[00:00:04]
[CALL TO ORDER]
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.IT IS APRIL 2ND, 2025 AT 6:02 PM WE ARE AT THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER, AUSTIN EVENT CENTER, UH, ROOM 14 0 5 63 10 WILHELMINA DELCO DRIVE, AUSTIN, TEXAS 7 8 7 5 2.
AND WE'LL START WITH A ROLL CALL.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY VIRTUAL.
UM, WE'LL START WITH THE NEW COMMISSIONER.
COMMISSIONER CHEN, IF YOU WANNA ACTUALLY INTRODUCE YOURSELF FIRST AND KIND OF SAY WHAT BROUGHT YOU HERE.
UM, I AM A PHD CANDIDATE IN AQUATIC RESOURCES AND INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY.
UM, BY TRADE, I'M A CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENTIST, BUT, UM, TODAY, I GUESS I'M PLAYING IN LOCAL POLITICS.
SO, UM, I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE.
I'M SUPER EXCITED TO, UM, WORK TOWARDS THE GENERAL AIMS OF THE COMMISSION, BUT THEN ALSO JUST, UM, I GUESS, INFORM A LOT OF OUR POLICIES AND DEVELOPMENT PLANS.
WELCOME, UH, COMMISSIONER KSI.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
HAVE, UM, JUST ONE TODAY.BOBBY LEVINSKY WITH THE SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE.
UM, I'M HERE TO CALL ATTENTION TO THE CURRENT REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING THAT'S GOING ON AT CAMPO, THE CAPITAL AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION.
UM, THERE'S CURRENTLY AN OPEN HOUSE GOING ON, AND PEOPLE NEED TO BE MA MAKING COMMENTS ON THAT PLAN.
UM, THAT OPEN HOUSE ENDS ON APRIL 15TH.
THE, UM, PUBLIC HEARING FOR IS APRIL 14TH AT 2:00 PM.
UM, ONE OF THE BIG, UM, PROBLEMS WITH THE PLAN IS THAT IT INCLUDES NO ENVIRONMENTAL MITIGATION AS REQUIRED UNDER THE FEDERAL STATUTE.
UM, IF I'VE PROVIDED TO MOST OF YOU LETTERS, AND I'LL MAKE SURE YOU GET, UM, PAPER COPIES IF YOU NEED IT, UM, OF, UH, SUB PACKET OF MATERIALS THAT WE SUBMITTED AS, AS PART OF OUR FORMAL COMMENTS WITH THE SAFE PARK CREEK ASSOCIATION AND SAN MARCUS RIVER FOUNDATION, UM, IT HIGHLIGHTS WHAT SAN ANTONIO DOES IN THEIR, UM, MPO FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL MITIGATION.
UM, IT ACTUALLY HAVE A CHAPTER ON IT.
IT
IT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS HAVE IMPACTS ON WATER QUALITY.
WE NEED THAT TYPE OF LANGUAGE IN THE MA IN THE PLAN.
IN ADDITION, THERE'S SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT NEED TO BE CALLED TO, UM, ATTENTION THAT THEY'RE ENVIRONMENTALLY, UM, HAZARDOUS, UM, THAT INCLUDES MOPAC SOUTH.
UM, I'VE SPOKEN, I HEAR ABOUT THAT.
I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO SEE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION ACTION ON THAT ONE.
THAT COULD BE A HUGE CONCERN FOR PARTS OF AUSTIN.
UM, RM 1826 IS ALSO PROPOSED TO BE EXPANDED IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
THAT ONE'S REALLY ABSURD BECAUSE THE MODEL THAT'S BEING USED ASSUMES 24 HOUR RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, AND THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT THEY GET TO A LEVEL OF TRAFFIC TO JUSTIFY THE PROJECT TYPE THAT THEY'RE SUGGESTING.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF, UH, SLIDES IN THERE FROM A PRESENTATION WHERE THE, UH, UNITED NEIGHBORS OF 1826 PUT TOGETHER SOME REALLY GREAT INFORMATION, CHALLENGING THE MODELING.
AND THAT BRINGS ME TO THE, THE BIGGER POINT HERE.
LAST NIGHT, THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION PASSED THE RESOLUTION, UM, SUBMITTING COMMENTS, ASKING FOR CHANGING IN HOW THE MODELING IS DONE ON THE REGIONAL LEVEL.
WE NEED TO GET BACK TO DOING SCENARIO BASED MODELING.
SO SMART, TR SMART PLANNING, NOT JUST RANDOM THROW ROADS AT THE MAP AND JUST ATTACH IT TO SOME POPULATION PROJECTIONS.
UM, AND THEN, UM, ALSO OUR PROJECT SCORING HAS NOT BEEN ABDU, UH, ADJUSTED SINCE 2017.
AND THAT'S GONNA IMPACT WHAT PROJECTS END UP GETTING FUNDED OUT OF THE PLAN AS WELL.
UM, SO THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, UH, PASSED SOME REALLY GREAT RECOMMENDATIONS ON THAT.
WOULD LOVE TO SEE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO DO THE SAME HERE.
UM, AND HAPPY TO TALK TO ANY OF YOU OFFLINE.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
APPROVAL OF MINUTES.WERE POSTED YESTERDAY FOR THE MARCH 19TH MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BRIER FOR NOTICING THAT, UH, AND GETTING THOSE UP.
UM, ANY, I'M SURE EVERYBODY HAS READ THEM ANY CHANGES REQUESTED.
CAN I GET A MOTION? MOTION TO APPROVE OF THE MINUTES.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR AND LEAVE.
[00:05:01]
ABSTAINING.MOTION PASSES AND ON TWO DISCUSSION
[2. Recognition of Melinda Schiera for her service on the Environmental Commission – Liz Johnston, Interim Environmental Officer, Watershed Protection Department]
ITEMS. SO OUR FIRST ITEM IS RECOGNITION OF MELINDA SHERA FOR HER SERVICE ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.UH, AND WE'VE GOT LIZ JOHNSON.
UH, I'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF THESE, UM, UH, BITTERSWEET.
UM, MELINDA COMMISSIONER SHERA, UH, BEGAN SERVING ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IN 2022.
UM, SHE HAS PLAYED AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE, AND, UH, HELPED TO DRAFT THE MOST RECENT RECOMMENDATION THAT CAME BEFORE THE COMMISSION, UM, AND CREATED A WORKING GROUP TO ADDRESS, UH, UH, POLICIES AROUND NATIVE PLANTINGS.
UM, WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL TO HER SERVICE, UH, FOR HER SERVICE TO THE COMMISSION.
AND, UH, I HAVE A, AN AWARD I'LL, I'LL JUST SAY THANK YOU FROM HERE.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY JUST BEEN AN HONOR TO SERVE ON THIS COMMISSION.
IT'S BEEN, UH, VERY IMPACTFUL TO ME TO LEARN SO MUCH ABOUT THE CITY, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
HERES ABOUT SO MANY ASPECTS THAT IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT, UM, TO OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR ENVIRONMENT.
SO, UM, I JUST REALLY WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS, UM, FOR BEING WHO YOU ARE AND FOR, FOR SERVING ON THE COMMISSION AND ALSO FOR THE, THE CITY STAFF TO CON FOR, YOU KNOW, ALL THEIR SUPPORT.
AND TO, FOR, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THE COMMISSION AND HOPEFULLY IN YOUR COMMUNICATION TO CITY COUNCIL ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR THE ROLE THAT WE PLAY.
AND YEAH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I'M REALLY EXCITED ALSO FOR ALL OF THE NEW COMMISSIONERS AS WELL, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT IMPACT THAT YOU HAVE ON THE COMMISSION, ESPECIALLY MARTIN HERE, WHO WILL BE MY REPLACEMENT.
I FEEL LIKE WE NEED A BATON
I WANNA SAY, UH, JUST A GIANT THANK YOU.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE REALLY APPRECIATED YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON, UM, SO MANY THINGS, AND ESPECIALLY WITH THINKING ABOUT FAMILIES AND ALWAYS PUTTING FAMILIES FIRST, UH, AND CHILDREN FIRST IN YOUR VIEW.
UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY, UM, APPRECIATE THAT FOR HOW WE THINK ABOUT HOW DOES, HOW DOES OUR ENVIRONMENT, UM, ALSO REALLY, UM, DO THE BEST THAT IT CAN BY, UM, BY THAT SECTOR OF PEOPLE.
AND, UM, I WISH YOU WELL, AND WE'RE GONNA MISS YOU.
I THOUGHT THAT YOU WERE JUST GONE.
AND SO, UM, THIS MAKES ME HAPPY THAT WE CAN SAY GOODBYE PROPERLY.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR HANGING WITH ME AND, AND SOME OF THE CONFUSION.
I WANNA ECHO WHAT COMMISSIONER BRISTOL SAID ABOUT YOUR FOCUS ON FAMILIES AND CHILDREN IN PARTICULAR.
I THINK THE LENS THAT YOU BROUGHT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT, TALKING ABOUT LOCAL SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND HOW WE CAN PARTNER WITH THEM, UH, IN A WAY THAT I WOULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT OF.
AND ALSO REALLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR WORK ON THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE.
IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU, WE WOULDN'T HAVE PUT THAT RECOMMENDATION FORWARD AND YOU REALLY CHAMPION THAT.
AND I THINK SOME OF THE ITEMS IN THERE WERE REALLY LONG OVERDUE FOR REVIEW.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH AND WE'LL MISS YOU.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR PASSION AND COMMITMENT TO GETTING THAT VERY BIG EFFORT TO THE FINISH LINE AND YOUR JUST DEDICATION TO THE URBAN FORESTRY IN OUR TOWN.
I DID ASK ELIZABETH TODAY IF, IF SHE HAD HEARD ANYTHING FROM CITY COUNCIL ON THIS, AND I WOULD, YOU KNOW, LIKE TO ASK THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE TO POTENTIALLY CHECK ON THAT.
JUST WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN DO TO PUSH YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO REVIEW IT AND PUSHING FORWARD ANY ACTION ON IT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS ON THAT.
AND I DID, UH, CONTACT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DUCHEN AND HIS STAFF ON THAT, AND I'M GONNA TRY TO GET THEM TO MOVE FORWARD ON IT AS WELL AS PART, IT WAS PART OF SOMETHING ELSE THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON, AND THAT WILL HELP KIND OF FILL IN A BLANK SPOT THAT THEY'VE GOT IN THAT AREA AS WELL.
SO I THINK IT'LL BE BENEFICIAL.
AND I KNOW YOU SHARED WITH ME SOME STUFF YOU'RE WORKING ON IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT GUNSHOTS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND SO I THINK YOUR EFFORTS IN THAT AREA ARE VERY WELL PLACED AND GONNA BE VERY IMPACTFUL, NOT ONLY FOR YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT FOR THE CITY, AND POSSIBLY THE COUNTRY AS WELL.
SO CONGRATULATIONS ON THOSE EFFORTS AS WELL.
WELL, IF WE'RE JUST ALL DOING THE LOVE TRAIN HERE,
[00:10:01]
LET ME JUST GO AHEAD AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ECHO HOW, UH, IMPORTANT IT'S BEEN TO HAVE, UH, SOMEBODY ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION THAT, YOU KNOW, REPRESENTS A PART OF TOWN THAT'S BEEN, UH, TO POLITELY PUT A TAD UH, UNDER INVESTED.UM, AND SO, YEAH, YOU KNOW, UH, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, YOUR FOCUS ON FAMILIES AND SCHOOLS IS SOMETHING THAT'S DEFINITELY NEED FROM ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE.
AND, UH, WISH YOU WELL OR WISH YOU THE BEST, NOT EVEN WELL, THE BEST.
UM, SOMETHING, THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU'RE, SO WHEN I FIRST CAME ON THE COMMISSION, ALL THE COMMISSIONERS WERE VERY WELCOMING, BUT I MEAN, YOU HAVE A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR AND WHATNOT AND PERSONALITY, AND SO IT'S BEEN GREAT WORKING WITH YOU.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
AND AMEN TO EVERYTHING ELSE THAT EVERYBODY SAID.
YEAH, I DIDN'T, I WAS GONNA SAY ALL THAT.
I DIDN'T WANNA CALL OUT, YOU KNOW, ANY SPECIFICS, BUT IT, IT REALLY HAS BEEN AN HONOR TO SERVE WITH EACH ONE OF YOU.
COULD YOU DO A SIDE, WE'LL MOVE ON TO DISCUSSION
[3. In response to Council Resolution 20250327-062, consider variances and amendments to the Land Development Code, including site-specific amendments to Chapter 25-8, as minimally required to allow the construction of the Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Enhancement and Expansion Project – Leslie Lilly, Environment Conservation Manager, Watershed Protection Department]
AND ACTION ITEMS. UM, ITEM NUMBER THREE, IN RESPONSE TO COUNCIL RESOLUTION 20 25 0 3 27 DASH 62, CONSIDER VARIANCES AND AMENDMENTS TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, INCLUDING SITE SPECIFIC AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 25 DASH EIGHT AS MINIMALLY REQUIRED TO ALLOW THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT, PLANT ENHANCEMENT AND EXPANSION PROJECT.WE'VE GOT LESLIE LILY, ENVIRONMENT CONSERVATION MANAGER, WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, JUST WAITING FOR THE PRESENTATION TO COME UP SO YOU CAN SEE THE GOOD, GOOD THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME IS LESLIE LILLY, AS HANNAH SAID, I'M ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION PROGRAM MANAGER WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION.
AND THIS EVENING I'M GOING TO BE PRESENTING, UH, THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT ENHANCEMENT AND EXPANSION PROJECT AS INITIATED BY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 2 0 2 5 0 3 2 7 DASH 0 6 2, AND ASSOCIATED WITH THE CAPITAL IDENTIFIED WITH THE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT NUMBER 2 0 3 0 2 3 0.046.
SO, THE WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IS IN EAST AUSTIN.
IT IS IN THE, UH, CITY LIMITS.
IT IS JUST NORTH OF THE COLORADO RIVER, AND IT SITS ON THE EASTERN BANK OF THE WALNUT CRE OF WALNUT CREEK.
IT'S NOT IN THE CONTRIBUTING OR RECHARGE ZONE OF THE EDWARDS AQUIFER.
SO THIS IS A PICTURE OF THE, UH, FACILITY AS IT EXISTS TODAY.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY CONSTRUCTED IN 1977.
UH, OVER THAT TIME, IT HAS GONE THROUGH SEVERAL EXPANSIONS AND ENHANCEMENTS TO INCREASE ITS CAPACITY TO, UH, SERVE, UM, UH, EAST AUSTIN AND ALL OF AUSTIN.
THAT, UH, CONTRIBUTES ITS WASTEWATER TO THE PLANT.
UH, IT'S BOUND IN THE NORTH BY FM SIX, UH, 9 6 9, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE IN THE DISTANCE, WALNUT CREEK, UH, ON THE RIGHT IS AN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH, AND IT OUTLINES THE PROPERTY ON WHICH, UH, THE TREATMENT PLANT SITS.
UH, YOU CAN SEE WALNUT CREEK KIND OF SNAKING THROUGH THE WEST AND SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE PROPERTY WHERE ITS CONFLUENCE IS, UH, IN THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE PROPERTY WITH THE COLORADO RIVER.
AND THAT IS WHERE THE EFFLUENT, THE TREATED EFFLUENT FROM THE TREATMENT PLANT IS DISCHARGED INTO THE COLORADO.
SO, THERE ARE SOME ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS ON THIS PROPERTY, INCLUDING THE LOCATION OF, OF THE FACILITY IN, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED YEAR, 25 YEAR FLOODPLAIN, AS WELL AS CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
UH, YOU CAN SEE ON THE LEFT THE SURVEY, WHICH SHOWS SOME TOPOGRAPHY, UH, MOSTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE, THE CREEK.
BUT THERE, YOU KNOW, IS SOME, SOME ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS ON THIS PROJECT.
AND AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE ENHANCEMENT AND EXPANSION OF THE PROJECT IS A FLOOD WALL THAT WOULD PROTECT THE FACILITY FROM POTENTIAL FLOOD DAMAGE THAT WOULD HAVE SOME SERIOUS, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS IF THAT HAPPENED.
SO I'M GONNA DISCUSS KIND OF HIGH LEVEL GENERALLY WHAT THE EXPANSION AND ENHANCEMENT PROJECT ENTAILS, AND THEN THE CODE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED WITH THIS ORDINANCE.
UH, SO THIS IS A VISUAL, UH, YOU KNOW, GENERAL OVERLAY OF THE ENHANCEMENT AND EXPANSION PROJECT.
ON THE RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF THE PROJECT, UM, THE EXISTING FACILITY.
AND THEN TO THE SOUTH IS WHAT IS PROPOSED FOR THE EXPANSION.
YOU CAN SEE VERY LIGHTLY AN ORANGE LINE AROUND, UH, THE FACILITY, WHICH IS THE FLOOD WALL THAT WOULD GO AROUND THE ENTIRE FACILITY PROTECTING IT FROM FLOOD DAMAGE.
UH, ON THE LEFT IS A PLAN SET, UH, PLAN SHEET SHOWING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF THE PROJECT.
[00:15:01]
UH, THE FLOOD WALL IS SYMBOLIZED IN RED, AND THAT IS LISTED AS PACKAGE A AND THE LEGEND.AND THEN THE OTHER AREA SYMBOLIZED WITH BLUE, GREEN, AND ORANGE ARE THE OTHER COMPONENTS AND OTHER SITE PLANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ENHANCEMENT AND EXPANSION PROJECT.
AND LAST, THERE IS AN INCREASE, UM, IN THE AFFLUENT, THE WATER LINE ASSOCIATED WITH THE EXPANSION OF THE PROJECT.
AND THAT IS SYMBOLIZED IN BLACK, THE THICK BLACK LINE TO INCREASE THE, THAT WATER LINE, WHICH DISCHARGES INTO THE COLORADO RIVER.
ADDITIONALLY, AS A PART OF THE ENHANCEMENT AND EXPANSION OF THE PROJECT WOULD INCREASE MORE STRINGENT, UH, WATER QUALITY, WATER WASTEWATER TREATMENT OF, UM, THE WASTEWATER THAT'S COMING IN AND BEING TREATED AND BEING DISCHARGED INTO THE COLORADO, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THIS, UH, PROJECT AS WELL.
SO NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE CODE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE PROPOSED, UM, AS MINIMALLY REQUIRED TO ALLOW FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ENHANCEMENT AND EXPANSION OF THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
WHAT YOU CAN SEE IN THIS EXHIBIT HERE IS THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
IT'S SYMBOLIZED IN YELLOW AND THERE IS, UM, AN OVERLAY OF THE, UH, FLOOD WALL THAT'S SYMBOLIZED IN RED.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE FLOOD WALL DOES GO INTO THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE AND AS REGULATED BY 25 8 2 61, THERE ARE, UH, RESTRICTIONS ON WHAT CAN BE CONSTRUCTED IN A CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
AND THE ORDINANCE PROPOSES TO AMEND THIS SECTION OF CODE TO ALLOW THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FLOOD WALL IN THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
AS A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION, FOR THE IMPACT TO THE CRITICAL IN THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE PROPERTY, UM, THE PROJECT COMMITS TO DEDICATING, UH, AREA OF CRITICAL WATER QUALITY IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF WALNUT CREEK.
UH, IN EXCHANGE FOR WHAT, YOU KNOW, A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE CRITICAL THAT IS A PART OF THE EXPANSION AND ENHANCEMENT IS ALREADY, UH, IMPACTED, BUT IMPACTED, UH, EXISTING AND PROPOSED IMPACT OF THE CRITICAL IS PROPOSED TO BE MITIGATED FOR THE DEDICATION OF, UH, CRITICAL IN THE SOUTHERN PORTION.
SO THE IMPACTED AREA IS SYMBOLIZED IN PURPLE, AND THE DEDICATED CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE IS SYMBOLIZED IN GREEN, AND THE PROPOSED MITIGATION WOULD BE A ONE TO 1.5, SO 150% MORE THAN THE AREA THAT IS CURRENTLY IMPACTED.
ANOTHER CODE AMENDMENT THAT IS PROPOSED WITH THIS, UH, ORDINANCE IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL OF ANY VARIANCES TO 25 8 3 0 1, WHICH, UH, RESTRICTS, UH, CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES IN EXCESS OF 15%.
IN THE EXHIBIT, YOU CAN SEE AN AREA HIGHLIGHTED WITH A LITTLE, UH, RED BUBBLE AND A LITTLE CALL OUT.
AND THAT AREA IS THE, THE PLACE OF CONCERN WHERE THERE IS A PROPOSED, UM, REALIGNMENT OF A, A ROAD TO ACCESS THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE FACILITY.
UH, CURRENTLY THE DETAILS OF, UM, A POTENTIAL VARIANCE ARE STILL UNDER CONSIDERATION.
THE, THE SITE PLANS FOR THE PROJECT THERE BEING SEVERAL HAVE JUST ENTERED FORMAL REVIEW AND ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.
STAFF IS STILL CONSIDERING WHAT THE CONDITIONS ARE OR EVEN TO WHAT EXTENT A VARIANCE WOULD BE REQUIRED.
SO THE REQUEST WITHIN THIS ORDINANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY A DIRECT, UH, A COMPLETE, UH, VARIANCE, BUT RATHER A REQUEST FOR ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL OF A VARIANCE TO, UH, CONSTRUCTION ON SLIPS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCE, THERE IS ALSO A REQUESTED ADMINISTRATIVELY VARY, UH, CUT AND FILL REQUIREMENTS AS DEFINED IN 25 8 3 41 AND 3 42.
YOU CAN SEE IN THE EXHIBIT IN RED AND IN DARK BLUE, THE AREAS CONSIDERED FOR, UM, CUT AND FILL IN EXCESS OF FOUR FEET.
AND THE INTENTION IS TO ADMINISTRATIVELY VARY THESE THINGS DURING SITE PLAN REVIEW TO THE MINIMUM EXTENT NECESSARY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE EXPANSION, UM, AND ENHANCEMENT PROJECT.
AND LASTLY, UH, AN ADDITIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, APPROVAL PROCESS BEING PROPOSED IN THIS ORDINANCE IS RELATED TO THE REMOVAL OF HERITAGE TREES.
IN THE EXHIBIT, YOU CAN SEE WHAT IS IDENTIFIED AS TWO HERITAGE TREES THAT CONFLICT WITH THE ALIGNMENT OF THE FLOOD WALL IN THE INITIATING RESOLUTION.
AND AS A PART OF STAFF, UH, CONDITIONS, UH, THE PROJECT IS COMMITTING TO, IF FEASIBLE, RELOCATE THE PLANT, THE TREES ON SITE AND NOT REMOVE THEM.
UH, SINCE WE ARE STILL IN THE VERY BEGINNING PHASES OF REVIEWING THE SITE PLANS, THE REQUEST IS FOR THESE, UH, FOR THE POTENTIAL REMOVAL OF THE TREES TO BE ADMINISTRATIVELY DETERMINED BY THE CITY ARBORIST, UH, WITH THE INTENT TO HAVE THESE RELOCATED AS WE FIND A LOCATION WHERE
[00:20:01]
THE, IT WOULD BE FEASIBLE.SO THERE ARE OTHER CHAPTERS OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE THAT ARE ALSO BEING PROPOSED FOR AMENDMENT IN THIS ORDINANCE, UH, ONE BEING TO 25.
ONE RELATED TO GENERAL REQUIREMENTS OF PROCEDURES FOR APPROVAL OF VARIANCES, UH, ANOTHER BEING TO 25 5 RELATED TO THE APPROVAL OF MULTIPLE SITE PLANS ON A SINGLE, UH, PROPERTY.
AND THEN LASTLY, UH, PROPOSED, UH, AMENDMENT TO THE APPROVAL OF A FLOODPLAIN VARIANCE FOR IT TO BE ADMINISTRATIVE.
THIS IS STILL UNDER CONSIDERATION WITH WATERSHED STAFF, AND THIS PROCESS WOULD BE APPROVED AT COUNCIL IF IT IS INCLUDED AND BE CONSIDERED AT THAT POINT.
UM, IT IS STILL, UM, UNDER CONSIDERATION IF IT WOULD BE INCORPORATED IN THE, THE ORDINANCE OR NOT.
UM, OKAY, SO WITH THAT, STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED SITE SPECIFIC AMENDMENTS AND ASSOCIATED VARIANCES WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS.
THAT ONE, THE PROJECT IS REQUIRED TO SEEK ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCES FOR PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT THAT EXCEEDS OR MODIFIES THE REQUIREMENTS OF 25 8 3 0 1 CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES 25 8 3 41 AND 3 42, THE CUT AND FILL REQUIREMENTS, AND 25 8 2 64 AND 2 63 RELATED TO HERITAGE TREES.
AND TWO, UH, FOUR ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCES GRANTED BY THIS ORDINANCE.
THE PROJECT MUST DEMONSTRATE IN THE SITE PLAN THAT NO FEASIBLE CODE COMPLIANT, UH, DESIGN ALTERNATIVES EXIST.
UH, CONDITION THREE IS THAT THE PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO BORE THE NEW AFFLUENT WATERLINE UNDER WALNUT CREEK INSTEAD OF USING AN OPEN CUT CHANNEL CONDITION FOUR, THAT THE PROJECT EXTENDS THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE ASSOCIATED WITH THE SOUTHERNMOST SEGMENT OF WALNUT CREEK TO AN AREA 150%.
THE SITE OF THE PROPOSED IMPACTED CRITICAL.
AND THAT FIVE, THE PROJECT COMMITS TO RELOCATION OF IMPACTED HERITAGE TREES WHERE FEASIBLE.
UM, I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
AUSTIN WATER ALSO HAS, UH, A PRESENTATION AVAILABLE TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT, AND I WILL HAND IT OVER TO THEM.
HOPEFULLY I WON'T REPEAT TOO MUCH.
I'M AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH AUSTIN WATER WITH, UH, UH, OVER ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL SERVICES.
IN MY, UH, AREA OF PURVIEW IS, UH, REGARDING, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND DELIVERY, THOSE AND IMPLEMENTATION.
AND WALNUT CREEK PROJECT IS ONE OF THOSE, UM, IN MAY THE CITY COUNCIL DID APPROVE, UH, DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS FOR THE EXPANSION AND IMP AND IMPROVEMENTS OF THE WALNUT CREEK PLANT.
AND, AND IT, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DISCUSS TODAY.
SO I'LL, I'LL WALK THROUGH HOW OUR WALNUT CREEK SITS WITHIN OUR, OUR WASTEWATER SYSTEM IS OVERALL.
UM, I'LL WALK THROUGH SOME PLANT HISTORY WHERE WE GOT HERE TODAY.
UH, TALK ABOUT THE PLANT UPGRADES THAT WE FEEL THAT WE'RE PROVIDING, AND THEN, THEN WE'LL GO THROUGH QUICKLY THROUGH THE, UH, THE PROJECT ITSELF SOUTH.
UH, UH, IN GENERAL, WE HAVE TWO REGIONAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS, THE WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IN THE, UH, SOUTH AUSTIN REGIONAL, UH, WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, REGIONAL MEANING JUST THE REGIONS WITHIN AUSTIN, NOT REGIONS THAT WE'RE TAKING OTHER WASTEWATER FROM OTHER CITIES AROUND US.
SO, UM, AND THEN WE HAVE A, A ABOUT NINE, UH, DECENTRALIZED PACKAGE PLANTS OUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THE SOLIDS OF BOTH OF THE REGIONAL PLANTS ARE PUMPED TO HORNSBY BIN BIO SALVAGE PLANTS, WHICH IS KIND OF SHOWN IN BROWN ON THERE.
AND THAT IS FURTHER TREATED FOR USE OF COMPOST AS WELL AS DILLOW DIRT.
SO THE WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT BASICALLY SERVES NORTH AUSTIN.
WE, IF YOU WERE AROUND 29TH STREET, THAT'S WHERE THE TUNNEL STARTS TO COME AND COME THROUGH THERE.
SO ANYTHING NORTH OF THAT SHOWN IN WITH THE RED LINES IS IN WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER SERVICE AREA.
AND THEN THE BLUE LINES ON THAT MAP SHOW THE AREAS THAT GO THE SOUTH AUSTIN REGIONAL WASTEWATER PLANT, WHICH IS BASICALLY DOWNTOWN AND EVERYTHING SOUTH OF THERE.
SO THAT'S HOW THE FLOW, UH, WORKS WITHIN THE, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD, KINDA LOOK HOW THE, THE PLANT WAS DEVELOPED OVER THE PLANT HISTORY.
SO THIS, THIS IS A PICTURE HERE, UH, THE AERIAL ON THE RIGHT, OBVIOUSLY IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES, THIS IS WHEN THE PLANT WAS STARTING TO BE BUILT IN 1977 AS AN 18 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY PLANT.
SO THAT WAS KIND OF THE EMPHASIS.
AND THEN THIS IS THE SAME SLIDE, BUT WITH A, A NEWER AERIAL TODAY.
I THOUGHT I, I REALLY LIKED THAT OLD SLIDE, UH, AERIAL.
SO I WANTED TO GET THAT IN THERE.
[00:25:01]
THE 18 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY IS SHOWN IN BLUE ON THERE.THAT WAS WHAT WAS BEING CONSTRUCTED.
AND THEN ABOUT 10 YEARS LATER, WE UP, UH, WE INCREASED THE PLANT TO 40 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY, AND THAT'S SHOWN IN YELLOW.
AND YOU COULD SEE ON THE ORIGINAL 18 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY, WE HAD TO EXTEND THE AERATION BASE AND THEY GET THE, THE FULL 40 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
UM, THEN IN 1990, REAL, JUST SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE WENT AHEAD AND INCREASED IT TO 60 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
THAT'S SHOWN IN GREEN ON THE LAST, UM, TRAIN THERE ON THE RIGHT.
UM, LATE 1990S, UH, WE DID MOVE THE OUTFALL FROM WALNUT CREEK TO COLORADO RIVER.
SO WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN GOING DOWN TO COLORADO FOR ABOUT THE LAST 25 YEARS.
AND THEN IN 2005, UH, WE BUILT WHAT WE CALL THE HEADWORKS NUMBER TWO, WHICH SHOWN IN RED TO MAKE THE PLANT UP TO 75 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
AND I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT, WHEN WE DID THAT EXPANSION FROM 60 TO 75 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY, WE DIDN'T INCREASE ANY, UH, TREATMENT BASINS.
WE BASICALLY RERATED THE PLANT.
SO WE TOOK A 60 MILLION GALLON PER DAY PLANT AND MADE IT 75.
AND THEN AS FLOWS INCREASE, AND WE GOT TO 19, 20 19, EXCUSE ME, UH, WE DID COMMISSION AN OPTIMIZATION FACILITY PLAN.
WE WANTED TO SEE, UH, WHAT AVAILABLE CAPACITY WAS IN THE EXISTING PLANT.
UM, SINCE WE HAD ALREADY KINDA USED THAT, THERE WASN'T TOO MUCH IN THE EXISTING PLANT THAT WE COULD ALWAYS, UH, GET MORE CAPACITY OUT OF.
SO WE KNEW WE NEEDED TO GO GO FORWARD WITH AN EXPANSION AS WELL AS KIND OF, UH, HOW WE WERE GOING TO DO THAT EXPANSION.
AND WE WALKED THROUGH SEVERAL DIFFERENT, UH, TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES THAT WE COULD UTILIZE IN THE FUTURE.
SO, UM, AS THE PLANT GOT TO ABOUT 30 YEARS OLD, WE STARTED SOME STRATEGIC REHABILITATION, NEW AND RENEWAL PROJECTS, AND TO MAKE SURE THE PLANT OPERATED RELIABLE.
UH, I SHOW ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, 10 PROJECTS IN THE LAST 20 YEARS THAT WE'VE DONE.
I DID HIGHLIGHT THE HEADWORKS IN RED 'CAUSE THAT WAS SOMETHING WE JUST TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
AND THEN ABOUT THE 10 LAST 10 YEARS, WE, WE DID ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS WORTH.
UM, THOSE ARE KIND OF SHOWN IN LIGHT GREEN ON THAT, ON THAT GRAPHIC.
BUT I ALSO DID SHOW A, A CURRENT PROJECT THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, WE CALL THE PRIMARY AND FLOW EQUALIZATION BASIN.
WE ARE TAKING THE CLARIFIERS THAT, OR THE PRIMARY CLARIFIERS AND FBS, AND WE'RE REPLACING THOSE, THOSE ARE KIND SHOWN IN DARKER GREEN.
I KIND OF, 'CAUSE THEY'RE ONGOING RIGHT NOW.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE, WE'VE TOUCHED ALMOST EVERY PART OF THAT PLANT THROUGH SOME, SOME, UH, REHAB INITIATIVE AS WE COME TO THIS POINT THAT WE'RE DOING NOW WITH EXPANSION.
SO THIS IS TRULY A GENERATIONAL PROJECT FOR AUSTIN, AND WE FEEL THAT IT DOES PROVIDE SOME KEY BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO, 'CAUSE WE ARE REALLY UPGRADING OUR ENTIRE PROCESS AT THE PLANT.
SO FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE EXPANDING THE PLANT AS WE'RE, AS YOU NOTED, WE'RE GONNA EXPAND 20 FOR 25 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY, MAKE IT A HUNDRED MILLION GALLONS PER DAY FACILITY.
UH, THE FLOWS THAT WE WERE, WHAT WE, IF WE LOOKED AT, UH, WE EXCEEDED THE, THE 75% CAPACITY IN 2015.
AND THEN WE'VE SEEDED SURPLUS, 90% CAPACITY OF THE PLANT FOR THREE DIFFERENT TIME, THREE DIFFERENT MONTHS IN, UH, 2024.
SO WE'RE GETTING PRETTY CLOSE TO THE END OF THE CAPACITY OF THAT PLANT RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO HERE'S SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO TRY TO DO.
WE DO HAVE SOME, STILL SOME, UH, AGING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO MODERNIZE, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT A PLANT OPERATES CORRECTLY.
UM, THE ONE SIGNIFICANT ONE IS HEADWORKS.
IT'S PART OF THE IMPROVEMENTS OF THE EXPANSION.
IT'S AN, IT'S, IT'S 50 YEARS OLD, IT'S MADE ITS USEFUL LIFE.
WE WANNA BRING THAT BACK UP TO FULL FUNCTIONING VALUE.
AND SO, 'CAUSE WE NEED TO TAKE DOWN THE OTHER HEADWORKS FOR A SHORT BIT OF TIME.
AND WE WANTED TO HAVE THAT AS, UH, FUNCTIONING FULLY AT ITS BEST CAPABILITIES BEFORE WE DID THAT.
UH, THE OTHER, UH, UH, PROCESS, THE OTHER UPGRADE, THE OTHER KEY BENEFIT, EXCUSE ME, IS, UH, WE DO, AS WE TALKED ABOUT, WE WANT TO UPGRADE THE TREATMENT PROCESS.
UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY AN ACTIVATED SLUDGE COMPLEX PLANT.
WE WANT TO REDUCE THE NUTRIENT LEVELS THAT WE'RE DISCHARGING.
SO WE WANT TO CHANGE THE PLANT TO BIOLOGICAL NUTRIENT REMOVAL.
AND THIS WILL PROLONG THE HEALTH OF THE COLORADO RIVER.
UM, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? UH, THAT MEANS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE REMOVING PHOSPHORUS AT THE MINIMUM OF ABOUT 60%.
WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY, OUR BIOLOGICAL MODEL SHOWS UP TO 80% AS WELL AS NITROGEN LEVELS.
WE WOULD GO AHEAD AND, UH, DOUBLE WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY AND RE REMOVE ALMOST ABOUT 65% OF THE NITROGEN.
SO SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN REMOVAL OF BOTH PHOSPHORUS AND NITROGEN IN THE DISCHARGE STREAM FROM THE, FROM THE PLANT ONCE THIS IS COMPLETED.
[00:30:01]
SLIDE.WE WANNA DO SOME SAFER TECHNOLOGY FOR DISINFECTION.
WE WANT TO UTILIZE THE ULTRA ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT TECHNOLOGY THAT WOULD ELIMINATE THE, UH, CHEMICAL GAS THAT WE USE RIGHT NOW FOR DISINFECTION CHLORINE GAS AND SULFUR DIOXIDE FOR DECHLORINATION.
THAT WAY WOULD, WOULD ELIMINATE THOSE.
AND AS WELL AS DISCUSS THE FLOOD WALL AROUND THE PLANT.
THE, THE NEW AT THE NEW FLOODPLAIN ATLAS 14.
UM, IT DOES PUT THE PLANT IN A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN.
SO WE WANT TO BUILD FLOOD WALL AROUND IT.
WE PROBABLY LOOK A LITTLE LIKE NEW ORLEANS, I GUESS.
UM, BUT THAT WILL PROTECT US FROM ANY KIND OF FLOOD EVENTS THAT OCCUR.
THE HEIGHT OF THE WALL WE'RE NOT QUITE SET, BUT IT COULD BE, UH, ANYWHERE BETWEEN ABOUT 12 FEET TO ONE FOOT, ONE FOOT BEING FURTHER IN THE BACK, 12 FOOT BEING MORE UP FRONT.
UM, SOUNDS A LITTLE BIT TALL, BUT, UH, FEMALE DOES REQUIRE THREE FOOT FREEBOARD.
SO WE WILL HAVE TO PUT AT LEAST THREE FEET ABOVE WHATEVER WE THINK WE NEED.
WE NEED TO ADD ANOTHER THREE FEET SO IT GETS A LITTLE BIT TALLER.
AND WE THEN, SO THE WATER'S NOT 12 FEET, BUT WE WILL HAVE TO, UM, TO BUILD THE WALL AT LEAST THAT, UH, AT HEIGHT.
SO, UM, ADVANCED ODOR CONTROL.
WE WANT TO INCORPORATE, UM, BIO TRICKLING FILTERS.
WE WANT TO INCLUDE, UM, COVERING THE BASINS CARBON ACTIVATED FILTERS.
UH, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THE, THE AIR OUT OF THOSE PROCESS AREAS, PUT 'EM THROUGH A BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT UNIT, THE BIO TRICKLING FILTERS, AND THEN DISCHARGE THAT AIR INTO THE ATMOSPHERE, TREATED IT.
SO IT, UH, REMOVES ANY KIND OF, UH, ODORS.
UM, THE PLANT ITSELF IN GENERAL, YOU KNOW, THAT COMES IN, UH, UNDERGROUND.
THE HEAD WORKS IS AN ENCLOSED BUILDING.
THE, THE FLOW STAYS, UH, COVERED ALL THE WAY THROUGH TILL IT GETS TO THE AERATION BASIN WHERE IT'S AERATED AND THAT'S WHERE THE PROCESS THAT TAKES OCCUR.
SO WE DO HAVE MOST OF THE, UH, THE PROCESS TREATMENT COVERED WITH EXCEPTION TO AERATION BASINS.
UM, CONTINUING SERVICE, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ONE FOR US AS THE PLANT AS WE MOVE DOWN THE ROAD.
UH, THE PLANT WILL, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE GONNA START, HOPEFULLY CONSTRUCTION THIS YEAR WILL GO HOPEFULLY SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION, 31, FINAL COMPLETION, 32.
BUT AS WE GET TO THOSE OUTLYING YEARS, WE'RE GONNA BE CLOSE TO THE CAPACITY OF THE PLANT.
SO HOW DO YOU CONVERT AN EXISTING PLANT WHEN YOU NEED ALL THE PLANT? RIGHT? SO WE'LL HAVE TO, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THE CONTRACTOR AND, AND THE DESIGNERS TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE DO ALL THOSE CONVERSIONS TO GET TO THE PLAN.
UH, IT'S A VERY CRUCIAL, UH, GOAL FOR US TO DO THAT BECAUSE THE PLAN HAS ACHIEVED THE LAST FIVE YEARS, UH, AN NWA AWARD.
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATES HAVE CLEAN WATER, UH, AGENCY'S GOLD PEAK PERFORMANCE AWARD, WHICH MEANS THAT WE'VE HAD NO PERMIT VIOLATIONS FOR A CALENDAR YEAR.
UH, WE'RE KINDA EXCITED 'CAUSE THIS IS THE FIFTH YEAR, SO THAT MEANS WE'LL ACTUALLY GET A PLATINUM.
SO THAT'S, UH, SOMETHING THAT, THAT THE PLANT'S PROUD OF AND WE WANT TO MAINTAIN.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT GOAL FOR US TO MAINTAIN THAT NEXT SLIDE.
SO I WANT TO KIND OF WALK THROUGH, UH, LESLIE DID SHOW THIS, THIS GRAPHIC TO YOU.
UH, THE ORANGE IS THE NEW STUFF THAT WE'RE DOING.
UH, THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT COLORS.
ONE'S BASINS AND ONE IS BUILDINGS.
YOU CAN SEE MOST OF IT IS SOUTH OF THE PLANT, BUT WE ARE, YOU CAN SEE NORTH OF THE PLANT THAT WE'RE TO ACT, ADD SOME NEW THINGS.
THAT'S PART OF THE CONVERSION THAT WE NEED TO DO.
AND THE KIND OF THE BEIGE AREA IS ALL THE EXISTING PLANT.
AND AS I'VE NOTED, WE GOTTA GO IN THERE AND RECONVERT THE AERATION BASINS.
AND WE'RE ALREADY DOING SOME WORK ON THE PRIMARY TREATMENT CLARIFIERS, BUT YOU CAN KIND OF GROUP THE PROJECTS A LITTLE BIT.
WE HAVE THE RENEWAL PROJECTS WITH THE HEADWORKS.
I'VE DESCRIBED IT AT END OF USEFUL LIFE.
UH, THERE'S ANOTHER FACILITY FOR THE IN FLUENT LIFT STATION.
THE, THERE'S KIND OF A FUN FACT THE WELL FUN FOR ME, BUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE TUNNEL, THE CROSS DOWN TUNNEL COMES ALL ACROSS THE CITY, RIGHT? IT'S DEEP.
BUT WHEN IT GETS TO WALNUT CREEK, IT'S ONLY ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE FEET DEEP.
SO SOME OF THE LOCAL FLOWS AREAS NORTH ALONG JOHNNY MORRIS ROAD AND EAST OF MLK BOULEVARD, ACTUALLY, THEY COME IN DEEPER THAN THE TUNNEL.
SO THERE'S A, WE HAVE TO HAVE A ONSITE LIFT STATION TO TAKE CARE OF THAT.
SO THAT'S 50 YEARS OLD AND WE NEED TO, WE REPLACE THAT.
SO THOSE ARE TWO RENEWAL PROJECTS WE'RE DOING.
THE EXPANSION ITSELF, OF COURSE, THE 25 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY, AND AS LESLIE MENTIONED THAT WE NEEDED TO BRING IN, UH, WE NEEDED SOME PIPES LARGER TO BRING THE FLOW IN AND SOME PIPES BRINGING THE FLOW BACK OUT.
AND THE, THE ONE GOING BACK OUT TO COLORADO RIVER IS THE ONE THAT WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND TUNNEL UNDERNEATH TO SAVE ALL THOSE TREES.
UM, THERE'S ALSO THE TREATMENT CONVERSION.
WE WE'RE NOT JUST ADDING CAPACITY, WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING BACK INTO THE 75 MILLION GALLON PER PLANT AND CONVERTING IT BACK TO BIOLOGICAL NEUTRAL REMOVAL.
SO THERE'S, THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE PROJECT AS WELL AS PROTECTION OF THE PLANT.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE FLOOD WALL, BUT THERE'S ALSO A WET WEATHER FACILITY WE DOING FOR THE HIGH FLOWS THAT WE'RE PROVIDING FOR SLIDE PLEASE.
SO THIS HOW WE'RE GONNA DO ALL THIS, RIGHT? HOW ARE WE GONNA DO THIS? AND WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE VARIANCES, INCLUDING SOME OF THE MULTIPLE SITE PLANS THAT WE WANT TO DO.
WELL, WE WANT TO DO IT IN A CONSTRUCTION PACKAGES.
UH, IT'S NOTED HERE AS GMP, THAT'S KIND OF A, A, A THING
[00:35:01]
WITH A CON CONSIDERED A A A A GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE AS PART OF A CONSTRUCTION MANAGER, A RISK PROCESS THAT WE'RE DOING.BUT THE FIRST ONE IS THE HEAD FORKS AND THE IN FLUENT LIFT STATION, UH, THAT WE'RE GONNA DO FIRST.
AND THEN, UH, PACKAGE NUMBER TWO IS, UH, WE HAVE TO, UH, GET THE SITE READY FOR ALL THE CONSTRUCTION.
SO IT'S A MO MOBILIZATION, THERE'S GONNA BE A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THAT.
AND SOME, UH, ADVANCE, UM, SITE SERVICES THAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
GMP THREE IS, UH, EARLY PACKAGE DELIVERY.
SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT'S GONNA TAKE ALMOST A YEAR TO GET HERE.
SO WE GOT, SO WE WERE, WE'RE AFFORDED BUT THIS METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGER RISK THAT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GET SOME OF THAT, UH, UM, EQUIPMENT, UH, PURCHASED EARLY GMP FOUR, WE TALKED ABOUT THE FLOOD WALL.
AND THEN WHEN YOU DO A FLOOD WALL, YOU GOTTA WORRY ABOUT WHAT'S RAINING INSIDE THE FLOOD WALL.
SO WE HAVE TO DO ALL THE INTERNAL DRAINAGES TOO AS WELL.
SO WE'RE FINALLY AT THE EXPANSION, RIGHT? I'M FINALLY, WE'RE THERE, RIGHT? SO THAT'S THE DARKER BLUE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S ONLY ABOUT A THIRD OF THE OVERALL PROJECT.
IT'S JUST THE EXPANSION ITSELF OF THE 25 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY FACILITY.
UH, NUMBER SIX IS THE WET WEATHER FACILITY, WHICH KINDA SHOWN ON THE LEFT.
UM, SEVEN IS CONVERTING THE EXISTING PLANTS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE GREEN UP THERE IS CONVERTING THE, FOR THE BIOLOGICAL NEUTRAL REMOVAL AS WELL AS UV DISINFECTION.
SO THAT'S A CONVERSION OF THE PLANT.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS THE OUTFALL AND THE IN FLUENT PIPE COMING IN AGAIN THAT WE MENTIONED ABOUT THE OUTFALL GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE COLORADO RIVER IS THE TUNNEL.
SO WE'RE GONNA TRY THIS, UH, WITH A, A LITTLE VIDEO HERE.
SO THIS IS JUST AN AERIAL RENDERING THAT, UH, UM, THAT THE CONTRACTOR HAS PROVIDED FOR US.
MWH AND THAT'S, WE'RE JUST KIND OF ON THE SOUTH SIDE NOW.
IT'S TO YOUR LEFT THERE AS WE GO AROUND THE PLANT THERE.
SO YOU COULD SEE THIS WOULD BE KIND OF HOW THE PLANT WOULD, WOULD, UH, LOOK ONCE IT'S COMPLETED IN CONSTRUCTION.
SO SEE, YEAH, SO, AND THEN WE'RE COMING RIGHT OVER WALNUT CREEK RIGHT NOW, SO, YEAH.
SO WITH THAT, I GUESS WE WILL TAKE QUESTIONS.
PARDON ME? WE HAVE, UH, BOBBY LEVINSKY.
AND I BELIEVE YOU HAVE TIME DONATED FROM MR. ROY WHALEY.
IF YOU WANNA WAVE TO ME, ROY SHOW YOU'RE HERE.
SO YOU'LL HAVE SIX MINUTES TOTAL ONCE YOU MAKE IT TO THE PODIUM.
BOBBY LAVINSKY SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE EXTRA TIME BECAUSE I THINK I WANT TO COVER THIS IN TWO PARTS.
UM, ONE OF IT IS KIND OF QUESTIONING THE NEED FOR THE FACILITY, AND THE SECOND PART IS WHAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY BEING ASKED TO VOTE ON TODAY.
UM, SO THAT FIRST PART IS ABOUT, UH, WITH THIS, THIS SHEET THAT I HAVE THAT'S KIND OF THE COLORED PRETTY ONE.
UM, IT SORT OF QUESTIONS THE NEED FOR THE CONTINUATION OF JUST ENDLESS EXPANSION OF THESE LARGE SCALE, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
UM, IF WE CAN START USING THE BENEFITS OF CONSERVATION, WE CAN START REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT'S FLOWING DOWNSTREAM TO THESE FACILITIES.
AND THAT'S REALLY THE KEY HERE.
I WAS PART OF THE, UM, THE RATE STUDY THAT WAS GOING ON LAST YEAR WITH THE AUSTIN WATER UTILITY.
UM, AND THE BIG DRIVER IN THE RATE INCREASE WAS THIS FACILITY.
IT WAS THIS BILLION DOLLAR EXPANSION OF THE WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN THAT DROVE, UH, 9.6% INCREASE IN RESIDENTIAL RATES.
AND THAT WAS A 20% INCREASE FOR CAP CUSTOMERS.
SO OUR LOWEST INCOME FAMILIES, UM, WE NEED TO START USING OUR CONSERVATION STRATEGIES TO ACTUALLY AVOID THESE MASSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
UM, I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE A DISAGREEMENT OVER THE DATA.
WE'VE GOT THE CHARTS HERE ON THE EVENTS FOR THE, THE, THE HISTORY OF THE FACILITY ON WHERE IT IS, ON THE CAPACITY OF WHERE, WHETHER IT'S HIT THAT 75 90 RULE UNDER TCEQ.
[00:40:01]
UM, SO THE 90% RULE WE UNDERSTAND IT HAS NOT BEEN HIT.UM, I'M HAPPY TO BE WRONG ON THAT.
I'M GETTING THE INFORMATION FROM OUR ENGINEER.
UM, BUT IT MAY, THERE MAY HAVE BEEN THREE MONTHS WHERE IT EXCEEDED THAT THRESHOLD, BUT IT WASN'T THREE CONSECUTIVE MONTHS.
AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF THE, WHERE THAT TRIGGER ACTUALLY HAPPENS WITH THE STATE LAW WHEN YOU HAVE TO PROCEED WITH CONSTRUCTION.
AND NOTHING IN THAT RULE WOULD SAY THAT YOU HAVE TO PROCEED WITH A 25, UM, MILLION GALLONS PER DAY EXPANSION AT THAT.
UM, THAT'S QUITE A, AS YOU SEE THE HISTORY OF THE FACILITY, IT'S GONE UP QUITE A BIT OVER TIME.
UM, AND WE NEED TO START FIGURING OUT HOW WE CAN STOP DOING THIS TREND.
UM, AND THEN I WANNA ALSO MENTION THAT AGAIN, THESE FACILITIES ARE LOCATED IN, IN AREAS WHERE WE DIDN'T TAKE CARE OF THE CREEKS.
THEY WERE BUILT THERE WHEN WE WEREN'T TAKING CARE OF THE EAST SIDE CREEKS.
UM, YES, THERE WAS A REFERENCE THAT IT'S NOT OVER THE RECHARGE ZONE, WHICH IS GREAT
UM, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE VALUING, UH, VALUING THE CREEKS IN THE EAST SIDE JUST AS MUCH, UM, AND, AND OFFERING THEM THE SAME LEVELS OF PROTECTION.
UM, THAT LEADS ME TO WHAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY BEING VOTED ON TODAY.
UM, SO THIS RESOLUTION WAS PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL ON THURSDAY, ON FRIDAY.
IT DIDN'T HAVE BACKUP MATERIAL.
AND THE BACKUP MATERIAL THAT IS STILL POSTED TODAY IS NOT THE SAME BACKUP MATERIAL THAT YOU JUST SAW WITH THE LONGER PRESENTATION HERE.
SO THE, THE LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY ON THIS IS, IS AN ISSUE TO BEGIN WITH.
UM, AND THEN I THINK THAT THERE'S ALSO AN ISSUE WITH THE WAY THE CITY COUNCIL'S PROCEEDED WITH THIS.
THEY BASICALLY SAID, BRING THIS BACK TO US BY MAY 8TH, OR IF YOU NEED TO CUT OUT THE BOARDS AND COMMISSION REVIEW PROCESS, THEY BASICALLY SAY THEY DON'T CARE WHAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
THEY JUST WANT TO GET THIS THING APPROVED AND PASSED.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE THIS SAME STANDARD FOR A PRIVATE ACTOR.
AND I THINK THE CITY SHOULD BE HOLDING ITSELF TO THE SAME STANDARD AS IT WOULD ANY DEVELOPER THAT'S COMING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
UM, A LOT OF THE DETAILS THAT YOU WERE PRESENTED TONIGHT SAY THAT THEY'RE SWITCHING IT OVER TO ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE DETAILS YET, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD BE CONSIDERING AS PART OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL VARIANCE.
UM, AND WHETHER OR NOT THE DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE TO, TO, TO, TO LOWER THE AMOUNT OF ENVIRONMENTAL VARIANCE, YOU DON'T KNOW, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW THOSE DETAILS.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHETHER THIS IS IN THE BEST DECISION OF THE ENVIRONMENT.
UM, WITH SOME OF THESE FACTORS, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS YET.
UM, WE'VE SEEN THIS ONE PRESENTATION ON THIS THAT'S NOT EVEN IN THE BACKUP MATERIAL.
SO LET'S GO THROUGH THE CRITERIA ON WHAT'S BEING CONSIDERED, WHAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IS SUPPOSED TO CONSIDER.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS THAT THE REQUIREMENT WILL DEPRIVE THE APPLICANT OF A PRIVILEGE AVAILABLE TO OWNERS OF OTHER SIMILAR SITUATED PROPERTY.
I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY CODE THAT WOULD PROVISION THAT WAS, UM, RAISED TONIGHT.
THAT WOULD NOT BE A REQUIREMENT FOR ANYONE THAT'S LOCATED ALONG WALNUT CREEK.
THAT WOULD INCLUDE HERITAGE TREE ORDINANCE THAT WOULD INCLUDE CUT AND FILL, UH, REGULATIONS.
AND IT WOULD INCLUDE MAYBE REMOVING THAT WALL FROM THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE AND BUILDING IT OUTSIDE OF IT.
UM, THE VARIANCE IS NOT NECESSITATED BY THIS SCALE.
THIS IS ONLY NECESS NECESSA NECESSITATED BY THE SCALE OF THE PROJECT.
ONLY BECAUSE THIS IS AN EXPANSION WAS ARE THESE VARIANCES BEING BROUGHT FORWARD? SO HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT IT'S NOT NECESSITATED BY THE SCALE? WE HAD THIS, UH, ISSUE COME UP, UH, LAST YEAR WITH A COUPLE WAREHOUSES IN, IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN.
THIS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDED AGAINST IT BECAUSE IT WAS ABOUT THE SCALE, THE FACILITY THAT THE, THE APPLICANT WAS DOING THAT NECESSITATED THE SKILL OF THE CUT AND FILL THAT WAS THEN, UM, BEING REQUESTED.
AGAIN, WE, I'M GOING OFF SOME SPECULATION HERE BECAUSE WE STILL DON'T HAVE THE DETAILS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANY ANALYSIS FROM CITY STAFF SHOWING AND PROVING UP THEIR BURDEN UNDER THE ENVIRONMENTAL VARIANCE PROCESS, WHICH IS THEIR BURDEN TO PROVE TO YOU THAT THEY'VE MET THESE THRESHOLDS.
UM, THE NEXT ONE IS, IS IT IMMEDIATE, UH, MINIMUM DEVIATION OF THE CODE? I DON'T KNOW.
THEY DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH CUT AND FILL THEY'RE GONNA BE ASKING FOR.
YOU JUST HEARD THAT WITH THEIR PRESENTATION.
UM, AND THIS, THE VARIANCE DOES NOT CREATE A SIGNIFICANT PROBABILITY OF ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, UM, HARMFUL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES.
IT DOES WHEN YOUR THROAT, WHEN YOU'RE, UH, SENDING MORE EFFLUENT DOWN THE STREAM, YOU'RE GOING TO BE, UH, MESSING WITH THE NUTRIENT LEVELS IN THE CREEK.
YOU'RE GONNA BE INCREASING PHOSPHORUS, YOU'RE GONNA BE INCREASING ALGAE BLOOMS, YOU'RE GONNA BE INCREASING EROSION DOWN THE STREET, THE STREAM AS WELL.
EVEN IF YOU ARE TREATING THAT ADDITIONAL CAPACITY TO A HIGHER STANDARD, YOU'RE SENDING MORE TOTAL EFFLUENT, MORE TOTAL VOLUMES DOWN THAT STREAM.
SO YOU ARE HAVING AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ON THE CREEK.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THE DETAILS FOR YOU TO VOTE TONIGHT, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU NOT TO.
I GUESS WE'LL OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY REMOTE AND I BELIEVE SINCE IT'S COMMISSIONER CHANG, IT'S FIRST DAY, I'M NOT GONNA MAKE HER GO FIRST.
UH, YEAH, Y'ALL, I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
I ALSO APPRECIATE THE, UH, COMMUNITY
[00:45:01]
INPUT.UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS WONDERING SORT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A PART IN THE SLIDE WHERE IT WAS TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO DO THE PROJECT IN PHASES SO THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING MESSES UP, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE THING DOESN'T GO KAPUT.
UM, I WAS WONDERING IF Y'ALL COULD TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SORT OF POTENTIAL DANGERS AND HOW THAT COULD SORT OF IMPACT THE, UH, THE WASTEWATER SYSTEM AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE WALNUT CREEK OR THE COLORADO RIVER BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, I DO REMEMBER BACK DURING THE BLIZZARD WHEN, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING HAPPENED OR, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE ICE STORMS WHERE SOMETHING HAPPENED, RIGHT? WITH ONE OF THE PLANTS.
AND WE ALL ENDED UP LOSING WATER IN THE CITY FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.
SO OBVIOUSLY IT SOUNDS CRAZY, BUT I MEAN, THINGS CAN HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE END UP, YOU KNOW, HIRING HOMER SIMPSON AND HE PRESSES THE WRONG BUTTON OR SOMETHING, RIGHT? AND STUFF GOES LEFT DURING, UH, THIS PROJECT AND LIKE A BUNCH OF WASTEWATER GETS DUMPED INTO THE CREEK OR SOMETHING BY ACCIDENT.
SO, UH, YEAH, I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT SORT OF POTENTIAL STUFF THAT COULD HAPPEN AND WHAT WE WOULD DO TO MITIGATE THOSE KIND OF SITUATIONS.
CHARLES LORA, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF LOST AND WATER.
UH, THE, THE PHASE PORTION IS, IS A CRUCIAL WAY TO MAKE SURE WE DO STILL MEET THE TREATMENT REQUIREMENTS THAT WE'LL NEED TO DO.
UM, THE, ONE OF THE PHASES, UH, AS, AS I WALK THROUGH THEM, UM, THEY WERE ALL KIND OF, UH, THE REHABILITATION WAS UPFRONT OF THE PROJECT, SO THAT'S NOT GOING TO INTERFERE WITH THE TREATMENT PROCESS.
WE'RE GETTING THE SITE READY, WE'RE GETTING THE WALL DONE, THEN WE'RE GOING IN AND BUILDING THE 25 MILLION GALLON PER DAY FACILITY.
SO WE'LL PUT THAT ON, WE'LL PUT THAT, UM, BUILD IT, WE'LL COMMISSION IT, AND THEN WE'LL START GOING INTO THE EXISTING FACILITY WHILE WE HAVE SOME OF THAT NEW, UH, CAPACITY BUILT SO WE CAN TAKE THAT DOWN AND THEN GO AHEAD AND CONVERT THOSE TRAINS.
SO MY HOPE IS THAT WE HAVE BASICALLY HAVE THREE MAIN TRAINS THAT ARE EXISTING, RIGHT? EACH OF 'EM 25 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
SO WE BUILD THE FOURTH ONE, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE TAKE ONE DOWN, STILL MAINTAIN 75 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
SO WHILE WE'RE CONVERTING THOSE FACILITIES, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TO GO ONE EACH TIME SO THAT, THAT IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AT THE SAME TIME.
AND THEN, UH, I GUESS THE SECOND PART OF THE QUESTION, YOU KNOW, UH, AS FAR AS LIKE, LET'S SAY SOMETHING YOU KNOW, GOES WRONG AND, UH, WE END UP DUMPING A BUNCH OF WASTEWATER INTO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE SORT OF NATURAL SYSTEMS AROUND THERE, WHAT SORT OF THE, THE MITIGATION PROCESS FOR THAT AND LIKE HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THAT? UM, WE CONSTANTLY MONITOR OUR, OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT.
UH, WE, WE OBVIOUSLY TAKE SAMPLES EVERY DAY, BUT WE ALSO HAVE ONLINE METERS.
SO THE, THE, UH, WE CAN USUALLY, IF THERE IS AN UPSET COMING, WE CAN USUALLY SEE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT AND GO AHEAD AND CORRECT AUTO, YOU KNOW, NOT AUTO CORRECT, BUT CORRECT OUR TREATMENT PROCESS TO ENSURE WE STILL MAINTAIN OUR PERMIT.
UM, UH, PLANT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL, AS MENTIONED FIVE YEARS WITH NO DISCHARGE PERMIT, UH, VIOLATIONS FOR THE WATER TREATMENT.
UM, IF, IF THERE IS ONE, UH, WE WOULD HAVE TO STILL NOTIFY THE DOWNSTREAM, NOTIFY THE PUBLIC AND NOTIFY TCAQ THAT SOMETHING DID HAPPEN.
UM, AND THEN, UH, USUALLY WITH OUR PARTNERS WITH WATERSHED, WE GO AND SEE WHAT MITIGATION METHODS WE WOULD NEED TO DO FOR THE STREAM IF THERE IS SUCH AN EVENT.
BUT THAT WOULD, WOULD, IF SOMETHING DOES OCCUR, THAT'S WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.
AND THEN, UH, I GUESS MY FINAL QUESTION, YOU KNOW, SORT OF INSPIRED BY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY INPUT THAT WE JUST HEARD, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE Y'ALL DONE ANY SORT OF, YOU KNOW, RESEARCH AS TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT POTENTIAL EFFECTS, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, IN INCREASED, UH, WATER FLOW INTO SORT OF THE, THE NATURAL WATER SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF THAT COULD BE? UM, WITH THE DISCHARGE PERMIT AND THE LIMITS THAT ARE PROVIDED TO US BY TCEQ, IT GOES THROUGH A WHOLE STREAM ANALYSIS OF WHAT THEY DO AND THEY DETERMINE WHAT LIMITS OF, UH, NUTRIENTS WE CAN ADD INTO THE STREAM AND NOT DECORATE THE STREAM.
AND SO WE DID MENTION ABOUT PHOSPHORUS THAT NEW LIMIT IS 834 POUNDS A DAY.
UM, JUST, JUST FOR, UH, FOR, FOR CLARITY'S SAKE, I MEAN, WE ARE OVER 2000 TODAY, SO IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCTION TODAY.
AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, OUR MODELING OF THE PLANT, RIGHT, IT'S A CONCEPTUAL MODEL, BUT OUR MODELING OF THE PLANT, THE COMPUTER MODELING SHOWS THAT WE MAY ACTUALLY EVEN APPROACH 80%.
SO WE WAS THE, UH, NITROGENS THAT WE DO, WE FULLY NITRIFY
[00:50:01]
ALL THE, UM, THE AMMONIA IN THE PLANT, BUT WE DON'T FULLY DE NITRIFY.UH, SO WITH THIS NEW PROCESS, WE WILL BE ABLE TO DO SOME, SOME MORE OF THAT AND WE WILL DOUBLE THE, OUR NITROGEN REMOVAL THAT WE'RE DOING TODAY.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW THE MATH OFF HAND, BUT THOSE, I MEAN, SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS, UH, I THINK WE'RE, WE MOST LIKELY WOULD ACTUALLY BE PUTTING LESS NUTRIENTS IN AT A HUNDRED MILLION GALLONS A DAY THAT WE'RE DOING TODAY.
SO, AND THAT'S SORT OF PART OF LIKE THE, THE RETROFITTING OR UPGRADE PROCESS BASICALLY? CORRECT, YES.
CORRECTING THE, YEAH, GOING BACK INTO THE EXISTING 75 MILLION GALLON PER DAY AND CONVERTING THAT PLANT.
APPRECIATE, UH, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS AT THE TIME.
YEAH, THANK Y'ALL FOR, UH, COMING AND PRESENTING.
I'M MUCH MORE INFORMED NOW TO BE ABLE TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS.
UM, I, I, I HOPE FIRST ONE'S KIND OF SIMPLE, BUT WAS CURIOUS IF YOU COULD EXPAND MORE ON EXACTLY WHAT THE MITIGATION YOU'RE DOING WHEN YOU EXPAND THE CRITICAL WATER ZONE.
WHAT IS IT THAT'S GOING ON THERE? UH, DOES THE PUBLIC ENGAGE WITH THAT IN ANY WAY OR HOW IS IT DIFFERENT? UM, I CAN TRY AND THEN HAND IT OFF TO LESLIE IF, UH, SHE HAS ANYTHING.
SO LIZ JOHNSTON, INTERIM ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER, SO BASICALLY RIGHT NOW THERE ARE AREAS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN GOOD SHAPE RIPARIAN WISE, THEY'RE HEAVILY WOODED.
UM, THEY'RE CONNECTED, UH, TO WALNUT CREEK, PARTIALLY IN THE FLOOD PLAIN, BUT THEY'RE NOT PROTECTED BY THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
AND SO BY REMOVING AREAS THAT ARE REALLY MOSTLY ALREADY DISTURBED, BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY PART OF THE PLANT FOOTPRINT FROM THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE, SO IT'S EFFECTIVELY A BUFFER THAT'S NOT REALLY SERVING ANY, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT SERVING AS CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE AND REMOVING ONE AND A HALF TIMES THAT TO ANOTHER AREA.
IT JUST INCREASES THE, UH, THE PROTECTION OF WALNUT CREEK, UM, AND I GUESS THE COLLABORATOR RIVER AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT PUBLIC WOULD BE INVITED INTO THAT SPACE IS PROBABLY A DIFFERENT QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, TRAILS AND OTHER THINGS ARE ALLOWED IN CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES WITH SOME LIMITS.
UM, BUT, BUT, AND THE REASON FOR THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE IS WATER QUALITY PROTECTION MORE THAN ANYTHING, SO.
SO I, I, UM, IT DOES SEEM LIKE THE CURRENT, UH, LAND WE'RE TAKING FOR THAT IS ALL TO THE NORTH AND ON, UH, THE EAST SIDE OF THE CREEK, AND THE MAJORITY NOW IS GOING ALL TO THE SOUTH ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE CREEK.
IS THAT HOW I UNDERSTAND IT? UM, YES.
THE MAJORITY OF THE AREA THAT'S BEING DEDICATED FOR NEW CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CREEK.
UM, ONE ADDITIONAL COMPONENT THAT I JUST WANTED TO, UH, CLARIFY IS, UM, OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE DOES ALLOW FOR BUFFER AVERAGING, WHICH IS AN ABILITY TO, UH, TAKE PART OF THE BUFFER OF A CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE AND ADD IT TO ANOTHER LOCATION.
AND IN THIS, UH, IN THIS PROJECT THAT IS BEING ENHANCED BY DOING IT, UH, 150% VERSUS JUST A ONE-TO-ONE, UM, OFFSET.
SO THAT IS A, A TOOL IN OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE THAT'S ALREADY U IT'S ALREADY AVAILABLE FOR, UM, KIND OF OFFSETTING AN IMPACT TO A PART OF THE CRITICAL THAT IS IN ONE PLACE AND THEN MITIGATING FOR IT IN ANOTHER PLACE BY EXPANDING IT.
AND I ASSUME IT WENT THROUGH WHEN LOOKING AT A CREEK IN THAT MORE LINEAR SYSTEM THAT IT'S STILL JUST AS STRONG AND HEALTHY, UH, THOUGH BECAUSE YOU'RE REMOVING IT, MAKING IT SMALLER ON ONE SIDE AND, AND IN A MORE DEDICATED AREA AND THEN MOVING IT ALL TO THE SOUTH AND ON THE OTHER SIDE.
SO IS THE CREEK BANK ON, ON THAT MILE OR HALF? HALF MILE? I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THAT IS JUST AS STRONG.
UM, SO I WOULD SAY THAT IT'S, IT'S PRESERVING KIND OF STATUS QUO IN A WAY, BUT OFFERING MORE PROTECTION, UM, FOR THE SOUTHERN AREA THAT IS NOT DISTURBED FOR FROM FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS.
SO IT'S, IT'S EXPANDING PROTECTIONS FOR THE FUTURE.
UM, THE, THERE REALLY WASN'T AN OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ASKED AND TALKED ABOUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, CAN WE PUSH THE DRIVEWAY A LITTLE BIT, GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE SPACE, BUT THERE REALLY WASN'T ANY ROOM TO EXPAND THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE OR, OR PROTECT MORE KIND OF BECAUSE OF WHERE THE DRIVEWAY IS LOCATED ON THE NORTHERN PART.
SO, AND THERE'S ALSO SOME EASEMENTS AND OTHER THINGS GOING ON.
SO, SO IN THE, THE, THE CONTEXT OF SOME OF THE COMMENTS WE HEARD AND PROJECTIONS OF WASTE AND KNOWING WE REALLY NEED OUR, OUR, OUR PUBLIC TO, UM, PRODUCE LESS WASTE.
I, I DID, IT DID SEEM TO ME IN THE PRESENTATIONS, THE, THE, THE ABSENCE OF HOW THE PUBLIC ENGAGES THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT CURRENTLY.
UH, ARE THERE TOURS THAT GO ON? DOES THE PUBLIC SEE THE SITE AT ALL? THE, THE, THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT
[00:55:01]
PLANT SITE IS A CLOSED FACILITY.UH, WE DO TAKE PUBLIC IN ON A REQUESTED BASIS IF, IF NEED TO BE.
SO THAT HAS BEEN DONE, BUT IN GENERALLY IT'S NOT CONSIDERED A PUBLIC FACILITY.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, WITH ONE CAVEAT IS THAT IN THIS, IN THE SCREEN WHEN WE DO THE, THE, UH, AERIAL VIEW, YOU SAW A KIND OF, LET'S CALL IT A POND UP FRONT THAT IS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
SO IF IT'S WITHIN OUR PROPERTY, BUT THERE ARE FENCES SOUTH OF THAT, SO PEOPLE, THE PUBLIC DOES WALK AROUND THERE, FISH AROUND THERE, I'VE SEEN IT SEVERAL TIMES.
SO THEY DO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT PART OF, OF OUR, OF OUR PLANT.
UM, AND THE WALNUT CREEK SOUTHERN TRAIL DOES GO ON THE WEST SIDE OF IT.
AND IS THERE A FENCE WHEN, UH, PEOPLE CAN GO INTO THE CREEK AND IT'S KIND OF FUN TO EXPLORE UP AND UP AND DOWN THERE? UM, BUT CAN, HOW CAN THEY GO ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CREEK AND ACCESS, AT WHAT POINT DO THEY HIT A FENCE OR IS THE FLOOD WALL GONNA BE THE NEW FENCE? THE FLOOD WALL WILL BE THE NEW FENCE, FLOOD WALL WITH THE NEW FENCE AND YEAH, GENERALLY FOLLOWS KIND OF AN EXISTING BERM THAT WE HAVE ALREADY RIGHT THERE.
SO, WHICH IS CURRENTLY FENCED RIGHT NOW AS IT IS, BUT THAT'LL BE THE NEW WALL.
HAVE WE SEEN IMAGES OF WHAT THAT FLOOD WALL IS GONNA LOOK LIKE AND HOW WAS THAT IN THE, DID I MISS THAT IN THE PRESENTATION? DO WE KNOW, DO WE HAVE THAT RENDERED YET? WE HAVE NOT RENDERED IT FULLY.
WE HAVE TAKEN, WE HAVE LOOKED AT DIFFERENT VARIATIONS OF IT.
UM, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT THE DIFFERENT STYLE OF FENCE IS A DIFFERENT PRICE FOR EACH ONE.
SO WE'RE UNDERNEATH VALUATION OF THAT.
SO I, LOOKING AT A MAP, I LIVE IN GOOGLE EARTH, MY JOB'S A PLANNER.
SO FOR, UH, THAT'S WHERE I GO TO.
AND I NOTICE, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE WALNUT CREEK TRAILS OF, OF PUBLIC GOING THROUGH THE SITE.
YOU HAVE THE WATER BODY, WHICH I NOTICED OFF MLK, UM, YOU GOT URBAN ROOTS TO THE SOUTH AND SOME OTHER, UH, ENGAGEMENTS.
SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS WHAT THE RELATIONSHIP IS WITH THE PUBLIC.
THERE'S AN INFORMAL ONE OF BEING GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO INTO THE CREEK AND I THINK OF HORNSBY BEND, THAT'S A GREAT SITE FOR BIRDING, I THINK ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS IN, IN, IN AUSTIN.
AND WONDER IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY HERE WITH ALL YOUR EDGES THAT HAVE A, A, A PUBLIC COMPONENT TO 'EM IN SOME SENSES TO THE SOUTH AND THE WEST SIDE.
I THINK THE MAIN, UH, I, I GUESS ACCESS WE COULD PROVIDE IS THERE'S PARKING AROUND THE LAKE SO PEOPLE CAN GO AHEAD AND PARK AROUND THE LAKE AND THEN CROSS THE BRIDGE TO GET TO THE WALNUT CREEK.
'CAUSE IT IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CREEK.
UH, SO THAT WE DO PROVIDE SOME LOCAL PARKING FOR THAT.
'CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S KINDA HARD TO PARK FIND PARKING SPACES TO GET ONTO THAT CREEK.
BUT ONCE WE GET TO THE, TO THE WALL AREA, THEN THAT IS KIND OF, UM, BEHIND, NOT FOR THE PUBLIC, THERE IS ONE MORE PUBLIC THING.
WE DO DO, WE DO HAVE A SEPTIC RECEIVING STATION FOR RVS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC TO USE THAT PARTICULAR FACILITY.
BUT THAT'S KIND OF WALLED OFF JUST FOR THAT PART PORTION OF THE, IT'S LIKE A DUMP STATION FOR YEAH.
FOR RV OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, WELL, AND THAT, THAT, THAT SPIRIT OF, AGAIN, TRYING TO REDUCE WASTE, I THINK THERE IS A REAL OPPORTUNITY WITH THE EXPENSE OF THIS PROJECT TO BRING, HOW, HOW IT BRINGS THE PUBLIC MORE INTO IT, IT'S INVOLVEMENT, WHETHER THAT BE A BIRDWATCHING SITE INTERPRETATION ALONG THE TRAIL.
UM, HUNDREDS, I DON'T KNOW, Y'ALL GOT TRAIL COUNTERS.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE GO ON THAT, ON THAT TRAIL EDGE.
AND THERE, THERE'S A GREAT COMMUNITY THERE.
AND, AND THINK, UH, WITH THIS PROJECT, WE SHOULD TRY TO BRING IN THE PUBLIC A BIT MORE.
I THINK THE, THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM IS ALSO DOING A PROJECT ALONG 9 6 9, AND IT'LL BE WIDENING THE SIDEWALKS ALONG THROUGH THERE.
SO IT'LL LEND ITSELF MORE TO, FOR, UH, PUBLIC ACCESS AT LEAST, OR PUBLIC PEDESTRIAN TRAVEL.
I'M GONNA GO CHECK OUT THAT POND.
AND, UH, ONE THING I WILL BE LOOKING FOR IS I WONDER HOW NOISY IT IS WITH MLK RIGHT THERE, AND WONDER THAT HOW THAT EXPERIENCE FOR BIRDING, IF WE COULD GET SOMETHING A LITTLE NICER TO THE SOUTH QUIETER.
UH, AGAIN, IN THAT SPIRIT OF WONDERING HOW IT RELATES TO ENVIRONMENT, IT'S, UH, I THINK THIS IS AN EXPANSION PROJECT FOR WASTE, BUT WE NEED A MESSAGING OF, OF, OF ALL OF OUR ROLE IN, IN THE WASTE PROJECT, IN THE REDUCTION OF WASTE.
UM, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENTS, AND THANK YOU FOR THE INCREDIBLE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS ALREADY ASKED.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE 16 AND A HALF ACRES THAT ARE BEING ADDED FOR MITIGATION INTO THE, OR BEING PROPOSED TO BE ADDED, UH, FOR MITIGATION INTO THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
UM, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS A LITTLE, A LITTLE BIT WHAT, UM, WE HEARD FROM CITY STAFF, WHICH IS THAT IT FEELS TO ME LIKE PRESERVING THE STATUS QUO A LITTLE BIT.
LIKE, SO I'M WONDERING WHAT WE REALLY DO ACHIEVE IN ADDING THIS LAND INTO THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
IN THEORY, IT CAN ADD MORE PROTECTIONS
[01:00:01]
FROM FUTURE DEVELOPMENT, BUT AS WE SEE TONIGHT, WE GET ASKED TO UPDATE THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE OR CREATE VARIANCES ALL THE TIME.SO I'M WONDERING IN EFFECT HOW IMPACTFUL THAT REALLY WILL BE TO ADD THAT 16 AND A HALF ACRES.
SO I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THAT LAND'S CURRENT ZONING AND DESIGNATIONS AND WHAT REALLY WE THINK THIS AFFORDS US.
YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT IS A FAIR QUESTION.
UM, AS LESLIE SAID, THERE IS ALREADY A, AN OPPORTUNITY IN THE, THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE TO DO BUFFER AVERAGING.
SO, AND IF, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ESSENTIALLY KIND OF ALLOWING US TO DO SIMILAR TO WHAT THE CODE ALREADY ALLOWS, BUT MORE, AND SO I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY NOT AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO THAT AREA.
UM, HOWEVER THE PLANT COULD EXPAND TO THE SOUTH, UH, MORE THERE COULD BE, UH, UM, PARKLAND REQUESTS OR SOMETHING ALONG WITH THE TRAIL THAT WE WOULD WANT TO AT LEAST MINIMIZE AND, AND HAVE SOME SORT OF, UM, NEGOTIATION THERE.
SO IT, IT'S REALLY KIND OF JUST PROTECTING AREAS THAT ARE REALLY HIGHLY, UM, FUNCTIONING REALLY WELL AS RIPARIAN AN AREA FROM FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
WHAT THAT DEVELOPMENT COULD BE IS, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY NOTHING IMMINENT.
UM, AND I'M LOOKING AT THE MAP ON SLIDE SEVEN AND I SEE THE, THE ORANGE OUTLINE THAT I IMAGINE IS THE CITY PROPERTY.
AND I'M CURIOUS FOLLOWING ELSEWHERE ALONG THE CREEK, UM, HOW FAR THE CRI CRITICAL WATER, WATER QUALITY ZONE EXTENDS AND IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES IN OUR CONDITIONS TO MAYBE REQUEST FOR EVEN MORE THAN, YOU KNOW, THE ONE AND A HALF TIMES OVER THE LAND, IF THAT MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL.
UM, AND SO ANYWAY, I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT OTHER AREAS WHERE IT COULD COME FROM OR WHERE WE MIGHT SEEK IT OUT.
DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT? OH, JUST TO CLARIFY, IS THE QUESTION, IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXTEND ANY MORE OF THE CRITICAL, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? YEAH, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN MORE OF A COMMENT, BUT I'M CURIOUS JUST TO HEAR YOUR INSIGHT.
UM, I'M THINKING ABOUT CAN WE CREATE A CONDITION WHERE WE'RE ASKING FOR MORE AND IF WE ASK FOR MORE, DO WE WANNA DESIGNATE WHERE THAT LAND WOULD COME, COME FROM? 'CAUSE OF COURSE IT MAKES SENSE FOR IT TO STAY, TO GET AS MUCH AS WE CAN ON THE EXISTING PROPERTY.
BUT I'M CURIOUS, UH, IF THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE, UM, CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES ELSEWHERE OUTSIDE OF THAT LITTLE ORANGE OUTLINE I'M LOOKING AT, UM, BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SITE PLAN OR THE, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPERTY WORKS, IT HAS TO BE CONTAINED LIKE WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LAND DEVELOPMENT PLAN ITSELF.
UM, SO I, I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT'S POSSIBLE NECESSARILY IN, IN THIS PARTICULAR LIKE SITE PLANNED DEFINED, UH, ORDINANCE, UM, JUST BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THAT.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING TO, TO CONSIDER MAYBE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL SPACE.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS AFTER SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH AUSTIN WATER AND WHATEVER POTENTIAL AREAS MAYBE ARE AVAILABLE TO BE PRESERVED.
SO I'LL DEFER TO THEM ON IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION FOR EXPANSION OF CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE PROTECTIONS.
I THINK, UM, I THINK THERE WOULD BE YES.
IS THAT, YEAH, I MEAN THERE, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, AREAS THAT ARE STILL HEAVILY WOODED THAT ARE NOT PART OF THIS, UH, ACREAGE, THE 14 ACRES THAT THEY'VE BEEN PROVIDING.
SO YEAH, WE COULD, WE COULD SEE IF THERE'S MORE THAT, THAT WOULD, UM, STILL BE CONNECTED, UH, FUNCTIONALLY TO, TO WALNUT CREEK AND, AND THE RIVER.
SO WE COULD, WE COULD GO BACK TO THAT.
UM, AND IN CITY CODE IS DESIGNATING A PIECE OF LAND AS PART OF THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE, KIND OF THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF PROTECTION WE CAN AFFORD, OR IS ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE TO ACTUALLY ASK FOR A DIFFERENT DESIGNATION? CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE BUFFER.
UM, AND THEN I'M, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE FLOOD WALL.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE ARE FEMA REQUIREMENTS FOR A CERTAIN HEIGHT, UM, AND THAT'S PART OF, YOU KNOW, WHY THIS IS BEING BUILT.
CAN YOU TALK MORE ABOUT HOW YOU ARRIVED AT THE HEIGHT? AND I'M WONDERING, WITH THE PROPOSED CUT AND FILL, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE AN EARTH AND BERM OR TO USE HEMPCRETE OR SOME OTHER KIND OF SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL TO CREATE THAT FLOOD WALL? WE DID, UH, WELL LET, LET'S GO FOR THE FIRST, FOR THE HEIGHT.
UH, WE DID DO A HYDRAULIC STUDY AND WE TURNED IT INTO, UH, WATERSHED PROTECTION AND THE FLOODPLAIN DEPARTMENT, THEY'RE REVIEWING IT.
SO, BUT IN THAT HYDRAULIC STUDY, IT, IT DETERMINES THE HEIGHT OF THE WATER COMING THROUGH AT, AT A HUNDRED YEAR EVENT.
AND FROM THERE, THAT'S SETS THE LEVEL OF ELEVATION THAT WE NEED TO PREVENT.
AND THEN WE GO THREE FEET ABOVE THAT.
[01:05:01]
IT, IT VARIES EVEN IN THE FRONT, SO WE DON'T WANT THE FENCE TO GO UP AND DOWN, UP AND DOWN.SO WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE A SET LEVEL ON IT.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE PROBABLY THE 12 FOOT CAME FROM.
'CAUSE CAN I PICK THE WORST CASE SCENARIO ALL THE WAY ACROSS? SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE HEIGHT.
AND AS WE GET FURTHER DOWN SOUTH, WE CAN GET LESS AND LESS FLOW 'CAUSE OF THE FLOODPLAINS LOWER, THE ELEVATION'S LOWER THAN THAT PART.
SO THAT'S HOW WE SET THE, THE, UH, THE FLOOD WALL.
THERE'LL BE, ACTUALLY, SO WE CAN GET IN AND OUT AND THEN CLOSE IT OFF.
UM, THE, THE CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL DEFINITELY UP AROUND THE, THE PART OF THE FRONT OF THE PLANT.
AND AS WE GO DOWN TO THE SIDE OF THE PLANT, UM, TO EARTH AND BURNS CREATES A LOT MORE SPACE NEEDED.
AND WE DON'T HAVE THE SPACE TO DO THAT, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO SOME SOMETHING VERTICAL ON THAT.
UM, CON POURING CONCRETE, UH, YOU, ME SURE.
CONCRETE IS USUALLY A PRETTY, UH, IN DEPTH PROCESS.
UM, BECAUSE THIS, THE, THE WAY THE VOLUME OF THE WATER COMES THROUGH HERE, UH, WE START TO LIMIT OURSELVES ON WHAT KIND OF A WALL WE CAN DO BECAUSE IT, IT'S NOT, UH, A WALL THAT SITS ON NATURAL GROUND.
IT'S A WALL THAT'S 30 FEET DEEP IN THE GROUND BECAUSE WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT THE, AS THE WATER COMES THROUGH, IT DOESN'T START TRYING TO FIND ITS WAY UNDER GO DOWN.
SO WE NEED SOMETHING THAT GOES THAT WAY.
SO WE ARE MINDFUL OF NOT TRYING TO TAKE A 30 FOOT TRENCH AROUND HERE, ESPECIALLY ON THE WEST SIDE WHERE THE CRITICAL HORSE, SO WE ARE LOOKING SOMETHING MORE THAT CAN, WE CAN JUST PLACE IN, YOU KNOW, PILE DOWN OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE.
SO WHEN WE START LOOKING AT THOSE MATERIALS, GET THAT MATERIAL THAT COULD TAKE THAT IMPACT.
SO IT THEN IT FURTHER REDUCES OUR, OUR OUR AVAILABILITY OF TYPE OF MATERIAL.
SO, SO WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT RIGHT NOW ON THE STRUCTURAL WALL, UH, SOME KIND OF A STEEL WALL THAT WITH A FACADE ON IT OR HOW, HOWEVER WE DO THAT.
AND THEN WHAT KIND OF A, A SINGLE PLATE OF STEEL IS NOT VERY STRONG, SO YOU, YOU CORRUGATED IT.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THOSE STUFF, BUT USUALLY SOMETHING OF THAT ISSUE WE CAN DIG DOWN BECAUSE THAT 30 FEET REALLY IS A DESIGN CRITERIA THAT REALLY LIMITS US ON WHAT KIND OF WALL WE CAN PUT IN.
UM, AND OF COURSE, AS WE KNOW, TREES CAN SERVE AS GREAT FLOOD MITIGATION, AND I'M ESPECIALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE TWO HERITAGE TREES THAT ARE PROPOSED FOR REMOVAL.
AND I'M CURIOUS IF YOU CAN TELL ME ABOUT THE SPECIES THAT ARE BEING MOVED AND THE VIABILITY FOR MOVING THOSE ELSEWHERE ON THE PROPERTY.
WE HAVE OUR CITY ARBORISTS, NAOMI, NAOMI ELL.
UM, THERE'S, UM, WE'VE LOOKED AT HIM, IT'S IN THE WAY OF THE, THE HEAD, THE, THE, THE WALL.
UM, WHEN WE, UM, LOOK THROUGH AN ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCE AND A COMMISSION VARIANCE, UM, AUSTIN WATER HAS COMMITTED TO, UM, TRANSPLANT WHERE FEASIBLE.
SO THEN WE WILL REQUIRE AN ARBORIST OR A, A TREE MOVER TO PRESENT A FEASIBILITY STUDY, UH, TO SEE IF THE TREES ARE STRUCTURALLY SOUND ENOUGH, UH, TO TRANSPLANT.
UH, IT DOES, UM, IF THEY'RE NOT TRANSPLANTABLE BY THE BIG TREE MOVING COMPANY.
UM, AND THERE IS A SECTION OF CODE IN 25 8 6 2 4, WHICH RELATES TO THE 6 4 3 VARIANCE IN THE 6 4 2 THAT, UH, WE WILL ALSO ASK AUSTIN WATER, CAN THIS FLOOD WALL BE FEASIBLY REROUTED? BECAUSE IN CODE CRITERIA IT ALREADY STATES CAN THE, YOU KNOW, IF UTILITY DRAINAGE CAN BE FEASIBLY RE REROUTED.
SO OBVIOUSLY IT'S A LARGE FLOOD, UM, WALL THAT, UM, MAY NOT BE FEASIBLY RELA REROUTED, BUT AT THE SITE PLAN SIDE WE'LL SEE THAT.
BUT DEFINITELY THEY'VE COMMITTED TO, UM, UH, TRANSPLANTING THESE TREES AND TRANSPLANTING IS A FORM OF PRESERVATION.
UM, I THINK SOME OF YOU HAVE SEEN THE BIG TREE MOVES IN THE CITY FROM THE STATE CAPITAL WATERLOO PARK, DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENTS.
AND I KNOW YOU HAVEN'T DONE YOUR ASSESSMENT YET, BUT JUST OFF THE CUFF, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO SAY WHAT THE LIKELIHOOD IS OF TRANSPLANT SUCCESS RATE AND FUTURE SURVIVABILITY OF THOSE TREES? IT'S VERY SUCCESSFUL.
UM, WE HAVE A VERY SUCCESSFUL RATE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS ACROSS, UH, THE CITY.
UM, WE REQUIRE, YOU KNOW, FEASIBILITY REPORT FROM A VERY, FROM A COUNTRY, FROM A COMPANY THAT HAS, IT'S IN OUR CRITERIA THAT HAS, UM, HAD SUCCESSFUL TREE TRANSPLANTS.
SO, UM, I VISIT A LOT OF SITES, UM, WHERE I'VE SEEN THE TREES THAT I'VE BEEN OUT THERE DURING THE DAY OR DURING THE SATURDAY WHEN THEY'VE BEEN
[01:10:01]
TRANSPLANTED.AND THEY'RE USUALLY, UM, THEY'VE GOT A HIGH, HIGH, UH, SURVIVABILITY RATE AND THEY DO COME WITH A FIVE YEAR TREE CARE PLAN.
SO IT'S USUALLY A 90 DAY PROCESS OF ROOT PRUNING AND GETTING THAT TREE READY TO BE TRANSPLANTED.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE IN A LOCATION WHERE THEY HAVE AN EXPANDED ROOM TO GROW.
UM, I HAVE TWO OTHER JUST QUICK QUESTIONS BEFORE I WANNA GIVE TIME FOR OTHER FOLKS.
UM, THE SLIDE SAID QUOTE, THE PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO BORE THE NEW EFFLUENT WATERLINE UNDER WALNUT CREEK INSTEAD OF USING AN OPEN CUT CHANNEL.
AND I'M CURIOUS IF CITY STAFF CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT BENEFIT THIS AFFORDS AND WHERE DOES IT ULTIMATELY DISCHARGE IF IT'S GOING UNDER THE CREEK? SO CURRENTLY THERE'S A, A, A EXISTING PIPE THAT LEAVES, IT'S ON THE KIND THAT'S ON THE WEST SIDE AND LEAVES THE PLANT AND GOES THROUGH THE, THE FORESTED TREES WHERE, WHERE THE AREAS WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY, IT'S ACTUALLY UNDERGROUND THERE RIGHT NOW AND GOES OUT AND WE NEED TO BUILD ANOTHER ONE.
IT GOES TO THE COLORADO RIVER.
UM, AND, UM, UH, WE NEED, WE NEED ANOTHER PIPE TO GET, UH, TO GET, GET THE WATER OUT.
SO, UH, WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE COMMITTED TO GO AHEAD AND BASICALLY USE A TUNNELING METHOD.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL DIG A SHAFT AND WE'LL DO A TUNNEL ALL THE WAY TO COLORADO RIVER AND WE WILL GO TO ADJACENT TO OUR EXISTING OUTFALL.
WE WILL, THE, THE NEW PIPE WILL DISCHARGE RIGHT NEXT TO THE EXISTING, THEREFORE WE'RE STILL AT THE SAME DISCHARGE POINT AS REQUIRED BY OUR DISCHARGE PERMIT.
SO BASICALLY GOES FROM THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE PLANT ALL THE WAY UNDERGROUND TO THE, TO THE, UH, TO THE END OF THE, TO THE RIVER.
AND WE'LL HAVE A SHAFT, WE'LL HAVE TO PULL THE EQUIPMENT OUT.
AND SO THEN IN TERMS OF BENEFITS, IS THE IDEA THAT THAT WILL REDUCE EROSION POTENTIAL OR THE, THE MAIN BENEFIT IS WE WILL NOT HAVE TO TAKE A SWATH OF TREES ALL THE WAY OUT FROM THERE ALL THE WAY DOWN.
WHICH I, I FORGOT THE, IT WAS LIKE HUNDREDS OF TREES.
AND I WOULD ALSO NOTE, YES, IT DOES ALSO PREVENT EROSION.
YOU KNOW, AS WE KNOW, THE SOILS IN THIS AREA ARE VERY SANDY.
AND SO ONCE YOU OPEN CUT SOMETHING RIGHT THERE, IT WOULD BE VERY HARD TO PUT IT BACK THE WAY IT WAS, UM, WITHOUT IT CAUSING ADDITIONAL PRO PROBLEMS. SO IT WAS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS TUNNELING IS BY FAR THE, THE BEST OPTION TO PRESERVE THE CREEK.
AND THEN LAST QUESTION, WHAT AREA DOES THIS SERVE? LIKE IS THIS ALL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN WASTEWATER GOING HERE, OR I THINK YOU MENTIONED THAT, AND I'M SORRY IF I MISSED IT, BUT DON'T SEE IT BACK FROM, FROM ABOUT 29TH STREET IS MM-HMM
NORTH, RIGHT? THE TUNNEL COMES ACROSS, WELL, IT KIND OF STARTS OVER THERE BY, UH, THE OFFICIAL TUNNEL PORTION OF IT STARTS OVER BY OSLAND AND CATTLE ON THE LAKE.
THERE IS AN INTERCEPT THAT GOES ALL THE WAY UP TO THE RIVER PLACE, BUT IT GOES, STARTS THERE, KIND OF COMES ACROSS HITS 29TH STREET, COMES IN AND HITS 20, UH, MAINOR ROAD 26TH AND THEN HITS MLK BOULEVARD AND GOES OVER THERE.
SO BASICALLY LIKE 29TH STREET ALL NORTH ON, ON EAST AND WEST OF THREE FIVE EAST AND WEST.
NOW, UM, AS YOU GET, UM, THE, THE LINE THAT'S ON MLK BOULEVARD GOES OUT JUST TO ABOUT WHERE 9 73 IS, BUT THE PORTION OF THE PROPERTY FURTHER EAST OF 9 73 IN GENERAL, WE HAVE SOME, UH, DECENTRALIZED PACKAGE PLANTS TAKE CARE OF THAT.
BUT FROM ABOUT DECKER LAKE, ALL THAT FAR EAST, ALL THE WAY IN THIS WALNUT CREEK TREATS.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MR. SULLIVAN.
YEAH, SO WITH REGARD TO THE, UM, THE, UM, FLOOD WALL, IF YOU REDUCE THE FLOODPLAIN THERE WON'T WATER RE RISE SOMEPLACE ELSE BECAUSE WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS WALNUT CREEK TRAIL IS NOT THAT FAR AWAY ON THE WEST SIDE OF WALNUT CREEK.
THAT'LL BE PART OF THE, THE, THE, UH, PLANS WITH THE WATER SHEET.
UM, UM, UH, FLOODPLAIN REVIEWER.
UM, I DO KNOW THAT, UM, THE RISE IS IS MINUSCULE RIGHT NOW, SO IT'S VERY MINIMAL.
IT'S WHAT, SO, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT SAY, UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WILL LOOK AT OR, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY ELSE WILL LOOK AT IT FLOOD PLAIN REVIEWER.
UM, AND THE FLOOD PLAIN ADMINISTRATOR WILL LOOK AT THAT.
WELL, I KNOW, BUT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT IS A FACILITY THAT I BELIEVE THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS SOME AUTHORITY OVER.
AM I CORRECT ABOUT THAT? UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE DO COORDINATE WITH OUR OTHER DEPARTMENTS, SO IF THERE IS, UM, A POTENTIAL RISE ONTO UM, CITY PROPERTY, WE ABSOLUTELY COORDINATE WITH THE PARTNERING DEPARTMENT THAT WOULD BE, UH, THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WOULD BE OKAY WITH THEM.
APPRECIATE THE, UH, INFORMATION, UH,
[01:15:02]
WE'RE BEING ASKED TO CONSIDER CUT AND FILL VARIANCE FOR A SIGNIFICANT CITY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.AND FOR THE FOLKS THAT ARE NEW, WHICH WE HAVE SEVERAL CODE ALLOWS CUT AND FILL OF FOUR FEET AND IN SOME RESTRICTED AREAS EIGHT FEET.
SO I MENTIONED THIS ONLY TO GIVE YOU KIND OF A PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT'S BEING ASKED IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THEY WANT UP TO 25 FEET.
NOW, I SENT AN EMAIL THAT, UH, ELIZABETH DISTRIBUTED TO EVERYONE REFERENCING A MEETING THAT WE HAD ON JUNE 5TH, 2024.
THERE WERE TWO APPLICANTS THAT REQUESTED CUT AND FILL OF 16 FEET APPROXIMATELY, AND ANOTHER ONE THAT REQUESTED ONE OF 24 FEET.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT BOTH OF THOSE.
AND WHILE IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS THE DECIDING FACTOR IN THE MIND OF EACH COMMISSION MEMBER, BOTH FOR VOTER VOTED DOWN, BUT SOME OF THE KEY TOPICS DISCUSSED, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU TOOK THE TIME TO GO LISTEN TO THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE VIDEO THERE, BUT THERE WAS A CONCERN ABOUT THE LEVEL OF PRECEDENT BEING SET BY PROVING CUT AND FILL OF THAT SIZE, THE AVERAGE SIZE OF THE CUT AND FILL REQUESTS OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME THAT WE WERE GRANTING, UH, THE CONTINUING INCREASE IN THE SIZE OF THE CUT AND FILL REQUESTS FROM THE AVERAGE THAT WAS STATED BY THE CITY STAFF AT THE TIME, THE AVERAGE WAS ABOUT 15 OR 16 FEET.
AND HOW THE SHA THE CHANGES THE SHAPE OF THE TERRAIN AS A RESULT OF THE CUT AND FILL WOULD NOT ONLY CHANGE THAT SPECIFIC POINT WHERE THE CUT AND FILL WAS DONE, BUT THE ENTIRE WATERSHED FOR THE ENTIRE AREA.
SO THOSE WERE SOME OF THE KEY TOPICS THAT WERE DISCUSSED THROUGH THERE.
AND THERE WERE SOME OTHER THINGS AS WELL.
NOW, CITY STAFF MENTIONED THAT 12 TO 15 FEET WAS AN AVERAGE THAT WE HAD BEEN, YOU KNOW, DOING OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
AND OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS FROM TODAY, AT THE TIME THAT THIS WAS DISCUSSED, THEY MENTIONED THREE YEARS.
THE LARGEST THAT WAS APPROVED THAT THEY GAVE WAS 22 FEET.
SO SEVERAL COMMISSIONERS AT THE TIME WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE FREQUENCY OF THESE REQUESTS WERE INCREASING, MANY OF THESE WERE IN EAST AUSTIN, WERE CITIZENS OF, YOU KNOW, MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS ARE LIVING.
AND WE DON'T TYPICALLY ALLOW THIS TYPE OF THING IN WEST AUSTIN.
AND WE'RE GRANTING THESE REQUESTS FOR THESE VARIANCES ON WHAT IS BECOMING AN INCREASINGLY ROUTINE BASIS WITHOUT CAREFUL EXAMINATION TO THE LONG-TERM IMPACT.
IT WAS MENTIONED BY ONE COMMISSIONER THAT CITY, CITY STAFF HAS NOT PROVIDED LONG-TERM DATA AS TO THE IMPACT OF THESE LARGE CUT AND FILL, YOU KNOW, VARIANCES ON THE WATERSHED GOING FORWARD.
SO WE HAVE NO DATA THAT SAYS, WELL IF WE HAVE A 25 FOOT CUT AND FILL IN AN AREA FIVE YEARS LATER, HOW DOES THAT AFFECT THE WATERSHED OF, YOU KNOW, THIS ENTIRE AREA? NOW IT WAS ALSO MENTIONED THAT AT THIS, YOU KNOW, AT THIS MEETING, THAT IT IS THE JOB OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO STEP BACK AND REFLECT AS WE SEE MORE AND MORE OF THESE LARGER CUT AND FILL REQUESTS TO EXAMINE THE LONG TERM IMPACT OF THESE CUT AND FILL THINGS.
AND I THINK IT'S TIME THAT WE TAKE A LOOK AGAIN AT THIS STEP BACK AND AS WE LOOK AT THIS REQUEST FOR A 25 FOOT CUT AND FILL, WHAT'S THE LONG TERM IMPACT OF THIS? SO WE NEED TO, WE NEED, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO.
AND AS I SAID, THE FINAL DECISION TO TURN DOWN BOTH OF THESE MAY HAVE HAD OTHER, THERE WERE OTHER FACTORS THAT WERE INVOLVED.
AND AS EACH OF US VOTED, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS THE, UH, DECIDING FACTOR, HOW EACH PERSON VOTED.
BUT THERE'S ONE THING THAT, UH, AND I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, BUT MY FIRST THING IS I'D REQUEST STAFF DO ME A FAVOR, IS WE, BECAUSE WE HAVE NEW MEMBERS, WE'VE BEEN THROWING AROUND CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE AS A TERM WE HAVE NEW MEMBERS.
IT WOULD BE NICE IF YOU WOULD DEFINE SPECIFICALLY WHAT THE TERM IS SO WE ALL
[01:20:01]
UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT IS.SO COULD YOU DO THAT, PLEASE? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
SO, CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE IS A REGULATED BUFFER ON A PROTECTED WATERWAY.
SO A PROTECTED WATERWAY IS A, A CREEK THAT HAS AT LEAST 64 ACRES OF DRAINAGE GOING TO IT, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE AND HOW MUCH DRAINAGE AREA THE CREEK HAS.
THERE ARE, UH, VARIOUS LEVELS OF, UH, WIDTHS FOR CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES.
SO SMALLER CREEKS HAVE SMALLER, UM, BUFFERS.
UM, THEY ALSO, UH, DEPEND ON WHICH WATERSHED REGULATION AREA YOU ARE.
SO IN, UH, THIS IS A SUBURBAN WATERSHED AREA, SO DEPENDING ON IF IT'S A MINOR, INTERMEDIATE OR MAJOR CREEK, IT WOULD HAVE A 100, 200 OR 300 FOOT WATER CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
THE COLORADO RIVER ITSELF HAS A DIFFERENT ONE AS WELL.
IT'S EITHER 200 TO 400 FEET DEPENDING ON WHERE THE FLOOD PLAIN IS.
SO IT CAN BE A LITTLE BIT TRICKY.
UM, SO THIS BUFFER AREAS IS ESSENTIALLY A NO BUILD AREA, WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS.
THE CODE SAYS YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR CERTAIN THINGS.
UM, DRIVEWAYS CAN CROSS, USUALLY ROADWAYS CAN CROSS, THERE CAN BE TRAILS IN THE OUTER HALF, SOME PARKLAND AND OPEN SPACE ARE ALLOWED.
UTILITY CONNECTIONS ARE ALLOWED, UM, WITH MINIMAL DISTURBANCE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT IS WHAT A CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE IS.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE ALL KIND OF HAD A GROUNDED UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE, THE TERM IS.
UH, I KNOW THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OUTSIDE OF OUR PURVIEW, BUT WHAT'S THE COST OF THIS? IT, IT'S GONNA BE OVER A BILLION DOLLARS.
IS THIS INFLATION ADJUSTED DOLLARS? SO WHEN IT'S FINISHED IN, YOU SAID 2030 SOMETHING OR HOPEFUL SUBSTANTIAL 2031 FINAL 30, 20 32.
SO IT'S A BILLION DOLLARS IN 2025 MONEY OR A BILLION DOLLARS IN 2032 MONEY.
I'M HOPEFUL IT'S A BILLION DOLLARS DEPENDING EITHER WAY.
BUT, UH, WE'RE REVIEWING THE COST RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE SEEN SOME MARKET FLUCTUATIONS AND SOME, UH, THE RECENT INFLATION AS YOU POINT OUT SO THAT IT COULD BE OVER.
BUT WE WE'RE REVIEWING THOSE, UH, THAT COST DATA RIGHT NOW, AS, AS MENTIONED, UH, WE, WE, WE POSITIONED THIS AS A CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK PROJECT.
SO WE WERE, WE ARE NOW FORWARDED TO HAVE THE CONTRACTOR ON BOARD WITH US.
SO THEY WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME TRUE CONSTRUCTION NUMBERS WITH, FOR US.
AND AS THE PLANT OPERATING OUTSIDE OF ITS DESIGN CAPACITY AT THIS TIME.
NO, NO, I NOTICED THAT, UH, THERE IS SOME REFERENCE THAT EITHER YOU OR, UH, YEAH, UH, IT, IT IS, THE ANSWER IS NO.
WE, WE ARE CON WE ARE, THE TCQ ALLOWS 75 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY TO COME OUT OF THIS PLANT.
UH, WE'RE AVERAGING AROUND BETWEEN 65 AND 70, YOU KNOW, AROUND THERE.
WHAT I WAS MENTIONING WAS THAT WHEN WE WENT FROM 60 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY TO 75 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY, WE, WE WERE FORWARDED NOT TO HAVE TO BUILD BASINS.
'CAUSE WE, WE DID A BASICALLY FULL SCALE PILOT TEST THAT WHERE WE COULD, WE COULD DO THAT RIGHT.
WITH THE EXISTING BASINS WE HAVE.
SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO POINT OUT THAT WE, WE'VE, WE'VE USED ALL THE CAPACITY IN THIS PLANT, RIGHT.
AND PROBABLY EVEN, EVEN THE, THE BUFFERS IN THE PLANT.
THAT'S, THAT WAS MY MAIN POINT MENTIONING THAT.
BUT THE PLANT IS OPERATING WITHIN DISCHARGE PERMIT LIMITS.
SO WHAT, AT WHAT POINT, IF YOU MADE NO CHA CHANGES TO THE PLANT, AT WHAT POINT WOULD IT EXCEED ITS CURRENT CAPACITY? UM, THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, AS, AS MORE FLOW COMES IN THE MINUTE IT GOES OVER BASICALLY 75.1 MILLION GALLONS.
BUT I MEAN, WHAT YEAR IS IT FORECAST GO OVER CURRENT CAPACITY.
THERE, THERE ARE FORECASTS RIGHT NOW THAT SHOW 2032 TO 2035 IF IT ADD FOR, FOR AVERAGE DAY FLOW.
UM, AND IT IS YOUR PLAN THAT WITH THIS IMPROVEMENT, THAT THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF EFFLUENT THAT'S FLOWING INTO THE COLORADO WOULD BE LESS THAN, OR, YOU KNOW, CONTAMINANTS IS WHAT I MEAN WILL BE LESS THAN WHAT'S GOING INTO IT NOW? UM, I DUNNO IF I CAN FINISH, SAY THAT I, I WAS TRYING TO DO THE MATH IN MY HEAD ABOUT REDUCTION OF THE 60% AND PERHAPS 80%.
I WOULD HAVE TO GO AND GET SOME NUMBERS, CALCULATE THOSE AND GET THOSE BACK TO YOU.
BUT I, WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT WE ARE PROBABLY GOING TO REDUCE THE PHOSPHORUS THAT WE'RE ELIMINATING TO OR DISCHARGING TODAY AT LEAST BY 60%.
'CAUSE THAT'S THE REQUIREMENT WE, WE HAVE.
BUT I'M, BUT I ASSUME THAT I'VE SEEN MODELS SHOW THAT WE CAN DO UP TO 80% AND THAT WE WOULD DO UP TO 60% OF THE NITROGEN FROM WHAT WE'RE DOING.
BUT THE TOTAL AMOUNT, YOU ARE REDUCING THE AMOUNT, RIGHT? I KNOW 'CAUSE YOU ADD MORE FLOW SO YOU, BUT YOU GET MORE FLOW.
SO YOU MAY NOT BE REDUCING THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT'S GOING.
[01:25:01]
COLORADO WOULD TO, I WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND, AND LET YOU KNOW THAT.AGAIN, I WILL PREFACE WITH THAT, THAT THE TCEQ WHEN WE DO, WHEN WE GO FOR THE, UM, DISCHARGE PERMIT, THEY'RE THE ONES WHO GO AND REVIEW THE HEALTH OF THE RIVER, UH, YOU KNOW, DOWNSTREAM AND, AND DETERMINE HOW MUCH WE CAN PUT IN.
AND WHAT'S THE LIFESPAN OF THE PIPE THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE USING TO UH, CARRY TO THE, UH, COLORADO THE NEW PIPE? I HOPE THAT'S A HUNDRED YEAR PIPE.
IT, IT'LL BE A TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION, WHICH USUALLY ARE VERY ROBUST PIPES.
IT'S USUALLY, UH, YOU WILL TUNNEL IT AND THEN YOU PUT THE PIPE IN AND THEN WE'LL GROUT AROUND IT.
SO IT'LL BE KIND OF CONCRETE ENC CASE PIPE.
AND THAT'S HOW SOME OF OF OUR LARGER TUNNELS ARE BUILT TODAY.
ARE YOU PLANNING ON INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF MANPOWER AT THE, UH, SITE OR WILL IT REMAIN RE RELATIVELY STATIC? N NO, WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO ADD A COUPLE OF PERSONNEL ON THE SITE FOR OPERATIONS.
UH, WE RUN IT, WE HAVE OPERATORS THERE 24 7.
THEY RUN 12 HOUR SHIFTS, SO THEY'LL HAVE ADDITIONAL AREAS TO GO TO AND TEST.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE DIFFERENT OPERATORS THERE.
I MEAN, YOU'RE NOT GONNA DOUBLE THE STAFF? NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
UH, DO YOU KNOW, HAVE YOU DONE ANY, UH, YOU KNOW, REVIEWS ON IF, IF ANY ENDANGERED SPECIES OR ANYTHING WILL BE IMPACTED BY THE EXPANSION OF THE, UH, THAT'LL BE PART OF THE PROCESS OF PERMIT REVIEW PROCESS? UM, WELL, SO IT, WE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOES NOT ACTUALLY HAVE REGULATORY JURISDICTION OVER, UM, ENDANGERED SPECIES.
SO, UM, UH, SO THAT WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO THROUGH EITHER, YOU KNOW, FISH AND WILDLIFE OR, UH, THE TRAVIS COUNTY DEPENDING ON WHAT IT IS.
SO, UM, IN THIS AREA, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY, UM, THE TRI-COLORED BAT I THINK IS, IS NOT LISTED YET.
THAT WOULD BE THE ONE THAT WOULD BE MOST LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED IN THIS AREA.
UM, BUT IT WOULD NOT BE THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR THAT.
IS, IS THIS ON ANY, UH, FLYWAYS BIRD FLYWAYS OR ANYTHING? CERTAINLY, BUT NOT ENDANGERED SPECIES.
IT'S NOT ENDANGERED SPECIES HABITAT FOR, UH, THE GOLDEN CHEEK WAR WARBLER.
UH, YOU MENTIONED THIS COVERS NORTH AUSTIN PRIMARILY AS FAR AS THE SERVICE AREA GOES.
UH, CAN THIS SERVICE OTHER PARTS OF TOWN IF IN AN EMERGENCY, LET'S SAY ANOTHER TREATMENT PLAN GOES DOWN FOR WHATEVER THE REASON IS? USUALLY WE HAVE, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S HARD TO DO.
UM, BECAUSE THEY, THEIR GRAVITY SYSTEM GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THEIR LOW POINT.
SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO BASICALLY PUMP IT BACK TO SOMETHING GOES IN OUR SYSTEM AND THEN THE GRAVITY PIPES WOULD HAVE TO BE BIG ENOUGH TO HANDLE THAT.
AND WE PROBABLY HADN'T PLANNED FOR THAT.
SO THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT BIG ENOUGH.
THAT, THAT IN GENERAL, IT'S THAT IT'S FAR AND FEW BETWEEN.
I, I HAVE SEEN BEING ABLE TO DO THAT WATER'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT 'CAUSE YOU CAN CONNECT TO MULTIPLE SPOTS AND, AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT IN WASTEWATER.
UM, NOW YOU SAID THAT YOU'D, THAT THE PLAN HAD BEEN GIVEN MULTIPLE AWARDS AND HADN'T HAD ANY FAILURES.
I SEEM TO REMEMBER IT BEING READ SOMEWHERE WHERE THE PLAN HAD BEEN FINE SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST FIVE OR SIX YEARS FOR, UH, FAILURES OF ONE TYPE OR ANOTHER.
SO, SO THE, THE NOWELL AWARD THAT I MENTIONED IS FOR, UH, PERMIT VIOLATIONS IN TERMS OF, UH, THE, THE WATER QUALITY DISCHARGE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW ALL THE, THE, THE, THE, THE VIOLATIONS MAYBE YOU'RE REFERENCING.
UH, YOU KNOW, I KNOW ONE TIME WE HAD SOME FOAM ON THE CLARIFIER, SO, BUT THAT, THAT WOULDN'T AFFECT THE NWA WARD.
'CAUSE THAT'S NOT A DISCHARGE QUALITY PERMIT LIMIT.
SO THERE MAY HAVE, THERE, THERE IS HAS BEEN, UH, UH, SOME, BUT IT DOESN'T AFFECT THE WATER QUALITY COMING OUT OF THE PLANT.
SO THEREFORE IT DOES NOT AFFECT THE NOWELL WARD.
NOW THE RETAINING WALL, YOU MENTIONED THAT WAS GONNA GO DOWN 30 FEET.
THAT'S WHAT THE DESIGNERS ARE TELLING ME, AND IT'S GONNA BE CONSTRUCTED OUT OF WHAT? WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT RIGHT NOW.
AND AS MENTIONED, THERE PROBABLY HAS TO BE SOMETHING I CAN, I, I WANT TO PILE SHAFT IT RIGHT TO, TO REDUCE MINIMUM DISTURBANCE ON THE GROUND.
SO WHEN YOU'RE USUALLY LOOKING AT THAT, SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE, THAT'S USUALLY LIKE A SHEET PILE, CORRUGATED MIDDLE SHEET PILE OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE.
SO AS THE, I HEARD YOU ALSO MENTION CONCRETE, PARDON ME? I HEARD YOU MENTION ALSO CONCRETE.
WELL, I, I, I SAID IF YOU TRY TO DO A CONCRETE, THEN I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE THE CONCRETE DOWN 30 FEET AND I WOULD HAVE TO BUILD, I WOULD HAVE TO BUILD FORMS AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF AND BUILD A TRENCH.
AND I, I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT DO THAT.
ESPECIALLY ALONG THE WEST SIDE, ALONG THE CREEK THERE.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A VIABLE, UH, OPTION FOR US.
[01:30:01]
AND, UH, SO WHAT'S THE SOIL TYPE IN THAT AREA? I BELIEVE I HEARD SOMEONE MENTION THAT IT WAS SANDY SOIL.IT, WHICH IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT'S GETTING SO DEEP.
'CAUSE THAT WATER WILL HIT AND IT'LL TRY TO FIND HIS WAY DOWN.
SO YOU'RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT IT ERODING UNDERNEATH THE, UH, CORRECT.
UH, NOW THIS IS BEING BUILT IN THE CRITICAL WATER ZONE PORTIONS OF IT IS? YES.
'CAUSE PART, PART OF THE PLAN IS ALREADY IN THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
SO I'M GONNA HAVE TO BUILD THE, THE WALL IN THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
YOU CAN'T BUILD IT OUTSIDE OF THAT.
'CAUSE THE PLANT'S ALREADY OUT THERE.
YEAH, THE PLANT'S ALREADY ENCROACHED IN ON IT.
SO I HAVE TO PUT THE WALL, THE WALL TO PROTECT THE PLANT.
NOW YOU'RE ASKING FOR A 25 FOOT CUT AND FILL VARIANCE.
UH, ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS, UH, BACK IN JUNE, UH, MADE A, A COMMENT REGARDING ONE OF THE, UH, ONE OF THE, UH, APPLICATIONS, UH, THAT, UH, THE, THE CUT WAS DUE TO, UH, UH, TO DIRT THAT WAS MADE BY MAN RATHER THAN GOD MM-HMM
AND, UH, THE, THE IMPLICATION BEING THAT DURING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ROADWAY, UH, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT PUT THE, UH, DIRT THERE JUST DUMPED IT.
AND SO AS A RESULT, THEY WERE BASICALLY REGRADING IT TO ITS ORIGINAL LEVEL.
IS UH, IS THE, ARE YOU CHANGING THE LEVEL OF THE TERRAIN BASED, UH, UPON ITS CURRENT TOPOGRAPHICAL FEATURES? OR ARE YOU REMOVING THE, UH, DIRT THAT WAS PUT THERE AS A RESULT OF PREVIOUS CONSTRUCTION AND JUST DUMPED THERE, UH, BY THE PREVIOUS CONSTRUCTION WORKERS? UM, I WOULD SAY YES.
AND, AND I'LL, I'LL PREFACE IT THIS WAY.
WHEN I SAW THE 1977 PHOTOGRAPH THE SOUTH OF THAT, YOU NOTICED THERE WAS SOME FLOATING AERATORS IN FLOATING.
SO AT ONE TIME, AND I DON'T KNOW THE HISTORY OF THE FULL HISTORY BEYOND, UH, PA OR PRIOR TO 1970, IT LOOKED LIKE THERE WAS SOME KIND OF LAGOON SYSTEM.
'CAUSE THERE'S ALREADY A BERM THROUGH THERE.
SO IT'S A LOW AREA TO BEGIN WITH.
AND THEN IN PART OF THE, OF THE BACK AREA THERE, THERE IS A RAISED PORTION OF PROPERTY THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S A MANMADE FACILITY.
BUT SAYING THAT, I DON'T KNOW THAT I DON'T, I COULDN'T, THAT'S JUST MY ANECDOTAL LOOKING AT THE 1977 PHOTOGRAPHS AND LOOKING AT THE PROPERTY THAT I SEE TODAY THAT MOST OF THE, THE FILL FOR SURE IS DEFINITELY GO, WE'RE TRYING TO BRING IT BACK TO WHERE IT WAS.
WHAT'S THE HISTORY OF FLOODING AT THAT PLANT SINCE YOU'RE IN A FLOOD ZONE? UM, THE, THE WE'VE, WE'VE HAD FLOODS, UH, ENTERED THE, UH, ADMINISTRATION BUILDING AND WE'VE HAD FLOODS ENTER THE, UH, WHAT WE CALL THE, UM, UM, SETTLED WASTEWATER PUMPS.
UM, THE, THE, THE PLANT IS VERY UNIQUE IN THAT THE TUNNEL COMES IN RIGHT INTO THE HEADWORKS.
THERE'S NO, OTHER THAN THE SMALL IN FLUENT LIFT STATION I'M BUILDING FOR LOCAL FLOWS, THE FLOWS COME RIGHT INTO THE PLANT.
UH, TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, SOUTH AUSTIN REGIONAL, THE TIME THE FLOW THE TUNNEL GETS THERE IS 90 FEET DEEP AND I HAVE TO PUMP IT BACK UP IN THE PLANT.
SO THAT COMES RIGHT INTO THE PLANT.
WE GO THROUGH THE HEAD WORK SCREEN TO REMOVE SOME OF THE LARGE WASTE.
WE GO THROUGH THE PRIMARY CLARIFIERS AND FBS, LOW EQUALIZATION BASINS 'CAUSE WE HAVE THAT FLOW, THEN WE PUMP IT UP.
SO THAT, SO THAT'S HOW THAT, THAT WORKS THROUGH THAT.
SO YOU'RE NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE, SO, SO, SO THE, WELL, I GUESS WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS, SO FLOODING SORT OF, IS THIS, YOU'RE IN A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN, RIGHT? MM-HMM
SO, OF THE PAST, WELL, SO GOING FORWARD, I, I GUESS THE DIRECTION I'M GOING WITH THESE QUESTIONS IS A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAINS ARE REALLY KINDA LIKE 25 YEAR FLOODPLAIN THESE DAYS.
AND WHAT USED TO BE A 500 YEAR FLOODPLAIN IS NOW A HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD, CORRECT? YES.
AND YOU'RE EXPANDING A SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT THIS CAREFULLY, YOU'RE EXPANDING A SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT INTO A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN NEXT TO THE COLORADO RIVER EVERETT.
AND THAT JUST SEEMS COUNTERINTUITIVE JUST TO ME, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
BUT, BUT FOR YOUR, FOR THE PAST FLOODS WE'VE HAD, UM, IT HAS COME TO THE TOP OF THE BANKS OF THE WALNUT CREEK, BUT IT HASN'T, ON THE SOUTHERN PART HAS NOT ENTERED THE, THE, THE PLANT THERE JUST UP FRONT.
'CAUSE WHERE JOHNNY MORRIS ROAD IS THERE THAT HAS PHONE FLOOD, I'VE SEEN TWO OR THREE FEET OF WATER COME ACROSS THERE.
AND THAT'S THE WHAT CAME INTO THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING.
UH, THE PROPERTY, HOW MUCH OF IT'S GONNA REMAIN, I, FOR LACK OF A BETTER
[01:35:01]
WORD, FALLOW UNUSED? UM, I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, IN THAT EXHIBIT WHERE HE SHOWED THE WATER QUALITY, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO SOUTH OF THAT, THAT RIGHT NOW THAT'S ALL, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PLANS TO USE THAT.SO YOU'VE GOT 300, THREE ACRES OF THE TOTAL PROPERTY SIZE.
SO THE, THE, OUR PLANNING SHOWS THAT WE WOULD USE THE PROPERTY WITH INSIDE THE FLOOD WALL.
FOR ANY KIND OF FUTURE EXPANSIONS.
HOPEFULLY WE DON'T NEED ONE, BUT IF WE DO, IT WOULD BE WITHIN INSIDE THE FLOOD WALL.
SO WE WOULD BE INSIDE THAT PROPERTY.
SO ABOUT HOW MANY ACRES ARE GONNA BE UNUSED OUT OF THE 303 OF THE PROPERTY? OH, MAN, I KNEW THAT NUMBER BEFORE I, I FORGET EXACTLY THE ACREAGE, YOU KNOW.
I'M, I'M BEING TOLD ABOUT HALF IS NOT GONNA USE.
SO A HUNDRED ACRES, LET'S SAY.
UH, NOW THERE WAS SOME MENTION ABOUT THE, UH, HERITAGE TREES.
UH, I GUESS WE'RE YOU, I MEAN, IF WHAT WAS SAID ABOUT COUNCIL MOVING PRETTY QUICKLY ON THIS, I'M A LITTLE SURPRISED THE HERITAGE TREES, WE DON'T KNOW MORE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE GONNA BE REMOVED OR CAN BE REMOVED OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
OR WHY CAN'T WE BUILD THE, UH, WALL, YOU KNOW, LIKE AROUND THEM AND AVOID THEM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, IF WE'RE THIS CLOSE, I, I'M A LITTLE SURPRISED WE DON'T KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS.
TODAY, THE, THE, IT IS THE FLOOD WALL THAT'S GOING TO, UH, IMPACT THE FLOOD THAT THOSE TREES.
AND, AND WE'RE, WE'RE, I'M HUGGING AS CLOSE AS I CAN TO THE EXISTING FACILITY WITH THAT FLOOD WALL.
UH, WE DO HAVE, UH, SOME, SOME MAINTENANCE AREAS THAT WE GOTTA BE ABLE TO GET TO, TO GET TO THE, SOME OF THE, THOSE FEATURES FOR THE, FOR THE PROCESS AREA.
BUT I'M, I'M HUGGING AS CLOSE AS I CAN FOR THAT.
SO THAT'S THE IMPACT WE HAVE ON THE, ON THE, THOSE TWO PECANS.
NAOMI AL CITY ARBORIST, UM, LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, THERE IS A PROVISION, PROVISION IN CODE THAT STATES THAT, UM, A REMOVAL MAY BE GRANTED.
UM, IF THE, THE APPLICANTS DEMONSTRATE THAT THE UTILITY DRAINAGE CANNOT BE FEASIBLY REROUTED DURING THE SITE PLAN, WE WILL ASK FOR THAT.
UM, AND THEN WE WOULD, THEY HAVE ALSO COMMITTED TO TRANSPLANTING THE TREES TO ANOTHER AREA, UM, POSSIBLY BY THE LAGOON, BUT WE'LL ALSO ASK FOR THE LOCATION.
HOW MUCH IMPERVIOUS COVER IS GONNA BE ON THIS, UH, SITE? I DO NOT KNOW THAT NUMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
UM, BUT IT'S A 300 ACRE SITE AND WE'RE ONLY, IF WE'RE ONLY USING A HUNDRED OF IT, THEN LESS THAN.
OH, UH, BACK TO THE, UH, THE, THE HERITAGE TREES, NOT REALLY EXACTLY THAT, BUT, UH, ALONG THE CREEK, IS THERE GOING TO BE ANY ATTEMPT TO PLANT, UH, STUFF ALONG THE CREEK TO MITIGATE THE FLOODS? UH, I KNOW AROUND BULL CREEK THERE WAS AN EFFORT BY A NON-PROFIT TO PLANT.
UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS, BUT, UH, I'M GOING TO, THIS IS THE WRONG THING THAT, THE ONLY THING THAT POPPED IN MY MIND, BUT LIKE BAMBOO TYPE STUFF TO, UH, INHIBIT THE FLOW OF WATER TO SLOW IT DOWN.
SO WAS THE CREEK ROWS DURING FLOODS, IT WOULD SLOW THE PA UH, THE SPEED OF THE WATER SO THAT IT WOULD DO LESS EROSION AND THAT SORT OF THING.
IS THERE ANY GONNA BE ANY ATTEMPT TO PLANT STUFF ALONG THE CREEK TO, UH, SLOW THE PA THE SPEED OF THE WATER? TH THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT DOES NOT HAVE ANY OF THOSE, UH, UM, IMPROVEMENTS IN IT AT THIS TIME.
SO THEY WOULD BE REQUIRED, OF COURSE, TO, TO MEET, UH, BOTH WATER QUALITY AND DETENTION REQUIREMENTS.
SO, UM, AS THESE PROJECTS GO THROUGH SITE PLAN REVIEW, UM, ENGINEERING STAFF WILL, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO, YOU KNOW, ADVERSE IMPACT, UH, BASED ON THE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, SO, AND, AND AS FAR AS LIKE PLANTING IN THE CREEK ITSELF, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALREADY HEAVILY VEGETATED, SO, YOU KNOW, WE COULD LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES TO, YOU KNOW, IMPROVE IT, BUT IT'S ALREADY PRETTY, IT SCORES PRETTY HIGH ALREADY, UM, FOR THE MOST PART.
AND HAS THERE BEEN, UH, HAVE YOU EXAMINED ANY OTHER SOLUTIONS OTHER THAN THE CUT AND FILL? UH, BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE PROJECT WHERE WE'RE GRAVITY FLOWING FROM ONE POSITION ALL THE WAY OUT TO THIS, TO THE STREAM, I HAVE VERY LIMITED, UM, AFFORDABILITY TO MOVE, UH, TO RAISE AN UP AND DOWN FACILITIES 'CAUSE IT 'CAUSE OF THE HYDRAULIC GRAY LINE AS IT RUNS THROUGH THE PLANT.
SO, UM, THERE, THERE'S NOT MUCH, UH, ROOM THAT I CAN DO ON THAT.
SO I GUESS MORE SPECIFICALLY, YOU HAVEN'T LOOKED AT ANOTHER SOLUTION TO
[01:40:01]
THE PROBLEM OF MANAGING THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT YOU TREAT OTHER THAN EXPANDING THE CAPACITY OF THIS FACILITY.IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
'CAUSE THE, THE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S IN PLACE RIGHT NOW, OF ALL THOSE RED LINES THAT SHOWED THAT, THAT WALNUT THAT GOES DOWN WALNUT CREEK ALREADY ALL IN POSITION AND THEY ALL GO TO THIS ONE SITE.
LIKE I SAID EARLIER, YOU KNOW, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION HAS CHOSEN, UH, YOU KNOW, SINCE LAST JUNE, AS OF LAST JUNE, TO MORE CAREFULLY EXAMINE, CUT AND FILL VARIANCES, ESPECIALLY THE ONES OF EXCEPTIONAL SIZE AND, YOU KNOW, THE FREQUENCY OF THESE TYPES OF REQUESTS.
AND I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT THE CITY SHOULD CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE EXPANSION OF A WATER TREATMENT PLANT IN A FLOOD ZONE.
THE CITY OF GRANT'S PASS, UH, OREGON RECENTLY SECURED A FEMA FUNDING AS PART OF ITS PLAN TO UPGRADE AND EXPAND ITS WATER TREATMENT PLANT TO MOVE THE PLANT OUT OF THE FLOODPLAIN.
AND ALONG WHERE IT IS NOW APTLY NAMED THE ROGUE RIVER.
AND, UH, IN PART THAT'S, THEY GOT FUNDING BECAUSE THE 2020, THE FEMA RE REDID THEIR SCORING AND THEY GOT BETTER FUNDING BECAUSE THEY'RE MOVING IT OUT OF THE FLOOD PLAIN.
I ASSUME YOU'RE GONNA GET FEMA FUNDING FOR THIS, OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FUNDING.
SOMEONE'S GONNA GIVE YOU MONEY FOR THIS.
UH, NOW I GUESS WHAT I WAS GETTING AT THE LAST THING WAS THAT IN ORDER TO GRANT THESE VARIANCES, UH, THE APPLICANT HAS TO SHOW THAT THEY HAVE NOT EXAMINED ANY OTHER SOLUTIONS.
YOU KNOW, THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'VE LOOKED AT OTHER SOLUTIONS AND NOT FOUND THEM VIABLE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
AND I HAVEN'T HEARD, AND YOU'VE JUST STATED THAT YOU HAVEN'T LOOKED AT ANY OTHER SOLUTIONS OTHER THAN EXPANDING THE PLANT AS A VIABLE SOLUTION.
SO YOU HAVE NOT LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, CONSERVATION OR, UH, YOU KNOW, ANY OTHER, YOU KNOW, ALTERNATIVE DESIGNS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT AS A METHOD OF REDUCING THE NEED TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY, AT LEAST IN THE PRESENTATION THAT YOU'VE GIVEN SO FAR.
AND BECAUSE GRANTING A VARIANCE REQUIRES THAT YOU DO THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T SEE THAT YOU'VE MET THAT REQUIREMENT FOR CITY CODE.
GOOD EVENING, I'M SHAY RAWLS ROLSON.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN WATER.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE, FOR THE QUESTION AND, UH, CERTAINLY REGARDING THE ALTERNATIVES TO EXPANDING THIS PLANT, UM, WE, UH, WE ARE HEAVILY INVESTED IN CONSERVATION.
WE RECENTLY PASSED THE UPDATE TO THE WATER FORWARD PLAN.
UH, AND SO DRIVING DOWN A WATER USE IS A KEY ELEMENT OF OUR WATER SECURITY FOR THE FUTURE.
UM, EXPANDING THE USE OF RECLAIMED WATER IS, IS ANOTHER, UH, FUNDAMENTAL FOUNDATIONAL PART OF OUR A HUNDRED YEAR WATER SUPPLY PLAN.
THE FACT THAT THIS PLANT IS, UM, IS AT APPROACHING 90% CAPACITY THAT OUR PROJECTIONS, UH, INCLUDING ALL OF THE, UM, ALTERNATIVES FOR WHERE ELSE WE COULD TREAT THIS WATER.
UM, AS CHARLES MENTIONED, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PACKAGE PLANTS.
WE HAVE, UM, OUR TWO LARGE REGIONAL PLANTS, AND WE HAVE A ROBUST WASTEWATER PLANNING PROGRAM, UH, IN OUR SYSTEMS PLANNING DEPARTMENT THAT LOOKS AT ALTERNATIVES FOR HOW WE CAN, UM, UH, HOW WE CAN BEST OPTIMIZE OUR, UH, WASTEWATER TREATMENT CAPACITY.
UM, WE'VE DONE STUDIES TO LOOK AT WHETHER WE SHOULD SEND MORE WASTEWATER, UM, OFF OF THE WALNUT CREEK SYSTEM NORTH TO A PLANT THAT WE PARTICIPATE IN WITH, WITH OTHER CITIES TO THE NORTH OF AUSTIN.
UH, AND SO WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE DONE A VERY ROBUST ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS PROCESS FOR OUR WASTEWATER PLANNING, UH, ACROSS AUSTIN AND CERTAINLY FOR THE WALNUT CREEK SYSTEM.
UM, AS CHARLES MENTIONED, OUR FLOW PROJECTIONS FOR THIS PLANT, UH, WITH ALL THE ALTERNATIVES, UM, THAT WE'VE AVAILED, UM, IN THE, IN THE WALNUT CREEK COLLECTION SYSTEM, SHOW THAT WE MAY EXCEED A HUNDRED PERCENT CAPACITY BY 2032 OR WITHIN A FEW YEARS AFTER THAT.
SO, UM, WE ABSOLUTELY, UH, MUST EXPAND THIS PLANT IN ORDER TO STAY IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR DISCHARGE PERMIT EXCEEDING 75 MGD OF EFFLUENT OUT OF THIS PLANT WOULD BE
[01:45:01]
A MAJOR VIOLATION OF OUR PERMIT.UH, AND SO, UM, THAT SEVERAL YEARS AGO, AS CHARLES MENTIONED, WE COMMISSIONED THE, UM, UH, OPTIMIZATION AND FACILITY STUDY FOR WALNUT CREEK.
AND SO WE THOROUGHLY EVALUATED MANY DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES FOR, UM, THE USE OF THIS SITE AND HOW BEST TO, UH, PROVIDE THE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY THAT WE NEED AT THIS SITE.
AND SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE DONE A VERY ROBUST PLANNING AND ALTERNATIVES ASSESSMENT PROCESS AROUND, UH, WHERE WE SEND OUR WASTEWATER, WHAT WASTEWATER NEEDS TO COME TO WALNUT CREEK AND HOW BEST TO EXPAND THIS PLANT IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST QUALITY TREATMENT, UM, AND AND LEAST VARIANCE FROM, FROM CITY CODES THAT WE CAN.
COMMISSIONER CHEN SAID, I'LL COME BACK TO YOU.
UM, YOU'LL HAVE TO FORGIVE MY IGNORANCE BECAUSE I'M UNUSUAL TO ALL OF THIS.
UM, I HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT QUESTIONS.
UM, THE FIRST OF WHICH IS REGARDING THE TCEQ STANDARDS.
UM, I'M CURIOUS IF THAT IS PARTICULAR TO EACH WATERWAY, HOW OFTEN IT'S UPDATED AND WHAT SORTS OF CONTAMINANTS ARE EVALUATED? UM, IT IS SPECIFICALLY DONE FOR EACH WATERWAY.
SO MORE IMPACTED WATERWAY WILL HAVE DIFFERENT RESTRICTIONS ON WHAT COULD BE DISCHARGED TO IT.
UM, WE HAVE TO RENEW OUR PERMIT EVERY FIVE YEARS, SO IT'S LOOKED AT EVERY FIVE YEARS.
AND THE CONSTITUENTS, THEY LOOK AT IT, OBVIOUSLY, THEY LOOK AT PHOSPHORUS, NITROGEN, THE DISSOLVED AUCTION, THERE'S COMING IN AND THERE'S PROBABLY A LIST OF A HUNDRED OTHER THINGS THEY LOOK AT.
UM, SO YOU SAID EVERY FIVE YEARS IS HOW OFTEN? EVERY FIVE YEARS WE HAVE HAVE TO RENEW OUR PERMIT.
UM, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THAT THAT WAS CONDUCTED? OH, OH MAN.
I'M GONNA SAY, WAS IT 23? I I, WE, WE CAN GET THAT FOR YOU.
I JUST DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT YEAH, SO OKAY.
I'M, I'M JUST THINKING ALONG THE LINES OF LIKE OUR CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF THE AUSTIN AREA.
FIVE YEARS AGO, THE CITY LOOKED DIFFERENT AND SO LOOKING BACK EVEN, YOU KNOW, 10 YEARS AGO IT LOOKED DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT.
UM, I AM ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT DIFFERENT, UM, WHAT ARE CONSIDERED LIKE FOREVER, UM, CHEMICALS LIKE PFAS, UM, IF THOSE ARE INCLUDED IN THE STANDARDS RIGHT NOW, AND IF THEY'RE LOOKED AT AT ALL IN, IN THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
AND THIS IS, AGAIN, FORGIVE MY IGNORANCE, I DON'T KNOW A, A TON ABOUT IT.
UM, SO, UH, CURRENTLY THERE ARE EPA REGULATIONS AROUND, UM, PFAS FOR, UH, DRINKING WATER MM-HMM
UM, AND, AND ALL OF OUR, UH, FELLOW UTILITIES DID WATER QUALITY TESTING OVER THE LAST YEAR.
UM, AND BASED ON THAT WATER, WE HAVE VERY WELL PROTECTED WATER SOURCE IN LAKE TRAVIS AND, UM, LAKE AUSTIN.
AND SO WE WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO TREAT ON THE DRINKING WATER SIDE.
ON THE WASTEWATER SIDE, THEY ARE JUST BEGINNING, UM, TO DO THE ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF WASTEWATER DISCHARGES AS IT RELATES TO PFAS.
SO THAT IS, IT'S NOT CURRENTLY REGULATED.
UM, AND IT, UH, AND WE ARE NOT CURRENTLY REQUIRED TO TEST FOR IT.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS WOULD CONSIDER TESTING FOR? WE, WE ABSOLUTELY FOLLOW THE, THE SCIENCE AND WE COLLABORATE WITH OUR, UM, REGULATORY AGENCIES TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PROVIDING THEM THE DATA THAT THEY NEED, UH, IN ORDER TO MAKE SCIENCE-BASED DECISIONS.
MY OTHER QUESTION IS REGARDING, UM, THE
UM, ACTUALLY IN ADDITION TO THAT, I'M, I'M REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT THE, THE FLOOD WALL, UM, SURROUNDING THE PLANT.
SO IN MY EXPERIENCE, MOST OF THAT BEING IN MARINE ECOSYSTEMS, UM, THINGS LIKE,
[01:50:01]
YOU KNOW, STORM BARRIERS OR, UM, SEA WALLS ACTUALLY CAUSE INCREASED EROSION IN THAT AREA.HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF OR DONE ANY SORT OF MODELING THAT CONSIDERS THE, THE INCREASED EROSION THAT YOU'LL SEE SURROUNDING THAT, THAT WALL? I KNOW THAT YOU'RE MAKING IT REALLY DEEP, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WE THINK ABOUT LONGEVITY OF THESE SOLUTIONS AND GENERALLY BUILT INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE FLOOD WALLS IS NOT THE BEST.
SO PART OF THE FLOODPLAIN ANALYSIS THAT WE DO IS THAT THERE IS EROSION PART OF IT IN THERE AS WELL AS WE DID A, WHAT'S CALLED A 2D MODEL.
SO THE 2D MODEL WILL ALLOW US TO LOOK AT HOW THE WATER'S FLOWING, GIVES LIKE VECTOR ARROWS IN THERE SO WE COULD SEE, UH, THE, THE, THE SPEED OF THE WATER.
AND SO WE CAN UTILIZE THAT TO SEE IF WE'RE GONNA CAUSE ANY ADDITIONAL EROSION.
SO THAT IS PART OF THE, THE FLOOD PLAIN ANALYSIS, AND THAT IS BEING REVIEWED BY WATERSHED PROTECTION PLANS.
UM, AND WOULD THE, THE OUTPUT OF THAT REVIEW BE AVAILABLE? YEAH, I THINK, UH, U US IT'S STILL DRAFT AND STILL REVIEW.
BUT ONCE IT IS, I'M, I'M ASSUMING IT CAN BE, YES.
UH, WE DISCUSSED THE, UM, ENDANGERED SPECIES IN THE AREA, BUT I, I WASN'T SURE IF THERE WERE, I KNOW MOST OF THEM WERE TERRESTRIAL THAT WERE BROUGHT UP.
ARE THERE ANY AQUATIC ENDANGERED SPECIES IN THAT AREA? I KNOW THERE'S A, A NUMBER OF SMALL, LIKE MOSQUITO FISH, UM, AND SORT OF ENDEMIC, UM, GRASSES AS WELL.
DO YOU KNOW IF ANY OF THOSE EXIST IN THAT? UM, I, I AM NOT, UH, AWARE OF ANY.
UM, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF, NOT CITY PERMITTING NECESSARILY, BUT STATE AND AND FEDERAL PERMITTING, THEY WOULD NEED TO HAVE AN ENDANGERED SPECIES, UM, UH, REPORT, UH, TO, TO SUBMIT TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT.
BUT, UM, YEAH, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, DO YOU KNOW OF ANY YEAH, I, I DON'T KNOW OF ANY RIGHT NOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
AND IS THAT SORT OF ANALYSIS BEING DONE ON THE, THE WATERWAY CURRENTLY TO IDENTIFY ANY, ANY POSSIBLE ENGAGEMENTS THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE, UH, THE PERMITTING PROCESS? NOT THROUGH THE CITY, BUT, YOU KNOW, SO I, I WOULD ASSUME THAT THE, UH, THE PERMIT, UM, FOLKS WOULD BE HANDLING THAT.
THERE WOULD BE A, SOME SORT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTRACTOR THAT WOULD HANDLE THAT PART.
UM, LASTLY, UM, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT THIS IS A A BILLION DOLLAR PROJECT, RIGHT? YEAH.
UM, I'M WONDERING HOW MUCH OF THAT BUDGET COULD BE REALLOCATED TOWARDS, FOR EXAMPLE, RECYCLED WATER USAGE AND EXPANSION.
UM, AND IF THAT HAS BEEN EXPLORED, I KNOW THAT YOU MENTIONED YOU'RE, YOU'VE LOOKED AT RECYCLED WATER, UM, AND YOU ARE EXPANDING IT, BUT IT, IT SORT OF SEEMS TO ME IN THIS MOMENT THAT THE, THE MONEY IS BEING PUT TOWARDS THIS SORT OF MORE BANDAID TYPE SOLUTION RATHER THAN SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR THE FUTURE.
WELL, THE, UH, WE, WE HAVE TO DO IT ALL MM-HMM
WE HAVE TO DO ALL THOSE THINGS.
AND SO WE HAVE A REALLY ROBUST CAPITAL PLANNING PROCESS THAT WHERE WE LOOK AT BOTH OUR RENEWAL NEEDS, WHAT WE HAVE A LOT OF OLD INFRASTRUCTURE OUT THERE, WHAT DO WE NEED TO REPLACE? WE LOOK AT OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING, UH, WE LOOK AT OUR GENERATIONAL INVESTMENTS LIKE THE WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER PLANT.
UM, WE ARE, WE ABSOLUTELY ARE INVESTING IN RECLAIMED WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, AND SO WE, THAT THIS IS A TIME WHEN WE'RE, WHEN WE'RE INVESTING IN ALL OF THESE, AND I, I WOULD, UH, I WOULD NOT QUALIFY THE WALNUT CREEK PLANT AS A BANDAID.
UM, I WOULD SAY THAT IT IS, IT'S FOUNDATIONAL TO WHAT WE DO AS A CITY TO BE SURE THAT WE HAVE HIGH QUALITY WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN THIS INFRASTRUCTURE.
BECAUSE WHILE WE WILL CONTINUE TO DRIVE WATER USE DOWN, WE WILL ALWAYS NEED TO PROVIDE THIS HIGH QUALITY WASTEWATER TREATMENT.
UM, AND AS AUSTIN GROWS, IT WILL, YOU KNOW, WE WILL CONTINUE TO NEED THE CAPACITY IN THIS PLANT.
AND AS, AS CHARLES MENTIONED, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, UH, CAPACITY THAT WE'RE BUILDING, WE'RE GONNA BUILD THAT FIRST SO THAT THEN WE CAN RETROFIT THE EXISTING PARTS OF THE PLANT THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN USE EVERY SINGLE DAY TODAY.
SO IT GIVES US THAT ADDED CAPABILITY TO, TO DO THAT IMPORTANT WORK.
UM, YEAH, I THINK MY MAIN CONCERN IS WITH THE CONTINUED EXPANSION OF THE, THE
[01:55:01]
CITY, JUST THE METROPOLITAN AREA, THERE'S GOING TO BE INCREASED WATER USAGE.AND AS MUCH AS WE WOULD ALL LIKE TO CONSERVE THE AMOUNT OF WATER WE'RE USING, UM, ADDING MORE PEOPLE JUST MAKES THAT MUCH HARDER.
SO I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE, THE RECLAIMED WATER USAGE.
WE NEED, WE NEED TO USE EVERY TOOL IN OUR TOOLBOX, UM, FOR OUR WATER FUTURE, AND WE INTEND TO DO THAT.
UM, I THINK THAT WAS THE LAST OF MY QUESTIONS.
AND I'M GONNA BRING IT BACK TO COMMISSIONER SHERA, WHO'S IN A DIFFERENT SEAT.
UM, MELINDA SHERA, DISTRICT FOUR.
UM, THINKING OF THE BROADER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.
SO I'M CURIOUS TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE PROJECTED, UH, ENERGIES OF THE, UM, EXPANSION AND VERSUS ALSO THE TREATMENT PROCESS UPGRADES DOING A LITTLE GOOGLE, UH, INVESTIGATION HERE.
IT SAYS WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANS CONSUME A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ENERGY WITH ESTIMATES SUGGESTING THAT THEY USE ONE TO 1% BETWEEN 1% AND 3% OF GLOBAL ENERGY OUTPUT.
AND ELECTRICITY COSTS CAN ACCOUNT FOR UP TO 40% OF A PLANT'S ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET.
UM, SO YEAH, QUESTIONS MIGHT BE, IS ENERGY CONSUMPTION INCREASING OR BEING REDUCED OVERALL? DO THE TREATMENT PROCESS UPGRADES INCREASE ENERGY CONSUMPTION? IS IT AN ACTIVE GOAL TO DECREASE ENERGY CONSUMPTION? AND, UM, YEAH.
JUST LASTLY, ARE ANY INCREASED ENERGY COSTS EXPECTED TO BE INCURRED TO RESIDENTS? SO, UM, AS PART OF THE PLANT BEING EXPANDED, IT WILL MOST LIKELY USE MORE ENERGY.
WE'LL TRY TO USE THE BEST EFFICIENT MOTORS THAT WE CAN.
UM, THE BLOWERS THAT WE USE TO, IN THE AERATION BASIN RUN 24 7, ADDING ANOTHER BASIN, WE WILL HAVE TO USE MORE BLOWER CAPACITY.
SO THAT WILL DO THE, UH, BIOLOGICAL NUTRIENT REMOVAL, REQUIRES US TO, UM, SWITCH THE WATER BACK AND FORTH MORE THAN WE DO NOW, AS IT GETS TO THE BACK OF THE PLANT, WE HAVE TO BREAK BACK TO THE FRONT TO KEEP ALL THE BUGS HAPPY.
SO THAT WILL BE MORE SO, UH, IT WOULD, THE OVERALL, I WOULD SAY THAT WE WOULD INCREASE THE, THE, THE AMOUNT OF ELECTRICAL POWER THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO FOR THIS PLANT.
HAVING SAID THAT, WE DO TRY TO USE THE MOST ENERGY EFFICIENT WE CAN DO, UM, THE BLOWERS HAVE TO MAINTAIN ON ALL THE TIME, BUT THERE ARE, UH, PROCESSES OF THE PLANT THAT WE CAN DO AT DIFFERENT TIMES.
SO WE DO, UH, UH, UH, WORK WITH AUSTIN ENERGY FOR LOAD SHEDDING DURING THE DAY, SO WE CAN MAYBE DO A PROCESS TREATMENT IF WE'RE GONNA CLEAN A BASIN OR WHATEVER, THAT WE CAN DO THAT LATER IN THE NIGHT WHEN, WHEN WE DON'T, WHEN IT'S NOT AT THE PEAK TIME.
UH, WE FOLLOW THAT SAME PROCEDURE.
EVEN IN THE WA DRINKING WATER PROCESS, WE TRY TO DO SOME OF THE LARGER PUMPING OFF PEAK HOURS.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE NOT INTERFERING WITH THAT.
SO WE TRY TO BE AS ENERGY EFFICIENT AS WE CAN, BUT THE PROCESS, UNFORTUNATELY IS A LITTLE BIT OF A ELECTRICAL DRIVE.
WE ARE, WE ARE GONNA SWITCH TO THE ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT THAT'LL USE ELECTRICITY.
WE ARE SAVING ON THE CHEMICAL, UH, USAGE THAT WE HAVE TO DO NOW.
SO IS THERE A BALLPARK PERCENTAGE OF THAT ENERGY INCREASE? I DON'T, WE, YOU KNOW, I, I WISH I HAVE THAT.
UM, THE, UH, THIS'LL BE THE, UH, UH, WE MAY HAVE SOME ANECDOTAL ONES THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW, UH, CALCULATION WISE HOW BIG TO MAKE ALL THE, THE ELECTRICAL STUFF, BUT HOW MUCH WE'RE GONNA USE WILL BE NEW FOR IT BECAUSE, UM, THIS WILL BE KIND OF, THE FIRST WON'T BE, WE'RE JUST NOW COMPLETING IN A PROJECT CALLED WILDHORSE FOR BIOLOGICAL NUTRIENT REMOVAL.
SO WE'LL SEE HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL ELECTRICITY THAT WE HAVE TO USE FOR THAT, FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT PUMPING.
BUT IN GENERAL, WE DON'T HAVE SOMETHING TO FALL BACK ON WHEN WE'RE USING ACTIVATED SLUDGE.
HOW MUCH ARE WE GOING TO USE WHEN WE SWITCH IT OVER TO A, A, A BIOLOGICAL NUTRIENT REMOVAL? SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT ANECDOTAL INFORMATION.
I CAN GET THE, THE, THE AMPS IF YOU WANT IN THE BOLTS YOU WANT THAT WE, WE THINK WE NEED.
SO I CAN GET THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU, BUT EXACTLY HOW MUCH WE'RE GONNA USE.
I, I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
AND SINCE IT'S MY LAST DAY, I THINK THE, UM, COMMISSION WOULD APPRECIATE THAT INFORMATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST IN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND, AND UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACTS.
FIRST OFF, UM, CHARLES, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT LIKE, UM, I APPRECIATE, UH, WHEN YOU WERE UP HERE, THE LEVEL OF ENTHUSIASM THAT YOU, UH, BROUGHT TO THE, UH, TO TALK ABOUT WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
[02:00:01]
AND SO I'VE GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS.UM, WE'VE, WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT, UM, THE, UM, SUPPORT AND PROCESS, UM, THAT TCEQ GIVES.
UM, AND WHAT I WANNA KNOW IS, WHAT HAPPENS IF THAT GOES AWAY? WHAT, WHAT DOES THE CITY CONTINUE TO DO TO MONITOR, TO SELF-REGULATE, KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS THAT PLAN? UM, OR THIS, SO WE, WE TAKE OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT VERY SERIOUSLY AT AUSTIN WATER.
AND, UH, WE PARTNER WITH OUR REGULATORY AGENCIES AND, AND WE, UH, OBVIOUSLY WE COMPLY WITH ALL OF THE REGULATIONS.
THOSE REGULATIONS ARE ALSO REPRESENT BEST PRACTICES IN OUR INDUSTRY.
AND THEY REPRESENT WHAT IS KNOWN TODAY ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND SO, UH, ABSENT A REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, WE WOULD CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE DO TODAY.
UM, AND IT, IT, YEAH, THAT'S OUR COMMITMENT.
AND, AND SO ALSO TO THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD HAVE TO ASSUME THAT THERE IS QUITE A BIT OF FEDERAL FUNDING, UH, TIED TO THIS AND KIND OF DESCRIBE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT PICTURE.
SO IN, IN THE WATER WORLD, THERE, THERE IS SOME, UH, GRANT FUNDING AVAILABLE, BUT PRIMARILY THE FINANCIAL, UM, UH, SUPPORT THAT'S AVAILABLE FROM IS THROUGH THE STATE REVOLVING FUNDS, UH, WHICH ARE ADMINISTERED BY THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN, UH, WE HAVE USED, UH, LOW, THOSE ARE LOW INTEREST LOANS, AND WE HAVE USED THOSE LOW INTEREST LOANS AT WALNUT AND THROUGHOUT OUR SYSTEM.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS WITH THAT.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT, UM, THE EPA HAS A LOW INTEREST LOAN THAT WOULD BE, UM, THAT WOULD WORK AT WALNUT CREEK.
UH, IT'S CALLED WIA, WHICH IS AN ACRONYM THAT I, PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME TRY TO REMEMBER WHAT ALL FIVE LETTERS ARE.
BUT, UH, ESSENTIALLY IT'S WATER INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING.
UM, AND SO WE ARE PURSUING THAT AS WELL.
UM, SO PRIMARILY, UM, THE, THE BENEFIT WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO US FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT IS LOW INTEREST LOANS.
UM, AND SO, UH, OUR PROJECTS ARE FUNDED PRIMARILY THROUGH, UH, THROUGH OUR RATES.
ALL, YOU KNOW, OTHER THAN THE LOW INTEREST LOANS, EVERYTHING WE DO IS FUNDED THROUGH OUR RATES AND FEES.
THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING THAT.
UM, WAS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION, SO YOU'VE GOT SORT OF THIS LONG WEDGE OF A PROPERTY.
UM, WAS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION OF LOOKING AT BUYOUTS OF THE ADJACENT LAND THAT'S TO THE EAST THAT WOULD TAKE IT A FARTHER AWAY FROM THE CREEK AND, AND YOU KNOW, THEN WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE SO YOU'RE NOT HAVING TO NECESSARILY HAVE SUCH A BIG WALL AND, YOU KNOW, UM, USING THE PROPERTY A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
SO WAS THERE A DISCUSSION ON THAT? UM, WE DID LOOK AT WITH JUST WITHIN OUR OWN PROPERTY, BUT I WILL TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE WATERS.
IT COMES DOWN WALNUT CREEK AND HITS JOHNNY MORRIS.
IT CONTINUES DOWN WALNUT CREEK, BUT THEN IT COMES, IT HITS MLK BOULEVARD, COMES OVER TO THE RAILROAD AND COMES DOWN ON THAT SIDE.
SO BOTH SIDES ARE IN THE FLOODPLAIN FOR US, RIGHT.
EVEN IN OUR THERE, BUT THE, THE MAIN, AS THE WATER COMES DOWN, IT SPLITS AND COMES AROUND US AND THEN GOES BACK TOGETHER.
SO THEY PROBABLY COULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT GO TO THE EAST.
I JUST WAS LOOKING AT THE MAP AND, AND THINKING ABOUT THAT.
SO, UM, ON THE, UM, ON THE PROPERTY ITSELF AND THE, THE NEW FACILITIES AS WELL AS THE OLD FACILITIES, UM, WILL Y'ALL BE USING LIKE DARK SKY LIGHTING, BIRD FRIENDLY GLASS, YOU KNOW, ANY KIND OF BIRD DETERRENT, UM, BIRD STRIKE DETERRENTS ON, ON ANY OF THE FACILITIES? UM, CURRENTLY, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF MY HEAD.
MOST OF FACILITIES ARE CONCRETE BASINS HOLDING WATER OR EQUIPMENT.
UM, SO I DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE GLASS ON THE SIDES OF THOSE BUILDINGS.
UH, WE MAY HAVE A ONE MAINTENANCE BUILDING AND WE CAN, WE CAN, I CAN DOUBLE CHECK WHERE THE ARCHITECT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT.
BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW OF A PERSON FACILITY, WE, I THINK WE'RE JUST BUILDING ONE MAINTENANCE FACILITY AND THAT WAS IT.
UH, SO VERY LIMITED ON MOUNT OF GLASS ROOF ADDING, I WAS THINKING THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY WAS LIKE A ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING AND THAT WE CURRENTLY DO HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING RIGHT NOW.
BUT THAT'S ALREADY, THAT WAS BUILT, THAT'S ALREADY IN 1977.
UM, I THINK, UH, THOSE OF US THAT WERE BORN IN THE SEVENTIES, WE'LL HAVE A LIFETIME OF, UM, WE REPAIRING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE BUILT IN THE SEVENTIES
[02:05:01]
ME THINK IF THERE WAS OTHER THINGS HERE.UM, SO, UM, I THINK I AGREE WITH, UM, COMMISSIONER BRIER, UM, IN HIS CONCERNS, UM, ON THE CUT AND FILL, UM, AND DOING THAT JUST ALL ADMINISTRATIVELY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS BEEN VERY, UH, AWARE OF, AND ESPECIALLY IN THE EASTERN QUADRANT, UM, AS WE CONSIDER TO BUILD MORE AND MORE, UH, WHEN YOU SHOWED THAT MAP OF, OF WHAT THIS SERVICE AREA IS.
UM, IT IS, IT IS A LOT OF THE SERVICE AREA THAT WE, UM, SEE SO MANY OF THESE CUT AND FILL, YOU KNOW, PROJECTS COMING FORWARD.
AND THOSE ARE FOR MULTI-USE, THEREFORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S, THEY'RE, THEY'RE STARTING TO PILE UP MORE AND MORE, UM, ALONG THAT CORRIDOR, ESPECIALLY IN THE PALMER LANE, YOU KNOW, UP, UP KIND OF IN THAT SECTOR, UM, UP THERE.
UM, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I AGREE WITH HIM THAT, THAT WE NEED TO SORT OF MAYBE DIAL THAT DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT, UM, OR AT LEAST HAVE IT WHERE IF IT GOES PAST A CERTAIN POINT, UM, THAT IT NEEDS TO COME AGAIN BEFORE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND WE HAVE ANOTHER REVIEW OF THAT.
UM, WOULD Y'ALL BE OPEN TO THAT? I'M OPEN TO THAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT FITS THE CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE THAT WE WERE ON.
SO I WOULD, UM, SO YOU KNOW, THIS ORDINANCE IS GOING TO CITY COUNCIL, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SUB SUBSEQUENT SITE PLANS THAT WOULD HAVE THE CUT AND FILL HAVE NOT BEEN SUBMITTED TO BE EVALUATED YET, OR HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED YET.
SO IT'S HARD TO SAY WHAT THAT UPPER LIMIT WOULD BE AT THIS POINT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT IT COULD BE LOWER.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THERE IS ADDITIONAL TIME JUST, YOU KNOW, FOR EVALUATING THOSE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S REASONABLE TO SAY, OKAY, IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, OVER 20, IT COMES BACK AND THEN IT WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE NORMAL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TIME.
SO THAT WOULD JUST EXTEND THE, THE, UH, REVIEW TIME OF THE, THE, THE SITE PLAN BY, YOU KNOW, THREE MONTHS OR SO.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WOULD BE, WE WOULD WANT TO TALK TO THEM.
SO, I MEAN, I, I DON'T WANNA MOVE DIRT, DIRT, MOVING DIRT IS EXPENSIVE, RIGHT? AND THAT'S PART OF THE BRINGING THE CONTRACTOR ON BOARD NOW IS FOR THEM TO EVALUATE WHAT THEY COULD DO AND, AND, AND DO THAT.
I WANNA MOVE TO THE MINIMUM AMOUNT.
SO I DO KNOW ONCE WE GET TO THE SITE PLAN ON THE CUTS AND FILLS, IT'S GONNA BE THE MINIMUM AMOUNT THAT WE CAN DO BECAUSE IT'S GONNA SAVE ME MONEY.
SO, UM, WHEREVER WE DO LAND, RIGHT, AND WE DON'T KNOW THE FULL NUMBER IS, IT WOULD BE THE MINIMUM CUT AND FILL.
'CAUSE IT WOULD BE THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE FOR US TOO AS WELL.
AGAIN, WE'RE IN A, AS MENTIONED BEFORE, I THINK WE'RE IN A, IN A, IN AN AREA THAT WAS USED FOR A DIFFERENT PURPOSE BACK IN THE PREVIOUS SEVENTIES THAT WE'RE NOW FIGHTING WITH, THAT WE'RE HAVING TO KIND OF COME BACK TO.
AND, AND TO THAT POINT, I DO, YOU KNOW, WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONCERN ABOUT PRECEDENT AND, AND ALLOWING, UM, UP TO 25 FEET.
I, I DOUBT THAT THAT'S GONNA BE WHAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY GONNA WIND UP NEEDING.
UM, BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN DISTURBED FOR DECADES AND SOME OF IT IS, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PILES OF, OF, OF, UH, YOU KNOW, SPOILS PILES THERE AND IT'S BEEN GRADED OVER TIME.
SO IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT NATURAL TOPOGRAPHY.
WHAT THAT TOPOGRAPHY WAS PREVIOUSLY IS HARD TO SAY AT THIS POINT.
BUT IT'S, I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT IT DIFFERENTLY THAN WE WOULD IF THIS WERE, FOR EXAMPLE, A A NATURAL OCCURRING HILL OR VALLEY THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, WERE PROPOSING TO RADICALLY ALTER, UM, YOU KNOW, NATURAL TOPOGRAPHY.
THERE'S NO NATURAL CHARACTER IN THIS AREA RIGHT NOW.
SO, SO I ALSO ADD, UM, 'CAUSE THERE WAS MENTION ABOUT THE CUTS AND FIELDS, THE LONG IMPACTS OF ENVIRONMENTALLY, I WILL REMIND EVERYBODY WE ARE, WE WILL BE IN A FLOOD WALL, SO WE KIND OF LIKE, LET'S SAY AS ISOLATED AS, AS SOMETHING IT COULD BE.
SO I DON'T THINK WE WOULD HAVE ANY LONG LASTING IMPACTS OUTSIDE THE FLOOD WALL WITH OUR CUTS AND FILL INSIDE THE FLOOD WALL.
SO COMMISSIONER BRIER, WOULD YOU BE, UM, AMENABLE TO, UM, ALLOWING THE CUT AND FILL AS IT IS? UM, I THINK YOU HAVE
UM, I GUESS MY REACTION IS THIS, THAT, UH, I,
[02:10:02]
WE HAVE A SITUATION THERE WHERE WE'VE DONE A LOT OF THINGS THAT AS, UH, LIZ MENTIONED EARLIER, WE MIGHT NOT DO TODAY, BUT WE DID IT 20 YEARS AGO, BUT IT'S KIND OF LIKE GLOVE CANAL.I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN THROWING TOXIC WASTE NEXT TO A HOUSE FOR 50 YEARS.
SO WHAT'S THE HARM IN THROWING MORE TOXIC WASTE NEXT TO A HOUSE? AT SOME POINT YOU NEED TO PULL THE PLUG AND SAY, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
UH, IF WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING IS THAT WE GO AHEAD AND MAKE ONE MORE EXCEPTION TO THIS.
WELL THEN YOU'VE ALREADY WRITTEN IT DOWN.
I'M, WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH IT, I WILL TAKE IT OUT OF HERE.
WELL, I HAVE SEVERAL OTHER CONCERNS AS WELL.
UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THEM THAT I DIDN'T BRING UP THE TIME, BUT ONE OF THEM IS THAT WE'RE BEING ASKED TO APPROVE, UH, UNKNOWN VARIANCES.
WELL, UH, WE'LL GET TO THAT IN A SECOND 'CAUSE WE DO THAT A LOT.
UM, BUT WELL, YEAH, I KNOW, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT.
YEAH, I AGREE WITH THAT EITHER.
BUT, UH, SO, UH, SPECIFICALLY ON THE CUT FIELD, I'M, I, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO INSERT, GO RIGHT AHEAD.
'CAUSE I THINK WE'VE BEEN EXHAUSTIVE IN OUR QUESTIONS AND, AND MOST OF MINE HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN ANSWERED.
SO I, I WOULD SAY I WOULDN'T REALLY CONSIDER THIS AN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT THAT IS COMPARABLE TO SOME OF THESE OTHER CUT AND FILL REQUESTS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE US.
UM, I THINK WE HAVE TO CONSIDER, CONSIDER COMMUNITY BENEFIT, NOT JUST OF THE PROJECT ITSELF, BUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE DIDN'T DO IT.
UM, SO I WORRY THAT IF WE CONTINUE TO TAKE UP THE, IF WE DON'T BUILD IT, THAT THEY WON'T COME MENTALITY THAT IT WILL COME BACK TO BITE US AND SOMETHING THAT COULD BE EVEN MORE ECOLOGICALLY DEVASTATING.
SO THAT BEING SAID,
SO WITH THE TCEQ REQUIREMENTS, ARE Y'ALL DOING, UM, MONITORING ON THE CREEK AND WHERE YOUR OUTFLOW IS? IN THE COLORADO RIVER? UM, WE, WE ARE, WE DO TAKE THE SAMPLES AT THE RIVER SO WE KNOW WHAT'S ENTERING THE RIVER.
UM, THE TCEQ DOES DO THEIR OWN STUDIES OF THE RIVER.
SO WHERE IS THE OUTFLOW? JUST MORE CURIOUS.
UM, DO YOU KNOW WHERE THAT LITTLE RACETRACK IS? DOWN SOUTH? SO IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT TO THE WEST OF THAT.
SO WE CROSS UNDERNEATH THE RAILROAD BRIDGE, WE GO, UH, THAT LITTLE RACETRACK.
THERE'S ACTUALLY, WE HAVE AN EASEMENT ON THAT RACETRACK AND WE COME DOWN AND TIES RIGHT IN THE COLORADO RIVER RIGHT THERE.
SO IS IT EASTER OR IS IT UPSTREAM OR DOWNSTREAM FROM WHERE WALNUT CREEK COMES UP? THAT IS WHERE UP WALNUT CREEK.
DOWNSTREAM FROM THE MOUTH OF OKAY.
I'M SORRY, I WAS THINKING OF THE PLANT WHEN YOU SAID THAT.
THERE'S JUST, THERE'S SO MUCH, UM, INCREASE IN TURBIDITY AND ACTION THAT'S HAPPENING ALONG THAT SEGMENT OF THE COLORADO RIVER THAT REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHERE, UM, SOME OF THESE POINT SOURCE, UM, MEASUREMENTS ARE COMING FROM SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY TRACK THAT IS GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THIS GROUP MOVING FORWARD.
AND, AND TCEQ GOES AND JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION DOES EVEN LOOK AT THE OUTFALLS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, WERE THERE OTHER SORT OF, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT WE'RE, WE'RE MEETING, YOU KNOW, THE REQUIREMENTS BY, FOR TCEQ, BUT WERE THERE OTHER SORT OF ENHANCED NUTRIENT REMOVAL SYSTEMS THAT WERE CONSIDERED? I KNOW A LOT OF THAT TECHNOLOGY HAS MOVED, UM, PRETTY QUICKLY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS WE'VE LOOKED AT VARIOUS AMOUNTS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OF TECHNOLOGIES, UM, BECAUSE WE WANTED TO CONVERT THE EXISTING PLANT INTO A BIOLOGICAL NUTRIENT REMOVAL.
WE CHOSEN A, A METHOD CALLED WEST BANK, WHICH BASICALLY, UH, IN SUMMARY, IT'S KINDA LIKE A SIDESTREAM
AND THAT WE USE SOME FEED FOR THE REST OF THE PLANT.
SO WE DID USE THE WEST BANK, SO SOME OF IT'S ALL IN LINE, RIGHT? ONE CENTER AROUND TO ANOTHER.
BUT WE ARE, WE'VE CHOSEN THAT MAINLY 'CAUSE OF THE SITE CONSTRAINTS OF THE EXISTING BASINS THAT WE HAD TO PUT THAT PORTION OFF TO THE SIDE AND THEN BRING IT BACK.
SO WE DID LOOK AT VARIOUS METHODS, BUT THAT WAS THE ONE THAT WE'VE CHOSEN A WEST BANK METHOD.
OH YEAH,
MARTIN FOE, THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF EO TWO.
THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH, BUT THERE'S, IT'S THE WEST BANK METHOD THAT WE'VE, THAT WE'VE CHOSEN.
UH, COMING BACK TO THE PROPERTY ITSELF, JUST REALLY QUICKLY THINKING ABOUT, UM, AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONER FLURRY FOR SORT OF BRINGING UP THE EXPERIENCE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE PROPERTY, ALONG THOSE, THOSE TRAILS AND THINGS, UM, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENT OF, OF A GREEN BUFFER ZONE OR ANY OTHER CONSIDERATIONS FOR IF OTHER
[02:15:01]
TREES ON THE PROPERTY, NOT JUST THE HERITAGE TREES WERE CONSIDERED, UM, FOR SORT CREATION OF BUFFERING THE PROPERTY ITSELF FROM NEIGHBORING EXPERIENCES.UM, U USUALLY WE DON'T PLANT, UH, TREES WITHIN THE WASTEWATER TREE PLANT 'CAUSE IT'S ORGANIC MATERIAL THAT WILL FALL INTO THE BASINS THAT WE GOTTA TREAT.
SO USUALLY IT'S OUTSIDE, UM, TO THE NORTH WE HAVE THE LAKE TO THE WEST, WE HAVE THE CREEK RIGHT SOUTH IS ALREADY WOODED.
AND THEN THE EAST WE HAVE THE RAILROAD TRACK.
SO WE HAVE LIMITED AVAILABILITY TO PLANT TREES AROUND US AND WE REALLY DON'T LIKE TO PLANT 'EM ON THE SITE 'CAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT OCCURS.
THAT TRACKS UH, I THINK THAT'S ALL FOR MY QUESTIONS.
DO WE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS BEFORE WE START OUR DISCUSSION? COMMISSIONERS? YOU WANT A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? YES.
ALL IN FAVOR OF CLOSING PUBLIC HEARING.
I HOPE THAT Y'ALL LIKE THE SOUND OF MY VOICE 'CAUSE I'M ABOUT TO READ A LOT.
SECOND DISCUSSION, RIGHT, JUST LIKE NORMAL.
UH, THE SUBJECT IS A WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER.
YEAH, IT IS, ISN'T IT? APRIL FOOLS
UH, WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING TO AMEND LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE LDC CHAPTER TWO FIVE DASH 1 2 5 DASH FIVE AND 2 2 5 DASH SEVEN AND TWO FIVE DASH EIGHT IN RELATED VARIANCES AS MINIMALLY REQUIRED TO ALLOW THE CONSTRUCTION OF WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT ENHANCEMENTS IN EXPANSION PROJECT.
WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES ON MARCH 27TH, 2025, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED RESOLUTION NUMBER 2 0 2 5 0 3 2 7 0 6 2 INITIATING VARIANCES IN AMENDMENTS TO THE LAND OF DEVELOPMENT CODE.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION UNDERSTANDS A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED WITHIN THE A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN AND THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE OF WALNUT CREEK AND IN THE COLORADO RIVER WATERSHED.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT STAFF RECOMMENDS THE VARIANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITION, I'M SORRY, IT'S, UM, AMENDMENT NOT A VARIANCE.
UM, THE PROJECT WILL BE REQUIRED TO SEEK ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCES FOR PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT THAT EXCEEDS OR MODIFIES THE REQUIREMENTS OF TWO FIVE DASH EIGHT DASH 3 0 1 CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES TWO FIVE DASH EIGHT DASH 3 41.
CUT FILL REQUIREMENTS TWO FIVE DASH EIGHT DASH 3 42 FILL REQUIREMENTS TWO FIVE DASH EIGHT DASH 2 6 4 AND TWO FIVE DASH 8 2 6 3.
HERITAGE TREES FOR ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCES GRANTED BY THIS ORDINANCE, THE PROJECT MUST DETER, MUST DEMONSTRATE THAT NO FEASIBLE, UM, CODE COMPLIANT DESIGN ALTERNATIVES EXIST.
THE PROJECT WILL BE DESIGNED TO BORE THE NEW AFFLUENT AFFLUENT WATER LINE UNDER WALNUT CREEK INSTEAD OF USING AN OPEN CUT CHANNEL.
THE PROJECT EXTENDS THE CWQZ ASSOCIATED WITH THE SOUTHERNMOST, UM, SEGMENT OF WALNUT CREEK TO AN AREA 150% THE SIZE OF THE PROPOSED IMPACT CWQZ.
THE PROJECT COMMITS TO RELOCATION OF IMPACTED HERITAGE TREES WERE FEASIBLE.
THEREFORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS, UM, TO AMEND LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE WITH THE FOLLOWING ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION CONDITIONS.
NUMBER ONE, INCREASE MARKETING AND AWARENESS OF WASTEWATER, UM, CONSERVATION PROGRAMS TO EVERYONE WITHIN THE SERVICE AREA TO IMPROVE INCENTIVES FOR NEW AND REMODEL CONSTRUCTION TO UTILIZE WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAMS. THREE, REQUEST ADDITIONAL DOWNSTREAM NUTRIENT METERS BEYOND TCEQ REQUIREMENTS.
REPORT BACK TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION ON ALL ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVALS.
FIVE, INCORPORATE NATURAL ELEMENTS AND NATIVE, UH, TEXAS PLANTS ALONG THE BASE OF THE FLOOD WALL TO INCREASE BIODIVERSITY.
SIX, INCORPORATE AND INCORPORATE A TREE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE HERITAGE TREES AND TREES PLANTED ON THE PROPERTY AND MITIGATION AND MITIGATION PROPERTY.
[02:20:01]
LIGHT POLLUTION WITH DARK SKY LIGHTING.PRIORITIZED PURCHASING ADJACENT PROPERTIES THAT WOULD INCREASE THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
EXTEND THE CWQZ ASSOCIATED WITH THE SOUTHERNMOST SEGMENT OF WALNUT CREEK FROM 150% TO 200%.
ENHANCE AND IMPROVE PUBLIC BENEFIT, UH, WITH BIRDING WALKING NATURE EXPLORATION, UH, AND OTHER BENEFITS.
AND 11, CONSIDER INSTALLATION OF SOLAR, SOLAR PANELS TO BE USED ON SITE OR PRODUCE ENERGY, UH, FOR THE REGION.
CONSIDER INSTALLATION OF SOLAR PANELS TO BE USED ON SITE OR PRODUCE ENERGY FOR THE REGION.
CAN I OFFER ANOTHER AMENDMENT THAT WE GET A ANNUAL REPORT ON THIS PROJECT AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
UM, SINCE IT, YOU KNOW, ITS PROGRESS IS GONNA BE GOING ON UNTIL THE EARLY 2030S AND THAT WE GET AN ANNUAL REPORT ON THIS PROJECT.
I WOULD LIKE TO MIKE, REALLY QUICK BEFORE WE ADD THAT ONE.
IS ANYBODY AGAINST THAT AMENDMENT? OTHERWISE WE'RE UNANIMOUS.
I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST, UH, A SLIGHT CHANGE TO COMMISSIONER BRISTOL'S RECOMMENDATION RATHER THAN REQUESTING SOLAR PANELS, I'D SAY REQUIRE SOLAR PANELS.
AND MY REASONING IS THAT THIS IS A CRITICAL PIECE OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SHOULD NOT BE WITHOUT POWER DURING WHATEVER HAPPENS.
AND THERE SHOULD BE BACKUP POWER SUPPLIED FOR THAT.
SO THERE SHOULD BE SOLAR PANELS AND BATTERIES TO BACKUP UP TO PROVIDE BACKUP STUFF, YOU KNOW, BACKUP POWER TO IT.
AND, UH, ALSO TO OFFSET THE INCREASED POWER THAT, UH, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, THAT'S GONNA BE CONSUMED BY, YOU KNOW, BY THIS, UH, INCREASED, YOU KNOW, LARGER FACILITY.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO, RATHER THAN REQUEST, I'D LIKE TO REQUIRE THAT.
UH, NOTED AND CHANGED THE WORD.
IF I MAY TAKE A MOMENT OF PRIVILEGE, UH, WOULD IT BE, UH, POSSIBLE TO HAVE OUR AUSTIN WATER STAFF TALK ABOUT THE, PERHAPS THE, UM, EMERGENCY POWER THAT THEY MAY ALREADY HAVE ON SITE? 'CAUSE I, I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN THIS AREA, BUT I'M WONDERING IF SOLAR PANELS WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO ACTUALLY PROVIDE THAT BACKUP AND YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR, WHAT THEIR OPINIONS ARE ON THAT.
WELL, I GUESS THE REASON I MENTIONED SOLAR, UH, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A BACKUP POWER FREQUENTLY PROVIDED TO, UH, REMOTE LOCATIONS FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, LOCAL SEWER PUMPS AND VARIOUS THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND FREQUENTLY THOSE ARE PRO UH, THAT POWER IS PROVIDED BY, UH, PROPANE OR DIESEL.
BUT I'M MENTIONING SOLAR ON PURPOSE AS OPPOSED TO ALTERNATIVE, UH, YOU KNOW, METHODS THAT ARE PROVIDED BY, YOU KNOW, CARBON BASED POWER SOLUTIONS.
SO THAT'S WHY I MENTIONED SOLAR SPECIFICALLY.
UH, IF I MENTIONED THROWING IN MORE DIESEL GENERATORS, I WOULD'VE SUGGESTED MORE DIESEL GENERATORS.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHY I MENTIONED THAT.
I JUST WOULD LIKE ADDITIONAL CONTEXT.
UM, SO, UH, WE HAVE, UH, COORDINATED WITH AUSTIN ENERGY AT MULTIPLE OF OUR SITES FOR SOLAR PANELS AND WE'VE LET THEM KNOW WHERE IT'S FEASIBLE.
WALNUT CREEK WAS DEEMED KIND OF AN AREA THAT'S NOT FEASIBLE OF THE AREAS THAT ARE GREEN GRASS OR FUTURE COULD BE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
SO WE COULDN'T ENCUMBER THAT AREA.
AND THEN, UH, WHERE WE HAVE THE BASIN ROOFS, WE NEEDED TO REMOVE THOSE TO GET TO OUR EQUIPMENT.
SO REALLY THE ONLY PLACE ON TOP IS PROP OF THE ADMIN BUILDING.
AND THEY DIDN'T, IT DIDN'T PROVIDE ANY, ANY, ANY BENEFIT 'CAUSE IT'S SO SMALL AREA.
SO WE HAVE LOOKED AT AUSTIN ENERGY OR, OR WE COORDINATE WITH AUSTIN ENERGY TO SEE IF THERE'S AVAILABLE SITES THAT THEY WOULD PREFER.
AND IT, IT, WALNUT CREEK DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T MEET THE, MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THAT.
AND SO, UM, I WANNA ASK THE QUESTION TOO.
UM, I MEAN WAS WERE LIKE THE PARKING AREAS AND STUFF, UM, CONSIDERED, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS LIKE A, UH, ONE OF THE BENEFITS WOULD BE TO OFFER MORE PARKING TO THE TRAIL AND STUFF IS OVER THE PARKING LOT LOT.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR HAVING SOLAR? OH, OH, YOU MEAN FOR A COVERED PARKING WITH SOLAR?
[02:25:01]
YEAH.UM, I GUESS WE HADN'T, WE HAD NOT LOOKED AT THAT.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF THAT NOW AND I THINK IT'S A COOL, YEAH.
BUT, UM, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I WAS THINKING AT, RIGHT? THAT WAS MY HEAD WHERE I WAS OKAY, IN TERMS OF BACKUP POWER THAT THE SUBSTATION IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE PLANT AND WE HAVE ACTUALLY HAVE DUAL FEED FROM THEM.
SO WE HAVE POWER FROM TWO DIFFERENT SOURCES COMING TO US.
AND SO I UNDERSTAND FOR BACKUP, BUT ALSO YOU'RE USING INCREASED POWER BECAUSE OF THE, AND YOU KNOW, FOR, BECAUSE THE STATION'S LARGER AND THERE IS A LARGE CONSUMPTION OF POWER 'CAUSE YOU'RE RUNNING A LARGE OPERATION AND 24 BY SEVEN TYPE OF THING.
AND ANY AMOUNT OF POWER YOU CAN OFFSET BY USING RENEWABLE ENERGY WOULD BE, UH, BENEFICIAL.
SO I'M NOT SAYING THAT RUN THE WHOLE THING OFF OF WIND AND SOLAR AND, YOU KNOW, SQUIRRELS RUNNING IN A CAGE.
I'M SAYING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU CAN OFFSET THAT BY, YOU KNOW, COLLECTING SOLAR POWER, STORING IT IN, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR BEST FRIEND ELON'S BATTERIES, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR USE AT TIME, YOU KNOW, AT SOME OTHER TIME, THEN THAT'S A BENEFIT TO THE ENVIRONMENT.
IT REDUCES YOUR ELECTRIC BILL BY SOME INCREMENTAL AMOUNT AND EVERYONE IS MARGINALLY HAPPIER THAT WAY.
UH, NOW THE OTHER THING I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST IS I PERCEIVE IN LISTENING TO THE DISCUSSION, THERE'S GONNA BE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF CONCRETE USED HERE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT WE USED A TYPE OF CONCRETE THAT HAS REDUCED CO2 IMPACT ON THIS.
I MEAN, WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, I, I GUESS DO WE WANT STAFF TO ANSWER THAT TOO? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN CONSIDERED OR BEING CONSIDERED? AND PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
I WORK WITH THE CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES DEPARTMENT, THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I'M PART OF THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM FOR THIS ANA EXPANSION PROJECT.
UM, SO JUST A LITTLE GIVE YOU A LITTLE INFORMATION, CAPITAL DELIVERY TO SERVICES USED, JUST BE PART OF PUBLIC WORKS.
BUT WE FORMED OUR OWN DEPARTMENT SOLELY FOCUSED ON CAPITAL DELIVERY.
UM, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THE OFFICE OF THE CITY ENGINEER NOW TO FINALIZE THE, UH, GREEN CONCRETE, UH, SPECIFICATION FOR THE ALL CAPITAL DELIVERY PROJECTS.
UM, AND ONCE IT'S FORMALIZED AND FINALIZED, THAT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED ON THIS PROJECT.
SO YOU CAN STILL PUT THAT IN THERE.
I MEAN THERE, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, I MEAN IT'S IN PROCESS, SO WE CAN PUT THAT IN THERE.
DO YOU WANNA READ IT AS YOU'RE WRITING IT SO THAT WE CAN LET ME WRITE IT FIRST.
THERE'S BEEN MUCH DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, AND FORMULATION OF THIS KIND OF SPECIFICATION WITH THE CITY, UH, THROUGH THE OFFICE OF CITY ENGINEER AND PUBLIC WORKS.
SO, UM, THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT WOULD BE, UM, NUMBER 13, UTILIZE LOW-CARB AND CONCRETE IN THE PROJECT.
AND DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? AND THEN, UH, THIS IS A 303 ACRE PARCEL.
AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, 200 ACRES ARE GONNA BE USED FOR THE, THE, THE ENTIRE PROJECT, YOU KNOW, FOR WHATEVER COULD BE EXPANSION AND WHEN IT'S GONNA BE DONE, THAT LEAVES ABOUT A HUNDRED ACRES.
UH, MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE SET ASIDE 50 ACRES TO BE DEEDED OVER TO PAR FOR A PARK.
WHAT WAS THE QUESTION? I'M SORRY.
I WANT TO DEED 50 ACRES OF THE UNUSED LAND TO PARK TO PUT A PARK ON THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN.
UM, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING WE WOULD NEED TO COORDINATE WITH THEM.
I DON'T THINK WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION THIS EVENING.
IT'S NOT WOULD BE A RECOMMENDATION TO EXPLORE.
IS THERE A SECOND FOR IT? I'LL SECOND THAT.
AND MY LAST ONE IS, UH, ONE OF OUR NEW COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER IZZY, I BELIEVE YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF
[02:30:01]
AS, UH, MENTIONED PFAS.AND I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT WE TEST FOR THAT AT THE EXIT POINT AND AT THE SAME FREQUENCY THAT WE TEST FOR EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OFTEN WE TEST FOR, HOLD UP, WHATEVER ELSE WE TEST FOR.
UH, I GOTTA WRITE THIS ONE DOWN FIRST.
AND THEN LET ME WRITE YOUR OTHER ONE DOWN.
UH, YES, I'D LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE DUMPED THE EFFLUENT, I GUESS THAT'S WHAT IT'S CALLED, UH, INTO, UH, THE COLORADO RIVER OR WHEREVER IT'S BEING DUMPED INTO THAT WE TEST FOR PFAS AT THE SAME FREQUENCY TEST FOR EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN THAT IS, WHETHER IT'S DAILY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY, YEARLY, OR WHATEVER IT IS.
BUT WE ALSO TEST FOR PFAS AND THANK YOU.
SO THE, THERE ONLY RECENTLY ARE STANDARD METHODS FOR CONDUCTING THAT TESTING AND WE ARE AWAITING GUIDANCE FROM OUR REGULATORY AGENCIES ON THE, ON WHERE AND WHEN TO TEST FOR PFAS.
THERE ARE, UM, THAT, THAT EFFORT IS BEING LAUNCHED NOW.
AND I, I CAN'T UH, TELL YOU EXACTLY THE NAME OF THE PROGRAM RIGHT NOW, BUT IT IS, UM, CONTEMPLATED FOR DETERMINING THE AMOUNT OF OF PFAS EXPOSURE THAT WE HAVE IN WASTEWATER EFFLUENT.
SO AT THIS TIME, UM, I CAN'T COMMIT TO TESTING ON THE SAME FREQUENCY THAT WE TEST EVERYTHING ELSE, BUT I ABSOLUTELY AM COMMITTED TO, UM, TO CONDUCTING THAT TESTING IN ACCORDANCE WITH, UM, THE UNFOLDING, UH, REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS.
IF WE DO HAVE THIS COME BACK TO US EVERY YEAR, THEN WE COULD GET A REPORT ON WHAT NEW TECHNOLOGIES OR WHAT NEW CHEMICAL PROCEDURES ARE AVAILABLE IF WE MAKE THAT PART OF THE REPORT.
YOU KNOW, WHAT IF, IF WE MAKE CORRECT PART OF THE REPORT, THE CURRENT STATUS OF TESTING FOR THAT FOR PAS.
WELL, AND THOSE ARE QUESTIONS THAT WE CAN ASK ONCE IT COMES FORWARD, IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, DAVID, I THINK IS, IS EACH YEAR WE'LL BE ABLE TO ASK MORE QUESTIONS ON THIS IF WE DON'T INCLUDE SOMETHING TODAY.
I'D RATHER NOT HAVE TO REMEMBER 'CAUSE I'M GETTING OLD
UH, ELIZABETH MONK WATERSHED, JUST TO CLARIFY PROCESS, WAS THERE A CONSENSUS OF THE BODY TO ADD THE OTHER AMENDMENT AS WELL? WHICH ONE? WHICH, YEAH, WHICH OTHER AMENDMENT MAYBE I THINK WE DID THE FIRST ONE.
OH YEAH, I WAS GONNA SECOND IT, BUT SHE WAS ALREADY GOING HAM WITH THE PEN, SO I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, I THINK IT'S GOOD.
I JUST WANNA FOR PROCESS CONFIRM IT WAS 50 50 ACRES FOR THE 50 ACRES.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO THE 50 ACRES OF PARKLAND? OKAY.
UM, I MIGHT WANT CLARIFICATION.
SO IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM THE ADDITIONAL PURCHASING OF CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE LAND? YES.
AND AN AND ADDITIONAL PARKLAND IS BEING ADDED, RIGHT? OKAY.
ONSET? UH, NO, IT WOULDN'T BE ADDED.
SO REMEMBER HOW THERE WAS THE, THE BOX LIKE DOWN AT THE SOUTHERN PART, UM, IT WOULD BE TRANSFERRING SOME OF THAT LAND, IF I UNDERSTAND YOU CORRECTLY, TO PART TO BE UTILIZED AS A PARK INSTEAD OF RIGHT NOW.
UM, IT'S UM, PROVIDING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AS NATURAL FOREST.
UM, BUT THAT WOULD THEN BECOME A PUBLIC USE AREA.
I MEAN, I WONDER ABOUT KEEPING IT MORE AS LIKE A WILDERNESS AREA THAN A PARK IF THAT ACTUALLY PROTECTS THE AREA MORE AND THE SUITABILITY OF A PARK NEXT TO A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
WELL, TYPICALLY, AND I SAY TYPICALLY 'CAUSE I'M NOT WITH PAR OR I'M NOT ON THE PARKS BOARD, BUT TYPICALLY WHEN PAR DESIGNATES A NEW NEIGHBORHOOD PARK, THEY MEET WITH THE LOCAL FOLKS, WHOEVER THEY ARE, AND THEY HAVE N SERIES OF MEETINGS TO DETERMINE THE BEST USE OF THAT PARTICULAR PIECE OF PROPERTY.
YOU KNOW, THEY GET COMMUNITY INPUT AND THEY DECIDE, WELL IS THIS, ARE WE GONNA HAVE PICNIC TABLES AND YOU KNOW, PLAYGROUND STUFF OR ARE WE GONNA LEAVE IT IN ITS NATURAL STATE WITH,
[02:35:01]
UH, YOU KNOW, TRAILS AND, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT IS.SO THEY'RE NOT NATURALLY GONNA GO IN THERE AND SAY BUILD BASEBALL FIELDS OR ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR.
IT'S GONNA BE KIND OF OPEN TO DISCUSSION.
SO, SORRY, I DO HAVE A QUESTION ON THAT.
SO AT, UM, HORNSBY BEND, THERE ARE TRAILS THERE, BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THOSE ARE NOT MANAGED BY PAR.
THOSE ARE MANAGED BY, UM, CORRECT.
THAT THOSE ARE MANAGED BY AUSTIN WATER STAFF WHO ARE, YOU KNOW MM-HMM
THERE AT THE HORNSBY FACILITY.
SO WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO TRANSFER THAT OVER TO PAR TO BE USED IN THAT WAY.
AND, AND I WILL ALSO NOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE LAND THAT IS ALSO GOING TO HAVE THOSE ADDITIONAL, UM, CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE BUFFER PROTECTIONS.
AND SO WHAT COULD BE BUILT THERE AS FAR AS PARKLAND WOULD BE LIMITED TO WHAT THE CODE ALLOWS, WHICH WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, SMALL, SMALL AREAS OF OPEN SPACE AND TRAILS ESSENTIALLY.
SO YOU KNOW THAT, JUST CONSIDER THAT AS WELL.
PART DOESN'T NECESSARILY ALWAYS WANT KIND OF THE REMAINING AREAS WHERE THEY CAN'T ACTUALLY PROGRAM.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE WITH THEM.
SO MAYBE EXPLORE FEASIBILITY OF CREATION PARKLAND.
WELL, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? SORRY.
WATERSHED HAS WATERSHED PROTECTION LANDS, IS THAT NOT CORRECT? ACTUALLY AUSTIN WATER MANAGES THE AUSTIN WATER, THE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS.
WE DO THE CITY WATERSHED DOES HAVE SOME OF OUR, SOME LAND AS WELL.
AND SOMETIMES WE TRANSFER IT TO PARD, YOU KNOW, WELL, I GUESS, OKAY, SO BACKING UP A LITTLE BIT WITHOUT NECESSARILY SADDLING PARD WITH IT OR ANY PARTICULAR ORGANIZATION, THE INTENT WOULD BE SET IT ASIDE FOR SOME SORT OF PUBLIC USE AS OPPOSED TO RETAINING IT FOR THE USE OF, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN WATER WASTEWATER TO TURN IT INTO AN EXTENSION OF, YOU KNOW, AT A LATER DATE TO BE MORE PART OF THE WATER TREATMENT FACILITY.
IT WOULD BE UP TO THE COMMUNITY OR SOME GROUP OF PEOPLE TO DECIDE THAT IT'S GOING TO BE USED FOR SWING SITS, BASEBALL FIELDS, TRAILS, BIRDING.
I MEAN, I'M SPECULATING HERE WHAT IT IS, BUT IT'S FOR A MORE PUBLIC USE FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN AS OPPOSED TO COMMISSIONER.
SO I JUST, I WANNA POINT OUT THAT, UM, TO THE NEW COMMISSIONERS, THIS IS NOT NORMALLY HOW WE, UM, HANDLE OUR, UM, UH, CONDITIONS.
BUT, UM, SO, UM, I HAVE UPDATED YOUR RECOMMENDATION, UM, WHICH IS NUMBER 14, TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF UTILIZING 50 ACRES OR TRANSFERRING IT TO PAR TO BE USED AS PARKLAND.
COMMISSIONER FLURRY, I FEEL LIKE YOU HAD A QUESTION.
YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA ASK IF Y'ALL HAVE LOOKED AT THE, THE SOCIAL TRAILS THERE AND THERE'S KIND OF ALREADY AN INFORMAL PARK WITH THE WALNUT CREEK TRAIL.
I THINK THAT'S PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT THAT, THAT MIGHT MANAGE THAT.
NOT PART, I'M NOT CERTAIN, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF SOCIAL TRAILS IN FOLKS GOING INTO THE CREEK, SO THERE'S AN INFORMAL PARK GOING ON AND MAYBE FORMALIZING IT COULD BE A WAY OF THAT'S VERY, VERY COMMON WITH OUR OPEN SPACES IN AUSTIN.
SO YEAH, I WOULDN'T, UM, HAVEN'T SEEN IT MYSELF IN THIS PARTICULAR, UM, AREA, BUT YEAH, I DON'T DOUBT THAT THAT'S TRUE.
SO DOES THAT MAKE SENSE THEN IF THIS IS SORT OF EXPLORED AS FORMALIZING THAT YEAH.
A KEY WORD WHEN YOU GO BACK, THE FIRST ONE, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA READ THE, OUR AMENDMENTS AGAIN, THE WORD THAT'S RELATED TO THIS, I'D LIKE TO GET IN THERE INSTEAD OF MARKETING AS AN INTERPRETATION BECAUSE OF THAT WALL IN THAT CREEK TRAIL.
I THINK THERE IS A GOOD RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
I THINK YOU MAKE IT VERY EXCITING.
I THINK, UH, THINKING ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL'S RELATIONSHIP AND OUR COLLECTIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
AND THEN AGAIN, WE HAVE THAT TRAIL.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO LET THEM INTO THERE, BUT THERE IS THAT OVERLAP OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT THAT I THINK COULD HAPPEN HERE.
ANY OBJECTIONS TO THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? OKAY, SO I'LL SECOND.
AND SO THEN THAT SAYS INCREASE MARKETING AND INTERPRETATION OF YEAH.
ANY ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS I DARE ASK.
OR DO WE NEED TO READ THE WHOLE THING AGAIN OR? I DON'T THINK SO.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE IT? UH, OKAY, GOT IT FOR YOU.
I WANNA POINT OUT THIS ONE'S ON PAPER, UM, BECAUSE THIS IS, UH, HOPEFULLY ONE OF THE LAST THAT I WRITE.
OKAY, WE'VE GOT A MOTION, WE'VE GOT A SECOND.
EVERYBODY IN FAVOR AS WRITTEN AND AMENDED? ALL RIGHT.
WE'VE GOT CH QURESHI FLORY, WE'VE GOT KRUGER FER.
[02:40:01]
LET'S SEE.AL SULLIVAN BRIER AND OUR FINALE.
I'M SORRY YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR HAND UP.
UM, WE'VE GOT COMMISSIONER BRISTOL AND WE'VE GOT OUR, OUR FINALE COMMISSIONER.
AND THEN DO WE HAVE, UM, I FEEL LIKE THERE WAS ONE MORE THAT WE MIGHT HAVE.
UM, AND WE HAVE SHE IN, UH, FAVOR.
NO, I WAS JUST TRYING TO SAY, I THOUGHT, I JUST REALIZED I MIGHT'VE HAD ANOTHER AMENDMENT AND WANNA MAKE SURE I DIDN'T
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY AGAINST OPPOSED, ANY WHAT? OPPOSED, OKAY.
DO WE NEED TO TAKE A LITTLE BREAK OR ARE Y'ALL FEELING ALL RIGHT? SURE.
[4. Election of Environmental Commission Officers for May 1, 2025 through April 30, 2026 term. ]
ITEM NUMBER FOUR, ELECTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION OFFICERS FOR MAY 1ST, 2025 THROUGH APRIL 30TH, 2026.TERM, UH, REMINDER WHEN NOMINATIONS ARE MADE, NO SECOND IS NEEDED WHEN NOMINATIONS ARE MADE.
NO SECOND IS NEEDED FOR OFFICER ELECTIONS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE COMMISSIONER KRUGER AS VICE CHAIR.
AND WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THOSE THINGS SEPARATELY.
BUT THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATION AND I WILL PUT OUT A NOMINATION FOR COMMISSIONER JEN BRISTOL AS CHAIR.
ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? WELL, WHY DON'T WE NOMINATE YOU FOR CHAIR COMM COMMISSIONER FER BECAUSE THIS IS GOING SO WELL.
WELL, WELL, DID YOU GUYS WORK OUT AN AGREEMENT? WE DID.
WELL, JUST BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN DEMOCRACY
JUST, THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT YOU WOULDN'T DO AN OUTSTANDING JOB.
DOES COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN WANT TO BE SECRETARY? NO, I CAN NOT CAN SEE IT IN HIS EYES.
SO I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO GO TO A VOTE.
I MEAN, ARE YOU FOR REAL? LIKE, WOULD YOU LIKE IT AND NO, I, I WOULD RATHER NOT.
IT'S SOME PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE.
I THINK THAT WAS, UH, PERHAPS PRESIDENT CAMACHO, RIGHT? NO, I'M JUST KIDDING.
ANY MORE NOMINATIONS? SURPRISE OR NOT? OKAY.
UM, SO ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR OF COMMISSIONER JENNIFER BRISTOL AS CHAIR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION HANDS? YES.
UH, WE'VE GOT COMMISSIONER CHET KURESHI, FLURY, KRUEGER FER, BRISTOL, UH, SULLIVAN, BRIMER AND SHERA.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF COMMISSIONER MARIANA KRUEGER AS VICE-CHAIR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
GOT COMMISSIONER CHT, RESI FLORY, KRUGER FER, BRISTOL SULLIVAN, BRIER, AND SHERA.
AND ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF COMMISSIONER FER AS SECRETARY OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
HAN UH, CHANG, REI FLURRY, UH,
I DUNNO WHY IT'S HARD TO DO IT AROUND IF YOU DO IT MORE, MORE THAN ONCE.
UH, FER BRISTOL SULLIVAN PRIMER AND SHERA.
THAT I CAN SAY IS THAT I HOPE YOU WRITE
[02:45:01]
HALF AS WELL AS SHE DOESI THINK THINK I'LL HAVE A TEACHER.
I HAVE A LOT OF FILES TO SHARE WITH YOU.
UM, THAT CONCLUDES THAT THEN, UNLESS THERE'S, AM I MISSING ANYTHING? Y'ALL ALL RIGHT.
[5. Discussion and possible action on Environmental Commission committee membership]
NUMBER FIVE, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP.UM, START WITH URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE.
ARE THERE ANY VOLUNTEERS TO JOIN THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE? ANYBODY WANNA TALK ABOUT HOW GREAT THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE IS? I'LL, I'LL GIVE A PITCH TO THE NEW MEMBERS OR OLD MEMBERS WHO MIGHT WANNA JOIN US.
UH, IT, IT GIVES YOU A LOT OF ONE-ON-ONE TIME WITH THE CITY ARBORIST AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY INFORMATIVE FOR A NUMBER OF THE ISSUES THAT COME BEFORE US.
UM, SO I'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM HER INSIGHT AND UM, I'M REALLY PROUD OF, AGAIN, THE RECOMMENDATION THAT COMMISSIONER SHIRA AND BRIER SPENT SO MUCH WORK ON THAT WE PASSED MOST RECENTLY.
AND SO I THINK A LOT OF GOOD THINGS CAN COME OUTTA THAT COMMISSION.
SO IF YOU ARE A NEW COMMISSIONER, I DO RECOMMEND JOINING.
WE MEET ONCE EVERY THREE MONTHS, I THINK.
SO IT'S NOT TOO BURDENSOME, BUT IT IS A GOOD WAY TO GAIN EXPOSURE TO THAT AREA OF CITY CODE.
YOU KNOW, ONE OTHER THING TOO, THAT IT USED TO BE A SEPARATE BOARD, BUT THE LAST TIME THAT THE CITY CONVERGED BOARDS, THEY COMBINED THE URBAN FORESTRY BOARD WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
SO NOW WE WE'RE CONCERNED WITH BOTH.
AND AS, AS CHAIR, I'M THROW THIS IN.
UM, WE MEET QUARTERLY, WE'RE REQUIRED TO MEET QUARTERLY, BUT WE CAN MEET MORE OFTEN.
UH, BUT TYPICALLY IT'S QUARTERLY WE MEET HERE AND WE HAVE BEEN MEETING DURING THE DAY AROUND 11 TO ONE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UH, ELIZABETH WILL SEND OUT A NOTE AND SAY, YOU KNOW, CAN WE GET TOGETHER ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY? SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE QUITE A RIGID SCHEDULE AS WE DO HERE.
UH, WE DO HAVE TO HAVE A QUORUM.
AND AS THE CHAIR, I HAVE TO BE HERE, YOU KNOW, PHYSICALLY PRESENT.
EVERYONE ELSE MAY DIAL IN FROM WORK OR HOME OR IF YOU'RE TRAVELING WHEREVER THAT IS.
SO, UH, WE ARE KIND OF FLEXIBLE IN WHAT WE DO.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME INFLUENCE ON AND, UH, YOU KNOW, URBAN, THE, THE URBAN CANOPY IS WHAT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT A LOT AND HOW WE PRESERVE THAT IN ORDER TO KEEP THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT AND, AND KEEP THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CITY COOL AS IF WE'RE NOT ALREADY COOL.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT SORT OF THING.
AND THEN THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION HERE BEFORE ABOUT THE TYPES OF TREES THAT WE TRY TO PROTECT AND HOW THAT MIGHT CHANGE AS CLIMATE CHANGE TAKES EFFECT.
YOU KNOW, WHAT'S NORMAL FOR THE FOREST TODAY MAY NOT BE WHAT'S GOING TO BE SUSTAINABLE 20 YEARS FROM NOW.
UH, THERE'S SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, FRUIT TREES AND THAT SORT OF THING THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CAN, YOU KNOW, GROW AND HARVEST THE FRUIT OF AND MAKE KIND OF A COMMUNITY GROWING TYPE OF THING WHERE PEOPLE CAN GET, YOU KNOW, FRUITS AND NUTS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
COMMUNITY GARDENS AND THIS SORT OF STUFF.
AND HOW WE CAN WORK WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, NONPROFITS THAT ARE IN THE CITY THAT, UH, TRY TO DO THIS TYPE OF THING.
AND THEN WE CAN ADVOCATE FOR BUDGET WITHIN THE CITY TO FUND THESE NONPROFITS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES TO SEE THAT WE GO FURTHER THAT AND PROMOTE TREES IN NEIGHBORHOODS AND IN FRONT YARDS AND THIS SORT OF THING.
SO WE HAVE THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE THINGS AND YOU CAN SAY, WELL GEE, THIS IS WHAT I THINK WE SHOULD DO AND YOU CAN SELECT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN CHAMPION AND THEN WE CAN WORK ON THAT AS A GROUP OR WITH SOMEONE ELSE.
AND KINDA LIKE WITH MARIANA, YOU KNOW, SHE AND I WORKED TOGETHER TO GET THIS THING WITH THE URBAN CANOPY GOING AND THEN WE TOOK IT BEFORE THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE GOT IT PASSED AND THEN BROUGHT IT BEFORE THE, UH, YOU KNOW, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND THEN PASSED IT AND THEN, YOU KNOW, GOT IT OFF TO CITY COUNCIL.
SO IT'S A WAY TO WORK IN A SMALLER GROUP, WORK MORE CLOSELY TOGETHER WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES AND GET SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY DONE.
SO ANYWAY, AND JUST A QUICK NOTE, QUORUM FOR THIS COMMISSION COMMITTEE IS THREE.
AND SO IN THE PAST, THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH FOUR MEMBERS.
WOULD BE IDEAL IF WE COULD GET FIVE BECAUSE NORMAL LIFE COMES UP, NOT UNCOMMON FOR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, A MEETING TO COME UP.
SO ONE CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE MEETING.
AND IT'S A LOT OF CITY STAFF'S KIND OF
[02:50:01]
COORDINATE ALL THESE THINGS.SO THAT'S WHY I PUT FIVE SPOTS 'CAUSE THAT'S IDEAL FOR A CITY STAFF PERSPECTIVE.
BUT
AND SO SHARING THAT BURDEN WITH THE REST OF THE COMMISSIONERS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO, 'CAUSE WE DO HAVE, WE HAVE NOW OFFICERS ON EACH ONE OF THOSE, SO, WELL, I'M GONNA SAY SINCE THE JOINT ENVIRONMENTAL AND PARKS BOARD DOESN'T REALLY MEET, I'M HAPPY TO JOIN THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE.
SO IF WE HAVE TWO MORE, HOW DOES IT WORK WITH THE TWO NEW FOLKS TOO THAT AREN'T HERE TODAY? WILL THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN COMMITTEES? UH, WE CAN ABSOLUTELY ADD THIS TO AN AGENDA IN THE FUTURE, ESPECIALLY IF THERE ARE SPOTS.
UM, IF SO, WE'LL SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED RIGHT NOW IN WHAT SPOTS ARE FILLED.
THIS COMES UP EVERY YEAR, SO WORST COMES TO WORST TO APPROACH IT THEN.
UM, BUT IF ANYONE HAS PARTICULAR INTEREST, WE CAN ADD IT BACK ON AN AGENDA IN THE FUTURE.
I WAS GONNA SAY, I THINK LAST YEAR WE, WE ADDED IT A COUPLE TIMES TO THE AGENDA.
IT'S NOT LIKE THE OFFICER ELECTION WHERE WE HAVE TO DO IT ON A SPECIFIC TIME LIKE WE CAN YEAH, I SEE SOME SMILES OVER THERE.
UH OH, YOU GOTTA PUT ME ON THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, AS THE CHAIR OF THE WINDSOR PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS CLIMATE COMMITTEE, LAST YEAR WE GAVE AWAY 800 TREES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SPECIFICALLY TO REDUCE THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT OF, OF EAST AUSTIN.
WE'VE ALSO PLANNING ANOTHER 150 IN PLACES WHERE PEOPLE DON'T LIVE.
SO OUR TOTAL TREE ADDITION IN THE LAST, WELL FOUR MONTHS IS A THOUSAND TREES.
AND SO THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I REALLY WANT TO BE DOING IS BEING ON THAT COMMITTEE.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY, THEN WE'LL HAVE TO ADD THIS TO FUTURE AGENDA YEAH.
BUT THAT'S DEFINITELY POSSIBLE.
IS IT WORTH JUST KICKING THIS TO LIKE THE NEXT MEETING OBVIOUSLY STILL DOING IT NOW, RIGHT.
BUT THEN ALSO BRINGING UP, YEAH, I THINK WE'LL ADD IT TO A, A FUTURE MEETING TOO.
'CAUSE THEN ALSO IF COMMISSIONER GANGLY WANTS TO JOIN A COMMITTEE, SHE'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.
AND SO, UM, I DO SEE THAT THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD IS VACANT.
DOES THAT MEAN THAT YOU'RE NOT? NO, UM, IT WAS JUST THAT MY TERM ENDED.
SO WE'VE GOT, UH, TWO THEN POTENTIALLY VACANT, BUT ONE PRELIMINARILY HELD.
IF THERE'S ANOTHER PERSON THAT MIGHT WANT TO JOIN, I WOULD LIKE TO JOIN.
THIS IS THE GOOD KIND OF PEER PRESSURE
SO HANNAH, ARE YOU JOINING ALSO, OR? I AM.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE YOU AND YOU AND YOU.
SO THAT MEANS WE'RE GONNA HAVE, ARE YOU STAYING ON? YEAH.
WHAT'S THE MAXIMUM? WE CAN HAVE FIVE.
SO WE'LL HAVE, SO I'M HAPPY TO ROLL OFF TO MAKE SPACE FOR NEW PEOPLE THEN.
IF YOU WANT TO STAY ON, YOU CAN, IF YOU HAVE TOO MUCH GOING ON OR IS POSSIBLE.
IT IS STILL GOOD TO HAVE FIVE.
WAIT, BUT IT'S, WE'RE AT FIVE.
SO WE'RE AT BRIER, KRUGER FER AND OH, THAT'S FIVE.
I THINK FOR COMMISSIONER KRUGER, IT MIGHT WORTH HAVING CONVERSATION WITH COMMISSIONER GANGEL TO SEE IF SHE'S INTERESTED.
IF, IF SHE IS, THEN YOU KNOW, YOU CAN OBVIOUSLY VACATE YOUR SPOT.
IF NOT, THEN I THINK IT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR YOU TO STAY.
I'LL, I'LL STAY AND IF SOMEONE ELSE WANTS TO JOIN, I'M HAPPY TO MAKE ROOM.
UH, JOINT ENVIRONMENTAL PARKS BOARD.
IS THERE A REASON TO BE PUTTING PEOPLE ON THIS? IF IT'S SPECIFIC TO THE BARTON SPRINGS MASTER PLAN, WHICH IS NOT ACTIVE, IT IS STILL IN BYLAWS.
SO I WOULD RECOMMEND HAVING A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE ON IT.
AGAIN, IT HAS NOT MET IN MANY YEARS.
I MEAN, THERE COULD ALSO BE A, A MOTION TO AMEND THE BYLAWS.
I MEAN, THAT WOULDN'T, THAT'S WHAT I WAS, WAS SAY, A LONGER EFFORT.
BUT THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO TO COUNCIL AND I THINK WOULD WANT TO BE COORDINATED THROUGH THE PARKS BOARD BECAUSE THEY ALSO HAVE THAT.
BUT, UM, THAT'S THE OTHER OPTION IS TO REMOVE IT FROM THE BYLAWS.
SO FOR NOW, KEEPING IT AND THEN POTENTIALLY TACKLING THAT LATER.
UM, SO WE JUST NEED ONE MORE PERSON TO TECHNICALLY HAVE A QUORUM.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO BE ON THIS COMMISSION THAT DOES NOTHING? OH, SORRY.
WAS THERE SOMETHING NO, NO NEED TO GET CHOKED UP ABOUT IT.
I COULD JUST WEAR LIKE A FAKE NOSE AND MUSTACHE AND VOLUNTEER MYSELF AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ALREADY ON IT.
[02:55:01]
OH, YOU MEAN ANOTHER PERSONALITY? YEAH.OKAY THEN, UH, JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.
WE NEED A VACANT SLASH ALTERNATIVE.
WE NEED AN ALTERNATIVE THAT IS CURRENTLY VACANT.
SO COMMISSIONER QURESHI IS OUR REP THERE, RIGHT? YES.
AND SO NOW WE NEED A SECOND PERSON.
WAIT, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THE RESPONSIBILITY IS? YEAH, I'LL GO AHEAD.
UH, SO THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE IS BASICALLY LIKE A, A COMMITTEE MADE UP OF A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT MEET, I WANNA SAY THE THIRD WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH, UM, TO TALK ABOUT LIKE VARIOUS ISSUES THAT COME UP.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE CITY, UH, DEPARTMENT THAT YOU WORK WITH IS NOW CALLED OCAR, OFFICE OF CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE.
I'M SO PROUD OF MYSELF FOR GETTING THIS RIGHT.
AND UH, WITH NO, WITH NO PROMPTING EITHER.
SO FOR AS AN ALTERNATIVE, YOU WOULD BASICALLY JUST SHOW UP IF I'M UNABLE TO MAKE IT, UH, I TRY TO MAKE IT, BUT UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES LIFE GETS IN THE WAY.
UM, SO YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER BRIMER CAN SPEAK TO, I THINK YOU'VE ONLY REALLY SAT IN FOR ME LIKE A COUPLE OF TIMES.
UM, YEAH, SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY, UH, A HUGE ASK, BUT UH, YOU KNOW, WE ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE AN, I DON'T THINK WE'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE AN ALTERNATE POSTED BECAUSE SOME COMMISSIONS DON'T HAVE AN ALTERNATE, BUT IT'S A NICE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, I SEE NODDING.
THE CLERK'S OFFICE ASKED US TO, SO WE'RE TRYING TO HELP THEM.
AND THEN WE HAVE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD AND COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN HAS ALREADY REACHED OUT TO SAY THAT HE'D BE WILLING TO SERVE.
YEAH, I'D BE HAPPY TO CONTINUE ON THAT.
AND IS THAT BEING ABSORBED INTO DOWNTOWN COMMISSION? WELL, IT'S KIND OF UP IN THE AIR.
THE, THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT IS THE AREA AROUND, UM, WELL, IT'S ON THE SOUTH SIDE ACROSS FROM THE CITY HALL.
IT INCLUDES, UM, WHAT WAS THEIR, UM, WELL, I I DON'T KNOW HOW, HOW TO DESCRIBE IT,
AND BASICALLY IT'S GONNA BE FILLED IN WITH HOUSING AND UH, SHOPPING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT THE POINT IS THAT WE ALSO WANT TO PRESERVE, UM, THE, THE WATERFRONT AND, UM, ONE, ONE OF THE, UH, BOWLING CREEK RUNS IN THERE.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS ABOUT IT ALSO.
AND THEN THE FACT THAT, UM, WE WANT TO HAVE IT SAFE FOR BIRDS, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE MIGRATING THROUGH THE CITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THAT'S, UH, BECAUSE I WAS ON THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION FOR A WHILE.
I THOUGHT IT WAS A, SOMEBODY THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA THAT I'D BE ON THIS.
'CAUSE I'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK DOWNTOWN.
UM, I DO WANNA POINT OUT, WE ARE ACTUALLY, UM, MISSING ONE OTHER ON THE ALCON, SO I'M ON THERE.
BUT, UM, COMMISSIONER, UM, UH, PETER, UM, EINHORN WAS ON IT, BUT HE'S NOT ANYMORE, SO I DON'T HAVE A SECOND ON THAT ONE.
THIS IS THE ALCON'S CANYON LANDS PRESERVE.
UM, SO WHAT YOU'VE BEEN ATTENDING ARE NOT THE, SO THAT COMMITTEE, I REACHED OUT TO KIMBERLY HARVEY AT BCCP TO KIND OF CONFIRM.
WE DO NOT HAVE TO APPOINT ANYBODY FOR THAT.
YOU ARE ALLOWED TO ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS.
THOSE ARE KIND OF OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND THAT'S GOOD THAT YOU DO BECAUSE YOU SHARE INFORMATION AND THAT'S HELPFUL.
UM, BUT IT'S NOT THE SAME CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT USED TO EXIST THAT HAS BEEN DISSOLVED.
AND SO NOW IT IS A COMMUNITY, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE WORD.
I CAN LOOK IT UP AND INCLUDE THAT.
UM, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THE COMMISSION NEEDS TO APPOINT TO.
WHEN WAS THAT DISSOLVED? I CAN'T SAY
I'M NOT, IT'S STILL LAST I SAW IT IS STILL TECHNICALLY ON THE WEBSITE.
SO MAYBE IT'S NOT OFFICIALLY DISSOLVED, BUT IT IS NOT MEETING.
AND I WAS TOLD WE DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE AN APPOINTEE.
IT'S NOT AN ACTIVE BOARD AND COMMISSION.
BUT PLEASE CONTINUE TO ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS BECAUSE THEY'RE GOOD.
IT'S WEIRDER AND WEIRDER, BUT PLEASE STAY.
ANY OTHER NON-COMMISSION COMMISSIONS THAT WE NEED TO? OKAY.
ANYTHING ELSE NEEDED ON THAT ONE? OKAY, GREAT.
[03:00:01]
BYLAWS, THE CHAIR AND THIS CASE VICE CHAIR APPOINTS PEOPLE AT THE BODY'S CONSENT.DOES THE BODY CONSENT? THE BODY
SO THAT IS TYPICALLY HOW IT'S BEEN KIND OF HANDED IN AS A DISCUSSION, UM, IN THE PAST.
BUT THANK YOU FOR CHECKING IN.
[6. Discussion and recommendation on 2026 budget priorities from the Joint Sustainability Committee – Environmental Commissioner Haris Qureshi]
SIX, DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION ON 2026 BUDGET PRIORITIES FROM THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION COMMITTEE.UM, SO THESE ARE, UH, SOME BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE PASSED BY THE JSC, UM, YOU KNOW, RELATED TO THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, UM, IN A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT SORT OF SPHERES.
UM, I HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY NEAR GUNPOINT TO NOT READ OUT THE WHOLE THING, UH, IN THE INTEREST OF, UM, INCREASING, UM, MENTAL HEALTH AND THE COMMISSION.
UM, BUT I WILL, YOU KNOW, JUST SORT OF, UH, FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DOCUMENTS WERE POSTED, UM, YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY YOU'VE READ THEM.
IF NOT, I GUARANTEE THAT THE, THE VIBES ARE IMMACULATE THROUGHOUT.
UM, I'LL JUST READ OUT SORT OF THE W ASS STUFF BECAUSE IN MY INFINITE WISDOM, I FORGOT TO, UH, HIT UP ELIZABETH TO INCLUDE THESE.
BUT THIS IS JUST BASICALLY THE SAME FROM SORT OF THE JSE UH, RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, UH, RECOMMENDED JOINTLY, I GUESS LAST YEAR.
UH, SO JUST WE ASKED THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE HAS CONSIDERED THESE ITEMS BASED ON REQUESTS FOR INPUT FROM THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
AND WHEREAS THESE ITEMS ALL WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO MORE SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS FOR AUSTIN.
UH, THEREFORE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING BUDGET ITEMS AS RECOMMENDED BY THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.
AND THEY RELATE TO THE FOLLOWING.
AND I'LL JUST READ OUT SORT OF LIKE THE GENERAL SORT OF TOPICS, UM, AND WE CAN GO INTO MORE DETAIL IF, IF PEOPLE WISH.
UH, WATER LEAK DETECTION, RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPE, UH, REBATES.
UH, ESTABLISHING A SUSTAINABILITY REVOLVING FUND TO REDUCE EMISSIONS.
AIR CEILING TASK FORCE AND TRAINING, SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING, PRO CLIMATE AND HEALTH FOOD IMPLEMENTATIONS.
UH, CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND WASTE DIVERSION PROGRAMS, ELECTRIC MOWERS, FARM TO INSTITUTION, SUPPLY CHAIN ASSESSMENT, UH, PUBLIC TREE INVENTORY, NATURAL LAND RESTORATION AND WILDFIRE PREVENTION, LAND ACQUISITION AND PRESERVATION.
REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE, FLOODPLAIN REFORESTATION, TRANSPORTATION, ELECTRIFICATION RECOMMENDATION, UH, COOL CORRIDOR PILOT PROJECTS.
UH, RESILIENCE COORDINATOR, EXECUTIVE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE, UH, CLIMATE IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM.
UH, OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABILITY, UH, INCENTIVES AND AUSTIN CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS.
CAN HE QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ON THIS? YOU CAN TELL BY HIS BEARD AND HIS HAIR THAT HE, UH, READS A LOT.
SO, YOU KNOW, BIG SHOUT TO SULLIVAN
I'LL START OVER HERE WITH COMMISSIONER FLORY.
DID YOU SAY AUSTIN CIVILIAN AND CONSERVATION CORPS? UH, YEAH.
SO THE AUSTIN CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS IS LIKE A, A PROGRAM BASICALLY THAT, UH, DOES LIKE A LOT OF COOL STUFF I CAN READ.
I I WAS JUST CURIOUS, UH, IS IT THE ONE ON, UH, AMERICAN YOUTH WORKS ON SOUTH SIDE OF TOWN? YES.
YEAH, THEY DO REALLY GOOD STUFF.
I LOVE, YEAH, I LOVE THEIR WORK.
DID YOU SAY MOWING THE LAWN? YEAH.
SO THEY WANT, UH, ELECTRIC MOWERS.
WELL, A ELECTRIC MOWER, BUT I SAID MOWERS BECAUSE I ASSUME IN THE FUTURE THEY WOULD POTENTIALLY WANT SOME, DOES THAT MEAN YOU'RE COMING TO MOW MY LAWN? UH, DEPENDS ON THE PRICE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I, I JUST WANNA, UM, SAY THAT THE AUSTIN CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS IS DIFFERENT THAN CONSERVATION CORPS, WHICH IS RUN BY AMERICAN YOUTH WORKS.
AH, THOSE ARE TWO SEPARATE THINGS.
YOU'RE THINKING OF CONSERVATION CORPS RUN BY PARK SMITH AND TEXAS CONSERVATION CORPS? YEAH.
THEY'RE BOTH FANTASTIC ONE'S JUST FOCUSED ON AUSTIN WASN'T AWARE THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE, SO MM-HMM
THE MORE, YOU KNOW, QUESTIONS ON THIS SIDE.
I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION, BUT I JUST WANNA POINT, I JUST WANNA SAY THANKS BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY COMPREHENSIVE.
SO, BIG SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE FOLKS AT THE JSC.
BIG, BIG SHOUT TO ALL THE FOLKS AT THE JSC THAT DEVOTED A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT TO THIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY TRYING TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR AUSTIN.
UH, I ADMITTEDLY A HEFTY PRICE POINT, BUT, UH, I THINK WAS IT SOMETHING ABOUT LIKE, YOU CAN TAKE PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE TODAY INSTEAD OF HAVING TO GET SURGERY TOMORROW? SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I DO THINK THAT THE, UH, THE INVESTMENTS
[03:05:01]
THAT ARE PROPOSED, UH, GENERALLY WILL MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON, UH, NOT ONLY THE CITY, BUT YOU KNOW, THE ENTIRE METRO AREA AS A WHOLE.JUST, THERE'S A COUPLE IN HERE THAT I'M, I'M GRATEFUL TO SEE KIND OF COMING BACK THAT FOLDED IN SOME OF THE STAFF'S RESPONSES TO THE VERY EXHAUSTIVE RECOMMENDATIONS LAST YEAR TOO.
UM, I'M ALSO VERY HAPPY THAT THE TREE INVENTORY THAT PART HAS BEEN REQUESTING IS IN HERE, ALTHOUGH I HOPE IT DOESN'T COST $10 MILLION.
UM, ADDING THAT FTE FOR PURCHASING MAN PROGRAM MANAGER TO FSDI FEEL LIKE IS, IS INCREDIBLY VALUABLE.
AND, UM, FULLY FUNDING THE NATURAL LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR PARD.
UM, I FEEL LIKE ALL VERY MUCH ALIGNED WITH A LOT OF OUR WORK, SO JUST THANK YOU.
OKAY, I THINK WE'RE READY FOR A VOTE THEN.
WE'VE GOT A FIRST AND A SECOND.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR AS WRITTEN, WE'VE GOT COMMISSIONER CHET RESI, FLURY, KRUGER COFER, BRISTOL SULLIVAN, BRIER, SHERA.
[7. Discussion and recommendation on City-Wide On-Demand Micro Transit to Parks and Recreation Centers – Environmental Commissioners Richard Brimer and Haris Qureshi]
RIGHT.ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION ON CITYWIDE ON DEMAND MICRO TRANSIT TO PARKS AND RECREATION CENTERS, COMMISSIONERS, BRIMER AND RESI.
YEAH, WHAT I'D LIKE TO SAY ABOUT THIS IS, UH, THE PARKS BOARD, UH, BROUGHT THIS UP A COUPLE OF MEETINGS AGO AND THE INTENT WAS TO ADDRESS A PROBLEM WE HAVE WITH SOME OF THE PARKS THAT DO NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT PARKING.
AND THE IDEA WAS TO HAVE ON DEMAND TRANSIT, UH, TO GET PEOPLE THERE AND NOT HAVE THEM, YOU KNOW, FIGHT FOR THE TWO PARKING SPOTS THAT ARE LEFT AND THAT TYPE OF THING.
AND, UH, SO THEY PROPOSED THIS TYPE OF THING AND IT, AND ACTUALLY THERE IS, AND LET'S SEE, LET ME OPEN UP MY, UH, HANDY DANDY LITTLE COPY OF IT.
THERE IS A SIMILAR TYPE OF THING BEING, UH, RUN THROUGHOUT THE, UH, THE REGION THAT'S IN A, UH, OH, THE CAPITAL AREA RURAL TRANSIT SYSTEM RUNS A SIMILAR TYPE OF, UH, UH, ON DEMAND SYSTEM THROUGHOUT, UH, OH HAYES AND SOME OF THE, UH, YOU KNOW, REMOTE PARTS OF TOWN OR, YOU KNOW, CENTRAL TEXAS TO GET PEOPLE AROUND.
THEY DO HAVE SOME FIXED ROUTES THAT THEY RUN ON A REGULAR BASIS, BUT THEY DO HAVE SOME ON DEMAND ROUTES THAT SERVE THINK, WHERE YOU CAN CALL PEOPLE UP OR, YOU KNOW, CALL UP THE OFFICE AND SAY, HEY, I NEED TO GO THIS PLACE.
AND FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, AS MUCH AS SIX BUCKS, IF YOU WANT TO GO FROM SAY, UH, I DON'T KNOW, TWO COUNTIES AWAY FOR SIX BUCKS, YOU CAN GO PRACTICALLY FOREVER, UH, AWAY.
SO THIS GIVES YOU, OR GIVES SOMEONE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET AT A RELATIVELY LOW COST TO A PARTICULAR LOCATION, WHICH SOLVES SOME OF THE TRANSIT PROBLEMS WE HAVE DISCUSSED.
AND OTHER PEOPLE HAVE DISCUSSED GETTING PEOPLE TO PARKS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND I KNOW WE'VE ADDRESSED MULTIPLE TIMES PARKING ISSUES AROUND ZILKER PARK AND SOME OF THE OTHER LARGER PARKS WHERE WE HAVE ISSUES CONTAINING THE CROWDS IN CERTAIN PARTS OF TIME.
UH, THE PARKS BOARD BROUGHT THIS UP AND IT WAS APPROVED, UH, UNANIMOUSLY.
UH, AND SO BASICALLY WHAT I'VE BROUGHT OVER IS THEIR, UH, YOU KNOW, THEIR RECOMMENDATION AND I TACKED ON THE, UH, THE CAPITAL AREA REGIONAL, UH, RURAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, NOTE ON THERE AS A ADDITIONAL BACKUP, JUSTIFYING THE FACT THAT IT IS A SYSTEM THAT DOES WORK AND HAS WORKED FOR MANY YEARS IN A RELATIVELY NARROW, YOU KNOW, UNPOPULATED AREA OF CENTRAL TEXAS.
SO I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE SUSTAINABLE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, EFFECTIVE IN THIS AREA.
UH, IT DID OCCUR TO ME THAT THERE'S, UH, SEVERAL PARTS OUT WHERE I LIVE OUT IN THE BULL CREEK AREA THAT HAVE ALMOST NO PARKING, UH, ST.
EDWARDS PARK, WILL CREEK DISTRICT PARK, SOME OTHER AREAS THAT ARE VERY HEAVILY USED BUT HAVE ALMOST NO PARKING THERE AND WOULD GREATLY BENEFIT FROM THIS.
AND IF THE PAR WOULD ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, ADVERTISE THIS, THEY MIGHT, UH, SOLVE A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS THEY HAVE WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, MINIMAL ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
AND, UH, IT'D BE A REASON EVEN IF THEY CHARGE, IT'D BE A REASONABLE COST FOR MANY PEOPLE.
SO I THINK IT'D BE SOMETHING THAT, UH, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION SHOULD RECOMMEND, UH, THE COUNCIL TAKE UP AND, UH, YOU KNOW, DRIVE AS A POLICY OF THE CITY TO IMPLEMENT.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'VE GOT.
AND I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I BELIEVE, UH, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN SECONDED IT.
YEAH, WELL I SECONDED PUTTING IT ON THE AGENDA, SO I'LL SECOND IT.
[03:10:01]
THAT A MOTION? YES, THAT WAS A MOTION TO, DO YOU WANNA READ IT? I MEAN, OR DO YOU OH, I CAN, I CAN READ IT.IT'S NOT NEARLY AS LONG AS, UH, COMMISSIONER KORESH, HE'S, UH, THING HE SAYS, UH, CITYWIDE ON DEMAND, UH, MICRO TRANSIT TO PARKS AND RECREATION CENTERS.
WHEREAS MANY OF AUSTIN'S FAVORITE PARKS, INCLUDING ZILKER PARK, VIC, MATTHIAS SHORES, UH, MICHAEL BUTLER PARK, ROY GUERRERO, PARK BULL CREEK PARK, BARTON CREEK GREENBELT HAVE PARKING CAPACITY PROBLEMS ON BUSY DAYS.
AND WHEREAS AUSTIN VOTERS HAVE INDICATED SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT SOLUTIONS TO THE EXTENT OF WILLINGNESS TO BE TAXED SPECIFICALLY FOR SOLUTIONS.
AND WHEREAS ON DEMAND TRANSIT, AKA DEMAND RESPONSE TRANSIT, WHICH OFFERS SHARED RIDE VAN SERVICE, SUMMONED BY CELL PHONE, BROWSER, APP, OR TELEPHONE, CAN PROVIDE DIRECT TRANSIT FROM A RIGHTEST LOCATION TO THEIR DESTINATION, INCLUDING ANY CITY PARK, THUS RELIEVING THE NEED TO TAKE A PERSONAL CAR.
AND WHEREAS COMPARED TO THE CON CONVENTIONAL FIXED ROUTE MODES THAT HAVE FIRST MILE, LAST MILE PROBLEMS AND OFTEN INVOLVE TRANSFER BETWEEN VEHICLES, DIRECT VAN TRANSFER, UH, TRANSIT OFFERS THE AND EASE OF USE ACCESSIBLE ADVANTAGE FOR CARRYING RECREATIONAL EQUIPMENT, CHILDREN, SMALL GROUPS TO AND FROM A PARK.
AND WHEREAS BY REDUCING THE NUMBER OF CAR AND TRUCK TRIPS TO PARKS AND RECREATIONAL SERVICE FROM ANY CITYWIDE ORIGIN ON DEMAND TRANSIT CAN REDUCE THE DEMAND FOR, FOR ONSITE AND NEAR ONSITE PARKING.
AND WHEREAS CAP METRO CURRENTLY OFFERS ON DEMAND VAN SERVICE PICKUP FROM SEVERAL ZONES AROUND THE CITY, BUT ONLY WITHIN THOSE ZONES.
WHEREAS EXPERIENCE IN OTHER CITIES SUGGESTS THAT ON-DEMAND TRANSIT CAN BE SUCCESSFULLY OFFERED AS A CITYWIDE SERVICE PROVIDING RIDE BETWEEN ANY SOURCE AND DESTINATION WITHIN THE CITY.
AND WHEREAS THE CAPITAL AREA RURAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM PROVIDES SIMILAR ON-DEMAND SERVICES FOR CLIENTS IN PASS DROP, ELEGANT OAK RANGE, LOCKHART, MARBLE FALLS, AND TAYLOR WITH CONNECTION TO LARGER TRANSIT SYSTEMS AT A REASONABLE PRICE.
AND WHEREAS THE ONLY PUBLIC TRANSIT TO MANY PARKS IS BY FIXED AND FIXED ROUTE AND FIXED ROUTE SCHEDULED BUS, AND WITH MANY PARKS HAVING LITTLE OR NO PUBLIC TRANSIT ACCESS.
WHEREAS ON DEMAR, ON DEMAND FLEETS CAN SERVE MULTIPLE PURPOSES SUPPORTING, WORKING, COMMUTING ON WEEKDAYS, RECREATIONAL COMMUTING DURING MORE POPULAR RECREATIONAL HOURS.
AND WHEREAS PUBLIC TRANSIT AGENCIES TYPICALLY SET ON DEMAND FAIRS SO THAT RIDES ARE AFFORDABLE FOR ALL CITIZENS, WHEREAS ON DEMAND SERVICE REQUIRES NO PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, SO IS MORE ADAPTABLE TO LONG TERM CHANGES IN THE CONFIGURATION OF THE CITY AND CAN BE FINANCED AT WITH MUCH LOWER CAPITAL EXPENDITURES THAN OTHER FORMS OF PUBLIC TRANSIT WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF CONVENTIONAL BUSES.
AND WHEREAS COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE MODELING TECHNOLOGY IS AVAILABLE THAT WOULD SUPPORT RICH FORMAL ANALYSIS AND POTENTIAL SIZING AND FUNCTIONING OF ON-DEMAND PUBLIC TRANSIT INTEGRATED WITH RAPID, UH, BUS ROUTES SERVICE IN CONTEXT WITH AUSTIN PHYSICAL LAYOUT, TRAFFIC DATA, AND OTHER EXISTING TRANSIT MODES.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION PASSED THE POLE FIELD RESTORATION RECOMMENDATION ON FEBRUARY 7TH, 2024, MINIMIZED PARKING AND CIRCLE PARK.
AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS BOARD PASSED A SIMILAR RESOLUTION AT ITS FEBRUARY 24TH, 2025 MEETING.
THEREFORE THE CITY OF AUSTIN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS ONE, THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL SUPPORT EFFORTS TO IMPLEMENT ON DEMAND CITYWIDE BAND SERVICE IN AUSTIN, WHICH WOULD ALLOW BETTER ACCESS TO OUR PARK SYSTEM AND RECREATIONAL RESOURCES WITH A FOCUS ON PARKS WITH LIMITED PARKING AND EXISTING TRANSIT OPTIONS TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
ENGAGED, QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL TO PROVIDE DETAILED OBJECTIVE MODELING OF AN IN INTEGRATED CITYWIDE ON DEMAND BUS, RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM AS A CENTRAL FEATURE OF OUR PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM.
THREE, AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL WORK WITH CAP METRO TO ENGAGE IN SUPPORTIVE SUCH MODELING.
AND FOUR AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AND CAP METRO EXPLORE ALL AVENUES TO EXPANDING CAP METRO'S ON DEMAND PICKUP AND SERVICE TO A CITYWIDE SCOPE.
WE HAVE A SECOND FROM SULLIVAN ALREADY.
ALL IN FAVOR AS WRITTEN? ANY CHANGE, ANY DISCUSSION FIRST? WE'RE GOOD.
ALL IN FAVOR AS WRITTEN, MR. CHANG? SIT, REI FLURRY, KRUEGER FER, BRISTOL, SULLIVAN, BRIMER, AND SHERA.
AND ELIZABETH, I CAN EMAIL YOU A COPY ACTUALLY, YOU ALREADY HAVE A COPY.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S THE SAME AS BACKUP.
UM, I DO WANNA JUST POINT OUT FOR
[03:15:01]
CLARITY 'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE I KIND OF CONTRADICTED MYSELF HERE THAT WE READ ONE OR NOT THE OTHER, BUT, UM, THE REASON THAT WE READ THIS ONE, UM, IS EVERYTHING'S UP HERE IN THE WAREHOUSE STATEMENTS, UM, AND THEN WE'RE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION DOWN HERE VERSUS THIS, WE ARE RECOMMENDING WHAT WAS ALREADY BROUGHT FORWARD.SO I JUST WANNA POINT THAT OUT.
SHE'S JUST MAKING EXCUSES FOR NOT HAVING TO READ THE OTHER ONE.
LISTEN, I CAN GET MY CORY BOOKER ON.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ITEMS. CHAIR, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN, UM, UH, MR. LAVINSKY SPOKE EARLIER ON ABOUT CAMPO AND, UM, A FRIEND OF MINE JUST RETIRED FROM THE COUNTY AND COMPLAINED TO ME THAT, UH, THERE'S VERY LITTLE, VERY LITTLE ATTENTION PAID TO WHAT CAMPO DOES.AND I TOLD HER THAT WHEN I WAS ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR BIKE AUSTIN, I WENT TO ALL THEIR MEETINGS TO ASK FOR MORE BICYCLE FACILITIES.
AND UM, AND I PROMISED HER THAT I WOULD LOOK INTO TRYING TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO PAY ATTENTION.
AND THEN BOBBY BROUGHT THIS UP HERE TOO.
SO I THINK WE SHOULD GET, UM, ASKED A TD AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT TO MAYBE, UH, TALK TO US AT SOME POINT ABOUT WHAT CA CAMPO DOES.
CAMPO IS THE CAPITAL AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION, WHICH UNDER THE, UM, NATIONAL, UH, TRANSPORTATION BILLS, EACH MAJOR CITY HAS TO HAVE AN MPO AND THEY DO ALL THE PLANNING FOR TRANSPORTATION.
AND IF NOBODY PAYS ATTENTION, ALL THEY'LL DO IS EXPAND IH 35 AND MOPAC.
BUT IF PEOPLE DO PAY ATTENTION, WE'LL GET BETTER, UH, SIDEWALKS, YOU KNOW, WE'LL GET, UH, BETTER MASS TRANSIT, WE'LL GET, YOU KNOW, OTHER THINGS THAT WE NEED IN A MAJOR CITY.
SO, UM, STOCK, WOULD THAT BE TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC WORKS OR WOULD THAT, LIKE, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO ASK CAMPO TO COME THEMSELVES? UM, I'M HAPPY TO REACH OUT TO TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS TO SEE IF ANYBODY CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO REACH OUT TO CAMPO, I CAN TRY.
I DON'T HAVE A CONTACT THERE, SO I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY.
IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE SOMEBODY FROM THERE, THERE AT LEAST FOR WELL, I USED TO KNOW, I USED TO KNOW EVERYBODY THERE.
SHE USED TO HAVE A GUY, BUT I'LL, I'LL, I'LL LOOK INTO IT.
I'M JUST SUGGESTING THAT THIS COULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WOULD TAKE AN INTEREST IN BECAUSE OF TRANSPORTATION IS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT TO OUR ENVIRONMENT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SECOND THAT AND WITH THE FOLLOWING EDITION, UH, I'VE BEEN READING THE 2050 CAMPO PLAN AND, UH, ALSO THE 2045 CAMPO PLAN, COMPARING THEM TO SEE WHAT HAS CHANGED BETWEEN THE TWO.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF THE 2050 PLAN, THEY'RE VERY SPARSE.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, YOU NOTE ABOUT IT IS THEY'RE PLANNING ON AS EARLY AS 2029, UH, STARTING A PROJECT TO MAKE SIX 20, A SIX LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY BETWEEN 180 3 AND BKS ROAD.
UH, SO IF THAT DOESN'T CAUSE YOU TO PAUSE AND THINK, UH, RIGHT NOW THEY'VE BROKEN IT DOWN INTO SEGMENTS.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE, OH, WELL THIS IS THE PROJECT.
THEY'VE BROKEN IT DOWN INTO DIFFERENT SEGMENTS.
SO YOU HAVE TO READ THROUGH THE ENTIRE CHART TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT'S GONNA BE.
RIGHT NOW IN 2020 $5, WHICH IS, I ASSUME WHAT THEY'VE PRICED IT AT, IT COSTS ABOUT $500 MILLION.
BUT THIS WHOLE PLAN RUNS THROUGH 2050.
THE FIRST SEGMENT IS AN INTERCHANGE.
I THINK THEY'RE GONNA BUILD UP TOWARDS, UH, 180 3 AND THAT'S THE FIRST PART THEY'RE GONNA BE WORKING ON.
UH, AND BUT THEY HAVEN'T EXPLORED ANY ALTERNATIVE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION OTHER THAN THAT.
SOME OF THESE PROJECTS GO OFF TO 2050 WHEN THEY ANTICIPATE, I THINK PROJECT WE MIGHT BE GOING A LITTLE BEYOND, BUT ANYWAY, SO I'M SUPPORTING WHAT HE'S DOING.
BUT, BUT REMEMBER, WE CAN'T LIMIT UNDERST, SO I'M SAYING THERE'S SUFFICIENT NEED FOR US TO TRY TO EXPLORE THIS IN GREATER DETAIL.
ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? FANTASTIC.
ANY OBJECTIONS TO ADJOURNING? FANTASTIC.
WELL DONE CHAIR HEARING NO OBJECTION.
AND WHY ARE WE NOT RETAINING HER?