Aug 27, 2025 Climate, Water, Environment, and Parks Committee

TO, TO KIND OF SEE WHAT SOME OF THE BEST PRACTICES WERE OUT THERE.

UH, ONCE AGAIN, I'M, UH, RICHARD MCHALE, DIRECTOR FOR AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.

GLAD TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE TO DISCUSS THE RESULTS OF THE FEASIBILITY STUDY THAT WE HAD DONE, UH, FOR A TRANSFER STATION.

UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN, UH, WANTED FOR A WHILE NOW WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMUNITY.

AND SO NOW WE'VE HAD SOME FEEDBACK FROM OUR CONSULTANT WHO DID A LOT OF WORK ON THIS TO KIND OF HELP US DETERMINE WHAT THE, THE COST IMPACT WILL BE IN A GENERAL LOCATION WHERE IT SHOULD BE.

SO, UM, THE, THE, THE SLIDE I HAVE UP THERE RIGHT NOW IS, UH, THAT IS NOT OUR TRANSFER STATION.

I WOULD LOVE IF IT WERE, BUT IT, UH, THIS IS ACTUALLY A FACILITY IN BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON, ADJACENT TO SEATTLE.

SO THIS IS, UH, THE FACTOR, UH, TRANSFER STATION.

UM, THEY HAVE A, IT'S FULLY ENCLOSED FACILITY, UH, MATERIALS BROUGHT IN THERE.

THEY EVEN HAVE A CITIZEN DROP OFF THAT IS WITHIN THE BUILDING.

THAT LITTLE BUILDING THERE TO THE RIGHT THAT IS A HOUSEHOLD HAS ITS WASTE FACILITY THAT THEY'VE, UH, ADDED TO THAT FACILITY TO FACILITATE, UH, COLLECTING MATERIALS FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC WITHOUT THEM HAVING TO GO TO VARIOUS SITES AND EVERYTHING.

SO CITY STAFF AND MYSELF ACTUALLY WENT UP TO THE FACILITY ON OUR, WHEN WE STARTED DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE ON THESE PROJECTS

[00:10:01]

AND, UM, THIS WAS DEFINITELY ONE OF THEM.

SO, UM, SO THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS REALLY TO DETERMINE IF IT WAS GONNA BE CHEAPER FOR US TO DIRECT HAUL FROM OUR ROUTES TO THE LANDFILL.

AND THAT MEANS BASICALLY JUST, YOU KNOW, NOT GOING TO ANOTHER FACILITY, THAT WE WOULD GO STRAIGHT TO A DISPOSAL FACILITY, WHETHER THAT BE A LANDFILL OR A RECYCLING FACILITY OR A COMPOST FACILITY.

SO, UH, AND IF, AND IF SO, IF THAT WAS WARRANTED, WHAT PART OF TOWN WOULD'VE THEY BEST SUITED IN? SO, UM, IF THAT, UH, UM, GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

THIS OBVIOUSLY BY THE, THE TREE COLORATION.

THIS IS NOT TEXAS, THIS IS, UH, THE NORTHEAST, THIS IS DELAWARE ACTUALLY.

SO, BUT IT KIND OF GIVES AN EXAMPLE OF HOW UH, FACILITIES CAN BE, UH, PLACED WITHIN THEIR ENVIRONMENT AND THEM NOT STAND OUT AND BE, UM, AESTHETICALLY UN UNPLEASING.

SO, UM, BUT WHAT IS A TRANSFER STATION? AND SO QUITE SIMPLY, IT'S A FACILITY WHERE SOLID WASTE IS TEMPORARILY COLLECTED, SORTING, CONSOLIDATED BEFORE BEING TRANSFERRED TO LARGER VEHICLES FOR TRANSPORTATION TO EITHER A LANDFILL OR RECYCLING FACILITY.

SO, UH, THIS PARTICULAR PICTURE IS FROM THE CITY OF DALLAS, SO THIS IS KIND OF AN INDOOR OPERATION AS WELL.

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT PILE OF MATERIAL HAS BEEN DUMPED FROM, UH, TRUCKS AND THAT MATERIAL WILL THEN BE PUSHED INTO A LARGER TRACTOR TRAILER TO THEN BE SENT, UH, I WOULD ASSUME TO THE MCCOMBS LANDFILL THAT, UH, CITY OF DALLAS OPERATES.

UM, I THINK IT'S NOT ONLY IMPORTANT TO DETERMINE WHAT IS A TRANSFER STATION, BUT WHAT IS IT NOT? SO, UM, IF ANY OF YOU HAVE KIND OF GROWN UP IN A, A RURAL PART OF TEXAS OR ANOTHER, ANOTHER STATE, UH, YOU MAY HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO KIND OF YOUR COUNTY, UH, TRANSFER STATION, WHICH IT, IN MOST CASES IS A PRETTY SIMPLE BASIC OPERATION.

KIND OF A LEAN TO BUILDING KIND OF OPEN ON ONE SIDE, EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS.

UM, TYPICALLY JUST HANDLES TRASH.

IT MAY HAVE A DROP OFF CENTER NEARBY.

SO THAT IS NOT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING.

WE ARE LOOKING AT HAVING AN ENCLOSED BUILDING 'CAUSE OF THE, UH, THE SOME NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL EXTER EXTERNALITIES THAT CAN OCCUR, WHETHER IT BE ODORS OR LITTERS AND EVERYTHING.

WE WANT TO KEEP THAT CONTAINED IN THE BUILDING AND NOT BE IN SO THAT WE CAN BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR TO, TO WHOMEVER OUR NEIGHBORS ARE.

UM, IT'S ALSO A FACILITY, AND YOU'LL SEE ON THIS SLIDE, IT'S TEMPORARY COLLECTED.

SO THE MATERIAL IS NOT LANDFILLED THERE, IT IS NOT KEPT THERE.

IT IS, ONCE IT GOES THERE THAT DAY, IT IS REMOVED THAT SAME DAY TO A FINAL DISPOSAL SITE.

SO WE DON'T WANNA KEEP ANY MATERIALS IN THE BUILDING AND THE, UH, AND UH, ISSUES THAT CAN COME ALONG WITH THAT, WHETHER IT BE ANY TYPE OF VERMIN OR, OR ODORS OR EVEN THE POTENTIAL FOR A FIRE.

SO, UH, THE MATERIAL WOULD BE REMOVED EVERY DAY.

UM, SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF THE TRANSFER STATION? AND, AND THERE, THERE ARE NUMEROUS, SO OBVIOUSLY WE CAN REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.

AND REALLY THIS IS DONE BY REDUCING OUR OFF ROUTE MILEAGE.

AND WHEN I SAY OFF ROUTE MILEAGE, I'M TALKING ABOUT TIME WHERE OUR OPERATORS ARE NOT COLLECTING MATERIALS.

THEY'RE ACTUALLY JUST DRIVING EITHER TO AND FROM THE ROUTE OR FROM THE ROUTE TO DISPOSAL FACILITY.

MOST OF OUR, UH, OPERATIONS REQUIRE TWO LOADS.

SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT'S CAN BE QUITE A, UH, SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WINDSHIELD TIME WHERE THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY COLLECTING SOMETHING.

SO THAT'S VERY INEFFICIENT FROM OUR STANDPOINT.

IT'S OUR, YOU KNOW, WE, WE PAY THESE OPERATORS TO COLLECT MATERIALS AND THEN THAT'S WHERE THE BULK OF THAT WORK SHOULD BE INSTEAD OF HAVING TO SIT IN TRAFFIC THAT, THAT WE ALL EXPERIENCE, UM, HERE IN AUSTIN.

UM, THE, BY REDUCING THAT MILEAGE, WE'RE ALSO JUST INHERENTLY, UM, BEING ABLE TO BETTER SUPPORT ELECTRIC, ELECTRIFYING OUR FLEET.

UM, THAT HAS BEEN A, AN ISSUE FOR US.

UH, AUSTIN IS A VERY SPREAD OUT CITY AND JUST HAVING FEW FACILITIES TO BE ABLE TO, TO DISPOSE THAT, UM, CREATES, UM, SOME LONG TRAVEL TIMES FOR US.

AND, UH, ELECTRIC TRUCKS ACTUALLY GET BETTER MILEAGE WHEN THEY'RE IN THE CITIES AND KIND OF STOPPING AND GOING 'CAUSE THEY CAN USE THAT REGENERATIVE POWER FROM, FROM THE BREAKING TO TO CHARGE THAT BATTERY.

WE GET ACTUALLY WORSE MILEAGE WHEN WE GET OUT ON THE HIGHWAYS.

SO THAT'S, UH, DEFINITELY AN ISSUE FOR US.

SO, UM, WE'VE SEEN HERE, WE'VE HAD A PILOT HERE NOW FOR, UM, GOSH, A COUPLE MONTHS NOW ON ELECTRIC TRUCK.

UM, AND WE'RE KIND OF SEEING THE LIMITATIONS ON IT RIGHT NOW.

RIGHT NOW WE'RE GETTING ABOUT A FIVE HOUR CHARGE OUT OF THAT TRUCK, SO IT'S NOT EVEN LASTING US THE WHOLE DAY.

SO DEFINITELY BY BEING ABLE TO BRING THESE FACILITIES CLOSER TO WHERE THE, THE ROUTES ARE, AND THEN THE FUNNEL DISPOSAL FACILITIES WILL ALLOW US TO FACILITATE MOVING INTO MORE ELECTRIC TRUCKS.

AND I THINK AS TIME EVERY YEAR THE, THE TECHNOLOGY GETS A LITTLE BIT BETTER, A LITTLE BIT BETTER, BUT IT'S NOT JUST QUITE THERE AT THIS POINT.

SOME CITIES HAVE KIND OF GONE ALL OUT.

UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UH, NEW YORK HAD SOME CNG TRUCKS THAT THEY PURCHASED, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE VERY SMALL ROUTES.

YOU CAN HAVE A CITY BLOCK BASICALLY FILL UP A TRASH TRUCK THERE AND THEN THEY CAN HEAD OFF.

SO, WORKS A LOT BETTER IN DENSE CITIES, NOT SO WELL IN, UH, CITIES THAT ARE SPREAD OUT SUCH AS AUSTIN.

[00:15:01]

SO, UM, CAN I PAUSE YOU THERE REAL QUICK? I'M JUST CURIOUS.

SURE.

WHAT IS, WHAT'S THE AVERAGE DISTANCE? BECAUSE YOU, YOU TALKED ABOUT HOURS ON A ROUTE, BUT WHAT IS OUR TYPICAL COLLECTION FOR, NOT ELECTRIC, BUT JUST OUR STANDARD TRUCKS, LIKE HOW MANY, HOW MANY MILES THEY DRIVE IN A DAY? UH, IT, IT'S NOT UNCOMMON TO BE OVER 150 MILES IN A DAY.

AND OUT OF THIS, THE ELECTRIC PILOT, HOW MANY MILES ISH ARE YOU GETTING? SO IT'S JUST DEALING WITH THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

SO WE'RE NOT GETTING A, A LOT OF MILES AND I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT IT'S A VERY SMALL ROUTE AND THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO PILOT IT HERE BECAUSE WE KNEW OF THE LIMITATIONS.

SO, BUT LET'S, LET'S TRY IT HERE.

AND THAT'S FINE.

I MEAN, IT'S, IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S LESS THAN FIVE HOURS, BUT THOSE ARE THINGS WE NEED TO KNOW IN THE PILOT.

SO, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WHAT, WHAT KIND OF ADJUSTMENTS DO WE NEED TO MAKE TO BE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO FACILITATE AND ROLL THESE OUT KIND OF, UH, DEPARTMENT WIDE? YEP.

RECYCLING, WHETHER THAT BE PRIVATE HAULERS OR, UH, OR, UM, PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS, UM, THAT MAY WANT TO GET RID OF SOME MATERIAL.

UM, THE TRANSPORTATION STATIONS, YOU KNOW, THEY GIVE ALSO ANOTHER REASON, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO DISPOSE OF MATERIALS.

UM, YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES WE'LL FIND A LOT OF ILLEGAL DUMPING IN SOME AREAS THAT ARE FAR FROM DISPOSAL SITES.

YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THIS IS GOING TO SOLVE THE ILLEGAL DUMPING PROBLEM.

YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE FOLKS THAT WILL ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT THING, AND THEN UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE SOME FOLKS THAT WILL ALWAYS DO THE WRONG THING.

UM, SO THIS IS REALLY GEARED TOWARDS THAT MIDDLE GROUP OF FOLKS THAT WANNA DO THE RIGHT THING, BUT IT MAY BE INCONVENIENT TO HAVE TO TRAVEL ALL THE WAY ACROSS TOWN.

SO THEY MAY HAVE TO TRY AND TRY TO FIND SOME OTHER ALTERNATIVES TO GET RID OF THAT.

SO THIS IS JUST ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR FOLKS TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL FACILITY TO TAKE MATERIALS TO.

UM, IT ALSO GIVES US ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR DIVERSION AND DISPOSABLE OPPORTUNITIES.

'CAUSE AS MATERIAL WOULD COME INTO FACILITY, WE WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO, TO SEE WHAT'S BEING BROUGHT IN, BE ABLE PERHAPS PULL OUT METALS AND OTHER ITEMS THAT CAN BE RECYCLED OR REUSED.

UM, SO YEAH, IT KIND OF ADDS TO, UH, TO THE, THE WORK THAT WE DO TRYING TO GET OUR DIVERSION RATE, UM, UP HIGHER.

IT ALSO IS BENEFICIAL WHEN WE START GETTING INTO HARD TO RECYCLE MATERIALS.

AND I, I WANNA SAY LIKE MATTRESSES, THAT'S KIND OF OUR BIG PAIN RIGHT NOW IS MATTRESS.

A LOT OF DEMAND FOR FOLKS TO, TO BE ABLE TO RECYCLE MATTRESSES.

RIGHT NOW THEY'RE ALL BEING LANDFILLED, BUT, UH, RECENTLY THERE HAS BEEN, UM, AT LEAST ONE VENDOR THAT HAS MOVED INTO THE, THE GENERAL AUSTIN METROPOLITAN AREA.

UM, AND THEY HAVE SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCE DOING TIRE RE UH, EXCUSE ME, MATTRESS RECYCLING, UH, UP IN SEATTLE AND VANCOUVER.

UM, SO THEY ARE NOW HERE, SO THEY ARE NOW A VIABLE OPTION, BUT THEY ARE IN HAYES COUNTY.

SO A RECYCLING, A TRANSFER FACILITY LIKE THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO FACILITATE THE COLLECTION OF MATTRESSES FROM BOTH CITY CREWS AND FROM THE PUBLIC.

AND THEN WE COULD DO A LONG RANGE HAUL DOWN TO, UM, TO, UH, HAYES COUNTY TO GET THOSE RECYCLED.

SO ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY THAT OPENS UP SOME NEW DOORS FOR US THAT WE DON'T REALLY CURRENTLY HAVE, UM, SOME OTHER, UH, MATERIAL THAT WILL BE BROUGHT THERE.

UM, WELL, WE, WE DO PLAN ON TRYING TO REPLICATE WHAT WE HAVE ON TODD LANE WITH THE RESOURCE RECOVERY DROP OFF CENTER.

SO ANOTHER OPTION FOR FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO DROP OFF ITEMS THAT, UH, THAT THEY WANT TO HAVE RECYCLED.

AND THE ABILITY TO ALSO HAVE A REUSE CENTER DOWN THERE WHERE THE COMMUNITY THAT, UH, MAY LIVE IN THAT AREA CAN COME AND, AND GET MATERIALS.

WELL, CITIZENS FROM ALL OVER THE CITY COULD COME THERE TO, TO GET MATERIALS.

BUT WHAT WE'VE FOUND IN OUR TODD LANE TRANSFER OR, OR TODD LANE, UH, RESOURCE RECOVERY DROP OFF CENTER IS THAT THE MAJORITY OF FOLKS THAT GO THERE IN PERSON BASICALLY LIVE WITHIN A CERTAIN, UH, RADIUS AT THAT SITE.

SO A LOT OF FOLKS IN NORTH AUSTIN JUST AREN'T GONNA MAKE THAT DRIVE SOUTH.

SO THIS WOULD GIVE FOLKS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY.

UM, AND WE SEE THIS AS A BENEFIT BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO PULL A LOT OF MATERIALS OUTTA THE WASTE STREAM THAT ARE STILL USABLE, WHETHER THAT BE PAINTS, UH, CLEANING, UM, MATERIALS, UM, OLD TILES, PEOPLE DROP OFF, THINGS THAT STILL HAVE A VALUE.

UM, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS THAT COME AND THEY, THEY COLLECT THOSE THINGS AND THEY'RE USING THEM AT, AT NO COST.

SO WE DEC WE DEFINITELY SEE THAT AS A BENEFIT AS WELL.

UM, THE FACILITY THAT WE WOULD PLAN WOULD HANDLE MULTIPLE WASTE STREAMS. SO WE WERE LOOKING AT NOT ONLY GARBAGE, BUT THE POTENTIAL FOR RECYCLING AND ORGANICS WASTE AS WELL.

UM, RECYCLING, CURRENTLY WE HAVE TWO CONTRACTS, UH, ONE WITH, UH, CIRCULAR SERVICES, WHICH IS KIND OF IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN ON JOHNNY MORRIS, FORMERLY KNOWN AS B'S RESOURCES.

UH, AND THEN WITH TEXAS DISPOSAL SYSTEMS DOWN IN CREEDMORE.

SO FOR TRANSFER STATION, THOSE FACILITIES ARE PRETTY CLOSE TO WHERE WE'RE AT, SO WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T RUN THAT MATERIAL THROUGH THOSE TRANSFER STATIONS.

AND WE WOULD CONTINUE DIRECT HAULING TO THOSE SINCE, UH, ABOUT 40% OF THE MATERIAL THAT'S GENERATED SOUTH OF THE RIVER WOULD GO TO TDS, UH, 60% OF THE MATERIAL, UH, NORTHWOOD RIVER GOES TO BALCON AND THAT'S THE CURRENT CONTRACT.

AND SO, UH, AT THIS POINT, I WOULDN'T SEE CITY CREWS DUMPING RECYCLING THERE NECESSARILY, BUT WE WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE PERHAPS OTHER ENTITIES THAT, UH, MAY WANT TO COME AND HAVE

[00:20:01]

SO, UH, AND WE'D ALSO WANNA HAVE AN ORGANICS, UH, SYSTEM THERE WHERE WE COULD COLLECT ORGANICS AS WELL.

ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE WITH ORGANICS, UM, CURRENTLY, UM, AS OF AS OF TODAY, WE HAVE ONE VENDOR THAT HANDLES THAT AND THEY'RE IN BASTROP COUNTY.

AND TRAFFIC CAN GET REALLY BAD HEADING OUT TO BASTROP COUNTY.

SO WE HAVE A LOT, WE INCUR A LOT OF OVERTIME HAVING TO MOVE THAT MATERIAL OUT THERE.

SO, UH, WE WILL BE COMING TO COUNCIL TOMORROW WITH A NEW CONTRACT FOR ORGANICS PROCESSING, AND THIS WILL ALLOW US TO HAVE TWO HAULERS.

SO BOTH ORGANICS BY GOSH WOULD BE, UH, RECEIVING MATERIALS AND, UH, A NEW VENDOR FOR ORGANICS FOR US AT LEAST, UM, TEXAS DISPOSAL SYSTEM.

SO AGAIN, WITH THOSE TWO, UH, AT LEAST TDS, WE, I WOULD ASSUME THAT WE WOULD GO AHEAD AND DIRECT ALL THAT MATERIAL, UH, FOR THE PERCENTAGE OF MATERIAL THAT THEY'RE GETTING.

UH, ORGANICS BY GOSH, IS STILL PRETTY FAR OUT THERE, SO I WOULD STILL ASSUME THAT WE WOULD, UH, UTILIZE A TRANSFER STATION FOR THAT MATERIAL TO GET FOLKS BACK ON THE ROUTES.

UM, A NORTH FACILITY CAN ALSO HELP US IN TIMES OF, UH, STORMS. UM, WE'RE SOMEWHAT LIMITED WHEN WE DO HAVE STORMS ABOUT WHERE WE CAN PUT MATERIALS.

PAST FEW STORMS, WE'VE HAD A SOMEWHAT COMMANDE DEER, WALNUT CREEK PARK AS A, A DUMP SITE.

UH, SO WE CAN CONSOLIDATE MATERIAL AND THEN HAUL IT OUT OF THERE THAT DAY.

UH, IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE WANT TO DO, OR WE OBVIOUSLY WANT TO HAVE THE PARKS AVAILABLE FOR PARK, UH, UH, CITIZENS TO BE ABLE TO USE THAT.

BUT, UH, THIS COULD GIVE US ANOTHER OPTION TO MOVE SOME OF THAT MATERIAL THAT OCCURS UP IN SOUTH AUSTIN.

UH, DRIVE TIMES, OBVIOUSLY, IF WE WERE ABLE TO REDUCE THAT, WE'RE GONNA SAVE ON SOME OPERATIONAL COSTS.

AND I THINK SOME OF THE NUMBERS, UH, FARTHER IN THE PORT KIND OF, UH, DEMONSTRATE THAT.

UM, BUT THERE WILL BE SOME ADDITIONAL CAPITAL COSTS WHEN WE HAVE TO BUILD A, UH, A FACILITY.

SO, UH, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT BOTH OF THOSE THINGS IN THE OPERATIONS.

UH, AND ONE THING I'LL MENTION A LITTLE BIT MORE LATER IS, UH, WHEN WE DID THIS STUDY, WE REALLY JUST LOOKED AT, UM, ARRS OPERATIONS.

UM, 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT TO GET TOO BIG AND TOO UNWIELDY.

AND, AND WE DID HAVE SOME PRETTY TIGHT TIME LIMITS THAT WE IMPOSED ON OURSELF TO GET THIS DONE.

SO, SO ONE THING WE HAVEN'T DONE IS REALLY, UH, UH, ENUMERATED WHAT THE SAVINGS WOULD BE, SOME OF THE GENERAL FUND AND SOME OF THE ENTERPRISE DEPARTMENTS THAT ALSO DIRECT CALL TO THE LANDFILL FOR THEIR MATERIALS.

AND, UM, AND WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT AND WE, AS WE KIND OF MOVE THROUGH THIS PROCESS TO, TO QUANTIFY THAT.

UM, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TRANSFER STATION ALSO KIND OF, UH, CHECKS A COUPLE BOXES WHEN WE TALK TO SOME OF THE PLANS THAT WE HAVE.

UH, THE, THE CITY'S CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN AND ITS FACILITATION OF TRYING TO GET TRA UH, ELECTRIFICATION FOR CITY VEHICLES.

I MEAN, THIS KIND OF PLAYS RIGHT INTO THAT.

AND FOR THE DEPARTMENTS, UH, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, UH, IT ACTUALLY CHECKS, CHECKS A LOT OF BOXES OF ADDITIONAL FACILITIES AND ALSO PROVIDING ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AT A FACILITY, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY BY TIME THIS WOULD GET BUILT, UM, I WOULD EXPECT THE TECHNOLOGY ON ELECTRIC TRUCKS TO BE PRETTY MUCH ON PAR WITH WHERE WE ARE WITH THE, WITH THE CURRENT DIESEL TRUCKS WE ARE NOW.

SO, UM, NOT ONLY THIS, BUT OUR NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER, WE'RE PUTTING IN A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF ELECTRIC, UH, CHARGING FACILITIES.

'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT'S EVENTUALLY WHERE WE'RE GONNA END UP.

SO THE, THE FINANCIAL, UH, ANALYSIS.

UM, SO WHAT, WHAT DID WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, HOW DID THIS KIND OF COME ABOUT? SO WHAT WE DID IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO IDENTIFY SOME SITES, UH, ACROSS THE CITY AND KIND OF USE THOSE FOR THE CONSULTANT TO, TO GAUGE, UH, WHAT KIND OF TYPE OF SAVINGS THAT THERE WOULD BE.

UH, WHAT WE DID, WE WENT ACTUALLY AND, UH, WENT TO ONE OF THE REAL ESTATE LISTINGS ONLINE, AND WE ACTUALLY FOUND SOME PROPERTIES THAT WERE AVAILABLE AT THE TIME, UH, THAT WOULD SUIT OUR NEEDS.

MEANING THEY HAD TO BE AT LEAST FIVE ACRES AND, UM, AND, AND KIND OF USE THOSE.

WE DIDN'T SAY, YES, THESE ARE THE SITES WE WANT.

AND, UM, BUT THESE WERE MORE JUST KIND OF PLACEHOLDERS SO WE COULD DO SOME REAL EVALUATIONS TO SEE WHAT THE IMPACT WAS ON THIS.

UM, PROPERTIES OR, UH, SO PRETTY MUCH KIND OF ACROSS, UH, NORTHERN, NORTHERN, UH, AUSTIN.

SO WE HAD MCNEIL, MERRILL TOWN, HARRIS BRANCH, BROWN LANE, BURNETT ROAD, AND WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE A RR PROPERTY ON TODD LANE, UH, TO DO THIS, UM, WHERE WE CURRENTLY HAVE OUR HHW FACILITY.

UM, NONE OF THESE, UH, PROPERTIES ARE LISTED AT LEAST LAST TIME I CHECKED.

UM, SO THEY'VE ALL BEEN, UH, UH, TAKEN UP.

UH, YOU KNOW, THE MARKET HERE CAN BE PRETTY, PRETTY FAST ON CERTAIN PROPERTIES.

UM, SO, UH, BUT THAT'S OKAY.

'CAUSE REALLY THIS, THE METHODOLOGY OF THIS WAS REALLY TO SEE IF, IF WE'RE USING THE RIGHT CRITER AND FACTORS TO DETERMINE THIS, AND, AND IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADJUST THOSE, UH, THOSE FACTORS.

UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT DEPARTMENT IS ALIGNED WITH COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS.

[00:25:01]

UM, THE SITES THAT WERE PICKED WERE EVALUATED TO DETERMINE HOW EACH SITE WAS IMPACTED BY THE VARIOUS FACTORS THAT INFLUENCED COST.

AND SO WE LOOKED AT THE, THE ROUTES, HOW MANY ROUTES WE COULD ELIMINATE.

UM, WOULD THERE BE AN IMPACT TO STAFFING, YOU KNOW, IF WE DID HAVE LESS TRUCKS, WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE LESS DRIVERS.

BUT THEN WE ALSO, IF WE'RE RUNNING THE FACILITY, WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE STAFF THAT TO, TO OPERATE THAT FACILITY.

SO, UH, THE ANALYSIS LOOKED AT THAT, LOOKED AT VEHICLES AND WHETHER WE WERE ABLE TO DEFER PURCHASES OR NOT PURCHASE SOME VEHICLES, UH, AS WELL AS WHAT THE SAVINGS WOULD BE IN FUEL, UM, MAINTENANCE AND, AND TOLLS.

UM, 'CAUSE WE OFTENTIMES, TRAFFIC IS SO BAD THAT IT'S ACTUALLY, UH, MORE EFFICIENT FOR US TO USE THE TOLL ROADS TO, TO GET TO OUR FACILITIES.

UM, CONSTRUCTION COSTS WERE ALSO LOOK AT, SO THEY TOOK IN A CERTAIN CONSIDERATIONS OF WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO DEVELOP THAT FACILITY AND THE FIXED EQUIPMENT THAT WE REQUIRED.

AND THEN LASTLY, THE OPERATING COST OF WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO OPERATE THAT FACILITY.

SO THE EVALUATION FACTORS THAT, UH, THE CONSULTANT HAD COME UP WITH AND THEY WORKED WITH CITY STAFF, AND WE BASICALLY KIND OF RANKED THESE AND IT WAS REALLY JUST KIND OF A CONSENSUS TYPE OPERATION WHERE WE LOOKED AT EACH FACTOR AND WE KIND OF GAVE IT A WEIGHTED SCORE.

AND THEN WHERE THAT FALLS AND, AND THESE ARE THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE FEEDBACK ON, IS, YOU KNOW, ARE THE WAY WE SET OUT THE, THE RANKINGS AND THE PRIORITIES, DOES THAT MATCH WHAT THE, WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS? SO THE GOOD THING ABOUT THIS IS WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT A PARTICULAR PROPERTY.

THIS IS MORE ABOUT THE METHODOLOGY OF FINDING THE PROPERTY.

SO, UM, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY GONNA BE A VERY CHALLENGING, UM, PROCESS.

UM, NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT LANDFILLS OR TRANSFER STATIONS OR WASTEWATER FACILITIES OR, OR, OR, UH, OTHER, UM, FACILITIES THAT MAY CREATE SOME ISSUES AROUND THEM.

SO WE WANNA BE REALLY TRANSPARENT AND REALLY, UH, INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY AND HAVE FEEDBACK, UH, ALONG EACH STEP BECAUSE WE REALLY DON'T WANT ANY ISSUES WHEN WE GET DOWN TO DOING THE FINAL SELECTION OF PROPERTY AND THEN GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.

SO, UM, I THINK WE'RE POSITIVE WE CAN DO THIS.

UM, WE'VE REALLY TRIED TO WORK, UM, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE WITH THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER, WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ATTENDING ALL THE COLONY PARK MEETINGS.

WE'VE KIND OF EMBEDDED OURSELF IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.

WE WANNA UNDERSTAND THEIR CONCERNS AND THEIR, THEIR ISSUES, AND, AND THEN WE WORK TO ADDRESS THOSE.

AND, AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT TO, TO PROVIDE SOME COMMUNITY BENEFITS.

SO FOR THAT FACILITY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A COMMUNITY ROOM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN AREA WHERE FOOD TRUCKS CAN HOPEFULLY COME AND SO NEIGHBORS CAN COME AND, UH, AND DO THAT SOME TRAILS OUT THERE.

SO REALLY TRYING TO, TO MAKE THE, THE CITY PROJECTS MORE ATTRACTIVE TO THE COMMUNITIES BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYBODY WANTS THESE FACILITIES.

AND SO WHAT IT, WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY? SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY DO ON A, ON A SITE LIKE THIS AND, UM, SIT WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS AND DETERMINE WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AND HOW WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THOSE.

UM, THE, SO THE EVALUATION FACTORS, UM, LIKE I SAID, SITE CONDITIONS AND REALLY THOSE WERE EVALUATED FOR ANY ISSUES THAT COULD INCREASE THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION COST.

UM, SO THE, UH, UH, NEWGEN HEAD OF SUBCONTRACTOR, UH, PARK HILL, WHICH IS AN ENGINEERING COMPANY, THEY DO THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS.

THEY BUILD TRANSFER STATIONS.

UM, SO THEY DID THE EVALUATION ON THIS SECTION.

UH, WE REVIEWED ANY PERMIT, UH, PERMITTING OR LOCATION, UH, CONCERNS THAT COULD RISK THE PROJECT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE COULD HAVE BEEN, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE TEXT ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OFTEN HAS KIND OF CERTAIN AREAS WHERE YOU CANNOT BUILD FACILITIES.

SO WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE DID OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND WE DIDN'T, UH, HAVE A FACILITY THAT THAT WOULD BE AN ISSUE.

UH, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD READABLE ACCESSIBLE, UH, UH, UTILITIES.

THAT'S A HUGE COST IN CONSTRUCTION.

SO IF WE'RE ABLE TO FIND A FACILITY THAT HAS THAT IN PLACE ALREADY, THEN UH, WE WOULD HOPE TO BE ABLE TO SAVE ON OUR CONSTRUCTION COSTS.

UH, SITES WERE LOOKED AT THEIR VALUES ON TCAD TO SEE THE RELATIVE VALUE OF PROPERTIES AND COMPARE IT AGAINST ONE ANOTHER.

AND THAT WAS USED KIND OF IN THE FINANCIAL ANALYSIS.

UH, WE WANNA HAVE EASY ACCESS TO HIGHWAYS.

YOU KNOW, I IDEALLY, WE DON'T WANNA BE IN A, IN A NEIGHBORHOOD OR ON A, UH, A, A COLLECTOR STREET, BUT MORE ON, UH, THE, THE LARGER, UH, THE LARGER HIGHWAYS TO HELP FACILITATE, UH, TRANSPORTATION OF THE MATERIALS.

UH, WE LOOKED AT COLLECTION ROUTE EFFICIENCY, AND THIS AGAIN, KIND OF LOOKS AT THE OFF ROUTE MILEAGE AND HOW THAT IS IMPACTED BY EACH SITE.

UH, AND THEN OPERATIONAL COST EFFICIENCY IS, YOU KNOW, HOW FAR THE SITE WAS TO THE FINAL DISPOSAL SITE.

SO HOW FAR WOULD THAT MATERIAL HAVE TO BE HAULED FROM THE, FROM THE TRANSFER STATION.

UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MOST IMPORTANTLY WE LOOKED AT THE IMPACT ON THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.

YOU KNOW, WHAT TYPE OF OF IMPACT WOULD THIS HAVE? WHAT TYPE OF, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CONCERNS, UM, WILL WE SEE? UH, WE DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM RESIDENCES AND FROM RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS

[00:30:01]

AND FROM EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES.

UM, SO THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE LOOKED AT.

UH, WE ALSO LOOKED AT ANY, ANY PROJECT OF THIS SORT, UM, HAS TO GO THROUGH THE CAPITAL AREA PLANNING COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS.

THEY HAVE A SOLID WASTE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

AND THOSE COMMITTEES, UM, THEY MEET, THEY'LL FORM A SUBCOMMITTEE, THEY'LL REVIEW THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN SUBMITTED AND BASICALLY DECIDE IF IT'S IN CONFORMANCE WITH THE, THE REGIONAL SALT WASTE PLAN.

UH, THERE'S USUALLY THREE, THREE RESPONSES.

UH, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY SAY YES OR NO TO A FACILITY.

THEY JUST SAY, UH, EITHER A, YES, IT'S IN COMPLIANCE, UH, WITH THE PLAN, OR B, IT'S NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE PLAN, OR C THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO, TO MAKE A CALL.

UM, CAP COG DOES NOT NECESSARILY DETERMINE IF A FACILITY IS NEEDED, BUT MORE ABOUT THE COMP, COMPATIBILITY WITH LAND USE IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS, ANY SENSITIVE RECEPTORS SUCH AS WATER WELLS OR RESIDENCES THAT MAY BE IMPACTED.

THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, IT'S KIND OF A MAP THAT I, I'VE, I WAS A GIS MAJOR IN SCHOOL AND I, THIS IS MY BEST MAP, BUT IT WAS, UH, THE BEST I COULD DO.

SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME ON THIS ONE.

SO, UH, THAT, THAT LONG ORANGE LINE THERE, KIND OF IN THE CENTER THAT GOES FROM THE TOP OF THE SCREEN TO THE BOTTOM, THAT'S I 35.

UH, IF YOU LOOK CORNER TOWARDS THE TOP OF THAT, UH, UH, PICTURE, YOU'LL SEE THAT PURPLE, UH, ZONE AREA PLUME, IF YOU WILL.

THAT WAS BASICALLY THE LOCATION OF ALL THOSE SITES THAT WE HAD FOUND ON THE, THE REAL ESTATE LISTING AT THE TIME.

IT'S NOT NECESSARILY WHERE WE'RE GONNA PUT 'EM NOW.

THIS JUST HAPPENED TO BE A SNAPSHOT IN TIME.

AND THOSE WHERE THE FACILITIES WERE, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE THEY ARE, UM, JUST AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT PURPLE, UH, AREA, YOU'LL SEE A RECYCLING, UH, SYMBOL, THE CHASING ARROWS THERE IN BLUE.

THAT WOULD BE CIRCULAR SERVICES.

THAT'S WHERE WE TAKE ABOUT 60% OF OUR CURBSIDE RECYCLING JUST ADJACENT TO THAT WILL BE OUR NEW, UH, SERVICE CENTER OR ON JOHNNY MORRIS ROAD THAT WE HOPE TO BE BREAKING GROUND HERE NEXT MONTH.

UM, SO CO-LOCATED VERY CLOSE TO THAT FACILITY.

UM, IF YOU LOOK FARTHER DOWN, YOU'LL SEE ANOTHER RED TRUCK THERE KIND OF TOWARDS THE, UH, LOWER CENTER OF THAT PICTURE.

THAT'S OUR TODD LANE FACILITY.

THAT'S WHERE WE CURRENTLY HAVE OUR ONLY OPERATIONAL SERVICE CENTER.

UM, SOUTH OF THAT YOU'LL SEE, UH, A TRASH CAN, A LOOKS LIKE AN APPLE CORE AND A, AND A CHASING ARROWS.

AGAIN, UH, THAT WOULD BE THE TDS FACILITY THAT WE UTILIZE, UH, FOR OUR TRASH AND RECYCLING AT THIS POINT.

AND PENDING YOUR APPROVAL TOMORROW, UH, FOR OUR ORGANICS CONTRACT, WE WOULD ALSO BEGIN HAULING ORGANICS, UH, TO THAT FACILITY, UH, TO THE RIGHT OF THE, THE RED TRUCK THERE ON TODD LANE.

YOU'LL SEE A TREE, UH, THAT TREE IS, UH, HORNSBY BEND.

SO ANY MATERIAL THAT DOESN'T HAVE FOOD WASTE IN IT, UM, SINCE IT IS SO CLOSE AND THEY, THERE IS A NEED FOR THEM TO HAVE THAT MATERIAL AS A BULKING AGENT FOR THEIR BIOSOLIDS.

UH, WE TRY TO, UH, DELIVER THAT MATERIAL, USUALLY LARGE BRUSH AND EVERYTHING THAT'S WITHOUT FOOD.

UM, AND THEN IF YOU LOOK TO THE FAR RIGHT OUT THERE, ALMOST ON THE EDGE OF THE SCREEN, THAT OTHER, A CORE THAT IS ORGANICS BY GOSH.

AND THAT'S THE ONE THAT WE'RE HAVING A REALLY DIFFICULTY GETTING TO BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC IMPACT OF EVERYONE HEADING, UH, OUT THAT AREA TO GO HOME IN THE EVENINGS.

UM, BUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CONSULTANT'S BASIC, UH, UH, FINDINGS ON THIS WAS, UH, THE CLOSER IT IS TO OUR JOHNNY MOORE'S FACILITY UP NORTH.

UM, UH, AND TO THE ROUTES UP THERE, UM, IT WILL PROVIDE THE, THE GREATEST FINANCIAL RETURN.

SO THAT'S STRICTLY LOOKING AT IT FROM A FINANCE STANDPOINT DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE POLITICAL REALITIES THAT WE'LL HAVE TO DEAL WITH AS WELL.

SO THIS PICTURE, THIS IS SEATTLE NORTH AND THIS, UH, THIS IS ANOTHER FACILITY THAT WE VISITED, UH, A FEW YEARS AGO ON THAT SAME TRIP WITH, UH, THE BACTERIA ONE.

AND I WOULD CONSIDER THIS TO BE THE, THE BAR THAT WE WANNA TO MEET.

SO THIS IS A, A FACILITY THAT IS SURROUNDED BY MILLION DOLLAR HOMES.

UM, IT BASICALLY OCCUPIES A SQUARE CITY BLOCK IN A, IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA, UM, UH, KIND OF WHERE WE WOULD BE STANDING IN THAT PICTURE.

IT, UH, THE, THE TERRAIN KIND OF RAISES UP, IT GOES A LITTLE BIT HIGHER BEYOND THAT BUILDING THERE, IT KIND OF GOES DOWN TOWARDS THE, THE WATERWAY THERE AND YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE BRIDGE.

SO, UH, BUT THEY DID A LOT OF WORK TO REALLY, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THIS FACILITY HAD NO IMPACT, UH, TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO, UH, THERE ARE SOME, UH, AIR CONTROL, UM, FILTERS ON THE BUILDING THAT FILTER THE AIR FOR BOTH THE EMPLOYEES THAT WORK IN IT AND ANY AIR THAT LEAVES THE FACILITY.

THEY ALSO DO HAVE A SCENTING TYPE, UH, LAVENDER TYPE.

I THINK THEY CAN CHANGE THE FLAVORS OR WHATEVER, BUT I THINK LAST TIME WE WERE THERE WAS KIND OF A LAVENDER, SO IT KIND OF HAS A, A PLEASANT SMELL OUTSIDE.

BUT EVEN WHEN THAT, THAT WASN'T ON THERE, YOU COULD NOT SMELL ANY TRASH.

THE BUILDING IS TOTALLY ENCLOSED.

IT HAS DOORS THAT RAPIDLY RISE AND CLOSE AFTER EACH DOOR

[00:35:01]

TO MINIMIZE ANY ESCAPE OF DUST, NOISE OR ODORS.

UM, THEY HAVE A METICULOUS LITTER PROGRAM, SO THEY ACTUALLY HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THEY WILL ACTUALLY WALK AROUND THE FACILITY, THEY DOCUMENT EVERY PIECE OF TRASH THERE, THEY, THE LOCATION, WHAT IT WAS, THE TIME IT WAS FOUND.

UM, SO THEY HAVE A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF ANY IMPACTS THAT THEY'RE HAVING OUTSIDE THE FACILITY, AND THEN THEY CAN ADDRESS THOSE, UH, APPROPRIATELY AND THEY SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO, UM, THE, UH, PART OF THE, UM, UH, CONSTRUCTION OF THIS PROJECT ALSO, UM, ADDED SOME ADDITIONAL AMENITIES TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

YOU CAN KIND OF SEE A BASKETBALL COURT THERE.

THERE'S ACTUALLY A PARK THAT'S ACROSS THE STREET THAT YOU REALLY CAN'T SEE FROM THIS ONE.

UH, AND IT HAS AN EDUCATION CENTER.

AND I WAS REALLY AMAZED.

SO WHILE WE WERE DOING OUR TOUR THERE, UH, THERE WAS ACTUALLY PEOPLE WALKING INTO THE TRANSFER STATION, INTO THE EDUCATION VIEWING AREA WHERE YOU CAN COME UP AND THERE'S A LOT OF DISPLAYS ABOUT RECYCLING AND LAND FILLING AND JUST SOLID WASTE IN GENERAL.

BUT THEN THERE'S A BIG VIEWING WINDOW.

UH, SO THERE WAS A LOT OF, UM, OF MOTHERS WITH THEIR CHILDREN AND BABY CARRIAGES AND YOUNGER CHILDREN, AND THEY WOULD COME THERE TO SUPPORT THEIR DAY BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF ON THEIR WALK.

AND, UM, AND OBVIOUSLY THE, THE YOUNGER KIDS ARE JUST FASCINATED BY THE, THE TRUCKS AND, UH, ALL THE ACTION THERE.

SO, UM, BUT I THINK IT'S A REALLY GOOD WAY TO HELP EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON WHAT WE DO AND, AND TO PROVE THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT NECESSARILY IN THIS CASE 'CAUSE A TRANSFER STATION, BUT IF THERE'S RECYCLING IN THERE THAT RECYCLING IS GETTING DONE, AND, AND IT'S, UM, 'CAUSE OFTEN WE HEAR THAT MYTH THAT, YOU KNOW, ONLY 9% OF RECYCLING GETS, GETS RECYCLED AND, UH, AND IT'S ALL GETTING THROWN AWAY.

AND, AND WE TRY TO DISPEL THOSE MYTHS TO THE BEST WE CAN.

SO I THINK IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO, TO DO THAT.

AND I THINK WE WANT TO TRY TO INCREASE THE EDUCATIONAL AWARENESS OF, OF OUR CITIZENS SO THEY REALLY UNDERSTAND WHY WE NEED THESE FACILITIES AND, AND WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.

SO THE FINANCIAL RESULTS, UM, BASICALLY COME BACK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY IS GONNA NEED TO ENTER INTO SOME SORT OF, UH, CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT WITH, UH, EITHER A PRIVATE HAULER OR, UH, ANOTHER POLITICAL JURISDICTION TO MAKE THIS, UH, TO AT LEAST BREAK EVEN OR MAKE, UH, MAKE, MAKE MONEY ON THE PROJECT.

SO, UH, DEPENDING ON WHERE THE SITE IS LOCATED, THE ONE THAT WAS CLOSEST TO OUR, UH, NEW SERVICE CENTER UP IN JOHNNY MORRIS HAD THE GREATEST RETURN.

UH, ALMOST BROKE EVEN IN FACT, ACCORDING TO THE, TO THE CONSULTANTS' NUMBERS.

UM, BUT THERE, UH, AS WE MOVE FARTHER AND FARTHER AWAY FROM THAT FACILITY, THE COSTS GO UP INCREMENTALLY 'CAUSE THERE'S ADDITIONAL COSTS.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE HAVE TO FACTOR INTO, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE CONSIDERING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES AND JUST, WE DON'T WANT TO JUST GO FOR THE LOWEST THING IN THE WORST NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING AND THAT THERE'S A BALANCE AND THAT WE'RE NOT OVERBURDENING ONE COMMUNITY WITH ADDITIONAL FACILITIES.

UM, UH, ONE OF THE AL ALTERNATIVE, UM, ANALYSIS THAT THE, THE CONSULTANT DID DO WAS IF WE DID NOT BUILD AS BIG A FACILITY AS WE HAD PROPOSED ON THE OTHER, UH, LOCATIONS, IF IT WAS A SMALLER FACILITY, WE WOULD ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO, UH, BREAK EVEN AND ACTUALLY, UH, SAVE SOME MONEY ON THE, ON OUR OPERATIONS.

UM, THIS WOULD REQUIRE ONLY SOLID WASTE, OR EXCUSE ME, ONLY A RR VEHICLES TO USE IT.

WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 'CAUSE WE WOULD HAVE TO DOWNSIZE THE FACILITY JUST TO MAKE IT COST EFFECTIVE, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE COULDN'T EXPAND THAT FACILITY IN THE FUTURE AS WE, AS LONG AS WE HAVE ENOUGH LAND TO DO.

SO.

SO KIND OF NEXT STEPS, UM, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS THE OPTIMIST, UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PROPERTY YET, BUT, UH, HOPEFULLY IN FALL WE'RE GONNA COME BACK TO YOU WITH A PROPERTY AND, UH, AND, UH, AND HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.

UM, IDEALLY, UH, WE'D LIKE TO HAVE THESE FACILITIES THAT THIS FACILITY OPERATIONAL BY 2030.

AND, AND FOR THE REASON OF, BY 2030, OUR 30 YEAR LANDFILL CONTRACT WILL BE UP, OUR RECYCLING CONTRACT THAT'S BEEN 20 PLUS YEARS, UH, WILL ALSO BE EXPIRING THAT SAME YEAR.

AND THEN THE ORGANICS CONTRACT THAT WILL, UH, THAT YOU ALL WILL BE VOTING ON TOMORROW, UH, WILL ALSO, UH, EXPIRE ABOUT THAT TIME.

SO IN 2030, UH, IF WE HAVE A TRANSFER STATION UP AND RUNNING, IT OPENS UP A LOT MORE VENDORS THAT WE COULD, UH, POTENTIALLY HAVE BID ON THE PROJECT.

AND HOPEFULLY THAT IT, UH, INCREASED COMPETITION CAN HELP US, UH, KEEP OUR PRICES, UH, KEEP OUR RATES DOWN LOWER.

LAST SLIDE, JUST QUESTIONS.

AND I, I'VE BEEN DOING RESEARCH ON THE DEPARTMENT WHERE, FOR THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER WHERE I, I HAD BEEN TO AUSTIN ENERGY'S FACILITY AND THEY HAD THAT GREAT PROJECT, UH, CONNECT ROOM WITH THE HISTORY AND I WAS JUST BLOWN AWAY BY IT.

AND I, I QUESTIONED, WHY DON'T WE HAVE

[00:40:01]

THIS? AND, AND, UH, NOBODY REALLY HAD AN ANSWER, SAYS, WELL, WE'RE GONNA HAVE IT, SO WE'RE GONNA PUT SOMETHING SIMILAR UP ON JOHNNY MORRIS.

BUT I'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH, UH, ON THE DEPARTMENT.

I'VE BEEN ABLE TO GO BACK.

UH, THE FIRST DOCUMENT I FOUND WAS 1875, BUT THE MAYOR WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SANITARY CONDITIONS IN THE CITY.

SO, UH, PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME.

UM, THE CITY HAS ALSO, YOU KNOW, DONE A LOT OF WORK AND, UH, I'VE SEEN THROUGHOUT THE YEARS HOW THE CITY HAS ALWAYS HAD TO KIND OF MOVE AROUND.

WE, UM, IT, IT WAS FUNNY 'CAUSE BACK, BACK IN THE DAY WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY, CITY DIDN'T HAVE LANDFILLS PER SE.

WE HAD DUMPS AND THESE WERE PLACES REALLY WHERE MATERIAL WAS BROUGHT AND THEN BURNED.

UM, SO, BUT WE WOULDN'T BUY THE FACILITIES.

LANDOWNERS WOULD OFFER THEIR PROPERTY UP.

SO WHENEVER AN OFF, UH, A CITY WOULD OFF THEIR PROPERTY AND IF IT WAS IN THE RIGHT LOCATION, THE CITY WOULD, WOULD, UH, WOULD DO IT, PAY THEM RENT, THE MATERIAL WOULD BE BURNED UNTIL EVENTUALLY NEIGHBORS AROUND COMPLAINED AND THEN THE CITY STOPPED, FOUND ANOTHER SITE, DID THE SAME THING UNTIL THAT ONE COMPLAINED.

SO WE'VE BEEN KIND OF KICKING THE CAN AROUND THE, THE CITY.

SO WE WANT TO GET OUTTA THAT.

WE WANT TO HAVE SOME FACILITIES THAT WE OWN THAT WE CAN CONTROL.

SO WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT BETTER DESTINY OF OUR, UH, OF OUR OPERATIONS.

BUT, UH, THIS TRUCK HERE WAS ONE OF OUR FIRST TRUCKS, I BELIEVE THAT TRUCK IS DUMPING AT THE, UH, THE CITY INCINERATOR WHEN WE HAD ONE AND I THINK THIS WAS AT 12TH AND HARGRAVE.

UM, OBVIOUSLY WE NO LONGER HAVE THAT FACILITY, UH, BUT I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT PICTURE TO ADD IN THERE.

AND WITH THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

ARE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE PANEL HERE, MARTIN, WITH, UH, COUNCILOR UCHIN? THAT WAS VERY, VERY THOROUGH.

I THANK YOU, DIRECTOR.

THIS IS A LOT OF INFORMATION TO PROCESS.

UM, I'M WONDERING ARE THERE ANY OF THE FINANCIALS THAT THE CONSULTANT PRODUCED THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO SHARE WITH US? DID THEY RUN DIFFERENT SCENARIOS BASED ON YOU? YOU MENTIONED A LOT OF VARIABILITY HERE, LIKE HOW FAR AWAY YOU ARE FROM JOHNNY MORRIS BECAUSE THE 20,000 TO ALMOST A MILLION DOLLAR VARIANCE, THAT'S A LOT FOR US TO CONSIDER IN A TIME WHERE AT LEAST FROM WHERE I'M SITTING, EVERY DOLLAR IS PRECIOUS.

AND THEN YOU ALSO TALK ABOUT ADVANTAGES IN THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, IN 2030 WHEN THOSE CONTRACTS ARE UP.

HAVE ANY OF THOSE BEEN QUANTIFIED IN ANY WAY? I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW, UH, HOW DETAILED OF AN ANALYSIS AND PROJECTION THEY DID.

DID THEY RUN DIFFERENT SCENARIOS? DO YOU EXPAND ON THAT? YEAH, AS FAR AS THE 2030, WE HAVEN'T DONE ANY ANALYSIS THAT, 'CAUSE WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHERE THOSE, UH, LOCATIONS WILL BE AT THAT POINT.

IT PROBABLY MAKES SOME, AS I WOULD IMAGINE, SOMEBODY CAN MAKE SOME ASSUMPTIONS THOUGH IN PENCIL AND SOME NUMBERS AND TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE, WHAT THE POTENTIAL COST SAVINGS, IF ANY, OF RENEGOTIATING THOSE CONTRACTS OR HAVING CLOSER VENDORS OR WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE.

I'M JUST, AND AND, AND I THINK, YEAH, THERE, THERE ARE LIMITED VENDORS SO WE COULD RUN SOME SCENARIOS AND I THINK REALLY WE WOULD RUN THOSE SCENARIOS REGARDLESS, JUST SO WE HAVE AN IDEA OF OPERATING COSTS AND THE SIZE OF THE FACILITY THAT WE WANT TO, TO HAVE.

UM, BECAUSE IF WE DETERMINE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA BE TAKING A LOT MORE MATERIAL TO THE FACILITY, WE'RE GONNA NEED A A, A BIGGER FACILITY.

UM, THE FIRST PART OF YOUR QUESTION, WELL, IT WAS REALLY JUST TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU CAN SHARE THE CONSULTANT.

SO I, I BELIEVE THERE WAS AN ATTACHMENT ANALYSIS.

I THINK THE REPORT WAS ACTUALLY OKAY.

UH, ONE OF THE ATTACHMENTS IN THE, UM, IN YOUR PACKET.

SO, AND IT DOES HAVE ALL THE OKAY, PERFECT.

THE FINANCES AND NUMBERS IN MY MISTAKE.

I WILL.

BUT IF THERE'S A QUESTIONS THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, COME ACROSS HERE LATER, UH, ABOUT THAT, JUST FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO ME.

WE'LL I'LL SPEND SOME TIME WITH THAT AND UH, MAY FOLLOW UP ON THAT.

AND I GUESS, UM, I MEAN IT SOUNDS LIKE ON BALANCE, THE PERCEPTION I GOT FROM LISTENING TO YOUR TESTIMONY, THE BRIEFING WAS THAT THIS IS SOMETHING YOU WANNA MOVE FORWARD IN.

YOU FEEL LIKE IT HELPS CONTROL UD DESTINY OF A RR, UM, GIVE THE CITY MORE OPTIONS IN THE FUTURE.

THE ONLY QUESTION MARK THEN THAT I HAVE IS REGARDING THE COST.

AND DOES THAT GIVE YOU ANY PAUSE OR KNOWING THAT THERE MAY BE A, UM, UPWARDS OF A MILLION DOLLAR HIT TO THE CITY BUDGET OR YOUR BUDGET GOING FORWARD DEPENDING ON HOW, WHAT PROPERTY YOU BUY AND ALL, YOU KNOW, HOW BIG THAT FACILITY IS, ALL THOSE VARIABLES THAT YOU LAID OUT.

YEAH, DEFINITELY AN ISSUE, ESPECIALLY, ESPECIALLY WITH US HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER NOW AND THAT CAPITAL OUTLAY THAT WE HAVE TO DO THAT.

UH, THE BENEFIT OF, OF THE TRANSFER STATION IS WE WOULD BE ABLE TO BRING IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE FROM PRIVATE HAULERS SO THAT COULD HELP OFFSET SOME OF THE COSTS.

AND WE DO DEFINITELY HAVE SOME OPERATIONAL SAVINGS IN THERE.

SO I THINK WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH, WITH MOVING FORWARD WITH IT.

UM, OBVIOUSLY THE LOCATION IS GONNA BE A BIG DRIVER AS TO THE COST, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK ON.

I THINK TOO, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, THAT WE COULD BE ABLE TO PERHAPS START OUT SMALLER, UM, AND NOT HAVE THAT BIG IMPACT.

'CAUSE I'M VERY SENSITIVE.

YOU MEAN PHASE IT, PHASE IT.

SO MAYBE START OUT WITH A, A SMALLER FACILITY AND THEN ONCE WE REALIZE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE CAN, UH, ADD ON AND WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO THAT, DO THAT.

WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROPERTY WE BUY CAN, UH, ACCOMMODATE THAT.

WITH THE, UH, THE NUMBERS IN YOUR MEMO AND, UH, I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO WHATEVER YOU SHARE WITH US IN THE FALL REGARDING THE PROPERTIES YOU'RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY.

WELL I WILL PLAN ON SPENDING SOME TIME

[00:45:01]

AND ONE THING I, I WILL MENTION, BECAUSE OF THE SCOPE OF THE SERVICE, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, UM, SO THERE WOULD BE SOME ADDITIONAL SAVINGS FOR THE GENERAL FUND FUND AND THAT'S REFLECTED OR NOT, THAT IS NOT REFLECTED IN HERE.

THAT WE, WE WERE KIND OF, WE WERE TRYING TO GET THIS DONE PRETTY QUICK AND IF SEE WE HAD TO BRING IN ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, THINGS TEND TO GO A LITTLE BIT SLOWER JUST 'CAUSE GETTING INFORMATION BACK.

SO, UH, I WOULD CALL THIS THE WORST CASE SCENARIO.

UM, SO I THINK WE WILL SEE SOME BENEFITS NOT ONLY THE CITY DEPARTMENTS, BUT UH, THE PRIVATE HAULERS THAT USE IT AND JUST THE GENERAL PUBLIC BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THEY'RE HAVING TO DRIVE MUCH FARTHER DISTANCES TO GET RID OF MATERIALS.

I, I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S HOPEFULLY NOT A LOT OF ENERGY, BUT IF THERE'S A WAY TO QUANTIFY SOME OF THAT STUFF AS YOU BRING THIS BACK IN THE FALL WITH THOSE PROPERTIES, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR US TO UNDERSTAND AT LEAST HOW YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE POTENTIAL COST SAVINGS YEAH.

OF SOME OF THE THINGS YOU IDENTIFIED BUT AREN'T YET INCORPORATED INTO ACTUAL NUMBERS.

NOW THAT WE HAVE NEW GEN'S MODEL, WE CAN DEFINITELY GET THAT INFORMATION.

WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO DO THAT.

YOU KNOW, THE, THE BEST FACILITIES.

SO I THINK WE WANNA HAVE A FULL COST, UH, UNDERSTANDING WHEN WE ARE READY TO PULL THE TRIGGER.

THAT'D BE GREAT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

COUNCILOR SEAL.

THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANKS DIRECTOR FOR THIS, UH, GREAT CONVERSATION.

UM, JUST WANNA KIND OF FOLLOW UP ON TWO THINGS IN REGARDS TO, UH, WHAT WAS PRESENTED.

UM, I GUESS THE FIRST IS A, A POTENTIAL BENEFIT OF THE TRANSFER STATION RELATES TO CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THAT CUSTOMERS COULD BRING ITEMS TO THE TRANSFER STATION FOR DISPOSAL.

UM, DO YOU KNOW IF THIS SERVICE IS INCLUDED IN THE FINANCIAL ANALYSIS, UH, AND PERSONNEL COSTS OR WOULD THAT, WOULD WE HAVE TO ADD PERSONNEL TO KIND OF FACILITATE THIS, UH, CUSTOMER INTERACTION? SO, UM, I THINK STAFFING WISE, I THINK WE HAD 10 POSITIONS FOR THE TRANSFER STATION AND THAT WOULD ACCOMMODATE THAT 126,000 TONS PER YEAR THAT THEY HAD PROJECTED.

SO I, WE AS THAT SOME OF THAT MATERIAL WOULD BE CONSIDERED FROM THE PUBLIC AS WELL.

AND DO YOU THINK, UM, THIS IS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS MY STAFF HELPED.

WOULD, UH, A RR ANTICIPATE A REPLICATION OF ALL THE SERVICES THAT ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT THE RECYCLE REUSE CENTER? THAT WOULD BE OUR HOPE.

'CAUSE WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO COME THERE AND WE REALLY SEE THIS AS A COMMUNITY BENEFIT.

I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS, IF IT'S PUT NEXT TO YOUR HOUSE, YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE IT THAT WAY.

BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR TODD FACILITY ON BUSINESS CENTER DRIVE THERE, OUR DROP OFF CENTER, WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS FROM THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY COME TO GET FREE THINGS, NOT ONLY CLEANERS THAT ARE GOOD PAINT, THAT IS STILL GOOD, PEOPLE DROP OFF BOXES OF TILES.

AND SO THESE THINGS ARE ALL TAKEN AWAY.

PLUS, UM, A LOT OF EXCESS MULCH THAT WE GRIND AT A HORNS WE BEND, WE HAVE SOMETIMES WE GENERATE MORE THAN THEY CAN USE, WE BRING THAT OVER AS WELL, SO PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO GET THAT AT, AT NO COST.

SO AGAIN, WE SEE THIS AS A BENEFIT, UM, AND I THINK WE JUST NEED TO, TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ABLE TO ELABORATE THAT, UM, TO THE, TO THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

NO, THAT'D BE GREAT.

I KNOW NORTH AUSTIN WE'D LIKE SOME BOLTS, SO, UH, THAT'D BE A GOOD SERVICE.

UM, AND THEN KINDA THE OTHER LINE OF QUESTIONING IS ABOUT, UM, IN THE NEW GEN REPORT, THEY MAKE REFERENCE TO AN EPA ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE SCREENING AND MAPPING REPORTS TOOL.

AND ACTUALLY WHEN I FOLLOWED THE LINK IN THE, IN THE REPORT, IT, IT GOES TO KIND OF A DEAD TOOL.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN THAT TOOL DOWN .

UM, BUT, UH, I WANNA SEE, UM, IF IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR US TO GET ACCESS TO HOW A NEWGEN USED THAT TOOL.

UM, AND KINDA THE CONTEXT IS WE WANT ANTICIPATE THE COMMUNITY IMPACT RIGHT O OF THIS KIND OF DEVELOPMENT AND HOW, UM, WE CAN EVALUATE THE IMPACTS AND MITIGATE ANY NEGATIVE IMPACTS.

AND SO WONDERING IF THERE'S LIKE THE, THE DATA THAT NEWGEN GATHERED, IF, IF, UH, REGARDING THIS EPA TOOL, IF WE COULD LOOK AT THAT.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION.

AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THE, THE EJ TOOL REALLY DOES KIND OF, UH, IDENTIFIES AREAS THAT, UM, MAY HAVE, UM, OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL JUST, UH, JUSTICE ISSUES.

SO I, I THINK IT'S REALLY MORE OF A, AN INDICATOR THAT MORE RESEARCH NEEDS TO BE DONE.

IF WE'RE OVER THAT 80 PERCENTILE, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO START DIGGING IN AND SEE WHAT OTHER, WHAT OTHER ISSUES IS COMMUNITY FACING AND, AND, AND IS THIS SOMETHING THAT, UH, UM, IS GONNA CREATE MORE ISSUES.

SO, UM, AGAIN, WE'RE DEFINITELY IN TUNE WITH THIS AND, UH, WE DON'T, WE, WE WANT THIS TO BE A FACILITY THAT ALL OF AUSTIN CAN BE PROUD OF.

AND, AND LIKE I SAID, IT'S NOT GONNA BE YOUR, YOUR TYPICAL, UM, I DON'T WANT, I WON'T THROW A COUNTY NAME OUT THERE, BUT, UH, ONE OF YOUR LOCAL COUNTIES AROUND HERE, SOME OF THE SMALLER, UH, FACILITIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE EXPOSED AND, YOU KNOW, AND THERE ARE ISSUES.

SO, YOU KNOW, ONE THING WASTE INDUSTRY HAS DONE, AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN REGULATED FOR A WHOLE LONG TIME, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, REGULATION STARTED IN THE SIXTIES AND A FEW IN THE SEVENTIES AND EARLY IN THE NINETIES WHEN THE SUBTITLE D AMENDMENTS, UH, WERE PROMULGATED.

AND THAT'S REALLY KIND OF DICTATE LIKE LOCATION RESTRICTIONS ON LANDFILLS AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.

SO THE INDUSTRY REALLY HASN'T BEEN REGULATED UNTIL RECENTLY.

SO A LOT OF THE FACILITIES HAVE BEEN GRANDFATHERED IN AND PROBABLY AREN'T THE,

[00:50:01]

BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS, UM, LIKE SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITY SAT, SEATTLE NORTH STATION IS, IS REALLY KIND OF A MODEL FOR WHAT CAN BE DONE.

THAT'S GREAT.

AND I WOULD LOVE TO GET TO THAT KIND OF, UH, YOU KNOW, QUALITY OF, OF, OF FACILITIES.

SO YEAH, IF YOU HAVE THAT BACKUP INFORMATION, WE'D LOVE TO SEE IT ABOUT THE THE EJ TOOL.

THANKS, CHAIR.

WILL GO TO ITEM NUMBER THREE HERE, WHICH IS A BRIEFING UPDATE ON RAIN TO RIVER.

WELL, APPRECIATE THE UPDATE.

HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN THIS FALL BEFORE COUNCIL WITH, UH, THAT PROPERTY IN HAND.

BUT, UM, UH, I WAS JUST COMMENTING BEFORE, NEXT TIME I'M IN THE SEATTLE AREA, I'M GONNA TRY TO MAKE IT TO THEIR TRANSFER STATION AND JUST SEE IT IN PERSON, WHAT THAT'S LIKE.

'CAUSE I'VE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT REALLY IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK.

IT'S, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY AMAZING.

SO I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED WHEN I SAW IT, SO IT KIND OF CHANGED MY MIND OF HOW TRANSPORTATION COULD OPERATE.

SO, UH, AND ONE OF OUR, MY, MY FORMER BOSS, UH, DIRECTOR SNIPES, UH, WAS ACTUALLY INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING THAT FACILITY UP AND RUNNING, SO, RIGHT.

UH, WE HAVE A GOOD RESOURCE WITHIN THE CITY TO, TO TAP IF NEEDED.

[3. Briefing update on Rain to River (R2R). [Jorge Morales, Director; Erin Wood, Environmental Conservation Program Manager; Sari Albornoz, Community Engagement Planner -Watershed Protection Department].]

AND I KNOW WATERSHED BUSY.

WE WERE, WE HEARD FROM Y'ALL YESTERDAY AND WE GET TO HEAR FROM YOU TODAY.

GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS.

GOOD MORNING.

UH, I'M SAUL ELLI, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF WATERSHED.

I'M FILLING IN FOR, UH, JORGE MORALES, OUR DIRECTOR WHO'S OUT TODAY.

UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TO PRESENT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR RAIN TO RIVER STRATEGIC PLAN AND PLANNING PROCESS.

AS YOU KNOW, WATERSHED PROTECTION'S MISSION IS TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF FLOODING, EROSION, AND WATER POLLUTION THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY.

WE'VE BEEN GUIDED IN THIS MISSION THROUGH OUR CURRENT MASTER PLAN, FIRST ADOPTED BY COUNCIL ALMOST 25 YEARS AGO, AND PERIODICALLY UPDATED OVER THE YEARS AS RECENT FLOOD EVENTS HAVE SHOWN US.

ONCE AGAIN, UH, CENTRAL TEXAS IS PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO FLASH FLOODING AND IT IS VITAL THAT WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE AND UPTODATE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WILL HELP US, UH, GUIDE OUR EFFORTS AND MINIMIZE THE RISK OF HARM IN THE FUTURE.

YOU'LL BE HEARING TODAY FROM AARON WOOD, OUR PLANNING TEAM PROGRAM MANAGER, AND SORRY, ALBERT KNOWS OUR, UH, SENIOR PLANNER ON OUR PLANNING TEAM.

THEY'LL PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON WHY WE'RE UNDERTAKING SUCH A MAJOR OVERHAUL OF OUR PRIOR MASTER PLAN GOALS OF THIS NEW PLAN TIMELINE, SUMMARY OF PRIOR ACTIVITIES AND REMAINING STEPS, AND THEN ESPECIALLY FOCUS IN AND DESCRIBE, UH, IN SOME DETAIL OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS EFFORTS.

SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO AARON AND SORRY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, .

UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY.

UM, ASAL SAID, MY NAME IS AARON WOOD.

I LEAD OUR WATERSHED PLANNING TEAM, UH, IN WATERSHED PROTECTION.

AND SO WE'RE SUPER EXCITED TODAY TO GIVE AN UPDATE, UM, ABOUT THE PROJECT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND WHAT WE'VE HEARD SO FAR, UM, IN THE CURRENT, UH, SURVEY EFFORT WE HAVE GOING ON AS WE SPEAK.

SO WHAT IS RANGE RIVER? UM, IT'S THE CATCHY NAME FOR OUR DEPARTMENT'S STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION.

UM, WE HAVE AN EXISTING STRATEGIC PLAN, THE WATERSHED PROTECTION MASTER PLAN, UH, THAT WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL IN 2001, SO IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN A MINUTE.

UM, SO YOU KNOW THAT THAT PLAN HASN'T BEEN UPDATED, UM, AND ADOPTED BY COUNCIL IN OVER 20 YEARS.

UM, SO WE'RE REALLY GOING THROUGH A MAJOR OVERHAUL AND UPDATE OF THE PLAN.

UM, SO THIS PLAN SERVES, WILL SERVE AND, UH, THE CURRENT ONE DOES SERVE AS THE GUIDING BLUEPRINT FOR OUR DEPARTMENT.

UM, IT SETS OUR MISSION.

UH, THE NEW PLAN WILL SET OUR VISION AND VALUES FOR THE DEPARTMENT.

IT WILL TALK ABOUT OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS.

UM, IT WILL HELP ESTABLISH A DECISION MAKING FRAMEWORK, UM, THAT KIND OF MOVES BEYOND JUST TECHNICAL RISK.

LIKE THE CURRENT PLAN LOOKS AT, BUT ALSO FACTORING IN EQUITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE, UM, AND COMMUNITY VOICE AS WE EVALUATE AND PRIORITIZE SOLUTIONS.

UM, AND THEN IT'LL BE A COMMUNICATION TOOL.

IF YOU'VE LOOKED AT THE CURRENT PLAN, IT'S OVER 400 PAGES LONG.

IT'S VERY DENSE AND FULL OF A LOT OF MATH.

UM, AND SO WE REALLY WANT THIS, UH, TO BE A MORE STREAMLINED VERSION THAT CAN SERVE AS A TOOL, YOU KNOW, BOTH TO STAFF AND TO POLICY MAKERS, AND ALSO TO THE COMMUNITY.

SO WHY ARE WE UPDATING THE PLAN? UH, THE BIGGEST REASON, AS I MENTIONED, IS, YOU KNOW, THE ORIGINAL ONE WAS UPDATED IN 2001.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE WEREN'T INVOLVED DIRECTLY IN THOSE EFFORTS, BUT SPEAKING ANECDOTALLY WITH THE STAFF THAT WORKED ON AT THE TIME, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORT AROUND THAT PLAN, UM, DIDN'T REALLY PRIORITIZE GATHERING INPUT FROM THE FULL DIVERSITY

[00:55:01]

OF AUSTIN'S RESIDENTS.

IT WAS MORE OF KIND OF THE TYPICAL MEETINGS AT CITY HALL, LIKE A PHONE SURVEY.

UM, AND SO KNOWING THAT WE WANTED TO, TO REALLY LOOK AT DOING MORE ROBUST AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THIS TIME ROUND, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S BEEN ALMOST 25 YEARS.

UH, SO THERE HAVE BEEN SOME REVISIONS TO THE PLAN.

UM, YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST COUPLE DECADES THEY'VE BEEN MOSTLY AD HOC.

THEY'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON LARGELY UPDATING TECHNICAL INFORMATION.

UH, SO THOSE KIND OF MINOR UPDATES HAVE GONE TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, UH, FOR THEIR APPROVAL.

UH, THEY HAVEN'T COME BACK TO COUNCIL SINCE THEY'VE BEEN AMENDMENTS, UH, TO THE EXISTING PLAN.

UM, SO YEAH, YOU KNOW, THE PLAN IS ALMOST 25 YEARS OLD.

IT DOESN'T ADDRESS A LOT OF MAJOR CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY FACING, CLIMATE CHANGE, POPULATION GROWTH, SYSTEMIC RACISM.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE IN CATCHING UP AND WHAT'S, YOU KNOW, HOW AUSTIN HAS GROWN AND CHANGED OVER THE LAST ALMOST 25 YEARS.

UM, AND WE'VE LEARNED A LOT.

WE HAVE A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE BOTH IN THE COMMUNITY AND WITH STAFF, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THE CITY ORGANIZATION THAT WE WANNA BE ABLE TO PULL INTO THE PLAN.

UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL CITY PLANS, WATER FORWARD, THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, OUR PARKS, OUR FUTURE THAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE TO INCORPORATE, YOU KNOW, INTO OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES GOING FORWARD.

UM, AND THEN ONE OF THE OTHER KEY DIFFERENCES IS THAT THE CURRENT PLAN DOESN'T SET TIME SPECIFIC TARGETS.

IT'S NOT ESTABLISHED AS A 10 OR 20 OR 30 YEAR PLAN.

IT'S JUST THE DEPARTMENT'S MASTER PLAN.

UH, SO A LOT OF THE GOALS WERE JUST LIKE, GET EVERYONE OUT OF THE FLOODPLAIN, UM, OR NO LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT ARE, UM, ASPIRATIONAL BUT NOT NECESSARILY ACTIONABLE ON A, UH, KIND OF SHORTER TIMELINE.

AND SO WE WANTED TO ESTABLISH THIS AS A 10 YEAR PLAN, SET TIME SPECIFIC TARGETS FOR THOSE 10 YEARS, SO THAT WE CAN REALLY DEMONSTRATE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE MAKING MEASURABLE PROGRESS.

ALL RIGHT, SO OUR GOALS FOR THIS UPDATE.

UM, SO AS I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY WANTED TO GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND DO SOME REALLY KIND OF RELATIONSHIP BUILDING, DEEP LISTENING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REFLECTING COMMUNITY VALUES IN THIS NEW PLAN.

UM, YOU KNOW, THE PRIORITIES OF THE COMMUNITY, THEIR NEEDS, THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND LIVED EXPERIENCE, AND THAT WE'RE REALLY PULLING THAT INTO THE PLAN, UM, AS WELL AS THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE OF STAFF, UM, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS AROUND TOWN.

UM, SO SAUDI WILL TALK, TALK, UH, HERE IN A SECOND ABOUT KIND OF THAT EXTENSIVE ENGAGEMENT EFFORT THAT WE'VE DONE AROUND THIS PLAN.

UM, AND THEN AS I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME DEFINITE GAPS.

YOU KNOW, WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ADVANCING EQUITY, UM, IN DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS THAT WE'RE, UM, YOU KNOW, ACHIEVING EQUITABLE OUTCOMES FOR ALL AUSTINITES, WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND ADAPTATION IS FRONT AND CENTER.

UM, AND THEN ALSO REALLY WANTING TO FOCUS IN ON GROUPS THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE, UH, TO WATERSHED IMPACTS, UM, IN TERMS OF EXPOSURE AND ABILITY TO RECOVER, KNOWING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, A FOOT OF FLOODING DOESN'T IMPACT EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY IN THE SAME WAY, UH, THAT SOME FOLKS, UH, YOUR CAR MIGHT GET FLOODED OUT IN THE STREET AND YOU HAVE TO TAKE OFF FROM WORK IN THE MORNING AND TAKE IT INTO THE SHOP AND GET IT LOOKED AT.

AND SOME FOLKS, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY MISS WORK, THEY LOSE THEIR JOB.

IT CAN HAVE A, A MUCH MORE DEVASTATING KIND OF LONG-TERM FINANCIAL IMPACT, UM, DEPENDING ON, YOU KNOW, WHERE IN TOWN, UH, YOU'RE LOCATED AND KIND OF YOUR LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES.

UM, AND THEN, AS I MENTIONED, WE WANT THE PLAN TO BE REALLY ACCESSIBLE AND INFORMATIVE.

WE WANT IT TO BE KIND OF VISUALLY ENGAGING AND, UM, REALLY KIND OF TELL THE STORY OF THE DEPARTMENT AND HELP PEOPLE SEE WHAT WE DO AND WHERE WE'RE HEADED.

UM, WE DID THAT KIND OF IN ADVANCE OF THE BEGINNING OF THAT FIRST PHASE.

SO OUR ENGAGEMENT APPROACH, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DEVELOPED A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN FOR THIS PROJECT, UM, AND REALLY KIND OF SET SOME INTENTIONAL GOALS OF HOW WE WANT TO APPROACH IT.

UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE WANTED TO BE RESPECTFUL TO PARTICIPANTS.

WE WANTED TO MAKE IT REALLY EASY AND ENJOYABLE TO CONTRIBUTE INPUT.

UM, WE WANTED TO BE REALLY TRANSPARENT ABOUT, UM, HOW PEOPLE'S INPUT WOULD BE USED.

WE WANTED TO TAILOR THE MOST APPROPRIATE STRATEGIES TO DIFFERENT GROUPS OR TOPICS, AND USE AN ITERATIVE PROCESS SO THAT WE'RE CHECKING BACK IN.

AND I'LL SAY PART OF THAT, YOU KNOW, BEING RESPECTFUL OF PARTICIPANTS AND, UM, MAKING IT EASY TO CONTRIBUTE, INPUT INVOLVED, UH, COMPENSATION OF OUR AMBASSADORS OF FOCUS GROUPS, AND REALLY PAYING PEOPLE FOR THEIR TIME IF THEY WERE INVESTING KIND OF MORE HEAVILY THAN TAKING JUST A 10 MINUTE SURVEY.

UH, WE WANT THIS TO BE A REALLY ADAPTIVE PROCESS.

UM, AND SO WE SET SOME METRICS FOR ENGAGEMENT.

YOU KNOW, REALLY TRYING TO GET TO DEMOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION ACROSS THE CITY.

SO TRACKING OUR PERFORMANCE, EVALUATING GAPS, AND THEN USING DIFFERENT STRATEGIES TO TRY AND, UM, ADDRESS THOSE.

UM, AND THEN REALLY WORKING A LOT WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS BOTH WITHIN THE CITY, COLLABORATE ON ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS, UM, BUT ALSO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH, UH, SAUDI YOU'LL SPEAK MORE TO HERE IN A SECOND.

UM, AND THEN, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, FOCUSED ON RELATIONSHIPS.

SO WE DIDN'T WANT THIS TO BE AN EXTRACTIVE KIND OF PROCESS WHERE WE JUST GOT IN, LIKE, GOT WHAT WE NEEDED TO KNOW AND GOT OUT.

WE WERE, WE REALLY WANTED THIS TO BE FOCUSED ON BUILDING LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS AND TRUST WITH

[01:00:01]

THE COMMUNITY.

THIS WAS JUST KIND OF THE FIRST STEP IN A MUCH LONGER JOURNEY.

UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, CREATING THESE SYSTEMS TO GATHER INPUT FROM PEOPLE, BUT CONTINUING TO CHECK IN, CONTINUING TO KIND OF HAVE THAT TWO-WAY STREET OF US PROVIDING INFORMATION AND RESOURCES ALONG THE WAY.

SO AS WE DEVELOPED THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN, ONE THING THAT WE LOOKED AT DOING IS REALLY LOOKING AT, UM, DIFFERENT, UH, STAKEHOLDERS AND WHO HAD BEEN KIND OF HISTORICALLY LEFT OUT OF OUR PLANNING PROCESSES AND REALLY WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AS WATERSHED STAFF DEDICATED EXTRA TIME AND RESOURCES, UH, TO REACH THOSE GROUPS SO THAT WE WERE REALLY KIND OF GETTING, UM, TO THE FULL DIVERSITY OF AUSTIN AS WE WERE DOING OUR ENGAGEMENT.

SO WE ORGANIZED THESE DIFFERENT, UM, GROUPS OF PRIORITY STAKEHOLDERS, UH, ONE BEING UNDERSERVED GROUPS, UH, SO FOLKS WHO HAD BEEN, YEAH, KIND OF SYSTEMATICALLY MARGINALIZED, DENIED A FULL OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR PAST PROCESSES.

YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE, EVEN IN THIS ROOM, WE WOULD MEET HERE, UM, AT 11:00 AM ON A FRIDAY, AND IF YOU COULD COME DOWN AND GIVE INPUT, LIKE, GREAT IF YOU HAD TO WORK, LIKE, OOPS.

UM, AND SO REALLY WANTED TO BE A LOT MORE INTENTIONAL IN HOW WE WERE REACHING OUT TO THOSE GROUPS.

UM, SO ANYONE WHO WAS MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE NEGATIVE QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES IN THE CITY.

UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE OF COLOR, LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES, THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITY, UM, IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE COMMUNITIES, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AS KIND OF A LARGE ARRAY OF, UM, DIFFERENT UNDERSERVED GROUPS.

WE ALSO WANTED TO REACH OUT TO IMPACTED GROUPS.

SO, UM, RESIDENTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED OR AN INCREASED RISK OF EXPERIENCE, IMPACTS OF NEGATIVE WATERSHED OUTCOMES, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY FLOODING.

ALSO, EROSION AND WATER POLLUTION.

UM, AND THEN THE THIRD ONE WOULD BE ORGANIZATIONS WITH RELEVANT EXPERTISE.

UH, AND SO FOR THIS ONE AS WELL, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TRADITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL PARTNERS THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH FOR DECADES.

UM, AND SO WE'VE BROUGHT THEM INTO THE FOLD, BUT ALSO TRYING TO KIND OF EXPAND OUR SCOPE AND LOOK AT COMMUNITY HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS, UM, AND OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH, UM, AND HELP LEVERAGE THEIR NETWORKS AND GET KIND OF DEEPER ENGAGEMENT ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.

AND THEN ASAD, WE'LL SPEAK TO, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF STRATEGIES TO JUST REACH THE FULL AUSTIN COMMUNITY.

WE DEFINITELY WANNA HEAR FROM EVERYONE ABOUT WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY.

THIS WAS JUST WHERE WE INVESTED OUR EXTRA TIME AND RESOURCES AS STAFF.

ALL RIGHT, SO THIS IS OUR PROJECT TIMELINE.

UH, WE FIRST KICKED OFF PHASE ONE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BACK IN 2022.

UM, SO INITIALLY THAT WAS GONNA BE A ONE YEAR PROCESS.

UM, YOU KNOW, AND SAUDI GO THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES THAT WE HAD PROGRAMMED INTO THAT.

UM, DURING THE MIDDLE OF THAT PHASE, UH, THERE WAS A DECISION MADE, UM, THAT IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO BRING ON A CONSULTANT TEAM.

WE HAD ORIGINALLY LOOKED AT DOING THE ENTIRE, UM, EFFORT IN-HOUSE.

UH, BUT, UH, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF BENEFITS, YOU KNOW, THAT WE THOUGHT A CONSULTANT COULD BRING.

UM, AND TERMS OF KIND OF OUTSIDE THE BOX, STRATEGIC THINKING, AS WELL AS SOME MORE KIND OF BUYER POWER ON DATA, DATA ANALYTICS.

UM, AND SO WE WENT THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS, UM, AND THAT WAS ABOUT AN 18 MONTH PROCESS.

SO, , IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS TIMELINE AND SEEING LIKE, WOW, LIKE THEY WERE, THEY WERE AT THIS FOR A WHILE.

UM, WE WERE GOING THROUGH THAT PROCUREMENT PROCESS, BUT THE SILVER LINING OF THAT IS THAT WE GOT TO EXTEND PHASE ONE AND REALLY DIG INTO WHERE THOSE GAPS WERE.

UM, AND THEN ASAD WILL GO THROUGH, WE WENT TO ABOUT ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, 10 TO 15 FOCUS GROUPS, UH, WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND POPULATIONS AROUND TOWN, AND REALLY WERE ABLE TO GET A LOT OF DEEPER AND MORE INCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT THAN WE WOULD HAVE IF WE'D STUCK TO THE ORIGINAL TIMELINE.

UH, SO IT ALLOWED US TO PIVOT AND KIND OF REALLY, UM, GET EVEN, YOU KNOW, MORE, UH, RICHER DATA FROM THE COMMUNITY AS PART OF THAT PROCESS.

SO OUR CONSULTANT TEAM, UH, WHICH IS LED BY JODEN MACKLA, UH, ALSO INCLUDES BEN COLLABORATIVE, UH, CHIEF OF SYNTECH AND MEASURE AUSTIN.

UM, SO THEY CAME ON BOARD IN SPRING OF 2024 FOR A TWO YEAR CONTRACT.

UM, ONE THING, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY LOVED ABOUT THEM WAS THEY WERE, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DEFINITELY BROUGHT A COMMUNITY CENTERED APPROACH.

BUT THAT, UH, THEY STOOD THAT UP IN FALL OF 2024.

AND THAT'S BEEN A GROUP OF COMMUNITY LEADERS THAT'S BEEN ADVISING AND MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE PLAN, UM, AND COMMUNITY PRIORITIES, UH, FOR THE LAST YEAR OR SO.

UM, AND THEN SUMMER OF 2025, HERE WE ARE IN PHASE TWO OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

UH, SO WE WENT OUT IN PHASE ONE AND REALLY ASKED PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY WANTED TO SEE FROM WATERSHED, WHAT THEIR VALUES WERE, WHAT THEIR VISION WAS FOR AUSTIN GOING FORWARD IN PHASE TWO.

YOU KNOW, Y'ALL ARE HAVING RA TODAY, YOU KNOW, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF DIFFICULT BUDGET ISSUES.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL IN A RESOURCE CONSTRAINED ENVIRONMENT RIGHT NOW.

AND SO REALLY GOING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND SAYING, WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME TOUGH CHOICES.

SO HELP US PRIORITIZE HOW WE SHOULD ALLOCATE OUR TIME AND OUR RESOURCES, UM, AND OUR STAFF, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE THE KEY PRIORITIES WE REALLY WANNA INVEST IN, IN ADVANCE OVER THE NEXT

[01:05:01]

10 YEARS.

UH, AND SOCIETY WILL SPEAK, YOU KNOW, TO THE SPECIFICS OF THAT PHASE.

BUT WE'RE CLOSING IN, UH, ON SEPTEMBER 15TH, OUR COMMUNITY SURVEY, UM, WHICH I'M EXCITED TO SAY, AS WE WERE SITTING HERE EARLIER, WE HIT A THOUSAND, UH, PARTICIPANTS.

AND SO WE WERE EXCITED, UH, TO HIT THAT MILESTONE AND, UH, GO EVEN FURTHER BY MID-SEPTEMBER.

UH, SO YEAH, THE, THE CONSULTANT AND THE COMMUNITY ACTIVATION GROUP AND OUR, UH, STAFF, UH, TECHNICAL EXPERTS ARE, UH, FERVENTLY WORKING ON DEVELOPING CONTENT FOR THE PLAN, UH, SO THAT WE CAN, UH, THIS WINTER COME BACK AND SHARE THE DRAFT PLAN WITH THE COMMUNITY.

UH, SO BOTH KIND OF GOING TO OUR TRUSTED COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND USING THEM AS A SOUNDING BOARD, UM, FOR FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, ALONG FOR THE WHOLE WAY, BUT ALSO SHARING IT OUT WITH THE COMMUNITY TO GET THEIR THOUGHTS, BRINGING IT TO ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.

UM, WE'D LOVE TO COME BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE IF Y'ALL WOULD HAVE US, AND THEN ULTIMATELY TO COUNCIL, UH, FOR ADOPTION IN SPRING OF 2026.

WITH THAT, I'M GONNA PASS IT OVER, UH, TO SADY TO SHARE MORE ABOUT, UM, OUR ENGAGEMENT.

UM, ERIN, THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

UM, SO AS ERIN MENTIONED, UM, NOW I'M GONNA TAKE YOU ON A LITTLE BIT OF A DEEPER DIVE INTO THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, UM, TO DATE, UH, FOR WINTER RIVER.

SO, FIRST I'M GONNA SHARE WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE DID DURING THAT FIRST PHASE.

ERIN MENTIONED, UM, WHICH TOOK PLACE BETWEEN THE SPRING OF 2022 AND THE FALL OF 2023.

UM, SO HERE ON THIS SLIDE, UM, YOU SEE A RUNDOWN OF THE STRATEGIES THAT WE USE DURING THAT PHASE TO GATHER INPUT, UM, AND INVITE PEOPLE TO ENGAGE WITH US.

SO SOME OF THESE WE USED IN ORDER TO CAST A WIDE NET TO REALLY HEAR FROM EVERYBODY AND ANYBODY IN AUSTIN.

AND THEN SOME OF THEM ON THE RIGHT SIDE ARE, WERE INTENDED TO GO DEEPER, UM, TO SPEND THAT EXTRA EFFORT TO REACH THE PEOPLE THAT, UM, HAVE NOT HISTORICALLY BEEN, UM, PART OF THE, UH, PART OF WATERSHEDS PLANNING PROCESSES.

UM, SO THOSE PRIORITY STAKEHOLDER GROUPS.

UM, SO THE BROAD ENGAGEMENT, THE WIDE NET, UM, WE USED A, UM, A WEBSITE TO KEEP PEOPLE APPRISED OF THE PROJECT THAT'S STILL UP.

YOU CAN VISIT RANGER RIVER ATX.COM TO LEARN ABOUT, UM, THE PROJECT IN MORE DEPTH.

UM, WE USED A COMMUNITY VISION SURVEY TO GATHER, UM, RESPONSES.

WE ENDED UP GETTING, UM, MANY RESPONSES, UM, MORE THAN 2000 RESPONSES, MANY MAPPED POINTS OF SPECIFIC IDEAS AND PROBLEMS, UM, AND, UM, AND, UH, THINGS THAT PEOPLE LIKED.

UM, WE PROMOTED THAT THROUGH A VARIETY OF WAYS.

UM, WE PUT YARD SIGNS IN STRATEGIC COMMUNITY SPACES, SO AT POOLS, AT TRAIL HEADS AT, UM, RECREATION CENTERS TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE'S ATTENTION AND GET 'EM TO TAKE THE SURVEY.

WE ALSO, UM, BROADCAST IT VIA SOCIAL MEDIA AND RADIO ADS.

UM, WE ALSO WORKED WITH, UM, A CONSULTANT, UM, ETC TO HELP US DO A STATISTICALLY VALID SURVEY.

UM, THEY USED, UM, A RANDOM SAMPLING, UH, METHOD.

THEY MAILED, UH, AN INVI AN INVITATION TO TAKE THE SURVEY TO PEOPLE'S HOME ADDRESSES, UM, TO ENSURE THAT WE COULD GET A STATISTICALLY VALID SUR UH, SAMPLE OF RESPONDENTS, UM, AND USE THAT TO VALIDATE THE RESULTS OF OUR COMMUNITY VISION SURVEY.

UM, THEY GOT FEEDBACK FROM THAT CONSULTANT THAT WE DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB, UM, GETTING, UH, DEMOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION IN THAT FIRST COMMUNITY VISION SURVEY, UM, FOR THE FOCUSED ENGAGEMENT.

UM, AS ERIN MENTIONED BEFORE, UM, WE USED FOCUS GROUPS.

UM, WE WORKED WITH MEASURE THAT SAME CONSULTANT THAT'S ON OUR CURRENT CONSULTANT TEAM, UM, WHICH IS A, UM, BLACK WOMAN LED, UM, RACIAL EQUITY FOCUS DATA CONSULTANT OR, UH, CONSULTANT, UM, TO LEAD FIVE OF THOSE FOCUS GROUPS.

UM, AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH, UM, VARIETY OF ORGANIZATIONS LIKE, UM, AUSTIN YOUTH RIVER WATCH, AND UT'S, UM, WHOLE COMMUNITIES, WHOLE HEALTH PROJECT, UM, AND SEVERAL OTHERS, UM, TO DO 11 ADDITIONAL, UM, FOCUS GROUPS THAT WERE FOCUSED ON KIND OF SPECIFIC DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HEARD FROM.

UM, WE ALSO, UM, BROUGHT ON 10 COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS WHO CONDUCTED ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS WITH MEMBERS OF THEIR OWN COMMUNITY NETWORKS.

THOSE COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS CAME FROM THAT FIRST PRIORITY GROUP OF UNDERSERVED AUSTIN RESIDENTS.

UM, WE WERE ABLE TO GATHER A LOT OF KIND OF MORE IN-DEPTH DATA THAT WAY.

UM, WE USED A SIMILAR MODEL WITH ORGANIZATIONS.

SO WE GAVE $5,000, UM, MINI GRANTS TO SIX, UM, GRASSROOTS LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS WHO HELPED US GATHER COMMUNITY INPUT, UM, EITHER THROUGH ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS, THROUGH BLOCK, WALKING THROUGH THEIR OWN SURVEYS, UM, THROUGH, UH, IN ONE CASE LIKE FILMED INTERVIEWS.

UM, SO WE, WE KIND OF DEFERRED TO THEM ABOUT WHAT THEY THOUGHT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO REACH THEIR NETWORK, UM, AND THEN ASK THEM TO ASK YOU QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD, UM, IN THAT WAY.

UM, WE ALSO, UM, MAILED POSTCARDS TO MORE THAN 90,000 ADDRESSES IN, UH, IN HIGH FLOOD RISK AREAS, UM, TO PROMOTE THE COMMUNITY VISION SURVEY.

SO THAT WAS, UM, TO THAT SECOND PRIORITY GROUP OF PEOPLE, UM, AT RISK OF WATERSHED IMPACTS.

UM, AND THEN WE ALSO BROUGHT OUR, BROUGHT OURSELVES AND THE SURVEY TO PEOPLE WHERE THEY WERE AT COMMUNITY EVENTS, UM, WHERE WE THOUGHT WE WOULD REACH, UM, THOSE PRIORITY STAKEHOLDER GROUPS.

UM, WE ALSO DID A LOT OF INTENTIONAL MEETINGS, UM, WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS IN ORDER TO BUILD AND STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS.

[01:10:01]

UM, AND THEN AS IT ROLLED OUT TO ALLOW US TO DISCOVER PATHWAYS TO REACH, UM, THE FOLKS THAT WE REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE, WE HEARD FROM THAT WE MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE.

UM, WE ALSO DID A, A COUPLE OF SURVEYS WITH THE AUSTIN HOMELESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

UM, UNHOUSED FOLKS ARE PART OF THAT FIRST PRIORITY GROUP AND ALSO THE SECOND ONE.

SO HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED AUSTINITES, ALSO FOLKS MORE LIKELY TO BE IMPACTED BY, UM, SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS AND ESPECIALLY FLOODING.

SO THESE ARE A FEW PICTURES, UM, FROM THAT FIRST PHASE OF ENGAGEMENT, UM, ON THE UPPER, UH, LEFT, UM, TRYING TO DECIDE IF IT'S MIRROR OR WHAT, BUT YEAH, ON THAT UPPER LEFT CORNER, UM, YOU'LL SEE SOME OF OUR COHORT OF, UH, UM, AMBASSADORS, UM, IN THE MIDDLE TABLING WITH ONE OF OUR, UM, PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, DELL VALLEY COMMUNITY COALITION, UM, ON THEIR RIGHT.

WE WERE, UM, STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS.

WE WERE GATHERING RESOURCE KITS THAT WE GAVE OUT, UM, TO FOLKS THAT QUEER UTOPIA AND ONE OF OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, UM, WERE, WERE, UM, HANDING OUT AT ENCAMPMENTS TO FOLKS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.

UM, AND THEN AT THE, ON THE BOTTOM, YOU'LL SEE AMBASSADORS, UM, SHARING WITH OUR, UM, RANGE RIVER STEERING COMMITTEE, SOME OF THEIR FINDINGS.

UM, ONE THING THAT WE LEARNED FROM PREVIOUS ENGAGEMENT DONE BY FELLOW, UM, DEPARTMENTS, UM, SPECIFICALLY THE, UM, THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, UM, AT THE TIME, UM, WHEN THEY DID THEIR, UM, COMMUNITY CLIMATE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, THEY GAVE US FEEDBACK THAT, UM, EVERYONE HAD REALLY HOPED FOR MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE AMBASSADORS TO INTERFACE DIRECTLY WITH DECISION MAKERS.

SO WE REALLY TRIED TO MAKE SPACE FOR THAT.

AND THIS PRESENTATION WAS ONE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.

UM, AND THEN, UH, YOU'LL SEE ON THE RIGHT, A FOCUS GROUP THAT WE DID WITH SOME RESIDENTS, UM, AT FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES, UM, AND SO, YEAH, AND THEN A TABLING EVENT.

UM, AND SO, UM, WE DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE YOU, UM, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT WE HEARD IN PHASE ONE, I'LL BE GOING INTO, UM, SOME DETAIL ABOUT SOME OF THE INSIGHTS WE GAINED.

BUT, UM, AT RANGE RIVER A TX ON THE WHAT WE HEARD TAB, UM, YOU CAN FIND, UM, THREE REPORTS THAT WE PUT TOGETHER.

UM, ONE OF THEM IS A COMMUNITY AMBASSADOR REPORT, UM, KIND OF SYNTHESIZING WHAT WE HEARD FROM, UM, THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THOSE, THOSE AMBASSADORS.

UM, THERE'S A, UM, STORY MAP, UH, FORMAT, UM, REPORT FROM THE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS THAT'S THE LISTENING AND COLLABORATION.

AND THEN MEASURE PUT TOGETHER, UM, A REPORT AND A TIMELINE, UM, THAT SUMMARIZED THE, UM, FINDINGS FROM THEIR FOCUS GROUPS THAT THEY DID.

SO, AS ERIN MENTIONED, WE ALSO, UM, LAUNCHED A COMMUNITY ACTIVATION GROUP, UM, IN THE FALL OF 2024, UM, WITH THE HELP OF OUR CONSULTANT TEAM.

UM, AND SO, UM, THIS IS A GROUP THAT'S COMPRISED OF ABOUT 20, UM, COMMUNITY LEADERS WHO HAVE EXPERTISE IN THE ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNITY HEALTH, UM, AND OR DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RECOVERY, UM, AND ALSO, UH, WHO COME FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS.

UM, SO THEY, UM, ARE ENGAGED FOR ONE YEAR PERIOD.

SO WE'RE ACTUALLY ABOUT TO WRAP UP THAT YEAR, UM, WITH THE FINAL MEETING IN OCTOBER.

UM, AND, UM, MEASURE IS THE ONE WHO, UH, WHO, UM, KIND OF HELPED CONVENE AND IS, UH, FACILITATING, UM, THE CONVERSATIONS THAT THIS GROUP IS HAVING.

UM, AND THEY'VE REALLY BEEN HELPING TO SHAPE, UM, KIND OF SOME OF THE, UM, THE MEATY PARTS OF THE PLAN.

UM, THEY'RE HELPING US, UM, WORK THROUGH THINGS LIKE, UM, SYNTHESIZING THE INPUT THAT WE GOT FROM PHASE ONE TO DEVELOP A SET OF COMMUNITY PRIORITIES AND A VISION STATEMENT.

UM, THEY HELPED US DO A COMMUNITY MAP, UH, ASSET MAPPING ACTIVITY, UM, THAT'S GONNA HELP SET WATERSHED UP TO IMPLEMENT THE RANCHER RIVER PLAN MORE EFFECTIVELY AND IN A WAY THAT INVOLVES COMMUNITY MORE DEEPLY.

UM, AND BY COMMUNITY ASSETS, WE MEAN, UM, EXISTING MISSION ALIGNED COMMUNITY GROUPS AND INITIATIVES.

THAT'S WHAT THEY HELPED US MAP.

UM, AND THEY'RE ALSO HELPING US, OR THEY, THEY ALREADY HELPED US, UM, DESIGN, AND THEY'RE HELPING US TO BROADCAST, UM, THE CURRENT, UH, COMMUNITY SURVEY THAT WE HAVE GOING UNTIL SEPTEMBER 15TH.

UM, SO MOVING BACK INTO PHASE ONE FOR A MOMENT, UM, WE WANTED TO SHARE SOME OF THE THEMES AND PRIORITIES THAT WE IDENTIFIED FROM THE FEEDBACK THAT WE, WE RECEIVED THROUGH THAT EFFORT.

UM, SO I'M JUST GONNA BE KIND OF GOING THROUGH THESE.

UM, SO, UM, THE CONSULTANT TEAM HELPED US TO SYNTHESIZE THAT FEEDBACK, UM, THAT WE GATHERED IN PHASE ONE.

AND THEY IDENTIFIED 10, UH, PRIORITIES AND ACTIONS DESIRED BY THE COMMUNITY.

UM, AND WE BROUGHT THESE 10, UH, COMMUNITY PRIORITIES AND ACTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY ACTIVATION GROUP, AND ASKED THEM TO GIVE US FEEDBACK ON THE ACCURACY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PRIORITIES.

SO WE ASKED THEM, DO THESE RESONATE WITH YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE? UM, AND THEN HELP US TO, TO PUT THESE IN PRIORITY ORDER.

SO THE ORDER THAT I'M PRESENTING THEM HERE, UM, IS THAT PRIORITY ORDER THAT THE, THE, THE CAG ADVISED US, UM, IS CORRECT.

SO THE FIRST ONE IS, UM, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.

UM, SO ENSURE ACCESS TO, UM, SORRY, ENSURE HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES HAVE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND DECISION MAKING PROCESSES.

UM, THE SECOND ONE IS, UM, FLOODING AND MITIGATION, UM, AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, SORRY, FLOOD MITIGATION AND, UH, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.

SO YEAH, PROTECT, UH,

[01:15:01]

LIVES AND PROPERTY BY ADDRESSING FLOODING AND EROSION PROACTIVELY.

UM, THE THIRD ONE IS, UM, INTEGRATE CLIMATE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS DROUGHT, EXTREME HEAT AND HABITAT LOSS.

OH, AND SORRY FOR THE, THE SECOND PRIORITY.

UM, THE CAG ADVISED US THAT THAT SHOULD ACTUALLY BE TWO SEPARATE THINGS.

UM, FLOOD MITIGATION AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, WHICH WE NOTED.

UM, THE FOURTH ONE IS, UM, PRESERVE, RESTORE, AND ENHANCE AUSTIN'S CREEKS, LAKES, AND NATURAL SPACES.

UM, THE FIFTH IS BUILD TRUST THROUGH TRANSPARENCY, ACTIVE LISTENING AND COMMUNITY CENTERED INITIATIVES.

NEXT IS ENSURE NATURAL SPACES ARE SAFE, INVITING AND ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL RESIDENTS.

UM, THEN BALANCE URBAN GROWTH WITH ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SUSTAINABILITY.

PROVIDE RESOURCES AND SAFETY FOR UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS WHILE ADDRESSING SYSTEMIC ISSUES.

PROVIDE RESOURCES AND SAFETY.

OH, THE SAME ONE, SORRY.

UM, SORRY, THAT GOT MESSED UP.

SOMEHOW.

UM, EDUCATION AND YOUTH ENGAGEMENT.

SO FOSTER A CULTURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND RESILIENCE AMONG RESIDENTS.

AND THEN FINALLY, INNOVATION AND LEADERSHIP.

SO POSITION AUSTIN AS A MODEL, UH, CITY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND PROGRESSIVE PRACTICES.

I, OKAY, SO, UM, BACK TO THE CURRENT PHASE.

UM, WE ARE NOW, UM, AS WE'VE BEEN MENTIONING, UM, IN ANOTHER ACTIVE, UH, PHASE OF ENGAGEMENT.

UM, OUR ASK TO THE COMMUNITY NOW IS, YOU'VE TOLD US WHAT YOU WANT US TO DO NOW, HELP US DECIDE, UM, HOW WE PRIORITIZE, UM, OUR LIMITED, UM, TIME STAFF AND FUNDING.

UM, TELL US WHAT YOU WANT US TO DO MOST.

UM, AND SO OUR GOAL IS TO REACH ALL AUSTIN, UH, RESIDENTS, UM, WHICH WE'RE INCLUDING PEOPLE THAT LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY IN AUSTIN IN THAT GROUP.

UM, AND AGAIN, WITH SPECIAL EFFORTS TO HEAR FROM THE PRIORITY STAKEHOLDER GROUPS THAT WE HAVE BEEN, UM, FOCUSING ON THROUGHOUT.

UM, SO THE NAME OF THE SURVEY IS YOUR VOICE SHAPING OUR PRIORITIES, UM, AND YOU CAN FIND IT@RANGERIVERATX.COM.

UM, ONE NOTE WE'VE TRANSLATED INTO, UM, THE MOST COMMONLY SPOKEN LANGUAGES IN AUSTIN, UM, AS PART OF THAT EFFORT TO HEAR FROM, UM, AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE AND LOWER BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION.

UM, AND YEAH, IN ADDITION TO THE, UM, THE SURVEY WE'RE ALSO, UM, WE'RE ALSO DOING A COUPLE OF FOCUS GROUPS TO HELP US EXPLORE PARTICULAR THEMES WITH, UM, CERTAIN GROUPS THAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, THAT WE HEAR FROM.

SO, SO THAT IS ALL NOW.

WE'D LOVE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.

WHAT THOSE IMPACTS ARE, THE FORMULAS THEMSELVES WOULD BE PULLED INTO A TECHNICAL REPORT.

WELL, THAT WAS, YEAH, I'M ALWAYS AMAZED AT ALL THE OUTREACH THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING, BUT THROUGHOUT, UM, OUR DEPARTMENTS, WE ARE, UM, REALLY INTENTIONAL AND, AND MEANINGFUL WHEN WE ENGAGE WITH THE PUBLIC, AND IT'S, IT'S NEVER NOT IMPRESSIVE.

SO VERY, VERY GOOD WORK, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS.

ANY QUESTIONS? VICE CHAIR, ELLI? I'M VERY CURIOUS ABOUT THE LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT IT MIGHT GO INTO.

I'M THINKING ABOUT EROSION CONTROL IN PARTICULAR.

UM, YOU KNOW, HOW WILL THIS DOVETAIL WITH OTHER, OTHER CITY PLANS AND PRIORITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE'RE REVEGETATING, AS WE'RE PLANTING TREES AND, YOU KNOW, POLLINATOR PLANTS, HOW WILL THIS ADVISE US KIND OF HOW, HOW TO ACCOMPLISH THAT GOAL? OBVIOUSLY, WE COULD COME UP WITH OUR OWN TREE CANOPY PLANS AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE WANT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WORK WITHIN OUR OWN RIGHT OF WAY.

BUT I'M VERY CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU LOOK AT THE EQUITY INCLUSION COMPONENT OF THIS AND LOOK AT COMMUNITIES THAT ARE SUFFERING FROM FLOODING, AND WILL IT HELP GUIDE US THROUGH THE PROCESS OF HOW TO MITIGATE THOSE IMPACTS? YEAH, , UM, LEMME MAKE SURE I TOUCH ON ALL THOSE PIECES.

UM, WE'VE DEFINITELY HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS AROUND THE LEVEL OF GRANULARITY IN THE DOCUMENT, UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE CURRENT ONE IS 400 PAGES, YOU KNOW, OVER A HUNDRED OF US JUST LISTING EVERY POSSIBLE SOLUTION WE COULD EVER DO.

UM, AND REALIZING THAT SOME OF THAT CONTENT IS BETTER SUITED, UM, FOR KIND OF SEPARATE LOCATIONS.

SO, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO BUILD MORE OF AN INTERACTIVE DATABASE SO PEOPLE CAN SEE ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOLUTIONS AND QUERY THAT, UM, KIND OF LIKE WE'VE DONE WITH OUR GROW GREEN PLANT GUIDE NOW ONLINE.

UM, BUT THAT, THAT'S NOT MAYBE THE, THE BEST USE OF REAL ESTATE IN THE PLAN.

UM, AND SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE DIFFERENT PRODUCTS, UM, KIND OF, WELL, YEAH, KIND OF SPINNING OFF OF THAT.

SO ONE BEING JUST SORT OF, IF IT'S EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL, HAVING THAT, YOU KNOW, ACCESSIBLE ON THE WEBSITE, BUT HAVING KIND OF THE HIGH LEVEL, LIKE WHAT DOES WATERSHED DO WITHIN THE PLAN, UM, TO GIVE PEOPLE ENOUGH CONTEXT WITHOUT, UM, TAKING UP TOO MUCH SPACE.

THEN IN TERMS OF PRIORITIZATION FOR SOMETHING LIKE EROSION, UH, WANTING TO KIND OF SPLIT THAT OUT AND HAVING THE HIGH LEVEL WAY THAT WE IDENTIFY AND PRIORITIZE EROSION,

[01:20:01]

UM, AND SO LIVING ONLINE, IF PEOPLE REALLY WANNA DIG IN AND SEE THE EXACT WAY THAT WE DO THAT, THEN WE WOULD HAVE, AS WE CURRENTLY DO, DASHBOARDS WHERE PEOPLE CAN INTERACT WITH, UM, WHAT THE HIGHEST PRIORITY EROSION SITES ARE AROUND THE CITY, UM, NEAR THE, YOU KNOW, THE MOST SEVERE ONES AND KIND OF, UH, WE HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL DASHBOARDS THAT BUILD OUT KIND OF HOW WE'RE ADDRESSING THAT, EITHER THROUGH CAPITAL PROJECTS OR IN-HOUSE.

UM, SO YEAH, WANTING TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LEAN INTO OUR VISUAL STORYTELLING WHERE WE CAN.

UM, BUT HAVING, WE'VE KIND OF MADE THIS ANALOGY OF THE CODE VERSUS THE CRITERIA IN THE PLAN.

SO WANTING TO MAKE THOSE COMMITMENTS TO THE COMMUNITY, CLEAR INTENT THAT'S ADOPTED BY COUNCIL AND WILL GUIDE US FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS.

AND HAVING THE MORE KIND OF GRANULAR, DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT HOW WE'LL GET THAT DONE LIVE IN EITHER A TECHNICAL REPORT OR THE CONSULTANT IS ALSO BUILDING AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

UM, THAT WILL BE KIND OF THE FIRST ITERATION THAT WATERSHED WILL CONTINUE, UM, TO WORK THROUGH AN UPDATE.

AS, YOU KNOW, WE HIT OUR OBJECTIVES AS WE LOOK AT, UM, KIND OF AN AGILE APPROACH OF LIKE, WELL, THIS ISN'T REALLY WORKING, LIKE, HOW DO WE WANNA FIX THAT? UH, SO ONE THING THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING WITH THE COMMUNITY ACTIVATION GROUP NEXT WEEK, UM, IS HOW THEY CONTINUE, HOW THE COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO BE INVOLVED IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

WE DON'T WANNA REALLY JUST ADOPT THE PLAN AND THEN BE LIKE, WATERSHED'S GONNA GO DO IMPLEMENTATION OVER HERE.

HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO BUILD ON THAT, THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND THAT KIND OF MORE ROBUST INCLUSIVE APPROACH IN PULLING COMMUNITY INTO PLANNING AND POLICY DECISIONS GOING FORWARD, MAKING SURE WE UPDATE THE PLAN ON A MUCH MORE REGULAR CADENCE.

UM, BUT YEAH, LIKE LOOKING AT THE PROCESS WE'RE MAKING ON THOSE OBJECTIVES, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR WORK PLAN IS FOR ADDRESSING THEM AND THEN HAVING THE COMMUNITY GIVE US FEEDBACK SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO ADJUST THE PLAN GOING FORWARD.

UM, THE OTHER ONE WAS ABOUT EQUITY AND FLOODING, RIGHT? IT WAS ALL ONE QUESTION.

AMONG, UH, PARTICIPANTS SO FAR.

THERE WERE A COUPLE DIFFERENT, LIKE, I THINK YOU HIT THE POINTS REALLY WELL, BUT I WAS JUST THINKING PRIMARILY AROUND WATER CLEANLINESS AND HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS RUNNING OFF OF OUR ROADS WHEN IT RAINS IS BEING FILTERED BEFORE IT ENDS UP IN THE CREEKS.

UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT A LOT LATELY IS, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S LOTS OF FOLKS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GO TO ONE PART OF TOWN AND YOU SEE EVERYTHING'S VERY GREEN AND MM-HMM .

AND CLEAN, AND YOU GO TO OTHER PARTS OF TOWN AND PEOPLE SAY, WHY, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE WE GETTING THINGS THAT ARE UNFAIRLY KIND OF DRIFTING THEIR WAY DOWN TO US? AND PEOPLE DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THE HEALTH OF THE CREEKS AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS NEAR THE CREEKS ARE GETTING THE SAME LEVEL OF CARE.

YEP.

UM, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS, AS WE LOOK THROUGH THAT, WE'RE THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE RUNOFF, THE EROSION CONTROL DEBRIS IN THE CREEKS, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE PLANS.

AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S KIND OF FITTING TIGHTLY TOGETHER SINCE YOU'RE GOING THROUGH ALL THIS AMAZING WORK TO GET THIS FEEDBACK.

YES.

UM, ABSOLUTELY.

AND THAT'S A REALLY GREAT POINT.

UM, AND SOMETHING THAT WE'VE SEEN EVEN WITH, YOU KNOW, THE CITY DID A GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE GAPS AND STRENGTHS ASSESSMENT A FEW YEARS AGO THAT REALLY HIGHLIGHTED A LOT OF THOSE DISPARITIES IN CONSERVATION LAND AND TREE CANOPY AND, UM, WATERWAY HEALTH, UH, BETWEEN WEST AUSTIN AND EAST AUSTIN.

MM-HMM .

UM, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT IT'S WITHIN OUR ZONE OF CONTROL, OUR PLAN WILL DEFINITELY BE MAKING COMMITMENTS AROUND ADDRESSING SOME OF THOSE DISPARITIES.

UM, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BUILDING INTO THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE WITH THE, UM, CLIMATE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND THE CITY'S RESILIENCE FRAMEWORK, UM, AND ALSO THE CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN OF HOW DO WE PARTNER MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH PARKS AND RECREATION, UM, AND AUSTIN WATER AND SOME OF THESE OTHER KIND OF MAJOR LAND MANAGERS AROUND THE CITY, UM, TO BUILD IN MORE INFILTRATION OF STORM WATER IN THE SOIL, MORE RESTORATION OF, UM, TREES AND VEGETATION ALONG OUR WATERWAYS, UH, FOR MORE KINDA SHADED RIPARIAN AREAS, UM, ALL ACROSS TOWN SO PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO THAT KIND OF COOLING SPACE, UM, ESPECIALLY IN THE HEAT OF THE SUMMER.

THAT'S GREAT.

I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STREET TREES LATELY AND THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE, AND SO I'M HOPING ALL THESE CONVERSATIONS, YOU KNOW, ALL THE WORK THAT'S GOING IN TO MAKE THESE AMAZING PLANS, UH, MAKING SURE THEY KIND OF SELF-REFERENCE AND KIND OF ALL POINT TO EACH OTHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY STREAMLINING OUR GOALS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING THE MOST OF THE TIME AND THE DOLLARS THAT WE DO HAVE.

THANKS.

YEAH, PROFESSOR SIEGEL, THANKS CHAIR, AND THANKS Y'ALL FOR THIS PRESENTATION.

UM, REALLY APPRECIATED LEARNING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, HOW YOU KIND OF EMPOWERED COMMUNITY GROUPS TO TAKE ON MORE ENGAGEMENT AND HAVE THESE LAYERED, UH, STRATEGIES.

UM, WANTED TO KIND OF SPEAK UP FOR MY DISTRICT A LITTLE BIT, AND I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN AS WELL, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE MICROBURST HAD A REALLY STRONG IMPACT ON, ON CERTAIN PARTS OF TOWN.

AND SO I WANTED TO SEE IF Y'ALL HAVE A SENSE OF WHETHER YOU'VE ADEQUATELY GOTTEN KIND OF THAT NEW FEEDBACK FROM, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES THAT WERE IMPACTED BY THE MICROBURST OR WHETHER MORE OUTREACH IS NEEDED IN THAT AREA.

THAT IS SUCH A GOOD QUESTION.

UM, WE HAVEN'T DRILLED DOWN INTO THE DATA TO SPECIFICALLY LOOK AT WHICH NEIGHBORHOODS WERE MOST IMPACTED BY THE MICROBURST AND HOW WELL THEY'RE REPRESENTED IN THE SURVEY.

BUT I WILL SAY THAT YOUR DISTRICT IS THE MOST REPRESENTED

[01:25:01]

UH, ALMOST 20% OF THE PARTICIPANTS ARE IN D SEVEN.

UM, SO I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF, SO LESS D SEVEN THERE, THERE WAS A LOT OF IMPACT IN THAT DISTRICT, RIGHT? YES, DEFINITELY.

I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY CORRELATION THERE, BUT THAT'S, AND WE SAW THAT SPIKE IN THE SURVEY LIKE PRETTY, PRETTY FAST.

IT WASN'T KIND OF DELAYED TO THE JULY 4TH EVENT.

THAT'S TRUE.

LIKE WE SAW THAT AS SOON AS THE SURVEY LAUNCHED D SEVEN, KIND OF GOOD.

WELL, WE DID SEND IT OUT TO OUR LIST, SO, UM, THANK YOU.

OKAY, GOOD TO HEAR.

AND THEN, UM, MY OTHER QUESTION KIND OF GOES TO SOMETHING YOU SAID ABOUT, UH, INTERSECTION WITH THIS PLAN AND THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

YOU KNOW, TOMORROW WE'RE GONNA AUTHORIZE FUNDING, WELL, I ASSUME WE'RE GONNA AUTHORIZE FUNDING FOR IMAGINE AUSTIN.

UH, YOU KNOW, THIS COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING PROCESS, WHICH AS I'VE LEARNED ABOUT IT, UM, IN OUR CITY CHARTER, REALLY CONTEMPLATES, UH, A MASSIVELY INTERSECTIONAL PROCESS, RIGHT? SOME PEOPLE THINK OF IT AS JUST LAND USE, BUT NO, IT'S RESOURCES, IT'S EVERYTHING.

AND SO IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW RAINER RIVER WILL INTERSECT WITH IMAGINE AUSTIN SURE THING.

UM, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT RESOLUTION.

UM, HAPPY TO SAY ACTUALLY I SERVE AS THE CO CHAMPION OR CHAMPION FOR TWO OF OUR PRIORITY PROGRAMS IN IMAGINE AUSTIN.

UH, SO WATERSHED, YOU KNOW, HELPS PARTICIPATE HEAVILY IN BOTH THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PRIORITY PROGRAM, AS WELL AS THE SUSTAINABLE, UH, WATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.

AND SO EVEN IN THE, YOU KNOW, INITIAL DEVELOPMENT OF IMAGINE AUSTIN, UM, OUR STAFF AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS WE WORK WITH WE'RE HEAVILY INVOLVED TO MAKE SURE THAT KIND OF GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FROM OUR ORIGINAL WATERSHED MASTER PLAN, THINGS LIKE THE WATERSHED PROTECTION ORDINANCE, UM, WERE BAKED INTO IMAGINE AUSTIN AS KEY PRIORITIES AND WAYS TO IMPLEMENT, YOU KNOW, SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.

UM, SO WE ARE ALREADY SIGNED UP AND WE'LL BE PARTICIPATING HEAVILY, UH, WITH THOSE DIFFERENT, UH, COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT ARE GONNA BE REEVALUATING THE POLICIES.

UH, WE MEET ON A MONTHLY BASIS WITH IMAGINE AUSTIN STAFF, IF NOT, UH, MORE FREQUENTLY, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT CONNECTION'S THERE AND WE'RE ABLE TO UPDATE THEM ON RAIN RIVER AND INCORPORATE RANGE RIVER INTO THEIR WORK, BUT ALSO UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT'S GONNA BE COMING OUT OF THEIR, UH, PROCESS THAT WE MIGHT WANNA EMBED INTO OUR IMPLEMENTATION.

I HAVE TO PICK WHICH MIC HERE.

UH, I'VE GOT TWO QUESTIONS FOR Y'ALL.

UH, FIRST LEMME SAY THANK YOU FOR THE VERY THOROUGH BRIEFING.

ALSO, I THINK WE WORKED TOGETHER LAST YEAR TO COME OUT TO THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL.

WERE SEEING, HOW THAT MIGHT CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF THE PLAN.

I, SO I APPRECIATE HOW THOROUGH Y'ALL HAVE BEEN IN THIS PROCESS.

THANKS.

I AM WONDERING THOUGH, IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS A FOUR YEAR PROCESS OR, OR THEREABOUTS, AND I WOULD ASSUME EVEN IN FOUR YEARS, LIKE SOME THINGS MIGHT HAVE CHANGED THIS YEAR, LIKE WITH THE STORM THAT MAYBE WEREN'T REFLECTED OR JUST HAVE SIMPLY CHANGED SINCE YOU STARTED.

UH, IT DOES SEEM LIKE A LONG WINDOW OF TIME.

WHEN I THINK OF THE WILDFIRE PLAN THAT WE'VE APPROVED FOR THE CONTRACTOR, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S LIKE GONNA BE A 12 TO 18TH MONTH.

UH, IS THERE, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT IS THE VALUE OF DOING FOUR YEARS VERSUS TWO YEARS? LIKE AT WHAT POINT DO YOU CUT THIS OFF AND SAY, WE'VE BEEN THOROUGH AND WE'VE DONE OUR BEST TO TRY AND REFLECT COMMUNITY INPUT AND VALUES, AND HERE'S OUR REPORT THAT WE'RE GONNA START USING.

'CAUSE IT FEELS LIKE EVERY YEAR THAT WE'RE NOT MAYBE USING NEW INFORMATION.

MY SECOND QUESTION IS ABOUT THAT.

SO I DON'T WANNA JUMP THE GUN HERE, BUT CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE WINDOW OF TIME IT, IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO, TO PREPARE EVERYTHING AND GET THIS OUT THERE NEXT YEAR? YEAH, SO I MEAN, I THINK IDEALLY WHEN WE WERE FIRST LAYING THIS OUT, IT WAS GONNA BE MORE OF A TWO YEAR PROCESS FROM LAUNCHING ENGAGEMENT TO ADOPTING THE PLAN.

UM, NAVIGATING RFP AND PROCUREMENT IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT, UM, WAS CHALLENGING.

AND SO WE HAD TO, YOU KNOW, EXTEND, UM, THE LENGTH OF THE PROJECT.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE UNEXPECTED POS, I DON'T WANNA CALL IT POSITIVE BECAUSE THE INSPECTS WERE DEVASTATING, BUT WE HEARD A LOT FROM THAT EARLY WINDOW ABOUT DROUGHT AND HEAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF REALLY INTENSE PERIOD OF DROUGHT.

AND SO IN EX WE HAD A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT, WELL, WE HAVEN'T HAD A MAJOR FLOOD EVENT IN A LONG TIME.

LIKE, PEOPLE'S MEMORY IS SHORT.

AND SO WE WE'RE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT TRYING TO GO OUT TO DEAF SPRINGS AND COMMUNITIES THAT STILL HAVE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, MEMORY KIND OF FRONT AND CENTER.

BUT SEEING THINGS LIKE THE MICROBURST AND THE JULY 4TH EVENT COMING THROUGH IN THE PHASE TWO OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS REALLY, I FEEL LIKE MADE OUR STAFF FEEL MORE CONFIDENT THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM KIND OF THE FULL SPECTRUM OF COMMUNITY, FROM LIKE THE, YOU KNOW, DROUGHT OF RECORD ALL THE WAY UP TO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MOST HISTORICALLY DEVASTATING FLOODS IN STATE HISTORY.

UM, SO THERE'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, A WIDE RANGE THERE.

UM, BUT YEAH, TO YOUR POINT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE IN DIFFERENT PHASES AND SO TRYING TO MAKE SURE, I THINK THE COMMUNITY ACTIVATION GROUP HAS HELPED SERVE AS KIND OF THAT REALITY CHECK FOR US.

UM, IF, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE SERVING UP TO THEM IS WHAT WE LEARNED THROUGH THAT INITIAL PHASE IS STILL KIND OF TRACKING WHAT THEIR, WHAT THEY'RE LEARNING THROUGH THEIR NETWORKS WITH THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCE.

WE HAD KIND OF SOME DEEP DIVES AROUND THE MICROBURST AND JULY 4TH WITH THEM TO TALK ABOUT HOW THEIR COMMUNITIES WERE IMPACTED, WHAT THEY

[01:30:01]

I THINK AS WE ANALYZE THE PHASE TWO DATA, WE DEFINITELY WANNA HAVE THAT INFLECTION POINT OF JULY 4TH AND SEE IF WE SAW KIND OF DIFFERENT RESPONSES FROM PEOPLE.

UM, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WAYS THAT WE CAN BREAK DOWN THE DATA IN TERMS, UM, AND SO WE HAVEN'T YET, BUT WE CAN FOR D SEVEN LOOK AT LIKE WHO WAS DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY FLOODING AND WHAT WERE THEIR RESPONSES VERSUS, UM, OTHER FOLKS MM-HMM .

OKAY, GO AHEAD, CHRIS.

ANOTHER THING I'LL ADD TO THAT IS THAT WE, WE KNEW AT THE BEGINNING, EVEN BEFORE WE KNEW IT WAS GONNA BE QUITE AS LONG A PROCESS AS IT ENDED UP BEING, WE KNEW THAT IT WAS GONNA BE A FEW YEARS AND, UM, AND THAT THERE WOULD BE THAT CONCERN FOR, FROM THE COMMUNITY.

LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS ARE PLANNING AND PLANNING AND PLANNING, WHEN ARE WE GONNA SEE A RESULT? SO WE SET AN INTENTION AT THE BEGINNING TO TRY TO TAKE ACTION ON ACTIONABLE INPUT SOONER THAN WAITING FOR PLAN ADOPTION.

SO WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT IN A COUPLE DIFFERENT INSTANCES.

UM, ONE EXAMPLE IS THAT ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS GAVE US THE INPUT THAT WE SHOULD REALLY HAVE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES ON OUR FLOOD SAFETY, UM, WEBPAGE.

SO WE'VE ADDED SOME OF THOSE.

UM, ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS, UM, QUEER UTOPIA, ONE OF THE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE WORKED WITH THAT, UM, FOCUSES ON THE UNHOUSED POPULATION, UM, MADE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE SHOULD ASK, UM, AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY IF THEY COULD HAVE, UM, FINAL DOCUMENT STORAGE SIMILAR TO WHAT'S AT ONE TEXAS CENTER, UM, IN THE, UM, THE COMMUNITY COURT.

UM, AND WE WERE ABLE TO BRING THAT, UM, RECOMMENDATION TO, UM, AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY.

AND THEY ACTUALLY ARE, UM, THEY'RE PILOTING THAT AT THE, THE BRANCH RIGHT NOW.

SO WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE SOME EARLIER IMPACT.

UM, THERE ARE OTHER THINGS TOO, BUT THOSE ARE THE KIND OF BIG EXAMPLES THAT COME TO MIND OF, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE NOT JUST SITTING ON THAT, UM, INPUT FOR, FOR YEARS AND YEARS.

GOT IT.

THANKS FOR CLARIFYING THAT.

THE SECOND PIECE IS, UH, AND IT'S THE STRUGGLE I HAVE WITH A LOT OF THE KIDS.

THE, THE SORT OF STRATEGIC PLANS THAT WE'VE PRODUCED OR ARE PRODUCING IS HELPING ME UNDERSTAND THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN YOU THINK THEY'D BE MOST VALUABLE TO USE.

AND I JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, I KNOW THAT THE IMAGINE AUSTIN FOLKS HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH COUNCIL ABOUT THEIR UPDATE ALSO.

UH, AND I KIND OF HALF JOKED, MAYBE MOSTLY JOKED, UM, WE'LL SEE WITH BUILDING SERVICES CAN, CAN DO THIS, BUT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF JOKED LIKE, OH, IT'D BE GREAT ON THE DIET EVERY TIME WE SAY, OH, WELL WHAT IS THE IMAGINE AUSTIN PLAN SAY ABOUT THIS? AND LIKE, CONFETTI COMES DOWN AND THERE'S A CELEBRATION THAT WE, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY USE THE STRATEGIC PLAN .

WHAT DO Y'ALL, WHAT SORT OF CIRCUMSTANCE DO YOU SEE US, UM, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS PLAN OR OTHER COMMISSIONS OR WHAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE ALREADY USED IT INTERNALLY YOURSELF AS YOU'VE COME TO SOME CONCLUSIONS THROUGH THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.

BUT HOW DO YOU SEE OTHER FOLKS USING THE PLAN? SO I CAN SAY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CURRENT PLAN, EVEN THOUGH LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY OLD.

IT HAS SOME MAJOR GAPS.

IT WAS A HUGE UNDERTAKING, LIKE A LOT OF DATA, A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS, AND A LOT OF WORK THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES HAS COME FROM THAT PLAN.

UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR FIVE YEAR PLANNING FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, THE BOND LIST THAT'S COMING THROUGH NOW, THOSE ARE PRIORITIZED USING THE METHODOLOGY IN THAT PLAN.

UM, THINGS LIKE THE WATERSHED PROTECTION ORDINANCE, UM, THINGS LIKE OUR DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE, GIS, OUR ASSET MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, THOSE ALL CAME FROM RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE PLAN.

UM, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, TO SOME EXTENT YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE IT KIND OF INDIRECTLY THROUGH OUR BUDGET, THROUGH, UM, OUR BOND DEVELOPMENT, UM, THROUGH, YOU KNOW, NEW REGULATORY, UH, INITIATIVES THAT WE MIGHT BRING FORWARD.

UM, BUT YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHILE THERE WERE SOME SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS ON THAT PLAN THAT WE WORKED THROUGH, LIKE I MENTIONED IT, IT WASN'T TIME BOUND.

AND SO I THINK, UM, AN EXCITING THING ABOUT THIS ONE IS, YOU KNOW, TALKING TO THE COMMUNITY AND SAYING LIKE, WE'VE DONE ALL THIS WORK, UM, YOU KNOW, WATERSHED PROTECTION, YOU KNOW, IS A MORE MATURE DEPARTMENT NOW.

UM, BUT WHAT ARE REALLY THOSE BIG GAPS THAT THE COMMUNITY STILL SEES OF JUST LIKE, WE'RE NOT HITTING THE MARK ON THIS.

UM, AND HAVING THAT COMMUNITY ACTIVATION GROUP DIG IN AND SAY LIKE, WE REALLY WANNA SEE PROGRESS, UM, ON THESE SIX KEY PRIORITIES.

UH, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH NOW, BUT I THINK THAT WILL GIVE US A, A BETTER WAY, UH, TO REPORT BACK TO POLICY MAKERS AND SAY LIKE, THESE ARE THE COMMUNITY COMMITMENTS WE MADE IN THE PLAN.

AND, YOU KNOW, EVERY BUDGET CYCLE, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING WE BRING FORWARD, WE CAN TALK ABOUT HOW WE'RE LIKE MOVING THOSE OBJECTIVES FORWARD.

A MEMO THAT IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT, IT'S RELATED TO OUR ON DEMAND PICKUP.

THANKS FOR CLARIFYING THAT.

I, I WOULD JUST ASK Y'ALL TO THINK AS WE GO FORWARD AND YOU GET TO 2026 AND PRESENT THE FINAL VERSION OF THIS, HOW YOU THINK WE CAN BEST UTILIZE THE WORK THAT YOU'VE INVESTED IN HERE.

THANKS.

ALRIGHT.

WELL, APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH.

CAN'T WAIT TO SEE Y'ALL BACK.

WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU BACK WHEN WE HAVE, UH, THE PLAN IN PLACE AND CAN SEE WHAT ALL THIS WORK HAS LED TO AND, AND CULMINATED WITH.

SO THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME HERE TODAY.

YEP.

AND, UM, WE DO HAVE,

[4. On-Demand Collection Program 6-Month Update memo dated August 21, 2025 [Amy Slagle, Assistant Director - Austin Recourse Recovery].]

UH, A, UM, A BRIEF OR

[01:35:01]

UM, I HAVE JUST ONE QUESTION.

UM, MY QUESTION IS, HAS THERE BEEN ANY THOUGHT, AND I DON'T KNOW TO THE DEGREE WE CAN SHARE THIS INFORMATION OR NOT, BUT YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW THE, THE BIGGEST CONCERN I HEARD WHEN WE MOVED TO THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, ON, ON THE BULK COLLECTION DAYS, YOU WOULD OFTEN SEE PEOPLE WITH THEIR PICKUP TRUCK OR THEIR TRAILER WHO KIND OF BEAT THE, THE COLLECTION SCHEDULE AND, AND, AND WOULD REUSE, YOU KNOW, THESE MATERIALS IN ONE FORM OR FASHION.

UM, AND I'D HATE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, RE DISPOSING OF THESE MATERIALS AND, AND RECYCLING THEM IS REALLY GOOD, BUT IF WE CAN USE REUSE THEM, UH, WITHIN OUR LOCAL ECONOMY, THAT SEEMS TO BE EVEN BETTER 'CAUSE IT'S DIVERTING IT FROM OUR LANDFILL.

SO WAS THERE EVER ANY THOUGHT OR CONSIDERATION OF SAYING, YOU KNOW, ON MONDAY THE FIRST, THESE 10 ADDRESSES HAVE SIGNED UP AND IF YOU WANT TO BEAT US TO THE PUNCH IT'S ON THE CURB, FEEL FREE TO GO GRAB IT FIRST.

UM, HAS THAT EVER CONTEMPLATED? GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBER JAMIE SLAGEL, UH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY? SO, UH, NO, WHEN WE, WHEN WE FORMED THE PROGRAM, IT WAS, UH, WE WERE DEFINITELY LOOKING AT RESOURCES AND HOW WE COULD DIVERT MORE MATERIAL FROM THE CURB, UH, WITH OUR APPLIANCES, ELECTRONICS, UH, ITEMS. SO, UH, IN TERMS OF GIVING OUT SPECIFIC ADDRESSES, WE, WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY LOOK AT THE CONTEMPLATION, UH, OF THAT SPECIFICALLY.

I WILL SAY THAT WE ARE, UH, ACTIVELY WORKING TOWARDS OUR FURNITURE REUSE WAREHOUSE, UH, THAT WE GOT THE EPA GRANT FOR, UH, WE'RE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR PROPERTIES AND THAT'LL BE ONE WAY TO DIVERT ADDITIONAL MATERIALS.

SO, YOU KNOW, UH, OVERALL WE'VE BEEN PLEASED WITH HOW THE PROGRAM STARTED, UH, THESE FIRST, UH, SIX, SEVEN MONTHS THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE.

UH, WE ARE, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE POINTS THAT WE'RE WORKING OUT.

UH, WE'RE WORKING OUT SOME, UH, MAYBE SOME ADDITIONAL, UH, EXCUSE ME, EDUCATION, UH, INFORMATION FOR FOLKS AROUND PROPER SET OUTS AS WELL AS, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME CUSTOMER SERVICE POINTS THAT WE WANNA IMPROVE ON.

WELL JUST, JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.

UM, UH, AND THAT'S IT FROM, SO COUNCILOR DE UH, THANK YOU CHAIR.

OF DATA, BUT IS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION FOR THAT KIND OF APPROACH DEPENDING ON WHETHER THAT MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE COLLECTIONS, KNOWING THAT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT BE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT APPROACH? YOU KNOW, UM, WE ARE AGAIN, ONLY SIX MONTHS INTO THIS, INTO THIS PROGRAM.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.

UH, YEAH, THIS IS A CHALLENGE 'CAUSE WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF FEEDBACK.

I'M SURPRISED TO THE EXTENT THAT ACTUALLY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY VOCAL.

I ALWAYS ANTICIPATED THE MOVE TO, TO, UH, ON DEMAND BEING REALLY POSITIVE, SORT OF EMPOWERING PEOPLE AND NOT HAVING THEM STUCK TO A FIXED SCHEDULE.

BUT WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF FEEDBACK ACROSS THE BOARD THAT FOR DIFFERENT REASONS PEOPLE APPRECIATED THE OTHER WAY OF DOING THINGS.

AND SO I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS SURROUNDING THIS.

UM, ONE IS, IT LOOKS LIKE SAVINGS ARE UP, BUT COLLECTIONS THEMSELVES ARE DOWN, ALTHOUGH IT LOOKS LIKE WE ONLY HAD A YEAR IN THE MEMO OR THE, THE DAY THAT WE WERE SHARED WITH, UM, TO COMPARE AGAIN.

SO I'M WONDERING IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO GET, GO BACK A COUPLE OF YEARS AND TRY AND UNDERSTAND KINDA WHAT THE TRAJECTORY LOOKS LIKE.

'CAUSE I, I SORT OF INTERPRETED DIFFERENT THINGS IN THAT MEMO.

ONE IS IT LOOKS LIKE COLLECTIONS OVERALL ARE UP, BUT THEY WERE DOWN AGAINST LAST YEAR.

CAN YOU SPEAK TO ANY OF THAT OR IS IT POSSIBLE TO HELP US GET SOME ADDITIONAL YEARS OF DATA SO WE CAN KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COLLECTION HISTORY HERE THAT IT LOOKS LIKE? SURE.

WE CAN CERTAINLY PULL TOGETHER, UH, MORE YEARS.

I CAN, I WILL SAY THAT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS WE'VE SEEN A DOWNWARD TREND IN OUR BULK COLLECTION THAT'S BEEN SINCE COVID THAT WE'VE SEEN THOSE, THOSE NUMBERS DECREASE.

SO, UH, BUT THIS WAS JUST A SIX MONTH SNAPSHOT, SO WE'D CERTAINLY LIKE TO GIVE IT A FULL YEAR AND, AND LOOK AT HOW IT COMPARED TO A SCHEDULED COLLECTION.

SO, BUT, UH, OVERALL TOS HAVE BEEN DECREASING, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE SOME, UH, FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.

IT MAY BE THAT PEOPLE ARE WAITING TO USE THEIR COLLECTIONS TILL LATER IN THE YEAR.

IT MAY EVEN BE IN CONSUMPTION, UH, SITUATION WHERE PEOPLE ARE NOT IN A PLACE RIGHT NOW TO BE ABLE TO, TO GET A NEW COUCH, A NEW MATTRESS OR NEW FENCING.

SO THAT MAY ALSO BE CONTRIBUTING TO, UH, THE DECLINE IN NUMBERS.

AND THEN I'LL SHARE WITH YOU ONE OF THE, SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE'VE GOTTEN IS FOR PEOPLE THAT WERE JUST ACCUSTOMED TO THE O THE PRIOR WAY OF DOING THINGS, THE FIXED STATE COLLECTIONS, AND, UH, THEY OFTEN HAD A WHOLE SYSTEM OF KNOWING THAT THESE WERE COMING, THEY WOULD SORT OF PLAN TO CLEAN OUT THEIR HOME OR GARAGE OR WHATEVER IT IS.

AND NOW THERE'S SORT OF A IMPLICIT COMPLAINT THAT THERE'S NOT THAT INCENTIVE TO GO DO THAT AND THAT'S WHAT'S STOPPING THEM FROM, AND THEREFORE THAT'S DECREASING YOUR COLLECTIONS ALSO, UM, AS WELL AS PROBABLY CREATING CLUTTER IN THEIR HOMES, WHICH IS NOT EXACTLY OUR RESPONSIBILITY.

BUT, UH, SETTING THAT ASIDE, I'VE JUST HEARD A NUMBER OF FOLKS SAY, YOU KNOW, I KIND OF WISH THAT MAYBE THERE'D BE A HYBRID SYSTEM, FOR INSTANCE, LIKE YOU WOULD GO BACK TO DOING ONE FIXED COLLECTION AND THEN HAVING THE REST BEYOND DEMAND OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

IS THERE ANY, I KNOW WE WANT TO GET ANOTHER SIX MONTHS

[01:40:01]

SO, AND I THINK WHAT WE, WE ARE STILL SEEING ARE FOLKS ARE STILL WORKING WITHIN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES TO, TO DIVERT THAT MATERIAL.

SO, AND, AND WE KNOW THAT, UH, WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DIVERT MATERIAL AHEAD OF TIME.

WE WANT PEOPLE TO DONATE IT OR, OR GIVE IT TO THEIR NEIGHBOR BEFORE, BEFORE IT GETS TO US.

SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF A, A HYBRID COLLECTION, THAT'S SOMETHING WE'D HAVE TO CHECK INTO FURTHER.

BUT AGAIN, WE ARE STARTING TO SEE THESE SAVINGS, UH, BASED ON OUR CURRENT MODEL.

UH, AND UH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE'RE SEEING OTHER CITIES, UH, UH, THAT WE FOLLOWED OTHER CITIES IN AS WELL.

MIAMI-DADE IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A CITY THAT'S MOVED ON DEMAND AS WELL AS, UH, CITY OF PHOENIX.

IN FACT, THE CITY OF HOUSTON REACHED OUT TO US LAST COUPLE WEEKS WITH THEIR NEW DIRECTOR TO ASK HOW WE, UH, STARTED OUR ON-DEMAND MODEL AS A WAY TO IMPLEMENT FOR THEIR CITY AND TO ADDRESS THEIR BULK, BULK SITUATIONS.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

UM, AND SO IS THERE A WAY TO QUANTIFY ANY WAY HOW MUCH THE OTHER COMMUNITY ARE, UH, ARE WORKING TO DIVERT THAT IS NOT THEN IN YOUR NUMBERS THAT WOULD BE, I GUESS, REPRESENTED SOMEWHERE ELSE, BUT AS PART OF THE ADVANTAGE OF SWITCHING TO THIS MODEL? I, I'M SORRY, COULD YOU, UH, RESTATE THAT? SORRY, LEMME TRY AND SAY THAT YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES TO DIVERT INSTEAD AND, AND I WOULD ASSUME THAT THAT'S NOT REFLECTED THEN IN THE NUMBERS THAT YOU'VE SHARED WITH US FOR PICKUPS, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.

WE JUST ENCOURAGE, UH, IT IS PART OF OUR MESSAGING.

WE ENCOURAGE, ENCOURAGE DIVERSION BEFORE, BEFORE ANY OF OUR PROGRAMS. WE WANT PEOPLE TO, TO COMPOST.

WE WANT THEM TO RECYCLE EVERYTHING BEFORE IT ENDS UP IN, IN THE GARBAGE SITUATION.

SO WE WANT THAT IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITIES AS WELL AS TO TO PASS THAT COUCH OFF TO A, THROUGH A MARKETPLACE ACTIVITY, UH, THAT WAY IT COULD BE REUSED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

SO I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE IT'S NOT CAPTURED HERE TRYING.

GOT IT.

AND SO, YEAH, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS THERE, IS THAT IMPOSSIBLE TO MEASURE THEN THE EXTENT THAT PEOPLE ARE INSTEAD ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM BEFORE AND THAT'S WHY YOUR COLLECTIONS LOOK LIKE THEY'RE DOWN, BUT IN REALITY PEOPLE ARE SOLVING THEIR, UH, TRASH AND DISPOSAL ISSUES IN OTHER WAYS? I THINK THAT'D BE CHALLENGING TO QUANTIFY.

UH, THEN I GUESS I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU TO SEE IF I CAN GET SOME ADDITIONAL DATA TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, DURING COVID, POST COVID, MAYBE EVEN BEFORE THAT'S POSSIBLE.

UH, I'M JUST, UH, AGAIN, THE CENTRAL CHALLENGE I HAVE IS FROM HEARING FROM A LOT OF CONSTITUENTS THAT THEY, UH, THEY WOULD TAKE SORT OF PROACTIVE MEASURES WHEN THEY KNOW THAT SCHEDULES WERE COMING UP FOR PICKUPS.

AND I'M ALSO WONDERING TO THE EXTENT THAT PART OF THIS IS A COMMUNICATION ISSUE ABOUT THIS TRANSITION ABOUT, UM, REQUIRING MORE PRODUCTIVITY FROM PEOPLE AS OPPOSED TO THE RELIANCE ON A SERVICE THAT COMES TWICE A YEAR, WHATEVER IT WAS.

UH, SO I, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE BEST COURSE IS TO, TO SEE HOW WE GET DATA FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS AND THEN FIGURE OUT WHETHER, UH, AND MAYBE LOOK AT SOME ADDITIONAL HISTORICALS AND THEN FIGURE OUT WHETHER THIS IS OVERALL EVEN THOUGH PICKUPS ARE DOWN AND KNOWING THAT WE CAN'T MEASURE THE OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE DIVERTING THAT THIS IS WORKING AS OPPOSED TO, AGAIN, EXPLORING A HYBRID SYSTEM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

YEAH, AND I WILL SAY THAT WE ARE GONNA, WE DO HAVE PLANS, UH, FOR ADDITIONAL EDUCATION HERE LATER THIS YEAR.

ACTUALLY WE JUST STARTED TALKING ABOUT IN THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS KNOWING THAT IT KIND OF FALLS, UH, CLEANING TIME AND THAT PEOPLE ARE, UH, WE WANT PEOPLE TO USE THE REMAINING COLLECTIONS FOR THE YEAR.

SO WE ARE, WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS THAT RIGHT NOW.

IS THAT GONNA BE A DETERMINING FACTOR WHEN IF, IF, SAY WE DISCOVER THAT A LOT OF FOLKS, UH, THAT WE MAY HAVE SOME DATA INDICATED USE THE PICKUP SERVICE, UH, AND THEY'RE NOT USING IT ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT BEING PROACTIVE WITH CALLING IN PICKUPS AND THAT, THAT WOULD HELP GUIDE US AFTER THE YEAR LONG TRIAL ABOUT WHAT THE NEXT BEST STEP IS TO TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COVERING OUR BASES FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS OR BEHAVIORS? YEAH, WE CAN CERTAINLY INCLUDE PARTICIPATION INFORMATION.

SO, OKAY.

IT'S KIND OF JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE USE THE, THE NUMBER OF APPOINTMENTS THEY'RE ALLOWED PER YEAR.

YOU KNOW, UH, CUSTOMERS ARE GET UP TO THREE BULK BRUSH AND HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTIONS PER YEAR.

SO THAT'S NINE TOTAL COLLECTIONS THAT THEY HAVE, UH, FOR THE, FOR THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.

GOT IT.

WELL I APPRECIATE THAT AND WE'LL FOLLOW UP TO SEE IF WE CAN GET WORK WITH Y'ALL TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

SURE THING.

HAVING THEIR TRASH COLLECTED OR LESS? I THINK, UH, IT'S KIND OF A HYBRID IS THAT WE, WE LOOK AT THE RESOURCE SAVINGS INTERNALLY, BUT ALSO, UH, HOW MANY MORE, UH, ITEMS WE'RE ABLE TO CAPTURE FROM THE CURB.

I'M, I'M ACTUALLY GONNA FOLLOW JUST ONE.

WHEN, WHEN WE'RE MEASURING THIS AFTER A YEAR, IS SUCCESS MORE PICKUPS THAN BEFORE OR LESS PICKUPS THAN BEFORE? 'CAUSE IT WOULD SEEM LIKE SUCCESS WOULD MEAN LIKE THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS LESS IN THE LANDFILL, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALL TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE.

WE, THIS ISSUE COMES UP IN OTHER AREAS COMPLETELY, UH, DIVORCED FROM THIS, BUT HOW ARE WE MEASURING SUCCESS? IS IT IF MORE PEOPLE ARE

[01:45:01]

SO, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, FAIR, THE FURNITURE REUSE WAREHOUSE, THAT'S OUR NEXT.

AND THEN MATTRESSES LIKE THE DIRECTOR MENTIONED, THOSE ARE OUR NEXT THINGS THAT WE WANNA TRY TO HELP DIVERT FROM THE WASTE STREAM AND CONTINUE TO, TO EAT AWAY AT THOSE SUN JUST GOING TO THE LANDFILL.

ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

APPRECIATE THE UPDATE AND UH, WE'LL SEE YOU IN SIX MONTHS.