Feb 19, 2025 Environmental Commission

SO LET'S GO TO APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM LAST MEETING.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH GUYS.

AND WE DO NOT HAVE PUBLIC, UH, GENERAL COMMUNICATION.

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.

MOTION TO APPROVE BY KRUEGER.

SECOND.

SECONDED BY SHIRA.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HANDS AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS UNANIMOUS WITH EVERYONE ON DAIS.

MOTION PASSES.

[2. Presentation, discussion, and action regarding a recommendation to Austin City Council on the creation, continuation, termination, and status of a concession including issuance of a Request for Proposal for a concession in Town Lake Metropolitan Park for inclusion in the joint report between the Parks and Recreation Board and the Environmental Commission that is provided to City Council annually – Karen Charles, Contract Management Specialist, and Denisha Cox, Contract Management Supervisor, Parks and Recreation Department.]

OKAY, NEXT UP WE HAVE DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. UM, ITEM TWO, PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION, AND ACTION REGARD REGARDING THE RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL ON THE CREATION, CONTINUATION, TERMINATION, AND STATUS OF A CONCESSION, INCLUDING, UH, ISSUANCE OF A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR A CONCESSION IN TOWN LAKE METROPOLITAN PARK FOR INCLUSION IN THE JOINT REPORT BETWEEN THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, AN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION THAT IS PROVIDED TO THE CITY COUNCIL ANNUALLY.

AND CHAIR, I'LL BE RECUSING FROM THIS ONE.

CHAIR.

UM, I, I SHOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING EARLIER.

UM, WE WANTED TO POSTPONE ITEM NUMBER THREE, AND I'M NOT SURE IF ANYBODY HERE IN THE AUDIENCE IS HERE FOR THAT.

LET'S, I SECOND THAT.

WE POSTPONE ITEM NUMBER THREE TO, UH, MARCH 5TH TO MARCH 5TH.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.

WE HAVE RESI, FLURY, KRUGER, FER, BEDFORD, BRISTOL, SHERA, NICHOLS, AND SULLIVAN.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED WE HAVE.

BRIER IS OPPOSED AND NO ABSTENTIONS.

MOTION PASSES TO POSTPONE ITEM NUMBER THREE.

AND ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THAT COPER HAS, UH, RECUSED FROM ITEM NUMBER TWO.

SO LET'S WAIT UNTIL SHE LEAVES.

I, OKAY.

COOPER HAS LEFT.

AND NOW WE MAY CONTINUE WITH ITEM NUMBER TWO.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

UM, SO, UH, JUST TO, WE WANNA DO INTRODUCTIONS, SO, UH, TO LET YOU KNOW WHO'S ALL HERE.

UM, AGAIN, MY NAME IS DANISHA COX.

I'M THE CONTRACT MANAGEMENT SUPERVISOR, TWO WITH THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT, THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DIVISION.

HELLO, MY NAME IS KAREN CHARLES, AND I'M A CONTRACT MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.

SHALL INCLUDE THE NAME OF EACH CONCESSION OPERATING IN TOWN LAKE METROPOLITAN PARK, AN INCOME AND EXPENDITURE STATEMENT FOR EACH CONCESSION, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF WATERCRAFTS RENTED IN TOWN, LAKE METROPOLITAN PARK, AND A STATEMENT DESCRIBING ANY PROBLEMS CAUSED OR CREATED BY A CONCESSION.

UH, I PROMISED I DIDN'T BREAK THAT MIC.

UH, MY NAME IS JESUS GIRE AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION FOR AUSTIN.

HI, I AM CHRISTINE CHI KNO, AND I'M A PROGRAM MANAGER AT PARD PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.

THANK.

SO, TONIGHT WE ARE HERE, UM, WE PRESENTED THIS, UH, ANNUAL CONCESSION REPORT AT THE LAST MEETING, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO.

AND SO, UM, YOU HAD REQUESTED, UM, A CONTINUATION FOR US TO COME BACK AGAIN TONIGHT.

SO I JUST WANT, WE'RE NOT GONNA GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AGAIN, BUT WE ARE GONNA RE TO JUST REMIND YOU OF WHAT THE, UH, REQUESTED ACTION IS.

SO IF WE COULD SEE THE, I'M SORRY.

THE FIRST THANK YOU.

SO, JUST AS A REMINDER, WITH AUSTIN CITY CODE, UM, 8 1 7 3 REQUIRES THAT ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 31ST OF EACH YEAR, THE DIRECTOR SHALL DELIVER A REPORT TO THE PARKS AND REC DEPART, UH, BOARD AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION ON THE CONCESSIONS GRANTED UNDER THIS DIVISION.

THE ANNUAL REPORT PREPARED UNDER THIS SECTION

[00:05:02]

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO, UM, THE ACTION TONIGHT IS, IS UNDER 8 1 7 3, THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MAY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION RELATED TO CONTINUING AN EXISTING CONCESSION, TERMINATING AN EXISTING CONTINUATION, AND ISSUING A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR AN EXPIRING OR NEW CONCESSION UNDER THIS DIVISION.

UM, AND WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS.

UH, WE DO HAVE A FEW SPEAKERS.

UM, LET ME START OUT WITH THE FIRST SPEAKER, HOLLY REED.

AND THERE'S A, UM, NOTE THAT SHE MAY BE CALLING IN.

HELLO, MS. REED.

UH, SHALL YOU PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX WHEN YOU'RE READY TO UNMUTE YOURSELF.

GOOD EVENING, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONERS.

THIS IS HOLLY REED.

I LIVE IN DISTRICT 10, SERVE ON THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, AND ON THE BOARD'S, CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE.

I'M SPEAKING TO YOU AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC.

I HOPE YOU CAN HEAR ME.

YES, WE CAN.

UM, I'VE ASKED, UH, YOUR AV TEAM TO PLEASE PULL UP THE DRAFT 2024 ANNUAL CONCESSIONS REPORT.

THAT'S CORRECT.

IS THAT UP ON SCREEN? PAGE UP, YES.

I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU DO NOT RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THIS ANNUAL CONCESSIONS REPORT.

LOOKING AT PAGE 10 OF THE REPORT, THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY CURRENTLY MANAGES ONE OF THE CONCESSIONS, WHICH IS EPIC SUB.

THE PARKS DEPARTMENT APPROVED THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY'S REQUEST TO MOVE TO PHASE TWO OF THEIR OWN CONTRACT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS WITHOUT NOTIFYING THE PARKS OR THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION OR THE PUBLIC AT A TIME WHEN THE FORMER PARKS DIRECTOR WAS APPLYING FOR A JOB AS CEO OF THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY.

ALTHOUGH THE 2024 CONCESSIONS REPORT STATES THAT IN 2025, THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY WILL MANAGE AND TAKE THE REVENUE FROM ONLY TWO CONCESSIONS ACCEPTED IN TEXAS ROWING CENTER, THIS INFORMATION IS INCORRECT.

THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY'S CONTRACT STATES THAT PHASE TWO ALLOWS THEM TO MANAGE AND TAKE IN REVENUE PAYMENTS FROM ALL LADY BIRD LAKE BOATING CONCESSIONS.

THAT MEANS THE ROWING DOCK, TEXAS ROWING CENTER, LONE STAR RIVERBOAT, AUSTIN ROWING CENTER, WALLER CREEK, BOATHOUSE EXPEDITION SCHOOL, AND , PLEASE GO TO PAGE 12.

THE REVENUE FROM THESE CONCESSIONS ADDED UP TO $1,002,009 IN 2024, WHICH IS MANAGED BY THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY, WILL NO LONGER GO TO THE CITY IN 2025.

CONCESSION REVENUE PAYMENTS TO THE CITY CURRENTLY GO INTO THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND OR INTO THE GULF ENTERPRISE FUND, AND THE PUBLIC CAN SEE HOW THIS MONEY IS SPENT, THE EXPENSE OF CONCESSION REVENUE PAYMENTS TO THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY.

IF YOU LOOK ON PAGE 14 OF THIS REPORT, PLEASE, AUSTIN PARK FOUNDATION AND TRAIL CONSERVANCY EXPENSE IS NOT REPORTED.

HOW DO WE KNOW IF THIS IS SPENT ON THE PARKLAND AND THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT? THIS IS NOT PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION, AND IT IS NOT REPORTED IN THE ANNUAL CONCESSIONS REPORT.

IT WILL NOT BE REPORTED IN 2025 WHEN THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY PER PHASE TWO OF ITS CONTRACT TAKES IN ALL THE REVENUE FROM ALL SIX LADY BIRD LIGHT CONCESSIONS.

DOES THE PARKS DEPARTMENT REVIEW HOW THIS MONEY GETS SPENT? WHERE ARE THOSE REPORTS? THESE CONCESSIONS ARE COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES OPERATING ON PUBLIC PARKLAND FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC, AND THE REVENUE THEY PAY IS SUPPOSED TO BE SPENT ON THE PARKLAND.

YET THERE IS NO ACCOUNTABILITY AS TO HOW THIS REVENUE IS SPENT BY THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY AND AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION.

PLEASE DO NOT APPROVE THIS ANNUAL CONCESSIONS REPORT, AND IF YOU DO, PLEASE REQUIRE THAT THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY, AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION, AND ANY OTHER THIRD PARTY MANAGING A CONCESSION ON PUBLIC PARKLAND REPORT TRANSPARENTLY HOW THEY SPEND THE REVENUE TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, THE PARKS BOARD, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, AND TO THE PUBLIC.

UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE RICARDO.

HELLO.

COULD YOU, UM, PRESS THE BUTTON ON THE MIC? THERE WE GO.

ALL RIGHT.

A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR REPORT THAT, UH, BEING RECOMMENDED BY THE STAFF PICKING UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.

THANK YOU ALL FOR LETTING ME TALK

[00:10:01]

I WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION SOME THINGS THAT I THINK ARE CRITICAL IN YOUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE FINANCES.

MY BACKGROUND IS IN INTERNATIONAL FINANCE, AND I HAVE THE, THE GOD-GIVEN TALENT A LITTLE BIT.

I I WOULD SAY ABOUT REVIEWING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, REVERSE ENGINEERING STATEMENTS, AND SOME FORENSIC ACCOUNTING REPORTING.

I'VE TAKEN THE LIBERTY OF MY RETIREMENT DAYS TO BE ABLE TO LOOK INTO SOME OF THESE NONPROFITS, AND I WISH THAT THE, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR COMMITTEE HERE WOULD CONSIDER DI DIVING DEEPER INTO YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, YOUR, YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL, UH, CHARTERED DUTY, AND THAT IS TO BE FIDUCIARIES OF HOW THESE CONCESSIONARIES ARE OPERATING AND ARE THEY OPERATING IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE, OF THE CITY.

I WANNA BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION ONE, WELL, BEFORE I SAY THAT IT IS MY, IT IS MY HOPE THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER IN THE FUTURE THAT YOU WOULD GRADE EACH OF THESE CONCESSIONARIES IN SOME FASHION, EITHER A THROUGH F GRADE INDIVIDUALLY, SO THAT THEY'RE NOT GROUPED IN AS A ONE ALL OR TAKE OR ALL OR NOTHING, UH, KIND OF, UM, A REPORT.

AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE DEPTH AND THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEING PROVIDED BY THE GROUP, BY THE COMMITTEE, UH, ALLOWS FOR AN, A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THESE CONCESSIONARIES STAND FINANCIALLY.

I WANT US TO TAKE THE NEXT FEW SECONDS I HAVE HERE TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION.

ONE IN PARTICULAR, AND I THINK THE LAST TIME WE TALKED ABOUT IT WAS THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL.

I WAS ABLE TO RESEARCH AND MY CITATIONS HERE ARE THE TEXAS SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE, THE IRS, THE TEXAS COMPTROLLER PUBLIC ACCOUNTS, AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE, ALONG WITH SOME FINANCIAL REPORTING INFORMATION THAT I WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN FROM THE IRS IN DOING SO, ARTICLE TWO OF THE SOS OFFICE, SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE, STATE OF TEXAS, SAYS THAT A NONPROFIT AS THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL IS REPRESENTING THEMSELVES, HAS TO HAVE THREE BOARD MEMBERS.

THEY ARE CURRENTLY IN DEFAULT OR IN NON-COMPLIANCE OF THAT.

AND I REQUESTED THE IRS TO, TO, UH, START A, UH, REVIEW AS TO WHETHER THERE 5 0 1 C3 STATUS SHOULD BE REVOKED AS IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST.

THEY VIOLATED IT ONCE THEY WERE ABLE TO CURE IT, AND NOW THEY'RE IN VIOLATION AGAIN.

SO DOING BUSINESS WITH A NONPROFIT, A NON A CON, A CONCESSIONARY LIKE THIS WOULD ACTUALLY IMPOSE, UH, A, A VERY LOW THRESHOLD OF ALLOWING A NONPROFITS TO BE ABLE TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY, WHICH IS NOT GOOD.

SO THAT'S BEING ONE.

THE OTHER IS THEIR REVENUE STREAMS REPORTED TO THE TEXAS FRANCHISE OFFICE, BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE A NONPROFIT STATUS, IT IS LESS THAN $50,000 A YEAR THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE SUMMER AND THROUGHOUT THE FALL, THEY WERE REPRESENTING THEMSELVES AS BEING ABLE TO PAY ON BEHALF OF THE CITY AN ASSET WORTH $2 MILLION.

I CONTACTED THE VENDOR, THE PROVIDER OF, OF THE, OF, OF THE DOC THAT THEY'RE PRESENTING, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT UPWARDS OF $2 MILLION WITH REPORTING TO THE LEGAL AUTHORITIES LESS THAN $50,000.

IT IS REALLY DUMBFOUNDING TO ME AS TO HOW THEY'RE ABLE TO DO THAT.

IT COULD BE THAT THE FACT THAT THEY JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO BE DO IT, AND THAT'S WHY THEY ASK FOR A CONTINUANCE EVERY SINGLE TIME THAT THEIR TEMPORARY PERMIT IS BEING GRANTED.

IF I WOULD ALLOW FOR JUST 15 MORE SECONDS, THIS IS THE CRITICAL POINT.

MY POINT IN ALL OF THIS IS THAT IF YOU'RE GONNA BE DOING BUSINESS WITH A CONCESSIONARY LIKE THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL, WHICH HAS A NON-PROFIT ARM EARNING LESS THAN $50,000 A YEAR, HAVE A FOR-PROFIT ARM THAT ALSO IS A RE WITH REDUCED INCOMES THAT YOU RECONSIDER GRADING THESE, THESE CONCESSIONARIES IN THE FUTURE SO THAT PLACES OR GROUPS LIKE THESE DON'T CONTINUE ON.

YOU HAVE THAT CHARTER FIDUCIARY DUTY TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TERMINATE OR, OR REQUEST ALLOW FOR NEW REQUEST TO PROPOSE TO GO FORWARD.

IN THIS CASE, I WOULD RE, I WOULD, UH, PROPOSE THAT YOU DENY, DENY THEIR CONTINUED, UH, CONCESSIONARY AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS DEPARTMENT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE, UH, DOROTHY, UH, BARNETT.

HELLO.

AND SUVS, AND THEY LEAVE NO TRACKS.

I'M A FACE BEHIND THE NUMBERS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOLUNTEER SERVICE TO THE CITY AND TO THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN AUSTIN, WHO YOU NOW REPRESENT.

CONSIDER THAT WE ARE NOT PROTESTORS, BUT PROTECTORS, AND WE WANT YOU TO CONSIDER GIVING US YOUR ATTENTION.

THIS EVENING.

I REPRESENT ZILKER PARK BOATS, A PARKS CONCESSION IN ZILKER PARK ALONG BARTON CREEK.

WE STARTED OUR BUSINESS WITH NINE CANOES AND NOW HAVE OVER 200 WATERCRAFT, CANOES, KAYAKS,

[00:15:01]

THIS IS OUR FAMILY BUSINESS OWNED AND OPERATED FOR OVER 56 YEARS.

WE WERE THE FIRST BOATING CONCESSION IN WHAT, ON WHAT WAS? IT WAS THEN TOWN LAKE, AND NOW THREE GENERATIONS OF OUR FAMILY WORK THERE.

WE ARE THE SMALLEST BOATING CONCESSION AND HAVE THE SMALLEST FOOTPRINT IN THE PARK.

MY ASK TONIGHT IS THAT YOU CAREFULLY CONSIDER WHAT IT MEANS TO TRANSFER ALL CONCESSIONS TO THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY.

THAT IS, IS ACTUALLY GIVING OUR FAMILY BUSINESS TO THE TTC.

THIS TRANSFER IS ALL BUT A DONE DEAL IN PHASE TWO OF THE POMO THAT GIVES THEM AUTHORITY TO MANAGE ALL WATERCRAFT CRAFT CONCESSIONS.

THINK OF THAT.

HOW DO YOU JUST TAKE SOMEONE'S BUSINESS, THE SWEAT AND LABOR FOR OVER 56 YEARS AND TRANSFER IT TO SOMEONE ELSE? OUR LEGACY IS DEEP IN AUSTIN.

WE HAVE STARTED THE SIERRA CLUB IN AUSTIN, MY HUSBAND AND I DID.

WE PARTNERED WITH KEEP, UH, AUSTIN, BEAUTIFUL BIG BROTHERS, BIG SISTERS, AND MANY MORE.

I'VE BEEN ON BOARDS AT THE CITY, STATE, AND NATIONAL LEVEL.

I'VE TAUGHT AT A CC FOR ALMOST 25 YEARS, AND WE HAVE MANY LONGSTANDING GIVING PROGRAMS FOR THE UNDERSERVED OF OUR COMMUNITY, OUR CITIZENS.

WE ARE A DESTINATION IN AUSTIN.

WE ARE OLD AUSTIN.

SO, AGAIN, PLEASE DO NOT ACCEPT THIS REPORT.

AS IT STANDS, THE CITIZENS DESERVE BETTER.

OUR FAMILY DESERVES BETTER.

NOT GONNA WORK DOWN THERE.

NEXT UP WE HAVE LAURA MASSENGALE.

HI, I'M LAURA SINGAL.

I'M GONNA SHOW YOU OUR COMMERCIAL, IF YOU'LL WATCH THAT FIRST, PLEASE.

THERE WAS A TIME BEFORE CANYONS OF HIGH RISE CONDOS AND AGGRAVATING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WHEN THINGS WERE A LITTLE BIT MORE.

WELL, AUSTIN, IN 1969, WE DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE CREATING AN AUSTIN ORIGINAL.

A LITTLE BIT OF PARADISE MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN.

YOU CAN STILL EXPERIENCE OLD AUSTIN AT ZILKER PARK BOAT RENTALS.

ZILKER PARK BOAT RENTALS OFFERS AN EASY, AFFORDABLE WAY TO UNPLUG WHILE FLOATING DOWN OUR BELOVED BARGAIN CREEK.

AUSTIN'S ENVIRONMENTAL TREASURE LOCATED DOWNSTREAM FROM BARTON SPRINGS POOL.

VISIT Z PARK BOAT RENTALS TODAY.

OKAY, SO THAT'S, THAT'S OUR, UM, COMMERCIAL AND THAT WAS MY MOTHER WHO SO ELOQUENTLY SPOKE.

UM, I JUST WANT TO PUT THE INTANGIBLES BEHIND THE NUMBERS OF THE REPORT, AND I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE, THE POSSIBILITY OF OUR BUSINESS NOT BEING THERE ANYMORE.

UM, THIS IS A PICTURE FROM THE ZILKER VISION PLAN, AND THIS IS WHAT SOMEONE HAS AN IDEA OF WHAT IT COULD LOOK LIKE.

AND I MEAN, I WOULD LOVE IF IT LOVE IT, IF IT COULD LOOK LIKE THAT.

CAN YOU SHOW THE NEXT PICTURE, PLEASE? THIS IS THE REALITY OF BARTON CREEK WHEN IT FLOODS.

WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH MANY FLOODS WITH NO FLOOD INSURANCE AND HAVE COME OUT OF POCKET TO REPLACE ALL OF OUR EQUIPMENT AND TO RESTORE THE SHORE, RESTORE THE BANKS, RESTORE THE ROAD THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN USES, UM, ON OUR OWN DIME.

AND IT'S NOT A PROBLEM.

WE LOVE IT.

WE'RE THE, WE'RE ARE REALLY DEDICATED TO THE COMMUNITY DOWN THERE.

WE LOVE WORKING IN BARTON CREEK.

WE LOVE THE PEOPLE.

WE HAVE BEEN DOWN THERE FOR 56 YEARS.

THEY'RE OUR COMMUNITY.

UM, WE'RE THE ONES WHO CALL, YOU KNOW, EMS IF SOMEBODY'S HURT, WE HAND OUT BAND-AIDS.

WE GIVE THEM SUNSCREEN.

WE GIVE DIRECTIONS TO THE BEST PLACE TO EAT.

WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE THE WELCOME CENTER OF BARTON CREEK.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE FLOODING, YES, IT HAPPENS, BUT WE, UM, WE ACCEPT THAT AND WE WORK WITH THE ENVIRONMENT.

IF YOU CAN SEE THE, THE, UM, THE CAGE IS WHAT WE CALL IT THAT WE BUILT.

IT'S SO THE WATER CAN FLOW THROUGH IT.

UM, SOMETIMES WE DON'T MAKE IT DOWN TO OUR BOATS A LOT OF THE TIMES WE DO.

UM, AND WE'VE BUILT RACKS UP ON THE HILL SO THAT WE CAN PUT ALL THE BOATS OUT OF THE FLOOD ZONE.

UM, I'M JUST, I JUST WANT YOU GUYS TO CONSIDER THAT WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MOVING US OUT AND PUTTING IN ALL THIS GRANDEUR THAT PEOPLE MAY HAVE IN MIND.

IT'S

[00:20:01]

IT'S A, IT'S A CREEK BED.

UM, AND WE LOVE BEING DOWN THERE.

WE LOVE OUR BUSINESS.

IT'S THE IDENTITY AND WE LOVE THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE.

UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE CRAIG NASER.

HELLO, MY NAME IS CRAIG NAZER.

I'M SPEAKING FOR THE SIERRA CLUB.

ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE SEEING ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY RIGHT NOW IS THE COMMODITIZATION OF NATURE.

AND IT'S REALLY GETTING BAD.

AND THE WAY THIS WORKS, I MEAN, IT, IT'S, IT, IT'S NOT JUST NATURE, IT'S A LOT OF THINGS.

I MEAN, I, I TAUGHT AT A CC, I'M RETIRED NOW.

AND YOU KNOW, A CC USES 70% PART-TIME PEOPLE AND THE PRESIDENT MAKES OVER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.

THAT'S A COMMODITIZATION, OKAY? BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY A WHOLE BUNCH OF FULL-TIME PEOPLE IF THEY'RE GONNA MAKE THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY.

I DON'T WANNA SEE THIS HAPPEN TO ZILKER PARK.

AND THERE HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTS TO DO THIS ALREADY, IN MY OPINION, WHAT WE SAW AS A ZILKER VISION PLAN.

AND I GET WHY THE CITY WANTS TO DO THIS, BECAUSE THE STATE LEGISLATURE SAID YOU CAN'T GET MONEY FROM, FROM COMMERCIAL, UH, DEVELOPMENT.

AND I WAS AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE ARGUING AGAINST THAT, BY THE WAY, JUST SO YOU KNOW, FOR THE SIERRA CLUB.

BUT I DON'T THINK WE CAN GIVE IN TO THIS IDEA ABOUT PAYING ONE PERSON TO TRY AND RUN IT ALL.

AND 'CAUSE WHAT YOU'LL FIND OUT, IF YOU LOOK INTO THAT ONE PERSON, THERE IS A PRESIDENT, YOU KNOW, AND I BET YOU THAT, THAT THAT CHAIR OR THAT PRESIDENT'S MAKING A LOT OF MONEY, YOU KNOW, AND SO WHAT IS THAT MONEY BEING TAKEN AWAY FOR? WHAT IS THAT, WHAT IS THAT MONEY DOING? HOW DOES THAT PREVENT PEOPLE OF AUSTIN FROM GETTING DOWN TO THE PARK TO ENJOY NATURE, WHICH IS WHAT PARKS ARE FOUR, UH, JUST A LITTLE BRIEF MENTION IS, UH, TEXAS STATE OF TEXAS HAS THE LARGEST TURTLE DIVERSITY OF ANY STATE IN, IN THE UNITED STATES, AND ONE OF THE BEST PLACE TO SERVE.

ALL KINDS OF SPECIES OF TURTLES ARE RIGHT THERE WHERE THE BOAT RENTAL IS, AND YOU CAN GET IN A CANOE OR KAYAK.

I MEAN, I'VE DONE THAT QUITE A BIT.

MOST PEOPLE MAYBE DON'T KNOW THAT, BUT IF YOU TAKE SOME LITTLE KID THAT LIKES TURTLES AND TAKES 'EM DOWN THERE, THEY'LL BE BLOWN AWAY.

JUST TOTALLY AMAZING.

SO ANYWAY, BE VERY CAREFUL WHAT YOU DO.

I'M NEUTRAL ON THIS BECAUSE I KNOW THE PARKS HAVE AN ISSUE WITH GETTING MY, I I UNDERSTAND THAT.

BE VERY CAREFUL WHAT YOU DO ABOUT MONETIZING NATURE AND EVENTUALLY TAKING ACCESS AWAY FROM YOUR AVERAGE CITIZEN.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS CHAIR.

NEXT UP WE HAVE PHIL THOMAS.

I'M PHIL THOMAS, A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT THREE.

FIRST, A BRIEF OVERVIEW IN REALITY CHECK.

THE TRAILS CONSERVANCY IS ABOUT TO QUIETLY TAKE OVER MANAGEMENT OF AN ENTIRE TOWN LAKE LADY, BIRD METROPOLITAN PARK SYSTEM FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS.

I STRESS QUIETLY BECAUSE THE PUBLIC HAS HAD NO SAY AND IS LARGELY UNAWARE OF THE TRANSITION FROM PUBLIC TO PRIVATE.

THIS AGREEMENT IS SPELLED OUT IN A PARK OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT OR PMA WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.

THE POMA FOCUSES ON NOT SO MUCH ON ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, BUT ON TTC REVENUE GENERATING OPPORTUNITIES PER THE POMA TTC WOULD CONTROL ALL BUT A FEW PART CONCESSIONS.

WHILE THEY ARE POISED TO BENEFIT FROM A CONSIDERABLE INCOME STREAM FROM BOATING, SUBS, CAFE, CONCESSION, AND EVEN EVENTS, THE POMA DOES NOT SPECIFY TTC TAKING ON ANY SIGNIFICANT NEW ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS.

THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE ONLY FOR MAINTAINING IMPROVEMENTS AND AMENITIES.

THEY THEMSELVES HAVE CREATED LEAVING PAR AND TAXPAYERS TO PICK UP THE REST.

GIVEN THE NEXT 50 YEARS OF THE METRO PARK SYSTEM IS CONCERNED, IT'S VITAL THAT WE PROCEED WITH TRANSPARENCY AND ACCURACY.

THIS CONCESSIONS REPORT DOES NOT PROVIDE EITHER.

AT THE LAST PARKS BOARD MEETING, THE REPORT AUTHORS ADMITTED THAT IT WAS ABBREVIATED AND NOT YET

[00:25:01]

COMPLETE.

IS IT COMPLETE? NOW, WHETHER COMPLETE OR NOT, THERE ARE AMPLE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS, AND HERE'S JUST A FEW.

PARD AND TTC HAVE NOT ANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT UNEVEN TREATMENT OF CO UH, CONCESSIONAIRES PROJECTIONS ARE LACKING ABOUT THE STATUS OF TTC BUILT PROJECTS AND MANAGED CONCESSIONS.

ALSO MISSING ARE 2024 METRICS ON PROTECTION AND MAINTENANCE OF LADY BIRD ECOSYSTEMS. WHY IS THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL CONCESSION SHOWING FUTURE CONTRACT EXTENSIONS WHEN IT HAS NOT MET FINANCIAL BENCH BENCHMARKS? AND AN EXPEDITION SCHOOL DOCK CONSTRUCTION IS REPEATEDLY POSTPONED.

TTC OFFERS PART ALTRUISTIC MANAGERIAL SERVICES, BUT HISTORY SHOWED THAT THE SERVICES ARE NOT ACTUALLY FREE.

DESPITE APPEARANCES THAT TTC IS WELL FUNDED, SEVERAL CITY DEPARTMENTS HAVE CONSISTENTLY SUPPORTED THEIR ACTIVITIES.

IN 20 23, 20 24, THE GROUP RECEIVED OVER A MILLION DOLLARS FOR VARIOUS ACTIVITIES SUCH AS LITTER EDUCATION PROGRAMS, HUMAN RESOURCES CONSULTING, TRAILS, MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION.

SO THE APPEARANCE OF TTC PHILANTHROPY IS REALLY BEING FUNDED BY UNWITTING TAXPAYER DONATIONS.

GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE POMA AND WITH AN RFP OUT THERE, IT WOULD BE A REAL TEMPTATION TO INCREASE IN DENSELY PACK CONCESSIONS AND EVENTS TO PROVIDE EVER MOUNTING REVENUES.

THE INEVITABLE UPTICK IN COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES AND PARK TRAFFIC IS BOUND TO STRESS THE LOCAL PARK'S ECOLOGICAL HEALTH.

WE HOPE THAT GIVEN THESE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS AND YOUR CONCERNS, YOU WILL DELAY OR ABSTAIN FROM APPROVING THE PARK CONCESSIONS REPORT TONIGHT, INCLUDING THE ISSUANCE OF AN RFP FOR YET ANOTHER CONCESSION IN THE TOWN LAKE METROPOLITAN PARK.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.

UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE BERTHA DELGADO.

MY NAME IS BERTA DELGADO AND I AM THE PRESIDENT OF EAST TOWN LAKE CITIZENS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.

AND I THINK I REMEMBER A FEW OF YOU THE LAST TIME I CAME.

I'M ALSO A CITY OF AUSTIN HOUSING COMMISSIONER, SO I DO SERVE ON A DAIS AS WELL.

I UNDERSTAND THE OATH THAT WE TAKE TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR OUR CITIZENS.

IT'S REALLY GOOD TO HEAR SO MANY STORIES TODAY.

UM, I'VE BEEN WATCHING THE COMMISSION IN THESE LAST COUPLE MONTHS AND I'VE BEEN SEEING OUR RESIDENTS COME OUT AND OUTCRY TO YOU ALL AND HOW THE TRANSPARENCY AND THE WAY THESE CONCESSION AGREEMENTS AND A LOT OF THIS BUSINESS THAT'S BEING TAKEN CARE OF WITH PARKS DEPARTMENT AND WITH TRAILS HAS BEEN INADEQUATE.

THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF RED FLAGS, RIGHT? THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONCERN.

I'M HERE TODAY UNPREPARED, GETTING HERE LATE, BUT TO EXPRESS TO YOU ALL THAT TRANSPARENCY IS NOT WHAT WE HAVE GOTTEN FROM TRES.

AS YOU CAN SEE, PASSING AROUND IS A PRESENTATION THAT WAS MADE WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH TRES, WHICH WE HAVE HAD ONE FOR NINE YEARS.

ARE WE CONCERNED TODAY? YES, WE ARE.

DUE TO THE LEADERSHIP OF KIMBERLY MCKINLEY, OUR FORMER, UH, PARKS DIRECTOR THAT MADE SOME REALLY POOR DECISIONS WHEN SHE WAS IN PARKS LEADERSHIP AND HOW SHE JUST AUTOMATICALLY GOT A POSITION AT TRES AND HOW THAT REALLY CONCERNED THE COMMUNITY.

AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE PRESENTATION THAT I AM SENDING YOU AROUND, THERE IS NO PROJECT CONVERSATION ABOUT OMA.

I HAVE LEARNED OMA, UH, FROM MY FELLOW COLLEAGUES, UH, FROM THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE JUST SPOKEN UP HERE.

IS THAT UNFORTUNATE? YES, IT IS.

SHOULD PARKS DEPARTMENT BE TEACHING US WHAT THE OMA AGREEMENT IS? THEY SHOULD, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE GONNA COME TO MY GRANDFATHER'S PARK IN A PARK THAT MY ANCESTORS AND AR VAIO IN EAST AUSTIN HAVE FOUGHT FOR.

WHAT DOES A CONCESSION MEAN? WHAT DOES A PROFIT OF A CONCESSION MEAN? DO MY RESIDENTS AND PEOPLE KNOW THAT SOME DON'T? HAVE I LEARNED WHAT THEY ARE? YES, I DO.

DO WE AGREE? NO, WE DON'T.

WE LOVE THE PRESERVATION OF OUR EDWARD RENDO AND HOLLY SHORES MASTER PLAN EAST OF 35.

WE LOVE THE TRAIL, WE LOVE THE WATER.

WE LOVE THE TRANQUILITY.

WE LOVE THE TREES.

WE LOVE THE GRASS.

WE DO NOT WANT OPERATING BUSINESS CONCESSIONS, ESPECIALLY IF PARKS OUR OWN CITY, WILL NOT BE PROFITING OFF OF IT.

WE DON'T WANT A NONPROFIT COMING IN AND CREATING CONCESSION AND ON THE WATER OR IN FRONT OF THE WATER, ESPECIALLY EAST OF

[00:30:01]

35.

THAT WAS NEVER AGREED.

THAT WAS NEVER DISCUSSED.

AND THAT WAS NEVER TRANSPARENT TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS A HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION THAT IS FOUNDED HERE IN EAST AUSTIN.

NEVER WAS THAT POEM AGREEMENT DISCUSSED WITH US.

AND WE JUST RECENTLY HIRED A NEW TRAIL, CEO AND A NEW PARKS DIRECTOR.

WE HAVEN'T EVEN MET THE PARKS DIRECTOR IF HE'S HERE TODAY.

HELLO, LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF.

I AM BETA DELGADO, GRANDDAUGHTER OF THE EDWARD RENDON PARK, WHICH IS 90 ACRES OF PARKLAND.

NOW WE ARE NOT IN AGREEMENT.

WE'RE ASKING FOR A POSTPONEMENT.

WHY? BECAUSE THERE'S A LARGE AMOUNT OF CONCERNS, THINGS THAT WERE BEING RUBBER STAMPED AND THINGS THAT WERE BEING SIGNED WHEN WE WERE NOT AWARE AND WE WERE NOT LOOKING.

THERE WAS NO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

AND AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE ANY EMPLOYEES OF TRAILS ON THIS COMMISSION, I HOPE THAT THEY ARE NOT INFLUENCED IN THIS DECISION AS WELL AS THEIR VOTE IS ABSTAINED BECAUSE IT IS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

AM I CONCERNED? I AM NOT EVEN JUST CONCERNED.

I'M UPSET THAT THE PMA AGREEMENT IS GONNA BE GIVEN TO THESE PEOPLE OF A NONPROFIT AND THEY WILL BE IN CHARGE OF OUR ENTIRE PARK AREA.

THAT THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE RESIDENTS KNOW.

THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WANT.

AND WE HOPE THAT THIS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND EVERY OTHER COMMISSION AND COUNCIL HEAR US LOUD AND CLEAR.

WE ARE ASKING FOR A POSTPONEMENT.

WE NEED TO SIT DOWN.

WE NEED TO FIGURE THIS OUT.

WE NEED TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING TABLE.

WE NEED TO DIGEST THIS POEM AGREEMENT.

AND WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GONNA HURT OUR PARKS AND OUR PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY OUR HISTORY, AND ESPECIALLY OUR HISTORY IN EAST AUSTIN.

UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE TED EUBANKS.

MY NAME IS TED EUBANKS.

FOR THE LAST 45 YEARS, I'VE WORKED IN PARKS IN THIS COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD AS A CERTIFIED INTERPRETIVE PLANNER.

I'VE ACTUALLY WORKED ON THESE SORTS OF REPORTS BEFORE, AND WHAT STRIKES ME IS THIS REPORT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU.

WHY ARE YOU EVEN SITTING HERE CONSIDERING IT TONIGHT? THIS IS NOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT.

THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH CARRYING CAPACITY.

THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE BENEFITS THAT COME FROM PUBLIC LAND.

THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH AIR QUALITY, WATER QUALITY, WATER QUANTITY, BIODIVERSITY, URBAN HEAT, ISLAND AMELIORATION, NOTHING AT ALL.

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU TO DO, AND I'LL MAKE IT VERY BRIEF, DO NOT VOTE ON THIS, REJECT THIS REPORT, ASK FOR A CODE CHANGE, AND LET'S START HAVING AN ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT FROM THESE CONCESSIONS THAT HAVE MEANING, HAS A MEANING.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS THAT ARE COMING FROM THESE CONCESSIONS? WHAT ARE THE COST? WHAT ARE THEY REINVESTING IN OUR PUBLIC LANDS? THE VOTERS OF THIS CITY DESERVE THAT.

CONCESSION REPORT CAME WITH NO ADVICE, COMMENT, OR RECOMMENDATION.

OKAY, THAT'S ALL THE SPEAKERS WE HAVE SIGNED UP FOR THE ITEM, SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.

UM, LET'S START WITH BRIMER COMMISSIONER BRIMER.

OKAY, I REMEMBERED TO UNMUTE MYSELF.

UH, OKAY, THANKS.

UH, LET'S SEE.

FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE PART STAFF FOR COMING TO A SECOND MEETING.

I KNOW THIS IS A LITTLE BIT UNUSUAL FOR YOU GUYS TO COME AND PARTY WITH US AGAIN, UH, ESPECIALLY ON THE CONCESSIONS REPORT.

ALSO, I'D LIKE TO THANK THEM FOR THE TIME THEY TOOK TO REVIEW AND ANSWER MY QUESTIONS THAT I HAD SUBMITTED VIA EMAIL.

AND I'D LIKE TO, UH, THANK THE NEW PAR DIRECTOR, JESUS, GARY, FOR COMING DOWN AND PARTICIPATING IN THIS MEETING.

I KNOW THIS WAS PROBABLY NOT HIS, UH, INTENTION, THE WAY HE WANTED TO SPEND THE EVENING, BUT I DO, UH, APPRECIATE HIS, UH, COMING DOWN AND PARTICIPATING IN THIS.

AND, UH, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO THE, UH, FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS THE COMMISSION.

UH, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO OUR COLLEAGUES OF THE PARTS BOARD, UH, I DON'T SEE IT AS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO RUBBER STAMP A DECISION MADE BY ANOTHER COMMISSION.

I SEE IT AS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO REVIEW THE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE MATERIAL PROVIDED BY STAFF AND, UH, MAKE AN INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT.

THE, UH, SEVEN TO ZERO RECOMMENDATION BY APPROVAL FOR APPROVAL BY THE CONCESSION ON THE

[00:35:01]

IN FACT, NO MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION, THE, UH, PARTS BOARD, IN FACT, CAME TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF IT.

IN FACT, ONE OF THEIR MEMBERS CAME AND SPOKE IN CLEAR OPPOSITION TO IT AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC.

NOW CITY CODE SAYS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MAY RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING, A CONTINUATION OF AN EXISTING CONCESSION TERMINATE A CONCESSION OR ISSUE A REVIEW OR AN RFP FOR A NEW OR EXPIRING CONCESSION.

NO SPECIFIC REASON MUST BE SPECIFIED TAKE FOR TAKING ONE OF THESE ACTIONS.

SO WE DO NOT HAVE TO ACT ON THE BASIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ALONE.

NOW, I, ALTHOUGH I APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK FROM, UH, THE PARED STAFF, UH, ON THE QUESTIONS, I DO HAVE A FEW, UH, FOLLOW UP COMMENTS.

FIRST OF ALL, THE CONCESSIONS GENERALLY HAVE NO PROVIDE NO ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS TO THE PARKS.

I'VE READ, UH, THE CONTRACTS FOR THE ROWING DOCK EXPEDITION SCHOOL, AUSTIN ROWING CLUB, THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY IN THE TEXAS ROWING CENTER, AND NONE OF THEM PROVIDE SPECIFIC, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS TO THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE AUSTIN PARKS.

NOW, THE, UH, TEXAS ROARING CENTER IS REQUIRED TO HAVE AN INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN, GENERAL WASTE MANAGEMENT PLANS, IT'S SUSTAINABILITY PLAN, HOUSEKEEPING PLAN, AND A MAINTENANCE PLAN.

THESE ARE NOT PART OF THE CONCESSION REPORT.

AND WHILE THESE ARE STRICTLY NOT REQUIRED TO BE PROVIDED BY THE, UH, CONCESSIONS REPORT, I MIGHT POINT OUT THAT, UH, THESE REPORTS OR THESE ANNUAL REPORTS THAT ARE PROVIDED BY THE TEXAS ROWING CENTER REALLY PROVIDE US THE ABILITY TO EVALUATE THEIR, UH, ABILITY TO SUPPORT THE ENVIRONMENT GOING FORWARD.

AND IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME WHY THESE WOULDN'T BE, UH, PROVIDED AS PART OF THE, UH, CONCESSIONS REPORT.

IN FACT, IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME WHY THE CONTRACTS FOR THE OTHER CONCESSIONS AREN'T REQUIRED TO PROVIDE SIMILAR REPORTS HAVING REVIEWED THEM.

AND I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I DIDN'T LAY THEM SIDE BY SIDE.

SO I MAY HAVE MISSED THINGS, BUT I DIDN'T SEE THAT THE OTHER, UH, CONCESSION CONTRACT THAT I REVIEWED, UH, HAD THESE AS REQUIREMENTS FOR THEM EITHER.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF INCONSISTENCY BETWEEN THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CONTRACTS.

NOW, PART OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT A CONTRACT SHOULD BE TERMINATED OR CONTINUED.

AND PART OF THAT IS MAKE SURE THAT THEY, UH, CONCESSIONAIRES HAS THE ABILITY TO PERFORM AGAINST THE CONTRACT AND THEREFORE PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT.

AND WE DON'T HAVE COPIES OF THE CONTRACT PROVIDED AS PART OF THE CONCESSION REPORT.

I OBTAINED COPIES THROUGH A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT I DID IN ORDER TO EVENTUALLY GET COPIES, BUT THESE SHOULD BE PROVIDED AS PART OF THE CONCESSIONS REPORT.

SO WE MAY BE ABLE TO EVALUATE THEM ALONG WITH THIS AND MAKE A FAIR EVALUATION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THESE CONCESSIONAIRES ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THE ENVIRONMENT AS A WHOLE.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, I THINK ALSO, UH, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHEN THE LAST TIME A, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE AUDIT OF THESE, UH, CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN PERFORMED.

AND BY ADMINISTRATIVE AUDIT SPECIFICALLY, I MEAN, UH, MOST OF THESE, UH, CONTRACTS REQUIRE CPR, UH, STATE, THEY REQUIRE CPR TRAINING, A ED TRAINING, SAFETY GEAR, CURRENT REQUIRE PERMITS, ADHERENCE TO CITY CODE ORDINANCES, EMPLOYEE BACKGROUND CHECKS.

IT'D BE NICE TO KNOW THAT THESE HAVE BEEN CHECKED BY PART ON A PERIODIC BASIS IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE CONCESSIONAIRE IS ACTUALLY ADHERING TO THE CONTRACT THEY'VE SIGNED UP FOR.

IT'S NOT CLEAR THAT THEY HAVE BEEN AUDITED TO CONFIRM THAT THEY ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CONTRACT.

THEY'VE SERVED WITH PART.

AND BASED ON THAT, IT'S HARD FOR US TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD TERMINATE THIS CONTRACT OR RECOMMEND THAT IT BE CONTINUED.

SECONDLY, THERE'S NEVER, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO VERIFICATION THAT THE FINANCES HAVE EVER BEEN, UH, AUDITED BY PART.

UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S MANY QUALIFICATIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S ESCROW ACCOUNTS ESTABLISHED, WHETHER THE CURRENT, UH, THE, THE CORRECT AMOUNTS ARE IN THERE, UH, WHETHER THE, UH, THE RECEIPTS MATCH, MATCH WHAT'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO PART, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME, YOU KNOW, THEIR INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL AUDITS ARE REQUIRED, WHETHER THOSE

[00:40:01]

HAVE BEEN DONE OR NOT HAS, YOU KNOW, THIS SORT OF THING.

THESE ARE ROUTINE THINGS THAT ARE ALLOWED BY THE CONTRACTS.

AND AGAIN, FINANCIAL COMPLIANCE WITH THE CONTRACT IS PART OF THE CONTRACT.

AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE PRESENTED TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND THE PARKS BOARD TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD RECOMMEND CONTINUED, UH, THE CONTINUATION OF A, UH, YOU KNOW, A CONTRACT OF A CONCESSIONAIRE OR NOT.

NOW, THESE ARE NOT STRICTLY REQUIRED BY, UH, CITY CODE.

HOWEVER, OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD TERMINATE, CONTINUE, OR ISSUE A NEW RFP FOR A CONCESSION.

THIS IS THE TYPE OF INFORMATION WE NEED IN ORDER TO MAKE THOSE TYPES OF RECOMMENDATIONS.

UH, NOW HAVING READ THOSE CONTRACTS, I FOUND AN ALARMING, YOU KNOW, NUMBER OF INCONSISTENCIES, UH, AS OPPOSED TO HOW SAFETY IS MANAGED FEES PAID TO THE CITY, EMPHASIS ON AFFORDABLE PRICING FOR UNDERPRIVILEGED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND REPORTING PRO, UH, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO PAR.

AND THERE'S NO DISCERNIBLE PRACTICE TO TRY TO REMEDY THESE DISCREPANCIES.

AND AGAIN, WHILE THIS IS NOT PART OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY, IT SHOWS A LACK OF ADEQUATE OVERSIGHT ON THE PART OF PART TO MAINTAIN A CONSISTENT MANAGEMENT OF THE CONTRACTS OF THE CONCESSIONAIRE OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.

THAT'S MY COMMENT ON THE WHOLE THING, AND I'LL PASS IT ON TO THE NEXT PERSON WHO HAS A COMMENT.

GATHERING FROM WHAT THE COMMUNITY INPUT IS, RIGHT? I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED BECAUSE THEY WANT TO LOOK AT THE REVENUE THAT COMES IN AND BE LIKE, OKAY, HOW IS THIS REVENUE BEING SPENT? RIGHT? SO I'M JUST ADDRESSING SORT OF WHAT I'M HEARING THE COMMUNITY CONCERNS ARE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE CONCERNED THAT, YOU KNOW, OKAY, IF Y'ALL JUST GET THE, THE REVENUE AND THE EXPENSES, RIGHT, ARE WE ABLE TO, TO DIG DEEP IN THAT DATA? UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FOR IF IT'S A PUBLIC AGENCY HANDLING THAT RIGHT, THEN THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT YES, YOU CAN FILE, I DON'T KNOW, A FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT IF THAT STILL EVEN EXISTS IN 2025, WHATEVER.

COMMISSIONER QURESHI.

HEY, Y'ALL APPRECIATE THE, UH, PARK STAFF FOR COMING THROUGH.

APPRECIATE, UH, THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR COMING THROUGH, GIVING THEIR INPUT.

UH, YEAH, YOU KNOW, READING THE POEM, UM, WELL READING THE DOCUMENTATION ABOUT THE POEM THAT WAS IN SORT OF THE REPORT, UM, WHICH SEEMS TO ME IS LIKE THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY IS MANAGING EPIC SUB OR SUP OR WHATEVER, UM, BECAUSE I GUESS PROJECT CONNECT IS CAUSING THEM TO MOVE, I THINK IN 2025, WHICH IS THIS YEAR, THEY'RE SCHEDULED TO GET THE ROWING CENTER.

UM, AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION MANAGES, UM, THE ZILKER EAGLE, RIGHT? UM, WHAT IS EXACTLY LIKE, ARE THEY REQUIRED TO GIVE REPORTS? WHAT SORT OF THE STRUCTURE THAT EXISTS FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE AWARE OF SORT OF THE, THE REVENUE AND THE SPENDING, UH, OF THAT MONEY THAT COMES IN? I WAS JUST CURIOUS.

WE BROKE THEM OFF.

SORRY.

UH, SO JUST TO, UH, KIND OF CLARIFY THE QUESTION.

SO CURRENTLY, UM, THE RELL CONSERVANCY, UM, THEY CURRENTLY, UH, MANAGE THE EPIC SUB AND UNDER THE EPIC SUB ALL THE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS, UM, THAT WE WOULD NORMALLY COLLECT IF WE WERE MANAGING, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT TO US.

THAT'S HOW WE'RE ABLE TO ACCOUNT FOR THE EXPENDITURES AND THE REVENUE, UM, WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF THE, UH, TEXAS ROWING CENTER.

THAT TWO APPLIES.

SO WHILE THERE IS, UH, AN ASSIGNMENT OF THE CONTRACT TO THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY, UM, THE TRAIL, UM, TO THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT ALL THAT DOCUMENTATION TO US AND WE TRACK, MAKE SURE THE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

I, I KNOW, UM, UM, COMMISSIONER BREMMER HAD MENTIONED ABOUT, UH, REPORTING AND, AND DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS.

SO ALL THAT IS TRACKED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RECEIVING THE DOCUMENTATION THAT IS REQUIRED.

UM, AND THAT INCLUDES, UM, IF THERE'S ANYTHING AS FAR AS, UH, REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AS CBI DOCUMENTATION, WHICH IS THE, UM, CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS THAT WE DO, THAT ALL HAS TO BE REPORTED BACK TO US.

UM, SO WHILE, YES, THEY ARE MANAGING, THEY ARE THE MANAGEMENT HOUSE PER SE OF THAT, THEY STILL ARE REQUIRED TO, ALL THAT REPORTING MATERIAL COMES DIRECTLY TO US AND WE TRACK THAT MATERIAL, THUS WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION IS WHY YOU EVEN CAN SEE IT IN THE EPIC SUB IN THE ANNUAL CONCESSION REPORT.

SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.

WAS THERE ANOTHER PART? I'M SORRY.

DID I MISS Y? YEAH, WELL, I THINK

[00:45:01]

BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, LIKE I'M JUST CURIOUS FOR WHAT THE PROCESS IS HERE.

'CAUSE MOVING FORWARD, RIGHT, IT WILL BE, UH, TWO ORGANIZATIONS THAT THEN ANSWER TO THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY.

UM, I'M SURE OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED POSSIBLY MORE, I MEAN, GOD KNOWS.

UM, BUT YEAH, I'M JUST SORT OF CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT SORT OF THE, THE PROCESS AND THE MECHANISM IS MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ZILKER EAGLE IS, IS RELATIVELY NEW, RIGHT? THAT'S BEING MANAGED BY AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION NOW.

UM, SO CERTAINLY I THINK THE COMMUNITY HAS QUESTIONS LIKE WILL FURTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, CONCESSIONS THAT ARE CREATED ALONG SORT OF THE, THE TRAIL SYSTEM BE MANAGED BY EITHER OF THESE NONPROFITS THAT, UH, PEOPLE OBVIOUSLY SEEM TO HAVE CONCERN WITH AS FAR AS LIKE PUBLIC VISIBILITY AS TO HOW THE REVENUE IS SPENT.

UM, I, I GUESS I'LL START AND THEN, AND THEN SORT OF THE, THE, THE TEAM CAN, CAN RESPOND A LITTLE BIT MORE BY, BUT I GUESS TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, UM, IN TERMS OF THE CONCESSIONS THAT THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY TAKES OVER, IT'LL BE THE ONES THAT, THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN OUR, UH, PARK OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT, WHICH IS THIS POMA THAT PEOPLE ARE DESCRIBING ABOUT NOW.

THE REQUIREMENT FOR THEM IS TO INVEST ALL OF THE REVENUES THAT ARE CREATED THERE INTO THE OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE, AND PROGRAMMING OF THE TRAIL AND THE SURROUNDING PARK AREAS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR.

SO WE COLLECT FROM THEM, UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR FINANCIAL INFORMATION THAT THEY SHARE, THEY HAVE AN AUDIT AND, AND THOSE THINGS.

NOW, WE ALSO HAVE FURTHER INFORMATION IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY'RE SPENDING ON MAINTENANCE, ET CETERA, THAT, THAT, THAT WE, WE REVIEW, I THINK AT, AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY ARE INVESTING MUCH MORE FUNDING ALREADY IN THEIR OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE AND, AND PROGRAMMING OF THE TRAIL THAN, THAN WHAT THEY'RE RECEIVING FROM CERTAINLY WHAT THEY'VE RECEIVING FROM SUP AND WHAT THEY'LL BE RECEIVING FROM THIS NEXT, UM, CONCESSION AS WELL.

THAT IS TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE RESTORATION WORK, SEEDS PLANTING, TREE PLANTING, RIP, UH, RESTORATION TO LARGER SCALE EVEN, UM, TEMPORARY ART AT THE SITE TO, UH, THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE EXECUTING, UM, WITHIN THE SITE.

HI.

UM, SO JUST TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT, I WANTED TO ALSO CLARIFY.

THERE WAS SOME COMMUNICATION EARLIER ABOUT, UH, CONCESSIONS WITHIN THE ZILKER PARK AREA THAT I JUST WANNA CLARIFY.

THOSE DO NOT FALL UNDER THE OMA WITH THE TTC, UH, THAT'S NOT WITHIN THAT AREA.

SO JUST TO CLARIFY, I THINK WE HEARD FROM ZILKER BOAT RENTALS AND HEARD ABOUT ROWING DOCK.

THOSE ARE NOT WITHIN THE AREA, THOSE ARE CONSIDERED ZILKER PARK.

UM, SECOND, UH, WHAT, WHAT, YOU KNOW, A PART OF THE PARK OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT.

UM, JUST TO CLARIFY AS WELL, BEFORE THAT WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL, WE DID GO THROUGH A ROBUST, UH, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UM, THAT INCLUDED ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, WHICH WE DID COME TO AND, UH, PRESENT ON AS WELL AS PARKS BOARD, SEVERAL TIMES, PARKS, UH, OUR CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE WITHIN THE PARKS BOARD, UM, AND COUNCIL TWICE.

WE WERE ALSO DIRECTED TO BRIEF COUNSEL EVERY COUNCIL OFFICE, UH, PRIOR TO EXECUTING AND MAKE IT PUBLICLY AVAILABLE BEFORE WE EXECUTED THE OMA.

SO THE OMA WAS, UH, PROVIDED, UM, WAS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE BEFORE IT WAS EXECUTED, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, FINAL APPROVED BY COUNSEL.

SO JUST TO, TO GIVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL PROCESS THAT OCCURRED, UM, ANNUALLY, THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY, UH, PRO PROVIDES A, WHAT WE CALL A ID ANNUAL IMPLEMENTATION DOCUMENT.

SO THOSE ARE THE ACTIVITIES THAT, UH, THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE AND PROGRAMMING ACTIVITIES FOR THE NEXT YEAR.

UH, THAT IS PRESENTED TO THE POMA MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AS WELL AS TO, UM, WE THEN CIRCULATE THAT TO 38 STAFF MEMBERS FOR THIS PAST PMA, A ID, UH, TO REVIEW, UH, TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK, UH, TO ASK QUESTIONS, AND THEN TO POTENTIALLY ADD PROJECTS OR ACTIVITIES THAT THE CITY STAFF WOULD LIKE TO ALSO SEE AND OR COLLABORATE ON.

SO, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THE YEAR BEFORE THAT, WE HAD 39 STAFF REVIEW IT THIS PAST YEAR, IT WAS 38 STAFF REVIEW, PROVIDE FEEDBACK, AND WE GO THROUGH THREE FORMS, FORMATS OF REVIEW, UH, BEFORE IT IS, HAS FINAL APPROVAL WITH THE DIRECTOR, UM, THAT IS THE ACTUAL OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES.

[00:50:01]

SO, UM, THAT IS AN ANNUAL REQUIREMENT PER THE POMA AND, UM, THAT IS SUBMITTED TO US, UH, IN OCTOBER.

AND THEN FINAL APPROVAL IS GIVEN BEFORE THE NEXT, UH, CALENDAR YEAR, IF THAT HELPS TO CLARIFY SOME OF THE REVIEW OF THE ACTIVITIES.

UH, THE AMOUNT, YOU KNOW, THE VALUE OF THE ACTIVITIES, UH, COMES TO FROM DIRECT COSTS IS OVER $3 MILLION.

UM, THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE VOLUNTEER IMPACT THAT THEY ALSO AND STEWARDSHIP ACTIVITIES AT THE SITE.

SO THERE'S THAT IMPACT AS WELL.

UH, PAR DOES NOT, UM, HAVE STAFFING TO DIRECTLY MANAGE VOLUNTEER PROJECTS AT THAT SITE, AND THAT IS ONE OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT IS WITHIN THE OMA THAT IS A RESPONSIBILITY OF THAT PARTNER AT THE SITE.

AND, UM, SO AGAIN, JUST ONE OF THE, THE ADDED AND, UH, BENEFITS OF HAVING A PARTNER AT THAT SITE.

YEAH, FOR SURE.

APPRECIATE THE INSIGHT.

YOU KNOW, UM, CERTAINLY THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY DOES A LOT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND FOR, YOU KNOW, THAT AREA THE SAME TIME, I'VE NEVER SEEN A C-LEVEL PERSON OF THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY BE LIKE, I'M BROKE, I CAN'T PAY MY RENT, OR, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO HAVE A GOFUNDME FOR THIS.

SO CERTAINLY I UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ARE, ARE CONCERNED.

UM, SO IF I, IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, IT SOUNDS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE MONEY THAT COMES IN FROM, UH, THESE CONCESSIONS, THEY KIND OF GO INTO LIKE A, A GENERAL POT, IF YOU WILL, THAT THEY SPEND ON LIKE THE WHOLE TRAIL AND, UM, OR LIKE THE AREA OF THE TRAIL AND ALSO SOUNDS LIKE THE, UH, THE POMA COMMITTEE THAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO, THAT'S LIKE A, LIKE AN INTERNAL PARD COMMITTEE OR, UH, COMMITTEE, RIGHT.

THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY LIKE A, A PUBLIC BODY PER SE.

IT'S CITY STAFF, SO IT'S, SORRY, IT'S, UH, CITY STAFF.

SO IT'S NOT JUST PARD STAFF.

WE DO HAVE, I BELIEVE, THREE MEMBERS OF THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT IS ALSO ON THE OMA MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE.

WE HAVE PUBLIC WORKS, URBAN TRAILS IS ON THE OMA MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE.

WE HAVE, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ART AND PUBLIC PLACES IS ON THE OMA MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, UM, INCLUDING, UH, PART STAFF FROM OPERATIONS, FROM SPECIAL EVENTS, FROM CONTRACTS, UM, AND THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT STAFF.

AND THEN THE, UH, I BELIEVE YOU SAID A ID REPORT, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

UM, IS THAT LIKE AVAILABLE PUBLICLY SOMEWHERE? WHERE EXACTLY IS THE SITUATION REGARDING THAT? UM, THAT IS NOT ON OUR WEBSITE, BUT WE CAN MAKE THAT, I MEAN, IT'S NOT THAT IT'S NOT, IT'S JUST THAT IT IS A ROBUST, UM, I WANNA SAY IT'S ABOUT 90 PAGES LONG, UM, BUT WE CAN MAKE IT PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.

IT'S JUST THE ROBUSTNESS OF THAT DOCUMENT.

HEY, LISTEN MAN, IF IT'S ONE THING I'VE LEARNED FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION STUFF, BE ROBUST FOR SURE.

UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK, YEAH, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE JUST SORT OF CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC VISIBILITY AND, UH, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY IF WE LOOK AT STUFF LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE HOME INITIATIVE AND SORT OF JUST LIKE THE, THE SPEEDING UP AND, YOU KNOW, ELIMINATION OF, OF CERTAIN, UH, PROCESSES IN ORDER TO, TO SPEED UP DEVELOPMENT AND, AND BRING IN MONEY, RIGHT? I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE JUST CONCERNED THAT THEY FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE QUOTE UNQUOTE AVERAGE, YOU KNOW, RESIDENT, UH, LOSES A LITTLE BIT OF THEIR, THEIR VOICE AND SORT OF VISIBILITY INTO THE PROCESS AS A WHOLE.

UM, SO I'M CERTAINLY MINDFUL OF THAT.

UH, DON'T GET ME WRONG, THE C FOLKS ARE WAY SMARTER THAN I AM, SO I TEND TO TRUST THEM MOST OF THE TIME.

UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I DO THINK VISIBILITY INTO THE WHOLE PROCESS IS DEFINITELY GOOD.

UM, SO AS FAR AS LIKE THE POEM, AND I FEEL LIKE THE POEM IS KIND OF JUST LIKE DOMINATED THIS WHOLE THING, RIGHT? LIKE, NOBODY CARES ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE AT THIS POINT.

UM, LIKE IS THERE SOMETHING BEYOND A PHASE TWO? LIKE, I'M NOT REALLY SUPER FAMILIAR ABOUT THE POEM.

I NEVER REALLY SAW IT LIKE LISTED ON THE BACKUP DOCUMENT, SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, LIKE EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT PHASE TWO THIS YEAR.

IS THERE LIKE A PHASE THREE WHERE THE TERMINATOR COMES? LIKE WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING ON HERE? SORRY.

UH, THERE IS A PHASE THREE, AND I, I JUST TO, UM, ALSO REITERATE THE PHASES.

SO, UH, WHEN THE PALMA WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF REVIEW AND APPROVAL AND COUNCIL APPROVAL, UH, THE PHASES AS WELL AS THE ZONING OF THE SITE WERE INCLUDED IN THE, UH, OMA.

SO THAT HAS ALL BEEN AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE, THE APPROVAL PROCESS OF THE OMA AND IS THE GUIDING DOCUMENT, THE A ID IS REALLY NAILING INTO THE ACTIVITIES OF THAT YEAR.

SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, VERY SPECIFIC TO LIKE THE TYPE OF TREES THAT ARE BEING PLANTED, UH, TO THE

[00:55:01]

SITE, TO THE AMOUNT OF MULCH, TO THE AMOUNT OF, UH, UH, THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AT THE SITE, THE MAINTENANCE OF THAT.

SO JUST TO KIND OF CLARIFY, THE, THE DIFFERENCES OF BOTH THE POMA DID INCLUDE THE PHASES AND THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WITHIN THE PHASES.

UM, AND THEN THE A ID IS REALLY GETTING INTO THE DRILLING DOWN ON THOSE ACTIVITIES.

UM, SO THE QUESTION ABOUT PHASE THREE, WHICH WAS, AGAIN, IT IS, UH, AVAILABLE, IT'S IN THE PMA AND IT DOES INCLUDE ADDITIONAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES THAT THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY WILL BE TAKING ON.

SO AGAIN, THIS WAS DRAFTED FOR KNOWING THE CAPACITY WOULD BE AN ISSUE AND ALSO, UM, FOR, FOR PAR TO ALSO UNDERSTAND THE CAPACITY TOO.

SO IT'S FOR THE CITY AND FOR THE PARTNER AT THE SITE TO MANAGE THE SITE RESPONSIBILITY RESPONSIBLY.

SO THAT, UM, THERE WAS A SMOOTH TRANSITION INTO EACH PHASE, PHASE TWO.

UM, I MEAN, I, I CAN PROVIDE THE, THE OMA A LINK TO THE OMA, BUT, UH, JUST SOME EXAMPLES, IT WOULD BE THE MAINTENANCE OF THE BATHROOMS WOULD MOVE TO THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY.

UM, THERE'S JUST KIND OF LIKE A, YOU KNOW, DRILL DOWN ON THOSE ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD MOVE TO TTC BEING PRIMARY IS WHAT WE SAY, AND TO PAR BEING SECOND SECONDARY.

SO THAT'S KIND OF A TRANSITION FROM PRIMARY TO SECONDARY.

UM, AND FROM WITH PAR BEING SECONDARY AND WITH TTC BEING PRIMARY, IT'S A LARGE SITE, SO IT'S HARD TO GET, YOU KNOW, TO TALK THROUGH EVERY SINGLE PIECE.

BUT THAT IS WHAT THE, THAT PLAN WOULD, THAT I CAN PROVIDE AND IS AVAILABLE.

YEAH, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I'M CERTAINLY NOT A, UH, A TEA LEAF READER BY TRADE, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT HAS BECOME SOMEWHAT APPARENT TO ME IS THAT CITY BUDGET IS GONNA BECOME INCREASINGLY TIGHTER AS TIME GOES BY.

YOU KNOW, THE STATE GOVERNMENT HATES US AND THEY WANNA SEE US ALL BURN IN OUR OWN FLAMES.

SO, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE GONNA BE INCREASINGLY TIGHTER.

AND I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THAT MEANS THAT MORE AND MORE PART RESPONSIBILITIES WILL HAVE TO GO TO DIFFERENT NONPROFITS.

APPRECIATE IT, COMMISSIONER FLURY.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST CURIOUS, DO Y'ALL SEE THIS LIKE A GENERAL TREND THAT MORE SERVICES WILL BE, UH, CONTRACTED OUT TO, UH, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN NONPROFITS AS WELL AS CONCESSIONS? WHAT'S JUST Y'ALL'S, UH, GENERAL TAKE ON THE SITUATION? AND IF IT GETS YOU FIRED, YOU CAN TOTALLY JUST SAY NO COMMENT.

YEAH, YEAH.

I MEAN, I'LL TAKE THAT SO SHE DOESN'T GET FIRED.

UM, NO, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION, RIGHT? AND, AND AS YOU SAID, WE CAN ALL, WE CAN ALL LOOK AROUND AND UNDERSTAND SORT OF WHAT THE CHALLENGES ARE FOR THIS CITY AND OTHER CITIES.

UH, I THINK FROM A PARKS AND RECREATIONS, UH, DEPARTMENT STANDPOINT, OUR GOAL ISN'T NECESSARILY TO, TO IDENTIFY OTHER, OTHER SPACES OR OTHER FUNCTIONS THAT WE, WE WILL GIVE OUT TO OTHER PARTNERS.

OUR GOAL IS TO IDENTIFY OTHER RESOURCES AND, AND FOR EXAMPLE, COUNCIL HAS CHARGED US, UH, WITH TAKING A LOOK AT, UH, IDENTIFYING OTHER SOURCES OF PERMANENT FUNDING, INCLUDING ADDITIONAL PARTNERSHIPS.

SO I'M NOT SAYING THOSE ARE OFF THE TABLE, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT EVERYTHING, WHETHER THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE'RE A GENERAL OF FUNDED, UM, DEPARTMENT, SO WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T RAISE RATES OR WE DON'T DO OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO GET TOUGH FOR US.

I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE, WE, WE WANNA PROVIDE THE SERVICE THAT WE CAN FOR THE, FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND VISITORS OF THE CITY, AND WE'RE GONNA DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE, AND WE'RE GONNA IDENTI LOOK TO IDENTIFY OTHER RESOURCES IF WE CAN FEEL THAT.

NO FURTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.

THERE'S NO QUESTION IN MY MIND IN WHAT I'VE SEEN AND WHAT I'VE READ, THAT THERE'S ADDITIONAL VALUE THAT THE CONSERVANCY PROVIDES THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE OTHERWISE.

UH, GOOD AFTERNOON.

UM, UH, THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR COMING.

UH, GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT ARE KIND OF RELATED TO COMMENTS WE'VE HEARD FROM THE, THE, THE, THE PUBLIC AND, UH, WHAT MY, UH, COMMISSIONER COUNTERPART JUST ASKED ON, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S CLEARLY CONCERN ABOUT, UH, AS I THINK YOU WORDED THE, THE PRIMARY, UH, OPERATORS BEING THE, THE, THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY AND THE PARKS BOARD TAKING A ALMOST A SECONDARY SEAT, KIND OF THIS IDEA OF, UH, PRIVATE OPERATION TAKING OVER PUBLIC LAND.

AND WE'VE HEARD KIND OF THE, THE, THE PMA PHASE TWO, UM, AND, AND, AND SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY IS GONNA TAKE OVER ALL OF THE CONCESSIONS ON THE LAKE.

I KNOW IT'S NOT ALL OF 'EM, BUT JUST THAT SENTIMENT, I WAS WONDERING HOW Y'ALL KIND OF RESPOND TO SOME OF THESE, UH, GENERAL SENTIMENT.

CAN YOU SPEAK UP FOR THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY? WHY ARE Y'ALL SUPPORTING THIS TRANSITION? SURE.

UM, I MEAN, I, I THINK, I THINK, AND, AND GRANTED I'M FIVE WEEKS INTO THIS JOB, BUT I, I DO AS, AS CHRISTINE SAID AT THE BEGINNING, THERE IS CLEAR VALUE TO WHAT THE TRAILS, UH, CONSERVANCY'S BRINGING TO THIS WORK IN TERMS OF THE THINGS THAT THEY DO THAT WE WOULDN'T OTHERWISE BE ABLE TO DO AS APART FROM RECREATION DEPARTMENT, FROM THE MAINTENANCE FROM OPERATIONS AND, AND SOME OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE, THE AMENITIES THAT THEY'VE CONSTRUCTED.

[01:00:01]

I THINK, I THINK THERE, THERE ARE LOTS AND LOTS OF QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, INFORMATION AND TRANSPARENCY, AND I THINK THOSE ARE GOOD QUESTIONS TO BE ASKING, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK WITH A CONSERVANCY TO, TO, TO PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.

UH, AS CHRISTINE SAID, THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT LAYERS ALREADY OF, OF, UM, HOOPS SO TO SPEAK, THAT WE'RE ASKING THEM TO JUMP THROUGH AS WE GO THROUGH THAT.

UM, BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, PART OF, PART OF WHY THE POMO WAS, WAS, UM, UH, STRUCTURED THE WAY IT WAS, IS BECAUSE THIS, AS CHRISTINE SAID, THIS IS A BIG JOB.

WE'VE ALL BEEN ON THE TRAIL, WE SEE ALL THE PARK SPACES.

SO, UH, FOR A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION TO COME IN AND FROM DAY ONE BE ABLE TO TAKE OVER EVERYTHING, THAT WOULD BE REALLY DIFFICULT.

UH, AND SO THAT'S WHY IT'S BEEN PHASED, AND WE WANT THEM TO BUILD CAPACITY, AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE HAVING ACCESS TO THE CONCESSIONS.

UH, YOU KNOW, ONE BENEFIT, UM, THAT THE, TO HAVE THOSE CONCESSIONS GO DIRECTLY TO THE CONSERVANCY IS THAT AS WE COLLECT THOSE FUNDS, THEY GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND, UH, WHICH IS SORT OF THE LARGER POOL FOR THE CITY.

NOT TO SAY THAT, THAT WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE GET PLENTY, WE GET FUNDING FROM THE GENERAL FUND, BUT IT'S HARDER FOR US TO DIRECT WHERE IT GOES.

THIS GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO DIRECT THE CONSERVANCY, TO INVEST THOSE DOLLARS DIRECTLY ONTO THE TRAIL, NOT THOSE SPACES.

SO WOULD YOU SAY THIS IS A MODEL WE MIGHT SEE REPEATED IN WITH, WITH OTHER PARKS AND OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY? UM, I, I DON'T KNOW.

I THINK IT IS A MODEL THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY.

SO THERE'S A PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY, UH, THERE'S A SHOAL CREEK CONSERVANCY, THERE'S A WATER OF GREENWOOD CONSERVANCY.

SO THESE ARE MODELS THAT EXIST.

THESE ARE MODELS, FRANKLY, THAT EXIST ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

UM, YOU KNOW, I CAME HERE FROM SEATTLE AND I WAS IN WASHINGTON, DC BEFORE THERE, AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

IT'S, IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, TO THE, TO THE OTHER COMMISSIONER'S POINT, IT'S A RESPONSE TO THE NEED FOR BOTH ADDITIONAL FUNDING, BUT ALSO ADDITIONAL EXPERTISE.

I THINK PARTNERSHIPS ARE, ARE VALUABLE, NOT JUST BECAUSE THEY GENERATE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, UM, WHETHER IT'S IT'S LABOR OR VOLUNTEERS OR, OR FUNDING.

IT ALSO IS HELPFUL FOR US BECAUSE THEY CAN DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND FASTER THAN WE CAN IN GOVERNMENT.

THEY JUST CAN, UH, ADDITIONALLY, OUR PARTNERS BRING IN THEIR OWN CONSTITUENCIES THAT WE DON'T OFTEN HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO.

AND THAT'S REALLY AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR JOB.

SO I THINK IS, IS THERE A TREND TOWARDS MORE PARTNERSHIPS? I THINK THAT'S THE CASE NATIONALLY, AND IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN THE CASE FOR PROBABLY THE LAST 10, 15 YEARS ALREADY.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

YEAH, THANK YOU.

UM, AND THEN, UH, LAST QUESTION, AND I'M GONNA BE KIND OF BLUNT ON THIS ONE.

UM, WHEN I LOOK AT THE ANNUAL CONCESSION REPORT, I THINK THIS COMES FROM A COMMENT FROM IN THE PUBLIC OF ASKING WHAT ARE THE METRICS THERE? WHAT, WHAT IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT? UM, I SEE A FEW RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT I DON'T QUITE SEE NUMBERS AND HOW WE'RE MEASURING, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT FROM THESE CONCESSIONS.

AND WONDER IF YOU COULD CLARIFY THAT? SURE.

I MEAN, AND, AND I THINK I'LL LET THE TEAM RESPOND AS WELL.

I, I MEAN, WE WOULD WELCOME GUIDANCE ON QUESTIONS TO BE ASKING WITH REGARDS TO THIS.

SO, SO THIS, YOU KNOW, STAFF HAS DONE A GREAT JOB IN BEING, BEING RESPONSIVE TO THE SPECIFIC CITY CODE THAT TASKS US WITH THIS REPORT.

UH, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I WON'T READ IT TO YOU, BUT, BUT WE ARE BEING RESPONSIVE TO THAT.

I THINK THE LAST REPORT THAT THE DEPARTMENT MADE TO THIS COMMISSION, WE RECEIVED ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM YOU ALL TO, TO DIG MORE DEEPLY INTO SOME OF THOSE THINGS.

AND, AND, AND THOSE, WE'VE RESPONDED TO THOSE AS WELL.

SO WE CERTAINLY WELCOME ADDITIONAL, UH, POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE CAN WORK WITH YOU ON SPECIFIC THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, UH, IN TERMS OF METRICS.

UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WELCOME, UH, A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT, WHAT TYPES OF METRICS YOU'D LIKE TO LOOK AT AND, AND, YOU KNOW, REMEMBERING HOWEVER, THAT AT LEAST IN, IN THE, FOR THE CURRENT CONCESSIONAIRES, THERE ARE EXISTING CONTRACTS THAT ALREADY ARTICULATE WHAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO DO.

SO IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL THINGS, AND WE'D HAVE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT AMENDING AND DOING THOSE TYPES OF THINGS AS WELL.

UH, I, I THINK IT'S JUST PRETTY HARD TO LOOK AT THE REPORT RIGHT NOW AND SEE IF THINGS ARE IMPROVING OR GETTING, UM, WHERE THEY ARE TODAY VERSUS WHERE THEY ARE, WHERE YOU WANT TO GO IN THE FUTURE.

UM, FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL STANDPOINT.

FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL STANDPOINT, SURE.

THAT, UH, IT, THERE'S SOME REPORTING OF NUMBERS, BUT NOT NECESSARILY A MORE IN DEPTH ANALYSIS OF, OF, OF WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO MEET.

WAS IT, WHAT, WHAT IS THE GOAL? UM, YEP.

AND, AND, AND THAT WOULD'VE IMPROVE THE PLAN.

YEP.

ANYTHING TO ADD? IT'S ALREADY, OKAY.

SORRY.

UM, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT, UM, WE DO PARTNER WITH AUSTIN, UH, WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION.

AND SO, UM, WE'VE HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE THE CONCESSIONAIRES AT MEETINGS, TO TALK ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE VARIOUS, THE TOXIC ALGAE, THE KOBO WEEDS, AND HOW WE PROTECT, HOW IT PROTECTS, UM, THE ANIMALS AND THE ECOSYSTEM.

AND SO THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE ARE HAVING, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.

SO WE DO WELCOME UM, ANY SUGGESTIONS YOU CAN, UM, BEARING IN MIND THAT WE, IT HAS TO BE WITH SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, ACHIEVE WITHIN WHAT WE HAVE WITHIN OUR CONSTRAINTS.

SO, UM, AND, AND STAFFING.

WITH AUSTIN, UH, WITH WATERSHED TO HELP US WITH THAT.

SO, BUT, UM, YEAH, SO WE'RE OPEN EVEN IF THAT'S, UH, ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS

[01:05:01]

UM, BUT WE DO, WE WELCOME THAT AND, YOU KNOW, TO INCLUDE IN ANY FUTURE REPORTING.

CAN I, SORRY, BY THE END OF THE NIGHT, WE'LL GET IT.

UH, YOU KNOW, JUST TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF, OF JUST PERSPECTIVE IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, THE ROLE, THE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION, THERE, THERE'S AN INHERENT CONFLICT IN WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? LIKE, WE ARE CHARGED WITH STEWARDSHIP OF THE LAND THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE MANAGING, UH, AND OTHER AMENITIES, BUT WE'RE ALSO CHARGED WITH ACTIVATING AND PROGRAMMING AND PROVIDING ACTIVITIES FOR THE PUBLIC.

SO THERE'S THAT CONFLICT, AND, AND I THINK THIS COMMISSION IS, IS WELL POSITIONED TO, TO HELP US THINK THROUGH HOW WE RESPOND TO THAT CONFLICT.

YOU KNOW, WE COULD SAY, I, I'M NOT ADVOCATING, AND, AND, AND HOPEFULLY I WON'T GET FIRED FOR THIS, BUT WE COULD SAY WE DON'T WANT ANY CONCESSIONS ON THE LAKE.

IF WE AS A COMMUNITY DECIDED THAT WAS A CASE, THAT WOULD BE A CONVERSATION WE WOULD'VE TO HAVE, BECAUSE WE DECIDED, LET'S SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IS TO, TO, TO, UM, SIGNIFICANT.

I DON'T THINK WE'RE THERE, BUT I THINK THAT'S KIND OF THE, THE PART OF THE CONVERSATION.

AND I THINK WHEN I, WHEN I HEAR COMMUNITY MEMBERS EXPRESS THOSE CONCERNS, I THINK THOSE ARE VALID CONCERNS.

AND I THINK THOSE ARE THINGS THAT, THAT THE MORE THAT WE WORK TOGETHER TO IDENTIFY THE IMPACTS THAT EITHER THESE CONCESSIONS OR JUST THE PEOPLE ON THE LAKE OR THE PEOPLE DRIVING AROUND, OR THE PEOPLE ON THE TRAIL, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOTTA HAVE TO CONTINUE TO, TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, TO DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN TO PRESERVE THE ASSETS THAT WE HAVE.

THANK Y'ALL.

NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.

COMMISSIONER KRUEGER.

COMMISSIONER SIERRA, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR, FOR COMING BACK HERE TODAY.

THANK YOU TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO ALSO MADE THE TRIP BACK.

UM, I'M JUST STRUCK BY HOW IMPORTANT THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE, I THINK, FOR BUILDING PUBLIC TRUST, UM, AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

AND I FEEL LIKE I'VE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM THE CONVERSATION HERE TONIGHT AND FEEL LIKE I'M IN A MUCH BETTER POSITION TO UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION AT HAND, WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THE QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS IAN FLURRY.

I THINK I HAD A LOT OF THOSE, THOSE QUESTIONS MYSELF.

UM, AND I THINK THIS IS A QUESTION FOR US, AS YOU BROUGHT UP, AS A CITY, HOW DO WE BALANCE, UM, PRESERVING OUR, OUR WILD AND IMPORTANT PLACES WHILE ALSO MAKING THEM ACCESSIBLE TO DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC? BECAUSE WHAT ACCESSIBILITY LOOKS LIKE TO ME, MIGHT BE DIFFERENT TO SOMEONE ELSE AS SOMEONE WHO OWNS A PADDLE BOARD VERSUS SOMEONE WHO MIGHT NEED TO RENT A PADDLEBOARD.

SO I THINK THIS IS AN IMPORTANT THING FOR ALL OF US AS A CITY TO WRESTLE WITH.

HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE BALANCE, BALANCE THOSE THINGS? AND SO I JUST APPRECIATE HEARING FROM CITY STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY THAT I THINK WE'RE ALL ASKING THAT SAME QUESTION, UM, AND MAYBE HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS ABOUT HOW THAT COULD LOOK.

I ALSO THINK IT WAS HELPFUL FOR ME TO HEAR, UM, SOME OF THE LIMITATIONS THAT CITY STAFF HAS IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTATION AND HOW THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY AND OTHERS CAN PICK UP THE HELM.

I ALSO THINK IT'S COMPLETELY VALID AND APPROPRIATE FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO THEN SAY, ALL RIGHT, IF WE'RE ENTRUSTING THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY WITH THIS RESPONSIBILITY, THEN WE NEED TO SEE, YOU KNOW, MORE INFORMATION TO BUILD THAT TRUST.

SO AGAIN, I, I REALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE, WHERE EVERYONE IS COMING FROM HERE.

UM, I THINK GIVEN THAT FUNDING DOES COME OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND, I ALWAYS THINK IT'S INTERESTING THAT OFTENTIMES WE SEEMINGLY HAVE AN ENDLESS AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR INCREASING THE POLICE BUDGET, SAY, BUT NOT THE PARK'S BUDGET.

SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A MECHANISM THAT YOU CAN USE TO KIND OF SAFEGUARD, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, THE STEWARDSHIP OF THE PARK.

UM, AND SO I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW.

I JUST AM GRATEFUL TO EVERYONE WHO CAME.

I THINK THIS CONVERSATION WAS SO IMPORTANT.

I'M FEELING ENCOURAGED ABOUT SOME OF THE LANGUAGE THAT WE HAVE COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE TONIGHT.

AND JUST THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU FOR COMING TONIGHT.

AND, UM, IT'S GREAT TO HEAR ALL OF THE SPECIFIC CONCERNS FROM THE PUBLIC.

I, UM, KNOW THAT WE'RE, WE'RE DEFINITELY TASKED WITH LOOKING AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE CONCESSIONS, BUT I, I DO WANNA ASK ABOUT, DUE TO ALL THE PUBLIC CONCERN, UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE POMA MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, AND IT SOUNDED LIKE, UH, A LARGE AMOUNT OF STAFF, UH, PARTICIPATING IN THAT.

IS THERE A COMMUNITY INPUT PROCESS WITH THAT PMA REVIEW? UM, SO, SO THE ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE IT'S IS FOR THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES, UM, WHICH IS WHY IT IS A STAFF REVIEW.

SO IT IS ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES, UH, THAT AND THE COLLABORATIVE NATURE OF THAT BETWEEN ALL OF THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE OPERATING AT THE SITE.

UM, SO NO, IT

[01:10:01]

IS NOT A PUBLIC COMMITTEE.

UH, NOW THE, FOR THE PROGRAMMING SIDE, UM, WHERE AND OTHER PROJECT SPECIFICS.

SO IF TTC IS SEEKING TO DO A CAPITAL PROJECT OR, UH, AN EVEN A PUBLIC ART PROJECT.

SO FOR PROJECTS AT THE SITE, THERE IS A REQUIREMENT OF COMMUNITY, UH, ENGAGEMENT AND INPUT THAT THE CITY ALSO OVERVIEWS OVERSEES AS WELL IN COLLABORATION WITH TTC.

UH, BUT FOR THESE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES THAT THE POMA MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE IS REVIEWING, UM, AND NOT APPROVING THAT IS FINAL APPROVAL IS AT THE DIRECTOR'S LEVEL, UH, BUT IS REVIEWING AND PROVIDING FEEDBACK INPUT THAT IS A STAFF BOTH FROM ALL, ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS I MENTIONED EARLIER.

THAT'S, THAT'S DEFINITELY HELPFUL.

WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS IF THIS, IF, YOU KNOW, A NEIGHBORHOOD IN THIS AREA HAD A CONCERN, HAD AND, AND HAD, YOU KNOW, A SPECIFIC PROACTIVE REQUEST, HOW THAT FACTORS INTO HOW TTC MAKES, UH, MAINTENANCE PLANS AND HOW THE POMA COMMITTEE, YOU KNOW, ALSO UNDERSTANDS WHAT THOSE REQUESTS ARE AND, AND TOGETHER HELPS MAKE A PLAN? SURE.

SO, UM, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, UM, ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT I, UM, MANAGE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM IS CALLED THE COMMUNITY ACTIVATED PARK PROJECT PROGRAM.

AND SO THAT IS A PROPOSALS THAT COME FROM THE PUBLIC FOR IMPROVEMENTS ON PARKLAND.

UH, NOTHING PROHIBITS THE PUBLIC FROM MAKING, UH, PROPOSALS FOR PROJECTS WITHIN THE SITE PART.

THE CITY HAS THE ABILITY TO MAKE ANY IMPROVEMENTS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COMMUNITY OR ANOTHER PARTNER AT THE SITE.

UM, SO THERE'S NOTHING THAT PROHIBITS THAT FROM CONTINUING TO HAPPEN AS IT WOULD BE.

SO WE, THE SAME INTAKE PROCESS FOR VOLUNTEER PROPOSALS, UM, OR THOSE, UH, IMPROVEMENTS, UH, CAN COME THROUGH THE PROCESSES THAT WOULD BE DONE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE PARTNER AT THE SITE.

WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE PARTNER ALSO BE A PART OF THAT REVIEW TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS NO, UH, CONFLICT AT THE SITE.

UH, MEANING THERE'S ALREADY A VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY HAPPENING OR THERE'S SOMETHING, UH, IMPROVEMENT THAT IS GONNA BE OCCURRING, RESTORATION IMPROVEMENT THAT IS OCCURRING.

BUT NOTHING PROHIBITS THE PUBLIC FROM PARTNERING WITH THE CITY FOR ANY IMPROVEMENTS AT THE SITE.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION, CONCERN ABOUT MAINTENANCE, THAT'S, UH, MAINTENANCE.

SO 3 1 1 IS THE SAME.

SO THE SAME WAY THE CITY INTAKES ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT MAINTENANCE THROUGH 3 1 1, THAT'S STILL GOES, YOU KNOW, THE SAME PROCESS OF THE CITY RECEIVING THAT.

UM, AND THEN WE WOULD WORK WITH THE PARTNER AT THE SITE IF IT'S WITHIN A PARTNER SITE, IF THAT ANSWERS THAT.

YEP, YEP.

UM, I JUST, UH, DEFINITELY AND HEARING THE PUBLIC WANTING THIS TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT MM-HMM .

I'M CURIOUS, UM, IF OVERALL THE CONCESSIONS MANAGEMENT, UM, REVENUE, WHERE THAT'S MONEY IS GOING, UM, IF THAT NEEDS TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT AS WELL.

SO ALL, UM, JUST PER THE PMA ALL, UH, REVENUE EARNED AT THE SITE HAS TO REMAIN FOR THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF THE SITE.

AND SO, AGAIN, THE VALUE OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE APPROVED BY CITY STAFF AT THE SITE IS HIGHER THAN THE AMOUNT THAT IS BEING EARNED BY REVENUE AT THE SITE.

UM, SO THERE'S, I THINK THAT IS SHOWING THAT, UM, AND THAT THAT IS, UH, THE RESPONSIBILITY OF, UH, PAR THE CITY TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT OVERSIGHT AND MONITORING OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE REVIEWED AND APPROVED EVERY YEAR, AND THAT ARE THEN COMPLETED BY THE TRIAL CONSERVANCY.

COMMISSIONER NICHOLS, THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, COMING AND VOICING YOUR, YOUR OPINIONS ON THE ISSUE.

THANK YOU TO CITY STAFF FOR THE PRESENTATION, OR I GUESS, UH, ADDING ON TO THE PRESENTATION FROM LAST MEETING.

I DON'T HAVE ANY CURRENT QUESTIONS.

UH, THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN STAFF AND THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS ADDRESSED MY CONCERNS, SO THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN.

THAT INCLUDED, UM, A STUDY AND REPORT ON THE IMPACT OF WATERCRAFT RENTALS AND, UH, USE DUE TO TOXIC ALGAE AND EXTREME HEAT REPORT BACK TO THE COMMISSION ABOUT SHUTTLES OR TRANSPORTATION FOR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS.

WELL, I WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY, , THAT WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE TALKING ABOUT IS, DID THE REPORT NAME THE CONCESSIONS ALONG THE LAKE? DID THE INCOME AND EXPENDITURE STATEMENT FOR, WAS THERE AN INCOME AND EXPENDITURE STATEMENT FOR EACH CONCESSION? THE TOTAL NUMBER OF WATERCRAFTS RENTED IN TOWN, LAKE METROPOLITAN PARK, AND A STATEMENT DESCRIBING ANY PROBLEMS CAUSED OR CREATED BY A CONCESSION.

BUT WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME WAS, UM, OFFER A SET OF SUGGESTIONS

[01:15:01]

UH, CONTINUE REPORTING ON THE PUBLIC BENEFIT CONS, THE PUBLIC BENEFIT, THE CONCESSIONS PROVIDE, UH, REVIEW THE NUMBER OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE WATERCRAFT.

THEY'RE TYPICALLY ON LADY BIRD LAKE, UM, AND SAFETY STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS THE CAPACITY, UM, PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON ANY NEW CONCESSIONS, PROVIDE INFORMATION ON HOW CARRYING CAPACITY IS BEING ADDRESSED AND REPORT ON THE ZIL OR EAGLE RECONSTRUCTION.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR.

SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST IS, DID THEY ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT I FIRST MENTIONED ABOUT NAMING THE CONCESSIONS REPORTING ON THE, UM, INCOME AND THE, UM, EXPENSES FOR THE CONCESSIONS, ET CETERA, AND THEN ADD ON SOME NEW REQUIREMENTS OR SOME NEW ASKS? THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

SO, TO, TO ONE QUESTION I HAD THERE, UH, IF I DON'T MIND, UH, YEAH.

WAS JUST THAT OF ONE OF OUR, THE, THE STATEMENT DESCRIBING ANY PROBLEMS CAUSED OR CREATED BY A CONCESSION.

I SEE THAT AS A LINE ITEM, BUT I DON'T SEE IT.

I, I, I DON'T SEE THAT STATEMENT.

WAS THERE JUST NO PROBLEMS CAUSED OR DID I MISS THAT? WELL, I MEAN, WE, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE PROBLEMS IN LADY BIRD LAKE, LIKE THE TOXIC ALGAE AND THE FACT THAT WATER, UH, THE FLOOD OR HEAVY RAIN CARRIES, UH, GARBAGE DOWN THE, FROM THE, FROM THE, UH, CREEKS DOWN INTO LADY BIRD LAKE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO IT'S NOT ALL WHAT PARK ACTIVITIES, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT.

BUT I'M, I'M JUST SAYING IN THE, THE STATEMENT REPORT AS YOU OUTLINED, IT SAYS, THE REPORT WILL PROVIDE A STATEMENT DESCRIBING ANY PROBLEMS CAUSED OR CREATED BY A CONCESSION.

AND SO I DIDN'T SEE ANY PROBLEMS, UH, THAT STATEMENT FROM ANY PROBLEMS FROM A CONCESSION.

YEAH, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY, WHAT, WHAT WE HAD WAS, WELL, HOLD ON DANISHA FINISH.

NO.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE HAD WAS, IS SOME, UM, BASIC CONCERNS.

SO WE MAY HAVE HAD CITIZEN, UM, COMPLAINTS THAT SIGNAGE, THERE MAY BE A SIGNAGE ISSUE.

SO WE WOULD INVESTIGATE THE SIGNAGE ISSUE, AND IF THE SIGNAGE, UM, WASN'T ALLOWABLE, THEN WORK WITH THE VENDOR TO CORRECT THE ISSUE.

SO THERE WERE CORRECTIVE TYPE, UH, OCCURRENCES THAT OCCURRED, OCCURRED, BUT NO MAJOR PROBLEMS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED.

SO WE DIDN'T GO INTO MINOR CORRECTIONS IN THIS REPORT.

UM, IN, IN THE FUTURE, IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU WOULD WANNA SEE, THAT, THAT WOULD BE A LOT OF MINE.

YOU KNOW, MINOR THINGS THAT WE SEE, THERE ARE JUST CORRECTIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE MAY HAVE COMPLAINED, IT MAY HAVE BEEN CORRECT, SO THE SIGNAGE MAY HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATE, BUT WE HAD TO JUST CHECK, CHECK ON IT AND VERIFY.

SO I JUST WANNA KIND OF POINT TO THAT IT WASN'T MAJOR CONCERNS.

GREAT, THANK YOU.

I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.

UM, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN AT THIS TIME THAT, THAT ONE OF, DO YOU HAVE, UM, DO YOU HAVE A, A RECOMMENDATION? YEAH.

ONE RECOMMENDATION THAT I HAVE IS THAT THERE IS EROSION ON THE, ON THE, UH, TRAIL.

AND THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY RELATED TO A PARTICULAR CONCESSION, BUT IT IS A PROBLEM THAT FROM THE HEAVY USE OF THE TRAIL.

AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT THERE'S SOME EVIDENCE THAT SOME OF THE REVENUE THAT COMES IN FROM THE CONCESSIONS GOES TO, UH, RESTORING SOME OF THAT, SOME OF THAT PART OF THE TRAIL THAT HAS BEEN ERODED.

I MEAN, IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS RIGHT AROUND THE MOUTH OF, UM, BARTON CREEK, BUT THERE ARE OTHER PLACES ALSO.

SECRETARY BRISTOL.

UM, FIRST OFF, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH TO CITY STAFF FOR PREPARE, NOT JUST PREPARING THIS REPORT, BUT GOING THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT PROCESSES THAT YOU DO, UM, TO ENSURE THE, THE SAFETY OF THE CITIZENS AND HOW THESE CONCESSIONS OPERATE, UH, WITHIN OUR, OUR VALUED PARK PLANS.

UM, I ALSO WANNA SAY SUPER THANKS TO, UM, THE CONCESSIONS THAT HAVE SHOWED UP TODAY, UM, I, I WOULD'VE LOVED TO HAVE HEARD FROM MORE OF 'EM.

UM, AND SO I REALLY, UM, SAY THANKS FOR COMING OUT ON THIS COLD, COLD NIGHT, UM, AND BEING HERE AS WELL AS TO THE CITIZENS.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE HEAR YOU.

WE MIGHT NOT ALWAYS BE ABLE TO PLEASE YOU.

UM, BUT WE HEAR YOU.

AND, UM, WHAT I, UH, WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND, UM, THIS EVENING IS, IS QUITE A RADICAL DEPARTURE, UM, FROM HOW WE HAVE, UM, HANDLED THE CONCESSIONS REPORT, UM, IN THE PAST, UH, WITH A CODE AMENDMENT.

UM, I AGREE WITH, UM, MR. EUBANKS, I THINK HE'S ALREADY LEFT, UM, THAT THERE'S, THERE'S THINGS, OH, YOU'RE HERE.

WE'RE BEING ASKED TO DO THINGS, UM, IN THIS REPORT THAT WE, THAT ARE WELL OUTSIDE OF WHAT WE NORMALLY DO, UM, AND THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS BACK ON WHAT IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE CONCESSIONS.

UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, UM, WE'RE,

[01:20:01]

AND, UM, THE OTHER PART THAT I KEEP COMING BACK TO IS, THE THING THAT I'VE NEVER UNDERSTOOD ABOUT THIS AND, AND MY YEARS OF SERVICE HERE, IS WHY ARE WE ONLY FOCUSED ON THE CONCESSIONS AROUND LADY BIRD LAKE AND NOT HEARING FROM THE OTHER CONCESSIONS THAT EXIST WITHIN OUR PARKS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

SO, UM, AND, AND YES, I AGREE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE THIS GREAT MODEL, UM, OF PRIVATE, UH, AND PUBLIC INVESTMENT, UM, THROUGHOUT, WHETHER IT'S WITH PEAS PARK CONSERVANCY, THE WALLER PARK CONSERVANCY, OR WALLER CREEK CONSERVANCY.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THESE MODELS, UM, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE, YOU KNOW, NATIONALLY WE'VE HAD TO GO TO, UH, THE STATE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE, UH, HAS MULTIPLE CONCESSIONARIES THROUGHOUT THEIR STATE PARKS.

UM, THE NATIONAL PARKS HAVE CONCESSIONAIRES AND HAVE FOR DECADES, UM, THROUGHOUT THEIR PARKS.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY, UM, WE, WE NEED TO CHANGE WHAT THE CODE LOOKS LIKE, UM, AND THEN ALSO ASK FOR A LITTLE BIT, UM, MORE EVEN PLAYING FIELD WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT EVERYTHING AND NOT JUST HYPER-FOCUSED ON THIS, THIS FOOTPRINT, UH, AROUND, UM, LADY BIRD LAKE.

AND I WILL, I WILL SAY THAT THE, THE CODE WAS WRITTEN SO LONG AGO THAT IT REFERS TO IT AS, YOU KNOW, TOWN LAKE.

UM, SO THIS IS , THIS IS A LONG TIME THAT WE'VE BEEN AT THIS.

AND, AND, UM, ANYWAY, SO THAT'S WHAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'M GONNA RECOMMEND THIS EVENING.

UM, I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

I, AGAIN, UM, I WILL ALSO MAKE THIS PUBLIC STATEMENT.

IT'S NOT IN MY, IT'S NOT IN MY MOTION, BUT I'M GONNA MAKE THIS PUBLIC STATEMENT THAT, UM, I, JEN BRISTOL, UM, WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAVING A DESIGNATED FUND AND DESIGNATED REVENUE STREAM.

UM, IT IS, UM, FRUSTRATING WHEN IT COMES OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.

UM, THAT WAS THE CASE FOR TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE, AND IN 2019, THEY, THEY WERE ABLE TO CHANGE THAT.

UM, IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK.

UM, BUT I THINK HAVING THAT DESIGNATED FUND SO THAT, THAT MONEY THAT IS RAISED WITHIN THAT AND YOUR HARD WORK TO CREATE THAT STAYS WITHIN THE PARK DEPARTMENT.

UM, AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I HOPE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE CAN MOVE TOWARDS.

I HOPE THE CITIZENS THAT ARE HERE TONIGHT, UM, YOU KNOW, WOULD, WOULD FOCUS ON THAT AND, AND, AND HELP FIGURE OUT WAYS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN SO THAT OUR PARKS CAN OPERATE BETTER, UH, AS A WHOLE.

SO THAT'S JEN BRISTOL'S STATEMENT.

UM, NO, NO QUESTIONS.

UM, ABOUT THE CONCESSIONS REPORT, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT.

I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE, UH, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT HAVEN'T ALREADY BEEN ASKED.

UM, BUT I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF ALWAYS HAVING AS MUCH TRANSPARENCY AS POSSIBLE.

SO LIKE, I LIKE THE IDEA OF LIKE, MAYBE PUTTING THE PMA REPORT AND LIKE THE, NO, UM, LIKE MAYBE IF YOU CAN'T BREAK IT DOWN, LIKE A WHOLE LOT WITH THE NUMBERS, BE LIKE, OKAY, WE RAISED THIS MUCH MONEY FROM THE CONCESSIONS AND THIS MUCH MONEY WAS ALLOCATED TO TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS.

SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD, I THINK, WOULD, LIKE A COMMUNITY WOULD DEFINITELY APPRECIATE.

AND, UM, ALSO, LIKE WITH THE, LIKE, UH, COMMISSIONER FLURY HAD, UH, MENTIONED THE, LIKE ANY SUBSTANTIAL ISSUES OR ANYTHING, UM, TO BE MENTIONED IN THE REPORT.

LIKE IT WASN'T MENTIONED BECAUSE THERE WEREN'T ANY, UH, SUBSTANTIAL ISSUES, BUT LIKE, THERE WERE MINOR ISSUES, LIKE MAYBE NOT HAVE TO SUMMARIZE, WELL, NOT, MAYBE NOT HAVE TO LIST EACH MINOR ISSUE IF IT'S LIKE A COMMON MINOR ISSUE.

LIKE MAYBE IT'S LIKE A ROUGH SUMMARY LIKE THAT SAID THAT THERE WERE SOME MINOR ISSUES SUCH AS SIGNAGE NOT BEING AVAILABLE, BUT THESE WERE ADDRESSED ON THE TRAIL.

AND THAT WAY THEY'RE NOT LIKE, OH, WHAT ARE THEY HIDING FROM US, YOU KNOW, .

AND THAT WAS ALL THAT I HAD TO OFFER IN ADDITION TO IT.

UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? UH, COMMISSIONER BERG, THIS IS, UH, COMMISSIONER BRIER.

I HAVE A COUPLE OF MORE THINGS.

NOT, UH, I HOPE TO BE KIND OF BRIEF.

UH, I UNDERSTAND.

UH, CHRISTINE MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THAT THE, UH, POMA IS ROBUST.

UH, I'M IN THE PROCESS OF READING A 16,000 PAGE, UH, DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FROM THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.

SO I UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, ROBUST.

[01:25:01]

AND ALSO EACH OF THE, UH, CONTRACTS THAT I READ, INCLUDING THE, UH, OMA IS, UH, AT LEAST 90 PAGES.

SO I DON'T, I'M NOT REALLY BOTHERED BY THE CONCEPT OF ROBUST.

I'VE GOT PLENTY OF TIME TO READ ALL THOSE THINGS.

AND, UH, I WOULD ENCOURAGE POSTING THE OMA ONLINE.

UH, I DON'T EVEN HAVE THE TIME TO DISCUSS WHAT IT TOOK ME TO GET A COPY, A DRAFT COPY OF THE OMA.

AND I WENT, WHEN I WENT TO THE CITY ATTORNEY TO GET A SIGNED COPY OF THE OMA, I WAS TOLD THAT I COULDN'T HAVE ONE BECAUSE OF ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE.

SO GETTING COPIES OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT AS STRAIGHTFORWARD AS IT MIGHT FIRST APPEAR.

SO, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THESE THINGS ONLINE SO THEY'RE EASILY ACCESSIBLE.

THESE ARE PUBLIC CONTRACTS AND THEY SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE BY ORGANIZATIONS SUCH LIKE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION SHOULD HAVE EASY ACCESS TO THESE WITHOUT HAVING TO RESORT TO A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST TO GET A CONTRACT THAT THE CITY IS SIGNED WITH A VENDOR.

AND ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE IS HARDLY AN EXCUSE FOR A PUBLIC CONTRACT THAT'S BEEN SIGNED BY THE CITY.

UM, SO POST THIS STUFF ONLINE AND MAKE IT A AVAILABLE TO THE CITIZENS AND THE COMMISSIONS WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS TO MONITOR THIS STUFF AND LET US WORRY ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE BEING OVERBURDENED BY THE QUANTITY OF THE MATERIAL.

I'M PERFECTLY FINE BY READING 16,000 PAGES.

IT DOESN'T BOTHER ME AT ALL.

THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT.

THANKS.

COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN.

YEAH, I WAS GONNA, WELL, I SHOULD MAYBE WAIT TILL A MOTION IS MADE.

BUT ANOTHER POINT TO BRING UP IS IF THERE'S GONNA BE A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH A THIRD PARTY LIKE THE TRAIL FOUNDATION, THERE SHOULD BE SOME OVERSIGHT BEFORE, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LOSE THEIR JOBS BECAUSE THE FACT THAT THEY'RE TAKING OVER OPERATING A CONCESSION AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE, UH, YOU KNOW, OVERSIGHT BY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ABOUT THAT.

WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT THAT? SPOILER ALERT IS IN THE MOTION.

WELL, I MEAN, OH, IT IS ALREADY.

ALRIGHT, WELL, NEVERMIND, .

WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD ONE OTHER THING WAS THAT I'VE BEEN ON PARKS OR ON THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION FOR FOUR YEARS.

I DON'T REMEMBER.

SOMEONE MENTIONED THAT, UH, PHASE TWO OF THE POMO WAS DISCUSSED BEFORE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.

I THINK IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS.

I MISSED THREE MEETINGS.

I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING THIS COME BEFORE US.

UH, NOW I MAY BE WRONG BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, I MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN SOMETHING, BUT I DON'T RECALL THIS BEING DISCUSSED IN A PUBLIC SESSION, UH, BROUGHT TO US BY THE PARKS BOARD, UH, OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT.

UH, NOW MAYBE IT WENT BEFORE THE PARKS BOARD AND, UH, WHOEVER BROUGHT THIS UP MAY HAVE, UH, INCORRECTLY REMEMBERED BRINGING IT FOR US.

BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T RECALL HAVING IT BEEN DISCUSSED WITH US PASS.

SHALL INCLUDE ONE, THE NAME OF EACH CONCESSION OPERATING IN TOWN LAKE METROPOLITAN PARK, TWO, AN INCOME AND EXPENDITURE STATEMENT FOR EACH CONCESSION.

IF THERE'S NO MORE, UH, QUESTIONS, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE A MOTION.

WELL LOOK YOU HERE.

I JUST SO HAPPEN TO HAVE ONE.

UM, OKAY.

UM, IT IS NOT FEBRUARY 5TH.

HOW ABOUT IT BE NINE FEBRUARY 19TH OF FEBRUARY 19TH, 2025.

THE 2024 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, MANAGED CONCESSIONS ON LADY BIRD TOWN LAKE .

UM, SO, UH, WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION HAS RECEIVED A STAFF BRIEFING OF THE 2024 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, MANAGED CONCESSION ON LADY BIRD LAKE, I INCLUDED IN HERE THE, UM, OUR CODE AND I, I DO WANNA READ IT INTO PUBLIC, UM, COMMENT HERE.

WHEREAS THE ANNUAL CONCESSIONS REPORT IS CREATED AS A RESULT OF A CITY, UH, AUSTIN CITY CODE PROVISION, THAT ORDINANCE STATES EIGHT DASH ONE DASH SEVEN THREE DEPARTMENT REPORT AND BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS, A ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 31ST OF EACH YEAR, THE DIRECTOR SHALL DELIVER A REPORT TO THE BOARD OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION ON THE CONCESSIONS GRANTED UNDER THIS DIVISION B.

A REPORT PREPARED UNDER THIS SECTION

[01:30:01]

THREE, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF WATERCRAFT RENTED IN TOWN, LAKE METROPOLITAN PARK, AND FOUR, A STATEMENT DESCRIBING ANY PROBLEMS THAT ARE CAUSED OR CREATED BY A CONCESSION.

THE BOARD AND ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MAY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION RELATED TO ONE, CONTINUING THE EXISTING CON CONTINUING AND EXISTING CONCESSION.

TWO, TERMINATING AN EXISTING CONCESSION, UH, CONTINUATION, AND THREE, ENSUING A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR AN EXPIRED OR NEW CONCESSION UNDER THIS DIVISION C CITY OF AUSTIN, CODE EIGHT DASH ONE DASH SEVEN THREE.

WHEREAS THE CITY STAFF PRESENTED ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WITH A REPORT IN FEBRUARY, 2025 IN TWO SEPARATE MEETINGS.

AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION REQUESTS CITY, UM, CITY COUNCIL INITIATE A CODE UPDATE TO REFLECT THE FOLLOWING, A CONCESSIONS REPORT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION SHALL INCLUDE CONCESSIONS FROM FROM PARKS OTHER THAN LADY BIRD LAKE, UM, AROUND A LADY BIRD LAKE B ONLY BE PRESENTED AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR THOSE CONCESSIONS.

AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION REQUEST CITY, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL INITIATE AND ESTABLISH, INITIATE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CITIZEN'S ADVISORY COMMISSION TO ASSIST WITH THE OVERSIGHT OF THE CONCESSIONS IN ALL CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS AND PUBLIC LANDS.

THE NEW COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE SHALL INCLUDE A MEMBER OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, PARKS BOARD, AND OTHER RELATED COMMISSIONS AND BOARDS, AND THEREFORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION APPROVED THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENTS OF THE 2024 CONCESSION REPORT.

AT THIS TIME, WE CANNOT, UM, APPROVE THE FULL REPORT WITH THE CON.

UM, WE WILL CONSIDER THE 2025 REPORT NEXT YEAR, AS LONG AS IT REFLECTS THE REQUEST ABOVE AND REFLECTS THE MISSION OF THE, OF THIS COMMISSION OF ADDITIONAL, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS, ADDRESS THE EROSION CONTROL EROSION AROUND LADY BIRD LAKE AND REPORT ON THE REVENUE USED FROM THE CONCESSIONS TO REPAIR THE EROSION.

SECOND, YOU MENTIONED THE FACT THAT, OH, YOU, YOU, YOUR PANEL WOULD OVERSEE THE OVERSIGHT OF CHANGES IN PERSONNEL RUNNING THE CONCESSIONS.

SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND WE HAVE A SECOND.

UM, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? COMMISSIONERS? WELL DID, YEAH.

SO WAS THERE AN EXPLICIT STATEMENT THAT WE DID NOT APPROVE THE CURRENT CONCESSION REPORT? SO, UM, THE WAY THAT IT'S STATED, AND WE CAN CHANGE THIS IF YOU WANT TO, UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION APPROVES THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENTS OF THE 2024 CONCESSIONS REPORT.

WE CANNOT APPROVE THE FULL REPORT AT THIS TIME.

DO YOU WANT ME TO CHANGE THAT? WELL, I MEAN, IT DOES WHAT THEY SAID THEY WOULD DO.

THEY NAMED THE CONCESSIONS.

THEY, UM, GAVE US A, A, A CENSUS OF ALL THE USES FOR THE BOATS AND THE STANDUP, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL THE TYPES OF BOATS AND MM-HMM .

WHATNOT.

AND THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE ASKED TO DO.

SO ARE YOU RECOMMENDING THAT WE, UM, UH, APPROVE THE FULL REPORT? WELL, THEY DID WHAT THEY WERE ASKED.

I MEAN, THE, WHAT WHAT THE PARKS BOARD TOLD ME WAS THAT THEY VOTED ON IT BECAUSE STAFF RESPONDED AS THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO, ACCORDING TO THAT SECTION IN THE CODE.

BUT THEN THEY WERE GONNA HAVE A SEPARATE, UH, PUBLIC HEARING ABOUT OTHER ISSUES RELATED TO IT.

I, I AGREE WITH YOU AND I WOULD SUPPORT THAT, BUT I HAVE TWO ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS.

UM, LET'S FINISH THIS FIRST AND THEN WE'LL MOVE TO YOURS.

WELL, I MEAN, WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT WE ACCEPT THE CON CONCEPT, THE CONCEPTION CONCESSION REPORT, BECAUSE THEY DID WHAT THEY WERE ASKED.

BUT, BUT WE WANT TO ADD ON OTHER ELEMENTS AS YOU DESCRIBED.

SO, SINCE IT'S A SECOND ON THIS MOTION, MIKE, WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO ADDRESS THAT? WOULD BE? JUST HAVE TO ASK EVERYONE IF IT'S UNANIMOUSLY, UNANIMOUSLY APPROVE IT.

WELL, THAT ADDITION, WELL, THAT CHANGE OR, UH, ELIZABETH BUNK WATERSHED IS LONG.

IT'S READ INTO THE RECORD.

UH, YOU CAN ASK IF THERE IS ANY OBJECTION.

IF THERE IS OBJECTION, THERE NEEDS TO BE A FORMAL VOTE FOR THAT CHANGE.

IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO CHANGING THAT? WE APPROVE THE, OKAY, SO THERE'S ONE OBJECTION I OBJECT TO COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN'S RECOMMENDATION.

SO I WOULD MY MOVE THAT WE CHANGE, THAT WE DO NOT ACCEPT IT, THAT WE DO ACCEPT IT, BUT WE WANT THESE OTHER ELEMENTS.

[01:35:02]

SO NOW YOU'LL DO A FORMAL VOTE.

SO NOW LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO A FORMAL VOTE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CHANGING TO SULLIVAN'S RECOMMENDATION, RAISE YOUR HAND.

WE HAVE RESI, WE HAVE FLURY, WE HAVE KRUEGER, WE HAVE BEDFORD, WE HAVE BRISTOL, WE HAVE SHERA, WE HAVE NICHOLS, WE HAVE SULLIVAN.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED? WE HAVE PRIMER AND NO.

SO NOW IT'S BEEN CHANGED TO SULLIVAN'S, UM, ULCERATION AND, AND I'LL, I'M JUST GONNA READ IT MM-HMM .

SO THAT, UM, IT SAYS, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION APPROVES THE 2024 CONCESSIONS REPORT ACKNOWLEDGING THAT STAFF MET THE CURRENT CODE.

AND COMMISSIONER BRIER, I BELIEVE YOU HAD TWO RECOMMENDATIONS YOU WANTED TO ADD TO IT.

UH, I WANT TO ADD THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS.

I HAVE TWO DELAY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PHASE TWO OF THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY PMA UNTIL IT CAN BE EXAMINED.

DETERMINE THE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT WITHIN THE PARK AND THE ABILITY OF THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY TO MEET ITS ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS BASED ON ITS CURRENT FINANCES.

AND WE CAN LOOK AT THAT AND, OR I CAN READ THE SECOND ONE.

IS THERE A SECOND FOR YOUR, I'LL SECOND IT.

AND COMMISSIONER BRIER, I'M GONNA ASK THAT YOU EMAIL ME THAT MS. LONG.

I CAN EMAIL IT TO YOU.

OH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO A VOTE ON ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO ADDING THAT RECOMMENDATION? OKAY.

IT'S BEEN ADDED.

NO OBJECTIONS.

UH, WHAT'S THE SECOND RECOMMENDATION? SECOND IS DELAY THE RENEWAL OF THE CONTRACT OF THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL UNTIL THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE POSSIBLE NEW LOCATIONS, WHICH MAY INCLUDE DEEP EDDIE NEAR THE PART HQ DECKER LAKE FESTIVAL BEACH FOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, AND WHETHER OR NOT THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL HAS SUFFICIENT FINANCES TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT.

I OBJECT.

WE HAVE AN OBJECTION.

UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, OH, IS THERE A SECOND FOR THAT ADDITION? OKAY.

THERE'S NO SECOND FOR THAT ADDITION.

SO WE JUST HAVE THE ONE, UM, REC, UH, ADDITION.

UM, SO, UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO A, UM, SHOULD WE READ IT OUT AGAIN? MR. CHAIR HAVE A QUESTION.

AH, I, I, I JUST, I WANNA UNDERSTAND THE, THE COMMISSION IS VOTING TO DELAY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PHASE TWO OF THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY PARKS MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS AGREEMENT.

IS THAT WHAT? OH, AND I'M ONLY RAISING THIS BECAUSE WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT.

THAT'S A COUNCIL APPROVED AGREEMENT, SO THE COMMISSION CAN CERTAINLY RECOMMEND THAT.

UM, WELL, YES, I MEAN, THIS IS A, WE'RE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE WITH CONDITIONS, AND ONE OF THEM IS COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN'S, UH, RECOMMENDATION AND ONE THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, BRISTOL MADE AS WELL.

SO WE DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO OVERRIDE ANYTHING.

WE'RE JUST MAKING RECOMMENDATION COUNSEL TO DO CERTAIN THINGS.

WHETHER COUNSEL APPROVES OR NOT IS THEIR PREROGATIVE.

COMMISSIONER BRIER, DID YOU E GET A CHANCE TO EMAIL THAT SO THAT I CAN PUT IT IN HERE? YES, I CAN.

HOW ABOUT THAT? DID YOU GET IT COMING IN AS A TEXT? LOVE IT.

A WHAT CAN I SAY? GOT IT.

SHALL WE GO AHEAD AND MM-HMM .

YEAH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO A VOTE ON IT.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE, UH, MOTION WITH THE ADDITION? RAISE YOUR HANDS.

WE, WE HAVE RESI, WE HAVE FLURRY, WE HAVE KRUEGER, BEDFORD, BRISTOL, SHERA, NICHOLS, AND SULLIVAN.

ALL THOSE OPPOSED? WE HAVE BRIMER AND NO ABSTENTIONS.

THE MOTION PASSES.

THANKS GUYS.

AND THANK Y'ALL FOR COMING BACK OUT.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

UM, LET'S SEE IF WE GET FER BACK IN.

I I'M GONNA CALL A POINT OF ORDER REALLY QUICK.

IT IS DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM.

'CAUSE WE DID DO SOMETHING INCORRECT.

UH, WE DID NOT CLOSE THE PUBLIC MEETING.

OH, IT WASN'T A HEARING, RIGHT? THIS IS NOT POSTED AS A PUBLIC HEARING.

[01:40:01]

SO YOU ARE GOOD TO GO.

ALL GOOD.

WE ARE JUST WAITING FOR FER TO COME BACK IN.

DISCUSSION ITEMS. ITEM NUMBER FOUR, PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION ON AUSTIN'S WILD WILDFIRE RISK, AND AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT'S MITIGATION EFFORTS.

WE HAVE COFER BACK ON THE DAAS.

SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE ON THE AGENDA.

NEXT UP, WE HAVE

[4. Presentation and discussion on Austin’s wildfire risk and Austin Fire Department’s mitigation efforts – David Bock, Wildfire Mitigation Specialist Sr, Austin Fire Department]

AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE A PRESENTATION, CORRECT? MM-HMM .

SO THE SULLIVAN, CAN YOU TURN OFF YOUR MICROPHONE? AND IF YOU WANNA STAND AT THE PODIUM, YOU CAN AS WELL.

I'M VERY TALL.

I'M GONNA HAVE TO POINT THIS AT MYSELF.

RISK, AND THAT INCLUDES INSURANCE COMPANIES, THAT INCLUDES MUNICIPALITIES, THAT INCLUDES, UH, ANYBODY THAT WOULD, WOULD BE DOING THAT.

WELL, UH, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.

UM, I AM HERE, UH, TO TALK ABOUT, UH, WILDFIRE RISK IN AUSTIN.

SO MY NAME IS DAVID BACH.

UH, I REPRESENT THE WILDFIRE DIVISION OF THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.

UH, AND I WAS INVITED HERE TO DISCUSS, UH, THE PRESENT WILDFIRE RISK IN AUSTIN, AS WELL AS, UH, UH, WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT IT.

AND I'M TAKING THAT OPPORTUNITY AS WELL TO DISCUSS SOME OF THE, UH, UH, NARRATIVES AND DEBUNKING SOME OF THE MYTHS THAT SURROUND WILDFIRE.

UH, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN, UH, HAVE CLARITY ON, ON THE TOPIC.

UM, SO IF YOU COULD, UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO THIS IS A MAP, UH, UH, THAT WE HAVE OF TRAVIS COUNTY.

UM, AND IT WAS GENERATED, UM, WITH SOME MODELING FROM, UH, A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UH, ASPECTS OF WHAT ADDS TO WILDFIRE RISK.

AND SO SOME OF THIS IS FROM FUEL LOADING, UH, VEGETATION IN DIFFERENT AREAS.

SOME OF THIS IS FROM THE DENSITY OF STRUCTURES, UH, AND IT'S A LOT OF, UH, A LOT OF RED AS YOU MIGHT SEE.

AND SO WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HERE IS THAT YOU HAVE RISK ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CITY.

A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT, UH, UH, JUNIPER AND THE FORESTED AREAS ON THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN, UH, IS WHERE WE HAVE THE GREATEST WILDFIRE RISK, AND THAT IS TRUE.

UH, BUT I DO WANNA ALSO, UH, MENTION THAT THE EAST SIDE HAS, HAS OTHER RISK FACTORS THAT ARE RELATED TO DIFFERENT TYPES OF FUEL LOADING, DIFFERENT TYPES OF STRUCTURED DENSITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO THAT IS A, A COMMON MISCONCEPTION WITH THE WILDFIRE RISK IN TRAVIS COUNTY AND LARGELY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

UM, I DO ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT, UH, MOST MODELS OF RISK ONLY TALK ABOUT VEGETATION.

UM, THAT IS, UH, FOR WILDFIRE, SPECIFICALLY, THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF MODELING WHERE YOU HAVE FEDERAL, UH, RESEARCH THAT GOES INTO VEGETATION, FLAMMABILITY AND RESISTANCE TO FIRE, THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, BUT A LOT OF THEM DO NOT CONSIDER, UH, STRUCTURE DENSITY.

AND THIS MODEL DOES, UM, STRUCTURES ARE FUEL TOO.

UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

I'VE GOT A LOT OF SLIDES, SO I'M GONNA BE SAYING NEXT SLIDE A LOT, UH, .

SO, UH, HOW DO WE COMPARE? SO WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN HERE, UH, IS FROM THE 2024 CORE LOGIC REPORT, UH, THAT IS ABOUT WILDFIRE RISK, AND IT IS DISCUSSING THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.

UM, AND THIS IS A STATISTIC THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE USING LATELY, AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE WILDFIRE DIVISION IS, IS NO EXCEPTION TO THAT.

UH, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT HOW AUSTIN IS ON THIS LIST AS NUMBER FIVE.

AND YOU CAN SEE EVERY OTHER CITY THAT IS ON THIS LIST IS IN CALIFORNIA.

UM, AND THIS IS A VERY SPECIFIC STATISTIC THAT HAS VALUE.

UH, BUT I DO ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT IT IS ALSO SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSING THE, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT OF RECONSTRUCTION COSTS IN THE EVENT OF A CATA CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRE.

AND SO THAT IS VALUABLE INFORMATION TO US.

THIS REPORT IS GENERATED SPECIFICALLY FOR, UH, PEOPLE TO EVALUATE THEIR

[01:45:01]

BUT IT IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR A MONETARY RISK OF, UH, WILDFIRE IMPACTS.

UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER THERE, UH, IT'S JUST OVER $40 BILLION, AND THAT IS LARGELY BECAUSE OF THE INCREASING VALUE OF PROPERTY IN AUSTIN.

BUT YOU ALSO SEE THERE, IT'S ABOUT JUST OVER 94,000, UH, HOMES.

AND THAT NUMBER, I THINK, IS MORE VALUABLE.

UM, AND THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT SEEMS TO BE INCREASING AS WELL, UM, THAT I THINK PAINTS A BETTER PICTURE AT WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT WHEN THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT RISK.

UM, I LIKE TO SAY THAT NO MODEL IS PRECISE, UM, BUT ALL MODELS ARE VERY USEFUL.

AND SO THERE ARE, UM, A LOT OF OTHER MODELS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO EXPLAIN RISK THAT AUSTIN IS NOT EVEN IN THE TOP FIVE.

UH, AND IT, AND IT, THOSE MODELS ARE, THEY DRAW THE MAPS DIFFERENTLY.

THEY LOOK AT COUNTIES AS A WHOLE RATHER THAN INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES.

AND SO THAT IS THE POINT THAT I WANT TO MAKE WITH THIS, IS THAT, UM, , ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE DESIGNED TO TELL A DIFFERENT NARRATIVE.

UM, BUT COLLECTIVELY THEY PROVIDE A WHOLE PICTURE THAT WE CAN USE, UM, TO UNDERSTAND THE RISK, UH, THAT WE HAVE HERE IN OUR CITY.

UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO WHY IS AUSTIN AT RISK? UM, AUSTIN IS VERY UNIQUE.

UH, IT ACTUALLY HAS, UH, UH, UH, AN INTERESTING COLLECTION OF WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE THAT WE OFTEN REFER TO AS THE WOOEY.

UM, THAT IS VERY BRAIDED AND CONNECTED.

UH, IT, IT, IT WINDS ITSELF AROUND ALL OF OUR BELOVED GREEN BELTS.

IT WINDS ITSELF AROUND OUR RIVERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UH, AND WE HAVE ALL OF THIS TERRAIN AS WELL, UH, THAT THAT DEVELOPMENT IS BUILT AROUND THAT CREATES A VERY FINGERED LOOKING CONNECTIVITY, UM, THAT IS INTER INTERWOVEN.

UH, THAT IF YOU WERE TO STRETCH THAT OUT LIKE A STRING, IT WOULD BE 650 MILES LONG, WHICH IS THE DISTANCE FROM HERE TO NEW ORLEANS .

UH, AND SO THE, THAT IS WHY WE HAVE THIS UNIQUE EXPOSURE TO A WILDLAND AREA IN AUSTIN, AND THAT IS WHY WE MAKE A LOT OF THESE LISTS IS BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A LOT OF HOMES EXPOSED TO, TO THAT WILDLAND AREA, AND WE ALSO HAVE A LARGE AMOUNT OF ACREAGE OF WILDLAND THAT IS ADJACENT TO THE CITY.

SO THOSE ARE THE TWO FACTORS THAT ADD TO IT.

UM, BUT I DO WANNA POINT OUT HERE THAT, THAT THE WAY THAT AUSTIN IS ARRANGED, LIKE I'VE EXPLAINED THE, THE BIG ONE, AS I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE, ARE WORRIED ABOUT AS THEY'VE, UH, SEEN WILDFIRES HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN THE PAST FEW YEARS.

UM, IT, IT WON'T BE THE BIG TSUNAMI FLAME FRONT, UH, COMING AT US.

IT'LL ACTUALLY BE MORE OF A SPOTTED, UH, TYPE THING THAT IS STARTED IN THE WILDLAND, BUT DRIVEN BY STRUCTURES.

UM, AND, UH, I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT, UH, LIKE YOU'VE GOT SEVERAL FUEL TYPES AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT CAN CREATE THESE EMBERS THAT WILL, THAT WILL CAUSE, UH, STRUCTURE IGNITIONS FROM THIS WILDLAND.

UM, AND SOME OF THOSE PRODUCE MORE EMBERS THAN OTHERS, AND THERE'S A LOT OF CONDITIONS THAT CREATE THAT.

AND SO, UH, I KIND OF WANT TO GET INTO THAT JUST BRIEFLY HERE.

UM, SO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

UH, IT WON'T BE THIS , UH, IT'S NOT LA UH, IT'S ALSO NOT HOLLYWOOD.

UH, AND SO, UH, THE BIG FLAME FRONT COMING AT YOU, UH, FOR YOU, UH, IS NOT, IS OFTEN LIKE WHERE THAT FEAR COMES FROM, FROM A LOT OF CITIZENS, RESIDENTS, PEOPLE THAT ARE ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT WILDFIRE.

AND THAT IS A POSSIBILITY, BUT IT IS EXTREMELY UNLIKELY.

AND WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE INSTEAD IS, IS SEVERAL SMALL WILDFIRES.

OH, YEAH, YOU CAN ACTUALLY, THANKS.

SO WHAT IT WILL ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE IS SEVERAL SMALL WILDFIRES THAT COME FROM EMBERS THAT CAN TRAVEL UP TO A MILE AND A HALF FROM THEIR SOURCE.

UM, AND I'LL SAY EVEN FURTHERMORE, 90% OF HOMES IN A WILDFIRE SITUATION ARE IGNITED BY THESE EMBERS AND NOT BY A FLAME FRONT, UH, THAT SURROUNDS THOSE STRUCTURES.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO WHAT ARE THE RIGHT CONDITIONS FOR THIS? SO, UH, DROUGHT, UH, IS WHAT MAKES THE SOIL DRY OUT.

UH, AND SO WE HAVE, UH, A MEASUREMENT CALLED LIVE FUEL MOISTURE.

THAT'S WATER THAT'S IN THE, IN THE WOOD OF A TREE, RIGHT? THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, A MEASUREMENT THAT WE CAN TAKE, THAT WE CAN, THAT WE KNOW ON A REGULAR BASIS.

UH, WHEN WE GO INTO A DROUGHT, UH, THESE, THIS VEGETATION BECOMES MORE AVAILABLE TO IGNITE.

UH, AND, UM, THAT IS NOT GONNA BE FIXED UNLESS WE GET MORE RAIN, RIGHT? WE CAN'T CONTROL THAT.

UH, WHAT ELSE, UH, IS GONNA CREATE THE HIGHER RISK DAYS IS, IS INCREASED WIND.

WIND

[01:50:01]

IS WHAT DRIVES A WILDFIRE.

IF THERE'S NO WIND, IT'S PRETTY EASY TO OVERWHELM THE WILDFIRE.

IT'S NOT BEING PUSHED IN ANY DIRECTION.

THERE'S NO OXYGEN FUELING THAT FIRE, UM, ON A HIGH WINDY DAY AFTER A DROUGHT AND HIGH TEMPS, WHICH ALSO INCREASES IGNITION POTENTIAL.

UH, THAT'S WHEN WE'VE GOT A SCARY DAY, UH, FOR A WILDFIRE.

NOW YOU HEAR ME TALKING ABOUT MULTIPLE FIRES AT ONCE, AND THAT IS WHAT IS THE, THE HIGHER, UH, ASPECT OF THE RISK HERE IN AUSTIN? SO THERE ARE 54 PUMPING ABARA, EXCUSE ME, 54 PUMPING ATARA 54 PUMPING APPARATUS.

DIDN'T REALIZE HOW MUCH OF A TONGUE TWISTER THAT WAS, UM, IN AUSTIN.

UM, AND IT TAKES NORMALLY FOUR FIRE TRUCKS, UH, TO OVERWHELM ONE HOUSE QUICKLY ENOUGH, UH, TO WHERE IT DOESN'T CAUSE OTHER PROBLEMS. NOW IMAGINE SMALL, SEVERAL SMALL WILDFIRES THAT ARE AFFECTING HUNDREDS OF HOMES, UH, AND YOU VERY QUICKLY BECOME OVERWHELMED BEFORE YOU CAN QUICKLY OVERWHELM THAT FIRE.

AND THAT'S THE, THE, THE ISSUE THAT WE'RE FACING, UH, RIGHT NOW.

UH, AND THAT'S THE REALITY THAT I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO BE AWARE OF WHEN THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE WILD, UH, WILDFIRE DIVISION AND WHAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAN DO IN THE EVENT OF A WILDFIRE.

UH, ONCE YOU BECOME OVERWHELMED, YOU VERY QUICKLY TRANSITION TO TRIAGE, LIFE SAFETY AND EVACUATION.

YOU'RE NO LONGER PROTECTING STRUCTURES.

UM, AND THAT IS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S FIRST, UH, AND FOREMOST PRIORITY IS LIFE SAFETY.

ANYWAY, SO, UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

ALRIGHT, SO FIRST MYTH, AUSTIN WILDFIRES ARE NOT COMMON.

UH, NEXT SLIDE, .

UH, SO WE, THIS IS A, A LITTLE MAP.

YOU SEE ALL THOSE LITTLE RED DOTS THERE? THOSE ARE THE NUMBER OF WILDFIRE OCCURRENCES IN 2011 ALONE.

UH, LUCKILY WE WERE ABLE TO OVERWHELM THOSE FIRES MOSTLY.

UM, AND SO THAT'S QUITE A FEW, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THOSE ARE ROADSIDE STARTS, BRUSH FIRES, THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, BUT SOME OF THEM IN 2011 DID TURN INTO THINGS LIKE THE PINNACLE FIRE THAT YOU SEE THERE DOWN BELOW.

UM, AND THAT IS JUST A PICTURE OF THE BURN SCAR THERE.

UM, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

UH, SO STEINER RANCH FIRE, WE WEREN'T SO LUCKY TO OVERWHELM THAT ONE VERY QUICKLY.

SO THAT WAS 125 ACRES, 35 HOME, 35 HOMES WERE LOST.

UH, NEXT SLIDE.

UH, SO WE HAVE THE PINNACLE FIRE MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, THAT YOU CAN SEE THERE.

THAT WAS 100 ACRES, 10 HOMES LOST ADDITIONAL, 12 HOMES WERE DAMAGED.

UH, AND UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

UH, THAT'S JUST ANOTHER, UH, SORT OF VIEW OF THE PINNACLE FIRE, UM, THAT YOU CAN SEE WITH A CC PINNACLE BUILDING IN THE BACKGROUND THERE.

UM, I DO WANNA ALSO POINT OUT, I DON'T HAVE ANY PICTURES OF IT, BUT IN 1961, THERE WAS A 4,000 ACRE FIRE IN AUSTIN AS WELL.

UM, THAT WAS OFF OF STEVENS SCHOOL ROAD, UH, AND , FUNNILY ENOUGH, UH, IT WAS PUT OUT BY 200 VOLUNTEER STUDENTS FROM ST.

EDWARDS AND UT.

UM, SO JUST THOUGHT I'D ENTERTAIN THAT FUN FACT.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO, UH, RECENTLY JUST LAST YEAR, WE HAD THE PALMER LANE FIRE, ONLY 37 ACRES, NOT VERY LARGE, UH, BUT WE HAD SOME STRUCTURES, UH, THAT WERE DAMAGED.

SO IN THE FOREGROUND THERE, YOU CAN SEE THE BURN SCAR OF THAT, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT ONE OF THOSE APARTMENT COMPLEX BUILDINGS HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED.

A LOT OF MINOR DAMAGE ON THE OTHER ONES, BUT ALL OF THOSE HOMES, UH, IN THE BACKGROUND, UH, WHICH WERE CONSTRUCTED WITH METHODOLOGIES TO RESIST EMBER, UH, UH, ATTACK ARE COMPLETELY UNHARMED.

UM, SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I WANTED TO KIND OF POINT OUT THERE.

UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

ALRIGHT, MY TREES ARE OUT TO GET ME.

SO, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE DO OFTEN IS VISIT HOMEOWNERS.

WE VISIT RESIDENTS THAT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WILDFIRE IN THE, IN THE CITY.

UH, IT'S A SERVICE THAT, THAT THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT OFFERS THROUGH THE WILDFIRE DIVISION.

UM, THEIR BIGGEST CONCERN IS, IS OFTEN THE VEGETATION JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THEIR FENCE.

UM, AND WHILE IF THAT SPECIFIC SPOT WAS ON FIRE, IT WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT SCARY FOR A LITTLE WHILE, BUT, UM, THE BIGGER RISK IS FROM THIS, THIS, THESE EMBERS THAT I KEEP TALKING ABOUT.

UM, SO, UH, GO AHEAD AND, UH, HIT NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO, UH, ASH JUNIPER WILDFIRE MYTHS ABOUT ASH JUNIPER.

SO THIS ONE'S A PRETTY HOT TOPIC, OFTEN REFERRED TO, UH, AS CEDAR.

UH, SOME PEOPLE, AND THESE ARE QUOTES FROM PEOPLE THAT I HAVE ENCOUNTERED AND, AND COLLEAGUES OF MINE HAVE ENCOUNTERED.

THESE ARE NOT QUOTES FROM ME OR FROM ANY RESEARCH.

UH, SO , UH, CEDAR IS A GASOLINE SOAKED RAG ON A STICK THAT, UH, WILL BURN ALL OUR HOMES.

UM, UH, THAT'S, UH, VERY MUCH NOT TRUE.

IN FACT, UM, ONE OF THE ARGUMENTS AND THINGS THAT HAVE COME FROM A STUDY THAT WE HAD IN 2007, 2009,

[01:55:02]

UH, THAT TOOK A WHILE, UM, IS THAT A MATURE JUNIPER FOREST, IN FACT, IS RESISTANT TO FIRE.

UM, IT IS THE YOUNG SMALLER JUNIPERS THAT, THAT ARE NOT SO RESISTANT TO FIRE, BUT, UM, IT'S, IT'S NOT THE, THE, THE DEVIL THAT WE ALL THINK IT'S, UM, SO THE OPPOSITE OF THAT IS, UH, FUEL MANAGEMENT MEANS, UH, A LOGGING STYLE OF CUTTING AND CLEARING THAT WILL REMOVE ALL THE TREES AND KILL THE HABITAT AND KILL THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, AND THAT'S SORT OF THE OPPOSITE END OF THAT SPECTRUM WHERE, UH, UH, THAT IS WHAT PEOPLE ARE WORRIED ABOUT WITH, WITH HABITAT, ECOLOGICAL PRESERVATION, THINGS LIKE THAT.

I TRULY BELIEVE THERE'S THREE SIDES TO EVERY STORY.

THERE'S WHAT THEY SAID, WHAT I SAID, AND THEN THERE'S THE TRUTH.

UM, AND SO, UH, GENERALLY THESE ARE TWO VERY POLARIZED OPINIONS.

AND GENERALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WHEN WE'RE MITIGATING WILDFIRE EFFORTS IS, YEAH, SOME FUELS MANAGEMENT.

WE'RE NOT CLEAR CUTTING ANYTHING.

WE'RE NOT TRYING TO MOW DOWN ANY FORESTS.

UM, IT'S VERY STRATEGIC THINGS.

AND THEN THE OTHER SIDE OF, OF, OF THAT IS THAT, YES, THERE IS SOME RISK WITH, WITH ASH JUNIPER, BUT IT IS, IS NOT THE EXTREME RISK THAT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE PERCEIVE IT TO BE.

UM, OKAY, SO, UH, LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, ACTUALLY.

SO, UH, I JUST WANT TO POINT THIS OUT.

THERE'S, WE'VE GOT, UH, UH, A CIRCLE THERE CIRCLING A TREE THAT'S IN BETWEEN TWO HOUSES THAT ARE CURRENTLY BURNING.

UM, IF YOU'LL NOTICE, IT'S THE DEAD TREES THAT ARE NAILED TO THE HOUSE THAT ARE BURNING, NOT THE LIVING TREES THAT ARE NEXT TO THE HOUSE.

UM, AND THAT IS WHY MOST OF WHAT WE DO EMPHASIZES, UH, UH, STRUCTURE HARDENING OVER, UM, VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.

BUT AS WE'LL DISCOVER IN A SECOND HERE, IT, THAT'S NOT THE ONLY WAY TO GO ABOUT IT, IS A THREE-LEGGED STOOL, UH, THAT REQUIRES EFFORT ON ALL ASPECTS, NOT JUST THE HOME HARDENING.

UM, GO HIT, UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

UH, IT'S NOT THE TREES THAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT.

HERE'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE.

UH, IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY, THERE'S BLUE CIRCLES AROUND THE TREES.

IF YOU LOOK IN BETWEEN THOSE CIRCLES, YOU'LL SEE ASH PILES AND FOUNDATION SLABS WHERE THERE'S HEALTHY TREES THAT ACTUALLY SURVIVED THE FIRE.

UH, IT'S, IT'S, I'M, I'M MORE WORRIED ABOUT THE HOUSES THAT ARE BURNING THAT ARE GONNA CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE TREES, IN FACT, UH, VERSUS THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

UM, AND THIS IS A REALLY LOVELY PICTURE, UH, THAT I LIKE TO SHARE.

UM, IT TELLS A REALLY GOOD STORY ABOUT SOMETHING LOCAL AT THE SIGNER RANCH FIRE THAT TELLS THAT STORY.

UM, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

ALL RIGHT, SO, UH, ANOTHER MYTH IS, WELL, IF MY HOUSE IS MADE OUT OF BRICK, HOW IS IT GONNA BURN? NEXT SLIDE.

I SO .

UH, SO, UH, THIS IS A, A BRICK HOUSE THAT, UH, UH, DIDN'T HAVE ANY EMBER PROTECTION.

PROTECTION.

AND WHAT THEY DO IS THEY FLY RIGHT INTO THOSE VENTS AND THEY CAN START BURNING, LIKE I SAID, THE DEAD TREES THAT ARE NAILED TO YOUR HOUSE, RIGHT UP UNDER, UNDER YOUR ATTIC IN YOUR SOFT VENTS.

UM, WINDOWS CAN BREAK, UH, FROM THE HEAT, AND THEN EMBERS ARE GOING RIGHT INTO YOUR CURTAINS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND I WANNA REITERATE AGAIN, 90% OF HOUSES THAT BURN IN A WILDFIRE ARE FROM EMBERS.

UH, NEXT SLIDE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WHY DO THEY BURN? LIKE I WAS JUST SAYING.

SO EMBERS IS THE FIRST ONE HERE.

THERE IS TWO OTHER WAYS, WHICH IS DIRECT FLAME IMPINGEMENT, UH, WHERE FLAMES ARE TOUCHING THE HOUSE, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO RADIANT HEAT.

SO THAT'S WHEN THE FIRE IS HOT ENOUGH TO IGNITE MATERIALS FROM A DISTANCE.

SO, SO MUCH HEAT IS TRANSFERRING FROM THAT FLAME TO THE, THE STRUCTURE OF THE HOME.

UM, AND THAT'S ONLY 10% OR THOSE OTHER TWO.

AND THAT IS GENERALLY WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE'S FEAR LIES, IS FLAME IMPINGEMENT AND, UH, UH, RADIANT HEAT.

UM, AND SO WE'VE GOT EMBERS, UH, THAT CAN COME IN THROUGH, UH, BROKEN WINDOWS.

UH, WE CAN HAVE EMBERS THAT COME IN THROUGH VENTS IN THE ATTIC, EMBERS THAT, UH, CAN GET ON ON THE LEAVES THAT ARE IN YOUR GUTTERS THAT CAN THEN IGNITE YOUR ROOF BECAUSE THERE'S FLAMES RIGHT AT YOUR ROOF, THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, UH, NEXT SLIDE.

ALL RIGHT, SO WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THIS? SO THIS IS A DEPICTION OF THE, UH, NATIONAL CO COHESIVE WILD LAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY.

UM, AND THIS IS THAT THREE LEGGED STOOL THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.

ONE OF THEM INCLUDES, UH, FIRE RESILIENT LANDSCAPES, WHICH IS FUEL MANAGEMENT, FOREST MANAGEMENT.

UH, THE OTHER ONE IS FIRE ADAPTIVE COMMUNITIES.

THAT'S WORKING WITH PEOPLE, HOME HARDENING, UH, GETTING PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THEIR RISK AND GETTING PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY CAN DO TO, TO EMPOWER THEMSELVES.

AND THEN WE HAVE EFFECTIVE FIREFIGHTING, WHICH IS THAT RESPONSE.

[02:00:01]

SO WHAT ARE WE DOING IN AUSTIN IN THIS ASPECT? SO, UH, WE DO HAVE, UH, A TEAM OF PEOPLE THAT COORDINATE THE FIRE ADAPTED COMMUNITIES PROGRAMMING FOR RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN.

WE OFFER INSPECTIONS OF HOMES.

WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BECOME A FIREWISE COMMUNITY, WHICH EMPOWERS THEM TO COMMUNICATE ABOUT THEIR AWARENESS.

IT EMPOWERS THEM TO CONDUCT THEIR OWN PROJECTS, TO HARDEN THEIR HOMES, ALL OF THAT.

A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOODS WE HAVE, WE LEAD THE STATE, UH, IN FIREWISE COMMUNITIES.

UH, CURRENTLY I THINK WE'RE AT 23, UM, BUT THAT NUMBER FLUCTUATES YEAR TO YEAR.

BUT WE'RE GENERALLY GOING UP, UH, AND THAT'S GOOD.

SO, UH, WITH THE FIRE RESILIENT LANDSCAPES LEG OF THAT STOOL, UM, THERE'S SOME STRATEGIC PLACEMENT OF FUELS MANAGEMENT PROJECTS.

I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT, I FEAR THE FUELS MANAGEMENT BECAUSE OF HABITAT, BIOLOGICAL ECOLOGICAL CONCERNS.

THERE'S NO DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY THAT WANTS TO CLEAR CUT ANY FORESTS.

I CAN TELL YOU THAT RIGHT NOW.

UM, AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS STRATEGIC PLACEMENT, UH, OF FUEL MODIFICATION THAT CAN, THAT CAN FILTER A CATASTROPHIC FIRE TO BECOME LESS INTENSE AS IT APPROACHES A HOME.

WE CALL THAT A SHADED FUEL BREAK.

UM, THERE ARE OTHER METHODS, UH, TO ENHANCE A FOREST'S ABILITY TO RESIST FIRE.

AND SO ANOTHER LINE I LIKE TO SAY IS THAT A HEALTHY FOREST IS MORE RESISTIVE TO FIRE THAN A NON-HEALTHY FOREST.

AND SO A LOT OF THE GOALS OF PARKS AND RECREATION, A LOT OF THE GOALS OF WATERSHED DEPARTMENTS, A LOT OF THE GOALS OF ANY DEPARTMENT THAT HAS ENVIRONMENTAL INVOLVEMENT OFTEN ALIGNED WITH WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION.

UM, THAT IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE, BUT IT IS OFTEN THE CASE.

AND I THINK, UH, IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT.

UH, THE LAST, UH, LITTLE BIT I WANNA TALK ABOUT HERE, IF YOU COULD HIT NEXT SLIDE, IS, UH, SOME MORE THINGS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING.

UM, SO I'VE TALKED ABOUT STRUCTURE HARDENING.

WE'RE ENCOURAGING FOLKS TO DO THAT.

IT IS AN ENCOURAGEMENT BASED PROGRAM RIGHT NOW.

THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING THAT IS, THAT CREATES AN ACTUAL INCENTIVE OTHER THAN I WANT TO BE SAFER AND I HAVE THE MONEY TO REPLACE MY GUTTERS OR MY WINDOWS, OR WHATEVER IT IS.

UM, I DO WANNA MENTION, UH, THAT WE, THE, THE RESPONSE ASPECT OF IT.

SO, UH, RTI, WHICH IS RESPONDING TO THE INTERFACE IS A TRAINING, UH, THAT ABOUT 1100 FIREFIGHTERS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAVE, UH, COMPLETED.

UM, AND SO WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT OUR RESPONSE CAPACITY IS ALSO KNOWLEDGEABLE ON WILDFIRE RESPONSE, WHICH IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM STRUCTURE RESPONSE.

UM, WE ALSO HAVE A, A, A BATTALION THAT IS, UH, SPECIFIC TO WILDFIRE, UH, WITH STRATEGICALLY PLACED RESOURCES, PEOPLE THAT HAVE THIS TRAINING AS WELL AS EQUIPMENT IN SPECIFIC PLACES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

UH, SO WE CAN BE PREPARED FOR THAT.

UM, AND LASTLY, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, EVACUATION PLANNING, AND THAT IS IN COLLABORATION WITH, WITH SSO, UM, AND COUNTY STAKEHOLDERS.

UM, THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY, IN FACT.

UH, NEXT SLIDE.

ALRIGHT, SO I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE WWE CODE.

THAT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS A LITTLE BIT MORE INVOLVEMENT WITH SOMETHING THAT WE ARE DOING.

SO IN, UH, 2020, THE CITY OF AUSTIN ADOPTED A WOOEY CODE.

AND SO THAT IS THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE ONCE AGAIN.

AND SO THE CODE OF THAT IS RELATED TO STRUCTURES THAT ARE BUILT WITHIN THIS MAP THAT YOU SEE.

AND SO THIS MAP IS DIVINE DEFINED, UM, USING BEST PRACTICES FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UM, WITH CERTAIN PROXIMITY DISTANCES FROM WILDLAND AREAS.

UM, SOMETHING TO POINT OUT HERE IS THAT I THINK IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT SORT OF ZOOMED IN BUBBLE, UH, WHERE THERE'S A GREEN AREA, THAT'S THE WILDLAND, YOU'VE GOT A DARK BLUE STRIPE, AND THEN YOU'VE GOT A LIGHT BLUE AREA WITH HOMES.

AND SO THE PROXIMITY ZONE A AND B, THAT'S THAT DARK BLUE STRIPE, UH, THE CODE THAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN FOR THAT, FOR STRUCTURES TO BE BUILT IN THAT AREA, FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON THAT FLAME IMPINGEMENT AND RADIANT HEAT PROTECTION.

SO THAT'S IGNITION RESISTANT SIDING, ALL OF THAT KIND OF STUFF.

UH, IN ADDITION TO, UH, PROTECTING AGAINST EMBER CAST, UH, THE REST OF THE WEI ZONE, THAT LIGHT BLUE AREA, UM, THAT YOU CAN EVEN SEE ON THE LARGER MAP, THAT IS THE, THE, THE THIRD ZONE.

UM, AND THAT IS FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON EMBER CAST AND PROTECTING THOSE HOMES FROM EMBER CAST.

BUT THIS ONLY STARTED APPLYING TO HOMES IN 2020 THAT WERE BUILT IN 2020.

UM, THERE IS AN UPDATE COMING, UH, HOPEFULLY THIS SUMMER.

UM, IT'S ALREADY GONE THROUGH PUBLIC REVIEW, ALL OF THAT.

UM, AND, AND HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE ADOPTED THIS SUMMER.

THAT'S, THAT'S THE PLAN.

UM, BUT AGAIN, THERE'S, IT'S ONLY BEEN A FEW YEARS SINCE HOMES HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH THIS CODE.

I WILL SAY THERE ARE A LOT OF STRUCTURES THAT WERE ACCIDENTALLY BUILT WITH THIS CODE.

UM, , THERE WERE TRENDS FOR MORE STUCCO.

THERE WERE TRENDS FOR DOUBLE PANE WINDOWS BECAUSE

[02:05:01]

THEY'RE MORE, UH, ECONOMICAL FOR, FOR HEATING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND SO THERE ARE SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT WERE ALREADY HAPPENING.

IT WAS A FUN, UM, REALIZATION HAVING STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS WITH THE BUILDER COMMUNITY WHEN THEY WANTED TO PUSH BACK AND, AND WE WERE ABLE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF WHAT THAT, UH, UH, COST TO BUILD HOMES THIS WAY WOULD BE.

AND IT TURNS OUT THEY WERE DOING MOST OF THE STUFF ALREADY.

UM, IT WAS REALLY GREAT.

SO, UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

UH, SO HERE'S JUST KIND OF AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THAT, UH, FUEL MODIFICATION THAT WE DO, UH, FOR THE FIRE RESILIENT LANDSCAPES ASPECT OF THIS.

AND SO WHAT I'VE GOT HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF A SHADE OF FUEL BREAK.

UM, THIS IS JUST A THIN STRIP NEAR HOMES, UH, WHERE YOU INTERFACE WITH THAT WILDLAND AREA, UM, THAT IS DESIGNED TO ACT AS A FILTER FOR THAT FIRE.

IF YOU HAVE A CATASTROPHIC HIGH FLAME LENGTH FIRE THAT IS APPROACHING A COMMUNITY AND IT RUNS INTO WHAT YOU SEE ON THE LEFT WITH THAT BEFORE, IT'S LIKELY TO CONTINUE AS THAT CATASTROPHIC FIRE WITH LONG FLAME LENGTHS TO IGNITE STRUCTURES FROM RADIANT HEAT AS WELL AS, UM, FLAME IMPINGEMENT.

IF IT WERE TO HIT THAT AREA WITH THE AFTER, IT IS LIKELY TO BECOME LESS CATASTROPHIC.

YOU'RE ONLY GONNA HAVE FIRE DOWN ON THE GROUND.

YOU, YOU CAN'T SUSTAIN A, A LARGE FLAME LENGTH FIRE WITHOUT THAT, THAT UNDERSTORY TO, TO PREHEAT ALL OF THE, ALL THE VEGETATION ABOVE.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT THE GOAL IS OF THIS.

IT'S NOT THE CLEAR CUTTING THAT EVERYONE THINKS IT IS, AND IT'S ONLY ON THE BOUNDARIES.

SO, UM, JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT HOW WE DO THAT.

UM, IMAGINE THOUGH TRYING TO DO THIS FOR 650 MILES, UM, AT ROUGHLY $50 PER LINEAR FOOT, WHICH IS WHAT A CONTRACTOR USUALLY CHARGES FOR IT.

SO, UM, WE DO THEM IN STRATEGIC PLACES WHERE THERE'S CRITICAL ADJUSTMENT NEEDED TO WHAT WOULD BE A WILDFIRE IN THAT AREA.

UM, IT IS NOT THE ENTIRE INTERFACE THAT NEEDS A SHADE OF FUEL BREAK, UM, THAT IT, IT WAS, IT WOULD BE A, A, AN ASTRONOMICAL UNDERTAKING, NOT TO MENTION THE, THE LOGISTICS OF IT.

SO, UH, THAT IS ALL I HAVE.

I THINK NEXT SLIDE IS THE QUESTION SLIDE.

SO, UH, I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.

UM, LET'S OPEN IT FOR QUESTIONS.

COMMISSIONER, UH, CHAIR, THERE ARE TWO PUBLIC SPEAKER.

FIRST WE'VE GOT CRAIG NASER.

HELLO.

THIS IS CRAIG NE WITH SIERRA CLUB, AND I FOUND THE PRESENTATION VERY INTERESTING AND, UH, A LOT OF WHICH I AGREE WITH PARTICULARLY THE HARDENING OF HOUSES.

AND I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, UH, THAT AUSTIN CAN DO A LOT MORE WITH.

AND WHAT'S VERY INTERESTING ABOUT THIS IS WHEN YOU HARDEN HOUSES, YOU ALSO MAKE THEM MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT.

FOR INSTANCE, METAL ROOFS, I WOULD ASSUME ARE GOOD FOR EMBER, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, UPGRADING YOUR SIDING.

SO IT WASN'T THIS OLD PLYWOOD SIDING THAT'S ON A LOT OF HOUSES AND MULTIPLE PANE WINDOWS, WHICH THE CITY OFFERS A GOOD REBATE ON OR DID WHEN I GOT MINE.

UH, WHAT I'M A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED WITH IS THE, THAT WAS THE LAST SLIDE.

UM, I LIVED IN LOUISIANA FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AROUND ON AN ENVIRONMENT WITH LONGLEAF PINES THAT BURN REGULARLY, HISTORICALLY, FROM WHAT I CAN FIND, THE, THE WHAT, THE KIND OF VEGETATION ON THE HILL COUNTRY, PARTICULARLY THE THICK WOODS WITH THICK UNDERGROWTH DID NOT BURN.

I MEAN, ONE THING IS IF YOU, FIRST OF ALL, YOU LOOK IN THE HISTORY, THERE'S NOT THESE, THIS HISTORY OF SOME BIG FIRE THAT 1880 WHATEVER CAME THROUGH AND, AND, AND BURNED THINGS.

AND ALSO CLEARING TOO MUCH UNDERGROWTH, FROM WHAT I KNOW, UM, IS NOT GOOD FOR CERTAIN HABITAT AND SPECIES.

SO I AM A LITTLE BIT, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON THIS, BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT THAT KIND OF MANAGEMENT MIGHT NOT REALLY REDUCE THE FIRE.

AND I KNOW ONE THING THAT WHEN YOU REDUCE THE WOOD WOODS LIKE THAT, YOU REDUCE THE WAY SOIL BUILDS UP BECAUSE ALL THESE SMALLER PLANTS DIE.

AND, AND ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAD IN THE HILL COUNTRY ANYWAY IS, WAS CUT OVERCUT TOO MUCH.

AND WE HAVE ERODED SOILS AND THAT'S NOT GOOD FOR CLIMATE CHANGE.

IT'S NOT GOOD FOR FLOODING.

THAT'S

[02:10:01]

NOT FOR CARBONS STORAGE.

SO I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS ON THAT, BUT THIS IS AN EVOLVING THING.

SO, AND I LIKE, AGAIN, I'M NOT A REAL EXPERT ON THIS, BUT I WOULD JUST LIKE TO MAKE THOSE COMMENTS.

THEY'RE MARGINAL IMPORTANCE.

NEXT WE HAVE NICO HOWARD .

HELLO, I'M, UH, NICO HOWARD.

I'M NOT REPRESENTING ONE.

I'M ON THE BOARD OF THE SOUTH AUSTIN CREEK ALLIANCE, BUT NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT HIM.

AND GREAT PRESENTATION FROM AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT AS USUAL.

I THINK THEY DO.

THE WILDLANDS, UM, DIVISION IS A GREAT JOB.

UM, A LOT OF THEIR STAFF ARE REALLY GREAT.

AND ESPECIALLY THE RESPONSE TO FIRE IS A, IS A GREAT THING.

I DID WANT POINT OUT, YOU KNOW, SHADED FUEL BREAKS, SOME, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL FOR THE 60 FOOT WIDE, YOU KNOW, UM, KEEPING THEM SHADED FREQUENTLY.

WHAT WE SEE IS, UM, I'VE SEEN CONTRACTORS GET KIND OF CARRIED AWAY AND USE HEAVY MACHINERY, MAKE IT 120 FOOT WIDE.

UM, AND THEN AFTER A WHILE IT'S NOT.

AND THEN THE GRASS COMES IN AND SO LIKE A CASE RIVER PLACE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD PRESERVES NEXT TO IT, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST CLEARED THE WHOLE AREA NEXT TO THE HOMES.

GRASS COMES IN.

THE GUY'S, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBOR'S.

FIRE PIT MAKES A FIRE.

UM, YOU KNOW, FOR A WHILE, LOSS AND WATER WOULD MOW IT, WHICH IS CRAZY TO DO THE WHOLE THING.

YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY, WHEN A, UM, SOME SHADE TREES WOULD'VE DONE THE TRICK.

UM, AND THEN THEY COME BY AND, AND YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE GRASS THING, HE COMPLAINS ABOUT THE GRASS 'CAUSE IT'S A FIRE RISK NOW.

UM, AND THEN THEY APPLY PESTICIDES, YOU KNOW, THE POOR GUY'S GOT A FRUIT TREE IN HIS SHARD AND KIDS, AND HE'S SHOCKED TO SEE THIS HAPPENING.

UM, SO THE, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, IS MOST, YOU KNOW, WE, THEY HAVEN'T REALLY STUDIED SHADED FUEL BREAKS TO SEE HOW DOES, HOW DOES FUEL MOISTURE MAINTAINED IN, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THEY'RE VARYING, THEY'RE ALSO IN THE STORM, UH, THE MAR MIRROR STORM.

SOME OF THE SHADED FUEL BREAKS WERE HEAVIER, HIT A LOT OF TREE DEATHS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU OPENED UP THE SURFACE ROUGHNESS, YOU REMOVE THE TREES, THAT'S ONE OF THE FUNCTIONS OF TREES.

UM, SO IT, IT HASN'T REALLY BEEN VERY UNDERSTOOD, JUST LIKE THE, WHAT WHITE SAID IN THE BAYLOR STUDY.

THEY DO GIVE DEFENSIBLE SPACE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE THEY MIGHT BE OF MARGINAL, YOU KNOW, USE, UM, IN IT.

AND THEY HAVEN'T BEEN STUDIED WELL ENOUGH TO REALLY SEE, YOU DON'T WANNA HAVE GRASS IN A, THE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, YOU KNOW, ONE THING I'M SURPRISED ABOUT IS HOW THEY SHOW A FIRE IS SO HIGH FOR THE WESTERN SIDE.

YOU KNOW, IN THE CORELOGIC STUDY WHEN YOU REALLY EVER REALLY HAD A ACTUAL FORCE FIRES THERE.

IT'S SO MUCH MORE COMMON IN GRASSY AREAS, THOUGH.

THE PALMER LANE FIRE WAS A GRASS FIRE THAT, YOU KNOW, GOT INTO THE TREES RIGHT NEXT TO THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES.

UM, THE 1961 WEST BANK FIRE, WHICH HE MENTIONED WAS THE BIGGEST FIRE IN AUSTIN, UH, NEXT TO WILD BASE.

AND WELL, DAVENPORT RANCH CLEARED ALL THE TREES AND FOR RANCHING, PILED THEM UP ALONG ST.

STEVENS, UH, SCHOOL ROAD, YOU KNOW? YEAH.

THAT'S THE BIGGEST FIRE WE HAD.

SO YOU REALLY EVER, WHY IS IT SHOWN AS A HIGH RISK WHEN YOU REALLY NEVER HAVE TREES BURNING, UM, YOU KNOW, ON THE WESTERN SIDE? WHY WOULD YOU CALL IT A HIGH RISK? AND THEN WHEN YOU CLEAR THE TREES AND, AND ONE THING, I'M OUT OF TIME, I GUESS.

FIRE, BUT HAS BECOME SEPARATED FROM ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION.

UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.

UH, COMMISSIONER BRIMER, I NO QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU THOUGH.

I APPRECIATE THE, UH, IN INFORMATION.

COMMISSIONER QURESHI.

HEY, Y'ALL APPRECIATE THE, UH, PRESENTATION.

YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD, UH, MEMBERS OF THE POLICE FORCE COMPLAINT THAT ALL FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, EMPLOYEES DO IS PLAY XBOX AND WORKOUTS.

I'M GLAD THAT Y'ALL HAVE, UH, POWERPOINT SLIDES TO ADD TO THE RESUME THERE.

UM, YOU KNOW, I HAD SOME QUESTIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU DEFINED, UH, I FORGET WHAT THE EXACT TERMS WERE, RIGHT? BUT IT WAS LIKE DIRECT FLAME IMPINGEMENT AND LIKE RADIATION CONTACT.

UH, AND YOU TALKED A LOT ABOUT EMBERS.

I WAS WONDERING, CAN YOU DEFINE LIKE EXACTLY WHAT AN EMBER IS? I, 'CAUSE I WAS JUST CURIOUS, LIKE IN MY HEAD I'M JUST LIKE, SPARKS, YOU KNOW, BUT I WAS JUST CURIOUS, LIKE, IT SEEMS LIKE IT CAN SORT OF TAKE A LOT OF DIFFERENT FORMS. I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF YOU COULD JUST LIKE, DEFINE SORT OF IN YOUR EXPERIENCE AT LEAST, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT EMBERS ARE, SORT OF WHAT THE, THE GENERAL CAUSES ARE AND HOW THEY CAN SPREAD SO FAR.

YOU KNOW, UH, YEAH.

UH, SO AN EMBER OR, UM, ALSO CALLED A FIREBRAND, UM, IS BASICALLY WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE KIND OF SPARKS IT'S SMALL PIECES OF WOOD FUEL, UM, OR, OR PART LEAVES OR, OR PALM FRONDS OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT HAS, IS STILL ON

[02:15:01]

UH, AND BECAUSE OF THE CONVECTIVE FORCES OF FIRE, UM, ESPECIALLY IN A WILDFIRE, IT'S VERY EXTREME.

CAN CAN BLOW THOSE, THOSE FIREBRANDS, EVEN IF IT'S GOT SOME WEIGHT TO IT, YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF CONVECTION POWER THERE, UM, THAT CAN SEND IT UP INTO THE SKY AND THEN THE COMBINATION OF ATMOSPHERIC WINDS CAN PUSH THAT UP TO A MILE AND A HALF FROM THE FIRE ITSELF.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU MENTIONED, UH, LIKE JUNIPER OR CEDAR IN YOUR, IN YOUR PRESENTATION.

I WAS WONDERING, YOU KNOW, UH, IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WE OFTEN DEAL WITH LIKE, YOU KNOW, UH, HERITAGE TREES BEING, YOU KNOW, UH, CUT DOWN OR REPLANTED AS PART OF A REDEVELOPMENT.

IS THERE LIKE A LIST Y'ALL HAVE OF SORT OF LIKE NATIVE SORT OF LOCAL OR, YOU KNOW, HERITAGE TREES, UM, THAT ARE LIKE MORE FIRE RESISTANT THAN OTHERS? BECAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE USEFUL FOR THIS COMMISSION AS FAR AS LIKE, PARTICULAR TYPES OF TREES TO RECOMMEND.

'CAUSE CERTAINLY YOU DON'T WANNA RECOMMEND A TREE.

IT'S LIKE, OH, BY THE WAY, THIS IS LIKE THE NUMBER ONE FIRE STARTER, YOU KNOW? SO I'M JUST CURIOUS.

UH, YEAH, WE ACTUALLY GET THAT QUESTION A LOT, UM, ESPECIALLY FROM OUR, OUR FOLKS THAT ARE, UH, BUILDING AND LANDSCAPING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

PUTTING, PUTTING TREES IN YOUR HOMES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, AND WE'RE PRETTY RELUCTANT TO PROVIDE A LIST, UM, BECAUSE, UM, EVERYTHING BURNS, , UH, AND, AND, UH, THEY'RE GONNA BE LIKE, YOU TOLD ME THIS TREE WAS SAFE.

RIGHT, EXACTLY.

SO, UH, UH, WE GIVEN THE RIGHT FUEL MOISTURE, ANYTHING IS, IS IGNITABLE AND, AND NOTHING IS IGNITION RESISTANT, UH, AT A CERTAIN POINT.

AND SO WITH ENOUGH PREHEATING WITH A LARGE ENOUGH FIRE RIGHT NEXT TO IT, IT'LL BECOME FUEL.

UM, I WILL SAY, UH, THAT THERE ARE SOME PLANTS THAT HAVE HIGHER RESIN CONTENT AND, UM, DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS BASED ON, UH, LIKE THE THICKNESS OF STEMS AS WELL AS LIKE HOW WELL THEY HOLD MOISTURE IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE PLANT.

UM, THAT THAT CAN MAKE THEM MORE RESISTIVE IN CERTAIN CONDITIONS.

AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT THE WILDFIRE DIVISION IS WORKING WITH, UH, PREVENTION, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, OTHER ARBORISTS, UH, UH, OF THE CITY TO TRY TO PRODUCE SOMETHING THAT PROVIDES A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT TO HOW TO SELECT A PLAN WITHOUT NECESSARILY SAYING, HERE'S YOUR LIST, .

YEAH, THAT MAKES SENSE.

AND UH, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED SORT OF THE, THE MYTHS AROUND, YOU KNOW, BRICK HOUSES.

YOU KNOW, I MYSELF, UH, YOU KNOW, LIVE IN A, A BRICK HOUSE, BIG SHOUT TO THE, UH, OLD BRICK OVEN ON 12TH STREET.

RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT WE DON'T WANT OUR HOUSES TO TURN INTO IF THERE'S A FIRE.

UM, SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, MY HOUSE IS PRETTY OLD, IT'S 1960, WHICH IS DEFINITELY WAY OLDER THAN I AM, UH, FORTUNATELY OR UNFORTUNATELY, DEPENDING ON HOW YOU LOOK AT IT.

SO I WAS CURIOUS, IS THERE LIKE A, LIKE A, A GENERAL LIKE TIME WHERE LIKE, OH, THIS WAS WHEN, YOU KNOW, THE HOUSES WERE, WERE BETTER BUILT TO BE MORE FLAME RESISTANT OR SOMETHING LIKE, IS THERE SORT OF LIKE A, LIKE A BALLPARK FIGURE THAT'S USUALLY LIKE, OH, THE EIGHTIES SOME REGULATION PASSED AND SO THESE HOUSES TEND TO BE SAFER.

I'M JUST CURIOUS.

YOU KNOW, UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON, ON THAT.

UM, I'M, I'M A PLANTS PERSON, , UH, AND I SHADOW CBD NO, I'M JUST KIDDING.

SO, UH, I CERTAINLY SOMEONE THAT HAS, UH, STUDIED, UH, STRUCTURE FIRES AND I, I AM CERTAIN THAT THERE ARE LANDMARKS OF WHEN STRUCTURES BECAME MORE FIRE RESISTIVE FROM INTERNAL IGNITION, UH, AND, AND A TRADITIONAL STRUCTURE FIRE.

AND THAT DID ALSO HELP, I THINK WITH, WITH WILDLAND IGNITIONS.

BUT I, I DON'T HAVE ANY DATES ON THAT FOR YOU.

I'M SORRY.

IF YOU'RE EVACUATING, KIND OF, KIND OF THING.

'CAUSE THAT'S SORT OF LED INTO MY NEXT POINT WHERE YOU'RE LIKE, YEAH, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY INCENTIVES TO, UH, YOU KNOW, INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE RIGHT.

TO, TO HARDEN THEIR HOMES FOR FIRES.

AND SO I'M CURIOUS, RIGHT, LIKE, OBVIOUSLY I'M PRETTY SURE FROM Y'ALL'S PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE DECENT IF WE HAD SOME INCENTIVES.

'CAUSE THEN Y'ALL DON'T HAVE TO GO PUT OUT AS MANY FIRES HOPEFULLY.

RIGHT? UM, I MEAN, I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK IN MY HEAD LIKE, WHAT WOULD WORK, RIGHT? WOULD IT BE LIKE, OH, IF YOU'RE IN LIKE THIS WILDFIRE RISK AREA, THEN YOU'RE ELIGIBLE FOR LIKE AN INCENTIVE OR WHATEVER.

LIKE OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SPITBALLING HERE, BUT IN Y'ALL'S MINDS, WHAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL THINK LIKE WOULD BE USEFUL AS FAR AS LIKE A PROGRAM INCENTIVES PROGRAM? UM, YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD POINT.

IT IS, UM, A LOT OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE MAKE WHILE CAN BE VARIED.

UM, KNOW SOME THINGS DON'T COST ANYTHING AT ALL TO DO, TO HARDEN YOUR HOME.

SOME THINGS ARE QUITE EXPENSIVE, YOU KNOW, SO IT IS SOMEWHAT ONLY AVAILABLE TO THOSE THAT HAVE MONEY TO SPEND ON THAT IF THEIR HOME IS NOT ALREADY SAFE.

SO WE OFFER, UH, UH, AN INSPECTION, UH, AND THAT'S A POOR WORD CHOICE ON MY PART.

UH, .

IT'S MORE OF AN EVALUATION, UH, SO A STRUCTURE IGNITION ZONE EVALUATION.

UM, AND WE, WE CAN EXPLAIN WHAT THE RISKS ARE AND HOW THEY CAN IMPROVE THAT.

AND, AND A LOT OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE, ARE COST FREE.

IT'S JUST A RECOMMENDATION OF WHAT THEY CAN DO, UH, YOU KNOW, THROW YOUR FURNITURE IN THE YARD

[02:20:01]

UM, BUT THEN YES, THERE ARE COSTS, THINGS THAT CAN GO ABOVE AND BEYOND.

UM, THERE ARE MUNICIPALITIES, COUNTIES, AND CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE CREATED, UH, UH, LIKE A REBATE TYPE PROGRAM, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT DOES EXIST.

UM, AND, UH, THAT DOES NOT CURRENTLY, UH, ANYTHING AVAILABLE IN TRAVIS COUNTY OR THE CITY OF BOSTON.

AND I'M CURIOUS, I GUESS AGAIN, THIS IS JUST MORE FOR MY OWN PERSONAL CURIOSITY.

LIKE, DO YOU KNOW IN THESE CITIES WHO USUALLY ADMINISTERS THESE INCENTIVE PROGRAMS? SURE.

I MEAN, UH, UH, AN EXAMPLE I CAN THINK OF WOULD BE, UH, BOULDER.

SO BOULDER, THE CITY OF, AS WELL AS THE COUNTY, UM, EACH HAVE AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM THAT IS A REBATE.

UH, ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, IF THEY CAN PROVE THEY USED THESE CERTAIN MATERIALS THAT ARE IGNITION RESISTANT WHEN REBUILDING THEIR FENCE OR, UH, REPLACING THEIR GUTTERS, THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR, UH, A REBATE.

AND THAT WAS A, UH, VOTED FUND, UH, FROM THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

YEAH, I GUESS I WAS JUST LIKE CURIOUS, LIKE IN AUSTIN IT WOULD BE LIKE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT OR SOMETHING THAT WOULD ADMINISTER IT.

SO, YOU KNOW, I'M SORT OF CURIOUS FROM LIKE AN ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE, LIKE WHO'S SORT OF IN CHARGE OF THAT OR WHO WOULD BE, OR WHO IS USUALLY IN CHARGE OF THAT, YOU KNOW? UM, AND THEN, YEAH.

YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WILDFIRES HAVE BEEN A SUPER HOT TOPIC, UH, NATIONALLY THESE LAST FEW MONTHS.

WE SAW ALL KIND OF, UH, YOU KNOW, HULLABALOO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE LA WILDFIRES.

YOU KNOW, I CERTAINLY REMEMBER THE BASTROP FIRES, WHAT ABOUT A DECADE OR SO AGO, MAYBE LIKE 20 11, 20 12, 2008, SOMEWHERE AROUND THAT TIME THAT WERE, UH, PRETTY BIG, YOU KNOW, UH, CERTAINLY NOBODY WANTS TO SEE AN AN ACL RIGHT.

OR A BLUES ON THE GREEN WHERE EVERYONE'S JUST LIKE, YEAH, WE'RE RAISING FUNDS FOR THE WILDFIRE.

THE PEOPLES THAT WERE AFFECTED BY WILDFIRE FIRES IN THE AREA.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE LA WILDFIRES, RIGHT.

FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND AS A LAY PERSON WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS LIKE WILDFIRE SEASON, RIGHT? AND THEN THERE WERE LIKE HIGH WINDS, I GUESS, THAT CAUSED THE WILDFIRE TO SPREAD.

I THINK HERE THE WILDFIRE SEASON T TYPICALLY TENDS TO BE SUMMER, RIGHT? UM, IN Y'ALL'S EXPERIENCES, THEY'RE LIKE A SITUATION WHERE THEY'RE LIKE HIGH WINDS IN SUMMER THAT COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO, YOU KNOW, MASS WILDFIRES AROUND THE CITY.

UM, 'CAUSE IT SEEMED LIKE THIS ONE WAS LIKE JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO, RIGHT? WHICH WOULD MEAN IT WAS LIKE TECHNICALLY WINTER OR SOMETHING.

SO I'M JUST CURIOUS AS FAR AS LIKE Y'ALL'S PERSPECTIVE, WHAT DO YOU THINK SORT OF, WOULD IT BE THAT TYPE OF SITUATION OR WOULD IT BE LIKE SOMETHING DIFFERENT? LIKE YOU SAID, SORT OF LIKE SMALLER FIRES AROUND LIKE AN AREA OR LIKE MAYBE AROUND A PERIMETER OR SOMETHING? YEAH.

UH, IT IS IMPORTANT TO SAY THAT, THAT WE HAVE VERY DIFFERENT VEGETATION, TOPOGRAPHY AND WEATHER THAN, THAN LA DOES.

UM, I WOULD, I WILL SAY THAT, THAT THERE, THE ONLY SIMILARITY IS THAT THERE ARE STRUCTURES BUILT IN A SIMILAR MANNER FROM A SIMILAR ERA OF TIME WITH SIMILAR CONSTRUCTION METHODOLOGIES.

UM, THE FI THE FIRE IN, IN LOS ANGELES, UH, WAS, UH, A WILDLAND FIRE THAT STARTED, BUT THE, THE WIND, THERE WAS AN EXTREME EVENT.

UH, IT WAS NEARLY HURRICANE FOREST WINDS THAT WERE BLOWING EMBERS INTO THESE STRUCTURES.

UM, ONCE THE STRUCTURES DID START IGNITING, THEY ALSO PRODUCED EMBERS THEMSELVES, AND THAT WAS THE, THE, THE MAIN REASON OF WITH THAT SUSTAINED WIND SPEED AND EMBERS FLYING ALL OVER THE PLACE, UH, WAS, WAS WHAT HAPPENED THERE.

BUT JUST LIKE YOU SAID, UM, THE CONDITIONS, UH, FOR THE BASTROP FIRE AS WELL AS WHAT WAS LISTED IN MY PRESENTATION, THAT WAS ALL IN 2011 WHEN THE PERFECT CONDITIONS WERE THERE, WHERE WE HAD A VERY LONG DROUGHT.

WE HAD, UM, UH, SEVERAL YEARS OF DROUGHT LEADING UP TO THAT YEAR, AND SPECIFICALLY WORSE THAT YEAR IN ADDITION TO AN EXTREME HEAT, AS WELL AS A LOT OF WIND EVENTS THAT DID CAUSE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SPOT FIRES THAT FOR THE MOST PART WERE OVERWHELMED BY THE, THE RESPONSE RESOURCES OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

BUT THERE WERE A FEW THAT I HAD LISTED THAT, THAT WERE NOT OVERWHELMED IN TIME AND, AND BECAME AN ISSUE.

AND, AND IT'S, UH, UH, ONLY MORE AND MORE LIKELY THAT WE'LL, WE'LL SEE DROUGHTS AND, AND, AND WEATHER CHANGES AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

NO FURTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.

APPRECIATE IT.

COMMISSIONER FLURY, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

FOUND IT VERY INFORMATIVE.

UH, NO QUESTIONS FOR ME.

COMMISSIONER KRUEGER.

HI.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

UM, I GUESS I WANTED TO START WITH, START WITH YOUR FIRST SLIDE.

THAT WAS THE, LET ME FIND MY NOTES HERE.

UM, THE CORE LOGIC MAP.

AND SO THAT WAS A MEASURE OF LIKE THE EC POTENTIAL ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THERE WERE A WILDFIRE IN AUSTIN.

BUT I'M CURIOUS ABOUT OTHER MAPS THAT MIGHT SHOW OUR LIKELIHOOD FOR AN EVENT LIKE THAT, BECAUSE I'VE HEARD YOU SAY, OH, IT'S A LOWER LIKELIHOOD HERE, BUT I DON'T HAVE A SENSE OF WHERE WE STACK UP COMPARED TO OTHER PLACES IN THE NATION.

UH, YEAH, THE, THERE'S DOZENS OF, OF REPORTS

[02:25:01]

AND MAPS MM-HMM .

SO IT'D BE HARD TO POINT OUT ONE THAT WAS, I I, ONE OF THE POINTS I WANTED TO MAKE AS WELL IS THAT, THAT, UM, YOU LOOK AT A LOT OF REPORTS IN A LOT OF THAT ARE DESIGNED TO CREATE AND, AND TELL A SPECIFIC NARRATIVE FOR THE AUDIENCE THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO TALK TO.

THEY DON'T VARY GREATLY.

UM, BUT, UH, YEAH, THE, THE, THAT CORE LOGIC REPORT THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DOES ALSO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE LIKELIHOOD OF CATASTROPHIC FIRE.

IT'S NOT JUST HOW MUCH MONEY IS NEAR TREES .

UH, IT ALSO TAKES INTO ACCOUNT A LOT OF THE FUEL MODELING, UH, ON A NATIONAL LEVEL THAT HAS GONE INTO THAT USES RESEARCH AND SCIENCE ON, ON AIT ABILITY OF CERTAIN FUEL TYPES, UH, AS WELL AS THE SPREAD OF WILDFIRE IN CERTAIN TOPOGRAPHIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO IT DOES HAVE A MODEL THAT INCLUDES THAT.

IT JUST HAS A, THAT PARTICULAR REPORT HAS A FOCUS ON THE MONETARY VALUE OF LOSS.

UM, AND THAT IS WHAT RANKS US FIFTH, UH, UH, THE RANKINGS, UH, OTHER THAN THAT ARE, ARE DIFFICULT TO COME BY FOR MM-HMM .

FOR A CITY LIKE AUSTIN.

UM, SO I, I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC ANSWER ON HOW DO WE RANK AS FAR AS RISK FOR CATASTROPHE IN GENERAL.

UM, BUT IT IS HIGH, UH, BASED ON SOME OF THE STUDIES THAT WE'VE HAD, UH, IN A LOCAL LEVEL.

THE, THE NATIONAL STUDIES HAVE US AT, AT A MODERATE AND HIGH, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY KIND OF HAS IT, IT, IT'S AN INTERESTING TOPIC BECAUSE WITHIN THE WILDFIRE MITIGATION, UH, PRACTICE, UH, UH, A LOT, THERE'S A LOT OF VARYING OPINIONS AND IT, IT IS DIFFICULT TO PIN IT DOWN.

UM, AND THAT IS AGAIN, WHY WE LOOK AT ALL THE MODELS AND NOT JUST ONE MODEL AND TRY TO SEE A COMMON THREAD IN THAT.

BUT I WILL SAY A LOT OF THE MODELS PUT US AT EITHER MODERATE OR HIGH BASED ON THE TOPOGRAPHY AND THE FUEL LOADING THAT WE HAVE.

AND WHEN I SAY FUEL, I MEAN VEGETATION IN ADDITION TO STRUCTURES THAT ARE EXPOSED TO THAT.

GOT IT.

AND COULD YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO OUR PREPAREDNESS FOR A CATASTROPHIC FIRE? LIKE WHAT PLANS WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE? UH, YEAH.

IT'S, IT'S A BIT OF THE, THAT COHESIVE STRATEGY THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER.

SO YOU'VE GOT KIND OF A THREE LEGGED STOOL.

UM, NO EXTREME AMOUNT OF EFFORT ON ONE LEG WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

YOU NEED AS MUCH AS YOU CAN ON EACH LEG OF THAT STOOL.

UH, AND SO THAT IS THAT THAT FIRE ADAPTED COMMUNITIES, WHICH INCLUDES A LOT OF PUBLIC AWARENESS, UM, EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO KNOW WHAT THEIR WILDFIRE RISK IS, WHAT THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT, THAT INCLUDES THAT HOME HARDENING, UM, ENCOURAGEMENT, , UH, AS WELL AS, UH, INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES BECOMING, UH, FIREWISE, WHICH IS A NATIONAL PROGRAM.

THERE'RE, THERE'RE THOSE TYPES OF COMMUNITIES ARE ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

THERE'S A PRETTY LOW BAR CRITERIA TO BECOME FIREWISE AS LONG AS THEY'RE COMMITTED TO, UH, REDUCING THEIR WILDFIRE RISK AND, AND ARE ABLE TO WRITE THAT DOWN IN A, IN A PLAN.

AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S CRITERIA TO, TO MEET THAT, THAT NEED.

UM, AND THEN IN, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT EVACUATION AND, AND A PROGRAM CALLED READY SET GO, WHICH IS LIKE, WHAT WOULD YOU DO, UH, IF YOU WERE TO EVACUATE? WHAT DO YOU BRING? HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN TO GO? ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S SORT OF FIRE ADAPTED COMMUNITIES THAT ARE PREPARED FOR THE EVENTUALITY OF FIRE AND KNOW HOW BAD IT MIGHT BE RATHER THAN NOT KNOWING ANYTHING AT ALL.

SURE WE HAVE EQUIPMENT PLACED IN THE RIGHT PLACE THAT IS DESIGNED FOR WILDFIRE.

UM, AND THEN YOU'VE GOT OUR FIRE RESILIENT LANDSCAPES, UH, SORT OF LEG OF THE STOOL, AND THAT IS TRYING TO CREATE EMBER RELUCTANCE, RIGHT? SO HAVING A HEALTHY FOREST MEANS THAT WE'RE LIKELY TO HAVE LOW INTENSITY FIRE AND NOT CATASTROPHIC FIRE.

UM, AND THEN WE'VE ALSO GOT THOSE STRATEGICALLY PLACED, UM, SORT OF ASPECTS WHERE WE CAN'T AMEND A WHOLE FOREST.

THAT IS, THAT IS NOT OUR PLACE TO DO, UH, UH, BUT WE CAN PUT, UM, A BARRIER OR A FILTER AT THE EDGE OF THAT FOREST SO THAT IF THERE IS A CATASTROPHIC FIRE AS IT APPROACHES STRUCTURES, IT WILL LIKELY BE LESS INTENSE, UH, FOR THAT STRUCTURE.

SO, UH, AND THEN OF COURSE THE, THE EFFECTIVE FIRE FIGHTING LEG OF THAT, UM, IS OUR RESPONSE, LIKE I HAD, HAD STATED WE'RE, WE'RE SLOWLY INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF TRAINING, UM, THAT 1100 FIREFIGHTERS THAT HAVE RECEIVED RESPONDING TO THE INTERFACE FOR WILDLAND FIRE TRAINING.

UM, IS THE FIRE, THE WHOLE FIRE DEPARTMENT , UH, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THAT.

I JUST THOUGHT A FUN WAY TO SAY THAT LARGER NUMBER.

BUT, UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE'S A LOT OF FIREFIGHTERS THAT RESPOND TO OTHER WILDFIRES WITHIN THE STATE.

UM, AND THAT IS THROUGH OUR TIF FMIS PROGRAM WITH THE TESIS FOREST SERVICE.

UM, AND SO THEY ARE ABLE TO GAIN EXPERIENCE IN FIGHTING WILDFIRE WITHOUT HAVING TO FIGHT AN AUSTIN WILDFIRE.

UM, WE EVEN HAD A TEAM GO, UH, OUT OF THE STATE, AND WE OFTEN GO OUT OF THE STATE, UM, THROUGH AN INTERSTATE MUTUAL AID.

WE HAD A STRIKE TEAM IN LOS ANGELES FOR THE LOS ANGELES FIRE.

SO, UM, UM, A LOT OF EXPERIENCE ADDED IN ADDITION TO, UM, UH, THE APPARATUS THAT WE HAVE WHERE, YOU KNOW, UM, AND I, I CAN'T NECESSARILY SPEAK TO THAT, BUT THERE THE SPECIFICS OF THAT.

BUT THERE ARE EFFORTS BEING MADE TO, TO FOCUS AND MAKE

[02:30:01]

AND IN THINKING ABOUT STATEWIDE RISK, I KNOW RECENTLY THERE HAVE BEEN SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT CUTS, UH, FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS THAT HAVE AFFECTED OUR FEDERAL LANDS, NATIONAL PARKS, UM, NATIONAL FORESTS, WHICH WE HAVE IN TEXAS.

AND SO I'M CURIOUS IF ANY OF THOSE FUNDING CUTS, WHICH I'M HEARING ARE AFFECTING WILDFIRE PREVENTION OR THERE'S CONCERNS THAT THAT MIGHT BE PART OF IT, IF YOU ALL ARE HAVING ANY CONVERSATIONS AROUND THAT.

LIKE IF A FIRE STARTS IN ONE PART OF THE STATE AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, PROPENSITY TO SPREAD MIGHT BE GREATER, WHAT CONVERSATIONS ARE BEING HAD ABOUT THAT? UH, I'M UNAWARE OF ANY THAT HAVE BEEN HAD SPECIFICALLY AROUND AUSTIN OR TRAVIS COUNTY FOR THAT MATTER.

UM, UH, I'M SURE THERE, THERE, THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID ABOUT IT, BUT I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO REPORT ON ABOUT THAT.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER NICHOLS.

UM, AND THEN LASTLY, I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN PULL UP SLIDE 11 JUST TO HELP ILLUSTRATE FOR SOME FOLKS WHO MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT THIS IS, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M INCORRECT, BUT, UM, I NOTICED IN ONE OF THE PICTURES A PLANE FLYING BY DROPPING WHAT LOOKS LIKE FOCHE, THE PINK FLAME RETARDANT MM-HMM .

UM, AND I KNOW THERE'VE BEEN CONVERSATIONS, UM, ABOUT THE POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THAT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, INCLUDES LEAD, LEAD, ARSENIC, THALLIUM, MONO, AMMONIUM PHOSPHATE, AND OF COURSE, IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, WE WANNA STOP A WILDFIRE, RIGHT.

BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.

AND ALSO, I THINK, HAVE CONVERSATIONS AROUND WHAT IS THE MOST, UM, ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE WAY WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

SO I'M CURIOUS IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO ANYTHING YOU'RE AWARE OF IN TERMS OF AUSTIN'S USE OF THAT CHEMICAL, IF THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING, OR IF NOT, WHY YOU THINK THIS IS THE BEST THING FOR US TO HAVE IN OUR ARSENAL.

SURE.

UM, WELL, I'LL FIRST SAY THAT I AM NOT AN EXPERT ON FLAME RETARDANT, UH, OR, OR THAT MATERIAL THAT IS USED.

UM, I, I'M AWARE THAT IT EXISTS AND, AND THE CHEMICAL MAKEUP THAT YOU JUST LISTED, UH, IN, UH, PERSONAL, UH, AREA, BUT MM-HMM .

I COULDN'T SPEAK TO IT NECESSARILY FROM A PROFESSIONAL STANDPOINT.

UM, BUT WHAT I, WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT THAT IS NOT A, UH, AN, UH, AN ASSET OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

UM, UH, IT HAPPENS TO BE STAGED AT, UH, THE AIRPORT OF AUSTIN, UH, BUT IT IS A STATE RESOURCE.

AND SO THAT WAS, UM, NOT NECESSARILY A SELECTION.

I I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S, UH, ANYTHING THAT, THAT THE CITY HAS CONTROL OVER WITH, WITH THE SUBSTANCE THAT IS USED OUT OF THAT AIRCRAFT.

UM, BUT, UH, I WISH I HAD A BETTER ANSWER FOR YOU ON THAT.

COMMISSIONER SHIRA, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT THANK YOU FOR COMING TONIGHT.

I DEFINITELY FEEL MORE PREPARED TO, UM, SPEAK TO ANY COMMUNICATE COMMUNITY CONCERNS.

NO QUESTIONS ON MY END EITHER, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE.

COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN, ONE, ONE THING I THOUGHT OF WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW LONG THAT OR THAT WILDLIFE URBAN INTERFACE IS, IS THAT YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF AFFLUENT AREAS PROBABLY IN THE WEST, AND THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS OR HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATIONS TO PICK UP SOME OF THAT COST TO, UM, TAKE CARE OF THAT, THAT UNDERBRUSH TO, OR CLEARING, YOU KNOW, 60 FOOT CLEARANCE OR WHATEVER.

UH, WELL, YEAH, ACTUALLY MANY OF THEM HAVE, I SHOULD SAY.

SO, UM, AND A AND A FUN FACT ABOUT THAT 650 MILES, UH, IS THAT 72% OF IT IS PRIVATE LAND MM-HMM .

UM, AND SO A LOT OF THESE, I THINK SOMETHING THAT, THAT, UH, A COMMENTER HAD MADE, UH, IS, UM, ABOUT REMOVING, UH, UNDERSTORY AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND, AND THEY GET A LITTLE BIT OUT OF CONTROL AND MAYBE GO OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF THE WORK, UM, AND CUT TOO MUCH OR, OR WHATEVER IT IS.

AND, AND WE OFFER, UM, INSIGHT ON THAT.

WE OFFER BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND AS WELL AS LIKE GUIDANCE ON HOW TO, HOW TO MANAGE THIS VEGETATION IN A WAY THAT DOES NOT IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT.

UH, AND THAT IS THROUGH GUIDELINES SET FORWARD BY, UM, US FISH AND WILDLIFE AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND SO, UM, A LOT OF THEM HAVE TAKEN IT UPON THEMSELVES TO, TO CREATE THESE SHADED FUEL BREAKS.

UM, AND WHAT, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS, IS ACTUALLY ENCOURAGE THEM TO DO IT CORRECTLY AND IN THE RIGHT PLACE, BECAUSE OFTEN WE DO ENCOUNTER PEOPLE THAT HAVE, HAVE DONE IT , RIGHT.

MAYBE IN A WAY THAT HAS ACTUALLY INCREASED THEIR RISK OR, OR IN A WAY THAT HARMS, UH, THE, THE FOREST AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

ALRIGHT, THANKS.

THAT DOES HAPPEN.

SECRETARY BRISTOL.

UM, THANK YOU FOR, UM, THIS GREAT REPORT AND, UM, AS A, UH, A FORMER, UH, WILDLAND, UH, FIREFIGHTER, I, I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE WHAT Y'ALL DO AND, AND KNOW, UM, HOW HARD IT

[02:35:01]

IS ESPECIALLY TO BE IN THIS URBAN ENVIRONMENT.

SO, UM, I WAS, UH, AT BASTROP STATE PARK.

I LEFT TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE FIRE, SO, UM, I WAS VERY, VERY CONNECTED, UH, DURING THE, DURING THE, UM, REFORESTING OF THAT.

UM, SO I JUST WANNA ASK YOU THE QUESTION.

THIS IS KIND OF A LOADED QUESTION.

UM, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE ONE TRUCK FOR EVERY 1700 HOMES, IS THAT ABOUT RIGHT? BASED ON YOUR 94,000 HERE? I DID QUICK MATH, SO IT'S NOT LIKE ACCURATE MATH.

SURE, SURE.

UH, UH, IF, IF THE POPULATION THAT YOU JUST USE FOR THAT MATH IS CORRECT, THEN I'M, I'M SURE IT IS.

BUT I'M, UH, BRINGING IN ALSO, UH, CHIEF STEWART, UH, WHO OVERSEES THE WILDFIRE DIVISION, UM, OKAY.

UH, SHE CAN SPEAK MORE DIRECTLY ON THE OPERATIONS AND APPARATUS THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS.

AND THEN I ALSO THINK, UM, SO ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU SAID EARLIER TOO, YOU HAVE 1100 FIREFIGHTERS, AND THAT WOULD BE ABOUT 85 HOMES PER FIREFIGHTER.

DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT ISH? THERE WE GO.

SO WE HAVE 54 PUMPING APPARATUS IN THE CITY.

WE ALSO HAVE AN AERIAL FLEET AS WELL.

SO WHEN WE DISPATCH TO JUST A STRUCTURE FIRE, IT'S GONNA BE FOUR PUMPING APPARATUS, TWO AERIALS AND A RESCUE UNIT.

SO WE SEND SEVEN UNITS TO A RUN OF THE MILL HOUSE FIRE, IF YOU WILL.

UM, THE POINT WITH THAT SLIDE IS TO SAY, WE EXPECT TO BE OVERWHELMED WHEN WE HAVE A LARGE WILDFIRE EVENT.

SO IF WE THINK OF A BASTROP OR A STEINER RANCH OR A, A PINNACLE FIRE, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA GET OVERWHELMED BECAUSE WE EXPECT TO HAVE MULTIPLE SIMULTANEOUS, SMALLER STARTS IN THE CITY.

WE EXPECT OUR FIRES TO BE A HUNDRED ACRES OR LESS, BUT HIGH LOSSES WITH THOSE FIRES, IF THEY GET THAT LARGE.

SO WE KNOW THAT WE SHOULD, THAT WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA BE OVERWHELMED JUST LIKE LOS ANGELES COW FIRE, LIKE THEY'RE WELL PRACTICED IN WILDFIRES, BUT THEY STILL GO OVERWHELMED AS WELL.

SO THAT'S WHY WE RELY ON OUR OUTSIDE PARTNERS LIKE OUR, OUR ESDS, AUTO AID, MUTUAL AID, OUR STATE RESOURCES, SO WHETHER THAT'S AIR ASSETS OR BRINGING IN TEXAS FOREST SERVICE FIREFIGHTERS AS WELL.

THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE WANNA DIRECT TO WITH THAT, IS THAT EVEN DESPITE THE NUMBERS OF STATIONS AND APPARATUS THAT WE HAVE DURING THESE EVENTS, WE KNOW THAT WE'LL BE OVERWHELMED AND WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE CALL ON OUR PARTNERS FOR HELP.

AND THAT KIND OF WENT TO MY NEXT QUESTION THAT, YOU KNOW, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE ENOUGH STAFF ENOUGH GEAR AT ANY GIVEN TIME? YOU CAN SAY IT ARE TURNING , THE GEARS ARE TURNING.

UH, SOME EVEN MORE SO FROM EMBERS, UH, LIKE NINA THAT YOU HAD MENTIONED.

SO GENERALLY, YES.

WE HAVEN'T ADDED AN AERIAL TO OUR FLEET IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN SINCE THE LATE NINETIES.

THE CITY HAS GROWN A LOT.

WE HAVE MORE HIGH RISES.

YOU NEED AERIALS WHEN YOU HAVE TALL BUILDINGS, AND WE'VE HAD A LOT OF THOSE ADDED TO THE CITY SINCE THEN.

SO WHAT AERIALS PROVIDE, IT'S, IT'S NOT A TYPICAL FRONTLINE WILDFIRE FIGHTING APPARATUS, BUT THAT'S WHERE OUR CAPTAINS RIDE.

SO THEY PROVIDE THE CHAIN OF COMMAND, THE OVERSIGHT DURING THESE LARGER EVENTS.

SO WE DO NEED THE HIGHER RANKS THAT RIDE ON OUR AERIAL APPARATUS TO BE IN CONTROL OR IN CHARGE, UM, DIVIDING UP A FIRE GROUND, EVEN IF IT'S A LARGE WILDFIRE, WE STILL HAVE TO HAVE THE OVERHEAD TO DO THAT.

SO THAT'S WHERE OUR AERIALS COME INTO THAT.

SO THAT IS OUR BIGGEST NEED ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT.

UM, AND LIKE DAVID MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE A WILDFIRE BATTALION THAT'S BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR THREE YEARS NOW.

WE'VE JUST EXPANDED THAT BATTALION TO EIGHT STATIONS AND 10 APPARATUS.

OUR BRUSH TRUCKS ARE LOCATED AT THOSE STATIONS AS WELL.

SO WE'VE JUST EXPANDED THAT.

WE ARE GETTING THAT EXPANSION, THE TRAINING PLAN IMPLEMENTED AND GOING FOR THAT.

BUT WE DO HAVE NEEDS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.

UM, BUT THAT THOSE AERIAL TRUCKS, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT FRONTLINE WILDFIRE FIGHTING APPARATUS, THE, THE OVERSIGHT THAT THE PERSONNEL WHO RIDE ON THAT TRUCK IS THE BIGGEST ASSET THAT WE WOULD HAVE IN ONE OF THOSE EVENTS.

GREAT, THANK YOU.

UM, MY, UM, MY OTHER QUESTION IS, UM, AND THIS WILL GO BACK TO DAVID, UM, AND I DON'T WANNA PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.

YOU KNOW, YOU ANSWERED CRUSHES, UM, COMMISSIONER KRESGE'S COMMENTS VERY WELL ABOUT CERTAIN PLANTS AND STUFF THAT ARE, UM, MAYBE FIRE RESISTANT, UM, MORE SO, BUT, UM, ARE THERE ONES, LET'S SAY, LIKE NANDINA AND BAMBOO, UM, THAT WOULD BE MORE IGNITABLE? UM, YEAH, I THINK YOU'VE GOT IT ON THE SPOT ALREADY WITH WHAT YOU'VE SUGGESTED.

SO, UH, YES.

MANY OF THE INVASIVE SPECIES THAT ARE PRESENT IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, AND CENTRAL TEXAS FOR THAT MATTER, UM, MANY OF THEM ARE, YES, A LITTLE BIT MORE PRONE TO IGNITION,

[02:40:01]

SO, UM, IN ADDITION TO THOSE PLANTS INDIVIDUALLY, POTENTIALLY BEING MORE IGNITABLE, THEY ARE ALSO CAUSING THE FOREST TO BE LESS HEALTHY AND, AND OVERALL RESILIENT TO A CATASTROPHIC FIRE.

SO AN INDIVIDUAL PLANT BEING MORE IGNITABLE IS A SMALL PROBLEM.

UM, BUT THE BIGGER PROBLEM IS THAT WE'VE GOT FOREST HEALTH DECLINE AND THAT WE'RE MORE LIKELY NOW TO HAVE CANOPY FIRES AND, AND EMBER PRODUCING FIRES THAT ARE MORE CATASTROPHIC THAT MAY DESTROY THE FOREST, AS WELL AS CREATE A CA UH, A HIGHER HAZARD FOR HOUSES WITHIN A MILE AND A HALF OF THAT AREA.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

I'M GONNA TAKE THAT TO MY NEIGHBOR.

I APPRECIATE IT.

, .

NO, I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL Y'ALL DO, AND, UH, WE WANNA SUPPORT Y'ALL HOWEVER WE CAN AND, AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF WORK.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING US VICE CHAIR COOPER.

UH, I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AS WELL, AS WELL AS THE THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS BY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS.

UM, I GUESS ON THE TOPIC OF JUST SORT OF THE UNDER UNDERSTORY CUTTING AND, AND FRANKLY JUST ANYWHERE WHERE YOU SORT OF SEE CREATION OF AND MAINTENANCE OF FIELD BREAKS, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES GO A LITTLE BIT OVERBOARD WITH THE TREE DAMAGE.

AND IN A LOT OF AREAS IN AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SUCH THIN SOILS AND SO MANY EROSION PROBLEMS THAT, UM, MY SENSE IS BASED ON YOUR ANSWERS, THAT THAT IS BEING DONE BY AN, AN ASSORTMENT OF DIFFERENT CONTRACTORS, UTILITY COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS.

UH, THAT IS VERY CORRECT.

SO I GUESS, YEAH, , WELL, YEAH, SOME, SOME OF THEM ARE HIRED BY INDIVIDUAL HOAS OR INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS.

UM, AND WE DO OUR BEST TO EDUCATE THOSE HOMEOWNERS AND HOAS ON HOW TO, UH, BEST CONDUCT THAT WORK.

UM, AND THEN SOME OF THEM ARE CONTRACTED BY THE CITY.

UM, AND SO THAT IS THROUGH PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT OR OUR, WAS AUSTIN WATER UTILITIES WILDLAND CONSERVATION DIVISION, UH, WHO INSTALL THOSE SHADED FIELD BREAKS WHERE THERE IS, UM, PROPERTY THAT THEY HAVE THAT IS NEAR HOMES.

UM, AND THOSE SPECIFICATIONS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PRETTY, PRETTY GOOD AT MAKING SURE THE CONTRACTOR DOES WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.

UM, IT IS TYPICALLY WHEN WE ARE, UM, ENCOUNTERING THAT WORK BEING DONE OUTSIDE OF A CITY CONTRACT THAT, THAT THE SCOPE OF WORK SOMETIMES EXCEEDS WHAT IS BEST FOR THE FOREST AND SOMETIMES EXCEEDS WHAT IS BEST FOR WILDFIRE.

BEST LAID PLANS.

I GUESS I'M JUST CURIOUS MORE WITH THE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, BECAUSE WE'RE A UNIQUE SPACE AND ECOSYSTEM MM-HMM .

IS THERE CITY INVOLVEMENT IN, IN HOW WE CRAFT THOSE AS LIKE HARD FORESTRY OR THE CITY ARBORISTS HAVE? YEAH, WE ARE TRYING.

UM, SO THERE IS CERTAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, ORDINANCES FOR, UH, LIKE HERITAGE TREES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

THERE'S NOT A LOT OF HERITAGE TREES IN THESE SPACES TYPICALLY.

UM, IT'S, IT'S, UH, USUALLY SMALLER DIAMETER TREES AND, AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, THERE IS ALSO, UH, UH, THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT THAT PROTECTS CERTAIN HABITATS.

UM, AND A LOT OF THESE SHADED FIELD BREAKS ARE IN THOSE HABITATS.

AND THAT'S THE, UH, REFERENCED EARLIER, UM, UH, A BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICE THAT WAS CREATED BY US FISH AND WILDLIFE, UM, TO BE ABLE TO INSTALL A SHADED FUEL BREAK WHILST, UH, MAINTAINING AND, UH, AND NOT REMOVING HABITAT FOR, UM, ENDANGERED SPECIES.

UM, AND THAT IS THE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE THAT THE CITY USES WITH THEIR CONTRACTORS.

THAT IS THE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE THAT WE ENCOURAGE AND TRY TO TEACH, UH, UH, RESIDENTS AS WELL AS HOAS THAT ARE LOOKING TO HIRE A CONTRACTOR TO DO THIS.

I WILL SAY, UM, WITHIN MY SPECIFIC GROUP AT THE WILDFIRE DIVISION WITH RESILIENT LANDSCAPES, UM, WE ARE TRYING TO EXPAND OUR ABILITY TO TEACH DIRECTLY TO CONTRACTORS AND, AND HOST CLASSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT SO WE CAN PROVIDE THIS TRAINING FOR THEM.

UH, AND IN HOPES OF THE WORK GETTING DONE MORE CORRECTLY, MORE OFTEN, I WISH THAT ALL UTILITY COMPANIES WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THAT .

UM, I GUESS THE ONLY OTHER THING, JUST FOR CONSIDERATION FOR, YOU KNOW, FUTURE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION CONVERSATIONS, IT WOULD JUST BE NICE TO HAVE AN UPDATE ON THE W CODE UPDATE WHEN THAT HAPPENS THIS YEAR AS FAR AS, ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S GONNA BE CHANGES TO THE PROXIMITY ZONE DISTANCES.

YEAH, I BELIEVE, UM, THE CODE AS IT'S WRITTEN IS, HAS ALREADY GONE THROUGH PUBLIC REVIEW AND STAKEHOLDER REVIEW.

UM, I BELIEVE IT JUST WENT THROUGH LIKE LEGAL REVIEW AND IT WILL BE UP FOR ADOPTION EARLY SUMMER, IS MY UNDERSTANDING.

I'LL TRY TO REMEMBER TO FIND IT AND CIRCULATE IT.

[02:45:01]

COMMISSIONER EY PRETTY MUCH ASKED THE QUESTIONS I HAD , BUT, UM, JUST WANT TO ELABORATE, ELABORATE ON, UH, I GUESS ONE OF THE SLIDES THAT YOU HAD MENTIONED WITH THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT, THAT BASICALLY HAD THEIR, ALL THEIR HOMES LIKE PRETREATED FOR WHATEVER THE RETARDANT WAS.

AND, UM, I WAS CURIOUS IF THAT WAS, UM, IF THAT WAS LIKE AN ORDINANCE THING OR IF THAT WAS LIKE A HOA THING, LIKE HOW WOULD THAT, OR WAS THAT AREA PRONE TO NORMALLY GET WILDFIRES? IS THAT WHY THAT WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD KIND OF PRETREATED FOR THEIR HOMES? UH, SO I BELIEVE YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE PARMER FIRE, I THINK SO, UM, WHERE THERE WAS, UH, APARTMENT BUILDINGS IN THE FOREGROUND AND THEN HOMES IN THE, IN THE BACKGROUND THAT HAD SURVIVED.

UM, YEAH, THAT IT, IT IS NOT BECAUSE OF ANY, UM, CODE BUILDING CODE, IT IS JUST, UM, THAT THOSE HOMES HAPPENED TO BE BUILT WITH MATERIALS THAT WERE RES IGNITION RESISTANT, VERY CLOSE TO WHAT A, WHAT A WOOEY CODE WOULD BE.

UM, BUT, UM, NO, IT WAS NOT FOR, IT WAS SORT OF BY ACCIDENT, BUT TELLS A VERY GOOD STORY.

AWESOME.

I KNOW IN THE PAST, UM, WE'VE HAD WHERE I THINK IT'S KIND OF A GROUP THAT'S KIND OF, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S Y'ALL OR IF THEY'RE TIED TO Y'ALL, BUT BASICALLY LIKE IF THERE'S LIKE OVERGROWTH IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, LIKE THEY KIND OF, UM, GET WITH THE, UM, THE HOMEOWNERS TO KIND OF LIKE TRAIN THEM IN HOW TO LIKE, UM, CUT BACK SOME OF THEIR PROPERTY.

AND I KNOW WE'VE HAD THE GROUP COME BEFORE A COUPLE OF TIMES, BUT I CAN'T THINK OF WHO EXACTLY DOES THAT.

UH, I'M JUST TRYING TO, YEAH, I'M DROWNING.

THEY COME A COUPLE, LIKE, IT'S LIKE IF THE, IF THERE'S A LOT OF LIKE STRAWBERRY THAT'S OVERGROWN AND THEY KIND OF EDUCATE THE HOMEOWNERS WITH LIKE, CUT IT BACK BECAUSE IT COULD BE A FIRE HAZARD, I THINK IN SOME CASES, UH, THEY KIND OF WORK WITH THE HOMEOWNER TO LIKE CUT IT IF THEY'RE MAYBE LIKE ELDERLY AND CAN'T CUT IT THEMSELVES.

UM, I KNOW THERE'S, JUST CAN'T THINK OF WHO IT WAS, BUT THAT'S NOT QUESTION.

I'M UNFAMILIAR WITH SUCH A PROGRAM IN AUSTIN.

UM, I KNOW THERE ARE, UH, SOMETIMES, UH, UH, GROUPS, VOLUNTEER GROUPS THAT, THAT DO OFFER SERVICES LIKE THAT.

UH, I'M UNAWARE OF ANY THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY DEDICATED TO WILDFIRE PREVENTION.

UM, BUT THERE IS, I MEAN, THERE IS SOMETIMES LIKE A, THERE'S A NONPROFIT THAT HAS DECIDED IT'S A NATIONAL NONPROFIT, SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON DISASTER RESPONSE AND MITIGATION, UH, THAT HAS DECIDED TO HAVE A PROJECT IN AUSTIN FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT THAT'S INTERMITTENT.

UM, THEY'RE A NATIONAL PROGRAM.

UM, I THINK THEY'VE HAD A FEW OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT, UM, THAT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, ONE SHADE OF FUEL BREAK BEHIND ONE NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS VERY HELPFUL FOR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THEIR PRESENCE FOR THAT.

UM, BUT UM, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE THE CLOSEST THING I CAN THINK OF TO, TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

I GOTCHA.

WELL, I CAN'T THINK OF IT, BUT , THAT'S THE CLOSEST THING I GOT.

IF YOU DO, I'LL BE HAPPY TO, TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT ANOTHER TIME.

THAT THOSE HAVE BEEN INSPECTED.

THANK Y'ALL FOR COMING OUT.

REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU FOR ACTUALLY HAD ONE QUESTION.

OH, OKAY.

UH, YEAH, SORRY TO, TO CUT YOU OFF.

NO WORRIES.

UH, IT'S, IT'S GETTING LATE AND COLD.

UM, YEAH, SO, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU MENTIONED SORT OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, PUMPING APPRAISES OR WHATEVER HAD ME SORT OF THINKING, I REMEMBER READING ABOUT LIKE, UM, SOME KIND OF STRUCTURE FIRE.

I THINK THAT WAS OVER ON LIKE NORTH LAMAR RECENTLY.

AND I THINK IN THE STORY THEY MENTIONED THAT LIKE THE HYDRANTS AROUND THE AREA WERE LIKE KIND OF NOT WORKING, SO THEY HAD TO LIKE GO KIND OF DOWN THE BLOCK AND LIKE ACROSS THE STREET OR SOMETHING.

UH, CERTAINLY I THINK, YOU KNOW, WITH WILDFIRES, YOU KNOW, HYDRANTS ARE A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY FARTHER THAN, YOU KNOW, SORT OF LIKE URBAN FIREFIGHTING, SO I'M SURE IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WE SAW THE PALMER FIRE, WHICH WAS, YOU KNOW, SORT OF AROUND DEVELOPMENT.

OBVIOUSLY STEINER RANCH IS A DEVELOPMENT, SO I WAS WONDERING, IS THERE LIKE A AUDIT LIKE CITYWIDE OF LIKE WHAT FIRE HYDRANTS WORK AND, AND WHAT DON'T AND LIKE, IS THAT PUBLICLY AVAILABLE? CERTAINLY WE DON'T WANNA SCARE ANYBODY ABOUT BEING LIKE, HEY, NONE OF THE FIRE HYDRANTS WORK AROUND WHERE YOU LIVE.

BUT I MEAN, I THINK PEOPLE WOULD BE GENERALLY INTERESTED IN SORT OF SEEING THAT INFORMATION AND IT COULD PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, BENEFIT FROM US TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT SHOULD WE FIX OR LIKE INFRASTRUCTURE WISE.

SURE.

UM, A FD PARTNERS WITH AUSTIN WATER UTILITY TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF OUR HYDRANTS ARE INSPECTED ANNUALLY.

SO WE ASSIGN HYDRANTS TO ALL OF OUR FIRE CREWS AND THEY GO OUT AND DO INSPECTIONS WHILE THEY'RE ON SHIFT.

SO WE, WE HAVE A, A ROBUST PROGRAM, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AN APARTMENT COMPLEX OR PRIVATE PROPERTY THAT HAS HYDRANTS, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO SHOW

[02:50:01]

IT'S ON THAT APARTMENT COMPLEX OR ON THAT PRIVATE PROPERTY TO, TO HAVE THOSE HYDRANTS INSPECTED.

I, I DON'T KNOW IF THE ONE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ON LAMAR WAS A PRIVATE PROPERTY OR IF THOSE WERE CITY HYDRANTS, BUT IF IT WAS AN APARTMENT COMPLEX POTENTIAL FOR IT TO HAVE BEEN PRIVATE HYDRANTS AND THEY WOULD'VE HAD TO HAVE SHOWN PROOF THAT THEY'VE HAD THOSE INSPECTED ANNUALLY AS WELL.

GOTCHA.

GOOD TO KNOW.

YEAH, I WAS CURIOUS AND I'M SORRY, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION TOO, ACTUALLY.

UH, TO THAT END, UM, DO, DO FOLKS OPT IN TO HAVE A PRIVATE FIRE HYDRANT OR IS THERE A CODE WHERE IF YOU WERE HOUSING OVER A CERTAIN NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THIS AREA, YOU MUST HAVE A FIRE HYDRANT ON SITE? I DON'T KNOW WHEN IT BECOMES LIKE PRIVATE VERSUS CITY MM-HMM .

MAINTENANCE.

UH, BUT IT'S ALL GOVERNED BY OUR PREVENTION DIVISION FOR THE RECORDS AND MAINTENANCE OF THOSE HYDRANTS AND, AND SHOWING PROOF THAT THEY'VE BEEN INSPECTED ANNUALLY.

OKAY, COOL.

I WAS ALSO CURIOUS THINKING ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WHETHER FIRE HYDRANTS ARE WORKING OR NOT FACT CHECK ME HERE, BUT I FEEL LIKE IN THE LA FIRES, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT FOLKS WERE TALKING ABOUT WAS THAT THERE WASN'T ENOUGH GROUNDWATER AT DIFFERENT TIMES FOR CERTAIN FIRE HYDRANTS TO BE OPERABLE.

UM, AND SO THAT'S, I FEEL LIKE A WORST CASE SCENARIO WHERE WE'RE IN A DROUGHT, IT'S THE CONDITIONS THAT ARE RIPE FOR A WILDFIRE AND THEN WE ALSO DON'T HAVE THE WATER TO FIGHT THAT.

CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? IS THAT A LEGITIMATE CONCERN THAT WE SHOULD HAVE HERE? SO, UH, CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES HAD A DIFFERENT SITUATION WITH THEIR RESERVOIRS AND, UM, HOW THEY HAD MAINTAINED THOSE.

WE DO HAVE A ROBUST HYDRANT SYSTEM BEING A LARGE MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENT, BUT WHEN WE HAVE LARGE EVENTS LIKE THIS, JUST LIKE IF WE HAD A TORNADO, UH, IF WE HAVE A LARGE WILDFIRE, WE HAVE A LARGE SIGNIFICANT EVENT, WE SHOULD EXPECT TO HAVE ISSUES AND CHALLENGES WITH OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.

I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THAT FOR WATER SUPPLY.

MARSHALL FIRE IN COLORADO SEVERAL YEARS AGO WAS STARTED BY A GRASS FIRE WITH HIGH WINDS BURNED DOWN COSTCOS AND STUFF IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN FROM A GRASS FIRE, BUT THEY HAD 80 MILE AN HOUR WINDS, WHICH WOULD BE REALLY, REALLY RARE HERE, RIGHT? BUT AS THE HOUSES BURNED IN THE MARSHALL FIRE, THE PVC PIPES MELTED AND THEY HAD LEAKS IN THEIR SYSTEM, SO THEY COULDN'T MAINTAIN WATER PRESSURE.

THAT'S NOBODY'S FAULT.

IT'S A, IT'S A LARGE NATURAL DISASTER.

AND THEY, THEY HAD CHALLENGES WITH THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THEY COULDN'T HAVE FORESEE FORESEEN.

WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN HINDSIGHT IS GOING BACK AND PUT IT IN REMOTE, REMOTE SHUTOFFS AS THEY REBUILD IN, IN THAT COMMUNITY.

SO IF WE HAVE A LARGE CATASTROPHIC EVENT LIKE THAT, WE COULD SEE PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES WITH OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT IT, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THAT WE'VE DONE ANYTHING WRONG, IT'S JUST THERE WERE THINGS THAT WE COULDN'T FORESEE WHEN WE BUILT OUR COMMUNITIES, YOU KNOW, DECADES AGO.

BUT WE DO HAVE A ROBUST HYDRANT SYSTEM JUST BEING AS LARGE OF A DEPARTMENT AND AS LARGE OF A CITY AS WE ARE.

BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE CONVERSATIONS ARE BEING HAD IN TERMS OF LESSONS LEARNED FROM THESE OTHER FIRES, AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO UPDATE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE BEFORE CATASTROPHE HITS RATHER THAN AFTER? YES.

I THINK IF THROUGH OUR EMERGENCY MANAGERS AND ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS, WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR WAYS THAT WE CAN BETTER AND PRE-PLAN IN ADVANCE AS MUCH AS WE CAN.

EMBER ZONE OR AN EIZ AN EMBER IGNITION ZONE IS HOW IT'S REFERRED TO IN THE, IN THE NEW CODE.

AND LASTLY, I MEAN, I CAN LOOK IT UP TOO, BUT I WAS WONDERING IF YOU'RE ABLE TO SYNOPSIZE THIS NEW WWE CODE THAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE, LIKE WHAT SIGNIFICANT CHANGES ARE WE GONNA SEE FROM THAT CODE? YEAH, SO THE, UH, I CAN BRIEFLY COVER THAT.

SO IN 2020 WHEN THE CODE WAS ADOPTED, THE VERSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CODE THAT WAS ADOPTED WAS 2015.

UM, AND SO, UH, FOR, FOR CHECKING KIND OF WHAT THE CODE IS, UM, HOWEVER, THERE WERE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DELETIONS AND AMENDMENTS TO THE INTERNATIONAL CODE IN THE AUSTIN VERSION THAT WAS ADOPTED.

UM, WITH THE 2025 ADOPTION, THEY'RE GOING FORWARD WITH THE 2024 CODE THAT HAS JUST BEEN RELEASED, UH, THAT WILL, UM, STILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF, OF DELETIONS AND, AND AMENDMENTS TO THE INTERNATIONAL CODE.

AND A LOT OF THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY TO SAY THAT IT IS A LESSER, UH, PROTECTIVE, UH, MEASURE, BUT THAT IT, THERE ARE ALREADY ORDINANCES IN PLACE IN, IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT THAT ACCOUNTED FOR SOME OF THE THINGS IN THAT CODE AND IT WOULD BE REDUNDANT AND SOMETIMES, UM, COUNTERINTUITIVE TO, TO HAVE THAT IN A CERTAIN WAY.

THE TREE ORDINANCE BEING ONE OF THOSE THINGS AND, AND SO ON.

UM, AND SO, UH, BUT A BIG SIGNIFICANT CHANGE THAT CAN BE STATED EVEN AFTER THOSE DELETIONS MODIFICATIONS, UM, IS THE ADOPTION OF WHAT'S CALLED A ZERO TO FIVE

[02:55:01]

UM, AND ESSENTIALLY IT, IT FOCUSES NOT JUST ON, ON BUILDING, UH, STRUCTURE, BUT ALSO SOME OF THE AREA OUTSIDE OF THE HOME THAT INCLUDES, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE EMBER IGNITIONS THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH THAT BEING 90% OF WHAT CAUSES WILDFIRE SPREAD, WILDFIRE SPREAD IN, IN A, IN, IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT.

UM, A LOT OF THAT IS A WOODEN FENCE THAT ACTS LIKE A WICK THAT GOES RIGHT UP TO THE HOUSE AND THEN IS UNDER THE EVE, YOU KNOW? AND SO, UM, DOING THINGS LIKE MAKING THAT ZERO TO FIVE SPACE FROM THE STRUCTURE, A NON-COMBUSTIBLE ZONE WHERE YOU HAVE TO USE EITHER A STEEL FENCE OR NON-COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL, UM, FOR YOUR FENCING, UH, VEGETATION IN THAT AREA NEEDS TO BE NON-COMBUSTIBLE VEGETATION, WHICH I KNOW EARLIER I SAID THERE'S NO SUCH THING.

UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, ON DEFINING, UH, BETTER.

UH, ESSENTIALLY IT'S JUST SUCCULENTS AND CACTUS IS THE SHORT ANSWER TO THAT, BUT THAT IS NOT AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT AT THIS TIME.

UH, SO, UH, THAT IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE.

THERE ARE A LOT OF SUBTLE CHANGES.

SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE MAP LINES WERE REDRAWN SLIGHTLY.

UM, BUT UM, UH, THERE WAS A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH ON WHAT THE MAP SHOULD LOOK LIKE, THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, AND, UH, SOME TERMINOLOGY CHANGES A LOT OF, A LOT OF THE LANGUAGE AND WITH THE ADOPTIONS AND AMENDMENTS THAT WERE MADE, UH, WE, UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AS WELL AS THE PREVENTION INSPECTORS AND, AND REVIEWERS, UM, GOT A LOT OF FEEDBACK ON HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS TO, UM, PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO BUILDERS BASED ON THE WAY THE CODE WAS WRITTEN.

SO A LOT OF IT JUST FIXES THE LANGUAGE , SO IT'S MORE CLEAR.

GOT IT.

OH YEAH, ALSO, I WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT I DID A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH FROM MY PHONE DIED AND THE FIRE THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT WAS ACTUALLY ON 8 0 5 EAST BERG LANE.

I THINK IT WAS LIKE AN ACTION POND LAST WEEK.

UM, AND I THINK THAT THE, I FORGET WHAT THE TITLE OF THE GUY WAS.

I THINK MAYBE FIRE SERGEANT, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UH, SAID THAT HIS, UH, ASSUMPTION FOR WHY SOME OF THE FIRE HYDRANTS WEREN'T WORKING WERE POSSIBLY CONSTRUCTION IN THE AREA.

SO, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY DOESN'T NECESSARILY SHOW UP IN LIKE A YEARLY AUDIT TYPE OF THING.

BUT, UH, I THINK JUST SOMETHING TO BE AWARE ABOUT.

I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION.

UM, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR, LIKE, IF THERE'S A FIRE HYDRANT ON A PROPERTY, LIKE A, A HOMEOWNER IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, LIKE WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE CLEARANCE AROUND THAT HYDRANT? IS IT THE CITY OR IS IT THE HOMEOWNER? BASICALLY, LIKE I'VE SEEN A HYDRANT THAT'S SURROUNDED BY BAMBOO, AND SO IT'S , IT'S BACK TO THE BAMBOO.

THIS IS PERSONAL BAMBOO.

THIS AFFECTS ME , THERE SHOULD BE CLEARANCE MAINTAINED AROUND THAT HYDRANT.

WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GOES OUT TO INSPECT IT.

UM, WE ARE PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE CAREFUL ABOUT THE SHRUBBERY THAT'S BEING PUT AROUND THAT HYDRANT.

AND CERTAINLY IF WE NEEDED TO REMOVE IT, IT'S GONNA BE TAKEN OUT.

UM, IF WE NEEDED TO USE THE HYDRANT THAT IS GONNA BE REMOVED SO THAT WE CAN EFFICIENTLY USE IT.

AND OFTEN WHEN WE DO OUR INSPECTIONS, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, AND CLEAR AROUND IT JUST SO THAT IT'S EASIER TO USE.

UM, BUT OFTEN CITIZENS WILL, YOU KNOW, TO SPRUCE UP THE HYDRANT, THEY WANNA PLANT STUFF AROUND IT.

AND IT'S PROBABLY GONNA GET REMOVED IF, IF IT'S INSPECTED AND OR IF WE NEED TO USE IT.

BASICALLY IT'S LIKE AN ABANDONED ISH HOME MM-HMM .

SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE NO ONE'S CUTTING IT .

SO I JUST WAS KIND OF CURIOUS LIKE, AND YOU COULD CALL 3 1 1 TO TURN THAT IN AND WE CAN GO OUT AND MITIGATE THAT.

SO 3 1 1 WOULD BE A GREAT OPTION TO TURN THAT IN.

NEXT UP WE HAVE FEATURE AGENDA ITEMS. OH, SECRETARY BRISTOL.

ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.

THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT, Y'ALL REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING US OUT.

IT WAS A PLEASURE.

UM,

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

UM, I, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE LAST YEAR I COULDN'T REMEMBER IF WE GOT A LEGISLATIVE REPORT OF KIND OF STUFF THAT'S GOING ON.

IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S TIME AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT NEXT COUPLE OF MEETINGS WE'RE WE'RE WHAT, FOUR WEEKS INTO SESSION, SO SEEMS LIKE YEAH, LIZ JOHNSTON, INTERIM ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER, UM, WE WILL CHECK WITH OUR INTERGOVERNMENT RELATIONS, UM, UNIT.

THEY, UM, TYPICALLY DO NOT REALLY LIKE US TO PRESENT, UH, DURING THE SESSION, BUT WE ABSOLUTELY WILL COME BACK AND, UH, PRESENT, YOU KNOW, IF WE GET PERMISSION AND THERE'S AN, UH, PARTICULAR, UH, BILL THAT WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO KNOW ABOUT.

UM, OTHERWISE WE WOULD DO AN AFTER, UH, LEGISLATION UPDATE.

THANKS.

AND YEAH, I REMEMBER LAST SESSION, YOU KNOW, WE WERE KIND OF GETTING EMAILS,

[03:00:02]

WHICH I'D BE FINE WITH THAT TOO IF WE, IF WE WERE GETTING SOME OF THIS.

I JUST HAVEN'T SEEN ANY, SO, OKAY.

I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON.

NOTED COMMISSIONER.

UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAVE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION, YOU KNOW, BUT THE, UH, SAN ANTONIO SPURS ARE PLAYING SOME GAMES AT THE, UH, UT ARENA THIS WEEK, AND THEY RECENTLY RENOVATED, UH, A PARK NEAR WHERE I LIVE, DAVIS WHITE, UH, SHA, THE EAST SIDE SHA COLONY PARK.

SO I WENT OUT THERE AND, UH, I ASKED THE FOLKS, I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY'VE, THIS IS ACTUALLY THE THIRD PARK, SO THERE'S THE THIRD YEAR THAT THE SPURS ARE PLAYED, THERE'S THE THIRD PARK THAT THEY'VE RENOVATED.

UH, I BELIEVE THE PREVIOUS TWO WERE, UH, IN DOVE SPRINGS AND, UH, OFF LIKE RUNDBERG AND LAMAR.

UH, SO THIS ONE IN COLONY PARK, IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE PLACES DESPERATELY NEED, UH, YOU KNOW, SORT OF, UH, INVESTMENT IN THEIR PARKS.

AND SO I ASKED THEM, I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I LIVE ON THE EAST SIDE, I LIVE NEAR A LOT OF PARKS THAT COULD USE, UH, SOME TLC, YOU KNOW, GIVENS, UH, BARTHOLOMEW, YOU KNOW, DOTTIE JORDAN, THE LIST GOES ON.

AND I WAS LIKE, UH, WHAT EXACTLY IS LIKE THE CRITERIA THAT Y'ALL ARE USING TO SELECT, UH, WHAT PARKS TO RENOVATE? RIGHT? AND SO THEY'RE LIKE, OH, YOU KNOW, SHOUT OUT TO, UH, OUR FOLKS AT THE AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION.

UH, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE REALLY SORT OF BEHIND THIS.

AND I WAS LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE SOME PUBLIC INPUT, UH, ABOUT WHAT PARKS TO FIX UP, UH, AS OPPOSED TO JUST LETTING AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION JUST CHOOSE WHATEVER PARK THEY WANT TO, WHICH I MEAN SO FAR IT'S WORKED OUT.