Jun 18, 2025 Water and Wastewater Commission

SO FIRST OFF,

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]

WE'LL HAVE THE APPROVAL.

I GUESS WE'LL DO THAT FIRST, AND THEN WE WILL INTRO, DO INTRODUCTIONS.

SO THE APPROVAL FOR THE MINUTES FROM THE MAY 21ST, 2025 MEETING OF THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION.

SO, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM THAT, FROM THOSE MINUTES? HEARING NONE, THEN DO I HAVE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES? MOVE TO APPROVE.

COMMISSIONER TUONG, APPROVE.

I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE.

SECOND.

COMMISSIONER MARZULLO SECONDS.

EVERYONE IN FAVOR FOR APPROVAL? PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

IT'S UNANIMOUS MINUTES ARE APPROVED.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS, UH, WE WANNA WELCOME

[Additional Item]

TWO NEW COMMISSIONERS TO THE COMMISSION.

AND SO WE WANT TO GIVE Y'ALL A, A COUPLE MINUTES JUST TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOUR LITTLE BIT OF YOUR BACKGROUND AND YOUR INTEREST IN SERVING ON THE COMMISSION HERE.

SO, EVAN, TAKE IT.

THANK YOU, CHRIS.

UM, AM I PICKING UP? ALL RIGHT.

PERFECT.

UM, HI, Y'ALL, COMMISSIONERS, STAFF, ESTEEMED GUESTS.

UM, I'M EVAN WOOLSTENCROFT.

UH, I AM HERE REPRESENTING DISTRICT FIVE, APPOINTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER.

UM, IN MY DAY JOB, I SERVE AS A PROGRAM MANAGER FOR A STATEWIDE NONPROFIT CALLED TEXAS RURAL FUNDERS FOCUSED ON, UM, CONNECTING RURAL PHILANTHROPY WITH RURAL COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE.

UH, I'M EXCITED TO JOIN THE COMMISSION, UM, NOT JUST BECAUSE I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO A LONG, UH, RESIDENCE HERE IN AUSTIN, BUT, UM, LOOKING AT THE FUTURE OF OUR STATE, HOW WE CAN BETTER MANAGE OUR WATER RESOURCES AND ENSURE OUR FUTURE, UM, TEXAS NEEDS WATER TO LIVE, AND IT'S THE FOUNDATION OF A THRIVING ECONOMY.

SO PROUD TO SERVE AND EXCITED TO BE HERE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

MY NAME IS ALEX ORTIZ.

UM, I AM REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE.

THIS IS SORT OF MY, MY FIRST WAITING BACK INTO WATER WORLD AFTER ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN MONTHS.

SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.

UH, I AM A LONG TIME AUSTINITE, UM, BUT THIS IS MY FIRST TIME EVER DOING ANYTHING AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.

WHEN IT COMES TO WATER, SPECIFICALLY, I'M NOT NEW TO WATER ITSELF.

I HAVE HAD TWO PREVIOUS ROLE ROLES IN THE WATER SECTOR, UH, FIRST AT SIERRA CLUB SLOAN STAR CHAPTER, WORKING ON EVERYTHING FROM WATER SUPPLY PLANNING TO, UM, POLLUTION CONTROL AND ENGAGING WITH EVERYTHING FROM THE LEGISLATURE TO THE, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCIES THAT OVERSEE THOSE, THOSE AREAS.

UM, AND THEN AFTER THAT, I WAS WORKING WITH A NATIONAL NONPROFIT CALLED POLICYLINK.

UH, PREDOMINANTLY WORKING WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO CONNECT THEM TO STATE REVOLVING FUND RESOURCES AND, AND HOW TO ADVOCATE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THEIR UTILITIES TO, TO THEIR ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCIES.

UH, I AM REALLY, REALLY EXCITED TO, TO BE HERE AS I THINK I ALREADY SAID.

UM, AND YEAH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ORTIZ.

AND, UH, YEAH, THE, UH, POLICY BACKGROUND I THINK WILL BE A GREAT ADDITION TO THE COMMISSION BECAUSE, UH, UM, IT'S NEEDED, AS YOU WILL DISCOVER IN THE WATER WORLD, A LOT OF POLICIES, LAWS, OR REGULATIONS.

SO, UM, OKAY.

SO MOVING ON TO THE

[DISCUSSION AND ACTION ]

DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. UM, MOVE DOWN TO ROLL CALL AND ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR RECUSALS ON THE ACTION ITEMS. SO, COMMISSIONER MARLO, NO QUESTIONS.

COMMISSIONER ION, NO QUESTIONS.

NO RECUSALS COMMISSIONER CROT, NO QUESTIONS.

COMMISSIONER ORTIZ, NO QUESTIONS.

NO RECUSALS COMMISSIONER PENN? NO QUESTIONS.

COMMISSIONER REYES? NO QUESTIONS.

NO RECUSALS COMMISSIONER PENGE? NO

[00:05:01]

NO RECUSALS, UM, REMOTES, UH, COMMISSIONER MORIARTY? NO QUESTIONS.

UH, COMMISSIONER TRI QUESTION ON ITEM TWO.

COMMISSIONER NAVARRO? UH, NO QUESTIONS.

UH, NO.

RECUSALS.

SO IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, ITEM NUMBER TWO, QUESTION FROM COMMISSIONER TRILIA.

AND THEN ITEM NUMBER THREE WILL BE THE CONSENT AGENDA, RIGHT? SO, UM, I GUESS SHOULD WE GO AHEAD AND DO THE QUESTION FOR NUMBER TWO? SURE.

SO, OKAY.

SO, UM, THE, UH, ITEM NUMBER TWO, RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO AUTHORIZE A CONTRACT FOR BASIN, THE SCALING AND DEBRIS REMOVAL SERVICES FOR AUSTIN WATER WITH MILAN ENTERPRISES, INC.

FOR OUR INITIAL TERM OF TWO YEARS, WITH A THREE ONE YEAR EXTENSION OF EXTINCTION OPTIONS FOR A TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 4,000,004 $4,800,000 FUNDING OF 420,000 IS AVAILABLE IN AUSTIN WATER'S OPERATING BUDGET.

SO COMMISSIONER, TRULY YOUR QUESTION, UH, YES.

AND SO HAPPY NOT TO BE THE FRESHMAN AFTER ONLY ONE COMMISSION MEETING.

SO, WELCOME AGAIN TO THE TWO NEWEST COMMISSIONERS.

UM, ONLY QUESTION, AS I LEARNED AND ONBOARDED THIS PROCESS, WOULD JUST TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY THERE WAS NO BIT OTHER BIDDER THAN WHO WE ALREADY HAVE AND A GENERAL SENSE OF IF WE'RE HAPPY WITH MYLAN, OBVIOUSLY.

SO I ASSUME IF WE'RE RECOMMENDING THEM FOR THE WORK, BUT DID THE SCOPE AND COST OF THEIR SERVICES CHANGE IN ANY WAY AS WE RENEW THEM POTENTIALLY TODAY? SO WHY NO BIDDING AND JUST, JUST SOME QUICK GENERAL BACKGROUND OF WHY WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THEM ON MOVING FORWARD ON CAMERA.

HELLO.

UH, MY NAME IS, UH, JONATHAN DOHO.

SO I'M WITH THE, UH, AUSTIN, UH, PROCUREMENT WATER PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT.

UM, ULTIMATELY, UM, SOMETIMES WHEN, UH, WE SOLICIT BIDS, UM, IT'S FOR A VERY UNIQUE SECTOR.

UM, SO WE ONLY HAD THE ONE RESPONSE.

THE RESPONSE THAT WE GOT WAS THE CURRENT SUPPLIER.

UM, WE SENT OUT, I THINK ROUGHLY OVER A HUNDRED OR A HUNDRED, LET ME LOOK AT IT FOR SURE.

BUT, UH, 171, UM, REQUEST, WE ONLY GOT ONE BACK.

UM, WE DID EXTEND THE, THE SOLICITATION.

UM, WE ANSWERED AS MANY QUESTIONS AS POSSIBLE, BUT ULTIMATELY WE COULD ONLY GET ONE VENDOR TO, TO ACTUALLY RESPOND.

DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THEIR, WHAT WE DO, HOW WE REVIEW THEIR BID? UM, WHAT CAN YOU SAY, JONATHAN, ABOUT HOW WE REVIEW THEIR BIDS? UM, SO IN THE, YEAH, SO IN THE, UM, BID BID REVIEWABLE REVIEW PROCESS, UM, WE DEFINITELY TRY TO DO MARKET RESEARCH.

WE WILL GO OUT AND LOOK AT THE BLS, WHICH IS A BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, UM, DATA TO KIND OF COMPARE IF THE, UH, THE RESPONSE IS KIND OF IN LINE WITH WHAT WE SEE IN, IN, IN THE, UH, THE INDUSTRY FOR THIS PARTICULAR, UH, COMMODITY OR SERVICE.

UM, SO WE GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.

WE COMPARE IT TO THE LAST YEAR'S PRICING.

UM, THIS ONE, THIS CONTRACT IS ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, UM, THAN THE, UM, OUR, THE, THE REQUEST IS HIGHER THAN THE, UH, PREVIOUS CONTRACT.

AND I BELIEVE, UH, UH, YOU GUYS CAN KIND OF HELP ME OUT WITH THIS ONE.

BUT IS IS, UH, JUST THE DEMAND OF THE PRODUCT IS HIGHER BY, BY AUSTIN WATER, UH, OPERATIONS.

GREAT.

THANK YOU.

UM, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AMAN BENIN, WOULD YOU PLEASE TALK ABOUT THE SCOPE OF THIS WORK? YES.

UH, AS I STATED IN THE, UH, STATEMENT, WE ARE DESCALING UH, UH, PATIENTS AT TWO OF OUR TREATMENT PLANS.

AND, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING WE DO EVERY FIVE, SEVEN YEARS.

SO WE DO, UM, LIME SOFTENING AT OUR PLANTS, WHICH CREATES LIME SCALE ON THE BASINS, AND IT HAS TO BE PHYSICALLY REMOVED.

AND THAT IS WHAT THIS CONTRACT IS FOR.

COMMISSIONER TRULIN, IS THAT ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS? OKAY.

SO I GUESS WE WILL VOTE ON THE ITEM NUMBER TWO.

SO, DO I HAVE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.

COMMISSIONER PANG REGI IS A MOTIONING TO APPROVE.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

COMMISSIONER TUON IS SECONDING ALL COMMISSIONERS VOTING IN FAVOR, PLEASE SHOW YOUR HAND.

[00:10:02]

THE CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH IS ITEM NUMBER THREE.

IT IS UNANIMOUS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND THEN I DON'T HAVE TO READ NUMBER THREE 'CAUSE IT'S THE CONSENT.

SO MOVING ON TO

[3. Recommend approval to authorize negotiation and execution of an interlocal agreement with Travis County for City Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan (BCCP) staff access to the Travis County MyGovernmentOnline program (“MGO”) to accept, process, and track BCCP infrastructure Incidental Take Permit applications. Funding: This item has no fiscal impact.]

UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? OKAY.

I MAKE A MOTION .

COMMISSIONER PRANGE AGAIN.

UH, MOTIONS TO APPROVE.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

COMMISSIONER MARLO SECONDS.

ALL COMMISSIONERS VOTING IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND UNANIMOUS.

AGAIN, CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED.

SO NOW THAT MOVES US TO THE STAFF

[4. Briefing on Austin Water’s wildland conservation programs. ]

BRIEFINGS.

UH, THIS WILL BE A BRIEFING ON AUSTIN WATERS WILDLAND CONSERVATION PROGRAMS COMMISSIONERS, AS OUR STAFF MAKE THEIR WAY UP.

UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO OFFER A LITTLE BIT OF AN INTRODUCTION.

UM, SO AS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, AUSTIN WATERS MISSION IS TO PROVIDE SAFE, RELIABLE, HIGH QUALITY AND AFFORDABLE WATER SERVICES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

AND CENTRAL TO THAT MISSION IS THE STEWARDSHIP OF OUR WATER RESOURCES.

UM, AND YOU'LL HEAR TODAY FROM, FROM SHERRY KOOL ABOUT, UM, THE LAND MANAGEMENT THAT WE DO.

UM, AND, UH, AND OUR DIVISION MANAGER, JUSTIN BATES, LIKES TO SAY THAT THE WATERFALLS HERE FIRST.

UH, SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT, UM, PROTECTING THE QUALITY OF THE WATER THAT'S COMING INTO OUR WATER TREATMENT PLANTS THAT, UM, PROVIDES, UH, CLEAN WATER FOR BOTH, UM, BOTH OUR PURPOSES FOR DRINKING WATER, BUT ALSO FOR FOR RECREATION AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN, IN CENTRAL AUSTIN.

UM, THE MANAGEMENT OF THESE LANDS IS REALLY CENTRAL TO THAT.

UM, AND SO, UM, EXCITED TO, THIS IS A CITYWIDE EFFORT.

WE DO THIS IN COLLABORATION WITH, WITH OUR OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS AND WITH MANY PRIVATE LANDOWNERS AS WELL.

UM, AND SO EXCITED FOR YOU TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THIS FROM SHERRY KOOL, WHO IS OUR, UH, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE OFFICER.

BUT PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

SHERRY.

HI, I'M SHERRY KOOL.

I'M THE ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE OFFICER FOR AUSTIN WATER.

AND I DON'T KNOW, KEVIN, IF YOU WANTED TO ADD ANYTHING.

WELL, I'M NOT GONNA TAKE TOO MUCH TIME, JUST OTHER THAN TO SAY I'M KEVIN CRITTENDON, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UH, WITH AUSTIN WATER.

UM, REALLY, I JUST WANTED TO TEE UP AND JUST, UH, NUMBER ONE, WE DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO COMMISSION VERY OFTEN TO TALK ABOUT OUR WILDLANDS WORK.

UM, IT'S A VERY UNIQUE ASPECT OF WHAT WE DO AS A UTILITY.

UM, AND REALLY, UH, MOST IMPORTANTLY, UM, I THINK IT'S VERY NOVEL.

UH, YOU WON'T SEE MANY UTILITIES, CERTAINLY AROUND THE STATE OR EVEN AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT HAS THIS LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT, UM, IN PROTECTING WATER QUALITY PROTECTION AND OTHER THINGS.

SO IT'S ONE OF THE ASPECTS THAT PROBABLY DOESN'T GET HERALDED QUITE AS MUCH.

UM, AND THERE'S OFTEN A BIT OF, UM, MISCONCEPTION AROUND THE CITY ABOUT WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WILDLANDS.

SO IT'S ONE OF MY GOALS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT IT'S A WATER, UM, AUSTIN WATER FUNCTION, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DO AND WE TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY.

SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO THE EXPERTS AND LET SHERRY KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH THIS.

UM, BUT DEFINITELY WOULD INVITE YOU TO HAVE QUESTIONS ALONG THE WAY AND, UH, WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO MAKE THIS PRESENTATION.

SO THANK YOU.

WELL, THANK YOU.

UM, IF I COULD UP THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

UM, THE WILDLAND CONSERVATION DIVISION, AS SHEA MENTIONED, IS MANAGED BY JUSTIN BATES.

HE'S ON VACATION TONIGHT, BUT WE'LL BE HAPPY TO BRING HIM ANOTHER TIME TO VISIT WITH Y'ALL.

IT SITS WITHIN OUR ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE OFFICE IN AUSTIN WATER, WHICH AGAIN, IS A PRETTY UNIQUE, UM, THING FOR A WATER UTILITY.

THERE ARE SOME OTHER WATER UTILITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY WHO DO TRY TO ALSO PROTECT SOURCE WATER WITH LAND CONSERVATION.

UM, SO WE, AND WE'RE LOOKING INTO, UM, DOING MORE OF THAT, HOPEFULLY ALSO IN THE FUTURE FOR OUR WATER QUALITY.

THE TWO PROGRAMS UNDER THE WILDLAND CONSERVATION DIVISION ARE THE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS AND THE BAES CANYON LANDS PRESERVE.

UM, WITHIN OUR OFFICE OF, UH, THE ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE OFFICE, WE ALSO HAVE THE BAES CANYON LANDS CONSERVATION PLAN AND PERMITTING, WHICH IS RELATED TO THE ITEM THREE THAT WAS ON THE AGENDA.

AND KIMBERLY HARVEY, WHO IS OUR BA'S CANYON LANDS CONSERVATION PLAN OFFICER, IS HERE.

SHE'S SITTING OUT THERE IN THE AUDIENCE IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.

UM, WE ALSO HAVE THE CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AT HORNSBY BEND, WHICH IS ALSO KIND OF A UNIQUE, UM, ENTITY THAT WAS CREATED BACK WHEN HORNSBY BEND, UM, FIRST STARTED.

UH, IT HAS PUBLIC ACCESS FOR BIRDING.

IT'S A VERY POPULAR BIRDING SITE.

AND SO WE HAVE STAFF THAT HELPS TO MANAGE THAT PROCESS FOR THE FACILITY STAFF AND ALSO DO RESEARCH WITH LOCAL UNIVERSITIES.

[00:15:02]

AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE OUR CENTER, OUR, OUR STAFF THAT WORK ON CLIMATE PROTECTION.

SO I LIKE TO SAY THE WILDLANDS SPEAK BEST FOR THEMSELVES, AND I HAVE JUST A SERIES OF SLIDES OF PICTURES OF SOME OF THE UNIQUE, UH, ECOSYSTEMS THAT WE PROTECT, OF COURSE, ALL OF OUR CREEKS AND RIVERS.

NEXT SLIDE, OUR VISTAS, UM, AND VIEWS AND, UH, OPEN GRASSLAND SAVANNAH HABITATS.

THE JUNIPER OAK WOODLANDS, WHICH ARE IMPORTANT FOR SOME OF OUR ENDANGERED SPECIES.

UH, NEXT SLIDE.

THE UNDERGROUND CAVE ECOSYSTEMS, WHICH A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE EXIST IN THIS AREA.

THERE ARE ENTIRE ECOSYSTEMS UNDER OUR FEET THAT WE HELP PROTECT.

NEXT SLIDE, THE WILDFLOWERS THAT ARE SO POPULAR IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY IN THE SPRING.

AND THEN LASTLY, NEXT SLIDE.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, I WOULD SAY OUR WATER, UH, RESOURCES.

SO NEXT SLIDE.

THE, UM, REASON WHY AUSTIN IS REALLY A BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT IS PARTLY BECAUSE OF THESE UNIQUE ECOSYSTEMS LIKE THE CAVE AND CARST ECOSYSTEMS, BUT ALSO IT'S BECAUSE WE SIT ON THE EDGE OF TWO OF THE MAJOR ECO REGIONS IN TEXAS.

UM, THE EDWARDS PLATEAU ECO REGION, WHICH INCLUDES OPEN GRASSLAND, SAVANNAH AND ALSO WOODLANDS, ASH, JUNIPER, WOODLANDS, AND THEN THE BLACKLAND PRAIRIE, WHICH IS MORE TO THE EAST SIDE OF AUSTIN.

THE ESCARPMENT ALONG, UM, THE MIDDLE OF AUSTIN, OR JUST WEST OF AUSTIN, IS CALLED THE BALCONES ESCAR.

IT WAS NAMED THAT BECAUSE IT LOOKED LIKE BALCONIES, UH, ALONG THE, THE ROCKY ASCARS WHERE THE, THOSE CAR SYSTEMS OCCUR.

WE ALSO HAVE ELEMENTS OF SOME OF THE OTHER ECO REGIONS, PARTICULARLY THE CROSS TIMBERS AND PRAIRIES.

SO AUSTIN IS ALSO POPULAR, AS YOU KNOW, WITH HUMANS.

, AND OUR POPULATION HAS BEEN DOUBLING ABOUT EVERY 20 TO 25 YEARS.

I MOVED HERE PERSONALLY IN 1970, SO HAVE SEEN MUCH OF THAT, UH, GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.

UM, BUT SOME OF THE PART OF WHAT WE DO THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS IS TO HELP TO PERMIT, UH, THAT DEVELOPMENT AS WELL.

BUT WITH THAT GROWTH, GROWTH, IT BECOMES MORE, MORE IMPORTANT TO PROTECT OUR OPEN SPACES.

SO BACK IN THE LATE EIGHTIES, EARLY NINETIES, IF YOU WERE HERE IN AUSTIN, AND THERE WAS REAL CONFLICT BETWEEN THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY.

PART OF THAT CONFLICT WAS RELATED TO THE LISTING OF THOSE ENDANGERED SPECIES, THE GOLDEN SHEIK WARBLER, THE BLACK CAT BUR, AND THE CAVE INVERTEBRATES.

AND THEN PART OF IT WAS RELATED TO DEVELOPMENTS THAT WERE GOING IN AROUND BARTON SPRINGS AND BARTON CREEK, AND A LARGE PART OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEPT BARTON SPRINGS, SWIMABLE AND, UH, AS CLEAN AS POSSIBLE.

AND SO THOSE CONFLICTS EXISTED, BUT OUR LOCAL LEADERS CAME UP WITH GOOD, UM, LOCAL SOLUTIONS THAT ARE THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE MANAGING TODAY.

SO THE WILDLANDS IS REALLY, I WOULD SAY A UNIQUE, UM, GIFT.

IT WAS THE, THESE PROGRAMS WERE STARTED OVER 25, 30 YEARS AGO, THE TWO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, AND WE'VE INVESTED OVER $250 MILLION, WHICH HAS GENERALLY BEEN GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS THAT THE VOTERS HAVE APPROVED WITH A LARGE MARGIN, UM, OVER THE YEARS.

AND SO WE WERE LUCKY WITH THE BA CANYONLANDS PRESERVE THAT WE HAD SOME BOND MONEY BACK IN THE LATE EIGHTIES, EARLY NINETIES WHEN THERE WERE, THERE WAS A LOT OF, UH, LAND THAT WAS, UM, PUT INTO THE RESOLUTION TRUST CORPORATION.

AND WE GOT SOME AMAZING DEALS ON SOME OF THAT LAND, IF YOU WILL.

UH, OF COURSE, AS WE GO ON THROUGH TIME, THERE'S LESS AND LESS LAND AVAILABLE, AND IT GETS MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE.

SO WE HAVE ABOUT 49,000 ACRES.

NOW, THIS MAP JUST SHOWS YOU SOME OF THOSE LANDS.

UH, THE ONES THAT ARE SOLID GREEN ARE THE LANDS THAT WE MANAGE.

SO IT IS A CHALLENGE FOR, UH, JUSTIN AND HIS TEAM OF 30 OR SO EMPLOYEES MANAGING LAND ALL THE WAY FROM UP AROUND, UH, CEDAR PARK DOWN TO KYLE, BUT KYLE AREA.

UM, IT'S UNDER THOSE TWO PROGRAMS, AS I MENTIONED, AND IT WAS DELIBERATELY PLACED WITHIN AUSTIN WATER, UM, TO BE THE STEWARD OF THESE LANDS.

TRAVIS COUNTY, AND IT ALLOWS FOR A STREAMLINED PROCESS FOR DEVELOPMENT.

SO THE BAIS CANYON LANDS PRESERVE, AS I MENTIONED, IT WAS SET UP TO PRESERVE ENDANGERED SPECIES, BUT ALSO IMPORTANTLY, IT'S A PERMIT.

IT'S A COUNTYWIDE HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN AND PERMIT THAT KIMBERLY ADMINISTERS.

IT'S HELD BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND

[00:20:01]

SO THAT CAN BE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT OR, UM, HOUSES AND SUBDIVISIONS.

THE CITY STAFF ADMINISTERS THE INFRASTRUCTURE PORTION OF THAT, AND THE COUNTY DOES THE DEVELOPMENT.

SO THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, PROJECTS, ONE OF THE EXAMPLES THAT WAS IN THE RECENT PAST THAT REALLY BENEFITED AUSTIN WATER WAS THE HANCOCKS WATER TREATMENT PLANT.

THAT WATER TREATMENT PLANT WAS RIGHT OUT IN THE MIDST OF THE HABITAT IN WESTERN TRAVIS COUNTY.

AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT PERMITTING IN HOUSE, AND IT SAVED THE UTILITY QUITE A BIT OF, UH, MONEY AND TIME.

UH, SOME OF THE PLACES, IF YOU'VE BEEN TO BARTON CREEK OR BULL CREEK OR MOUNT BONNE, THOSE WERE ALL PARKS ORIGINALLY, BUT THEY'RE ALSO, UM, HABITAT FOR THESE ENDANGERED SPECIES.

SO WE WORK TOGETHER WITH PARD, THEY MANAGE THE PARKS.

WE'RE NOT STAFFED AT A LEVEL TO HAVE A, UH, TRACKS THAT ARE OPEN ALL THE TIME.

WE HAVE VERY FEW, UM, WHERE WE HAVE TRAILS OR THINGS THAT ARE OPEN, BUT FOR THOSE PARTICULAR PARKS, THEY'RE MANAGED BY PART.

AND THEN WE HELP WITH THE HABITAT MANAGEMENT.

SO THE, THE, I GUESS, FORTUNATE THING ABOUT THESE ENDANGERED SPECIES IS THEIR HABITAT IS, UH, OCCURS LARGELY IN THE LAKE TRAVIS AND LAKE AUSTIN, UH, WATERSHEDS.

SO YOU CAN SEE FROM THOSE MAPS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF LAND THAT'S BEEN PROTECTED WITHIN OUR DRINKING WATER SUPPLY.

SORRY.

LOSING MY VOICE.

UM, SO THE, THE BA SCAN LANDS PRESERVE IS A PARTNERSHIP, AS I MENTIONED, BETWEEN TRAVIS COUNTY AND THE CITY.

WE HOLD THE PERMIT.

WE ALSO HAVE OTHER PARTNERS, UM, WHO MANAGE LAND THAT'S PART OF THE PRESERVE.

UH, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IS A LARGE PARTNER, HAS A LARGE TRACT LAND, THE TRAVIS AUDUBON SOCIETY, THERE'S ST.

EDWARDS UNIVERSITY.

IT PARTICIPATES WITH WILD BASIN.

SO WE HAVE OTHER PARTNERS THAT MANAGE LAND, AND THAT TOTAL IS ABOUT 33,000 ACRES.

SO IF YOU FLY INTO AUSTIN AND YOU LOOK DOWN AT THE LIGHTS, UH, AT NIGHT, AND YOU SEE THE GREEN SPACE BETWEEN THE LIGHTS, MOST OF THAT IS THE BA CANYON LANDS PRESERVE IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY.

SO IT'S OVER 32,000 ACRES, WHICH WAS OUR MINIMUM THAT WE HAD TO ACHIEVE FOR THE PERMIT.

UH, WE STILL HAVE SOME CONFIGURATION REQUIREMENTS, THOUGH.

UH, WHEN YOU HAVE A PRESERVE SYSTEM, YOU WANT IT TO BE AS ROUND AS POSSIBLE, IF YOU WILL.

YOU WANNA HAVE LESS EDGE AND MORE INTERIOR FOR THESE, UH, PARTICULAR SPECIES.

AND SO WE'RE, WE STILL HAVE SOME CONFIGURATION REQUIREMENTS TO MEET.

AND THEN WE WERE REQUIRED TO PROTECT 62 NAMED CAVES THAT THE CAVE LOCAL CAVERS KNEW ABOUT.

AND WE'VE PROTECTED 52 OF THOSE TO SOME EXTENT.

SO WE HAVE ABOUT 10 MORE.

UM, ALL OF THE LAND ACQUISITIONS THAT WE'VE DONE HAS BEEN WITH WILLING SELLERS.

WE DON'T CONDEMN LAND, AND SO THE OWNERS OF THOSE CAVES JUST HAVE NOT WANTED TO SELL THEM.

BUT WE DO HAVE, WE DEVELOPED A CAVE SUBSTITUTION POLICY, SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN SUBSTITUTE SOME CAVES THAT HAVE THOSE SPECIES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PROTECT.

ON THE DEVELOPMENT SIDE OF THE BCP, YOU CAN SEE, UM, A LOT OF THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH OUT IN THAT PART OF THE COUNTY AS WELL THAT WERE PERMITTED THROUGH THE BACO CANYON LANDS PERMIT.

UM, TO DATE, WE'VE HAD OVER 1500, UH, LANDOWNERS OR DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE COME THROUGH OVER 400 PLUS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AS WELL.

AND THEN ABOUT 12,000 ACRES THAT'S BEEN PERMITTED, AND THAT'S WHAT'S ILLUSTRATED IN PURPLE ON THIS MAP.

THIS POINT, AND THEN QUITE A BIT ALSO IN THE CONTRIBUTING ZONE.

THE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS PROGRAM WAS THE PROGRAM THAT WAS ESTABLISHED TO, UH, PROTECT BARTON SPRINGS.

SO THE LANDS WERE LARGELY IN WESTERN TRAVIS COUNTY AND THEN, UH, NORTHERN HAYES COUNTY, WE DID SOME RESEARCH THAT SHOWED THAT OVER 30% OF THE RECHARGE TO BARTON SPRINGS ACTUALLY CAME FROM ONION CREEK.

AND SO THAT WAS JUST AS IMPORTANT TO PROTECT AS BARTON CREEK.

AND SO WE HAVE QUITE A FEW LANDS THAT YOU'LL NOTICE ARE DOWN IN HAYES COUNTY AREA AS WELL.

THOSE LANDS ARE MANAGED TO MAXIMIZE HIGH QUALITY WATER FLOWING INTO THE AQUIFER.

SO THAT PROTECTS S BARTON SPRINGS, BUT ALSO PROTECTS THAT GROUNDWATER, WHICH IS, UM, A LARGE SOURCE OF WATER FOR ALL THE PEOPLE IN HAYES COUNTY.

PLUS, AS YOU KNOW, THE GROUNDWATER AND SURFACE WATER ARE NOT REALLY DISTINCT.

UH, THEY MIX AND MERGE, AND SO IT ALSO HELPS PROTECT OUR DRINKING WATER.

UH, WE'VE PROTECTED ABOUT A FOURTH OF THE RECHARGE ZONE AT

[00:25:01]

AND WE MANAGE THIS LAND WITH SOME LIMITED AMOUNT OF CLEARING.

AND THEN, UM, PRESCRIBED BURNING, WHICH IS CONDUCTED.

ALL OF OUR STAFF HAVE WILDLAND FIRE TRAINING, AND WE DO THOSE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A FD US FOREST SERVICE, TRAVIS COUNTY AND OTHER PARTNERS THAT ALSO HAVE THAT TRAINING.

IT'S A LAND MANAGEMENT TOOL, UH, FOR THIS OAK SAVANNAH ECOSYSTEM AND KIND OF MIMICS THE NATURAL SYSTEM, BUT ALSO CAN HELP REDUCE, UH, FUELS.

AND WHEN WE PUT IN THE FUEL BREAKS AND FIRE BREAKS AND THINGS THAT CAN HELP YOU PREPARE FOR POTENTIAL WILDFIRE.

SO THE GOAL FOR THE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LAND PROGRAM WAS AMBITIOUS.

BACK IN THE DAY, IT WAS ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND ACRES, AND THAT WAS BASED ON TRYING TO KEEP IMPERVIOUS COVER TO A LIMIT WHERE, YOU KNOW THAT WATER QUALITY WILL BE PROTECTED.

AND SO TO DATE, WE'VE GOTTEN ABOUT 34,000, ABOUT 12,000 IN FEE, SIMPLE PURCHASES THAT WE MANAGE.

AND THEN ANOTHER 22,000 IN CONSERVATION EASEMENTS AND CONSERVATION EASEMENT, UM, PURCHASE, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT, IS WHERE BASICALLY THE CITY BUYS THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS.

SO IF YOU'RE A RANCHER, YOU CAN KEEP RANCH IN YOUR LAND, YOU CAN HAVE LITTLE HOMESTEADS FOR YOUR FAMILY, BUT WE PUT IN CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS THAT PROTECT WATER QUALITY AND YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SUBDIVIDE IT OR DEVELOP IT, YOU KNOW, AS A BIG BOX STORE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

BUT YOU CAN STILL CONTINUE JUST THE DOING WHAT YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING ON THE LAND AS LONG AS IT PROTECTS WATER QUALITY.

SO THAT'S A MORE COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO PROTECT ACRES.

KEEPS IT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE LANDOWNER MANAGING IT, WE DON'T HAVE TO STAFF MANAGING THOSE LANDS.

AND WE, SO WE'VE GOT ABOUT 22,000 ACRES IN, IN THAT.

UM, AND HELPING AGAIN TO GET MORE, SOME OF THE PROTECTION OF WATER QUALITY HAS ALSO BEEN THE REGULATIONS, THE SOS ORDINANCE AND OTHER REGULATIONS.

AND AS YOU KNOW, WITH SOME OF THE CHANGES WITH PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE CITIES ETJ AND THINGS LIKE THAT, SOME OF THOSE REGULATORY, UH, PROTECTIONS ARE GETTING MORE CHALLENGING.

SO THIS IS A PICTURE OF OUR STAFF ALONG WITH MANY, MANY VOLUNTEERS.

, UH, THE STAFF, AS I MENTIONED, IS ONLY AROUND 30 WITH SOME TEMPORARY FLUCTUATION, UH, TEMPORARY STAFF.

UM, WE RELY ON VOLUNTEERS.

WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT, UH, LOTS OF, LOTS OF EXCELLENT VOLUNTEERS THAT HELP WITH SEEDING RESTORATION, UM, TRAIL MAINTENANCE AND SO FORTH.

SO THIS IS A PICTURE FROM OUR VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION TO SHOW YOU SOME OF THOSE.

SO SOME OF THE THINGS WE DO.

UM, TO MANAGE THESE LANDS, AS SHEA MENTIONED, UM, FIRST ALL WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE SPECIES THAT WE'RE TASKED WITH MANAGING.

FOR THE BALCON CANYON LANDS PRESERVED, THAT HAS TO COME FIRST.

THE PERMIT REQUIRES THAT, THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT WE NEED TO DO.

SO WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK BEING DONE ON THE GOLDEN SHE WARBLER TO SEE HOW THEY'RE DOING, HOW WELL THEIR, UH, POPULATION IS DOING.

WE HAVE TO MANAGE, UM, OAK WILT IN SOME CASES WE'RE LOOKING AT ENDANGERED SPECIES, UM, INVASIVE SPECIES, UM, MANAGEMENT, UM, MONITORING THE CAR SPECIES ALSO, AND JUST TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH WHAT'S, UM, UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THOSE ECOSYSTEMS TOO, WITH THE VEGETATION AND HABITAT CHANGES.

WE'RE PROTECTING IT.

WE HAVE STAFF WHO WALK THE BOUNDARIES UNLESS CONSTANTLY WALKING THE BOUNDARIES.

UM, WE FENCE OUR TRACKS, WHICH IS NOT ALWAYS POPULAR, BUT IT'S A WAY THAT WE CAN CONTROL, UH, THE ACCESS AND HAVE CONTROLLED ACCESS.

WE AGAIN, UH, TRY TO WORK WITH THE CONTROLLING INVASIVE SPECIES.

WE TRY TO DO EDUCATION WITH NEIGHBORING, UH, LANDOWNERS ON INVASIVE THINGS, PLANTS AND THINGS THAT, DIFFERENT NATIVE PLANTS THAT THEY COULD PLANT INSTEAD OF LEGUM.

UM, THAT MOVES OUT THROUGHOUT THE PRESERVE SYSTEM.

WE DO A LOT OF RESTORATION.

WE HAVE, UH, TWO NURSERY SYSTEMS, GREENHOUSES.

WE HAVE A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS THAT HELP TEND TO ALL THAT.

UH, AS I MENTIONED, OUR VOLUNTEERS HELP COLLECT SEED.

THEY DO PLANTINGS.

THEY DO, UM, UH, UM, I FORGOT WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY.

OH, JUST TO HELP MAINTAIN, UH, THE NURSERIES IN THOSE TWO DIFFERENT ECOSYSTEM TYPES AND THEN HELP US LIKE GROW UP NATIVE PLANTS.

IS JUST ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY.

AND THEN MOSTLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO

[00:30:01]

IT'S HARD WHEN YOU HAVE, UM, CONTROLLED ACCESS THAT TO BE SURE THAT YOU CAN GET AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN OUT ON THE LAND.

WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT GETTING PEOPLE OUT ON THE LAND IS THE BEST WAY TO BUILD ADVOCACY FOR OUR PROGRAMS. AND SO WE DO A LOT OF VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES.

WE DO A LOT OF VOLUNTEER, UH, TOURS.

WE HAVE, WE TRAIN PEOPLE UP AS GUIDED HIKE, UH, LEADS, AND THEN THEY CAN LEAD OTHER PEOPLE TO GO INTO THE CAVE SYSTEM OR TO GO ONTO THE PROPERTIES.

AND SO WE USE THOSE, UH, THAT BROAD, UM, ABILITY TO USE OUR VOLUNTEERS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.

SO NEXT SLIDE.

UH, JUST LOOKING FORWARD, JUST A LITTLE FEW MORE SLIDES.

UM, WE'RE TRYING TO PREPARE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE.

UM, AS YOU KNOW, WILDFIRE RISK HAS BECOME MORE OF A CONCERN IN THE AUSTIN AREA.

THE GOOD NEWS IS WE'RE NOT LIKE CALIFORNIA.

WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME, UM, TYPE OF VEGETATION.

WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME CLIMATE, WE DON'T HAVE THE SANTA ANA WINDS, BUT OUR CLIMATE IS SHIFTING, IS CHANGING.

AND WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DAMAGE ON THE, UM, PRESERVE AND ON THE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS FROM THE TWO ICE STORMS THAT WE HAD, ALONG WITH KIND OF OUR PERVASIVE, OUR LONG TERM DROUGHT THAT WE'VE BEEN IN.

SO IT'S KIND OF A DOUBLE WHAMMY ON THE TREES, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DAMAGED, THEY'RE WEAKENED BY THE DROUGHT, AND THEN THEY GET DAMAGED BY THE STORM.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO, TO WISELY, UH, MANAGE THAT AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST, MOST EFFICIENT WAY THAT WE CAN MITIGATE THAT FUEL.

SO TRYING TO PICK THE BEST LOCATIONS TO DO THAT.

OF COURSE, WE'RE LOOKING ALONG THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE ON THE BOUNDARY WITH THE HOMES ON THE, UH, ALL OF OUR LANDS.

BUT THEN ALSO TRYING TO LOOK AT, UM, CORRIDORS, PLACES WHERE A FIRE MIGHT START AND SEE IF THERE'S WAYS THAT WE CAN MANAGE THAT SO IT WOULDN'T, UM, MOVE INTO OTHER AREAS.

I, I HAVE A QUESTION ON THIS FRONT.

UM SURE, SURE.

IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY, WE, THERE WAS A FEDERAL GRANT TO DO A FUEL STUDY IN THE BALCONES PRESERVE, IS THAT RIGHT? YES.

WE JUST RECENTLY, WE DID SOME WORK, UM, WITH DR. JOSEPH WHITE FROM BAYLOR UNIVERSITY WHEN WE FIRST PUT TOGETHER THE COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN.

AND OUR STAFF WORKED A LOT, UM, WITH ALL OF THE PARTNERS, LOCAL PARTNERS ON THAT.

AND SO THAT DATA IS A LITTLE BIT OLD NOW.

UM, AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO, WE HIRED THE US FOREST SERVICE TO UPDATE THAT MODELING, THAT RISK MODELING.

YEAH.

AND WE'RE GOING OUT WITH THEM AND SAMPLING THE SAME SPOTS THAT DR. WHITE DID AND SEEING IF THE FUEL, IF IT LOOKS DIFFERENT.

AND THERE ARE SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME OF IT IS JUST ON BOUNDARIES AND IT'S NOT BAD, BUT THERE'S OTHER PLACES WHERE THINGS HAVE VEGETATION HAS JUST, UM, FALLEN DOWN ON THE CLIFF AND THERE MIGHT BE A, A LARGE, UH, PILE OF DEADWOOD IN A CANYON OR SOMETHING.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO REASSESS THAT AND FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO ADDRESS THAT.

OH, GREAT.

I, I WAS JUST CONCERNED THAT MAYBE THE FUNDING HAD BEEN PULLED WITH ALL OF THE POLITICS IN DC AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S, BUT IT'S STILL MOVING FORWARD.

YES.

OKAY, GOOD.

YES.

YEAH, WE DIDN'T KNOW IT GOT DELAYED BY EVERYTHING, BUT THEY ARE MOVING FORWARD NOW.

GOOD.

UM, SO WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES TO JUST, UM, MANAGE THE WILDFIRE RISK AND WORK TOGETHER WITH ALL OUR PARTNERS ON DOING THAT AS WELL AS WE CAN.

WHENEVER WE WORK WITH THE COUNTY, WE DO AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BASICALLY THAT SPELLS THAT OUT.

THE BCCB, UH, BCC PERMIT RENEWAL.

UH, YOU HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT OR READ A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.

UM, WITH THAT ITEM NUMBER THREE, WE, UM, ARE DOING SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS ON THAT FRONT.

UH, IT'S A 30 YEAR PERMIT.

IT'S GOING TO EXPIRE IN MAY OF 26.

AND OUR FIRST PATH WAS GOING TO BE TO JUST EXTEND THE DATE.

UM, BUT THAT PATH WAS, IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE TO US.

SO WE'RE WORKING WITH US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TO HAVE LIMITED CHANGES, UM, TO THE PERMIT.

THERE'VE BEEN SOME NEW SPECIES THAT HAVE BEEN LISTED SINCE OUR PERMIT WAS PUT IN PLACE, SO THEY WANT US TO LOOK AT THOSE SPECIES.

SO WE'RE GOING TO BE RESUBMITTING AN APPLICATION.

UM, WE'RE TRYING TO MODERNIZE A LOT OF THINGS.

THE ITEM TO USE THE MY GOVERNMENT, UH, ONLINE SYSTEM IS BECAUSE WE'RE STILL DOING A LOT OF THINGS JUST BY HAND AND WRITTEN APPLICATIONS AND CHECKS, PEOPLE WRITING CHECKS, WHICH IS BECOMING, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T WRITE CHECKS ANYMORE.

SO ANYWAY, JUST TRYING TO MODERNIZE SOME OF THAT PROCESS SO THAT IT CAN BE ONLINE.

UM, SO WE'LL BE WORKING ON THAT OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR SO.

WE HAVE ANOTHER,

[00:35:01]

AND SO WE HAVE ANOTHER INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT TO HIRE A CONSULTANT TO HELP US WITH THAT RENEWAL.

SO THAT'LL BE GOING ON IN THE NEXT, UH, FEW YEARS, SEVERAL YEARS.

UH, WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, UM, HOW WE CAN BEST ADDRESS THOSE NEW SPECIES.

WE, WHETHER WE PUT 'EM INTO THE BCP OR WHETHER WE DO A SEPARATE, UH, PERMIT.

WE HAVEN'T DECIDED ON THAT YET.

I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.

WHAT JUST EXAMPLES OF THOSE SPECIES, IF YOU HAVE ANY OF, OF THE ADDITIONAL LISTED SPECIES, WHAT ARE THE ADDITIONAL SPECIES? YES.

WELL, ONE OF THEM IS THE JOLLYVILLE PLATEAU SALAMANDER, WHICH WAS LISTED BACK IN 2013.

UM, AND THEY DON'T HAVE, THERE'S NOT A SEPARATE PERMIT FOR THEM.

THE BARTON SPRING SALAMANDER AND THE AUSTIN BLIND SALAMANDER ARE COVERED BY THE CITY'S POOL PERMIT, THE PERMIT FOR BARTON SPRINGS.

UM, THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY, THEY'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, UH, TRYING TO LIST IT.

THERE'S A TRICOLORED BAT AND THEY'VE PUT FORWARD DEVELOPMENT GUIDANCE FOR THE TRICOLORED BAT, BUT IT'S GONNA BE A TRICKY ONE ALONG WITH THE MONARCH 'CAUSE THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE COUNTY.

UH, THE TRICOLOR BAT, UM, CONSTRUCTION GUIDELINES MIGHT RESTRICT SOME CUTTING OF TREES AND THINGS AT CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR.

ANOTHER ONE WAS A TEXAS FAT MUCKE, WHICH IS A FRESHWATER MUSSEL.

IT'S IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT AREA.

IT'S IN THE ONION CREEK BETWEEN, UM, LIKE I 35 AND THE RIVER, AND THEN UP IN THE PURANAS BASIN IN THE RIVER COLORADO RIVER SOUTH OF HERE.

SO IT'S NOT REALLY IN THE SAME AREA WHERE OUR OTHER SPECIES ARE.

SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT MAKES SENSE WITH THOSE SPECIES.

THE JOLLYVILLE PLATEAU, SALOME HAS BEEN LISTED FOR QUITE A WHILE AND WE HAVEN'T, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH THE SERVICE TO JUST MITIGATE IMPACTS FOR PROJECTS WITHOUT HAVING THEM HAVING TO GET A PERMIT.

BUT I THINK RECENTLY THEY'VE BEEN REQUIRING SOME PROJECTS TO ACTUALLY GET A PERMIT.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

I THINK I'M GETTING TO THE END.

OH.

OH, THERE WAS ONE MORE I THINK MAYBE I, SORRY.

JUMPED AHEAD.

UM, SO WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT, I FEEL LIKE IN THE LAST, UH, 30 YEARS, BUT THERE'S STILL MORE TO DO.

UM, WE STILL HAVE GAPS IN THE B CANYON LANDS PRESERVE, AS I MENTIONED.

WE'VE STILL GOT ADDITIONAL LAND TO PURCHASE FOR THE WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS TO ENSURE THAT BARTON SPRINGS IS PROTECTED.

UH, WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT THESE NEW RISKS AND CHALLENGES AND CLIMATE CHANGE IS ANOTHER THING THAT WILL BE ADDRESSED IN THE RENEWAL OF THE PERMIT.

UM, SO JUST TRYING TO, UH, LOOK AT THOSE, UH, UPCOMING CHALLENGES AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR OUR PROGRAMS. BUT WE'RE EXCITED TO, UM, BE A PART OF THESE PROGRAMS AND APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF KEVIN AND SHAY AND, UH, EVERYONE IN AUSTIN WATER.

AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UH, FOR SURE.

AMAZING.

UM, I SHOULD ASK THIS QUESTION WITH THE MAPS WERE UP.

OH, WE, AND, AND, AND IS THE, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE PARTNERSHIP WITH TRAVIS COUNTY AND YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT EXPANDING, UM, THE, UH, COVERAGE.

ARE THERE TRAVIS COUNTY PARKS THAT ABUT ANY OF THAT? OR, OR IN THAT SHADED, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME TRAVIS COUNTY PARKS IN THAT AS WELL? OR NOT? UM, TRAVIS COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE VERY MANY PARKS THAT ARE PART OF THE BUCK'S CANYON LANDS PRESERVED.

THEY HAVE HAMILTON POOL AND, UM, HAMILTON POOL , BUT THEY DO HAVE OTHER PARKS THAT ARE ADJACENT TO HAMILTON POOL.

WHAT ELSE? THE RHYMERS, UH, UM, RHYMERS RANCH AND THEN THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF PURCHASING AROUND THAT.

RHYMERS RANCH, THEY'VE TRIED TO CREATE A CORRIDOR ALONG THE AL THEY DO ALSO HAVE SOME CONSERVATION EASEMENTS IN THAT AREA.

SO THEY HAVE SOME LARGE BLOCKS THAT ARE PROTECTED.

BUT HAMILTON POOL IS THE MAIN PARK THAT THEY HAVE THAT'S PART OF THE PRESERVE.

WEST CAVE IS ALSO, UM, PART OF THE PRESERVE, BUT THAT'S MANAGED BY WEST CAVE PRESERVE ASSOCIATION AND IT'S ACTUALLY OWNED BY THE LCRA.

YEAH.

GOT IT.

SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, I GUESS I HAVE ANOTHER ONE.

UM, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE PRESERVATION OF CAVES AND IS THE, IS THE CAVING COMMUNITY KIND OF HELPING YOU WITH THAT? ARE THERE ISSUES WITH THEM STANDING THE PROBLEMS? UM, THEY, THEY HELP.

WE HAVE A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE PART OF THE CAVING COMMUNITY.

WE HAVE A LOT OF PARD STAFF THAT ARE TRAINED TO DO CAVING

[00:40:01]

TRIPS AS WELL.

WE WORK A LOT WITH WATERSHED AND PARD, UM, ON GETTING PEOPLE INTO CAVES THAT THEY'VE, THEY WORK MOSTLY WITH YOUNG PEOPLE.

WE DON'T DO A LOT OF PROGRAMS WITH YOUNG PEOPLE 'CAUSE WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STAFF TO DO THAT.

UM, BUT WE DO HAVE VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE ALSO DOING, UH, CAVE TOURS FOR US.

WE HAVE, UM, SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE WANT TO JUST DIG OUT CAVES.

THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THEY LOVE TO DO.

AND NOT SO MUCH FOCUSED ON THE SPECIES MM-HMM .

UM, BUT WE DO TRY TO, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF CONTRACTORS.

WE HAVE A BIG CAVE RESTORATION CONTRACT WHERE WE HIRE PEOPLE TO KIND OF DIG OUT CAVES AND GET THEM READY TO DO STUDIES ON THEM.