[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER]
SO WELCOME BACK EVERYBODY.THIS MIGHT BE THE LAST TIME I COULD SAY HAPPY NEW YEAR.
I HAVEN'T SEEN A LOT OF Y'ALL SINCE LAST YEAR.
UM, SO WE'RE GOING TO, UH, THE FIRST, ON THE FIRST ITEM IS PUBLIC COMMENT.
DO WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT? NEGATIVE? WE HAD SOMEONE WHO HAD INDICATED THEY WOULD PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT.
THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO CALL IN AND IT APPEARS THEY HAVE NOT CALLED IN.
IF THEY CALL IN DURING IT, THEN WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE A PAUSE AND THEY CAN DO THEIR PUBLIC COMMENT.
I KNOW IT'S SOMETIMES TRICKY GETTING THIS IN.
MAYBE THEY WERE CAUGHT IN THE RING.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE.UM, APPROVING OUR MEETING MINUTES FOR OUR DECEMBER 3RD TASK FORCE MEETING.
WE HAVE A, UH, A MOTION AND A SECOND.
UM, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT.
[2. Presentation on lessons learned and initial planning for 2029 Water Forward, Water Conservation, Drought Contingency Plan updates]
WE HAVE, UM, FOUR DISCUSSION ITEMS TODAY.UM, PRESENTATIONAL LESSONS LEARNED, INITIAL PLANNING, SORRY, INITIAL PLANNING FOR 2029.
THOUGHT WE WERE DONE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT THE NEXT ONE.
UM, WATER CONSERVATION DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLANS.
WE STARTED THIS DISCUSSION ON DECEMBER 3RD, AND THERE WAS SOME REALLY GOOD, UM, FEEDBACK AND ACTUALLY LOOKED AT IT AND THEN LEFT THE PIECE OF PAPER ON MY DESK.
SO, OF COURSE I DON'T HAVE IT WITH ME, BUT I KNOW THAT THESE FOLKS PROBABLY DO.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT QUARTERLY REPORTS AND THE PROPOSED MERGER OF THE TASK FORCE AND WATER WASTE WATER COMMISSION.
BUT ALSO, CAN YOU GIVE, UM, I MEAN, ALL THE PLANS WERE ADOPTED LATE NOVEMBER.
UM, AND THEN WE MET IN DECEMBER, SO WE GOT AN UPDATE ON EVERYTHING.
BUT, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE ALL THAT IS NOW TOO, IF FOLKS NEED TO KNOW.
LET'S GO WITH ITEM NUMBER TWO.
ALSO, DO WE JUST NOT, DO WE NOT DO THE LAKE LEVELS ANYMORE AND LIKE THE FORECAST AND THAT KIND OF STUFF? 'CAUSE WE USED TO DO THAT.
THEY'RE FILLING UP RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK.
WE USED TO DO THE NOAA THREE MONTH THING.
YEAH, WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT? UH, THAT WE HAD STOPPED DOING THAT DURING THE PLANNING UPDATE PROCESS.
FOLKS HAD REQUESTED THAT WE TRIM BACK SOME OF THE CONTENT THAT WE WERE PRESENTING IN ORDER TO SAVE TIME FOR ADDITIONAL ITEMS. BUT, UM, WE CAN RESTART THAT PRESENTATION RIGHT NOW.
UH, COMBINED STORAGE IS AROUND 51%, UH, COMBINED STORAGE IN LAKES, TRAVIS AND BUCHANAN.
UM, IT HAS REMAINED AROUND, UM, 52, 50 1% FOR SOME TIME NOW.
UH, WE ARE GETTING A LITTLE BIT OF BRAIN RIGHT AS WE SPEAK.
UM, LOOKS LIKE THERE WAS A, A LITTLE OVER AN INCH IN A COUPLE OF LOCATIONS UPSTREAM OF, UM, LAKE BUCHANAN AND TRAVIS.
SO HOPEFULLY WE GET SOME INFLOW FROM THAT.
WE'VE CONTINUED TO SEE, UM, LOW INFLOWS THOUGH OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, LOWER THAN, UM, THE AVERAGE OVER THE HISTORICAL PERIOD OF RECORD FROM 1942 TO CURRENT DAY.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE FORECAST, IT LOOKS LIKE WE MAY BE TRANSITIONING INTO A LA NINA PERIOD, WHICH TYPICALLY FOR OUR REGION MEANS HOTTER AND DRIER CONDITIONS.
WE'LL SEE THOUGH, WHAT, UM, WHAT THAT BRINGS.
WE, UM, TEND TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, UH, TWO PERIODS DURING THE YEAR WHERE WE GET MORE RAIN DURING THE SPRINGTIME, AND THEN AGAIN DURING THE FALL.
SO DURING MAY AND JUNE, WE MAY GET, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL RAIN TO HELP SEE US THROUGH THE SUMMER.
UM, IF WE DON'T, THEN WE'LL SEE CONTINUED, UH, DROPS IN, UH, COMBINED STORAGE, UH, ACROSS THE SUMMER MONTHS, WHICH NOT, YOU KNOW, ARE, UH, ARE WE EXPECT TO BE HOT AND DRY.
AND I MAY HAVE MISHEARD, BUT WE ARE IN LA NINA NOW.
I SAW AN EMAIL FROM TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD, THE WATER WEEKLY YESTERDAY, AND THEY ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, HAVE MAPS ABOUT DROUGHT CONDITIONS, BUT THEY LOOK AT DATA IN DIFFERENT WAYS TOO.
AND THERE WAS THIS, UM, REALLY KIND OF STARTLING MAP THAT SHOWED THE RAINFALL DEFICIT OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS.
UM, AND SO TRAVIS COUNTY OVER LIKE ALL THE HILL COUNTRY COUNTIES, AND I CAN FORWARD
[00:05:01]
THIS TO YOU ALL, UM, UH, WERE DARK BROWN.IT WAS LIKE THE RAINFALL DEFICIT WAS MORE THAN 24 INCHES.
I MEAN, IT WAS PRETTY JUST THE HILL COUNTRY JUST, YOU KNOW, COULD RELEASE SOME RAIN.
IT LIKE, AND LOTS OF IT'S, IT'S LIKE STATEWIDE.
WE'RE ACTUALLY A LITTLE WETTER THAN NORMAL.
BUT, BUT IT WAS SUPER WET NORTHEAST AND THEN SUPER DRY DOWN HERE.
AND THEN FOR THE RECORD, I'VE, I DO A MONTHLY UPDATE.
I HAVE THAT EXACT SAME MAP AND IT'S OH, REALLY? YEAH.
OH, IT TAKES US OFF COURSE, BUT I JUST WANTED, I JUST LIKED THOSE UPDATES AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WE, WE DIDN'T DO THEM WHEN WE WERE LIKE IN THE THICK OF THINGS LAST FALL, BUT IT'D BE NICE TO BRING THEM BACK JUST TO TABLE SET A LITTLE BIT.
ALTHOUGH IT SEEMS YOU HAVE ALL OF EVERYTHING MEMORIZED.
SO WE CAN JUST ASK YOU TO DO THIS AT THE BEGINNING.
IT'S ALMOST AS IF SHE'S TRACKING IT CLOSELY.
IT'S ALMOST AS IF WE'RE TRACKING IT CLOSELY EVERY DAY,
UM, YEAH, WE'LL, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO BRING THAT BACK IN OUR MEETINGS.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE TIME FOR THAT NOW.
UM, SO, UH, THIS ITEM IS JUST TO KIND OF ROUND OUT OUR DISCUSSION FROM, UH, DECEMBER WHEN WE, UH, TALKED ABOUT SOME LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE PAST PLANNING PROCESS, AND JUST WANTED TO TEE UP SOME THOUGHTS FOR THE UPDATES TO, UM, THE 2029 PLANS.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO, UH, SUMMARIZE SOME OF THE TASK FORCE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED.
UM, UH, SOME ADDITIONAL LESSONS LEARNED, AND THEN SOME HIGH LEVEL NEXT STEPS TO PREPARE FOR THE 2029 PLANS.
UH, SO JUST TO RECAP, WE HEARD FROM THE TASK FORCE IN DECEMBER THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE A REDUCED LEVEL OF EFFORT FOR THE PLAN UPDATES.
UM, SOME FOLKS TALKED ABOUT, UM, INCREASING THE LENGTH OF TIME BETWEEN WATER FOUR PLANT UPDATES FOR A FIVE YEAR UPDATE WITH A MORE RIGOROUS TENURE YEAR UPDATE.
I THINK THE DESIRE WAS TO HAVE, UM, MORE, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO FOCUS ON IMPLEMENTATION, UM, OF THE PLANS, UM, RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, JUST HAVING SUCH A HEAVY LOAD ON THE UPDATES TO THE PLANS EVERY CYCLE.
AND FROM OTHERS SOUNDED, YEAH.
SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING YOU WOULD SAY
WE HEARD, UM, FEEDBACK TO FRONT LOAD SOME OF THE DIFFICULT TECHNICAL WORK TO AVOID RUSHING AT THE END.
UM, WE HEARD FEEDBACK THAT WAS SUPPORTIVE OF CONTINUING TO USE THE SCENARIO PLANNING APPROACH, UM, INCLUDING USE OF STOCHASTIC AND PROBABILISTIC FORECASTS.
UM, WE ALSO HEARD FEEDBACK FROM OTHER MEMBERS TO INCREASE THE CITY OF AUSTIN EQUITY OFFICE'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE PLAN, DEVELOP, UH, DEVELOPMENT, AND TO POTENTIALLY ADD THE EQUITY OFFICE AS AN EX-OFFICIO MEMBER.
AND JUST TO NOTE, THE EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS FOR THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE WERE, UM, UH, DECIDED BY COUNCIL WHEN THEY, UH, IN THEIR RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE.
SO WE BELIEVE THAT WOULD BE A COUNCIL DECISION.
WE ALSO HEARD FEEDBACK TO, UM, SEEK TO INCREASE EXOFFICIO MEMBER PARTICIPATION IN THE TASK FORCE AND ALSO TO ANALYZE THE EQUITY IMPACT OF THE ENTIRE FORWARD PLAN, ENTIRE WATER FORWARD PLAN.
UM, SO WE APPRECIATED ALL OF THAT FEEDBACK, AND WE'LL BE INCORPORATING THAT INTO OUR PLANNING MOVING FORWARD.
UM, SOME ADDITIONAL LESSONS LEARNED WE WANTED TO CAPTURE WERE, UM, THAT WHILE IT WAS A, A HEAVY LIFT AND IT WASN'T NECESSARILY PLANNED, UM, UPDATING THE, FROM THE BEGINNING, UPDATING THE WATER FORWARD, THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN AND THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN AT THE SAME TIME DID LEAD TO GREATER INTEGRATION AND ALIGNMENT BETWEEN THE PLANS AND STAFF.
AND WE FELT LIKE THAT WAS A GOOD THING.
UM, WE ALSO, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE LEARNED THAT THE CLIMATE AND HYDROLOGY ANALYSIS, THE DEMAND FORECASTING WORK, AND THEN THE WATER NEEDS ANALYSIS COULD BE WORK.
AND, UH, THAT IS DONE ON THE BACKEND BY STAFF, POTENTIALLY WITH SOME CONSULTANT INPUT, UM, WITH INPUT FROM A TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP.
UM, AND THAT TECHNICAL ADVI, SIMILAR TO HOW WE HAD A CLIMATE TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP THAT PROVIDED INPUT DIRECTLY ON THE CLIMATE HYDROLOGY ANALYSIS.
WE COULD USE A TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP KIND OF TO OVERSEE SOME OF THESE OTHER AREAS OF TECHNICAL WORK, UM, GET THEIR INPUT AS WE'RE MOVING ALONG THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND THEN, UM, BRING BACK MORE OF THE RESULTS TO THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE.
[00:10:06]
OKAY.SO, UM, OUR NEXT STEPS TO PREPARE FOR THE 2029 PLANS.
NOT NOTED ON HERE, BUT SOME OF OUR IMMEDIATE NEXT STEPS, UM, FINISHING OUT OUR DOCUMENTATION, TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION, UM, FOR, UM, MODELING AND ANALYSIS WORK THAT WENT, UH, THE, UH, WATER FOUR 20, UH, 24 PLAN AND OTHER PLANS.
UM, WE ARE TRYING TO CAPTURE SOME OF THE MORE TECHNICAL LESSONS LEARNED FROM THIS PROCESS.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO USE THAT INFORMATION.
AND WE'LL BE SEEKING TO USE THAT INFORMATION TO BEGIN EARLY UPDATES TO SOME OF THE TECHNICAL TOOLS AND MODELS THAT WE'LL USE IN THE PLAN UPDATE PROCESSES TO ENABLE QUICKER UPDATES TO THE INPUT ANALYSIS THAT GO INTO THE WATER FLOOR PLAN, WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, AND DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN.
SO THAT'LL INCLUDE, UM, CREATING, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, MODELS AND TOOLS RELATED TO CLIMATE AND HYDROLOGY PROJECTIONS, POPULATION AND EMPLOYMENT PROJECTIONS.
DEMAND FORECASTS ARE A PRELIMINARY WATER SUPPLY NEEDS AND VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS.
AND, UM, TRYING TO, UH, CREATE THOSE FRAMEWORKS SO THAT WHEN WE'RE READY TO ACTUALLY, UM, START THE PLAN UPDATE PROCESS, WE CAN DO THAT IN A QUICKER TIMEFRAME.
THE, I'LL, I'LL MENTION JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, THE DISAGGREGATED DEMAND MODEL THAT WE USE, UM, TO CREATE OUR, UH, 100 YEAR DEMAND FORECAST IS, UM, IS A VERY COMPLICATED MODEL.
UM, IT'S NOW A, UH, PYTHON BASED MODEL.
IT'S MADE AT WITH, UH, WITH A CUSTOM PYTHON SCRIPT THAT AUSTIN WATER STAFF HAVE CREATED.
IT TAKES INPUTS, UM, IN THE FORM OF DEMAND DATA THAT COME FROM, UM, QAQ SEED BILLING DATA.
UM, THAT'S THOUSANDS, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF BILLING POINTS, UH, ALL ACROSS THE CITY, CITY.
UM, AUSTIN WATER STAFF GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT BILL DATA FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, MONTHLY BILL DATA FROM THOSE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF POINTS.
AND WE, UH, GO THROUGH A-Q-A-Q-C PROCESS TO CORRECT FOR BILLING IRREGULARITIES TO CORRECT, UM, ANY IRREGULARITIES IN CUSTOMER RATE CLASSES TO ASSOCIATE THOSE WITH THEIR CORRECT, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, NUMBER OF UNITS IF THERE, THEY'RE MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.
WE, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES ON BEHIND THE SCENES.
AND ALL OF THAT IS A GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS THAT HAS TO HAPPEN.
SO IT'S NOT JUST SPREADSHEET WORK THAT'S HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, IN, IN, UM, UH, A GIS KIND OF ENVIRONMENT.
IT, UH, WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A MI, THERE WILL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S EXCITING AND IT BRINGS ON ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
AND SO WHILE ONE WOULD THINK, WELL, THAT'LL STREAMLINE YOUR PROCESS, NOW WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO USE THAT A MI DATA.
SO IT'S MORE DATA COLLECTED AT QUICKER TIME STEPS, UM, SPREAD OUT ALL ACROSS THE CITY.
ALSO GEOS, UM, LOCATED DATA, AND WE'LL HAVE TO WORK THROUGH OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS HOW WE TAKE THE OUTPUTS FROM THE A MI KIND OF DATA COLLECTION AND USE THAT AS INPUTS INTO DEMAND FORECASTING MODELS, WHILE ALSO TRYING TO STREAMLINE THOSE DEMAND FORECASTING MODELS SO THAT THEY CAN BE UPDATED ON A QUICKER TIMEFRAME.
THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF ONE TOOL THAT WE USE FOR ONE TASK WITHIN THE PLAN UPDATE PROCESS FOR WATER, FOR THE WATER CONSERVATION PLANS IN THE DRAW CONTINGENCY PLANS.
UM, WE'LL ALSO BE WORKING, WE'RE WORKING RIGHT NOW WITH THE, UM, AS, UH, WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UM, UH, CHASE BRIAN, WHO'S ON THE SCREEN.
IT'S FROM THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
AND HA, HE AND OTHERS ACROSS THE CITY, UM, AS, UH, HAVE BEEN PARTICIPATING IN, UH, AN UPDATE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S, WHAT WE CALL DTI POLYGONS THAT SPREAD OUT POPULATION AND EMPLOYMENT PROJECTIONS, GEOSPATIALLY ACROSS THE CITY TO, UM, DEVELOP PROJECTIONS OF HOW THE CITY WILL GROW.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CITY DEMOGRAPHER'S OFFICE WHO'S LEADING UP THAT PROCESS.
UM, FOR THE FIRST TIME USED TO BE THAT AUSTIN WATER WOULD, UM, WORK, GET THE OVERALL CONTROL TOTAL POPULATION PROJECTIONS, AND DO THAT GEOSPATIAL DISAGGREGATION ON OUR OWN.
AND NOW WE'RE, UM, WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE CITY DEMOGRAPHER WHO'S LEADING AN UPDATE TO THAT WORK.
IS THIS, IS THIS A DISAGGREGATED DEMAND MODEL THAT WE USE THAT THAT, THAT WAS DEVELOPED DURING THE FIRST WATER FORWARD PLAN? WERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DISAGGREGATED DEMAND MODEL IS FOR DEMAND FORECASTING, IT TAKES POPULATION AND EMPLOYMENT PROJECTIONS AS AN INPUT.
SO THE DTI POLYGONS ARE A SEPARATE PRODUCT THAT WE USE AS
[00:15:01]
AN INPUT TO OUR DEMAND FORECAST, BUT THE DEMAND, UH, THE DEED DEMAND MODEL THAT WE DEVELOPED DURING THE FIRST ROUND, WE, WE COMPLETELY REDID THAT MODEL FOR THIS WATER 4 20 24 PROCESS.UM, JUST SIDE NOTE, MAYBE FOR THE FUTURE, UHHUH
UM, HAVE THERE BEEN CHANGES FROM WHEN YOU FIRST DID IT TO WHEN YOU, YOU SAID YOU DID A COMPLETE UPDATE FOR WATER 4 24 MM-HMM
I'D BE INTERESTED TO SEE KIND OF HOW WATER USE PATTERNS ARE SHIFTING ACROSS THE CITY.
I'M CERTAINLY SEEING IT SHIFT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD BIG TIME.
SO I THINK IT'S LIKE AN IMPORTANT THING TO LOOK AT ABOUT.
I THINK IT'S JUST IMPORTANT FOR US TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND HOW WATER USE PATTERNS ARE SHIFTING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, AND THEN, UH, I FORGOT MY FIRST QUESTION, BUT THAT ONE'S GOOD ENOUGH.
I KNOW IT'S A FAVORITE TOPIC OF YOURS, BUT I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING.
IT'S LIKE, IF, IF YOU HAVE THE DATA, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS YOU NEED, PROBABLY THREE TO FIVE, AND THEN AS A OLDER STOCKHOLM, IT GETS REPLACED WITH A NEW HOME.
THE OLDER STOCKHOLMS DON'T TEND TO IRRIGATE OR HAVE SWIMMING POOLS HAS WHAT? OR HAVE SWIMMING POOLS.
BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT, YOU KNOW, CROSS REFERENCE THAT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT FOLKS TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHEN A PLACE GETS SWITCHED OUT.
AND THEN, AND THEN JUST COMPARING PLACES WITH WITHOUT POOLS.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN LIKE STUDIES IN, UH, ARIZONA WHERE THEY SHOWED, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WITH POOLS OR INDOOR USE INCREASED WHEN THEY GOT A, A POOL.
UM, PROBABLY 'CAUSE THEY'RE TAKING MORE SHOWERS TO GET THE CHLORINE OFF
BUT I JUST, I THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO, FOR US TO KIND OF, FOR US AND FOR ALL OF US, MAYBE Y'ALL HAVE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THIS, TO SEE IF AND HOW WATER USE PATTERNS ARE SHIFTING AROUND THE CITY.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT THERE'S SOME, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE MAY, I, I PROBABLY SAW A MAP LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, 10 YEARS AGO, MAYBE MORE THAT SHOWED LIKE HIGHER PER CAPITA WATER USE IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE CITY AND LOWER IN THE EASTERN PART.
AND IT'S VERY KIND OF NOT GRANULAR.
AND I, I JUST THINK THAT THE DISAGGREGATED DEMAND MODEL THAT WE BUILT, UM, NOT WE, I WASN'T I SAW IT, BUT THAT Y'ALL BUILT, UM, FOR US FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT'S REALLY, I THINK IT'S REALLY COOL THAT Y'ALL DID THAT AND THAT, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT DEMAND, UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN'S A BIG CITY.
AND IF DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY ARE USING WATER IN DIFFERENT WAYS, THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET BETTER DEMAND PROJECTIONS IF YOU UNDERSTAND THAT.
SO I THINK IT WOULD JUST BE REALLY INTERESTING AND INSTRUCTIVE TO US AS, AS WE ALL, ALL OF US THINK ABOUT, ABOUT PROGRAMMING AND WATER CONSERVATION AND PLANNING AND STUFF TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
ALSO, WE COULD ALSO CHECK SOME OF OUR ASSUMPTIONS.
LIKE WE'LL SEE IF THE DOG WALKING INDEX HOLDS UP BASED ON LIKE WHAT WE SEE MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, OR THE THINGS THAT WE SEE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
I THINK THE, THE, UM, ABILITY TO USE THAT KIND OF DATA TO SEE HOW OUR CONSERVATION MESSAGING IS LANDING, UM, CAN HELP US TAILOR THAT MESSAGING AS WELL.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL CAN SPEAK TO IN THE NEAR FUTURE, BUT MAYBE WE CAN PUT IT ON THE LIST FOR A PRESENTATION AND IF FOLKS OTHER, ARE THERE FOLKS INTERESTED OR IS IT JUST ME NERDING OUT? OKAY.
WELL, WHO CARES WHAT YOU SAY
I'M INTERESTED IN THAT AND IF YOU WANTED TO ADD MORE LAYERS WITH YOUR DATA, YOU COULD DO THAT.
I, I, ONE THING I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN IS THE, UM, LIKE LAYERING IN THE NATIVE INEFFICIENT LANDSCAPES ORDINANCE.
KEVIN KLUGE, WATER CONSERVATION DIVISION.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY, ANY NEW NATIVE, UH, OR, UH, LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION ORDINANCE YET.
IT WAS JUST IN THE PLAN WE HAVE AS ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES OVER, IT SAYS IT'LL GO TO COUNCIL IN 2025 AND OUR PLAN.
HOPEFULLY WHEN I CONSULTED OUR PLAN.
'CAUSE YOU, YOU JUST LAYER ON, I'D LIKE TO SEE, LIKE YEAH.
WHERE, WHERE'S THAT ACTUALLY GONNA APPLY? I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHO'S GETTING GRANDFATHERED INTO THE OLD REGS VERSUS THE NEW ORDINANCE.
LIKE, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT.
UM, AND YOU WOULD NEED MORE YEARS TO SEE HOW, WHAT EFFECT THAT'S HAVING.
BUT I WOULD, IT WOULD BE COOL TO SEE IT MAPPED OUT.
[00:20:01]
TRENDS IN, UM, WATER USAGE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.SO IT DOESN'T, UM, SHOW LIKE A TIME SERIES, BUT IN THE POPULATION AND DEMAND FORECASTING APPENDIX TO THE PLAN ON, UM, PDF PAGE 11, THERE IS A, LIKE A MAP THAT CAN GIVE YOU KIND OF A TEASER INTO HOW WATER USE IS USED IN, IN TERMS OF RESIDENTIAL WATER CONSUMPTION PER PERSON.
WHICH I THINK WOULD PROBABLY BE INTERESTING TO THESE FOLKS.
IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A, UM, A CHLORO PUFF MAP THAT SHOWS KIND OF A GRADATION OF COLORS, THE DARKER COLORS SHOWING MORE, UM, INTENSE WATER USAGE AND LIGHTER SHOW COLOR SHOWING LESS INTENSE WATER USAGE.
SO YOU CAN DEFINITELY SEE HIGHER WATER USAGE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE CITY AND LOWER WATER USAGE ON THE, A SIDE OF THE CITY, KIND OF AS YOU ONE WOULD IMAGINE BASED ON THE DEVELOPMENT TYPES.
UM, AS WELL AS IN, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, INCOME LEVELS.
BUT, UM, WHERE WAS IT? PAGE, PAGE 11 IN THE APPENDIX UHHUH IN THE, UM, POPULATION AND DEMAND FORECASTING APPENDIX.
THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, A FIGURE CALLED FIGURE C SIX, HISTORIC BASELINE, 2015 TO 2020 RESIDENTIAL WATER CONSUMPTION PER PERSON THOUGHT THAT MIGHT ALIGN WITH ALL OF THE INFORMATION Y'ALL WOULD BE INTERESTED IN.
HAVE Y'ALL LOOKED AT THE, UM, I JUST GOT PULLED INTO LOOKING AT THE BOARD'S REVISED POPULATION ESTIMATES FOR THE CURRENT PLANNING CYCLE.
AND, UH, THEY'RE A BIT SHOCKING FOR HAYES.
THEY WENT WAY UP, LIKE 40% INCREASE, INCREASE IN HAYES AND A 60% INCREASE FOR KAMAL COUNTY IN 2070.
SO, SO Y'ALL SEEING YOURS GO DOWN, WE ARE SEEING, UM, PROJECTIONS THAT ARE GOING DOWN FOR US.
FROM THE STATE OR FOR, FROM, FROM THE, A LITTLE BIT LESS INTENSE GROWTH FROM THE STATE IN THAT OKAY.
YOU KNOW, OUR CITY DEMOGRAPHER IS, UM, IS PROJECTING SLOWER GROWTH, YOU KNOW, NOT NET NOT LIKE A REDUCTION IN GROWTH, BUT JUST SLOWER GROWTH OVER TIME.
I GET, I GUESS THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE ALL COMING SOUTH.
WELL, I MEAN, SHE'S USING A TRUE DEMOGRAPHIC MODEL THAT'S LOOKING AT BIRTHS AND DEATHS AND IMMIGRATION AND OUTMIGRATION, AND THEY'RE SEEING, YOU KNOW, MORE, UM, FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN ESSENTIALLY MOVING OUTTA THE CITY.
AND SO, UH, HER, UH, AND LESS, UM, IN TERMS OF THE BALANCE OF IN MIGRATION AND OUTMIGRATION LESS NET IN MIGRATION.
AND SO THAT LEADS IN HER PROJECTIONS TO LIKE A COHORT MODEL THAT, UM, HAS THE POPULATION SINCE YOU'RE GETTING OLDER, UM, OVER TIME AND NOT HAVING AS MANY KIDS.
UM, SO JUST SLOWING IN TERMS OF OVERALL GROWTH, IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID? DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT? UM, I, I, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE BOARD'S DATA FOR TRAVIS COUNTY OR AUSTIN, BUT I LOOKED AT IT FOR, UM, HAYES COUNTY, SAN MARCUS, AND THEN FOR NEW BRAUNFELS AND KAMAL, WHAT SHE'S SAYING IS JUST THE GROWTH IS SLOW.
THERE'S STILL GROWTH, BUT IT'S A SLOWER SLOWER WE ANTICIPATE.
I THINK, I MEAN, DURING THE NINETIES, DURING THE NINETIES AND, UM, PROBABLY EIGHTIES AND NINETIES, AUSTIN EXPERIENCED REALLY STRONG GROWTH.
AND THEN, UM, THERE'S SOME FLUCTUATIONS THAT YOU SEE IN THE TRENDS JUST BASED ON LIKE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN OR BASED, YOU KNOW, WITH THE TECH SECTOR, WE WERE MORE EXPOSED TO THINGS LIKE THE.COM BUBBLE, UM, THINGS LIKE THAT, UM, THAT HAPPENED KIND OF WERE WERE NATIONAL EVENTS.
UM, COVID HAD AN IMPACT, UM, AS WELL.
BUT JUST OVERALL, I THINK THAT WITH THE MOVE OF FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN OUT OF THE CITY, UM, THAT HAS IMPACTED KIND OF FUTURE GROWTH PROJECTIONS OVERALL SOUNDS, SOUNDS TRUTHY TO ME.
UM, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT PROJECTIONS ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE WITH THE DATA CENTERS AND OTHER TYPES.
DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY FUTURE PROJECTIONS ON WATER USAGE FROM COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL, THINGS LIKE THAT? OR JUST POPULATION? 'CAUSE I KNOW THERE SHOULD BE A LOT OF INCOMING AND TO KEEP THOSE PLACES COOL.
THERE'S SIGNIFICANT WATER USE PROJECTED.
YEAH, WE DO, WE DO INCORPORATE
[00:25:01]
EMPLOYMENT PROJECTIONS INTO OUR DEMAND FORECAST.SOME OF THOSE, UM, UH, INDUSTRIES THAT YOU CITED, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL, THEY'LL BE REFLECTED IN LIKE OUR OVERALL COMMERCIAL SECTOR.
UM, BUT WE ALSO INCLUDED KIND OF SOME BUFFER WITHIN OUR COMMERCIAL PROJECTIONS FOR POTENTIAL NEW INDUSTRIES OR AREAS OF GROWTH THAT WE MIGHT SEE IN THE FUTURE.
WE WANTED TO HAVE THAT BUFFER IN CASE, YOU KNOW, DEMANDS INCREASED, UH, ABOVE WHAT WE WERE THINKING.
THAT'S ALSO KIND OF WHY WE HAD LIKE, THE THREE SCENARIOS OF GROWTH IN CASE WE SAW LIKE LOWER GROWTH PATTERN, UM, OR A HIGHER GROWTH PATTERN.
WE, IT'S REALLY CHALLENGING TO PREDICT WHAT SPECIFIC INDUSTRY IS GOING TO GROW OR TAKE OFF, UM, WHICH IS WHY WE KIND OF MORE GENERALIZED AND INCLUDED A BUFFER RATHER THAN LIKE A, A, A HIGHER OR LOWER PROJECTION FOR A SPECIFIC INDUSTRY.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT ONE.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT.
I GUESS THE, THE TAKEAWAY FROM ALL THAT DISCUSSION IS THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO THE DATA, UH, YOU KNOW, DATA COLLECTION AND CLEANING, UM, AND, UH, INTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODELS THAT THEN ENABLE US TO DO ANALYSIS.
AND SO OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE STAFF WORKING ON, UM, UPDATING OUR, OUR, YOU KNOW, METHODS AND CONTINUING TO WORK THROUGH KIND OF THOSE DATA COLLECTION AND CLEANING PROCESSES, UPDATING OUR MODELS SO THAT WE'RE READY FOR THE NEXT UPDATE, UM, PROCESS.
WE ALSO WANT TO ESTABLISH OR REESTABLISH AN ONBOARDING PROCESS FOR OUR EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS AND OUR PARTNER DEPARTMENTS AS WE BEGIN THE IMPLEMENTATION, UH, PHASE.
UM, WE, YOU KNOW, CON CONTINUALLY WORK WITH OUR, UM, OTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, COLLEAGUES IN OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS.
YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T THE ONLY FORUM FOR US TO HAVE INTERACTION WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS.
UM, I MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, UH, AS AUSTIN WATER ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE POPULATION PROJECTION AND, AND SPATIAL ALLOCATION PROCESS THAT'S BEING LED BY THE CITY DEMOGRAPHER ALONG WITH FOLKS LIKE CHASE, UM, FROM THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND OTHER FOLKS FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, OTHER FOLKS FROM TRANSPORTATION, OTHER FOLKS FROM OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS.
WE ALSO WORK CLOSELY WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION ON AN ONGOING BASIS, UM, AS A PART OF LIKE DAY-TO-DAY WORK.
AND THEN THROUGH THE IMAGINE AUSTIN SUSTAINABLY MANAGE OUR WATER RESOURCES PRIORITY PROGRAM.
UM, WE WORK CLOSELY, UM, WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, WHICH IS NOW THE OFFICE OF CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE RESILIENCY, OCAR, YES.
CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE, CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE.
WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM ON A NUMBER OF D DIFFERENT INITIATIVES, AND THAT ALLOWS US TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WORK CLOSELY WITH MANY OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, UM, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WILDFIRE.
UM, OUR WILDLANDS FOLKS ARE IN CONSTANT COLLABORATION WITH, UM, OUR WILDFIRE MITIGATION STAFF, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE CITY.
WE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, DO THAT WORK, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE A MORE CONCERTED EFFORT TO, UH, WELCOME OUR EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS TO THE WORK OF THIS TASK FORCE AND ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES AND INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED TO, UM, MEANINGFULLY PARTICIPATE.
WHY ARE YOU SAYING THIS? CAN I SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THIS
BECAUSE IT WAS, NO ONE'S SHOWING UP ANYMORE.
NO, THERE'S, LET ME, CAN I SAY SOMETHING? EXCUSE ME.
YOU CAN, I, I, I'M GLAD THIS IS ON HERE.
I MEAN, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT, MAYBE NOT IN THIS WAY, BUT WE TALKED ABOUT IT IN THE MEETING IN DECEMBER, SOME MM-HMM
UM, AND SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, BUT I ALSO RECOGNIZE IT TAKES TIME AND THERE'S LOTS OF MEETINGS.
SO I'M EXTREMELY APPRECIATIVE THAT CHASE AND, AND RAMESH AND LIANA ARE HERE, UM, FOR THE MEETING.
UM, AND AS MUCH AS YOU'RE ABLE TO ATTEND OR NOT, UM, I ALSO WANT TO, UM, INVITE YOU ALL 'CAUSE WELL, THE WAY THAT WE USED TO DO THIS BEFORE, BEFORE COVID, GOD, THAT WAS LIKE FOREVER AGO, BUT WHEN WE MET IN PERSON, YOU KNOW, THE, THE EX OFFICIO MEMBERS FROM CITY DEPARTMENTS LIKE SAT UP HERE AT THE TABLE WITH US.
THEY HAD A MIC IN FRONT OF 'EM.
THEY COULD PIPE IN AND PARTICIPATE AND TALK DURING THE MEETING, NOT BE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IN OTHER, LIKE, WHEN I WAS ON ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION
[00:30:01]
A MILLION YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF RESOURCE CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE THERE, BUT YOU CALLED 'EM UP TO SPEAK OR ASKED QUESTIONS AND LIKE, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT TO DO HERE.WE WANT, WE WANT YOU ALL TO, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING TO BE LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT, ACTUALLY WITH PARKS, LIKE THIS IS A HUGE THING FOR US.
AND LIKE, YOU KNOW, BUT PLEASE, UM, YOU, YOU'RE BY NO MEANS COMPELLED TO, NOR CAN I COMPEL YOU TO, BUT I INVITE YOU TO, IF YOU WANNA PUT YOUR HAND UP AND SPEAK UP AND BE PART OF THIS CONVERSATION WITH THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS AND THE STAFF THAT ARE HERE, OR EVEN COME IN PERSON.
BUT I KNOW THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT TAKES TIME.
UM, BUT, BUT THE, THERE'S BEEN REALLY, REALLY GOOD INPUT AND COLLABORATION AND, AND LIKE MAURICE HAS SAID, THIS IS NOT THE ONLY PLACE TO COLLABORATE, BUT IT'S ALSO HELPFUL TO US TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT AND SEE WHERE THOSE TANGIBLE CONNECTIONS ARE.
AND THEN EVERY NOW AND THEN WE HAVE A GOOD IDEA TOO ABOUT, ABOUT THAT.
SO, UM, ANYWAY, I WELCOME YOU ALL AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE HERE.
'CAUSE I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, OH, THERE'S KATHLEEN TOO, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S LIKE A BUNCH OF, UM, NOW THAT I CAN SEE ALL THE SQUARES, UM, I WILL, SEVERAL OF YOU COME TO LIKE, ALMOST ALL THE MEETINGS AND FEEL FREE TO JUST PIPE IN.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT TILL YOU'RE ASKED AT ALL.
UM, SO, UM, AND THEN SARAH, I SEE YOUR HAND UP AND BILL, DID YOU WANNA ASK A QUESTION? I WAS JUST CURIOUS WHY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS.
'CAUSE UH, UH, AND THAT'S MY QUESTION.
UH, I THINK WE HAD RECEIVED SOME FEEDBACK IN THE DECEMBER TASK FORCE MEETING THAT THE TASK FORCE WANTED TO SEE GREATER PARTICIPATION FROM THE EXOFFICIO MEMBERS.
AND SO AS AN AN ACTIONABLE NEXT STEP, WE WANTED TO CREATE, UM, LIKE AN ONBOARDING TYPE SYSTEM FOR EXOFFICIO MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN PARTICIPATING OR WHO ARE NEW TO THE GROUP SO THAT THEY CAN KIND OF DEVELOP THEIR FLUENCY AND WATER, UM, OR WATER SUPPLY IF YOU'RE FROM WATERSHED AND ARE ALSO VERY FLUENT AND EXPERT IN WATER ISSUES,
AND I SAY THAT THE EXPECTATION CERTAINLY ISN'T LIKE, I MEAN, JUST THAT THE INVITATION IS THERE TO HAVE AS BIG OR AS LITTLE OF A ROLE IN THIS CONVERSATION AS WE HAVE IT, AS YOU HAVE CAPACITY TO DO SO.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY I APPRECIATE WHAT JENNIFER WAS SAYING AND THE ADDITIONAL COORDINATION.
I, I THINK I, MY OVERALL FEEDBACK IS THAT FOR THE NEXT ITERATION OF THE PLAN, I FEEL LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF THIS WOULD BE GREATER INTEGRATION WITH ADDITIONAL WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN WATER, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY WATERSHED PROTECTION, DEFINITELY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, DEFINITELY PARKS, UM, AS WELL AS PLANNING COMMISSION, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IN THAT WE'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, MADE HUGE AMOUNTS OF PROGRESS OVER THESE FIRST TWO ITERATIONS OF THE PLAN.
BUT IT FEELS LIKE EVERYTHING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, DEMOGRAPHICS AND INDOOR WATER USE AND IRRIGATION ALSO HAVE, UM, ACCOMPANYING LAND USE EFFECTS.
AND WE SEE CITY COUNCIL LOOKING AT HOW TO INCREASE DENSITY, UM, YOU KNOW, AND ALONG THOSE LINES, REDUCING DRAINAGE REQUIREMENTS AND LIKE OTHER KINDS OF THINGS.
AND IF WE'RE REALLY DOING INTEGRATED WATER MANAGEMENT HERE AND LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR POTENTIAL SOURCES OF SUPPLY, WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING WITH EVERYONE AND LOOKING AT EVERYONE.
SO I'M GLAD THESE FOLKS ARE HERE TODAY AND I HOPE, YOU KNOW, WE FIND WAYS TO LIKE STRATEGICALLY USE THEIR TIME AND CONNECTIONS SO THAT IT REALLY CAN BE, UM, EFFECTIVE.
BUT I JUST WANNA SAY I PERSONALLY AM IN FAVOR OF FURTHER INTEGRATION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND ALSO ALL OF THE GREAT, UM, CITIZEN PARTICIPANTS WE HAVE ON OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
UH, AND, UH, I I, I WAS GONNA ECHO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT SARAH JUST SAID.
UH, WE DO, BUT PARTNER WITH WATER, AUSTIN WATER QUITE A BIT.
UH, YOU KNOW, MARISSA AND OUR TEAM, WATERSHED TEAMS, YOU'RE GONNA PRESENT THE, SOME OF THE WATER FORWARD CONCEPTS TO A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION THAT THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, UH, WORKS WITH.
SO WE DEFINITELY WORKING WITH THEM, WE TOO HAVE A WATER RAIN TO RIVER PROGRAM, UH, A PLAN THAT'S ALSO COMING, COMING TO FRUITION THIS YEAR.
WE'LL HAVE MORE ITEMS TO SHARE WITH YOU ON THE RAIN RIVER PIECES THAT I THINK HAS A LOT OF, UH, POTENTIAL INTERSECTIONS WITH, UH, COMMUNITY OF COURSE, BUT WITH ALSO WITH WATER FORWARD.
[00:35:01]
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT PLUG, AND WE'LL, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY WAY WE CAN.UH, EMILY OR ANYBODY ELSE,
YEAH, I WOULD JUST ECHO A LOT OF THE SAME THINGS AND, UH, APPRECIATE THE, UH, UH, UH, INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN, UH, THE OLD TONE SETTING THERE.
I, UH, KIND OF, UH, TOOK ANOTHER, UH, INDIVIDUAL'S PLACE IN, UH, THIS
SO I FEEL, UH, WELCOMED TO THE TABLE NOW AND, UH, JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, HOPE TO BE A, A RESOURCE I CAN BE.
AND, UH, UH, I AM, YES, I'M WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
WE DID SPLIT WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT LAST YEAR, BUT, UH, WE WORKED REALLY CLOSELY WITH THEM STILL, SO, UH, IT CAN HOPEFULLY BE A RESOURCE, UH, UH, TOWARDS THEM AS WELL.
AND YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S, AND IT'S THE HYBRID THING NOW AND EVERYTHING.
IT'S JUST, IT'S A LITTLE, IT, IT CAN BE A LITTLE HARD TO KNOW WHEN TO JUMP IN CHASE.
LIKE AN EXAMPLE OF STUFF THAT, UM, THAT, THAT I'VE COLLABORATED WITH, LIKE THROUGH THE TASK FORCE IN THE PAST WITH, WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT IS THINKING ABOUT, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOW ONSITE REUSE CAN IMPACT THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS WITH FUNDING WHEN YOU, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT THAT HAVE BEEN SUPER HELPFUL WITH, UM, YOUR PREDECESSOR AND JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WAY THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE INTEGRATED AND IT SOUNDS LIKE Y'ALL ARE LIKE REALLY HELPING WITH THE INPUTS TO THE MAPPING PIECE, WHICH IS REALLY INTERESTING TO EVERYBODY.
SO, UM, SO YEAH, WELCOME Y'ALL.
AND, UM, YEAH, JUST, YOU KNOW, STICK YOUR HAND UP.
THERE'S A SCREEN RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME AND I CAN CALL ON YOU AND I'LL SEE IT IF THERE'S NOT A SLIDE UP OVER IT.
I, I WOULD SAY TOO THAT THIS IS REFLECTIVE OF A GREATER EFFORT ACROSS THE CITY, UM, THAT THE KINDS OF DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING HERE IS, IS REALLY EXACTLY WHAT LED TO THE, UM, THE SORT OF RECONFIGURATION TO CREATE THE OFFICE OF CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE THAT'S REALLY INTENDED TO BRING THE DEPARTMENTS TOGETHER WHO ARE ALL ALREADY WORKING TOGETHER ON THEIR PLANS.
UM, BUT JUST A GREATER, UH, INTEGRATION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THOSE RESILIENCE EFFORTS.
AND, UM, I GUESS WE CAN PUT THE SLIDES BACK UP, BUT RAMESH, UM, ALSO YOU BROUGHT UP A GREAT POINT.
WE ARE GONNA BE, UM, I AND AARON WOOD FROM WATERSHED PROTECTION WILL BE PROVIDING A JOINT PRESENTATION ON WATER FORWARD 2024 AND THE RAIN TO RIVER PLANS, UM, AT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TONIGHT.
AND NOT ONLY LIKE THE SUBSTANCE OF THE REER RIVER PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO THE REALLY, UM, WHICH, WHAT APPEARED TO ME FROM OUTSIDER LOOKING IN, UM, THE REALLY COMPREHENSIVE AND GOOD, UH, PUBLIC OUTREACH THAT THEY DID AROUND IT TOO.
SO THAT'S AN EXCITING, EXCITING PROGRAM.
AND DEFINITE HAS INTEGRATION WITH THIS.
SO, UM, UM, AS WE'RE CONTINUING WITH IMPLEMENTATION, UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO GATHER DATA ON THAT IMPLEMENTATION TO INFORM OUR FIVE-YEAR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION.
UM, KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS WILL BE REPORTED ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, AND IN THE NEXT PRESENTATION KEVIN WILL TALK A LOT MORE ABOUT WHAT, UH, WILL BE ENTAILED IN THOSE QUARTERLY REPORTS.
UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO BUILD AND STRENGTHEN AUSTIN WATER'S EXISTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY AND CITY DEPARTMENT STAKEHOLDERS.
WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT CITY DEPARTMENT STAKEHOLDERS AND WE'LL USE THIS TIME, UM, DURING THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS AND THE, UM, AND THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES THAT'LL BE ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF THE STRATEGIES, UM, TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS IN A, IN A VERY REAL WAY.
AND THEN WE'LL BEGIN SCOPING FOR A, UH, TWO YEAR PLAN UPDATE EFFORT IN LATE 2025 IN EARLY 2026.
UM, SOUNDS EARLY, BUT WE'LL NEED TO HAVE THAT SCOPE DEVELOPED IN, UH, IN ADVANCE OF ANY CONSULTANT PROCUREMENT, UH, THAT WE'LL WANNA DO.
SINCE OFTEN, UM, THOSE PROCUREMENT PROCESSES CAN TAKE SOME TIME.
IF WE GO THROUGH AN RFP ROUTE FOR CONSULTANT PROCUREMENT, THAT CAN TAKE ABOUT NINE MONTHS.
UM, SO WE'LL, UM, BE WORKING ON THAT PROBABLY BEFORE YOU KNOW IT.
AND THAT'S, UM, THE REST, THAT'S ALL THAT WE HAD
[00:40:01]
TO PRESENT.I'M SURE WE'LL HAVE FURTHER UPDATES ON, UH, NEXT STEPS AND, AND PRELIMINARY PLANNING THAT WE'RE DOING FOR THE 2029 EFFORT.
WITH, UM, MORE COLLABORATION BETWEEN OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS AND COMMISSIONS AND STUFF, I WAS WONDERING AS FAR AS GETTING KIND OF REGULAR UPDATES FROM THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS DISCUSSION OF MERGING AND THEN DECIDED NOT TO MERGE AND EVERYTHING, BUT WITH THEIR BIG CAPITAL PROJECTS AND EVERYTHING, I THINK THOSE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT KEY INFORMATION PIECES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR PLAN AS WELL.
AND SO JUST GETTING UPDATES ON LIKE WHAT MIGHT BE COMING THROUGH THE PIPELINE, WHAT THEIR PLANNING COULD BE REALLY A HELPFUL THING.
YEAH, WE CAN, UM, WE CAN SEE HOW WE CAN KIND OF GEAR THOSE, UH, UPDATES FROM THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION ON WHICH BILL, UM, SERVES AS A COMMISSIONER TO, UM, POTENTIALLY PROVIDE RELEVANT INFORMATION TO THE TASK FORCE HEARING AT ME.
LIKE, YOU WANT ME TO SAY SOMETHING I
AT SOME POINT WITH WATER FORWARD, THEY MADE ME THE DESIGNATED CARRIER OF INFO.
SO EVERY MONTH THEY WOULD PUT ME ON THE AGENDA.
EVERY TWO MONTHS IF WE WERE HAVING A MEETING, I WOULD UPDATE MY FELLOW WATER WASTEWATER PEOPLE.
OF COURSE, THIS WAS ALL COMING THROUGH MY LENS, WHICH SOME PEOPLE WOULD ARGUE ISN'T THE BEST LENS, BUT I THINK IT WAS OKAY.
YOU KNOW, GAVE A LITTLE REPORT ON WHAT WE WERE DOING AND GETTING THINGS DONE, ET CETERA.
SO WE'VE NEVER HAD THE OPPOSITE OF SOMEONE TO, BUT THE THING IS, WITH THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION, I'M NOT TRYING TO CRITICIZE ANYBODY, WE DON'T GET A WHOLE LOT OF NOTICE.
I MEAN, WHEN THEY BRING A $1 BILLION CONTRACT, THERE AIN'T LIKE, OH, BY THE WAY, IN THREE MONTHS IT'S THERE THAT MONTH.
DO YOU, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE DOING? OH MY GOD.
YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S NOT A LOT OF FREE TO SAY ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST THERE TO VOTE YES OR NO ON.
SO, AND I THINK THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF THAT BEAST, THAT IT'S A WHOLE LOT OF CONTRACTS FOR BUYING CHLORINE AND BUYING OR CONSTRUCTION BIDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT ARE KIND OF ON A MONTH-TO-MONTH BASIS.
SO SARAH FAUST USED TO BE OUR VICE CHAIR BACK IN THE DAY.
SHE PROBABLY CAN'T REMEMBER THAT, BUT I'D BE INTERESTED TO HEAR HER PERSPECTIVE.
SHE WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE COMMISSIONERS WHEN SHE WAS THERE.
IT'S SO SMALL I COULDN'T SEE IT.
SO I'M THINKING BACK, UM, YEAH, I MEAN, I WISH PHIL AND I HAD HAD A CHANCE TO OVERLAP MORE.
SO I, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS THIS, WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO ME IS THAT, YEAH, WHAT BILL SAID IS RIGHT, WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION IS USUALLY LOOKING INTO MORE DETAIL AT THE CURRENT PROJECTS.
WATER AND WASTEWATER RELATED AS WELL AS BUDGETS, RATES, UM, EVERY FIVE YEARS, COST OF SERVICE, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S EVERY FIVE YEARS OR SOMETHING, BUT IMPACT FEES.
BUT THESE ARE LIKE, WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW AND WE'RE DOING LONG-TERM STRATEGIC PLANNING, SO IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE IT SHOULD BE HAPPENING THE OTHER WAY.
NOT THAT WE'RE FINDING OUT WHAT WATER AND WASTEWATER IS TALKING ABOUT, BUT BOTH, BOTH BOARDS, I MEAN, BUT WHATEVER THAT COMMISSION, WHATEVER WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION IS APPROVING SHOULD BE, UM, OR IS DIS YOU KNOW, CHANGING WHATEVER IS UNDER THE AUSPICES OR IS A, IS IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR PLAN, RIGHT? IT'S OF THE WATER FORWARD PLAN.
SO I THINK WHAT CAME UP LAST YEAR AND WHAT WE'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT IS LIKE THERE WAS THIS, YOU KNOW, MAJOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN EXPANSION AND IT WASN'T, IT WASN'T OBVIOUS TO ME, AND I'M SURE IT'S TO OTHER PEOPLE, BUT HOW THAT FIT IN WITH THE WATER SUPPLY PLANNING THAT WE'RE DOING.
SO I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME CONVERSATION.
I'M NOT SURE THAT A MONTHLY REPORT ON WHAT'S HAPPENING AT WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION IS GONNA INFORM WHAT WE'RE DOING THAT MUCH.
BUT WE DO NEED TO FIGURE OUT, UM, OR IF THOSE MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT, UM, AND BILL'S, RIGHT? LIKE IT'S MUCH MORE, THEY'RE
[00:45:01]
LOOKING AT MUCH MORE IN THE CONTEXT OF LIKE, WHAT WERE THE BIDS? WHAT IS THE PROPOSAL? AND THERE'S PEOPLE ON THAT COMMISSION THAT DO A REALLY GOOD JOB AT SAYING, YOU KNOW, WHY IS THIS BEING COST BEING BID THIS WAY? AND IS THERE A BETTER WAY TO DO IT AND CAN WE SAVE MONEY? UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S MORE LIKE HOW DOES, HOW ARE THOSE PROJECTS FITTING INTO THE WATER FORWARD PLAN? UM, IS THE WAY I THINK ABOUT IT.I DON'T KNOW IF OTHER TASK FORCE MEMBERS HAVE COMMENTS.
I DO THINK THERE COULD BE GREATER CONVERSATION THAT IS TRUE, BUT EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE WORKING ON EVERY MONTH, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S, I GONNA GIVE US USABLE INFORMATION.
MAYBE WHAT WE NEED IS MORE OF LIKE A ANNUAL FORECAST OF MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AND A TYING THAT BACK TO THE STRATEGIC WATER PLAN.
THAT'S, UM, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A NEAT IDEA.
THAT WAS PROBABLY LIKE VERY DIFFICULT TO PUT TOGETHER.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE BRAINSTORMING ON WHEN WE WERE TALKING TO SOME CITY COUNCIL FOLKS THE OTHER DAY WAS, UH, UM, LIKE WHEN YOU TAKE BIG, WHEN BIG PROJECTS ARE TAKEN TO WATER WASTEWATER COMMISSION, UM, I'M SURE THERE'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT COSTS THIS MUCH.
THIS PERSON'S GONNA BUILD IT, IT'S THIS, YOU KNOW, LIKE A SIMPLE OF THINGS.
AND ONE OF THEM COULD BE, UM, AND THIS IS HOW IT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WATER FORWARD OR SOMETHING.
I MEAN, I DON'T THINK EVERY PIECE THAT GOES IN FRONT OF THEM IS THAT IS, IS WOULD KIND OF FALL INTO THAT CRITERIA.
BUT WE'RE JUST BRAINSTORMING SOME STUFF.
UM, 'CAUSE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE QUESTION ABOUT THE MERGER.
UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS FOLKS? YOUR MIC'S ON MARISA.
OH, I THINK IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST ALWAYS ON.
UM, LET'S KEEP, 'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S ONE O'CLOCK.
WHERE ARE WE ON THE, ARE WE DONE WITH THESE SLIDES? NO, WE'RE STILL, YEAH, WE'RE DONE WITH THOSE.
UM, LET ME ASK BEFORE, UM, WE GO TO THE NEXT ONE.
SO THAT AGENDA ITEM WAS ABOUT JUST LIKE KIND OF REFLECTIONS ON, ON LAST PLANNING CYCLE, LIKE LESSONS LEARNED.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE WANT TO KIND OF JUST SAY, HEY, WE DID THIS THING AND IT TOTALLY DIDN'T WORK, OR HERE'S HOW WE COULD DO IT BETTER.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MARISSA AND ALSO ARE TALKING ABOUT TAKING HOW THEY TOOK SOME OF THAT IN AND PROBABLY Y'ALL'S OWN EXPERIENCES AS WELL.
AND THESE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE COMING.
SO, UM, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY KIND OF FURTHER COMMENTS IN THAT SPACE, UM, THIS ISN'T THE LAST TIME YOU CAN EVER SAY 'EM, BUT THIS IS A GOOD TIME.
IT'S NOT LIKE FEEDBACK ABOUT THE PLAN, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT'S, IT'S ON MY LIST SINCE LIKE NOVEMBER AND I JUST DON'T WANNA FORGET ABOUT IT.
SO, UM, AND I NEED TO GO BACK AND WATCH THE RECORDING OF THIS MEETING 'CAUSE THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ABOUT THE DIFFERENT CLASSES OF CUSTOMERS AT AUSTIN WATER VERSUS LIKE THE STATE CLASSES OF WATER CONSUMERS TO, IS THAT RINGING ANY BELLS?
IT WAS IN THE HEAT OF LIKE, WHETHER, YOU KNOW, LIKE A LONG MEETING, BUT I DO REMEMBER THAT BEING AN ITEM THAT I WAS JOTTING NOTES DOWN ABOUT AND I DIDN'T GET ENOUGH CLEAR NOTES ON IT, BUT LIKE IT SEEMED TO ME THAT WAS SOMETHING MAYBE WE SHOULD, UH, LOOK AT AND ADDRESS.
MAYBE Y'ALL HAVE ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF THAT, BUT IT SEEMED LIKE, UM, A MISMATCH AND IT LED TO SOME CONFUSION.
MY REC RECOLLECTION IS THAT IT, UM, IT, THE CONFUSION HAPPENED IN OUR DISCUSSION WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO KIND OF NAIL DOWN HOW WE WERE TALKING ABOUT OUR CUSTOMER CLASSES BECAUSE IN OUR WATER CONSERVATION PLAN THERE ARE STATE PRESCRIBED CATEGORIES THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY HOW WE BILL OUR CUSTOMERS.
AM I REMEMBERING THAT RIGHT, KEVIN? CORRECT.
UM, AND, AND I'M NOT SURE THERE'S LIKE A NEED FOR THOSE TO MATCH UP ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS OTHER THAN TO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR WATER CONSERVATION PLAN AND SUBMITTING IT TO THE STATE, BEING VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE, UH, COMPLYING WITH TALKING ABOUT CUSTOMERS THE WAY THE STATE DOES.
I JUST, UH, IT'S SOMETHING I'LL LOOK, I'LL LOOK AT MY NOTES AGAIN.
I'LL LOOK AT THE MEETING AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE I WILL EMAIL Y'ALL FOR VERIFICATION.
I JUST DON'T WANNA FORGET ABOUT IT, SO THANKS.
[00:50:03]
ALL RIGHT.ARE WE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ONE?
[3. Update on Water Management Strategy Implementation Quarterly Report development]
OKAY.UH, GOOD AFTERNOON TASK FORCE MEMBERS, KEVIN CLUEY, WATER CONSERVATION DIVISION.
THIS IS A BRIEF UPDATE ON WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING TO IMPLEMENT THE QUARTERLY REPORTS THAT WE DISCUSSED.
WELL, MAYBE YOU'RE GONNA SAY THIS, BUT THE QUARTERLY REPORTS WERE A REQUEST FROM CITY COUNCIL WHEN THEY APPROVED THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.
AND DOES IT APPLY TO JUST WATER CONSERVATION PLAN OR WATER FORWARD AS WELL? THE, UM, COMMITMENT TO DO QUARTERLY REPORTS IS IN BOTH THE WATER FORWARD PLAN AND THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.
UM, AND YOU'LL SEE IT ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
ACTUALLY, OH, UM, I'LL CALM DOWN.
SO WE'LL JUST TALK ABOUT THE REPORTING VERY BRIEFLY AND THE PLANS, THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED GOING FORWARD.
AND THEN FINALLY WHAT WE ARE INTENDING TO PUT INTO THE QUARTERLY REPORTS.
AS JENNIFER MENTIONED, OR QUESTION RATHER THE MENTION OF QUARTERLY REPORTS, THE COMMITMENTS OF THESE QUARTERLY REPORTS IS IN BOTH THE WATER FORWARD AND CONSERVATION PLAN.
AND THAT DOWN AT THE END, AT THE BOTTOM THERE, YOU SEE THAT IT WAS A MOTION BY THE MAYOR DURING THE NOVEMBER 21ST COUNCIL MEETING FOR US TO UTILIZE QUARTERLY REPORTS, ESSENTIALLY TO TELL YOU AND, AND ALL THE OTHER STAKEHOLDERS THAT ARE INTERESTED, UH, HOW WE ARE DOING WITH IMPLEMENTING THE STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES IN BOTH OF THOSE PLANS.
SO MOVING INTO THE FRAMEWORK OF THESE QUARTERLY REPORTS, THERE'S GONNA BE BASED ON THE CALENDAR YEAR, UH, THAT MAY SEEM OBVIOUS TO EVERYONE IN THE PUBLIC, BUT MANY OF US WHO IN THEIR ARE IN THE UTILITY OFTEN WORK WITH FISCAL YEAR.
AND SOMETIMES YOU CAN GET THE FISCAL YEAR AND CALENDAR YEAR THINGS MIXED UP, BUT THESE QUARTERLY REPORTS WILL BE BASED ON CALENDAR YEAR REPORTING.
UM, WHILE THIS PRESENTATION IS REALLY FOCUSING ON QUARTERLY REPORTS, AT THE END OF 2025, WE WILL HAVE AN ANNUAL REPORT.
AND THE INTENT IS IF WE ARE DOING IT ON THE CALENDAR YEAR, OUR ANNUAL REPORT WILL BE CONSISTENT WITH OTHER STATE AND LCRA REPORTS THAT WE HAVE TO PRODUCE AND SUBMIT.
SO THE QUARTER FIRST QUARTER WILL BE JANUARY THROUGH MARCH.
THE, THE ACTIVITIES AND THE, THE DATA IN THOSE THREE MONTHS, AND THIS FIRST QUARTERLY REPORT WILL BE ANTICIPATED BY MAY 8TH.
IT COULD BE BEFORE MAY 8TH, AND WE HOPE IT IS COMPLETED BY MAY 8TH.
BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE BACKSTOP IN ORDER TO SUBMIT THEM FOR BACKUP INFORMATION FOR THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION AND WATER WASTEWATER COMMISSION MEETINGS IN, IN MAY.
SO WE WILL BE WORKING TO GO PRODUCE THESE A LITTLE FASTER, BUT FOR THIS VERY FIRST QUARTERLY REPORT, UM, WE ARE ANTICIPATING THAT IT'LL BE DONE BY MAY 8TH.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT AS WE GO FORWARD, THERE WILL BE CONTINUED REFINEMENTS IN THIS REPORTING.
UM, WE WILL FIND BETTER WAYS TO, UM, REPORT THE DATA, PERHAPS BETTER DATA TO REPORT, UM, BETTER METHODS OF REPORTING THAT.
SO IT'LL BE AN ITERATIVE PROCESS.
IT'S NOT WHAT WE PRODUCE IN THIS QUARTERLY REPORT IS NOT WHAT WE, IS NOT, YOU KNOW, LOCKSTEP WHAT WE'LL PRODUCE GOING FORWARD.
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE QUARTERLY REPORTS AND PROVIDE AS, AS THE BEST INFORMATION WE CAN REGARDING OUR IMPLEMENTATION.
THE INITIAL ONE, INITIAL SEVERAL PROBABLY WILL BE, UH, PDF SLIDE DECKS, BUT WE WILL BE LOOKING AT, UH, FUTURE POSSIBLE DASHBOARDS GOING FORWARD.
SO THAT'S THE BASICS OF, OF FRAMEWORK OF THESE QUARTERLY REPORTS.
WHEN YOU SAY ON THAT FIRST BULLET THAT THE, THAT THAT'D BE BASED ON THE CALENDAR YEAR FOR THE ANNUAL REPORTS, IS THAT WHAT YOU, IS IT GONNA BE LIKE MAY 1ST WHEN ALL THE ANNUAL REPORTS ARE DUE, LIKE TO THE WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD, YOU SAID WITH OTHER STATE AND ALL CRA REPORTS? I JUST DUNNO WHEN THAT IS.
UM, THE DUE DATES ARE LIKE MARCH 1ST FOR THE WATER USE SURVEY, UM, OR LATER FOR THE WATER LOSS AUDIT.
BUT THE TIME STEP WILL ALWAYS BE JANUARY THROUGH DECEMBER.
NOT OCTOBER THROUGH SEPTEMBER.
WHICH IS, SORRY, THAT WAS FISCAL YEAR.
SO THE QUARTERLY REPORTS, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN THAT FIRST ONE AND THE ONES GOING FORWARD ARE REALLY TRYING TO FOCUS ON PROVIDING UPDATES ON OUR LEADING MEASURES, THOSE THINGS THAT WILL PRODUCE SAVINGS.
[00:55:01]
ACTIVITIES, THE VARIOUS METRICS THAT SHOULD PRODUCE WATER SAVINGS.IT'LL INCLUDE, UH, QUALITATIVE UPDATES.
THESE WILL BE TEXTUAL DESCRIPTIONS OF PROGRESS THAT WILL CHANGE EACH TIME.
UH, FOR INSTANCE, IN THE SLIDE FOR WATER USE OR WATER CONSERVATION, IT MAY TALK ABOUT IRRIGATION INSPECTIONS OR OTHER THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING OR HAVE DONE OVER THE LAST THREE MONTHS.
AND WE'LL ALSO INCLUDE QUANTITATIVE UPDATES, METRICS, UH, CHARTS THAT SHOULD BE CONSISTENT MONTH OVER MONTH, SHOWING WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, TO ACHIEVE SAVINGS IN THESE DIFFERENT AREAS.
AND IN ADDITION, THE QUARTERLY REPORTS WILL ALSO INCLUDE VOLUMETRIC YIELDS.
UH, BY STRATEGY AND ACTIVITY WERE APPLICABLE.
SOME OF QUARTERLY YIELDS WILL BE EASIER FOR, FOR INSTANCE, WATER CONSERVATION.
WE CAN CALCULATE HOW MANY REBATES WE HAD BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH AND ASSIGN THEM A WATER SAVINGS, UH, NUMBER FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE.
AND, AND THEN YOU HAVE A QUARTERLY YIELD FOR WATER CONSERVATION.
UH, OTHERS WILL BE MORE DIFFICULT.
UM, SO THEY MAY NOT BE IN THAT FIRST, UM, QUARTERLY REPORT, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING ON TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO DISPLAY VOLUMETRIC YIELDS, UH, BY QUARTER FOR THE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES.
AND THEN ALSO WE WILL BE INCLUDING IN THE QUARTERLY REPORTS MILESTONE PROJECTS IN BOTH THE WATER FORWARD PLAN AND IN THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.
YOU RE MAY REMEMBER THAT WE HAD A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT MILESTONES FOR EACH DIFFERENT ACTIVITY.
UM, FOR INSTANCE, FOR THE WATER LOSS, WATER LOSS MITIGATION, WATER LOSS REDUCTION.
I THINK AS IT WAS DESCRIBED, THERE WAS A PROBABLY A DOZEN DIFFERENT MILESTONES THAT CAME OUTTA THAT BLACK AND VEATCH REPORT THAT TALKED ABOUT DIFFERENT TRAININGS OR, UM, STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES OR VARIOUS OTHER DIFFERENT MILESTONES.
WE WILL BE INCLUDING THOSE IN THE QUARTERLY REPORTS ALSO.
SH SO ALL THE MILESTONES THAT WE HAD IN THE TWO PLANS FOR 2025 WOULD BE SHOWN IN THOSE QUARTERLY REPORTS AND SOME TYPE OF, OF BAR CHART OF PROGRESS SAYING, I DON'T KNOW, NOT STARTED OR IN PROGRESS DONE.
AND THEN I BELIEVE THERE'S ONE MORE SLIDE THAT, THAT WAS REALLY THE FRAMEWORK OF THE REPORTS.
WHAT'S GONNA BE IN THE REPORTS IN TERMS OF STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES ARE UP ON THE SLIDE THERE.
UNDER THE TOPIC OF WATER CONSERVATION, THE BROAD TOPIC, UM, WE'LL TALK ABOUT, HAVE A, A SLIDE TO REPORT OUT ON WATER LOSS.
UM, I GUESS WATER CONSERVATION, MY DIVISION SUCH AS REBATES, UH, AND, AND ENFORCEMENT OR COMPLIANCE ACTIONS.
AND A SLIDE ON RECLAIMED, A SLIDE ON ONSITE WATER REUSE CUSTOMER OUTREACH.
AND THEN AS I MENTIONED, THE MILESTONE PROGRESS.
WE'LL ALSO INCLUDE IN THE QUARTERLY REPORTS, UH, QUARTERLY GALLONS PER CAPITA DAILY, UM, AT A A A QUARTER TIME STEP, AS WELL AS WATER USE BY CATEGORIES.
UM, THAT'S GO BACK TO THE THING WE JUST MENTIONED A BIT ABOUT, UM, HOW MUCH WATER IS BEING USED BY DIFFERENT CATEGORIES IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS.
AND THEN SWITCHING GEARS JUST A LITTLE BIT, WE'LL ALSO INCLUDE UPDATES ON IMPLEMENTATION AND PROGRESS FOR WATER SUPPLY PROJECTS, A SR OFF CHANNEL RESERVOIR, INTRACT, POTABLE REUSE, AND BRACKISH GROUNDWATER.
SO THAT IS WHAT, UH, WE ARE INTENDING TO HAVE IN THESE QUARTERLY REPORTS.
HOW DETAILED IS THE WATER LOSS GOING TO BE AS FAR AS LIKE THE WATER CONSERVATION, LIKE WHEN IT COMES TO MAINS AND, UM, THE, WHAT IS IT? SERVICES? THANK YOU,
WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT, UH, QUANTITATIVE METRICS.
UH, FOR INSTANCE, I BELIEVE, AND JUST OFFHAND DON'T, DON'T QUOTE ME ON THIS, I'M STILL WORKING WITH MATT CULLEN, UH, TO REFINE THESE, BUT IT MAY BE, YEAH, THE LENGTH OF SERVICE LINES REPLACED OR REMAINS REPLACED OR THE NUMBER OF LEAKS DETECTED.
AND THESE ARE JUST EXAMPLES, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO IDENTIFY A NUMBER OF METRICS, NOT TOO MANY.
'CAUSE WE ALSO HAVE TO KEEP THIS CONCISE AND SUSTAINABLE.
[01:00:01]
METRICS THAT DEAL WITH WATER LOSS THAT SHOULD LEAD TO SAVINGS.UM, AND THEN WE'LL ALSO HAVE REPORTING OUT OF THOSE, UH, QUALITATIVE MEASURES, WHAT, WHAT HAVE THEY BEEN DOING? UM, AND THEN THE MILESTONES LIKE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? UM, I JUST WANTED TO ADD, FOR THE WATER LOSS AND EVERYTHING, IS IT MAINLY GONNA BE FOCUSING ON REACTIVE OR IS THERE GONNA BE ANY KIND OF, I CAN'T HEAR YOU.
COULD YOU STOP THAT? YEAH, SORRY.
UM, IS IT GONNA BE FOCUSING ON KIND OF REACTIVE, LIKE DETECTING LEAKS AND EVERYTHING? OR IS IT GONNA ALSO KIND OF SPECIFY IF SOMETHING IS LIKE PROACTIVELY DONE AND HAVE THAT KIND OF DIFFERENTIATION IN THE, THE DATA PRESENTED? SO WE'RE, UM, KEVIN TALKED ABOUT MATT CULLEN, WHO IS LEADING UP OUR WATER LOSS TEAM AND HAS PRESENTED TO THIS TASK FORCE IN THE PAST, UM, AND WORK, THEY ARE WORKING THROUGH THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE WATER LOSS, UM, PROGRAM REVIEW.
SO MY EXPECTATION IS THAT, UH, THE REPORTING WILL COVER BOTH THE PROACTIVE AND REACTIVE WORK THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCING OUR WATER LOSS.
UM, AND THAT IS, UH, WE'LL GO INTO THIS, UM, THIS REPORTING THAT KEVIN'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO SEE WHAT THEY RECOMMEND FOR US, BUT THE INTENT IS TO, YOU KNOW, PULL IT APART AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO SEE, UM, WHAT'S WORKING.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS, UH, REPORTING AND I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF OFFER MY HOPE FOR THIS AND SEE IF YOU GUYS THINK THAT'S, IT'S LIKE A REALISTIC HOPE OR, UM, IF THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE ABOUT.
BUT I THINK PART OF WHAT I SEE IS THE POTENTIAL BENEFIT OF THIS IS TO SARAH'S POINT EARLIER ABOUT AT LEAST HAVING SOME AWARENESS OF WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND THE CITY.
UM, GETTING US TO A POINT WHERE FIVE YEARS FROM NOW WHEN WE'RE DOING THE DCP AND WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, AGAIN, THAT WE DON'T, WE'RE NOT IN THE SITUATION WHERE WE WERE LAST TIME, TRYING TO LIKE PIECE TOGETHER A NARRATIVE AROUND WHY WE DIDN'T MEET THE GOALS.
UM, AND TRYING TO JUST LIKE BACKFILL THAT INFORMATION IS KIND OF DIFFICULT.
WHEREAS THIS, I WOULD IDEALLY THINK CAN KEEP US HONEST IN THE MOMENT AND HELP US UNDERSTAND WHERE WE MIGHT BE MAKING MISSTEPS AND NOT US NECESSARILY MAYBE THE COUNCIL, I MEAN, THE COUNCIL MIGHT BE MAKING DECISIONS AND APPROVING THINGS, GIVING VARIANCES, LET'S SAY TO OUR ONSITE WATER REUSE ORDINANCES THAT ARE NOT REALLY PRODUCTIVE IN TERMS OF MEETING OUR WATER CONSTITU.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF THOSE IN REAL TIME, UM, AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON THEM.
UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALSO, THAT GETS TO THE POINT EARLIER ABOUT WHY IT'S NICE TO HAVE MAYBE A DEVELOPMENT SERVICES PERSON HERE.
LIKE, SO WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION AROUND WHAT'S GETTING APPROVED, WHAT PROJECTS ARE HAPPENING.
I DON'T KNOW, I SEE THAT ALL FITTING TOGETHER.
UM, AS FAR AS THE NARRATIVE GOES OF EITHER MEETING OUR GOALS OR NOT MEETING OUR GOALS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? I WOULD SAY THAT A, YOU KNOW, A BIG PART OF WHAT HAPPENED LAST SPRING WAS, UH, A SORT OF COLLECTIVE REALIZATION THAT THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING HADN'T BEEN ACHIEVING WHAT WE INTENDED FOR IT TO ACHIEVE.
AND THIS QUARTERLY REPORTING IS, IS INTENDED EXACTLY AS YOU SAY, TO, UH, KEEP EVERYONE INFORMED ALONG THE WAY SO THAT WE'RE NOT SURPRISED.
UM, IT IS ALSO INTENDED TO HELP US, UM, MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ALONG THE WAY, UH, IN ORDER TO MEET THESE VERY AMBITIOUS GOALS THAT WE'VE SET FOR OURSELVES.
UM, SO YOU, YOU CAN'T ACHIEVE WHAT YOU DON'T MEASURE.
SO, AND WHICH IS NOT TO SAY WE, WE HAVE BEEN MEASURING ALL THESE THINGS, BUT I THINK WE'RE GONNA, UH, THE GOAL IS TO DO IT IN A MORE, UM, ACCESSIBLE WAY THAT BRINGS EVERYBODY ALONG WITH US.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID MAKE IN THIS LAST WATER CONSERVATION PLAN AND IN THE WATER FOR PLAN WERE THESE YIELDS, UM, HOW MUCH WE EXPECT THESE TO YIELD.
SO, UM, THIS WILL BE A GOOD MEASURE AS WE GO ALONG ON HOW WE'RE DOING ON THAT.
I THINK THIS IS ALSO JUST A PART OF LIKE HAVING A TRUE ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT PROCESS.
ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT REQUIRES CONSTANT CARE AND FEEDING, I THINK IS WHAT WE'RE LEARNING.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU, WE HAVE OUR PLANS AND WE HAVE A GENERAL DIRECTION, BUT WE HAVE TO BE MONITORING, LIKE HOW DO WE NEED TO ADJUST OUR STRATEGIES AS WE GO ALONG TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STILL, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE NOT DRIFTING AND THAT WE'RE STILL MAKING IT TO WHATEVER WE'VE SAID IS OUR NORTH STAR.
SO AS IS FEELS GOOD AND PRODUCTIVE AND IT'S GONNA HELP TO STRENGTHEN OUR PROCESS, OUR IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS OVERALL, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY FOCUSED ON HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ACHIEVING OUR IMPLEMENTATION GOALS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST KIND OF A PLANNING EXERCISE FOR PLANNING EXERCISE FOR PLANNING'S SAKE.
[01:05:01]
HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STAYING ON TRACK WITH IMPLEMENTATION.AND YOU KNOW, LIKE CALLING OUT THE COUNTERVAILING FORCES.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
IF WE'RE NOTICING THINGS ALONG THE WAY THAT ARE LIKE COMING UP AS ROADBLOCKS OR JUST WORKING AGAINST THE ACTUAL GOALS, I THINK LIKE WE JUST NEED TO PUT THOSE FRONT AND CENTER.
[4. Discuss City Council’s proposed merger of the Water Forward Task Force with the Water and Wastewater Commission]
ITEM IS DISCUSSING THE PROPOSED MERGER WATER FOUR TASK FORCE WITH THE AUSTIN WASTEWATER WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION.WE, FOR THIS ITEM, WE DON'T HAVE ANY YEAH.
UM, ON THE AGENDA AT THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR'S REQUEST AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE TASK FORCE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL.
THOUGHTS SINCE, UH, SINCE WE WERE GETTING SURVEYED ABOUT IT THAT WE MIGHT WANNA HAVE A CHAT AND TALK ABOUT IT.
AND AM MY, IT IS NOW MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS BEING, THAT THIS IS BEING TABLED, THAT THE WATER WASTEWATER THE WATER FORWARD AND THE WATER WASTEWATER COMMISSION MERGER IS BEING TABLED.
THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, AND I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS YET, WILL BE PUTTING OUT A NEW RESOLUTION THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE MERGER OF THESE TWO.
SEE, IT'S A GOOD THING WE HAD THIS ITEM.
UM, YEAH, I, I, LIKE I SAID, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING OFFICIAL.
I'VE JUST BEEN TOLD BY, UM, A COUPLE OF US THAT HAVE REACHED OUT TO OFFICES HAVE BEEN TOLD, UM, IN THE PAST LIKE WEEK THAT, THAT THIS IS, THAT THIS IS GONNA BE TABLED OR THIS PARTICULAR ONE.
ANYBODY WANNA TALK ABOUT IT? NO.
YEAH, I MEAN, I DON'T, I, LIKE I SAID, I WENT AND LOOKED AT THE COUNCIL AGENDA TO SEE IF THERE WAS A NEW RESOLUTION OR ANYTHING ON THE MESSAGE BOARD AND I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING.
SO LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S LIKE FOR REAL, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF THE PEOPLE THAT I REACHED OUT TO TOLD ME THAT, THAT IT WAS BEING PULLED.
WHEN YOU SAID IT WAS DONE, I THOUGHT, OH, I GUESS IT'S A DONE DEAL.
WELL, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I THINK IT IS, I MEAN, IT'S PROBABLY JUST WORTH NOTING.
I, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A LOOK ACROSS ALL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS FOR LIKE EFFICIENCIES AND TO MAKE THE MOST OF STAFF TIME AND ALL KINDS OF THOSE PROCEDURES.
AND I DON'T KNOW, BUT I LIKE TO THINK THAT THE REASON IT WAS TABLED IS THERE WAS A REALIZATION THAT THIS IS A REALLY VALUABLE, UM, REALLY VALUABLE CITIZEN ADVISORY GROUP THAT'S PROVIDING THAT'S IN A DIFFERENT LANE THAN WATER AND WASTEWATER AND IS PROVIDING SOME STRATEGIC PLANNING THAT'S OF SERVICE AND VALUE TO THE CITY.
I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING TO NOTE THAT.
I THINK THAT'S WHY IT'S BEING TABLED IN.
SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING AS WELL.
UM, ALTHOUGH I WAS JUST TOLD THAT IT WAS BEING PULLED, BUT, BUT BASED ON, YOU KNOW, I THINK, I DON'T KNOW WHO ALL FILLED OUT SURVEYS AND SUBMITTED THEM.
UM, A COUPLE OF US ARE, UM, WORKING TO TALK TO THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THEY KNOW ABOUT WATER FORWARD AND JUST WATER IN GENERAL.
UM, AND SO WE PARTICIPATED IN TWO MEETINGS.
ONE WITH THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBER LANE AND THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBER DUGAN, UM, TO, TO, UM, WE SHARED THE ONE PAGER THAT MARISA SUPPLIED.
UM, AND THEN, AND THEN I EMAILED HIM AFTERWARDS AND FOLLOWED UP WITH THE PLANS AND STUFF.
BUT, UH, ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE MERGER A LITTLE BIT WHILE WE WERE THERE.
I THINK THIS WAS LIKE EARLY LAST WEEK.
SO, UM, I HEARD FROM PEOPLE IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE THAT IT WASN'T GOING MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AND I BELIEVE SARAH HEARD FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER'S OFFICE THAT IT WASN'T MOVING FORWARD AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE BILL HEARD IT.
ANYWAY, UM, SO I'D LIKE TO, UM, BRING UP THE
[01:10:01]
FACT THAT THIS TASK FORCE WAS AS NOT ESTABLISHED UNDER THE SAME STRUCTURE AS, UH, AS A STANDING BORDER COMMISSION WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.SO IF IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE, WE WILL NEED TO IMPLEMENT SOME, UH, SOME STRUCTURAL CHANGES, UM, IN ORDER TO BRING IT INTO LINE WITH THE CITY'S PROCESS.
PER THE CITY CHARTER, PER THE CITY CHARTER, A TASK FORCE IS INTENDED TO BE A TEMPORARY BODY.
UM, A STANDING BOARD OR COMMISSION IS INTENDED TO CONTINUE, UM, FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.
SO WHEN THIS TASK FORCE WAS ESTABLISHED, UM, THINGS LIKE TERM LIMITS, UM, AND KIND OF THE, UM, HOW THE SELECTION OF OFFICERS, UM, ANNUAL REPORTING, THINGS LIKE THAT WERE NOT NECESSARILY OUTLINED WITHIN THE, THE RESOLUTION OR THE BYLAWS THAT, UM, THAT WERE SET UP WHEN THIS TASK FORCE BEGAN.
SO WE WOULD NEED, IF THIS IS GONNA CONTINUE AS A PERMANENT BODY, UM, YOU KNOW, TO SAVE THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE HAS SOME HEADACHES, WE WOULD REALLY NEED TO BRING THIS IN LINE WITH A MORE STANDARD, UM, STANDING BOARD AND COMMISSION AND IMPLEMENT SOME OF THOSE, UM, UH, KIND OF BYLAWS AND POLICIES.
THAT DOESN'T SEEM OUT OF THE SCOPE.
SO IF WE CAN CHANGE THE NAME AGAIN.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE NAME LONGER.
IF WE'VE GOT ROOM FOR SOME MORE WORDS IN THERE CAN MAKE THAT.
I WANNA BE THE BOARD AND COMMISSION.
UM, I, I WILL SAY THAT THE, THAT THE RESOLUTION WAS UPDATED AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THE LAST WATERFORD PLAN TO HAVE THE TASK FORCE STAY IN PLACE TO WORK ON IMPLEMENTATION WITH THE UTILITY.
SO AS FAR AS AS THAT GOES, BUT I DO THINK, UM, UH, THAT OUR KIND OF, YOU KNOW, IN BETWEEN STATUS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED SOMEHOW.
THAT'S PART OF WHY THE, THE, UM, CITY CLERK'S OFFICE HAS, UM, HAS NOT MOVED FORWARD WITH PROVIDING EMAILS FOR THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS.
AND YET THEY PROVIDED ONE FOR ME WHEN I JOINED.
THOSE WERE IDENTIFIED AS, UM, MISTAKES.
WHATCHA EVEN DOING? I'M SORRY,
WELL, UM, OH, THEY WANTED TO SEE YOUR EMAILS
WELL, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE AND THEN, BUT, UH, DOES THAT MEAN THAT THOSE OF US THAT ARE TALKING TO, UM, FOLKS IN THE POSITION TO MAKE DECISIONS ON THIS NEED TO DO THAT? OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL DO? OR? I MEAN, I WILL REACH OUT TO THE PERSON I TALK TO AND JUST RELAY THIS, BUT SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE, THAT ALL OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND POTENTIAL ACTIONS ON CHANGING THEM WILL BE DISCUSSED AT THE NEXT AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING.
UM, AND SO I THINK AFTER THAT WE'LL HAVE A WHOLE LOT MORE CLARITY AND THEN WE'LL DETERMINE WHAT NEXT STEPS ARE.
DO YOU KNOW WHEN THAT IS? I BELIEVE IT'S FEBRUARY 18TH, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL DOUBLE CHECK THAT AND I'LL REPORT BACK.
UM, ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? OKAY, MOVING FORWARD.
UM, WATERFORD, IT APPEARS IT'S FEBRUARY 19TH.
[5. Discuss Water Forward 2024 Implementation Working Group members]
2024 IMPLEMENTATION OF WORKING GROUP MEMBERS.SO ONE THING I DO WANNA SAY UNDER THIS ITEM IS IF, IF FOLKS DUNNO, VANESSA QUIG WILLIAMS HAS RESIGNED FROM THE TASK FORCE.
UM, SHE'S SERVING AS THE CHAIR OF THE, UH, OF, IS IT THE PARDON? SPRINGS EDWARD? WELL, I MEAN, WHAT IS IT CALLED? THE DIRECTORS.
ANYWAY, SHE'S CHAIRING THE, SHE'S SHE'S AN ELECTED DIRECTOR FOR THE BARTON SPRINGS EDWARDS AFER CONSERVATION DISTRICT, AND SHE'S NOW SERVING AS CHAIR IN THAT ROLE.
[01:15:01]
HER PLATE'S PRETTY FULL.SO WE HAVE TWO, UM, VACANCIES AND COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS'S OFFICE, WHICH IS DISTRICT EIGHT, IT'S LIKE SOUTHWEST ISH AUSTIN.
AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER RIVERA'S OFFICE.
HE HAS NEVER APPOINTED SOMEBODY AND WE'LL REMIND HIM ABOUT THAT.
BUT, UM, SO WE HAVE TWO VACANCIES.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE NEED LESS PEOPLE TO MAKE A QUORUM.
WE NEED, WE STILL NEED SIX TO MAKE A QUORUM.
SO, UM, SO ANYWAY, JUST THE, THOSE KIND OF TWO, TWO THINGS.
OUR NEXT MEETING, FULL MEETING IS APRIL 8TH.
UM, AND IN BETWEEN THOSE MEETINGS WE WILL HAVE AN IMPLEMENTATION WORKING GROUP MEETING.
UM, AND SO OUR AGENDA ITEM IS TO TALK ABOUT MEMBERS FOR THAT OR WHO, WHO ARE THE CURRENT MEMBERS AND DO WE NEED TO CHANGE ANYTHING? YEAH.
UM, SO CURRENT MEMBERS, WE WANTED TO CONFIRM 18, SORRY.
CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION WORKING GROUP INCLUDE PAUL, JENNIFER, BILL HANEY, AND PERRY.
IT WAS PREVIOUSLY THE WATERFORD 18 IMPLEMENTATION WORKING GROUP.
WE'LL UPDATE THAT NAME TO THE WATERFORD 24 IMPLEMENTATION WORKING GROUP.
WE WANTED TO CONFIRM THAT MEMBERSHIP, UM, UH, LIST AND OR IDENTIFY NEW MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE.
AND JUST AS A REMINDER, WE, UH, UM, ARE HAVING THIS AS A WORKING GROUP SO WE CANNOT HAVE A QUORUM BECAUSE THESE ARE NOT NECESSARILY POSTED MEETINGS.
THEY'RE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS TO DIVE INTO, YOU KNOW, MORE, MORE TECHNICAL OR SPECIFIC DISCUSSION TYPE.
AND I, AND I DO THINK THAT NOW THAT WE ARE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE OF THIS PLAN, I MEAN, NOT THAT IMPLEMENTATION STOPPED, BUT WE WERE HAD AN OUTSIZED FOCUS ON PLANNING MM-HMM
AS FAR AS LIKE, HOW, HOW MUCH TIME, HOW MUCH OF OUR TIME WAS ALLOCATED, UM, IN OUR FULL WATER FOUR TASK FORCE MEETINGS THAT THERE'LL BE MORE MM-HMM
KIND OF FOCUSED DISCUSSION ON IMPLEMENTATION.
'CAUSE I, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND THERE'S BIG, BIG PROJECTS IN THE WORKS.
UM, SO THE CURRENT MEMBERS ARE PAUL, MYSELF, BILL HANEY, AND PERRY.
UM, DOES EVERY, I MEAN, DOES ANYBODY WANNA GET OFF THE GROUP? DOES ANYBODY WANNA GET ON THE GROUP? I WOULDN'T MIND JOINING THAT GROUP.
UM, SO WE ONLY HAVE, WE CAN ONLY HAVE FIVE ON THERE.
SO, UM, I CAN, AM I ON IT? YOU'RE NOT ON IT.
SO YOU, I WOULD STEP DOWN POWERLESS IN THIS SITUATION.
UM, I, I NEED TO CHECK WITH PERRY TO SEE IF HE'S WANTS TO CONTINUE TO SERVE ON IT.
BUT I DO THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING MORE DISCUSSION BECAUSE JUST WE'RE GONNA MEET EVERY TWO MONTHS, WHICH COMES UP REALLY QUICK.
NOT AS QUICK AS THOSE QUARTERLY REPORTS ARE GONNA COME UP, ALTHOUGH LITERALLY IT'S QUICKER, IT'S NOT GONNA FEEL LIKE IT.
UM, BUT, UH, UM, THAT WE WILL BE DISCUSSING IMPLEMENTATION IN THOSE MEETINGS AS WELL AS THE CURRENT LAKE LEVELS.
BUT I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE IN IS WE'RE DOING IMPLEMENTATION.
DO WE NEED TO SET A REGULAR TIME FOR THESE MEETINGS TO HAPPEN? 'CAUSE THAT WOULD BE MOST IDEAL, RIGHT? INSTEAD OF TRYING TO YEAH, I WAS THINKING WE COULD SET IT LIKE THE SAME TIME.
DO YOU DO COME UP TO THIS? YEAH.
HELLO, EMILY RAFFERTY AUSTIN WATER.
UM, I WAS THINKING WE COULD SET THESE MEETINGS FOR THE SAME TIME IN THE MONTH THAT WE DON'T HAVE A TASK FORCE MEETING, JUST TO KEEP IT CONSISTENT, IF THAT WOULD WORK FOR YOU ALSO THE SECOND TUESDAY OF THE MONTH AT 12.
OR WE COULD DO IT AT ONE TO NOT MESS WITH LUNCH FOR PEOPLE.
SO IT'LL, 'CAUSE IT'LL ONLY BE ONE HOUR.
I THINK THAT THE, THE LUNCHTIME WORKS GOOD FOR ME.
AND I, I LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING IT SET ON THE, ON THE TUESDAY THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE MEETING.
I THINK THAT'S GOOD MOST OF THE TIME.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME CALENDARING AND RE CALENDARING THESE MEETINGS AND IF FOLKS CAN'T MAKE IT, THEN, THEN, THEN THAT'S FINE.
UM, AND IF FOLKS CAN'T MAKE IT, CAN SOMEBODY ELSE
[01:20:01]
TAP IN? UM, OR DOES, HOW DOES THAT WORK? THAT'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION.IT IS AN INTERESTING QUESTION.
I THINK, I THINK WE'LL NEED TO LOOK INTO THAT.
WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC, LIKE, AGAIN, OUR, WE DON'T HAVE SPECIFIC BYLAWS THAT SPEAK TO THAT, BUT I WOULD WANNA CHECK THERE IS, UH, IN THE CITY CHARTER, THERE'S A DEFINITION OF A WORKING GROUP AND I WOULD JUST WANNA CHECK AND MAKE SURE THAT NOTHING CONFLICTS.
AS A MEMBER, I, I WAS GOING TO SAY, I DON'T WANNA VIOLATE ANY RULES, BUT IF SOMEONE FROM OUR TASK FORCE WANTED TO COME TO THAT MEETING, THERE IS NO REASON YOU COULDN'T COME TO IT, I PRESUME.
RIGHT? THIS COULDN'T SIT THERE AND LISTEN AND I DUNNO.
I WOULD THINK SO, BUT ANYWAYS, I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK IT MIGHT BE IN TROUBLE WHAT I'M INTERESTED IN SEEING WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION TASK.
I'M SORRY, IF I COULD JUST SPEAK TO THAT FOR A MOMENT.
I, WE WILL HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT.
I, I THINK THERE'S, I THINK YOU CAN, THERE'S QUORUM IMPLICATIONS THAT WE NEED TO, EVEN IF IT SIT IN THE AUDIENCE MM-HMM
THAT WE NEED TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT.
EVEN IF YOU DON'T SAY ANYTHING, WE'RE COMMUNICATING TO THAT PERSON.
YOU JUST MAKE THE CASE THAT, UH, IF THERE'S FIVE OF US SIT THERE AND THERE'S TWO PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT SPEAKING.
LIKE, WE'RE STILL COMMUNICATING WITH THEM MM-HMM
SO IT'S SORT OF LIKE TRYING TO GET AROUND THE QUORUM THING WITHOUT ACTUALLY DOING IT.
WHAT I MEANT TO STAY, SORRY, TO HAVE DIVERTED THIS.
WHAT I, I'M SORT OF REQUESTING AND I'M INTERESTED IN SEEING WITH RESPECT TO THESE LARGE PROJECTS, IS I'D LIKE TO GET INTO DETAILED BAR SCHEDULES TO SEE WHERE WE WERE, WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE'RE GOING.
AND THE REASON I'M ASKING FOR THIS IS I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED THAT AT LEAST TWO OF OUR MAJOR PROJECTS ARE NO LONGER FEASIBLE.
AND THE CONCERN I HAVE IS THAT IF THEY ARE NOT, THAT WE WILL HAVE TO BACK UP THIS TRUCK AND START OVER ON SOME OF THIS STUFF.
THINGS THAT WE WERE RELYING ON FOR FIRM YIELD IN OUR PLAN.
SO KIND OF WHAT I'M SUGGESTING IS WHY DON'T WE RUN THESE THINGS TO GROUND MM-HMM
THAT VERY TECHNICAL EXPRESSION.
MARISSA'S AGREEING WITH ME SO I KNOW SHE'S, SHE'S CATCHING THIS.
GET THESE THINGS TO THE POINT THAT WE KNOW FOR SURE WE CAN DO THEM.
FOR INSTANCE, INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE.
LET'S SEE IF WE GET A PERMIT FOR THAT.
LET'S SEE IF THE NEIGHBORHOODS WILL, HOW THEY'RE GONNA TAKE IT ALL OR WHATEVER.
LET'S TRY TO DISCOVER ALL THE FATAL FLAWS VERSUS, WELL, IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE DONE FOR 20 YEARS, SO LET'S WAIT A LONG TIME.
I THINK THAT ONE'S FRAUGHT WITH PROBLEMS. UH, THE OTHER ONE THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS THE A SR.
AND I KNOW WE SPENT SEVERAL YEARS, YOU KNOW, STUDYING WHICH COUNTY IN THE STATE WE'RE GONNA GO TO.
AND I THINK WE'VE FIGURED THAT PART OUT NOW.
BUT I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEREVER WE'RE GONNA GO, WE CAN BUY THAT LAND.
AND, UH, AND I REALIZE SOME OF THESE CASES, THERE'S SENSITIVE THINGS THAT YOU PROBABLY DON'T WANT US TO KNOW.
YOU CAN'T KNOW THAT I'LL GO AWAY.
BUT I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THESE THINGS ARE MOVING TO THE POINT MM-HMM
THAT WE DON'T GET CAUGHT SOME YEARS DOWN THE ROAD WITH OUR MAJOR WATER SUPPLY INITIATIVES ARE NO LONGER FEASIBLE.
SO NOW WE'RE COOKED AND NOW WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, TO BRING THE DESAL LINE IN FROM CORPUS OR WHATEVER IT IS.
NO, I'M EXACTLY ON THE SAME PAGE.
UM, SO
BRIDGET, UM, BUFF IS, UM, OUR PROJECT MANAGER ON THE PLUMBER CONSULTING TEAM WHO'S, UM, GONNA BE HELPING, UH, SUPPORT AUSTIN WATER WITH, UM, WATER QUALITY MODELING AS WELL AS, UM, UH, UH, THE, UH, PREPARATION OF OUR TIPIS PERMIT SUBMITTAL.
AND WE'RE WORKING WITH, UH, THEM AND WELL FOR IPR, FOR IPR, EXCUSE ME.
UM, I JUMPED INTO THE MIDDLE OF THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, BUT WE'LL BE, UH, WORKING TO GATHER ALL OF THAT INFORMATION, SUBMIT OUR PERMIT, RECEIVE INITIAL FEEDBACK FROM TCEQ, TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, AND THEN UNDERSTAND KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE, WHAT REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS WILL, UM, WILL WE NEED TO UNDERTAKE IN ORDER TO, YOU KNOW, DISCHARGE,
[01:25:01]
UH, THAT RECLAIMED EFFLUENT INTO LADY BIRD LAKE.AND, UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, TWO OTHER, UH, CONSULTANTS THAT HAVE BEEN PULLED OFF OF THE ROTATION LIST TO SUPPORT OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE, UM, IPR PROJECT, THE RECLAIMED TRANSMISSION MAIN.
UM, UH, CASS IS THE, UH, UH, PERFORMING THE, UH, STUDY, UM, TO IDENTIFY THE POTENTIAL ROUTE FOR THAT RECLAIMED TRANSMISSION MAIN, AND WE'LL BE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT TRANSMISSION MAIN, UM, REGARDLESS OF IMPLEMENTA EMERGENCY IMPLEMENTATION OF IPR, BECAUSE IT ALSO PROVIDES THE BENEFIT OF PROVIDING ADDITIONAL CAPACITY TO THE CENTRALIZED RECLAIMED SYSTEM TO THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE CENTRALIZED RECLAIMED SYSTEM, MOVING THAT WATER, UM, FROM SAR TO CUSTOMERS AND SOUTH AUSTIN.
UM, THE INTAKE AND PUMP STATION, UM, ON LADY BIRD LAKE, PULLING WATER FROM LADY BIRD LAKE TO ULRICH IS ANOTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, COMPONENT OF THAT PROJECT THAT IS MULTI BENEFICIAL AND COULD PROVIDE ADDITIONAL, UM, SUPPLY.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHILE A SMALLER AMOUNT AROUND 3000 ACRE FEET IS OUR CURRENT ESTIMATE DURING AN AVERAGE YEAR, LESS DURING DROUGHT CONDITION, IT STILL PROVIDES AN ADDITIONAL BENEFIT AND IT ALSO PROVIDES AN INFRASTRUCTURE KIND OF REDUNDANCY BENEFIT AS WELL.
THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TREATMENT, UM, IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED, UM, FOR THAT, UM, WASTEWATER EFFLUENT BEFORE IT GOES INTO LADYBIRD LAKE ARE KIND OF THE KEY COMPONENT.
AND THAT'S DEPENDENT ON THE, UM, FEEDBACK THAT WE GET FROM TCEQ ON OUR, ON OUR TIPIS PERMIT.
SO WE'RE MOVING THOSE ITEMS FORWARD AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE A PRESENTATION ON THAT AT A FUTURE MEETING AND, AND APPRECIATE YEAH, APPRECIATE, APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERNS.
IT'S GOOD, GOOD TO BE LOOKING AT THAT STUFF.
UM, KIND OF WHERE I COME FROM LOOKING AT THINGS STATEWIDE, OTHER FOLKS IN THE STATE HAVE DONE BOTH OF THESE THINGS, AND SO IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A GREEN LIGHT ALL THE WAY THROUGH IN AUSTIN, BUT, BUT, UH, PERSONALLY I GET SOME CONFIDENCE IN THAT.
THERE'S OTHERS THAT HAVE, HAVE DONE AND OPERATED ASRS AND OTHERS THAT HAVE DONE, UM, INDIRECT POTABLE, UM, REUSE PROJECTS AS WELL.
SO I I AGREE WITH ALL THAT, BUT I REMEMBER WHEN THE, WHEN THE FRIENDLY GROUP FROM LEE COUNTY CAME TO OUR MEETING WHENEVER THAT WAS, UM, THOSE NON HAPPY CAMPERS THAT CAME AND SAID, AND SPOKE ON A SR, WE, WE, YEAH, WE, WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOU NOT COMING ANYWHERE NEAR OUR COUNTY Y THE, ANY OF THESE KIND OF QUASI POLITICAL RESPONSES MM-HMM
SAN ANTONIO'S GOT A THING, WHICH MANY OF US RODE A BUS DOWN MM-HMM
IN 2018 TO DISCOVER HOW IT WORKED AND ALL OF THAT.
MARCHED AROUND FOR AN ENTIRE DAY, BUT I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE PROBLEMS AND, UH, I'M GLAD YOU'RE ON TOP IT.
AND I THINK THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THAT THE POINTS YOU BRING UP THOUGH ABOUT LIKE, WE NEED TO TAKE THESE DOWN THE ROAD TO, TO EVALUATE THEIR FEASIBILITY IN THE REAL WORLD.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IF WE ARE FACING CHALLENGES THAT ARE INSURMOUNTABLE, ADJUST COURSE, AGAIN, A PART OF OUR ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT PROCESS, UH, USING A LIKE WALL TREE LONG AS AN OFF CHANNEL RESERVOIR IS ALSO A STRATEGY WITHIN OUR PLAN.
WE HAVE THAT AS A STUDY WITHIN PLUMBER SCOPE TO BEGIN WORKING, UM, KIND OF AN EVALUATION OF HOW WE WOULD IMPLEMENT THAT STRATEGY, UM, COMING UP HERE IN THE SPRING AS WELL.
UM, APPRECIATION FOR WHAT ROBERT'S SAYING ABOUT THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IN OTHER, UM, PARTS OF THE STATE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME I REALLY, UM, SECOND WHAT BILL IS SAYING, ALL, UM, IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALSO IN THESE, FOR ALL OF THESE PROJECTS, THERE'S PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES THAT ARE GONNA BE AFFECTED AND HAVE CONCERNS AND WE NEED TO BE BE, AND I'M SURE WE WILL BE, BUT, YOU KNOW, ACTIVELY COMMUNICATING AND LISTENING AND WORKING AROUND AND CREATING PARTNERSHIPS AND SOLUTIONS WITH THOSE STAKEHOLDERS AND THIS, YOU KNOW, THE MORE FORTHRIGHT WE ARE ABOUT IT AND UPFRONT I THINK IS THE WAY TO GET TO GET THERE.
AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT BILL IS SAYING, I THINK IS, UM, SO I APPRECIATE THE UPDATE ON THE PROJECTS AND, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE FUTURE WHEN IT'S APPROPRIATE.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT SORT OF ADDITIONAL, UM, COMMUNITY OUTREACH WE'RE DOING, ESPECIALLY IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WHERE THERE'S GONNA BE PEOPLE WHO HAVE A POTENTIAL TO FILE COMMENTS ON A PERMIT OR WHATEVER IT IS.
YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF SITTING BACK AND LIKE HOLDING OUR, CROSSING OUR FINGERS, NOBODY FALLS COMMENTS.
WE LIKE EXPLAIN THE PROJECT AND LIKE GET, YOU KNOW, EXPLAIN BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO, UM, USE THESE PROJECTS
[01:30:01]
AS EDUCATION AND, UH, BUILDING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.UM, HANEY, UM, I'M GOING TO, I AGREE WITH, WITH BILL AND, AND SARAH, UM, ON THE IMPORTANCE OF MOVING AHEAD AND, UM, THINKING AHEAD OF OBSTACLES THAT WE'RE GONNA, UH, FACE.
AND, UH, THEY ARE, UM, A LOT OF POLITICAL ISSUES, UM, THAT ARE GONNA BE POPPING UP.
BUT ALSO I THINK WE NEED TO BE THINKING, UM, THAT OTHER, UH, CITIES AROUND US, FOR EXAMPLE, SEE THE PARK THEY ARE MOVING TOWARDS ALSO LOOKING AT, UH, RESOURCES.
SO MAYBE LOOKING AT COMBINED EFFORTS, UH, WITH, WITH OTHER, UH, CITIES AROUND US, UH, THAT MAKES IT, UH, UH, A LOT, UH, STRONGER.
I MEAN, WE, WE'VE TAKEN THE LEAD, UH, AND HAVE MOVED FORWARD AND OTHERS ARE FOLLOWING, BUT IT'S MAYBE TIME TO THINK ABOUT OTHER NEIGHBORING CITIES THAT WE CAN COLLABORATE WITH THEM, I GUESS.
I'M GONNA JUST THROW OUT A A CRAZY I, NOT TOO TERRIBLY CRAZY, BUT LIKE, LIKE, LIKE WITH OUR PLANNING PROCESS, WE'VE TAKEN A PROBABILISTIC APPROACH WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE VARIOUS POSSIBILITIES COULD BE FOR, FOR POPULATION AND FOR CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS.
BUT, BUT ON THE, UM, AND MAYBE I'M WRONG ABOUT THIS, BUT, BUT I THINK ON THE WATER SUPPLY SIDE, IT'S DETERMINED WE'VE GOT THIS HOLE TO FILL.
WE'RE GONNA PUT THIS IN, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS TO DO THIS, WE'RE GONNA DO THAT, TO DO THAT.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE, MAYBE THE STRATEGY SHOULD BE RISKED AS WELL, SUCH THAT, YOU KNOW, OTHER STRATEGIES, UM, WE MOVE FORWARD ON INVESTIGATING IMPLEMENTATION AS A HEDGE AGAINST SOMETHING GOING WRONG WITH SAY, A PERMIT ON AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY PROJECT.
WHEN I WAS AT, BACK WHEN I WAS AT THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, WE LOOKED AT POSSIBLY DOING THAT.
IN OTHER WORDS, THERE'S A 70% CHANCE OF, UM, THE A SR GOING THROUGH I, I'M JUST MAKING THAT UP.
WELL THEN WE NEED ANOTHER PROJECT WITH AT LEAST A 30% CHANCE OF SUCCESS TO ENSURE WE HAVE A, ENSURE WE HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT CHANCE OF HAVING WATER AT THAT SET TIME.
UM, SO JUST, JUST THE THOUGHT.
I THINK WE CAN PREPARE A PRESENTATION FOR A FUTURE TASK FORCE MEETING TO KIND OF FOLLOW UP ON BOTH IMPLEMENTATION UPDATES AS WELL AS KIND OF SOME OF THIS THINKING ABOUT ADAPTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECTS.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
I GUESS WE JUST WERE DISCUSSING THAT.BUT ANY OTHERS? OKAY, BILL, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT THE AUSTIN WATERS PLAN TO GAIN EXTERNAL FUNDING TO PAY FOR THESE ITEMS. SOME OF THESE PROJECTS ARE IDEALLY SUITED FOR NOT ONLY FEDERAL MONEY, BUT ALSO THE NEW STATE PROGRAMS. AND I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR IN DETAIL HOW WE ARE GOING TO GET OUR SHARE OF THAT MONEY PAY FOR THIS STUFF.
LOTS OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT MONEY THESE DAYS, THAT'S FOR SURE.
WELL I THINK WITH THAT WE, WE UM, ARE GOING TO, ARE WE GOING, IT'S FEBRUARY.
ARE WE GONNA HAVE TRY TO HAVE A MARCH IMPLEMENTATION MEETING? YES.
AND THEN OUR NEXT FULL TASK FORCE MEETING IS APRIL 8TH.