[00:00:02]
UM, IT APPEARS THE COMMISSIONER HAS TAKEN A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO GET HERSELVES EXTRICATED FROM, UH, THE TRAFFIC THAN ANTICIPATED.
SO, UM, OH, AND HERE SHE COMES.
I WAS GOING TO UNOFFICIALLY GET US STARTED ON ONE OF THE REPORTS, UM, BUT NOW WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.
UM, GOOD TO SEE YOU, COMMISSIONER.
HEY, HOW ARE YOU? DOING GREAT.
WHERE DO I SIT OVER THERE, PLEASE? RIGHT HERE.
THANKS EVERYBODY FOR JOINING US TODAY.
I'M LESLIE POOL AND I AM ONE OF THE CHAIRS OF THE BALCONIES CANYONLANDS CONSERVATION PLAN COORDINATING COMMITTEE.
JOINED TODAY BY THE OTHER CHAIR OF THE B C C P COORDINATING COMMITTEE, UH, COMMISSIONER BRIDGET SHEA FROM TRAVIS COUNTY.
IT IS 1:11 PM AND WE ARE CONVENED FOR OUR, UH, OFFICIAL MEETING IN CITY HALL CHAMBERS, 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET, UM, AUSTIN, TEXAS.
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION TODAY? NO.
NOBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TODAY.
UM, I'M NOT A, UH, CLEAR ON WHAT THE APPROPRIATE PLACE IS ON THE AGENDA, BUT I DID SEND AN EMAIL ASKING THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT A PIECE OF LEGISLATION.
SO WE'RE GONNA, WHEREVER THAT'S APPROPRIATE, WE, UM, ARE PREPARED FOR THAT.
AND THAT WILL BE DURING ITEM SIX, THE BCP PARTNER REPORT HIGHLIGHTS.
AND WE HAVE NICOLE ETHERTON FROM, UM, TRAVIS OON HERE TO GIVE US SOME INFORMATION.
AND I ALSO HAVE SOME UPDATES, UM, TO OFFER AT THAT TIME AS WELL.
YEAH, THANKS FOR ASKING FOR THAT INFORMATION AND THERE BEING NO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEMS OF DISCUSSION.
[1. Approve Record of Decisions for December 7, 2022 Regular Meeting]
APPROVE THE RECORD OF DECISIONS FOR DECEMBER 7TH, 2022, REGULAR MEETING.DO YOU HAVE ANY EDITS TO THAT? NO, I DON'T.
AND, UH, THERE BEING NO OPPOSITION, THAT ITEM IS APPROVED.
[2. FY2022 BCCP Annual Report Submitted to USFWS – BCCP Secretary]
ITEM NUMBER TWO, FISCAL YEAR 2022 B C C P ANNUAL REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE.AND THIS IS OUR B C C P SECRETARY.
AND I UNDERSTAND, UM, MS. HARVEY, YOU'RE ALSO GONNA INTRODUCE US TO SOME NEW FOLKS.
UM, THE AGENDA SAYS THAT CHRISTINA WILLIAMS FROM US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE WILL BE JOINING US TODAY.
HOWEVER, SHE'S, UM, FEELING UNWELL AND THERE'S BEEN SOME NEW STAFF AT THE LOCAL AUSTIN OFFICE THAT ARE ABLE TO JOIN US TODAY.
UH, UP HERE WE HAVE KAREN MYERS WITH US.
SHE'S THE FIELD SUPERVISOR OF THE AUSTIN ECOLOGICAL SERVICES OFFICE.
AND OUT THERE IN THE AUDIENCE WE HAVE MARK FISHER.
I BELIEVE WE'LL START, UH, WORKING WITH US ON B C C P ISSUES.
SO, UH, THANK YOU KAREN, FOR JOINING US TODAY.
IF YOU, UH, WOULD LIKE TO TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF SURE, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT.
I'M THE NEW FIELD SUPERVISOR, AS SHE SAID, UH, FOR THE AUSTIN ECOLOGICAL SERVICES FIELD OFFICE OF THE US FISHER WILDLIFE SERVICE.
UM, MY PREDECESSOR, ADAM ZUREK, MIGHT HAVE BEEN SOMEONE THAT YOU INTERACTED WITH OR KNEW ABOUT BEFORE, BUT HE HAS MOVED ON AND I HAVE BEEN WITH THE OFFICE NOW FOR ABOUT A COUPLE OF MONTHS.
SO UNFORTUNATELY, CHRISTINA WASN'T ABLE TO ATTEND.
UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO TRY TO ANSWER WHATEVER QUESTIONS WE CAN OR, UH, LET HER KNOW WHAT THE UPDATES ARE.
UM, AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT OUR ANNUAL REPORT WAS SUBMITTED SUCCESSFULLY TO THE SERVICE THIS YEAR AND ON TIME.
UM, IF YOU COULD PLEASE PULL UP THE WEBSITE THAT HAS THE V C C P ANNUAL REPORT ON THERE.
IT HAS BEEN PUBLICLY POSTED TO THE TRAVIS COUNTY WEBSITE.
UM, SO THERE YOU CAN SEE THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, THE BULK OF THE REPORT, AND THEN ALL OF THE APPENDICES, JUST THE REALLY COOL RESEARCH, UM, AND LAND MANAGEMENT THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING ON THE B C C P, ON THE BCP, EXCUSE ME.
UM, SO IT'S THERE FOR EVERYBODY TO SEE.
THAT WEBSITE ALSO HAS SEVERAL YEARS OF ANNUAL REPORTS, UH, MORE THAN YOU'D EVER WANT TO KNOW OR READ, UH, IS AVAILABLE THERE FOR YOU.
AND THAT'S ALL I'D LIKE TO SAY ON THAT ONE.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANKS SO MUCH, UH, KIMBERLY AND WELCOME, KAREN.
AND GIVE OUR BEST TO MS. WILLIAMS. AND LET'S SEE.
[3. BCP Visitor Center Update – Melinda Mallia]
IS THE,[00:05:01]
UH, BCP VISITOR CENTER UPDATE.AND I UNDERSTAND KIMBERLY, YOU'RE GOING TO HANDLE THIS IN MELINDA MALIA'S, UM, STEAD.
YES, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, MELINDA IS NOT ABLE TO JOIN US TODAY.
UH, SO I'M GOING TO DO MY BEST TO, UH, GIVE HER TWO AGENDA ITEMS HERE.
THE FIRST ONE I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IS THE BCP VISITOR CENTER.
SO IF YOU COULD PLEASE PULL UP, UH, ONE OF THE SCHEMATIC DESIGNS.
WE ARE ALL VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
THE COUNTY HAS BEEN WORKING, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH CONSULTANTS.
UH, THE, THIS IS THE SCHEMATIC DESIGN.
IT'S COME BACK FROM, UH, OUR DESIGNER.
UH, THIS IS, UM, THE NORTH SIDE RENDERING.
AND IF YOU'D GO TO THE NEXT ONE, THIS IS THE RENDERING FROM THE FRONT.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THERE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE PLENTY OF, OF PARKING FOR SCHOOL BUSES.
THIS IS REALLY JUST GONNA BE AN AMAZING FACILITY.
I KNOW MELINDA HAS TALKED ABOUT IT A BIT.
UM, THE CONSTRUCTION PLANS, THE ENGINEERING AND PERMITTING ARE, UH, UNDERWAY.
THEY, MELINDA SAID THAT IT'S HER, UM, SHE UNDERSTANDS THAT THE TIMELINE IS STILL THREE TO FOUR YEARS OUT BEFORE WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO CUT THE RIBBON AND OPEN THIS AND THEN WELCOME THE PUBLIC IN.
UH, THERE'S ABOUT A YEAR WORTH OF CONSTRUCTION PERMITTING THAT STILL NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
AND THEN THEY WILL START ON THE CONSTRUCTION, WHICH IS ANOTHER COUPLE YEARS AFTER THAT.
SO SHE WANTED TO JUST MAKE SURE SHE SHARED SOME OF THESE BEAUTIFUL RENDERINGS.
UM, WE'VE, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THE SITE AND IT'S JUST GOING TO BE INCREDIBLE.
THERE ARE SOME REALLY BEAUTIFUL HIKING TRAILS.
UM, UH, IF THERE'S ANY SITE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE, I CAN PROBABLY BRING JEREMY UP.
HE KNOWS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PLANS FOR, UM, WHAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON WITH A CONSULTANT.
UM, OR WE CAN LEAVE IT THERE, BUT IF YOU'D LIKE TO HEAR A LITTLE MORE ABOUT IT, I'D BRING JEREMY UP.
HE KNOWS COMMISSIONER, UH, YEAH, ACTUALLY I'M, UM, I'M THRILLED WE'RE FINALLY GETTING AN UPDATE ON THIS.
I'VE BEEN REALLY KEEN TO HEAR ABOUT IT.
AND SO I MIGHT HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR JEREMY.
UM, BUT THIS IS THE, UM, PREVIOUS SAS BUILDING, UH, AT WILSON PARK BOULEVARD, UM, JUST OFF SIX 20.
AND THE REALLY AMAZING THING ABOUT THIS, UH, PROPERTY WHICH WE WERE ABLE TO PURCHASE AT THE COUNTY, A, IT'S A HUGE OFFICE BUILDING AND IT'S IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE.
UM, B THEY HAVE, I THINK IT'S ABOUT 95, UH, ACRES OF, IN SOME CASES REALLY EXCELLENT ENDANGERED SPECIES HABITAT.
AND WHEN THEY BUILT THAT BUILDING AND DEVELOPED THAT SITE, THEY WORKED WITH THE COUNTY BCP STAFF TO DEVELOP TRAILS THAT WERE, UM, APPROPRIATE FOR BUILDING AND HAVING TRAILS AND ENDANGERED SPECIES HABITAT.
SO, UM, IT WAS A REMARKABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE THE BUILDING AND THE 95 ACRES TAKE IT OUTTA DEVELOPMENT, CUZ THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF DEVELOPMENT AROUND IT.
AND THAT SITE WOULD HAVE BEEN, UM, PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY REDEVELOPED IF THE COUNTY HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO TO PURCHASE IT.
SO I'M THRILLED TO SEE THIS INITIAL SCHEMATIC.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN IT, EVEN THOUGH I'VE BEEN PESTERING MELINDA FOR DETAILS ON IT FOR A WHILE.
SO I'D LOVE TO HEAR ANY MORE, UM, DESCRIPTION THAT YOU CAN GIVE.
I, I WASN'T AWARE OF THE, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO CALL IT, EDIFICE AT THE, BE AT THE ENTRANCE TO IT AND THAT STACK OF, YEAH, FRANKLY, IT LOOKS LIKE LOU, SO IF YOU WANT TO PULL BACK UP THE IMAGES, IF YOU COULD PULL UP THAT FIRST ONE, THE NORTH, UH, IMAGE THERE.
IF YOU CAN JUST DESCRIBE WHAT THAT IS.
SO THERE'S ESSENTIALLY GONNA BE A COUPLE OF THINGS TO LOOK AT THERE.
SO ONE, THERE'S THE, THE TOWER THAT WE WANNA DIRECT YOU TO.
IT'S ALL THREE STORIES OF THE BUILDING THAT'LL BE ACCESSIBLE FROM BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING WHERE FOLKS CAN GO UP TO THE TOP AND YOU'LL BE OUT LOOKING OVER THE BCP, A HUGE CHUNK OF OF THE PRESERVE LAND THAT YOU, AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS ON THE BACK SIDE? YES.
THIS IS THE BACK SIDE LOOKING OUT OVER, UH, THE LARGE ACREAGE THAT IS, THAT'S RIGHT.
SO IT'LL BE, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S EXACTLY, UH, 95 ACRES.
UM, THE TRAILS ALL ON THE UPLAND WILL BE, UM, MOSTLY 80.
UM, AND SO THEY'LL HAVE, BACK HERE THERE'S GONNA BE AN AMPHITHEATER.
IT'S GONNA BE AROUND 150 SEAT AMPHITHEATER, UM, YOU KNOW, RESTROOMS FOR ALL THE HIKING TRAILS.
AND THEN THE, THE OBSERVATION TOWER WHERE THEY'LL BE ABLE TO LOOK OUT ON THE BCP AND SEE JUST, UH, INCREDIBLE VIEWS.
UM, THE ENTIRE BOTTOM, MOST OF THE BOTTOM STORY IS GOING TO BE EXHIBIT SPACE THAT'LL TELL THE STORY OF THE BCP OUR SPECIES AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
AS WELL AS BE A LOCATION FOR OUR HIKE DOCENTS THAT'LL BE LEADING HIKES ON THE PROPERTY.
UM, YOU COULD SEE THE HUGE RAINWATER COLLECTION TANKS THERE ON THE BOTTOM LEFT.
UM, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE WATER USED IN THE GARDENS FOR ALL THE LANDSCAPE AROUND THE BUILDING IS GONNA BE HARVESTED ON SITE.
WE DON'T GONNA BUILD ANYTHING THAT'S GONNA REQUIRE ANY ADDITIONAL WATER.
[00:10:01]
AND IT'S ALSO GONNA BE USED AS A TEACHING TOOL FOR PEOPLE OF HOW TO HARVEST AND USE THE RAINWATER AND ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.IF YOU GO TO THE OTHER IMAGE, PLEASE FROM THE FRONT, YOU, YOU NOTICED THIS WALL THAT THEY HAVE, THEY CALL THIS A LIVING WALL.
THAT WALL'S GONNA CARRY FROM THE BUILDING ALL THE WAY TO THE ENTRANCE AND ALL THE WAY DOWN THIS REALLY LONG ENTRANCE ROAD THAT'S GONNA BE MADE OF NATURAL STONE FROM THE AREA AND NATIVE PLANTS.
AND JUST TELL THE STORY, THE CAR STORY, THE OF, OF OUR AREA, WHICH IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE LOTS OF CAVES AND, AND SIX OF OUR CRITTERS THAT WE PROTECT FOR ARE CAR SPECIES.
SO IT'LL TELL THAT WHOLE STORY OUTSIDE THE BUILDING AND THAT'LL CARRY INTO THE BUILDING WITH ALL THE EXHIBIT SPACE AND STUFF.
SO OVERALL IT'S GONNA BE AMAZING.
SO IT'LL BE SORT OF A DISPLAY WALL MM-HMM.
AND KIOSKS IS INFORMATION ALL THE WAY ALONG IT FOR PEOPLE TO HIKE IN AND, AND WALK ALONG AND, AND LEARN AND STUFF.
AND WHAT'S THE STRUCTURE AT THE ENTRANCE? UM, THAT'S MOSTLY JUST A BREEZEWAY ENTRY AREA, JUST A, THE BUILDING THERE IS A STANDING BUILDING THAT WE'RE RETROFITTING AND IT'S JUST A SQUARE UGLY BUILDING.
AND SO THIS IS JUST TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF DEFINITION, A LITTLE BIT OF HEIGHT TO THE BUILDING.
IT IS GONNA HAVE NATIVE PLANTS GROWING IN IT AND WHATNOT, BUT IT'S JUST A SHADED SPACE FOR DROP OFF AND PICK UP FOR BUSES AND, AND PEOPLE AND MEETING SPACE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THE BUILDING ITSELF HAD A VERY LARGE, UM, OPEN ATRIUM UP THREE STORIES.
HAS THAT BEEN, UM, RETAINED OR IS THAT, UM, CHANGED? THE ATRIUM'S GONNA STAY AND IT'S ACTUALLY GONNA BE, WE HAD SOME OTHER TALKS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO INSIDE THERE, BUT ESSENTIALLY YOU MIGHT WALK IN AND WHAT WE ENVISION IS YOU WALK IN AND YOU SEE LIKE A COOL CAVE STRUCTURE WITH A GIANT JUNIPER GROWING OUT OF IT THAT GOES ALL THE WAY UP THESE THREE STORIES.
AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE FROM THE CARS ALL THE WAY UP TO THE CANOPY OF THE DIFFERENT SPECIES AND ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE BCP AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE LIFE SIZE, YOU KNOW, GOLDEN CHI GOBBLERS OR EVEN LARGER THINGS TO TELL THE STORY OF THE BCP AND STUFF.
SO YEAH, THAT, THAT ENTRYWAY IS GONNA BE REALLY COOL.
AND THEN, UM, ON THE BACK, AS YOU WALKED INTO THE ATRIUM, YOU COULD SEE OUT THE, UH, ESSENTIALLY GLASS ALL ACROSS THE BACK END.
SO YOU COULD LITERALLY LOOK OUT ONTO THE ACREAGE THAT, UM, CAME WITH THE PROPERTY IN, IN WHICH THEY HAD, UM, CRAFTED THE TRAILS ON.
IS THAT GONNA REMAIN AS WELL? IT'S ALL GONNA REMAIN, IT'S ALL GONNA BE THERE.
AND LIKE I SAID, ON THE BACKSIDE, BOTH IN AND OUT, THEY WE'LL HAVE THAT THREE STORY OBSERVATION TOWER THAT, UH, ALL THE VISITORS WILL BE ABLE TO USE TO, TO SEE THIS SITE.
UM, THERE'S ALSO, UM, WE, UM, A SHELTER CAVE ON SITE, UM, THAT WILL BE PART OF THE ACCESSIBLE TRAILS WHERE THEY'LL BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND LOOK DOWN INTO THE SHELTER CAVE AND, AND SEE THAT AS WELL.
AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THAT STUFF FROM THE TOP OBSERVATION DECK OF THE BUILDING.
OH, UH, UH, AGAIN, I, WE FELT REALLY FORTUNATE AT THE COUNTY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PURCHASE THE BUILDING.
WE THOUGHT IT HAD A SPECTACULAR, UH, FLOOR PLAN WITH THAT HUGE ATRIUM.
THAT WOULD BE A GREAT WAY TO TELL THE STORY CUZ I CONTINUE TO, UM, RUN INTO PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO IDEA WHAT A NATIONAL LEADER WE ARE, UH, IN THE AREA OF, UM, HABITAT CONSERVATION PLANS WHO HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY ENDANGERED SPECIES WE HAVE IN THIS MASHUP OF ECOSYSTEMS HERE.
SO I JUST THINK THIS IS A FABULOUS PLACE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO TELL THAT STORY AND BE ABLE TO INVITE THE PUBLIC IN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT A UNIQUE PLACE THEY LIVE IN AND FRANKLY, HOW THE WISDOM OF, UH, PREVIOUS LEADERS AND CURRENT HAS KEPT SO MUCH OF THIS LAND IN ITS NATURAL STATE AND BY THE WAY, OUT OF DEVELOPMENT SO THAT THERE WON'T BE EVEN MORE TRAFFIC ON ALL THE ROADS, UH, IN THE, IN THE AREA.
AND I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE STORY TO TELL AS WELL.
ARE YOU MANAGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF IT OR WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH IT? NO, SO, UM, MY TITLE IS COMMUNITY LIAISON WITH TRAVIS COUNTY NATURAL RESOURCES.
SO I MANAGE ALL OF OUR OUTREACH EDUCATION AND THE VOLUNTEERING PROGRAM.
SO I'LL HAVE A BIG PART ONCE THE BUILDING IS, IS BROUGHT INTO SERVICE FOR OUR HIKE LEADERS AND, UH, THE EXHIBIT SPACE DOWN BELOW AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT, UH, WHAT, WHAT WE ALSO DIDN'T MENTION IS THAT THIS IS GONNA BE WHERE ALL OF OUR OFFICES ARE FOR ALL OF OUR BIOLOGICAL STAFF.
ALL OUR NATURAL RESOURCES STAFF WILL BE ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE BUILDING.
SO IT'LL BE A COOL INTERFACE TOO WHERE PEOPLE CAN SEE COME NOT ONLY THE PUBLIC CAN COME AND SEE THE EXHIBIT SPACE, BUT THEY COULD ALSO MAYBE GET A SNEAK PEEK INTO WHAT OUR BIOLOGISTS ARE WORKING ON AND COOL THINGS GOING ON IN THE LAB AND RESEARCH THAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON.
THE BUILDING ITSELF IS WHAT, 40,000 SQUARE FEET, I BELIEVE.
SO, UH, ONE OF OUR GOALS WAS TO ALSO HAVE, UM, SPACE WHERE COMPATIBLE, UM, ENTITIES OR OPERATIONS, UM, MAYBE SOME OTHER COUNTY OPERATIONS COULD ALSO, UH, HOUSE.
DO WE HAVE ANY UPDATE ON THAT? I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT.
UM, THE, THE MAIN PLANS FOR WHAT WOULD BE ON THE THIRD STORY.
I KNOW IT'S IN FLUX CUZ IT'S STILL BEEN IN SCHEMATIC DESIGN.
YEAH, I'LL JUST SAY ANY ENVIRONMENTAL NON-PROFITS, UH, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR OFFICE SPACE, COME SEE US.
I WAS WONDERING, UM, KIMBERLY, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE TIMELINE IS FOR THIS OPENING? WHEN I SPOKE WITH MELINDA THIS MORNING, SHE SAID THAT THERE'S PROBABLY A YEAR WORTH OF JUST PERMITTING THAT WILL HAPPEN.
AND ONCE ALL THE PERMITS ARE IN PLACE, WE'RE LOOKING AT ANOTHER COUPLE
[00:15:01]
YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION.SO HER BEST GUESS ESTIMATE AT THIS TIME IS THREE TO FOUR YEARS.
ANY CHANCE WE CAN TALK TO SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE AT THE CITY OR THE COUNTY TO SPEED UP THAT PERMITTING? I MEAN, IN A YEAR FOR OUR OWN FACILITIES THAT ARE ALREADY BUILT AND THAT ARE SIMPLY A REMODEL SEEMS UNACCEPTABLY LONG, I'M SURE THEY'LL, THEY'LL DO THE BEST THEY CAN.
LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT.
UM, THAT'S ALL, UH, WE HAVE ON THIS AGENDA ITEM UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? NO, WE'RE JUST, WE'RE JUST ALL VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
OH MY GOSH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL FACILITY.
[4. BCCP Interlocal Cooperation Agreement between the City and the County – Melinda Mallia]
IS THE B CCP INTERLOCAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.AND AGAIN, THIS WAS A MELINDA MALIA ITEM AND, UH, KIMBERLY HARVEY IS GOING TO COVER FOR HER.
SO, UM, IF YOU REMEMBER LAST AUGUST WE GAVE A BRIEF UPDATE ABOUT THE, UH, B C C P I L A, THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT AND SHARED VISION.
THE, THIS WAS A, UH, A STARTUP DOCUMENT BEFORE THE PERMIT WAS ISSUED THAT LAID OUT THEIR IDEAS FOR HOW THE CITY AND THE COUNTY WOULD SHARE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ADMINISTRATION OF THIS PERMIT.
AND NOW THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 27 YEARS, THE DOCUMENT NEEDS TO BE UPDATED.
THERE WERE SOME THINGS IN THE DOCUMENT THAT NEVER CAME TO BE.
AND YOU KNOW, JUST AFTER 27 YEARS OF PRACTICE, WE'VE GOT A BETTER IDEA OF THIS, UH, PARTNERSHIP AND WHAT OUR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE.
UM, WHEN WE REPORTED ON THIS IN AUGUST, WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A STALL, UH, WITH LEGAL.
ONE OF THE GOALS THAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO WITH THIS IS TO CREATE A MECHANISM WHERE THE CITY AND THE COUNTY COULD SHARE FUNDS, UM, FOR BCP RELATED RESEARCH.
AND THE, THE LANGUAGE IN ONE CONTRACT THAT WOULD COVER THAT FOR BOTH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, UM, WAS DIFFICULT TO AGREE UPON, UM, FOR BOTH LAW DEPARTMENTS.
SO, UM, THEY DECIDED THAT IF WE PULLED THAT OUT AND CAME UP WITH A TEMPLATE TO HELP FOR COST SHARING, WE'D BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE I L A.
SO I'M JUST, UH, I'VE GOT MELINDA'S NOTES HERE AND I'M JUST GONNA KIND OF GIVE YOU A BRIEF EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE UPDATES IN THE NEW I L A.
UH, WE DO EXPECT TO BE BRINGING THIS UPDATED I L A TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL SOMETIME IN THE NEXT, UH, THREE TO FOUR MONTHS.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED THAT THIS IS, UH, GOT SOME MOVEMENT AGAIN.
SO THE ORIGINAL ILA LINED OUT HOW WE'D WORK TOGETHER AND IN 2018, THE CITY AND COUNTY HIRED A CONSULTANT TO EVALUATE OUR OPTIONS AS WE APPROACH THE END OF PERMIT TERMS. AND AT THAT MEETING, AS YOU REMEMBER, WE, UM, UH, WAS VOTED ON TO EXTEND OUR PERMIT TERM TO MAKE NO CHANGES TO THE PERMIT TERMS OR SPECIES COVERED AND CONTINUE MAKING ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES TO THESE OLD DOCUMENTS.
SO THIS IS THE I L A ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATE.
WE'RE GONNA EXTEND THE PERMIT.
SORRY, COMMISSIONER SHAY, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YEAH.
HOW, UH, HOW LONG WERE WE GONNA EXTEND THE PERMIT FOR? I'M NOT RECALLING WHAT WE UH, VOTED ON.
THEN THAT'S THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
WE REMOVED THE STARTUP LANGUAGE THAT COVERED THINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
WE'VE SIMPLIFIED AND CLARIFIED THE LANGUAGE.
WE REMOVED METHODS FOR SHARING, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS THAT DIDN'T WORK OUT WELL.
UH, ANOTHER THING WE WOULD LIKE TO DO HERE IS CHANGE THE TITLE FROM B CCP SECRETARY TO B C C P OFFICER.
UM, THERE ARE A FEW REASONS FOR THAT, UH, THAT MAKES SENSE, BUT WE WOULD, WE'D LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
UM, WE HAVE REMOVED THE LANGUAGE ABOUT OTHER GOVERNMENT ENTITIES, UM, BEING PART OF THE PLAN.
UH, IT WAS EXPLORED BUT NEVER USED.
TECH DOT AND OTHER FEDERAL AND STATE ENTITIES USE SECTION SEVEN WITH THE SERVICE.
AND WILLIAMSON HAYES DID THEIR OWN HCPS AFTER THIS.
WE, UM, MELINDA WORKED WITH THE LAWYERS TO UPDATE THE COUNTY'S FUNDING OBLIGATIONS FOR LAND ACQUISITION.
WE NO LONGER NEED A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE TAX BENEFIT FINANCING FUND EACH YEAR, BUT WE STILL NEED TO ASSURE THAT CONTINUED FUNDING IS AVAILABLE BUT DON'T HAVE TO DEDICATE MORE THAN IS NEEDED.
UM, THE OPERATING FUND ASSOCIATED WITH THE SECRETARY POSITION WAS NEVER USED.
UH, SO THEY'VE GOT RID OF THAT LANGUAGE FOR LAND MANAGEMENT.
WE'VE CLARIFIED A JOINT APPROACH TO
[00:20:01]
THE DEVELOPMENT OF LAND MANAGEMENT PLANS AND REMOVED LANGUAGE THAT REFERENCED US FISH AND WILDLIFE APPROVALS THAT AREN'T ACTUALLY REQUIRED.UM, WE REMOVE SECTIONS ON THE B CCP MITIGATION AND TAKE PERMIT ISSUANCE AND MOVE THEM OVER TO THE HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATE.
THE COST SHARING, THE NEW SECTION IS PROPOSED AND THAT IS WHERE THE CITY AND COUNTY LEGAL ADVISED THAT THE BEST WAY TO STREAMLINE COST SHARING ON JOINT PROJECTS IS TO DEVELOP A TEMPLATE THAT BOTH LEGAL OFFICES LIKE.
SO, UH, THE LEGAL OFFICES ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO DEVELOP THIS TEMPLATE AND WE ARE TOLD IT SHOULD BE HOT OFF THE PRESS ANY MINUTE.
SO THAT'S WHY WE FEEL CONFIDENT WE'LL FINALLY BE MOVING THIS FORWARD AND YOU WILL BE SEEING IT IN CITY COUNCIL AND COMMISSIONER'S COURT SOMETIME IN THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR MONTHS.
ANY QUESTIONS? I'M GOOD, THANKS.
UM, KIMBERLY, COULD YOU GET, UH, A COPY TO THE COMMISSIONER AND ME, UM, WHAT ALL THOSE CHANGES ARE SO THAT WHEN IT COMES FOR APPROVAL TO THOSE SEPARATE BOARDS THAT WE CAN, WE KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND CAN FIELD ANY QUESTIONS? I ASSUME YOU OR STAFF WILL BE PRESENT SHOULD THERE BE ANY QUESTIONS? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
AND WE WILL, UH, WE'RE WAITING ON THE LAWYERS TO GIVE US THEIR FINAL, UH, MARKUP COPIES.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORKING ON THAT TOGETHER RIGHT NOW.
AND ARE WE OFFICIALLY GOING TO CHANGE THE TITLE FOR THE ROLE THAT YOU ENCUMBER FROM SECRETARY TO OFFICER? BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA.
WE, WE WOULD LIKE TO, UM, HISTORICALLY WHEN THIS ROLE WAS FILLED BY A A MAN SECRETARY MEANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN, UH, UNFORTUNATELY IT'S BEEN FILLED BY A, A WOMAN.
AND SO WE JUST THINK THAT BETTER ALIGNS WITH MORE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL TITLES IN THE CITY AS WELL.
SO BCP OFFICERS, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO CHANGE THAT TO, IT REALLY DOES.
WHAT ELSE DO WE NEED? IS THERE ANYTHING OTHER THAN HAVING THAT RESIDENT IN THAT DOCUMENT THERE, DOES THAT TAKE CARE OF IT OR ARE THERE YES.
ADDITIONAL ACTIONS THAT THE COUNTY AND THE CITY NEED TO TAKE? NOPE, THAT'LL BE IT, UH, FOR NOW BECAUSE THE, THE APPROVALS WILL BE WHEN IT GOES UP TO CITY COUNCIL AND COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
SO WE WILL MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THOSE DOCUMENTS AHEAD OF TIME.
UM, AND WE'LL HAVE STAFF THERE TO HELP BUILD ANY QUESTIONS WHEN IT DOES.
AND THEN YOU ALL WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THE CHANGES ON THE WEBSITE AND HR IN THEIR DOCUMENTATION AND SO FORTH? YES.
AND THAT'S THREE TO FOUR MONTHS? YES.
MIGHT SEE IT AT COMMISSIONER'S COURT A LITTLE EARLIER THAN CITY COUNCIL.
UM, WE GO THROUGH WATER WASTEWATER COMMISSION BEFORE WE MOVE TO COUNCIL FOR THINGS.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS ITEM? IT SOUNDS GREAT.
[5. BCCP Permit Renewal Application – BCCP Secretary]
NOW UP TO ITEM FIVE, THE PERMIT, RE RENEWAL APPLICATION FOR THE, UM, FOR THE CONSERVATION PLAN.UM, I NEED TO GO DOWN HERE THOUGH, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO BE WORKING A MAP AS I EXPLAIN THIS TO YOU.
SO YOU SEE UP HERE A MAP THAT EVERYBODY'S FAMILIAR WITH.
UM, THIS IS THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION OF THE BALCONIES CANYONLANDS PRESERVE.
AND AS I TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR, UH, INCIDENTAL TAKE PERMIT RENEWAL PROCESS, I'M GONNA SHOW YOU SOME LESSER WELL KNOWN DATA SETS.
THE CURRENT B C C P PERMIT TERM EXPIRES ON MAY 2ND, 2026.
AND AS WE MENTIONED IN OCTOBER, 2019, WE REVIEWED THE END OF PERMIT OPTIONS REPORT AND VOTED TO EXTEND THE DURATION OF THE PERMIT AND MAKE ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES TO MODERNIZE THE H C P.
SO JUST AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE I L A, WE'RE ALSO MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PROCESS TO EXTEND THE EXPIRATION DATE OF THE PERMIT.
NOW EXTENDING THE EXPIRATION DATE IS CALLED A PERMIT RENEWAL.
AND ACTUALLY, YOU MAY BE ABOUT TO ANSWER THIS, BUT I, UH, I CANNOT REMEMBER HOW LONG WE EXTENDED THE PERMIT TO.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET TO? YES, THAT'S WHAT I'M ABOUT TO GET TO HOLD MY QUESTION THEN.
WE, WE DIDN'T DECIDE THAT BECAUSE WE HAD SOME ANALYSIS TO SEE HOW MUCH TAKE AUTHORIZATION WE HAD LEFT TO SEE HOW MANY MORE YEARS.
AND WE'VE COMPLETED THAT ANALYSIS.
SO I'M HERE TODAY TO, UM, TELL YOU HOW THAT TURNED OUT.
SO, UM, UH, EXTENDING THE EXPIRATION DATE IS CALLED A PERMIT RENEWAL, AND IT'S A RELATIVELY SIMPLE PROCESS THAT ONLY CHANGES ONE ASPECT OF THE PERMIT.
IT DOES NOT CHANGE ANY OF THE TERMS OR CONDITIONS OF THE B C C P PERMIT.
AND A PERMIT IS ONLY RENEWABLE
[00:25:01]
IF THERE IS UNUSED TAKE AUTHORIZATION AT THE END OF THE PERMIT TERM.WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT DEFINES TAKE AS TO HARASS HARM, PURSUE HUNT, SHOOT WOUND, KILL, TRAP, CAPTURE, OR COLLECT OR ATTEMPT TO ENGAGE IN ANY SUCH ACT.
AND THE TERMS HARASS AND HARM HAVE BEEN REDEFINED SEVERAL TIMES, BUT ESSENTIALLY THEY APPLY TO AN ACTIVITY THAT CAUSES SERIOUS DISRUPTION IN ESSENTIAL BEHAVIOR PATTERNS SUCH AS FEEDING, BREEDING OR SHELTERING HABITAT REMOVAL FALLS IN THIS CATEGORY.
AND THE B C C P PERMIT QUANTIFIES ALLOWABLE TAKE OF COVERED SPECIES IN TERMS OF LOSS OF HABITAT, THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT REQUIRES THAT AN INCIDENTAL TAKE PERMIT BE OBTAINED FOR ANY TAKE OF ENDANGERED OR THREATENED SPECIES INCIDENTAL TO AN OTHERWISE LAWFUL ACTIVITY.
SO HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY, THAT INCLUDES PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH URBAN AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, AND INDUSTRIAL CONSTRUCTION ROADWAYS AND INFRASTRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION.
THE BCP IS DESIGNED TO BE AS INCLUSIVE AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO STREAMLINE ENDANGERED SPECIES COMPLIANCE FOR URBAN AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND THE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SUPPORTS THEM.
SO FOR 27 YEARS, MANY DEVELOPERS HAVE OBTAINED THEIR ENDANGERED SPECIES TAKE AUTHORIZATION FOR THE COVERED SPECIES DIRECTLY FROM THE CITY OR THE COUNTY, PROVIDING A FASTER ALTERNATIVE TO THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE PERMITTING PROCESS, AND WITH MUCH LOWER MITIGATION COSTS AND WITH MORE CERTAINTY IN PROJECT COSTS AND TIMING.
SO WE'RE CLOSE TO THE END OF OUR 30 YEAR PERMIT, BUT THE BCP STILL HAS TAKE AUTHORIZATION LEFT.
AND I'LL GET INTO MORE DETAIL IN JUST A BIT WHAT THAT MEANS.
AND TRAVIS COUNTY CONTINUES TO SEE TREMENDOUS POPULATION GROWTH.
SO EXTENDING THE DURATION OF THE PERMIT ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TAKE AUTHORIZATION UNDER OUR PLAN.
SO, AND THAT TAKES ME BACK TO TAKE AUTHORIZATION.
HOW DO WE KNOW HOW MUCH TAKE AUTHORIZATION WE HAVE AND WHERE DO WE HAVE TAKE AUTHORIZATION? SO I'M GOING TO TURN OFF THE BALCON CANYONLANDS PRESERVE.
THIS IS OUR CURRENT PRESERVE CONFIGURATION.
AND I'M GONNA TURN ON THE B C C P ACQUISITION AREA.
SO THIS WAS PARCELS OF LAND IDENTIFIED IN THE NINETIES THAT CONTAINED SUITABLE AND DESIRABLE HABITAT TO BE, UM, PRESERVED AS PART OF THE BALCONIES CANYON LANDS PRESERVED.
AND YOU CAN SEE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACQUIRE MUCH OF THAT.
AND IN OUR PERMIT PARTICIPATION AREA, WHICH IS ROUGHLY THE WESTERN HALF OF TRAVIS COUNTY, YOU SEE HERE BY THIS BLACK DOTTED LINE IN THAT PERMIT PARTICIPATION AREA, WE CAN AUTHORIZE TAKE OUTSIDE OF THE BCP ACQUISITION, UM, AREA.
SO, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TAKE AUTHORITY, THERE ARE ACTUALLY KIND OF TWO PARAMETERS IN THE BCP PERMIT.
ONE IS THE POTENTIAL TAKE AUTHORITY AND ONE IS THE ACTUAL TAKE AUTHORITY.
THE POTENTIAL TAKE AUTHORITY IS THE TOTAL TAKE LIMITS ESTABLISHED BY THE PLAN AND THE B CCP.
HABITAT MITIGATION FEE ZONES REPRESENT THE POTENTIAL TAKE AUTHORITY OUTSIDE OF THE BCP PRESERVE ACQUISITION AREA.
SO WE HAVE HABITAT MITIGATION FEE ZONES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH OUR CARS SPECIES
WE HAVE HABITAT MITIGATION FEE ZONES ASSOCIATED WITH OUR GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLER SPECIES.
AND CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE VARIOUS COLORS MEAN ON EACH OF THOSE? YES, THERE ARE TWO, UM, DIFFERENT LEVELS OF HABITAT FEE ZONES.
THE, UH, ONE LEVEL IS WHAT WE CALL GOLDEN CHEEK, GOBLER ZONE ONE, AND THAT IS WHERE WE HAVE GOLDEN CHEEK GOBLER HABITAT.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN CONFIRMATION THAT THAT HABITAT IS OCCUPIED.
ZONE TWO IS WHERE WE HAVE HABITAT, BUT HAVEN'T NECESSARILY CONFIRMED THAT THOSE, UH, HABITAT ZONES ARE OCCUPIED.
AND WHEN A DEVELOPER WANTS TO MITIGATE THEIR PROJECT THROUGH THE B C C P, THESE ZONES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH FEES.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE A HABITAT TAKE INSIDE THE GOLDEN CHEEK, WARBLER ZONE ONE, YOU ARE ABLE TO PAY A PERMIT FEE OF $5,000 PER ACRE.
AND IF YOU HAVE IMPACT IN ZONE TWO, THAT'S HALF OF THAT AMOUNT.
SO 2,750, I THINK, ON THE FLY
SO THE GREEN AND THE YELLOW, WHAT, WHAT DO THOSE MEAN? THE YELLOW IS ZONE ONE.
THAT MEANS THAT THAT WAS OCCUPIED HABITAT AND ZONE TWO WAS HABITAT THAT THEY HADN'T OCCUPIED.
[00:30:01]
EXCUSE ME, IS THE GREEN ZONE TWO? YES, THE GREEN IS ZONE TWO.SO THAT'S, UH, HABITAT THAT'S NOT OCCUPIED AND WHERE THERE IS NO FEE, THAT'S NOT CLEAR WITH THESE COLORS IN YOUR DESCRIPTION.
ZONE ONE IS YELLOW AND THAT'S $5,000 AN ACRE TO MITIGATE.
AND ZONE TWO IS GREEN, AND THAT'S $2,750 TO MITIGATE.
BUT IT'S BEEN IDENTIFIED AS AN AREA WHERE THERE IS NO HABITAT.
ZONE TWO HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS AREAS THAT ARE DESIRABLE HABITAT.
IT JUST WASN'T CONFIRMED THAT THERE WERE SPECIES THERE.
NOW THESE MAPS, UH, THESE ARE OUR MITIGATION FEE ZONE MAPS.
THEY AREN'T NECESSARILY HABITAT MAPS.
AND THESE MITIGATION FEE ZONE MAPS WERE PUT TOGETHER IN THE NINETIES.
UM, AND THAT'S HOW WE HAVE A STREAMLINED AND SIMPLIFIED SOLUTION FOR HABITAT MITIGATION BECAUSE WHAT WE DO IS WE TAKE THE PARCEL OF DEVELOPMENT OR THE FOOTPRINT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT, WE OVERLAY THEM ON TOP OF THESE HABITAT MITIGATION ZONES.
AND WHERE THEY INTERSECT IS HOW WE CALCULATE HOW MANY ACRES OF HABITAT TAKE THE PROJECT NEEDS TO COMPLY WITH ESA AND WHAT THE FEE WOULD BE FOR THAT TAKE PERMIT.
AND WHO SETS THE FEES? THE FEES WERE SET BACK IN THE NINETIES, ACTUALLY, THESE ARE THE EXACT SAME FEES THAT WERE IN PLACE BACK IN THE NINETIES.
THE FEE FOR THE CARS MITIGATION ZONES, AND THERE ARE TWO ZONES HERE TOO.
UM, BUT THE FEE FOR THESE ARE THE SAME.
THE FEE FOR THIS IS A THOUSAND DOLLARS AN ACRE.
DID YOU SAY WHO IT IS THAT SETS, WHAT ENTITIES SETS THOSE FEES? WAS IT THE CITY OF AUSTIN? WAS IT TRAVIS COUNTY? WAS IT BOTH? WAS IT PHISH? IT WAS BOTH.
THE B C C P COORDINATING COMMITTEE WORKED WITH THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
SO THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE USED TO HAVE THE TASK OF, UM, ANALYZING WHERE WE WERE WITH OUR FEES.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE ENCOURAGING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE AN OPTIONAL, UH, SOLUTION FOR MITIGATION.
AND THEY USED TO EVERY YEAR GO TO THE COORDINATING COMMITTEE WITH THEIR SUGGESTION FOR WHAT THOSE FEES WOULD BE, AND THEN THE COORDINATING COMMITTEE WOULD VOTE TO APPROVE THEIR RECOMMENDATION.
UM, AND THEY WENT UP A LITTLE BIT AND THEY'VE GONE DOWN A LITTLE BIT, BUT THEY HAVE NOT CHANGED SINCE 2012.
SO IN 2012, THE COORDINATING COMMITTEE AND THE SCIENTIFIC OR, AND THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE CAME TOGETHER AND DECIDED THAT WE ARE GOING TO LOCK THOSE FEES IN WHERE THEY WERE IN THE NINETIES TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION AND THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO REVISIT, UH, CHANGING THOSE FEES AGAIN.
AND SO THAT WAS A TASK THAT, UH, THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS NO LONGER PERFORMING FOR US AFTER 2012.
AND, AND I'M SORRY, CAN YOU EXPAND A WEE BIT FOR, UH, THE COMMISSIONER AND ME ON THE REASONS BEHIND DROPPING THAT PARTICULAR RESPONSIBILITY? THE, THE THOUGHT AT THE TIME FROM STAFF WAS THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE B C C P PERMIT BEING AN OPTIONAL SOLUTION FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT COMPLIANCE WOULD, UM, BE AT SUCH A LOW COST, IT WOULD ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION.
NOW, THIS WAS BEFORE MY TIME, SO THIS IS HOW WILLIE CONRAD EXPLAINED IT TO ME, UH, BACK IN THE DAY.
UM, BECAUSE WE ARE AN OPTIONAL, UM, SOLUTION AND WE HAVE NO ENFORCEMENT WHEN PEOPLE DON'T, UH, PARTICIPATE WITH US, IT WAS THOUGHT THAT IF WE KEPT THE FEES LOW, IT WOULD REALLY ENCOURAGE DEVELOPERS, INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNERS TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROGRAM FOR, UM, HABITAT MITIGATION COMMISSIONER.
UM, IS IT MY UNDER, IS MY UNDERSTANDING CORRECT THAT IF THEY DON'T, UH, VOLUNTARILY WORK WITH US, THEN THEY HAVE TO CHOOSE TO PURSUE THEIR OWN 10 A PERMIT AND GO THROUGH THAT WHOLE PROCESS, WHICH MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT TAKES A WHILE.
UM, THE OUTCOME ISN'T GUARANTEED.
AND THE WAY I'D UNDERSTOOD IT WAS THAT IT WAS NOWHERE NEAR AS FAST AND EFFICIENT AND PREDICTABLE AS SIMPLY PAYING THE MITIGATION FEES, UH, TO US.
SO I THINK YOU'VE ALSO GOT A TIME, COST OF MONEY AND UNPREDICTABILITY FACTOR HERE.
I JUST THINK THE LAND VALUES HAVE INCREASED SO DRAMATICALLY SINCE 2012.
IT MIGHT MAKE SENSE TO REVISIT THE FEES AND IN CONTEXT OF HOW MUCH MORE WE HAVE TO ACQUIRE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
I KNOW THERE'S, THERE CONTINUES TO BE ENORMOUS DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE IN THE AREA.
I JUST THINK ANY FEE CALCULATIONS FROM 2012 ARE SERIOUSLY OUTDATED.
SO ARE THOSE ANNUAL FEES OR IS IT A ONE TIME ONE AND DONE? IT'S A, A ONE AND DONE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT FOR THE DEVELOPER,
[00:35:01]
LET'S SAY.SO ONCE A PARCEL HAS BEEN MITIGATED FOR ONCE THEY HAVE PAID THEIR FEES AND RECEIVED THEIR BCP TAKE PERMIT, HABITAT REMOVAL IS NOW, UH, AUTHORIZED ON THAT PARCEL.
NOW THE MITIGATION FOR THAT PARCEL STAYS WITH THE PARCEL.
SO EVEN IF THE PARCEL CHANGES OWNERSHIP, THE MITIGATION HAS ALREADY BEEN PROVIDED FOR, FOR THAT PARCEL.
SO IT IS A ONE-TIME FEE FOR ESA COMPLIANCE.
I, I AGREE WITH THE COMMISSIONER.
AND SO LET'S, UM, DIG INTO THIS FOR, UM, AND WE CAN EXPAND ON IT AND, AND MAYBE YOU CAN GIVE US A RECOMMENDATION ON HOW YOU WOULD HAVE STAFF GO ABOUT IT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT THE REVENUES THAT WERE PRODUCED PROVIDED.
UM, OF COURSE, THE TIME VALUE OF MONEY IS AT ISSUE.
UM, WHAT ELSE? COMMISSION? I THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW WHAT THE PARTICIPATION LEVEL IS.
I'M ASSUMING THAT MOST DEVELOPERS ARE OPTING TO JUST PAY THE FEE RATHER THAN GO TRY AND GET THEIR OWN 10 A.
BUT IT, THE PARTICIPATION LEVEL WOULD TELL US THAT.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE AN INTERESTING DATA POINT TO HAVE AS WELL.
BUT, UM, I CAN JUST TELL YOU THE LAND VALUES FROM 2012 WERE DRAMATICALLY LOWER COMPARED TO WHAT THEY ARE NOW.
AND I, UH, WHILE I DON'T WANT US TO SET A FEE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, CREATES A BARRIER FOR PARTICIPATION, I DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO REVISIT THE FEES AND THE FACT THAT IT'S A ONE TIME ONLY AND THAT IT, IT TRAVELS WITH THE LAND IS SOMETHING I'D LIKE TO DIG INTO AS WELL.
THIS IS SUPER VALUABLE LAND FOR ALL KINDS OF REASONS, AND NOT JUST IN THE DOLLAR ASSESSMENT OF IT, BUT THE DOLLAR ASSESSMENT AND THE COST AND VALUE IS HOW, UM, WE LOOK AT THINGS, UH, THROUGH THE ECONOMIC AND FISCAL LENS IN, UH, TEXAS AND IN THE COUNTRY.
SO THIS DEFINITELY, UM, DESERVES A FRESH REVIEW.
AND, UH, IF YOU COULD PULL TOGETHER ALL OF THE HISTORY AND THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT WAS PROVIDED AND THE THINKING AND SO FORTH, THAT WOULD BE REALLY USEFUL TO US.
AND PERHAPS HAVE A PRESENTATION, UM, AT OUR, UH, LAST MEETING OF THE YEAR THIS YEAR.
MAYBE GET US A DRAFT REPORT IN ADVANCE SO THE COMMISSIONER, I CAN HAVE A, A LOOK SEE AT IT BEFORE WE GET TO THE PRESENTATION.
AND ALSO, UH, WHAT STEPS MIGHT BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS? IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAD A STRUCTURE WITH THAT, UH, ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
THEY'RE NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE, SO WHAT OTHER KIND OF PROCESS WOULD WE NEED TO HAVE IN PLACE TO, UM, UPDATE THE FEES YEAH, ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO OFFER.
UM, MAYBE HAVE YOUR STAFF INVOLVED ON THIS AS WELL.
I WOULD BE HAPPY TO, UH, HAVE A, A DEEPER DIVE INTO THIS AS AN AGENDA ITEM AT THE NEXT MEETING.
UM, SO WE DO ALSO HAVE BLACK CAP VERIO HABITAT MITIGATION ZONES.
THERE ARE THESE GREEN BLOBS HERE, BUT AS YOU KNOW, IN 2018, THAT SPECIES WAS DELISTED, SO REMOVING THEIR HABITAT IS NO LONGER CONSIDERED.
HOWEVER, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DID ISSUE TAKE PERMITS FOR THIS, UH, HABITAT FEE ZONE BEFORE IT WAS DELISTED.
AND WE DO CONTINUE TO TRACK HOW THOSE HABITAT ZONES ARE GOING.
SO WHEN YOU TURN ON ALL OF THESE HABITAT MITIGATION FEE ZONES, UM, THAT REPRESENTS THE POTENTIAL TAKE AUTHORIZATION THAT, UM, THAT WAS, UM, ESTABLISHED IN THE ORIGINAL B C C P PERMIT.
AND WE HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION UP HERE.
ON THE BLACK CAP VERIO ISSUE, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UH, PART OF THE POSITION OF FISH, AND I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR Y'ALL, SO, UM, UH, PLEASE CLARIFY THIS, UH, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THE VIEW WAS THAT, WELL, YES, THE DELISTING COULD BE JUSTIFIED BECAUSE SPECIES SEEMS TO BE DOING WELL, BUT THE REASON THE SPECIES IS DOING WELL IS BECAUSE WE'VE SET ASIDE SO MUCH OF THE HABITAT AND HAVE DONE SUCH A GREAT JOB PRESERVING ITS HABITAT.
SO NOTHING THAT WE SHOULD DO GOING FORWARD SHOULD IN ANY WAY ROLL BACK WHAT WE HAVE IN PLACE AND THAT THESE EFFORTS SHOULD CONTINUE TO PROTECT HABITAT FOR THE SPECIES.
BUT IS THERE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT OR CORRECT ON THAT? SURE.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE DETAILS.
AGAIN, FAIRLY NEW TO THIS POSITION, BUT I, I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, THERE ARE QUITE A FEW THINGS THAT GO INTO OUR DECISION AS AS TO WHETHER OR NOT TO REMOVE A SPECIES FROM THE LIST, CERTAINLY HOW IT'S DOING, UH, WHERE IT'S AT, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S BEEN EXPANDING, ET CETERA.
BUT CERTAINLY KEEPING IN MIND WHERE, UM, WHERE AREAS
[00:40:01]
MIGHT BE THAT ARE PRESERVED FOR IT.SO YES, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE PART OF IT.
THAT DECISION I THOUGHT I RECALLED AND I JUST COULDN'T REMEMBER THE SOURCE THAT THERE WAS A, A STRONG CASE MADE THAT, UM, THE REASON THAT THE SPECIES WAS DOING WELL WAS PRECISELY BECAUSE WE HAD MADE ALL THESE, UM, INVESTMENTS AND EFFORTS TO PROTECT ITS HABITAT SO THAT THERE SHOULDN'T BE, NO ONE SHOULD BE OF THE OPINION THAT WE, WE COULD NOW CUT DOWN THE HABITAT AND EVERYTHING WOULD BE FINE.
UM, SO I JUST THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE IN THE RECORD.
AND, AND JUST TO CLARIFY, THESE HAGA HABITAT MITIGATION FEE ZONES, WE ARE ONLY AUTHORIZED TO ISSUE TAKE PERMITS OUTSIDE OF THE BCP PRESERVE ACQUISITION AREA.
SO IF I THROW THAT ON TOP OF THIS MAP, YOU CAN SEE THE PINK BLOBS.
HERE ARE THE LANDS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED, UM, FOR BEING DESIRABLE FOR THE PRESERVE.
WE DO NOT HAVE AUTHORITY TO ISSUE TAKE OF HABITAT ON ANY OF THESE, UM, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL PRESERVE ACQUISITION AREAS.
SO WE ARE NOT ISSUING ANY TAKE AT ALL INSIDE OF THE PRESERVE EXCEPT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, CORRIDORS, WHICH WOULD BE A PRESENTATION FOR ANOTHER, UH, DAY.
WE DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, INFRASTRUCTURE CORRIDORS THAT RUN THROUGH AN ADJACENT TO THE PRESERVE.
SO OUR, UH, AUTHORITY TO ISSUE TAKE IS NOT WITHIN THESE AREAS IDENTIFIED AS BEING DESIRABLE FOR PRESERVATION OF THE BCP.
EVEN WITH THE SPECIES DELISTED.
WE STILL HAVE A COMMITMENT TO MANAGE FOR THE SPECIES AND THE HABITAT INSIDE THE PRESERVE.
SO THE POTENTIAL TAKE AUTHORITY WAS THE TOTAL TAKE LIMIT ESTABLISHED BY THE PLAN.
AND THAT'S WHEN THEY LOOKED AND, UH, DID ALL THIS MAPPING FOR THE MITIGATION FEE ZONES.
AND, UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE POTENTIAL WE HAVE ONLY USED, UH, WE'VE ISSUED TAKE AUTHORITY ON ROUGHLY 40% OF THE GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLER HABITAT ZONES, ROUGHLY 3% OF THE BLACK CAT, VARIOUS ZONES, AND ROUGHLY 5% ON THE CARST ZONES.
BUT OUR ACTUAL AVAILABLE TAKE AUTHORITY IS MEASURED DIFFERENTLY.
THE SIMPLE WAY TO THINK ABOUT OUR ACTUAL TAKE AUTHORITY IS THAT WHEN WE PRESERVE A THOUSAND ACRES AS PART OF THE BCP, WE THEN HAVE A THOUSAND ACRES OF TAKE AUTHORIZATION THAT WE CAN USE TO PERMIT THE REMOVAL OF HABITAT OUTSIDE OF THE PRESERVE ACQUISITION AREA.
BUT OF COURSE, NOTHING IS EVER SIMPLE.
SO OUR TAKE AUTHORITY ISN'T EXACTLY EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF ACRES PROTECTED ON THE BCP.
IF FEDERAL GRANT MONEY WAS USED TO ACQUIRE A BCP PROPERTY, THOSE ACRES DO NOT COUNT TOWARDS OUR TAKE AUTHORITY LANDS, WHICH WERE PART OF THE BCP, BUT ACQUIRED BY THIRD PARTIES TO MITIGATE THEIR OWN DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ALSO DO NOT COUNT TOWARDS OUR TAKE AUTHORITY.
SO LAND THAT FALLS UNDER THESE TWO CATEGORIES, THEY'RE PART OF THE BCP AND THEY DO COUNT TOWARDS PRESERVE CONFIGURATION REQUIREMENTS, BUT WE CANNOT USE THEM TO OFFSET TAKE ASSOCIATED WITH B C C P TAKE PERMITS OUTSIDE OF THE PRESERVE ACQUISITION AREA.
SO THE CITY AND THE COUNTY HAVE SUCCEEDED IN PROTECTING ENOUGH LAND TO MORE THAN OFFSET THE AUTHORIZED TAKE FOR THESE COVERED SPECIES MITIGATION LANDS PROTECTED HAVE OUTPACED TAKE, ALLOWING FOR THE CONTINUATION OF TAKE AUTHORIZATION.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO MENTION HOWEVER, THAT WHEN WE WERE DOING OUR LAND USE ANALYSIS, WE DID FIND THAT AN ESTIMATED FIVE TO 10% OF DEVELOPMENT IN ACRES OCCURS WITHOUT ACQUIRING THE AUTHORIZATIONS THROUGH THE B C C P AND POSSIBLY THROUGH THE SERVICE.
SO THIS EQUATES TO APPROXIMATELY 500 TO A THOUSAND ACRES OR MORE THAT HAVE SKIRTED B C C P REQUIREMENTS, AND THAT'S RESULTED IN SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS IN UNCOLLECTED FEES THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BEEN SPENT ON LAND PROTECTION.
AND THIS UNDER REPORTING RESULTS IN THE UNDERESTIMATE OF IMPACTS ON COVERED SPECIES HABITAT.
SO THE B C CCP RELIES ON VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION AND THAT HAS SOMEWHAT CREATED A FAIRNESS ISSUE BECAUSE CERTAIN DEVELOPERS PAY MORE TO OFFSET POTENTIAL AMEX AND SUPPORT THE BCP WHILE OTHERS CHOOSE NOT TO PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE, BUT STILL DERIVE BENEFITS FROM THE B CCP.
AND THESE BENEFITS INCLUDE THE PRESERVE SYSTEM, WHICH RAISES PROPERTY VALUE FOR THE REGION AND THE REDUCED LEGAL RISK WITHIN THE B C C P PERMIT AREA.
WHERE THE SERVICE MAY PERCEIVE THAT TAKE AUTHORIZATION IS HAPPENING THROUGH THE B C C P.
SO BECAUSE THE B CCP IS VOLUNTARY, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY HAVE, UH, LIMITED MEANS TO ENFORCE NON-COMPLIANCE.
SO WE DID TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE HABITAT
[00:45:01]
THAT HAS BEEN REMOVED AND WHAT WE MAY HAVE LEFT.SO SINCE 1996, THE BCP HAS ISSUED TAKE PERMITS TO ABOUT A THOUSAND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN OVER 400 INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
AND WE USED A LITTLE OVER 13,000 ACRES OF OUR ACTUAL TAKE AUTHORITY TO DO IT.
AND THIS DATA SET THAT I'M TURNING ON RIGHT NOW, THIS PURPLE DATA SET, THESE ARE, UM, AREAS THAT HAVE MITIGATED THROUGH THE B C C P FOR TAKE.
THESE ARE, UH, DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT EITHER MITIGATED THROUGH THE B CCP OR WORKED WITH THE SERVICE TO MITIGATE FOR, UH, THEIR TAKE.
SO WE'VE USED ABOUT 13,000 ACRES OF OUR TAKE AUTHORITY, AND THAT EQUATES TO ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF THE TAKE AUTHORITY WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
AS WE ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL BCP LANDS TO MEET PRESERVED CONFIGURATION GOALS, OUR TAKE AUTHORITY WILL INCREASE, BUT AS WE ISSUE TAKE PERMITS FOR DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS OUTSIDE OF THE PRESERVE ACQUISITION AREA, OUR TAKE AUTHORITY WILL DECREASE.
WOULD YOU RE WOULD YOU REPEAT THOSE NUMBERS AND THAT PERCENTAGE? I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND AND, UH, IT'S, IT WAS DENSE INFORMATION.
SO SINCE 1996, WE HAVE ISSUED TAKE PERMITS FOR ROUGHLY 13,000 ACRES IN OUR PERMIT AREA.
AND THAT'S ABOUT TWO THIRDS, DID YOU SAY? YES.
ALL, ALL THAT WE ARE ALLOWED AT THE MOMENT, BUT THAT NUMBER FLUCTUATES AS MORE LAND IS, UH, UM, ACQUIRED, DISTURBED OR ACQUIRED OR, EXACTLY, THAT'S EXACTLY CORRECT.
SO HOW LONG THE PERMIT CAN BE EXTENDED DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH TAKE AUTHORIZATION IS LEFT TO USE, WHICH WAS EVALUATED BY BCC P STAFF TO DETERMINE AN APPROPRIATE DURATION FOR THE PERMIT EXTENSION REQUEST.
SO BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE USED APPROXIMATELY TWO THIRDS OF OUR TAKE AUTHORITY DURING THE FIRST 30 YEARS OF THE PERMIT, THAT EQUATES TO USING ABOUT ONE THIRD OF OUR TAKE AUTHORITY EVERY 15 YEARS.
SO THAT'S WHY WITH ABOUT A THIRD OF OUR TAKE AUTHORITY LEFT NEAR THE END OF OUR PERMIT TERM, BCP STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THAT WE APPLY TO RENEW THE B CCP PERMIT FOR AN ADDITIONAL 15 YEARS, WHICH WOULD EXTEND OUR B C C P PERMIT EXPIRATION DATE TO MAY 2ND, 2041.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT ONE DAY THE B C CCP PERMIT WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.
I MEAN, THERE WILL COME A DAY WHERE THE B C C P HAS USED UP ALL OF ITS TAKE AUTHORITY, OR MAYBE THE DAY COMES THAT ALL DEVELOPABLE LAND IN TRAVIS COUNTY HAS BEEN BUILT OUT AND THERE'S NO LONGER A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL HABIT HABITAT TAKE.
WHEN THE BCP PERMIT EXPIRES, THE MITIGATION PROGRAM COMES TO AN END.
THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS WHEN THE PERMIT EXPIRES.
BUT OUR COMMITMENT TO MANAGE THE BALCONIES, CANYON LANDS PRESERVE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE SPECIES WILL NEVER COME TO AN END, NEVER.
THE BCP WILL BE PROTECTED WILDLANDS FOREVER.
THAT WAS THE PROMISE WE MADE IN EXCHANGE FOR THE AUTHORIZATION TO PERMIT TAKE OF HABITAT OUTSIDE OF THE PRESERVE ACQUISITION AREA.
SO EVEN IF THE PERMIT EXPIRES, WE ARE, WE STOP ISSUING, TAKE PERMITS, WE STILL AS CITY AND A COUNTY HAVE COMMITMENTS TO PROTECT AND MANAGE THESE LANDS IN PERPETUITY.
SO YOU SAID WE'VE APPLIED FOR THIS EXTENSION TO 2040, IS THAT, UH, WE'VE APPLIED TO FISH AND WE'RE WAITING FOR THEIR APPROVAL OR WHAT? TELL ME MORE ABOUT THAT.
I I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT THE MECHANISM OF THAT APPLICATION NO, WE HAVEN'T APPLIED YET BECAUSE WE WANTED TO BRING THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION OF THE DERMA THE DURATION TO YOU.
TODAY, WE WILL BE ASKING THAT YOU APPROVE 15 YEARS AS THE DURATION OF THE PERMIT RENEWAL REQUEST.
AND IF THAT IS APPROVED, IF YOU DO APPROVE OUR STAFF RECOMMENDATION, I HAVE BROUGHT COPIES OF THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE PERMIT RENEWAL APPLICATION FOR YOU TO SIGN.
AND THEN THAT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE PROCESS WITH THE, UH, I L A AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO, TO GET THAT APPROVED.
AND THEN THAT, AND THAT WOULD BE APPROVED BY FISH.
WOULD APPROVE THAT APPLICATION WOULD THEN BE SUBMITTED TO THE SERVICE.
AND, UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING IT WOULD BE POSTED FOR 30 DAYS AND THAT THAT PROCESS COULD TAKE ONE TO THREE MONTHS.
BUT BECAUSE WE WOULD BE APPLYING FOR A PERMIT EXTENSION WITH NO CHANGES TO THE PERMIT, IT'S, UM, SUPPOSED TO BE A RELATIVELY SIMPLE PROCESS.
SO I WILL BE HELPING TO, UH, MOVE THAT FORWARD.
SHE DID SAY SHE GAVE US THE DOCUMENTS, DO WE HAVE THE DOCUMENTS IN OUR BACKUP? AND THAT'S ALSO WHAT YOU'RE GONNA BE BRINGING TO US TO SIGN.
WHEN I, WHEN I COME BACK UP, I'LL SHOW YOU.
UH, I'M READY TO MOVE APPROVAL
[00:50:01]
ITEM CHAIR, UNLESS THERE'S A, A WHOLE LOT MORE TO PRESENT THAN WE'RE NOT HEARING.I JUST WANTED TO EXPLAIN, UH, THE RESEARCH AND THE ANALYSIS WE DID TO COME UP WITH THAT RECOMMENDATION AND THAT WE'D BEFORE WITH IT.
YOU'VE PROVIDED A, I THINK, A VERY REASONABLE RATIONALE BASED ON THE SCIENCE AND THE FACTS OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO DATE.
AND I, I THINK, UM, YOU, YOU, UM, YOU'VE LAID IT OUT WELL AND I WOULD MOVE APPROVAL.
UM, KIMBERLY, WHEN, WHEN YOU, ARE YOU GONNA PUT THIS PRESENTATION ON THE WEBSITE? UM, THIS MEETING IS VIDEO RECORDED, SO WE WILL HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, A, AN, UH, IT'LL BE ON THE WEBSITE.
I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT IT WAS HARD TO FOLLOW THE COLORS.
AND IT COULD YOU, SO THERE'S A LEGEND.
AND THAT COULD MAYBE BE SOME KIND OF A CAPTION OR SOMETHING THAT ACCOMPANIES THE, UM, THIS PORTION OF THE VIDEO.
UM, ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ABOUT APPROVAL OF THIS? UH, SO WE CAN SIGN THE RENEWAL, THE PERMIT RENEWAL APPLICATION, REALLY JUST TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK OF ALL THE STAFF AND, UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY SUBJECT MATTER, UM, EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS WERE INVOLVED.
I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A VERY THOROUGH PROCESS AND I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE ALL THE GREAT WORK OF EVERYONE INVOLVED, UH, IN THIS, THIS WAS, UM, IT, IT SOUNDED LIKE ONE WAS EXTREMELY THOUGHTFUL AND, AND, UM, AND WELL-DOCUMENTED, UM, PROCESS AND RATIONALE.
THANK YOU TO ALL THE STAFF WHO WERE, UM, INVOLVED IN CRAFTING THIS.
WE STARTED THIS WORK IN 2019, IS THAT RIGHT? WE HIRED A CONSULTANT TO HELP US LOOK AT, INTO PERMIT OPTIONS IN 2018, AND WE HAD MANY MEETINGS WITH HIM AND WITH STAFF AND WITH THE SERVICE.
AND IN 2019 WAS WHEN THAT PERMIT OPTIONS REPORT, UM, WAS BROUGHT TO YOU AGAIN.
AND THEN THAT'S WHEN WE APPROACHED YOU WITH THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION TO EXTEND THE DATE OF THE PERMIT, EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW LONG WE WANTED TO EXTEND IT AT THAT TIME, WE DID KNOW WE HAD TAKE LEFT, BUT HADN'T DONE THE ANALYSIS YET.
AND TO, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT CHANGE ANY OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE PERMIT, BUT DEFINITELY BRING IT UP TO A MODERN FORMAT AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE UPDATES TO RIGHT.
SOME OF THOSE OLD NINETIES DOCUMENTS.
AND I REMEMBER EARLY IN OUR TIME ON THIS PANEL, UM, COMMISSIONER THAT THIS, UH, UPDATING AND SUBMITTING THE PERMIT APPLICATION RENEWAL WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST TASKS AND MOST CONSEQUENTIAL TASKS THAT WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT.
UM, AND SO WE ARE REALLY LOOKING AT A SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENT OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS.
AND, UH, I, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, ANOTHER ASPECT OF ALL THIS THAT THE VISITOR CENTER CAN BE SO HELPFUL EXPLAINING TO PEOPLE BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A REALLY REMARKABLE THING WE'VE DONE.
UH, AND WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN A NATIONAL LEADER, UM, ON, ON THESE KINDS OF ACTIONS.
SO, UM, CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE.
AND UM, I THINK YOU GOT A UNANIMOUS VOTE HERE.
AND UM, A HAT TIP TO THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WHO WERE SITTING ON THAT DIAS AT THE TIME WHEN THIS WAS PROPOSED AND BROUGHT IT HOME.
AND ALSO AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE LEADERSHIP WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THIS SUPER VISIONARY WORK.
UM, YOU SHOULD BE REALLY PLEASED THAT, UM, WITH THE SUCCESS OF THE, UM, THE WHOLE PROPOSAL, THE AMOUNT OF LAND THAT WE'VE ACQUIRED AND PRESERVED AND SAVED AND THE FORWARD-LOOKING, UM, EXPECTATIONS TO CONTINUE TO PRESERVE AND, UM, AND HANG ON TO SOME REALLY IMPORTANT LANDS RIGHT HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
SO IT WAS A PRETTY MOMENTOUS TIME.
WE'RE ABSOLUTELY STANDING ON, YEAH, ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE PEOPLE WHO CAME BEFORE US AND, AND LAID SO MUCH OF THIS GROUNDWORK.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALREADY RECEIVING IN OUR OFFICE, UM, CALLS FROM DEVELOPERS.
WE KNOW THAT YOUR PERMIT EXPIRES IN 2026, WHAT HAPPENS AFTERWARDS? SO BEING ABLE TO COMMIT TO THIS RENEWAL AND MOVE FORWARD AHEAD OF TIME IS REALLY GIVING REGULATORY CERTAINTY TO, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
SO WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
DO YOU KNOW IF THE COUNTY AND THE CITY IS PREPARED TO ISSUE FORMAL, FORMAL COMMUNICATIONS, A PRESS RELEASE ON, ON THIS ITEM? WELL, IT HAS TO GO TO PUBLIC NOTICE AND PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST, RIGHT? YES.
BUT I THINK OBVIOUSLY EVERYONE WOULD WANNA BE MADE AWARE OF THAT.
[00:55:01]
SOME ANNOUNCEMENT RELATED TO IT.YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF OUTREACH AND A LOT OF INFORMATION OUT THERE ABOUT THE ACTUAL PRESERVE, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THE MITIGATION PROGRAM IS AS WELL KNOWN.
SO AS WE'RE MOVING THROUGH AND WE'RE RENEWING THE PERMIT TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THIS AMAZING RESOURCE TO OUR COMMUNITY, THERE WILL DEFINITELY BE SOME OUTREACH AND EDUCATION, SOME CELEBRATION.
YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL CUZ WE, WE CONTINUE TO GET QUESTIONS ABOUT PEOPLE WANTING TO COME BACK AND DEVELOP LAND THAT WAS SET ASIDE AS PERMANENT MITIGATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT THAT DID HAPPEN.
SO AN EXPLANATION OF THE MITIGATION PROCESS WOULD BE BENEFICIAL.
WELL THERE BEING NO ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM.
I GATHER THAT THIS IS A UNANIMOUS, UH, AFFIRMATION, UM, AND APPROVAL OF, UM, THIS ITEM NUMBER FIVE, THE B BCP PERMIT RENEWAL APPLICATION.
AND I GUESS WE CAN SIGN THEM NOW.
SHOULD WE TAKE A VOTE JUST FOR THE RECORD? THE OFFICIAL SURE.
AND HERE, UH, THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE APPLICATIONS, EVEN THOUGH THEY BOTH REFERENCE THE SAME PERMIT NUMBER BECAUSE WE'VE GOT ONE FOR THE CITY AND ONE FOR THE COUNTY.
YOUR SIGNATURE WOULD GO HERE IN BLUE INK.
IT'S REQUIR I GOT AND I GOT A BLUE PIN, BLUE PIN, BUT IT'S BLACK INK.
AND THEN I, I WILL, UM, SCAN IN YOUR SIGNATURE PAGE AND GET THAT TO YOU FOR YOUR RECORDS.
BUT I DO ALSO HAVE JUST A, A COPY HERE OF WHAT YOU'RE SIGNING.
MY PEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN GREEN
I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT A BLUE PEN.
THIS IS VERY EXCITING, THIS BIG DAY.
AND UM, JUST TO BE CLEAR, THERE IS A SPOT ON THIS APPLICATION WHERE, UM, LET ME SEE IF I CAN FIND IT.
WHERE YOU, UM, HAVE THE OPTION TO AUTHORIZE ME AS AN AGENT ON YOUR BEHALF TO SUBMIT THIS TO THE SERVICE AND TO WORK WITH THE SERVICE.
OH, DID I SWAP THEM? OH, SORRY, I TOOK MY GLASSES OFF.
THERE YOU'RE, SO, UM, IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU, UH, MELINDA AND I WILL BE ACTING AS THE AUTHORIZED AGENTS TO HELP MOVE THIS FORWARD WITH THE SERVICE AND TO YES.
ALL RIGHT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE ON THIS AGENDA ITEM.
REALLY THANK YOU FOR ALL THE EFFORTS.
THIS IS, UH, PRETTY MOMENTOUS.
[6. BCP Partner Report Highlights – BCP Staff]
OUR LAST ITEM, UH, BCP PARTNER REPORT HIGHLIGHTS, WHICH IS VARIOUS STAFF MEMBERS.AND I SEE THAT, UH, TRAVIS AUDUBON IS REPRESENTED HERE THIS AFTERNOON BY THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NICOLE ETHERTON.
AND I THINK YOU HAD SOME THINGS THAT YOU WANTED TO TELL US.
HOW ABOUT WE TAKE MS. ETHERTON FIRST? WONDERFUL.
WE'RE REALLY GLAD YOU'RE HERE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, VERY MUCH.
COMMISSIONER SHAY, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
IF YOU'LL INDULGE ME, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE GENERAL REPORT OF SOME ADVOCACY EFFORTS THAT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF, AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN CIRCLE BACK AT THE END AND TALK ABOUT THE LEGISLATION IN PARTICULAR.
I WANT TO START BY THANKING OUR CITY AND COUNTY PARTNERS FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND THE CONSERVATION WORK THAT HAS MOTIVATED THE MEMBERS OF TRAVIS AUDUBON FOR MORE THAN 70 YEARS.
YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW THAT BAKER SANCTUARY, WHICH IS OUR PROPERTY THAT IS A PART OF THE BALCON CANYON LANDS PRESERVE, IS THE FIRST SANCTUARY IN THE WORLD ESTABLISHED TO HELP PROTECT THE GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLER IN ITS HABITAT.
THE ORIGINAL 94 ACRES WERE PURCHASED IN 1966, AND THE PROPERTY IS NOW 715 ACRES, AND WE HAVE GOLDEN CHEEKS SINGING AND NESTING THERE TODAY.
HAVE REPORTS FROM THIS MORNING.
I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR OUR MEMBERS WHO SAW THE HABITAT STARTING TO DISAPPEAR IN THE 1950S FOR CREATING AND PROTECTING THIS FIRST PRESERVE FOR OUR EXCLUSIVELY NATIVE TEXAN BIRD.
I ALSO WANNA TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUBLICLY THANK OUR STEWARD AND EDUCATOR AT BAKER, UH, CHRIS MURRAY, HIS WIFE, JULIE AND THEIR TWO BOYS, FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT THEY DO TO MAKE BAKKER A WONDERFUL PLACE FOR BOTH BIRDS AND FOR PEOPLE.
CHRIS IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE CONSERVATION WORK THAT WE DO THERE, AND THE DATA HE COLLECTS AND THE LAND MANAGEMENT THAT HE TIRELESSLY, TIRELESSLY UNDERTAKES IS A BIG PART OF WHY OUR CONSERVATION WORK AT BAKER IS SUCCEEDING.
IN THINKING ABOUT WHAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY, I WAS NOTICING HOW MANY GOOD THINGS WE HAVE TO CELEBRATE, AND ALSO HOW MANY THREATS WE ARE GRAPPLING WITH AT THE EXACT SAME TIME.
THERE'S CERTAINLY A LOT TO CELEBRATE THE BEAUTY AND UNIQUENESS OF OUR
[01:00:01]
ECOLOGY, AS ALWAYS, THE INCREASING NUMBERS OF OUR NEIGHBORS WHO ARE PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE IMPORTANT VICTORIES THAT WE'VE HAD THIS YEAR, INCLUDING AUSTIN'S DESIGNATION AS AN OFFICIAL BIRD CITY.BUT THERE ARE ALSO CHALLENGES THAT I ADMIT, KEEP ME UP AT NIGHT.
SO I THOUGHT I'D START WITH THE BAD NEWS AND GO, GO TO THE GOOD NEWS LATER.
STATE PREEMPTION OF LOCAL CONSERVATION INITIATIVES IS A HUGE CONCERN FOR OUR WORK.
AS WE KNOW, LOSS OF HABITAT IS THE PRIMARY REASON THAT THE GOLDEN SHEIK GOLER WAS LISTED AT AS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES IN THE 1990S.
HOUSE BILL 2239 IS OF UNIQUE CONCERN FOR GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLERS WITH ITS PROHIBITION OF ANY LOCAL RESTRICTIONS TO PROTECT MATURE ASH JUNIPERS.
IT IS ALSO CONCERNING THAT IT IS BASED UPON MISINFORMATION THAT IGNORES CURRENT SCIENCE ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT PLANT SPECIES IN OUR ECOLOGY.
I WORRY THAT WITHOUT FURTHER AMENDMENT TO LIMIT CLEAR CUTTING FOR MULTI-FAMILY PROJECTS, THIS BILL'S PASSAGE SERIOUSLY THREATENS BOTH FUTURE AND ESTABLISHED CONSERVATION PROJECTS.
FEWER MATURE ASH JUNIPER TREES MEAN FEWER GOLDEN CHEEK NESTS, WHICH MEANS BREEDING SUCCESSFUL.
THERE IS NOT AN UNDO BUTTON THAT WE CAN RESTORE WHAT IS UNIQUE TO CENTRAL TEXAS.
AND I WORRY THAT IF THIS BILL BECOMES LAW, WE WILL SEE A LOT OF HABITAT DESTRUCTION.
WE ARE CURRENTLY FIGHTING THIS BILL IN THE TEXAS SENATE WITH OUR PARTNERS AUDUBON, TEXAS, BUT WITH A LOT OF UNDERSTANDABLE ATTENTION ON OTHER PROBLEMATIC LEGISLATION THIS SESSION, I WORRY THAT THIS ONE WILL GET COMPROMISED VOTES AT THE EXPENSE OF THE ENVIRONMENT.
CAN YOU SAY WHAT THE SENATE BILL NUMBER IS? I, I GOT THE HOUSE BILL, BUT WHAT'S THE SENATE BILL NUMBER? OH, I WOULD, I'M SO SORRY.
I'D HAVE TO LOOK IT UP ON MY, ON MY, OH, THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
SO REMIND ME WHAT THE HOUSE BILL NUMBER IS, PLEASE? UH, 2239.
AND DO WE KNOW WHO THE SPONSOR OF THE SENATE IS? DO WE KNOW WHO'S CARRYING IT? I'M SO SORRY.
I'M, I'M LESS, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.
I DON'T WANNA KNOW LESS ABOUT IT.
UH, LIKEWISE, CONTINUED ATTEMPTS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL TO ERODE THE PROTECTIONS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT ARE MAKING ME LOSE SLEEP.
I THINK WE ARE FINALLY MAKING PROGRESS IN EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE SERIOUS CHALLENGES WE FACE ABOUT BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN ADDITION TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
BUT THE US SENATE VOTED LAST WEEK TO OVERTURN THE DECISION BY FISH AND WILDLIFE ABOUT THE ENDANGERED STATUS OF THE LESSER PRAIRIE CHICKEN.
SO WE'RE FACING THE DISMANTLING OF ONE OF THE FEW TOOLS WE HAVE TO SAVE DECLINING SPECIES.
I THINK HOUSE BILL 2239 IS EVIDENCE OF HOW THIS THREAT TRICKLES DOWN AS WELL AND INDICATES A CONTINUING AND DANGEROUS TENDENCY BY MANY POLITICIANS TO IGNORE SCIENCE.
WITH ALL THAT WE HAVE INVESTED IN THE BCP OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS, WHAT WILL THIS PROJECT CONTINUE TO LOOK LIKE? IF THE FEDERAL LAW THAT ALSO HELPS PROTECT THESE UNIQUE SPECIES IS RENDERED TOOTHLESS.
NOT ALL OF MY SLEEP IS INTERRUPTED.
TEXAS IS REALLY GAINING MOMENTUM.
WE HAVE SO MANY PARTNERS WHO ARE ELEVATING THIS INITIATIVE ACROSS THEIR NETWORKS AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE, TEXAN BY NATURE, AUDUBON, TEXAS, AUSTIN WATER WILDLAND CONSERVATION, AND THE BCP TO NAME A FEW.
AND OUR YARD SIGNS HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE IN HELPING NEIGHBORHOOD, IN HELPING NEIGHBORS UNDERSTAND HOW THEY CAN HELP.
I ROUTINELY SEE THIS ISSUE ON NEXT DOOR AND ON NEIGHBORHOOD LISTSERV POSTS THIS PAST WEEK HAD SOME OF THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF NOCTURNAL MIGRANTS IN THE SKIES OVER TRAVIS COUNTY, OVER 600,000, UH, ON ONE NIGHT IN PARTICULAR.
SO WE ARE STILL AT THE PEAK OF MIGRATION, AND THERE IS STILL TIME THIS SEASON TO HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR BIRDS.
THIS IS ONE OF MANY ACTIONS THAT WE CAN TAKE TO HELP AVOID NEEDLESS BIRD MORTALITIES, WHICH HELPS OUR BIODIVERSITY COMMITMENTS.
TRAVIS AUDUBON IS ALSO TRYING TO EDUCATE DEVELOPERS ABOUT BIRD FRIENDLY BUILDING PRACTICES AND MATERIALS, AND ARE A PART OF CONVERSATIONS REGARDING THESE INITIATIVES WITH THE CITY AND WITH DEVELOPERS.
WE'RE DOING GOOD WORK AS A MEMBER ORGANIZATION OF THE COLORADO RIVER CONSERVANCY TO PUSH FOR RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES ALL ACROSS AUSTIN, BUT ESPECIALLY NEAR OTHER COLORADO RIVER AND OTHER WATERWAYS.
ALL OF THIS WORK HELPS MOVE US FORWARD, AND I HOPE AUSTIN WILL BECOME A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW OUR BUILDING PROJECTS CAN TRULY PRIORITIZE THE ENVIRONMENT.
BECAUSE OF OUR CURRENT CHALLENGING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE, IT SEEMS UNLIKELY THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO PASS A FUTURE ORDINANCE TO HELP REQUIRE BIRD FRIENDLY BUILDING PRACTICES, BUT I AM HEARTENED BY WORK HAPPENING IN OTHER CITIES LIKE IN NEW YORK THIS VERY WEEK, TO HELP BIRDS IN URBAN SPACES.
AND SPEAKING OF, WE ARE DELIGHTED BY OUR OFFICIAL DESIGNATION OF AUSTIN AS A BIRD CITY.
A LOT OF HARD WORK WENT INTO THAT APPLICATION FROM OUR PARTNERS AT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, INCLUDING JOHN DAVIS, AMANDA ROSS, SHERRY COOL ANDREW HERD, LISA O'DONNELL, PAUL FU SHIELD, AND FROM MY COLLEAGUE KAYLEIGH ZULA AND TRAVIS OBAN, ADVOCACY COMMITTEE CHAIR JOHN BLOOMFIELD.
THIS HAS MADE ME EVEN MORE GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE WAYS WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER FOR CONSERVATION.
WE ARE PLANNING WALKS WITH EACH COUNCIL MEMBER'S OFFICE AND FOR WITH THE STAFF OF THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY OVER THE NEXT YEAR.
SO WE'LL CONTACT YOU ABOUT THAT.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, OUR WORLD MIGRATORY BIRD DAY CELEBRATION THAT WAS SCHEDULED AT HORNSBY BEND TOMORROW HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR THE WEATHER.
BUT WE PLAN TO RESCHEDULE, UH, FOR ONE
[01:05:01]
OF THE BIRD CELEBRATION DAYS IN THE FALL.THERE'S ALSO SOME GOOD NEWS AT THE STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL, HB 31 65 AND H HJ R 1 38 OVERWHELMINGLY PAST THE HOUSE, WHICH IS A GREAT STEP TOWARDS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TEXAS LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND IF APPROVED BY THE SENATE AND RESTORING AMERICA'S WILDLIFE ACT OR RAH WA HAS HAD NEW LIFE BREATHED INTO IT IN THE US SENATE THIS SPRING.
FINALLY, I'D LIKE TO SAY A WORD ABOUT TRAVIS LA'S FOCUS ON DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN CONSERVATION AND IN NATURE ENJOYMENT.
THIS IS A PRIORITY FOR US SINCE CONSERVATION IN GENERAL, AND BIRD WATCHING IN PARTICULAR HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY PRIMARILY WHITE MALE PURSUITS.
BUT WE ARE ENGAGING OUR NEIGHBORS ON THE EAST SIDE AT BLAIR WOODS AND WORKING TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS THAT WILL HELP OUR BOARD STAFF AND MEMBERSHIP REFLECT MORE OF THE DIVERSITY WE SEE IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
OUR MISSION IS TO INSPIRE CONSERVATION THROUGH BIRDING TO REMIND US ALL THAT BIRDS ARE A LENS AND A SYMBOL OF HOW EVERYTHING, INCLUDING ALL OF US, ARE CONNECTED IN THE ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM.
SO WE NEED EVERYONE IN OUR COALITION TO MAKE THE BIGGEST IMPACT WE CAN WITH SUCH BIG CHALLENGES AHEAD.
WE CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE ANY BARRIERS THAT KEEP ANYONE AWAY FROM THIS WORK, AND THAT MEANS NOT JUST INVITING EVERYONE INTO CONSERVATION, BUT CO VISIONING AND CREATING PLANS TOGETHER.
THIS IS A BIG PART OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND A HUGE INFLUENCE ABOUT HOW WE ARE THINKING ABOUT MEMBERSHIP AND ENGAGEMENT.
SO I'M EXCITED TO SHARE MORE SUCCESS IN THAT AREA AS WE HAVE IT.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT WORK HAPPENING AND A LOT OF HARD WORK YET TO DO, AND I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP AND FOR BEING ALLIES IN CONSERVATION.
ANY QUESTIONS? UM, NOT A QUESTION, BUT REALLY JUST A, UM, A, UM, APPRECIATION FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR MEMBERS, UH, HAVE DONE.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THIS STARTED IN THE FIFTIES.
I FIRST SAW THE POWERFUL WORK OF, UH, TRAVIS AUDUBON WHEN I GOT HERE IN 1988.
AND THERE WAS A POSTCARD CAMPAIGN CUZ WHEN PEOPLE STILL USE SNAIL MAIL, BUT THERE WAS A POSTCARD CAMPAIGN, UM, URGING FISH AND WILDLIFE TO LIST THE BLACK HAT VERIO AND THE GOLDEN SHEIK WARBLER.
AND, UM, THIS WHOLE REALLY CAMPAIGN TO PRESERVE THAT HABITAT CAME OUT OF THAT CITIZEN DRIVEN, UH, EFFORT TO CALL ATTENTION TO US FISH AND WILDLIFE, TO AN ENDANGERED SPECIES, UH, URGING THEM TO BE LISTED SO THAT WE COULD THEN TAKE ACTIONS TO PROTECT IT.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE DECADES AND DECADES OF WORK THAT, UM, YOUR MEMBERS HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN.
AND I'D JUST ADD THAT, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS, UH, HAD REGISTERED NEUTRAL ON THAT PARTICULAR BILL.
UM, SOME OF THAT IS BECAUSE THAT BASED ON THE ELEMENTS THAT ARE IN THAT BILL, UM, CURRENTLY BY CITY ORDINANCE, PEOPLE CAN REMOVE TREES THAT ARE, UH, LESS THAN 19 INCHES IN DIAMETER ALREADY ON A SINGLE FAMILY PROPERTY.
SO, AND THE BILL DOESN'T, DOESN'T CHANGE THAT.
UM, THEY CAN ALREADY BE REMOVED WITHOUT A PERMIT.
SO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, IS OFFICIALLY NEUTRAL.
I BELIEVE SAN ANTONIO IS ALSO, UM, WE'D HAVE, YOU KNOW, CAN CHECK THAT WITH SAN ANTONIO.
THE, UM, BILL AUTHOR DID AMEND THE BILL WITH THE LANGUAGE THAT THE CITY ASKED FOR, SO THAT THE BILL WOULD APPLY ONLY TO HOMEOWNERS AND NOT TO COMMERCIAL OR MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT.
UM, I THINK THAT AMENDMENT HAPPENED ON MAY 2ND.
UM, WE CAN CHECK THE BILL TO SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT SHOULD IT PASS, WHAT THE ELEMENTS ARE THAT IN IT.
BUT YOUR ADVOCACY IS VERY MUCH FELT AND HEARD AND, UM, IT SEEMS THAT IT MAY BE HAVING SOME, SOME GOOD EFFECT, SOME GOOD IMPACT.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
ONE THING, UM, THAT WE ARE STILL WORKING TO HELP CHANGE, THEY, THEY DID AMEND THE LANGUAGE TO APPLY ONLY TO ANY ASH JUNIPER LOCATED ON A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY.
BUT ACCORDING TO THAT SECTION OF CODE, THERE IS, UM, AN EXCEPTION FOR QUOTE ANY OTHER MULTI-FAMILY STRUCTURE.
SO WE'RE WORKING TO SEE IF THEY CAN, UM, IF THEY WOULD WORK WITH US TO REMOVE THAT LANGUAGE.
THE REST OF IT WOULD BE SMALLER HO HOMES AND, AND SMALLER DEVELOPMENTS.
UM, YES, THAT'S, THAT'S SORT OF WHERE WE ARE NOW AND WITH THE SENATE CROSS OUR FINGERS ON THAT.
[01:10:01]
HAND IT BACK TO OUR CITY AND COUNTY STAFF.I BELIEVE KATE'S GONNA COME UP AND TALK ABOUT THE OUTREACH AND EDUCATION REPORT.
UM, I'LL SHARE SOME NUMBERS, SOME INFORMATION FROM THE, UH, QUARTER ONE AND QUARTER TWO.
SO FROM OCTOBER THROUGH MARCH.
UM, AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO LOOK AT THAT SUPPLEMENTAL DOCUMENT BECAUSE IT'S FULL OF PICTURES FROM ACROSS THE BCP, UM, AND THIS HUGE DIVERSITY OF ACTIVITIES, UM, AND PEOPLE ENGAGING IN THIS WORK.
UM, SO IN THE FIRST QUARTER FROM OCTOBER THROUGH DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, WE SAW 179 GUIDED HIKES, 127 LAND STEWARDSHIP ACTIVITIES THAT ENGAGED, UM, MORE THAN 4,000 PEOPLE.
UM, AND THAT CAME OUT TO NEARLY 2000 VOLUNTEER HOURS.
UM, THAT'S THE TIME OF YEAR WHERE WE'RE DOING A LOT OF INVASIVE REMOVAL ACROSS THE PRESERVE.
SO FROM THE NATURE CONSERVANCY LANDS TO LOTS OF, UM, CORPORATE GROUPS AND SCHOOL GROUPS OUT ON TRAVIS COUNTY PROPERTIES, UM, TO THE, UH, WORK DAYS THAT ARE LED BY OUR BIOLOGISTS.
UM, UH, ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BALCON CANYON LANDS PULLING OUT INVASIVE PLANTS.
IT'S AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WORK.
UM, IN THE SECOND QUARTER, UM, WE SAW, UH, MORE GUIDED HIKES, 222 GUIDED HIKES, UH, 137 LAND STEWARDSHIP EVENTS.
UM, MORE THAN 5,000 PEOPLE ENGAGED IN THIS WORK.
UM, AND WE EXCEEDED THAT 2000, UM, HOURS OF VOLUNTEER WORK.
UM, AND OF COURSE THERE'S SOME CALCULATION TO CALCULATE THAT IS $60,000 WORTH OF WORK.
BUT I THINK THE LARGER WORK REALLY IS IN THESE RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE FORGED BETWEEN PEOPLE, UM, AND THESE PROTECTED LANDS AND THE, THE PRESERVE ITSELF.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, THROUGH UNGUIDED ACCESS THAT'S, UM, AVAILABLE AT HAMILTON POOL, AT WELD BASIN AND OTHER PLACES LIKE THE BARTON CREEK GREEN BELT.
UM, WE ESTIMATE THAT WE REACHED, UM, AT LEAST 80,000 PEOPLE OVER THOSE TWO QUARTERS, UM, BEING OUT ENJOYING THIS, WHETHER THEY KNOW IT'S VCP YET OR NOT.
UM, AND DIVING IN A LITTLE BIT DEEPER ON WHAT ALL THOSE HOURS REALLY LOOK LIKE, UM, THERE WERE MORE THAN 700 TREES THAT HAVE BEEN PLANTED, UM, IN THESE PAST SIX MONTHS, UM, BY VOLUNTEERS AND BY OUR INTREPID BIOLOGIST JIM OUT AT, UH, FURIO AND DOUBLE J AND T TRACKS.
UM, AND SO MANY VOLUNTEERS AND, AND STAFF CHIPPING INTO THAT.
UM, I GOT THE PLEASURE OF CO-LEADING OUR LATINO OUTDOORS HIKE, UM, AND OUTDOOR AFRO HIKES AT THE NEWER, UH, BRIGHT LEAF PRESERVE ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN BCP, UM, CITY AND COUNTY, AND SO MANY OF OUR PARTNERS FROM TRAVIS ABAN TO WILD BASIN TO WEST CAVE.
UM, ALSO WELCOME IN VOLUNTEER RECITERS.
SO THESE ARE VOLUNTEERS WHO SHARE THEIR, THEIR TIME AND TRUE TALENT.
UM, LOOKING AT TRYING TO SEE THE SMALL COLORED BANDS AND THE LEGS OF GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLERS AS THEY RETURN SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHERE THEIR TERRITORIES ARE AND REALLY, UM, GIVE OUR BIOLOGISTS AN EXTRA SET OF EYES IN THE FIELD.
AND SO THIS YEAR WE HAD A RECORD 70.
WE HAVE A RECORD 70 VOLUNTEERS HELPING IN THAT PROCESS.
THEY'RE EACH GOING TO DIFFERENT TRACKS AND HAVE DIFFERENT SETS OF MAPS.
AND I'M JUST SO IMPRESSED BY THE BIOLOGISTS WHO TAKE THE TIME AT THE END OF THEIR LONG FIELD DAY TO WRITE BACK TO VOLUNTEERS AND TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR WORK, AND TO ASK CLARIFYING QUESTIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, THE REAL COMMUNITY SUPPORT THAT THERE IS FOR MANAGING THESE LANDS FOR THESE SPECIES.
UM, OUR WILD NEIGHBORS SPEAKER SERIES CONTINUED.
THIS IS, UM, ITS THIRD YEAR, I BELIEVE WE STARTED, UM, AS WE WENT INTO PANDEMIC SHUTDOWNS.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS HELPED US TO CREATE AN ONLINE LIBRARY OF, UM, REALLY GREAT TALKS, HOUR LONG TALKS ON ALL KINDS OF SUBJECTS RELATED TO THE BALCONES CANDYLANDS PRESERVE THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO NEIGHBORS NEARBY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER BIG THING TO NOTE FROM THE PAST SIX MONTHS OF THIS REPORT IS JUST THE INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT'S GONE INTO, UH, STORM DAMAGE, ADDRESSING STORM DAMAGE.
SO WHILE VOLUNTEERS AT BAKER SANCTUARY AT, UM, ALL OF OUR SITES REALLY HAVE BEEN,
[01:15:01]
HAD A HAND IN CLEANING UP FROM WINTER STORM URI, UM, THEN OF COURSE WINTER STORM MARA HIT.AND SO THE EFFORT TO, UM, CLEAR THE, THE, UM, ACCESS THAT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED, UM, AND, AND FRANKLY, BIOLOGISTS NEEDED AS WELL AHEAD OF GOLDEN SHEIK COBLER RECITING SEASON WAS TRULY A TEAM EFFORT, UM, ACROSS THE PRESERVE.
UM, WE SAW CORPORATE GROUPS AND SCHOOL GROUPS OUT AT TRAVIS COUNTY PROPERTIES.
TRAVIS COUNTY VOLUNTEER YATES CELEBRATED HER 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY, UM, OF BEING A VOLUNTEER FOR THE BALCONIES CANDYLANDS PRESERVE, AS WELL AS HER 80TH BIRTHDAY.
UM, AT TRAVIS AUDUBON'S BAKER SANCTUARY, THERE WAS LOTS OF TRAIL MAINTENANCE, MANY SCOUT PROJECTS, UM, OUT AT WEST CAVE.
THEY WERE REALLY EXCITED TO TAKE SOME, UM, PHOTOS OF ICICLES IN THE CAVE, UM, IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY.
AND THEY, UM, HAVE BEGUN THEIR, THEIR TOURS AND SCHOOL GROUPS IN EARNEST.
AND, UM, THEY'RE JUST BURGEONING WITH BUSES AND GROUPS OF PEOPLE, UM, HEADING OVER THERE.
AND THEY WELCOMED THEIR NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, JENNY MCMILLAN AT WEST CAVE AT WILD BASIN.
THEY WELCOMED A NEW ARTIST IN RESIDENCE WHO HELPS TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO THE PRESERVE THROUGH ART.
UM, THEY INSTALLED, UH, UH, AN INTERPRETIVE SIGNS THROUGHOUT WILD BASIN THAT THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR SOME TIME.
UM, AND THEY BEGAN A NEW IN-PERSON SPEAKER SERIES, UM, SEEKING TO CONNECT WITH NEIGHBORS NEAR THERE, UM, AND REALLY ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY TO CONNECT BETTER TO THE PRESERVE.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, UM, IS IN FULL SWING WITH MANY SCOUT CAMP OUTS.
SO, UM, PEOPLE REALLY GETTING TO EXPERIENCE, UM, BEING OUTSIDE, UM, AND BEING PART OF THIS HABITAT AND THEIR IMPACTS ON IT.
UM, SO WHILE THERE'S LOTS GOING ON, LOTS TO THINK ABOUT, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT HELPING LENDING A HAND AS WELL.
COMMISSIONER, DO YOU HAVE ANY, ANY QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS.
AND I LOVE THE PHOTOS IN HERE.
THEY'RE REALLY, UH, REALLY FABULOUS, BUT, UM, EXCELLENT OUTREACH AND, UM, AND GREAT WORK.
AND, AND YOU DID COMMENT THAT IT WASN'T CLEAR IF PEOPLE NECESSARILY KNEW THAT THEY WERE SEEING PLACES THAT WERE PART OF OUR, UM, UH, REALLY IMPRESSIVE PRESERVE SYSTEM.
SO, UM, I DO THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE COULD DO A BETTER JOB OF IS TELLING OUR STORY AND HAVING A SIGNAGE THAT, UM, HELPS PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT THIS IS A PIECE OF A, OF A LARGER, UM, REALLY NATIONAL CLASS INITIATIVE THAT OUR SIBLING GOVERNMENTS AND COMMUNITY HAS, UM, PUT TOGETHER FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WE DO THAT, BUT I THINK THAT'D BE A VALUABLE THING FOR US TO, UM, MAKE SURE WE MAKE IT A PRIORITY TO HAVE PROPER SIGNAGE WHEREVER WE WOULD NEED IT.
WHO'S NEXT? I BELIEVE NICO IS GONNA COME UP AND GIVE SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
HOWARD, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
HI, I'M NICO HOWARD, THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE AUSTIN WATER PAS CANYONLAND PRESERVES.
AND YOU'VE GOT THE REPORT WRITTEN.
SO I'M JUST GONNA GO OVER A FEW HIGHLIGHTS ON THE AUSTIN SIDE OF IT.
ONE OF THEM BEING THAT, UM, BROOCH SMALL, WHICH IS GONNA BE TO THE CITY COUNCIL NEXT WEEK.
UM, WE'VE, UH, PRODUCED A REPORT INDICATING THAT THE MALL'S UNLIKELY TO AFFECT AIRMAN'S CAVE, WHICH IS THE LONGEST CAVE IN THE, OF THE 62 PERMIT CAVES.
UM, BUT WE'RE STILL, UM, THE BRODY OAKS MALL FOLKS GENEROUSLY OFFERED A, AN ACCESS EASEMENT, WHICH LETS US TO GO UNDER THE PORTION OF THE CAVE UNDER THE MALL.
AND THEN IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS DISCOVERED, THEN WE CAN WORK TO CORRECT THEM.
UM, SO WE CAME UP WITH THAT AGREEMENT IN JANUARY, AND WE'RE STILL JUST WAITING ON SIGNATURES ON THAT.
AND IF I MAY, UM, IF YOU COULD JUST EXPAND A WEE BIT ON THAT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAD MET WITH THE DEVELOPER'S AGENT AND HAD WALKED, UM, NOT JUST THE, UM, THE SITE, BUT ALSO DOWN ONTO THE TRAIL AND THEN EXPLORED URBAN'S CAVE MM-HMM.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS IS THE TRAIL THAT, UM, PARKS AND RECREATION IS ASKING FOR FROM THE MALL DOWN TO THE BARTON CREEK GREEN, UH, GREEN BELT.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS IS, YEAH, THERE'S BRACKET TWIST FLOWER AND GOLDEN CHEEK WAR BLUE HABITAT DOWN THERE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BRACKET TWIST FLOWER IN JUST A SECOND.
BUT, UM, SO WE GOT TO WALK WITH, UH, REPRESENTATIVES OF RUDY OAKS AND WALK DOWN THE TRAIL AND, AND THEY'LL
[01:20:01]
BE INCORPORATING OUR, UM, INPUT HOPEFULLY IN, IN THE LET'S THEY GO THROUGH, UH, UH, UH, BCP TRAIL ACCESS PERMIT PROCESS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE TO CORRECT FOR ANY OF THE IMPACTS THAT THEY COULD BE DOING WITH TRAIL ALIGNMENT AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT.BUT WE DO EXPECT THAT THE, THE MALL, OF COURSE, WILL HAVE 2000 MORE RESIDENTS NOW ON THERE, SO WE'LL PROBABLY SEE A WHOLE LOT MORE TRAFFIC IN THE BELT.
AND THE TRAIL ALIGNMENT PIECE IS IMPORTANT, UM, IN THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I HAD WITH THE DEVELOPER, UM, WHAT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THERE WILL BE A, UH, AN ASSESSMENT OF THE DAMAGE AND THE EROSION ON THAT HILLSIDE.
UM, A NUMBER OF THE, UM, WHAT DO THEY CALL THEM? THE TRAILS THAT AREN'T THE OFFICIAL TRAILS MM-HMM.
WELL, YEAH, UNAUTHORIZE, I THINK THERE'S A, A SHORTER WORD FOR IT.
BUT ANYWAY, THE TRAILS THAT ARE THERE, AND THERE ARE MANY, INCLUDING FOR SOME OFF-ROAD BICYCLES THAT THOSE WILL ALL BE LOOKED AT AND, UH, TO THE, UM, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO REMOVE THEM AND GET PEOPLE ONTO THE OFFICIAL TRAILS AND, UH, PRESERVE THE, UM, STUFF, THE EROSION ON THE HILLSIDE, AND TO PRESERVE THAT AREA ALONG THE TRAIL, THAT'S A REAL PLUS MM-HMM.
AND THE, AND THE MALL FOLKS HAVE WORKED WITH US REALLY WELL SO FAR AS FAR AS COMMUNICATING WITH US AND GETTING OUR INPUT.
SO I FOUND THEM TO BE EQUALLY, UM, WILLING TO, TO TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT, AND IT'S CALLED THE BRODY HUD PLAN USE DEVELOPMENT.
UH, COMMISSIONER, WHAT IS THE, WHAT'S THE HEIGHT? I HAD, UM, SOME MEMORY FROM A WHILE BACK THAT THERE WAS A PROPOSAL TO BUILD, UM, UP A NUMBER OF STORIES THERE.
AND, AND SO THAT OF COURSE REQUIRES THAT THEY PROVIDE ANCHORS, UM, DOWN INTO THE LAND, UH, SOME DISTANCE DOWN.
SO DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT THE HEIGHT PROPOSAL IS AND HOW FAR DOWN THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE THE ANCHORS? NO.
AND SO ONE OPTION WAS TO GO HAVE ANCHORS GOING DOWN THROUGH THE DEL R CLAY TO THE GEORGETOWN.
AND, UM, THAT WAS THE CURRENT, UM, PROPOSAL, BUT THERE'S ALSO A POSSIBILITY ABOUT HAVING THICKER SLABS.
UM, BUT THEIR PROBLEM, YEAH, THEY'RE ON THE DEL RIO CLAY, WHICH TENDS TO SHRINK AND SWELL.
AND SO IT, IT'S PROBLEMATIC STRUCTURALLY.
ANYBODY REMEMBER WHAT HEIGHT THEY'RE PROPOSING? WELL, WE WON'T KNOW FOR SURE UNTIL IT GETS TO SITE PLAN.
UH, THERE ARE PROPOSALS OUT THERE, UM, FOR THE ZONING PIECE AND FOR THE ELEMENTS OF THE, OF THE PUT, UM, THERE WAS CONCERN THAT THE, THE BUILDINGS WOULD BE OF A HEIGHT THAT THEY WOULD, UM, THAT PEOPLE WHO LIVE AROUND THAT AREA, FOR EXAMPLE, IN BARTON HILLS OR ZILKER, WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THOSE BUILDINGS.
AND I THINK IT WAS COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN DID AN EXPERIMENT WITH A CRANE AND A, AND A FLAG TO PUT IT UP AT THE HEIGHT, UM, AT THE TALLEST POINT THAT MIGHT BE BUILT, UM, WHICH IS PROBABLY A COUPLE HUNDRED FEET.
I'M NOT, I CAN'T REMEMBER, AND I DON'T, I, I DON'T HAVE THE PLAN IN FRONT OF ME, BUT LIKELY BETWEEN 102 HUNDRED FEET.
AND NOBODY, I THINK THERE WAS ONE PERSON WHO LIVED AS CLOSE AS TO THE SITE, BUT NOBODY WAS ABLE TO SEE IT.
AND SO THAT DID ADDRESS THE CONCERNS THAT NEIGHBORS LEGITIMATELY HAD ABOUT WHETHER, UM, THERE WOULD BE A, A, A SPIKE OR A FINGER UP INTO THE SKY THAT THAT WOULD, UM, THAT THEY WOULD SEE REGULARLY.
BUT THAT DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE THE CAVES.
AND WHO ARE THE DEVELOPERS? IS THIS PAT OLSON COMPANY? THE OWNERS ARE OLS AND BARSHA, BARHOP O OLS.
AND, UM, THE REPRESENTATIVES ARE LION PLACE.
UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE LAND PLANNING FOR REBECCA LEONHARDT AND DAVID, SORRY, LION HART.
UM, DESIGN IS REBECCA LEONARD AND DAVID ABU WITH ARM, YEAH.
WE HAD A, UM, A, A RIBBON CUTTING A VAN AT, AT WHIRLPOOL, UM, PATIO, WHICH IS ADJACENT TO OUR WHIRLPOOL CAPE PRESERVE.
AND, UM, PAGE ELLIS WAS THERE GIVING A SPEECH.
IT WAS KIND OF A K FOCUSED EVENT, UM, WITH THE VIOLET CROWN TRAIL.
AND SO WE HAD BATS, WE HAD UT TALKING ABOUT THE, TO CRAZY ANTS THAT USED TO INVESTS THE AREA, BUT WE'RE GONE NOW.
UM, WE HAD BARBARA ATWELL AND BAILING SOME OF HER NEW ARTWORK IN THE MURAL OUT THERE, SOME CAVE ARTWORK.
AND THEN WE HAD AN OPEN HOUSE WHERE WE TOOK 118 PEOPLE INTO THE WHIRLPOOL CAVE AND DURING THAT EVENT, SO THAT WENT REALLY WELL.
AND, UH, WE GOT SOME NEW STAFF AT WILDLANDS CONSERVATION.
UM, UH, TRISH PORTER, WHO USED TO WORK WITH AUSTIN PARKS RECREATION, UM, JOINED US AS A RANGER AND SHE'S ALREADY WORKED A LOT ON THE BACK AT, AT USON PARKS RECREATION ON SUPPORTING US AT THE BCP AND WILDLANDS CONSERVATION.
AND THEN, UM, CARLY TAYLOR, UM, JOINED ALSO
[01:25:01]
AS AN IN THE OUTREACH PROGRAM.SO THERE'S TWO NEW STAFF WE HAVE THERE.
ONE OTHER THING OF NOTE IS THAT, UM, YOURS, FISH AND WILDLIFE RECENTLY LISTED THE BRACKET, BRACKET TWIST FLOWER AS THREATENED.
AND THERE'S A TYPO IN MY THING WHERE IT SAYS IT WAS, WAS LISTED ENDANGERED, BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY LISTED AS THREATENED.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S SIGNIFICANT.
UM, IT'S SIGNIFICANT FOR US BECAUSE MOST OF THE CRITICAL HABITAT IDENTIFIED AS ON CITY OF AUSTIN PROPERTY ABOUT 700 ACRES.
SO WE'LL BE PLAYING A REALLY IMPORTANT ROLE AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST TO, UM, PROTECT THE FLOWER AND, AND SO FORTH.
AND ONE OF THE NEW ACQUISITIONS, BRIGHTLEAF PRESERVE, I COULD SEE BRACKET TWIST FLOWER BACK THERE IN 2006, 2007.
SO WE ACQUIRED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, ABOUT 200 ACRES.
AND LAST COUPLE YEARS WE HAVEN'T SEEN IT, BUT HOPEFULLY IT'LL COME BACK.
SOMETIMES IT TAKES YOU USED TO GERMINATE WAITING THROUGH THE ROUGH RE WEATHER.
UM, AND SO ALSO, UM, WANTED TO, TO MENTION THAT, UM, UH, KATE ALREADY MENTIONED WE DID A LOT OF RESTORATION ON OUR SITE WITH ABOUT A THOUSAND TREES BEING PLANTED AND 8,000 ACORNS BEING, BEING COLLECTED AND, AND PLANTED.
UM, WE HAVE LOTS OF, UM, TRESPASSING CRIMINAL INCIDENCES.
UM, BUT WE ALSO HAD INSTALLED, UM, QUITE A BIT OF FENCE.
AND, AND THE FENCING IS VERY IMPORTANT ON OUR PRESERVE, NOT ONLY TO PROTECT THE WILDLIFE IN OUR PRESERVE, BUT ALSO PROTECTS THE NEIGHBORS FROM FERAL HOGS, PROTECTS 'EM FROM WILDFIRE, PROTECTS ALL OF US FROM WILDFIRE PROBLEMS, CUZ WHERE WE HAVE OPEN ACCESS PRESERVES, WE'LL TYPICALLY FIND CAMPFIRES AND FIREWORKS AND, UM, OTHER THINGS THAT WE NEED TO PROTECT.
SO WE, WE DID QUITE A BIT OF FENCING OVER THIS AS DESCRIBED FURTHER IN THE, UM, IN THE WRITTEN REPORT.
AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA STOP AND I GOT, UM, UM, MY STAFFER, UM, GAVE ME THE SPECIFIC HEIGHT LIMIT FOR THE BRODY.
PUT 275 FEET WOULD BE THE POSSIBILITY.
UM, THAT'S THE HEIGHT THAT THEY COULD BUILD TO.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR NICO? JUST THANKS FOR GREAT WORK.
UH, JUST LIKE IN THE PACKET THERE IS ALSO A PARTNER REPORT FROM TRAVIS COUNTY AND FROM L C R A.
UH, THEY'RE NOT HERE TODAY TO GIVE US A, A HIGHLIGHT, BUT THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE IN THE PACKET.
UNFORTUNATELY, MELINDA HAD A MEDICAL ISSUE AND LINDA IS HELPING HER OUT.
SO YEAH, WELL GIVE HER OUR BEST.
ANYTHING ELSE IN FRONT OF US? NOPE, THAT'S IT.
WHAT IS THE DATE FOR OUR NEXT MEETING? IS IT OCTOBER? IT'S IN AND WHILE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THAT, I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER, WRITE THAT DOWN.
I THINK THE COMMISSIONER HAD A QUESTION WHILE YOU LOOK FOR THAT.
AT THE DECEMBER MEETING, UM, I MENTIONED, UM, A, UH, INITIATIVE THAT I WAS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN RELATED TO REALLY KIND OF EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES, UH, TO USE OUR PUBLIC LANDS TO, UH, ENHANCE CARBON SEQUESTRATION.
UM, I THINK PROBABLY EVERYONE HERE IS AWARE OF THE LATEST I PCC REPORT THAT SAYS, BASICALLY WE HAVE ABOUT 10 YEARS TO TURN THINGS AROUND WITH REGARD TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
SO, UH, I THINK THAT, UH, UH, REALLY REQUIRES ALL OF US AS ELECTED OFFICIALS AND, UH, AND LEADERS AND EVERY DOMAIN TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO, UH, TO TRY AND ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE AND ALSO TO ENHANCE THE ABILITY TO PULL CARBON OUT OF THE ATMOSPHERE.
SO, UM, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT IT.
I KNOW THAT, UM, SINCE THEN, THE US FORESTRY, UH, SERVICES ISSUED, UH, AN INVITATION FOR SOME VERY GENEROUS GRANTS.
UH, I THINK IT'S UP TO 53 MILLION FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
UH, AND IF THEY EMPLOY THE JUSTICE 40 COMPONENTS, THEY DON'T HAVE TO PROVIDE A MATCH.
AND I KNOW THERE'S A, A REALLY, UM, ROBUST COALITION OF GROUPS, INCLUDING THE CITY AND THE COUNTY THAT ARE, ARE GOING AFTER THIS.
BUT I, UM, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE, UH, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE HAVE DATA, AND I KNOW THAT AT LEAST ONE OF OUR SCIENTISTS HAS BEEN TRACKING KIND OF BASELINE DATA OF THE ABILITY OF OUR SOILS TO ABSORB CARBON.
UM, I'D LOVE ANY UPDATES ON THIS AT AT FUTURE MEETINGS TO THE EXTENT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DOCUMENT, UH, INCREASES THROUGH ANY OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE'RE ENGAGING IN.
CAUSE I KNOW WE'RE DOING A VARIETY OF THINGS ON THESE PRESERVED LANDS TO ENHANCE THE ABILITY OF THE SOIL TO RETAIN WATER, UM, AND TO, UM, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY EN ENRICH THE SOIL, UH, THROUGH A VARIETY OF, OF NATURAL MEANS.
SO, UM, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON, I'D LOVE TO HAVE THAT ON A FUTURE AGENDA.
AND THE HEALTH OF THE SOILS, AS WE KNOW, IS FOUNDATIONAL TOO, THE HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT.
I BROUGHT AN INITIATIVE TO COUNCIL, YOU MAY BE INTERESTED TO KNOW, AT OUR LAST MEETING FOR LOW CARBON
[01:30:01]
CONCRETE, UH, CARBON.IT'S IS, UH, A CONTRIBUTOR, I THINK IT'S THE THIRD LARGEST CONTRIBUTOR TO THE, UH, EMISSIONS, UM, BEHIND, I THINK IT'S CHINA AND BRAZIL, OR MAYBE IT'S CHINA AND, AND INDIA.
UM, AND SO TO THE EXTENT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, UH, REPLACE CONVENTIONAL CONCRETE WITH THE CARBON SEQUESTRATION FORM OF CONCRETE, THAT WOULD BE A HUGE, THAT WOULD MAKE A HUGE IMPACT.
SO CITY STAFF ARE LOOKING AT THAT AND I, I, UH, COMMEND THAT, UH, PROPOSAL TO TRAVIS COUNTY AS WELL TO HAVE A LOOK, SEE AT THAT FOR, UH, ANY OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT YOU GUYS MAY BE CONTEMPLATING.
OUR NEXT MEETING IS ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH.
IT WILL OCCUR FROM ONE TO 3:00 PM AND THAT WILL BE AT THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT IN LAVACA STREET LOCATION.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, WE WILL SEE EVERYBODY THERE THEN.
AND THANKS ALL FOR THE GOOD REPORTS AND THE GOOD NEWS AND, UM, TO THE STAFF FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK EVERY DAY.
AND THE NEW FOLKS FROM THE SERVICE WHO ARE JOINING US, UM, IN THIS ENDEAVOR, WE WILL SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER.