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I'M LESLIE POOLE[CALL TO ORDER]
AND I CHAIR THE AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.WE HAD A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING TO CONDUCT VERY BRIEF BUSINESS THIS MORNING.
AND, UH, HAVING SAID THAT AND SEEING THAT I HAVE A QUORUM OF OUR MEMBERSHIP HERE WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS ALLISON ALTER AND JOSE VELASQUEZ, AS WELL AS MYSELF.
UH, I CALL THIS MEETING OF THE AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, UH, TO ORDER ON 9:05 AM UH, WE HAVE TWO,
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TWO SPEAKERS.THEY WILL EACH HAVE TWO MINUTES AND IF THE TWO COULD PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
IF WE COULD TIME TWO SEGMENTS OF TWO MINUTES, THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
AND IF YOU COULD PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELVES AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
UH, MY NAME IS KATHLEEN BUCK AND I THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TODAY.
AND I'M HERE TO ADDRESS THE RESTORATION AND PRESERVATION OF GREEN SPACE NEXT TO THE DAVIS WATER TREATMENT PLANT THAT HAS FALLEN VICTIM TO THE MEDIUM PUMP STATION PROJECT THAT BEGAN IN 2016.
UM, AT AUSTIN WATER'S FIRST PUBLIC MEETING IN 2012.
UH, IT WAS NEVER MENTIONED TO THE NEIGHBORS THAT THE GREEN SPACE WOULD BE ENCROACHED UPON.
IN JANUARY 14TH, THE RESIDENTS BECAME CONCERNED WHEN THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT SHOWED THE EXISTING FENCE LINE MOVING SIGNIFICANTLY INTO THE GREEN SPACE.
AND FOR TWO YEARS, AUSTIN WATER SAID THE SPACE WAS NEEDED FOR INSTALLATION OF DUCT WORK.
THEN FROM 2016 TO 2019, RESIDENTS WERE TOLD THE CAPTURED SPACE WAS NEEDED FOR FOUR MORE YEARS FOR A CONSTRUCTION STAGING AREA.
AND THREE YEARS AFTER THAT, IN 2019, AUSTIN WATER STATED THAT REMOVAL OF THE OLD PUMP STATION WAS REQUIRED BEFORE THE SPACE WOULD BE RESPO RESTORED.
AND THIS NOVEMBER RESIDENTS WERE TOLD IT WOULD BE ABOUT ANOTHER YEAR BEFORE THE GREEN SPACE WOULD BE RESTORED.
EVEN THOUGH IN 1987, CITY RESOLUTION LIMITS AUSTIN WATER TO ONLY TEMPORARILY ENTERING THE GREEN SPACE TO PLACE WATER, WASTEWATER, ELECTRICAL LINES, AND REQUIRES AUSTIN WATER TO MAINTAIN THE GREEN SPACE IS THE RESIDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN THE ONES TRYING TO PROTECT, RESTORE, AND MAINTAIN THIS GREEN SPACE.
I UNDERSTAND THE NECESSITY OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, BUT IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF THOSE PROJECTS ON THE URBAN GREEN SPACES.
SO I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK THIS COMMITTEE THREE THINGS TO ONE, FIND OUT WHY AUSTIN WATER WAS ALLOWED TO CAPTURE THE GREEN SPACE FOR REASONS OTHER THAN THOSE DEFINED IN THE, IN THE RESOLUTION, AND TO BE ABLE TO HOLD ONTO THE CAPTURED SPACE GOING ON SEVEN PLUS YEARS.
TWO, TO ENCOURAGE ALSO WATER TO SPEED UP RESTORING THE GREEN SPACE, INCLUDING GIVING THE RESIDENTS A DETAILED TIMELINE OF THE PHASES LEFT TO BE FINISHED BY MATUSE AND TO CREATE AND INSTALL A LONG-TERM COMPREHENSIVE MAINTENANCE PLAN THAT IT IS ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CURRENT INADEQUATE STANDARDS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP IN THIS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK HERE TODAY.
MY NAME IS PHIL BUCK AND I'M HERE BECAUSE THE DAVIS WATER TREATMENT PLANT CONSTRUCTION PROJECT HAS BEEN SIMPLY A DISASTER FOR RESIDENTS.
IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR WAY TOO LONG.
THE NEIGHBORS FEEL THAT THE GREEN SPACE HAS BEEN RESTORED, SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESTORED LONG AGO.
WE HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT AUSTIN WATER PURPOSEFULLY DELAYED COMPLETION OF THIS PROJECT.
WE ONLY HAVE CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE CURRENTLY, BUT WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR CONCRETE PROOF.
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS, AUSTIN WATER TOLD NEIGHBORS THE PROJECT COULDN'T BE COMPLETED BECAUSE THEY NEEDED THE OLD PUMP STATION AS A BACKUP TO THE QUOTE, UNRELIABLE NEW PUMP STATION, WE NOW KNOW THAT THIS WAS A FARCE AFTER AN EMAIL FROM MY WIFE KATHLEEN, TO COUNCILWOMAN ALTAR, IN WHICH SHE VOICED A CONCERN FOR THE RELIABILITY OF THE PUMP STATION AND INFORMING THE COUNCILWOMAN THAT WE WERE SEEKING HELP FROM KXAN AUSTIN WATER FINALLY CAPITULATED WITH WITHIN JUST A FEW DAYS.
WHILE WE'RE HAPPY THAT NOW THE THEY'RE AGREEING TO TEAR DOWN THE OLD PUMP STATION, WE ARE DISAPPOINTED THAT AUSTIN WATER IS TELLING US THAT IT'LL TAKE ABOUT A YEAR TO RESTORE THE GREEN SPACE.
CONSIDERING WE'RE IN OUR EIGHTH YEAR OF THIS PROJECT, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE 40 MONTHS.
YOU'RE PROBABLY ASKING YOURSELVES WHY WOULD AUSTIN WATER PURPOSELY WANT TO DELAY COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT? WE THINK THE ANSWER LIES IN THESE PICTURES RIGHT HERE ON THIS POSTER.
THE CONTRACTOR MATUSE IS USING A PORTION OF THE GREEN SPACE TO STORE EVERYTHING FROM THEIR HEAVY CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT AND PILES OF DIRT TO OTHER UNSIGHTLY MATERIAL IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.
THIS IS CALLED AN INDUSTRIAL OUTDOOR STORAGE AREA OR IOS AND THEY NORMALLY CHARGE A HEFTY PRICE TO CONTRACTORS.
THE QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD BE ASKING YOURSELVES NOW IS, HOW IS AUSTIN WATER BENEFITING BY ALLOWING MATUS TO USE THIS GREEN SPACE? IS AUSTIN WATER RECEIVING MONEY OR A BETTER DEAL ON OTHER PROJECTS AWARDED TO MATUSE IN EXCHANGE FOR ALLOWING THEM TO USE THE GREEN SPACE? IS THIS ARRANGEMENT SPELLED OUT IN THE CONSTRUCTION
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CONTRACT OR IS THIS A SIDE DEAL? PLEASE HELP ALL THE RESIDENTS BY FINDING THE ANSWER TO THESE QUESTIONS I POSE HERE TODAY.WE APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR WIFE BEING HERE TODAY.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT AFTER WE CONCLUDE THE AUSTIN WATER, IF DIRECTOR WILSON OR A CM GOOD CAN PLEASE MEET WITH THESE NEIGHBORS, UM, ABOUT NEXT STEPS.
SO WE HAVE THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
UM, WE HAVE TWO ITEMS, UH, OF ACTION.
ONE IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF AUGUST 23RD, 2023, THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE OSTER WA AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
AND THEN WE WILL TALK ABOUT ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS TO APPROVE THE 2024 AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULES.
[1. Approve the minutes of the August 23, 2023, regular meeting of the Austin Water Oversight Committee.]
I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER.UH, ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO ADOPTING THESE MINUTES? SEEING NONE.
[2. Approve the 2024 Austin Water Oversight Committee meeting schedule.]
WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULE IS AS FOLLOWS.THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2024.
ALL FOUR MEETINGS, UH, BEGIN AT ONE 30 IN THE AFTERNOON.
UH, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THESE DATES? I THINK THEY'VE ALL BEEN VETTED WITH YOUR OFFICES.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THESE DATES? COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER WITH A SECOND FROM COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ.
ANY DISCUSSION, ANY OBJECTIONS? THESE DATES ARE ADOPTED.
THANK YOU STAFF FOR WORKING WITH, UM, MY STAFF TO GET THESE DATES ORGANIZED AND HOLDING THE SPECIAL CALL MEETING.
THE AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AT NINE 11.