[00:00:02]
[CALL TO ORDER ]
THE MEETING TO ORDER.[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL ]
ANYBODY SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? ALL RIGHT, ADAM, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.UH, GOOD EVENING COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON AGENDA ITEM TWO, UH, REGARDING THE, UH, UH, AUSTIN CORE TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
UH, ADAM GREENFIELD WITH SAFE STREETS AUSTIN.
UH, WE'RE HERE TO, UM, SAY HOW EXCITED WE ARE ABOUT THIS PLAN AND TO COMMENCE STAFF FOR ALL THEIR GREAT WORK ON THE PLAN.
THIS WOULD BE A GREAT STEP FORWARD FOR DOWNTOWN.
UH, THE BIG SUGGESTION WE HAVE FOR, FOR TAKING IT TO REALLY, TO THE LEVEL THAT WE THINK DOWNTOWN SHOULD BE TAKEN TO IS CONVERTING ALL REMAINING ONE WAY STREETS TO TWO WAY.
UM, OVER 75 CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY HAVE DONE THIS, AND WE HAVEN'T FOUND ANY NEGATIVE EXAMPLES OF IT.
IT SEEMS U UNIFORMLY POSITIVE.
UM, IN FACT, IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, WHEN THEY DID THIS, IT ACTUALLY, UH, IMPROVED THE ABILITY FOR CONGESTION TO NOT BE AN ISSUE FOR PEOPLE, UH, DRIVING AROUND TOO, BECAUSE TWO-WAY GRIDS DISTRIBUTE TRAFFIC BETTER, UH, SO PEOPLE GET TO WHERE THEY'RE GOING MORE QUICKLY.
BUT ALSO, UH, SLOWING THINGS DOWN IS BETTER FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND FRANKLY MAKES DOWNTOWNS, UH, LESS CAR CENTRIC.
AND OF COURSE, WITH, UH, AUTOMOBILES BEING OUR, ONE OF OUR BIGGEST SOURCES OF CARBON EMISSIONS, WE, UH, THIS IS A, A CLIMATE MEASURE TOO.
SO, UM, THERE ARE CERTAINLY THINGS TO FIGURE OUT.
THERE ARE CERTAINLY ISSUES TO ADDRESS WITH THIS, BUT AGAIN, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND NEGATIVE EXAMPLES OF THIS.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION HAVE GOTTEN BEHIND THIS VISION.
UM, I EMAILED YOU SOME, UH, DOCUMENTS EARLIER WITH OUR POSITION, UH, A FEW OTHER THINGS.
UH, WE SUPPORT, UH, PROTECTED BIKE LANES IN BOTH DIRECTIONS ON ALL, UH, DOWNTOWN STREETS, INCLUDING FIFTH, FIFTH, SIXTH, SEVENTH, AND EIGHTH, UH, ALONG WITH, UM, BUS LANES AND, AND OF COURSE, TREES ON EVERY SINGLE STREET AS WELL.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE PLAN.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ARE GONNA TAKE ACTION ON THIS, UM, OR NOT, BUT IF YOU ARE, THOSE COULD BE THINGS YOU COULD CONSIDER.
BUT OTHERWISE, YEAH, THANKS FOR TAKING THIS UP.
GOOD EVENING COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE CONSUMPTION WORKING GROUP FOR THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.
AN UPDATE, UH, I'VE WORKED ON THIS ISSUE AS AN ADVOCATE AND WANNA KEEP TRYING TO ADVANCE AND ACCELERATE THE PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE.
WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE WITH SPECIFIC DETAILS, BUT WE HOPE TO FIND OUT IN A MEETING THAT I'M SETTING UP IN APRIL WITH THE PROCUREMENT OFFICE.
AND IN THAT MEETING, ONE OF THE FOCUSES WILL BE LOW EMBODIED CARBON CONCRETE.
I HAVE SOMEONE WHO I'M SETTING UP WHO'S A, WHO'S AN ISSUE EXPERT ON IT, WHO WILL GIVE A PRESENTATION.
I, I'M HOPING THAT THE CHIEF ENGINEER FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN WILL ALSO GIVE A PRESENTATION.
DEFINITELY WOULD WANT HIM AND NEED HIM AT THAT MEETING.
RELATED TO THAT TOMORROW ON THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA, I JUST SAW IT TONIGHT, THERE'S AN ITEM ON THERE WITH A ONE YEAR APPROVAL FOR CONCRETE, UH, CONTRACT, AND WITH FOUR ONE YEAR EXTENSIONS.
WHAT I DON'T KNOW IS IF THE COUNCIL APPROVES IT, AND THOSE FOUR ONE YEAR EXTENSIONS ARE, ARE IN THERE, IF THEY COULD BE PULLED BACK ONE OF THE YEARS OR TWO OF THE YEARS OR MORE.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO SORT THAT OUT BECAUSE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIND WAYS FOR THE CITY TO USE LOW AND EMBODIED CARBON CONCRETE AS ONE OF THE PILOT PROJECTS THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE FOR THE RESOLUTION THAT PASSED LAST YEAR IN MARCH OF 2024 BY RYAN ALTER.
I MIGHT COME DOWN HERE TOMORROW AND SEE WHAT I CAN DO TO AT LEAST RAISE THE AWARENESS ON THIS ISSUE, IF NOT, HAVE THE COUNCIL MAKE A CHANGE WHERE THEY MIGHT APPROVE ONE YEAR, BUT NOT FOR ONE YEAR, UH, INTERVALS AFTER THAT.
RELATED TO THE OTHER PILOT PROJECT, WHICH IS THE RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPING INCENTIVE PROGRAM, THERE'S NO NEW INFORMATION YET ON THAT, BUT IT'S, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THERE COULD BE A POPUP EVENT IN APRIL FOR THIS, WHERE THE PEOPLE THAT CAME THERE IN ORDER TO GET THE MAXIMUM REBATE OR ANY REBATE, I'M NOT SURE THE EXACT DETAILS OF THE PLAN, WOULD HAVE TO BRING IN A GAS POWERED LAWNMOWER FOR IT TO BE RECYCLED OR SCRAPPED.
AND THAT'S WHAT WAS LACKING IN THE PROGRAM.
THAT WAS SIMPLY A POINT OF SALE PROGRAM THAT HAD BEEN DONE BY AUSTIN ENERGY THE LAST THREE YEARS UNTIL SIX MONTHS AGO.
BUT THEY ARE GONNA START THIS PROGRAM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S GONNA GO, BUT THIS BODY SHOULD BE ASKING FOR UPDATES ON IT.
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EVEN IF BRADEN DOESN'T HAVE AN UPDATE, AND, AND WE SPOKE BEFORE THE MEETING AND HE DOESN'T, AND THAT'S OKAY, YOU SHOULD BE ASKING AUSTIN ENERGY STAFF FOR AN UPDATE IF IT DOESN'T COME BEFORE THE EUC, WHICH IT HAS NOT COME BEFORE THE EUC IN RECENT MONTHS.SO A LOT TO DO WITH THIS GROUP.
I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO ASK QUESTIONS AND DEMAND ANSWERS FOR QUESTIONS, AND GET THOSE ANSWERS IN A TIMELY FASHION.
THAT'S A DRAWBACK OF SOME OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
DON'T GET AFTER THE AGENDA AND FOLLOW UP AND KEEP PUSHING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT, THE QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED IN A TIMELY WAY.
UM, UM, YURI SAYS SHE'S THE, SHE'S ON, BUT I'M NOT SEEING HER, SO CAN SHE GET ADDED? UH, SHE'S IS THE
I'LL LET HER KNOW THAT SHE'S NOT GONNA BE COUNTED THAT WAY.
SORRY, I JUST, YOU CAN GO AHEAD.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR MEMBERS.
MY COMMENTS CONCERN THE CONTEXT OF TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, WHICH PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, COLOR, AND NATIONAL ORIGIN.
YOU HAVE TWO TRANSPORTATION ITEMS ON YOUR AGENDA TODAY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE A LITTLE CONTEXT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S PROBLEMATIC IS THAT THE ADVERTISEMENT PROPAGANDA TENDS TO HAVE A BLACK MALE.
WELL, I WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS WAIT 60 MINUTES FOR THE BUS, 10 TIMES LONGER THAN SOUTHWEST CENTRAL WHITES AND DOVE SPRINGS, HISPANICS.
THE PROPAGANDA ALSO VIOLATES THE 5 0 1 C3 PROVISION IN AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIPS, ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION.
IF YOU LOOK TO THE LEFT, YOU'LL SEE HYDE PARK, THE CITY HAS CONTINUED TO STATE AS WELL AS AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP AND CAPITAL METRO, THAT THE RAIL SYSTEM WILL SERVE NORTH OF US, ONE NORTH, BUT NOT NORTH OF US.
AND HYDE PARK WAS DEVELOPED EXCLUSIVELY FOR WHITE PEOPLE.
1889 TO 1924 BY COLONEL MONROE CHEE.
I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU THAT PROJECT CONNECT IS A SYSTEM UNDERGIRDED BY THE BUSES.
AND I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THAT ON NOVEMBER 3RD, 2020, WHEN THE VOTERS APPROVED PROJECT CONNECT, HIGH CAPACITY, TRANSIT AND COVERAGE WAS ACTUALLY CONFLATED.
SO INDIVIDUALS THOUGHT THEY WERE VOTING TO GET PEOPLE TO WORK SCHOOL, GROCERY STORES, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN.
NEXT SLIDE, I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT THE NETWORK.
ON THE LEFT IS THE NORTHEAST MAP.
YOU WILL SEE THAT THE BUS ROUTES ON THE LEFT SIDE ARE INFREQUENT, UNRELIABLE, AND DISCONNECTED.
ONE WAY TO FOOL THE SYSTEM, OUR FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, IS TO HAVE THE AUTOMATIC PASSENGER COUNTERS COUNT THE TRANSFERS TWO AND THREE TIMES.
SO THE MINORITIES ARE CREATING LOTS OF GENER, GENERATING LOTS OF RIDERSHIP, BUT THEY'RE NOT BENEFITING FROM THE SYSTEM.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE QUOTE, YOU'LL SEE THAT SUPPORTERS OF THE PLAN, INCLUDING CAP METRO ITSELF, ACKNOWLEDGE THAT EVERY POLICY HAS CERTAIN CASUALTIES.
THAT ARTICLE NOVEMBER 3RD, 2017 IN AUSTIN CHRONICLE QUOTED CAPITAL METRO LAWRENCE DIETER, AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT NORTH AND NORTHEAST AUSTIN WOULD LOSE SERVICE, BUT THEY CONTINUE TO PROMOTE EQUITY.
THE NEXT SLIDE WILL SHOW YOU THE BLACKMAIL AND ASK THE QUESTION ABOUT WHERE.
WELL, IT SHOULD HAVE SHOWED YOU WHERE, UM, ASK THE QUESTION ABOUT WHERE EQUITY IS.
BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT IN 2023, THE CITY OF AUSTIN ACTUALLY ACKNOWLEDGED THEIR DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES IN THE WALK BIKE ROLE.
AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN UPDATE.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, AND I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE, UM, GO BACK AGAIN.
YOU'LL SEE THAT I'M WALKING, THAT'S NORTH, UH, ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, THAT LITTLE TRAIL, IT'S BEEN THAT WAY FOR DECADES.
IN 2009, THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAPITAL METRO STUDIED NORTHMORE FOR 20 MONTHS.
UM, AND THE LAST SLIDE JUST SHOWS YOU SOME OF THE CHALLENGES IN TRYING TO GET TO THE CAMPO MEETING.
UM, PEDESTRIANS DON'T HAVE ACCESS WHEELCHAIRS, WALKERS, CANES, AND WOMEN WITH CHILDREN IN THEIR CARRIAGES.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLAD ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME, AND WE'LL JUST LISTEN TO THE TRANSPORTATION ITEMS AND COMMENT ACCORDINGLY.
DO WE HAVE ANYBODY ELSE SIGNED UP? ALL RIGHT.
THANKS Y'ALL FOR COMING TO SPEAK TO US.
ALWAYS GOOD TO HEAR FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
SO NEXT UP, HMM, UM, NEXT STEP IS
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OUR FEBRUARY MEETING,[00:10:02]
MOTION TO APPROVE THE MEDS.ANY DISCUSSION OR EDITS ANYBODY WANTS TO FLAG FOR THOSE MINUTES? OKAY.
ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND.
OKAY, WE'VE GOT 10 YES VOTES, SO THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
[2. Austin Core Transportation Plan Update – Cole Kitten, Transportation and Public Works Department ]
UP WE'VE GOT A PRESENTATION ON THE, OR AUSTIN, OR THE AUSTIN CORE TRANSPORTATION PLAN.AND IS THIS, ARE YOU, COLE? YOU LOOK CONFUSED BECAUSE I'M NOT.
UM, YEAH, SORRY TO THROW A WRENCH IN THE SPEAKER THIS EVENING.
COLE, UM, HAD A CONFLICT POP UP, SO I'M HERE ON HIS BEHALF.
UM, MY NAME'S MICHELLE MARKS, I'M A TRANSPORTATION OFFICER, UM, WITH TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS, AND I OVERSEE OUR SPECIAL PROJECTS, OUR PLANNING TEAM.
UM, SO I'M HAPPY TO, UM, BE HERE AND SPEAK TO, UM, COLE AND HIS TEAM'S WORK OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT, UM, I'M NEW TO THE WORK, SO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, TWO, THREE YEARS AGO, I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO
UM, BUT, UM, I'M CERTAINLY VERY CONVERSANT IN IN THE WORK AND, UM, HAPPY TO ANSWER AS MANY QUESTIONS AS I CAN TODAY.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, UM, I'LL JUST ORIENT YOU TO WHAT THE ACT PLAN IS AND ITS INTENT.
UM, SO THIS IS ONE OF, UM, OUR FIRST, UM, WHAT WE'RE CALLING A SMALL AREA MOBILITY PLAN, UM, THAT'LL BE WORKING ON IN AUSTIN, UM, OVER THE NEXT, UM, SEVERAL YEARS.
THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR COVERS OUR, OUR DOWNTOWN AREA.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE KNEW WE NEEDED TO TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT, UM, OUR TRANSPORTATION VISION FOR DOWNTOWN, UM, JUST GIVEN, UM, A LOT OF THE CHANGES THAT WE ARE CONTENDING WITH NOW AND WILL BE CONTENDING WITH IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
SO THAT JUST INCLUDES LIKE HUGE CONTEXTUAL CHANGES, LIKE THE NEW PROJECT CONNECT WORK THAT'S COMING THROUGH DOWNTOWN, UM, LIKE THE KIND OF MASSIVE WORK THAT TEXT DOT WILL BE ENGAGING IN ALONG THE I 35 CORRIDOR.
AND THEN JUST, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, BEYOND THOSE PROJECTS, OH, IN THE CONVENTION CENTER AS WELL, UM, ABOUT TO UNDERGO A MASSIVE RECONSTRUCTION EFFORT.
UM, BUT JUST CHANGES IN TRANSPORTATION TRENDS AS WELL, UM, IN TERMS OF LIKE NEW MICRO MOBILITY MODES, UM, THAT WE NEED TO ACCOUNT FOR, ACCOUNT FOR CHANGES IN BEST PRACTICE TO TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND DESIGN, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO, UM, THE TIME REALLY WAS RIGHT TO, UM, STEP BACK AND TAKE A LOOK.
AND THIS ISN'T A COMPLETE REINVENTION OF THE WHEEL.
WE, UH, CONDUCTED THIS EFFORT, UM, YOU KNOW, ON THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN COMPLETED TO DATE, SOME OF THOSE KIND OF MARQUEE EFFORTS LISTED HERE, UM, ON THE LEFT.
UM, I WON'T GO TO EACH OF THESE, BUT THESE HAVE ALL BEEN REALLY INPUTS, UM, TO OUR PROCESS, UM, TO BUILD FROM.
UM, SO, UM, SOME OF THE, UM, AND, AND, AND JUST AGAIN, SOME OF THOSE EFFORTS ON THE RIGHT THAT WE KNEW WE NEEDED TO ACCOUNT FOR IN THIS FORWARD LOOKING VISION.
SO THIS HAS, YOU KNOW, AS I ALLUDED TO A MOMENT AGO, BEN, UM, AN EFFORT THAT BEGAN, UM, A HANDFUL OF YEARS AGO, IN FACT, BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
AND, AND THAT REALLY KIND OF IS ONE OF THE KEY REASONS THAT WE'RE JUST KIND OF COMING, UM, OUT WITH THIS PRODUCT NOW, IS THAT THE PRODUCT, THE PROJECT WAS ON PAUSE FOR TWO TO THREE YEARS.
UM, BUT THERE HAS BEEN, UM, SOME SIGNIFICANT ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PUBLIC AND WITH KIND OF THE KEY DOWNTOWN STAKEHOLDERS, UM, GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2018.
UM, AND ALL OF THAT, UM, YOU'LL SEE REFLECTED IN THE CONTENT OF THE PLAN THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.
UM, WHERE WE ARE NOW IN OUR PROCESS, UM, THE PLAN HA IS, UM, ON, UM, SPEAK UP AUSTIN RIGHT NOW FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND, UM, WE HAVE BEEN VISITING, UM, ALL OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS LAST MONTH AND THIS MONTH.
UM, AND WE ARE ANTICIPATING TAKING THIS PLANA CITY COUNCIL, UM, LATER THIS SPRING.
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UM, JUST A, A QUICK, UH, WORD OR TWO ABOUT THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.SO, UM, WE DID HAVE, UM, A WORKING GROUP HELPING TO SHAPE THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE HERE THAT INCLUDED, UM, OVER 80 DOWNTOWN STAKEHOLDERS, UM, RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, UM, PROPERTY OWNERS, ET CETERA.
UM, WE ALSO HAD BROADER PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT BEYOND JUST THE STAKEHOLDER WORKING GROUP THAT SOLICITED INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC AT LARGE, UM, AS WE TYPICALLY DO VIA IN-PERSON AND SURVEY.
AND I WON'T GO INTO, UM, A, A GREAT AMOUNT OF DETAIL.
UM, THE, THE POINT OF THIS IN THE NEXT SLIDE REALLY IS TO, UM, PROVIDE YOU AND EVERYBODY ELSE, UM, THE, UM, ASSURANCES THAT WHAT YOU SEE IN THE PLAN IS VERY MUCH, UM, THE OUTPUT FROM THE FEEDBACK THAT WE HEARD DURING THAT STAKEHOLDER AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EFFORT.
SO WE DID TAKE, UM, UH, OUR EXISTING CONDITIONS, UM, AND, UM, POTENTIAL PROPOSED CROSS SECTIONS, UM, IN SECTION AND PLAN VIEW TWO STAKEHOLDERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR FEEDBACK.
UM, AND, UM, COMBINED WITH THE PHASE ONE WORK, UM, AND THE PHASE TWO WORK, UM, WE RECEIVED, YOU KNOW, WELL OVER 4,000 PUBLIC COMMENTS.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE FEEL LIKE THIS REALLY IS, UM, SOLIDLY BUILT, UM, ON PUBLIC FEEDBACK TO DATE.
UM, SO THEN JUST TO GET AT THE, THE CRUX OF THE PLAN'S CONTENT, UM, THE A SMP, I'M SORRY, THE ACT PLAN.
UM, THE INTENT HERE IS TO REALLY, UM, SET A VA FORWARD-LOOKING VISION FOR, UM, WHAT DOWNTOWN STREETS NEED TO ACCOMPLISH FOR US MOVING FORWARD.
SO THESE ARE NOT, UM, ENGINEERING DESIGN PLANS.
THESE ARE CONCEPTUAL, UM, ALLOCATIONS OF THE RIGHTS OF WAY THAT WOULD BE A STARTING POINT FOR FUTURE DETAILED ENGINEERING AND DESIGN WORK.
WE HAVE NOT GONE OUT AND IDENTIFIED WHERE, YOU KNOW, EVERY UTILITY LINE RUNS EVERYWHERE WHERE THERE'S A MISSING STREET TREE.
THAT WORK WOULD BE DONE IN FUTURE DURING DESIGN.
THE INTENT HERE IS TO IDENTIFY HOW MUCH RIGHT OF WAY WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO WORK WITH US, THE FUNCTIONS IN THE NETWORK, THAT THAT RIGHT OF WAY NEEDS TO SERVE, UM, AND HOW BEST TO ALLOCATE THAT RIGHT OF WAY AS A STARTING POINT FOR THAT PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING WORK MOVING FORWARD.
UM, SO THE WAY THE PLAN IS ORGANIZED IS YOU'LL SEE, UM, I THINK FIVE WHAT WE'RE CALLING PRIORITY PROJECTS, AND THOSE ARE THE STREETS OUTLINED IN RED HERE, FIFTH, SIXTH, SEVENTH, EIGHTH.
UM, THESE ARE, UM, THE, THE, THE MOST CRITICAL NEEDS FOR OUR DOWNTOWN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STILL MOVING PEDESTRIANS, CYCLISTS, TRANSIT, UM, AND, UM, EVEN VEHICLES EAST AND WEST IN A WAY, UM, THAT, THAT MEETS ALL OF OUR MULTIMODAL NEEDS ON THIS ROADWAY.
UM, AND A LOT OF THESE, UM, STREETS ARE OF, OF ELEVATED IMPORTANCE GIVEN SOME OF THOSE BIG CHANGES HAPPENING AROUND US, UM, THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER.
UM, WE ALSO SHOW IN BLUE WHAT THE PLAN CALLS SUPPORTING PROJECTS.
SO THESE ARE KIND OF SECONDARY NEEDS, UM, FOR DOWNTOWN STREETS THAT WE WOULD, UM, IN THEORY ADDRESS, UM, SUBSEQUENT TO THOSE PRIORITY NEEDS.
UM, AND THEN IN GREEN, UM, WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WHAT THE PLAN CALLS SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS AND STRATEGIES.
AND THESE ARE REALLY KIND OF BROADER PROGRAMMATIC OPPORTUNITIES.
FOR EXAMPLE, AS WE KIND OF UPDATE OUR BICYCLE DESIGN STANDARDS, FOR EXAMPLE, TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS AT INTERSECTIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, THESE ARE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THOSE BROADER PROGRAMMATIC NEEDS AND IMPROVEMENTS COULD BE DEPLOYED IN THE NETWORK.
SO ALL IN TOGETHER, THE INTENT OF THIS WORK IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE NETWORK FOR PEDESTRIAN CYCLISTS TRANSIT, UM, AND VEHICLES THAT THAT WORKS AS A SYSTEM.
UM, A LOT OF THE CROSS SECTIONS THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE IN THE ACT PLAN ARE REALLY LEVERAGING THIS OPPORTUNITY.
WE HAVE TO THINK STRATEGICALLY ABOUT THE RIGHT OF WAY AVAILABLE TO US.
SO, UM, TO, TO, TO KIND OF HELP ILLUSTRATE THAT THINKING, WHAT YOU'RE
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SEEING ON SCREEN HERE, UM, IS JUST AN, AN ANALYSIS OF HOW INTERSECTION SIGNALED INTERSECTIONS ARE OPERATING TODAY.UM, AND ALL OF THESE INTERSECTIONS THAT YOU'RE SEEING IN KIND OF THESE GREEN AND YELLOW COLORS, UM, THEY'RE OPERATING SO WELL THAT WE COULD INTERPRET THIS REALLY AS HAVING EXCESS CAPACITY.
IN OTHER WORDS, THERE ARE MORE VEHICLE LANES AT THESE INTERSECTIONS THAN WE REALLY NEED.
UM, A LOT OF THAT IS, YOU KNOW, BY MERIT OF, OF OUR ONE WAY, UH, STREET GRID SYSTEM HERE.
UM, ONE WAY GRIDS DO, DO REQUIRE LESS THROUGHPUT, LESS DEDICATED SPACE FOR VEHICULAR MOVEMENT THAN TWO ACRE, UM, PARTICULARLY AT INTERSECTION.
SO WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE REFLECTED IN THESE CROSS SECTIONS IS TAKING THAT EXTRA VEHICLE RIGHT OF WAY SPACE AND REALLOCATING IT TO MORE SUSTAINABLE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION.
UM, AND NOT JUST TRANSPORTATION, BUT THE ANCILLARY, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SUPPORTS THAT TRANSPORTATION, UM, SUCH AS STREET TREES.
UM, SO SPEAKING TO THAT KIND OF NETWORK ANALYSIS, UM, WHAT YOU'LL SEE REFLECTED INDIVIDUALLY IN THE CROSS SECTIONS FOR FIFTH, SIXTH, SEVENTH, EIGHTH, UM, IS A FOCUS ON, UM, MOVEMENT FOR TRANSIT HERE.
UM, SO YOU WILL SEE TRANSITON LANES ON THESE KEY TRANSIT CORRIDORS, BUS CORRIDORS, UM, UH, AGAIN, REALLOCATING SPACE FROM SINGLE OCCUPANCY VEHICLES THAT MAY BE IN EXCESS, UM, TO FACILITATE MORE SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION MODES ON THESE STREETS.
SIMILARLY, UM, THESE STREETS IN BLUE, UM, ARE REALLY WHAT, WHAT WE NEED TO CREATE KIND OF A FUNCTIONAL, HIGH PERFORMING BICYCLE NETWORK.
SO YOU WILL SEE THAT EXCESS SPACE REALLOCATED ON THE CROSS SECTIONS FOR THESE STREETS, UM, TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING SAFE AND EFFECTIVE BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, THIS IS, UM, PERHAPS A, UM, A TWO COMPLICATED SLIDE TO REALLY GET AT THE POINT THAT I SHARED WITH YOU EARLIER, THAT WHAT WE'RE SHARING IN THE ACT PLAN IS A CONCEPT AND A VISION.
AND THE NEXT STEP WILL BE THIS PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PHASE WITH THE NEEDS IDENTIFIED WITH THE BASELINE VISION.
THE NEXT PHASE, ONCE PROJECTS GET FUNDED FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN IS TO TAKE THAT DEEP DIVE AND FIGURE OUT EXACTLY, YOU KNOW, NO PUN INTENDED, WHERE THE RUBBER HITS THE ROAD ON THESE CROSS SECTION.
WHERE EXACTLY DOES THAT DIMENSIONAL LINE NEED TO HIT? WHERE DO WE NEED TO PROVIDE NUANCE TO, YOU KNOW, A A ACCOMMODATE THE NEEDS OF ADJACENT BUSINESSES, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WHERE DO WE NEED TO THINK STRATEGICALLY ABOUT TRADE-OFFS? THAT FINE LINE DETAIL TAKING, YOU KNOW, THE FAT LINE OF THE ACT PLAN TO THE FINE LINE OF AN ACTUAL PROJECT, ACTUAL PROJECT IS THE NEXT STEP.
UM, SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'LL, UM, JUST KIND OF ORIENT YOU TO HOW THE PLANS AND SECTIONS FOR EACH OF THESE DOWNTOWN STREETS ARE ALLOCATED.
UM, OR, UM, KIND OF PRESENTED WITHIN THE ACT PLAN, UM, SEGMENT BY SEGMENT, STARTING WITH THOSE PRIORITY PROJECTS.
WE'VE TAKEN A VERY CLOSE LOOK, UM, YOU KNOW, STEPPING BACK FROM THOSE NETWORK NEEDS TO THE CORRIDOR LEVEL KIND OF LOOKING SEGMENT BY SEGMENT AT EACH OF THESE STREETS, UM, FOR, UM, AGAIN, WHERE WE NEED TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE SUSTAINABLE MODES, BE THEY BUS AND BICYCLE OR WHAT HAVE YOU, WIDER PEDESTRIAN REALM, STREET TREES, AND FIGURING OUT HOW THOSE CONCEPTS VARY BY SEGMENT.
WHERE IS TRANSIT TURNING FROM, UM, YOU KNOW, EASTBOUND TO NORTHBOUND, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WHERE IF STREETS ARE CHANGING DIRECTIONALITY OR, UM, AND PROVIDING, YOU KNOW, NEW BIDIRECTIONALITY, DOES THAT NEED TO BE FOLDED IN AT A SEGMENT LEVEL TO MAKE THE NETWORK OPERATE EFFECTIVELY? UM, SO STRATEGICALLY WHAT YOU'LL SEE HERE ON THESE CROSS SECTIONS, UM, WE'VE NOT, YOU KNOW, THOUGH, WE KNOW GENERALLY WHAT, YOU KNOW, OUR RIGHT OF WAY WIDTHS AVAILABLE TO US ARE PLUS OR MINUS 60 FEET.
WE'VE NOT GONE IN HERE AND DONE KIND OF THE DETAIL BY DETAIL ALLOCATION OF, YOU KNOW, 10, 10, 11, 7, 5, 8.
WE'VE, WE'VE, WE WANNA HOLD OFF ON THAT UNTIL WE GET TO THE ENGINEERING PHASE OF OUR WORK AGAIN, SO THAT WE CAN BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT HOW WE APPLY THESE CONCEPTS TO ACTUAL ON THE GROUND CON CONTEXT.
[00:25:02]
UM, THE PLAN IN ADDITION TO SECTION, UM, ALSO PROVIDES PLAN LEVEL VIEWS FOR EACH OF THE, UM, CORRIDOR SEGMENTS, UM, AS WELL AS KIND OF A CONCEPTUAL THREE DIMENSIONAL, UM, YOU KNOW, EXON METRIC VIEW TO SHOW WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IN TERMS OF THE, THE PUBLIC SPACE THAT, UM, WE WOULD BE CREATING, UM, WITH THIS CONCEPT.SO YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE NUANCE HERE.
UM, AND KEY CONSIDERATIONS, THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR, FOR INTERSECTIONS IN THE SAFETY AND COMFORT OF INTERSECTIONS, UM, FOR PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, ACCESSING TRANSIT ON FOOT OR RIDING A BICYCLE.
UM, EXACTLY HOW MANY, UM, YOU KNOW, VEHICLE TURNING CONFLICTS.
WOULD SOMEBODY BE LOOKING TO NAVIGATE AT EACH OF THESE INTERSECTIONS? HOW WOULD THE, YOU KNOW, WE PROPOSE THE BICYCLE FACILITIES, UM, KIND OF CO-MINGLING AND COEXISTING WITH THE PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES AND THE TRANSIT FACILITIES AT INTERSECTIONS.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS NOT DESIGNED SO MUCH AS TO KIND OF, UM, PROVIDE THAT VISION.
UM, AND, UM, THIS APPROACH OF PROVIDING KIND OF DETAILED SEGMENT BY SEGMENT CROSS SECTIONS AND PLAN VIEWS, UM, WE DO THE SAME THING FOR THE SUPPORTING PROJECTS AS WELL.
UM, SO I'M HAPPY IF YOU HAVE, I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO THE DETAILS OF WHAT EACH OF THE CROSS SECTIONS, UM, ARE PROPOSING IN TERMS OF HOW WE'RE ALLOCATING, PROPOSING, ALLOCATING SPACE BETWEEN, UM, VEHICLE SPACE AND PET SPACE AND BIKE SPACE AND TRANSIT SPACE.
BUT IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, UM, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THAT TO THE, TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, SPEAKING TO, UM, THOSE KIND OF BROADER SYSTEM STRATEGIES OR THOSE KIND OF MORE PROGRAMMATIC OPPORTUNITIES I MENTIONED EARLIER.
UM, AGAIN, THESE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST SPECIFIC TO DOWNTOWN, BUT OPPORTUNITIES I, YOU KNOW, NETWORK WIDE AND CITYWIDE TO THINK ABOUT, UM, WHAT SORT OF, KIND OF DESIGN TREATMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES MIGHT WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, BICYCLE SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS, UM, SAFER AND MORE COMFORTABLE CITYWIDE.
UM, WE KNOW, UM, WE WILL BE SEEING, UM, YOU KNOW, A A HUNDRED PLUS NEW CAPITAL METRO E-BIKE STATIONS IN THE NEAR TERM FUTURE, AS WELL AS, UM, MOBILITY HUBS THAT ARE LIKELY TO BE CO-LOCATED WITH THOSE.
WHAT DO, WHAT MIGHT THIS MEAN FOR, FOR DOWNTOWN AND HOW I MIGHT WE START TO THINK STRATEGICALLY ABOUT WHERE THOSE ARE, ARE CITED FOR KIND OF MAXIMUM USE, UM, BOTH KIND OF IN THE NETWORK, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE FURNISHING ZONE OF THE SIDEWALK.
AND, AND HOW DO WE KIND OF CO-LOCATE THESE WITH OTHER NEEDS IN, IN, IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, UM, TO CREATE, UM, KIND OF A, A, A FUNCTIONAL AND WELL OPERATING AND, AND FRANKLY, PLEASANT TO BE IN PUBLIC REALM.
UM, SO FINALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA STRESS THAT AS A VISION, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A LONG-TERM PLAN WITH BIG PROJECTS AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE ACT PLAN, UM, WILL BE KIND OF INTEGRATED INTO THE SYSTEM-WIDE ASSESSMENT THAT WE AT TRANSPORTATION ARE DOING, UM, EVERY YEAR TO PRIORITIZE NEEDS CITYWIDE, UM, AS WE DEVELOP OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
UM, SO THESE NEEDS WILL BE, YOU KNOW, THE NEEDS ARE INFINITE, AND WE'RE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO BE COGNIZANT OF HOW WE ALLOCATE RESOURCES AS A CITY, NOT JUST AS A DEPARTMENT TO, YOU KNOW, THE MOST PRESSING NEEDS FIRST THAT ARE GONNA SERVE, UM, THE GREATEST GOOD TO THE MOST PEOPLE.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ESTABLISHING THOSE EVALUATION CRITERIA NOW.
UM, SO THESE PROJECTS WILL BE IN THAT POOL OF CONTENTION, UM, FOR KIND OF MOVING FORWARD TO DESIGN AND ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION, UH, MOVING FORWARD AS ALL OF OUR OTHER NEEDS IN THE CITY WILL BE AS WELL.
UM, BUT THAT SAID, WE DO PROVIDE IN THE PLAN SOME PRELIMINARY JUST PLANNING LEVEL ENGINEERING COSTS.
UM, THEY COME WITH A LOT OF DISCLAIMERS GIVEN THAT
UM, BUT WE DO WANT, WANTED TO PROVIDE THIS TO GIVE KIND OF SOME ORDER OF MAGNITUDE LEVEL, UM, CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF, OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT KIND OF NEED ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
UM, SO YEAH, TO CONCLUDE, AS I MENTIONED, THIS PLAN IS PUBLISHED IN DRAFT FORMAT ON OUR WEBSITE RIGHT NOW.
UM, I BELIEVE YOU ALL ARE, UM,
[00:30:01]
THE LAST COMMITTEE THAT WE'LL BE VISITING BEFORE WE, UM, TAKE THIS TO CITY COUNCIL FOR DISCUSSION LATER THIS SPRING.UM, SO WITH THAT, I'LL STOP TALKING, UM, BUT I AM HAPPY TO DIG INTO ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE FOR ME.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE QUESTIONS, HARRIS? HEY, UH, APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION I SEE HERE.
FIRST OF ALL, UH, BIG FAN OF ADDING BIKE LANES.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS SOMEBODY THAT RIDES MY BIKE OFTEN THROUGH, UH, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, SOME STREETS ARE DEFINITELY MORE OF NO-GO ZONES THAN OTHERS.
SO BEING ABLE TO, UH, EXPAND THE RANGE OF STREETS THAT YOU FEEL SAFE BIKING ON AND FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET HIT BY A CAR IS ALWAYS WELCOME, ESPECIALLY NOWADAYS, SINCE YOU'VE GOT THE SCOOTERS, YOU'VE GOT THE CAP METRO E-BIKES, RIGHT? SO, UM, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING PEOPLE, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO NOT GET HIT BY CARS ALWAYS WELCOMED.
UH, I SEE HERE FOR LIKE CONSTRUCTION COSTS OR WHATEVER ON THE PROJECT COSTS THAT, UH, THERE ARE BUS STATIONS INCLUDING THESE.
SO, AND I SEE, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, TRANSIT WAS MENTIONED, SO I'M WONDERING, ARE THERE GONNA BE ANY SORT OF TRANSIT CHANGES THAT YOU SEE COMING FROM THIS PROJECT OR, YOU KNOW, PROJECTS THAT ARE SORT OF UNDER THIS UMBRELLA? UM, IS THERE GONNA BE LIKE TRANSIT ADDEDS, OR WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE Y'ALL'S VISIONS? YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
THIS PLAN DOES NOT PROPOSE CHANGES TO TRANSIT ROUTING.
UM, WE'VE REALLY USED THE INFORMATION THAT CAPITAL METRO HAS PROVIDED TO US, UM, AS KIND OF THE FOUNDATIONAL INPUT FOR WHERE WE NEED TO ACCOMMODATE ANY TRANSIT SPEED AND RELIABILITY IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE IT WORK BETTER FOR THEM.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I WAS CURIOUS, YOU, YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THE, I GUESS KIND OF EFFICIENCY OF ONE WAY STREETS, BUT THEN IT SOUNDS LIKE SOME OF THIS IS CONVERTING TO TWO WAY.
CAN YOU, UH, YEAH, UNRAVEL THAT A LITTLE FOR ME? SURE.
THERE ARE SOME DIRECTIONAL CHANGES PROPOSED IN THE PLAN, AND A LOT OF THAT IS REALLY DRIVEN BY THE CONTEXTUAL CHANGES THOSE BIG PROJECTS AROUND US ARE HAVING, UM, AND THE NEED TO RESPOND TO THAT WITH OUR STREET GRID.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, TEXTILE IS COMPLETELY RELOCATING WHERE THE ON AND OFF ACCESS POINTS FOR I 35 WILL BE.
UM, SO THEY WILL NOW BE AT SEVENTH AND EIGHTH STREET, SO WE HAVE TO FLIP THE DIRECTION, UM, OF SEVENTH AND, UM, SO SEVENTH GOES EASTBOUND.
UM, I, I, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE ACT PLAN IS A FLIPPED DIRECTION, UM, WESTBOUND TO PRO TO ACCOMMODATE THAT NEW ON-RAMP OX ACCESS.
AND LIKEWISE, FOR EIGHTH, THAT WILL BE AN OFF RAMP.
I HOPE I DON'T HAVE THESE BACKWARDS, I MAY HAVE THEM BACKWARDS.
UM, BUT THE DIRECTION OF SEVENTH AND EIGHTH IS CHANGING, UM, TO, TO MEET THE LOCATION OF THOSE NEW RAMPS.
UM, WELL, UH, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY OUR, UM, WE HAVE A MEMBER FROM THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, BUT, UM, SHE WAS NOT AVAILABLE TONIGHT, BUT WE DO HAVE OURSELVES POSTED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, ADOPT A SIMILAR RECOMMENDATION.
AND, UM, AS, AS THEY DID, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY MADE, BUT I JUST SAW THAT IN THERE THEY WERE ALSO RECOMMENDING, UM, ADDITIONAL ONE-WAY TO TWO-WAY CONVERSIONS ON FIFTH AND SIXTH STREET AND OTHER STREETS AS IS FEASIBLE.
AND IT, YOU PROBABLY FIGURED OUT, THIS IS NOT MY AREA OF EXPERTISE, SO I'M JUST WONDERING, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? SHOULD WE BE STRATEGIC, MINIMIZING THE CONVERSIONS, LIKE, OR IS WHAT, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THAT PURPOSE PERSON? YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO, UM, PROVIDE MY KIND OF TECHNICAL, UM, INPUT ON THAT AS STAFF.
YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN WORKING IN SUSTAINABLE AND SAFE TRANSPORTATION FOR OVER 20 YEARS, UM, INCLUDING IN MANY OF OUR PEER CITIES.
UM, I, UM, YOU KNOW, I I WOULD SAY FROM A TECHNICAL PRACTITIONER PERSPECTIVE, THAT ONE WAY STREETS CONVERTING TO TWO WAY STREETS ARE NOT A PANACEA
[00:35:01]
FOR IMPROVING SAFETY, PARTICULARLY WHERE YOU HAVE A TIGHTLY SPACED SIGNALED URBAN STREET GRID.UM, PARTICULARLY IN THE EAST PART OF OUR DOWNTOWN, UM, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FOR WEST, BUT IN THE EAST PART, WE HAVE SIGNALS EVERY 300 FEET WHEN YOU HAVE ONE WAY STREET GRIDS.
WHAT THAT ENABLES IS SOMETHING THAT WE CALL ONE WAY SIGNAL TIMING PROGRESSION.
UM, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CANNOT DO FOR TWO WAY STREETS.
UM, IT ALLOWS YOU TO METER TRAFFIC SPEEDS AND TO SET THOSE TRAFFIC SPEEDS, UM, TO WHATEVER, UM, MILES PER HOUR DESIRED TARGET SPEED YOU WOULD LIKE.
SO RIGHT NOW IN DOWNTOWN, UM, IN THAT CORE AREA OF DOWNTOWN, WE'RE ABLE TO SET OUR SIGNALS SO THAT VEHICLES CANNOT EXCEED 20 MORE THAN 25 MILES PER HOUR, UM, UNLESS THEY RUN RED LIGHTS.
UM, AND THEY HAVE TO STOP EVERY TWO TO 300 FEET.
SO YOU LITERALLY CANNOT DRIVE FAST IN DOWNTOWN UNLESS YOU'RE VIOLATING THE LAW.
UM, OTHER CITIES I'VE WORKED IN HAVE EVEN GOTTEN, YOU KNOW, EVEN MORE PROGRESSIVE ABOUT THIS.
I WORKED IN PORTLAND FOR MANY YEARS AND ARE ONE WAY STREET GRID THERE WAS SET SO THAT VEHICLES COULD NOT EXCEED MORE THAN 20 MILES PER HOUR.
UM, AND OUR TRAFFIC ENGINEER THERE WAS VERY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT THAT MORE OR LESS EMULATES, UM, AN AVERAGE ABLE-BODIED PER PERSON'S WALKING SPEED, UM, AT, UM, UM, TO TRAVEL OUR, YOU KNOW, THE 200 FOOT GRID THERE SO THAT YOU'RE EFFECTIVELY GETTING A GREEN WAVE AS A PEDESTRIAN.
SO YOU HAVE A LOT OF SAFETY OPPORTUNITIES WITH A TIGHTLY SPACED ONE-WAY SIGNALED STREET GRID, UM, THAT YOU DON'T HAVE WITH TWO-WAY.
UM, THESE DECISIONS ARE HIGHLY, HIGHLY CONTEXTUAL.
UM, THERE ARE GONNA BE MANY, MANY INSTANCES WHERE IT IS ABSOLUTELY A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT TO CONVERT, UM, A, A ONE-WAY STREET TO A TWO-WAY STREET, PARTICULARLY WHERE YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, A WIDER STREET WITH MORE, UM, WIDELY SPACED SIGNALIZATION OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, THAT IS A CONTEXT WHERE THAT WOULD MAKE A LOT OF SENSE.
UM, BUT THERE ARE ALWAYS GONNA BE TRADE OFFS, UM, THAT, THAT HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED.
UM, AND AGAIN, THESE, THESE DECISIONS HAVE TO BE VERY SPECIFIC TO THE LOCATION YOU'RE WORKING IN.
UM, I I WOULD SAY IT'S VERY CHALLENGING TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, A UNIVERSALLY APPLICABLE, UM, STATEMENT THAT ONE OR THE OTHER IS MORE OR LESS SAFE THAN ANOTHER.
UM, ALWAYS GONNA BE TRADE OFFS.
UM, SO BACK TO THE CAPACITY ISSUE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE A TWO-WAY GRID AT AN INTERSECTION, UM, IN ORDER TO NOT HAVE PASSIVE LEFT TURNS WHERE YOU HAVE JUST A GREEN BALL AND YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A GAP IN TRAFFIC TO MAKE YOUR LEFT TURN AGAINST ONCOMING TRAFFIC, YOU HAVE TO HAVE, WHICH CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS FROM A VISION ZERO PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE THE DRIVER IS LOOKING AHEAD AT TRAFFIC AND NOT TO PEDESTRIANS CROSSING, UM, TO THEIR LEFT OR RIGHT.
UM, REALLY BEST PRACTICE IS TO HAVE A, WHAT THEY CALL A PROTECTED LEFT TURN, WHICH IS A GREEN ARROW.
UM, BUT IN ORDER TO HAVE THAT GREEN ARROW, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A TURN POCKET TO HAVE A TURN POCKET.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE MORE ROOM AT THE INTERSECTIONS, WHICH TAKES, UM, RIGHT AND LEFT.
UM, TURN POCKETS TAKES SPACE AWAY FROM, UM, PEOPLE WAITING TO CROSS THE STREET OR BICYCLE LANES AT INTERSECTIONS, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO AGAIN, ANOTHER ONE OF THESE KIND OF NUANCES THAT YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT.
UM, I WOULD, UM, UM, YEAH, JUST THE I, IT, IT ALL DEPENDS ON, ON THE CONTEXT, UM, IS, IS KIND OF MY, UM, UH, INPUT, UM, TO THE COMMITTEE.
AND THEN I KNOW THAT'S, YOU KNOW, CHALLENGING, BUT, UM, GENERALLY SPEAKING, UM, IT'S A BALANCE.
I FEEL LIKE I'M LEARNING SOMETHING HERE.
UM, AND, AND I SEE THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, ALSO HAD THIS STATEMENT THAT SAID, WHEREAS TWO WAYS STREETS ARE SAFER, UM, AND THEN THEY LINKED TO A PED SAFE, UM, DOCUMENT.
LOOKS LIKE IT'S FROM THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION.
UH, IT, IT IS NOT, I THINK, I THINK IT'S KIND OF BACKING UP WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THAT THERE, THERE ARE PROS AND CONS.
UM, IT DOES SEEM THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE, THEY'RE KIND OF FOCUSED ON SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF THE, THE TWO WAY.
UM, I GUESS IN TERMS OF FIFTH AND SIXTH STREET, DO YOU HAVE ANY OPINION ON THOSE IN PARTICULAR? UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK EVERYTHING
[00:40:01]
I'M SAYING ABOUT TRADE OFFS AND CONTEXT, IT, I THINK IT APPLIES TO ALL OF OUR STREETS DOWNTOWN IN THAT KIND OF TIGHT GRID.I DON'T KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, THE CONSIDERATIONS, THOSE CONSIDERATIONS FOR SIXTH, SEVENTH, AND EIGHTH WOULD CHANGE THAT MUCH.
I DO KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF P VOLUME ON SIXTH STREET.
IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF OUR HIGHEST PET COUNT STREETS IN THE, IN THE CITY.
UM, WIDER INTERSECTIONS WITH MULTIPLE TURN POCKETS ARE WIDER STREETS TO CROSS, UM, WITH MORE POTENTIAL CONFLICTS AND TURNING MOVEMENTS AT INTERSECTIONS TO NAVIGATE.
UM, IT'S JUST ANOTHER CONSIDERATION.
SO I WOULD REALLY KIND OF POINT TOWARD THAT PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING PHASE THAT COMES NEXT TO KIND OF DIVE INTO THAT SPECIFIC CONTEXT, UM, AND TO, TO DO THAT, THAT SITE SPECIFIC ANALYSIS.
[3. CapMetro Sustainability Updates – Rob Borowski, CapMetro ]
GET A, A PRESENTATION ON, UH, CAP METRO SUSTAINABILITY.AND I THINK THAT DAVID IS HERE TO DO THAT PRESENTATION, IS THAT RIGHT? I AM.
I'M GOING TO, UM, SHARE MY SCREEN.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF ZERO MISSION VEHICLE PROGRAM HERE AT, UH, CAP METRO.
ROBERT BROWSKI, WHO'S OUR SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER, WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND.
HE ASKED ME, UH, I THINK DAVE BEFORE YESTERDAY, IF I COULD FILL IN FOR HIM.
SO, UH, I AM BASICALLY, UM, TECHNICALLY, UH, VERY FAMILIAR WITH OUR VEHICLE PROGRAMS AND CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS, OUR TOD, OUR, UH, SOME OF OUR BUILDING, UH, LEAD THINGS AND ALL THOSE TYPES OF OTHER PROJECTS WE'RE DOING, I HAVE SOME FAMILIARITY WITH, BUT I REALLY CAN'T ADDRESS THOSE TODAY.
SO I'M GONNA TALK PRETTY MUCH ABOUT OUR, UH, ELECTRIC VEHICLES, UH, ZERO EMISSION VEHICLES AND OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO GO AHEAD AND ASK.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND SEE IF I CAN DO THIS RIGHT.
OKAY, IS THAT UP ON THE SCREEN? YEP.
SO, UM, APPRECIATE YOU GUYS HAVING ME.
I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THIS FAIRLY QUICKLY.
SO, UH, SO I DO INVITE QUESTIONS AS WE GO.
UH, WE DO HAVE, UH, BATTERY ELECTRIC BUSES.
WE HAVE, UH, 12, UH, BUSES, WHICH I REFER TO AS LEGACY BOSSES, THOSE ONES WE BOUGHT IN 2000 OR, UH, IN 2021.
AND THEN WE HAVE 92 NEW BOSSES THAT WE JUST RECEIVED, AND THEY'RE NOW BEING PUT INTO SERVICE.
UH, WE HAVE CHARGERS, UH, THE LEGACY ONES, WE HAD 16, AND NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE 48 AT SOUTH OPS, WHICH ARE JUST WENT INTO, UM, OPERATION IN NOVEMBER.
UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE 30 CHARGERS IN OUR NORTH OPS, AND THEY'RE CAPABLE OF POWERING 90 PARAGRAPHS.
SO, UM, THOSE 30 CHARGERS CAN POWER AS MANY AS 90 PLUSES.
AND THEN ALSO WITH, UH, UH, NORTH OPS IS A 4.35 MEGAWATTS SOLAR ARRAY.
AND, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE CONSIDERATION FOR A MICROGRID THERE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON THERE.
AND THEN, UM, OUR MET TWO NEW METRO RAPID LINES, WE'RE PUTTING FOUR EN ROUTE CHARGERS, SO THOSE CHARGERS WILL BE FOUR 50 KILOWATTS EACH, THERE'LL BE FOUR AT EACH, UM, EACH LINE.
SO THESE BUSES THAT THEY CHARGE OVERNIGHT AT SAY 60 KILOWATTS.
AND THEN DURING THE DAY THEY'LL OPERATE AND THEY'LL, THEY'LL GO THROUGH THEIR C UH, THEIR DUTY CYCLE, COME BACK TO THE END OF THE ROUTE, AND THEY'LL CHARGE FOR 5, 10, 20 MINUTES, AND THEY'LL PICK UP, UH, ENERGY AT FOUR 50 KILOWATTS, AND THEY'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE THE ROUTE AGAIN.
AND SO THIS WILL MAKE THAT ROUTE, UH, EXTEND THE RANGE OF OUR BATTERY ELECTRIC BUSES AND, UH, MAKE THAT ROUTE MORE FEASIBLE FOR THE TECHNOLOGY WE HAVE.
AND THEN I'M GONNA JUST TOUCH BRIEFLY ON SOME FUTURE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE'LL INTRODUCE.
SO THE NEW BUSES, WE HAVE 52 NEW FLYERS, THE ONE ON THE LEFT, AND THEN, UH, 40 PROTERRA BUSES.
NOW, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THAT, UM, UH, THERE WAS SOME NEWS RECENTLY ABOUT PROTERRA DECLARING BANKRUPTCY, AND THEY DID.
AND SO THE NEW COMPANY, PHOENIX MOTORCARS IS, UH, TRYING TO MAKE A GO OF IT.
BUT THESE BUSES ARE, UM, THERE'S SOME QUESTION ON WHETHER THEY'RE GONNA BE SUPPORTED AND WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO GET PARTS AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT COMPANY'S GONNA SURVIVE.
SO, UM, WHILE WE'RE OPERATING SOME OF THOSE BUSES, NOW, THE LONG-TERM FUTURE IS KIND OF UP IN THE AIR A LITTLE BIT.
THE NEW FLYER BUSES, ON THE OTHER HAND, UH, THE COMPANY IS, UH, SOLID AND, UM,
[00:45:01]
UH, THOSE BUSES ARE COMING INTO, INTO SERVICE NOW AS I, AS WE SPEAK.AND, UH, WE'LL BE OPERATING THOSE, THOSE BUSES WILL OPERATE ON THE BRT ROUTE ROUTES.
SO AT, AT, AT 29 10 EAST FIFTH STREET, WE HAVE, UH, TWO LARGE CHARGERS THAT ARE, UM, 1.44 MEGAWATTS.
THERE'S TWO 15 KILOWATT, UH, KVA TRANSFORMERS.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO PULL IN THE BUS AND, AND PLUG UP TO 48 BUSES AT A TIME.
AND THIS THING IS COMPLETED, AND IT'S UP AND RUNNING NOW, AND IT'S WORKING VERY WELL FOR US AT NORTH OPS.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS GOING ON THERE.
WE HAVE A SOLAR CANOPY AND IT SAYS 4.1 MEGAWATTS.
MY, I WAS OVERSTATING IT EARLIER.
UH, WE HAVE THREE TRANSFORMERS, UH, 15 KVA EACH, THERE ARE 30 CHARGERS.
THE, UM, THIS IS A ANOTHER, I'M SORRY.
UM, THEY ARE 180 KILOWATTS EACH.
AND, UM, THERE'S 90 P THERE'S ALSO ONE CHARGER THAT'S A TRAINING CHARGER, AND IT HAS A PARAGRAPH ON A MAST.
UM, AND THAT'S, UM, A 360 KILOWATT CHARGER.
AND THAT THERE UNDER CONSTRUCTION NOW, UH, IT'S DUE TO BE COMPLETED BY JANUARY OF 2026.
WE CAN SEE HERE IS WHAT WE DID IS WE CREATED COVERED PARKING.
SO THIS ALLOWS THE BUSES TO STAY A LITTLE BIT COOLER AND TEXTING FROM THE ELEMENTS A LITTLE BIT, BUT IT ALSO GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, PAR UH, CHARGE BUSES, UH, POTENTIALLY TYING THIS BACK, THE SOLAR POWER BACK INTO CHARGING ELEMENTS OR JUST SUPPORTING OUR FACILITY.
SO THIS WAY WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO, TO REDUCE OUR ENERGY AND CARBON FOOTPRINT BY USING THIS SOLAR ARRAY TO DO SO.
AND THIS IS JUST AN ARTIST DEPICTION OF WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE WHEN IT'S COMPLETED.
IT'S, UM, COVERS, UH, MOST OF THAT YARD AND THEN TWO METRO RAPID LINES.
THERE'S THE, UH, EXPO LINE, AND YOU CAN SEE IT STARTS UP AT EXPO CENTER AND RUNS INTO DOWNTOWN THAT, UH, IS INTENDED TO BE AN ALL ELECTRIC FLEET, ZERO EMISSION FLEET.
AND, UM, THERE'LL BE 44 STATIONS SERVING THIS AREA.
AND, UM, THE BUSES I SHOWED YOU EARLIER WILL BE OPERATING ALONG THAT ROUTE AND THE PLEASANT VALLEY LINE, WHICH, UM, STARTS, UH, BUT BARBARA JORDAN GOES ALL THE WAY TO GOODNIGHT RANCH IS JUST STARTED CONSTRUCTION, AND THAT SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF 2025 OR EARLY 2026.
AND THAT TOO IS GONNA BE ALL ELECTRIC.
SO THE FUTURE TECHNOLOGY, UH, WE'RE CALLING IT TECHNOLOGY OF CHOICE.
THE BATTERY ELECTRIC BUSES WE'VE PURCHASED ARE, UH, THEY HAVE CHALLENGES.
THEY ARE, UH, THEY HAVE, UH, RANGE LIMITATIONS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ONLY GONNA, WE'RE ONLY ABLE TO PUT THOSE BUSES WITH THE CURRENT TECHNOLOGY ON ABOUT 30% OF OUR ROUTES.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT OUR BLOCKS AND OUR SCHEDULE, THOSE BUSES ONLY FIT IN THE DUTY CYCLE FOR ABOUT 30% OF OUR ROUTES, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, WELL, WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE OTHER 70%? UH, IN THE MEANTIME, WE'RE GOING TO SWITCH THE, FROM DIESEL ONLY TO DIESEL HYBRID.
THERE'S SOME, A COUPLE OF THINGS FOR US AND GIVES US A BENEFIT OF INCREASED FUEL ECONOMY.
SO IF WE CAN GO FROM FOUR MILES PER GALLON TO SIX MILES PER GALLON, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A 50% INCREASE FOR US AND REALLY SIGNIFICANTLY LOWERS OUR EMISSIONS.
BUT ALSO THE, THESE BUSES WILL BE CAPABLE OF OPERATING IN GREEN ZONE.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS THERE'S A LIMITED RANGE WHERE IT'S NOT RUNNING ON THE DIESEL ENGINE AT ALL, AND IT'S JUST RUNNING ON THE BATTERY POWER.
AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO SET UP THOSE GREEN ZONES AROUND OUR TRANSIT CENTER WHERE THERE'S A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF DIESEL VEHICLES OR ANY OTHER PLACES LIKE, UH, HOSPITALS, SCHOOLS, OTHER AREAS WHERE WE WANNA REDUCE OUR EMISSION FOOTPRINT.
SO THOSE VEHICLES ARE, UH, WE'RE DOING THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THOSE NOW, UH, AND, UH, WE'RE GOING TO BE INTRODUCING THOSE OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
UH, I WAS WORKING ON A HYDROGEN FUEL CELL PILOT PROJECT, AND WE WERE GONNA INTRODUCE A COUPLE OF, UH, UH, HYDROGEN FUEL CELL BUSES.
THE ADVANTAGES OF HYDROGEN FUEL CELL IS IT'S ZERO EMISSIONS, AND, UH, WATER IS THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT TAILPIPE EMISSIONS.
BUT WE, AS WE WERE WORKING THROUGH THIS, UM, WE DETERMINED, YOU KNOW, TEXAS HAS A LOT OF HYDROGEN AVAILABLE, BUT THE COST OF TRANSPORTING IT AND CONVERTING IT TO FUEL AND PUTTING INTO A VEHICLE BECOMES VERY, VERY PROHIBITIVE FOR IT TO BE COST EFFECTIVE, IT HAS TO COST ABOUT $5 A KILOGRAM BECAUSE A KILOGRAMS WORTH ABOUT TWO GALLONS OF DIESEL, UH, DIESEL GALLONS EQUIVALENT.
UM, WE'RE SEEING D UH, HYDROGEN PRICES DELIVERED INTO AUSTIN BETWEEN 15 TO $20 A KILOGRAM.
SO AT THE CURRENT PRICES AND THE CURRENT, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S AVAILABLE TO TRANSPORT IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S WAY TOO EXPENSIVE.
UH, WE BUY DIESEL FUEL NOW FOR ABOUT TWO 50 A GALLON, AND UNTIL THAT, THE ECONOMICS OF THAT CHANGE IS QUITE MORE,
[00:50:01]
MORE SIGNIFICANTLY, IT'S GONNA BE MORE DIFFICULT.ALSO, THE FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGY THAT'S IN, IN PLACE NOW, UH, WHILE IT, IT'S, IT'S WORKING, YOU KNOW, THE, AT THE SCALE, WE'RE NOT SURE HOW RELIABLE AND DEPENDABLE IT'LL BE.
WE'RE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT OUR FUELING.
WE HAVE TO DESIGN AND BUILD, UH, LARGE AND EXTENSIVE HYDROGEN, UH, UH, EITHER PRODUCTION OR, UH, DELIVERING LIQUID HYDROGEN AND CONVERTING THAT TO GASEOUS HYDROGEN.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY THERE.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE HAVE TO LEARN.
SO WE'VE JUST PUSHED OUT THE PILOT FOR UNTIL 2030, AND THEN WE'LL PICK IT UP AGAIN AND START LOOKING AT THAT TECHNOLOGY TO SEE IF THAT WORKS.
UM, SOME OTHER THINGS THAT ARE ON THE HORIZON, OR, YOU KNOW, THEY TALK ABOUT SOLID STATE BATTERIES, THEY TALK ABOUT, UM, LIKE COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS, THAT'S RNG.
UM, AND THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT ARE COMING INTO THE MARKET, UH, I THINK, UH, HYDROGEN TO BE USED AS AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.
WHILE IT'S NOT ZERO, IT'S CLOSER TO ZERO THAN ANY OF THE OTHER FUELS.
BUT AGAIN, THAT TECHNOLOGY HASN'T BEEN TRIED OR, AND, AND PROVEN, AND WE DON'T WANT TO, WE DON'T WANT TO GET TOO FAR AHEAD OF OUR OURSELVES.
AND, UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE TAKING A MORE CAUTIOUS APPROACH.
THAT'S IT FOR MY PRESENTATION.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I THINK, I THINK WE WILL, UM, WHO HAS, WHO WANTS TO START? THANK YOU.
CAN, UH, CAN YOU STOP SHARING MAYBE SO WE CAN SEE EACH OTHER? THANKS.
YEAH, APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD COMMENT ON SORT OF THE, I WANNA SAY FIRESTORM, BUT SORT OF THE, THE STORY THAT CAME OUT ABOUT THE, UH, THE METRO RAPID BUSES NOT NECESSARILY HAVING THE AMOUNT OF ELECTRICAL VEHICLES THAT, UH, WE THOUGHT THEY WOULD, BECAUSE I REMEMBER READING A LOT ABOUT IT WHENEVER, UH, SORT OF THAT WAS HAPPENING.
UH, I GOT A LITTLE FUZZY HERE.
I'M NOT SURE WHY, WHY THAT IS.
UH, UM, THE FIRESTORM ABOUT OUR, I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT THE QUESTION IS.
WELL, I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU HAD A, A COMMENT ABOUT IT, BUT, UH, IF YOU'RE NOT NECESSARILY SUPER NO, I JUST, I JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, SO I JUST WANNA, IF YOU COULD REPEAT YOURSELF, I COULD TRY TO ADDRESS THAT.
I THINK HE'S JUST ASKING FOR YOU TO COMMENT ON THE LACK OF ELECTRIC, ELECTRIC BUSES ON THE RAPID ROUTES, RIGHT? YEAH.
WHAT, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY WITH THE BANKRUPTCY OF PROTERRA, THOSE 40 BUSES AREN'T ABLE TO GO INTO SERVICE RIGHT AWAY.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE HAVE TO DO TO GET THOSE COMMISSIONED AND GET 'EM ON THE ROAD, AND THERE'S JUST LACK OF SUPPORT.
THERE'S NO SPARE PARTS, THERE'S NO TECHNICIANS TO HELP US GET 'EM STARTED.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE JUST IN A HOLDING PHASE WITH THOSE.
WE'RE GONNA PROBABLY PUSH THAT OUT INTO JUNE BEFORE WE START PUTTING SOME OF THOSE INCREMENTALLY INTO THE, THE FLEET.
UM, THE OTHER 52 BUSES WE HAVE THAT ARE ACTUALLY 58 BUSES THAT WE HAVE ARE THE NEW FLYERS.
WE'RE PUTTING THOSE INTO SERVICE NOW, AND THEY'RE GOING TO SERVICE EVERY DAY.
WE EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO USE THOSE ON THE BRT ROUTES, BUT THE TRANSITION'S GONNA JUST TAKE US A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE WAS JUST COMPLETED IN NOVEMBER.
WE'RE CHARGING THE BUSES, WE'RE OPERATING THEM EVERY DAY NOW.
AND AS WE GET MORE AND MORE BUSES INTO SERVICE, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SHIFT THAT OVER TO THE BRT LINE AND GET THAT GOING, UH, LATER THIS YEAR.
YEAH, AND FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, UH, YOU KNOW, I LIVE OFF ROCKY AND MAYNARD WHERE THE, UH, EXPO CENTER LINE GOES BY.
SO I'VE TAKEN THE 8 37 AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S DEFINITELY COOL.
I THINK ONCE WE HAVE THAT ROUTE ELECTRIFIED, THE, I THINK THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR US ON THAT ROUTE NOW IS UNTIL WE CANFIN FINISH BUILDING THE TRANSIT CENTERS AT THE END OF THE YEAR, END OF 2025, BEGINNING OF 2026, AND PUT IN THOSE LARGER, UH, FAST CHARGERS, THE FOUR 50 KILOWATT CHARGERS, THE BUSES WON'T OPERATE EFFICIENTLY OR EFFECTIVELY.
THEY CAN'T OPERATE OVER THAT LONG OF, UH, MILES AND THAT LONG OF SERVICE.
BUT ONCE THOSE CHARGERS ARE IN PLACE AND THEY CAN PICK UP OPPORTUNITY CHARGING THROUGHOUT THE DAY, THOSE VEHICLES WILL BE ABLE TO GO INTO THAT SERVICE AND MEET THAT DUTY CYCLE.
SO THAT, I THINK THAT'S REALLY THE, THE MAIN REASON WE'RE NOT THROWING 'EM OUT THERE YET.
UM, BUT WE'LL BE DOING THAT ONCE THOSE CHARGES ARE IN PLACE.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY, THE, THE 52 NEW FLYER BUSES, THOSE ARE ALL, YOU HAVE THEM ALL, THEY'RE ALL IN SERVICE RIGHT NOW? YES, WE HAVE 'EM ALL HERE.
IT TAKES A WHILE TO, WHEN YOU GET A NEW BUS, YOU HAVE TO RETIRE AN OLD BUS, TAKE THE EQUIPMENT OFF OF THAT AND PUT IT IN.
UH, THERE'S THINGS THAT WE DO TO BREAK THEM IN.
THERE'S THINGS WE'RE DOING IN TERMS OF FIXING, UM, POST-DELIVERY, UH, THINGS.
WE JUST GOT THE LAST COUPLE OF THEM, AND THEY'RE, THEY STILL HAVE LIKE THE PLASTIC WRAPPING ON 'EM AND STUFF.
SO WE HAVEN'T QUITE PUT THOSE ALL INTO SERVICE, BUT WE EXPECT THOSE ALL TO BE IN SERVICE BY JUNE AND AVAILABLE FOR SERVICE BY JUNE.
WE'RE USING THEM, UH, IN, WE'RE
[00:55:01]
USING A NUMBER OF THEM IN SERVICE IN OTHER AREAS.AND WHAT WE'RE DOING THERE IS, IS KIND OF NEAT IN THAT WE'RE, WE'RE OPERATING THESE BUSES IN DIFFERENT BLOCKS OF WORK AND DIFFERENT ROUTES AND KIND OF IN DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, SO WE CAN SEE AND CAPTURE WHAT THE PERFORMANCE DATA IS.
SO I CAN SEE WHAT THAT BUS DOES DURING THAT DUTY CYCLE.
AND, UH, SOME OF THE BUSES HAVE SLIGHT DIFFERENCES.
UH, SOME BUSES HAVE FOUR 40 KILOWATT BATTERY STORAGE.
OTHER BUSES HAVE 660 KILOWATT BATTERY STORAGE.
SO SOME, OBVIOUSLY SOME BUSES CAN GO A LOT FURTHER THAN OTHERS.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT NICHE FOR THOSE.
AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE THE IN ROUTE CHARGING AVAILABLE, THOSE BUSES WILL BE ABLE TO GO PRETTY MUCH ALL DAY IN FOR THE 12, 14, 16 HOURS THAT ARE GONNA BE REQUIRED.
UM, AND THEN REGARDLESS OF LIKE WEATHER CONDITION, IF IT'S REALLY SUPER HOT OR REALLY SUPER COLD, THOSE BATTERIES WILL STILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE ENERGY BECAUSE WE HAVE THE ENERGY, UM, DELIVERABLE IN THE ROUTE.
UH, YEAH, IF YOU NEED HELP WITH THAT PLASTIC WRAP, MY 4-YEAR-OLD WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT.
UM, YEAH, I, I AM CURIOUS HEARING ABOUT THE, THE IN ROUTE CHARGING AND THAT THAT ALLOWS THEM TO GO ALL DAY.
WHY DOESN'T THAT THEN TRANSLATE TO AN ABILITY TO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I GET THAT YOU ARE NOT GONNA BE BUYING ANY MORE PROTERRA BUSES, BUT, UM, SETTING THAT ASIDE, IF THE IN ROUTE CHARGING ALLOWS 'EM TO GO ALL DAY, WHY ARE YOU BACKING AWAY FROM FUTURE ELECTRIC BUSES? WELL, BECAUSE IN ROUTE CHARGING, UM, THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS REALLY EXPENSIVE.
IN THE CASES OF THESE BRTS, WE'VE GOT GRANTS AND WE'VE GOT FUNDING FOR THAT.
AND WE BUILT THIS, THESE SPECIFICALLY FOR THESE TWO BRTS, UM, PUTTING IN ADDITIONAL CHARGING.
IF I HAVE TO PUT A, UH, ONE OR TWO CHARGERS IN A LOCATION, IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE.
AND I HAD TO PUT IN NEW TRANSFORMERS, NEW SWITCH GEAR, AND THEN I HAD TO PUT IN, UM, A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THAT.
AND THEN THE, IT'S THE LOGISTICS OF ALL THAT OVER.
UM, WE HAVE A HUNDRED VEHICLES NOW.
WHEN YOU GET TO 200 VEHICLES, IT COMES WAY MORE COMPLICATED AND A LOT MORE COMPLEX AND, AND PUTTING BUSES IN THE RIGHT DUTY CYCLE, UM, THE LIMITED RANGE IS, IS JUST REALLY CREATES THAT ROADBLOCK FOR US UNTIL WE CAN PUSH THROUGH.
AND IF A BUS CAN GO, WE HAD A BUS THAT HAD A BATTERY THAT'D GO 300 MILES, THAT WOULD MAKE A LOT OF SENSE.
WE CAN USE IT IN ALL OF OUR ROUTES, BUT THESE BUSES GO ANYWHERE FROM BETWEEN 100 AND 200 MILES.
AND THAT DEPENDS ON TEMPERATURE, PASSENGER LOAD, UH, THE TERRAIN.
SO THE SIMPLE FORMULAS WE USE TO, UH, DESIGN AND DEVELOP BLOCKS OF WORK AND ROUTES TODAY DON'T APPLY TO THESE VEHICLES BECAUSE THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE PERFORMANCE CAPABILITIES YET.
UM, BUILDING IT, I HAVE A, I HAVE A MODEL WHERE WE ADDED 27 MORE CHARGERS.
WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A $60 MILLION, UH, PROJECT.
AND, UM, IT, IT, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S JUST A LOT OF CHALLENGES WITH THAT.
'CAUSE IF YOU HAVE IT BUILT UP WITH CHARGERS ONE HERE, ONE THERE, COUPLE HERE, AND THEN THEY GO DOWN OR THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH IT AND OR THERE'S THE GRID GOES DOWN OR SOMETHING, IT, IT IMPACTS SERVICES QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY.
SO OUR, OUR, OUR STRATEGY RIGHT NOW IS TO TAKE THE A HUNDRED BUSES WE HAVE, UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN GET THEM TO WORK, PUT 'EM IN THE BLOCKS OF WORK AND THE DUTY CYCLES WHERE THEY'RE GONNA WORK EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY.
AND, AND AS WE LEARN FROM THAT, WE CAN DECIDE, DO WE WANT TO GET MORE BATTERY ELECTRIC BUSES? DO WE WANT TO GET A DIFFERENT TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY? UH, THE HYBRID BUS IS JUST DESIGNED TO BE A BRIDGE TO GET US FROM HERE TO THE NEXT POINT TO WHERE THE NEXT BUS BECOMES AVAILABLE AND BECOMES OPERATIONALLY FEASIBLE.
MY, MY LAST QUESTION, UM, AT LEAST FOR NOW.
UM, YOU MENTIONED LACK OF SPARE PARTS FOR THE PROTERRA BUSES.
ARE THINGS ALREADY BROKEN ON THEM? UM, THERE ARE THINGS THAT, YES, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE BROKEN ON THEM.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT BREAK, UH, REGULARLY.
THERE'S, THERE'S PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE TYPE THINGS, REGULAR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE THINGS YOU DO.
UM, SOME OF THE THINGS ARE, LIKE, WE HAD A RECALL ON THE TRACTION MOTOR.
YOU KNOW, IT'S THE TRACTION MOTORS, A 20, $30,000 COMPONENT.
UM, THE COMPANY ITSELF CAN'T PROVIDE US WITH NEW ONES, SO, AND THEY'RE RECALLING THEM, BUT WE CAN'T AFFORD TO PUT THESE VEHICLES OUT ON THE ROAD WITHOUT RELIABLE EQUIPMENT.
NOW WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET SOME OF THEM, AND WHAT WE DO IS WE TAKE THE EXISTING ONE AND THEN WE SEND IT TO SEND IT OUT AND HAVE IT RECONDITIONED AND THEY REBUILT IT, AND WE HAVE A NEW, ESSENTIALLY A NEW ONE, AND WE PUT IT IN PLACE AND WE CAN OPERATE THAT BOSS.
IT'S JUST THAT THE, THE COMPANY THAT'S TAKEN OVER FOR PROTERRA JUST HAS, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE FI THEY'RE HAVING SOME DIFFICULTIES IN, IN BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE US WITH THIS SERVICE AND PROVIDE US WITH THESE PARTS.
AND IT'S, AND IT'S A NATIONWIDE ISSUE.
'CAUSE EVERYONE WHO BOUGHT A PROTERRA WE'RE ALL FACING THE SAME PROBLEM.
WE CAN'T GET THE PARTS, WE CAN'T GET THE
[01:00:01]
SUPPORT, WE CAN'T GET THE SERVICE.NOW, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET PARTS SOMEWHERE ELSE, BUT THERE'S STILL PROGRAMMING INVOLVED.
THERE'S ENGINEERING THINGS THAT THEY DO THAT THEY'RE PROPRIETARY AND IT'S JUST NOT ABLE TO, TO, TO, TO WORK THROUGH THOSE WITH THEM.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE TOOK A PAUSE TO ALLOW THEM TIME TO KINDA GET THEIR, THEIR, UM, ACT TOGETHER.
AND THEN WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE US WITH THAT SERVICE AND THAT SUPPORT, THEN WE WANNA START ROLLING MORE AND MORE OF THOSE BUSES OUT.
FOR NOW, IT'S JUST A FEW BUSES.
WE'RE JUST KEEPING 'EM THERE AND WE'RE EXERCISING 'EM TO KEEP 'EM, UM, OPERATIONAL.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PROBLEM WITH TRANSIT BUSES IS THEY DON'T MAKE A LOT OF THEM.
YOU KNOW, IF THEY MAKE FIVE OR 6,000 BUSES A YEAR, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOTHING COMPARED TO THE, YOU KNOW, SIX TO 12 MILLION OR 18 MILLION CARS THEY MAKE A YEAR.
SO THE ECONOMY OF SCALE IS LOST.
AND THEN, THEN IF YOU LOOK AT EACH OF THOSE PARTS AND EACH OF THOSE COMPONENTS, UM, A BUS THAT WAS WE ORDERED TODAY WILL BE DELIVERED IN 18 TO 24 MONTHS.
BUT A LOT OF THAT STUFF'S OBSOLETE FROM THE MOMENT WE ORDER IT.
AND WHEN WE GET THERE, THERE'S NEW TECHNOLOGY.
AND SO WE'RE STRUGGLING BETWEEN THIS ADVANCEMENT IN THIS TECHNOLOGY AND THE BUILDING OF THESE HIGH PERFORMANCE, HIGH ENERGY VEHICLES TO, YOU KNOW, COMPETING AGAINST OBSOLESCENCE AND, UH, THE LOW NUMBER OF VEHICLES THEY MAKE.
SO IT'S, IT, IT, IT'S A LOT MORE COMPLICATED THAN ONE MIGHT IMAGINE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH TRYING TO GET THESE BUSES ON THE ROAD, KEEP 'EM ON THE ROAD, AND STILL ADVANCED THAT TECHNOLOGY.
WELL THANKS, I APPRECIATE THAT.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE TRYING FOR THAT.
WERE THE PROTERRA BUSES EVER ON THE ROAD? WE'VE HAD SOME OF 'EM ON THE ROAD.
THE ORIGINAL SIX WE HAD, WE WERE OPERATING THOSE.
UM, THEN, UH, WE'VE HAD SOME BUSES DELIVERED, BUT THEN ONCE THEY HAD THAT RECALL, YOU KNOW, IT KIND OF PUTS A, PUTS US IN A SPOT WHERE WE CAN OPERATE THEM TILL THEY FAIL.
UH, AND THAT'S JUST REALLY NOT ALWAYS THE BEST APPROACH.
WE DID SOME BUSES AND, BUT YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY THOSE ALL, WE KNOW THOSE TRACTION MODES, A KNOWN DEFECT, AND SO WE'RE JUST GONNA WAIT TILL THEY ARE CAPABLE OF PROVIDING US WITH THE REPLACEMENTS, REBUILDING THOSE, AND PUTTING 'EM BACK ON THE STREET, UH, IN A, A SAFE AND RELIABLE MANNER.
QUESTIONS? YEAH, THANKS FOR THIS WORK.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT, LOT GOING ON, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THINGS ARE CERTAINLY HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
WE, WE HEARD FROM A CITIZEN EARLIER TODAY WHO'S CONCERNED ABOUT EQUITY AS, AS PART OF, UM, I THINK CAP METRO GENERALLY, AS YOU KNOW, WE NOT ONLY HAVE A NET ZERO GOAL, BUT IT'S TO GET TO NET ZERO EQUITABLY.
COULD YOU COMMENT ON HOW EQUITY FACTORS INTO YOUR PLANNING PROCESSES? WELL, OF COURSE, I MEAN, I, WE WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT OF OUR FLEET, ZERO MISSION, AND OPERATE IT ACROSS THE BOARD.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S OUR ULTIMATE GOAL.
BUT WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE RUNNING INTO NOW IS THE EQUIPMENT HAS LIMITATIONS.
SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE LOOKED AT ALL OF OUR BLOCKS OF WORK IN COMPOSITE, AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE BLOCKS WORK THAT THEY PHYSICALLY CAN GO ON.
AND, AND IT'S NOT A MATTER OF WHERE THESE BLOCKS ARE, IT'S A MATTER OF HOW THEY WERE ORIGINALLY DESIGNED AND HOW WE OPERATE THEM TODAY.
SO THERE WE, WHILE WE HAVE THAT AS A MAIN CONSIDERATION, WE CAN'T PUT BLOCKS THAT SERVE SOME AREAS JUST BECAUSE THE ROUTE'S TOO LONG.
THE, THE LENGTH OF TIME OF SERVICE JUST TAKES TOO LONG OF, OF A COURSE OF THE DAY.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE DOING OUR BEST THAT WE CAN TO FIND THAT BALANCE.
BUT WITH ONLY 30% OF OUR BLOCKS AT WORK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO PLUG THEM IN WHERE THEY'RE GONNA WORK SO WE CAN GET THE USE OUT OF THEM.
UM, AND, AND TRY TO GET THAT TO WHERE WE CAN BUILD THAT UP OVER TIME AND USE THEM EVERY DAY AND, UH, PROVIDE THAT IN, IN AS NEAR EQUITABLE, UH, SITUATION AS WE CAN.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A MATTER OF WHERE WE, WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO PUT 'EM.
IT'S WHERE THEY'LL ACTUALLY OPERATE AND PERFORM EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I THINK MELISSA.
A QUICK QUESTION, IS CAPITAL METRO ONLY ABLE TO CHARGE AT THE CHARGING STATIONS THAT THEY OWN AS LIKE A PRIVATE CHARGING LOCATION? OR WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO COST SHARE AND CO-OWN A SPACE WITH TIMED CHARGING SCHEDULE FOR YOUR FLEET COMPARED TO THE OTHER FLEET THAT YOU COULD POTENTIALLY SHARE THE COST OF THE INSTALLATION BURDEN WITH SOMEONE ELSE? WELL, I THINK THEORETICALLY THAT'S POSSIBLE.
IT'S JUST THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UH, OUR CHARGERS AND ASSIST CHARGING SYSTEMS, WE HAVE, UH, OUR NEW FLEET OF BUSES HAVE PARAGRAPH CHARGERS.
SO THOSE ARE CHARGERS THAT DROP DOWN AND CONNECT TO THE TOP OF THE BUS, AND THEY CHARGE, AND
[01:05:01]
THEY, WE DO THIS SO THAT WE HAVE, UH, AN EFFICIENT WAY TO DO IT IN THE YARD.'CAUSE WE HAVE TO HAVE FIT ALL THESE BUSES IN THERE.
AND, AND IN ROUTE, WE DO THE SAME THING ON THE TS.
THEY'LL PULL IN, THEY'LL TAKE THEIR LAYOVER TIME, AND WHILE THEY'RE IN THE LAYOVER, THEY'LL BE GETTING CHARGED FROM ABOVE.
SO THAT TECHNOLOGY'S NOT READILY AVAILABLE.
UM, WE CHARGE AT, LIKE, UH, ON THE BRT ROUTE BE 450 KILOWATTS.
UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT CAPABILITY EXISTS IN THE MARKETPLACE, UH, OR AT LEAST NOT FOR COMMERCIAL VEHICLES OR IN THE PUBLIC SPACE.
UM, NOW OVERNIGHT CHARGING WITH A 60 KILOWATT, THAT MIGHT BE MORE ATTAINABLE, BUT IT TAKES SIX HOURS TO CHARGE AN ELECTRIC BUS BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S GOT A 440 TO 660 KILOWATT BATTERY PACK.
SO THIS BATTERY PACK IS SO LARGE AND IT TAKES SO MUCH ENERGY THAT IF YOU, I THINK IF YOU PLUGGED IT INTO A TESLA CHARGER, UH, WHILE IT MIGHT WORK, IT MIGHT TAKE ALL DAY AND THEN IT BECOMES NOT EFFICIENT FOR US TO DO THAT.
SO I THINK, UH, ON THE SMALLER VEHICLES, UM, WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN OUR NON-REVENUE VEHICLES AND OUR, UH, UH, PARATRANSIT VEHICLES THAT WE COULD DO THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE SMALL VEHICLES, THEY CHARGE ON A LOW CAPACITY.
WE COULD, UH, USE AUSTIN ENERGIES NETWORK AND ACCESS THAT, AND WE COULD PROVIDE THAT SERVICE PRETTY READILY, AND THAT NETWORK'S READILY AVAILABLE.
AND THAT KIND OF, UM, SYNERGISM WOULD REALLY WORK FOR US.
BUT ON THE BIG BUSES, UH, YOU'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT A LOT LARGER SCALE AND A LOT MORE ENERGY, AND IT'S JUST NOT AVAILABLE IN THE MARKETPLACE.
ARE YOU CON COORDINATING WITH AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY, UH, IN TERMS OF THEIR PLANS TO ELECTRIFY, UM, THEIR, YOU KNOW, LIKE WASTE VEHICLES? NO, WE HAVEN'T CHARGING, HAVEN'T TALKED THEM DIRECTLY.
WE'VE, I'VE, I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER AGENCIES AND I'M ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO DISCUSS THOSE.
UM, I THINK WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS IT'S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF VEHICLE, DIFFERENT TYPE OF DUTY CYCLE.
A TRANSIT BUS IS UNIQUE IN ITS FORM AND FUNCTION, UH, YOU KNOW, WASTE HAULER OR, UH, UM, THOSE KIND OF VEHICLES OPERATE DIFFERENTLY.
AND, UH, THEY'RE GONNA USE, UH, PROBABLY A COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGY MADE BY A HEAVY DUTY TRUCK COMPANY.
AND WE USE TRANSIT THAT'S OPERATING, UM, VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF SYSTEMS, UM, THAT ARE KIND OF PROPRIETARY AND UNIQUE.
SO WHILE THERE MIGHT BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOME OF THAT, UM, I'M NOT, WE'RE NOT SEEING THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT I'M CERTAINLY, I'VE, I'VE TALKED TO OTHER AGENCIES, I'VE TALKED TO THE AUSTIN SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, I TALKED TO THE AIRPORT, UM, AND I'M CERTAINLY OPEN TO TO, TO DISCUSSIONS WITH ANYONE.
IT'S JUST CO-OPTING THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
IF WE CHARGE OUR VEHICLES OVERNIGHT, THEY'LL CHARGE THEIR VEHICLES OVERNIGHT.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO FIND THOSE KIND OF PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE GONNA WORK FOR US.
WELL, I'M THINKING PERHAPS FOR THE IN ROUTE CHARGING, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I THINK THEY'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE THAT NEED.
SO I WOULD SUGGEST TRYING TO CONNECT THERE.
WE, OUR IN ROUTE CHARGING IS PARAGRAPH.
UM, UNLESS THEY HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF SYSTEM WE HAVE, THEN THEY WOULDN'T BE COMPATIBLE.
WELL, RIGHT NOW THEY HAVE ONE VEHICLE.
SO, UH,
YOU HAVE A PLUG THAT GOES IN AND, UM, SO THE PARAGRAPH PROBABLY WOULDN'T WORK FOR THEM.
UM, I DON'T, IN FACT, WITH THAT VEHICLE DESIGN AND THE HEIGHT, IT PROBABLY, IT, UH, IT'D BE REALLY HARD TO MOUNT ONE TO, TO THAT, UH, WE COULD PROVIDE PLUGIN CHARGING, BUT THEN THAT WOULD CREATE A DIFFERENT, WE'D HAVE TO HAVE A, A DIFFERENT KIND OF CHARGING SYSTEM AVAILABLE EN ROUTE.
AND, UM, AT, AT THIS POINT, THE, THE BIGGEST HURDLE FOR US IS THAT INFRASTRUCTURE COST AND HOW TO DESIGN IT, HOW TO BUILD IT, HOW TO DEPLOY IT, AND, UH, HOW TO HAVE IT RESILIENT, UH, ENOUGH TO WHERE WE CAN OPERATE UNDER VARYING CONDITIONS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, PARTNERING WITH SOMEBODY JUST ADDS A WHOLE NOTHER LEVEL OF COMPLEXITY.
AND, AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE QUITE READY FOR THAT YET.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND, AND, AND TRUST ME, I, I'VE THOUGHT OF ALL THAT
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S JUST TRANSIT HAS ITS OWN NICHE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE'S VOCATIONAL APPLICATION, WHETHER IT'S A GARBAGE TRUCK OR A FIRE TRUCK OR A POLICE CAR, THOSE THINGS ARE ALL JUST DIVERSE.
AND, AND TO TRY TO FIND, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA WORK FOR THOSE, I THINK THE MARKET'S GONNA DETERMINE THAT.
AND SO LIKE A, A TESLA SUPERCHARGER OR A CHARGER, THAT CHARGER AND A MEGAWATT AND, YOU KNOW, UH, AT A TIME FOR AND CHARGE THE VEHICLE IN 10 MINUTES, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GONNA BE THE TECHNOLOGY, THE NEXT LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL BE A LOT MORE, UH, READILY TRANSFERABLE.
UH, WE'RE JUST TO, THE MARKET'S NOT THERE
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YET.ALRIGHT, WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, THANK YOU.
PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT.
[4. Internal Climate and Efficiency Revolving Fund Proposal – Rohan Lilauwala, Office of Climate Action and Resilience ]
PRESENTING ON THE CLIMATE, UH, AND EFFICIENCY REVOLVING FUND PROPOSAL.UM, I AM HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT, UH, THE IDEA OF, UH, A CLIMATE INEFFICIENCY REVOLVING FUND, UH, AND WHAT WE'VE LEARNED AT THE OFFICE OF CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE, UH, FROM OTHER CITIES, UM, AND HOW IT MAY BE APPLIED, UH, IN THE CONTEXT OF AUSTIN.
SO THE, THE CONTEXT THAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW, UM, IS A NUMBER OF SORT OF CONVERGING FACTORS.
UM, THE FIRST FACTOR IS THERE IS LIMITED DEDICATING FUNDING AT THE CITY, UM, RIGHT NOW TO MAKE OUR FACILITIES MORE SUSTAINABLE.
THE BUILDING SERVICES DEPARTMENT DOES HAVE A NUMBER OF, UH, DIFFERENT STREAMS OF REVENUE AND FUNDING, UH, DEDICATED TO UPGRADING OUR FACILITIES.
UM, BUT OFTEN THAT FUNDING IS, UM, YOU KNOW, FIXING THINGS THAT ARE BROKEN.
UM, MAKING SURE THAT OUR SYSTEMS AND COMPONENTS OF OUR BUILDINGS ARE IN A STATE OF GOOD REPAIR, UM, RATHER THAN DEDICATED TOWARDS MAKING THEM MORE SUSTAINABLE AND REDUCING GREENHOUSE GASES AND, AND, UH, OPERATIONAL COSTS.
UM, AT THE SAME TIME, UM, WE ARE SEEING THE COST CURVE ON RENEWABLES, UH, BATTERY, UM, OTHER, UM, ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RESILIENCE UPGRADES CONTINUE TO BEND.
UM, WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEVERAGE, UM, DIRECT PAY TAX CREDITS AS PART OF THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT.
UM, THERE ARE ALSO POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES, UH, THROUGH THE GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION FUND, UM, IF THAT DOESN'T GO AWAY, UM, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO SORT OF LEVERAGE IMPROVING TECHNOLOGIES AND, AND, AND LOWERING COSTS IN RENEWABLES AND RESILIENCE.
UM, AND FINALLY, UH, OUR CITY IS FACING PRESSURE ON OUR GENERAL FUND.
UM, AND THERE IS A NEED TO, UH, FIND EFFICIENCIES AND REDUCE OPERATIONAL COSTS.
UM, AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY IS, IS ONE WAY TO GET THERE.
UM, THE IDEA OF A REVOLVING FUND IS NOT A NEW ONE.
UM, THERE ARE MANY COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UM, THAT HAVE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED THEM TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES LIKE WE HAVE IN AUSTIN.
UM, SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL YEARS OVER A DECADE.
UM, SAN ANTONIO, PHILADELPHIA, HARRIS COUNTY, PORTLAND, SEATTLE, UM, A NUMBER OF OTHER CITIES, COUNTIES, STATES OPERATE REVOLVING FUNDS OF, OF THE NATURE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
UM, A CASE STUDY IS, UM, JUST DOWN I 35 IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, THEY HAVE AN ENERGY EFFICIENCY FUND, UM, THAT HAS BEEN OPERATING SINCE 2009 WHEN IT WAS SEEDED WITH $12 MILLION IN, UM, ARA FUNDING.
UM, SINCE 2009, UH, THROUGH 2023, THE FUND HAS FUNDED, UH, 432 ENERGY PROJECTS IN 190 FACILITIES, UM, LEADING TO AN ANNUAL AVOIDED COST SAVINGS OF $1.7 MILLION.
UH, AND THESE PROJECTS INCLUDE EVERYTHING FROM LIGHTING, HVAC EQUIPMENT AND CONTROLS TO SOLAR WINDOW FILM POOL, PUMP UPGRADES, AND SO ON.
UM, IN 2023, UM, THE CITY ALSO, UM, INVESTED $30 MILLION IN SOLAR ON CITY FACILITIES.
UM, AND THAT SOLAR INVESTMENT, UH, THE RETURN OR THE SAVINGS FROM THAT SOLAR, UM, R TO BE ROLLED INTO THE FUND TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL FURTHER PROJECTS.
UM, ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS IN HARRIS COUNTY.
UM, THEY RECENTLY ESTABLISHED A REVOLVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY FUND, UH, WITH ONE FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT STAFF, UH, AN ENERGY MANAGER.
UM, THIS FUND HAS NO DIRECT MONEY FOR TO PAY FOR PROJECTS, BUT INSTEAD IT CAPTURES SAVINGS FROM ALREADY FUNDED CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO THE IDEA IS HARRIS COUNTY IS ALREADY HAS A CAPITAL PLAN.
UM, THEY'RE INVESTING MONEY IN A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
UH, WHEN THOSE PROJECTS HAVE ENERGY SAVINGS OR COST SAVINGS OR UTILITY REBATES, THAT MONEY IS CAPTURED IN, IN REINVESTED INTO FURTHER PROJECTS.
UM, AND THOSE SAVINGS, LIKE TAX CREDITS, UTILITY REBATES, ENERGY SAVINGS, UM, FLOW INTO THE FUND.
AND THEN THE FUND PAYS FOR THINGS THAT ARE COMPLIMENTARY TO THE PROJECTS.
SO, UH, TRAINING FOR STAFF TO OPERATE BUILDINGS MORE EFFICIENTLY, UM,
[01:15:01]
SALARIES FOR THE ENERGY MANAGER AND OTHER STAFF INVOLVED.TOOLS, RESOURCES, SOFTWARE, UH, THINGS THAT ENABLE EFFICIENT OPERATIONS, HOW, UH, A REVOLVING FUND COULD WORK.
HOW IT WORKS IN OTHER PLACES IS THE IDEA IS YOU HAVE SEAT FUNDING, UM, THAT CAPITALIZES A FUND.
UM, THE FUND PAYS FOR, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE STAFF SALARIES, SOFTWARE TRAINING, CAPACITY BUILDING TO ENABLE ALL OF THE THINGS IT DOES.
UM, THE FUND INVESTS IN PROJECTS, AND THE IDEA IS THE FUND WOULD INVEST IN, COULD INVEST IN PROJECTS THAT, UM, REDUCE GREENHOUSE GASES AND HAVE A RETURN ON INVESTMENT, UM, WHETHER THROUGH, UM, SAVINGS OR REVENUE, UM, THOSE ENERGY AND OTHER SAVINGS, UH, ARE MEASURED, CERTIFIED AND CAPTURED AND THEN REINVESTED BACK INTO THE FUND.
AND WHAT THIS DOES IS IT CREATES SORT OF A VIRTUOUS CIRCLE WHERE YOU INVEST MONEY INTO A PROJECT, YOU SAVE MONEY, THE SAVINGS ARE REINVESTED INTO THE FUND, AND THEN YOU CAN USE THAT MONEY TO PAY FOR MORE PROJECTS OVER THE YEARS.
SO IT'S SORT OF A, A VIRTUOUS CIRCLE OR SELF-REINFORCING MECHANISM HERE.
UM, THE TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT COULD BE INVESTED IN INCLUDE THINGS LIKE ENERGY EFFICIENCY, SO LIGHTING RETROFITS ARE, ARE LOW HANGING FRUIT, HVAC UPGRADES, WEATHERIZATION INSULATION, SOLAR FILM, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, RENEWABLE ENERGY, UM, SOLAR BATTERIES ARE TWO, SORT OF THE, THE, THE MOST STRAIGHTFORWARD ONES THERE.
UM, AND FLEET ELECTRIFICATION, UH, EVS CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, SORT OF THE ASSOCIATED THINGS.
THESE ARE SOME, SOME TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT COULD BE INVESTED IN.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? UM, IF YOU WERE TO ACTUALLY DRILL DOWN AND, AND, YOU KNOW, DO A, A QUICK BACK OF THE NAPKIN ANALYSIS, UM, THESE ARE SORT OF TWO HYPOTHETICAL PROJECTS.
THESE AREN'T, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC, UM, FEASIBILITY STUDIES.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AN EXAMPLE HERE COULD BE AN AN LED RETRO LET'S AN LED LIGHTING RETROFIT IN AN OFFICE BUILDING, UM, WITH AN UPFRONT COST OF $300,000 ANNUAL SAVINGS OF $75,000.
WHAT THIS MEANS IS THE PROJECT PAYS BACK AFTER FOUR YEARS.
SO A, A REVOLVING FUND COULD INVEST IN THIS TYPE OF PROJECT.
AFTER FOUR YEARS, UM, THE SAVINGS FROM THIS PROJECT HAVE BEEN RECOUPED AND NOW CAN BE REINVESTED INTO ADDITIONAL PROJECTS.
UM, WHILE THE PROJECT PAYS BACK IN FOUR YEARS, THE LIFESPAN IS 10 TO 15 YEARS.
SO IN YEARS FIVE THROUGH 10 OR FIVE THROUGH 15, YOU'RE CONTINUING TO ACCRUE THOSE ENERGY SAVINGS OVER TIME.
A SIMILAR PROJECT, OR A SIMILAR EXAMPLE WOULD BE A SOLAR ARRAY ON A LIBRARY, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, THIS PROJECT WOULD HAVE A UPFRONT COST OF ABOUT $95,000, UM, WHICH INCLUDES A 30% SOLAR TAX CREDIT, UM, AN ANNUAL SAVINGS OF ABOUT $14,000.
AND WHAT THIS MEANS IS THE PROJECT WOULD PAY BACK IN JUST UNDER SEVEN YEARS, UM, WHILE THE LIFESPAN OF THE PROJECT IS 25 TO 30 YEARS.
SO WHAT THIS MEANS IS THE, A FUND COULD INVEST $95,000 IN A SOLAR ARRAY.
UM, EVERY YEAR, YOU KNOW, 13, $14,000 IS BEING REINVESTED BACK INTO THE FUND.
AFTER SEVEN YEARS, THE INITIAL INVESTMENT IS RECOUPED AND CAN NOW BE ROLLED INTO ADDITIONAL PROJECTS.
SO IN BOTH OF THESE CASES, AND IN SORT OF OTHER EXAMPLES, AS THE INITIAL INVESTMENT IS PAID OFF, THOSE SAVINGS CAN BE RETURNED INTO THE FUND AND REINVESTED INTO OTHER PROJECTS.
AFTER THE INITIAL INVESTMENTS ARE PAID OFF, THE PROJECTS CONTINUE TO GENERATE ANNUAL SAVINGS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THEIR LIFESPANS.
AND THOSE ANNUAL SAVINGS COULD, UH, BE USED TO OFFSET DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS.
UM, IN OTHER PLACES THEY'VE BEEN USED TO REDUCE PRESSURE ON THE GENERAL FUND, UM, OR SUPPORT OR INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE REVOLVING FUND.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY, CHARLOTTE.
UM, APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
I THINK IT'S, UM, A REALLY GOOD IDEA.
ONE QUESTION SLASH CONCERN THAT I HAVE IS HOW ARE THE SAVINGS, UM, THE ENERGY SAVINGS MEASURED, AND, UM, IS THERE ANY KIND OF MECHANISM TO SORT OF PROTECT THOSE FUNDS? UH, I THINK BACK TO MY TIME IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, WHEN YOU HAVE A BUDGET AND IF YOU DON'T SPEND EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE IN THAT YEAR, OH, YOU CAME IN UNDER BUDGET, YOUR BUDGET'S REDUCED THE NEXT YEAR.
OR, YOU KNOW, SAVINGS ARE USED TO KIND OF MOVE THINGS AROUND WITHIN, UM, AN ORGANIZATION.
SO, UM, SO I LOVE THE THEORY AND I JUST WONDERED IF YOU HAD THOUGHTS ABOUT, UM, YOU
[01:20:01]
KNOW, MEASURING THE, THE SAVINGS AND, YOU KNOW, SORT OF PROTECTING THEM AND MAKING SURE SURE.THAT IT, IT IS A SUSTAINABLE FUND.
YEAH, SO THE, THE BEST PRACTICE THAT WE'VE SEEN FROM OUR FRIENDS IN SAN ANTONIO AND HARRIS COUNTY, FOR EXAMPLE, IS, UM, A CERTIFIED ENERGY MANAGER, UM, WHOSE JOB IT IS TO, UM, MEASURE AND VERIFY THOSE SAVINGS.
UM, SOME PLACES HAVE USED A, UH, A THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT TO ADD SORT OF FURTHER WEIGHT TO THOSE SAVINGS, TO, TO VERIFY THEM AND, AND, UM, SORT OF GIVE PEOPLE EVEN MORE CONFIDENCE IN, IN THE FACT THAT THOSE SAVINGS ARE, ARE VERIFIED.
UM, I THINK TO, TO MAINTAIN THE SECURITY OR THE, THE, THE, THE INTEGRITY OF THE FUND, WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN OTHER PLACES IS, UM, USE A STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE THAT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, CLEAR, UM, AND UNAMBIGUOUS AROUND WHAT TYPES OF PROJECTS CAN BE FUNDED, UH, WHAT THE CRITERIA FOR THE PROJECTS ARE.
UM, SO IN SOME CASES WE'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, PROJECTS NEED TO HAVE A CLEAR GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION OR ENERGY EFFICIENCY BENEFIT TO BE CONSIDERED, UM, FOR, FOR INCLUSION OR FOR FUNDING.
UM, AND SO YOU TALKED ABOUT HAVING A, A, LIKE A CERTIFIED ENERGY MANAGER FOR THAT.
SO THAT'S A, LIKE A FULL-TIME STAFF SALARY THAT WOULD BE PAID FOR BY THE, THE SEED FUNDING OR BY THE ENERGY SAVINGS.
CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW THAT, HOW THAT WORKS? DOES, DID THE ENERGY SAVINGS HAVE TO EXCEED THE SALARY OF THAT PERSON TO MAKE THAT WORTHWHILE, OR IS THAT PART OF WHAT THE INITIAL INVESTMENT PAYS FOR? I THINK IT'S, IT'S DONE DIFFERENTLY IN, IN DIFFERENT PLACES.
SO IN, IN HARRIS COUNTY, THAT MONEY HAS COME, UM, IN, IN THE FORM OF SEED FUNDING, UM, IN SAN ANTONIO.
I, I BELIEVE, AND YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THAT MONEY COMES OUT OF THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY'S BUDGET.
UM, IN SOME PLACES THE, THE, THE FUND COVERS THE COSTS OF THE SALARIES.
SO I THINK THAT THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT PRECEDENTS OF HOW THIS CAN BE DONE AND WHERE THE FUNDING FOR THE ENERGY MANAGER AND, AND OTHER STAFF THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THIS CAN COME FROM.
UH, I GUESS I WAS WONDERING, SO, AND MAY MAYBE YOU HAVE MENTIONED THIS ALREADY, BUT IS THE SEED SEED FUNDING LIKE AN INITIAL KIND OF FUNDING, YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF THE FIRST YEAR AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU YOU JUST USE LIKE LATER PROJECTS BASED ON THE SAVINGS? OR DO YOU CONTINUE TO GIVE SEED SEED FUNDING, YOU KNOW, LIKE MORE ON A CONSTANT BASIS? YEAH, SO I THINK IT, ONCE AGAIN, THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO THIS IN, IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, I, I BELIEVE THE $12 MILLION THEY GOT AT THE BEGINNING WAS THE ONLY SORT OF FUNDING THAT THEY RECEIVED.
IT WASN'T, YOU KNOW, RECAPITALIZED EVERY YEAR.
UM, THAT INITIAL SEED FUNDING WAS ENOUGH TO SORT OF CARRY IT THROUGH TO 2023.
UM, WHEN THEY, UM, MADE THAT ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT IN SOLAR, THEORETICALLY, UM, SEED FUNDING COULD KEEP, UH, A REVOLVING FUND GOING FOR A LONG TIME IF THE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE IS ROBUST AND PROJECTS ARE SELECTED THAT HAVE A SHORT ENOUGH PAYBACK PERIOD AND A LONG ENOUGH LIFESPAN AND ENOUGH REVENUES BEING GENERATED, UM, TO BE ABLE TO REINVEST IN ADDITIONAL PROJECTS.
SO THEORETICALLY YOU WOULDN'T NEED TO RECAPITALIZE THIS VERY OFTEN, IF AT ALL.
OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE A COUPLE, BUT, YOU KNOW.
UM, I GUESS FIRST OF ALL, YOU OBVIOUSLY SOME OF THESE, MANY OF THESE PROJECTS WOULD HAVE MONETARY SAVINGS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGERS.
UM, I SUPPOSE YOU COULD FIND A WAY TO, TO MONETIZE THAT FOR THE CITY.
UM, BUT ALSO IT, YOU KNOW, THAT, UM, OR SAY REFRIGERANT LEAK DETECTION OR, UM, MITIGATION MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE A MONETARY SAVINGS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE OUR ENVISIONED IS PART OF THIS.
SO JUST WONDERING IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO,
[01:25:01]
UM, YEAH, HOW THAT WOULD WORK.WOULD IT JUST KIND OF TAKE A LITTLE, LITTLE PIECE OFF OF THE SAVINGS FROM OTHER PROJECTS TO DO THAT? I, I THINK THAT THE WAY THAT THIS HAS BEEN DONE IN OTHER PLACES IS THAT THE PROJECTS NEED TO HAVE A RETURN, THERE NEEDS TO BE A PAYBACK PERIOD, UM, IN ORDER TO KEEP THE FUND SELF-SUSTAINING.
AND I THINK THAT WHAT WE'VE SEEN TALKING TO FOLKS IN OTHER PLACES IS THAT WHEN, UM, PROJECTS THAT DON'T HAVE A PAYBACK OR DON'T HAVE A, A DEFINED STREAM OF REVENUE AND SAVINGS ARE, ARE FUNDED, IT STARTS TO CHIP AWAY AT THE FUND AND IT REDUCES THE, THE IMPACT, UM, THE LONG-TERM IMPACT OF THE FUND.
SO SOMETHING LIKE EV CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, I MEAN, I, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ANALYSIS ANALYSIS THAT WE'VE DONE IN OUR OFFICE SHOW THAT, UM, TRANSITIONING TO EVS SAVES THE CITY MONEY.
UM, SO THERE, I THINK THERE WOULD BE A WAY TO, TO QUANTIFY THAT.
UM, THERE IS ALSO A MARKET FOR REFRIGERANT CAPTURE AND DESTRUCTION.
UM, BUT I, I'M NOT ENOUGH OF AN EXPERT TO KNOW IF WHAT THE PAYBACK PERIOD ON THAT IS AND, AND IF IT, IF SETTING UP A REFRIGERANTS PROGRAM, UM, WOULD PAY BACK ON ITS OWN OR IF IT WOULD REQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT.
I MEAN, I DO AGREE THAT IT WOULD CHIP AWAY.
UM, I WOULD THINK THAT MAYBE IF THERE WERE ENOUGH INVESTMENTS THAT GAVE YOU ENOUGH RETURN THAT YOU COULD MAYBE USE SOME OF THAT FOR SOME AMOUNT OF THOSE OTHER PROJECTS.
'CAUSE I THINK THERE ARE CERTAINLY THINGS THAT HAVE A GREENHOUSE GAS BENEFIT, BUT, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS NOT A MONETARY BENEFIT.
UM, I DID WANNA GO BACK TO WHAT CHARLOTTE WAS ASKING ABOUT 'CAUSE I DIDN'T, AND MAYBE IT'S JUST NOT QUITE WORKED OUT YET.
BUT I AM WONDERING, YOU KNOW, YOU DO A, A SOLAR INSTALLATION AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY UPGRADE ON A BUILDING THAT A XDE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN PAYING FOR THE ENERGY, UM, YOU KNOW, PAYING FOR THE ELECTRIC BILL ON, UM, THE ELECTRIC BILL GOES DOWN.
UM, IS THE ASSUMPTION THAT YOU WOULD JUST KIND OF TAKE SOME AVERAGE OF WHAT IT HAD BEEN AND THAT MONEY GETS PUT BACK INTO THE FUND ANNUALLY? EXACTLY.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE CERTIFIED ENERGY MANAGER WOULD DO IS TO MEASURE WHAT THE, THE IMPACT OF THE INVESTMENT WOULD BE, WHETHER IT'S SOLAR OR EFFICIENCY, UM, AND THEN ESSENTIALLY TAKE THAT EVERY MONTH.
SO IT WOULD BE PARTIALLY JUST BASED ON A KIND OF DEEMED SAVINGS, UM, EXACTLY.
THAT WOULD BE DETERMINED AT THE FRONT END AS OPPOSED TO ANNUALLY, LIKE LOOKING AT THE BILL, LOOKING AT, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S DEEMED SAVINGS AT THE FRONT END, UM, IN MOST CASES.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, I'VE, IN THE PLACES WE'VE LOOKED AT, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, METHODS OR, OR POINTS FOR EVALUATION AND COURSE CORRECTION TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DEEM SAVINGS MATCH THE, THE REAL WORLD SAVINGS.
WELL, I HOPE THIS MOVES FORWARD.
IS, IS THERE, IS THERE A REQUEST THAT YOU, YOU HAVE OF US IN SHARING THIS? UM, WE, SO THIS IS IN THE COMPREHENSIVE CLIMATE INVESTMENT PLAN AS A POTENTIAL, ONE OF THE, THE MANY POTENTIAL ACTIONS, UM, AND BRADEN, FEEL FREE TO CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THE NUMBER I SEE RIGHT NOW IS $5 MILLION, UM, OF SEED FUNDING WOULD SORT OF BE THE, THE AMOUNT THAT IT WOULD TAKE TO, TO GET THIS GOING IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.
YOU'LL SEE THAT THE, UM, SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS GROUP HAS RECOMMENDED MORE.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS IS ESSENTIALLY, CHARLOTTE, DID YOU HAVE, UH, I WAS JUST GONNA NOTE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A, A BACKUP FOR NUMBER EIGHT AND, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION IS, IS EMBEDDED IN THE SUSTAINABLE BUILDING.
UM, IF IT'S OKAY WITH EVERYBODY, I'M GONNA SUGGEST THAT WE SKIP FIVE AND SIX, NOT PERMANENTLY, HOPEFULLY.
UM, BUT FIRST GO TO OUR DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS, AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK TO THOSE TWO UPDATES FROM COMMISSIONS.
IS THAT OKAY? HARRIS AND CHRIS? ALL RIGHT.
HARRIS SAID, YEAH, CHRIS, YOU GOOD? OKAY, GREAT.
THEN THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
[7. Recommendation on the Austin Core Transportation Plan ]
ON TO, UM, ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH[01:30:01]
IS THE RECOMMENDATION ON THE AUSTIN CORE TRANSPORTATION PLAN.UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK I MENTIONED, UH, DIANA, UM, SO SHE SAID SHE SUPPORTED WITH THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION HAD DONE SO WE, YOU KNOW, UM, PRETTY MUCH POSTED THAT AS OUR DEFAULT ACTION ITEM.
UM, I WILL JUST CALL OUT THE, I ADDED, UM, THE LOW CARBON CONCRETE PIECE SINCE WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, VISITING ON THAT ISSUE FOR, I DON'T KNOW, TWO YEARS NOW OR SOMETHING.
UM, AND I ADDED A COUPLE OTHER WORDS, UH, IN THE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, UH, RECOMMENDING STREET TREES.
I JUST CHANGED, EMPHASIZED TO PRIORITIZED, AND THEN CAP AND STITCH, I JUST KIND OF ADDED THE PARENTHETICAL IF APPROVED SINCE THAT IS, YOU KNOW, UH, TO MY UNDERSTANDING, STILL A QUESTION MARK.
OTHER THAN THAT, THIS IS WHAT THERE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION ADOPTED.
I WILL SAY I'M NOT TOTALLY SOLD ON THE FIFTH AND SIXTH STREET KIND OF, UM, THINGS GIVEN WHAT WE HEARD TONIGHT, BUT I'LL JUST OPEN THIS UP FOR DISCUSSION.
ANY OF THE TRANSPORTATION PEOPLE HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT THIS? I AM NOT TECHNICALLY A TRANSPORTATION PERSON, BUT, UH, I WILL SAY I FEEL A LOT SAFER ON THE TWO WAY STREETS THAN THE ONE WAY STREETS WHEN I BIKE.
I'M, I'M FOR THIS, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THIS AS WRITTEN.
WE HAVE A SUPPORT AS WRITTEN, UM, AND HEY, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU BIKE A, I KNOW YOU BIKE A LOT MORE THAN ME, SO, YOU KNOW, I THAT'S SOME CREDIBILITY THERE.
WHAT DO OTHERS THINK ABOUT THIS OVERALL, NOT JUST THAT ASPECT? I THINK THAT, UH, GIVEN ALL THE CHANGES TO SIXTH STREET, IT'LL BE DEFINITELY INTERESTING TO SEE IT CONVERTED TO, UH, TWO WAY, UM, SOMEWHAT JADED.
SO I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW IF THAT WOULD HAPPEN CONSIDERING THAT, UH, EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS AT SIXTH STREET IS LIKE HORRIFICALLY MAGNIFIED AND, UH, MADE INTO SOMETHING RESEMBLING TABLOID MATERIAL.
BUT, UH, IT'S CERTAINLY INTERESTING.
AND I'M CURIOUS TOO, ANNA, WHY DO YOU FEEL SAFER ON TWO WAY STREETS THAT HAVE BIKE LANES AS OPPOSED TO ONE? YEAH, I THINK, I THINK IT'S ESSENTIALLY THE, I'M GONNA BE LIKE POORLY MISQUOTING, YOU KNOW, THE, THE URBAN DESIGN BLOGS.
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WHAT REALLY SLOWS PEOPLE DOWN IS A SENSE OF SPACE AROUND THEM.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU SEE LIKE A BIG OPEN AREA, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN LIKE GUN IT, RIGHT? WHEREAS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE AREAS WHERE YOU'RE A LITTLE BIT MORE HEMMED IN, UH, YOU'RE ABLE TO, YOU'RE NOT ABLE, YOU'RE A LITTLE BIT FORCED TO, TO SLOW DOWN.
UM, AND SO I FEEL LIKE WHEN I, WHEN I'M ON A BIKE DOWNTOWN ON SOME OF THOSE ONE WAY STREETS, A LOT OF NOT, I AM THINKING OF THE ONES THAT DON'T HAVE BIKE LANES.
YOU KNOW, YOU KIND OF TURN AND, YOU KNOW, INITIALLY THERE'S LIKE NO TRAFFIC, AND THEN LIKE ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE'S LIKE LOTS OF TRAFFIC.
I DON'T, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THIS WOULD BE A BIT DIFFERENT WITH, WITH BIKE LANES.
CERTAINLY THERE ARE MANY CITIES THAT HAVE BIKE LANES IN ONE WAY STREETS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I LIVED IN BALTIMORE WHERE WE HAD A LOT OF THEM, BUT SAME DEAL.
THE TRAFFIC TENDS TO GO FASTER, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
IN, IN ANY CASE, I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T FEEL SUPER STRONGLY ABOUT IT.
IT'S NOT REALLY MY AREA OF EXPERTISE, BUT, ALL RIGHT.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ON THIS RESOLUTION AS A NO? HEAR ME OKAY? YEAH.
SO COULD WE SOMEHOW MAKE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT THAT SAYS, LIKE, UM, WE RECOMMEND CONSIDERING EXPLORING THE CONVERSION OF, TO KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, PLANT A SEED, BUT THEN MAKE SURE THAT CONSIDERATIONS ARE MADE FOR WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S THE BEST CHOICE? YEAH, THAT SEEMS LIKE A NICE MIDDLE GROUND.
SO INSTEAD OF RECOMMENDS ADDITIONAL, JUST RECOMMENDS EXPLORING ADDITIONAL, YEAH.
AND THEN WE COULD SAY, UH, AND OTHER STREETS AS IS FEASIBLE AND BENEFICIAL
[01:35:01]
FOR PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE SAFETY, MAYBE.ANY OBJECTION TO THAT? WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE CAN'T TECHNICALLY MIND YET.
UM, UH, WHY DON'T WE DO THAT AND THEN WE CAN MOVE INTO AMENDING MOTION TO VOTE ON THE RECOMMENDATION.
WE'VE, WE'VE GOT A MOTION TO APPROVE.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND AND A SECOND.
NOW, UH, MARISSA, DO YOU WANNA SAY AGAIN WHAT YOUR AMENDMENT WOULD BE? I SCROLLED AWAY ONE MOMENT.
I, I THINK IT WAS JUST TO EXPLORE CHANGE CONVERTING, UH, THERE 56 STREETS TO, UH, TWO WAY FROM ONE WAY.
INSTEAD OF JUST RECOMMENDING OUTRIGHT CHANGING THEM.
SO IT WOULD READ, BE IT FURTHER RESULT THAT THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS EXPLORING ADDITIONAL ONE WAY TO TWO-WAY CONVERSIONS ON FIFTH STREET, SIXTH STREET, AND OTHER STREETS AS IS FEASIBLE AND BENEFICIAL FOR, UH, PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE SAFETY.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO THAT AMENDMENT? OKAY, THEN I'M, I'M GONNA DO THE TYPING IN MY WORD VERSION THAT I HEAR HAVE HERE, AND, AND SO IT IS SO AMENDED.
ANY OTHER AMENDMENTS, COMMENTS, DISCUSSION, UH, CHARLOTTE, I'M, I'M TRYING FURIOUSLY TRYING TO SCAN THIS VERY QUICKLY.
YEAH, I GUESS MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THAT WAS LIKE A KEY ELEMENT OF THE PLAN ITSELF, BUT YEAH, I DON'T, IT DOES SAY FIRST ONE, HARRIS, YOUR MICROPHONE.
CAN YOU, WELL, IT DOES SAY IN THE, THE FIRST, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE JSC RECOMMENDS THAT THE A CET PLAN, UH, PRIORITIZES THE NEED OF PEDESTRIANS, CYCLISTS, AND NON-CAR MODE.
SO I DON'T THINK IT NECESSARILY, UH, YOU KNOW, STATES, UH, OUTRIGHT SPECIFIC BIKE LANES THAT WANT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO BE ADDED OTHER THAN THE ONE ON RED RIVER STREET.
BUT, UH, IT DOES SAY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS, UH, BE PRIORITIZED OVER CAR VOLUME AND, YOU KNOW, NON-CAR MODES, TRANSPORTATION, WHICH I ASSUME ALSO INCLUDE PUBLIC TRANSIT.
AND IF IT'S, IF THAT'S A KEY, UM, COMPONENT OF THE, OF THE A CT PLAN ITSELF, THEN I'M, I'M CERTAINLY FOR THAT.
I MEAN, WE CAN ALWAYS ADD ANOTHER, UM, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVE JUST TO BE LIKE, YOU KNOW, ENSURE THAT ALL, YOU KNOW, STREETS HAVE PROTECTED BIKE LANES IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
UH, I MEAN, I CAN PROPOSE A, AN ADDITIONAL BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS, UM, PROTECTED THE, THAT THE A CT PLAN INCLUDE PROTECTED BIKE LANES IN BOTH DIRECTIONS ON ALL CORE DOWNTOWN STREETS.
SO I HAVE, UH, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THE A CT PLAN INCLUDE PROTECTED BIKE LANE IN BOTH DIRECTIONS ON ALL DOWNTOWN STREETS, ADDING THAT RIGHT AFTER THAT, UH, IT'LL BE NUMBER THREE, SO RIGHT AFTER THE, THE OTHER ONE ABOUT PRIORITIZING.
ANY OBJECTIONS TO THAT AMENDMENT? OKAY.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
[01:40:01]
ALL RIGHT, THERE WE GO.SO WE'VE GOT, WE'VE 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.
AND SECOND, I THINK HARRIS HAD THE MOTION, AND CHARLOTTE HAD THE SECOND THANK YOU.
AND I WILL SEND YOU, UH, THE, THE AMENDED VERSION LATER.
I THINK NEXT WE'RE GONNA MOVE INTO, SORRY, I JUST GOTTA GET BACK TO THE, UH, AGENDA ITEM OR DOCUMENT, BUT I THINK WE'LL MOVE INTO, WE'RE GONNA SKIP OVER NUMBER EIGHT BECAUSE THAT'S, UH, EMBEDDED IN THE SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH I GUESS WE'RE UP FIRST SO WE
[9. JSC Sustainable Buildings Working Group FY 25/26 Budget Recommendations ]
CAN DO THE, PUT THE SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, UH, BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS UP.SO THE WATER AND LEAK DETECTION, REPAIR, AND COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPE CONVERSION, UM, ARE UNCHANGED FROM LAST MEETING.
IF ANYBODY WANTS THEM TO BE DISCUSSED OR SUMMARIZED OR ANYTHING, PLEASE SPEAK UP.
OTHERWISE, I'M GONNA SKIP THROUGH THEM.
AND, UM, WE DID, UH, MERGE, WE HAD A REFRIGERANT LEAK, LEAKAGE MITIGATION, AND A ROOFTOP SOLAR ITEM, AND WE MERGED THEM INTO THIS REVOLVING FUND, WHICH I'M NOW KIND OF LIKE, OH, SHOULD WE HAVE DONE THAT? BUT I, I, I, I THINK IT'S FINE.
ANYWAY, WE, WE MERGED THEM INTO NUMBER THREE, AND YOU'LL SEE THERE THAT, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION IS, UH, 14 MILLION TO GET THAT, UH, REVOLVING FUND GOING.
UM, THAT NUMBER COMES FROM, UH, OFFICE OF CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE ESTIMATE OF WHAT IT WOULD, UH, COST TO PUT SOLAR ON GENERAL FUND, UH, CITY BUILDINGS AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR THE FEDERAL TAX CREDIT.
UM, AND THAT WAS, I THINK, DOING 10 MEGAWATTS OF SOLAR ACROSS THOSE BUILDINGS.
AND, UM, YOU'LL SEE ALSO THAT, THAT, UH, PROGRAM, IT JUST SAYS SUSTAINABILITY REVOLVING FUND PROGRAM MANAGER.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, PRESUMABLY THAT COULD BE THIS, THIS, YOU KNOW, ENERGY EXPERT.
UM, BASICALLY THE NEW FTE IS, IS RECOMMENDED TO RUN THIS PROGRAM.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS? AND IT'S HARD TO SEE EVERYBODY, SO JUST SPEAK UP, MARISSA.
UM, I JUST HAD A, OH, GO AHEAD.
YEAH, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL FORMALIZE IT.
I'M, I'M GONNA MOVE APPROVAL OF THIS SECOND.
UM, I HAD A GENERAL QUESTION ABOUT FTE BUDGET ALLOCATIONS, AND IF WE WANTED TO ADOPT A, UM, CONSISTENT LANGUAGE AROUND LIKE 110,000 PER YEAR, I THINK THAT IF, TO SPECIFY IF IT'S AN ONGOING COST OR NOT, AND SOME OF THESE, IT SEEMS UNCLEAR IF IT'S A ONE TIME OR AN ONGOING.
UM, WELL, I GUESS I HAVE HEARD THINGS ABOUT THIS BUDGET BEING A TWO YEAR BUDGET.
UM, SO I SUPPOSE WE COULD SAY PER YEAR THERE.
SO I, I WOULD CONSIDER THAT A, I, I'M, I'M HAPPY WITH THAT AMENDMENT ADDITIONALLY.
SO IT'LL SAY, ADDITIONALLY, 110,000 PER YEAR SHOULD BE ALLOCATED FOR A NEW SUSTAINABILITY REVOLVING FUND PROGRAM MANAGER FOR OCAR.
ANY, ANY OBJECTION TO THAT? I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS AN OBJECTION SO MUCH AS THE FACT THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE YOU ACTUALLY DON'T NEED THAT MONEY.
LIKE, IF IT COMES OUT OF YOUR FUND AND THEN YOUR FUND IS SAVING MONEY, IF YOUR FUND IS RETURNING A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR, WHEREVER THEY'RE PULLING THE MONEY FOR, THEY'RE STILL GONNA HAVE TO BUDGET IT.
ANYTHING ELSE ON NUMBER THREE? OR SHOULD WE MOVE DOWN TO NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS A NEW ONE? OKAY, SO NUMBER FOUR ARE WORKING GROUP.
UM, ALSO A NUMBER THREE, UM, IN ONE OF THE FIRST COUPLE SENTENCES, IT SAYS, ANALYSIS BY THE OFFICE OF CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE, DEAD IN
[01:45:01]
ANALYSIS, AH, OF FINANCIAL COSTS.SO THERE'S JUST A SMALL, SMALL ERROR THERE.
SUPER MINOR, BUT WANTED TO MENTION IT.
SO WE WILL AMEND TO DELETE THE INITIAL ANALYSIS BY THE PERFECT, ALL RIGHT, WITHOUT OBJECTION, THAT'S AMENDED.
ANYTHING ELSE ON NUMBER THREE? THANK YOU FOR CATCHING THAT.
UM, IT, WE DIDN'T BRING IT FORWARD LAST TIME 'CAUSE THERE WAS SOME UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHERE THIS WAS GONNA LIVE.
UM, BUT THE WORKING GROUP DECIDED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD RECOMMEND, UM, THAT THIS, UH, AIR SEALING TASK FORCE TRAINING LIVE WITHIN AUSTIN ENERGY.
UM, THE, I THINK THE, THE LITTLE SNAG THERE WAS THAT THEY WEREN'T SURE THAT THEY WERE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THIS PUBLISHING OF INFORMATION, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES COULD PUBLISH THE INFORMATION AND THEN AE COULD STILL RUN THE PROGRAM, WHICH IS MUCH MORE IN THEIR WHEELHOUSE THAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
UM, SO, UH, RELATIVELY SMALL, UM, RECOMMENDED ALLOCATION OF $75,000 TO, UM, DO THIS TRAINING, WHICH WILL, UM, JUST BASICALLY EDUCATE THE, THE LOCAL WORKFORCE CONTRACTORS THAT ARE DOING, UM, BUILDING WORK TO, UM, CREATE MORE TIGHTLY, UH, SEALED BUILDINGS AND CONSERVE ENERGY, UM, THROUGH THAT.
SO THOSE ARE THE FOUR, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAVE FOR SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, SECTION.
ANY COMMENTS, CURRENT CONCERNS, QUESTIONS? OKAY.
WELL THEN IN THE, UH, INTEREST OF MOVING THINGS FORWARD, WE'VE GOT A MOTION, WE'VE GOT A SECOND.
SO, ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
UH, LAST TIME WE HAD SOMEBODY POP IN THEORY, ARE YOU ABLE TO SHOW US YOUR FACE? MM-HMM
WE'VE GOT 11 FOR THAT ONE TOO.
[10. JSC Consumption Working Group FY 25/26 Budget Recommendations ]
CONSUMPTION WORKING GROUP BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.UH, THESE HAVE BEEN UNCHANGED SINCE, UH, THE PREVIOUS, UM, MEETING.
UH, SHOULD I GO THROUGH THEM ONE BY ONE OR QUICKLY REAL QUICK.
I DON'T KNOW IF I NEED TO MENTION THIS AT THIS TIME, BUT I'M GOING TO ABSTAIN FROM VOTING ON THIS ITEM DUE TO A POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR.
WHY DON'T WE START WITH, WITH A MOTION, UH, IN A SECOND, AND THEN WE CAN OPEN UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
GOT A MOTION? SECOND AND A SECOND.
ANY, UH, WHY DON'T WE JUST SAY ANY QUESTIONS ON THESE SINCE THEY WERE PRESENTED LAST TIME? WE CAN DEFINITELY DIG INTO THEM.
WE, UH, JUST FOLLOWING ALONG, UM, COMMITTEE MEMBER BELL'S, UH, RECOMMENDATION FROM LAST ONE IS TO JUST ADD THE PER YEAR DESIGNATION FOR ANYTHING THAT IS, UM, A, A STAFF POSITION, 110,000 BE ALLOCATED PER YEAR, 110,000 PER YEAR.
THAT WOULD, UM, ONLY AFFECT, UH, THE FIRST SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING RECOMMENDATION.
CAN YOU READ OUT, UH, JUST THAT SENTENCE AS IT WOULD BE AMENDED? YEAH, SO THIS IS, UM, ON PAGE ONE, UH, PARAGRAPH ONE.
AND UNDER THE HEADING, SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING.
IT SHOULD READ AT THE END OF THE PARAGRAPH IN THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THAT $110,000 PER YEAR BE ALLOCATED TO ADDING A FULL-TIME SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING PROGRAM MANAGER POSITION.
ANY OBJECTION TO THAT AMENDMENT? ALL RIGHT.
SEEING NONE, THAT AMENDMENT IS ADOPTED.
MARISSA, I BELIEVE THE, UM, FOOD HUB BUDGET RECOMMENDATION, THE LAST ONE IS
[01:50:01]
A DUPLICATE OF THE FARM TO INSTITUTION SUPPLY CHAIN ASSESSMENT, AND ONLY ONE NEEDS TO BE THERE.I LIKE THE VERBIAGE OF THE FARM TO INSTITUTION SUPPLY CHAIN ASSESSMENT.
BETTER IF IT'S WORTH ANYTHING.
I, I THINK THAT'S THE ONLY PART THAT'S DIFFERENT IS THE TITLE.
HEY, JUST CURIOUS, WHILE WE'RE ON THIS, UH, THERE'S BEEN SOME FEDERAL NEWS THAT THE FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR THIS HAS, SOME OF THIS HAS GONE AWAY.
DOES THAT AFFECT THIS AT ALL? UM, I THINK THAT MAKES IT MORE IMPORTANT.
I I FEEL LIKE THIS ONE, THAT ONE, UM, THE FOOD HUB BUDGET RECOMMENDATION SHOULD BE IN THE OTHER, THE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS SO THAT COM COMMITTEE MEMBER BELL CAN VOTE ON IT.
ARE YOU MAKING A MOTION? CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? SHE'S ABSTAINING FROM THE VOTE ON THIS ITEM.
SO SINCE THERE'S A DUPLICATE, IT SHOULD BE ON THE OTHER RECOMMENDATION.
WHICH ONE SHOULD BE, SORRY, CAN YOU JUST SAY IT OUT SPECIFICALLY SO THAT, UH, SORRY.
FARM TO INSTITUTION SUPPLY CHAIN ASSESSMENT, IS THAT, IS THAT CORRECT, MARISSA? SO I'M SAYING THAT THE VERBIAGE OF BOTH THE, THE LAST TWO, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS ARE IDENTICAL EXCEPT FOR THE BOLDED TITLE AT THE FRONT.
AND SO THE FOOD HUB RECOMMENDATION IS THE SAME AS THE FARMED INSTITUTION SUPPLY CHAIN ASSESSMENT AS IT READS.
AND, AND YOU'RE RECOMMENDING THAT WE WOULD KEEP THE FARM TO INSTITUTION CORRECT, ANNA? YEAH.
SO, UH, UNLESS THERE'S ANY OBJECTION TO STRIKING THE FOOD HUB BUDGET RECOMMENDATION FROM THIS DOCUMENT.
OKAY, SO STRICKEN, UM, JUST LIKE A REALLY SMALL FORMATTING THING, JUST TO MAKE IT EASIER AS WE KIND OF, UM, TAKE THESE FORWARD OUT OF THIS BODY.
UM, CAN WE, UM, NUMBER THESE RECOMMENDATIONS? YEAH.
IT LOOKS LIKE FIVE FIVE RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE'RE AMENDING TO HAVE THEM NUMBERED.
ANY OTHER AMENDMENTS, COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, ANYTHING? OKAY.
ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
UH, YURI, ARE YOU ABLE TO, TO VOTE ON THIS ONE? ALL RIGHT.
SO ON THIS ONE WE HAVE, UH, 10 OF US VOTING YES AND ONE ABSTENTION.
[11. JSC Natural Systems Working Group FY 25/26 Budget Recommendations ]
SYSTEMS ITEM 11.UM, THESE HAVE CHANGED A BIT SINCE LAST, UH, TIME OF FIRST, UH, MOVE TO APPROVE.
I'LL SECOND TO OPEN DISCUSSION.
I'M GONNA JUST PAUSE THAT AND JUST ASK REAL QUICK.
MARISSA, WERE YOU ABSTAINING OR RECUSING ON THAT LAST ONE? ABSTAINING, DO YOU HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST? A POTENTIAL FUTURE ONE? I THINK THAT SHOULD BE A RECUSAL.
UH, WHEN I WAS READING THE DOCUMENTS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE, OR PRIOR TO THE MEETING, IT WAS SAYING THE RECUSAL WAS ONLY IF YOU HAVE LIKE A LARGE VESTED INTEREST OF LIKE MONETARY VALUE.
SO YOU'RE JUST BEING EXTRA CAUTIOUS.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE GOT THAT RIGHT.
OKAY, SO WE'VE GOT CHARLOTTE WITH A MOTION AND SORRY, WHO MADE THE SECOND LANE? LANE? OKAY, THANK YOU.
UM, SO TO OPEN DISCUSSION, UH, THE FIRST ONE IS THE PUBLIC TREE INVENTORY, WHICH AS YOU MAY RECALL, WE HAD IN OUR RECOMMENDATION A YEAR AGO.
AND, UM, THIS ONE ACTUALLY DOES HAVE A CITY COUNCIL APPROVED RESOLUTION, UM, TO DO THIS INVENTORY.
SO THIS IS REALLY MAINLY FOR, FOR VISIBILITY AND FOR, UM, I GUESS REINFORCEMENT THAT WE THINK THAT THIS IS NEEDED.
THE TREE INVENTORY IS FOUNDATIONAL TO A LOT OF OTHER WORK, UM, THAT, UH, NEEDS TO HAPPEN, UH, AROUND NATURAL SYSTEMS IN GENERAL.
UM, SO THE COUNCIL'S ALREADY, YOU KNOW, APPROVED THAT RESOLUTION, BUT HASN'T, UM,
[01:55:01]
PUT THE MONEY BEHIND IT.UM, I KNOW WE DID HEAR SOME, UH, IN OUR DISCUSSIONS, PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, NOTED THAT THE PRICE TAG IS, YOU KNOW, THAT IS PRETTY HIGH, BUT THAT IS A NUMBER THAT THE CITY'S OWN, UM, STAFF, UM, UH, ARE, IS IT ARBORIST, UM, HAS, UH, YOU KNOW, HAS GIVEN FOR BEING ABLE TO DO THIS WORK.
SO, UM, THAT IS CRUCIAL FOR THE URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN, ET CETERA.
SO WE DECIDED TO PUT THAT ONE, UH, INTO THE RECOMMENDATION.
UM, THE SECOND ONE IS GREEN WORKFORCE PROGRAM EXPANSION, WHICH, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT THE, UM, A CCC, THE AUSTIN CLIMATE CONSERVATION CORPS.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS ITEM IS, IS ACTUALLY ALSO IN ONE OF THE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS.
IS IT, UM, TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE, OR IT'S IN CROSS.
IT'S THE JOINT, IT'S THE CROSS SECTOR.
SO I COULD, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND TO REMOVE IT FROM THIS ONE AS IT'LL BE CONSIDERED IN THE CROSS SECTOR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.
ANY OBJECTION, UNLESS ANYONE HAS OBJECTION TO THAT.
SO THE THIRD ONE IS NATURAL LAND RESTORATION, WILDFIRE PREVENTION.
UM, I THINK WE HAD A VERSION OF THIS LAST TIME.
BUT ESSENTIALLY THIS IS TO, UM, INCREASE THE BUDGET FOR LAND MANAGEMENT, UM, FROM $828,000 PER YEAR TO 2.575 MILLION, WHICH IS THEIR ESTIMATE OF $250 PER ACRE, UM, OF THE 10,300 ACRES INNER CITY MANAGEMENT TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE THAT LAND FOR RESILIENCE.
UM, NUMBER FOUR IS LAND ACQUISITION AND PRESERVATION.
UM, THIS ONE IS A, UH, YOU KNOW, WAS A COLLABORATION WITH THE, UM, THE FOOD, LIKE THE, THE FOOD PLAN FOLKS, UM, AND THE FOOD POLICY BOARD.
SO, UM, THIS ONE HAS $50,000 TO DO INVENTORY OF POTENTIAL AGRICULTURAL LAND THAT COULD BE ACQUIRED TO BE ABLE TO PRODUCE, UH, FOOD LOCALLY.
UM, GIVEN WE ONLY HAVE LESS THAN 1% OF FOOD CONSUMED IN TRAVIS COUNTY BEING PRODUCED LOCALLY TODAY.
UM, AND THEN A $2 MILLION ALLOCATION TO ESTABLISH A REVOLVING LOAN FUND THAT WOULD BE DEDICATED TO FARMLAND PROTECTION THROUGH, UH, VEHICLES SUCH AS CONSERVATION EASEMENTS OR DIRECT LAND PURCHASES.
AND THESE WOULD PRIORITIZE, UM, REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE, WHICH, UM, FOCUSES ON SOIL HEALTH.
UM, YEAH, AND SPEAKING OF REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE, NUMBER FIVE, UH, IS, UH, HAVING TO, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFYING REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE AS BEING A KEY STRATEGY TO BOTH STRENGTHEN THE, THE COMMUNITY FOOD SYSTEM AND MEET THE, THE CLIMATE GOALS.
SO IT HAS $50,000 TO EXPAND THE FACE GRANT PROGRAM, WHICH IS FOOD AND CLIMATE EQUITY GRANTS.
SO THAT WOULD GIVE FIVE, $10,000 GRANTS FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS TO IMPLEMENT RESILIENT FARM PLANS.
AND THEN 200,000 TO SUPPORT A PILOT PRO, UH, PROJECT FOR DEVELOPING A RESILIENT FARM PLAN, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT OF A MISNOMER BECAUSE IT'S ALSO, UM, AND, UM, MARISSA, KEEP ME HONEST HERE.
IT'S ALSO, UH, KNOWN AS A CARBON SEQUESTRATION PLAN, BECAUSE WHAT IT DOES IS MANAGE SOIL FOR HEALTH AND HEALTHY SOIL, UM, SERVES AS A CARBON POOL AND KEEPS CARBON, UH, IN THE GROUND AS OPPOSED TO OUT IN THE ATMOSPHERE.
UM, SO, UM, RIDING ONE OF THESE FARMS, OR EXCUSE ME, ONE OF THESE RESILIENT FARM PLANS AT A MUNICIPAL, MUNICIPAL PARK, UM, SUCH AS THE TREVINO PARK, UM, COULD SERVE AS A MODEL FOR POSSIBLY EXPANDING THAT ACROSS MORE PARKLAND ACROSS THE CITY.
AND FINALLY, FLOODPLAIN RES REFORESTATION, THIS IS ALL ABOUT, UM, ENABLING PLANTING OF TREES ALONG, UM, THE WATERSHEDS ALONG CREEKS, UM, WITH EMPHASIS GIVEN INTO THE EASTERN WATERSHED, UM, TO WHERE THOSE CREEKS ARE, ARE MORE DEGRADED THAN, THAN IN, UH, UH, WESTERN PARTS OF AUSTIN.
UM, CURRENTLY WATERSHED, UH, PROTECTION RESTORES ABOUT 10 ACRES PER YEAR AT $143,000 COST.
[02:00:01]
IS FOR, UM, 400,000 TO BE, UH, ALLOCATED TO EX EXPAND THE FLOODPLAIN REFORESTATION EFFORTS.UM, AND THIS WOULD HAVE GREEN JOBS, UH, ELEMENT, UH, WORKING WITH EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, UM, THAT ARE ENGAGED IN THIS WORK AND, UM, SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND PUBLIC STEWARDSHIP OF LAND.
AND THEN, UH, THE SECOND $400,000 IS AROUND BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT THE NATIVE TREE SOURCING.
IN RECENT YEARS, MANY OF THE NURSERIES THAT PROVIDED TREES FOR THIS PURPOSE HAVE GONE OUT OF BUSINESS.
AND SO IT HAS, UM, BECOME A CONSTRAINT TO BE ABLE TO FIND ENOUGH, UM, NATIVE TREE SAPLINGS SEEDLINGS THAT ARE ADAPTED TO BE ABLE TO SURVIVE IN OUR CLIMATE.
UM, AND SO WE ARE RECOMMENDING, UH, FUNDING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE, UM, THIS WORK.
UM, AND THEN ALSO THAT SOME OF THAT MONEY COULD GO TO, YOU KNOW, TREE NURSERY INFRASTRUCTURE, GREENHOUSES, SHADE STRUCTURES, UM, YOU KNOW, BUT ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, EQUIPMENT AND, UM, NEW AND EXISTING TREE NURSERIES.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, DISCUSSION, FEEDBACK AMENDMENTS, OR IF ANYONE FROM THE WORKING GROUP WANTS TO, ARE YOU MAKING A MOTION? UH, ARE YOU MAKING A MOTION TO ADOPT? OH, I, I THOUGHT I DID THAT.
WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE ALREADY? YES, I DID.
AND I BELIEVE LANE SECONDED IT.
UM, I DID HAVE A QUESTION JUST ABOUT THE, UM, LET'S SEE, YOU HAD 2 MILLION FOR THE FARMLAND, UM, REVOLVING LOAN FUND.
UM, JUST CURIOUS, LIKE ARE YOU, ARE YOU ENVISIONING THAT, THAT THAT WOULD NEED TO BE GENERAL FUND MONEY OR HAVE YOU ALL DISCUSSED HOW THAT, WHERE THAT MONEY COULD COME FROM? I CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
UM, THE IDEA BEHIND IT BEING INCLUDED IN THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD THAT THE SEED WOULD BE THAT THE SEED FUNDING COME FROM THE GENERAL FUND THAT COULD BE BUILT UPON WITH FUTURE, UM, FUTURE LIKE CLIMATE BOND OR ADDITIONAL PHILANTHROPIC PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS.
UM, BUT THAT $2 MILLION COULD REALLY KICKSTART A REVOLVING LOAN FUND TO, UM, MAYBE IT WON'T GO A LONG WAY WITH PURCHASING ACTUAL, LIKE A HUNDRED ACRE FARMS, FOR EXAMPLE, BUT IT COULD HELP, UM, PURCHASE CONSERVATION EASEMENTS FOR PRIVATE LANDOWNERS, UM, AND HELP, UM, CONSERVE THAT THAT WAY SO IT COULD, UM, BE ENOUGH TO PURCHASE A FEW SMALLER PLOTS OR ONE LARGER PLOT, OR ENOUGH TO PURCHASE CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, UM, SO THAT THE CITY'S NOT ACTUALLY BEING THE TRANSACTIONAL ACTOR WITH FARMLAND RIGHT NOW, WHICH WE'VE IDENTIFIED THERE'S NO PERSON REALLY, UM, IN THE CITY WHOSE SCOPE IT IS TO PURCHASE AND MANAGE AGRICULTURAL LAND CONTRACTS SPECIFICALLY.
DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, KIBA? I, YEAH, I I MEAN, I I GUESS IT'S A YES THAT IT WOULD NEED TO COME OUT OF GENERAL FUND THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT ENVISIONING THAT THERE'S, UH, A DEBT MECHANISM THAT COULD, THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THAT.
I THINK, UM, WELL, THAT'S ABOVE MY SCOPE A LITTLE BIT, BUT I BELIEVE WE RAN INTO SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION THAT WERE ALLOCATED AS A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR LAST FISCAL YEAR, UM, THAT IT WAS UNABLE TO BE USED TO PURCHASE FARMLAND, WHICH I'M STILL SEEKING CLARITY ON.
I CAN'T QUITE GET A CLEAR ANSWER ON WHY, BUT, UM, YEAH, YEAH, THAT, THAT THOSE CAN'T BE USED TO PURCHASE, UM, UH, LIKE INVESTMENTS WITH THEM FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SO FARMERS WHO ARE PRODUCING, UM, PRODUCING FOOD FOR SALE, AND THAT SORT OF A THING IS NOT PERMITTED THERE.
BUT I THINK THAT THE IDEA OF THE SEED FUNDING IS, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR TO THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE IDEA THAT ROHAN TALKED ABOUT EARLIER IS YOU, YOU SEE THE, THE FUND AND THEN IT STARTS TO, YOU KNOW, REPLENISH ITSELF, UM, WITH THOSE INVESTMENTS.
HOW WOULD THIS ONE REPLENISH? UM, WITH, THIS IS
[02:05:01]
LAND PURCHASES, IF THE LAND IS SOLD IN FUTURE, I BELIEVE THAT THE, UM, PROFIT FROM THE LAND WILL RECEIVE THE FUNDING.UM, I'VE LOOKED INTO THIS ABOUT 10 TIMES AND I'M LIKE, EVERY TIME I LOOK INTO IT, I'M LIKE, I UNDERSTAND IT AND
I GUESS I'M JUST THINKING LIKE, IF YOU'RE, IT SEEMS LIKE USUALLY WHEN THE CITY'S BUYING LAND FOR, IT'S TRYING TO PRESERVE IT FOR THAT PURPOSE.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE SALE IS AN UN UNLOCK.
IT CAN ALSO BE USED FOR, UM, TO LOAN FOR FARMERS TO PURCHASE.
AND SO AS THEY PAY BACK THE LOAN, UM, THE INTEREST PAYMENTS GO TO REFUEL THE, UM, THE FUND.
SO IT CAN BE, THAT IS ONE OPTION AS WELL.
IT'S BEEN THERE, THERE'S SOME MODELS FOR IT.
THERE'S SOME ORGANIZATIONS THAT, THAT DO THIS KIND OF OF WORK, UM, WHERE IT'S A, IT'S ALSO A PATH TO OWNERSHIP FOR SMALLER FARMERS.
UM, SO THEY GET THE LOAN AND THEY WORK ON IT, THEY PAY, THEY WORK THE LAND, THEY, THEY, UM, GENERATE SOME, SOME INCOME AND THEY PAY BACK THE LOAN.
AND THAT, UM, REPLENISHES AS MARISSA SAID, RIGHT? SO THE LOAN COULD BE, UM, GIVEN TO FARMERS TO PURCHASE LAND PATH TO OWNERSHIP, LIKE CHARLOTTE WAS MENTIONING, UM, BUT COULD ALSO BE USED TO PAY UPFRONT COSTS ON CONSERVATION EASEMENTS.
AND SO A LOT OF TIMES CONSERVATION EASEMENT LIKE, UM, LAWYER FEES AND THINGS LIKE THAT ARE A BIG UPFRONT COST.
AND SO THIS, UM, MONEY COULD BE LOAN TO FOLKS WHO NEED THAT UPFRONT MONEY.
AND THEN AS IT'S, YEAH, INTEREST IS PAID, IT, IT REFUELS THE FUND.
OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THESE? I DON'T KNOW.
I'M A, I'M A LITTLE TORN BECAUSE LIKE, THESE ARE, THERE'S JUST LIKE A LOT OF MONEY
PUT IT FORWARD AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
KIRA, ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT, UM, ASKING FOR MORE, UM, MAY RESULT IN GETTING, GETTING LESS THAN, I MEAN, I DON'T, THAN ASKING FOR LESS OR I DON'T KNOW.
I, I JUST LIKE, THERE'S JUST LIKE A, YOU KNOW, UH, COMPARATIVELY A LOT OF HIGH DOLLAR ITEMS ON THIS LIST MM-HMM
AND I THINK THERE ARE SOME HIGH DOLLAR ITEMS ON THE TRANSPORTATION TOO.
UM, BUT JUST THAT SPECIFICALLY THAT HAVE TO COME OUT OF GENERAL REVENUE.
AND I KNOW DEPARTMENTS ARE BEING TOLD THEY HAVE TO CUT 5%.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I I, I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULDN'T DO IT, IT JUST, THERE'S YEAH, A LOT.
YOU, I MEAN, I, I, I CAN, I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S TOUGH.
IT, IT'S TOUGH RIGHT NOW FOR SURE.
UM, AND I, I JUST GO BACK TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS OUR ROLE HERE AND WHAT IS OUR, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS OUR JOB TO DO HERE IS TO RECOMMEND WHAT WE THINK IS NEEDED TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS OF THE, OF THE EQUITY PLAN.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO.
NOT KNOCKING OUT, I THINK YOU'LL HAVE DONE GREAT WORK.
IF THERE'S NO OTHER, UM, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR AMENDMENTS OR ANYTHING.
UM, SO ON THIS LIST WE HAVE, UH, REMOVED NUMBER TWO AND EVERYTHING ELSE, UH, REMAINS AS WRITTEN.
ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
UH, YURI, ARE YOU VOTING ON THIS ONE? OKAY.
WE'VE GOT, UH, 11 SUPPORTIVE THERE.
[12. JSC Transportation and Land Use Working Group FY 25/26 Budget Recommendations ]
AND LAND USE.SHOULD I SHARE MY SCREEN OR, UM, I THINK THAT THEY CAN SHARE IT HERE, BUT IF YOU WOULD PREFER TO SHARE IT, I GUESS THAT DOES ALLOW YOU TO KIND OF SCROLL THROUGH THINGS AS YOU'RE SURE.
[02:10:01]
SO YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND DO THAT IF YOU'RE SET UP TO DO IT.YEAH, LET ME KNOW IF YOU CAN'T SEE IT VERY CLEARLY.
CAN YOU SEE IT CLEARLY? OR, UM, IT'S THERE, IT'S A LITTLE SMALL.
YOU COULD, YEAH, IF YOU CAN ZOOM IN A LITTLE, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
YEAH, IT'S PRETTY MAXED IN MY SCREEN,
WE CAN TURN AROUND TO THE BIG SCREEN.
SO YEAH, THIS ONE IS, IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AS THE ONE BEFORE, BUT MORE IN A CON CONDENSED VERSION AND THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF SOME, SOME CHANGES.
UH, DO WE NEED TO MAKE ANY MOTION TO START UP OR, OR NO MOVE TO APPROVE.
WE'VE GOT A MOTION FROM CHARLOTTE, SECOND FROM RODRIGO.
UH, SO YEAH, SO I'LL TRY TO KIND OF SAY A LITTLE BIT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT CHANGE AND I'LL TRY TO GO FAST.
UH, SO THIS ONE IS IN REGARDS TO THE EV CHARGING STATION RELATED TO, TO THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN GOAL.
UH, THE GOAL BY 2030, BASED ON THE DASHBOARD, UH, AS OF 2023 WE'RE BEHIND.
SO THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THERE'S, THERE'S TWO RECOMMENDATIONS TIED TO THIS.
ONE WOULD BE TO, TO GET THE, THE FT OF A HUNDRED, A PROJECT MANAGER, $120,000.
AND I GUESS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN INCLUDE, WE CAN ADD THE PER PER YEAR HERE AS WELL.
UH, SO BE ALLOCATED FOR A PROJECT MANAGER.
SO ONE THING THAT CHANGE IS WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT THIS COULD BE HOUSED WITHIN THE CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES.
UH, THIS WAS, THIS WAS, UH, SUGGESTED BY, BY CITY STAFF AS AN OPTION.
AND THEN, UH, SO THE, THE ROLE HERE WOULD BE TO, TO ACCELERATE, UH, FOR THE INSTALLATION OF, OF THE IDENTIFIER CHARGING STATIONS.
'CAUSE THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS CURRENTLY DOING AN ASSESSMENT IDENTIFYING THESE CHARGING STATIONS.
SO THE, THE ROLE OF THE PROJECT MANAGER WOULD BE TO FACILITATE, UH, THE ACCELERATION ON INSTALLING THOSE IDENTIFIED CHARGING STATIONS.
AND THEN THE OTHER ROLE WOULD BE MAN MANAGE FUNDS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF, OF THOSE CHARGING STATIONS.
UH, AND THEN THE PRIORITY SHOULD BE GIVING ON IDENTIFYING FUNDS THAT ARE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FUNDS, BECAUSE THOSE, RATHER THAN OPERATING BUDGETS, BECAUSE THOSE CAN BE ROLLED OVER MULTIPLE YEARS, UM, IN THE END, THE, THE REST IS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME.
AND THEN THE SECOND RECOMMENDATION IS TO ACTUALLY FUNDING FOR THE ACTUAL INSTALLATION OF THE, OF CHARGING STATIONS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED AS PART OF THE, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN ASSESSMENTS.
SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT FOR THIS ONE.
ANY ANY QUESTIONS OR CAN WE KIND OF ROLL TO THE NEXT ONE? I JUST HAVE A QUICK COMMENT, UH, ON SOME OF THE EARLIER RECOMMENDATIONS.
I NOTICED THAT WE HAD $110,000 AS THE SALARY FOR A PROGRAM MANAGER, AND THIS ONE HAS ONE 20, AND I, I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF PEOPLE FELT LIKE WE SHOULD STANDARDIZE IT OR, OR IF IT'S FINE TO KEEP IT.
WAS THERE, UM, A BASIS FOR THAT NUMBER? THAT'S A GOOD COMMENT, CHARLOTTE.
SO I THINK THIS WAS ALSO CONSULTED WITH, UH, CITY STAFF.
SO THIS WAS PART OF THE RANGE THAT WAS SUGGESTED.
I ALSO SAW THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER FTE AND, AND THE TRANSPORTATION RECOMMENDATIONS IS 120.
SO I WANTED TO KEEP IT CONSISTENT, BUT I DID, I DID NOTICE THAT DISCREPANCY.
SO I'M, I'M, I'M GOOD EITHER WAY.
I WOULD ALSO POINT OUT THAT, UH, I THINK WE SHOULD PROBABLY ADD PER YEAR SINCE THIS IS, UH, AN FTE POSITION.
IS THAT AN AMENDMENT NOW? IT IS, I GUESS.
SO THE AMENDMENT WILL BE IN THE TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION RECOMMENDATION, THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THAT A HUNDRED AND
[02:15:02]
A HUNDRED.RIGHT NOW IT SAYS $120,000 PER YEAR BE ALLOCATED.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS IN THE RESILIENCE COORDINATOR.
JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS 120,000 PER YEAR.
SO WITHOUT OBJECTION, THOSE TWO AMENDMENTS TO ADD PER YEAR, UM, DO WE WANT TO STANDARDIZE THE PROGRAM? UH, COORDIN? WELL, ONE OF THESE IS A PROGRAM COORDINATOR, THE OTHER IS A PROGRAM MANAGER.
DID YOU INTEND THEM TO BE DIFFERENT OR THE SAME? BRO, DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE COMMENTS ON THIS? I AM, I AM NOT SURE THAT WE HAD AN INTENT BEHIND THE DIFFERENT, LIKE, CITY POSITION NAMES, SO I'M, I AM OPEN TO JUST STANDARDIZING IT ACROSS, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE THE 110 IS FOR PROGRAM MANAGER.
I THINK PROGRAM COORDINATOR IS LESS, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ANY OTHER PROGRAM COORDINATOR POSITIONS, BUT I, I THINK THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING MORE LIKE 90,000 FOR COORDINATOR LEVEL POSITION.
DOES THAT INCLUDE LIKE ALL OF THE BENEFITS AND OTHER COSTS? YEAH, THEY, I THINK THEY BOTH, THEY BOTH DO INCLUDE THAT.
SO IT'S, IT'S MORE JUST A, A MATTER OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT LEVEL OF POSITION IS NEEDED FOR THAT RESILIENCE.
IT SAYS RESILIENCE COORDINATOR.
UM, I MEAN THAT DOES LOOK LIKE IT COULD BE A COORDINATOR, SO I THINK WE COULD PROBABLY REDUCE THE AMOUNT THERE AND, UM, MAKE IT APPROPRIATE FOR A COORDINATOR POSITION.
I ALSO NOTICED CHRIS IN THE EV ONE THAT, UM, IT ACTUALLY SAYS PROJECT MANAGER IN THE DESCRIPTION BELOW THE BOLDED TEXT, SO THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO PROGRAM MANAGER.
WHICH ONE WAS THAT AGAIN? IN THE FIRST BOLDED RECOMMENDATION UNDER THAT TEXT IT SAYS PROJECT MANAGER INSTEAD OF PROGRAM MANAGER.
YEAH, AND I WONDER, I MEAN, UH, YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE A, I MEAN, DO PEOPLE KNOW, LIKE WHAT WOULD BE, I MEAN, WHAT WOULD BE THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PROJECT MANAGER AND A PROGRAM MANAGER? BECAUSE IF WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING, MAYBE I'M SUCH, I'M THINKING OF CHANGING INTO PROJECT MANAGER.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN DISCUSSING WITH CITY STAFF, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY HAS ANY INSIGHT ON THE DIFFERENCE.
I GUESS THIS DOES SOUND LIKE A PROJECT.
YEAH, I, YEAH, A PROGRAM IS GENERALLY BROADER IN SCOPE THAN A PROJECT, AND SO A PROGRAM MANAGER IS GENERALLY A HIGHER LEVEL THAN A PROJECT MANAGER.
ALTHOUGH, I MEAN, IF THIS IS GONNA EXTEND OUT TO LIKE DOING ALL CHARGING, LIKE IS THIS SUPPOSED TO CONTINUE THIS POSITION CONTINUE THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION OF CHARGING STATIONS? I MEAN, THAT KIND OF SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE MORE OF A PROGRAM LEVEL, LIKE THAT'S GONNA PROBABLY EXIST FOREVER.
LIKE IS THIS PERSON MOSTLY THERE FOR THE PLANNING PROCESS? YEAH, FOR THE PLANNING, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, I THINK IT'S FOR THE PLANNING ON LIKE THE INSTALLATION OF THE CHARGING STATIONS, BUT ALSO HAVE THAT ROLE OF IDENTIFYING ONGOING FUNDS TO, YOU KNOW, TO FIND FUNDS TO MANAGE THE FUNDS.
SO IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY GONNA BE AN ONGOING THING.
[02:20:01]
IT WILL BE NARROW IN THE SENSE THAT IT'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON KINDA CHARGING STATIONS, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'LL BE KIND OF THE MAIN FOCUS OF, OF THE PROGRAM, OF THE PERSON.I WOULD JUST RECOMMEND YOU KEEP IT AS PROGRAM MANAGER THEN, SINCE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING FOR FUNDS AND MANAGING FUNDS.
UM, BUT I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE STANDARDIZE THAT WITH THE OTHERS AND, AND MAKE IT 110,000 PER YEAR IF THERE'S NOT OBJECTION TO THAT.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST THIS, WELL, ON, ON THE ONE BELOW THAT WE CHANGE THAT TO 90,000 PER YEAR FOR THAT, UM, COORDINATOR POSITION.
UM, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE AMENDING THOSE TWO AMOUNTS? OKAY, SO AMENDED.
CHRIS, DO YOU WANNA CONTINUE? SURE.
UH, I'LL HAND IT OFF TO PRO NOW FOR THE COLD CORRIDORS ONE.
YEAH, AND I THINK THIS IS ONE THAT, UM, HEATHER ALSO SUPPORTED, SO I DON'T KNOW, HEATHER, IF YOU'D LIKE TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW ON THIS ONE? UM, SURE.
I WASN'T THERE FOR THE FINAL STAGE, SO, UM, SOME THINGS CHANGED, UM, BASICALLY THAT IT, IT'S SIMILAR TO THE ONE WE HAD LAST TIME.
UM, BUT STREAMLINED IN TERMS OF THE TEXT AND REALLY FOCUSING ON, UM, ONGOING CARE AND CREATION OR CREATION AND ONGOING CARE OF THE TREE CANOPY THROUGH STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMS. THAT WASN'T A BIG EMPHASIS ON THE PRIOR ONE.
AND IN TALKING TO STAFF JUST WANTED TO BE CAREFUL AS WELL THAT WE'RE NOT HAVING TREES PLANTED IN PLACES THAT ARE GOING TO BE UNDERGOING CHANGES SO THAT THEY BE, THOSE TREES WOULD BE REMOVED.
UM, SO ADDED JUST SOME GUIDANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE NOT PLANTING TREES, BASICALLY WILL THERE BE A NEW SIDEWALK AND IT'LL BE TORN UP.
SO THAT KIND OF COORDINATION AND THE MONEY, I WASN'T THERE FOR THE DISCUSSION AROUND THE NEW DOLLAR AMOUNT.
IT'S, UH, SO IF ANYONE WANTS TO JUMP IN ON THAT, IT'S NOW AT $2 MILLION FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
AND I THINK THE INCREASE HAS TO DO WITH THIS MAINTENANCE COMPONENT, WHICH IN CONVERSATIONS WAS A CONCERN ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, TREE PLANTING, THAT THAT CAN BE THE PIECE THAT GETS, UM, LEFT BEHIND.
SO, UM, AND ALSO DIDN'T WANNA LIMIT IT TO TREES AGAIN IN CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE.
JUST WANTED TO OPEN IT TO OTHER, UM, MECHANISMS FOR COOLING AS WELL.
UH, FEEL FREE CHRIS AND RODRIGO TO, TO ADD TO THAT EXPLANATION.
SO THERE'S, IT'S A LARGER DOLLAR AMOUNT BECAUSE THE NEED IS SIGNIFICANT, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES, UM, FUNDS FOR MAINTENANCE AS WELL AS OTHER KINDS OF SHADE AND COOLING AMENITIES.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT ONE? DO YOU WANNA JUMP TO THE NEXT ONE, RIO? YEAH, SO THE, THE, THIS IS ONE THAT WE PRESENTED PREVIOUSLY, BUT WE'VE, UM, FOCUSED THE SCOPE A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO THIS IS A COORDINATOR ROLE.
THEIR, THEIR PRIMARY PURPOSE WOULD BE TO IMPLEMENT RESILIENCE STRATEGIES IN LINE WITH THE CCIP AS WELL AS THE AUSTIN HEAT RESILIENCE PLAYBOOK AND OTHER, UH, RESILIENCE RELATED STRATEGIES THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, THEY COULD SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN OR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN.
UM, THEY COULD ALSO PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN COORDINATING THE COLD CORRIDOR PROJECTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
SO THAT IS WHAT THIS POSITION IS.
IT'S, IT'S MORE FOCUSED NOW AS COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS ONE THAT WE HAD PRESENTED.
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS? AS A REMINDER, WE'VE AMENDED THIS TO BE
[02:25:01]
90,000 PER YEAR.THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR MEMBERS, I JUST WANNA THANK THE COMMISSIONER WHO ACKNOWLEDGED THE EQUITY COMMENTS I MADE PREVIOUSLY.
I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU THE CONTEXT OF MY COMMENTS AS RELEASED TO THE TRANSPORTATION ITEM BEFORE YOU.
UM, THIS IS ACTUALLY THE HYDE PARK INFORMATION THAT WAS FROM HYDE PARKER, AND SPECIFICALLY IT SAYS THERE IS NOT NOW AND NEVER WILL BE NEGROES FOR NEIGHBORS IN HYDE PARK.
AND THEN YOU'LL SEE HYDE PARK IS STRICTLY FOR WHITE PEOPLE AND MM, CHIE IS THE AGENT AT THE TIME.
THIS INFORMATION WAS ALSO GIVEN TO THE PROJECT CONNECT COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT WHEN YOU MAINTAIN THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU BASICALLY MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO HAS RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO SIDEWALKS AND THE CANOPY COVERAGE AND ALL.
I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU ABOUT VISION ZERO AND TO HAVE YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT WAS ABOUT 20,000 VEHICLES PER DAY ON AIRPORT BOULEVARD, BUT NORTH LAMAR EXCEEDS 30,000 VEHICLES PER DAY, AND YET THERE ARE NO SIDEWALKS CONTINUOUSLY FROM BREAKER TO PALMER LANE.
THIS IS THE INFORMATION FROM THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, AND THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY FIND WHERE THE FUNDING FOR BREAKER TO NORTH LAMAR HAS BEEN ELIMINATED.
SO THIS IS THEIR SLIDE FROM MAY 7TH, 2024.
I JUXTAPOSED IT WITH THE MAY 15TH, 2020 VIRTUAL PUBLIC HEARING INFORMATION, AND THAT'S WHERE THE 37,500 VEHICLES PER DAY IS ACTUALLY STATED.
I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED THERE.
DAVID JOHN MADANO WAS KILLED MID-BLOCK AT FAIRFIELD STATION, AND THEN, UH, 2016, MR. NORTON WAS KILLED IN HIS WHEELCHAIR BY NOT YOUR ORDINARY SCHOOL.
NEXT SLIDE, BUT YET, THIS IS THE AREA THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
THIS IS THE METROPOLITAN PARK.
THERE'S NO CONTINUOUS SIDEWALK ON EITHER SIDE.
MR. NORTON WAS KILLED, UH, JUST SHY OF THE METROPOLITAN PARK.
YOU'LL SEE HOW WIDE THE ROADWAY IS.
THERE'S NO PEDESTRIAN HYBRID BEACON, BUT IF YOU LOOK DOWN BELOW IN THE AREA WHERE THE TRIANGLE IS, THERE ARE TWO PEDESTRIAN HYBRID BEACONS.
IT'S WELL LIT, AND NORTH LAMAR IS JUST UNFORTUNATELY BEEN NEGLECTED FOR DECADES.
SO WHEN THE CITY TALKS ABOUT VISION ZERO, I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU OF THE $80 MILLION THAT HAS BEEN ALLOCATED FOR SAFE STREETS, SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL, AND NOW YOUR ORDINARY SCHOOL HAS NO PEDESTRIAN HYBRID BEACON OR A SIDEWALK.
I'LL JUST, UH, SAY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND IS THAT YOU ACTUALLY PRIORITIZE NORTHEAST AUSTIN.
I KNOW YOU JUST HEARD, UH, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NORTHEAST AND WEST AUSTIN.
AND I WOULD JUST CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION IN 2021, THERE WAS ACTUALLY A STUDY THAT TALKED ABOUT THE 20% CANOPY COVERAGE, A DISPARITY.
THEY QUOTED A, A STUDY IN THAT STORY THAT THEY DID.
SO WHILE I RECOGNIZE YOU'RE FOCUSED ON THE EQUITY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, I WOULD JUST GET YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S BEEN NO ACTION, I DON'T THINK, FROM THIS COMMISSION, UH, COMMITTEE AS IT RELATES TO WHEN THEY RAISE THE LAND.
SO SPECIFICALLY, URBANA IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION NOW ON BREAKER AND HUNDREDS OF TREES HAVE BEEN DEMOLISHED, JUST DESTROYED, UH, TO MAKE WAY FOR THESE APARTMENTS.
UM, HUNDREDS OF APARTMENTS ON A 45 MINUTE BUS ROUTE, 3 92 BREAKER.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GO AHEAD AND ANSWER THE METHODS TIME, BUT WE'LL JUST ASK YOU TO AT LEAST AMEND IT, TO PRIORITIZE IT, WHAT COUNSEL DOES.
I KNOW YOU CAN'T CONTROL, BUT AT LEAST PUT IT IN THE RECOMMENDATION.
IS THERE A SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU'RE ASKING US TO AMEND? SO ON PAGE TWO OF THE DOCUMENT THAT YOU JUST SAW, WITH THE $2 MILLION FOR THE COOL CORRIDORS MM-HMM
THERE'S ACTUALLY $2 MILLION THAT'S SPECIFIED.
AND SO AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE COOL CORRIDORS, I WOULD JUST ASK YOU TO INCLUDE SPECIFICALLY TO PRIORITIZE NORTHEAST AUSTIN COOL CORRIDORS, BECAUSE AS I JUST SHOWED YOU, THE VEHICLES PER DAY ON NORTH LAMAR, THAT STUDY WAS DONE IN 2020 BY THE CITY, IT'S TX DOTS RIGHT OF WAY.
[02:30:01]
DOCUMENTATION.AND THEN IN TWO, 2009, I'LL JUST GET CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION FOR 20 MONTHS TO CITY OF AUSTIN, CAPITAL METRO AND THE CITY STAFF AS WELL AS TEXAS TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE.
THEY STUDIED THAT CORRIDOR FOR 20 MONTHS AND SAID THAT MIDBLOCK STOPS ARE WHERE PEOPLE GET KILLED.
AND YET CAPITAL METRO CONTINUES TO OPEN MIDBLOCK STOPS, AND THEY'VE NOT CLOSED OR IMPROVED THAT AREA.
AND AS YOU SAW EARLIER, THE FUNDING HAS BEEN CUT.
SO WHILE I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS HERE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONTEXTUALIZE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND ASK THE QUESTION.
IF THAT'S WHERE IT'S THE BUSIEST, DEADLIEST, THEN WHY WOULD THE CITY NOT PRIORITIZE PUTTING FUNDING THERE? AND I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT NORTH OF US, 180 3, IT'S PREDOMINANTLY MINORITIES, AFRICAN AMERICANS AND IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE TRANS DEPENDENT THAT TRAVERSE THAT CORRIDOR ON FOOT.
BUT, UM, THAT'S WHERE I WOULD ASK YOU TO, TO PUT IT ACTUALLY ON THAT SECOND PAGE, WHEREVER YOU HAVE THE COOL CORRIDOR'S INFORMATION.
UM, YEAH, I THINK TO ZENO'S POINT, YOU CAN DEFINITELY PUT SOMETHING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PRIORITIZING, YOU KNOW, EQUITY AND PLACES THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY DISINVESTED IN, UM, TO SORT OF PRIORITIZE THE, THE IMPLEMENTATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE, THE COOL CORRIDORS, FOR SURE.
YEAH, I THINK, UM, IN THE SECOND PARAGRAPH, THE SECOND SENTENCE, WE SAY FOCUS ON AREAS WITH DISPROPORTIONATE HEAT BURDENS AND LOAD FREE CANOPY COVER.
BUT WE CAN ALSO SAY, WE CAN MAYBE AMEND THAT TO SAY DISPROPORTIONATE HEAT BURDENS LOAD FREE CANOPY COVER AND HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY DISINVESTED SPECIFICALLY IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT.
WHERE IS THE SENTENCE, THE SECOND SENTENCE? IN THE SECOND PARAGRAPH, THE TOP OF THIRD PAGE.
IT'S JUST BEFORE, IT'S JUST BEFORE THE BOLD OF THE YEAH.
I'M SUPPORTIVE OF ADDING MORE SPECIFICITY.
SO WE COULD SAY FOCUS ON AREAS WITH DISPROPORTIONATE HEAT BURNS, LOW TREE CANOPY COVER, AND THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY DISINVESTED IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT.
ANY, UH, OBJECTION TO THAT AMENDMENT? I GUESS TECHNICALLY IS THE RUNDBERG LAMAR BREAKER AREA IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT? I THINK IT IS CONSIDERED AS PART OF THE EASTERN CRESCENT.
I THINK WE'RE GETTING A NOD FROM ROHAN.
UH, SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S NO OBJECTION.
SO WE'VE AMENDED THE COOL CORRIDORS, UH, RECOMMENDATION AS DESCRIBED, AND SOMEBODY'S WRITING.
ROHAN, DO YOU HAVE OR, UH, SORRY, UH, RODRIGO, YOU HAVE THAT WRITTEN DOWN TO BE ABLE TO SEND IN LATER? IS ONE OF Y'ALL TAKING NOTE OF THE AMENDMENTS ON THIS, I GUESS IS MY QUESTION.
YEAH, I'M GONNA, WE CAN, YEAH.
UH, WHILE WE'RE ON, UH, JUST, UH, AMENDMENTS, CAN WE ALSO ADD NUMBERS TO THESE? I JUST THINK AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN HAVING ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS OUTSIDE OF HERE, IT'LL BE, UM, HELPFUL TO BE ABLE TO REFER TO, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE RECOMMENDATION NUMBER ONE OR WHATEVER.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? HAVE WE, WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE RESILIENCE COORDINATOR, RIGHT? SO IF WE'RE DONE, WE CAN VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
[13. JSC Cross-Sector Working Group FY 25/26 Budget Recommendations ]
LAST BUDGET RECOMMENDATION, UH, ITEM 13 IS THE CROSS SECTOR, UH, BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.AND WE HAVE THREE OF THEM HERE.
UM, TWO ARE JUST WHAT WERE BROUGHT FOR NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER TWO, THE, UM, IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM, PROJECT COORDINATOR, AND THEN THE OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABILITY INCENTIVES.
[02:35:01]
THOSE ARE THE SAME AS THE LAST TIME.UM, BUT I THINK NUMBER THREE WAS NOT PRESENTED LAST TIME BECAUSE WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION, UM, FROM, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SO THIS IS THE ONE THAT CHARLOTTE MENTIONED.
UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT, IT IS WHAT THEY WERE RECOMMENDING PLUS SOME, WELL, I THINK IT'S PRETTY SIMILAR, AND I THINK WE'VE BASICALLY MADE THIS RECOMMENDATION BEFORE, BUT IT'S A LITTLE MORE DIRE RIGHT NOW, UM, IN THAT THE PROGRAM, AS WE HEARD, DOES NOT HAVE ADEQUATE FUNDING.
SO, UM, THIS IS TO CONTINUE FUNDING, UH, AND INCREASE THE FUNDING FOR THE AUSTIN CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THEIR EXISTING CONTRACTS, UM, AND THE TRACKS THAT THEY HAD BEEN DOING PRIOR TO THE, THE SCALING BACK.
UH, I THINK MAYBE WITH ONE EXCEPTION, I THINK THE, THE MUSEUMS IS NOT INCLUDED IN HERE, BUT THEN ADDING ADDITIONAL, UM, TRACKS FOR IN THE WASTE, UH, REDUCTION SECTOR AND, UH, IN THE CLEAN ENERGY SECTOR.
SO RECOMMENDING 4 MILLION BE ALLOCATED, AND I THINK WE SHOULD SAY 4 MILLION PER YEAR SINCE, UM, THIS IS MOST DEFINITELY AN ONGOING, UH, YOU KNOW, NEED IN TERMS OF THE FUNDING.
SO ANY QUESTIONS THERE OR COMMENTS? DO WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION FIRST? OH, YEAH, I'LL MOVE APPROVAL.
ANY DISCUSSION HERE? I NOTICED ON NUMBER TWO THAT, UM, WE'RE STILL REFERENCING THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY INSTEAD OF OA.
UM, IT'S MENTIONED IN TWO BULLETS, I BELIEVE.
SO I'M GONNA, THE LAST TWO BULLETS MOVE THAT WE AMEND, UH, ITEM OR NUMBER TWO HERE, UH, BULLET POINT NUMBER TWO AND THREE TO STRIKE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND REPLACE IT WITH OFFICE OF CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE IN BOTH PLACES.
UM, I THINK SO, YEAH, I GUESS THESE ARE, YEAH, THIS TWO YEAR BUDGET THING IS TRIPPING US UP.
I GUESS ACTUALLY ALSO THE 110, UM, THOUSAND PER YEAR, 60,000 PER YEAR, AND THEN A A HUNDRED THOUSAND PER YEAR.
CAN YOU, AND THEN I THINK THE NUMBER ONE BULLET TWO, UM, WHEN YOU SAY JSC RECOMMENDS 90 K FOR A A PROJECT YEP.
SO ADDING TO THAT AMENDMENT, UH, YES, THAT IT WOULD BE 98,000 PER YEAR.
ANY OBJECTION TO ADDING THOSE PER YEAR AFTER ALL THE NUMBERS IN THIS RECOMMENDATION? OKAY.
IF THERE'S NO OTHER DISCUSSION, WE CAN VOTE ON THIS.
ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE DID OUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.
[6. Environmental Commission updates on PARD Concessions Report Presentation, Austin Energy Green Building Program overview and WPD FY25 Budget, programs, and projects. – Haris Qureshi ]
HAVE, UH, JUST TWO QUICK UPDATES FROM, OH, OKAY.WHY DID I THINK THERE WERE TWO? OH, CHRIS IS NOT HERE.
UM, YEAH, SO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION HAS HAD SOME, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME INTERESTING, UM, PRESENTATIONS COME OUR WAY.
ONE WAS THE AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM OVERVIEW.
UM, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, I'M A, I'M A BIG DUMB DUMB, SO I'M NOT GONNA READ OUT A LOT OF THE METRICS, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S AVAILABLE ON THE, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, PREVIOUS MEETINGS PAGE FOR Y'ALL TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
UM, AS FAR AS, AS YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE, THE METRICS AND SORT OF THE RUBRICS THAT THEY USE TO GRADE,
[02:40:01]
UH, GREEN BUILDINGS.UM, WE ALSO HAD, UH, RECENTLY A PRESENTATION ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WATERSHED'S, UH, UPCOMING OR WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT'S, UPCOMING BUDGET.
UM, SOME OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT THEY HIGHLIGHTED THAT, UH, ARE GOING TO BE, UH, PRETTY IMPORTANT.
THERE'S A, A BRASSWOOD DRIVE AND CREEKWOOD DRIVE BYPASS FLOOD RISK REDUCTION PROJECT.
THAT'S, UH, OVER IN THE FOUR FOUR DUB SPRINGS AREA.
UH, THEY'RE ALSO DOING A WATER QUALITY POND IMPROVEMENT PROJECT OVER ON, UH, DICK NICHOLS AND BECKETT MEADOWS.
UM, THAT'S OVER IN SOUTHWEST AUSTIN.
UM, THEY'RE DOING, UH, SOME ATLAS 14 FLOODPLAIN STUDIES.
UM, A REALLY BIG CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT THAT THEY'RE DOING IS ROY G. GUERRERO PARK CHANNEL STABILIZATION.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA THROW ANYBODY UNDER THE BUS, BUT APPARENTLY IT WASN'T DONE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, SO NOW THEY'RE SPENDING A BUNCH OF MONEY TO TRY AND MAKE SURE IT'S DONE RIGHT THIS TIME.
UM, THERE'S A WALLA CREEK TUNNEL WET WELL MECHANICAL SCREENS PROJECT, WHICH I BELIEVE IS AROUND THE WATERLOO PARK AREA.
UM, THERE'S ALSO AN OLD LAND PASSES DAM MODERNIZATION PROJECT, UH, AND A BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF THEY MENTIONED THAT YOU CAN GO TO, UM, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS WEBSITE AND LOOK AT THE PROJECTS ON THE DASHBOARD THAT THEY BUILT, WHICH IS CAPITAL PROJECTS DOT AUSTIN TEXAS.GOV/PROJECTS.
UM, AND AGAIN, THE DOCUMENTATION FOR THAT IS AVAILABLE ON THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEETINGS PAGE.
AND, UM, LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, UH, YOU KNOW, WE RECENTLY IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, UM, HAD, UH, PARD COME IN TO TALK ABOUT THEIR CONCESSIONS REPORT.
THIS ACTUALLY ENDED UP BEING A REALLY BIG DEAL.
WELL, I GUESS REALLY IS, UH, REALLY BIG IS RELATIVE, RIGHT.
BUT, UH, SO IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE'S A FAIR AMOUNT OF CONTROVERSY AROUND THIS BECAUSE, UM, I WISH I HAD SOME TEA FOR THIS, BUT, UH, APPARENTLY THE POMA, WHICH, UM, I FORGET PLANNED SOMETHING, MAINTENANCE SOMETHING, I FORGET WHAT THE ACRONYM STANDS FOR, BUT BASICALLY THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY, UM, IS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TAKING OVER, UH, THEY'VE ALREADY TAKEN OVER ONE OF THE CONCESSIONAIRES.
UM, BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY MANAGES, UH, ONE OF THE CONCESSIONAIRES ON THE TRAIL, UM, AND THEN SORT OF, YOU KNOW, REPORTS TO PARD.
UM, AND THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE OVER A SECOND ONE, I BELIEVE, NEXT YEAR.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED BECAUSE THE LEVEL OF SORT OF OVERSIGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE, UH, BASICALLY DISAPPEARS, RIGHT? BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE, UH, WELL I SAY THESE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, UH, THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY REALLY ONLY AN HAS TO ANSWER TO LIKE A PARD COMMITTEE OR COMMISSION, NOT NECESSARILY TO LIKE A COMMISSION OR THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
UH, SO THERE WAS A LOT OF GRUMBLING AND ROUSING THAT BASICALLY WERE SELLING OFF THE TRAIL AND SORT OF ANY, UM, ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE PESSIMISTIC, UH, AT LEAST THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN THAT BASICALLY WE'RE GOING TO GIVE EVERYTHING TO THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY, UM, YOU KNOW, PARKS AND REC ARGUES THAT THEIR MODELS SORT OF LIKE, UH, I THINK, UM, WATERLOO CONSERVANCY AND, UM, I BELIEVE SHO CREEK CONSERVANCY, I THINK PEACE PARK ALSO HAS A CONSERVANCY AND, UH, THAT SORT OF MANAGE THOSE PARKS.
AND SO THEIR ARGUMENT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, AS THEIR BUDGET CONTINUES TO GET CUT AND THINGS GET LEANER, THEY WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE TO CONTINUE, IF NOT INCREASE THEIR RELIANCE ON THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY SORT OF MANAGING THESE SERVICES.
UM, SO CERTAINLY SOMETHING TO KEEP AN EYE ON, UH, AS THINGS MOVE FORWARD.
UM, SO YEAH, HIGH INTRIGUE THERE.
AND, UH, YEAH, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION UPDATES.
ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING ON ANY OF THAT? OKAY, IT'S NINE 14.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ONE TO TWO MINUTES IF ANYBODY HAS ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS,AND IF NOT, YOU KNOW HOW TO MAKE A REQUEST BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT MEETING.
IS APRIL THE MONTH FOR OFFICER ELECTIONS? YES.
SO IF ANYONE'S INTERESTED IN RUNNING FOR OFFICER, RIGHT? NICE.
UM, YEAH, I MEAN, I'LL I'LL SAY THIS THEN.
UH, IF ANYBODY'S LOOKING TO STEP INTO LEADING THE COMMISSION, I'M
[02:45:01]
NOT GONNA STAND IN YOUR WAY.UM, BUT IT WILL BE ON OUR AGENDA ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, UH, NEXT MONTH.
IT'S NINE 15 AND OUR MEETING IS ADJOURNED.