[00:00:05]
IT IS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15TH, AND AT FOUR OH SIX I AM GONNA CALL THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION TO ORDER.
UM, TODAY WE HAVE PRESENT COMMISSIONER ARDI, COMMISSIONER PENN, COMMISSIONER NARIO, COMMISSIONER MARLO, COMMISSIONER REYES, COMMISSIONER PATI, COMMISSIONER MUSGROVE, COMMISSIONER MAXWELL GAINES.
UH, VIRTUALLY WE HAVE COMMISSIONER TUON SLAM, AND, UH, MYSELF, COMMISSIONER TTA HERE TODAY.
UM, SO THAT'S EVERYBODY EXCEPT OUR VACANT, UH, DISTRICT NUMBER FIVE.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC? NOPE.
SO NO PUBLIC, UM, CORRESPONDENCE.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
UH, NEXT WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER ONE, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES, COMMISSIONERS YOU HAVE IN YOUR PACKET, AND WHAT WAS SENT TO YOU.UH, OUR MEETING MINUTES FROM OUR PREVIOUS MEETING.
DO I HAVE ANY COMMENTS? MOTION TO APPROVE.
UH, COMMISSIONER BARANGA HAS MOTION TO APPROVE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SHOW BY RAISING YOUR HAND, AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS.
[DISCUSSION AND ACTION]
ALL RIGHT, MOVING TO, UM, THE NEXT DISCUSSION AND ACTION.UH, COMMISSIONER MORTY, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR RECUSALS NO QUESTIONS.
RECUSALS COMMISSIONER PENN? YES, I HAVE, UH, RECUSALS ON ITEMS FIVE AND SIX.
FIVE IS WERE ONE OF THE FIRMS LISTED, THE COMPANY I WORK FOR, AND THEN SIX, WERE A SUB CONSULTANT ON, ON THAT TEAM.
AND AND NO QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER ANG, I HAVE TWO RECUSALS.
ITEM NUMBER FIVE, UM, FOR VERY SIMILAR REASONS STATED BY COMMISSIONER PENN AND NUMBER EIGHT, WE ARE THE, UH, DESIGN ENGINEER, THE CONSULTING ENGINEER FOR NUMBER EIGHT.
ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONER MARTO, UH, NO QUESTIONS.
UH, COMMISSIONER MUSGROVE, NO QUESTIONS.
NO RECUSALS, UH, COMMISSIONER REYES, NO QUESTIONS.
NO RECUSALS, UH, COMMISSIONER MAXWELL GAINES, NO QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER NARIO, NO QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER SEALON, NO QUESTIONS.
NO RECUSALS AND I HAVE NO QUESTIONS.
AND RECUSALS, SO COMMISSIONERS FOR CONSENT.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE ITEMS 2, 3, 4, 7, AND NINE.
DID I GET THAT RIGHT? UH, DO I HAVE, UH, A MOTION? SO MOVED.
COMMISSIONER MARLO MOVES AND I'LL SECOND AND COMMISSIONER PEN SECONDS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SHOW BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND IT'S UNANIMOUS AGAIN.
OKAY, MOVING TO THE QUESTIONS.
AND RECUSALS, UH, ACTUALLY, THEY'RE ALL CUS RECUSALS,
[5. Recommend approval to authorize negotiation and execution of eleven contracts for engineering services for the 2024 Large Scale Water and Wastewater Pipeline Engineering Services Rotation List for Austin Water with Parsons Water & Infrastructure, Inc., Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., Lockwood Andrews & Newnam, Inc., Cobb Fendley & Associates, Inc., CP&Y, Inc. (dba STV Infrastructure), CAS Consulting & Services, Inc., Miller Gray LLC, Black & Veatch Corporation, Stantec Consulting Services Inc, AECOM Technical Services, Inc., and Pape-Dawson Consulting Engineers LLC, for total contract amounts not to exceed $48,000,000, divided among the firms. Funding is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Water.]
UM, GOING TO ITEMS, THIS MIGHT BE VERY QUICK.OH, I HAVE TO READ ALL THAT
UH, WELL LET ME START AND THEN IF IT MAKES SENSE, SO AT LEAST WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
RECOMMEND AN APPROVAL TO OFF AUTHORIZE NEGOTIATION EXECUTION OF 11 CONTRACTS FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR THE 2024 LARGE SCALE WATER AND WASTEWATER PIPELINE.
ENGINE ENGINEERING SERVICES ROTATIONAL LIST FOR AUSTIN WILDER WITH PARS PARSONS WATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE, JACOBS ENGINEERING GROUP, LOCKWOOD ANDREWS AND NEWMAN COBB, FINLEY, CPNY, CAS CONSULTING SERVICES, MILLER GRAY, BLACK AND VEATCH, STANTEC, AECOM, AND PAWSON CONSULTING FOR A TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 48 MILLION DIVIDED AMONG THE FIRMS FUND IS AVAILABLE IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET OF AUSTIN WATER.
DO I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? COMMISSIONERS? DO I HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE APPROVAL.
COMMISSIONER ALREADY MOVES APPROVAL.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND THAT MOTION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SHOW BY RAISING YOUR HANDS.
SO I HAVE COMMISSIONER TUON, ARDI ZULO, MUSGROVE, UM, UH, REYES, MAXWELL GAINES AND VARRIO AND MYSELF,
[00:05:01]
ALL FOUR.AND COMMISSIONER PARAGI AND PENN ABSTAINING.
EXCUSE, DID I GET IT ALL? REUSE, NOT ABSTAINING.
[6. Recommend approval to authorize execution of a contract for construction services for the South Area Lift Station Improvements: Springfield Lift Station Abandonment project for Austin Water with Santa Clara Construction, Ltd, in the amount of $7,837,943 plus a $783,794 contingency for a total contract amount not to exceed $8,621,737. Funding is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Water.]
RIGHT.RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO AUTHORIZE EXECUTION OF A CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTION SERVICES FOR THE SMALL AREA LIFT STATION IMPROVEMENTS.
SPRINGFIELD LIFT STATION ABANDONMENT PROJECT WITH AUSTIN WATER AND SANTA CLARA CONSTRUCTION.
LIMITED IN THE AMOUNT OF $7,837,443 PLUS A 783,794 CONTINGENCY FOR A TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $8,621,737.
FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET OF AUSTIN WATER.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? HEARING NONE, DO I HAVE A MOTION? UM, MOVE TO APPROVE COMMISSIONER MAXWELL GAINES MOVES.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SHOW BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
AND THAT IS THE UNANIMOUS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF COMMISSIONER PENN, WHO IS RECUSING.
THAT WAS EASIER TO SAY IT THAT WAY,
[8. Recommend approval to authorize a contract for construction services for the NWLS Improvements: Rock Harbor Force Main and Four Points #2 for Austin Water with Santa Clara Construction, LTD, in the amount of $4,224,497 plus a $422,450 contingency for a total contract amount not to exceed $4,646,947. Funding: Funding is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Water.]
RIGHT, COMMISSIONERS NUMBER EIGHT, RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO AUTHORIZE A CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTION SERVICES FOR THE NWLS IMPROVEMENTS, ROCK HARBOR FORCE MAIN AND FOUR POINTS NUMBER TWO FOR AUSTIN WATER WITH SANTA CLARA CONSTRUCTION IN THE AMOUNT OF $4,224,497 PLUS A $422,450 CONTINGENCY FOR A CO TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 4,646,400 $947.FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET OF AUSTIN WATER COMMISSIONERS.
DO I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? HEARING NONE.
DO I HAVE A MOTION I MOVE TO APPROVE COMMISSIONER PENN MOVES? DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND COMMISSIONER ARTY SECONDS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SHOW BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND IS UNANIMOUS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF COMMISSIONER PRANGE WHO HAS RECUSED FROM THE ITEM.
[10. Update from the Joint Sustainability Committee meeting regarding conservation and sustainability initiatives – Vice Chair Chris Maxwell-Gaines]
ALL RIGHT.MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER 10, UPDATE FROM THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE MEETING REGARDING CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES.
CHAIR MAXWELL GAINES, VICE CHAIR, I SHOULD SAY.
SO AT THE DECEMBER MEETING OF THE JSC, WE WERE, UH, GIVEN TWO PRESENTATIONS, THE FIRST ONE BEING OVER THE LOW CARBON CONCRETE PROGRAM IN PORTLAND, OREGON.
UM, VERY INTERESTING, UM, I GUESS, UH, HOW THEY WENT ABOUT SETTING UP THIS PROGRAM.
UM, BUT THEY STARTED A LONG TIME AGO.
I MEAN, IT ESSENTIALLY THE RUMBLINGS STARTED LIKE IN 2016, AND THEN THEY REALLY GOT GOING ABOUT 2019.
AND SO IT TOOK A WHILE FOR JUST, UH, WORKING WITH SUPPLIERS AND JUST ALL THE INS AND OUTS AND PILOT PROJECTS AND ALL THAT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN IS EMBARKING ON THIS THOUGHT OF TRYING TO USE MORE LOW CARBON CONCRETE AND CITY PROJECTS.
AND SO, UM, I THINK IT'S A LONG ROAD, BUT, UH, PORTLAND HAS A LOT OF LEARNING STEPS THAT THEY PRESENTED TO US.
UM, AND ONE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF TIDBIT FROM IT IN THEIR PILOT PROJECTS, THE EMBODIED CARBON OF THE LOW CARBON MIXES RANGE FROM 23 TO 50% OF THE GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL OF A 100% CEMENT MIX.
SO DEFINITELY HAS, UH, A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO REDUCE THE, UH, UM, CARBON PRODUCTION, I GUESS FROM A, YOU KNOW, CITY CONSTRUCTION.
UM, BUT THERE'S A LOTS TO DO WITH WORKING WITH SUPPLIERS AND HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT CERTAIN ADMIXTURES AND ALL THIS STUFF IS BEING USED? SO IT, UH, GOES INTO IT.
YOU CAN'T JUST EASILY JUST SPECIFY IT AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, AND, AND THINK THAT IT'S GONNA BE DONE.
SO THAT'S WHAT PORTLAND LEARNED, I GUESS, GOING THROUGH ALL OF THIS.
SO VERY INSIGHTFUL, UH, PRESENTATION.
AND THEN THE, UH, THE SECOND PRESENTATION IS, WAS ABOUT THE AUSTIN URBAN FOREST, AND THIS WAS GIVEN BY, UH, EMILY KING, WHICH IS AUSTIN'S URBAN FORESTER.
UM, AND SO SHE BASICALLY WAS KIND OF GIVING US AN OVERVIEW OF, OF THEIR DEPARTMENT AND WHAT THEY DO, UM, AND ALSO SOME OF THE DATA SOURCES THAT THEY USE AND, AND ALSO THE TYPE OF SYSTEMS THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DEVELOP TO KEEP TRACK OF THE URBAN FOREST, UM, HERE IN, IN AUSTIN.
AND, UH, UH, ONE INTERESTING, UH, TIDBIT WAS FROM THE TEXAS A AND M FOREST SERVICE.
SO THEY DO TREE, UM, SURVEYS AT CERTAIN INTERVALS, UM, FOR BASICALLY THE WHOLE STATE.
AND SO, UH, FROM THEIR LAST SURVEY AND THE WAY THEY DO
[00:10:01]
THESE SURVEYS IS KIND OF LIKE, THEY COUNT CERTAIN NUMBER OF TREES AND THEY EXTRAPOLATE, I DON'T KNOW, VERY SCIENTIFIC THERE ON HOW THEY DO ALL THAT.BUT, UH, UH, BASICALLY ROUGHLY ABOUT 40.7 MILLION TREES WITHIN AUSTIN, I GUESS CITY LIMITS.
UM, AND, UH, THEY KIND OF PUT A COMPENSATORY, COMPENSATORY VALUE ON THOSE TREES.
RIGHT? AND IT'S ROUGHLY $12.4 BILLION WORTH OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES THAT THESE, UH, TREES ARE, UH, PROVIDING AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, FROM HEAT REDUCTION, URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT REDUCTION, UH, YOU KNOW, STORM WATER MITIGATION, UM, ALL THAT STUFF.
SO, UM, SHE POINTED OUT THAT IN THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN THAT, UH, AUSTIN HAS A GOAL OF 50% CANOPY COVERAGE BY, BY TREES BY 2050.
AND SO CURRENTLY WE'RE AT 41%.
UM, IN ORDER TO MEET THAT GOAL OF 50%, UM, THEY ESTIMATE THEY NEED ROUGHLY 39,000 ACRES OF AREAS TO BE RE FORESTED OR FORESTED, UM, IN ORDER TO MEET THAT 50% GOAL.
UM, AND THEN ALSO TOO, SOMETHING THEY POINTED OUT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY LOOK AT, UM, NEEDS, UM, ACROSS THE CITY WHEN THEY'RE WORKING PROJECTS AND THEY WANT TO LOOK AT IT FROM AN EQUABILITY STANDPOINT, YOU KNOW, A QUALITY STANDPOINT IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S CERTAIN AREAS, PARTICULARLY EAST SIDE OF AUSTIN THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, COULD USE AND, AND REALLY NEEDS, UH, MORE INVESTMENT IN TREE CANOPY DEVELOPMENT.
SO, UM, THEY, THEY ALSO KEEP THAT TYPE OF STUFF IN MIND.
IT'S NOT JUST, UH, WELL, HERE'S AN OPEN SPOT, LET'S, YOU KNOW, DO THIS.
BUT, UM, ANYWAYS, THEY ALSO, UM, UH, I GUESS THE URBAN FOREST REPLENISHMENT FUND IS, IS, UM, THROUGH THEIR DEPARTMENT AND, UM, THEY, THEY HELP TO PROVIDE GRANTS, UH, FROM THAT FUND, UH, FOR BASICALLY WHEN THEIR ORGANIZATIONS COME AND WANT TO DO A TREE PLANNING.
UM, THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, LIKE TREE FOLKS, UH, VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS IN AUSTIN ARE FOCUSED ON THIS.
SO THAT IS A FUNDING MECHANISM FOR THESE, UM, EFFORTS HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, YEAH, SO THAT WAS THE, THE TWO PRESENTATIONS FROM THE MEETING.
AND, UM, IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, IF NOT, THEN THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH.
WHEN YOU CONVERT THE CONCRETE TO LOW CARBON, WHAT ARE THE HARMFUL ASPECTS OF THAT? REALLY WHAT I BELIEVE MORE SO IS, IS STABILITY AND STRUCTURAL ISSUES.
AND THAT'S WHY THERE WAS ALL THESE PILOT PROGRAMS AND TESTS THAT PORTLAND WAS DOING.
AND, UM, ALSO TOO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, INITIALLY, THEY'RE, THEY, I BELIEVE THEY'RE FOCUSED ON LIKE SIDEWALKS, UH, YOU KNOW, LOW STRUCTURAL.
UM, BUT FROM THE PRESENTATION AND JUST MY SMALL STUDY OF IT, I BELIEVE THAT'S REALLY THE, THE, THE ONLY DRAWBACK OF A LOW CARBON IS ENSURING THAT THE STRUCTURAL, UM, NATURE OF THAT CONCRETE IS THERE.
AND SO THEREFORE, UM, SINCE IT'S NEW-ISH TECHNOLOGY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY I THINK CITIES ARE FOCUSED ON LOWER STRUCTURAL PROJECTS FIRST, THEN DOING HIGH RISES WITH IT, YOU KNOW, AND JUST, UH, BUT YEAH, IT'S SHOWING GOOD PROMISE AND OF COURSE TECHNOLOGY IS, IS CHANGING EVERY SINGLE DAY.
SO, UH, THAT'S WHAT I BELIEVE IS THE, THE ONLY DRAWBACK OF IT.
I HAVE A QUESTION ALSO ABOUT THE CONCRETE.
UM, DID THEY TALK ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT THAT THEY NEEDED TO MAKE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MATERIALS ARE BEING USED? 'CAUSE IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU NEEDED SOME INSPECTORS.
I DON'T THINK IT WAS INSPECTORS PER SE.
IT WAS, UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'M VERY NAIVE IN TERMS OF HOW CONCRETE WORKS IN A REGION, YOU KNOW, SO ESSENTIALLY YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, CONCRETE PLANTS, YOU KNOW, AROUND THE REGION.
AND SO IT IS WORKING WITH THOSE SUPPLIERS TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THE, UH, PRODUCTS THAT THEY'RE BRINGING IN TO CREATE THE, THE CEMENT IS, UM, FROM THIS LOW CARBON, UH, WORLD.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE NECESSARILY PER SE, I GUESS, INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS, WHICH THAT IS, IS, IS PART OF IT, BUT IT'S ALSO JUST STARTING FROM THE SUPPLIERS REGIONALLY SUPPLYING THE, THE, THE CEMENT FOR THESE PROJECTS, UM, AND GETTING THEM ON BOARD, UH, TO USE THESE, UH, DIFFERENT TYPE OF PRODUCTS.
SO THE YES INSPECTION THERE, BUT I BELIEVE OBVIOUSLY INSPECTION FROM A, UH, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT SPECIFICATIONS, UH, FOR PROJECTS AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT THAT IS WHAT'S BEING USED.
[00:15:01]
BUT YOU KNOW, IT IS NOT LIKE YOU CAN JUST GO AND JUST SAY, HEY, LEMME GO TO LOWE'S AND BUY MY CONCRETE, YOU KNOW? RIGHT.LIKE, YEAH, FOR THESE BIG PROJECTS, THEY'RE COMING FROM THESE, UH, YOU KNOW, CEMENT MIXED PLANTS THAT ARE AROUND REGIONALLY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, IT WAS VERY INTERESTING.
UM, I, I WONDER IF THEY'VE BEEN DOING TESTS FOR, UH, HYDROGEN SULFIDE TOLERANCE FOR OUR MANHOLES AND THINGS,
I'M SURE THEY HAVE SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE.
UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT, THAT WAS VERY
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
INTERESTING.UM, COMMISSIONERS, WE ARE MOVING ON TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UH, IS THERE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE, UH, TO DISCUSS AT OUR MEETINGS? COMMISSIONER MORTY, I'D LIKE TO HEAR A BRIEFING ABOUT THE AUSTIN WATERS, UH, APPROACH TO THE NEW TEXAS WATER FUND MONEY THAT IS BEING DEVELOPED AT THE LEGISLATURE AND HOW W WE AS A CITY COULD CAPTURE, UH, MORE THAN OUR SHARE OF THOSE DOLLARS TO PAY FOR SOME OF THE PROJECTS.
BECAUSE BASED ON MY ANALYSIS, UM, WE HAVE PERFECT PROJECTS TO WIN THAT MONEY.
AND, UM, I THINK THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING $6 BILLION INTO THAT TEXAS WATER FUND.
AND, UM, I WAS REMINISCING WITH HEATHER BEFORE THE MEETING BACK YEARS AGO.
UH, HEATHER USED TO GO DOWN TO THE LEGISLATURE AND WATCH OVER ALL THAT, AND SHE WOULD GIVE US A REPORT EVERY MONTH WHEN THE LEGISLATURE WAS IN SESSION.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE RIGHT APPROACH, AND I KNOW SOME PEOPLE RELY ON A WWA OR SOME OF THESE OTHER PEOPLE THAT DO THAT, BUT THEY'RE NOT LOOKING OUT FOR YOUR NARROW INTERESTS.
AND, UH, I THINK THERE OUGHT TO BE A REAL STRATEGY AND A LOT OF THOUGHT GIVEN TO CAPTURING BECAUSE THERE IS SOME LARGE DOLLARS THERE AND AUSTIN WATER HAS PERFECT PROJECTS TO WIN THE MONEY, AND I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, I JUST MET WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER LANE EARLIER THIS WEEK WITH, FOR DISTRICT SIX.
ONE OF THE ASKS THAT SHE, SOMETHING LIKE A STATE OF THE UTILITY PRESENTATION IS SOMETHING THAT SHE WOULD, UH, LIKE TO COME, I THINK SHE'S GONNA REQUEST ONE FROM A ONE-ON-ONE SETTING, BUT ALSO PERHAPS JUST AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WE ARE, UM, THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE, UH, HAVE JUST BEEN SWORN IN, WE ARE OFFERING TO MEET WITH THEM AND, AND FILL THEM IN ON, ON AUSTIN WATER, BUT, UM, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AS WELL.
COMMISSIONER, I DO REMIND YOU IT IS A GREAT IDEA TO REACH OUT TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE, REP REPRESENTATIVE AND KEEP 'EM INFORMED IN WHAT WE'RE DOING SO THEY'RE NOT SO CONFUSED WHEN THE ITEMS COME ACROSS THE COUNCIL DICE.
ANY MORE ITEMS? CAN'T BELIEVE THIS MEETING SO SHORT.
WELL AT 4 24, THIS MEETING'S ADJOURNED.