Mar 13, 2024 Water and Wastewater Commission

[00:00:02]

EVENING.

UH,

[CALL TO ORDER]

UH, SO I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER, UM, IN ATTENDANCE TODAY, UH, IN THE, UM, IN PERSON WE HAVE COMMISSIONER REYES, COMMISSIONER TUAN SCION, COMMISSIONER MUSGROVE AND COMMISSIONER PENN, AND MYSELF.

UH, VIRTUALLY WE HAVE COMMISSIONER ARDI AND COMMISSIONER PANDER.

UM, AND SO WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.

UM, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? NOPE.

UH, NO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.

ALL RIGHT.

MOVING ON TO THE

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]

UM, COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE TO, UM, APPROVE JANUARY 17TH, UH, MEETING MINUTES BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES DURING THE RECORDING, AND SO THEY HAD TO REDO THEM.

UM, SO WE HAVE APPROVAL OF THE JANUARY 17TH, 2024 REGULAR MEETING FOR THE WATER, WATER, WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION, AND APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 14TH, 2024 REGULAR MEETING AND THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION.

DO I HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THE AGENDAS? ANY REVISIONS? HEARING NONE.

DO I HAVE A MOTION? I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.

COMMISSIONER MUSGROVE MOVES TO APPROVE.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? I WILL SECOND THAT.

COMMISSIONER REYES SECONDS.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SHOW BY A RAISE OF HAND.

UH, IT'S UNANIMOUS.

ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON.

[DISCUSSION AND ACTION ]

I'M GONNA GO AROUND AND COLLEGE COMMISSIONER AND SEE IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR RECUSALS.

I WILL START WITH COMMISSIONER MORTY.

NO QUESTIONS.

NO RECUSALS COMMISSIONER PENN? NO QUESTIONS.

I DO HAVE A RECUSAL IN ITEM SEVEN.

MY FIRM IS A TEAM MEMBER ON THIS PROJECT.

ALRIGHT, UM, COMMISSIONER REYES, NO QUESTIONS.

RECUSING MYSELF FROM NUMBER FIVE AS MY FIRM IS A SUB CONSULTANT TO ONE OF THE CONTRACTORS.

OKAY.

UH, COMMISSIONER PAN DURRANI.

NO QUESTIONS.

NO RECUSALS COMMISSIONER CRO? NO QUESTIONS.

NO.

RECUSALS, I DIDN'T GET YOU YET TODAY.

COMMISSIONER TUON LEON? NO QUESTIONS.

NO.

RECUSALS.

DID I GET EVERYBODY? OKAY.

.

UM, ALL RIGHT, WITH THAT WE HAVE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS 3, 4, 6, 8, AND NINE.

DO I HAVE A MOTION I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTE OR THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA WITH ITEMS 3, 4, 6, 8, 9.

COMMISSIONER MUSGROVE MOTIONS? DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND I DO.

COMMISSIONER ION SECONDS.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SHOW BY A RAISE OF YOUR HAND AND IT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S UNANIMOUS.

ALL RIGHT.

MOVING ON

[5. Recommend approval for a resolution authorizing the City Manager to apply for funding from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) for a 20-year low-interest loan in the amount not to exceed $25,000,000 as part of the TWDB’s State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) loan program, for the additional cost incurred from the development and implementation of Austin Water’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) program, aka Austin’s Smart Water Meter System (My ATX Water). ]

RECOMMEND APPROVAL FOR A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO APPLY FOR FUNDING FROM THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD FOR A 20 YEAR LOW INTEREST LOAN IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $25 MILLION AS PART OF THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD STATE WATER IMPLEMENTATION FUND FOR TEXAS LOAN PROGRAM FOR THE ADDITIONAL COST INCURRED FROM THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AUSTIN WATERS ADVANCED METERING INFRASTRUCTURE, A MI PROGRAM, ALSO KNOWN AS AUSTIN SMART WA AUSTIN SMART WATER METER SYSTEM, MY A TX WATER.

SO WE HAD A RECUSAL.

DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? DO I HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE APPROVAL.

COMMISSIONER PENN MOVES APPROVAL.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? I MOVE TO SECOND COMMISSIONER SION SECONDS.

UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SHOW BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND IT'S UNANIMOUS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF COMMISSIONER REYES, WHO'S RECUSING.

ALL RIGHT.

MOVING

[7. Recommend approval to negotiate and execute a contract for professional services for the Southwest Pressure Zones Pump Station/Reservoir Study project with HDR Engineering, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $3,000,000. ]

RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO

[00:05:01]

IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO SEED EXCEED $3 MILLION.

COMMISSIONERS.

DO I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? HEARING NONE.

DO I HAVE A MOTION I MOVE TO APPROVE? ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, RECOMMENDING APPROVAL TO NEGOTIATE NEXT TO THE CONTACT PROFESSIONAL SERVICE WITH HDR.

COMMISSIONER MUSGROVE APPROVE MOTIONS.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? A SECOND.

COMMISSIONER TEON SCION SECONDS.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SHOW BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S UNANIMOUS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF COMMISSIONER PENN, WHO IS RECUSING.

AWESOME.

ALL RIGHT,

[10. Discuss conducting officer election for the Chair and Vice Chair for the Water and Wastewater Commission in April. ]

UM, SO THAT WE HAVE ELECTIONS EVERY YEAR FOR OUR POSITIONS ON THIS BOARD FOR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.

AND WE ALSO WILL NEED TO, WELL, THAT'S THE NEXT ITEM, SO I'LL BRING THAT UP THEN.

UM, SO IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS? ANY DISCUSSION? NO, IT'S ALRIGHT.

WONDERFUL.

UM, OKAY, WELL MOVING ON TO

[11. Discuss conducting officer election for the Chair and Vice Chair for the Budget Committee. ]

UM, DO WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT DONE TODAY OR NO? NO.

THE, THESE ARE JUST REMINDERS.

REMINDERS.

THAT WOULD BE ON THE APRIL 17TH AGENDA.

OKAY, GREAT.

SO COMMISSIONERS, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THE, UM, CHAIR OF VICE CHAIR POSITION HERE ON THE COMMISSION, UM, YOU'RE WELCOME TO REACH OUT.

AND THEN AGAIN, UH, WE HAVE THE BUDGET COMMITTEE COMING UP.

WE USUALLY HAVE FOUR MEMBERS ON THAT.

UM, THREE TO THREE, NO MORE THAN FIVE, THREE, NO MORE THAN FIVE.

SO WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM.

IT IS A VERY INTERESTING, UH, SUBCOMMITTEE.

UH, AND, UM, I'VE BEEN ON IT FOR YEARS AND I'M WELCOME TO LET SOMEBODY ELSE JUMP IN AT MY PLACE.

SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, REACH OUT.

I CAN TELL YOU WHAT THE COMMITMENT IS.

IT'S THREE TO FOUR MEETINGS TYPICALLY, AND YOU NOT EVEN THAT ANYMORE.

AND YOU JUST GO OVER THE CHANGES FROM THE BUDGET BEFORE.

UM, I, I THINK IT'S INTERESTING.

MM-HMM, .

SO, ALL RIGHT.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR DISCUSSION ON THOSE ITEMS THERE? I HAVE A QUESTION.

I MEAN IS CAN WE NOMINATE SOMEBODY FOR CHAIR OR VICE CHAIR? UM, IS THAT, HOW DOES THE PROCESS GO? UH, YES, YOU CAN.

YES.

SO, AND THAT'S AT, AT THE NEXT MEETING, UH, THE PROCESS, ONCE IT IS POSTED FOR ELECTIONS, SOMEONE CAN NOMINATE SOMEONE AND THEN EVERYONE WILL VOTE, UH, ON THE NOMINEES.

THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

IS IT THE SAME FOR THE BUDGET COMMITTEE OR THAT'S MORE OF A VOLUNTEER? IT'S MORE OF A VOLUNTEER.

UM, WELL, IT, IT, IT DOES, UH, REQUIRE AN ELECTION, SO, OH, OKAY.

YEAH, SORRY.

, SAME PROCESS, BUT IT'S A, UM, NOT A STANDING COMMITTEE.

SO IT WILL SERVE, ITS, UM, ITS TIME LIMIT JUST THROUGH THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION PROCESS, AND THEN, UH, THE DUTIES WILL CEASE.

THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

UH,

[12. Update from the Austin Integrated Water Resource Planning Community Task Force meeting regarding Water Forward Plan implementation and progress on plan updates – Commissioner William Moriarty ]

COMMISSIONER MURTY, GOOD EVENING.

OUR, UH, COMMITTEE, MATT, LAST WEEK, I BELIEVE IT WAS ON MARCH 5TH, AND, UM, DISCUSSED THE FOLLOWING ITEMS. WE WERE GIVEN AN UP UPDATE ON THE ISLAND LAKES WATER SUPPLY SITUATION.

THE STAFF WAS, UH, KIND ENOUGH TO REPORT THAT THE LAKE LEVELS PERCENTAGE OF FULLNESS HAD ACTUALLY GONE UP BY 1%, BUT THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION.

IT WAS MAYBE BECAUSE OF A NEW METERING GAUGE THAT THE LCRA HAD PUT IN.

SO I DON'T THINK I GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY MORE WATER,

[00:10:02]

SO THAT'S GOOD.

BUT I WOULD SAY WE HAVE NOW GONE THROUGH THE WINTER, WE HAVEN'T HAD MUCH RAIN.

THE LAKE LEVELS LAST OCTOBER WERE AT 38%.

THEY POPPED UP IN NOVEMBER TO ABOUT 42, WHERE THEY ARE NOW.

AND THE CONCERNING ISSUE IS THAT WE NOW ENTER THE WARM WEATHER WHERE WE START TO REALLY EVAPORATE THOSE LAKES.

SO, UH, THAT IS THE SITUATION WE ARE IN.

AND, UH, I EXPECT THAT THIS SUMMER WILL BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR OUR REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY.

UM, SECOND MATTER WE DISCUSSED WERE ALL THE CONSERVATION ORDINANCES.

AND, UH, KIND OF RELATES TO LAST THURSDAY CITY COUNCIL MEETING WHERE AUSTIN WATER, UM, HAD A SPECIAL DAY CALLED THE GO GO PURPLE DAY.

AND IT WAS A, UH, TRULY SUCCESSFUL DAY WHERE ALL OF THESE WATER CONSERVATION ORDINANCES THAT WE, WE DISCUSSED HERE AT THE WATER WASTEWATER COMMISSION LAST MONTH WERE ALL APPROVED WITH SOME MINOR, UH, AMENDMENTS.

BUT GENERALLY THEY GOT THROUGH, UH, THE TRAVIS, THE SERVICE TO TRAVIS COUNTY COURTHOUSE ALSO WAS APPROVED.

SO IT WAS A GREAT DAY FOR AUSTIN WATER.

I, UH, WAS NOT DOWNTOWN AT THE MEETING, BUT GOT LOTS OF TEXTS AND EMAILS, AND I EVEN GOT AN EMAIL TODAY FROM THE MAYOR SAYING HE WAS GOING TO WRITE UP SOMETHING ABOUT HOW PLEASED HE WAS WITH ALL OF THAT STUFF GOING DOWN.

SO THAT WAS GREAT.

UM, AND ALSO AT THE MEETING WE GOT AN UPDATE ON THE INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE EMERGENCY IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT.

AND THE WORD EMERGENCY IS KIND OF A NEW WORD, BUT, UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NOT STUDIED THE WATERED FORWARD, UH, REPORT IN THAT REPORT IS A PROJECT THAT WE ALWAYS CALLED IT THE INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE.

AND THE IDEA WAS TO TAKE RECLAIMED WATER FROM ONE OF THE TWO LARGE WASTEWATER FACILITIES AND PIPE IT OVER INTO LADY BIRDS LAKE NEAR THE LONGHORN DAM, AND THAT RECLAIMED WATER WOULD MIX WITH THE LAKE WATER, AND THERE WOULD BE A PUMP STATION CONSTRUCTED AT THE HIGH END OF THE LAKE AND ALLOW THAT WATER TO BE TRANSFERRED TO THE ULRICH WATER TREATMENT PLAN.

SO, UH, TO GIVE YOU THE FLAVOR OF THE WORD EMERGENCY, IT'S MY ASSESSMENT AS A RETIRED PERSON WITH POOR EYESIGHT THAT THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN TICKED INTO GEAR AND IT IS BEING, UH, WORKED ON WITH A LOT OF SPEED RIGHT NOW.

SO, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY HAVE HIRED EXPERTS TO MODEL THE RECEIVING LAKE AND UNDERSTAND THE WATER DYNAMICS AND APPROACH TCQ ABOUT SEVERAL PERMITS THAT WE WILL NEED TO DROP THAT RECLAIMED WATER IN.

WE WILL NEED A DISCHARGE PERMIT FOR THAT, AND THEN YOU'LL NEED A PERMIT TO PULL THAT WATER OUT.

PROJECT IS COMPLICATED BY THE EXISTENCE OF THE TOXIC ALGAE.

SO I THINK THAT ONE IS, UH, MOVING ALONG AT HIGH SPEED, AND IN MY OPINION, IT NEEDS TO MOVE ALONG AT HIGH SPEED, WOULD BE AN ENORMOUS, UH, WATER SAVINGS TO GET THAT THING INSTALLED.

SO, UH, THAT WAS ANOTHER ONE WE TALKED ABOUT.

AND I THINK THE FINAL THING WE TALKED ABOUT WAS WE WERE, WE'RE, WE'RE, THEY'RE DOING AN UPDATE TO THE WATER FORWARD PLAN, AND THAT IS EXPECTED TO BE DONE, UH, THIS YEAR.

SO I EX EXPECT TO SEE A DRAFT OF THAT AT SOME POINT.

AND, UM, SO THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT.

I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT

[00:15:01]

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MORTY.

UM, THAT'S VERY INTERESTING AND CONCERNING ABOUT, UH, THE CURRENT DROUGHT CONDITIONS, BUT PROMISING ABOUT THIS DIRECT POTABLE REUSE COMMISSIONERS.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR? NOPE.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UH, MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ITEM,

[13. Update from Public Involvement Committee for Austin Water Cost of Service Study meeting regarding Austin Water’s potential future rates and fees– Commissioner Jesse Penn ]

COMMISSIONER PENN, GOOD EVENING.

SO THE, THE COST OF SERVICE STUDY CONTINUES, AND AS I MENTIONED LAST TIME, IT WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT, UH, THE SUMMER AND, AND IT'LL, IT'LL KIND OF CLOSE OUT EARLY FALL.

BUT AS A PART OF THAT PROCESS, THERE'S A PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT COMMITTEE THAT MYSELF, COMMISSIONER RIKER AND NAVARRO ARE ON.

AND SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, THERE'S BEEN TWO MEETINGS, THIS IS KIND OF KICKING INTO HIGH GEAR, UM, WHERE THERE'S A MEETING ABOUT EVERY OTHER, EVERY OTHER WEEK, EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS.

AND AT THIS POINT IN THE PROCESS, THEY HAVE DRAFT COST OF SERVICE RESULTS FOR BOTH THE WATER AND THE WASTEWATER.

UM, THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF ASSUMPTIONS BEING VETTED, SO WE DON'T HAVE THE ACTUAL DATA TO GO AND DEEP DIVE INTO, BUT WE'VE BEEN KIND OF GIVEN A LOOK AHEAD AS TO AS TO WHAT'S COMING.

UM, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, MY NON-EXPERT OPINION IS, IS THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT SOME COSTS AND OP O AND M COSTS ARE GOING UP, AND THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE REFLECTED IN THE REVENUE REQUIREMENTS AS THEY GO FURTHER WITH THIS AND HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DESIGN RATES FOR THIS.

UM, STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE BEFORE THEY GET INTO THAT, BUT THIS IS MORALLY MOSTLY TO EDUCATE ALL OF THE CUSTOMER CLASSES WHO ARE REPRESENTED AND ARE GIVING FEEDBACK AND ASKING QUESTIONS.

UM, SO IT'S A VERY INTERESTING PROCESS.

UM, THEY'RE STARTING TO BREAK DOWN THE, THE COST POOLS AND THE CATEGORIES OF THESE REVENUE REQUIREMENTS.

AND, UH, AS I MENTIONED LAST TIME, THESE PRESENTATIONS ARE AVAILABLE ON SPEAK UP AUSTIN.

SO IF YOU WANT TO DIG IN AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, THAT'S AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.

PRETTY EASY SIGN IN PROCESS.

I'VE DONE THAT MYSELF.

UM, SO LOOKING FORWARD, UH, WE'LL GET A LOOK AT SOME OF THE, THE TESTIER INFORMATION, KIND OF THE, THE, THE TESTIER THAT THEY USE FOR THE BASIS OF THE RATE DESIGN.

AND, UM, THE, WE'LL GET, HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET A CHANCE TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE DETAILS OF THE MODELS THAT ARE BEING, THAT ARE BEING CONSTRUCTED.

AND THESE, THAT INFORMATION WILL BE COMING OUT OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.

AND THEN EVENTUALLY THAT'LL GET TURNED IN FOR THE BUDGET, AND BY THE END OF THE YEAR THERE'LL BE A LOOK AT THE RATE DESIGN.

UH, ONE OTHER THING I WAS JUST GONNA MENTION IS THAT THEY CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH SOME OF THE, THE FINANCIAL POLICIES THAT THAT, THAT ARE REVIEWED AS PART OF THIS PROCESS AND MONITORING THAT, AND THAT WILL ALSO BE A PART OF THE RATE DESIGN, SEEING WHERE THOSE NUMBERS COME IN WHEN THEY, ONCE THEY HAVE THE TEST YEAR COMPLETE.

SO, UM, AGAIN, THIS IS A PROCESS PROCESS THAT HAPPENS EVERY SEVEN YEARS.

AND SO, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE JUST GETTING INTO THE HIGH GEAR OF THIS AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE HELP.

GLAD TO ANSWER WHAT I CAN.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER PENN.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, HEARING NONE.

WELL, I APPRECIATE YOU SERVING IN THAT CAPACITY AND ALSO COMMISSIONER MURTY FOR YOU SERVING WHAT YOU HAVE FOR A LONG TIME ON THE WATER FORWARD.

UH, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU PUTTING THE EXTRA TIME IN AND REPORTING BACK TO US.

ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. IS THERE ANY, UH, COMMENT, DISCUSSION ON ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? COMMISSIONERS, CRICKETS.

ALL RIGHT, HEARING NONE, UH, IT IS SIX 19 AND THE MEETING IS OFFICIALLY ADJOURNED.