OF 2023.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR INFLOWS IN 2022 AND 2023 HAVE BEEN VERY LOW INFLOWS IN 2022.
UM, SET A RECORD FOR, UM, OUR BASIN AS THE LOWEST INFLOWS WE'VE IN, IN THAT PERIOD OF RECORD.
UM, AND WE CONTINUE TO SEE THAT LOW INFLOW PATTERN OCCURRING HERE, UM, IN THE FIRST MONTHS OF CALENDAR YEAR 2023.
[00:15:02]
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, EVEN WITH THOSE LOW INFLOWS, WE HAVE, UH, SEEN MORE TAPERING OFF OF, UH, DROPS IN COMBINED STORAGE.IF YOU COMPARE 2022 TO 2011, JUST DUE TO CHANGES IN THE WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT L C R A USES THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY USES TO, UM, OPERATE THE HIGHLAND LAKES.
UM, THOSE CHANGES WERE MADE AFTER, UH, 2011, WHICH WAS OUR, OUR LAST HOTTEST AND DRIEST YEAR ON RECORD.
UM, AND SOME ADDITIONAL CHANGES INCLUDING, UH, CONSERVATION EFFORTS ON THE PART OF CITY OF AUSTIN CUSTOMERS AND OTHER CUSTOMERS THROUGHOUT THE BASIN.
UM, WE STARTED 2022 IN A SIMILAR PLACES IS WHEN WE STARTED AS WHERE WE STARTED IN THE BEGINNING OF 2011.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THOSE, UH, COMBINED STORAGE TRACES, UM, ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IN THAT 2022 AT THE END OF THE SUMMER, WE ENDED UP HIGHER THAN WHERE WE ENDED UP IN IN 2011.
THAT'S, UH, IMPORTANT TO NOTE, BUT YOU STILL NOTICE THAT WE'RE, UH, CURRENTLY AT ABOUT 51% FULL IN TERMS OF COMBINED STORAGE.
UM, AND WHILE WE ANTICIPATE THAT, UM, POTENTIALLY MAY AND JUNE WILL BRING SOME MORE PRECIPITATION TO OUR AREA, IT'S LIKELY THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE SOME DROPS IN COMBINED STORAGE THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER AS WE SEE, UM, HOTTER TEMPERATURES.
UH, IF YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, WE ALSO TYPICALLY INCLUDE THIS WATER WEEKLY THAT'S PREPARED, UM, BY TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
INCLUDES INFORMATION FROM THE US DROUGHT MONITOR.
UH, SO THIS LATEST DROUGHT MONITOR MAP, UH, SHOWS A LITTLE EXPANSION IN DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS THE STATE, BUT, UM, IT SAYS IN CONTINUED INTENSIFICATION OF DROUGHT.
UM, WE ARE CONTINUING TO SEE THE EFFECTS OF DROUGHT IN OUR REGION, BUT WE HOPE THAT WE WILL BE TURNING A CORNER PRETTY SOON HERE.
UH, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, THIS SHOWS A THREE MONTH OUTLOOK FROM, UH, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, OR, OR OH, SORRY, FROM NOAH.
UH, SEASONAL TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK SHOWING ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES FOR APRIL, MAY, AND JUNE.
AND THEN, UM, EQUAL CHANCES OF AVERAGE PRECIPITATION FROM APRIL, MAY AND, AND JUNE OF 2023.
WE PAY ATTENTION TO THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION AS WELL AS THE ENSO FORECAST, UH, THAT'S PREPARED BY THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER.
THAT IS, UM, HAS, UH, DECLARED, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE OFFICIALLY SEEN THE END OF LA NINA, AND WE'VE MOVED INTO NEUTRAL, UH, CONDITIONS.
UM, FOR US THAT MEANS, UH, AN END TO, UH, WHAT IS TYPICALLY A HOTTER AND DRIER PATTERN OF WEATHER INTO AN A MORE AVERAGE CONDITION.
AND WE HOPE THAT, UM, IN THE, THE FALL, AT THE END OF SUMMER AND EARLY FALL, WE'LL MOVE INTO AN EL NINO CONDITION, WHICH, UH, CAN MEAN FOR OUR REGION, UH, WATER AND COOLER CONDITIONS.
WITH THAT SAID, THOUGH, UH, UH, WE WILL, IT STILL REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHAT, UH, THE IMPACT OF THAT, UM, UH, WEATHER AND CLIMATE PATTERN WILL HAVE ON PRECIPITATION WITHIN OUR AREA.
UH, IF YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, SO THIS SHOWS A FORECAST THAT'S PREPARED BY THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY.
THE DARK, UH, BLUE LINE, I THINK IT'S A BLUE LINE OR A BLACK LINE SHOWS ACTUAL LAKE STORAGE, UH, FROM APRIL, 2022 TO APRIL, 2023.
AND THEN THE DOTTED LINES ARE SHOWING, UM, UH, KIND OF PROBABILITIES OF, UH, THE POTENTIAL, UH, COMBINED STORAGE FROM APRIL, 2023 TO OCTOBER, 2023.
WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FORECAST BECAUSE IT DOES, UH, THAT IT DOES COVER A PERIOD OF TIME THAT'S, UM, PRETTY CRITICAL FOR US OVER THE, THE SUMMER PERIOD AND TAKES US THROUGH, UH, IN THE EARLY FALL WHEN WE TYPICALLY SEE COMBINED STORAGE START TO FLATTEN OUT.
SO WE'LL POTENTIALLY SEE SOME E A LITTLE BIT OF A BUMP UP IN MAY AND JUNE WITH SOME PRECIP, AND THEN WE'LL LIKELY SEE CONTINUED DECLINES IN COMBINED STORAGE OVER THE SUMMER.
UM, IN SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, WE MAY SEE ANOTHER LITTLE BUMP UP DEPENDING ON, UH, WEATHER CONDITIONS.
AND THEN IN OCTOBER THROUGH, UH, THE REST OF THE WINTER, WE WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT COMBINED STORAGE COULD FLATTEN OUT.
SO JUST A KEY TAKEAWAY HERE THOUGH IS THAT, UM, WE ANTICIPATE THAT IT'S HARD TO SEE SO FAR AWAY, AND I HAVE SURPRISINGLY OLD EYES.
UM, BUT WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE MAY BE MOVING INTO STAGE TWO DROUGHT CONDITIONS BY AROUND JUNE OR JULY
[00:20:01]
OF 2023.SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PREPARING FOR INTERNALLY IN TERMS OF DROUGHT RESPONSE ACTIONS ON THE PART OF OUR CONSERVATION TEAM OR COMMUNICATIONS, UM, AND ENGAGEMENT THAT WILL NEED TO BEGIN NOW AND, AND INTO THE SUMMER.
REMIND ME WHAT STAGE TWO ENTAILS? THE PRIMARY, UH, ACTION RELATED TO STAGE TWO IS A SHORTENING OF THE WATER WINDOW WITH A WATERING WINDOW.
SO I THINK IT'S LIKE A, A COMES OUT TO A TOTAL OF LIKE A THREE HOUR REDUCTION IN THE WATERING WINDOW.
UM, AND THEN THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER, UM, COMPONENTS RELATED TO RESTRICTIONS ON, ON, UM, KIND OF IN, UH, INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES, BUT THEY'RE NOT EXTENSIVE.
THE PRIMARY ACTION IS THE, THE SHORTENING OF THAT WATERING WINDOW.
AND THERESA AND KEVIN, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D WANNA ADD.
UM, IN THE PAST WHEN WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT DROUGHT, OR MAYBE WE'VE JUST BEEN IN DROUGHT FOR A WHILE, UM, UH, YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT, UH, PREPARING SOME KIND OF MEMO OR COMMUNICATION TO CITY COUNCIL ABOUT, UM, UPCOMING, YOU KNOW, DROUGHT AND HOW AUSTIN WATERS RESPONDING TO IT AND ACTIONS THAT IT MAY, THAT ARE RAMPING UP TO PLAN TO TAKE IF, IF THE DROUGHT CONTINUES TO DEEPEN.
IS THAT, DOES THAT UNDERWAY STILL, OR DOES IT ALREADY EXIST? IF SO, CAN YOU SHARE IT WITH THE TASK FORCE? JUST SO PEOPLE KNOW KIND OF WHAT'S COMING FOR JOB RESPONSE? MM-HMM.
UM, SO THAT'LL GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF A, A HEADS UP ABOUT SOME OF THOSE ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD BEGIN POTENTIALLY DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER.
UM, AND THERE MAY BE OTHER COMMUNICATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF THAT, UM, PRESENTATION, INCLUDING ADDITIONAL OUTREACH TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, AND OTHER INDIVIDUALS.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM FOLKS, UM, FROM VIRTUAL ATTENDEES? UM, I'VE GOT A QUICK QUESTION, MARISSA ON MM-HMM.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE REASON FOR THE HISTORIC LOWS? I MEAN, HAVE WE LOOKED AT LIKE, THE PRECIPITATION TRENDS? UM, AND ALSO I'M THINKING TOO, LIKE GROUNDWATER PUMPING IN THE UPSTREAM PORTION OF THE BASIN.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER LIKE RIGHT NOW, THAT'S FINE, BUT I GUESS MM-HMM.
WELL, WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC INFORMATION AROUND GROUNDWATER PUMPING IN THE UPPER BASIN.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, BEEN TRACKING, UH, TO SOME EXTENT, UM, PRECIPITATION TRENDS.
UM, AND I THINK THERE HAS BEEN SOME WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN LOOKING AT THE, THE CHANGING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RAINFALL AND RUNOFF, UM, WITHIN THE BASIN.
SO WHILE THAT COULD BE A CONTRIBUTOR, I THINK THE LARGER, THEY JUST MOVED OFF THE SCREEN, BUT, UM, I THINK THE LARGER CONTRIBUTOR WOULD JUST BE THAT, UM, UH, 22 WAS AN, AN EXCEPTIONAL YEAR IN, IN MANY RESPECTS IN TERMS OF, OF, UH, HEAT, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, LEADING TO INCREASED EVAPORATION AND THAT WOULD AFFECT SOIL AND MOISTURE.
SO ANY PRECIPITATION EVENTS THAT WE DID, UM, RECEIVE THEN WERE SUCKED RIGHT UP BY THE SOIL AS IT'S TRYING TO MAKE UP THAT DEFICIT.
NOTHING AGAINST PLANTS, BUT THAT, I THINK THOSE WERE, WERE REALLY BIG CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
AND IT WAS, UM, THIS PAST YEAR WAS, UH, REMARKABLE AS WELL IN THAT I THINK THIS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES WHERE WE HAD EXPERIENCED A NIA THREE YEARS IN A ROW AS, AS I UNDERSTAND IT.
AND PREVIOUSLY WE HAD, UH, WE'VE HAVE EXPERIENCED LA NINA'S TWO YEARS IN A ROW AND NOT THREE.
SO THAT BUILDS UP KIND OF A DEFICIT, UM, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ESSENTIALLY TRYING TO MAKE UP AND, AND LEADS TO THESE KIND OF SYSTEMATIC CHANGES IN, IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH INFLOW WE'RE ULTIMATELY GETTING IN THE HIGHLAND LAKES.
BUT I, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO FEEDS INTO SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AROUND CLIMATE CHANGE AND TRYING TO, UH, YOU KNOW, BETTER UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS THAT CLIMATE CHANGE AND, AND CHANGING TEMPERATURE, UH, UH, TEMPERATURES AND RAINFALL DISTRIBUTIONS WILL HAVE ON THE BASIN AS A WHOLE.
WE JUST, UH, THE META CENTER, WE PUBLISHED A STUDY A
[00:25:01]
MONTH OR SO AGO THAT WAS LOOKING IN PART AT, AT, UH, INFLOWS TO THE COLORADO RIVER SYSTEM MM-HMM.AND ONE SURPRISING OUTCOME WAS THAT THERE WAS A, A CHANGE IN, IN, UM, FLOW CONTRIBUTIONS TO LIKE TRAVIS, UH, A VERY ABRUPT CHANGE THAT STARTED IN 2008.
AND SO THERE WAS MUCH MORE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE, UM, LAKE TRAVIS PRE 2008, AND THEN IT, THE SLOPE FLATTENED DOWN.
AND, AND, AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE AT THE SAME LEVEL OF CONTRIBUTIONS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE DROUGHT IN 2009.
UM, SO THAT WAS, UH, SURPRISE.
I MEAN, WE WEREN'T, THAT WASN'T WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT, BUT IT WAS JUST INTERESTING TO SEE THAT THERE'S A SUGGESTION, AT LEAST INFLOW WISE FROM THE PERLES, WERE IN THE SAME CONDITION.
AND WELL, JUST A QUESTION, UH, HAVE Y'ALL LOOKED AT WHETHER THAT'S DUE TO CHANGES IN, IN WHERE PRECIPITATION IS OCCURRING, OR NO? YEAH, OUR STUDY WAS JUST LOOKING AT INFLOW, SO, SO WE, WE PLOTTED CUMULATIVE, UM, FLOWS OVER TIME AND, UH, UM, BUT IT, IT BEGS FOR, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT MORE DETAILS, JUST, UH, IT WAS JUST KIND OF A LITTLE INTERESTING.
IT'S LIKE, WELL THAT'S INTERESTING.
BUT YEAH, I, I GUESS I ASKED TOO BECAUSE WE'LL BE, UM, AND WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THIS LATER, BUT WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS COLORADO RIVER LAND ANALYSIS, UM, WORK AS PART OF THE WATER 4 20 24 UPDATE.
AND I THINK THIS TASK FORCE IS SLATED FOR, UM, AN OVERVIEW OF THAT WORK IN FUTURE MEETINGS.
BUT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE FACTORS THAT LEAD TO, YOU KNOW, UH, CONTRIBUTION OF, UH, RUNOFF INTO, INTO THE SYSTEM IN THE, UH, BASIN THAT THAT'S UPSTREAM OF THE CITY OF BOSTON AND, AND HOW CAN WE KIND OF BEST WORK TO, UM, PRESERVE, UH, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WATER QUALITY AS WELL AS TO A MUCH LESSER EXTENT WATER QUANTITY, UM, THROUGH EDUCATION OUTREACH OR OTHER LAND CONSERVATION STRATEGY.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE EXPLORING MORE.
THERE'S, THERE'S A, I DIDN'T LOOK AT, WE DIDN'T LOOK AT IT STATISTICALLY, BUT THERE'S VISUALLY THERE'S LESS INTENSE, THERE'S BEEN LESS INTENSE RAINFALL SINCE 2008 THAN PRE 2008.
AND THAT IS THE END OF OUR PRESENTATION HERE IN CASE ANYONE HAS ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
[3. Update on Water Forward 2018 implementation status, presented by Austin Water staff]
MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT PRESENTATION, WHICH IS WATERFORD 2018.UH, AND SO PAUL, UH, WE'VE GOT WATERFORD 18, WHICH IS THE CURRENT PLAN IMPLEMENTATION, AND YOU'LL ALSO HEAR WATER FOR 24, WHICH IS THE UPDATED PLAN THAT IS UNDER DEVELOPMENT.
SO THAT'S KIND OF LIKE THE SHORTHAND, HOW WE REFER TO BOTH OF 'EM.
WE HAVE SUBCOMMITTEES ALSO WATERFORD 18 SUBCOMMITTEE AND A WATERFORD 24 SUBCOMMITTEE.
UM, AND, UH, THERE'S DETAILED NOTES IN YOUR PACKET FROM THE MEETINGS THAT THOSE COMMITTEES HAVE HAD.
AND ALSO, UM, WE HAVE TO STAY, WE HAVE A LIMIT ON THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS FOR THOSE COMMITTEES.
AND WE CAN CHECK WITH JANEEL TO SEE WHAT COMMITTEES, IF ANY.
I THINK MAYBE THEY BOTH HAVE OPENINGS ON THEM, BUT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SERVING ON WONDER, BOTH OF THOSE, UM, REACH OUT TO MYSELF AND JANE L AND MARISA AND WE CAN GET THAT FIGURED OUT FOR YOU.
UM, SO LET'S MOVE INTO THE WATER FOUR 18, I THINK.
UM, SO YOU HAVE A REPORT WITHIN YOUR PACKETS.
IT'S A, UH, A P D F THAT HAS, UH, IT'S ENTITLED WATER 4 20 18 FY 23 Q1 IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS REPORT.
SO JUST FOR SOME BACKGROUND, OUR FISCAL YEARS RUN FROM OCTOBER 1ST TO SEPTEMBER 31ST.
SO THIS Q1 REPORT IS RUNNING FROM, UM, IS COVERING THE PERIOD OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER OF CALENDAR YEAR 2022.
UM, SO LET ME KNOW IF ANY OF THAT IS CONFUSING, CUZ IT'S ALWAYS CONFUSING TO, TO ME AND TO US.
UM, BUT, UH, THIS REPORT IS PRETTY HIGH LEVEL.
IT INCLUDES UPDATES ON A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT, UM, WATER FORWARD STRATEGIES.
I'M NOT, NOT GONNA READ THROUGH THE WHOLE REPORT, UM, BUT I'LL JUST DO SOME WAYFINDING FOR FOLKS, UH, WHO ARE MAYBE NEW TO, TO THIS.
SO EACH LINE IS KIND OF DELINEATED BY A, A DIFFERENT COLOR.
UH, THE STRATEGY NAME IS IN THE UPPER LEFT HAND CORNER OF OF THE BOX, UM, WITH A BRIEF DESCRIPTION
[00:30:01]
OF THE STRATEGY ON THE FIRST PAGE.WE START WITH THE WATER FORWARD 2024 UPDATE.
SO THAT'S THE FIVE YEAR-ISH UPDATE TO THE PLAN.
AND THEN, UM, EACH STRATEGY KIND OF SUBSEQUENT TO THAT IS THIS, TO BELOW MY A T X WATER, UM, A M I REPLACEMENT IRRIGATION AND LANDSCAPE ORDINANCES, ANOTHER CONSERVATION STRATEGY.
UM, EACH ONE OF THE STRATEGIES SHOWS, UM, PROGRESS MADE WITHIN THE, UH, THE QUARTER THAT HAS PASSED.
UM, AND THEN SHOWS, UH, CURRENT AND PLANNED ACTIVITIES FOR THE QUARTER THAT IS EITHER UNDERWAY OR IS COMING UP.
AND THEN IT SHOWS UNDER FUTURE IMPLEMENTATION STEPS, UH, SOME LONGER TERM ACTIONS THAT ARE ANTICIPATED FOR THE STRATEGY.
WE TRY TO REFLECT IN THE ACTUAL VERSUS, UH, PLANNED PROGRESS, WHETHER, UH, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF THE BROADER IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE.
AND THEN, UM, UNDER Q UH, THE, THE STATS HEADER IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND QUARTER CORNER, UM, WE'RE TRACKING SEVERAL DIFFERENT STATISTICS RELATED TO THE STRATEGY.
SOMETIMES IF THE STRATEGY IS, UH, ONE THAT'S KIND OF IN PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PHASE, THAT COULD BE MORE LIKE MEETINGS HELD, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS BREACH SURVEYS, UH, SURVEY RESPONSES, UM, THAT WE'VE GOTTEN.
OR IT COULD INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE ON THE MY ATX WATER STRATEGY, THE NUMBER OF METERS THAT WE'VE INSTALLED, UM, THE NUMBER OF, UH, FOLKS THAT WE'VE INFORMED THAT THEY MAY HAVE LEAKS ON THEIR PROPERTY, UM, FOR THE CENTRALIZED RECLAIM STRATEGY, WE TRIED TO TRACK VOLUMES USED IN THAT QUARTER AS WELL AS IN THE FISCAL YEAR TO DATE.
LIKE I SAID, I'M NOT GONNA READ THROUGH THE WHOLE THING, BUT JUST SOME HIGHLIGHTS ON OUR ACTIVITIES FOR THE WATER 4 20 24, UM, UPDATE.
UH, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT LATER.
UM, BUT WE HAVE HELD A WATER FORWARD UNIVERSITY WEBINAR, UM, UH, ON I GUESS THAT WE HELD ONE ON NOVEMBER 9TH, BUT WE ALSO HELD ONE MORE RECENTLY, UH, IN THE LAST MONTH ON EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY.
AND, UM, WE'LL BE TALKING MORE ABOUT THAT TODAY.
AND THE, MY A TX WATER STRATEGY WITHIN Q1, UH, WE, UH, REACHED 110,000 INSTALLS, UH, FOR, UH, AMI METERS.
UH, WE'LL BE PLANNING A CELEBRATION IN EARLY MAY TO CELEBRATE THE 100000TH INSTALL, UM, TO HELP CONTINUE TO DRAW EYES TO THE PROGRAM AND, UH, HELP TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CONTINUE SIGNING UP FOR THE CUSTOMER PORTAL SO THAT WE CAN REACH FOLKS WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, UH, ABOUT THEIR WATER USAGE ON THE IRRIGATION AND LANDSCAPE ORDINANCE.
OUR STAFF HAVE BEEN, UH, CONTINUING TO TALK TO PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND GATHERING SURVEY RESPONSES ON SPEAK UP AUSTIN.
AND, UM, IN THE FUTURE QUARTERS WE'LL BE WORKING ON, UH, PROVIDING UPDATES TO WATER WASTEWATER COMMISSION.
WE'LL BE PLANNING TO COME BACK TO THIS TASK FORCE AS WELL IN THE FUTURE AND THEN DEVELOPING AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR THAT ORDINANCE.
UM, JUST TO MOVE TO THE NEXT PAGE, UH, WE HAVE A SPADE OF CODE CHANGES RELATED TO ONSITE WATER REUSE, BENCHMARKING AND RECLAIM WATER.
UM, UH, CENTRALIZED RECLAIM WATER CONNECTIONS IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE YEAR.
THE, THE STAFF WAS VERY BUSY, AS YOU CAN SEE BY ALL OF THE UPDATES THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THEIR, UM, THE, THEIR WORK INCLUDED WORKING INTERNALLY TO COORDINATE, UM, IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MANDATORY ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEM REQUIREMENT.
OUR STAFF HAVE ALSO BEEN WORKING ON A DUAL PLUMBING COST STUDY THAT'LL HELP TO INFORM COSTS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MANDATE.
UM, AND THEN OUR, OUR STAFF ARE ALSO WORKING WITH, UH, HOUSING AND PLANNING, OR I GUESS NOW IT'S THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT ON DEVELOPMENT OF AN AFFORDABILITY AND IMPACT STATEMENT.
UH, THAT'S DUE TO COUNSEL BY SEPTEMBER, 2023.
UH, JUST AS A REMINDER, THAT'S DUE IN ADVANCE OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE ONSITE WATER RIO SYSTEM REQUIREMENT.
THAT'LL BE IN DECEMBER OF 2023.
THE LINE BELOW SEEMS VERY SIMILAR TO, UH, THE LINE ABOVE, UM, BUT THE ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEM LINE ITEM IS MORE REFERRING TO THE PROGRAMMATIC IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEMS REGULATORY FRAMEWORK.
UM, THAT, UH, IN, IN, UH, IN IMPLEMENTING THAT FRAMEWORK, OUR STAFF IS CONTINUING TO REVIEW ONSITE WATER REUSE APPLICATIONS THAT ARE COMING IN.
UM, THOSE AND REVIEWING WATER BENCHMARKING APPLICATIONS FOR ALL SITE PLANS THAT WERE SUBMITTED AFTER DECEMBER 1ST, 2021.
UM, WE, UH, ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK ON USING THAT BENCHMARKING PROCESS TO IDENTIFY PROJECTS THAT ARE GONNA
[00:35:01]
BE REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT ONSITE WATER REUSE, UM, AND THEN TO, UH, CONTINUE TO WORK WITH APPLICANTS FOR INCENTIVE FUNDS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET THEIR SYSTEMS PERMITTED AND THEIR INCENTIVE PROGRAM FUNDS APPLIED.AND THEN MOVING ON TO THE NEXT PAGE ON THE DECENTRALIZED RECLAIM FRONT, OUR STAFF HAVE BEEN, UM, WORKING INTERNALLY, UH, INITIALLY TO SCOPE AND IMPLEMENT A PROJECT TO DEFINE SOME STANDARDS FOR A DECENTRALIZED WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN AND RECLAIMED INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN ELEMENTS.
AND OUR STAFF HAVE CONTINUED TO DO DECENTRALIZED RECLAIMED, UH, PLANNING RELATED TO THE NORTHEAST AND AND SOUTHEAST SERVICE REGIONS.
UM, OUR STAFF ARE ALSO CONTINUING TO WORK ON, UH, CONCEPTUALIZING THE DECENTRALIZED RECLAIMED STRATEGY FOR INCLUSION IN THE WATER 4 20 24 UPDATE.
AND THEN ON THE CENTRALIZED RECLAIM FROM A LOT OF ACTIVITIES BEEN HAPPENING THERE.
UM, SOME OF THE KEY HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE, UH, THE, THAT, UH, DESIGN IS ONGOING FOR THE FINAL, COMPLETING THE CORE MAIN.
SO AS WE ARE ABLE TO, UM, CONTINUE WORKING THROUGH THAT PROCESS WILL BECOME, UH, EVER CLOSER TO, UM, ULTIMATELY COMPLETING THAT CORE LOOP AND, AND ENHANCING THE RESILIENCY OF OUR CENTRALIZED RECLAIM SYSTEM.
UM, AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY, A LOT OF ACTIVITY HAPPENING THERE AS WELL.
WE HELD, UM, VIRTUAL ON IN-PERSON COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS IN FALL OF 2022 AND WE'VE CONTINUED OUR WORK ON CHARACTERIZING DIFFERENT A S R PROJECT ALTERNATIVES AND FINALIZING OUR EVALUATION CRITERIA.
WE'RE ALSO, UM, WORKING ON EVALUATING PROJECT ALTERNATIVES USING AN EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY LENS, UM, IN USING THE EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY TOOL THAT WAS DEVELOPED FOR THAT PROJECT.
AND THEN ON THE LAST PAGE HERE, WE'VE INCLUDED AN ADDITIONAL LINE ITEM FOR WATER LOSS.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, IN Q1 CONTINUED OUR ONGOING EFFORTS RELATED TO WATER LOSS IN TERMS OF PROACTIVE LEAK DETECTION, MINIMIZING LEAK RESPONSE TIMES, REPLACING DETERIORATED INFRASTRUCTURE AND AMI IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, WE'VE ALSO BROUGHT ON, OR IN Q1 WE RECEIVED RESPONSES FOR A WATER LOSS PROGRAM, REVIEW ANALYSIS AND OPTIMIZATION RFQ.
AND, UM, WE HAVE BROUGHT ON A CONSULTANT SINCE THAT TIME, UH, TO HELP REVIEW OUR WATER LOSS PROGRAMS. THIS IS A NEW LINE ITEM AND UM, WE ARE STILL WORKING THROUGH WHAT STATS WE'RE HOPING TO INCLUDE ON THIS.
I JUST WANTED TO START OFF THE FISCAL YEAR BY HAVING AT LEAST SOME NARRATIVE UPDATES ON THE STRATEGY.
YEAH, I'M REALLY, I NOTICED THE WATER LOSS ONE IS ON THERE AND I DIDN'T REMEMBER SEEING IT BEFORE.
SO, UH, SO THANK, I'M GLAD TO SEE IT ON HERE.
UM, IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT AND ALSO GETTING LOTS OF ATTENTION OUT THERE IN THE WORLD THESE DAYS.
IT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT ONCE THIS PROGRAM REVIEW ANALYSIS AND OPTIMIZATION IS COMPLETED TO HAVE A REPORT TO THE TASK FORCE OR LIKE A SUMMARY ABOUT THE FINDINGS.
AND I REMEMBER BACK, UM, ON SOME COMMITTEE I WAS APPOINTED TO FOR THE CITY, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH ONE.
UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, HEARING ABOUT, UM, IT'S PROBABLY WHEN I WAS ON ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND WE LOOK AT THE, THE BUDGET, UM, FOR AUSTIN WATER, SOME AND SOME PIECES OF IT, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, HEARING LIKE STATS ABOUT, ABOUT, UM, WATER LOSS AND, AND LIKE THE MILES OF LINES AND, AND THE PROGRAMS AND STUFF.
JUST KIND OF THE SPECIFICS ABOUT WHAT AUSTIN IS DOING TO LOOK AT WATER LOSS AND, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH YEAR OVER YEAR WE'RE INVESTING, WHETHER IT'S MORE OR LESS OR WHATEVER.
AT THAT POINT I SEEMED TO RECALL, THIS IS FUZZY CUZ IT'S, WHILE A WHILE BACK, AND I'M ALMOST PICTURING THERESA DELIVERING THIS INFORMATION TO US, BUT, UM, THAT, THAT THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, A A BIG IN A BIGGER INVESTMENT BEING MADE IN WATER LOSS THAT WAS GONNA BE SUSTAINED OVER TIME.
AND MAYBE THATS STILL HAPPENING, BUT I JUST REALLY REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, JUST NOTING THAT, THAT AUSTIN WAS MAKING THAT INVESTMENT AND THAT THE, THE KIND OF THE GOALS THAT WE HAD AS FAR AS, AS THE INTERVENTIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA DO, LIKE SHORTEN CALL TIMES OR ALL THESE THINGS.
SO THAT MAY BE IN IMPORTANT, USEFUL OR INTERESTING INFORMATION FOR FOLKS TO GET.
OR MAYBE IT'S JUST INTERESTING TO ME AND ROBERT, BUT, UM, I'M JUST GONNA PUT ROBERT IN THAT LIST AND SAY THAT HE'S GONNA BE INTERESTED IN THAT TOO.
UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, I WAS LOOKING AT WATER FORWARD AND THE ESTIMATED YIELD FOR STRATEGIES THE OTHER DAY AS ONE DOES IN THEIR FREE TIME.
AND, UM, I WAS LOOKING AT THE WATER USE AND BENCHMARKING LINE ITEM, WHICH IS IN THE, IT'S, YOU KNOW,
[00:40:01]
I THINK, YEAH, THERE IS A, AND I WAS NOTICING, SO FOR WATER USE, BENCHMARKING AND BUDGETING IN THE WATER FORWARD REPORT, THERE IS A LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER TO BE SEEN.UM, AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS LIKE, WE'RE GATHERING DATA AND WE'RE USING THAT DATA TO TALK TO DEVELOPERS AND TO HELP THEM MAKE BETTER DECISIONS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO, JUST LOOKING AT ALL THESE, THIS IS NOT THE ONE THAT WOULD NECESSARILY JUMP OUT TO SAY THAT AT THE END OF THIS, WE'RE GONNA BE SAVING 25,000 ACRE FEET PER YEAR.
WHAT IS IT? CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT, HOW WE GET THE BIG SAVINGS COMPARED TO A LOT OF THE OTHER STRATEGIES OUT OF THIS ONE? SURE.
UM, THAT IS A GREAT QUESTIONS BECAUSE THE STRATEGY DOES HAVE TWO PARTS TO IT.
THE WATER BENCHMARKING COMPONENT IS JUST US RECEIVING INFORMATION ABOUT A DEVELOPMENT'S POTENTIAL WATER USE AND USING THAT, UM, TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONSERVATION ONSITE WATER REUSE CONNECTION TO OUR CENTRALIZED OR DECENTRALIZED RECLAIM SYSTEMS, ET CETERA.
THE BUDGETING COMPONENT OF WATER USE, BENCHMARKING AND BUDGETING IS A, A STRATEGY THAT WE HAD IDENTIFIED AS COMING ONLINE, I BELIEVE IT'S SOMETIME IN THE 2030S.
AND THAT WOULD BE, UM, MORE IN ALIGNMENT WITH LIKE A TRADITIONAL WATER BUDGETING APPROACH WHERE WE WOULD USE INFORMATION WE'VE GATHERED OVER MANY YEARS THROUGH THE BENCHMARKING APPLICATIONS TO SET VOLUMETRIC THRESHOLDS, UM, TO IDENTIFY APPROPRIATE LEVELS OF WATER USAGE FROM DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT.
AND WE COULD TRY TO ENFORCE, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, CUSTOMERS ARE USING WATER TO THAT VOLUMETRIC THRESHOLD BY A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT MEANS IN OTHER PLACES.
UM, THEY'VE DONE IT BY, UH, UH, IMPLYING THE SURCHARGE FOR WATER USAGE THAT'S ABOVE A CERTAIN THRESHOLD AND IT, IT DOES RAMP UP QUITE A BIT OUT IN THE FUTURE.
UM, I WON'T BE HERE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN, BUT IT'LL BE EXCITING FOR WHO'S HERE.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE WATERFORD 18? THE FOR IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE? I JUST JUMPED IN WITH MY QUESTIONS, WHICH IS RUDE.
I SHOULD LET OTHER PEOPLE ASK QUESTIONS FIRST.
[4. Update on Water Forward 2024 project status, presented by Austin Water staff]
WITH OUR NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS WATERFORD 24, OUR WATERFORD UPDATE STATUS.UM, I DON'T THINK THERE'S NOTES IN HERE FOR THIS ONE.
OH YEAH, THERE, IT'S, THERE'S WATERFORD 24 UPDATE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING NOTES IN HERE, AND THEN THERE WAS ALSO ON FRIDAY A CLIMATE CHANGE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UM, THOUGH NOT THE PRECISELY CORRECT NAME OF THAT COMMITTEE, UH, MEETING THAT, UM, ROBERT AND I WERE PART OF AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE MEMBERS OF THAT COMMITTEE, UM, JOHN NIELSEN, GAMMON AND OTHERS.
IT QUICKLY GOT OUT OF THE REALM OF WHAT I EVEN UNDERSTAND, BUT STILL IT WAS VERY INTERESTING AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW TO INTEGRATE ALL THE CLIMATE CHANGE INFORMATION INTO THE WATER AVAIL WATER AVAILABILITY, UM, MODEL.
UH, RICHARD HOP POWER IS DOING A PRESENTATION, SO THERE'LL BE NOTES ON THAT UPCOMING TOO, BUT THERE'S SOME KIND OF OTHER PIECES OF THIS HAPPENING.
AND, UH, SORRY WE WEREN'T ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER THOSE NOTES IN, IT WAS JUST FRIDAY.
YEAH, IT WAS ON FRIDAY AND
IT WAS ON FRIDAY A NOTES, SO IT WAS AFTER THE POSTING DEADLINE.
UM, BUT WE WILL HAVE THOSE NOTES PUT TOGETHER AND, AND PROVIDED FOR, UH, A SUBSEQUENT TASK FORCE MEETING.
I THINK OUR NEXT ONE IS ON MAY 9TH, SO WE'LL HAVE THOSE NOTES BY THEM.
UM, AND I'M DOING WAY TOO MUCH TALKING, SO I'LL RECTIFY THAT IN FUTURE MEETINGS.
BUT, UM, FOR OUR TASK PROGRESS UPDATE, IF YOU CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO WE'VE GOT, UM, OUR TASKS LISTED OUT HERE AND, UM, I'LL JUST GO THROUGH THESE QUICKLY.
UH, IN TERMS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT, WE ARE BRINGING ON, UM, UH, CONSULTANTS TO HELP US WITH A WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY, OPTIMIZATION AND VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO BRINGING ON A, A CONSULTANT OFF OF A ROTATION LIST TO HELP US WITH, UM, CHARACTERIZING OUR WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES.
I'M GONNA TALK JUST REALLY QUICKLY ABOUT WHAT THOSE TWO THINGS MEAN.
CHARACTERIZING OUR WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES MEANS DEVELOPING INFORMATION ABOUT CONSERVATION, REUSE AND SUPPLY STRATEGIES, LIKE HOW MUCH THEY COST, HOW MUCH, UM, WATER SAVINGS OR YIELDS THEY PROVIDE AND OTHER INFORMATION, UM, ABOUT THEIR IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, THIS TIME AROUND WE'RE GONNA BE GATHERING INFORMATION AND ALIGNMENT WITH OUR EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY FRAMEWORK THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN THE NEXT ITEM.
THE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY OPTIMIZATION AND VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS,
[00:45:01]
UM, REFERS TO TWO DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES THAT WE'LL BE DOING THE OPTIMIZATION, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS OF WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, SO CONSERVATION, REUSE AND SUPPLY STRATEGIES, AND HOW THEY PERFORM AGAINST VARIOUS HYDROLOGIC DEMAND AND SUPPLY SCENARIOS.WE'LL BE RUNNING DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS OF STRATEGIES AGAINST HUNDREDS OF DIFFERENT SCENARIOS TO SEE WHICH ARE THE BEST PERFORMING STRATEGIES, ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF WATER SUPPLY, RELIABILITY AND RESILIENCE.
THE VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS WILL BE LOOKING AT ESSENTIALLY WHAT ARE, UH, WHAT CONDITIONS CAUSE OUR COMBINATIONS OF WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO NOT MEET OUR WATER NEEDS.
AND IN IDENTIFYING, UM, THOSE AREAS WHERE WE ARE EXPERIENCING STRESSORS, UM, WILL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THRESHOLDS THAT COULD, UH, INFORM US WHEN WE NEED TO ADAPT OUR WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY PORTFOLIO MOVING OUT INTO THE FUTURE.
SO IF YOU CAN THINK ABOUT OUR FULL 100 YEAR PLAN, THE FIRST 50 YEARS WILL BE A MORE DETERMINISTIC SET OF STRATEGIES.
THE FULL 100 YEAR PLAN WILL LOOK MORE LIKE A DECISION TREE, AND IN THAT DECISION TREE THERE WILL BE DECISION POINTS WHERE, UM, WE HAVE, UH, TRIGGERS THAT MIGHT PROMPT US TO MOVE DOWN AN, UH, UH, AN IMPLEMENTATION PATHWAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, CHOOSING MORE CONSERVATION OR MORE IMPLEMENTATION OF REUSE, UM, MOVING DOWN DIFFERENT PATHWAYS IN TERMS OF WHICH SUPPLY STRATEGIES WE NEED TO BRING ONLINE TO MEET WATER NEEDS A HUNDRED YEARS OUT INTO THE FUTURE.
SO I KNOW THAT'S A LOT OF GOBBLED TO GOO IN THE FIRST LINE
IT'S, I KNOW IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE DONE THIS MUCH TALKING TOO, SO I NEED TO PRACTICE
UM, TASK NUMBER TWO, UM, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UH, PRIMARILY JANE.
JANELLE HAS BEEN WORKING, UH, WITH OUR CG TO GATHER COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND DEVELOP THE DRAFT EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT TODAY.
OUR TEAM HAS ON TASK THREE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETED OUR PLAN METHODOLOGY, UM, THAT INCLUDES, UH, IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE JUST TALKED THROUGH WITH TASK ONE.
UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON TASK FOUR.
WE'RE INCORPORATING OUR FINALIZED POPULATION AND EMPLOYMENT PROJECTIONS, WHICH WERE PRESENTED IN DECEMBER INTO OUR DISAGGREGATED DEMAND MODEL TO DEVELOP OUR 100 YEAR DEMAND FORECAST.
AND WE HOPE TO HAVE THOSE COMPLETED IN THIS MONTH AND ARE PLANNING TO PRESENT THOSE TO THE TASK FORCE AT THE MAY 9TH MEETING.
UM, AND TASK FIVE FOR OUR CLIMATE AND HYDROLOGY WORK.
UM, WE'VE CONTINUED TO, UM, WORK WITH UT LIKE JENNIFER MENTIONED, WE MET WITH OUR, UH, CLIMATE TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP ON FRIDAY AND THAT WORK IS REALLY NEARING SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION.
OUR TEAM IS, UH, GONNA CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ARTICLES AND MEMORANDUM THAT ARE, UH, GONNA FORM THE BASIS FOR SOME JOURNAL ARTICLES THAT WILL BE SUBMITTING FOR PEER REVIEW.
WE WANT THIS WORK TO BE PEER REVIEWED AND, AND PRETTY ROBUST.
AND SO IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE ON TASK SIX, OUR NEEDS ASSESSMENT, UM, OUR PROJECT TEAM HAS BEEN UPDATING THE REGIONAL DEMANDS AS WELL AS SUPPLIES THAT'LL GO INTO, UH, THE WATER AVAILABILITY MODEL TO PERFORM THAT ANALYSIS.
WE'RE ALSO GATHERING FEEDBACK FROM THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER AUTHORITY ON THOSE ASSUMPTIONS.
WE HOPE TO HAVE THAT WORK COMPLETED IN MAY OR JUNE OF 2023.
AND THEN, UH, THE NEXT TASK, TASK SEVEN, OUR WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY CHARACTERIZATION.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORKING INTERNALLY TO GATHER DATA AND INFORMATION AND MEET WITH, UM, STAFF, UH, TO BEGIN UPDATING THE WATERFORD 18 STRATEGIES THAT WORK WE'RE PLANNING TO HAVE COMPLETED BY MID-OCTOBER 2023.
AND THEN, UM, TASK EIGHT, YOU'LL SEE THAT'S SPLIT UP INTO TWO.
THE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY OPTIMIZATION AND THE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.
THE OPTIMIZATION WORK WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE COMPLETED BY THE END OF CALENDAR YEAR 2023.
AND THEN THE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT WOULD BE MAY OF 2024.
SO THE PORTFOLIO EVALUATION AND THE ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT PLAN DEVELOPMENT, YOU CAN ENVISION THAT TAKING PLACE FROM ABOUT JANUARY, 2024 TO JUNE, 2024, WHERE WE WOULD TAKE THOSE, UM, TOP PERFORMING WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, UM, FROM THE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY OPTIMIZATION, WE WOULD TURN THOSE INTO SOME 50 YEAR PORTFOLIOS AND THEN EVALUATE THOSE AGAINST OUR MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS FRAMEWORK THAT INCLUDES THINGS THAT ARE BEYOND JUST WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY,
[00:50:01]
UM, THAT INCLUDE LIKE COST, SOCIAL FACTORS, ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES, THINGS LIKE THAT.AND THEN, UM, WE, IN TEST 10 WE WOULD BE DEVELOPING OUR PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE FINAL REPORT WE'RE CONTINUING TO DEVELOP DRAFT TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM AS OUR TASKS ARE BEING COMPLETED.
THESE TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM WILL BE THE BASIS FOR THE FINAL PLAN REPORT AND A PLAN SUMMARY DOCUMENT.
AND WE HOPE TO HAVE THAT COMPLETED IN FALL OF 2024.
THE FINAL PLAN REPORT WILL BE A COMPILATION OF THOSE TECHNICAL MEMORANDA.
AND THEN OUR GOAL THIS TIME, INSTEAD OF HAVING LIKE A 500 PAGE PLAN DOCUMENT IS TO HAVE A PLANNED SUMMARY DOCUMENT THAT WOULD BE MORE APPROACHABLE, UM, TO THE PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, MORE, UH, WRITTEN IN PLAIN LANGUAGE.
UM, THAT'S MORE IN THE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD OF, YOU KNOW, 50 PAGES, 40 TO 50 PAGES.
AND THEN THE TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM WOULD HAVE KIND OF THE FULL DETAILS FOR FOLKS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THAT.
SO WE'RE, THAT'S OUR GOAL IS TO COMPLETE THIS BY FALL OF 2024.
NOW WE MAY WE'LL STILL NEED TO GO THROUGH BOARD TASK FORCE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND COUNCIL APPROVAL PROCESSES AND THAT MAY TAKE US INTO THE EARLY PART OF 2025.
BUT, UM, WE'RE PUSHING TO GET A LOT OF THESE COMPONENTS DONE BECAUSE WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO STAY IN ALIGNMENT AS MUCH AS WE CAN WITH THE REGIONAL WATER PLANNING PROCESS SO THAT OUR WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FROM WATER FORWARD FEED INTO THE REGION K PLAN.
WELL, DOES THE PLAN NEED TO BE ADOPTED IN ORDER TO FEED THE STRATEGIES INTO REGION? K? I DON'T THINK THAT IT, THAT IT DOES, RIGHT? I DON'T THINK SO.
I DON'T THINK WE, WE WILL MAKE LIKE COUNCIL APPROVAL BY THE TIME THAT THE, UH, WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, BY THE TIME THAT THAT TASK IS DONE, UM, IN THE REGIONAL WATER PLANNING PROCESS.
BUT I THINK WE'LL MAKE THE JUNE, 2024 IF WE GET TO JUNE, 2024 AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, GOOD ALIGNMENT IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, OUR TASK FORCE AND IF WE'RE ABLE TO GIVE SOME UPDATES AND ADVANCE OF THAT TO OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND RELEVANT COMMITTEES OF COUNCIL, I THINK WE CAN FEEL FAIRLY COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT WE INCLUDED IN THE REGIONAL WATER PLANNING PROCESS.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS, UM, FROM THE TASK FORCE ABOUT THIS SCHEDULE OR, OR THE ITEMS ON IT? NOT THE SCHEDULE NECESSARILY.
UM, JUST UPDATING THE PLAN IS LIKE LOTS AND LOTS OF WORK SPECIALISTS IMPLEMENTING.
[5. Presentation of draft Equity and Affordability Roadmap, presented by Austin Water staff]
LET'S KEEP MOVING.WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO THE PRESENT.
WELL, I LOST MY AGENDA, UM, THE PRESENTATION OF THE EQUITY AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP AND, UH, CAN I ASK A QUESTION REAL QUICK ABOUT THE WATER UNI WATER 40 UNIVERSITY? SO I HAVE THAT ON MY SCHEDULE FOR LAST WEEK, BUT I DIDN'T EVER GET A NOTICE ABOUT IT.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK AT ONE OF OUR SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING WE WERE TOLD ABOUT IT TO PUT IT ON OUR CALENDAR AND I, SO I ASSUMED IT JUST KIND OF JUST WASN'T HAPPENING CUZ SOMETIMES THE MEETINGS DON'T HAPPEN.
BUT, UM, SO THAT DID HAPPEN AND IT, UM, ARE THERE MORE SCHEDULED? UH, WE PLAN TO HAVE SOME MORE, UM, THE IDEAS FOR EACH OF THEM TO BE RECORDED AND ALSO POSTED ON OUR SPEAK UP BOSTON PAGE FOR THOSE THAT WEREN'T ABLE TO ATTEND TO BE ABLE TO WATCH IT.
UM, THEY'RE NOT POSTED RIGHT NOW, BUT WE CAN LET YOU GUYS KNOW WHEN, WHEN THEY ARE POSTED AND SEND YOU THAT RECORDING.
UH, THE PRESENTATION THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO DO IS BASED PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THAT WE DID FOR THAT SESSION.
UM, BUT WATER FORWARD UNIVERSITY, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE MORE PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS ABOUT EACH OF OUR TASKS FOR WATER FORWARD 24 JUST SO THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, INCREASE OUR PUBLIC WATER KNOWLEDGE AND GET PEOPLE TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A, A ROBUST PROCESS AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE PLANNING, UM, WITH EQUITY AND, UM, DROUGHT AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN MIND.
I THINK THAT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE DOING THAT.
CAN WE, UM, CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS GET INVITATIONS TO THOSE WHEN THEY HAPPEN? CUZ I BET PEOPLE, I MEAN I WAS PLANNING ON JOINING THAT ONE.
UM, CUZ UH, YOU KNOW, I LOVE GOING TO UNIVERSITY FOR FREE, SO ESPECIALLY ON SUCH A RIVETING TOPIC.
UM, OKAY, WELL LET'S GET INTO OUR EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP AND I'M GLAD THAT WE GET TO HAVE A REDO OF WATER 40 UNIVERSITY FOR THIS MEETING ANYWAY.
[00:55:02]
IS THAT GONNA BE UJ NOW? MOSTLY.UM, CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? OKAY.
SO, UM, WE, WE WANTED TO BEGIN THIS, UH, PRESENTATION WITH A LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
THIS HAS BEEN ADAPTED FROM A LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT WAS DEVELOPED BY S AND TONY WARD WHO WORKED ON THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT STATES, WE ACKNOWLEDGE WITH RESPECT THAT THE LAND WE ARE ON IS THE TRADITIONAL AND ANCESTRAL HOMELANDS OF THET, KAWA, LE APACHE, PUEBLO, TEXAS BAND OF YAKI INDIANS AND OTHER INDIGENOUS PEOPLES NOT EXPLICITLY STATED.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE LONG HISTORY THAT HAS BROUGHT US TO RESIDE ON THE LAND AND TO SEEK TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR PLACE WITHIN THAT HISTORY.
AND WE BEGIN IN THAT WAY BECAUSE, UM, IN WORKING WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S EQUITY OFFICE, UM, WE HAVE LEARNED, UH, AS WELL AS WITH OTHER EQUITY, UM, UH, LEADERS, UH, WE HAVE LEARNED THE IMPORTANCE OF ACKNOWLEDGING HISTORY, UM, AND ITS IMPACTS ON THE, UH, SYSTEMIC, UH, RACISM AND OPPRESSIONS THAT PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCE TODAY AND THAT, UM, WE ACCOMPLISH OUR WORK IN TODAY.
UH, IF YOU CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO JUST TO REVISIT OUR WATER FORWARD 2024 MISSION STATEMENT, UH, THE MISSION STATEMENT OF THE PLAN IS TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT DIVERSE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO ADAPT TO GROWTH, DROUGHT, AND CLIMATE CHANGE, AND ENSURE A SUSTAINABLE, RESILIENT, EQUITABLE AND AFFORDABLE WATER FEATURE FOR OUR COMMUNITY FOR THE NEXT 100 YEARS.
UM, AND WITH A FOCUS ON THE WORD EQUITABLE FOR THIS PRESENTATION, YOU CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES ALSO INCLUDED A GUIDING PRINCIPLE, UH, UH, SEVERAL GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT RELATE TO THIS PRESENTATION TO USE A HOLISTIC AND INCLUSIVE APPROACH TO WATER RESOURCE PLANNING THAT INCORPORATES AUSTIN C COMMUNITIES VALUES AND TO USE AN EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY LENS TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT THE PLAN.
AND, UM, WE WILL DESCRIBE IN THE NEXT SERIES OF SLIDES HOW WE HAVE, UM, SOUGHT TO OPERATIONALIZE USING AN EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY LENS, UM, IN THE WATER 4 20 24 UPDATE.
IF YOU CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO WE'VE, UM, ENGAGED IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES.
THE FIRST IS THAT WE HELD A STEP EQUITY TRAINING, GIVE US A THREE DAY EQUITY TRAINING FOR AUSTIN WATER, UH, STAFF WHO WOULD BE INVOLVED IN THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
UM, THAT WAS FACILITATED BY AN OUTSIDE CONSULTANT, JOYCE JAMES CONSULTING.
UM, AND WE ALSO HELD AN EQUITY GROUNDING FOR OUR COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS GROUP, AS WELL AS, UM, SEVERAL MEMBERS OF OUR WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE AND SEVERAL MEMBERS OF STAFF.
UM, THAT EQUITY GROUNDING, UH, INCLUDED, UM, OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN MORE FROM OUR CITY OF AUSTIN EQUITY OFFICE, AS WELL AS OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS WHO HAVE, UM, DONE SIMILAR TYPES OF PLANNING WORK IN HOW THEY'VE INCORPORATED EQUITY INTO THEIR WORK.
UM, THROUGH THOSE TRAININGS AND GROUNDINGS, UM, WE SOUGHT TO DEVELOP A SHARED EQUITY LENS AND TO DISCUSS, UH, CREATE A SPACE TO DISCUSS INSTITUTIONAL AND STRUCTURAL RACISM IN THE HISTORICAL AS WELL AS THE CURRENT CONTEXT.
UM, THE AUSTIN WATER ALSO FORMED ITS FIRST COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS GROUP BUILDING OFF OF THE EXAMPLE OF THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN AND OTHER, UM, ENDEAVORS THAT THE, THE CITY HAS, UM, ENGAGED IN.
THAT COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS GROUP WAS FORMED TO HELP DEVELOP THE WATER FORWARD 2024 EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP AND TOOL THAT THEY MET FROM MARCH, 2022 UNTIL MARCH, 2023 FOR THAT SPECIFIC PURPOSE.
AND THEN THE EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP AND TOOL, UM, IS A, A DOCUMENT AS, UH, WELL AS A FRAMEWORK, UM, THAT HELPS US TO EVALUATE THE DISTRIBUTION OF BENEFITS AND BURDENS FROM PLAN IMPLEMENTATION OUTCOMES.
LOOKING AT, UM, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN FROM A DISTRIBUTIVE EQUITY PERSPECTIVE, AS WELL AS FROM A PROCEDURAL EQUITY PERSPECTIVE IN TRYING TO DESCRIBE APPROACHES TO HAVE MORE EQUITABLE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I THINK THIS IS THE POINT AT WHICH I HAD HANDED OVER TO JANNO.
UM, SO, UH, Y'ALL HAVE SEEN THIS, UH, FIGURE A FEW TIMES BEFORE.
UM, IT OUTLINES OUR, UH, TIMELINE OF TASKS FOR THE WATER FORWARD 2024 PLAN UPDATE PROCESS, AND THE PURPLE BOXES ALONGSIDE IT SHOW OUR EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY WORK.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE VERY FIRST ONE IS DEVELOPING AN EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP AND FRAMEWORK THAT WE'LL GET INTO TODAY.
[01:00:01]
YOUR PACKETS.UM, AND OUR NEXT FEW STEPS INCLUDE DEVELOPING AN EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY TOOL, UM, AND UPDATING OUR EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT PLAN BASED ON RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THAT.
UM, MARISA TALKED EARLIER ABOUT CHARACTERIZING WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, UM, THAT WILL BE DONE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY TOOL, AS WELL AS USING THAT TOOL TO EVALUATE PORTFOLIOS AND THEN REFINE THOSE PORTFOLIOS, UH, A LITTLE BIT LATER WITH SOME OF THESE OUTPUTS.
WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, SO IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO BEGIN THIS EFFORT BY RECOGNIZING HISTORY AND HOW IT'S SHAPED MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES TODAY.
UM, I'M SURE A LOT OF YOU HAVE A MUCH STRONGER AND DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF TEXAS HISTORY, THOSE OF YOU THAT WERE BORN AND RAISED HERE, UM, THAN I DO.
BUT, UH, WE HAVE A FEW SLIDES TO JUST GO OVER SOME, SOME KEY POINTS.
UM, AND BY ACKNOWLEDGING THE ORIGINAL HOMELAND OF NATIVE PEOPLES AND POLICIES THAT RESTRICTED, UH, THE RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES OF, OF SO MANY PEOPLE, UM, BLACK, MEXICAN, UH, ASIAN AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, UM, WE CAN COME TO AN UNDERSTANDING THAT HISTORY, YOU KNOW, HAS CREATED A A S STRUC, THE STRUCTURAL AND INSTITUTIONAL INEQUALITIES THAT, UM, WE EXPERIENCE TODAY.
UM, OUR EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP.
UM, AND OUR NEXT DRAFT WILL INCLUDE A, A MORE ROBUST HISTORY, UM, THAT WE'LL SEND TO YOU ALL AS WELL.
UM, BUT TODAY WE'RE JUST GONNA SUMMARIZE, UH, SOME HISTORICAL INFORMATION RELATED TO RACE AND GOVERNMENT POLICIES.
UM, SO FIRST SLIDE TALKS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, TEXAS AND AUSTIN HISTORY, HOW TEXAS WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, UNDER SPANISH COLONIZATION FOR A WHILE, A PART OF MEXICO.
UM, THERE WAS SOME TENSION, UH, REGARDING SLAVERY BETWEEN TEXAS AND MEXICO.
UM, THERE WAS A TEXAS REVOLUTION AND INDEPENDENCE FROM MEXICO AND, UH, EVENTUALLY WAS ANNEXED BACK INTO THE UNITED STATES IN 19 18 45.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN WAS INCORPORATED IN 1839 AND ESTABLISHED BY THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS TO SERVE AS ITS PERMANENT CAPITAL.
UM, AND THEN BY 1840, UM, THERE'S A STATISTIC THAT HAS, UM, AUSTIN, INCLUDING 856, UH, TOTAL INHABITANTS AND 145 SLAVES TO GET AN IDEA OF THAT RATIO.
UH, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO THERE WERE A LOT OF, UM, FREEDMAN'S COMMUNITIES AND MEXICAN OR TEJANOS COMMUNITIES, UM, PREVALENT IN AUSTIN UP UNTIL ABOUT 1928.
UM, AFTER EMANCIPATION, A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT RACIAL GROUPS FORMED THEIR OWN KIND OF COMMUNITIES AROUND THE CITY.
UM, AND WE'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THIS IN SOME OF OUR EQUITY GROUNDINGS, AND THE EQUITY OFFICE GAVE US A PRESENTATION IN DECEMBER THAT GETS A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO THIS HISTORY.
UM, BUT THE 1928 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, UH, HAD LIMITED SERVICES TO RESIDENTS BASED ON RACE.
UM, BLACK PEOPLE HAD TO MOVE IN ORDER TO RECEIVE CERTAIN CITY SERVICES.
MEXICAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS WERE PUSHED TO EAST AUSTIN FROM OLD MEXICO TO MAKE ROOM FOR OFFICE BUILDINGS AND CITY BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN.
UM, AND A LOT OF CHINESE IMMIGRANTS WERE PROHIBITED FROM OWNING PROPERTY.
UM, THERE WERE FURTHER INJUSTICES, UH, WITH CITY DEVELOPMENT PLANS THAT ALLOWED FOR MORE INDUSTRY IN THE QUOTE UNQUOTE LEASE DESIRABLE AREAS OF THE CITY ON THE EAST SIDE AND AWAY FROM A LOT OF OUR NATURAL AREAS, SEARCH SUCH AS BARTON SPRINGS AND ITS AQUIFER RECHARGE ZONES.
UM, THIS INFORMATION REALLY SEEKS TO PLACE THOSE, THESE EVENTS IN CONTEXT AND UNDERSTAND THE HISTORICAL POLICIES AND PRACTICES.
UM, AND THE MAP SHOWS, UH, THE IMPACTS OF THE 1928 PLAN AND RACIAL CONCENTRATIONS IN 1928 THROUGH THE 1930S.
AND, UM, THESE ARE SOME MAPS OF PRESENT DAY DEMOGRAPHICS.
UH, THERE'S A WEBSITE FROM THE CITY DEMOGRAPHER, UH, THAT YOU CAN PLAY WITH, UH, A LOT OF MAPS AND GET A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO THIS INFORMATION.
UM, BUT THIS REALLY SHOWS THAT THE 1928 PLAN LAID A FOUNDATION FOR OUR POPULATION TODAY.
UM, THESE MAPS SHOW 2020 CENSUS DATA OF BLACK, HISPANIC, AND WHITE POPULATIONS IN AUSTIN, AS WELL AS MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN GREEN.
UM, AND AS THE EXPLOSIVE ECONOMY AND CULTURAL EFFECTS OF THESE POLICIES CONTINUE TO, UM, PUSH UP THE COST OF LIVING IN AUSTIN, UM, SOME HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS ARE STILL PLACING, STILL FACING DISPLACEMENT, UH, PRESSURES.
UM, AND THIS IS INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET AS WELL.
I BELIEVE THERE'S A LINK TO THE WEBSITE
[01:05:01]
AS WELL.WE CAN SEND THAT OUT LATER IF YOU WANT.
WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, SO AS A LOT OF Y'ALL PROBABLY REMEMBER, UH, THERE WERE A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT RACIAL AND ECONOMIC SEGREGATION THAT LED TO THE CREATION OF THE CITY'S EQUITY OFFICE, AS WELL AS A MAYOR'S TASK FORCE ON INSTITUTIONAL RACISM AND SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES.
UM, AND RACIAL EQUITY IS THE CONDITION WHEN RACE NO LONGER PREDICTS A PERSON'S QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN RECOGNIZES THAT RACE IS THE PRIMARY DETERMINANT OF SOCIAL EQUITY AND IS THERE, AND THEREFORE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEGUN OUR JOURNEY TOWARDS SOCIAL EQUITY WITH THIS DEFINITION AS A CITY, UM, AS A DEPARTMENT AND AS A GROUP FOR THIS PLAN.
UM, AND THE CITY ALSO RECOGNIZES HISTORICAL AND STRUCTURAL DISPARITIES AS A NEED, UH, FOR ALLEVIATION OF THESE WRONGS BY CRITICALLY TRANSFORMING IT'S INSTITUTIONAL AND IT'S INSTITUTIONS, I'M SORRY, AND CREATING A CULTURE OF EQUITY.
UM, WE KIND OF LED A LOT OF THIS WORK WITH THOSE TRAININGS AND GROUNDING SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A SIMILAR FOUNDATION IN MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AND THERE'S TWO, UH, DEFINITIONS HERE, DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE AND PROCEDURAL JUSTICE THAT I THINK WE'VE SHOWN YOU GUYS A FEW TIMES NOW.
UM, THAT'S ALSO INCLUDED IN SOME OF YOUR, UM, PACKETS.
SO IN, UH, CREATING AN EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP, UH, WE'LL USE A FRAMEWORK TO DETERMINE HOW WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES CAN FAIRLY DISTRIBUTE BENEFITS AND BURDENS AND DETERMINE BEST PRACTICES FOR THIS PROCESS IN WHICH WE'LL USE, UM, FOR OUR WORK MOVING FORWARD.
WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO, UM, IN PLANNING WITH OUR EQUITY LENS, IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO DOCUMENT HOW INPUT WILL BE USED IN THIS PROCESS.
UM, THE LEFT SIDE KIND OF SHOWS DIFFERENT INPUTS INTO THE EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP, INCLUDING PUBLIC INPUT.
WE'VE GIVEN LOTS OF PRESENTATIONS, AND WE HAD A SURVEY ON SPEAKUP AUSTIN, UM, FOR QUITE SOME TIME, UM, EQUITY GROUNDINGS FOR YOU GUYS AS WELL AS OUR AMBASSADORS.
UM, AND WORKING WITH THEM PRETTY CLOSELY OVER THE LAST YEAR TO REALLY UNDERSTAND COMMUNITY VALUES AND NEEDS, UH, AS WELL AS EQUITY TRAININGS FOR AUSTIN WATER STAFF.
UH, WE'VE BEEN A, BEEN ABLE TO INCORPORATE, UM, FEEDBACK FROM ALL OF THESE EVENTS AND KIND OF LABEL AND TAG IT ACCORDINGLY TO, UH, DEVELOP OUR EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP THAT WE'LL REVIEW IN A SECOND.
UM, THERE'S SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COME OUT OF THIS ROADMAP THAT REALLY HELP TO INFORM OUR EDUCATION, UH, PLAN MOVING FORWARD AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, PLAN TO INTERACT WITH THE COMMUNITY, OUR WATER FORWARD UNIVERSITY SESSIONS.
UM, ONE OF OUR MAIN TAKEAWAYS FROM ALL OF OUR ENGAGEMENT THE LAST COUPLE YEARS HAS BEEN, OH, PEOPLE DON'T REALLY KNOW ABOUT THE WATER FORWARD PLAN OR, OR, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE THINKING SO DEEPLY ABOUT, UM, OUR WATER NEEDS IN THE FUTURE.
UH, SO REALLY TRYING TO MAKE OUR ENGAGEMENT MORE ROBUST IN THE FUTURE, AND, UH, USING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO DO IT EQUITABLY.
UM, AND THEN OUR EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY TOOL.
SO WE'LL GET INTO SOME OF THE THEMES FOR OUR FRAMEWORK AND QUESTIONS THAT WILL REALLY LEAD TO, UM, HOW WE'RE WE PLAN TO EVALUATE, UM, WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES WITH THE TOOL.
UH, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO, UM, YOU ALL, UM, ARE MOSTLY AWARE OF OUR COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS GROUP THAT WE, UH, WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH FOR A FULL YEAR, UM, AFTER, YOU KNOW, WE HAD ADVERTISED THIS FOR, FOR QUITE A WHILE AND, YOU KNOW, THEIR MAIN, UM, DELIVERABLE WAS THIS, UH, ROADMAP AND HELPING US REALLY UNDERSTAND THOSE COMMUNITY NEEDS AND VALUES.
SO, UH, THE FOLLOWING GOALS, UM, WERE FROM THE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT TO ENSURE COMMUNITY CAPACITY, UM, TO PLAY A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN DECISION MAKING WITH US, UM, REPRESENTATION, INCLUDING MEMBERS FROM HISTORICALLY, UM, EXCLUDED AND UNDER UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS IN AUSTIN, AS WELL AS DIFFERENT COUNCIL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE CITY, EDUCATION, OUTREACH, UM, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, MORE INFORMED DECISIONS.
UM, A LOT OF WORD OF MOUTH, YOU KNOW, WE, THEY ALSO PARTICIPATED IN, UH, SURVEYING THEIR COMMUNITY, AND I THINK THEY, UH, WERE EMPOWERED TO NOT ONLY TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED, BUT ALSO TO, UM, RECORD ANY INFORMATION THEY'RE, THAT THEY'RE LEARNING FROM, UM, THEIR COMMUNITY.
A LOT OF THEM WERE ALSO SURPRISED THAT PEOPLE DON'T REALLY, UM, PAY THAT MUCH ATTENTION TO OUR INFLOWS LIKE WE DO
UM, AND REALLY
YEAH, A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE DROUGHT.
AND, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT OUR WATER SUPPLIES IN THE FUTURE AND
[01:10:01]
MAYBE GOING TO STAGE TWO A LITTLE BIT LATER THIS YEAR, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE THAT EDUCATION AND OUTREACH AND TO EMPOWER THE COMMUNITY TO ALSO SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THEIR COMMUNITY.UM, IMPACT, UH, WE WANTED TO BUILD A SUSTAINABLE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AUSTIN WATER AND THE COMMUNITY.
SO THESE RELATIONSHIPS, YOU KNOW, I THINK THEY GO PRETTY DEEP AND WIDE, UM, ESPECIALLY IN AUSTIN.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THINGS FROM WORD OF MOUTH, AND PEOPLE ARE REALLY GOOD ABOUT SHARING THINGS AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE'LL GET A LOT OF PEOPLE FOR THE NEXT TASK FORCE MEETING TO SPEAK ON SOME THINGS.
SO, UM, THAT WAS A REALLY REWARDING PROCESS FOR US.
SO, UM, THE NEXT FOUR SLIDES ARE GOING TO SHOW A FRAMEWORK OF QUESTIONS THAT WILL BE USED MORE AS A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL FOR OUR WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES MOVING FORWARD.
UM, THE THEMES AND SUB-THEMES WILL BE ON THE LEFT, AND THE QUESTIONS ARE ON THE RIGHT.
UM, I'LL GIVE SOME BACKGROUND ABOUT EACH THEME AND THEN GIVE YOU, UH, GIVE YOU ALL A SECOND TO READ THE QUESTIONS, AND YOU CAN PROVIDE COMMENTS OR FEEDBACK TO US.
UH, THIS IS ALSO INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET AS WELL AS A, UH, MORE DETAILED EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP THAT, UH, GOES INTO SOME MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE INFORMATION THAT I JUST PRESENTED ON.
UH, SO WE ALL KNOW WATER SUPPLY RELIABILITY IS A KEY COMPONENT OF, UM, MEETING OUR CORE GOALS AND COMMUNITY ACCESS TO WATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THIS CORE THEME.
SO I'LL GIVE Y'ALL A MINUTE TO, UM, READ THAT IN THOSE ON THE CALL.
UM, VIRTUALLY, I GUESS YOU CAN UNMUTE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THESE.
GEN JANELLE ARE THE, THE THEMES, THE ACCESS TO WATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE, ARE THESE THEMES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH, OR ARE THESE REFLECTIVE OF THE THEMES THAT WE HAVE ALREADY? I GUESS A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.
UM, IT'S RE THERE'S OVERLAP, BUT THEY ARE, YEAH.
THERE'S A LOT OF OVERLAP, UM, FROM FEEDBACK THAT WE HAVE FROM, FROM YOU GUYS, FROM OUR, UH, EQUITY GROUNDING SESSIONS, FROM OUR STAFF SESSIONS.
UM, WHAT WE REALLY DID WAS, UH, WE HAVE KIND OF A MASTER SPREADSHEET OF, OF ALL THIS FEEDBACK THAT'S TAGGED BY WHO SAID IT, UM, WHAT WAS THE PROMPT, AND REALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE, WHAT THE GENERAL THEMES ARE.
SO FROM CLUMPING A LOT OF COMMUNITY COMMENTS AND CONCERNS.
UM, THESE THEMES REALLY COME FROM WHAT WE HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS FROM YOU GUYS AND OUR STAFF.
SO THE THEMES, AND I'M THINKING LIKE, AND THE DARK BLUE, THE LEFT SIDE, THE THEME, JUST THE BULLETS, AND THEN THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, UM, ARE, ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT ARE, WE'RE SUGGESTING BE WAYS THAT WE, WE KIND OF LOOK AT AND EVALUATE THESE THINGS? I'M JUST KIND OF TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW IT ALL FITS TOGETHER.
SO IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT ACCESS TO WATER, THEN YOU WOULD ASK THESE QUESTIONS ABOUT LIKE, LIKE WE WOULD MAYBE HAVE LOOKED AT ACCESS TO WATER IN A CERTAIN WAY PREVIOUSLY IN THE PREVIOUS PLAN, AND, AND MAYBE WE'LL STILL DO THAT, BUT ALSO, OR MAYBE INSTEAD OF ASK THESE TYPES OF QUESTIONS.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S ALSO, AND I THINK THESE QUESTIONS REALLY HELP US TO THINK ABOUT THE STRATEGIES, UH, IN A DEEPER WAY AND HOW DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES ARE AFFECTED.
UM, THERE'S A QUESTION, UH, 1.4, DOES THIS STRATEGY INCLUDE ENERGY RESILIENCE COMPONENTS? I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT, UM, AND IT REALLY GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO POTENTIALLY TAILOR STRATEGY OR THINK ABOUT INCLUDING MORE EXPLICIT, UM, LANGUAGE, UH, RELATED TO ANY OF THIS.
NO, I THINK YOU DID A GREAT JOB OF EXPLAINING THAT.
I WAS JUST GONNA MENTION TOO, THAT OUR, THERE'S ANOTHER, UM, FRAMEWORK THAT WE WILL HAVE IN ADDITION TO THIS, THAT IS, UH, LISTING OUT LIKE THOSE, UH, LIKE SIMILAR TO HOW WE DID IN THE LAST PLANNING PROCESS.
IT'S LISTING OUT KIND OF VARIABLES THAT WILL BE TRACKING ABOUT OUR PORTFOLIOS OF STRATEGIES RELATED TO COST, UM, UH, IN A PER, UH, PER UNIT BASIS, UM, RELATED TO IMPLEMENTATION, FEASIBILITY OF THE STRATEGIES, UM, OR RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, SO THAT, THAT TABLE THAT WE HAD WITH THE DIFFERENT, THOSE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS, AND THEN THEY HAD PERCENTAGES NEXT TO 'EM.
[01:15:01]
WHAT IT WAS, BUT WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT HOW TO, HOW TO KIND OF WEIGH THOSE DIFFERENT CRITERIA MM-HMM.THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
BUT THIS IS, UM, IF, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT USING AN EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY LENS, SO THAT WORK WILL STILL HAPPEN BECAUSE WE'RE STILL TRYING TO BALANCE ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT CRITERIA AND FACTORS.
BUT IF WE'RE TRYING TO DEVELOP THE PLAN IN A WAY THAT IS, UM, ESPECIALLY TRYING TO, NOT INEQUITABLY BURDEN, FOR EXAMPLE, A MARGINALIZED COMMUNITY.
THIS IS ESSENTIALLY LIKE A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL THAT HELPS US TO IDENTIFY WHERE THERE MAY BE INEQUITABLE BURDENS OR UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO MITIGATE THAT.
WE'LL BE DOING THAT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, THIS IS ANOTHER LAYER OF LIKE, CHECKS AND BALANCES.
THANKS FOR THAT QUESTION, JENNIFER.
I THINK WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
PUBLIC HEALTH IS OUR SECOND THEME HERE WITH THE SUB-THEMES OF REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS, WATER QUALITY, AND ENVIRONMENT.
UM, GIVE Y'ALL A MINUTE TO, TO GLANCE AT SOME OF THESE.
CAN Y'ALL GIVE FOR 2.2? CAN YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THAT MIGHT BE? I, I JUST AM NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND THAT.
UM, SO, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE HAVE THE, THE THING THAT ALWAYS POPS TO MIND IS, UM, IF WE HAVE A, UH, A PROGRAM THAT'S PROVIDING SOME SORT OF INCENTIVE, UH, BENEFIT, UH, FOR FOLKS TO CONSERVE WATER, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, IT, BUT TO ACCESS THAT, UH, INCENTIVE, THERE IS A, A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF PAPERWORK, OR YOU NEED TO HAVE AN INSPECTION FROM A LICENSED PLUMBER, THERE'S SOME SORT OF LIKE UPFRONT WORK THAT'S REQUIRED TO ACCESS THAT, THAT WOULD BE, UM, PLACING A BARRIER TO MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE BENEFITS OF THAT STRATEGY.
FOR EXAMPLE, IS THERE SOME WAY TO IDENTIFY THAT AND THEN FIGURE OUT, UM, A WAY TO OFFSET THAT BARRIER? OKAY.
I THINK MAYBE, UM, THE WAY THIS IS WRITTEN AS A BARRIER TO ME UNDERSTANDING IT, BUT
THOSE, THOSE THINGS CAN REALLY, OKAY, THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE.
UH, CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? UH, SO FOR ACCOUNTABILITY, OUR SUB-THEMES ARE TRANSPARENCY, ACCESSIBILITY, AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION.
UM, IN DEVELOPING WATER FORWARD, AUSTIN WATER SEEKS TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY IN MEANINGFUL AND ACCESSIBLE WAYS, AND PROPOSED STRATEGIES WILL CONSIDER ACCESSIBILITY OF STRATEGIES AND INCLUDE THE COMMUNITY DURING, UM, IMPORTANT IMPLEMENTATION STEPS.
SO IN THINKING ABOUT, UM, THIS SPECIFIC THEME, IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO THINK ABOUT HOW INFORMATION IS ACCESSIBLE.
JENNIFER, LIKE YOU SAID, THE LAST ONE, MAYBE THAT WAS, UM, A BIT WORDY, BUT THINKING ABOUT IN HOW, YOU KNOW, WE COMMUNICATE THINGS TO THE PUBLIC, IS IT, UM, EASY TO READ? ARE WE EXPLAINING THINGS IN, UM, IN A WAY THAT, UM, WHAT DO THEY SAY LIKE A THIRD GRADER CAN UNDERSTAND SEVENTH GRADER? UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT LIKE OUR PUBLIC MEETINGS ARE ACCESSIBLE, UM, YOU KNOW, INCLUDING DIFFERENT TRANSLATIONS FOR SOME OF OUR, UM, INFORMATION AND, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE ADVERTISING THINGS? HOW ARE WE ADVERTISING OUR PUBLIC MEETINGS? UM, HOW ARE WE SHARING INFORMATION? ARE WE PROVIDING ENOUGH BACKGROUND? UM, THINKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND THEN I'LL PAUSE AGAIN FOR, FOR QUESTIONS.
UM, OUR COMMUNITY IS, IS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE COST OF LIVING IN OUR CITY.
UM, DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN SHOULD CONSIDER COST AND AFFORDABILITY, AND OUR STRATEGIES WILL ALSO CONSIDER WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, UM, TO CREATE DEEPER CONNECTIONS WITH OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, AFFORDABILITY AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS INCLUDE SUB-THEMES OF RATE IMPACTS, GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, WE HAVE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS RIGHT NOW, UM, AND THESE STRATEGIES, YOU KNOW, THE, THE POINT OF THESE QUESTIONS IS TO HELP US, YOU KNOW, REALLY CONSIDER THOSE,
[01:20:01]
UM, IMPACTS TO MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES WITH EACH STRATEGY IN THE FUTURE, UM, MORE FROM THE INCEPTION OF THE STRATEGY, UM, ALL THE WAY TO IMPLEMENTATION.ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THESE? UH, THOSE OF YOU ON WEBEX, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, BUT I WAS JUST GONNA SAVE THEM TO THE END, KIND OF WRITING THEM DOWN.
SO I WAS JUST GONNA WAIT TILL YOU KIND OF FINISH THE PRESENTATION AND THEN GO, GO BACK THROUGH A FEW QUESTIONS.
UM, THIS IS THE LAST OF THE FRAMEWORK, SO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FRAMEWORK, I THINK WE COULD ADDRESS 'EM NOW.
I THINK, ROBERT, DO YOU ALSO HAVE A QUESTION? UM, YEAH, I WAS, UH, I KNOW, UM, EL PASO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LOOKING TO IMPLEMENT DIRECT PORTABLE REUSE, AND, UH, AS THE SAYING GOES, THE OUTCOMES FROM TACO BELL FLOW DOWNHILL.
AND SO THEIR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS ARE, ARE IN THE VALLEY.
AND SO, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE WEALTHIER PEOPLE LIVE UP ON THE MOUNTAIN, THE LESS WEALTHIER PEOPLE LIVE DOWN ON THE VALLEY.
AND I KNOW ONE OF THEIR CONCERNS WAS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, MAKES SENSE TO DISTRIBUTE THE WATER, TREATED WATER AT THAT LOWER ELEVATION RATHER THAN PIPING IT UP TO THE HIGHER ELEVATION.
SO THERE WAS A, UH, EQUITY, YOU KNOW, DISTRIBUTION OF THE PRODUCED WATER AND THE EQUITY CONCERN THERE.
AND SO, UM, SEEMS LIKE THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE WANNA CONSIDER.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING AS CONTROVERSIAL AS DIRECT POTABLE REUSE, BUT I, I THINK THERE IS A, WHAT AN EMERGENCY STRATEGY FOR INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE.
PERSONALLY, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A PROBLEM, BUT PEOPLE WILL RECEIVE THAT DIFFERENTLY.
AND SO I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A, AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT GOES.
I'M NOT SURE WHERE THAT WOULD SHOW UP, BUT IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE UNINTENDED, UM, CONSEQUENCES OR UNINTENDED DISTRIBUTIONS THAT APPEAR TO, YOU KNOW, FOIST WATER OF A CERTAIN SUPPLY THAT MIGHT BE PERCEIVED NOT AS GOOD AS OTHER SUPPLIES ONTO, UM, A COMMUNITY OR PART OF OUR COMMUNITY.
PAUL, YOU WANNA ASK YOUR QUESTIONS? UH, SURE.
YEAH, THIS FIRST ONE JUST GOES BACK TO, UM, I THINK WHAT MARISA WAS TALKING ABOUT A LITTLE BIT WITH THE PROCESS OF WHERE THIS GOES FROM HERE.
AND FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR SHARING ALL THIS REALLY INTERESTING STUFF.
I'M EXCITED TO SEE IT APPLIED.
AND THAT'S KIND OF MY QUESTION.
UM, YOU MAY HAVE BEEN TOUCHING ON THIS EARLIER, BUT, UH, IS THIS GONNA BE INCLUDED IN THAT, UM, WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY CHARACTERIZATION AND VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS? IS THIS LIKE A PART OF THAT OR IS IT A SEPARATE PARALLEL TRACK, I GUESS, IN, IN PLAIN ENGLISH? ARE WE GONNA SEE THESE QUESTIONS ANSWERED ONE BY ONE? YOU KNOW, LIKE WITH LITTLE RED FLAGS WHEN LIKE WE HIT ONE THAT THAT DOES POORLY ON AN EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY METRIC? OR, OR WILL IT ALL SORT OF BE BLENDED TOGETHER WHEN WE'RE ASSESSING THESE POTENTIAL STRATEGIES? I'M JUST CURIOUS TO SEE HOW THAT'S GONNA SHAKE OUT.
YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, SO WHEN YOU THE, HOLD ON, SORRY.
DON'T THINK, WE'LL AN, WE ANTICIPATED COMPLETING AN EAT EVALUATION FOR EVERY SINGLE STRATEGY SO MUCH AS WE ARE TRYING TO, I GUESS WE WOULD BE AT A HIGH LEVEL, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE OUR STRATEGIES BETTER SO THAT THEY WOULDN'T RED FLAG THESE, UM, KIND OF QUESTIONS.
AND THEN RIGHT NOW WE'RE THINKING OF DOING THE EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY, UH, TOOL ASSESSMENT AT THE PORTFOLIO LEVEL.
SO IN THE COMBINATIONS OF DIFFERENT STRATEGIES, YOU MAY SEE DIFFERENT DISTRIBUTIONS OF BENEFITS AND BURDENS DEPENDING ON HOW ALL OF THEM ARE KIND OF PULLED TOGETHER, IF YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT.
SO WE, IF IN THE END, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE, UH, FOUR DIFFERENT TOP PERFORMING PORTFOLIOS OF WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, WE WOULD BE RUNNING THROUGH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE QUESTIONS AND LOOKING AT THOSE, UH, PORTFOLIOS OF STRATEGIES TO IDENTIFY ANY INEQUITABLE BURDENS OR BENEFITS AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO, TO MITIGATE THOSE.
BUT THE INTENT IS THAT THIS WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ARE DEVELOPED WITH THIS EYE SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO TRY TO KIND OF PRE MITIGATE ANY INEQUITIES THAT WOULD POP UP AT THE PORTFOLIO LEVEL.
WE MAY ULTIMATELY, IN THE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY CHARACTERIZATION BE, UH, PERFORMING SOME LEVEL OF THIS
[01:25:01]
ANALYSIS.I JUST THINK WE WERE INTENDING THAT THE FULL EVALUATION WOULD HAPPEN AT THE PORTFOLIO LEVEL.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH, DEFINITELY.
AND I THINK IT'LL MAKE SENSE AS WE GO FORWARD.
I'M SURE WE'LL CONTINUE TO BRING THESE BACK UP, BUT I'D BE INTERESTED TO SEE, UM, US REVISIT THEM THROUGHOUT THE PLANNING PROCESS.
YEAH, I MEAN, AND IT'S JUST, JUST LIKE WHAT ROBERT WAS BRINGING UP ABOUT LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE, UM, YOU KNOW, PERCEIVED INEQUITIES OF A PART OF TOWN GETTING A CERTAIN TYPE OF WATER OVER ANOTHER TYPE OF WATER AS WE'RE CON DEVELOPING A, A STRATEGY DURING THE CHARACTERIZATION PHASE OR, OR UPDATING ITS CHARACTERIZATION FROM WATER FOUR 18, WE MAY BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THAT STRATEGY TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS, UM, THOSE TYPES OF PERCEIVED INEQUITIES.
AND THAT WE WOULDN'T WAIT TO DO THAT UNTIL THE PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT STAGE WHEN WE FLAG IT.
WE WOULD BE TRYING TO ADDRESS IT SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
AND THEN I HAD ANOTHER QUESTION THAT WAS, UH, A COUPLE SLIDES BACK ACTUALLY, BUT IT WAS IN, UM, THE DESCRIPTION OF THE COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS GROUP.
UM, I BELIEVE IT, IT WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT, YEAH, IF WE COULD GO MAYBE BACK TO THE SLIDE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS GROUP.
IT WAS BEFORE WE GOT INTO THE FRAMEWORK.
UM, YEAH, I MEAN, UM, JUST CUZ I, I WASN'T AROUND FOR THE CREATION OF THIS GROUP, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S DONE SOME REALLY INTERESTING WORK.
BUT ON THAT FIRST ONE, UH, MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT, UM, I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF WE COULD GET SOME INSIGHT INTO LIKE, WHAT, WHAT DECISION MAKING IS THE ADVISOR OR THE AMBASSADORS GROUP PLAYING A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN? CAUSE THAT ONE KIND OF CAUGHT MY EYE.
SO THEY WERE, UM, HELPFUL IN, UH, IDENTIFYING OUR THEMES FOR, UH, THIS FRAMEWORK AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, UH, WE HAD THEM SURVEY THEIR COMMUNITY AND WE DEVELOPED A SAMPLE OF QUESTIONS AND THEY WERE ABLE TO REALLY DEVELOP WHATEVER FORMAT THAT THEY WANTED FOR THAT SURVEY.
UM, AND REALLY JUST IN HELPING WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP.
SO SOME KEY DECISION POINTS FOR, UM, OUR THEMES, UH, DRIVING A LITTLE BIT OF OUR, YOU KNOW, MEETING.
THEY HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS, UM, AND REALLY JUST KIND OF GUIDING THE, THE PROGRAM AND WHAT THEY, YOU KNOW, WERE INTERESTED IN AND WANTED TO LEARN.
UM, AND YEAH, I THINK MOST OF THAT DECISION MAKING JUST REALLY GOES INTO HOW WE WERE DEVELOPING THE ROADMAP AND FRAMEWORK.
OTHER QUESTIONS? CAN, CAN I, UH, JUST IN THE SPIRIT OF ME HELPING ME UNDERSTAND HOW THIS IS GONNA PLAY OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE, I APPRECIATE PAUL'S QUESTION AND, AND UM, AND I THINK PART OF THIS, AS PAUL SAID, WE'LL KIND OF AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, WE'LL PLAY OUT AND BE MORE CLEAR, BUT JUST THINKING ABOUT, UM, ROBERT'S EXAMPLE OF THE D P R AND EL PASO AND, AND YOUR, YOUR FOLLOW UP COMMENTS THERE ABOUT THAT, MARISSA, AS WE'RE MOVING THROUGH THE PROCESS, LIKE SOMETHING LIKE THAT COMES UP, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THAT.
LIKE, AND WHEN YOU SAY WE ARE YOU SAYING LIKE, AUSTIN WATER, THE TASK FORCE, OR CUZ THE COMMUNITY AMBASSADOR PROGRAMS OVER, WOULD YOU USE THIS SET OF QUESTIONS TO DO IT? LIKE WHO'S MAKING THAT DETERMINATION ON, ON HOW, ON HOW WE THINK A COMMUNITY MIGHT PERCEIVE A CERTAIN KIND OF WATER? CAUSE THAT'S A LOT OF VALUES JUDGMENT ON BEHALF OF OTHER PEOPLE.
SO, UM, RIGHT NOW WE, WE'VE DESCRIBED A COUPLE OF FUTURE PHASES OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN, UH, THE SPRING AND THE SUMMER GETTING INPUT ON, UM, WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES.
AND THEN WE'VE DESCRIBED, UH, GETTING FUTURE INPUT ON, UH, THE, UM, DEVELOPMENT OF, OF PORTFOLIOS AND ULTIMATELY THE PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS.
BUT I THINK THE POINT IS WELL TAKEN THAT AS WE'RE, UM, DEVELOPING THE CHARACTERIZATIONS OF THESE STRATEGIES AND COMING BACK WITH INFORMATION THAT IS IN A DEVELOPED IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY FRAMEWORK, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO GATHER ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY INPUT AND INSIGHT INTO, UM, HOW WE'VE CONFIGURED THE, THE STRATEGIES AND WHAT ULTIMATELY THE, THE RESULTS ARE WHEN WE'RE, UM, SO I THINK WHEN WE AS STAFF WOULD BE DOING KIND OF INITIAL RUNS AND PASSES AT LOOKING AT HOW THESE STRATEGIES ARE STACKING UP AGAINST OUR EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY FRAMEWORK, JUST TO BE CLEAR.
[01:30:01]
WOULD LIKELY BE PRESENTED TO THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE, UM, OR I KNOW IT WOULD BE PRESENTED TO THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE AND WE COULD IDENTIFY, UM, ADDITIONAL ROUNDS OF, OF ENGAGEMENT THAT INCLUDE, INCLUDE, UM, YOU KNOW, MEETINGS WITH, UH, COMMUNITY LEADERS, REPRESENTATIVES OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, UM, AND, UM, OTHER FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED TO, UM, UH, REVIEW, UM, THOSE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND PROVIDE US WITH FURTHER FEEDBACK AS WE'RE THEN MOVING INTO THE PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION PHASE.AND I'M NOT TRYING TO LIKE, UM, QUESTION ANYTHING.
I HOPE IT'S NOT COMING ACROSS THAT WAY.
I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS PLAYS OUT, UM, AND, AND HOW WE DO THAT.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY HELPFUL FOR US TO BE, TO HAVE THIS KIND OF SET OF QUESTIONS AND TO BE ABLE TO BE REALLY TRANSPARENT AND OPEN WITH EACH OTHER AND TO ASK QUESTIONS THAT MAY LEAD TO SOMETHING OR MAY NOT.
UM, AS WE DEVELOP STRATEGIES, UM, AND AS WE THINK ABOUT THE KIND OF MULTIPLE BENEFITS AND THE MULTIPLE WAYS THAT THESE LAND IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
UM, SO, SO IT'LL BE JUST BE A JOURNEY FOR TRYING, TRYING THIS TO DEVELOP THIS SET OF STRATEGIES IN THIS WAY FOR THE FIRST TIME FOR THIS.
AND IT MAYBE IT'S BEEN OPERATIONALIZED IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS OTHER DECISION MAKING AND PLANNING THAT GOES ON IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY.
IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT WATER MM-HMM.
BUT, UM, BUT WE'LL JUST, WE'LL KEEP, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT IT AS WE GO THROUGH IT.
AND I GUESS I WOULD JUST WANNA SAY TOO, LIKE, JUST TO, LIKE IN THE SPIRIT OF, OF TRANSPARENCY, I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE, THIS IS OUR FIRST TIME TRYING TO OPERATIONALIZE THIS IN A WATER SUPPLY PLANNING PROCESS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, I'M NOT SAYING WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A CITY ON A HILL IN THIS WATER FORWARD PLANNING PROCESS.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS ALL ISSUES.
UM, AND WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE SOME THINGS THAT NEED TO BE, UH, THAT STILL NEED TO BE WORKED ON THROUGH THE NEXT ROUND OF, OF WATER FOR PLANNING.
I GUESS WE ARE JUST TRYING TO AUTHENTICALLY GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS IN, UH, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE BEST WAY THAT WE CAN AND AUTHENTICALLY MOVE THROUGH IT WITH Y'ALL AND WITH OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, KIND OF IN A SPIRIT OF LIKE TRUST AND COLLABORATION.
YOU HAVE ME ON BOARD FOR ALL THAT
YOU DID YOU WANNA MAKE A COMMENT, KEVIN? WELL, I WOULD JUST E ECHO THAT.
I MEAN, I, I, I THINK THIS IS A WORK IN PROCESS AND YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT OUR STAFF IS DOING TO TRY TO ADVANCE THIS, LIKE A LOT OF THINGS IN WATER FORWARD.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO BRING EMPIRICAL KIND OF VISIBILITY TO THIS PROCESS.
AND SO, UM, I THINK THE CHALLENGE IS, IS THAT PROBABLY AS WE GET INTO THE DETAILS WON'T BE AS SIMPLE AS THIS STRATEGY IS NOT EQUITABLE, AND THIS ONE IS, IT'S NOT GONNA, I, I JUST, THAT'S MY GUT.
AND SO I THINK IT'S GONNA BE VERY LAYERED AND WE WILL REALLY HAVE TO TAKE AN APPROACH THAT WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, BURDENS AND BENEFITS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO MITIGATE.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE OUR FOCUS WILL NEED TO BE.
BUT YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE LEARNING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
UM, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT ADD VALUE TO OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
SO JUST KNOW THAT ANY GOOD THING CAN BE TWISTED INTO SOMETHING NEFARIOUS
AND SO
IT'S LIKE, IT'S LIKE IF SHE WON A HUNDRED MILLION IN POWERBALL, SHE'D BE LIKE, OH, BUT THE GOVERNMENT'S GONNA TAKE 40% OF IT.
YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WOULD BE HER RESPONSE.
UH, CAN WE GO ONTO SLIDE? I THINK 17 WE'RE ALMOST DONE.
AND, UH, AND THEN, THEN JUST, YEAH, REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS.
JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
I MEAN, I, I DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT MORE TO SAY THAN, THAN, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKED AT 'EM LIKE, OKAY, THESE ARE PRETTY GOOD.
UM, SO SOME OF OUR GOALS FOR WATER FORWARD 24, OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, I THINK WE PRESENTED ON THIS LAST YEAR.
UM, BUT JUST TO REITERATE, UM, OUR GOALS WERE TO INFORM AND EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE WATER FORWARD PLAN, SEEK INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY AT KEY TOUCHPOINTS IN THE PLAN UPDATE PROCESS, IDENTIFY COMMUNITY VALUES AND REFLECT THEM IN THE PLAN UPDATE AND TO IDENTIFY AND FOSTER INTERNAL AND EX EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDER RELATIONSHIPS, WHICH I THINK WE'RE DOING PRETTY GOOD WORKING TOWARD THESE GOALS.
[01:35:01]
YOU FEEL LIKE THROUGH THE COMMUNITY AMBASSADOR PROGRAM AND, AND STUFF AND, AND THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS THAT AUSTIN WATER'S BEEN DOING TO TRY TO DO OUR, TO THE PUBLIC THAT BASED ON THE LAST PLAN OF THIS ONE, THAT WE'VE GOT BETTER IDEAS AND STRATEGIES? MY FOR, FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT? I MEAN, MY SENSE IS ABSOLUTELY YES, BUT, BUT OUR APPROACH IS, IS GONNA BE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT AND RESPONSIVE TO WHAT WE'VE LEARNED THROUGH GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.I THINK THAT, UM, A LOT OF OUR AMBASSADORS, THEY HAVE A LOT OF OTHER NETWORKS AND GROUPS THAT WE HAVE PRESENTED TO SOME, UM, AND THEY JUST WANNA TELL EVERYBODY ABOUT IT, WHICH IS GREAT.
I, I WOULD LOVE FOR EVERYBODY TO, YOU KNOW, JUST KEEP SHARING, UM, OUR INFORMATION.
AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY DO PROVIDE A LOT OF SUGGESTIONS AND A LOT OF, UM, THINGS FOR US TO THINK ABOUT AND, AND CHANGING SOME OF OUR, OUR OUTREACH MOVING FORWARD.
UM, SO FOR WATER FORWARD 18, UM, THIS IS JUST SOME OF OUR BEST PRACTICES AND OUTREACH STRATEGIES FROM THAT PLANNING PROCESS.
AND WE'VE BEEN TAKING THESE AND KIND OF USING A LOT OF THESE, UH, STRATEGIES AND, AND JUST TRYING TO BUILD ON THEM.
UM, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
I DON'T THINK I NEED TO READ THROUGH EACH ONE.
UM, AND THEN SOME ADDITIONAL ENGAGEMENT BEST PRACTICES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED FROM, YOU KNOW, THIS PROCESS THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY FALL UNDER A LOT OF DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
I'LL JUST READ, UM, A FEW IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES LIKE YOU WERE, UM, MENTIONING JENNIFER TO INCREASE COMMUNITY WATER KNOWLEDGE, ESPECIALLY FOR MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.
UH, I TOUCHED ON THIS EARLIER, BUT THINKING ABOUT HOW WE TRANSLATE OUR MATERIALS TO DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.
UM, PROVIDING LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION AT EVENTS AND INCLUDING INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE TO REQUEST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGES, UM, AT EVENTS OR, YOU KNOW, FOR DIFFERENT, UM, UM, FLYERS OR, OR ANY, UH, ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE THAT'S PUBLIC.
UM, WORKING TO PROVIDE MULTIPLE WAYS TO ACCESS INFORMATION.
SO PUBLIC MEETINGS, UM, WRITTEN FORMAT, OUR WEB CONTENT INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, OUR RECORDINGS OF OUR PRESENTATION SO THAT PEOPLE HAVE ANOTHER WAY TO KIND OF VIEW THAT CONTENT AND WORKING TO MAKE OUR PUBLIC MEETINGS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AND PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT ABILITIES.
JUST MAKING SURE WE'RE THINKING THROUGH THAT, UM, DILIGENTLY.
AND WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND SOME PRELIMINARY IMPLEMENTATION BEST PRACTICES.
SO, UM, FOR WHEN IMPLEMENTING THE WATER FORWARD 2024 PLAN, UM, SOME BEST PRACTICES FALL UNDER THE FOLLOWING THEMES.
ACCOUNTABILITY TO ENSURE A TRANSPARENT PROCESS, COMMUNICATION TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUBLIC EFFECTIVELY AND COLLABORATION TO WORK ACROSS DEPARTMENTS AND WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT SERVE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES IN THE FUTURE.
SO, UM, ALL OF THESE, UH, BEST PRACTICES LISTED REALLY FALL UNDER, UH, IMPLEMENTATION AND REALLY OUR, UM, DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE KIND OF CATEGORY.
UM, WHEREAS MOST OF WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER IS REALLY ABOUT THE PROCESS AND HOW WE ARE BEING EQUITABLE IN OUR, UM, PROCEDURES.
AND I THINK WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, TALKING ABOUT SOME FUTURE ENGAGEMENT.
IT'S THE SPRING NOW, SO SUMMER IN SPRING OF 2023, WE'LL HAVE SOME MORE WATERFORD UNIVERSITY SESSIONS.
WE'LL SEND YOU GUYS, UM, THOSE INVITES WHEN THE DATES ARE FINALIZED.
UH, WE'LL BE SEEKING FEEDBACK ON WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AS WELL LATER THIS YEAR AND THROUGH 2024, WE'LL BE SHARING INFORMATION ON OUR CHARACTERIZED WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND SEEKING FEEDBACK ON PORTFOLIOS OF STRATEGIES.
UM, MARISA SHARED A LITTLE BIT OF OUR SCHEDULE A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL JUST CONTINUE TO SHARE INFORMATION WITH YOU ALL AND WITH THE PUBLIC, UH, REALLY TRYING TO GET OUR SPEAK UP AUSTIN PAGE.
WE CAN GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, WE DID HOLD THE WATER FORWARD UNIVERSITY SESSION AND WE'LL WORK WITH OUR, UM, PUBLIC INFORMATION STAFF TO, UH, GET THAT RECORDING UPLOADED.
UM, WE HAD OUR SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING RECENTLY AS WELL, UM, TO INCLUDE FURTHER.
WELL, I THINK WE RESCHEDULED THAT.
UM, AND WE'LL BE INCORPORATING FEEDBACK FROM YOU ALL, UM, ON THE ROADMAP AND THE FRAMEWORK INTO THE DRAFT EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP.
SO IF Y'ALL HAVE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR FEEDBACK, WE CAN DISCUSS THEM NOW.
YOU CAN EMAIL US, UM, OR WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT IN A SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING.
AND WE'LL BE PREPARING OUR SECOND DRAFT OF THIS IRM, UM, INCLUDING OUR
[01:40:01]
HISTORY SESSION, UM, WHICH PROBABLY INCLUDES HISTORY THAT Y'ALL MIGHT KNOW.UH, THE EQUITY OFFICE DID GO THROUGH SOME OF THAT AS WELL, UM, IN DECEMBER.
AND THEN WE'LL BE UPDATING OUR EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT PLAN WITH SOME OF THOSE, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
AND THEN WE'LL BE COMPILING OUR SPATIAL DATA AND OTHER DATA SETS FOR OUR EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY TOOL.
AND THAT'S THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
ARE THERE OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON ANY OF THAT CONTENT? WHOOPS.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE TASK FORCE OR, OR, OR, UM, OUR OTHER DEPARTMENTAL REPS HERE.
PERRY, WERE YOU SAYING SOMETHING OR AM I HALLUCINATING? OKAY.
WE WILL TALK ABOUT THIS AGAIN, RIGHT? UH, FROM THAT LIST OF STEPS, THIS IS THIS, IS IT
UM, I, I, UH, I KNOW Y'ALL ARE TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT THIS, BUT LIKE, UM, EVERYBODY, AND I'M SURE ITS PROBABLY FRUSTRATING, BUT, UM, I JUST, JANE, JANELLE, YOU MENTIONED THE WEBSITE.
I HAVE A LINK SAVED TO THE WATERFORD BOOKLET ON MY COMPUTER CUZ I CANNOT FIND IT ON THE WEBSITE.
LIKE, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE IT EXISTS.
ACTUALLY, I TEXTED MARIA SENT JANEEL AND THEY SENT ME THE LINK, WHICH IS NOT, I MEAN IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A FORM OF GOOGLE, BUT IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY, IT'S NOT FOR EVERYTHING.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, BUT I'LL LOOK AT THIS SPEAK AT THE SPEAKUP PAGE.
MAYBE THAT'S WHERE INFORMATION LIVES.
AND THEN, AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT AND ROBERT HAS EMAILED ABOUT IT BEFORE, BUT IT'S, THERE'S SO MUCH GOOD INFORMATION THAT IS PRODUCED AND, AND WAY TOO MUCH INFORMATION FOR ANY, YOU KNOW, FOR MOST PEOPLE.
BUT STILL, LIKE, EVEN KIND OF LIKE OUR BASIC STUFF ISN'T UP THERE.
OR IF IT IS, AND I HAVEN'T SEEN IT, I APOLOGIZE, BUT I HAVE TRIED TO LOOK FOR IT.
UM, AND IT'S UH, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IN THINKING ABOUT ROLLING OUT THIS EN ENGAGEMENT PIECE AND YOU KNOW, BEING A HYPE MACHINE FOR THIS, WE WANNA HAVE A PLACE TO SEND PEOPLE.
UM, SO, AND I KNOW, I KNOW THAT Y'ALL ARE WORKING ON THIS AND HAVE SENT EMAILS AND STUFF ABOUT IT, SO I'M NOT, UM, NOT CASTING, I'M JUST SAYING OUT LOUD TO THE, TO THE CLOUDS.
LIKE HOPEFULLY, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WE CAN, IF, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP, I, I DOUBT IT.
BUT, UM, ON, UM, ON SLIDE 20 FOR PRELIMINARY IMPLEMENTATION BEST PRACTICES, UH, ONE OF THE FIRST ONES UNDER ACCOUNTABILITY IS TO CREATE AN ONLINE DASHBOARD.
THAT'S TO PROVIDE DATA AND UPDATE, LET ME THINK ABOUT THIS.
SO, UM, WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE THAT TO PROVIDE UPDATES ABOUT STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION, SHARE THE PROGRESS REPORT.
AND ALSO INCLUDE SOME OF THOSE EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY CONSIDERATIONS, UM, IN A VISUALLY APPEALING WAY.
YEAH, I MEAN WE JUST HAVE SO MUCH GREAT INFORMATION AND I COULD TOTALLY SEE SOMETHING THAT HAS LIKE THE WATER FORWARD PLAN, THE WATER, YOU KNOW, THE BOOKLET, UM, IMPLEMENTATION AND THEN ALL THE, I MEAN THERE'S JUST SO MUCH WORK THAT GOES INTO THIS AND SO MANY PIECES AND UM, AND, AND I FEEL LIKE THERE WOULD BE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY INTERESTED IN THAT AND, AND MAYBE, MAYBE THEY'RE BETTER AT THE INTERNET THAN I AM, BUT I HAVE TROUBLE FINDING IT.
I THINK WE SHOULD, UM, YOUR POINT IS VERY WELL TAKEN AND I THINK WE ARE WORKING ON TRYING TO MAKE OUR SPEAK UP AUSTIN PAGE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A LANDING SITE FOR AT LEAST THE WATER 4 20 24 UPDATE.
AND YOU KNOW, JANE JANELLE'S BEEN WORKING WITH OUR PIO O FOLKS TO TRY TO GET SOME UPDATES MADE TO THAT PAGE.
UM, YOU KNOW, BRING IT UP TO SPEED AND UM, TRY TO UPLOAD ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE LINKS TO ALL OF OUR WATER 40 UNIVERSITY RECORDINGS.
AND THEN AS WE DEVELOP TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM OR OTHER DELIVERABLES LIKE THIS EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP, TRY TO UPLOAD THAT TO THE SPEAK OF BOSTON PAGE.
IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE TRYING TO WORK ON.
I'LL MAKE SURE AND GO LOOK AT THE SPEAK UP AUSTIN PAGE CUZ I DON'T THINK I'VE BEEN THERE.
I THINK I'VE BEEN THERE FOR THE, THE REINDER RIVER PROGRAM.
THEY, THEY ALSO HAVE A SPEAK UP AUSTIN PAGE WATERSHED PROTECTION FOR THAT PROGRAM.
MAYBE, MAYBE ALL THE ANSWERS ARE THERE.
I THINK THEY'RE NOT THERE YET.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT THERE YET.
IT'S, UH, THAT WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO WORK ON MAKING THOSE UPDATES.
AND I KNOW YOU HAVE AND AUSTIN'S A BIG CITY AND THERE'S LOTS AND LOTS OF STUFF THAT THEY NEED TO PUT ON THE INTERNET FOR AUSTIN.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO GET IN LINE AND HAS TO ALL WORK.
I MEAN, I COULD, OUR WEBSITE'S TERRIBLE TOO, SO, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING ON IT.
SO I CAN, I CAN RELATE TO THE STRUGGLE.
I THINK YOU, YOU CAN TAKE THE SLIDES DOWN.
[01:45:01]
UM, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE, UM, THAT WE NEED TO CHAT ABOUT? UM, WE DON'T HOW MANY VI VOTING ITEMS? NO VOTING ITEMS TODAY.IT'S NOT NECESSARILY LISTED ON THE, UM, ON THE AGENDA, BUT I WAS HOPING
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
THAT MAYBE WE COULD TALK ABOUT THE EVENING MEETINGS.MEET IN THE EVENING QUESTION MARK
SO FOLKS, WE'VE BEEN TALKING, WE USED TO MEET IN THE EVENING ON THIS TASK FORCE.
UM, WE SWITCHED TO DAYTIME, I'M NOT SURE WHEN, PROBABLY DURING COVID.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S PLUSES AND MINUSES.
PEOPLE HAVE KIDS AT HOME OR HAVE LIVES AFTER WORK PRESUMABLY, UM, AND DON'T WANNA MEET IN THE EVENING.
BUT ALSO PEOPLE HAVE DAY JOBS AND THINGS THAT MAKES IT HARD FOR THEM TO GET TO THESE MEETINGS DURING THE DAY.
SO, UM, WE REALLY HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH QUORUM LATELY AND I DON'T KNOW, AND I ABSOLUTELY DON'T THINK IT'S AN ISSUE WITH THE DEDICATION OF THE FOLKS THAT SERVE ON THIS COMMITTEE.
CAUSE I THINK EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE HERE.
BUT THE HONEST TRUTH IS, IS LIKE LEGISLATIVE SESSION RIGHT NOW, PEOPLE HAVE DAY JOBS THAT THEY HAVE TO BE AT AND THAT TAKES PRECEDENT A LOT OF THE TIME.
SO, UM, WE WANT TO SEE IF MOVING THE MEETINGS BACK TO THE EVENING IS SOMETHING THAT FOLKS ARE EXCITED ABOUT OR IF THEY'RE GONNA QUIT THE TASK FORCE IF WE DO IT OR, OR WHATEVER.
BUT, UH, MAYBE, UM, I W I WAS THINKING AND THAT MAYBE WE SEND OUT A SURVEY MM-HMM.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, TO THE, TO THE TASK FORCE BECAUSE WE'D LIKE TO GET IT AT A TIME THAT IS CONVENIENT FOR FOLKS.
I MEAN, IT'S CONVENIENT AS A MULTI-HOUR MEETING CAN BE, BUT, AND THEN WE WOULD STILL HAVE OUR SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS DURING THE DAY.
AND DOES ANYONE WANNA SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT AT THIS POINT? OR HAVE ANY COMMENTS? ROBERT? HE'S MOVING TOWARDS THE MIC.
I PREFER THE DAY
I, PERRY, PERRY, UM, WHEN YOU SAY EVENING, HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FOUR AND SIX.
I MEAN IT'S A OH YEAH, THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT.
YEAH CUZ WE WERE, WE WERE, WE HAD DONE SIX O'CLOCK STARTING EARLY, WE WOULD OFTEN HAVE THREE HOUR MEETINGS.
UM, AND THEN PEOPLE HAD A STRUGGLE WITH TRAFFIC.
OH WAIT, PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO GET ANYWHERE ANYMORE.
UM, AND THEN FOUR O'CLOCK MIGHT ACTUALLY BE BETTER FOR FOLKS OR MIGHT BE TERRIBLE.
FOLKS MIGHT BE PICKING KIDS UP FROM SCHOOL.
SO MAYBE, MAYBE THIS IS MORE THAN A THREE QUESTION SURVEY, BUT IT WON'T BE VERY LONG.
BUT YOU MAKE A GOOD POINT, PERRY, CUZ LIKE FOUR TO SIX WOULD JUST BE SWEET TIMING.
ONE ADVANTAGE OF, OF UH, EARLY EVENING MEETINGS IS WE CAN GO DRINKING AFTERWARDS.
CONFUSED ON THE DAY OR EVENING.
JUST GONNA SAY JUNIOR MEMBER HERE.
UH, LITTLE SAY SO, BUT I, YOU KNOW, I WOULD DEFINITELY, UH, SUPPORT EVENING MEETINGS.
JUST SO, UM, I MEAN SELFISHLY I DON'T HAVE TO MISS CLASS.
UH, WHAT YOU'RE MISSING CLASS.
MY, MY PROSPECTS AS A, AS A LAWYER WILL IMPROVE IF I GO TO CLASS
IT'S, UH, THAT'S, IT'S ALSO FINE EITHER WAY.
WELL I THINK THAT SETTLES THERE, RIGHT THERE.
THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT, UM, STUDENT THAT'S MISSING CLASS TO BE HERE.
OKAY, WELL WE'LL SEND A SURVEY OUT FOLKS AND WE'LL GET IT, WE'LL GET IT SETTLED, UM, SOON.
ANYTHING ELSE? ONE, ONE LAST, UM, BIT OF SAD NEWS.
UH, UH, JANEEL WILL BE MOVING ON TO WHAT BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS.
UM, DO YOU WANT WATCH THE MIC DROP, SHARE A FEW WORDS.
JANEEL, I WILL STILL BE IN AUSTIN.
I WILL BE A VERY ENGAGED CITIZEN AND I MIGHT SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION IN THE FUTURE.
UM, I'LL BE WORKING WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL GRANT MAKERS ASSOCIATION, BUT I'LL BE AROUND PAYING ATTENTION.
APPRECIATE ALL YOUR WORK AND YOUR SUPPORT OF THE TASK FORCE.
[01:50:01]
JANEEL, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW POSITION AND, UM, IT'S JUST BEEN A JOY TO HAVE YOU, UM, WITH US ON THE TASK FORCE.AND, UM, I AM SO SORRY FOR ALL THE MEETINGS YOU'VE HAD TO RESCHEDULE.
YOU MUST HATE US, BUT, UM, BUT YOUR WORK ON THE, THE EQUITY, UM, AND AFFORDABILITY ROADMAP AND EVERYTHING HAS JUST BEEN PHENOMENAL.
SO, UM, WE, I WISH YOU THE VERY BEST AND AND I REALLY HOPE TO SEE YOU AROUND IN THE FUTURE.
AND I, I WILL SEND OUT THAT SURVEY BEFORE I, I WISH I COULD DO THAT ON BRIDGE RULES.
I KNOW YOU'RE LIKE, UH, FINAL EMAIL.
PLEASE RESPOND TO JANE JANELLE'S FINAL EMAIL, Y'ALL, BECAUSE SHE WON'T BE HERE TO CA CALL AND TEXT YOU TO MAKE YOU DO IT,
ANY OTHER, UH, COMMENTS? OKAY, THANK YOU.