Feb 12, 2025 Zero Waste Advisory Commission

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UM, AND SEEING THE AGENDA ITEM ON MEASURING DATA THAT IS, IS GONNA BE COMING UP LATER.

I, I WAS EVEN HESITANT TO, UM, ANYWAY, UM, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE AN UPDATE ON LAST YEAR.

THERE WAS A, A LEGISLATION THAT I WAS WORKING ON TO, UM, HAVE TCEQ TRACK GARBAGE PER CAPITA, UM, SINCE THEN, UM, THEY USED TO REPORT GARBAGE PER CAPITA IN THE ANNUAL REPORT OF 2022.

THAT DATA HAS BEEN REMOVED.

UM, IT JUST NEEDS TO BE, UM, REPORTED CORRECTLY, AND THAT WOULD MEAN THAT YOU DIVIDE YOUR POPULATION INTO THE TOTAL TONS OF THAT POPULATION.

TONS OF GARBAGE TO ACCURATELY.

SO, UM, LAST YEAR THE LEGISLATION DID GO THROUGH LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, BUT IT DID NOT GET CARRIED.

SO THIS YEAR, I SENT AN EMAIL TO YOU LAST WEEK ASKING IF THE, UM, ADVISORY ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COUNCIL WOULD CONSIDER ENDORSING THE LEGISLATION TO, TO JUST GET IT MOVING ON.

UM, IT HAS A SIGNIFICANT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK EVERY, UH, CITY OR COUNTY DESERVES TO HAVE.

UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S DOING A FABULOUS JOB WITH REDUCING WASTE AND MANAGING, UM, ALL THAT THEY DO.

UH, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I'VE GONE INTO A, A WOMAN'S RESTROOM AND SEEING, SEEING COMPOSTING OF PAPER TOWELS.

I'M JUST, YOU GUYS ARE ADDRESSING EVERYTHING, BUT NOT LETTING THEM HAVE A SCOREBOARD OF SEEING HOW WELL THEY'RE DOING DOESN'T SEEM FAIR, UM, WITH ALL THE WORK THEY'RE DOING.

AND GARBAGE PER CAPITA IS VERY SIMILAR TO HOW WE MEASURE WATER CONSERVATION IS GALLONS PER CAPITA.

ENERGY CONSERVATION IS KILOWATTS PER CAPITA.

SO HAVING THE GARBAGE PER CAPITA DATA AVAILABLE TO THEM SEEMS ONLY FAIR.

AND, UH, IT'S A SIMPLE, UH, CHANGE TO THE CURRENT CODE FOR TCEQ.

JUST ADDING THREE WORDS SAYING JURISDICTION OF ORIGIN RATHER THAN JUST A CONSOLIDATED NUMBER, WHICH ALL THE LANDFILLS REPORT CURRENTLY, UM, IF THEY REPORT A CONSOLIDATED NUMBER, EACH OF THE COUNTIES THAT SHIP WASTE, THAT LANDFILL HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH TONNAGE THEY'VE DISPOSED OR CONTRIBUTED TO THAT TOTAL NUMBER, THE WAY THAT TCEQ REPORTS CURRENTLY.

SO, UM, I JUST, I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING WHETHER THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER ENDORSING.

UM, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, BARBARA.

AND I, I PERSONALLY, I LOOKED OVER THE INFORMATION YOU SENT AND IT'S VERY INTERESTING.

DID YOU SHARE IT WITH THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE NO, I DID NOT.

IN FACT, I THOUGHT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS BEING SHARED AMONGST EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS.

SO I WILL DO THAT.

I WILL GET, UH, I THINK CORINA AND I, CORINA AND I HAD, UH, DISCUSSED THAT WE WILL GET THAT OUT TO THE, TO THE REST OF THE COMMISSIONERS TO LOOK AT.

IT'S A WONDERFUL IDEA, AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS PROBABLY IMPORTANT TO, TO TRACK.

IF, IF IT CAN BE TRACKED, IT CAN.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND IT JUST, YOU HAVE NO, NO.

JUST EVEN IN A GENERAL TERM, UH, JUST THE WAY IT'S TRACKED RIGHT NOW THROUGH TCEQ, IT'S JUST, YOU COULD HAVE 18 DIFFERENT COUNTIES FROM AS FAR AS HARRIS COUNTY SHIPPING GARBAGE UP TO WACO,

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IF YOU JUST HAVE AT LEAST A REFINEMENT OF EVEN THE GARBAGE WITHIN THAT COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT OR THE GARBAGE WITHIN THAT COUNTY, I DON'T EXPECT CITIES THAT REFINED BECAUSE THERE'S ALMOST 2000 CITIES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT THERE'S ONLY 294 COUNTIES, SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET IT BY COUNTY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU, BARBARA.

AND I WILL SHARE THIS, UH, REPORT.

IT'S PRETTY INTERESTING AND, UH, KARINA CAN, CAN HOPEFULLY GET THAT OUT TO YOU TOO.

BUT NONETHELESS,

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

UH, THE NEXT ITEM, GUYS IS ITEM NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE APPROVAL OF OUR PREVIOUS MINUTES.

AND I THINK WE'VE GOT THE JANUARY 8TH MINUTES THAT WE, UH, NEED TO LOOK AT AND OR APPROVE.

MOTION TO APPROVE.

IS THAT MICHAEL OR MICHAEL MOVES APPROVAL? DO I HEAR A SECOND, JAN? IS THAT A SIX JAN SECONDS? ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MINUTES HEARING? NO DISCUSSIONS.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND.

[4. Staff briefing regarding the Invitation For Bid process by James Scarboro and Matthew Duree, Financial Services Department.]

RIGHT.

THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS A PRESENTATION BY THE, UH, BY THE, UH, FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT ON, UH, THE IFB PROCESS.

THANK YOU, JAMES, FOR, FOR JOINING US.

TAKING TIME TO DO THIS.

WE'RE THE PRESENTERS NORMALLY, ARE WE HERE, OR ? GOOD EVENING CHAIR MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.

MY NAME IS JAMES SCARBOROUGH.

I AM WITH THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

JOINING ME IS MY COLLEAGUE, MATTHEW DERE, UH, DIVISION CHIEF FOR CAPITAL PROCUREMENT AND FOR PROCUREMENT PROGRAMS. UM, WE, UM, APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET BEFORE THE COMMISSION AND SHARE WITH YOU, UM, OUR MOST COMMON, MOST OBJECTIVE, UM, AND, UH, STANDARD, UH, SOLICITATION PROCESS FOR FORMAL CONTRACTS, UM, COMPETED FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

SO WITH THAT, BEFORE WE START, UM, ANYTHING THAT YOU SPECIFICALLY WANTED US TO ADDRESS OR, UH, AREAS THAT WE WOULD, UH, WORK INTO OUR PRESENTATION, OTHERWISE I CAN GO AHEAD AND HAVE MATTHEW, UM, UH, START US, UH, UM, DISCUSSING, UH, THE, THE CITY'S, UH, SOLICITATION PROCESS FOR, UH, COMPETITIVE SEAL BIDDING.

I MEAN, PERSONALLY, JUST AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS.

YES, SIR.

AND WHAT, UH, WHAT ISSUES OR CHALLENGES COULD ARISE.

IN THIS PROCESS, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY YOU'VE GOT COMPETING FOLKS OUT THERE, ONE IN THE BUSINESS, SO I'M SURE A CHALLENGE OR TWO DOES OCCUR THAT THAT IS OUTSIDE OF YOUR SCOPE, YOUR NORMAL SCOPE, ESPECIALLY IN THIS INDUSTRY.

SO NONETHELESS, IF YOU FIRST CAN GIVE US A, A LESSON ON HOW THIS WORKS, AND THEN PERHAPS A SPECIFIC QUESTION OR TWO MIGHT, MIGHT POP UP.

SOUNDS GOOD.

ANYWAY, THANK YOU GUYS.

SURE.

UNDERSTAND, BUT OFTEN THEY'RE, THEY'RE CONFUSED FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT, UH, AREN'T, YOU KNOW, PROCUREMENT NERDS, SO TO SPEAK, UH, LIKE WE ARE.

I'LL TAKE OVER FOR JAMES HERE.

SO ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.

UH, REAL QUICK, THE, JUST THE AGENDA, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS TODAY, WE'LL GO OVER THE BASIC STATE STATUTES, UM, THAT, THAT MAKE UP OUR PROCUREMENT POLICY.

WE'LL DISCUSS THE DEFINITION SURROUNDING THE COMPETITIVE SEAL BID PROCESS AND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THAT AND WHAT THE INVITATION FOR BID IS, THE CONDITIONS THAT HAVE TO BE MET TO ISSUE AN IFB OR, OR, OR BE PART OF THE COMPETITIVE SEAL BIDDING PROCESS.

AND THEN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DOCUMENT ITSELF AND, AND WHAT OUR PROCESS IS, THE SOLICITATION PROCESS.

AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS.

SO IF PROCUREMENT STATUTES WERE A, A TRILOGY OF BOOKS, SO TO SPEAK, THAT THAT FIRST ONE THERE, LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE 2 52 WOULD BE, THE FIRST ONE WOULD BE THE FOUNDATIONAL ONE, RIGHT? THIS IS OUR, OUR PROCUREMENT REGULATION THAT IS APPLICABLE TO ALL MUNICIPALITIES IN TEXAS.

AND IT DISCUSSES GOODS SERVICES AND PUBLIC WORKS PROCUREMENT.

IT GIVES US THE DEFINITIONS, IT DEFINES THE PROCESSES, UH, THE PROCEDURE FOR AWARD, UM, AND, AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT RELATED TO HOW WE DO OUR JOBS DAY IN AND DAY OUT.

UH, STATE STATUTE 2269 THERE.

THE SECOND BULLET IS MORE SPECIFIC TO CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, UM, AND, AND ITS DEFINITIONS AND HOW TO AWARD THOSE, HOW TO ADVERTISE THOSE, ADVERTISE THOSE AND GO ABOUT THOSE.

AND THEN THERE'S VARIOUS OTHER STATUTES THAT APPLY TO PROCUREMENT AS WELL.

UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, THE MAIN ONES, UH, 2 71 THERE IS SPECIFIC TO PERSONAL AND REAL PROPERTY.

UH, THERE'S A, A DEFINITION OF PERSONAL PROPERTY IN THERE, BUT PERSONALS ARE LIKE APPLIANCES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND REAL PROPERTY IS, IS REAL ESTATE AND, AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

SO THE DEFINITIONS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, THESE FIRST TWO BULLETS IS SOMETHING THAT JAMES AND I, YOU KNOW,

[00:10:01]

SO THE COMPETITIVE SEAL BIDDING PROCESS OR CSB, UM, AS DEFINED IN STATUTE, IT IS A FORMAL PROCESS.

UM, SO IT'S, IT'S ISSUED FOR, UH, $50,000 AND ABOVE PROCUREMENTS.

UM, AND IT DEFINES THE PROCESS ITSELF AS A WHOLE, UH, FROM THE TIME THAT YOU BEGIN THAT PROCESS AS AN IDEA TO THE TIME THAT YOU, UH, EXECUTE THAT CONTRACT, THAT THAT DESCRIBES THE PROCESS AS A WHOLE.

UH, THE NEXT BULLET, IFB IS, IS OFTENTIMES CONFUSED FOR CSB, BUT THAT IS THE INVITATION FOR BID AND IFB IS THE ACTUAL DOCUMENT OR SET OF DOCUMENTS THAT GETS ISSUED, RIGHT? AND THOSE ARE FORMAL, SO THEY GET ADVERTISED PUBLICLY.

THEY'RE AVAILABLE ONLINE.

UM, IF, IF Y'ALL HAVE NEVER VISITED OUR AUSTIN FINANCE ONLINE SITE, UH, I RECOMMEND YOU DO.

SO THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE ALL OF OUR ACTIVE AND CLOSED SOLICITATIONS, AS WELL AS ALL THE VENDORS WE DO BUSINESS WITH AND ALL OF OUR ACTIVE CONTRACTS AS WELL.

UH, SO YOU WILL FIND ALL THE IFPS THE CITY ISSUES ON OUR AUSTIN FINANCE ONLINE SITE.

ONE OF THE LEADING ENTITIES, UH, FOR GOVERNMENTAL PROCUREMENT IS NIGP.

UH, IT'S THE INSTITUTE FOR GOVERNMENTAL PROCUREMENT, AND THEY DEFINE THE CSB AND IFB AS A METHOD FOR ACQUIRING GOODS SERVICES AND CONSTRUCTION FOR PUBLIC USE IN WHICH AN AWARD IS MADE TO THE LOWEST RESPONSIVE AND RESPONSIBLE BIDDER, WHICH WE'LL DISCUSS HERE IN ANOTHER SLIDE BASED SOLELY ON THE RESPONSE TO THE CRITERIA SET FORTH IN THE INVITATION FOR BID DOES NOT INCLUDE DISCUSSIONS OR NEGOTIATIONS WITH BIDDERS.

UH, IT CAN ALSO BE DEFINED AS A, A FORMAL BID IS A VERY SIMILAR DEFINITION.

SO THERE ARE CONDITIONS THAT HAVE TO BE MET, UH, FOR IT TO BE A COMPETITIVE SEALED BIDDING PROCESS.

UH, THE FIRST, AS I MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE IS SLIDE IS IT IS A FORMAL PROCESS.

UH, THE TRIGGER FOR THAT IS THE DOLLAR AMOUNT OF $50,000.

STATE STATUTE SPECIFICALLY CALLS THIS OUT, UH, AT $50,000.

WE ARE NOW ENTERING INTO FORMAL PROCUREMENT TERRITORY, AND IT IS NOW A COMPETITIVE SEALED PROCESS.

UM, ONCE AGAIN, THAT $50,000 IS AN AGGREGATE VALUE.

SO IF YOU HAVE A FIVE YEAR TERM WITH $10,000 PER TERM, YOU NOW MEET THAT THRESHOLD OF $50,000.

IT IS NOT BASED ON A SINGLE YEAR.

IT IS THE AGGREGATE TOTAL OF THE ESTIMATED CONTRACT VALUE.

SO FOR GOODS, GENERAL SERVICES AND PUBLIC WORKS IS WHAT THIS PROCESS IS FOR.

IT IS NOT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.

UM, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ARE DEFINED IN STATE STATUTE.

UH, YOU KNOW, THE MOST OBVIOUS IS ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES, RIGHT? UH, WE WILL NOT PROCURE ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES THROUGH THE COMPETITIVE SEAL BID PROCESS.

THAT PROCESS IS SEPARATE AND IS THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS PROCESS WHERE AWARD IS SOLELY BASED ON THE VENDORS OR OFFERS QUALIFICATIONS ONLY.

UH, ADDITIONAL CONDITION IS THERE HAS TO BE A DETAILED, A WELL-DEFINED SET OF SPECIFICATIONS THAT YOU CAN ISSUE, UH, AS THE IFB AND WITHIN THE IFB AS PART OF THAT PROCESS.

UM, AND ONCE AGAIN, THOSE ARE THE SPECIFICATIONS ARE FOR GOODS, GENERAL SERVICES OR PUBLIC WORKS, UH, BUT NOT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.

UM, AND IT'S OFTEN SEEN AS THE DEFAULT SOLICITATION PROCESS WHEN A DEPARTMENT COMES TO US WITH A NEED.

THE DEFAULT IS GOING TO BE THE COMPETITIVE SEAL BID PROCESS UNLESS WE DETERMINE THAT IT'S BEST VALUE OTHERWISE.

AND THEN THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS SUCH, SUCH AS THE, UH, RFP, UH, OR THE REQUEST FOR QUALS, LIKE WE DISCUSSED.

SO THOSE CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN MET, AND NOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE DOCUMENTS THEMSELVES, NOT THE PROCESS OF CSB, BUT THE DOCUMENTS THEMSELVES.

THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT SETS OF DOCUMENTS WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

THE FIRST IS FOR THE GOODS AND GENERAL SERVICES.

AND WHAT MAKES UP THAT PACKAGE IS FIRST A SET OF PROCESS DOCUMENTS.

THIS WILL BE A COVER PAGE, ALSO KNOWN AS SOLICITATION DETAILS.

UH, IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN ONE OF OUR SOLICITATIONS, UH, THERE IS A, UH, A LOT OF INFORMATION CRAMMED ONTO THIS COVER PAGE, INCLUDING ISSUE, DATE, DUE DATE, UH, CONTACTS, UM, IF THERE WILL BE OR WILL NOT BE A PRE-BID MEETING, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.

UM, THAT IS INCLUDED ON THE SOLICITATION DETAILS PAGE.

THERE'S ALSO THE INSTRUCTIONS.

THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL TELL A VENDOR WHETHER THEY ARE EXPERIENCED WITH THE CITY'S PROCESSES OR IF THEY ARE NEW TO THE CITY, HOW TO RESPOND TO THAT IFB.

UM, SO IT'LL INCLUDE WHAT THEY CAN AND CAN'T DO, WHAT, WHAT WE EXPECT TIMEFRAMES INVOLVED WITH QUESTION AND ANSWERS, ET CETERA.

UH, NEXT, UH, WITHIN THE DOCUMENTS THEMSELVES ARE GONNA BE THE CONTRACT DOCUMENTS.

SO ONCE THE SOLICITATION HAS ENDED AND WE HAVE EXECUTED A CONTRACT, THESE NEXT SET OF DOCUMENTS WILL ACTUALLY MAKE UP THAT CONTRACT.

THAT IS THE CITY'S TERMS AND CONDITIONS, UH, THAT MAKE UP THE

[00:15:01]

CONTRACT, THE SCOPE OF WORK ITSELF OR THE SPECIFICATIONS, AND THEN ANY ATTACHMENTS THAT ARE DEEMED NECESSARY, RIGHT? SO MAYBE THERE ARE MAPS, UM, YOU KNOW, CERTIFICATIONS, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE WANT TO INCLUDE IN THE CONTRACT AS WELL.

AND THE THIRD SET OF DOCUMENTS THAT MAKE UP THE IFB IS THE OFFER DOCUMENTS, AND THIS IS WHAT THE OFFER NEEDS TO SUBMIT.

SO THEY MUST SUBMIT THESE DOCUMENTS WITH THEIR BID IN ORDER FOR US TO CONSIDER THEIR BID.

SO THE IFB IS THE PACKAGE OF DOCUMENTS THEMSELVES, AND CSB IS THE PROCESS.

SO THAT PREVIOUS SLIDE WAS FOR, UM, GENERAL, AND THIS IS FOR PUBLIC WORKS AND CONSTRUCTION.

THIS SLIDE, UH, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, MULTIPLE VOLUMES.

SO VOLUME ONE IS SIMILAR, UH, TO THE IFB ITSELF ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE FOR GENERAL.

BUT VOLUME ONE WILL INCLUDE BIDDING REQUIREMENTS, UH, VERY SIMILAR TO SOLICITATION INSTRUCTIONS, EXPLAINING TO THE VENDOR WHAT, UH, NEEDS TO BE SUBMITTED, HOW TO SUBMIT IT, HOW TO ASK QUESTIONS, ET CETERA.

UH, THE CONTRACT FORMS, SO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE CONTRACT ITSELF, UH, AND THEN THE SPECIFICATIONS AS MENTIONED.

UH, SCOPE OF WORK SPECIFICATIONS.

SECOND VOLUME IS TYPICALLY THE M-B-E-W-B-E PROCUREMENT PROGRAM, UH, PACKAGE.

AND THE THIRD, UH, , WHICH IS THE ROLLING OWN OWNER CONTROLLED INSURANCE PROGRAM, UH, PROJECT SAFETY MANUAL.

SO THOSE ARE THE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF DOCUMENTS THAT WE CONSIDER AN IFB.

AND NOW WE'RE GONNA ZOOM BACK UP TO THE ACTUAL COMPETITIVE SEALED BIDDING PROCESS ITSELF.

UH, THE FIRST STAGE OF THAT PROCESS IS THE PRES SOLICITATION STAGE.

THIS IS WHERE THE DEPARTMENT WILL REACH OUT TO US WITH A NEED, RIGHT? THEY KNOW THAT THEY NEED TO PROCURE SOMETHING.

THEY MAY HAVE AN EXISTING CONTRACT THAT IS EXPIRING, OR IT MAY BE A NEW NEED, BUT THEY WILL REACH OUT TO US AND WE'LL BEGIN TO PARTNER WITH THEM, UH, TO DEVELOP THE SPECIFICATIONS AND TO GET READY TO ISSUE THE SOLICITATION.

THEY WILL PROVIDE THEIR SPECIFICATIONS THAT THEY HAVE A DRAFT, OR WE CAN CONSULT WITH THEM TO DEVELOP THOSE AS WELL.

BUT TYPICALLY, THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT EXPERTS AT THE DEPARTMENT LEVEL, UH, WILL HAVE A, A GOOD SET OF SPECIFICATIONS ALREADY FOR US TO WORK WITH.

THERE'S SOME OPTIONAL, UM, ACTIVITIES THAT WE CAN PERFORM, UH, PRIOR TO THE SOLICITATION BEING ISSUED.

THE RFI OR REQUEST FOR INFORMATION IS ONE.

THIS IS A REQUEST THAT IS SENT OUT TO VARIOUS VENDORS ASKING FOR THEM TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE SCOPE OF WORK OR SPECIFICATION THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE SOLICITING.

AND WE CAN ALSO HOST A PRES SOLICITATION MEETING FOR EXPERIENCED VENDORS TO SHOW UP AND PROVIDE THEIR INPUT ON WHAT WE ARE PLANNING ON PROCURING.

WE THEN ASSEMBLE THE IFB ITSELF.

ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS THE INSTRUCTIONS, THE CLAUSES, THE SUBMITTALS, UH, THE INSTRUCTIONS, AGAIN, INFORM THE VENDOR OF HOW TO RESPOND, WHAT WE, WHAT THEY CAN AND CANNOT PERFORM, HOW WE ARE GOING TO AWARD, ET CETERA.

CLAUSES ARE THE CONTRACT ITSELF AND SUBMITTALS ARE WHAT WE ARE EXPECTING THE VENDOR TO PROVIDE TO BE RESPONSIVE AND FOR US TO EVALUATE PRIOR TO ISSUANCE.

THE DEPARTMENT WILL REVIEW AND APPROVE THE IFB AND ONCE APPROVED, WE WILL SET SCHEDULES, DATES, ET CETERA, PUT IT IN OUR SYSTEM, AND WE WILL ISSUE THE IFB.

AND THAT BRINGS US TO THE SOLICITATION PHASE OF THE CSB PROCESS.

UH, THE PROCUREMENT PUBLISHES, UH, ONLINE ON AUSTIN FINANCE ONLINE.

ONCE AGAIN, I MENTIONED THIS EARLIER, VERY PROUD OF THIS HOMEGROWN, UH, ADVERTISEMENT SYSTEM HERE.

SO IF YOU HAVEN'T, PLEASE GO EXPLORE IT.

UM, BUT WE RECEIVE AND RESPOND TO QUESTIONS.

UH, THERE IS A QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD FOR EVERY IFB THAT IS OUT THERE TO ANSWER ANY AND ALL VENDOR QUESTIONS.

UH, WE'LL THEN MAKE A DETERMINATION IF THAT QUESTION AND ANSWER NEEDS TO BE SUBMITTED OUT OR SENT OUT TO THE BROADER VENDOR COMMUNITY.

UM, OR IF IT IS AN ANSWER THAT IS JUST SPECIFIC TO THAT ONE VENDOR, SUCH AS A PROCESS RELATED QUESTION, THERE ARE ADDITIONAL OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES IN THIS STAGE AS WELL.

UH, WE CAN FACILITATE A SITE VISIT IF NECESSARY.

SO IF IT WOULD BENEFIT THE OFFERS TO GO TO THE SITE AND SEE THE SITE, THEN WE CAN FACILITATE A SITE VISIT.

WE CAN HOLD A PRE-OFFER MEETING, WHICH IS FAIRLY COMMON.

UH, WE DO THAT ON THE, I WOULD SAY THE MAJORITY OF OUR IBS.

AT THAT MEETING.

WE'LL RE WE WILL, WE WILL REVIEW THE IFB DOCUMENTS THEMSELVES.

WE'LL GO OVER THE PROCESS, REVIEW THE DATES ASSOCIATED CONTACT INDIVIDUALS, AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THEY HAVE.

UH, WE CAN THEN PUBLISH AN ADDENDA, UH, PRIOR TO THE SOLICITATION CLOSING.

AN ADDENDA CHANGES THE IFB.

IT CAN EITHER ONE ANSWER QUESTIONS AS DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY, QUESTION AND ANSWERS, UH, OR TWO, WE CAN MODIFY THE DOCUMENTS THEMSELVES, PRICE SHEETS, SPECIFICATIONS, ET CETERA.

UH, BASED ON THAT FEEDBACK WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE VENDOR COMMUNITY OFFERS THEN SUBMIT THEIR BIDS IN A FO, UH, PRIOR TO THE BID DUE DATE, THIS SOLICITATION CLOSES AND BID PRICES IN A FO

[00:20:01]

WERE AUTOMATICALLY DISPLAYED ONLINE WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF THE BID CLOSING.

SO THE TOTAL AGGREGATE BID PRICE FOR EVERY IFB, THE CITY ISSUES PRICES ARE AUTOMATICALLY DISPLAYED WITHIN HALF AN HOUR OF CLOSING.

NEXT IS THE EVALUATION PHASE OF THE CSB PROCESS.

THE FIRST THING WE DO IS WE AT, UH, CENTRAL PROCUREMENT REVIEW ALL THE BIDS FOR A MINIMUM RESPONSIVENESS.

SO MINIMUM RESPONSIVE IS BASICALLY, DID YOU TURN EVERYTHING IN? ARE YOU MISSING ANY REQUIRED ITEMS? RIGHT? DID YOU TAKE ANY EXCEPTIONS TO CLAUSES, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.

UM, THAT IS WHAT WE CAN, WE, WE CONSIDER MINIMUM RESPONSIVE.

UH, NEXT WE WILL SORT THE BIDS AND WE WILL REVIEW THEM AND DETERMINE WHO IS THE LOW BID, WHO IS THE SECOND LOWEST, WHO IS THE THIRD LOWEST.

UH, WE CAN DO THIS IN A DIFFERENT TYPES OF WAYS.

AND THIS IS USUALLY, USUALLY DETERMINED, UH, PRIOR TO, UH, AGGREGATE AS IN TOTAL BID.

UH, CATEGORY BASED, UH, CATEGORY BASED IS, IS TYPICALLY ESPECIALLY DETERMINED PRIOR TO IF WE HAVE MULTIPLE CATEGORIES WITHIN AN IFB, AND THEN WE CAN ALSO PERFORM A LINE ITEM AWARD AS WELL.

SO WE SORT THOSE OFFERS FROM LOWEST TO HIGHEST, DEPENDING UPON HOW WE PLAN TO AWARD.

NEXT, WE SHARE THOSE LOW BIDS WITH THE EVALUATOR OR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE.

UH, THE EVALUATORS WILL THEN LOOK AT THE LOW BID AND DETERMINE IF THEY WERE COMPLIANT WITH THE SPECIFICATIONS.

THIS IS THE RESPONSIVENESS CHECK.

SO WE PERFORM A MINIMAL RESPONSIVE CHECK AT THE BEGINNING, AND THEN THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS WILL PERFORM A FULL RESPONSIVE CHECK, UH, BASED ON OUR RANKING.

AND THIS IS REALLY A RESPONSIVE CHECK THAT ARE THEY COMPLIANT WITH THE SPECIFICATIONS, RIGHT? DID THEY COMPLY WITH EVERYTHING THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THAT DOCUMENT? UH, MAYBE THEY HAVE PERFORMED A TASK A CERTAIN WAY BASED ON A STATE AGENCY OR BASED ON A STATUTE.

AND ONE OF THE OFFERS, YOU KNOW, UH, SAID THEY WERE NOT GOING TO PERFORM IT THAT WAY.

SO THEY WOULD BE RESPONSIVE.

IS NON-RESPONSIVE IS ONE OF ONE EXAMPLE THERE.

SO NON-RESPONSIVE BIDS ARE THEN SET ASIDE AND REMOVE FROM THE EVALUATION PROCESS.

UH, THE EVALUATOR, NO, THE EVALUATOR OR EVALUATE TOURS WILL NOTIFY US, UM, OF THE LOW LOWEST RESPONSIVE BIDS, AND THEN WE EVALUATE THOSE BIDS FOR RESPONSIBILITY.

UM, NON-RESPONSIBLE OFFERS ARE SET ASIDE AS WELL.

THIS IS A FAIRLY UNCOMMON COMPARED TO BEING NON-RESPONSIVE.

UM, BUT, UH, WE, WE CAN FIND A, A VENDOR AS NON-RESPONSIBLE AS WELL.

UH, PROCUREMENT NOTIFIES THE DEPARTMENT OF THE LOWEST RESPONSIVE AND RESPONSIBLE BID.

SO WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS.

WE HAVE OUR LOW RESPONSIVE BID, OUR LOW RESPONSIBLE BID, AND NOW WE ARE READY TO NOTICE, UH, NOTIFY THE VENDORS OF AWARD.

AND SO WE WILL POST THE RECOMMENDED AWARDED VENDOR ON A FO.

AND I BELIEVE I WILL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS.

HOPEFULLY WE DIDN'T, UH, PUT YOU TO SLEEP UP THERE, SO, NO, NO.

UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS FOR EITHER OF THE GENTLEMEN HERE? YES, I HAVE A QUESTION.

UH, SO IT, I MEAN, WHAT WE SEE ON THIS END IS LOW BID OR NOT LOW BID.

A WHOLE LOT OF THIS STUFF HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT, SO WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST COMMON REASON THAT SHE WOULD ACCEPT THE LOWEST BID, AND WHOSE CHOICE IS THAT? THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.

UM, SO, UM, AS MATTHEW POINTED OUT, WE DO KIND OF A TWO STEP EVALUATION.

THE FIRST WILL BE DETERMINED THE COMPLETEDNESS OF THE, OF THE SUBMISSION.

UM, DURING THAT REVIEW, WE WILL ALSO LOOK FOR ANY KIND OF GLARING, UM, UM, UH, DEPARTURES FROM THE SOLICITATION INSTRUCTIONS.

THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR A A, UM, AN INVITATION FOR BID IS THAT THE OFFERS, UH, DO NOT TAKE EXCEPTIONS TO THE CITY'S, UM, TERMS, CONDITIONS, AND SPECIFICATIONS.

TO COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES, YOU NEED ALL THE BIDS TO BE APPLES SO THAT YOU CAN EVALUATE OBJECTIVELY ON THE PRICE OF THOSE APPLES.

WHEN, WHEN AN OFFER TAKES AN EXCEPTION, THEY'RE BASICALLY SAYING, I'M NOT GONNA OFFER YOU AN APPLE.

I'M GONNA OFFER YOU SOMETHING ELSE.

AND SO YOU CAN'T COMPARE THEM BASED ON PRICE ALONE IF THEY DON'T GIVE YOU A COMPLIANT OR RESPONSIVE BID.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S USUALLY THE FIRST THING THAT WE'LL LOOK FOR IS, IS THE, IS THE BID COMPLETE, AND ARE THERE ANY, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUS EXCEPTIONS AND SO FORTH.

WE'RE NOT EXPERTS IN ALL AREAS.

SO WE HAVE TO RELY ON THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE OF OUR, OF OUR CLIENT, UH, DEPARTMENTS.

SO AFTER WE HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE, THE BID APPEARS TO BE COMPLETE, THERE'S NO GLARING, UM, OMISSIONS OR EXCEPTIONS, THEN WE WILL, UM, DETERMINE WHICH ONE IS LOW.

AND BASED ON THAT DETERMINATION, WE WILL THEN HAND THE LOW TO OUR, OUR EVALUATORS OR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS TO DETERMINE IF THAT LOW BID IS RESPONSIVE TO THE SPECIFICATIONS.

THE SPECIFICATIONS GENERALLY COME FROM OUR CUSTOMER DEPARTMENT.

[00:25:01]

THOSE, UM, DETERMINE WHAT GOODS WE ARE BUYING.

WHAT ARE THEIR QUALITIES, WHAT ARE THEIR DESIGN, UM, WHAT ARE THEIR QUANTITIES, UM, WHAT ARE THE, THE, THE THINGS THAT MAKE THESE, THESE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES VALUABLE TO THE CITY.

AND SO THEY WILL THEN LOOK AT THE BID AND MAKE SURE THAT IT IS COMPLIANT.

THIS IS NOT A, A SUBJECTIVE QUALIFICATION BASED EVALUATION.

IT IS PASS FAIL.

AND IF THEY PASS, THEN THE, THE BID IS DETERMINED TO BE LOW AND RESPONSIVE.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S IF, IF YOU'RE SEEING IT, THAT MEANS THAT IT, IT, THE, THE BID IS LOW, IT'S RESPONSIVE, AND WE HAVE LOOKED AT THE COMPANY AND WE HAVE DETERMINED THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE.

THAT'S A VERY, WE, WE INCLUDE THAT BECAUSE IT'S A STATUTORY OBLIGATION, BUT THAT'S A VERY, VERY, UH, A VERY INFREQUENT DETERMINATION.

BASICALLY, IS THE COMPANY FINANCIALLY SOLVENT, UH, THEY ABLE TO DO BUSINESS IN THIS PARTICULAR FIELD? DO THEY HAVE A, A GOOD TRACK RECORD WITH THE CITY AND SO FORTH? IT'S VERY RARE THAT WE WOULD FIND A COMPANY TO BE NON, UH, RESPONSIBLE.

SO WHEN YOU SEE IT, UM, IT, UM, WE WILL HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE COMPANY IS LOW PRICE, UM, RESPONSIVE TO THE SPECIFICATIONS AND RESPONSIBLE.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SORRY, JAN.

GO AHEAD.

THERE YOU ARE.

UM, YES, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

BY THE WAY.

APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO.

WE SEE HOW MANY OF THESE, UH, DIFFERENT REQUESTS AND RFIS AND RFPS AND EVERYTHING GO THROUGH THE SYSTEM.

AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR HELPING MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

UM, NOW NOT TO SET UP A CAGE MATCH HERE, BUT I BELIEVE THE REASON WHY YOU'RE HERE GIVING THIS PRESENTATION IS, UM, WAS PRECIPITATED BY SOME DISCUSSIONS FROM A FEW MONTHS BACK WHERE A VENDOR WAS, UM, REJECTED, I BELIEVE, FOR A NON-RESPONSIVE BID, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF SUBJECTIVITY.

I THINK IN THE, AND THIS IS WHERE I DO NOT REMEMBER ALL THE SPECIFIC DETAILS, BUT THERE WAS SUBJECTIVITY IN THE AMOUNT OF NON-RESPONSIVENESS AND WHETHER THAT WOULD BE MATERIAL IN THE EXECUTION OF THE SERVICES THAT WERE TO BE PROVIDED.

UM, AND MAYBE FROM SOMEONE FROM STAFF CAN HELP REFRESH MY MEMORY, OR MAYBE ONE OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS CAN GET INTO THE DETAILS OF THAT.

BUT I THINK THIS IS WHERE, UH, WE HEARD FROM STAFF THAT, OR AT LEAST I INTERPRETED WHAT I HEARD FROM STAFF THAT HAD, THEY HAD THEIR DRUTHERS, THEY ACTUALLY FELT LIKE POTENTIALLY THE, UM, THE COMPANY THAT THEY MAYBE WOULD'VE GONE WITH WAS PASSED OVER DUE TO THINGS THAT FELT A LITTLE BIT OUTTA THEIR CONTROL.

BUT FOR THE MOST PART, WE RELY ON THE, THE TIME THAT OUR CUSTOMER AND, AND OUR STAFF SPEND ON REVIEWING THOSE SPECIFICATIONS AND COMPARING THEM TO WHAT'S INTO THE MARKET, AND GETTING FEEDBACK FROM THE MARKET AND LISTENING TO THEIR FEEDBACK IN THE FORM OF QUESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS AND, AND, AND, AND FEEDBACK WHILE THE SOLICITATION IS ON THE STREET.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.

UM, WITHOUT GETTING INTO ANY, UM, UH, SPECIFICS WITH REGARD TO ANY PAST SOLICITATIONS OR, OR CURRENT CONTRACTS OR FUTURE SOLICITATIONS, IF I CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTION MORE BROADLY.

UM, WHEN WE CREATE, UH, SOLICITATIONS AND PUBLISH THEM, MAKE THEM AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, PART OF THAT PERIOD OF TIME THAT THE SOLICITATION IS, IS ON THE STREET, UM, IS FOR THE MARKET AND FOR THE PROSPECTIVE OFFERS TO REVIEW THE REQUIREMENTS AND GIVE US FEEDBACK.

WHEN WE RECEIVE THAT FEEDBACK, WE WILL THEN HUDDLE UP WITH OUR CLIENT DEPARTMENT AND DETERMINE IF, IF THERE'S ANYTHING, UM, INSUFFICIENT WITH REGARD TO THE SPECIFICATIONS.

IF THERE'S ANY CONCERNS WITH REGARD TO THE, UH, CITY'S CLAUSES, TERMS AND CONDITIONS, THERE'S ANY ISSUES WITH OUR MM-HMM .

OUR INSTRUCTIONS THAT, THAT MAY, UH, CAUSE THE COMPETITION TO BE LIMITED ANYWAY.

SO WE RELY ON FEEDBACK FROM THE MARKET, UM, TO DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATENESS AND, AND THE, AND THE READINESS OF OUR SOLICITATION WHEN WE GET TO THE OPENING.

HOWEVER, WHEN THE, WHEN THE SOLICITATION PERIOD CLOSES AND WE OPEN THE OFFERS, THE, THE, THE, THE INSTRUCTIONS AND THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SOLICITATION AND THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOCKED.

AND, AND AT THAT POINT, THE, THE COMPETITION IS NOW UNDERWAY AND WE CAN ONLY LOOK AT WHAT WAS SUBMITTED, AND WE, WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHANGE WHAT IS SUBMITTED.

NOW, WHAT YOU HAD ASKED EARLIER ABOUT, UM, UH, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE EXPERIENCED WITH INVITATION FOR BIDS AND WITH THE COMPETITIVE SEAL BIDDING PROCESS, WE, UM, UM, UM, WILL OCCASIONALLY RUN INTO CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THE SPECIFICATIONS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN A SOLICITATION MAY OR MAY NOT FULLY ARTICULATE THE, THE GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS.

AND SO IN THOSE INSTANCES, WE MAY HAVE TO CANCEL AND RES SOLICIT.

SOMETIMES YOU DON'T FIND OUT ABOUT THE, THE, THE, THE APPROPRIATENESS OF SPECIFICATIONS UNTIL YOU HAVE SEEN THE RESULTING OFFERS.

[00:30:01]

UM, IN FACT, WE CAN ACTUALLY RECEIVE PROTEST WHILE THE SOLICITATION ON THE, ON THE STREET, IF AN OFFER IS THAT CONCERNED WITH THE CONTENTS OF OUR SOLICITATION, THAT THAT FORCES US TO STOP AND, AND PAUSE AND LOOK AT THE SOLICITATION TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS TRULY REFLECTING THE NEEDS OF THE CITY.

BUT WE RELY ON OUR, ON OUR, OUR PARTNER CLIENTS, WE RELY ON THE THOROUGHNESS OF THE RESEARCH OF OUR STAFF.

AND, AND FINALLY WE RELY ON FEEDBACK FROM THE MARKET TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COMMUNICATING IN THEIR LANGUAGE.

BUT ONCE THAT DUE DATE COMES AND GOES, OUR ABILITY TO CHANGE THOSE REQUIREMENTS, CHANGE THOSE SPECIFICATIONS, NO LONGER APPLICABLE.

UM, SO, SO THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SPEND THE TIME AND GET THE SOLICITATION RIGHT UPFRONT.

AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HEAR FROM THE MARKET.

IF THEY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT PARTICULAR REQUIREMENTS, ABOUT PARTICULAR INSTRUCTIONS, WE NEED TO HEAR IT BEFORE THE, THE, THE DUE DATE AND TIME.

THEN WE CAN ACT ON IT AFTER THE DUE DATE AND TIME.

WE, THE ONLY ACTION THAT WE CAN HAVE, UH, AT THAT POINT IS TO, UH, IS TO CANCEL THE SOLICITATION.

THAT'S FAIR.

UM, YEAH, I SAW AMANDA HAD HER HAND UP EARLIER.

AMANDA, GO AHEAD.

I'M SORRY, AMANDA, YOUR SPEAKER.

I, I HAVE A TECHNICAL ISSUE, SO I'LL WAIT UNTIL THE DISCUSSION ON THIS IS OVER.

YOU'RE GOOD.

NOW, IF YOU, WE CAN HEAR YOU NOW.

CAN YOU HEAR? YES.

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.

I HAVE, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME HEARING YOU, SO I'M HAVING TO LIKE DO THIS.

I'M SORRY TO HERE.

I WAS WONDERING IF MY FELLOW ONLINE PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS.

I HAVE CHECKED EVERYTHING I CAN ON MY OWN COMPUTER.

SO YOU'RE HEARING THE MAIN ROOM JUST FINE? YEAH, IT SOUNDS PRETTY GOOD NOW.

JAMES, COUPLE OF REALLY QUICK CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS HERE.

SURE.

SO THE SOLICIT, THE SOLICITATION GOES OUT, AND THAT'S A SOLICITATION THAT'S DRAFTED BETWEEN THE RESPECTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND, UH, AND PURCHASING.

YOU GUYS GET TOGETHER AND YOU DECIDE WE NEED THIS, AND HERE'S HOW WE'RE GONNA PUT THIS OUT ON THE STREET.

NOW.

THEY'LL GO THE, THE, THE ACTUAL SOLICITATION GOES OUT ON THE STREET, IT COMES BACK.

THE OPTION IS THERE.

IF I DON'T LIKE SOMETHING IN THAT, AS YOU STATED, I CAN COME BACK AND SAY, JAMES, I'M NOT REAL COMFORTABLE WITH THIS.

I THINK I'VE GOT A GREAT PRODUCT HERE THAT I THINK YOU'RE, I, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA LOVE, BUT I'M NOT, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS ONE ITEM.

I HAVE THAT OPTION OF COMING TO YOU STATING THAT, AND YOU AT THAT TIME WILL TELL ME, SORRY, GUY, THIS IS IT.

I MEAN, IT'S GOTTA BE THIS WAY OR CAN'T BE AND WON'T BE CONSIDERED, IS THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE TIME WE ARE NOT PROCURING FOR OURSELVES.

SO WE'RE PROCURING ON BEHALF OF OUR CLIENT DEPARTMENTS.

SO IT WOULD NOT BE US SAYING THAT WE DIDN'T, IT WOULD NOT BE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, IT WOULD BE FINANCIAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT CONSULTING WITH A R, AND IF A RR DOES NOT NEED THAT PARTICULAR, UM, PRODUCT OR SERVICE, OR THEY DON'T NEED IT LIKE THAT, THEN WE WOULD, UM, EITHER REINFORCE WHAT WAS ALREADY IN THE SOLICITATION, OR WE WOULD MAKE CHANGES IN THE SOLICITATION THAT REFLECTED, UM, OUR CLIENT DEPARTMENT'S NEEDS.

THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE GOODS AND SERVICES IN A SOLICITATION ARE FOR OUR CUSTOMERS, NOT FOR US.

WE NEVER SERVE ON EVALUATION PANELS.

WE DO NOT EVALUATE THE, THE, THE RESPONSIVENESS OF AN OFFER TO SPECIFICATIONS UNLESS IT IS FOR A CONTRACT THAT WE ARE GOING TO USE.

AND, AND FOR THE MOST PART, WE, WE DON'T USE THAT MANY CONTRACTS.

WE, WE DO THAT MOSTLY FOR OUR, OUR, OUR CUSTOMER DEPARTMENTS, BUT, BUT WE WILL CONSULT WITH THEM AND IF, AND SO THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE MARKET, WE HUDDLE UP WITH OUR, OUR PARTNER, UM, CUSTOMER DEPARTMENTS AND, AND THEN WE WILL RESPOND BACK ON THEIR BEHALF.

SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE DEPARTMENT HAS THE FINAL SAY ON WHETHER THIS WAS A RESPONSIVE BID.

IS THAT FAIR? YEAH.

I MEAN, UM, WE DO LOOK AT IT AND SO IF IT'S MISSING A PRICE SHEET, WE'RE WE'RE OF COURSE.

WE WON'T, WE WON'T TAKE IT THEIR WAY.

IF IT'S MISSING A, AN OFFER SIGNATURE, YOU KNOW, BUT, UH, FOR THE MOST PART, IF IT'S, IF IT'S MINIMALLY RESPONSIVE, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT IS TECHNICALLY RESPONSIVE, MEETS ALL THE SPECIFICATIONS, CORRECT.

THEN WE'LL TAKE IT TO OUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.

AFTER THIS BID SHUTS CLOSES, THOSE PRICES ARE POSTED AND THAT'S BEFORE THE EVALUATION OCCURS.

AND AGAIN, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE PRICE, YES.

A MINUTE, 30 MINUTES

[00:35:01]

CORRECT? THAT'S TRUE.

SO I COULD THINK I'VE GOT A GREAT DEAL HERE AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, OH MY GOD.

DIDN'T QUITE WORK OUT LIKE I WANTED IT.

THAT'S, UM, UM, STATE LAW, UM, OKAY.

WHEN WE, THE, THE, THE WAY THAT WE SHOW THAT THESE BIDS WERE NOT TOUCHED, THEY WERE NOT, THEY WERE NOT IN ANY WAY MM-HMM .

UM, OPEN BY US IS TO OPEN THEM ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

WE USED TO DO THIS IN A PUBLIC MEETING WHERE WE WOULD ACTUALLY CORRECT, OPEN 'EM UP, AND THEN WE WOULD READ THEM ALOUD, .

SO, SO NOW WE DO IT AUTOMATIC AND, UH, AND, AND USING A, AN ONLINE, UM, UH, UH, UM, BIDDING SYSTEM THAT, THAT OPENS UP THE, UH, THE OFFERS, UM, AFTER THE DUE DATE AND TIME.

ALRIGHT, JAMES, THANK YOU, MATTHEW.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE GENTLEMEN? THANK YOU GUYS AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE, STAFF.

THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING.

THANK YOU, YOU GUYS.

ALL RIGHT, GUYS.

MOVING

[3. Discussion of the development of a hybrid model on the transition from twice a year bulk collection to on demand bulk collection.]

ON ON THE AGENDA HERE.

NEXT ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS BASICALLY A DISCUSSION ABOUT A POSSIBLE HYBRID MODEL FOR THE, UH, BULKY COLLECTION, BULKY COLLECTIONS THAT OCCUR IN OUR CITY TWICE, TWICE A YEAR.

IS THAT A STAFF ITEM OR IS THAT JUST THE COMMISSION DISCUSSING? IS THAT US? IT'S JUST, OKAY.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S FAIR.

YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THIS? THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, KATE.

I APPRECIATE THE PATIENCE.

ALRIGHT.

THIS IS ALRIGHT.

AM I ON? NO, THERE, GO.

UM, SO I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON THE CHANGES ON THE BULK COLLECTION SCHEDULE AND, AND ON THIS HYBRID MODEL.

UM, I AM CONCERNED THAT WHILE THE PERCENTAGE OF WASTE THAT A RR IS ABLE TO CLAIM AS DIVERTED, THAT MAY GO UP UNDER THE NEW POLICY, THIS MAY BE ONLY BECAUSE THE PILES THEY'RE PICKING UP FROM ARE ACTUALLY LARGER THAN UNDER THE PREVIOUS SYSTEM.

I'M CONCERNED THAT A POLICY WHICH WOULD ALLOW A RR TO COLLECT MORE VOLUME BY PREVENTING SCAVENGERS WILL ALSO SKEW OTHER DATA SUCH AS OVERALL DIVERSION CALCULATIONS AT THE COST OF ADVANCING AUSTIN ZERO WASTE GOALS.

UM, I DO RECALL THAT A PREVIOUS, UM, LEADER OF A RR IN ONE OF THESE MEETINGS ACTUALLY SPOKE TO THE GROUP HERE AND, AND SAID THAT REDUCTION IN SCAVENGING IS AN OBJECTIVE OF THE POLICY CHANGE.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SEE THAT THAT IS OBVIOUSLY HAPPENING TWICE A YEAR.

ON MY EVENING WALKS, I WOULD, UH, WALK AROUND MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND WATCH THOSE PILES APPEARED AND THEN GREW, BUT THEN SHRANK.

AND BY THE TIME THE END OF THE WEEK CAME AROUND AND THE TRUCKS CAME, ALL THAT WAS REALLY LEFT WAS THE TRULY UNUSABLE STUFF, UM, THAT SCAVENGERS HADN'T PICKED UP TO RECOVER, RECYCLE, AND REUSE THEMSELVES.

UM, I MYSELF HAVE CLAIMED MANY ITEMS FROM THESE PILES, WHICH DUE TO THEIR CONDITION OR CLEANLINESS, I WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED FROM A THRIFT STORE, BUT WOULD HAPPILY SCAVENGE AND CLEAN UP MYSELF.

I DOUBT THAT A RR ACTUALLY HAS THE STAFF RESOURCES TO PROVIDE THIS TYPE OF LABOR INPUT INTO UPCYCLING AND RECYCLING.

UM, I DO THINK THE PREVIOUS SYSTEM REALLY TAPPED INTO THIS, UM, NATURAL IMPULSE OF OUR SCAVENGERS, UH, LIKE ME, THAT PRODUCE A REALLY RELATIVELY PASSIVE SYSTEM, A NATURAL ECOSYSTEM THAT PROMOTED SUSTAINA SUSTAINABILITY AND REUSE.

UM, I'LL ADD THAT.

TO SEE IF WE CAN ACTUALLY, UM, PURSUE SOMETHING THAT KIND OF PASSES THE SNIFF TEST IN TERMS OF ACTUAL REDUCTION IN DIVERSION OF WASTE MATERIALS.

UM, THERE'S THIS PRINCIPLE ORIGINATING, UM, IT'S KINDA AN ECONOMICS, UH, PRINCIPLE, BUT GOOD ART'S LAW, WHICH STATES THAT WHEN A METRIC BECOMES A TARGET, IT CEASES TO BE A USEFUL METRIC.

METRICS SUCH AS PERCENTAGE OF TRASH DIVERTED BY A RR CAN BE USEFUL IF VIEWED KIND OF HOLISTICALLY AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THE ENTIRETY EVALUATION OF THE PROGRAM.

BUT THEY NEED TO BE TAKEN IN THAT FULL CONTEXT, RIGHT? BECAUSE WHEN WE PURSUE THE METRICS ALONE, THERE CAN BE A TENDENCY OF THOSE METRICS TO REALLY DISTORT OUR ABILITY TO KEEP TRACK OF THE REAL GOAL.

UM, THIS CAN ESPECIALLY BE TRUE IF STAFF OR EXECUTIVES ARE BEING EVALUATED BY THOSE METRICS.

UH, FOR EXAMPLE, I COULD HAVE A GOAL TO LOSE WEIGHT AND I COULD PURSUE FAD DIET OR TO NOT A GOAL TO LOSE WEIGHT, A GOAL TO BECOME MORE HEALTHY, RIGHT? MM-HMM .

AND PURSUE FAD DIETS SHAVE MY HEAD AND THAT MIGHT HELP ME LOSE WEIGHT, BUT AT THE COST OF MY OVERALL HEALTH.

AND I'M CONCERNED THAT SOME OF OUR, UM, METRICS THAT WE MAY BE LOOKING AT COULD BE, UM, NEGATIVELY OR, OR, UH, INACCURATELY REFLECTING THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM TOWARD ZERO WASTE GOALS.

I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE OTHER GOALS INVOLVED, AND I'VE READ SOME OF THE POSTED MATERIALS THAT WE'LL SEE AND HEAR FROM TODAY.

THINGS LIKE STAFF OVERTIME ARE DOWN AND DRIVERS HAVE DRIVEN FEWER MILES.

AND I JUST ASK THAT THAT BE TAKEN INTO THE FULL CONTEXT OF THIS BEING A NEW PROGRAM THAT NOT EVERYONE IS FULLY AWARE OF YET IT MAY BE NOT, UH, FULLY UTILIZED.

AGAIN, JUST ENCOURAGING A HOLISTIC EVALUATION OF THE POLICY'S EFFECTS, UM, SHOULD BE UNTAKE UNDERTAKEN TO REALLY EVALUATE ITS EFFECTIVENESS OVER TIME, CONSIDERING THIS HYBRID MODEL

[00:40:01]

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

THANK YOU, KATE.

AND THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT, UH, THIS IS ON THE AGENDA.

IT'S BASICALLY TO DISCUSS THE, THE, UH, DIFFICULTY SOME, SOME IN THE COMMUNITY WE'RE HAVING WITH THIS NEW COLLECTION METHODOLOGY.

AND TO YOUR POINT, I, THERE'S BEEN OTHERS WHO'VE REACHED OUT WHO ARE CONCERNED.

IT SEEMED AS THOUGH WHAT WORKED, WORKED, AND LITERALLY YOU HAD, AS YOU STATED, THE PILES OUT THERE AND, UH, AS THEY SAT THERE FOR A WEEK, THEY GOT SMALLER AND SMALLER AND YOU KNEW THAT THOSE ITEMS THAT WERE BEING COLLECTED WERE TRULY GONNA BE REUSED AND, UH, RE RECYCLED, PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

THE REASON THAT THIS, AGAIN, IS ON HERE IS TO TRY TO DEVELOP SOMETHING THAT THAT CAN BASICALLY BALANCE THAT CONCERN.

THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, THE, THE, THE NEED FOR THE TRUCKING, THE EMPLOYEES.

THOSE ARE VERY IMPORTANT.

I MEAN, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING BUDGETING ITEMS, THOSE ADD UP.

WHEN YOU'RE RUNNING A TRUCK DOWN A DOWN A ROUTE AND THERE'S A HUNDRED HOUSES THERE AND MAYBE 20 OF THEM HAVE MATERIAL OUT, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT AT TIMES TO JUSTIFY RUNNING DOWN THERE AS OPPOSED TO PICKING UP GARBAGE AND RECYCLING EVERY WEEK.

YOU KNOW, THERE WILL BE A CONTAINER OUT THERE AT ALMOST 99% OF THE HOUSES TO PICK UP EFFICIENCY.

IS THAT, IS THERE, IN THIS CASE, YOU KNOW, THEY DESIGNED A PROGRAM WHICH, UH, AGAIN, WAS BLESSED BY THIS COMMISSION AT ONE TIME.

IS IT PERHAPS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO RECONSIDER? WELL, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY.

I MEAN, CAN WE TAKE SOMETHING THAT, UH, THAT HAS WORKED AND CAN WE MIX IT IN WITH A, WITH AN OPTIONAL, THE OPTIONAL ON-CALL COLLECTION, KEEP THAT IN THERE AS A, AS AN OPPORTUNITY, BUT TURN THIS FROM TWICE A, A YEAR COLLECTION TO MAYBE ONCE.

I MEAN, AND THAT'S JUST A THOUGHT HERE.

THAT'S NOTHING THAT'S BEEN PUT IN STONE.

SO WE ARE CONSIDERING HOW WE CAN GET TO SOME HYBRID MODEL.

THE DESIGN OF THIS MODEL IS AGAIN, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S A MODEL T FORD AND IT'S GOT A LONG WAY TO GO.

SO I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN FIGURE SOME, SOME OPPORTUNITY OUT HERE.

AND I WOULD WELCOME ANY, ANY THOUGHTS OR THOUGHTS FROM STAFF.

I MEAN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, LITERALLY AFFECTS THE BUDGET.

AND, UM, EMPLOYEES.

THANK YOU, RICHARD.

RICHARD MCHALE, DIRECTOR FOR AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.

UH, GIVING THAT THIS, UH, INITIATIVE'S ONLY A MONTH INTO THIS, UH, I THINK WE NEED TO AT LEAST GIVE IT A GOOD YEAR BEFORE WE START MAKING ANY PROPOSED CHANGES TO IT.

SO WE'LL DEFINITELY COME BACK AND GIVE SOME UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND, UH, AT THAT POINT, POINT WE CAN MAKE ANY FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS.

YEAH, I, I, UH, DEFINITELY CONCUR WOULD LOVE TO SEE, UH, FULL, UH, DURATION OF THE PROGRAM OF AT LEAST A YEAR TO LIKE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE OUTCOMES ARE.

I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THE SALIENT POINTS MADE.

I ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW WHICH COMMISSIONER SAID THAT.

UM, BUT, UH, A LOT OF SALIENT POINTS WERE MADE THERE.

OUT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU FIGURE A ROUTE OF THE PEOPLE WHO'VE, YOU KNOW, CALLED IN AND YOU'VE MADE APPOINTMENTS, IS THERE THERE SOME WAY YOU COULD PUBLISH THAT ROUTE TO THE SCAVENGERS A DAY OR TWO AHEAD OF TIME? SO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE OUR, OUR NEW, UH, COMMISSIONER MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THE SERVICE EQUITY ISN'T THE SAME THROUGHOUT THE CITY FOR, FOR SCAVENGING.

THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD SAY IS JUST COMING FROM, I'LL SPEAK TO THE DISTRICT ONE EXPERIENCE AND HOW I CAN DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THAT SCAVENGER ECOSYSTEM AND HOW THAT DOES PLAY A PART, BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY ALWAYS EQUAL OUT, I WOULD SAY IN EVERY SINGLE NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND I WOULD SAY THAT PARTICULARLY AROUND IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, I LIVE OFF OF BREAKER LANE, TYPICALLY SOMETIMES THAT, UH, THE ECOSYSTEM ISN'T ALWAYS FULLY IN PLAY.

SO AFTER A BULK PICKUP, WE MIGHT STILL HAVE STUFF 2, 3, 4 WEEKS LONGER.

SO THAT IS SOMETHING TO CONSIDER IS, UH, WHAT IS THE EXTENT OR THE DURATION THAT IS ACCEPTABLE OR THAT FITS EVERYONE'S NEEDS.

THAT'S ONE THING THAT I, I WOULD ALSO CONSIDER RATHER THAN JUST LIKE, HEY, GOT EVERYTHING GOT PICKED UP IN THREE DAYS.

THANK YOU, MICHAEL.

CRAIG? UH, YES.

FIRST OF ALL, I THINK PICKING UP THE HAZARDOUS WASTE THIS WAY MAKES A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE.

I MEAN, THERE, THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT, SO, YOU KNOW, BUT, UM, ALSO, I'M JUST WONDERING BECAUSE I CAN SEE BOTH SIDES OF THIS AND DEFINITELY WE WANT TO, THERE'S SOME REAL PLUSES TO AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY FROM, YOU KNOW, DOING IT THE NEW WAY THAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT.

UH, I WONDER IF, YOU KNOW, BEFORE YOU GO

[00:45:01]

AND THAT'S PART OF THE ISSUE IS WHAT, BUT THE OTHER PART OF THE ISSUE IS WHERE THERE IS A LOT OF ACTIVITY FROM SCAVENGERS, THE WAY THEY COLLECT THINGS ISN'T ALWAYS THE BEST.

SO WHEN WE COLLECT REFRIGERATORS, WE TAKE THEM, WE TAKE THEM BACK TO OUR SERVICE CENTER, WE EVACUATE THE FREON, I CAN ALMOST ASSURE YOU THAT THAT IS NOT OCCURRING FROM FOLKS THAT ARE COLLECTING MATERIALS OFF THE CURB.

SO FOR THAT REASON ALONE, I WOULD BE VERY HESITANT TO PUT ANY TYPE OF INFORMATION OUT THERE TO ENCOURAGE SCAVENGING.

THANK, THANK YOU, RICHARD.

YEAH, AND I'VE CERTAINLY, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD, PLEASE, AMANDA, YOU ACTUALLY FOLLOWED THE RULES.

AMANDA, GO AHEAD PLEASE AND THEN YAWN.

NO WORRIES.

YEAH, I, I THINK I, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE METRICS, SO ABSOLUTELY AGREE YOU NEED A LOT MORE DATA BEFORE YOU START DETERMINING THE IMPACT OF THIS.

BUT TO THAT POINT, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW WHAT ADDITIONAL METRICS, IF ANY, ARE BEING TRACKED WITH THIS NEW SYSTEM, RIGHT? MM-HMM .

UM, I, I SAW IN THE REPORT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE MILES OF A RR DRIVERS HOURS OF OVERTIME THE TONNAGE COLLECTED.

UM, BUT WHAT ABOUT, WHAT ABOUT CAPTURING, FOR EXAMPLE, HOW MANY OF THE ITEMS THAT YOU ARE, YOU'RE PICKING UP WITH THE ON DEMAND SERVICE WOULD, FROM, I'M THINKING OF THE HAZARDOUS WASTE IN PARTICULAR, WOULD'VE ENDED UP IN THE NORMAL TRASH, RIGHT? UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, WHERE IT'S NOT JUST A MATTER OF HOW MANY, WHAT VOLUME OF HAZARDOUS WASTE DID YOU GET BEFORE, WHAT VOLUME DO YOU GET NOW? IT'S ALSO GETTING INFORMATION FROM PEOPLE ABOUT WHETHER THEY WOULD'VE TAKEN IT TO THE DROP OFF CENTER OR WOULD IT HAVE JUST GONE INTO THEIR, YOU KNOW, UH, NORMAL CARD.

AND I'M THINKING THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL METRICS LIKE THAT THAT APPLY TO THE BULK COLLECTION ASPECT AS WELL.

UM, YOU JUST MENTIONED ONE, YOU KNOW ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE MATERIALS COLLECTED.

THERE ARE SOME BIG DIFFERENCES IN IMPACT FOR THOSE.

I'M THINKING ABOUT ADDING UP ALL OF THE MILES THAT PEOPLE WOULD'VE DRIVEN THEIR FURNITURE OR THEIR BULK ITEMS AROUND IF THEY WERE DISPOSING OF THEM THEMSELVES VERSUS YOU ALL COMING.

SO I KNOW THESE MIGHT BE A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT TO GET AT BECAUSE THAT'S PROBABLY NOT SOMETHING YOU CURRENTLY COLLECT, BUT I'M WONDERING IF THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO GET A FULL PICTURE, YOU KNOW, AFTER YEAR OF HOW THINGS LOOK.

ABSOLUTELY.

THE RESIDENTS, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE THAT CAN ALSO HELP TO INFORM, UH, SOME OF THE IMPACT THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTING, AT LEAST FOR A PORTION OF THE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A SAMPLING OF YOUR ROUTE.

NO, WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT A FULL SPECTRUM OF THINGS AND NOT JUST THE, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH RECYCLING, HOW MUCH METALS OR HOW REDUCTION IN MILEAGE, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH ARE WE STILL GONNA HAVE TO LANDFILL NOW? ARE WE SEEING AN INCREASE IN THE LANDFILL NUMBERS BECAUSE WE'RE, THE SCAVENGERS AREN'T OUT THERE COLLECTING SOME OF THAT MATERIAL THAT COULD HAVE ENDED UP IN THE LANDFILL.

UM, KIND OF COMPARE THE ROUTE YEAR OVER YEAR.

SO WHAT DID THIS ROUTE LOOK LIKE WHEN WE PICKED IT UP TRADITIONALLY AS FAR AS VOLUME? SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS TOO.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACTORS.

THE NUMBER OF, UH, NUMBER OF SET OUTS.

WE TRACK THAT NOW AND ARE WE GONNA HAVE THE SAME NUMBER OF SET OUTS NOW IN THE FUTURE? SO THAT'S, UH, ANOTHER, YEAH, ANOTHER, UH, FACTOR THAT WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT.

BUT I MEAN, IF THERE'S OTHER NUMBERS OR OTHER INFORMATION, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE WELCOME OR, UH, WE'D BE HAPPY TO LOOK AT THAT.

SOME OF THE STUFF AS FAR AS DIVERSION GOES IS A LITTLE BIT HARDER TO TRACK AS YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE SOMETIMES WHAT PEOPLE GET THINGS, SO WE GOODWILL YOU, YOU DON'T KNOW NECESSARILY WHAT THAT THAT IS.

BUT, UM, TO THE DEGREE WE CAN, WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT THOSE NUMBERS AND, AND REALLY THIS PROGRAM KIND OF FITS IN NICE IF WE'RE ABLE TO GET OUR FURNITURE WAREHOUSE UP AND RUNNING WHERE WE CAN GET THAT MATERIAL OFF THE CURB BEFORE PEOPLE HAVE COME AND, UH, YOU KNOW, TINKERED WITH IT OR TAKEN IT OR WHATEVER, RIGHT.

UM, TO BE ABLE TO STOCK THAT FACILITY.

SO THAT'S REALLY ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE PROJECT AS WELL.

YEAH, I I, I LOVE, I LOVE THAT.

THAT MAKES TOTAL SENSE.

I WONDER IF THERE'S INFORMATION THAT YOU COULD COLLECT WHEN PEOPLE ARE MAKING THE APPOINTMENTS THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, EVEN IF IT'S JUST A SIMPLE, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE WITH THIS MATERIAL OTHERWISE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT IT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ALL THE APPOINTMENT ENTAILS OR EVEN AS SIMPLE, CAN WE CONTACT YOU ABOUT THIS LATER SO THAT YOU HAVE A POOL OF PEOPLE THAT IF YOU DO WANNA GET A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE, UM, LESS THE ROUTE AND, YOU KNOW, ON YOUR END OF IT, BUT WHAT'S IT LIKE FOR THE CUSTOMERS? WHAT'S IT LIKE FOR

[00:50:01]

YEAH, AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, I THINK WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING ON A SURVEY TO GIVE OUT TO FOLKS THAT HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM.

PERFECT.

I DON'T KNOW THAT WE ASKED THAT SPECIFIC QUESTION, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE FINALIZED THE QUESTIONS YET, SO WE CAN STILL MAY BE ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.

GREAT.

THANK YOU AMANDA, JAN.

OH, I WAS JUST GONNA MAKE A QUICK COMMENT THAT, UM, YEAH, IF WE CAN BE EFFECTIVE IN USING THE FURNITURE WAREHOUSE, IF WE CAN BE EFFECTIVE IN RECYCLING AND DEALING WITH HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, UM, POTENTIALLY PICKING THINGS UP MORE QUICKLY RATHER THAN OVER A ONE WEEK PERIOD SO THINGS DON'T GET RAINED ON AND RUINED QUITE AS QUICKLY, THINGS LIKE THAT.

I WILL SAY WHEN THE SCAVENGERS WERE GOING AROUND AND PICKING THINGS UP, AND I KNOW THIS IS SO INTANGIBLE, WE'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO MEASURE IT, BUT CERTAINLY, UH, MY GUT TOLD ME SOMETIMES WE WERE GETTING SO MANY SCAVENGERS, WE WOULD GO AROUND AND CIRCLE THE NEIGHBORHOOD DAY AFTER DAY.

HOPING TO CATCH SOMETHING ELSE.

UM, THAT CERTAINLY FEELS LIKE THERE'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT THAT WE NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION SOMEWHAT AS WELL, EVEN FROM A, IF IT'S JUST FROM A GUT PERSPECTIVE.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, GOVERNMENTS ARE CENTRALIZED TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT FOR A REASON, AND IT IS FOR, FOR THINGS LIKE THIS.

AND SO I DEFINITELY HEAR WHAT THE SPEAKER WAS SAYING, UM, AND UNDERSTAND IT, AND WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, WE CERTAINLY SHOULDN'T BE TRYING TO, UH, OPTIMIZE FOR METRICS THAT DON'T OPTIMIZE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE.

UM, BUT WE ALSO DO NEED TO USE MEASURES AS, AS BEST WE CAN AND ALSO LOOK AT IS AT THE ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM.

AND, UM, SO LOTS OF THINGS.

IT IS COMPLICATED AND THIS SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING WORTH ATTEMPTING HERE AND SEEING IF WE CAN MAKE IMPROVEMENTS OVERALL ALONG THE WAY.

YUM.

ANY OTHER THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS? MELISSA, DO YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? YOU, IT'S JUST A COMMENT HERE.

I MEAN, THIS IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF CHANGE IS NEVER EASY.

I MEAN, WE, WE, WE GET ACCUSTOMED TO SOMETHING AND IT, IT JUST FEELS GOOD AND, AND IT'S DIFFICULT TO, TO MOVE AWAY FROM IT.

AND, AND THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE ALSO OF THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS AND, UH, WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND IT, IT'S, IT'S BEEN AN ISSUE, IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE.

STAFF, I MEAN, JUST THE, UH, THE, THE COSTS THAT HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THIS, WITH, WITH THIS COLLECTION HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN, UH, DIFFICULT.

HAVING SAID THAT, I LIKE THE, UH, THE THOUGHT PROCESS OF PERHAPS COMING BACK AND, YOU KNOW, IN A, IN A NINE MONTHS TO A YEAR WITH SOME UPDATED INFORMATION, WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED OUT THERE.

I MEAN, THE SURVEY IDEA IS WONDERFUL.

I MEAN, CAN WE GET A SURVEY OUT THERE AND ASKING, ASK FOLKS ONLINE IF, IF, YOU KNOW, GIVE US YOUR TRUE, YOUR TRUE FEELINGS ABOUT THIS.

I KNOW, SPEAKING FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S, I GUESS WHO COMMENTED, UH, LITERALLY THE SCAVENGERS, YOU SEE THE SAME VEHICLE COMING AROUND FOR A WEEK, SAME, THE SAME TRUCK, AND THEY GO TO DIFFERENT PLACES AND THEY PICK UP WONDERFUL THINGS, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE REUSED, BUT TO THE, TO THE POINT THAT, UH, ONE OF OUR FELLOW COMMISSIONERS MADE WHAT'S THE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT BY DRIVING AROUND IN A, UH, IN AN OLDER VEHICLE.

BUT ANYWAY, HAVING SAID THAT, THANK YOU RICHARD FOR, UH, ENTERTAINING THIS.

AND, UH, LIKE THIS WILL STAY, STAY ON THE RADAR.

KATE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, YOUR INPUT.

YEAH, FOR THE RECORD, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE GOT HER FULL NAME FOR THE, IT'S KATE MOON.

IS THAT IT? KATE MOON.

[2. Discussion and action of proposed merger of the Resource Management Commission and the Zero Waste Advisory Commission.]

TO THE NEXT ITEM HERE.

THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS IS ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS A DISCUSSION AND ACTION OF PROPOSED MERGER OF THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION AND THE, UH, ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION.

AND I THINK THERE WAS A RESOLUTION THAT WAS, UH, PART OF THIS, OF THIS ITEM.

COMMISSIONERS ALL ENTERTAIN SOME DISCUSSION ON THIS OR, YEAH, WE RECEIVED A COPY OF IT AND, UM, I MEAN IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

I, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT THE RESOLUTION THAT WE CAN GET THAT SECONDED AND THEN WE CAN DISCUSS IT.

ALRIGHT, LET'S DO THAT.

I HAVE A MOTION FOR, FOR MOVING THE ITEM.

CRAIG, DO I HEAR A SECOND ON THIS? YEAH, I'LL SECOND.

Y YEAH, ON SECOND.

ALL RIGHT.

HEARING A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION ON THE, UH, RESOLUTION? GREG, YOU WANNA START US OFF? NO, PRETTY

[00:55:01]

STRAIGHTFORWARD.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

MIKE.

DO WE WANNA ADD ANY LANGUAGE ABOUT THE, THE OTHER COMMISSION? SO THIS, THIS CLEARLY STATES THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW WAC HAS A UNIQUE FUNCTION, UH, THE ENTERPRISE FUNCTION AS YOU PUT IT, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKS CLOSELY WITH A RR, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.

SO I THINK IT DOES A GREAT JOB OF LAYING OUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT THIS GROUP DOES, BUT IN THE JUSTIFICATION FOR THE MERGER, UM, THE LANGUAGE ON THAT LITTLE CHART, IS BEING SHARED WITH COUNCIL IS THAT THERE'S OVERLAPPING ROLES.

AND SO IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO SAY, AND THE OTHER COMMISSION DOESN'T EVEN DEAL WITH WASTE.

THEY DEAL WITH ALTERNATIVE ENERGY AND WATER AND, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THEIR MISSION CHARGE IS, JUST TO REALLY CLARIFY THAT.

THE ONLY OVERLAP IS THEY HAVE TO DO WITH THE ENVIRONMENT IN SOME WAY.

LIKE THAT , THERE'S NO REAL OVERLAP IN THE MISSION.

UM, SO I'M WONDERING IF ANOTHER, WHEREAS THAT JUST STATES THAT THEIR MISSION DISTINCT AND IN DIFFERENT AREAS THAN OURS WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ADD TO IT.

YEAH, I LOVE THAT.

ALRIGHT, GREG.

THANK YOU, AMANDA.

LET ME, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW IT, BUT THE, UH, UH, RESOURCE, UH, MANAGEMENT COMMISSION, UH, JUST A WEEK AGO, THEY ALSO, UH, UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED A RESOLUTION FROM THEIR SIDE OF IT AND THERE AND THERE AND THAT RESOLUTION, I MEAN, WELL, I HAD A COPY, WE MM-HMM .

WE SHIPPED.

SOME OF US SAW THAT, UM, UH, PROBABLY A GOOD WAY IF YOU WANT TO PUT THEIR SIDE OF IT, WOULD ADD, WHEREAS IS FROM THAT RESOLUTION, UM, OR EITHER THE THING IS TO DO IS WE JUST DO OUR RESOLUTION FROM OUR SIDE OF IT AND BOTH WILL BE GOING TO THE COUNCIL.

UM, I PERSONALLY THINK THAT, UH, MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DEALS WITH AND WHAT WE DEAL WITH HAS TO DO WITH, UH, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS, UH, OF OUR GOAL IS CHANGING PEOPLE'S, UH, ACTIONS.

I MEAN, WE HAVE TO GET PEOPLE TO, TO SORT THROUGH THEIR GARBAGE AND UNDERSTAND HOW TO DO THAT AND DO THAT PROPERLY.

AND THEN HOW TO SORT, YOU KNOW, HAZARDOUS WASTE AND CALL AND MAKE APPOINTMENTS.

AND, AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT ANY OF THOSE, UH, THAT'S NOT A, AS BIG AN ITEM ON THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION.

THEY'RE DEALING WITH SOME, UH, SOME OF WHAT THEY DEAL WITH IS LIKE THE, THE GAS COMPANY, WHICH ISN'T EVEN, IT'S A PRIVATELY OWNED COMPANY.

SO THEY'RE DEALING WITH LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT GOES TO THE RAILROAD COMMISSION AND ALL KINDS OF OTHER STUFF.

SO I THINK IT'S, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT WE HAVE SOME SPECIFIC ISSUES THAT THEY DON'T HAVE, BUT WE COULD PUT IT IN HERE, BUT THEY HAVE A RESOLUTION WHERE WE COULD DRAW THAT FROM.

BUT THIS IS COMING UP TO THE, UH, THE COMMITTEE, THE, UM, UH, UH, IT'S A COMMITTEE OF THE CITY COUNCIL.

WHICH ONE IS IT? IT'S, UH, TRYING TO THINK, I THINK IT'S THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, CORRECT? YEAH.

AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.

AND THAT'S COMING UP IN, WITHIN A WEEK I THINK.

AND THEN IT'S GONNA COME UP IN FEBRUARY.

SO WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO, IF WE WOULDN'T NEED OUR RESOLUTION TO GO FORWARD, WE SHOULD DO IT TONIGHT.

ACTUALLY, I AGREE TO YOUR, TO YOUR POINT.

SO, UM, GO AHEAD AMANDA.

OH, SO I'M LOOKING AT THE RESOLUTION.

THAT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION AND I'M LOOKING AT WHAT, UM, THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION PASSED, AND THEY DO HAVE AWARE THAT TALKS ABOUT THE ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION AND THEN THEY HAVE A, A AWARE, UH, WHEREAS THE OVERLAP BETWEEN THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION AND ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION IS NARROW IN SCOPE.

UM, SO I, WE COULD BORROW THOSE TWO IF, IF, UM, THEN ADD THOSE TO OURS.

THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE.

THE NARROW OVERLAPS AND THE ONE THAT DESCRIBES ACTUALLY WHAT THEY DO.

RIGHT.

NOT WHAT WE DO EXACTLY.

YEP.

AND, AND AGAIN, THE, THE KEY HERE IS ENTERPRISE DEPARTMENT.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, A RR IS RESPON IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR BUDGET, THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING THE BILLS.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DOESN'T HAVE THAT, UH, THAT CHALLENGE AS A COMMISSION.

BUT, UH, BUT HAVING SAID THAT, UH, AGAIN, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE WELCOME CHANGES TO THIS WELCOME ADDITIONS, I SHOULD SAY TO THIS.

DO, DO YOU WANT ME, SHOULD I READ THEM OUT FOR THE RECORD OR? YES, SEND THEM TO CORINO.

WHAT, WHAT DO YOU ALL WANNA DO TO WHAT'S BEST FOR, WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THEM READ OUT FOR THE RECORD.

[01:00:01]

SO THE TWO WHEREAS IS FROM THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT RE COMMISSION RESOLUTION, UH, THAT I FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, I WOULD PROPOSE ADDING TO HOURS, WHEREAS THE PURPOSE OF THE ZERO WASTE ADVISORY, I'M SORRY.

WHEREAS THE PURPOSE OF THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION IS TO ADVISE THE CITY COUNCIL IN DEVELOPING AND REVIEWING CITY PLANS AND POLICIES CONCERNING THE EFFICIENT USE OF ENERGY, INCLUDING AN ALTERNATIVE AND RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES AND ON ENERGY AND WATER CONSERVATION.

AND THEN THE OTHER ONE WOULD BE, WHEREAS THE OVERLAP BETWEEN THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION AND ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION IS NARROW IN SCOPE AND A MERGED RESOURCE.

RECOVERY AND MANAGEMENT COMMISSION REQUIRE BOTH CITY STAFF AND COMMISSIONERS TO ENGAGE ON AN EXPANSIVE ARRAY OF ISSUES UNRELATED TO THEIR PRIMARY AREAS OF EXPERTISE AND DAY-TO-DAY RESPONSIBILITY.

GOOD AMENDMENTS OR ADDITIONS I SHOULD SAY.

ANY OTHER THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS ON THIS? HEARING? NONE WILL TAKE A VOTE THEN.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ACCEPTING THE, UH, REVISED THE REVISED, UH, RESOLUTION.

RAISE YOUR HAND.

UNANIMOUS.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

ALL RIGHT, GUYS, MOVING

[5. Staff briefing regarding the Austin diversion rate calculation and other metrics, by Gena McKinley, Assistant Director, Austin Resource Recovery.]

ON.

UH, THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER FIVE, WHICH IS A STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING THE AUSTIN DIVERSION RATE CALCULATION METRICS.

AND THEN GINA, THANK YOU.

I'M GINA MCKINLEY, ONE OF THE ASSISTANT DIRECTORS AT AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.

UM, AND TONIGHT, IF, IF YOU RECALL, I BELIEVE AT OUR LAST MEETING, DIRECTOR MCHALE MENTIONED THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF TOPICS THAT WE WANT TO BRING FORWARD TO THE COMMISSION JUST TO HELP EDUCATE AND UPDATE ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE WORK ON HERE AT THE DEPARTMENT.

UM, TONIGHT PARTICULARLY, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE METRICS AND MEASUREMENTS WE USE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW ARE WE TRACKING OUR PROGRESS TOWARDS ZERO WASTE.

UM, SO THAT, THAT IS WHAT I'M HERE TO DO.

SO THIS IS JUST A PRIMER AND, UH, TO GIVE YOU SOME KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE DIFFERENT METRICS THAT WE USE FOR OUR NEWER COMMISSIONERS.

WELCOME.

UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU JOIN THE COMMISSION.

IF YOU AREN'T AWARE, WE ARE A CITY THAT HAS A ZERO WASTE GOAL.

OUR GOAL IS TO REACH ZERO WASTE BY THE YEAR 2040.

THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN OUR 2011 ZERO WASTE MASTER PLAN, UM, WHICH WE RECENTLY UPDATED IN 2023.

AND AT THAT POINT WE ESTABLISHED, UH, ZERO WASTE TO BE DEFINED AS 90% DIVERSION BY THE YEAR 2040.

AND IT'S WORTH NOTING WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE COMMUNITY, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, WHERE DOES THAT MATERIAL GENERATION COME FROM AND WHO HAS THE CONTROL? SO THIS, THE BLUE PIECE OF THE PIE THAT YOU SEE, UH, THAT ROUGHLY 15% IS THE RESIDENTIAL MATERIAL, MOSTLY SINGLE FAMILY HOMES THAT IS DIRECTLY CONTROLLED BY AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY, WHICH IS THE SOLID WASTE UTILITY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

SO THOSE ARE OUR CURBSIDE CUSTOMERS THAT WE'RE COLLECTING FROM.

SO THAT MEANS THERE'S A LARGE PORTION OF THE WASTE THAT'S GENERATED IN THE CITY THAT IS NOT DIRECTLY CONTROLLED, UM, BY THE CITY, BUT IS MANAGED BY PRIVATE HAULERS.

SO COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES ARE A LARGE CHUNK OF THAT 85%.

UM, AND THIS, THIS PART OF THE WASTE STREAM, WE INFLUENCE THROUGH THINGS LIKE INCENTIVES, POLICIES.

MANY OF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE UNIVERSAL RECYCLING ORDINANCE ORDINANCE, ONE OF THE KEY POLICIES THAT HAS REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY SECTOR.

AND WE TALK ABOUT DATA SOURCES.

THIS IS, THIS KIND OF BLEEDS INTO THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.

FOR THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE.

THIS IS REALLY, WHEN I SAY RESIDENTIAL, I'M TALKING ABOUT AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY CUSTOMERS.

THAT PORTION OF RESIDENTIAL IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THOSE ARE OUR CURBSIDE COLLECTIONS.

SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL THAT WE'RE COLLECTING AT THE CURB THROUGH OUR THREE CART SERVICES.

SO THAT'S COMPOSTING, TRASH AND RECYCLING.

WE ALSO HAVE MATERIAL THAT'S DROPPED OFF AND COLLECTED AT THE RECYCLE AND REUSE DROP OFF CENTER.

AND FOR THE COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY SECTORS, WE DON'T HAVE THAT SPECIFIC DATA.

SO WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF GRANULAR DATA IN TERMS OF WEIGHT.

UH, SO HOW WE COLLECT THAT IS THROUGH CONTRACTED THIRD PARTY STUDIES.

UM, WE HAVE SELF-REPORTED DATA FROM SOME OF THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE URO.

UM, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO PORT.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO REPORT THE CAPACITY THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING, NOT NECESSARILY HOW MUCH OF THE CAPACITY IS BEING USED.

UM, WE ALSO HAVE A LICENSED HOLLER ORDINANCE THAT HAS SELF-REPORTING REQUIREMENTS, THE TWICE A YEAR BELIEF.

AND, AND THAT DATA, LIKE

[01:05:01]

I SAID, IT'S SELF-REPORTED.

SO THERE ARE CHALLENGES WITH SELF-REPORTED DATA AND LOOKING AT THE DATA, WE KNOW THERE'S SOME LIKELY JUST CONFUSION, BUT SOME OF THE DATA DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.

SO THOSE ARE THE, THE DATA POINTS THAT WE HAVE FOR RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, AND MULTIFAMILY.

UM, ONE OF THE THIRD PARTY STUDIES, I, I BELIEVE PROBABLY LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, WE CAME AND TALKED TO YOU GUYS ABOUT THE COMMUNITY DIVERSION RATE STUDY, THE WASTE CHARACTERIZATION STUDY.

SO THOSE ARE CONTRACTED STUDIES THAT WE HAVE DONE OVER THE YEARS.

THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.

SO THAT'S WHERE YOU, YOU TAKE A DUMPSTER, DUMP IT OUT, AND ACTUALLY SORT THROUGH AND SEE WHAT'S IN IT.

IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS OF THE JOB.

IT GETS ME OUT FROM BEHIND THE DESK .

UM, I MENTIONED THAT WE UPDATED OUR ZERO WASTE PLAN.

THAT PLAN WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2011.

UM, AND RECENTLY WE TOOK A LOOK AT HOW FAR WE'VE COME SINCE THAT TIME AND WHERE WE NEED TO GO AND HOW WE NEED TO ACTUALLY MEASURE WHERE WE'RE HEADED.

AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE GOALS THAT WERE IN THAT UPDATE TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

AND SO YOU'LL SEE IT TALKS ABOUT NOT JUST THE DIVERSION RATE MEASURE, WHICH WE WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK, BUT ALSO ADDING IN A PER CAPITA DISPOSAL RATE AND A CAPTURE RATE TO TRACK OVER TIME.

AND THEN ALSO PUTTING DA DATA MEASUREMENTS IN OUR WASTE COLLECTION CONTRACTS.

SO FIRST WE'LL START WITH DIVERSION RATE AND HOW THAT IS CALCULATED.

UM, SO REALLY IT IS LOOKING AT, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DIVERSION, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT EVERYTHING BASICALLY.

THAT'S NOT GOING TO THE LANDFILL.

SO THAT COULD BE RECYCLED, COMPOSTED, REUSED, REDUCED REDUCTION IS REALLY HARD TO MEASURE.

UM, AND SO YOU TAKE THAT AND YOU DIVIDE IT, YOU TAKE THAT THE DIVERSION AMOUNT, AND YOU DIVIDE IT BY THE TOTAL TONS DIVERTED AND DISPOSED, AND THAT GIVES YOU THE DIVERSION RATE.

SO, UH, THE, ON THE SLIDE YOU'LL SEE THAT AUSTIN HAS A CITYWIDE LANDFILL DIVERSION RATE OF 37% AS OF 2020.

THAT'S DONE THROUGH ONE OF THOSE STUDIES WHERE THEY DID SAMPLE FROM BEYOND JUST AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY RESIDENTIAL.

UM, AND THAT'S WHERE YOU GOT THAT NUMBER.

THERE'S MORE DETAIL IF YOU WANNA LOOK, LOOK INTO THAT STUDY AND HOW IT WAS CONDUCTED.

YOU'LL SEE THE URL, SO YOU CAN TRACK THAT THERE.

UH, THIS IS JUST A SLIDE TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE MUNICIPAL DIVERSION RATES FROM CITIES THAT ARE COMPARABLE TO AUSTIN.

YOU'VE PROBABLY SAW THESE NUMBERS WHEN WE WERE PRESENTING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE, SO THAT TO THE FAR, I GUESS MY LEFT, YOU'LL SEE A DIVERSION RATE AND THE YEARS ARE RANGING FROM 2015 TO 2019.

SO WE HAD STAFF GO JUST THIS PAST WEEK TO LOOK UP AND SEE, OKAY, DO WE HAVE ANY UPDATED NUMBERS FROM THOSE CITIES? AND SO THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE IN THE, IN MY FAR RIGHT HAND SIDE COLUMN.

AND SO YOU'LL SEE THEY, THEY'VE REMAINED PRETTY STEADY.

I THINK DENVER, THERE WAS A 10% INCREASE.

UM, BUT ROUGHLY SOME HAVE GONE DOWN SLIGHTLY.

SOME HAVE GONE UP SLIGHTLY, BUT THEY'VE STAYED PRETTY MUCH THE SAME.

SO NEXT I'LL TALK ABOUT CAPTURE RATE.

AND CAPTURE RATE IS A, IT IS WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE.

SO IF YOU TAKE ALUMINUM, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU WANTED TO IDENTIFY WHAT THE CAPTURE RATE IS FOR THAT, IT'S A COMMODITY BASED, UM, METRIC.

IF YOU WANTED TO IDENTIFY WHAT THE CAPTURE RATE FOR ALUMINUM WOULD BE, YOU WOULD BASICALLY IDENTIFY HOW MUCH ALUMINUM YOU, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT OUR THREE CART SYSTEM, HOW MUCH ALUMINUM IS IN THE RECYCLING BIN, HOW MUCH ALUMINUM IS IN THE COMPOST BIN, HOW MUCH ALUMINUM IS IN THE LANDFILL TRASH BIN.

AND FOR OUR SYSTEM, YOU WOULD WANT THAT TO ALL BE IN THE RECYCLING, UH, CART.

SO YOU WOULD BASICALLY DIVIDE THE WEIGHT OF THE ALUMINUM CANS THAT WERE RECOVERED BY THE TOTAL AMOUNT, SO WHAT YOU SAW IN ALL THREE CARTS.

AND THAT WOULD TELL YOU HOW MUCH OF THE POTENTIAL THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY CAPTURING.

UM, SO FOR LOOKING AT, ARE WE DOING WELL OR NOT, 90% IS REALLY WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER TO BE GOOD OR MAXIMIZED IN TERMS OF CAPTURE.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE WANTING TO INCORPORATE INTO OUR METRICS MORE FREQUENTLY.

I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY, UM, FOR US TO LOOK AT IT AT A GRANULAR LEVEL, WHETHER THAT BE BY COUNCIL DISTRICT OR OTHERWISE, UM, BUT TO PROVIDE MORE FEEDBACK TO OUR CUSTOMERS AND ALSO FOR OUR MARKETING TEAM TO REALLY DRILL DOWN INTO SPECIFIC COMMODITIES AND OPPORTUNITY AREAS WHERE WE MAY BE MISSING THE MARK IN TERMS OF CAPTURING WHAT IS ULTIMATELY AVAILABLE.

AND THEN THE FINAL METRIC I'LL TALK ABOUT IS PER CAPITA DISPOSAL.

AND SO THIS, YOU HEARD ABOUT THIS IN THE, IN THE PUBLIC COMMENT EARLIER.

UM, THIS IS A NEW METRIC THAT'S A LITTLE BIT CLEANER IN MY OPINION.

UM, MORE CITIES ARE LOOKING TO THIS PER CAPITA DISPOSAL METRIC WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT PROGRESS TOWARDS ZERO WASTE.

PART OF, UH, THE REASON I LIKE IT IS IT'S MUCH EASIER TO CAPTURE REDUCTION IN REUSE.

UM, SO IF YOUR LANDFILL, IF YOUR PER CAP AT A DISPOSAL RATE IS GOING DOWN, THEN THAT

[01:10:01]

MEANS, UM, HOPEFULLY MORE OF THOSE THINGS ARE HAPPENING AND LESS IS GOING TO THE LANDFILL.

UM, FOR THE STATEWIDE DATA IN TEXAS THAT I BELIEVE IT'S A LITTLE OVER, I THINK IT MIGHT BE 7.2 OR 7.3 POUNDS, UM, PER, PER HOUSEHOLD IN AUSTIN, WE HAVE AROUND FOUR POUNDS.

IF YOU LOOK AT KIND OF EMULATING THAT ZERO WASTE PHILOSOPHY, ONE POUND PER HOUSEHOLD WOULD BE THAT VISIONARY NUMBER THAT WE WOULD LOOK FOR.

UM, AND WE'D LIKE TO SEE HOW THIS IS USING OUR RESIDENTIAL DATA.

SO THIS IS MATERIAL THAT AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY IS, IS HANDLING, AND WE'D LIKE TO SEE HOW TO EXPLORE INCLUDING COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES INTO THAT METRIC.

THESE ARE JUST TRENDS THAT, UM, I SAW THAT THEY'RE REPORTED FROM THE EPA.

UM, NOTHING TOO SHOCKING HERE.

GENERATION OF PAPER AND PAPERBOARD, UM, IS ONE OF THE LARGEST COMPONENTS OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE.

AND IT'S BEEN ON A DOWNWARD TREND.

UH, WHILE FOOD AND YARD FOOD WASTE AND YARD TRIMMINGS HAS INCREASED OVER TIME, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING TRENDS, I FOUND IT INTERESTING THAT THE, THE NATIONAL RECYCLING RATE DID NOT EXCEED 15% UNTIL 1990.

UM, AND THEN JUMPED UP TO 32.1% IN 2018, BUT HAS SINCE PLATEAUED.

UM, AND THERE IS, UM, A NEED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE FOR LARGE SCALE FOOD WASTE, COMPOSTING THAT REMAINS LIMITED WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT JUST PROGRESS TOWARDS ZERO WASTE AND ALL THE DIFFERENT METRICS THAT WE CAN USE.

THERE'S ALSO, AS I THINK, UM, SOMEONE MENTIONED WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND SYSTEMS AND HOW, HOW THOSE SYSTEMS WORK.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT COULD IMPACT PROGRESS TOWARDS ZERO WASTE OR DIVERSION.

UM, SOME OF THESE, I'VE JUST IDENTIFIED A FEW OF THEM ON THIS LIST.

THIS IS BY NO MEANS EXHAUSTIVE.

UM, BUT MATERIAL AND PRODUCT DESIGN OVER TIME.

PACKAGING IS MUCH MORE COMPLEX TODAY THAN IT WAS MANY YEARS AGO.

UM, THERE ARE ISSUES LIKE LIGHTWEIGHTING.

SO WHERE THERE, UH, PLASTIC WATER BOTTLE IS AN EXAMPLE WHERE PERHAPS THE PLASTIC, THEY'VE REDUCED THE AMOUNT OF PLASTIC THAT'S USED TO PRODUCE A SINGLE, SINGLE USE WATER BOTTLE.

AND A RESULT, AS A RESULT, THAT MATERIAL IS LIGHTER.

AND SO YOU MAY BE COLLECTING THE SAME NUMBER OF BOTTLES, BUT THE OVERALL WEIGHT OF THE MATERIAL IS MUCH LESS.

SO THAT CAN IMPACT THOSE NUMBERS.

WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AND HABITS.

AS WE'VE SEEN THE TREND WITH THE COVID PANDEMIC KIND OF COMING TO A HEAD IN 2020, THERE WAS A, A BIG SHIFT IN WHERE PE, HOW PEOPLE CONDUCTED THEIR DAILY LIVES.

SO THAT HAD A BIG SHIFT IN WASTE GENERATION, MORE PEOPLE, UM, WORKING IN THEIR RESIDENTIAL HOME.

SO THERE WAS A, A CHANGE IN THE AMOUNT AND VOLUME AND TYPES OF MATERIAL THAT YOU MIGHT SEE AT A RESIDENTIAL HOME AS MORE PEOPLE SHIFT BACK TO THE WORKPLACE.

THERE YOU COULD SEE SHIFTS AGAIN.

SO THAT COULD BE KIND OF IN AND OUT.

THERE'S CONTAMINATION OF THE STREAMS, UM, CIRCULAR PRACTICES WHICH COULD LEAD TO AVOIDED CONSUMPTION OR REDUCED CONSUMPTION THAT CAN IMPACT THOSE NUMBERS.

WHERE WE HAVE A CIRCULAR ECONOMY PROGRAM WHERE WE'RE ACTIVELY TRYING TO PROMOTE REUSE AND REPAIR AND REDU, REDUCTION IN CONSUMPTION IN GENERAL.

UH, THERE'S END MARKETS FOR COMMODITIES THAT CAN DRIVE PRACTICES, LEGISLATIVE IMPACTS, BOTH, YOU KNOW, STATE AND FEDERAL.

UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE AS WE WE'RE IN A LEGISLATIVE SESSION NOW, UM, WE HAVE A NEW FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION WHERE THERE'S TALKS ABOUT TARIFFS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

IT'LL BE REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THAT IMPACTS THE MARKETS AND, AND HOW MATERIALS FLOW IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO AGAIN, THESE ARE NOT, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS OR THE CRYSTAL BALL OF HOW DO WE GET TO ZERO WASTE FASTER OR, UM, WHY ARE OUR NUMBERS WHERE THEY ARE? BUT THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT IMPACT THAT PROGRESS.

AND WITH THAT, UH, IS THE END OF MY PRESENTATION, BUT I REALLY WANTED AT LEAST AT A HIGH LEVEL FOR YOU ALL TO UNDERSTAND OUR ZERO WASTE GOAL.

WHAT A DIVERSION.

WHAT A, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DIVERSION RATE, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, CAPTURE RATE AND PER CAPITA DISPOSAL.

GOOD JOB, GINA.

UH, QUESTIONS COMMISSIONERS.

GREG, I'M SORRY.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR THIS.

THIS IS TO ME VERY INTERESTING.

UM, ONE THING IS, I, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING WHY THE PANDEMIC CHANGED THE INDIVIDUAL POSSIBLY, YOU KNOW, THAT SHOULD HAVE SOME EFFECT.

WHAT I THINK IT MAY DO IS IT MAY GIVE US A MORE ACCURATE IDEA OF HOW MUCH PEOPLE ARE THROWING OUT PER PERSON THAN ANYTHING.

YEAH, THAT'S INTERESTING.

YEAH, IT IS.

MAYBE MORE ACCURATE IDEA.

UH, AND THEN I HAD, YOU KNOW, I'M CONSTANTLY THINKING OF, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR REPORT ABOUT OTHER KINDS OF METAL, THAT'S KIND OF INTERESTING TO ME TOO.

UH, YOU KNOW, I'LL, I'LL GET KIND OF POLITICALLY INVOLVED, BUT I'M THE GUY

[01:15:01]

THAT AFTER THERE'S AN ELECTION, ANYONE I SUPPORT, I GO OUT TO EVERY POLLING PLACE AND PULL UP EVERY ONE OF THEIR SIGNS BECAUSE THAT'S TRASH TO ME AFTER THE ELECTION.

IT'S TRASH.

SO THE SIGNS THAT YOU, THE, THE, THE PLASTIC PART OF 'EM, I, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN RECYCLE THAT.

I DON'T.

I GET 'CAUSE IT'S MIXED.

YES, YOU CAN, YOU CAN.

I I KNOW WE COLLECT THE, WE, I PUT, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A, WE HAVE A SPECIAL COLLECTION AT WHEN WE'RE IN A ELECTION CYCLE, I BELIEVE AT THE RECYCLE AND REUSE DROPOFF CENTER.

SO THAT IS WHERE YOU CAN TAKE ALL OF THOSE SIGNS AT THE DROPOFF CENTER.

'CAUSE THE OTHER THING IS THE METAL FRAME.

AND I GOT A BUNCH OF THOSE IN MY GARAGE.

WELL YOU CAN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH DONALD.

AND TAKE ALL THOSE AND DROP 'EM OFF.

BECAUSE YEAH, BECAUSE I WAS, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANNA PUT THOSE IN, I DON'T THINK YOU WANNA PUT THOSE IN THE BLUE CONTAINER.

THEY'LL JAM UP THE EQUIPMENT.

WE ADVOCATE FOR FOLKS TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AND TAKE THOSE TO THE DROP OFF CENTER.

AND THEN ONE OTHER IDEA I HAD, WHICH YOU KNOW, WITH A COMPOSTING, THAT'S MY FAVORITE CONTAINER.

I LOVE IT.

IT'S STINKY AND IT JUST TURNS INTO WONDERFUL DIRT.

CAN WE RECORD YOU AND HAVE SAY THAT TO YES YOU CAN.

MY WIFE HAS HEARD A LOT OF THIS .

SO, BUT WHAT WE'VE, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA GET IT FROM YOUR KITCHEN TO THE CAN.

AND WHAT WE ENDED UP USING IS I USED TO HAVE A DOG AND THERE WAS THIS LITTLE PLASTIC THING FOR DOG TREATS.

IT WAS LIKE A PLASTIC CAN, LIKE ALL THOSE GR GRO BEER BOTTLE COOKS, YOU KNOW, AND IT HAD A LITTLE THIN PLASTIC THING THAT SEALED IT.

SO IT SEALS REALLY WELL.

I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD HAND THOSE OUT FROM O RESOURCE RECOVERY FOR CERTAIN EVENTS OR, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN KINDS OF THINGS.

'CAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE PRETTY CHEAP, YOU KNOW, BUT THIS ONE, I'VE USED IT FOR YEARS AND IT WORKS REALLY WELL.

'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THROWS PEOPLE OFF WITH USING THE GREEN CANS.

'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST THING WE MISS.

AND WE ACTUALLY, WHEN WE ROLLED OUT THAT PROGRAM, THE THIRD CART, THE, THE COMPOSTING CART, WE DID PROVIDE A KITCHEN COMPOST COLLECTOR WITH THAT CART.

SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING, IT'S A SMALL CONTAINER THAT YOU CAN PUT IN THE KITCHEN.

YOU CAN LINE IT WITH A BAG IF YOU WANT.

UM, YEAH.

AND WE DO STILL HAVE SOME OF THOSE CONTAINERS AND PROVIDE THEM AT SPECIAL EVENTS IF YOU, IF YOU WOULD LIKE ONE.

WELL I WAS JUST BRING ONE NEXT COMMISSION.

'CAUSE I THINK I DO ACTUALLY REMEMBER THAT, BUT I THINK SO ANYWAY.

BUT UM, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE REPORT.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

ALRIGHT, TWO THINGS.

FORGOT TO MAKE IT TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, OUR POLLING CENTER.

AND YOUR DOG PROBABLY HAS A DRINKING PROBLEM.

, IF YOU HAVE ALL THOSE CONTAINERS.

BUT, UH, BUT NONETHELESS, ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON GINA'S WONDERFUL REPORT? IT'S, IT'S GARBAGE FOR PER PERSON.

IT'S NOT HER HOUSEHOLD.

SHE WAS CORRECTING ME ON SOMETHING.

OH, OKAY.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SEE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, GINA.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

AS THE NEXT ITEM HERE IS THE LAST ITEM, WHICH IS THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.

[6. Staff briefing on the status of Austin Resource Recovery Operational and Administrative projects as well as public outreach efforts by Gena McKinley, Assistant Director of Austin Resource Recovery.]

IT'S ME AGAIN.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

GINA MCKINLEY, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.

I'LL BE PRESENTING THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT TO YOU TONIGHT.

UM, SO I'LL JUST DO HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEWS OF THE CONTENT YOU'VE GOT.

UM, ONE IS THE UNIVERSAL RECYCLING ORDINANCE.

SO THAT'S THE POLICY THAT I REFERENCED EARLIER THAT HAS A REQUIREMENT FOR RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING FOR COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES.

THOSE, THERE'S AN ANNUAL PLAN THAT'S DUE EVERY YEAR.

IT'S DUE, THE DUE DATE IS FEBRUARY 1ST.

SO WE JUST PASSED THAT.

IN YOUR REPORT, YOU SEE A 43%, 43% OF PROPERTIES REQUIRED TO COMPLY HAVE REPORTED, THIS WAS AS OF JANUARY 30TH.

THE UPDATED NUMBER TONIGHT IS 54%.

SO WE HAVE SEEN A LITTLE BIT OF AN UP UPTICK.

UM, WE DO HAVE A PLAN WITH OUR, WE HAVE A BUSINESS OUTREACH TEAM AS WELL AS A NEWER CODE TEAM, UM, THAT HAVE PUT TOGETHER A PLAN FOR THE COURSE, THE REMAINDER OF THE FISCAL YEAR TO WORK TO GET THAT NUMBER UP.

UM, SO JUST THAT'S THE, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE FOR NOW.

THERE IS AN, AS YOU KNOW, THE MULTIFAMILY COMPOSTING REQUIREMENT WENT INTO PLACE THIS YEAR.

THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR OF THAT REQUIREMENT.

UM, WE ARE HOSTING, IF YOU WANT TO HELP US ADVERTISE THE WORKING WITH THE AUSTIN APARTMENT ASSOCIATION.

WE'RE HOSTING A WEBINAR THAT'S ACTUALLY FEBRUARY 13TH, SO I THINK THAT IS TOMORROW.

SO SPREAD THE WORD IF YOU, THERE'S A LINK THERE.

UM, ALSO OUR CIRCULAR ECONOMY PROGRAM.

WE HAVE AN ANNUAL CIRCULAR CIRCULAR ACCELERATOR AND SHOWCASE.

THAT APPLICATION JUST OPENED UP AND WILL BE OPEN THROUGH MARCH 16TH.

SO THAT'S A GREAT

[01:20:01]

OPPORTUNITY.

IF YOU KNOW ANY LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS WHO ARE PURSUING CIRCULAR BUSINESSES, PLEASE ENCOURAGE THEM TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.

THE COMPETITION IS IN AUGUST, BUT THE APPLICATION IS PERIOD IS OPEN NOW.

COMING UP THIS WEEKEND ON SATURDAY, WE HAVE A LAMP REPAIR WORKSHOP.

SO THAT'S US TRYING TO ENCOURAGE MORE REPAIR SKILLS IN THE COMMUNITY.

THAT WILL BE IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN AT THE ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER.

UH, THERE'S, YOU HAVE SOME STATISTICS ABOUT THE ON DEMAND PROGRAM, UM, FOR HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE, BULK AND BRUSH.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT.

SO I WON'T GO, I WON'T REGURGITATE WHAT YOU'VE GOT IN FRONT OF YOU.

THERE IS A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE FURNITURE RE OF WAREHOUSE AND SOME OF THE CORRESPONDENCE WE'VE GOTTEN FROM THE EPA ON THAT PROJECT.

WE CONTINUE TO PURSUE, UM, A LOCATION FOR THAT FURNITURE REUSE WAREHOUSE.

THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CHALLENGES IN, IN DIFFERENT PROPERTIES THAT WE HAVE FOUND, BUT WE'RE CONTINUING TO SEARCH AND HAVE SOME PROSPECTS COMING UP.

AND THEN THERE IS A LITTLE DETAIL, I THINK THIS WAS A REQUEST FROM THE COMMISSION ON MORE DETAIL ON OUR DATA ANIMAL COLLECTION.

SO YOU'LL SEE A BREAKDOWN OF THE TYPES OF ANIMALS THAT WE ARE COLLECTING.

AND I BELIEVE THAT IS IT.

IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ON THE REPORT, I THINK ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAD A QUESTION ON THE, UH, THE, UH, ACTUAL GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED.

AND I SEE IT IN THE REPORT NOW.

MELISSA, DID YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THAT? AND I THINK YOU HAD THE QUESTION ON YEAH, I HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT.

I JUST WANTED AN UPDATE BECAUSE I HAD HEARD THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ON PAUSE DUE TO EVERYTHING GOING ON WITH THE FED.

SO WHAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU IS REALLY THE COMMUNICATION THAT WE'VE GOTTEN, WE'RE CONTINUING TO PURSUE AND SHOULD WE FIND A VIABLE PROPERTY, WE'LL COORDINATE WITH THE EPA TO AT THAT POINT, FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROCESS FORWARD IS.

THANK YOU GREG.

IT'S ABOUT THOSE DEAD ANIMALS.

I'LL DO MY BEST.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONER'S.

UM, SO THERE ARE TWO THINGS.

ONE IS, UM, DO YOU KEEP TRACK OF LOCATION WHERE A DAN ANIMAL IS RECOVERED FROM? I BELIEVE I'M GOING TO CALL UP ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AMY SLAGEL.

SHE HAS A LOT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT ANIMAL THAN I DO, SO I'LL LET HER RESPOND.

AMY SLAGEL, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.

AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.

IT'S MY FAVORITE TOPIC.

I'M HAPPY TO, TO TALK ABOUT IT.

WE DO TRACK IT BY ZIP CODE.

SO, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING YES.

UH, MY SUGGESTION OR, OR HOPE OR, OR IS IF YOU COULD GET ACCURATE DATA ABOUT THAT, LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE JUST A, A MAYBE LOCUST LOCAL STREET ADDRESS OR CLOSEST, YOU KNOW, CROSSROAD OR ANYTHING.

AND THERE'S TWO REALLY GOOD REASONS.

ONE IS BECAUSE DEER TEND TO CROSS ROADS AT CERTAIN PLACES AND THEY CAN ACTUALLY DO DAMAGE TO CARS AND AUTOMOBILES.

THERE'S A PLACE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THEY PUT IN A NEW DEVELOPMENT AND SUDDENLY THE DEER SHIFTED WHERE THEY CROSS THE ROAD AND THERE'S MORE DEER GETTING HIT THERE.

AND THAT CAN BE INFORMATION FOR WHERE YOU PUT UP A DEER CROSSING SIGN.

'CAUSE YOU KNOW, TO GET THE CITY TO DO THAT, YOU HAVE TO, YOU HAVE TO CONVINCE THEM, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY, THEY SHOULD SPEND THE RESOURCES TO PUT A SIGN THERE.

UM, AND ANOTHER THING, AND THIS IS KIND OF UNUSUAL, BUT WE, I WAS ON A WORKING GROUP ABOUT BIRD FRIENDLY CONSTRUCTION AT WHICH MEANS A LOT OF BIRDS HITTING GLASS AND EVERYTHING.

AND SOME PLACES TRACK THIS DATA.

WE ARE TRYING TO GET DATA FOR US.

AND THE ONLY PEOPLE A TUMON TRACKS THE DATA IF THEY GO OUT.

BUT FOR INSTANCE, IF THERE'S AN AREA WHERE YOU'RE PICKING UP A LOT OF DEAD BIRDS FROM, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S SOMETHING THEY MIGHT BE RUNNING INTO, THERE MIGHT BE A HAZARD AND THAT COULD BE INTERESTED IN, IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO, TO PEOPLE IN THE CITY TRYING TO IMPROVE THAT.

SO THAT'S ONE ASPECT.

I THINK IF YOU COULD DO THAT, IT MIGHT BE REALLY HELPFUL.

I DON'T KNOW HOW HARD THAT IS OR HOW MUCH EXTRA TIME THAT WOULD TAKE YOU OR SO IN, I'M NOT, I'LL HAVE TO LOOK AND SEE HOW GRANULAR WE CAN GET FOR A LOCATION OF, OF ANIMALS.

IT'S ESPECIALLY FOR THE DEER.

NOT, UH, I'M NOT AWARE HOW MANY BIRDS WE GET.

IT LOOKS LIKE A VERY SMALL NUMBER.

SO, AND, AND THE LOCATIONS OF THOSE, THAT'S SOMETHING WE'D HAVE TO LOOK INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE.

A SCAN, THEY WILL INPUT IT INTO A REGISTRY, A DATABASE, AND, AND, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO CONTACT THE CITIZEN OR THE CUSTOMER AS LONG AS THEY'VE LEFT OR INCLUDED INFORMATION.

I MEAN THE, I JUST DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE SURE.

AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS THAT I UNDERSTAND, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN AN ISSUE YEARS AGO I WAS ON THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION IS CATS AND DOGS GET HIT IS SCAN THEM FOR A CHIP.

AND I KNOW THAT DIDN'T USED TO BE DONE, BUT AS I UNDERSTAND IT, YOU NOW HAVE CHIP SCANNERS.

WE DO, OUR TECHNICIANS CARRY, UH, SCANNERS AND THEY WILL SCAN THE ANIMAL AND IF THEY ACTUALLY FIND, UH,

[01:25:01]

WHAT WE FIND MOST OFTEN IS THAT THOSE SHIPS ARE NOT REGISTERED.

AND THEN WE OFTEN TEND TO FIND ANIMALS WITHOUT, WITHOUT CHIPS.

SO YEAH, IT, IT'S A RARITY HONESTLY, IN THE LAST, UH, FEW MONTHS THAT WE'VE FOUND A CHIP.

SO, BUT, BUT A CUSTOMER WOULD BE CONTACTED IF SOME, IF AS LONG AS THEY REGISTERED THEIR INFORMATION.

WELL THAT WAS THE OTHER THING THAT HAD COME UP IN OTHER DISCUSSIONS I'VE HAD.

BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR THE DATA.

SURE, GREG.

UM, BISHOP, IF I COULD ADD MORE, ONE MORE THING.

AND I'M TYPICALLY NOT A COMMENTATOR ON ANIMAL SERVICE ISSUES.

UH, BUT I'LL, I'LL STEP OUTTA MY WHEELHOUSE FOR A SECOND.

I JUST SAW AN ARTICLE EARLIER, UH, I BELIEVE YESTERDAY THAT I GUESS THE, ONE OF THE MAIN MICROCHIP COMPANIES IS I GUESS GOING OUTTA BUSINESS NOW.

SO, UH, I GUESS FOLKS THAT DO HAVE MICROCHIP PETS NOW HAVE TO GET IT RE-SCANNED IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SCAN IT AND IDENTIFY WHO THAT IS.

SO, UM, I'M SURE WE'LL BE HEARING MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT AS, UH, AS THAT STORY DEVELOPS.

SEE, SEE.