[CALL TO ORDER ]
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PRESIDENT CESAR BEN, PRESIDENT CARL CURRY.
KRISTEN WEAVER, NOT YET, DOESN'T LOOK LIKE.
DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS SIGNED UP.
[1. Approval of the minutes of the Regular meeting of the Bond Oversight Commission on April 19, 2023. ]
FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.UH, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES MOVE? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, EDITS, OR CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES BEFORE WE VOTE? HEARING NONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES SIGNIFIED BY, IN SOME WAY, BY RAISING YOUR HAND, ARE BY RESPONDING VOCALLY.
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
[2. Staff Briefing from Watershed Protection Department on the 2018 Bond Program for Proposition F relating to flood mitigation, open space, and water quality protection. ]
WE HAVE TWO STAFF BRIEFINGS ON THE, UH, AGENDA FOR TODAY.THE FIRST STAFF BRIEFING IS WATERSHED PROTECTION.
ARE WE READY FOR THAT BRIEFING? UH, HI.
ARE YOU THERE? OH, GOOD AFTERNOON.
THIS IS ANNIE VANZANT AND I'M SORRY, I'M HAVING SOME VIDEO PROBLEMS. IS THERE A SETTING THAT I NEED TO USE TO TURN ON MY VIDEO? THERE SHOULD BE A VIDEO BUTTON.
THIS SHOULD JUST BE A, CAN YOU HEAR ME THERE? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
WELL GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.
UM, THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS FOR HAVING US TODAY.
I AM A, UH, A CAPITAL PROGRAM CONSULTANT WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.
AND JOINED WITH ME TODAY ARE PAM KK, A CONSULTING ENGINEER, ALSO WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION AND OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, JANAY SPENCE.
UM, WE ARE HERE TO PRESENT AN UPDATE ON THE PROGRESS THAT WATERSHED PROTECTION HAS MADE ON THE 2018 BOND PROGRAMS. AND IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UH, SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT PROPOSITION D, FLOOD MITIGATION, OPEN SPACE AND WATER QUALITY PROTECTION.
SO THIS IS THE BALLOT LANGUAGE FOR THE PROPOSITION D AND THE 2018 BOND THAT ALLOCATED 184 MILLION FOR FLOOD MITIGATION DRAINAGE PROJECTS, AS WELL AS OPEN SPACE OR WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS.
UM, THE CONTRACT WITH THE VOTER LINK AT THE BOTTOM IS THE RESOLUTION SET BY COUNCIL IN AUGUST OF 2018.
THAT SET THE REFERENDUM FOR THE NOVEMBER BALLOT NEXT FEE.
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NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.THIS IS OUR FINANCIAL STATUS OF THE 184 MILLION.
CURRENTLY, UM, ON THE FAR RIGHT YOU CAN SEE THE TWO PIE CHARTS WHERE THE 184 MILLION IS, UM, ALLOCATED BETWEEN TWO PROGRAMS. SO FIRST FLOOD MITIGATION AND DRAINAGE PROJECTS RECEIVED 112 MILLION.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE 72 MILLION FOR OPEN SPACE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS.
THE ORANGE GRAPH AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT SHOWS THE AVAILABLE BOND BALANCE.
AND SO BETWEEN BOTH OF THOSE PROGRAMS, WE HAVE SPENT ABOUT HALF OF THE FUNDS.
AND SO MOVING BACK TO THE LEFT HAND SIDE, WE ARE 50% COMMITTED OVERALL FOR THE 184 MILLION.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE ALMOST 11.7 MILLION, UM, ALLOCATED OR ENCUMBERED FOR CONTRACTS.
UH, THESE ARE ACTIVE CONTRACTS.
WE HAVE SPENT 80 POINT, ALMOST 80.6 MILLION TO DATE.
SO WE HAVE COMMITTED, UH, 92.2 MILLION AND HAVE 91.8 MILLION APPROXIMATELY REMAINING.
AND OVER THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, I'LL BE SHOWING YOU OUR PLANS FOR ENCUMBERING AND SPENDING THOSE FUNDS, UH, FOR BOTH FLOOD MITIGATION DRAINAGE PROJECTS.
AND THEN WE HAVE SOME SLIDES OVER OPEN SPACE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS.
SO THIS IS A SPENDING PLAN GRAPH AND IT SHOWS OUR EXPENDITURES TO DATE AS WELL AS OUR PROJECTED SPENDING OVER TIME.
AND SO THE NAVY DOT SHOWS OUR BEGINNING BALANCE IN FISCAL YEAR 19 OF THE 184 MILLION, THE NAVY LINE SHOWS OUR ACTUAL EXPENDITURES TO DATE.
AND THEN THE YELLOW AND ORANGE DOTTED LINES SHOW PAST PREDICTIONS THROUGH OUR BUDGETS OF HOW THOSE FUNDS WOULD BE SPENT.
THE GREEN LINE IS OUR PROJECTION FOR THE CURRENT BUDGET, UM, THAT SHOWS WE ANTICIPATE SPENDING THE FUNDS AND BEING 90% COMPLETE WITH THE 112 MILLION FOR FLOOD MITIGATION DRAINAGE PROJECTS BY THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 2025, WHICH IS WITHIN THE EIGHT YEAR TIME PERIOD FOR THE PROGRAM.
YOU MAY NOTICE THAT THIS SLIDE DOES NOT GO DOWN TO ZERO.
AND I HAVE A FOOTNOTE AT THE BOTTOM THAT SAYS $34 MILLION OF THESE FUNDS ARE FOR THE OPEN SPACE PARENT ACCOUNT, AND WE DO NOT CREATE A SPENDING PLAN FOR THOSE FUNDS BECAUSE OF THE SENSITIVE NATURE OF THE REAL ESTATE ACQUISITIONS FOR THAT PROGRAM.
UM, YOU MAY ALSO NOTICE THAT, UM, ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE I HAD 35.6 MILLION REMAINING FOR OPEN SPACE, AND THIS IS SHOWING 34.
I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT THAT 1.6 MILLION ARE FUNDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY TIED UP IN, UH, ONGOING NEGOTIATIONS FOR THAT PROGRAM.
WE HAVE A FEW NEGOTIATIONS FOR LAND ACQUISITION, WHICH I'LL DISCUSS, UM, AT THE END OF THIS PRESENTATION.
BUT WATERSHED IS ALSO IN THE CURRENT BUDGETING PROCESS WHERE WE'RE GETTING READY TO SUBMIT OUR NEXT FIVE YEAR PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 24 THROUGH 28.
OUR SPENDING PLAN STILL ALIGNS WITH THE GREEN LINE THAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE, AND OUR PLAN IS TO ENCUMBER ALL OF THE DRAINAGE BO THE DRAINAGE AND FLOOD MITIGATION FUNDS IN CONTRACTS BY THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 2024, SO THAT WE CAN STILL MEET THAT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE MILESTONE BY THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 25.
IN THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS, UM, SO NOW WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TWO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. SO FIRST, 112 MILLION FOR DRAINAGE STORM WATER PROJECTS.
THIS IS THE CRITERIA, UM, IDENTIFIED BY THE BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE IN 2018 WHEN BOND DEVELOPMENT WAS OCCURRING.
UM, IT NOTES THE EIGHT YEAR BOND TIMEFRAME AND EACH YEAR AS NOTED AT THE AT, AT THE END, WE REASSESS OUR BOND ALLOCATIONS FOR PROJECTS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE FOLLOWING WITHIN THIS CRITERIA AS WELL AS ADHERING TO THAT EIGHT YEAR TIMEFRAME.
THIS IS A DISTRIBUTION OF OUR PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE $112 MILLION BROKEN OUT BY OUR THREE THREE OF OUR MISSIONS CREEK FLOOD EROSION AND LOCAL FLOOD.
AND I HAVE SLIDES ON PROJECTS, OR I HAVE ITEMIZED THE PROJECTS FOR EACH OF THESE MISSIONS ON THE NEXT THREE SLIDES.
FIRST WE WILL DISCUSS CREEK FLOOD RISK REDUCTION.
SO THESE PROJECTS ARE FOR, UM, WHEN THERE'S HEAVY RAINFALL AND THE STORM WATER EXCEEDS CREEK BANKS
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AND SO, AND THEN THAT COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE FLOOD RISK FOR HOMES AND PROPERTIES.AND SO WE HAVE A VARIETY OF SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS THIS, UM, RISK, THIS FLOOD RISK, WE HAVE PROPERTY BUYOUTS, UM, CHANNEL WIDENING, LOW WATER CROSSING UPGRADES, REGIONAL POND IMPROVEMENTS, DAM MODERNIZATIONS, UM, AND STORM STORM DRAIN IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL.
WE HAVE, UM, HYPERLINKS TO EACH OF THE PROJECTS ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE SO THAT YOU CAN ACCESS THE LATEST UPDATES ON EACH OF THESE PROJECTS.
UM, WE HAVE ALSO LISTED THE CURRENT PHASE, APPROXIMATE APPROXIMATE CONSTRUCTION START DATE.
AND THEN WE ADDED A COLUMN FOR BOND FUNDED PHASES AND ACTIVITIES BECAUSE I WANTED TO REINFORCE, UM, THAT WE ARE PLANNING ON ENCUMBERING ALL OF THE BOND FUNDS BY THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 2024.
SO IF YOU WERE CONCERNED ABOUT A FISCAL YEAR 25 OR 26 CONSTRUCTION START DATE, WE JUST WANTED TO OUTLINE THAT WE ARE USING THE BOND FUNDS FOR PERMITTED ACTIVITIES IN OTHER PHASES OF THE PROJECT, BUT WE DO, UM, HAVE FUNDING PLANS TO BUILD THESE PROJECTS AND ACQUIRE ASSETS.
AND THE NEXT SLIDE, THE NEXT SLIDE IS EROSION STREAM RESTORATION PROJECTS.
SO THIS IS WHEN EROSION ISSUES RELATED TO STORM WATER CREATE RISK FOR PROPERTIES AND UM, HOMES.
AND SO WE HAVE ONE PRO, ONE MAJOR PROJECT IN CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW, IT BEGAN LAST SUMMER.
AND THEN WE HAVE THREE OTHER PROJECTS, UM, THAT ARE NEARING THE END OF DESIGN GOING INTO CONSTRUCTION FOR JAMESTOWN.
IT'S MOSTLY A STREAM BANK STABILIZATION EROSION RISK MITIGATION PROJECT, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES STORM DRAIN IMPROVEMENTS AND LOW WATER CROSSING.
SO IT'S REALLY ACHIEVING TWO MISSION GOALS OR PRIORITIES.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE FOR THAT ONE WE ARE FUNDING, WE ARE USING BOND FUNDS TO FUND DESIGN EASEMENT ACQUISITION AND CONSTRUCTION.
AND THE NEXT SLIDE HAS OUR LOCALIZED FLOOD RISK REDUCTION PROJECTS.
SO LOCALIZED FLOOD RISK IS RELATED TO CREEK FLOOD, BUT LOCAL FLOOD IS WHEN RAINFALL AND RUNOFF IN NEIGHBORHOODS CANNOT GET TO THE CREEK EFFICIENTLY.
AND THAT'S OFTEN BECAUSE THE STORM DRAIN INFRASTRUCTURE IS MISSING OR UNDERSIZED.
AND SO THESE PROJECTS LARGELY FOCUS ON STORM DRAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT THEY MAY ALSO INCLUDE CREEK FLOOD ELEMENTS, UM, SUCH AS REGIONAL POND IMPROVEMENTS.
WE'VE COMPLETED TWO OF THESE PROJECTS TO DATE.
THE REMAINDER PROJECTS ARE IN DESIGN RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND WE HAVE HYPERLINKS FOR ALL, BUT ONE OF THE PROJECTS AND I JUST, UM, AND STAFF IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON BUILDING THAT WEBSITE FOR JANUARY DRIVE STORM DRAIN IMPROVEMENTS.
AND SO WE DO EXPECT IT TO BE AVAILABLE THIS SUMMER.
NEXT SLIDE, MOVING INTO THE 72 MILLION ALLOCATED FOR OPEN SPACE AND WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS.
THIS PROGRAM, UM, HAS BEEN FUNDED BY FIVE BOND PROGRAMS AND TO DATE, IT'S ACQUIRED OVER 34,000 ACRES.
ON THE FOLLOWING SLIDE, WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE 2018 BOND AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH SO FAR.
UM, AND, BUT I WANTED TO NOTE ON THIS SLIDE THAT THIS IS A PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY BETWEEN MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS WHERE WATERSHED SEEKS THE LAND ACQUISITION OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH FEE SIMPLE OR CONSERVATION EASEMENTS.
AND THEN AUSTIN WATER WILL MANAGE THE PROPERTIES THROUGH THEIR WILDLANDS CONSERVATION PROGRAM.
SO THIS IS A MAP OF THE ACQUISITIONS MADE TO DATE.
I APOLOGIZE IF IT'S DIFFICULT TO READ.
UM, BUT SO FAR WE HAVE SPENT ABOUT HALF OF THE FUNDS AND ACQUIRING ABOUT ALMOST 6,000 ACRES THROUGH EITHER FEE SIMPLE OR CONSERVATION EASEMENTS.
TEAMS ARE, ARE, ARE PROGRAM MANAGERS ARE ACTIVELY PURSUING, UM, OTHER PROPERTY ACQUISITIONS.
UM, THEY ARE HAVING CHALLENGES WITH MARKET PRICES INCREASING AS WELL AS IDENTIFYING LARGE TRACKS OF LAND SO THAT WE CAN MAXIMI MAXIMIZE THE TAXPAYER USE OF FUNDS AND INVESTMENTS WHILE HONORING THE INTENT OF THE BOND.
UM, THE LARGE PARCELS PROVIDE THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE FOR WATER QUALITY PROTECTION, AND THESE FUNDS CAN ONLY BE SPENT
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WITHIN THE EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE AND CONTRIBUTING ZONES BECAUSE IT BENEFITS THE BARTON SPRINGS SEGMENT AND WATER PROTECTING AND PRESERVING WATER QUALITY.BUT IT ALSO HAS A CITYWIDE BENEFIT FOR OUR WATER QUALITY DRINKING WATER.
UM, SO STAFF IS CONTINUING TO NEGOTIATE AND YOU CAN SEE WITH SOME OF THE MORE RECENT ACQUISITIONS, UM, THEY'RE TRYING, THEY'RE SEEING HOW TO EXPAND ON, UH, PREVIOUS ACQUISITIONS.
AND THAT BRINGS US TO OUR RESOURCES.
UM, WE HAVE OUR HOMEPAGE LISTED HERE, THE PROJECTS WEBSITE.
SO ALL OF THE PROJECTS WHERE YOU SAW HYPERLINKS BEFORE, YOU CAN FIND THEM ON THE PROJECTS WEBSITE, BUT THIS PROJECT'S WEBSITE IS MUCH LONGER THAN WHAT YOU'VE SEEN TODAY BECAUSE WE HAVE NON BOND FUNDED PROJECTS.
ALSO ON THAT WEBSITE, WE RECENTLY ALSO PRODUCED A C I P PROJECTS BY COUNCIL DISTRICT FOR WATERSHED.
AND SO, UM, WE'VE PROVIDED A LINK FOR YOU THERE.
AND AUSTIN WATER HAS CREATED A REALLY NICE, UH, STORY MAP FOR WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LAND.
SO WE WANTED TO SHARE THAT RESOURCE WITH YOU ALL TOO, AS WELL AS THE PROPOSITION D 2018 BOND HYPERLINK.
AND WE ARE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
ARE THERE QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? JUST A, JUST A GENERAL QUESTION HERE.
UM, WHAT TYPES OF CHALLENGES ARE YOU UP AGAINST AS FAR AS THE LAND ACQUISITION GOES? UM, I KNOW IT'S FAIRLY COMPETITIVE, RIGHT? AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IF LAND ISN'T, ISN'T IN A, YOU KNOW, A FLOODPLAIN OR ANYTHING, IT'S GOTTA BE EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL USE FOR RESIDENTIAL OR PLUS, YOU KNOW, TYPE OF DEVELOPMENTS, RIGHT? YES.
UM, DEVELOP DEVELOPMENT PRESSURES, UM, DO INCREASE THE MARKET VALUE FOR THE PROPERTIES.
AND SO I THINK THAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS, UM, JUST INCREASED MARKET VALUES OVERALL.
AND SO, UM, I HAVE HEARD THAT WE HAVE BEEN ASKED FOR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO $200,000 AN ACRE.
UM, AND THAT'S BEYOND WHAT WE'VE HISTORICALLY SPENT.
I HAD ONE QUESTION ON SLIDE FIVE.
YOU, THIS IS A SLIDE THAT PROJECTS THE SPENDING AND, AND I'VE NOTICED THAT YOU, UM, I BELIEVE THE WORDS YOU USED WERE THAT YOU EXPECTED TO ENCUMBER THE FUNDS BY THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 24.
AND DOES THAT MEAN THEY'RE, YOU EXPECT CONTRACTS TO BE IN PLACE? YES, SIR.
TO CLARIFY, YES, YOU WERE RIGHT ON WITH THAT.
UM, WHEN WE ENTER INTO CONTRACTS, THAT'S WHEN WE UNCOVER THE FUNDS AND ESSENTIALLY EARMARK THOSE FUNDS FOR THOSE SPECIFIC CONTRACTS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? YES, I HAD, UH, JUST ONE MORE QUESTION HERE, COMMISSIONER, UM, CURRY.
THE, UH, WANTED TO SEE, SO YOU HAD A SLIDE ON, UH, PROJECT COUPLING, UM, WITH OTHER GROUPS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOTEWORTHY PARTNERSHIPS WITH EITHER FEDERAL DOLLARS OR ANY OTHER STATE DOLLARS AVAILABLE, UM, FOR ANY OF THE SPENDING PROJECTS FOR THESE PROJECTS FUNDED BY 2018 BONDS? UM, NO, BUT WE DO SEEK OUT, UM, EXTERNAL FUNDS AND WE ARE LOOKING, WE HAVE HIRED A GRANT MANAGER IN THE DEPARTMENT TO PURSUE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL OF OUR PROJECTS.
UM, AND SO WE DON'T HAVE FEDERAL FUNDS ATTACHED TO, UH, WELL, EXCEPT FOR THE ONION CREEK, UH, THE UPPER ONION CREEK FLOOD RISK REDUCTION BUYOUTS.
THOSE HAVE FEDERAL FUNDS ASSOCIATED, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANY OTHER EXTERNAL FUNDING SOURCES FOR OUR OTHER PROJECTS, BUT WE ARE PURSUING THOSE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES ACTIVELY.
IF, IF YOU DO FIND ANY, IT'D BE GREAT TO, TO CALL THOSE OUT AND THE NEXT TIME YOU PRESENT.
I HAD AN ADDITIONAL QUESTION, UH, ABOUT THE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS.
UM, I WAS CURIOUS, MS. VAN, MS. VANANA, IF YOU'RE, UH, IF YOU'RE AWARE OF SLAUGHTER CREEK TRAIL, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT FOLLOWS UNDER, IT'S IN DISTRICT
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EIGHT.UM, I BELIEVE IT IS A WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LAND.
I'M NOT 100% ABOUT THAT, BUT I WAS WONDERING IF THAT FELL UNDER, UM, PROPOSITION D NOT FOR THE 2018 BOND PROGRAM, BUT, UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT WAS A PART OF THE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LAND ACQUISITION THROUGH A PREVIOUS BOND PROGRAM.
AND THE REASON WHY I'M CONFIDENT IN THAT IS BECAUSE, UM, IN VIEWING THAT STORY MAP THAT WE LINKED ON THE LAST SLIDE, IT HAS A MAP OF THAT VERY TRACT WITH THE TRAILS IN IT NEAR CIRCLE C AND SLAUGHTER LANE.
YES, THANKS FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
UM, AS AN ADDITIONAL QUESTION, UM, I FIND THAT TO BE A REALLY EXCELLENT COMMUNITY SPOT AND JUST A REALLY NICE, UH, WAY OF ALLOWING A LOT OF MEMBERS OF THAT COMMUNITY TO, UM, JUST PARTAKE IN THE OUTDOORS.
AND I WAS CURIOUS WITH ANY OF THESE OTHER ACQUISITIONS, IF THERE IS CONSIDERATION TO DEVELOPING THEM IN A SIMILAR WAY? SO, YOU KNOW, BIKING TRAILS, HIKING TRAILS, UM, THINGS OF THAT NATURE? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, I THINK IT STARTS WITH THE INITIAL, THE NEGOTIATIONS PER PROPERTY AND THE TYPE OF ACQUISITION THAT IS MADE.
SO IF IT'S FEE SIMPLE, THEN THE CITY OUT OWNS THE PROPERTY OUTRIGHT.
IF IT'S A CONSERVATION EASEMENT, THE PRIVATE LANDOWNER STILL OWNS THEIR PROPERTY, BUT DEVELOPMENT RESTRICTIONS ARE IN PLACE, AND I BELIEVE THAT AUSTIN WATER WILDLANDS CONSERVATION, UM, MANAGES AND ORGANIZES ANY PROGRAMMING FOR THESE LANDS.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE ARE VOLUNTEER GROUPS THAT GO TO SOME OF THEM, BUT I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES ON THE DIFFERENT PARCELS.
IT'S, UH, I SUSPECT IT MIGHT BE A PARCEL, A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
AND IF THEY ARE NOT OWNED BY A PRIVATE LANDOWNER OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE, UM, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE POTENTIALLY PURSUED AS IN TERMS OF DEVELOP, DEVELOPING THE RECREATIONAL COMPONENT OF IT IF IT'S OWNED BY THE CITY? I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT, BUT I CAN LOOK INTO THAT AND, UM, AND SEND YOU A, GIVE YOU A RESPONSE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION ON THIS PRESENTATION? IF NOT, THANK YOU.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT STAFF
[3. Staff Briefing from the Emergency Medical Services Department and the Austin Fire Department on the 2018 Bond Program for Proposition F related to public safety.]
BRIEFING FROM EMERGENCY MEDICAL AND AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.UM, THIS IS TINA VAN, WE WITH FINANCIAL SERVICES.
I'M JUST GONNA KICK THIS, UH, UH, KICKSTART THIS FOR THE DEPARTMENT, UH, RIGHT QUICK.
UM, UH, CHIEFS, UH, JHA AND, UH, JACK SK IS GO WILL BE JOINING US.
UM, AS SOON AS I FINISH TALKING ABOUT THE FINANCIAL SLIDES, GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD ON THE SLIDES.
SO WHAT OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE HERE TODAY TO BRIEF YOU ON IS THE 2018 BOND PROPOSITION F FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
THIS IS SPECIFIC TO FIRE AND EMS, UM, AND BY OUR CONTRACT GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS SUCH AS OUR CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS.
THIS IS AN EIGHT YEAR PROGRAM.
UM, THE PROPOSITION IN TOTAL IS 38 MILLION WITH AN ALLOCATION BY DEPARTMENT OF 13 MILLION FOR FIRE AND 25 MILLION FOR EMS. UM, I'D JUST LIKE TO INTERJECT HERE THAT, UM, GIVEN THAT THE WHOLE SET OF THESE BOND PRO PROPOSITION PROJECTS ARE CRITICAL PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES AND THE RENOVATIONS TO THE FACILITIES ARE NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE FUNCTIONALITY ISSUES AND TO EXTEND THE USEFUL LIFE OF THE FACILITIES.
UM, STAFF FROM PUBLIC WORKS, FIRE AND EMS AND FINANCIAL SERVICES, UH, RECENTLY WORKED TOGETHER TO IDENTIFY A FUNDING SOLUTION TO SOME SHORTFALLS THAT THEY WERE HAVING.
AND COUNCIL TOOK ACTION ON MAY 4TH FOR AN ADDITIONAL 17 MILLION BACKED BY THE FUTURE ISSUANCE AND CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.
UM, AND SO WHAT THIS WILL ALLOW TO HAPPEN IS THE COMPLETION OF MANY OF THE PROJECTS THAT YOU WILL BE BRIEFED ON HERE SHORTLY.
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UH, SO NOW WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT WHERE WE WERE AT AT THE END OF QUARTER TWO THREE.UM, CURRENTLY WE'RE AT 8.1 MILLION SPENT AND 11.8 MILLION OR 31% AUTHORIZED IN COMMITMENTS, AND WE'VE ALSO ISSUED 9,450,000, UH, TO DATE FOR THIS PROPOSITION.
UM, WE HAVE SEEN, SEEN IN THE PAST SOME STEEP PROJECTIONS JUST DUE TO THE EFFICIENCY OF HOW THE, UH, PROJECTS ARE BEING PACKAGED TOGETHER.
AND WHILE THE PRIOR YEAR PROJECTION SHOWED THAT WE HAVE MISSED, UH, SOME OF THE, THE SPENT DOWN IN THE PAST, UH, THE DEPARTMENTS WILL BE ABLE TO BRIEF YOU ON THE, UH, PROGRESS, UH, WHERE WE'RE AT NOW.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME IS ERIC J*****S AND I'M A DIVISION CHIEF WITH AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT AN OVERVIEW ON OUR STATION PROJECTS, UH, RE ASSOCIATED WITH THE 2018 PUBLIC SAFETY BOND, AND I'LL BE RECAPPING THE STATUS ON THEM AS WELL AS PROVIDED AN UPDATE ON OUR STATION RENOVATIONS AT THIS POINT.
UH, IN THE OPENING SLIDE THAT'S SHOWING RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN SEE THE LOCATIONS OF OUR SIX STATIONS THAT MAKE UP THE EM S PORTION OF THE BOND.
THIS INCLUDES THREE STANDALONE EMS STATIONS, AS WELL AS THREE JOINT FACILITIES WHERE EMS IS CO-LOCATED WITH THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THESE STATIONS ARE LOCATED IN ALL PARTS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND SPANNING MULTIPLE COUNCIL DISTRICTS AND IN A REALLY DIVERSE COMMUNITY AS AS A WHOLE.
OUR FIRST M S STATION, UH, IS A STANDALONE STATION OVER ON AIRPORT IN THE MUELLER SUBDIVISION.
AND IT IS, UM, IT WAS A, UH, BOND THAT WAS DONE TO GO AHEAD AND ADDRESS ROOF CONCERNS THAT WERE, UH, ORIGINALLY WITH A STATION THAT CREATED SIGNIFICANT FLOODING DURING HEAVY RAIN AND EVENTS LIKE THAT CANOPY AND A SYSTEM OF GUTTERS WAS CONSTRUCTED AND WAS COMPLETED IN 2020.
SO THIS PROJECT OUT OF THE 2018 BOND PUBLIC SAFETY IS ACTUALLY COMPLETED RE RESOLVED THE ISSUE, AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO SIGNIFICANT FLOODINGS, UH, SINCE THE WORK IS COMPLETED.
OUR NEXT STATION IS OUR OLDEST STANDALONE EMS STATION, E EMS STATION, ONE ON SOUTH FIRST STREET NEAR BEN WHITE.
STATION ONE WAS BUILT IN 1983 AND AT THE TIME WAS THE ONE OF THE FIRST FREESTANDING E M S STATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES ITSELF.
UH, THE MEN MAJOR RENOVATIONS TO THIS STATION WILL INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE LIVING QUARTERS AND EXPAND THE STATION TO ACCOMMODATE TWO AMBULANCES AND THE DISTRICT COMMAND UNIT, AS WELL AS ADDRESS A D A ACCOMMODATIONS AND OUR NEEDS WITH OUR BUSIEST STATION IN SOUTH AUSTIN.
UM, IN FACT, YOU CAN SEE THE TWO N SETSS, UH, THE INCREASED SIZE OF THE STATION WITH THE THREE BASE FACING OUT AS OPPOSED TO THE OLDER STATION AND THE SMALL INSET.
GIVEN THE HISTORY OF THIS STATION AND IT BEING ONE OF THE FIRST STANDALONE STATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES, OUR DEPARTMENT HELD BACK IN NOVEMBER OF 2021 A GOING AWAY, GATHERING, BRINGING BACK FORMER AND RETIRED EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS CURRENT EMPLOYEES TO GO AHEAD AND SEND OFF THE STATION STYLE.
ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS, AS IS SHOWN HERE IN A PICTURE ON THE LOWER LEFT, IS THEY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL, UH, PERFORM RETIRED AND CURRENT MEMBERS TO GO AHEAD AND SIGN THE WALL ON THE E M S STATION THERE.
UM, THAT WALL HAS ACTUALLY BEEN PRESERVED AND RETAINED NOW AND WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO DISPLAYS INSIDE THE STATION, ALONG WITH OTHER MORE NOTABLE PIECES OF THE STATION FROM THE PAST, BRINGING BOTH THE PAST, THE PRESENT, AND THE FUTURE TOGETHER.
UH, CURRENTLY THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR HAS RECENTLY COMPLETED THE DEMOLITION STAGE OF THIS STATION.
SO THAT LITTLE PICTURE YOU SAW IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE IS ACTUALLY NOW JUST A FEW STUDS AND SOME FOUNDATION LEFT OVER, SO IT'S READY FOR CONSTRUCTION.
OUR NEXT STATION IS EMS FIVE AT NORTH LAMAR AND KENNY GLA.
THIS STANDALONE STATION IS OUR SECOND OLDEST STATION ON BEING ONLY A COUPLE YEARS, UH, NEWER THAN STATION ONE, AND IT'S BEING TRANSFORMED FROM A TWO BASE STATION, A SMALLER STATION TO A FOUR BASE STATION, WHICH INCLUDES SPACE FOUR TWO AMBULANCES, A COMMANDER OR OUR ON-DUTY SHIFT CHIEF, AND THEN EVEN A COMMUNITY HEALTH MENTAL, UH, COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC MENTAL HEALTH RESPONDER UNIT.
SO THIS STATION EXPANSION REALLY EXPANDS OUR CAPABILITY OF DELIVERING SERVICES INTO THE NORTH CENTRAL PORTION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THE STATION HAS HAD THE DEMOLITION PHASE COMPLETED IN THE FALL OF 2022, SO WITH THE RECENT APPROVALS OF, UH, THE NOTICE TO PROCEEDS WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
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EMS STATION SEVEN.IT'S CO-LOCATED WITH THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT ON RESEARCH BOULEVARD NEAR METRIC.
THE EMS CREW CORS WERE IN ADDITION TO THE STATION, UH, THE ORIGINAL FIRE STATION AND IS IN NEED OF SIGNIFICANT RENOVATION TO ACCOUNT FOR SOME ISSUES WITH THE BUILDING.
UH, IN FACT, THE ORIGINAL, OR EXCUSE ME, THE, THE EXPANSION, THE ADDITION TO THE EMS STATION IS, IS ACTUALLY FALLING AWAY SLIGHTLY OVER THE YEARS FROM THE ORIGINAL FIRE BUILDING.
SO ADDITIONALLY, IT'LL GIVE EXPANDED CREW LI QUARTERS, LIVING QUARTERS AND ADA ACCOMMODATIONS AND, UH, INCREASED LIVING SPACE.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT BEC TO US WITH THIS STATION BECAUSE THIS STATION HAS NOW BECOME ONE OF OUR BUSIEST STATIONS IN E M S ECLIPSING SOME OF OUR CENTRAL E M S UNITS IN CALL VOLUME.
EXPANDED SPACE AND INDIVIDUAL BEDROOMS OF THE MEDICS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT WHEN YOUR TIME AND STATION IS VERY LIMITED DUE TO THE CALL VOLUME.
THIS STATION IS DUE TO BEGIN DEMO DEMOLITION AND CONSTRUCTION, UH, IN JUNE COMING UP NEXT MONTH.
NEXT SLIDE IS SHOWING EMS STATION 10.
IT IS UP ON DUVAL ROAD, UH, NEAR RESEARCH EAST OF RESEARCH BOULEVARD.
IT'S ALSO CO-LOCATED WITH THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT AND LIKE EMS STATION SEVEN, IT WAS IN ADDITION TO THE ORIGINAL FIRE STATION AND WAS ACTUALLY PLACED IN A BACK PORTION OF THE PROPERTY IN A LIMITED AREA OF SPACE, UH, WITH A SMALLER CREW QUARTERS A, UM, DORMITORY THAT WAS A ALL PERSONNEL DORMITORY IN THE SMALLER APPARATUS BAY.
UH, OVER TIME DUE TO CHANGES IN DIMENSIONS OF OUR AMBULANCES, UH, ESPECIALLY WITH THE WHAT WE CAN CURRENTLY DELIVER FOR OUR PATIENTS IN THOSE AMBULANCES, UH, THE EXISTING EM, MS. BAY IN THE BACK, WHICH IS SHOWING IN THE LITTLE TINY INSECT PICTURE, UH, IT BECAME UNUSABLE AND FOR OUR CURRENT AMBULANCES.
SO WE ACTUALLY HAD TO MOVE THE AMBULANCES INTO THE MAIN BAY WHERE FIRES APPARATUS IS LOCATED AT, AND THAT PUTS A, UM, A SERVICE CAPABILITY TWIST ON IT FOR BOTH FIRE AND EMS BY TAKING UP AN ADDITIONAL BAY THAT THEY'D BE USING.
UH, THE DEMOLITION WAS COMPLETED IN 2022 AND CONSTRUCTION WITH THE, UH, ISSUANCE NTP AND EVERYTHING SHOULD START SOON.
AND THE LAST STATION PART OF THIS PRESENTATION IS OUR EMS STATION 13, LOCATED OVER ON EAST RUNDBERG BETWEEN I 35 AND CAMERON ROAD.
UH, AS WITH THE OTHER TWO STATIONS THAT I JUST SPOKE ABOUT, EM, S 13 WAS AN ADDITION, UH, TO THE BUILDING MANY YEARS BEF UH, THAT WAS BUILT MANY YEARS BEFORE THAT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE CONSTRUCTION MEANT THAT THE ONLY WAY THE STATION FOR THE PERSONNEL TO GET FROM EMS CREW QUARTERS TO THE APPARATUS BAY WAS TO CROSS THROUGH A RESTROOM.
UH, NOT THE BEST OF OPTIONS FOR OUR DI DIVERSE WORKFORCE OR FOR OUR MEN OR WOMEN, UH, UTILIZING THAT STATION.
THE RENOVATIONS OF THIS STATION WILL ADD A LARGER LIVING QUARTERS AND INDIVIDUAL BEDROOMS, AS WELL AS A DIRECT PATHWAY THAT DOES NOT GO THROUGH ANY RESTROOM.
AND THE LAST PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION KIND OF TOUCHES ON SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE SEEN SINCE WE, UH, PRESENTED HERE THE YEAR BEFORE ON THE 2018 PUBLIC SAFETY BOND AND NOW TO TODAY.
UH, SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE FACED HAVE BEEN, UM, MAINTAINING OUR RESPONSE COVERAGE IN THE AREAS, THESE AREAS OF THE CITY, WHICH HAVE, UH, HIGHER CALL VOLUMES OR IF NOT EXTREMELY HIGH CALL VOLUMES, AND YOU'D BE ABLE TO STILL MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT QUARTERS FOR OUR CREWS, UH, AS THEY GO ABOUT THEIR WORK AND THEIR DUTY.
UM, OUR BUSIEST STATIONS, IN FACT, EMS ONE, FIVE AND SEVEN, UH, HAVE BEEN ACCOMMODATED BY PLACING TEMPORARY TRAILERS AT THOSE, UH, STATION PROPERTIES.
UH, THE ONE IN THE IMAGE RIGHT NOW THAT YOU'RE SEEING THE LARGER IMAGE IS EMS FIVE UP IN, UH, CANNING AND LAMAR, THE SMALLER IMAGES, UH, ON THE AUSTIN WATER PROPERTY BEHIND OUR STATION ONE.
UM, THE TRAILERS HAVE CREATED SOME THEIR OWN HURDLES, UH, AS WE'VE HAD TWO UNITS NOW IN THEM.
UH, MEDIC FIVE HAS ACTUALLY BEEN IN THEM FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS NOW.
UM, SO W WE'VE BEEN HAVING TO KIND OF ADJUST AS, AS WE GO ALONG IN ADDRESSING CONCERNS, ADDRESSING ANY ISSUES THAT WE HAVE WITH, UH, TRAILER STATIONS AS WE GO AHEAD AND STILL PROVIDE COVERAGE IN THESE AREAS.
UM, AND LIKE ANY MAJOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WHEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN EMS IS NOT, WITHOUT HAVING DELAYS, UH, AND OTHER ISSUES, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO ITEMS LIKE TEMPORARY FACILITY TRAILERS, WHICH HAVE TO HAVE FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS DEDICATED, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE THAT, WHICH WE'VE GONE THROUGH ON A, ON A PERSONAL NOTE, AS I FINISH UP, UM, BEING A MEMBER FOR OVER 27 YEARS WITH AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY M S, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN ALL OF OUR STATIONS THAT ARE A PART OF THIS BOND PROJECT, UH, BOTH AS A PARAMEDIC TRAINING OFFICER, RESCUE MEDIC, AND A COMMANDER.
UH, AND NOW IN CHIEF, OUR EMPLOYEES WORK A LARGE PORTION OF THEIR LIVES, UH, OUT OF THESE STATIONS, AND IT REALLY BECOMES A SECOND HOME FOR THEM.
SO THE RENOVATIONS THAT ARE PART OF THIS BOND PROJECT ARE CRUCIAL FOR THEM TO GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE AND BE ABLE TO SERVE FOR OUR DEPARTMENT.
NOW, I'D LIKE TO TURN OVER TO MY, THE PRESENTATION TO MY COLLEAGUE FROM THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
[00:35:02]
THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE TODAY.
HAVE A PREPARED STATEMENT AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO THE SLIDES.
THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE BOND OVERSIGHT COMMISSION AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR THEIR ONGOING SUPPORT AND EFFORTS TO ENSURE THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE, UH, A F D FIRE STATIONS.
THE 2018 BOND HAS BEEN AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY, AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE BOND HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL TO ESTABLISHING WHAT WE CALL THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE PROGRAM AND ENSURING FUTURE AND PRODUCTIVE COLLABORATIONS WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN BUILDING SERVICES DIVISION IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN, IMPROVE AND MODERNIZE OUR FIRE STATION.
THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE PROGRAM SIMPLIFIES THE PROCESS TO ADDRESSING ONGOING MAINTENANCE ISSUES, AS WELL AS PROVIDE A RELIABLE AVENUE FOR A F P TO ACCOMPLISH SIGNIFICANT RENOVATIONS FOR OUR EXISTING STATIONS THAT ARE DESPERATELY IN NEED.
THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE PROGRAM HAS TWO MAIN PARTS, DM ONE, UH, WHICH IS, UH, SPECIFIC SCOPE PROJECTS THAT ADDRESS LIKE AND KIND DEFICIENCIES THAT A LONG, EXCUSE ME, NEGLECTED.
THE, THE AUDIO IS REALLY TOUGH TO HEAR.
THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE ONE PROJECTS ARE SPECIFIC IN SCOPE THAT ADDRESS LIKE AND KIND EFFICIENCIES THAT HAVE LONG BEEN NEGLECTED.
EXAMPLES OF DM ONE PROJECTS ARE DRIVEWAY REPLACEMENTS, OVERHEAD DOOR REPLACEMENTS, H V A C REPLACEMENTS, KITCHEN CABINETS AND APPLIANCE UPGRADES, FLOOR REPAIRS AND ROOF REPLACEMENTS.
DEFERRED MAINTENANCE TWO PROJECTS WITH CHIEF, WITH THAT CHIEF JACK VASQUEZ MENTIONED, AND I'LL DISCUSS AS WELL, UH, INCLUDE LARGER, MORE COMPREHENSIVE RENOVATIONS, UM, THAT PUT TOGETHER MAJOR UPGRADES FOR THE ENTIRE BUILDING.
FIRE STATION 18 25, 23, AND FIRE STATION EIGHT.
UH, WE'LL LOOK AT SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, BUT THEY'RE AFFECTED DIRECTLY BY THIS BOND.
UH, AS MENTIONED, THE DEPTH AND BREADTH AND IMPACT OF THE, UH, 2018 BOND FOR THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN PROFOUND TO DATE.
THE EIGHT 18, UH, 2018 BOND HAS TOUCHED 25 FIRE STATIONS REPRESENTING 48% OF OUR INVENTORY.
SO ON BEHALF OF THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, IF WE COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AS MENTIONED, THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE PROGRAM IS AN, IS AN INNOVATION, INNOVATIVE COLLABORATION WITH, UH, THE BUILDING SERVICES DIVISION AND ALLOWS US TO CREATE SMALL AND LARGE TAILORED PROJECTS, UH, TO FIX OUR FIRE STATIONS.
UH, THIS SLIDE BREAKS DOWN THE, UH, DEFERRED MAINTENANCE ONE AND DEFERRED MAINTENANCE TWO PROJECTS.
UH, WE CAN LOOK AT A HOST OF DIFFERENT THINGS, KITCHEN REMODELS, REFRESH PAINT, NEW WINDOWS, THINGS LIKE THAT WE CAN, UH, PARRET DOWN OR MAKE IT AS LARGE AS WE WANT.
THERE'S A TON OF FLEXIBILITY AND, AND WE'RE REALLY, REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
THE DM TWO PROJECTS ARE ALL, UH, WORKING TOWARDS LEAD SILVER, UH, CERTIFICATION THAT'S UPGRADING THE ENERGY HEALTH MATERIALS, BETTER LAND USE AND WATER USE THROUGHOUT THESE FACILITIES.
AS MENTIONED, UH, THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE PROJECTS ARE REALLY TOUCHING EVERY PART OF THE CITY, UH, EVERY UH, EVERY DISTRICT.
I, I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT THIS PROJECT IS TO US.
IT'S JUST REALLY, REALLY WONDERFUL.
A BIG TOUCH WITH THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE.
ONE LEVEL ONE PROJECTS HAS BEEN TO UPGRADE OUR KITCHENS.
THE KITCHENS REMAINS THE HEART OF OUR FIRE STATIONS, AND IT'S WHERE WE ALL GET TOGETHER AND, UH, SPEND A LOT OF OUR TIME.
AND IF THEY'RE RUNDOWN AND IF THEY'RE A MESS, UH, THAT'S NO GOOD.
SO BEING ABLE TO SPRUCE 'EM UP AND MAKE 'EM BETTER, IT, IT, IT'S JUST THAT IT'S SO IMPORTANT.
I CAN'T EXPLAIN, UH, OVERHEAD DOORS ARE ALSO A BIG PROBLEM.
IF YOU'RE NOT AWARE, THE LEAD TIMES ON OVERHEAD DOORS IS ABOUT SIX MONTHS RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE'VE BEEN ABLE, UH, TO CHANGE OUT A HOST OF OVERHEAD DOORS TO THIS PROJECT, AND IT'S BEEN REALLY, REALLY HELPFUL, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET OUT THE DOOR, GO ON OUR CALLS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, WITH OUR DRIVEWAYS, WITH THE HEAVIER WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLES, WE'RE SEEING DEGRADATE DEGRADATION IN A LOT OF OUR OLDER DRIVEWAYS AND THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE PROJECTS, UH, WITH A COLLABORATION WITH STREET AND BRIDGE HAS ALLOWED US TO UPGRADE OUR DRIVEWAYS VERY EFFICIENTLY, VERY EFFECTIVELY.
THE FIRST OF OUR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE LEVEL TWO PROJECTS WAS FIRE STATION.
UH, THIS IS PERSONAL FAVORITE OF MINE.
I WAS ASSIGNED HERE TWICE, UH, AND IT WAS IN BAD, BAD NEED OF REPAIR.
WE WERE ABLE TO GO IN, DO AN ENTIRE RENOVATION.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE CLEAN OUT, UH, GUT THE ENTIRE BUILDING, UH, REFINISH IT WITH, UH, NEW CABINETS, NEW UH, UTILITIES, UH, NEW LIFE SAFETY, UH, UPGRADE OUR, UH, PLY EVENT SYSTEM, WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR CANCER
[00:40:01]
PREVENTION AND OUR HEALTH.UH, AND NOW WE HAVE ANOTHER NEW STATION, UH, ESSENTIALLY THAT'LL LAST US ANOTHER 25, 30 YEARS.
AS CHIEF UH, MENTIONED, WE ARE ALSO COLLABORATING ON OUR FIRE STATION 78, 10 25, AND 1323 STATIONS.
I WON'T REITERATE IT, BUT, UM, THESE, UH, COLLABORATIONS, UM, ARE LONG OVERDUE, LONG, LONG OVERDUE.
UH, FIRE STATION 78 IS A, UH, SIGNIFICANT HUB ON THE 180 3 CORRIDOR, 180 3 MOPAC CORRIDOR.
UM, WE'RE ANTICIPATING, UH, SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION NEXT YEAR.
AND, UH, THIS PROJECT, UH, HAS NOTICE TO PROCEED AND SHOULD BE GETTING UNDERWAY SHORTLY.
ALL OF THESE THAT I'M GONNA SHOW YOU NOW ALL HAVE NOTICED PROCEED AS MENTIONED BEFORE, THIS PARTICULAR BUILDING WAS DEMOLISHED AT THE END OF LAST YEAR.
UM, THIS WILL PROBABLY BE THE ONE THAT GETS, UH, STARTED.
FIRST, IT'S GONNA PROVIDE, UH, UH, QUALITY STATION FOR BOTH EMS AND FIRE.
UH, THIS IS ALSO A LOCATION FOR OUR A AIP PPP PROJECT, AND WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT, UH, THIS PARTICULAR PIECE THAT'S GONNA END UP IN THE TOWER.
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE IT FROM THE ROADWAY.
AND THEN FINALLY, OUR LAST SLIDE, UH, THIS PARTICULAR, UH, STATION, AS THE CHIEF MENTIONED, UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE, UH, THE MEN AND WOMEN OF OFFICER TRAVIS COUNTY EMS HAD TO PASS THROUGH A MEN'S LOCKER ROOM IN ORDER TO GET TO THE AMBULANCE.
SO, UH, THIS WAS A STATION THAT DESPERATELY NEEDED REPAIR, AND THIS ONE, UH, IS ALSO GONNA BE UNDERWAY EARLY NEXT MONTH.
THAT CONCLUDES, UH, MY PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR, UH, FIRE EMS, PLEASE.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? YES, COMMISSIONER CURRY.
UM, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, LOOKS LIKE THINGS ARE PROGRESSING ALONG AS PLAN, UH, WHICH IS GREAT.
JUST HAD, UH, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
ONE, UM, YOU KNOW, USING YOUR EXPERTISE, HOW, HOW ARE THESE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW FACILITIES, KEEPING UP WITH NOT JUST THE POPULATION GROWTH, BUT WITH TECHNOLOGY? UM, ARE WE, AS THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ARE WE KEEPING UP WITH DEMAND? IS TECHNOLOGY, ARE WE, ARE WE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AS FAR AS THE SAFETY CONCERN? UM, DIS POSED, SIR, IF YOU COULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC.
DO YOU HAVE, DO YOU HAVE EXAMPLES OF TECHNOLOGY THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN? WELL, JUST, JUST, NO, I'M JU I'M JUST TO SAY, ARE WE KEEPING UP WITH TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES IN SAFETY, UM, AND FIRE SUPPRESSION IN GENERAL? SO, UH, WITH REGARD TO FIRE SUPPRESSION, UM, I'LL SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY.
SO CANCER PREVENTION IS A BIG, UH, CONCERN, UH, FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND YES, SIR, THESE, UH, STATIONS WILL ALL BE PROVIDED, UM, SUPPLIED WITH, UH, WHAT WE CALL, UH, CLIMB VENT SYSTEMS, WHICH IS OUR VEHICLE EXHAUST SYSTEMS. WE'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE SEPARATE PPE STORAGE FOR BOTH EMS AND FIRE, SO THAT, UH, UH, OUR TURNOUTS THAT GET DIRTY AT A FIRE STAY SEPARATE ARE SEPARATELY VENTED.
UH, WE ARE ALSO GOING TO DO SEVERAL, UM, UH, WHAT WE CALL FATIGUE MANAGEMENT, UM, ENHANCEMENTS.
WE HAVE ADVANCED ALERTING AT, UH, FIRE STATION EIGHT FOR SURE.
UM, FIRE STATION 23 IS ALSO GONNA HAVE THAT, THAT'S MOSTLY IMPORTANT AT MULTIPLE UNIT STATIONS WHERE IF ONE UNIT GETS DISPATCHED, THE OTHER UNIT DOESN'T GET WOKEN UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
SO THOSE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, AND THEN BUILDING SERVICES IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE USING L E D LIGHTING, LOW FLOW, UH, UH, WATER UTILITY, UH, ITEMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF TECHNOLOGY, UH, IN THESE DESIGNS.
AND ADDITIONALLY GREAT ON, ON THE STATION DOORS ON WHERE, WHERE IT'S POSSIBLE WITH THESE STATIONS.
WE'RE INSTALLING THE, UH, TRIFOLD DOORS THAT OPEN UP HORIZONTALLY AS OPPOSED TO GOING UP AND TRACKING UP INTO THE CEILING, WHICH ACTUALLY DECREASES THE AMOUNT OF LIFE AND, OR EXCUSE ME, DECREASES THE AMOUNT OF WEAR AND TEAR ON THE GARAGE DOOR.
AND ALSO THE SAFETY ASPECT IS A LOT SAFER THAN BRINGING THE ENTIRE GARAGE DOOR UP ABOVE YOU.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE POSSIBLE WITH THE RENOVATIONS, THOSE ARE BEING, UH, RETROFITTED AS WELL.
THANKS FOR, FOR SHARING THOSE DETAILS.
I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT THE, THE TEAM HAS PUT THROUGH, UM, IN THE NEWER CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AS IT AS IT RELATES TO THE DOORS.
UM, I BELIEVE A YEAR AGO OR SO, UH, BOTH DEPARTMENTS PRESENTED AND WE BRIEFLY TALKED ABOUT THE, THE SIZE OF THE VEHICLES, RIGHT? AND HOW THE NEW CONSTRUCTION IS KIND OF FUTURE-PROOFED.
[00:45:01]
UM, IS THE INDUSTRY, UH, YOU KNOW, MAKING LARGER EQUIPMENT, IS THAT A CONSIDERATION? UM, ARE THINGS SLIMMING DOWN? I'M JUST CURIOUS.WELL, I WOULD SAY IN, IN FROM AN EMS ASPECT IN THE INDUSTRY, UH, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, WITH THE CAPABILITY WITH, WITH ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT THAT WE'RE PLACING ON THE AMBULANCES THESE DAYS WITH IT, WITH VENTILATORS, WITH ULTRASOUNDS, WITH ADDITIONAL, UH, WITH NOW WITH BLOOD ACTUALLY BEING ON OUR COMMAND UNITS AND STUFF, UH, THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE THAT OUT OF HOSPITAL, BRING THE HOSPITAL TO THE PATIENT, THAT WITH THE B WITH WHAT WE HAVE AT AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, WE'RE ABLE TO PUT ALL OF THAT INTO THE AMBULANCE AS THEY'RE DESIGNED.
AND THE AMBULANCES TODAY ESPECIALLY ARE EXTREMELY SAFE FOR THE PATIENT AND THEIR PROVIDERS IN THE BACK.
BEFORE IT WAS JUST MORE OF KIND OF KEYED IN ON THE PATIENTS ALONE, AND THE PROVIDER WAS LIKE A PING PONG BALL IN THE BACK THERE IF THEY DIDN'T PUT THEIR SEATBELT ON.
NOW, WITH DESIGNS OF OUR AMBULANCES, THE AMBULANCES ARE BEING DESIGNED WITH CAPTAIN'S CHAIRS IN THE BACK.
THEY'RE COMPLETELY MOVABLE AND COMPLETELY CAN KEEP THE PROVIDER FIVE POINTED IN WITH A SEATBELT SYSTEM AND ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM AND KEEP EVERYONE IN THE, IN THE BACK, WHETHER IT'S AUSTIN FIRE PERSONNEL PROVIDED ASSISTANCE TO US OR OUR MEDICS IN THE BACK OF THE PATIENT, EXTREMELY SAFE.
SO THAT'S WHY THE AMBULANCES HAVE GOTTEN SLIGHTLY BIGGER, UH, OVER THE YEARS, IS BECAUSE TO HAVE THAT SAFETY, UH, CAPABILITY AND TO KEEP THE MEDICS SAFE, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE GOT.
BUT THE STATIONS THEMSELVES, A LOT OF THE RENOVATIONS WE'RE ACTUALLY EXPANDING THESE BAYS TO WHERE THE STATION BAYS ARE ACTUALLY CAN ACCOMMODATE EVEN LARGER AMBULANCES IF THE INDUSTRY WENT TO EVEN LARGER AMBULANCES.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE FACED IN THE PAST WITH THESE STATIONS AND ALSO WITH SOME OF OUR PREVIOUS BOND STATIONS, IS THE STATIONS WERE SO SMALL, YOU WERE HAVING TO TAKE AND MODIFY BACK BUMPERS ON AMBULANCES JUST TO BE ABLE TO FIT THE AMBULANCE IN THE GARAGE DOOR OPENING.
SO TODAY, UH, WITH THESE LARGER STATIONS, WE'RE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE DIFFERENT STYLES OF VEHICLES, DIFFERENT STYLES OF WHETHER WE NEED TO PUT A COMMAND UNIT IN THERE, WHETHER WE NEED TO PUT AN AMBULANCE IN THERE, OR WHETHER WE NEED TO STACK, YOU KNOW, A RESCUE BOAT BEHIND AN AMBULANCE.
THESE STATION RENOVATIONS ALLOW FOR THAT.
NOW SIR, REGARD JUST ONE LEVEL, OH, GO AHEAD.
REGARDING FIRE, I, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SAY THAT WE'VE MAXED OUT ON THE SIZE OF OUR VEHICLES.
UM, I'D, I WOULD BE MY HOPE, UH, REGARDING THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE MODELS THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BRING OUR VEHICLE SIZE, UH, SMALL, IT MAKE IT SMALLER.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT WE'RE CALLING A SQUAD, UH, MODEL, WHICH WOULD BE ESSENTIALLY, UH, A FOUR DOOR, UH, PICKUP TRUCK, UH, WITH CAPABILITIES, UH, MUCH LIKE A BRUSH TRUCK.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UM, AVENUES, UM, TO TAKE THE WEAR AND TEAR OFF OF OUR LARGER VEHICLES, NOT REQUIRE THAT LARGER SIZE.
WE'RE ALSO EXPLORING THE IDEA OF SOME INFILL STATIONS, WHICH WOULD NOT BE A STANDALONE STATION, WOULD BE SOMETHING MAYBE IN A, IN A, UH, BUILDING, WHICH IS GONNA REQUIRE A SMALLER FOOTPRINT FOR US.
UH, VERY NEW VERY, UH, INNOVATIVE IDEAS.
ON THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT COIN IS THE IDEA OF, UM, ELECTRIC VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY.
AND ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WITH ELECTRICAL VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY IS THEY ARE VERY HEAVY, THEY'RE PHYSICALLY VERY HEAVY, AND THEY REQUIRE A LARGE, UH, UH, ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO WHILE WE DO HAVE SOME THINGS THAT ARE GONNA GO TOWARDS THE SMALLER SIDE OF THINGS, IF WE DO LOOK MORE AT, UH, ELECTRIC VEHICLES, THAT'S GONNA HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS IN THE FUTURE.
AND THEN JUST, JUST ONE LAST QUESTION ABOUT PERMITTING.
I SAW THAT AS ONE OF THE BULLET POINTS, AND WE HAVE THAT AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM HERE TO DISCUSS, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, THAT YOU AREN'T RUNNING INTO ANY PERMITTING, UH, DELAYS FOR ANY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, UM, AS THEY RELATE TO HEALTH AND SAFETY.
SO, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION, AND I DO APPRECIATE THE, UH, RECOLLECTION OF OUR CON OUR DISCUSSION BEFORE WE HAVE, UM, UH, NEW LEADERSHIP IN PLACE THAT IS, UH, BEEN MADE AWARE OF THOSE ISSUES AND I BELIEVE DIRECT, UH, LATER ON, UH, THIS AFTERNOON OR VISIT WITH Y'ALL.
UH, WE ARE, UH, WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF IMPROVEMENT IN THAT AREA, AND WE'RE VERY HOPEFUL FOR SOME, UH, UH, WHAT I WOULD CALL FOCUS STRATEGIC DIRECTION, UH, IN THAT AREA.
SO I WOULD SAY, AND, AND AGAIN, THE PROJECTS THAT WE PRESENTED TO YOU TODAY ARE ALL PERMITTED, UH, NOTICE TO PROCEED AND READY TO GO.
SO AT THIS MOMENT RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE NOTHING OUTSTANDING, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION.
JUST NO QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION.
[00:50:01]
SO IN TERMS OF, UH, MAINTENANCE BUDGETS FOR, UH, FIRE AND EMS, HOW DO THOSE WORK OUT ON CO-LOCATED, UH, FACILITIES? DOES EACH, UM, DEPARTMENT HAVE THEIR OWN MAINTENANCE BUDGET, OR IS THAT ACROSS ONE, UM, COST CENTER? WE DO HAVE, UH, EACH DEPARTMENT HAS ITS OWN MAINTENANCE BUDGET, BUT ON THE CO-LOCATED FACILITIES, IT GENERALLY DEPENDS ON WHICH SECTION OF THE STATION THAT WE'RE GOING AHEAD AND ADDRESSING WITH THE PROBLEM.IF IT'S A MORE GENERAL ISSUE WITH A STATION, LET'S SAY, LIKE AN HVAC ISSUE, THEN IT WILL GENERALLY GO THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT THAT'S, UM, WHAT YOU CALL, SAY MOST EFFECTIVE.
YEAH, THE MOST EFFECTIVE DEPARTMENT.
SO, UM, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF WORK TOGETHER AS BOTH DEPARTMENTS TO ADDRESS ANY FACILITY NEEDS, BUT FOR SMALLER THINGS, STUFF THAT MIGHT OCCUR IN, IN MY SIDE OF THE STATION, UH, OR MY CREW QUARTERS, THEN WE'LL ADDRESS THAT FROM AN E M S SIDE OF THINGS.
AND, AND LIKEWISE WITH FIRE, THEY'LL ADDRESS IT WITH THEIR SIDE.
AND THEN WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR TOTAL BUDGET IS DEDICATED TO MAINTENANCE? I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE THAT RIGHT ON HAND.
WELL, I WAS JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE OF COURSE WE'VE MADE A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN, UH, RENOVATIONS, BUT IT'S JUST AS IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN WHAT WE HAVE SO THAT, UH, WE CAN EXTEND THE LIFE OF A LOT OF THE MAJOR SYSTEMS WITHIN OUR, UH, FACILITIES.
WE'VE NOT HAD A PROBLEM IN THE PAST WITH HAVING MAINTENANCE FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE UPKEEP, BUT I WOULD SAY FROM ON, ON A, A NOTE FROM EMS ASIDE ON LIKE STATION ONE AND STATION FIVE THAT I TALKED ABOUT, THOSE STATIONS ARE SO, I WON'T SAY SO OLD, BUT THEY'RE THE ORIGINAL STATIONS THAT THERE HAVEN'T BEEN ANY RENOVATIONS THAT HAVE DONE TO THOSE STATIONS OTHER THAN MAYBE AN HVAC UPGRADE OVER THE, AND WE WERE HAVING ALMOST WEEKLY ISSUES WITH THE STATIONS ON DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE STATIONS, WHETHER IT'S PLUMBING, WHETHER IT'S LIGHTING INSIDE A STATION, WHETHER IT'S, I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STATIONS THAT WERE BUILT, YOU KNOW, PRE L E D AND PRE EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO REALLY WITH A LOT OF OUR OLDER STATION NOW, OUR NEWEST STATIONS AND THE STATIONS THAT WE'RE BUILDING BRAND NEW FROM THE GROUND UP IS PART OF, UH, OTHER, UM, PROJECTS WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THOSE STATIONS HAVE ALL THE MOST LATEST AND GREATEST, YOU KNOW, LEAD, UH, CAPABLE STUFF.
SO L E D LIGHTS, YOU KNOW, SMART TYPE OF CONTROLS FOR THE, THE LIGHTING SYSTEMS, CLIMB EVENTS IS ALL SORTS OF STUFF LIKE THAT THAT ALLOW US TO KEEP THOSE STATIONS HAVE A MUCH LONGER LIFESPAN.
BUT OUR OLDER STATIONS WE'RE PUTTING, THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF OUR MAINTENANCE BUDGET IS GOING IS TO THOSE STATIONS.
AND DO YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF LONG RANGE PLAN DOCUMENT SHOWING, UM, WHICH STATIONS ARE UP NEXT FOR MAJOR RE INNOVATIONS? YEAH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH THAT AS PART OF OUR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, UH, WITH EMS. UH, WE HAVE THAT, WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH THAT LIST AND WITH THE BUDGET OFFICE AND EVERYTHING TOO.
SO, BUT THERE ARE SOME OTHER STATIONS IN OUR NEXT TIER LEVEL THAT WE'RE GOING GOING TO WANT TO ADDRESS IN THE FUTURE.
BECAUSE I IMAGINE SOME OF THOSE FUNDS WILL BE THROUGH YOUR OPERATING, UM, ACCOUNTS, THROUGH YOUR MAINTENANCE ACCOUNTS, AND OTHERS WILL NEED BOND DOLLARS, CORRECT? YES, MA'AM.
I'D LIKE TO ASK A SIMILAR QUESTION, UM, IN TERMS OF LONG RANGE PLANNING, HOW TO FIRE IT, AND HOW FAR IN ADVANCE DO FIRE AND THE EMS PROJECT THE NEED FOR EXPANSIONS OR NEW STATIONS? WOULD YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS IT FIRST? YES, SIR.
SO, UM, WE ARE ALREADY LOOKING, UH, FORWARD TO WHAT I WOULD CALL THE, THE NEXT, I GUESS, FISCAL, FISCAL CYCLE.
AND, UM, WITH REGARD TO NEED, I'M ALREADY PLANNING ON, UH, SOME PROJECTS THAT ARE ABOUT SEVEN TO 10 YEARS OUT.
SO THAT WAS A VERY UNIQUE, UH, STUDY THAT KIND OF SHOWED WHERE WE'RE NOT MEETING OUR RESPONSE TIMES.
LIKE RIGHT NOW WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN PLACE, RIGHT INSIDE THE CITY.
UM, WE ALSO, OF COURSE DO THE, THE GROWTH, UH, ANALYSIS.
AND THOSE ARE ABOUT 5, 10, 15 YEAR PROJECTIONS ON GROWTH.
UM, AND THE CURRENT, UM, WE CALL IT THE JE DUNN CONTRACT, THE CURRENT JE DUNN CONTRACT IS PLACING FIVE STATIONS ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE CITY, AND THOSE ARE ALL JOINT, UH, A F D AND EMS STATIONS.
UM, WE'LL DO ANOTHER, WHAT I WOULD CALL CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THAT, AND WE WOULD DECIDE, YOU KNOW, WHERE
[00:55:01]
THE GROWTH, UH, IS HAPPENING IN THE CITY.UH, JUST ANECDOTALLY, I WOULD SAY A LOT OF IT'S HAPPENING SOUTHWEST, OR I'M SORRY, SOUTHEAST, UH, OVER BY, UH, F1 AND, AND THAT PART OF TOWN.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA BE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME, UH, LOOKING AT THAT PART OF TOWN, UH, ABOUT FIVE, FIVE TO 10 YEARS IS VERY HAPPY.
SO THE, AND THE MAIN CRITERIA THAT YOU LOOK AT IS RESPONSE DONE? THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT CRITERIA.
I WOULD ALSO SAY, I'D LIKE TO SAY I'M FROM AN EMS ASPECT, BEYOND LOOKING AT JUST STATIONS ALONE, WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT MODALITIES OF HOW WE DELIVER THE PATIENT CARE TO OUR PATIENTS.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT HAS REALLY TAKEN OFF FOR OUR DEPARTMENT IS THE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC PROGRAM AND THE ABILITY ALSO RECENTLY WITH THE, WHAT WE CALL THE, UH, C4, WHICH IS A, IN A SENSE, TELE AND REDIRECTING 9 1 1 CALLS THROUGH THAT ARE NOT HIGH PRIORITY THROUGH A PARAMEDICS THAT ARE ON PARAMEDICS AND PROFESSIONALS PAS THROUGH THE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM TO BE ABLE TO DIRECT THESE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS OUT TO THEM IN A NON-EMERGENT TYPE OF ROLE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT LOAD OF THAT NON-EMERGENT CALL BASIS OFF OF THE NINE ONE ONE SYSTEM WHERE OUR AMBULANCES ARE GOING.
SO WE'RE NOT ALWAYS SENDING AN AMBULANCE TO EVERY TYPE OF CALL THAT WE'RE SENDING ALTERNATIVE RESOURCES, THESE ALTERNATIVE RESOURCES, WHETHER THEY MIGHT BE AN EXPLORERS OR TOPOS OR ANY OTHER TYPES OF FORMS. WE HAVE TO LOOK NOW AT OUR STATIONS AND HOW WE DESIGN OUR STATIONS TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE RESOURCES.
SO IF YOU SEE LIKE A STATION LIKE EMS FIVE WITH ITS ADDITIONAL BASE TO ACCOMMODATE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND SERVE THE COMMUNITY, WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR OTHER STATIONS IN OUR NEXT ROUND OF THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS ON WHAT WE NEED TO CHANGE WITH THOSE STATIONS TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE OTHER RESOURCES TO PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY.
SO NOT JUST GENERALLY, EXCUSE ME, NOT JUST ALWAYS THE SAME WIDGET THAT WE'RE GOING AT THINGS.
SO BASED ON WHAT YOU SEE WITH RESPONSE TIME NOW, WHEN DO YOU PROJECT THE FIRST STATION'S NEEDING TO BE COMPLETED? THE STATIONS OF THE FIVE RIGHT NOW ARE ADDITIONAL STATIONS OR EXPANSIONS.
WELL, BUT AGAIN, LIKE EMS, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT WE, WHAT WE CAN WORK WITH NOW.
SO WHAT WE HAVE ON THE GROUND NOW, IF WE ADD, LIKE I SAID, A SQUAD OR SOME OTHER RESOURCE, UH, BUT IN TERMS OF, UM, UM, I GUESS ASKING MM-HMM.
UH, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION, SIR.
UH, IT, IT, IT WAS UP MY ASSUMPTION.
IT WAS IN THE PAST THAT BOTH FIRE AND EMS HAD SOME FAIRLY GOOD PLANNING IN TERMS OF WHERE WE'RE GONNA NEED THINGS IN THE FUTURE AND WHEN WE'RE GONNA NEED 'EM.
SO THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT IS GOTCHA.
SO THE FIVE STATIONS THAT ARE PART OF THE JE DUNN PROJECT ARE EXPANDING OUT, UH, TRADITIONALLY HAVE LONGER RESPONSE TIMES.
SO FROM US ON A, ON A RESPONSE TIME CAPABILITY AND EVERYTHING, WE'RE SEEING MORE JUST IF CAL VOLUME GOING UP ON THE WHOLE, EVEN INTO AREAS WHERE WE ALREADY HAVE EXISTING STATIONS.
SO WHETHER BUILDING A WHOLE BRAND NEW ADDITIONAL, ANOTHER STATION THAT AREA WOULD BE HELPFUL WITH AN INFRASTRUCTURE IN THAT, OR LOOKING AT HOW WE MODIFY EXISTING STATIONS TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE CAPABILITIES WITH THOSE STATIONS.
IT'S, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY JUST ABOUT ADDING THE AMBULANCES, CUZ THAT WILL HELP, BUT WE NEED TO BACK OFF SOME OF THOSE, THOSE CALLS THAT ARE NOT NEEDING THAT
I MEAN, SO IT MIGHT BE JUST ADDRESSING SOME CERTAIN AREAS OF THE PORTION OF THE CITY, UH, AS WE SEE CALL VOLUME OR RESPONSE TIMES GOING DOWN IN THOSE AREAS THAT WE MIGHT ADJUST ALONG WITH FIRE TO ADD STATION RESOURCES IN THE LONG TERM OVER THERE.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE GROWTH OF DOWNTOWN ESPECIALLY, AND YOU'RE SEEING DOWNTOWN, YOU'RE HAVING A VERTICAL EXPANSION OF POPULATION, THEN YOU START LOOKING AT OTHER, HOW CAN WE WORK WITH DEVELOPERS DOWNTOWN TO CREATE STATIONS WITHIN SKY, OR EXCUSE ME, WITHIN THE BUILDINGS MM-HMM.
[01:00:01]
MORE RESOURCES TO RESPOND TO THAT DENSE POPULATION THAT WE HAVE DOWNTOWN.SO IT'S GONNA, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT JUST THE STATIONS ALONE AND SAYING, OKAY, LET'S ADD MORE STATIONS IN THESE AREAS THAT WE SEEM TO NOT HAVE ENOUGH STATIONS.
IT'S MORE OF HOW CAN WE ADD OTHER LAYERS OF RESPONSE INTO THOSE AREAS AND MAYBE WE JUST NEED TO CHANGE AROUND AND RENOVATE A CURRENT STATION AS OPPOSED TO ADDING A BRAND NEW STATION.
SO FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE IN PROVIDING FIRE AND EMS SERVICES, HOW DO YOU AVOID GETTING IN TROUBLE? BECAUSE YOU HAVE A NEED BEFORE WE HAVE ANOTHER BOND ELECTION.
I DON'T WANT TO GET IN TROUBLE.
I KNOW, THAT'S WHY I ASKED THE QUESTION.
YEAH, SO, SO OUR ANALYSIS, OUR, OUR INITIAL, OUR ANALYSIS WAS SORT OF THE FIRST STEP IN THAT TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY OR, UH, QUANTIFY THE IMPACT OF ALL THE GROWTH.
AND, AND DOWNTOWN'S A REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT.
UH, SO OUR RDA, OUR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TEAM IS, UH, DOING THAT ANALYSIS WE'RE HAVING AT THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL.
UH, THE CONVERSATIONS ESSENTIALLY ABOUT A, A, A NEW, A NEW LANDSCAPE, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, WHEREAS BEFORE IT WAS ALL OUT HERE.
NOW IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE ALREADY ARE.
UM, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT THAT'S, UH, AN EXCITING CHALLENGE FOR US AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT, UH, CURRENTLY, UH, WE'RE DEVELOPING THAT PLAN.
SO WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER RIGHT NOW.
NOT, NOT CURRENTLY, SIR, I JUMPED IN, YOU MIGHT TALK ABOUT THE FIVE NEWS STATIONS IN FIVE YEARS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY BUILDING THE FIVE TWO NEW STATION DEL VALLEY, TRAVIS COUNTRY.
THE J THE J DONE WE DISCUSSED.
SO THESE ARE ALREADY IN THE CAPITAL PROGRAM RIGHT THERE, THERE IS A SERIES OF NEW FIRE STATIONS AS MENTIONED BY WEST HOPKINS.
UM, THEY'RE NOT PART OF OUR VOTER APPROVED BOND PROGRAM.
THEY'RE BEING FUNDED WITH CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.
I'M AN ASSISTANT CHIEF FOR E EMS. THOSE FIVE STATIONS WERE SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED IN THOSE CRITICAL AREAS WHERE WE SAW MONUMENTAL GROWTH AND EXTENDING RESPONSE TIMES SO THAT, THAT ADDRESSES THE ISSUE THAT YOU'RE BRINGING UP.
SO IT'S A, IT'S AN ALTERNATIVE FORM OF FINANCING TO, TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS, UM, THOSE KINDS OF NEEDS THAT MIGHT COME UP BETWEEN BOND ELECTIONS.
AND THOSE STATIONS ARE IN AREAS, TRAVIS COUNTRY AS CHIEF STATED OFF OR OFF OF, UH, SOUTHWEST PARKWAY, UH, EMS 36 DOWN OVER NEAR, UH, CIRCUIT THE AMERICAS, A STATION DOWN IN GOODNIGHT RANCH, WHICH HAS BEEN AN AREA THAT'S HISTORICALLY, ESPECIALLY FOR FIRES, BUT A LONG RESPONSE TIME AND THEN UP ON CANYON CREEK UP OFF OF SIX 20.
AND THEN, UH, IS THAT ALL OF THEM? I THOUGHT I SAW THAT.
OH, THEN DAVENPORT RANCH IS HARD IN ONE OF THE C I P DOCUMENTS.
THAT'S THE, THE, THAT ONE'S UNDER DESIGN STAGE RIGHT NOW, SIR.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
[4. Officer Elections ]
ON OUR AGENDA THEN.I BELIEVE WE HAVE, UM, ELECTIONS FOR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.
ARE THERE, ANYBODY HAVE A SUGGESTIONS? WHICH POSITION WE START WITH CHAIR OR VICE CHAIR? I THINK CHAIR IS FINE.
SO, UM, ARE THERE NOMINATIONS FOR THE POSITION OF CHAIR AND I THINK IT IS, UH, CUSTOMARY FOR COMMISSIONS.
I'VE SERVED ON, UH, FOR SELF NOMINATIONS.
WHAT WE'LL DO IS ASK FOR A NOMINATION, ASK FOR A SECOND, ASK THE PERSON BEING NOMINATED IF THEY ARE WILLING TO SERVE IF ELECTED, AND THEN ASK FOR ADDITIONAL NOMINATIONS.
SO ARE THERE NOMINATIONS FOR THE POSITION OR CHAIR? YES.
NO, I, I, I UNFORTUNATELY CAN'T RUN AGAIN.
UM, JUST DUE TO MY, UH, MY INVOLVEMENT AS CHAIR, UH, FOR I THINK TWO YEARS.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE COMMISSIONER, UH, CURRY FOR CHAIR.
HE'S BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB FILLING IN AND, UM, HE'S GOT THE EXPERIENCE.
[01:05:02]
THROW IT OUT THERE.DID YOU CATCH THE SECOND? YEAH, THERE'S A NO NATION, UH, IN A SECOND.
IT, I WOULD ACCEPT IF ELECTED, ARE THERE ADDITIONAL NOMINATIONS? AND AGAIN, SELF NOMINATIONS ARE ACCEPTABLE.
ARE THERE ADDITIONAL NOMINATIONS? I NEED EITHER ADDITIONAL NOMINATIONS OR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE NOMINATIONS, ONE OR THE OTHER.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE NOMINATIONS.
MOTION IS MADE AND SECONDED TO CLOSE THE NOMINATIONS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY, UH, RAISING YOUR HAND THAT PASSES.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DO NEXT.
IS THERE A MOTION QUESTION? I THINK CONGRATULATIONS.
NEED THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE ELECTION.
SO THE NOMINATIONS ARE CLOSED.
WE NEED A MOTION THEN TO CLOSE THE TWO ELECT.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ELECT COMMISSIONER CURRY AS CHAIR? YES.
UH, MOTION TO ELECT COMMISSIONER CURRY CHAIR COMMISSION IS, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR ARE SIGNIFIED BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
MOTION PASSES IN THE NEXT ITEM ON THE, UM, AGENDA.
THEN AS SELECTION OF A VICE CHAIR, SAME PROCESS.
UM, SELF NOMINATIONS ARE ACCEPTABLE.
ASK THE PERSON IF THEY'RE WILLING TO SERVE, IF ELECTED, AND THEN ASK FOR ADDITIONAL NOMINATIONS.
IS THERE A NOMINATION FOR VICE CHAIR SWITCH? CALL A PREGNANT PAUSE.
LAST PERSON TO STEP BACK IS ELECTRIC.
IS THERE ANYONE WILLING TO SELF-NOMINATE FOR CHAIR, VICE CHAIR? I, I WAS GONNA NOMINATE COMMISSIONER MCNABB IF HE'S INTERESTED.
IS THERE A SECOND FOR COMMISSIONER MCNABB? I'LL SECOND IS A MOTION AND A SECOND AND I'LL ASK COMMISSIONER.
ARE THERE ADDITIONAL NOMINATIONS? I'LL MOVE TO CLOSE.
MOTION TO CLOSE THE NOMINATIONS.
IS THERE A SECOND? TO THAT MOTION.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
WE NEED A MOTION TO ELECT COMMISSIONER MCNABB AS VICE CHAIR.
I MOTION TO ELECT, UM, COMMISSIONER MCNABB AS VICE CHAIR.
IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION? SECOND DISCUSSION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
AND COMMISSIONER MCNABB IS ELECTED AS VICE CHAIR.
[5. Potential meeting schedule (with proposed topics)]
AGENDA IS THE POTENTIAL MEETING SCHEDULE YOU HAVE THAT, UH, WAS DISTRIBUTED IN ADVANCE.UH, THERE IS ONE CHANGE IN AT THE VERY END.
IT'S THE 2024 MEETING CALENDAR.
IS THE PROPOSAL, OR MAYBE IT'S NOT THE 2024 MEETING CALL IS, DOES THE PROPOSAL GO THAT WE USED THE SAME SCHEDULE THAT WE USED LAST YEAR?
[01:10:01]
OR IS THIS JUST A REVIEW OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR? THIS IS JUST A REVIEW OF, UH, WHAT WE'VE DONE, UM, PRIOR TO THIS MONTH THAT'S BEEN UPDATED WITH WHAT WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE.AND THEN CONTINUING ON WITH, UM, WHAT WAS ADOPTED WITH A FEW TWEAKS BASED ON THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON THROUGH THE, UH, THE NEXT YEAR, I THINK.
THE THOUGHT WAS, UM, IF THERE WAS, UH, ANY, UM, YOU KNOW, CHANGES OR NEW TOPICS THAT Y'ALL WANTED TO ADD, IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY WITH PERHAPS SOME NEW MEMBERS.
SO WE HAD, WE HAD EARLIER APPROVED A MEETING SCHEDULE FOR THIS YEAR.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW IT AND MAKE CHANGES.
NO, I, NOW I UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M DOING.
ANY CHANGES TO THE PROPOSED AGENDA, UH, CALENDAR THEN FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR IN THE JUNE MEETING, THERE'S AN ITEM FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES ANNUAL GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND SALE.
WOULD THAT BE, UH, WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE TO COMBINE WITH THAT THERE IS AN ONGOING PUBLIC DISCUSSION ABOUT THE NEXT BOND ELECTION? WOULD THAT BE, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO INCLUDE IN THAT A BRIEFING OR AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE ON, UM, OUTSTANDING UNSOLD BONDS AND ET CETERA? I THINK THAT WOULD BE VALUABLE.
ANY ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS? I FEEL LIKE IT'S ALSO BEEN A CONS OR A MOMENT OF TIME SINCE WE'VE CHECKED IN ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND SPOKEN WITH, UH, A P D I'M TRYING TO RECALL THE LAST TIME.
I KNOW IT WAS AT SOME POINT IN TWO.
SO IF THERE WAS SOMETHING INVOLVING, UH, ANY PUBLIC SAFETY BONDS, UM, AND OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH REPRESENTATIVE FROM POLICE DEPARTMENT, I THINK THAT COULD BE.
DO YOU ANY SUGGEST, DO YOU, ARE YOU AWARE OF WHETHER THEY'RE, UH, APD DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY 2018 PAWS, SO THE 2012, UH, BONDS ARE SUBSTANTIALLY SPENT AT THIS POINT, BUT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY REVIEW THE STATUS OF WHAT THEY HAVE COMPLETED AND, AND, UM, SUCH.
WOULD THAT BE HELPFUL IF THE COMMISSION FINDS THAT TO BE LIKE A VALUABLE USE OF TIME? I THINK SO, BUT, UH, I'D LIVE IN, I'D DEFER TO THE REST OF THE MEMBERSHIP COMMENTS.
YEAH, I'D BE UP FOR THAT AS WELL.
JUST TO DO EITHER FOLLOW UP END OR KIND OF A CLOSE OUT.
UM, AN ADDITIONAL ITEM, UH, I'D LIKE TO SEE IS THE, THE NEWLY FORMED CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UH, AND HOW THAT'S GOING TO INTERACT WITH THE B O C AND JUST KIND OF THEIR CHARGE.
WE DO HAVE AN ITEM TODAY AND WE HAVE THE CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICE DEPARTMENT HERE FOR DISCUSSION.
UM, YOU WANT TO YEAH, SEE IF WE'RE, IF THAT COVERS IT OR, YEAH.
YEAH, I THINK, I THINK, UM, YEAH, I DID NOTE THAT I, I, I THINK BASED ON THE CONVERSATION WE HAVE TODAY, UM, UH, IT COULD, OR IF THERE'S SOMETHING GREATER WE WANTED TO REVIEW, UM, TO ACTUALLY SLOT SOME TIME IN.
ANYTHING ELSE? WOULD YOU LIKE A MOTION ON THAT, TINA, OR JUST CLOSE THE DISCUSSION AND GO ON? WE CAN CLOSE IT.
[6. Discussion of newly formed Capital Delivery Services Department ]
THEN IS THE DISCUSSION ON THE NEWLY FORMED CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICE DEPARTMENT.I'M THE INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE NEW CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES DEPARTMENT, WAITING FOR A PRESENTATION TO COME UP REAL QUICK.
[01:15:01]
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.THIS, UH, THIS AFTERNOON, IT'S GONNA BE A BRIEF DISCUSSION.
UH, LET YOU KNOW A LITTLE BIT WHY THE DEPARTMENT WAS FORMED, WHAT SOME OF THE SERVICES THE DEPARTMENT'S GONNA DO, AND THEN I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE HIGHLIGHT IN THE FUTURE, SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE TACKLING.
WE HAD SEVERAL CHALLENGES WITH CAPITAL DELIVERY, AS YOU'VE KNOWN AS THE BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
AS FAR AS, UH, WE DECENTRALIZED OUR APPROACH AT CERTAIN PARTS WHERE STARTED BY SOME CLUNKINESS AND INCONSISTENCY.
WE ALSO, UM, HAD CONCEPTS THAT WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT AS FAR AS MEETING CERTAIN DEADLINES WITH COUNCIL.
AND, UH, AS YOU'VE SEEN AS BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, ALSO, AS FAR AS SPENDING THOSE FUNDS, UH, WE, WE TOOK IT VERY SERIOUSLY.
UH, HE'S, UH, OUR INNER CITY MANAGER SAID THAT WE NEED TO FORM THE DEPARTMENT.
SO ON MARCH 24TH, HE FORMED THE DEPARTMENT.
THE DEPARTMENT WAS FORMED OUT OF THE FORM OR, UH, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
IN THAT SAME MEMO, IT TALKED ABOUT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WOULD BE JOINING THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AS A TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS, AND THERE'D BE A CREATION OF THIS DEPARTMENT.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS CHARGED WITH WHEN I WAS GIVEN THIS OPPORTUNITY WAS WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW WE EFFECTIVELY EFFICIENTLY DELIVER PROJECTS WITH A CONCEPT OF SPEED.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN TRUSTED BY THE, BY THE VOTERS TO DO CERTAIN, UH, PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS IN THE RIGHT WAY IN, UH, CERTAIN BUILDINGS, AS WE'VE HEARD TODAY.
AND WE WANT TO, UH, SUSTAIN THAT TRUST BY DELIVERING ON THOSE AND PROVIDING THE IMPROVEMENTS FOR EVERYBODY.
YOU EITHER USE BEING A PART OR FOR US TO, UH, HAVE BETTER SERVICE LIKE WE'VE HEARD TODAY FROM EMS AND FIRE.
HERE'S THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE.
UH, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT SOME OF THE THINGS WE PUT OUT IS, UH, LIKE TODAY, THERE WAS A SUGGESTION OR ASKING ABOUT WHAT WE WOULD FOLLOW IN THIS COMMITTEE AND, UH, FUTURE BONDS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER IS, UH, ONE WE FOUND WHEN WE DID AN ANALYSIS IS SOMETIMES WE BRING, UH, OPTIMISTIC SUGGESTIONS AS FAR AS PROJECTS TO THIS, UH, TO THIS COMMISSIONER OR TO THE, TO THE COMMITTEES.
AND WHAT THEY ARE IS THEN WHAT HAPPENS IS WE, WE HAVE A DELAY AS FAR AS, UM, A STANDARD PROJECT NOW TAKES BETWEEN SEVEN AND NINE YEARS, WHICH IS REALLY UNACCEPTABLE.
SO I'VE BEEN GIVEN THE CHARGE IN OUR DEPARTMENT IS TO CUT THAT IN HALF, TO MAKE IT FOUR TO FIVE YEARS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOUND OUT WAS THE ISSUES WAS THAT, AGAIN, WE HAVE OPTIMISTIC, UH, CONCEPTS, NOT EVEN PROJECTS BROUGHT TO YOU, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, TO SAY, WELL, LET'S BUILD, THIS WILL BE $5 MILLION.
AND THEN WHAT WE DO IS WE ENGAGE AND START DOING SOME ENGINEERING DESIGN AND LOOK, NEXT THING YOU KNOW, IT'S A 10 MILLION, 20 MILLION PROJECT.
AND THEN YOU COME BACK AND SAY, WELL, WE TRUSTED YOU TO DO THIS.
WELL, AGAIN, THERE'S PASSION TO, TO SERVE OUR PUBLIC, BUT SOMETIMES WE GET THE PASSION GETS AHEAD OF US.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THIS DEPARTMENT WE DOING IS WE'VE, UH, RESTRUCTURED, UH, IN-HOUSE AND WE HAVE AN ENGINEERING, UH, DESIGN SERVICE GROUP.
AND WHAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY GONNA HELP US DO IS WHAT WE CALL MANY, UH, UH, PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORTS, WHICH ALLOW US TO ACTUALLY, TO GET A GOOD SCOPE SCHEDULED, BUDGET REASONABLE, SO THAT WE CAN COME THEN TO YOU.
AND WHEN WE PRESENT A PROJECT, WE CAN SAY THAT WE FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE THAT CAN BE DELIVERED IN FOUR TO FIVE YEARS.
ONCE IT'S FULLY FUNDED, IT ALLOWS, AGAIN, TO DELIVER ON WHAT WE'VE PROMISED AND ALSO NOT GET CAUGHT IN SOMETIMES EVERGREEN PROJECTS, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE ISSUES.
ANOTHER ISSUE BROUGHT UP TODAY THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS, UM, PERMITTING.
ONE OF THE FIRST INITIATIVES WE'RE DOING, AND ACTUALLY, UH, I'M JOINED HERE TODAY, WHO'S GONNA BE JOINING THE COUNCIL, UH, FOR FULL-TIME IS STEVE GRACE.
HE'S OVER OUR PROJECT DELIVERY SUPPORT GROUP.
UH, WE ACTUALLY, UH, THREE WEEKS AGO, I BELIEVE, STEVE, WE STARTED, UH, A DUAL TRACK ON THE PERMIT REVIEW FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, SPECIFICALLY THAT CITY MANAGES.
THE TWO TRACKS IS WE ACTUALLY GOT THE DOERS IN THE ROOM AND WE, UH, FROM MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS FROM THE UTILITIES FROM D S DSD AND LOOKED AT SAYING, HOW CAN WE DO THIS BETTER? UH, AT THE SAME TIME, UH, THIS FRIDAY WE'LL HAVE THE FIRST MEETING, WHICH WILL BE QUARTERLY MEETINGS WITH THE SPONSOR GROUPS AT THE DIRECTOR LEVEL, WHICH I'LL BE LEADING, WHICH IS A PROGRESS OF WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT ALSO UNDERSTANDING WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE.
UH, WE HAVE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH DSD.
UH, THEIR DIRECTOR, JOSE ROY AND I HAVE, UH, SAT DOWN AND LOOKED AT THIS.
THE TWO TEAMS ARE WORKING TOGETHER, AND WE TRULY BELIEVE THAT WE CAN, UH, ACTUALLY CUT THE MER UH, CUT THE PROCESS DOWN FROM WHERE IT'S THREE TO FOUR YEARS TO DESIGN TO 12 TO 18 MONTHS.
AND THEN, UH, THE ONE THING THAT WE NOTICED IS WE DON'T HAVE A CONSTRUCTION ISSUE.
WE CAN CONSTRUCT TWO TO THREE YEARS DEPENDING ON THE PROJECT.
IT'S BEEN THE DESIGN AND PERMITTING.
SO THAT'S OUR FIRST CHARGE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
WE ARE GONNA LOOK AT, UH, ONE OF THE TENETS OF THIS DEPARTMENT IS TO PLAN SEQUENTIALLY, BUT IMPLEMENT IN PARALLEL.
AND THAT'S HOW WE'RE GONNA GET CERTAIN THINGS.
SOMETIMES WE OVERTHINK THINGS INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT SAYING, HOW CAN WE DO CERTAIN THINGS IN PARALLEL, GET THINGS DONE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH THE DESIGN AND PERMIT PROCESS IS WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IS WE, UH, IF YOU'VE DONE ANY DESIGN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S USUALLY A 30 60 90 REVIEW.
WHAT WE END UP HAVING IS WE HAD FOUR MEETINGS PER STATION, AND WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT MAKES 12 MEETINGS WORTH, SHOULD ONLY BE THREE.
SO WE'RE WORKING IS LOOKING AT THOSE FOUR MEETINGS AND BRINGING TOGETHER AS ONE, AND THAT WAY WE GIVE ONE SET OF COMMENTS TO THE DESIGNER.
[01:20:01]
THAT IS ONE OF THE MAIN LEGS THAT WE HAVE, IS THAT EACH TIME THEY GET A SET OF, UH, COMMENTS, IT TAKES 'EM THREE MONTHS TO REVIEW IT.SO IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE 12 MEETINGS AND YOU GO THROUGH THAT, YOU CAN SEE OBVIOUSLY HOW WE GET TO THREE YEARS VERY QUICKLY.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS WE'RE TRYING TO CONDENSE THAT.
SO THAT IS THE FIRST PROJECT THAT WE HAVE OUT.
UH, THE OTHER THING THAT WELL, YOU'LL, UH, COME TO LEARN FROM US IS THAT WE'LL BE, UH, FREQUENT HERE BECAUSE WE'RE, UH, WORKING WITH SD AS FAR AS, UH, MOVING FORWARD, AS FAR AS THIS COMMISSION, UH, THERE'S A CONCEPT CALLED PROJECT CONTROLS.
AND WHAT THAT IS, IS IT ALLOWS US TO ACTUALLY ESTABLISH, UH, THE SCOPE, SCHEDULE, BUDGET.
AND WE DO IS WE CREATE A PERFORMANCE BASELINE, AND THEN FROM THE BASELINE THAT WE CAN REPORT BACK OF WHERE WE ARE STATUS.
AND WE CAN ALSO TELL YOU ONE OF THE COMMENTS WE WILL HAVE IS WE'RE, UH, ACTUALLY ESTABLISHING MONTHLY, UH, PROJECT HEALTH ASSESSMENTS WITH THE SPONSOR DEPARTMENTS TO SAY WHERE WE'RE AT.
AND ONE OF THE KEY THINGS TOO, IS IN THAT MEETING IS WHAT WE FOUND OUT TOO, IS SOMETIMES WE DON'T WAIT UNTIL, UH, WHEN THINGS, OR WE DON'T ADDRESS THINGS WHEN THEY'RE MOLE HILLS.
WE WAIT UNTIL THEY'RE MOUNTAINS.
AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS THAT MONTHLY MEETING SAYING IF THERE'S AN ISSUE, PERMITTING OR OTHERWISE, LET'S ADDRESS IT.
NOW WE HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM ALL THE GROUPS INVOLVED AND WE CAN SAY, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH A CONTRACTUAL ISSUE WITH FUNDING ISSUE AND SUCH LIKE THAT.
SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND ALSO TALK ABOUT STATUS.
UH, WE ALSO, UH, WORK THROUGH THAT TO ALSO GIVE THEM THE HEALTH.
SO WE'LL A ACTUALLY USE, UH, A GREEN, YELLOW, RED FORMAT AND GO THROUGH, OBVIOUSLY IF THINGS ARE GREEN, WE SHOULDN'T REALLY BE TALKING ABOUT, BUT IF THEY'RE YELLOW RED, THEN WE BRING IT TO THE, TO THE ISSUE AND SAY, HOW DO WE ADDRESS IT? UH, IT'S GONNA BE A MULTIFACETED APPROACH.
WE'RE ALSO USING A TEAM MATRIX FORMAT, WHICH WE'LL HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM CONTRACTS, FINANCE, UH, CAPITAL DELIVERY PROJECT CONTROLS, UH, AND TALK ABOUT RISKS AND WHAT'S GOING ON, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN HAVE A HOLISTIC VIEW EACH MONTH.
UH, THIS, THIS GROUP ALSO, SOME OF OUR MAIN CLIENTS, OR YOU PUT IN THERE IS WE, UH, WORK WITH, UH, AUSTIN WATER, ALONG WITH ALL THE BOND WORK THAT YOU'RE SEEING, BUT WE ALSO, UH, DELIVER AUSTIN WATER.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOUND OUT THAT WE ARE ESTABLISHING IS, UH, WHAT WE CALL LARGE PROGRAM GROUP.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE FOUND WHEN WE DID THE ANALYSIS RECENTLY WAS WE ARE VERY GOOD AT DELIVERING PROJECTS FROM TWO TO ABOUT 75 MILLION, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY WATER PRO, YOU KNOW, WATER LINES.
AND ESPECIALLY, WE'RE VERY GOOD.
WE'VE DONE THAT FOR MANY YEARS.
BUT WHEN YOU COME TO LIKE THE AIRPORT EXPANSION THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH, WHERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FOUR TO 6 BILLION, OR ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I DID WHEN I GOT HERE WAS WORK ON WATERING PLANT FOUR.
YOU HAVE TO DO IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
IT'S NOT A BREAD AND BUTTER TYPE APPROACH THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR YEARS.
SO WE'VE CREATED THIS LARGE PROGRAM GROUP CUZ THEN WE HAVE TO CONFIGURE OURSELVES DIFFERENTLY.
UH, SOME OF THESE PROJECTS WILL REQUIRE AUGMENTATION AND WILL BRING IN, YOU KNOW, AUGMENTATION FOR THE FACT OF RESOURCES.
BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS IS I DON'T WANT TO HIRE FIVE PROJECT MANAGERS TO DO THE PROJECT.
AND THEN AFTER THE FIVE YEARS AND IT'S DONE, WE SAY, WELL, WHAT DO I DO? CUZ THAT WAS JUST FOR THE SPECIFIC PROJECT.
SO WE TRY TO DO IS WE'LL TRY TO ACTUALLY, UH, WORK WITH THE SPONSORS LIKE THE AIRPORT, CREATE A STRUCTURE TEAM MATRIX THAT'S EMBEDDED WITH THEM.
AND WHAT THEY'LL DO IS ACTUALLY WORK WITH 'EM AND THEN AUGMENT STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY STAY ON TASK THE WAY WE SEE THINGS, BUT ALSO ALLOWED TO USE THOSE RESOURCES SO THAT ONCE, ONCE THE PROJECT'S DONE, WE DON'T HAVE FIVE, 20 OR 30 EMPLOYEES, THEN WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THEM.
SO, UM, IT'S SOME OF THE TEAMS OR PROJECTS THAT WE'VE, WE PUT TOGETHER AS WE HAVE THE LARGE PROGRAM GROUP, WHICH IS A NEW GROUP, BUT ALSO WE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, REORGANIZE.
WE, UH, HAVE A CIVIL TEAM, WHICH AS YOU SEE ON THE SLIDE, DEALS WITH DRAINAGE, ROAD PROJECTS, MOBILE, UH, YOU HAVE UTILITY TEAM, WHICH WILL WORK WITH WATERSHED.
AND THEN OUR VERTICAL TEAM, WHICH WILL, AS WAS HIGHLIGHTED TODAY, WAS THE TEAM THAT ACTUALLY WORKS WITH EMS AND FIRE SPECIFICALLY.
IT'S BEEN A SUCCESS WE'RE USING THAT MODEL IS THE WAY THAT EVERY, UH, EVERY, EVERY OTHER MONDAY WE MEET AT SEVEN 30, HAVE A MINI REVIEW GO THROUGH.
AND THAT'S ONE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU SAW ON WITH PERMITTING IS WE, IT'S WE'RE TAKING THAT AND ACTUALLY TURNING A MONTHLY PROJECT HEALTH ASSESSMENT FOR THE REST OF THE GROUPS.
WE HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM EVERYBODY TO INCLUDE REAL AND SAY, IF WE HAVE ISSUES, HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD WITH IT? IT'S BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE.
THAT'S HOW WE DID THE FIVE, UH, FIRE STATIONS SO QUICKLY.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE USING ON THE NEW FIRE STATION, UH, REHABS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY.
AND THE REASON WHY WE'LL BE SUCCESS TO GET THOSE DONE SO QUICKLY, UH, THAT'S GIVING YOU A TEASE OF WHERE WE'RE GOING.
UH, I WOULD BE MORE THAN WILLING TO COME BACK AT A LATER DATE AS YOU ASKED TO TALK A BIT MORE ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT.
UH, MONDAY I JUST BRIEFED THE INITIAL BUSINESS PLAN TO CITY MANAGER AND OVER THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS WE'RE GONNA ROLL THAT OUT.
MY FAVORITE PART, QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS, I GUESS YOU GO RIGHT AHEAD.
QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION.
I'LL HAVE TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR CAREFUL WORDING.
HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH JESUS AND I CAN IMAGINE EXACTLY HOW WE EXPRESSED THE NEED TO SPEAK.
THE THING IS WHAT I, I DON'T WANNA GET LOST ON HERE.
[01:25:01]
PROJECTS POORLY, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAD WAS WE HAD VERY PASSIONATE PEOPLE AND WE HAD MULTIPLE CHEFS IN THE KITCHEN AND WE HAD, AND WE STARTED TO GET CLAMORING AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO, STEP BACK AND SAY, HOW CAN WE EFFICIENTLY DO IT? UH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE PUTTING OUT THERE TOO IS WHAT WE CALL A RESPONSIBILITY MATRIX WHERE WE SAY WHO DOES WHAT ON THE PROJECT SO PEOPLE CAN, CAN UNDERSTAND WHERE THEIR FOCUS IS AND NOT GET CLOGGED DOWN ON SOME OF THE BUREAUCRACY.SOMETIMES WE GET INTO, AND AGAIN, IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE WANT TO DO IT, SOMETIMES THERE'S SELF-IMPOSED OBSTACLES JUST BECAUSE EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE PART OF IT.
UH, AND I DON'T KNOW, YOU CAN ADDRESS THIS SORT OF GENERALLY, BUT YOU TALKED ABOUT, AND YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR SLIDES, UH, WE SOMETIMES APPROVE PROJECTS IN OUR BOND ELECTIONS THAT ARE CONCEPTS.
UM, AND ONE OF THE, UM, ONE OF THE TIMEFRAME STRETCHERS IN THE PAST THEN, THEN THE INVOLVEMENT OF MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN BRINGING THAT FROM CONCEPT TO DESIGN.
AND IF WE, UM, IT'S BASICALLY BECOMES A QUESTION, UH, WE'VE APPROVED A NEW X AT 50 MILLION OR WHATEVER, AND NOW WE'RE GONNA DESIGN THE NEW X AND DO WE DESIGN A NEW X THAT FALLS WITHIN 50 MILLION OR DO WE DESIGN A NEW X? THAT IS THE PERFECT.
SO, UH, I THINK YOUR QUESTION IS HOW WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
UH, AS I SAID, WE HAVE AN ENGINEERING SERVICES DIVISION THAT WORKS UNDER US AND DOES A LOT OF DESIGN AND THAT ALONG WITH OUR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DECISION, THAT DIVISION, THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE OVER DESIGN.
BUT, UH, ENGINEERING SERVICES DIVISION IS ACTUALLY GONNA HELP US DO, LIKE I SAID, A PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORT.
FIRST THING THAT COMES AFTER, WHAT WE WANNA DO IS DO THAT PRIOR, BECAUSE WHAT THAT DOES IS THAT GIVES US A GOOD RISKS.
AND THEN WHEN WE COME TO YOU AND YOU SAY, WE NEED X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS, WE ALSO HAVE THAT RISK PUT IN THERE SO THAT IF WE HAVE THOSE UNFORESEEN, WE HAVE THE APPROPRIATE FUNDING TO ADDRESS IT AND WE ALREADY KNOW THE IMPACT OF IT.
WHAT WE'LL BE WORKING WITH IS, UH, TALKING TO THE CFO, ED VANK, WHAT DO YOU'D LIKE US TO DO IS WE'RE GONNA PARTNER WITH THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT ON THE NEXT BOND ELECTION AND USE THAT APPROACH SO THAT WHEN WE COME TO THE BOND, UH, OVERSIGHT, OR EXCUSE ME, THE BOND, UH, ELECTION TASK FORCE IS WE COME IN, WE ACTUALLY HAVE REALISTIC SCOPE SCHEDULE BUDGETS, AND YOU WORKING WITH THEM TO DO THE PUBLIC OUTREACH.
SO THIS, THIS MODEL WE'RE USING HAS BEEN USED BOTH, UH, IN CHULA VISTA BUT ALSO IN SAN ANTONIO, JUST DOWN THE WAY.
UH, OUR PARTNER, UH, THAT'S WHO WE WORKED WITH, IS THEY'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL THAT ACTUALLY USING THE MODEL THAT WE'RE GONNA INCORPORATE, THEY CAN DELIVER PROJECTS WITHIN FOUR TO FIVE YEARS.
AND 95% OF THE PROJECTS THAT THEY COME TO YOU FOR BONDS AND FOR THE VOTERS GETS DELIVERED IN THAT TIME ON SCHEDULE, ON BUDGET.
BUT WHAT THEY DID WAS THEY SPENT THE TIME UP FRONT HAVING ALL THOSE DISCUSSIONS SO WE CAN ACTUALLY WIN THE, AND ONE OF THE TWO, UH, COUNCIL MEETINGS.
AFTER THAT, WE'D COME TO YOU AND SAY, WE HAVE CONTRACTS, WE HAVE AND THAT'S ALL BEEN PRE-DONE SO WE CAN, WE CAN SAVE THAT TIME INSTEAD OF GOING THROUGH A VERY LONG PROCESS AND WILL THAT PRELIMINARY WORK BY THE GENERAL FUND WE'RE WORKING AT, WE'RE WORKING AT HOW WE'RE GONNA HANDLE THAT.
UH, THERE'S DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO DO THAT.
UH, WORKING WITH FSD WILL SAY, WELL, HOW IS THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT? SOME, SOME MUNICIPALITIES ACTUALLY PUT SOME OF THAT INTO, WE CAN, UH, SEQUENCE IT CORRECTLY.
BUT AGAIN, IT JUST DEPENDS ON HOW WE WANNA RUN IT.
UH, THE NICE THING IS, UH, THE DEPARTMENT IS NEW.
WE HAVE CERTAIN RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO DO.
AGAIN, THE RESOURCES CAME FROM ACTUALLY OLD PUBLIC WORKS, BUT, UH, WE'VE WORKED REALLY WELL WITH, UH, THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND I THINK WE CAN PUT THAT TOGETHER.
UH, WE KNOW ONE'S COMING UP HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE IN A COUPLE YEARS AND THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO PROOF THE CONCEPT AND SHOW WHAT WE CAN DO.
QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? UM, WHAT'S BEEN ESTABLISHED SO FAR AS THE KEY 2023? FOR THE DEPARTMENT OR FOR, UH, IT JUST IN, UH, FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
UH, CERTAIN THINGS THAT, OKAY, SO, UM, THE DEPARTMENT, AND I DIDN'T BRING THIS SLIDE CUZ AGAIN, I I I NEVER WANT TO, YOU, YOU TALKED ABOUT TALKING TO JESUS, I, I DO NOT WANNA EVER GET AHEAD OF THE CITY MANAGER, BUT SOME OF THE KEY DELIVERABLES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS FIRST OBVIOUSLY IS TO FORM THE DEPARTMENT.
SECOND IS, UH, THE FIRST INITIATIVE THAT I TOLD YOU ABOUT WAS ABOUT DESIGN AND, AND PERMITTING PHASE.
WE'RE ALSO ACTUALLY, UH, THE LARGE PROGRAM GROUP THAT I TALKED ABOUT, WE'RE ACTUALLY MEETING WITH, UH,
[01:30:01]
AUSTIN AIRPORT RIGHT NOW.THE EXPECTATIONS THAT MATRIX TEAM AND THE PERSON THAT'S GONNA LEAD THE MATRIX TEAM WILL BE HIRED AND IN STAFF, UH, BY AUGUST 1ST.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE DOING IS LAUNCH IS WHERE WE DO THE PROJECT, UH, OR THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT.
WE ACTUALLY, UH, CREATED OUR FIRST TEAM PROJECT WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH THE POLICE, A P D FOR, UH, LOOKING AT ENHANCEMENT TO THEIR TRAINING FACILITY AND WENT OUT AND JUST DID THAT WITH THEM AND ACTUALLY ARE GONNA COME BACK TO CITY MANAGER AND SAY, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO GET THIS DONE.
UH, WE, YOU KNOW, INITIAL THOUGHTS JUST TAKE THREE TO FOUR YEARS MAX TO DESIGN IN, BUT THAT'S SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN THAT FIRST YEAR.
THE PROJECT HEALTH ASSESSMENT WILL BE IMPORTANT TOO.
WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH, UH, ESTABLISHING THAT OVER THE NEXT YEAR.
BUT THE, THE KEY THING I NEED TO ESTABLISH IS WE'RE ESTABLISHING IS, UH, THE PROJECT CONTROLS GROUP THAT'S GONNA HELP RUN THAT.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
UM, MY ONLY FOLLOW UP WOULD JUST BE TO ASK, OBVIOUSLY I KNOW THAT THE INITIATION OF A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS IS THE, THE FIRST RESPONSIBILITY.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THESE INCREASED TIMELINES, WHEN UM, YOU THINK THESE INCREASED TIME OR THESE FASTER TIMELINES WILL BE FEASIBLE AND, AND A ROUGH I I DON'T WANNA OH, NO, NO, I UNDERSTAND.
WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT WHAT WE'RE WORKING RIGHT NOW WITH FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UH, WE KNOW THAT AT THE AUSTIN FINANCE, UH, COMMITTEE, WHICH I GOT INTRODUCED AT, I UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE THERE.
WE HAVE ABOUT 1.8 BILLION WORTH OF MOBILITY BONDS AND WE HAVE ABOUT 800 MILLION LEFT TO SPEND.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST PLACE WHERE WE'RE STARTING AND LOOKING AT, UH, HOW QUICKLY, WELL, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS WE HOPE THAT THE FIRST REVIEW AND, UH, NEW PROCESS BE ESTABLISHED FOR THE PERMITTING DESIGN, HEREBY AUGUST WITH THE IDEA THAT AUSTIN WATER HAS ACTUALLY GIVEN US SOME PROJECTS TO TEST PILOT THAT ON, TO MAKE SURE IT'S WORKING.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I DON'T EVER WANT TO DO IS OVERPROMISE AND UNDERDELIVER.
SO BY DOING THAT, WE CAN SAY, WHEN YOU GO THROUGH A PILOT PROJECT, YOU CAN SAY, OKAY, WHAT DO WE NEED TO CHANGE A LITTLE? WE THOUGHT THESE ASSUMPTIONS WORKED AND SUCH, SO WE'LL WORK THROUGH THAT.
I EXPECT THAT PROBABLY, THAT PROBABLY BY LATER THIS YEAR WE'LL BE ABLE TO START APPLY IT ACROSS.
BUT WE ARE, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE'D LIKE TO, UH, PLAN SEQUENTIALLY BUT EXECUTE, EXECUTE OR IMPLEMENT IN PARALLEL.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE DOING MULTIPLE THINGS AT ONE TIME.
UH, WE'RE TRYING TO HIT, UH, THE PORTFOLIO ACROSS THE BOARD, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, UNDERSTAND IT AND HOW WE CAN PUT EFFICIENCIES AND EFFECTIVENESS THROUGHOUT.
THE CITY AT ONE TIME HAD, UH, YOU MENTIONED THE PERFORMANCE.
SYNDICATORS CITY AT ONE TIME HAD COUPLE, UH, PROJECTS COMPLETED ON TIME AND PROJECTS.
QUESTION THEN BECAME, WHAT DOES ON TIME MEAN? IS IT ON TIME WITH THE LATEST SCHEDULE THAT WE DEVELOPED RIGHT WHEN THE PROJECT WAS COMPLETED? OR WAS IT THE COM SCHEDULE WE HAD WHEN WE STARTED THE PROJECT? SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN CHALLENGED WITH IS THERE, THERE'LL BE ONE BASELINE, UH, THAT BASELINE WILL BE ESTABLISHED UP FRONT AND WE'LL ALWAYS REPORT TO THAT BASELINE.
NOW, DURING CERTAIN TIMES, IF YOU HAVE A CHANGE ORDER, STUFF LIKE THAT, A PERFORMANCE BASELINE CHANGE MIGHT HAPPEN, BUT WE'LL ALWAYS REPORT WHAT THE ORIGINAL BASELINE WAS.
UH, AS WE DO THE, UH, PROJECT HEALTH ASSESSMENTS, WE'LL ALWAYS GO BACK TO THAT BASELINE AND DURING THAT TIME WE'LL IDENTIFY WAY, YOU KNOW, SO WE'LL USE A, WHEN, WHEN YOU GET TO KNOW ME A LITTLE BIT BETTER, WE'LL COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT A APPROACH CALLED EARN VALUE.
BUT WITH THE EARN VALUE APPROACH, WHAT WE ACTUALLY DO IS WE, WE LOOK AT THAT, SEE WHERE, WHERE WE SHOULD BE ON TRACK, ARE WE ON TRACK MAKE, ONE OF THE KEY THINGS IS THAT REPORTING IS WE LOOK AT WHAT, WHAT'S THE VARIANCE IF WE'RE NOT ON TRACK, WHY, AND THEN WE GO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
UH, BUT I'VE BEEN GIVEN, UH, THE TENANT AND SO THAT WE HAVE ONE BASELINE AND THAT'S WHAT WE, WE MANAGE OURSELVES TO.
BUT THAT PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORT IS VERY IMPORTANT CAUSE THAT WILL HELP US SET THE BASELINE.
COMMISSIONER, DID YOU HAVE A THANK YOU.
UM, SO MY QUESTION IS THAT, UM, THAT THE TIME SAVINGS HOPEFULLY EQUALS COST SAVINGS.
AND IF YOU HAD AN ESTIMATE OF HOW MUCH YOU THINK EACH PROJECT WOULD SAVE BY ACCELERATING THE TIMELINES, I CAN'T GIVE YOU AN ESTIMATE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT YOU ARE RIGHT.
TIME AND COSTS ARE TIED CUZ UH, OBVIOUSLY I WAS MENTIONED WITH THE PERMITTING.
UH, IF WE HAVE TO GIVE MULTIPLE COMMENTS AND THEN GO THROUGH MULTIPLE COMMENTS, I, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THAT COSTS US TO, TO REVIEW THOSE COMMENTS.
SO IF WE GO BACK TO JUST A THREE MEETING APPROACH INSTEAD OF THE 12 MEETING APPROACH, THERE WILL BE A COST SAVINGS.
BUT I CAN'T TELL YOU OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD RIGHT NOW WHAT THAT WOULD BE CUZ EACH AND OF PROJECTS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
UM, BUT THERE, THERE SHOULD BE A COST SAVINGS.
I JUST, I CANNOT GIVE YOU A REALISTIC
[01:35:01]
ESTIMATE AND I DON'T WANNA BE HELD TO AN ESTIMATE RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS THAT.UM, I IMAGINE THAT THE COST ESTIMATE WOULD ALSO COME IN TWO, UM, KIND OF BUCKETS.
ONE, UH, THE TIME SAVINGS SAYS HAS A DIRECT COST, BUT ALSO THE COST OF MONEY BECAUSE OF COURSE OUR, OUR BOND DOLLARS WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE OUT QUITE AS LONG.
THAT, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT LOOK AT IS THE LONGER IT LASTS INFLATION KICKS IN.
UH, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE SEEN, UH, I THINK, UH, ERIC BAILEY, WHO WORKS FOR ME, ONE OF MY ASSISTANT DIRECTORS HAS COME IN AND BRIEFED YOU ALL AS FAR AS HOW INFLATION OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS HAS SPIKED A GREAT DEAL.
AND, UH, AND THAT'S NOT JUST WHERE, WHERE YOU BUY YOUR FOOD, YOU SEE THAT, BUT ALSO THROUGH A LOT OF THE MATERIALS.
AND AS, AS YOU KNOW, AUSTIN IS DEVELOPING, WHICH ALSO MAKES THE, THAT THAT DRIVES UP THE PRICE.
SO THE LONGER IT TAKES FOR A PROJECT, YES, THE COST INCREASES.
YOU NEW YORK GOT A QUESTION? YEAH.
THANKS FOR THE, UH, THANKS FOR THE INTRODUCTION AND THE PRESENTATION.
UM, AS IT RELATES TO THE BOND OVERSIGHT COMMISSION, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS A FAIR AND PRODUCTIVE CADENCE TO MEET WITH THIS GROUP? DO YOU THINK IT'S QUARTERLY? UM, TWICE A YEAR.
I'M, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF, OF HOW, HOW PRODUCTIVE THIS GROUP IS GONNA BE AS IT PERTAINS TO PRESENTING NEW INFORMATION.
I I AND, AND AND CREATING TRANSPARENCY.
WELL, THAT'S ONE OF THE KEY THINGS.
SO THE REASON WHY WE'RE ESTABLISHING THAT PROJECT CONTROLS GROUP IS THEY'RE FOCUSED SPECIFICALLY ON TRANSPARENCY AND ALSO CONSISTENCY OF REPORTING SO THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE PLAN IT, HOW WE DO THE SPENDING PLANS, HOW WE PLAN EVERYTHING IS THE SAME.
WE'RE USE THE SAME METHODOLOGY.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THE DIFFERENCE.
I WILL SAY THAT I SEE AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR, AGAIN, ONCE THE CADENCE GOING, CUZ OBVIOUSLY THERE'S MULTIPLE TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT WE COME TALK TO YOU ABOUT.
UH, I'LL BE IN HERE WITH OUR, UH, PARTNER DEPARTMENTS.
ONE OF THE THINGS I FORGOT TO TELL YOU IS THERE'S FOUR PILLARS THAT WE BELIEVE IN IS THAT'S PEOPLE, PROCESS, PERFORMANCE AND PARTNERS.
SO SOME OF MY PARTNERS BRIEFED HERE TODAY, EMS AND FIRE WATERSHED.
THOSE ARE OUR PARTNERS THAT WERE WORKING THROUGH THIS WHERE THEY, THEY'RE THE SPONSOR AND THEN WE HELP DELIVER IT.
SO I SEE US COMING WITH THEM ALL THE TIME AND, AND EXPLAINING TO 'EM.
SO WE WOULD BE FREQUENTLY IN THE ROOM, UH, WHETHER WE'RE PRESENTING.
I DEFINITELY THINK IT'S AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR.
AGAIN, IT'S JUST SEEING, BECAUSE TRANSPARENCY IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE'RE DOING THE PROJECT HEALTH ASSESSMENTS ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
BUT I JUST NEED TO SEE HOW THAT FITS WITH YOUR SCHEDULE.
BUT, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED TO COME BACK AND, AND GIVE YOU AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH Y'ALL.
UM, HAVING HEARD THE PRESENTATIONS AT SANTIAGO, DO YOU WANT TO PUT ANYTHING ON THAT CALENDAR THAT WE HAD BEFORE US? YEAH, I, I THINK WE SHOULD GO AHEAD AND PENCIL SOMETHING IN JUST AS A REMINDER OR PLACEHOLDER, UM, TO REACH BACK OUT SOMETIME AFTER THE SUMMER RECESS.
LET'S SAY MAY, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST, MAYBE SEPTEMBER.
[7. Discussion and possible action on permitting process for public safety projects. ]
NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS, UH, A RESOLUTION, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE PERMITTING PROCESS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY PROJECT.SANTIAGO USE SUBMITTED A, I BELIEVE A, UH, REVISED VERSION OF THE RESOLUTION AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THE VIRTUAL ATTENDEES HAVE A COPY OF THAT.
IT, IT, IT CAME THROUGH ON EMAIL, UM, OF THE MEETING BACK UP.
IT, WHAT, 10 THROUGH THIS MORNING? IT DID GO OUT, UH, IN EMAIL.
I KNOW NOT EVERYBODY LOOKS AT CITY EMAIL ON A MINUTE BY MINUTE BASIS,
AND SO WHAT THIS, UM, WHAT THIS PERMITTING AGENDA REQUEST IS THE COUNCIL
[01:40:01]
SAY, HEY, THIS, THIS IS POTENTIALLY AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT UP AND DISCUSSED.IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S POTENTIALLY GETTING, UH, TAKEN CARE OF WITH THIS NEW GROUP.
UM, HOWEVER, MY THOUGHT ON IT IS LET'S GET IT OUT THERE SO THERE'S ADDITIONAL TRANSPARENCY ON IT.
AND IN MY OPINION IT SHOULD BE, UH, THERE SHOULD BE A POLICY AND A PROCESS IN PLACE SO THAT, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY CO COMMISSION COMMISSION.
RODRIGUEZ JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW YOU'RE CUTTING IN AND OUT INTERMITTENTLY ON THE AUDIO.
SO JUST, JUST IN CLOSING, MY THOUGHT IS THAT, UM, THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY DELAY AS IT RELATES TO PUBLIC SAFETY IS FUNDED BY, THIS IS A NOTE TO COUNSEL, SUSTAIN A, THIS NEEDS TO BE LOCKED.
WELL, AS I MENTIONED IN MY PRESENT, OH, SORRY AHEAD.
I DUNNO WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED OR NOT.
UH, AS I MENTIONED IN MY PRESENTATION WITH THE FIRST INITIATIVE THAT WE'RE TAKING IS PERMITTING THE DESIGN PROCESS.
UH, OVER THE LAST YEAR, I THINK, UH, MY FELLOW PARTNERS CAME UP AND TOLD YOU THAT WE HAD WORKED ON THE PROCESS OF SPECIFICALLY PUBLIC SAFETY WITH THOSE, UH, BIWEEKLY MEETINGS AND AGENDA.
BUT, UH, I WILL BE WILLING IN THE SEPTEMBER TIMEFRAME WHEN WE COME BACK TO REPORT ON BOND, I CAN GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT PROCESS AND WHAT'S GOING ON.
UH, IT IS, YOU KNOW, PERMITTING IS VERY IMPORTANT.
SO IS THE DESIGNER YOU PROCESS AND THAT'S JUST WHY I'M TACKLING IT FIRST.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN HERE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
I'M CONCERNED WITH ALL PROJECTS CUZ IT'S JUST THE TIME VALUE OF MONEY AND TRYING TO GET OUT THERE WHAT WE NEED TO.
BUT SPECIFICALLY, UH, WITH, UH, FIRE EMAIL STATIONS, THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE HAVE THAT BIWEEKLY MEETING MONDAYS AT SEVEN 30 AND WE GO THROUGH THAT WHOLE PROCESS CUZ WE'RE NOT JUST WORRIED ABOUT THE PERMITTING, BUT ANY OTHER DELAYS THAT GET INVOLVED AS FAR AS LAND ACQUISITION CONTRACTING.
SO WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE AND LIKE I SAID, ON A MONTHLY BASIS, WE'LL BE DOING IT WITH THE REST OF THE PORTFOLIO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE SAME ATTENTION TO IT.
YEAH, I MEAN THAT'S THAT, YEAH, I THINK, UM, UH, FAIR SHAKE.
COME BACK IN, UH, SEPTEMBER AND WE'LL, WE'LL SEE WHAT PROGRESS IS MADE.
I THINK, UM, UH, I THINK UNLESS OTHERS FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT IT, WE, WE CAN TABLE THIS ITEM.
IS THAT A MOTION TO TABLE? SO MOVED.
MOTION TO TABLE TAKES PRECEDENCE, UM, AND DOES NOT REQUIRE A ROLL CALL VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF TABLING INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO COMMENT ON IT ALSO.
SANTIAGO, I I APPRECIATE YOU TABLING IT.
HAVING DONE THIS MYSELF IN THE PAST, I THINK THE WAY THE, THE WAY THE GENTLEMAN EXPRESSED IT IN THE PRESENTATION, THE CAPITAL PROJECT DELIVERY IS A PROCESS WITH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT STEPS.
AND I THINK IT IS IN ANY PROCESS WITH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT STEPS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT ALL THE STEPS AND THE, AND THE PROCESS.
AND I WAS GONNA SU SUGGEST AN AMENDMENT TO CHANGE IT FROM PERMITTING TO CAPITAL PROJECTS DELIVERY.
BUT ALONG THE SAME LINE, UH, MY ONLY PROBLEM WITH FOCUSING ON PERMITTING IS THAT FOR THE LIMITED STAFF, WE'VE GOT TO PRIORITIZE ANYTHING OVER EVERYTHING ELSE IS GONNA RESULT IN, YOU KNOW, CON EVEN MORE DELAYS AS OPPOSED TO FIXING THE PROCESS.
UM, SO I'M WOULD BE HOPEFUL WE, WE FIXED THE PROCESS
SO I DO THINK IT'S VERY POSSIBLE, AND AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, I HAVE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, INTERIM DIRECTOR JOSE ROY WITH, UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
AND WE DO BELIEVE WORKING WITH TOGETHER AND ALSO WITH ALL THE UTILITY DEPARTMENTS, WHICH ARE THE MAIN ONES THAT WE HAVE TO GET THE CLEARANCE THROUGH.
UH, I'M, I MET WITH, UH, SHEG RALSTON, THE DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN WATER, UH, JORGE MORALES, WHICH IS WATERSHED AND ALSO, UH, WORKING WITH, UH, INTERIM DIRECTOR, UH, MENDOZA FOR TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS.
AND WE ALL THINK THAT IS VERY POSSIBLE TO GET THIS DONE.
AND WE'VE ALSO BEEN, UH, FORGET, UH, STUART RILEY, WHO'S ALSO, UH, WITH AE.
THEY'RE ALL IN THE MEETINGS AND WE TALK
[01:45:01]
ABOUT THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS DONE.THAT BRINGS US TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. ARE THERE ANY, UH, SUGGESTIONS
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
FOR AGENDA ITEMS? WHAT WE HAVE FOR JUNE IS THE FINANCIAL SERVICES, UH, DISCUSSION OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND SALE, AS WELL AS A REPORT ON THE OUTSTANDING, UM, UNISSUED BONDS, UH, PRE UH, PRESENTATION ON ART IN PUBLIC PLACES AND A REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE 2022 ANNUAL REPORT.ANY ADDITIONS FOR THAT AGENDA? HEARING NONE THAT IT BRINGS US TO.
UH, I I JUST WANTED TO TO POINT OUT THAT, UM, UH, TINA YEAR, THERE'S GONNA BE A STAFF TRANSITION THAT YOU MAY HAVE BROUGHT UP LAST TIME, RIGHT?
WELL, I, I JUST WANTED TO, TO THANK YOU, GINA, FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
UM, YOU'VE BEEN FANTASTIC, UH, TO THIS GROUP.
AND, UM, JUST A, JUST A HUGE THANK YOU.
VERY HERE ROUND, A SILENT ROUND OF APPLAUSE FROM THE VIRTUAL ATTENDEES.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? YES, THERE'S A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
THE FINAL SET COMMISSION IS ADJOURNED AT 3 55.