[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER]
OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.IT'S AUGUST 7TH, 2024, AND IT'S NOW 6:00 PM AT THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER EVENT CENTER.
WELL, DELCO DRIVE, AUSTIN, TEXAS 7 8 7 5 2.
UM, FIRST UP, LET'S HAVE PUBLIC
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
COMMUNICATION.DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS? YES.
IF YOU COULD STATE YOUR NAME AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS CHAIR.
I'M PHIL THOMAS, COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE, LIVING WITHIN THE HISTORICAL BOUNDARIES OF THE EAST TOWN LAKE CITIZENS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO HALT THE INCURSION OF EDWARD REONE SR.
PARK OF A POORLY CONSIDERED PROJECT THAT COULD COVER ONE END OF A FRAGILE LAGOON.
THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL IS AN ENTERPRISE WITH A FOR-PROFIT AND COMPONENT THAT HAS BEEN OPERATING OUT OF THE CAMACHO REC CENTER FOR MANY YEARS.
THEY NOW WANT A PERMANENT FLOATING DOCK IN OUR PARK.
THE GROUP OFFERS SOME ALTRUISTIC SERVICES, SUCH AS TRASH REMOVAL AND TEACHING WATERCRAFT TO UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN, CERTAINLY LAUDABLE, BUT THE BUSINESS PROFITS BY RENTING OUT WATER EQUIPMENT, GIVING LESSONS, CONSULTING AND HIRING OUT GUIDES FOR CORPORATE AND OTHER ADVENTURE GETAWAYS.
THEIR PLAN CALLS FOR A LARGE, ALMOST 10,000 SQUARE FOOT DOCK OVER THE LAGOON NEXT TO FIESTA GARDENS.
THE COVERED DOCK HOLDS MULTIPLE LARGE STORAGE CONTAINERS FOR RENTAL EQUIPMENT.
THE PLANS DO NOT QUANTIFY THE INCREASE IN VISITORS OR THE IMPACT OF THAT INCREASED USE.
WE HAVE SEEN NO STUDIES DETAILING THE IMPACT OF SUCH A FACILITY ON THE PARK'S, ECOLOGICAL, OR WILDLIFE SYSTEMS. THANKFULLY, THE PLANS DO NOT CONTAIN ANY PARKING GARAGES.
A 2019 ORDINANCE SPONSORED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RENTERIA ALLOWED THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL TO EVADE PUBLIC INPUT AND A PROPER EN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THEIR PLANS.
THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN BEFORE THIS BODY, BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO SKIP THAT STEP, AND WE ARE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT, AND WE HOPE YOU'RE NOT EITHER.
AS A PART OF THE LARGER PICTURE, WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE INSISTENCE OF A FEW NONPROFITS TO FILL OUR PARK WITH CONCESSIONS WITHOUT REGARD TO STAKEHOLDERS, WILDLIFE, OR THE ENVIRONMENT.
EDWARD RENDON PARK IS A TRANQUIL PARK AND A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF A GREEN BUFFER AGAINST HEAT NOISE AND STORM WATER RUNOFF.
IT IS NOT A BLANK CANVAS TO FILL WITH CONCESSIONS AND ENTERPRISES QUITE THE OPPOSITE.
THESE PARKS ARE OURS TO TAKE CARE OF AND KEEP PRISTINE.
PLEASE ADVISE MAYOR AND COUNCIL TO STOP THIS POORLY CONSIDERED ENTERPRISE FROM COVERING PART OF A FRAGILE LAGOON AND SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS AT PREVENTING PART ADOPTION OF THIS PROPOSED PROJECT.
HELP US PROTECT OUR PARK AND PRESERVE ITS ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY, DIVERSITY, AND TRANQUILITY.
OUR PARKS ARE PRECIOUS RIGHT NOW AND PRECARIOUS.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY, UH, DOCUMENTATION YOU WANT TO DISTRIBUTE TO US, YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO SEND IT TO ELIZABETH AND SHE'LL SEND IT OUT TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS.
[00:05:14]
HOW THE ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD.I'M WITH FREE ZILKER COALITION AND EARTH FIRST AUSTIN, AND I'M ALSO HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL PROPOSED EXPANSION ON LADY BIRD LAKE.
SO HERE'S A SITUATION WHERE, AGAIN, THE NEIGHBORS AND THE STAKEHOLDERS ARE MADE TO FEEL LIKE WE'RE A DAY LATE AND A DOLLAR SHORT.
WE HAD THE EDWARD BRENDAN, SENIOR HOLLY SHOR'S MASTER PLAN, AND WE THOUGHT THAT AFTER ALL THE YEARS THAT THE NEIGHBORS AND STAKEHOLDERS WORKED ON THIS AND REACHED A, YOU KNOW, A VERY BROAD CONSENSUS ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH THIS PARK, KEEP IT IN A NATURAL CONDITION, THAT THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS GOING TO BE.
AND THEN IN DECEMBER OF 2019, WE HAD A SURPRISE CITY COUNCIL ORDINANCE AMENDMENT THAT ALLOWED THIS CONCESSION TO THE, UH, EXPEDITION SCHOOL WITHOUT THE CONSENT AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF STAKEHOLDERS AND NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO THAT'S NOT TOO MUCH THE BUSINESS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD, BUT THE DECEMBER TWO 19, UH, 2019 SURPRISE ALSO EXEMPTED Y'ALL FROM REVIEWING THIS PROJECT.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S FAIR TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD.
SO FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE, THE PROPOSED LOCATION IS CURRENTLY ONE OF THE MORE SERENE, NATURAL AND QUIET LOCATIONS ON THE LAKE EEG, AN IDEAL HABITAT FOR BIRDS AND MIGRATING WATERFOWL.
SO WE ARE HERE TODAY ASKING Y'ALL TO RECOMMEND TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO RESCIND THE TWO, UH, DECEMBER, 2000, UH, 19 EXEMPTION TO THE EDWARD RENDON SENIOR HOLLY SHOR'S MASTER PLAN, AND HAVE THIS PROJECT GO THROUGH THE PROPER CHANNELS, INCLUDING COMING TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD.
SO I WOULD HOPE THAT IF IT COMES TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD, THAT YOU WOULD SEE PICTURES OF THIS AREA, THE NATURAL WAY THAT IT IS THE BIRDS THAT, UH, UH, USE THIS AS HABITAT AND ADVISE THAT IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PROJECT THAT LIKE THIS, THAT WOULD BRING IN A LOT OF NOISE, A LOT OF ROWDY KIDS, UM, A LOT OF BOATS THAT, UH, MORE APPROPRIATE PLACE TO PUT IT WOULD BE, AND SOME OTHER PART OF THE LAKE THAT WAS MORE IMPACTED BY HUMAN ACTIVITIES ALREADY.
SO I HOPE THAT Y'ALL WILL CONSIDER, UH, MAKING THIS ADVISEMENT TO CITY COUNCIL SO THAT Y'ALL CAN GET Y'ALL SAY, UM, ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY DOCUMENTATION YOU WANNA DISTRIBUTE, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO ELIZABETH.
I THINK WE HAD ONE MORE AT THE BOTTOM.
WAS THERE ONE MORE? UH, TANYA PAY.
WE HAVE TANYA, IF YOU COULD STATE YOUR NAME.
MY NAME'S TANYA PAYNE AND I'M WITH PART OF REWILD A TX.
AND I WANTED TO ASK YOU TO REQUEST THAT THE, UM, EXPEDITION SCHOOL COME BEFORE YOU AND BE ABLE TO REVIEW THE, UM, DOCK PLANS FOR THE LAGOON ON TOWN LAKE.
I WE'RE VERY CONCERNED THAT THAT AREA IS DELICATE AND YOU HAVE NOT HAD ANY SORT OF OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN AND, UH, OFFER YOUR OPINIONS AND YOUR, UM, AND YOUR OVERSIGHT TO THAT, UH, BUILDING.
AND THEN ALSO, IT'S AN AREA THAT HASN'T BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF THE, THIS PLAN ISN'T SUPPORTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY.
THE COMMUNITY HAD A MASTER PLAN AND IT DID NOT INVOLVE THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY DOCUMENTATION, FEEL FREE TO SUBMIT IT TO ELIZABETH AND I THINK ELIZABETH, WE MIGHT HAVE MORE SPEAKERS.
WE'LL HAVE ELIZA REON MONTOYA.
[00:10:01]
YEAH, IT'S RIGHT THERE.I AM A VICE PRESIDENT OF EAST COUNTY CITIZENS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IN THE AREA WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT ON THE EXPEDITION.
I COME HERE TO VOICE MY CONCERN BECAUSE I'M A LANDOWNER ON THAT AREA.
AND ALSO I HAVE BEEN WORKING, I'M THE DAUGHTER OF EDWARD
ALL THE, THE T LAKE CORRIDOR, ALL THE WAY TO THE LONGHORN BRIDGE.
AND THEN WE'RE, WE'RE FACED NOW WITH A BIG, UH, PROJECT THAT WE HAVE NOT HAD TOO MUCH KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHERE IT WAS.
WE HAVEN'T HAD AN ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, TEST OR ANYTHING ABOUT THOSE WATERS LATELY SINCE BACK IN THE SEVENTIES, EIGHTIES, UH, THAT I'M, THAT I CAN RECALL.
AND NOW THE, I AM TOTALLY AGAINST THIS PROJECT ABOUT GIVING THEM, UH, THE EXPEDITION, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY AGAIN OR RENEW THEIR, THEIR, UH, 'CAUSE IT WAS A PROJECT BACK THEN SEVERAL YEARS BACK THAT IT WAS JUST GONNA BE LIKE A PILOT PROJECT AND IT IT WAS GONNA BE DEPENDENT ON THE COMMUNITY IF IT WAS GOING TO, YOU KNOW, BE ACCESSED TO THE COMMUNITY AND HAVE NO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.
WE'VE HAD, THERE'VE BEEN BAD ACTORS.
WE HAVE NOT BEEN IN ANY, UH, MEETINGS THAT THEY'VE, THEY PUT OUT, UM, AND THEY HAVE NOT CALLED US TO, TO, TO REVIEW ANYTHING THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO DO ON THAT AREA ON THE TALL LAKE CORRIDOR.
UM, AND, UM, I'M, I'M SEEING MS. UH, WHAT DID, WHAT'S YOUR NAME? HI, UH, UH, HEIDI? NO, NOT HEIDI.
WE, WE MET WITH MS. HANNAH BACK THEN ON, ON THE, UH, UH, THE TOWN LAKE CORRIDOR WHERE THEY'RE DOING THE, THE, UM, UH, SHE'S INVOLVED WITH THE, UH, TRAIL TRAILS FOUNDATION.
AND I HAD MY NOTES, BUT I LEFT THEM IN THE CAR.
BUT, UH, I, UH, THE ONLY TIME WE WE WERE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON IS WHEN THE PARTS FOUNDATION WILL SAY SOMETHING.
BUT THEY HAVE THIS, THEY'RE BECOMING A BAD ACTOR TOO, BECAUSE THEY'VE NOT EVEN TOLD US IN THE COMMUNITY OR RESIDENTS AROUND THE AREA THAT THIS IS COMING ABOUT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS COMING UP, AND WE'RE, I'M TOTALLY AGAINST THIS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING BECAUSE WE'VE HAD A DROWNING IN THAT LAKE.
WE'VE HAD, UH, POLLUTION IN THAT LAKE.
I MEAN, IT'S BRINGING A NIGHTMARE BACK IN THE DAYS WHEN I FOUGHT TO PRESERVE THAT PARK, ALL THAT TOWN, LAKE CORRIDOR, ALL THE WAY FROM THE LONGHORN BRIDGE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO, UH, THE, UM, PART OF THE WEST AUSTIN, UH, AREA.
UH, WE STOPPED THE BOAT RACES FOR THAT REASON BECAUSE IT WAS POLLUTING THE AREA.
THERE WAS NO ENVIRONMENTAL FOLLOW UPS ON THE COMMUNITY, WHAT IT EFFECTS IT WAS DOING.
SO BASICALLY THAT'S WHY I'M HERE.
I DON'T WANT Y'ALL TO DO ANYTHING FOR THE EXPEDITIONS TO RENEW THEIR CONTRACT AT ALL.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY DOCUMENTATION, FEEL FREE TO SEND IT TO ELIZABETH.
WE HAVE A LOT OF DOCUMENTATIONS AND ALSO LEGAL DOCUMENTATION THAT THEY'RE DOING THIS WITHOUT CONSULTING ANYONE AND THEY'RE JUST MOVING FORWARD, SO WE NEED TO STOP IT.
AND THEN LASTLY, WE HAVE, UH, BERTHA DELGADO.
I'M A SIXTH GENERATION, UH, EAST AUSTIN NATIVE.
UH, WE LIVE ADJACENT TO THE FIESTA GARDENS IN THE EDWARD RENDON HOLLY SURE'S MASTER PLAN.
UH, I AM COMING TO THIS DAAS MY FIRST TIME HERE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK YOU ARE DOING.
UH, BUT WE HAVE GREAT CONCERNS, UH, CONCERNS THAT, UM, THIS IS NOT JUST GONNA BE AN, AN ENTIRE AREA THAT'S BEING DISPLACING SO MANY PEOPLE.
IF YOU ALL GIVE THESE, UH, EXPEDITION SCHOOL AN EXTENSION OF THEIR CONCESSION WITHOUT EVALUATING AND ACTUALLY, UH, DOING AN INVESTIGATION, THEY HAVE BEEN BAD ACTORS SINCE 2020.
WE HAVE HAD A LARGE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC, A LARGE AMOUNT OF BOATS, UH, ENGINE BOATS THAT ARE, THAT ARE RUNNING, UM, MOTORS, TROLLEY MOTORS, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF CANOES AND KAYAKS THAT ARE UNREGULATED.
PEOPLE THAT ARE OPERATING THESE, UH, YOU KNOW, DRINKING ALCOHOL, NOT WEARING,
[00:15:01]
UH, LIFE JACKETS, POLLUTING THE WATER, UM, LEAVING THEIR TRASH BEHIND.IT'D BE, IT'S A BIG PARTY AT THE NASH HERNANDEZ BOAT RENTAL AREA WHERE, UH, NOT JUST THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL IS NOW OCCUPYING, BUT THE ENTIRE CITY OF AUSTIN, WE HAVE HAD PEOPLE OVERCROWDED IN THAT AREA.
THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY TYPE OF SAFETY MEASURES FROM LCRA, FROM WATERSHED, FROM PARKS DEPARTMENT, AND IT HAS GOTTEN OUT OF CONTROL.
IT IS SO BAD THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE SO FED UP THAT WE HAVE DONE A CAMPAIGN TO SHUT EXPEDITION SCHOOL DOWN.
WE ARE NOW MOVING FORWARD IN EVERY AVENUE AND AREA WE CAN, BRINGING IN LEGAL TO STOP THIS.
THIS IS NOT JUST AS RESPECTFUL TO THE CULTURE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND OUR PARK, BUT IT'S BEEN A DISTRACTION.
IT HAS BEEN A SAFETY ISSUE AND THE FACT THAT THESE WATERS ARE UNSAFE.
AND WE HAVE HAD 45 DROWNINGS IN THE LAST THREE YEARS IN THIS TOWN, LAKE WATER.
SO I EXPECT THAT THIS COMMISSION START TO INVESTIGATE WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE TOWN LAKE WATER CORRIDOR.
WE ARE NOT HAVING THE CITY WEIGH IN AND WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE.
AND IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, THEN YOU DON'T SEE IT EVERY DAY.
WE HAVE SO MUCH EVIDENCE TO BRING TO THIS COMMISSION AND TO THE CITY BODY OF COUNCIL, MAYOR, AND CITY MANAGER, AND ASK THAT THE EXPEDITION SCHOOLS CONCEPTION CONTRACT BE REVOKED.
DO NOT GIVE THEM ANOTHER EXTENSION AND RELOCATE THEIR PROJECT.
HER DREAM IS NOT A DREAM FOR FIESTA GARDENS LAGOON.
THIS IS AN AREA THAT'S HISTORICAL, IT'S A LANDMARK.
IT'S UNDER THE, UM, THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PARK REGISTRY, NATIONALLY, STATEWIDE, CITYWIDE.
AND IT IS AFFECTING THE HABITAT AND THE NATURE OF THIS AREA.
WE DON'T WANT BRUSH REMOVED, AND WE SURE DO NOT WANT THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND IF, UH, ANY, IF YOU WANNA SHARE ANY DOCUMENTATION, FEEL FREE TO SEND IT TO ELIZABETH.
UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE THE APPROVAL OF
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
THE MINUTES.UM, HAVE ALL THE COMMISSIONERS HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THOSE? I SO MOVE TO, UH, PASS THE MINUTES AS THEY ARE.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO PASS BY SECRETARY BRISTOL.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE HAVE KRUGER, BRIMER, SHIRA, FER, BEDFORD, BRISTOL AND SULLIVAN.
UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE DISCUSSION
[2. Presentation, discussion, and recommendation on the Austin-Travis County Food Plan – Angela Baucom, Food Policy Manager, Office of Sustainability]
AND ACTION ITEMS, A PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION, AND RECOMMENDATION ON THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN.I MAY TEST THIS RIGHT HERE JUST TO MAKE SURE IT'S, THERE WE GO.
I AM THE FOOD AND CLIMATE PROGRAM COORDINATOR FOR THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, AND I AM VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE PRESENTING TO YOU TONIGHT THE COMPLETED DRAFT OF THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
SO I WANNA START OFF WITH TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT PROCEEDED THE FOOD PLANNING PROCESS.
SO WHAT INSPIRED US TO UNDERTAKE THE FOOD PLAN, AND THEN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT A FOOD PLAN ACTUALLY IS AND HOW WE WENT ABOUT IT.
AND THEN I WANNA END BY GOING THROUGH SOME OF THE ACTUAL CONTENT OF THE PLAN.
SO WITH THE FOOD, UH, STATE OF THE FOOD SYSTEM REPORT THAT OUR OFFICE PUT OUT A FEW YEARS BACK, WE FOUND SOME TROUBLING ISSUES WITH OUR LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM.
SO WITH THIS WITHIN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, WE FOUND THAT LESS THAN 1% OF THE FOOD THAT WE WERE EATING LOCALLY WAS PRODUCED LOCALLY.
[00:20:01]
NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT KIND OF HIGHLIGHTS THAT WE ARE NOT INVESTING IN THE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM THE WAY WE COULD BE.AND A LOT OF OUR FOOD IS COMING FROM IMPORTS FROM OUTSIDE OUR, OUR AREA, WHICH IS, OF COURSE, A LESS SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION PRACTICE.
BUT ALSO IT BROUGHT UP SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE FOOD THAT IS AVAILABLE NEARBY IN CASE OF DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES.
SO WINTER STORM, YURI, OF COURSE, BROUGHT TO MIND THAT OUR SYSTEM IS FRAGILE AND THE FOOD SYSTEM IS NOT EXEMPT FROM THAT.
THE FOOD SYSTEM IN OUR AREA AT ANY GIVEN TIME HAS ABOUT THREE DAYS WORTH OF FOOD WITHIN OUR LOCAL ACCESSIBLE AREA FOR THE POPULATION OF AUSTIN.
AND THAT IS SIMPLY UNTENABLE, ESPECIALLY UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES SIMILAR TO THE WINTER STORMS WHEN WE HAVE RESIDENTS WHO ARE WITHOUT POWER AND WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION ACCESS FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME.
SO THE FRAGILITY OF OUR LOCAL FOOD ACCESS IS DEFINITELY AT PLAY HERE.
WE ALSO FOUND SOME ODD KIND OF, UH, CONTRADICTORY PIECES WITHIN OUR FOOD SYSTEM.
AROUND 1.24 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD IS WASTED DAILY WITHIN TRAVIS COUNTY.
AT THE SAME TIME, MORE THAN 14% OF OUR LOCAL POPULATION IS FOOD INSECURE.
THAT IS NOT A NUMBER THAT SHOULD EVER EXIST IN THE SAME SENTENCE.
SO WE WANT TO SEE WHY THERE'S SO MUCH FOOD BEING WASTED AND GOING INTO OUR WASTE SYSTEM AND DOING DEVASTATING DAMAGE IN OUR LANDFILLS.
WHILE THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING WITHOUT FOOD, WE KNOW THAT FOOD WHEN IT IS DECOMPOSING IN OUR LANDFILL, PRODUCES, UH, HARMFUL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, ESPECIALLY METHANE, WHICH BY VOLUME IS FAR MORE HARMFUL TO OUR AIR THAN CO2.
AND SO GETTING THAT FOOD WASTE OUT OF OUR LANDFILL IS JUST AS MUCH OF A PRIORITY AS IT IS GETTING IT INTO THE HANDS OF PEOPLE WHO CAN USE IT.
EITHER EDIBLE FOOD, GOING TO HUMAN CONSUMPTION, OR INEDIBLE FOOD SCRAPS GOING TO USE TO CREATE, UH, SOIL AMENDMENTS, COMPOST, THINGS THAT CAN BE BENEFICIAL TO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY AND SYSTEM.
WE'RE AT THE SAME TIME SEEING A HUGE LOSS OF AGRICULTURAL LAND IN OUR AREA, LOSING MORE THAN 16 ACRES ON AVERAGE A DAY IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO WE SEE THAT OUR CAPACITY TO SOLVE SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS USING LOCAL PRODUCE IS GOING DOWN AS WE SEE THE PROBLEMS INCREASE ON THE OTHER END.
SO WE NOTED ALL OF THESE ISSUES SO THAT WE COULD ADVANCE IN OUR PLANNING PROCESS.
THERE WE GO AND HIGHLIGHT WHICH AREAS WE WANTED TO CONCENTRATE IN.
SO WE, UH, REALLY LOOKED AT SEGMENTING THE FOOD SYSTEM INTO THE DIFFERENT AREAS WHERE WE THOUGHT WE COULD HAVE IMPACT, STARTING WITH FOOD PRODUCTION, MOVING INTO HOW THE FOOD IS PROCESSED, AND THEN HOW IT GETS INTO THE HANDS OF OUR RESIDENTS, UH, MARKETS AND RETAIL, WHO'S SELLING WHAT FOOD.
UM, THEN LOOKING AT HOW IT IS BEING EATEN AND WHO IS ABLE TO GAIN ACCESS TO IT AND WHO IS NOT.
AND THEN LOOKING AT THE POST CONSUMPTION SIDE OF THINGS, WHEN THE FOOD IS OUT OF THE CONSUMER MARKET, WHERE IS IT GOING AND HOW IS IT GETTING THERE? UNDERPINNING ALL OF THIS, WE RECOGNIZED THAT THERE WAS A HUGE NEED TO ADDRESS FOOD JUSTICE.
SO FOOD JUSTICE IS AT THE CENTER OF THIS DIAGRAM BECAUSE IT IS AT THE CENTER OF OUR OPERATIONS AS A TEAM AND OUR PLANNING PROCESS.
WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT SYSTEMIC RACISM AND COLONIZATION HAS IMPACTED OUR IMMEDIATE AREA.
WE SEE THAT PLAY OUT IN THE ONGOING RAMIFICATIONS OF REDLINING AND SEGREGATION OF OUR OWN CITY.
AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT IMPACTS WHO DOES AND DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS TO FOOD.
SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE INCLUDING VOICES FROM EVERY SEGMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PRIORITIES FROM EVERY PART OF AUSTIN ARE REPRESENTED WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
SO MOVING FORWARD INTO THE FOOD PLANNING PROCESS, ALL OF THIS INFORMED WHAT WE HAVE COME TO THINK OF AS KIND OF A GUIDING DOCUMENT FOR HOW OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS WE WILL MOVE FORWARD AS A CITY.
AND I DON'T MEAN JUST AS A CITY GOVERNMENT.
UH, THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY HAS COLLABORATED NOT ONLY WITH TRAVIS COUNTY, BUT HAS COLLABORATED WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BUSINESSES, ANY ORGANIZATION
[00:25:01]
AND GROUP OF FOLKS THAT WE COULD FIND TO TALK TO.AND ALL OF THAT RESULTED IN A SET OF GOALS AND STRATEGIES THAT I'LL GO OVER A LITTLE BIT LATER THAT WE HOPE WILL HELP ESTABLISH STEPS AND SUPPORT FOR CHANGING HOW OUR FOOD SYSTEM WORKS IN THIS AREA.
AS I SAID BEFORE, THIS ENTIRE FOOD PLAN CENTERS EQUITY.
SO AT THE HEART OF MOST OF OUR STRATEGIES IS AN EYE TOWARDS LIVED EXPERIENCE WITH EACH SEGMENT OF THE FOOD SYSTEM.
IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AGRICULTURE, WE'RE TALKING TO FARMERS AND FARM WORKERS.
IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WORKING IN FOOD RETAIL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TO BUSINESS OWNERS AND TO FOOD RETAIL WORKERS.
SO ALL THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM, WE'VE MADE SURE TO INCLUDE AS MANY OF THOSE VOICES AS CONSCIENTIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE.
WE HAVE ALSO INCLUDED A CORRELATION BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT PLANS THAT ARE PRESENT ACROSS THE CITY AND COUNTY.
UM, SO WE HAVE REFERENCED EVERY SINGLE PLAN THAT WE COULD GET OUR HANDS ON FROM THE, OUR PARKS, OUR FUTURE PLAN TO THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH STRATEGIC PLAN.
IMAGINE AUSTIN, THE A ISD SUSTAINABILITY PLAN.
AND OF COURSE, WITHIN OUR OWN OFFICE, THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, WE HAVE FOUND GOALS WITHIN EACH OF THESE PLANS THAT WE HAVE, UH, TRIED TO AMPLIFY AND BUILD UPON SO THAT WE ARE NOT ACTING IN AN ISOLATED WAY, BUT WE'RE CREATING A PLAN OF PLANS THAT WILL INCORPORATE OUR PARTNERS AND INCORPORATE THE VOICES OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND ENTITIES ACROSS THE CITY.
SO WITH OUR, UM, CHARGE FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, WHICH HOPEFULLY WILL GO UP ON THE SCREEN HERE, UM, WE WERE GIVEN A RESOLUTION IN 2021 BY THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, THAT DIRECTED THE CITY MANAGER TO IDENTIFY DIFFERENT PLACES IN OUR FOOD SYSTEM WHERE WE COULD STEP IN AND MAKE IMPROVEMENTS AND TO GO OUT AND SEEK THAT SUPPORT FROM TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR A LONG TIME NOW, AND SEVERAL YEARS LATER, WE HAVE REACHED THE POINT WE, WE ARE SEEING THE FRUITS OF A LENGTHY COMMUNITY AND CITY AND COUNTY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
SO YOU CAN SEE HERE A DETAILED TIMELINE OF EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING FROM OUR JUST OUTREACH INTO THE COMMUNITY TO GET IDEAS ABOUT WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THE FOOD SYSTEM.
WE ASKED, UM, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU SEE IN OUR FOOD SYSTEM? AND WHAT IS YOUR DREAM FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR FOOD SYSTEM? AND FROM THOSE TWO QUESTIONS, WE CREATED THE SEEDS FOR WHAT WOULD BECOME OUR DIFFERENT ENGAGEMENT GROUPS.
AND WE COMBINED ALL OF THESE WONDERFUL GROUPS OF PEOPLE OVER THE COURSE OF THOSE SEVERAL YEARS TO WHITTLE DOWN FROM THOUSANDS OF PIECES OF MORE ONE-OFF VAGUE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK INTO SUBSTANTIVE GOALS AND MESSAGES.
SO WE HAVE FOUNDED NOT ONLY OUR PLANNING TEAM FROM THE CITY IN CITY AND COUNTY PERSONNEL, BUT ALSO WE HAVE INVESTED IN CONSULTANT TEAMS. UM, THE WONDERFUL TEAM OF WILL WILLARD NICHOLS AND TORRES HAS HELPED US TO CRAFT THIS PROCESS CONSCIENTIOUSLY TO ENGAGE WITH LIBERATING STRUCTURES AND MAKE SURE ALL THE FEEDBACK WAS INCORPORATED PRODUCTIVELY.
WE HAVE ENGAGED EQUITY CONSULTANTS WHO LED EQUITY GROUNDING WORKSHOPS FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.
WE HAVE SEEN OUR CONSULTANTS LEAD HEALING CIRCLES AND AFFINITY CIRCLES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
UT HELPED TO CREATE CONVERSATION CAFES IN SOME OF OUR HARDER TO REACH AREAS, ESPECIALLY OUR RURAL AREAS WHERE WE WERE NOT ABLE TO GET AS MUCH ACCESS.
AND SO WE HAVE, UH, STRUCTURED THIS PLAN WITH THE GUIDANCE OF A COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
THEY ARE A COMPENSATED GROUP OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO REPRESENT, UH, BUSINESS NONPROFIT AND JUST INTERESTED COMMUNITY PARTIES.
AND THEY HAVE CREATED A WONDERFUL SET OF RULES BY WHICH THEY HAVE THEN STEWARDED THIS PLAN THROUGH.
THEY CREATED THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THE LETTER YOU'LL FIND AT THE START OF THE FULL FOOD PLAN.
SO I REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO SEE THEIR WORDS, UM, THAT ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE IN YOUR BACKUP DOCUMENTATION FOR THIS MEETING, AND SEE HOW MUCH HEART HAS BEEN POURED INTO THIS, THIS WONDERFUL LABOR OF LOVE WE HAVE OVER THE COURSE OF THIS PROCESS.
OH, HERE'S OUR WONDERFUL COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UM, WE'VE CONTINUED TO ENGAGE DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS.
[00:30:01]
FROM ALL OF THESE CITY DEPARTMENTS IN WHAT WE CALL OUR ISSUE AREA GROUPS.THOSE WERE THE GROUPS WHO CONVENED SEVERAL TIMES FOR FOUR HOURS AT A TIME OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL MONTHS TO CRAFT THE GOALS AND STRATEGIES IN THEIR LANGUAGE.
AND WE ALSO HAD PARTICIPATION FROM COUNTY DEPARTMENTS IN THOSE ISSUE AREA GROUPS.
SO WE WERE NOT LEAVING OUT UNINCORPORATED PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE HAVE ALSO INCLUDED REPRESENTATION FROM SOME OF OUR MOST BELOVED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE FOOD BANK AND FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES, SOME OF OUR WONDERFUL BUSINESS PARTNERS, AND, UH, EVEN SOME ACADEMIC PARTNERS FOR STRUCTURE AROUND WHAT COULD BE HOPEFULLY SOME WONDERFUL RESEARCH AND CASE STUDIES AND INFORMATION, NOT ONLY FOR OUR CITY TO GROW FROM, BUT FOR OTHER CITIES TO GROW FROM AS WELL.
SO I SAID FROM THE START, THIS HAS BEEN ROOTED IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
SO A TOTAL OF ABOUT 3,625 COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE ENGAGED AT SOME PART OF THIS PROCESS.
I AM PARTICULARLY PROUD OF THE 1,399 COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WERE PART OF THE HANDS-ON PROCESS OF CRAFTING THE LANGUAGE OF THIS PLAN AND PROVIDING US WITH DIRECT FEEDBACK AND TELLING US WHAT WE GOT RIGHT OR WRONG, AND GIVING US THE WORDS THAT WE THEN HELPED TO AMPLIFY IN THIS PLAN.
THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WE DID HEAR SOME THEMES REALLY JUMP OUT AT US.
SO IN ADDITION TO CONSTANT THEMES OF SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPORTANCE, WE HEARD THAT OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE PRIORITIZING ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY TO FOOD.
THAT TELLS US THAT THOSE ARE CONCERNS FOR A HUGE NUMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND AS A CITY, THAT IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR.
LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION AND AGRICULTURE WAS ALSO A VERY HIGH PRIORITY.
FOLKS LOVE FRESH PRODUCE, THEY LOVE THEIR COMMUNITY GARDENS, THEY LOVE THE FOOD FORESTS, AND THEY'RE TELLING US THAT MORE WOULD BE BETTER.
SO THE FOOD PLAN IS STRUCTURED FROM VISION DOWN TO OBJECTIVES, GOALS, STRATEGIES, AND ULTIMATELY THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
YOU CAN FIND THE START OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN IN THE APPENDICES OF THE FOOD PLAN.
WE MADE SURE TO ENTER INTO THIS PLANNING PROCESS WITH THE IDEA THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO GET TO THE END OF WRITING THIS DOCUMENT AND NOT HAVE A NEXT STEP.
SO WE HAVE NEXT STEPS ALREADY IN PROGRESS WITHIN THE FOOD PLAN STRUCTURE.
ALL RIGHT, I'M NOT GONNA REMEMBER THIS WHOLE STATEMENT.
UM, THE VISION GUIDES EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
THIS WAS WRITTEN BY OUR COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
WE ENVISION A JUST ACCESSIBLE AND CULTURALLY DIVERSE FOOD SYSTEM BUILT BY UNDOING INEQUITIES THAT SUPPORTS AND SUSTAINS INCLUSIVE, THRIVING COMMUNITIES, HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS AND SOLUTIONS TO CLIMATE CHANGE, WHERE EVERYONE CAN REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL NOW AND FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
UH, THIS IS THE GUIDING STATEMENT THAT WE LOOKED TOWARDS AT EVERY STEP OF THIS PROCESS, THE OBJECTIVES GUIDE THE OVERARCHING TOPICS THAT THE PLAN IS GOING TO, UH, APPROACH.
SO WE HAVE SEVEN OBJECTIVES UNDER WHICH WE HAVE NINE GOALS AND 62 STRATEGIES.
SO THESE GOALS INCLUDE REPRESENTATION FROM THOSE DIFFERENT SEGMENTS OF THE FOOD SYSTEM THAT I HIGHLIGHTED EARLIER.
SO STARTING WITH A GOAL TO ADDRESS LAND, WHICH I'LL GET BACK TO THE IDEA THAT WE KEEP SEEING AGAIN AND AGAIN, IS THE NEED TO EXPAND COMMUNITY ACCESS TO LAND THAT CAN RESULT IN FOOD PRODUCTION, COMMUNITY GARDENS, UH, GREEN SPACE, LAND THAT IS RESPONSIBLY STEWARDED AND DEDICATED PRIMARILY TO REGENERATIVE FOOD, AG FOOD PRODUCTION WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
WE KNOW THAT THE WORD REGENERATIVE IS A KIND OF A HOT BUTTON WORD THAT'S GETTING TOSSED AROUND A BIT.
BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REGENERATIVE, WHICH WE TRY TO DEFINE AS BEST WE CAN IN THE PLAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ENSURING THAT WHAT IS GROWN AND HOW IT IS GROWN IS CONTRIBUTING TO SOIL HEALTH
[00:35:01]
AND IS CONTRIBUTING TO CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY AS WE GO.THE SECOND GOAL HAS TO DO WITH LAND OWNERSHIP.
WE WANT TO INCREASE ACCESS TO STEWARDSHIP AND OWNERSHIP RESOURCES, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS AND RANCHERS, PEOPLE WHO ARE TRADITIONALLY UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE FARMING PROFESSION AND IN LAND OWNERSHIP IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
GOAL NUMBER THREE HAS TO DO WITH LIVELIHOODS.
WE WANT TO IMPROVE NOT ONLY FOOD WORKER, UM, AS IN PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING IN OUR FOOD RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS, BUT ALSO FARM WORKER WELLBEING.
AND WE PROPOSE SEVEN STRATEGIES FOR DOING THAT IN COOPERATION WITH BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
GOAL NUMBER FOUR HAS TO DO WITH PREPAREDNESS.
THAT MEANS MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A RESILIENT COMMUNITY STRUCTURE SET UP TO MAKE SURE THAT IN A DISASTER LIKE WINTER STORM YURI, OR WHEN WE ALL HAVE TO, HOPEFULLY NOT IN OUR LIFETIMES, AGAIN, SHELTER IN OUR HOMES FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME, IS OUR FOOD SYSTEM SET UP TO SERVE US EFFECTIVELY.
NEXT INSTITUTIONS, WE WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE IN HOW WE ARE SPENDING TAXPAYER DOLLARS AND HOW WE ARE ENCOURAGING THAT ACROSS ALL OTHER INSTITUTIONS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND GOAL SIX HAS TO DO WITH ACCESS, MAKING SURE THAT NUTRITIOUS FOOD IS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL AUSTINITES, THAT IT IS MEDICALLY APPROPRIATE, CULTURALLY RELEVANT AND DESIRABLE, AND THAT AREAS THAT ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING HIGH RATES OF FOOD INSECURITY OR AREAS OTHERWISE DEFINED AS FOOD DESERTS OR FOOD SWAMPS ARE GAINING ACCESS TO MORE OF THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO OTHER AUSTINITES IN MORE WELL-RESOURCED AND CONNECTED AREAS.
GOAL NUMBER SEVEN HAS TO DO WITH FOOD RECOVERY.
SO THIS IS ENSURING THAT SURPLUS FOOD AND FOOD SCRAPS ARE DIVERTED FROM OUR WASTE SYSTEM AND ARE ALSO MADE AVAILABLE TO CREATE COMPOSTS AND PRODUCE ITEMS THAT CAN BE PUT BACK INTO OUR SYSTEM AND SERVE A PURPOSE.
AND THEN, UH, GOAL NUMBER EIGHT HAS TO DO WITH PRO CLIMATE PROHEALTH FOODS.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT APPEARED IN THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN AS WELL.
PROHEALTH PRO CLIMATE PROHEALTH FOODS ARE FOODS THAT NOT ONLY NOURISH OUR BODIES, BUT ALSO NOURISH AND DO NO HARM TO OUR PLANET.
AND THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOODS THAT ARE GROWN RESPONSIBLY, PREFERABLY USING REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE PRACTICES, WHILE ALSO ADDRESSING THE BARRIERS TO ACCESSING FRESH PRODUCE AND NUTRITIOUS FOODS IN OUR AREA.
LASTLY, GOAL NUMBER NINE HAS TO DO WITH EMPOWERING NOT ONLY OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO US AS CITY REPRESENTATIVES AND, UH, CITY EMPLOYEES TO STEWARD THIS PLAN FORWARD AND TO TAKE ACTION.
SO SETTING UP SUSTAINABLE, UH, METHODS FOR SEEING ALL OF THESE STRATEGIES ADDRESSED AND ACCOMPLISHED IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WITHIN OUR POWER.
SO THE NEXT STEPS INCLUDE FIRST TOMORROW.
UH, I AM GOING TO JOIN MY COLLEAGUES AT THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT WORK SESSION, HOPEFULLY AFTER THE MEETING TOMORROW WHEN THEY WILL SEE A PRESENTATION VERY MUCH LIKE THIS ONE.
AND THEY WILL, UM, ASK THEIR QUESTIONS.
WE WILL SEE THEM FOLLOW UP IF ALL GOES WELL ON AUGUST 27TH WITH A FINAL VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT TO ADOPT AND APPROVE THE PLAN.
AND ON AUGUST 29TH, WE WILL GO BEFORE OUR OWN CITY COUNCIL WITH A REQUEST TO, UH, ADOPT THE PLAN AS WELL.
WE WERE ABLE TO PRESENT THIS PLAN TO THEM ON, UM, UH, JULY 18TH, I BELIEVE.
UH, AND WE GOT SOME QUESTIONS.
WE WERE ABLE TO HOPEFULLY ANSWER THEM.
WE ARE STILL TALKING WITH OBVIOUSLY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND WITH THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS INDIVIDUALLY.
SO WE HOPE TO SEE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR THAT PLAN OVER THE NEXT MONTH.
SO, UM, I AM HAPPY TO ANSWER WHATEVER QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
YOU CAN ALSO REACH OUT TO ME AT ANY TIME.
ELIZABETH HAS MY CONTACT INFORMATION, AND I, A MEMBER OF MY TEAM WILL BE GLAD TO, UH, ANSWER WHATEVER QUESTIONS WE CAN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
[00:40:01]
OPEN IT FOR QUESTIONS.LET'S START WITH THE REMOTE COMMISSIONERS, UH, COMMISSIONER KRUEGER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE, ANGELA, FOR THAT VERY COMPREHENSIVE PRESENTATION.
UM, I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD ALSO TALK ABOUT THE URGENCY NOT ONLY OF ADOPTING THIS FA PLAN, BUT ALSO FUNDING IT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S IMPLEMENTATION IS SUCCESSFUL.
AND IF POSSIBLE, IF YOU COULD KIND OF COUCH IT IN A, IN SOME HISTORY IN, IN TERMS OF THE CITY'S FUNDING OR LACK THEREOF FOR URBAN AGRICULTURAL INITIATIVES, I MIGHT NOT BE THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE HISTORY OF, OF THE CITY SUPPORTING URBAN AGRICULTURE.
UM, I THINK THAT THE LAND LOSS, UM, DOES KIND OF SPEAK FOR ITSELF.
UM, WE COMMITTED IN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, UM, SOME YEARS AGO TO PRESERVING A HUGE AREA OF LAND.
AND I DON'T WANNA GET THAT NUMBER WRONG, BUT, UM, I CAN LOOK THAT UP AND GET BACK TO YOU IF YOU'D LIKE, BUT THERE WAS NO MONEY ALLOCATED AT THAT TIME FOR THAT PRESERVATION.
UM, I HAVE HEARD COUNCIL MEMBERS SAY PROMISING THINGS ABOUT THEIR DESIRES TO ACTUALLY PUT SOME MONEY BEHIND THAT PRESERVATION OF LAND.
UM, BUT I, I CANNOT SPEAK BETTER THAN THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THEMSELVES IN THEIR AMENDMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE BUDGET FOR WHAT THOSE INTENTIONS ARE.
UM, I DO THINK THAT THE URGENCY RIGHT NOW IS PARTICULARLY HIGH.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN, UM, BUSINESS VENTURES THAT HAVE, UH, CAUSED CONCERN AMONG OUR, UM, OUR URBAN FARMERS AND, UH, LOCAL AGRICULTURE WORKERS, UH, BECAUSE OF THE TRANSITION OF LAND NEAR THEIR FARMLAND AND FORMERLY ALLOCATED FOR FARMLAND TO DIFFERENT VENTURES.
AND SO I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT IN LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE HEARD IN OUR FOOD PLANNING PROCESS.
SO THE URGENCY LIES IN THE FACT THAT WE DON'T GET IT BACK.
IF IT IS PURCHASED AND GOES TO OTHER PURPOSES, IT CANNOT BE RECLAIMED VERY EASILY, IF AT ALL.
SO IF WE DON'T DO IT NOW, WHEN ARE WE GONNA DO IT? THANK YOU.
AND THEN THE ONLY OTHER THING I WANTED TO BRING UP, JUST BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING I INCLUDED IN MY RECOMMENDATION THOUGH, I'M HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT IT AS WELL, UM, IS IF YOU HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO SHARE ABOUT HOW AUSTIN COMPARES TO OTHER CITIES IN NORTH AMERICA OR AROUND THE WORLD OF COMPARABLE SIZE IN TERMS OF ITS, ITS FUNDING FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE.
THAT IS NOT A NUMBER THAT I HAVE, BUT I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ASK A COLLEAGUE AND FOLLOW UP WITH YOU, UM, AFTER THIS MEETING.
I HAVE A, I HAVE A TABLE IN THE RECOMMENDATION, BUT MM-HMM.
SO I DON'T MEAN TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT JUST WANTED TO OFFER THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO ELABORATE.
YEAH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
MY, UH, MY QUESTIONS REALLY KIND OF FOLLOW UP ON, UH, THOSE OF, UH, COMMISSIONER KRUEGER.
THERE'S, UH, A LOT, A LOT OF LARGER URBAN AREAS THAT, UH, KIND OF AGGRESSIVELY ENCOURAGE URBAN FARMING IN, UH, VACANT LOTS AND OTHER OPEN SPACES THAT ARE OWNED BY THE CITY OR THAT ARE NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, USED AT THE CURRENT TIME FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
IS THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, YOU FOLKS ARE LOOKING AT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, YOU KNOW, EXPAND YOUR, YOU KNOW, EXPAND ON? YES.
UM, WITHIN GOAL ONE, WHICH IS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THAT LAND, UH, PIECE, WE ARE ENCOURAGING AN ASSESSMENT PROCESS.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN ASSESSMENT PROCESSES ALREADY DISCUSSED WITH SOME OF OUR COOPERATING PARTNERS.
UM, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE BE GIVEN KIND OF THE, THE EXTRA APPROVAL AND, UM, BEHIND THAT TO PARTICIPATE, UH, WITH OUR REAL ESTATE PARTNERS, UM, AND WITH FOLKS FROM COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT FOCUS ON URBAN AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT TO ASSESS WHAT LAND IS AVAILABLE, WHAT THE QUALITY OF THE LAND IS, UM, THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAY EXIST WITHIN FLOODPLAINS.
UM, AND TO REALLY IDENTIFY AREAS THAT HAVE THAT CAPACITY ALREADY TO BE USED FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE AND AREAS THAT MAY NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE AMENDMENTS TO MAKE THEM APPROPRIATE FOR AGRICULTURAL USE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, YOUR TIME AND YOUR RESPONSE.
[00:45:01]
COMMISSIONER SHERA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.I THINK THAT THIS IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT TOPIC.
UM, JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, I GUESS I, I THINK THAT THE STRATEGIES WOULD BE REALLY INTERESTING TO RECEIVE.
I THINK THAT THAT WOULD HELP US UNDERSTAND THE, THE GOALS AND THE DIRECTION FOR SURE.
SO IF YOU CAN SHARE THAT, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
IS THE FULL FOOD PLAN AVAILABLE IN THE BACKUP MATERIALS? OKAY.
SO THE, SORRY, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IT YET.
UM, YEAH, AND JUST FROM LIKE A, LIKE ON THE GROUND PERSPECTIVE, LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN IN OUR BUY NOTHING GROUP, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE ASKING OTHERS, UM, FOR, FOR FOOD ON A PRETTY, YOU KNOW, REGULAR BASIS.
AND I, I SEE THAT PEOPLE NEED ACCESS TO LIKE REFRIGERATED ITEMS AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S IN AN IDEAL STATE, WOULD LIKE TO SEE PEOPLE BE ABLE TO GET FOOD DELIVERED TO 'EM YES.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED? YES, IT HAS.
SO IN THE ACCESS STRATEGY, WHICH IS, UH, OR EXCUSE ME, THE ACCESS GOAL, WHICH IS GOAL NUMBER SIX, THERE ARE STRATEGIES RELATED TO HOW WE PROVIDE FOOD TO PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET THAT FOOD BY THE, YOU KNOW, MOST ABLE BODIED AND, UH, PERFECT SCENARIO SORT OF SITUATION.
SO WE HAVE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, PEOPLE WITH, UM, CHRONIC HEALTH CONCERNS, PEOPLE WHO ARE OLDER AND MAY NOT BE AS MOBILE, UM, PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE ACCESS DUE TO PROXIMITY TO TRANSPORTATION AND DELIVERY WAS ONE OF THE SOLUTIONS THAT CAME TO THE TOP OF THE PILE.
SO THERE IS SPECIFIC MENTION OF EMPOWERING DELIVERY BASED SERVICES, ESPECIALLY THROUGH OUR, UM, LOW OR NO COST RESOURCES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WAS DISCUSSED IN COOPERATION WITH SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY RUN THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
AND SO WE ARE IN CONSTANT DISCUSSION WITH THEM TO CONTINUE TO KEEP THEM INVOLVED AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE A PART OF THIS PROCESS FOR THE WHOLE PERIOD OF TIME.
I REALLY THINK THAT IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY.
ANOTHER QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS ABOUT INDOOR FARMING AND WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, DIRECTION IS THERE IN THE FUTURE.
LIKE, DO WE SEE THAT INCREASING? I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD SPEAK TO THAT.
THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT IT DURING THE FOOD PLANNING PROCESS AS A SOLUTION, AND I THINK THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF WONDERFUL FOLKS, UH, WHO HAVE DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO THAT.
IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY IS LOOKING AT STRATEGICALLY APPROACHING RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO INNOVATIVE FARMING PRACTICES ARE ALWAYS A PART OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO SUPPORT.
UM, AND THAT CAN TAKE MANY DIFFERENT FORMS. SO IT IS NOT CALLED OUT AS A SOLUTION SPECIFICALLY, BUT IT IS AMONG THE TOOLKIT OF SOLUTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE UNDER THIS UMBRELLA OF, OF URBAN AGRICULTURE SOLUTIONS.
UM, I THINK THERE ARE CHALLENGES WITH THAT, UM, FROM AN ENERGY PERSPECTIVE AND AN INFRASTRUCTURE PERSPECTIVE.
AND SO THERE ARE ALWAYS CONSIDERATIONS THAT BALANCE OUT THE FACT THAT, YEAH, IT'LL KEEP IT INSIDE OUT OF THAT TEXAS SUN.
SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, WE, WE ARE AWARE OF AND WE ARE ALWAYS HAVING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT.
COMMISSIONER NICHOLS, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I MIGHT HAVE HAD QUESTIONS IF IT WERE NOT SO THOROUGH AND DETAILED AND LOVELY, SO THANK YOU.
RIGHT? UM, YEAH, I, I DID READ THE PLAN.
UM, ONE THING I'M CURIOUS ABOUT IS WHY WE'RE NOT, UM, I MEAN, IT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE CONSIDER WE'RE INCLUDING TRAVIS COUNTY, BUT WHAT ABOUT CAP COG, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WOULD COVER THE WHOLE MSA MM-HMM.
AND, AND DO WE HAVE ANY, HAVE WE, ARE THERE ANY SIMILAR PROGRAMS LIKE IN PLACES LIKE ROUND ROCK, GEORGETOWN, BUTTA, KYLE, ET CETERA PROGRAMS AS IN A FOOD PLANNING PROCESS? YES.
THERE ARE NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE AS FAR AS THE LEVEL OF, OF ENGAGEMENT AND PLANNING THAT WE ARE ENGAGED IN WITH TRAVIS COUNTY, THERE IS A SCALE ISSUE WHEN LOOKING OUTWARD FROM THERE.
UM, OUR ABILITY TO TAKE SPECIFIC ACTION THAT IS SPECIFIC TO THE NEEDS OF OUR RESIDENTS DISSIPATES THE MORE BROAD WE TRY TO GET.
[00:50:01]
TO COOPERATE ON ANY LEVEL WITH THOSE SURROUNDING MUNICIPALITIES.WE DO HAVE CONTACT WITH A LOT OF THEM, UM, ESPECIALLY THROUGH OUR OTHER CLIMATE BASED WORK.
UM, SO I WOULD SAY KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE REGIONAL CLIMATE PLANNING PROCESS THROUGH THE CLIMATE POLLUTION REDUCTION GRANT.
IF, UH, YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, HAPPY TO LINK YOU UP.
UM, BUT WITH, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR FOOD SYSTEM, BECAUSE WE ARE SEEING THE BREAKDOWN OF THE ISSUES HAPPENING SO LOCALLY AND BECAUSE IT'S IMPACTING INDIVIDUAL LIVES EVERY DAY, THE, THAT COMBINATION OF KIND OF THE URGENCY THAT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER WITH THE NEED TO CREATE LOCALIZED SOLUTIONS THAT FIT OUR POPULATION KIND OF BROUGHT US INTO THAT NARROWER FOCUS.
SO WHEN WE CONSIDER THE TERM LOCAL, LOCAL FOOD MM-HMM.
UM, THERE ARE FOLKS WHO WOULD SAY WITHIN 100 MILES OF WHERE YOU'RE EATING THE FOOD.
AND SO WE WANT TO BE CONSCIENTIOUS OF FOCUSING BOTH WITHIN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, BUT MORE BROADLY WITHIN KIND OF THE, THE CENTRAL TEXAS AREA.
AND IF WE WANT TO BE REALLY DIVERSE IN WHAT FOODS ARE AVAILABLE, LOOKING AT WITHIN TEXAS MM-HMM.
AND SO TO DISCOUNT THE VALUE OF THAT FOOD WITHIN OUR AREA, I THINK WOULD BE AIS.
SO, UM, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF FOOD AND THE SOLUTION THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, WHETHER WE'RE PRIORITIZING KEEPING THE ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE IN TEXAS OR WE'RE PRIORITIZING KEEPING THE EMISSIONS LOW, THE ANSWER MAY BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
I KNOW, BUT WHEN YOU, WE TALK ABOUT THAT 0.0 MM-HMM.
WHICH IS SO THE SOURCE OF THAT ONE YEAH.
THAT IS IN THE, UM, THE STATE OF THE FOOD SYSTEM REPORT.
AND I DO NOT HAVE THAT ONE IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I COULD GET THAT TO YOU AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT THAT METRIC IS COMING FROM.
AND THE ONLY REASON I'M INTERESTED IN THAT IS BECAUSE YEARS AGO, I THINK WHEN I WAS ON THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION, WE HAD A, WE USED A DIFFERENT NUMBER THAT WAS STILL SMALL, BUT IT WAS IN THE 1% RANGE.
AND 0.06 IS A LOT SMALLER THAN 1% 0.06% IS MUCH SMALLER THAN 1%.
IT MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT, UH, KIND OF CHANGING DEFINITION, BUT I WILL BE HAPPY TO TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT THE METRICS WERE FOR THAT SPECIFIC NUMBER.
UM, AND I'LL PASS THAT ALONG TO ELIZABETH SO SHE CAN PASS IT ALONG TO THE REST OF YOU.
THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, SECRETARY BRISTOL.
SHE'S WRITING DOWN ALL HER QUESTIONS, ISN'T SHE?
THIS WAS VERY ELOQUENTLY SUMMARIZED.
UM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE REPORT AND LOVE THE CONSULTANTS THAT YOU WORKED WITH, WITH, UM, I'M CURIOUS NOW THAT THIS IS ALL, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, THIS BEAUTIFUL, BUT IT'S A BEAST.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S HUGE AND THERE'S A LOT OF TACTICS AND, UM, WAYS TO GET THERE IN HERE.
AND I REALIZE THAT IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A, YOU KNOW, A, A PERFECT ROADMAP FOR HOW THIS IS DONE.
UM, BUT WHERE DOES THIS WITH SO MANY STAKEHOLDERS LIVE ONCE IT'S AN EXECUTED PLAN? DOES IT STAY WITHIN THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY? STAY WITHIN IS A HARD WAY TO FRAME THAT
UM, WE CONTINUE TO BE DEDICATED STEWARDS AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A COMMUNITY PLAN.
SO ALONGSIDE TRAVIS COUNTY PERSONNEL, WE HAVE CERTAIN RESPONSIBILITIES TIED TO CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THIS PLAN.
AND ULTIMATELY, RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE BEEN TASKED BY THE CITY COUNCIL TO BE THE ONES TO FIND IT.
WE DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE THE ENTITY THAT IS GOING TO BE KIND OF WHAT I WOULD CALL THE OWNERS OF THE PLAN.
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO SEE THE PLAN THROUGH TO EXECUTION.
THERE'S DISCUSSION AMONG THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE ABOUT WHAT THAT BODY WILL LOOK LIKE, AND THEY INTEND TO HAVE THAT ANSWER BEFORE THEY ARE NO LONGER CONVENING UNDER OUR, I GUESS, GUIDANCE.
UM, OR WE REALLY HELPED THEM TO CONVENE UNDER THEIR GUIDANCE.
UM, SO I COULD NOT IDENTIFY ONE PLACE, BUT THE
[00:55:01]
CITY AND TRAVIS COUNTY HAVE OUR NAMES RIGHT ON THERE AS RESPONSIBLE PARTIES.AND THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO GO AWAY UNDER OUR PURVIEW.
UM, SO WHILE WE WON'T NECESSARILY BE THE ULTIMATE HOME OF ALL THE RESPONSIBILITIES, WE WILL BE MAKING SURE IT GETS TO THAT HOME.
I, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'LL ACTUALLY SAY IN THE DOCUMENT THAT THIS IS NOT A DOCUMENT THAT WILL BE FILED ON A SHELF AND NEVER USED
SO I GUESS THAT'S IMPORTANT TOO.
'CAUSE I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING, AND I APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER KRUEGER FOR BRINGING THIS TO US AS WELL, BUT, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, IF IN A YEAR AND THIS PLAN PASSES AND THIS COUNCIL SESSION, AND I REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, TIMING WITH THE BUDGET MIGHT NOT GET EVERYTHING THAT WE WOULD ALL WANT IN IT, UM, THIS GO ROUND, BUT NEXT GO ROUND, HOPEFULLY.
UM, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT A BOND ELECTION, UM, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE A, A PRESENTATION ON THIS AROUND THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, UM, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND SORT OF WHERE THE BUCK STOPS OR I GUESS WHO WOULD BE ABLE TO REPORT ON, ON PROGRESS MM-HMM.
YES, THERE ARE UPDATES BUILT INTO THE PLAN AT THIS POINT.
WE, UM, WE ANTICIPATE BEING ABLE TO CARRY OUT CERTAIN BENCHMARK REPORTS.
UM, SO IT IS OUR HOPE THAT THAT WILL BE A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY, NOT, UH, NOT ONLY FOR THE CITY, BUT FOR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE AND ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS TO BE RE-ENGAGED.
UM, WE ARE CONTINUING ENGAGEMENT THROUGH CIVIC, UH, TRAINING WORKSHOPS FOR ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
IF THEY CHOOSE, UM, WE ARE CONTINUING TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM ABOUT THE STATUS UPDATES OF THE FOOD PLAN.
AND OUR GOAL IS TO CREATE A PLACE FOR A MOVEMENT AMONG THE CITIZENS AND NOT JUST A REPORT.
SO, UM, WE ARE VERY HOPEFUL THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION TABLE THAT IS IN THE APPENDIX, UM, THAT THAT WILL GIVE SOME INSIGHT INTO WHO OWNS WHAT, UM, WHAT KINDS OF ORGANIZATIONS AND ENTITIES NEED TO BE INVOLVED WITH EACH STAGE AND EVEN GIVES KIND OF LEVELS OF, OF TIMELINESS TO EACH ONE.
SO, UM, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT IN MORE DEPTH AND PROVIDE US WITH ANY FEEDBACK OR QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
DID YOU WANT ME TO GO FIRST OR ARE YOU GOOD? YEP, SURE.
LEMME GO AHEAD AND ASK MY QUESTIONS REAL QUICK.
UM, OKAY, SO IT WAS MENTIONED LIKE LESS THAN 1% OF THE LOCAL FOOD IS ACTUALLY FROM HERE.
UM, I WAS KIND OF CURIOUS IF THERE'S ONE COMMUNITY WHERE MOST OF IT'S COMING FROM, OR IS IT KIND OF JUST ALL DISPERSED FOR THAT OTHER 99%? FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, IT'S DISPERSED AND HARDER TO TRACE.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IT JUST BEING IMPORTED AND MASS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S POTENTIALLY LOOKING MORE AT OUR WALMARTS AND TARGET AND HEB SORT OF, UM, UH, OUTLETS THAN IT IS LOOKING AT A FARMER ACTUALLY COMING IN AND SELLING PRODUCE HERE IN TOWN.
UM, ANOTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS, UM, ABOUT THE, THE RACIAL FOOD DISPARITIES.
IF, IF THERE'S LIKE, UM, PERCENTAGES AND HOW MUCH THE DISPARITIES ARE COMPARED TO WITH EACH OTHER AND LIKE, UM, WHAT ARE Y'ALL'S WAYS TO KIND OF OFFSET THE DISPARITIES? LIKE IS IT LIKE EDUCATION MOSTLY OR IS IT KIND OF LIKE FOCUSING ON LIKE THESE COM THESE, UH, THE MO MOST DISPARAGE COMMUNITIES AND TRYING TO GET THEM THE EDUCATION TO KIND OF LIFT THEM UP TO COMPETE WITH THE, WELL MAYBE NOT COMPETE, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF THE RIGHT WORD, BUT TO MAYBE BE IN PARITY.
UM, A LOT OF THE DISPARITIES HAVE TO DO WITH GEOGRAPHY AND WITH INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND WE CAN COMPARE THE GEOGRAPHY OF WHERE OUR GROCERY STORES ARE LOCATED, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE GEOGRAPHY OF WHERE WE HAVE HIGHER CONCENTRATIONS OF BLACK AND LATINA RESIDENTS.
AND WE SEE THAT COMMUNITIES THAT ARE PREDOMINANTLY PEOPLE OF COLOR IMMIGRANTS, UM, LARGELY AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN TRADITIONALLY PART OF THAT RED LINE DELINEATION, THE EASTERN CRESCENT, UM, THOSE ARE THE AREAS WHERE THE INFRASTRUCTURE HAS BEEN UNDER INVESTED IN.
AND SO NOW WE ARE FACING THE LONGER TERM OUTCOMES.
THESE, THESE ISSUES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PRESENT, BUT WE'RE FACING EVEN MORE DISPARITIES AND LONGER TERM OUTCOMES FROM THOSE.
AND WE'RE ALSO FACING THE DISPLACEMENT OF THOSE RESIDENTS.
AND SO SOME OF THOSE DEMOGRAPHICS MAY LOOK LIKE THEY'RE SHIFTING WHEN IN REALITY WE'RE PUSHING RESIDENTS OUT THROUGH UNAFFORDABILITY OF, OF LIVING.
SO, UM, WHILE WE ARE SEEING A SHIFT, WE'RE RECOGNIZING THAT WHEN INFRASTRUCTURE, WHEN, YOU KNOW, AN HEB COMES INTO
[01:00:01]
A NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT IS WHEN SOME OF THOSE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS START TO HAPPEN, AND IT IS NOT A COINCIDENCE.UM, SO WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT MAKING IMPROVEMENTS TO AREAS THAT WE KNOW HAVE INCOME DISPARITIES, RACIAL DISPARITIES, ACCESS TO RESOURCE DISPARITIES, WE HAVE TAKEN A STANCE OF ANTI DISPLACEMENT.
UM, IT IS PRESENT IN THE PLAN, IT IS WRITTEN AS A COMMITMENT, AND THE GOAL IS TO WORK WITH COMMUNITIES TO ENSURE THAT AS IMPROVEMENTS AND AS INFRASTRUCTURE COME TO THEIR COMMUNITY, THAT THOSE RESIDENTS ARE NOT PUSHED OUT.
UM, AND I WOULD SAY THAT I AM EMPHASIZING INFRASTRUCTURE OVER EDUCATION BECAUSE WHILE WE HAVE THESE IDEAS THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE LESS ACCESS TO SOME OF THESE RESOURCES DO NOT KNOW HOW TO GET THOSE RESOURCES, THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
THERE'S A DESIRE AND THERE'S KNOWLEDGE IN THESE COMMUNITIES, AND IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CREATORS OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL AREAS OF THE CITY ARE SERVED BY THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, EQUITABLY.
SO, UM, YEAH, I, I WOULD JUST CAUTION AGAINST EVER THINKING THAT WE ARE JUST LOOKING AT A NEED FOR INFORMATION SHARING.
IT'S AS MUCH, UM, INFORMATION SHARING MAYBE ABOUT HOW TO GET ACCESS TO THAT COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER DOWN THE STREET, BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY GONNA BE INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, WHAT FOOD TO EAT.
THERE'S, THERE'S A DEFINITE, UH, EMPHASIS ON NUTRITION, EDUCATION, AVAILABILITY.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE DIFFERENT APPROACHES THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, GOING IN WITH INFORMATION AND EXPECTING EVERYONE TO EAT BETTER
I GUESS I WAS KIND OF THINKING OF, UH, EDUCATION AS LIKE, LET'S TEACH YOU HOW TO ACTUALLY FARM AND GROW YOUR FOOD.
LIKE, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN LEARN, BE LIKE, OH, OKAY, I HAVE THIS SPACE IN MY BACKYARD.
I WANNA LEARN HOW TO USE IT AND MAYBE COM MAKE A LOCAL COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY GARDEN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO THERE ARE STRATEGIES AROUND GARDENING EDUCATION AND AROUND AGRICULTURE EDUCATION, UM, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES.
UM, SO THE CITY ALREADY HAS SOME WONDERFUL COMMUNITY MASTER GARDENERS.
AND WE SEE INVESTING IN THOSE FOLKS AND INVESTING IN OTHER EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE THE PARKS, UM, THAT MAYBE HAVE, UH, THE ABILITY TO HAVE COMMUNITY GARDENS IN THEM.
UM, WE WANNA COOPERATE WITH THOSE PARTNERS OVER AT PAR TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS SPACE IN THOSE AREAS.
AND THEN COOPERATE WITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE THAT, UH, EDUCATION LIKE AGRILIFE EXTENSIONS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT YES, THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AND IT IS AVAILABLE IN AN AFFORDABLE WAY, AND IT IS AVAILABLE IN LINGUISTICALLY ACCESSIBLE WAYS AND CULTURALLY ACCESSIBLE WAYS AS WELL.
YEAH, I GET THAT QUESTION A LOT AND I DON'T KNOW, BUT, UM, JENNIFER STEVENSON WILL KNOW.
SO IF, UH, SHE WORKS FOR, PARDON? I WOULD BE HAPPY TO LINK UP WITH HER.
WHAT POPPED UP IN THE LAST SIX YEARS? I'M NOT SURE, BUT THAT'S THE MOST RECENT NUMBER I HAVE.
AND JUST ONE MORE QUESTION I HAD WAS, UM, ABOUT THE LAND STEWARDSHIP, LIKE OWNERSHIP.
IS THAT JUST FOR, LIKE, SPECIFICALLY FOR PLANTING, OR IS IT KIND OF LIKE FOR PLANTING AND ALSO BEING ABLE TO LIVE ON IT? I KIND OF WAS WONDERING.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF THE, OKAY, YOU COULD HAVE THIS, BUT YOU CAN ONLY USE IT FOR GROWING FOOD VERSUS LIVE THERE TOO, UNTIL THAT STRATEGY TAKES FORM AND HAS A HOME, I DON'T KNOW THAT, UH, WE CAN DEFINE THAT.
I, I DO THINK THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO MODELS SUCH AS, UM, URBAN ROOTS AND FARM SHARE, UM, TO HELP US CREATE WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE OR TO, TO TAKE KIND OF A DRIVING POSITION IN, IN SOME OF THOSE SITUATIONS.
UM, THERE'S, UH, MUCH MORE OF AN EMPHASIS ON AGRICULTURAL USE IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND, AND THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER KRUEGER FOR, UM, HAVING THIS BROUGHT FORWARD TO THIS.
THIS IS VERY INFORMATIVE AND I'VE LEARNED A LOT TODAY.
UM, SO, UM, I'M GONNA FOCUS ON THE LAND A LITTLE BIT HERE, AND THEN I'M GONNA
[01:05:01]
TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE PARTNERSHIPS.UM, AND I'M JUST GONNA READ A STATEMENT HERE TOO, THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST TO, UH, IN YOUR DOCUMENTATION, YOU SAY, HOW MUCH IS LOST IN TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, EVERY YEAR, UM, TO, UM, FARMS THAT ARE LOST, BUT IN TEXAS? UM, AND THIS IS ACCORDING TO, UM, UH, THE TEXAS AGRICULTURAL, UH, LAND TRUST, TEXAS IS THE MOST THREATENED FARMLAND IN THE NATION.
TEXAS LOST 1.6 MILLION ACRES OF FARMLAND TO DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN 2017 AND 2022, AND THAT EQUATES TO 1000 OR 1700, 700, UM, 1700 FARMS. THOSE ARE PRETTY POWERFUL NUMBERS.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT OUR FUTURE LOOKS LIKE, IF WE CONTINUE ON THAT TRAJECTORY, UH, OUR FARM LINE, OUR FARM LAND IS GONE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, TEXAS HAS ALWAYS BEEN PROUD OF ITS FARMING AND RANCHING HERITAGE, UM, AND ITS ABILITY TO PRODUCE SO MUCH IN TIMES OF CRISIS IN ALL TYPES OF WEATHER.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE NEED TO TAKE ACTION NOW.
SO ONE THING THAT I, THAT I SEE IN HERE, AND I'VE, I'VE READ YOUR PLAN, UH, PRETTY THOROUGHLY, AND IN YOUR, UM, APPENDIX FOR AND THE STRATEGIES, UM, IMPLEMENTATION IN THE LAND GOALS, I DON'T SEE ANY, ANYTHING IN HERE THAT TALKS ABOUT WORKING WITH, UM, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL LAND TRUST OR AMERICAN FARM LAND TRUST.
I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD SAY EXACTLY WHY I, FOR THESE PARTICULAR STRATEGIES, WHAT WE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION, WE ONLY WANT TO HAVE DOCUMENTED HERE WHAT WE KNOW WE CAN COMMIT TO.
AND WE'VE BEEN LOFTY ABOUT THAT.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO INVOLVING PARTNERS, WE ARE NOT GOING TO NAME THEM WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT.
AND WE ARE NOT GOING TO TELL THEM SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR WITHOUT THEM CLAIMING THAT AND WANTING TO BE A PART OF IT.
SO IT MAY MEAN THAT THEY ARE NOT YET THERE.
IT MAY MEAN THAT WE HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS YET TO HAVE.
IT MAY MEAN THAT THEY ARE CONNECTED IN A TERTIARY WAY THROUGH OTHER PARTNERS.
UM, SO I THINK THAT A GOOD QUESTION FOR OUR TEAM TO TAKE FORWARD IS HAVE THEY BEEN ENGAGED IN CONVERSATION, UM, AND HOW CAN WE, IF THEY HAVE NOT YET BEEN ENGAGED? OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND, UM, YES, I UNDERSTAND NOT WANTING TO NAME SOMEBODY THAT YOU DON'T HAVE FORMALIZED A PARTNERSHIP WITH, BUT I WILL POINT OUT THAT TEXAS AGRICULTURAL LAND TRUST IS PROBABLY THE SECOND LARGEST, ARE JUST LAND TRUST, UM, IN, IN TEXAS.
AND THEY'VE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB WITH HELPING FARMERS AND RANCHERS STAY ON THEIR LAND, HAVE THAT LEGACY OF PASSING DOWN THOSE FARMLANDS TO THEIR CHILDREN AND THEIR GRANDCHILDREN, UH, AND CON AND CONTINUING, YOU KNOW, TO, TO STAY IN PRODUCTION.
UM, AND SO I, I REALLY HOPE THAT THEY CAN COME INVOLVED.
AND HERE'S THE OTHER REASON, BECAUSE YOU HAVE AS A STRATEGY THAT, UM, UH, TO PARTICIPATE IN FEE SIMPLE DEVELOPMENT, UM, TEAM, AND, UH, FOR A 20 25, 20 26 CITY OF AUSTIN OR, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY BONDS, THAT'S A GREAT STRATEGY.
HOWEVER, THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE HAS PREEMPTED YOU, YOU CAN NO LONGER USE BOND MONEY FOR CONSERVATION EASEMENTS.
SO UNFORTUNATELY, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND YOU HAVE CONSERVATION EASEMENT IN THERE, IT WOULD ONLY HAVE TO BE FEE SIMPLE AT THAT POINT.
SO, BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS, IS THAT YOU CAN USE GENERAL FUNDS.
AND SO I'M, I'M TELLING YOU THIS, SO MAYBE YOU UPDATE THIS, UH, AND OR YOU CAN USE FEDERAL FUNDS.
AND, AND I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND SAY MY PIECE ON, ON, ON THE LEGISLATURE, UM, MAKING THIS CHANGE TWO YEARS AGO, BECAUSE IT IS REALLY HAMSTRING STRONG CITIES AND COUNTIES BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE TO HELP FARMERS AND RANCHERS IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES.
AND, UM, YEAH, I JUST, I I THINK IT'S A, IT'S A TERRIBLE IDEA.
UM, THERE, I'VE SAID MY PIECE ON IT.
UM, SO THEN, UM, I WANNA TALK ABOUT INCENTIVES, UH, FOR DEVELOPMENT.
AND THIS GOES A LITTLE BIT BACK TO I THINK, WHERE, UH, COMMISSIONER PERRY WAS KIND OF GOING IS, UM, FIGURING OUT WITHIN THE CITY, UM,
[01:10:01]
STRUCTURE OF HOW DO WE INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPERS TO OFFER SPACE FOR COMMUNITY GARDENS THAT ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO WATER.SO THEY CAN'T JUST SAY, OH, HERE'S SOME LAND OVER HERE ON THE EDGE OF THE PROPERTY, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY UTILITIES ON IT.
THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING, UH, WORTHWHILE.
AND, UM, COMMISSIONER KRUEGER, I HOPE YOU'RE, THIS IS, THIS IS YOUR RESOLUTION, SO HOPEFULLY YOU'RE, YOU'RE JOTTING SOME OF THESE DOWN.
I I HAVE THEM IN MY CHICKEN SCRATCH OVER HERE, BUT, UM, UM, SO I'M TAKING IT IN
UH, DO YOU, ARE Y'ALL IN TALKS ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT, OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S IN THE PLAN? AND I MISSED IT? THERE HAS BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT IT.
UM, I, MY COLLEAGUES AND I HAVE BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH OTHER CITIES ABOUT WHAT SORTS OF INCENTIVES WORK FOR DEVELOPERS.
UM, WE HAVE NOT SETTLED ON SOMETHING THAT IS APPROPRIATE AND FEASIBLE FOR AUSTIN.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE CONSIDERING ALL OPTIONS AND IT JUST, I, I'M JUST UNPREPARED TO COMMIT US PUBLICLY TO ANYTHING AT THIS TIME.
UM, AND THEN, UM, I GUESS MY OTHER KIND OF IN THAT, UH, REALM IS, UM, INCENTIVES, UH, AGAIN FROM THE CITY, UH, FOR HOMEOWNERS.
AND THIS KIND OF TOUCHES ON WHERE COMMISSIONER PERRY WAS GOING, UM, FOR HOMEOWNERS TO GET A TAX CREDIT OR SOMETHING.
YOU KNOW, MUCH LIKE IF YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, GOING TO REMOVE YOUR LAWN AND HAVE NATIVE PLANTS, WHAT IF YOU REMOVED YOUR LAWN AND HAD A GARDEN? COULD THERE BE A SIMILAR, UM, YOU KNOW, INCENTIVE ALONG THOSE LINES FOR HOMEOWNERS? YEAH.
WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT NOW IS EVERYTHING THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT THIS TIME.
UM, SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES OF THIS PLAN AND HAVING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE INVOLVED IS THAT WE HAVE SO MANY BEAUTIFUL IDEAS OF HOW PEOPLE WANNA TRANSFORM OUR FOOD SYSTEM.
AND THAT IS ONE AMONG MANY THAT MAY NOT HAVE MADE IT THIS TIME, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST OF MANY PLANS.
THIS IS FIVE YEARS OF WHAT WE HOPE WILL BE ONGOING INTO THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY, BECAUSE THERE WILL BE ALWAYS IMPROVEMENTS TO BE MADE, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONVERSATIONS LIKE THAT CONTINUING.
SO WE HAVE NOT TOSSED OUT ANY OF THESE IDEAS.
UM, AND I THINK THAT YOURS IS A BEAUTIFUL ONE AMONG THEM.
UM, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO INCLUDING THOSE VOICES AGAIN IN THE NEXT ROUND OF PLANNING.
SWITCHING GEARS JUST A LITTLE BIT, UM, TO PROGRAMS WELCOME, COME TO THOSE LAST, SO, UM, IN YOURS, I WAS LOOKING AT, AT SOME OF THESE, AND I, UM, ON YOUR PARTNERSHIPS, TELL ME A LITTLE BIT HOW YOU PLAN ON WORKING WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS LIKE A ISD, PFLUGERVILLE, ROUND ROCK ES AND TRAVIS.
WE ALREADY HAVE SOME ENGAGEMENTS WITH THESE, UM, THESE SCHOOL SYSTEMS THROUGH NUTRITION SERVICES, THROUGH SUSTAINABILITY PERSONNEL.
UM, AND THAT'S JUST IN OUR OFFICE, OF COURSE.
UM, OTHER OFFICES WITHIN THE CITY WILL HAVE THEIR OWN RELATIONSHIPS, BUT WE, UM, WE TRY TO ENGAGE WHENEVER POSSIBLE IN STRATEGIZING TOGETHER.
UM, SO THIS PLAN INCORPORATES SPECIFIC STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT FAMILIES AND YOUNG FOLKS THAT WILL BEST MEET THOSE NEEDS IN A SCHOOL SETTING.
AND SO WE MADE SURE TO HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM SOME OF THOSE SCHOOL SETTINGS IN THE ISSUE AREA GROUPS WHERE THOSE STRATEGIES WERE DEVELOPED SO THAT WE COULD BE PRACTICAL AND THAT WE COULD BE APPROPRIATE ABOUT WHAT WAS ACTUALLY DESIRED AND NEEDED IN THOSE SETTINGS.
UM, THAT, BECAUSE THIS IS A LONG-TERM PROCESS, UH, FOR, FOR US OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, WE DON'T HAVE THOSE ACTION STEPS SET UP YET FOR THOSE PUBLIC SCHOOL SETTINGS.
EVERYTHING IN THOSE SETTINGS HAS TO HAPPEN VERY CAREFULLY AND OVER TIME WITH LEVELS OF APPROVAL JUST AS IT DOES AT THE CITY.
SO, UM, WE HAVE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ESTABLISHED, AND OUR GOAL IS TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH ALL OF THOSE INTERESTED PARTIES.
UM, BUT NOT TO GO IN AND MANDATE ANYTHING FOR ANYONE IN A SCHOOL SETTING BECAUSE THEY, THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE THEIR OWN SERVICES AND STRUCTURES AND, UM, WE WANNA RESPECT THAT.
SO, UM, WHILE WE INVITE THEM IN EVERY TIME THE ONES WHO RESPOND TO THE CALL, THOSE ARE THE ONES WE'RE WORKING MOST DIRECTLY WITH.
AND WE HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH SEVERAL RELATED TO THE GOOD FOOD PURCHASING PROGRAM, WHICH IS A VALUES-BASED PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
UM, UH, AMONG WHICH VALUES, UH, KIND OF INCLUDE BOTH ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, CLIMATE, UM, THROUGH LOCAL PURCHASING AS WELL AS REGENERATIVE FARMING PRACTICES, ANIMAL WELFARE.
[01:15:01]
THERE'S, THERE'S STRATEGIES IN HERE THAT ALREADY INCORPORATE SOME OF THOSE IDEAS OR HAVE INCORPORATED THEM SINCE THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.UM, BUT I, I CAN SAY RIGHT NOW THAT WITHIN SCHOOL SETTINGS, I THINK FAMILY SUPPORT, UM, THROUGH THINGS LIKE BREASTFEEDING EDUCATION, UM, AND CHEST FEEDING EDUCATION.
AND THOSE ARE, UM, FOR, LET'S SEE, I DON'T WANNA MISSPEAK HERE.
THEY ARE CALLED OUT AS AREAS WHERE THE CITY COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, RESOURCES THAT EXIST WITHIN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY CAN GO IN AND SUPPORT, UM, AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
AND SO WE'RE HOPING TO PROVIDE INCREASED CAPACITY FOR THOSE PROGRAMS THAT EXIST HERE TO OUTREACH TO THOSE ENVIRONMENTS AND PARTICIPATE IN THOSE ENVIRONMENTS.
UM, AND I WOULD SAY THE SAME FOR, UM, NUTRITION EDUCATION.
UM, IT IS A MATTER OF ASSESSING WANT, NEED AND CAPACITY AND MAKING STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS.
UM, AND I THINK, UM, MY LAST THING HERE, UM, YEAH, JUST KIND OF CONTINUE THINKING ABOUT SCHOOLS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT IT WAS A BIG DEAL DURING CVID, YOU KNOW, THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN CHILDREN, UH, DIDN'T HAVE BREAKFAST, THEY DIDN'T HAVE LUNCH, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY KIND OF PEELED THAT VENEER BACK TO LOOK AT HOW INSECURE SO MANY, UM, FAMILIES AND ESPECIALLY CHILDREN ARE, YOU KNOW, UM, THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO OFFER THINGS THAT ARE, UH, SUSTAINABLE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE FAMILIES.
AND, UM, AND THINKING ABOUT HOW DO, HOW DOES THE LOCAL FARM COMMUNITY PLAY A ROLE IN THAT? THE, I THINK THAT IS A WONDERFUL QUESTION.
WE HAVE ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM IN FARM SHARE.
AND, UH, BEYOND THAT, I THINK THAT THAT IS A WONDERFUL AREA TO CONCENTRATE ON IN TIME TO COME.
I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, FOR US, REALLY THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UM, ESPECIALLY HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE GET DEVELOPERS TO WANNA DO SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, ON THEIR PROPERTY, JUST THINKING ABOUT WHAT, WHAT IS OUR ABILITY, UM, TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD? AND, UM, SO I'M REALLY INTERESTED TO SEE WHERE THIS PLAN GOES, AND THEN HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT IT WITH OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO THANKS, THANKS, AND THANK YOU FROM ARIANA FOR, UH, HAVING THIS COME FORWARD.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE A MOTION, RIGHT? ARE MARIANA A RECOMMENDATION? WE DO, YES.
WOULD YOU ALL LIKE ME TO READ IT? YES, PLEASE.
SO THIS IS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION, 2 0 2 4 0 8 0 7 DASH ZERO TWO.
UH, WHEREAS IN 2021, THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL PASSED RESOLUTION NUMBER 2 0 2 1 0 6 1 0 0 3 9, WHICH DIRECTED THE CITY MANAGER TO BEGIN A FOOD PLANNING PROCESS THAT WOULD CENTER AND UPLIFT THE VOICES OF THOSE MOST IMPACTED BY OUR CURRENT FOOD SYSTEM.
AFTER THREE YEARS, THE WORK OF THOUSANDS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ALONGSIDE THAT OF CITY AND COUNTY DEPARTMENTS AND TENS OF LOCAL NONPROFITS, HAS CULMINATED IN THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN, THE FIRST EVER VISIONARY POLICY DOCUMENT OF ITS KIND HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS, AND ONE OF JUST A DOZEN OF ITS KIND NATIONWIDE.
WHEREAS AS PART OF THIS PLANNING PROCESS, THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY HAS IDENTIFIED THAT 16.8 ACRES OF FARMLAND ARE LOST IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
ONLY 0.06% OF THE FOOD CONSUMED IN TRAVIS COUNTY IS LOCALLY PRODUCED.
AND 14.4% OF PEOPLE IN TRAVIS COUNTY EXPERIENCE FOOD INSECURITY, YET 1.24 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD ARE WASTED EVERY DAY IN AUSTIN.
AND WHEREAS IN 2021, THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN ESTABLISHED SEVERAL GOALS RELATED TO SUSTAINABLE FOOD PRODUCTION, INCLUDING PROTECTING 500,000 ACRES OF FARMLAND FROM DEVELOPMENT IN THE CENTRAL TEXAS FIVE COUNTY REGION, AND INCORPORATING ALL CITY OWNED LAND IN A MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT RESULTS IN NEUTRAL OR NEGATIVE EMISSIONS.
AND WHEREAS THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN SPECIFICALLY PLEDGE THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN WOULD REACH NET ZERO COMMUNITY-WIDE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 2040 WITH A STRONG AND EMPHASIS ON CUTTING EMISSIONS BY 2030.
AND THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY HAS CONCLUDED THAT 21%
[01:20:01]
OF ALL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS CREATED BY OUR COMMUNITY ARE FOOD RELATED.AND WHEREAS WINTER STORM YURI UNDERSCORED THE FRAGILITY OF OUR FOOD SYSTEM IN THE WAKE OF CLIMATE CHANGE, AND THE NEED TO INCORPORATE LOCAL FOOD HUBS BOLSTERED BY URBAN AGRICULTURE EFFORTS SUCH AS COMMUNITY GARDENS AND FOOD FORESTS AS PART OF A CLIMATE RESILIENCE STRATEGY.
AND WHEREAS IN 2013, THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF URBAN AGRICULTURE AND SUPPORTING THE CITY'S CLIMATE AND ZERO WASTE INITIATIVES BY ADOPTING THE URBAN FARMS ORDINANCE.
AND WHEREAS WHILE THE CITY, WHILE THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL HAS REPEATEDLY ACKNOWLEDGED THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF OUR FOOD SYSTEM TO OUR BROADER CLIMATE AND EQUITY GOALS, MANY INITIATIVES HAVE GONE UNFUNDED OR UNDERFUNDED, INCLUDING NOURISH AUSTIN, A PROPOSAL FROM MULTIPLE CITY DEPARTMENTS IN 2021 TO DEVELOP PUBLICLY OWNED FOOD HUBS AND OUR COMMUNITY GARDENS DIVISION, WHICH WE CAN SEE IN TABLE ONE.
AND WHEREAS THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN OUTLINES NINE GOALS RELATED TO LAND OWNERSHIP, LIVELIHOODS, PREPAREDNESS, INSTITUTIONS ACCESS, FOOD RECOVERY, PRO CLIMATE, PRO-HEALTH, FOOD AND EMPOWERMENT, AND A ROADMAP FOR ACCOMPLISHING THEM OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
THEREFORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THAT THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL FULLY ADOPTS THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN AND ENSURES ITS COMPLETE FUNDING OVER THE NEXT FOUR BUDGET CYCLES WITH A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RESOURCES ALLOCATED IN THE IMMEDIATE B BUDGET CYCLE.
AND THEN WE SEE IN TABLE ONE, WHICH FRANKLY I THINK IS VERY COMPELLING,
UM, AND WE CAN SEE THAT WHILE A AUSTIN DOES HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF COMMUNITY GARDENS, THE ANNUAL BUDGET, AND AGAIN, THIS IS FROM 2018, SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE CURRENT BUDGET WAS ONLY FOUR AND A HALF THOUSAND DOLLARS, AND THAT CAME FROM BOTH NONPROFITS AND THE CITY.
UM, BUT I DO BELIEVE TO THIS DAY, WE DO ONLY STILL HAVE ONE STAFF PERSON, UM, AT THE CITY IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY GARDENS DIVISION, WHEREAS A CITY LIKE NEW YORK HAS 43 FULL-TIME STAFF MEMBERS.
SO YES, I OPEN IT UP FOR, FOR DISCUSSION AND COMMENT CHAIR.
I'LL SECOND THE MOTION, SECOND IT BY SULLIVAN.
ANY DISCUSSION? COMMISSIONERS? I, I THINK UNDER THE, UM, UNDER, THEREFORE, IF WE HAVE SOME, UM, HOW DO WE WANNA PHRASE THIS? UM, MAYBE THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT CONDITIONS.
COMMISSIONER KRUGER, I'LL LET YOU FIGURE OUT.
I'LL LET YOU BE SECRETARY ON THIS ONE.
UM, UH, I, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO ELABORATE THEN.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A WIN.
UM, HOWEVER YOU WANNA PHRASE THAT.
YOU COULD, I MEAN, I, AS AN IDEA, I AM FULLY BEHIND THAT.
I WONDER IF THAT WOULD MERIT EVEN ITS OWN SEPARATE RECOMMENDATION IN A SENSE, IF IT'S KIND OF CLEANER TO JUST KEEP THIS FOCUSED ON WHAT WAS IN THE, THE FOOD PLAN, WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTED BY A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS AND CITY DEPARTMENTS.
UM, SO I 100% WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT.
AND I'M WONDERING IF IT'S, IF IT WOULD BETTER FIT IN A SEPARATE DOCUMENT, THOUGH, YOUR CHOICE.
SO LET'S FIGURE OUT HOW TO PUT IT IN THERE THEN.
AND SO IT CAN BE UNDER THE, UM, UNDER THEREFORE, AND THEN WE CAN ALSO JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, UH, WE ALSO RECOMMEND, UM, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE INCENTIVES FOR, UH, DEVELOPMENTS TO OFFER, UH, SPACE FOR COMMUNITY GARDENS WHEN THEY'RE DEVELOPING RESIDENTIAL OR MULTI-FAMILY, UM, UNITS.
[01:25:06]
UM, OKAY.SO, ALRIGHT, LET'S THINK ABOUT, SO THEREFORE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THAT THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL FULLY ADOPTS, ET CETERA.
AND THEN AT THE END OF THAT, YOU JUST WANNA PUT LIKE A SEMICOLON AND KIND OF, AND THEN SAY, AND WE ALSO RECOMMEND THAT THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL EXPLORES INCENTIVES FOR DEVELOPERS TO INCLUDE COMMUNITY GARDENS, FOOD FORESTS, OR OTHER URBAN AGRICULTURAL SPACES IN THEIR DEVELOPMENTS.
DOES THAT SOUND LIKE WHAT YOU WANT? YES.
YOU CAN'T SEE MY HEAD, BUT IT'S NODDING.
DID YOU GET THAT, ELIZABETH? SORRY, I DIDN'T CATCH THAT.
OH, NO, THIS IS WHAT I WAS WORRIED BECAUSE I, I KIND OF WINGED IT.
UM, SO PUTTING A, A SEMICOLON AFTER THE WORD CYCLE AT THE, AT THE END OF THE THEREFORE, AND THEN SAY, AND WE ALSO RECOMMEND THAT THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL EXPLORES INCENTIVES FOR DEVELOPERS TO INCLUDE COMMUNITY GARDENS, FOOD FORESTS, OR OTHER URBAN AGRICULTURAL SPACES IN DEVELOPMENTS.
DO WE NEED TO TAKE A VOTE SINCE I WAS KIND OF AMENDED, OR, AND REAL QUICK, I WOULD SAY YOU CAN, YOU CAN JUST ASK IF ANYBODY, ANYBODY OBJECTS, ARE THERE ANY, UH, OBJECTIONS? I'M SORRY.
I WOULD SAY, UM, INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING DEVELOPMENTS, I WOULD SAY, UH, RESIDENTIAL OR MULTIPLE FAMILY DEVELOPMENTS.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IF THEY'RE PUTTING IN A, YOU KNOW, HARDWARE STORE, WE'RE NOT GONNA ASK HIM FOR THAT, MAYBE, BUT MAY OR COULD WE, OR COULD WE
WELL, ONCE WE GO INTO, THANK YOU FOR THAT, BUT ONCE WE GO INTO THE MOTION, WE CAN GO BACK THROUGH.
WELL, THIS IS THE BUNK WATERSHED, SINCE IT'S NOT A PUBLIC HEARING, PUBLIC HEARING'S NOT, IT'S REALLY UP TO YOU.
OR CONSIDERATION JUST IN CASE.
UM, SO STRATEGY 1.3 OF THE FOOD PLAN SAYS, UM, INTEGRATE, INCENTIVIZE, AND MAINTAIN REGENERATIVE FOOD PRODUCTION AND POLLINATOR HABITAT IN NEW AND EXISTING COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES AS APPROPRIATE AND IN CONSULTATION WITH IMPACTED COMMUNITIES.
SO NOT 100% ALIGNED WITH WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, BUT I WANTED YOU TO BE AWARE OF IT.
'CAUSE I THINK REGENERATIVE FOOD PRODUCTION COULD ENCOMPASS ARGUABLY A NUMBER OF THOSE THINGS.
NOW, ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO, TO THAT AMENDMENT? OKAY.
NO HANDS WERE RAISED, SO I'M TAKING THAT AS A PASSES TO BE AMENDED.
NOW WE'RE BACK TO THE ORIGINAL.
WELL, NOW WE'RE BACK TO THE WHOLE MOTION.
SHERA, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION OR WOULD LIKE TO ADD A RECOMMENDATION THAT THERE'S A FOCUS ON THE BENCHMARKS AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT PERHAPS THAT'S PRESENTED TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION YEARLY.
SOMETHING, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO LIKE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THIS ONE? YES.
I LIKE THAT IDEA TO, 'CAUSE IT INCORPORATES SOME ACCOUNTABILITY, WHICH I THINK IS NEEDED.
SO ARE YOU SECONDING? IF NOT, I'LL SECOND
UH, ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO ADDING THAT AMENDMENT? NO OBJECTIONS, NO HANDS RAISED.
SO IT PASSES TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE WHOLE THING.
SO ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, COMMISSIONERS? OKAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE ON IT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE ENTIRE
WE HAVE KRUEGER, WE HAVE BRIMER, WE HAVE SHERA, FER, BEDFORD, BRISTOL NICHOLS, AND SULLIVAN.
[01:30:01]
NEXT UP UNDER DISCUSSION[3. Presentation, discussion, and recommendation on the Cities Connecting Children to Nature program – Melody Alcazar, Program Manager, Parks and Recreation]
AND ACTION ITEMS. WE HAVE PRESENTATION, PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION, AND RECOMMENDATION ON THE CITY'S CONNECTING CHILDREN TO NATURE PROGRAM.I WAS TOLD IT MIGHT WORK IF I POINT IT THIS WAY.
OH, IT GOES REALLY FAST THOUGH.
MY NAME IS MELODY ALAZAR AND I MANAGE OUR CITY'S CONNECTING CHILDREN TO NATURE INITIATIVE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I'M HOUSED IN OUR PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT IN THE PLANNING DIVISION, AND UNDER THAT THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS TEAM.
SO BEFORE WE DIVE INTO KIND OF THE NITTY GRITTY AROUND CCCN, I WANTED TO KIND OF TAKE A STEP BACK AND REMEMBER HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT.
UM, SO IF YOU REMEMBER BACK IN 2005, UM, RICHARD LOU WROTE HIS FAMOUS BOOK NOW, UH, LAST CHILD IN THE WOODS, WHERE HE REALLY COINED THIS TERM NATURE DEFICIT DISORDER, LOOKING AT THE IMPLICATIONS OF CHILDREN'S LACK OF ACCESS AND CONNECTION WITH NATURE.
AND THE STATE ITSELF GOT TOGETHER IN, UH, 2009, UM, TO REALLY ADDRESS THIS.
AND, UM, RESOLVED TO PULL TOGETHER A WORKING GROUP BETWEEN TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF, UM, TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT, AND THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY.
UM, AND OUT OF THIS GROUP OF LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE STATE, UM, THEY FORMED WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS THE TEXAS CHILDREN IN NATURE NETWORK.
UM, T-C-I-N-N, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR, IS A GRASSROOT NETWORK OF ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS, UM, THAT ARE REALLY DEDICATED TO CONNECTING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WITH NATURE.
AND AUSTIN ITSELF, BECAUSE A LOT OF THIS STARTED IN OUR CITY, UM, HAS HAD A REALLY STRONG COLLABORATIVE FORM, UM, AND REALLY THRIVE SINCE THIS TIME.
TCIN, UM, TODAY HAS OVER 900 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE STATE, UM, IN NINE DIFFERENT REGIONS.
UM, AUSTIN BEING ONE OF THOSE.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMEMBER, AGAIN, THIS, UM, STRONG PARTNERSHIP THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE CITY FOR SO MANY YEARS BECAUSE THAT REALLY PRIMED US FOR APPLYING FOR WHAT WAS BASICALLY A PILOT PROGRAM AT THE TIME.
AND SO, CITIES CONNECTING CHILDREN TO NATURE, UM, IS A NATIONAL INITIATIVE THAT SEEKS TO INCREASE EQUITABLE AND ABUNDANT ACCESS TO NATURE ACROSS CITIES.
SO REALLY LOOKING AT THIS FROM KIND OF A CITY PERSPECTIVE, UM, IT'S IN A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES AND THE CHILDREN IN NATURE NETWORK.
THOSE NAMES MAY OR MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR TO YOU.
UM, CHILDREN IN NATURE NETWORK STEMS AGAIN FROM RICHARD LUV'S WORK.
UM, NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES, UH, WORKS TO PULL TOGETHER CITIES AND TOWN LEADERS, UM, AND THEY ARE FOCUSED ON IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THOSE COMMUNITIES.
AUSTIN HAS LONG BEEN PART OF THIS COLLABORATION.
UM, AND ACTUALLY OUR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES WAS ACTUALLY VICE CHAIR OF NLCS COUNCIL ON YOUTH EDUCATION AND FAMILIES JUST LAST YEAR.
SO AUSTIN HAS A REALLY STRONG CONNECTION WITH BOTH OF THESE NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.
AND IN MARCH OF 2016, WE WERE AWARDED ONE OF SEVEN CITIES, UM, TO PILOT THIS OUT AND SEE HOW OUR CITY COULD WORK TO ACHIEVE EQUITABLE AND ABUNDANT ACCESS TO NATURE FOR CHILDREN.
WE WENT THROUGH, UM, AN EXTENSIVE PLANNING PROCESS AND ULTIMATELY DEVELOPED AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, UM, WHERE WE SET OUT GOALS AND STRATEGIES AND HOW WE WOULD ACHIEVE THIS EFFORT.
WE RECEIVED SOME INITIAL FUNDING THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
UM, A LOT OF THAT WAS USED TO HIRE ON A TEMPORARY PART-TIME STAFF MEMBER FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND THEN IN 2018, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TOOK ON KIND OF THE BURDEN OF THIS FTE POSITION.
AND WE HAVE, UM, REALLY, UH, GONE, UM, FORWARD QUICKLY SINCE THAT TIME.
UM, I THINK HAVING THAT DEDICATED STAFF MEMBER, UM, HAS ALLOWED US TO REALLY SPEND SOME FOCUS ENERGY ON THIS NOW, EVEN THOUGH I'M HOUSED IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
UM, AGAIN, BECAUSE IT'S A CITYWIDE INITIATIVE, WE WORK WITH DEPARTMENTS ACROSS, UM, THE CITY, WHICH YOU WILL SEE IN JUST A MINUTE.
UM, THERE ARE OVER 13 THAT WE ENGAGE WITH.
UM, IT'S HARD TO SEE ON THESE SLIDES, BUT THE YELLOW ARE THE ONES THAT WE'RE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH PINK ARE KIND OF PERIPHERAL, REALLY TARGETED PROGRAM AGENCIES.
UM, BUT IT TAKES THE WORK FOR ALL DEPARTMENTS TO DO THIS IN ORDER FOR OUR ENTIRE CITY TO BE ABLE TO INTEGRATE NATURE CONNECTION WITH THEIR WORK.
UM, SOMETHING WE'VE REALLY HONED IN ON ON THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND I THINK, UM, HEARING ABOUT THE FOOD PLAN TODAY REALLY SETS THIS UP WELL.
UM, WE HAVE REALLY WORKED TO INTEGRATE, UH, CCC AND EFFORTS INTO DEPARTMENTAL POLICIES AND PROGRAMS SPECIFICALLY.
SO THE COLUMN ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, UM, IS, UH,
[01:35:01]
A LIST OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTAL PROGRAMS AND PLANS IN WHICH CITIES CONNECTING CHILDREN TO NATURE IS SPECIFICALLY CALLED OUT TO HELP MEET THOSE DEPARTMENTAL GOALS.UM, THE LIST ON THE RIGHT ARE, UM, DIFFERENT PLANS THAT WE ARE, UH, KIND OF REPORTING UP AND OUT TO, BUT NOT NECESSARILY WHERE CCCN IS SPECIFICALLY CALLED OUT AS A WAY TO MEET THOSE DEPARTMENTAL GOALS IN ADDITION TO CITY AGENCIES AND, AND DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
UM, WE'RE ALSO WORKING ACROSS, UH, OUR LOCAL PARTNER NETWORK, UM, INCLUDING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE MANY DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL NONPROFITS WE HAVE HERE, UM, IN AUSTIN.
UM, WE HAVE ABOUT 65 NON-CITY PARTNERS THAT HELP US DO THIS WORK.
UM, AND THEY, THEY REALLY HELP DRIVE THIS FORWARD.
UM, AGAIN, WE CANNOT RELY JUST ON PARKS DEPARTMENT, UM, OR EVEN JUST ON CITY GOVERNMENT TO INTEGRATE NATURE CONNECTION IN ALL ASPECTS OF HOW CHILDREN IN THE CITY LIVE, LEARN, AND PLAY.
UM, SO WE REALLY LOOK TO OUR PARTNER NETWORK, AND AGAIN, THAT WAS SET UP SO WELL FOR US, UM, THROUGH OUR TEXAS CHILDREN AND NATURE NETWORK COLLABORATIVE.
IN ORDER TO GUIDE OUR WORK, WE HAVE, UM, A FEW DOCUMENTS THAT WERE PUT TOGETHER REALLY EARLY ON, UM, THE FIRST OF WHICH IS OUR NATURE EQUITY MAP.
AND SO THIS IS KIND OF A COMBINATION SCORE BETWEEN, UM, PARK ACCESS, IT LOOKS AT TREE CANOPY, UM, MEAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME.
IT LOOKS AT PERCENTAGES OF CHILD POPULATION, AND IT LAYERS ALL OF THOSE ON TOP OF EACH OTHER, UM, TO IDENTIFY AREAS OF THE CITY THAT ARE WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE NATURE DEFICIENT.
UM, NOW THIS WAS PUT TOGETHER IN 2016, AND AS WE KNOW, AUSTIN'S CHANGED QUITE A BIT SINCE 2016.
AND SO WE RECENTLY UPDATED THIS MAP TO REFLECT, UM, WHAT OUR CITY LOOKS LIKE NOW.
UM, WE'VE ALSO ADDED IN ADDITIONAL LAYERS, UM, THAT MAKE THE MAP A LITTLE BIT MORE USABLE FROM OUR STRATEGY PERSPECTIVE.
SO THERE ARE THINGS LIKE LIBRARIES AND RECREATION CENTERS THAT YOU CAN KIND OF TOGGLE ON AND OFF TO SEE HOW NATURE DEFICIENCY INTERSECTS WITH THESE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND PROGRAMS. AND WE USE THIS AS, UM, REALLY TO HELP INFORM, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE SPENDING FUNDING, WHERE WE'RE TARGETING PROGRAMMING AND DOING OUTREACH, UM, TO HELP INFORM ALL OF THOSE DECISIONS AROUND THIS WORK.
THE SECOND, UM, KIND OF REALLY BIG THING THAT HAPPENED EARLY ON WAS PASSING OUR CHILDREN'S OUTDOOR BILL OF RIGHTS.
SO THIS WAS PUT TOGETHER IN 2016 AND UNANIMOUSLY PASSED BY COUNCIL IN 2017, AND IT REALLY ILLUSTRATES WHAT EQUITABLE ACCESS TO NATURE COULD LOOK LIKE IN AUSTIN.
SO IT, IT KIND OF SETS THE STAGE AND, AND, UM, IS WHAT WE REALLY AIM FOR AS WE START TO WORK WITH NEW AGENCIES, NEW PARTNERSHIPS, UM, SO THAT WE ARE ALL WORKING TOWARDS THIS TOGETHER.
WE HAVE GONE THROUGH, UM, A BIT OF SOME OF THE CHANGE THAT'S HAPPENED WITHIN CCCN OVER THE YEARS.
I WON'T SPEND TOO MUCH TIME LOOKING AT KIND OF THE EVOLUTION SINCE THIS INITIATIVE HAS COME TO OUR CITY.
UM, BUT JUST HIGHLIGHTING THAT, UM, WE STARTED WITH A SINGLE STRATEGY IN 2016, ADDED ON, UM, THREE ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES IN 2018, ANOTHER IN 2019 AND A FIFTH IN 2020.
SO AGAIN, LOOKING AT HOW FAST THIS MOMENTUM HAS PICKED UP, BECAUSE AGAIN, OF THOSE INTERSECTIONS WITH THE MANY DEPARTMENTS, UM, AND PARTNERS WITHIN OUR CITY, I KEEP SAYING THIS WORD STRATEGIES
AND SO WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, UM, HOW WE'RE DOING THIS WORK.
AND SO WE HAVE FIVE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES THAT, UM, REALLY SPEAK TO EVERY AGENT'S AGE OF A CHILD'S LIFE AS THEY GROW UP HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND SO WE START WITH EARLY CHILDHOOD, WHICH IS UP IN THE TOP MIDDLE SECTION, UM, THAT'S LOOKING AT ZERO TO FIVE YEAR OLDS AND TRANSFORMING CHILDCARE CENTERS.
UM, WE MOVE ON TO OUR GREEN SCHOOL PARK STRATEGY, WHICH WE'LL SPEND A BIT OF TIME ON LATER.
UM, AND SO LOOKING AT PRE-K TO GRADE 12, UM, THE, UH, YOUNG LEADERS, UH, NOT YOUTH, THEY DON'T LIKE TO BE CALLED YOUTH, BUT OUR YOUNG LEADERS ARE EMERGING GREEN LEADER STRATEGY, LOOKING AT AGES 16 THROUGH 24.
UM, REALLY SPECIFICALLY FOCUSING ON, UM, INTEGRATING, UM, BLACK AND BROWN YOUNG LEADERS, UM, INTO GREEN JOBS AND GREEN PROFESSIONS.
UH, AND THEN WE HAVE TWO KIND OF CROSS-CUTTING STRATEGIES THAT HIT ON THE KIND OF THE FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ASPECT OF THINGS.
NATURE PLAY, UM, IS LOOKING AT, UH, REALLY INTEGRATING THESE KIND OF LARGE SCALE NATURAL PLAY FEATURES INTO OUR PARK SYSTEM AND BEYOND.
UM, AND THEN NATURE SMART LIBRARIES, UM, JUST LIKE IT SOUNDS, UH, INTEGRATING NATURE INTO OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM AND ALSO BRINGING LITERACY OUT INTO NATURE.
BUT TODAY WAS REALLY MEANT TO, UM, KIND OF GIVE AN UPDATE ON OUR, OUR FIRST STRATEGY GREEN SCHOOL PARKS AND THE EVOLUTION THAT WE HAVE SEEN TAKE PLACE OVER THE LAST, UM, YOU KNOW, FIVE OR SIX YEARS SINCE WE STARTED THIS WORK HERE.
SO WE'LL GO THROUGH KIND OF EACH OF THESE SECTIONS SO THAT YOU HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING ON WHERE WE STARTED AND WHERE WE HAVE DEFINITELY MOVED TOWARDS SINCE THEN.
SO THIS IS AN IMAGE OF WOOLDRIDGE.
WOOLDRIDGE WAS OUR SECOND PILOT SITE, UM, AND I THINK IT REALLY WELL, UH, DEMONSTRATES HOW MANY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND PARTNERS HAVE TO COME IN TO THESE PROJECTS IN ORDER FOR THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
SO YOU CAN SEE WE'VE GOT OUR, OUR
[01:40:01]
FORESTRY, UM, FRIENDS ASSISTING WITH TREE PLANTINGS.WE HAVE WATERSHED HELPING OUT WITH GSI FEATURES, UM, ON CAMPUSES.
WE HAVE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS FROM BOTH DISTRICT AND SCHOOL, UM, DEPARTMENTS COMING TOGETHER.
UM, WE HAVE, UM, OUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
UM, YOU CAN'T JUST HAVE FEATURES, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SAFELY GET TO THOSE SPACES AS WELL.
UH, AND THEN THE MINI PARTNERS THAT WE WORK WITH TO ACTIVATE AND EDUCATE, UM, BOTH TEACHERS AND THEN ALSO SURROUNDING COMMUNITY IN STEWARDING AND PLAYING IN THESE SPACES.
EARLY ON WE HAD ECO TEAMS THAT WERE FORMED, UM, THAT REALLY HELPED DRIVE, UM, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND DESIGN.
UM, AND, UH, WE REALLY LOOKED AT HOW, UM, KIND OF THE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES OF THESE FEATURES WAS, UM, SHOWING UP ON THESE CAMPUSES AND FOR THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.
AND A FEW YEARS INTO KIND OF THIS PILOT MODEL WHERE WE DO THIS LARGE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, AND THEN WE DO A BIG, UM, DESIGN INSTALL AND IT TAKES PLACE OVER THE COURSE OF PROBABLY TWO YEARS.
UM, WE, WE NOTICED THAT KIND OF THE CULTURAL CHANGE OF THE SCHOOL AND HOW THEY WERE USING THOSE SPACES AND HOW THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY WAS ALSO USING THOSE SPACES DURING OUTOF SCHOOL TIME DIDN'T CHANGE.
IT WAS STILL THOSE, UM, CHAMPION TEACHERS GETTING OUT THERE WITH THEIR COUPLE OF CLASSES.
UM, IT WAS STILL PROBABLY THE SOCCER CLUB THERE ON THE, THE WEEKENDS, BUT WHAT WE HAD, I THINK ENVISIONED AND PICTURED DIDN'T ACTUALLY TAKE PLACE.
AND SO INSTEAD OF SELECTING ADDITIONAL PILOT SITES TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, WE TOOK A STEP BACK AND WE SAID, WHY DON'T WE LOOK AT INSTEAD KIND OF THE LANDSCAPE OF THESE SPACES TO BEGIN WITH? WHAT ARE WE WORKING WITH AND HOW CAN WE BUILD OFF OF THAT? AND SO WE DID AN ASSESSMENT OF THE JOINT USE SITES.
UM, IF YOU'RE NOT AWARE, THE, UM, PARKS DEPARTMENT AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAVE WHAT WE CALL A JOINT USE AGREEMENT.
UM, IT'S FOR 21 SCHOOL PARKS ACROSS THE CITY, AND THEY ARE BOTH CO-OWNED AND CO MAINTAINED BY BOTH OF THOSE AGENCIES.
SO THEY'RE BASICALLY A PUBLIC PARK DURING NON-SCHOOL HOURS.
AND, UM, AS A PARKS DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE, IT MAKES IT A LOT EASIER FOR ME TO COME INTO THESE SPACES BECAUSE, UM, WE, WE CAN SPEND STAFF TIME ON THEM, WE CAN, UM, PAY FOR THINGS, YOU KNOW, TO HELP MAINTAIN THEM.
AND, UM, WE LOOKED AT ALL OF THE PARK AMENITIES AND ECO FEATURES ON THESE CAMPUSES, AND THE FIRST THING THAT WAS REALLY OBVIOUS WAS THE PARK AMENITIES AND THE DISCREPANCY IN QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF THOSE FEATURES ACROSS THESE JOINT USE SITES.
SO WE SPENT THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS TALKING WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND TALKING WITH OUR FRIENDS AT AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION TO LEVERAGE FUNDING TO ADDRESS THOSE DISCREPANCY CHALLENGES.
THE NEXT PHASE, UM, THAT WE ARE STILL IN IS SIGNAGE.
SOME SIGNS, UM, YOU'LL BE AT A SCHOOL AND IT'S GOT TWO DIFFERENT HOURS OF OPERATIONS DEPENDING ON THE ENTRY YOU GO INTO.
SO, UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT STREAMLINING SIGNAGE ACROSS THESE SITES AS WELL.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AWARE OF WITHOUT DOING THESE REALLY BOOTS ON THE GROUND ASSESSMENTS.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF VALUE FROM THIS.
UM, WE HAVE ALSO SHIFTED A LOT OF THIS
AND SO BY COLLABORATING WITH THEM A BIT MORE ON ALL OF THIS, UM, WE HAVE A REALLY STRONG COHORT NOW THAT'S ABLE TO DO THESE ASSESSMENTS YEAR ROUND SO THAT WE ARE NOT ASSESSING JUST THE JOINT USE SITES, BUT ALL SCHOOLS ACROSS THE DISTRICT SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING.
THE DATA ITSELF, IN ADDITION TO KIND OF GENERAL A ISC, UM, ASSESSMENT, UM, WE ARE SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT SOME OF THESE MAINTENANCE GAPS.
UM, WE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY AT A LOT OF THESE SITES, UH, AND MAINTENANCE OF MANY OF THESE FEATURES TURNS OVER TO THE SCHOOL AND TURNS OVER TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND WHILE THAT'S GREAT, WHEN YOU'RE DOING ENGAGEMENT, THE PEOPLE THAT WIND UP USING THAT SPACE FOUR OR FIVE, SIX YEARS LATER ARE NOT THE SAME.
THERE'S A NEW PRINCIPAL, THERE'S NEW TEACHERS, THERE'S NEW COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THAT SPACE.
SO THERE ARE HUGE MAINTENANCE GAPS FROM A LOT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HAS BEEN INSTALLED IN THESE SPACES.
AND SO WE'RE HOPING TO, TO HELP HIGHLIGHT ALL OF THAT AND THEN WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS, UM, TO COME IN AND ADDRESS A LOT OF THESE GAPS PAIRED WITH A LOT OF THIS, UH, KIND OF DATA COLLECTION.
UM, WE WORKED WITH UT HEALTH SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO TO LOOK AT THE IMPACT OF THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE INSTALLED ON OUR PILOT SITES, ON THE HEALTH AND CLIMATE OF THESE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
AND SO WE'VE GOT A GREAT LITTLE ONE PAGER ON OUR WEBSITE, UM, THAT SHOWS YOU THE RESULTS OF THAT.
UM, BASICALLY KIDS PLAY NO MATTER WHAT, THEY DON'T CARE HOW HOT IT IS.
UM, AND SO I THINK AS CITY GOVERNMENT, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING AS SAFE PLACE SPACES AS POSSIBLE.
SO HOW MUCH SHADE IS IN THESE SPACES? DO WE HAVE WATER ACCESS, ET CETERA, BEYOND DATA COLLECTION.
[01:45:01]
AND THE KIND OF THE PILOT MODEL, WE KEPT WONDERING HOW WE'RE GONNA SCALE THIS EFFORT.UM, AND I THINK THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE ALSO THAT KIND OF SIMULTANEOUS TO THIS WORK, THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN DOING A LOT AROUND POLICY AND OUTDOOR LEARNING.
AND SO THEY NOW HAVE OVER 30 PAGES IN THEIR EDUCATION SPECIFICATIONS THAT TALK ABOUT REQUIRED OUTDOOR LEARNING FEATURES AT NEW CAMPUSES.
SO FROM THE INFRASTRUCTURE PERSPECTIVE, THE WORK THAT WE HAD BEEN DOING IS NOT NECESSARILY NEEDED IN THE SAME WAY.
SO WE'RE SHIFTING HOW WE'RE GOING ABOUT THIS WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DISTRICT AND OUR PARTNERS, AND WE HAVE OPENED UP BASICALLY A DESIGNATION PROCESS FOR SCHOOLS TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? I HAVE ACTUALLY ALL OF THESE FEATURES, AND I THINK THAT WE'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
WE SEND A TEAM OUT THERE TO KIND OF GROUND TRUTH WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
AND WE HAVE GOT, YOU CAN'T SEE IT HERE, UM, BUT WE HAVE GONE THROUGH, UM, FROM THREE OF OUR PILOT SITES ALL THE WAY UP TO 16 SITES JUST IN THE COURSE OF A MONTH JUST FROM OPENING UP THAT DESIGNATION PROCESS.
SO THIS REALLY OPENS UP AN OPPORTUNITY TO SCALE THIS WORK AND TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN DO THIS, UM, COLLECTIVELY WITH THE DISTRICT AT A LARGER SCALE TOO FAR.
UM, WE TALK ABOUT A IC QUITE A BIT, AGAIN, BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT JOINT USE AGREEMENT IN PLACE.
UM, WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM, UM, VERY THOROUGHLY ON, UM, MAINTAINING THIS.
UM, WE WORK WITH THEM THROUGH THE MODERNIZATION PROCESS AS IT IMPACTS BOTH OUR JOINT USE AND OUR ADJACENT PARKS.
UM, WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL PROBABLY 35 OR SO PARKS THAT ARE DIRECTLY NEXT TO A CAMPUS.
UM, AND SO ALL OF THE MODERNIZATION IN ADDITION TO THE FENCING THAT IS NOW GOING UP IN THESE SPACES BECAUSE OF STATE REQUIREMENTS, UM, WE'RE WORKING REALLY HAND IN HAND WITH THE, THE DISTRICT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, COMMUNITY CAN STILL ACCESS THESE SPACES AS THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY INITIATED PROJECTS AT THESE SITES, UM, THAT WE WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH, UM, AND REALLY TRY AND GET THEM TO THE, YES, IT'S OFTEN, I THINK A NO WHEN, WHEN COMMUNITY CAN PROPOSE THESE CHANGES.
AND SO WE WORK WITH THEM, UM, THROUGH THOSE PROCESSES.
UM, THEY'RE DOING QUITE A BIT OF TREE PLANTING IN COLLABORATION WITH URBAN FORESTRY.
UM, AND SO WE'RE PARTNERING ON THOSE SITE SELECTIONS ON HOW WE CAN, UM, ENGAGE OUR PARTNERS IN EDUCATING AROUND, UM, THE TREE PLANTINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
UM, AND THEN, LIKE WE'VE HEARD TONIGHT, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, I THINK, CROSSWALK THAT HAPPENS BETWEEN ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT AGENCIES.
AND SO THE A IC SUSTAINABILITY PLAN, WHICH WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, IS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE THAT WE WORK HAND IN HAND WITH AND MAKE SURE THAT THE GOALS OF CCCN ARE ALSO ALIGNED, TO YOUR POINT, UM, WITH THE GOALS OF A ISC SUSTAINABILITY IN TERMS OF KIND OF OUR NEXT STEPS.
UM, A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW WILL CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND SO I THINK JUST IN TERMS OF HOW THE COMMISSION CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT, UM, THIS WONDERFUL WORK IS IF YOU HAVE NOT YET SIGNED OUR COHORT BOARD, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO SO.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE QUARTERLY STAKEHOLDER BRIEFINGS, AND SO THOSE ARE OPEN TO REALLY ANYONE THAT WANTS TO STAY ABREAST OF WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE INITIATIVE KIND OF OVERALL, AND THEN ALSO WITHIN THOSE SPECIFIC STRATEGIES.
SO THAT'S AN OPEN INVITATION TO YOU ALL.
UM, WE ARE REALLY LOOKING AT HOW DO WE BETTER, UM, COLLABORATE WITH FOLKS LIKE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND WATERSHED PROTECTION ON THESE LARGE PLANS LIKE THE FOOD PLAN.
SO MAKING SURE THAT YOU CAN HELP SHARE OUR MESSAGE THAT SO MUCH OF THIS WORTH WORK IS INTERCONNECTED AND INTERTWINED, AND WE CAN HELP MEET EACH OTHER'S GOALS WITHOUT HAVING TO CREATE A NEW PROGRAM OR A NEW INITIATIVE WITHIN THAT.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, JUST ONGOING SUPPORT FOR, UM, OUR POSITIONS.
UM, WE HAVE TWO FULL-TIME STAFF MEMBERS DEDICATED TO OUR CCCN WORK, ONE OF WHICH IS ACTUALLY 75% FUNDED THROUGH THE WATERSHIP PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.
SO AGAIN, WHERE THOSE PARTNERSHIPS ARE COMING INTO PLAY, UM, WE JUST, FOR THE FIRST TIME LAST FISCAL YEAR, RECEIVED SOME, SOME FUNDING FOR OUR NATURE PLAY EFFORTS.
SO REALLY HOPING TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT, UM, IS A SUSTAINABLE FUNDING SOURCE, UM, FOR, FOR THOSE EFFORTS SPECIFICALLY.
AND I, THAT SHOULD BE EVERYTHING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, LET'S OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
UH, COMMISSIONER UH, COMMISSIONER KRUEGER, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, NO QUESTIONS FOR RIGHT NOW.
COMMISSIONER BRIMER, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, I HAVE, UH, NO QUESTIONS THIS TIME, THOUGH, BUT THANK YOU COMMISSIONER SHERA.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, MELODY, MY NAME IS MELINDA SHIRA.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT FOUR, AND I, I DEFINITELY KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN ON SOME EMAIL CHAINS WITH YOU.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST, I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE ALL OF THE WORK AT WOOLDRIDGE, UM,
[01:50:01]
AND AT COOK ELEMENTARY.THE, THE TREES ALONE I THINK ARE, ARE VERY IMPACTFUL TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, THEY'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO GROW AND ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, ENJOY THEM WITH THE, THE SHADE THAT THEY'RE GONNA PROVIDE.
UM, I WANNA THANK JAMES CHEST WHO CONTINUES TO WATER THE TREES AT COOK ELEMENTARY.
HE'S JUST, HE'S A RETIREE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, AND HE, HE DOES A LOT OF, JUST A LOT OF OTHER WORK AS WELL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, I AM, UH, JUST GENERALLY LIKE, HAVE BEEN VERY INTERESTED IN THE JOINT USE PARKS AND HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THEY'RE BEING INVESTED IN, BECAUSE LIKE FOR AN EXAMPLE, COOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, I JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE THERE'S ANYONE PAYING ATTENTION TO IT.
UM, SO I'D LIKE TO LEARN, I'D LIKE TO GET YOUR PERSPECTIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE RIGHT NOW ON, ON, UH, THE ASSESSMENT OF, I GUESS, COOK OR JUST THE JOINT USED PARKS, UH, AGAINST OTHER PARKS AND WHAT THAT ASSESSMENT IS.
UM, THE ASSESSMENT IS VERY DETAILED.
UM, SO WE COVER EVERY NOOK, EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY OF A SITE.
UM, AND THERE ARE 45 OR SO FEATURES THAT WE ARE LOOKING SPECIFICALLY FOR, BUT THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER CATEGORY.
A LOT OF SCHOOLS HAVE KIND OF ONE-OFF FEATURES.
UM, SO IT, IT CAPTURES THAT, UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT QUANTITY, QUALITY AND USE OF EACH OF THOSE FEATURES.
THEY'RE PHOTO DOCUMENTED AND THEN THEY'RE MAPPED DIGITALLY.
AND SO, UM, FOR, WE'VE PRIORITIZED WITH THIS MOST RECENT ROUND ON THE MODERNIZATION SITES, UM, COOK IS NOT, WELL, I SHOULD SAY COOK IS PART OF OPEN CONCEPT, SO THEY'RE NOT GETTING A FULL MODERNIZATION PROJECT.
UM, WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE OUTDOOR INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S CURRENTLY THERE WILL REMAIN THERE.
WOOLDRIDGE IS UNDERGOING FULL MODERNIZATION.
SO THAT ENTIRE CAMPUS WILL GET RIPPED UP.
SO OUR CONCERN IS THE INVESTMENT THAT WE'VE MADE AT THAT SITE AND THE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO FUNDING THOSE INVESTMENTS, ARE THEY GOING TO BE RETAINED IN THE NEW DESIGN? AND SO WE'RE HAVING ONGOING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DISTRICT AROUND THIS.
UM, WE'RE SPECIFICALLY RIGHT NOW LOOKING AT, UM, THE EXISTING PART, AMENITIES AT THESE SPACES.
UM, HOW CAN WE MOVE THEM OFFSITE DURING CONSTRUCTION SO THAT THEY STAY SAFE AND THEN BRING THEM BACK, WHERE IN THOSE SITE PLANS ARE THEY GONNA BE LOCATED IN THE NEW SCHOOL SPACE? UM, AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT THE JOINT USE AGREEMENT REMAINS INTACT, UM, POST INSTALLATION OF THAT NEW BUILDING.
SO THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF MOVING PARTS WITH ALL OF THIS.
SO THAT ASSESSMENT SPECIFICALLY IS SOMETHING I CAN SEND DIRECTLY TO YOU SO THAT YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE FEATURES THAT YOU HAVE, UM, IN THEIR CURRENT FORM.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE AN ASSESSMENT SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR JOINT USE SITES, INCLUDING COOK AND WOOLDRIDGE FROM 2018.
SO WE HAVE SOME COMPARABLE DATA IF YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED IN BOTH OF THOSE SETS.
AND, UM, AND IN YOUR ASSESSMENT, ARE YOU LOOKING AT, UM, BETTER DEFINING THE JOINT USE AGREEMENT? IT IS VERY CLEARLY DEFINED.
UM, THERE ARE 30 SOME ODD PAGES THAT TALK ABOUT IT.
UM, WE SPENT, UM, PROBABLY THE LAST FIVE OR SIX YEARS UPDATING THE JOINT USE AGREEMENT.
SO IT WAS INITIALLY, UM, CREATED IN, IN 1960, UPDATED IN 1981, AND THEN WE JUST DID AN UPDATE THAT GOT APPROVED BY COUNCIL LAST JANUARY.
SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S HAD AN OVERHAUL VERY RECENTLY.
UM, WE HAVE A COMMITTEE BETWEEN, UM, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT MEET EVERY MONTH TO TALK ABOUT JOINT USE AGREEMENT AND THE SITES AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT COME WITH THESE SITES.
UM, SO THERE ARE, I, I THINK WITHIN THOSE CIRCLES, A LOT OF EYES ON IT.
I THINK ONCE IT EXTENDS BEYOND THAT, THAT'S WHERE THINGS START TO KIND OF DROP AWAY SOMETIMES.
YEAH, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WE'RE, YOU KNOW, OFFICIAL ADOPTERS OF THESE PARKS MM-HMM.
AND I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS NEW UPDATE, SO I DEFINITELY WOULD APPRECIATE, UM, GETTING THE LATEST, UH, UPDATED VERSION OF THAT.
IT'S, UM, IT IS AVAILABLE ONLINE.
I'LL SEND A DIRECT LINK BECAUSE IT'S, UH, IT'S A WONKY LINK, UM, THAT'S LIKE A BITLY THAT SHORTENS IT UP.
THE AGREEMENT ITSELF, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S REALLY MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS.
I MEAN, THAT'S, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PROGRAMMING.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S LOOKING AT WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE FEATURES IN THESE SPACES, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM? WHAT ARE THE, UM, KIND OF THE SPECS FOR EACH OF THESE FEATURES
[01:55:01]
AND HOW DO WE NAVIGATE, YOU KNOW, IF WHO, WHO PUTS IT ON, THEN WHO, WHO TAKES CARE OF IT? SO ALL OF THAT IS, IS VERY CLEARLY DEFINED NOW WITHIN THE AGREEMENT.UM, I THINK THE POLICY IS THERE, I THINK IS THE PRACTICE MATCHING THAT IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, WHEN IT COMES TO MODERN MODERNIZATION, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT PART OF IT? THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IN TERMS OF THE, THE CAMPUS ITSELF.
SO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF THE, THE PARK RELATED AMENITIES THAT WE HAVE INSTALLED OURSELVES.
SO IT'S, IT'S EVERYTHING FROM BENCHES TO PICNIC TABLES TO PLAY SCAPES TO NATURE PLAY SPACES.
UM, IT, IT REALLY KIND OF RUNS THE GAMUT.
I'LL ASK, I'LL LET OTHER COMMISSIONERS ASK THEIR QUESTIONS, BUT THANK YOU.
SO, UM, I JUST, IN FULL DISCLOSURE, UH, I FEEL LIKE I'M HAVING A, A DEEP TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE, UM, ON ALL OF THESE.
AND I, I WANNA BRAG ON MELODY JUST A LITTLE BIT.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE BEEN AT THIS A LONG TIME EVEN BEFORE YOU CAME TO WORK, UH, THE CITY, UH, SHE, SHE WAS REALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR A LOT OF THE AMAZING THINGS AT THE SAN ANTONIO ZOO AND, UM, AND HOW, UH, THEY HAVE A, UH, AN AMAZING, UH, ZOO SCHOOL PRESCHOOL, UM, AND BUILDING OFF OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MELODY, UH, HELPED ESTABLISH THERE.
SO ONE BRAG ON YOU A LITTLE BIT THERE.
UM, I WANNA SHARE A LITTLE BIT AND ELABORATE ON, UM, THIS, THE, UM, CHILDREN'S OUTDOOR BILL OF RIGHTS AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT THAT AND, AND KIND OF A LITTLE BIT MORE OF EVEN WHAT THAT DOES.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE MAP, UM, ON THERE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE TOOK A LONG TIME.
SO IN FULL DISCLOSURE, I USED TO WORK FOR TEXAS CHILDREN NATURE AS THEIR DIRECTOR AND, UM, THIS HEALTH MAP AND KATE KATIE ACTUALLY, UH, WAS PART KATIE COHEN WAS PART OF, UH, DEVELOPING THIS AS WELL.
UM, AND IT REALLY PEELED BACK SOME LAYERS FOR US TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THOSE INEQUITIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND HOW DO THEY GO HAND IN HAND WITH HEALTH INEQUITIES.
UM, AND, AND, AND THE MAP THEN LATER KIND OF WENT TO THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LANDS.
I MEAN, IT WAS EVOLVED IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT ENTITIES.
I'M SUPER GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU HAVE UPDATED IT.
I THINK THAT WE SHOULD ALL HAVE A LOOK AT IT.
UM, AND THINK ABOUT THAT AS WE'RE LOOKING AT IT.
WHERE ARE ALL OF THESE, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENTS AND REQUESTS COMING IN, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE UTILIZE THAT, UM, TO SUPPORT OUR WORK? AND THEN THE THIS, UM, THE OUTDOOR CHILDREN'S BILL OF RIGHTS, UM, WHICH I'M VERY PROUD OF.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY, EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, THE, SO WHAT, WHAT MELODY HAS HERE IS, UM, THE, THE FUN PART OF IT THAT WE GET TO SAY, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, CHILDREN NEED ALL THESE THINGS AND, AND HAVE A RIGHT TO THEM.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, WHEREAS STATEMENTS, UM, BEFORE THAT AS WELL THAT REALLY HELP DIRECT THE CITY IN SAYING, THESE AREN'T JUST NICE TO HAVES, THESE ARE NEEDS TO HAVES.
LIKE EVERY CHILD SHOULD HAVE A RIGHT TO THESE THINGS.
AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THAT AND WE THINK ABOUT ALL THESE DIFFERENT WAYS, UM, THAT, THAT WE CAN INITIATE THAT, WHETHER IT'S GREEN SCHOOL PARKS, WHETHER IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING, UM, COMMUNITY GARDENS, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS REALLY DRILL BACK TO THIS OUTDOOR CHILDREN'S BILL OF RIGHTS.
AND SO WE CAN USE THAT AS SOMETHING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, TO HOLD UP AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, CITY MEMBER, YOU AGREED TO DO THIS.
AND IT'S NOT JUST A FEEL GOOD ELEMENT.
I MEAN, YOU REALLY, YOU KNOW, SAID, NOT ONLY DO ARE WE GONNA DO IT, BUT WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TWO STAFF MEMBERS AND, AND, UM, WHO ARE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S IMPLEMENTED IN ALL THE OTHER STRATEGIES, UM, THAT ARE IN THERE.
SO JUST WANNA POINT THAT OUT AS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN USE, UM, AS WE SORT OF, UH, MOVE, UM, FORWARD.
THERE'S ONE ELEMENT, MELODY THAT I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO, UM, ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON.
AND THOSE ARE THE OUTDOOR LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND OLAY AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT THAT AS WELL.
BELAY, UM, STANDS FOR OUTDOOR LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS.
THAT IS OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD STRATEGY.
UM, THERE HAS BEEN A CONNECTION THROUGH HEALTH FOR THAT.
SO IT'S LOOKING AT HOW DO WE TRANSFORM C CHILDCARE CENTERS, UM, THAT ARE REALLY MEETING HEALTH GOALS THAT ARE REDUCING OBESITY, UM, REDUCING OTHER HEALTH DISPARITIES WITHIN THESE SPACES.
[02:00:01]
OF RESEARCH BEHIND ALL OF THIS.UM, THERE IS KIND OF A SEPARATE COALITION SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS OLAY EFFORT.
AND WHEN I STARTED IN 2018, UM, I WAS GOING TO A LOT OF THE SAME MEETINGS WITH A LOT OF THE SAME PEOPLE AND ONE OF THOSE WERE ALL OF THE OLA MEETINGS.
AND SO AT THE TIME, IT MADE A LOT OF SENSE TO KIND OF ENVELOP THOSE EFFORTS UNDER KIND OF THE CCN ARM, UM, SO THAT WE COULD WORK BETTER TOGETHER AND SMARTER AND BRING IN PARTNERS THAT WEREN'T NECESSARILY AT THE, THE TABLE INITIALLY AROUND THESE EARLY CHILDHOOD EFFORTS.
UM, THE FUNDING FOR THAT SPECIFICALLY CAME FROM CDC DOWN TO DS, DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES, AND THEN DOWN TO, UM, KIND OF THESE REGIONAL EFFORTS.
UM, AUSTIN ORIGINALLY, UM, HAD EVERYTHING HOUSED UNDER UNITED WAY.
IT MOVED OVER TO THE WILDFLOWER CENTER IN 20 18, 20 17, 20 18, UM, AND ACTUALLY ENDED 20, 23, 24, 20 23, THE CONTRACT ENDED.
AND SO IT HAD BEEN KIND OF FLOATING IN THE AIR
AND SO THEY NOW HAVE A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT TO MANAGE THE STATEWIDE OLAY EFFORT.
SO AUSTIN IS JUST ONE OF THOSE REGIONS, UM, IN WHICH ALL OF THIS, UM, WORK IS HAPPENING.
UM, I THINK LOCALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, IS WE HAVE A, A VERY STRONG, UM, VERY SMALL
UM, I THINK THAT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO FUNDING TIED TO ANY OF IT, AND THAT BECOMES REALLY CHALLENGING BECAUSE CHILDCARE CENTERS HAVE, THEY HAVE, UM, A LOT OF BALLS IN THE AIR
AND FOR US TO COME IN AND SAY, HEY, I THINK YOU SHOULD BE DOING THIS THING, BUT I HAVE NO WAY TO HELP YOU OTHER THAN MY KNOWLEDGE.
AND I THINK WE HAVE A REAL OPPORTUNITY WITH THE ECE BOND THAT IS ABOUT TO BE PROPOSED, UM, TO SEE HOW WE MIGHT MARRY SOME OF THESE GOALS, UM, TOGETHER.
SO I THINK THAT MIGHT BE ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE COULD MOVE FORWARD, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE STRATEGICALLY THAN WE HAVE IN THE PAST, SPECIFICALLY WITHIN AUSTIN.
UM, THANKS FOR LETTING US KNOW THAT THAT'S WHERE THE FUNDING IS AND, AND, UM, THAT IT'S BEING CONSIDERED FOR THAT.
UM, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY ALL I HAVE FOR QUESTIONS.
I BY SARAH FER, JUST THANK YOU FOR THIS AND FOR YOUR WORK.
I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A REALLY, UH, A TESTAMENT TO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE CITY, UM, PUTS ITS FUNDING WHERE ITS MOUTH IS
I WAS RECENTLY AT A CONFERENCE WITH FOLKS IN PARKS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD, AND I DIDN'T QUITE REALIZE I WAS TRYING TO FIND LIKE, THE COMPARISON KIND OF SHEET THAT I HAD FOUND ONLINE DURING THAT CONFERENCE, BUT REALLY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE KIND OF SEEN AS, AS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN AND WHEN YOU INVEST IN THIS SPACE AND, UM, IN THE STAFFING THAT IT TAKES TO REALLY TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION THAT WAS KIND OF A GENERAL, I WAS WONDERING HOW DO YOU, UM, I GUESS REACH OUT WHEN LIKE THERE'S BEEN A TRANSITION, UM, LIKE WITH, UH, PRINCIPALS OR SCHOOL STAFF THAT LIKE LEFT.
LIKE IS IT KIND OF LIKE, I JUST WANT, WAS CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR, WHAT SEEMS TO BE MORE, MOST SUCCESSFUL WITH MAKING SURE THAT MAINTENANCE KEEPS UP? MM-HMM,
IT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION WITH NOT A VERY GOOD ANSWER.
UM, IT'S, AND IT'S BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THAT ONE PERSON LEAVING, RIGHT? IT'S ALL OF THE OTHER COMPONENTS.
UM, THERE ARE MANY PRINCIPALS THAT ARE LIKE HIGH LEVEL SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT THEIR STAFF DO, BUT IT'S NOT AN INITIATIVE OF THAT SCHOOL.
IT'S NOT PART OF THEIR CAMPUS IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
THEY'RE JUST LIKE, SURE, THAT SOUNDS GREAT.
SO IF, AND I THINK WE HAD, UM, SOME RESEARCH COME OUT OF UT A FEW YEARS AGO THAT REALLY HIGHLIGHTED THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTIVE ADMINISTRATION IN THESE EFFORTS.
IT WAS SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT FOOD GARDENS.
UM, SO HAVING ONE TEACHER LEAVE IS NOT IDEAL, BUT AGAIN, THAT SUPPORTIVE ADMINISTRATION, OUR PRINCIPALS MAKE A MAJORITY OF THE DECISIONS AT THESE CAMPUSES, RIGHT? SO WE REALLY NEED TO SPEND SOME ENERGY IN HOW DO WE CRACK THAT? MM-HMM.
THEY'RE ALSO DOING MORE WORK THAN THEY NEED TO, RIGHT? AND WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO COME IN AND THEN SAY, IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THESE THINGS, YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THIS.
WE DON'T MAKE THEM TAKE CARE OF THE BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY.
SO WHY ARE THEY THEN HAVING TO TAKE CARE OF A GARDEN
[02:05:01]
SPACE OR ANY OTHER OUTDOOR LEARNING FEATURE THAT SHOULD NOT FALL ON OUR, ON OUR SCHOOLS, RIGHT? SO I, I THINK IT IT, YOU HAVE TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND, AND LOOK AT WHAT POLICIES CAN WE PUT IN PLACE, WHAT PRACTICES CAN MATCH THAT, THAT TAKE THAT BURDEN OFF OF OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHERE THOSE PARTNERSHIPS COME INTO PLAY.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT ONGOING MAINTENANCE CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME OF OUR LARGER PARTNERS THAT DO REGULAR WORK DAYS.
WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA PILOT, UM, WE CALL WORKING GROUP FOR MAINTENANCE AT, UM, FOR SCHOOLS THIS NEXT SCHOOL YEAR TO SEE HOW MIGHT THIS PARTNERSHIP WORK.
AGAIN, THAT WORK IS BEING DONE THROUGH THE ESEC, UM, IN TERMS OF JUST LIKE ONE PERSON LEAVING, ONE PERSON ARRIVING.
UM, WE DO THIS MOST FREQUENTLY WITH PRINCIPALS.
UM, WE ARE ALWAYS REACHING OUT, PARTICULARLY AT OUR JOINT USE SITES TO SAY, HEY, SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU IN THE SPACE BY THE WAY, DID YOU KNOW YOU'RE A JOINT USE SITE? HERE ARE ALL THE BENEFITS THAT COME WITH THAT.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, LET ME KNOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT THEY RESPOND IS ANOTHER THING.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT'S WHERE THOSE PARTNERSHIPS REALLY PLAY SUCH A CRUCIAL ROLE BECAUSE IT'S FOLKS LIKE PEAS OR ECO RISE THAT ARE ON THOSE GROUNDS EVERY SINGLE DAY DOING PROGRAMMING THAT HAVE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS BUILT UP THAT CAN SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT MS. SO-AND-SO HAS GONE FOR THIS YEAR, BUT HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEW, YOU KNOW, GREEN LEAD THAT'S HERE AND THEY CAN HELP MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS FOR US.
'CAUSE I AM NOT ON THESE CAMPUSES EVERY DAY, RIGHT.
I AM NOT, YOU KNOW, IN THE CLASSROOM EVERY DAY.
SO WE REALLY RELY ON OUR PARTNERS FOR THAT.
I WAS JUST THINKING OF, 'CAUSE I USED TO DO MENTORING AT ONE OF THE, ACTUALLY AT WALNUT CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL YEARS AGO.
AND LIKE, JUST EVEN LIKE DOING BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION, LIKE COLLECTING THOSE, LIKE, HERE'S SOME FREE MONEY.
JUST TURN IT IN AND GET THE MONEY.
IT WAS LIKE, IT, I MEAN IT WAS SO IMPOSSIBLE TRYING TO FIND PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY DO IT.
'CAUSE IT CAN ONLY BE LIKE SOMEONE FROM STAFF OR LIKE HAS WHATEVER SCHOOL NUMBERS.
I'M LIKE, WELL MAYBE IF YOU GIVE ME THE CODE TO THE NUMBER, I COULD JUST TURN IT IN FOR YOU.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF LAYERS, A LOT OF RED TAPE
UM, AND, AND I THINK THE ROLE OF CCN IS TO PEEL THAT BACK, RIGHT? TO TAKE AWAY THOSE BARRIERS AND TO COME UP WITH A PROCESS THAT WORKS BETTER FOR COMMUNITY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE, COMMISSIONER? SHE OKAY.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION.
AND UM, THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO.
HOW IS IT ALREADY? AUGUST, I DON'T KNOW,
UH, WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WAS PRESENTED A STAFF UPDATE FROM MELODY AZAR, PROGRAM MANAGER OF CITIES CONNECTING CHILDREN TO NATURE AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE CCCN INITIATIVE CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN, STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS DEPARTMENTS A ISD AND WITH NGOS ACROSS AUSTIN.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE CCCN INITIATIVE, UM, KNOWN AS GREEN SCHOOL PARKS ENSURES STUDENTS AND TEACHERS HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN AND PLAY IN NATURAL SPACES.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT THE, THAT THE CCCN INITIATIVE KNOWN AS GREEN SCHOOL PARKS ENSURES HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE ACCESS TO CAMPUSES WHERE THEY CAN EXERCISE, PLAY, SOCIALIZE, AND LEARN.
THESE COMMUNITIES LACK ACCESS TO PARKLAND ALTERNATIVES, WHICH MEANS THE SCHOOL HELPS THE CITY ACHIEVE THE GOAL THAT ALL RESIDENTS LIVING WITHIN A QUARTER OF A MILE, MILE WALKING DISTANCE, UM, FROM A PARK.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES SCHOOL CAMPUSES WITH IMPROVED HABITAT LIKE THE ONE, THE ONES, UM, IN THE GREEN SCHOOL PARKS PROGRAM OFFER INCREASED ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, SUCH AS REDUCTION TO HEAT, ISLAND EFFECTS, STORM WATER RUNOFF AND CARBON SEQUESTRATION.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT THE CCCN INITIATIVE CONTINUES TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE NEED FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TO HAVE A DAILY CONNECTION WITH NATURE TO ENSURE THEIR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE CCCN INITIATIVE STRENGTHENS AND HELPS ACHIEVE THE CLIMATE, ENVIRONMENTAL EQUITY AND HEALTH GOALS OF VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND STRATEGIES WITHIN THE CITY AND WITHIN SUPPORTING NGOS.
WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION OFFERS SUPPORTS FOR THE CHILDREN'S OUTDOOR BILL OF RIGHTS AND WEAR, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION OFFERS, UH, SUPPORT OF THE OUTDOOR LEARNING, UH, ENVIRONMENTS PROGRAM.
THEREFORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS CONTINUING FUNDING FOR THE UM, INITIATIVE.
ADDITIONALLY, WE RECOMMEND EXPANDED RESOURCES FOR
[02:10:01]
THE JOINT USE AGREEMENT WITH A ISD AND THIS GREEN SCHOOL PARKS INITIATIVE TO ENSURE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY CAN UTILIZE THE SCHOOL CAMPUS AS PARKLANDS DURING OUT OF SCHOOL TIME.THESE AGREEMENTS ALSO ENSURE THAT STUDENTS HAVE DAILY ACCESS TO GREEN SPACES WHERE THEY CAN PLAY, LEARN, AND EXPLORE.
UH, TO RECOMMEND THE CITY OF AUSTIN WORK WITH A ISD TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO KEEP PUBLIC ACCESS GATES OPEN TO GRANT ACCESS FROM NEIGHBORHOODS TO THE CAMPUSES DURING OUTOF SCHOOL TIME.
THREE, RECOMMEND THE CITY OF AUSTIN FIND WAYS TO BETTER SUPPORT THE GOALS OF THE CHILDREN OUTDOOR BILL OF RIGHTS.
AND FOUR, CONTINUE TO FUND CCCN FTES IN UH IN THE BUDGET.
CONTINUE TO INTEGRATE NA UM, NATURE PLAY AND NATURAL PLAYGROUNDS AT PARKS AND NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION COMMISSIONERS? OKAY, LET'S DO A ROLL CALL.
UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, WELL, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HANDS.
WE HAVE KRUGER, BRIMER, SHERA, FER, BEDFORD, BRISTOL NICHOLS, AND SULLIVAN.
[4. Staff briefing on the Environmental Integrity Index: WPD’s Water Quality Monitoring Methods – Andrew Clamman, Conservation Program Manager, Watershed Protection Department]
A STAFF BRIEFING, UH, ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY INDEX.UH, WPDS WATER QUALITY MONITORING ME METHODS.
DID Y'ALL NEED A BIOLOGY BREAK OR ANYTHING? IT'S BEEN A WHILE.
JUST WE COULD TAKE A, A QUICK, LIKE FIVE MINUTE BREAK TO GO USE THE RESTROOM.
WELL, ACTUALLY, LET'S JUST COME BACK AT EIGHT 20.
IT WAS THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER AT, UH, STATE MASSACHUSETTS.
BUT HIS BIG THING OR KIND RESULTED AFTER THAT POSITION, HE, UH, BASICALLY FIXED THE AFTER IT MAKES YOU WONDER.
FAST FORWARD TO EIGHT YEARS IN.
SEE, I GET DRONE ON, ON ABOUT THIS, BUT IT'D BE GOOD TO SEE YA.
OKAY, UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE STAFF BRIEFINGS.
SO STAFF BRIEFING ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY INDEX, UH, FOR WPDS WATER QUALITY MONITORING METHODS.
UM, HARD ACTS TO FOLLOW, BY THE WAY.
UH, THE TWO BEFORE ME, THAT'S REALLY, UH, IT'S POSITIVE AND IT'S HUMAN, AND IT'S WONDERFUL.
ALL I'VE GOT FEW, THIS, SOME SCIENCE, BORING SCIENCE, BUT, UM, UH, IN JUNE, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION HAD REQUESTED A PRESENTATION TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WATERSHED PROTECTION DOES FOR WATER QUALITY MONITORING FOR CREEKS AND STREAMS. UM, IN ADDITION TO THERE, I BELIEVE THERE'S A FOLLOW UP QUESTION OF HOW IS THIS AFFECTED BY DE ANNEXATION IN THE ETJ.
SO, I'M GONNA TRY TO BRING THOSE TWO THINGS TOGETHER.
UM, I'M, MY NAME'S ANDREW KAMAN.
I WORK WITH THE, UH, WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, THE ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND COMPLIANCE DIVISION.
YOU, I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT BOTH OF THOSE THINGS, BUT ALSO TO KIND OF, UH, ILLUMINATE THE FACT THAT WE DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT KIND OF MONITORINGS.
UH, LAST MONTH YOU HEARD FROM MY COLLEAGUE DR.
UH, BRENT BELLINGER, ABOUT WHAT WE DO ON THE LAKES.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, ANOTHER TEAM THAT WORKS ON JUST GROUNDWATER, UH, SPRINGS AND, AND OTHER GROUNDWATER, ANOTHER TEAM THAT WORKS ON SALAMANDERS.
SO WE, WE DO A LOT OF MONITORING.
UH, WHAT I'M GONNA BRING FOR YOU TODAY IS GOING TO BE JUST THE ROUTINE WATER QUALITY MONITORING.
THAT'S KINDA LIKE THE CITYWIDE ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY INDEX.
WE'RE GONNA CALL IT THE EII, UH, LOTS OF OTHER LITTLE PROJECTS.
WE DO CLOSE KNOWLEDGE GAPS AND ADDRESS ACUTE ISSUES AND PROBLEMS LIKE THAT.
HOPEFULLY THIS CLICKER'S GONNA WORK A LITTLE BETTER.
UM, SO WHAT DOES WATER QUALITY MEAN? UH, IT SOUNDS REALLY SIMPLE, ANDREW.
JUST TELL US, IS IT GOOD OR BAD? GET ON WITH IT.
IT KINDA MAKES MY HEAD SPIN WHEN I START TO REALLY GET INTO THE DETAILS ON THIS.
UM, THE CONVENTIONALS DISSOLVED OXYGEN, PH CONDUCTIVITY.
THEN YOU'VE GOT NUTRIENTS WHERE THEY AFFECT BLUE-GREEN ALGAE, AND OTHER
[02:15:01]
THINGS LIKE THAT.THE ZEBRA MUSCLES HAVE EFFECTS ON THAT.
THEN THERE'S METALS, SOMETIMES SCARY METALS, CADMIUM, AND THIS AND THAT.
ZINC FROM, UH, FROM MANY SOURCES.
UM, MURKY OF COURSE, THINGS THAT SELENIUM THAT GET INTO FISH TISSUES, PESTICIDES, AND HERBICIDES.
ALL THE STUFF PEOPLE PUT ON THEIR LAWNS THAT GETS WASHED OFF AND WINDS ITS WAY INTO THE, UH, CREEK.
THE METALS AND THE PESTICIDES AND HERBICIDES LIKE TO STICK TO SEDIMENT.
SO NOW YOU'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT SAMPLING THE WATER ITSELF, BUT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SAMPLING THE SEDIMENT.
THEN YOU START TO TALK ABOUT SEDIMENT.
WELL, YOU'VE GOT EROSION, TURBIDITY, ALL THE THING, THE PARTICULATES MOVING THROUGH THE WATER LANDING IN THESE, UH, DEPOSITION AREAS AND HYDROCARBONS, ALL THE AUTO DROOL THAT COMES OFF OF OUR VEHICLES AND BRAKE DUST, ALL THESE THINGS.
AND THERE'S HUNDREDS OF HYDROCARBONS TO BE MEANT SAMPLING.
AND THEN THERE'S THE EMERGENCY COM CONTAMINANTS, THE REALLY FUN ONES THAT COME OUT, THE PFOS, THE P FOUR S PS, MICROPLASTICS, ALL THE PHARMACEUTICALS, MICRO BEADS FROM SHAMPOOS.
THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT JUST KIND OF COME UP EVERY YEAR, NEW STUFF TO TALK ABOUT.
AND THEN YOU'VE GOT THE BIOLOGICAL INDICATOR.
SO HOW ARE THE FISH DOING? HOW ARE THE SALAMANDERS DOING? HOW ARE THE, THE BUGS DOING? AND THE MUSSELS, ARE THEY DIVERSE ENOUGH? UH, IS THERE STABILITY IN THE, AND RESILIENCE IN THOSE ECOSYSTEMS TO DEAL WITH THESE PERTURBATIONS THAT WE PUT ON 'EM.
SO JUST THE TOPIC OF WATER QUALITY IS KINDA LIKE THE TOPIC OF YOU HEALTH.
YOU SAY, ARE YOU HEALTHY OR NOT? AND YOU'RE LIKE, WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S COMPLICATED.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S THESE COMPONENTS TO HEALTH OF OURSELVES AND WATER QUALITY THAT, UM, HAVE, ARE NUANCED TO SAY THE LEAST.
SO, UH, THIS, OUR WATER QUALITY MONITORING HAS BEEN GOING ON IN EARNEST SINCE THE EARLY NINETIES, BUT SINCE 1994 IS WHEN WE STARTED THIS, UH, IDEA OR NOTION OF AN ENTIRE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY INDEX, WHICH SYNTHESIZES MANY DIFFERENT ASPECTS.
THE ARCHITECTS OF THIS ORIGINAL, AND I GOT A BIG, BIG PROPS TO PEOPLE LIKE NANCY MCCLINTOCK, MATEO S GOGGINS, ED PEACOCK, CHRIS HARRINGTON.
BRILLIANT MINDS PUT THESE THINGS TOGETHER WITH THE FORESIGHT THAT IT'D STILL BE RELEVANT 30 YEARS LATER.
AND IN SCIENCE, 30 YEARS IS AN ETERNITY FOR SOMETHING TO LAST THAT LONG.
SO THEY GROUPED CATEGORIES BASED ON THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DATA IN WAYS THAT WERE RELATABLE, WERE MEANINGFUL, UH, TO THE PUBLIC AND PRIORITIZATION OF PROJECTS AND, AND OTHER WAYS THAT WE COULD CONS, UH, CHARACTERIZE OUR CREEKS SCIENTIFICALLY.
I'LL GO OVER THESE SIX CATEGORIES VERY BRIEFLY.
UH, THE FIRST ONE, UH, WATER QUALITY.
WE WOULD MONITOR ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, AND WE'D, UH, TAKE THE, SEE THE SAND IN THE WATER WITH CHRIS HARRINGTON THERE.
BACK IN THE DAY, WE'D TAKE THESE PARAMETERS THAT I DISCUSSED IN ADDITION TO NUTRIENTS AND SOME SEDIMENT PARAMETERS, UH, AT A BUNCH OF SITES QUARTERLY.
UH, IN ADDITION TO QUARTERLY, WE WOULD, UH, MONITOR E COLI BACTERIA, WHICH IS JUST AN, A SURROGATE FOR ALL PATHOGENS IN THE WATER.
AND AS THEY WOULD RELATE TO HUMAN HEALTH ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, THOUGH, WE WOULD GO A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO SOME OF THESE SITES, AND WE'D SPEND A LITTLE MORE TIME AT THE SITE.
WE WOULD SAMPLE THE AQUATIC LIFE.
WE CHOSE NOT TO SAMPLE FISH, BECAUSE THAT'S A LITTLE INVASIVE.
YOU'RE KILLING FISH ALL THE TIME.
YOU CAN GET THE SAME TYPE OF, UH, AQUATIC INTEGRITY INFORMATION FROM THE, THE INVERTEBRATE COMMUNITY, THE BUGS.
YOU CAN ALSO GET THAT FROM THE DIATOM COMMUNITY, SINGLE SAIL ALGAES THAT LIVE ON ROCKS.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE, WE, UH, GATHER DATA ON WHAT WE CALL NON-CONTACT RECREATION.
SO THE AVERAGE CITIZEN WALKS BY AND THE WATER IS GREEN, OR HAS ALGAE OR SMELLS FUNNY OR HAS TRASH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO WE WOULD TRY TO GATHER THAT INFORMATION ON A MORE CITIZEN BASED PERSPECTIVE.
AND THEN THE HABITAT ARE THINGS STABLE AS THE BANKS ERODING AS THEIR GOOD, UH, VEGETATION AND RIPARIAN HEALTH TO IT.
AND THEN THE SEDIMENT, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT EARLIER.
THAT'S WHERE ALL THESE REALLY INSIDIOUS, UH, HIDDEN POLLUTANTS LIKE TO CLING TO BECAUSE THEY'RE, UH, POLAR.
DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE LAST THREE DECADES, WE'D BREAK THE WATERSHEDS UP INTO THREE PHASES BECAUSE WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE BANDWIDTH STAFF TIME OR MONEY TO GO TO ALL WATERSHEDS ALL THE TIME.
SO, UH, EVERY THREE YEARS WE WOULD SEE ANY ONE PARTICULAR WATERSHED.
WE'D TAKE THOSE QUARTERLY SAMPLES AND THEN ANNUAL SAMPLES, WE WOULD CRUNCH THAT DATA AND THEN WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT, UH, PHASE.
AND THAT WAS NICE BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO FIT THAT INTO OUR BUDGET.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ONLY GETTING TO SEE THESE WATERSHEDS ONCE EVERY THREE YEARS.
AND A LOT CAN HAPPEN AS, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THREE YEARS.
SO SOMEWHERE AROUND, UH, WHEN I GOT ON BOARD WITH THE CITY IN 2004 ISH, WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT, HEY, LET'S, LET'S STEP THIS UP.
LET'S TRY TO INCREASE OUR FREQUENCY.
WE PULL BACK ON OUR NUMBER OF SITES A LITTLE BIT.
IT WAS ABOUT 120 TO 130 SITES.
THEN WE SCALED IT BACK DOWN TO ABOUT A HUNDRED, 110 SITES.
BUT WE WERE ABLE TO SEE THEM ALL WATERSHEDS EVERY OTHER YEAR.
AND THAT INCREASED FREQUENCY OUTWEIGHED THE LOSS OF A COUPLE OF SITES.
UH, WE ALSO DID STATISTICAL ANALYSIS ON THE SITES, AND WE WERE ABLE TO DELETE ONES THAT WE, THAT WERE REDUNDANT, UH, IN THEIR, IN THEIR VALUE FOR THEIR, UH, INFORMATION.
UM, SO THIS KIND OF BRINGS US TO, TO PRESENT DAY.
I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE PAST SO FAR.
AND, UH, EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING NOW IS HAPPENING.
[02:20:01]
THIS IS AVAILABLE ON A TX WATERSHEDS.YOU CAN GO DOWN TO A SUB WATERSHED BASIS.
YOU CAN CLICK ON THAT WATERSHED.
AND WHAT YOU SEE IS EVERYTHING IN A BEAUTIFUL COLOR CODED, RELATABLE, SIMPLE, UH, FORMAT.
THERE IS ONE SCORE CALLED WATER QUALITY, WHICH JUST AVERAGES ALL THE SUB INDEXES.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE, WELL, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IS FOR CONTACT RECREATION, E COLI, SHOAL CREEK NOT GOOD.
IT'S, IT'S IN THAT, UH, BAD CATEGORY.
BUT INTERESTINGLY FOR OTHER CATEGORIES, IT'S VERY GOOD, PROBABLY BECAUSE IT HAS MORE RELIABLE FLOW IN THE DOWNSTREAM PARTS.
SO YOU CAN BREAK, YOU CAN TEASE APART THESE ON AN UNDERSTANDABLE ZERO TO 100 SCALE.
EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT AN A, B, C, D, AND F IS.
SO COMMUNICATION WISE, THIS METHOD IS GOOD.
AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO THIS.
AS I STILL GO OUT AND MONITOR WATER SITES, WE CAN STILL UPDATE SOME OF THE WATERSHEDS THAT I DO.
CERTAINLY, WE'RE NOT DOING IT AS, UH, AS FREQUENT AS WE WERE IN THE PAST BECAUSE WE ARE MOVING TOWARDS SOMETHING MUCH BETTER AND MUCH, UH, MORE PROGRESSIVE.
SO LET'S POP THE HOOD ON THE VALUE, OR AT LEAST WHAT IS CURRENTLY WHAT HAS BEEN DONE UP INTO THIS NEAR FUTURE.
UH, THEY'RE ALL ALONG THE MAIN STEMS OF OUR 45 NAMED, UH, 45 50 NAMED WATERSHEDS.
DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU DRAW THE LINE, UH, THERE ARE 500 MILES OF THESE CREEK MAIN STEMS. SO IF YOU DO ABOUT, UH, 120 SITES AND YOU'VE GOT 500 MILES, WELL, YOU'VE ROUGHLY GOT ONE SITE WILL REPRESENT ABOUT, UH, 10 MILES, UH, OF CREEK, WHICH IS A LOT OF CREEK TO REPRESENT BY FOUR SAMPLES A YEAR, ONE IN THE SUMMER, AND THEN EVERY OTHER YEAR.
SO, UH, IT KIND OF WORKS UNTIL YOU START TO THEN THINK ABOUT, WELL, WHAT ARE OUR NEEDS? OUR CITIZENS DON'T ALL LIVE ON MAIN STEMS, AND OUR CITIZENS LIVE IN A LOT OF TRIBUTARIES, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF DISTRIBUTORS.
IT'S ANOTHER ORDER OF MAGNITUDE OF LINEAR DISTANCE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL THESE LITTLE TRIPS LIKE ROYAL SECCO AND KITCHEN AND ALL THESE OTHERS.
SO, UH, THERE'S A TOTAL OF ABOUT 5,500 MILES.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CRAM 5,000, 500 MILES OF DRAINAGES INTO OUR CITY, BUT THEY'RE THERE.
UM, AND WE'VE GOT THESE 120 SITES TO TRY TO REPRESENT ALL OF THAT.
IT IS STATISTICALLY SPEAKING FROM INADEQUATE.
SO WE LOOKED AT THIS, UH, WE TRIED TO CRITIQUE OURSELVES BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN PATTING OURSELVES ON THE BACK FOR A LONG TIME, DOING ALL THIS WORK, COMING UP WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL COLOR CODED, RELATABLE, UH, SCORING METHODOLOGY.
AND WE COME BACK AND WE THINK, OKAY, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS ACTUALLY FAIRLY LOW IN RESOLUTION.
IT'S A GENERALIZED CONCEPT, WHICH IS GOOD FOR COMMUNICATION, BAD FOR SCIENCE.
WE ARE ONLY LOOKING AT THE BASE FLOW CHARACTERISTICS.
WE'RE NOT THINKING ABOUT STORM FLOW AND WHAT HAPPENS DURING A STORM AND WHAT THEIR WATER QUALITY IS, UH, DURING AND AFTER.
AND IT'S ALL OBSERVATION, UH, UH, MEANING I GO OUT, I TAKE MY SAMPLE, I SAY THAT SAMPLE REPRESENTS THE REST OF THE YEAR.
THAT'S KIND OF NOT POWERFULLY, UH, POWERFUL WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MATHEMATICS.
AND IT'S NOT REALLY TIED TO QUANTIFIABLE SOLUTIONS.
I CAN MAKE CORRELATIONS TO STORM WATER CONTROLS.
I CAN MAKE CORRELATIONS TO IMPERVIOUS COVER AND LAND USE CHARACTERISTICS AND ALL THESE OTHER THINGS, BUT THEY'RE NOT, THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF SCIENTIFIC STRENGTH TO THEM.
SO WHAT IS IT THAT WE WANT? THERE'S A LOT OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
I WANT TO BE ABLE TO SAY THE DRIVERS, AND WHEN I SAY DRIVERS, I'M TALKING ABOUT LAND USE.
I'M TALKING ABOUT STORM WATER CONTROLS, ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE CAN DO, THAT WE CAN ADJUST.
THOSE DRIVERS ARE GONNA CHANGE OUTCOMES.
WE'VE WATCHED IT HAPPEN FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS.
I CAN SHOW YOU THE DOWNWARD TRENDS IN CERTAIN THINGS AND THE STABLE TRENDS IN OTHERS.
BUT WHAT I WANNA DO IS I WANT TO KNOW WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS THAT AFFECT THOSE DRIVERS THAT GIVE ME THE OUTCOMES THAT I WANT.
I WANT OUR CREEKS TO BE BETTER, EVEN IN A GROWING POPULATION, EVEN IN INCREASING POLLUTANTS.
I, I FEEL LIKE WE CAN DO THAT.
SO WHAT I NEED TO DO THAT THOUGH, IS I NEED A MODEL.
I NEED A STRONG MATH FOUNDATION FOR WHICH TO TELL ME PRECISELY IN QUANTIFIABLE MANNERS, WHAT DRIVERS ARE CHANGING THESE OUTCOMES AND TO WHAT EXTENT.
AND THEN WHAT KNOBS CAN I TURN TO CHANGE THOSE? SO WHAT'S, WHAT, WHAT ARE MY SOLUTIONS? WHAT'S MY SOLUTIONS SPACE? SO WHAT DO I HAVE? WHAT ARE MY OPPORTUNITIES? WHAT, WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO ME? WE'VE GOT 30 YEARS OF DATA THAT'S POWERFUL.
I THINK OUR MUNICIPALITY HAS MORE DATA THAN PRETTY MUCH ANYBODY IN THE SOUTHWEST.
WE, UH, WE HAVE LIKE INSTI LIKE, UH, UNIVERSITY LEVEL AMOUNTS OF DATA.
UM, WHAT I DO HAVE THOUGH, IS I CONTINUE TO TAKE EMPIRICAL DATA.
I WAS JUST WENT OUT TODAY THIS MORNING AND COLLECTED SAMPLES.
SO I STILL COLLECT THOSE SAMPLES, UM, IN BASE FLOW, BUT I ALSO WANT TO COLLECT STORM FLOW.
SO I TAKE THAT EMPIRICAL DATA THAT'S COLLECTED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, AND I WANT TO TAKE ALL MY SITES IN ALL OF AUSTIN, AND I WANT TO CLUSTER THEM INTO SIMILAR, SIMILAR GROUPS, NOT JUST BY WATERSHED SIZE, BECAUSE I CAN'T COMPARE ONION TO BLUNT.
[02:25:01]
SO I WANT TO, UH, TAKE ALL THESE AREAS AND COMPARE THEM AND GROUP THEM BY LIKE SLOPE BECAUSE, AND, AND HABITAT LIKE EAST AND WEST, IT'S VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF CREEK JUST BY THE, UH, THE ECO REGION THAT WE'RE IN BY IMPERVIOUS COVER, BY LAND USE.I WANNA TAKE ALL THESE SIMILARITIES AND I WANNA CLUSTER THEM SO I CAN MATHEMATICALLY CRUNCH THAT DATA.
SO, UH, THE MODEL THAT WE'RE GONNA PUT ALL THIS DATA IN IS SCARY TO ME.
THE EQUATIONS THAT YOU SEE ARE JUST A TINY SAMPLE THAT I JUST CLIPPED FROM THE ACTUAL, UH, QUALITY ASSURANCE PLANS.
WE CALL 'EM QPS THAT GO INTO THIS MODEL.
THESE ARE THE ACTUAL EQUATIONS.
AND THERE ARE MANY, MANY MORE.
I JUST THREW A COUPLE IN THERE.
NOW, WHEN I START TO SEE THIS, I FEEL MYSELF START TO, UH, ASPHYXIATE AND THEN I BLACK OUT.
AND THEN WHEN I COME TO, I REMIND MYSELF, ANDREW, YOU'RE A BIOLOGIST.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW THIS STUFF.
YOU CAN TRUST YOUR PHDS THAT ARE ON STAFF THAT KNOW HOW TO DO THIS STUFF, THAT UNDERSTAND HOW THESE PIECES WORK.
SO WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS SOMETHING A LOT SIMPLER.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WILL MAKE A PRODUCT THAT DOES EVERYTHING THAT I WANT IT TO.
THE SAUSAGE IS WHAT I UNDERSTAND, AND WILL LET THE COOKS IN, IN THE KITCHEN FIGURE OUT THE REST OF THOSE PARTS.
NOW, WHAT DO I MEAN ABOUT EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE? ALL AT ONCE? NOT REALLY A JOKE.
IT'S, IT, IT CAN TELL ME THE PHYSICAL AND THE PHYSICAL CHEMICAL PARAMETERS THAT ARE EXPECTED FOR ANY LOCATION ANYWHERE.
AND TELL ME ABOUT WHAT THE EXPECTED CHEMICAL THE NUTRIENTS ARE GONNA BE.
IT CAN TELL ME WHAT THE BIOLOGICAL COMMUNITY SHOULD BE, AND I CAN GO TO THAT SITE AND GET THE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE AND THEN SAY, EITHER IT'S PERFOR, IT'S THIS SITE IS UNDERPERFORMING.
FIGURE OUT WHY, OR IT'S OVERPERFORMING.
AND THEN WHEN I SAY EVERYWHERE, I MEAN INSTEAD OF JUST THOSE 120 POINTS THAT WE HAVE IN COLLECTING DATA AND USE TO REPRESENT THE REST OF THE WATERSHEDS, IT CAN GIVE ME 3000 POINTS THROUGHOUT ALL THESE STREAMS. NOT JUST THE MAIN STEMS, BUT THE TRIBUTARIES TOO.
AND I CAN UPDATE THAT MODEL WITH NEW INPUTS.
AT ANY POINT, ONCE THAT MODEL IS CALIBRATED AND ALL THE, ALL THE LITTLE GEARS ARE TURNING IN THAT MODEL, I JUST PUT IN NEW INFORMATION AND IT CRANKS OUT UPDATED STUFF.
SO WHAT IS THAT MODEL? I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA PEEL BACK THE SURFACE JUST ENOUGH TO WHERE I'M UNCOMFORTABLE AND THEN KINDA LET IT GO BACK.
UH, IT IS A LARGE MODEL CALLED THAT WE JUST CALL GEISHA GRIDED SUBSURFACE SURFACE HYDROLOGIC ANALYSIS.
THIS THING WILL DO EVERYTHING AND THE KITCHEN SINK.
WE DON'T NEED ALL THE, THE, THE MODULES THAT IT CAN DO.
WE JUST TAKE FROM IT WHAT WE NEED.
BUT BASICALLY IT'S PHYSICS BASED, MEANING YOU'RE TAKING EMPIRICAL INFORMATION.
IT'S DISTRIBUTED ALL OVER THE PLACE.
HYDROLOGIC SEDIMENT AND CONTAMINANT FATE.
SO THAT, THIS HERE IS PRETTY INTERESTING.
IT BASICALLY TAKES A TWO DIMENSIONAL INFORMATION, MEANING STORMWATER RUNOFF, RAIN HITS THE GROUND, GOES OVER THE SLOPE, GOES OVER THE TYPE OF SOIL, THE TYPE OF VEGETATION COMMUNITY, ALL THESE THINGS THAT WOULD AFFECT THE WATER, EITHER RUNNING OFF QUICKLY TO THE CREEK WITH SEDIMENT OR INFILTRATING INTO THE SOIL.
SO IT TAKES ALL THAT TWO DIMENSIONAL DYNAMICS, AND THEN IT LINKS IT TO ONE DIMENSIONAL LINEAR TRANSPORTATION DOWN THE CREEKS, WHICH FASCINATES ME.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT MATH WORKS.
I'M JUST GONNA KEEP WITH THE SAUSAGE.
SO THIS IS A, JUST AN I, UH, A VISUAL OF WHAT DO THOSE 3000 MODEL POINTS LOOK LIKE? THE SMALLEST WATERSHED IN ANY ONE OF THOSE 3000 POINTS IS GONNA BE 320 ACRES.
WE JUST PICKED THAT BECAUSE IT'S A REGULATORY THRESHOLD FOR A CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
SO NO POINT WILL REPRESENT LESS THAN 320 ACRES.
EACH POINT WILL BE NESTED TO BE LARGER AND LARGER.
BUT YOU CAN BREAK DOWN A WATERSHED FOR EACH ONE.
SO NOW I'M ABLE TO, WHEN THE MODEL IS FINISHED, IT WILL BE ABLE TO TELL YOU FOR ANY ONE OF THESE 3000 POINTS WHAT THE THEORETICAL WATER QUALITY SHOULD BE FOR MANY DIFFERENT ASPECTS.
SO I'M GONNA JUST LOOK AT THIS ONE LITTLE PART, KIND OF THE URBAN CORE OF AUSTIN.
THIS IS, UH, LEFT TO RIGHT AND TOP TO BOTTOM, SHO WALLER.
AND THEN UP AT THE TOP, WE'VE GOT LITTLE WALNUT BUTTERMILK, I THINK FORT BRANCH, TANNEHILL, BOGGY.
I THINK THAT'S, I THINK I GOT 'EM ALL.
SO JUST THIS AREA, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE, THE LINEAR STREAMS THAT IT'S MODELING AND THE TRIBUTARIES.
AND EACH ONE OF THOSE LITTLE POINTS IS GONNA BE ABOUT 3000 FEET APART.
I, IT JUST WORKED OUT THAT WAY.
THERE'S 300 POINTS AND THEY'RE ABOUT 3000 FEET APART.
KIND OF NEAT, NICE TO EASY WAY TO EXPLAIN IT.
UM, LOOKING AT THOSE, THEN I CAN BREAK APART EACH WATERSHED THAT IT WOULD BE CHARACTERIZED BY WHAT FLOWS TO THAT, WHAT IMPERVIOUS COVER, WHAT LAND USE, UH, WHAT SOIL, WHAT SLOPE, ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT MIGHT CHANGE THE WAY THAT, UH, POLLUTANTS FATE WOULD BE, UH, FELT GOING DOWNSTREAM AND OVERLAND FLOW.
SO NOW, UH, THAT COMES TO THE PART WHERE YOU CAN HAVE THAT MODEL TELL YOU ALL THAT INFORMATION.
BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW THE MODEL'S, RIGHT? HOW IS THE DATA THAT'S GIVING YOU MEANINGFUL? CAN I JUST TELL A CITIZEN OR SOMEHOW COMMUNICATE TO THEM OVER THE INTERNET, THIS CREEK IS GOOD OR BAD FOR ALL THESE VARIOUS REASONS? WELL, WE HAVE MANY SITES TO HELP CALIBRATE, VALIDATE, AND UPDATE THAT MODEL ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
[02:30:01]
THE GOLD RINGS THAT YOU SEE, THOSE ARE OUR ROUTINE LONG-TERM MONITORING STATIONS.I'M GONNA GO TO THOSE EVERY SINGLE YEAR TILL THE END OF TIME, OR I RETIRE ONE OF THE TWO.
AND AT THAT STAGE, I'M GONNA DO THE SAME THING I WAS DOING BASICALLY BEFORE.
SO I'M GONNA MAINTAIN THAT CONTINUOUS, UH, MONITORING REGIME THAT WE'VE DONE.
I'M GONNA GO TO 'EM QUARTERLY, GET WATER QUALITY AND NUTRIENTS AND, UH, E COLI.
AND THEN ANNUALLY, I'M GONNA CHECK ON THE, THE BIOLOGY AND, AND THE PHYSICAL STUFF.
UH, THE OTHER NICE BANG FOR THE BUCK HERE IS THAT SOME OF THESE WATERSHEDS, I HAVE TO TURN THAT INFORMATION TO THE STATE IN ANYWAY, SO I'M KIND OF GETTING TO, TO DO SOME DOUBLE DIPPING THERE.
UH, THE STORMWATER STATION, SO THAT'S THE OTHER BIG ONE.
THEY'VE GOT THE BLUE TRIANGLES AT THESE LOCATIONS.
THESE ARE GONNA BE REPRESENTATIVE, THERE'S NINE OF THEM.
THEY'RE GONNA BE REPRESENTATIVE OF ONE OF EIGHT DIFFERENT CLUSTERS, THOSE SIMILAR WATERSHEDS.
SO EACH STORMWATER MONITORING STATION WILL REPRESENT A WHOLE BUNCH OF SITES.
WE'VE GOT A NINTH ONE IN THERE.
AND THAT IS JUST FOR GILLAND CREEK.
'CAUSE GILLAND CREEK IS OUR ONLY CREEK THAT IS REALLY EFFLUENT DRIVEN, MEANING ALL OF THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT EFFLUENT, THE TREATED WASTEWATER THAT COMES IN FROM THE PFLUGERVILLE AREA THAT KEEPS THAT STREAM ROCKING YEAR ROUND VERY CONSISTENTLY.
THAT'S A VERY DIFFERENT MONSTER THAN ANY OF THE OTHER CREEKS THAT SOMETIMES GO DRY.
UM, SO I'VE GOT THE STORMWATER SITES, I'VE GOT THE ROUTINE SITES.
AND THEN BECAUSE SCIENCE, I NEED TO GO TO RANDOM SITES, I CAN'T JUST GO TO THESE MAIN STEMS THAT ARE EASY TO ACCESS OR THE PLACES WE'VE BEEN BEFORE.
I TO CALIBRATE, VALIDATE AND UPDATE THAT MODEL.
I NEED THE, THE COMPUTER TO JUST SAY, GO HERE, ANDREW, AND THEN I'LL TRY TO GO AS IF I CAN ACCESS IT.
IF IT'S NOT ON, ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, I'M GONNA GO TO A RANDOM SITE AND SEE IF THE, THE, THE MODEL IS WORKING.
THAT'S GONNA BE SOME DIFFICULT FIELD WORK.
SO I'M GONNA QUICKLY GO THROUGH WHAT IS A STORMWATER STATION AND WHAT'S THE OTHER STATION'S A STORMWATER MONITORING? THERE'S ONE, IT'S A, THIS IS UP IN WALNUT, UH, METRO PARK.
UM, SUB WATER IS A LITTLE, LITTLE CREEK GOING THROUGH THAT PARK, AND IT, UH, IS IN NORTH AUSTIN.
SO THERE ARE EIGHT MORE OF THESE STORM WATER STATIONS, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN INS ARE BEING INSTALLED.
THEY'RE ALMOST DONE BACKBREAKING LABOR, BY THE WAY.
UM, THESE ARE OUR SCIENTISTS PUTTING THESE THINGS BY HAND, PULLING CONCRETE THEMSELVES, TRENCHING DOWN TO THE CREEK TO RUN TO THE CONDUIT AND THE LINES AND THE SAND, AND THE, THE, THESE, UH, AUTOMATED FLOW MACHINES THAT WILL TAKE SAMPLES DURING A FLIGHT.
IT'S JUST FASCINATING HOW THE WHOLE THING WORKS, AND IT IS NOT AS EASY AS IT LOOKS.
UM, SO PROPS TO, UH, CHRISTINA BRYANT, TO BRIAN BURKE, TO STARN WAGNER WHO HAVE BEEN THIS SUMMER, SWEATING IN THE HEAT IN THESE FULL SUN THINGS, PUTTING IN THESE BIG METAL OBJECTS.
UM, BUT AT THESE LOCATIONS, THE COOL THING IS THAT THEY WILL GIVE US CONTINUOUS MONITORING.
WE'VE GOT A SO IN THE WATER, AND IT'S GONNA TELL US WHAT THE PH CONDUCTIVITY, TURBIDITY, AND TEMPERATURE IS, AND DISSOLVE OXYGEN AT ALL TIMES.
WHENEVER I JUST PICK UP MY PHONE AND SEE WHAT THE, SEE WHAT THE CONDUCTIVITY IS AT A CREEK, AT ANY ONE POINT IN TIME THROUGHOUT THE STORM OR THROUGHOUT THE BASEBALL YEAR ROUND, UM, IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY SAMPLE STORM WATER.
AND WE CAN TAKE THAT THEN TO THE LABORATORY.
THEY CAN GIVE US ALL THE SUITE OF NUTRIENTS, THE TOTAL KEGEL NITROGEN, TOTAL PHOSPHORUS, TOTAL NITROGEN, AMMONIA, NITRATE, NITRITE, ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT HELP US UNDERSTAND THE NUTRIENT DYNAMICS OF THE STREAM.
AND THEN WE CAN SAMPLE AS MANY STORMS AS WE WANT.
UM, PART OF THIS DATA, AGAIN, GOES TO TCEQ.
THE REST OF IT, THEN WE CAN INFORM OUR MODEL WITH IT.
UH, SO WE'RE GONNA GET AS MANY STORMS AS WE CAN.
WHEN THE MODEL HAS ENOUGH DATA, THEN WE CAN PULL THIS SLIDE UP OUT OF THE GROUND, MOVE IT TO ANOTHER LOCATION, AND WASH, RINSE, REPEAT.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE TO INFORM THAT MODEL.
IF THE DATA COMES BACK AND IT'S ALL NICE AND TIGHT AND EVERYTHING'S GREAT, WE MIGHT BE DONE IN A, IN JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS.
IF NOT, WE MIGHT HAVE TO JUST KEEP GETTING DATA UNTIL THE MODEL IS SATISFIED WITH IT.
SO I'M NOT ABLE TO SAY HOW LONG EACH ONE OF THESE WILL BE IN, UH, BE INSTALLED.
AND THEN ANNUALLY WE, WE'LL GO TO EACH OF THESE SITES AND COLLECT THAT BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION, THE BENTHIC MACRO INVERTEBRATES, THE BUGS AND THE CREEK, THE DIATOMS, SINGLE CELLULAR ALGAE TO GIVE US AN UNDERSTANDING OF AQUATIC INTEGRITY, INTEGRITY, AND PAIR THAT WITH THE, UH, THE MODELS OUTPUTS AT THE OTHER SITES.
AND THIS IS GONNA BE THE ROUTINE ONES, THOSE LONG-TERM ONES THAT I'LL KEEP GOING TO.
AND IT'S, I NEED TO GO TO THE SAME SITE YEAR AFTER YEAR FOR 30, 40 YEARS, BECAUSE THAT HELPS ME UNDERSTAND CLIMATIC CHANGE.
THAT HELPS ME UNDERSTAND THE BIGGER PICTURE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING SPECIFICALLY AT A SITE AS A SURROGATE FOR TRENDS IN, IN TIME AT THOSE, I TAKE THE NUTRIENTS, TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS TO DOLLED AUCTION, ALL THESE DIFFERENT PARAMETERS AND THOSE BENDIX AND DIATOMS. SO I'M BASICALLY CONTINUING WHAT THE, THE BULK OF THE DATA COLLECTION THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS, UH, ONGOING.
UM, AND THEN I'M GONNA DO THE SAME THING AT THE RANDOM SITES WHEN WE'RE READY.
AND WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA BE READY THIS COMING FISCAL YEAR.
WE'RE GONNA START GOING TO THE RANDOM SITES TOO, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THE, THE, THE MODEL.
WE ARE LOOKING INTO A VERY, A VERY, VERY BIG CHANGE.
NOT A LOT OF CHANGE IN ACTUAL DATA COLLECTION PER SE, BUT IN HOW
[02:35:01]
WE USE THAT DATA, HOW WE COMMUNICATE THAT DATA AND WHAT THAT DATA CAN DO FOR US, IT'S MUCH MORE POWERFUL.THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE.
SO THIS IS, UH, ALL THOSE 3000 POINTS.
THIS IS THE IRIS, THE INDEX OF RIPARIAN INTEGRITY.
SO FOR EACH ONE OF THESE SITES, IT LOOKS AT GIS IT LOOKS AT AERIALS, AND IT TELLS US, WHAT IS YOUR RIPARIAN CORRIDOR LIKE? DO YOU HAVE GOOD TREES, GOOD CANOPY CARRIERS, GOOD VEGETATION ON EACH SIDE? THAT USUALLY HELPS US STREAM.
WE HAVE THESE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES THAT WE'VE HAD FOR A WHILE THAT DO WONDERFUL THINGS FOR THE CREEKS.
WELL, NOTICE THE URBAN CORE, YOU NEVER REALLY HAD THOSE, JUST HAPPENS TO BE WHERE ALL THE POOR WATER QUALITY IS.
SO THE RED KIND OF, THE HEAT OF THE RED IS MEANING THESE ARE BAD, YELLOW AND ORANGE, NOT SO GOOD.
AND ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE COOLER COLORS.
AND THE PURPLES BEING EXCELLENT.
IT'S WHERE THE CITY HASN'T TAINTED IT QUITE SO BAD AT THIS TIME.
SO THIS FORECASTING, THOUGH, HAPPENS IN AN EVER-CHANGING LANDSCAPE.
AND I MEAN THAT IN MULTIPLE WAYS.
HUMAN INFLUENCE, CLIMATE INFLUENCE, UM, JUST THE CHANGES IN LAND USE IT ITSELF AND JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES.
SO WE'VE GOT THIS EVER-CHANGING JURISDICTIONAL LANDSCAPE.
SO HOW DOES THE CHANGING OF ETJ BOUNDARIES, AND THESE ARE HAPPENING ON A PARCEL BY PARCEL BASIS, A LITTLE BIT HERE, A LITTLE BIT THERE, NIBBLE, NIBBLE, NIBBLE.
HOW DOES IT CHANGE OUR ABILITY TO DO THIS JOB? TO TO MONITOR THE WATER QUALITY AND, AND PRODUCE THIS, UM, A MEANING, HOPEFULLY MEANINGFUL PRODUCT, NOT JUST TO OURSELVES, SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND, UH, THE DYNAMICS OF OUR STREAMS BETTER, BUT TO YOU, TO THE CITIZENS, TO THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY IN GENERAL, WHO CAN THEN USE OUR DATA TO, UH, KIND OF EXPORT OUR IDEAS THAT ARE MORE PROGRESSIVE IDEAS TO THE REST OF THE SOUTHWEST, UH, SENATE BILL 2038 IS KINDA WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
THIS, UH, ALLOWS A PARCEL, A, A LANDOWNER TO PETITION TO OPT OUT.
UM, IF THE PETITION IS VALID, HAS MERIT, UH, THEN THEY'RE REMOVED FROM THE ETJ.
SO THAT SOUNDS, UH, YOU KNOW, OKAY, SURE, WHY NOT? WELL, IF THERE'S A WATER QUALITY POND ON IT, OR IF THEY'RE RIGHT UP AGAINST THE CREEK, OR IF THEY HAPPEN TO HAVE A PERMITTED, UH, DISCHARGE OR SOMETHING THAT COULD BE MEANINGFUL TO THE EFFECTS IN THE CREEK, BUT IT DOESN'T CHANGE US, US, MEANING MY LITTLE PORTHOLE IN THIS, IN THIS SUBMARINE, WE STILL, UH, MONITOR THE WATER QUALITY THE SAME, THE WATER DOESN'T KNOW WHERE ITS BOUNDARIES ARE AND THE POLLUTANT FATE GOING, UH, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTED DOWN CREEK DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THAT EITHER.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING REGARDLESS OF THE POLITICAL BOUNDARIES WE ALREADY HAVE TO MONITOR WATERSHEDS OUTSIDE EVEN THE ETJ, SO WE UNDERSTAND THE WATER THAT'S COMING IN AND HOW IT'S CHANGING OVER TIME.
UM, HOW DOES IT, DOES IT AFFECT INSPECTION OF OUR WATER QUALITY PONDS? YEAH, BECAUSE THOSE PARCELS SOMETIMES HAVE PONDS AND THEY'RE NO LONGER AN ETJ.
SO THAT AFFECTS THAT SIMILAR TO, UH, WATER QUALITY SPILLS AND POLLUTION EVENTS THAT HAPPEN THAT PEOPLE CALL IN.
I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THE OTHER TWO BEFORE I DO.
UM, WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE THIS EVENING A GUEST WITH US FROM TRAVIS COUNTY, KIRSTEN IVY, UH, HERE IN THE CROWD REPRESENTING, UH, THE WATER QUALITY, UH, GROUP, UH, WHO HAS VERY SIMILAR GOALS THAT MY SCIENTIFIC GROUP DOES, WHICH IS TO, UH, ENSURE THAT WATER IS SAFE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES AND FOR OUR LONG-TERM RESILIENCE TO, UH, TO MONITOR IT AND TO TRY TO MAKE DECISIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON THAT INFORMATION.
UH, TRAVIS COUNTY HAS BEEN A PARTNER WITH US FOR A LONG TIME.
THEY HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN SAMPLING SITES.
EII STYLE THE EXACT SAME THING THAT WE'RE DOING FOR YEARS.
AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE THAT PARTNERSHIP SO THAT WE CAN, UH, BENEFIT, BOTH BENEFIT FROM IT TO THIS EXPANDED LARGER DATA SET WITH SITES THAT ARE IN WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER TO BE REFERENCE CONDITIONS SO UNAFFECTED BY URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
UM, KIRSTEN IS HERE NOW BECAUSE THEY HAVE, UH, HAD A RECENT IMPROVEMENT AS WELL, SIMILAR TO US IN THEIR APPROACH TO WATER QUALITY MONITORING, A LITTLE MORE PROGRESSIVE AND, UH, A BIGGER BITE.
SO WE CAN HOLD THE QUESTIONS TO THE END.
BUT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ON TRAVIS COUNTY AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING, UH, PLEASE, UH, INVITE HER UP AND LET'S ASK HER SOME QUESTIONS.
UH, BUT I'M GONNA PIVOT BACK TO THOSE TWO OTHER, UH, THINGS.
WHEN A, WHEN AN A PARCEL LEAVES THE ETJ OUT OF THAT VALID PETITION, UH, THE POND THAT, WHEN I SAY POND, THAT'S A ACCRUED WAY OF SAYING STORM WATER CONTROL.
IT COULD BE A WET POND, A SAND BED, A BIOFILTRATION, PARDON, RAIN GARDEN.
ANY ONE OF THESE CONTROLS THAT WE'VE, UH, CREATED OR HAVE THE, UH, REQUIRED, LEMME PUT IT THAT WAY, TO TREAT WATER STORMWATER RUN OFF FROM A SITE.
SO THERE IS A GROUP OF TEAM LED BY MATT BOGER, DEDICATED PROFESSIONAL, HARDWORKING INDIVIDUALS, UH, VERY PRIVILEGED TO BE IN THEIR SPHERE.
UH, AND THEY GO OUT AND THEY INSPECT THESE, THEY ALSO INSPECT, UH, DAM SAFETY.
SO, AND THAT, THAT COULD BE ELIMINATED TOO, THE INSPECTION OF SOME OF THESE, UH, DAMS. SO THEIR FOCUS ON STORMWATER PONDS, OF COURSE, THE CHALLENGES THEY HAVE IS THEY, ONCE THE ONCE A PARCEL IS RELEASED, THEY HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO INSPECT IT OR DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT IF THERE'S AN EXISTING VIOLATION.
[02:40:01]
UM, SO THAT INFORMATION IS BEING TRANSFERRED THOUGH TO TRAVIS COUNTY.SO THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE GATHERED OVER TIME AND THE INFORMATION ON EXISTING VIOLATIONS, THINGS THAT ARE NOT COMPLIANT, THAT IS BEING COMMUNICATED TO THE TRAVIS COUNTY COUNTERPARTS WHO ARE IN CHARGE OF, OF PONDS.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, THERE IS MS FOUR, THE MUNICIPAL STORM SERVICE, UH, PERMIT IMPLICATIONS, MEANING WE ARE BOUND AND OBLIGATED BY THE STATE TO HAVE CLEAN CREEKS, BUT IF SOMEONE ELSE UPSTREAM IS AFFECTING OUR ABILITY TO KEEP OUR CREEKS CLEAN, HOW DO WE AFFECT CHANGE? SO THERE'S THAT IMPLICATIONS THERE.
AND THEN THERE'S A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY.
WILL THIS SENATE BILL LAST? WILL THINGS CHANGE? WILL THEY, WILL WE GET THESE BACK? I DON'T KNOW.
WILL THERE BE A WHOLE BUNCH MORE GOING? THERE'S JUST SO MUCH UNCERTAINTY TO THAT BOUNDARY.
IT'S KIND OF, UH, MORE FRIGHTENING THAN THE MODEL.
UM, SO ALSO THIS GROUP, THEY RECEIVE UPDATES ON NEW RELEASES.
SO IMMEDIATELY IF ONE GETS RELEASED, THAT GROUP GETS THAT INFORMATION.
THEY CROSS-REFERENCE IT TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY PAWNS OR ANY OF THOSE ASSETS IN THAT AREA.
AND IF THERE ARE EXISTING VIOLATIONS AND WHAT THE HISTORY OF THAT POND HAS BEEN, THEY COMMUNICATE WITH THE COUNTY, THEY COORDINATE WITH THAT, UH, THE IT GROUP, AND THEY GET GUIDANCE FROM LAW AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER, SHOULD THERE BE CONFLICTS OR ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
JUST TO GIVE YOU A SUMMARY, KINDA A SNAPSHOT OF WHERE ARE WE NOW, UM, AS OF LAST MONTH, THERE WAS 51 PARCELS, UH, THAT HAVE PONDS THAT WERE REMOVED FROM THE ETJ.
AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ON AVERAGE IT'S ABOUT A POND PER PARCEL, SOME MORE.
UM, OF THOSE 51 PARCELS, THERE WERE SEVEN PAWNS THAT HAD EXISTING NOTICE OF VIOLATIONS AND OVS.
AND THAT INFORMATION HAS BEEN TRAVIS TO THE, UH, HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED TO THE COUNTY.
THEY'VE GOT A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH US.
THEY PICK UP THE PHONE, THEY COMMUNICATE.
SO THAT INFORMATION IS NO LONGER ACTIONABLE FROM US, BUT WE HAVE GIVEN THAT INFORMATION TO TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, INTERDEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION.
SO THEN WE TALK TO POLICY AND PLANNING AND WHAT DOES THIS MEAN AND, AND HOW DO WE DOCUMENT OUR RECORDS FOR THIS TRANSFER? AND THEN INTERDEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION, WE WORK WITH LAW AND THE DEVELOPMENT, UH, SERVICES DEPARTMENT, AND THEN OF COURSE, INTERAGENCY COORDINATION.
SO FAR NOW IT'S JUST TRAVIS COUNTY.
THAT COULD ALSO MEAN WILLIAMSON AND OR HAYES, WHEREVER THE, THE, UH, THE PARCELS ARE, ARE HAPPEN TO COME OUT OF, UH, THIS IS A PHOTOGRAPH OF AN, AN OLD PHOTOGRAPH, BUT IT'S A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE WATER QUALITY COMPLIANCE DIVISION.
UH, THESE GUYS ARE LED BY RYAN HENK.
UM, UH, OUTSTANDING, AGAIN, DEDICATED PROFESSIONAL, PASSIONATE PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY INTO THEIR JOBS.
THEY DIVEST THEIR LIFE IN THEIR EMOTIONS INTO THESE JOBS.
I'M JUST PRIVILEGED TO WORK WITH THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE.
UM, THEY'RE ON CALL EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
AND IF SOMEONE CALLS UP AND SAYS, THERE'S A FISH KILL, MY CREEK HAS TURNED GREEN, WHAT'S GOING ON? THEN THEY RESPOND IN, IN, IN TIME.
NOW, THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEBODY ON CALL.
UM, SO WHAT DOES THE WATER, QUIET WATER QUALITY COMPLIANCE, UM, SECTION DUE? THEY ENFOR, I THINK I SAID DIVISION A MINUTE AGO.
SO, UM, THE, UH, THEY ENFORCED THE WATER QUALITY CODE CHAPTER SIX FIVE.
IT'S FAIRLY LITTLE, UH, SECTION.
THE, UH, SECTION 6 5 11 ADDRESSES THE APPLICABILITY.
AND IT SAYS THAT THE, THE FACT THAT POLLUTION IS PROHIBITED BY CODE, IT APPLIES IN THE PLANNING JURISDICTION.
PLANNING JURISDICTION MEANS FULL PURPOSE, THE LIMITED PURPOSE, THE ETJ, ALL THIS AREA.
SO THEY WERE ABLE TO APPLY ALL OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS AND RESPONSE TO THAT AREA.
UH, HOWEVER, IN THE EVENT OF DE ANNEXATION NO LONGER ETJ, THAT MEANS THAT THAT SECTION WOULD NO LONGER APPLY.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT POLLUTION IS NOW ALLOWED, IT JUST MEANS THAT WE HAVE NO CONTROL OR AUTHORITY OVER IT.
AND THE CONTROLLER AUTHORITY IS EITHER ENFORCEABLE BY THE COUNTY OR THE STATE, OR BOTH.
UM, SO THE WATER CODE STILL APPLIES ALL THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD, SHOULD, AND COULD STILL APPLY, UH, JUST NOT BY US.
I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA TAKE MUCH LONGER THAN THAT.
SO, UH, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, FOR KIRSTEN IVY? UM, AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE POLLUTION INSPECTION TEAM, OR ABOUT THE WATER QUALITY COMPLIANCE TEAM, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ACCEPT THOSE QUESTIONS.
IF I KNOW THE ANSWER, I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU.
IF I'M NOT 100% CONFIDENT, I WILL WRITE IT DOWN, COMMUNICATE BACK TO YOU.
UM, LET'S OPEN UP THE QUESTIONS ON REMOTE COMMISSIONERS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I ALSO JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THE GRATITUDE THAT YOU HAVE FOR YOUR COWORKERS.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY NICE TO SEE.
UM, EARLY ON IN THE PRESENTATION, I THINK YOU MENTIONED IN KIND OF THE, THE SELF-ASSESSMENT OF, YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
ONE OF THE SHORT GAPS THAT YOU SAW IS, UM, MAYBE NOT REALLY CONNECTING THE DATA TO THEN POLICY SOLUTIONS.
[02:45:01]
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE OR KIND OF HOW YOU'RE LOOKING TO REMEDIATE THAT? SURE, SURE.NO, THERE'S, AND, AND THAT TOPIC ITSELF, I COULD GO ON ABOUT A HUNDRED DIFFERENT THINGS.
I'LL KIND OF GIVE YOU ONE THAT I WOULD SAY IS EXEMPLARY.
SO THIS WAS, UH, AGAIN, 1994 IS WHEN THEY STARTED BACK IN 1994.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW WET PONDS THAT WELL.
THEY DIDN'T, THEY DIDN'T EVEN CONCEIVE OF, OR AT LEAST CONCEIVE OF THE ABILITY FOR US TO REQUIRE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, LIKE RAIN GARDENS AND ALL THESE REALLY PROGRESSIVE THINGS.
SO THESE THINGS KIND OF TRICKLED IN OVER TIME.
UM, THE ONE THING WE DID KNOW IS THAT FLOODING IS REALLY IMPORTANT, AND WE NEED TO ARREST THAT, GRAB THAT WATER, HOLD ONTO IT, AND, AND LET IT METER OUT.
WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE FOUND OUT OVER TIME IS THAT THE BIOLOGICAL COMMUNITY CAN HANDLE A BIG FLUSH.
WHAT IT CAN'T HANDLE IS CRITICAL FLOWS ABOVE A CERTAIN LEVEL FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.
IT'S KINDA LIKE, IF I PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE, IT'LL HURT YOUR FEELINGS.
YOU'LL BE ALL RIGHT IF I SLAP YOU IN THE FACE, BUT I DO IT FOR 10 HOURS, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA BE PUT OFF, RIGHT? SO THE BIOLOGICAL COMMUNITY, IF I, IF I GRAB A WHOLE BUNCH OF WATER IN A DETENTION FACILITY AND THEN I LET IT GO STRONGLY OVER 24 HOURS, IT'S CONCEIVABLY WORSE TO THE AQUATIC COMMUNITY THAN IT WOULD BE IF I HELD ONTO IT FOR 72 OR LONGER.
WE CALL IT EXTENDED DETENTION AND METERED OUT SLOWLY.
OR MAYBE IT DIDN'T EVEN DO IT AT ALL.
SO THESE THINGS THAT WE'VE STARTED TO LEARN OVER TIME HAVE CHANGED OUR UNDERSTANDING OF STORMWATER CONTROLS IN GENERAL AND HOW THEY AFFECT THE BIOLOGICAL COMMUNITY, HOW THEY AFFECT EROSION.
BECAUSE EROSION'S THE SAME WAY.
IF YOU, IF YOU PUT HIGH CRITICAL FLOWS OVER A CREEK, OVER, OVER A COURSE OF A OF A DAY, IT'S MAYBE HARDER THAN JUST A BIG WASH.
SO HOW DO WE ADJUST OUR, OUR DESIGN, THE ENGINEERING DESIGN OF A POND TO ADDRESS THAT? HOW CAN WE RETROFIT THE EXISTING PONDS THAT ARE OUT THERE TO ADDRESS THAT? CAN WE TAKE AN EXISTING POND AND TURN IT INTO A WET POND? IS THAT WET POND ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK THAT WE HOPE IT'S DOING BY, UH, PROCESSING ALL THESE CONTAMINANTS? SO WE HAVE ALL THESE SOLUTIONS OUT THERE.
WE NEED TO KNOW HOW ARE THE SOLUTIONS ACTUALLY WORKING, AND THEN HOW CAN WE CHANGE THOSE SOLUTIONS, UPDATE THEM, REVISE THEM, MAKE NEW SOLUTIONS, NEW OPTIONS TO ADDRESS.
WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO DO IS TO CHANGE THOSE OUTCOMES.
DID THAT ANSWER THE QUESTION? MAYBE? YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
I MEAN, THERE ARE MANY EXAMPLES.
YOU'VE GOT ALL THESE DIALS YOU CAN TURN WITH, UH, POLICY AND PLANNING AND, AND THESE, UH, SOLUTIONS THAT WE EXISTING HAVE.
AND THEN WHAT SOLUTIONS ARE WE, ARE WE NOT DOING THAT THEY'RE DOING AROUND THE UNITED STATES THAT WE COULD DO BETTER? SO, MM-HMM,
LET'S FIGURE THIS OUT AND THEN TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT KNOBS CAN WE TURN TO GET THE MOST ON OUR RETURN.
I AM CURIOUS WHEN IT COMES TO WATER QUALITY AND JUST EFFECTIVENESS, YOU TOUCHED A LITTLE BIT ON THE DESIGN OF THE DIFFERENT PONDS, AND IN THE EXAMPLE, IN THE SLIDESHOW, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, UH, KIND OF A, A MANMADE STRUCTURE THAT JUST SEEMED TO HAVE A LOT OF LIKE IMPERVIOUS COVER AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SO I'M CURIOUS ABOUT NEWER DESIGNS THAT MIGHT BE MORE RELIANT ON, YOU KNOW, EARTHEN STRUCTURES WITH LOTS OF PLANTS.
UM, OBVIOUSLY STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE CAN LOOK A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
IT CAN BE, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITY GARDENS AND FOOD FORESTS EARLIER TODAY.
UM, BUT YEAH, I'M JUST CURIOUS KIND OF THE, THE RATIONALE THAT GOES INTO THAT.
AND AS WE'RE MOVING INTO, YOU KNOW, A NEW UNDERSTANDING OF WATER QUALITY, HOW THAT HAS IMPACTED THE DESIGN OF THESE PONDS.
AND NOWHERE IS IT MORE IMPORTANT THAN IN THE RECHARGE ZONE.
AND ONE OF THE INITIATIVES THAT, UH, OUR GROUPS ARE WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE POND INSPECTION TEAM, WITH OUR STATISTICIANS AND OUR, AND THE, THE PEOPLE THAT UNDERSTAND MODELING AND OUR ENGINEERS OF THESE S IS HOW CAN WE DO BETTER IN THE RECHARGE ZONE? RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THESE RETENTION RE IRRIGATION PONDS, AND THEY MAY NOT BE PERFORMING AS WELL AS WE HAD HOPED BECAUSE THEY RELY ON WATER SOAKING INTO THE SOIL.
MANY OF YOU LIVE ON THE WEST SIDE LIKE I DO, YOUR GARDENING IS ALWAYS WITH A PICKAX.
THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF INFILTRATION GOING ON.
THERE ARE, ARE THOSE PONDS ABLE TO PERFORM AS WE ARE HOPING, AND DO WE NEED THEM TO ADJUST THE, THE, UH, AREA, THE ABILITY FOR THE SOILS TO INFILTRATE? DO WE NEED TO WORK IN MORE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ARE STEPPED APPROACHES? HOW CAN WE, HOW CAN WE CHANGE THOSE DESIGNS? SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S IN THE FOREFRONT OF HOW WE'RE THINKING AND, AND WHAT CHANGES WILL BE IN THE FUTURE.
AND SO DO YOU HAVE LIKE SOME EXAMPLES OF NEW DESIGNS THAT YOU'RE IMPLEMENTING? AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC TO A CERTAIN REGION AND SOIL TYPE AND, AND ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, BUT THAT'S FASCINATING.
A LITTLE OUTSIDE OF MY WHEELHOUSE, 'CAUSE I'M KIND OF THE GUY IN, IN THE WATER IN THE MUD LOOKING AT BUGS.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST EXAMPLES OF THE GREEN STORMWATER ATION THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, THE RAIN GARDENS, UH, GRABBING CISTERNS
[02:50:01]
WHERE YOU HAVE, UH, GRAB THAT WATER OFF THE ROOF AND THEN LET IT GO IN SLOWLY INTO THE SOIL AND USING MORE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND EARTH AND BERMS RATHER THAN THE CONCRETE BUNKER IN THE SAND AND STUFF LIKE THIS.SO, UH, I WOULD SAY THAT MANY OF THOSE, UM, STRATEGIES HAVE BEEN IN THE, IN THE MIX FOR A WHILE NOW, AND IT'S UP TO US TO EVALUATE EACH OF THOSE STRATEGIES AND SEE ARE THEY ACTUALLY BETTER OR WAS IT JUST FINE THE WAY IT WAS? AND THEN WHAT CAN WE DO THAT'S EVEN BETTER? UH, WHAT CAN WE DO THAT'S BETTER? JUST AN EXAMPLE OF THAT IS, UH, WE REVEGETATE NATIVE IN A LOT OF AREAS, UH, WHETHER IT'S MITIGATION FOR WETLANDS, CEFS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
OR IF IT'S IN A, IF A CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE, WE MIGHT REVEGETATE NATIVE.
OKAY, YOU THROW THE SEED DOWN, YOU PLANT THE PLANTS, YOU WALK AWAY, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE 5, 6, 10, 15 YEARS LATER? DID THE NATIVE PLANTS PERSIST? ARE THEY PROVIDING THE INFILTRATION? YOU'RE HOPING? IS THE DIVERSITY THERE OR DID IT JUST GO BACK TO BERMUDA? DID WE GET ANYTHING FOR THAT TRADE OFF? SO WE'VE GOT A STUDY RIGHT NOW WHERE WE'RE GOING BACK TO THESE OLD PONDS THAT ARE OLD AND SEEING WHAT IS THE VEGETATION COMMUNITY LIKE, DID WE WASTE MONEY ON NATIVE VEGETATION OR IS IT GIVING US THAT RETURN THAT WE REALLY WANT? SO AT ANY ONE POINT IN TIME, I THINK WE HAVE ABOUT 50 PROJECTS.
SOME OF THEM ARE BACK BURNERS, SOME OF THEM ARE SLOW BURNS, SOME OF THEM ARE ACUTE AND THEY HAPPEN WITHIN THE COURSE OF A YEAR THAT WE ARE STUDYING ALL THESE DIFFERENT ASPECTS.
WE'RE JUST LIKE THESE IDEA HAMSTERS THAT ARE CONSTANTLY COMING UP WITH THIS.
WHAT IS, IS THIS WORKING? WHAT SHOULD WE DO NOW? SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF THESE QPP OF THESE PROJECTS AND WE CAN KIND OF PROVIDE A LIST OF ALL THE DIFFERENT INTERESTING PROJECTS WE'RE, UH, PROJECTS WE'RE WORKING ON IN YOUR BACKUP MATERIAL, YOU'VE GOT FOUR QPP.
ALL FOUR OF THOSE QPP ARE FOR DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE EII.
THAT'S THE AMOUNT OF SCIENCE THAT GOES INTO SOMETHING SIMPLE LIKE MONITORING WATER QUALITY.
TWO OF THOSE, UH, QPP IS NUMBER TWO AND THREE, IF YOU, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO GEEK OUT ON NUMBERS, THAT'S WHERE THE MATH IS.
THAT'S WHERE ALL THE STATISTICS AND THE MODEL INFORMATION IS.
IT'S FASCINATING, ALTHOUGH, LIKE I SAID, IT MAKES ME BLACK OUT IF I THINK ABOUT IT TOO LONG.
THAT'S THE, THE BIOLOGY THAT ONE I, IT'S MORE TANGIBLE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT TYPE OF EFFECT.
BUT THESE QAPP PLANS, WHENEVER WE DO A PROJECT, IT LOOKS AT ALL THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS.
IT LOOKS THROUGH THE LENS OF EQUITY ACROSS THE CITY.
IT LOOKS AT THE ASPECT OF WATER QUALITY AND IS THIS A KNOWLEDGE GAP? AND ARE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT DELIVERABLE DOES THIS DO? HOW DOES THAT GET US ONE STEP CLOSER TO MAKING SMART THAT, UH, SPECIFIC MEASURABLE, ALL THE, THE GOOD OBJECTIVES THAT YOU WANT TO ATTAIN AND WHAT SCIENCE IS GOING INTO IT.
IT STARTS WITH THE LITERATURE REVIEW TO SEE IS SOMEONE ELSE THERE ALREADY DONE THIS? DOES THIS ARE THE ANSWERS OUT THERE IN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY? AND IF THEY'RE NOT WELL, HOW DO WE JUST DO THE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN TO GET THAT ANSWER WITH THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY POSSIBLE? I'VE ALREADY FORGOTTEN THE QUESTION,
THE LAST THING I WANTED TO SAY IS JUST THANK YOU FOR TALKING ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, SECEDING ESSENTIALLY FROM THE ETJ, BECAUSE I HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT THESE CERTAIN IMPLICATIONS THAT YOU BROUGHT UP TONIGHT AND I'M REALLY GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU ALL HAVE SUCH A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COUNTY OFFICIALS SO THEY CAN KIND OF STEP IN TO, UH, TO DO SOME OF THE WORK THAT'S SO IMPORTANT.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BRIER, THAT WAS AN OUTSTANDING PRESENTATION EARLIER.
APPRECIATE THE, UH, LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT YOU'VE GONE IN ON THAT.
UM, I HAVE SOME REALLY DETAILED SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT I'M NOT GONNA BORE THE COMMISSION WITH.
SO I'M GOING TO BORE YOU SPECIFICALLY VIA EMAIL, UH, IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
THEY HAVE TO DO WITH SOME SPECIFIC LOCATIONS THAT I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT.
SO THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT A, YOU KNOW, GENERAL ISSUE IF INTEREST TO THE COMMISSION AS A WHOLE.
BUT ANYWAY, UH, I DO APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND DETAILED RES YOU KNOW, INVESTIGATION TO ALL THIS.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE EMAILS.
THAT, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I I AM LIKE THE ORIGINAL NERD GEEK WHO LIKE, I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THAT STUFF AND PEOPLE SENDING ME QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER SHIRA, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'M HAVING A HARD TIME LOOKING THIS WAY, TALKING INTO THE MIC, GO BACK OVER HERE.
BUT, UM, UM, THE STATISTICAL MODELING, DOES THAT GIVE YOU LIKE A BEST CASE SCENARIO OF WHAT THAT WATER QUALITY SHOULD BE? THAT IS AN OUTSTANDING QUESTION.
SO THIS ONE I, I UNDERSTAND AGAIN, THE 30,000 FOOT LEVEL TO THIS.
UH, WHAT THE MODEL WILL DO IS IT WILL GIVE YOU A CONFIDENCE INTERVAL.
SO IT'LL GIVE YOU KIND OF THE UPPER CASE, THE, THE UPPER, THE BEST, WHAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER THE BEST CASE SCENARIO AND THE THE WORST CASE SCENARIO.
AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN THOSE CONFIDENCE INTERVALS IS THE EXPECTED CONDITION.
IF I GO OUT TO A CREEK IN THE, IN FEBRUARY, I'M GONNA GET A DIFFERENT RESULT.
IF I GO DOWN THEIR MIDDLE SUMMER, LOWER FLOW, HOTTER CONDITIONS, UH, THE NUTRIENT DYNAMICS
[02:55:01]
ARE DIFFERENT.YOU'LL GET DIFFERENT, UH, DATA FROM THE SAME CREEK AT THE SAME SITE DIFFERENT TIMES OF YEAR.
SO WHAT THAT MODEL WILL DO IS, IT'S NOT GONNA TELL ME WHAT IT THINKS THE CREEK WILL BE.
IT TELLS ME THE BAND WITH WITHIN REACH THAT IT CREEK SHOULD BE THAT THE HIGHEST AQUATIC COMMUNITY THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT AND THE LOWEST AQUA COMMUNITY YOU WOULD EXPECT.
MY JOB THEN WOULD BE TO GO OUT AND TAKE A SAMPLE AND SEE IS MY, THE SAMPLE THAT I GOT TODAY, WHICH COULD BE DIFFERENT THAN THE SAMPLE I GET TOMORROW, IS IT WITHIN THOSE CONFIDENCE INTERVALS? AND WHETHER IT'S THE HIGH OR THE LOW, THAT DOESN'T BOTHER ME THAT MUCH 'CAUSE I KNOW THINGS ARE DYNAMIC.
BUT IF IT IS ABOVE THOSE CONFIDENCE INTERVALS, IF IT IS, IF, IF THE CREEK ITSELF IS OUTPERFORMING WHAT THE MODEL THINKS THE EXPECTED CONDITION SHOULD BE, I KNOW, HEY, THIS IS A GOOD CREEK, IT'S INTACT, THAT'S NEAT, WHAT ARE WE DOING RIGHT? IF I KNOW IT'S PERFORM, IF IT'S UNDERPERFORMING EVEN WHAT THE MODEL THINKS IT SHOULD BE.
AND BELIEVE ME, THE MODEL THINKS THAT WALLER CREEK AND SHOAL CREEK ARE NOT GONNA BE GOOD.
THE MODEL UNDERSTANDS THE IMPERIOUS COVER AND THE SLOPE AND ALL THESE THINGS THAT ARE STRESSORS TO THAT ENVIRONMENT.
AND SO THE MODEL WILL SAY, WE THINK IT'S DOWN HERE.
IT'D BE GREAT IF WE COULD, MAYBE WE CAN TWEAK THE MEANS, GET IT UP HERE, BUT WE KNOW IT'S DOWN HERE.
IS THE SAMPLE I TOOK OUTPERFORMING THAT CRUDDY CONDITION, OR IS IT EVEN CRUSTIER THAN THAT CRUDDY CONDITION? SO IT DOESN'T JUST GIVE US ONE, UH, VIEW OF THE CREEK.
IT GIVES US THAT BANDWIDTH THAT IT SHOULD EXIST IN.
THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION.
AND THEN WHEN YOU'RE DOING THE ANALYSIS AND YOU, AND, UH, YOU'RE DETERMINING HOW THE THE CREEK IS PERFORMING, WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS? SO THE NEXT STEPS THEN COME BY ONCE YOUR MODEL TELLS YOU WHAT THINGS SHOULD BE, AND WE'VE GOT IT ALL CRACKED INTO THOSE 3000 LITTLE WATERSHEDS, RIGHT? SO WE KNOW WHAT THE EXPECTED CONDITION IS AND WHAT THE EMPIRICAL, UH, CONDITION IS, AND WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT WATERSHED.
THEN WE BRING IN ALL THE D THE THE GIS ARMY, RIGHT? AND THEY SAY, WELL, ARE THOSE STORMWATER CONTROLS BUILT UNDER CURRENT CODE? ARE THEY OLD CODE? UH, IS THE LAND USE TO BLAME? ARE THERE POLLUTANTS, UH, POLLUTING ENTITIES THAT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, INDUSTRY OR COMMERCIAL FACILITY OR SOMEWHERE THAT COULD BECAU TO CAUSE FOR THAT? AT WHICH POINT THEN WE COULD SAY, ARE THERE RETROFITS THAT WE CAN DO TO STORM WATER CONTROLS OR TO THE RIP PAIRING CORRIDOR? IS THIS A PLACE WHERE WE CAN GO IN, LAY BACK THE BANKS, RE-VEGETATE, IMPROVE THAT RIP PAIRING CORRIDOR AND TRY TO INFILTRATE SOME OF THAT WATER BEFORE IT HITS THE CREEK? YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WE DO? WHAT ARE ALL THESE, I MEAN, OPEN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF WAYS THAT WE PROTECT WATER QUALITY, WHICH ONE OF THESE WAYS IS, IS CLEARLY THE CULPRIT OF EITHER NOT WORKING OR WORKING IN THAT WATERSHED.
AND THEN WHAT CAN WE ADJUST? NOW YOU CAN DO THAT ON A SITE BY SITE BASIS, THAT WOULD BE TEDIOUS AND IT WOULD TAKE AN ENTIRE CAREER TO DO.
OR YOU CAN THEN SCREEN THAT DATA AND CLUSTER ALL THOSE WATERSHEDS AND SAY, THESE ARE ALL PERFORMING UNDERPERFORMING.
WHAT DO THEY HAVE IN COMMON? AND THEN WHAT TOOLS DO WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL TO CHANGE THAT? SO THE ANALYSIS PART, AGAIN, WE GOT PHDS FOR THAT.
UH, THEY WILL BE THEN TAKING ABLE TO TAKE THAT NUMBER, UH, THOSE, THAT DATA AND THE, THE MODEL AND THE ALL THE INPUTS, GIS INPUTS AND LOOK AT IT SIX WAYS FROM SUNDAY AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT KNOBS CAN WE ADJUST.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE ON THE FLY BASED ON THE RESULTS WE GET.
AND THEN SOMEONE ASKED ME ALSO EARLIER, I SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED THIS IN THE PRESENTATION, WHAT IS THE TIMETABLE? YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE WE AT NOW? ARE YOU STILL GOING OUT TO THE CREEKS? I GO OUT TO THE CREEKS EVERY YEAR.
WE'RE NOT GONNA STOP COLLECTING DATA.
WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE MODELS ARE CALIBRATED, TILL THEY GET ENOUGH DATA TO, TO DO WHAT WE'RE ALL HOPING THEM TO DO, ALL THE SAUSAGES.
SO I CAN'T TELL YOU WHEN THAT'LL BE ONLINE AND READY AND WHEN WE'LL START HAVING THOSE BEAUTIFUL, COLORFUL GRAPHS.
SOME ASPECTS ARE READY ALREADY RIGHT NOW.
OTHER ASPECTS MIGHT TAKE A YEAR OR TWO.
OTHER ASPECTS MIGHT TAKE FIVE OR SIX YEARS BEFORE WE CAN GET ALL THAT MATH.
SO WE'RE IN THIS FOR THE LONG HAUL.
WE'VE GOT THE IN-HOUSE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE TO DO IT.
IT'S GONNA TAKE TIME BECAUSE MATH.
AND JUST AS A UNDERSTANDING HOW, UM, OR WHAT ISSUES ARE PRIORITIZED, THAT, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
WHEN YOU SAY PRIORITIZE, I DON'T KNOW.
IT'S LIKE YOU, THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
THING WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THIS.
SO YEAH, PRIORITY IS, AGAIN, WHEN YOU GO BACK TO HEALTH, RIGHT? I'M NOT GONNA MAKE ANY CHANGES IN MY HEALTH.
I KNOW THERE'S THINGS THAT I SHOULD, IN OUR CREEK'S HEALTH, YOU'VE GOT THINGS THAT ARE JUST LIKE SCREAMING AT US, RIGHT? BLUE-GREEN ALGAE, CREATING CYTO TOXINS.
THOSE THINGS ARE EATING NUTRIENTS.
WHY ARE THEY, WHY ARE THEY GETTING THESE NUTRIENTS? ZEBRA MUSCLES ARE AFFECTING THAT.
SO LIKE THERE'S THESE PRIORITIES IN HEALTH AND HUMAN SAFETY THAT ARE JUST LIKE, THEY'RE RIGHT HERE.
THEY'RE IN FRONT, THEY GET ATTENTION ALL THE TIME.
THEN THERE'S THE QUICK, EASY RETURNABLE THINGS.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A SPILL OVER HERE, HOW DID IT AFFECT IT? HOW CAN WE DO BETTER THAT,
[03:00:01]
YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE QUICK LITTLE THINGS THAT WE CAN ADJUST AND FIX AND BOTTOM, WE THAT'S NEAT.THE WICKED PROBLEMS ARE THE ONES THAT NEVER SEEM TO GET THE ATTENTION THEY NEED.
AND THAT IS GONNA BE STUFF LIKE, UH, HOW DO WE GET PEOPLE TO STOP HAVING NOTHING BUT MOW LAWNS AND TRY TO INFILTRATE WATER ON THEIR OWN PROPERTIES? YOU KNOW, HOW HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE ADDRESS THOSE? HONESTLY, IF WE WERE TO, IF WE WERE TO SOMEHOW BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE HARDEST PROBLEMS FIRST, WHICH TAKE A LOT OF TIME, I THINK WE'D FIX A LOT OF THE OTHER PROBLEMS. BUT EVERY MONTH, EVERY QUARTER, EVERY YEAR, SOMETHING POPS UP THAT JUST JUMPS IN OUR FACES.
IT, WHETHER IT'S CYTOTOXINS OR PS OR PFOS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO PRIORITIZATION IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT IS CONSTANTLY A MOVING TARGET THAT WE TRY TO ADDRESS THE THINGS THAT ARE MOST SALIENT TO HUMAN CONTACT.
THAT'S AN INDICATOR OF OTHER PATHOGENS.
WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT ONE.
AND EVERY TIME IT SEEMS LIKE WE, WE FIX, WE FIND A PROBLEM, FIX A PROBLEM, AND SOMEONE ELSE POPS UP.
SO THAT'S A CONSTANT CHASING TARGET.
UM, I WOULD SAY PRIORITIZATION FOR A SCIENTIFIC ASPECT, WHAT IS GOOD AND NATURAL IS A VERY DIFFERENT PRIORITIZATION FROM A, A HUMAN CONTACT OR A HUMAN AESTHETICS ASPECT.
AND BRENT TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT WITH THE LAKES.
PEOPLE SEE VEGETATION IN THE LAKES, THEY'RE LIKE, OOH, THAT'S GROSS.
THAT IS NOT A PROBLEM FOR AQUATIC LIFE PER SE, OR WATER QUALITY, A GOOD THING FOR WATER QUALITY.
BUT YOU HAVE ALL THIS PRESSURE FROM A COMMUNITY WHO SEES THAT AND DOESN'T LIKE IT.
AND SO WE NEED TO BE SENSITIVE TO THAT BECAUSE THAT'S A REAL THING.
PEOPLE LOVE OUR ENVIRONMENT AND THEIR PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT IS NATURAL AND GOOD IS DIFFERENT.
MINE IS, IS WILD AND WOOLY PRESERVED THAT CAN STING, BITE AND HURT YOU.
SOMEBODY ELSE'S PRI UH, PRIORITY WOULD BE MAKING EVERYTHING LIKE A PARK MODE WITH A COUPLE OF CANOPY TREES.
SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU PRIORITIZE SOMETHING, YOU HAVE TO BE SENSITIVE TO ALL THESE DIFFERENT FACTORS.
AND THEN THAT MAY CHANGE NEXT YEAR WHEN SOMEONE ELSE BRINGS UP A A, A HOT FOOTING ISSUE TOO.
SO I DON'T HAVE A GOOD ANSWER FOR YOU OTHER THAN IT'S COMPLICATED.
HOW CONCERNED SHOULD WE BE ABOUT E COLI IN THE CREEKS AND OTHER HARMFUL BACTERIA? UH, IT DEPENDS A LOT ON HOW YOU USE THE CREEK, RIGHT? SO, UM, CONTACT, RECREATION, RECREATION STATE HOLDS, UH, CONTACT RECREATION THRESHOLDS ARE, UH, STATE MANDATED, RIGHT? IN THE, IN THE TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, THERE'S THINGS THAT SAY, UH, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE ONE SAMPLE THAT EXCEEDS 399, UH, MOST PROBABLE UNITS PER A HUNDRED MILLILITERS.
IT ALSO SAYS ON AVERAGE IT'S ACTUALLY A GEOMETRIC, MEAN A GEOMETRIC AVERAGE.
YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE MORE THAN 1 26.
SO WE GO TO OUR CREEKS, AND WE TAKE THESE SAMPLES AND WE GET THE GEOMETRIC MEANS AND THE THRESHOLDS, AND WE FIND THAT SOME OF THESE AREAS ARE, HAVE HIGHER E COLI THAN YOU WOULD WANT.
NOW, IS THAT JUST E COLI BECAUSE THERE'S DEER, RACCOONS, DOGS? OR IS IT PEOPLE IN ALL OF OUR VARIOUS FORMS AND WALKS OF LIFE? OR IS IT LEAKING, UH, PRIVATE WASTEWATER, LEAKING PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE? I MEAN, THERE'S ALL THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF THINGS.
SO HOW WOULD I TAKE ALL THAT WEALTH OF DATA, WHICH IS JUST KIND OF SCARY, PLOPPED IN YOUR LAP.
AND SOMETIMES THE NEWS MEDIA COMES OUT AND THEY'VE GOT ALL THIS DATA.
WELL, HOW AM I USING THAT WATER? AM I DRINKING IT? THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN IF I WAS SWIMMING IN IT.
IF I WAS WAITING IN IT, THAT'S DIFFERENT IF I WAS LOOKING AT IT.
AND ALL OF THOSE ARE RELEVANT TO HUMANS, NOT SO MUCH TO DOGS, RIGHT? OR, OR THE AQUATIC LIFE THAT'S IN THERE.
BUT THEY'RE ALL MEANINGFUL BASED ON WHERE THEIR SOURCES ARE.
IF THE SOURCE IS FROM WASTEWATER, THEN YOU'VE GOT NUTRIENTS WHICH THEN BEGETS ALGAE WHEN THAT'S BEGETS DISSOLVED OXYGEN PROBLEMS, WHICH THEN KILLS FISH.
SO LIKE THIS SOURCE IS A MUCH DIFFERENT MEANINGFUL THING THAN, YEAH, WE GOT A LOT OF URBAN ANIMALS HERE AND THEY'RE RUNNING IN AND OUT OF OUR CULVERTS AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE CAUSING E COLI TO GO UP.
YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M, I'M NOT, I'M GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA PRIORITIZE AREAS THAT I THINK RACCOONS ARE POOPING IN THAN I AM.
AREAS THAT I THINK ARE HUMAN WASTE.
AND WE HAVE THESE, UH, THE STATE ROUNDS, THESE AREAS UP, AND THEY SAY, THIS CREEK, THIS CREEK, THIS CREEK, THIS CREEK ARE PRIORITY.
WE'RE GONNA PUT 'EM ON WHAT WE CALL THE THE THREE OH THREE D LISTS, WHICH IS FOR THE CLEAN CLEAN RIVERS PROGRAM.
OR WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA FORCE THIS THE CITY TO DO A-A-T-M-D-L, WHICH WHERE YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOAD OF THAT CONCENTRATION, AND THEN WE FOCUS IN ON IT.
TAYLOR SLU SOUTH HAS A-T-M-D-L THAT I THINK IS GETTING RESOLVED.
IT'S BEEN YEARS AND YEARS, BUT I THINK THE, ALL THE SOLUTIONS AND FIXES WE FIND IS MAKING THAT NUMBER CREEP DOWN SO WE CAN FOCUS IN ON THE AREAS THAT HAVE HIGH E COLI.
WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON THE STATE ONES FIRST BECAUSE WE'D LIKE TO GET, WE'D LIKE TO MAKE THE STATE HAPPY, BUT IN OTHER AREAS, IF I HAVE HIGH E COLI IN AN AREA WHERE I KNOW PEOPLE ARE SWIMMING, SO THERE ARE AREAS OF BULL CREEKS WHERE THERE'S ROPE SWINGS IN THE WATER.
SO LIKE THAT, I'M GONNA PRIORITIZE THAT AREA BECAUSE THAT'S A HUMAN CONTACT ISSUE.
IF I'M, IF I'VE GOT A CREEK IN SOMEWHERE THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN ACCESS AND THERE'S REALLY GONNA BE NOBODY THERE.
I'M NOT GONNA ADDRESS THAT PROBLEM FIRST.
[03:05:01]
AGAIN, I'VE ALREADY FORGOTTEN THE QUESTION.DID I GET CLOSE? THAT WAS VERY GOOD.
COMMISSIONER NICHOLS, NO QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND SHOWING US HOW THE SAUSAGE IS MADE.
COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN, I, I GOTTA SAY THAT I RECOGNIZE A LOT OF WHAT YOU DO BECAUSE IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT I DO WITH REGARD TO AIR QUALITY.
UM, BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT EASIER WITH AIR QUALITY BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TO GET WET FOR ONE THING,
UM, AND WE USE MORE STATIC, UH, MEASURE, YOU KNOW, INSTRUMENTS THAT DON'T MOVE.
SO ONE QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU IS, DO YOU USE GPS TO KNOW THAT YOU GO BACK TO THE SAME PLACE TO TAKE THIS, A SAMPLE TO SO THAT YOU'RE REPEATING IT EVERY OTHER YEAR AT EXACTLY THE SAME PLACE? YEAH, SO, UH, WE DO HAVE, ALL OF OUR SITES HAVE A LA LAWN AND THEY'RE IN OUR DATABASE.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE, THERE'S LITTLE IPADS NOW IN THE FIELD USED TO, WE USE MAPSCO.
I MEAN, I'VE BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE, RIGHT? UH, WE HAVE THESE G IPADS THAT'LL TAKE US AND YOU KNOW, YOU JUST WALK TO THE POINT AND HERE YOU ARE.
NOW, WHETHER I TAKE THE SAMPLE HERE OR 50 FEET UPSTREAM OR 50 FEET DOWNSTREAM, OR EVEN MAYBE A HUNDRED FEET UPSTREAM OR DOWNSTREAM, THE WATER'S FLOWING THROUGH, THAT DOESN'T MATTER.
WHAT DOES MATTER THOUGH IS IF YOU HAVE A TRIBUTARY COMING IN OR A STREET OR CULVERT OR SOME OTHER DRAINAGE THAT SPRING POINTS.
SO WE DO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE GO TO A SITE, WE'RE NOT GOING BEYOND THE THRESHOLD OF SOME OTHER INPUT.
SO THE, THE SPECIFICITY OF THE SITE, I THINK WE HAVE SITES THAT ARE AS CLOSE TO AS, AS YOU KNOW, FAR APART AS LIKE 10 FEET, RIGHT? USUALLY IT'S NOT MORE THAN 50 FEET, BUT, UM, WE DO HAVE A METHOD TO GO BACK TO VIRTUALLY THE SAME SITE.
MOST OF IT'S JUST KIND OF UP, UP HERE IN THE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE, OF THE PEOPLE.
BUT WE DO HAVE THAT ABILITY TO DO THAT.
BUT WITH THOSE NINE STORM WATER SITES, YES, THOSE ARE FIXED.
AND, AND SO IT'S ALWAYS AT THE SAME LOCATION.
IN FACT, WE'VE ALREADY HAD SOME THEFT.
WE'RE NOT EVEN ONLINE WITH SOME OF THESE THINGS.
WE'VE ALREADY HAD THEFT OF THOSE THINGS.
SO WE WERE OUT OUTPUTTING MORE IRON PANELS ON THESE THINGS TO KEEP THEM IN PLACE.
SO PEOPLE ACTUALLY STOLE AN ENTIRE BOX.
FORTUNATELY THE EQUIPMENT WASN'T THERE YET, BUT WE'VE GONE BACK AND WE'VE, UH, ADDED MORE SECURITY.
SO YES, THEY ARE FIXED LOCATIONS AND THE SAMPLE POINTS FOR THOSE ARE CONCRETE OR LIKE ATTACHED TO A CONCRETE STRUCTURE.
AND THEN WHERE ARE ALL OF YOUR DATA? OH, THEY ARE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE IN, OH, I ALWAYS GET THIS WRONG DATA.
I'LL LOOK IT UP AND SEND IT TO YOU.
THEY ARE ALL PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE IN A SOCRA UH, DATABASE.
I'M GONNA TELL YOU THAT RIGHT NOW.
YOU HAVE TO KNOW THE WORDS TO USE AND ALL THE FILTERS AND DROPDOWNS.
'CAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MILLIONS SURE.
OF DATA POINTS, RIGHT? AND IT'S ALL OUT THERE ALL AT ONCE.
WE WANNA JUST HAVE IT ALL AVAILABLE.
SO YOU'D REALLY KIND OF HAVE TO KNOW IF I WANT JUST MY CREEK FOR JUST THIS PARAMETER, EXACTLY HOW DO I DO THAT? AND THEN THE DATA THAT YOU GET BACK, THERE'S GONNA BE NUANCES TO THAT DATA WHERE THERE REPS, WHERE THERE DUPES, WHERE THERE BLANKS, IS THERE QA QC, DID IT FAIL CALIBRATION, ALL THESE LITTLE NUANCES.
IT'S ALL THERE IN PUBLIC ACCESSIBLE.
YOU JUST KIND OF HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO USE IT.
SO I DO, THERE IS A PLACE WHERE IN THERE IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS OR NEED SOMETHING SPECIFIC, YOU KNOW, REACH OUT TO US AND WE CAN KIND OF TEASE APART THAT AND, AND GET YOU WHAT YOU NEED.
AND THEN, UM, I JUST WANNA MENTION ONE THING AND THAT THE REASON WHY THIS IS ON OUR AGENDA, I THINK I BROUGHT IT THIS UP ABOUT THE FACT THAT LOST CREEK LEFT THE ETJ AND THERE'S A LOT OF HUMAN MM-HMM.
UM, I WAS AT LOST CREEK AT THAT SITE TODAY.
WELL THAT'S, THAT'S MY PERSONAL INTEREST.
I WAS LYING IN BARTON CREEK, UH, JUST ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH SOME FRIENDS AND THINKING ABOUT THIS, UM, UPSTREAM OF, IN THAT AREA AND, UM, COLI DATA.
NO, THAT A VERY INTERESTING HISTORY ON THAT SITE TOO, WITH THE GOLF COURSE AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO LIKE THAT, THAT'S A FASCINATING, THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S A COLLEGE COURSE.
WE WEREN'T AT LOST CREEK, WE WERE NEAR SCULPTURE FALLS,
UM, THERE ARE SOME LOSSES TO THE ETJ THAT ARE MORE, UH, POIGNANT TO WATER QUALITY THAN OTHERS.
ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
BUT TO TOP THAT, UH, THE, THE TRAVIS COUNTY DATA THAT THEY COLLECT, UH, FOR US GOES INTO OUR DATABASE TOO.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE ALL THOSE SITES IN THERE AND, UH, THE INCREASED NUMBER OF SITES THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING, AND THEY'RE BASICALLY GONNA BE DOUBLING THEIR EFFORT AND THEIR DATA.
THAT'S, IS IT DOUBLING THEREABOUTS? YEAH.
BUT THAT DATA WILL BE IN AVAILABLE IN OUR SOCRATIC, UH, DATABASE AS WELL.
THAT PARTNERSHIP IS REALLY BOLSTERING WHAT WE KNOW.
AND YOU, AND HOW MUCH OF THAT GOES TO THE TCEQ FOR THE SURFACE WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAM? SO, UH, OF THOSE SITES THAT I SHOWED YOU, THE ONES THAT WE'RE ROUTINELY MONITORING, THAT'S GONNA BE LIKE THE ROUTINE ONES AND THE STORMWATER ONES.
[03:10:01]
MM-HMM.WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE LCRA 'CAUSE THEY'RE THE BASIN AUTHORITY.
SO, UH, I THINK THERE'S ABOUT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN A A DOZEN, MAYBE 18, SOME SOMEWHERE IN THAT KINDA IN THE TEENS OF, UH, ANNUAL SITES THAT WE DO.
BRENT BELLINGER ALSO, UH, PROVIDES HIS LAKE A LOT OF HIS LAKE DATA TO THAT TCQ AS WELL.
SO THEN THEY HOLD IT IN THEIR DATABASE.
I THINK IT'S CALLED TRACKS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF WHAT WE DO GOES TO THE TCEQ.
AND USUALLY IT'S ONLY WHAT THEY WANT.
UH, BUT STORMWATER DATA GOES TO STATE AS WELL, JUST NOT THROUGH THE SAME CLEAN RIVERS PROGRAM THAT GOES THROUGH OUR MS FOUR PERMIT TO SATISFY THE FACT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE A BIG CITY AND WE'VE GOT LOTS OF OUTFALLS.
ALRIGHT, THANKS SECRETARY BRISTOL.
UM, UH, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, YOU KNOW, MAKING THIS RECOMMENDATION TO HAVE, UM, THIS PRESENTATION TODAY.
AND ANDREW, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR PRESENTING IT.
YOU'RE ALWAYS A WONDERFUL, UM, PRESENTER AND WE ALWAYS LEARN, UM, SO MUCH FROM YOU.
SO, UH, KIRSTEN, IF YOU DON'T MIND COMING UP, I'VE GOT A QUESTION, COUPLE QUESTIONS THAT ARE GONNA INVOLVE THE COUNTY AS WELL, AND, UM, I JUST WANNA GO AHEAD AND, AND OPEN, YOU KNOW, WITH A LITTLE BIT OF A STATEMENT BECAUSE, UM, SENATE BILL 2 0 3 8, I HOPE IT GETS REPEALED SOON.
UM, BECAUSE, UH, AS A TAXPAYER, I'M NOT REAL EXCITED THAT AN INVESTMENT THAT WE MADE AS A CITY THEN GOES AWAY.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT REALLY KIND OF P****S ME OFF FOR OTHER WAYS TO SAY THAT.
UM, AND SO, AND ANDREW, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR, FOR EITHER ONE OF Y'ALL.
HOW WAS, HOW WAS THIS ASPECT OF WATER QUALITY MONITORING THE PONDS, THE DAMS? I MEAN, WAS THAT TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN THEY WERE LOOKING AT THIS BILL, OR WAS IT JUST PURELY, HEY, WE'VE GOT A LITTLE, A LITTLE PLACE, YOU KNOW, PLACE AND THEY WANNA LEAVE? UM, I, HE, LIZ JOHNSTON, INTERIM ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER, UM, I CAN SPEAK FROM THE CITY SIDE THAT, UM, WE WERE ABSOLUTELY TRACKING THIS BILL WHEN THIS WAS BEING CONTEMPLATED.
WE HAD A NUMBER OF, UM, OPPORTUNITIES TO PRO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE OUR, UH, CONCERNS.
UM, AND EVEN I THINK, UH, KAYLA'S NOT HERE TO REMIND ME EXACTLY, BUT I BELIEVE WE ACTUALLY HAD, UM, UM, OUR LOBBYISTS AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT OR CAPITAL LOBBYING ON BEHALF OF US TO NOT HAVE THIS HAPPEN.
UM, WENT SUBMITTED COMMENTS, BUT, UM, THEY DID NOT GO ANYWHERE.
THANK YOU, UH, LIZ, FOR HELPING ME UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT THAT'S VERY HELPFUL AND, UH, BECAUSE I'M, I'M ACTUALLY REALLY SURPRISED AT THE NUMBER.
I MEAN, 51 PROPERTIES IS A LOT OF PROPERTIES, UM, LEAVING THE ETJ.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS REALLY, UM, RAISING MY AWARENESS OF THIS AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, SO, SO IF, IF THINGS SHIFT AND THEY GO TO THE COUNTY, HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW THE COUNTY THEN, WHAT, WHAT STRUCTURES DO Y'ALL HAVE TO REGULATE THESE? YES, YOU'RE GETTING THE, THE DATA AND THE INFORMATION, BUT DO YOU HAVE SOME ENFORCEMENT? IS THERE, WHAT CAN THE COUNTY DO TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE VIOLATORS ARE, ARE BEING ACCOUNTABLE? UM, THAT IS A REALLY GREAT QUESTION.
AND, UM, I KNOW MOST OF MY COLLEAGUES IN TNR ARE ALSO NOT THRILLED WITH THIS HAPPENING.
UM, I KNOW FROM THE DEVELOPMENTAL ASPECT OF IT, OUR PERMITS PEOPLE, OUR POST CONSTRUCTION PEOPLE ARE ON HIGH ALERT.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE REVIEWING EVERY SINGLE PERMIT BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO ALMOST BE RENEWED THROUGH THE COUNTY FROM THE CITY.
SO DEVELOPMENTALLY, LIKE THROUGH DEVELOPERS AND THROUGH, UM, ALL OF THOSE ENTITIES, WE HAVE OUR POST-CONSTRUCTION AND PERMITTING PEOPLE ON THAT.
UM, AS FAR AS ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION, WE HAVE A WHOLE TEAM FOR THAT AS WELL.
AND SO WE HAVE INSPECTORS GOING OUT AND MONITORING THESE SITES.
AND THEN WATER QUALITY WISE, UM, I AM VERY NEW.
I'M, I'VE BEEN HERE FIVE MONTHS AND I'VE JUST HIRED ONE EMPLOYEE, SO THERE'S TWO OF US.
AND SO THANKFULLY ANDREW AND HIS TEAM DOES EXIST.
THEY HAVE THIS HUGE ROBUST PROGRAM THAT I CAN LEAN ON AND ASK WHERE I NEED TO GO AND WHO I NEED TO SEE AND WHO I NEED TO SPEAK TO AND WHERE I NEED TO BE.
UM, WE'RE ALSO OUT IN THE FIELD AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, SO WE'RE DOING OUR BEST AND, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO GET IN FRONT OF EVERYTHING THAT COMES OUR WAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE OFTEN HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, THE ABILITY OF COUNTIES, YOU KNOW, TO ENFORCE THINGS.
UM, AND SO THAT HELPS ME UNDERSTAND THAT.
[03:15:01]
LET'S SEE WHAT ELSE I WROTE DOWN HERE.ANDREW, THIS IS GONNA GO BACK TO YOU AND THIS IS COMPLETELY, UM, SHIFTING GEARS A LITTLE BIT.
UM, LIKE HOW DO WE GET THESE METALS OUT OF SEDIMENT? LIKE WHAT'S THE PROCESS FOR THAT? YEAH, ACTUALLY COME BACK, BIOLOGIST, CHEMIST.
SO THIS IS, IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE DIFFICULT AND IT'S AN EXPENSIVE PROCESS.
UM, IN THE LAB WE DO HAVE EQUIPMENT THAT CAN DO THIS SOLID PHASE EXTRACTION.
WE'RE USING, UM, NON-POLAR AND POLAR SUBSTANCES THAT HE MENTIONED EARLIER.
UM, BUT IN A LARGE SCALE IN THE ENVIRONMENT, IT'S INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT.
UM, I STUDIED IN MATAGORDA BAY, WHICH IS THE END OF OUR WATERSHED.
THERE IS AN EPA SUPERFUND MERCURY SITE THERE, AND THAT'S BEEN THERE SINCE THE EIGHTIES.
LIKE, IT'S, IT'S INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT, BUT THERE, THERE IS SCIENCE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, USING MICROPLASTICS.
UM, THAT'S WHAT I STUDIED IN MY UNDER, UH, MY, MY GRADUATE STUDIES, UM, PLASTICS AND SPECIFICALLY BIOFILM PRODUCTION.
I'LL TRY NOT TO GET TOO SCIENCEY ON YOU, BUT THE BIOFILM THAT ATTACHES TO PLASTIC IS ACTUALLY POTENTIALLY ADHERING TO METALS BECAUSE THEY'RE IONIC.
AND, UH, AND SO WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO USE OUR POLLUTION TO FILTER OUT OUR METALS AS WELL.
UM, BUT THAT'S OBVIOUSLY IN THIS STUDY PHASE.
SO
AND THEN, UH, HOPEFULLY FOR LIKE A WET POND OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU CAN HAVE SOME KIND OF BIOREMEDIATION IF YOU JUST GET THAT WATER AND, AND STAY, HOPEFULLY, UH, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO GET RID OF THE METALS, BUT AT LEAST YOU'VE GOT 'EM DETAINED OR CONTAINED.
AND THEN PERIODICALLY YOU COULD REMOVE THAT AND TAKE IT TO A CONTAINMENT FACILITY SO THAT IT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORT DOWN TO THE REST OF OUR CREEK.
SO STORMWATER CONTROLS AS, AS FAR AS I WOULD SAY, IS KEEPING IT OUT OF THE CREEKS.
AND THEN, UH, CHEMIST, YOU KNOW, ADVANCES IN SCIENCE AND CHEMISTRY, EVENTUALLY MAYBE WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO ACTUALLY REMOVE IT, BUT THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT SCALE OF, OF SOLUTION.
UM, SO THINKING ABOUT THE RETENTION PONDS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SEE A LOT, UM, THAT COME FORWARD WHEN PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR VARIANCES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND YOU MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE PLANT, WE REQUIRE THEM TO PLANT, UM, YOU KNOW, NATIVE PLANTS, BUT WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE SAME, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW UP OR FOLLOW THROUGH, YOU KNOW, 5, 6, 10 YEARS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THESE RIPARIAN AREAS.
UM, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN SUPPORT AND DO A BETTER JOB WITH ASKING FOR? AND IF YOU DON'T THINK OF THE ANSWER RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN ALWAYS EMAIL US LATER, BUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT QUITE A BIT.
SO, UM, UH, I DON'T AT THIS TIME, I, I DON'T HAVE THAT DEFINITIVE DATA TO COME COME BACK WITH ON, ON THAT LEVEL OF GRANULARITY.
UM, I WOULD SAY THAT ANECDOTALLY FROM OUR POND INSPECTION TEAM, UH, THE RETENTION, UH, RE IRRIGATION, UH, PARADIGM MAY BE FLAWED AND IT'S MAYBE NOT PERFORMING LIKE WE'D LIKE IT TO, AND THAT EXCEPT FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, THE SLOPE IS TOO MUCH.
THE SOILS MAY BE TOO THIN, THE AREA IS SMALL ENOUGH, IT'S NOT INFILTRATING.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF REASONS AND WE'RE ACTUALLY PERFORMING AN ANALYSIS RIGHT NOW TO FIGURE THOSE THINGS OUT AND THEN JUST CHANGE CODE AND CRITERIA TO RESOLVE THAT.
BUT ANYTIME, UH, SOMEONE, UH, A A DEVELOP SOMEONE FROM THE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE HAS A TRADE ON THE TABLE, YOU KNOW, WE'D, WE'D LIKE TO DO SOME RESTORATION HERE IN ADDITION FOR A LITTLE MORE SPACE OVER HERE.
UM, I WOULD STRESS THAT, UM, THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS ON THE, ON THE LEVEL OF TIME SPAN.
THIS IS FOREVER, RIGHT? WHEN THEY GET MORE DEVELOPABLE AREA OR, OR SOME ALLOWANCE OR CLOSER TO THE CREEK, THIS IS A GAMBLE.
THE, THE BIOLOGIC BIOLOGY'S GONNA DO WHAT IT WANTS TO DO, RIGHT? IF WE HAVE A TERRIBLE DROUGHT FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, THAT'S GONNA SUFFER.
AND ALTHOUGH IT'S ON A SITE PLAN, WE CAN ENFORCE IT AS, AS IT TO, TO PUT IT BACK THE WAY IT WAS TO DESIGN IT.
THAT IS A DIFFICULT THING TO EN TO ENFORCE AND, AND MONITOR.
SO THERE IS A GAMBLE THAT, THAT YOU, YOU WOULD ROLL THE DICE HERE, AND I DON'T HAVE A GOOD WAY TO SAY WHICH ARE GOOD GAMBLES AND WHICH ARE BAD GAMBLES.
THE BEST I CAN DO IS TRY TO AFFECT CODE AND CRITERIA TO HAVE THE BEST POSSIBLE STRUCTURES AND TOOLS AT YOUR DISPOSAL.
UM, RATHER THAN HOPING, UH, A BIOLOGICAL SOLUTION WILL WORK LONG TERM.
SO BE SKEPTICAL OF THOSE VICE.
[03:20:01]
I WROTE DOWN WAY TOO MANY QUESTIONS.I'M NOT GONNA REALIZE IT'S LATE.
AND THOSE ARE ALL FOR MY OWN CURIOSITY, SO I WON'T GO THERE.
UM, SO I GUESS TO, TO PIGGYBACK A LITTLE BIT ON THAT QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE THESE COME TO US, AND I REALIZE THAT WHEN YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, DESIGN STANDARDS OR, OR THE SCIENCE HAS CHANGED AND YOU REALIZE THAT SOMETHING IS WORKING BETTER OR, OR HAS MORE, YOU KNOW, IS MORE LASTING, THAT YOU CAN THEN CHANGE CODE, BUT REALIZING THAT THE, THAT CAN TAKE A WHILE.
UM, IS THERE A, A WAY THAT WE CAN BETTER INFORM OURSELVES ABOUT WHAT THE BEST SORT OF DESIGN STANDARDS ARE, YOU KNOW, FOR TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE ARE MORE EARTHEN VERSUS CONCRETE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THESE SORT OF THINGS THAT WE KNOW ARE, YOU KNOW, THE SCIENCE IS CHANGING EVERY DAY.
ASKING QUESTIONS AND HAVING US COME UP HERE FOR ONE THING.
UH, I'VE, I'VE BEEN HERE 20 YEARS AND I'VE, I'VE DONE THIS, I'VE DONE PRESENTATIONS SIMILAR TO THIS IN THE PAST, AND I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE BEEN DEFICIENT AT BRINGING OURSELVES FORWARD IN PROVIDING YOU WITH KIND OF THE CUTTING EDGE SCIENCE AND WHAT WE DO, WE PRODUCE, EVERY YEAR WE PRODUCE SCIENCE PAPERS, WE PRO WE PUBLISH PAPERS AND SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS, UH, ANNUALLY TOO.
SO WE ARE MAKING THE SCIENCE, WHAT WE'RE NOT DOING IT IS COMMUNICATING IT WELL, UH, TO, TO THE PEOPLE THAT MATTER.
SO ASKING QUESTIONS IS ONE WAY TO GET US UP HERE.
WE'VE GOT OUR, OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR NOSE IN THE BOOKS.
BUT I, I WOULD SAY THAT, UH, REALLY THAT'S KIND OF ON US AND AND MY TEAM TO COME FORWARD AND PRESENT YOU WITH THE NEW INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE OR AT LEAST, UH, EMAIL IT TO YOU OR SOMEHOW GET ALL THIS SCIENCE TO YOU GUYS.
NOW, SOME OF THESE ARE DENSE, RIGHT? AND IT'S SCIENCE IS NOT FLASHY.
SO HAVING US COME UP FOR 20 MINUTES, WHAT WAS THIS AN HOUR? WHAT DID I DO? IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 20 MINUTES.
HAVING US COME UP, UH, PERIODICALLY AND ASKING QUESTIONS AND SAYING, HEY, WE'VE GOT SOMETHING NEW.
OR JUST, I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE FROM OUR TEAM, WE NEED TO DO BETTER ABOUT BRINGING YOU THE SCIENCE THAT WE MAKE.
YEAH, I MEAN, I COULD SEE THAT'S BEING SOMETHING THAT WE TRY TO GET EVERY YEAR, EVEN IF IT'S JUST THE, THE, THE CORE TOOLKITS OR SORT OF, YOU KNOW, DESIGN STANDARDS, UH, THAT ARE, THAT ARE EVOLVING AND THAT WE CAN START TO PUT IN OUR TOOLKIT OF, OF WHAT WE CAN BRING TO THE TABLE DURING THOSE TRADE MOMENTS.
UM, JUST CURIOUS TOO, SO WHEN, WHEN SOMEBODY IS, AND THIS MIGHT BE FOR STAFF, I DON'T KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, IS REQUIRED TO HAVE A, A RAIN GARDEN OR A RETENTION POND OR SOMETHING AS A PART OF A DEVELOPMENT.
WHAT IS THE FOLLOW UP ON THAT POST CONSTRUCTION OF, OF FINDING OUT IF THEY'RE PERFORMING PROPERLY? LIKE HOW LONG DO WE GET TO HAVE AUTHORITY THERE? UM, SO, UM, WE DO HAVE A POND INSPECTIONS GROUP IN WATERSHED PROTECTION AND, UM, I KNOW TRAVIS COUNTY DOES AS WELL.
AND SO THEY DO HAVE REGULAR, UH, INSPECTIONS.
UM, AND I THINK ANDREW MENTIONED THAT THERE WERE A CERTAIN NUMBER THAT HAD BEEN RELEASED THAT HAVE NOTICES OF VIOLATION.
THAT IS BECAUSE OUR INSPECTORS WENT OUT AND FOUND THEM DEFICIENT AND HAS HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, TELLING THEM THAT THEY NEED TO FIX IT, WHICH MAY BE WHY THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, DECIDED TO, TO LEAVE.
BUT OF COURSE TRAVIS COUNTY IS NOT GONNA TELL THEM ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY.
UM, BUT, BUT YEAH, THERE THERE IS A, UM, A LARGE DEDICATED, UH, INSPECTION TEAM.
ARE THOSE JUST EVERY YEAR-ISH? I THINK SO, BUT I DON'T WANT TO SAY FOR SURE.
I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHAT THEIR, UH, INSPECTION, UH, THAT'S PROBABLY A LOT OF 'EM.
CADENCE IS, I'M, WE COULD PROBABLY GET MATT BOGER WHO IS DIALED INTO THAT TO PROVIDE JUST A QUICK CRUNCH DOWN OF LIKE HOW MANY PONDS DO THEY INSPECT EVERY YEAR, AND, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THOSE ARE NON-COMPLIANT? YEAH.
UH, ARE THERE LEVELS THAT DON'T HAVE TO MEET COMPLIANCE POST-CONSTRUCTION? YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SORT OF LIKE LARGE SCALE, YOU KNOW, CONCRETE, UH, YOU KNOW, REMEDIATIONS VERSUS A RAIN GARDEN VERSUS LIKE A SPONGE GARDEN, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE SOME THAT SOUND NICE, YOU KNOW, BUT DON'T, YOU KNOW, WOULDN'T BE HELD TO THAT STANDARD? SO ALL OF OUR, UM, WATER QUALITY CONTROLS ARE, UM, HELD TO THE SAME POLLUTION, UM, REMOVAL STANDARD.
SO ALL OF THEM, ALL OF THEM HAVE TO MEET THE, THE POLLUTANT REMOVAL STANDARD OF A SEDIMENTATION FILTRATION POND.
UM, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THEY ARE, THEY SHOULD BE FUNCTIONING SIMILARLY.
UH, NOW GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IS THE REQUIRED TYPE OF, UM, STORM WATER CONTROL FOR DEVELOPMENT THAT NEEDS WATER QUALITY TREATMENT.
UM, NOW AFTER, UH, OUR, THE CODE WE ADOPTED A COUPLE YEARS AGO, UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE, THERE ARE MORE GONNA BE MORE RAIN GARDENS, MORE BIOFILTRATION PONDS RETENTION, RE IRRIGATION IS ANOTHER KIND.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE, THE TYPE THAT ARE REQUIRED THESE DAYS.
UM, AND THEY SHOULD ALL KIND OF WORK THE SAME, UH, NOT THE SAME, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY SHOULD HAVE THE SAME EFFECTIVENESS AS AS THE OTHERS.
THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND.
AND THEN JUST LASTLY, JUST, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT SORT OF THOSE MORE, UM, TECTONIC SHIFTS OR, OR RED FLAGS THAT YOU SEE THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE MORE LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE, UH, DRIVEN OR THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PRIORITIZATION, WHEN IT'S ON A
[03:25:01]
LARGER SCALE OR IT MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, A MORE LARGE SCALE SORT OF REGIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAM OR, UM, YOU KNOW, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT THAT NEEDS TO BE PRIORITIZED FOR FUNDING, HOW DOES THAT SORT OF GET PASSED ALONG TO SO THAT IT CAN BE, YOU KNOW, ADVOCATED FOR, AT A POLICY LEVEL DIFFERENT TO QUANTIFY, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY UNKNOWNS FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.THE BEST HOPE THAT WE HAVE IS TO, UH, GET IN FRONT OF THAT.
THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY BUSINESS KNOWS IT'S BEEN HAPPENING FOR, FOR DECADES.
UH, THE BEST WE CAN DO IS TO TRY TO BUILD RESILIENCY INTO SOME OF THESE SYSTEMS, RIGHT? STAY BACK OUT OF THE FLOODPLAIN, RIGHT? THAT FLOODPLAINS JUST GONNA GET BIGGER AND IT'S GONNA GET MORE VALUABLE IN ITS ECOSYSTEM SERVICES THAT IT CAN PROVIDE US.
SO TO TRY TO BUILD RESILIENCY IN THESE SYSTEMS, TO LET THEM BE MORE NATURAL, TO NOT TRY TO CONSTRAIN THEM TOO MUCH OR ENGINEER THEM OR HAVE THEM WORK IN A CERTAIN STATIC WAY WHEN WE KNOW THAT WILL CHANGE.
SO, UM, IT'S DIFFICULT TO COMMUNICATE IN, IN ANY KIND OF LIKE QUANTIFIABLE WAY.
AND THE BEST WE CAN DO IS TO, LIKE I SAID, JUST TO BUILD RESILIENCY AND LET LET NATURE DO ITS WORK BECAUSE IT'S GONNA DO THINGS WAY BETTER THAN WE CAN.
WE JUST NEED TO GIVE IT SPACE.
AND I FEEL LIKE OUR, OUR MISSING COMMISSIONER WOULD APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S BILL NINE VIBES, SO I JUST HAD TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
I JUST HAD A COUPLE QUICK QUESTIONS.
UM, ONE THING I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE NOV PROCESS, IS IT LINKED TO, LIKE, ARE Y'ALL GIVING NVS OR IS IT LIKE LINKED, LIKE IT'S A STATE GIVING 'EM, IS IT, AND IS THAT PROCESS CONNECTED TO BE LIKE, IF YOU ISSUE AN NOV THAT THE COUNTY KNOWS ABOUT IT AND THEN THE STATE KNOWS ABOUT IT AS WELL? SO I THINK THAT DEPENDS ON THE NOV.
RIGHT? IF IT'S SOMETHING SIMPLE LIKE YOUR, YOUR, YOUR GRASS IS DEAD, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE VEGETATED RE-GRASS, I MEAN, THAT'S GONNA BE A, A CITY LEVEL BECAUSE IT'S, WE HAVE OUR, OUR RULES, WE KNOW IT WAS DESIGNED TO THAT ASPECT.
IF IT'S A LARGER NOV, LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU, YOUR, YOUR WALLS ARE FAILING, YOUR DAM IS FAILING AND IT OVERLAPS WITH STATE REGULATIONS, YOU KNOW, LIKE A DAM, RIGHT? SO THAT THEY WILL INVOLVE THE, THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE AT THE LEVEL THEY NEED TO.
AND THEN, UH, IF YOU'VE GOT THIS AREA WHERE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WATER FLOWS OUT OF THE ETJ AND INTO THE COUNTY, BUT THEN BACK INTO THE ETJ, THEY'RE GONNA COORDINATE WITH THE, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATE WITH THE TRAVIS COUNTY PERSONNEL TO KNOW THAT THERE'S OVERLAPPING JURISDICTION OR THERE'S SOMEHOW THERE'S A NEXUS IN BETWEEN THE, THE, THE TWO DIFFERENT CODES THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE GONNA, UH, COMMUNICATE TO.
BUT ALL IT'S SCALABLE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A, RIGHT, LET'S SAY YOU HAVE A, UH, AN INDUSTRY THAT IS CREATING A LOT OF ACIDIFIED WATER THAT MAY GO BEYOND THE CITY'S AUTHORITY, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE IN, WE'RE GONNA INVOLVE T-C-Q-T-Q ALSO.
SO THAT IS ALL HANDLED KIND OF CASE BY CASE ON A SCALE, UH, WITH THE WATER QUALITY COMPLIANCE GROUP AND THE POND INSPECTION TEAM.
AND I HAD ANOTHER QUESTION WITH LIKE THE TESTING OF THE WATER.
I WAS CURIOUS IF Y'ALL TEST AROUND THE BRIDGES.
I ASKED THAT BECAUSE LIKE NOW IT'S POPULAR AND LIKE EVEN TIKTOK CHALLENGES OF PEOPLE JUMPING OFF THE BRIDGES.
AND SO I WAS THINKING OF LIKE IN AT TOWN LAKE AND STUFF.
SO I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE SEDIMENTATION AND THE TUR AND IF LIKE ALL THAT'S BEING TESTED IN THOSE AREAS.
UH, SO THIS IS MORE OF A, A DOC, DR.
BRENT BEIGER AGAIN LAKE STUFF, RIGHT? UM, SO THERE ARE POINTS WE HAVE ALL THE WAY DOWN NEAR THE BASIN, ALL THE WAY DOWNSTREAM AND THEN, UH, AT POINTS ABOVE, AND TYPICALLY THEY'RE AT EASILY IDENTIFIED PLACES.
AND YES, THOSE ARE LARGELY BRIDGE, UPPER DOWNSTREAM, YOUR MOPAC, UPPER DOWNSTREAM SOUTH CONGRESS, LIKE THAT.
UM, FORTUNATELY I COULD SAY THAT THERE'S AN ENTIRE REPORT THAT'S WRITTEN ABOUT THE HISTORY OF KNOWLEDGE WE HAVE OF CONTACT RECREATION FOR LAKE, FOR LADY BIRD.
SO OVER TIME THAT LAKE HAS MEETS ALL CONTACT RECREATION, UH, THRESHOLDS, WHICH IS GREAT.
THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THERE ISN'T A SPECIFIC LOCATION, RIGHT? DUE TO BATS OR SOMETHING ELSE, OR AN AREA WHERE SOME, YOU KNOW, KIDS STIR UP A WHOLE BUNCH OF TURBIDITY, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
SO THERE ARE ACUTE THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN THAT DEFY THE EXPECTATION OR THE, THE KNOWN INFORMATION.
SO, UM, COULD WE WITH ANY CONFIDENCE SAY THAT AN AREA IS SAFE TO, YOU KNOW, RECREATE IN, ALL WE CAN DO IS, IS SAY WHAT IT SHOULD BE.
AND IT'S A NATURAL BODY OF WATER.
YOU TAKE YOUR RISKS IN ANY NATURAL BODY OF WATER.
SO, UM, A AS FAR AS THE RISKS TO, TO HUMANS, UH, SUBMERSING THEIR HEAD POSSIBLE INGESTION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, LADY BIRD HAS GOT A LOT OF VARIABLES THAT ARE OUT OF OUR CONTROL AND A LOT OF LOCATIONS THAT COULD YOU BE ARGUABLY SAY ARE NOT SAFE AT ONE TIME OF DAY, YOU KNOW, THE WINDS CAN SHIFT AND PUSH ALL THE ALGAE TO THE OTHER SIDE.
WATER, THERE'S NO LIFEGUARDS FOLKS.
[03:30:01]
MUCH.DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUICK ONE? UM, I I, I MEANT TO ASK THIS BEFORE, BUT LIKE THE QS, WE, WE CALL THEM QUAS.
MM-HMM,
UM, WAS THAT A REQUIREMENT OR IS THAT JUST THE NAME OF A DOCUMENT THAT YOU GUYS CREATED? UH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
WE'VE BEEN CALLING 'CAUSE FOR FED WE DO IT, YOU KNOW, LIKE FOR FEDERAL PROJECTS YOU HAVE TO FILE A-Q-A-P-P.
UM, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT IN THE, IN THE EARLY DAYS, THE EARLY NINETIES WENT OUT AND DID SCIENCE, GOT THE DATA, AND JUST KIND OF DID STUFF AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS SOME INEFFICIENCY TO THAT.
THERE WAS NOT GOOD DOCUMENTATION.
YOU KNOW, YOU GO BACK WHAT HAPPENED? I DON'T KNOW.
SO AT SOME POINT IN THE, IN THE LATE NINETIES IN THE, IN THE, THEY JUST DECIDED, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE GOTTA GET SERIOUS ABOUT THIS.
IF WE'RE DOING SERIOUS SCIENCE, WE NEED TO HAVE DOCUMENTATION AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THIS GOES THROUGH THIS SCIENTIFIC RIGOR OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD.
AND THE QAPP IS JUST KIND OF THAT STANDARD OF MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS QUALITY ASSURED.
AND SO THEY JUST USE THAT PROCESS AND IT HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY USED, UH, SINCE YEAH, THE LAST 25 YEARS OR SO.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT.
NEXT MONTH YOU'RE GONNA GET TO HEAR FROM BIANCA PEREZ IN OUR TEAM AND SHE'S GONNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT FRESHWATER MUSSELS.
[5. Update on Environmental Commission Annual Report— Perry Bedford, Environmental Commission Chair]
UP WE HAVE DISCUSSION ITEMS, UM, UPDATE ON THE ENVIRON ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT.UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THE, THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION, BUT, UM, IT'S FAIRLY PRETTY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE.
JUST HAD FOUR, UH, UPDATES ADDED TO IT.
UM, TWO MENTIONS WITH BIRD FRIENDLY, UM, INITIATIVES AND ALSO ADDING, UM, THE TREE CANOPY.
AND
I KNOW, I'M LIKE, LET ME, MY MIND IS KIND OF GOING EVERYWHERE.
UM, ALSO PROMOTING LIKE PLANTING FOR, UM, POLLINATOR ATTRACTANTS PLANTS AND, UM, VEGETATION AND LANDSCAPING.
SO JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT, UM, HELPED WITH THAT.
AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE LIKE AT ALL THE WORK THAT WE DID AS REFLECTIVE AT THE TAIL END OF IT.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY DISCUSSIONS? THAT'S GREAT.
[6. Update from the South Central Waterfront Board on the postponement of the Combining District/Density Bonus Plan at City Council – David Sullivan]
HAVE COMMITTEE UPDATES, UPDATE FROM THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT BOARD ON THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE COMBINING DISTRICT.THIS BONUS PLAN AT CITY COUNCIL NOW POSTPONED UNTIL SEPTEMBER.
SO WE DO HAVE A MEETING OF THE, UH, SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD SCHEDULED FOR NEXT MONDAY, BUT, UH, THE LAST ONE WAS CANCELED FOR NO AGENDA ITEMS, SO I'M KIND OF EXPECTING THIS ONE WILL BE ALSO CANCELED.
[7. Update from the Bird-Friendly Design working group on the meeting on July 23rd and plans for the next meeting – Jennifer Bristol]
UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE UPDATE ON THE BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN WORKING GROUP ON THE MEETING ON JULY 23RD AND PLANS FOR THE NEXT MEETING.YEAH, SO, UM, WE HAD A GREAT FIRST MEETING AND, UM, WE'RE STILL ALSO SORT OF BRINGING IN WHO WE THINK SHOULD PROBABLY BE AT THE TABLE FOR THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, AND THEN ALSO FLESHING OUT WHO SHOULD BE PART OF THE ADVISORY GROUP, WHICH IS OUR, KIND OF OUR BIGGER, UM, UH, SCOPE OF THAT.
LAST NIGHT, UM, AT THE ZONING AND PLOTTING COMMISSION, THEY PASSED A RESOLUTION, UM, FOR BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN, UM, AND BUILDING SOLUTIONS.
SO THAT WAS VERY EXCITING AND LILY REPORTED THAT, UM, IT WAS UNANIMOUS.
UM, AND WE'LL PUT THIS INTO THE MATERIALS, UM, FOR EVERYTHING THAT SORT OF WE'RE IN, WE'RE IN GATHERING MODE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT ALL OTHER CITIES ARE DOING, WHAT, WHAT KIND OF RECOMMENDATIONS CAN WE MAKE? UM, SO MOVING FORWARD, OUR NEXT MEETING IS ON WEDNESDAY THE 14TH, UM, AT 6:00 PM AND TRAVIS UBON HAS BEEN, UM, NICE ENOUGH TO DONATE, UH, THE SPACE TO US, UH, TO BE ABLE TO MEET THERE.
UM, ANYWAY, UH, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD AND, AND, UM, WE'LL SEE WHERE IT ALL GOES.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? OKAY, WELL IT IS NOW 9 43 AND IF THERE'S NO OBJECTIONS, LET'S ADJOURN.