Jan 14, 2026 Water and Wastewater Commission

YEAH, CERTAINLY.

UM, I THINK YOU ASKED MY QUESTION.

SORRY.

YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION THROUGH THE COURSE OF THAT.

UM, JUST SO YOU, JUST SO I HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING, THE ASK HERE IS THAT THE UTILITY SLOW DOWN SO THAT THEY CONSIDER A DIFFERENT ROUTE, UH, FOR THIS DESIGN.

A MORE, A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, UH, EXAMINATION OF THE, THE DESIGN CONSTRAINTS THAT ARE PRESENT HERE.

I KNOW CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES IS STARTING TO LIKE REALLY UNIFY AND DESI THE WORK THAT'S GOING ON ON THESE KINDS OF PROJECTS.

UM, BUT JUST UNDERSTANDING WHAT ARE THE NEEDS OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND GETTING BUY-IN AND, UH, FROM THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.

SURE.

AND JUST TO BE SURE, LIKE IT SAYS PAWSON, BUT THEY MAY NOT BE CONTRACTED WITH THE UTILITY.

THEY MAY BE CONTRACTED WITH TDOT, BUT YOU, BUT YOU STILL WANTED THIS BODY TO KIND OF CONSIDER THE ASK TO WORK WITH THE UTILITY.

YEAH.

I DON'T KNOW IF THIS BODY APPROVED THESE DOCUMENTS.

I ASSUME THEY DID.

UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT EVERYONE'S TERMS ARE HERE.

UM, BUT I ASSUME IT WENT TO THIS BOARD OR THIS COMMISSION BEFORE IT WENT TO PARKS.

NOW, NEXT, UH, WE HAVE ANGELINA.

YEAH, THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS, CHAIR, IF I MAY? OH, YES.

UH, DIRECTOR ROLLON, UH, DIVISION MANAGER, KEVIN KOHLER IS HERE IN THE AUDIENCE.

AND I'LL ASK HIM TO VISIT WITH YOU, UH, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LEAVE THE DAIS.

UH, THANK YOU SANTIAGO FOR BRINGING UP YOUR, UH, CONCERNS.

[00:10:02]

YEP.

AND, UH, JUST REMEMBER TO TURN ON YOUR MIC, UH, WHEN YOU START WITH THE BUTTON, THERE'S A BUTTON DOWN THERE.

YEAH.

IT'S EARTHWORKS AND PERMACULTURE.

HI.

UM, TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW.

UM, MY NAME'S ANGELINA LINIS.

I'M FROM AUSTIN.

I'VE BEEN VOLUNTEERING AT THE FOOD FOREST FOR A FEW YEARS NOW, AND I'M HERE FOR THE SAME REASON.

UM, I THINK I WAS PARTICULARLY CONCERNED OR CONFUSED BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH CITY OF AUSTIN AND TXDOT FOR 18 MONTHS NOW, AND WE HAVE THESE QUARTERLY, UM, MEETINGS WITH THEM AND THEY TELL US WHAT THE IMPACTS TO OUR PROJECT ARE GONNA BE.

AND THEY'VE CONSISTENTLY TOLD US THIS ENTIRE TIME THAT IT WAS GONNA BE DUST NOISE AND NO PARKING.

AND SO ON JANUARY 9TH, THEY TOLD US, ACTUALLY, WE'RE GONNA DIG AN EIGHT 16 FOOT WIDE AND EIGHT FOOT DEEP TRENCH THROUGH YOUR FOOD FOREST.

AND, UM, WE'VE DEALT WITH AN AWESOME ENERGY, UH, PROJECT THAT WAS SIMILARLY GONNA IMPACT OUR SITE.

AND IT'S NOT, THEY TOLD US THAT THEY COULD, UM, WE COULD REACH OUT TO STAKEHOLDERS AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY SHOULD PRESERVE THEIR PLANTS.

IT'S PERMANENT AGRICULTURE THAT'S CREATING TREE CANOPY AND FOOD AND MEDICINE IN EAST AUSTIN.

WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING RIGHT NOW IF IT HAPPENS IN A WEEK.

SO I JUST DON'T KNOW WHO WE'RE SUPPOSED TO TALK TO.

WELL, ANGELINA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

UM, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS FOR ANGELINA? OKAY.

WE DO VERY MUCH APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR CONCERN AND I'M SURE, UM, UH, AUSTIN WATER, UM, OFFICIALS WILL COMMUNICATE, UH, WITH THE AFFECTED, UH, ORGANIZATION.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

SO WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FOR THE WATER WASTEWATER COMMISSION MEETING HELD ON DECEMBER 10TH.

UM, COMMISSIONERS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR CHANGES, UH, REQUESTED FROM THE MINUTES? OKAY, SEEING NONE, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.

OKAY, SECOND.

OKAY, COMMISSIONER PAN DURGE, UH, MOTION TO APPROVE COMMISSIONER MARZULLO COM.

UH, UH, MOTION FOR A SECOND? EVERYONE IN FAVOR OF PASSING MINUTES, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

OKAY, MS. PASS UNANIMOUSLY.

SO NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. AND SO I WILL GO AROUND THE ROOM HERE TO ASK FOR ANY QUESTIONS IN RECUSALS.

[DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS]

SO, UH, COMMISSIONER SCRO, NO QUESTIONS? NO RECUSALS.

COMMISSIONER MARZULLO.

UM, NO RECUSALS.

QUESTION ON ITEM FOUR.

ON WHAT NUMBER? FOUR.

FOUR.

COMMISSIONER REYES? NO QUESTIONS? NO RECUSALS.

COMMISSIONER PEGI, NO QUESTIONS.

RECUSAL ON NUMBER 10.

MY FIRM IS PART OF THE OVERALL STUDY.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

OKAY, COMMISSIONER ORTIZ, NO QUESTIONS AND NO RECUSALS.

COMMISSIONER NAVARRO, NO QUESTIONS.

NO RECUSALS COMMISSIONER TUON? NO QUESTIONS? NO RECUSALS.

COMMISSIONER MORIARTY? NO QUESTIONS? NO RECUSALS COMMISSIONER TRI? NO QUESTIONS? NO RECUSALS.

FOR ITEM 11, THE SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST NUMBER SHOULD BE 5 0 0 2 R.

SO WE HAVE A QUESTION ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR AND A RECUSAL ON 10.

UM, SO ITEM NUMBER THREE AND NUMBER FOUR, WE WILL WAIT, UM, TO APPROVE THOSE UNTIL AFTER THE, UM, STAFF BRIEFING, UM, ABOUT THE WILLIAMSON CREEK, UH, WASTEWATER RECEPTOR PROJECT.

UM, SO THEREFORE WE WILL, UM, CREATE THE CONSENT AGENDA.

UM, AND THAT WILL BE ITEMS, UH, MAN, I'M BLANKING.

UH, FIVE OH OH OH.

AND, UH, I NEED, EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME.

UM, UM, AS WE'RE CONSENT, UH, CREATING THE CONSENT AGENDA, THERE ARE, UH, TWO, UM, UH, CORRECTIONS THAT I NEED TO READ INTO THE RECORDS.

[00:15:01]

AND I'LL JUST INTERJECT, THIS IS HEATHER COOK, UM, AUSTIN WATER CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER.

THAT IS INDICATING THESE ARE BOTH REVISED APPLICATIONS THAT WE RECEIVED.

SO THAT'S WHAT THE R INDICATES.

SO YOU'RE CONSIDERING TODAY REVISED SER APPLICATIONS, WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTED.

SO APOLOGIES FOR THE OVERSIGHT.

EVERYTHING ELSE IS CORRECT IN THE BACKUP.

SO THEN FOR THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA, THAT WILL BE ITEMS FIVE THROUGH NINE, 11 THROUGH 13.

AND TWO OH OH, EXCUSE ME.

UH, AND TWO, GEE WHIZ, BIG AGENDA HERE.

MULTI PAGES.

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

COMMISSIONER MARLO, UH, MOTIONS TO APPROVE.

I HAVE A SECOND.

I'LL SECOND.

COMMISSIONER REYES SECOND.

SO EVERYONE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

THE CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.

ALRIGHT, SO WE WILL SAVE YOUR QUESTION UNTIL AFTER THE PRESENTATION.

AND SO, UH, WITH THE RECUSAL ON NUMBER 10, THEN I WILL READ, UM, ITEM 10.

UM, ITEM 10 IS RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO AUTHORIZE NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE CITIES OF ROUND ROCK, CEDAR PARK, AND LEANDER FOR THE REIMBURSEMENT CO OF COST RELATED TO THE EXPANSION AND REHABILITATION OF A PORTION OF THE BRUSHY CREEK REGIONAL WASTEWATER SYSTEM, BRUSHY CREEK INTERCEPTOR, AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY'S SHARE OF FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $1,400,000 FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET OF AUSTIN WATER.

OKAY, SO DO I HAVE A MOTION, SINCE THIS IS JUST A RECUSAL, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS ITEM? SO MOVED.

OKAY, COMMISSIONER MARLO, UH, MOTIONS TO APPROVE.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? I SECOND A COMMISSIONER REYES SECOND.

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

GOT IT.

SO NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE STAFF BRIEFINGS.

SO THE, UM, ITEM IS APPROVED, UM, UNANIMOUSLY EXCEPT FOR COMMISSIONER PANY.

ALRIGHT,

[14. Staff briefing regarding Austin Water’s Williamson Creek Wastewater Interceptor Project. Presentation by Kane Wei, Austin Water Supervising Engineer, Pipeline CIP]

UH, BEFORE WE TAKE UP ITEM THREE AND FOUR.

UM, SO THE STAFF BRIEFING WILL BE, UH, REGARDING AUSTIN WATERS, WILLIAMSON CREEK WASTEWATER INTERCEPTOR PROJECT, AND THE PRESENTATION IS BY KANE.

WE, UH, FROM PIPELINE CP, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS.

MY NAME'S KANE.

WE, UM, WITH, I'M A SUPERVISING ENGINEER WITH AUSTIN WATERS PIPELINE, CIP PROJECT DELIVERY GROUP, AND I WAS THE PROJECT SPONSOR FOR THIS PROJECT.

UM, JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.

WE'RE, UM, QUITE EXCITED TO BRING THESE TWO ITEMS TODAY.

IT WAS A CUMULATION OF MANY, MANY YEARS AND LOTS OF HOURS AND TEAMS EFFORTS TO GET TO THIS POINT, TO, UH, BRING A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT AS WELL AS A, UH, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT AMENDMENT, UM, FOR IT SO THAT WE CAN MOVE TOWARDS CONSTRUCTION PHASE OF THIS PROJECT.

BUT, UM, TODAY, UM, I'LL BE SPEAKING, SORRY, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

I'LL BE SPEAKING ABOUT THE WILLIAMSON CREEK WASTEWATER INTERCEPTOR PROJECT.

UM, I'LL GO OVER THE PROJECT ITSELF AS WELL AS SORT OF WHY WE NEEDED IT AND WHY IT ENDED UP WHERE, UH, IT WAS IN TERMS OF LOCATION.

AND THEN THE REST OF THE PRESENTATION, I REALLY WANNA FOCUS ON SOME OF THE GREAT STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, SOME OF THE, UM, GOOD COLLABORATION THAT WE HAD WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND SOME OTHER SISTER DEPARTMENTS TO, UH, BRING THIS PROJECT TO, TO FRUITION.

AND THEN I'LL SUMMARIZE THE PROJECT AT THE END.

UH, WE'RE REPLACING AGING INFRASTRUCTURE.

SO, THE WILLIAMSON CREEK WASTEWATER INTERCEPTOR PROJECT IS ABOUT A THREE AND A HALF MILE LONG, 72 INCH DIAMETER GRAVITY WASTEWATER INTERCEPTOR

[00:20:01]

PIPE.

UM, AND IT'S TO BE INSTALLED, UH, VIA A TUNNEL, SO IT WILL BE UNDERGROUND, PRIMARILY TUNNELED.

UM, AND THE REASON FOR THIS PROJECT IS, UM, WE NEED TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THE CURRENT WASTEWATER SYSTEM.

UM, THAT'S, THAT'S THERE, THAT WAS INSTALLED BACK IN THE SIXTIES.

AND, UH, THIS WILL CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS REDUCING ANY POTENTIALS FOR FUTURE SANITARY SEWER OVERFLOWS, UM, WHICH ARE ESPECIALLY PROBLEMATIC SINCE IT'S LOCATED, UH, IN WILLIAMSON CREEK ITSELF.

AND SO, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS MAP, IT'S A LITTLE, IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT SMALL, HARD TO READ, BUT GENERALLY THE ALIGNMENT FOLLOWS THAT, UM, GRAY LINE, UH, ALONG WILLIAMSON CREEK ITSELF.

AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF CUTOVER SHAFTS AND, UM, UH, RECONNECTIONS TO PROVIDE SERVICE FROM THE LOCAL, UH, LOCAL SEWER FLOWS BACK INTO THE NEW TUNNEL AFTERWARDS.

UM, SO I'LL GO A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO DETAIL.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO THE EXISTING INTERCEPTOR IS A 36 TO 48 INCH DIAMETER PIPE.

UM, WE'RE REPLACING THAT WITH A 72 INCH DIAMETER PIPE, WHICH, UM, PROVIDES CAPABILITY TO CONVEY THREE TO SIX TIMES MORE FLOW.

AS WE ALL KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN HAS CERTAINLY GROWN IN THE PAST, UH, NUMBER OF DECADES AND, AND ESPECIALLY MORE RECENTLY.

SO WE'RE NEEDING MORE CAPACITY TO BE ABLE TO SERVE AND CONVEY WASTEWATER, UM, UH, SAFELY TO OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS.

UM, THIS PIPE CURRENTLY IN THE GROUND IS, WAS BUILT IN THE, UH, 1960S.

SO IT IS, UH, IT IS IN RETIREMENT AGE, , ACCORDING TO HUMAN HUMAN STANDARDS AT LEAST.

UM, AND SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S OLD, UH, IT DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH CAPACITY FOR OUR CURRENT DAY AND FUTURE AND FUTURE DEMANDS.

AND THEN, UM, IT'S ALSO A SEWER PIPE, RIGHT? SO THE CONDITION OF IT HAS DETERIORATED OVER TIME.

THAT PICTURE WITH THE CIRCLE ACTUALLY SHOWS, UH, FROM ONE OF OUR PIPE INSPECTIONS OF THIS INTERCEPTOR.

YOU CAN SEE SOME EXPOSED REBAR THAT'S STRUCTURAL.

AND SO THE CONCRETE, UM, AND THE CORROSIVE ENVIRONMENT AND THE WASTEWATER INTERCEPTOR HAS, HAS, UM, HAS BEEN IMPACTED.

UM, AND THEN FINALLY, THERE'S ALSO NOT ANY EXISTING ODOR CONTROL ALONG THE INTERCEPTORS.

SO THERE IS SUSCEPTIBILITY TO, YOU KNOW, UM, ODORS THAT MAY COME OUT OF, OF SEWER MANHOLES OR, OR THINGS OF THAT SORT ALONG THE CREEK.

SO THAT'S THE, THE EXISTING INTERCEPTOR.

NEXT SLIDE, JUST TO BASE ON SOME MAJOR PROJECT COMPONENTS OF THIS TUNNEL.

UM, AS I MENTIONED, IT'S COMPLETELY UNDERGROUND.

IT'S 30, OR SORRY, 20 TO 90 FEET BELOW THE CREEK LEVEL, AND IT'S LOCATED ENTIRELY OUTSIDE OF THE EROSION HAZARD ZONE.

SO WE'RE MAKING, UM, THE PIPE, THE NEW PIPE WILL BE LOWER THAN THE CURRENT PIPE.

UH, AND IT'LL BE OUTSIDE OF ANY POTENTIALS FOR, UH, EROSION TO EXPOSE THE PIPE IN THE FUTURE OR THINGS OF THAT SORT.

UM, AND WE'RE INSTALLING THIS PIPE WITH A FIBERGLASS PIPE, AND SO THAT IS CORROSION RESISTANT.

SO THAT'LL, UM, HELP PREVENT ANY, UM, CONDITION, UH, ISSUES, UH, IN THE FUTURE.

THERE'S A NUMBER OF OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE SHAFTS SO THAT WE CAN ACCESS, UH, THE NEW TUNNEL, UM, 11 COLLECTION SHAFTS, CONNECTION SHAFTS FOR CONNECTIONS WITH THE NEW TUNNEL.

AND THE SHAFTS THEMSELVES WILL ALSO BE POLYMER CONCRETE OR FIBERGLASS MATERIAL.

SO THAT'S ALSO CORROSION RESISTANCE.

SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO FUTURE PROOF THIS, MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T RUN INTO ANY CORROSIVE, UM, UH, ISSUES OR, OR DE UM, DEBILITATION, I GUESS, IN THE FUTURE.

TO ENSURE, UM, WE'RE DOING OUR PROPER SEEDING AND TREE PLANTINGS AND COORDINATED WITH MANY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS ENSURE THAT, UM, IT WAS PUT BACK, THE CREEK IS GONNA BE PUT BACK TO THE, UH, WAY THAT IT NEEDS TO BE ONCE WE'RE COMPLETE WITH CONSTRUCTION.

GOOD.

BESIDES THE TUNNEL ITSELF, THERE'S ALSO A NUMBER OF OTHER FACTORS AND, AND COMPONENTS OF THIS, OF THIS PROJECT.

UM, AND SOME OF THESE BENEFITS ARE THAT WE'RE RECONNECTING 22 LOCAL PIPELINE CONNECTIONS, RIGHT? SO THESE, THESE ARE LOCATIONS WHERE THE EXISTING SYSTEM TIES INTO THE EXISTING INTERCEPTOR.

WE HAVE TO GO AND PICK THOSE UP AND PUT 'EM INTO THE NEW PIPELINE ONCE IT'S DONE.

UM, AND WITH THAT WE'RE REMOVING AND ABANDONING SOME OF THE EXISTING, OR MOST OF THE EXISTING WASTEWATER PIPELINES AND MANHOLES IN THE CREEK.

SO THAT, AS THAT PICTURE ILLUSTRATES, THERE ARE SOME OLD INFRASTRUCTURE THAT, UM, HAS IMPACTED THE CREEK AND, AND WE'RE DOING OUR JOB TO BE ABLE TO REMOVE THOSE AND ABANDON THOSE, UM, SUFFICIENTLY TO RESTORE THE CREEK.

ONCE WE'RE DONE.

THERE'S ALSO A NEW BIOLOGICAL ODOR CONTROL FACILITY INCLUDED IN THIS PROJECT, AND THAT WILL HELP, UM, ADDRESS ANY ODOR CONCERNS AND HELP, UM, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE LARGER SPACE IN THE PIPELINE.

UM, THERE, UH, MAY BE ODORS, THEN THIS WILL BE ABLE TO, UM, MITIGATE THOSE.

UM, THERE'S, THERE WAS A SECTION OF PIPE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO TUNNEL.

WE'RE ACTUALLY REHABILITATING THAT AND WE CAN KEEP THAT SECTION IN PLACE.

SO THAT'S WHAT THAT CUR IN PLACE PIPE REHABILITATION MEANS, AND THAT'S TRENCHLESS, SO IT'S NOT VERY IMPACTFUL TO THE ENVIRONMENT.

AND THEN, UM, ALONG WITH THIS PROJECT, SINCE IT'S IN THE CREEK, WE'RE DOING EXTENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL SITE RESTORATION.

WE WORKED HARD

[00:25:01]

SO A COMMON QUESTION THAT WE RECEIVE IS WHY THIS ROUTE WAS SELECTED.

AS YOU NOTICE THAT THE, UH, THE TUNNEL SORT OF FOLLOWS THE EXISTING CREEK, UH, ALIGNMENT.

AND, UM, PEOPLE OFTEN ASK WHY WE CAN'T RELOCATE THAT INTERCEPTOR COMPLETELY MOVE IT OUT INTO THE STREETS, THINGS OF THAT SORT.

AND SO, UM, WE DID A EXTENSIVE PRELIMINARY ROUTING STUDY WHERE WE LOOKED AT 18 DIFFERENT ALIGNMENTS.

UM, THEY WERE ALL SCORED WITH MANY DIFFERENT CRITERIA, UM, AND ALSO FACTORED IN 22 DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS.

SO IF YOU LOOK ON THE NEXT SLIDE, THE REAL REASON WE CAN'T MOVE, UM, THE PIPELINE OUTTA THE CREEK.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

OH, SORRY.

IS, UM, THE REASON WE CAN'T RELOCATE THE PIPELINE OUT OF THE CREEK IS BECAUSE IT SERVES, UM, USERS FROM BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH.

ALL OF THOSE LITTLE CIRCLES THAT YOU SEE, THERE'S 27 OF THEM, THOSE ARE CURRENT CONNECTIONS AND THEY COME FROM BOTH THE NORTH SIDE AND THE SOUTH SIDE.

SO WE CAN'T REALLY DEVIATE TOO FAR AWAY FROM, UM, THE EXISTING LOCATION, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, BECAUSE THAT WOULD REQUIRE MUCH MORE COMPLICATED INFRASTRUCTURE LIFT STATIONS, UH, EXTENSIVE REROUTES THROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS AND WOULD BE A LOT MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY IMPACTFUL.

SO WE SELECTED THIS ROUTE, UM, WE FEEL STRONGLY THAT THIS IS THE BEST ROUTE AND WE'RE ALSO CONSTRUCTING IT, UH, TRENCH THROUGH A TRENCHLESS TUNNEL.

AND SO THAT WILL BE MUCH MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY.

THE MITIGATION THAT WAS REQUIRED FOR THE CHAPTER 26 PROCESS.

UM, WE WANNA TALK ABOUT, UH, A LOT OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAD TO PARTNER.

UM, WE GOT TO PARTNER WITH THE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS.

AND SO IN 2017 AND IN 2024, UH, WE HELD SOME COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSES, UM, SHARING OUR PROJECT DESIGNS, SHARING OUR, UM, PROJECT INTENT WITH THE LOCAL, UH, COMMUNITIES, AND RECEIVED A LOT OF GOOD FEEDBACK FROM THOSE.

UH, AS A PART OF THIS PROJECT, UM, WE ARE INCREASING THE, UH, AMOUNT OF PARKLAND AND FUTURE TRAIL ACCESS AND I'LL TOUCH A BIT MORE ON THAT LATER.

AND, UM, WE ALSO COORDINATED WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER PUBLIC PROJECTS.

THIS IS A THREE AND A HALF MILE LONG PROJECT, SO CLEARLY THERE'S UM, WE'RE, THERE WERE LOTS OF OTHER PROJECTS THAT WERE IN PLANNING AND IN DESIGN AT THIS, UH, THAT SORT OF FOLLOW OR ARE AND OVERLAPPING FOOTPRINTS OF OUR PROJECT.

AND SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANY NEGATIVE IMPACTS AND WE COULD COLLABORATE WHERE WE COULD.

UM, ONCE CONSTRUCTION KICKS OFF, HOPEFULLY THIS YEAR WE'LL HAVE ADDITIONAL PUBLIC MEETINGS, UH, WITH THE LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS AND NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL, JUST TO KEEP THEM INFORMED AND GIVE THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO ASK QUESTIONS AND ANSWER CONCERNS.

NEXT SLIDE, .

SO WITH PARKS AND RECREATION, UM, WE HAD A REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS PROJECT, UH, WITH THEM BECAUSE A LOT OF THE LAND THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH WITH THIS TUNNEL IS PARKLAND 'CAUSE IT'S IN THE CREEK AND IN THE GREEN BELTS.

AND SO WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE PROJECT, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO PARTNER AND, UM, IN THE END, WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE OVER 63 ACRES OF ADDITIONAL PARK LAND PERMANENTLY TO, UM, THE PARKS GROUP.

UM, AND THOSE ARE COMPRISED OF A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT, UM, METHODS.

UH, ONE OF THE OPTIONS WAS, UH, WE'RE TRANSFERRING ONE ACRE OF ACQUIRED SIDEWALK TRAIL AND RECREATION EASEMENTS.

SO WE HAD TO REQUIRE FOR OUR PROJECTS, WE HAD TO GO ACQUIRE A NUMBER OF EASEMENTS TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO THE CREEK AND DO THE WORK.

AND SO WE ACQUIRED OUR EASEMENTS FOR OUR PROJECT, BUT THEN ALSO, UH, ADDED ABOUT AN ACRE OF ADDITIONAL FUTURE TRAIL EASEMENTS.

WE ALSO ACQUIRED, UM, A NUMBER OF PROPERTIES UP TO THREE ACRES WORTH THAT WE NEEDED THOSE PROPERTIES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF OUR PROJECT, BUT WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A LONG-TERM FUTURE USE FOR THOSE.

AND SO WE SAID, UM, HEY, YOU KNOW, PARKS, WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN ANY OF THESE PROPERTIES? AND THEY IDENTIFIED THREE ACRES OF THEM THAT, UH, WE'RE GOING TO TURN OVER TO THE PARKS, UH, DEPARTMENT AFTER OUR PROJECT IS COMPLETE SO THAT THEY COULD USE THAT FOR FUTURE TRAIL ACCESS OR GREEN BELTS, THINGS OF THAT SORT.

AND THEN THE BIG ONE HERE IS ABOUT 60 ACRES FOR FUTURE TRAILHEAD ACCESS NEAR THE JIMMY CLAY GOLF COURSE.

THAT'S THAT TRACK SHOWN IN THE PICTURE HERE.

UM, FOR A LONG TIME, AUSTIN WATER HAS, HAS OWNED, OWNED THIS, IT USED TO BE THE WILLIAMSON CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT THAT'S NOW DECOMMISSIONED.

AND, UM, PARKS HAS ALWAYS HAD AN INTEREST IN THIS BECAUSE THEY WANT ACCESS TO THE JIMMY CLAY GOLF COURSE AS WELL AS A TRAILHEAD AND PARKING SPACES FOR, UM, A FUTURE GREEN BE.

SO THIS WAS A WIN-WIN.

WE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NEED THIS PROPERTY ANYMORE, WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO PARKS.

AND THIS ALL HELPED US WITH, UM,

[00:30:01]

UM, I MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT THE ODOR CONTROL FACILITY.

AND SO THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO INSTALL A BRAND NEW ODOR CONTROL FACILITY FOR THE TUNNEL.

UM, THAT'LL HELP REDUCE ODORS ALONG THE ENTIRE STRETCH OF THE PROJECT, ALL THREE AND A HALF MILES.

UM, AND BECAUSE WE'RE INSTALLING THIS FACILITY, WE WERE REQUIRED TO PUT IN, UM, DRAINAGE CONTROLS DUE THE AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS COVER.

AND SO, UH, RAIN GARDENS WERE REQUIRED FOR OUR ODOR CONTROL FACILITY.

BUT PARK SAW THIS AND SAID, WELL, WE WANT TO DO A FUTURE PARKING LOT HERE, AND TRAILHEAD, AS I MENTIONED.

AND SO WE SAID, WELL, WHY DON'T WE JUST OVERSIZE THIS AND DESIGN THIS SO THAT WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THE FUTURE TRAILHEAD, UM, PARKING LOT SO THAT PARKS COULD, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER FOR THEM TO, UM, DEVELOP THEIR PARKING LOT IN THE FUTURE.

SO, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO OVERSIZE OUR RAIN GARDENS TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.

AND THEN THE FINAL ITEM THERE IS, UM, WE TYPICALLY HAVE LIKE A GRAVEL ACCESS TO OUR FACILITIES.

UM, BUT WE THOUGHT, UM, PARKS WAS INTERESTED IN A CONCRETE PAVED ACCESS.

SO WE THOUGHT THAT WAS A, A RELATIVELY EASY THING TO INCORPORATE IN OUR PROJECT.

AND AGAIN, THAT WENT TOWARDS THE PARKS MITIGATION.

MOVING ONTO WATERSHED.

UM, I MENTIONED THAT, UH, THERE'S A NUMBER OF EXISTING CUTOVERS WASTEWATER PIPELINES AND MANHOLES THAT ARE IN WILLIAMSON CREEK EXISTING, UH, TODAY.

AND THIS PROJECT WILL PERFORM A PROPER ABANDONMENT AND REMOVAL OF THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE.

UM, BUT WE, UH, WALKED THE SITE WITH WATERSHED, AND I'M REALLY PROUD OF THIS, THAT EACH SITE THAT, UM, HAD THIS OCCASION WHERE WE HAD A CREEK CROSSING OR THINGS OF THAT SORT, EACH SITE WAS INDIVIDUALLY EVALUATED ALONG WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION TO LOOK AT WHAT WOULD BE THE LEAST IMPACTFUL OVERALL TO ABANDON AND, UH, REMOVE THIS INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND SO FOR SOME AREAS, YOU KNOW, IF THE PIPE WAS IN THERE AND THE MANHOLES WERE THERE FOR 60 YEARS, THE CREEK HAS ACTUALLY GROWN UP AROUND IT, WHERE IF WE WENT IN AND DID A FULL REMOVAL, UM, IT WOULD'VE BEEN MORE DISTURBANCE, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL DISTURBANCE TO THE CREEK.

AND SO WE FOUND THE SWEET SPOT WITH WATERSHED TO SAY, OKAY, IN SOME AREAS WE ONLY NEED TO TAKE OUT THE MANHOLE CONE AND ABANDON THE REST OF IT OR THIS AREA, WE NEED TO REMOVE ALL OF IT.

AND SO EACH ONE WAS INDIVIDUALLY EVALUATED EACH LOCATION, UM, FOR THE MOST CREEK STABILIZATION AND THE LEAST OVERALL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.

UH, NEXT SLIDE.

ANOTHER ITEM WAS THAT, UH, THERE'S THIS EXISTING LIFT STATION THAT'S, UH, ABANDONED.

THERE'S A STRUCTURE AS WELL AS LIKE A HILL TO HAVE IT ELEVATED FROM THE, FROM THE CREEK LEVEL.

AND WATERSHED HAS, HAS ITS EYES ON THIS FOR A LONG TIME TO HAVE, UH, US REMOVE THAT.

AND SO WE FINALLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT WITH THIS PROJECT.

AND, UM, REMOVING THE HILL AND THAT ABANDONED STRUCTURE WILL ACTUALLY INCREASE THE CONVEYANCE ABILITY OF THE CREEK.

AND SO THAT'LL REDUCE THE FLOOD RISK.

AND SO THE, I DON'T KNOW IF IRONIC PART, BUT WE HAD TO GO THROUGH PLANNING COMMISSION AND ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION BECAUSE THAT WAS A LARGER CUT THAN ADMINISTRATIVELY ALLOWED.

SO, UH, IT WAS AN EASY APPROVAL, BUT WE STILL HAD TO GO THROUGH THOSE ADDITIONAL COMMISSION, UH, TO, TO REMOVE THAT FOR, FOR WATERSHED.

AND THE FINAL EXAMPLE HERE IS, UM, SOME OF THESE ENVIRONMENTAL MATS FOR TEMPORARY ACCESS.

UM, WHEN WE WORK IN THE CREEKS, WE NEED, UH, A STABLE ACCESS FOR THE MACHINERY AND THE TRUCKS TO ENTER INTO.

AND SO OFTEN IT BECOMES THAT ROCK ROAD, THAT SCENE IN THE MIDDLE PICTURE THERE.

AND, UM, THAT CAN BE A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING FOR RESTORATION BECAUSE THEN YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY GO BACK IN AND, AND DIG UP ALL THE MULCH AND DIG UP ALL THE ROCKS.

AND, UM, WE RECEIVED SOME COMMENTS ACTUALLY FROM THOSE COMMUNITY, UM, OUTREACHES THAT, UM, IF THERE WAS AN ALTERNATIVE THAT WE SHOULD TRY TO PURSUE THAT.

AND, UM, THIS IDEA FOR THESE ENVIRONMENTAL MATS ACTUALLY CAME FROM AUSTIN ENERGY.

THEY TEND TO USE THESE WHEN THEY GO OFF ROAD, UH, UM, OFF THE PAVEMENT.

AND THESE ARE ENVIRONMENTAL MATS THAT ARE HGPE AND YOU CAN PUT THEM DOWN AND HAVE TRAFFIC RATED LOADS OVER THEM.

AND THEN WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH YOUR ACCESS, YOU CAN PULL 'EM UP AND IT'S MUCH EASIER AND MUCH LESS DISTURBANCE TO RESTORE, UM, AFTERWARDS.

AND SO THIS WAS, UM, INCORPORATED IN THE PROJECT.

UH, THIS WAS, THIS WASN'T ORIGINALLY IN THE DESIGN, BUT WE ACTUALLY INCORPORATED IT AFTER RECEIVING THAT FEEDBACK.

SO WE'RE USING IT WHERE WE CAN.

FOR ANYONE TO, TO ACCESS THAT HAS PROJECT DETAILS, MAPS, EXHIBITS, AND PAST PRESENTATIONS.

AND SO JUST TO GIVE AN IDEA ON THE TIMELINE AND WHERE WE ARE NOW, UM, THE PROJECT STARTED PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING IN 2016.

UH, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH DESIGN, UH, AND LOTS OF PERMITTING AND EASEMENT ACQUISITION FOR THIS PROJECT.

UH, WENT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, THE PARKS BOARD, AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS.

AND HERE WE ARE TODAY, UM, AT WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION SEEKING APPROVAL FOR OUR TWO ITEMS. AND THEN IDEALLY WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL, UM, NEXT WEEK.

AND, UH, WITH THAT, WE'LL, WE'LL START CONSTRUCTION LATER THIS YEAR.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

AND I'D LIKE TO LEAVE WITH THIS, THIS IS JUST OUR PROJECT WEBSITE AND SO, UH, WE HAVE A PUBLIC FACING WEBSITE

[00:35:01]

AND YOU CAN ALSO SIGN UP FOR EMAIL UPDATES THAT WE'LL SEND, UM, IF, UH, IF ANYONE'S INTERESTED.

SO THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, SO I APPRECIATE, UM, YOU GUYS LISTENING AND YOUR ATTENTION.

WELL, THANK YOU KANE, VERY MUCH FOR THE, UH, UH, VERY, UH, INFORMATION LADEN PRESENTATION.

SO, UH, I THINK WE ALL APPRECIATE THAT.

UM, SO COMMISSIONERS, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR KANE? COMMISSIONER MARLO, YOU GOT YOUR QUESTION ANSWERED, YOU'RE GOOD TO GO? OKAY.

UM, WELL MY QUESTION IS WITH ITEM FOUR.

OH, WITH FOUR, GOT IT.

OKAY, I GOT IT.

YEP.

IT'S A VERY PER OKAY, SORRY.

ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU, UH, KANE SEEING NO QUESTIONS.

YOU'RE UH, YOU'RE GOOD TO GO.

THANK, THANK YOU.

YEAH, DON'T YOU STAY FOR QUESTION OH OH, OKAY.

ON, ON ITEM FOUR.

YES.

COMMITTEE DIRECTOR RAWSON.

ALRIGHT, SO THEN, YEAH, HOW SHOULD WE, HOW, HOW SHOULD WE DO THIS? JUST BRING IT BACK.

SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, UH, VOTE ON ITEM NUMBER THREE.

AND, UM, DO I, DO I NEED TO DO THREE FIRST AND THEN FOUR? UH, SORRY.

[3. Recommend approval to authorize a contract for construction services for Williamson Creek Wastewater Interceptor for Austin Water with Williamson Creek Constructors JV in the amount of $125,580,000 plus a $12,558,000 contingency for a total contract amount not to exceed $138,138,000. Funding: $138,138,000 is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Water.]

UM, SO, UH, ITEM NUMBER THREE IS RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO AUTHORIZE A CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTION SERVICES FOR WILLIAMSON CREEK WASTEWATER INTERCEPTOR FOR AUSTIN WATER WITH WILLIAMSON CREEK CONSTRUCTORS JV IN THE AMOUNT OF 125,580,000, PLUS A 12,558,000 CONTINGENCY FOR A TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED OF NOT TO EXCEED $138,138,000.

FUNDING FOR THAT AMOUNT IS AVAILABLE IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET OF AUSTIN WATER.

SO DO I HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER'S A MOTION TO APPROVE? MOTION TO APPROVE.

I SECOND.

COMMISSIONER WALSTON CR UH, MOTIONS TO APPROVE.

COMMISSIONER PGI MOTIONS TO SECOND.

EVERYONE VOTING IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

IT'S NOW MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR.

ITEM HAS BEEN PASSED UNANIMOUSLY, UNANIMOUSLY.

[4. Recommend approval to authorize an amendment to the contract for engineering services for the Williamson Creek Wastewater Interceptor for Austin Water with CAS Consulting and Services authorizing an additional $7,443,884 for a revised total contract amount not to exceed $14,490,600. Funding: $7,443,884 is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Water.]

ALL RIGHT.

ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO AUTHORIZE AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONTRACT FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR THE WILLIAMSON CREEK WASTEWATER INTERCEPTOR FOR AUSTIN WATER WITH CAS CONSULTING AND SERVICES AUTHORIZING AN ADDITIONAL $7,448,884 FOR A REVISED TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $14,490,600.

FUNDING OF THE 7,443,884 IS AVAILABLE IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET OF AUSTIN WATER.

SO COMMISSIONER MARLO, YOU HAD A QUESTION? YES.

AND THANK YOU, AND I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE FOR ASKING THIS QUESTION BECAUSE I KNOW THAT OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE ASKED THIS QUESTION ON OTHER PROJECTS.

I JUST FORGOT THE RATIONALE FOR IT.

SO IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE THERE'S, WE'RE EXTENDING A CONTRACT THAT WE KNEW FROM THE OUTSET REQUIRED ADDITIONAL WORK AND WOULD NEED AN AMENDMENT.

AND IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE SECOND PHASE WENT THROUGH A BIDDING PROCESS.

CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN WHY THAT HAPPENED AND HOW THAT HAPPENED? OKAY, KEVIN CAN TAKE THAT.

YEAH.

SO KEVIN KOHLER, DIVISION MANAGER FOR PIPELINE CIP DELIVERY.

SO WHEN WE, WE SELECT A FIRM, SO THERE'S A PROCESS FOR SELECTING A FIRM.

TYPICALLY IT'S THROUGH PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING OR PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING AND DESIGN.

AND SO THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE SERVICES, WHICH IS WHAT THIS AMENDMENT IS FOR, IS FOR PROVIDING CONSTRUCTION PHASES SERVICES BY THE ENGINEER DURING CONSTRUCTION.

AND SO THAT TYPICALLY IS DONE WITH THE ENGINEER THAT DID THE DESIGN FOR THAT.

I'LL ADD TO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SELECT OUR ENGINEERING FIRMS THROUGH A QUALIFICATION BASED SELECTION PROCESS.

AND SO WHEN WE PUT OUT A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS AND WE MAKE AN ENGINEERING SELECTION, IT IS FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE PROJECT.

BUT IN A PROJECT, REALLY ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WE DO AT AUSTIN WATER, BUT CERTAINLY A PROJECT OF THIS SCALE AND SIZE, WE DON'T YET KNOW THE FULL SCOPE OF SERVICES THAT WILL BE REQUIRED AND THE FULL COST OF WHAT THOSE SERVICES WILL BE.

AND SO WE INITIALLY COME FOR REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION FOR PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING, AS KEVIN WAS SAYING, SOMETIMES PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING AND, AND FINAL DESIGN.

[00:40:01]

BUT WE ALMOST ALWAYS COME BACK TO YOU FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICES WHEN WE GET INTO CONSTRUCTION ONCE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SCOPE AND SCALE OF THOSE CONSTRUCTION PHASE SERVICES WILL BE.

BUT THE ENGINEER THEMSELVES ARE SELECTED FOR THE PROJECT, FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE PROJECT UPFRONT USING THE QUALIFICATION BASED SELECTION PROCESS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTION.

COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IF NOT, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER FOUR? SO MOVED.

COMMISSIONER MARLO MOTIONS TO APPROVE.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

COMMISSIONER REYES SECOND.

ALL COMMISSIONERS VOTING A FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

OKAY, THE ITEM WAS VOTED UNANIMOUS.

UNANIMOUSLY APPROVE UNANIMOUSLY.

SO NOW, THANK YOU.

THANK, UH, AGAIN, THANK YOU'ALL VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.

[15. Staff briefing regarding Austin Water’s Capital Improvements Planning Process. Presentation by Martin Tower, Austin Water Infrastructure Management Division Manager]

SO NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE SECOND STAFF BRIEFING, UH, REGARDING AUSTIN WATERS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLANNING PROCESS.

15.

UH, AND THIS WILL BE ITEM NUMBER 15.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS.

UM, UH, I'LL ALLOW MARTIN THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF, UH, INTRODUCE HIMSELF AND PROVIDE THIS PRESENTATION.

I'LL JUST NOTE FOR YOU ALL THAT THIS PRESENTATION WAS MADE TO OUR COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL, THE CLIMATE, WATER ENVIRONMENT AND PARKS COMMITTEE, UM, LAST YEAR SOMETIME AND, UH, AND SO WE WANTED TO TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU AS WELL.

AND AS I'M SURE MARTIN WILL TALK ABOUT, WE ARE, UM, UH, IN THE THICK OF CIP PLANNING FOR, UH, THE UPCOMING BUDGET CYCLE.

AND SO THIS IS A, THIS IS A EFFORT ON THE PART OF AUSTIN WATER THAT WE REALLY ARE IN SOME PHASE OF CIP PLANNING, UM, ALL, ALL YEAR LONG.

UM, AND MARTIN'S GONNA TELL YOU MORE ABOUT THAT.

EXCELLENT.

LET'S TRY THAT AGAIN.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONERS.

UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

MY NAME IS MARTIN TOWER.

I AM, UH, THE DIVISION MANAGER FOR OUR INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT DIVISION.

UH, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR STRATEGIC ASSET MANAGEMENT HERE AT AUSTIN WATER, AS WELL AS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLANNING PROCESS TODAY.

I'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.

SO, AUSTIN WATER OWNS AND OPERATES SIX MAJOR WATER TREATMENT PLANTS, HUNDREDS OF REMOTE FACILITIES SUCH AS PUMP STATIONS, RESERVOIRS, UH, WASTEWATER LIFT STATIONS.

UH, WE HAVE ALMOST 3000 MILES OF WASTEWATER LINES, ALMOST 4,000 MILES OF WATER LINES.

UM, WE OWN AND OPERATE ALL THE SUPPORT FACILITIES NEEDED FOR THE HUNDREDS OF STAFF REQUIRED TO, UM, TO RUN AND OPERATE THESE FACILITIES.

UH, AND ALTOGETHER IT'S AN ASSET BASE WORTH SEVERAL BILLION DOLLARS.

OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM ALLOWS US TO RENEW THESE ASSETS AS THEY AGE, ENHANCE OUR SYSTEMS, PURSUE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INNOVATION, AS WELL AS EXPAND CAPACITY AS NEEDED TO KEEP UP WITH, UH, OUR DYNAMIC COMMUNITY.

THE NET RESULT IS PERENNIALLY THE LARGEST AND MOST SOPHISTICATED CIP PROGRAM IN THE CITY, IN WHICH STAFF AT EVERY LEVEL OF THE ORGANIZATION CONTRIBUTE TO IDENTIFYING THE INVESTMENTS NEEDED TO ENSURE RELIABLE AND RESILIENT SERVICE.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO HERE AT AUSTIN WATER ARE A COMMITTEE OF THE EXECUTIVE TEAM OVERSEES THE ANNUAL PROCESS BY WHICH THE CIP PLAN IS DEVELOPED EACH YEAR.

THE PLAN IS BUILT UP FROM ZERO WITH EVERY PROPOSED CAPITAL INVESTMENT REVIEWED THE PROGRESS OF EVERY ACTIVE PROJECT REVISITED, UH, AND ENSURING ALIGNMENT WITH THE CURRENT PRIORITIES.

IN PRACTICE, THIS TAKES THE FORM OF A CONSENSUS JUDGMENT OF THE PRIORITY OF DOZENS OF BUSINESS CASES COVERING ALL MAJOR INVESTMENTS.

THIS IS PAIRED WITH THE DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO OUR CIP CHAIRS.

THESE ARE MID-LEVEL MANAGERS WHO ARE CLOSER TO THE GROUND AND RESPONSIBLE FOR DELIVERING THE IMPROVEMENTS BASED ON ASSET RISK DATA.

THESE CIP CHAIRS ARE ALLOCATED A BUDGET FOR THE HUNDREDS OF PROJECTS THAT ADDRESS BREAD AND BUTTER RENEWAL OF AGING ASSETS.

IN THIS WAY, AUSTIN WATERS STAFF REQUESTS ARE SCRUTINIZED, VETTED, AND VALIDATED BEFORE THE PLAN IS FINALIZED, TRIMMING DOZENS OF PROJECTS AND HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN SPENDING BEFORE IT'S INCLUDED IN THE ANNUAL BUDGET SUBMITTAL.

BUT IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS AND REGIONAL MOBILITY PROJECTS.

OUR CIP CHAIRS ARE INSTRUMENTAL IN GATHERING INPUT FROM INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS TO SCOPE PROJECTS AND SYNTHESIZE CAPITAL PLAN PROPOSALS FOR THEIR RESPECTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE GROUPS.

THEY NOT ONLY DETERMINE HOW BEST TO DEPLOY THE RENEWAL FUNDING,

[00:45:01]

THEY ALSO IDENTIFY EFFICIENCIES THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST, BETTERMENTS, AND OTHER PARTNERING OPPORTUNITIES.

THESE MANAGERS AND THEIR STAFF ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED WITH MANY KEY PLANNING EFFORTS SUCH AS WATER FORWARD IMAGINE AUSTIN AND PROJECT CONNECT, ENSURING THAT THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT PIECES OF THESE IMPORTANT PLANS ARE ADEQUATELY ACCOUNTED FOR IN OUR AUSTIN WATER CIP PLAN.

SO IN THIS SLIDE, WE CAN SEE THE SCALE OF THE FIVE YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN AS WE'VE DEVELOPED AND REFINED IT OVER THE YEARS AT AUSTIN WATER.

DURING EACH BUDGET CYCLE, WE CREATE FIVE YEAR PLANS AND FORECAST OUT 10 YEARS TO COMMUNICATE TO THE MANY STAKEHOLDERS AS WE MOBILIZE THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO DELIVER THESE COMPLEX PROJECTS.

THESE HEAVY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS TYPICALLY TAKE THREE TO SEVEN YEARS FROM PLANNING TO START UP AND LONGER FOR THE MOST COMPLEX.

USING OUR DATA DRIVEN, RISK ADJUSTED AND ZERO BASED CIP PLANNING PROCESS, OUR LEADERSHIP WAS ABLE TO SYSTEMATICALLY REFINE A STAFF REQUEST OF $3.6 BILLION DOWN TO THE $2.7 BILLION PLAN THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE CITY BUDGET PASSED IN AUGUST, 2020 6, 20 25, SORRY, LAST YEAR.

A LOT OF THE GROWTH YOU SEE IN THE BARS HAS BEEN THE ARRIVAL OF LONG ANTICIPATED MAJOR GENERATIONAL INVESTMENTS INTO THE FIVE YEAR PLANNING WINDOW.

EXAMPLES OF THESE MAJOR PROJECTS INCLUDE RECENTLY COMPLETED ADVANCED METERING INFRASTRUCTURE, THE WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT EXPANSION TO 100 MGD, WHICH IS CURRENTLY IN FULL SWING, THE WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER PLANT EXPANSION.

SORRY, WE TOUCHED ON THAT.

THE, UH, IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WATER FORWARD STRATEGIES LIKE AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY, AND IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR SUPPORT FACILITIES AND CAMPUSES, WHICH YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT SHORTLY.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO AUSTIN WATER HAS A VARIETY OF INVESTMENT NEEDS ACROSS THESE DIFFERENT ASSET CLASSES THAT WE RELY UPON TO DELIVER WATER SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY.

THIS CHART SHOWS THE BREAKDOWN BY ASSET CLASS AND IS INCLUSIVE OF ALL INVESTMENT DRIVERS.

SO COMBINING RENEWAL, ENHANCEMENT AND GROWTH AT A GLANCE, YOU CAN SEE THE IMPACT THAT THE WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT EXPANSION HAS IN THE SIZE OF THE LIGHT GREEN WASTEWATER TREAT PLANT CATEGORY, UM, ON THE LEFT SIDE, AS WELL AS THE AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY STRATEGY OF WATER FORWARD IN THE DARK BLUE PUMP STATIONS AND RESERVOIRS CATEGORY.

I'LL HAND IT OVER NOW TO MELVIN FRAZIER IN OUR BUILDINGS GROUP, AND HE'LL TALK A BIT ABOUT THE IMPORTANT INVESTMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING IN AWESOME WATERS CAMPUSES.

OH, IS A SEPARATE, OKAY.

WELL THEN I, I'LL CONCLUDE HERE IN, IN A MINUTE.

YOU'LL HEAR FROM MELVIN ABOUT THAT SLIDE.

NOPE, THAT'S IT.

THAT WAS MY, THE PREVIOUS ONE WAS MY LAST SLIDE.

OKAY, THANKS MARTIN, FOR THE OVERVIEW.

UH, COMMISSIONERS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MARTIN? YEAH, I HAVE A, I HAVE, HI MARTIN, HOW ARE YOU? GREAT, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD, THANKS, .

UM, SO I THINK THE PROCESS IS FAIRLY, UH, CLEAN AND CLEAR, SO MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.

DOES THIS GET TRANSLATED ONCE THE PROCESS OF VALIDATING HAS HAPPENED AND THE PROJECTS ARE FINALLY SELECTED, DOES THAT GET PUBLISHED ANYWHERE FOR EVERYBODY TO BE ABLE TO SEE, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S THE NEXT FIVE YEAR FOCUS, KIND OF LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES AROUND HERE DO? YEAH, IT DOES.

IT GETS, UH, PUBLISHED ON AUSTIN FINANCE ONLINE.

UH, SO THE CITY OF AUSTIN BUDGET OFFICE, THEY PUBLISH THE, UM, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLANS FOR ALL OF THE CITY DEPARTMENTS IN ONE COMPENDIUM DOCUMENT, AND OURS IS INCLUDED IN THAT.

UH, IT'S ALSO INCLUDED IN THE CITY BUDGET ANNUALLY, AS I BELIEVE, A LARGER DOCUMENT STILL.

SO YOU USUALLY FIND IT IN TWO PLACES AS A CIP PLAN DOCUMENT PREPARED BY FINANCE, UH, CITY FINANCE, AND THEN AS THE BUDGET DOCUMENT THAT, THAT GOES FOR.

COUNCIL.

HELPFUL.

SO AUSTIN WATER DOESN'T PRIMARILY STORE THAT ANYWHERE ON YOUR PRIMARY WEBSITES BECAUSE YOU JUST THAT TO CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES? THAT'S RIGHT.

UH, WELL, NOT CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES AS MUCH AS AUSTIN FINANCE FINANCE, BUT YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.

WE, WE PARTICIPATE IN THE BROADER PUBLICATION THAT, THAT THEY PUT TOGETHER.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

HI, TINA ROMERO, AUSTIN WATER FINANCE.

I ALSO WANNA ADD THAT THE CITY DOES PUBLISH ALL PROJECTS, CAPITAL PROJECTS ON, UM, ON A WEBSITE AS WELL.

AND, UM, IT'S CAPITAL PROJECTS EXPLORER, SO IF YOU TYPE THAT INTO GOOGLE, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO PULL UP ALL OF THE CITY'S PROJECTS, BUT ALSO YOU CAN, UM, CLICK ON A MAP THAT WILL GET YOU BY DISTRICT OR, OR CLICK ON WHAT TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE YOU'D LIKE TO SEE.

[00:50:03]

UM, AND JUST TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF HER, SO, UM, ON THE AUSTIN FINANCE WEBSITE, WILL WE BE ABLE TO SEE THE DIFFERENT SENDING FUNDING SOURCES BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE JUST OFFHAND TO ME, LIKE WE MIGHT HAVE GRANT FUNDING FOR SOME OF THIS.

THERE MIGHT BE BONDS RELATED TO SOME, AND THEN SOME MIGHT BE COMING OUT OF GENERAL REVENUE.

SO IS THAT INFORMATION THERE? YEAH, THAT MIGHT BE A BETTER ONE FOR TINA AND FINANCE TO SPEAK TOO.

, WE PREPARE THE PLAN FINANCE, UH, TINA AND FINANCE PAYS FOR THE PLAN.

SORRY, TINA ROMERO AGAIN.

AUSTIN WONDER FINANCE.

UM, SO YEAH, SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE BUDGET DOCUMENT, WE DO HAVE TO INDICATE THE SOURCES, UM, OF REVENUE AND, UM, AND HOW WE USE THOSE SOURCES AS WELL.

SO IF WE'RE USING DEBT, IF WE'RE USING, UM, OTHER TYPES OF FUNDING OR IF WE'RE USING CASH, THAT IS ALL REPORTED INTO THE LARGE BUDGET DOCUMENT, BUT YOU WOULD FIND THAT UNDER THE AUSTIN WATER SECTION OF THAT BUDGET DOCUMENT.

THANKS.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MARTIN.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

THANK YOU FOR, SORRY GUYS.

I HAVE ONE QUESTION I THINK FOR TINA.

UM, AND IT'S FINE IF YOU'RE IN TRANSITION.

AS PREVIEW BY MARTIN, WE WILL GO TO ITEM NUMBER 16 AND HAVE A STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING AUSTIN WATERS FACILITIES LONG RANGE PLAN PRESENTED BY MELVIN FRAZIER, JR.

UM, HOW UPDATED IS THAT, UM, CAPITAL PLANNING LIKE WEBSITE WHERE EVERYTHING'S LISTED? IS THAT LIVE OR IS THAT UPDATED EVERY QUARTER? OR HOW, UM, I GUESS FRESH IS THAT DATA? SURE.

SO MY UNDERSTANDING OF THAT DATA IS IT IS COMING FROM OUR PROJECT DATABASE THAT WE USE IN ORDER TO CAPTURE OUR PROJECTS.

AND SO, UM, THE BUDGET OFFICE RELEASES THAT INFORMATION AND I BELIEVE IT MAY BE LIVE, UH, BUT I CAN'T CONFIRM THAT FOR SURE.

UH, BUT AS WE USE OUR DATA PROJECT, UM, AND HOW WE UPDATE IT, IT IS LIVE FOR US.

SO, SO I BELIEVE THEY'RE CAPTURING IT AT THE SAME TIME, BUT IT MAY TELL YOU ON THAT SITE.

AND IT ALSO DOES HAVE BUDGET INFORMATION AS WELL.

SO IF YOU, YOU WANNA CLICK ON A PROJECT AND SEE THE BUDGET FOR IT, IT'S THERE AS WELL.

[16. Staff briefing regarding Austin Water’s Facilities Long Range Plan. Presentation by Melvin Frasier Jr, Austin Water Facilities Process Manager]

I'M GONNA GIVE MELVIN THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF.

UM, BUT JUST, UH, SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION, THIS WAS ORIGINALLY PRESENTED TO THE COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL, THE CLIMATE, WATER ENVIRONMENT AND PARKS COMMITTEE.

AND, UH, WE WANTED YOU ALL TO HAVE THIS INFORMATION AS WELL.

UM, AND, UM, MELVIN IS, UH, I DON'T WANNA STEAL THIS THUNDER, BUT I DO WANNA SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, AS YOU HEARD FROM MARTIN, UH, WE PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT AND EFFORT INTO OUR CAPITAL PLANNING.

UM, AND WE ARE COMING INTO A, A, A TIME WHEN WE, WE REALLY NEED TO INVEST IN OUR PERSONNEL FACILITIES.

UH, AND SO THIS IS WHAT MELVIN IS GONNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT TODAY IS, UH, AN ONGOING AND REALLY, UH, ROBUST EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UH, SETTING UP, SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR, UM, FOR FUTURE FACILITIES THAT WILL SERVE ALL OF OUR PERSONNEL NEEDS FOR FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.

THANKS.

CAMPUSES, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

DIRECTOR OLSON.

UH, SO MY NAME IS MELVIN FRAZIER JR.

I'M THE, UM, UH, DIVISION MANAGER FOR AUSTIN WATER FACILITY MANAGEMENT.

AND, UH, I THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING, UH, ME TO HAVE THE PLEASURE TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR FACILITIES PLANNING.

UM, OUR DIRECTOR, UM, EXPLAINED IT VERY WELL AND, UM, IT COULDN'T BE PUT MORE BETTER IS THAT WE'RE IN A TIME THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE HAVING BETTER FACILITIES FOR OUR STAFF NOW, HAVING BETTER FACILITIES FOR OUR STAFF EQUALS WHAT? WELL, IT EQUALS BEING ABLE TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN BETTER.

AND SO EVERYTHING THAT, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING THROUGH OUR LONG RANGE PLAN HAS AN ULTIMATE GOAL, UH, TO BE ABLE TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN BETTER.

SO I JUST WANNA TAKE YOU THROUGH A FEW THINGS THAT, UM, KIND OF DESCRIBE OUR FACILITIES, UH, THE TYPES OF FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE, UH, TALK ABOUT A FEW KEY PROJECTS THAT, THAT, UM, WE HAVE GOING ON AND SOME, UH, FUTURE THINGS THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING.

AND THEN KIND OF SUMMARIZE WHAT OUR LONG RANGE PLANNING, UM, IS ABOUT.

SO IF WE TAKE A LOOK AT JUST OUR AUSTIN WATER FACILITIES, A LOT OF TIMES WE THINK OF AUSTIN WATER AS JUST, UH, TREATMENT PLANTS, UH, PLACES WHERE WE, UH, TREAT WATER FOR DRINKING.

AND, UH, WE ALSO TREAT WATER TO, UM, TO GO, UM, FOR OUR WASTEWATER.

UH, BUT, UM, WE HAVE OVER 63 DIFFERENT BUILDINGS.

THEY'RE LOCATED AT 20 DIFFERENT

[00:55:01]

UM, AND THESE SERVE MORE THAN A MILLION CUSTOMERS OVER A 548 SQUARE MILE AREA THAT IS KNOWN AS, UH, AUSTIN, THE GREATER AUSTIN AREA.

UM, BUT THESE BUILDINGS ARE ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUILDINGS.

SO WE HAVE SOME BUILDINGS SUCH AS A BUILDING THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW THAT SERVES AS MAJOR OFFICE SPACE.

UH, WE HAVE SOME, UH, BUILDINGS THAT INCLUDE WAREHOUSING SPACES AND CALL CENTERS.

SOME OF OUR BUILDINGS, UM, ARE SERVICE CENTERS WHERE OUR OPERATIONS, UH, PROCEED FROM OR AND SELECT THE, UH, THE HUDDLE PLACE FOR OUR OPERATIONS TO BE ABLE TO, UH, GET REPAIRS AND THINGS THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.

AND FROM THERE, THEY PROCEED OUT TO THEM.

UM, WE HAVE, UH, LABORATORY SPACE, WE HAVE SHOP AREAS.

WE HAVE, UH, PARKING SPACES SUCH AS THE GARAGE THAT'S, UH, CONNECTED TO THIS BUILDING.

UM, THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT BUILDINGS AND TYPES OF BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES THAT ALL MAKE UP, UH, WHAT IS CONSIDERED FOR OUR AUSTIN WATER FACILITIES.

SO AS WE GO TO OUR NEXT SLIDE, THIS WILL KIND OF SHOW YOU JUST, UH, AN OVERALL, UM, RANGE OF WHERE OUR FACILITIES ARE LOCATED.

UH, MORE OF THE ORANGE, UH, CIRCLES WITH THE STARS OR OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTERS.

UM, OUR BLUE, UM, LIKE KEY WATER DROPS ARE OUR WATER TREATMENT AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS THAT ARE LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE AREA.

AND THEN WE HAVE SOME, UH, OF THE GREEN ARE, UH, MORE OF OUR FUTURE PROPERTIES, OUR FUTURE PLACES THAT WE DO HAVE AND THAT WILL, WILL BE USED, UH, FOR, UH, FUTURE PLANNING.

AS WE MOVE TO OUR NEXT SLIDE, WE'LL KIND OF, UH, BREAK THIS, BREAK THESE DOWN AND KIND OF TALK ABOUT 'EM A LITTLE BIT.

SO OUR PERMANENT FACILITIES ARE OUR, UM, WATER, WATER TREATMENT PLANTS AND OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS.

BUT AS YOU KNOW, WHAT THE SLIDE SAYS, IT SAYS, THESE ARE PERMANENT FACILITIES TO MAINTAIN AN UP AN UPGRADE.

SO WHILE THESE ARE PERMANENT FACILITIES THAT WILL ALWAYS BE IN THESE LOCATIONS BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN CHOSEN, THEY'RE CONVENIENT FOR MAKING SURE THAT WE, UM, GET, HAVE OUR WATER INTAKE AND OUR WATER, UH, DISPOSAL.

UH, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THESE FACILITIES, UH, JUST MAGICALLY TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES, RIGHT? UM, BUT, UH, THEY HAVE TO BE MAINTAINED AND UPGRADE.

SO PART OF OUR LONG RANGE PLANNING IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ALLOWING OURSELVES, UH, THE FUNDING AND THE TIME TO, TO TAKE CARE OF THEM.

FOR EXAMPLE, UH, A WATER TREATMENT PLANT MAY HAVE AN AD ADMINISTRATION BUILDING THAT WHERE THERE'S SOME OF THE STAFF OF THE OPERATIONS, UH, WORK.

UH, BUT THERE'S GONNA HAVE TO BE HVAC, UH, NEW, UM, DESK AND SEATING THAT'S GONNA BE THERE.

UH, ONCE IN A WHILE WE MAY NEED TO PUT SOME PAINT, UH, UH, THERE, RIGHT? BUT THEN WE HAVE, UM, OTHER BUILDINGS THAT MIGHT BE LIKE A LINE BUILDING OR, UH, ANOTHER CHEMICAL BUILDING, UH, THAT IS A BUILDING, BUT IT HAS A ROOF, RIGHT? THAT ROOF IS GOING TO WEAR OUT, BUT THAT ROOF HAS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF.

UH, SO EACH BUILDING IN ITS OWN HAS ITS DIFFERENT COMPONENTS AND THESE HAVE TO BE MAINTAINED IN ORDER FOR THESE PLANTS TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE.

SO THAT IS A PART OF OUR LONG RANGE PLAN, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE EVALUATING, UH, THESE BUILDINGS IN THE, THE THINGS INSIDE OF THEM, UH, TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THEM.

AND THAT KIND OF CONNECTS A LITTLE BIT, UH, OUR LOT, UH, WITH WHAT MY COLLEAGUE, UH, MR. TOWER WAS TALKING ABOUT.

UM, OUR, OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.

UM, OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT IS A, IS A VERY BEAUTIFUL, UH, SITUATION IN WHICH THAT WE HAVE DIFFERENT ASSETS AND SOME OF THOSE ASSETS ARE OUR BUILDINGS, AND WE CAN BE ABLE TO TELL LIKE FOR HVAC, UH, HOW LONG, HOW MANY REPAIRS WE HAVE BEEN PUTTING INTO THIS ASSET SO THAT WE CAN MAKE A LOGICAL CHOICE AS TO, HEY, DO WE WANT TO SPEND A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY TO REPAIR THIS HVAC OR IS IT TIME FOR REPLACEMENT? UM, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE TO MAKE GOOD USE OF THE FUND OF THE FUNDS, UH, THAT WE HAVE.

SO IF WE, AS WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTERS.

AND THESE ARE, WE WOULD SAY MOST OF THE MAJORITY OF OUR BUILDINGS, UH, THAT WE HAVE, UM, UM, THROUGHOUT, STRATEGICALLY PLACED THROUGHOUT, UH, THE, THE AREA.

AND THESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTERS, AS WE SAID, UM, ARE THERE TO PROVIDE BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE.

BUT THESE ARE PLACES WHERE THOSE WHO ARE IN OUR OPERATIONS COME TO, UH, THEY MAY GET THEIR WORK ORDERS, THEY'RE GOING TO LEAVE FROM THERE, BUT THEY HAVE TO HAVE PLACES WHERE THEY CAN COME AND HUDDLE.

WE DON'T WANT THEM TO BE IN A VERY HOT, SWEATY, UH, OR COLD ENVIRONMENT.

SO IT HAS TO, HAS HAVE HVAC ALSO, UH, WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN THE UPKEEP OF THESE, UH, BUILDINGS TOO.

UM, ONE OF THESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTERS IS, UH, A LEASE SPACE, THE SUMMIT LAB.

AND, UH, WE HAVE PLANS, UH, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT LATER, IS PART OF OUR, UH, LONG RANGE PLANNING IS TO, UH, GET OUT OF OUR LEASE AND MAKE A PERMANENT, UH, LABORATORY AREA.

AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT, UH, SHORTLY.

SO AS WE MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT SLIDE, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT

[01:00:01]

ABOUT NEW AND FUTURE PROPERTIES, UH, TO ENHANCE IT FURTHER EFFICIENCY FOR AUSTIN WATER.

UM, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE DEEPER ABOUT OUR AUSTIN WATER CONTROL CENTER, WHICH IS A PROPERTY THAT WE PURCHASED, UH, IN FISCAL YEAR 2024.

UM, ALSO THE SOUTH SERVICE CENTER HUB, WHICH WAS THE PROPERTY THAT WAS PURCHASED IN FISCAL YEAR 25.

UM, WE ALSO HAVE A PROPERTY THAT AUSTIN WATER HAS OWNED FOR, UM, A LITTLE A WHILE.

THE NORTH SERVICE CENTER THAT IS PLANNED, UH, TO POSSIBLY BE ANOTHER HUB AREA.

AND THEN THERE'S A PRO, ANOTHER PROPERTY THAT AUSTIN WATER, UH, OWNS ON THE, UH, IT'S CALLED THE EAST WATER TREATMENT PLANT.

AND THAT'S GOING TO BE USED FOR WHATEVER PURPOSE THAT WE SEE FIT.

THAT'S GOING TO HELP WITH, UM, THE EFFICIENCY WITH AUSTIN WATER.

SO AS WE MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT SLIDE, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT A COUPLE OF OUR KEY PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDERWAY.

UM, THE BUILDING THAT WE'RE SITTING IN, UH, HERE IS THE WALL CREEK CENTER.

UH, THE RENOVATION AND, UH, THE, THE ACTUAL ROOM THAT YOU'RE SITTING IN IS PART OF A LONG, PART OF OUR LONG RANGE PLANNING IS JUST A, UH, EARLY PORTION OF IT.

THIS ROOM WAS RENOVATED, UH, IN ORDER TO BE BETTER UP TO, TO STANDARDS.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S BEEN, UH, RENOVATED TO HAVE THE RIGHT TYPE OF LIGHTING TO OUR TYPE OF CARPET, THE RIGHT TYPE OF SEATING IN ORDER THAT WE CAN HOLD THESE MEETINGS HERE.

'CAUSE I THINK FOR A WHILE WE WASN'T ABLE TO TO HAVE, UH, THESE MEETINGS HERE.

BUT, UM, THIS WAS A PART, A PART OF, UM, THE WALL CREEK CENTER RENOVATION.

UH, THAT WAS DONE EARLY.

NOW THE WALL CREEK CENTER RENOVATION IS BEING DONE INTO TWO, IN TWO PARTS.

UH, IT'S THE FIRST FLOOR IN THE 10TH FLOOR AND IT'S ALSO FLOORS TWO THROUGH NINE, UH, THE FIRST FLOOR IN THE 10TH FLOOR.

OF COURSE, AS WE SAID, THIS PORTION WAS DONE EARLY, BUT THE 10TH FLOOR, UH, STARTED JANUARY 5TH.

WE STARTED, UH, ACTUALLY DOING THE NEXT START OF THE RENOVATION PROJECT.

SO THAT FLOOR IS COMPLETELY CLEARED.

UM, AND WE ARE HOPING THAT, UH, ONCE WE DO THE 10TH FLOOR, WE'LL COME DOWN TO DO THE LOBBY AND ANOTHER IN THE, UH, ANOTHER PORTION OF THE, OF THE FIRST FLOOR.

BUT WE WANT TO KIND OF KEEP IT IN A SEPARATED SO AS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING IT IN A SAFE WAY, BUT WE'RE DOING THIS BECAUSE THIS BUILDING HAS NOT BEEN RENOVATED AT ALL SINCE I THINK IT WAS PURCHASED IN THE EIGHTIES.

AND SO THERE IS A NEED, UM, IF YOU GO TO THE OTHER FLOORS, WHICH, UM, UNFORTUNATELY I WON'T HAVE THE PLEASURE OF TAKING YOU AS A WALKTHROUGH, UH, AROUND THERE, BUT YOU WOULD SEE MY POINT THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE UPGRADED AS FAR AS ELECTRICAL, HVAC, UM, AND A LOT OF THE, THE BUILDING SYSTEMS NEED TO BE CARED FOR IN A BETTER, PROPER WAY.

UH, SO AS WE MENTIONED, WE HAVE TO INVEST IN OUR STAFF, BUT WHAT DOES THAT EQUAL? IT EQUALS OUR STAFF BEING ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR CITIZENS BETTER.

UM, THE NEXT, UH, UH, PROJECT, UH, UH, WE CAN GO, UH, BACK TO THAT SLIDE.

UM, ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THAT SLIDE IS SEVEN 12 UHLAND DRIVE, WHICH IS BETTER KNOWN AS THE AUSTIN WATER CONTROL CENTER.

THIS WAS OUR FIRST BUILDING THAT WAS PURCHASED IN A VERY LONG TIME, AND IT IS OUR FIRST BUILDING THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE RENOVATING IN ORDER TO SERVE AS THE NEW CONTROL CENTER FOR THE CITY FOR AUSTIN WATER.

NOW, WE TALKED ABOUT THE LAB SPACE THAT WE HAVE, UH, ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF THIS BUILDING WILL BE A NEW LAB, UH, THAT WILL TAKE, UH, WILL BE, UM, BUILT FROM, FROM, NOT FROM THE GROUND UP, BUT FROM THE INSIDE UP, UH, FOR OUR, OUR LAB, UH, SERVICES.

UM, WE ALSO ARE GONNA HAVE OUR SECURITY OPERATIONS CENTER.

UH, ON THE THIRD FLOOR, THERE WILL BE A, UM, COMBINED CONTROL CENTER FOR, UH, THE CONTROLS, UM, OF THE DIFF OF DIFFERENT AREAS FOR AUSTIN WATER, BUT THAT'LL BE COMBINED, UH, THERE ON THE THIRD FLOOR.

AND WE'LL ALSO HAVE A, UH, EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER THAT WILL BE, UH, THERE IN THIS BUILDING.

UM, WE ARE FINISHING UP, UH, THE DESIGN PORTION OF THIS.

WE'RE ACTUALLY IN PERMITTING.

UH, WE JUST HAD A MEETING TO GO OVER, UH, A MEETING WITH THE CITY, UH, TO GET OUR PERMIT, OUR PERMITS, UM, UNDERWAY, AND WE'RE HOPING TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION, UH, WITH, UH, BASICALLY NEXT MONTH.

AND THIS SHOULD BE, UH, COMPLETED, UM, BY THE END OF 2026 AS WE MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE NOW.

UM, THIS IS THE NEW SOUTH SERVICE CENTER HUB.

UM, THIS PROPERTY WAS PURCHASED, UH, IN FISCAL YEAR, UH, 2026.

UH, AND WE PUR 25, 25, I'M SORRY.

OUT OVER 141 ACRES, UM, HAS, UH, SOME EXISTING BUILDINGS THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE USED, AND IT HAS SOME, UM, A LARGE AREA THAT WE ARE GOING TO LOOK INTO SOME FEASIBILITY STUDIES TO SEE, UM, WHAT'S GONNA BE THE BEST USE OF THE PROPERTY.

UH, FISCAL YEAR 2025.

AND WE, UH, WE PURCHASED IT AS KIND OF, NOT KIND OF, BUT AS AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, FOR US TO DESIGN THINGS FOR OUR OPERATIONS THAT WE HAVE NOT HAD.

UM, THIS PROPERTY THAT'S SPREAD

[01:05:01]

SO WE TALKED ABOUT OUR DIFFERENT SERVICE CENTERS.

WE NEEDED TO HAVE A SERVICE CENTER THAT'S GONNA BE ABLE TO BE MORE CENTRALLY SOUTH OF, UH, UH, THE RIVER.

UH, AND THIS WAS, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US, UH, TO DO, TO DO THIS.

UH, THE PLANS ARE UNDERWAY AS FAR AS I SAID, AS FAR AS FEASIBILITY STUDIES ARE BEING DONE FOR US TO BETTER MAKE USE OR TO KNOW HOW WE'RE GOING TO MAKE USE, UH, OF, OF THIS PROPERTY.

SO THERE'LL BE MORE TO COME, UM, WITH, WITH THAT.

AND, UM, UH, VERY, VERY SOON.

SO AS WE MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT SLIDE, THIS WILL KIND OF GIVE US A LITTLE SUMMARY OF WHAT OUR LONG RANGE PLANNING IS, IS ALL ABOUT.

UM, WE HAVE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE FUTURE.

UH, OF COURSE, WE DON'T ALWAYS KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE ENTAILS.

WELL, WE NEVER KNOW WHAT THE, WHAT THE FUTURE ENTAILS VERY, VERY FAR.

BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY, UH, TO MEET THOSE NEEDS.

AND SO WHEN WE'RE PLANNING FOR THO THOSE THINGS, WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK, UH, FOR THE FUTURE.

OUR CIP PLANNING GOES, UH, EVERY, FOR EVERY FIVE YEARS, BUT WE GO EVERY YEAR FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

SO THAT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO SEE DIFFERENT THINGS, UH, FOR THE FUTURE AND BE ABLE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IF NEEDED.

WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE BALANCING OUR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WITH LONG-TERM FUNCTION.

THAT'S WHAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SAID BEFORE.

UH, WE ARE ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT ASSETS TO SEE IF IT'S BETTER TO REPLACE THIS ASSET OR BETTER TO, TO REPAIR IT.

THAT MAKES, UH, GOOD, UH, USE OF OUR, UH, OF OUR MONIES AND OUR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.

WE ALSO WANNA LOOK FOR WAYS, UH, DURING OUR PLANNING TO, UM, ENHAN ENHANCE EFFICIENCY AND RESPONSIVENESS, BUT ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THINGS ARE WORKING WELL TOGETHER.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE LOCATION, UM, NEEDS OF A CERTAIN AREA.

UM, IF THIS AREA HAS A LOT OF CALLS, UH, ALL THIS HAS WENT INTO OUR PLANNING TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE ARE ABLE TO, UH, MEET THOSE NEEDS.

AND THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE WERE A, WE WANTED TO, AND WE DID PURCHASE THAT PROPERTY.

UM, FOR THE SOUTH HUB ALSO, WE ARE, ARE TRYING TO INCORPORATE SUSTAINABLE ELEMENTS.

UM, BOTH THIS PROJECT THAT'S, UH, WE'RE HERE IN THIS BUILDING AND ALSO OUR AUSTIN WATER CONTROL CENTER, UM, IS GONNA HAVE, UH, LEADS ELEMENTS, UM, ALL WITHIN THEM.

AND SO WE MEET, UH, UH, REGULARLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THINGS ARE INCORPORATED INTO OUR DESIGN, INTO, UH, WHATEVER BUILDINGS THAT WE'RE DOING.

AND THEN FINALLY, UH, AS WAS MENTIONED, UH, WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO IMPROVE OUR WORK ENVIRONMENTS FOR OUR AUSTIN WATER, UH, EMPLOYEES.

AND AS I SAID BEFORE, IMPROVING OUR WORK ENVIRONMENT EQUALS WHAT IT EQUALS US TAKING CARE OF THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN.

SO I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR PLAN.

AND, UH, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, UH, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK.

OKAY, THANK YOU, MELVIN.

UM, I'LL KICK OFF THE QUESTIONS.

SO, UM, I KNOW A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS WITH FACILITIES PLANNING IS IN THE CIPI GUESS, BUT JUST TYPICAL MAINTENANCE, YOU KNOW, LIKE REPAIRS AND ALL THAT STUFF, LIKE THAT'S A SEPARATE BUDGET.

UM, JUST FOR OUR KNOWLEDGE, MY KNOWLEDGE, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THAT KIND OF A TYPICAL YEARLY BUDGET FOR MAINTENANCE FOR ALL THESE FACILITIES? NOT TALKING ABOUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, WASTEWATER, UH, YOU KNOW, CHEMICALS, YOU KNOW, WATER CHEMICALS, BUT JUST THE BUILDINGS.

SO THAT'S, UH, AS PART OF OUR OPERATIONAL BUDGET AND, UH, LAST FISCAL YEAR WE SPENT ABOUT $5.3 MILLION IN TAKING CARE OF OUR, UM, DIFFERENT BUILDINGS IN OUR DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS.

UH, THAT WOULD INCLUDE THE MAINTENANCE OF HVAC, THAT WOULD INCLUDE REPAIRING GATES, THAT WOULD INCLUDE, UH, REPAIRING, UM, UH, ROOFS, ELECTRICAL, UM, BUT THAT COVERS ALL OF ALL OF THE UTILITY.

BY THE END OF CALENDAR YEAR 2026.

UH, COMMISSIONERS, OTHER QUESTIONS? A FAIRLY SIMPLE QUESTION.

UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT ALL OF THESE GREAT PRESENTATION BY THE WAY.

THANK YOU MELVIN.

UM, QUESTION IS, UM, TIMELINE, DO I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW THERE'S REALLY NOT A CERTAINTY OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE, BUT WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING IN TERMS OF LIKE, THIS IS A GREAT PLAN AND I THINK IT'S AMBITIOUS.

LIKE, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF FIVE YEARS, 10 YEARS? WHAT'S THAT? SO WE, WE BUILT OUR LONG RANGE PLAN TO GO AT LEAST, AT LEAST 15 YEARS, BUT WE ALSO BUILT IT TO BE A LIVING DOCUMENT.

UM, SO IF WE SEE A NEED THAT CERTAIN THINGS NEED TO BE ADJUSTED, UM, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT.

IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TIMELINE, LIKE, LET'S SAY FOR THE, UH, FOR THE CONTROL CENTER, LET'S SAY WE, THAT IS ON A DEFINITE DEFINITIVE TIMELINE THAT WE WANT TO HAVE THAT COMPLETED

[01:10:01]

UM, WITH THIS, UM, UH, THE FIRST PART OF THIS CONSTRUCTION OF FLOORS ONE THROUGH 10, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT ER, UM, LATE 2026, EARLY 2027, BOTH, UM, THOSE FLOORS WILL BE DONE.

AND THEN WE'LL BE MOVING INTO TWO THROUGH NINE, WHICH WE TIME THAT OUT TO PROBABLY TAKE AROUND TWO TO THREE YEARS DEPENDING ON, UM, UM, WHO'S BEING CHOSEN AS THE, UH, CON CONTRACTOR, WHICH WE HAVEN'T, HAVEN'T DONE THAT, UH, YET.

WE'RE STILL IN THE DESIGN PHASE.

SO, UH, TIMELINE, UM, THAT WE, WE HAVE FOR THE LONG RANGE PLAN DOES PROJECT, UM, INTO THE FUTURE.

BUT THERE ARE SOME DEFINITIVE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT, UM, FROM YEAR TO YEAR.

AND ONCE WE DECIDE UPON WHAT WE'RE GOING TO CONSTRUCT, THEN WE LAY OUT A, UH, A TIMELINE FOR THAT.

I HAD A QUICK QUESTION.

UM, KIND OF TYING IT BACK TO THE AGENDA.

UM, ONE OF THE ITEMS ON THIS WAS ITEM NUMBER EIGHT WAS A GROUND MAINTENANCE, UM, AND, AND MOWING FACILITIES.

IS THAT, I'M ASSUMING THAT'S UNDER YOUR PURVIEW.

I THINK IT WAS TALKING ABOUT AUSTIN WATER REMOTE SITES.

I KNOW SOME OF THOSE SITES ARE ACTUALLY SEEMS LIKE A LONG, WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT ALL MAPS AND MM-HMM.

I WAS LOOKING AT IT THE OTHER NIGHT, UM, SOME OF 'EM WERE ACTUALLY REMOTE SITES AND STRUCTURES AND SO ON.

AND, AND IS, IS THAT UNDERNEATH YOUR GROUP OR IS THAT A SEPARATE GROUP, UM, OF, FOR THOSE REMOTE SITE BUILDINGS? SO FOR THIS, THIS ACTUAL CONTRACT, UM, IT, UH, IS, IT DOES TAKE CARE OF AUSTIN WATER SITES, BUT THOSE REMOTE FAC, UH, FACILITIES IS, IS MORE TAKEN UNDER THE OPERATIONS.

UM, FACILITY MANAGEMENT TAKES CARE OF PRETTY MUCH EVERY, EVERYTHING ELSE.

SO THERE IS A SEPARATE CONTRACT, UH, FOR, UM, OPERATIONS BECAUSE, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY SITES, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT'S SEEING THEM ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, WHEREAS WE ARE TAKING CARE OF THE LANDSCAPING FOR ALL THE OTHER, UM, UH, BUILDINGS.

BUT THIS SPECIFIC CONTRACT IS, UM, AN AUSTIN WATER CONTRACT, BUT IT'S MORE TAKEN CARE OF BY OPERATIONS.

APPRECIATE IT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.

IF NOT, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MELVIN.

GREAT JOB, FUTURE.

OKAY, COMMISSIONERS, UH, TIME TO SUGGEST ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS IF YOU HAVE ANY TOP OF YOUR HEAD.

IF NOT, OKAY, WELL THEN IT IS FIVE 17 AND I CALL THIS MEETING ADJOURNED.