Jun 12, 2024 Water and Wastewater Commission

UNANIMOUSLY, UNANIMOUSLY.

WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER PENN.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

OKAY, WE HAVE A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MUSGROVE.

SO EVERYONE VOTING IN FAVOR FOR APPROVAL? PLEASE SHOW RIGHT HANDS.

ALRIGHT, I, UH, SEE AND ALL APPROVED, UH, THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.

EXCUSE ME.

ALRIGHT,

[DISCUSSION AND ACTION]

SO NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PART OF THE AGENDA, DISCUSSION AND ACTION.

UM, AND SO TO SET UP THE CONSENT AGENDA, I WILL GO THROUGH EACH COMMISSIONER ASKING FOR QUESTIONS OR RECUSALS, UH, STARTING WITH COMMISSIONERS PRESENT HERE.

SO, COMMISSIONER REYES, UH, RECUSAL ON TWO AND THREE FOR MYSELF.

THAT'S ABOUT IT.

NO QUESTIONS.

SO NO QUESTIONS ABOUT RECUSALS ON ITEMS TWO AND THREE? THAT'S CORRECT.

COMMISSIONER PENN, NO QUESTIONS.

AND I HAVE A RECUSAL ON ITEM TWO.

MY EMPLOYER PURSUED THIS AND IS LISTED ON THIS, THIS ITEM.

SO NO QUESTIONS AND RECUSAL ON ITEM NUMBER TWO FOR COMMISSIONER PENN.

COMMISSIONER MUSGROVE, NO QUESTIONS.

NO RECUSALS.

UM, COMMISSIONER, UM, UH, TTA, NO QUESTIONS? NO RECUSALS.

COMMISSIONER MORIARTY? NO QUESTIONS? NO RECUSAL.

COMMISSIONER RECARD? NO QUESTIONS? NO RECUSALS.

SO IT LOOKS LIKE THE CONSENT AGENDA WILL BE ITEMS 4, 5, 6, 7, AND EIGHT, IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY.

WELL THEN, UM, WE'LL TAKE UP THAT CONSENT AGENDA FIRST.

SO DO I HAVE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA? I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.

ONE MOMENT.

UH, COMMISSIONER CYAN JUST JOINED.

SO IF, UH, Y'ALL WOULD TAKE THE VOTE AGAIN TO COUNTER SINCE SHE JUST, UH, JOINED THE MEETING.

THE, UM, UH, FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA, UM, GO AHEAD AND ASK ABOUT THE VOTE WHETHER SHE HAS QUESTIONS IN RECUSAL.

OKAY? OKAY.

YES.

SO, COMMISSIONER SION, ANY QUESTIONS OR RECUSALS? I HAVE NO QUESTIONS.

I AM RECUSING FROM ITEM NUMBER TWO.

SO RECUSAL NUMBER TWO AND NO QUESTIONS.

SINCE THEY'RE JUST RECUSALS, THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS.

SO THAT STILL REMAINS THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS 4, 5, 6, 7, AND EIGHT.

CORRECT.

ALRIGHT, SO, AND DO I GO AHEAD WITH COMMISSIONER MUSGRAVE'S MOTION TO APPROVE OR DO I HAVE TO ASK AGAIN? OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WE HAVE A, A MOTION TO APPROVE BY COMMISSIONER MUSGROVE.

UH, DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

OKAY, WE HAVE A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER PENN.

SO, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SHOW RIGHT HANDS.

OKAY, SEEING ALL IN FAVOR, CONSENT AGENDA PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

SO NOW MOVING BACK TO, UM, ITEMS TWO AND NUMBER THREE.

[00:05:01]

SO NOW WE CAN TAKE THAT UP AS JUST A SEPARATE YES.

TOGETHER, OR DO I HAVE TO DO 'EM SEPARATE? OKAY.

ALRIGHT.

[2. Recommend approval to negotiate and execute ten professional services contracts for engineering services for the 2024 Large Scale Water and Wastewater Facilities Engineering Services Rotation List with Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.; Kennedy Jenks Consultants, Inc.; CDM Smith, Inc.; CAS Consulting and Services, Inc.; Hazen & Sawyer DPC; HDR Engineering, Inc.; AECOM Technical Services, Inc.; Carollo Engineers, Inc.; Freese & Nichols, Inc.; and CP&Y, Inc., d/b/a STV Infrastructure, for total contract amounts not to exceed $38,500,000.00, divided among the firms.]

SO, UM, UH, ON ITEM TWO, WE HAVE RECUSALS FROM COMMISSIONERS REYES, PENN, AND SCION.

UH, ITEM TWO RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE 10 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACTS FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR THE 2024 LARGE SCALE WATER AND WA WASTEWATER FACILITIES ENGINEERING SERVICES ROTATION LIST WITH JACOB'S ENGINEERING INC.

KENNEDY JINKS CONSULTANTS, INC.

CDM SMITH, INC.

CS CIS CONSULTING AND SERVICES INC.

HAZEN AND SAWYER, D-P-C-H-D-R, ENGINEERING INC.

AECOM TECHNICAL SERVICES, INC.

COROLLA ENGINEERS INC.

FREEZING NICKELS INC.

AND CP AND Y INC.

DOING BUSINESS AS STV INFRASTRUCTURE FOR TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNTS NOT TO EXCEED 38,500,000 DIVIDED AMONGST THE FIRMS. SO WE WILL NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.

SO NOT, NOT TO INTERRUPT YOU, OH, BUT, UM, THERE'S EIGHT MEMBERS PRESENT.

THREE ARE RECUSING.

SO THAT, UH, FALLS SHORT.

ONE AFFIRMATIVE FOR QUORUM TO PASS THE VOTE.

THAT'S WHY WE NEEDED TO DO IT SEPARATELY.

GOT IT.

YES.

SO, UH, THERE, THERE WON'T BE, UH, A MOTION.

THERE'S NO RECOMMENDATION DUE TO A LACK OF AFFIRMATIVE VOTES.

BUT WE WILL MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER THREE.

SO DUE TO A LACK OF QUORUM ON ITEM NUMBER TWO, THERE WILL BE NO VOTE.

[3. Recommend approval to execute a contract for construction services for the Longhorn Dam Safety Improvements project with Jay-Reese Contractors, Inc., in the amount of $3,531,000 plus a $353,100 contingency for a total contract amount not to exceed $3,884,100. (District 3)]

AND WE HAVE RECUSAL FROM COMMISSIONER REYES ON ITEM NUMBER THREE.

SO, ITEM NUMBER THREE, RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTION SERVICES FOR THE LONGHORN DAM SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT WITH JAY REESE, CONTRACTOR INC.

IN THE AMOUNT OF 3,531,000 PLUS $353,100 CONTINGENCY FOR A TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $3,884,100.

SO DO I HAVE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? I MOVE TO APPROVE.

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER PENN.

I SECOND IT AND I SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MUSGROVE.

SO, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SHOW RIGHT HANDS.

MOVE ON TO THE STAFF BRIEFINGS.

ALL VOTING IN AFFIRMATIVE.

SO THE ITEM PASSES.

THE ITEM PASSES WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER RAYS REFUSING.

SO I GUESS WE ARE THROUGH WITH THE DISCUSSION AND ACTION PORTION.

NOW WE'LL

[9. Staff briefing on updates to single family residential landscape transformation activities]

UH, FIRST UP WE WILL HAVE A STAFF BRIEFING ON THE, ON UPDATES TO THE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION ACTIVITIES.

AND I BELIEVE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR KEVIN CRIDEN WILL BE PRESENTING, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

KEVIN CRITON, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AUSTIN WATER.

UM, HERE WITH ME TONIGHT IS, UH, UH, STEVE RO, HE'S A SUPERVISOR ON OUR WATER CONSERVATION DIVISION.

UM, KEVIN KLUGE IS UNAVAILABLE.

HE'S OUR WATER CONSERVATION, UM, DIVISION MANAGER.

SO YOU HAVE THE LESSER KEVIN'S GIVING THE PRESENTATION THIS EVENING.

UM, TONIGHT I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A BIT OF AN UPDATE ON OUR, UM, LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION ACTIVITIES.

UM, YOU MAY RECALL, KEVIN KLUGE GAVE YOU A VERY SIMILAR PRESENTATION BACK IN FEBRUARY OF 2023.

AND SO THIS IS REALLY JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU ALL A FEEL FOR WHERE WE ARE ON PROGRESS, UH, MOVING THAT PARTICULAR INITIATIVE FORWARD.

UM, SO I THINK I'LL JUST START THIS ONE JUST AS BY FRAMING THINGS UP.

UM, AND I, I GUESS I'LL START WITH, UH OH, WHAT A DIFFERENCE A MONTH MAKES.

UM, MAY WAS A VERY, UH, WET, UH, MONTH IN THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN.

WE'VE GOT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RAINFALL, UM, RESULTING IN RE UH, SIGNIFICANT INFLOW INCREASES IN FACT, UM, UH, INFLOWS INTO THE HIGHLAND LAKES IN MAY.

WE'RE ACTUALLY OVER THE HISTORIC AVERAGE.

SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT.

SO CURRENTLY, ACTUALLY THIS SLIDE'S A LITTLE OUT OF DATE.

UH, HIGHLAND LAKES COMBINED STORAGE IS ABOUT 56% RIGHT NOW.

UM, BUT WITH THAT SAID, UH, WE ARE STILL IN A, A REGIONAL DROUGHT.

UM, UM, STILL 2022, UH, REMAINS A RECORD LOW FOR INFLOW.

UM, 2023 WAS OUR FOURTH LOWEST RECORD INFLOW, UM, IN THE PERIOD OF RECORD, UM, WE ARE, UM, IN AN EL NINO CONDITION

[00:10:01]

SHIFTING TO EL NINA.

SO A MORE NEUTRAL SORT OF A STAGE.

UM, FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

WE ARE STILL IN DROUGHT STAGE TWO, UH, RESTRICTIONS.

AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S CERTAINLY GOOD NEWS AND CERTAINLY TAKEN A BIT OF ANXIETY OFF OF US IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.

BUT THAT DOES GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO SORT OF REFRAME AND RETHINK ABOUT WATER CONSERVATION, PERHAPS SEPARATELY FROM DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLANNING.

SO JUST IF YOU'LL RECALL THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLANNING IS REALLY ABOUT SORT OF RESTRICTIVE MEASURES BROUGHT ON BY CERTAIN DROUGHT CONDITIONS.

UM, WATER CONSERVATION REALLY IS AROUND LONG-TERM BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.

SO WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THINGS TONIGHT THAT ARE REALLY IN THE LATTER CATEGORY.

SO NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO, JUST BY WAY OF CONTEXT, UM, IN THE 2018 WATER FORWARD PLAN, UH, ONE OF THE ELEMENTS THAT WAS IDENTIFIED OR STRATEGIES WAS THIS CONCEPT OF LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION.

UM, AND I THINK REALLY I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, AS THIS HAS EVOLVED, LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION IS NOT A SINGLE THING.

IT REALLY IS A, IT IS A COLLECTION OF ACTIVITIES THAT THE UTILITY IS GONNA TRY TO PURSUE OR IS WORKING ON PURSUING, AGAIN, AIMED AROUND CHANGING BEHAVIORS AND ATTITUDES AROUND OUTDOOR WATER USE, SPECIFICALLY LAWN AND IRRIGATION.

UM, THOSE OF US IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD IN TEXAS, WE LOVE OUR LAWNS.

UM, PART OF THIS IS TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO MOVE AWAY FROM THAT IDEA.

AND SO THERE'S SEVERAL, I, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL CONCEPTS HERE.

I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT.

UM, LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION, AS I INDICATED HERE, IS REALLY A MOVE FROM TRADITIONAL LANDSCAPING, UH, TO PLANTS WITH REDUCED WATER NEEDS.

IT'S PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

UM, THIS STRATEGY THAT WE'RE ADVANCING REALLY IS FOCUSED ON NEW, UH, RESIDENTIAL, UM, INSTALLATIONS.

SO AGAIN, TRYING TO BITE IT OFF, YOU KNOW, SORT OF, I WOULD SAY LOWER HANGING FRUIT.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LANDSCAPES THAT HAVEN'T BEEN BUILT YET, RIGHT? UM, WE, UM, WE'RE APPROACHING THIS TO POTENTIALLY BASICALLY LIMIT TURF AND IRRIGATION OF TURF.

AND THEN WE IDENTIFY OR ANTICIPATE THAT THIS COULD SAVE AS MUCH AS, UH, RIGHT UNDER, UH, 2,500 ACRE FEET A YEAR BY 2040.

SO A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SAVINGS AND CERTAINLY AN OPPORTUNITY IN DISCRETIONARY WATER USE THAT WE WANT TO TRY TO GET IN FRONT OF.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

IN THE CONTEXT OF TRYING TO ADVANCE THESE IDEAS AND GET FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC, WE'VE EN ENGAGED IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT, UM, OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES.

THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES THAT WE'VE ENGAGED IN, UM, DATING BACK TO NOVEMBER OF 2022.

UH, WE HELD A NUMBER OF, UH, PUBLIC AND STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS.

SO FEBRUARY, MAY, JUNE AND NOVEMBER OF 22.

UH, IN AUGUST OF 23, WE HAD ANOTHER SIMILAR MEETING.

UM, IN ADDITION TO PUBLIC MEETINGS, WE'VE HAD SMALLER STAKEHOLDER GROUP MEETINGS.

UH, AND THEN DURING THAT TIMEFRAME, WE ALSO HAD A SPEAK UP AUSTIN PAGE WHERE WE HAD A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT SURVEYS AROUND PEOPLE'S ATTITUDES AND THOUGHTS ABOUT LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION.

UM, THE SHORT ANSWER HERE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, HARD TO NOT, NOT, NOT HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT THE MAJORITY OF OUR LOCAL RESIDENTS DO SUPPORT, UH, REGULATING LANDSCAPE AND TRYING TO PROMOTE LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION.

IN ADDITION TO PUBLIC OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT, WE'VE ALSO ENGAGED, UM, OUR NUMBER OF STAKEHOLDERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

UH, THESE ARE A LIST OF VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS THAT WE HAVE ENGAGED WITH ALL, UH, AROUND TOPICS INVOLVING SORT OF COLLABORATION, INFORMING THOSE DEPARTMENTS ABOUT WHAT LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION MEANS, UH, PROCESS AND PROCEDURAL TYPES OF ISSUES.

IT INCLUDED WATERSHED PROTECTION, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, AUSTIN ENERGY OFFICE, SUSTAINABILITY, THE EQUITY OFFICE, UM, PLANNING AND HOUSING DEPARTMENT, UM, PARD, AND THEN FIRE DEPARTMENT.

CONCERNED ABOUT POTENTIAL PROJECT DELAYS, UM, PROJECT DELIVERIES, UH, UH, A HOT TOPIC, UH, IN THE, IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR WITH HBA, UM, CENTRAL TEXAS PROFESSIONAL IRRIGATION ASSOCIATION, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY SUPPORTED THE INCREASE IN ENFORCEMENT AROUND, UH, WATER USE AND LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION.

IN ADDITION TO INTERNAL, UM, ORGANIZATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS, WE ALSO DID SOME, UH, INDUSTRY SPECIFIC GROUP STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH THAT INCLUDED THE HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, HBA, UH, THE TEXAS, UH, CENTRAL TEXAS PROFESSIONAL IRRIGATION ASSOCIATION, UH, THE ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, UM, TEXAS NURSERY AND LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION.

SO QUITE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT DEAL IN EVERYTHING FROM, UM, THE INSTALLATION OF IRRIGATION SYSTEMS TO, UM, UM, THE PLANNING THEREOF THROUGH THE ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATIONS.

UM, AND THESE ARE JUST A FEW LISTS OF, OF SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT THEY BROUGHT UP.

UM, HBA OBVIOUSLY

[00:15:01]

UH, SUPPO SUPPORTED HIGH EFFICIENCY IRRIGATION SYSTEM COMPONENTS, AND WE'LL DEAL WITH SOME OF THESE, THE DETAILS AS WE WALK THROUGH THE REST OF THE PRESENTATION.

UM, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AND NURSERY, UM, GROUPS ALSO SUPPORTED THE USE OF NO LOCAL AND NATIVE OR ADAPTIVE PLANTS.

IN ADDITION, WE ALSO DID SOME OUTREACH TO, UH, SEVERAL PIER CITY GROUPS.

UM, THIS IS JUST, UM, A CROSS SECTION OF A FEW OF THOSE.

WE CONTACTED MVU NEW BRONSVILLE UTILITIES, THE CITY OF FRISCO AND THE CITY OF GEORGETOWN.

AND THESE ARE JUST SOME HIGHLIGHTED ACTIVITIES THAT THEY ARE ENGAGED WITH THAT ARE NOT TOO DISSIMILAR WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING.

SO, AS AN EXAMPLE, NEW BRONX FALLS HAS A MODEL HOME PROGRAM WHERE THEY PROMOTE A 50% TURF REDUCTION FOR THOSE MODEL HOMES.

UH, THE CITY OF FRISCO HAS A POST INSTALLATION INSPECTION THAT THEY DO ONE TO TWO DAYS AFTER IRRIGATION SYSTEMS ARE INSTALLED.

UM, THEY ALSO DO OR OFFER IRRIGATION SYSTEM CHECKUPS.

UH, THE CITY OF GEORGETOWN HAS A SPECIFIC LANDSCAPE ORDINANCE, SO KIND OF A DIFFERENT, SEVERAL DIFFERENT FLAVORS OF HOW DIFFERENT CITIES HERE, AT LEAST IN OUR LOCAL CENTRAL TEXAS AREA, HAVE APPROACHED THIS NEXT SLIDE.

SO, AS WE'VE DEFINED LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION, BASICALLY WE'VE IDENTIFIED EIGHT PARTICULAR ACTIVITIES THAT WE'D PUT INTO THESE THREE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.

AND IT'S REALLY WITH THE IDEA OF STARTING FROM THE BEGINNING WITH BUILDING WITH SAVINGS, SO TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE APPROPRIATE BUILDING PRACTICES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SITE, AND PARTICULARLY THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LANDSCAPE, IT'S DONE CORRECTLY.

I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MOMENT.

UM, AND THEN WE MOVE TO SETTING OUR CUSTOMERS UP FOR SUCCESS.

OBVIOUSLY THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF ANY LANDSCAPE ACTIVITY IS GONNA BE A LOT WITH, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT THE CUSTOMERS ARE WELL POSITIONED TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE, YOU KNOW, BETTER WATER USE ACTIVITIES AND HABITS.

AND THEN FINALLY, ENCOURAGING ALTERNATIVE WATER USES ON SITE.

SO IN THE CATEGORY OF BUILD WITH SAVINGS, UM, THE CITY HAS A CURRENT, UM, REQUIREMENT FOR, UM, THE USE OF TOPSOIL.

AND SO IT REQUIRES A SIX INCH MINIMUM TOPSOIL, UH, ON THE SITE.

UM, AND IT ACTUALLY A SPECIFIC MIX THAT INCLUDES 20% OF COMPOST.

UH, WE ESTIMATE THAT THERE'S AS MUCH AS 10% OF REDUCTION IN IRRIGATION BY JUST STARTING WITH THE RIGHT MATERIALS.

UM, AND SO WE'RE WORKING, UH, ACTIVELY WITH THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT WHO ACTUALLY DOES ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTIONS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE AWARE OF THAT REQUIREMENT AND THAT THEY'RE POSITIONED TO ACTUALLY CONDUCT THE APPROPRIATE INSPECTIONS ON NEW, UM, RESIDENTIAL INSTALLATIONS.

UM, ADDITIONALLY WE'RE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT A REQUIRED RESIDENTIAL PLANT LIST.

UM, I THINK THE SIMPLE WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT, MANY OF YOU PROBABLY ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE GROW GREEN PLANT GUIDE IN AUSTIN.

IT'S A SMALL BOOK, IT'S VERY, VERY POPULAR.

UM, ALL OF THE PLANTS INCLUDED IN THAT ARE NATIVE OR ADAPTIVE PLANTS.

THEY'RE LOW WATER USING PLANTS.

AND SO WE'RE WORKING ON A PATHWAY TO TRY TO, UH, UM, CHANGE CODE EVENTUALLY TO HAVE BASICALLY A SIMILAR REQUIREMENT FOR THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE.

ALSO, UNDER THE CATEGORY OF BUILDING WITH SAVINGS, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT WE, THAT THE CITY LIMIT IRRIGATION OF NEW RESIDENTIAL IRRIGATION SYSTEMS TO ONLY 50% OF THE YARD AREA.

SO BASICALLY THE SHORTHAND VERSION OF THIS IS THAT NEW IRRIGATION SYSTEMS WOULD EITHER BE ABLE TO BE PUT IN IN THE FRONT OF THE, THE HOME OR IN THE REAR OF THE HOME.

AND SO THE ULTIMATE, UH, IMPACT ON THAT OR BENEFIT OF THAT IS THAT IT, YOU KNOW, HAS THE EFFECT OF LIMITING THE IRRIGATION AREA FOR AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION.

WE ESTIMATE THAT COULD, UM, REDUCE IRRIGATION BY AS MUCH AS 30% PER HOME ANNUALLY, EXCUSE ME, 35%.

FOR NEW IRRIGATION SYSTEMS. UM, THAT ONE'S BEEN, UH, VERY WELL SUPPORTED.

UNDER THE CATEGORY OF SET CUSTOMERS UP FOR SUCCESS.

UM, SEVERAL ITEMS HERE.

ONE WOULD BE TO REQUIRE PRESSURE REDUCTION DEVICES

[00:20:01]

JUST THE IDEA THAT THERE'S A LOT OF WA WATER THAT'S LOST IN IRRIGATION SYSTEMS THAT ARE OVER PRESSURIZED.

UH, THIS IS ONE WAY THAT BY CODE WE COULD REQUIRE THAT, YOU KNOW, ONLY THE APPROPRIATE PRESSURES BEING DELIVERED TO THE SYSTEM SO THAT IT'LL KEEP THE WATER WHERE IT'S SUPPOSED TO GO.

UM, WE'RE ALSO RECOMMENDING A, A, UH, REQUIREMENT THAT WE DO POST INSTALLATION INSTRUCTION INSPECTIONS FOR NEW IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, AND THEN ALSO FOLLOW UP WITH AN OFFER OF, UM, NEW IRRIGATION CHECKUPS WITHIN 90 DAYS.

UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF HOMEOWNERS, NEW HOMEOWNERS MOVE INTO THEIR HOME.

THE DEVELOPERS SET, THE HOME BUILDER HAS SET THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM TO KEEP IT ALIVE DURING THE SELLING PROCESS.

AND SO THIS IS JUST AN OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO JUST EQUATE, UH, NEW HOMEOWNERS WITH THEIR SYSTEM SO THAT WE CAN FOLLOW UP THE RESPECTIVE SAVINGS FOR THOSE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS. UH, WE EXPECT 22% SAVINGS OVER, UH, JUST THROUGH THE ADDITIONAL OF THE PRESSURE REGULATING DEVICE.

UH, 10%, UH, SAVINGS BASED ON POST INSTALLATION INSTRUCT, UH, UH, INSPECTION, AND THEN AS MUCH AS 5% JUST BY COMING BACK AND AGAIN, UH, ACQUAINTING HOMEOWNERS WITH THEIR EQUIPMENT.

IN THE THIRD CATEGORY WE TALK ABOUT, UH, ENCOURAGING ALTERNATIVE WATERS.

UM, ONE OF THE ELEMENTS IN, IN, IN THE PLAN HERE IS, OR THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE REQUIRE THAT NEW HOMES THAT HAVE AN EXTERIOR WALL THAT IS ADJACENT TO THEIR LAUNDRY ROOM TO BE PLUMBED TO BE WHAT WE CALL LAUNDRY TO LANDSCAPE READY.

THE IDEA HERE IS THAT WITH SOME SIMPLE PLUMBING MODIFICATIONS THAT COULD BE DONE DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS, UM, IT WOULD ALLOW A HOMEOWNER TO, AT A FUTURE DATE COME IN AND CONNECT TO THAT AND INSTALL A VERY SIMPLE UNDERGROUND DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM.

SO WITHOUT ELABORATE, UM, ONSITE REUSE REQUIREMENTS, IT'S JUST A SIMPLE WAY THAT PEOPLE CAN USE, YOU KNOW, THAT EXCESS, UM, UH, LAUNDRY, WATER AND ACTUALLY GET SOME BENEFIT OUT OF IT.

WE ESTIMATE THAT THIS COULD IMPROVE OR, UM, RESULT IN AS MUCH AS 3,500 GALLONS PER YEAR IN SAVINGS WITH A PRETTY MODEST COST OF A HUNDRED, $200.

SORT OF ACROSS THE CITY WITH OTHER INITIATIVES INCLUDING FUNCTIONAL GREEN AND OUR COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPE CODE.

AND THEN ALSO IN THIS CATEGORY, WE WOULD BE WORKING TO CONTINUE TO INCENTIVIZE AND WORK WITH BUILDERS TO ADD RAINWATER HARVESTING IN THEIR HOMES, IN THEIR PACKAGES.

UM, THE CITY HAS A FAIRLY ROBUST, UM, CISTERN RAINWATER HARVESTING BARREL PROGRAM.

SO THIS REALLY IS JUST AN EXTENSION OF THAT IN TRYING TO WORK WITH DEVELOPMENT AND DEVELOPERS TO TRY TO BUILD THAT INTO THEIR, UM, HOME OFFERINGS WHEN THEY'RE ACTUALLY IN THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.

SO NEXT SLIDE.

SO THAT'S SORT OF A QUICK RUN THROUGH.

THIS IS A SUMMARY SLIDE THAT IDENTIFIES ALL OF THOSE JUST HERE, UM, UM, IN A, IN A TABLET FORM.

UM, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE VARIOUS ACTIVITIES THAT I'VE DESCRIBED, UM, STARTING WITH SOIL AND COMPOST REQUIREMENTS AND ENDING WITH BUILDER SCALE RAINWATER HARVESTING.

UM, EACH OF THEM HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEIR ESTIMATED POTENTIAL SAVINGS FOR, UM, DISCRETIONARY OUTDOOR WATER USE.

UM, THE, UM, THE, THE PLANT LIST IS A LITTLE BIT UNDETERMINED.

IT'S HARD TO DETERMINE WHAT PEOPLE WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE PLANTED, BUT, UM, AND THEN ON THE FAR RIGHT IS JUST THE ANTICIPATED IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE MOVING FORWARD.

UM, YOU'LL NOTE THAT SOME OF THESE, THOSE DATES HAVE PASSED.

SO JUNE, 2023, UM, CODE ALREADY REQUIRES THE SIX INCHES OF TOPSOIL.

WE ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED WITH DSD IN THAT INSPECTION PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THEIR INSPECTORS ARE UTILIZING THAT.

UM, WE ARE, UM, IN THE PROCESS OF ONBOARDING, UM, TWO NEW FTES FOR, UM, IRRIGATION INSPECTION.

SO THAT'S A PROCESS THAT'S ALREADY, UH, UNDERWAY IN OUR WATER CONSERVATION DIVISION.

UM, THERE ARE THREE ITEMS THERE THAT INCLUDE THE UNIFORM PLUMBING CODE UPDATES, SO THAT'S THE PRESSURE REGULATING DEVICE, THE LIMITING OF AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, THE FRONT OR BACK AND THE LAUNDRY TO LANDSCAPE READINESS.

THOSE THREE WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE 2024 UNIFORM PLUMBING CODE UPDATES, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEING DONE CITYWIDE.

SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S ANTICIPATED TO GO TO COUNCIL AROUND THE SEPTEMBER TIMEFRAME, HOPING FOR IMPLEMENTATION THERE IN JANUARY OF 2025.

SO THE START OF THE NEXT YEAR, UM, ON THE PLANT LIST ITEM, UM, THAT ONE WE'RE STILL WORKING ON.

UM, UM, BASICALLY THERE'S A NUMBER OF UNRESOLVED ISSUES JUST

[00:25:01]

AND SO HOW QUICKLY WE CAN SORT OF GET INTO THAT TO MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS IN THE CODE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THAT WOULD, WOULD EXTEND THE COMMERCIAL PLANT LIST TO THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE IS STILL A LITTLE UNCLEAR RIGHT NOW.

SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO KEEP YOU UP TO DATE ON THAT.

UM, AND SO, UH, THE FINAL TWO ITEMS AS FAR AS BE TO BE DETERMINED, I MEAN, THOSE ARE GONNA BE A DAY IN, DAY OUT KIND OF CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.

SO WITH THAT NEXT SLIDE, I THINK THAT KIND OF COVERS THE GROUND.

I REALIZE IT WAS PRETTY QUICK, BUT WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.

WORK ON SORT OF THAT EVOLUTION.

THANK YOU, KEVIN.

UM, SO COMMISSIONERS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER PENN, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

I WAS JUST CURIOUS, GENERAL FEEL FROM THE PLATEAUED LEVEL WHAT THE OPPORTUNITY IS OVER OVERALL TO POSSIBLY FOR SAVINGS, UM, BEYOND WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW IS, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A SENSE, IS THIS A, A LOW HANGING FRUIT WITH IRRIGATION? AND I KNOW THAT'S A BIG PART OF THE WATER USAGE, BUT WHERE, WHERE DOES THIS FALL WITHIN THE REALM OF THAT OVERALL USAGE AND IRRIGATION? SO AGAIN, I THINK IT, IT'S, UH, I MEAN AS WE LOOKED AT WATER FORWARD AND LOOK AT THE INDIVIDUAL STRATEGIES IN WATER FORWARD, THERE'S A PRETTY BROAD DISTRIBUTION OF IMPACT, RIGHT? UM, I WOULD SAY ULTIMATELY THIS IS A MODEST IMPACT, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, IT'S A HIGH IMPACT IN, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT FROM WHAT'S DISCRETIONARY, RIGHT? IF YOU LOOK AT OUR WATER USE, UM, SAY OVER THE LAST 10 OR 15 YEARS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN REDUCING PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION.

A LOT OF THAT REALLY CAME FROM JUST THE SOLE ACT OF GOING TO ONE DAY A WEEK WATERING, RIGHT? AND SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY WE'RE AT A PLACE WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE HARDER TO GET, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A DROP HERE AND A DROP THERE.

ON THE OTHER HAND, UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE ENGAGED THE PUBLIC ON A VARIETY OF CONVERSATION AROUND WATER CONSERVATION AND AROUND WATER FORWARD AND SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS, THERE'S A LOT OF FOCUS AND INTEREST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BURDENS OF THAT WATER SAVINGS IS SPREAD AMONGST ALL THE USERS, RIGHT? AND SO YOU MAY RECALL, WE TALKED TO YOU ALL ABOUT OUR, OUR, UM, GO PURPLE INITIATIVE.

UM, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT WAS SORT OF FOCUSED, YOU KNOW, AT MULTIFAMILY, THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO, YOU KNOW, LOOK TO THE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN.

YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH IT MAY BE FAIRLY MODEST, AGAIN, I THINK THE SAVINGS ESTIMATES HERE WERE AROUND 2,500 ACRE FEET IN THE 2040 TIMEFRAME.

UM, BUT AUSTIN'S CLIMATE IS CHANGING AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE THAT WE START TO EVOLVE THE WAY PEOPLE THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY USE THEIR LANDSCAPES.

UM, AND I MEAN, I THINK WE FEEL LIKE THIS IS A MODEST BUT SOLID EFFORT TO TRY TO KIND OF MOVE PEOPLE ALONG IN THEIR THINKING.

SO THANK YOU.

YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION AND YOU GOT INTO PART OF THE ANSWER WAS WHAT I WAS REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, WHICH IS WE'RE AT THE PLATEAUED LEVEL, WHICH WAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT OVER TIME.

UM, IT'S HARDER TO GET THOSE GAINS AND IT'S GONNA TAKE A NUMBER OF STRATEGIES, AND THIS IS ONE OF YOUR TOOLS, BUT IT IS OF THE TOOLS AVAILABLE, IT DOES, IT IS IMPACTFUL AND IMPORTANT.

ABSOLUTELY.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IF NOT, I DO HAVE COMMISSIONERS.

I HAVE A QUESTION.

UM, GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER SIMON, JUST ALONG THE LINE, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

I THINK ALONG THE LINES OF, OF THE BUILD WITH SAVINGS PIECE WHERE YOU WERE LIMITING OR SUGGESTING OR RECOMMENDING THAT THEY WERE LIMITING THAT IRRIGATION AREA TO JUST 50%, UM, IS THERE A THOUGHT OF OF HOW TO POTENTIALLY ENCOURAGE EXISTING HOMEOWNERS TO DO THE SAME? THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES.

THIS IS JUST FOR NEW, RIGHT.

CAN YOU HEAR ME ALRIGHT? THE, THE SHORT ANSWER TO THAT COMMISSIONER IS YES.

UM, I THINK WE HAVE A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS, UM, WITHIN OUR WATER CONSERVATION, UM, GROUP THAT TRIES TO INCENTIVIZE A LOT OF THESE SAME TYPES OF STRATEGIES.

UM, AND, AND SO YES, I MEAN, WE WILL CONTINUE TO OFFER EDUCATIONAL, UM, PROGRAMS, EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION.

WE PARTICIPATE IN A LOT OF PUBLIC EVENTS.

UM, SO WE ARE, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO

[00:30:01]

UM, YOU KNOW, ON THE EXISTING SIDE, I WILL SAY THE CHALLENGE IS, YOU KNOW, AND ACTUALLY DIRECTOR ROLSON POINTED THIS OUT IN ANOTHER CONTEXT, BUT, YOU KNOW, GETTING TO DEMONSTRATE THESE SORTS OF TECHNIQUES, YOU KNOW, OUT IN THE REAL WORLD, UM, REALLY HAS HUGE PAYBACK.

WE, WE'VE DONE THAT WITH OUR OSCAR AND CLARA ONSITE REUSE SYSTEM AT THE PERMIAN DEVELOPMENT CENTER.

AND FRANKLY, THAT'S BEEN SIGNIFICANT.

I MEAN, PEOPLE ARE COMING IN, THEY'RE VISITING THEIR UNDERSTANDING THAT IT CAN BE DONE.

IT'S NOT AS, UM, UNIQUE AS PEOPLE MIGHT THINK.

I THINK THIS IS THE SIMILAR THING.

I THINK THE MORE, UM, THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, FIRST EMBRACES THIS THROUGH NEW HOMES AND NEW LANDSCAPES, I THINK PEOPLE WILL START TO SEE THAT, THAT, HEY, IT'S NOT SO BAD, IT CAN BE DONE.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S OUR PLAN.

UM, CHANGING HEARTS AND MINDS IS A LONG-TERM INVESTMENT.

UM, AND SO THAT'S WHAT OUR, UH, WHAT OUR TEAM AND THE WATER CONSERVATION DO DIVISION DOES ON A DAILY BASIS.

AND I KNOW THEY'RE DEDICATED TO MOVING THAT FORWARD.

WELL THEN I GUESS WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT, UH, STAFF BRIEFING, WHICH IS A, UH, STAFF BRIEFING ON AUSTIN WATER STAFF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION UPDATES.

SO, UM, I HAVE A COMMENT AND THEN A COUPLE QUESTIONS AND, YOU KNOW, TO ADDRESS, UH, JESSE, SOME OF YOUR, UH, QUESTIONS.

WELL, YOU KNOW, IN MY LINE OF BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, I SEE IN NEW SUBDIVISIONS JUST A BLANKET OF TURF GRASS, RIGHT? AND, AND I'VE ALWAYS FELT LIKE NEW HOME BUYERS COMING INTO THE SITUATION, THE BURDEN OF COMING INTO A SITUATION WHERE IT IS LITERALLY A, A CARPET OF GRASS EXCEPT FOR A SMALL LITTLE LANDSCAPE BED.

UH, 'CAUSE IT'S RELATIVELY EASY AT THE END OF A HOME BUILDING PROCESS TO JUST ROLL OUT THE TURF GRASS, YOU KNOW? AND THEN FOR NEW HOME BUYERS TO COME INTO THAT SITUATION AND BE STRADDLED WITH, WELL, I GUESS I GOTTA KEEP THIS GRASS GREEN AND IRRIGATION NEEDS AND WATER BILLS AND EVERYTHING.

SO I REALLY APPLAUD THIS, THE EFFORT BECAUSE, AND I KNOW IT'S, IT MAY BE DIFFICULT WHEN YOU'RE WORKING AGAINST SOME OF THESE, YOU KNOW, PUSHBACK AND EVERYTHING, BUT IT REALLY IS A BENEFIT TO POTENTIAL NEW HOME BUYERS WHO ARE COMING IN AND NOT HAVE TO HAVE THIS, UH, DEMAND ON THEM BOTH, YOU KNOW, WATER DEMAND AND MONETARY, YOU KNOW, MON MONEY DEMAND FROM, FROM THEIR BUDGET.

SO, UH, I THINK THIS IS, YOU KNOW, A GREAT WAY AND, AND I, UH, HOPE THAT THE BUILDING INDUSTRY WOULD FALL INTO UNDERSTANDING THAT IT CAN MAKE THINGS A LOT EASIER.

UM, AND SO A A COUPLE QUESTIONS I HAVE IS FROM THE, UM, MINIMUM OF SIX INCHES OF TOP SOIL ADDITION.

UM, SO IN, IN SOME INSTANCES, UM, DUE TO GRADING ISSUES AND DRAINAGE DEMANDS, UM, IS THERE GONNA BE VARIANCE OPPORTUNITY? YOU KNOW, LIKE, IS THERE SIX INCHES AROUND THE WHOLE PROPERTY? AND I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT IN FILL NEW PROJECTS WHEN YOU'RE BLENDING IN, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST WITH, WITH SOME OF THESE FLATTER LOTS IN AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, HOW IS THAT, IS IT GONNA BE A BLANKET? NOPE, YOU'RE NOT SIX INCHES HERE, SO YOU FAIL, YOU NEED TO BRING IN ANOTHER TWO INCHES.

I GUESS, WHAT IS THE THOUGHTS ON, ON THAT SIDE? SO, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE A SPECIFIC ANSWER OTHER THAN WE ARE GOING THROUGH A TRAINING PROCESS RIGHT NOW WITH OUR DSD SITE INSPECTORS.

FRANKLY, WE EXPECT TO HEAR A LOT BACK FROM THEM, LIKE YOU INDICATE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WITH MAYBE SOME OF THE MORE CHALLENGING, UM, SITES.

SO, UM, I WILL SPECIFICALLY, LET ME GET BACK TO YOU ON THE QUESTION AROUND VARIANCES PROCESSES.

SO, BUT I'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL FOLLOW UP ON THAT PARTICULAR ANSWER.

I MEAN, OUR, OUR HOPE WOULD BE THAT IT WOULD, YOU KNOW, COMMON SENSE WOULD PREVAIL SO THAT WE USE, YOU KNOW, AND GET THE TOP SOIL LOCATED IN THE APPROPRIATE PLACE AND WHERE IT WOULD BE THE DO THE MOST GOOD FOR THE LANDSCAPE AND AS FAR AS MOISTURE RETENTION.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, KEVIN.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT,

[10. Staff briefing on Austin Water staff recruitment and retention updates]

AND THIS WILL BE ACTING ASSISTANT DIRECTOR ISRAEL CASTIO.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS.

I'M GONNA, UM, KICK US OFF HERE, UH, JUST TO FRAME UP THIS PRESENTATION.

SO, UM, AS YOU ALL RECALL, WE WENT, UM, THE, UH, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS CENTER FOR WATER AND THE ENVIRONMENT DID AN EXTERNAL REVIEW OF AUSTIN WATER THAT WAS, UH, FINALIZED IN JANUARY OF 2023.

AND SINCE THEN

[00:35:01]

WE HAVE REPORTED OUT, UM, AT EVERY AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON OUR PROGRESS AND IMPLEMENTING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND THEN WE HAVE BROUGHT THOSE SAME PRESENTATIONS TO YOU ALL FOR YOUR INFORMATION AS WELL.

UM, ONE OF, SEVERAL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE IN THE EXTERNAL REVIEW WERE AROUND, UH, RECRUITING, RETENTION, AND CORPORATE CULTURE.

AND SO, UM, ALTHOUGH THAT WORK IS NEVER DONE, SO WHILE WE'VE COMPLETED OUR FINAL REPORT OUT ON THE EXTERNAL REVIEW, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE RECOMMENDED AND THAT WE COMMITTED TO WAS THAT WE WOULD, UM, DO A REGULAR RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION UPDATE TO THE AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, UM, AND THEN BRING THAT, UM, SAME PRESENTATION TO YOU ALL TO THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION.

SO, UM, THIS IS OUR FIRST, FIRST OF A KIND.

UH, WE WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK, UM, ON, ON THIS PRESENTATION AND THE INFORMATION THAT IT CONTAINS.

UM, AND WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO YOU, UM, ON, AS WE, AS WE PRESENT UPDATES TO THE AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.

UM, SO THIS IS THE SAME PRESENTATION THAT WE DELIVERED ON MAY 9TH TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.

THANK, THANK YOU, SHAY.

SO, UM, AS WAS MENTIONED, MY NAME IS ISRAEL CUSTODIAL.

I'M THE INTERIM ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EMPLOYEE LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT AT AUSTIN WATER.

UM, I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN WITH THE UTILITY FOR MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS, BUT I'M KIND OF RULE NEW TO THIS, UH, INTERIM ROLE.

SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE EMPLOYEE AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AREA.

IT'S COMPOSED OF, UH, THREE DIVISIONS THAT WOULD BE HR, UH, TALENT DEVELOPMENT AND RISK MANAGEMENT.

SO ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT THE ELD PROGRAM AREA IS THAT WE ARE THE ONE PROGRAM AREA IN AUSTIN WATER THAT'S EMPLOYEE CENTRIC, RIGHT? WE TAKE CARE OF THE EMPLOYEE FROM THE MOMENT THAT WE ONBOARD THE EMPLOYEE, HOPEFULLY TILL THE EMPLOYEE RETIRES WITH US.

AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN, WE KEEP THEM SAFE.

UH, WE DEVELOP 'EM AS LEADERS, WE TALK TO THEM ABOUT THEIR BENEFITS, WE'RE THERE FOR THEM, UH, WHEN THEY NEED US TO BE.

AND, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A GROUP LIKE ELD BECAUSE, UH, AS YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE THE LIFEBLOOD OF COMPLEX ORGANIZATIONS.

IT'S NOT PROCESSES OR INFRASTRUCTURE OR SYSTEMS, IT'S PEOPLE.

AND AUSTIN WATER IS DEFINITELY A VERY COMPLEX ORGANIZATION.

WE HAVE PROFESSIONALS FROM ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF FIELDS, COLLABORATING, WORKING TOGETHER, UH, TO PROVIDE THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN TO WORLD CLASS SERVICE.

AS SHAY MENTIONED, MY PRESENTATION TODAY IS GOING TO ENCOMPASS TWO PARTS.

UH, THE FIRST PART WILL BE ABOUT THE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION, AND THEN THE SECOND PART'S GONNA ADDRESS THE EXTERNAL, UM, REVIEW.

SO LET'S DIVE IN.

SO HERE WE HAVE A GRAPH THAT'S TALKING ABOUT THE HISTORICAL, UH, VACANCY PERCENTAGES AT AUSTIN WATER.

SO IF WE'RE GONNA TALK RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION, THE VACANCY RATE IS GOING TO KIND OF BE THE, THE METRIC THAT YOU'RE GONNA USE TO BE ABLE TO COMPARE, YOU KNOW, APPLES TO APPLES TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, THE SAME THING.

UH, VACANCY RATE'S A GREAT METRIC, BUT IT IS A VERY HIGH LEVEL SNAPSHOT IN TIME ABOUT, UH, WHAT YOUR ORGANIZATION LOOKS LIKE.

AND WE'LL KIND OF FURTHER IN THE PRESENTATION, GET INTO OTHER, UH, MORE DETAILED ASPECTS.

UH, VACANCY RATES CAN CHANGE DAILY.

UH, VACANCY RATES CAN ALSO SPIKE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR WHEN YOU RECEIVE ALL YOUR FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES FOR THAT YEAR, FOR YOUR BUDGET, YOUR VACANCY RATE'S GONNA GO UP 'CAUSE YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF UNFILLED, UH, UH, POSITIONS.

ANOTHER TIME THAT VACANCY RATE CAN KIND OF SPIKE IS AT THE END OF THE, OR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE, UH, NEW CALENDAR YEAR WHEN A LOT OF OUR, UH, EMPLOYEES LIKE TO RETIRE.

SO THOSE TWO THINGS KIND OF, UM, KIND OF AFFECT IT.

UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO KIND OF POINT OUT HERE IS THAT YOU SEE THIS VERY PROGRESSIVE, UH, FROM 2022 UP UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF 2023, A KIND OF AN INCREASE IN THE VACANCY RATE.

AND, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S THE GREAT RESIGNATION.

THAT'S US AND THE CITY KIND OF COMING OUT OF COVID.

UH, THE GREAT RESIGNATION IS A VERY REAL THING, AND WE EXPERIENCED IT AND OUR, AND LIKE MANY ORGANIZATIONS WE'RE STILL KIND OF GRAPPLING WITH THE FALLOUT.

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT YOU SEE THE BEGINNING OF 2023, UH, TO WHERE KIND OF WHERE WE ARE NOW, AND YOU SEE THAT WE'VE KIND OF GOT IT UN UNDER CONTROL AND, UH, THAT'LL BE REFLECTED WITH SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT WE UNDERTOOK TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

SO WHEN WE TALK VACANCY RATE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAN ARTIFICIALLY INFLATE YOUR VACANCY RATE IS NOT FILLING YOUR POSITIONS IN A TIMELY MANNER.

AND SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE AT AUSTIN WATER, UH, DO MANAGE TO FILL MORE THAN HALF OF OUR POSITIONS WITHIN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS.

NOW GRANTED, UH, JUST LIKE IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS, THERE ARE SOME POSITIONS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE CHALLENGING TO FILL FOR, UH, MARIETTA REASONS.

BUT THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT WE DO NOT HAVE ANY

[00:40:01]

POSITIONS THAT ARE OLDER THAN TWO YEARS, WHICH IS KIND OF THE CUTOFF FOR, FOR THE CITY.

SO THIS IS KIND OF A BUSY GRAPH, SO I'LL KIND OF JUST WALK YOU THROUGH TO WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO KIND OF SHOW HERE.

LET'S JUST IGNORE THE YELLOW BAR FOR RIGHT NOW.

SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT VACANCY RATE, OFTENTIMES THE NARRATIVE BECOMES, WELL, YOU NEED TO HIRE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE.

AND THAT IS CERTAINLY PART OF THE STORY.

YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE HIRED A BUNCH OF PEOPLE, RIGHT? UH, IN 2022, YOU SEE THAT THE BLUE LINE IS 2 98 FOR POSITIONS FILLED, UH, 336 IN 2023.

BUT YOU ALSO SEE THAT THE GRAY BAR, UH, WAS 1 78 IN 2022 AND 180 1.

SO YES, BRINGING PEOPLE ON BOARD IS DEFINITELY PART OF THE EQUATION, BUT RETAINING PEOPLE IS ALSO PART OF IT AS WELL.

SO WE'RE BRINGING PEOPLE ON.

ANOTHER THING TO HELP UNDERSTAND THIS GRAPH ALSO IS BECAUSE IF, IF YOU JUST WERE TO THINK, WELL, IF YOU'RE HIRING MORE PEOPLE, THEN YOU'RE LOSING, WHY DO YOU HAVE A VACANCY RATE? AND THE ANSWER TO THAT IS ACTUALLY, AND A GOOD THING AND A BAD THING.

AND THAT'S THAT A THIRD OF OUR, UH, POSITIONS FILLED ARE INTERNAL POSITIONS.

AND WHILE THAT'S FANTASTIC FOR THE ORGANIZATION, RIGHT, YOU'RE GETTING SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THE BUSINESS, KNOWS THE ORGANIZATION, UM, IT'S A PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITY, IT'S A RETENTION TOOL, IT DOES ZERO FOR YOUR VACANCY RATE BECAUSE IT JUST MOVES YOUR VACANCY FROM ONE POSITION TO THE NEXT.

ALSO, KEEP IN MIND THAT IT TAKES JUST AS MUCH TIME AND EFFORT TO RECRUIT AN INTERNAL PERSON AS IT DOES AN EXTERNAL PERSON BECAUSE WE ALL DO.

UM, WE, WE USE THE COMPETITIVE HIRING PROCESS.

SO THE, THE YELLOW BAR ON THIS GRAPH KIND OF SHOWS THE, UH, THE AMOUNT OF VACANCIES AT THE END OF EACH FISCAL YEAR AND THEN YEAR TO DATE FOR, FOR 2024.

SO IT SHOWS THAT WE DO HIRE QUITE A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE SOME WORK TO DO AS FAR AS RETENTION IS CONCERNED.

SO SPEAKING OF SEPARATIONS, THIS, UH, GRAPH HERE KIND OF DETAILS SEPARATIONS BY SOURCE.

UH, ON THE END CAP OF EACH BAR GRAPH, YOU SEE A NUMBER OF THE TOTAL OF SEPARATIONS FOR, UH, FOR EACH YEAR OF NOTE.

UH, AND KIND OF INTERESTING IS THAT FISCAL YEAR, 2020 WAS THE VERY LAST YEAR WHERE THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF SEPARATIONS AT AUSTIN WATER WERE ACTUALLY RETIREMENTS, AS YOU SEE IN 2021 AND BEYOND.

UM, RESIGNATIONS AND TRANSFER TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS HAVE STEADILY OUTPACED, UM, RETIREMENTS.

AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO, UH, CONTINUE TO ACCOUNT FOR.

AND SO THUS FAR WE'VE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT VACANCY RATE AS A, IN A, AS A WHOLE ORGANIZATION, RIGHT? AND WE, UH, WE RUN IN THE NINE TO 10 RANGE.

WE'RE TRIED TO STAY BELOW 10, WHICH IS WHAT THE CITY REALLY WANTS US TO DO.

UH, BUT WE DO ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE ARE SOME AREAS OF THE BUSINESS THAT DO RUN AT A HIGHER VACANCY RATE.

UM, AND YOU SEE THOSE HERE.

SO I'VE COMPILED SEVERAL OPERATIONAL FOCUSED AREAS OF THE UTILITY WHERE THEIR INDEPENDENT VACANCY RATE IS HIGHER THAN 10%, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF OIC.

I PUT ULRICH UP THERE BECAUSE IT'S OIC AND IT PROVIDES, YOU KNOW, HALF OF THE WATER, UH, TO AUSTIN.

BUT ACTUALLY THE OIC RATE IS ACTUALLY EVEN BETTER NOW THAN IT WAS LA LAST MONTH.

BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT THE THREE WATER PLANTS ARE UP THERE.

WE HAVE HORNSBY BEND AND REMOTE FACILITIES, WHICH ARE ON THE WASTEWATER SIDE, AND EVEN OUR DISTRIBUTION, UH, SYSTEM SERVICES FOLKS IN THE MIDDLE THERE HAVE SOME, SOME HIGH VACANCIES.

AND THEN INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL AND ELECTRICAL SERVICES ALSO TEND TO RUN, UM, A LITTLE, A LITTLE HIGH.

AND SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT, WE ARE KEENLY AWARE OF THESE THINGS AND WE'RE, WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO TRY TO ADDRESS THESE, UH, VACANCIES.

THIS, THIS IS A VERY SIMILAR SLIDE TO THE OTHER SLIDE WHERE IT KIND OF SHOWS YOU THOSE SAME AREAS THAT WE JUST, THAT HAD HIGH VACANCIES, WHAT WE'RE KIND OF DOING AS FAR AS THE POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE FILLED VERSUS THE, UH, THE SEPARATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, AT ORIC, UH, THIS YEAR WE HAD 11, UH, POSITIONS FILLED, LOST TWO, BUT STILL NEEDED FOUR AT THE TIME THAT WE PUT THIS GRAPH TOGETHER.

AND THEN YOU CAN SEE LIKE FOR THE INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL ELECTRICAL SERVICES, UM, THERE'S NOT AS MUCH BLUE THERE.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE IT, THOSE PARTICULAR THAT THE QUALIFICATIONS NEEDED FOR THOSE POSITIONS OF THOSE KINDS OF INDIVIDUALS ARE VERY, VERY CHALLENGING TO FIND AND TO HIRE.

SO WHAT HAVE WE DONE TO KIND OF TRY TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM OR THE ISSUES WITH, UM, RETENTION AND WITH RECRUITMENT? AND SO WE'VE DONE SEVERAL THINGS.

UH, I WILL FULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT IS NOT SOLELY ABOUT MONEY OR COMPENSATION, BUT THE MONEY AND THE COMPENSATION IS A HUGE ASPECT OF IT.

AND WE'RE, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT

[00:45:01]

AND WE KNOW THAT.

SO BACK IN 2022, WE DID DO A, UH, A AUSTIN WATER SPECIFIC MARKET STUDY.

UM, AND SINCE THEN, THE CITY HA IN 2024 UPDATED THE CITYWIDE TITLE MARKET STUDY.

UH, RECENTLY YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF 2024 AND 2023 AT THE END OF SOME OF THESE EFFORTS.

AND IT KIND OF COINCIDES WITH THAT FIRST SLIDE THAT WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE VACANCY RATE AS TO HOW WE WERE KIND OF ABLE TO GET IT BACK IN LINE.

RECENTLY, WE'VE HAD A CITYWIDE ENGINEERING STUDY THAT HAS KIND OF HELPED OUT AND A CITYWIDE IT, UH, MARKET STUDY AS WELL.

WE'VE ALSO INTRODUCED SOME STIPEND, UH, INTO OUR WORKFORCE.

WE HAVE A SAFETY INCENTIVE STIPEND THAT HAS PAID OUT QUARTERLY TO OUR, UH, FRONTLINE EMPLOYEES WHO, UH, ENCOUNTER HAZARDS AND SO FORTH.

WE'VE EXPANDED THE LICENSURE AND INCENTIVE PAY.

BASICALLY WHAT WE DO THERE IS THAT IF YOU, YOUR JOB REQUIRES A CERTAIN LEVEL OF LICENSURE AND YOU ATTAIN THE A LEVEL HIGHER, WE WILL, UH, GIVE YOU A BONUS FOR THAT, RIGHT? AND THEN WE HAVE A NEW HIRE RECRUITMENT BONUS, WHICH IS LIKE A $3,000, UH, RECRUITMENT BONUS.

IT'S PAID OUT FOR NEW EMPLOYEES AND THOSE TITLES, AND BASICALLY EVERY ONE OF THOSE, UM, HIGH VACANCY RATE AREAS THAT I SHOWED YOU QUALIFY FOR THAT, RIGHT? AND IT'S $500 FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS, $500 AT THE YEAR ANNIVERSARY, AND THEN A THOUSAND AND A THOUSAND IN THE CONSEQUENT YEAR ANNIVERSARIES.

AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAD THE 10% ACROSS THE BOARD RETENTION STIPEND PAY THAT WE IMPLEMENTED IN 2023.

THAT, UH, STIPEND IS COMING TO AN END AT THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.

THAT STIPEND WAS REALLY TARGETED AT GETTING US, UH, TO THE POINT WHERE WE COULD GET A LOT OF THESE THINGS DONE.

AND, UH, WE HAVE DONE THAT AT THIS, UH, POINT IN TIME.

A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NOT STIPENDS OR MARKET STUDIES THAT WE'VE DONE, WE, UH, REZONED, UH, I'M SORRY, WE, WE PAY GRADE ADJUSTED OF THE ELECTRICIANS BACK IN 2023, UH, TO MAKE THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPETITIVE.

WE DID A REZONING EVALUATION FOR A LOT OF EMPLOYEES.

SO BASICALLY WE FOUND THAT ABOUT 86 EMPLOYEES HAD NOT, UH, RECEIVED ANY KIND OF, UH, PROMOTION OR RAISE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.

AND SO IF THEY ALREADY QUALIFIED FOR THE NEXT PAY ZONE, WE WENT AHEAD AND RE-ZONED THEM TO THAT ZONE.

AND OF COURSE, WE'VE HAD LIVING WAGE INCREASES, WE HAVE ACT AND PAY BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF MOVEMENT WITHIN OUR ORG AND, UH, BILINGUAL, UH, PAY AS WELL.

SO NOW THAT WE'VE KIND OF ADDRESSED SOME OF THE RECRUITMENT AND RETRENCH, I WANT TO KIND OF DIVE INTO THE EXTERNAL REVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS BECAUSE I THINK THAT DOVETAILS NICELY INTO SOME OF THE RETENTION, UH, EFFORTS THAT WE WILL, UH, BE MAKING AS A ORGANIZATION GOING FORWARD.

SO THE RECOMMENDATION, UH, 2.2 DASH TWO WAS REALLY ALL ABOUT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT.

UH, SPECIFICALLY LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AT OUR WATER TREATMENT PLANTS.

AND SO I'M GLAD TO REPORT THAT.

UH, WE HAVE HAD SEVEN, UH, SESSIONS, IN DEPTH SESSIONS WITH ALL THREE WATER TREATMENT PLANTS.

WE'VE, UH, DONE TRAINING ON CONFLICT RESOLUTION VALUES, EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP, EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, AND, AND A LOT OF TRUST WORK.

AND IT'S BEEN VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL.

UH, SO MUCH SO THAT WE'VE IMPLEMENTED SOME OF THE SAME KIND OF PROGRAMS ACROSS TO THE UTILITY IN OUR LEADERSHIP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PROGRAM.

UH, THIS IS AN INTERNAL PROGRAM TO AUSTIN WATER.

IT'S IN ADDITION TO THE LEADERSHIP, UH, TRAINING THAT THE CITY PROVIDES.

WE STARTED OFF WITH A PILOT PROGRAM, UH, WITH 19 PARTICIPANTS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.

AND NOW, UH, SINCE THEN WE'VE, WE HAD 49 PARTICIPANTS GO THROUGH IT LAST YEAR.

AND THEN WE GRADUATED, UH, 29 PARTICIPANTS BACK IN MAY 16.

SO WE'VE HAD ALMOST A HUNDRED, UH, PEOPLE ACROSS THE UTILITY GRADUATE FROM OUR LEADERSHIP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PROGRAM AND TWO MORE COHORTS STARTED TODAY.

THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UM, RECOMMENDATION 2.2 DASH FIVE WAS REALLY FOCUSED ON CULTURE AND THE TALENT DEVELOPMENT DIVISION REALLY KNOCKED IT OUT THE PARK WITH THIS.

UM, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF CULTURE WORK.

THE CULTURE WORK WILL ALWAYS BE ONGOING.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL ALWAYS, UH, BE WORKING ON.

BUT WE'VE HAD, UM, LISTENING SESSIONS WITH OVER 200 EMPLOYEES, UM, OVER A HUNDRED HOURS OF INTERVIEWS WITH EMPLOYEES, UM, FINDING OUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM AND WHAT IT IS THEY WANNA SEE.

UM, SEVERAL ON-HAND EMPLOYEE MEETINGS, DISC WORKSHOPS, UM, AND OVER 80 HOURS OF TRAINING DELIVERED.

AND THEN WE, WE ALSO REINFORCE THIS STUFF THAT WE'VE DONE INDIVIDUALLY WITH OUR DIVISIONS IN OUR LEADERSHIP SUMMIT AND OUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS PROGRAM.

SO IT'S KIND OF ALL TIED IN.

WE CONTINUE TO REINFORCE IT WITH THEM.

SO, UH, RECOMMENDATION 2.2 DASH EIGHT WAS ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS AND OUTREACH.

AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED

[00:50:01]

ABOUT THIS ONE, UM, BECAUSE WE FEEL LIKE THIS IS REALLY, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD UPON.

AND SO WE KNOW THAT AS GOOD AS OF A JOB, AS WE'VE DONE WITH THE TRADITIONAL METHODS OF RECRUITING, UH, FOLKS TO COME TO AUSTIN WATER, THAT WE ALSO NEED TO TAP INTO SOME ALTERNATE PIPELINES.

AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE WORKING WITH, UH, AUSTIN A ISD PREMIER HIGH SCHOOL, UM, AND WE'RE FOCUSED ON THIS SETH PROGRAM, THIS, UH, SCIENCE, ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY AND HEALTH PROGRAM.

IT'S, UH, MA IT'S A PROGRAM THAT WAS, UH, DEBUTED BY THE TEXAS, UM, , UH, THE AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION.

AND BASICALLY WHAT IT DOES IS TARGETS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.

IT ALLOWS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO RECEIVE THEIR D LEVEL WATER LICENSE, WHICH IS THE WATER LICENSE, THAT'S THE STARTER WATER LICENSE FOR ANY FIELD THAT YOU'RE GONNA FOLLOW.

AND THEN WHEN THEY TURN 18, THEN THEY CAN RECEIVE IT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE 18 TO RECEIVE THE LICENSE.

BUT THIS, UH, PROCESS ALLOWS 'EM TO BE ABLE TO TEST FOR IT IN SCHOOL AND THEN RECEIVE IT WHEN THEY TURN, UH, 18.

IN ADDITION, WE JUST RECENTLY ALSO, UH, DID A, A, UM, A, UH, JUST BLANKED OUT NOW.

CAREER FAIR.

VISITS OR MYSELF OR ANY OF THE OTHER EXECUTIVES, WE ALWAYS, UH, TALK UP SAFETY AND MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE OPERATING SAFELY.

APPRECIATE THAT.

A CAREER FAIR AT, UH, PRAIRIEVIEW A, UH, A AND MA HISTORIC HBCU AGAIN, BECAUSE WHILE WE HAVE THOSE TRADITIONAL, UM, METHODS THAT WE HAVE HAVE USED, WE HAVE TO GO FIND TALENT WHERE TALENT LIES.

WE CAN'T JUST DEPEND ON THAT.

WE HAVE TO KIND OF PUT A FULL COURT PRESS ON GETTING PEOPLE THROUGH THE DOOR.

UM, SO RECOMMENDATION 2.3 DASH THREE IS NEAR AND DEAR TO ME BECAUSE I HELPED DEVELOP THIS.

AND THIS IS THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT, UH, TECHNICAL ONBOARDING PROGRAM.

SO BASICALLY WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE IS WE TOOK, UH, THREE PLANT TRAINERS FROM EACH OF OUR THREE WATER TREATMENT PLANTS.

AND WE HAVE, WE THEN TOOK OUR KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER BLOCKS, JUST THINK OF THESE AS YOUR BEST PRACTICES PER PLANT.

WE TOOK THOSE, UH, BLOCKS WE DEVELOPED ON-HAND, UH, SKILLS VERIFICATION TESTING FOR THOSE BLOCKS.

AND THEN WE, WE ARE TRAINING A WHOLE GROUP OF PEOPLE, OUR NEWER EMPLOYEES BASED ON THOSE BLOCKS.

SO WE KNOW, UH, WE'VE BEEN, THIS PROGRAM HAS NOW BEEN FUNCTIONING FOR ABOUT A YEAR.

WE KNOW THAT IT TAKES ABOUT SIX WEEKS AVERAGE TO COMPLETE A TRAINING BLOCK ON THE OPERATIONS SIDE.

THERE'S ABOUT 10, UH, BLOCKS.

UH, WE'VE GIVEN OVER SEVEN A HUNDRED HOURS OF ONE-ON-ONE TRAINING.

WE'VE HAD 26 PARTICIPANTS.

EACH OF THESE PARTICIPANTS, UH, ALL HAD LESS THAN TWO YEARS OF TREATMENT EXPERIENCE.

AND WE'VE HAD A HUNDRED PERCENT, UH, BLOCK PASSING RATE.

AND, AND WE'VE HAD FOUR GRADUATES SO FAR.

'CAUSE THEY ALL DON'T START AT THE SAME TIME.

THIS IS KIND OF BASED ON THE, UM, THE VERIFICATION PROCESS OF OJT THAT THE MILITARY USES.

WE KNOW FROM THE, UH, TRAINING SIDE THAT 70% OF WORKPLACE LEARNING TAKES PLACE HANDS ON IN THE WORKPLACE, AND THIS KIND OF BUILDS UPON THAT, RIGHT? AND SO WHAT THIS HAS GIVEN US, ASIDE FROM MORE PREPARED, UH, OPERATORS, IS A DUPLICATABLE, UH, REPEATABLE PROGRAM THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY USE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE ORGANIZATION.

SO WE'RE VERY, VERY PROUD OF THAT.

AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, IS RECOMMENDATION 2.3 DASH 11, WHICH WAS ALL ABOUT SAFETY.

SO PRIOR TO MY CURRENT POSITION, I WAS THE SAFETY MANAGER FOR THE UTILITY.

SO I COULD TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE A VERY, VERY, VERY ROBUST HEALTH AND SAFETY PROGRAM AT THE UTILITY.

UH, IT ALL STARTS WITH VOC.

OUR VOC IS OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, BUT IT TRACKS ANY INCIDENT THAT HAPPENS, WHETHER IT BE AN INJURY OR ANYTHING UNTOWARD THAT MAY HAPPEN IN ANY OF OUR UTILITIES, WHETHER IT BE STAFFING LEVELS WHERE THE CASE MAY BE.

SO WE HAVE VERY GOOD SITUATIONAL AWARENESS THAT IS SHARED NOT JUST AT THE EXECUTIVE TEAM LEVEL, BUT EVEN AT THE DIVISION MANAGER LEVEL.

WE'RE ALL VERY AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE UTILITY ALL TIMES.

WE CIRCULATE SAFETY TALKS.

THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THESE TOOLBOX TALKS OR SAFETY MEETING TALKS EVERY WEEK AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WEEK, WE HAVE A DEDICATED SAFETY TRAINING TEAM, WHICH IS NOT A LOT OF YOUR DEPARTMENTS HAVE THAT, THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF, UH, OUR TRAINERS THERE THAT TRAINING CONFINED SPACE OVER AT GOLD VALLEY.

HE'S TEACHING THEM HOW TO DON THEIR, THEIR GEAR FOR, UH, CONFINED SPACE TRAINING.

WE TALK SAFETY AT NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION.

WE COVER IT AT THE LEADERSHIP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PROGRAM.

WE HAVE EMPLOYEE LED SAFETY COMMITTEES.

WE REVIEW EVERY COLLISION WE HAVE.

WE REVIEW EVERY INJURY WE HAVE, AND WE PRODUCE RECOMMENDATIONS OUT OF IT.

AND SO OUR PEOPLE ARE VERY, VERY CLEAR THAT SAFETY IS A VALUE TO THE UTILITY AND HOW IMPORTANT IT REALLY, REALLY IS.

THEY KNOW WHAT THE REPERCUSSIONS AND WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.

AND OF COURSE, LASTLY, THEIR SITE VISITS, WHETHER IT'S THE EXECUTIVE TEAM GOING OUT AND TALKING TO THE EMPLOYEES ABOUT SAFETY, SHAY MAKING INDIVIDUAL

[00:55:01]

AND WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT ANYONE MAY HAVE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION.

VERY INFORMATIVE.

UM, COMMISSIONERS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? I WAS JUST CURIOUS, AND I WON'T HOLD YOU TO THIS, BUT FROM THE POINT OF THE GREAT RESIGNATION, ARE YOU, DO YOU GET A SENSE THAT MAYBE PEOPLE ARE COMING OVERALL COMING BACK TO WORK? OR IS THAT STILL THE CHALLENGE TO FIND PEOPLE THE SAME OR IS IT EASING ANY FEEL FOR THAT? SO I WOULD SAY FROM THE, FROM THE INDUSTRY TALK AND, YOU KNOW, FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS OTHER THAN NOT JUST UTILITY, BUT I THINK THAT THE SITUATION THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN NOW IS THE NEW NORMAL.

AND THAT IT IS GONNA BE VERY, VERY CHALLENGING, UM, TO JUST DO THINGS FROM A TRADITIONAL BASIS.

YOU KNOW, BACK IN THE DAY WHERE YOU PUT AN AD IN THE PAPER AND, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD 16 PEOPLE APPLY, ARE KIND OF, UH, THAT'S NOT WHERE WE ARE NOWADAYS.

AND THAT'S WHY THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ALTERNATIVE PIPELINES AND KIND OF DOUBLING DOWN ON THINGS THAT MAYBE ARE NOT AS TRADITIONAL ARE GONNA BE SO IMPORTANT TO THE FUTURE, FUTURE OF THE UTILITY AND, AND THE CITY IN GENERAL.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION.

WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE COMMITTEE UPDATES.

ALL RIGHT.

[11. Update from the Joint Sustainability Committee meeting regarding conservation and sustainability initiatives]

AND, UM, SINCE I'M LISTED FIRST, I'LL GO AHEAD.

UM, SO, UM, I'LL PROVIDE AN UPDATE FROM THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE MEETING, WHICH WAS HELD ON, I HAVE MY NOTES MAY 22ND, 2024.

AND IT WAS A RELATIVELY SHORT MEETING COMPARATIVE TO THE PREVIOUS MONTHS.

AND, UH, AND THE, THE MAIN ITEM WAS LOOKING AT THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN AND THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS.

SO THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY BASICALLY HAD BROUGHT ALL THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TOGETHER INTO A COMPREHENSIVE LIST AND BASICALLY GAVE US THE OVERVIEW OF THAT.

AND, UH, WE DID NOT, YOU KNOW, VOTE ON, ON THAT OR ANYTHING, BUT THAT WAS THE, UH, THE MAIN ITEM IN THE, IN THE COMMITTEE MEETING.

SO NOTHING ELSE TO UPDATE ON.

[12. Update from Public Involvement Committee for Austin Water Cost of Service Study meeting regarding Austin Water’s potential future rates and fee]

UM, SO NEXT, UH, WE'LL HAVE AN UPDATE FROM THE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT COMMITTEE FOR THE AUSTIN WATER COST SURVEY STUDY AND COMMISSIONER PENN.

INTEREST IN THAT, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO LOOK IT UP THERE.

UH, SO THE AUSTIN WATER COST OF SERVICE STUDY IS, IS ON ONGOING.

WE HAD, UH, THE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT COMMITTEE THAT MYSELF AND COMMISSIONER NAVARRO SERVE ON MET MONDAY OF THIS WEEK.

AND IT APPEARS WE HAVE ONE MORE MEETING COMING IN JULY, BUT THERE, IF NEEDED, THERE COULD MAYBE, THERE COULD BE AN EXTENSION, BUT I THINK WE WILL MOST LIKELY WRAP UP OUR PICK INVOLVEMENT IN JULY.

AND SO AT THIS POINT, A LOT OF THE DEFINITION OF, OF, UM, THE REVENUE REQUIREMENTS AND, AND KIND OF UNDERSTANDING HOW THE MODELS ARE PUT TOGETHER FOR WATER WASTEWATER AND, AND REUSE, UH, REVENUE REQUIREMENTS, THAT'S KIND OF BEHIND US.

AND WE'RE HAVING DISCUSSIONS NOW AND GETTING INFRA, UH, FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDERS ON SOME OF THE LAST QUESTIONS, WHICH IS, I, I BELIEVE TAKING US TOWARDS THE FINAL RATE DESIGN AND WHAT THE NEXT FIVE YEARS MAY LOOK LIKE.

AND SO THE DISCUSSIONS ARE, UH, GETTING FEEDBACK ON THE AMOUNT OF PARTICIPATION FOR THE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, FOR EXAMPLE, OR THE STEEPNESS OF THE BLOCK TIERED, UH, STRUCTURE OF, OF, UH, OF COST OF WATER.

SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS GOING ON.

I BELIEVE IN THE NEXT MEETING, THERE'S A, WE'LL COME TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT THOSE, THOSE LAST THINGS AND GET THAT INPUT.

AND THEN, UH, I BELIEVE THE, THE, THE THIRD PARTY GROUP, NEWGEN STRATEGIES AND AUSTIN WATER WILL COME BACK WITH THEIR FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS.

SO, UH, THAT'S KIND OF THE, THE STATUS THERE.

I WAS TRYING TO THINK.

ALL OF THIS IS ONLINE, UM, AT THE SPEAK UP AUSTIN, AND THEY ARE SOLICITING FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC AS WELL JUST TO, TO REVIEW THESE THINGS.

SO, UM, ANYBODY WHO HAS

[01:00:01]

I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS.

COMMISSIONER MO? I HAVE A QUESTION.

YEAH.

UM, JESSE, ARE YOU GETTING ANY SENSE WHERE WE'RE HEADED TO ON RATES? AND THE REASON I ASKED THE QUESTION IS OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, I HAVE SEEN SO MANY CONTRACTS WITH THESE EYE POPPY NUMBERS, 250 MILLION, A BILLION, BIG, BIG, BIG NUMBERS.

IS ANYBODY LOOKING AT THE RATES TO SEE WHERE WE'RE GOING? YEAH, AND YOU KNOW, I'LL GIVE MY FEEDBACK AND I'LL TRY NOT TO GET MYSELF INTO TROUBLE HERE, BUT CERTAINLY THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE RATE STRUCTURE AND, UM, THE FUTURE RATES DISCUSSIONS ARE BEING HELD ABOUT RATE INCREASES AND HOW THEY MAY BE STRUCTURED OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

AND SO SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT PEOPLE ARE GIVING IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WOULD IT BE BETTER TO HAVE RATE INCREASES UPFRONT VERSUS AT THE END OF A FIVE YEAR PERIOD? SO I BELIEVE THAT, I THINK IT'S PRETTY SAFE TO SAY THAT RATE INCREASES ARE, ARE HAPPENING.

UM, THE POINT WAS MADE THAT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, RATES HAVE BEEN PRETTY STABLE.

AND SO THERE HAVEN'T BEEN MANY INCREASES CONSIDERING, YOU KNOW, THE INFLATIONARY ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE IN AND, AND EXPENSES TOWARDS LIKE THE BIG PROJECTS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FROM GROWTH AND WHATNOT.

SO, UM, THAT'S MY SENSE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN AND HOW MUCH VERSUS IF, IF THAT'S YOUR QUESTION.

I'VE HEARD RUMORS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RATE INCREASES ON AN ANNUAL BASIS IN EXCESS OF 20%.

IS THAT TRUE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS? I DON'T KNOW THAT I, I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD ANSWER THAT.

I DON'T THINK THAT THIS THE CASE, BUT I, I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T, UH, TAKE A STAB AT THAT ONE BILL, BUT I THINK OVER THE FIVE YEARS, CERTAINLY, YEAH, I, I, I I, OVER FIVE YEARS, IT'S A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT EQUATION, BUT, UH, UH, I, I, I ASKED THE QUESTION, I'M CURIOUS BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD BE A BIG, BIG DEAL, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE ANSWER.

SO I, I CAN, UM, TELL YOU WHAT, WHAT'S IN OUR BUDGET FORECAST TO THE CITY IS, UM, WE CAN GET YOU THE, THE EXACT NUMBERS, BUT IT'S, IT'S LESS THAN 10% PER YEAR, AND ON THE RANGE OF, I THINK 30% OVER FIVE YEARS.

AND, AND THAT'S CONSISTENT WHAT I, WITH WHAT I RECALL FROM THE MEETING ON MONDAY.

AND THEN OF COURSE, IF THEY BACK LOAD IT, IT COULD GO HIGHER BECAUSE YOU'RE WAITING LONGER TO SEE THE, THE REVENUE, THE RATE AND REVENUE INCREASES.

SO IT JUST KIND OF DEPENDS ON HOW THEY STRUCTURE IT TOO.

THAT'S RIGHT.

I WOULD DESCRIBE 30% OVER FIVE YEARS AS THE HIGHEST RATE INCREASES IN THE HISTORY OF THE AUSTIN WATER DEPARTMENT.

GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONER MORIARTY, UH, THIS IS ANNA O'BRIEN BORJA.

I JUST WANTED TO, UH, JOIN THE CONVERSATION SINCE I HAVE ALSO BEEN A PART OF THE PICK PROCESS AND ALSO PART OF OUR, UM, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.

SO AS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, EVERY FIVE YEARS, UH, I'M SORRY, EVERY YEAR WE PRESENT A FIVE YEAR BUDGET FORECAST AND DIRECTOR ROLSON, UH, REFERRED TO THAT FIVE YEAR FORECAST.

BUT REALLY THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW IS TO SET THE, UM, FISCAL YEAR 25 RATE, AND AS COMMISSIONER PENN SAID, ALSO TO SHAPE THE RATE DESIGN FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

SO I JUST WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT OUR FISCAL YEAR 25, UH, RATE INCREASE WILL NOT BE SET UNTIL WE HAVE RECEIVED ALL OF THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT THAT WE ARE SEEKING.

UH, AND IT WILL COME OUT AS PART OF THE CITY'S BUDGET PROCESS.

SO THE CITY MANAGER PRESENTS, UM, THE CITY'S BUDGET TO CITY COUNCIL INITIALLY ON, I BELIEVE IT'S JULY 12TH.

UM, BEFORE WE GET TO THAT POINT, OF COURSE THE PICK WILL COMPLETE THEIR WORK, GIVING THEIR GUIDANCE ON, UH, POTENTIAL, UM, RATE DESIGN.

BUT WE HAVE OTHER POINTS OF ENGAGEMENT.

WE HAVE THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION'S BUDGET COMMITTEE, WHICH RECEIVES INFORMATION FROM OUR FINANCIAL STAFF

[01:05:01]

AND, YOU KNOW, PROVIDES INPUT BACK TO OUR FINANCIAL STAFF.

AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A ROBUST PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT THAT IS ONGOING.

RIGHT NOW, WE ARE DOING OPEN HOUSES IN EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT.

UM, SO WE HAD, UH, WE HAVE COMPLETED EIGHT OPEN HOUSES.

WE HAVE TWO MORE OPEN HOUSES, UH, THAT ARE TAKING PLACE ON THE NEXT TWO SATURDAYS.

WE HAVE A VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE, WHICH IS TAKING PLACE THIS THURSDAY.

ANYONE CAN PARTICIPATE IN THAT.

IT'S AN ONLINE MEETING.

UM, AND THEN WE HAVE ALSO CONDUCTED FOCUS GROUPS.

SO AS WE ARE PREPARING THE FINAL RATE DESIGN, I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT WE ARE GATHERING, UM, INPUT FROM AS MANY, UH, SOURCES AS WE CAN TO SHAPE THAT.

AND IT WILL NOT BE FINALIZED UNTIL WE'VE EVALUATED THOSE INPUTS.

AND REALLY THAT WILL BECOME PART OF THE CITY MANAGER'S, UM, BUDGET PRESENTATION.

I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF FILL IN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING, UM, TO SHAPE THE RATES.

NOW I GUESS, UH, WE'LL MOVE ON TO AN UPDATE FROM THE AUSTIN INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE PLANNING COMMUNITY TASK FORCE FROM COMMISSIONER MORIARTY.

AND, AND, AND WITH ANNA SAYING ABOUT THE OPEN HOUSE, I DID WANT TO MENTION A PERFECT TIME.

I ATTENDED, UH, AN OPEN HOUSE IN MY DISTRICT ON MAY 30TH.

AND, UH, IT WAS A VERY ENGAGING SETUP.

UM, AND I APPRECIATED THE WAY THAT AUSTIN WATER SET IT UP.

AND, AND, UH, WHILE I WAS THERE, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF MEMBERS FROM THE PUBLIC WHO WERE REALLY ASKING SOME HARD QUESTIONS AND TAKING THE STAFF TO, TO TASK ON THAT.

AND SO, UM, SO IT WAS A GREAT PROCESS.

YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY YOU WOULD HOPE TO GET AS MANY PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THOSE THINGS, BUT IT IS HARD AS WE KNOW.

UH, BUT IT WAS, UH, A REALLY A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC.

AND, UH, AUSTIN WATER, I BELIEVE SET UP THOSE ENGAGEMENTS, UH, OPEN HOUSES IN A VERY COOL MANNER.

SO.

ALRIGHT, SO

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

COMPLETE THE UPDATE TO THE WATER FORWARD PLAN.

WE, UH, HAD OUR REGULAR MEETING ON JUNE 4TH, WHICH WAS, UH, LAST WEEK.

AND OF COURSE, UH, WE WERE GIVEN, UH, A VERY GOOD PRESENTATION ON ALL THE LAKE LEVELS AND WATER INFLOWS.

UH, AS KEVIN MENTIONED EARLIER, THE LAKES ARE SITTING AT ABOUT 56%, SO THAT'S A LOT BETTER.

AND, UH, LAST OCTOBER WE WERE AT 38%.

AND, UH, I THINK THAT GOT EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION.

PRETTY GOOD.

WE WENT THROUGH A LOT OF TECHNICAL THINGS AS WE PREPARE TO, AND I SAY WE, I MEAN, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THEIR CONSULTANTS DOES ALL THE WORK.

UM, BUT, UH, WE KIND OF CHIP IN WITH OUR LITTLE IDEAS AND, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE HONING IN ON THE, UH, TION OF THE UPDATE TO THE 2018 WATER FORWARD PLANT.

SO THERE WILL BE A 2024 WATER FORWARD PLANT.

AND, UH, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS ABOUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN WATER CONSERVATION PLANT.

WE, AS, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS WE'RE NOT VERY HAPPY WITH THAT.

AND THE FUNDAMENTAL THING WAS IT'S, IT'S NOT DRIVING DOWN THE PER CAPITA WATER USAGE LIKE WE EXPECT.

SO, UH, WE AS COMMITTEE MEMBERS WERE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT A FEW IDEAS ON HOW WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

AND SEVERAL IDEAS WERE SUBMITTED AND THE AUSTIN WATER DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING AT THEM, EVALUATING THEM, AND THEY HAVE PROMISED US OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, THEY'RE GONNA GIVE US AN ANALYSIS OF ALL OF OUR IDEAS AND TO SEE IF ANY OF THEM CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO, UH, THE PLAN.

WE HOPE THEY CAN.

UM, AND LIKE I SAY, THEY, THEY, UH, I HATE TO ADMIT THIS, BUT SOME THINGS THAT GO ON IN THESE MEETINGS, I DON'T REALLY EVEN UNDERSTAND THEM VERY WELL.

I TRY TO, BUT THEY'RE JUST A LITTLE OVER MY HEAD.

UM, BUT THEY'VE GOT SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE EVALUATING PORTFOLIOS OF DIFFERENT THINGS AND, UH, I KNOW THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND I'M JUST, UH, JUST WATCHING.

UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S GOING TO BE, UH, MY SENSE IS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS TO

[01:10:01]

THIS WEEK, JUST SO I, UH, I COULDN'T GET TOO LAZY.

WE HAD A SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING, UH, TWO DAYS AGO AND, UH, IT'S THE IMPLEMENTATION SUBCOMMITTEE THAT I'M A MEMBER OF.

AND THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING WAS TO TALK ABOUT A PROJECT THAT I'VE BEEN VERY INTERESTED IN FROM DAY ONE, WHICH IS KNOWN AS THE INDIRECT PORTABLE REUSE PROJECT.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT'S MY SECOND MOST FAVORITE PROJECT IN THE WATER FORWARD PORTFOLIO.

AND, UM, IT, WHEN THE LAKES GOT KIND OF EMPTY LAST OCTOBER, UH, THAT PROJECT GOT ACTIVATED BIG TIME.

AND, UH, SO THERE WAS A LOT OF EFFORT MADE AT REALLY DOING THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING TO FIGURE OUT IF IT WAS EVEN FEASIBLE.

AND WHAT, WHAT WE HEARD LAST TUESDAY WAS THAT EVEN THOUGH THE LENGTHS ARE MORE FULL, AND I COULD SAY FROM MY EXPERIENCE USUALLY WHEN THE LAKES GOT FILLED UP, FILLED UP A LITTLE BIT, IS A LOT OF THESE EFFORTS KIND OF QUIET DOWN.

BUT WE WERE ASSURED BY THE STAFF THAT THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE THE CASE THIS TIME, THAT WE ARE GOING TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS THING AND TRY TO FIGURE IT OUT AND TRY TO GET IT PERMITTED.

AND JUST TO DESCRIBE THE PROJECT VERY QUICKLY, IT IS TO PEEL OFF, UH, RECLAIM WATER FROM THE SARS WASTEWATER PLANT, PIPE IT OVER TO THE LONGHORN DAM, DROP IT IN LADY BIRD LAKE, AND THEN PICK IT UP VIA A PUMP STATION, UH, NEAR THE TOM MILLER DAM AND PUMP IT INTO THE, UH, ULRICH, UH, WATER PLANT.

AND, UH, WE WILL THEN BE, UH, THAT'S THE INDIRECT PART OF INDIRECT PORTABLE REUSE.

I THINK THERE'S SOME SIGNIFICANT PERMITTING CHALLENGES THAT'S BEST I COULD UNDERSTAND, HAVE NOT BEEN OVERCOME YET.

UM, I THINK IT'S BEING WORKED ON, BUT, UH, THEY DON'T HAVE A PERMIT APPLICATION ON ANYBODY'S DESK YET, AND NOBODY HAS APPROVED IT.

SO, UH, THIS WILL BE A CRITICAL PROJECT IF WE, UH, GET INTO, UH, LOW LAKE LEVELS.

AND, UM, SO I'M, UH, SUPER ENTHUSIASTIC WHAT I HEARD LAST TUESDAY THAT, UH, AUSTIN WATER WAS DETERMINED TO GET THIS THING PUSHED THROUGH.

SO THAT KIND OF SUMMARIZES TWO MOST RECENT MEETINGS AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.