[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER]
AND WE HAVE QUORUM.SO I'M GONNA CALL OUR MEETING TO ORDER.
IT'S NICE TO SEE SO MANY FOLKS HERE IN PERSON AND, AND, UH, ATTENDINGS.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA REALLY QUICKLY SAY WE HAVE KIND OF A LOT ON OUR AGENDA TONIGHT.
SO, AND THIS IS AS MUCH A NOTE TO MYSELF AS ANYBODY ELSE.
UH, WE, WE, WE NEED TO BE, UH, KIND OF EFFICIENT WITH, WITH EACH OF OUR, OF OUR AGENDA ITEMS, OF COURSE, DISCUSSING WHAT'S NEEDED, BUT UM, ALSO GETTING THROUGH THEM SO WE'RE NOT HERE UNTIL SOME UNPLEASANT HOUR.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
GO AHEAD AND I THINK WE DO HAVE SOMEBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.HELLO, MY NAME IS CHARLIE MOSSBERG.
I'M HERE WITH A COUPLE OF MY CLASSMATES FROM ST.
EDWARDS UNIVERSITY CIVICS LAB.
UM, WE JUST WANTED TO TAKE A BRIEF MOMENT AND I'LL MAKE IT QUICK SO I DON'T TAKE UP TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME.
WE WANTED TO TELL YOU ABOUT A PROJECT THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON WITH THE CITY CALLED GET FERTILIZER WISER.
SO GET FERTILIZER WISER IS A CAMPAIGN TO REDUCE FERTILIZER USE IN THE CITY.
UH, THE WAY WE WANT TO DO THAT IS BY, IS A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT METHODS.
SO FIRST PART OF THE PROGRAM IS WE'RE WORKING WITH CITY COUNCIL TO PASS A RESOLUTION THAT'LL PROVIDE A VOUCHER TO HOMEOWNERS IN THE CITY WITH AUSTIN, WITH AUSTIN WATERS, UH, REBATE PROGRAM BUDGET THAT WILL ALLOW HOMEOWNERS TO REPLACE NON-NATIVE WATER AND FERTILIZER INTENSIVE PLANTS WITH NATIVE OR ADAPTABLE PLANTS THAT DON'T REQUIRE FERTILIZER USE AND REQUIRE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS WATERING.
WE ALSO WANT TO ENGAGE IN A CAMPAIGN THAT ST.
EDWARDS UNIVERSITY IS GOING TO BE CONTINUING IN THE LONG TERM TO SORT OF OUT PROVIDE OUTREACH SO THAT PEOPLE IN AUSTIN ARE AWARE THAT THIS PROGRAM EXISTS, AS WELL AS AUSTIN WATERS, OTHER REBATE PROGRAMS THAT ALREADY EXIST AND HAVE VERY LOW USERSHIP.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS TO THE HOMEOWNERS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THIS PROGRAM TO INFORM THEM ABOUT SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPING PRACTICES, REDU, HOW THEY CAN REDUCE THEIR FERTILIZER USE THROUGH NATIVE PLANTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN SURVEY HOMEOWNERS BEFORE THEY START THE PROGRAM, WHILE THEY'RE USING THE PROGRAM, AND AFTER THEY'VE REPLACED THEIR PLANTS, AFTER THEY'VE USED THE VOUCHER TO SEE HOW MUCH FERTILIZER THEY WERE USING BEFORE, HOW MUCH WATER THEY WERE USING BEFORE, AND HOW MUCH THEY'RE USING AFTER TO GAUGE THE PROGRAM'S SUCCESS.
UM, SO YEAH, WE REALLY WANTED TO TELL YOU ABOUT THIS SO YOU WERE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND THEN ALSO SO THAT Y'ALL COULD TAKE SOME TIME, IF YOU CAN, TO THINK ABOUT WAYS THAT, UH, THE CITY AND GROUPS LIKE OURS CAN ENCOURAGE AUSTIN HOMEOWNERS TO USE THESE PROGRAMS. AUSTIN ALREADY HAS SEVERAL, AS I'M SURE MANY OF YOU KNOW, HAS SEVERAL REBATE PROGRAMS THAT ARE FOR SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPING PRACTICES.
AUSTIN WATER HAS A $500,000 BUDGET FOR THESE PROGRAMS AND ONLY USES ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OF IT A YEAR.
SO THERE'S A LARGE BUDGET OPEN FOR THIS BECAUSE THESE PROGRAMS ARE NOT VERY WIDELY KNOWN.
UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT THEY CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE PROGRAMS. UM, SO THE BIGGEST THING WITH THIS IS THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN MAKE AUSTIN HOMEOWNERS AWARE THAT THESE PROGRAMS EXIST SO THEY CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM SO THAT PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT OTHERWISE BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO TAKE OUT NON-NATIVE PLANTS OR TURF GRASSES AND REPLACE THEM WITH NATIVE ONES, THAT'LL ALLOW THEM TO REDUCE THEIR WATER AND FERTILIZER USAGE, KNOW THAT THESE PROGRAMS EXIST, CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM AND LEAD TO AN OVERALL MORE SUSTAINABLE CITY.
SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS Y'ALL HAVE ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
UH, IF NOT, I'LL LET YOU GET ON WITH YOUR, YOUR, UH, MEETING.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, HARRIS? NOT NECESSARILY A QUESTION.
SECOND OF ALL, UH, I'M ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
Y'ALL SHOULD TOTALLY SIGN UP TO SPEAK ABOUT THE PROGRAM THERE TOO.
UH, SECOND HARRIS, GREAT JOB WITH THE IDEA.
HOW DOES THIS, LIKE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE WATER WISE REBATE THAT THE AUSTIN WATER CURRENTLY OFFERS? YEAH, SO, UH, WATERWISE, LIKE I SAID, ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS THAT COULD USE MORE PEOPLE KNOWING ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
SO THIS WOULD BE IN CONJUNCTION WITH WATERWISE.
LIKE AUSTIN WATER PROVIDES A, A LIST OF THE REBATE PROGRAMS THAT THEY OFFER.
WE WOULD WANT THIS PROGRAM TO GO RIGHT THERE WITH IT.
UM, AND THEN IN OUR SORT OF OUTREACH CAMPAIGN, THE OTHER PART THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY CONNECTED
[00:05:01]
TO THE CITY IS THAT ST.EDWARDS IS GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND GETTING PEOPLE INVOLVED DOING EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ON THESE PROGRAMS. AND THAT DOESN'T JUST INCLUDE OUR VOUCHER THAT WE WANT TO GET THE CITY TO IMPLEMENT.
IT INCLUDES WATERWISE PROGRAM, GROW GREEN, ALL OF THESE OTHER VOUCHER AND REBATE PROGRAMS THAT THE CITY HAS.
SO WE REALLY WANT TO GET OUT THERE AND MAKE SURE, SURE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT ALL THESE PROGRAMS, INCLUDING WATERWISE, SO THAT WE CAN REALLY GET PEOPLE USING THEM.
UH, THE, UM, MY BUSINESS REVOLVES AROUND, UH, SOME OF THE WATER REBATES AND IT HAS BEEN TOUGH, UH, TRYING TO GET OUT TO MAKE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE THESE FUNDS AVAILABLE.
SO IT'S A DAUNTING TASK, AND I KNOW AUSTIN WATER DOES A LOT OF PROMOTION AND JUST HARD TO GET TO EVERYWHERE.
SO, UH, I COMMEND YOU ON YOUR EFFORT AND, AND WELCOME ANY COORDINATION OR WHATEVER THAT, UH, WE COULD OR I COULD HELP OUT WITH.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SHARE WITH US.
AND YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I'D BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND, AND TRY TO STRATEGIZE ON HOW TO GET THIS DONE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WORK DOING LINK.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS FROM THE PUBLIC, DO WE? OKAY.
[1. Approval of minutes from the January 24th meeting of the Joint Sustainability Committee.]
UP, UH, IF WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT OUR MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING IN JANUARY.IS EVERYBODY SEEING THOSE? WE WANNA HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
ARE THERE ANY, UH, CONCERNS OR EDITS? ANYBODY NEEDS TO, UH, GET MADE TO THE MINUTES? OKAY.
ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
WAS ANYBODY ABSTAINING OR OPPOSED? OKAY.
SO WE'RE GONNA, UH, DO THE GREEN, WE'RE GONNA DO THINGS A LITTLE BIT OUT OF ORDER.
WE'LL DO THE GREEN STREETS INITIATIVE, UH, DISCUSSION AND PRESENTATION.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION, I THINK, FOR GREEN STREET.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL GO TO ITEM
[2. Discussion on the benefits of adopting and implementing the Great Streets Initiative.]
TWO, AND THEN WE'LL JUMP DOWN TO ITEM 15.AND THEN, UH, WE ARE GONNA, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO SAVE ALL OF OUR, UM, THE UPDATES FROM OUR COMMISSIONS UNTIL THE END, JUST, JUST IN CASE.
SO YOU WANNA COME ON UP AND GIVE YOU A PRESENTATION, KEVIN? ALL RIGHT.
AND THIS IS, IT'S AN HONOR TO BE IN FRONT OF Y'ALL.
UM, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, JOHN ON THE DESIGN COMMISSION RECENTLY, AND, UM, DESIGN COMMISSION, UH, A COLLEAGUE OF MINE, JAN MCCANN, ACTUALLY, UM, UH, PRESENTED TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION ON MONDAY AND GOT APPROVAL FOR THIS, THE SAME THING.
SO WE EXCITED TO CONTINUE THE WORK AND, UM, COLLABORATE WITH Y'ALL.
UM, AM I ABLE TO SHARE MY PRESENTATION HERE OR SHOULD I, YOU CAN ALWAYS ADD ROHAN.
DO YOU? I HAVEN'T PREPARED FOR THAT.
DID YOU SEND IN THE, THE, OH, YEAH, THERE WE GO.
I WOULD NEED COSTUMES, I THINK.
SO, UM, UH, WE ARE CALLING OURSELVES THE GREEN STREETS INITIATIVE.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS, UM, A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE, UH, STARTED IT MAYBE A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, UM, KIND OF COMING FROM DIFFERENT AREAS.
I, UM, WORK, HAVE WORKED IN AUSTIN FOR, UM, UH, ABOUT NINE YEARS OR SO.
UM, AFTER I GRADUATED FROM UT AND I, I HAVE BEEN WORKING IN KIND OF ZONING CODE REFORM, UH, ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS A CONSULTANT.
AND I, I LEFT THAT WORK TO REALLY FOCUS LOCALLY HERE IN AUSTIN.
MY EFFORT, UM, KIND OF STARTED WITH EXPLORATION OF KIND OF, UH, THE AN A I A COMPETITION CALLED FORCE MAJEURE, WHICH IS ABOUT ACTING LOCALLY OR, UM, THINKING GLOBALLY AND ACTING LOCALLY.
AND, UH, MY, MY PROPOSAL WAS AROUND, UH, STREET TREES AND STREETSCAPE ITEMS. SO MY EFFORT TURNED INTO A REALLY BLOATED RESEARCH PAPER THAT MAY BE INFINITELY LONG.
UH, I HOPE TO ALERT YOU ALL TO THAT WHEN IT'S PUBLISHED, UM, IF ANYONE'S REALLY WANTS TO DIVE IN ON THIS.
BUT, UM, UH, I, MY EFFORT MERGED WITH JANA MCCANN, UH, MCCANN ADAMS STUDIO, UH, WHO HAD BEEN MEETING WITH PEOPLE THAT WERE REALLY LOOKING FOR A LOT OF URBAN DESIGN LEADERSHIP IN THE CITY TO OVERCOME SOME OF THE BARRIERS TO, UH, TO A LOT OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
[00:10:01]
AND OTHER, UM, STREET SCAPES AND PUBLIC REALM ISSUES.UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY SEE, UM, STREET TREES AS KIND OF THIS, UM, KEYSTONE SORT OF ISSUE IN OUR PUBLIC, OUR PUBLIC REALM, AND MAKING IT MORE SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE AND, UH, MAKING AUSTIN, UM, BETTER IN THE FUTURE.
UM, SO, UM, I'LL JUST START WITH KIND OF THIS FIRST SLIDE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE NOTICED.
UM, IT'S, IT'S ONLY GETTING HOTTER.
UM, AND BY 2050, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO EXPERIENCE ABOUT THREE MONTHS OF THE YEAR WITH HEAT INDEX OVER A HUNDRED DEGREES.
UM, SO LAST SUMMER WAS BRUTAL, BUT IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE WORSE.
AND IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SIDEWALKS WEREN'T PLEASANT THIS SUMMER.
UM, WE ALSO, UH, HAVE THE ISSUE OF, YOU KNOW, THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT IS NOT ONLY A REGIONAL SORT OF ISSUE AFFECTING URBAN PLACES VERSUS RURAL PLACES.
IT'S ALSO ABOUT MICROCLIMATES.
THE, UM, THE HARDSCAPES OF OUR, OF OUR STREETS AND OUR PARKING LOTS REALLY CAPTURE A LOT OF THE HEAT AND RELEASE IT BACK, UH, UH, INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.
AND, AND IMMEDIATELY, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, INTO THE ENVIRONMENTS SURROUNDING OUR BODIES AS WE WERE WALKING ALONG, SIDEWALKS AND BIKING ON STREETS AND, UM, AND, AND TO A LESSER DEGREE DRIVING.
UM, SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THIS MAP HERE IS REALLY ABOUT HOW IT KIND OF SHOWS HOW THE HEAT, THE EXTREME HEAT IN THE CITY REALLY FOLLOWS THE RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, THIS IS ALSO THE PLACE IN THE CITY THAT MOST OF US EXPERIENCE THE CITY AND, AND, AND THE ENVIRONMENT, UM, THAT WE WEIGH AND WHEN WE'RE MAKING OUR DECISIONS ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA GET AROUND THE CITY.
AND SO THIS HAS, YOU KNOW, UH, A VERY OUTSIZED IMPACT WHEN, WHEN WE'RE COMPARING THIS TO, LET'S SAY, PRIVATE YARDS.
UM, UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, AUSTIN HAS, AND, AND THE COUNTRY HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING KIND AN EPIDEMIC OF KIND OF, UM, STREET SAFETY ISSUES, UH, RELATED TO, UH, VEHICLES AND, AND INTERACTIONS WITH PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLES ESPECIALLY.
UM, AND THAT THOSE TRENDS KEEP GETTING WORSE.
UM, UH, AUSTIN STREETS ARE, WERE DEADLIER IN 2022, UM, THAN ANY OTHER YEAR IN RECORDED HISTORY.
UM, AND THE IMPACTS OF, OF BOTH THE EXTREME HEAT AND OF THE DANGEROUS ROADWAYS ARE INE EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTED.
UM, YOU CAN SEE, UM, A MAP UP HERE.
UH, IT'S PRETTY KIND OF SHOCKING TO SEE KIND OF THE TREE CANOPY COVER AND HOW THAT VARIES FROM THE EAST SIDE TO THE WEST SIDE.
THERE'S ALSO SOME, UH, ECOLOGICAL REGIONS AT PLAY HERE.
BUT REGARDLESS, THE IMPACT IS THE SAME THAT FOLKS THAT LIVE ON THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN, UH, ARE EXPERIENCING FAR LESS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF, OF CANOPY COVER THAN THE FOLKS ARE ON THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, OUR STREETS TEND TO BE MORE DANGEROUS.
AND, UH, THE INCIDENTS OF, UH, SERIOUS INJURY AND DEATH, UH, FOR PEDESTRIANS, UH, SPECIFICALLY IN THIS, UH, 2019 TO 2022 PERIOD WERE INCREDIBLY, UM, WEIGHTED TOWARDS BLACK AND AFRICAN AMERICAN AUSTIN AUSTINITES AND AMERICAN INDIAN, OR ALASKAN NATIVE AUSTINITES.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS IS JUST, YOU KNOW, 40, UH, UH, UH, FOR BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN AUSTINITES, IT WAS 29 TO, TO, UH, TO ONE, UM, COMPARED TO TO WHITE AUSTINITES.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S PRETTY INEQUITABLE.
UM, THE, YOU KNOW, THE GREAT THING IS WE HAVE, UH, THE INVENTION TO SOLVE IT ALL.
IT'S NOT EXACTLY A SOLAR BULLET, BUT IT GETS PRETTY CLOSE.
UM, STREET TREES ACTUALLY CREATE THIS MICROCLIMATE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY THAT WE, THAT WE NEED TO REDUCE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE ENVIRONMENTS BY UP TO 10 DEGREES.
UM, AND THIS IS BOTH THROUGH SHADE OF APO TRANSPIRATION, ESSENTIALLY ACTING AS A SWAMP COOLER, UH, USING THE, THE SUN'S ENERGY TO PROVIDE US SORT OF A COOLING EFFECT ON, UH, RIGHT WHERE WE NEED IT MOST.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, STREET TREES ARE SHOWN BY NUMEROUS, UH, UH, RESEARCH PAPERS TO, TO REDUCE THE TRAVEL SPEED, UH, OF, UH, MOTOR VEHICLES AND REDUCE, THEREFORE THE FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY OF THEIR, OF CRASHES.
UM, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE EXPERIENCING BOTH A, UM, A STREET SAFETY ISSUE AND CLIMATE ISSUE, AND WE CAN SOLVE IT WITH A VERY LOW TECH SOLUTION.
UM, THE CHALLENGE IS THERE ARE A HUGE NUMBER OF BARRIERS TO STREET TREES.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN TREATING OUR RIGHT OF WAYS AS PRIMARILY DESIGNED FOR CARS AND FOR PIPES, UH, FOR THE LAST 80 OR SO YEARS, MAYBE MORE.
UM, AND SO THE WAY THAT WE HAVE, UM, THE WAY THAT WE THINK ABOUT THE STREETS HASN'T REALLY EVOLVED TO ADDRESS OUR, OUR CURRENT SITUATION.
UM, AND SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES IS THAT WE REALLY DON'T REQUIRE STREET TREES ON MOST STREETS FOR, UM, EITHER PUBLIC OR PRIVATE PROJECTS.
UH, MY ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT ABOUT 3% OF STREETS IN THE ENTIRE CITY HAVE A STREET TREE REQUIREMENT, AND THAT'S ONLY FOR THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE COMMERCIAL REDEVELOPMENT.
UM, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, A FULL REMODEL, UH, A MASSIVE SITE MODIFICATIONS.
UM, SO IT'S REALLY A VERY, VERY SMALL MINORITY OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE STREET TREES.
[00:15:01]
AN URBAN DESIGNER AND, UH, DEVELOPMENT REP FOR AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT, WHICH REALLY, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THOSE TWO THINGS TOGETHER, OF COURSE, I'M GONNA WANT STREET TREES.I'VE BEEN PUSHING FOR IT FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS.
UM, AND I'VE, UH, UNDER, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A PLACE WHERE THEY'RE REQUIRED.
AND THE BURDEN WAS INCREDIBLE.
IT WAS, I, UH, I WAS ALMOST UNABLE TO CONVINCE THE DEVELOPER AND THE CIVIL ENGINEER TO PURSUE IT DUE TO THE MA, UH, MASSIVE SORT OF, UM, BARRIERS THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT KIND OF MOVING HERE FORWARD.
AND THE CHALLENGE, UM, YOU KNOW, PARTIALLY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR CIVIL ENGINEERS AND, AND DEVELOPERS AREN'T, AREN'T, UM, EVEN IF THEY WOULD WANT TO, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT BECAUSE OF THESE, THESE BARRIERS THAT I'LL, I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A MOMENT.
BUT, UM, THERE ARE SOME, THERE, THERE ARE, UM, ALTERNATIVES TO PROVIDING STREET TREES THAT ARE, ARE MUCH EASIER TO ACHIEVE THAN ACTUALLY PERMITTING A STREET TREE TO BE PLANTED IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
SO ALTERNATIVE EQUIVALENT COMPLIANCE IS ONE OF THESE METHODS.
A LOT OF TIMES THAT MEANS THE STREET TREE'S PLANTED ON THE PRIVATE SIDE DOESN'T ALLOW FOR A LOT OF THE MOBI MOBILITY BENEFITS OF HAVING A TREE BETWEEN YOU AND, AND MOVING TRAFFIC.
UM, ANOTHER IS THAT WE GET SOME SORT OF, UH, AWNINGS OR CANOPIES THAT DON'T PROVIDE A LOT OF THE EVAPOTRANSPIRATION OR THE MOBILITY BENEFITS.
UM, SO E EVEN, UH, E EVEN MORE, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S MORE OFTEN, BUT FREQUENTLY ALSO, UH, WE'RE ABLE TO SHOW CONFLICTS WITH UTILITIES AND THEREFORE ACHIEVE A WAIVER AND NOT PROVIDE ANYTHING AT ALL.
SO THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE REGULATIONS ARE SPARSE AND IT'S FAR EASIER TO NOT COMPLY WITH THE REGULATION THAN TO COMPLY WITH IT.
UM, THE, ANOTHER BARRIER IS THE, UH, CRITERIA MANUALS, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE RULES.
UM, THESE ARE, UH, A SET OF OFTENTIMES ENGINEERING RULES OR KIND OF DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC RULES THAT ARE BUILT TO, UM, THE INTENT IS TO IMPLEMENT THE CODE AND THE, AND, UM, THEY'RE, BUT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO NOT SUPERSEDE, BUT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO KINDA GO INTO FURTHER DEPTH.
UM, THE TRUTH IS, IS, UH, THESE CRITERIA MANUALS ARE DEVELOPED BY SPECIFIC DEPARTMENTS WITH THEIR DEPARTMENTAL SILOS AND THEIR BLINDERS TO THEIR PARTICULAR EXPERTISE AND INTERESTS.
UM, THIS MEANS THAT, UM, YOU, YOU CAN KINDA ACTUALLY SEE SOME OF THE, THE DIAGRAMS, UH, UP ON THIS SLIDE.
THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT FROM ME, THESE ARE FROM, UH, DWG.
THEY PRODUCE THE, THIS ANALYSIS AS PART OF A, UM, THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM OFFICE, UM, UH, STREET TREE MANUAL.
UM, BUT IT SHOWS KIND OF, UH, THE, WE HAVE A NINE FOOT SEPARATION BETWEEN UNDERGROUND UTILITIES AND, UH, THE EDGE OF A, OF A TREE WHERE, UM, MOST PLACES IT'S FIVE, FIVE FEET.
AND, AND BEST PRACTICE IS ACTUALLY TO UNDERSTAND HOW A TREE GROWS AND KNOW THAT A STREET TREE DOESN'T GO BELOW MORE THAN TWO TO THREE FEET BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE SOIL.
AND MOST OF OUR PIPES ARE ABOUT FOUR FEET.
UM, AND THEREFORE, THERE ACTUALLY IS NO CONFLICT.
SO THESE, THESE, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE STANDARDS THAT WE HAVE ARE REALLY KIND OF, UM, THEY'RE SILOED.
THEY'RE VERY KIND OF FOCUSED ON VERY PARTICULAR INTEREST ABOUT THE EASE OF MAINTENANCE, UH, OF CERTAIN UTILITIES, AND POTENTIALLY SOME OF THE, THE POLITICAL RE REPERCUSSIONS OF BEING SEEN AS TAKING DOWN TREES.
UM, AND SO WHAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, UH, THESE, THESE RULES ARE CONFLICTING WITH STREET TREES.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE KIND OF TRIGGERING CASE BY CASE REVIEW OF STREET TREES, UM, WHEN IT SHOULD BE KINDA A STREAMLINED PROCESS.
UM, UH, BEYOND THAT, WE HAVE, UH, PROBABLY ONE OF THE, THE HARDEST CHALLENGES TO OVERCOME IS THE LICENSE AGREEMENT.
UM, JUST IN MY OWN, UH, EXAMPLE, THE LICENSE AGREEMENT PROCESS JUST FOR THE ADDITIONAL, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE WORK FROM OUR CIVIL ENGINEER TO GET THE PERMITS THROUGH WAS GOING TO COST 'EM LIKE $30,000.
UM, THIS WAS ZERO BENEFIT TO ANYBODY ELSE.
WE'RE ALREADY PROVIDING THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE MAINTENANCE AND IRRIGATION FOR THESE THINGS.
THIS IS JUST TO PUR TO PURSUE THE LEGAL DOCUMENT, UH, WITH THE CITY.
UM, IT IS A PROCESS THAT TAKES ONE TO TWO YEARS.
UM, OFTENTIMES THIS JEOPARDIZES AN APPROVED SITE, ALREADY APPROVED SITE PLAN, UM, BECAUSE THE, UM, THE SITE PLAN, AS WELL AS THE LICENSE AGREEMENT HAVE A DUPLICATIVE REVIEW OF ABOUT 40 DIFFERENT REVIEWS FOR A STREET TREE DONE BY ABOUT 20 DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
UM, THESE, UH, UNDER THE LICENSE AGREEMENT, IT IS NOT THE SAME REVIEWER THAT REVIEWS IT FOR THE SITE PLAN.
AND SO YOU HAVE THIS TWO DIFFERENT REVIEWERS FROM THE SAME DEPARTMENT WITH VARYING INTER INTERPRETATIONS, AND IT IS ON THE PRIVATE DEVELOPER TO RESOLVE THOSE CONFLICTS.
UM, AND SO IT, IT REALLY DOES POSE A LOT OF RISK THAT IS UNNECESSARY.
AND I'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE SOLUTIONS.
THIS IS VERY, A VERY, VERY UNCOMMON PROCEDURE IN MOST CITIES.
UM, THE, THERE ARE BARRIERS TO COST.
UM, PLANTING A TREE IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS IS ACTUALLY NOT VERY EXPENSIVE.
THE ADMINISTRATIVE COST AND THE OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE REVIEW AND THE DOCUMENTATION BY THE CIVIL ENGINEER IS VERY EXPENSIVE, BUT EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE OFTEN IS MOVING UTILITIES.
UM, UTILITIES HAVE NOT BEEN, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY IN AUSTIN, UTILITIES HAVE NOT BEEN PARTICULARLY COORDINATED AND DEFINITELY NOT COORDINATED FOR FUTURE STREET TREES.
UM, AND SO OFTENTIMES WE DO SEE UNDERGROUND CONFLICTS.
UM, SO MOVING UTILITIES CAN BE EXPENSIVE AND SOMETIMES, UH, FAR TOO BURDENSOME FOR SMALL PROJECTS, AND IT WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE FOR THEM TO HAVE TO MOVE A WHOLE UTILITY LINE TO PUT IN A SMALL APARTMENT
[00:20:01]
BUILDING, FOR EXAMPLE.UM, SO THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S CERTAIN PROJECTS THAT WE REALLY NEED HERE IN AUSTIN THAT REALLY CAN'T HANDLE ADDIT, UH, ADDITIONAL COSTS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS, PROJECTS THAT PROVIDE A LOT OF OTHER PUBLIC BENEFITS LIKE, UH, THAT LIKE WE'RE LIKELY TO SEE WITH ETOD PROJECTS.
UM, AND SO WE, WE NEED TO BE KIND OF SENSITIVE TO THOSE COST IMPLICATIONS.
ANOTHER BIG BARRIER, UH, THAT WE'RE SEEING IS LE LEADERSHIP.
RIGHT NOW, THE RIGHT OF WAY IS REGULATED BY A WIDE NUMBER OF, OF AGENCIES, UH, WITH CONFLICTING INTERESTS AND KIND OF OVERLAPPING JURISDICTION.
YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THIS IS A DIAGRAM DIAGRAM FOR, FROM, UH, PORTLAND BUREAU OF TRANSPORTATION.
UH, THERE'S A VERY ALMOST IDENTICAL DIAGRAM FROM NEW YORK.
UM, THIS IS A, THIS IS THE CASE ALMOST EVERYWHERE.
A LOT OF, UH, PLACES ARE ESTABLISHING PUBLIC REALM OFFICERS AT A HIGHER LEVEL TO, TO BE ABLE TO ARBITRATE AND OVERRULE AND, AND MAKE OPT, YOU KNOW, AND MAKE BETTER USE AND OPTIMIZE OUR RIGHT OF WAYS TO BALANCE ALL OF THE INTERESTS AND BENEFITS.
UM, RIGHT NOW, IT ESSENTIALLY, IT'S IT'S LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR.
UM, IT IS UP TO ANY UTILITY TO SAY, NO, YOU CAN'T HAVE THE TREE.
UM, YOU CAN GO GET A WAIVER FROM YOUR STREET TREE REQUIREMENT, BUT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, IF YOU WANTED A STREET TREE, KNIGHT CAN'T HAVE IT BECAUSE THE UTILITY SAYS THEY DON'T WANT IT.
THESE RULES ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES ARE, UM, ARE COMING FROM THOSE, THE ISSUES OF THE CRITERIA MANUALS LIKE I SPOKE OF, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE WRITTEN IN A SLIGHTLY ARBITRARY WAY, UM, THAT KIND OF ACCENTUATES THIS ISSUE.
UM, BUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DEPARTMENTAL SILOS ARE REALLY KIND OF LIMITING US HERE.
WE'RE NOT REALLY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE, THE RESOURCES AND OUR ASSETS THAT WE HAVE AS A CITY.
UM, SO SOLUTIONS, THE GREEN STREETS INITIATIVE, THIS HAS REALLY, THIS HAS BEEN THE CULMINATION OF A LOT OF RESEARCH THAT I'VE DONE, UM, UH, UH, IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UM, WE'VE WORKED WITH AN LBJ, UH, COHORT TO, TO DO RESEARCH AROUND THESE, LOOKING INTO PEER CITIES AND HOW THINGS ARE DONE ELSEWHERE.
UM, MY, MYSELF AND MY STAFF HAVE BEEN WORKING AT THIS A LONG TIME, AND I'M, I HAVE QUITE A BIT OF EXPERIENCE IN DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS AND THE SYSTEM SIDE OF ALL OF THIS.
AND SO THIS IS COMING FROM KIND OF THAT CONSULTANT BACKGROUND THAT I HAVE.
UM, BUT, UH, IT'S ALSO KIND OF THROUGH A BUNCH OF INTERVIEWS WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE INTERACTING WITH THE SYSTEM AND INCLUDING STAFF AND, AND POLICY MAKERS.
SO, UM, FIRST OF ALL, UH, THE SOLUTION TO THE PROCESS ISSUE IS, IS A LIMITED, THE LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR STREET TREES.
UM, THIS IS NOT A REQUIREMENT ELSEWHERE, UH, IN THE COUNTRY.
THE ONLY OTHER, UM, EXAMPLE THAT I HAVE COME UP ACROSS IS DALLAS, UM, WHICH IS NOT IN MY MIND A GREAT EXEMPLARY OF, OF STREET TREE POLICY.
UM, UH, PLACES LIKE SEATTLE, UH, PORTLAND, SAN FRANCISCO, MINNEAPOLIS, WHO ACTUALLY HAVE A BETTER, A LONGER HISTORY OF STREET TREES IN, UH, IN THEIR CITY AND HAVE MUCH BETTER POLICIES AROUND THIS.
UM, THEY ESSENTIALLY HAVE ALREADY A, A CODIFIED ALL OF THE NEEDS THAT ARE, THAT ARE BAKED INTO THE LICENSE AGREEMENT INTO THEIR MUNICIPAL CODE.
ESSENTIALLY, IT IS PART OF CODE THAT SAYS THE ABUTTING PROPERTY OWNERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE STREET TREES AND THE SIDEWALK.
THIS IS STANDARD ALMOST ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
AND, YOU KNOW, SNOWY CLIMATES, IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, SHOVEL, SHOVEL, SIDEWALKS, ET CETERA.
UM, THERE ARE ISSUES WITH THIS.
PORTLAND ESPECIALLY HAS ENCOUNTERED THAT THERE ARE SOME EQUITY ISSUES HERE.
LIKE, PEOPLE WHO ARE PHYSICALLY UNABLE OR FINANCIALLY UNABLE TO MAINTAIN STREET TREES ARE OFTENTIMES SAYING, PLEASE DON'T PLANT THEM HERE.
'CAUSE I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT.
I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO PAY FOR ANY IMPLICATIONS THAT HAS TO MAINTAIN MY SIDEWALK.
UM, AND SO THEY HAVE ACTUALLY CREATED PUBLIC PROGRAMS, UM, TO HELP SUPPORT THE MAINTENANCE IRRIGATION AND, UH, FOR SPECIFIC AREAS THAT NEED THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY AS NEEDING THAT SUPPORT RATHER THAN PERFORM THAT FOR THE ENTIRE CITY, WHICH IS, AUSTIN'S CURRENT APPROACH IS THAT ALL PUBLIC TREES ARE THE PUBLIC WORKS' RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN.
EVERYWHERE ELSE I TALKED TO, I, I TOLD THEM THIS, AND THEY SAID, LIKE, HOW DO YOU DO IT? AND I SAID, WE DON'T
I DID THIS AS MY DAY JOB FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS.
UM, YOU REQUIRE THEM, UM, FOR ALL PROJECTS.
UM, ALL LAND USES, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL INCLUDED.
YEAH, WE DON'T NEED TO TREAT THEM SPECIAL.
THEY CAN ACTUALLY PROVIDE TREES JUST THE SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE.
UM, MAYBE THERE IS SOME, SOME CHANGE IN HOW THEIR IRRIGATION STANDARDS NEED TO APPLY, BECAUSE NOT EVERY SINGLE FAMILY HOME HAS AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM.
UM, IN PORTLAND, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THE REQUIREMENT FOR STREET TREES APPLIES TO ALL SINGLE FAMILY, INDUSTRIAL, EVERY SINGLE, UH, EVERY SINGLE, UM, USE.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT'S EVERY SINGLE, ALMOST EVERY SINGLE, UM, DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY.
SO THAT MEANS THAT THEIR, CURRENTLY, THEIR THRESHOLD IS, I THINK, $25,000.
IF YOU INVEST $25,000 IN YOUR PROPERTY, YOU HAVE TO BE PUTTING IN STREET TREES TOO.
THEY SAID THAT THIS IS OUT OF DATE, AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT REVISING THIS.
'CAUSE THIS IS, THAT'S JUST TOO MUCH.
YOU DO, UH, INTERIOR BATHROOM REMODEL, UH, REMODEL, AND YOU'RE ALREADY OUT THERE PUTTING IN STREET TREES, RIGHT? SO, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S A GRAY AREA HERE, LIKE WE CAN FIND THE RIGHT TRIGGERS.
MAYBE IT'S AFTER YOU'VE ADDED 850 SQUARE FEET OF, UM, FLOOR AREA, YOU HAVE TO PUT IN STREET TREES.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A MEDIUM SIZED A DU.
[00:25:01]
THAT WE DON'T NEED IT.OR MAYBE IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THE RIGHT LEVEL OF INVESTMENT AT THAT POINT.
AND THERE'S WAYS TO REALLY CALIBRATE THIS AND GET THIS RIGHT.
UM, AS FAR AS THE RULES, WE NEED TO REFORM THE CRITERIA, MANUAL RULES TO ELIMINATE THE BARRIERS TO PLANTING STREET TREES.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME STEPS, UH, FORWARD IN THIS EFFORT.
UM, THE COUNCIL HAS ESTABLISHED THE TARP OF WHICH I'M A MEMBER.
UH, WE'VE GOT A LOT COMING BEFORE US, I THINK.
AND THE, THE, THE, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE TARP, BUT THEY'RE REVIEWING ALL NEW CRITERIA, MANUAL RULES THAT ARE BEING, UM, PROPOSED BY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AGAINST COUNCIL PRIORITIES, PLANS AND GOALS.
UM, AND SO, UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A HUGE BACKLOG IS THE PROBLEM IS THAT A LOT OF THESE DEVELOP THESE, UM, CRITERIA MANUALS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED WITHOUT THAT PERSPECTIVE.
AND THEY'VE BEEN REALLY FOCUSED ON, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE MAINTAIN OUR OVERHEAD POWER LINES IN THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY POSSIBLE, RATHER THAN BALANCING OUR PRIOR, OUR PRIORITIES HERE.
SO, UM, THAT NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.
AND A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GET OUT REALLY QUICKLY ARE THE SEPARATION REQUIREMENTS FOR STREET TREES AND PROTECTING UTILITIES RATHER THAN RESTRICTING ROOT ZONES.
UM, THAT'S, IT'S GONNA HAVE A LOT OF OUTSIZED IMPACT FOR OUR, THE HEALTH OF OUR, OUR URBAN CANOPY, UM, STANDARDIZATION.
UM, WE NEED TO ADOPT A STREET TREE STANDARD DETAILS, SPECIFICATIONS AND PRODUCT LISTS.
THIS IS, THIS ESSENTIALLY CONSTITUTES A PRE-APPROVED SET OF DESIGNS FOR STREET TREES THAT ARE APPROVED BY ALL OF THE AGENCIES, JUST LIKE A DRIVEWAY, RIGHT? THERE'S TWO TYPES OF DRIVEWAY.
IF YOU SAY, I'M DOING TYPE ONE, NO ONE HAS TO LOOK AT IT EXCEPT FOR YOUR ZONING REVIEWER, RIGHT? WE CAN DO THE SAME THING FOR STREET TREES.
A ZONING REVIEWER CAN LOOK AT IT AND SAY YOU'RE DOING A TYPE THREE, SOMEONE HAS VALIDATED WHERE YOUR UTIL UH, WHERE THE LOCATION OF THE UTILITIES ARE.
UM, THAT SORT OF STREAMLINE, UH, STANDARDIZATION COULD REALLY IMPROVE THE SITUATION AND HELP SUPPORT THE, THE LACK OF THE LICENSE AGREEMENT ESPECIALLY.
UM, PART OF THAT IS, UM, WE'VE COVERED MOST OF THIS IN PREVIOUS SECTIONS, SO I'LL, I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
THESE ARE THERE, THERE'S SOME OVERLAP HERE.
UH, FUNDING, WE THINK THAT, UM, THERE ARE PLENTY OF, UH, PLACES WHERE FUNDING WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR THIS SORT OF THING.
THE DSD UM, TREE MITIGATION FUND FOR, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IS A GROWING, UH, FUND.
AND AS WE GET MORE DENSITY, ESPECIALLY IN SINGLE FAMILY, FAMILY PROPERTIES WHERE THERE ARE A LOT OF TREES TODAY, UM, THOSE, THE LOCK LOSS OF TREES FOR DENSITY, THERE ARE GONNA HAVE TO BE MITIGATED.
WHAT BETTER PLACE, UH, IN OUR PUBLIC REALM WHERE EVERYBODY CAN ENJOY THE BENEFITS? UM, ADDITIONALLY, UH, I THINK COUNCIL IS CONSIDERING A CLIMATE BOND, UM, WHICH WOULD BE A PERI A PERFECT USE.
UH, PUTTING STREET TREES IN OUR, UH, MOBILITY BOND PROJECTS, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE CORRIDOR PROJECTS, UM, WOULD BE A REALLY GREAT USE.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF OTHER FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED, BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT SMART HOUSING PROJECTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AREN'T HAVING UNDUE BURDEN BECAUSE OF THIS.
AND THEN ALSO THAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING SOME OF OUR, UM, PUBLIC SUB SUBSIDIES IN THIS WAY AROUND TRANSIT CORRIDORS AND PLACES WHERE, UH, IN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE AND, AND HAVE SEEN KIND OF THE LEAST INVESTMENT PREVIOUSLY.
UM, 'CAUSE THAT'S, AS YOU SAW ON THE MAP EARLIER, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE REALLY MISSING THE TREE CANOPY IN THOSE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES.
FINALLY, AND PROBABLY THE, THE HARDEST TO ACHIEVE, UH, IS LEADERSHIP.
UM, WE WOULD, WE WOULD LIKE FOR THERE TO BE A CITY MANAGER LEVEL PUBLIC REALM OFFICER, JUST LIKE THEY HAVE IN BOSTON AND NEW YORK, UM, AND SOME OTHER CITIES WITH, TO, TO VARYING SUCCESS.
BUT THOSE TWO ARE REALLY EXEMPLARY, UM, TO, UH, BE OUTSIDE OF THE DEPARTMENTAL SILOS AND EXIST AT THE CITY MANAGER LEVEL, AND THEREFORE HAVE AUTHORITY TO MAKE THESE CALLS, UM, AND NOT, AND, AND, AND HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY AND THE PERSPECTIVE OF OPTIMIZING OUR PUBLIC RIGHT RIGHTS AWAY FOR PUBLIC BENEFITS AND NOT JUST FOR CONVENIENT MAINTENANCE OF UTILITIES AND, UH, HIGH SPEED, UM, MOVING TRAFFIC AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
SORRY, THAT WAS LONGER THAN I THOUGHT.
SO THE, THE NEXT STEPS ARE WE ARE GOING TO COUNSEL ON MARCH 21ST.
UM, THIS IS GONNA BE CALLED THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE RESOLUTION.
UM, IT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE BROAD THAN STREET TREES.
IT'S ALSO LOOKING TO GET INTO STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY USING, UH, OTHER TYPES OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND, UH, IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS WHERE STREET TREES AREN'T AVAIL, YOU KNOW, AREN'T POSSIBLE OR IN OTHER PARTS OF THE RIGHT WAY WHERE STREET TREES DON'T BELONG, UM, OR, OR IN PLACES WHERE STREET TREES AND THE STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE ARE COMPATIBLE.
UM, SO THIS IS, I'VE UPDATED THIS A BIT.
I
UM, THIS WILL BE AN ONGOING, UH, EFFORT.
AFTER THE RESOLUTION HAPPENS AND HOPEFULLY HAS PASSED, UM, STAFF WILL START TO PURSUE INVESTIGATING A LOT OF THESE THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, BUT WE'RE REALLY GONNA KIND OF HAVE TO STAY, UH, ENGAGED IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THESE GOALS ARE ACHIEVED.
IT'S NOT EXPLICITLY, YOU KNOW, EX EXPLORE THESE ITEMS, UH, IN, IN SUPPORT OF THESE GOALS.
THE GOALS ARE STILL TO BE ESTABLISHED, UM, AS PART OF, UH, STAFF'S,
[00:30:01]
UM, REVIEW OF THESE ITEMS. SO WE ARE ASKING FOR LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR THE RESOLUTION.UH, WE WOULD, WE'D BE HONORED IF YOU WOULD, WOULD SUPPORT IT.
UM, OUR, WE HAVE, WE HAVE A TEMPLATE LETTER OF SUPPORT THAT REALLY IDENTIFIES THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SUPPORT IT IN FAVOR OF THESE GOALS.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO IT IF YOU CHOOSE TO, TO SUPPORT THIS, UM, AND, AND CUSTOMIZE IT HOWEVER YOU'D LIKE.
UM, SECOND, UH, IF YOU ARE, ARE OPEN TO IT, UM, BEING BECOMING OFFICIAL SUPPORTERS OF THE GREEN STREETS INITIATIVE WOULD MEAN A LOT.
UM, UH, BUT I'LL LEAVE IT THERE AND IF YOU, UH, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, UM, COMMENTS, ANYTHING, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, DOES ANYBODY HAVE QUESTIONS? I HAVE A COUPLE LOGISTICAL ONES, BUT YEAH, HARRIS, I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A QUESTION.
I WAS JUST MAKING THE COMMENT THAT I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I COME FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
WE LOVE THE TREES, RIGHT? SHOUT OUT THE TREES.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE NOT PRESENTING, THEY'RE ALREADY, YOU KNOW, I CAN CONNECT YOU WITH OUR STAFF THERE SO YOU CAN TRY TO GET ON ONE OF THE AGENDAS IN MARCH.
YEAH, WE, WE WOULD LOVE IT IF, IF WE COULD, IF YOU COULD JUST COULD TAKE THIS INFORMATION TO ALL OF YOUR COMMISSIONS, UM, WE'D BE HAPPY TO PRESENT AT, AT ALL OF THEM.
UM, YOU'RE RIGHT, I CAN PROBABLY JUST FORWARD THE SLIDES TO THEM.
YEAH, IF YOU, I MEAN, IF, IF YOU THINK THAT'S ENOUGH, IF IT'S NOT, THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS, MORE THAN HAPPY TO SHOW UP AND, AND, AND KIND OF TALK TO EVERYBODY ABOUT IT.
I'LL PROBABLY STAFF Y'ALL COULD JUST FORWARD THE INFORMATION THEN.
I CAN TRY AND MAKE SOME STUFF HAPPEN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
IT WAS, UH, VERY INFORMATIVE AND I THINK YOU'LL FIND A ROOM FULL OF TREE SUPPORTERS, UM, IN HERE.
I DO WANNA ASK A LITTLE BIT, UH, FOR A LITTLE CLARIFICATION AROUND THE LICENSE AGREEMENT.
UM, CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHO ARE THE PARTIES TO THAT AGREEMENT? I, I NOTICED ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WAS ELIMINATING THAT.
SO WHO'S BENEFITING FROM THIS LI LICENSE AGREEMENT? UM, AND WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF ELIMINATING IT? MM-HMM,
I'D JUST LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT PIECE A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO, UM, THE LICENSE AGREEMENT IS USED FOR A NUMBER OF THINGS RIGHT NOW.
A LOT OF THEM ARE TEMPORARY SORT OF OBJECTS IN THE RIGHT OF WAY THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR CONSTRUCTION.
FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE IF YOU HAVE A CRANE OR SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, YOU HAVE TO GET A LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR THAT.
YOU HAVE TO CARRY, UM, LIABILITY INSURANCE WITH THE, WITH, UH, THE CITY AS AN ADDITIONAL, UM, CLAIMANT.
UM, UH, THERE'S AN, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A MEETS AND BOUNDS SURVEY AND THIS SORT OF THING.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A BIT OF SORT OF DOCUMENTATION THAT'S INVOLVED FOR, UH, FOR ALL OF THEM.
UM, BUT IN ADDITION TO SORT OF LIKE TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION ITEMS, RETAINING WALLS, THAT SORT OF THING, THAT ARE, THAT ARE REALLY KIND OF TEMPORARY IN NATURE.
WE ARE ALSO IDENTIFYING STREET TREES AND OTHER STREET SCAPE ELEMENTS LIKE, UH, BENCHES, WATER FOUNTAINS, UM, STREET TREES AS TEMPORARY ITEMS IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, OR GROUPING THEM IN THE SAME CATEGORY.
UM, THEY'RE SAYING THAT, UH, THEY NEED THIS INSURANCE COVERAGE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT A STANDARD STREETS SCAPE ITEM.
THEY'RE NOT A STANDARD ITEM IN THE RIGHT OF WAY AND THEREFORE NEED, UM, THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO BE COVERED FOR LIABILITY.
AND, UM, THE COMMERCIAL LIABILITY INSURANCE NEEDS TO KICK IN BEFORE THE CITY IS LIABLE FOR ANYTHING.
AND, UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF IT.
UH, THAT SORT OF THING DOESN'T EXIST FOR DRIVEWAYS, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, BUT YOU CAN IMAGINE, UH, IF A TREE LOSES A LIMB AND IT HITS A CAR, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CITY REALLY DOESN'T WANT TO HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT.
THEY WANT THE, THE, UM, PRIVATE DEVELOPER, UM, TO THAT PUT THE STREET TREE IN TO PAY FOR THAT, THAT, UM, SORT OF DAMAGE.
UM, IF SOMEBODY DRIVES OFF A ROAD AND HITS A TREE THEY WANT, THEY DON'T WANNA BE HELD LIABLE FOR THAT.
SO IN A LOT OF WAYS, I THINK IT'S A PROTECTIVE MEASURE AND THE CITY WANTS TO, YOU KNOW, UH, SAVE AS MANY OF HIS RESOURCES TO, TO USE ON THINGS THAT AREN'T, UM, LEGAL, UH, YOU KNOW, LEGAL FUNDS ISSUES.
UM, THE OTHER THAN THAT, SO THERE'S THE, THERE'S THE INSURANCE.
THE OTHER IS THE KIND OF STANDARDIZATION WHERE WE HAVE STANDARDIZATION, THESE SORT OF, UH, THE, THE LIABILITY ISN'T PRESENT REALLY, UM, BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY HAD ALL OF THE AGENCIES THAT HAVE STAKE, UH, STAKE IN IT, SIGN OFF ON THE DESIGN.
SO THAT KIND OF, THAT KIND OF HELPS MITIGATE IT.
RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE A STANDARD STREET STREET TREE DETAIL EXCEPT FOR SOMETHING IN CONCRETE DETAILS, WHICH IS REALLY JUST ABOUT PROTECTING CONCRETE.
UM, AND SO BECAUSE IT'S NOT STANDARDIZED, IT'S NOT PRE-APPROVED, AND THEREFORE EVERY SINGLE TREE IS A UNIQUE OBJECT THAT, THAT, THAT THEY'VE NEVER SEEN ESSENTIALLY, AND HAS TO BE APPROVED LIKE THAT.
THE, THE OTHER PIECE OF IT IS, UM, I LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT.
AND THEN, UM, SO WHILE YOU'RE THINKING OF THAT THIS, UH, YOU MENTIONED THE STANDARDIZATION.
IF WE HAD THE STANDARDIZATION, BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL, THEN DOES
[00:35:01]
THAT SORT OF OBVIATE THE NEED FOR THE LICENSING AGREEMENTS? SO THAT'S, YEAH, THAT HELPS WITH, THAT'S ONE, ONE ITEM INSURANCE IS THAT IT'S, IT'S PRE-APPROVED.IT'S IT, AND THEREFORE IT CAN BE STANDARDIZED, AND IT'S NOT A, A NON-STANDARD ITEM IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND THAT HELPS WITH THE, THE LIABILITY ISSUES.
ANOTHER PART OF IT IS THE, UM, THAT THE, SO THE LICENSE AGREEMENT IS ESSENTIALLY ALLOWS FOR A PRIVATE OBJECT TO BE PLACED IN A PUB IN THE PUBLIC SPACE, RIGHT? THE PUBLIC OWNS THE RIGHT OF WAY, BUT THE TREE BELONGS TO THE PRIVATE OWNER.
UM, WHICH IS A WEIRD KIND OF LEGAL GYMNASTICS, I THINK MORE IS HOW I WOULD DESCRIBE IT.
MAYBE THAT'S NOT HOW, HOW THEY WOULD DESCRIBE IT.
BUT IT'S ESSENTIALLY, IN ORDER TO MAKE IT SO THE PRIVATE OWNER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING AND LI UH, AND, UM, IRRIGATING THAT STREET TREE, THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S THEIR PROPERTY.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU NEED MEETS AND BOUNDS.
YOU NEED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THE PRIVATE PROPERTY IS LOCATED IN THE PUBLIC, ON PUBLIC LAND.
UM, OTHER PLACES LIKE PORTLAND, SEATTLE, UM, NOT SAN FRANCISCO ANYMORE, I BELIEVE, BUT THEY HAVE, THEY JUST HAVE A, A, UM, IN THEIR MUNICIPAL CODE, IT SAYS THAT THE BUDDING PROPERTY OWNER IS RESPONSIBLE AND THEREFORE IT'S NOT AN ISSUE THERE.
THAT IS GENERALLY THE, UM, THE PRIVATE, IT'S GENERALLY THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY.
THEREFORE, I, UH, IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE AND ENFORCEMENT OF THESE RULES IS WAY EASIER BECAUSE THERE ISN'T SOME DOCUMENTATION IN A FILE CABINET SOMEWHERE THAT ONLY A COUPLE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THAT ESTABLISHES THAT IT'S A PER CERTAIN PERSON'S RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN VERY SPECIFIC TREES.
SO IF THAT WOULD WERE TO BE A CHANGE IN, IN CODE, IF THAT WERE TO BE A CODE CHANGE, THAT WOULD ALSO ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU'RE ASKING HERE? THAT'S RIGHT.
THAT'S ANOTHER WAY OF GOING ABOUT IT.
IF THE DEFAULT IS THAT THE PRIVATE OWNER IS SUPPOSED TO MAINTAIN IT THEN, AND THAT THE, IT'S STANDARDIZED AND PRE-APPROVED, I THINK THAT COVERS MOST OF THE BASES.
LEGAL MAY COME BACK AND HAVE SOME OTHER THINGS THAT THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT, BUT I, I KNOW THAT, UH, IT'S A VERY RARE TOOL THAT'S USED.
AND SO UNLESS IT'S SOMETHING VERY, VERY SPECIFIC TO STATE LAW THAT WE CANNOT GET AROUND, THERE ARE MANY, MANY, UM, DIFFERENT WAYS TO SOLVE THIS.
UM, I JUST HAD A COUPLE LOGISTICAL QUESTIONS.
YOU MENTIONED, SO THERE'S A RESOLUTION.
UM, HAS THE RESOLUTION BEEN DRAFTED? IS THAT SOMETHING YOU COULD SHARE WITH US, OR IS IT STILL IN PROCESS? IT'S, IT'S STILL BEING DRAFTED.
THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE DRAFTS COME OUT.
UM, IT, I BELIEVE THE, THE DRAFT LANGUAGE WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE 8TH OF MARCH WHEN IT'LL HAVE AN I, UH, AGENDA ITEM.
UM, AND THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN READ IT AT THAT POINT.
UM, I'M, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FINAL DRAFT LOOKS LIKE AT THIS POINT.
IT'S BEEN KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SLOWLY CHANGING, UM, OVER TIME.
I, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEN THAT WE, WHAT WE COULD, UM, SUPPORT IS THIS GENERAL CONCEPT AS OPPOSED TO SPECIFIC LANGUAGE IN A SPECIFIC RE RESOLUTION SINCE IT'S NOT PUBLIC YET.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT OUR TEMPLATE LETTER SAYS.
IS IT, IT SAYS, YOU KNOW, WE SUPPORT, THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY SECOND, YEAH.
UM, KIND OF LOGISTICAL THING IS I HAVE NOT SEEN THE TEMPLATE LETTER.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY HERE HAS, SHOULD BE COMING OUT IN THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS,
WELL, UNFORTUNATELY WE MEET ONCE A MONTH, SO I THINK WHAT WE CAN DO IS JUST MAKE A VERY SIMPLE RECOMMENDATION, WHICH WE HAVE DRAFTED AND POSTED THAT IS SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE TIMING, WE DON'T MEET AGAIN BEFORE THIS WILL BE AT COUNCIL.
SOUNDS LIKE, SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S OUR PATH FORWARD.
[15. Approve a recommendation supporting adoption and implementation of the Great Streets Initiative.]
IF, IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS, THEN MAYBE WE CAN JUMP TO THAT ITEM 15, WHICH IS THE RECOMMENDATION OF SUPPORT FOR THIS INITIATIVE BETWEEN GREAT STREETS INITIATIVE IS EVERYBODY, MAYBE CAN WE PUT THAT UP ON THE SCREEN NUMBER 15, JUST SO FOLKS CAN SEE THAT? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.SO THIS DRAFT, UH, RECOMMENDATION, UM, I THINK ONE OF THE CHANGES THAT WE DO NEED TO MAKE ON THIS IS THE ACTUAL SUBJECTS OF THE GREEN STREETS INITIATIVE TO CHANGE TO THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, RESOLUTION.
UM, SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT, UM, DO YOU HAVE THE ITEM 15 DOCUMENT THAT YOU CAN SHARE? I MEAN, IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE, BUT YEAH.
[00:40:01]
THANK YOU.UM, SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO SUPPORT THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, RESOLUTION.
UM, WHAT'S BEEN DRAFTED AS IS THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY, UH, COM COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THAT THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL APPROVE, UH, THE PRO PROPOSED GREEN STREET'S INITIATIVE THAT MINIMIZES BARRIERS TO PLANT AND MAINTAINS STREET TREES LOCATED IN, UH, RIGHT OF WAYS FOR BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROJECTS.
UH, THE RATIONALE IS TO PRIORITIZE GREEN, UH, STREET TREES AND RIGHT OF WAYS ALIGNS WITH THE GOALS OF THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLANT, SPECIFICALLY AS IT SUPPORTS THE IMPROVEMENT OF AIR QUALITY AND TEMPERATURE REDUCTION WITHIN THE AUSTIN URBAN CORE.
UM, AND THAT'S THE RESOLUTION, AND I GUESS WE GOTTA MAKE A FEW ADJUSTMENTS TO THIS, BUT WE ALSO, I GUESS, COULD LOOK AT THE DRAFT, UM, OR WHEN IT COMES OUT, WELL, WE'RE NOT GONNA MEET AGAIN BEFORE BETWEEN WHEN THE DRAFT COMES OUT AND WHEN IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS GOING TO COUNCIL.
SO I THINK IF WE WANNA MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, I THINK THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO BE TIMELY.
SO DO WE, CHRIS HAS A QUESTION.
WELL, SO TO COMMENT, THE GREEN STREETS INITIATIVE IS A PORTION OF THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, AND WE HAVEN'T SEEN THAT RESOLUTION.
SO I COULD SUPPORT BECAUSE OF THIS INFORMATION, GIVEN I'M ALL FOR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
BUT FOR THE GREEN STREETS INITIATIVE AS EXPLAINED IN THE PRESENTATION, DEFINITELY COULD VOTE ON THAT PORTION OF IT, I GUESS.
SO IT WOULD BE IN SUPPORT OF THE GREEN STREETS INITIATIVE AS PRESENTED TODAY.
AND SO, UM, WHICH IS A PORTION OF THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE RESOLUTION, UM, ABOUT MAKING CHANGES TO THIS, I GUESS THE VERSION THAT I HAVE SAYS GREEN STREET'S INITIATIVE OR, YEAH.
IT SAYS GREEN STREET'S INITIATIVE.
THE ONLY SUGGESTION I WAS GONNA MAKE WAS JUST SPELLING OUT RIGHT OF WAY, JUST OKAY.
UM, YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK THIS IS TO THE POINT.
UM, DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS? PLEASE COME ON FORWARD AND, AND I THINK WE CAN, UH, MAYBE STOP SHARING SO I CAN SEE OUR ONLINE MEMBERS TOO.
UM, SO JUST TO, JUST TO CLARIFY, THE GREEN STREETS INITIATIVE IS SEPARATE FROM THE RESOLUTION.
SO, UM, ONE THING, WHAT THE, UM, THE DESIGN COMMISSION DID FOR EX, UH, EXAMPLE WAS SUP, UH, BECAME AN OFFICIAL SUPPORTER OF THE GREEN STREETS INITIATIVE AND EMPOWERED THE CHAIR TO PANEL A LETTER IN SUPPORT OF THE RESOLUTION ONCE IT CAME OUT.
UM, UH, SO THAT, THAT WAS AN OPTION, BUT ALSO IF YOU, UM, I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE AGAIN, BUT IF YOU, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL NOT PASS THE GREEN STREETS INITIATIVE.
UM, SO IF YOU, THEY'RE GONNA PASS THE RESOLUTION AND THEY'RE VERY, THEY'RE KIND OF SEPARATE.
UM, SO I GUESS IF YOU WERE TO SUPPORT THE GREEN STREET, THE GOALS OF THAT, IF YOU WERE TO RECOMMEND CITY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT THE GOALS OF THE GREEN STREETS INITIATIVE THROUGH THE GREEN'S INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, RESOLUTION, PERHAPS THAT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE.
HOW DOES THAT SOUND TO YOU, JOHN? YEAH, THAT SOUNDS PRETTY ACCURATE, IS A QUESTION.
SORRY, WHO DID? MELISSA? MELISSA.
OH, YEAH, THERE'S A HAND THERE.
I JUST DIDN'T WANNA INTERRUPT ANY, ANYWAY, HAD MY CONTACT, UM, HAD A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS ABOUT OUR RECOMMENDATION THAT WE HAD THAT YOU JUST SHARED.
AND FROM THE PRESENTATION, IT REALLY STRUCK ME HOW, UM, THE INCREASE OF MORTALITY ON THE AUSTIN STREETS IN 2022.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO ALSO MENTION THAT BY HAVING STREET TREES, WE'RE NOT ONLY INCREASING SAFETY, BUT COMFORT FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS BECAUSE OF ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT AUSTIN DOES PUT IN TO DEVELOPING BIKE PATHS AND SIDEWALKS, UM, TO INCREASE THEIR USABILITY AND, UM, SAFETY AND COMFORT.
YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE A GOOD REASON FOR INSTALLING STREET
[00:45:01]
TREES.MY SECOND POINT WAS, UM, FOR THE RECOMMENDATION IS TREE SPECIES.
AND I KNOW EVERYONE LOVES NATIVE TREES, BUT NOT ALL NATIVE TREES ARE EQUAL FOR THE COST AND MAINTENANCE AND HOW MUCH WATER THEY NEED TO SURVIVE.
SO IF YOU WANNA INSTALL A LIVE OAK TREE THAT'S GONNA HAVE MUCH LONGER LONGEVITY THAN, LET'S SAY A, A SYCAMORE, BUT A SYCAMORE IS A LOT CHEAPER TO, UM, TO PLANT AND ALSO TO CONSIDER TREE CANOPY.
SO THERE, THERE'S SOME DETAILS, I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT TO INCLUDE ABOUT WHAT WOULD BE, UM, THE MOST, I GUESS, THOUGHTFUL FOR INSTALLING TREES, BECAUSE INSTALLING TREES, WE DON'T WANT JUST STREETS OF CRE MYRTLES, WE WANNA CONSIDER THE ACTUAL TREE AND THE SEEDS OF THE TREES.
SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE MY TWO THOUGHTS.
UM, IT, AM I UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY THAT THIS WOULD KIND OF INITIATE A PROCESS TO ADDRESS THE DETAILS OF WHAT TREES WOULD GO WHERE AND IT'D BE APPROPRIATE OR, YEAH, THIS IS JUST INITIATING THE, THE EFFORT WITH STAFF AT THE CITY.
UM, AS PART OF THE GREEN STREETS INITIATIVE, WE HAVE BEEN ORGANIZING, UM, AND DOING A LOT OF OUTREACH TO A SLA, UM, AND HAVE BEEN BROUGHT, BRINGING IN KIND OF EXPERTS AND, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN REALLY INTERESTED IN SELECTING THE RIGHT TREE SPECIES, UH, FOR STREETS.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THAT IS WORK THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE AFTER THIS IS INITIATED.
MELISSA, DOES THAT ADDRESS THAT ISSUE FOR YOU? THAT YEAH, MAYBE WE'LL HAVE A MORE DETAILED RECOMMENDATION DOWN THE ROAD WHEN WE GET TOWARDS ORDINANCE OR WHATEVER COMES OUT OF THIS? YEAH.
AS, UH, AS OF THE LAST DRAFT THAT I READ, UM, THEY WILL BE ASKING STAFF TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL SOMETIME IN SEPTEMBER, UM, WITH, UH, ORDINANCE CHANGES, UH, RECOMMENDED ORDINANCE CHANGES.
SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A SIDE NOTE, UM, TO FINALIZE THIS, BUT I WAS WONDERING, HAVE YOU, UH, LOOKED INTO, AT ALL STUDIES ON HOW THIS WOULD, UH, FOR CARBON SEQUESTRATION FOR TREE PLANTING? IS THAT SOMETHING PART OF YOUR RESEARCH AT ALL? OR? I, I DID TOUCH ON IT.
I DID A SECTION OF THIS REPORT THAT, LIKE I SAID, IS VERY LENGTHY, UM, ABOUT KIND OF BENEFITS OF STREET TREES AND, UH, THERE IS A, A CATEGORY IN THERE, UH, HEADING IN THERE ON ITS BENEFITS TO, UH, CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION.
IT IS MORE GENERAL TO TREES IN GENERAL, BUT RIGHT.
UM, OBVIOUSLY IT WILL HAVE, IT'LL HAVE BENEFIT TO CARBON SEQUESTRATION, SEQUESTRATION, AND I KNOW THAT'S A GOAL OF THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
ALRIGHT, SO IT'S NEARLY SEVEN O'CLOCK AND WE HAVE MANY ITEMS AHEAD OF US, SO IF THERE'S GENERAL, UM, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, UH, CONSENSUS, CONSENSUS ON, ON MOVING FORWARD.
UM, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S TIME.
UH, HAVE YOU MADE YOUR EDITS SAY TYPING? YEAH, I, I DID.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THE RECOMMENDATION IN SUPPORT OF THE GREEN STREET'S INITIATIVE PORTION OF THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE RECOMMENDATION.
IS THAT CORRECT? YOUR HONOR, I THINK THE, THE SUGGESTED LANGUAGE WAS SUPPORTIVE OF THE, THE GOALS OF THE GREEN STREET INITIATIVE AND, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDS THAT THAT COUNCIL MOVE FORWARD WITH OKAY.
ADOPTING THEM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THEN I GUESS THERE WAS A, A SUGGESTION TO ADD IN THE KIND OF RATIONALE.
UM, DID YOU, DID YOU ADD THOSE ITEMS ABOUT SAFETY, SAFETY AND COMFORT FOR BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIANS IS MM-HMM.
UM, YEAH, IF YOU WANNA MAKE YOUR MOTION.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, SUPPORT THE, UH, THE GOALS OF THE GREEN STREET INITIATIVE THAT ARE IN SUPPORT OF THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE RESOLUTION.
[00:50:01]
GOT A MOTION.ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
IF YOU CAN JUST STATE YOUR NAME FOR US.
I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE SHORT TIME THAT YOU ALL ACCEPTED FOR ME TO TALK.
I AM A, A STREET NURSE FOR 15 YEARS.
I'VE NEVER BEEN PAID BY YOU ALL AND I HAVE BEEN BRINGING INITIATIVES ON MENTAL HEALTH IN THE STREET, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN HIGHLY SUPPORTED.
THE LAST ONE I HAD WAS MENTAL HEALTH ACADEMY, WHICH WILL TAKE FOUR YEARS PER STUDENT.
STARTS WITH POST, UH, SECONDARY, ALL THE WAY TO COLLEGE LEVEL.
I DID TALK TO MEN, INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT HAVE DIVERSE EDUCATION FORUM, AND I DONATED A LAND THERE.
STEVE ADLER WAS HIGHLY IN SUPPORT OF THIS FOR A LONG TIME, BUT YOU DID NOT HAVE MENTAL HEALTH FORUM IN THE CITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE COUNTY.
SO I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH COUNTY FOR A LONG TIME, BUT IT'S TAKING TOO LONG BECAUSE THE MENTAL HEALTH, UH, RATE IS GOING HIGHER ON THE YOUNGER ONES.
SO, UH, THAT PREEMPTED ME TO LEAVE THAT ASPECT FOR NOUN, WHICH HAD THE CITY TO HELP WITH THE HOME PART, THE COUNTY TO HELP WITH THE SERVICE PART STATE TO HELP WITH THE EDUCATION PART.
I DID TALK TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OF, UM, UH, STATE HOSPITAL, WHICH IS THE CLOSEST WE CAN HAVE HERE.
AND SHE DID ACCEPT THAT THEY HAVE A LAND THEY COULD ALLOW IF EDUCATION A ISD OR UH, HIGHER EDUCATION ALLOWS IT.
I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR 10 YEARS.
BUT THE RATE IS GOING IS TOO MUCH.
SO I DECIDE TO GO JOIN THE GO BACK TO NURSING JOB, WHICH IS NOT WHAT I REALLY WANTED, BUT BECAUSE I HAD, THEY HAVE TRUSTED ME SO MUCH OVER MANY YEARS.
SO THE STATE HOSPITAL WILL BE WILLING TO HIRE ME TO WORK AS A STREET NURSE, BUT THE, THERE IS NOT THEIR JURISDICTION.
IT IS THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY THAT MANAGES HOMELESSNESS AND MENTAL HEALTH AT THAT LEVEL.
SO WHAT I AM REQUESTING NOW IS FOR YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HUMAN LIVES.
WE ARE TALKING AND WE DON'T KNOW WHOSE CHILD WHOSE RELATION CAN BE ALONG THE WAY.
LAYING A FOUNDATION NOW IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
BASED ON THE CHALLENGES WE'VE HAD OVER THE PAST FOUR, FOUR YEARS, IT HAS EXACERBATED SOME, SOME KIND OF MENTAL HEALTH, CORONAVIRUS, SNOW STORM, ALL KINDS OF THINGS COMING AT US.
I DID DO A RESEARCH FOR EUROPE BEFORE EVEN THESE THINGS CAME.
I HAD 13 CATEGORIES OF MENTAL HEALTH AND OVER SEVEN OF THEM COINCIDE TO, OR CATEGORIES OF HOMELESSNESS.
BUT SEVEN OF THEM COINCIDE TO MENTAL HEALTH.
SO I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO CREATE AN OFFICE FOR THIS STREET NURSING WHILE I WORK WITH STATE TO PAY FOR IT.
AND WE CAN NOW INVOLVE OTHER PEOPLE SO WE CAN CONTAIN THE AMOUNT OF MENTAL HEALTH IN THE STREET IS STILL AN INITIATIVE VERY HELPFUL TO US.
SO I WILL REALLY PLEAD WITH THIS VERY COMMITTEE HERE TO PLEASE BE SUPPORTIVE OF THOSE LIVES OUT THERE.
AND I WILL BE WILLING TO WORK WITH YOU.
I WOULD CONTINUE WITH STATE HOSPITAL AND GO THROUGH THE EDUCATION PART THEY WANT ME TO, BUT I REALLY DO WANT YOU TO SUPPORT THIS AND CREATE AN OFFICE FOR STREET NURSING.
FIRST I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR, UM, FOR COMING OUT HERE AND, AND BELIEVING IN US.
UM, I THINK, WELL, I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT YOUR CONCERNS WILL BE BETTER SERVED WITH COMMUNICATIONS TOWARD AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE FUNCTION DIFFERENT FROM AUSTIN'S PUBLIC HEALTH, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH HAS MORE OF A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP AND FOCUS TOWARD WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THERE'S WAYS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO CONNECT WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND SHARE YOUR SAME CONCERN THAT YOU'RE EXPRESSING TO US TODAY WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
[00:55:01]
THE BEST I CAN WITH WORKFORCE COMMISSION CREATING AN EDUCATION FORUM BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE DOING IS RECYCLING THEM.SOME OF THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE FOUND HAVE THEM TEMPORARILY.
BEHAVIOR CAN TRIGGER ANYTHING THAT PUSH THEM BACK IN THE STREET.
BUT OUR PROBLEM IS NOT REALLY THAT, THE PROBLEM FOR ME AS A REGISTERED NURSE WHO HAS MORE THAN FOUR DISCIPLINES IN NURSING AND HAVE BEEN WITH THEM FOR 15 YEARS, IS THE INCREASE IN THE YOUNGER ONES.
AND MA'AM, I THINK ALL COMMISSIONER FRANKLIN WAS TRYING TO SAY IS THERE'S A COMMISSION THAT IS FOCUSED ON PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES.
I, AND IT, I, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THAT PROBABLY EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US HERE CARES ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
WE PROBABLY HA KNOW SOMEBODY WHO, UH, HAS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES THAT COULD BENEFIT.
UM, IT'S JUST NOT OUR CHARGE AS A, AS A COMMITTEE TO NECESSARILY TAKE ON THIS ISSUE.
SO IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T HEAR YOU, IT'S JUST THAT WE AREN'T EVEN AUTHORIZED TO REALLY MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE JUST ON, ON PUBLIC HEALTH.
WE KIND OF HAVE TO HAVE A CONNECTION TO SUSTAINABILITY AND, AND CLIMATE CHANGE THAT IS THE MISSION OF THIS, THIS BODY HERE.
SO, UM, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND, UM, IF, IF YOU'RE NOT SURE OF HOW TO, TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THAT COMMISSION, THERE'S ANOTHER BODY OF VOLUNTEERS JUST LIKE US THAT ARE, LIKE LARRY IS SAYING, FOCUSED ON THESE ISSUES.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO SEND YOU TO STAFF MAYBE UNDERSTANDING IF THIS IS TREAT INITIATIVE OR JUST FOR INANIMATE STAFF, BECAUSE I'M TALKING ABOUT HUMAN BEING AND THEIR STREET.
SO IF WE CAN PLANT TREES THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING AND ORDINANCES FOR IT, I DO NOT KNOW WHY STREET PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING RUN OVER BY THOSE BIKE AND ALL THOSE COULD BE ILLUMINATED.
I TALKED TO ABSOLUTELY THE COUNTY.
LIKE I WAS REFERRED BY STEVE ADLER.
I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH TRA TRAIAN COMMISSIONER, WHO IS THE ONLY ONE VERY, VERY INTERESTED.
BUT WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO DISCREDIT OR DOWNLOAD THE MAGNITUDE OF THIS WHILE WE SPONSOR INANIMATE THINGS.
SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE ARE NOT PRIORITIZING TREES OVER PRE PEOPLE HERE.
IT'S JUST SIMPLY THAT IT'S NOT OUR, IT'S NOT WITH, WE HAVE BYLAWS THAT GOVERN WHAT WE CAN TAKE UP HERE.
ALL I WAS ASKING IS AN OFFICE TO OPERATE.
I DIDN'T ASK YOU TO PAY FOR IT, BUT THIS IS TAKING TOO LONG FOR THE MENTALLY ILL TO SURVIVE.
SO AFTER THIS TIME, I'LL TAKE IT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SO WE CAN KNOW IF THE SPONSORING OF EACH STATE INCLUDES HUMAN BEING OR JUST TREES.
[3. Discussion of next steps on the Environmental Investment Plan Resolution (Item 25 from 2/15 Council Meeting).]
MOVE ON WITH OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS DISCUSSION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN RESOLUTION.THIS WAS, UH, ITEM 25 ON THE FEBRUARY 15TH COUNCIL MEETING.
AND JUST TO HOPEFULLY SET OUR EXPECTATIONS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A WHOLE PROCESS ABOUT THIS.
UM, BUT THIS IS TO KIND OF GET EVERYBODY UP TO DATE ON WHAT PASSED AND WHAT ARE CHARGES.
UM, AND WE'LL DIG INTO ALL THE, THE DETAILS IN OUR SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS.
UM, ROHAN, DID YOU WANT TO SHARE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS OR DO YOU WANT ME TO SHARE? I'M NOT SURE WHAT.
I JUST, UH, DIDN'T, DIDN'T WANNA STEP ON ANYTHING.
SO, UM, THIS WAS NEARLY UNANIMOUSLY, UH, ADOPTED BY COUNCIL A RESOLUTION THAT IS ESSENTIALLY LOOKING TO THE CITY MANAGER AND THIS COMMISSION TO IDENTIFY, UM, FUNDING GAPS, NOT JUST IN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, BUT IN OTHER CITY SUSTAINABILITY PLANS.
AND PROBABLY ONE OF OUR FIRST CHARGES SHOULD BE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF THOSE PLANS, BUT, YOU KNOW, WATER FORWARD AND, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, WALK, BIKE ROLL AND GET BASICALLY ANY PLAN THAT THAT KIND OF FITS WITHIN THAT LITTLE CIRCLE AROUND THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, I THINK FALLS INTO THAT.
AND PROBABLY THERE'S SOME OTHER PLANS OUT THERE TOO THAT ALSO WOULD BE, UM, CONSIDERED FAIR GAME FOR RESPONSIVENESS TO THIS RESOLUTION.
SO THEY'RE LOOKING FOR US TO HELP IDENTIFY WHAT IS UNFUNDED AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT THOSE TRY TO TRY TO IDENTIFY KIND OF PRIORITIES AND, AND NEEDS FOR, FOR FILLING IN THOSE GAPS.
FOR NEXT MONTH, WE ARE GONNA HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM THE BUDGET OFFICE THAT WILL GIVE US SOME BASIC INFORMATION
[01:00:01]
ABOUT WHAT ARE THE AVAILABLE REVENUE STREAMS. SO ONE PIECE OF THIS IS POTENTIALLY PREPARING FOR A BOND, BUT THAT IS JUST ONE OF THE REVENUE STREAMS. YEAH, PLEASE, LARRY.AND SO WITHIN, UM, ONE OF THE WORKING GROUPS, I THINK IS LAND USE AND ELECTRIFICATION.
WE HAD A CONCERN, AND THE CONCERN WAS HOW IS THIS RESOLUTION GOING TO IMPACT, UM, SOME OF OUR DRAFTS THAT WE'VE BEEN CREATING? YOU, YOU MEAN THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS? UM, YES MA'AM.
YEAH, SO I, IT'S, IT'S PARALLEL.
UM, THERE MIGHT BE THINGS THAT WE RECOMMEND FOR THE BUDGET THAT WE ALSO WANT TO RECOMMEND GO INTO THE KIND OF MIX FOR POTENTIAL FUNDING THROUGH THIS OTHER INITIATIVE.
ALL OF THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ITEM PASSED COUNCIL, BUT THE ITEM WAS TO INITIATE A PROCESS TO IDENTIFY.
IT WASN'T A COMMITMENT TO FUND ANYTHING, WHEREAS, AND OF COURSE, THE BUDGET ALSO IS NOT CURRENTLY A COMMITMENT TO FUND ANYTHING.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR, SOME OF OUR ITEMS, MAYBE MANY OF THEM NEED TO MOVE ON PARALLEL TRACKS.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS WE SHOULD JUST KIND OF TAKE BOTH APPROACHES, CONTINUE WITH THE DRAFT, BUT ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, KEEP VERBALIZING IT AS THIS RESOLUTION HAS CAME ABOUT.
AND THEN ALSO THE OTHER, UM, PIECE OF THE CHARGE FROM CITY COUNCIL IN THIS ITEM IS FOR US TO HOST AT LEAST ONE PUBLIC HEARING IN EITHER MARCH OR APRIL.
UM, SO I'D, I'D LIKE FOLKS TO, TO WEIGH IN ON THAT.
UM, I WILL SAY, MY VIEW IS THAT I GENERALLY LIKE TO GET PUBLIC INPUT MORE ON THE FRONT END.
UM, SO MY HOPE IS THAT WE CAN POST FOR A PUBLIC HEARING AT OUR MARCH MEETING, BUT WANNA HEAR WHAT FOLKS THINK ABOUT THAT.
AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE POTENTIALLY WILL GET IDEAS FROM THAT, THAT THEN WE WANT THAT, THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY PART OF WHAT OUR COMMITTEES OR OUR WORKING GROUPS ARE PUTTING FORWARD AS BUDGET IDEAS.
I, I SHARED THIS, I SHARED THE SAME QUESTION, LARRY, AND IS MY INTERPRETATION CORRECT, KABA, THAT WE'RE MAYBE THINKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT SCALES OF FUNDING, LIKE OUR BUDGET REQUESTS HAVE BEEN, I DON'T WANNA SAY SMALL, BUT, BUT A BOND TO ME SEEMS, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH A BOND IS, BUT IT SEEMS TO BE A MUCH LARGER AMOUNT OF MONEY THAN WE'VE BEEN SUGGESTING.
IS, IS THAT YOUR INTERPRETATION OF THIS RECOMMENDATION? THAT'S KIND OF AN INVITATION TO MAYBE STEP UP SIGNIFICANTLY? YES.
I, I MEAN, I THINK WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT WHAT WE PUT FORWARD IN BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS OF LIKE, WE'RE TAKING FROM GENERAL REVENUE.
THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH OF THAT PIE.
THIS IS ABOUT EXPANDING THE PIE SIGNIFICANTLY.
I FEEL LIKE IT'S KIND OF LIKE A GREEN NEW DEAL TYPE OF TYPE OF VIBE.
HEY, ZACH BOMBER, UH, CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER.
SO, UM, I THINK THE WAY THAT WE'VE BEEN SORT OF LOOKING AT IT AS, UM, I THINK WHAT'S IN THAT, IN, IN THE RESOLUTION ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT FUND IS MEANT TO BE BIG THINGS TO MOVE THE NEEDLE TO HELP US CLOSE THE GAP ON LIKE REACHING GOALS.
UM, SO IT'S MEANT TO BE BIGGER THINGS, CAPITAL ITEMS, UM, LONGER TERM KIND OF PROJECTS.
AND WHEREAS STUFFER IS, THE BUDGET CYCLE IS INCREMENTAL, ONGOING SORT OF FUNDING FOR ITEMS. YEAH.
UM, AND ON THE, AND ON THE TIMING, UM, WHAT I HAD BEEN THINKING WAS THAT, UM, SO THE, I THINK RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE JSC ARE DUE ON MAY 1ST, AND THEN THE RESPONSE FROM STAFF TO CITY COUNCIL IS DUE ON MAY 30TH.
UM, SO I THINK, SO THERE, THERE WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE THE MARCH JSC MEETING AND THE APRIL JSC MEETING.
SO THE WAY I'D BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT, AND I HAD A MESSAGE WITH CA ABOUT IT, WAS PROBABLY IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE A MORE OPEN DISCUSSION AND PUBLIC INPUT PROBABLY EARLY IN MARCH, AND THEN IN APRIL START TO NARROW.
AND, AND STAFF MAY EVEN BE ABLE TO COME WITH LIKE, OUR INITIAL LIST AND LIKE DRAFTS.
UM, SO IN APRIL YOU GUYS CAN HAVE A MORE DETAILED, MORE SPECIFIC CONVERSATION LEADING UP TO LIKE WHAT A RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE FROM THIS GROUP.
UM, HOW, HOW DOES EVERYBODY FEEL ABOUT THAT? DOES THAT SOUND LIKE A GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE PLAN OF ACTION? OH, AND I'LL ADD TO THE, UM, WE HAVE ITEM 16 ON OUR AGENDA.
YOU KNOW, GIVEN THIS, IN MY MIND IS A FAIRLY TIGHT TIMELINE CONSIDERING THE, THE SCOPE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT PROBABLY HAVING A WORKING GROUP THAT CAN DEDICATE A LITTLE BIT OF
[01:05:01]
EXTRA TIME, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, JUST TO, TO INCORPORATING PUBLIC FEEDBACK AND, AND, UM, MAYBE INCLUDE SOME MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT MIGHT WANT TO REALLY CO-CREATE WITH US.AND A AND A MORE DEEP LEVEL THAN JUST SPEAKING IN A PUBLIC HEARING MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
SO I'D LOVE SOME FEEDBACK ON ALL OF THAT.
RODRIGO, JUST A CLARIFICATION QUESTION.
SO IS THE JSC, UM, CHARGED WITH ESSENTIALLY SHEPHERDING THAT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS? OR WHAT ARE KIND OF THE EXPECTATIONS IN TERMS OF HOW WE WOULD GET COMMUNITY INPUT ASIDE FROM JUST HOSTING AN OPEN FORUM DURING A JSC MEETING? I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S SPECIFICALLY WHAT WE'RE CHARGED WITH DOING IS HAVING, IT SAYS, YOU KNOW, THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN, IT IMPLIES ONE OR TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS.
UM, SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I THINK FROM A READING THE LETTER OF IT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CHARGED WITH DOING.
LIKE, YEAH, I, I THINK, UM, PEOPLE HAVE SPECIFIC IDEAS THAT WE NEED TO WORKSHOP.
THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M THINKING, THAT WORKING GROUP MIGHT BE ABLE TO DIG IN.
NOW WE HAVE OUR EXISTING WORKING GROUPS, AND I THINK SOME ITEMS WILL NATURALLY FALL INTO THOSE ISSUE AREAS.
AND, AND HOPEFULLY THOSE GROUPS WILL BE READY TO, TO DIG IN A LITTLE.
BUT YEAH, I'M JUST THINKING, I MEAN, GIVEN THE MAGNITUDE OF THIS POTENTIAL ASK, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT COULD JUST BE HANDLED BY JSC MEMBERS IN WORKING GROUPS.
I FEEL LIKE WE'D PROBABLY NEED STAFF SUPPORT.
SO I, I, I MEAN, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT NECESSARILY HAS TO BE JUST ROWAN, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A BIG ASK, UH, KIND OF A ONCE IN A, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T GET THESE, THESE OPPORTUNITIES, SO IT PROBABLY REQUIRES MORE PEOPLE POWER.
I MEAN, I THINK STAFF IS ALSO GONNA BE WORKING SIMULTANEOUSLY ON THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, LIKE YOU HEARD, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT.
I MEAN, I THINK THE, AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THIS IS MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT SO THAT DOWN THE LINE WHEN SOMETHING'S PUT FORWARD THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TRULY ADDRESSED, YOU KNOW, WHAT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THINK IS IMPORTANT IN THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SPEAK, COULD THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY HELP STAFF IN THIS INSTANCE A, A WORKING GROUP TO ENGAGE ON THIS TOPIC FOR THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS? FOR THE RECORD, THAT WAS A YES FROM ZACH
AND WHAT I KIND OF HAVE IN, IN MIND, OR I'M ENVISIONING IS LIKE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THE WORKSHOPS THAT YOU ALL HELD PREVIOUSLY WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ALREADY CONCRETE THINGS THAT MAYBE COULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE JSE, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE SOME KIND OF WORKSHOP SLASH FORUM THAT'S NOT JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, US HEARING TESTIMONY FOR HOURS AND NOT REALLY BEING ABLE TO ENGAGE
UM, SOMETHING LIKE THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
OR THAT MAKES ME WONDER IF THERE'S A WAY TO RECYCLE, UM, SOME OF THE IDEAS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD IN THE, UM, WHAT IS THAT? THE COMMUNITY CLIMATE GRANTS MEETINGS? I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN THIS, I THINK THIS IS KIND OF A DIFFERENT ASK THAN KIND OF ANYTHING WE'VE DONE.
I MEAN, THE RESOLUTION AS IF YOU GUYS ARE LOOKING AT THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS PASSED, I MEAN, IT HAS A SECTION WHERE IT CALLS OUT THE JSC TO LIKE BE THE FORUM FOR PUBLIC INPUT.
THERE'S LIKE PART OF ONE SENTENCE THAT SAYS SOLICIT COMMUNITY INPUT.
LIKE, IT SEEMED LIKE WHAT THEY WERE ASKING FOR WAS THE JSC TO BE THE CONDUIT FOR THE COMMUNITY INPUT, BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE SPENDING SO MUCH TIME TALKING ABOUT THIS AND THINKING ABOUT THIS ALREADY.
AND SO, IN A LIGHT WAY, WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, I THINK IS LAND USE AND ELECTRIFICATION IS WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GOING ON.
UH, WE'VE BEEN SHARING CONTACTS OF DIFFERENT NONPROFITS THAT WE BELIEVE ARE MOST IMPACTED BY THE WORK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, GET DONE.
AND WE'VE JUST BEEN SHOOTING QUESTIONS OUT THERE, HAVING THEM LOOK AT SOME OF THE DRAFTS THAT WE'VE CREATED.
AND I THINK THAT'S GREAT ON A LIGHTER LEVEL.
BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SOMETHING DEEP, LIKE A BOND, SOMETHING THAT COULD REALLY, YOU KNOW, SET THE TONE AND CHANGE THE ATMOSPHERE FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS TO COME, WE NEED TO DIVE DEEP ON IT.
AND WE NEED TO REALLY NOT JUST GET SHALLOW COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OR SHALLOW, YOU KNOW, COMMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY, BUT WE NEED TO DIG DEEP.
AND I KNOW IT SUCKS THAT I SAY THAT BECAUSE, SO IT SEEMS LIKE WE DON'T HAVE THE STAFF TO UPHOLD SUCH
[01:10:01]
SUCH CALLING, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT'S ON YOU, ZACH.I, I EVEN PUT THIS UP ON MY SCREEN SO THAT I WOULD SEE IT AND THEN I THEN, SORRY, GO AHEAD.
I, I WOULD JUMP IN IF THERE WERE A LONG PAUSE AND MY INTERNET'S A LITTLE SHAKY, SO HOPEFULLY YOU CAN HEAR ME.
UM, I MEAN, IT DOES SEEM LIKE A FAST TIMELINE TO DO IN DEPTH COMMUNITY INPUT OR ENGAGEMENT, BUT I'M ALSO, SO I LOOKED AT THE, THE RESOLUTION AND THE SPECIFICALLY THE ITEM THAT'S ABOUT THE JSC, AND THERE'S A LIST OF LIKE 15 PLANS,
THAT, UM, WE'RE DI YOU KNOW, ALONG WITH, UM, I MEAN, THAT'S PUT UNDER THE CITY MANAGER'S, UH, LIST OF RESPONSIBILITIES, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE OUR GROUP IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE SOME HANDLE ON WHAT THE GAPS ARE.
UM, AND SO I'M WONDERING HOW WE ARE GONNA GET PURCHASE ON THOSE PLANS AS IN ADDITION TO THE COMMUNITY INPUT, BECAUSE WE'VE MOSTLY FOCUSED RIGHT ON, ON THE, UM, CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN WITH SOME TOUCHING ON SOME OF THE OTHER PLANS AS WELL, OF COURSE.
BUT THAT WAS AN AREA OF CONCERN FOR ME TOO.
AND SECONDING, WHAT HEATHER SAID IS, YOU KNOW, I WAS CONFUSED READING THIS RESOLUTION AND, AND TO THINK THAT, UH, GENERAL PUBLIC'S GONNA COME WITH THE IDEA OF THIS OVERARCHING FUND, YOU KNOW? RIGHT.
I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF VERY SPECIFIC ITEMS THAT THE PUBLIC WANTS.
AND IS THIS GETTING DOWN, YOU KNOW? RIGHT.
IT'S LIKE IF WE COULD BE OVERWHELMED WITH JUST ALL THE LITTLE THINGS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THINGS THAT ARE AFFECTING THEM DAY TO DAY, VERSUS WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT LIKE THIS BROAD HORIZON.
SO THAT INPUT WOULD BE COMING IN MAYBE FAST AND FURIOUS ON VERY POINTED THINGS THAT THEN HOW DO WE TAKE IT FROM THESE SMALL THINGS AND THEN PUT IT INTO THIS UMBRELLA? THAT'S WHAT I, I WOULD FEEL LIKE COULD REALLY PUT A LOT OF, UH, STRESS ON THIS, THIS PROCESS.
AND, UH, AND THEN RIGHT HERE YOU GO AHEAD.
YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, TOUCH ON THAT, YOU KNOW, ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, UH, MY FELLOW COMMISSIONER BRIMER, WHO I BELIEVE IS MY ALTERNATE, HE SENT ME LIKE A HUGE LAUNDRY LIST OF LIKE STUFF HE WANTED ME TO APPROVE.
AND, UH, SO I WAS GONNA RUN IT BY KABA.
SO I'LL LET YOU TAKE POINT ON THAT.
MY MAN HAS A BUNCH OF GREAT IDEAS, SO I WOULD DEFINITELY ADD HIM TO THE WORKING GROUP BECAUSE HE HAS NOTHING BUT TIME IN HIS HANDS AND WANTS US TO SAVE THE WORLD, WHICH, HEY, I'M ALL FOR.
UM, SO YEAH, I DEFINITELY AGREE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME WITH THEIR SPECIFIC IDEAS ON WHAT TO IMPLEMENT TO BENEFIT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY PERSPECTIVE.
AND, UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, IT'S GONNA BE ON US.
UH, HOPEFULLY SOMEONE SMARTER THAN ME.
SO I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, I'M HEARING A LOT OF PEOPLE BEING PERHAPS DAUNTED BY THE CHALLENGE, AND I WANTED TO OFFER THE PERSPECTIVE THAT I READ THIS, AND I WAS VERY EXCITED TO SEE THIS LEVEL OF ATTENTION COMING FROM CITY COUNCIL.
I THINK WE'RE ALL, UM, IN AN EXCITING PLACE TO REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, PUT SOME, YOU KNOW, I ALMOST SAID GAS IN THE TANK, BUT THAT'S LIKE THE WRONG, THE WRONG BATTERY ENERGY, ELECTRIC.
PLUG IN, PLUG, PLUG, PLUG IN THE CAR, IN THE HIGH VOLTAGE CHARGER.
UH, AND, UM, I JUST WANTED TO OFFER THAT PERSPECTIVE, UH, AND SAY, UH, YOU KNOW, ZACH, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE, I'M SURE GOING TO DO.
UM, BUT THIS IS A TIGHT TIMELINE AS, AS YOU MENTIONED.
AND SO I THINK IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE TASKED WITH DOING SOMETHING IN MARCH.
AND SO RATHER THAN THE ASK WHAT THE BEST THING IS THAT WE COULD DO THAT WOULD REALLY INVOLVE THE MOST AMOUNT OF COMMUNITY INPUT, THAT WOULD REALLY GET THE WORD OUT IN A WAY THAT I'M SURE WE COULD ALL LIKE, COME UP WITH A REALLY GOOD WAY TO DO THIS.
WHAT'S THE THING THAT WE CAN GET DONE IN MARCH? WE CAN INTERVIEW PEOPLE ON THE STREETS DURING SOUTH BY AND MAKE TIKTOKS ABOUT IT.
WELL, I LIKE THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH THE LITTLE, WITH THE WORKING GROUP THAT I'M ON, YOU KNOW, UM, SO WE, WE COME UP WITH THE DRAFT BEFORE
[01:15:01]
WE, YOU KNOW, GO FINAL WITH THE DRAFT.WE TRY TO SHARE IT, WE MAKE AN EFFORT TO TRY TO SHARE IT.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WE BELIEVE ARE MOST IMPACTED AND HAVE, UM, THE GREATEST CONNECTION TO THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER THEY RESPOND BACK OR NOT, THAT'S OUT OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T CONTROL THAT.
AND SO, TO ME, IN MY MIND, WHAT I BELIEVE CAN COME NEXT IS LIKE, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD FORM OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BASED ON THE TIMELINE THAT WE HAVE, DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO GO DEEP AND HAVE LIKE ALL OF AUSTIN UP IN HERE AND JUST, YOU KNOW, RUN IT WITH 'EM.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT TYPE OF TIME.
AND SO, LIKE I SAID, WE SCALED IT DOWN, CREATE A DRAFT SHARE WITH THOSE THAT WE BELIEVE, UM, COULD HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT ON A DRAFT TO GET THE GREATEST RESULT FOR THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN.
AND THEN FROM THERE, I THINK WE COULD JUST SPIKE THAT, THAT RECOMMENDATION UP THAT'S CREATED TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND POSSIBLY GET A BOND READY OR, YOU KNOW, YOUR LEVEL READY.
YEAH, I THINK, I THINK I'D MAYBE, I MEAN, I'D OFFER A COUPLE, A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UM, ONE BEING WITH THE, THE LAUNDRY LIST OF ALL THOSE PLANS, RIGHT? AND YOU ALL HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER TOPICS ON THAT LIST.
UM, THE DEPARTMENTS THEMSELVES ARE GONNA BE DOING A LOT OF THIS WORK, UM, TO ASSESS WHERE THEY ARE WITH IMPLEMENTING PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS TO MEET THOSE PLANS, RIGHT? BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE ONLY THEY REALLY KNOW, LIKE IF THEY'RE LIKE, WHAT NEEDS TO GET DONE AND HOW FAR THEY ARE OFF FROM THINGS.
SO THE WORK THAT THE CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE GONNA DO, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE EXTENSIVE AND IT'S GONNA BE DETAILED.
UM, I THINK MAYBE ANOTHER THING IS, UM, WHEN I THINK ABOUT COMMUNITY INPUT AND THINK ABOUT WORKING GROUPS AND THINGS THAT ARE GONNA BE RECOMMENDED, THEY'RE GONNA BE SPECIFIC ITEMS, RIGHT? LIKE SPECIFIC PROJECTS OR PROGRAMS OR CAPITAL OR DIFFERENT THINGS TO ASK FOR.
UM, BUT ANOTHER THING THAT MIGHT HELP WOULD BE, UM, LIKE GUIDANCE OR INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY OR FROM THIS GROUP ON PRIORITIES OR AREAS THAT WANT TO BE, UM, FOCUSED ON.
LIKE, THERE COULD ALSO BE SORT OF LIKE CONCEPTUAL FEEDBACK, UM, TO GO BEYOND JUST HERE ARE 10 ITEMS. YOU, THERE COULD ALSO BE RECOMMENDATIONS ON PRIORITIZE THIS KIND OF PROGRAM OR THAT KIND OF PROGRAM, OR, UM, YEAH, JUST AN IDEA.
I GUESS THAT WAS THE GIST OF MY COMMENT WAS, HEY, WE GET ALL THESE LITTLE TIDBITS AND THEN MAYBE IN APRIL, THE NEXT MEETING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA, AS ZACH WAS SAYING, IT'S TAKE ALL THOSE AND TRY TO PUT A COHESIVE THOUGHT THEM TO TO, TO THAT.
SO I'M JUST SAYING LIKE, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S, COULD BE A POTENTIAL FOR THE APRIL MEETING OF A LOT OF, UH, UN UNLESS WE HAVE A LOT OF HOMEWORK THAT WE DO, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF HOMEWORK.
SO I GUESS FIRST OF ALL, LIKE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ALL RIGHT.
IT'S, IT IS, IT IS A HEAVY BURDEN FOR THESE COUPLE OF MONTHS AND IT'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY, RIGHT? I HOPE WE'RE GONNA STEP UP AND EMBRACE THE OPPORTUNITY AND CONSIDER THIS LIKE OUR, YOU KNOW, UH, EARTH MONTH PLUS A MONTH.
UH, I MEAN, WHAT I ALWAYS SAY WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME TO DO STUFF IS, WHERE ARE THE INTERNS? YOU KNOW,
BUT THAT IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, THAT WE HAVE OUR EXISTING WORKING GROUPS.
SOME OF THEM I THINK ARE ALREADY MEETING LIKE EVERY OTHER WEEK.
THOSE OF US, THE ONES THAT AREN'T, WE PROBABLY NEED TO, LIKE, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO, WE'RE JUST GONNA NEED TO MEET, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE IT MIGHT BE EVERY WEEK IN APRIL.
I'M JUST, I THINK WE NEED TO EMBRACE THAT.
LIKE, FOR THIS SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A MUCH BIGGER DIFFERENCE ON MOVING THINGS FORWARD INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, TO A CERTAIN EXTENT TREADING WATER, UH, AND, AND PUTTING IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF WORK OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS AND NOT GETTING FUNDING AT THE, AT THE MAGNITUDE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO I, I THINK IT'LL BE WORTH OUR TIME, BUT IT IS LIKE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS, WE HAVE TO PUT IN A LOT OF TIME.
THERE IS GONNA BE AN ASPECT OF, LIKE HARRIS SAID, OF GETTING, YOU KNOW, UM, RICHARD HAD THIS GREAT LIST OF, UM, YEAH, I FELT LIKE THE GODFATHER, YEAH,
IT WAS A LOT OF ITEMS EVEN BY MY STANDARDS.
UM, BUT I, AND I AM SUGGESTING THAT IF WE COULD HAVE A LITTLE WORKING GROUP THAT IS JUST TO KIND OF LIKE NAVIGATE THAT KIND OF INPUT AND THEN SEND, OKAY, THIS RECOMMENDATION GOES TO THAT WORKING GROUP, THIS RECOMMENDATION GOES TO SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS OR TRANSPORTATION OR WHATEVER, UM, YOU KNOW, TO JUST KIND OF
[01:20:01]
DEAL WITH THAT.I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
OTHERWISE, IT'S, I GUESS GONNA FALL TO ME.
BUT, UM, I GUESS I'M ASKING FOR HELP.
UM, AND ALSO BECAUSE SOME OF IT MIGHT BE A JUDGMENT CALL.
AND THEN IN TERMS, I GUESS OF THIS LIST OF PLANS, IT'S A LENGTHY LIST, BUT I THINK WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOMEBODY FROM EVERY COMMISSION THAT LIKE, HAS DIRECT LIKE, PURVIEW OVER IMPLEMENTATION OF EACH OF THESE PLANS.
SO I THINK WHAT WILL BE KEY IS MAKING SURE THAT EACH OF US ARE ENGAGED AND MAKING SURE THAT IF, IF YOU'RE THE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, LIKE, I, I THINK I'M PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH THE AUSTIN ENERGY RESOURCE GENERATION AND CLIMATE PROTECTION PLAN.
SO LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, EACH, EACH OF US NEEDS TO LIKE MAKE SURE THAT WHEREVER, AND NOW SOME OF US ARE ONLY ON THIS COMMISSION, BUT, UM, FOR THOSE REST OF US WHO ARE HAVE A HOME COMMISSION, LIKE THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GONNA LEAN INTO YOU TO, YOU KNOW, TELL US WHAT, WHAT ISN'T HAPPENING FROM THOSE PLANS FOR LACK OF FUNDING.
SO SHOULD I START AND TELL YOU ABOUT THE FOOD BOARD? SHOULD I TELL YOU WHAT'S HAPPENING? NO, I'M KIDDING.
I'M KIND OF WONDERING TO BRING UP SORT OF COMMISSIONER FRANKLIN'S POINT, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS HALFWAY JOKING, IS LIKE, DO WE HAVE KIND OF LIKE SPECIFIC THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN MIND THAT WE SHOULD ASK EACH COMMISSION? LIKE, HEY, WERE YOUR IDEAS RELATED TO THIS GOING FORWARD FOR THE NEXT, LIKE, MONTH OR TWO, BASICALLY.
AND BECAUSE OF SOUTH BY, YOU KNOW, SOME OF US WILL LOSE MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, OR SPRING BREAK, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW.
UM, SO YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S THE HOMEWORK FOR OUR MARCH MEETING.
AND, AND I THINK THIS IS WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, EXPECT AN EMAIL FROM ME SAYING, OKAY, I THINK THIS WORKING GROUP HAS A RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE PLANS HERE.
AND WE NEED, HERE'S A QUESTION.
CAN WE SIGN UP AS CITIZEN COMMUNICATION FOR OUR OWN BOARD TO TELL THEM LIKE AT SIX O'CLOCK AS OPPOSED TO LIKE 10 O'CLOCK WHEN EVERYONE'S READY TO GO HOME AND THEY'RE ALREADY MENTALLY CHECKED OUT.
AND AT THAT POINT, EVERYONE'S JUST FREAKING READY TO GO TO THE BAR OR GO BACK HOME OR WHEREVER, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SAYING LIKE, AT ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, YOU WANNA BE ABLE TO RAISE THIS.
I THINK IT, WHILE YOU SHOULD TALK TO YOUR CHAIR, GET A SAY I NEED THEM A REALLY IMPORTANT THING, PUT IT, YEAH.
I MEAN, I WOULD JUST SIGN UP AND ASK QUESTIONS LATER, BUT
WE SHOULD ALSO BE UTILIZING OUR HOME COMMISSIONS.
UM, WE HAVE A TIGHT TIMELINE ON THIS.
SO THAT MEANS LIKE, PRETTY MUCH GET SOME INPUT IN, OR AT LEAST START THE CONVERSATION IN MARCH.
I HAVE A, A COMMENT, UH, I WANTED TO RUN WITH A GROUP.
SO ARE WE THINKING THAT THIS IS MORE PHYSICIANS? WE NEED TO LOOK AT SO MANY PLANS, TRYING TO FOCUS ON, ON THE MAIN, I GUESS ON THE MOST HIGH IMPACT ITEMS IN THE PLAN.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF GO WITH THAT.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND WE KNOW, OKAY, YOU KNOW, WHICH OF THESE THINGS ARE THE HIGHEST POTENTIAL EMISSION REDUCTION? WHICH OF THESE ARE THE HIGHEST EQUITY IMPACT? SO ARE WE KIND OF TRYING TO DO THAT RATHER THAN LIKE, GO IN THE DETAILS OF THE PLAN, TRYING TO FOCUS MORE ON, OKAY, WHAT'S THE BIGGER PICTURE ON THE PLAN? WHAT'S THE MOST IMPACT AND WHAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S FUNDING IS LAGGING FOR THAT? AND JUST KIND OF FOCUSING, FOCUSING ON THAT KIND OF THING.
SO I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, AS WE ALL KNOW, THIS IS A DAUNTING TASK.
SO WE WANNA, I WOULD THINK, I WOULD THINK BIGGER, BIG IMPACT MOVING THE NEEDLE RE YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A GOAL LIKE 40% VMT BEING ELECTRIFIED BY 2030, RIGHT? THE BIG THINGS THAT WE NEED TO GET DONE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK AS WE'VE SEEN, AND YOU KNOW, IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT REALLY LONG LISTS WITH LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF DETAILS.
THINGS GET FORGOTTEN, THINGS GET LOST.
LIKE, IT, IT BECOMES TOO MANY THINGS FOR PEOPLE TO JUST WRAP THEIR HEAD AROUND.
SO SIMPLIFYING, CONSOLIDATING, COMING UP WITH BIG ITEMS THAT CAN BE MEMORABLE, THAT CAN BE TRACKED, UM, THAT CAN BE QUANTITATIVE IN NATURE.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT TEND TO GET TRACTION.
[01:25:02]
THANK YOU.UM, CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME OKAY? YEP.
WHAT I WAS JUST GOING TO, CIRCLING BACK TO SORT OF THE HOW, AND TAKING THIS BACK TO OUR HOME COMMISSIONS, SOMETHING THAT WE FOUND SUCCESS WITH ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, WHICH IS A, A, A SLIGHT LIFT IS JUST A SINGLE MESSAGE FROM EITHER THE WORKING GROUP THAT'S ATTACHED TO THIS, OR THE CHAIR OF JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMING BACK TO ME THAT THEN GOES TO THE CHAIR OF EPC AND TO OUR STAFF, AND THEN SHARED THAT WAY.
IT'S A SINGULAR MESSAGE OF WHAT THOSE KEY POINTS ARE IS AN EASY LIFT, AND IT'S DONE BEFORE THE MEETING.
SO THAT WAY, UM, WE CAN ULTIMATELY HAVE SOME REAL ACTION IN EPC.
EACH COMMISSION'S GONNA HAVE THEIR OWN PERSPECTIVE AROUND THIS.
I KNOW THESE ARE THINGS THAT OUR COMMISSION'S GONNA BE CONCERNED ABOUT, BUT IN TERMS OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT AS THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION OR THINGS THAT THOSE ON THE WORKING GROUP HAVE EVEN GREATER KNOWLEDGE OF, AS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THOSE BIG BULLET POINTS THAT NEED TO BE BROUGHT OUT, JUST PUTTING THAT IN THAT SIMPLE MESSAGE FORMAT IS AN EASY WAY, I KNOW I CAN GET THAT COMMUNICATED TO THAT COMMISSION AND POTENTIALLY EVEN ON THE MARCH AGENDA IF NECESSARY.
I CAN COMMIT TO WRITING SOMETHING SHORT THAT EVERYBODY CAN CIRCULATE TO YOUR HOME COMMISSIONS.
SIMILARLY, UM, COULD WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD SHARE WITH SOME COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND POTENTIALLY WE CAN HAVE THOSE WORKING GROUP SESSIONS AND JUST SOMETHING THAT KIND OF SUMMARIZES, LIKE, THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING, THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY.
CAN YOU JOIN US IN HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS? YEAH.
DOES THAT MEAN YOU'RE, YOU'RE VOLUNTEERING TO BE IN A WORKING GROUP?
YEAH, I'LL BE IN INVOLVED TOO.
WE CAN, I CAN SHARE SOME LANGUAGE WITH YOU TOO.
YOU CAN, WHAT? I CAN SHARE SOME LANGUAGE IN TERMS OF LIKE TAKING THAT RESOLUTION AND BREAKING IT DOWN INTO LIKE, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY ASKING FOR.
THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR.
LET'S, WHY DON'T WE CONNECT AND SURE.
UM, YEAH, I THINK THAT SOUNDS GOOD.
WE, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO CIRCULATE AND, AND MY HOPE IS ALSO, SINCE WE'RE ON A TIGHT TIMELINE, AND, UH, I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE NORMALLY SHOW UP TO THESE MEETINGS OR EVEN KNOW ABOUT THESE MEETINGS, UM, THAT WE CAN GET SOMETHING WRITTEN SO THAT WE CAN POST IT IN OR GET, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBERS TO LIKE PUT IT OUT IN THEIR NEWSLETTERS AND, AND SOCIAL MEDIA AND THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND HOPEFULLY OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY COULD HELP WITH THAT AS WELL.
WE STILL HAVE A BUNCH OF ITEMS. SO ARE, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE CRITICAL THAT ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO DISCUSS? UM, WE DO HAVE THE ITEM FOR CREATING A WORKING GROUP.
UM, I'M SEEING THAT WE HAVE, I THINK AT LEAST THREE OF US, THEY'RE WILLING TO, TO BE ON THAT.
UM, SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION THAT WE DO CREATE A WORKING GROUP TO FOCUS ON THIS AND ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN, UH, PROCESS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS.
I'VE GOT A MOTION, I'VE GOT A SECOND.
AND SO FAR WHAT I SEE IS MYSELF, RODRIGO, ANNA, AND HARRIS.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE? THAT, AND CHARLOTTE.
ANYBODY ELSE THAT WANTS TO BE INCLUDED ON THAT? I WOULD LIKE TO CHIME IN.
AS LONG AS WE HAVE, OR FEWER, WHICH I THINK WE DO.
SO I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH, UH, SOMETHING TO SCHEDULE.
BUT I'M HOPING THAT ACTUALLY THE BULK OF OUR WORK CAN BE, YOU KNOW, DONE VIA EMAIL AND MAYBE SOME, SOME GOOGLE DOCS, STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO WE AREN'T ADDING A TON OF MEETINGS, UM, TO THAT.
EVERYBODY IN FAVOR? PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
DIANA, JUST SO YOU KNOW, YOUR, UH, CAMERA IS OFF.
SORRY, CAN YOU, CAN YOU SEE ME? YEP.
WE WILL WORK FAST AND FURIOUS ON THAT ITEM.
ALRIGHT, GOING BACK TO THE AGENDA.
[4. Discussion of Joint Sustainability Committee strategic plan.]
WE HAVE JSC STRATEGIC PLAN.I DON'T WANNA TAKE A TON OF TIME ON THIS BECAUSE WE NEED TO DO OUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT WE ALSO KICKED THIS ONE DOWN FROM LAST MONTH, SO I THINK WE SHOULD DO IT.
[01:30:01]
AND ROHAN, YOU DO HAVE A PRESENTATION, RIGHT? GREAT.DO YOU HAVE THE, ARE THE OTHER SLIDES IN THERE? YEAH, WHY DON'T WE GO THROUGH TO, YEAH, LET'S KEEP GOING.
SO I GUESS KIND OF, UH, HAN I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED TO SHARE ANYTHING ON THIS OR IF YOU'D LIKE ME TO SPEAK TO IT, WHAT DO YOU PREFER? GO.
I, I DON'T, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY, BUT MY, UM, IMPRESSION WAS THAT WE FOUND, WE FOUND ITEM ONE TO A CERTAIN EXTENT TO BE CHALLENGING.
AND IT SEEMED LIKE WE WERE ALL FEELING A LACK OF, UH, DATA TO REALLY DEFINE WHAT WAS HIGH IMPACT.
IS THAT, YEAH, SO THIS, THIS WAS OUR VISION.
IT TURNED OUT THAT, THAT THAT WAS DIFFICULT.
I THINK
IS THAT A FAIR CHARACTERIZATION? AND IF YOU'RE ONLINE, FEEL FREE TO JUST SPEAK OUT 'CAUSE IT'S HARD TO SEE.
CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? I THINK SOMEWHERE WE HAVE, OKAY, SO WE DID DO THIS.
NUMBER THREE, MAKE PRIORITY ACTION RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE DID OUR, I THINK DID, DID, DID OUR BEST WITH THE, THE LIMITED DATA THAT WE HAD TO REALLY ASSESS WHAT WAS, YOU KNOW, QUOTE, HIGH IMPACT.
BUT I THINK WE IDENTIFIED THINGS THAT SEEMED LIKE TO OUR BEST JUDGMENT WOULD BE HIGH IMPACT.
UM, MY TAKE ON NUMBER THREE IS THAT WE MADE THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE HAVEN'T MAYBE HAD MUCH OF ANY FOLLOW UP ON THOSE, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM ANYBODY WHO MAYBE HAS FOLLOWED UP ON ANY OF THE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE MADE BACK IN THE FALL.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING TO SHARE ON ANY OF THOSE.
HMM, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WELL, WE MADE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT LIKE, DID, DID THIS, DID ANYBODY IN CITY LEADERSHIP OR COUNCIL MOVE ANYTHING FORWARD? I CAN SHARE THAT.
UM, THE PASSIVE HOUSE PILOT, WHICH WAS A POLICY RECOMMENDATION, UM, THE, ONE OF THE WORKING GROUP MEMBERS, SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, WORKING GROUP MEMBERS HAS BEEN CONTINUED TO WORK THAT.
AND, UM, IT SEEMS THAT THERE IS GONNA BE SOME SORT OF RESOLUTION AT COUNCIL TO TRY TO IMPLEMENT THAT, THAT PROGRAM.
UM, IT'S STILL IN THE WORKS, BUT I WOULD SAY MOST OF THE OTHER THINGS, UM, YEAH, THAT WERE FROM SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN FOLLOW UP.
SO THIS IS MY FIRST LIKE, YOU KNOW, I GUESS TERM SEASON SESSION OR WHATEVER, I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE SINCE THE FALL, BUT SOMETHING THAT COMES TO MIND IN TERMS OF ACCOUNTABILITY, AND THAT'S FROM US, YOU KNOW, TO COUNCIL IS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, ASSIGN SOMEBODY RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT FOLLOW UP AND BUILDING THAT RELATIONSHIP AND RAPPORT WITH THAT PARTICULAR COUNCIL MEMBER.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE AS THINGS GOT DROPPED IN THE FALL, NOBODY'S ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE ANY FEEDBACK, WHICH MEANS THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN FOLLOWING THROUGH, WHICH MEANS THAT WE POTENTIALLY COULD BE FAILING AND DON'T EVEN KNOW IT.
AND SO IT'S LIKE, HOW DO WE AVOID THAT GOING FORWARD, ESPECIALLY WITH, YOU KNOW, THIS NEW OPPORTUNITY ON OUR HANDS TO REALLY PUSH THE MARKER FORWARD ON HOW DO WE DEFINE OURSELVES? SO MAYBE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE FUTURE WE COULD ADD IN THERE.
I'M NOT EVEN SURE IF IT GOES IN THERE, BUT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, THERE NEEDS TO BE LANGUAGE.
NO, MAYBE TO IT, THERE NEEDS TO BE LANGUAGE THAT WE HAVE THAT HELPS US HOLD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE JUST AS WHETHER THE PIECE OF POLICY THAT WE DRAFTED AND THE, AND, AND THE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A PROCESS THAT REINSURES ACCOUNTABILITY.
I LIKE THAT WE GOT LARRY HERE TO STRONG ARM DISTRICT ONE.
SO
[01:35:01]
CONCRETE SUGGESTION.UM, SPECIFIC ACCOUNTABILITY IF POSSIBLE.
I DON'T KNOW LIKE HOW IN DEPTH THAT WOULD GO.
LIKE, I JUST KNOW FOR ME AND LIKE WHAT I DO, I TRY TO ALWAYS BUILD RELATIONSHIP WITH COUNCIL BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE ONE OF THE ULTIMATE SAY SOS.
AND SO WHEN I BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT COUNCIL MEMBER, THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHY I'M BUILDING THIS RELATIONSHIP.
THEY KNOW WHERE I COME FROM, WHAT I STAND FOR, AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
AND THAT'S JUST, I THINK HOW IT SHOULD GO.
LIKE YOU BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP, YOU'RE JUST NOT SITTING AT A TABLE, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO WRITE SOMETHING ON PAPER AND DISH IT OFF TO SOMEBODY.
NO, YOU'RE BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT THE F**K YOU DO.
UM, AND I THINK SINCE WE COVER SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS HERE, UM, THAT THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO.
WE CAN KIND OF TAKE OUR LITTLE PIECES, UM, AND MAYBE IT WASN'T OUR ITEM AT THE START, BUT WE'RE WILLING TO AT LEAST FOLLOW THROUGH.
AND, AND SOMETIMES COUNCIL IS JUST NOT GONNA MM-HMM.
BUT I THINK WITH MOST OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, THAT WE MADE IN THE FALL, PROBABLY THEY HAVEN'T REALLY, NOBODY HAS FOLLOWED BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T FOLLOWED THROUGH ON MOST OF THEM.
THEY, THERE HASN'T EVEN REALLY BEEN A DISCUSSION.
SO I DON'T THINK THEY'VE BEEN REJECTED.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID ON THE FULL POLICY BOARD WAS WE STARTED A WORKING GROUP CALLED, UM, FOOD IN ALL DEPARTMENTS.
AND SO WHAT THAT DOES IS IT ALLOWS US TO LOOK AT THE ENTIRE CITY OF AUSTIN DEPARTMENTS AND SAY, HEY, WHAT DEPARTMENTS CROSS WHAT DEPARTMENTS OVERLAP WITH, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE, WITH WHAT WE WANT TO DO? AND WE IDENTIFY THOSE DEPARTMENTS AND WE DO IT COLLECTIVELY AS A GROUP, WHICH FEELS SO MUCH BETTER THAN GOING IN INDIVIDUALLY.
SO WE DO IT COLLECTIVELY AS A GROUP, AND WE PRETTY MUCH BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL.
WE FOLLOW UP WITH 'EM, AND THEN THE WORKING GROUP, YOU KNOW, COMES BACK AND EXPRESS THAT TO THE OVERALL BODY.
AND SO IT FEELS REALLY GOOD AND IT'S, I THINK IT'S LIKE A REALLY HEALTHY THING TO DO, ESPECIALLY TO PUSH THE MARKER FORWARD INSTEAD OF GOING IN INDIVIDUALLY, YOU KNOW, AND HAVING ALL THE RESPONSIBILITY, ESPECIALLY BEING THAT OUR PLATE JUST GOT ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, TON OF STUFF ADDED ONTO IT.
BUT I DON'T KNOW, THESE ARE JUST MY THOUGHTS.
I ACTUALLY LIKE THAT THOUGHT THAT MAYBE THE WORKING GROUPS SHOULD BE REQUESTING MEETINGS WITH COUNCIL TO TALK ABOUT THE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS THAT EACH OF US, YOU KNOW, EACH OF THE GROUPS SHEPHERDED THROUGH AND GOT ENDORSEMENT FROM THE JFC.
AND I THINK COUNCIL, I LIKE THAT.
I THINK COUNCILOR LOVE IT BECAUSE IF THIS STUFF IS CONFUSING TO US AND LIKE WE PLAY WITH THIS ALL DAY, THEY PLAY WITH A LOT MORE THINGS ALL DAY.
AND SO FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, EVEN US AT TIMES, THE LANGUAGE OF WHAT WE DO IS FOREIGN.
SO JUST IMAGINE FOR SOMEBODY WHO JUST LIKE DRIVE A BIG ASS DIESEL TRUCK, LIKE WHATEVER, BRO, I DON'T EVEN HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
SO IT COULD BE INTIMIDATING, VERY INTIMIDATING, YOU KNOW, HERE COME THOSE GEEKS.
AND SO IF WE COULD BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND OUR LANGUAGE AND OUR PASSION AND HOW WE COULD HELP THEM GO FORWARD WITH CREATING REALLY GOOD POLICY, I THINK THAT'LL HELP, YOU KNOW, EASE THAT BURDEN.
LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, RIGHT? THIS IS OUR, OUR TIMELINE FOR WHAT WE ENVISIONED.
UM, AND I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE SOMEWHERE IN LINE WITH THIS.
I THINK RIGHT NOW WITH THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, WE'RE ONE MONTH BEHIND, BUT WE'RE STILL AHEAD OF THE DEADLINE, WHICH MEANS THAT WE WILL STILL HAVE TIME TO POST ANY RECOMMENDATIONS WE MAKE TONIGHT, UH, WITH OUR, WITH OUR HOME COMMISSIONS.
SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S POSITIVE.
UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE A THOUGHT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE TIMELINE GOING FORWARD TO KIND OF DO THIS ALL AGAIN, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE SORT OF JUST COMMITTED OURSELVES FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS FOCUSING MORE ON KIND OF BUDGETARY NEEDS, BUT, UM, YEAH.
ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT TIMELINE? YEAH, SO WAS THIS FROM LIKE THE LA 'CAUSE THIS LIKE 2023, RIGHT? SO THIS WAS THE STEPS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH LAST YEAR.
ARE WE, ARE WE TRYING TO CREATE A NEW CALENDAR FOR 2024? OR WHAT, WHAT'S THE, I GUESS TO LOOK AT THIS? I MEAN, SO THIS IS WHAT WE CREATED FOR 2023.
I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW THAT IF WE NEED TO TAKE THIS SAME APPROACH, BECAUSE TO A CERTAIN EXTENT WE'VE MADE SOME POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAVEN'T FOLLOWED THROUGH ON.
SO MAYBE ONCE WE GET THROUGH THE, YOU KNOW, TASK
[01:40:01]
OF, OF THE FUNDING, UH, RESOLUTION, UM, MAYBE THE MONTHS, BUT KIND OF, UM, WELL THEN AFTER THAT THERE'S ALSO GONNA BE BUDGET PROCESS, RIGHT? SO WE'RE GONNA MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT AGAIN, ON THE FOLLOW THROUGH THE SUMMER MONTHS OR MAYBE WHEN WE MIGHT NEED TO, OR LATER IN THE SPRING, MIGHT NEED TO DO SOME FOLLOW THROUGH ON TRYING TO ACTUALLY GET THINGS THAT WE DO WANT INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET THERE.SO YEAH, THIS MIGHT LOOK VERY DIFFERENT NEXT YEAR.
I THINK THE PIECE THAT, THAT IS CONSISTENT EVERY YEAR IS THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS 'CAUSE THAT COMES AROUND AT THE SAME TIME.
RAHAN, DO YOU HAVE THOUGHTS HERE? YEAH, JUST FOR SOME CONTEXT, FOR THE FOLKS THAT JOINED AFTER THE STRATEGIC PLAN PRIOR TO 2023, UM, THE JSC WAS EXPANDED TO 18 MEMBERS.
UM, WE HAD SIX MONTHS OR SO WHERE THOSE POSITIONS WEREN'T FILLED.
THERE WAS WAS A LACK OF QUORUM.
UH, IT WAS REALLY HARD TO GET THINGS DONE.
AND I THINK THIS WAS SORT OF INTENDED AS A RESET AND A CHANCE TO IDENTIFY PRIORITIES, UM, AND BRING THE NEW MEMBERS IN, UM, SO THAT WE COULD ESTABLISH THE JSC AS A SORT OF FUNCTIONAL BODY MOVING FORWARD.
AND EVERYONE WAS ON THE SAME PAGE AND ALIGNED IN TERMS OF GOALS AND, UH, APPROACH.
YEAH, THANKS FOR THAT CONTEXT.
FOR, FOR FOLKS WHO WEREN'T HERE LAST JANUARY, FEBRUARY, I, I ACTUALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF, UH, I MEAN THIS, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS WASN'T FORESEE FORESEEABLE AND CAN HAVE A REALLY BIG IMPACT.
SO I THINK I LIKE THE IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, FOCUSING ON THAT, THAT THAT'S GONNA BE, UH, REALLY USEFUL AND THEN SPENDING THE NEXT FEW MONTHS FOR, FOR PHOTO, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF KEY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF WE RECOMMEND ALL THESE THINGS, BUT YOU KNOW, THINGS NOT DON'T GET DONE OR THEY FOLLOW THROUGH, THEN THEY DON'T HAVE AS MUCH OF AN EFFECT.
SO I THINK FOR SURE, UM, NEXT, NEXT MONTHS AFTER IT, JUST HAVE THAT FOLLOW THROUGH.
WELL, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE GENERALLY ALIGNED THAT, THAT WE WANT TO SPEND MORE TIME FOLLOWING UP ON, ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS, BOTH POLICY AND, UM, AND BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND SO THERE WILL BE SOME PIECE OF THE TIME KINDA LEADING UP TO WHEN WE KIND OF START REFOCUSING ON THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR, WHICH I WILL SAY, I THINK BECAUSE WE WERE, WE GOT A LITTLE BIT BEHIND ON WHEN WE WANTED TO GET THOSE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS IN.
I THINK MOST OF OUR WORKING GROUPS STARTED THE BUDGET, UM, KIND OF CONVERSATION A LITTLE BIT LATER THAN, THAN THIS CALENDAR SUGGESTED.
AND WE PROBABLY WOULD BE SERVED TAKING, TAKING MORE TIME.
'CAUSE WE CAN GET MORE INFORMATION.
I KNOW THAT THE, THE WORKING GROUPS THAT I'M ON, LIKE, WE WERE STILL KIND OF SCRAMBLING TO TRY TO LIKE, GET INFORMATION TO MAKE SOLID RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY IF WE CAN, IF WE CAN START TALKING, I THINK WE ENVISIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, GATHERING INFORMATION EVEN IN AS EARLY AS LIKE AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER FOR THE NEXT BUDGET.
SO, UM, THAT AGAIN, KIND OF GIVES US THE SUMMER TO DO A LOT OF, AND I SAY SUMMER, MAY, MAY THROUGH AUGUST OR JULY, UH, TO REALLY JUST FOCUS ON LIKE PUSHING THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ALREADY RECOMMENDED AND, AND MAYBE REFINING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS HERE BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, SOME, SOME OF THEM WERE MORE DETAILED THAN OTHERS, BUT A LOT OF THEM WERE KIND OF GENERALIZED.
AND SO MAYBE WE CAN TAKE THAT TIME TO REALLY TRY TO DIG IN WITH STAFF AND BRING MORE, UM, SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEN WE CAN, CAN BRING FORWARD TO COUNCIL.
DOES EVERYBODY FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT AS A PLAN OF ACTION? EVERYBODY ONLINE? YOU COULD, WE CAN STOP SHARING THIS.
[12. Approve amendments to the Joint Sustainability Committee bylaws increasing the membership to include a representative from the Public Health Commission.]
ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM.OKAY, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA PUSH ALL THE UPDATES UNTIL THE END, UH, BECAUSE THEY'RE IMPORTANT.
BUT WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT IS THAT WE GET SOME OF THESE ACTION ITEMS. I WOULD LIKE TO FLY THROUGH ITEMS 12 AND 13.
ITEMS 12 AND 13 ARE ON OUR AGENDA BECAUSE THE CLERK'S OFFICE DETERMINED THAT THEY WERE NOT PROPERLY POSTED FOR THE ACTION THAT WE TOOK, UM,
[01:45:01]
LAST, UH, LAST MEETING.SO NOTHING HAS CHANGED WITH THE ITEMS, BUT PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONSULT THE BACKUP.
UM, YOU WILL SEE THAT NOW THE BACKUP FOR ITEM 12 IS THE RED LINE OF THE BYLAWS.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 12.
ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION, WE HAVE A SECOND TO APPROVE THE AMENDMENTS TO THE JSC BYLAWS TO INCREASE OUR MEMBERSHIP TO INCLUDE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
[13. Approve recommendations to encourage low-carbon foods in the Austin-Travis County Food Plan.]
ITEM 13 IS TO IMPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO ENCOURAGE LOW CARBON FOODS IN THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN.THANKFULLY STAFF WAS NOT WAITING FOR THE TECHNICALITIES AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH WHAT WE RECOMMENDED ANYWAY, SO KUDOS TO THEM.
UM, BUT I WILL MOVE APPROVAL OF THIS RECOMMENDATION SO IT WILL BE FORMALIZED.
ALL IN FAVOR? PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
I THINK THAT IS UNANIMOUS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THAT, CHARLOTTE NEEDED TO ABSTAIN ON THAT OR RECUSE HERSELF ON THAT ITEM.
JUST, JUST, I GUESS REALLY QUICKLY, UH, A KIND OF HOUSEKEEPING NOTE.
UM, I'M SURE YOU ALL SAW THE, THE EMAIL FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE, HOPEFULLY YOU DID.
UM, WE'RE GETTING A LOT MORE SCRUTINY ON OUR POSTING LANGUAGE, ON THE AGENDAS.
SO I'M PLANNING TO SET UP A, UH, LIKE A GOOGLE FORM WHERE WE CAN GET EACH OF Y'ALL WHO ARE REPRESENTING HOME COMMISSIONS AND WANNA DO UPDATES TO PUT IN THE LANGUAGE OF WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE GONNA UPDATE BECAUSE, UH, WE JUST NEED TO, THEY WANT THAT AND WE NEED IT, OR ELSE WE CAN'T POST OUR AGENDA.
AND, UM, WELL WE CAN'T MEET
[14. Approve Joint Sustainability Committee recommendations for the City’s FY2025 budget.]
SO NEXT UP WE HAVE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.UH, SO I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY IS READY TO GO FIRST.
ISN'T ANYBODY FEELING FEELING EXCITED TO GO FIRST FOR YOUR WORKING GROUP? ALL RIGHT.
TRANSPORTATION AND, AND LAND USE.
UH, CAN YOU TURN ON YOUR MIC? YEAH, SO THE FIRST ONE, UH, THE FIRST ONE THAT WE HAD, THIS IS ONE THAT WE, THAT WE PRESENTED.
WE DON'T HAVE IT, I GUESS IN THE, IN THE FORMAT THAT WE TYPICALLY HAVE IT.
EVA, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S AN ISSUE TO GET APPROVED NOW OR NOT, BUT LIKE ALL THESE SCREENS WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US.
UM, YEAH, AND THIS ONE IS, IS ONE THAT IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S THE ONE THAT WE WENT, UH, LAST TIME, BUT IT'S IN REGARDS TO THE COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT AND IT'S SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAD BEFORE, BUT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE FEEDBACK AND THE THOUGHTS THAT WE HAD FROM WITHIN THE WORKING GROUP AND THE PEOPLE THAT WE REACH REACHED OUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WAS TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT MORE ACTION ORIENTED, YOU KNOW, SO THAT IT HAS MORE, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST NOT JUST A, YOU KNOW, UH, OPEN ENDED COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT AND THERE'S NO REALLY ACTION ITEMS OR WAYS TO KNOW THAT IT, YOU KNOW, WENT THROUGH.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, MAIN FOCUS IS FOCUSING ON, ON, UH, LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES, UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, UH, DOING THE, THE, THE ASSESSMENT TO IDENTIFY, UH, MOBILITY CHALLENGES, UM, ANY, ANY KIND OF ISSUES.
BUT AS PART, AS PART OF, TO MAKE THIS ACTION ORIENTED, WE WANTED FROM THIS TO BE, TO HAVE A REPORT
[01:50:01]
AND A PRESENTATION.UH, WE ALSO, ONE OF THE BIG CHANGES THAT I FORGOT TO MENTION IS THAT INSTEAD OF MAKING AUSTIN ENERGY THE MAIN ENTITY, UH, DOING THIS, IT WOULD BE THE CITY OF AUSTIN EQUITY OFFICE.
UM, 'CAUSE WE WANT IT, WE WANT IT TO BE, UH, YEAH, EQUITY ORIENTED.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE FEEDBACK OF ET CETERA.
AND NOT YET, I THINK, I THINK WE'RE GOOD RIGHT NOW.
SO I REPORTED A PRESENTATION TO THE JC AND THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, UH, AND KEY IDENTIFIED COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE BUDGET APPROVAL.
SO WE WANTED TO KIND OF PUT THAT TIMELINE THERE.
UH, YEAH, JUST SOME OF THE, THESE KEY ITEMS, IF YOU GO A LITTLE BIT LOWER, UH, HAN OR WHOEVER'S CONTROLLING, SO IDENTIFYING, UH, MOBILITY CHALLENGES.
UH, ALSO PUBLIC HEALTH WAS SOMETHING THAT WE, WE INCLUDED RACIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE.
UH, WE WANTED ALSO TO, THIS IS ONE OF THE FEEDBACK FROM ET CETERA TO, TO HAVE ACTION ITEMS AND RECOMMENDED PROGRAMS, UH, TO ACHIEVE THE EV EDUCATION AND ADOPTION, AND ALSO BE ABLE TO, TO COME UP WITH FUNDING SOURCES TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAMS. UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WAS ALSO WE GOT FEEDBACK THAT A LOT OF THESE ASSESSMENTS WERE ACTUALLY ALREADY DONE.
SO INSTEAD OF DOING ASSESSMENT OVER ASSESSMENT, OVER ASSESSMENT, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO BUILD ON THE, ON THE ALREADY ESTABLISHED ASSESSMENT.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, JUST AGAIN, COMING UP WITH MORE, UH, ACTION ITEM FROM, FROM THIS RATHER THAN JUST AN OVERALL ASSESSMENT.
AND, UH, TO GET THERE, WE WERE THINKING OF, UH, HIRING A CONSULTANT, UM, GIVING $150,000 FOR THEM, BUT WORKING WITH ALL THESE, UH, DIFFERENT ENTITIES THAT I DIDN'T READ, UH, BUT IT WAS IN THE, IN THE TOP, BUT LED BY THE CITY, UH, BY THE EQUITY EQUITY OFFICE.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, HAVING AN AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, UH, THAT WILL BE, UH, $50,000 TO, TO RUN THAT.
AND THEN ALSO, AGAIN, TO MAKE IT MORE ACTION ORIENTED, HAVE, ASK THEM, SCROLL DOWN.
CAN YOU SCROLL DOWN MORE A LITTLE BIT.
AND THEN, YEAH, THE FINAL WOULD BE TO, TO HAVE SOME PILOTS FOR THE, FOR THE FOUR RECOMMENDED PROGRAMS IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT, INCLUDING THE, THE AREAS THAT WE SUGGESTED.
UH, SO, AND, AND, AND GIVING A HUNDRED THOUSAND TO THAT.
SO IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, IF IF WE'RE THINKING ABOUT FOUR PILOT PROGRAMS, IT COULD BE 25,000 FOR, FOR EACH OF THEM.
THAT'S, UH, THE GENERAL GIST OF IT.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF, UH, LARRY OR ROD, YOU GUYS HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD OR MELISSA OR HEATHER? I'LL BE QUICK.
I THINK THIS RECOMMENDATION BUILDS ON SOME OF THE EXISTING INFORMATION THAT'S ALREADY OUT THERE.
I FAVORITE IT A LOT AND IT'S BECAUSE NOT ONLY IS THERE OUR CURRENT INFORMATION OUT THERE IN TERMS OF ASSESSMENT, BUT THERE'S ALSO RESOURCES OUT THERE THAT HAVE A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP WITH, UM, US ACHIEVING SOME OF THE CLIMATE EQUITY, US ACHIEVING SOME OF THE PLAN.
BUT BECAUSE NOBODY KNOWS HOW TO TAP THOSE RESOURCES, ESPECIALLY COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF COLOR, YOU KNOW, SUCH AS SOME OF THE LOCATIONS THAT WE'RE TARGETING, BECAUSE NOBODY KNOWS HOW TO TAP INTO THOSE RESOURCES.
THEY'RE JUST RESOURCES SITTING THERE.
AND SO ONCE AGAIN, TO ME THAT'S, THAT'S NOT BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF TAXPAYERS, OF TAXPAYERS DOLLARS.
IF THERE'S A RESOURCE SITTING THERE AND THERE'S SOME TYPE OF COMMUNITY OR ORGANIZATION THAT LEADS THEIR COMMUNITY, THEN WE SHOULD FIGURE OUT A WAY TO PULL THAT ORGANIZATION CLOSE, HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THIS, THIS THING THAT'S IN FRONT OF THEM, AND HOW COULD THEY EDUCATE THEIR COMMUNITY TO TAP INTO THIS THING THAT'S IN FRONT OF THEM THAT JUST SITTING THERE.
THANKS A LOT FOR THE GOOD WORK YOU DID, CHRIS.
UH, CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD CIRCULATORS CAR SHARING THING? YEAH.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU RODIO FOUND OUT RIGHT? FROM, WAS IT COMING OUT OF THE GABA ASSESSMENT? YEAH.
ONE OF THE, THE THINGS THAT HAVE COME OUT OF OUR CONVERSATIONS IN TERMS OF, UM, WHAT THESE, WHAT THIS LIKE KIND OF COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT SHOULD COVER, UM, IS NOT JUST LIKE PERSONAL EVS, BUT ALSO OTHER WAYS TO ADDRESS
[01:55:01]
TRANSPORTATION GAPS USING ELECTRIFIED MOBILITY.AND ONE OF THE CONCRETE IDEAS, YOU KNOW, AS, AS CHRIS AND LARRY HAD ALLUDED TO, THERE'S ALREADY IDEAS OUT THERE, THE COMMUNITY, ONE OF THE CONCRETE IDEAS THAT HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED WAS THE NEED FOR A CIRCULATOR SHUTTLE IN, UM, THE RUNDBERG SLASH NACA KIND OF NORTH AUSTIN AREA.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LIKE THE SAME AS LIKE THE PICKUP APP THAT CAPTAIN METRO HAS SI SIMILAR EXCEPT IT WOULD BE A DEDICATED CIRCULATOR SHUTTLE FOR THAT COMMUNITY BECAUSE THERE ARE SPECIFIC TRANSIT GAPS.
FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S, UM, SOME MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES THAT LOST LIKE A BUS STOP THAT WAS CLOSE BY AND NOW PEOPLE AH, YES.
SO NOW PEOPLE HAVE TO WALK, YOU KNOW, FAR DISTANCE WITH, WITH KIDS WITH GROCERIES.
AND SO HAVING SOME KIND OF CIRCULATOR SHUTTLE WOULD BE A WAY TO LIKE EXPAND ACCESS TO THE BENEFITS OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES WITHOUT NECESSARILY RELYING ON PEOPLE HAVING THEIR OWN CAR.
SO THIS WOULD BE LIKE A CAP METRO SERVICE OR I'M JUST CURIOUS.
YEAH, I, I DON'T THINK WE'RE PRESCRIBING LIKE WHO WOULD OPERATE IT.
I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WOULD COME OUT OF A PROCESS LIKE THIS IS IDENTIFYING LIKE WHO ARE THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WOULD RUN IT.
I MEAN, HEY, YOU KNOW, I USE THE PICKUP APP A LOT.
I LIVE OFF ROCKY AND MAINOR, SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S LIKE A EASTERN WINDSOR PARK OR WHATEVER CIRCULATOR AND, UH, IT'S REALLY CLUTCH.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY FRIENDS, THEY INFORMED ME THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY GO FROM BUS STOP TO BUS STOP IN A CERTAIN ZONE USING THE APP FOR FREE, WHICH A LOT, WHICH I DIDN'T KNOW.
PEOPLE THAT I TELL ABOUT DON'T KNOW.
SO I'M REALLY ALL FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD CIRCULATOR STUFF BECAUSE IT REALLY ALLOWS, UH, YOU KNOW, CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS TO JUST BE ABLE TO GO FROM PLACE TO PLACE REALLY CHEAPLY, QUICKLY, AND AFFORDABLY.
COULD YOU SCROLL DOWN TO THE, TO THE NEXT PORTION? YEAH, MAYBE IF YOU CAN SHOW LIKE ONE, TWO, AND THREE TOGETHER.
SO, UM, THIS PORTION OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOCUSES MORE ON KIND OF SOME OF THE EXTREME HEAT, UM, ISSUES THAT WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING PREVIOUSLY.
UM, AND KIND OF THE TIES TO, UM, SOME OF THE TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE GOALS THAT ARE IN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
SO ITEM, I'LL START WITH, START WITH ITEM NUMBER THREE.
SO THE IDEA FOR ITEM NUMBER THREE IS TO, UM, ASK FOR A LARGER SUM OF MONEY TO SUPPLEMENT EXISTING HOME WEATHERIZATION AND IMPROVEMENT, UH, PROGRAMS, UM, WITH A SPECIFIC AIM AT TARGETING KIND OF LOW TO MIDDLE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.
AND THIS MONEY COULD BE USED, UM, AS MATCHING FUNDS.
SO IT CAN KIND OF SUPPLEMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, AUSTIN ENERGY'S WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM, OR IT COULD SUPPLEMENT, UH, UH, FUNDING THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL.
UM, THE IDEA IS THAT THIS WOULD HAVE, UH, BENEFITS IN TERMS OF REDUCING UTILITY COSTS, REDUCING ENERGY BURDEN, HOPEFULLY ALSO HELP IN TERMS OF, UM, ANTI DISPLACEMENT IF WE'RE ABLE TO REDUCE PEOPLE'S ENERGY BILLS AND ALSO HAVE, UH, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EXTREME HEAT AND PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT HAVE GREAT HVAC OR INSTALLATION OR MAYBE POOR WINDOWS OR, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A WHOLE LIST OF THINGS THAT COULD BE ADDRESSED WITH THIS, UM, POT OF FUNDS.
AND THEN THE IDEA FOR NUMBER ONE AND TWO ON THIS LIST IS, UM, THERE NEEDS TO BE KIND OF A DEDICATED PERSON AT THE CITY THAT DOES PROACTIVE OUTREACH ABOUT WEATHERIZATION INSTEAD OF JUST KIND OF WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, APPLY TO A WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM.
WE NEED SOMEBODY WHO DOES COORDINATION TO HELP PEOPLE KIND OF NAVIGATE THE PROCESS AND TO PROVIDE THEM THESE FUNDS.
AND THEN, UH, THE IDEA FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO WOULD BE, UM, THE WORK THAT THAT PERSON WOULD BE DOING, THAT STAFF PERSON WOULD BE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE, UM, YOU KNOW, PARTNERING WITH A COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION TO DO DOOR TO DOOR OUTREACH IN A NEIGHBORHOOD AND KIND OF TALK TO HOMEOWNERS, LOW INCOME HOMEOWNERS ABOUT, UM, POTENTIAL REPAIRS.
THEY, THEY MIGHT BE CONSIDERING POTENTIAL WEATHERIZATION, UM, TYPES OF IMPROVEMENTS TO THEIR HOMES AND REALLY START BUILDING THAT TRUST.
UM, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, UM, NOT EVERYBODY IS GOING TO LOOK AT AN AUSTIN ENERGY WEATHERIZATION OFFER AND FEEL LIKE THAT'S FOR THEM.
AND SO THERE REALLY NEEDS TO BE KIND OF FUNDING FOR THIS, UM, TYPE OF OUTREACH.
SO THE MONEY WOULD GO TO, YOU KNOW, PAYING EITHER AMBASSADORS OR PAYING A COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION, UH, TO HELP THE STAFF PERSON DO THIS KIND OF TARGETED OUTREACH.
SO THE ONE AND THREE ARE KIND OF ONE, TWO, AND THREE ARE KIND OF A BUNDLE.
UM, ANYBODY HAVE QUESTIONS ON ONE, TWO, AND THREE BEFORE I GO TO FOUR AND FIVE? YEAH.
[02:00:01]
YEAH.IS, CAN ANY OF THIS APPLY TO RENTERS OR IS THIS JUST TARGETED AT HOMEOWNERS? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
UM, IF YOU HAVE IDEAS FOR HOW, UM, I THINK THAT'S VALID.
UM, BUT I THINK WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE WOULD BE ASKING FOR, I MEAN, SOME OTHER POTENTIAL LIKE HOUSING TYPES WOULD BE MOBILE HOMES OR, UH, MANUFACTURED HOUSING.
SO LIKE, YOU KNOW, HOMES THAT DON'T HAVE A LOT OF VALUE IN TERMS OF PROPERTY VALUE.
UM, BUT OF COURSE THERE'S ALSO THE RENTER ASPECT.
UH, YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THAT, UH, THE AUSTIN ENERGY WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM DOES, YOU KNOW, DOES MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO RENTERS.
THEY NEED PERMISSION FROM THE LANDLORD.
THEY HAVE TO BE AN AUSTIN ENERGY CUSTOMER.
UM, WHAT I DON'T KNOW IS THE SIZE OF THAT PROGRAM AND WHETHER IT'S, IT'S THE FUNDING IS EXHAUSTED FOR THAT.
THEY, THEY DO HAVE PROGRAMS FOR THAT.
I'M NOT SURE IF THEY SPEND IT ALL AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
AND IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, ARE THEY, IS IT OVERSUBSCRIBED AND THIS MONEY PARTICULARLY THE TWO TO 3 MILLION WOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, GETTING THEM TO BE ABLE TO MEET THE DEMAND.
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE THAT'S NOT THE CASE BECAUSE YOU NEED, WE NEED OUTREACH TO, TO LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IT.
SO, UM, I'M JUST WONDERING IF THAT, THAT THIRD PIECE, WHICH IS REALLY LIKE THE BIG MONEY, IS THAT, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW IS, IS NEEDED AND, AND WHAT THE DEMAND FOR THAT MIGHT BE? Y YEAH, I, I THINK I CAN HELP WITH THAT.
UM, I, I LOVE THAT Y'ALL ARE THINKING ABOUT THIS.
I THINK IT, UM, IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH SOMETHING HERE PROBABLY FITS MORE UNDER SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, JUST IN TERMS OF HOW WE, UM, FORMAT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
BUT, UM, YEAH, THERE IS, SO THERE ARE TWO PROGRAMS ACTUALLY.
ONE IS FOR SINGLE FAMILY AND ONE IS FOR MULTIFAMILY.
AND AUSTIN ENERGY IS NOT TURNING ANYBODY AWAY FOR LACK OF FUNDING.
UM, SO YEAH, I GUESS I, I DO WANNA UNDERSTAND WHAT THE NEED, THE, THE IDENTIFIED NEED HERE WAS.
YEAH, I GUESS, I MEAN, I GUESS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE IS, IS, IS THAT DUE TO LACK OF OUTREACH? UM, IS THERE LIKE ACTUALLY A NEED OUT THERE AND WE'RE JUST NOT IDENTIFYING IT? YEAH.
AND SO THIS IS KIND OF A, A WAY WE THOUGHT WE COULD KIND OF C TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO CONNECTING PEOPLE TO WEATHERIZATION FUNDS IN A WAY THAT'S MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBLE.
BUT THAT'S, I MEAN, MAYBE YOU CAN EXPLAIN IT AGAIN THEN WHAT CAN, CAN YOU LAY IT OUT LIKE, UM, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN APPROACH? SO THE DIFFERENCE WOULD BE THERE WOULD BE A PERSON WHO, UM, A STAFF PERSON WHO'S DEDICATED TO KIND OF DOING OUTREACH AROUND THESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS AND THEY WOULD WORK WITH COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
AND THEN THREE IS THE MONEY TO ACTUALLY DO THE, OKAY.
I WISH WE HAD, I WISH WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THIS.
UH, WE SHOULD HAVE CONNECTED
UM, IT, YEAH, THIS IS, THIS IS A DEFINITELY A SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS KIND OF THING.
AND I THINK THERE'S, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF SYNERGY WITH, WITH, WITH OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE, OKAY.
I MEAN, I, I THINK THIS IDEA OF NEEDING THE OUTREACH AND MAYBE EVEN SOME SORT OF LIKE DIRECT INSTALLATION MM-HMM.
SO I THINK THERE IS A NEED, UM, I THINK WHETHER OR NOT THIS GOES, IS THERE A REASON THAT THIS WOULD BE, THIS FUNDING WOULD GO TO RE THE HOUSING AND RESILIENCE DEPARTMENTS AND NOT LIKE JUST BE AUSTIN ENERGY FUNDING? 'CAUSE THERE'S THE OTHER THING HERE IS LIKE, THE WAY THIS IS STRUCTURED, IT LOOKS LIKE THIS WOULD COME FROM GENERAL REVENUE, WHEREAS AUSTIN ENERGY HAS DEDICATED REVENUE STREAMS FOR EXACTLY THIS KIND OF WORK.
SO IT MIGHT BE EASIER TO GET IT.
THAT, THAT WAS ONE THING THAT WE WERE LIKE, KIND OF UNSURE OF.
UM, ESPECIALLY FOR THE THIRD ITEM.
LIKE WHERE WOULD THE, WHO WOULD BE BEST SUITED TO DISPERSE THOSE FUNDS IN A WAY THAT'S FLEXIBLE AND FAST? UM, AND YOU WANT 'EM DISPERSED TO WHO? UM, IN TERMS OF LIKE ACTUALLY MAKING THE HOME UPGRADES, I MEAN, IT'D BE TO PAY THE PAY FOR THE UPGRADES.
WOULD IT BE USING LIKE THE CURRENT MODEL USES, UH, YOU KNOW, APPROVED CONTRACTORS THAT DO THE UPGRADES? IS, ARE YOU ENVISIONING THAT KIND OF MODEL OR SOMETHING DIFFERENT? WE'RE I DON'T THINK WE ARE LIKE PRESCRIBING A, A PARTICULAR MODEL?
[02:05:02]
UM, YEAH, I'M TRYING TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE COULD MAYBE, DO YOU THINK THERE'S A BETTER KIND OF PLACE TO DIRECT THE MONEY OR WOULD, WOULD IT EVEN MAKE SENSE TO I IDENTIFY A AUSTIN HOME DEPARTMENT.I MEAN, I THINK LIKE JUST AUSTIN ENERGY ALREADY HAS A DEPARTMENT MM-HMM.
SO I THINK MAYBE THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO, TO THAT, TO ADD THIS COMMUNITY OUTREACH ELEMENT TO WHAT THEY HAVE ALREADY.
UM, WELL, THE FUND, RIGHT? THEY ALREADY HAVE, THEY, SO THERE'S, UM, THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT CHARGE THAT WE ALL PAY ON OUR BILLS IS THE FUNDING FOR, UM, THE WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM.
SO IT'S JUST AS EASIER MONEY TO GET LARRY AND CHRIS AND, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO WHERE MONEY WOULD COME FROM, RIGHT? SO IF THE MONEY COULD COME FROM ENTERPRISE FUNDING, MEANING THERE'S ALREADY MONEY THERE, LET'S NOT, LET'S NOT MESS WITH THAT AT THAT POINT.
YOU KNOW, IF ANYTHING, HOW DO WE AMPLIFY THIS PROGRAM? YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE ACTUALLY GET IT TOWARDS, GET IT TO THE PEOPLE THAT THAT NEED IT THE MOST? AND THAT'S WHY I THINK WE CAN CUT THAT TWO, TWO TO 3 MILLION DOWN TO SOME RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AUSTIN ENERGY AND, UM, COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP AMPLIFY THIS PROGRAM THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS WITH AUSTIN ENERGY ALREADY HAVING THE MONEY AND THEY GONNA KEEP GENERATING THE MONEY THAT TAKES PRESSURE OFF THE, THE GENERAL FUNDING SIDE OF THE BUDGET.
LIKE YOU SAID, IT WAS CHALLENGING FOR US, LIKE, DOES IT EVEN BELONG THERE? YOU KNOW, BUT YEAH, I MEAN, HONESTLY, PROBABLY COULD PUT MORE INTO THE OUTREACH AND PARTNERSHIPS ASK.
SORRY, THAT'S, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GONNA, I LOVE THE IDEA OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PARTNERSHIP SPECIALISTS, RIGHT? BECAUSE AS WE HEARD EARLIER, LOST THE WATER.
THEY HAVE HUGE FUN FOR WATER CONSERVATION REBATES AND IT IS HARD TO GET THAT INFORMATION OUT TO EVERYONE.
SO, AND THIS WOULD BE SOMEONE THAT WOULD BE TASKED WITH GETTING DIRECT RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS IN ORDER TO HELP, UH, PUT THESE PROGRAMS OUT TO THE, TO, TO THE, THOSE COMMUNITIES, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
SO I THINK ADDING NOT JUST LIKE AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, WATER REBATES AND, AND, BUT THERE MAY BE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE OFFERING SUSTAINABLE, YOU KNOW, MINDED REBATES, UM, THAT COULD BE CHARGED WITH THIS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST TOO AS WELL.
SO, AND A FINAL THING, IF THIS, IF WE DO GO FORWARD WITH THIS, IT'D BE REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, KEEP AN EYE ON IT SO THAT WE CAN KNOW HOW THIS THING IS DOING, BECAUSE THIS COULD BE A WAY THAT WE AMPLIFY EXISTING RESOURCES IN RELATIONSHIP WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN A WAY THAT'S SUCCESSFUL AND WORKS, AS HE SAID.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE OTHER PROGRAMS OUT THERE THAT HAVE RESOURCES, BUT NO, NO ADVERTISEMENT, YOU KNOW, NO RELATIONSHIP TO THE EXACT COMMUNITY.
SO WE COULD BE SOLVING A REALLY GOOD PROBLEM.
THIS IS WHAT I'M HEARING IS NOW KIND OF A, AN IDEA FROM CHRIS TO MAKE THIS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOCUSED ON KIND OF ALL THE EXISTING SUSTAINABILITY INCENTIVES, NOT JUST THE ENERGY ONES.
LIKE, AND MAYBE AT THAT POINT YOU MAKE IT A TEAM AND LIKE MULTIPLE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES IF YOU'RE CUTTING DOWN ON THE HOME WEATHERIZATION AND REPAIR BUDGET AND BOOSTING THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BUDGET AND OUTREACH AND PARTNERSHIPS AS WELL.
OBVIOUSLY CHARLOTTE, UM, I'M, I'M WONDERING IF MAYBE IT'S WORTH A, LIKE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO, UM, INCREASE THE, THE ASK AROUND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OUTREACH PARTNERSHIPS, BUT I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT IT'S CHALLENGING TO ASK FOR MULTIPLE FTES AND EXTRA HEADCOUNT.
WE GOT A LOT OF THINGS THAT, THAT WE ASKED FOR AS A BODY LAST YEAR.
MOSTLY WHAT WE DIDN'T GET WAS THE THINGS THAT HAD A, A PERSON, A HEADCOUNT ATTACHED TO IT.
SO, UM, I THINK IF THERE'S A, A, YOU KNOW, SMART WAY TO DO THAT, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, TEMPS OR CONTRACTORS OR, I HATE THE WORD CONSULTANT
[02:10:01]
SO, SO BASICALLY YOU FIND LIKE A COMMUNITY PARTNER TO GO FIND OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS, KIND OF A COMMUNITY PARTNER CONSULTANT TO GO AND FIND COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
NO, I'M JUST, I'M JUST SOMETHING YOU COMMUNITY PARTNER WITH A BUDGET.
UM, I, I WANNA KEEP THIS DOES WANNA KNOW.
SO THERE WAS, UM, COMMUNITY POWERED WORKSHOP, UM, WHICH I'M WONDERING IF THEY'RE NOW DEFUNCT, BUT THEY HAD AN IDEA OF WHICH NOW IT'S KIND OF BEEN TAKEN UP BY THE OFFICE OF RESILIENCE, I GUESS, BUT WITH A DIFFERENT OBJECTIVE.
UM, THE COMMUNITY POWERED WORKSHOP WAS HOPING TO CREATE SORT OF A, A, LIKE, THEY CALLED IT A RESILIENCE HUB, BUT PART OF IT WAS TO CONNECT COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO RESOURCES LIKE THIS, UM, LIKE WEATHERIZATION.
UM, DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THEY ARE STILL WORKING? I JUST LOOKED UP THEIR INFORMATION.
THAT LOOKS LIKE THEY MIGHT HAVE CLOSED DOWN.
WAS HARRIET, UM, LIKE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THEN? THEY'RE NO LONGER IN, IN A SERVICE PROVIDER? UM, HARRIET MOVED ON.
SO NEVERMIND, BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THEIR OBJECTIVES.
LIKE SEVERAL YEARS AGO I WAS WORKING WITH THEM ON PLANET TEXAS, UM, AND THEY CHANGED THEIR NAME AND ALL THIS.
SO MAYBE, UH, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE HELPFUL IN THIS REGARD, BUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT WHERE, YEAH, LIKE, I GUESS CHRIS WAS SAYING BRING ALL OF THIS OUTREACH UNDER ONE UMBRELLA POTENTIALLY.
ZACH, SINCE, SINCE YOU'RE HERE, THAT'S MAYBE, SORRY, GO AHEAD HEATHER.
UH, I JUST, I MEAN, IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT'S MORE OVERARCHING, IT KIND OF SEEMS LIKE OFFICES SUSTAINABILITY MIGHT BE A NATURAL HOME FOR THAT.
IF THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL PERSON TO DO THIS OUTREACH WORK.
DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? OKAY.
I'M SEEING GENERAL ACCEPTANCE OF THE, SO WE KNOW HEAD COUNT IS DIFFICULT.
ONE PERSON IS NOT A LOT FOR THIS.
UM, OH, MELISSA, YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP.
DO YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING ON THIS? YEAH, I DID.
WHENEVER WE WERE DISCUSSING THIS ITEM IN THE WORKING GROUP, IT WAS MENTIONED ABOUT AUSTIN ENERGY CONDUCTING ENERGY AUDITS FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
AND I THINK THAT'S A, AN IMPORTANT PIECE TO THIS, UH, TO DETERMINE THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF THE TYPES OF REPAIRS AND WEATHERIZATION TO HAVE A SPECIFIC AUDIT.
AND IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE PEOPLE GO DOOR TO DOOR, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A BENEFICIAL TYPE OF, UM, USE OF THOSE, OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING PAID TO GO DOOR TO DOOR TO HAVE A, AN OFFICIAL AUDIT AND ENERGY AUDIT.
AND, UM, THAT COULD BE A PART OF THIS AS WELL FOR THE OUTREACH AND PARTNERSHIPS ON, UM, NUMBER TWO.
SO I DO BELIEVE THAT AS PART OF THE WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM IS, IS AN ENERGY AUDIT.
UM, I IT COULD BE, IT COULD BE MISTAKEN.
UM, I, I DON'T WANNA HOLD THIS UP TO LONG HAIR 'CAUSE WE HAVE, WE HAVE A LOT STILL TO GET THROUGH TONIGHT.
UM, WHI WHICH OF THE THREE OF YOU IS POINT ON THIS? AND COULD, COULD ONE OF YOU DO SOME, UH, QUICK EDITING TO TRY TO, I DON'T KNOW, PIVOT BASED ON THIS CONVERSATION AND WE COULD COME BACK TO THIS ITEM AFTER THE OTHER WORKING GROUPS.
DID WE TALK ABOUT FOUR AND FIVE ON HERE OR DID WE STOP AT THREE? I THINK WE STOPPED AT THREE.
SO WE COULD DO THE OTHER ONES AND THEN WE COULD GO ONTO THE OTHER WORKING GROUPS AND THEN COME BACK AROUND TO THIS ONE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR HAVING A STAFF PERSON AND HAVING OUTREACH PARTNER PARTNERSHIPS AND HAVING THAT MAYBE BE BROADER THAN ENERGY.
SO, UH, AND I THINK THAT WE CAN AVOID THE HEFTY TYPE, THE HEFTY PRICE TAG M THREE BECAUSE THE FUNDING IS ACTUALLY ALREADY THERE TO DO THE WORK.
IT'S JUST BEING PROBABLY UNDERUTILIZED TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.
[02:15:05]
YEAH, I THINK SO.UNLESS YOU HAVE SOMETHING SPECIFIC THAT YOU WANNA DO IN ADDITION TO THE PROGRAM THAT'S ALREADY THERE.
NO, WHAT I WAS GONNA GONNA SAY, DELETING NUMBER THREE ALTOGETHER, AND EVA WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY MAYBE KEEPING, YOU KNOW, SOME OTHER ITEM THAT IS NOT ALREADY INCLUDED, BUT I'M NOT, I'M NOT THAT FAMILIAR TO KNOW WHAT ELSE NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED.
SO I MEAN, SHE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR TAKE IS, BUT MINE IS THAT PROBABLY DELETING NUMBER THREE WOULD MAKE SENSE.
YEAH, I THINK, I THINK THAT BECAUSE THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT IS ALREADY IN EXISTENCE, RIGHT? UM, LEAVING IT IN SORT OF IMPLIES THAT THE FUNDING IS INADEQUATE AND IT SOUNDS, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CASE.
SO, UM, SO I THINK THAT THE ISSUE IS REALLY ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO EFFICIENTLY SPEND THE BUDGET THAT, THAT THEY HAVE, THAT, THAT PEOPLE WHO NEED IT GET IT, GET THOSE RESOURCES.
LET'S GO ON TO, IF YOU CAN SCROLL DOWN SIR, TO FOUR AND WHATEVER'S BEYOND HORN FIVE.
IS THAT THE LAST ONE OR, I THOUGHT THERE WAS ANOTHER BELOW.
WELL THIS, I CAN START WITH NUMBER FIVE.
SO NUMBER FIVE IS KIND OF JUST A REFRAMING OF THE SHADE AND COOLING, UH, DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD PREVIOUSLY.
SO ESSENTIALLY, UM, IT WOULD BE A, AN ASK FOR SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING FOR SHADE AND COOLING INTERVENTIONS, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, AND SIMILAR PROJECTS.
AND AGAIN, THAT MONEY COULD BE USED TO AS MATCHING FUNDS.
IT COULD BE USED TO SUPPLEMENT OTHER DEPARTMENT EFFORTS AROUND, UM, THIS TOPIC.
UM, AND THERE WHAT WE'RE SUGGESTING FOR, UM, THE ITEM JUST BEFORE THAT, ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS THERE PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE A PERSON WHO COORDINATES THAT.
SO THAT IS THE IDEA BEHIND THE FTE.
CAN YOU SCROLL UP JUST A LITTLE SO WE CAN SEE? NUMBER FOUR, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU PUT NUMBERS, UH, YOU KNOW, A VALUE THERE FOR THE FTES.
I'M CURIOUS JUST IF, IF THAT CAME FROM SOMEWHERE OR IF THAT'S JUST KIND OF A BALLPARK.
I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION OF, UM, THE, THE LEVEL OF THE PERSON WOULD PROBABLY BE LIKE A ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM COORDINATOR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THEN IT INCLUDES LIKE THE BENEFIT COST AS WELL.
LIKE MAYBE WE CAN ADD THAT IN A COUPLE OTHER PLACES IN OUR OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS.
THOUGHTS ON THIS ONE? UH, LET ME GO BACK SO I CAN SEE ONLINE.
LET'S, LET'S DO SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS NEXT, BECAUSE ANNA HAS STEPPED AWAY FOR, FOR A MOMENT.
SO NUMBER ONE, UM, SHOULD BE PRETTY FAMILIAR TO EVERYBODY AT THIS POINT IN THIS FIRST BLOCK OF TEXT IS REALLY JUST KIND OF SOME DISCUSSION OF THE BENEFITS OF THE PASSIVE HOUSE, UH, PROGRAM, WHICH DRAMATICALLY REDUCES ENERGY USE AND BUILDINGS AND, UH, SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT WHERE THAT'S BEING USED AND KIND OF WHY A PILOT IS, IS NEEDED.
UM, AND AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS, THIS IS THE ITEM THAT, THAT IS HAD JUST SEEMED TO HAVE SOME TRACTION AT COUNCIL.
I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER POOL IS CONSIDERING MOVING, MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS.
SO IT, IT COULD BE TIMELY FOR US TO, UM, ADD SOME ADDITIONAL SPECIFIC SUPPORT.
UM, WE AS A WORKING GROUP DID HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH AUSTIN ENERGY ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND, UM, SOME OF THEM I WAS IN AND SOME OF
[02:20:01]
THEM I WAS NOT.UM, BUT I THINK THE, THE GENERAL GIST IS THAT THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY, UM, YOU KNOW, OPPOSED TO IT, BUT THEY, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE AMOUNT, UM, HAD THEM A LITTLE BIT WORRIED.
I THINK THE PREVIOUS RECOMMENDATION, UM, OR, OR KIND OF, I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS SPECIFICALLY IN THE POLICY RECOMMENDATION, BUT, BUT THE IMPLICATION WAS $4 MILLION.
UM, THEY HAD A CONCERN ABOUT SPENDING THAT AMOUNT, I THINK ON, ON A PILOT ON A RELATIVELY SMALLER NUMBER OF, UM, UNITS.
AND SO, UM, AND THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE KIND OF DATA THAT CAME OUT OF THE PILOT WAS AS USEFUL AS POSSIBLE.
SO WANTED TO OPEN THE DOOR TO THE POSSIBILITY OF KIND OF DIFFERENT HOUSING TYPES, UM, TO BE INCLUDED IN THE PILOT.
ALL OF THAT SEEMED LIKE A LOT OF DETAILS THAT NEED TO BE WORKED OUT IN IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, AS SO WE DID NOT INCLUDE KIND OF ALL THE DETAIL HERE.
IT'S JUST KIND OF THE AMOUNT AND, UM, THE KIND OF BASIC STRUCTURE FOR GIVING THAT MONEY IN THREE DIFFERENT PHASES AND, UH, AN ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATION TO, UH, PROVIDE ONE ADDITIONAL FTE, WHICH COULD BE A TEMPORARY POSITION IN AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING TO ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM.
FROM WHAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT TRULY TAKES ONE FTE, BUT AUSTIN ENERGY STAFF SEEMED TO HAVE, THAT WAS THEIR MAIN CONCERN WAS KIND OF ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN OF TAKING SOMETHING ELSE ON.
SO, UM, THAT'S A RECOMMENDATION I THINK GIVEN THAT IT'S A PILOT, LIKE IT ACTUALLY MIGHT LEND ITSELF TO A TEMPORARY POSITION.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THAT COULD, THAT COULD WORK OUT JUST FINE IN THIS, IN THIS CASE.
UM, UNLESS ANYBODY HAVE, I GUESS I'LL STOP THERE.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS ON THAT ITEM? WELL, AND, UM, THIS MONEY, UH, JUST SINCE WE HAVE HAD SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT WHERE MONEY MIGHT COME FROM, I WOULD EXPECT WOULD COME FROM, UH, THE, IN FACT WE MAY HAVE SPECIFICALLY SAID IN HERE, I'M NOT SURE IF WE DID, BUT IT SHOULD, THIS SHOULD COME FROM THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS BE THAT WE PAY IN OUR BILL.
SO IT SHOULD NOT BE COMING FROM, FROM GENERAL REVENUE, JUST FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S SCROLL DOWN TO NUMBER TWO, PLEASE.
UM, SO NUMBER TWO IS A RECOMMENDATION FOR A, A FULL-TIME SUSTAINABLE, SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION PROCUREMENT COORDINATOR, UM, RECOMMENDING THIS BE WITHIN THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.
AND THE NEED IDENTIFIED HERE WAS THE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALL THESE CITY AND RFPS AROUND CONSTRUCTION, UM, AND, UM, THIS IS PURCHASING REQUESTS, BUT IT'S, IT, WELL, AND IT SAYS FOR CONSTRUCTION, YEAH, FOR CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL, CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS.
SO THIS IS NOT LIKE OVERLAP WITH LIKE OTHER KIND OF, UH, PURCHASING OTHER THAN IN THIS ONE REALM OF SAY, AN RFP FOR LIKE A BUILDING OR OTHER KIND OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
AND TO TRY TO ALIGN, UM, PRIORITIES FOR THESE, THESE, UH, RFPS THAT MIGHT BE COMING FROM VERY DIFFERENT, UH, DEPARTMENTS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE THINKING ABOUT CARBON IMPACT OR OTHER SUSTAINABILITY, UH, FEATURES.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ALONG WITH THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, EN ENGAGEMENT IN DEVELOPING AND, UM, IMPLEMENTING A ROBUST LOW CARBON CONCRETE PLAN, WE GOT THAT PRESENTATION LAST WEEK.
WE'VE HAD I THINK, TWO FOLLOW UP CONVERSATIONS IN THE, UM, CONSUMPTION WORKING GROUP WITH THOSE STAFF MEMBERS.
UM, AND THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFIED ALSO AS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE WITHIN SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS REDUCING CARBON EMISSIONS.
SO NOW THAT I KNOW ROUGHLY WHAT A PROGRAM PROGRAM COORDINATOR, I THINK WE CAN SAY, WE CAN ADD TO THIS, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, UM, PROBABLY SOMEWHERE AROUND THE 120, UH, THOUSAND MARK.
AND FOR B ABOVE, UM, PROBABLY, PROBABLY SOMETHING SIMILAR, ALTHOUGH MAYBE THAT POSITION WOULD NOT
[02:25:01]
HAVE TO BE AT THE SAME LEVEL.BUT I THINK JUST IN CASE THERE'S A QUESTION THERE, I THINK WE CAN ADD, WE CAN ADD THOSE NUMBERS TO, TO BOTH ONE B AND TWO IS 120,000 QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ON THIS RECOMMENDATION FOR A POSITION.
YEAH, I ACTUALLY LIKE, LIKE THIS ONE A LOT.
UM, I WAS A LITTLE BIT STRUCK BY KIND OF ADDING FIVE NEW PEOPLE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE NOT TOO MUCH, BUT YEAH, SO I WAS ONLY SPEAKING TO NUMBER TWO RIGHT THERE.
UM, I THINK THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE OVERARCHING KIND OF NEED THAT WAS IDENTIFIED WAS MORE STAFF TO WORK ON IMPLEMENTING THE CLIMATE PLAN.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF NECESSARILY THIS ALLOCATION OF, YOU KNOW, ONE PER SECTION IS THE BEST, BUT THERE WAS, THERE WAS A STRONG INTEREST WITHIN THE WORKING GROUP AND, UM, I HAVE SEEN THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF.
SO MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE WE SHOULD FOCUS ON, ON THAT AND NOT, NOT INTO THE SPECIFICS OF, OF WHAT THEY, UM, WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, BUT I'M BRINGING IT FORWARD FOR, FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE GROUP.
SO I, I'D LOVE TO HEAR, HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE OR, YEAH.
YEAH, I THINK IT WAS, IT WAS A LITTLE BIT HIGH, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S POSSIBLE, I THINK IT'LL BE, I DON'T THINK IT'LL BE GREAT IF THEY, IF IT CAN DO IT.
SO I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE WITHIN THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE, IF THAT WERE TO MOVE FORWARD WOULD INCLUDE SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING.
UM, YEAH, I THINK, LIKE PERSONALLY, I THINK WE'VE BEEN IDENTIFYING MORE SPECIFIC NEEDS THAN THIS.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S MAYBE WHERE THERE'S MORE, THERE'S MORE IMMEDIATE VALUE.
I THINK THERE WAS A FEELING THOUGH THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO LIKE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT WAS LIKE TRACKING ALL OF THE THINGS WITHIN EACH SEGMENT OF THE PLAN, WHICH SEEMS FAIR BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF QUESTION MARKS ALONG THE WAY, I THINK IN THE, IN OUR WORK HERE AS A BODY.
SO I'M NOT SAYING THERE'S NOT THAT NEED, BUT IN TERMS OF PRIORITIZING, WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, UM, I THINK IN OUR WORKING GROUP, THIS CAME UP AND THERE WAS SOME INTERNAL DISCUSSION.
MAYBE SKEPTICISM IS NOT TO PUT ANYONE ON THE SPOT.
IS THERE SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO STRONGLY ADVOCATE FOR THIS
I, I I CAN, I MEAN, MORE SPECIFICALLY, I GUESS FOR THE RECORD, I'M, AS I'M LOOKING AROUND, I'M NOTING THAT THERE'S SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE KIND OF MAKING LOOKS THAT SUGGEST THAT PERHAPS NOBODY IS STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF THIS.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE THE FLOOR TO SOMEONE WHO IS STRONGLY IN FAVOR IF THAT EXISTS.
WELL, THEY WERE FOLKS WHO AREN'T ON THE JSC THAT WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR THIS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I THINK THERE IS CLEARLY A NEED FOR MORE STAFF.
I MEAN, I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T, I THINK WE'VE ALL, WE'VE ALL SEEN THAT, UM, MAYBE IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE FIVE, AND MAYBE IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE SO SPECIFIC AS TO, YOU KNOW, UM, PAIRED WITH THE SECTIONS OF THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
MAYBE IT'S ONE OR TWO THAT, LIKE THEIR JOB IS JUST TO TRACK PROGRESS, DETAILED PROGRESS IN EACH SECTION.
I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW NOW.
WELL, I KNOW, I KNOW FOR A FACT.
I KNOW THAT THE WORK NEEDS TO BE TRACKED.
YOU KNOW, IF IT'S NOT TRACKED, THEN HOW CAN WE MEASURE, YOU KNOW, OUR CURRENT POSITION, LET ALONE KNOW WHAT DIRECTION TO GO NEXT.
WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF WE WIN THE LOSING.
SO ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT WE DID WITH THE FOOD PLAN,
[02:30:02]
AND I'M ONLY SPEAKING BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE SOME TYPE OF SUCCESS, THEN YOU SHOULD SHARE, ESPECIALLY IN THE SAME TYPE OF SPACE.ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID WITH THE FOOD PLAN WAS BEFORE THE PLAN EVEN GOT DONE, WE RECOMMENDED THAT, UM, THE CITY CREATES A POSITION THAT PUTS US IN THE PROPER PLACE THAT WE NEED TO BE IN.
UM, I FORGOT WHAT THE POSITION WAS CALLED, BUT WE NEED SOME REPRESENTATION IN THAT PLACE.
WE NEED SOMEBODY TO, TO HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE IN A DIFFERENT SPACE.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE YOU GOT A PLAN, BUT NONE OF THE PIECES, IT'S JUST A BUNCH OF PAPERWORK.
HEATHER, WERE YOU TRYING TO SAY SOMETHING? YEAH, I THINK IT'S, IT, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO TIE IT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN BECAUSE THERE WAS AN, IN THE PUBLIC MEDIA, UH, RYAN ALTER AT LEAST WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW THE DASHBOARD IS COMPLETELY OBSOLETE AND TO THE POINT OF NO TRACKING.
SO AT LEAST MAYBE ONE OR TWO POSITIONS THAT ARE DIRECTLY TIED TO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN ENDORSED BY COUNCIL, LIKE TRACKING
UM, AND THEN MAYBE THE POSITION OF OUT OUTREACH FOR INCENTIVES WOULD BE ANOTHER LOGICAL ONE.
MAYBE THERE'S A THIRD AS WELL.
BUT TYING IT TO TWO THINGS THAT THE COUNCIL IS ALREADY ENDORSED WOULD BE ONE DIRECTION AND A EASY VICTORY.
ANNA, ARE, ARE THERE ANY, UH, FOR ME, I GUESS ONE OF THE THINGS THIS RESTS ON, RIGHT? 'CAUSE WE'VE GOT, WE, I'M, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE RECOMMENDATIONS, HOW MANY TOTAL FTES ARE COMING THROUGH IN OUR BUDGET REQUESTS? SO LIKE, I I, YEAH, I, I AGREE WITH WHAT I THINK IT WAS.
HEATHER WAS JUST SAYING THAT, UM, I, I WONDER, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY, ONCE WE GO THROUGH, WE'VE COLLECTED ALL OF EACH SUB WORKING GROUPS BUDGET REQUESTS, I THINK THERE'S THINGS AND THEMES THAT, THAT COME UP IN EACH OF THE WORKING GROUPS.
AND I'M, I'M JUST WONDERING, ARE WE GONNA SUBMIT A BUDGET REQUEST WHERE WE SUBMIT LIKE 15 FTES? ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE.
NO, LET'S, LET'S COUNT UP REAL QUICK.
SO ON TRANSPORTATION, IT LOOKS LIKE THE F THE, THE ELECTRIFICATION ONE DOES NOT HAVE AN FT.
AM I CORRECT IN THAT? YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.
AND THEN IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WAS ONE FOR THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PARTNERSHIP AND THEN ONE FOR RESILIENT, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE, RIGHT? THE HEAT INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THEN SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS HAS ONE FOR GREEN BUILDING AND ONE FOR OFFICES SUSTAINABILITY.
BEFORE WE GET TO ITEM THREE, SO WE COULD PAIR IT ITEM THREE DOWN TO JUST BE ONE PERSON THAT IS DEDICATED TO LIKE DETAILED TRACKING OF EVERYTHING.
I MEAN, THAT'S FRANKLY LIKE GONNA BE A LOT OF WORK, BUT IF THEY'RE NOT, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S JUST TRACKING, LIKE MAYBE A PERSON COULD DO THAT.
WELL, I JUST, WELL, I AM NOT IN SUPPORT OF FIVE FTES, UH, THE WAY IT'S LAID OUT TODAY.
BUT I, I DO THINK THAT TRACKING IS IMPORTANT, BUT I, I WILL JUST MAKE, UM, A STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE CONCEPT OF IMPLEMENTATION, WHICH I THINK IS WHAT THIS, THIS ONE WAS ABOUT, IS HAVING SOMEONE RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING.
SO TRACKING, YES, IT'S, IT'S NECESSARY, BUT ALSO THE DOING AND THE GETTING IT, GETTING IT DONE IS I THINK WHAT THIS, THE SPIRIT OF NUMBER THREE WAS ABOUT.
YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT THE MAKING SURE IT'S GETTING DONE, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE ITEMS ARE THE GETTING DONE REALLY HAPPEN IS, IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF SOME OTHER DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? BUT IT'S OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY'S KIND OF OVERARCHING RESPONSIBILITY TO LIKE COORDINATE THAT HAPPENING.
SO I THINK THAT WAS THE INTENTION HERE, THAT THAT SOUNDS LIKE A PROJECT MANAGER MORE SO THAN A COORDINATOR.
UM, IF, IF THERE'S GENERAL SUPPORT TO THAT FOR THAT, THEN MAYBE I WILL, UM, TAKE A MINUTE HERE WHILE WE GO TO THE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS AND, AND PAIR THAT DOWN TO ONE PROJECT MANAGER TO,
[02:35:02]
UM, YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON THE DASHBOARD AND DETAILED REPORTING.IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING THAT THERE'S SUPPORT FOR? YEAH.
SO THAT'S IT FOR SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS AND OBVIOUSLY THAT LAST ONE IS NOT REALLY SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, SO I WILL JUST FLAG THAT I THINK WE HAVE NOW TWO OR MAYBE THREE WITH THE ONE THAT CAME THROUGH TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE THAT I THINK WE CAN PUT INTO KIND OF LIKE OVERARCHING, SO WE CAN DO A LITTLE FORMATTING AFTER THE FACT TO LIKE MAKE THIS ALL READ IN A, IN A WAY THAT WORKS.
UM, AND ARE YOU READY TO SHARE FROM CONSUMPTION AND NATURAL SYSTEMS? YES.
SO I AM LOOKING AT THE CONSUMPTION AND NATURAL SYSTEMS RECOMMENDATIONS DOCUMENT, AND CAN I THEN ALSO GO INTO MY CONCRETE ONE AS WELL? YEAH.
AND IN FACT YOU, I MEAN, IF YOU WANNA START WITH CONCRETE AND ACTUALLY, I MEAN, REALLY MAYBE YOU SHOULD, DO YOU WANNA DO THE CONSUMPTION ONES AND THEN, UM, CHARLOTTE, YOU COULD DO THE NATURAL SYSTEMS SINCE YOU DID THOSE ITEMS? YEAH, I WAS, I WAS, I WAS JUST GONNA LOOK GOOD AND THEN PASS IT OVER TO CHARLOTTE.
ALRIGHT THEN I WILL, I WILL NOT TAKE, TAKE CREDIT FOR CHARLOTTE'S, UH, GREAT WORK.
UM, AND INSTEAD I WILL, UH, SO ACTUALLY NO.
SO STARTING ON THE SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING, I CAN'T ACTUALLY TALK TO THIS ONE.
UM, SO, UH, THERE IS A SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING GOAL IN THE PLAN.
UM, AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH SUSTAINABILITY.
THERE IS A PLAN, UM, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, WE, WE GOT PRESENTED ON THE, THE AUDIT THAT HAS HAPPENED.
UM, WE NEED TO HAVE A SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING PLAN THAT MAKES SURE THAT PURCHASES ARE SUSTAINABLE.
UH, OUR OBSERVATION WAS THAT, UM, THIS PROCESS COULD BE MOVING FASTER.
UM, AND OUR SOLUTION FOR THIS WAS, UH, ESSENTIALLY HAVING AN ADDITIONAL PERSON HELP IMPLEMENT THIS.
WHAT WE HEARD WAS IT WAS A LOT OF LABOR TO DO IT.
UM, AND, UH, THIS IS WHERE I THINK WE ALSO SLIPPED IN ANOTHER FTE INTO OUR REQUEST
UH, BUT ESSENTIALLY WE THOUGHT THIS WAS A BIG LIFT.
UM, AND SO WE THOUGHT THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE EITHER CONSULTANTS OR, UM, YOU KNOW, MONEY TO PURCHASE LIKE A SOFTWARE OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
UM, AND SO THIS WAS, THIS WAS OUR SUGGESTION.
SO THIS IS KIND OF LIKE SUSTAINABILITY ACCOUNTING KIND OF WHERE WE'RE JUST GOING THROUGH ALL OUR VENDORS AND BEING LIKE, HEY, THIS IS SUSTAINABLY SOURCED, THIS IS NOT YES.
WELL, AND I, I THINK NOT EVEN NECESSARILY, I MEAN, PERHAPS THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AT SOME LEVEL, BUT EVEN UP A LEVEL FROM THAT, LIKE SETTING THE STANDARDS FOR WHAT IT MEANS TO PURCHASE US SUSTAINABLY, RIGHT? LIKE WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT SUSTAINABLY PURCHASING EVEN MEANS, RIGHT? LIKE IF WE'RE PURCHASING 5,000 CHAIRS, LIKE WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PURCHASE SUSTAINABLE CHAIRS, RIGHT? LIKE I THINK IT JUST MEANS BUYING EVERYTHING MADE OF HEMP, RIGHT? NO, I'M KIDDING.
WELL, I MEAN, YEAH, PROBABLY, BUT
SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF THE NEED.
AND THEN ADDITIONALLY THIS LIKE TRACKING AND, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY INTERACTION WITH VENDORS.
SO MAYBE ONE EXAMPLE HARRIS IS, IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAME OUTTA THIS AUDIT IS THAT LIKE, LO AND BEHOLD CONCRETE IS A BIG PART OF OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT FROM THE PROCUREMENT SIDE, BUT, UM, CONCRETE GETS PROCURED THROUGH LIKE A GAZILLION DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS USED FOR A GAZILLION DIFFERENT THINGS WE DID.
AND ONE THING THAT LIKE BEFORE THIS AUDIT THAT THERE'S NOWHERE YOU CAN GO TO SEE, HEY, YOU KNOW, MY CONSUMPTION EMISSIONS OR DOMINATED BY X.
LIKE, THERE'S NO DATABASE SPREADSHEET WHERE YOU CAN SUM UP EMISSIONS AND SAY, OH GEE, LIKE THIS CATEGORY IS, UH, YOU KNOW, DOMINATING THESE EMISSIONS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD TAKE THIS AND THEN YOU COULD GO IN AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY NEED TO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, MAYBE WE'RE BUYING A LOT OF LIKE, I DUNNO, SINGLE USE WATER BOTTLES AND WE DON'T HAVE A POLICY ON THIS.
THIS IS JUST LIKE ONE PARTICULAR, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE FEW AREAS THAT THE CITY HAS A POLICY YES.
AGAINST SINGLE USE WATER BOTTLES.
THIS IS, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE COVERED SINGLE USE ANYTHING ELSE, FOR EXAMPLE, BUT THINGS WHERE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, DISPARATE SPENDING ACROSS DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, THERE'S,
[02:40:01]
THERE'S NOT LIKE THE DATA TO MANAGE THAT.UM, AND, AND EVEN WRANGLING THAT IS, IS A, A, A CONVOLUTED PROCESS AS WE'RE COMING TO UNDERSTAND.
DOES THAT CLARIFY? YEAH, SURE.
AND THEN YOU HAVE HERE LIKE, LIKE SETTING SOME MINIMUM STANDARDS.
SO ARE YOU THINKING JUST KIND OF LEAVING THAT MORE LIKE OPEN-ENDED THAT, WHAT THAT CAN BE LIKE, IS IT, IS IT LIKE EMBODIED CARBON KIND OF THING? OR WHAT USE AND STUFF LIKE THAT? I THINK LIKE, IT'S, IT'S GONNA DEPEND ON THE CATEGORY.
I THINK THE EXAMPLE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WAS GIVEN WAS THAT IN SOME, SOME MEMBERS HOUSEHOLDS, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE SINGLE USE PLASTIC IS NOT PURCHASED RIGHT? AND THAT'S JUST LIKE A BLANKET STATEMENT AND, AND A MINIMUM.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S THE TYPE OF PURCHASING STANDARD THAT NEEDS WOULD NEED TO HAPPEN ACROSS THE BOARD TO GET ACTION.
UM, WE FELT LIKE THAT THAT WAS IMPORTANT.
I THINK THAT WASN'T REFLECTED IN THE PLANS THAT WE, THAT WERE PRESENTED TO US, AND WE FELT LIKE THAT COULD BE ONE WAY TO, UM, SPUR ACTION FASTER.
YEAH, I MEAN, IF WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT SINGLE USE PLASTICS, RIGHT? I THINK, UH, OR JUST SINGLE USE PRODUCTS IN GENERAL, RIGHT? ESPECIALLY FROM CONSUMABLE SIDE, I THINK OBVIOUSLY WE'D WANNA LOOK AT LIKE A-I-S-D-A-C-C, THE DIFFERENT VENDORS THAT WE'VE GOT SAY LIKE, YOU KNOW, ON THE, UH, YOU KNOW, ON THE, ON THE HIKING BIKE TRAIL AND, AND LAY BIRD LAKE AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO, YEAH, NO, I THINK ALL THIS ACCOUNTING AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE ACTUALLY STAND AND WHERE WE CAN IMPROVE IS DEFINITELY NEEDED.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THAT? SO THINGS HAPPEN, UM, DIDN'T WE HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THE SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT STUFF? SO HOW DOES THAT FIT INTO THIS? YEAH, SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING, UM, WITH THE SUSTAINABLE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH AMANDA, UM, ABOUT THAT PLAN.
AND THIS IS LIKE, THIS RECOMMENDATION CAME OUT OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
SO THIS RECOMMENDATION IS DESIGNED TO HELP IMPLEMENT THAT WORK FASTER BASED OFF OF OUR UNDERSTANDING OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE THAT PLAN IS TODAY.
WE, OUR POSITION HAS BEEN THAT WE THINK THAT WORK COULD GO FASTER, UM, AND IT COULD POSSIBLY BE MORE STRINGENT, UM, WHICH IS WHY THE MINIMUM STANDARDS PART IS IN HERE.
I WAS GONNA ADD THAT THE CITY HAS A, A MATERIALS MARKETPLACE AND IT'S A WEB-BASED, AND I PUT THE LINK INTO OUR CHAT IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT.
BUT I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A, UM, PROGRAM THAT COULD BENEFIT FROM MAYBE ADDING ONTO THE MATERIALS MARKETPLACE.
I'M, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT, SO I'M, I'M CERTAINLY GONNA LOOK INTO THAT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE REALLY NEED YOU ON THIS WORKING GROUP.
WE SHOULD WE SHIFT IT OVER TO CHARLOTTE AND THEN COME BACK? YEAH.
CHARLOTTE, CAN YOU, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE NATURAL SYSTEMS BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS? SURE.
UM, OKAY, SO NUMBER TWO, IF YOU WANNA SCROLL UP JUST A LITTLE BIT, THE NEXT ITEM, UH, OUT OF THIS WORKING GROUP IS AN ITEM TO, UH, AUDIT, UH, MONEY TO CONDUCT AN AUDIT FOR, UM, CITY OWNED NONFUNCTIONAL OR UNNECESSARY IMPERVIOUS COVER.
ESSENTIALLY, OUR CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, UH, HAS A GOAL TO, UM, OR A STRATEGY TO RECLAIM PUBLIC SPACE AND PRIORITIZE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, RIGHT NOW THERE'S NO INVENTORY OF THE UN UNUTILIZED IMPERVIOUS COVER ON CITY OWNED LANDS, OR A PLAN FOR CONVERTING THOSE LANDS TO FUNCTIONAL GREEN SPACES.
UM, THERE HAS BEEN NOTED IN THE DASHBOARD THE LACK OF A, AN ENGINEER B POSITION TO, TO DO THIS WORK.
UM, IN LIEU OF, UH, RECOMMENDING YET ANOTHER FTE FOR THIS ONE, WE'RE, UH, PROPOSING 200,000 TO, UM, CONDUCT THE AUDIT AND THEN, UH, DEVELOP A PLAN TO CONVERT AN AMBITIOUS PERCENTAGE, UM, NOT PRESCRIPTIVE OF WHAT EXACTLY HOW MUCH THAT WOULD BE, BUT TO CONVERT, UM, SOME PORTION OF THOSE TO FUNCTIONAL GREEN SPACES AS SOON AS PRACTICAL.
AND I CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT ONE.
AND THIS, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY I'M ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND, UH, IMPERVIOUS COVER SEEMS TO BE THE BANE OF OUR EXISTENCE.
SO I THINK THIS IS A GREAT IDEA.
AND WE ALSO, UH, HAD A PARKING STUDY RECOMMENDATION THAT, UH, WE RECENTLY PASSED THAT, UH,
[02:45:01]
THIS I THINK WOULD BE SUPER COOL FOR.I THINK THERE'S DEFINITELY A LOT OF, UH, A LOT OF SYNERGIES I THINK WE CAN COME TO, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT ONE, I'LL MOVE TO NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS NOMO SIGNAGE.
UM, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE'VE DISCOVERED IN KIND OF DIGGING INTO TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S HAPPENING OR WHAT'S BEEN DONE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION, UH, OF THE NATURAL SYSTEMS, IS THAT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF INITIATIVES THAT THE CITY, UM, DOES WATERSHED AND, UM, PARKS AND REC, WE'LL DO, UH, WILDFLOWER MEADOWS AND GROW ZONES NEAR, NEAR STREAMS AND WATERWAYS.
UM, AND THAT'S REALLY ABOUT ECOSYSTEMS AND HABITATS AND POLLINATORS AND, AND ALL OF THOSE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT, THAT, UM, MAKE OUR ENVIRONMENT, UH, LIVABLE AND, AND LOVABLE.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT HAS BEEN, UM, UH, DOCUMENTED IS THAT IN SOME PLACES WHERE THE, THERE, THE WILDFLOWER MEADOWS THAT THEIR LAND CAN, PARTICULARLY DURING THE WINTER MONTHS, CAN, CAN SEEM TO BE ABANDONED OR NEGLECTED OR IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S NOT CARED FOR.
SO THIS IS REALLY ABOUT PROVIDING, UM, SIGNAGE OR COMMUNICATION TO THE, THE NEARBY COMMUNITIES TO SHOW THAT, UH, THIS LAND IS NOT BEING NEGLECTED, BUT IT'S BEING ACTUALLY ACTIVELY MANAGED FOR WILDLIFE.
UM, AND SO, UH, IN TALKING WITH SOME OF THE STAFF ABOUT, UM, THESE SIGNAGE, THERE IS A NEED FOR BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH, UH, SIGNAGE IN, UH, IN SOME OF THESE AREAS.
AND SO WE ARE PROPOSING 75,000 FOR PERMANENT SIGNAGE, UM, IN SOME OF THOSE WILDFLOWER MEADOWS.
AND, AND IN THIS, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, I THINK ALL OF THESE IN THE LAST, UH, IN THE LAST MEETING.
SO THEY HAVEN'T CHANGED, UM, MUCH.
MAYBE SOME OF THE AMOUNTS HAVE HAVE TWEAKED A BIT, BUT IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, THERE'S ONE MORE.
CAN WE SCROLL DOWN TO NUMBER FOUR? THANK YOU.
SO THIS ONE, UM, CARBON NEUTRAL PUBLIC LANDS.
SO THIS ONE IS ABOUT HAVING THE CITY OWNED LANDS UNDER A MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT RESULTS IN NEUTRAL OR NEGATIVE CARBON EMISSIONS.
UM, AND THE STRATEGY ONE IS PRIORITIZE CARBON NEUTRALITY, BUT A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED, UM, THE LACK OF FUNCTIONING AUTOMATED IRRIGATION IN SOME PLACES, UM, WHICH MEANS THAT STAFF SOMETIMES NEEDS TO HAND WATER AND THAT'S INSUFFICIENT.
UM, AND IT CAN RESULT IN DEATH OF TREES.
UH, THE HORTICULTURE DEPARTMENT HAS UNFUNDED MANDATES, UH, TO MAINTAIN EXISTING INSTALLATIONS IN AREAS LIKE RAIN GARDENS.
AND THERE'S BEEN, UM, LAND MANAGEMENT, UH, TURNING DOWN FOUNDATION FUNDING, UM, AND NOT BEING ABLE TO USE BUDGET DUE TO IN INADEQUATE STAFF FOR PLANNING PROJECTS.
SO IN ORDER TO KIND OF MITIGATE THOSE, UM, CHALLENGES, WE ARE RECOMMENDING 250,000 FOR, UH, INSTALLATION OF AUTOMATED IRRIGATION, DRIP IRRIGATION ON PARKS AND REC PROPERTY WITH NATIVE TREES AND LANDSCAPING, UM, PRIORITIZING THE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES WITH LOWER ACCESS TO NATURE, PARTICULARLY IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT.
UM, ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR MAINTENANCE OF THOSE EXISTING INSTALLATIONS AND IRRIGATION SYSTEMS. AND THEN WHEN F WE DID ALSO SNEAK AN FTE HERE AS WELL, UM, FOR A PROGRAM MANAGER.
AND THAT WOULD BE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, PLAN CITY LAND MANAGEMENT PROJECTS, GO THROUGH, FIND THE, UM, THE GRANT FUNDING, IDENTIFY, UM, THOSE SOURCES, APPLY FOR THOSE AND, UM, AND IMPLEMENT THOSE PROJECTS, UM, FOR THE CITY TO, UM, TO ACHIEVE THAT GOAL OF, UM, CARBON NEUTRALITY FOR PUBLIC LANDS.
UM, IS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THIS IS ALREADY DONE OR NOT, BUT TO ELECTRIFY THE EQUIPMENT USED TO MANAGE THESE PARKS AND WHATNOT? THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
I, I KNOW THERE HAS BEEN CONVERSATIONS AROUND THAT.
WE, WE DON'T HAVE A RECOMMENDATION SPECIFIC TO THAT IN HERE.
I I THINK THAT, I MEAN, I'M, I'M JUST KIND OF SPIT BALLING,
[02:50:01]
BUT I THINK THAT THE GENERAL IDEAS TO USE EQUIPMENT TILL THEY'RE USEFUL LIFE AND THEN REPLACE WITH, WITH ELECTRIC, BUT I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE, THE STATUS OF THOSE.MAYBE SOME OF MY WORKING GROUP COLLEAGUES KNOWS MORE ABOUT THAT.
I CAN JUST SAY WHAT I'VE KIND OF HEARD SECONDHAND MAKES ME THINK THERE'S NOT REALLY A PLAN TO TRANSITION.
SO I'M NOT EVEN SURE IF IT'S LIKE WAITING FOR THINGS TO YEAH, IT'S PROBABLY AN AREA THAT NEEDS SOME ATTENTION.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT POSITION.
NOT JUST FOR CLIMATE, BUT FOR AIR QUALITY FOR SURE.
UM, YEAH, WE HAD, WE HAD LOOKED INTO THIS A LITTLE BIT BEFORE THAT, UM, BEFORE THE, THE LEGISLATURE PASSED THAT, LIKE, WE WERE THINKING ABOUT THIS MORE FROM THE PUBLIC ANGLE, I THINK, AND THIS WAS PRIOR TO THE, THE LEDGE.
UM, I FORGET WHAT THE BILL WAS, THE HMM, YES.
THE THING IN DALLAS THAT SAYS THAT YOU CAN'T PRIORITIZE.
ALTHOUGH I THINK DALLAS JUST PUT, I THINK IT WAS LIKE 750,000 INTO INCENTIVES.
SO THERE'S, WE WE MAY WANNA REVISIT, I THINK.
AND, AND ALSO I THINK THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT LIKE, WHAT HARD IS DOING, AND OF COURSE THEY COULD, YEAH, WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD TAKE IT UP.
AND THAT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION.
UM, WELL, THERE WAS, I DID LISTEN HERE, AND THIS WAS PROBABLY OVER A YEAR AGO, LIKE A STORY ON NPR ABOUT, UM, THE, THE DIFFICULTIES OF ELECTRIFYING FLEETS OF LIKE LARGE SCALE PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPING, SO
UM, BUT I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE LAST PO, THE FTE FOR THE PUBLIC LANDS.
SO IS THERE NO EXISTING LIKE GRANT WRITER OR, I MEAN, THIS ISN'T EXACTLY GRANT WRITING, BUT THERE'S NO ONE IN THAT POSITION AT ALL IN, OR I DON'T KNOW THAT IT SEEMED LIKE THAT WAS, I WAS SURPRISED THAT WAS A GAP.
UM, AND SO SINCE WE'RE TRYING TO THINK ABOUT PRIORITIZING FTES, I JUST WASN'T SURE IF THIS MIGHT BE A FUNCTION THAT COULD ALREADY BE SERVED.
YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, I, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE DETAILS OF THE, UH, OF THE STAFFING.
UM, JUST THAT THE, UM, STAFF HAS BEEN CALLED OUT AS A, AS A GAP INADEQUATE STAFF TO PLAN THE PROJECTS, TO INITIATE THE CONTRACTS, UM, AND, AND TO STEWARD THE FUNDING.
SO THERE, I, I MEAN, THERE IS STAFF THERE AND MAYBE IT'S A QUESTION OF PRIORITIZATION WITHIN LAND MANAGEMENT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THAT THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S FUNDING AVAILABLE THAT HASN'T BEEN USED FOR THIS, FOR THIS, UM, PURPOSE, UM, MAKES ME THINK THAT, THAT THERE'S MAYBE, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A NEED THERE.
I WOULD SAY AS SOMEBODY WHO IS MAYBE LEADING THE CHARGE ON LIMITING THE NUMBER OF FTES, CERTAINLY AN FTE THAT'S GEARED TOWARDS GENERATING REVENUE MAYBE SHOULD BE E EITHER PRIORITIZED OR AT THE VERY LEAST, CALLED OUT SEPARATELY IN OUR BUDGET REQUESTS.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE DRIP IRRIGATION.
IS THAT GOING TO BE WITH THEIR PURPLE PIPE PROGRAM IN AUSTIN FOR REUSE? MM.
DO YOU KNOW THAT? WHY DON'T YOU TAKE THAT
SO GOING NEXT TO SOME OF THESE PARKS, IT MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE, YOU KNOW, LIKE ZILKER OBVIOUSLY HAS IT AVAILABLE, BUT YOU'RE TALKING OTHER AREAS, RIGHT? UM, AND SO THAT MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE PURPLE PIPE, UH, SYSTEM, UH, FOR THESE, UH, VARIETY OF PARKS THAT YOU'RE INTENDING, UH, THIS FOR.
SO, SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE A RECOMMENDATION.
UM, ARE YOU, ARE YOU RECOMMENDING THAT WE, UM, WE COULD AMEND TO EXPAND THE PURPLE PIPE TO
[02:55:01]
THAT IF IT'S AVAILABLE, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S HAPPENED.BUT I WOULD THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A FIRST GO-TO IF THERE'S A PURPLE PIPE RUNNING BY THE PARK, BUT, YOU KNOW, STATING IT.
YEAH, JUST, I MEAN, I'M JUST SAYING, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE JUST SHOULD ASSUME IS GONNA HAPPEN, OR IF WE NEED TO JUST PUT IT DOWN AS THIS IS WHAT WE RECOMMEND, THIS IS WHAT'S EXPECTED.
YEAH, I THINK IT CAN'T HURT TO INCLUDE THAT, TO CALL THAT OUT.
THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD CALL OUT.
IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE ON THOSE, CHARLOTTE, I, UM, SUGGEST WE MOVE TO THE LOW CARBON CONCRETE.
SO, SO THAT'S ON A DIFFERENT, UH, DOCUMENT.
THE DOCUMENTS TITLED LOW CARBON CONCRETE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION DOC DOC X, IT'S A WORD DOCUMENT.
UM, SO THE CONTEXT HERE IS THAT CONCRETE INVOLVES A LOT OF CARBON EMISSIONS.
THOSE CARBON EMISSIONS ARE INHERENT IN THE CHEMICAL PRODUCTION OF THE PRODUCT.
SO, WHEREAS PERHAPS THE MANUFACTURER OF MANY DIFFERENT THINGS, YOU COULD REDUCE EMISSIONS BY ELECTRIFYING YOUR ENERGY SOURCES FOR CONCRETE, THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE.
UM, CONCRETE REPRESENTS LIKE, WHAT, LIKE 8% OF LIKE GLOBAL EMISSIONS OR SOMETHING.
UM, IT'S A BIG PORTION OF AUSTIN'S IMPACT.
UM, AS WE, UH, HEARD, UH, A LOT
UH, IN OUR VIEW, THIS, THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE HAVE SUGGESTED ARE GREAT, BUT DON'T GO FAR ENOUGH AND DON'T GO FAST ENOUGH.
AND THERE'S A REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR AUSTIN TO BE A LEADER IN THIS SPACE.
AND SO SPECIFICALLY, UM, I'M RE RECOMMENDING THAT WE HA ALLOCATE SOME DOLLARS IN ORDER TO GET AHEAD OF THE CURVE AND TEST OUT SOME NEW CONCRETE MATERIALS THAT ARE ON THE MARKET.
UM, TALKING WITH THE ENGINEERS, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO TEST OUT THIS MATERIAL BECAUSE IT'S NEW AND VALIDATE AND VERIFY ALL THE CLAIMS THAT PEOPLE ARE MAKING.
UM, AND SO THIS WOULD BE MONEY TO DO THAT AS WELL AS, UH, AN INTERN LEVEL STAFF WHO COULD HELP WITH SOME OF THE, LIKE THE POURING, THE IMPLEMENTING, THE PROCURING.
UM, AND WE'RE REQUESTING THIS BECAUSE, UM, IT SOUNDED LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, STAFF AVAILABILITY COULD BE A LIMITING FACTOR IN, IN DOING THIS.
ANY QUESTIONS? SO THIS IS BASICALLY LIKE, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I WOULD CALL THIS LIKE A PILOT, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT'S JUST LIKE A TEST KIND OF, I I THINK THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A PILOT, BUT IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE SMALL SCALE, VERY FOCUSED PILOT.
UM, AND THIS WAS INTENTIONALLY VAGUE.
I THINK, UM, MANY FOLKS PROBABLY AT THE CITY WILL, LIKE, THE, THE FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS HERE HAVE, WILL BE AROUND LIKE, IS THIS FOR VERTICAL OR HORIZONTAL CONSTRUCTION? AND LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU INTENDING? AND I THINK THE LANGUAGE HERE IS INTENDED TO BE, UM, SLIGHTLY LOOSE IN, IN ORDER TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO, TO DO WHAT THEY GIVE SOME FLEXIBILITY.
'CAUSE MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS, YOU KNOW, BEFORE I READ THIS THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE DSD WOULD BE INVOLVED.
'CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE THE ONES INVOLVED, LIKE A LOT OF BUILDING STUFF.
THIS, OKAY, SO THIS, THIS IS ACTUALLY A REALLY GREAT POINT THAT YOU BRING UP HARRIS.
UM, AND WE'VE BEEN TRYING APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, THERE'S BEEN SOME ACTIVITY IN CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES, UM, YOU KNOW, THE DEPARTMENT OF, UH, WHAT IS IT? PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION SEEMS TO BE WHERE, UM, SOME OF THIS WORK'S BEEN HOUSED ALREADY.
UH, AND SO YEAH, WE, WE WELCOME COMMENT AND INPUT ON DEPARTMENTS.
I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE IF THEY BUILD THE ROADS THAT USES HELLA CONCRETE, SO THEY PROBABLY ARE WELL EQUIPPED TO, TO BENEFIT FROM THIS STUDY.
ONE WOULD THINK, UH, WE ALSO THREW IN OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY IN HERE, UH, AS WELL.
JUST, JUST, JUST FOR GOOD MEASURE AS WELL.
SO I THINK THERE'S, UM, I DON'T KNOW, ROHAN, ZACH, IF YOU GUYS HAVE COMMENTS, UH, HE SEEMS VERY PLEASED WITH IT.
BUT THE INTENTION HERE IS TO GET STARTED WITH SOME WORK AND TO MAKE SURE THAT SOMEONE HAS A POT OF MONEY TO BUY A COUPLE SACKS OF CEMENT AND DO A COUPLE EASY TEST PORES PROBABLY LIKE A, A SIDEWALK.
AND SO THE NEXT TIME WE NEED TO ASK PEOPLE WHY OUR CEMENT EMISSIONS ARE SO HIGH,
[03:00:01]
THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO SAY IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T TESTED ANYTHING THAT HAS LOW ENOUGH EMISSIONS.I MEAN, HEY MAN, YOU GIVE ME 150 K I'LL START POURING THAT, RIGHT? IS, IS THAT 50% OR MORE, UH, LOWER CARBON? IS THAT BASED ON SOMETHING THAT YOU SAW OR, OR JUST BALLPARK OF? YEAH, SO THAT'S, THAT IS ACTUALLY BASED ON SOMETHING.
SO THAT'S, UM, SO RECENTLY THE GSA, UH, SUBMITTED A, A CALL WHERE THEY WERE SOLICITING INPUT FOR GREENER CARBON, UH, LOWER CARBON CEMENT.
UM, AND THEY SET THEIR THRESHOLD, UM, MUCH LOWER, LIKE HIGHER EMISSION.
UM, AND WHAT THAT DID WAS IT FAVORED PEOPLE WHO MAYBE HAD SLIGHTLY BETTER, UM, CONCRETE TECHNOLOGY.
LIKE MAYBE THEY HAD A GREENER, YOU KNOW, PRODUCTION METHOD.
MAYBE THEY HAD, UM, RENEWABLE ENERGY IN THEIR FACILITY, BUT IT DIDN'T ADDRESS LIKE THE 80 WHATEVER PERCENT OF EMISSIONS THAT COME FROM THE ACTUAL CHEMICAL PRODUCTION PROCESS.
SO WE'VE SELECTED THIS IN ORDER TO REALLY TARGET NEWER TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE ON THE MARKET.
WE WANTED IT TO BE REALLY AGNOSTIC BECAUSE THEY'RE QUITE WIDE RANGING FROM PEOPLE WHO REINVENT THE CHEMISTRY OF HOW YOU MAKE CONCRETE TO, UM, THINGS THAT HAVE, I THINK WE HEARD ABOUT LOCALLY, LIKE THIS CARBON CURE THAT USES, UM, A SEQUESTERED CARBON DIOXIDE.
UH, BUT IT WAS INTENDED TO REALLY FOCUS ON THOSE NOVEL MATERIALS.
I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN DOING THIS AT MY DAY JOB SOMEWHAT.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, DOING CARBON REPORTING ON THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONCRETE WITH THE DIFFERENT SCOPES THAT YOU HAVE, UM, WOULD PROBABLY BE USEFUL AND THINK ABOUT IT HOLISTICALLY, RIGHT, IN TERMS OF LIKE SCOPES OF THEIR SUPPLIERS AS WELL, AND NOT NECESSARILY JUST THE MANUFACTURING OF CONCRETE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, SORT OF CROSS-REFERENCING THAT WITH HOW MUCH IT COSTS, RIGHT? AND SO WE CAN USE THOSE METRICS TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE BEST CONCRETES ARE FOR THIS DIFFERENT SITUATIONS GOING FORWARD THERE AS LOW CARBON AS POSSIBLE.
I THINK IT'S DEFINITELY A GOOD THING.
SO SOME OF THAT'S ADDRESSED IN THE RESOLUTION THAT WENT TO COUNCIL ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONS.
UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS ALREADY TRYING TO BE IMPLEMENTED.
UM, BUT IN MY VIEW, THAT HASN'T GONE FAR ENOUGH.
AND IT DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE LIKE WE INHERENTLY KNOW IF YOU BUY A BAG OF CONCRETE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY THE RANGE OF EMISSIONS THAT ARE GONNA BE ASSOCIATED WITH IT, OR CEMENT, I SHOULD SAY, YOU BUY THE CEMENT, UM, AND YOU MIX IT INTO THE CONCRETE, UH, IN ORDER TO ACTUALLY GET DOWN THAT CURVE, YOU NEED TO TARGET SOMETHING NEW.
AND SO THAT, THAT WAS THE HOPE HERE.
I'LL JUST SAY I THINK WE DEFINITELY HAVE ADDITIONAL, I THINK, CONVERSATION AND FOLLOW UP THAT WE PLAN TO DO.
AND THERE'S INTEREST LIKE WE'VE SEEN IN BOTH THE CONSUMPTION FROM THE CONSUMPTION SIDE AND SUSTAINABLE BUILDING SIDE AND THE CONCRETE ISSUES.
SO, UM, I THINK WHAT WE SAW IS THAT SOME OF IT IS POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I THINK WE MIGHT NEED TO TAKE UP, BUT THIS SEEMS LIKE A GOOD BUDGET ITEM TO START WITH.
UM, ALRIGHT, WE HAVE, I THINK THAT'S, WE HAVE ONE MORE ITEM, UM, THAT WE HAVEN'T TOUCHED ON YET.
THE, UM, PRO CLIMATE, PRO FOOD, PRO HEALTH, UH, FOODS RECOMMENDATION, IF WE CAN BRING THAT ONE UP.
IS IT, COULD I MAKE A MOTION TO THAT? THE CAR, LOW CARBON CONCRETE ONE IS VERY, UM, DIS IT'S DISCREET.
CAN WE VOTE ON THAT? YOU WANT TO VOTE ON THAT ONE? SEPARATE FROM EVERYTHING ELSE? IS THAT SURE, YEAH.
WERE WE GONNA VOTE ON EVERYTHING AT ONCE OR I, I HAVE NO OBJECTION TO THAT.
IT DOES SEEM, IT SEEMED LIKE SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE EASY TO APPROVE.
WE, WE'VE GOT A MOTION TO APPROVE THE LOW CARBON CONCRETE RECOMMENDATION.
DOES ANYBODY WANNA SECOND THAT? SEGUNDO? OKAY.
UM, IF WE CAN STOP SHARING FOR JUST A SECOND.
UM, EVERY, EVERY, ANY ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE'VE GOT ONE RECOMMENDATION DOWN.
MY FIRST PLEASURE RECOMMENDATION.
SORRY, IF YOU CAN PUT THAT, UH, FOOD RECOMMENDATION BACKUP.
[03:05:17]
ALRIGHT.UM, SO THIS, UH, IS PROBABLY A FAMILI SOME FAMILIAR LANGUAGE HERE.
UH, 'CAUSE IT WAS PART OF OUR POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFYING THE, UH, ENCOURAGING MORE PLANT-BASED EATING.
IT'S PART OF THE, THE CLIMATE PLAN.
THERE'S NOT REALLY, UM, AS WE'VE SEEN ANY ACTIVITY, UH, ON THIS SO FAR AT THE CITY.
UM, AND WE KIND OF STARTED THIS CONVERSATION, UM, TALKING ABOUT INCENTIVES BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THE CLIMATE PLAN DOES SPECIFICALLY SAY TO DO, IS TO INCENTIVIZE, UM, THERE WAS A BARRIER IDENTIFIED, UM, BY STAFF, UM, AT LEAST IN TERMS OF I PROVIDING INCENTIVES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MAJOR, UH, GROCERY STORES.
SO, UM, I THINK IT SEEMED LIKE, UH, MAKING, JUST MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO PUT MONEY DIRECTLY INTO GROCERY STORE, UM, INCENTIVES MIGHT, UM, THERE MIGHT, THERE MIGHT.
WE NEED, WE HAVE TO WORK SOME THINGS OUT BEFORE THAT CAN HAPPEN.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, THERE'S DEFINITELY PUBLIC EDUCATION THAT CAN AND SHOULD BE HAPPENING AND THAT IS NOT CURRENTLY HAPPENING.
AND THEN THAT, THAT WORK TO IDENTIFY WHERE INCENTIVES CAN BE, UH, EFFECTIVELY SPENT, BE IT AT GROCERY STORES OR, UM, RESTAURANTS OR YOU KNOW, WHEREVER, WHEREVER PEOPLE ARE GETTING FOOD IN THE CITY.
SO, UM, THE IDEA IS THAT THIS BUDGET WOULD BE USED FOR BOTH OF THOSE PURPOSES, PROBABLY WITH THE BULK OF IT GOING DIRECTLY INTO THE KIND OF PUBLIC EDUCATION AND MARKETING CAMPAIGN TO LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT WHAT'S AVAILABLE AND, AND WHAT THE BOTH CLIMATE AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF EATING MORE PLANT-BASED FOODS, UH, IS.
THAT'S, THAT'S THIS RECOMMENDATION.
AND I CAN'T SAY THAT LIKE THE, THE, THE BUDGET NUMBER WAS KIND OF A BALLPARK OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT MIGHT FUND A AT LEAST NOT, UH, TOTALLY ANEMIC KIND OF PUBLIC OUTREACH CAMPAIGN.
I THINK CERTAINLY YOU COULD SPEND A LOT MORE, BUT SOMETHING TO GET STARTED IN AN AREA WHERE THERE HAS NOT BEEN ACTION SO FAR.
AND I'M GONNA FOLLOW BEHIND KIMBA AND SAY THAT, UM, I WENT AND I LOOKED AT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING, UM, IN THE CONTEXT OF RAISING AWARENESS TOWARD FOOD THAT'S PRO HEALTHY, PRO CRIME, THERE WAS NOTHING THERE.
UM, WE ACTUALLY HAD A TALK WITH I THINK THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, LIKE THE FOOD POLICY MANAGER SIDE, AND HE WAS THE ONE THAT GAVE US THE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW GROCERY STORES ARE NOT REALLY RECEPTIVE RIGHT NOW TOWARDS THE MOVEMENT GOING FORWARD IN TERMS OF AUSTIN CREATING A FOOD PLAN.
SO IT WAS LIKE NOT MUCH SUCCESS THERE.
AND THE FINAL GOOD THING, WE WAS ABLE TO LAND A, UM, ABLE TO LAND A SESSION WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
UM, THERE'S A SMALL INTEREST COMING FROM THEM AND PRO CLIMBING, PRO HEALTHY FOOD.
HEY, SO I WAS JUST WONDERING, DID THEY SAY WHY THE GROCERY STORES WEREN'T NECESSARILY INTERESTED? IS IT JUST 'CAUSE THEY JUST CARE ABOUT PROFIT AND NOTHING ELSE? OR, I'M JUST CURIOUS.
UM, WELL ACTUALLY IT'S NOT THAT THE GROCERY STORES AREN'T CARRYING THESE, UM, FOODS, IT'S THAT THEY WON'T SHARE ANY DATA.
SO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING THEM INCENTIVE MONEY WHERE THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO, WHY ARE THEY NOT WILLING TO SHARE THE DATA? ALTHOUGH I GUESS, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE NOT THE HEB OR WHOLE FOODS OR SPROUTS PERSON, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW, I GUESS THEY MUST THINK IT'S SOMEHOW, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR COMPETITIVE INTEREST TO KEEP SECRET HOW MANY EGGS THEY SELL OR SOMETHING, RIGHT? I DON'T KNOW.
UM, WELL 'CAUSE I HAVE HEARD THAT LIKE THE REASON THAT HEB DOESN'T TAKE, LIKE GOOGLE PAY OR APPLE PAY HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH LIKE INFORMATION AND SOMETHING LIKE THAT, SO I, YOU KNOW.
UM, HEB WAS ONE THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY NAMED AS BEING LIKE VERY CLOSE AND UNWILLING TO SHARE THEIR DATA.
SO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S A WAY TO, TO WORK ON THAT.
UM, WE JUST GOTTA SHOW UP TO THEIR HEADQUARTERS ON EAST SIXTH STREET AND JUST BULLY THEM.
YEAH, I MEAN THE INTERESTING THING IS LIKE, THEY SEEMS LIKE THEY COULD BENEFIT FROM THIS, BUT UM, THEY JUST HAVE TO MAKE IT SEEM LIKE IT'S THEIR IDEA AND NOT THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S IDEA.
SO WE GOTTA SOMEHOW INCEPT THAT, RIGHT? FIND THE RIGHT PERSON WHEN THEY'RE SLEEPING, GET IN THERE.
[03:10:01]
THERE'S, THERE'S STUFF THAT, UM, THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, THE, THE STAFF WHO'S WORKING ON THE FOOD PLAN WAS ALREADY RECEPTIVE TO THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE'VE NOW PASSED AGAIN THIS EVENING AND, YOU KNOW, RIGHT AWAY, YOU KNOW, UM, KIND OF OPEN THAT UP FOR, FOR GETTING THESE KIND OF, UM, INITIATIVES INTO THE FOOD PLAN.SO I THINK THE LEAST WE CAN DO IS, UM, YOU KNOW, GIVE THEM SOME MONEY TO WORK WITH AS THEY TRY TO GET THAT UNDERWAY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE OR COMMENTS? KAYA? I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE, UH, SUSTAINABLE FOOD CENTER, UM, RECEIVE SOME OF THESE FUNDS AS PART OF THIS INCENTIVE PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY DO VERY SIMILAR WORK TO WHAT THIS, UM, RECOMMENDATION IS ASKING.
UM, THEY'RE A NONPROFIT, SO THEY HAVE LIMITED OUTREACH, BUT I THINK THIS WOULD BE A, AN EXISTING PROGRAM THAT DOES EXACTLY THE SERVICE THAT WOULD BE A BIG BENEFIT.
AND, AND THEY'RE DEFINITELY HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE FOOD PLAN AND I'M, I'M MEETING WITH SOMEBODY FROM SUSTAINABLE FOOD CENTER I THINK ON FRIDAY.
UH, AND SO YEAH, THIS LEAVES IT VERY OPEN-ENDED ON HOW THIS 200,000 COULD BE SPENT, BUT FOR SURE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF IT COULD BE ALLOCATED DIRECTLY TO SUSTAINABLE FOOD CENTER.
ANY OTHER ENTITY TO ASSIST WITH THAT PROMOTION, THAT MARKETING.
UM, I KNOW THAT THIS IS ONE THAT, UH, THAT CHARLOTTE NEEDS TO RECUSE ON, SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, UM, PERHAPS WE CAN TAKE THIS ONE UP INDIVIDUALLY AS WELL.
UM, SO UNLESS THERE'S ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION I'M GONNA ASK IF MAYBE WE CAN STOP SHARING AND I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE PRO CLIMATE, PRO HEALTH FOOD EDUCATION FUNDING.
Y'ALL CAN, Y'ALL CAN DUAL IT OUT TO FIGURE OUT WHO, WHO, WHO GOT THAT SECOND, BUT WE'VE GOT A MOTION.
UM, ACTUALLY, I THINK FOR THE RECORD, WE DO NEED TO DESIGNATE THAT.
WAS THAT
WAS WAS THAT YOU, MELISSA? YEAH, IT WAS ME, BUT I DON'T MIND HAVING TO PRONOUNCE.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA GIVE THAT ONE TO YOU.
UH, SO WE'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND.
EVERYONE IN FAVOR? PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
SO WE'VE GOT, UH, UNANIMOUS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SHELA IS OBS UH, RECUSING HERSELF FROM THIS, UH, ITEM.
UM, RODRIGO, ARE YOU READY TO GO BACK TO YOUR, UH, YOUR ITEMS? SURE.
UM, HOW DO I SHARE THEM? YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT I CAN, I CAN SHARE FROM MY SCREEN.
I CAN, OH, MAYBE I CAN'T SHARE.
ARE YOU ABLE TO GIVE ME PERMISSION TO SHARE MY SCREEN? I'M, I'M, YEAH, I'M ON HERE.
WELL, I'M REALIZING, UH, WE STILL HAVE THINGS IN EDIT.
RODRIGO, WERE YOU GOOD WITH THOSE EDITS? YEAH.
IF YOU ARE, THEN CAN YOU ACCEPT THEM SO WE CAN AT LEAST LOOK AT A CLEAN VERSION? OKAY.
RIGHT, SO THAT'S TAKES CARE OF ONE AND TWO.
SO THE FIRST ONE WAS JUST REWORKED THE ONE, THIS IS THE ONE ABOUT
[03:15:01]
THE, UM, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PARTNERSHIP SPECIALIST.SO IT WAS REFRAMED, IT SAYS, RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH PROMOTING THE FULL SUITE OF CITY OF AUSTIN SUSTAINABILITY INCENTIVES WITH A FOCUS ON BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, AND RELATED ORGANIZATIONS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS.
AND THEN THE BULLETS BELOW, JUST GIVE EXAMPLES OF WHAT THOSE, UM, OUTREACH ACTIVITIES WOULD BE, INCLUDING IDENTIFICATION AND RECRUITMENT OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN HELP, UM, HOUSEHOLDS WITH WEATHERIZATION AND HOME REPAIR SUPPORT.
UM, THE VARIOUS WATER CONSERVATION AND RAIN WATER COLLECTION AND GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE AT AUSTIN WATER AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND OTHER SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE FOCUSED REBATE AND INCENTIVE PROGRAMS. I'M JUST, UH, SORRY, I MEANT TO SUGGEST LIKE I, THE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS TRAINING FEELS A LITTLE BIT LIKE AN OUTLIER HERE.
WAS JUST WONDERING WHAT THE THOUGHT WAS THERE.
THE DELETE WITHOUT THAT WAS BEFORE WE KIND OF REFRAME THIS TO FOCUS ON JUST THE INCENTIVES AND REBATES.
'CAUSE THE IDEA WAS THEY WOULD DO MORE THAN JUST FOCUS ON THIS STUFF.
THEY WOULD ALSO SUPPORT OTHER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES.
I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE A LOT FOR ONE PERSON TO, TO KEEP TRACK OF.
SO I WOULD SUGGEST SCRATCHING THE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS TRAINING.
I THINK THE COALITION BUILDING AND OTHER, YOU KNOW, ACTIVITIES ALIGNED WITH THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
AND I THINK THEY WERE SUGGESTING THEY WEREN'T SURE WHERE THIS POSITION WOULD LIE, BUT I JUST, I DON'T KNOW.
I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK OF LIKE, WHAT ONE PERSON CAN MM-HMM.
YEAH, I MEAN, I GUESS THE, THE THINKING IS THAT IF THERE'S GONNA BE A PERSON ENGAGING AT THE HOUSEHOLD LEVEL ABOUT THESE TOPICS, LIKE SOME OF THESE OTHER ISSUES ARE BOUND TO COME UP IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
SO I DON'T WANT TO RESTRICT IT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT MAKES SENSE FOR A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION TO JUST NOT MENTION IT.
IT'S MORE LIKE SHARING DISASTER PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION WITH THE COMMUNITY.
YEAH, I'M GONNA MAKE A SUGGESTION.
UH, DO WE HAVE SOMEBODY, HEATHER, ARE YOU, DO YOU HAVE A THOUGHT? UM, MAYBE IT'S LATE HERE AND NOW.
I'M, IT, IT DOES SEEM LIKE A JOB DESCRIPTION MORE THAN A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION, ADDING SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT ENHANCES TO ADD THESE OTHER POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES, BUT THAT'S JUST MY READ.
SO WHAT IF WE JUST SAID FULL SUITE OF CITY OF AUSTIN SUSTAINABILITY INCENTIVES AND PROGRAMS AND THEN JUST SCRATCH EVERYTHING BELOW IT? I MEAN, THE EXAMPLES I THINK ARE, I THINK IT'S BULLET 0.3 THAT IN OUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATION DETAIL, WHAT I'M SEEING HERE IS A VERY PRESCRIPTIVE DESCRIPTION OF A ROLE VERSUS A JUSTIFICATION OF A BUDGET ALLOCATION, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO I THINK IN TERMS OF JUSTIFICATION, WE COULD JUST, WE COULD, WE COULD START WITH A BULLET THAT SAYS THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS NUMEROUS SUSTAINABILITY INCENTIVES, MANY OF WHICH ARE UNDERUTILIZED AND ARE NOT UTILIZED EQUITABLY THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN I THINK THAT THE REST OF TWO AND THREE COULD STILL REMAIN, BUT I DO THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
[03:20:03]
ALL RIGHT.ANY ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON NUMBER ONE, OR SHOULD WE GO TO NUMBER NUMBER TWO HERE? ALRIGHT, NUMBER TWO.
NUMBER TWO, I'M HEARD SUPPORT FOR INCREASING THE ASK AROUND OUTREACH AND PARTNERSHIPS.
AND SO IT'S JUST BEEN INCREASED, BUT IT'S NOT, THERE'S NOT REALLY BEEN A SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE TO THE DESCRIPTION.
SO I'M GONNA SUGGEST THAT, UM, SINCE IT'S, AND PLEASE ANYBODY WHO ISN'T GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE ONE FTE AND THIS BUDGET AMOUNT SPEAK UP.
BUT IF WE'RE GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT, THAT MAYBE IF YOU COULD ENTRUST ROD, RODRIGO AND I TO, I THINK WE COULD KIND OF ALMOST COMBINE THESE, THERE COULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE JUSTIFICATION FOR THIS AS A COMBINED PROGRAMMATIC ASK THAT INCLUDES AN FDE AND THEN THIS BUDGET TO MM-HMM.
UM, BUT WE MIGHT NOT HAVE TO WORDSMITH THAT RIGHT HERE, IF THERE, IF Y'ALL CAN ENTRUST US TO DO THAT.
SO WE HAVE WITH THAT, AND THEN RODRIGO, UH, OR AM I TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE DELETING NUMBER THREE AND SO IT WOULD BE THE REST OF THE PACKAGE WITH THIS EDITED NUMBER ONE AND TWO AND REMOVING NUMBER THREE? UM, YEAH.
WELL, I, I SORT OF REFRAMED IT.
YOU WANT ME TO GO DOWN? SO I, I REFRAME NUMBER THREE TO IN RESPONSE TO THE CONCERNS AROUND, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S EXISTING PROGRAMS. ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WITH A LOT OF THESE REBATE PROGRAMS, THAT IS THAT THEY'RE REBATE PROGRAMS. SO YOU NEED TO SPEND MONEY BEFORE YOU CAN GET A REBATE.
SO POTENTIALLY THERE COULD BE A FUND THAT COULD BE MANAGED BY A COMMUNITY PARTNER.
AND THE PURPOSE OF THAT FUND WOULD BE TO ENABLE ACCESS TO THOSE REBATE PROGRAMS. NOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW THE MECHANICS WOULD WORK, BUT ESSENTIALLY YOU'RE ELIMINATING THE BARRIER TO ENTRY FOR LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS THAT DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, JUST CASH SITTING AROUND TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN A REBATE PROGRAM.
SO THIS WOULD BE BASICALLY LIKE A GRANT PROGRAM WHERE, YOU KNOW, UH, FAMILIES OR RESIDENTS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE CAPITAL TO ENGAGE IN THESE REBATE PROGRAMS, WE CAN STILL HELP THEM.
AND THERE'S A WHOLE, I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WHOLE SUITE NOW.
SO THERE'S WATER, WATER CONSERVATION, UH, RAIN BARREL PROGRAMS, LANDSCAPING PROGRAMS. THERE'S EVEN SOME AUSTIN ENERGY PROGRAMS THAT, UM, ARE AROUND LIKE UPGRADING HVAC SYSTEMS, BUT THEY'RE REBATE PROGRAMS. SO I'M HAPPY TO PAUSE ON THIS ONE AND MAYBE REWORK IT.
UM, BUT THAT'S THE REFRAMED IDEA.
BUT DO WE NEED TO HAVE THESE SUBMITTED TODAY TO MAKE IT FOR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS? NO, WE COULD, WE COULD TAKE UP, NO, WE CAN TAKE UP ADDITIONAL ITEMS NEXT MONTH.
THAT WOULD STILL BE TIMELY BY THE END OF MARCH.
HOW WOULD, HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF WE, IF YOU CAME BACK TO US, LIKE NOT AT NINE 30 AT NIGHT? I'M, I'M COOL WITH THAT
AND WE CAN MOVE FORWARD ON THE REST OF THEM.
AND THEN I, I MEAN, I, I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING THERE, LIKE YOU HAVE A GOOD POINT.
LIKE, SOME OF THEM, THE BARRIER IS JUST THAT IT'S A REBATE.
SOME OF THEM IS THAT IT'S A PARTIAL REBATE.
SOME OF THOSE, THERE'S FEDERAL FUNDING FOR SOME OF, THERE'S NOT.
SO YEAH, I THINK WE COULD ADD A LITTLE MORE TO THIS.
CAN WE GET A MOTION ON THE TRANSPORTATION AND, AND LAND USE RECOMMENDATIONS?
I THINK THE MO THE MOTION CAN JUST BE FOR MOVING FORWARD WITH THE ONES I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE IT TO WHENEVER
I'M TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO ADOPT TONIGHT FROM THE REST OF THEM.
MY, I'M DOING TWO THINGS AT ONCE, SO, UH, CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION, PLEASE? ABOUT TRANSPORTATION? IS THAT THE ONE WE WERE LOOKING FOR? FIVE FTE? I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M HOLDING THEM STRAIGHT IN MY HEAD.
NO, AND I DIDN'T WANNA GO TO MY SECOND SCREEN.
NO, NO, THAT'S, UH, THAT WAS SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS AND
[03:25:01]
THAT HAS NOW BEEN EDITED DOWN TO ONE.AND I'LL SHARE THAT AFTER WE GET DONE WITH TRANSPORTATION.
ALTHOUGH I'M REMEMBERING WE ALSO NEED TO GO BACK AND ADOPT THE CONSUMPTION OF NATURAL SYSTEMS.
RODRIGO, DO YOU WANNA MAKE THE MOTION TO ADOPT THE REMAINDER OR SOMEBODY? I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
SO TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS TO ADOPT THE TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION RECOMMENDATION AS WELL AS WHAT WAS PRESENTED AS AMENDED ITEMS ONE AND TWO UNDER, AND, AND WE WILL, WE WILL PUT THIS ALL INTO ONE DOCUMENT WITH THE PROPER KIND OF HEADINGS, BUT THERE WAS NUMBERS ONE AND TWO, AND THEN STRIKING NUMBER NUM NUMBER THREE IS NOT PART OF THE MOTION, PLEASE.
NUMBER FOUR AND FIVE R I'LL SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
IT LOOKS CHARLOTTE OR YOU ARE OKAY.
YEAH, YOU'RE JUST, YOU'RE JUST ASLEEP LIKE WE ALL ARE.
SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE TRANSPORTATION, ELECTRIFICATION AND VERIFICATION LAND, USE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
IT'S EVERYTHING EXCEPT FOR NUMBER THREE.
AND RODRIGO AMENDED, YOU KNOW, EDITED YES.
BASED ON WHAT WE JUST SHARED ON THE SCREEN.
SO WE'LL GET ALL THAT CLEANED UP.
LET'S QUICKLY GO BACK TO THE SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING AND, UH, NATURAL SYSTEMS RECOMMENDATIONS.
'CAUSE WE DID NOT ACTUALLY DO A MOTION ON THOSE.
ANYBODY WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS FOR THE SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING AND NATURAL SYSTEMS BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, I'M SEEING AMY, ARE YOU OKAY? YEAH, I THINK THERE'S A LAG THERE.
AND ALBERTA, I SEE THAT YOU'RE ON THE SCREEN OR, BUT WELL, ALBERTA, IF YOU WANNA, I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE IN A POSITION TO, TO WANNA VOTE, BUT I JUST DON'T, I WANNA GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY.
SO I WILL NOW SHARE THE EDITED, UM, EVA? YES.
I'M MUTING AND THANK YOU FOR JUST RECOGNIZING ME.
AND, UM, I MISSED THE JSC, I'M, I'M JUST SITTING IN FOR, UM, COMMISSIONER WOODS FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
SO I, I DON'T HAVE A VOTE, I DON'T THINK.
RIGHT? I, I THINK, OH, SHE CAN'T VOTE.
ALTERNATE ALTERNATES CAN VOTE.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PREPARED TO THERE ANYWAY, BUT SHOULD YOU WANT TO, YOU ARE, YOU ARE AUTHORIZED TO VOTE.
YEAH, I TOTALLY SUPPORT WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING FOR THE PAST.
WHAT, SINCE I, I JOINED AT ABOUT SEVEN O'CLOCK
UM, ARE YOU ABLE TO TURN YOUR CAMERA ON? I AM ON A CELL PHONE.
IF YOU WANNA BE IN, IF YOU WANNA BE INCLUDED IN THE NEXT VOTE.
WE, WE JUST NEED TO SEE, ABSOLUTELY.
OH, NOW I CAN'T SEE ANYBODY, BUT I GUESS YOU GUYS CAN SEE ME.
SO YEAH, THAT'S ALL THAT COUNT.
SO ARE YOU VOTING IN, IN FAVOR OF THAT LAST MOTION? YES.
FOR SOME REASON, TOO MANY OVERLAPPING WINDOWS ARE CAUSING, ALL RIGHT.
SORRY, LET ME TRY THIS AGAIN, MAN.
[03:30:01]
THAT'S VERY SMALL.HOW DO I MAKE IT BIGGER? OH, I'M SO TIRED.
WE NEED SOMEONE TO MOTION TO SUPPORT THIS.
I MEAN, I JUST FELT LIKE I SHOULD SHOW IT ON THE SCREEN.
I DON'T KNOW WHY UPDATED IS SO SMALL NOW.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT ASIDE, UM, I BASICALLY JUST ADDED SOME ADDITIONAL WORDS TO, TO BACK UP THE NEED FOR TRACKING, REPORTING AND COORDINATING THE WORK OF THE, THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
THIS IS NOT SOMEBODY WHO'S GONNA BE TASKED WITH LIKE, IMPLEMENTING THE FULL PLAN BECAUSE THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE ENGAGED IN THAT.
BUT SOMEBODY TO KEEP THE DASHBOARD UP TO DATE AND TO HELP WITH THE FLOW OF INFORMATION FROM THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE ENGAGING IN THE MORE KIND OF DETAILED WORK OF THE POLICY AND PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES THAT ARE HAPPENING.
I DON'T KNOW IF 150,000 IS THE RIGHT NUMBER.
CAN I JUST MAKE ONE POINT OF ORDER JUST ABOUT THE LANGUAGE? I'M SO SORRY.
BUT WE ARE KIND OF THROWING THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY STAFF UNDER THE BUS WITH THE PHRASING OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY IS NOT ADEQUATELY STAFFED TO TRACK DETAILED.
COULD IT SAY SOMETHING LIKE, THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY IS FOCUSED ON OTHER PROJECTS, OR EVEN JUST THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY NEEDS ADDITIONAL STAFF TO TRACK AND REPORT ON AND COORDINATE THIS WORK? I KNOW THAT WHEN WE LOOK FOR SUPPORT FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON EPC, SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK TO DO IS, AND IT'S OBVIOUS, THEY, THEY HAVE A HEADCOUNT OF 14.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR THEM TO ADD SEVEN.
UM, SO WHILE THAT MAY BE TRUE, IS IT ADVANTAGEOUS AND BENEFICIAL TO THE PEOPLE THAT WERE LOOKING TO DO THE WORK? OKAY.
UM, AND LET ME JUST SEE IF I CAN OFFICE OF, YEAH.
LIKE YOU COULD REPLACE THAT ENTIRE PHRASE WITH THE WORD NEEDS, OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY NEEDS ADDITIONAL STAFF, AND THEN YOU DELETE R NEEDED TO TRACK DETAILED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN.
AND THEN JUST DELETE R NEEDED AFTER THE WORD STAFF.
AND NOW IT READS, OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY NEEDS ADDITIONAL STAFF TO TRACK REPORT ON AND COORDINATE THIS WORK TO MAKE THE VISION OF THE PLAN A REALITY.
SO WE'RE GOOD WITH THIS LANGUAGE? YES, I AM MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY GUIDANCE ON WHETHER THIS ESTIMATED 150,000 IS IN THE BALLPARK FOR A PROGRAM MANAGER? YEAH.
I'M GETTING A, I'M GETTING A NODDING.
DOES ANYBODY WANNA MAKE A MOTION ON THIS? MOTION TO APPROVE? I'LL SECOND.
UM, CAN YOU STOP SHARING SO I CAN SEE THE SCREEN PLEASE? OH, YEAH.
ACTUALLY, WAIT, YES, SO WE CAN, THIS'LL BE A MOTION.
IS THIS A MOTION FOR THIS ONE OR JUST, OR FOR ALL OF THE SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS WITH THIS EDITED VERSION.
I'LL, I'LL APPROVE WHAT YOU JUST SAID,
SO THIS WILL BE FOR ALL THREE OF WHAT WAS UNDER THE SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS RECOMMENDATIONS WITH THIS ONE, REPLACING THE ONE THAT WAS FOR FIVE STAFF.
THIS ONE WILL, THIS ALONG WITH THE ONES THAT RODRIGO WORKED ON, WILL GO UNDER AN OVERARCHING STRATEGIES, UH, SECTION.
SO YEAH, CHARLOTTE, THIS INCLUDES THE PASSIVE HOUSE PILOT.
THIS INCLUDES PASSIVE HOUSE AND THE SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT COORDINATOR.
OKAY, SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE A MOTION, UH, IF YOU CAN, OH, I'M, YEAH, YOU CAN'T STOP THE SCREEN SHARING 'CAUSE THAT'S ME.
WE'VE GOT EVERYBODY SUPPORTIVE OF
[03:35:01]
THAT.UM, WE DO HAVE ONE MORE ITEM POSTED FOR ACTION.
UH, THAT WAS YOURS, HARRIS, IS THAT TIME SENSITIVE? YOU SURE.
I MEAN, I DON'T WANNA PUSH IT IF I CAN READ VERY FAST SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND DO IT, I SUPPOSE.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY FOR PARKING
[17. Approve a recommendation to initiate a study on sustainable / green parking practices. Backup: https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=422837]
IN AUSTIN.SO, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, UH, BROUGHT UP.
IT WAS ACTUALLY VERY AMUSING WHEN WE BROUGHT UP BECAUSE, UH, THE MEMBER OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION THAT BROUGHT UP, UH, HANNAH COOVER, SHE'S ALSO ON THE CURRENT INTERIM, CEO FOR THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY.
AND, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE CAME OUT BECAUSE SHE MENTIONED PARKING, UH, IN PARKS.
AND SO EVERYONE WAS JUST LIKE, OH, IS KER PARK, UH, VISION PLAN? YOU'RE TRYING TO PUT MORE GARAGES IN PARKS.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE CAME OUT WHEN, UH, REALLY I THOUGHT KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, UH, WHAT CHARLOTTE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE WITH THE, UM, YOU KNOW, SORT OF PARKING STUDIES AND HOW TO CONVERT THINGS INTO NATURAL GREENS, YOU KNOW, AND CERTAINLY THE WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING IN SUSTAINABLE, WELL, I SAY WE SMARTER PEOPLE THAN I HAVE BEEN DOING IN THE SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS WORKING GROUP.
UH, YOU KNOW, BEING ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, WE SEE A LOT OF PARKING GARAGES BEING BUILT, PARKING FACILITIES BEING BUILT.
AND UH, I THINK IT'S, UH, IMPORTANT TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN MAKE THESE AS GREEN AS POSSIBLE, EVEN THOUGH, ESSENTIALLY WE'RE JUST STACKING A BUNCH OF CARS, UM, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE CAN REDUCE THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF THE AUSTIN AREA AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
SO I'LL JUST READ THIS OUT REAL QUICK.
WE'RE ASKED THE ENVIRONMENTAL THAT SHOULD BE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, UH, RECOGNIZES AUSTIN IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING, GROWING METROPOLITAN REGIONS IN THE UNITED STATES, AND WE'RE ASKED THE MOST COMMON TRANSPORTATION MEANS REMAINS TO BE THE MOTOR VEHICLES, OTHER PERSONAL COMMERCIAL WHICH REQUIRE VEHICLE PARKING AND DESTINATIONS.
AND WE'RE ASKED, AS THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN MAKING POLICY DECISIONS CONCERNING THE AMOUNT AND TYPE OF PARKING THAT SHOULD BE UTILIZED IN NEW DEVELOPMENT, UNDERSTANDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS AND HARMS FOR EACH OPTION WOULD BETTER INFORM THESE DECISIONS.
AND WHEREAS CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES RETURN TO SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS TO REDUCE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF PARKING, AND WE'RE, AS TECHNOLOGY REGARDING SUSTAINABLE PARKING OPTIONS HAS ADVANCED SIGNIFICANTLY IN VERTICAL PARKING STRUCTURES, WHICH REDUCE THE IMPERVIOUS COVER FOOTPRINT.
SOME OF THOSE ADVANCEMENTS INCLUDE GREEN ROOFS AND WALLS, SOLAR PANELS ON THE ROOFS AND WALLS, RAIN CATCHMENT SYSTEMS AND RAIN GARDENS DOWNCAST LINING TO REDUCE LIGHT POLLUTION AND SHADE SAILS, WHICH CAN HELP REDUCE THE HEAT.
AND WHEREAS THERE ARE IMPROVED SERVICE PARKING PRACTICES THAT INCLUDE BIOSWALES TO REDUCE RUNOFF AND RETAIN THE WATER FOR ONSITE TREES AND VEGETATION, SOLAR PANELS THAT PRODUCE ENERGY AND OFFER SHADE DOWNCAST LINE THAT REDUCES LIGHT POLLUTION, TREATING VEGETATION CONFIGURATION THAT REDUCES HEAT ISLAND EFFECTS SOUND AND LIGHT POLLUTION.
AND WHEREAS THERE ARE ALSO ENVIRONMENTS IN RECYCLING IN, THERE ARE ALSO ADVANCEMENTS, EXCUSE ME, AND RECYCLING CEMENT FROM OLDER PARKING STRUCTURES OR PARKING LOTS TO BE CONSIDERED, UH, AS WELL AS LOW CARBON CEMENT.
UH, WHEREAS, AND WHEREAS THERE ARE EXISTING PARKING FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HAVE EXCESS CAPABILITY OR ARE UNDERUTILIZED DURING CERTAIN TIMES OF DAY, AND WE SHOULD STUDY THE MAXIMUM USE OF THESE FACILITIES.
THEREFORE, THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE REQUESTS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN WORK WITH A QUALIFIED DEPENDENT RESEARCH PARTNER TO STUDY THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF DIFFERENT VEHICLE PARKING OPTIONS.
THE REPORTS SHOULD ANALYZE AND DETERMINE WHAT ARE THE MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY OPTIONS THAT WOULD ADVANCE THE CITY'S GOALS, INCLUDING ACHIEVING NET ZERO CARBON, UH, EMISSIONS IN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
AUSTIN'S STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN SOS ORDINANCE AND THE CITY ORDINANCE TO ELIMINATE PARKING FROM COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS WHEN ASSESSING, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.
THE COMMITTEE ASKS THAT THE STUDY INCLUDE LIFECYCLE ASSESSMENT THAT CONSIDERS ALL NECESSARY RAW MATERIAL EXTRACTION, PROCESSING, MANUFACTURING, DISTRIBUTION, USED AND FILING DISPOSAL OF MATERIALS, AS WELL AS OTHER CONSIDERATIONS INCLUDING WERE NOT LIMITED TO ITS ABILITY TO CAPTURE SLASH TREAT STORMWATER ASSOCIATED HERE IN EFFECTS LIGHT POLLUTION AND ANY OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.
PUBLIC INPUT SHOULD BE GATHERED BY WELL PUBLICIZED PUBLIC MEETINGS USING BROADLY RECOGNIZED SCIENTIFIC METHODS TO ENSURE THAT THE DATA IS REPRESENTATIVE TO ALL THE RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY.
ALTHOUGH REALLY WE SHOULD INCLUDE WILLIAMSON AND HAYES IN THERE, UH, AS WELL AS VISITORS TO DETERMINE THE TYPES OF PARKING OPTIONS PEOPLE PREFER.
THE JSC DESIRES THIS REPORT TO BE A TOOL FOR CITY STAFF PUBLIC TO PLAY SPACE PLANNERS AND DEVELOPERS TO DETERMINE WHAT PARKING OPTIONS ARE ENVIRONMENTALLY SUPERIOR IN REDUCING IMPERVIOUS COVER, REDUCING POLLUTION FROM RUNOFF DURING RAIN EVENTS, REDUCING HEAT ISLAND EFFECTS, REDUCING LIGHT POLLUTION, INCREASING SOLAR ENERGY USE.
THE COMMITTEE REPRESENTS THAT THIS STUDY BE REQUESTS THAT THIS STUDY BE COMPLETED AND PRESENTED TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IN JUNE, 2025 TO THE JSC AND URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AS REQUESTED, UH, AND TO THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER, 2025.
SO, UH, PLEASE CHIME IN WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, YOUR THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS AND PRAYERS.
[03:40:03]
THAT'S WHAT THEY PAY ME THE BIG BUCKS FOR AROUND HERE.IT MAY JUST BECAUSE IT'S LATE, BUT THE CARVANA STUFF, RIGHT? OR THE VENDING MACHINE STYLE.
LIKE MAYBE THAT COULD BE A STYLE OF PARKING GARAGES.
UM, MY MIND IS STILL TRYING TO ABSORB ALL OF THAT.
UM, CAN WE LEAVE THE PRESENTATION UP? YEAH, IF WE COULD PUT THAT, UH, PUT THAT BACK UP, THE RECOMMENDATION ON THE SCREEN, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE HELPFUL.
YEAH, MY PHONE WAS ON LIKE 5% BATTERY, SO I WAS SPEEDING THROUGH THAT THING.
ONE, UM, WELL MAYBE MORE THAN MORE THAN TWO, BUT DO WE KNOW WHAT THE PRICE TAG OF A STUDY LIKE THIS WILL COST? UM, AND IS IT, IS IT MEANT TO BE SPECIFIC TO AUSTIN OR JUST A GENERAL PARKING STUDY? UM, ARE THERE, ARE THERE, YOU KNOW, STUDIES, IS THERE INFORMATION IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN ABOUT PARKING THAT CAN BE LEVERAGED? AND THEN ALSO DID THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION PASS THIS? MAYBE I'VE MISSED THAT.
UM, THERE WAS, UH, SOME PEOPLE WHO, UH, POINTED OUT SOME PUBLIC RESOURCES.
UM, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION WAS, YOU KNOW, ARE THE, HOW PERTINENT ARE THOSE PUBLIC RESOURCES SORT OF TO THE WORK THAT THE CITY DOES? UM, I'M TRYING TO SEE BECAUSE I DID ACTUALLY FORWARD ONE OF THEM, SO I NOW HAVE TO LOOK IN MY EMAIL TO TRY TO FIND PARKING.
UM, SO YEAH, GIVE ME A SECOND AND I CAN FIND THE INFORMATION ON IT.
UM, BUT YES, THERE IS SOME INFORMATION THAT'S PUBLIC.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT NECESSARILY SOMEONE THAT'S IN FAVOR OF GIVING, UH, CONSULTANTS A BLANK CHECK TO COME UP WITH WORK THAT BASICALLY ALREADY EXISTS ON THE INTERNET, RIGHT? SO I THINK TRYING TO UTILIZE WHATEVER INFORMATION IS POSSIBLE AND ALSO HAVING IT IN LIKE SOME, SOME KIND OF KNOWLEDGE BASE THAT, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONERS AND CITY STAFF AND PEOPLE CAN USE MOVING FORWARD.
UH, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW A RESOURCE LIKE THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY EXIST.
I'M, UM, AND THEN JUST WHAT DO WE EXPECT TO DO WITH THE INFORMATION THAT COMES OUT OF THE STUDY? I THINK DEFINITELY GIVING IT TO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, COMING FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF WHAT WE DO IS LIKE APPROVE VARIANCES FOR CERTAIN STUFF WITH CONDITIONS, RIGHT? SO IF THE CONDITIONS CAN INCLUDE STUFF LIKE, HEY, MAKE SURE YOUR PARKING GARAGE HAS X, Y, AND Z.
'CAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WHAT WE DO IS JUST LIKE, WE JUST ASK, HEY, ARE YOU GONNA USE SOLAR PANELS? YOU KNOW, ARE YOU GOING TO, YOU KNOW, UH, DARK SKIES, YOU KNOW, STUFF LIKE THAT.
ARE YOU GONNA HAVE EV CHARGING STATIONS? RIGHT? HOWEVER, THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE FULL LIST OF THINGS THAT WE CAN ASK FOR.
YOU KNOW, I THINK EVEN JUST TODAY, RIGHT? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LOW, UH, LOW CARBON CONCRETE, RIGHT? SO I THINK FIGURING OUT WHAT BEST PRACTICES TO HOLD DEVELOPERS FEET TO THE FIRE AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS LIKE WHAT WE EXPECT.
LIKE IF YOU, LIKE WE HAVE GREEN STANDARDS FOR BUILDINGS, RIGHT? LIKE LEAD STUFF LIKE THAT GOLD STAR, RIGHT? FOR PARKING LOTS AND PARKING GARAGES.
WHAT DO WE REALLY HAVE, RIGHT? A PARKING GARAGE AT LEAST IS A BUILDING.
SO YOU CAN SAY, OKAY, WE WANT, YOU KNOW, GOLD STANDARD OR WHATEVER, RIGHT? UM, BUT FOR LIKE A PARKING LOT, DO WE EVEN KNOW WHAT BEST PRACTICES ARE? YOU KNOW, AND SO THAT'S SORT OF LIKE THE THINKING AND CAN WE MANDATE MORE, YOU KNOW, UM, AND MAYBE MANDATES LIKE A HARSH WORD, BUT THAT WAS SORT OF THE THINKING AND ALSO JUST TRYING TO SEE WHAT SORT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES ARE OUT THERE THAT PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THAT, UH, THAT WE CAN USE.
YEAH, I LIKE THE, UH, FACT THAT IT WAS CALLING OUT IDEAS OF HOW TO, UM, INTEGRATE THE, UH, UH, WHETHER YOU CALL IT WATER CONSERVATION OR IF IT'S JUST, UH, UH, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, BECAUSE A LOT OF THOSE THINGS, THEY'RE DIFFERENT FOR PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES, RIGHT? SO THERE COULD BE SOME ACADEMICS OUT THERE IN THE NORTHEAST THAT HAS DONE STUDIES ABOUT THIS STUFF, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, IT'S IT WIDE RANGING ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
YOU CAN'T USE THE SAME MODEL NORTHEAST, NORTHWEST FOR DOWN HERE.
SO HAVING, YOU KNOW, A, A STUDY THAT CAN PULL THIS INFORMATION TOGETHER, BUT THEN PROVIDE LOCAL, UM, WAYS TO ADAPT THESE IDEAS TO MAKE IT MORE USEFUL FOR THE CENTRAL TEXAS CONTEXT,
[03:45:01]
THAT COULD BE A EMPHASIS OF, OF THIS TYPE OF STUDY.AND THEN FOR, UH, FOR CHARLOTTE, UM, I FOUND THE EMAIL.
SO THERE'S, UH, A SOFTWARE CALLED CARBON CONSCIENCE, WHICH IS FREE SOFTWARE THAT IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION ABOUT CO2 EMISSIONS FOR THE ENTIRE LIFECYCLE OF PROJECTS, WHICH INCLUDES SITE DEMOLITION, MATERIAL CREATION, CONSTRUCTION DISPOSAL.
IT DOES NOT INCLUDE CO2 EMISSIONS FROM ONGOING MAINTENANCE.
UM, SO THAT WAS LIKE A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY THAT, THAT FORWARDED IT TO US, UH, SORT OF TALKING ABOUT LIKE FREE, UH, YOU KNOW, OPTIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IT'S LIKE, ARE WE ALL USING THIS? PROBABLY NOT, RIGHT? SO HAVING THAT INFORMATION DISTILLED INTO SOMETHING THAT RELATIVE LAY PEOPLE LIKE OURSELVES CAN UNDERSTAND, UH, I THINK WOULD BE USEFUL.
AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A, UH, MONTGOMERY COUNTY OF PENNSYLVANIA APPARENTLY HAS A DOCUMENT CALLED GREEN SUSTAINABLE PARKING GUIDE, WHICH IS APPARENTLY A GOOD OVERVIEW OF GREEN SURFACE PARKING LOT OPTIONS, WHICH I THINK IS KIND OF PERTINENT TO WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE, UH, THE NATURAL SYSTEMS, UH, BUDGET REQUESTS.
SO THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS PARTICULAR CITIZEN FORWARDED TO US.
UH, SO THERE IS SOME PUBLIC INFORMATION OUT THERE, UH, HOWEVER I WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY OF IT BEFORE WE PASSED THIS, UM, RECOMMENDATION.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, FINDING ALL THESE DIFFERENT RESOURCES AND THEN COLLECTING THEM AND BEING ABLE TO DISTILL THEM INTO SOMETHING THAT WE CAN MAKE, UH, CONCRETE ASKS OF FOR THE CITY AND FOR DEVELOPERS MOVING FORWARD, UM, I THINK PUTS ALL OF US IN A BETTER PLACE.
BUT I DO THINK THAT PAYING CONSULTANTS TO JUST BASICALLY GOOGLE AND WIKIPEDIA AND CHAT GPT STUFF IS KIND OF A WASTE OF MONEY.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN COLLECT FOR FREE AND WHAT WE SHOULD ACTUALLY PAY SOMEBODY TO DO IS GONNA DEFINITELY BE AN IMPORTANT TOPIC.
HARRIS, UH, WHAT, WHAT LEGWORK HAVE Y'ALL ALREADY DONE SO FAR ON THIS? LIKE, IF ANYTHING, YOU'RE BASICALLY LOOKING AT IT.
I JUST LIKE FOR SECOND, I, WE HAD A BUNCH OF PEOPLE TELLING US THAT THEY DON'T WANT PARKING GARAGES AND PARKS, WHICH I WAS JUST LIKE NOTED.
I MEAN, LIKE, CERTAINLY IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S JUST GOOGLING THIS, THERE'S CERTAINLY EPA DOCUMENTS.
UM, AND SO I THINK IF YOU TOLD ME THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'D GONE AND YOU'D ASKED A COUPLE FOLKS AT THE CITY OR NONPROFITS AND THEY SAID, HEY, WE, WE REALLY DON'T HAVE THIS INFORMATION AND WE NEED A STUDY I'D, I'D BE VERY SUPPORTIVE.
I AM A LITTLE BIT SKEPTICAL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ADDING, REQUESTING ON TOP OF ALL OF THE CONSULTING CONSULTANTS THAT WE'RE ALREADY REQUESTING IN OUR LARGE BUDGET TO START STACKING ANOTHER CONSULTANT ON TOP OF IT.
BUT I'M, I'M, IT'S LATE AND I'M TIRED, SO I'M, I'M HAPPY TO, I FEEL THAT NO, I TOTALLY GET THAT PERSPECTIVE AS WELL.
I JUST THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO GET THE JSCS PERSPECTIVE ON IT, ESPECIALLY SINCE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE STUFF LIKE THE, THE NATURAL SYSTEMS, UH, WORKING GROUP AND THE SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS WORKING GROUP THAT HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT SOMEWHAT SIMILAR ISSUES AND, AND SCOPES.
AND SO I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT, UH, THE PERSPECTIVE OF THAT AND ALSO WHAT OTHER RESOURCES WE COULD, UH, UNEARTH THAT PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL IN THE SPHERE.
COULD YOU SCROLL UP TO THE, UH, BE IT RESOLVED? UM, NO, SORRY.
THEREFORE, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S CONCERN ABOUT THE CONSULTANT ASPECT.
SO I WONDER IF OUR RECOMMENDATION JUST COULD BE THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, STUDIES THAT OR, OR COLLECTS INFORMATION AND PRESENTS RECOMMENDATIONS.
I THINK THAT ACCOMPLISHES A VERY SIMILAR THING AND HOPEFULLY IT'S CHEAPER.
UH, I JUST WANNA SAY ON, I, I THINK THIS IS A, A GREAT, UH, ITEM, UH, YOU KNOW, ON THE DESIGN, ON THE DESIGN COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN CREATE A BETTER, HOW WE CAN CREATE GARAGES AND REQUIRE GARAGES TO HAVE A FLATTER PLATE SO THAT IT CAN BE UTILIZED AS, OR TRANSITION INTO, UH, RESIDENTIAL USE OR SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE.
UM, BUT LOOKING AT HOW WE, UM, AS THE CITY OF AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, TOOK AWAY THE PARKING MINIMUMS AND NOW IT'S GONNA BE A MARKET DRIVEN, STILL GONNA HAVE IT, BUT NOT TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLY THAT WE'VE HAD IT BEFORE.
UM, AND IT'S COME UP WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE ZILKER VISION PLAN THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE GARAGES THERE ARE OFTEN JUST EXPLAINED AS A GARAGE, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF RESOURCES THAT YOU COULD PUT IN THOSE RESTROOMS AND CONCESSIONS IN A WAY THAT ENGAGES MORE OF THAT SPACE.
SO I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS GREAT.
OBVIOUSLY IT'S TALKING ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, BUT, UM, YEAH, I THINK GARAGES NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
[03:50:05]
MEETING HAS TO END AT 10 UNLESS WE VOTE TO EXTEND IT.UM, DO WE HAVE, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE ONE MINUTE.
UM, BUT LET'S, IN THE INTEREST OF WRAPPING UP THIS ITEM AND DOING REALLY QUICK UPDATES, I'M GONNA MOVE THAT WE EXTEND THIS MEETING.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE OUTTA HERE IN LIKE 10 MINUTES.
SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR?
WE CAN, CAN WE SEE THE SCREEN? ALL IN ALL IN FAVOR OF A BRIEF EXTENSION OF OUR MEETING, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
WE REALLY NEED TO, WE NEED TO WRAP IT UP THOUGH, SO I, AS MUCH AS I, I DO APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THIS ITEM.
IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION ON THIS? UM, I HAVE MADE A SUGGESTION FOR AN EDIT, WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE WAS ACCEPTED TO.
AND, UM, I THINK WE SHOULD EDIT THE TOP BECAUSE I THINK I FORGOT TO CHANGE IT FROM ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO JSE AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT.
AND THEN WHERE YOU ADDED LOW CONCRETE WHEN YOU READ.
I WOULD LOVE TO ADD THAT INTO, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, FOR SURE.
SO WITH THAT, DO YOU WANNA MAKE YOUR MOTION? YEAH, I'LL, I'LL, UH, MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS.
UM, AND ANY OPPOSED? OKAY, SO WE'VE GOT, I THINK I SAW EVERYBODY EXCEPT FOR CHARLOTTE IN FAVOR AND CHARLOTTE OPPOSED ALBERTA.
ARE YOU VOTING? YES, I VOTED IN FAVOR.
SORRY TO, UH, SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION AS AMENDED AND YOU'LL GET THE DETAILED EDITS FROM HARRIS, BUT IT WAS BASICALLY, INSTEAD OF A CONSULTANT, IT WAS TO HAVE STAFF STUDY AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON SUSTAINABLE PARKING AND THEN EDITING IT TO SAY OUR COMMISSION NAME AND ADDING LOW CONCRETE IN THAT ONE, WHEREAS, YEAH.
I THINK WE'RE ALL PRETTY TAPPED.
UH, I HATE THAT WE HAVE NOT GIVEN ANY OF OUR UPDATES.
I GUESS IF ANYBODY WANTS TO DO A LIGHTNING ROUND UPDATE, I MEAN LIGHTNING.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK MIGHT BE RELEVANT FOR THE NEXT MEETING FROM YOUR COMMISSION? SO WE CAN BE JUST KIND OF ALERTED? OKAY.
I'M GONNA SUGGEST THAT WE ALL, UM, WHO SIGNED UP TO DO AN UPDATE COULD MAYBE DO A REALLY BRIEF PARAGRAPH UPDATE VIA EMAIL IF THAT WORKS.
THEN LOVE WITH THE, WE SHOP THE BUDGET.
I'M KEEPING THE PRIVATE DO HANDS IN PUBLIC DON HANDS, SO DON'T GET DISCRE.
YEAH, I'M TALKING TIME TO TIME.
SO ABOUT DIFFERENT N****S, I GUESS I'M AN ADDICT.
I DIG IT TO THE CUT MY PAPER, DID IT TO MY NINE LIVES.
AND THEN PLUS TO MY POP, THAT'S NINE, NINE.
AND IT LIKE A POPUP THAT'S NOT Y BUT IF IT'S JUST LIKE, JUST LIKE THIS POPUP THAT'S POWDER ON ME.
N****S GOT NOTHING LIKE NADA ON ME.