* 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. [CALL TO ORDER] [00:00:05] AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. IT'S NOW 4 0 3 AND WE WILL CONVENE THE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15TH WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION MEETING. SO, PRESENTLY, UM, IN PERSON WE HAVE COMMISSIONER PANI AND MYSELF, COMMISSIONER MAXWELL GAINES. VIRTUALLY WE HAVE COMMISSIONERS, MORIARTY REYES, STEN CR MARZOLO, AND TU YOUNG. AND WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY, COMMISSIONERS. DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS SIGNED UP? NO PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS TODAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. [APPROVAL OF MINUTES] ALRIGHT, NOW WE'LL GO ON TO APPROVING THE MEETING MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING. AND I DO WANT TO, UH, READ IN ONE CHANGE, UH, CORRECTION TO THE MEETING MINUTES. UH, THE, UH, THE FIRST LINE SAID THAT THE, UM, REGULAR CALL MEETING ON JULY 16TH, UM, SO THEREFORE THAT LINE WILL BE CHANGED TO THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION. CONVEN, UH, CONVENED IN A REGULAR CALL MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2025 AT WALLER WALLER CREEK CENTER, 625 EAST 10TH STREET, AUSTIN, TEXAS. SO JUST LETTING Y'ALL KNOW THAT THAT WILL BE CHANGED IN UH, MINUTES. UM, BUT DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, OR REVISIONS FOR THE LAST MEETING MINUTES? I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. OKAY. COMMISSIONER BAIN DURGE COM UH, UH, MOTION TO APPROVE. DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. COMMISSIONER REYES SECOND. SO ALL COMMISSIONERS VOTING IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. OKAY. MINUTES TO PASS UNANIMOUSLY. ALL [DISCUSSION AND ACTION] RIGHT. SO NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. UM, SO I WILL CALL OUT, UH, THE COMMISSIONERS TO ASK FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR RECUSALS FOR THE ITEMS, ITEMS NUMBER TWO, THREE, AND FOUR. SO, UH, STARTING HERE, COMMISSIONER PANI, UM, NO QUESTIONS ON THE REST OF THE ITEMS. I RECUSE ON ITEM THREE. OKAY. ON RECUSE. OH, CAN YOU SAY IT AGAIN? THE MIC? YES. SORRY. UM, NO QUESTIONS ON TWO AND FOUR. I RECUSE ON ITEM THREE. OKAY, THANK YOU. UM, I HAVE A QUESTION ON ITEM NUMBER THREE. OKAY. UH, COMMISSIONER MOR MORIARTY, NO QUESTIONS. NO RECUSALS. COMMISSIONER REYES, NO QUESTIONS ON ITEMS NUMBER TWO AND FOUR, AND I WILL NEED TO RECUSE MYSELF FROM ITEM NUMBER THREE. OKAY. COMMISSIONER SCRO, NO QUESTIONS. NO RECUSALS COMMISSIONER MARZULLO? NO QUESTIONS? NO RECUSALS. OKAY. COMMISSIONER ION NO QUESTIONS. NO RECUSALS. OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO THE CONSENT AGENDA WILL BE ITEMS NUMBER TWO AND NUMBER FOUR. SO, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? I MAKE A MOTION. OKAY. COMMISSIONER PAN PANI, UH, MOTIONS TO APPROVE. DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. OKAY. COMMISSIONER REYES SECONDS. ALL COMMISSIONER. VOTING IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. OKAY. CONSENT AGENDA. APPROVE UNANIMOUSLY. OKAY. ALL [3. Recommend approval to authorize a rotation list set of twelve contracts for engineering services for the 2025 Small Scale Water and Wastewater Pipeline Engineering Services Rotation List with Quiddity Engineering, LLC, Weston Solutions, Inc., Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., Tetra Tech, Inc., DAVCAR, Inc., dba DAVCAR Engineering Services, Riley Mountain Engineering, LLC, Martinez, Wright & Mendez, Inc., dba MWM DesignGroup, AtkinsRealis, USA, Inc., LJA Engineering, Inc., BGE, Inc., dba Brown & Gay Engineers, Inc., Doucet & Associates, Inc., and Halff Associates, Inc., for total contract amount not to exceed $26,000,000, divided among the firms. Funding: $26,000,000 is available in the Capital Budget of the Austin Water.] RIGHT. SO NOW MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE. WE, YOU CAN JUST SUMMARIZE. OKAY. ADMINISTRATION LIST OF 12 CONTRACTS. YEAH. GOT IT. OKAY. SO ITEM NUMBER THREE IS RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO AUTHORIZE A ROTATION LIST OF SET OF 12 CONTRACTS FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR THE 2025 SMALL SCALE WATER AND WASTEWATER PIPELINE ENGINEERING SERVICES ROTATION LIST, UH, FOR A TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 26 MILLION DIVIDED AMONG THE FIRMS. UH, FUNDING 26 MILLION IS AVAILABLE IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET OF THE AUSTIN WATER. UM, SO BASICALLY, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, UH, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE, THE ROTATION LIST AND, AND IT'S REALLY ABOUT THE SELECTION PROCESS IS KIND OF PROVIDING A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL OF THE, UH, UH, APPLICATION AND THE SELECTION OF THESE, UH, PARTICULAR 12 CONTRACTS. CHARLES, LAURA AUSTIN WATER. UM, [00:05:01] THE SELECTION PROCESS ON A ROTATION LIST IS, UH, THERE'S AN RF, UH, Q ISSUED REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS. IT'S USUALLY POSTED FOR ABOUT FOUR OR SO WEEKS. AND THEN, UH, THE ENGINEERS SUBMIT THEIR, UH, SUBMITTALS TO THE CITY. UM, DURING THAT TIMEFRAME, THERE IS A, UH, A PANEL PUT TOGETHER, USUALLY CONSISTS OF ABOUT FIVE PEOPLE, UH, FROM DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE AUSTIN WATER, AS WELL AS THE CITY IS ALSO, UM, AL ALSO A DIVERSE, UH, SELECTION PANEL. AND, UH, THEY GO AHEAD AND GO AHEAD AND REVIEW THAT. UH, CAPITAL CONTRACTING FACILITATES THAT REVIEW PROCESS. AND, UH, THEY GO THROUGH WITH ALL THE APP, THE PANELISTS AND, YOU KNOW, FOR THIS QUESTION, THIS QUESTION HAS THIS MANY POINTS, HERE'S A RECOMMENDATION FOR SCORING AND EVERYBODY, THEN THEY GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND THEN THEY GO OUT FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS OR SO, OR ROTATION. THAT'S USUALLY LONGER. THERE WAS 35, UH, APPLICANTS TO REVIEW. THEN EVERYBODY REVIEWS INDEPENDENTLY AND THEN THEY COME BACK TOGETHER AND THEN THEY PUT THE SCORES TOGETHER AND THEY DISCUSS AS A GROUP, AND THEN THEY DETERMINE A SELECTION. OKAY. SO, UH, KIND OF TYPICAL FROM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THE OTHER ROTATION LIST. 'CAUSE THIS IS JUST FOR THE SMALL SCALE. YES. SO THAT'S A, PROBABLY THAT'S FOR ROTATION LIST OR EVEN JUST THE STANDALONE, WHAT WE CALL STANDALONE RFQ, WHERE WE'RE JUST SELECTING ONE ENGINEER. YEAH. THAT PROCESS IS THE SAME, SAME PROCESS. OKAY. YEAH. SO EVERYONE'S SUBMITTED, UM, THEIR RFQ AND, AND MET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS AND, AND EVERYTHING. YEAH. THE CAPITAL CONTRACTING WILL GO THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A COUPLE OF THOSE NO GO GATEWAY THINGS. THEY DIDN'T SUBMIT LIKE THE CORRECT MBE REQUIREMENTS OR SMBR, THEN THEY'RE, THEN THEY'RE PULLED OUT AND THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE CONSIDERED NON, UH, RESPONSIVE AND THEN THEY'RE NOT REVIEWED. GOT IT. OKAY. YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, ON RECORD, KIND OF MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTOOD THE YEAH. SELECTION PROCESS, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR THIS PARTICULAR ROTATION. BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S JUST A SIMILAR REPEATABLE PROCESS THAT YOU DO FOR YES. ALL THE OTHER ONES. SO, KEVIN KOHLER, AUSTIN WATER, UM, DIVISION MANAGER. YES. IT'S THE, THE SAME PROCESS WITH, UH, ROTATION LISTS. THERE'S NO INTERVIEWS, BUT WITH A STANDALONE, THERE'LL BE INTERVIEWS IF IT'S WITHIN THREE POINTS. UM, GOT IT. OKAY. YEAH, THAT, UH, IS GOOD FOR ME, SO I APPRECIATE IT MUCH. I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION. I'VE RECUSED MYSELF. CAN I ASK A QUESTION OR CAN I NOT ASK A QUESTION? I'VE RECUSED MYSELF QUESTION. I PROBABLY DON'T THINK. OKAY. YOU CAN SINCE YOU RECUSE YOURSELF. YEAH. AND I, I THINK, YEAH, IT'S PROBABLY BETTER IF YOU DON'T, SORRY, . SAFER TO JUST STAY OUT OF THE DISCUSSION. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER PANI. OKAY. AND COMMISSIONER ORTIZ, THANK YOU, UH, FOR MAKING IT HERE. I KNOW YOU HAD, UH, SOME ISSUES, UH, GETTING HERE, BUT THANK YOU. UM, SO I GUESS WITH THE TWO RECUSALS IS WE HAVE CORE ON FOR WE DID. IT DOES LOOK LIKE THERE'S A HAND UP ONLINE. OH. OH, OKAY. YEAH. COMMISSIONER MARLO. THANK YOU, KEVIN. YEAH, I, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, IS THERE A MINIMUM QUALIFICATION FOR, UM, THOSE CHOSEN TO SERVE ON THE SELECTION COMMITTEE? THANK YOU. OR WHAT ARE THERE, WHAT ARE THE QUALIFICATION CRITERIA? THE, UM, THE QUALIFICATION CRITERIA IS WE, UH, USUALLY LIKE TO HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON, WELL, EXCUSE ME. WE, THE PEOPLE ARE CHOSEN ON THE SELECTION COMMITTEE ARE USUALLY FROM, AS I MENTIONED, FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT, UH, CITY DEPARTMENTS. UM, THIS WAS AN ENGINEERING ONE. SO I WOULD ASSUME THAT MOST OF THE, UH, SELECTIONS ARE ENGINEERS OR EVE OR IN ENGINEERING AND TRAINING. AND THEY COULD HAVE BEEN FROM AUSTIN WATER. THEY COULD HAVE BEEN ONE FROM WATERSHED, THEY COULD HAVE BEEN FROM OTHER AREAS OF DEPARTMENTS. BUT THEY'RE USUALLY AN ENGINEERING SELECTIONS. THOSE ENGINEER, USUALLY ENGINEERS, UH, IN THE GROUP. SO, UH, THAT ARE IN, UH, IN THE PANEL. BUT COM COM COMMISSIONER MARZO WAS YOUR QUESTION ABOUT SELECTION ON THE COMMITTEE REVIEW COMMITTEE OR MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR, I GUESS I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD THE QUESTION. OKAY. YEAH. FOR THE REVIEW COMMITTEE REVIEW REVIEW COMMITTEE. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. YES. AND CAPITAL CONTRACTING, UH, HELPS US WITH THOSE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE CORRECT, UH, PERSONNEL ON BOARD. YEAH. AND, AND THEY SHOULD BE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS. YES. SO, OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS? OKAY. IF NOT, THEN I WILL, UM, TAKE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER THREE, A MOVE TO APPROVE. OKAY. COMMISSIONER ORTIZ MOTIONS TO APPROVE. [00:10:02] UH, DO I HAVE A SECOND? I, I WILL GO AHEAD AND SECOND. COMMISSIONER MAXWELL GAINES. SO ALL COMMISSIONERS VOTING IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. OKAY. OKAY. IT'S VOTED UNANIMOUS WITH COMMISSIONER PANI AND REYES. UM, ABSTAINING ARE RECUSING THEMSELVES. EXCUSE ME. YOU SHOULD NOTE THAT ORTIZ HAS, HAS JOINED THE MEETING. OH, FOR, FOR THIS ONE, RIGHT? OH, JOINED AFTER ? YES. OKAY. SO JUST FOR RECORD, UH, NOTING THAT COMMISSIONER ORTIZ HAS JOINED US, UH, AND VOTED FOR ITEM NUMBER THREE. THANK YOU. OKAY. SO [5. Discuss and approve amending the regular meeting schedule to move the Wednesday, November 19, 2025 Commission meeting date to Wednesday, November 12, 2025 at 4:00pm.] NOW ON TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE, UM, WHICH IS, UH, DISCUSSING AND APPROVING THE, AND APPROVE AMENDING THE REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULE, UM, TO MOVE TO WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH, 2025, UH, TO NOVEMBER 12TH, 2025. SAME TIME AT FOUR O'CLOCK. SO, UH, I THINK AN EMAIL WAS CIRCULATED. I THINK EVERYONE WAS GOOD WITH THAT, BUT WE JUST NEED TO VOTE ON THIS FOR RECORD. SO, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. OKAY. COMMISSIONER REYES, I'LL SECOND. AND, UH, COMMISSIONER REYES. UH, MOTIONS TO APPROVE COMMISSIONER TOO YOUNG. SECOND, ALL COMMISSIONERS VOTING IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. OKAY. ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS UNANIMOUS. SO THE NOVEMBER MEETING WILL BE ON NOVEMBER 12TH AT FOUR O'CLOCK. [6. Discuss and consider approving the calendar year 2026 Water and Wastewater Commission meeting schedule.] OKAY. NEXT ITEM IS TO, UH, ITEM NUMBER SIX TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER APPROVING THE CALENDAR YEAR 2026 WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION MEETING SCHEDULE. SO, UH, HOPEFULLY EVERYONE HAS HAD A OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW. I GUESS IT WAS RIGHT BEFORE ALL THAT. YEAH, THERE. IT'S ALL RIGHT. SO, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT, UH, WANT TO NOTE FOR THE 2026 MEETING SCHEDULE IS THAT IN JULY WE HAVE SCHEDULED, UH, PROPOSED TO SCHEDULE TWO MEETINGS. UM, THIS IS TO ALLOW US TO, UM, COMPLY WITH MEETING AT LEAST A WEEK BEFORE THE COUNCIL MEETING MEETS. UM, AND THEN ALSO IT ALLOWS US TO HAVE ADDITIONAL TIME DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL MEETING. UH, 'CAUSE WE ALL KNOW, LIKE THIS YEAR, HOW CRAZY IT WAS TO GET EVERYTHING SCHEDULED AND THE, UH, THE SUBCOMMITTEE, UM, ORGANIZED AND ALL OF THAT. SO THAT'S, UH, TWO MEETINGS, UH, SCHEDULED FOR JULY, 2026. AND THEN THE OTHER THINGS TO NOTE IS, UH, NOVEMBER 10TH, 2026 IS VETERANS DAY, UH, WHICH FALLS ON WEDNESDAY. UM, AND THEN, UH, BECAUSE A COUNCIL MEETING IN DECEMBER IS ESSENTIALLY THE FIRST WEEK, UM, THEN, UH, WE'RE PROPOSING TO NOT HAVE A WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION MEETING IN DECEMBER OF 2026. UM, SO THAT'S THE, UH, THE THINGS TO NOTE IN THE PROPOSED SCHEDULE. UM, AND REALLY THE MAIN TOPIC THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS IS DETERMINING IF FOUR O'CLOCK ON WEDNESDAYS IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE TIME, OR IF A DIFFERENT TIME, WHETHER IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK, WHETHER IT'S SIX O'CLOCK LIKE IT USED TO BE. UM, SO I WANT TO HEAR, UM, FROM COMMISSIONERS, IF THEY HAVE ANY, UM, FEELING OF WHICH WAY TO GO FROM A, A, A, A MEETING. START TIME. YES. COMMISSIONER MORIARTY? I'D LIKE FOUR O'CLOCK. OKAY. UM, IF, I MEAN, IF I, IF I'M, UH, HEARING NOTHING, THEN, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, I'M JUST GONNA PROPOSE THAT WE STICK WITH FOUR, BUT I DO WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAS THEIR OPPORTUNITY. UH, SO COMMISSIONER REYES. YEAH, I, I CAN MAKE ANY, ANY OF THOSE TIMES WORK. SO, UM, I, I'M OKAY WITH ANYTHING THAT THE, THAT THE COMMISSION AGREES UPON. SO FOUR O'CLOCK WORKS FOR ME. OKAY. SO IS THERE ANYONE THAT, WHERE FOUR MAY NOT BE IDEAL? HOW, HOW ABOUT WE GO IT THAT WAY, , UH, HEARING, HEARING, NO, NO CONCERNS. THEN WE [00:15:01] WILL JUST STICK WITH FOUR O'CLOCK. UM, AND SO, UH, WE WILL STICK WITH FOUR O'CLOCK WITH THIS 2026, UH, PROPOSED MEETING SCHEDULE. AND SO IN ORDER TO APPROVE IT, I NEED A COMMISSIONER TO MOTION FOR APPROVAL. I MOVE TO APPROVE. OKAY. COMMISSIONER CRO, UH, MOVES TO APPROVE. DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT. OKAY. COMMISSIONER PANY SECONDS. SO, ALL COMMISSIONERS VOTING IN FAVOR, FAVOR OF THE PROPOSED SCHEDULE. PLEASE SHOW YOUR HANDS. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SCHEDULE IS PROPOSED. UH, VOTED UNANIMOUSLY. ALRIGHT, [7. Staff Briefing by Austin Transportation Public Works Department regarding Austin Roadmap for Advancing Green Infrastructure in the Right of Way – Michelle Marx, Transportation Officer] SO NOW WE ARE MOVING TO THE STAFF BRIEFINGS PORTION OF THE MEETING. UM, SO WE WILL HAVE A STAFF BRIEFING BY, UM, AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT REGARDING THE AUSTIN ROADWAY FOR ADVANCING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. AND THIS IS BE GIVEN BY MICHELLE MARKS THE TRANSPORTATION OFFICER THERE. SO, GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS. UH, I'M NOT MICHELLE MARKS. I'M RICHARD MENDOZA. I'M THE DIRECTOR FOR TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS. I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN AND VISITING WITH YOU TODAY TO SHARE SOME WORK THAT OUR TEAM HAS BEEN PUTTING TOGETHER REGARDING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT MORE SPECIFICALLY, UH, TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. LAST YEAR, OUR CITY COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION DIRECTING US TO GO EXPLORE AND STUDY HOW WE MAY AFFECT, UH, TO HAVE MORE TREES IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, UH, BOTH FROM THEIR CLIMATE RESILIENCY PERSPECTIVE AS WELL AS COMFORT. UH, WE'RE INCREASINGLY EXPERIENCING HOTTER THAN AVERAGE, UH, SUMMERS AND TEMPERATURES, AND WITH SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS THAT WE ARE MAKING TO OUR, UH, TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE, NAMELY THE LIGHT RAIL AND BUS RAPID TRANSIT. UH, STREET TREES ARE A MEANS TO PROVIDE, UH, OUR COMMUNITY, UH, TO ACCESS THOSE TRANSIT STOPS, UH, MORE COMFORTABLY IF THEY'RE IN THE SHADE. UH, SO I AM ALSO JOINED BY MICHELLE MARKS OUR TRANSPORTATION OFFICER. SHE'LL BE LEADING THE PRESENTATION TODAY. AND ALSO, MR. KEVIN HOWARD OLIVER, OUR CONSULTANT, TO HELP US PUT TOGETHER, UH, THIS STUDY. HE'S WITH URBAN AND DESIGN LAB. SO, WITH THAT, I'LL TURN OVER TO MI TO, UH, MS. MARKS. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR MENDOZA. UM, WILL SOMEBODY BE PROGRESSING THE SLIDES FOR ME, OR, OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'LL, I'LL CUE YOU. UM, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT. NEXT SLIDE. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR SETTING THIS UP SO ELOQUENTLY. UM, DIRECTOR MENDOZA, UM, ALLUDED TO THIS WORK BEING IN RESPONSE TO A COUNCIL RESOLUTION THAT WAS PASSED IN MARCH OF 2024. UM, ON THE SLIDE HERE, WE'VE GOT KIND OF A, A COUPLE OF, UH, SUMMARY EXTRACTS, UH, JUST KIND OF ARTICULATING THE DIRECTIVES OF THAT RESOLUTION. UM, IN, IN, IN SHORT, IT WAS TO, UM, WORK WITH THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY REVIEW PANEL, THE TARP, UM, TO TAKE A, A LOOK AT WHAT THE BARRIERS TO GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND SPECIFICALLY STREET TREES ARE IN AUSTIN'S RIGHTS OF WAY. UM, AND TO IDENTIFY, UM, POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDRESSING THOSE BARRIERS, UH, TO GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. UM, AND THE WORK, UM, THE, IN THE RESOLUTION, UM, WE WERE ASKED TO WORK WITH THE TARP SPECIFICALLY TO ALLOW FOR KINDA INTERDEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION. UM, THE TARP IS, UM, AN AGENCY THAT KIND OF ADVISES AND OVERSEES ADMINISTRATIVE RULES, AND THERE ARE REPRESENTATIVES FROM, UM, ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS, UM, IMPACTED BY, UM, UH, DECISIONS AND INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY THAT, UM, SIT ON THAT GROUP. SO, UM, IT, UM, WAS, UM, AN APPROPRIATE GROUP TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION WITH. UM, AND DIRECTOR MENDOZA SPOKE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, JUST KIND OF BACKING UP, UM, WHAT IS THE GENESIS OF THIS WORK? WHY ARE WE, UM, EVEN DIVING IN AND ABSOLUTELY CORRECT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE COUNCIL, WHEREAS STATEMENTS IN THE, UM, RESOLUTION REALLY SPOKE TO, UM, THE IMPACT THAT STREET TREES HAVE AS URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, UH, PROVIDING SHADE, UM, AND CREATING, UM, A PUBLIC REALM THAT'S MORE AMENABLE, UH, TO PEOPLE, UM, WHO NEED OR WANT TO TAKE TRANSIT, WALK, RIDE BICYCLES, UM, IN OUR A HUNDRED PLUS DEGREE HEAT HERE, UM, IN AUSTIN. UM, BUT IT'S ALSO, UM, A CRITICAL ELEMENT WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, PROVIDING, UM, NOT JUST COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT, BUT A SAFE ENVIRONMENT, UM, FOR THOSE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION USERS, SEPARATING PEOPLE FROM VEHICULAR TRAFFIC. UM, AND TREES THEMSELVES DON'T PROVIDE MORE [00:20:01] THAN SHADE. THEY HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE URBAN HEAT ISLAND BY, UM, AS MUCH AS DOUBLE DIGITS, UM, IN KIND OF MICROCLIMATES. THEY ALSO, UM, ARE KEY TO ABSORBING, UM, STORMWATER RUNOFF, UM, AND REALLY HAVING, UM, A QUANTIFIABLE IMPACT ON, UM, PUBLIC AND MENTAL HEALTH AS WELL. SO, UM, THERE ARE MULTIPLE KIND OF TANGIBLE, QUANTIFIABLE BENEFITS TO STREET TREES, UM, AS ARTICULATED IN THE RESOLUTION. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO, UM, PER THIS DIRECTIVE, WE, UM, AT TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS, UM, DID FACILITATE, UM, A WORKING GROUP WITHIN THE TARP. UM, AND THAT KIND OF SELF NOMINATED WORKING GROUP, UM, DID INCLUDE REPRESENTATION FROM ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS, UM, THAT YOU SEE LISTED HERE ON THE SLIDE IN THE RIGHT, THAT INCLUDES, UM, A COUPLE OF FOLKS FROM, UM, AUSTIN WATER. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION, THOSE OF YOU IN THE ROOM TODAY. UM, AS WELL AS FOLKS FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS IMPACTED BY, UM, DECISIONS THAT HAPPEN IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, AS YOU'LL SEE HERE, UM, WHICH ARE, FRANKLY MOST OF THEM. UM, THE, THE WORKING GROUP WITHIN THE TARP ALSO INCLUDED REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRY AS WELL, FOLKS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE, UM, TRYING TO GET SITE PLANS THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS, UM, AND SPECIFICALLY TRYING TO PLAN STREET TREES AND, AND NAVIGATING THE KIND OF, UM, UH, PROFUSE, UM, AND SOMEWHAT, UM, UNCLEAR CONSTELLATION OF RULES AND REGULATIONS WE HAVE, UM, WITHIN OUR CODE AND CRITERIA MANUALS WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, REGULATING STREET TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. UM, SO A LOT OF DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES, UM, ON THIS WORKING GROUP. NOW, THE INTENT OF THIS PROCESS, UM, WAS FOR THIS KIND OF INTER, UH, DEPARTMENTAL, UM, UH, KIND OF, UH, WORKING GROUP TO, UM, MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY AND DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP. UM, SO THE TARP IS IN MAKING ANY, UM, DECISIONS HERE OR PROCLAMATIONS, IT REALLY IS TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO DEPARTMENTS, UM, TO POTENTIALLY, UH, REFLECT, UM, SOME OF THEIR ANALYSIS IN FUTURE WORK PLANS. AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT MORE, UM, IN JUST A MOMENT. I WILL SAY THAT, UM, THE TARP DID PUT TOGETHER, UM, A WITH OUR CONSULTANT, UM, UH, ASSISTANCE, A VERY, UM, KIND OF ROBUST, UM, UH, DOCUMENT, UM, ARTICULATING ALL OF THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS AND, UM, THAT WORK IS CURRENTLY BEING REVIEWED BY DEPARTMENT STAFF AS WE SPEAK. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO, IN THEIR WORK, UM, THE TARP WENT THROUGH, UM, REALLY A THREE STAGE PROCESS. FIRST WAS, YOU KNOW, AS THE RESOLUTION, RESOLUTION STATED TO, UM, REALLY IDENTIFY AND ARTICULATE WHAT THE BARRIERS ARE, UM, TO PROVIDING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN RIGHTS OF WAY. AND AS DIRECTOR MENDOZA POINTED OUT, UM, THE FOCUS HERE REALLY WAS ON, UM, AND IS ON STREET TREES. UM, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CAN BE A, UM, A FAIRLY EXPANSIVE TERM, I THINK, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UM, BUT IT'S REALLY STREET TREES THAT PROVIDE THE COST BENEFIT IMPACT, UM, FOR THE CITY'S CLIMATE HEALTH, UM, AND RESILIENCE, UM, OBJECTIVES. AND SO THAT'S WHY THE TARP REALLY FOCUSES THEIR EFFORTS ON STREET TREES IN PARTICULAR. UM, SO THEY, THEY TOOK A DEEP DIVE LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS AND LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS TO IDENTIFY WHAT ARE, FROM A REGULATORY PERSPECTIVE, THE BARRIERS THAT WE'RE SEEING IN AUSTIN FOR NOT JUST, UH, PRIVATE DEVELOPMENTS, BUT CAPITAL PROJECTS AS WELL, UM, TO PROVIDE STREET TREES, UM, IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. THEN THEY TOOK A LOOK AT, UM, WHAT ARE THE PERMITTING RELATED BARRIERS, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO PROVIDING STREET TREES. AND THEN, UM, LOOKING AT WHAT WE, WHAT WE CALL THE PROGRAMMATIC BARRIERS. SO BARRIERS THAT MIGHT BE RELATED TO, YOU KNOW, THE WAY WE'RE ORGANIZED AS A CITY, THE WAY WE RESOURCE, RESOURCE OURSELVES, FOR EXAMPLE. UM, AND THEN AGAIN, WITH THE CONSULTANTS ASSISTANCE, UM, THEY REALLY, UM, TOOK A STEP BACK AND DID SOME, UM, EVALUATION OF OUR PEER CITIES. UM, WE'RE NOT THE FIRST CITY IN THE NATION TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE ROBUST TREE CANOPY IN OUR RIGHTS OF WAY. UM, SO WHAT HAVE OTHER CITIES DONE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED AND ARE EXPERIENCING BARRIERS SIMILAR TO OURS? AND HOW CAN WE LEARN, UM, FROM OUR PEERS ACROSS, UH, NORTH AMERICA? AND THEN, UM, WITH THOSE TWO, UM, EVALUATIONS IN HAND, UM, THEN THE GROUP, UM, STARTED TO ARTICULATE ACTIONS, WHAT CAN WE DO, CAN IN AUSTIN TO ADDRESS THOSE BARRIERS? UM, AND I'LL WALK YOU THROUGH, UM, WHAT ENDED UP BEING 12 KIND OF ACTIONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE TARP. UM, THEY REALLY FALL INTO THESE CATEGORIES OF ADDRESSING THE REGULATORY FOUNDATIONS. SO THOSE BARRIERS IN CRITERIA MANUALS AND CODE, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS TO RECOMMENDATIONS, IMPROVE OUR PROCESSES, [00:25:01] INCLUDING OUR PERMITTED RELATING PROCESSES, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS TO TAKE A LOOK AT, UM, OUR MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS AND STRUCTURES. AND THEN FINALLY, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS TO ADDRESS HOW WE KIND OF PLAN AND DELIVER CAPITAL PROJECTS IN THE CITY. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. UM, THE TARP WORKING GROUP ALSO KIND OF GAVE SOME THOUGHT TO, UM, HOW THIS STRUCTURE MIGHT BE KIND OF SENSIBLY LAID OUT. UM, AND THE THINKING HERE IS THAT IT, UM, AS A CITY WE REALLY SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT AND ADDRESSING OUR REGULATORY FOUNDATIONS. UM, AND BEFORE WE THEN MOVE ON TO THINK ABOUT HOW CAN WE IMPROVE PROCESSES, HOW CAN WE, UM, DO BETTER WHEN IT COMES TO MAINTENANCE OF STREET TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY? UM, AND THEN KIND OF AGAIN, THINKING ABOUT, UM, THIS AS A, UM, UH, KIND OF STRATEGIC, UH, PLAN RECOMMENDATION WATERFALLING FROM THERE INTO, OKAY, WITH THOSE ELEMENTS IN PLACE, THEN HOW DO WE START TO MOVE ON TO WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE A LOGICAL NEXT STEP IN THINKING ABOUT HOW WE DELIVER AND PLAN FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS? UM, SO THE SEQUENCE IS INTENDED TO, UM, REALLY JUST REFLECT, YOU KNOW, COMMON SENSE THINKING ABOUT HOW, WHAT, HOW THE ORDER OF OPERATIONS SHOULD LAY OUT HERE. NEXT SLIDE. SO WITH THAT, I'LL JUST KIND OF BRIEFLY, AS I CAN WALK YOU THROUGH, UM, A SUMMARY, AND I'LL KIND OF UNDERSCORE THAT THIS IS A SUMMARY OF EACH OF THE 12 RECOMMENDATIONS. AS I MENTIONED, UM, THE TARP DOES, UM, HAVE A, UH, KINDA MORE ROBUST REPORT, UM, THAT WILL BE KIND OF SHARING PUBLICLY IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. UM, SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE ON THE SLIDE IS AN EXTRACTION, UM, JUST FOR THE SAKE OF BREVITY. AND, YOU KNOW, AS YOU MIGHT SUSPECT, THERE'S A LOT OF KIND OF CONTEXT AND DETAIL THAT, UH, WENT INTO THE THINKING BEHIND SOME OF THESE. UM, BUT JUST TO, TO KIND OF PROVIDE YOU THE 30,000 FOOT LEVEL, UM, THIS FIRST TRANCHE OF RECOMMENDATIONS RELATE TO THOSE REGULATORY FOUNDATIONS I SPOKE TO. UM, NUMBER ONE HERE, UM, IS REALLY DIRECTED, UM, AT, UH, TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS, AND THAT'S TO UPDATE AND EXPAND OUR TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUAL, UM, TO, TO MORE CLEARLY KIND OF BE THE HOME FOR WHERE, UH, STREET TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY ARE REGULATED. UM, RIGHT NOW, UM, FRANKLY, THERE'S KIND OF A DISPERSED CONSTELLATION OF, OF REGULATIONS AND RULES WHEN IT COMES TO STREET TREES THAT ARE KIND OF SOMEWHAT SPRINKLED ACROSS VARIOUS CRITERIA MANUALS AND ALSO IN VARIOUS, UM, SECTIONS OF CODE AS WELL. CODE. UM, SO HONESTLY, ANYBODY TRYING TO PLANT A STREET TREE, UM, HAS A KIND OF WEB TO NAVIGATE THAT THAT CAN BE EVEN DIFFICULT FOR, FOR STAFF, HONESTLY, , UM, SO VERY CLEARLY KIND OF IDENTIFYING STREET TREES AS AN ELEMENT OF THE SIDEWALK CORRIDOR THAT'S PROVIDED KIND OF COMPREHENSIVELY AND CONSIDERED AND DESIGNED COMPREHENSIVELY WITH THE ELEMENTS OF THE SIDEWALK CORRIDOR. UM, AND ARTICULATING THAT IN THE TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUAL, REALLY JUST WOULD REMOVE SOME OF THE, THE LACK OF CLARITY THAT'S OUT THERE TODAY. UM, AND REALLY USING THE, THE, THE TCM AS THE PLACE, THE GO-TO PLACE TO FIND OUT WHERE DO I HAVE TO PROVIDE STREET TREES, UH, HOW FAR APART DO THEY HAVE TO BE? HOW BIG DOES MY PLANTING TRENCH OR TREE PIT HAVE TO BE? HOW MUCH SOIL VOLUME DO I HAVE TO PROVIDE? HOW WIDE DOES IT NEED TO BE? UM, WHAT KIND OF PLANTING AND ROOT BARRIERS DO I NEED TO PROVIDE? THOSE DETAILS CAN BE PROVIDED IN THE TCM. AND THEN WITH THE NUMBER TWO RECOMMENDATION YOU'RE SEEING HERE, UM, IN TANDEM WITH THAT, UM, UPDATE TO THE TCM IS UPDATING OUR STANDARDS MANUAL, UM, TO, TO PROVIDE THOSE STANDARDS, SPECIFICATIONS AND PRODUCT LISTS. RIGHT NOW, FOR EXAMPLE, WE DO NOT HAVE STANDARD, UM, PRODUCT LISTS TO CLARIFY WHAT KIND OF IRRIGATION SYSTEMS SHOULD, OR COULD I PROVIDE, WHAT KIND OF SOIL CELLS SHOULD OR COULD I PROVIDE? SO PROVIDING THAT CLARITY, UM, A MENU, IF YOU WILL, FOR FOLKS TO CHOOSE FROM, IS GOING TO REMOVE SOME OF THE FRICTION AND THE BARRIERS TO GETTING THIS DONE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SLIDE NUMBER THREE AGAIN. AND THIS IS, UM, YOU KNOW, I'LL REITERATE THAT ITEMS 1, 2, 3, AND EVEN FOUR. UM, THE CONCEPT FROM THE TARP IS THAT THESE ARE KIND OF BUNDLES OF ADMINISTRATIVE CRITERIA, UM, BARRIERS THAT WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT, UM, IN AS ALL PART OF KIND OF THE SAME EFFORT. THESE ARE INTERRELATED, UM, ELEMENTS TO CONSIDER SIMULTANEOUSLY. SO NUMBER THREE IS TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE UTILITY DESIGN CRITERIA MANUAL, UM, AND LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO, UM, BE KIND OF AS SMART AND EFFICIENT WITH OUR RIGHT OF WAY AS WE CAN, PARTICULARLY IN CONJUNCTION WITH THOSE, UH, TRANSPORTATION UPDATES. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS WE'RE KIND [00:30:01] OF CLARIFYING STREET TREE AND SIDEWALK CORRIDOR REQUIREMENTS, THAT THOSE ARE WORKING, UM, COHESIVELY WITH REQUIREMENTS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE ABOVE GROUND AND OVERGROUND, UM, ABOVE HEAD. UM, SO THAT WE'RE NOT WRITING SURFACE LEVEL, YOU KNOW, STREETSCAPE REQUIREMENTS THAT AREN'T COMPREHENSIVE WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING IN THREE DIMENSIONS. SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE LIKE LOCATION AND CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS, UM, ARE IN FACT CHECKING WITH WHAT WE'RE, UM, WANTING TO REQUIRE AT STREET LEVEL. AND THAT CAN INCLUDE, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THE PER THE TARP'S RECOMMENDATIONS IS, IS THAT SHOULD REALLY INCLUDE LOOKING FOR EFFICIENCIES. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE ARE REQUIRING ROBUST ROOT BARRIERS AND SOIL VOLUMES THAT ACTUALLY PRODUCE HEALTHY TREES AND PROVIDE AN ENVIRONMENT FOR TREES TO THRIVE, CAN WE SIMULTANEOUSLY, FOR EXAMPLE, LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, REDUCING CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR, UM, SUBTERRANEAN WET INFRASTRUCTURE FROM TREES, FOR EXAMPLE, FROM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S CURRENTLY NINE FEET. CAN WE GO DOWN TO KIND OF WHAT'S, UM, WHAT WE'RE SEEING AT OUR PITIES, WHICH IS CLOSER TO FIVE FEET? THAT IS ONE EXAMPLE, NOT A CONCRETE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE TARP, BUT ONE EXAMPLE OF THE TYPES OF DISCUSSIONS, UM, AND ELEMENTS THAT WE WANNA DIVE INTO IN FUTURE WORK. NUMBER FOUR IS WORKING, UM, WITH OUR COLLEAGUES AT, UM, UH, WITH THE CITY FORESTER, UM, AND CITY ARBORIST TO UPDATE OUR APPROVED TREE SPECIES LIST, UM, TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UM, NOT JUST OUR CHANGING CLIMATE HERE, UM, AND CHANGING KIND OF, UM, NEED FOR MORE RESILIENT KIND OF ARID SPECIES, BUT ALSO THINKING ABOUT HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE WE'RE PUTTING THE RIGHT TREE IN THE RIGHT PLACE? AND THINKING ABOUT, UM, MICRO CONDITIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE DO HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE CON CONSTRAINTS, EITHER ABOVE HEAD OR BELOW GROUND, LET'S PUT THE RIGHT TREE, UM, IN THAT CONTEXT, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GONNA END UP, UH, WITH KIND OF A HEALTHY OUTCOME HERE. UM, WE ALL KNOW THERE ARE CERTAIN TREES THAT ARE KNOWN FOR KIND OF TEARING UP ASPHALT AND SEEKING OUT WATER MORE AGGRESSIVELY, UM, THAN OTHERS. UM, WE CAN PROBABLY ALL, UM, YOU KNOW, IMAGINE TIMES WE'VE BEEN DRIVING AROUND AND SAYING, WHAT IS A LIVE OAK DOING OVER AN OVERHEAD POWER LINE? UM, SO WE CAN GET, UM, I THINK MORE WIN-WINS HERE AND MAKE SURE WE'RE PUTTING THE RIGHT TREE IN THE RIGHT PLACE. UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, NUMBERS ONE THROUGH FOUR ARE REALLY THIS KIND OF ADMINISTRATIVE, UM, REVIEW, UM, AND FINE TUNING. UM, NUMBER FIVE IS AN ELEMENT THAT THE TARP WANTED TO INCLUDE AS A, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IN THE FUTURE ITEM. AND THAT'S TAKING A LOOK AT CITY CODE, UH, TO CONFIRM WHETHER OR NOT IT WOULD BEHOOVE US AND BE HELPFUL TO KIND OF CLEARLY REQUIRE STREET TREES AS PART OF FRONTAGE IMPROVEMENTS IN CITY CODE. UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO SEE IN PEER CITIES, UM, CLARIFYING THAT REQUIREMENT. UM, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, WE THINK THE LOW HANGING FRUIT AND THE TARP, UM, THE TARP'S THINKING IS THAT THE LOW HANGING FRUIT REALLY ISN'T ADDRESSING SOME OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CRITERIA, MANUAL BARRIERS, UM, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, A KIND OF, UM, STREET TREE REQUIREMENT IN CITY CODE MAY OR MAY NOT BE, UM, BENEFICIAL OR NEEDED. SO IT'S JUST KIND OF A PLACEHOLDER ITEM FOR NOW. UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. MOVING ON TO, UM, THE, THE RECOMMENDED, UH, PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS. UM, NUMBER SIX IS WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AT, UM, AUSTIN, UM, UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR DEVELOPMENT REVIEW WORKFLOWS AND TIMELINES, UM, ARE REALLY, UM, CREATING KIND OF AN INTER DEPARTMENTAL TEAM REVIEW FOR RIGHT OF WAY PROCESSES. UM, WHAT WE'RE, WHAT THE TARP IS IMAGINING HERE IS, YOU KNOW, NINE TIMES OUTTA 10 YOU'RE GONNA BE DEALING WITH, UM, A NONSTANDARD CONDITION IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. THAT'S JUST THE WAY KIND OF DEVELOPMENT IN CONSTRAINED URBAN ENVIRONMENTS WORK. UM, SO THERE'S GONNA HAVE TO BE SOME, UM, DISCUSSION, SOME GIVE AND TAKE, UM, AND REALLY THOSE SORTS OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT'S REQUIRED IN THE RIGHT OF WAY NEED TO BE HAPPENING, UM, AS A TEAM, AS A GROUP, UM, AND NEED TO HAVE THOSE KIND OF INTERDEPARTMENTAL, UM, KIND OF GIVE AND TAKE DISCUSSIONS. AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S HAPPENING EARLY IN THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE CLARITY AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE FOR DEVELOPMENT APPLICANTS, UM, REGARDING WHAT THOSE RIGHT OF WAY IMPROVEMENT REQUIREMENTS ARE GOING TO BE. UM, AND THEN FINALLY NUMBER SEVEN, UM, IS, YOU KNOW, WITH THESE UPDATED KIND OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS IN PLACE, IT'S GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO COMMUNICATE, UM, EXTERNALLY AND ALSO INTERNALLY, UM, AND PROVIDE SOME KIND OF TRAINING REGARDING THESE KIND OF REGULATORY [00:35:01] UPDATES. UM, SO THE FOLKS OUT THERE KIND OF DOING WORK IN THE RIGHT OF WAY AND, AND SUBMITTING DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS KIND UNDERSTAND WHAT'S EXPECTED WITH THOSE SITE PLAN SUBMISSIONS AND HOW THEY'RE GONNA BE REVIEWED. MOVING ON, UM, NUMBER EIGHT MOVES US OVER TO KIND OF THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS, UH, RELATED RECOMMENDATIONS. UM, ONE OF THE MOST, UM, KIND OF, UM, UNDERSCORED BARRIERS TO GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THE TARP AND AND STAKEHOLDERS HAVE, UM, KIND OF POINTED OUT IS, IS THE CURRENT CITY REQUIREMENT TO OBTAIN A LICENSE AGREEMENT, UM, FOR PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT PROPOSING TO PUT STREET TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. UM, NOW MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT REALLY THIS STEMS FROM THE NEED TO LEGALLY IDENTIFY THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER AS KIND OF THE OWNER AND KIND OF ENTITY REQUIRED TO, UM, MAINTAIN THAT TREE TREE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. CURRENTLY, THAT IS NOT AN ELEMENT THAT, UH, TRANSPORTATION OR PUBLIC WORKS OR A RR OR PART OR ANYBODY ELSE MAINTAINS. SO STREET TREES PROPOSED FOR THE SIDEWALK CORRIDOR, UM, YOU KNOW, NEED TO BE MADE, UH, NEED THOSE LICENSE AGREEMENTS TO, UM, IDENTIFY THAT PROPERTY, PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER AS THE, THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTENANCE. UM, HOWEVER, IT'S, UM, BECOME A SOMEWHAT CONVOLUTED AND DIFFICULT AND CHALLENGING PROCESS ALMOST, UM, LIKE A SECOND SITE PLAN REVIEW, HONESTLY. UM, AND, UM, IT, IT, FRANKLY, IT'S A PROCESS THAT WE'VE HEARD THAT PRIVATE DEVELOPERS JUST TRY TO AVOID BY NOT PROPOSING STREET TREES AT ALL. UM, SO WE REALLY WANNA ELIMINATE THAT LICENSE AGREEMENT, UH, REQUIREMENT. UM, AND THAT BARRIER. UM, NOW NUMBER NINE, UM, BEGS THE QUESTION, UM, WELL THEN WHO'S GONNA MAINTAIN TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY? UM, AND THERE THERE'S REALLY IS A, A, A SPECTRUM OF POSSIBILITIES, UM, TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION. UM, THE, THE TARP WORKING GROUP IS RECOMMENDING HERE IN NUMBER NINE THAT, UM, THE CITY EXPLORE, YOU KNOW, OPTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO, UM, ACTUALLY TAKE ON MAINTENANCE OF STREET TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, UH, AND REMOVE IT FROM PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS. THERE ARE SOME, YOU KNOW, BENEFITS TO THAT. ONE IS YOU, UM, CAN ENSURE THAT THAT WORK IS DONE PROPERLY, THAT PEOPLE AREN'T INTENTIONALLY TRYING TO KILL THEIR TREES, UM, THAT, UM, THAT THEY'RE NOT UNINTENTIONALLY, UM, KIND OF MAINTAINING THEM INADEQUATELY. WE ALL KNOW WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANT ICE STORMS WE HAVE TO PREPARE FOR IN THIS CITY. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE'RE ADEQUATELY THAT OUR URBAN FOREST IS ADEQUATELY PREPARED FOR ANY, UM, WEATHER EVENTS. UM, SO JUST MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, OVERSEEING THAT, HAVING AN INVENTORY, MANAGING THE MAINTENANCE PROCESS, UM, JUST, IT JUST GIVES MORE KIND OF, UM, UM, ASSURANCE THAT, THAT THOSE ARE GONNA BE DONE PROPERLY. THAT MEAN THAT'S, UM, HOWEVER IT DOES COME WITH, YOU KNOW, UM, IT'S A NEW PROGRAM WE CURRENTLY DON'T DO THAT IT WOULD REQUIRE A BRAND NEW DEDICATED FUNDING STREAM. WE'RE, UM, NOT EXACTLY IN A POSITION RIGHT NOW TO TAKE ON A WHOLE NEW BIG ASSET CLASS. UM, SO THIS MIGHT BE AN ELEMENT AS WE GET TO THIS PARTICULAR KIND OF STRATEGIC ITEM THAT WE NEED TO KIND OF EXPLORE AND DIVE IN AND KIND OF LOOK AT VARIOUS OPPORTUNITIES, UM, ALONG THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM, INCLUDING PARTNERSHIPS, CONSERVANCIES, UM, UH, SOME CITIES, UM, MAINTAIN PRIVATE PROPERTY, UM, MAINTENANCE OF STREET TREES, BUT THEY, UM, IDENTIFY THAT RESPONSIBILITY IN CODE RATHER THAN IN KIND OF ONE-OFF LICENSE AGREEMENTS AND KIND OF GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS EVERY TIME. UM, SO THERE ARE OPTIONS FOR US TO LOOK AT AND WE'RE GONNA NEED TO DIVE IN AND DO SOME COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS ON ALL OF THOSE. UM, FINALLY, NUMBER 10 IS, UM, TO CONDUCT, UM, AN INVENTORY OF THE STREET TREES THAT ARE OUT THERE IDEN, SO THAT WE CAN GET AHEAD OF, OF MAINTENANCE, UH, MAINTENANCE NEEDS, SCHEDULE, REGULAR INSPECTIONS, STAY ON TOP OF, OF WHAT WILL BE A NEW ASSET CLASS. UM, ALSO KNOW WHERE WE HAVE, UM, GAPS IN OUR NETWORK AND WHERE WE NEED TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT FOCUSING CAPITAL DOLLARS AS WELL. UM, BUT, UM, UH, REALLY, UM, KIND OF SOME BIG THINKING HERE ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD TAKE, UM, TO OVERSEE THIS KIND OF NEW URBAN CANOPY IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UM, THE LAST KIND OF GROUP OF RECOMMENDATIONS HERE RELATED TO CAPITAL PROJECT PLANNING. YOU KNOW, WITH ALL OF THOSE, UM, KIND OF STRATEGIC, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS IN PLACE, WE WOULD BE IN A POSITION AS A CITY TO START THINKING ABOUT CAPITAL PLANNING. HOW DO WE, UM, NUMBER 11 WORK WITH, YOU KNOW, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE DEPARTMENT PARTNERS, OTHER PARTNERS TO KIND OF, UM, THINK ABOUT HOW WE LEVERAGE SHARED INVESTMENTS TO ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, GAPS IN THE URBAN CANOPY. HOW DO WE KIND OF GET SMART WITH KIND OF A PROGRAMMATIC PLAN TO ADDRESS OUR CITY'S TREE AND FILL NEEDS, UM, TO IDENTIFY PRIORITIES, FUNDING SOURCES, PROGRAMMATIC TARGETS, GOALS, WHAT HAVE YOU. AND THEN NUMBER 12, UM, HOW DO WE GET [00:40:01] TO A PLACE WHERE ALL OF OUR KIND OF MAJOR BIG CAPITAL KIND OF CORRIDOR PROJECTS ARE JUST PROVIDING STREET TREES AS BASELINE, UM, SCOPE ELEMENTS, UH, WHEN WE'RE OUT THERE TEARING UP STREETS, BUILDING NEW SIDEWALK CORRIDORS, UM, HOW DO WE GET TO A PLACE WHERE THAT JUST AUTOMATICALLY IS GOING TO INCLUDE STREET TREES AS PART OF THAT ROADWAY IMPROVEMENT? UM, SO THOSE ARE THE TARPS 12 RECOMMENDATIONS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WHERE WE ARE NOW, UM, AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF STRATEGIC 30,000 FOOT THINKING FROM THE TARP. UM, REALLY THE, THE NEXT STEP OF, OF, OF, OF THINKING ABOUT HOW WE REFLECT THESE, UM, IS HAPPENING NOW. WE'RE HAVING DISCUSSIONS, UM, WITH OUR PARTNERS AT AUSTIN WATER, AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UM, URBAN FORESTRY, FOR EXAMPLE. THINKING ABOUT HOW, OKAY, HOW DO WE KIND OF PARTNER AND THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE START TO REFLECT SOME OF, OF THESE IDEAS INTO OUR WORK PLANS IN THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS? UM, WE'RE, UM, WE'VE BEEN BRIEFING, UM, SEVERAL KIND OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS HERE. WE DID BRIEF THE COUNCIL MOBILITY COMMITTEE LAST MONTH. UM, WE'VE BEEN TO ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE, URBAN TRANSPORTATION. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY. WE'LL BE AT ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION NEXT WEEK, A COUPLE MORE. AND THEN BY THE, TOWARD THE END OF THE MONTH, WE WILL BE SHARING KIND OF A MEMO TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UM, SHARING KIND OF THAT INTERDEPARTMENTAL THINKING ABOUT HOW WE DO START TO INTEGRATE SOME OF THIS THINKING INTO OUR WORK PLANS. UM, SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE NOW. THAT'S OUR NEXT STEP. UM, HAPPY TO ADDRESS, UM, WITH DIRECTOR MENDOZA AND, UM, OUR CONSULTANT TEAM HERE. ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MICHELLE. UM, VERY COMPREHENSIVE, UH, PRESENTATION. I CAN SEE YOU'RE VERY VERSED IN IT AFTER DOING IT FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. RIGHT. UM, WELL I WANTED TO START OFF THE QUESTIONS WITH, UH, GOING BACK TO, UH, NUMBER EIGHT AND NUMBER NINE. UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, TALKING WITH NUMBER NINE, IT SHOWS LIKE SECURE DEDICATED FUNDING SOURCE. SO CURRENTLY, LIKE ALL STREET TREES ARE MAINTAINED BY LICENSE AGREEMENT HOLDERS, OR THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOES NO SORT OF MAINTENANCE ON CURRENT STREET TREES IN AUSTIN. THAT'S CORRECT. IF A STREET TREE IS PLANTED AS PART OF A PRIVATE FRONTAGE IMPROVEMENT, UM, OR DEVELOPMENT THAT'S CORRECT. IT'S A LICENSE AGREEMENT. UM, I, I'D HAVE TO CHECK WITH OUR URBAN FORESTRY GROUP, WE MAY, UM, MAINTAIN SOME THAT ARE PLANTED AS PART OF CAPITAL PROJECTS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE MANY OF THOSE. CERTAINLY. YEAH. YEAH. I JUST, YOU KNOW, UM, YEAH, OBVIOUSLY IT'S MOSTLY PRIVATE, YOU KNOW, UH, DEVELOPMENT HAPPENING, RIGHT. SO I COULD SEE, YOU KNOW, ON CITY PROPERTY THEY MAINTAIN. SO YEAH. THANKS FOR ANSWERING THAT QUESTION. SO, UM, COMMISSIONERS, ARE THERE OTHER QUESTIONS? I, I HAVE A FOLLOW UP ON THAT A LITTLE BIT, WHICH IS, DO, DO Y'ALL ANTICIPATE THAT THERE ARE ANY PROPERTY OWNERS THAT WOULD BE UPSET WITH NOT HAVING THE ABILITY TO, OR HAVING THE RESPONSIBILITY TO, TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR STREET TREES? LIKE IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS EVEN FORESEEABLE? UM, TO CLARIFY, YOU MEAN, UM, LIKE IF WOULD BE UPSET WITH THE CITY TAKING ON MAINTENANCE, RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT. YEAH. DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT, KEVIN? I'VE NEVER HEARD OF ANYONE BEING UPSET ABOUT THAT. IT'S USUALLY THE OTHER WAY AROUND. UM, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, I'M SURE THERE'S SOME CERTAIN PEOPLE THAT ARE VERY DEDICATED, UH, TO THEIR STREET TREES AND MAY, UM, TAKE EXTRA SPECIAL CARE OF THEM IN SECRET. I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WANTS THE TREES IN FRONT OF THEIR BUSINESS TO BE PRUNED A CERTAIN WAY AND THE CITY COMES AND HAS A DIFFERENT CRITERIA OF HOW TO DO. I DON'T KNOW. I KNOW. SO THIS IS A GOOD, UH, THANKS FOR THE QUESTION. THAT'S VERY REALLY, YEAH, I THINK TO THAT POINT, I MEAN, THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF CITIES THAT HAVE VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD, UH, TREAT MAINTENANCE STANDARDS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT REMAINS PRIVATE, UH, RESPONSIBILITY. UM, AND JUST MAKING THOSE VERY CRYSTAL CLEAR IN EITHER ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDES OR IN, UM, IN THE CODE. UH, PORTLAND, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS AN ENTIRE TREE CODE THAT INCLUDES A SECTION CALLED MAINTENANCE, UH, AND EVERYONE, AND IT CLEARLY EXPLAINS, YOU KNOW, WHAT STANDARDS EVERYONE IS HELD TO WITH THEIR PRIVATE MAINTENANCE. I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. GREAT PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. UM, REALLY, I THINK THE FIRST QUESTION IS PROBABLY MAIN, MAINLY FOR AUSTIN WATER STAFF. SO KEVIN, CHARLES, SOMEBODY OR THEIR STAFF CAN ANSWER. UM, I KNOW PREVIOUSLY ICE STORMS HAVE BEEN LIKE AN ISSUE AND TREES HAVE BEEN, UH, HAVE BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT LED TO SOME OF THE AUSTIN WATER BOIL WATER SITUATIONS AND OTHER EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. SO, SO AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING MORE STREET TREES, HOW DOES THAT IMPACT TRULY UTILITY PLACEMENT OR IS THERE, AND I KNOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CRITERIA, MANUAL UPDATES AND STUFF, BUT IN TERMS OF OPERATIONS, DOES THAT REALLY, IS THERE A TRUE CONSEQUENCE OR YOU THINK IT'S FINE AND WE CAN MAKE THIS WORK? AND, SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO PUT YOU GUYS ON THE SPOT. [00:45:01] , UM, AS MENTIONED, WE, WE ARE A PART OF THE TARP AND WE HAVE BEEN INPUTTING OUR INPUT. AND, UM, THERE'S, UH, AS WE TALK ABOUT THE, THE SPACING DIFFERENCES AND EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT OUR, OUR CLEARANCE DISTANCES, IT IS ABOUT LIKE MAINTAINING NOT ONLY, UH, OF, OF SUB LEVEL OF SERVICE, RIGHT, FOR TODAY, BUT WHEN IT BREAKS, RIGHT? SO WHEN IT BREAKS, IF, IF, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE DO LIKE TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF FIVE FEET, RIGHT? AND THAT SERVES US WELL. THE BUCKETS COME AND DIG UP THE WA THE WATER LINE WITH THE BUCKETS, THERE'S PLENTY OF CLEARANCE FOR THE UTILITIES DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT HITTING ANYTHING, GET THE SHORING PROTECTION IN AND ALL THAT. AS THAT GETS CANER AND IT, THAT OUR PROCESS GETS SLOWER, RIGHT? SO, SO WE'RE ALWAYS MINDFUL ABOUT OUR SEPARATION, BUT THIS WILL BE KIND OF NO DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER, IN MY MIND, AT LEAST SPEAKING FOR MYSELF BECAUSE THE OTHER UTILITY, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE IF IT'S THERE, THEN WE'LL HAVE TO PROPERLY LOCATE IT. WE HAVE WAIVER PROCESSES THAT INDICATE THOSE AREAS. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE. THE, THE COMPROMISE AS WAS MENTIONED, IS ABOUT HOW'S THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE? 'CAUSE WE WILL STILL WANT TO TRY TO MAINTAIN OUR LEVEL OF SERVICE AS IT IS EXISTS TODAY AS WE'RE TRYING TO PUT SOMETHING ELSE INTO THE RIGHT OF WAY THAT YEAH, I THINK THAT WAS KIND OF MY POINT. SO, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'LL WORK THROUGH, AND THAT'S WHAT THE, WE'LL STILL DO THAT WITH THE UTILITY CRITERIA MANUAL. GOTCHA. SO THERE'S GONNA BE THE REGULATORY ASPECT THAT YOU'RE GONNA MANAGE THROUGH THE CRITERIA MANUAL, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO OPERATIONS, YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT WHEN YOU GET TO THE FIELD IF TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S UNINTERRUPTED. AND IT'S NOT UNHEARD OF WHEN WE GO OUT THE FIELD THAT THERE'S A UTILITY THAT NOBODY KNEW ABOUT. WE FIND IT. RIGHT. WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL, GO AROUND IT. OKAY. SO, BUT YEAH, I CAN ALSO ADD TO THAT, THAT, UM, OUR CITY, UM, ARBORIST IS PART OF THIS CONVERSATION AS WELL. AND, UM, SHE'S EXPRESSED, UM, WILLINGNESS TO KIND OF PUT IN WRITING SOMEHOW THAT IF A TREE IS IN THE WAY OF UTILITIES THAT NEED TO BE REPAIRED, THE TREE CAN BE TAKEN OUT. UM, SO WE WANNA REMOVE KIND OF THAT CONCERN AS A BARRIER AS WELL. GOTCHA. THAT'S, UM, AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, THESE THINGS THAT MIGHT NOT SEEM DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THEM, BUT WHICH, WHICH ACTUALLY OURS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE EXPERIENCED WITH SOME OF THE MOST DAMAGING FREEZE EVENTS WAS, UM, BROUGHT ON PARTIALLY BECAUSE WE HAD EXTREME DROUGHT THE SUMMER BEFORE, MAYBE MULTIPLE SUMMER SUMMERS BEFORE, AND THEN HAD EXTREME FREEZE. AND SO SIMPLY BY HAVING BETTER STANDARDS AROUND MAINTENANCE, AND ALSO SOIL VOLUME IS A HUGE PLAYER IN THAT. SO LIKE HAVING HEALTHIER TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY IS SO IMPORTANT TO BEING ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT, THE SAFETY OF THAT, THAT INFRASTRUCTURE MOVING FORWARD. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT. AND JUST ONE OTHER FOLLOW UP. I THINK SINCE YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT CRITERIA MANUAL, I SAW, I THINK THE TWO RECOMMENDATIONS, ONE WAS THE TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUAL. THE OTHER WAS PART OF THE PROBLEM IS THAT SOMETIMES THEY DON'T SYN THEY DON'T SPEAK TO EACH OTHER OR THEY'RE CONFLICTING. SO I'M ASSUMING THIS EFFORT ACCOUNTS FOR THAT. THEY'LL ALL BE TALKING AND THEY'LL ALL BE SAYING THE SAME THINGS. THAT'S, THAT'S THE INTENT AND REALLY KIND OF, UM, UP UPDATING THEM BOTH SIMULTANEOUSLY. THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. I, I HAD A FOLLOW UP ON SOMETHING THAT YOU JUST SAID, UH, LIKE IN RELATION TO THINGS, THINKING ABOUT SOIL HEALTH AND VOLUME AND EVEN TREES, TREE SPECIES SELECTION. ARE THERE, ARE THERE THINGS LIKE IN THESE FIRST FEW RECOMMENDATIONS THAT LIKE, DID NOT EXIST THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO, NEEDS TO BE THINKING ABOUT, NEEDS TO BE THINKING ABOUT ADOPTING? SORT OF WHAT ARE THE PLACES THAT, THAT WE'RE JUST SORT OF ABSENT FROM, FROM THOUGHTS? YEAH, I MEAN, SOIL VOLUME IS, IS A HUGE ONE. UM, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A, THAT'S A MAJOR PIECE, BUT ALSO I THINK THAT THE IRRIGATION RIGHT NOW THERE ARE RULES TO IRRIGATE, UM, STREET TREES THAT ARE PUT IN WITH THESE LICENSE AGREEMENTS. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE INSPECTION, UH, PROCESS DOESN'T REALLY HAPPEN. AND THOSE, UM, THOSE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS FREQUENTLY FAIL. UM, AND SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MORE AROUND THE, THE CONCEPT AROUND MAINTENANCE AND BUILDING A, A PROPER MAINTENANCE PROGRAM AND EVEN IF DOES STAY PRIVATE, A PROPER INSPECTION PROGRAM, UH, TO ENSURE THOSE, THOSE STANDARDS ARE MET IS ALSO CRITICAL. BUT YEAH, SOIL VOLUME IS, IS ONE THAT IS I THINK JUST, UH, MAYBE A RECOMMENDED UM, NUMBER RIGHT NOW. BUT IT IS, I THINK THE INTENT AND THE RECOMMENDATION FROM TARP IS THAT IT BECOME A STANDARD OR A, OR A, UM, A RULE. COULD YOU JUST, UH, STATE YOUR NAME, SO FOR THE RECORD OR SO HEATHER COULD GET IT. THANK YOU CHARLES. UH, KEVIN OLIVER. OKAY. THANK YOU. KEVIN. REPRESENTING, OH, REPRESENTING DEN DESIGN LAB WITH THE CONSULTANT TEAM COMMISSIONER WAFS CROFT. YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YES. THANK YOU. UM, SO FIRST OFF, UH, THANK YOU MICHELLE. UM, EVAN, [00:50:01] THE TEAM FROM, UH, CITY OF TRANSPORTATION FOR THE PRESENTATION, UM, INTERESTING, INFORMATIVE. UM, MY, MY QUESTION IS ACTUALLY RELATED A LITTLE BIT TO SOME OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN GETTING FROM THE COMMISSIONERS, SPECIFICALLY AROUND, UM, WHAT AUSTIN WATER'S RESPONSIBILITY AROUND IMPLEMENTING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS MIGHT BE. AND SO, UM, I KNOW IN SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE'VE DISCUSSED, I THINK IN RECOMMENDATION TWO, POTENTIAL NEEDS FOR IRRIGATION RECOMMENDATION, 12 OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERDEPARTMENTAL COST SHARING. UM, COMMISSIONER PAN DURANG, HE JUST ASKED QUESTIONS AROUND, UM, THE RESPONSIBILITY AROUND UTILITIES, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION AROUND THE STREET TREE PROJECTS. AND OF COURSE, AUSTIN WATER STAFF WERE PART OF THE REVIEW PANEL. UM, BUT BRINGING THESE SORT OF ALL BACK TOGETHER, UM, I'M WONDERING IF Y'ALL HAVE A SENSE NOW OF WHAT THE COMMITMENT FROM AUSTIN WATER SPECIFICALLY WOULD BE AROUND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS IN TERMS OF STAFF TIME, UM, RESOURCES, POTENTIAL COST SHARING, WHAT THOSE MIGHT GO TO. YEAH, HAPPY TO JUMP IN THERE. AND, UM, DIRECTOR MENDO I HAVE MAY HAVE MORE TO ADD AS, AS MY COLLEAGUES AUSTIN WATER MAY. ALSO, UM, FROM THE STAFF PERSPECTIVE, IT IS GOING TO BE, UM, CRITICAL FOR AUSTIN WATER STAFF TO, UM, KIND OF SIT AT THE TABLE WITH US AS WE ADDRESS, UM, AND WORK WITH THE TARP, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, DIVE INTO THE DETAILS AND LOOK AND HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT SPECIFIC CRITERIA MANUAL, UM, PROVISIONS THAT WE KIND OF, UM, MAY WANT TO ADDRESS, BE THOSE IN THE TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUAL, THE UCM OR THE ECM OR THE STANDARDS MANUAL. THESE ARE ALL, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL FOUR OF THESE MANUALS POINT TO EACH OTHER AND, UM, HAVE TRICKLE DOWN IMPACTS FROM EACH OTHER. UM, AND SO WE, WE, YOU KNOW, EV IF AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS IS, IS LEADING THE WORK, WE REALLY WANNA DO IT WITH AUSTIN WATER, AUSTIN ENERGY, ALL OF OUR OTHER COLLEAGUES KIND OF AS PARTNERS AT THE TABLE WITH US. SO WE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, AS WE, YOU KNOW, DEVELOP A SCOPE TO UPDATE THE TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUAL WORK TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL UCM UPDATES, WE REALLY WANNA DO IT, UM, WITH AVID PARTNERSHIP WITH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS. UM, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD, RICHARD? THANK YOU, MICHELLE, YOU SAID THAT REALLY WELL. YOU KNOW, THE, THE RIGHT OF WAY THROUGHOUT OUR CITY IS VERY CROWDED, , AND AS THE TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS, UH, DIRECTOR, I'M CHARGED WITH MANAGING, UH, THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF THROUGHOUT OUR STREETS. I THINK I'M THE LARGEST SINGLE PROPERTY OWNER IN, IN THE CITY IF YOU ADD UP ALL THE SQUARE FOOTAGE AND ACRES. BUT WHAT THAT REQUIRES US TO DO IF WE'RE INTRODUCING A NEW PLAYER, AND BASICALLY ALL THIS WORK IS INTENDED TO DO, IS TO, UH, PLACE, UH, PUBLIC TREES UNEQUAL FOOTING WITH ALL THE OTHER PUBLIC USES THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE UTILIZE THE, THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR BE THAT DRAINAGE, BE THAT POWER, BE THAT WATER WASTEWATER TELECOMS. WE HAVE OUR, UH, 17 PLUS TELECOMS OUT THERE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. IT'S NOT AN EASY JOB MANAGING ALL THOSE COMPETING NEEDS, BUT VERY VALUABLE, UH, UH, SERVICES THAT OUR COMMUNITY EXPECTS AND MAINTAINS OUR QUALITY OF LIFE. SO, UM, IT'S NOT GONNA WORK IF, IF I COME INTO THIS SPACE AND CARTE BLANCHE SAY, YOU WILL DO THIS AND MAKE ROOM FOR STREET TREES GOING FORWARD. UM, IT HAS TO BE DONE COLLABORATIVELY. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS TO AFFECT THE, THE, UH, THE WILL OF NOT JUST THE COUNCIL, BUT OUR COMMUNITY IS, HAS TOLD US THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR US AND DO IT IN A MANNER THAT DOESN'T INADVERTENTLY, UH, THREATEN OR COMPROMISE THE DELIVERY OF THOSE OTHER CORE SERVICES. YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ALL AS A CITY, UH, EXPERIENCED, UH, A VERY, UH, SHOCK TO OUR SYSTEMS WHEN WE WERE WITHOUT POWER AND WATER FOR UP TO FIVE DAYS OR SO WITH THE LAST, UH, SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM. SO THIS IS NOT GONNA BE EASY WORK. UH, THE ROLE OF AUSTIN WATER IS GONNA BE TO COME FORWARD AND BE A WILLING PARTNER TO WORK TOGETHER WITH TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC WORKS, AND ALL THE OTHER USERS OF THE RIGHT OF WAY TO, UM, UM, UH, BE ABLE TO EFFECT AND SEE HOW DO WE, UH, MAKE ROOM FOR ALL THESE CRITICAL ASSETS FOR OUR COMMUNITY. INTRODUCING ANOTHER ONE, I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GO OUT THERE AND BUY RIGHT AWAY TO MAKE IT WIDER TO MAKE SPACE FOR TREES. UM, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE, UM, UH, TRUST TO ENTER INTO HONEST CONVERSATIONS. IF WE ARE MAKING, UH, ALLOWANCES, UH, UH, WITH, UH, ROOT BARRIERS TO AFFECT GREATER SOIL VOLUMES, WILL THAT, UM, GIVE ENOUGH COMFORT TO A WATER UTILITY THAT NOW MAYBE THEY CAN LIVE WITH FIVE FEET SEPARATION, NOT NINE FEET SEPARATION. [00:55:01] AND IF WE PUT TOGETHER, UM, CRITERIA THAT THAT SPEAKS TO, WELL, IF THERE'S A MAIN BREAK AND WE GOTTA KEEP, UH, THIS COMMUNITY IN SERVICE, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOT DIALYSIS MACHINES OR WHATEVER, A HOSPITAL, WELL, WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THE TREE AND WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE THAT WATER AND THEN WE'RE GONNA COME BACK AND REPAIR IT AFTERWARDS. UH, BUT IN THE PAST IT'S BEEN VERY EASY. THE EASIEST PATH HAS BEEN WHEN THERE'S NOT ROOM FOR TREES, IT, IT JUST IS, IS TAKEN OFF THE TABLE. WE HAVEN'T DONE THE WORK TO SEE HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS ALL WORK BETTER FOR OUR COMMUNITY. SO, UM, SO BASICALLY, LONG STORY SHORT, UM, AUSTIN WATERS A A EQUAL PARTNER IN MOVING THIS FORWARD, AND IT'S GONNA BE REALLY, UH, CRITICAL FOR US TO BE SUCCESS SUCCESSFUL GOING FORWARD. THANK YOU. THAT'S INCREDIBLY HELPFUL. UM, AND I APPRECIATE THE FURTHER CLARIFICATION. I THINK THE ONLY FOLLOW UP QUESTION I MIGHT HAVE IS, UM, ONCE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE FULLY APPROVED, ADOPTED, AND BEGIN IMPLEMENTATION, COULD YOU PLEASE REMIND ME WHAT WE FEEL IS THE TIME HORIZON TO IMPLEMENT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS? YEAH, THIS IS, UM, CERTAINLY GONNA BE, UM, A MULTI-YEAR EFFORT. UM, WE CAN LIKELY START ON THE CRITERIA MANUAL WORK, YOU KNOW, THIS FISCAL YEAR, BUT, UM, UH, IT, IT'LL ALMOST CERTAINLY EXTEND INTO THE NEXT. SO, UM, THIS WILL BE, YOU KNOW, A HANDFUL OF YEARS IS, IS AS EXACT AS I CAN GET RIGHT NOW. THAT'S WONDERFUL, THANK YOU. FOLLOW UP QUESTION BASED ON WHAT DIRECTOR MENDOZA SAID. UM, SO I THINK YOU EXPLAINED THAT REALLY WELL AND CONGRATULATIONS ON ALL THE LAND THAT YOU OWN HERE. , . I THINK, UM, MY FOLLOW UP QUESTION THOUGH WAS I THINK YOU SUMMED IT REALLY WELL. IF THERE IS A TREE AND IF IT'S A CRITICAL SERVICE TO A HOSPITAL OR SOMEPLACE THAT NEEDS IT, WE'LL GO WORK AROUND THE TREE. UM, THE OTHER PART THAT I'VE ALSO SEEN, WHICH IS MORE LIKE A LONG TERM, LIKE A SUSTAINED, THE CONCERN THAT I'VE SEEN IS THE, THE ROOTS OF TREES PENETRATING INTO PIPELINES. HOW DO YOU, HOW IS THIS EFFORT LIKE FACTORING THAT, UM, THAT, I MEAN, SO YEAH, IT'S ONE THING WHEN YOU SEE THAT AS AN OBSTRUCTION AND YOU'RE ABLE TO MOVE IT OR WORK AROUND IT, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT'S A CONTINUED, YOU KNOW, ISSUE WITH ROOTS BEING PENETRATED INTO WATER WASTEWATER PIPES. SO THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE TO BE PRESCRIPTIVE, WHERE WE FEEL THAT THERE'S THAT RISK WITH THE PLACEMENT CLEARANCES AND SPECIES. THERE'S CERTAIN SPECIES OF TREES THAT ARE LESS INVASIVE, UH, WITH THEIR ROOT SYSTEMS, NOT JUST TO YOUR WATER PIPES, BUT TO MY SIDEWALKS. AND, UM, SO THAT'S WHERE THESE DELIBERATE CONVERSATIONS ARE TAKE PLACE. DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD? YEAH, UM, I'M, I'M, I AM SENSITIVE TO THIS ISSUE AS SOMEBODY WHO'S REPLACED MY, UM, SEWER ON MY PROPERTY TWICE. UM, I UNDERSTAND THE DYNAMIC, UM, , UM, WE, I MEAN THE TECHNOLOGY, I THINK A LOT OF THE FOLKS IN THIS ROOM WILL KNOW THAT THE, THE TECHNOLOGY HAS, UM, IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY IN RECENT YEARS. AND SO WE REALLY WANNA LOOK AT, UM, REQUIREMENTS FOR SOIL CELLS WHERE WE HAVE LIKE TIGHT CONTEXT, FOR EXAMPLE. UM, AS KEVIN MENTIONED, SOIL VOLUME IS A HUGE ISSUE. UM, TREES THAT, THAT DON'T HAVE THAT SOIL VOLUME, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE SENDING OUT SEARCHING ROOTS. UM, AND SO WE WANNA, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE ROOT BARRIERS AND SUBTERRANEAN STRUCTURES IN PLACE. UM, AND WE'RE GETTING AHEAD OF THAT ISSUE. KEVIN, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? UM, I, I WAS GOING TO SAY WHAT YOU SAID, BUT, UM, YOU, YOU COVERED THAT, BUT I, YOU KNOW, I'D ONLY ADD TO THAT, UM, THAT WE'VE STARTED SOME REALLY, REALLY, UM, IN THE WEEDS DETAILED, YOU KNOW, TECHNICAL CONVERSATIONS AT THE TARP. AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF BUY-IN ON THIS IDEA OF STREET TREES' INFRASTRUCTURE AND ALL THE ASSUMPTIONS THAT COME ALONG WITH INFRASTRUCTURE ABOUT THE NEED TO MAINTAIN IT. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT NEEDS TO BE REMOVED. SOMETIMES IT NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED. UM, UH, AND SO I THINK THAT THE COMBINATION OF THAT WITH THE, WITH THE DETAILED SORT OF RESEARCH THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING TO ON ROOT BARRIERS AND KIND OF, UM, WE'VE EVEN HAD REALLY GOOD CONVERSATIONS AROUND WHAT THE FAILURE POINTS ARE, RIGHT? IT'S OFTENTIMES IT'S THE JOINT OF THESE, THESE PIPES THAT ARE, THAT ARE WITHIN A CERTAIN DISTANCE OF THE ROOTS. AND SO IT'S NOT ONLY SPECIES, BUT IT'S, IT'S SPECIFICALLY THE JOINTS AND ARE THERE SOLUTIONS FOR THOSE JOINTS? AND ARE THERE MAYBE STANDARDS WE MAY BE LOOKING AT FOR THAT, THAT SPECIFIC CON UH, CONDITION NEAR THAT PLANTING ZONE, RIGHT? IF WE'RE ASSUMING NOW THAT THERE ARE TREES THERE, WE CAN START TO THINK ABOUT HOW, HOW THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS DESIGNED DIFFERENTLY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS, IF, IF NOT, I DON'T REALLY HAVE A QUESTION, BUT I HAVE A COMMENT. SO, UM, I KNOW THIS IS A ROADMAP OF ADVANCING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. AND, AND YOU MENTIONED GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, BIG DEFINITION, AND REALLY FOCUSING ON STREET TREES BECAUSE OF THE MANY GOALS THAT IT MEETS. UM, AND I [01:00:01] KNOW THAT AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, WATERSHED PROTECTION IS INVOLVED IN THIS, SO THERE'S GONNA BE MANY PEOPLE WITH A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE, BUT COMING FROM A STORMWATER GUY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT THE, UH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STORMWATER MANAGEMENT WITHIN RIGHT WAYS. UH, 'CAUSE IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT SET OF DEMANDS. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TREES WITH ROOTS AND THEN YOU GO TO A RAIN GARDEN. UH, YEAH, YOU DON'T HAVE THOSE DEMANDS, BUT THERE'S SPACE THAT YOU HAVE TO DEVOTE TO THAT, RIGHT? BUT I FEEL LIKE JUST THERE'S HUGE OPPORTUNITIES. I, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT DISPERSED STORMWATER MANAGEMENT VERSUS SENDING ALL OF THE WATER AT THE END OF A PIPE TO A LARGE DETENTION BASIN. SO JUST MORE OF A COMMENT OF, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT THAT'S GONNA BE A CONVERSATION THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF IT. UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I JUST REALLY FEEL LIKE IN SPOTS FOR TREES AREN'T, UH, UH, ABLE TO BE PUT IN THAT MAYBE THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOME STORM WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ALONG THOSE WAYS OR SOMETHING. SO, UM, BUT, UH, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THIS WONDERFUL PRESENTATION AND, UH, WE'RE SO GLAD THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT AUSTIN IS TACKLING, UH, 'CAUSE IT'S JUST GONNA MAKE THE CITY BETTER FOR ALL THE RESIDENTS. SO THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. [8. Update from the Austin Integrated Water Resource Planning Community Task Force October 14, 2025 meeting regarding Water Forward Plan implementation. – Commissioner William Moriarty] SO NOW WE'LL MOVE TO THE COMMITTEE UPDATES, AND SO WE WILL GET AN UPDATE FROM THE AUSTIN INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE PLANNING COMMUNITY TASK FORCE, UH, BY COMMISSIONER MORIARTY. GOOD AFTERNOON. UM, THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE MET YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, AND WE WERE, UH, GIVEN, UH, THREE PRESENTATIONS BY AUSTIN WATER. ALL, ALL THREE OF WHICH WERE QUITE EXCELLENT AND AVAILABLE ON THE WATER FORWARD WEBSITE. AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS TO LOOK AT THESE THINGS WHEN THEY GET AN OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE THEY REALLY WERE QUITE INFORMATIVE. THE FIRST ONE WAS ABOUT WATER SUPPLY CONDITIONS, AND OF COURSE, UH, IF WE WERE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION FOUR MONTHS AGO, WE WOULD BE QUITE NERVOUSLY LOOKING AT THE LAKE LEVELS BEING RELATIVELY LOW, BUT NOW THE LAKES ARE QUITE FULL. AND, UH, SO WE'RE, UH, WE'RE BREATHING A SIGH OF RELIEF PRIMARILY BASED ON THOSE, UH, RAINFALL EVENTS AROUND THE 4TH OF JULY. SO, UH, IN TERMS OF WATER SUPPLY, WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE, BUT IT'S BEEN QUITE DRY AFTER THAT. SO THE LAKE LEVELS ARE GOING DOWN, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE VIRTUALLY FULL. AND, UH, SO WE'LL JUST, UH, I'M SURE EVERYBODY AT AUSTIN WATER'S QUITE HAPPY ABOUT THAT. THEN WE HAD A SECOND PRESENTATION ON THE, UH, ON WATER LOSS, UH, PROGRAMS WITHIN THE WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS QUITE GOOD. AND, UH, THE AUSTIN WATER PEOPLE, UH, SHARED A LOT OF INTERESTING INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO REPAIR LEAKS AND FIND LEAKS. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DOING A LOT WITH THE NEW, UH, AUTOMATED BILLING SYSTEM WHERE ALL THE METERS, UH, ARE ELECTRONIC NOW, COMPARED TO WHAT THEY WERE FIVE, SIX YEARS AGO. SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF THINGS TO CONTROL LEAKAGE. THEY, THEY HAVE A TREMENDOUS PROBLEM WITH LEAKAGE, BUT, UH, THEY'RE, UH, CERTAINLY PUTTING A LOT OF EFFORT INTO IT. AND THEN THE FINAL PRESENTATION WAS ABOUT A, A, A SECOND QUARTER WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION. AND THE TWO HIGHLIGHTS ABOUT THAT, THERE'S TWO SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS IN OUR WATER SUPPLY PORTFOLIO. THE FIRST IS THE AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY PROJECT IN BASTROP COUNTY. AND THE CITY HAS BEEN, UH, WHEN I SAY THE CITY, I MEAN OFFICE WATER HAS BEEN HAVING PUBLIC MEETINGS DOWN THERE TO KIND OF, UH, ANSWER QUESTIONS AND TALK TO THE LOCALS, MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE, WE, WE ARE, WE'RE TRYING TO GET INTO A POSITION TO DO PILOT TESTING ON THE NEW A SR FACILITY. AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THOSE MEETINGS ARE BEING QUITE HELPFUL. AND THEN OF COURSE, THE, UH, INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE, WHICH IS WHERE WE TAKE WASTEWATER, DIVERTED INTO LADYBIRD LAKE, AND THEN EVENTUALLY PUMP IT INTO THE ELRICH WATER PLANT, UH, FOR, UH, WATER, UH, POTABLE WATER SUPPLY. IT'S KIND OF A COMPLEX PROJECT, BUT, UH, THE, THIS, UH, AUSTIN WATER HAS QUITE A GROUP OF CONSULTING ENGINEERS WORKING ON IT. AND, UH, I WOULD SAY IT'S MOVING FORWARD, BUT THERE, THIS WILL BE THAT THIS WILL BE A VERY TRICKY PROJECT TO [01:05:01] GET IMPLEMENTED, BUT AT LEAST WE'RE, WE'RE STARTING ON IT AND WE'RE, WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN. SO WE NOW, AT THIS POINT, SINCE WE COMPLETED THE UPDATE LAST YEAR, OF THE 100 YEAR PLAN, WE ONLY MEET EVERY TWO MONTHS, UH, AROUND THE NOON HOUR. UH, AND OUR SCHEDULE IS AVAILABLE, UH, ON THE WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE WEBSITE. AND, UH, SO WE'LL MEET AGAIN IN ANOTHER COUPLE OF MONTHS AND WE'LL HEAR, BUT AUSTIN WATER IS WORKING ALREADY, YOU KNOW, TO DEVELOP THE UPDATE FOR THE WATER FORWARD A HUNDRED YEAR PLAN, WHICH IS DUE IN ABOUT FOUR YEARS. SO WE WILL, AS WE GET CLOSER TO THAT DEADLINE, OUR MEETINGS BECOME MORE FREQUENT WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY REVIEWING DRAFTS AND, UH, GETTING INVOLVED. SO THAT'S MY REPORT. I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MORIARTY. UM, ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? UM, YES, I, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR COMMISSIONER MORIARTY. UM, COMMISSIONER, YOU MENTIONED THAT, UM, THE, THE SECOND OF THE PRESENTATIONS, UM, AROUND THE WATER SUPPLY STRATEGIES, UM, THERE IS A, A PIECE, UH, AN UPDATE ON, UM, THE AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY, UM, AND CONVERSATIONS, UM, HAPPENING, UH, AND LOCAL COMMUNITY IN BASTROP COUNTY IS BEING HELPFUL. COULD YOU EXPAND ON WHAT YOU MEAN BY THAT? UM, JUST IN TERMS OF, UH, WHAT, WHAT THAT'S LOOKED LIKE AND, AND HOW THEY'VE BEEN HELPFUL, UM, IN TERMS OF HELPING MOVE THE PROJECT FORWARD TOWARD, UM, PILOT IMPLEMENTATION? WELL, I, I THINK, UH, THEY'VE BEEN GOOD LISTENERS. I HAVEN'T BEEN TO ANY OF THE PUBLIC MEETINGS MYSELF, BUT, UH, TO CONTRAST IT WITH THE ADJACENT COUNTY, LEE COUNTY, 'CAUSE WE MENTIONED THOSE TWO COUNTIES, UH, RE RESIDENTS FROM LEE COUNTY CAME TO ONE OF OUR MEETINGS A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, AND THEY SAID, OVER OUR DEAD BODIES, WILL YOU EVER PUT ANYTHING INTO OUR COUNTY? YOU KNOW, THEY WERE COMPLETELY, UH, DETERMINED TO BLOCK ANYTHING. AND THERE IS SOME RESISTANCE DOWN IN BASAR COUNTY DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. UH, THEIR LOCAL STATE REPRESENTATIVE HAD A, UH, A LEGISLATIVE MATTER WHERE HE IS GONNA BLOCK THE, UH, THE WHOLE THING. AND, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO CONVINCE HIM TO PULL THAT BACK. SO, UH, I THINK WHEN PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING, WE'RE PUTTING DRINKING WATER INTO THE AQUIFER, UM, WE, WE SHOULD HAVE A POSITIVE BENEFIT INTO THEIR GROUNDWATER SITUATION DOWN THERE. SO IT'S PRETTY TICKLISH POLITICALLY, I WOULD SAY. AND, UH, SO, BUT, UH, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, AND I'VE ASKED THE, THE EXACT SAME QUESTION THAT YOU ASKED OF THE STAFF, UH, WHAT'S THE, UH, WHAT'S THE RESPONSE DOWN THERE? AND I'VE GOT THE FEELING THAT IT WAS AT LEAST REASONABLE. UM, IT WASN'T, UH, THEY, THEY SET, THEY SET THE, THE BOARDS ON FIRE AND CHASED THE DOWN THE STREET. IT WAS, UH, PRETTY, UH, IT WAS, THEY WERE, THEY WERE LISTENING AND LEARNING. SO I, I WOULD, I PUT IT IN THE POSITIVE CATEGORY. THANK YOU. THAT'S HELPFUL. I APPRECIATE IT. I HAVE A QUICK FOLLOW UP QUESTION. COMMISSIONER MORIARTY, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS BEING THE, THE BIG POLITICAL CHALLENGE? LIKE WHAT, WHAT IS THE CON THE COMMUNITY CONCERN ABOUT THE A SR PROJECTS IN PARTICULAR? WELL, I THINK A LOT OF IT RELATES TO A PROJECT CALLED VISTA RIDGE, AND I WON'T, UH, EXPLAIN OR TRY TO EXPLAIN BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT IT. BUT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WENT INTO THE, UH, CARRIZO WILCOX, NOT IN BASTROP COUNTY, BUT NEARBY AND PUT A WHOLE WELL FIELD IN, AND THEY JUST PUMPED THE HOUND OUT OF IT AND THE LOCAL RANCHERS AND PEOPLE GOT VERY UPSET WITH IT. SO EVERYBODY POINTED TO THAT AS AN EQUIVALENT TO WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND, AND WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING LIKE THAT. OUR DEAL IS WE'RE, WE'RE FINDING, YOU KNOW, 6,000 ACRES TO PUT WATER DOWN AND, UH, ONLY, ONLY IN TIMES OF NEED DO WE PULL IT OUT. WE'RE NOT PUTTING A LOW QUALITY WATER DOWN, WE'RE PUTTING DRINKING WATER FROM OUR WATER, THE AUSTIN WATERS SYSTEM. AND, UH, SO I THINK THERE'S CONFUSION THAT THIS WAS KIND OF A VISTA RIDGE ROMAN NUMERAL TWO, AND I THINK THERE NEEDED TO BE THESE KIND OF PUBLIC MEETINGS WHERE THEY EXPLAINED THAT IT REALLY WASN'T, IT WAS A POSITIVE THING AND A, THAT SORT OF THING. SO THE, THE, THE GEOLOGY DOWN THERE, AS WE ALL SUSPECTED WHEN WE STARTED ON THIS, [01:10:01] IT'S JUST SO IDEAL FOR A SR. IT'S REALLY A, A THE BEST PLACE TO DO IT. AND, UH, SO I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THE EASIEST THING WOULD BE TO FIND SOMEWHERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY TO DO IT, BUT THERE'S NO, NO BETTER PLACE THAN DOWN THERE. AND THEY, THEY, UH, AUSTIN WATER HAD A CONSULTING ENGINEER THAT WAS PRETTY EXPERIENCED IN THIS A SR BUSINESS, AND THEY SURVEYED ALL OF THESE COUNTIES AND LOOKED AT THE GEOLOGY AND BASTROP AND LEE COUNTY WERE CONSIDERED THE TWO IDEAL PLACES TO, TO GO. THANK YOU. THAT, THAT HELPS A LOT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS? ALRIGHT, WELL THANKS AGAIN, COMMISSIONER MORIARTY. [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS] ALRIGHT, MOVING ON TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, ACTUALLY I WAS ONLY ABLE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF THE INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE PLANNING COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE MEETING YESTERDAY. SO WHEN, OR THE WATER LOSS, UH, PRESENTATION WAS REALLY GOOD. AND WHEN ARE WE GOING TO , I GUESS HAVE MATT COME UP AND PRESENT TO US, I GUESS, RIGHT? MM-HMM . ANYWAYS, THAT'S, THAT'S ONE, UH, PUT IT ON MY LIST LIFE BECAUSE IT WAS REALLY GREAT WHAT I, UH, TUNED INTO AND SAW. AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, HAVE THAT PRESENTED HERE IF POSSIBLE. MM-HMM . ANY OTHER AGENDA ITEMS, COMMISSIONERS YOU WOULD LIKE TO RELATEDLY? I, I'M KIND OF CURIOUS AND I DON'T KNOW IF OR WHEN THERE WAS A LAST A STAFF BRIEFING ON THE AUSTIN WATERS ENGAGEMENT IN, IN THE REGIONAL WATER PLANNING PROCESS. SORT OF A GENERAL OVERVIEW I THINK COULD BE SUPER HELPFUL. UM, I, I'M KIND OF, I'M SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCESS, BUT I WONDER JUST IN, IN GENERAL, GETTING A, A LITTLE BIT OF A DEEP DIVE ON WHAT THE UTILITY ENGAGEMENT HAS BEEN LIKE ON THAT PROCESS WOULD BE SUPER HELPFUL. ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE STATE WATER PLAN? YES. YEAH, THE REGIONAL WATER PLANNING GROUPS LEADING INTO THE STATE WATER PLAN. OKAY. WELL IF I SEE NO MORE AGENDA ITEMS, THEN I WILL CALL THIS MEETING TO CLOSE AT FIVE 15. THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU. * 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.