[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:04]
TO, UH, TO THE BEGINNING AFTER THE, UH, ACTUAL APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES, I'D LIKE TO MOVE ITEM NUMBER FIVE TO THE SECOND SPOT OF THAT.
AND THEN, UH, EVERYTHING ELSE FOLLOW IN, IN SEQUENCE.
YOU SHOULD HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
GO OVER THE MINUTES FROM OUR PREVIOUS, UH, MEETING.ANY QUESTIONS ON THOSE? AND IF NOT, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT THE MINUTES.
CRAIG MO CRAIG MOVES, UH, THAT WE ACCEPT THEM.
ANY QUESTIONS? ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
AMANDA, IS YOUR HAND UP, AMANDA? I CAN'T, I'M, I'M PLANNING TO ABSTAIN.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HANDS.
THERE'S 1, 2, 3, 4, Y ALL THOSE.
ANY NAYS OUT THERE? SEEING NONE? ABSTENTIONS, AMANDA, THANK YOU.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS.
[5. Approve a recommendation for Zero Waste Youth Education Program – Keri Greenwalt]
NEXT ITEM IS, UH, ITEM NUMBER, NUMBER FIVE.I'M THE PUBLIC INFORMATION AND MARKETING MANAGER FOR AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.
AND AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY IS REQUESTING A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION FOR CONTRACT MA 1 15 0 0 NA 2 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 8 FOR A ZERO WASTE YOUTH EDUCATION PROGRAM WITH A TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $1,150,000.
THE CONTRACT WILL PROVIDE STUDENTS FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 12TH GRADE AN INTERACTIVE AND EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAM THAT FOCUSES ON ZERO WASTE CONCEPTS AND SUSTAINABILITY IN SUPPORT OF AUSTIN'S ZERO WASTE INITIATIVE.
AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, THE CITY HAS A ZERO WASTE GOAL TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TRASH SENT TO LANDFILLS BY 90% BY THE YEAR 2040.
SINCE 2012, LOCAL SCHOOLS HAVE UTILIZED ZERO WASTE YOUTH EDUCATION SERVICES PROVIDED UNDER SIMILAR CONTRACTS.
UM, EDUCATING STUDENT AT STUDENTS AT ALL GRADE LEVELS HELPS PROVIDE OUTREACH TO STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES ABOUT PROGRAMS SUCH AS REUSE, RECYCLING, COMPOSTING, AND OTHER SERVICES OFFERED BY AUSTIN.
OUTREACH PROGRAMS SUCH AS THESE ARE ESSENTIAL IN EDUCATING STUDENTS OF ALL AGES AND BY EXTENSION, THEIR FAMILY IS ABOUT ZERO WASTE.
PROVIDING THIS CURRICULUM FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS IS A STRATEGIC WAY TO TARGET AUSTINITES UNDER THE AGE OF 18 WHO MAKE UP 19% OF AUSTIN'S POPULATION.
THESE PROGRAMS EMPOWER EDUCATORS TO INTRODUCE SUSTAINABLE BEHAVIORS AT AN EARLY AGE AND ENCOURAGE CRITICAL THINKING AROUND WASTE REDUCTION.
IF THIS CONTRACT IS NOT AWARDED, AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY WILL MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE CONSISTENT ENGAGING PROGRAMS TO YOUNG AUSTINITES THROUGH THEIR SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS.
THIS CONTRACT WILL REPLACE THE CURRENT CONTRACT, WHICH WILL EXPIRE ON JUNE 16TH, 2024.
AND THE REQUESTED AUTHORIZATION AMOUNTS FOR THIS CONTRACT WERE DETERMINED BY DEPARTMENTAL NEED AND HISTORICAL SPEND.
THE RECOMMENDED CONTRACTOR IS THE CURRENT CONTRACTOR FOR THESE SERVICES.
THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT ISSUED A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR THESE SERVICES, AND THE SOLICITATION WAS ISSUED ON DECEMBER 11TH, 2023.
IT CLOSED ON JANUARY 16TH, 2024.
THE RECOMMENDED CONTRACTOR SUBMITTED THE BEST EVALUATED, RESPONSIVE OFFER.
THE EVALUATION TEAM WITH THE EXPERTISE, WITH EXPERTISE IN THIS AREA EVALUATED THE OFFERS AND SCORED KEEP AUSTIN BEAUTIFUL INC.
AS THE BEST TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES BASED ON SYSTEM CONCEPT AND SOLUTIONS.
DEMONSTRATED APPLICABLE EXPERIENCE PRICE, LOCAL BUSINESS PREFERENCE, AND SMALL BUSINESS PREFERENCE.
THE REQUESTED CONTRACT WILL AFFORD AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY, THE ABILITY TO CONTINUE ZERO WASTE YOUTH EDUCATION SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE AUSTIN AREA.
A CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED FOR THIS PROGRAM TO CONTRIBUTE THEIR EXPERTISE AND AVAILABILITY TO STAFF DESIGN, COORDINATE
[00:05:01]
AND FACILITATE AGE APPROPRIATE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING ACROSS MULTIPLE CAMPUSES.AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY DOES NOT HAVE PROGRAMMING CAPABILITIES OR STAFFING NECESSARY TO PERFORM THESE SERVICES ON ITS OWN.
SO WITHOUT THIS CONTRACT, THIS PROGRAM WILL CEASE TO EXIST.
CARRIE, ANY QUESTIONS? YES, I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.
WHAT, WHAT WAS THE COST OF THE FORMER CONTRACT? YEAH, THE FORM OF CONTRACT WAS IN THE AMOUNT OF, UM, $878,000, $878,960.
AND WHO WAS THAT CONTRACT WITH? IT'S ALSO WITH KEY AUSTIN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I I DO HAVE ONE.
DO WE HAVE ANY SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS FOR THIS ITEM? I DID NOT SEE ANY SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION IN RCA OR THERE IS AN RCA AND I APOLOGIZE BECAUSE I WAS OUT OF THE OFFICE AND I THOUGHT IT WAS SUPPLIED, BUT I DO HAVE A COPY OF THAT THAT I CAN SEND ALONG AND PASS TO THE COMMISSION FOR REVIEW IF NEEDED.
WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON HOW MANY RESPONSES THERE WERE, HOW MANY WERE CONSIDERED, YOU KNOW, INELIGIBLE FOR WHATEVER REASON.
UM, SO IT, IT WOULD BE REALLY GOOD TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION HERE.
I UNDERSTAND THIS IS AN EXISTING VENDOR THAT DOES A GREAT JOB, BUT, UM, IN TERMS OF PROCESS, IT JUST MAKES SENSE TO ME TO JUST DO OUR DILIGENCE AND, AND LOOK AT THAT, UM, LEVEL OF DETAIL IN THE RESPONSES.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? UH, WHEN IS THIS GO INTO COUNCIL NEXT WEEK OR IS IT IS? I BELIEVE MAY 30TH.
SO WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY THEN, CAN WE GET THAT PROVIDED? ABSOLUTELY.
THE INFORMATION, SUPPORTING INFORMATION, YES.
WE'LL, UH, DEFER THAT ITEM AND I DO APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
I THOUGHT IT WAS SENT ALONG TO YOU GUYS WHILE I WAS AT.
CAITLYN, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? OKAY.
ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONERS, MOVING ON.
AND WE'LL JUMP RIGHT BACK UP TO ITEM
[2. Presentation and Discussion of Austin-Travis County Food Plan – Sergio Torres-Peralta]
NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS A, UH, PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION BY THE, UH, OF THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN, SIR GIO TORRES BARTA.I AM THE FOOD POLICY COORDINATOR FOR THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND I'LL BE DOING A SHORT PRESENTATION, UH, ABOUT, UH, THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN.
THIS IS AN EFFORT THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR ABOUT ALMOST TWO YEARS BY NOW.
UH, WE DID A PRESENTATION TO THIS COMMISSION ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
SO SOME OF YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THIS, SOME OF YOU MAY NOT.
UH, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE SOME QUESTIONS AFTER THIS.
UM, WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION, BUT WE'LL HAVE SOME TIME TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS SHORTLY AFTER.
UM, SO WHAT IS THIS FOOD PLAN? UH, TO, TO START, WE NEED TO TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT WHAT IS AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY IN TERMS OF FOOD.
WHAT DOES FOOD MEANS FOR OUR AREA? NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, ESSENTIALLY WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, A GREAT FOOD SYSTEM.
WE, WE ARE HOME OF, UH, EXCELLENT BARBECUE.
WE ARE EXCELLENT IN TERMS OF, UH, GROCERY STORES.
UH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES.
FOR EXAMPLE, 14% OF PEOPLE IN TRAVIS COUNTY ARE FOOD INSECURE.
THAT IS A LARGE AVERAGE, AND IT IS 2% HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE PER COUNTY.
THIS NUMBER IS MUCH HIGHER IN SOME CENSUS TRACKS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'RE TOSSING TO THE GARBAGE CAN, A LOT OF FOOD THAT COULD BE RESCUED, UH, ESTIMATED TO ABOUT, UH, OVER A MILLION POUNDS EVERY DAY.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ARE LOSING A STAGGERING AMOUNT OF FARMLAND TO DEVELOPMENT.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE MOVING TO AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY.
WE'RE LOSING FARMLAND AT THE EXPENSE OF THAT.
AGAIN, WE ARE ESSENTIALLY HAVING A BIT OF A TELL OF TWO CITIES.
WE HAVE A GREAT FOOD SYSTEM THAT DOESN'T WORK FOR ALL.
SO, WHEN I TALK ABOUT FOOD SYSTEM, IN REALITY, IT'S FOOD SYSTEMS. IT'S, IT'S A CLOUD, AND WE LIKE TO OVERSIMPLIFY IT AS FOOD PRODUCTION, UH, PROCESSING, DISTRIBUTION MARKETS, RETAIL ACCESS, EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS FROM FORK BEYOND.
[00:10:03]
AND, AND WE'LL BE SKIPPING THROUGH THIS, UH, FAIRLY QUICKLY.UM, BUT WHAT IS THIS FOOD PLANNING? IN ITS ESSENCE, IT'S A SET OF GOALS AND STRATEGIES FOR NOT JUST CITY AND COUNTY, BUT ALSO FOR COMMUNITIES AND CBOS TO WORK TOWARDS THE SAME NORTH STAR IN TERMS OF HOW DO WE ADDRESS THIS CRITICAL ISSUES THAT OUR COMMUNITIES FACE.
UM, IT WAS PROMPTED TO US BY CITY COUNCIL IN 2021, SHORTLY AFTER THE WINTER STORM URI AND THE AFTERMATH OF THE PANDEMIC.
AND TRAVIS COUNTY JOINED FORMALLY LATER NEXT YEAR.
SO IT IS OFFICIALLY A AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN, AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS TO ESSENTIALLY DELIVER TO YOU A DRAFT, UH, THAT WAS AVAILABLE FROM MARCH 18 THIS YEAR UNTIL THIS PAST WEEKEND.
AND WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON ESSENTIALLY HAVING A FINAL PLAN THAT IT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY, HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT COMING WEEKS.
UH, AGAIN, THIS IS GOOD TO KNOW.
YOU WILL HAVE THE LINK TO THE RESOLUTION RIGHT THERE, UH, IS LITERALLY, IT SAYS, MAKE A FOOD PLAN AND MAKE SURE THAT THIS FOOD PLAN HAS COMMUNITY SUPPORT THAT IS ROOTED IN THE NEEDS FROM OUR COMMUNITIES.
SO A LOT OF THE PAST, A LOT OF THE WORK IN THIS PAST TWO YEARS HAS BEEN IN TALKING, MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE, UH, COMING TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS LIKE THIS ONE AND ASK FOR FEEDBACK.
UH, SO THIS IS A VERY QUICK TIMELINE, UH, VERY BUSY, BUT ESSENTIALLY TELLS YOU HOW TO DO A PLAN.
UH, IN OUR EYES AT LEAST, WE SPEND A GOOD CHUNK OF TIME TRYING TO RECRUIT COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO BE PART OF THIS PROCESS.
WE SPEND SOME TIME COMING UP WITH A VISION.
A VISION IS ESSENTIALLY WHERE WE WANT TO GO.
UM, AND THEN WE SPEND SOME EVEN MORE TIME, UH, TRYING TO DEVELOP THESE STRATEGIES, THESE GOALS, UH, WITH ABOUT 200 COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WE ARE AT THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE GONE THROUGH A REVIEW PHASE.
THE FOOD PLAN DRAFT HAS BEEN REVIEWED AS OF THIS PAST WEEKEND, AND WE'RE WORKING ON FINISHING THE EDITS.
THE PLAN WILL LIKELY BE READY FOR OUR COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, A GROUP OF NEIGHBORS THAT WILL ESSENTIALLY APPROVE THE PLAN AND WILL PRESENT IT TO, UH, COUNCIL AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, HOPEFULLY THIS SUMMER.
UM, AND AGAIN, WHEN I TALK ABOUT CO-CREATING THE PLAN WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, I TALK ABOUT 250 DIFFERENT COMMUNITY MEMBERS AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF THE PROCESS.
WE HAD A COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, ESSENTIALLY LIKE A BOARD MADE OUT OF, UH, COMMUNITY LEADERS, NEIGHBORS, ALL SORTS OF FOLKS, EXCELLENT FOLKS THAT HAVE HELPED US NAVIGATE THESE WATERS AND ARE ESSENTIALLY THE CAPTAINS OF HER SHIPS.
UM, THIS IS A VERY QUICK SLIDE ON WHAT THE ORGANIZATION OR THE FOOD PLAN IS.
IT TELLS YOU WHAT IS THIS VISION? IT OUTLINES SOME OF JETS, A CRYSTALLIZATION OF THIS VISION.
WHAT ARE WHAT IS THIS TANGIBLE FUTURE THAT WE WANT TO SEE? IT THEN OUTLINES SOME GOALS.
WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO MEASURE? AND THEN SOME, UH, STRATEGIES, THE SPECIFIC ACTIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA TAKE TO ACHIEVE SUCH GOALS.
UM, I WILL LIKE TO PAUSE FOR THREE SECONDS FOR YOU TO READ, UH, THE VISION THAT THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, DEVELOP FOR ALL OF US.
UM, AND THIS IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE WANT SEE IN THE FUTURE.
I'LL JUST STOP FOR THREE SECONDS WHILE YOU TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT IT.
GOOD TO KNOW THAT THIS VISION WAS CREATED WITH ALL COMMUNITY INPUT AS WELL.
UH, WE ASKED LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, WHAT DO YOU WANT SEE IN THE FUTURE? WE WERE ABLE TO CONSOLIDATE THIS FEEDBACK, PASS IT TO OUR COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND THEY CREATED THIS BEAUTIFUL STATEMENT, UM, THAT IT, IT IS VERY POWERFUL AND BOLD, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN USE IT AS AGAIN, OUR NORTH STAR TO SOLVE SOME FOOD ISSUES.
LIKE I SAID EARLIER, WE HAVE SOME OBJECTIVES.
WE HAVE ABOUT EIGHT OF THOSE THAT ESSENTIALLY ARE THE CRYSTALLIZATION OF THE VISION.
KNOW THAT ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES TALKS ABOUT BE A CLIMATE SOLUTION OR A SOLUTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE, AND THAT WILL BE PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE FOR YOU.
AGAIN, WE ALSO HAVE THE GOALS.
UH, YOU WILL NOTE THAT ONE OF THEM IS FOOD RECOVERY.
AND WE DON'T USE THE TERM FOOD WASTE.
AS WE KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF FOOD WASTE ACROSS THE ENTIRE FOOD SYSTEM.
[00:15:01]
FOOD WASTE HAPPENS AT FARMS. FOOD WASTE HAPPENS AS YOU MOVE FOOD FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER, UH, AS YOU SELL IT.A LOT OF FOOD WASTE ACTUALLY HAPPENS, UH, AT DOMESTICS, UM, INSIDE PEOPLE HOUSES.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FOOD RECOVERY, IT'S DEEPLY TIED TO HOW DO WE PREVENT FOOD WASTE AND ENSURE THAT PEOPLE THAT NEED TO BE FED CAN ACTUALLY EAT SOME FOOD THAT IS GOOD TO EAT BEFORE IT GOES TO THE LANDFILL, IN A WAY, ALSO PREVENTING GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS FROM, UH, OCCURRING THAT WAY.
UM, THIS IS A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF THE GOAL AND SOME OF THESE STRATEGIES NESTED UNDER THAT GOAL.
YOU WILL NOTE THAT A LOT OF IT CALLS THE AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY, SIERRA WASTE PLAN, AS WELL AS PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION AND PROMOTION OF CIRCULAR ECONOMIC CONCEPTS AND ENSURE THAT, UH, NOT ONLY BUSINESSES AND INSTITUTIONS ARE ABLE TO DO THEIR PART, BUT ALSO THE REGULAR FOLK, UH, EVERY ONE OF US.
UM, AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A VERY QUICK SNIP OF WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
SO, REALLY QUICKLY, THIS IS SOME SNAPSHOT OF OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE LITERALLY TALKED TO THOUSANDS OF FOLKS.
UH, SEVERAL OF THOSE WERE OUTSIDE OF CITY LIMITS.
21% OF THE PEOPLE SURVEYED WERE IN, UH, UNINCORPORATED TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE HAVE SPENT LIKE THOUSANDS OF HOURS, LIKE 2,500 HOURS TO CREATE THIS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
SO WHAT ARE SOME NEXT STEPS? UM, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, WE ARE DEVELOPING THE FINAL VERSION OF THE FOOD PLAN.
WE SHOULD HAVE OUR COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE APPROVE IT, HOPEFULLY WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, EARLY MAY.
ONCE IT IS APPROVED BY OUR COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WE'LL LIKE TO PRESENT IT TO, UM, CITY COUNCIL AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS THIS SUMMER.
IF THEY VOTE TO APPROVE IT, THEN IT GOES BACK TO STAFF.
AND WE'LL LOOK TO START THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOOD PLAN.
AND THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE PLAN.
'CAUSE A PLAN IS AS GOOD AS IT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED, AND WE WILL NEED AS MUCH SUPPORT AS POSSIBLE, INCLUDING THIS COMMISSION.
HOW DO WE CREATE MORE AWARENESS ABOUT THE GOALS OF THE FOOD PLAN? HOW DO WE ACTUALLY MAKE SURE THAT, UH, FOR-PROFITS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS PLAN? A LOT OF THAT COMES FROM ADVOCACY.
A LOT OF THAT ALSO COMES FROM, UM, REQUIRING THE SUPPORT OF EVERYBODY THAT IS WORKING IN FOOD SECURITY AND FOOD RECOVERY AS WELL.
AGAIN, UH, I WILL JUST IMPLORE FOR YOU GUYS TO STAY IN TOUCH.
UM, WE HAVE MANY WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO JUST SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER.
UM, WE WILL LIKELY HAVE SEVERAL MORE MEETINGS IN TERMS OF HOW DO WE DO IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOOD PLAN.
UM, AGAIN, AS OF NOW, THE PUBLIC COMMENT HAS ENDED IN AND AS OF LAST WEEK.
BUT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO START DISCUSSING WHAT IS THIS FOOD PLAN BEFORE IT GOES INTO, UH, OUR EYES OR AS IT GETS IMPLEMENTED.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE STAY IN TOUCH.
UM, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
AGAIN, I TRIED TO GO AS FAST AS I COULD.
THIS HAS BEEN A TWO YEAR LONG PROCESS AND I TRY TO CONSOLIDATE IT IN 15 MINUTES, IF NOT LESS.
HOW, WELL, LEMME OPEN THE QUESTIONS AFTER THE COMMISSION OPEN.
UH, THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR SPENDING TIME WITH US THIS EVENING.
I'M GONNA OPEN UP QUESTIONS TO THE COMMISSIONERS FIRST, AND THEN I HAVE A COMMENT OR TWO THAT I'D LIKE TO MAKE.
BUT, SO THE PART OF THIS PLAN THAT PROBABLY MATTERS MOST TO US IS ALL THE FOOD WASTE.
AND IS THERE ANY WAY YOU COULD GO OVER AND BRIEFLY, UH, THE IDEAS OF OVERCOMING THAT IS, IS, IS THAT IS A PLAN THAT FAR YET? ABSOLUTELY, YES.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, IF WE CAN GO BACK TO THE SLIDE THAT HAS CALL NUMBER SEVEN AND A LITTLE SCREENSHOT OF THESE STRATEGIES, UM, IT WILL BE RIGHT THERE.
FOR EXAMPLE, UH, ONE OF THE STRATEGIES TALKS ABOUT A PROTOCOL.
CURRENTLY, IF I OWN A GROCERY STORE OR ANYBODY THAT HAS ANYTHING RELATED TO JUST FOOD RETAIL, UM, WE DON'T
[00:20:01]
HAVE A LOT OF LIKE GUIDELINES IN, IN TERMS OF, ALL RIGHT, THIS IS ABOUT TO GO BAD.WHAT DO WE DO? WHO DO WE CALL IT? OFTENTIMES IT RELATES HEAVILY ON LIKE, DO I KNOW THE FOOD BANK? DO I KNOW SOMEBODY THAT CAN COME PICK UP THAT FOOD AND RESCUE IT FOR ME? A LOT OF TIMES THERE IS SOME ISSUES IN TERMS OF LIABILITY, LIKE SOME LARGE GROCERY STORES RATHER NOT BE LIABLE FOR THESE FOOD WASTE.
BUT THERE IS A FEW STEPS TO, YOU KNOW, ONCE THE FOOD IS ACTUALLY BAD, LIKE THERE COULD BE A AN AN INTERNAL PROTOCOL, WE COULD SPEND SOME TIME DEVELOPING A PROCESS THAT CAN BE UNIFORM AND THAT CAN BE SHARED ACROSS MANY DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS FOR START PREVENTING FOOD WASTE BEFORE THAT END DATE GET GETS THERE.
ADDITIONALLY, UM, PEOPLE, COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE, UH, BEEN ASKING A LOT FOR, WHAT IS THIS? UH, WHAT DO I DO WITH THE COMPOST THAT I HAVE AT HOME? UM, WE KNOW THAT THINGS TO THE GREAT WORK OF THIS COMMISSION AND ARS, THERE WILL BE SOME, UH, RESIDENTIAL, UH, COMPOSTING FOR APPARENT DWELLERS HOPEFULLY COMING THIS YEAR.
UM, HOWEVER, SOME PEOPLE WANTED, LIKE, WHAT, I WANT TO DROP OFF SOME COMPOST SOMEWHERE SO WE CAN WORK ON, LIKE, AS WE MOVE INTO THE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THE LAST STRATEGY IN THIS SLIDE CAN BE AVAILABLE? UM, AND AGAIN, EDUCATION IS, IS REALLY BIG.
HOW DO WE, UH, EDUCATE FOLKS LIKE WE, WE JUST TALKED EARLIER IN THIS COMMISSION ABOUT HOW DO WE PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR KIDS TO START LEARNING ABOUT HOW TO PREVENT FOOD WASTE? AGAIN, KNOWING THAT A LOT OF THE FOOD WASTE HAPPENS IN PEOPLE'S HOMES.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, HOW DO WE CREATE INCENTIVES, UH, FOR ORGANIZATIONS FOR PROFITS, UM, TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE AT DIFFERENT LEVELS? SO, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING A LOT WITH KEEP US FED.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING A LOT WITH BREAK IT DOWN, AUSTIN AND SEVERAL OLDER FOLKS, INCLUDING THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, WHAT IS THE BEST LANGUAGE? HOW DO WE BEST PRESENT THIS IN FRONT OF PEOPLE? UM, THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU SEE NOW IS CURRENTLY BEING REVIEWED.
ONCE WE HAVE THE FINAL PLAN, WHICH HOPEFULLY WILL BE IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS, UH, WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING THAT LOOKS EVEN MORE, UM, EXCITING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I, I, I HAVE A QUICK YEAH.
COMMENT I GUESS ON A QUESTION.
SO HAPPY TO SEE THIS, UH, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORT IN TERMS OF BOTH UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS AND, UH, STARTING TO PUT THESE PLANS TOGETHER AND IMPLEMENTATION SHOULD BE A LOT OF FUN.
THE QUESTION I HAVE, OR SUGGESTION THAT MAY ALREADY BE IN PLACE, UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE DEFINITELY THINKING ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, ARR IS, EDUCATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CHALLENGE FOR US.
SO THE MORE WE COULD COMBINE EDUCATION, FOR INSTANCE, ABOUT COMPOSTING FOR SMALL MEDIUM BUSINESSES, ENTERPRISES, AND EVEN INDIVIDUALS TO UNDERSTAND, AS YOU SAID, THAT WHOLE SPECTRUM OF, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY REDUCING FOOD, UH, USAGE TO, UM, RECOVERING AS MUCH OF IT AS POSSIBLE ALONG THE WAY, AND THEN EVENTUALLY IF NECESSARY, GET INTO THE COMPOSTING GAME.
THAT SEEMS LIKE A SPECTRUM OF OPPORTUNITIES, UM, IN TERMS OF, UH, REDUCING CARBON, REDUCING WASTE, ET CETERA.
SO, UH, TRYING TO EDUCATE ALL OF OF THOSE AT ONCE, RATHER THAN DOING THEM AS A DISPARATE SET OF EFFORTS SEEMS LIKE A, A LOGICAL THING.
AND AGAIN, I'M, I'M SURE YOU'VE ALREADY THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, BUT JUST MAKING SURE EVERYONE'S WORKING TOGETHER ON THAT SEEMS LIKE A GREAT IDEA.
AND, AND THIS CONCEPT, I, UH, ACCIDENTALLY OMITTED THE CONCEPT OF, UH, DO FOOD PLAN IS A PLAN OF PLANS.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY INTIMATELY WITH THE FOLKS FROM AR R TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PLAN IS ABLE TO ALIGN WITH, UH, OUR ZERO WASTE GOALS AS WELL.
AND OF COURSE, EDUCATION PLAYS A HUGE PART AS WELL AS THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY IS ALREADY EDUCATED, THEY HAVE THE OPTION TO CHOOSE WHERE, UH, THE FOOD WASTE COULD GO.
AND IN A WAY LIKE GOAL NUMBER ONE, LIKE THIS PROTOCOL COULD BE ABOUT THAT, UM, THE CHALLENGE OF PLANS IS, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA MAKE, BE LIKE OVER PRESCRIPTIVE KNOWING THAT THE HEAVY WORK IS GONNA HAVE END DURING IMPLEMENTATION.
SO YES, WE LOOK FORWARD TO IMPLEMENT THESE STRATEGIES WITH SEVERAL PARTNERS TO GO WITH EVEN GREATER DETAIL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? AMANDA? IS THAT AMANDA? GO AHEAD.
THIS IS, UM, ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC
[00:25:01]
WORK AND THE TIME AND, AND CARE YOU PUT INTO BEING DELIBERATE AND INCLUSIVE ABOUT THE INPUT IS JUST ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.SO CONGRATULATIONS ON ALL OF THAT WORK.
UM, I HAD TWO QUESTIONS RELATED TO IMPLEMENTATION.
FIRST IS, UM, ARE THERE CURRENTLY IN THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND UNITS THAT YOU, YOU ARE WORKING WITH, ARE THERE BUDGET LINE ITEMS OR BUDGETARY, UM, ALLOCATIONS PLAN RELATED SPECIFICALLY TO THE FOOD PLAN? SO THAT'S ONE.
AND THEN TWO IS MOVING FORWARD.
IS, IS YOUR OFFICE GOING TO REMAIN, UM, SORT OF LIKE AS AN EVALUATOR ASSESSOR AS THIS ROLLS OUT? OR WILL THAT RESPONSIBILITY TRANSFER TO OTHER UNITS WITHIN THE CITY? YEAH, I, I'M GONNA GO AND THE LAST TWO FIRST, UH, ORDER, UH, IN TERMS OF RESPONSIBILITY, UH, THE OFFICE SUSTAINABILITY HAS BEEN ESSENTIALLY THE CONVEYOR OF ALL THESE CONVERSATIONS OF WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO LET COMMUNITY LEAD THIS FOOD PLAN AND BE, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, LIKE THE CAPTAINS OF OUR SHIP.
UM, MOVING ON, WE ALSO WANT TO ENSURE THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY AT LARGE, AND THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS ARE STILL INVOLVED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PLAN.
UH, WE STILL DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS, BUT THERE IS SOME LITERATURE THAT TALKS ABOUT LIKE THE NECESSITY OF HAVING SOMEBODY THAT HOLDS THE PLAN AND THAT SOMEBODY OR SOME ORGANIZATION, UH, IT'S STILL TO BE DETERMINED, BUT THERE IS A LOT OF INTERESTING COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE THAT BE A PARTNER OF THE CITY WHILE NOT ENTIRELY THE CITY.
UH, NEXT IN TERMS OF BUDGET, UM, THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION AND THE AUSTIN FOOD POLICY BOARD, THE AUSTIN TRAVIS FOOD POLICY BOARD, HAVE BOTH MADE RECOMMENDATIONS TO ESSENTIALLY FIND THE STAFFER, UM, TO LEAD, TO SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOOD PLAN.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, ONE OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, IT'S SUPPORTING THIS PROCESS TO HAVE, UH, A SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE.
UH, SO I DON'T HAVE QUITE THE DETAILS RIGHT NOW, AND I CAN FORWARD THOSE TO YOU, UH, WITH THE SPECIFICS OF THE ASK FROM OUR CONSULT MEMBERS.
UM, BUT THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE OTHER HALF OF OUR OFFICE, THE CLIMATE TEAM, HAS BEEN WORKING A LOT.
UM, AND I THINK'S ONE OF THE CENTERS OF DISCUSSION TODAY AT THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, UM, LIKE RIGHT NOW, SO THERE'S THAT, UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT IS THE AMOUNT OF FOOD AND BUDGET THAT HAPPENS ACROSS THE CITY, TBD, UH, THERE, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
UM, YOU KNOW, FOOD, IT'S PURCHASED BY EVERY DEPARTMENT, UH, THAT WE ARE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE THESE EXACT NUMBERS.
UM, SO I THINK I ANSWERED ALL THE QUESTIONS.
PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I MISSED ANYTHING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? JUST A REAL QUICK, QUICK QUESTION HERE.
HAVE ANY OF THE, UH, LARGE GROCERS EMBRACED THIS, THIS OPPORTUNITY? THIS, UH, ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR HAS BEEN DIFFICULT AND CHALLENGING, UH, FOR GOOD REASONS.
THEY'RE VERY INVOLVED IN, YOU KNOW, THEIR BOTTOM LINE SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE REALLY BUSY JUST, JUST WORKING AND, YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE A LITTLE DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO JUSTIFY ATTENDING TO OUR WORKSHOPS.
HOWEVER, UM, THERE IS A PART OF THE FOOD PLAN CALLED THE SUSTAIN THE SUPPLY CHAIN VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS.
WE SPENT ABOUT LIKE EIGHT MONTHS, UH, SURVEYING ABOUT 2000 FOOD WORKERS FROM DIFFERENT RETAILS LIKE YOU CALL IT, LIKE, UH, COSTCO, WALGREENS, ET CETERA, AND TO, TO GET THEIR OPINIONS, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT THEY WANT TO SEE IN TERMS OF THEIR OWN SITUATIONS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE INTERVIEW FOLKS FROM WHOLE FOODS HEB IN TERMS OF THEIR EMERGENCY RESPONSE, AND ALL OF THEM OUTLINE THE NEED LABOR.
IT'S REALLY LIKE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR THEM.
UH, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME MEMBERS THAT ARE REALLY INTERESTED IN TERMS OF FOOD AND IN TERMS OF FOOD WASTE, ESPECIALLY AS IT'S IN THEIR BEST INTEREST.
THEY ALL WANT TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE BY ALL MEANS, BECAUSE THAT MEANS THEY'RE LOSING MONEY.
UM, BUT AGAIN, LIKE PART OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS, THE TRICKIER PART WOULD PROBABLY BE HOW DO WE ENGAGE EVEN MORE DEEPLY WITH THESE LARGER RETAILS.
SADIA, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE.
YES, JERRY, I HAVE A, I HAVE A SUGGESTION AND
[00:30:01]
A QUESTION.SO I WANTED TO MENTION, I HAVE AN, AN APP CALLED TOO GOOD TO GO, AND THEY SERVE IN THE AUSTIN AREA TO WHERE THEY LINK UP THE DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS AND BUSINESSES OF FOOD VENDORS THAT HAVE EXTRA FOOD AVAILABLE DURING A GIVEN DAY THAT THEY PROVIDE FOR A DISCOUNT FEE ON THE APP.
AND I'VE BEEN USING THAT APP FOR A FEW YEARS NOW AND, UM, PROMOTE IT WITH MY COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE PROVIDING, UM, FROM THE PRIVATE RESTAURANTS IN THE CITY, UM, A MEANS OF REDUCING THAT FOOD WASTE OF RESTAURANTS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE TWO GOOD TO GO, UM, APP, BUT MAYBE THAT'S A POTENTIAL FOR CONNECTING TO THAT DIFFICULT PRIVATE SECTOR THAT YOU MENTIONED.
AND, UM, MY QUESTION IS ABOUT, UM, PLANT-BASED STRATEGIES IS HOW, HOW BIG OF A, OF A STRATEGY IS THAT WITHIN THE GOALS OF THE FOOD PLAN TO PROMOTE A, UM, MORE OF A PLANT-BASED DIET, UM, AND, AND THE PLAN? ABSOLUTELY.
UH, GOAL NUMBER EIGHT TALKS ENTIRELY ABOUT THAT.
HOW DO WE PROMOTE, UH, PLANT-BASED DIETS AS A SOLUTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE? UH, AS YOU PROBABLY, UH, AS YOU VERY WELL KNOW, LIKE GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS ARE, ARE HEAVILY, UH, PROMOTED BY JUST A NORMALLY LARGE CONSUMPTION OF, OF MEAT AND DAIRY.
UM, SO WE HAVE, UH, AN ENTIRE SECTION OF THE FOOD PLANT DEDICATED TO THE PROMOTION OF PLANT-BASED, UH, DIETS AS WELL.
NOT ENTIRELY SAYING THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA PROMOTE, YOU KNOW, LIKE PEOPLE SHOULD, PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE THE OPTION TO DO WHATEVER THEY WANT.
PLANT BASE IS ESSENTIALLY A SOLUTION TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS THAT WE'RE LIVING.
SO, AND WE DO HAVE A DEDICATED AREA, UM, OF THE FOOD PLANT FOR THAT SPECIFICALLY.
AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO, UM, EVERY ONE OF US TO TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT GOAL NUMBER EIGHT FOR THAT.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING, UH, TO GOOD TO GO.
UH, GOAL NUMBER SEVEN POINT STRATEGY 7.1 IS ESSENTIALLY THAT PROTOCOL, UH, IT'S CURRENTLY UP TO, DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS APP? DO YOU KNOW, DO YOU HAVE A, A SMARTPHONE? DO, DOES YOUR EMPLOYEES KNOW ABOUT THIS APP? UM, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY TELLS THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM OR NOT, RATHER THAN AN ENTIRE PROTOCOL THAT WE CAN ALL SHARE.
UM, SO, SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? HEARING UNSET? THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.
OH, WAIT THROUGH, OH, CAITLYN'S GOT HER HAND RAISED.
ARE YOU CAITLYN? I'M, I'M HERE.
I DUNNO HOW TO MAKE MYSELF BE ON THE STREET ENOUGH.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? CAN SPEAK A LITTLE LOUDER.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH, NOW A LITTLE BETTER.
UM, I'LL TRY AND SPEAK LOUDLY.
UM, MY QUESTION IS ABOUT STRATEGY SEVEN, UM, PARTICULARLY ABOUT FOOD WASTE.
UM, HAVE YOU ALL CONSIDERED WHERE THE COMPOST WOULD BE GOING, UM, ONCE IT'S COLLECTED? UM, KIND OF MY QUESTION WITHIN THAT IS LIKE, IS THERE ANY KIND OF STRATEGY THAT WOULD SEND THAT COMPOST TO LOCAL AUSTIN FARMERS AND SO THAT THAT COMPOST WOULDN'T BE TRAVELING FURTHER OUTSIDE THE CITY AND CONTRIBUTING MORE TO EMISSIONS? YEAH, COMPOSTING USE WAS ONE OF THE, THE CENTRAL TEAMS ACROSS THE MANY OF THE WORKSHOPS AND CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD WHILE DEVELOPING THIS PLAN.
UH, WE ALSO WANTED TO ENSURE THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE DO ALIGNS WITH, UH, THE ZERO WASTE GOALS AND THE CURRENT COMP PLAN FROM ARS.
SO I, I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO, TO TO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ARE DOING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO INCLUDE THINGS IN THIS PLAN THAT ARE NOT ALREADY AVAILABLE IN THE COMP PLAN.
AND CERTAINLY LIKE COMPOST USE HAS A LOT OF TRICKINESS TO IT, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY BRING THAT FEEDBACK BACK TO THE GROUP.
UM, AS I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A GREATER QUESTION, LIKE, WHAT DO WE DO ONCE WE COLLECT THE COMPOST? I CAN CERTAINLY TAKE THAT FEEDBACK, UM, BACK THE GROUP.
DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? CARRIE? UH, THANK YOU, GIO, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THE TIME AND THE PATIENCE AND, AND WORKING WITH US.
ALRIGHT, HAVE A GREAT, GREAT EVENING.
ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONERS, MOVING
[3. Review and Discussion of Director’s Report (FEMA Reimbursement, Refuse, Recycling, and Organic Carts (CO-OP), Brownie Follow-Up, Brandt Road Encampment Cleanup, Onion Creek Street Sweeping, Performance Reports, and Statistical Reports) – Richard McHale]
ALONG.THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
[00:35:15]
ALL RIGHT, GOOD.UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
RICHARD MCHALE, DIRECTOR OF FROST RESOURCE RECOVERY.
UH, YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, UH, OUR MONTHLY, UH, REPORT FROM, UM, FROM ME.
UM, THE FIRST ITEM, UM, COMMISSIONER CALLED YOU HAD ASKED ABOUT THE, UH, FOLKS THAT DID NOT HAVE RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING SERVICES.
SO WE'VE INCLUDED THAT INFORMATION THERE FOR YOU.
UM, I DID, UM, SKIPPING TO THE NEXT PAGE.
UH, WE DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO PHOENIX, UM, UH, AT LEAST I DID, AND A COUPLE OTHER STAFF, UH, MEMBERS.
AND, AND OUR CHAIR, UH, ACTUALLY WENT OUT TO PHOENIX TO A SWANA, WHICH IS A SOLID WASTE ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA CONFERENCE, UH, WHERE WE, UH, WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE OUR AWARD THAT OUR, FOR OUR CIRCULAR ECONOMY PROGRAM.
SO, GOT A LOT OF RECOGNITION FOR THAT AND, UM, UH, REALLY PROUD OF THE STAFF THAT, UH, THAT PUT IN THAT WORK.
AND I LEARNED THAT WE WERE ONE OF 10 CITIES THAT ACTUALLY HAVE A CIRCULAR ECONOMY PROGRAM MANAGER.
UM, SO IT'S OBVIOUSLY IF IT'S, IT'S, UH, IN ITS INFANCY, BUT, UH, WE EXPECT THAT TO GROW.
SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA DO WHAT WE CAN TO KINDA SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY PROGRAM AND, UH, HOPEFULLY GET OTHERS INVOLVED IN THAT AS WELL.
SO, UM, NEXT ITEM, UH, WE'VE SPOKE ABOUT IT BEFORE, IS THE EPA GRANT FOR THE REUSE WAREHOUSE.
I'M JUST, JUST LETTING FOLKS KNOW WE ARE ACTIVELY TRYING TO FIND A PROPERTY TO, TO BE ABLE TO, UH, CITE THAT, UH, FACILITY AT.
SO, UM, WE WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED AS WE, UH, GET MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.
UH, THE LAST TWO ITEMS WERE ACTUALLY ITEMS THAT WENT TO COUNCIL LAST, UH, ON APRIL 18TH.
AND BECAUSE OF OUR, UH, WE, UM, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO SWAC FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION FOR APPROVAL, SO, UM, I'M ACTUALLY KIND OF COMING BACK AFTER THE FACT.
I DID TALK TO THE CHAIR ABOUT IT AND, UH, AND RAN IT BY HIM.
UH, WE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS TOO, UM, TWO CONTROVERSIAL SUBJECTS.
SO ONE WAS A REIMBURSEMENT FROM FEMA, UM, THAT WAS FOR, UH, $28,000.
AND THAT WAS REALLY, UH, THIS IS FROM WINTER STORM MARA, AND THIS WAS A REIMBURSEMENT FOR OUR REALLY ADMINISTRATIVE TIME THAT WE SPENT AT THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER.
SO, UM, THIS REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH ACTUAL COLLECTING OR DEBRIS OR ANYTHING.
THIS IS MORE JUST STAFF TIME THAT WE WERE GETTING, UH, REIMBURSED FOR.
AND, UM, REALLY REMARKABLE IF YOU CONSIDER THAT, YOU KNOW, THE WINTER STORM WAS JUST OVER A YEAR, UH, UH, AGO, AND WE'RE ALREADY GETTING REIMBURSEMENTS FOR FEMA.
AND I THINK THAT IT SPEAKS VOLUMES TO THE, TO THE WORK THAT OUR FINANCE STAFF DID TO GET THE PAPERWORK TOGETHER, THAT OUR OPERATION STAFF AND GETTING THAT, UH, INFORMATION TO THEM, UH, THE CONTRACTS THAT WE, UH, UH, WERE ABLE TO ENTER INTO WITH A CONTRACT MONITOR, WITH A DEBRIS MONITOR, TETRATECH.
UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU A FRAME OF REFERENCE, UH, IN 2022, UH, WE RECEIVED A, UH, REIMBURSEMENT FROM A, UH, 2013 FLOOD, SO ALMOST NINE YEARS LATER, UM, BECAUSE OF PAPERWORK THAT WASN'T PROBABLY AS, AS GOOD AS IT SHOULD BE.
SO, UM, MUCH, MUCH IMPROVEMENT HERE.
SO WE'RE GETTING OUR MONEY MUCH QUICKER.
SO, UM, REALLY, MY, MY, MY THANKS GO TO STAFF THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET THAT, UH, MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
SO, UM, WE DO EXPECT THE BALANCE OF THAT, UH, MONEY FROM FEMA TO ALSO COME IN.
THAT MONEY WOULD THEN GO TO THE GENERAL FUND, SINCE THE GENERAL FUND HAS ALREADY REIMBURSED THE A RR FOR OUR EXPENSES.
SO, UM, UH, BUT WITH THAT, UM, THAT IS ALL I HAVE AS FAR AS THE DIRECTOR'S BOARD, AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY, WELL, ONE OTHER THING I DO WANNA MENTION, UM, TODAY, AND I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE I EVEN STARTED, BUT WE HAVE, UH, A NEW EMPLOYEE THAT WORKS FOR AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY NOW.
AND I'LL LIKE TO INTRODUCE HIM AND HAVE HIM COME UP TO THE, TO THE TABLE HERE.
HE IS OUR NEW DEPUTY DIRECTOR.
AND, UH, TED, IF YOU WANT TO COME UP AND JUST, UH, MAYBE JUST TELL HIM A LITTLE ABOUT WHERE YOU CAME FROM AND, UH, ANYTHING ELSE YOU MIGHT LIKE TO SAY, PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.
UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
I AM, UM, PROUD TO SAY THAT I'M A RESIDENT OF AUSTIN AS OF ABOUT A WEEK AGO.
UM, I COME MOST RECENTLY FROM SACRAMENTO COUNTY IN CALIFORNIA, UH, WHERE I WAS THE, UH, CHIEF, UH, OF THEIR SOLID WASTE UNIT RUNNING A TRANSFER STATION LANDFILL, AND A LARGE COLLECTION PLATFORM.
UM, JUST VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE.
VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, AUSTIN, UH, REALLY HAS A REPUTATION, UM, ACROSS THE NATION AS WELL AS IN THE WASTE INDUSTRY, UH, FOR LEADING CHANGE, BEING INNOVATIVE AND NOT BEING AFRAID TO, UH, MOVE FORWARD.
AND I REALLY WANNA BE A PART OF THAT, SO THANK YOU.
[00:40:01]
YOU GOTTEN RID OF YOUR CALIFORNIA LICENSE PLATE YET?AND I APOLOGIZE TO EVERYONE HERE FOR BEING ONE MORE CAR ON THE ROADS.
AND, UH, YOUR EXPERTISE IN TRANSFER STATIONS AND, AND DIVERSION IS GOING TO COME IN VERY, VERY HANDY IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
IF, IF WE'RE FORTUNATE, I SHOULD SAY.
I HAD A QUICK QUESTION ON THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
THE, UH, EPA GRANT, THE, UH, 4 MILLION, IS THAT SPECIFICALLY FOR THE, UH, STANDALONE? A STANDALONE, UH, RE OKAY.
YEAH, SO WE CAN'T LUMP THAT INTO A BIGGER PICTURE.
IE TRANSFER STATION AND OR OPPORTUNITY.
WELL, THE ANSWER, WELL, THAT 4 MILLION COULDN'T BE PUT TOWARDS THE TRANSPORTATION, BUT IT COULD TECHNICALLY BE PURCHASED TOWARD, IF THERE WAS A PROPERTY BIG ENOUGH THAT COULD ALSO HAVE A TRANSPORTATION AND THERE WAS A WAREHOUSE ON IT, THEORETICALLY WE COULD PUT THAT 4 MILLION TOWARDS THE WAREHOUSE PART AND THEN LOOK AT, UH, AT FUNDING ADDITIONAL, UH, MONIES FOR THE LAND, UH, IF IT WAS BIG ENOUGH TO ALSO HOST A TRANSFER STATION.
CRAIG, IF, IF, IF A COMMENT ABOUT THE TRANSFER STATION IS, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, UH, THEY'RE GONNA REQUEST SOME MONEY FROM THAT ON THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION FROM THE IRA.
SO WE'RE REALLY HOPING THAT THAT HAPPENS SOON.
UM, OBVIOUSLY FUNDING WOULD BE, UH, YOU KNOW, BENEFICIAL, BUT, UH, WE'RE STILL LOOKING FOR SOME PROPERTY AND SO I THINK GETTING ANY MONEY RIGHT NOW MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT PREMATURE, BUT, UM, DEFINITELY ON THE, ON THE TRACK TO DO SOME WORK.
WE'RE DOING A FEASIBILITY STUDY RIGHT NOW ON OUR, UH, PROPERTY ON TODD LANE, UH, FOR A SOUTH FACILITY.
AND WE'RE STILL UNDECIDED, UH, HAVEN'T FOUND A LOCATION FOR A NORTH PROPERTY AT THIS POINT.
TED, WELCOME AGAIN, AND, UH, COMMISSIONERS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I, MELISSA, I'M SORRY, I HAD A QUICK QUESTION.
OH, AND I THINK MELISSA DID, HER HAND WAS UP FIRST, MELISSA.
UM, YEAH, I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ON THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
I WAS, UH, VERY INTERESTED IN HEARING MORE ABOUT THESE RFIDS THAT ARE GONNA BE PURCHASED FOR THE NEW COLLECTION BINS, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE GONNA BE REPLACING THE EXISTING BINS OVER TIME.
SO I'M, I'M ASSUMING THAT THE RF IDS CAN BE RETROFITTED ON THE EXISTING BINS.
AND THE SECOND PART OF THIS QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS, WHAT ALL WILL THE RFIDS BE ABLE TO CAPTURE? UM, ARE THEY GOING TO BE ABLE TO CAPTURE, UM, THE, UM, MATERIAL, UM, HAVE A, AN EASE OF THE COLLECTORS TO REPORT MATERIAL IF THERE'S CONTAMINATION? I'M JUST KIND OF INTERESTED IN WHAT, UM, FUNCTIONALITY THESE RFIDS ARE GONNA HAVE FOR, UM, COLLECTION.
UM, ACTUALLY I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY SOME OLD LANGUAGE FROM A PREVIOUS CONTRACT.
'CAUSE OUR CARTS THAT WE'VE BEEN BUYING FROM THE SAME MANUFACTURER HAVE ALWAYS HAD THE RFID TAGS IN THEM.
UM, IF WE WANTED TO, I MEAN, IF IT DIDN'T HAVE 'EM, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE RETROFITTED TO INCLUDE THEM.
BUT CARTS THAT WE BOUGHT TO DATE HAVE THOSE RFID TAGS.
UM, MOVING FORWARD WE'RE KIND OF GETTING AWAY FROM THAT BECAUSE THAT TECHNOLOGY HAS PRETTY MUCH KIND OF HAD ITS DAY AND GONE ON.
SO, UM, NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT SYSTEMS THAT UTILIZE, UM, BOTH THE A VL SYSTEM, AUTOMATIC VEHICLE LOCATIONS, ALONG WITH, UH, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, UM, TO BE ABLE TO BETTER IDENTIFY ADDRESSES THAT THEY'RE AT.
SO, UH, THE HOPE IS AT ONE POINT THAT, UH, ONCE RUBICON IS FULLY IMPLEMENTED INTO OUR SYSTEM, WE'LL BE ABLE TO GATHER BETTER DATA WHEN WE GO TO HOMES, UM, SUCH AS EXTRA TRASH.
THEY MAY BE AT A SITE, UH, EXTRA AROUND A CART OR A NO SET OUT.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, CUSTOMER, UH, SERVICE TYPE APPLICATIONS THAT THE SYSTEM WOULD HAVE.
UM, BUT BASICALLY WE'RE KIND OF GETTING, UH, WELL, WE'VE GOTTEN AWAY FROM RFID AND REALLY WE NEVER REALLY EVER IMPLEMENTED IT.
IT WAS ALWAYS PART OF THE, THE CART PURCHASE.
UM, BUT THE SYSTEM WAS NEVER ROLLED OUT.
SO, UH, I DON'T BELIEVE, AND MARCUS, YOU CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WE'RE NOT BUYING THE RFID.
SO, YEAH, SO THE RFI DS AREN'T, UH, INCLUDED IN FEATURE PURCHASES ON IT.
'CAUSE I WANNA SAY IN THE PAST THERE WERE, UH, AN ADDITIONAL COST TO THE GUARD.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MELISSA, DID YOU HAVE, I, I HAD
[00:45:01]
A QUESTION ABOUT THE, UM, STREET SWEEPING SECTION OF THE REPORT.LET ME SCROLL TO THE ONION CREEK STREET SWEEPING, IF YOU COULD GO UP TO THAT.
I THINK IT'S PREVIOUS, YEAH, THIS SECTION HERE.
UM, SO I, I APPRECIATE HAVING THIS INFORMATION.
UM, I HAD A FEW FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS AND IN GENERAL ABOUT HOW THESE, UH, TEMPORARY STAGING AREAS ARE CHOSEN AND FOLLOWED UP ON.
UM, FIRST QUESTION, IS THIS 4,800 BULB, IS, IS THAT AN INDUSTRIAL, IS THAT MIXED, UM, RESIDENTIAL AREA? AND THEN THAT'S ONE QUESTION.
SECOND QUESTION IS, HOW LONG ARE THESE AREAS USED FOR, UM, STAGING TYPICALLY? AND THEN THE THIRD QUESTION IS, HOW ARE FOLKS NOTIFIED IN ADVANCE? SO 4,800 BALM ROAD IS ACTUALLY PARKS AND RECREATION PROPERTY THAT'S UNDEVELOPED.
IT'S, UH, EAST OF 180 3 ADJACENT TO A, I BELIEVE, A QUARRY OR A CEMENT OPERATION ALONG THE, UH, COLORADO RIVER.
SO I WOULD KINDA CLASSIFY IT AS INDUSTRIAL.
THERE ARE SOME, I THINK THERE'S A NEIGHBORING SUBDIVISION MAYBE TO THE NORTH, BUT NOT IN THE AREA THAT WE'RE WORKING.
SO WE TYPICALLY USE THESE TYPE OF, UH, AREAS DURING PEAK SEASONS AND REALLY PEAK FOR ORGANIC.
SO, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT PROBABLY FOUR, FOUR ORGANICS SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF, BETWEEN APRIL, UH, WELL MARCH, MARCH AND MAY.
SO PROBABLY A GOOD, UH, MARCH, ABOUT 10 WEEKS OR SO.
UM, AND AS FAR AS NOTIFICATION, UM, THE ONLY NOTIFICATION WE'RE REALLY GONNA START DOING, 'CAUSE WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAD ANY NOTIFICATIONS TO DATE, IS, UM, LETTING COUNCIL DISTRICT OFFICES KNOW WHEN WE'RE OPERATING IN THEIR DISTRICT.
SO IS THERE A, SO THERE'S NO ESTABLISHED POLICY OR PRACTICE FOR SAY, NOTIFICATION TO RESIDENTS WITHIN A CERTAIN RADIUS OR ANYTHING? IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT HASN'T BEEN PART OF THE PROCEDURE SO FAR? CORRECT.
UH, UM, COUNSEL OFF, SO YOU WOULD LET THE COUNCIL MEMBER KNOW THAT THIS IS GONNA BE HAPPENING AND THEN THEY WOULD LET THE RESIDENTS, GEEZ.
SO ANY CONCERNS THAT THEY MIGHT GET WOULD GO TO THE COUNCIL OFFICE SO THEY'RE ABLE TO ADDRESS 'EM, BECAUSE IT'S NOT ALWAYS THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE NEAR THE SITE THAT HAVE THE ISSUE WITH IT.
WHAT YOU WANNA DO IS MAKE SURE, BUT THEN IS THERE ANYTHING, SO LET'S SAY THAT HAPPENS.
SO YOU, YOU LET THE COUNCIL MEMBER KNOW THEY, SOMEONE WHO LIVES ADJACENT TO THE SITE SAYS, NOPE, THAT'S GONNA BE TOO MUCH DUST.
I HAVE ASTHMA, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT IS.
WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES? UM, BECAUSE IT DOES SOUND FROM THE, THE LANGUAGE HERE.
LIKE THERE'S ONLY CERTAIN LOCATIONS THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO DO THIS IN.
THERE HAVE TO BE LAND PHYSIC, LIKE OWNED BY THE CITY.
IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH, WE WOULDN'T DUMP ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
SO, UM, SO YEAH, SO WE WOULD LOOK AT PUBLIC, PUBLIC FACIL, PUBLIC PROPERTIES THAT WE WOULD UTILIZE.
UM, YEAH, THE GOAL REALLY IS, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE HAVE THAT TRANSFER STATION, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS AT ALL.
ALL THIS MATERIAL WILL GO STRAIGHT TO THE TRANSFER STATION.
SO WE'RE REALLY JUST KIND OF, THESE ARE KIND OF QUICK FIXES TO BE ABLE TO ALLOW OUR OPERATIONS TO STILL OPERATE AND BE ABLE TO FINISH THE ROUTE.
SO IT'S NOT THE IDEAL SITUATION, BUT IT'S THE, I IT'S A SITUATION WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I COULD WE DO MORE TO, TO NOTIFY THE PUBLIC.
I, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE WE COULD, THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL EXPENSE AND WORK INVOLVED WITH THAT.
AND FOR THE PERIOD OF TIME THAT WE'RE THERE, I DON'T KNOW THAT, UH, THAT THAT'S GONNA BE ALL THAT BENEFUL, UM, UH, ALL OF A, A BENEFIT.
BUT YEAH, WE, WE, WE CAN CERTAINLY, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE ONLY DOING THIS, I THINK WE'RE LIKE, FOR THIS YEAR, I THINK WE'VE ONLY GOT ANOTHER WEEK OR TWO THAT WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, WELL NOW THAT'S JUST WORKING ON SUNDAY.
SO WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT THAT COMMISSIONER.
WELL, I WONDER IF, IF, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THE ONUS IS ON THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO NOTIFY THAT'S ONE ROUTE, BUT THEY MIGHT NOT EVEN KNOW, WELL THEN WHAT? OKAY, SO RESIDENT, THERE'S GONNA BE A, A PILE OF DEBRIS, YOU KNOW, FOR ON AND OFF OVER THIS 10 WEEK PERIOD.
IT, IT'S THERE BECAUSE OF THIS REASON.
SO THEY'LL KNOW ABOUT IT IN ADVANCE, IDEALLY, BUT IT STILL LEAVES THE QUESTION OF, WELL THEN WHAT TO THE COUNCIL, TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER, AND MAYBE TO THE INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS.
SO I JUST, MAYBE NOT REQUIRING A LOT OF YOUR STAFF TIME, BUT I, I WONDER JUST ABOUT GUIDELINES AND INFORMATION, LIKE, OKAY, HERE'S, YES, WE DO DUST CONTROL, BUT IF YOU HAVE RESPIRATORY HEALTH CONCERNS, YOU MAY WANT TO LIMIT YOUR TIME IN YOUR YARD WHEN IT'S WINDY.
WHEN IT'S WINDY, UM, WEAR A MASK, USE A AIR FILTER INDOORS,
[00:50:01]
CALL US RIGHT AWAY IF YOU SEE X, Y, OR Z.YOU KNOW, LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF GUIDANCE TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATING WITH THEIR, UM, UH, THEIR CONSTITUENTS AS TO THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS AND WHAT THEY COULD DO AND WHAT TO EXPECT THAT THAT MIGHT HELP.
IT'S NOT, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S NOT A PERFECT SOLUTION, UM, BUT IT COULD HELP.
I, WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK INTO THAT AND REPORT BACK AT THE, AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE DIRECTOR? AND MELISSA? I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
UH, AND IT HAS TO DO WITH THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS THAT DON'T HAVE RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING.
SO WHEN IT'S REFERRED TO AS A CUSTOMER, AND IT SAYS 335 AND 366, ARE YOU SAYING THERE'S 335, FOR INSTANCE, QUAD PLEXES, AND THEN IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE TIMES FOUR? OR IS IT, THAT'S THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS IS 335 UNITS? CORRECT.
AND THEN MY, UH, SECOND QUESTION IS, WHAT DOES THE SCHEDULE LOOK LIKE? WHAT THE, OH, FOR THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION? RIGHT.
UM, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
I'M RON ROMERO, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.
UM, WE HAD INITIALLY TARGETED THE END OF APRIL TO START THIS, UH, UH, UH, DELIVERY OF CARTS AND, UH, THE WEEK AFTER TO BEGIN SERVICE.
BUT WE'VE HAD SOME COMMUNICATION WITH COUNSEL, UH, THAT WAS DELAYED.
UH, WE WERE JUST KIND OF LETTING THEM KNOW WHAT WE WERE DOING AND WHAT OUR SCHEDULE WAS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING PROBABLY AT A MID MAY, UH, DELIVERY OF CARTS AND OKAY.
AND SOMETIME, UH, PROBABLY LATER MAY TO BEGIN IMPLEMENTATION OF, OF THE PROGRAM.
AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS, ARE YOU, SO THESE PLACES CURRENTLY HAVE DUMPSTER SERVICE.
ARE YOU LEAVING THE DUMPSTERS WHEN YOU'RE ADDING RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING, OR ARE YOU CONVERTING THE DUMPSTERS TO CARTS AS WELL? NO, UH, INITIALLY WE'RE NOT GOING TO REMOVE THE DUMPSTERS.
WE'RE JUST GOING TO PROVIDE, UH, RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING.
UH, WE, WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS CONTINUE TO EDUCATE.
I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN THE PAST, AND THEN CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THE, UH, HOW THE OTHER TWO PROGRAMS ARE DOING AND THE IMPACT IT HAS ON THE DUMPSTERS AND THE TRASH THAT'S BEING THROWN AWAY.
WE'RE ALSO BEING, UH, WORKING WITH, UH, OUR CODE, UH, CODE DEPARTMENT ON, UH, THEY'RE KIND OF MONITORING THE ILLEGAL DUMPING THAT'S, UH, WE WE'RE STILL HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH THE ILLEGAL DUMPING, UH, OUT THERE.
UH, BUT WE WANNA MONITOR THE, UH, THE LEVELS OF, OF EACH OF THE, UH, UH, PRODUCTS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF THERE, ALL THE, THE TRASH RECYCLING AND COMPOST COMPOSTING BEFORE WE MAKE ANY DECISIONS ABOUT, UH, REMOVING DUMPSTERS.
UM, SO I, I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE HOW LONG DO YOU EXPECT TO MONITOR THAT SITUATION BEFORE YOU MAKE THAT DECISION? UH, I'M NOT SURE.
I, I KNOW THAT WE WANT TO GET SOME GOOD DATA AND, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE EDUCATE THE, UH, UH, THE RESIDENTS OF EACH OF THE AREAS.
BUT, UH, UM, WE DON'T HAVE A TIMEFRAME RIGHT NOW ON THAT.
YEAH, COMMISSIONER, WHAT WE'RE DOING, WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT ALL OUR PROPERTIES AND KIND OF, SOME HAVE A MIX, A MIXTURE OF HOW THEY'RE SERVICED, AND, UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GETTING THE RIGHT SERVICE.
AND THAT OFTENTIMES WE GET A LOT OF REQUESTS FOR CHANGES OF SERVICE.
UM, FOR FOLKS THAT DON'T ACTUALLY LIVE IN THOSE COMPLEXES, THEY MAY JUST LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEY DON'T LIKE THE WAY THINGS LOOK.
SO, UH, WE HAVE TO REALLY WORK WITH EACH COMPLEX AND EACH OWNER TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS.
AND, UM, BUT IT'S, UH, I DON'T, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ANY CHANGES AT ANY TIME SOON.
SO WE STILL HAVE TO ALLOT UP SOME EVALUATION TO DO ON THAT.
IS THAT IT? THANK YOU, MELISSA.
GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, RICHARD, RON.
ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONERS MOVING, UH, MOVING ALONG
[4. Presentation and Discussion FY25 Budget –Victoria Rieger]
HERE.THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS IS THE, UH, ACTUAL BUDGET PRESENTATION BY, UH, VICTORIA RIEGER.
LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT THE PRESENTATION UP.
CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME OKAY? YES.
WELL, GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME IS VICTORIA RIEGER AND I'M THE FINANCE DIVISION MANAGER, UH, FOR AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TONIGHT TO PRESENT THE DEPARTMENT'S FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST.
AFTER THIS EVENING'S PRESENTATION, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
[00:55:01]
SO THIS EVENING, WE'RE GONNA REVISIT SOME OF THE PRIORITIES THAT THIS COMMISSION DEVELOPED LAST YEAR.WE'LL TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT'S PERFORMANCE REVIEW, UH, OR PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW VIA THE RESULTS OF OUR KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS.
AND, UH, ON TUESDAY, APRIL 16TH, UH, THE CITY'S FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT PRESENTED THE FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST AND ECONOMIC OUTLOOK, UH, TO CITY COUNCIL.
TONIGHT I'LL BE PRESENTING THE DEPARTMENT'S FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST.
AND AS PART OF THAT FORECAST, I'LL PRESENT A SUMMARY OF OUR RESIDENTIAL RATES.
I'LL PRESENT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FORECAST, UH, ALSO KNOWN AS CIP, UH, AS WELL AS CURRENT YEAR PROJECTS.
AND FINALLY, AN UPDATE ON THE CITY'S BUDGET DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE.
SO ON THIS SCREEN, UH, LAST YEAR, YOU, MOST OF YOU, I THINK WERE, WERE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION AT THE TIME, UH, UH, YOU ALL DEVELOPED PRIORITIES, BUDGET PRIORITIES FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
AND HERE ARE SOME OF THE BROAD CATEGORIES, UH, OF IMPORTANCE, FACILITIES, FLEET STAFF COMPLIANCE, LETTER ABATEMENT, AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, UH, BEING THE BROAD CATEGORIES.
AND YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THE, THE, UH, DETAILED ITEMS LISTED UNDER, UNDER EACH CATEGORY.
UH, AND AS YOU'RE GONNA SEE DURING OUR FORECAST, UH, THE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO INVEST IN THESE CRITICAL AREAS.
ALRIGHT, SO THIS IS A QUICK VIEW OF OUR DEPARTMENT'S PERFORMANCE RESULTS, AND THESE ARE OUR FIVE KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS OR KPIS, THOSE THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS CONSIDERED MOST IMPORTANT AND REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR OPERATIONS.
UM, THIS TABLE PRESENTS THE PAST THREE FISCAL YEARS, 21, 22, AND 23 STARTING FROM THE LEFT.
UH, AND FISCAL YEAR 24 IS THE AMENDED.
THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE PER PROPOSED FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
SO REALLY THE NOTABLE, UH, ITEM, UH, SIMILAR TO LAST YEAR, UH, IS, IS THE DIVERSION PERCENTAGE.
SO THAT'S THE, UH, FOURTH ROW DOWN THERE.
UH, THAT ONE HAS OBVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED SOME DEVIATION FROM YEAR TO YEAR, AND MOST OF US KNOW EXACTLY WHY.
UH, IN FISCAL YEAR 21, WE HAD, UH, WINTER STORM URI.
UM, AND SO OUR OVERALL TONNAGES INCREASED IN FISCAL YEAR 21.
THEY KIND OF NORMALIZED, UH, IN 22 AND THEN JUST SPIKED, UH, INCREDIBLY IN FISCAL YEAR 23.
WITH WINTER STORM MARA, WE EXPECT TO RETURN TO NORMAL, UH, FOR, UH, FISCAL YEAR 24.
UM, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE AVERAGE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION MEASURE FOR FISCAL YEAR 21 AND 22, UH, STILL NO DATA.
OBVIOUSLY, THAT'S NOT GONNA CHANGE.
UH, THOSE SURVEYS WEREN'T PERFORMED, UH, DUE TO THE, UH, THE PANDEMIC.
BUT IN FISCAL YEAR 23, THE CITY DID RESUME, UH, PERFORMING THAT, THAT CUSTOMER SURVEY.
UH, AND THE RESULTS THAT YOU SEE THERE ARE REALLY REFLECTIVE OF, UH, FISCAL YEAR 20, 20 22.
UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
ALL RIGHT, SO BEFORE I PRESENT OUR ESTIMATED RESIDENTIAL RATES, I WANTED TO BRIEFLY ADDRESS HOW WE DEVELOP OUR RATES.
SO EVERY YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT PERFORMS A COST OF SERVICE ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE IF OUR CURRENT RATES ARE SUFFICIENT TO COVER THE COST OF PROVIDING A PARTICULAR SERVICE.
THE COMPONENTS, AS YOU SEE ON THE SLIDE THERE, UH, INCLUDED IN RATE DEVELOPMENT ARE DIRECT AND INDIRECT EXPENSES.
UH, ANY POTENTIAL REVENUE OFFSETS, FOR EXAMPLE, ANY REVENUE THAT WE RECEIVE, UH, FROM, UH, RECYCLING SALES, FOR EXAMPLE.
UH, AND THEN THE BASIS OF RATE DEVELOPMENT ARE OUR CUSTOMERS.
SO HERE'S JUST ANOTHER LOOK AND A LITTLE BIT OF A DEEPER DIVE INTO SOME OF THOSE COST COMPONENTS.
SO AS WE DEVELOP OUR RATES, WE FACTOR IN THE TOTAL COST OF PROVIDING A SERVICE.
THE TOTAL COST, AGAIN, INCLUDES DIRECT AND INDIRECT EXPENSES, AND I WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THOSE, UH, DIRECT, UH, AND INDIRECT EXPENSES.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, EXAMPLES OF DIRECT EXPENSES ARE GONNA BE PAYROLL.
THAT'S OBVIOUSLY OUR BIGGEST COST DRIVER.
AND THEN, UH, ANOTHER ONE IS FLEET MANAGEMENT COSTS FOR ALL OF THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE.
UH, INDIRECT EXPENSES ARE THINGS SUCH AS ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPPORT STAFF, UH, COSTS THAT WE INCUR TO SUPPORT THE CITY, UM, UH, FOR THINGS SUCH AS THE CORPORATE, CORPORATE OFFICES, CORPORATE FINANCE OFFICES, TECHNOLOGY,
[01:00:01]
THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.I ALSO MENTIONED REVENUE OFFSETS.
UM, OUR SINGLE STREAM RECYCLING REVENUES BY FAR THE BIGGEST REVENUE OFFSET.
SO, UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, EXTRA GARBAGE, UH, VARIOUS FEES THAT WE ASSESS TO CUSTOMERS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND ALL OF THOSE, ALL OF THOSE REVENUE SOURCES OFFSET THE COST TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE.
UM, AS WE DEVELOP OUR RATES, AND AS A MATTER OF FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, OUR DEPARTMENT REVIEWS THE COST OF SERVICE EVERY SINGLE YEAR, UH, IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT OUR ALIGNMENT, UH, IS, UH, WITH THE COST TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE.
SO THIS YEAR, UH, DURING THE FORECAST, UM, SUBMITTAL, IT WAS VERY SIMILAR TO LAST YEAR IN THAT, UH, THE INSTRUCTIONS WE RECEIVED FROM, UH, FROM THE BUDGET OFFICE AND FROM THE CITY WERE TO SUBMIT TWO DIFFERENT SCENARIOS.
LAST YEAR, WE HAD TO SUBMIT THREE DIFFERENT, UH, SCENARIOS THIS YEAR.
THEY WERE, UH, UH, LITTLE BIT LENIENT ON US, TOLD US JUST TO SUBMIT A BASE FORECAST AND THEN AN ENHANCED FORECAST.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHAT DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE CITY HAVE DONE.
REALLY, THE MAIN DIFFERENCES IN OUR BASE FORECAST VERSUS OUR ENHANCED, WHICH YOU'LL SEE IN THE, IN THE SUBSEQUENT SLIDE, ARE REALLY THE FTE ADS THAT WE'VE REQUESTED.
SO THIS SLIDE GOES OVER OUR BASE FORECAST, UM, AND THE NUMBERS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
UH, DIRECTING YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FORMULA AT THE TOP, UH, THOSE TOP BUBBLES YOU'LL SEE IN THE, UH, BLUE BUBBLE.
THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR BUDGET, UH, FOR 24 IS 1 2626 0.1 MILLION.
UH, WE'RE PREDICTING COST DRIVERS OF 4.7 MILLION, UH, PLUS A MILLION DOLLARS IN NEW INVESTMENTS, UH, WHICH ESSENTIALLY IS, UH, THE FTE UH, REQUESTS THAT WE'RE MAKING.
UM, AND THAT TOTALS OF, UH, FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET OF 131.8 MILLION, AND THAT IS A 4.5% INCREASE OVER FISCAL YEAR 24.
AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A FORECAST.
UM, OUR NEXT STEP IN THE PROCESS, AS WE WILL, UH, TALK ABOUT LATER IS THE, UM, SUBMITTING THE PROPOSED.
SO NUMBERS COULD POTENTIALLY CHANGE BETWEEN NOW AND, AND THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
UH, SOME OF THE COST DRIVERS, UH, INCLUDED IN THAT FOUR PER 4.7 MILLION.
UH, REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST ONE, WHICH I MENTIONED EARLIER, IS PAYROLL, UH, 2.6 MILLION.
UH, RIGHT NOW THE CITY HAS A 4% WAGE INCREASE, UH, FACTORED INTO, UH, INTO OUR BUDGET.
SO THAT'S REALLY GONNA BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST DRIVERS FOR US.
UH, FLEET AND FUEL MAINTENANCE, OBVIOUSLY IS ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS AS WELL.
UH, CITYWIDE ALLOCATIONS, THOSE PAYMENTS THAT WE MAKE TO THE CITY FOR THEIR SUPPORT, UM, TOTAL ABOUT 700,000.
UM, THE FTE, UH, THE NEW INVESTMENT IN FTE, THAT ORANGE BUBBLE THERE INCLUDES, UH, ABOUT A MILLION AGAIN FOR NINE NEW POSITIONS.
UH, THREE OF THOSE ARE GONNA SUPPORT THE NEW FURNITURE REUSED WAREHOUSE.
UM, AND TWO WILL BE DEDICATED TO ROLLING OUT THE CITYWIDE ON-CALL HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION PROGRAM.
UH, THAT'S CURRENTLY IN A PILOT STAGE.
SO, UH, THE DEPARTMENT, UH, EXPECTS TO OFFER THAT CITYWIDE BEGINNING IN, UH, FISCAL YEAR 25.
SO IN OCTOBER, UM, FORECAST SOME OTHER FORECAST HIGHLIGHTS.
AGAIN, THIS IS A FIVE YEAR FORECAST.
UM, SO THE NUMBERS THAT I HAVE THERE ARE REFLECTIVE OF THAT FIVE YEAR PERIOD, UH, THE ADDITION OF 31 NEW POSITIONS, UH, ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION TO MAINTAIN CORE OPERATIONS AND CONTINUE, UM, MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE DEPARTMENT, UH, BOTH ON THE OPERATIONS SIDE AS WELL AS THE SUPPORT SERVICES SIDE.
UM, AND, UH, RATES, WHAT IS THIS GONNA DO TO OUR RATES? SO THE FORECAST INCLUDES AN INCREASE TO OUR BASE RATE OVER THE FIVE YEAR PERIOD, AGAIN, UM, FROM FISCAL YEAR 25 TO 29, UH, OF $4 AND 5 CENTS.
UH, AN INCREASE TO OUR CLEAN COMMUNITY FEE, UH, OF 65 CENTS FOR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS.
AGAIN, OVER THE FIVE YEAR FORECAST, UH, PERIOD, THE COST OF SERVICE MODEL ALSO CALLS FOR 3 CENT, UH, PER GALLON, UH, RATE INCREASE FOR OUR SMALLER CART SIZES.
UH, AND THEN, AND THAT'S THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 28, WHILE OUR LARGEST CART SIZE, THE 96 GALLON INCLUDES A 14 CENT INCREASE, UH, THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 29.
UM, CURRENTLY OUR LARGEST CART SIZE IS $34 AND 55 CENTS A MONTH.
UH, AND BY THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD, UH, IN FISCAL YEAR 29, THE
[01:05:01]
COST, UH, FOR 96 GALLON WOULD RISE TO 48 40 $8 A MONTH.SO IN THE GRAPH ON, IN THE GRAPH ON THE LEFT, YOU'RE GONNA SEE OUR TOTAL FORECAST BY YEAR.
UH, I KNOW I DON'T HAVE THE YEARS ON THERE, BUT THE FAR LEFT IS GONNA BE THE, UH, CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
UM, AND THE, THE, THE NUMBERS ON THE FAR RIGHT ARE OBVIOUSLY FISCAL YEAR 29, AND THE GRADE BAR REPRESENTS THE TYPICAL RATE PAYER AMOUNT.
UH, WELL, THE ORANGE REPRESENTS OUR TRANSFER TO, UH, CIP.
SO, AGAIN, TOUCHING ON, UH, WHAT OUR RATE FORECAST LOOKS LIKE.
UH, THE CLEAN COMMUNITY FEE, THE BASE FEE, AND OUR VARIOUS CART FEES.
THE THREE MAJOR FEES, UH, THAT THE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES, REALLY 97 TO 98% OF OUR REVENUE WE'RE FORECASTING A RATE INCREASE TO THE CLEAN COMMUNITY FEE IN FISCAL YEAR 25, AND AGAIN IN FISCAL YEAR 28.
UM, WE'RE ALSO FORECASTING, UH, A RATE CHANGE IN OUR CART FEES, OBVIOUSLY, AS I'VE MENTIONED, UH, THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 28, IN PART TO MAINTAIN ALIGNMENT, UH, WITH PROJECTIONS IN OUR POPULATION GROWTH.
UH, AND AS IS THE CASE WITH ALL OF OUR FEES, IT'S, IT'S, UH, BASED ON THE FORECASTED COST OF SERVICE, UM, OUR TYPICAL RATE PAYER.
UM, DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, THE BOLD LINE, UH, TYPICAL RATE PAYER IS DEFINED AS A RESIDENTIAL CURBSIDE COLLECTION CUSTOMER.
WITH A 64 GALLON TRASH CART, WE'LL SEE AN INCREASE OF A DOLLAR 55, UH, PER MONTH.
IN FISCAL YEAR 25, FORECASTED RATES ARE SET AT A LEVEL THAT MEETS BASE OPERATING NEEDS.
UH, IN THE SCENARIO AND RECOVERS THE ACTUAL COST OF SERVICE RATES ARE SET, ALSO SET TO MEET OUR 30 DAY OPERATING RESERVE REQUIREMENTS STIPULATED IN OUR FINANCIAL POLICY.
ANOTHER THING TO NOTE ABOUT THE RATES, UH, IN THIS FORECAST IS, UH, THAT WHICH IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER.
UM, SO THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR IN OUR FORECAST WHERE WE HA, UH, ARE ABLE TO FACTOR IN COSTS, UM, FOR THAT NEW SERVICE CENTER.
SO YOU'RE GONNA SEE IN FISCAL YEAR 26, THE, UM, UH, OF THE $40 AND 65 CENTS, OR THE INCREASE RATHER, UH, FROM 25 TO 26 40 5 CENTS IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER.
IN FISCAL YEAR 27, UH, THE INCREASE 45 CENTS, UH, IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER.
AND IN 28 60 CENTS, SO OVER THREE YEARS, THE IMPACT IS A DOLLAR 50 TO RATES.
SO THIS, UH, IS A FAMILIAR SLIDE.
THIS KIND OF SUMMARIZES, UH, OUR BEGINNING FUND BALANCE, OUR, UH, REVENUE, UH, EXPECTATIONS AND EX UH, EXPENDITURES, EXPENDITURE BUDGET, UH, AND LOOKING AT OUR ENDING FUND BALANCE AS WELL AS OUR FTE COUNT.
SO, FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS, A R R'S BEEN WORKING TOWARDS A BALANCED BUDGET APPROACH FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, LARGER THAN REQUIRED ENDING BALANCE, SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS, UH, WE JUST WEREN'T ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THAT REALLY SOUND FINANCIAL POLICY.
SO A LOT OF TIMES WE'D COME TO YOU AND THESE NUMBERS WERE A WHOLE LOT OF RED, UH, THAT YOU SEE.
UM, THIS YEAR IT'S NOT THE CASE.
WE'RE GONNA SET OUR FEES, UH, TO A LEVEL THAT, UH, OR WE'RE GOING TO SUBMIT A BALANCED BUDGET.
SO OUR, OUR REVENUE, UH, THAT WE ARE, OUR SETTING AND PROJECTING WILL COVER OUR EXPENSES.
UM, SO WE'VE SET OUR FEES, AGAIN OVER THE FORECAST PERIOD, AT, AT A LEVEL WHICH MEETS THAT COST OF SERVICE.
UH, AND WE'VE ALSO SET THEM AT A LEVEL TO BEGIN TO RECOVER FROM THE WINTER STORM MARROW.
OBVIOUSLY, WE, OUR DEPARTMENT TOOK A HUGE FINANCIAL HIT WITH THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE DID RECEIVE, UH, $15 MILLION SUPPORT FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
UH, AND ANY REIMBURSEMENT, AS RICHARD MENTIONED EARLIER, THAT COMES FROM FEMA, IS GONNA GO RIGHT BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE, UH, EXPENDED, UH, ABOUT $20 MILLION, ALMOST $20 MILLION.
SO, UH, YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A DIFFERENCE THERE THAT WE HAD TO COVER WITH OUR FUND BALANCE.
SO OUR CURRENT RATES ARE SET AT A LEVEL WHICH WILL HELP US RECOVER, UH, TO THAT END.
AND WE'LL KIND OF QUICKLY GO THROUGH THE, UH, THE ENHANCED, I'LL KIND OF TALK A LITTLE FASTER.
UM, THIS IS JUST A LOOK AT OUR ENHANCED VERSION OF THE FORECAST.
A VERY SIMILAR, UH, PRESENTATION TO WHAT YOU JUST SAW.
REALLY, THE, THE, THE MAIN DIFFERENCE THAT'S
[01:10:01]
DRIVING THE ENHANCED, UH, VERSION IS THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS.LOOKING AT THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU'LL SEE 60 POSITIONS VERSUS THE BASE CENTER BASE SCENARIO, WHICH WAS 31 POSITIONS.
UM, THIS INCLUDES, UH, YOU KNOW, 28 POSITIONS FOR DIRECT SUPPORT, UM, OF COLLECTIONS, UH, TO KEEP PACE WITH CUSTOMER GROWTH.
WE'VE GOT SOME ADDITIONS TO, TO WASTE DIVERSION, UH, GROWING OUR COMPLIANCE PROGRAM.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, OPERATION SUPPORT AS WELL.
SO, UM, THE ENHANCED FORECAST ALSO INCLUDES AN INCREASE TO OUR BASE RATE OVER THE FIVE YEAR PERIOD OF $4 AND 55 CENTS, A 90 CENT INCREASE TO CLEAN COMMUNITY FEE FOR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS, UH, AND A DOLLAR 10, UH, INCREASE, UH, FOR COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS OR THE FOUR FIVE YEAR FORECAST PERIOD.
AND AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE THE INCREASES THERE FOR THE, UH, VARIOUS CART SIZES UNDER THIS ENHANCED VERSION.
UH, QUICKLY TALK ABOUT OUR CAPITAL, UM, PROGRAM.
REALLY THE MAIN, SO THIS SLIDE JUST, UH, IT IS OUR KIND OF ANNUAL TRANSFER THAT WE MAKE TO FUND OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST PIECE OF THAT PIE IS GONNA BE OUR FLEET OPERATION.
UH, REPLACEMENT NEW AND REPLACEMENT VEHICLES.
THAT INVESTMENT IS 10.7 MILLION FOR FISCAL YEAR 25, UM, LANDFILL IMPROVEMENTS, UH, AND REPAIRS, UM, ABOUT, UH, HALF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR LANDFILL.
UH, AND THEN, UH, WE'RE ALSO INVESTING IN, UH, FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS OUT AT OUR HORNSBY BEND LOCATION, UM, WHERE WE, UH, PROCESS A LOT OF OUR BRUSH, UM, OR ALL OF OUR BRUSH REALLY.
UH, THEY'VE GOT AN OLD FACILITY OUT THERE, AND WE'RE, WE'RE SPENDING SOME MONEY TO GET THEM A NEW FACILITY.
SO, SOME, UH, HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CURRENT YEAR, UM, CIP PROGRAM.
UM, THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER, UH, I THINK YOU HEARD THE DIRECTOR TOUCH ON THAT.
UH, WE WILL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT AGAIN, UM, LATER, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY EXCITED TO, TO HAVE THAT IN OUR FORECAST THIS YEAR.
UM, THE FM EIGHT 12 LANDFILL, AGAIN, ONGOING REPAIRS, UH, CURRENT PROJECT IS TO CONNECT A, A LEACH EIGHT TANK, UH, OR THE LEACH EIGHT TANKS, RATHER TO THE SEWER TANK ARE ABOUT 90% COMPLETE.
UH, OUR FURNITURE REUSE WAREHOUSE, AS RICHARD MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, ON MARCH 27TH, THERE WAS A BIG CHECK, UH, EVENT, UM, HELD AT CITY HALL, UH, TO ACCEPT THE FUNDS FROM, UH, FROM THE EPA.
DON'T HAVE THE MONEY IN OUR BANK ACCOUNT YET, BUT IT'S COMING.
UH, HORNS OF EVENTS, UH, SCALE HOUSE, UH, IS ALSO ANOTHER PROJECT THAT IS GOING TO BE, UM, UH, IMPLEMENTED, AS I MENTIONED, UH, THE TRANSFER STATION FEASIBILITY STUDY.
ALSO, WE'VE GOT MONEY, AS RICHARD MENTIONED TO, TO, UM, PERFORM THAT STUDY AS WELL.
AND THAT'S IN OUR CURRENT BUDGET.
SO THE LAST SLIDE PRETTY MUCH, UM, IS RELATED TO OUR BUDGET TIMELINE.
SO OUR NEXT STEPS, UH, AS I MENTIONED, IS SUBMITTING THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
UH, AND THAT'S DUE ON MAY 3RD.
UM, AND THE CITY MANAGER WILL PRESENT THAT, UM, TO THE COUNCIL ON JULY 12TH.
UM, AFTER A SERIES OF WORK SESSIONS, COUNCIL WORK SESSIONS, BEGINNING IN AUGUST, THE OFFICIAL BUDGET READINGS AND ADOPTION OCCUR FOR THE 14TH THROUGH THE 16TH OF AUGUST.
SO BEFORE, BEFORE I CONCLUDE MY PRESENTATION, I DID WANNA CIRCLE BACK AROUND TO SLIDE NUMBER THREE.
UM, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND GOING TO THAT SLIDE.
UM, AND THESE ARE, ARE YOUR PRIORITIES.
I WANTED TO, UM, KIND OF TIE IN WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR FOR FORECAST, UM, FOR, UH, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE, UH, PRIORITIES.
SO, UH, FOR FACILITIES, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, TRANSFER STATION, WE CURRENTLY HAVE $200,000 BUDGETED FOR THE FEASIBILITY STUDY AND OTHER PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS.
THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER IS NOW A COUNCIL APPROVED PROJECT, AND WE HAVE FUNDING ALLOCATED IN THE FORECAST, UH, FOR, FOR ITS CONSTRUCTION.
ON THE FLEET SIDE, WE HAVE $60 MILLION FORECAST FOR NEW AND REPLACEMENT VEHICLES OVER THE FIVE YEAR PERIOD.
UH, ON THE STAFFING SIDE, FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS IN OUR WORKFORCE, UH, INCLUDE EMPLOYEE RETENTION INCENTIVES, EMPLOYEE REFERRAL PROGRAMS, ADJUSTMENTS TO SHIFT DIFFERENTIALS FOR SOME POSITIONS, AS WELL AS THE CITY'S OVERALL COMMITMENT TO INCREASING THE LIVING WAGE.
[01:15:01]
THINGS I'M SURE YOU ALL HAVE HEARD ABOUT.UH, ON THE COMPLIANCE SIDE, WE'VE ADDED FOUR COMPLIANCE POSITIONS TO ASSIST THE DEPARTMENT IN EN ENFORCE, IN ENFORCING THE URO THAT ARE ABATEMENT.
FORECAST FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 INCLUDES, UH, CONTINUING CONTINUED FUNDING OF 1.2 MILLION TO ADDRESS HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT CLEANUPS, UH, ON PARKLAND, UH, AND APPROXIMATELY A MILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDING TO, UH, CONTINUE ADDRESSING TRASH CLEANUP AND CREEKS, UH, DISASTER PREPAREDNESS.
SO THE FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, PUTS THE DEPARTMENT INTO FULL COMPLIANCE WITH OUR 30 DAYS OF OPERATING RESERVE OVER THE ENTIRE FORECAST PERIOD.
AND THIS IS A FIRST FOR THE DEPARTMENT, UH, AND ENSURES THAT WE ARE ABLE TO ADDRESS UNFORESEEN EVENTS.
UH, AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS TIME.
THANK YOU STAFF FOR, FOR THE WONDERFUL PRESENTATION.
YEAH, I WILL ENTERTAIN QUESTIONS, CRAIG, I HEARD IT'S NOT OKAY.
I HEARD RECENTLY THAT TCEQ HAD MONEY AVAILABLE FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES FOR TRASH PICKUP.
ARE WE GONNA TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT IN THIS FORECAST? UH, RICHARD MCHA, A RR DIRECTOR, UH, WHAT WHAT WE DO IS WE WORK WITH OUR FLEET DEPARTMENT TO TAP INTO THOSE RESOURCES.
AND, UM, YEAH, SO I KNOW WE ARE HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS RIGHT NOW, NOT ONLY ABOUT TRUCKS, BUT ALSO THE CHARGING STATIONS.
BECAUSE I JUST, I HAD HEARD ABOUT THAT, AND I JUST THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD THING TO PURSUE.
YEAH, THE ONLY ISSUE IS STILL, I MEAN, WE'RE STILL HAVING, THERE'S STILL SOME RANGE ISSUES WITH THE TRUCKS.
UM, AND WE JUST WENT TO, WHEN WE WERE OUT IN, UH, PHOENIX, UM, ONE OF THE, UH, MANUFACTURERS WAS OUT THERE, UM, AND THEY WERE TOUTING A 230 MILE HOUR, 230 MILE RANGE ON A SINGLE CHARGE.
UM, WELL UP TO A 230 MILE RANGE ON A SINGLE CHARGE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WAS WITH AN EMPTY TRUCK.
WE STILL GOT SOME ISSUES TO, TO WORK OUT THERE.
WE DO HAVE SOME A ROUTE, WHICH WE PROBABLY COULD MAKE THAT MOVE.
SO, UH, I THINK WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT OUR DOWNTOWN ROUTE, BECAUSE THAT'S A RELATIVELY SHORT, UH, DRIVING ROUTE WHERE WE COULD, UH, WHEN WE DO OUR CBD OPERATIONS CLEANING UP IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, UH, WE MAY BE ABLE TO UTILIZE IN THAT, UH, IN THAT ROLE.
SO, BUT IT DOES LOOK LIKE BATTERY TECHNOLOGY IS GETTING BETTER.
AND OUR NEW FACILITY THAT I WILL BE TALKING ABOUT UP AT JOHNNY MORRIS WILL HAVE, UM, WILL BE SPECED WITH THE CHARGING STATIONS.
THE, THE OTHER THING I HEARD ABOUT, I DON'T, AND THIS IS MAYBE VERY NEW, BUT SOMEPLACE IN ILLINOIS, THEY'RE BUILDING A ROADWAY THAT WHERE YOU DRIVE OVER THE ROADWAY, IT RECHARGES THE VEHICLE, RECHARGES THE BATTERY.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE YOU DO WITH COMPUTERS, YOU SET SOMETHING ON TOP OF, YOU KNOW, BUT ANYWAY, I JUST CURIOUS 'CAUSE YOU HEAR THESE NEW IDEAS AND IT'S NICE TO KNOW WE'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THEM.
UM, BUT WHEN WE, AND IT GETS COLDER, WE GO TO REG BACK TO REGULAR STRAIGHT DIESEL FOR OUR HEAVY TRUCKS.
UM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE OBVIOUSLY SOME LIGHTER DUTY, UH, PICKUPS AND STUFF THAT JUST RUN ON UNLEADED.
UH, WE DO ALSO HAVE SOME ELECTRIC SEDANS, UM, THAT WE HAVE, UH, AT BOTH OUR NORTHERN, UH, RUTHERFORD LANE, UH, CAMPUS, AND ALSO ON OUR SOUTH KENNETH GARDNER SERVICE CENTER.
SO ARE WE TRYING TO GET RID OF THE DIESEL TRUCKS FIRST? UH, WELL, AND, AND LET ME ALSO ADD THAT WE ALSO HAVE C AND G WE HAVE ABOUT, UH, 56 C AND G TRUCKS.
SO, UM, ONCE WE START, UH, INVESTING MORE IN ELECTRIC AND, AND MOVING THAT WAY, YOU'LL SEE A DEFINITE DECREASE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL EVER GET RID OF ALL OF THEM, JUST 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA BE TOO RELIANT UPON ELECTRIC.
AND IF SOMETHING MAJOR HAPPENS AND WE DON'T HAVE THAT POWER, WE DON'T, DON'T WANT TO BE, UH, DEAD IN THE WATER.
SO WE STILL WANT TO BE ABLE TO, TO OPERATE.
SO I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK CLOSELY AT THE, THE RATIO OF THE, THE DIFFERENT FUEL TYPES AND WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR FLEET DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE STILL MEETING THE CLIMATE GOALS FOR THE CITY, BUT WE CAN STILL PICK UP THE MATERIALS THAT WE NEED TO DO.
AND YOU'LL KEEP US POSTED ON WHAT YOU'RE THINKING AS ABSOLUTELY.
ALSO ON THE, UH, COMPLIANCE, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ENFORCEMENT FOR THE URO? I WILL PROBABLY ASK, UH, JASON MCCOMBS TO COME UP TO DISCUSS THAT.
JASON MCCOMBS, UH, DIVISION MANAGER
[01:20:01]
OF CHIEF, UH, WITH AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.SO, UM, YEAH, WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF GROWTH, I THINK WITH OUR COMPLIANCE TEAM OVER THIS PAST YEAR.
WE, WE, IN 2020, WE HAD ONE STAFF.
UM, BUT WE NOW WITH THIS YEAR, UM, WE NOW HAVE, WE'RE UP TO FIVE TOTAL OF STAFF.
WE'VE GOT A SUPERVISOR IN PLACE.
WE'RE GONNA, WE HAVE THREE INSPECTORS AND AN ADMIN SUPPORT STAFF.
SO IT REALLY STARTING TO RAMP UP, UM, AND, UH, LOOK INTO DIFFERENT WAYS TO PRIORITIZE, UM, ENFORCEMENT, ESPECIALLY ON THE UNIVERSAL RECYCLING ORDINANCE.
WE'VE HAD THEM, THEY DO, SPEAKING OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES, WE'VE GOT THEM INTO CHEVY BOLTS AND THEY'RE OUT DRIVING AROUND VISITING, UH, NON-COMPLIANT PROPERTIES RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND WE ALSO JUST GOT OUR, UM, CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION KIND OF A CASE FILE STRUCTURE JUST PUT IN PLACE.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING INTO OPPORTUNITIES TO START ENFORCING ON THAT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS, AMANDA? YEAH, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT SOME OF THE DATA.
IF YOU, I THINK IT WAS ON THE SECOND OR THIRD SLIDE.
AND FIRST OF ALL, WONDERFUL PRESENTATION.
VERY COMPREHENSIVE, VERY INFORMATIVE.
I HAD SOME CURIOSITY AROUND THESE NUMBERS, UM, BECAUSE IT LOOKED LIKE, WHERE WAS IT? OKAY, CUSTOMER SATISFACTION INCREASING, FANTASTIC.
UM, ESTIMATED PERCENTAGE OF CURBSIDE COLLECTED MATERIALS DIVERTED FROM LANDFILLS BY A RR FROM 38% TO 63%.
BUT THEN I LOOKED AT BELOW IT, PERCENTAGE OF URO AFFECTED PROPERTIES REPORTING ACCESS TO RECYCLING FROM 84 TO 62, THERE WAS A DROP OFF.
I, I'M WONDERING IF THOSE ARE RELATED.
ARE, IS THIS A, A SEEING WITH SEEING FEWER PROPERTIES REPORTING? IS THE DIVERSION THEN REFLECTING ONLY, LET'S SAY THE PROPERTIES THAT HAVE VERY GOOD PRACTICES, UM, OR, OR ARE THOSE INDEPENDENT? IS THE DIVERSION FROM, YOU KNOW, A DIFFERENT CALCULATION THAN THE PERCENTAGE OF PROPERTIES REPORTING ACCESS TO RECYCLING? I, UH, JASON MCCOMBS AGAIN, UH, DIVISION MANAGER, UM, SO THEY ARE TWO DIFFERENT, THEY'RE SEPARATE KIND OF WASTE STREAMS. THE BIG DIP, ESPECIALLY IN THE UNIVERSAL RECYCLING ORDINANCE THAT YOU'RE SEEING IS REFLECTIVE OF A CHANGE WE MADE IN OPERATIONS THAT YEAR WITH THE BRINGING OUR COMPLIANCE STAFF ON BOARD.
UP UNTIL THIS TIME, WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF COMPLIANCE SUPPORT.
AND SO WE WERE RELYING ON EDUCATION STAFF.
WE WOULD, UM, AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, THERE IS A ANNUAL ONLINE REPORTING PERIOD FROM FEB, UH, FROM OCTOBER TO FEBRUARY.
IT KIND OF FOLLOWS THE FISCAL YEAR EVERY YEAR, UM, WHERE EVERYONE IN THE CITY NEEDS TO REPORT ONLINE ABOUT HOW THEY'RE MEETING ORDINANCE REQUIREMENTS.
UM, AND WE HAD VERY LIMITED COMPLIANCE STAFF.
YOU KNOW, WE WOULD, UH, AFTER FEBRUARY 1ST, EVEN THOUGH THAT WAS THE CUTOFF DATE THAT ALL THESE FORMS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE TURNED IN, WE WOULD CONTINUE OUTREACH AND EDUCATION THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER AND THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO IT BECAME A YEAR ROUND OPERATION, GETTING PEOPLE TO SUBMIT THESE FORMS. UM, IN THAT 2020, I GUESS IT WAS 23 IS WHEN WE MADE A SWITCH WITH KIND OF THE GROWTH OF OUR COMPLIANCE STAFF AT THAT FEBRUARY 1ST DATE, WE WOULD, NOW WE WENT FROM THE EDUCATION TEAM AND WE NOW HAND THAT OVER TO THE COMPLIANCE TEAM.
SO WE SAW A DIP IN OUR REPORTING RATE ONLINE, BUT IT DOES, WE'RE HOPEFULLY GETTING OUR COMPLIANCE RATE'S ACTUALLY IMPROVING.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO SEE.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THAT BIG DIP THERE.
IT WAS JUST A CHANGE IN, IN OPERATIONS AND HOW WE'RE DOING IT HISTORICALLY.
EVEN BEFORE, UM, THE SWITCH WE WERE HITTING USUALLY AROUND 60 SOME ODD PERCENT EVERY YEAR, YOU WITH JUST EDUCATION ALONE.
SO IT, IT KINDA SHOWS HOW FAR EDUCATION ALONE CAN GET YOU AT SOME POINT YOU HAVE TO START, YOU KNOW, INVOLVING ENFORCEMENT.
SO THAT'S WHAT THAT BIG DIP WAS.
ALSO, THAT'LL BE INTERESTING THEN, LIKE, AS YOU SAID, NOW THAT IT'S WITH COMPLIANCE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS ON THOSE NUMBERS DE YES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? QUICK QUESTION.
THE ACTUAL, UH, CITYWIDE SUPPORT COST IS THAT BASICALLY WHAT WE USED TO CALL GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTIONS BACK IN THE OLD DAYS? SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT A RR HAD EVER CONTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO THE GENERAL FUND, BUT ESSENTIALLY, YES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? HEARING NO QUESTIONS? UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH VICTORIA AND STAFF.
THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, SUPPORT.
[6. Approve a recommendation for Northeast Service Center Negotiations – Richard McHale]
OUR NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS IS THE ACTUAL, UH, RICHARD[01:25:01]
NORTHEAST, UH, COMMERS, RICHARD MCHALE, DIRECTOR OF FROST RESOURCE RECOVERY.UM, WE ARE SEEKING I FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION FOR US TO, UM, BEGIN NEGOTIATIONS WITH A VENDOR.
UNFORTUNATELY, AT THIS POINT, I CAN'T MENTION THE VENDOR'S NAME BECAUSE IT'S NOT PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE AT THIS POINT.
UM, SO I'M REALLY JUST KIND OF ASKING FOR THAT PERMISSION TO, TO GO.
THIS IS GONNA GO TO COUNCIL, UH, I THINK MAY 30TH.
UM, SO, UH, I THINK THIS MEETING HAD GOT PUSHED BACK.
SO I THINK INITIALLY THIS WAS GONNA COME TO COUNCIL EARLIER.
SO WE, WE, I THINK WE HAD PLANNED ON APRIL 18TH GOING TO SWAC AND THEN TO, I THINK MAY 2ND COUNCIL, THINGS GOT PUSHED BACK.
SO I THINK WE'LL ACTUALLY HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY ON MAY 8TH TO HAVE THIS, UH, THIS TALK AGAIN WITH THE NAME OF THE VENDOR.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS IT COULD BE DEFERRED.
I JUST, WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE WE MEET ON, UH, ON MAY 8TH.
SO I, YOU KNOW, WE STILL WANNA TO GO FORWARD WITH THAT, BUT I CAN STILL GO AHEAD AND, AND TALK ABOUT THIS.
SO, UH, WE ARE LOOKING FOR A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE, WITH THE VENDOR, UM, FOR THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER.
UM, THIS, THIS PROJECT, UM, STARTED OUT WITH, UH, 10 DIFFERENT, UM, PROPOSALS SUBMITTED TO THE CITY.
UM, UH, THE CITY HAD A TEAM PUT TOGETHER.
OUR FLEET MOBILITY SERVICES STAFF WERE ON THAT TEAM, UH, STAFF FROM FINANCIAL SERVICES, UH, AS WELL AS BUILDING SERVICES.
UH, WERE ALL ON THAT TEAM AND EVALUATED ALL THE PROPOSALS THAT CAME IN.
UM, THE, THE COMPANIES CAME IN AND PRESENTED, UH, THEIR PROPOSALS.
UH, THAT LIST OF 10 VENDORS WAS THEN SHORTLISTED TO THREE, UM, WITH SOME UPDATED REQUIREMENTS ON WHAT THE, THE CITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE DESIGNS.
UH, THEY WENT BACK, DID THEIR WORK, UM, CAME TO US AND, UH, UM, BASICALLY, UM, WE HAVE PRELIMINARILY PICKED, UH, ONE COMPANY TO, TO DO THAT WORK.
AND WE'D LIKE TO BE, START THOSE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THAT COMPANY, UH, TO DO THAT.
SO THIS WOULD BE A, A DESIGN ON OUR PROPERTY ON JOHNNY MORRIS ROAD.
AND THIS WILL BE FOR OUR NEW HEADQUARTERS, WHICH WILL ALSO HOUSE FLEET MOBILITY SERVICES AS THEIR HEADQUARTERS.
SO I WAS SMART TO GET MY FLEET DIRECTOR IN THE SAME BUILDING AS ME.
SO I HAVE A, UM, I HAVE A DOOR THAT JUST ADJOINS OUR OFFICES.
SO, UH, ANY ISSUES THAT COME UP, UH, CAN BE QUICKLY ADDRESSED.
BUT, UH, BEEN OUT THERE, UH, THEY, THEY'RE, UH, THEY NEEDED A HOME TOO.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF FACILITIES ALL OVER THAT ARE IN, UH, I WOULD SAY SUBSTANDARD CONDITIONS.
SO, UM, THIS IS A BIG OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HAVE SOME NEW FACILITIES.
WE HAVEN'T HAD A NEW FACILITY SINCE WE BUILT THE, UH, KENNETH GARDNER SERVICE CENTER BACK IN, UH, THE LATE NINETIES.
SO IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.
SO, UM, THIS WILL HAVE, UH, LIKE I SAID, OUR HEADQUARTERS.
IT'LL ALSO HAVE A SERVICE CENTER, SO WE WILL HAVE A NORTH OPERATIONAL SERVICE CENTER THAT'LL OPERATE OUTTA JOHNNY MORRIS ROAD.
UM, WE'LL HAVE ABOUT 60% OF OUR STAFF WILL OFFICE, UH, AT THIS FACILITY.
IT'LL BE MUCH LARGER THAN THE, UH, THE TODD LANE FACILITY.
UM, THE, THE, THE WHOLE PARCEL UP THERE IS 132 ACRES.
UM, WE HAVE, IT'S, IT'S BIFURCATED BY A, A, A FLOOD ZONE, UH, THAT WE REALLY CAN'T DO MUCH WITH.
SO, UM, THERE'S REALLY A NORTH TRACK AND A SOUTH TRACK.
SO A RR UH, WILL HAVE, UH, ALL OF ITS OPERATIONS ON THE NORTH TRACK, INCLUDING A, UH, SERVICE CENTER THAT FLEET WILL MAINTAIN THAT WILL JUST BE SPECIFICALLY FOR A RR TRUCKS.
AND THEN THE SOUTH PARCEL WILL BE, UM, SEVERAL SERVICE CENTERS, UH, THAT WILL SERVICE ALL THE FIRE EMS AND POLICE VEHICLES.
AND THIS ALLOWS FLEET TO MOVE OUT OF THE, UH, OUR OLD, OLD OFFICES WHEN I FIRST STARTED WITH THE CITY, WHICH WERE ON HARGRAVE, UH, ALLOW THE CITY TO MOVE OUTTA HARGRAVE, UM, TO THIS NEW AREA.
AND THEN THAT PROPERTY CAN BE REDEVELOPED.
I THINK THERE'S SOME, UH, SOME, UH, INTEREST IN HAVING SOME LOW INCOME HOUSING OVER IN THE HARD GRAVE AREA.
SO THIS, UH, THIS MOVE WILL, WILL FREE UP A LOT OF, UH, THINGS AND GET A LOT OF OTHER PROJECTS GOING.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
UM, WE'LL, WE WILL COME BACK WITH, UH, WITH THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS AND EVERYTHING, BUT I CAN TELL YOU, UM, THEY WERE, COMPANIES ARE VERY AGGRESSIVE RIGHT NOW.
WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY EXPECT IT.
UM, IF ANY OF YOU WERE ABLE TO WATCH THE, THE BUDGET PRESENTATION, UM, THERE WAS A, UH, A CONSULTANT THAT TALKED ABOUT, UH, BUILDING COST AND, UM, THE VERY HIGH COST OF BUILDING, UH, ESPECIALLY IN THE DALLAS AREA, WHERE PROPERTIES WERE GOING FOR.
UH, THEN I THINK THIS WAS A SCHOOL DISTRICT, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS
[01:30:01]
A SCHOOL OR NOT, BUT ABOUT $1,200 A SQUARE FOOT.UM, SO VERY EXPENSIVE CONSTRUCTION, BUT WE'RE, UH, OUR COSTS ARE CONSIDERABLY LOWER THAN THAT.
SO WE'RE IN A MUCH BETTER SITUATION.
AND THE VALUE, THE COST PER SQUARE FOOT'S, IT WAS VERY GOOD, ESPECIALLY COMPARED WITH THE OTHER SOLICITATIONS.
SO WE WOULD JUST LIKE, UH, AN APPROVAL JUST TO GO AHEAD AND START THOSE NEGOTIATIONS.
UM, AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR RICHARD? A COMMENT, I THINK THIS IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY, AND THE, THE SOONER WE GET THIS PROCESS STARTED, THE, THE BETTER, UH, COMMISSIONERS, WE CAN AGAIN, DEFER THIS TO THE EIGHTH MEETING, MAY 8TH MEETING.
AGAIN, BIG ASSUMPTION, WE WILL HAVE A QUORUM AND WE WILL ACTUALLY GET, UH, GET THIS, GET THIS DONE AT THAT TIME.
UM, IF WE DEFER THIS, WHAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL WE HAVE AT THAT TIME SPECIFICALLY? GOOD POINT.
I'LL, I, I'M UNDERSTANDING WE'LL HAVE THE NAME OF THE ACTUAL PROB THE NAME OF THE COMPANY, I WOULD IMAGINE A, A ROUGH DOLLAR FIGURE, AND THEN WE HAVE A GUESSTIMATE.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE THAT.
AND IS IT RIGHT TO SAY THAT ANY VENDOR WHO WOULD GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS IS GONNA GO THROUGH A MINIMAL VETTING OF SOME SORT JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE GONNA FOLLOW THROUGH, ET CETERA? THERE'S, THERE'S A WHOLE PROCESS FOR THAT AS WELL, RIGHT? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
IN FACT, ALL, UH, ALL OF THE VENDORS THAT SUBMITTED PROPOSALS WERE ALL LOCAL, WELL, ALL BUT ONE, WERE LOCAL TO THE AUSTIN AREA, UM, AND HAVE DONE MAJOR PROJECTS, INCLUDING THE, THE BUILDING THAT WE'RE SITTING IN RIGHT NOW.
UM, THE PDC, THE PERMIT DEVELOPMENT CENTER, UM, UH, THE, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH SOUTH AUSTIN RIVERSIDE, UH, THE RIVER, I THINK IT'S RIVER 21, I'M NOT SURE THE NAME.
UH, IT'S A BIG GLASS BUILDING, UH, JUST THERE ON BARTON SPRINGS AND RIVERSIDE.
SO ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE COMPANIES, UH, DID THAT.
SO, UH, THEY HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE.
UH, THE COMPANIES THAT SUBMITTED PROPOSALS HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN BOTH, UH, INDUSTRIAL AND IN COMMERCIAL FACILITIES AS, AS WELL AS OFFICE SPACE.
'CAUSE THIS IS A WHOLE CAMPUS.
UM, ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE DID, UM, PUT IN OUR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS THAT THIS BE A BUILDING THAT CAN BE DECONSTRUCTED.
SO THIS WILL BE ONE OF THE FIRST BUILDINGS IN THE COUNTRY TO ACTUALLY GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
SO, UM, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS, UH, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE THIS BUILDING AS A, A LEARNING TOOL SO WE CAN SPREAD, UH, THE WORD ABOUT, UH, THE ABILITY TO, NOT ONLY URBAN MINING OF, YOU KNOW, GOING INTO, UH, AREAS AND, AND GETTING THOSE MATERIALS OUT OF, OUT OF BUILDINGS, BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE PROCESS, UH, TO DO THIS SO WE CAN SHOW OTHERS HOW TO DO IT AND KIND OF LEAD, LEAD BY EXAMPLE.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T REALLY SEE THIS, UH, UNITED STATES RIGHT NOW, IT'S JUST KIND OF, UH, STARTING OUT.
BUT, UH, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF, OF THIS GOING ON RIGHT NOW IN EUROPE.
SO REALLY LOOKING AT THIS AND, UH, WE, WE FEEL THIS IS VERY INNOVATIVE AND, UM, UM, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
UM, WE'RE, UH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, IT'S GONNA BE KEY ALSO IN, IN OUR RECRUITING OF STAFF.
'CAUSE UH, WE WANT TO HAVE SOME NICE FACILITIES, UM, WHERE PEOPLE ARE GONNA WANNA STAY AND WORK AT.
OH, RICHARD, I'M KIND OF CURIOUS, WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO HAVING THE FACILITY BE DECONSTRUCTED? UH, WELL, ACTUALLY ONE OF THE PROPOSALS, THE BUILDING COULD ACTUALLY BE DECONSTRUCTED AND RELOCATED AND SET UP IN ANOTHER LOCATION.
YOU'D OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, PUT A NEW SLAB DOWN AND SOME OTHER STUFF.
BUT, UM, THAT KIND OF TALKS TO THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE BUILDING.
UM, SO IF, IF FOR WHATEVER REASON WE DECIDED THAT THAT'S NOT WHERE WE NEEDED TO BE, UH, THEN WE COULD, UH, THEORETICALLY PICK UP AND MOVE, UH, DON'T KNOW WHAT ALL THAT ENTAILS.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE LEARNING PROCESS.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO SEE WHAT ALL THAT, UH, WOULD COST.
AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IS THERE, IS THERE A VALUE IN THAT? SO, UM, BUT WE OBVIOUSLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE MATERIALS THAT WE'RE USING IN THIS BUILDING ARE RECYCLABLE.
AND WE'VE EVEN, UH, IDENTIFIED THAT, UH, THE VENDOR IS TO MINIMIZE THE USE OF PLASTICS TO THE DEGREE POSSIBLE IN THAT BUILDING.
UM, SO IT'LL BE, UM, OBVIOUSLY A, A GREEN BUILDING, UH, THROUGH THE AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM.
AND, UH, AND ALSO A WELL BUILDING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? JUST A COMMENT HERE.
I DO RECALL A MEETING OR TWO ON HARGRAVE BACK IN THE, UH, BACK IN THE OLD DAYS.
COULD WE JUST DO A, COULD WE DO JUST A PROVISIONAL APPROVAL TO, TO MOVE FORWARD AND JUST, WE CAN HAVE IT A REVIEW IN THE NEXT MEETING, SHOULD IT HAPPEN? THAT WAY WE'RE NOT HOLDING ANYTHING UP.
[01:35:01]
I'LL ACCEPT THAT.IF THAT, IF THAT IS A, UH, MOTION, I, I WOULD MOVE TO DO THAT.
I DON'T, I JUST HATE FOR US TO BE IN THE WAY OF ANYTHING.
Y MOVES THAT WE, UH, PRELIMINARY DO USE OR DO A PRELIMINARY APPROVAL OF THE ITEM.
DO I HEAR A SECOND? I SECOND THAT CORRECT.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT HEARING? NO DISCUSSIONS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND.
I, AMANDA, IS THAT, IS THERE A HAND RAISED? I CAN'T SEE.
DO YOU HAVE A CONCERN? I WOULD, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR CONCERN IF YOU'RE, I I, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC CONCERN WITH WHAT, WHAT THE DIRECTOR'S TALKING ABOUT THAT NEEDS TO, LIKE, THAT ALL MAKES PERFECT SENSE.
I AM JUST A LITTLE CAUTIOUS ABOUT, UM, APPROVING WITHOUT THE INFORMATION OR MAYBE MAYBE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
JUST I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WOULD ACTION, WE WOULD TAKE THEN NEXT MONTH WITH MORE INFORMATION.
SO EITHER, EITHER WE'RE APPROVING IT NOW, OR HE, THEN WE'RE PUTTING THE DIRECTORY AND GETTING IT IN THE POSITION OF BEING INVOLVED IN CONVERSATIONS.
AND THEN WE'RE LATER GONNA SAY, OH, NO, WE CHANGED OUR MINDS.
YOU KNOW, I, IT, IT, IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW VERSUS WHAT WE WOULD DO NEXT MONTH.
SO MAYBE IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT QUITE A NO, I WAS JUST GONNA ABSTAIN BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE ABOUT HOW I FEEL ABOUT MOVING FORWARD IN THIS WAY.
BUT IF THERE'S A WAY TO AMEND THE MOTION A LITTLE BIT TO MAKE THAT A LITTLE MORE CLEAR, I'D BE HAPPY TO SUPPORT IT.
ANY SUGGESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS OR, I, I HAVE A SUGGESTIONS THAT WE APPROVE IT, BUT WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REVERSE THAT UPON HEARING THE NEXT INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, BUT FOR NOW, FOR WHAT WE KNOW, WE APPROVE IT.
I, I THINK THIS WAS, I MEAN, HELP ME HERE, JAN.
YEAH, I MEAN THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT WAS PENDING.
I'M ASSUMING SINCE I, I MEAN, UNLESS SOMEONE'S GOT A SPECIFIC PROBLEM WITH VENDORS THAT WE'VE ALREADY USED, WHO'VE ALREADY BEEN KNOWN TO DO THIS AND PASS THROUGH THE VETTING PROCESS, SINCE THEY ALL HAVE DONE THAT, I'M NOT SURE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
SO THEN THE QUESTION WOULD JUST BE, I GUESS ABOUT THE, THE FINAL NUMBERS THAT WOULD COME THROUGH.
SO, UM, I, YOU KNOW, MY, IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR US TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS FIRST BEFORE WE, JUST TO SEE IF THEY, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE GONNA BE FAIRLY POSITIVE ANYWAY, AND COUNCILS CAN HAVE THE FINAL WORD REGARDLESS.
SO I'M NOT SURE
AND I THINK THE, THE BUDGET, SO WE'RE COMING BACK TO DISCUSS IT IN MORE DETAIL NEXT MONTH, EITHER WAY, EVEN IF WE APPROVE NOW.
SO AMANDA, IS THAT A ABSTENTION? SO THAT'S A YES FOR ME THEN.
SO I'M, I'M OKAY WITH IT THEN.
SO IT'S UNANIMOUS TO SUPPORT THIS ON A PRELIMINARY BASIS.
AND, AND JUST ANOTHER NOTE, YOU'LL, THERE'LL ACTUALLY ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TOO 'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK AGAIN WHEN WE DO HAVE THE BEST AND FINAL OFFER FOR APPROVAL.
SO THERE'LL BE ACTUALLY ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.
THE LAST ITEM ON THE, UH, ON THE AGENDA IS BASICALLY THE ITEM NUMBER SEVEN,
[7. Approve a recommendation for Administrative Rules City Code Revisions RCA –Richard McHale]
WHICH IS A RECOMMENDATION FOR ADMINISTRATIVE RULES REVISIONS.RICHARD, THAT'S, OH, I'M SORRY.
DO YOU WANNA SPEAK BEFORE OR AFTER? IT'S OVER HERE.
WHY DON'T WE, WHY DON'T WE, UH, WHY DON'T WE ALLOW THE PRESENTATION AND THEN YOU CAN SPEAK, YOU CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
SO YOUR PRESENTATION AND THEN THEY'LL SPEAK AFTER YOU.
UH, NEXT ITEM, UH, A R IS SEEKING A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION TO AMEND THE AUSTIN CITY CODE.
UH, THE SECTION, THE CODE, UH, THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING AT IS 15 DASH SIX DASH THREE B, UH, WHICH REQUIRES A RR TO FOLLOW A DIFFERENT PROCESS TO, TO AMEND OUR ADMINISTRATIVE RULES THAN OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE THAT SAME RESPONSIBILITY.
SO, UM, THE TYPES OF CHANGE THAT WE'RE MAKING IN THESE RULES ARE ADMINISTRATIVE IN NATURE.
AND AS SUCH, WITH A COUNCIL MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT, THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES LIE WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND NOT WITH COUNCIL.
[01:40:01]
DO IS TO, UM, GET THE PROCESS BACK OPERATING THE WAY IT SHOULD BE CORRECTLY, UM, AND BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CITY CHARTER.UM, THE CHANGE ALSO ADDRESSES CONCERNS I HEAR FROM STAFF, UH, ABOUT THE TIME REQUIRED TO PREPARE FOR BOTH THE COMMISSION AND THE COUNCIL MEETINGS.
UM, I ALSO HEAR ISSUES RESULT, UH, RESULTING FROM EMPLOYEES THAT TRANSFER FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE RULES WHO HAVE TO BE RETRAINED.
'CAUSE OUR PROCESS IS DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS.
UM, BY ADOPTING THE PROCESS, UTILIZING THE REST OF THE CITY, WE'LL ALSO BE ABLE TO HEAR FROM PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WE DON'T TYPICALLY HEAR FROM.
BECAUSE A PROPOSED CHANGE CREATES A MORE TRANSPARENT PROCESS, THIS CHANGE WILL ENCOURAGE MORE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND FREE UP STAFF TIME.
AND I'M SURE YOU WOULD AGREE THAT THEIR TIME IS BETTER UTILIZED, EXPEDITE SOME OF THOSE PRIORITIES THAT, UH, VICTORIA HAS SHOWN US, UH, THAN TO PREPARE THESE ITEMS. UH, THIS COMMISSION HAS EXPRESSED ITS WILLINGNESS TO ASSIST THE DEPARTMENT IN GETTING THE RESOURCES WE NEED.
SO AS ADVOCATING FOR MORE FUNDING.
AND WHILE I APPRECIATE THAT, UM, I THINK WE CAN, UM, DO OTHER THINGS INSTEAD OF RAISING RATES AS, UH, AND ONE OF THOSE THINGS IS TO, TO SAVE MORE MONEY.
UM, AND THAT'LL IMPACT OUR, OUR RATES POSITIVELY.
UM, WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO MAKE AUSTIN MORE AFFORDABLE, TO SLOW THAT MIGRATION OUTTA THE CITY AND, UH, TO THOSE AREAS THAT ARE MORE AFFORDABLE OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN.
SO A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION WILL HELP GET US TO THAT POINT.
UM, AND WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
WE WILL LET THE SPEAKER RICH, WE WILL LET THE, UH, SPEAKER GO AND THEN WE'LL HAVE QUESTION AND ANSWERS.
UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
ADAM GREGORY WITH TEXAS DISPOSAL SYSTEMS. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
UM, I KNOW MOST OF YOU, UM, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING TO KNOW SOME OF THE, THE NEWER FOLKS SOON.
UM, I'VE BEEN ATTENDING S WAC MEETINGS FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
FIRST WHEN I WAS A SMALL CHILD BECAUSE MY FATHER SAT ON THIS COMMISSION, UH, BACK IN THE EIGHTIES.
UM, AND THEN OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS, I'VE ATTENDED THE VAST MAJORITY OF, OF THESE MEETINGS AS A STAKEHOLDER AND A SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING PROFESSIONAL.
UM, WAC PERFORMS A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN HELPING TO CRAFT POLICY AND SEEING THAT THOSE POLICIES ARE IMPLEMENTED PROPERLY AND HOLDING THE STAFF ACCOUNTABLE.
ZAC HAS DONE AN ADMIRABLE JOB OVER THE YEARS IN, IN TOUGH CIRCUMSTANCES, SOMETIMES HOLDING THE STAFF ACCOUNTABLE AND CHAMPIONING, CHAMPIONING, CHAMPIONING OUR ZERO WASTE GOALS.
UM, VERY FEW BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS PLAY AS ACTIVE AND IMPACTFUL ROLE AS THE ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION DOES IN CITY GOVERNANCE.
UM, I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF THAT AND PROTECTIVE OF IT.
WITH THIS ITEM, THE STAFF IS REQUESTING THAT YOU REDUCE YOUR ROLE AND THAT YOU PROVIDE STUFF LESS, LESS ACCOUNTABILITY.
IN 2012, THE CITY COUNCIL SAW FIT TO REQUIRES WAC REVIEW AND COUNCIL APPROVAL TO ADOPT ADMINISTRATIVE RULES FOR CITY CODE.
15 DASH 15 DASH SIX INCLUDES EVERYTHING REGARDING WASTE AND RECYCLING.
UM, IT INCLUDES THE URO, UM, THE C AND D ORDINANCE, FOOD WASTE RECYCLING, THE CITY'S, UH, COLLECTION DEPARTMENT AND THE HALL, UH, PRIVATE HAULERS.
UM, ADMINISTRATIVE RULES LAY OUT HOW ORDINANCES ARE ENFORCED AND HOW ZERO WASTE POLICY IS IMPLEMENTED.
A RR ALSO IS IN A VERY UNIQUE POSITION OF BEING THE REGULATOR OF PRIVATE HAULERS, WHILE ALSO A, A COMPETITOR.
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN HAULING OPERATION.
UM, IN 2012, THIS DEPARTMENT, UM, WAS IN THE MIDST OF A PROBLEMATIC PERIOD OF MISMANAGEMENT AND IN ALSO AT THE SAME TIME, EMBARKING ON A NEW ZERO WASTE PLAN, UM, THAT WOULD TAKE SHAPE THROUGH ORDINANCES AND ASSOCIATED RULES.
COUNCIL THOUGHT THEN THAT EXTRA ACCOUNTABILITY WAS NECESSARY, AND I BELIEVE IT IS JUST AS NECESSARY NOW TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF OUR ZERO WASTE GOALS AND THE INTEGRITY OF THIS COMMISSION.
PLEASE DO NOT VOTE TO LIMIT W AND COUNCIL'S INFLUENCE OVER HOW POLICIES ARE IMPLEMENTED.
STAFF HAS STATED IN THE RCA THAT THIS CHANGE WILL QUOTE, REDUCE THE ADMINISTRATIVE LOAD ON APPOINTED OFFICIALS, CITY COUNCIL AND CITY STAFF.
IN FACT, IT WILL DO THE OPPOSITE.
THIS IS SIX PAGES 19 SUBSECTIONS OF A PROCESS TO APPROVE ADMINISTRATIVE RULES THAT EVERYBODY ELSE HAS TO GO TO.
[01:45:01]
A RR ACTUALLY, IN FACT HAS A VERY STREAMLINED PROCESS.THE DIFFERENCE IS THERE'S ACCOUNTABILITY HERE.
THERE'S NO APPEAL PROCESS TO ANY OF THE POLICY MAKERS.
IT IS COMPLETELY CONTROLLED BY STAFF.
THERE IS WHAT APPEARS TO BE, AS I SAID, AN EXTENSIVE PROCESS HERE.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS ACCOUNTABILITY.
IT'S EASIER, IT TAKES LESS TIME.
WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT COST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME.
IT JUST HAS THE ACCOUNTABILITY THAT COUNSEL DEEMED NECESSARY AND I BELIEVE IS STILL NECESSARY.
PLEASE DO NOT GIVE UP YOUR IMPORTANT ROLE IN REVIEWING AND ADVISING COUNSEL ON THE RULES THAT IMPLEMENT THE POLICIES YOU AND STAKEHOLDERS AND THE STAFF WORK SO HARD ON.
THIS IS NOTHING ABOUT PERSONALITIES.
I'M GLAD RICHARD'S THE DIRECTOR.
HOWEVER, FOR PURPOSES OF GOING FORWARD, I THINK IT'S CRUCIAL THAT YOU MAINTAIN THIS ROLE.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE SPEAKER? HEARING NONE.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF FOR RICHARD? I, I, I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
UM, WELL REQUESTS, I HAVE SOME REQUESTS.
I WOULD LIKE A LOT MORE INFORMATION BEFORE MAKING A DECISION LIKE THIS.
UM, I'D LIKE SOME MORE INSIGHT INTO WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN 2012 THAT THE COUNCIL FELT THE NEED TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROCESS.
UM, IF, IF, IF A RR IS HAVING TO FOLLOW A DIFFERENT PROCEDURE THAN OTHER DEPARTMENTS, THEN I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WHY MM-HMM MM-HMM,
AND THEN WE CAN HAVE AN ASSESSMENT PERHAPS, AND A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER THE THINGS THAT LED TO THIS DECISION BEING PUT INTO PLACE, UM, HAVE THEN STOPPED HAPPENING WITH THE NEW PROCESS.
SO IS THE NEW PROCESS EFFECTIVE? YES OR NO? IS THE REASON THAT IT WAS IMPLEMENTED IN THE FIRST PLACE.
SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED IN OTHER WAYS SO THAT IF WE'RE BACK TO ANOTHER PROCESS, THEY WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
AND THEN I AM INTERESTED ABOUT THE TIME QUESTION.
I, I DON'T KNOW, I COULD SEE BOTH OF THESE BEING TIME BURDENSOME PROCESSES, AND I LOVE THE IDEA OF LOOKING AT EFFICIENCY AND WAY TO CUT COSTS AND REDUCE JUST STRESS AND LOAD ON STAFF, BUT IT'S NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR FROM THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT PROCESS TWO IS ANY BETTER THAN PROCESS ONE IN TERMS OF, UM, EFFORT.
UM, SO I'M JUST WANTING A LOT MORE BACKGROUND AND DEPTH IN TERMS OF THE INFORMATION THAT THE COMMISSION HAS BEFORE WE CONSIDER, UM, A FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE LIKE THIS.
DO YOU WANNA COMMENT OR DO GO AHEAD, RICHARD.
SO IN 2012, UH, THE ISSUE WAS AT THAT TIME WE WERE, UH, SOLID WASTE SERVICES.
AND CODE CODE COMPLIANCE WAS WITHIN SOLID WASTE SERVICES.
AND THIS ISSUE AROSE, UM, DURING A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE LICENSE HAULER ORDINANCE AND, UH, PARTICULAR, UH, VENDORS NOT WANTING TO HAVE TO, UH, UH, APPEAL A DECISION, UM, TO THE CITY MANAGER.
UM, AND THEIR PREFERENCE WAS TO APPEAL A DECISION, UM, BEING MADE TO, UH, A POLICYMAKER WAS MY, YOU MAY FIX A HAMBURGER WITH MINE, HUH? HELLO? SOUNDS LIKE SOMEONE HAS TO MUTE.
SO 2012 HOLLER ORDINANCE, UH, UM, UH, VENDOR DIDN'T, UH, UH, THEIR PREFERENCE WAS TO, UH, APPEAL ANY DECISION THAT MIGHT BE, UH, AGAINST THE, THE COMPANY TO A POLICYMAKER AND NOT TO THE CITY MANAGER.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHERE THE LANGUAGE CAME FROM.
UM, YOU KNOW, A COMMENT WAS MADE THAT A RR IS BOTH A COMPETITOR AND A REGULATOR.
AND I, I, I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT.
UH, WHILE WE MAY BE CONSIDERED SOME SORT OF, OF PE COMPETITOR, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE VERY DISTINCT CLASSES THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO, TO SERVICE, UH, WE DON'T, UH, WE DON'T REGULATE ANY HAULERS IN THE AREA.
NOW THE CITY DOES, UH, CODE AND, UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES WHERE
[01:50:01]
CODE ENFORCEMENT IS NOW, UH, MAY REGULATE THAT, BUT A RR DOES NOT REGULATE THE HAULING COMMUNITY.AMANDA, TO YOUR POINT, TO YOUR POINT EARLIER ABOUT WANTING MORE TIME TO DIGEST THIS MORE INFORMATION, I ALSO WANTED THAT, AND I, MY ORIGINAL THOUGHTS WERE TO DEFER THIS ITEM.
THE CHALLENGE WE FACE IS THIS ITEM IS SCHEDULED TO GO TO COUNSEL NEXT THURSDAY FOR APPROVAL, AND IT'S ACTUALLY LISTED AS A CONSENT ITEM.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR A ADDITIONAL PRESENTATION FOR FACT FINDING.
I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT, UH, THIS, AS A MEMBER OF THIS COMMISSION FOR, FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS BACK IN 2012, RICHARD'S CORRECT, THAT WAS AN ISSUE.
I MEAN, WE, UH, WE HAD, UH, THE, UH, VEHICLE LICENSING, UH, CHALLENGES, BUT PRIOR TO THAT, WE, WE DID HAVE A SITUATION IN WHICH, UH, THE CITY WAS EXPLORING AND IMPLEMENTING OR WANTING TO IMPLEMENT MANY, MANY PROGRAMS AT THE DIRECTION AND GUIDANCE, WELL, I, I, I CAN'T SAY DIRECTION AT THIS, THIS COMMISSION WAS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL IN ASKING STAFF TO IMPLEMENT OR TO AT LEAST LOOK AT IMPLEMENTING MANY OF THESE NEW PROGRAMS THAT YOU AND I ARE EXPERIENCING TODAY THAT THE COMMUNITY IS ABLE TO EXPERIENCE.
AND THIS WAS ALL PART OF, ACTUALLY, IT WAS PROBABLY PRIOR, IT WAS DEFINITELY PRIOR TO 20 TO 2012 THAT SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS GOT ON THE BOOKS.
AND RICHARD'S, UH, THOUGHT ON 2012, I THINK IT WAS THE, UH, COUNCIL WHO ACTUALLY UNANIMOUSLY, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN HERE, DECIDED THAT THIS SHOULD BE, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE RULES SHOULD BE CHANGED.
BUT PRIOR TO THIS, I MEAN, WE HAVE HAD, AND WE CURRENTLY DO HAVE A WONDERFUL WORKING RELATIONSHIP.
WHAT I APPRECIATE, APPRECIATE ABOUT THIS COMMISSION IS THE FACT THAT WE, WE WORK TOGETHER.
WE ARE BASICALLY, YOU GUYS ARE BASICALLY A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL GIFT OF IDEAS THAT, THAT, UH, THAT YOU BRING AND SHARE WITH THE, WITH THE, UH, FOLKS IN THE DEPARTMENT.
A LOT OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE TODAY, AGAIN, WOULD NOT HAVE PROBABLY BEEN IMPLEMENTED IF IT WAS NOT FOR THE WORK OF THIS COMMISSION OR THE INSISTENCE OF THIS COMMISSION, WHICH IN TURN WENT TO THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS BACK IN THE DAY TO GET THESE PROGRAMS IMPLEMENTED.
AND THEY WERE NOT QUICK IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM.
SOME OF THESE TOOK, UH, TOOK YEARS TO IMPLEMENT.
BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, YOUR HARD WORK AND YOUR PERSISTENCE GOT THE, UH, GOT THE JOB DONE.
YOU HAVE MULTI-FAMILY RECYCLING, YOU HAVE SINGLE STREAM RECYCLING AT, UH, CURBSIDE.
I MEAN, LITERALLY, WE'VE, UH, WE'VE SEEN A, AN EROSION OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS HERE AND, AND NOT AGAIN, AT THE, UH, FAULT OF STAFF.
WE'VE, WE HAD A BEAUTIFUL LANDFILL WHERE WE CONTROLLED OUR DESTINY.
THAT WAS TAKEN AWAY WHEN THE AIRPORT OPENED.
BACK THEN, PERHAPS HINDSIGHT BEING 2020, WE COULD HAVE, UH, WE SHOULD HAVE SOUGHT A ALTERNATIVE SITE AT THAT POINT.
WE HAD A MURPH THAT WE BUILT ON TODD LANE THAT WAS A FUNCTIONING MURPH UP UNTIL, HELP ME HERE.
WAS IT 22,000 2009? 2009? I THINK IT WAS.
YEAH, IT WAS 2009 THAT WE CLOSED THE MURPH THERE TOO.
WE HAD OUR OWN CONTROL OF OUR, OF OUR RECYCLE RECYCLING NEEDS.
IT WASN'T LARGE ENOUGH THOUGH, TO, TO ACCOMMODATE THE GOALS THAT THIS COMMISSION WANTED, AND THAT WAS SINGLE STREAM RECYCLING.
SO WE IN TURN MOVED THAT INFRASTRUCTURE FROM AUSTIN TO SAN ANTONIO WHERE THE PROCESSING WAS DONE.
THIS COMMISSION HAS DONE A WONDERFUL JOB IN WORKING WITH STAFF, WANTING TO SUPPORT STAFF, BEING THERE FOR STAFF TO HOPEFULLY IMPLEMENT MANY, AGAIN, MANY OF THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU GUYS ARE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THAT THE CITY IS ABLE TO EXPERIENCE.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER DECISIONS ARE MADE, THEY'RE FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, HAVING SAID THAT, I, I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE THE GIFT OF TIME IN DEFERRING THIS ITEM, WHICH I
[01:55:01]
WISH WE DID, BUT WE DON'T.SO THE FACT FINDING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE IS HERE TONIGHT, AND A DECISION IS PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO BE MADE THIS EVENING, WHETHER, WHETHER YOU SUPPORT THIS OR, OR NOT.
ANY QUESTIONS? I'LL, UH, SO, SO I DO HAVE, I DO HAVE FOLLOW UP THEN.
I APPRECIATE THE TIME SENSITIVITY.
WELL, UH, BUT, BUT I APPRECIATE THE TIME SENSITIVITY AND, AND IF THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NEXT WEEK, THEN, YOU KNOW, WHY HAVEN'T WE HAD ANY LEAD UP TO THIS? UM, WAS IT STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE THAT THIS IS JUST A MINOR CHANGE OR YOU, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I, I DO, WE HAVE PROCESS FOR A REASON IN TERMS OF WHAT COMES BEFORE THIS GROUP AND WHEN, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT GETTING IN THE HABIT OF THE TIME PRESSURE INTERFERING WITH US MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
AND I, I HONESTLY, I DO NOT KNOW, IN THIS CASE, I DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION IN FRONT OF ME, AND I AM A LITTLE FRUSTRATED THAT I'M BEING ASKED TO MAKE A DECISION IN A SHORT TIMELINE ON SOMETHING THAT, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, SEEMS SUBSTANTIAL.
UM, WITHOUT, WITHOUT ADEQUATE KNOWLEDGE.
UM, E FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE EVEN THIS DOCUMENT, IT'S NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR TO ME WHAT THE AMENDED LANGUAGE IS, IS THE AMENDED LANGUAGE, JUST TO THEN NOW STRIKE OUT THE UNDERLYING PORTION AND GO BACK TO WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE.
LIKE, THOSE ARE THE SORT OF THINGS THAT ARE VERY HELPFUL, UM, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE ASKING FOR INFORMATION OR ASKING FOR A DECISION ON A SHORT TIMELINE.
COMMISSIONER, JUST TO ADDRESS PART OF THE QUESTION.
CORRECT, THE, THE, THE PORTION THAT IS, UM, HAS BEEN STRICKEN FROM THE, THE DOCUMENT WOULD BE THE PART THAT WOULD BE AMENDED.
ARE YOU REFERRING TO RICHARD? THE, UH, ACTUAL DOCUMENT, THE ORDINANCE DOCUMENT? I'M SORRY.
YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE, UH, ITEM B, WHICH IS BASICALLY BEFORE THE DIRECTOR MAY ADAPT OR AMEND RULE UNDER THIS CHAPTER, THE DIRECTOR SHALL PRESENT AND THE PROPOSED RULE TO THE ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION FOR CONSIDERATION AND RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL.
AND THE CITY COUNCIL WILL APPROVE, MODIFY, OR DISPROVE OF THE PROPOSED RULE.
IS IT STRUCK FROM THIS, IS THAT THE DOCUMENT? CORRECT.
SO THE UNDERLINES WILL BE GONE, AND THE, THAT SENTENCE WOULD END AFTER COMMISSION.
THAT, NOW THIS, THERE'S AN ACTUAL, DID YOU, ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE ACTUAL ORDINANCE? THAT WAS, I'M LOOKING ON THE SECTION THAT SAYS ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
THIS IS ITEM 15 DASH SIX DASH THREE ADMINISTRATION.
CAN WE PUT THAT UP ON A SCREEN? MAY MAKE COVER HERE.
IF YOU GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA FOR MAY 2ND, ITEM THREE, BUT THE ORDINANCE IS ON THAT AGENDA.
YOU CAN GO, IF YOU HAVE A COMPUTER AND GO ONLINE, THE ORDINANCE IS ON THERE AS IS THIS, UH, RECOMMENDATION FOR ACTION.
USUALLY THEY PO OR THEY POST A, THE, THE, THE ITEM AND THEN, AND RECOMMENDATION FOR ACTION.
THAT WAS NOT POSTED ON OUR, UM, ON, ON OUR BACKUP.
NOW I, AND I DO HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION THAT THIS BRINGS UP.
SO THIS WAS ON THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA.
WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED IF WE HAD MET TWO WEEKS AGO? LIKE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE? WOULD THIS HAVE BEEN ON NO, NO.
WE WOULD'VE PUSH IT, PUSH IT TO THE NEXT SWAC MEETING.
SO WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED IS THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD'VE JUST APPROVED THIS WITHOUT ASKING US AT ALL.
NO, WE WOULDN'T HAVE PUT IT ON THE, THE COUNCIL AGENDA UNTIL WE HAD A SWAC MEETING.
SO IF WE, IF WE WEREN'T MEETING TODAY, I WOULD, IT WOULDN'T BE ON THE MAY, UH, MAY 2ND AGENDA, WE WOULD PROBABLY TAKE IT UP ON THE MAY 8TH SWAC MEETING AND THEN GO TO COUNCIL MAY 30TH.
WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPACT OF PULLING IT FROM THE COUNCIL AGENDA AND, AND DOING EXACTLY THAT? UH, I, YOU KNOW, IT, IT COULD BE PULLED FROM THE COUNCIL AGENDA.
UM, I, I, I, I THINK WE'RE GETTING THE
[02:00:01]
ISSUES A LITTLE MIXED UP THOUGH.I MEAN, YOU'RE TRYING TO GET MORE INFORMATION BASICALLY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS BETTER, THE CURRENT PROCESS OR, UH, OR THE CORRECT PROCESS.
HONESTLY, THE QUESTION IS, DOES THE PROCESS MEET THE CITY CHARTER AND THE QUE AND THE ANSWER TO THAT IS NO.
SO REALLY THERE'S NO, THAT'S NOT TRUE.
IT DIDN'T MEET THE CH CITY CHARTER THOUGH.
HOW HAS IT BEEN IN, IN, IN OPERATION FOR SO LONG? I, I MEAN, I CORRECT BECAUSE MM-HMM,
THAT'S SOMETHING FOR THE CITY'S LAWYERS TO LOOK AT.
UM, IT, AND IT HAS BEEN AN EXISTING, IT HAS BEEN EXISTING SINCE 2012, AND THERE HASN'T BEEN AN ISSUE WITH THIS CITY CHARTER.
AND, AND AGAIN, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, CITY CHARTER IS NOT CHANGED TO MAKE THIS A NON-BINDING, OR I SHOULD SAY ILLEGAL DOCUMENT.
NOW, THE CITY CHARTER HAS NOT CHANGED.
THAT WOULD MAKE THIS AN OBSOLETE DOCUMENT, YES OR NO.
THAT WOULD MAKE TO, TO MAKE WHICH DOCUMENT OBSOLETE? THE CHANGES YOU'RE PROPOSING TO MAKE THE CURRENT, TO MAKE THE CURRENT DOCUMENT NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE CURRENT DOC.
SO THE, THE CURRENT DOCUMENT, THE WAY IT'S CORRECT, THE WAY IT'S CURRENTLY PUT OUT IS NOT, DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE CITY MANAGER, UH, THE COUNCIL FORM OF GOVERNMENT, BUT NO, IT, IT'S NOT, OKAY.
YOU CAN EVEN LOOK AT THE FRONT PAGE OF THE STATESMAN TODAY WHERE IT TALKED ABOUT THE COUNCIL MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT AND THAT THE CITY MANAGER IS THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR ADMINISTERING THE RULES OF THE CITY.
AGAIN, BUT THAT'S NOT CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE HAVE, WHAT, WHAT WE HAVE HAD HERE.
AND BASICALLY WHEN YOU READ THAT IT'S NOT CONSISTENT, WHAT WE HAVE HERE AND WHAT WE HAVE HAD AND WHAT, UH, WE ARE HOPEFULLY GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE IN THE FUTURE.
LET ME, UH, LEMME DEFER MY THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS.
I THINK, UH, CRAIG, YOU HAVE A QUESTION, KATHY, AND THEN, UH, AMANDA, DO YOU STILL AND THEN AFTER I HAVE ANOTHER, YEAH, BECAUSE THIS, OKAY, SO WHAT'S IN FRONT US ON THE SCREEN IS VERY GOOD.
AND THEN, SO, SO THIS IS IN OUR BYLAWS, CORRECT? WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO CHANGE IS SOMETHING THAT'S IN OUR BYLAWS, OR IS IT'S NOT IN THE BYLAWS.
IT'S IN OUR, IT'S IN OUR ADMINISTRATIVE RULES.
OUR CODE, CITY CODE TELL YOU HOW WORK IT'S IN CITY CODE.
HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN IN CITY CODE? SINCE 2012.
SO WHY AT THAT TIME WHEN THAT WAS APPROVED, DIDN'T ANYONE NOTICE THAT IT WAS, THAT IT WAS ILLEGAL? ACCORDING TO THIS FORM OF GOVERNMENT? IT WAS ACTUALLY BROUGHT UP BY COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO AT THE TIME, WHO QUESTIONED THE VALIDITY OF IT.
AND OUR DIRECTOR AT THE TIME DIRECTOR GET IT.
UH, ERRANTLY RESPONDED THAT THIS WOULD NOT IMPACT THE DEPARTMENT.
AND AUSTIN LEGAL DIDN'T LOOK INTO THAT OR HAVE ANY COMMENT AT THE TIME? I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW, UH, UH, THE LEGAL'S POINT OF VIEW AT THAT POINT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LIKE I'M NOT A LAWYER, SO, YOU KNOW, I'M KINDA LIKE, UH, IT, IT WOULD BE NICE TO, TO, UM, TO HAVE SOME, TO, TO HAVE THAT EXPLAINED TO ME.
I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT, UM, UH, BUT SO WE, 'CAUSE I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
SO, SO WE WERE, WE WOULD APPROVE SOMETHING HERE AND THEN THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD APPROVE YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE RULE CHANGES.
ONCE YOU HAD APPROVED IT HERE, THEN I WOULD'VE TO TAKE IT TO COUNCIL TO APPROVE IT.
SO IF I WANTED TO, UM, SAY THAT YOU COULD NO LONGER HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A, A, A MAXIMUM OF 15 BAGS AT THE CURB FOR A YARD TRIMMINGS PROGRAM TO KIND OF MODERATE THE AMOUNT THAT'S PUT OUT THERE.
'CAUSE WE'VE HAD SOME LARGE SET OUTS.
SO IF I WANTED TO CHANGE THAT TO, TO, UH, 13 BAGS, I WOULD THEN HAVE TO COME TO SWAC AND GET YOUR APPROVAL.
AND THEN I WOULD HAVE TO GO TO COUNCIL TO GET THEIR APPROVAL.
SO TO DO AN ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGE.
SO HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THAT CONSISTENTLY FOR 12? FOR SINCE 2012? UH, NO.
ACTUALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR RULES AND THE CODE, THEY DO NOT MATCH UP.
BUT I MEAN, WHENEVER YOU WANTED TO DO THESE CHANGES, THESE KIND OF MINISTER YOU, YOU'VE COME, HAVE YOU COME TO Z WAC EVERY TIME YES.
[02:05:01]
SPEAK THAT, THAT'S, SO ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE RULES THAT YOU ARE, UH, LOOKING TO CHANGE, UH, ARE THEY OPERATIONAL RULES? ARE THEY ABOUT PROGRAMS AND POLICIES? WHAT ARE THEY ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATIVE RULES OR BASICALLY THE DEPARTMENT'S METHODS TO CARRY OUT THE POLICIES THAT SWAC AND COUNCIL PUT OUT THERE.SO IT'S KIND OF MORE THE PROCEDURES OF HOW WE DO THINGS.
SO IT'S NOT SETTING POLICY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IT'S MERELY JUST HOW WE GO ABOUT DOING THE DAY-TO-DAY BUSINESS, TO, TO, UH, COMPLY WITH THE POLICY THAT COUNCIL HAS PUT FORTH AND, AND PROGRAMS. IS IT ABOUT THE PROGRAMS AS WELL? UH, LIKE COMPOSTING, RECYCLING, AGAIN, ANY MAJOR CHANGES TO THAT OR WOULD BE ANY POLICY CHANGES? THIS WOULD NOT APPLY.
THOSE WOULD STILL HAVE TO GO TO COUNCIL AND, AND THIS COMMISSION.
SO, UM, NOW IF IT WAS COMPOSTING, IF WE WERE MAYBE SAY, CHANGE THE HOURS OF COLLECTION FOR COMPOSTING, THAT WOULD BE AN ADMINISTRATIVE DUTY THAT THE CITY MANAGERS, UH, THAT WOULD BE THEIR REALM OF RESPONSIBILITY.
SO NOT SOMETHING WE WOULD WANNA HAVE TO TAKE TO COUNCIL.
BUT UNDER THE CURRENT PROCESS, IF I WANT TO CHANGE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, I HAVE TO GO TO COUNCIL.
AND I'M THE ONLY DEPARTMENT THAT HAS TO DO THAT.
SOUNDS LIKE TO ME IT'S GONNA BE TAKING THE, UH, POWER AWAY FROM THIS COMMISSION.
UH, IT DOES TAKE, UH, PERCEIVED POWER AWAY FROM THIS CONDITION, BUT THIS CON COMMISSION NEVER REALLY HAD THAT POWER TO BEGIN WITH.
WHY AFTER 12 YEARS, RICHARD? BECAUSE I'M THE FIRST DIRECTOR THAT WANTED TO TAKE IT ON.
AND YOU REALIZE THIS WILL CREATE QUITE A BIT OF DIVISION.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK IT'S REALLY A BETTER OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE WITH THE, THE PROCESS OTHER DEPARTMENTS DO, AND I'LL, I'LL JUST TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROCESSES.
SO, SO UNDER THE CURRENT PROCESS OF WHAT WE DO, SO THE STAFF WOULD GO AND, AND DEVELOP THE RULES, UM, WE THEN KIND OF RUN THAT BY THE CITY ATTORNEY JUST TO LET THEM LOOK AT THINGS.
UH, AND THEN WE WOULD MEET WITH INTERNAL AND, AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS.
SO WE WOULD COME HERE AND GET OUR STAKEHOLDERS THAT WE WOULD, UH, GET INPUT FROM, UM, BASED, UH, BASED ON THE FEEDBACK WE WOULD GET FROM STAKEHOLDERS.
WE WOULD THEN EDIT THE DOCUMENTS, UM, AND THEN PRESENT THOSE RULES TO SWAC.
YOU ALL WOULD, UH, AT THAT POINT, UH, VOTE ON THAT.
UM, WE WOULD MAKE ANY CHANGES NEEDED, TAKE THAT RCAA TO COUNSEL AND GET THAT APPROVED.
SO OTHER DEPARTMENTS, THEIR PROCESS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SO STAFF, AGAIN, WILL DEVELOP THE RULES.
BUT THE DIFFERENCE IS AT THIS POINT THEN THAT NOTICE IS FILED WITH THE CITY CLERK AND THOSE PROPOSED RULES ARE POSTED PUBLICLY FOR 31 DAYS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO THAT GIVES MORE OF THE COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT, BECAUSE THE CURRENT PROCESS ONLY DEALS WITH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS.
SO BASICALLY YOU'RE HAULING COMMUNITY OR FOLKS THAT KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON ARE THOSE STAKEHOLDERS? THE O THE CURRENT PROCESS, OTHER DEPARTMENTS USE ALLOWS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO HAVE INPUT TO NOT ONLY ASK QUESTIONS, BUT TO PRODUCE CO, UH, TO, UH, TO GIVE COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED RULES.
AND THEN WE AT THAT POINT THEN HAVE TO RESPOND TO THOSE COMMENTS PUBLICLY.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS WITH THE CURRENT PROCESS.
SO WE BELIEVE THIS IS A LOT MORE TRANSPARENT PROCESS.
UM, SO, AND THEN AFTER WE RESPOND TO THOSE COMMENTS AND THOSE, UH, PROPOSALS ARE FOLLOWED WITH THE CITY CLERK, UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE REALLY.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? YEAH, JUST A QUICK COMMENT.
I, AGAIN, THIS, THIS FORUM THAT WE CURRENTLY USE PROVIDES THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC INPUTS.
AND WE, AND WE'VE HAD MANY, MANY INSTANCES OF THE PUBLIC COMING AND, UH, EXPRESSING THEIR CONCERNS AND OR PLEASURES AND, AND, AND SUPPORT OR, OR NO SUPPORT THAT THAT HAS BEEN OPEN, THAT'S NEVER, EVER GONE AWAY.
IN FACT, WE ENCOURAGE THAT AS A, AS A COMMISSION HERE.
AND, AND I THINK THE BEAUTY OF, YEAH.
OF WHAT WE CAN DO IS I, WE CAN ALSO INCLUDE THAT INFORMATION IN THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
SO YOU'RE GONNA GET THE SAME INFORMATION.
LET ME, LET ME GET, CAN I ASK MINE, JERRY? OH, I'M SORRY, AMANDA.
GOD, I KEEP FORGETTING TO LOOK UP THERE.
SO I, I WANNA NOTE THAT WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING IS NOT A CHANGE BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS IN 2012.
IT'S ACTUALLY ELIMINATING IT ENTIRELY BECAUSE IN 2012, THE LANGUAGE WAS BEFORE THE DIRECTOR MAY ADOPT OR, OR AMEND A RULE UNDER THIS CHAPTER.
THE DIRECTOR SHALL PREVENT THE PRE PRESENT, THE PROPOSED RULE TO THE ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION PERIOD.
AND THE LANGUAGE THAT IS ADDED THAT WAS ADDED IN 2012, WAS FOR CONSIDERATION AND RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL.
IS, IS THAT CORRECT? BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENT SAYS.
SO WHY ARE YOU STRIKING OUT THE PORTION ABOUT WAC? IN ADDITION, IF, IF THE IDEA IS TO UNDO THIS THING THAT HAPPENED IN
[02:10:01]
2012 THAT ISN'T NECESSARY ANYMORE, OR ISN'T CONSISTENT WITH THE CHARTER, EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR MANY YEARS, WHY ALSO ELIMINATE THE, THE STEP WHERE YOU PRESENT IT TO THE ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE ORDINANCE? YEAH.A AGAIN, UH, THIS WAS GOING ALONG THE LINES OF THE, THE COUNCIL MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT, AND THAT'S WHY THAT ENTIRE SECTION WAS, WAS, UH, WAS EARMARKED AS SUCH.
UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION THAT WE CAN PUT IN THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT, WE CAN PUT ALL THE SAME INFORMATION IN HERE.
I THINK THIS WAS MORE OF A FORMAL TYPE, UH, NOTIFICATION AND, AND, UM, PRESENTATION, IF YOU WILL.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM HERE.
I THINK WE ALL HAVE THE SAME GOALS.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, UH, THIS IS GONNA HELP US OUT AND SAVE US SOME TIME.
BELIEVE ME, I DO HEAR FROM STAFF ABOUT THIS, SO, UM, YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I'M COMING FROM.
WE CAN HAVE, IF YOU, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CHOOSE TO VOTE AGAINST IT, THAT'S YOU CAN, YOU OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THAT.
I'M REALLY SORRY, RICHARD, THAT'S, I APPRE, I'M SO SENSITIVE TO THE FACT THAT YOU GUYS ARE OVER, YOU KNOW, YOU DO A LOT, BUT I CAN'T VOTE FOR THIS.
I, I CANNOT, IF, IF IT'S REALLY THIS IMPORTANT.
SO I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY OF IT HAP HAVING TO HAPPEN NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND ENTIRELY THE IMPETUS FOR IT IS, IS THIS A CITYWIDE REVIEW OF WHETHER WE'RE CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT OR WHAT? AND IF IT IS THAT IMPORTANT, I, I DO.
WITH THE TRADITION THAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED AND THE WAY THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS BEEN OPERATING, I DO EXPECT A LOT MORE INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
SO I, I, I AM SORRY FOR THE FACT THAT IT'S, THIS IS BURDENSOME FOR YOU AND I HOPE THAT IF IT DOESN'T GO FORWARD, WE CAN CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THIS, BUT I, I CAN'T SUPPORT IT.
I'M REALLY SORRY, COMMISSIONER.
YEAH, I, I WOULD, I, I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THOUGH THAT THE IMPETUS FOR THIS WAS A RECENT CHANGE WE JUST MADE TO THE, TO THE RULES WHERE I THINK WE CHANGED THE, UM, I, I THINK WE GOT THE RULES AND THE, THE CODE IN COMPLIANCE AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS THAT WE, UM, ARE ALLOWED TO SERVICE, UM, AND THIS WAS PROBABLY ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO, FOUR MONTHS AGO.
UH, AND I WAS ASKED AT CITY HALL WHY WE ARE TAKING OUR ADMINISTRATIVE RULES AND THIS TYPE OF CHANGE, UH, TO COUNCIL.
UH, SO THAT WAS REALLY THE IMPETUS AND IT MADE ME KIND OF THINK, AND, AND I KNEW THIS HAD BEEN AN, A LONG TIME ISSUE FOR, UM, BOTH, UH, UH, PREVIOUS DIRECTORS.
UM, SO I JUST TOOK THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO MAKE THAT CHANGE.
SO WE HAVE MELISSA, AND THEN JAN, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION, A COMMENT LIKE, IF MELISSA'S GOING NEXT, GO FOR IT.
UM, SO I MEAN, REALLY IN LINE WITH WHAT AMANDA IS SAYING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, NOTHING THAT YOU'VE SAID TONIGHT REALLY ILLUSTRATES TO ME THAT WACK IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM HAS BEEN AN ACTUAL HINDRANCE FOR YOU GUYS BEING ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD FASTER.
SO IF YOU HAVE EXAMPLES OF SPECIFIC THINGS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO MOVE QUICKER ON THAT YOU FEEL LIKE ZAC IS STOPPING YOU GUYS FROM, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THAT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S QUICKNESS NECESSARILY, BUT JUST THE STAFF TIME THAT IT TAKES TO PREPARE FOR THESE MEETINGS TO BRING ITEMS THAT TYPICALLY WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO BRING.
SO, AND THEN BASICALLY DOING IT TWICE.
'CAUSE WE HAVE TO DO IT TO THIS COMMISSION AND THEN TO TO COUNCIL AS WELL.
SO IT'S MORE OF A STAFF TIME ISSUE, NOT SO, NOT SO MUCH THAT WE CAN'T GET THINGS DONE QUICKLY.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S NEVER REALLY BEEN AN ISSUE.
WELL, I MEAN, I'M GONNA SPEAK TO WHAT HE SPOKE ABOUT, UM, THE ACCOUNTABILITY PART.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK WACK DEFINITELY HAS A REALLY BIG ROLE IN THAT.
AND WHEN I READ THIS, TO ME IT READS LIKE YOU'RE TRYING TO GUT WHAT ZAC DOES.
AND I'M DEFINITELY NOT ON BOARD WITH THAT.
YOU KNOW, MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE BEING ON ZAC IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN SPECIFIC ISSUES THAT I'VE HAD TO REALLY PUSH YOU GUYS ON, AND I FEEL LIKE I'VE HAD TO DRAG YOU WITH ME ON, AND, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE IF I WASN'T ON THE COMMISSION, THOSE THINGS WOULDN'T BE DEALT WITH.
SO THE IDEA OF US NOT HAVING THAT ROLE, LIKE THERE'S NO WAY FOR ME.
MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT UNLESS THERE'S A STRONG TIME PRESSURE, WE REQUEST THAT THIS BE MOVED TO A DIFFERENT DATE FOR, FOR COUNCIL AND THAT WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT, THAT WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE MORE MEETING TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS, TO GATHER SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
I WOULD LOVE TO, I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE DISCOVERING THINGS ALONG THE WAY HERE.
WE'RE GETTING CLARIFICATION AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY HARD FOR US TO MAKE DECISIONS LIKE THIS THAT ARE AT LEAST PERCEIVED
[02:15:01]
TO BE FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL, UM, IN, IN A LAST MINUTE TYPE SITUATION.SO UNLESS YOU HAVE A STRONG OBJECTION TO THAT, UH, DIRECTOR, I WOULD ASK THAT WE DEFER THIS TOPIC UNTIL WE CAN GET MORE INFORMATION AND, AND PLEASE PROVIDE THAT TO US SO THAT WE CAN HAVE WHAT WE NEED TO, TO MAKE A GOOD DECISION THAT THAT SUPPORTS YOU AND YOUR STAFF AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, AS WELL AS THE CITY.
YOUR, AND, AND AGAIN, RICHARD, THIS IS AN ITEM THAT CAN BE PULLED.
WILL IT BE PULLED IF YOU CHOOSE TO, TO DO SO? I'LL HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
SO THEN NOT HAVING A CERTAINTY, I THINK WE ARE PROBABLY IN A BETTER POSITION TO TAKE A VOTE THIS EVENING.
AND IT SOUNDS TO ME IF THIS ITEM IS ABSOLUTELY THAT, UH, IMPERATIVE, IT WILL COME BACK AND IT WILL BE BACK AGAIN AFTER THE, AFTER ANY DISCUSSIONS YOU MAY HAVE WITH THE CITY MANAGER.
BUT IT SOUNDS THAT THIS SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY DOES NEED TO BE ADDRESSED THIS EVENING.
UH, I'M, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THIS.
YOU KNOW, I, I'M NOT A LAWYER, BUT MY FATHER WAS A LAWYER.
MY GRANDFATHER'S A LAWYER, AND SO I HAVE A RESPECT FOR THAT.
AND THIS WHOLE THING ABOUT, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CITY MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT, I MEAN, THIS MAKES SENSE FROM WHAT, HOW I UNDERSTAND GOVERNMENT WORKS, BUT I DON'T REALLY THINK THAT'S THE POINT HERE.
I THINK THE POINT, I HAVE BEEN ON OTHER COMMISSIONS AND I HAVE SEEN CITY DEPARTMENTS TAKE ACTION AND MAKE MISTAKES THAT WERE COSTLY BECAUSE THAT PARTICULAR DIRECTOR, UH, CHOSE NOT TO PRESENT IT TO THE COMMISSION, WHICH KNEW BETTER AND WOULD HAVE, WOULD HAVE SAVED A LOT OF MONEY.
AND WHEREAS IN THE PAST, ANOTHER DIRECTOR, MAYBE THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO DO IT, IT DIDN'T HAVE TO GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT THEY WERE BETTER DIRECTOR SAID, OKAY, I HAVE THIS WONDERFUL PEOPLE, GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO HELP ME.
DOES, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? THEY DO.
MAYBE THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT OR SOMETHING, AND THE CITY WOULD BE BETTER FOR IT.
SO I DON'T, MAYBE TO ME THE, YOU KNOW, THE LEGAL ISSUE IS MAYBE NOT.
UM, THE IMPORTANT THING IS THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE A GOOD GROUP OF PEOPLE HERE AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU COULD FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT NOT SO MUCH WORK.
UM, I THINK YOU GET A BETTER RESULT JUST PERSONALLY, NUMBER ONE.
AND NUMBER TWO, THERE'S ANOTHER ISSUE THAT I HAVE, AND I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS AND I THINK I'LL BRING IT UP BECAUSE MAYBE THIS WILL HELP MAKE A DECISION, IS I DON'T THINK THIS WOULD PO WAS POSTED PROPERLY TO, UH, TO COMPLY TO THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
UM, BECAUSE WHEN THIS WAS POSTED ON OUR AGENDA, YOU ONLY HAD THE RECOMMENDATION FOR ACTION.
YOU HAD NOT POSTED THE ACTUAL ORDINANCE.
AND SO FOR ME, WHEN I READ THAT, I, I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THIS IS ABOUT REALLY.
AND I WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN IT UNTIL, WELL, WHAT I DID IS I SAW THE DATE AND I SAID, OH, THAT'S A CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
SO I WENT TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, ACTUALLY LOOKED IT UP.
BUT PEOPLE FROM THE PUBLIC WHO MIGHT HAVE WANTED TO SAY ON THIS WOULD HAVE, WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TELL THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE AT THE, AT THE AUSTIN MONITOR WHO MAYBE WAS SNIFFING AROUND, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FOR A STORY, THEY, THEY FROM WHAT WAS POSTED THERE.
I DON'T, THEY'D HAVE A HARD TIME TELLING THAT.
SO I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER ACTUALLY ISSUE HERE.
AND I THINK I AGREE IT WOULD BE BETTER IF WE COULD, IF WE COULD HAVE THE DISCUSSION WITHIN OUR, OUR GROUP AND, AND DECIDE ON, ON SOMETHING.
SO IT'S NOT A CONTENTIOUS THING GOING TO CITY COUNCIL.
AGAIN, I, I WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE THAT IF WE MOVED ON THIS ITEM THIS EVENING, AS RICHARD STATED, THAT THIS CAN ALWAYS BE BROUGHT BACK TO THIS COMMISSION WITH ANY MODIFICATIONS, CHANGES OR MORE INFORMATION IF, IF NEED BE.
BUT, UH, BECAUSE THE ITEM IS ALREADY POSTED FOR A MAY 2ND HEARING AS A CONSENT ITEM, I, I PERSONALLY WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE
[02:20:01]
TAKING ACTION THIS EVENING IF WE CAN.AND I'M, I'M OPEN TO ANY MOTION OR ANY SUGGESTIONS.
UH, I, I MOVE, OH MY GOODNESS, I'VE ONLY EVER SAID MOVE TO APPROVE BEFORE.
WHAT'S THE MOVE TO REJECT? YOU WANNA, YOU, YOU CAN BASICALLY MAKE A MOTION.
AND YOUR MOTION IS TO REJECT THE REJECT YES.
AND AS, YEAH, AS PRESENTED, I THINK IT'S AS MUCH THE FORM AS IT IS THE CONTENT.
I'LL SECOND THAT AND I HAVE A SECOND FROM, UH, KATHY GATTUSO.
DO WE HAVE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS HEARING? NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? I'M SORRY.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING.
I, I MAY BE OF THE MINORITY IN WANTING TO SUPPORT THIS FOR THE DIRECTOR, AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE HAD A LOT OF TURNAROUND WITH OUR LIAISONS BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COMMISSIONS, BECAUSE I SERVE ON TWO COMMISSIONS AND BOTH OF THEM HAVE HAD, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TURNOVER WITH THE STAFF.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S DUE TO THE WORKLOAD THAT, UM, RICHARD MENTIONED, BUT YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN LESSEN THE, THE, THE, UM, THE WORKLOAD FOR THE, FOR THE CITY STAFF AND SPEED UP THIS PROCESS, MAKE IT LESS BUREAUCRATIC, AND I DON'T FEEL LIKE THIS WOULD LESSEN THE, UM, EFFORTS THAT WAC HAS, AND I FEEL LIKE WE COULD SPEED UP A LOT OF PROCESSES THAT THE CITY HAS, THEN IT WOULD BENEFIT US DULY AS WELL.
SO THAT'S HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT.
WELL, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS, MELISSA.
ALRIGHT, SO WE, ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THE MOTION AND THE SECOND HEARING? NO FURTHER COMMENTS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION AS STATED, PLEASE WILL RAISE YOUR HAND.
I HAVE TO, I AM SORRY, MELISSA, DID YOU RAISE YOUR HAND? OKAY, SO WE HAVE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 SUPPORTING THE MOTION, ALTHOUGH ANY NAY, ANY NAYS ON THE ITEM? ANY ABSTENTIONS? OKAY, MELISSA? I, I DID MELISSA ROTHROCK, DID YOU VOTE IN THE AFFIRMATIVE OR IN THE NEGATIVE? WELL, OKAY, SO WE'RE, WE'RE VOTING THE AFFIRMATIVE IS THAT IS AGAINST IT, IS THAT CORRECT? YES.
UM, SO I WILL NOT RAISE MY HAND THEN.
SO SHE'S NOT GONNA SUPPORT THIS.
SO YOU ABSTAIN, IS THAT RIGHT? OR DO YOU SHE VOTED AGAINST IT.
SO, SO SEVEN TO ONE, THE MOTION PASSES NOT TO SUPPORT THIS AS, AS, UH, PRESENTED.
I'LL JUST SAY I AGREE WITH YOU MELISSA ROTHROCK BY THE WAY, BUT THAT TO ME, THAT'S SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAN THE VOTE THAT WE ACTUALLY TOOK.
I, I THINK THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY RIGHT.
I JUST WANT MORE TIME TO CONSIDER IT AND MORE INFORMATION.
THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH, RICHARD.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME AND UH, PLEASE WE'RE OPEN TO ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS.
ALRIGHT, UH, COMMISSION SEEING THAT THIS IS, UH, CONCLUDES OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ITEMS, I GUESS WOULD BE THE, UH, THE BUDGET AND, UH, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THE EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN AND ANY OTHER ITEMS, BRINGING THAT THING BACK AGAIN FOR THE REVIEW.THE, UH, ITEM THAT WE TENTATIVELY APPROVED, I'M PRIVILEGE APPROVED ITEM WAS PROVISIONALLY APPROVED, CORRECT? THE NORTHEAST.
YEAH, THE NORTHEAST, UH, STATION.
ANY OTHER ITEMS? PLEASE, PLEASE JUST REACH OUT.
WE'RE GONNA BE MEETING IN TWO WEEKS ACTUALLY.
SO ANYWAY, COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH FOR THE PATIENCE AND THE TIME.
COULD, COULD I PROPOSE SOMETHING ON THE, ONE OF THE AGENDAS, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE NEXT ONE, BUT JUST SOMETHING FOR STAFF TO
[02:25:01]
KEEP IN MIND IS, UM, THE FEASIBILITY OF WASHING, THE BINS OF CLEANING THE BINS, THE RESIDENTIAL BINS.I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A PROGRAM OR IF THAT'S SOMETHING IN CONSIDERATION AT ALL OR IF IT'S UP TO JUST THE RESIDENTS TO CLEAN THEIR OWN BINS, BUT IT'S SOMETHING I'VE BEEN HEARING A LOT IN MY COMMUNITY AND QUESTIONS AND SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING IT UP TO GET, UM, THE STAFF'S FEEDBACK ON THAT.
THAT COULD PROBABLY BE A DIRECTOR'S REPORT ITEM, THE UPDATE ON THAT.
COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR THE TIME AND WE'LL SEE YOU HOPEFULLY IN TWO WEEKS.
GOD WILLING AND THANK YOU FOLKS.
DO YOU, UH, WE ARE MEETING, WE'RE IN TWO WEEKS, RICHARD.