* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] WE WILL OFFICIALLY START [CALL TO ORDER] THE MEETING AT 6 0 3. IT IS OCTOBER 1ST. I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT HAPPENED, BUT IT IS, UM, WE ARE, THIS IS THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION. UM, AND WE ARE AT THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER IN ROOM 1405 AT 6 3 1 0 WILLAMINA DELCO DRIVE, AUSTIN, TEXAS. AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE ALL HERE NOW. THERE'S NO ONE ONLINE TODAY. RIGHT. OKAY. UM, LET'S GO AROUND AND WE'LL HAVE A ROLL CALL REAL QUICK. AND, UH, COMMISSIONER CHAINS WE'LL SET WITH YOU PRESENT. UH, COMMISSIONER QURESHI PRESENT. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WHICH I BELIEVE ALSO PASSED TODAY. SO, YEAH. GOD. LOVE IT. FAIR ENOUGH. UH, FLURY. PRESENT. KRUGER? HERE. BRISTOL? HERE. LUKEY? HERE. MORRISON. PRESENT. FIRO. HERE. SULLIVAN? HERE. I, UH, PRIMER HERE. AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN. . . ALL RIGHT, THANKS. SO WE DO HAVE A NEW COMMISSIONER, UM, THAT I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME. UM, COMMISSIONER MORRISON. WELCOME. AND IF YOU WANNA JUST TELL US A COUPLE THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF. UH, SURE. UH, MY NAME IS ALLISON MORRISON. SUPER GREAT TO BE HERE AND BE JOINING THE COMMISSION. UH, I, UH, HAVE LIVED IN AUSTIN SINCE 2019, UM, BY WAY OF DC UM, WHERE I WORKED IN, UH, THE US SENATE FOR A SENATOR FROM COLORADO FOR A FEW YEARS. AND NOW I WORK, UH, AT META IN PUBLIC POLICY. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN MONTANA, SO A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ARE NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART. AND I'M, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING MORE INVOLVED IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND LEARNING ABOUT HOW THE COMMISSION FUNCTIONS AND GETTING TO KNOW ALL OF YOU. SO THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. WELCOME. THANK YOU. UM, [APPROVAL OF MINUTES] DID EVERYBODY HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK OVER, UH, THE LAST MEETING'S MINUTES? AND DO WE HAVE A MOTION FOR THAT? I MOVE APPROVAL. SECOND. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF COMMISSIONER MORRIS. OKAY, GREAT. YOU CAN VOTE ON THAT. FANTASTIC. THANK YOU. UM, OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM, UH, IS, UH, A STAFF BRIEFING, BRIEFING RE REGARDING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. WELCOME CHAIR. YES, MA'AM, SIR. 'CAUSE WE ARE GONNA [6. Discussion and action on the Travis County Landfill permit #684 leakage – Commissioners Sullivan and Brimer] POSTPONE ITEM NUMBER SIX. OH, THAT'S RIGHT. WE CAN TAKE THAT SECOND ITEM. YEP. LET'S DO THAT REALLY QUICK. SO, UM, WE ARE GOING TO POSTPONE ITEM NUMBER SIX, UM, THE TRAVIS COUNTY LANDFILL PERMIT, UM, NUMBER 6 8 4 LEAKAGE. UM, UNTIL WE CAN GET SOME MORE INFORMATION, UM, ON THAT, AND THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME CITY, CITY STAFF HERE TO SPEAK TO THAT. OKAY. SO YOU ARE MAKING A MOTION TO POSTPONE, I BELIEVE WE HAVE SOMEBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE MO THE MERITS OF POSTPONEMENT. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND I, AND I'LL SECOND THE MOTION. UM, I WILL SECOND THE POSTPONEMENT MOTION. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN. OKAY. HELLO. COMMISSION, UM, ON THE POSTPONEMENT OF THIS CASE. UH, APPRECIATE THE WILLINGNESS TO, TO DISCUSS IT IN THE FIRST PLACE AND UNDERSTOOD IF MORE INFORMATION NEEDS TO BE GATHERED. UM, I WAS, UH, TOLD ABOUT, UH, I, I FEEL LIKE NECESSARY TO SPEAK TO THE LAWSUIT. THERE IS A LAWSUIT. EXCUSE ME. CAN THE SPEAKER IDENTIFY HIMSELF PLEASE? SORRY, MY NAME IS CORBIN GRAHAM, AND I WAS, UH, I'M, I'M SPEAKING TO THE, WHAT'S THE AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX? I'M SPEAKING ABOUT AGENDA ITEM SIX. AND, UM, YES, THERE'S A LAWSUIT BETWEEN ME AND TRAVIS COUNTY ON A NON-ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE. IT IS WITH REGARD TO, UM, CON, UH, A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE LANDOWNER AND THE PERMITEE OF THAT LANDFILL. AND, UM, THERE IS A DISPUTE OVER, UH, WHAT THAT CONTRACTUAL LANGUAGE MEANS. THERE IS NO CLAIM, UH, BETWEEN MYSELF, UH, OR ANY ENTITY I'M INVOLVED IN, UH, AND TRAVIS COUNTY WITH REGARD TO THE ENVIRONMENT. WITH REGARD TO ME BRINGING UP THIS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE TO THIS COMMISSION. IT IS ENTIRELY FOCUSED ON, UM, PLAUSIBLE LAWFUL ACTION THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAN, UH, TAKE TO [00:05:01] ENSURE GREATER SAFEGUARDS OF THE WATERSHEDS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS, UH, UH, UH, HAS THE AUTHORITY TO, TO, TO REGULATE, HAS REGULATED IN THE PAST. IN FACT, UH, THE FIRST VIOLATION, 1973, WAS FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ALSO AS A LANDOWNER. THE CITY OF AUSTIN OWNS 150 ACRES JUST SOUTH OF THE, UH, CONTAMINANTS, WHICH HAVE BEEN RESERVED AS A, AS A PRESERVE, A NATURE PRESERVE. AND SO, UH, ON BOTH THOSE GROUNDS, I THINK THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS EXCELLENT, UH, STANDING. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, INFORMING THIS COMMISSION, UH, ALL THE DETAILS. IT IS A COMPLICATED MATTER. UM, IT'S TAKEN US TWO AND A HALF YEARS AND MANY EXPERTS TO GET OUR MIND ROUND. IT IS A 50-YEAR-OLD ISSUE OF TOXIC WASTE. UM, SO I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S PATIENCE, UH, AND, AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IT. AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN HAVE AN OPEN DIALOGUE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND WE DO LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, TALKING ABOUT THIS TOPIC LATER WHEN WE CAN GET STAFF AND HAVE MORE INFORMATION. SO, APPRECIATE IT. SO THERE IS A MOTION AND A SECOND. THERE DOES HAVE TO BE AN OFFICIAL VOTE. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR OF POSTPONING THIS ITEM. SO IT LOOKS LIKE, AND, AND AGAIN, THE, THE RATIONALE IS TO WAIT FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF THE LAWSUIT. THE RATIONALE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE CITY STAFF THAT CAN ALSO SPEAK TO IT. WELL, WE DO HAVE THE CITY STAFF PERSON HERE FROM US IN RESOURCE RECOVERY, BUT THE POINT IS THAT IT'S THE LEGAL ISSUE THAT WE WANNA ARREST FIRST. YEP. SO, UH, ALL IN FAVOR, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A MAJORITY. THANK YOU. ALL [2. Staff briefing regarding the Green Infrastructure in the Right of Way – Michelle Marx, Transportation and Public Works Department] RIGHT. RIGHT OF WAY. ALL RIGHT. UH, NAOMI CHEEL, CITY ARBORIST. I'M WITH AUSTIN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, AND I'M GONNA DO A QUICK INTRODUCTION TO OUR COLLEAGUES FOR TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS. UM, THIS IS REGARDING A COUNCIL RESOLUTION FOR STREET TREES. AND, UM, WE'LL JUST GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE. OH, OH, THERE'S THAT. OKAY. UM, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF STREET TREES EVEN MORE SO THAN TREES AROUND PARKS AND SUCH. UM, ONE OF THE KEY ISSUES IS HEAT MITIGATION. UH, IN PRESENTATIONS BEFORE, I'VE TALKED ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF COOLING THAT A TREE CAN DO VERSUS A SHADE STRUCTURE. ON AVERAGE, 10 DEGREES COOLER, ESPECIALLY IN OUR HOT STREETS HERE, AIR QUALITY, UM, POLLUTANT AND PARTICULATES FROM AUTOMOBILES FROM JUST OUR GENERAL CITY SMOG, UH, TREE LEAVES CAN ACTUALLY ABSORB THESE. THERE'S PUBLISHED RESEARCH STUDIES, UM, FROM GREENHEART INITIATIVE, TALKING ABOUT HAVING TREES CLOSE TO ROADS, SUCKING UP THESE, UM, AIR PARTICULATES, UH, CLIMATE RESILIENCE. UM, THE OTHER IMPORTANCE OF OUR STREET TREES IS FOR WATER QUALITY AND INFILTRATION INTERCEPTION OF STORM WATER. UM, WE HAVE ECOSYSTEM BENEFITS WITH STREET TREES, INCLUDING REDUCING HEAT, UM, AND THEN ECONOMIC AND PUBLIC, UM, VALUE TREES ARE INFRASTRUCTURE. THEY'RE THE ONLY INFRASTRUCTURE THAT INCREASES IN, APPRECIATES IN VALUE AS IT AGES IF PROPERLY MAINTAINED. UM, THERE'S CORRELATIONS WITH PUBLIC, UH, AND MENTAL HEALTH, MANY RESEARCH STUDIES ON THIS, AND ALSO FOR SAFETY OF HAVING THESE STREET TREES, UH, IN BETWEEN PEDESTRIANS AND THESE FAST MOVING CAR LANES. SO, UM, THIS GOES BACK TO A COUNCIL RESOLUTION ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AND THAT WAS TO REVIEW AND IDENTIFY THE BARRIERS, UH, TO INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE. MOST NOTABLY, STREET TREES. UH, DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MODIFYING EXISTING CODE CRITERIA MANUALS AND REGULATIONS, AND TO COORDINATE WITH ALL THE RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS TO ALIGN A STANDARD AND PRACTICES WITH THE GOAL OF ENHANCING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE. AND THEN THE WORK WITH THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY REVIEW PANEL TARP, UH, WHICH IS, UH, A PANEL OF EXPERTS FROM PRIVATE INDUSTRIES, SAY ENGINEERS, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, CITY STAFF, UH, CONSULTANTS TO WORK OUT THESE BARRIERS AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT ALL THESE DIFFERENT CODE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE [00:10:01] IN THE RIGHT OF WAY THAT WE CAN INSTALL STREET TREES. SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO PASS IT OVER TO MY ILLUSTRIOUS COLLEAGUE AT TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS. THANK YOU, NAOMI. AND, UM, LEAVE IT TO OUR CITY, ARBORIST TO ELOQUENTLY STATE THE BENEFITS OF STREET TREES. THANK YOU. UM, SO YES, MICHELLE MARKS, I'M TRANSPORTATION OFFICER, UM, WITH AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS STILL GETTING USED TO THAT. UM, AND, AND OUR ROLE IN THIS EFFORT, UM, AS THE KIND OF TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT IS, IS, UM, KIND OF PARAMOUNT IN SO MUCH AS TRANSPORTATION OVERSEAS AND MANAGES THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY. UM, AND WE ARE VERY MUCH INTERESTED, YOU KNOW, OUR, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENT AND A LOT OF THE ACTIONS THAT WE DO IN TRANSPORTATION TO, UM, KIND OF DECARBONIZE OUR CITY, UM, AND PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY REALLY, UM, CENTRAL, UH, ARE CENTRALIZED ON CREATING MORE ACTIVE, UM, TRANSPORTATION OPPORTUNITIES, UM, THAT ARE COMFORTABLE, CONVENIENT, SAFE, UM, SO THAT PEOPLE HAVE A CHOICE TO RIDE A BICYCLE OR WALK OR TAKE THE BUS. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, LIVING IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, THAT'S GOTTA MEAN, UM, SHADED OPPORTUNITIES, UM, IN 110 DEGREE HEAT IN THE SUMMER. UM, YOU JUST MIGHT SUFFER FROM HEATSTROKE, TRYING TO WALK TO THE BUS STOP. UM, SO SHADING THE RIGHT OF WAY IS, IS CRITICAL TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE. AND AS NAOMI POINTED OUT, IT'S CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, FOR MULTIPLE REASONS, UM, AND FOR ALL THE REASONS SHE POINTED OUT. AND, UM, THE TARP, UM, INTENTIONALLY USES THE PHRASE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN THIS WORK BECAUSE THE INTENT IS TO COMMUNICATE STREET TREES AS BEING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S, UM, ON PAR AND AS IMPORTANT AS THE OTHER TYPES OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE MAKE ROOM FOR IN OUR RIGHTS OF WAY. UM, AND SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, AS NAOMI MENTIONED, UM, THIS WORK WAS IN DIRECT RESPONSE TO, UH, COUNCIL RESOLUTION TO IDENTIFY THE BARRIERS TO STREET TREES IN AUSTIN AND TO WORK WITH, UM, THE TARP MEMBERS, UM, TO, IN THAT EFFORT. UM, SO THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA SHARE WITH YOU TODAY, UM, I WANNA KINDA BE EXPLICIT. THEY COME FROM THIS TARP WORKING GROUP, UM, AND THE FOLKS THAT YOU SEE IN, UH, BULLET FORM ON THE RIGHT HERE, THESE ARE THE, THE REPRESENTATIVES THAT HAD A SEAT, UM, IN THIS WORKING GROUP. UM, AND THEY INCLUDE REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL OF THE IMPACTED DEPARTMENTS WHO OPERATE AND ARE STAKEHOLDERS WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY. UM, AS WELL AS, AS NAOMI, UH, REFERENCED, UM, SEVERAL FOLKS FROM THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT, UH, SECTOR WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE TRYING TO GET SITE PLANS THROUGH OUR PROCESSES AND HAVE RUN UP AGAINST THESE, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROCESS BARRIERS TO GETTING STREET TREES PLANTED. YOU KNOW, EVEN FOLKS WHO WANNA PLANT STREET TREES OFTEN FEEL LIKE THEY CAN'T. UM, SO THIS GROUP WORKED TOGETHER TO IDENTIFY THE BARRIERS, IDENTIFY SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDRESSING THOSE BARRIERS, UM, AND HAVE PULLED TOGETHER, UM, A REALLY COMPREHENSIVE RE REPORT SUMMARIZING THAT WORK, AND HAVE HANDED IT OVER TO CITY LEADERSHIP AND DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP WHO ARE RIGHT NOW, UM, REVIEWING THOSE RECOMME RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, AND KIND OF WORKING INTERNALLY WITH THEIR TEAMS AND WITH US AT TRANSPORTATION TO IDENTIFY, OKAY, HOW DO WE CARRY THE TORCH AND INTEGRATE THESE TARP RECOMMENDATIONS INTO OUR WORK PLANS MOVING FORWARD. SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS. SO I'M REVIEWING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WITH YOU, UM, IN REAL TIME TODAY AS, AS DEPARTMENTS ARE REVIEWING IT AS WELL. UM, THAT TARP WORKING GROUP THAT NAOMI SAT ON, UM, THEY, THEY REALLY WENT THROUGH THEIR WORK IN, IN THIS KIND OF THREE-PRONGED APPROACH THAT YOU SEE ENUMERATED AT THE TOP OF THE SLIDE HERE. SO FIRST THE GROUP, UM, FOR A COUPLE MONTHS DID SOME DEEP WORK, UM, IDENTIFYING, OKAY, WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS TO PROVIDING STREET TREES IN AUSTIN? AND SOME OF THOSE BARRIERS ARE, ARE REGULATORY. THEY SIT WITHIN OUR CODE OR THEY SIT WITHIN OUR VARIOUS, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE CRITERIA. MANUALS A LOT OF TIMES CRITERIA MANUALS FROM, YOU KNOW, UH, DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS ARE CONFLICTING WITH EACH OTHER AND IT'S DIFFICULT TO RESOLVE, UM, CREATING A BARRIER. WE ALSO, UM, IDENTIFIED, UM, PERMITTING RELATED BARRIERS TO PROVIDING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE. UM, ONE OF WHICH OF, OF, OF ONE OF THOSE BEING LICENSE [00:15:01] AGREEMENTS. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THOSE IN A MOMENT. UM, AND THEN THEY ALSO IDENTIFIED, UM, KIND OF THIS BROADER CATEGORY THAT WE CALLED PROGRAMMATIC BARRIERS. SO BARRIERS RELATED TO THE WAY THAT, UM, WE JUST OPERATE AND ORGANIZE OURSELVES AS A CITY. UM, THE WAY WE KIND OF ESTABLISH OUR PROGRAMS AND FUND THOSE PROGRAMS, FOR EXAMPLE, THEN HAVING THOSE BARRIERS IDENTIFIED. UM, OUR CONSULTANT TEAM, UM, DID SOME RESEARCH LOOKING AT PEER CITIES. UM, IS THIS THING STILL WORKING? OKAY, , I DON'T SOUND AS LOUD. UH, DID SOME WORK, UH, LOOKING AT PEER CITIES, UM, AND, AND SPECIFICALLY HOW SOME OF OUR COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE, THE COUNTRY AND THE CONTINENT ARE ADDRESSING BARRIERS SIMILAR TO THE ONES THAT WE'RE CONFRONTING HERE IN AUSTIN. UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT THE FIRST CITY TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT, OKAY, HOW DO I GET STREET TREES AND POWER IN MY RIGHT OF WAY? SO WHAT LESSONS CAN WE LEARN? UM, AND THEN FINALLY, CONSOLIDATING ALL THAT, AS I MENTIONED INTO A SERIES OF, OF WHAT ARE JUST 13 OR 12 RECOMMENDED ACTIONS FOR ADDRESSING THOSE BARRIERS. WE'LL WALK THROUGH ALL 12 OF THOSE ONE BY ONE IN A MOMENT. BUT THEY ARE ORGANIZED ACCORDING TO THESE FOUR KIND OF COLOR CODED, UM, CATEGORIES YOU SEE HERE, THERE ARE, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDRESSING THE REGULATORY FOUNDATIONS. UH, BE THOSE IN CODE OR IN ADMINISTRATIVE CRITERIA MANUALS. THERE ARE REGULATIONS FOR IMPROVING OUR PROCESSES FOR HOW WE ADDRESS MAINTENANCE NEEDS FOR TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. UM, AND IN REGARD TO HOW WE PLAN FOR, UM, AND, AND FUND CAPITAL PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS. AND, UM, KEEP IN MIND AS WE WALK THROUGH THESE 12 RECOMMENDATIONS THAT, UM, THE WORKING GROUP IS, IS ALSO REALLY CONCEPTUALIZING THESE AS A WATERFALL, UM, AS A BUNDLE, UM, THAT REALLY SHOULD MOVE FORWARD IN SEQUENCE WITH THE REGULATORY RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, BEING ADDRESSED FIRST, UM, AND WHICH IS SENSIBLE. UM, YOU REALLY HAVE TO KIND OF CLEAN UP THAT REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT TO LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR JUST EVEN BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE A STREET TREE WITHOUT CONFLICTING WITH ADMINISTRATIVE OR LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS. AND THEN SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE IMPROVE OUR PROCESSES? HOW DO WE ADDRESS MAINTAINING THESE TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY? AND THEN WITH THOSE SYSTEMS IN PLACE, THEN THE CITY COULD BE IN A POSITION TO THINK ABOUT, OKAY, HOW DO I, UM, DEVELOP PROGRAMS AND PROCESSES FOR ADDRESSING INFILL NEEDS? AND, AND HOW DO I APPROACH CAPITAL PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD? UM, WITH ALL OF THAT, UM, KIND OF FOUNDATION, UH, THOSE FOUNDATIONAL STEPS ADDRESSED. UM, SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'LL UM, JUST WALK YOU THROUGH THOSE 12 RECOMMENDATIONS. UM, THIS FIRST TRANCHE BEING THOSE REGULATORY FOUNDATIONS WE DISCUSSED, UM, THE NUMBER ONE, UM, ACTION THAT THE TARP IS RECOMMENDING IS, UM, REALLY TO TAKE A DIVE INTO EACH OF OUR, UM, CRITERIA MANUALS TO ADDRESS CONFLICTS AND BARRIERS. THE FIRST BEING TO KIND OF EXPAND THE, THE, THE PURVIEW AND THE CONTENT OF THE TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUAL FIRST. UM, TO CLARIFY THAT IT'S THE TCM, UM, AS, AS THE, THE, THE BODY AND THE DOCUMENT THAT REGULATES THE SIDEWALK CORRIDOR. IT'S THE TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUAL. THAT HAS TO BE THE, THE KIND OF CLEAR PLACE WHERE STREET TREES NEED TO BE REGULATED. UM, WHERE WE, WHAT WE HAVE NOW IN AUSTIN IS, UH, FRANKLY A DISPERSED CONSTELLATION OF REQUIREMENTS. IF YOU WANNA PLANT A STREET TREE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, YOU PROBABLY HAVE TO LOOK INTO NO FEWER THAN FOUR DIFFERENT CRITERIA MANUALS, SEVERAL DIFFERENT CODES, SECTIONS AM MIGHT GUIDED BY A REGULATING PLAN HERE, OR WHAT IS THE UTILITY CRITERIA MANUAL SAY. IT'S FRANKLY VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE. UM, SO REALLY CLARIFYING THAT THE SIDEWALK CORRIDOR, UM, AND THE TREES THAT ARE A COMPONENT OF THE SIDEWALK CORRIDOR ARE REGULATED WITH THE TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUAL JUST CLEANS UP AND SIMPLIFIES AND CREATES SO MUCH EFFICIENCY. UM, AND, UH, FURTHERMORE USING THAT TCM, BECAUSE IT IS KIND OF THE, THE OVERARCHING, UM, REGULATORY INSTRUMENT OVER THE RIGHT OF WAY, CLARIFYING IN THIS DOCUMENT HOW THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF THE RIGHT OF WAY THAT ARE GUIDED BY OTHER MANUALS WORK COHESIVELY TOGETHER, UM, IN A SINGLE GEOGRAPHY. SO TO PUT A FINER POINT ON THAT, WHEN IT COMES TO UTILITY LOCATION, WHETHER THAT BE BELOW GRADE OR OVERHEAD, HOW DO THOSE UTILITY LOCATION [00:20:01] AND CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS RELATE TO THE STREET TREE AND SIDEWALK REQUIREMENTS IN THE TCM? UM, SO THE, AGAIN, THE IDEA HERE IS TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE, KIND OF COHESIVE APPROACH TO NOT JUST WHAT'S HAPPENING AT STREETSCAPE LEVEL, BUT UM, IN MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS ALONG THAT Y AXIS, HOW ALL THESE THINGS WORK TOGETHER IN TANDEM WITH THAT, UH, TCM UPDATE. UM, IT'S ALSO GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO UPDATE OUR STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS AND DRAWINGS. AND THAT'S ITEM NUMBER TWO HERE. UM, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE STANDARD DRAWINGS FOR TREE PITS OR TREE TRENCHES OR, UM, YOU KNOW, STANDARD, UM, PRODUCT LISTS FOR IRRIGATION OR SOIL CELLS. UM, AND JUST HAVING THAT PRE-OP MENU, UM, THAT YOU CAN REFERENCE AND APPLY TO YOUR PROJECT IS, IS GOING TO, UM, MAKE LIFE SO MUCH EASIER FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO PROVIDE STREET TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY IN CONJUNCTION. UM, AND, AND AGAIN, THIS IS A BUNDLE NUMBER THREE HERE, IS TAKING A LOOK AT THE UTILITY, UH, DESIGN REQUIREMENTS IN THEIR CRITERIA MANUAL AND LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO GET MORE EFFICIENT WITH, UM, CLEARANCE AND SPACING REQUIREMENTS. UM, RIGHT NOW, UM, AND FOR VERY UNDERSTANDABLE REASON, WE HAVE FAIRLY ROBUST, UM, SPACING REQUIREMENTS AND CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS BETWEEN, UM, WET UTILITIES UNDERGROUND AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN TREES AND WATER LINES. UM, YOU KNOW, AS MUCH AS, YOU KNOW, REQUIRING NINE FEET, UH, BETWEEN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND TREES, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT'S A LOT OF SPACE. ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES AS WE'RE UPDATING THE TCM AND UPDATING THOSE TREE PLANTING REQUIREMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE NEW SPECIFICATIONS, IF WE'RE REQUIRING ROOT BARRIERS, IF WE'RE SPECIFYING SOIL CELLS TO CONTAIN THOSE ROOTS, IF WE'RE CLARIFYING WHAT REQUIRED SOIL VOLUMES ARE TO ALLOW FOR HEALTHY TREE GROWTH, IS THERE THEN OPPORTUNITY THEN TO MINIMIZE THOSE CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS FROM NINE FEET FROM TREES DOWN TO SAY, FIVE FEET? UM, WHICH WOULD HELP MINIMIZE, MAXIMIZE OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE MORE TREES, FOR EXAMPLE. THESE ARE ONE, THIS IS ONE OF THE EXAMPLES. IF, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THE, OUR LOVELY CITY ARBORISTS CAN CONFIRM THAT A TREE CAN BE REMOVED IF IT'S OVER A WATER LINE THAT NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED, DOES THAT PROVIDE ASSURANCES TO ALLOW FOR, UM, VERTICAL STACKING IN SOME INSTANCES AT A, AT A, YOU KNOW, REASONABLE DEPTH OR, OR DIFFERENTIAL? SO THESE ARE THE TYPES OF EFFICIENCIES AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO WORK THROUGH WITH OUR PARTNERS. UM, NUMBER FOUR IS THEN, UM, WORKING WITH NAOMI AND HER TEAM TO UPDATE OUR TREE SPECIES LIST, UM, TO BE MUCH MORE CONTEXTUAL. WE RECOGNIZE NOT ONLY DO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR, UM, APPROVED STREET STREET TREE LIST IS RESPONSIVE TO KIND OF OUR CHANGING AND, AND FRANKLY HARSHER CLIMATE, UM, BUT ALSO THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING KIND OF, UM, MICRO CLIMATES AND CONTEXT, WHAT'S THE RIGHT TR KIND OF TREE, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, UNDER AN OVERHEAD LINE, WHAT'S THE RIGHT KIND OF TREE, UM, GIVEN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SOIL VOLUME OR RIGHT OF WAY WIDTH AVAILABLE TO IT? AND DOES THAT CHANGE NORTH SIDE ON SOUTH SIDE? DOES, UM, WE WANNA GIVE PROJECT OWNERS MORE TOOLS AND MORE OPTIONS AND MORE CERTAINTY THAT THEY'RE PICKING THE RIGHT TREE FOR THE RIGHT PLACE. AND THEN FINALLY, NUMBER FIVE HERE IS, UM, KIND OF A LONGER TERM RECOMMENDATION TO CONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S A NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT CITY CODE UPDATES TO REQUIRE STREET TREES AS PART OF FRONTAGE IMPROVEMENTS. RIGHT NOW, UM, IT'S VERY CLEAR IN CITY CODE THAT, UM, CERTAIN DEVELOPMENT TYPES TRIGGER FRONTAGE IMPROVEMENTS THAT, UM, MAINLY ARE SIDEWALK. UM, DO WE NEED TO CLARIFY IN CODE THAT A TREE IS PART OF THAT SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENT? UM, WE'RE, WE'RE RECOMMENDING KIND OF, OR THE TARP IS RECOMMENDING KIND OF SITTING ON THAT ONE FOR A WHILE PENDING THESE ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES, BECAUSE I THINK THE GROUP FEELS LIKE, UM, SO MANY OF THE BARRIERS CAN BE ADDRESSED VIA THESE CRITERIA MANUAL UPDATES. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT, UH, SEE THAT WE DON'T NEED CITY CODE UPDATES, THAT WE CAN BE VERY SUCCESSFUL REGULATING IT ADMINISTRATIVELY. UM, BUT THIS IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO BE CLEAR THE TARP WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT THIS IS ALSO, UM, AN OPTION. [00:25:02] MOVING ON TO THE NEXT GROUP OF RECOMMENDATIONS, LOOKING AT PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS, UH, NUMBER SIX HERE IS TO WORK WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT IN OUR KIND OF DEVELOPMENT REVIEW WORKFLOW AND TIMELINE THAT WE'RE WORKING INTERDEPARTMENTALLY, UM, EARLY IN THE PROCESS TO, UM, COLLABORATIVELY IDENTIFY A DEVELOPMENTS RIGHT OF WAY REQUIREMENTS THAT THIS, THE, THE REQUIREMENTS FOR RIGHT OF WAY IMPROVEMENTS, UM, AREN'T COMING LATE STAGE IN THE GAME, AREN'T A SURPRISE, UM, LATE IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS. UM, AND, AND, AND WE'RE CLARIFYING AND WORKING TOGETHER AS AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL TEAM HOW RIGHT OF WAY TRADE-OFFS NEED TO BE COLLECTIVELY CONSIDERED DURING THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS. WHAT WE WANNA GET AWAY FROM IS KIND OF A LINEAR REVIEW PROCESS WHERE WE'RE NOT ABLE TO KIND OF INTERDEPARTMENTALLY DISCUSS RIGHT OF WAY TRADE OFFS. YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS IF WE MOVE THIS METER OVER HERE? DOES THAT CREATE A SPACE FOR A TREE? WHAT IF WE CONSOLIDATED METERS AND, AND, UH, MAYBE ASK FOR AN EASEMENT TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE ROOM? THESE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT AS A GROUP, UM, THAT, THAT WE NEED TO WORK THROUGH TOGETHER WITH OUR DEVELOPMENT REVIEW TEAMS, WITH TRANSPORTATION, WITH OUR UTILITY PARTNERS. UM, NINE TIMES OUTTA 10, WHEN YOU ARE DEVELOPING A RIGHT OF WAY IMPROVEMENT PLAN OR A SITE PLAN OR AN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN, YOU HAVE NON-STANDARD CONDITIONS AND YOU HAVE TO, UM, KIND OF LOOK FOR COMPROMISES AND GIVE AND TAKE, AND YOU HAVE TO ADJUST. SO DEVELOPING INTERDEPARTMENTAL RIGHT OF WAY TEAMS, UM, TO PROVIDE THAT INPUT TO DEVELOP DEVELOPMENTS EARLY IN THE PROCESS IS GONNA HELP US FACILITATE THE TYPES OF IMPROVEMENTS WE WANNA SEE, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT INCLUDE STREET TREES. UM, AND THEN NUMBER SEVEN HERE. UM, ALSO WORKING WITH, UM, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UM, TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY IN OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING THOSE THAT, UM, INTERACT OFTEN WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND, AND ARE PLAYERS IN THE DEVELOPMENT, UH, WORLD AND, AND, AND AS WELL AS INTERNAL STAFF ARE AWARE OF KIND OF NEW AND CLARIFIED STREET TREE REQUIREMENTS AND PROCESSES, UM, SO THAT AS PROJECTS COME IN, THEY'RE AWARE OF WHAT'S REQUIRED AND THEY INCLUDE STREET TREES AND IT'S NOT A SURPRISE TO ANYBODY. UM, THE NEXT TRANCHE OF RECOMMENDATIONS HERE PERTAIN TO MAINTENANCE. HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAINTAIN STREETS TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY? UM, RIGHT NOW THE CITY REQUIRES, UM, A SOMEWHAT ONEROUS PROCESS CALLED THE LICENSE AGREEMENT YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH. UM, AND THIS IS KIND OF A ONE OFF PROCESS, UM, WHEREBY IF YOU'RE PUTTING SOMETHING IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, UM, AND THE CITY IS NOT GOING TO MAINTAIN IT, YOU GET, UM, KIND OF A LEGAL, UM, DOCUMENT CALLED A LICENSE AGREEMENT THAT SAYS, I AM PUTTING THIS THING IN THE RIGHT OF WAY AND I WILL BE ON THE HOOK FOR MAINTAINING IT. UM, AND IT GOES THROUGH THIS VERY KIND OF CHALLENGING AND LONG AND FRANKLY UNPREDICTABLE, UM, REVIEW PROCESS. UM, AND IT COSTS EXTRA MONEY. AND FRANKLY, A LOT OF PEOPLE VERY MUCH TRY TO AVOID THE LICENSE AGREEMENT PROCESS. UM, SO REQUIRING LICENSE AGREEMENTS FOR STREET TREES IS CERTAINLY A BARRIER. AND ONE THAT WE HEARD, A CONCERN THAT WE HEARD RAISED MULTIPLE TIMES IN THIS WORK. UM, SO RECOMMENDATION NUMBER EIGHT IS SIMPLY TO DO AWAY WITH LICENSE AGREEMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR STREET TREES. UM, WHICH BEGS THE QUESTION THEN HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAINTAIN THEM, UM, IF WE'RE NOT LEGALLY REQUIRING THE PROPERTY OWNER TO DO SO? UM, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THIS MECHANISM, AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OPTIONS HERE, UM, YOU KNOW, MOST OF OUR PEER CITIES JUST HAVE A SINGLE UNIVERSAL STIPULATION IN CITY CODE THAT SAYS ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS ARE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN STREET TREES ALONG THEIR PROPERTY FRONTAGE. UM, AND THAT'S PRETTY STANDARD. BUT WHAT THE TARP IS RECOMMENDING HERE IS SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE AMBITIOUS. UM, AND THAT'S EXPLORING, UM, THE OPTION OF, OF THE CITY LEADING MAINTENANCE FOR STREET TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. AND THERE ARE SEVERAL BENEFITS TO THAT. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT, UM, TO ENSURE THAT WITH PRIVATE MAINTENANCE THAT TREES ARE MAINTAINED PROPERLY THAT, UM, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, KNOW WHEN A STORM COMES AND, AND THE TREES ARE READY TO KIND OF WEATHER THAT, UM, NO PUN INTENDED. AND THE, UM, AND THAT MAINTENANCE IS DONE KIND OF ON A REGULAR PREDICTABLE SCHEDULE. UM, AND THAT THE HEALTH OF THE TREE IS KIND OF FIRST AND FOREMOST, UM, WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER, UM, WITH CITY [00:30:01] CREWS OR CITY STAFF OVERSEEING THOSE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES, UM, THERE'S A LITTLE MORE CERTAINTY THAT THOSE TREES ARE GONNA BE MAINTAINED PROPERLY. UM, THE CHALLENGE HERE IS THAT THAT DOES COME WITH KIND OF SIGNIFICANT RESOURCE NEEDS. UM, RIGHT NOW THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH MAINTENANCE DOLLARS, UM, COMING IN TO TAKE ON A WHOLE NEW ASSET CLASS. SO HOW ARE WE GONNA SECURE FUNDING TO DO THIS? UM, AND IT'S AN OPEN QUESTION. UM, SO THERE ARE SOME AVENUES WE WANNA EXPLORE HERE ON NUMBER NINE. UM, NUMBER 10 IS IF INDEED WE ARE GONNA BE KIND OF TAKING ON MAINTENANCE FOR STREET TREES, UM, WE CERTAINLY NEED, YOU KNOW, A COMPREHENSIVE INVENTORY OF WHAT'S OUT THERE NOW IN THE RIGHT OF WAY SO WE CAN START TO ESTABLISH THOSE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES AND MAINTENANCE NEEDS AND, AND START TO KNOW WHERE OUR GAPS ARE SO THAT WE CAN START TO GET ON TOP OF THAT. UM, AND THEN FINALLY THIS LAST CATEGORY, UM, CAPITAL PROJECTS AND PLANNING. UM, NUMBER 11 HERE, YOU KNOW, WITH, AGAIN, THESE ARE BUILDING WITH THAT, UM, INVENTORY IN HAND, WE WILL KNOW WHERE OUR GAPS ARE. UM, SO WE WOULD THEN BE EQUIPPED TO REALLY DEVELOP A KIND OF A PLAN AND A PROGRAM TO IDENTIFY AND PRIORITIZE TREE AND FILL NEEDS ACROSS THE CITY. UM, AND, UM, TO DEVELOP KIND OF, YOU KNOW, TARGETS AND GOALS FOR, UM, FOR GETTING KIND OF ROBUST TREAT CANOPY IN OUR RIGHTS OF WAY. UM, AND THEN NUMBER 12 IS, AGAIN, WITH THE REGULATIONS CLEANED UP WITH CLEAR KIND OF REQUIREMENTS AND PROGRAMS FOR MAINTENANCE, WE CAN THEN START TO KIND OF REGULARLY INCORPORATE STREET TREES AS A BASELINE SCOPE ELEMENT IN OUR LARGE CAPITAL PROJECTS. UM, SO IT WOULDN'T JUST BE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, ON THE HOOK FOR PROVIDING STREET TREES WHEN THEY DO BIG IMPROVEMENTS, IT WOULD BE THE CITY AS WELL. UM, AGAIN, THIS COMES WITH A RESOURCE NEED. IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, NOT EXPENSIVE TO PLANTS A TREE. A A TREE IS NOT THAT MUCH MONEY, BUT IF YOU HAVE TO MOVE UTILITIES ALONG A STREET CORRIDOR TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE TREE, THAT GETS VERY EXPENSIVE VERY QUICKLY. UM, SO THIS IS GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, UM, 11 AND 12 IS WHERE WE WOULD NEED TO KIND OF STRATEGICALLY OVERLAP CAPITAL NEEDS WITH OUR UTILITY PARTNERS. HEY, IF YOU'RE GONNA BE MOVING UTILITIES ON THAT STREET TOO, THAT'S ON OUR BIG KIND OF SIDEWALK NEED LIST. LET'S LEVERAGE OUR FUNDS TOGETHER. THIS IS THE KIND OF, I THINK, NIMBLE THINKING THAT'S GONNA BE REQUIRED, UH, TO MAKE PUBLIC INVESTMENTS IN STREET TREES POSSIBLE, UM, WITH 11 AND 12 HERE. SO THAT IS, UM, THOSE ARE THE 12 RECOMMENDATIONS. UM, WHERE WE ARE NOW IS, UM, WE'RE BRIEFING BOARDS, COMMISSIONS. WE DID BRIEF CITY COUNCIL MOBILITY COMMITTEE, UM, ON SEPTEMBER 18TH, AND COME THE END OF THE MONTH WE'LL BE, UM, RELEASING A MEMO TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UM, CLARIFYING, UM, HOW DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP, UM, IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO INTEGRATE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS INTO OUR INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORK PLANS. UM, SO I'LL BE COORDINATING THAT MEMO. IT'LL COME THROUGH TRANSPORTATION, BUT WITH PARTICIPATION FROM OUR UTILITY PARTNERS, UM, FROM DEVELOPMENT REVIEW, FROM ALL THE FOLKS WHO HAVE A STAKE IN THIS. UM, SO IT'LL HAVE AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL VOICE CLARIFYING, OKAY, HOW CAN WE START TO, WITH STEP ONE HERE AND DIVING INTO OUR CRITERIA MANUALS AND DEVELOP A WORK PLAN FOR THAT. SO THAT'S FORTHCOMING, UM, WITH THAT MEMO, WE'LL, UH, PROVIDE, WE'LL HAVE A LINK TO THE FULL, UM, REPORT FROM THE TARP ON, UH, THE GR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, AS WELL, BUT OUT HERE SPEAKING WITH YOU AND OTHER COMMISSIONS NOW TO, UM, LISTEN TO YOUR COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. WELL, UM, LET'S DIVE INTO THE DISCUSSION AND, UM, WE'LL START OVER HERE WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER CHANG. HI. THANKS SO MUCH FOR THAT. THAT WAS, THAT WAS REALLY GREAT. YOU GUYS HAVE SOME REALLY AWESOME PLANS. UM, I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW, BUT PERHAPS COME BACK TO ME 'CAUSE THANK YOU. GREAT. IT'S ALWAYS BE HARD TO BE THE FIRST ONE TO START. COMMISSIONER RECI. UH, YEAH, APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION. YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY GOOD TO SEE THAT, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO PLANT TREES, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, YOU DO HAVE TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE NOW WE'VE GOT SO MANY STORMS AND THE TREES ARE FALLING ALL THE TIME TOO, SO YOU GOTTA WORRY ABOUT [00:35:01] THAT. SO, UH, THAT'S ALWAYS FUN. UM, YEAH, YOU KNOW, I THINK MY QUESTION IS SORT OF, YOU KNOW, COMING FROM MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, UH, LATELY I'VE BEEN STAYING OFF OF, UH, EAST MLK, BETWEEN AIRPORT AND SPRINGDALE. I THINK TECHNICALLY THAT PART OF MLK IS LIKE THE STATE IS LIKE, OR LIKE TEXTILES RESPONSIBLE FOR IT, I THINK. SO LIKE HOW WOULD STREET RIGHTWAY WORK IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT? WOULD THAT STILL BE THE CITY MANAGING IT? BECAUSE I THINK ON THE NORTH SIDE IT'S LIKE A GOLF COURSE, AND I THINK MAYBE THAT CITY OWNED, BUT I HAVE NO IDEA. THIS IS LIKE WAY BEYOND MY, UH, PAY GRADE. SO I HAVE NO IDEA HOW ANY OF THAT STUFF WORKS. BUT I WAS CURIOUS IF Y'ALL COULD SPEAK ABOUT LIKE A SITUATION LIKE THAT. WHAT EXACTLY, UH, YOU KNOW, COULD YOU DO TO, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, FACILITATE MORE, UH, TREES BEING PLANTED? 'CAUSE IN THE SUMMER IT'S SUPER HOT WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO WALK OR TAKE THE BUS ANYWHERE. MM-HMM . YEAH, HAPPY TO ANSWER THAT. SO YOU'RE RIGHT. UM, WE HAVE A SEVERAL TEXTILE ROADWAYS IN OUR CITY. UM, UM, YOU KNOW, LEGACY RURAL HIGHWAYS. OH, SORRY. UM, SO FOR THOSE WE WOULD HAVE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH TXDOT AND RECONCILE, YOU KNOW, OUR DESIGN, UM, OBJECTIVES WITH THEIR DESIGN STANDARDS. UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THEY TYPICALLY REQUIRE A CLEAR ZONE BETWEEN THE CURB, UM, OR THE EDGE OF THE, THE ROADWAY. UM, AND A CLEAR ZONE, CLEAR OF ANY VERTICAL, UM, OBSTRUCTIONS. UM, SO WE WOULD HAVE TO WORK WITH THEM, UM, JUST KIND OF CASE BY CASE, LIKE, AND, AND THAT'S A NEGOTIATION. YEAH. SOUNDS GOOD. UH, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS AT THE TIME. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER FLORY. UH, GREAT, THANK YOU, UH, VERY MUCH. UM, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT LIKE THE, YOU MENTIONED, UH, A NEED FOR, TO DO AN INVENTORY OF STREET TEA TREES. WHAT, WHAT KIND OF THE EXISTING CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT THERE IS, AND IF Y'ALL ARE GONNA HAVE A, A STRATEGY FOR ABOUT WHERE YOU'RE GONNA PLANT TREES, PRIORITIZE ONE AREA OVER ANOTHER THAT'S GONNA COME OUT IN NAOMI'S GROUP. I'M GONNA LET HER RESPOND TO THAT. NAOMI RAEL CITY ARBORIST, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION. THERE IS A COUNCIL RESOLUTION TO PROMOTE, UH, TREE INVENTORY. UM, ONE IS, IS MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT, UM, FOR STREET TREES, STILL WORKING ON THAT. UM, EMILY FORESTER, EM, EMILY KING IS THE URBAN FORESTER UNDER TITLE SIX THREE, AND IS WORKING ON THAT WITH TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS. ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A STREET TREE INVENTORY IS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE AND YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR GAPS AND YOUR PLANTING IS, BUT ALSO YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR MAINTENANCE NEEDS. SO YOU CAN WORK WITH A LOT LESS RESOURCES BASED ON YOUR INVENTORY. YOU CAN GET YOUR CREWS OUT THERE TO DO THE PRIORITY ONE REMOVALS, PRIORITY TWO PRUNES. YOU CAN ASSESS THE CONDITION OF THE TREE. AND A LOT OF IT IS BOOTS ON THE GROUND, UM, ARBORIST COMPANY COMING UP AND LOOKING, MEASURING THAT TREE, LOOKING FOR SIDEWALK LIFTS OR CONFLICTS OR IF THE GRATES ARE GROWING OR THE TREE IS GROWING INTO THE GRATES. UM, AS JUST SOMEBODY THAT'S DONE A LOT OF TREE INVENTORIES, MY BACKGROUND FOR 10 YEARS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, I REALLY SAW HOW CITIES WERE ABLE TO USE THAT INVENTORY, GET THEIR CREWS OUT THERE, PLAN, EVEN THEIR STUMP GRINDING BUDGET FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. SO IT'S AN IMPORTANT ASPECT ON IT, BUT WE DO UNDERSTAND THERE'S A LOT OF RESOURCES THAT ARE GONNA BE INVOLVED FOR THAT INVENTORY, ESPECIALLY IF YOU WANT A REALLY HIGH QUALITY INVENTORY AND YOU CAN USE THAT DATA. AND I GUESS, UH, IS, IS THAT GONNA HELP Y'ALL PRIORITIZE WHERE YOU MIGHT, UM, STRATEGIZE OR PRIORITIZE MORE STREET TREES IN SOME AREAS THAN OTHERS? SO WHAT COMES TO MIND IS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, UM, KNOWING WHERE THERE'S A LOT LESS TREES THAN OTHERS WHERE THERE'S OLD TREES, HISTORIC TREES THAT PROVIDE GOOD SHADE AND NOT OTHERS. UM, IF WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING TO DO WITH THE INVENTORY AFTERWARDS. ABSOLUTELY. YEAH, I CAN, I CAN HELP SPEAK TO THAT. UM, THAT'S RIGHT. SO ONCE WE KNOW WHERE THE GAPS ARE, WE CAN START TO THINK ABOUT, OKAY, WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES FOR INFILL? AND THERE ARE LIKELY TO BE SEVERAL CATEGORIES THAT ARE GONNA HELP US PRIORITIZE, OKAY, WHAT'S THE HIGHEST NEED FIRST, THE SECOND HIGHEST NEED SECOND THOSE I IMAGINE WOULD BE ACCESS TO TRANSIT. WHERE'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING LOCATED? WHERE ARE THE MOST PEOPLE WALKING AND BIKING? UM, TO YOUR POINT, UM, WHERE DO WE SEE HIGHER EQUITY NEEDS? SO I, I THINK ALL OF THOSE VERY WELL, UM, MIGHT BE A FACTOR AS THEY ARE NOW IN THE TRANSPORTATION WORK, UM, THAT WE DO PRIORITIZING WHERE WE NEED SIDEWALK AND FILL AND BIKE LANE IMPROVEMENTS. WE LOOK AT THOSE FACTORS AND WE WOULD FOR THAT AS WELL. GREAT. GOOD TO HEAR. I LOVE THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S DATA SETS. I'M JUST EXCITED TO GET THAT INVENTORY, UH, WHEN, WHEN Y'ALL MAKE IT AVAILABLE. AND ALSO LIKE FOR JUST A SMALLER [00:40:01] THING, YOUR COST OF MAINTENANCE. IF YOU CAN LIKE STRUCTURALLY PRUNE A A STREET TREE WHEN IT'S YOUNG AND YOU CAN DO CORRECT PRUNING, YOUR COST OF MAINTENANCE IN THE LONG TERM IS A LOT LESS IF YOU FOCUS ON PROPER MAINTENANCE. LIKE I SAID, TREES ARE THE ONLY INFRASTRUCTURE IN A CITY THAT INCREASES AS IT AGES, BUT YOU GOTTA PROPERLY MAINTAIN IT. AND ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THE STREET TREE INVENTORY IS KNOWING WHAT YOU HAVE AND PRIORITIZING EITHER DOING A CYCLICAL MAINTENANCE OR, YOU KNOW, AGING THESE TREES FOR THE FUTURE. YEAH. THANK YOU. UM, AND THEN ONE OTHER QUESTION, I MIGHT HAVE MISSED IT, BUT IT, IT SEEMS THAT THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IS REALLY FOCUSED ON TREES AT THIS TIME, BUT I'M SURE Y'ALL HAVE A LIST OF OTHER TYPES OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THAT IS FOR THE RIGHT OF WAY. UM, YOU'RE RIGHT. UM, IT'S, IT'S A MORE COMPREHENSIVE TURN THAN JUST TREE CHOOSE ALONE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO FOCUS ON THE LOW HANGING FRUIT. IT'S REALLY TREES WHERE YOU'RE GONNA GET THE MOST, UM, IMPACT FOR YOUR INVESTMENT, UM, IN REGARD TO ALL OF THE SYSTEMS THAT NAOMI ARTICULATED. SO, AND THIS HAS BEEN, UM, KIND OF A NUTS AND CRACK IN OUR CITY FOR A LONG TIME. UM, SO IF WE CAN SOLVE THE STREET TREE, UM, ISSUE, THEN I THINK EVERYTHING ELSE GETS EASIER AFTER THAT . YEAH. UM, AND ONE LAST SMALL QUESTION, AND IT KIND OF RELATES TO THE OTHER ONE. UM, THIS WAS MAYBE 15 YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A, A CITY DID A GREEN ALLEY INITIATIVE, UM, WITH UT AUSTIN AND IT WAS ABOUT GREENING THE ALLEYWAYS OF EAST SIDE AUSTIN, AND THAT WAS WHERE THEY STARTED USING THE TERM GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, PLANTING, STREET TREES, DOING STREET ART, PERMEABLE PAVERS, AND REALLY JUST EMPLOYING A GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE ALLEYWAY. AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF THAT INFORMED THIS AT ALL, OR IF THAT PROJECT DIED. NO, IT DIDN'T REALLY INFORM IT. AND YEAH, I DON'T KNOW THE STATUS OF THAT PROJECT. THAT CERTAINLY PRECEDED ME. UM, SO IT WAS WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL THERE. I JUST, YEAH. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS. I'M SO GLAD YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THE ALLEYWAYS, UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, LUKI. BOY, I AM REALLY GLAD SOMEBODY ELSE IN THE WORLD IS WORKING ON THIS IDEA. UH, IT IS REALLY A WEIRD COINCIDENCE THAT TODAY I HAVE BROUGHT FLYERS FOR MY SHADE THE STREETS PROGRAM THAT I AM DOING IN WINDSOR PARK. AND, UH, THE WHOLE IDEA BEHIND THAT IS BECAUSE IN THE EAST SIDE, UH, WE DON'T HAVE VERY GOOD TREE CANOPY COVERAGE. AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED THIS, THIS PROBLEM BY ACCIDENT FINDING OUT, UH, THROUGH INTERVIEWS, UH, ON A ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM I DO, WHERE THERE'S THIS THING CALLED THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT. AND, UM, SO THE IDEA WAS LET'S IDENTIFY ALL THE RESIDENCES IN WINDSOR PARK THAT COULD USE A TREE IN THE FRONT YARD. AND THEN WE GO TO ALL THOSE RESIDENCES AND WE LEAVE THEM A FLYER. IT SAYS, YOU CAN GET A FREE TREE. AND THEN WE ASK THEM TO ADOPT THIS TREE. AND THE THING THAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE EDUCATING THEM THAT NOT ONLY DO YOU GET THE FREE TREE, BUT YOU GET TO TAKE CARE OF IT AS WELL. AND WE ASK THEM TO WATER THE TREE EVERY WEEK. AND I'M LOOKING AT NUMBER NINE HERE ON YOUR LIST OF, UH, HOW IT IS THAT YOU'RE GONNA GET SOME OF THESE THINGS DONE WITHIN YOUR OWN PROGRAM. AND I THINK THE LOW HANGING FRUIT WOULD BE TO ACTUALLY GET THESE HOME, THESE PEOPLE WHO OWN THIS PROPERTY THAT YOU WANNA PUT A TREE ON, TO ACTUALLY JUST GET 'EM TO ADOPT THE TREE AND GET 'EM TO AGREE TO WATER IT. AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S VERY HARD TO DO. 'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD VERY EASILY. IN FACT, LAST YEAR IN OUR PROGRAM, THE FIRST TIME WE DID IT, WE PLANTED A THOUSAND TREES AND, UM, THROUGH VARIOUS ORGAN, UH, HELP WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, BUT WE'RE ATTACKING IT EXACTLY THE SAME WAY, WHICH IS FIND THOSE BIKE LANES THAT, UM, SOMETIMES THERE'LL BE A STREET THAT'S, UH, GOT A CHURCH THERE WITH A GIANT PROPERTY. AND, AND WE ARE, WE BASICALLY APPROACHED THEM AND SAID, CAN WE PLANT TREES HERE? AND SO THEY ACTUALLY AGREE TO THAT. AND, AND, UH, THERE ARE DEVICES OUT THERE, UM, THAT, UM, ARE VERY UNIQUE AND NEW THAT WILL WATER THE TREE EFFICIENTLY FOR A VERY LONG TIME WITHOUT ACTUALLY HAVING TO PUT WATER IN IT BECAUSE IT UTILIZES THIS, THIS TECHNOLOGY OF CAPTURING DEW EVERY NIGHT. IT'S CALLED A WATER BOX. UM, AND I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE OF IT, BUT, UH, AS, AS A PERSON WHO'S NOW DONE THIS AND I SEE HOW IT WORKS, I SAY, THIS IS THE THING THAT Y'ALL COULD DO TOO VERY EASILY. UM, SO, UM, THE OTHER THING IS THAT THE, THERE ALREADY EXISTS A TREE CANOPY MAP OF THE CITY. AND UH, IT'S NOT A NORTH SOUTH THING, IT'S AN EAST WEST THING IN REALITY BECAUSE, UH, UH, EAST OF I 35, YOU'VE GOT DIFFERENT DIRT THAN WEST AND SO YOU GOT DIFFERENT TREES AND YOU GOT DIFFERENT SITUATION FOR TREES TO SURVIVE. AND ON THE EAST SIDE, [00:45:01] UM, THE DIRT IS DEEPER . UH, AND, AND SO I THINK YOU HAVE A A, A HUGE OPPORTUNITY OVER THERE TO, UM, REALLY CHANGE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE EAST SIDE. WE'VE ONLY GOT 20% COVERAGE THERE, AND ON THE WEST SIDE IT'S 60% AND I'M SURE IT'S A FIVE TO 10 DEGREE DIFFERENCE ON ANY GIVEN, UH, SUMMER DAY AS TO HOW MUCH COOLER IT IS ON THE WEST SIDE. SO, UM, I CONGRATULATE Y'ALL ON PUTTING THIS PROGRAM TOGETHER. I'M VERY HAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT IT. UH, 'CAUSE I FELT LIKE I WAS THE ONLY PERSON WHO WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS, BUT I'VE GOT A GOOD GROUP OF PEOPLE AROUND US IN WINDSOR PARK WHO ARE, WHO ARE WORKING ON THIS. AND, AND I INVITE Y'ALL TO COME TO OUR EVENT ON NOVEMBER 1ST AT FAR HOLLOW MU PARK. IT'S CALLED AUSTIN ECO FEST. AND WE'RE GONNA BE GIVING AWAY ABOUT 600 TREES WITH THE HELP OF TREE FOLKS. AND ANYBODY WHO NEEDS TWO TREES CAN COME GET THEM. AND, UH, THAT IS IF YOU'RE LIVING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. UM, SO, UH, I DIDN'T ACTUALLY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. I JUST WANTED TO COMMEND Y'ALL ON, ON DOING THIS. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MORRISON. THANK YOU GUYS. UM, I ACTUALLY DIDN'T KNOW WE HAD A CITY ARBORIST, SO THAT'S AMAZING. UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. ONE, UH, ONE IS A CLARIFYING QUESTION ON THE, UH, THE LICENSING AGREEMENT PIECE THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT. UH, COULD YOU, UH, JUST GO BACK OVER THAT AND EXPLAIN WHERE THE RESPONSIBILITY CURRENTLY LIES FOR MAINTENANCE AND IF IT'S DIFFERENT THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT WASN'T, UM, FULLY CLEAR TO ME? SURE. SO RIGHT NOW, THE CITY DOES NOT MAINTAIN STREET TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. SO, UM, IF A PROPERTY OWNER, UM, SOMEONE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, FOR EXAMPLE, OR A, UM, DEVELOPMENT WANTS TO PLANT A STREET TREE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, SO OUTSIDE OF THEIR PRIVATE PROPERTY, UM, THEY HAVE TO GET A, WHAT'S CALLED A LICENSE AGREEMENT. UM, AND THAT LICENSE AGREEMENT IDENTIFIES THE THING THEY'RE PUTTING IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. AND WE REQUIRE LICENSE AGREEMENTS FOR DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. LIKE, UH, I DON'T KNOW, PUBLIC ART OR FENCES OR ROCK OR RETAINING WALLS THAT, THAT WE'RE NOT MAINTAINING OR, UM, ALL OF THAT STUFF PEOPLE PUT IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, TREES BEING ONE OF THEM. UM, SO IT IDENTIFIES THE LOCATION OF THE THING, THE OBJECT THAT THE PRIVATE PARTY IS PUTTING IN THE RIGHT OF WAY AND LEGALLY REQUIRES THEM TO MAINTAIN IT. UM, AND IT'S A CASE BY CASE APPLICATION. UM, SO EVERY TIME A DIFFERENT PROPERTY OWNER WANTS TO PUT SOMETHING IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT PROCESS, WHICH, UM, REQUIRES REVIEW AT ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS. UM, SO IT, IT'S LENGTHY, UM, AND YOU'LL GET ALL SORTS OF COMMENTS AND SOMETIMES YOUR COMMENTS WILL BE DUPLICATIVE OR CONFLICT WITH THE COMMENTS YOU'RE GETTING FROM YOUR SITE PLAN REVIEW. AND SO IT GETS VERY CONFUSING. IN ADDITION, THERE'S A FEE ASSOCIATED WITH IT. UM, SO IT'S QUITE, UM, AN ONEROUS PROCESS. UM, WHEREAS AS I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, OTHER CITIES, UM, MOST CITIES ACTUALLY, UM, JUST HAVE A UNIVERSAL STIPULATION IN CITY CODE THAT SAYS ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS MAINTAIN THE TREE. SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS UHHUH SPECIALIZED CASE BY CASE ONE OFF LICENSE AGREEMENT MM-HMM . AND, AND THAT THAT ACTUALLY DISCOURAGES THE, THE, YOUR, YOUR ARGUMENT IS THAT DISCOURAGES PEOPLE FROM ACTUALLY YEAH, THERE ARE A LOT OF THAT DO MAINTAIN THEIR RIGHT OF WAYS. UM, I'LL NAME A FEW OF INVENTORIES I'VE DONE. PALO ALTO, SAN FRANCISCO, UH, PARTS OF DENVER MAINTAIN THEIR RIGHT OF WAY PARKWAY TREES. UM, VICTORIA, CANADA MAINTAINS ALL OF THEIR TREES. THERE ARE CERTAIN STIPULATIONS THAT THEY CAN, EVEN THE ADJACENT PROPERTIES CANNOT EVEN TOUCH THAT RIGHT OF WAY TREE BECAUSE THEY HAVE ENOUGH CREWS THAT GO BY AND PRUNE ON A CYCLICAL MAINTENANCE. SO THOSE PROBLEMS ARE ALSO VERY SUCCESSFUL. BUT THEN THERE'S OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE AN AGREEMENT OR HAVE TO MAKE BIG BUDGET CUTS AND WILL RELINQUISH THEIR STREET TREE MAINTENANCE OVER TO THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS. MM-HMM . WHICH DOESN'T GO OVER WELL. UM, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF CITIES THAT DO WHAT I THINK SEATTLE ALSO MAINTAINS ITS, NOPE, OKAY. IT DOESN'T MAINTAINS ITS STREET TREES, BUT, UM, SO IT'S JUST A MIX OF BOTH. GOTCHA. AND THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO IN IS TO INSERT THIS CLAUSE THAT JUST GETS RID OF LICENSE AGREEMENTS AND SAYS THAT IT'S THE PROPERTY OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY [00:50:01] TO MAINTAIN IT OR MM-HMM UM, OR FOR THE CITY TO MAINTAIN ALL TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. I THINK THE TARP IS SUGGESTING THAT OPTION B IS PREFERABLE THAT THE CITY TAKE ON MAINTENANCE, BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE A RESOURCING ISSUE TO SOLVE FOR IN ORDER FOR THAT TO BE VIABLE. GOTCHA. MM-HMM . OKAY. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER FIRO. UM, MORE THAN A QUESTION, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, SAY THANK YOU FOR WORKING ON THIS. LIKE I, UH, I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN MEXICO CITY AND I FEEL WHEN PEOPLE SAY LIKE, AUSTIN IS THE CITY, I'M LIKE, NO, IF IT'S PREDOMINANTLY CONCRETE, THAT'S NOT A CITY, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'ALL BEEN TO MEXICO CITY, BUT WE HAVE, NDA IS IN ALL SORTS OF TREES EVERYWHERE, EVERY SINGLE CORNER OF THE CITY, WE HAVE VEGETATION AND PARKS FOR PEOPLE TO ENJOY. AND I FEEL THAT ALSO LIKE, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE HERE IN THE COMMISSION, THAT THAT INCREASES THE QUALITY OF LIFE SIGNIFICANTLY FOR FOLKS. 'CAUSE WHEN YOU WANNA GO ON A WALK, YOU DON'T WANNA WORRY ABOUT HIGHWAYS, YOU DON'T WANNA WORRY THAT IT'S 110 DEGREES IF YOU JUST WANNA GO ON A NICE WALK WITH YOUR DOC OR WHOEVER AND COME BACK AND THEN THAT GETS YOU READY FOR YOUR DAY. UH, SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT AND LIKE, UM, I'M VERY EXCITED TO SEE THIS BRING FORWARD TODAY. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN. OKAY. SO, UM, I HAVE TO OUT MYSELF HERE AS HAVING BEEN ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION 30 YEARS AGO WHEN WE, UM, MADE IT HARDER TO PUT IN STREET TREES, MAINLY BECAUSE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS WAS CONCERNED ABOUT MOTORISTS CRASHING INTO THEM. SO IS THAT , IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HAS, IS NOT HAPPENING ANYMORE? UM, THAT'S I THINK, UM, KIND OF OLD. WE HAVE ROBOT CARS NOW TO USE . I I THINK THAT'S OLD ENGINEERING THINKING. I THINK THE FIELD HAS, UM, WELL THAT'S WHAT I AM. YEAH, NO, YEAH, NO UNTIL INTENDED. UM, BUT THAT, THAT KIND OF, THAT DIRECTION TO MAINTAIN THAT VEHICLE CLEAR ZONE, UM, IN CASE A CAR GOES OFF THE ROAD, THAT WAS KIND OF THE PREDOMINANT ENGINEERING GUIDANCE, YOU KNOW, BACK IN THE EIGHTIES AND NINETIES. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHTFULLY SO, UM, ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION AND PEDESTRIAN ADVOCATES HAVE RAISED THE QUESTION, WELL, IF THE CAR'S NOT CRASHING INTO A TREE, IT'S CRASHING INTO A PERSON . SO, UM, I, YOU KNOW, I THINK BEST PRACTICE IN, UM, UM, CITY TRANSPORTATION, UM, HAS BEEN TO SLOW VEHICLE SPEEDS TO CREATE THAT, UM, KIND OF PHYSICAL DIVISION BETWEEN USERS OF THE SIDEWALK AND THE BIKE LANE, UM, AND THE VEHICULAR ROADWAY. SO, UM, LUCKILY THE PRACTICE HAS EVOLVED SINCE. ALRIGHT, GOOD. WELL I'M VERY GLAD TO HEAR THAT. I WANNA SPEAK TO THAT TOO. I DID A LOT OF RESEARCH ON PUBLISHED STUDIES, UM, IN MY PRIOR POSITION IN NASHVILLE DAVIDSON COUNTY AND PLANTING TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. AND A LOT OF THE STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE INCREASED SPEEDS AND THOSE ACCIDENTS ARE MORE ON A RURAL ROAD. UM, AND THEY'RE USUALLY SINGLE TREES. UM, WHEN YOU HAVE A, SAY A MEDIAN OR UH, RIGHT OF WAY PLANTINGS, YOU HAVE THAT ROWA TREES, THE NEW STUDIES HAVE COME OUT IS IT ACTUALLY SLOWS TRAFFIC DOWN. AND AGAIN, IT ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S A SAFETY MEASURE TOO, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE BULLET POINTS IS THAT WE'D RATHER HAVE THAT CAR CRASH INTO A TREE INSTEAD OF A PERSON AND JUST RUN OVER THE ROAD AND, AND SUCH, SO A LOT OF NEW RESEARCH HAS BEEN PUBLISHED SINCE THEN. RIGHT. WELL, I, I APPRECIATE THAT AND I'M VERY HAPPY ABOUT THIS. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN. WE APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS. COMMISSIONER BRIER, HOWEVER, OH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION APPRECI OF THE WORK. JUST, JUST TO CLARIFY, THOSE STUDIES WERE IN THE SIXTIES, , BUT ANYWAY, I WAS, I WAS ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION FROM 94 TO 2012. OH, OKAY. I THOUGHT YOU WERE REMEMBERING BACK IN TIME. NO. OKAY. UH, ANYWAY, UH, WHAT TYPES OF TREATS YOU'RE LOOKING AT, AND THE REASON I'M ASKING IS AT A, UH, RECENT, UH, URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE MEETING, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, HOW WE ARE ALL GONNA BE LIVING IN LAREDO IN 60 YEARS. AND, UH, SO ARE WE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST CURIOUS OF WHAT TYPES OF TREES WE'RE LOOKING AT PLANTING OUT THERE. IS IT OFF THE CURRENT LIST OF, UH, TREES OR ARE WE GONNA UPDATE THAT TO REFLECT, UH, THE TREES THAT ARE GROWING IN THE LAREDO? I THINK MOSTLY THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK OUT, [00:55:01] WHAT I SEE MORE IMPACTFUL IS EMERGING PESTS AND DISEASES. SO TAKE LIKE DUTCH ELM DISEASE, WHICH CAME INTO THE UNITED STATES, UH, NON-NATIVE PATHOGEN, NON-NATIVE PEST THAT WIPED OUT OUR AMERICAN ELMS AND OUR JUDGE SHEMS. SO WHAT DID COMMUNITIES DO AFTER THAT? THEY PLANTED ASH TREES, IS THERE RIGHT OF AWAY TREES? IS THERE MEDIAN? SO THEN WE HAD EMERAL ASHBURG COME IN INTO THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS AND WIPE OUT ALL OUR NORTH AMERICAN ASH AND OUR GOING TO WIPE OUT ALL OUR ASH IN, UM, AUSTIN. SO WHAT WE WANT TO GO IS ON THAT MIXTURE OF SPECIES DIVERSITY AND ALSO START TO EXPLORE SOME CULTIVARS THAT ARE DISEASE RESISTANT. SO THERE ARE LIKE, UM, ELM TREES THAT ARE DUTCH ELM DISEASE RESISTANT. THERE ARE A LOT OF TREE SPECIES. THERE'S NOTHING REALLY NATIVE ABOUT A FOUR BY FOUR CONCRETE TREE. WELL, AND A DOWNTOWN WITH THE WINDS AND THE REFLECTION OF THE SUN. SO IT'S A GRADUAL PROCESS OF EXPLORING DIFFERENT TREE SPECIES THAT WOULD WORK WELL IN THAT CONDITION. UM, AND THEN IT'S, THERE'S ALSO, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF AVAILABILITY AND NURSERY OF A LOT OF, OF DIFFERENT SPECIES, BUT WE DO WANNA EXPLORE A LARGER PALETTE TO WORK WITH TO KEEP OUR CITIES MORE RESILIENT, TO KEEP, LIKE IF, IF ANOTHER MERGING PEST COMES IN, IT DOESN'T WIPE OUT ALL OUR ROWS TO TREES. AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ACTUALLY PUBLISHED RESEARCH STUDIES. I ALWAYS GO BACK TO PUBLISHED RESEARCH STUDIES, BUT ON THE EFFECTS AND EVEN THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF COMMUNITIES LOSING ALL THEIR STREET TREES DUE TO EMERALD ASH BORE. SO WE'RE THINKING INTO THE FUTURE OF YEARS AND YEARS AHEAD, NOT JUST FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE, BUT ALSO FOR THESE EMERGING PESTS AND DISEASES THAT COME IN. OKAY. THANK YOU. NOW, I REMEMBER WE'RE READING SOME TIME AGO ABOUT CASES IN NEW YORK CITY, AND I REALIZE WE'RE NOT IN NEW YORK CITY, BUT THE LIFESPAN OF A, UH, STREET TREE IN NEW YORK CITY WAS ABOUT SEVEN YEARS. UH, THAT MAY BE OLD DATA AND NOT APPLICABLE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN. IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A MAINTENANCE ISSUE THAT YOU'VE OUTLINED HERE. IT SEEMS LIKE IF WE'RE GONNA BE REPLACING THESE, LET'S SAY IT'S 10 YEARS OR 12, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A REALLY EXPENSIVE REPLANTING PROJECT GOING ON. IS THAT THE CASE OF WHAT THE LIFESPAN OF A STREET TREE? IT'S, WELL, MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS. OKAY. IT CAN BE UP TO 20 TO 30. IT'S GONNA DEPENDS ON WHAT THE CONDITION, THE SOIL VOLUME AND WHAT THE TREE WAS GROWING IN AND MAINTENANCE AS WELL. UM, AND THE SPECIES THAT THEY CHOSE. SO WE CAN HAVE LONG LIVED STREET TREES IF WE HAVE THAT ADEQUATE, ADEQUATE SOIL VOLUME USING SOIL CELLS. UH, WE HAVE MAINTENANCE, WE HAVE THAT IRRIGATION, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN BE 40 YEARS OLD. YOU CAN LOOK AT OLD AERIALS AND DIFFERENT CITIES, UM, THAT SHOW A LONGER LIFESPAN. SO, AND ONE OF THE THINGS IS, SO YOU CAN ASK, WELL, IF THEY'RE ONLY GONNA LIVE 20 YEARS, WHY EVEN PLANT THE TREES? BUT AT THAT SAME TIME, YOU'RE GETTING THESE ECOSYSTEM BENEFITS. YOU'RE GETTING THE STORM WATER INTERCEPTION THAT GOES INTO OUR CREEKS OR THAT, THAT, THAT REDUCES THAT AMOUNT OF WATER INTO OUR, INTO OUR WATERSHED. SO THERE ARE BENEFITS IN THE MEANTIME OF PLANTING THESE TREES, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT MORE RESILIENT SPECIES. WE'VE, WE'VE ALSO GOT THESE UNDERGROUND, AND AS MICHELLE MENTIONED, THESE OVERHEAD, UH, BARRIERS TOO. THERE'S ONLY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SPECIES WE CAN PLANT THAT ARE UTILITY OVERHEAD COMPATIBLE, AND SOME OF THEM ARE HARD TO FIND IN THE NURSERIES AND SUCH. SO WE WANNA HAVE A MORE EXPANDED LIST, BUT WE'RE ALSO FOCUSING ON THAT SOIL VOLUME. AND WHAT WE COME THROUGH IN THE SITE PLAN PROCESS TOO, IS THE BARRIERS. WE'VE GOTTA HAVE A CERTAIN DISTANCE FROM OUR WATER, OUR, OUR LIFE AND SAFETY WATER LINES, ROOT BARRIERS, UM, OUR UNDERGROUND UTILITY BANKS. SO IF THERE'S DOWNTOWN, THEY'RE SUBJECT TO THE GREAT STREETS, UM, WHERE THEY ARE REQUIRED TO PLANT STREET TREES. BUT IT'S, AS MICHELLE MENTIONED, IT'S GOTTA BE A FORETHOUGHT AND NOT AN AFTERTHOUGHT TO GET THESE STREET TREES IN BECAUSE THEY ARE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. SO WITH THE RIGHT SOIL VOLUME, THE RIGHT PLANTING CONDITIONS, THE RIGHT MAINTENANCE, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, TREES GROWING INTO GRS. YOU KNOW, YOU TAKE A WALK DOWNTOWN AND YOU SEE A LOT OF THESE TREES GROWING INTO GRS, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT? THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT HANDS, THEY'RE NOT SAWING AND GIVING THAT TREE [01:00:01] MORE ROOM, IT'S JUST GONNA GIRL ITSELF AND DIE. SO IT ALSO DEPENDS ON THE MAINTENANCE AND THE ROBUST URBAN FORESTRY MAINTENANCE CREWS. YEAH. AND THAT, OKAY. AND I GUESS THIS GET, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IN THE END GETS TO COST AT SOME POINT. UH, YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE AND THE PRUNING AND, AND THAT GETS PRETTY INTENSIVE WITH TREES. UH, AND THE CITY OWNS THROUGH THE PARK SYSTEM AND OTHER LOCATION, A LOT OF TREES. AND ON A PERSONAL BASIS, I HAVEN'T SEEN A LOT OF MAINTENANCE OF TREES IN THE PARKS. YOU KNOW, I DON'T SEE PEOPLE PRUNING TREES OR THINGS LIKE THAT EXCEPT FOR WHEN THERE'S STORM DAMAGE OR SOMETHING ALONG THAT, ESPECIALLY IN SOME OF THE, UH, TREES THAT ARE IN MORE REMOTE SECTIONS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE THERE IN TRAILS AND THEY'RE NOT EASILY ACCESSED BY ANYONE, LET ALONE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING MAINTENANCE. UH, SO I GUESS GETTING BACK TO THE COST, THIS IS A REALLY LABOR INTENSIVE ACTIVITY TO DO IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MILES AND MILES OF TREES, AND I'M CONCERNED THAT THE CITY WILL SIGN UP FOR THIS FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS, AND I SAY, YEAH, GO FOR IT. BUT YOU KNOW, AS TIME GOES ON AND THEY LOOK AT THE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, THE ENTHUSIASM FOR THIS WILL WANE A LITTLE BIT AND THE NECESSARY MAINTENANCE, THE MONEY FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND THE PERSONNEL WILL BE REDISTRIBUTED TO OTHER SUITABLY APPROPRIATE, YOU KNOW, NECESSARY, YOU KNOW, PROJECTS OF THE CITY THAT ARE NOT NAMED TREES. YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKEN. UM, YOU KNOW, WITH ANY BENEFIT, THERE'S A COST. UM, I DO KNOW THAT, UM, OUR CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE IS LOOKING TO GET CREATIVE TO GET MORE NIMBLE, UM, IN HOW WE APPROACH, UM, MAINTAINING CITY ASSETS. SO SOME IDEAS THAT MIGHT BE ON THE TABLE FOR, UM, JUST THE MAINTENANCE QUE RELATED QUESTIONS ARE TO WHAT EXTENT CAN WE WORK WITH COMMUNITY? UM, IF, IF FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WE LEVERAGE, YOU KNOW, THE NEW INFRASTRUCTURE ACADEMY, IS THAT AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, TRAIN COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO, UM, HELP US KIND OF CREATE A FORCE AND GO OUT AND MAINTAIN TREES IN CONCERT, UM, WITH OUR URBAN FORESTRY FOLKS? UM, I KNOW, UM, OUR, UH, MY ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER HAS, HAS HAD SUCCESSES IN OTHER CITIES, UM, WORKING ON KIND OF GREEN MAINTENANCE WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS. UM, BEFORE COMING TO AUSTIN. YOU KNOW, I'VE WORKED IN BOTH SEATTLE AND PORTLAND. UM, PORTLAND HAS A FRIENDS OF TREES GROUP, UM, WHICH IS A 5 0 1 C3 NONPROFIT THAT, UM, DOES WORK SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU WERE DESCRIBING IN PRIVATE PROPERTY, BUT IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY WORKS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO GET THE PERMIT TO PLANT THE TREE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, UM, AND HELP PROPERTY OWNERS NAVIGATE, UM, THE, UM, MAINTENANCE NEEDS FOR THAT TREE. SO THERE'S ALSO OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH COMMUNITY IN, UM, UM, SIMILAR TYPE OF FRIENDS OF GROUP, UH, SIMILAR TO, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, THE PARKS MAINTENANCE, UM, AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE AND TRAIL MAINTENANCE AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE. UM, WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WHILE WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING, WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO, UM, BUT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO KIND OF GET, GET NIMBLE AND GET CREATIVE. YOU MENTIONED, UH, I'M, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD. I WANTED TO SPEAK TO, UM, OUR PARD COLLEAGUES IN OUR FORESTRY DEPARTMENT. THEY ARE GETTING AN INVENTORY WHICH IS GONNA EXPEDITE AND EFFICIENTLY MANAGE THE FEW CREWS THAT THEY HAVE TO PRUNE THESE TREES. UM, I AM IN CONTACT WITH THEM ON OTHER THINGS. THEY'RE REGULARLY OUT THERE PRUNING AND MAINTAINING, UM, WHEN YOU ARE MAINTAINING THOSE OPEN SPACES AND THOSE TRAILS. I'LL TAKE AN EXAMPLE FOR WHEN I WAS A PARKS ARBORIST WITH MONTGOMERY COUNTY AND MARYLAND AND WE WERE OVERSEEING 48,000, 38,000 ACRES OF PARKS AND WE HAD EMERALD ASH FOUR COME IN AND ALL THE ASH TREES WERE DYING ALONG, LIKE THE TRAILS THAT GO UP TO WASHINGTON DC AND SUCH THAT YOU'RE GONNA TRIAGE ALSO FOR THE MOST YOUTH PASS AND YOU'RE GOING TO ALWAYS DO YOUR MOST MAINTENANCE WHERE YOU HAVE THE MOST PEOPLE COMING IN. I REALLY FEEL THAT THAT'S, THIS IS OUTSIDE MY REGULATORY PURVIEW, BUT I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, IF YOU SPEAK TO THE PARD FORESTRY [01:05:01] MANAGERS, YOU CAN ALWAYS SUBMIT A 3 1 1 REQUEST. IF YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE PRUNED, THEY'RE VERY RESPONSIVE. UM, BUT SO MAINTAINING LIKE PARK TREES ARE A LOT DIFFERENT THAN MAINTAINING THE STREET TREES RIGHT AWAY AND DEALING WITH THESE UTILITY CONFLICTS. AND AGAIN, WITH PRUNING AND MAINTENANCE, WHEN YOU PRUNE SOMETHING WHEN IT'S YOUNGER AND YOU STRUCTURALLY FORM THAT TREE TO HAVE A CENTRAL LEADER OR, UM, GROW, RIGHT? YOU'RE GONNA HAVE, YOUR COST IS GONNA BE LESS IN THE END BECAUSE THAT TREE IS GONNA FUNCTION NORMALLY. IT'S GONNA HAVE GOOD BRANCH SPACING, ET CETERA. SO LIKE, THERE ARE BARRIERS, BUT IT'S, IT'S AN INVESTMENT. AND THE ECOSYSTEM BENEFITS OF TREES IS OUTWEIGHS LIKE, LIKE, SO FOR INSTANCE, A 19 INCH LIVE OAK, IF IT'S A STREET TREE, IS GONNA INTERCEPT 5,000 GALLONS OF STORM WATER EVERY YEAR AND SLOW IT DOWN, TRICKLE IT DOWN. SO IT'S AN ECOSYSTEM INVESTMENT. WELL, AND I WAS NOT MEANING TO, UH, COMPLAIN ABOUT THE PARTS DEPARTMENT'S, YOU KNOW, THEIR INTENT. IT WAS JUST ME MERELY TO EMPHASIZE THE MAGNITUDE OR THE PROBLEM THAT IS BEING FACED AND THE LACK OF RESOURCES TO ADEQUATELY ADDRESS IT. NOT THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT DOING A GOOD JOB WHERE THEY'RE DOING IT, IT'S JUST THAT THERE'S SO MANY TRAILS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. IT'S HARD TO GET TO THEM. AND YES, WHEN YOU CALL IN A THREE ONE ONE CALL, THEY'RE OUT THERE LOOKING SPLIT TO GET THEM DONE AS SOON AS THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, WORK THEIR WAY THROUGH THE TROUBLE LIST OF, OF THINGS TO DO. UH, NOW, UH, LET'S SEE. UH, MICHELLE, YOU ALSO MENTIONED THERE WAS SOME CONFLICTING CITY CODE AND CRITERIA MANUAL THING. DO YOU HAVE A LIST OF THOSE BY ANY CHANCE? UM, YEAH. IN FACT, WHEN, UH, THE FULL REPORT FROM THE TARP COMES OUT, THE FULL GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE REPORT, UM, THERE IS AN APPENDIX ITEM OF THAT REPORT THAT IDENTIFIES, UM, THE, THE BARRIERS TO GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, THAT THAT GROUP ELEVATED. AND MANY OF THOSE ARE, UH, CONFLICTING REQUIREMENTS. A FEW EXAMPLES THAT COME TO MIND ARE, UM, RIGHT NOW THE TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUAL DOES REQUIRE STREET TREES, UM, ON CERTAIN STREET TYPES. UM, BUT THE UTILITY MANUAL ALSO REQUIRES NINE FOOT CLEARANCE. AND SO ONCE YOU LAY OUT YOUR UTILITIES, YOU HAVE NO ROOM LEFT. SO WHAT TRUMPS WHAT? RIGHT. WELL, WHAT I'M, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS, WHEN YOU GET THAT LIST TOGETHER, IF YOU WOULD FORWARD THAT OVER TO ELIZABETH AND HER, HAVE HER DISTRIBUTE THAT TO ALL OF US, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. SURE. I'D LIKE TO SEE THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM SO I GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON. BECAUSE CITY CODE IS PUT TOGETHER IN KIND OF A STRANGE WAY SOMETIMES FOR SOME ODD REASON. AND I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE WHERE ALL THE CONFLICTS LIE. AND SO I WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU WOULD GET THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, GET THAT OUT. NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP AT AN URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE MEETING WAS, GEE, ALL THESE TAGS WE HAVE STAPLED ON TREES ALL OVER THE CITY. AND THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT WHO'S INVENTORY IS THIS? AND I BELIEVE WHOEVER WAS SPEAKING TO THIS, AND I DON'T REMEMBER THIS, IF THIS WAS YOU, NAOMI, OR IT COULD HAVE BEEN EMILY, I DON'T RECALL. AND YOU SAID, WELL, EVERYONE HAS AN INVENTORY AND THEY'RE NOT INTEGRATED TOGETHER, SO WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THIS IS. AND SO MY QUESTION IS THIS, IF, IF WE DO ALL OF THIS STUFF AND WE'RE GOING TO INVENTORY ALL THESE TREES, IS THERE GONNA BE SOME SORT OF ATTEMPT TO MERGE SOME OF THESE INVENTORIES OF TREES TOGETHER SO THAT SOMEONE CAN ACTUALLY READ A NUMBER OFF OF ONE OF THESE LITTLE TAGS THAT'S NAILED INTO A TREE AND FIND OUT SOMETHING ABOUT IT? ARE WE JUST GONNA MAKE ANOTHER DATABASE OF TREES THAT'S NOT INTEGRATED INTO THE OTHER 47 DATABASES THE CITY MAINTAINS? SO WE DON'T MAINTAIN A DATABASE. SO WHEN YOU SEE TREE TAGS FOR ANY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT THAT COMES IN, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A LICENSED LAND SURVEYOR FROM A, FROM A CERTIFIED LAND SURVEYOR THAT CAN CERTIFY OTHER TOPOLOGICAL FEATURES AND THEY WILL TAG THOSE TREES. WE REQUIRE A SURVEY, NO, NO, FOR ALL COMMERCIAL AND FOR CITY DEVELOPMENTS NOT LONGER THAN FIVE YEARS. SO IF THEY WAIT FIVE YEARS AFTER THEIR SURVEY, THEY HAVE TO GO GET ANOTHER ONE THAT'S FOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE [01:10:01] GONNA SEE THE MOST OF THOSE TAGS. THERE'S OTHER TREE INVENTORIES THAT SAY UT CAMPUS HAS DONE TREE INVENTORIES AND THEY'VE ACTUALLY INVENTORIED THEIR RIGHT OF WAY TREES AS PART OF THEIR INVENTORY. YOU'LL SEE SOME PARKS, TREES ALONG TRAILS THAT WILL BE INVENTORIED FOR MAINTENANCE. THEY CONTROL THAT DATABASE, BUT THERE'S NOT A CONSOLIDATED DATABASE BECAUSE INVENTORIES ARE DONE FOR DIFFERENT REASONS ALL ACROSS THE CITY, WHETHER IT'S PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT OR PART OF, LIKE, ONE OF THE OPTIONS THAT THAT PART WANTS TO DO FOR THEIR INVENTORY IS TO ALSO TAG THEIR TREES. AND THAT WOULD BE AN OPEN FACING, UM, I'VE SEEN MANY OF THESE INVENTORIES PUT INTO A DATABASE, FOR INSTANCE, UM, MY INVENTORY TO LET A TEAM INVENTORY AT SALT LAKE CITY, BUT ALSO DENVER, WHERE YOU CAN HAVE THIS OPEN, UM, UH, CITIZEN, YOU CAN GO OPEN THAT DOT ON A PUBLIC INTERFACING MAP. YOU CAN SEE WHAT TREE SPECIES IS THAT DIAMETER. AND, UM, SO YOU CAN HAVE INVENTORIES AND DATABASES THAT WAY, BUT THERE IS NO COMPREHENSIVE TREE INVENTORY AND THERE'S NOT ALL THESE DIFFERENT DATABASES. ALL WHAT WE DO IN DEVELOPMENT REVIEW IS REVIEW THE SURVEYS THAT ARE, THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR OUR REVIEW, AND THEN WE HAVE THEM WORK AROUND THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE AND, AND ALL THAT. 'CAUSE WE KNOW HOW BIG THEY ARE. OKAY. DOES THAT HELP? NO, IT DOES. OKAY, GOOD. NO, I, PARTLY, THE REASON I ASKED THE QUESTION IS I WANTED PART OF THE ANSWER, BUT I WANTED EVERYONE ELSE TO HEAR THE ANSWER AS WELL. SO THAT'S WHY I KIND OF ASKED. THANK YOU, MA'AM. APPRECIATE IT. I'M GONNA GO BACK OVER HERE AND, AND THEN TO YOU, UH, YOU OKAY. VICE CHAIR KRUGER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE. UM, AND THANK YOU TO FORMER COUNCILOR MEMBER POOL FOR, UM, BRINGING THIS UP AND FOR EVERYONE ELSE WHO'S CARRIED ON, UH, HER EFFORTS IN THE MEANTIME. THIS IS REALLY EXCITING. UM, SO WHERE TO BEGIN? UM, I'M GRATEFUL THAT THE TOPIC OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE MORE BROADLY HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP. SOMETHING THAT I'M THINKING ABOUT IS COMPANION PLANTING OR GUILD PLANTING WITH TREES. I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WHEN I SEE STREET TREES IN OTHER CITIES, OR EVEN IN OUR OWN CITY, THERE'LL BE A SINGLE TREE AND THEN A WHOLE BUNCH OF MULCH OR A REALLY LOW LEVEL, UM, YOU KNOW, TURF GRASS OR JUST A, LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, A FOUR BY FOUR SQUARE WHERE THE ROOT CROWN REALLY DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF SPACE TO BREATHE AND, UM, ACCESS WATER AND A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS. SO I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT YOUR VISION FOR THE VARIOUS SETUPS FOR THESE TREES. I KNOW EACH SITE WILL BE DIFFERENT AND HAVE DIFFERENT ALLOWANCES, BUT JUST WANT THAT TO BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. YEAH, I APPRECIATE THAT. SO, UM, AS PART OF THAT TRANSPORTATION MANUAL UPDATE, UM, WE WILL BE KIND OF CLARIFYING, UM, AND STIPULATING TREE PLANTING, UM, OPTIONS, ALTERNATIVES, REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING YEAH, HOW BIG IS THE TREE? WELL, AND, UM, WHAT SIZE VERTICALLY AND HORIZONTALLY DOES IT NEED TO BE, AND HOW MUCH SOIL VOLUME, UM, DOES IT NEED TO PROVIDE? AND WHAT OPTIONS ARE THERE? UM, FOR, FOR SURFACE TREATMENT, UM, YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, I CAN SEE OPTIONS THAT INCLUDE PROVIDING WALKABLE SURFACES. IF YOU'VE GOT LIKE PAVERS OVER A SOIL CELL, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, OR TREE GRATES, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, STANDARD, STANDARD PRACTICE DOWNTOWN. UM, OR YOU COULD DO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF GREAT PRODUCTS OUT THERE NOW THAT, UM, ARE KIND OF WALKABLE, SYNTHETIC, PERMEABLE MULCH, FOR EXAMPLE. UM, BUT ONE OF THOSE OPTIONS COULD ALSO BE KIND OF CO PLANTING. AND SO WE CAN SPECIFY WITH THOSE UPDATED, UM, DESIGN REQUIREMENTS WHAT THOSE OPTIONS ARE AND BASED ON WHAT YOU CHOOSE, WHAT THE RE ASSOCIATED REQUIREMENTS ARE. THANK YOU. YEAH, I'D LOVE THAT. AS LONG AS WE'RE UPDATING CRITERIA MANUALS AND POTENTIALLY CODE JUST TO HAVE THAT WRITTEN OUT EXPLICITLY MM-HMM . AND FOR ME AT LEAST, THAT WOULD BE A PRIORITY OVER ANY KIND OF SYNTHETIC MATERIAL OR A GREAT, WHICH DOESN'T REALLY ALLOW FOR, YOU KNOW, THE BIODIVERSITY . UM, SO I THINK JUST FROM A SURVIVABILITY STANDPOINT, FROM BIODIVERSITY STANDPOINT, HAVING THAT COMPANION PLANTING IS REALLY IMPORTANT. MM-HMM . I WILL JUST POINT OUT THE, UM, THAT THAT IS THE SORT OF, UM, MAINTENANCE WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TAKE ON AS A CITY. UM, LOW LEVEL LANDSCAPING, FOR EXAMPLE. SO THAT WOULD REQUIRE MAINTENANCE BY ADJACENT PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS. MM-HMM . MOST LIKELY. AND, AND THAT SOUNDS GREAT. I MEAN, SOMETHING THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT AS SOMEONE WHO TRIES TO, UH, BE A GOOD STEWARD OF THE LAND THAT I RENT, INCLUDING THE QUOTE UNQUOTE HEALTH STRIP. YOU KNOW, I'M [01:15:01] TRYING TO RE-VEGETATE AND GROW NATIVE WILD FLOWERS THERE. UM, SO I AM CURIOUS TOO ABOUT REGULATIONS AROUND, UH, YOU KNOW, HEIGHT FOR DIFFERENT PLANTS IN THE QUOTE UNQUOTE HELL STRIP MM-HMM . UM, AND HOW MUCH LEEWAY WE HAVE TO REALLY SHAPE THE RIGHT OF WAY TO BE SOMETHING THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE. YEAH. GREAT QUESTIONS. OTHER CITIES I'VE WORKED IN DO HAVE HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS, UM, JUST TO HELP MAINTAIN LIKE VISIBILITIES OF PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS, FOR EXAMPLE MM-HMM . UM, SO THAT IS LIKELY SOMETHING WE WOULD NEED TO WORK AT. UM, AND WE DID HEAR, YOU KNOW, A SIMILAR REQUEST FROM, UM, MEMBERS OF MOBILITY COMMITTEE ASKING US TO ALSO WITH, WITH THIS PRACTICE, UM, WITH THIS EFFORT RATHER TO, TO LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES FOR WHAT CAN WE DO IN NOT JUST WHEN THE, THE PLANTING STRIP, BUT ALSO, UM, WITHIN MEDIANS WITHIN, UH, PEDESTRIAN ISLANDS. WHAT, WHAT OTHER KIND OF LOW LEVEL GREETING OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE. SO YEAH, WE CAN LOOK AT WHAT THOSE PARAMETERS, PARAMETERS ARE AND CLARIFY. YES, PLEASE. THANK YOU, . UM, OKAY. AND THEN I'M NOT SURE THAT I HAVE A, A FIRM UNDERSTANDING OF THE LEGAL DEFINITION OF A RIGHT OF WAY. SO THIS QUESTION MIGHT NOT BE GERMANE. UM, BUT YOUR QUESTION, COMMISSIONER QURESHI ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR AREA ON EAST MLK, WHICH IS THE AREA THAT I LIVE IN, UM, A LOT OF IT DOESN'T HAVE A SIDEWALK. AND SO I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STREET TREES MOSTLY IN THE CONTEXT OF SIDEWALKS, BUT I'M WONDERING ABOUT STREET TREES IN THE CONTEXT OF OTHER LANDSCAPES THAT DON'T YET HAVE SIDEWALKS. YEAH, TYPICALLY YOU WOULD WANT TO, UM, PLANT STREET TREES CONCURRENT WITH BUILDING THE SIDEWALK WHERE IT'S LACKING JUST SO YOU CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE TREE AND THE SIDEWALK ARE IN THE PLACES THEY NEED TO BE, SO THAT YOU'RE NOT PLANNING A TREE INADVERTENTLY WHERE THE SIDEWALK NEEDS TO BE WHEN IT'S BUILT IN 10 YEARS. SO YOU TYPICALLY WANNA DELIVER THOSE TOGETHER IF THERE'S NOT AN EXISTING SIDEWALK. UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, RIGHT OF WAY JUST MEANS EVERYTHING THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THAT PRIVATE PROPERTY LINE. UM, SO BETWEEN PROPERTY LINE TO PROPERTY LINE, THAT'S THE, THE STRETCH OF DIRT THAT'S MANAGED AND MAINTAINED AND OWNED, UM, BY THE PUBLIC. GOT IT. OKAY. THAT'S INTERESTING. WHEN THINKING ABOUT PRIORITIZING AREAS LIKE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, UM, A LOT OF THE AREAS THAT DON'T HAVE TREES PROBABLY ALSO DON'T HAVE WALKABLE SIDEWALKS AS WELL. SO I'M SURE YOU ALL WILL EXAMINE THAT. AND I'M CURIOUS IF THE TREE EQUITY ANALYZER FROM THE AMERICAN FOREST SERVICE TO SOMETHING THAT IS A TOOL THAT WOULD BE USEFUL TO YOU IN ADDITION TO DOING OUR OWN SURVEY? I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THAT TOOL. UM, BUT WE CERTAINLY HAVE KIND OF VERY FINE GRAINED LOCAL EQUITY TOOLS THAT WE DO APPLY TO OUR WORK HERE IN AUSTIN AT A LIKE CENSUS TRACTED LEVEL. UM, SO WE WOULD DEFINITELY BE LOOKING AT EQUITY, UM, BUT I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT PARTICULAR TOOL. I'LL TAKE A LOOK. OKAY. SPEAK TO THAT. UM, EMILY KING, URBAN FORESTER UNDER SIX THREE, HER GROUP IS WORKING WITH AMERICAN FOREST. I GET THAT RIGHT ASSOCIATION ON THAT EQUITY EQUITY TOOL IN TERMS OF THEIR PRIORITIZING PLANTINGS, WORKING WITH THEIR PARTNERS. UM, SO HER GROUP IS DEFINITELY WORKING WITH THAT TOOL. MM-HMM . THAT'S GREAT. YEAH. I BELIEVE BOTH, UH, TREE FOLKS AND FRUITFUL COMMONS GOT THE LOCAL CONTRACT THROUGH THE AMERICAN FOREST SERVICE FOR THAT. SO I KNOW IT EXISTS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT PEOPLE HAVE WORKED ON IT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BEING USED, SO WANNA MAKE A PLUG FOR IT. BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE YES, YOUR, UH, PARTNER IS USING THAT. THAT'S GREAT. UM, THINKING ABOUT FUNDING, I'M SURE YOU ALL CONSIDER ARE CONSIDERING ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT THINGS, AND I'M CURIOUS IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE COUNTY COULD SUPPORT WITH, 'CAUSE I KNOW THEY MAINTAIN STREET TREES IN THE ETJ, I BELIEVE SO. I'M CURIOUS WHAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION THERE MIGHT BE WITH THE COUNTY. UM, YEAH. NOT SOMETHING WE'VE EXPLORED TO DATE, BUT AS WE CONTINUE TO PUT OUR WORK PLAN TOGETHER, SOMETHING WE CAN DEFINITELY, UM, KINDA PUT A BOOKMARK ON. OKAY. YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING. I'M ALSO THINKING ABOUT THIS FROM AN ORGANIZING STANDPOINT. I KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, HOAS, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP. A LOT OF THIS MIGHT BE THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE, BUT I ALSO THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO GET NEIGHBORING CITIES ON BOARD AS LONG AS WE'RE UPDATING OUR CRITERIA MANUAL AND CODE. WHAT CAN WE DO WITH PFLUGERVILLE, WITH MANOR, WITH ROLLINGWOOD, WITH WESTLAKE TO SAY, HEY Y'ALL, LET'S DO A HOLISTIC UPDATE AND REVIEW OF OUR CODE, UM, AND SEE WHAT SUPPORT WE CAN GET FROM THE COUNTY. SO SOMETHING, SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. I WOULD ALSO POINT OUT THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN ALSO EXTENDS INTO HAYES AND WILLIAMSON COUNTY, SO MM-HMM . IF YOU ALL WANT MORE WORK ON YOUR PLATE, THERE YOU GO. GO TALK TO WILCO. HAVE FUN WITH THAT. , SEE WHO HAS THE MONEY AND THE INTEREST. YES. . UH, I'M ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE HAPPENED AROUND SUPPLY PIPELINE. 'CAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING RIGHT NOW IS THAT TREE FOLKS IS REALLY THE NUMBER ONE SUPPLIER OF TREES, UM, IN THIS TOWN, PERIOD, BUT I THINK THEY'RE KIND OF AT [01:20:01] CAPACITY FOR THAT. CORRECT ME IF THAT, IF I'M INCORRECT IN THAT UNDERSTANDING. BUT THIS IS GREAT AND I ANTICIPATE THAT THERE WILL NOW BE A DEMAND FOR MORE TREES AND MAYBE THAT WILL ENCOURAGE SOME SMALL BUSINESSES TO POP UP TO TRY AND FILL THAT DEMAND. BUT I'M JUST WONDERING HOW MUCH OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN HAS BEEN PART OF THE CONVERSATION. UM, I DO KNOW WITH EMILY KING'S GROUP, SHE'D BE A GREAT PERSON TO GIVE A BRIEFING TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION ON OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THEY GIVE AWAY FREE TREES. UM, THERE WAS SOME WORK EARLIER WITH THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM FOR PROCURING TREES INSTALLATION, UH, USING LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS FOR PROPERLY PLACING THOSE TREES, WORKING OUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE CON CONFLICTS AND STUFF. SO THERE IS PRECEDENT FOR THAT ON OUR CORRIDORS, UM, BEFORE. AND, UM, BUT IT'S A MATTER OF LIKE BEING ABLE TO PROCURE LARGE TREES THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY LIKE AN APPENDIX F MM-HMM . OKAY. GREAT. WELL, THANK YOU. NO OTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I'VE GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS. UM, SO I WANNA FOLLOW UP. UM, EARLIER WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, WORKING WITH TDOT AND THAT THEY PREFER THESE CLEAR ZONES, UH, WHERE THERE'S NO OBSTRUCTION. UM, YOU KNOW, THAT SEEMS TO BE REALLY COUNTER WITH WHAT Y'ALL ARE TRYING TO DO. UM, AND, AND I GET IT, YOU KNOW, IT PROBABLY GOES BACK TO SOMEBODY IN THIS ROOM'S IDEA, YOU KNOW? I KNOW. I'M JUST KIDDING. , I'M JUST KIDDING. YEAH, YEAH. UH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT, I UNDERSTAND THEIR, THEIR RATIONALE BEHIND IT. HOWEVER, THEY OWN A LOT OF RIGHT OF WAY, UM, WITHIN THE CITY. UM, AND IT SEEMS LIKE THEY WOULD BE REALLY AN IMPORTANT PARTNER TO BRING ONTO THIS TO RECOGNIZE THIS IS HOW THE CITY AND THE CITIZENS WANT THINGS TO BE MANAGED. UM, YES, IN MY, AND THIS PRECEDES ME SOMEWHAT, UM, JOINING THE CITY. SO, UM, FORGIVE ME IF I'M SPEAKING OUT OF ATTORNEY HERE, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UM, THEY HAVE WORKED WITH US ON CERTAIN CORRIDORS IN THE PAST, UM, TO REDUCE THAT CLEAR ZONE GIVEN THE URBAN CONTEXT AND THE LOWER SPEEDS, UM, THAN, THAN WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE ON A, A MORE KIND OF RURAL HIGHWAY. UM, SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY HAVE REDUCED, UM, THAT CLEARANCE REQUIREMENT DOWN TO, UM, AS LITTLE AS FOUR FEET IN CERTAIN LOCATIONS AND HAVE BEEN WILLING TO WORK WITH US ON THAT. GREAT. THANK YOU. UM, YEAH, I'M, I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THINKING ABOUT THE, THE BREAKER AND I 35 AREA, WHICH ALSO THEN EXTENDS OVER TO LAMAR, WHERE THERE'S LOTS OF HERITAGE TREES. THAT'S ACTUALLY WHERE THE ORIGINAL HERITAGE TREE WA IS, UM, THAT STARTED THE WHOLE HERITAGE TREE PROGRAM AND IT LIVES IN A LITTLE BOX IN A PARKING LOT. UM, AND IT'S, UH, IT WAS A SAPLING WHEN IN 1492 WHEN COLUMBUS CAME TO AMERICA. SO IT IS VALUABLE, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IT'S, UM, IT'S CHILDREN FOR LACK OF BETTER WORD, UM, OFFSPRING, UH, YOU KNOW, ARE ALL THROUGHOUT THAT WHOLE CORRIDOR. AND OF COURSE YOU HAVE ONE, YOU HAVE THREE ROADS THAT ARE TXDOT, UM, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF CITY MAINTAINED. SO, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF THINKING ABOUT SOME OF THOSE, THOSE CORRIDORS LIKE THAT. UM, AND THERE'S OTHER ONES THROUGHOUT THE CITY, BUT THAT ONE IS JUST CAME TO MIND BECAUSE WHERE THAT PARTICULAR TREE IS. UM, MY NEXT QUESTION IS, I DON'T REALLY HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF LIKE, HOW OFTEN ARE PEOPLE OR DEVELOPERS WANTING TO PLANT TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY? OH, I DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO QUANTIFY THAT. DO YOU? UM, IT, IT HAPPENS, UM, , THERE'S STREET YARD, UM, THERE'S STREET TREE REQUIREMENTS IN THE LANDSCAPE CODE. SO THERE IS A LOT OF REQUIREMENTS TO PLANT IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. UM, THERE'S THE GREAT STREETS PROGRAM, WHICH IS IN OUR UNO DISTRICT AND OUR DOWNTOWN AREAS, UM, THAT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO BUY IN FOR THE DENSITY BONUS TO PLANT THOSE TREES AND TO WORK THROUGH THESE UTILITY CONFLICTS IN A VERY SMALL RIGHT OF WAY. UM, SO MOST, YOU KNOW, IN COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, WE WORK WITH THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS THAT ARE SUBMITTING THE PLANS THAT ARE TRYING, THAT ARE VERY, AND MANY PEOPLE IN THE TARP WORKING GROUP, THE SCREEN WORKING GROUP, ARE FROM THAT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT COMMUNITY THAT WERE WORKING THROUGH THESE BARRIERS WITH US, YOU KNOW, THE CONSULTANTS, UM, SO ONE OF THE CONSULTANTS DESIGN MUELLER, WHERE YOU HAVE A LOT OF STREET TREES AND THAT, SO THEY'RE VERY WELL [01:25:01] VERSED AND YOU KNOW, THE, THE WANT IS THERE. OKAY, THANK YOU. UM, I ALSO SHARE COMMISSIONER, UM, KRUGER'S, UM, THOUGHTS AND, AND, YOU KNOW, FOR CREATING PLANT COMMUNITIES, UM, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF JUST A SINGLE TREE AND, YOU KNOW, AND I, I GET IT, I KNOW YOU WANNA MOW AROUND IT AND THERE'S MAINTENANCE AND THINGS AROUND THAT, BUT, UM, IT DOES SEEM LIKE IT IS, UM, BETTER, YOU KNOW, FOR THE TREE AND THE HEALTH OF THE TREE AND THE LONGEVITY, UH, TO HAVE SOME OF THOSE PLANT COMMUNITIES, UM, AROUND IT TO SHADE AND PROTECT THEIR ROOTS AS WELL. UM, SO HOPEFULLY THAT CAN SOMETHING THAT CAN REALLY BE LOOKED AT. UM, I ALSO WANNA JUST KIND OF CLARIFY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THINGS, A LOT OF TIMES WE TALK ABOUT EAST VERSUS WEST OR SOUTH VERSUS NORTH, BUT I REALLY, REALLY WANNA STRESS THOSE ARE ECO REGIONS AND THAT WE USE THAT TERMINOLOGY INSTEAD OF, AND I'M SAYING THIS TO OUR, OUR GROUP, UM, TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S THE BLACKLAND PRAIRIE, THERE'S THE EDWARDS UPLIFT, THERE'S EVEN A LITTLE BIT OF THE CROSS TIMBERS. UM, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE SOUTH TEXAS PLAINS. SO THERE'S FOUR DISTINCT ECO REGIONS, UM, WITHIN OUR BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL CITY. UM, AND SO WHEN THINKING ABOUT THAT, THEY DON'T SUPPORT ALL THE SAME TREES. UM, NOW IN THE WEST, WE CAN PLANT ALL THE CEDAR TREES WE WANT, I'M SURE WOULD BE REAL POPULAR FOR THAT , THEY ARE HARDY. UM, SO I JUST WANNA, YOU KNOW, KIND OF MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT ON OUR HEAD WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT. OKAY. NEXT THING IS ON NUMBER EIGHT, UM, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, UM, UH, ELIMINATING THE LICENSE AGREEMENT REQUIREMENT FOR STREET TS. AND I FEEL ALSO SOMEWHAT CONFUSED ON THIS. I, WHEN I, WHEN I WAS LISTENING TO YOU, I, THE NOTE THAT I WROTE DOWN WAS, NO ONE WANTS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. AND THAT'S NOT GOOD. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THAT'S JUST WHAT IT KIND OF FEELS LIKE. IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, WELL, UM, WE'RE DEVELOPERS OR, YOU KNOW, WHOEVER'S APPLYING HERE, WE DON'T REALLY WANNA TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT, SO WE'RE GONNA PASS THAT OFF TO THE TAXPAYERS THEN TO COME UP WITH THIS MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, WHICH WOULD BE ELABORATE. UM, AND UM, YOU KNOW, SO IT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S EXTRA STAFF. THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS IN THAT. I, I I, I'M NOT SURE I HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE WITH GETTING RID OF THE LICENSING AGREEMENT. I NEED TO UNDERSTAND IT MORE. I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT JUST RIGHT IN OUR DISCUSSION HERE, IT FEELS LIKE THAT WAS SORT OF, UM, UH, I DON'T KNOW, SOMETHING DOESN'T FEEL QUITE RIGHT THERE. YEAH, I CAN RESPOND TO THAT. I, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A DECISION TO MAKE AS A CITY. UM, DO WE WANT TREES TO BE PRIVATELY MAINTAINED BY PROPERTY OWNERS OR DO WE WANT TO MAINTAIN THEM PUBLICLY? UM, AND I DON'T THINK EITHER SIDE YOU LAND ON THERE REQUIRES A LICENSE AGREEMENT. UM, YOU CAN CERTAINLY REQUIRE PRIVATE MAINTEN MAINTENANCE IN A MUCH CLEANER, MUCH MORE UNIVERSAL WAY THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE AN ONEROUS ONE-OFF REVIEW FOR EVERY SINGLE STREET TREE PLANTED IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. UM, THAT SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, THE TARP UM, RECOGNIZES THAT DIFFERENT CITIES DO THIS DIFFERENT WAYS AND THERE ARE PROS AND CONS TO BOTH THAT NEED TO BE CONSIDERED. UM, THE, THE PRO, UM, FOR ASSUMING PUBLIC LED MAINTENANCE OF CITY TREE TREES IS THAT, UM, THE SPECIALISTS IN URBAN FORESTRY ARE ABLE TO HAVE SOME COMFORT THAT IT'S DONE RIGHT, UM, WHERE STREET TREES ARE PRIVATELY MAINTAINED. UM, THERE ARE SOMETIMES ISSUES WITH THAT. UM, THERE ARE FOLKS WHO DON'T WANT TO MAINTAIN THE TREE AND, UM, FRANKLY ARE FACILITATING ITS LIFECYCLE PROCESS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. AND, UM, MAINTAINING IT THUSLY. UM, WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ALLUDED TO EARLIER THAT WE HAVE DEBILITATING STORMS IN THIS PART OF THE REGION. UM, IT DEFINITELY BEHOOVES US TO MAKE SURE THAT TREES ARE MAINTAINED PROPERLY IN ORDER TO BE PREPARED FOR THOSE TYPES OF STORMS. UM, EVEN GIVEN CITIES THAT REQUIRE PRIVATE MAINTENANCE, UM, THEY TYPICALLY DO REQUIRE, UM, LICENSED AND BONDED URBAN FORESTER, UM, URBAN FORESTRY COMPANIES TO FORESTRY COMPANIES TO MAINTAIN THE TREE AND REQUIRE A PERMIT TO DO SO. UM, SO THAT STAFF CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE TREE, BECAUSE IT IS A PUBLIC ASSET AND IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, IS DONE PROPERLY. SO EVEN WITH PRIVATE MAINTENANCE SYSTEMS, THERE IS STAFF OVERHEAD. UM, AND SO YOU'RE ALREADY INVESTING TIME AND RESOURCES AND MONEY TO [01:30:01] OVERSEE MAINTENANCE. HOW MUCH IS THE DELTA REALLY IS THE QUESTION AND THE MATH THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. SO I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S SO MUCH OF A PAST THE HOT POTATO KIND OF SITUATION, UM, IS NOT NECESSARILY HOW I WOULD FRAME IT MORE OF A, WHAT'S GONNA CREATE THE, THE MOST, UM, BENEFIT AND GIVEN THAT COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS, WHICH IS THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AISLE TO FINANCE, TO LAND ON ON THAT, THAT ISSUE. GREAT. THANKS FOR FURTHER EXPLAINING THAT TO ME. I APPRECIATE THAT. AND IT DOES SEEM LIKE MAYBE THERE'S, THERE'S SOMETHING WHERE THEY'RE PAYING INTO, I MEAN, I, I KNOW THEY ALREADY PAY IN, IN, INTO DIFFERENT FUNDS, BUT YOU KNOW, UM, THAT MAYBE THERE'S, THERE'S SOMETHING BIGGER TO REVIEW THERE FOR HOW WE'RE CREATING A REVENUE STREAM TO TAKE CARE OF THESE INSTEAD OF JUST, YOU KNOW, ONE MORE THING THAT HITS THE CITY BUDGET, BECAUSE I KNOW IF THERE'S CUTS, THAT'S ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WOULD BE CUT QUICKLY. SO, UM, I JUST WANNA BE, BE COGNIZANT, UM, OF THAT. AND THEN, UH, IN THAT ALSO THEN WHAT WOULD, IF THERE'S DO GO AWAY, WHAT, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THOSE FORMER AGREEMENTS? THEY JUST GO AWAY? YEAH, THAT WOULD BE A PROCESS, UM, THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO THINK THROUGH, UH, ROLLOUT FOR. UM, SO WE WOULD HAVE TO KIND OF ADDRESS THE MAINTENANCE QUESTION FIRST AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE NEW SYSTEM WOULD BE, UM, AND ASSOCIATED REVENUE QUESTIONS THAT ARE TIED TO IT. UM, AND THEN I THINK IT WOULD PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING OFF THE CUFF HERE, ROLL OUT WHERE WE WOULD STOP REQUIRING NEW ONES FOR STREET TREES AND THEN SYSTEMATICALLY GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE EXISTING ONES TO FIGURE OUT HOW THOSE SUNSET AND ROLL OVER. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO WORK ON THAT THROUGH. GREAT. THANK YOU. LEMME SEE IF I HAD ANYTHING ELSE WRITTEN DOWN IN MY LITTLE NOTES HERE. I DON'T THINK SO. UM, YOU KNOW, I REALLY APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, UM, THE, THE REVIEW OF THIS AND LOOKING AT OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR TREES HOLISTICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, AND REALLY THINKING ABOUT HOW DOES THIS ADD VALUE TO OUR LIVES? UM, AND UM, YEAH, APPRECIATE IT. YOU BET. SORRY, JUST ONE FOLLOW UP THAT, UM, YOU TOUCHED ON A LITTLE BIT. CHEER BRISTOL. SO WE HAVE A TREE MITIGATION FUND, WHICH AS FAR AS I'M AWARE, THE RATE FOR THAT HAS STILL NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE ABOUT 2012. UNLESS YOU ALL HAVE HEARD ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY. I KNOW WE PASSED A RECOMMENDATION OUT OF THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE, UM, BUT I'M NOT, ANYWAY, NOT SURE THAT IT'S GONE ANYWHERE. SO I KNOW THAT THAT'S A FUND THAT EXISTS THAT IS ALREADY PRETTY TAPPED OUT. UM, YOU MENTIONED A DENSITY BONUS INCENTIVE AND THE UNO LAYOVER THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, UH, NECESSITATE TREE PLANTING AS PART OF, UH, EARNING THAT DENSITY BONUS. I'M JUST WONDERING ARE THERE ANY OTHER DEVELOPMENT MITIGATION FUNDS THAT ALREADY EXIST OR SIMILAR MECHANISMS THAT WE CAN USE TO, AS CHAIR BRISTOL WAS TALKING ABOUT, CREATE AS A REVENUE STREAM FROM DEVELOPERS FOR THIS? UM, YEAH, THOSE ARE, UM, ALL GREAT POINTS. UM, ANOTHER, UM, THING TO THINK THROUGH MIGHT BE HOW MIGHT FRONTAGE IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING TREES, UM, FACTOR INTO, UM, IMPACT FEE ASSESSMENTS AND CREATE CREDITS FOR IMPACT FEES, UM, IS SOMETHING ELSE TO THINK ABOUT. YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THE MITIGATION FUND? UM, SO THAT'S MANAGED BY EMILY KING'S IN, IN HER, AND THE, THOSE ARE SUPPORTING THE NEIGHBORHOODS, CONTRACTS, THE TREE FOLKS, THOSE ARE ALL GOING OUT TO GRANTS. MM-HMM . SO A LOT OF, UM, PARD PLANTINGS, THERE'S A RECENT GRANT FOR STREET TREE PLANTINGS FROM THE TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS FOLKS. SO THAT MONEY IS NOT A STEADY STREAM, IT DEPENDS ON THE DEVELOPMENT CORRECT. THAT WE GET IN. SO THERE'S VOLATILITY IN THAT MONEY FLOW AND IT'S ALREADY PROJECTED AND ALLOCATED TO THESE GRANT PROGRAMS, TO THE TRAILS FOUNDATION, TO THE PARKS, TO NEIGHBORHOODS, TREE FOLKS, ET CETERA. MM-HMM . UM, AND YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF CHANGING, THAT'S A RULE CRITERIA RULE CHANGE. DID IT CHANGE THE AMOUNT OF TREE? UM, THAT'S NOT BEING PROPOSED. MM-HMM . CURRENTLY. THE RATE INCREASE, YOU MEAN? YEAH. OKAY. UM, THANK YOU. YEAH. WELL, I KNOW THIS WILL TAKE A LOT OF TIME. I APPRECIATE YOU ALL THINKING THROUGH ALL THESE DIFFERENT IDEAS AND CONSIDERING THEM. I DO HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION. UM, AND THIS IS JUST TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND SOMETHING. SO, UM, A PRIVATE HOMEOWNER WHERE, [01:35:01] WHERE IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY? YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE STREET, HERE'S THEIR PROPERTY, ARE THEY RE WHAT ARE THEY RESPONSIBLE FOR? OR IS THERE ANY KIND OF ROAD RIGHT OF WAY THAT'S AROUND THEIR PROPERTY? OR IS IT ALL FROM THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO THE, YOU KNOW, TO THE END OF THE PROPERTY? UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE PUBLIC MAINTAINS WHAT'S ON THE PUBLIC SIDE OF THE RIGHT OF WAY, AND THE PROPERTY OWNER MAINTAINS WHAT'S ON THE PRIVATE SIDE OF THE RIGHT OF WAY. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHY THE LICENSE AGREEMENT, UM, PROCESS OF REQUIREMENT CAME INTO BEING. THAT WAS FOR, UM, LIKE A HOMEOWNERS MOSTLY ANY PROPERTY OWNER. ANY PROPERTY OWNER, MM-HMM . OKAY. I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS LIKE A, A DISTINCTION BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORHOODS AND HOMEOWNERS VERSUS LIKE A SHOPPING CENTER, A CHURCH THAT YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, KIND OF THING. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. I, I THOUGHT YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT LIKE THE EASEMENT, LIKE IF THERE'S A FOUR FOOT SIDEWALK, BUT A 10 FOOT EASEMENT, THEN THE CITY STILL HAS A RIGHT FOR THE UTILITIES TO, TO WORK ON THE UTILITIES THAT ARE IN THAT EASEMENT, FOR EXAMPLE. YEAH. AN EASEMENT IS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, SO THAT WOULD BE PRIVATELY MAINTAINED WITH THE CITY ABLE TO, UM, ACCESS THAT EASEMENT. CAN I ANSWER THAT? YEAH. UM, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOODS PROGRAM AND TREE FOLKS PRETTY HEAVILY HERE. WE KIND OF WERE JOINED AT THE HIP AND, UH, WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD, WHAT, UH, TREE FOLKS RECOMMENDS IS THAT IF YOU'RE GONNA PLANT A TREE IN YOUR YARD NEAR THE CURB, IT'S PLANTED AT 12 FEET AWAY FROM THE CURB AND THAT'LL ALLOW THE SPACE FOR THE, FOR THE POTENTIAL SIDEWALK TO BE INSTALLED. UM, AND THE OTHER ANSWER FOR HOW MANY TREES, UH, EVERY YEAR, UH, TREE FOLKS IS GIVING AWAY 8,000 TREES. THAT IS THEIR, THEIR MANDATE FROM THE CITY. AND, UH, IT IS A GROWING NUMBER. IT'S UP FROM LAST YEAR, I THINK BY 500 AND, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE AWAY A THOUSAND OF 'EM OURSELVES. GREAT. THANK YOU. THAT'S VERY USEFUL INFORMATION. THANKS Y'ALL FOR COMING OUT THIS EVENING AND, UM, ENLIGHTENING US ON ALL OF THIS. IT'S A LOT TO TAKE IN. THANKS. THANK, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. ALRIGHT, NEXT UP, WE HAVE AN [3. Election of the Environmental Commission Secretary for a term ending on April 30, 2026.] ELECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION SECRETARY, UM, SINCE, UM, COMMISSIONER FER, UM, IS UNFORTUNATELY NO LONGER PART OF THE COMMISSION. I WAS GONNA SAY NO LONGER WITH US, BUT THAT DOESN'T SOUND QUITE RIGHT. , . THAT'S RIGHT. UM, YEAH. YEAH. SO, UM, I, UM, WOULD, CAN I JUST GO AHEAD AND NOMINATE, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, NOMINATE COMMISSIONER CROI AND I'LL SECOND THAT , AND I GUESS, DO WE GO AHEAD AND JUST TAKE A VOTE AND YES. I, I ACCEPT THE NOMINATION AND I APPRECIATE THE CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. WELL, LET'S, UM, GO AROUND THE HORN AND, UM, AND EVERYBODY, UM, I GUESS ALL IN FAVOR RAISE YOUR HAND AND CRUSHY YOU CAN VOTE FOR YOURSELF. IT'S OKAY. , IT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S UNANIMOUS AND PASSES. SO WELCOME COMMISSIONER KREI. APPRECIATE Y'ALL. I'LL TRY TO, UH, REFRAIN FROM SHEDDING ANY TEARS. . YEAH, WE'LL GET YOU THE SASH LATER. UM, I HOPE YOU'LL INSTILL YOUR HUMOR INTO OUR RECOMMENDATIONS. I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR. YEAH, . YEAH. YEAH. UM, OKAY, SO THE NEXT STEP IS, UM, WITH'S ALL THINGS TREES TODAY. I LIKE IT WHEN WE HAVE A LITTLE THEME GOING, UM, DISCUSSION [4. Discussion and action on Urban Forestry committee membership] AND ACTION ON URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP. SO, UM, ELIZABETH HELPED ME, UM, UNDERSTAND HERE, BUT IT, OUR COMMITTEE HAS, WE NEED SEVERAL PEOPLE, RIGHT? HOW MANY PEOPLE DO WE NEED? YEAH. SO RIGHT NOW ON THE COMMITTEE WE HAVE CHAIR BRIMER, UH, COMMISSIONER LUKI AND ISABEL . UM, SO IT WOULD BE IDEAL IF WE COULD GET TWO MORE PEOPLE. SO THESE MEETINGS ARE DURING THE WEEK. UH, WE MEET QUARTERLY. UM, IT NEEDS TO BE LESS THAN SIX PEOPLE BECAUSE THAT'S A QUORUM , UH, THAT WHEN, BECAUSE IT'S THREE PEOPLE IS A QUORUM FOR EACH COMMITTEE, AND THAT IS HARD TO SCHEDULE A MEETING DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK WITH JUST THREE PEOPLE ON THE COMMITTEE. SO WE DEFINITELY NEED AT LEAST ONE PERSON TO MAKE SURE. SO IF THERE'S A BUFFER, IF SOMEBODY HAS A FAMILY EMERGENCY OR WORK COMES UP ALL NORMAL, YOU GUYS HAVE FULL LIVES, , UM, AND THEN A FIFTH PERSON IS MOST IDEAL. SO THAT'S MY EXPLANATION. [01:40:01] WE MEET HERE AND THERE'S VIRTUAL OPTIONS AS WELL. GREAT. THANK YOU. THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT COMMITTEE, UM, AS YOU'VE JUST HEARD, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH, UM, THE RIGHT OF WAYS. UM, YOU KNOW, OVER THE YEARS, UH, THIS COMMITTEE HAS REALLY BROUGHT FORWARD SOME, SOME REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, YOU KNOW, MOTIONS AND ACTIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE WANNA SEE HAVE DONE FOR OUR, UM, OUR TREES AND OUR URBAN FOREST. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, REALLY HOPE, UH, ONE OF Y'ALL OR TWO, UM, AND YOU CAN JUST SAY, HEY, LIKE, I'D LIKE TO SERVE, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD GO AHEAD AND TRY TO FILL THAT THIS EVENING IF WE CAN. YOU KNOW, ONE OTHER POINT TOO IS IT USED TO BE A SEPARATE COMMISSION. WE USED TO HAVE A FORESTRY COMMISSION, BUT IT WAS ABSORBED INTO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, SO IT HAS THAT GRAVITY. SURE. I'LL JOIN. YES, I WAS ALSO, YOU GOT A JOINER. I WAS ALSO GONNA POINT OUT THAT I BELIEVE, UH, FORESTS ARE THE REASON THAT WE KNOW ABOUT GRAVITY TECHNICALLY. SO THERE YOU GO. I'M GONNA PONDER THAT. . THANK YOU. . UH, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY ELSE THAT WANTS TO, I'M LOOKING DOWN THIS DIRECTION OVER HERE. YES. ALSO TOO. YEAH. YES. ALRIGHT. I LOVE IT WHEN THIS COMES TOGETHER. THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH, UH, FOR STEPPING UP AND, UM, NOW I FEEL LIKE THINGS ARE IN GOOD HANDS, SO, PERFECT. YOU GOT A LOT OF FS GOING ON IN THERE. YEAH. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. UM, NEXT UP, UH, WE'VE GOT A, [5. Approve the 2026 Environmental Commission Meeting Schedule] UM, EVERYBODY GET A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE, UM, THE DRAFT FOR OUR MEETING SCHEDULE. UM, IT'S PRETTY SIMILAR, UM, FOR WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST. UM, ELIZABETH'S GONNA EXPLAIN JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THE TIME PERIOD WHERE WE MIGHT ONLY HAVE ONE MEETING VERSUS THREE MEETINGS. YEAH, I CAN GIVE A QUICK BLURB. IT'S MOSTLY FIRST AND THIRD WEDNESDAY STAYS CONSISTENT, STILL MEETING AT THE PDC. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF EXCEPTIONS WHERE THERE'S ONLY ONE MEETING SCHEDULED. THAT WOULD BE THE JANUARY, BECAUSE THE FIRST MEETING LANDS VERY CLOSE TO NEW YEAR'S, AND THAT'S JUST HARD TO GET BACKUP POSTED AND TAKES BOOKS A WHILE TO GET BACK. UM, AND THEN IN MARCH, THE SECOND MEETING LANDS RIGHT ON A IS D'S SPRING BREAK. SO IN THE PAST IT'S BEEN A REALLY HARD TIME TO MAKE FORUM, SO I HAVE ONLY SCHEDULED ONE MEETING FOR THAT MONTH UNLESS Y'ALL HAVE OPINIONS. AND THEN THE OTHER TIME IS IN JULY. RIGHT NOW I ONLY HAVE ONE MEETING SCHEDULED, THE FIRST MEETING IN JULY WITH THE IDEA THAT WE COULD DO THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING FOR Y'ALL'S RETREAT. THE SECOND MEETING. UM, FOR THOSE OF Y'ALL WHO DON'T KNOW THE RETREAT OR LIKE ANNUAL PLANNING MEETING IS A TIME WHERE YOU ALL HEAR BRIEFINGS FROM STAFF ON WHATEVER YOU REQUEST AND HAVE A TIME TO DISCUSS THE, THE COMING YEAR, THE REASON, AND WE FEED YOU TACOS. OH YES, WE DO USUALLY FEED, WE ALWAYS FEED YOU. IT'S USUALLY TACOS BECAUSE THAT'S EASY. . UM, UH, IT IS IN JULY BECAUSE THE ANNUAL REPORT IS DUE BY FROM THE CHAIR AT THE END OF JULY. SO IF THAT'S NOT A TIME THAT WORKS WELL, WE CAN DISCUSS AND PUT THAT SOMEWHERE ELSE. I'VE LEAN TOWARDS THAT. SO WE DON'T HAVE THREE MEETINGS IN A MONTH BECAUSE I FIND THAT REALLY HARD TO SCHEDULE. UM, IT'S HARD TO ASK FOR YOU GUYS TO COME FOR A THIRD MEETING. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD? ANY, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE SCHEDULE? I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE SCHEDULE. IS THAT GOOD? EXCELLENT. LET'S VOTE ON IT. DO WE, WE NEED TO VOTE ON IT, RIGHT? UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE SCHEDULE AS IT IS WRITTEN OUT. UH, WE HAVE EVERYBODY AND IT'S UNANIMOUS. THANK YOU. YAY. WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO AMEND THE SCHEDULE THAT YOU ALL FEDERAL EXPRESS ME TACOS, , RIGHT? YEAH. IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, YOU DRIVE A HARD BARGAIN, BUT ACCEPT TACOS ARE ONLY FOR PEOPLE IN PERSON. I APOLOGIZE. COMMISSIONER BREMER , IT'S THE REWARD. SO I DO WANNA SAY, UM, REALLY QUICK, I AM A HAPPY CHAIR TODAY. WE ARE ALL HERE IN PERSON AND IT'S BEEN A WHILE AND I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY HERE. I FEEL LIKE TODAY'S DISCUSSION WAS REALLY GOOD. AND WHEN YOU'RE HERE IN YOUR PRESENT, IT JUST, IT JUST MAKES IT SO MUCH BETTER. SO I JUST REALLY WANNA SAY I APPRECIATE Y'ALL AND THAT'S IT. OH, TN ITEMS, [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS] ANYBODY? OKAY. UM, I MET A WOMAN WHO RUNS THE AUSTIN YOUTH RIVER WATCH, UM, AND WE WERE CHITCHATTING AND SHE IS INTERESTED IN GIVING A PRESENTATION TO US ABOUT WHAT HER GROUP DOES. UM, AND SPECIFICALLY SHE CAME [01:45:01] TO ME WITH DECEMBER 3RD FOR A DATE FOR THAT. UM, I'M NOT SURE IF WE HAVE TIME ON, ON THE THIRD. YEAH, ONE MORE. OKAY. YEAH, THAT SHOULD BE GOOD. IF YOU CAN JUST CONNECT WITH ME WITH HER CONTACT INFORMATION AS LONG AS THIS GETS A SECOND AND THEN I'LL HELP COORDINATE ALL THAT. I WILL SECOND THAT. OKAY. YEAH, JUST SEND ME HER CONTACT STUFF SO WE CAN GET THAT. OKAY. SWEET. THANKS. GREAT. ANY, ANYTHING ELSE? COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN? I SEE YOUR LIGHT IS ON. OKAY. CAN I ASK A JUST PROCEDURAL QUESTION? YES. WHAT IS, WHAT, WHAT, UM, WARRANTS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM? WHEN SHOULD WE THINK ABOUT PROPOSING SOMETHING LIKE THAT? YEAH, YEAH. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. SO AT THE END OF EVERY MEETING, WE ALWAYS CLOSE WITH WHAT ARE SOME FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE COME FORWARD? SO, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT WHAT'S ONE THAT, OH, WELL, UM, THE CONCRETE ASTOR. YEAH. ASTOR. YEAH. THERE'LL BE A, YEP, THERE'LL BE ONE COMING UP. YEAH. UM, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE AS YOU'RE OUT AND ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, SEEMS LIKE IT'S RELEVANT TO US TO LEARN ABOUT. UM, AND IT, YOU KNOW, FALLS WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENTAL, WHAT OUR PURVIEW IS. UM, YOU KNOW, THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, THIS IS OUR, OUR FORUM TO TALK ABOUT THAT. YOU CAN ALWAYS SEND AN EMAIL TOO, BUT THIS IS KIND OF OUR FORUM TO TALK ABOUT IT. AND IF YOU PRESENT SOMETHING, UM, THEN YOU NEED A SECOND TO MAKE SURE IT GETS ON THE LIST AND, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD A SPECIFIC DATE IN MIND. UM, A LOT OF TIMES THAT'S NOT THE CASE. IT'S JUST SORT OF WHERE EVERYTHING WILL FIT WITHIN OUR SCHEDULE, AND THAT DEPENDS A LOT ON WHAT VARIANCES ARE BEING BROUGHT FORWARD, IF THE P'S BEING BROUGHT FORWARD, SOMETHING ELSE ALONG THOSE LINES. SO DOES THAT HELP? COOL. GREAT. UM, JUST TO ADD, LIKE THE, UH, CHAIR SAID YOU BRING IT UP IN THIS THING, BUT YOU CAN BRING IT UP VIA EMAIL. AND IF YOU HAVE SPOKEN WITH ONE OF US, LIKE SOMETHING THAT DAVE AND I WERE GOING TO DO BUT EVAPORATED AT THE LAST MOMENT, UH, DAVE AND I KIND OF TOOK CARE OF IT VIA EMAIL AND HE WAS GONNA SPONSOR IT. I SAID, OKAY, WELL I'LL SECOND IT. AND WE ALL TOOK CARE OF THIS VIA EMAIL. SO IF YOU, YOU KNOW, DECIDE, OKAY, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS, AND YOU KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, MARTIN IS A BIG FAN OF WHATEVER THAT IS, THEN YOU CAN CONTACT HIM DIRECTLY AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. AND MARTIN SAYS, HEY, YOU KNOW, I'LL GO FOR IT. I'LL SECOND IT. AND THEN YOU FORWARD THE WHOLE CABOODLE OVER TO ELIZABETH AND COPY THE CHAIR, AND IN CASE SHE'S ON VACATION, YOU COPY THE, UH, VICE CHAIR TOO. AND THEN THAT WAY IT BECOMES ON THE AGENDA WHENEVER THERE'S A VACANT SPACE ON THERE. SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION. I HAVE A QUICK WARNING ON CCING TOO MANY PEOPLE. YOU CAN'T HAVE MORE THAN FIVE PEOPLE ON AN EMAIL CHAIN OF COMMISSIONERS BECAUSE THEN IT TURNS INTO YOU CONDUCTING BUSINESS ONLINE. AND SO YEAH, IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THAT, YOU JUST SEND IT TO ME AND I'LL CC YEAH. NO, IT'S MESSY. AND IF YOU GO TO AN EVENT WHERE YOU SEE ALL OF US JUST RUN AWAY. . YEAH. ALL RIGHT. WELL THANKS Y'ALL. REALLY GOOD MEETING. APPRECIATE IT. UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE UP AT 7 52. I. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.