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[CALL TO ORDER ]
IT'S SIX 10 AND WE HAVE QUORUM.SO I'M GONNA CALL OUR MEETING TO ORDER.
JUST AS A REMINDER, IF YOU'RE ONLINE, YOU DO NEED TO.
UM, FIRST, DO WE HAVE, DOES IT LOOK LIKE WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? THERE'S NOBODY ONLINE, RIGHT? OKAY, GREAT.
[1. Approval of minutes from the July 8, 2024 special called meeting of the Joint Sustainability Committee.]
THEN WE CAN JUST GO STRAIGHT TO THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM OUR JULY 8TH MEETING.A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
OKAY, WE'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY EDITS TO MAKE? OKAY.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
[2. Sustainable Purchasing Update – Amanda Mortl, Office of Sustainability ]
SO NEXT, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE AMANDA, WITH THE OFFICE'S SUSTAINABILITY, GIVING US AN UPDATE ON SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING.LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE READY TO GO.
THANKS FOR MAKING IT ACCESSIBLE BY MAKE I CAN, BY LETTING ME JOIN REMOTE.
UM, SO I DID JOIN Y'ALL, UM, IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, SO YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
I'M JUST GONNA LIKE, ARE YOU OKAY, THANKS.
UM, SO LAST TIME I SAW YOU WAS IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR.
SO I'M JUST GONNA REALLY QUICKLY UPDATE YOU ON WHAT I SAID LAST TIME, JUST TO REMIND YOU.
THEN I'LL TAKE YOU THROUGH WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THEN.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD A RESOLUTION PASS IN FEBRUARY AND, UM, SO WE HAVE A RESPONSE TO THAT AND OUR PLAN, UM, FROM THAT RESOLUTION, AND THEN A FEW NEXT STEPS, UM, SLASH WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW KIND OF THING.
SO WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE JUST TO REMIND Y'ALL OF WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME WE WERE TOGETHER LAST TIME.
UM, I GAVE YOU A, UM, REPORT ON THE 2022 PROCUREMENT EMISSIONS INVENTORY THAT WE COMPLETED.
AND THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE SENT OVER TO OUR CONSULTANT, ALL OF OUR PURCHASING DATA FROM 2022.
THEY WERE ABLE TO ADD A, UM, EMISSIONS COEFFICIENT TO EACH PURCHASE AND KIND OF SORT THROUGH, UM, HOW MUCH EMISSIONS WERE GENERATED FROM, YOU KNOW, CREATING THIS, THESE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.
AND SO, UM, LIKE BIG PICTURE, THEY HAD A ROUGH ESTIMATE OF ESTIMATE OF EMISSIONS, CLIMATE EMISSIONS GENERATED FROM OUR PROCUREMENT, UM, OF ABOUT 206,000 METRIC TONS, UM, FROM THAT ONE YEAR, UH, OF CARBON EQUIVALENTS.
AND SO, UM, THIS IS COMPARING APPLES TO ORANGES, BUT OUR MUNICIPAL INVENTORY IN 2022 IS 44, UM, THOUSAND METRIC TONS.
BUT THEY ARE NOT USING THE SAME METHODS, SO THEY'RE DIFFERENT.
I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A SCALE ABOUT HOW PROCUREMENT EMISSIONS ARE SIGNIFICANT.
UM, AND SO THEN, UM, I JUST WANNA ALSO NOTE THAT THE LARGEST ARC THERE ON THE RIGHT, THE GREEN ONE, THAT'S FROM LIKE NOON, 12 O'CLOCK TO LIKE FIVE 30.
THAT ONE REPRE, THAT ONE IS REPRESENTING OUR CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE SPEND ON THE LEFT.
THAT'S LIKE THE PERCENT OF OUR SPENDING PIE, UM, THAT GOES TO CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE.
AND THEN ON THE RIGHT YOU SEE, UM, THAT THAT SAME COLOR ARC IS A LITTLE BIT BIGGER AND REPRESENTS A BIG PORTION OF OUR PIE THAT CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE.
AND SO I AM MENTIONING THAT PART REALLY BECAUSE IT KIND OF TAKES US INTO OUR NEXT SLIDE WHERE WE HAVE OUR RESOLUTION THAT PASSED IN FEBRUARY THAT ADDRESSES THAT PURCHASING CATEGORY.
SO IN FEBRUARY, OUR RESOLUTION THAT PASSED, UM, RESOLVED THAT WE DEVELOP A SYSTEMIC APPROACH FOR THE PROCUREMENT PROCESSES IN THE CITY AND TO PRIORITIZE TWO PURCHASING CATEGORIES.
AND THEY CALLED IT A PILOT PILOTING THOSE PURCHASING CATEGORIES.
SO ONE, UM,
UM, SO BOTH OF THOSE YOU COULD FIT INTO THAT, THAT BIG PIE CHUNK THERE.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY THE LAST PART OF THAT RESOLUTION, IT DID ASK US TO INCLUDE ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONS, UM, AS PART OF ANY REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION AND RELATED TO THESE TWO PILOT AREAS.
AND SO I'LL EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT LATER ABOUT WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
SO WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO REGARDING THAT SYSTEMIC APPROACH THAT, UM, WE RESOLVE TO DO, UH, USING THE, SOME OF THE ONE-TIME, UH, FUNDING THAT WE HAD FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR ON SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT.
WE WERE, UH, WE GOT SOME COACHING FROM SPLC,
[00:05:01]
SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT LEADERSHIP COUNCIL.THEY'RE THE REAL LEADERS AND EXPERTS ON THIS TOPIC.
AND SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING, UM, INFO FROM THE BEST OF THE BEST AND, AND COUNSELING FROM THE BEST OF THE BEST.
AND SO WITH THEM, UM, AND A, A LITTLE STEERING COMMITTEE AT THE CITY THAT INVOLVED THE FINANCIAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND US, UM, WE TOOK AN INVENTORY OF ALL OF OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, COMMITMENTS AND RESOLUTIONS AND THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING TO CREATE THAT ORGANIZATIONAL INVENTORY AND CREATE WHAT SPLC CALLS STRATEGY CYCLE DEVELOPMENT, BUT WHAT WE'RE CALLING PILOTS FOR OUR PRIORITIZED PURCHASING CATEGORIES.
UM, AND SO THAT COACHING ALSO INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, AFTER THAT INITIAL SESSION WHERE WE DID THAT INVENTORY AND CREATED THOSE STRATEGY CYCLES, UM, WE'LL BE ABLE TO CHECK IN WITH THEM QUARTERLY SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE GIVING US ADVICE AS NEEDED OR SUPPORT AS NEEDED.
SO OUTPUTS FROM THAT PROCESS INCLUDED A PROGRAM VISION AND CHARTER AND A STRATEGIC PROGRAM, STRATEGIC PROGRAM PLAN.
UM, WHAT THEY WANTED US TO BE ABLE TO DO IS TO BE ABLE TO LIKE SUMMARIZE OUR SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING PRO PROCURE SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING PROGRAM IN LIKE, IN A ONE PAGER.
AND SO THE THE ONE PAGER THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO CREATE THROUGH THE COACHING IS ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE OUR VISION THAT WE DEVELOPED, UM, OUR PRIORITY IMPACTS THAT WERE GENERATED FROM THAT ORGANIZATIONAL INVENTORY.
AND THEN THOSE KIND OF FOUR COLUMNS OF BRICKS YOU COULD CALL ARE OUR PRIORITIZED FOCUSED AREAS, UM, THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO US RIGHT NOW AS WE'RE IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROGRAM.
AND SO THE TWO PILOTS THAT I'M MENTIONING ARE IN THAT SECOND COLUMN UNDER CLIMATE AND AIR EMISSIONS.
AND SO, UM, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPING GOALS AND METRICS FOR, UM, THAT THOSE PRIORITIZED PURCHASING CATEGORIES AND, YOU KNOW, SETTING UP WORKING GROUPS FOR THOSE PRIORITIZED PURCHASING CATEGORIES.
UM, YOU ALSO SEE SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM, WHICH I'M NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT TODAY.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE FINAL ONE, COUNCIL DIRECTION, COUNCIL DIRECTIVES, THAT INCLUDES STUFF LIKE OUR PLASTIC PACT AND CIRCULARITY.
AND I'M NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT TODAY.
UM, FIRST ONE AND THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO THE PILOTS THAT, UM, WERE MENTIONED IN THE RESOLUTION, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW SLASH WHAT TO EXPECT ON THIS PILOT IS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ADDING PREFERENCE POLICIES AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ZERO EMISSION REQUIREMENTS TO OUR SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS.
UM, AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS AS THESE CONTRACTS ARE EXPIRING, 'CAUSE YOU CAN'T CHANGE A CONTRACT IN THE MIDDLE OF ITS EXECUTION, SO WE DO HAVE TO WAIT TILL IT EXPIRES AND WE'LL ADD NEW UPDATED LANGUAGE TO WHEN WE RES SOLICIT A NEW CONTRACT FOR THESE SERVICES.
AND SO, UM, SO THAT'S OUR PROCESS IS THAT WE'RE UPDATING OUR SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS AS THEY COME UP, UM, AND WE'LL BE ADDING A PREFERENCE POLICY AND ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS THAT REQUIREMENT.
AND THAT'S MOSTLY THE CASE BY CASE ASPECT OF IT, IS BECAUSE SOME AREAS AREN'T, UM, CONDUCIVE OR AREN'T, YOU KNOW, A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT FOR, UH, ELECTRIC OR ZERO EMISSION EQUIPMENT.
AND SO WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE'RE NOT WRITING A SOLICITATION DOCUMENT FOR SITUATION WHERE IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
UM, SO THE NEXT SLIDE I'LL JUST TALK ABOUT OUR CONCRETE, UM, PILOT.
UM, AND SO THIS ONE IS, IS A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED BECAUSE, UM, IT INVOLVES THE TERM LIKE LOWER CARBON CONCRETE.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO IN THIS PROCESS IS DEFINE WHAT, SINCE LOWER IS A RELATIVE TERM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DEFINE WHAT THAT MEANS FOR US.
AND SO WE'LL BE DEFINING WHAT IT MEANS FOR US ESTABLISHING THAT REGIONAL BASELINE AS PART OF THAT, AND THEN, UM, ADDING A PREFERENCE POLICY, UH, FOR CONCRETE WITH EMISSIONS THAT WE, YOU KNOW, ARE SAYING ARE BELOW A CERTAIN BASELINE OR LOW CARBON.
UM, SO THE NEXT SLIDE IS THAT LAST REQUIREMENT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH EPDS.
AND SO, UM, EPD STANDS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATION.
AND WHAT THAT IS, WHAT, WHAT I THINK OF IT AS IS LIKE THE NUTRITION FACTS ON A CEREAL BOX, AND IF IT WAS LIKE HOW MUCH CARBON EMISSIONS WERE GENERATED TO CREATE THE SERIAL, THAT'S WHAT YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, SEE IN AN ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATION, UM, IS THE, THE IMPACT THAT WAS, UM, CREATED BY, YOU KNOW, THIS MUCH, THIS MANY KILOGRAMS, FOR EXAMPLE, OF CONCRETE.
UM, SO THAT WILL BE ADDED INTO OUR SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PLAN TO TRANSITION TO LOW EMBODIED CARBON CONCRETE.
THAT PLAN IS AUTHORED, UM, BY THE TECH, TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT,
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CITY OF ENGINEER.AND THEY, IN THAT PLAN, THEY HAVE, UM, THE REQUIREMENTS AND THE TIMELINE FOR, FOR THAT PROCESS.
AND THEN WE'LL JUST GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WHICH, OH, UM, I DID, IF THERE'S A QUESTION, I CAN ALSO JUST PAUSE NOW OR I CAN WAIT UNTIL THE, I DON'T HEAR ANYTHING, SO I'M GONNA KEEP GOING.
UM, SO AS FAR AS NEXT STEPS, THIS IS, UM, KIND OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING NOW AND WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE FUTURE.
SO, UM, THE RESOLUTION FURTHER DIRECTS ADDITIONAL TRACKING, MONITORING, DATA ANALYSIS AND PROCEDURE DEVELOPMENT, REGULAR CONTRACT REVIEW.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING NOW AND THAT WOULD BE NEEDED IN THE FUTURE.
UM, SO WE'RE DOING THAT RIGHT NOW IN COLLABORATION WITH THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
AND ALSO THIS IS CURRENTLY BEING SUPPORTED BY THE TEMPORARY STAFF THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HIRE WITH THOSE ONE-TIME, UM, SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT FUNDS.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT NOW WITH THEM.
WE'LL CONTINUE, UM, ON THAT PROCESS.
AND THEN, UM, JUST WRAPPING IT UP IS THAT WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT WE MIGHT NEED, UM, NEW PERMANENT POSITIONS FOR THIS KIND OF WORK.
UM, BUT THAT CURRENTLY IS NOT IN THE, THIS FISCAL YEAR BUDGET.
AND SO IF THERE WAS AN ANTICIPATED NEED, IT WOULD BE, UM, LATER.
IT'S NOT FOR THIS, NOT FOR THIS YEAR.
AND THEN THERE'S ONE LAST SLIDE THAT I HAVE FOR YOU THAT'S A LITTLE BIT SEPARATE FROM ALL THE THINGS THAT I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, BUT IT DOES INVOLVE THE ONE-TIME FUNDS THAT WE, UM, HAD FOR LAST YEAR TO SPEND FOR SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT.
UM, LOOKING AHEAD, WE WERE ABLE TO WRITE A SOLICITATION FOR A PILOT SOFTWARE PLATFORM, UM, WHERE WE, YOU KNOW, WE USE THE SOFTWARE AND WE CAN USE IT TO INTERNALLY LIKE CIR CIRCULARIZE OUR SURPLUS.
AND SO I'LL JUST GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THAT MIGHT WORK.
UM, SOMEONE IN PART MIGHT HAVE EXTRA HOT, SHAMEFUL CROOKED ENDS OF MONEY TO REMEMBER SURVIVE WON HARMONIZED, ANYTHING.
BUT, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO AND JUST TRY IT OUT AND SEE HOW MANY EMISSIONS WE WILL BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, PREVENT, UM, HOW MUCH COST WE'LL BE ABLE TO PREVENT.
SO THE SOLICITATION ASKS FOR THE VENDOR TO KEEP TRACK OF OUR EMISSIONS AND SPENDING SAVED USING THAT PLATFORM.
SO, YOU KNOW, NEXT TIME I SEE Y'ALL, THERE MIGHT BE MAYBE SOME DATA FOR YOU, UM, THAT WE CAN SEE THE IMPACT OF THIS PILOT.
DO FOLKS HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON ANY OF THAT? I HAVE A COUPLE, BUT THEN YEAH, GO AHEAD ANNA.
UM, AMANDA, THIS IS SO AMAZING TO SEE AN ACTION.
SO FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS.
MY QUESTION IS, WHEN WILL WE SEE THE FIRST PURCHASE? LIKE WHEN WILL THE FIRST THING THAT GETS PURCHASED, WHETHER THAT'S LIKE A CONCRETE THING OR LIKE A, I DON'T KNOW, SOMETHING THROUGH THE PLATFORM OR LIKE SOMETHING FROM LIKE, I DUNNO, THE LANDSCAPING EXAMPLE, WHEN WILL WE SEE THE FIRST PURCHASE FROM, FROM THIS WORK? OKAY, SO I, I WOULD, I CAN MAYBE GIVE A GUESSTIMATE FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THE, UM, LANDSCAPE EQUIPMENT SERVICES.
UM, SO WE HAVE LIKE A, JUST A LIST OF ALL THE CONTRACTS THAT ARE UPCOMING AND SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE'D SEE WHEN THEY'RE EXPIRING, UM, AND YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'RE UP FOR RENEWAL OR WHATEVER.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THOSE CONTRACTS AS THEY COME UP.
AND SO THERE'S BEEN, UH, LIKE LESS THAN FIVE THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND WE'VE KIND OF LOOKED AHEAD INTO, UM, LIKE MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR, UH, THAT'S ABOUT HOW MANY, THERE'S LIKE NOT THAT MANY CONTRACTS.
SO, UM, AGAIN, FOR THAT ONE YOU MIGHT, WE MIGHT NOT SEE A, LIKE AN UPDATE UNTIL THEN BECAUSE RIGHT NOW ALL THOSE CONTRACTS HAVE PREFERENCE LANGUAGE ALREADY.
UM, AND I, WHEN I JUST KIND OF TO GIVE A LITTLE MORE DETAIL, BUT LIKE, I'VE BEEN LOOKING INTO THESE CONTRACTS AND A LOT OF 'EM HAVE THE PREFERENCE IN THEM, AND SO THERE WASN'T A UPDATE NEEDED FOR THE PREFERENCE.
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ONE WHERE WE MIGHT SEE A CHANGE, I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER, BUT, UM, IT, I WILL SAY THAT THE CONTRACTS THAT ARE LIKE MOST APPROPRIATE TO CHANGE FOR TO A REQUIREMENT IS GONNA BE A TYPE OF PROPERTY THAT IS LIKE SMALL, MAYBE IN TOWN NEAR ELECTRIC SOURCES OR SOMETHING LIKE, LIKE A NON-COMPLICATED SITE VERSUS A RUGGED OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE SITE.AND SO WHEN THAT KIND OF CONTRACT COMES UP, BE MOST LIKELY TO ADD A REQUIREMENT.
JUST TO MAKE SURE I GOT THAT CORRECT, YOU'RE SAYING THAT THERE'S MAYBE FOUR CONTRACTS COMING UP IN THE NEXT YEAR FOR LANDSCAPING, BUT THEY ALL ALREADY HAVE PREFERENCE FOR ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT? THEY ALL HAVE, YEAH.
LIKE THE MOST UPDATED POSSIBLE LANGUAGE THEY COULD HAVE, BECAUSE I WILL MENTION LIKE ONE OF THE CONTRACTS, AGAIN, IT WASN'T APPROPRIATE TO ADD A REQUIREMENT.
CAN YOU SHARE THAT LANGUAGE WITH US? THE PREFERENCE LANGUAGE? YEAH, I, UM, I CAN GET BACK LIKE I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT I CAN FIND.
JUST, JUST AS A FOLLOW UP, UM, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE, THE ONE THAT YOU WERE SAYING IS INAPPROPRIATE.
WHAT IS THAT FOR? OH, THE, THE SITES THAT ARE INAPPROPRIATE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE LIKE, THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED LIKE A TRANSFER STATION.
I'M NOT NECESSARILY LIKE, I THINK MAYBE Y'ALL KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT THOSE MIGHT LOOK LIKE THAN ME, BUT SOME OF THEM ARE JUST VERY REMOTE AND LIKE NOT FLAT.
THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT THE TYPE OF LANDSCAPE THAT, UM, IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT THAT IS AVAILABLE.
SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE A PLACE THAT DOESN'T NEED MOWING AT ALL.
THAT'S ANOTHER, THAT'S ANOTHER POINT, YEAH.
IS THAT, CAN WE NOT MOW, BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S PLACES LIKE I, I IMAGINE IF, I DON'T KNOW, WELL, I CAN'T SAY MORE LIKE, BUT I HOPE WE'RE NOT MOWING PLACES.
OH, THE CITY IS MOST DEFINITELY MOWING.
LOTS OF PLACES THAT DON'T NEED MOWING.
I DIDN'T HEAR, WHAT WAS THE QUESTION? OH, I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD TELL US ANYTHING ABOUT THE UPCOMING CONCRETE CONTRACTS OPPORTUNITIES THERE? UM, I THINK, AGAIN, THAT PROCESS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE, UM, OF THE, LIKE DEFINING OF THE TERM.
AND SO I DON'T HAVE ANY UPDATES ON THE, ON THAT.
UM, I WILL SAY I CAN DIRECT YOU TO THAT PLAN THAT WAS WRITTEN THAT, UM, THAT HAS A TIMELINE ON IT.
SO THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY PROGRESS ON, UM, ANY SORT OF CHANGES TO THAT PLAN BECAUSE I, I MEAN WE DISCUSSED THAT HERE AND I THINK THERE WAS PRETTY BROAD CONSENSUS THAT THAT WAS, UM, MAYBE A LESS THAN INSPIRING TIMELINE SINCE THEY WEREN'T, I THINK STARTING OCTOBER ONE THEY WERE GONNA REQUIRE THE EPDS AND THEN SET A BASELINE IN 2026 MM-HMM.
YEAH, I, I, I'M, THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE REPORT I'M TALKING ABOUT THE, THE BY THE CITY OF ENGINEER.
SO, UM, I'M NOT IN THE CITY OF ENGINEER LAKE DEPARTMENT, SO I DON'T HAVE MORE TO SHARE ON THAT, BUT THAT THE, THEIR LATEST PLAN.
UH, THANKS FOR, FOR THE PRESENTATION, UM, FOR THE, FOR THOSE EMISSIONS THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, I THINK IN THE, THE FIRST FEW SLIDES.
SO I'M ASSUMING THOSE ARE JUST KIND OF BASED ON, DO YOU REMEMBER, IS IT LIKE BASED ON JUST SOME SORT OF SORT OF, UH, SPENDING MODEL THAT BASED ON HOW MUCH YOU SPEND THAT KIND OF KICKS SOME EMISSIONS? OKAY, SO ITS NOT, IT'S NOT BASED ON ANY SPECIFIC EPDS AT THE MOMENT, RIGHT? 'CAUSE THAT'S, NO, IT WAS INDUSTRY WIDE, UM, AVERAGES THAT THEY USED ALSO, IT WAS SPEND BASED.
SO ONCE, LIKE ONCE I GUESS THAT EPD, YOU KNOW, WE GET THE EPDS AND ESTABLISH MORE A BASELINE, THOSE NUMBERS CAN CHANGE QUITE A BIT.
AND THAT'S WHERE I MEANT LIKE KIND OF APPLES TO ORANGES.
'CAUSE YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU GET YOUR ACTUAL DATA THAT YOU USE THAT THE ACTUAL EMISSIONS THAT YOU'RE GENERATING INSTEAD OF THIS INDUSTRY WIDE ESTIMATE.
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YEAH.CAN YOU TELL US ANYTHING ABOUT, UM, OTHER KIND OF PRODUCT AREAS THAT YOU'LL BE MOVING ON TO NEXT? YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, FURNITURE, OTHER STUFF LIKE THAT? I'LL SAY THAT WE HAVE ALREADY RE RESOLVED ON THE PLASTIC PACT.
AND SO, UM, TO GET ALL THE PROCEDURES AND METRICS IN PLACE FOR RESOLUTIONS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE DONE, UM, IS THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY.
UM, 'CAUSE THE, THE TWO PILOTS WERE FROM WERE THE COUNCIL PRIORITIES.
UM, AND WE HAVE OUR PRIORITIES THAT WE'VE ALREADY LAID OUT.
SO AS FAR AS A NEW ONE, I CAN'T SAY.
[3. Updates from Environmental Investment Plan effort and City Budget; JSC next steps. ]
ALL RIGHT.UM, I THINK ZACH IS NEXT GONNA GIVE US A, AN UPDATE FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN EFFORT, CITY BUDGET, AND THEN WE WILL KIND OF TALK ABOUT HOW OUR COMMISSION CAN, UH, MOVE FORWARD.
ALTHOUGH I THINK IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO DO THE COMMISSION, THE, UH, MEMBER COMMISSION UPDATES BEFORE THAT.
SO WE'LL LET ZACH TALK, THEN WE'LL DO UPDATES AND THEN KIND OF GO BACK TO NEXT STEPS, IF THAT'S OKAY.
ZACH BAUMER, UH, CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER.
SO I'M JUST GONNA GIVE A, MOST OF THIS IS JUST KIND OF FACTUAL, UH, INFORMATION THAT'S HAPPENED OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
UM, SO YOU ALL, HERE'S THE SORT OF GENERAL TIMELINE OF HERE, UM, WORK IN THIS AREA.
SO YOU ALL REMEMBER FEBRUARY, 2024 WAS THE RESOLUTION FROM CITY COUNCIL DIRECTING TO CREATE THIS ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN.
UM, STAFF WORKED MARCH THROUGH MAY TO CREATE, UM, 70 DIFFERENT PROJECT PROPOSALS.
THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE ALSO DID TONS OF WORK TO CREATE YOUR, UH, 33, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS AND PASSED A RECOMMENDATION ON THAT.
UM, THEN ON MAY 24TH, THERE WAS A, UM, A LETTER FROM A SUB QUORUM OF CITY COUNCIL ANNOUNCING WHAT THEIR SORT OF PRIORITY PROJECTS WERE BASED ON ALL THIS INFORMATION THAT BEEN DELIVERED TO THEM.
UM, THEN ON MAY 28TH, UH, I STOOD RIGHT HERE AND PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION ON THE STAFF RESPONSE AND ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER AND SUMMARIZED AND PRESENTED THAT ALL TO COUNCIL.
UH, THAT WAS WORK SESSION DAY, WHICH WAS A TUESDAY.
UM, THEN ON THURSDAY, MAY 30TH, UH, WHICH WAS IN THIS ORIGINAL RESOLUTION, THERE WAS A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN.
AND THAT WAS ESSENTIALLY JUST, UM, AN ITEM DURING THE COUNCIL MEETING THAT CAME UP.
A FEW SPEAKERS CAME UP AND THEY SORT OF SAID THEIR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS ON THE PROCESS AND WHAT THE PROPOSED PROJECTS WERE.
UM, SO THAT SORT OF CONCLUDED, UH, THAT RESOLUTION RESPONSE IN THAT BODY OF WORK.
UM, THEN THERE WASN'T A COUNCIL MEETING DURING JUNE.
UM, AND ON JULY 18TH, UM, THERE WAS ANOTHER ITEM FROM COUNCIL THAT WAS PASSED.
UM, AND IT WAS DIRECTING THE CREATION OF A COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM, WHICH I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THE RESOLUTION HERE IN A COUPLE SLIDES.
UM, AND THEN THE FOLLOW ON FROM THAT WAS, UH, DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS.
SO ON AUGUST 14TH, THERE WAS AN ITEM, ITEM 24 ON BUDGET ADOPTION DAY, UH, WHICH WAS, UM, A BUDGET IFC DIRECTING THE CREATION OF A LAND ACQUISITION FUND, WHICH SORT OF HAS ITS ROOTS AND CONNECTION BACK TO THESE OTHER RESOLUTIONS AND STEPS.
UM, SO JUST AS A REFRESHER, THIS WAS WHAT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN, ASKING FOR PROJECTS AND PRO PROGRAMS TO BE PROPOSED IN THIS BROAD CATEGORY OF LOTS OF DIFFERENT AREAS.
AND, UM, BASICALLY ASKING HOW THEY COULD BE FUNDED AND, UM, FROM UTILITY RATES, GENERAL FUND GRANTS OR, OR BONDS.
SO THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL DRIVER THERE.
UM, THIS WAS JUST THE SUMMARY, UM, OF THIS, UM, SUB QUORUM LETTER THAT WAS, UM, THAT WAS POSTED TO THE MESSAGE BOARD ON MAY 24TH.
UM, JUST HIGHLIGHTING NOW THAT, UM, FROM THIS LETTER THAT THEY ESSENTIALLY PUT FORWARD, UM, NUMEROUS DIFFERENT PROJECTS, PROGRAMS THAT, THAT THEY SORT OF SAW AS PRIORITIES BASED ON THE 70 PLUS 33 DIFFERENT, LIKE THE OVER A HUNDRED DIFFERENT PROPOSALS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD.
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UM, SO YOU CAN GO BACK AND FIND THIS LETTER AND SEE WHAT THE, THE PRIORITIES WERE.UM, IT WAS, UM, IT WAS INFORMATIVE.
UM, THEN FAST FORWARD, AS I SAID, TO JULY 18TH, AS THESE NEXT THREE SLIDES ARE SUMMARIZING WHAT WAS PASSED ON JULY 18TH.
SO THIS WAS, THIS IFC ITEM FROM COUNCIL IS DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO SCHEDULE AND CONDUCT PUBLIC BRIEFINGS.
UM, AND, UH, SO THE FIRST ITEM THERE IS BASED ON, SO REPORTING BACK TO COUNCIL ON BOND RATINGS AND, UM, HOW MUCH, UM, MONEY MIGHT BE AVAILABLE FOR FUTURE BONDS.
THEN, UH, THERE WERE TWO ITEMS BELOW THAT.
THEN IT WAS CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE BOND PACKAGE THAT FUNDS AND ADDRESSES CLIMATE INFRASTRUCTURE AND OTHER PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONDUCTING AN ELECTION NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER, 2026.
UM, AND THAT'S ALIGNED WITH, UM, THE CURRENT BOND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
THAT IS, THAT IS THEY'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND PART IS TO CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM, OF WHICH ONE COMPONENT IS A CLIMATE BOND PROPOSITION CONTAINED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE BOND PACKAGE.
THIS IS JUST MORE INFORMATION, GIVING, MORE SPECIFICITY ON THE KIND OF PROJECTS THAT MIGHT BE INCLUDED.
UM, POINTING TO 13, POINTING TO THE, THE WORK THAT WE DID ON THE EIP, UM, YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND 13 OTHER CITY PLANS BASICALLY TO SOURCE IDEAS FROM ALL OF THIS WORK, UM, THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE, WHICH MAKES SENSE.
UM, AND THEN ESSENTIALLY THE LAST PART HERE IS JUST, UM, GIVING MORE DIRECTION THAT, THAT IN THIS COMPREHENSIVE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, SIMILAR TO THE EIP, WE SHOULDN'T JUST FOCUS ON, UM, PROJECTS THAT CAN BE FUNDED BY BONDS.
WE SHOULD LOOK AT ALL DIFFERENT FUNDING MECHANISMS AND BASICALLY JUST PROPOSE BACK TO COUNCIL, HERE IS HOW WE WOULD GET ALL THE THINGS DONE THAT ARE, ARE NOT COMPLETED IN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN AND POTENTIALLY HOW THEY COULD BE FUNDED.
UM, THEN THE LAST PIECE HERE IS JUST DIRECTING THAT.
UM, WE SHOULD GIVE COUNCIL REGULAR UPDATES ON THE PROGRESS OF THIS WORK, UH, COMMUNITY GAVE ENGAGEMENT, AND ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE, UM, UP TO DATE ON, UM, THE BOND PROCESS.
UM, SO THIS RESOLUTION'S VERY, YOU KNOW, HELPFUL AND DIRECTIVE FOR US TO, UM, KEEP GOING ON THIS WORK AND KEEP MOVING TOWARDS FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
UM, DURING ALL OF THESE CONVERSATIONS, UM, IN MAY, JUNE, JULY, THERE WERE, UM, A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT LAND ACQUISITION AND LAND ACQUISITION AND PROTECTING LAND FOR PARKS, FOR OPEN SPACE, FOR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, FOR CARBON SEQUESTRATION.
UM, THAT WAS ONE OF THE MAJOR, THAT WAS THE BIGGEST TICKET ITEM, UM, IN THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN.
UM, SO DURING THE, DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, UM, THIS RESOLUTION WAS PASSED AND IT ESSENTIALLY DIRECTS, UM, STAFF TO CREATE THIS DEDICATED LAND ACQUISITION FUND, UM, THAT LOOKS AT PARKLAND, PROTECTING WATER SUPPLY, DRAINAGE, MITIGATING FLOOD RISK, ET CETERA, UM, USING CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.
UM, AND THEN IT ALSO GIVES THE DIRECTION THAT, UM, STAFF SHOULD PRIORITIZE ACQUIRING LAND THAT HAS MULTIPLE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS, INCLUDING REDUCING THE CARBON FOOTPRINT, RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE, PROTECTING ECOSYSTEMS, ET CETERA.
UM, SO STAFF IS ESSENTIALLY DIRECTED TO CONSULT WITH RELATIVE, UM, WITH RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS AND COME UP WITH, UM, A PROCESS IN A, IN A WAY TO FIGURE OUT, UM, AND ADDRESS MULTIPLE BENEFITS FROM LAND PURCHASES AND THEN, UH, MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
UM, SO IN THE BUDGET THAT WAS ACTUALLY, UM, ADOPTED, THERE WAS ALSO AN ITEM, UM, CALLED LAND ACQUISITION, AND IT WAS LABELED IN THE CIP DEBT CATEGORY.
AND IT SAYS $50 MILLION IN THAT CATEGORY.
UM, SO THIS WAS JUST PAST TWO WEEKS AGO.
IT'S BRAND NEW DIRECTION, BUT THIS WAS WHAT WAS ADOPTED ALONG WITH, UM, THE BUDGET.
SO WHAT ARE WE, UM, WHAT IS THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND OR WHAT ARE WE COORDINATING AND WHAT ARE WE MOVING FORWARD ON, UM, IN LINE WITH THESE RESOLUTIONS? SO, UM, THE FIRST THING IS RESPONDING TO THAT, UH, THE JULY 18TH, UH, RESOLUTION 93.
WE ARE WORKING RIGHT NOW TO CREATE A PROJECT PLAN AND A TIMELINE TO CREATE THIS COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE A MULTI-MONTH PROCESS TO WORK ACROSS CITY DEPARTMENTS.
UM, FIGURE OUT AREAS WHERE WE'RE NOT MEETING TARGETS, THINGS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN IMPLEMENTED, COME UP WITH COSTS AND BRING ALL THAT INFORMATION FORWARD.
SO, UM, THAT'S, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF PLANNING THAT RIGHT NOW.
[00:30:01]
SECOND THING IS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF TALK IN THOSE RESOLUTIONS ABOUT THE BOND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES IS LEADING THE BOND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, SO ME AND MY STAFF ARE PARTICIPATING AT ALL THE LEVELS THAT YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN, UM, THAT BOND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND MAKING SURE THAT SUSTAINABILITY, CLIMATE AND RESILIENCE ARE INTEGRATED INTO, INTO THAT PROCESS.
UM, WE HAVE ALSO, JUST BASED ON THIS RESOLUTION FROM TWO WEEKS AGO, UM, WE SET UP A MEETING AND ARE STARTING THESE INITIALS DISCUSSIONS WITH REAL ESTATE PARD WATERSHED, AUSTIN WATER ON THIS LAND ACQUISITION FUND.
IT'S VERY EARLY ON THAT, SO WE'RE ESSENTIALLY JUST COMMITTING TO START THE CONVERSATION AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT'S GONNA MEAN.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UH, WE ARE GONNA START BACK UP, UH, QUARTERLY COUNCIL WORK SESSION BRIEFINGS ON THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, WHICH WILL, UM, ADDRESS ALL THIS INFORMATION AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, UH, REPORTED TO COUNCIL AND THAT THEY'RE ENGAGED IN THAT CONVERSATION.
SO, UH, THE FIRST, UH, SORT OF RESTARTED, UH, QUARTERLY UPDATE WILL OCCUR BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO, SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE WITH ALL THAT RIGHT NOW.
UM, I'M EXCITED TO SEE THAT THE QUARTERLY UPDATES ARE COMING BACK.
UM, DO YOU KNOW, ARE THEY GONNA, I KNOW AT ONE POINT IT WAS LIKE SECTION BY SECTION OF THE PLAN.
IS IT GONNA FOLLOW THAT OR IS IT GONNA BE MORE KIND OF WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW? OR IS THERE ANY NOT SURE YET.
I, I MEAN, I THINK THE FIRST ONE WE'LL PROBABLY FOCUS ON THIS COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM.
SO WE'LL PROBABLY START THERE AND THEN, AND THEN GO FROM THERE.
WE CAN COME BACK TO THIS, BUT I SEE PERHAPS THE JSC COULD HAVE, HAVE A ROLE AND HELPING MEAN, UH, FEED INTO THOSE PERHAPS.
DO OTHERS, CAN WE TAKE DOWN THE SCREEN SO I CAN SEE, OR THE PRESENTATION SO I CAN SEE FOLKS? DOES ANYBODY HAVE A QUESTION FOR ZACH? WE'LL COME BACK TO TALKING ABOUT OUR NEXT STEPS, BUT I JUST WANNA HEAR FROM ANYBODY THAT HAS COMMISSION UPDATES 'CAUSE THEY MIGHT FEED INTO THAT.
BUT IF ANYBODY HAS A QUESTION FOR ZACH? NO, UM, MY BAD, I HAD A QUESTION.
I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE TIMELY WITH IT.
UM, YEAH, APPRECIATE THE, UH, THE UPDATE.
UM, I ASSUME THAT THE QUARTERLY UPDATES WILL JUST BE LIKE THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, RIGHT? TALKING.
AND SO MY QUESTION WAS, SINCE IN THE RESOLUTION THESE, UH, CITY COUNCIL DIRECTS A CITY MANAGER TO UPDATE THEM ON THE PROCESS OF, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CLIMATE BOND AND JUST THE, THE CLIMATE INVESTMENT PLAN, IS THERE ANY SORT OF TIMELINE FOR WHEN THE CITY MANAGER AND HIS OFFICE IS SUPPOSED TO UPDATE CITY COUNCIL ABOUT SORT OF THE WORK THAT'S GOING ON? OR IS IT JUST GONNA BE FOR RIGHT NOW AT LEAST SCHEDULED THE OPPOSITE OF SUSTAINABILITY? YEAH.
UM, WELL FOR THOSE, FOR THOSE QUARTERLY UPDATES, I MEAN, I'LL, I'LL BE PLAYING A ROLE BECAUSE WE'RE COORDINATING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN.
BUT, UM, MY HOPE IS THAT WE HAVE NUMEROUS OTHER DEPARTMENTS PARTICIPATING AT EVERY BRIEFING BECAUSE THE IMPLEMENTATION AND THE REAL MONEY TO, TO GET THE PROJECTS DONE ARE IN THE DEPARTMENT.
SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE JUST ME UP HERE.
I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, UM, AND HOPEFULLY I'M NOT GOING TOO FAR INTO THE WEEDS ON THIS, BUT WITH PART OF THE LAND ACQUISITION, IT SAYS THAT THERE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE HOPING TO ACHIEVE MULTIPLE GOALS WITH THAT.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ON THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION INCLUDE HOUSING.
WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT ACQUISITION, IS THIS TRULY JUST IN THE GREEN SPACE INFRASTRUCTURE? ARE WE ALSO LOOKING AT ADDRESSING SOME MORE OF THESE PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS WITH THAT ACQUISITION OF HOUSING OR PROVIDING SUSTAINABLE HOUSING ACCESS TO THE, THE TRAVIS, UH, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY INDIVIDUALS? OR IS THAT NOT NECESSARILY DIRECTION YOU'RE TRYING TO GO WITH IT? I THINK IT, I THINK IT COULD BE ALL.
I MEAN, THE, THE, THE FEELING THAT I GET IS THAT THEY ARE JUST LOOKING TO TAKE A MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO THIS AND MAKE SURE THAT MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS ARE AT THE TABLE.
AND IF HOUSING IS A PART OF IT, THEN, THEN HOUSING IS A PART OF IT.
SO I THINK THE IDEA IS, YEAH, TO LAYER AND STACK AS MANY POSSIBLE BENEFITS AS WE CAN AND TRY TO NOT TRY TO GET AWAY FROM LIKE A, JUST A DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT WITH SINGULAR PURCHASE OF LAND AND THEY'RE NOT REALLY THINKING ABOUT THE OTHER, UM, OTHER BENEFITS THAT THE CITY COULD RECEIVE.
[4. Update from the Resource Management Commission on recommendations regarding advising on gas utility matters and support of progressive natural gas rates. – Charlotte Davis ]
SO LET'S, UH, GO TO CHARLOTTE FOR AN UPDATE FROM THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION NEXT.UM, SO IN JUNE, THE RMC VOTED TO MAKE CHANGES TO ITS
[00:35:01]
BYLAWS THAT WOULD HAVE EXPANDED ITS PURVIEW TO INCLUDE ADVISING THE COUNCIL ON MATTERS RELATED TO NATURAL GAS UTILITIES, UM, INCLUDING FAIR AND EQUITABLE RATES, COST EFFECTIVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY PROGRAMS, UH, PROGRESS THAT THE UTILITIES ARE MAKING TOWARDS, UH, THE GOALS OF THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, UM, AND RENEWAL OF FRANCHISES WITH THE NATURAL GAS UTILITIES.UM, CURRENTLY THERE IS NO CITY BOARD OR COMMISSION THAT ADVISES COUNCIL ON NATURAL GAS UTILITIES, UNLIKE WHAT WE HAVE FOR OUR MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITIES, UH, ELECTRIC AND WATER UTILITIES.
SO THIS WAS AN ATTEMPT TO PROVIDE COUNSEL WITH SOME CITIZEN ADVISORY INPUT THAT WE THOUGHT WAS LACKING.
UM, THE NEXT STEP TO IMPLEMENTING THIS CHANGE WOULD'VE BEEN APPROVAL BY THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, WHICH DID NOT HAPPEN.
UM, THERE WAS SOME STAFF RESISTANCE APPARENTLY.
UM, THIS TOPIC IS CONTROVERSIAL, UM, BUT SOME MEMBERS OF THE RMC ARE CONTINUING TO ENGAGE, UH, WITH, UH, CITY STAFF AROUND HOW, UH, WE CAN, UH, PROVIDE INPUT INTO, UM, THINGS LIKE RATES, UM, UH, AND AND MORE.
UH, SECONDLY, THE, UM, IN OUR AUGUST MEETING LAST WEEK, THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION PASSED A RECOMMENDATION TO SUPPORT IN SUPPORT OF CONSERVATION BASED NATURAL GAS RATES IN THE TEXAS GAS SERVICE RATE CASE, WHICH IS BEING ADJUDICATED NOW.
UM, THE RATES THAT TEXAS GAS, UH, IS PROPOSING ARE REPRESENT SOMETHING LIKE AN 105% INCREASE OVER, UM, THE LAST FIVE YEAR PERIOD, UH, PERIOD DURING WHICH INFLATION WAS ABOUT 23 PER PERCENT.
UM, IN ADDITION, UH, THE RATES RAISE THE COST SUBSTANTIALLY FOR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS WHILE LOWERING THEM FOR COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS.
UH, THEY INCLUDE A SUBSTANTIAL FIXED CUSTOMER CHARGE AND RATES THAT GO DOWN THE MORE THAT YOU USE, WHICH IS EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT WE WANNA BE ENCOURAGING.
UM, SO THE RMCS RESOLUTION PROPOSED A CAP ON THE FIXED RATE CHARGE AND A TIERED STRUCTURE WITH HIGHER COST FOR HIGHER USAGE, UM, LIKE WE HAVE FOR WATER AND, UH, ELECTRICITY.
AND, UM, JUST AS AN FYI TOMORROW CITY COUNCIL MEETING, THERE WILL BE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE NATURAL GAS RATES.
AND, UH, I CAN DEFINITELY, I CAN STAY FROM MY TIME ON THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION.
THIS, THIS TOPIC HAS BEEN COMING UP FOR YEARS.
UM, SO I HOPE YOU ALL EVENTUALLY PREVAIL AND, AND GET THAT BYLAWS
UM, AND YEAH, I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO, TO GO TO THAT HEARING TOMORROW.
UM, YOU'D HAVE TO SHOW UP IN PERSON FOR IT AT THIS POINT.
OH, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR CHERYL? YEAH, I JUST HAVE A QUICK CLARIFYING QUESTION AND, AND APOLOGIES, UH, FOR MY, MY IGNORANCE HERE, CHARLOTTE.
UM, DOES THIS MEAN THAT LIKE THE NATURAL GAS UTILITY, NOT ANNA, WE CAN'T, YOU'RE CUTTING IN AND OUT.
ANNA, WE COULDN'T HEAR ANY OF THAT.
I THINK THE INTERNET JUST CUT OUT.
UM, IS THE NATURAL GAS RATES COVERED BY, OR, OR REGULATED BY, SO SORRY.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE NATURAL GAS UTILITY RATES ARE NOT COVERED BY EITHER THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION OR THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION.
IS THAT WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING? UH, THEY'RE DEFINITELY NOT COVERED BY THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION.
UM, THE RAILROAD COMMISSION IS THE ENTITY THAT HA THAT REGULATES, UM, THE NATURAL GAS IN TEXAS.
UH, AND I'M, OKAY, SO WE HAVE NO REGULATION FOR THIS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL? WELL, THE CITY YEAH, GO AHEAD.
THE, THE CITY, UH, IS A PARTY TO THAT RATE CASE AT THE RAILROAD COMMISSION.
SO THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION WOULD BE ADVISING THE CITY ON KINDA WHAT POSITION TO TAKE IN THAT RATE CASE.
[00:40:07]
YEAH, THAT, THAT'S, IT GETS A LITTLE COMPLICATED WITH THE FRANCHISES.[5. Update from Urban Transportation Commission on recent recommendation to update the Urban Trails Plan map – Diana Wheeler]
YOU READY TO GIVE US AN UPDATE FROM URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION? YES.CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES, WE CAN.
UH, WELL, SO THE, MY UPDATE IS RELATED TO THE URBAN TRAILS PLAN, AND YOU ALL MIGHT HAVE SEEN ON AUGUST 26TH THERE THAT THERE WAS THE COMPLETION OF THE AUSTIN TO MAINOR TRAIL, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING.
UM, THE URBAN TRAILS PLAN MAP WAS FIRST CREATED IN 2014, AND SO THE UTC UH, PASSED A RECOMMENDATION THAT TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC'S WORK STAFF INITIATE A PROCESS BY MARCH OF 2025 TO UPDATE THE URBAN TRAILS PLAN MAP BECAUSE IT'S, UM, IT'S A BIT OUTDATED.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE.
DID, SORRY, DID YOU SAY, IS THERE A PUBLIC INPUT OPPORTUNITY THERE NOW? I, WE DID NOT RECOMMEND THAT THERE BE A PUBLIC INPUT OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE, WELL, PART OF IT IS JUST UPDATING THE MAP AND NOT GOTCHA.
JUST THE, THE, THE PLAN ITSELF DOES HAVE PUBLIC INPUT, BUT JUST UPDATING THE MAP IS, IS JUST, UM, UH, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A TECHNICALITY THAT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED.
[6. Update from the Electric Utility Commission on Austin Energy Resource Planning, solar program development, and Austin Internation Energy Conservation Code update – Kaiba White ]
UM, I HAVE A FEW UPDATES FROM THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION.UM, THE AUSTIN ENERGY RESOURCE PLANNING PROCESS, UH, IS CONTINUING.
UM, AE HAS NOW HOSTED THREE OF THE, UM, WORKSHOPS WITH THE KIND OF, IT'S, IT'S KINDA LIKE A FOCUS GROUP, UM, A BIG FOCUS GROUP, UH, WITH INVITED PARTICIPANTS.
THEY HAVE ONE MORE SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 3RD.
YOU CAN'T PARTICIPATE IF YOU'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE GROUP THAT YOU CAN OBSERVE EITHER VIRTUALLY OR IN THE ROOM.
AND THEY'RE AT AUSTIN ENERGY HEADQUARTERS, THAT'LL BE, UH, 1130 TO, TO ONE 30 ON OCTOBER 3RD.
UM, AND AUSTIN ENERGY IS, UH, WORKING NOW ON ADDITIONAL MODELING, I THINK MAYBE 10 OR SO, UM, NEW PORTFOLIOS, UM, MOST OF THEM CAME FROM AUSTIN ENERGY.
THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION WAS ALLOWED TO SUBMIT TWO, UH, PORTFOLIOS FOR THEM TO MODEL.
SO, UH, WE HAD A, A SMALL WORKING GROUP THAT, THAT BASICALLY DID A LITTLE BIT OF MODIFICATION TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE RESOURCE PLANNING WORKING GROUP.
ONE OF THEM WAS A LITTLE, WENT HEAVIER ON THE, THE LOCAL SOLAR AND THE OTHER ONE WENT HEAVY, HEAVIER ON UTILITY SCALE BATTERIES, JUST TO KIND OF SEE WHAT, UH, AND, AND THOSE WOULD ALL BE LOCALLY, I THINK, CITED BATTERIES.
AND THEN AUSTIN ENERGY HAS SAID THAT THEY WILL LIKELY DO A LITTLE BIT MORE MODELING, UM, AFTER THOSE ARE PRESENTED IN SEPTEMBER.
SO, UM, I THINK WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY PLAN TO HAVE, HAVE AN ITEM ON OUR SEPTEMBER AGENDA, UM, AND PERHAPS OCTOBER AS WELL TO WEIGH IN ON THAT.
UM, THERE IS ANOTHER MEETING FOR THE, UM, SOLAR STANDARD OFFER PROGRAM, UH, COMING UP, UH, NEXT WEEK ON WEDNESDAY THE FOURTH, THREE O'CLOCK TO FOUR 30 ALSO AT AUSTIN ENERGY.
THAT ONE ALSO HAS A, UM, A REMOTE OPTION, AND THAT'S, THAT'S OPEN FOR ANYBODY TO PARTICIPATE IN.
UM, AND THEY SAY THAT THEY ARE STILL ON TRACK FOR THAT TO LAUNCH OCTOBER 1ST.
SO THAT'S, UM, THAT'S EXCITING AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD MAYBE, YOU KNOW, DO A LITTLE COLLECTIVE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN HELP GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE THAT HAS A POTENTIAL TO REALLY, UM, I THINK, BE A GAME CHANGER IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF LOCAL SOLAR THAT IS DEPLOYED.
UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, AS A REMINDER, THAT PROGRAM WILL ALLOW, UH, SOLAR DEVELOPERS TO BASICALLY, UM, GET PAYMENT DIRECTLY FROM AUSTIN ENERGY AND, UM, MAKE IT SO THE PROPERTY OWNER DOES NOT HAVE TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST THING IS, UH, JUST THERE IS AN UPDATE TO THE ENERGY CODE OR THE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY CONSERVATION CODE, UH, THAT IS COMING, I THINK THAT'S SCHEDULED TO GO TO COUNCIL OCTOBER 24TH.
UM, I, YEAH, I THINK I'D LIKE TO PUT THAT ON OUR AGENDA FOR
[00:45:01]
A RECOMMENDATION.IT IS, UH, AN IMPROVEMENT BOTH IN THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS OVERALL.
UM, AND THEN IMPORTANTLY, IT INCLUDES ELECTRIC READY AND EV READY PROVISIONS.
AND THOSE ARE BASICALLY, UH, REQUIREMENTS FOR INSTALLING, UH, SUFFICIENT WIRING AND CAPACITY IN THE, UM, ELECTRIC PANEL SO THAT IF, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WANTS TO SWITCH FROM A NATURAL GAS APPLIANCE TO ELECTRIC OR INSTALL AN EV CHARGER, THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN ELECTRICIAN COME IN AND DO AN EXPENSIVE RETROFIT THAT YOU JUST BUY THE APPLIANCE AND PLUG IT IN.
SO THAT IS A, UM, LONG OVERDUE IN, IN MY OPINION, UPDATE.
SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT, THAT CHANGE COMING.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN SUPPORT THAT.
I KNOW WE'VE SUPPORTED, SUPPORTED IT IN A GENERAL SENSE BEFORE.
SO YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE, UNLESS ANYBODY HAS QUESTIONS ON THAT.
[7. Update from the Environmental Commission on the ATX / Travis County Food Plan, Cities Connecting Children to Nature, Infill site plan lite, how Watershed measures water quality, Umlauf Museum Plan, and Kunming Montreal biodiversity framework – Haris Qureshi ]
UH, WITH AN UPDATE FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.A BUNCH OF STUFF TO TALK ABOUT.
SO I'M JUST GONNA JUST TRY TO BLOW THROUGH THIS AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.
UM, SO WE HAD, UH, A BUNCH OF PRESENTATIONS.
ONE WAS, UM, FROM MELODY ALAZAR, PROGRAM MANAGER FOR, UH, AUSTIN PARKS AND REC, AND ALSO FOR A ISD FOR THE CITIES CONNECTING CHILDREN TO NATURE, UH, INITIATIVE, WHICH IS SORT OF A PROGRAM THAT, LIKE I SAID, IS BASICALLY A ISD WORKING WITH, UH, AUSTIN PARKS AND REC TO BASICALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, LET MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY USE SCHOOL CAMPUSES PARKLAND, PARKLAND OUTSIDE, UH, OF SCHOOL TIME.
UH, ALSO HAVING STUDENTS HAVING DAILY ACCESS TO GREEN SPACES, UM, AND SORT OF, YOU KNOW, INTRODUCING THEM TO SORT OF, UH, THE ECOSYSTEM AND, YOU KNOW, THE ROLES THAT, UH, THAT US AS HUMANS CAN PLAY IN SORT OF STRENGTHENING THESE ECOSYSTEMS. UH, SO THEY PASSED A RESOLUTION, SORT OF JUST SUPPORTING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ASKING THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN FIND WAYS TO BETTER SUPPORT AND, AND FUND THE PROGRAM.
UM, THERE WAS ALSO, UM, A PRESENTATION ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN, UM, THAT, UH, THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY HAS BEEN HELPING OUT WITH.
UM, THEY PASSED A RESOLUTION ON THAT, WHICH ALSO FOCUSES ON THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
UM, A LOT OF VERY INTERESTING NUMBERS HERE.
UM, I WON'T, I WON'T READ THEM ALL, BUT I'LL READ A FEW, UM, SHADOW THE OFF SUSTAINABILITY FOR COMING UP WITH THESE NUMBERS.
UH, 16.8 ACRES OF FARMLAND ARE LOST IN TRAVIS COUNTY EVERY DAY.
ONLY 0.06% OF THE FOOD CONSUMED IN TRAVIS COUNTY IS LOCALLY PRODUCED.
14.4% OF PEOPLE IN TRAVIS COUNTY EXPERIENCE FOOD SECURITY INSECURITY, YET 1.24 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD ARE WASTED EVERY DAY IN AUSTIN.
UM, AND THE OFF SUSTAINABILITY HAS CONCLUDED THAT 21% OF ALL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS CAN CREATED BY OUR COMMUNITY ARE FOOD RELATED.
UM, SO YEAH, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT EVERYBODY TAKE A LOOK AT THE, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN.
UH, A LOT OF STUFF THAT RELATES TO THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN AND ALSO, UH, SORT OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE AT THE JSC AND ALSO IN THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.
UM, WHAT ELSE? WE ALSO, UH, RECENTLY HAD A PRESENTATION ON SORT OF, UH, THE WORK THAT, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND, UM, WATERSHED PROTECTION AND, UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT HAVE BEEN DOING TO SORT OF STREAMLINE DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES, UH, FOR SORT OF QUOTE UNQUOTE MISSING MIDDLE OR SMALL RESIDENTIAL MULTIFAMILY PROJECTS WITH FIVE TO 16 UNITS.
BASICALLY, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESS, UH, SPECIFICALLY FOR, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, SORT OF FIVE TO 16, UH, MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENTS OR BEING ABLE TO BUILD ONE TO THREE HOUSES ON EXISTING PLATTED A LOT, UM, BASICALLY, UM, FOR MORE THAN ONE ACRE PROPERTY OF DEVELOPMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE SORT OF SIMILAR TO WHAT IT IS NOW, BUT IF IT'S BETWEEN 0.25, UH, TO ONE ACRE, UM, THERE'LL BE SORT OF LESS REGULATION FOR 0.25 FOR LESS THAN 0.25 ACRES.
UM, IT'LL BE SIMILAR TO EXISTING RESIDENTIAL PERMITS AS FAR AS LIKE DRAINAGE AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, AND THAT'S WHERE MULTIFAMILY, UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY IS NOT THE CASE.
AND SO A LOT OF DEVELOPERS SORT COMPLAINING THAT IT'S DIFFICULT TO, UH, TO DEVELOP MULTIFAMILY WHEN RESIDENT SINGLE, WHEN SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES, UH, ARE A LITTLE BIT LESS REGULATED.
UH, THERE WAS ALSO A PRESENTATION ON THE KONING MONTREAL GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY FRAMEWORK BY WATERSHED PROTECTION.
UM, THIS IS SORT OF WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING WITH OFFICE SUSTAINABILITY, UM, AND THE EQUITY OFFICE TO UM, SORT OF LOOK AT BIODIVERSITY WITHIN THE SAVE AUSTIN, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, USING TECHNOLOGY AND WHATNOT TO TRY TO DETERMINE SORT OF, UM, HOW WE CAN
[00:50:01]
INCREASE BIODIVERSITY AS IT RELATES TO THE, UH, CUING MONTREAL GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY FRAMEWORK.UM, AND I THINK THAT IS PRETTY MUCH IT.
OH, AND THERE ALSO, THERE WAS A PRESENTATION ON, UH, THE LAU OVER IN THE OH FOUR.
THEY'RE STARTING TO, UH, RENOVATE THEIR, UH, FACILITIES AND SO THEY HAD A, A PRESENTATION ON THAT AS WELL.
Y'ALL HAVE A LOT GOING ON OVER THERE, MAN.
AND I'VE BEEN GONE THE WHOLE LAST MONTH, SO IT'S BEEN, UH, A LOT OF, UH, IT'S BEEN LIKE SIX, SEVEN HOURS OF WATCHING A TXN TO CATCH TRACK CATCH UP.
ALRIGHT, WELL, IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU THINK WE SHOULD, UM, DIVE INTO DEEPER HERE ON FUTURE AGENDAS.
YEAH, I DEFINITELY THINK, UM, THERE ARE SOME FOR SURE.
I'LL, UH, I'LL SEND YOU AN EMAIL WITH SORT OF, UH, THE LINKS TO THE, UH, THE DOCUMENTS THAT ARE ON THE, UH, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
I WOULD LOVE TO GET PEOPLE'S FEEDBACK.
ALRIGHT, SO KIND OF GOING BACK TO OUR NEXT STEPS AND JUST NEXT STEPS IN GENERAL, UM, I THINK THE, I'M NOT SURE IF ZACH MENTIONED, BUT THERE IS ALSO ON TOMORROW'S AGENDA, AN ITEM THAT THAT COUNCIL IS, IS GOING TO CREATE THE BOND ADVISORY TASK FORCE.
SO ZACH MENTIONED THAT THERE'S THE STAFF, UM, GROUP THAT IS KIND OF WORKING TO, YOU KNOW, I THINK GATHER INFORMATION KIND OF SOUNDS LIKE, KIND OF LIKE THEY DID FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN EFFORT.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S GONNA BE THIS APPOINTED, UH, TASK FORCE AND, AND THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN UP, IT LOOKS LIKE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, INCLUDING THE MAYOR, EACH GONNA APPOINT TWO MEMBERS.
AND I'M TOLD THAT GENERALLY THEY HAVE WORKING GROUPS THAT THEY BREAK INTO ON DIFFERENT SUBJECT AREAS.
SO, UM, THAT I THINK IS, IS OBVIOUSLY GONNA BE INTEGRAL TO, TO ALL OF THIS.
AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF COMMISSIONS, INCLUDING OURS THAT THAT TASK FORCE WILL COME TO.
IT IS NOT CLEAR IN THE RESOLUTION WHEN, BUT IT SAYS COME FOR INPUT.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT MEANS SOMETIME, NOT JUST AT THE VERY END, BUT, UH, I THINK TO BE DETERMINED AND, AND PERHAPS IF WE, YOU KNOW, WANNA BE PROACTIVE IN GIVING THEM AND SOME INPUT, UH, THAT, THAT PROBABLY COULD HAPPEN AS WELL.
SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY WAS AWARE OF THAT.
UM, I THINK THAT'S ITEM ONE 30 SOMETHING.
I DON'T HAVE IT WRITTEN DOWN, BUT, UM, I, MY EXPECTATION IS THAT IT'S GONNA PASS WITHOUT A PROBLEM, UM, GIVEN THE CO-SPONSORS.
SO I FEEL LIKE WE'VE, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD, WE HAD A BIG PUSH WITH OUR, WITH OUR WORKING GROUPS ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN.
WE'RE COMING BACK, YOU KNOW, AROUND IN OUR CYCLE AND JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD TIME FOR US TO CHECK IN BOTH ON OUR WORKING GROUP KIND OF MEMBERSHIP AND, UM, YOU KNOW, MEETINGS.
ALL OF THAT IS FUNCTIONING AND KIND OF BIG PICTURE.
WHAT DO WE WANT TO BE FOCUSED ON NEXT? WE WANNA KIND OF CONTINUE OUR SAME PATTERN, UM, AS WE DID LAST YEAR.
MAYBE WE WANT TO TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
THOUGHTS, I KNOW THAT THE SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, UM, GROUP, WE, WE DID MEET, UM, WE DID HAVE OUR LAST MOST RECENT MEETING.
WE HAD TAKEN I THINK A COUPLE OFF, UM, OVER THE SUMMER.
HAVE THE OTHER GROUPS BEEN MEETING? UH, WE, THE TRANSPORTATION GROUP.
WE ALSO BEEN TAKING, TAKING A FEW MEETINGS OFF, SO WE WERE KIND OF TRYING TO WAIT A LITTLE BIT TO, YEAH, JUST MAYBE, UH, DISCUSS NEXT STEPS AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT SHOULD WE PRIORITIZE IN THE, IN THE MEETINGS.
SO I DON'T HAVE A CLEAR IDEA, SO I'M OPEN TO THOUGHTS IF PEOPLE HAVE ANY.
CHARLOTTE, WHAT ABOUT YOUR GROUP? YEAH, NATURAL SYSTEMS HAS ESSENTIALLY TAKEN OFF THE SUMMER, SO, UM, AT FOLLOWING THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL OR INVESTMENT PLAN WORK.
[00:55:01]
UM, SO YEAH, WE TOOK A PAUSE AND, AND I THINK, I KNOW ANNA'S HAVING MAYBE INTERNET ISSUES, BUT I THINK THE SAME AS VENTURE FOR THE CONSUMPTION GROUP.I DON'T THINK WE'VE MET SINCE, SINCE THE KIND OF ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN PUSH.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS, UM, THIS EFFORT THAT THIS, YOU KNOW, THAT THE COUNCIL IS INITIATING FOCUSED ON, ON MONEY IN THE LONG TERM.
OBVIOUSLY WE WILL NEED TO EVENTUALLY PREPARE, UH, BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
GENERALLY THAT'S DUE I THINK END OF MARCH.
SO WE'VE GOT LOTS OF TIME BEFORE WE REALLY NEED THAT READY.
UM, I THINK WE, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S SOME POLICY RELATED THINGS THAT PERHAPS WE COULD TRY TO, UM, TAKE THE FALL, THE FOCUS IN OUR GROUPS ON NEEDED POLICY CHANGES AS OPPOSED TO THINGS THAT NEED MONEY.
I KNOW THAT WE HAD SOME THINGS COME UP IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN PROCESS THAT WERE REALLY, THEY WEREN'T REALLY MONEY ISSUES, THEY WERE POLICY CHANGE ISSUES.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW, JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE.
DOES, HOW DOES THAT LAND? IS ANYBODY AWAKE OUT THERE?
I, I MEAN ALSO MAYBE JUST, YEAH, JUST RE REVISITING THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN AND JUST KIND OF SEEING, YOU KNOW, BASED ON ALL, 'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN WORK THAT WE DID, YOU KNOW, WE, WE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT THERE, SO WE PROBABLY HAVE SOME POTENTIAL IDEAS, YOU KNOW, UM, YEAH, AND, AND JUST KINDA REVISITING THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN AND, AND, AND ANY UPDATES, YOU KNOW, OF THAT, JUST HOW TO, HOW CAN WE BUILD FROM, FROM THERE.
I ALSO THINK THERE WERE, UM, SOME SMALLER BUDGET ASKS IN OUR EIP RECOMMENDATIONS, WE MIGHT PULL OUT TO PROPOSE IN THIS COMING CYCLE THAT WOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE IN THE MILLIONS THAT MIGHT REQUIRE A BOND, UH, INVESTMENT OR FUNDS FROM OTHER SOURCES.
BUT WE COULD, WE COULD GO THROUGH THAT AND SEE WHAT MIGHT WE MIGHT EXTRACT THAT MIGHT BE MANAGEABLE IN A REGULAR BUDGET CYCLE.
YEAH, I I THINK THAT'LL MAKE SENSE.
I MEAN, AND YOU CAN, YOU CAN DO THAT NOW OR YOU CAN, I MEAN, WE HAVE, WE HAVE TIME, BUT I THINK DEFINITELY THERE WERE SOME, SOME OF OUR ITEMS SEEMED LIKE REGULAR BUDGET LEVEL.
I, I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHAT, UH, FELLOW COMMITTEE MEMBERS THINK ABOUT, UH, THE JS C'S POTENTIAL ROLE IN, UM, ADVISING AROUND THE LAND ACQUISITION FUND.
UM, SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE, THERE WAS $50 MILLION EARMARKED FOR THAT, AND THERE'S GONNA BE SOME CROSS DEPARTMENTAL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT.
UM, I PERSONALLY WAS, WAS PLEASED TO SEE THAT, UM, COME THROUGH DESPITE NOT BEING ABLE TO HAVE A, A BOND ELECTION IN 24.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S LOTS OF COMPETING, YOU KNOW, PRIORITIES, THINGS THAT, THAT THE CITY CAN DO WITH, WITH LAND.
AND SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE FOR, FOR US TO COLLABORATE ON AND, AND COME UP WITH A, A SET OF, OF RECOMMENDATIONS OR SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME INPUT AROUND THAT, AROUND THE LAND ACQUISITION.
WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK? WHAT DO FOLKS THINK ABOUT THAT? IS IT, DO WE, DO WE THINK WE CAN COME TO SOME SORT OF CONSENSUS ON IS IT, IS IT WORTH TRYING
[01:00:01]
NATURAL SYSTEMS. I MEAN, I THINK FROM A NATURAL SYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT CARBON SINKS AND, YOU KNOW, PRESERVING GREEN SPACES AND UM, YOU KNOW, UH, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE I KNOW THAT THERE'S, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A SHORTAGE OF HOUSING TOO.AND SO THAT WAS SOMETHING, A THEME THAT I THINK CAME UP A LOT IN OUR DISCUSSIONS IS ABOUT, UM, PARTICULARLY WITH THE FOOD PLAN IS, YOU KNOW, SHOULD THIS LAND BE USED TO GROW FOOD, IS THAT THE BEST USE OF LAND? YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT CAN'T AFFORD HOUSING? AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF COMPETING THINGS AROUND THAT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM OUR LENS OF, OF, UM, IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN THAT MIGHT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GUIDE THAT, BUT I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS AROUND.
I KNOW, UM, YOU MENTIONED THE HOUSING, SO OF COURSE I WAS LIKE, YES, PLEASE.
UM, BUT THEN HARRIS MENTIONING ALSO THE FOOD PLAN AND THE REPORT THAT JUST CAME OUT ABOUT OUR FOOD WASTE, I AM REALLY CONCERNED WITH THE FACT THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR FOOD INSECURITIES IN TEXAS RIGHT NOW, BUT WE'RE THROWING AWAY MILLIONS OF POUNDS OF FOOD EVERY YEAR.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE RIGHT SPACE TO TALK ABOUT POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND THAT SPECIFIC PART OF THE FOOD PLAN, BUT THEN ALSO LOOKING AT HOW ARE WE USING THIS LAND WHEN WE HAVE A GREAT EXODUS HAPPENING OUT OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, FOR RESIDENTS WHO ARE HAVING TO GO TO OTHER CITIES TO NOW FIND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, AND WAYS THAT WE CAN SHIFT THAT NARRATIVE OR CREATE RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO IMPROVE THE USE OF THAT LAND.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT WOULD FALL WITHIN WHAT THE JSC DOES, BUT I KNOW IT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING ON THE COMMISSION, ON THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION SIDE THAT WE ARE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO ENCOURAGE, UH, A SHIFT IN MINDSETS OF KEEPING PEOPLE HERE THAT WANT TO BE HERE, BUT THEN ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THEY CAN EAT WHILE THEY LIVE HERE.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, SO WE HAVE NATURAL SYSTEMS AND THEN THERE IS TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE.
SO MAYBE THOSE TWO GROUPS IN A WAY SHOULD COLLABORATE ON SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.
I MEAN, THE CONSUMPTION SORT OF, IT'S INTO IT ON THE, UM, CON YOU KNOW, ON THE FOOD SIDE, BUT I THINK, I THINK THAT CAN JUST FIT INTO THE NATURAL SYSTEMS TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.
UM, CHRIS, I, I, I'M SEEING CHARLOTTE NODDING IN HERE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HAVING A, A COLLABORATION BETWEEN YOUR TWO GROUPS TO WORK ON THAT TOPIC? UH, YOU'RE TALKING TO ME
NO, 'CAUSE I WAS, I WAS THINKING YOU WERE, YOU WERE THINKING, YOU WERE TALKING MORE ABOUT THE COLLABORATION OF THE NATURAL SYSTEMS AND, UH, SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE THINKING INCLUDING TRANSPORTATION FOR THAT OR, WELL, I MEAN, I GUESS Y'ALL'S GROUP WAS INITIALLY TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE.
I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, RIGHT? YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.
DO YOU, DO Y'ALL WANNA JUST, I KNOW IT'S MOSTLY BEEN FOCUSED ON TRANSPORTATION.
YEAH, I MEAN, MAYBE IT'S WORTH, UM, JUST HAVING A COMBINED, UM, WORKING GROUP MEETING AND PUT IT ON AS A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION THERE.
WE CAN SEE IF WE, YOU KNOW, HAVE SOME, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME COMBINED, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, DO WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE, ARE ABLE TO ATTEND THAT WORKING GROUP? YES.
UM, AND, AND OF COURSE THAT ONLY, ONLY THE JSC MEMBERS COUNT, SO IF YOU HAVE OUTSIDE FOLKS, THAT'S FINE.
I'M ALSO, UH, INTERESTED TO KNOW WHAT OTHERS THINK IN THE TRANSPORTATION GROUP.
WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK? UH, HEATHER AND RODIO.
YEAH, I THINK IT FITS WELL WITH THE, THE, THE PROPOSALS WE HAD FOR THINGS LIKE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND, UH, THE COOL CORRIDORS THAT THAT COULD CERTAINLY FIT UNDER THE USES FOR THESE, THE LAND TOO.
BUT THERE COULD BE PLENTY OF OTHER THINGS.
I KNOW WE, IN OUR EARLY DISCUSSIONS WERE TALKING ABOUT ISSUES AROUND HOUSING, BUT REALLY DIDN'T
[01:05:01]
BITE, BITE THAT OFTEN TRYING TO DO IT.SO, UM, YEAH, WE HAVEN'T DEALT WITH THAT IN OUR GROUP, BUT IT SEEMS MAKES SENSE TO ME TO BRING, BRING US TOGETHER TO TALK THROUGH THOSE THINGS.
SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVE AGREEMENT HERE.
OKAY, SO I'LL LEAVE IT THAT Y'ALL CAN COORDINATE THAT.
UM, SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, I THINK THERE ARE A NUMBER OF KIND OF POLICY THINGS KIND OF COMING UP RELATED TO THAT.
UM, AS WELL AS I THINK THE, THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING, UM, AN EFFORT TO, TO REVIVE THE PIECE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PLAN THAT WAS FOCUSED ON, ON PUTTING SOLAR ON CITY BUILDINGS.
SO, UM, I COULD SEE US KEEPING OURSELVES BUSY WITH, WITH THOSE KIND OF ITEMS, UM, OPEN TO ANYTHING ELSE ANYBODY MIGHT WANNA THROW OUR WAY IN TERMS OF LIKE NEEDED POLICY CHANGES.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE HEARD, WE, WE GOT AN UPDATE ON PURCHASING.
IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S SOME STUFF HAPPENING, BUT A LOT THAT ISN'T YET HAPPENING, SO SEEMS LIKE WE, THERE'S A LOT WE COULD DO.
I'M AS OF YET NOT CERTAIN WHAT THOSE RIGHT POLICY OR OTHER MECHANISMS ARE.
UM, BUT I, I WOULD AGREE WITH THE, THE FRAMING.
WELL, I GUESS I HEARD THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING IS HAPPENING BECAUSE COUNCIL IDENTIFIED THOSE TWO PRIORITY AREAS.
UM, SO MAYBE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO IS AS A BIT OF REVIEW ABOUT WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE AND, AND SEE IF THERE ARE OTHER AREAS WE COULD IDENTIFY FOR, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR ACTION.
I ALSO REMAIN, UH, CONCERNED ABOUT THE TIMELINE
SO I FEEL LIKE THAT'S WORTH REVISITING.
YEAH, I THINK THAT COULD BE WORTH SOME ADDITIONAL EFFORT, AT THE VERY LEAST, UNDERSTANDING MORE AND, AND MAYBE HIGH GETTING HEARING FROM FOLKS INTERNALLY.
WHAT, WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE BLOCKERS? YEP.
ANY THOUGHTS ON ANY OF THAT? THIS, THIS IS NOT A, NOT A SHAME THING.
ROGER, YOU HAVE, YEAH, I HAD TWO THOUGHTS ON OTHER ITEMS THAT PERHAPS THE JSE COULD FOCUS ON.
UM, GOING BACK TO THE DISCUSSION AROUND, UM, PREPPING FOR THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE, JUST GIVEN THE FACT THAT THERE'S A NEW CITY MANAGER.
MAYBE THINKING THROUGH KIND OF WHAT THAT PROCESS IS GOING, HOW IT MIGHT CHANGE, UM, AND HOW WE CAN START BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP TO, UM, ENSURE THAT CLIMATE IS KIND OF AT THE FOREFRONT OF, OF ANY BUDGETING CYCLE.
AND THEN ANOTHER ITEM, UM, IS RELATED TO THE CLIMATE FEE IDEA.
UM, JUST KIND OF PRESSING ON THAT, CONTINUING TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
UM, I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT WE SHOULD HAVE ON OUR RADAR.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE HAD, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A POINT PERSON AND THEN A ROTATING CAST OF CHARACTERS TO TRY TO DO PERIODIC MEETINGS WITH THE CITY MANAGER TO KINDA ELEVATE THESE ISSUES.
UM, DO YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN BEING THAT POINT PERSON?
THAT, THAT, I THINK THAT WAS A YES.
THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY SOMETHING THAT'S FOR THE WHOLE COMMISSION.
UM, BUT I I, IT DOES SEEM LIKE, UM, WE, WE HAVE SOME INFORMATION.
ZACH, CAN YOU TELL US IF THERE'S ANYTHING ONGOING REGARDING CLIMATE FEE? I KNOW THAT Y'ALL DID SOME RESEARCH, SHARED IT WITH COUNCIL.
IS THERE ANY, ANY UPDATE ON THAT? NO.
IT'S KIND OF THE NEXT STEP THAT YOU NEED.
THEY'LL LIKE TELL YOU TO DO SOMETHING
[01:10:02]
SO I THINK WE COULD BE HELPFUL IN AT LEAST NUDGING IN THAT DIRECTION.
UM, I THINK THAT WE, DID WE END, DID WE TAKE AN ACTION THAT WAS GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE? YEAH, I THINK WE DID.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, ONE OF THE UPDATES THAT WE RECEIVED LAST TIME WAS THAT THERE WAS SOME ANALYSIS GOING ON BY THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE STATUS OF THAT IS, BUT I FEEL LIKE THAT WOULD BE AN IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR US.
ZACH, WHAT DO YOU HAVE? WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THE LEGAL ANALYSIS? THEY DID COMPLETE SOME ANALYSIS FOR US.
I THINK I'D HAD JUST HAVE TO CHECK ABOUT IF I CAN SHARE THAT, IF THEY SHOULD SHARE THAT, LIKE THE, THE SPECIFICS ON THAT.
SO YOU CAN FOLLOW UP WITH US ON THAT? I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
WELL LET'S SEE WHAT THE ILLEGAL ANALYSIS SAID AND THEN WE CAN PICK THAT UP.
BUT I THINK LET'S DEFINITELY KEEP, MAKE, GONNA MAKE A NOTE OF THAT ONE, UM, CLIMATE FEE MAYBE FOR NEXT MONTH, MAYBE FOR THE MONTH AFTER.
BUT WE COULD ALWAYS HAVE, HAVE A SMALLER GROUP THAT PUT SOMETHING MORE DETAILED TOGETHER ON THAT.
MAYBE CONNECT WITH STAFF OFFLINE.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE IN THE IMMEDIATE, WE'RE GONNA RESTART ALL OF OUR WORKING GROUPS.
DOES EVERYBODY WHO'S LEADING A WORKING GROUP HAS BEEN LEADING A GROUPING, WORKING EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN LEADING A WORKING GROUP.
ARE YOU OKAY WITH CONTINUING THAT? I'M SEEING THUMBS UP.
CHARLOTTE, YOU STILL ON BOARD? YEAH.
AND I'LL KEEP DOING SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS.
UM, AND, AND THIS IS LIKE, NO, NO SHAME.
IF THIS IS YOU AND, AND NATALIE, I KNOW THAT YOU'LL FALL INTO THIS BUCKET AND YOU HAVE A GREAT EXCUSE.
ANYBODY WHO IS NOT A, YOU KNOW, REGULAR PARTICIPANT IN ONE OF THE GROUPS.
UM, AND JUST AS A REMINDER, THAT'S SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, WHICH IS ALSO EVERYTHING TO DO WITH LIKE, ENERGY, UM, NATURAL SYSTEMS, WHICH IS EVERYTHING THAT IS LIKE PARKS, GREEN SPACE, UM, CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND LAND AND FOOD PRODUCTION, ANYTHING GREEN TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE.
AND THE CONSUMPTION IS REALLY LIKE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE PURCHASE BY CONTRACT FOR AT THE, AT THE CITY OR ELSEWHERE.
SO THOSE RIGHT NOW ARE THE FOUR GROUPS.
IF YOU AREN'T PART OF A GROUP, UM, OR HAVE NOT BEEN A REGULAR PARTICIPANT IN A GROUP, YOU'VE GOT ME, CHARLOTTE, ANNA, AND CHRIS.
YOU KNOW, PLEASE GET INVOLVED.
I THINK EVERYBODY FOR THE MOST PART HAS BEEN, BUT I, I'M NOT IN ALL THE GROUPS SO I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE.
AND NATALIE, DOES ONE OF THOSE SOUND LIKE IT WOULD BE A GOOD FIT FOR YOU? WHAT WAS CHARLOTTE'S GROUP? NATURAL SYSTEMS. NATURAL SYSTEMS. I'M LIKE, THIS IS NOT GETTING WRITTEN DOWN WELL.
UM, YEAH, I'D PROBABLY SAY THAT ONE.
IT'S A KIND OF INTERSECTIONAL MM-HMM.
AND SO YOU'LL GET INFO, USUALLY THERE'S LIKE A SET KIND OF MONTHLY SCHEDULE.
SO THE RIGHT IS EVERYBODY DOING THAT? I THINK EVERY, ALL THE GROUPS HAD BEEN DOING THAT.
LIKE YOU HAVE A SET WEEK TIME.
ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA RESTART THAT.
WE'RE GONNA FOCUS INITIALLY PRIMARILY ON POLICY CHANGES.
'CAUSE WE CAN MAKE POLICY CHANGES OFTENTIMES WITHOUT MONEY, WHICH IS GREAT.
AND THEN WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE READY TO ALSO ENGAGE ON THE MONEY SIDE OF THINGS WHEN THIS, UH, BOND ADVISORY TASK FORCE, UH, GET SET.
AND ZACH, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON WHAT, I KNOW THAT YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A QUARTERLY UPDATE COMING NOW, SO MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN TALK ABOUT NEXT MONTH, HOW
[01:15:01]
THE JSC COULD LIKE HELP CONTRIBUTE TO THOSE? IS THAT SOMETHING YOU WANNA THINK ON AND WE COULD COME BACK TO OR YEAH, WE CAN THINK ON IT.WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT SINCE THAT'S NOT LIKE COMING UP LIKE IMMEDIATELY.
ANYTHING ELSE THAT ANYBODY HAS ON THEIR MIND IN TERMS OF THINGS? OH, SHE'S NOT HERE, BUT, UM, ALBERTA CALLED ME TODAY AND SHE WAS SHARING CONCERNS, UH, FROM THE PLANNING, WELL, FROM HER POSITION ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UM, FEELING LIKE THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS NOT, UM, NECESSARILY, UH, ALIGNING WITH JOINT, JOINT SUSTAINABILITY AND LIKE CLIMATE, UH, AND ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS IN THE CITY IN GENERAL.
UM, SO I ENCOURAGED HER TO, UM, PUT TOGETHER SOME OF THAT INFORMATION AND SEND IT TO ME.
UM, SO THIS IS JUST KIND OF LIKE TO SHARE THAT I, I KNOW THAT SHE'S CONCERNED ABOUT LIKE HERITAGE TREES GETTING APPROVED FOR REMOVAL, UM, IN DEVELOPMENTS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, UH, WORSENING OF HEAT ISLAND AND SOME OF THE, WITH SOME OF THE BIGGER DEVELOPMENTS WITH MAYBE LIKE A LACK OF GREENERY, UM, AND, AND PERHAPS SOME, SOME FLOODING ISSUES OR, YOU KNOW, FLOOD POTENTIAL ISSUES AS WELL.
SO, UM, THERE'S PROBABLY THINGS THERE THAT WE, SOME OF THOSE SEEM LIKE KEY ISSUES.
I KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE WEIGHED IN ON TREE THINGS DEFINITELY BEFORE AND HEAT FOR SURE.
UM, SO I DON'T HAVE LIKE ALL THE DETAILS, BUT JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT FROM ALBERTA.
ANYTHING ELSE THAT ANYBODY THINKS WE SHOULD KIND OF HAVE ON OUR RADAR GOING FORWARD OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS?
I'M GLAD WE'RE RESTARTING THE WORKING GROUPS.
I KNOW THAT WE ALL DID A LOT OF WORK AND THEN KIND OF NEEDED A LITTLE BIT OF A BREATHER, SO THAT'S GOOD.
I THINK WE'VE KIND OF DONE THIS, BUT ARE THERE ANY AGENDA ITEMS ANYBODY WANTS TO BRING UP FOR NEXT MONTH OR BEYOND? I KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR A HEAT.
HAD YOU BEEN ASKING FOR, I'M LIKE, WHAT WAS THE HEAT MITIGATION? YEAH, I, I I THINK THAT WAS MAYBE LIKE TWO MEETINGS AGO.
I HAD SAID THAT IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GET AN UPDATE ON HEAT PREPAREDNESS AND MITIGATION, HEAT PREPAREDNESS EFFORTS.
AND I THINK ALBERTA WAS ALSO KIND OF ASKING FOR LIKE, ANY RESEARCH ON HEAT ISLAND, UH, EFFECT.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS? OKAY.
COULD WE SCHEDULE THAT FOR NEXT MONTH? HEAT ISLAND HEAT MITIGATION.
ANYTHING ELSE ANNA? YEAH, UM, A COUPLE OF MEETINGS AGO WE HAD A PRESENTA, WE HAD A PUBLIC COMMENT, I FORGET WHAT WE CALL IT, UM, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT TRANSIT AND HOUSING.
AND I BELIEVE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LIKE SOME OF THE, LIKE THE, THE BUS ROUTES AND THE FREQUENCY OF BUS ROUTES.
UM, I BELIEVE THE WOMAN'S NAME WAS ENOVIA.
AND, UM, I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING AND I THINK IT SPARKED A LOT OF DISCUSSION.
I CAN SEND THIS AS AN EMAIL AND, AND DIG UP LIKE THE PRESENTATION, BUT I, YEAH, I, I'D LOVE TO TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I, I THINK IT REALLY FOCUSED IT, SHE, SHE BROUGHT UP SOME, WHAT SEEMED LIKE REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUES ABOUT EQUITY AND I THINK PUBLIC TRANSIT SEEMS TO FALL BOTH IN THE CLIMATE AND EQUITY CATEGORY.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT WOULD BE A CAP METRO KIND OF THING.
ANYBODY ELSE? THIS IS MORE JUST A CLARIFYING QUESTION.
UM, DO YOU EXPECT UPDATES FROM EACH COMMISSION EVERY SESSION? IT, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EACH COMMISSION EVERY SESSION, BUT I WOULD SAY WHENEVER Y'ALL HAVE SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK THERE'S A CONNECTION HERE, THEN UM, YOU KNOW, PLEASE DO BRING IT.
AND, UH, FORTUNATELY OR UNFORTUNATELY, DEPENDING MAYBE ON YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WE DO HAVE TO LIST EACH ONE.
SO BASICALLY WHEN SOMEBODY FROM OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY REACHES OUT TO YOU TO ASK IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE FOR THE MEETING, THAT'S A GOOD TIME TO LET THEM KNOW THAT, LIKE, YES.
AND I ALSO HAVE AN UPDATE ON THESE TOPICS FROM YOUR ADMISSION.
ALRIGHT, IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE THEN, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, IT'S SEVEN 30 AND I'M GONNA ADJOURN THE MEETING.
[01:20:15]
PICTURE YOURSELF IN THE LIVING ROOM, YOUR PIPING SLIPPER SET OUT FOR YOU.I KNOW YOU THINK THAT IT AIN'T TO FIVE.