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[CALL TO ORDER]
EVERYBODY.I'M LESLIE POOLE, CHAIR OF THE AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
UH, TODAY IS THURSDAY, MAY 9TH, 2024.
THE TIME IS 1:35 PM I'LL CONVENE THIS MEETING.
WE HAVE A QUORUM OF OUR FOUR MEMBER COMMITTEE WITH US TODAY.
UH, THE TWO ALTARS AND ME, THE MAYOR, IS NOT ABLE TO JOIN US TODAY.
[Public Communication: General]
WE'LL KICK OFF WITH OUR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.WE HAVE THREE FOLKS SIGNED UP.
IS GUS PENA HERE? I DID NOT SEE HIM.
UH, MR. GUTIERREZ, ADRIAN GUTIERREZ, YOU ARE NEXT.
YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES, SIR.
YOU CAN COME TO THE PODIUM RIGHT HERE, AND THAT MICROPHONE SHOULD BE ON.
AND THEN WHEN MR. GUTIERREZ IS DONE, UM, JAMES HILL O'BRIEN.
GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.
UH, I'M HERE PRIMARILY TO SPEAK TO BUSINESS INTEREST.
I'M A LONGTIME AUSTIN RESIDENT, 1993.
I MOVED HERE OWN A HOUSE IN DISTRICT SEVEN.
THIS IS A WORK RELATED ISSUE THOUGH, AND I RELATED TO PROPERTY ON DIS IN DISTRICT THREE AT 900.
UH, REASON I'M COMING TO YOU GUYS IS BECAUSE WE'VE, UH, WE HAD A WATER LEAK, UH, SITUATION GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO, UH, JUNE OF, UH, 2022 AND, UH, LEAKED OVER 5 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER.
IT WAS AN UNDERWATER, UNDERWATER LEAK, AND WE TOOK US SOME TIME TO FIND IT.
WE WORKED ON IT, GOT IT FIXED.
AND, UH, MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, ONCE WE GOT IT FIXED, I WAS TOLD BY THE UTILITY COMPANY, GO AHEAD AND SUBMIT, UH, WORK, THE WORK ORDER AND STUFF THAT WE GOT IT FIXED AND STUFF, AND WE'D GET SOME KIND OF BILL MITIGATION.
AND THAT TURNED OUT TO BE NOT THE CASE WITH THE COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS.
THAT'S WHEN WE DISCOVERED THAT COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS DON'T QUALIFY FOR THIS KIND OF BILL MITIGATION.
UH, WE WERE PROMPTED THEN BY, UH, LAURA SCHNEIDER, WHO IS A THROUGH THROUGH PO ACTUALLY COUNCIL MEMBER PO GOT US IN CONTACT WITH LAURA SCHNEIDER AND PUT US THROUGH THE PROCESS OF HAVING HEARINGS AND STUFF THAT, UH, WE DISCOVERED THROUGH THE HEARING PROCESS THAT IT'S A COUNCIL, IT'S A COUNCIL DECISION.
AND THERE WAS, ALTHOUGH THEY UNDERSTOOD WHAT OUR CIRCUMSTANCES WERE, THAT THERE WAS A DECISION MADE BY THIS COUNCIL AT SOME POINT YEARS PRIOR THAT NO LONGER ALLOWED COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS.
UH, ANY KIND OF BILL MITIGATION WHEN IT CAME TO THIS RESIDENTS ARE ALLOWED.
OF COURSE, UH, I'VE HAD IT DONE IN MY OWN HOUSE AND STUFF, BUT A BILL LIKE THIS ONE $32,000, WE ENDED UP IN A PAY PAYMENT PLAN SYSTEM, AND WE'RE ALMOST PAID UP WITH THAT AT THIS POINT.
BUT, UM, MY MAIN ISSUE IN COMING UP HERE BEFORE YOU GUYS IS BECAUSE, UH, ALSO TO DISCUSS THE DIFFICULTIES AND TO BRING UP THE DIFFICULTIES IN TERMS OF ACCESS, UH, JUST TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, I'VE HAD, UM, LIMITED DEGREES OF SUCCESS IN TERMS OF REACHING OUT TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, HAVING BEEN A, A RESIDENT OF AUSTIN FOR 30 YEARS.
I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER HAD THIS MUCH DIFFICULTY IN TERMS OF REACHING COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'VE HAD, UH, CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER'S OFFICE, UH, OF COURSE, UH, VELA OFFICE, UH, EVEN CONTACT WITH MAYOR'S OFFICE AS WELL AS CITY MANAGER.
BUT THERE'S VARIOUS OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE JUST NOT GIVEN US THE TIME OF DAY.
UH, BUT REALLY WHY I'M HERE IS TO BRING UP THIS ISSUE, BRING IT TO Y'ALL'S ATTENTION, AND HOPEFULLY THERE CAN BE SOME KIND OF CONSIDERATION IN TERMS OF ADDRESSING SOME OF THESE ISSUES WITH THE COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS VERSUS, UH, UH, RESIDENTIAL ACCOUNTS.
IN TERMS OF REMEDIATION OF THE BILL.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S ANYWHERE ON Y'ALL'S RADAR OR SOMETHING TO CONSIDER, BUT I MEAN, I'M, I'M HERE TO, TO ASK FOR THAT AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO AS WELL AS HIGHLIGHT THE, THE DIFFICULTIES.
AND I WILL CONTINUE AS I HAVE OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS TRYING TO GET, TRYING TO GET TO, TO THESE MEETINGS IN-PERSON MEETINGS AND OR PHONE CALLS EVEN FROM VARIOUS COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, SO THAT'S REALLY MY, MY STATEMENT.
I KNOW I HAVE THREE MINUTES AND STUFF.
I DON'T HAVE MUCH MORE TO ADD, BUT THESE ARE MY, MY MAIN ISSUES AND I'D LIKE TO HOPEFULLY GET YOU GUYS TO CONSIDER RECONSIDER, UH, Y'ALL'S POSITION ON THE COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS.
THANK YOU, MR. THANK YOU, MR. GUTIERREZ.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES GREETING SIZE.
UM, I AM HERE TO, I BELIEVE, ADDRESS WATER, UH, OVERSIGHT.
UM, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE, UM, WHAT ALL FALLS UNDERNEATH CONSIDERATION HERE.
UM, UH, BUT I GUESS LIKE, I FEEL PRETTY NERVOUS ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THIS IS A PRETTY COMPLEX TOPIC AND, UH, THREE MINUTES REALLY IS NOT SUFFICE TO ADDRESS.
UM, SO TXDOT IS, UH, HAS PROPOSED A EXPANSION OF I 35, AND ONE OF THOSE ASPECTS THAT'S CRITICAL TO THE PROJECT IS TO,
[00:05:01]
UM, CONTROL STORM WATER OF NEARLY 300 ACRES, UH, TO BE DIVERTED INTO THE COLORADO RIVER.UM, AND ALL THE DISCUSSIONS I'VE HAD WITH, UH, STAFF, UH, CITY LAWS AND STAFF, UM, WITH VARIOUS, UH, INDIVIDUALS AT FEDERAL AND STATE LEVELS TO NAVIGATE THIS SITUATION.
UM, IT SEEMS TO BE THAT THERE IS, UH, NOT A LOT OF PUSHBACK OR LEVERS OR MECHANISMS FOR CREATING AN ACCOUNTABILITY IN, IN PARTICULAR, ECOLOGICAL JUSTICE.
UM, SO ONE OF THE, THE BIGGEST ISSUES IS WITH REGARD TO DISSOLVED OXYGEN LEVEL.
UM, UH, ONE OF THE STRATEGIES THAT IS OFTEN STATED, UH, HERE IS, UH, WITH STORM WATER IS DAYLIGHTING, UH, A 22 FOOT DIAMETER TUNNEL GOING EAST CAESAR CHAVEZ DOWN TO, UH, THE COLORADO RIVER, UH, DOES NOT O OFFER A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR OXYGEN TO ENTER INTO THAT WATER.
UM, I'M SURE EVERYONE HERE IS AWARE OF THE CONDITION OF, UH, TOWN LAKE AND THE COLORADO RIVER, UM, AND THE CONTINUED DEGRADATION OF THAT ECOSYSTEM, UM, WHETHER IT'S THE ALGAE LACK OF OTHER, UH, FLORA AND FAUNA.
AND, AND SO I KNOW THERE'S SOME PERMITS IN PARTICULAR WHAT'S CALLED NATIONWIDE PERMIT SEVEN, WHICH IS THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, UH, WHICH IS ABOUT ENGINEERING, UH, AND OUTFALL INTO THE COLORADO RIVER.
UM, AS FAR AS I'VE PRESENTED TO ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, UM, WATERSHED PROTECTION, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF, UH, UM, CLARITY ON WHAT TECH STOCK PLANS TO DO, UH, THERE, UM, IN TERMS OF MITIGATING, UH, TRUE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE THAT WILL OCCUR IF THIS PROJECT MOVES FORWARD AS IT HAS BEEN DRAFTED.
UM, AND I, I RECOGNIZE AND WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THE COMPLEXITIES OF A PROJECT AT THIS SCALE.
UM, AND THE, THE FINANCIAL, UH, BACKING SEEMS TO, SO ALL PUSH TO IT NEEDS TO OCCUR NOW.
UH, AND I REALLY DON'T THINK THAT THAT IS, UH, THE SOLUTION, UM, AS IT'S BEING DRAFTED NOW.
AND I KNOW IT'S BEEN TWO DECADES PLUS OF ATTEMPTING TO NAVIGATE THIS, THIS ISSUE.
UM, SO I'D REALLY LIKE SOME, SOME MORE CONSIDERATION ON WHAT THAT OUTFALL LOOKS LIKE AND HOW WE CAN.
THANK YOU MR. O'BRIEN, YOUR TIME'S UP.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE, COLLEAGUES.
[1. Approve the minutes of the February 8, 2024, regular meeting of the Austin Water Oversight Committee.]
OUR NEXT ITEM IS APPROVAL OF MINUTES.UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION FROM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER TO APPROVE, UH, SECOND FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER ANY CHANGES OR CORRECTIONS? HEARING NONE, UH, AND NO OBJECTIONS.
THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED FOR FEBRUARY 8TH, 2024, REGULAR MEETING OF THE AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
[2. Director’s Report on innovations, events and awards, and upcoming recommendations for Council action.]
MOVE NOW TO OUR BRIEFINGS AND INVITE OUR DIRECTOR UP TO MAKE HER REPORT ON INNOVATIONS, EVENTS AND AWARDS AND UPCOMING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COUNCIL ACTION DIRECTOR ROLSON, WELCOME.GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS MAYOR PRO TEM.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
UM, I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE YOU SOME UPDATES ON ACTIVITIES AT AUSTIN WATER, UH, BEYOND THE SPECIFIC ITEMS WE'LL BE DISCUSSING ON THE AGENDA TODAY.
UM, LAST WEEK, CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED THE, UH, UPDATED WATER CONSERVATION AND DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLANS.
AS WE DISCUSSED THEN, OUR COMMUNITY'S COMMITMENT TO WATER CONSERVATION IS FOUNDATIONAL TO EVERYTHING WE DO IN NEAR AND LONG TERM, UH, WATER RESOURCES PLANNING.
OUR WORK WITH THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS WILL IN MONTHS, WILL INCLUDE IN DEPTH DISCUSSIONS ON HOW TO CONTINUE TO MAKE MEANINGFUL INVESTMENTS IN CONSERVATION AND WATER EFFICIENCY.
THE RAIN LAST WEEK DID GIVE US A LITTLE BUMP IN, UH, STORAGE IN THE LAKES, PUTTING US AT ABOUT THE SAME LEVEL WE WERE GOING INTO LAST SUMMER.
UM, THAT'S GOOD NEWS, BUT AT 48% FULL, WE REMAIN IN A VERY SERIOUS DROUGHT.
ALSO, LAST WEEK WE POSTED THE 2023 WATER QUALITY REPORT TO OUR WEBPAGE, AND NOTIFICATIONS ARE GOING OUT NOW TO ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS, INCLUDING MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
THE WATER QUALITY REPORT INCLUDES OUR CONSUMER CONFIDENCE REPORT, WHICH IS REQUIRED BY EPA TO BE ISSUED ANNUALLY THAT GOES FAR BEYOND WHAT'S REQUIRED TO PROVIDE OUR CUSTOMERS COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE QUALITY OF OUR DRINKING WATER, INCLUDING DETAILS ON HOW WE CONSISTENTLY MEET OR SURPASS REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS IN INDUSTRY NEWS.
THERE ARE NEW EPA REGULATIONS RELATED TO A GROUP OF SYNTHETIC CHEMICALS, COLLECTIVELY KNOWN AS PFAS.
PFAS ARE OFTEN REFERRED TO AS FOREVER CHEMICALS AND HAVE BEEN USED IN INDUSTRY AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS SINCE THE 1940S UNDER A RULE CALLED UCMR FIVE, WHICH STANDS FOR UNREGULATED CONTAMINANT MONITORING.
RULE FIVE
[00:10:01]
LIKE AUSTIN WATER TO SAMPLE FOR 29 SPECIFIC PFAS CHEMICALS.UH, EPA WILL USE THOSE RESULTS TO DETERMINE FUTURE REGULATIONS AROUND PFAS.
LAST MONTH, THEY FINALIZED REGULATIONS FOR SIX OF THESE COMPOUNDS AND PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS MUST, MUST COMPLETE INITIAL MONITORING BY 2027.
AND IF THESE SIX PFAS ARE FOUND AT LEVELS EXCEEDING THE REGULATORY LIMITS, IMPLEMENT SOLUTIONS TO REDUCE PFAS BY 2029, UH, AUSTIN IS FORTUNATE TO DRAW OUR WATER FROM THE HIGHLAND LAKES, WHICH HAS HAD MANY DECADES LONG ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS IN PLACE, UH, INCLUDING A BAN PROHIBITING THE DISCHARGE OF POLLUTANTS.
AND SO WE CONDUCTED OUR FIRST ROUND OF QUARTERLY SAMPLING LAST OCTOBER, UH, AND TREATED TAP WATER FROM ALL THREE WATER TREATMENT PLANTS WAS NON-DETECT FOR THE SIX PFAS COMPOUNDS INCLUDED IN THE NEW REGULATIONS, UH, WE DID HAVE ONE PFAS COMPOUND WAS DETECTED AT A LOW LEVEL, ABOUT A FEW DROPS IN 20 OLYMPIC SIZED SWIMMING POOLS.
UH, TO GIVE YOU A, A IDEA OF THE SCALE, UM, UH, AND THAT'S NOT, UH, THAT'S NOT ONE OF THE COMPOUNDS PROPOSED FOR REGULATION AT THIS TIME, AND IT IS ONE THAT IS COMMONLY FOUND.
WE'VE CONDUCTED A SECOND QUARTERLY ROUND OF WATER SAMPLES AND ARE AWAITING TEST RESULTS AND VERIFICATION, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO TEST QUARTERLY AND REPORT THOSE OUTCOMES TO, TO YOU AND TO THE PUBLIC.
UH, THE COMBINED RESULTS FROM FOUR QUARTERS WILL DETERMINE WHETHER WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT TREATMENT FOR PFAS IN ADDITION TO RULES FOR PFAS AND DRINKING WATER.
EPA HAS DESIGNATED TWO WIDELY USED PFAS COMPOUNDS, PFOA AND PFOS AS HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES UNDER THE COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE COMPENSATION AND LIABILITY ACT, ALSO KNOWN AS SUPERFUND.
UH, WE ARE TRACKING WHAT THIS MAY MEAN FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS AND BIOSOLIDS, UH, EPA HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY WILL FOCUS ENFORCEMENT ON MANUFACTURERS AND USERS OF PFAS CHEMICALS AND NOT PASSIVE RECEIVERS, SUCH AS WATER UTILITIES.
UH, LAST MONTH, AUSTIN WATER STAFF ATTENDED THE TEXAS WATER CONFERENCE, WHICH IS THE LARGEST REGIONAL WATER AND WASTEWATER CONFERENCE IN THE COUNTRY.
IT'S ACTUALLY MORE DIFFICULT TO GET AN ABSTRACT, UH, SELECTED FOR TEXAS WATER THAN FOR THE NATIONAL CONFERENCES.
THIS YEAR'S CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN FORT WORTH AND ONCE AGAIN, BROKE RECORDS FOR ATTENDANCE STAFF FROM ACROSS AUSTIN WATER, INCLUDING FIELD PERSONNEL, TECHNICAL STAFF, AND EXECUTIVES ATTENDED.
WE HAD 10 TECHNICAL PRESENTATIONS AND SEVEN DIFFERENT TRACKS.
WE HOSTED A BOOTH IN THE EXHIBIT HALL FOR THE FIRST TIME.
WE WON FIRST PLACE FOR TYPE TWO BIOSOLIDS IN THE BIOSOLIDS BEAUTY CONTEST.
UH, OPERATIONS STAFF COMPETED IN THE OPERATIONS CHALLENGE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY YEARS.
UH, THIS COMPETITION INCLUDES EVENTS IN PROCESS CONTROL, LABORATORY SAFETY, MAINTENANCE, AND COLLECTIONS.
THE AUSTIN WATER BASIN BANDITS PLACED FORTH OVERALL IN TEXAS, UH, QUALIFYING THEM FOR THE NATIONAL OPERATIONS CHALLENGE IN, UH, NEW ORLEANS.
THIS OCTOBER, TRINITY O'NEILL, ONE OF OUR LABORATORY SERVICES SUPERVISORS, WAS SELECTED BY THE OPERATIONS CHALLENGE COMPETITORS AS, UH, THE RILEY B CROCKER DEDICATED VOLUNTEER THIS YEAR.
HER SECOND IN A ROW, HEATHER COOK, AUSTIN WATERS CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER, RECEIVED THE ARTHUR SIDNEY BEDELL AWARD, WHICH IS A VERY PRESTIGIOUS AWARD ACKNOWLEDGING, ACKNOWLEDGING HER EXTRAORDINARY PERSONAL SERVICE TO THE WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS.
UH, WE ALSO CONTINUED TO DEVELOP OUR EXPERTISE ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION IN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND PLANNING.
LAST WEEK, OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM HOSTED AT TABLETOP EXERCISE THAT LOOKED AT WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF WE HAD A COMMUNICATIONS FAILURE IN A SCADA SYSTEM.
IT INCLUDED MOBILIZING AN INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM IN OUR DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS CENTER, AND SEVERAL TEAMS IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS, UH, OUT IN THE FIELD.
OUR EXPERTISE IN THIS AREA IS RECOGNIZED BY OUR PEERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AS A RECENT EXAMPLE, EPA REGION SIX IS HOSTING A WORKSHOP ON EMERGENCY DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES.
THEY REACHED OUT TO ASSISTANT DIRECTOR ANNA BRIAN BOHA TO PROVIDE A CASE STUDY ON OUR WATER DISTRIBUTION PLAN TO PROVIDE BOTTLED WATER AND BULK WATER TO OUR COMMUNITY DURING EMERGENCIES.
FINALLY, AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE COMPLETING A COST OF SERVICE STUDY THAT WILL RE THAT WILL RESULT IN RECOMMENDATIONS FOR UPDATED RATES TO BE ADOPTED BY COUNCIL AS PART OF OUR 2025 BUDGET.
OVER THE NEXT SIX WEEKS OR SO, WE WILL BE CONDUCTING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS AND OUTREACH.
THIS OUTREACH INCLUDES AN OPEN HOUSE IN EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT AND WILL BE SUPPORTED BY AUSTIN WATER'S RESIDENTIAL RATE ADVOCATE.
THE GOAL IS TO GATHER CUSTOMER FEEDBACK ON OUR GOALS FOR BALANCING AFFORDABILITY WITH SYSTEM RESILIENCY, KEEPING PACE WITH A GROWING POPULATION, AND OPTIMIZING THE WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS. UH, A PRESS RELEASE WITH ALL THE DETAILS IS PLANNED FOR NEXT WEEK, AND SO WE HAVE
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A PACKED AGENDA FOR YOU TODAY.AND SO WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS? YES, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER.
IF WE COULD, UM, GET THE DATES, IF YOU HAVE THEM FOR THE MEETINGS IN OUR DISTRICT, WE CAN DO THAT.
UM, AND THEN I WILL SAVE MY QUESTIONS ON, UM, VACANCIES UNTIL WE HAVE THAT WE HAVE THAT DATA IN OUR PRESENTATION.
I SAW THE PRESENTATION, BUT I WAS JUST
ALRIGHT, WE CAN MOVE ON TO, UM, THE
[3. Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrades and expansion.]
NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT, PLANT UPGRADES AND EXPANSION.AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S CHARLES SRO.
AM I SAYING YOUR NAME RIGHT, SIR? THAT IS CORRECT.
CHARLES SRO, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING SERVICES WELCOME WITH AUSTIN WATER, AND I'M PLEASED TO BE HERE.
UM, WE, UH, AUSTIN WATERS PUTTING FORTH, UH, SIX RCAS REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTIONS FOR THE WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, WITH ONE BEING A, A GENERATIONAL, UH, UH, RCA FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE PLANT ITSELF TO 100 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
UH, WALNUT CREEK IS ONE OF OUR TWO REGIONAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS.
IT TREATS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN HALF OF THE CITY, KIND OF MORE THE NORTHERN PART.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE SOUTH AUSTIN REGIONAL RETREATS TO THE SOUTH.
UM, TONIGHT, SINCE RCA IS KIND OF LOOKING AT THE FUTURE, I THOUGHT MAYBE WE'D TAKE A LOOK AT, UH, NOT TONIGHT, BUT THIS AFTERNOON, UH, LOOK AT KIND OF THE PLANT, UH, HISTORY, THE RENEWAL PROJECTS THAT WE'VE COMPLETED SINCE THE ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE PLANT AND THE FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS.
AND THE FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS ARE SLATED TO BE, UH, CONSTRUCTED BY TWO DIFFERENT CONTRACTS.
ONE FOR THE EXPANSION AND ENHANCEMENTS, AND THE OTHER ONE FOR THE PRIMARY CLARIFIERS AND FLOW EQUALIZATION BASINS.
I'LL REVIEW THE PROJECT HISTORY.
UH, THE PLANT ACTUALLY BEGAN IN 1977 WITH A CAPACITY OF 18 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
AND THEN IN 1987, WE EXPANDED THE PLANT TO, UH, 40 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
AND THEN TWO YEARS LATER, WE ACTUALLY EXPANDED AGAIN TO 60 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY IN 1990.
IN 2005, ABOUT 15 YEARS LATER, WE INCREASED THE CAPACITY OF THE PLANT TO 75 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY, WHICH IS THE CAPACITY AS IT IS TODAY WITH THE COMPLETION OF A PROJECT CALLED HEADWORKS.
NUMBER TWO, THE HEAD WORKS IS THE, UH, WHERE THE IN FLUENT WASTEWATER COMES INTO THE PLANT.
IN OUR FIRST STEP IN OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PROCESS, UM, AS WATER, AS A FLOW INCREASED TO THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IN 2019, UH, WE COMMISSIONED AN, UM, OPTIMIZATION FACILITY PLAN TO LOOK AT THE FUTURE OF WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT AND TO, UH, UH, ANALYZE FUTURE ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT ENHANCEMENTS, AS WELL AS FIND OUT WHERE, WHERE THE FACILITIES WOULD GO FOR, FOR THE A HUNDRED MGD EXPANSION, AS WELL AS FUTURE EXPANSIONS IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AS THAT PLANT GOT ABOUT 30 YEARS OLD, UH, AUSTIN WATER BEGAN SOME STRATEGIC REHABILITATION AND RENEWAL PROJECTS TO CONTINUE THE RELIABILITY OF THE, OF THE PLANT AS WELL AS ENHANCED THE TREATMENT.
SHOWN HER ABOUT 10 PROJECTS THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.
THEY'RE NOT, IT'S NOT AN EXCLUSIVE LIST, BUT ONE OF THE MAJORITY OF THE PLANT, UH, PROJECTS THAT WE'VE DONE FOR RENEWAL, IN PARTICULAR IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF PROJECTS AT THE PLANT.
UM, I TRY TO REPRESENT THOSE IN THE GREEN BOXES.
AS YOU COULD SEE, WE BASICALLY HAVE TOUCHED ALMOST EVERY SINGLE PART OF THE PROCESS TREATMENT OF THE PLANT.
WHICH BRINGS US TODAY TO THE CURRENT PROJECTS THAT WE'RE, UH, UH, MOVING FORWARD WITH.
THE PRIMARY AND FEB STANDS FOR FLOW EQUALIZATION BASIN AND CLARIFIERS.
THE HEADWORKS NUMBER ONE IN, IN FLUENT LIFT STATION PROJECTS CONTINUE OUR STRATEGIC, UH, RENEWAL AND REHABILITATION OF THE PLANT.
AND THE LAST ONE THERE, THE FOURTH ONE IS THE EXPANSION OF THE PLANT ITSELF, UM, TO A HUNDRED, 100 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY, WHICH WILL ALSO INCLUDE NUTRIENT REMOVAL FOR BOTH THE, THE EXPANSIONS AS WELL AS THE EXISTING PLANT.
I MENTIONED THAT WE WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND, UH, DO TWO DIFFERENT CO CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS.
THOSE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS ARE GONNA BE DONE, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE CALLING CON CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK SEAMAR.
UM, THE NORMAL, UH, I GUESS THE, WHAT WE NORMALLY DO IS A DESIGN BID BUILD FOR AUSTIN WATER, WHICH IS KIND OF SHOWN ON THE LEFT THERE, OR MY LEFT OR RIGHT, UM, IS THAT'S WHERE, UM, UH, AND THE C COLLABORATIVE LIBERTY ON THE, ON THE SEYMOUR PROJECT, ON THE, ON, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SCREEN.
THE, THE MAIN DIFFERENCE I WANTED TO POINT OUT FOR THERE IS THAT ON A DESIGN BID BUILD,
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THE ENGINEER GOES ALL THE WAY THROUGH 100% PLANS, AND THEN WE BID OUT THE PROJECT COMPETITIVELY AND THE CMR CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK, WE ACTUALLY HIRE THE CONTRACTOR USUALLY AFTER THE ENGINEER FINISHES THE PER AND BEFORE 30% DESIGN IS COMPLETE.AND THEN THE COLLABORATIVE PART STARTS WHERE THE OWNER, ENGINEER AND CONTRACTOR WORK TOGETHER TO COMPLETE THE FINAL PLANS TO A HUNDRED PERCENT AND THEN BID OUT THE PROJECT.
THE FIRST PROJECT THAT WE'VE, WE, WE DID AT SMAR IS THE PRIMARY, UH, CLARIFIER AND FLOW EQUALIZATION BASINS.
UH, WE CHOSE THIS SEYMOUR METHOD, THE CONTRACTORS MGC CONTRACTORS, DUE TO THE CONSTRUCTABILITY CHALLENGES THAT WE FACED WITH THIS.
ON THE LOWER, YOUR LOWER LEFT THERE WHERE THE, YOU CAN SEE THE CLARIFIER IS BELOW LIKE SOME BEAMS. WELL, THAT IS, IT'S TRUE.
IT'S LIKE BEING UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE.
THOSE BEAMS LOOK LIKE A HIGHWAY BEAMS THAT YOU WOULD LOOK AT.
THE COMPLEXITY IS THAT, UH, THE ACCESS TO THOSE ARE SKYLIGHTS.
THE SKYLIGHTS ARE FIVE FEET, FOUR INCHES WIDE AND ABOUT 10 FEET EIGHT INCHES LONG.
AND THE CLARIFIER IS ABOUT 120 FEET LONG.
UH, AND YOU CAN SEE THE PICTURES THERE IN THE MIDDLE ON THE FAR RIGHT.
UM, YOU CAN SEE WHERE I'VE KIND OF NOTED THE CLARIFIERS WITH THE LITTLE RED SQUARES.
I'VE TRIED TO ACTUALLY DEPICT THOSE GRAPHICALLY AND DIMENSIONALLY.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET A LOT OF EQUIPMENT OUT THROUGH THOSE LITTLE, UH, THOSE LITTLE RED DOTS, YOU KNOW, UM, SOMEONE, UH, KIND OF TENDED TO, AS YOU WERE REMODELING YOUR HOUSE AND YOU COULD TAKE EVERYTHING OUT AND REBUILD IT AND PUT IT BACK IN THROUGH YOUR CHIMNEY.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
SO THE, THE CONSTRUCTABILITY CHALLENGES WERE, WERE IMMENSE IN THIS FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, HENCE, WE CHOSE THE CMA METHOD.
UM, DURING THE COLLABORATION PHASE, AS WE WERE COMPLETING UP THROUGH RIGHT NOW, THE 60% DESIGN, UH, THE DEVELOP AND FINDINGS, UH, FOUND SEVERAL THINGS.
UH, ONE, THE CONSTRUCTABILITY CHALLENGES THAT I, I I JUST DESCRIBED, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE EFFECTS OF THAT WAS THE PROJECT DURATION INCREASED FROM TWO TO FIVE YEARS.
UH, WE LEARNED THAT, UM, FOR WET WEATHER, FOR WHEN IT RAINS, AND WE DO HAVE AN EXTRA FLOW COMING THROUGH THE WASTEWATER, UH, TO THE PLANT, WE NEEDED A WET WEATHER BYPASS TO BYPASS THE, THE BASINS.
UM, IT'S, AS I MENTIONED, IT'S KIND OF A, IT'S BURIED AND IT'S, IT HAS A ROOF ON IT, AND THE VENTILATION'S VERY, UH, IS, MAKES IT A CONFINED SPACE.
SO WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE WORK IN AN, IN AN, IN AN UNCONFINED SPACE DESIGNATION, MEANING THAT WE COULD GO DOWN THERE NORMALLY AND WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, UM, UH, GETTING AIR AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF FOR THE, UH, FOR THE WORKERS.
SO WE HAVE TEMPORARY AND PERMANENT VENTILATION.
UM, SO THAT WAS A RISING COST.
UH, THE MATERIALS THEMSELVES HAVE RISEN SIGNIFICANTLY, UH, EVEN THROUGH THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
ONCE WE SELECTED THE CMAR CONTRACTOR AND WE HAD SOME ADDITIONAL STRUCTURAL CRACK REPAIR THAT WE, WE NEED TO DO FOR THE BASINS, UH, JUST TO REPAIR THE BASINS TO MAINTAIN THEIR LIFE.
AND THROUGH THAT, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE KEY DRIVERS OF, UH, OF SOME INCREASING COSTS FOR THAT PROJECT.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE DID DO THAT WE, WE DID ADD TO THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT, UM, WE ADDED THREE, UH, THREE PARTICULAR COMPONENTS.
UH, I KNOW THAT PROBABLY DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING, BUT BETWEEN THE PRIMARY CLARIFIER BASIN PROJECT, THE HEADWORKS PROJECT AND THE EXPANSION, THEY ALL COME GO.
THEY ALL END UP BEING IN ONE BOX FOR A MINUTE.
AS THE WATER COMES THROUGH, I NEED TO DIRECT IT TO DIFFERENT PLACES.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A BOX NOW, SO WHICH ARE THERE FOR THE REST OF THE EXPANSION.
SO WE'RE JUST KIND OF MOVING THAT CONSTRUCTION FORWARD.
IT WOULD'VE BEEN DONE EXPANSION WE'RE GONNA DO WITH THIS PROJECT INSTEAD.
THE TWO OTHER ONES ARE MINOR ONES.
SOME SLIDE GATES THAT WE NEED, NEED TO DO FOR THE HEADWORKS TO DIRECT THE FLOW AND TO COORDINATE THE ODOR CONTROL FACILITIES.
WE, WE NEED TO DO SOME DEMOLITION ON THAT PARTS.
SO THE TWO RCAS THAT WILL BE COMING TO CITY COUNCIL, THE FIRST ONE IS, UH, AMENDMENT TO AN ENGINEERING CONTRACT THAT IS JUST TO AMEND THE CONTRACT TO ALLOW TO GO TO CONSTRUCTION PHASE SERVICES.
AND THEN THE SECOND ONE FOR MGC CONTRACTORS IS TO AMEND THEIR EXISTING CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT WITH ADDITIONAL AUTHORIZATION.
THE SECOND, UM, UH, SEYMOUR PROJECT IS FOR CONSIDERATION IS FOR THE PLAN EXPANSION.
UH, WE CHOSE THE SEYMOUR PROJECT ON THIS TO HAVE, BE ABLE TO HAVE ONE CONTRACTOR TO HANDLE MULTIPLE CONSTRUCTION PACKAGES.
AND OVER THERE ON THE RIGHT SIDE, YOU CAN SEE THE PACKAGES THAT WE, WE HAVE VISION RIGHT NOW.
UH, THE CONTRACTOR MAY HAVE A, HAVE A DIFFERENT VIEW, BUT RIGHT NOW, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE SEE THE HEAD WORKS, NUMBER ONE RENEWAL AND THE FLUENT LIFT STATION CONTINUE OUR, OUR STRATEGIC REHABILITATION OF THE PROJECT.
THE, THE EXPANSION PROJECT INCLUDE THE NEW 25 MGD.
WE NEED TO BRING A, A LINE, UH, THAT GOES INTO THE PLANT.
WE NEED TO INCREASE THAT AS WELL AS THE, THE LINE THAT LEAVES
[00:25:01]
THE PLANT THAT GOES TO THE COLORADO RIVER.WE HAVE SOME TREATMENT CONVERSIONS.
WE HAVE TO, ON THE EXISTING TREATMENT TRAIN, NOW WE HAVE TO CONVERT THAT FOR NUTRIENT REMOVAL, AND WE'LL CHANGE THE DISINFECTION TO UV AND WE NEED TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL PROTECTIONS OF THE PLANT TO MENTION.
WE HAVE SOME WET WEATHER FLOWS THAT WE HAVE THE TEMPORARY BYPASS FOR.
WE'LL HAVE A WET WEATHER FACILITY TREATMENT FACILITY THERE, AS WELL AS WE'LL HAVE A, A FLOOD WALL THAT GO AROUND THE WHOLE PLANT FOR THE NEW ATLAS 14 FLOODPLAIN.
UM, THE OTHER JUST THINGS WE WANTED TO SEE MORE CONTRACTOR FOR IS THAT, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WE'RE GONNA BE TAKING BASINS ON AND OFFLINE.
SO WE NEEDED TO COORDINATIONS WITH THE OPERATION STAFF TO HOW THAT WOULD WORK, AS WELL AS THE TIE-INS AS WE GO FROM THE TRY TO GO FROM THE NEW AND THE OLD PLANTS OF ALL THE DIFFERENT TIE-INS THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
WE HAVE FOUR, UH, RCAS FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO, FOR REVIEW.
THE FIRST THREE ARE ALL THEIR ENGINEERING CONTRACTS WE'RE REMOVING FROM DESIGN PHASE, AND WE'RE ADDING CONSTRUCTION PHASE SERVICES TO THEIR CONTRACT.
AND THE FOURTH ONE, THE LAST ONE THERE, IS THE ACTUAL SELECTION OF THE NWH CONTRACTORS FOR THE SEYMOUR EXPANSION FOR THE, UH, EXPANSION OF THE PLANT.
SO, UM, I AM PLEASED THAT WE DID GO TO THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION LAST NIGHT.
AND, UH, WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, IS THIS THE SAME CONTRACTOR THAT WE WERE DISCUSSING SEVERAL MONTHS AGO? NO.
WHO IS, SO WHO IS THE ORIGINAL CONTRACTOR? UM, WE, UH, THE, UH, THE ORIGINAL, WHEN WE WENT OUT THE, UH, I'M ASSUMING YOU'RE REFERENCING THAT.
THIS IS, WE WENT OUT TO SOLICITATION, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE CITY COUNCIL HAS SEEN THIS.
THEY DID SEE IT AT WARREN WASTEWATER COMMISSION MEETING.
THE FIRST TIME WE WENT OUT WAS WITH MCCARTHY CONSTRUCTION.
I THINK IT WAS POSTPONED, BUT, BUT WE HAVEN'T ADOPTED IT.
AND THEN THE 900, I MEAN, 900 MILLION IS A LOT OF MONEY.
UM, IT, IT IS, IT'S, WHEN WE BREAK IT DOWN, IT'S NOT QUITE, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE, UM, THE 25 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY IS ABOUT 340 MILLION RIGHT NOW.
I ALSO HAVE TO CONVERT THE WHOLE EXISTING PLANT.
THAT'S ANOTHER ABOUT $250 MILLION.
THE WALL, ANOTHER $40 MILLION.
UM, THE OUTFALL ANOTHER $40 MILLION.
RIGHT? THE WET WEATHER FACILITY TO PROTECT THE I I IS ANOTHER 78 BILLION.
SO WHEN YOU START BREAKING IT DOWN, THE ACTUAL TRUE EXPANSION WE'RE DOING IS ONLY ABOUT A THIRD OF IT, RIGHT? THE 25 NEW 25 MGD.
BUT ALL THE OTHER STUFF THAT WE GOTTA DO, IT'S JUST, JUST KEEPS ADDING UP.
AND HOW ARE WE PAYING FOR THAT? UM, WE'VE HAD, UM, UH, THE, WE'VE HAD THE, THE WALNUT CREEK IN THE SPENDING PLAN FOR A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME.
UH, WE HAVE COORDINATED WITH AUSTIN WATER FINANCE, JOSEPH GONZALEZ, AND WE HAVE SHOWN 'EM WHAT, WHAT WE NEEDED TO LAY OUT.
UM, WE, WE EVEN HAVE THE, THE, THE SAR EXPANSION WHERE WE THINK IT'S GONNA GO INTO THE SPENDING PLAN NOW.
SO EVEN FOR AUSTIN WATER FINANCE, THEY SEE IT OUT THERE IN THE FUTURE, WHAT THEY NEED TO MAKE A HOLD OF.
SO WE HAVE KNOWN IT'S COMING FOR A WHILE, AND WE'VE HAVE PRE-POSITIONED OURSELVES FOR IT.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR RAPE PEERS? I WOULD HAVE TO SEE IF JOSEPH GONZALEZ CAN HELP ME WITH THAT QUESTION.
JOSEPH GONZALEZ, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL SERVICES WITH AUSTIN WATER.
AND AS, AS CHARLES MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN PLANNING THIS PROJECT FOR, FOR MANY YEARS.
IN FACT, WHEN, UH, WHEN I FIRST, UH, CAME TO AUSTIN WATER IN 20 15, 1 OF MY FIRST ASSIGNMENTS WAS TO START TO MODEL THE, THE RATE IMPACT OF THE WALNUT CREEK EXPANSION PROJECT.
UM, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM A RATE PAYER PERSPECTIVE, WE, WE DO EXPECT, UM, YOU KNOW, IN OUR FORECAST, WE FORECAST IT APPROXIMATELY 30%, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, RATE INCREASES THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD, UH, PRIMARILY OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, UH, WITH A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THAT BEING RELATED TO FINANCING, UH, THE WALNUT CREEK EXPANSION.
UM, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? SO A 30% RATE INCREASE OVER FOUR YEARS, THAT, THAT'S OUR CURRENT FORECAST.
UM, AND THAT IS HAPPENING, STARTING WHEN? WELL, AS, AS SHAY MENTIONED IN HER OPENING COMMENTS, WE ARE CURRENTLY UNDERTAKING A COST OF SERVICE STUDY.
UM, PART OF, OF THAT PROCESS INVOLVES, UH, UH, PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT COMMITTEE, WHICH INCLUDES REPRESENTATIVES FROM, UM, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS COMMUNITY, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY, OUR MULTIFAMILY, UH, COMMUNITY, AND OUR LARGE VOLUME CUSTOMERS.
UM, AND WE, WE ARE SEEKING INPUT FROM THEM REGARDING, UH, YOU KNOW,
[00:30:01]
WHAT THOSE RATE INCREASES MIGHT LOOK LIKE.YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF OUR FORECAST, WE FORECASTED, UH, YOU KNOW, TWO RATE INCREASES FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 OF ABOUT NINE POINT A HALF PERCENT.
UM, AND THEN FOR FY 26 OF A LITTLE OVER 9%, UM, AND THEN STARTING TO, TO TAPER DOWN.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE ASKING OUR PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT COMMITTEE AND, UM, AS WE START TO DO OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH IS, YOU KNOW, UH, HOW DOES PUBLIC FEEL ABOUT THAT? HOW DO OUR CUSTOMERS FEEL ABOUT THAT? AND, YOU KNOW, WOULD THEY PREFER, YOU KNOW, MORE LEVELIZED RATE INCREASES, WHICH, WHICH MIGHT REQUIRE, UH, A BIGGER TOTAL CUMULATIVE RATE INCREASE BECAUSE THE EARLIER A RATE INCREASE GOES INTO EFFECT, UH, THE MORE IT BUYS DOWN, FUTURE RATE INCREASES.
UH, BUT, BUT THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE ASKING OUR PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT COMMITTEE.
AND, AND THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT WE WILL BE ASKING, UM, OUT AT OUR DISTRICT TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND IN OUR FOCUS GROUPS.
UH, DIRECTOR, DID YOU WANNA COMMENT? THE ONLY THING I WANTED TO ADD TO JOSEPH'S EXPLANATION WAS THAT THE RATE INCREASES THAT WE'RE PROJECTING ARE TO SUPPORT OUR TOTAL CIP, WHICH OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IS ANTICIPATED TO BE $2.3 BILLION.
SO WALNUT CREEK IS A PART OF THAT, BUT IT IS NOT THE SOLE DRIVER OF, OF OUR OVERALL CIP AND THE RATE INCREASES REQUIRED TO SUPPORT IT.
AND WHEN WAS THE WE HAVEN'T HAD A WATER, I DON'T REMEMBER.
A WATER OR, OR MANY WATER RATE INCREASES SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL.
WHEN HAVE WE NO, THAT'S RIGHT.
SO WE HAVE NOT HAD, WE HAD A, A, A MODEST, UH, ABOUT THREE AND CHANGE RATE INCREASE LAST YEAR.
UM, PRIOR TO THAT, THE LAST RATE ACTION WE HAD WAS IN 2018, AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY A RATE DECREASE.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS REMEMBERING.
SO WE HAVEN'T HAD A RATE INCREASES, CERTAINLY NOT AT THIS LEVEL IN A LONG, LONG TIME.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
I GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR Y'ALL.
UM, FIRST, WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON'T MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT? SO THE, AS THE PLAN INCREASES, WE DO NEED TO REQUIRE TO EXPAND THE PLANT.
AND, UH, THAT'S TIED TO TCEQ STATE REGULATIONS.
ONCE YOU GO PAST 75% OF CAPACITY START PLANNING, AND THEN WHEN YOU GET TO 90%, YOU, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO START BUILDING.
UM, SO IF WE DON'T EXPAND, WE WILL EXCEED THE 75 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY, AND WE'LL BE OUT OF COMPLIANCE.
ALSO, THE NEW DISCHARGE PERMIT REQUIRES ONCE WE GO OVER 75 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY TO HAVE ENHANCED TREATMENT NUTRIENT REMOVAL.
AND OUR EXISTING PLAN, IF WE DON'T DO IT, WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO WE WOULD HAVE TWO, TWO AREAS OF CONSEQUENCES.
AND NEITHER OF THOSE, UM, ARE REALLY TENABLE, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE TO MAKE THESE CHANGES, YES.
UM, ARE THERE GRANTS AVAILABLE, LIKE FROM THE FEDS OR FROM THE STATE? ANY GRANTS, UM, OR ASSISTANCE THAT AUSTIN WATER AND THE CITY WOULD PURSUE? YES, WE ARE PURSUING ALL AVENUES.
UH, WE ARE PURSUING THE WIA LOAN, WHICH IS A, A GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE FLOOD WALL.
WE'VE ACTUALLY, UH, WE'RE ABLE TO GET THAT PROJECT INTO THE TEXAS WATER AVAILABLE BOARD STATE FLOOD PLAIN.
WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, WITH THE PLANNING.
NE NEITHER ONE OF THOSE WE'VE BEEN SELECTED AND WE'VE ALSO DONE YET.
SO, BUT WE ALSO, AND AS WELL AS WE'VE DONE SOME TRADITIONAL STATE REVOLVING FUND LOANS, UH, THEY HAVE NOW CAPPED THOSE LOANS TO LIKE 20 MILLION, $20 MILLION OR SOMETHING.
THEY'VE HAVE CAPPED THEM BEFORE NOW, SO THEY'RE, THEY WERE NOT AS, AS, UH, HELPFUL AS THEY HAVE IN THE PAST.
AND THE WFI ALONE, IS THAT SOMETHING WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING? WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD THAT DROUGHT AND THE CONSERVATION PLAN SUBMITTED SO THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE TO BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THE WFI.
SO THE, UM, THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN AS A REQUIREMENT FOR TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD TO, UM, TO APPROVE ANY OF THEIR FUNDING SOURCES FOR US.
UH, SO I'M NOT SURE THAT IT APPLIES TO THAT, BUT WE'RE, WE ARE GETTING READY TO SUBMIT OUR LETTER OF INTEREST FOR WIA.
UM, AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO THEM FOR A LONG TIME ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT OUR ABILITY TO PARTNER WITH EPA ON, ON THIS PROJECT.
AND SEVERAL OF THE PROJECTS THAT CHARLES POINTED OUT OF, OF OUR REHAB PROJECTS THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, HAVE BEEN OUT OVER THE LAST 10 OR SO YEARS, HAVE BEEN, UH, FUNDED IN PART WITH LOW INTEREST LOANS FROM THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
SO WE HAVE LEVERAGED A LOT OF, UM, GRANT AND WELL LOW INTEREST LOAN PROGRAMS FOR, FOR OUR WORK ACROSS AUSTIN WATER, INCLUDING AT WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER PLANT.
UM, AND THEN I GUESS MY LAST QUESTION IS JUST KIND OF A LARGER SCOPE.
IS AUSTIN UNIQUE IN THIS WAY, OR IS THIS HAPPENING IN OTHER LARGE METROPOLITAN AREAS AROUND THE STATE? WITH THE OLDER INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDING TO BE, I MEAN, SOME OF THE WORK THAT HAS TO BE DONE IS BASED ON THE WAY IT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE FIRST PLACE,
[00:35:01]
WHICH WAS PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, STATE OF THE ART AT THE TIME.MAYBE THAT'S NOT HOW THINGS WOULD HAPPEN IF IT WAS A GREENFIELD TO BEGIN TODAY, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE'VE GOT AND WE HAVE TO RESPOND.
PARTICULARLY ON THE PRIMARY CLARIFIERS BEING UNDERGROUND AND HAVING COVERS THAT'S, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT HOW WE WOULD DO IT TODAY.
UM, BUT WE LOOKED AT ALL THE OPTIONS FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, COULD WE, COULD WE TAKE THE ROOF OFF? COULD YOU KNOW, OR WERE THERE OTHER WAYS TO ADDRESS THESE CONSTRUCTABILITY ISSUES? AND, AND THAT IS A BIG REASON WHY WE WANTED TO HAVE A CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK DURING DESIGN, SO WE COULD EVALUATE ALL OF THAT, UM, MORE EFFECTIVELY.
AND SO WE, WE FEEL THAT WE HAVE COME TO THE, THE, THE BEST POSSIBLE, UM, SOLUTION HERE.
BUT YES, YOU'RE TO YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION ABOUT OTHER UTILITIES, CERTAINLY.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF WASTEWATER PLANTS THAT WERE BUILT IN THE SEVENTIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE GRAPPLING WITH EXPANSION AND REHABILITATION NEEDS JUST LIKE WE ARE.
UM, AND AS, UH, AS THESE PLANTS, UM, GET LARGER, AND AS TCEQ CONTINUES TO EVALUATE RECEIVING WATER QUALITY, UM, THEN A LOT OF PLANTS ARE IMPLEMENTING, UH, NUTRIENT REMOVAL JUST AS WE ARE.
WELL, AND MAYBE THE LEGISLATURE WILL RECOGNIZE THE, THE BURDENS THAT THE MUNICIPALITIES ARE HAVING TO BEAR AND, AND BE ABLE TO FUND SOME ADDITIONAL GRANT PROGRAMS AND SUPPORT AT THE STATE LEVEL.
THAT'D BE SOME WORK FOR THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS HERE? I, I, I'LL JUST SAY, IN CLOSING, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL NOT TRYING TO SUGARCOAT THE COST.
I MEAN, I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE DIFFICULT IF YOU WERE PRETENDING IT WAS SOMETHING OTHER THAN WHAT IT IS.
WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THESE ARE BIG PROJECTS AND, AND THEY ARE COMPLICATED, AND THAT USUALLY TRANSLATES INTO COSTLY.
AND I ALSO, UM, AND BECAUSE WE'RE ALL VERY CAREFUL ON HOW WE'RE SPENDING OUR REVENUES, I KNOW THAT WE WILL, UM, WATCH THIS REALLY CAREFULLY AND MAKE SURE THAT ANY AND EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FROM OTHER LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, WE'LL DIG INTO THOSE AND DO THE BEST WE CAN TO QUALIFY AND, AND SCORE THOSE.
I JUST WANTED TO ASK THAT MAYBE WHEN THIS GOES TO COUNCIL, EITHER IF IN A MEMO OR, OR IN SOME WAY, IF WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR COLLEAGUES AWARE THAT THEY CAN WATCH THIS PRESENTATION OR THAT THIS PRESENTATION IS MADE AVAILABLE OR DESCRIBED.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT'S BETTER TO DESCRIBE IT IN A MEMO OR TO, TO, TO REFER 'EM TO THIS, BUT, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF TECHNICAL STUFF, AND I THINK THAT THE TRANSPARENCY ON WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE WOULD BENEFIT EVERYONE ON COUNCIL AS WE TAKE A VOTE ON SUCH A LARGE ITEM, WHICH MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ON PEOPLE'S RADAR IF THEY'RE NOT ON THIS COMMITTEE.
AND IF ANYBODY WANTS A ONE-ON-ONE WITH, WITH Y'ALL, I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT TOO.
WE, WE ARE REACHING OUT TO A NUMBER OF COUNCIL OFFICES TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE AWARE OF THIS PROJECT.
AND TO OFFER, UM, YOU KNOW, TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE.
AND I, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA TO PROVIDE THE LINK TO THIS MEETING AS WELL FOR THEIR REFERENCE.
[4. Austin Water’s response to Council Resolution Number 20240307-022 regarding the WaterWise Landscape Rebate Program.]
THE LANDSCAPE REBATE PROGRAM IS THE NEXT ITEM.AND WE HAVE, UM, TWO OF OUR DIVISION MANAGERS WILL COME.
UM, WATER CONSERVATION DIVISION MANAGER, KEVIN CLUKEY AND PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE DIVISION MANAGER, AMY PETRI, WILL BE PRESENTING ON THIS.
WELCOME TO YOU BOTH BEHIND YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS KEVIN KLEE, WATER CONSERVATION DIVISION MANAGER, AND WE'RE HERE, EXCUSE, EXCUSE ME, UH, WITH YOU TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE WATERWISE LANDSCAPE REBATE PROGRAM AND OUR RECENT EFFORTS TO A, TO RAISE AWARENESS, UH, OF THIS PROGRAM WITH OUR CUSTOMERS.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, THE WATERWISE LANDSCAPE REBATE PROGRAM IS ONE OF A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE TO HELP AWESOME WATER CUSTOMERS WITH THEIR LANDSCAPE WATER USE.
THE WATERWISE LANDSCAPE PROGRAM HELPS RESIDENTS CONVERT THEIR LANDSCAPES FROM TURF TO BEDS, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT FOCUSES ON.
UH, NATIVE AND ADAPTIVE PLANTS AND BEDS CAN USE HALF AS MUCH WATER AS TURF DOES IN THAT SAME AREA.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT AS WE GO FORWARD TO REALLY MAXIMIZE OUR EFFICIENCY IN OUR LANDSCAPES.
CURRENT REBATES OFFER $1 PER SQUARE FOOT.
A YEAR AGO, A LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR AGO, THIS WAS, UH, 30 CENTS.
SO WE'VE SINCE RAISED THAT AMOUNT, UH, TO INCREASED INTEREST IN THIS PROGRAM.
AND IT, AND IT HAS RAISED IN INTEREST IN THIS PROGRAM.
UM, BUT I THINK A LOT OF WHAT WE'VE
[00:40:01]
BEEN DOING RECENTLY HAS ALSO BEEN CONTRIBUTING A LOT TO INCREASED AWARENESS.BACK IN MARCH, THERE WAS A, A RESOLUTION PASSED BY THE COUNCIL, UM, DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER IN AUSTIN WATER TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE PROGRAM, UM, THROUGH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT, UH, METHODS.
FIRST OF ALL, PROVIDING ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, UH, FOR CUSTOMERS ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF THIS, UH, CREATING DE DESIGNATED SPACE ON THE SAGE WEBSITE, UH, USING MULTILINGUAL AND MULTIMEDIA ADVERTISEMENTS, AS WELL AS PROVIDING ADDITIONAL COMMUNICATION METHODS BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL ADVERTISING MEDIUMS. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IN TERMS OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS.
I'LL, I'LL START OFF AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO AMY.
UH, WE CERTAINLY HAVE OUR TRADITIONAL EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS IN TERMS OF, OF GUIDES FOR OUR PROGRAMS, AND THEN ALL THE ALWAYS POPULAR GROW GREEN GUIDE, UM, THAT YOU'LL OFTEN SEE AROUND NURSERIES, UM, THAT PEOPLE CARRY AROUND.
UM, THESE CONTINUE TO BE VERY POPULAR AND VERY USEFUL TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE BENEFITS OF WATERWISE LANDSCAPES TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO AMY TO GO FORWARD AND I'LL HOP IN.
I'M THE DIVISION MANAGER OVER THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE AT AUSTIN WATER.
UM, AND SO TO GET TO THE EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN THAT WE WERE ASKED TO, UM, TO DO AS PART OF THIS RESOLUTION, UM, PART OF THAT CALLED FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND SHARING THESE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO, UM, OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST WEEK OF MARCH, AND THROUGH THE MONTH OF APRIL, WE'VE BEEN PARTICIPATING IN A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT HAVE BEEN STAFFED BY WATER CONSERVATION STAFF, WHO CAN, YOU KNOW, ANSWER COMMUNITY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE VARIOUS REBATES THAT THEY HAVE, UH, AVAILABLE FOR THEM, AS WELL AS THIS WATERWISE REBATE.
THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE CAMPAIGN.
IT'S GONNA GO WELL INTO MAY AND JUNE.
THIS IS A BUSY SEASON FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND SO WE ARE OUT THERE SHARING OUR INFORMATION IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
WE'VE ALSO, UM, UM, APRIL WAS, UH, ASIAN PACIFIC, UH, UH, HERITAGE CELEBRATION MONTH.
THERE WERE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITY EVENTS WITH THOSE COMMUNITIES.
AND SO WE'VE, WE'VE ALSO, OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST, UM, HAS BEEN ATTENDING THOSE AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS WITH, UM, UM, THOSE GROUPS.
AND, UM, WE'RE REACHING DIVERSE, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS.
AND SO THE SECOND THING THAT WAS ASKED FOR IN THIS RESOLUTION WAS FOR US TO LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE RESOURCES AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE DEDICATED EASY TO UNDERSTAND INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.
AND SO WE REALLY TOOK THE APPROACH OF LOOKING AT IT FROM A, UM, WE NEED TO MAKE IT VERY FUNCTIONAL AND EASY TO FIND, AND WE MAY NEED TO MAKE IT VERY EASY TO UNDERSTAND AND APPLY FOR THESE REBATES.
SO, UM, WE, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING A PICTURE OF IS WHAT WE PUT ON OUR, OUR LANDING PAGE.
ANYONE WHO'S COMING TO OUR WEBSITE FOR ANY REASON WOULD SEE THIS WATERWISE LANDSCAPES AT THE VERY TOP BANNER THAT TAKES THEM DIRECTLY TO THE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT REBATE PROGRAM, AS WELL AS ALL OF OUR CONSERVATION REBATES.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE JUST COMING TO OUR WEBSITE, YOU SEE IT.
BUT ALL OF OUR EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS AND ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN PUSHING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY OVER THE MONTHS OF APRIL AND INTO MAY AND JUNE, ARE TAKING PEOPLE DIRECTLY TO THE REBATE PAGE.
ONE LESS CLICK IS ONE LESS CLICK.
ALL OF THE STUFF JUST GETS THEM THERE FASTER AND GETS THEM TO THE INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.
AND SO, TO THAT POINT, UM, ALL OF OUR ADS ARE TAKING PEOPLE DIRECTLY TO OUR, OUR REBATE PAGE.
WE HAVE THE APPLICATION LINK AT THE TOP.
WE'VE GOT MORE GRAPHICS AND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ALL OF THE VARIOUS REBATES THAT INCLUDE LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION, POOL COVERS, ALL THE THINGS THAT WE OFFER.
AND THE APPLICATION, UM, HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN, UM, DEVELOPED IN A WAY THAT PEOPLE CAN APPLY FROM THEIR PHONE.
WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE COMING TO OUR WEBPAGES FROM THEIR MOBILE PHONE.
WE WANTED ALL OF THIS TO BE MOBILE FRIENDLY.
SO WE'VE TRIED TO CREATE RESOURCES THAT ARE INFORMATIVE, BUT ALSO FUNCTIONAL AND EASY TO GET TO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
UM, UH, THE, THE LAST THING I WOULD SAY IS WE DID CREATE A DEDICATED FAQ PAGE, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT WATERWISE AND THAT PROGRAM.
AND IT AS HAS A LOT OF COMMON COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW YOU REPLACE TURF, HOW YOU ADJUST YOUR IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, ALL THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HOW TO DO, WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM.
UM, THE THIRD THING THAT WAS ASKED FOR WAS, UM, ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS.
AND SO WE LEVERAGED OUR, UM, OUR, OUR ADVERTISING CONTRACTS WITH OUR VENDORS.
WE, WE, UM, WE HAVE ONGOING PRINT,
[00:45:01]
DIGITAL AND, UM, RADIO SPOT ADS THAT ARE PART OF OUR REGULAR, UM, UM, ADVERTISING, UH, ACTIVITIES FROM MONTH TO MONTH.EVERYTHING WAS FOCUSED ON WATERWISE AS WELL AS, AGAIN, ALL OF OUR REBATES, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS THAT PEOPLE CAN CONSERVE WATER.
WE REALLY TRIED TO HIGHLIGHT WATERWISE IN THESE.
UM, YOU'RE LOOKING AT A TWO PAGE AD THAT WE PUT IN COMMUNITY IMPACT.
WE'VE TRANSLATED THINGS TO SPANISH.
THERE WILL BE MORE COMING IN MAY.
WE'LL BE PLACING A LOT MORE SPANISH ADS IN MAY AND JUNE AND BEYOND ALL OF OUR DIGITAL ADS THAT ARE PLACED WITH OUR VENDORS TAKE PEOPLE DIRECTLY TO THAT REBATES PAGE.
SO THEY'RE GOING AGAIN, RIGHT TO WHERE THEY NEED TO GO TO FIND INFORMATION TO APPLY.
AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF OUR, UM, DIGITAL ADS THAT WE PLACED.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, THE, THE RESOLUTION CALLED FOR ADDITIONAL COMMUNICATION.
UM, I'M GONNA FLIP TO THE SOCIAL EXAMPLES IN A MINUTE, BUT, UM, ON THIS PAGE, WE, UM, WE DID SOME PAID CONTENT AND COMMUNITY IMPACT.
WE DID A FEATURE ARTICLE WITH ONE OF OUR WATER CONSERVATION STAFF WHO TALKED ABOUT THIS PROGRAM, TRIED TO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE SOME GOOD INFORMATION.
SO THAT'S THE SCREENSHOT THAT YOU SEE IS FROM OUR COMMUNITY IMPACT, UM, CONTENT.
WE'VE HOSTED, UM, THREE LUNCH AND LEARN SESSIONS, UM, LED BY OUR WATER CONSERVATION STAFF.
WE'VE HAD ABOUT 40 PEOPLE SIGN UP FOR EACH OF THOSE LUNCH AND LEARN SESSIONS WHERE THEY CAN LEARN EVERYTHING ABOUT WATERWISE OR RAIN SCAPES OR HOW TO PROGRAM THEIR IRRIGATION PROGRAMMERS.
SO LOTS OF GOOD INFORMATION OUT THERE TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN THIS WEEK WE RELEASED A MEDIA RELEASE.
UH, KEVIN JUST CAME IN FROM DOING AN INTERVIEW WITH KVU ABOUT THAT.
SO WE'RE GONNA GET SOME MEDIA COVERAGE ABOUT ALL OF THIS.
UM, BUT CLICKING AHEAD TO OUR, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, UM, AGAIN, WE DID POST IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH ABOUT THIS.
WE'LL BE, WE'LL BE PROMOTING THIS INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE SPRING MONTHS.
AND THEN WE'LL ALSO PICK UP AGAIN IN THE FALL WHEN PLANNING SEASON BEGINS AGAIN.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE CAMPAIGN.
SO TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE, UM, BASICALLY APRIL THROUGH JUNE, WE'VE GOT 20 EVENTS THAT WE'VE EITHER ATTENDED OR PLAN TO ATTEND.
WE GET REQUESTS ALL THE TIME TO COME TO COMMUNITY EVENTS.
WE WILL, UM, CONTINUE TO PUT THIS INFORMATION OUT THERE.
UM, COMING UP IN JUNE, WE WILL BE PARTNERING WITH AUSTIN ENERGY AT THE UTILITY BILL PAYMENT CENTERS.
UM, EACH YEAR WE DO WINTER PREPAREDNESS IN THE WINTER, AND WE DO CONSERVATION IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER.
SO, UM, WE'LL BE BACK OUT THERE IN JUNE.
WE, WE EXPECT TO GET GOOD ATTENDANCE THIS YEAR AS WELL.
THE SECOND BULLET I WANNA, UM, CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO, 'CAUSE THIS IS A GOOD METRIC FOR US.
UM, WE LOOKED AT OUR WEBPAGE VISITS OVER THE LAST MONTH TO SEE IF THEY HAD INCREASE THAT WOULD INDICATE THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING THE MESSAGE AND GOING TO CHECK IT OUT.
UM, WE GOT ABOUT 1300 UNIQUE WEBPAGE VISITS, UM, BETWEEN APRIL 1ST AND APRIL 25TH.
UM, ONE THING THAT WE'RE SEEING OUT OF THOSE ANALYTICS IS THAT THE, EACH OF THOSE VISITS IS INTERACTING WITH THE PAGE ABOUT 12 TIMES.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE SCROLLING, THEY'RE CLICKING ON THINGS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOING TO LINKS, THEY'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT INFORMATION, THEY'RE OPENING UP THE APPLICATION.
THIS IS ONE WAY THAT WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT ARE THEY ENGAGED WITH WHAT WE'VE PUT THERE? IF THEY GO THERE AND THEN THEY IMMEDIATELY LEAVE, THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT THAT ENGAGED.
SO WE THINK THAT THERE'S A HIGH LEVEL OF, UM, ENGAGEMENT WITH THIS CAMPAIGN.
UM, WE ARE PROJECTING THAT WE'LL HAVE ABOUT 4 MILLION AD IMPRESSIONS FROM OUR AD CAMPAIGNS THAT WE'VE RUN.
UM, THE SOCIAL POSTS THAT WE'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN APRIL 1ST AND APRIL 25TH, REACHED OVER 12,000 PEOPLE ON OUR SOCIAL PLATFORMS. AND AGAIN, THOSE LINKS ARE DRIVING PEOPLE DIRECTLY TO THAT WEBPAGE.
SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'RE KIND OF SEEING THAT IT WAS PUSHING PEOPLE THERE.
AND I'M GONNA HAND IT BACK OVER TO KEVIN TO TAKE US TO THE END.
AND JUST AT, ON THAT LAST BULLET POINT I WANTED TO NOTE, UM, WE RECEIVED SIX COMPLETED APPLICATIONS IN APRIL, UH, SINCE THAT THE RESOLUTION, BUT THAT REALLY DOES REPRESENT ALL THE INTERESTS THAT WE'VE GOT.
UH, WHILE WE ARE TRYING TO STREAMLINE THE APPLICATIONS, THEY DO REQUIRE SOME THOUGHT, UM, TO SUBMIT THOSE IN TERMS OF WHAT TYPE OF PLANTS, HOW MUCH AREA.
SO, UM, PEOPLE DO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THIS, BUT WE'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF INTEREST CONVERSATIONS, EMAIL, UH, PHONE WITH STAFF WONDERING HOW TO DO THIS, WHAT TO DO, AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO, AND A LOT OF 'EM ARE REFERENCING THE, THE EFFORTS THAT WE'VE MADE IN THE PAST.
AND I JUST TO TAG ON TO, TO, TO THAT IS, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THAT LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'RE SEEING ON OUR WEBPAGE, UM, THAT THAT MAY NOT ALWAYS RESULT IN A REBATE APPLICATION, BUT OUR HOPE IS THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING THAT INFORMATION AND LEARNING ABOUT HOW TO CONSERVE WATER WITH THEIR LANDSCAPE.
[00:50:01]
SO, YOU KNOW, MY HOPE IS THAT IF, IF THEY'RE READING ALL OF THIS INFORMATION THAT, THAT THEY'RE GOING OUT AND, AND CONSERVING, UH, IN A, IN A BETTER WAY THAN MAYBE THEY DID BEFORE THEY VISITED OUR WEBPAGE WITH THAT WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.I KNOW, UM, THE FIRST TIME I SAW THE WATERWISE, UM, THAT WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE, UM, LITTLE BOOKS THAT'S OUT THERE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY EXTRAS? YEAH, I DON'T HAVE ONE FROM THIS YEAR.
YOU KNOW, AT ANY RATE IT DOESN'T MATTER, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS AGO.
REMIND ME, WHEN DID THE WATERWISE PROGRAM BEGIN? WAS IT, WELL, THIS WATERWISE PROGRAM ACTUALLY BEGAN BACK IN 2010.
UM, IT CHANGED THE NAME IN 2011 TO, UH, WATERWISE LANDSCAPE OR THE GREEN GROW, I GUESS THE GREEN GROW.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
I HAVE TO ADMIT, I CANNOT REMEMBER WHEN GREEN, AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN IN AUSTIN THAT'S BEEN OUT THERE, IT'S BEEN THERE.
BUT, UM, THAT'S REALLY DATING ME.
IT MIGHT EVEN BE OLDER THAN THAT.
KEVIN, DO YOU KNOW? YEAH, THIS SHOULD BE, IT'S BEEN A TRIVIA QUESTION.
YEAH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A TRIVIA.
I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THIS WORK.
UM, AND I AGREE THAT EVEN IF PEOPLE DON'T GO FOR THE REBATES, THEY'RE GETTING REALLY USEFUL INFORMATION ON HOW, WHAT PLANTS TO PUT IN THEIR YARD AND HOW TO PUT 'EM IN THEIR YARD TO MAKE SURE THEY DON'T DIE.
BECAUSE THAT'S PROBABLY THE HARDEST THING EMOTIONALLY WHEN YOU'RE PUTTING THAT BED IN THERE.
AND THEN THE, IT JUST DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T TAKE, AND YOU'RE LIKE, WHY HASN'T IT TAKEN? AND SO WE OFFER SOME REALLY GOOD TIPS FOR HOW TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SUCCESSFUL.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER, THANK Y'ALL, UH, VERY MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION AND THE WORK Y'ALL ARE DOING IT.
I, I ACTUALLY SAW THAT FULL PAGE AD IN CUNY IMPACT, AND I THOUGHT, HEY, GOOD.
I KNOW WHY THEY'RE DOING THIS.
UM, ONE SUGGESTION OR QUESTION, YOU KNOW, I THINK IN TALKING WITH SOME PEOPLE, THERE IS A HURDLE IN THEIR MIND OF, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE TO CONVERT MY LAWN, BUT I'M NOT A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT.
I HAVE NO CLUE, EVEN WITH THE, THE GUIDE OF, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A NICE FLOWER, OR THIS, YOU KNOW, I'M UNABLE TO VISUALIZE, OR I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT GOES WELL TOGETHER AND HOW, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY WAY, KIND OF LIKE WE HAVE WITH THE AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, YOU KNOW, PARTNERS THAT IF YOU'RE GONNA GO DO SOMETHING, THERE'S A LIST OF, OF CONTRACTORS THAT YOU CAN GO REACH OUT TO.
IF THERE WAS A WAY EITHER FOR US TO, UM, HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO, AND IT'D BE GREAT IF THEY DO IT AT, YOU KNOW, A DISCOUNT, BUT LIKE, HERE'S SOMEONE WHO CAN HELP YOU THINK ABOUT, OR PUT TOGETHER A, A ROUGH MOCKUP OF WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE JUST TO, TO HELP OR KIND OF THE, THE OTHER STEP OF LIKE A, A VERY LOW TECH, BUT KIND OF TOOL WHERE YOU CAN KIND OF DRAW OUT YOUR LAWN AND DROP IN SOME, SOME PLANTS AND JUST KIND OF GET A, A GENERAL IDEA OF WHAT IT IS THAT I'M, YOU KNOW, CONVERTING TO.
JUST, I THINK THAT THE PLANNING ELEMENT SCARES A LOT OF PEOPLE.
UM, AND SO I KNOW I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO CAN'T VISUALIZE IT IN MY MIND.
I HAVE, I'M FORTUNATE MY WIFE CAN, SO SHE DOES ALL THE GREAT DRAWING WHEN WE'RE PLANTING.
BUT, UM, THAT'S JUST A, A FOOD FOR THOUGHT AS Y'ALL LOOKING FORWARD.
AND THE OTHER KIND OF QUESTION, YOU KNOW, BEFORE YOU GO ANY FURTHER, I JUST WANNA, I, I, I'LL JUMP IN AND SAY, I THINK THE MASTER GARDENERS IS EXACTLY THE, UM, AND THAT'S THE GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS THAT, UM, WOULD BE REALLY GOOD TO CONNECT TO JUST KIND OF AMPLIFY THEIR EXISTENCE.
UM, BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY RECOMMEND PARTICULAR VENDORS.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD RECOMMEND ALL VENDORS, BUT THE MASTER GARDENERS PROGRAMS A REALLY GOOD ONE.
UM, THE OTHER IS, I KNOW IN THE FUTURE THERE ARE PLANS WITHIN WATER FORWARD ABOUT NEW BUILDING, NEW CONSTRUCTION, WHAT KIND OF TURF, IF AT ALL THEY CAN PUT IN.
AND JUST KIND OF THINKING ABOUT THE EFFORT WE'RE PUTTING INTO THIS VERSUS, YOU KNOW, HOW WE BALANCE, MAYBE WE INCENTIVIZE NEW BUILD TO NOT PUT TURF IN AT ALL.
YOU KNOW, THIS INCENTIVE IS A CONVERSION, BUT IF SOMEONE'S NEVER DOING IT FROM DAY ONE, THAT'S A, AN
[00:55:01]
EASIER, UH, SELL.AND YOU KNOW, FROM THE DEVELOPER SIDE, THEY'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO OFFSET COSTS.
AND SO IF THERE'S A, A WAY TO TO CONSIDER THAT, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE IT COULD BE SUCCESSFUL.
SO, BUT I, I AM EXCITED TO SEE WHERE THIS GOES.
UH, HOPEFULLY GOING TO BE A PARTICIPANT MYSELF.
WE'RE, WE'RE CONSIDERING JUST HOW, HOW BIG WE WANT TO GO, BUT, UH, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S Y'ALL'S EFFORTS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
[5. My ATX Water update.]
UH, LET'S SEE.MY A TX WATER UPDATE AND I LOVE THIS, THIS PICTURE HERE, ANDY, SHE'S ADORABLE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR PRO TIM AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
RANDY JENKINS, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AT AUSTIN WATER.
AND AS YOU MENTIONED, I'M HERE TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON MY A TX WATER AUSTIN SMART METERING SYSTEM.
AND YES, WE LOVE OUR CAMPAIGN ADVERTISEMENT HERE.
THE TEAM HAS DONE A GREAT JOB PULLING THAT
SO, UM, TO GET US LAUNCHED AND AND ORIENTED WITH WHERE WE ARE TO DATE, UM, TO DISCUSS CITYWIDE IMPLEMENTATION.
SO I'VE MENTIONED THIS IN, IN PREVIOUS REPORT OUTS, BUT JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE, WE LAUNCHED FROM THE SAME PAGE.
WE HAVE, UM, ALL OF OUR DATA COLLECTION UNITS INSTALLED AND OPERATIONAL.
SO A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THOSE ARE OUT IN THE FIELD DEPLOYED.
AND THESE ARE THE UNITS THAT ARE PICKING UP THE METER RES, UM, THROUGHOUT, UH, THE, THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN WE HAVE INSTALLED EXCHANGE 210, 558,000 METERS OF THE 250,000 METER POPULATION, UM, THAT AUSTIN WATER PROVIDES.
SO WE ARE JUST UNDER 85% COMPLETE, UM, WITH OUR IMPLEMENTATION THUS FAR.
UM, ONE OF THE RESOUNDING, UH, SUCCESSES AND WINS, I THINK TO THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN RQA, UM, OUR QUALITY ASSURANCE AND METER TO BUILD PROCESS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT QUALITY, QUALITY CONTROL IS INTEGRAL PART OF TO ANY PROJECT SUCCESS.
AND SO, UM, EACH METER IS TESTED BY THE MANUFACTURER PER OUR CONTRACTUAL, UM, UH, OBLIGATIONS ON THEIR PART FOR US, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE ACCURATE BEFORE THEY'RE DELIVERED TO US.
BUT WE ADDITIONALLY, UM, PERFORM ADDITIONAL TESTS ON A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF THOSE METERS AS EACH PALLET OF METERS OR DELIVERED.
WE GO THROUGH TO VALIDATE THAT THE REGISTERED READINGS ARE ACCURATE, AND ONCE THEY ARE DEPLOYED TO THE FIELD, UM, THEN EACH METER UNDER GO UNDERGOES A 10 STEP CERTIFICATION PROCESS AFTER INSTALLATION.
SO JUST BECAUSE THAT METER'S INSTALLED IN THE FIELD, WE ARE STILL, UM, WATCHING THE BACK END TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS MEETING ALL OF OF OUR SPECS AND REQUIREMENTS.
AND SO, UM, WHILE THERE'S 10 STEPS.
THE THE BIGGEST, AND, AND I, I WOULD SAY MOST DIRECT TO MAKING SURE THAT THE, THAT METER IS OPERATING SUCCESSFULLY, IS THAT WE REQUIRE, UM, METER READERS TO GO OUT AND COLLECT A MANUAL READ FROM THAT A MI METER FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE MONTHS.
AND THAT METER READ MUST MATCH OUR AUTOMATED, OUR ADVANCED METERING METER READ TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, CONFIDENT THAT IT IS REGISTERING ACCURATELY.
AND SO WE DO NOT FLIP IT TO BILL OFF OF THAT A MI READ.
AND SO LAUNCHING INTO, UM, OUR OVERALL COMMUNICATIONS AND CUSTOMER INTERACTIONS AND SYSTEM BENEFITS FROM THE MY TX WATER PROGRAM.
UM, SO, UM, I'VE REPORTED OUT ON THIS AND THIS NUMBER CON CONTINUES TO GROW FOR US.
SO SINCE LAUNCHING, UM, AND DEPLOYING OUR FIRST METER IN SEPTEMBER OF 2020, AUSTIN WATER HAS SENT OVER FOUR AND A HALF MILLION PORTAL COMMUNICATIONS TO DATE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, COMMUNICATED OUT ON DROUGHT, WATER CONSERVATION EDUCATION, UM, WATER QUALITY REPORT, WHICH YOU HEARD ABOUT EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON.
UH, CERTAINLY EMERGENCY AND PLANNED SHUTOUTS, POTENTIAL WATER PRESSURE CHANGES, CUSTOMER SURVEYS, AND MANY MORE TOPICS.
UM, WE HAVE FELT THE, THE FULL BENEFITS OF THIS, UM, DIRECT INTERACTION WITH OUR CUSTOMERS.
AND SO PART OF OUR, UH, CUSTOMER PORTAL RECRUITMENT, UM, WE HAVE, UH, A WEEKLY INSTALL WHERE WE KNOW WE'RE, YOU KNOW, OUR CONTRACTOR IS GONNA BE IN A CERTAIN AREA.
AND SO WE, UH, HIT SEND ON, ON PORTAL RECRUITMENT EMAILS TO OUR CUSTOMER BASE.
AND WHAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO SEE IS ABOVE INDUSTRY AVERAGE, AND I MEAN A COMMUNICATIONS AVERAGE, NOT NECESSARILY A WATER UTILITY, BUT ABOVE COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY AVERAGE, UM, OF EMAIL OPEN RATES, WE ARE GETTING ABOUT 70% OF THOSE EMAILS ARE OPENED.
UM, SO WE KNOW WE'RE REACHING OUR CUSTOMERS.
WE KNOW THEY'RE INTERESTED IN OUR, IN OUR, MY TX WATER PROJECT.
AND SO THAT, THAT JUST SETS US OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT.
[01:00:02]
AND ONE OF THE, UM, MOST RECENT COMMUNICATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING IS WITH OUR DOWNTOWN CUSTOMERS.THAT IS THE AREA THAT WE ARE, UM, INSTALLING HEAVILY IN RIGHT NOW.
AND, UH, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF BUSINESSES AND MULTI-FAMILY UNITS.
AND SO MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING NOTICE AND AMPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO SCHEDULE INSTALL APPOINTMENTS WITH US.
SO WE HAVE A TEAM WHERE WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR CONTRACTOR TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SCHEDULING THOSE APPOINTMENTS AT A TIME THAT'S CONVENIENT FOR, FOR THOSE CUSTOMERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS.
UM, AND THEN SOME UPCOMING COMMUNICATIONS ON THE HORIZON ARE OUR WATER QUALITY REPORT.
AGAIN, THAT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER.
SO THAT IS, UM, BEING PUSHED OUT, UH, CERTAINLY WATER CONSERVATION, UM, AND ALWAYS ENCOURAGING OUR CUSTOMERS TO CUSTOMIZE THEIR HOME WATER PROFILE IN THE MY TX WATER PORTAL.
AND THAT WAY THEY CAN SET UP THEIR OWN BUDGETS, BOTH, UH, MONETARY BUDGETS AS WELL AS WATER PROFILE BUDGETS.
AND, UM, SOME UPCOMING PLANNED MESSAGING AROUND OUR, UH, RATES.
AND I MENTIONED OUR CUSTOMER INTERACTIONS IN THE PORTAL.
AND SO THIS IS KIND OF A HIGHLIGHT OF SOME OF THE DATA POINTS THERE.
SO WE HAVE SENT 123,000 NEARLY, UH, 123, REALLY ALMOST 24,000 BILL FORECAST NOTIFICATIONS.
UM, AND SO ON THE RIGHT THERE, THERE'S A, A SCREENSHOT OF WHAT THAT FORECASTED, UH, BILL FORECAST NOTIFICATION LOOKS LIKE.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE THE FORECASTED USE THE BILLING TIER THAT THAT PLACES YOU IN THE FIXED TIER CHARGE, UM, AND THEN THE PRICE PER A THOUSAND GALLONS THAT THAT IS APPLICABLE TO THAT FORECASTED USE.
AND SO WHAT THAT DOES IS PUT THE CUSTOMER ON NOTICE THAT THEY'RE ON, ON TRACK TO POTENTIALLY MOVE TO ANOTHER TIER, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A HIGHER, UH, THAN AVERAGE BILL FOR THEM.
AND AL AL ALLOWS THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, AFFECT THEIR WATER USAGE IN THEIR HOME.
AND SO WHAT WE'VE SEEN AS A RESULT OF THAT NOTIFICATION IS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, NEARLY 40% OF OUR CUSTOMERS BILLED AT A LOWER VOLUME AND A LOWER TIER THEN, THEN THEIR FORECAST WAS ON TARGET FOR, AND THEN THAT ALSO RESULTED IN AN ESTIMATED 32 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER SAVINGS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A WATER SAVINGS FOR US, A WATER SAVINGS FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND CERTAINLY A WATER SAVINGS IN, IN THE AMOUNT OF BILL, UM, IMPACTS FOR OUR CUSTOMER BASE.
LIKEWISE, WE CONTINUE TO SEND CONTINUOUS USAGE ALERTS, WHICH IS IN EFFECT, UH, LEAK ALERTS.
UM, SO NEARLY 160,000 OF THOSE.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I'VE MENTIONED THIS IN PRIOR REPORT OUTS, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE NEARLY AT 20,000 CUSTOMER CONVERSATIONS SINCE 2021.
UM, THE MAIN TOPICS ARE IDENTIFYING LEAKS, UM, AND THEN THE CUSTOMER'S RESPONSE TO THOSE ALERTS, LIKE, WHAT DO THEY NEED TO DO? AND SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE REALLY ENGAGED AND, UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO, THAT THEY'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO THEIR USAGE.
AND THEN, UM, THEY'RE ALSO ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO INTERPRET THEIR CONCEPTION DATA, WHICH AGAIN, THIS IS JUST AN EDUCATION MOMENT AND A LEARNING TOOL IN THAT REGARD.
BUT I THINK, UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT WITH OUR CUSTOMER CONVERSATIONS IS WITH THE, THE SHARED CITY OF AUSTIN UTILITY, UH, BILLING SET UP.
UM, WHILE IT PROVIDES FOR A LOT OF STREAMLINED EFFICIENCIES, UH, ONE, ONE WAY IS THAT AUSTIN WATER DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO JUMP IN WITH OUR CUSTOMER FROM THE GET GO WHEN THEY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT WATER AND WASTEWATER AND, AND THEIR POTENTIAL BILL.
AND SO THIS ALLOWS US THAT OPPORTUNITY AND, UM, WE WE'RE, UM, JUST ECSTATIC ABOUT BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH OUR CUSTOMERS IN A WAY THAT WE NEVER HAVE BEFORE.
AND SO WITH ALL OF THESE NOTIFICATIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO WATCH VERY CLOSELY, UM, BOTH AUSTIN WATER AND OUR CITY OF AUSTIN UTILITIES AND ANY UPTICKS AND COMPLAINTS AND ANY UPTICKS AND BACKLOGS OF OPEN BILLING CASES OR HIGH BILLS, AND WE ARE NOT EXPERIENCING THAT.
AND SO FOR A WOWING NUMBER, UM, THIS IS ONE OF, THIS IS MY FAVORITE SLIDE IN THE DECK.
UM, SINCE INSTALLING OUR FIRST, UH, A MI METER, UM, THE CUSTOMER PORTAL HAS ESTIMATED THROUGH OUR CUSTOMER LEAK ALERT SYSTEM THAT TO DATE, WE HAVE SAVED 720 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER.
AND SO WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR OUR COMMUNITY IS, YOU KNOW, EXTENDING OUR WATER SUPPLY AND WHAT THAT LOOKS FOR OUR CUSTOMER IS A BETTER MANAGEMENT OF THEIR BILL AND OF THEIR PROPERTY.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE FINDING OUT ABOUT LEAKS AND ISSUES, AND MAYBE IT'S NOT A LEAK.
MAYBE THEY LEFT A HOSE BIB ON IN THE BACKYARD, BUT EITHER WHICH WAY THEY'RE, THEY'RE FINDING OUT ABOUT THAT IN A TIMELY MANNER AND NOT IN A, A BILL THAT COMES THREE WEEKS LATER.
AND SO THIS IS A SHAMELESS PLUG HERE.
UM, A FEW SLIDES OF JUST HELP US HELP YOU AND SAVE WATER TOO.
SO THIS MIGHT BE AN EASY WAY, UM, FOR YOU AND YOUR OFFICES TO TALK WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT, UM, HOW TO SIGN UP FOR THE PORTAL.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
UM, BUT REALLY THE PORTAL IS ACCESSIBLE
[01:05:01]
IN THREE EASY STEPS.STEP ONE, LOCATE YOUR ACCOUNT NUMBER.
UM, AND WHERE YOU DO THAT IS ON YOUR BILL, OR YOU CAN ALSO CALL OUR CITY OF BOSTON UTILITIES CUSTOMER CARE LINE AND GET YOUR ACCOUNT NUMBER.
STEP TWO, UM, ENTER YOUR ZIP CODE INTO THIS WEBSITE, WHICH IS OUR WATER SMART PORTAL WEBSITE.
AND THEN YOU BEGIN USING YOUR, YOUR PROFILE AND YOU START SAVING.
UM, IT'S EASY AND IT'S ACCESSIBLE, UM, TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
THIS IS, UM, I ALWAYS LIKE TO GIVE A A CUSTOMER TESTIMONIAL.
UM, AND THIS IS, UH, JUST LAST WEEK WE RECEIVED THIS EMAIL.
UM, AND THIS IS FROM ONE OF OUR CUSTOMERS, BUT HE IS ALSO, UM, A MASTER PLUMBER AND STATED AS A MASTER PLUMBER, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK ABOUT THE NEW ELECTRONIC METERS.
Y'ALL ALERTED ME THIS MORNING THAT I HAD A LEAK AT MY HOUSE.
I WENT OUT AND SURE ENOUGH, MY IRRIGATION BOX IS FULL OF WATER THAT USUALLY COULD HAVE GONE ON FOR MONTHS.
Y'ALL HAVE A REAL WINNER WITH THAT SYSTEM.
SO IT'S DOING WHAT WE INTENDED IT TO DO, AND WE'RE EXTREMELY PLEASED AND ARE SO HAPPY THAT OUR CUSTOMERS ARE HAVING THAT EXPERIENCE.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
WHAT IS THE TIMELINE FOR GETTING THE LAST FEW, UM, HOMES CONNECTED? ABSOLUTELY.
SO WE WILL COMPLETE OUR DEPLOYMENT BY THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR, SO DECEMBER, 2024.
AND WHEN DID YOU START? WE STARTED OUR FIRST METER WENT IN THE GROUND SEPTEMBER OF 2020.
AND THAT WAS A PILOT IN A CERTAIN PART OF TOWN? YEAH, WE STARTED WITH A PILOT.
WE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DID, YOU KNOW, A SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEN EXPANDED OUT FROM THERE AND KIND OF TESTED AND PROVED UP THE SYSTEM.
IS THERE ANY OPPORTUNITY TO KIND LINK TWO THINGS HERE? WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT WITH WATERWISE TO ALLOW PEOPLE THROUGH THIS TO SAY, HERE'S HOW MUCH YOU ARE PAYING, BUT HEY, HERE'S A REMINDER OR, OR LEARN ABOUT THIS GREAT PROGRAM AND HERE'S HOW MUCH WE THINK YOU COULD SAVE.
'CAUSE YOU'RE GONNA USE LESS WATER.
YOU KNOW, ARE WE, ARE WE ABLE TO, TO HAVE THOSE TWO THINGS INTEGRATED OR TALK TO EACH OTHER? ABSOLUTELY.
WE ARE, AND I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE TEAM MEMBERS ALONGSIDE OF WATER CONSERVATION, UM, WE ARE TIGHTLY CONNECTED AND ARE ALWAYS COMMUNICATING AND FINDING WAYS.
I KNOW ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OF, UM, FUTURE UPDATES TO SOME OF OUR WATER FORWARD AND, AND OTHER PLANS THAT WE'LL BE BRINGING FORWARD LATER THIS FALL WILL HOPEFULLY INCORPORATE MORE ELEMENTS OF UTILIZING MY A TX WATER IN A MORE ROBUST WAY.
BUT, UM, CERTAINLY EVEN TODAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE USING SOME OF THE DATA TO KIND OF DO SOME OUTREACH TO SAY, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR IRRIGATION SYSTEM MIGHT BE RUNNING OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOURS.
WOULD YOU LIKE AN IRRIGATION AUDIT WILL COME OUT AND SEE YOU, UM, AND VISIT WITH YOU AND HELP YOU WITH YOUR SETTING? SO WE ARE DOING SOME OF THAT AND KIND OF PILOTING IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, AS, AS WE GET THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY AND OUR LAST, WHAT, 35,000 METERS IN THE GROUND, WE'LL BE, UM, IN A BETTER, UH, PLACE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THAT FOR ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS.
AND I THINK WE HAVE, YOU HAVE A QUESTION TOO? OKAY.
ALLISON, I JUST HAVE A QUICK COMMENT.
I JUST FINALLY GOT MINE AND WONDERFUL.
[6. Staff recruitment and retention updates.]
RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION UPDATES IS OUR LAST ITEM FOR TODAY,MR. CUSTODIO, WELCOME WITH, WITH OUR DIRECTOR.
UM, AGAIN, SHAY ROLSON, DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN WATER.
UM, I'M GONNA KICK US OFF TODAY TALKING ABOUT RECRUITING AND RETENTION JUST BY, UM, TAKING US BACK A LITTLE BIT TO THE EXTERNAL REVIEW THAT WAS COMPLETED, UM, BY THE UT CENTER FOR WATER IN THE ENVIRONMENT, UM, IN JANUARY OF 2023.
AND THERE WERE A LOT OF ELEMENTS OF THE EXTERNAL REVIEW THAT WERE FOCUSED ON RECRUITING AND RETENTION, UM, AND, UH, AND CORPORATE CULTURE.
AND SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THOSE.
AS YOU KNOW, WE, WE REPORTED OUT IN EVERY A WALK MEETING ABOUT, UH, HOW WE WERE DOING ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE EXTERNAL REVIEW.
AND WHEN WE COMPLETED OUR FINAL REPORT OUT TO YOU AT THE LAST MEETING, UH, WE, UM, RECOMMENDED AND COMMITTED TO PRESENTING ON OUR RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION EFFORTS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
SO THIS IS OUR FIRST, UM, UH, PRESENTATION OF THIS KIND.
AND SO WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER WHAT WE HOPE WILL BE A REALLY INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION FOR YOU ON OUR EFFORTS, AND WE WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK ON HOW TO MAKE THIS, UH, THIS REGULAR UPDATE, UM, MEANINGFUL FOR YOU IN THE FUTURE.
[01:10:01]
SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO ISRAEL CUSTODIAL, WHO IS OUR ACTING ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR EMPLOYEE AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AT AUSTIN WATER.MY NAME IS ISRAEL CUSTODIO AND I'M THE ACTING ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EMPLOYEE LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT.
I'VE BEEN WITH AUSTIN WATER FOR SEVEN YEARS, ALL, UM, IN A PREVIOUS ROLE AS THE DIVISION MANAGER OF THE RISK MANAGEMENT DIVISION, BUT I'VE ONLY BEEN IN THIS, UH, POSITION NOW FOR THREE MONTHS.
I DO WANNA TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THE, UH, ELD TEAM.
THE ELD TEAM HAS CONSISTED OF THREE DIVISIONS, THE HR DIVISION, THE TALENT DEVELOPMENT DIVISION, AND THE RISK MANAGEMENT DIVISION.
UH, ONE THING THAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT THE ELD PROGRAM AREA IS THAT WE ARE THE ONLY PROGRAM AREA THAT'S DEDICATED, UH, TO THE EMPLOYEE.
WE BASICALLY TAKE CARE OF THE EMPLOYEE, UH, FROM THE TIME THAT THEY ONBOARD, HOPEFULLY TILL THE TIME THEY RETIRE AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN, WE KEEP THEM SAFE, WE DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS AS LEADERS, WE TALK TO THEM ABOUT THEIR BENEFITS, WE'RE THERE FOR THEIR NEEDS.
ESSENTIALLY, ELD IS, WE ARE THE PEOPLE, PEOPLE AT AUSTIN WATER.
UH, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A GROUP LIKE ELD BECAUSE COMPLEX ORGANIZATIONS, UH, THRIVE BASED ON THEIR PEOPLE, NOT EQUIPMENT, NOT SYSTEMS. IT'S PEOPLE THAT MAKE, UH, COMPLEX ORGANIZATIONS GO.
AND AUSTIN WATER DEFINITELY IS A COMPLEX ORGANIZATION.
WE HAVE PROFESSIONALS FROM DIFFERING DISCIPLINES ALL PULLING TOGETHER, UH, TO PROVIDE THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN WITH WORLD CLASS SERVICE.
MY PRESENTATION TODAY IS KIND OF BROKEN UP INTO TWO PARTS.
THE FIRST PART WE'LL TALK ABOUT, UH, RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.
AND THEN THE SECOND PART, UH, AS SHE ADDRESS, WE'LL ADDRESS SOME OF THE EXTERNAL REVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET INTO IT.
SO HERE'S THE RESTORE HISTORICAL VACANCY PERCENTAGES.
UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION, THE VACANCY RATE IS KIND OF AN INDUSTRY STANDARD THAT ALLOWS US TO KIND OF COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES.
VACANCY RATE CAN CHANGE AND OFTEN DOES FROM DAY TO DAY AS PEOPLE COME, UH, AND LEAVE.
AND I WILL TELL YOU A COUPLE OF THINGS IS THAT THEY DO.
AND VACANCY RATES ALSO SPIKE TWICE OUT OF TWO TIMES OUTTA THE YEAR.
THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY SPIKE IS THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
WHEN YOU RECEIVE YOUR NEW FTES, YOU RECEIVE ALL THOSE AT ONCE.
SO, UH, YOUR VACANCY RATE WILL SPIKE AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
AND THEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CALENDAR YEAR, UH, TRADITIONALLY WHEN CITY EMPLOYEES RETIRE, YOU MAY ALSO GET A SPIKE IN YOUR VACANCY RATE AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
UM, THE VACANCY RATE IS A FANTASTIC METRIC, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT IT ONLY GIVES YOU A VERY HIGH LEVEL SNAPSHOT OF THAT PARTICULAR TIME.
I ALSO WANTED TO TAKE A OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF POINT OUT, AS YOU SEE THIS BIG SPIKE THERE, UM, GOING FROM 22 OCTOBER 22 TO, UH, SEPTEMBER AREA OF 23.
THAT'S THE GREAT RESIGNATION IN ACTION.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE GREAT RESIGNATION AND WHAT IT MEANS AND WHAT YOU KNOW, IS IT REAL? IS IT NOT REAL? IT IT'S DEFINITELY REAL.
WE HAVE, WE EXPERIENCED MORE OF IT LATER, UH, LATER IN, IN THE, UH, PERIOD, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY A, UH, A REAL THING.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT SINCE THAT EARLY PART OF, UH, FISCAL YEAR 2023 WOULD, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON KIND OF BRINGING THAT VACANCY RATE DOWN.
UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT VACANCY RATE, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT CAN ARTIFICIALLY INFLATE IT.
ONE OF THOSE THINGS IS NOT FILLING YOUR POSITIONS IN A TIMELY FASHION.
UH, BUT YOU CAN SEE BY THIS GRAPH HERE THAT WE HAVE, WE FILL MORE THAN HALF OF OUR VACANCIES WITHIN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS.
LIKE MANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS, WE DO HAVE SOME POSITIONS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT TOUGHER TO FILL THAN OTHERS, BUT YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT WE DO NOT HAVE ANY POSITIONS THAT ARE OLDER THAN TWO YEARS, WHICH IS THE STANDARD FOR THE CITY.
NOW, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, UH, VACANCY RATE GIVES YOU A HIGH LEVEL PICTURE.
I KNOW THIS IS KIND OF A BUSY, UH, GRAPH GRAPH, SO I'M JUST GONNA TALK YOU THROUGH IT.
IF WE COULD JUST DISREGARD THE YELLOW GRAPH RIGHT NOW AND JUST KIND OF FOCUS ON THE BLUE AND THE GRAY.
AND WHAT THIS IS KIND OF SHOWING YOU IS THAT WE FILLED, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IN 20 21, 218 POSITIONS AND THEN, BUT WE HAD 120, UH, 120 PEOPLE SEPARATE, RIGHT? AND SO WHAT THIS IS ILLUSTRATING IS THAT WHILE IT'S OFTEN SAID, HEY, YOU HAVE A HIGH VACANCY RATE, YOU NEED TO HIRE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE.
AND THAT'S TRUE, YOU DO, BUT YOU CAN HIRE A LOT OF PEOPLE.
BUT IF YOU'RE KIND OF LOSING A LOT OF PEOPLE AT ONCE, THAT'S GONNA ALSO PLAY A FACTOR.
AND ANOTHER THING TO KIND OF REMEMBER IS THAT WITH THE POSITIONS FILLED, IS THAT A THIRD OF OUR POSITIONS, UH, ARE FILLED
[01:15:01]
BY INTERNAL CANDIDATES.AND WHILE THAT IS FANTASTIC FOR THE ORGANIZATION, AND WE WANT THAT, RIGHT, BECAUSE YOU'RE GETTING A PERSON WHO IS FAMILIAR WITH YOUR, WITH YOUR CULTURE, IS FAMILIAR WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION, UH, IT'S GREAT FOR RETENTION IN THE SENSE THAT THERE'S PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION.
IT DOESN'T FIX YOUR VACANCY RATE BECAUSE VAC BASICALLY YOUR VACANCY MOVES FROM ONE POSITION TO ANOTHER POSITION.
AND SO THE YELLOW HERE IS THE VACANCIES AT THE END OF THE YEAR FOR EACH PROSPECTIVE YEAR.
AND SO THAT'S WHY, AS YOU SEE THAT THE, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S MORE POSITIONS FILLED THAN POSITIONS SEPARATED, IT, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY CATCH IT UP, RIGHT? SO IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS SAYING, DO WE HAVE A HIRING PROBLEM OR DO WE HAVE A RETENTION ISSUE? IT'S, YOU KIND OF HAVE TO DO BOTH.
SO SPEAKING OF SEPARATIONS, HERE'S A VERY INTERESTING BREAKDOWN OF WHY, WHY, WHY ARE FOLKS LEAVING AUSTIN WATER OR FOR WHAT REASON? UH, AND YOU SEE HERE AT THE END CAP, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SEPARATIONS.
AND THEN YOU SEE THE, THE SOURCES.
UM, AGAIN, GETTING INTO THE GREAT RESIGNATION, UH, TYPE TALK, YOU SEE THAT FISCAL YEAR 2020 WAS THE LAST YEAR THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE REASONS WHY THE, THAT WERE RETIREMENTS WERE THE MAIN REASON WHY FOLKS LEFT OR SEPARATED FROM AUSTIN WATER.
YOU SEE THAT IN 2021 THROUGH 2023, THAT IT'S JUST, UH, RESIGNATIONS AND TRANSFERS TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT ACTUALLY HAVE OVERSHADOWED THE WHOLE RESIGNATION, UH, ISSUE.
SO PRETTY, PRETTY INTERESTING TO KIND OF JUST SEE THAT BREAKDOWN.
AND SO THUS FAR WE'VE TALKED ABOUT KIND OF THE ORGANIZATION IN GENERAL.
WE ARE TRACKING AT A ABOUT AROUND 10% TO NINE, UH, VACANCY RATE THERE.
BUT WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT WE DO HAVE SOME KEY OPERATIONAL AREAS THAT HAVE A VACANCY RATE THAT'S HIGHER THAN 10%.
AND THESE ARE ALL OPERATIONALLY FOCUSED, UH, AREAS OF THE ORGANIZATION WITH A VACANCY RATE HIGHER THAN 10%.
UM, AND ULRICH IS ON THERE BECAUSE IT'S ULRICH ESSENTIALLY, EVEN THOUGH IT'S AT NINE, BUT IT'S BROKEN DOWN BY THE FIRST THREE ARE, UH, THREE OF THE WATER TREATMENT PLANTS.
UH, THEN YOU HAVE HORNSBY BEND AND REMOTE FACILITIES, WHICH ARE ON THE WASTEWATER SIDE.
BUT YOU SEE THAT THERE'S ALSO A DECENT, UH, PORTION OF OUR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM THAT HAVE SOME HIGHER VACANCY RATES.
AND THEN, THEN WE HAVE OUR INC AND ELECTRICAL SERVICES FOLKS THAT ALSO HAVE HAD, UM, SOME VERY HIGH, UH, VACANCY RATES.
UM, THIS NEXT SLIDE IS VERY SIMILAR TO SLIDE SIX, WHERE IT KIND OF SHOWS YOU THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT ORIC, WE'VE HIRED, UH, THIS FISCAL YEAR 11 FOLKS LOST TWO, BUT WE STILL NEED TO FILL, UH, WE STILL HAVE CURRENTLY ABOUT FOUR VACANCIES THERE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN SOME AREAS WE HIRE UP A LOT OF PEOPLE.
I WOULD SAY THAT ON THE INC AND ELECTRICAL SIDE, IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND SOME OF THOSE, THOSE CANDIDATES, BUT WE STILL CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO THEM AND ARE ARE WORKING ON THAT.
ALL RIGHT, SO WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT? RIGHT? LIKE, SO IT'S CHALLENGING TO, TO HIRE SOME OF THESE FOLKS.
WE'VE TRIED TO ADDRESS THIS THROUGH SOME OF OUR COMPENSATION INITIATIVES.
I WILL, UM, GLADLY ADMIT THAT, UH, RETENTION IS NOT JUST, AND RETENTION RECRUITMENT IS NOT JUST ABOUT MONEY, BUT MONEY IS A BIG FACTOR, UH, THAT PLAYS INTO IT.
WE'VE TRIED TO, UH, YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF 2023 AND 2024 AT THE END OF SOME OF THESE INITIATIVES.
WE'VE ADDRESSED THESE THROUGH OUR MARKET STUDIES.
WE HAD A, UH, MARKET STUDY BACK IN 2022.
WE'VE HAD SOME, UH, UPDATES FROM THE CITY AT SOME OF THE CITY TITLES, UH, IN 2024 RECENTLY IN THE ENGINEERING AND OUR IT SIDE.
AND THEN THE CITYWIDE ONE WAS UPDATED RECENTLY AS WELL.
WE'VE IMPLEMENTED SOME STIPENDS.
WE HAVE A SAFETY INCENTIVE PAY, UM, WHICH BASICALLY JUST TAKES OUR FOLKS WHO ARE FRONT FACING IN THE FIELD AND, UH, GIVES THEM, UH, A, A SMALL STIPEND.
WE HAVE A LICENSURE STIPEND THAT WAS REVAMPED.
BASICALLY, IF YOU HAVE A LICENSURE, UH, ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT YOU ARE, WHAT'S REQUIRED OF YOUR CURRENT POSITION, WHAT COMPENSATE FOLKS FOR THAT.
WE HAVE A NEW HIRE RECRUITMENT BONUS, WHICH, UH, IS $3,000.
BASICALLY IT'S A HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR SIX MONTHS, A HUNDRED DOLLARS, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, $500 AT THE FIRST SIX MONTHS.
UH, $500 AT THE YEAR, AND THEN A THOUSAND AND A THOUSAND AT THE SUCCESSIVE ANNIVERSARIES.
AND THEN WE HAD OUR, UH, RETENTION PAY THAT WAS ACROSS THE BOARD THAT WILL BE ENDING, UH, AT THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
UM, BACK IN 2023, UH, SPECIFICALLY TO THE ELECTRICIANS.
WE, WE ADJUSTED THEIR PAY GRADE ADJUSTMENTS.
WE DID A REZONING EXERCISE RECENTLY THAT AFFECTED 86 PEOPLE.
UM, BASICALLY THOSE WERE FOLKS WHO HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY KIND OF RAISE OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE.
IF THEY MET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE NEXT,
[01:20:01]
UH, ZONE, WE WENT AHEAD AND REZONED THEM INTO THE NEXT ZONE.OF COURSE, WE'VE HAD LIVING WAGE INCREASES, HAVE A LOT OF ACTING PAY BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE, UH, LIKE MYSELF WHO ARE STEPPING UP INTO GREATER RESPONSIBILITIES AND BILINGUAL PAY.
AND AGAIN, UM, I'LL JUST, AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO HAMMER ON THAT, YOU KNOW, MONEY IS NOT THE MA THE ONLY FACTOR, BUT IT IS A BIG FACTOR.
AND SO, UH, AS I GET INTO THE EXTERNAL REVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS, WE'LL GO OVER SOME OF THE CULTURE THINGS THAT WE, UH, THAT WE ALSO HAVE GOING ON.
SO, UH, RECOMMENDATION TWO DASH 2.2 DASH TWO WAS BASICALLY ABOUT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT SPECIFICALLY, UH, IN THE WATER TREATMENT PLANTS.
UH, I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT OUR TALENT DEVELOPMENT TEAM HAD SEVEN SESSIONS, UH, WITH THE FOLKS OVER AT WATER TREATMENT.
WE'VE GONE OVER THINGS LIKE CONFLICT RESOLUTION, OUR VALUES, EXCELLENCE AND LEADERSHIP, EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND BUILDING TRUST, UH, WITH THO WITH THOSE GROUPS.
UM, THESE SESSIONS WERE, WERE MULTI-DAY, VERY THOROUGH.
UM, AND WE'VE ALSO INCORPORATED A LOT OF THIS, UH, THIS TRAINING INTO OUR LEADERSHIP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PROGRAM, WHICH IS OUR INTERNAL, UM, MANAGEMENT ACADEMY, ESSENTIALLY THAT WE HAVE.
WE PILOTED THE PROGRAM A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WITH 19 PARTICIPANTS.
LAST YEAR WE HAD 49, AND WE HAVE 29 PARTICIPANTS THAT ACTUALLY GRADUATE NEXT WEEK.
AND SO WE WILL HAVE 97 GRADUATES, UH, TO DATE, UM, NEXT WEEK.
AND SO THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THE CITYWIDE TRAINING THAT THE CITY OFFERS.
SO THIS IS OPERATIONALIZED AND WE'RE HAPPY TO CALL BACK COMPLETE.
UH, SO RECOMMENDATION 2.2 DASH FIVE WAS KIND, WAS FOCUSED ON CULTURE AND HAPPY TO REPORT.
WE'VE HAD, UM, A LOT OF ACTIVITY IN THIS AREA.
12 CULTURE LISTENING SESSIONS WITH OVER 200 EMPLOYEES FOR DIVISIONAL SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL SCANS.
OVER A HUNDRED HOURS OF INTERVIEWS, UH, SEVEN ALL HANDS MEETINGS FOR 21 HOURS.
UH, DISC WORKSHOPS, 17 INDIVIDUAL TRAINING SESSIONS, OVER 80 HOURS OF TRAINING DELIVERED.
AND WE ALSO REINFORCE, UH, THIS AT OUR LEADERSHIP SUMMITS WHERE WE SPOKE ABOUT TRUST, AND WE, UH, ALSO REINFORCE THE, THE CULTURE WORK AT OUR LEADERSHIP ESSENTIAL, UH, SKILLS PROGRAM.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE GETTING IT FROM ALL SIDES WITH REGARD TO THAT, UH, PARTNERSHIP AND OUTREACH WAS THE FOCUS OF 2.2 DASH EIGHT.
AND WE HAVE SOME REALLY INTERESTING THINGS GOING ON HERE.
THINGS THAT I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
SO ONE OF THE KEYS THAT WILL, UH, HELP US GOING FORWARD IS THAT WE NEED TO DEVELOP SOME ALTERNATIVE PIPELINES.
UH, WE NEED TO FIND TALENT OR TALENT IS AND BRING THEM TO US AND NOT JUST RELY ON THE TRADITIONAL METHODS.
AND THIS WORK HERE IS GONNA BE IMPORTANT TO THAT.
WE'RE IN TALKS WITH AUSTIN, ISD AND PREMIER HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO USE THIS SETH PROGRAM, THE SCIENCE ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY AND HEALTH PROGRAM FROM, UM, TEXAS, IOWA.
WHICH, WHICH WHAT THIS PROGRAM DOES IS TARGETED FOR HIGH SCHOOL KIDS.
IT ALLOWS 'EM TO BE ABLE TO TAKE, TO RECEIVE THEIR D LICENSE WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL.
AND WHEN THEY TURN 18, THEY WOULD GET CERTIFIED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT WATER LICENSE AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST FROM PREMIER, UH, SPECIFICALLY AND A ISD TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS WHO ARE NOT LOOKING FOR COLLEGE EDUCATIONS AFTER FINISHING HIGH SCHOOL.
AND WE'RE HAPPY TO BE WORKING WITH THEM.
WE ALSO VERY RECENTLY DID A, UM, CAREER FAIR OVER AT PRAIRIE VIEW A AND M-A-H-B-C-U.
LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND FIND TALENT WHERE IT'S AT AND BRING IT TO US.
SO 2.3 DASH THREE IS NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART 'CAUSE I HELPED DEVELOP THIS PROGRAM.
AND IT'S ABOUT WATER TREATMENT TRAINING SPECIFIC.
AND IT'S ACTUALLY ABOUT THE, UH, TECHNICAL ONBOARDING PROGRAM.
SO WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE IS THAT WE HIRED THREE PLANT TRAINERS FROM EACH OF OUR WATER TREATMENT PLANTS.
AND WHAT WE'VE DONE IS THAT WE HAVE TAKEN OUR, UH, KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER BLOCKS.
THESE ARE, THINK OF THOSE AS PLANT SPECIFIC BEST PRACTICES THAT WE DO FOR KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER, RIGHT? SO THEY'RE THE, THE STANDARD THAT YOU WANT FOR THOSE PLANTS.
AND WE DEVELOP HANDS-ON SKILLS ASSESSMENT AND TRAINING BASED ON THOSE BLOCKS.
AND SO WHAT WE, WE HAVE NOW BEEN OPERATING THIS PROGRAM FOR ABOUT A YEAR.
UH, WE'VE HAD OVER 700 HOURS OF ONE-ON-ONE TRAINING.
UM, WE KNOW IT TAKES ABOUT SIX WEEKS TO, UH, AVERAGE TO COMPLETE A TRAINING BLOCK.
THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 10, UH, TRAINING BLOCKS ON THE OPERATION SIDE.
[01:25:01]
ALL OF THEM HAD LESS THAN TWO YEARS EXPERIENCE.WE'VE HAD A HUNDRED PERCENT, UH, BLOCK PASSING RATE THUS FAR.
'CAUSE THEY DON'T ALL START AT THE SAME TIME.
AND I THINK TO THE RETENTION POINT, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, UH, ALL OF THE 26 PARTICIPANTS ARE STILL WITH US, WHICH I THINK IS A GREAT, GREAT NEWS.
THIS IS BASICALLY KIND OF MODELED ON THE MILITARY, UH, OJT SYSTEM.
70% OF LEARNING, ACTUALLY WORKPLACE LEARNING TAKES PLACE, UH, HANDS-ON IN THE WORKPLACE.
AND SO THIS KINDS OF BUILDS OFF OF THAT CONCEPT.
AND I THINK THAT IT'S GIVEN US A, A VEHICLE FOR, UH, NOT ONLY PRODUCING A BETTER WATER OPERATOR, BUT A DUPLICATABLE AND REPEATABLE TYPE SYSTEM THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED IN OTHER AREAS OF THE ORGANIZATION.
SO SECTION, UH, RECOMMENDATION 2.3 DASH 11 DEALT WITH SAFETY ALSO NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST SAFETY SYSTEM IN, UH, AUSTIN WATER.
WE HAVE VOC, WHICH GIVES US GOOD SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, NOT JUST ON SAFETY ISSUES, BUT UH, ON ANYTHING OPERATIONAL OR ANY EMERGING THREATS.
WE HAVE THE SAFETY TALKS, WHICH IS, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE PUT OUT.
SO WE PUT OUT A SAFETY TALK EVERY, UH, THE BEGINNING OF EVERY WEEK AND PROVIDE THAT TO ALL SUPERVISORS WHERE THEY CAN SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH THEIR WORKFORCE.
UH, WE HAVE SAFETY TRAINING AVAILABLE.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE A SAFETY TRAINING DEDICATED TEAM IN OUR RISK MANAGEMENT DIVISION.
UH, THAT'S THEM IN THE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THEM BACK IN THE BACKGROUND THERE.
UH, TEACHING CONFINED SPACE AND, UH, SHOWING PEOPLE HOW TO DAWN THEIR, THEIR GEAR.
UM, WE GO OVER WHAT THE REPERCUSSIONS ARE OF NOT FOLLOWING THE RULES.
WE TALK SAFETY AND NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION.
WE HAVE SAFETY PRESENTATIONS IN THE LEADERSHIP AND ESSENTIAL SKILLS PROGRAM.
WE HAVE COLLISION ADVISORY BOARD AND INJURY, UH, REVIEW BOARD, WHICH WERE, THEY REVIEW EVERY INJURY AND EVERY COLLISION THAT WE HAVE AT THE UTILITY.
IT'S PEER LED BY OTHER AUSTIN WATER FOLKS.
AND HONESTLY, EVERY TIME THAT WE DO SITE VISIT, WHETHER WE SHOW UP AS AN EXECUTIVE TEAM, MYSELF PERSONALLY, OR SHAY, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT SAFETY.
AND SO I THINK THAT WE'RE VERY, VERY CLEAR ON WHAT THE MISSION IS AS FAR AS SAFETY IS.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU FOR THAT REALLY ROBUST, UM, PRESENTATION.
UM, FIRST I JUST WANNA SAY I REALLY APPRECIATE THE TRANSPARENCY AND THE CLARITY IN THIS REPORT.
UM, AND CONGRATULATIONS FOR GETTING THE
I THINK AT ONE POINT WE WERE ABOVE 30%, SO THAT IS, THAT IS A BIG, A BIG CHANGE.
UM, SO YOU WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
UM, ALSO APPRECIATE, UM, THE FOLLOW UP ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND I DO HOPE THAT YOU WILL CIRCLE BACK WITH UT AND LET THEM KNOW AS WELL.
'CAUSE PERHAPS THIS CAN BE, YOU KNOW, USEFUL FOR FOLKS THAT THEY'RE TALKING TO, YOU KNOW, ELSEWHERE, UM, IN THE COUNTRY, AS YOU ROLL, ROLL THESE PIECES OUT, UM, THERE ARE, AS YOU NOTED, SEVERAL VACANCY RATES THAT ARE STILL SORT OF VERY HIGH AND, AND HOPEFULLY, UM, WE WILL BE ADDRESSING THOSE.
UM, ARE THERE ANY POLICY BARRIERS THAT WE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS NEED TO KNOW THAT ARE PREVENTING YOU FROM FILLING THOSE POSITIONS? I, I WOULD SAY NO POLICY BARRIERS.
UH, I THINK THE, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY EFFECTIVE AT THE, AT THE RECRUITMENT SIDE OF IT IN TERMS OF WE HAVE ONE OF THE FASTEST TIMES TO FILL FOR THE LARGE DEPARTMENTS.
UM, WE WORK VERY WELL WITH, UM, WITH HRD ON, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES RELATED TO HIRING.
UM, WE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT COMPENSATION.
A YEAR AGO WE HAD A REALLY SIGNIFICANT BACKLOG OF COMPENSATION ACTIONS AND THAT'S MOSTLY BEEN RESOLVED.
UM, AND SO AT THIS POINT, UM, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, JUST WORKING THROUGH THE NORMAL PROCESS, UM, AS IT RELATES TO COMPENSATION ACTIONS AND, AND RECRUITING STRATEGIES.
AND TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE HIGHER VACANCY RATES, UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT THOSE INDIVIDUALLY BECAUSE THEY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT DRIVERS, UM, FOR WHY IT'S DIFFICULT TO RECRUIT, UM, OR RETAIN STAFF.
AND SOMETIMES, AS ISRAEL SAID, SOMETIMES THAT'S COMPENSATION, SOMETIMES IT'S FINDING THE PEOPLE WITH THE SKILL SETS AND AND ATTRACTING THEM TO THE CITY.
UH, AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO DEVELOP DIFFERENT STRATEGIES THAT ARE, UM, UH, TEAM SPECIFIC.
UM, AND THEN I'LL COME BACK TO ME IF YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, I'LL REMEMBER IT.
[01:30:01]
I GUESS, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REALLY, UM, FOCUSED IN ON THESE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DID HAVE THE VACANCIES AT RIDGE AND WE HAD THE EMERGENCY OR WAS RIGHT AFTER THE EMERGENCY, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S HARD TO EXPECT THE FOLKS WHO ARE IN THOSE POSITIONS TO PERFORM AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL WHEN THEY'RE DOING MULTIPLE JOBS.UM, AND I THINK THAT'S A STRESSOR, YOU KNOW, ELSEWHERE, ELSEWHERE IN THE SYSTEM AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WE NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT.
OH, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS.
THE RETENTION PAY THAT YOU MENTIONED IS EXPIRING.
WHAT IS THE PLAN IN THE NEXT BUDGET FOR, UM, ADDRESSING THAT? 'CAUSE THAT'S GONNA CAUSE SOME ANGST, I IMAGINE.
I IMAGINE SO, SO WE, UM, THE, WE HAVE DONE AN ANALYSIS TO LOOK AT, UM, FOR ALL OF THE, UH, COMPENSATION ACTIONS THAT ISRAEL REVIEWED.
A LOT OF OUR STAFF HAVE BENEFITED FROM THOSE, FROM THOSE ACTIONS.
UM, THERE ARE SOME THAT HAVE ONLY HAD THE ACROSS THE BOARD INCREASES IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT, UH, THOSE STAFF WHO ARE IN AREAS THAT HAVE HIGH VACANCY RATES.
AND SO WE WILL BE, UM, YOU KNOW, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE OTHER, UM, KIND OF RECRUITING WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, EVALUATING THE PAY SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE TITLES IN, IN THE HARD TO FILL AREAS.
SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE A NEED FOR US TO ACROSS THE BOARD THINK ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE THEIR RETENTION PAY IN ITS CURRENT FORM MOVING FORWARD.
MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE PAY HAS BEEN ADDRESSED THROUGH THESE OTHER, OTHER MECHANISMS. AND THEN THERE'S A SMALLER GROUP THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO, TO MEET THEIR NEEDS WHO WOULD'VE ONLY HAD THE RETENTION PAY AND THE ANNUAL INCREASES.
AND SO COLLEAGUES, THAT BRINGS US TO OUR ITEM
[7. Identify items to discuss at future meetings.]
NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH IS FUTURE ITEMS, IDENTIFY ITEMS TO DISCUSS AT FUTURE MEETINGS.ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING RIGHT NOW? OKAY, GREAT.
UM, LET US KNOW IF YOU WANT SOMETHING ADDED TO AN AGENDA, UH, FOR A FUTURE AGENDA.
AND I THINK, UM, DIRECTOR OLSON, UM, THAT THAT'S IT FOR US TODAY AND, AND, UM, OUR THANKS AND APPRECIATION TO THE STAFF FOR REALLY GOOD INFORMATION TODAY.
AND, UH, WE WILL SEE YOU AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 3:07 PM THANK YOU ALL.