[CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
[00:00:04]
UH, IT IS 6:07 PM ON JUNE 16TH.
I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION TO ORDER.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
UM, WE DO HAVE SOME, UH, IN-PERSON SPEAKERS SIGNED UP, SO WE WILL DO THAT FIRST.DID I SAY THAT CORRECTLY? SPEAKING ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
AND CAN YOU GO UP AND TO THE PODIUM AND STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE? FIRST AND LAST.
OH, DO YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION? NO.
UH, SORT OF, I MEAN, I COULD HAVE SUBMITTED THE SAME PDF THAT'S IN YOUR BACKUP.
UM, SO I GUESS LIKE, EVEN IF Y'ALL WERE TO PULL UP THE BACKUP, I DON'T KNOW WHO HAS THE SCREEN IN FRONT OF THEM, BUT THAT AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS A STAFF BRIEFING, AND THERE'S LIKE A SLIDE ON THERE.
UM, I THINK IT'S LIKE SLIDE NUMBER 11 IN THE DECK.
AND SO, UM, UM, MR. OZ, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN BRING THAT UP.
THIS IS LIKE A TABLE, A BIG TABLE AND STATE YOUR NAME.
UM, I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER SPOKEN AT THIS DIOCESE BEFORE.
UM, YEAH, UH, I WAS, UM, KIND OF REFLECTING ON MY PRESENTATION FROM YESTERDAY WITH THE, UH, PUBLIC, UM, FINANCE CORPOR OR THE, UH, PUBLIC FACILITIES CORPORATION.
UM, AND THERE'S BEEN THIS SORT OF LIKE VEIN ACROSS ALL OF MY, UM, THAT'S NOT THE TABLE, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT A GRAPH, IT'S AN ACTUAL TABLE.
UM, AND IT'S NOT THE HIGHLAND LIGHT, OR IT SHOULD BE THE LARGE, LARGE, UH, INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL.
UM, YOU
SO, UH, I'VE BEEN ADDRESSING DIFFERENT BODIES, DIOCESE, UH, WITHIN, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO, UH, ADDRESS, UM, THE WAY I 35 IS BEING DELIVERED IN THIS CITY.
AND IN PARTICULAR, UM, THAT LOOKS, NO.
UH, SO ON THIS ONE, UM, I BELIEVE IF YOU LOOK AT TESLA MOTORS, UM, EVERYTHING LOOKS PRETTY, PRETTY STEADY STATE WITH REGARDS TO INCREMENTAL PROGRESS.
AND, UH, WITH REGARDS TO WHAT COUNCIL PASSED, UH, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, UM, WITH THE DOG HEAD AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE DEVELOPMENTAL AGREEMENTS ARE GONNA BE THERE, I'M JUST KIND CURIOUS WHAT THIS BODY, I, I, WHAT IS THIS, WHAT'S THE DISCUSSIONS THAT HAVE HAPPENED WITH THIS GROUP IN TERMS OF, UH, IN PARTICULAR, WHAT FEELS LIKE THE MUNICIPALITY IS NOT BRACED FOR, UH, INTEGRATING, UM, THE, THE, THE IMPACT THAT IS, UH, ON THE WAY DOWN THE ROAD AND, UM, IN PARTICULAR WATER, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY.
UM, I'VE BEEN MAKING THIS, THIS REQUEST FOR, IT'S CALLED THE, UH, GO VALLEY, UH, WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN.
IT'S BEEN SORT OF DEFUNCT FOR A WHILE.
IT'S JUST PASSED, UH, MONTOPOLIS BRIDGE.
UM, UH, THE STATE, THE STATE HISTORIC BOARD, UH, THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO ADDRESS USE OF THAT.
UH, AND, UM, WITH REGARDS TO THE TUNNEL, THAT'S GOING BASICALLY STRAIGHT TO THERE.
AND THE, THE REQUEST I MADE TO AUSTIN ENERGY DIRECTOR WAS THAT, UH, THAT COULD BE A SHARED UTILITY TUNNEL.
AND SO I'M SORT OF OFFERING SOLUTIONS UNSOLICITED, BUT, UH, RATHER IT JUST BE A DRY STORM WATER TUNNEL FOR, UH, LARGE RAINFALL, EXTREME RAINFALL.
UM, AND IN PARTICULAR, WHAT THAT WOULD SUPPORT, UM, THE ORGANIZATION THAT I USUALLY SPEAK ON FOR HERE, FOR THESE DIOCESE, UM, IS TO REMOVE OUT OF HOLLY SHORES, UH, TO MEET THE VISION PLAN TO REMOVE ALL OF THE 138 KILOVOLT, UM, TRANSMISSION LINES THAT ARE GOING THROUGH.
UH, AND SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO REALLY START GROWING CANOPY AND MEET SEVERAL OF THE, UM, BUT YEAH, IF TESLA, UH, IF YOU JUST LOOK AT IT HERE, INCREMENTAL, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH LIKE TAR PEP.
UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE SPEAKER? THANK YOU FOR COMING.
[00:05:01]
DAVID HOGAN SPEAKING ON ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.I'M DAVID HOGAN, A PARISHIONER FROM THE ST.
MATTHEWS EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN NORTHWEST AUSTIN.
AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT SOLAR IMPLEMENTATION PROBLEMS, WHICH I BELIEVE THE LATER ITEM WILL STAND AND DAVID LEVEQUE WILL ADDRESS ON LATER ITEM.
BUT I WANT TO, WHAT I WANT COMMUNICATE IS THERE ARE, THERE ARE PROBLEMS. I CAN GIVE YOU FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE OF OUR PROBLEMS. VERY RECENTLY, LAST YEAR, WE IN STARTED INSTALLING 110 KILOWATTS ON OUR BIGGEST ROOF ON CAMPUS.
WE HAD A UPFRONT DESIGN APPROVAL BY AUSTIN ENERGY, AND, UH, WE HAD A FINAL INSPECTION BY THE SOLAR DEPARTMENT OF AUSTIN ENERGY.
BUT THEN WHEN IT CAME TO ACTUALLY GETTING CONNECTED, THE METERING DEPARTMENT SAID, UHOH, UM, YOUR CURRENT TRANSFER, YOUR SENSORS FOR THE INPUT OUTPUT FLOW ARE, ARE NOT WHAT THEY SHOULD BE.
AND I COULD NEVER GET AN EXPLANATION FROM THEM OF EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRONG OTHER THAN THEY WANTED SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AND IT, IT WAS, THAT WAS VERY FRUSTRATING.
SO I CAME TO THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION, EXPRESSED THIS FRUSTRATION AND EXPLAINED MY, MY DILEMMA.
AND FORTUNATELY, UH, GENERAL MANAGER STUART RILEY WAS THERE, AND HE SAID, WELL, HE'LL LUCK INTO THE MATTER.
AND WITHIN A WEEK, UH, WE ACTUALLY GOT CONNECTED.
SO THAT WAS THE FIRST EXPERIENCE.
THE SECOND EXPERIENCE, WELL, I WANNA REPORT THAT WAS NINE MONTHS AGO.
WE ARE GENERATING LOTS OF GOOD, GOOD DOLLARS FROM OUR ROOF.
WERE, UH, GENERATED OVER $10,000, WHICH IS ABOUT A THIRD TO A HALF OF OUR ELECTRIC BILL FOR THE YEAR.
SO THE BUSINESS MANAGER OF THE CAMP OF THE CAMPUS IS VERY PLEASED WITH THE PERFORMANCE THERE.
ALSO, ON OUR CAMPUS, THERE'S A DAY SCHOOL, WHICH HAS A COMPLETELY SEPARATE METER, AND THEY SAID, OH, WOW, LOOK AT THOSE COST SAVINGS, AND WE'D LIKE TO DO THAT TOO.
SO, VERY RECENTLY, WE EMBARKED ON ADDING SOLAR TO THAT, TO THE DAY SCHOOL ROOF.
AND THIS TIME WE INVITED THE METERING DEPARTMENT OUT THERE TO GET INVOLVED IN THE UPFRONT DESIGN ALSO.
AND WE HAD TIME WENT ON AND ON, WE COULDN'T GET ANY FEEDBACK.
WELL, WE EVENTUALLY GOT SOME FEEDBACK THAT THE DOOR, THE BOX IN WHICH THE CURRENT TRANSFORMERS THAT DO THE INPUT OUTPUT FLOW SENSING NEEDED DOUBLE DOORS ON IT.
AS IT WAS, IT WAS JUST A FLAT PANEL WITH FOUR SCREWS IN EACH EACH CORNER.
SO, UH, THIS DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME.
THE, THE LOOKED QUITE SIMPLE TO ME.
AND, UH, CURRENT TRANSFORMERS THAT SENSE THE FLOW ARE PASSIVE DEVICES.
THEY DON'T CON CONSUME ANY ENERGY OF THEIR OWN.
THEY RARELY, IF EVER, NEED SERVICING.
SO WHY DO YOU NEED DOUBLE DOORS? SO I CAME TO THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION ON THAT POINT, AND FORTUNATELY, THE COO LISA MARTIN WAS HERE THERE, AND SHE SAID, WELL, THIS DIDN'T, THIS DIDN'T QUITE MAKE SENSE TO HER EITHER.
SO SHE HAD JUST SAID SHE'D LOOK INTO IT, AND A WEEK LATER IT GOT CON IT DID GET CONNECTED.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN, AND I THINK IDA MAP WILL SPEAK TO IT, I'D LIKE TO SEE DETAILED CHECKLISTS DEVELOPED INTERNAL TO AUSTIN ENERGY, REVIEWED BY ALL DEPARTMENTS OF AUSTIN ENERGY PUBLISHED ON THE INTERNET, SO THAT THE VENDORS AND PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMERS CAN SEE WHAT'S, WHAT'S REQUIRED.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST IF WE DIDN'T GET A CHECK ON A CERTAIN BOX, WE'D KNOW BEFOREHAND, AND WE WOULD BE PREPARED FOR THAT.
SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN ESTABLISH SOME UNIFORMITY AND MAKE OUR LONG-TERM GOALS OF, OF RENEWABLE ENERGY IN THE FUTURE.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE SPEAKER? OKAY.
UM, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS AL BRADEN ON ITEM SEVEN AND EIGHT.
GOOD EVENING, CHAIR DAVIS, UH, VICE CHAIR ROBBINS COMMISSIONERS, AND AUSTIN ENERGY STAFF.
I'M AL BRADEN, DISTRICT SEVEN AND VICE CHAIR OF THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION.
THIS EVENING, THOUGH, I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF.
TWO IMPORTANT ISSUES ARE BEFORE YOU TONIGHT.
FIRST IS THE RECOMMENDATION FOR A FEASIBILITY STUDY OF PURCHASING THE TEXAS GAS FRANCHISE IN AUSTIN AND OPERATING AS A UTILITY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN WITH THEIR SKYROCKETING PRICES AND LACK OF RESPONSIVENESS TO THE AUSTIN
[00:10:01]
RIGHT PAIR REQUEST.IN THE RECENT FRANCHISE RENEWAL, THE TIME NEGOTIATE HAS ALREADY HAPPENED.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS A GREAT TRACK RECORD RUNNING UTILITIES FOR THE PEOPLE'S BENEFIT.
AUSTIN ENERGY, AUSTIN WATER AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY ARE PRIME EXAMPLES.
AN INVESTMENT IN THE GAS UTILITY AS A CITY OPERATION COULD ALIGN ITS GOALS OF CONSERVATION, METHANE LEAGUE MITIGATION AND PROGRESSIVE RATE STRUCTURE.
WITH AUSTIN'S VALUES, AUSTIN HAS THE ABILITY TO MAKE THIS UTILITY BETTER FOR THE CITY.
I APPLAUD YOUR RESOLUTION AND ASK COMMISSION MEMBERS TO PASS IT FOR TOWARDS COUNCIL.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO STUDY, TO LINE OUT THE RISK, THE COSTS, THE BENEFITS.
YOU CAN'T LEARN WHAT IS POSSIBLE AND PRACTICAL FOR AUSTIN GAS WITHOUT DOING THE STUDY.
SECONDLY, BOTH THE EUC AND THE RMC HAVE GREAT INTEREST IN MAKING OUR LOCAL SOLAR AND BATTERY PROGRAMS EFFECTIVE.
MANY OF US HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING WITH AUSTIN ENERGY FOR SOME TIME, AND IN FACT, WE'VE HAD PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSION AT THE END OF APRIL.
THAT MEETING WAS A WHILE AGO, AND WE'RE WAITING FOR A REPORT FROM RICHARD GENESEE ON PLANS AND IMPROVEMENTS AT THE JULY MEETING.
I HOPE THIS CAN BE THE BEGINNING OF AN ONGOING AND COLLABORATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH AUSTIN ENERGY, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND STAKEHOLDERS.
THERE ARE SO MANY LAYERS TO THIS PROCESS THAT RE WILL REQUIRE AN ONGOING REFINEMENT WITH THE LOSS OF FEDERAL TAX CREDITS, ROOFTOP SOLAR AND BATTERY INSTALLATIONS ARE FLATTENING OUT RAPIDLY.
CUTTING THE SOFT COST OF INSTALLATION CAN HELP MAKE SOLAR AND BATTERIES MORE ECONOMICALLY ATTRACTIVE.
AGAIN, IT WILL TAKE A COOPERATIVE EFFORT.
WE NEED A FORUM WHERE INSTALLERS AND CUSTOMERS CAN BE HEARD, WHERE STAFF CAN WORK TO REDUCE BARRIERS ACROSS DEPARTMENT LINES AND WHERE ACTUAL IMPROVEMENTS IN PERMITTING, INSPECTION AND INTERCONNECTION CAN OCCUR SEAMLESSLY.
HOW CAN WE DRIVE THE SOFT COST DOWN FOR SOLAR IN AUSTIN? I'VE MADE A SUGGESTION THAT THE RMC AND EUC FORMER WORKING GROUP, I DO BELIEVE THAT STAFF PARTICIPATION IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE KIND OF CAN-DO APPROACH THAT THEY AND THE CITY STAFF CAN BRING TO IT.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ACTUALLY HAVE TO DO IT ANYWAY.
SO TONIGHT DAVE AND STAN WILL SUMMARIZE MANY ISSUES FOR SOLAR AUSTIN.
AS YOU LISTEN TO THEM, I ASK EACH OF YOU TO ASK YOURSELVES, WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO SOLVE THIS IN A TIMELY MANNER? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, YES, COMMISSIONER KENARD, BEFORE YOU LEAVE MR. RAIN.
GOOD QUESTION FOR YOU, FOR ME.
UM, I'M NOT USED TO QUESTION
IT WAS, UH, IT WAS THE SOFT COST, UH, RATIO.
I'M CURIOUS ON HOW IT COMPARES TO THE HARD COSTS.
DO YOU HAVE A BALLPARK FOR THAT? UH, I DON'T HAVE A REAL DETAIL ONE ON, UH, AUSTIN, MAYBE, UH, DAVID VES DOES OR STAN DOES, BUT BASICALLY WE HEAR ABOUT SOLAR BEING A DOLLAR A WA IN AUSTRALIA.
SO MUCH OF THAT IS IN SOFT COST.
AND, AND A BIG PART OF THAT IS THE NEED FOR STANDARDIZATION ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR PERMITTING EVERYTHING.
BUT WE NEED TO GET OURSELVES AS STANDARDIZED AND STREAMLINED AS POSSIBLE.
UH, WE COULD MAYBE ESTIMATE THAT.
UH, I THINK ON MY SOLAR INSTALLATION FOR MY HOUSE, IT WAS ABOUT $1,600 FOR PERMITTING AND REVIEW.
BUT HOW MUCH ELSE WAS PUT INTO IT AND HOW MUCH TIME WAS SPENT ON REVIEWS.
I, I REALLY CAN'T HONESTLY KNOW, BUT I HOPE THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH SOME BETTER FIGURE, SOME REAL FIGURES FOR THAT.
UM, ONE MORE SPEAKER, UH, IS STAN PIPKIN ON ITEM SEVEN AND EIGHT.
UM, COULD I ASK YOU, OH, CAN TURN YOUR MIC ON, UM, MR. BRIGHTEN? SURE.
UH,
IS IS IT PLAUSIBLE THAT YOU OR PEOPLE YOU WORK WITH COULD GET AN INTERN TO CALL TO, TO INTERVIEW BY PHONE AND BY EMAIL PEOPLE IN AUSTRALIA AND OTHER LOW COST, UH, CITIES AND COUNTRIES TO FIND OUT HOW THEY DO IT? I REALIZED THAT IT'S DIFFICULT TO APPLY A DIFFERENT CONTINENT TO, UM, I MEAN, THERE, THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY, UH, GOING TO BE DIFFERENCES THAT CAN'T BE INTEGRATED INTO AUSTIN, BUT THAT WE PROBABLY STILL HAVE A LOT TO LEARN FROM THEM.
DO YOU KNOW OF ANY WAY THAT, UH, YOU OR, UH, PEOPLE
[00:15:01]
YOU WORK WITH COULD GET INTERNS TO INVESTIGATE THIS FURTHER? I HAVE NO INTERNS.BUT, UH, I, MAYBE, PERHAPS, BUT I, I THINK, UH, IT, IT'S HARD TO INTERVIEW PEOPLE IN AUSTRALIA.
THERE, THERE WAS A BOOK THAT CAME OUT RECENTLY AND I SHARED IT WITH ONE OF THE EUC MEMBERS.
I DIDN'T GET IT BACK YET, BUT, UH, IT'S THE GUY WHO FOUNDED REWIRING AMERICA, WROTE A, A BOOK ABOUT SOLAR IN AUSTRALIA AND COMPARED IT VERY CLEARLY TO AUSTRALIA COST, AMERICAN COST, EUROPEAN COST.
THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION IN THAT BOOK AND IT'S FAIRLY CURRENT, BUT I, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE TITLE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I'LL GET IT, I'LL GET YOU INFORMATION ON IT.
AND I'LL TRY TO GIVE MYSELF ANOTHER COPY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, SO MOVING INTO OUR AGENDA.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Special Called Resource Management Commission Meeting on May 19, 2026.]
THE FIRST ITEM IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE MAY 19TH, 2026 MEETING.IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COMMISSIONER KENNER TO ADOPT.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MINUTES FROM THE MAY MEETING? OKAY.
UH, HEARING NONE WILL TAKE A VOTE.
IF YOU ARE REMOTE, PLEASE TURN ON YOUR CAMERA.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING THE MINUTES FROM THE MAY 19TH, 2026 MEETING.
[2. Staff briefing on highlights of Austin Water’s 2026 Q1 Report on Water Management Strategy Implementation by Kevin Critendon, Assistant Director, Environmental, Planning and Development Services, Austin Water.]
WE HAVE ITEM TWO IS OUR STAFF BRIEFING ON HIGHLIGHTS OF AUSTIN WATERS 2026 Q1 REPORT ON WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION BY KEVIN CRITTENDEN.PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM.
I'M KEVIN CRITTENDEN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH AUSTIN WATER.
UM, I'M HERE WITH YOU TONIGHT.
UH, USUALLY YOUR QUARTERLY UPDATES PROVIDED BY KEVIN KLUGE, OUR WATER CONSERVATION, UH, DIVISION MANAGER.
SO I'LL TRY TO DO WHAT I CAN TO, UH, FILL IN IN HIS STEAD AS THE LESSER KEVIN.
UM, THE Q2, UH, QUARTERLY REPORT IS OUT AND AVAILABLE.
UM, I THINK, UH, EXCUSE ME, Q1, Q1 IS USUALLY A PRETTY CALM, UH, WATER CONSERVATION QUARTER.
IT REFLECTS JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH.
SO TYPICALLY WATER USED DURING THAT TIME IS FAIRLY LOW.
AND YOU KIND OF SEE THAT IN THIS REPORT, WHICH MAY BE WHY KEVIN FELT COMFORTABLE LETTING ME DO THIS TONIGHT.
YOU'LL RECALL THAT THIS IS REALLY JUST A SUMMARY OF THE LARGER REPORT.
YOU SHOULD HAVE THAT AVAILABLE TO YOU.
SO WE'RE GONNA HIT THIS PRETTY QUICK.
UM, THE FIRST HIGHLIGHT REALLY IS JUST WE WANTED TO BRING ATTENTION TO, WE HAVE A NEW COMMUNITY GRANTS PROGRAM THAT WE AWARDED FIVE GRANTS OUT OF.
THE PURPOSE OF THAT GRANT PROGRAM REALLY IS REALLY TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, WATER CONSERVATION, WATER CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES BY, UH, LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO SEVERAL GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS DURING THIS FIRST QUARTER.
UM, WE HAVE, DURING THIS FIRST QUARTER RESUMED OUR CONTRACTED LARGE DIAMETER LEAK DETECTION PROGRAM.
THERE HAD BEEN SOME CONTRACTING DELAYS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE HAVE, UM, DONE ABOUT 17,000 LINEAR FEET OF LARGE DIAMETER LEAK DETECTION, UM, IN FEBRUARY.
UH, WE'LL BE PICKING THAT UP WITH SOME MORE ANALYSIS OF THAT DATA IN THE JUNE TIMEFRAME.
SO YOU'LL HEAR MORE FROM THAT IN OUR NEXT QUARTERLY REPORT.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE BEEN SPENDING, UH, QUITE A BIG, UH, QUITE AMOUNT OF TIME, UM, TRYING TO HEIGHTEN AWARENESS ABOUT KNOWING YOUR WATER DAY.
UM, AS WE MOVE INTO THE SPRING, OBVIOUSLY ATTENTION WILL START TO TURN TO LAWN AND GARDEN PREPARATION.
AND SO IT'S GOOD TIME FOR US TO REMIND FOLKS ABOUT, UH, UM, UPCOMING, UM, APPROPRIATE WATERING DAYS DURING THE, UM, UH, UPCOMING, UH, SPRING TIMEFRAME.
UM, THIS IS OUR EVER POPULAR GPCD GALLON PER CAP DAY SLIDE.
UM, IN THE FAR RIGHT AS YOU LOOK, UM, IT SHOWS WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE YEAR.
VERY LOW, UH, OVERALL USAGE PER CAPITA WISE.
UM, I WILL NOTE THE BOTTOM TWO BARS, WHICH REALLY REFLECT, UH, MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING AND SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING.
[00:20:01]
PARTICULARLY LOW EVEN FOR THE FIRST QUARTER.UM, YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO, I THINK, 2020 TO SEE A SIMILAR KIND OF LOW LEVEL.
GENERALLY THAT'S PROBABLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO A FAIRLY WET, UM, FIRST QUARTER IN THE YEAR.
SO WE WOULD LOVE TO TAKE ALL THE CREDIT FOR THAT, BUT I THINK, UM, THE RAIN HAS HELPED US OUT QUITE A BIT THERE.
NEXT SLIDE, AGAIN, A SIMILAR SLIDE, JUST A DIFFERENT, UM, VISUALIZATION.
AGAIN, IF YOU'LL FOCUS ON THE FAR RIGHT CORNER, YOU CAN SEE AGAIN THOSE DIFFERENT, UM, PER CAPITA, UH, USAGES AND THESE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES ARE ALL TRENDING DOWN.
AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT THIS TIME OF YEAR.
I MEAN, REALLY JUST AS A WRAP UP TAKEAWAYS FOR NEXT STEP.
UM, BASICALLY THE Q1, UM, UH, WATER CONSUMPTION WAS THE SAME AS IT WAS IN Q1 OF LAST YEAR.
UH, WE WILL BE FOCUSING ATTENTION IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER MONTHS ON CUSTOMER CONSERVATION, AS I INDICATED.
UM, INFORMATION ABOUT LANDSCAPING TIPS AND REBATE INFORMATION.
UH, WE WILL BE ATTENDING A VARIETY OF, OF COMMUNITY EVENTS TO GET OUR WORD OUT.
UH, WE'LL BE REFINING OUR, MY A TX, WHICH IS OUR AUTOMATED METERING PORTAL, UM, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION OUT TO CUSTOMERS, UM, PARTICULARLY FOCUSED ON LIKE RAIN DAY NOTIFICATIONS.
SO THEY GET NOTIFICATION THAT IT'S RAINING, TURN YOUR SPRINKLER OFF.
UM, AND THEN THE ONLY OTHER THING, UM, JUST A REMINDER OR JUST A A BULLET POINT ON, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR 2025, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE LEAKAGE INDEX ILA, WHICH IS A VERY COMPLICATED, UM, PICTURE OF KIND OF GENERALLY WATER LOSS AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, UH, PERFORMANCE, UM, WAS IMPROVED OVER LAST YEAR.
PROBABLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO SOME INCREASED WATER LOSS, UM, REDUCTION.
UM, AND THEN ALSO PROBABLY, UH, UH, BASED ON SOME BETTER DATA VALIDATION, UM, TECHNIQUES.
I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND, UM, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, COMMISSIONERS QUESTIONS FOR MR. CRITTENDEN.
COMMISSIONER KENARD, THANKS VERY MUCH.
I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN THAT 5% IMPROVEMENT NUMBER.
YOU JUST SAID IT WAS PROBABLY, WELL, TELL ME, IS IT, IS IT MAINLY CHANGE IN METHODOLOGY OR IS IT ACTUAL IMPROVEMENT? 'CAUSE 5% SEEMS GREAT.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF DETAIL THAT GOES INTO THE INFRASTRUCTURE LEAK INDEX, WHICH IS NOT JUST WATER LOSS, BUT WATER LOSS IS ONE OF THE COMPONENTS IN IT.
UM, IT'S ALSO A LOGARITHMIC SCALE, SO, YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE VERY COMPLICATED IN MAKING THOSE COMPARISONS.
I MEAN, WE DO BELIEVE IT'S REFLECTIVE OF, OF IMPROVED WATER LOSS OR REDUCED WATER LOSS.
UM, AND THEN ALSO AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO REFINE OUR DATA VALIDATION TECHNIQUES.
[3. Staff briefing on the Drought Forecast Update by Kevin Critendon, Assistant Director, Environmental, Planning and Development Services, Austin Water.]
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.UM, WITH THAT WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT, UH, ITEM, WHICH IS STAFF BRIEFING ON THE DROUGHT FORECAST UPDATE ALSO BY KEVIN CRITTENDON.
I DON'T HAVE TO SIT DOWN, DO I? NO.
UM, THIS WAS A PRESENTATION REQUESTED BY THE COMMISSION, UM, ON, UM, DROUGHT OUTLOOK.
UM, WE DO PROVIDE DROUGHT OUTLOOK INFORMATION FOR LIKE OUR WATER FOR TASK FORCE ON A FAIRLY REGULAR BASIS.
UM, SO WE'LL JUST KIND OF JUMP INTO IT.
YOU'RE PROBABLY ALL FAMILIAR THAT WE DO, UM, GET OUR DRINKING WATER FROM THE HIGHLAND LAKES.
THE HIGHLAND LAKES IS A SURFACE WATER SYSTEM BECAUSE IT'S A SURFACE WATER SYSTEM, IT'S VERY HIGHLY DEPENDENT OR REACTIVE TO, UH, RAINFALL AND WEATHER CONDITIONS, STREAM FLOW.
THIS PARTICULAR GRAPHIC JUST SHOWS, UM, THE AVERAGE, UM, INFLOW INTO THE HIGHLAND LAKES FROM 1942 TO PRESENT, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE HISTORIC PERIOD OF RECORD.
ALSO PROVIDES SIMILAR INFORMATION FOR, UH, AVERAGE INFLOWS FOR THE 2008 TO 2015 PERIOD, LAST YEAR'S INFLOWS AND THIS YEAR'S INFLOWS.
AND THEY'RE IN DIFFERENT COLORS AND DIFFERENT BARS.
UM, PROBABLY THE HIGHLIGHT I WOULD JUST PULL OUT HERE IS, UM, GENERALLY 20 25 5 HAS BEEN WETTER, UH, EXCUSE ME, 2026 HAS BEEN WETTER THAN 2025.
SO FOR OUR SURFACE WATER SYSTEM, THAT'S A GOOD THING.
UM, THE GREEN BAR IN THE MIDDLE JUST FOR REFERENCE, IS LAST, UH, 4TH OF JULY FLOOD THAT, UM, IMPACTED A LOT OF
[00:25:01]
HILL COUNTRY.UM, SO THAT'S CLEARLY THE DEVASTATING PART OF THAT.
THE GOOD NEWS FROM A WATER SUPPLY STANDPOINT IS IT DID BRING A LOT OF WATER INTO THE HIGHLAND LAKES.
UM, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE YEAR, UM, JANUARY THROUGH, UM, THE MAY TIMEFRAME, UM, WE HAVE GOTTEN, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, MORE WATER THAN WE HAD, UH, MORE INFLOW THAN WE HAD IN 2025.
UM, WE'RE PROBABLY STILL DRIER THAN WE WERE IN THE KIND OF OVERALL AVERAGE PERIOD OF RECORD.
UM, BUT AGAIN, GENERALLY SPEAKING, GOOD NEWS FOR OUR WATER SUPPLY IN GENERAL.
THIS IS THE COMBINED STORAGE IN LAKES BUCHANAN AND TRAVIS LAKES.
BUCHANAN AND TRAVIS ARE THE STORAGE RESERVOIRS ON THE HIGHLAND LAKES, AND THEY DO IMPOUND WATER SUPPLY FOR, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THEN ALL OF LCRA, THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER'S CUS RIVER AUTHORITIES CUSTOMERS.
UM, AGAIN, THE, THE MOVEMENT OF THE LINE REPRESENTS, UM, INFLOW CONDITIONS, WEATHER CONDITIONS.
THIS IS A KIND OF A SCREENSHOT OF THE LAST 25 YEARS OF RECORD.
WE'RE WAY OVER ON THE RIGHT SIDE.
UM, AND BASICALLY WHAT IT SHOWS IS YOU CAN SEE, UM, WITH LAST JULY'S RAINS, THERE WAS A STEEP INCLINE THAT PUSHED US UP CLOSE TO FULL INTO THE HIGHLAND LAKES.
UM, WE HAD SEVERAL MONTHS WHERE WE DID HAVE, YOU KNOW, UH, MORE, MORE OF THE BACKSIDE OF LAST SUMMER, YOU KNOW, CONTINUED TO UTILIZE THAT WATER.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WE'VE HAD A FAIRLY WET, YOU KNOW, JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL.
SO THE EARLY PART OF THIS YEAR HAS BEEN FAIRLY WET AND YOU'VE SEEN IT REBOUND A LITTLE BIT.
SO, UM, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, ALL IN ALL, YOU KNOW, GOOD NEWS, NOT TERRIBLY ALARMING FROM THE TYPICAL HISTORICAL PER PERFORMANCE OF THE HIGHLAND LAKES.
UM, SO GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE'RE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE.
UM, AS OF TODAY, THE COMBINED STORES OF THE HIGHLAND LAKES WAS RIGHT AT 91%, SO THAT'S GOOD.
UM, BUCHANAN IS NEAR FULL AT ABOUT 99%.
THIS IS A LOOK AT THE US DROUGHT MONITOR.
UM, IF WE HAD BEEN SHOWING THESE TO YOU, THEY WOULD HAVE MORE TYPICALLY HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, DARKER AND REDDER.
UM, SO THIS IS ALSO GOOD NEWS.
YOU CAN SEE THE MIDDLE PART OF THE STATE IS GENERALLY SORT OF IN A NEUTRAL POSITION, SO NO DROUGHT.
UM, THERE DOES CONTINUE INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH TO BE A BIT OF A DROUGHT.
THE DARK, UM, OUTLINE COUNTY IS TRAVIS COUNTY HERE AND THERE DOES CONTINUE TO BE SOME PERSISTING DROUGHT IN THE LOCAL AREA.
UM, BUT OF COURSE THAT CHANGES WE'VE HAD.
AGAIN, UM, BEEN FORTUNATE TO HAVE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF RAIN OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS.
UM, THIS IS THE NOAA THREE MONTH, UM, OUTLOOK FOR JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER.
GENERALLY TRYING TO PREDICT THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS.
UM, WHAT IT SAYS IN SHORT IS PREDICTING HIGHER SEASONAL TEMPERATURES COMING IN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT, THAT WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A HOT SUMMER.
NOT EXACTLY NEW NEWS IN TEXAS, BUT PROBABLY A LITTLE HOTTER THAN NORMAL.
UM, ALSO ON THE RIGHT IT SHOWS THE, UM, OUTLOOK FOR PRECIPITATION.
AGAIN, WE'LL BE MOVING INTO DRY PART OF THE SUMMER.
UM, THIS PARTICULAR, UM, OUTLOOK SUGGESTS THAT IT MAY BE A LITTLE DRIER THAN NORMAL.
SO, UH, AGAIN, HARD TO HARD TO TRULY PINPOINT THAT DOWN.
BUT, UM, OVERALL, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WATCH AND KIND OF SEE WHAT THE, WHAT THE WEATHER TRULY HOLDS.
THIS IS ALSO ANOTHER PREDICTOR, WHICH IS JUST THE, UM, EL NINO SOUTHERN OSCILLATION FORECAST.
SO THIS IS PREDICTING THAT WE WILL BE LIKELY TO SEE AN EL NINO CONDITION PERSIST.
GENERALLY SPEAKING, EL NINO BRINGS WITH IT MORE, UM, RAIN.
I THINK THE SUMMER MONTHS EL NINO IS TYPICALLY NOT AS PREVALENT, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A METEOROLOGIST.
UM, SO AGAIN, THIS IS JUST ONE MORE BIT OF INFORMATION TO KIND OF LOOK AT WHAT OUR SUMMER MAY LOOK LIKE.
ALL IN ALL, I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, IT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE A PRETTY TRADITIONAL TEXAS SUMMER AND PROBABLY BE HOT AND DRY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, UM, UM, KIND OF MOVE FORWARD, UM, ACCORDINGLY.
AND THIS IS PROBABLY A MORE NEAR TERM LOOK AT WHAT ALL THAT MEANS ON LIKELY WATER STORAGE IN THE HIGHLAND LAKES, WHICH IS AGAIN OUR WATER SUPPLY RESERVOIRS.
UM, FROM THE LEFT OF THE GRAPH, MOVING TO THE RIGHT IS SORT OF HISTORIC.
IS IS ACTUALLY THE, UM, STORAGE OUT OF LAKES BUCHANAN
[00:30:01]
AND TRAVIS AGAIN, THE SHARP, UH, INCLINE SHOWING LAST SUMMER'S RAINS, UH, FLOODS.UM, THE YELLOW BAR REALLY SHOWS WHERE WE ARE NOW MOVING FORWARD.
SO EVERYTHING TO THE RIGHT IS A PROJECTION.
SO YOU'LL SEE THERE ARE FOUR DOTTED LINES ON THAT GRAPHIC.
UM, ONE OF THOSE INDICATES IS, IS A PROJECTION OF POTENTIAL, UM, AVERAGE WEATHER CONDITIONS, UH, WETTER THAN AVERAGE WEATHER CONDITIONS STARTING ON THE TOP, GOING TO DRIER THAN AVERAGE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
SO REALLY THAT'S JUST TRYING TO DEPICT A RANGE OF WEATHER CONDITIONS.
OBVIOUSLY WEATHER'S VARIABLE, PRETTY VARIABLE HERE IN TEXAS.
UM, AND SO THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A FEEL FOR WHAT THE RESULTING CLIMATE WILL DO IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS OUTLOOK.
UM, SO TO KIND OF DISTILL THAT DOWN, IF YOU LOOK ABOUT MIDWAY ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, UM, YOU WILL SEE THAT UNDER THE TWO MORE DRY SCENARIOS, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WE COULD MOVE INTO, UM, WHAT WE WOULD CALL OUR STAGE ONE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN STAGE.
SO THAT'S ONE, THAT'S WHEN IT HITS 1.4 MILLION ACRE FEET OF STORAGE AT THAT POINT.
UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN WOULD DECLARE A STAGE ONE DROUGHT AND WE WOULD GO INTO SOME MODEST, UM, UM, DROUGHT CURTAILMENT ACTIVITIES.
SO PRI PRIMARILY WE'LL REDUCE AT THAT TIME.
WE WOULD REDUCE, UM, AVAILABLE, UM, OUTDOOR IRRIGATION TIME FOR OUTDOOR SPRINKLERS.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE START IN OUR PLAN.
UM, YOU MAY RECALL, I THINK WE BROUGHT TO YOU OUR DROUGHT CONTINGENCY AND WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, UM, LAST YEAR.
SO WE'LL BE PUTTING THOSE THINGS INTO EFFECT IF WE GET TO THAT PARTICULAR STAGE.
I MEAN, COULD IN FACT BE A WETTER THAN WE EXPECT, IN WHICH CASE WE'LL JUST KIND OF CONTINUE ALONG AND TRY TO, UH, KEEP OUR MESSAGE OF RESPONSIBLE WATER USE GOING AND, UH, TRY TO REINFORCE, YOU KNOW, OUR VARIOUS POLICIES AROUND WATER CONSERVATION AS A GENERAL MEASURE.
SO WITH THAT, I THINK THAT COVERS THOSE ITEMS, BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I DO SEE COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN HAS HER HAND RAISED.
THANK YOU MR. CRITTENTON FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
NICE TO HAVE YOU TALKING TO US FOR A CHANGE AND REGARDS TO, TO, TO YOUR COLLEAGUE, MR. KUCHI.
UM, REMIND US PLEASE, THE HOW LONG A TERM OR HOW, HOW, HOW MANY YEARS OF, OF POTENTIAL DROUGHT IS THIS PLANNING FOR? I MEAN, WE'RE NOT JUST ASSUMING THAT THE WATER WE'VE GOT CAN GET US THROUGH ONE YEAR ONLY, AND IT'S GONNA RAIN AND WE START THE CYCLE OVER.
THE EXPECTATION THAT THIS PLANT IS BASED ON IS THAT THE WATER THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE COULD BE NEEDED TO SERVE US IN MULTIPLE DRY YEARS IN SEQUENCE.
AND FURTHERMORE OF THE CONTINGENCY PLANS WERE DESIGNED BY LCRA FOR A AREA POPULATION THAT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN WE HAVE TODAY.
SO MAYBE THE STORAGE CAPABILITY THAT WE'VE GOT IS NOT ENTIRELY SUITABLE TO THE SIZE OF POPULATION WE'RE TRYING TO SERVE NOW.
SO CAN YOU GIVE US SOME CONTEXT, PLEASE, FOR SORT OF WHAT'S THE WORST CASE? HOW, HOW MANY YEARS WOULD THIS NEED TO STRETCH AND, AND WHAT IS Y'ALL'S THINKING ABOUT HOW TO MAKE THAT WORK OVER TIME? OKAY.
UM, LET ME SEE IF I CAN, IF WE CAN ROLL BACK ABOUT THREE OR FOUR SLIDES HERE.
I'M GONNA USE ANOTHER SLIDE TO SORT OF NARRATE PART OF THIS.
OTHER WAY? I THINK IT'S THE OTHER PRESENTATION.
I TELL YOU WHAT, WE, WE WILL STOP THERE AND LET ME, LET ME DO THIS.
I'LL JUST TRY TO WING IT ALREADY.
UM, LEMME JUST ANSWER THIS TO SAY, UM, HISTORICALLY IN THE COLORADO, WELL REALLY IN MANY WESTERN STATES, UM, THE DROUGHT OF RECORD IS TYPICALLY THE PLANNING DURATION THAT MOST WATER SUPPLIES ARE PLANNED AROUND.
AND REALLY THAT'S A BACKWARD LOOKING METRIC TO LOOK AT THE WORST HISTORIC PERIOD OF DROUGHT THAT HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED IN A PARTICULAR WATERSHED.
UM, IN, IN THE COLORADO WATERSHED IN MANY WATERSHEDS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, THAT DROUGHT HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN THE 1950S.
UM, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED A MORE SERIOUS DROUGHT AND A NEW, WHAT WE CALL DROUGHT OF RECORD, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN ABOUT 2008 TO 2015.
SO THAT'S TYPICALLY THE WAY THAT MOST,
[00:35:01]
UM, SURFACE WATER PLANNING SURFACE WATER RESERVOIRS ARE PLANNED AROUND SORT OF LOOKING BACKWARDS AT DROUGHTS AND DROUGHT PERIODS.UM, JUST BY REFERENCE THAT PRE PRIOR DROUGHT WAS PROBABLY AROUND EIGHT TO 12 YEARS LONG.
SO A DROUGHT CAN PERSIST FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
UM, DROUGHTS HAVE THE COMPONENT OF BOTH TIME AND THEN ALSO, UM, DEPTH, RIGHT? SO THE LONGER THE DROUGHT PERSISTS, THE WORSE THE STORAGE BECOMES.
RIGHT? SO THAT'S JUST A GENERAL REFERENCE.
UM, I WOULD SAY MORE BROADLY, TO YOUR POINT, OUR WATER FORWARD PLANNING ACTIVITY IS REALLY TRYING TO PUT OUR PLANNING INTO THE PERSPECTIVE OF LIKE A HUNDRED YEAR TIME STEP.
AND SO WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK TO TRY TO NOT JUST LOOK IN, IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR, IF YOU WILL, AND LOOK AT HISTORIC CLIMATE CONDITIONS, BUT ALSO TRY TO PROJECT OUT HOW, UM, VARIOUS DIFFERENT CLIMATE CHANGES MAY IMPACT POTENTIAL INFLOWS INTO THE HIGHLAND LAKES.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A VERY LONG PROJECTED LOOK AT, UM, WHAT WE THINK, UH, THAT RANGE COULD BE.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO PUT, PUT THAT INTO CONTEXT WITH ANY PRECISION, RIGHT? UM, WHAT WE DO BELIEVE THAT BASED ON, UM, CLIMATE CHANGE IS THAT WE WILL SEE, UM, MORE SIGNIFICANT DROUGHTS, MORE FREQUENT DROUGHTS THAT WILL LAST LONGER, BUT WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT WE WILL SEE FLOODS AS WELL.
AND SO WHEN YOU'RE OPERATING A A, A SURFACE WATER SYSTEM, THAT WILL MEAN THAT RESERVOIRS WILL CONTINUE TO FILL.
UM, SO, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF THAT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE PLANNING FOR, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT PHENOMENON AND THEN CONTINUED GROWTH IN OUR AREA.
AND OF COURSE WE'VE DEVELOPED A NUMBER OF STRATEGIES THAT WE PRESENTED TO YOU ALL BEFORE ABOUT KIND OF WHAT WE WOULD PROPOSE TO TRY TO MITIGATE BOTH CLIMATE CHANGE AND, UM, INCREASED IN DEMAND.
UM, AND AGAIN, IT'S A LONG LIST.
UM, WE CAN, WE CAN UPDATE YOU, UM, AT ANOTHER TIME, BUT IT INCLUDES EVERYTHING FROM WATER CONSERVATION TO AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY.
UM, EMERGENCY INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE, UM, WATER CONSERVATION AND LOTS AND LOTS OF REUSE, BOTH ONSITE AND CENTRALIZED, UH, RECLAIMED WATER USE.
LET ME SEE HOW CLOSE I GOT FOR YOU.
WELL, FOR WINGING IT, THAT WAS PRETTY EXCELLENT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, COMMISSIONER LUKI THIS ON.
UH, WHAT'S THE METRIC USED TO DETERMINE WHEN A DROUGHT IS OVER? DO Y'ALL HAVE ONE? YEAH, SO, UM, I WON'T GO BACK.
UM, THE, THE DEFINITION OF WATER SUPPLY DROUGHT IS, UM, FROM THE LAST TIME THE RESERVOIRS WERE FULL UNTIL THE NEXT TIME THEY REFILL.
AND SO TECHNICALLY WE'RE STILL IN A DROUGHT, WE'RE STILL IN A WATER SUPPLY DROUGHT.
WE, EVEN THOUGH WE GOT A LOT OF RAIN LAST JULY, UM, AND WE GOT WHAT I WOULD CALL NEAR FULL IF YOU, IF YOU'LL ALLOW ME THAT DESCRIPTION.
UM, WE'RE TECHNICALLY STILL ON A WATER SUPPLY DROUGHT.
UM, AND IF YOU, IF WE COULD PULL THAT GRAPHIC UP, I MEAN, THERE'S BEEN LOTS OF TIMES WHERE EVEN DURING A TRUE BONAFIDE DROUGHT, YOU KNOW, WHERE RESERVOIR LEVELS WILL FALL AND THEN THEY'LL REGAIN KIND OF LIKE WE'VE JUST RECENTLY SAW, AND THEN THEY'LL FALL AGAIN AND THEY'LL REGAIN.
AND SO THAT CYCLE WILL CONTINUE, UM, UNTIL THEY REFILL.
AND THEN TECHNICALLY THAT'S THE DROUGHT.
SO I, I GUESS, UM, WITH THE DOUBLING AND TRIPLING AND QUADRUPLING OF THE POPULATION OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS, IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE THE DROUGHT IS SOMEWHAT DRIVEN BY USAGE DOUBLING AND TRIPLING AND QUADRUPLING.
WELL, IT CERTAINLY, I MEAN, INCREASED USAGE AND INCREASED POPULATION, UH, GROWTH CERTAINLY DOES, UM, IMPACT OUR WATER SUPPLY, CERTAINLY.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS, I MEAN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT A LOT OF HISTORIC, AGAIN, WESTERN STATE WATER SUPPLY PLANNING TYPICALLY USES THE WATER SUPPLY CONDITIONS TO ESTABLISH THE BASELINE, UH, INFLOW TO THE RESERVOIR.
AND THEN YOU PUT PROJECTED DEMANDS ON TOP OF IT.
SO THAT'S THE WAY IT'S TYPICALLY APPROACHED.
UM, WE'RE TRYING TO BE MORE SOPHISTICATED THAN THAT AND TRY TO, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, PROJECT OUT WHAT THE POSSIBLE IMPACTS OF HAVING REDUCED INFLOW WILL BE AND THEN ACKNOWLEDGING THAT
[00:40:01]
WE WILL HAVE MORE, UM, BASE LEVEL CONSUMPTION.SO IS THERE A POINT IN THE POPULATION WHERE YOU TRIGGER A NEED FOR OTHER WATER SOURCES AND OR RESERVOIRS AND OR ANOTHER WAY OF STOR STORING WATER? IS THERE, I MEAN, WE'RE AT 2 MILLION AT THIS POINT.
DOES, IS IT TWO AND A HALF MILLION WHEN WE REALIZE, HEY, WE GOTTA, WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING ELSE? WELL, I MEAN, WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING ON A NUMBER OF THOSE STRATEGIES, INCLUDING OUR MOST NEAR TERM, WHAT I'LL CALL WATER AUGMENTATION STRATEGY.
KINDA LARGE VOLUME WOULD BE OUR AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY PROJECT.
UM, AND THAT PLANNING IS UNDERWAY AS WE SPEAK.
UM, THE PLAN IS TO HAVE THAT ONLINE BY THE 2040 TIMEFRAME.
SO I MEAN, TO TO YOUR POINT, THE TIME IS NOW, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO START WAY AHEAD OF YEAH.
UH, SO WHERE'S THAT AQUIFER? SO, UM, ORIGINALLY WE, WE DID, UM, A LOOK AT AROUND SEVEN TO EIGHT DIFFERENT, UH, LOCATIONS FOR POTENTIAL AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY PROJECTS.
UM, ONE OF THE HIGHEST POTENTIAL VALUE, UH, AQUIFER LOCATIONS WAS, UH, THE CARRIZO WILCOX AND BASTROP COUNTY, UM, AND LEE COUNTY, ACTUALLY, WE DID A LOT OF OUTREACH WITH THOSE COMMUNITIES OVER THE LAST YEAR, UM, AND REALLY WERE SADLY UNABLE TO COME TO, UM, UM, AN APPROPRIATE CONSENSUS WITH THE COMMUNITY IN BASTROP COUNTY ABOUT, UM, US MOVING INTO THAT AREA.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, BASED ON DIRECTION FROM CITY COUNCIL, WE'VE DECIDED TO PAUSE THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT.
UM, STAFF HAS BEEN NOW WORKING ON WHAT WE'LL DESCRIBE AS PIVOTING TO A POTENTIAL OTHER STORAGE LOCATION THAT WOULD BE CLOSER ACTUALLY IN TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, PROBABLY IN THE TRINITY AQUIFER.
AND Y'ALL ARE AWARE OF LIKE THE LEVEL OF THE, OF THE TRINITY AQUIFER AND, AND THAT THERE'S A WAY TO FILL IT? YEAH, WE'VE DONE, UM, DESKTOP VARIETY OF DESKTOP ANALYSES AROUND THAT.
UM, OUR NEXT STEP IN THAT REGARD IS TO ACTUALLY GO DO WHAT WE CALL FIELD TESTING.
UM, WE WOULD ACTUALLY GO OUT TO A SPECIFIC SITE IN TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, DRILL, UH, SMALL, UM, PILOT WELLS AND ACTUALLY, UM, PULL OUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE GEOGRAPHIC, EXCUSE ME, GEOLOGIC MATERIAL FROM THERE, TEST THAT IN A LABORATORY SO WE CAN FIND OUT THE APPROPRIATENESS FOR USING AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY AS A, AS A A TECHNIQUE.
AND SO, UM, COUNCIL JUST APPROVED A CONTRACT EXTENSION WITH AN ENGINEERING FIRM TO MOVE INTO THAT WORK EVEN, UH, WITHIN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
IS THERE EVER A TIME WHEN YOU, YOU CONSIDER, UM, USING BRACKISH WATER AND ABSOLUTELY.
UM, THAT'S ANOTHER ONE OF THE STRATEGIES THAT'S INCLUDED IN WATER FORWARD.
UM, WE WERE LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY USING, UM, BRACKISH DESALINIZATION AS A STRATEGY IN AROUND THE 2070 TIMEFRAME.
BECAUSE OF THIS CHANGE, WE DON'T EXPECT THAT THE TRINITY AQUIFER MORE LOCALLY WILL PRESENT, PROVIDE THE SAME YIELD THAT THE CARRIZO WILCOX WOULD HAVE.
SO WE'LL LIKELY BRING THAT, THAT, UM, BRACKISH DESALINIZATION PROJECT FORWARD AND ACTUALLY WE'LL BE USING THIS PARTICULAR ENGINEERING CONTRACT TO DO FIELD TESTING TO SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, FURTHER DECISION MAKING ON THAT AS WELL.
HOW LONG DOES THAT TESTING TAKE? OH, I JUST WANNA SAY WE'VE GOT TIME FOR MAYBE ONE MORE QUESTION.
'CAUSE WE'VE GOT FIVE MORE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
YEAH, I, I THINK, I THINK THE OVERALL PILOT PROCESS WILL BE ABOUT A YEAR, SO THANK YOU.
ANY, ANYTHING ELSE? ANYONE ELSE HAVE A COMMENT? YES.
UM, IF YOU COULD MAYBE BRIEFLY GO THROUGH THE DIFFERENT, UH, LIKE LEVERS Y'ALL HAVE UNDER THE DIFFERENT DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN STAGES.
YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A FOUR, UH, I KNOW WE'RE ALL SEEING CORPUS CHRISTI THAT THERE'S A REAL ISSUE THERE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE INDUSTRIAL USERS.
SO I WONDER WHAT ARE THE STAGES THAT Y'ALL, WHAT ARE THE LEVERS Y'ALL HAVE? I'LL, I WON'T DO IT.
THIS IS A KEVIN KLUGE QUESTION.
UM, BASICALLY, UM, DROUGHT STAGE.
SO WE ARE IN LIKE OUR WATER CONSERVATION STAGE ALL THE TIME.
AND SO THAT BY, UM, CODE ONLY ALLOWS OUTDOOR WATERING THROUGH AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEMS ONCE A WEEK.
SO THAT'S OUR BASELINE, UM, WHEN WE MOVE TO DROUGHT STAGE ONE.
UM, BASICALLY IT'S A PRETTY MODEST SHIFT, I THINK WE BASICALLY GO FROM, DON'T QUOTE ME, I THINK WE GO FROM LIKE ALLOWABLE 12 HOURS
[00:45:01]
OF IRRIGATION FOR AUTOMATIC SYSTEMS DOWN TO LIKE 10 HOURS.AND THEN WHEN WE DROP DOWN TO DROUGHT STAGE TWO, WE FURTHER REDUCE THAT TO LIKE EIGHT HOURS AND THEN DISCONTINUE.
UM, WE ONLY ALLOW ONE DAY A WEEK HAND WATERING.
AND SO, I MEAN, IT'S JUST SORT OF THAT PROGRESSIVE KIND OF REDUCTION.
AND THOSE ARE THE BIG ITEMS. UM, SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY WE, WE, UM, DISCONTINUE LIKE OUTDOOR FOUNTAIN USES AND STUFF LIKE THAT, BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE HIGH LEVEL WE CAN, WE CAN PROBABLY JUST EASILY POINT YOU TO KIND OF A DESCRIPTION OF THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IN A, IN, IN FOLLOW UP.
UM, WE STILL HAVE YOU UP HERE FOR ONE MORE ITEM.
BUT IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'LL BE JOINED WITH SOME COLLEAGUES.
UH, I, I HAVE ONE COMMENT AND IT WILL BE VERY SHORT, BUT, AND, AND THIS WON'T BE A SURPRISE TO ANYONE THAT WORKS IN WATER UTILITY, BUT, UM, THE AQUIFER STORAGE RESERVOIR IS REAL, REAL, REAL, REAL EXPENSIVE, UH, AND AM HAVING A HARD TIME, UH, THINKING ABOUT HOW THIS IS GOING TO BE ACCEPTED IN THE WATER RATES.
UM, PERHAPS IT CAN BE DONE INCREMENTALLY, BUT IT, IT, IT'S JAW DROPPINGLY HIGH WILL SAVE MORE COMMENTS FOR ANOTHER TIME.
UH, UNLESS MR. CRITTENTON WANTS TO RESPOND, NO, I MEAN, AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY IS, IS INEXPENSIVE, UM, STRATEGY, BUT, YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT, DEVELOPING ADDITIONAL WATER SUPPLY IS AN EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION.
AND SO, UM, WE'VE LOOKED AT THOSE COSTS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE MINDFUL OF THOSE AND THEIR IMPACTS TO RATES AND INCLUDE THOSE IN OUR LONG-TERM PLANNING.
UH, CURRENT, UH, THE COST OF LCRI WATER IS CURRENTLY ABOUT 50 CENTS PER THOUSAND GALLONS AND THE COST OF, UH, AQUIFER STORAGE, THE LAST ESTIMATE THAT I SAW IS SOMETHING LIKE $6 AND 50 CENTS PER THOUSAND GALLONS IF MY MEMORY SERVES.
[4. Staff briefing on Large Industrial and Commercial Customer Water Usage and Conservation Trends by Kevin Critendon, Assistant Director, Environmental, Planning and Development Services, Colleen Kirk, Managing Engineer, Katherine Jashinski, Supervising Engineer, and Christina Romero, Interim Assistant Director, Austin Water.]
ON TO, UH, ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS STAFF BRIEFING ON LARGE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMER WATER USAGE AND CONSERVATION TRENDS.MY NAME IS KEVIN CRIT AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AUSTIN WATER.
GOOD NEWS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO ME FOR THIS WHOLE PRESENTATION.
UM, REALLY I'M JUST GONNA SET THIS UP AND WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE TO HELP HELP ME THROUGH THIS ONE TO THIS EVENING.
REALLY, ALL I'M GONNA DO IS JUST GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW OF JUST SORT OF THE WATER SUPPLY, UM, OVERVIEW.
SO, WE'LL A LITTLE, THIS WE SORT OF TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
UM, SO I'M GONNA GIVE THIS PART OF THE PRESENTATION AND THEN WE'LL HAVE FOLKS ACTUALLY COME IN AND TALK ABOUT OUR SERVICE AREA AND OUR REQUIREMENTS TO SERVE THROUGHOUT THE SERVICE AREA.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT, UM, UTILITY DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES AND WATER BENCHMARKING.
UH, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT CONSERVATION, CONSERVATION AND REUSE REQUIREMENTS, SO ELEMENTS TO WATER, WATER FORWARD.
UM, WE'LL ALSO TALK ABOUT JUST LARGE CUSTOMERS THAT WE CURRENTLY SERVE AND WHAT THAT WATER USAGE LOOKS LIKE.
AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT, UM, WATER SAVING PRACTICES THAT ARE CURRENTLY GOING ON.
SO THAT'S KIND OF A MARCH THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, THIS SLIDE REALLY IS JUST, UH, UM, AGAIN, A CONTEXT SETTING.
WE RECEIVE ALL OF OUR WATER SUPPLY FROM THE TEXAS, COLORADO RIVER, UM, THAT EMANATES, YOU KNOW, UP IN, UM, BUCHANAN, UH, LAKE BUCHANAN, UH, IN THE HILL COUNTRY.
UM, THAT WATER COMES INTO, ULTIMATELY FLOWS INTO LAKE TRAVIS, WHERE WE HAVE OUR HANCOCK'S WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
UM, THAT WATER MOVES INTO LAKE AUSTIN WHERE WE HAVE OUR DAVIS AND ULRICH WATER TREATMENT PLANTS.
UM, FROM THERE, THAT WATER'S, UM, SUPPLIED OUT TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
UM, IT'S COLLECTED THROUGH OUR WASTEWATER SYSTEM AND RETURNED TO, UM, OUR, UM, SOUTH AUSTIN REGIONAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT AND OUR WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
UM, AT THAT LOCATION WE ACTUALLY, UM, POLISH AND, UH, HIGHLY TREAT A A PORTION OF THAT AND THAT MAKES UP WHAT WE CALL OUR, OUR RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM.
SO THAT'S KIND OF A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF WHAT THAT, UM, SUPPLY LOOKS LIKE.
AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA ASK COLLEEN TO COME UP AND SHE'S GONNA TALK US THROUGH THE SERVICE AREA AND REQUIREMENTS TO SERVE.
[00:50:04]
HELLO, MY NAME IS COLLEEN KIRK.I'M THE, UH, MANAGING ENGINEER OVER OUR UTILITY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIVISION OF AUSTIN WATER.
SO, AS GIVEN SAID, I'LL GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT OUR SERVICE AREA IS AND THOSE REQUIREMENTS WE HAVE FOR SERVICE WITHIN IT.
SO ON THIS MAP YOU CAN SEE OUR SERVICE AREA, SORRY, UM, IT'S SHOWN IN THE RED BOUNDARY.
SO THAT RED BOUNDARY ALSO IS THE SAME AS OUR CAPITAL, UM, IMPACT FEE BOUNDARY.
SO THAT IS ESTABLISHED, UH, BY COUNSEL AND IT IS AMENDED, UH, REVIEWED AND AMENDED ON A FIVE YEAR CADENCE.
THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT DESIGNATES WHERE WE CAN SERVE, UH, ANYTHING THAT IS OUTSIDE THAT RED BOUNDARY IS, UH, PROHIBITED FROM SERVICE UNLESS IT'S DIRECTED BY COUNCIL FOR US TO PROVIDE SERVICE.
AND OBVIOUSLY WITHIN THAT BOUNDARY IS WHERE WE CAN CHARGE IMPACT FEES.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER JURISDICTIONS AND THINGS THAT OVERLAP WITHIN THE SERVICE AREA.
ONE OF THOSE IS OUR, UM, CITY'S PLANNING JURISDICTION.
SO OUR SERVICE AIR PRIMARILY FOLLOWS THAT PLANNING JURISDICTION, WHERE IN THE YELLOW, UH, IS OUR FULL PURPOSE CITY LIMITS.
THE GREEN IS OUR LIMITED PURPOSE JURISDICTION, AND THE BEIGE IS A, UM, THE EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OR ETJ AREAS WITHIN THE RED BOUNDARY THAT ARE NOT SHADED IN ANY COLOR ARE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTIES IN WHICH THEY RESIDE.
SO YOU CAN SEE OUR SERVICE AREA TOUCHES ON FOUR DIFFERENT COUNTIES.
UH, AUSTIN WASH WATER ALSO HAS WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS.
SO THIS IS WHERE AUSTIN WATER IS DELIVERING EITHER WATER OR WASTEWATER SERVICE TO ANOTHER SERVICE PROVIDER AT A WHOLESALE RATE.
AND SO WE PROVIDE THAT POINT OF DELIVERY FROM THAT POINT OF DELIVERY INTO THE, THAT SERVICE PROVIDER SERVICE AREA.
THEY WOULD PROVIDE THE RETAIL UTILITY SERVICE.
SO YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THESE ARE WITHIN OUR SERVICE AREA AND SOME OF THEM ARE JUST ADJACENT TO RIGHT OUTSIDE.
UH, WE ALSO MANAGE, UH, CERTIFICATES OF CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY.
SO THIS IS A STATE ADMINISTERED, UH, CERTIFICATE THAT DESIGNATES A SPECIFIC UTILITY PROVIDER.
IT GIVES THAT PROVIDER THE, UH, EXCLUSIVE RIGHT AND LEGAL OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE UTILITY SERVICE WITHIN THE GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARY OF THE CCN.
UM, SO THESE MAPS SHOW IN THE BLUE MAP IS THE WATER CCN MAP.
SO WE'VE SHADED IN A LIGHTER BLUE, THE CITY'S FULL PURPOSE JURISDICTION WHERE WE MUST SERVE.
UM, THE DARKER BLUE IS OUR WATER, CCN, WHERE WE HAVE THE LEGAL OBLIGATION TO SERVE.
AND THEN THE GRAY AREAS ARE, UH, WHERE ANOTHER SERVICE PROVIDER HOLDS THAT CC N HAS THE LEGAL OBLIGATION TO SERVE.
UH, SIMILARLY, THE WASTEWATER IS SHOWN IN GREEN WITH THE LIGHT GREEN BEING FULL PURPOSE, DARK GREEN BEING THE CITY'S CC N AND THE GRAY BEING ANOTHER PROVIDER.
SO NOW WE'LL GO OVER, UH, SOME OF THE UTILITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICE STRATEGIES THAT WE HAVE TO MANAGE OUR SERVICE AREA.
SO FROM A UTILITY PLANNING PERSPECTIVE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE OUR, UH, WATER FORWARD PLAN THAT IS LOOKING, YOU KNOW, VERY LARGE SCALE AT THE A HUNDRED YEAR WATER SUPPLY.
WE ALSO HAVE OUR LONG RANGE PLANS, WHICH LOOKING A LITTLE CLOSER IN AT THE 50 YEAR PLAN ON WHAT INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS WE WOULD HAVE WITHIN THE SERVICE AREA.
UH, AND THEN A LITTLE BIT MORE NEAR TERM WOULD BE OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, WHERE WE MANAGE A FIVE YEAR AND 10 YEAR PLAN AND WE REVIEW AND AMEND THAT ON A YEARLY BASIS.
SO AS WE INTERACT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, UM, ONE OF OUR FIRST TOUCH POINTS IS A EARLY PLANNING TOOL IS OUR SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST.
UH, SO THAT IS LOOKING AT ENSURING THAT WE HAVE SUITABLE AND SUFFICIENT SERVICE TO MEET A NEW CUSTOMER'S, A, A NEW SERVICE REQUEST OR AN INCREASED LEVEL OF SERVICE.
UH, ALSO AS A PROJECT MOVES FORWARD, IT WOULD GO INTO THE SITE DEVELOPMENT PHASE WITH THE LAND DEVELOPMENT.
UH, AND THERE IS WHERE WE'RE REALLY STARTING TO ENGAGE ON THOSE WATER CONSERVATION AND REUSE STRATEGIES AS WELL AS WHAT, UM, CO-PRO PROVISIONS APPLY TO THAT SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND THEN AS IT GOES FORWARD, YOU GOT YOUR BUILDING SCALE, UM, THE BUILDING PERMIT REVIEW WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BUILDING SCALE, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEMS DESIGN, THE DUAL PLUMBING AND CROSS CONNECTION PROTECTIONS.
AND THEN ALSO THE CITY IS INVOLVED IN MONITORING THESE PROJECTS AS THEY GO INTO CONSTRUCTION.
SO AS WE GO A LITTLE, UH, DEEPER INTO THE SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST PROCESS.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS AN EARLY TOOL WHERE WE'RE LOOKING, UH, TO ENSURE THAT A NEW CUSTOMER'S REQUEST FOR SERVICE THAT WE HAVE SUITABLE AND SUFFICIENT SERVICE TO MEET THOSE DEMANDS.
UM, WE'RE IDENTIFYING IN THIS PROCESS WHAT REQUIRE, UM, UTILITY IMPROVEMENTS ARE REQUIRED TO MEET THOSE DEMANDS.
AND THOSE UTILITY IMPROVEMENTS ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY DEVELOPER TO DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT, AND THEN THEY ARE TURNED OVER TO THE CITY TO OPERATE AND
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MAINTAIN.UM, THESE, WE ALSO, AS WE'RE GENERATING THESE SERVICE PLANS THROUGH THE SER, WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR LONG RANGE PLAN TO SEE WHERE THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTNER TO PLAN, UH, THE UTILITY SYSTEM GROWTH FOR, UH, FOR DEVELOPMENT GROWTH.
UH, SO SOME OUTCOMES OF OUR SER PROCESS IS THE, THE, UM, AN ENGINEER WITH AUSTIN WATER WILL DEVELOP THIS UTILITY SERVICE PLAN, WHICH IS IDENTIFIED IN THE SER.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE MAP ON THE SCREEN IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT, WHERE IT'S SHOWING WHAT INFRASTRUCTURE THE PRIVATE DEVELOPER MUST BUILD TO BRING THE SERVICE TO THEIR TRACK.
UM, THROUGH THIS, IT GIVES THEM AN EARLY I, UM, INFORMATION ON WHAT UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE IS NEEDED FOR THEIR PROJECT SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE THAT DETERMINATION.
IS IT GONNA BE FEASIBLE FOR THEM TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OR MAYBE LOOK AT ANOTHER, UH, DEVELOPMENT PRODUCT FOR THAT SITE.
UH, THIS ALSO ALLOWS AUSTIN WATER TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE KIND OF HAVE ORDERLY EXPANSION OF OUR UTILITY SYSTEM.
AGAIN, LOOKING AT THE, UM, LONG-TERM NEEDS AND ANY OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE WITH A DEVELOPER TO OVERSIZE INFRASTRUCTURE.
MEANING IF THEY BUILD WHAT'S MINIMALLY NEEDED FOR THEM, CAN WE PARTNER WITH THEM TO BUILD SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT LARGER THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO SET US UP TO SERVE A, A GREATER REGION AS WE'RE EXTENDING THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO AFTER THE SER PROCESS, IF A PROJECT DOES MOVE FORWARD, UM, THEY WOULD THEN GO INTO THE SITE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
SO THIS WILL BE WHERE WE WOULD IMPLEMENT OUR WATER BENCHMARK MARK, SORRY, WATER BENCHMARKING APPLICATION.
UH, SO THIS WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR ANY, UH, COMMERCIAL OR MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT.
THEY WOULD IDENTIFY WHAT THEIR WATER USES ARE, HOW THEY'RE USING WATER, WHERE THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO OFFSET WATER USE, UM, CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGIES.
IT GENERATES A DASHBOARD FOR THEM TO SEE WHERE THOSE ARE.
ALSO IDENTIFYING WHAT CODE REQUIREMENTS APPLY AND WHAT INCENTIVES ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM.
UM, SO LARGE PROJECTS THAT ARE OVER 250,000 SQUARE FEET.
WE ALSO REQUIRE THOSE GUYS TO COME IN, MEET WITH US AND TALK ABOUT WHAT THOSE, UM, WHAT THESE OPPORTUNITIES WOULD BE.
NEXT, UH, CATHERINE JASINSKI WILL GO INTO THIS NEXT SLIDE.
I, HELLO, I'M CATHERINE D GAMMA, SUPERVISING ENGINEER WITHIN THE WATER REUSE PROGRAMS WITHIN OUR UTILITY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIVISION.
AND I'M GONNA GIVE AN OVERVIEW ON OUR CONSERVATION AND REUSE CODE, RE REQUIREMENTS AND INCENTIVES THAT WE HAVE TO, UM, MAKE SURE OUR CUSTOMERS ARE USING WATER MORE EFFICIENTLY.
STARTING WITH OUR WATER CONSERVATION REQUIREMENTS.
THESE ARE ACTUALLY, UH, MANAGED BY OUR WATER CONSERVATION DIVISION UNDER KEVIN KLUGE.
WE HAVE A WAGER ON WHO CAN SAY HIS NAME THE MOST TIMES TONIGHT WHILE HE IS NOT HERE.
UM, SO THESE ARE FOR EXISTING CUSTOMERS AND THEY'RE TARGETING SPECIFIC WATER USING FEATURES WITHIN, UM, OUR, UH, CUSTOMER'S BUILDINGS.
THE FIRST IS A COMMERCIAL IRRIGATION FACILITY ASSESSMENT, UM, PROGRAM.
THIS IS REQUIRED BY ANNUALLY FOR PROPERTIES THAT HAVE ONE ACRE OR MORE THAT THEY'RE OPERATING ON.
UM, THEY HAVE TO HAVE AN ASSESSMENT OF THEIR IRRIGATION SYSTEM.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR LEAKS, BREAKAGES OVER SPRAYING, MAKING SURE THAT THE, UH, WATER USE, UM, UH, RESTRICTIONS.
OUR SCHEDULES ARE BEING FOLLOWED.
UM, AND THERE'S ABOUT 3000 FACILITIES REGULATED UNDER THAT PROGRAM.
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE WASH FACILITY ASSESSMENT.
IF YOU HAVE CAR WASHING FACILITIES, YOU ARE ENROLLED IN THIS PROGRAM ANNUALLY.
YOU'RE HAVING AN ASSESSMENT DONE TO LOOK FOR SIMILAR TYPES OF THINGS, UH, A WATER WASTE WITHIN THE WASHING FACILITIES.
WE ALSO HAVE CODE REQUIREMENTS ON HOW MUCH WATER PER VEHICLE YOU CAN USE, UM, AS YOU'RE WASHING THESE VEHICLES.
AND THEY'RE ABOUT 160 OF THOSE FACILITIES.
AND THEN THE COOLING TOWER EFFICIENCY PROGRAM, OBVIOUSLY IF YOU HAVE AN EVAPORATIVE COOLING TOWER, YOU HAVE TO REGISTER.
HAVE YOUR, UH, COOLING TOWER SUBMITTED ARE INSPECTED ANNUALLY.
TO MAKE SURE AGAIN, THAT YOU'RE MEETING OUR WATER EFFICIENCY CODE REQUIREMENTS, WE HAVE MINIMUM CYCLES OF CONCENTRATION FOR THE TOWERS DRIFT ELIMINATORS, UM, AND, UH, SPECIAL CONTROLS TO AGAIN LOOK FOR LEAKS AND, AND, AND WATER WASTE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SO THERE ARE ABOUT 250 OF THOSE FACILITIES CURRENTLY.
THESE ARE MORE RECENT, UH, WATER REUSE REQUIREMENTS FROM THE GO PURPLE PROGRAM, WHICH YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ABOUT.
UM, USUALLY WE, UH, COME AND, AND PRESENT ON THIS, UH, IN SEPTEMBER TIMEFRAME.
SO THESE ARE BROKEN OUT BY DEVELOPMENT SIZE, AND THESE ARE FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS LIKE COLLEEN MENTIONED.
SO IF YOU'RE SMALL, YOU HAVE LESS THAN 250,000 SQUARE FEET OF GROSS FLOOR AREA.
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FEET OF THE RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM, YOU HAVE TO CONNECT AND USE RECLAIMED WATER FOR NON-POTABLE USES LIKE IRRIGATION, COOLING, TOILET FLUSHING.IF YOU'RE FURTHER THAN 250 FEET AND YOU HAVE AN EVAPORATIVE COOLING, UH, TOWER, YOU HAVE TO COLLECT AN ALTERNATE, UH, WATER SOURCE LIKE RAINWATER AND CONDENSATE AND USE THAT FOR YOUR COOLING TOWER MAKEUP.
IF YOU'RE A LARGE DEVELOPMENT MORE THAN 250,000 SQUARE FEET, UM, THAT CONNECTION DISTANCE TO A RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM, IT INCREASES TO 500 FEET.
SO IF YOU'RE DEVELOPING A PROPERTY WITHIN 500 FEET AND YOU'RE LARGE, YOU HAVE TO CONNECT TO RECLAIM WATER SYSTEM AND USE IT FOR THOSE SAME NON-POTABLE NEEDS.
IF YOU'RE FURTHER THAN 500 FEET, YOU HAVE TO INSTALL AN ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEM, CAPTURE RAINWATER, CONDENSATE, AND USE IT FOR THOSE SAME NON-POTABLE PURPOSES.
UM, THERE IS AN OPTION FOR, UM, MULTIFAMILY PROJECTS TO PAY A FEE IN LIEU OF INSTALLING AN ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEM, BUT YOU DO HAVE TO DUAL PLUM YOUR DEVELOPMENT AND MAKE IT RECLAIMED READY SO THAT WHEN WE, WE USE THAT FEE TO EXPAND OUR PURPLE PIPE SYSTEM.
AND THEN WHEN WE BRING IT TO YOUR PROPERTY, YOU HAVE TO CONNECT.
THESE ARE A LIST OF ALL OF THE INCENTIVES THAT WE HAVE FOR WATER CONSERVATION AND REUSE.
ON THE LEFT ARE OUR WATER CONSERVATION INCENTIVES.
THE FIRST IS THE BUCKS FOR BUSINESS.
UH, THIS IS KIND OF A CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE PERFORMANCE BASED REBATE WHERE YOU AS A BUSINESS, UH, IDENTIFY A WATER SAVING, UH, TECHNOLOGY THAT YOU COULD IMPLEMENT.
AND THEN WE WILL PAY YOU A DOLLAR PER THOUSAND OF GALLONS OF WATER THAT YOU SAVE OVER 10 YEARS.
WE HAVE COOLING TOWER AND ALTERNATIVE COOLING SYSTEM REBATES.
SO, UM, IF YOU ARE A MORE MODERN COOLING TOWER, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO MEET 10% OF YOUR MAKEUP WATER WITH AN ALTERNATE SOURCE.
BUT IF YOU'RE AN OLD COOLING TOWER AND YOU WANNA DO THAT, THIS REBATE WILL HELP PAY FOR THAT UPGRADE.
WE PAY FOR WATER EFFICIENCY AUDITS FOR, UM, A PRIVATE ENTITY TO COME TO GIVE YOU AN ASSESSMENT AND LOOK AT, HELP YOU IDENTIFY WHERE YOU CAN SAVE WATER WITHIN YOUR BUILDING.
AND THEN, UM, IF THEY GIVE YOU SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, WE HAVE SOME OTHER SMALLER, UM, REBATES FOR LANDSCAPES, IRRIGATION AND LIKE COMMERCIAL KITCHEN EQUIPMENT THAT COULD COME OUT OF THAT, UH, WATER EFFICIENCY AUDIT.
AND THEN WE HAVE A RECLAIMED WATER CONNECTION REBATE FOR EXISTING CUSTOMERS.
LET'S SAY IF WE ARE INSTALLING A RECLAIM WATER LINE IN A NEW NEIGHBORHOOD, WE REACH OUT TO ALL OF THE CUSTOMERS ALONG THAT LINE THAT HAVE AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM AND SEE IF THEY WANNA CONVERT OVER TO THE PURPLE PIPE FOR THE GO PURPLE REUSE INCENTIVES.
UM, THESE CAN PAY UP TO $1.5 MILLION PER PROJECT FOR EITHER AN ONSITE WATER REUSE SYSTEM, TREAT ONSITE COLLECTION AND TREATMENT SYSTEM, AND DUAL PLUMBING WITHIN YOUR BUILDING OR, UH, RECLAIMED WATER MAIN, UH, EXTENSION TO YOUR PROPERTY.
AND ALSO, UM, DUAL PLUMBING, THOSE BUILDINGS.
WE ALSO PAY FOR EXPEDITED BUILDING PLAN REVIEW TO HELP THESE PROJECTS GO THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS QUICKER.
AND THAT COVERS UP TO $36,000 PER PROJECT.
I AM THE ACTING ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL SERVICES FOR AUSTIN WATER.
AND SO I WILL BE GOING OVER A FEW SLIDES REGARDING LARGE CUSTOMERS AND WATER USAGE.
SO IN 2024, WE DID A COST OF SERVICE, UM, STUDY.
AND SO THAT ENTAILED THE MAKING SURE THAT WE HAD REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH CLASS OF CUSTOMERS FROM, UM, RESIDENTIAL, A RESIDENTIAL RATE ADVOCATE, AS WELL AS HAVING MULTIFAMILY, UM, THERE IN THE MEETINGS WITH US, COMMERCIAL LARGE VOLUME USERS.
AND, UM, WE DEVELOPED, UH, OVER SEVEN MONTHS, UM, GOING THROUGH AND DEVELOPING RATES AND WHAT THOSE LOOK LIKE.
ADDITIONALLY, WE POSTED EVERYTHING ON SPEAK UP AUSTIN.
WE HAD A FEW FOCUS GROUPS WHERE WE INVITED THE PUBLIC.
WE WENT TO 10 OPEN HOUSES, ONE FOR EACH DISTRICT, AND GOT GREAT FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC AS WELL ON OUR RATES IN OUR RATE SETTING.
ADDITIONALLY, WE HAD SURVEYS ON SPEAK OF AUSTIN, IN WHICH WE HAD, UH, A LOT OF RESPONSES IN, UM, HOW WE STRUCTURE OUR RATES, UH, FOR FUTURE YEARS.
AND SO, UM, THAT, UH, ALSO HELPED US, UH, JUST DEVELOP RATES, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE, UH, WERE RECOVERING, UH, EQUITABLY FROM EACH CUSTOMER CLASS.
ADDITIONALLY, WE DEFINED WHAT A COMMERCIAL CUSTOMER IS VERSUS A LARGE VOLUME CUSTOMER HERE, JUST INDICATING THE DIFFERENCE
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IN WHICH LARGE VOLUME CUSTOMERS, UH, USE CONSISTENTLY 85 MILLION GALLONS OR MORE.AND SO, UH, IN A 12 MONTH PERIOD IN AUSTIN WATER, WE'LL EVALUATE THOSE CUSTOMERS TO DETERMINE WHO WOULD BE AT LARGE VOLUME.
SO THIS IS OUR LARGE WATER CUSTOMERS.
AND SO AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS SLIDE, SAMSUNG IS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST, AND YOUR TOP THREE ARE SAMSUNG, TRAVIS COUNTY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
SO IT IS DIVERSE WHERE YOU HAVE LARGE VOLUME AND YOU HAVE WHOLESALE.
ADDITIONALLY, WITHIN THIS LIST, YOU HAVE COMMERCIAL AND YOU ALSO HAVE MULTIFAMILY, UM, THAT TOP THAT OUT AT THE BOTTOM.
AND THIS IS A WATER USE BREAKDOWN JUST SO WE CAN SHOW HOW OUR WATER IS USED BY EACH CUSTOMER CLASS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL IS THE LARGEST USER OF AUSTIN WATER.
UH, ADDITIONALLY NEXT WOULD BE MULTIFAMILY, FOLLOWED BY COMMERCIAL.
AND THEN OUR LARGE VOLUME INDUSTRIAL USERS, UH, MAKE UP A FRACTION OF THAT.
UM, ADDITIONALLY WHOLESALE NON-WATER REVENUE, AND THEN OF COURSE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND SO THIS, I WON'T GO OVER MUCH BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS ALSO IN KEVIN'S PREVIOUS SLIDE THAT HE JUST WENT OVER REGARDING THE, UM, WATER USE.
SAME TRUE FOR THIS SLIDE WHERE WE'RE SHOWING THE RESIDENTIAL WATER USE AND THE HIGHEST USE WITH THE GREATEST VARIATION.
THIS IS THE SAME SLIDE THAT HE SHOWED AS WELL.
AND NOW I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER.
KATHERINE DKI, SUPERVISING ENGINEER AT AUSTIN WATER.
WE JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, A FEW, UM, EXAMPLES OF SOME OF OUR, UH, KIND OF STAR CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE IMPLEMENTED, UH, WATER REUSE STRATEGIES, UH, VOLUNTARILY, UH, USING SOME OF OUR INCENTIVES IN SOME CASES.
UH, THE FIRST PROJECT IS THE ONSITE BLACKWATER REUSE SYSTEM AT, UH, THE CITY'S PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
NO ONE IS REQUIRED TO, UH, COLLECT BLACKWATER, UH, DOMESTIC WASTEWATER AND REUSE IT FOR, UM, NON-POTABLE NEEDS WITHIN THE CITY.
OUR ORDINANCES I MENTIONED, ONLY REQUIRE YOU TO CAPTURE RAINWATER AND CONDENSATE, UM, BUT YOU CAN CAPTURE BLACKWATER, IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE TO DO SO.
UM, AND THIS DEMONSTRATION PROJECT AT THE PERMITTING CENTER IS, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A BUILDING WHERE ALL OF THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COMES TO GET THEIR DEVELOPMENT PERMITS.
SO WE WANTED TO REALLY DEMONSTRATE WHAT IS POSSIBLE, UM, THROUGH THIS BLACKWATER REUSE SYSTEM.
THERE IS ALSO A RAINWATER AND CONDENSATE CAPTURE SYSTEM THAT IS A COLLECTING WATER FOR THE LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION AS WELL.
UM, AND THAT DEMONSTRATION PROJECT, WE GET A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO TOUR IT, AND I THINK WE'VE EVEN INSPIRED SOME OTHER, UM, CUSTOMERS TO IMPLEMENT SIMILAR TYPE PROJECTS ON A LARGER SCALE.
ONE OF THEM BEING THE, UH, APPLE, NEW APPLE CAMPUS UP ON PALMER LANE.
THEY HAVE A THREE OVER 3 MILLION, UH, SQUARE FOOT OF BUILDINGS WITHIN THEIR CAMPUS.
AND SO THEY HAVE A HIGH COOLING DEMAND, UM, TO KEEP THOSE BUILDINGS COOL IN THE SUMMER.
UH, AND THEY DON'T GENERATE ENOUGH WASTEWATER ON SITE TO MEET THAT RECLAIMED WATER DEMAND FOR THAT PEAK KIND OF COOLING DEMAND.
AND SO THEY HAVE INSTALLED A WASTEWATER MINING FACILITY WHERE THEY'RE TAKING SOME OF THE WASTEWATER FROM THE ADJACENT COLLECTION, MAIN TREATING IT THROUGH A RECLAIMED WATER FACILITY THAT'S PERMANENTED THROUGH THE TCEQ, UM, AND THEN RAISING IT IN THEIR COOLING TOWERS AND, UH, THEIR TOILETS AS WELL.
AND THEY GOT A $500,000 REBATE, UH, FROM THE CITY TO DO THAT.
AND THAT SYSTEM, IT IS, UM, JUST BECAME OPERATIONAL AND WE'LL BE SAVING 60 MILLION GALLONS PER YEAR, UM, MOVING FORWARD.
UM, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, THEY HAVE USED OUR RECLAIMED WATER IN THEIR, UH, UH, COOLING SYSTEMS ON THE MAIN CAMPUS SINCE, UM, YEAH, 23, 20, 20 13, EXCUSE ME.
UM, THEY ALSO COLLECT CONDENSATE AND FOUNDATION DRAIN WATER AND BLEND IT WITH THOSE SYSTEMS. UM, BUT THEY ALSO WERE USING SOME POTABLE MAKEUP WATER WITHIN, UH, THOSE BLENDED WATER SYSTEMS. BUT WITH THIS NEW, UM, RE UH, WASTEWATER MINING PROJECT THAT THEY'RE INSTALLING, IT WILL BE UP TO A MILLION GALLONS PER DAY OF, OF, UH, WASTEWATER THAT THEY'RE TREATING.
UH, WHEN THEY IMPLEMENT THAT, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO SAVE 280 MILLION GALLONS MORE PER YEAR OF OUR DRINKING WATER AND NOT USE ANY POTABLE WATER IN THOSE, UH, COOLING
[01:10:01]
SYSTEMS THAT THEY'RE USING IT IN.SO IT'LL REPLACE THAT POTABLE WATER COMPLETELY.
UH, THE TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, FACILITIES, THEY HAVE SEVERAL, UM, FACILITIES DOWNTOWN THAT HAVE, UH, EVAPORATIVE COOLING TOWERS.
AND SO THEY MADE THE DECISION TO, UM, CONVERT, EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, THOSE FACILITIES HAVE EXISTED FOR A LONG TIME.
UH, THEY MADE THE DECISION TO CONVERT THEIR MAKEUP WATER SUPPLY FROM POTABLE WATER TO RECLAIM WATER WHEN WE INSTALLED OUR MAINS THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN.
UM, AND, UH, THEY DID THAT IN 2019, AND THEY REPORTED THAT IN 2024, THEY SAVED MORE THAN 13 MILLION GALLONS OF DRINKING WATER AND SAVED $166,000 ON THEIR UTILITY BILLS BECAUSE RECLAIMED WATER IS, UH, UH, CHEAPER.
IT'S ABOUT 40% OF THE RATE OF POTABLE WATER.
UH, AND THEY'RE ALSO PLANNING FOR THE NEW TRAVIS COUNTY COURTHOUSE AT 17TH AND GUADALUPE.
UM, WHEN A NEW RECLAIM MAIN COMES ONLINE IN A FEW YEARS, THEY'LL BE, THEY'VE DUAL PLUM THAT BUILDING AND THEY'RE PREPARING TO CONNECT THAT TO RECLAIM WATER AS WELL.
I THINK THAT'S THE LAST EXAMPLE.
YEAH, AGAIN, KEVIN CRIT ON AUSTIN WATER.
UM, JUST TO ROUND THIS OUT, I MEAN, AUSTIN WATER REALLY IS UNIQUELY, UM, I THINK POSITIONED TO TRY TO CONTINUE AND, AND, UM, WATCH DEVELOPMENT, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO LARGE USERS.
UM, WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF STRATEGIES THAT ARE EITHER CURRENTLY IN PLAY OR BEING ANTICIPATED AS PART OF OUR WATER FORWARD, UH, PLAN.
UM, SOME OF THOSE INCLUDE WATER BENCHMARKING AS, UM, COLLEEN TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, ONE OF THE FEW PLACES IN THE UNITED STATES WHERE WE ACTUALLY LOOK AT EACH DEVELOPMENT ON A SITE BY SITE BASIS AND LOOK AT DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR, UM, SOURCES AND USES OF WATER.
UM, ADDITIONALLY WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT, UH, REUSE REQUIREMENTS FOR ONSITE AND CONNECTING TO THE RING, UH, THE EXISTING RECLAIM SYSTEM THAT CATHERINE DESCRIBED.
UM, WE HAVE GO PURPLE FUNDING INCENTIVES TO TRY TO INCENTIVIZE FOLKS, UM, TO ALSO CONNECT OR, UM, USE SOME OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES WHERE THEY WOULDN'T OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO.
UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WATER FORWARD PLAN ALSO ENVISIONS USING A WATER BUDGETING STRATEGY WHERE WE WOULD ACTUALLY ASSIGN A WATER BUDGET TO CERTAIN USERS SO THAT IF THEY WERE TO USE MORE THAN THAT AMOUNT OF WATER, THERE WOULD BE FINANCIAL, UM, UH, PENALTIES, IF YOU WILL, FOR OVERUSING WATER.
UM, AND THEN PROBABLY ANOTHER ELEMENT WOULD BE TRYING TO WORK THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO TRY TO BETTER IDENTIFY A LAND USE CATEGORY IN A ZONING CATEGORY TO SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFY LIKE DATA CENTERS.
UM, THAT'S A BIG TOPIC IN THE INDUSTRY AND IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, PROBABLY, UH, I WON'T SPEAK FOR AUSTIN ENERGY, BUT CERTAINLY FOR US KIND OF PARSING THROUGH AND EVEN UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS A DATA CENTER.
THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, UH, A LOT OF VARIABILITY ON WHAT COULD BE CONSIDERED A DATA CENTER.
NOT EVERY DATA CENTER IS A HYPERSCALE AI DRIVEN THING, RIGHT? I MEAN, UM, IT'S PART OF ACADEMIA.
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HAS A DATA CENTER.
UM, MANY LARGE COMPANIES USE DATA CENTERS TO ACTUALLY WAREHOUSE THEIR COMPUTING EQUIPMENT.
SO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE RIGHT SCALE IS AND HOW TO PLAY THAT IN WITH ALL OF OUR OTHER VARIOUS POLICIES.
ULTIMATELY, THE DRIVER IS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE USE WATER IN THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT WAY POSSIBLE TO MEET OUR LONG-TERM NEEDS AND IN THE CONTEXT OF CHANGING CLIMATE.
SO I'LL JUST SORT OF END THAT THERE.
UM, WE'RE, UH, OPEN TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, EVERYONE FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS.
UM, WE, I'M SURE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF DISCUSSION AND QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE.
UM, I DO SEE VICE CHAIR ROBBINS, UM, WHY DON'T YOU ASK YOUR QUESTION? GO AHEAD.
UM, HOW I'M TRYING TO CONSTRUCT THIS QUESTION, BUT I'M BASICALLY, UH, I TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN REQUIRE, UH, LARGE, UH, AI DATA CENTERS THAT WANT TO MOVE TO THE SERVICE TERRITORY TO BRING THEIR OWN WATER SO THAT WE DO NOT SERVE THEM WITH, HAVE TO SERVE THEM WITH HIGHLAND LAKES WATER.
UH, WHEN THE HIGHLAND LAKES WERE BUILT IN THE LATE 1930S AND FORTIES, NO ONE COULD, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF SCIENCE FICTION WRITERS
[01:15:01]
COULD CONCEIVE OF WHAT DATA CENTERS WERE TODAY.AND WE CANNOT, AS A SOCIETY, UH, SUPPLY, UH, EVERYTHING THAT THEY WANT.
UM, UM, GIVEN THE, UM, UH, GIVEN THE, UH, REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS THAT WERE DISCUSSED, UH, EARLIER BY ONE OF YOUR COLLEAGUES, MR. CRITTENDEN, UH, IS IT, UH, I THINK WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO TELL THEM TO BRING THEIR OWN WATER? SO THERE'S A COMPLICATED QUESTION.
WITHIN OUR SERVICE AREA, WE'RE GENERALLY OBLIGATED TO SERVE ANY LEGITIMATE LAWFUL DEMAND.
UM, WHERE WE PROBABLY HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY IS THE MANNER IN WHICH THEY ARE SERVED.
AND SO TYPICALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT LIKE THE CONSTRUCTION OF OUR EXISTING CODES, UM, WE MENTIONED GO PURPLE AS AN EXAMPLE.
WE HAVE SPECIFIC CRITERIA FOR VERY LARGE DEVELOPMENTS TO HAVE TO USE RECLAIMED WATER FOR POTABLE USES.
SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE THAT WE BELIEVE WILL LIKELY, YOU KNOW, BE A BASIS OF HOW WE WOULD APPROACH DATA CENTERS.
AS AN EXAMPLE, UM, IF A DATA CENTER WERE TO MOVE IN TODAY, UM, THEY WOULD APPLY FOR A SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST.
WE WOULD EVALUATE THEM AND SAY, HEY, YOU GOT A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, NON-POTABLE NEED HERE.
YOU CAN MEET THAT THROUGH OTHER SOURCES SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE PART OF THAT DIALOGUE.
UM, BUT OF COURSE, THE, I MEAN, THE LANDSCAPE IS CHANGING AS WELL.
I MEAN, DATA CENTERS LARGELY, THEIR WATER USE IS DRIVEN BY THEIR CHOSEN COOLING TECHNOLOGIES, AND THERE ARE LOTS OF DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE ABOUT WHICH COOLING TECHNOLOGY THEY CHOOSE TO USE OR NOT USE.
SO THAT WILL BE A CONTINUING, UH, CONVERSATION.
BUT WE DO HAVE COOLING TOWER PROGRAMS TODAY WHERE WE ACTUALLY REGISTER COOLING TOWERS AND, UM, NEW COOLING TOWERS ARE REQUIRED TO USE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF ALTERNATIVE WATER AS PART OF THEIR MAKEUP SYSTEM.
SO, UM, WE DON'T HAVE A COMPLETE ANSWER FOR YOU TONIGHT, BUT I MEAN, I THINK THAT GIVES YOU SOME IDEA OF THE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES THAT COULD BE EMPLOYED ACROSS THE CITY.
UM, IT, IT IS A, I THINK FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A CITYWIDE POLICY AND CONVERSATION, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT IS.
UM, BUT WE'RE PUT ONE PART OF THE CITY, AND SO I THOUGHT I WOULD ASK, UH, I, I KNOW WE'RE BUSY, AND SO I'M GONNA ASK ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION AND YIELD THE FLOOR.
UH, IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT SINCE WE HAVE FULL CAPITAL RECOVERY FEES, UM, MAYBE PART OF THAT CAPITAL RECOVERY FEE WOULD BE THAT THE DATA CENTERS PAY FOR PART OF THE NEW AQUIFER STORAGE SYSTEM.
I MEAN, SO STATE LAW GOVERNS SORT OF THE PROCEDURES AND PROCESS FOR ESTABLISHING, UM, UM, CAPITAL RECOVERY FEES.
UM, CERTAINLY THERE'S A POSSIBILITY IN THE FUTURE THAT WE COULD INCLUDE MORE WATER SUPPLY, UM, DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES WITHIN THAT CAPITAL RECOVERY FEES.
SO I THINK WE'RE SCHEDULED TO UPTAKE CAPITAL RECOVERY FEES.
WE'LL PROBABLY START ON THAT PLANNING PROCESS WITHIN A YEAR.
SO WE'LL PROBABLY BE A COUPLE YEARS OUT BEFORE WE KIND OF GET BACK TO THAT PROCESS.
UM, BUT THAT IS PUBLIC PROCESS.
THERE'S AN APPOINTED, UM, UH, MEMBER BOARD THAT OVERSEES THAT, AND I'M SURE THERE'LL BE A LOT OF DIALOGUE AROUND WHICH ELEMENTS OF CAPITAL RECOVERY SHOULD BE REFLECTED IN THAT CAPITAL RECOVERY FEE.
UM, I'M GONNA GO TO COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN AND THEN COMMISSIONER COOK.
UM, I WAS SURPRISED NOT TO SEE THE UNIVER, THE, THE STATE OF TEXAS AS A LARGE WATER CUSTOMER OF AUSTIN ENERGY.
DO WE NOT SERVE THEM? AUSTIN WATER? SO I'LL LET TINA COME UP AND ANSWER THAT.
I, SO IF YOU CAN, UM, GO BACK TO THE TOP 10 SLIDE PLEASE, OR THE TOP USERS I SHOULD SAY.
SO, UM, WE DO HAVE THE STATE OF TEXAS AS CUSTOMERS, HOWEVER, THEY, UH, FELL BELOW THE THRESHOLD CUTOFF THAT WE PRESENTED HERE.
AND SO, UM, THIS IS JUST TO SHOW YOU OUR HIGHEST USERS.
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USERS, BUT WE DO HAVE, UH, DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS.SO, SO THEY ARE NOT, THE CAPITAL COMPLEX IS NOT AGGREGATED AS A SINGLE USER.
THIS IS NOT AGGREGATED AS A CENTRAL USER.
THESE ARE JUST THE HIGHEST VOLUME USERS.
THANKS ALL Y'ALL FOR, FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY IDEA, UM, IF THERE, THERE ARE GONNA BE MORE LARGE VOLUME USERS THAT ARE GONNA COME ONLINE IN SECOND, DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY KIND OF WAY TO, UH, GET A FORECAST FROM THESE LARGE VOLUME USERS OF WHAT THEY PREDICT THEY ARE GONNA USE IN THE FUTURE? I SEE THESE SEMICONDUCTOR COMPANIES, UH, MAYBE THEY'LL, IF YOU HEAR THAT THEY'RE PLANNING AN EXPANSION, THANK YOU.
SO IT IS VERY HARD TO GET SORT OF LIKE A LONG RANGE PERSPECTIVE ON, UH, DIFFERENT, UM, LARGE VOLUME CUSTOMERS.
UM, AGAIN, SOME OF THE PROCESSES THAT WE DO HAVE, OUR SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST TYPICALLY IS A VERY EARLY INDICATOR OF INTEREST TO DEVELOP A SITE.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME WE GENERALLY SEE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY IN CONTACT AND CONFIRMA OR CONVERSATION WITH OUR, OUR OTHER DEPARTMENTS, SO THROUGH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT OR OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OR AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO SHARE INFORMATION AROUND KIND OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE HEARING.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IT, IT'S, IT CAN BE A LITTLE DIFFICULT SORT OF TO GET REALLY GRANULAR WITH THAT KIND OF A, OF A PROJECTION.
SO, AND THEN, YEAH, SO YOU ALSO CAN'T ASK THESE, OR DO YOU, ARE YOU ABLE TO ASK THESE EXISTING CUSTOMERS LIKE SAMSUNG SEMICONDUCTOR? WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GONNA BE YOUR PROJECT PROJECTED WATER USE IN 2030? SO TYPICALLY LIKE A LARGE DEVELOPMENT LIKE SAMSUNG, UM, THEIR USAGE IS PRETTY CONSISTENT.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT REALLY GROWING, YOU KNOW, TIME AFTER TIME.
WHERE WE WOULD SEE GROWTH, LIKE IN SAMSUNG WOULD BE IF THEY DECIDED TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL FAB, FOR INSTANCE.
AND SO AGAIN, WE, WE END UP, WE END UP GETTING THAT INFORMATION THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD REVIEW THAT, EITHER THROUGH AN SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST OR IF THEY, UM, YOU KNOW, HAD A SITE PLAN, WE WOULD ACTUALLY GET A WATER USE BENCHMARK CALCULATION FROM THEM.
UH, ACTUALLY, JUST TO TAG ON TO WHAT COMMISSIONER COOK WAS ASKING, I SEE IN THIS SLIDE, SO YOU SEE TESLA IS NUMBER FIVE, UM, AND IT IS QUADRUPLED IT'S WATER USAGE FROM 2022 TO 2025.
UM, IS, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT AUSTIN WATER HAS FORESEEN, AND DO YOU HAVE, UH, PROJECTIONS, LOOKS LIKE IT'S ALMOST, IT'S ALMOST TO NUMBER FOUR.
WHERE, WHERE DO YOU SEE THAT TOPPING OUT? OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S JUST TAKEN YEAH, TAKEN YOU BY SURPRISE? OR IS THAT EXPECTED? YEAH, SO WHAT, WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT TESLA IS WE HAVE A SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST THAT THEY'RE OPERATING UNDER, AND THAT HAS MAXIMUM VOLUMES IN IT.
AND SO EVEN THOUGH IT APPEARS TO HAVE GROWN, REALLY THAT GROWTH IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO A RAMP UP IN THEIR PRODUCTION, IN THEIR FACILITIES.
SO, UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO, UM, BE IN DIALOGUE WITH TESLA ABOUT KIND OF FUTURE PLANS ON THEIR SITE.
UM, THEIR SITE'S NOT COMPLETELY DEVELOPED, AND SO IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THEY WANTED TO DO LIKE A FUTURE PHASE DEVELOPMENT ON THAT EXISTING TRACK.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK TO US AND ASK FOR, UH, UH, AN ADDITIONAL SERVICE REQUEST.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD SEE THAT.
SO THIS, THIS 5 44, 540 4 MILLION GALLONS IS NOT AT STEADY STATE YET.
IT'S STILL CONTINUING TO CLIMB.
LIKE IF YOU LOOK AT THE OTHER LARGE VOLUME CUSTOMERS, THEY, THEIR VOLUMES ARE PRETTY CONSISTENT YEAR OVER YEAR.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE USUALLY SEE WITH LARGE VOLUME WHERE, UM, AND MAINLY, SO COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS FOR THE MOST PART TOO, WHERE THEY'RE REALLY USING WATER FOR THEIR BUSINESS, THEY'RE NOT USING A LOT OF DISCRETIONARY WATER.
COMMISSIONER KENARD, GO AHEAD.
IT'S A, IT'S A SUPER QUICK ONE JUST TO SEE IF MY MATH IS RIGHT.
UM, I SAID MATH AND NOT MATH, SO YOU CAN, UH, CONGRATULATE ME FOR THAT, UM, IN, UH, SAMSUNG'S USE, NOT TO SORT OF PULL 'EM OUT, BUT AM I RIGHT? I THINK THAT'S ABOUT 2% OF TOTAL OF AUSTIN.
SO I DON'T HAVE A SENSE, I'M TRYING TO GET A SORT OF BENCHMARK OF WHERE, HOW THAT FITS IN THAT BIG PIE CHART THAT WE HAD A
[01:25:01]
BIT BEFORE.AND I THINK THE TOP USERS WERE ABOUT 6%.
SO IF THAT IS ABOUT A THIRD OF THAT, IS THAT, THAT TOO? WELL, THIS, UM, TOTAL HERE, IT'S JUST MAKING UP THE TOTAL THAT OF THE CUSTOMERS YOU SEE HERE.
SO, SO WITHIN THAT CUSTOMER REALM, THAT'S THE PERCENTAGE, BUT HERE YOU CAN SEE LARGE VOLUME PLUS INDUSTRIAL, UH, MAKE UP ABOUT, UH, 8%, WELL, LARGE VOLUME ARE 6%, AND INDUSTRIAL IS BROKEN OUT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY IN HOW THAT'S TRACKED, BUT IT'S NOT HOW THE RATE IS SET.
SO THE RATES ARE LARGE VOLUME RATES.
UM, AND SO THIS GIVES YOU THE BREAKOUT WHERE THEY'RE JUST A FRACTION OF THE WATER THAT'S BEING USED TODAY.
SO AM AM I RIGHT, ANYTHING THAT SAMSUNG IS, IS ABOUT A THIRD OF THE LARGE VOLUME THERE.
SO IT WOULD BE 2% IN TOTAL? YES.
SO THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE LARGE VOLUME.
IT'S, I'M TRYING TO WORK OUT WHAT THEY DO WITHOUT WATER, BUT I'LL, I'LL DO SOME READING.
YEAH, AND YOU'LL FIND, UM, WE, WE PUBLISHED THIS IN OUR AFER AS WELL OF THE, UM, LARGE WATER CUSTOMERS AND, UM, SAMSUNG'S USUALLY THE TOP OF THE LIST EACH YEAR, AND IT'S JUST CONSISTENT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? UH, YES, VICE CHAIR ROBBINS, I JUST HAVE A COMMENT, WHICH IS THAT IT, TO MY UNDERSTANDING, TESLA IS THE LARGEST INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMER, UH, THAT IS CLOSEST TO THE RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM.
I DON'T BELIEVE AT THIS POINT, UH, THEY'RE HOOKED UP TO IT.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK TECHNICALLY THE SANDHILL ENERGY CENTER IS PROBABLY THE LARGEST, I'D BE THE CLOSEST CUSTOMER TO OUR RECLAIMED SYSTEM.
I MEAN, THEY ARE LIKE, WE SHARE A PROPERTY LINE.
UH, UH, BUT YOU, YOU'RE MISUNDERSTANDING MY POINT.
SANDHILL USES RECLAIMED WATER.
BUT YES, I MEAN, THEY, THEY DO HAVE A SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST FOR RECLAIMED WATER IN, AND THEY DO, I MEAN, THEY, THEY ARE PLANNING TO USE THAT RECLAIMED WATER.
I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE ACTUALLY RELEASED METERS, RECLAIMED METERS, UM, FAIRLY RECENTLY, SOME LARGER METERS, BUT YES.
UM, CAN YOU REQUIRE, UH, UH, SOMEONE TO USE THE RECLAIM WATER SYSTEM? LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, CODA IS GONNA BUILD A THOUSAND ROOM HOTEL AND THEN AN 18 HOLE GOLF COURSE.
AND, UH, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL ARE LOOKING AT REQUIRING THEM TO DO? YEAH, SO, AND AGAIN, LIKE CURRENT CODE, IF IT'S OF A CERTAIN SIZE, IT'S GONNA BE REQUIRED TO USE RECLAIMED WATER FOR TOILET FLUSHING AND NON, I MEAN, ALL BASICALLY NON-POTABLE NEEDS IF THEY'RE IN 500 FEET, RIGHT? WELL, THEY'VE GOTTA CONNECT WITHIN 500 FEET OR OTHERWISE HAVE AN ONSITE REUSE SYSTEM.
UM, WE KNOW WE DON'T SEE YOU, BUT ONCE A QUARTER ISH, SO, UH, APPRECIATE ALL THIS GREAT INFORMATION.
UM, AND WE DO HAVE AN ACTION ITEM COMING, WHICH IS TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
I THINK THAT WAS IT, TINA MENTIONED.
[5. Recommend approval of the Austin Water Capital Improvement Projects located in the Drinking Water Protection Zone for approval to include in the 5-year Capital spending plan as required by Financial Policy #8.]
DO WE HAVE SOMEONE ON ITEM FIVE TO KIND OF GIVE US THE KIND OF HIGHLIGHTS OF THAT, PLEASE? GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS.MY NAME IS FRED GO, CAPITAL AS ACCOUNTING TEAM MANAGER IN AUSTIN WATER.
WITH ME TODAY IS MARTIN TOWER INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER IN AUSTIN WATER.
AND WE ARE, ARE HERE TO PRESENT AUSTIN WATER, UH, DRINKING WATER PROTECT ZONE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FOR FY 27 2 31 PLANNING CYCLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH FINANCIAL POLICY NUMBER EIGHT.
THE PURPOSE FOR THIS PRESENTATION IS TO PROVIDE COMMISSIONS A LIST OF AUSTIN WATERS DRINKING WATER PROTECT ZONE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, UH, AS REQUIRED BY FINANCIAL POLICY NUMBER EIGHT.
THIS POLICY REQUIRES THAT ALL DRINKING WATER PROTECT ZONE CAPITAL PROJECTS BE REVIEWED BY THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION, EACH BUDGET CYCLE.
SO TODAY WE DON'T HAVE A SLIDE PRESENTATION, BUT I WILL WALK THROUGH THE MEMO, WHICH YOU HAVE ALREADY HAVE THE COPY, UH, TO HIGHLIGHT THE KEY POINT ON ON THE PAGES.
SO AS WE LOOK AT THE PAGE ONE, THIS PAGE INCLUDES THE MEMO HEADER, THE PURPOSE STATEMENT,
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AND A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW.AND ON PAGE TWO, IT PROVIDES AN INDEX OF THE ATTACHMENT INCLUDED IN THE MEMO ATTACHMENT ONE IS THE PROJECT TABLE WITH DESCRIPTION AND SPENDING PLAN.
ATTACHMENT TWO IS DRINKING WATER PROTECT ZONE MAP.
ATTACHMENT THREE IS APPENDIX WITH POLICY REFERENCE AND DEFINITIONS.
PAGE THREE AND FOUR, THEY ARE PROJECT TABLE.
THESE TWO PAGES SHOWS THE FULLEST OF DRINKING WATER PROTECT ZONE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
ON THE TABLE, IT LISTS SOME PROJECT ID PROJECT NAME DESCRIPTION, PROJECT STATUS FY 27 TO 31 SPENDING PLAN, AND THE TOTAL SPENDING PLAN FOR EACH PROJECT.
ALL OF THIS CARRY OVER PROJECT FROM LAST YEAR, THERE ARE NO NEW DRINKING WATER PROTECT ZONE PROJECTS ADDED IN THE FY 27 AND 31 CIP.
PAGE FIVE ACTUALLY IS DRINKING WATER PROTECT ZONE MAP PROVIDES A MAP SHOWING WHERE EACH OF THE ACTIVE DRINKING WATER PROTECT ZONE PROJECT IS LOCATED.
PAGE SIX IS, THE LAST PAGE IS APPENDIX WITH POLICY BACKGROUND.
IT INCLUDES THE COUNCIL ORDINANCE DEFINING THE DRINKING WATER PROTECTION, AND ALSO THE HISTORY OF AUSTIN WATER FINANCIAL POLICY NUMBER EIGHT, INCLUDING EARLIER VERSIONS AND CURRENT REVIEW REQUIREMENTS.
THUS, THE FULL OVERVIEW OF THE MEMO, WE ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, WHY DON'T WE START WITH A, A MOTION AND THEN WE CAN OPEN DISCUSSION.
SO DO YOU HAVE A MOTION TO, UH, APPROVE THE, UM, DRINKING WATER, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS IN THE DRINKING WATER PROTECTION ZONE? I MOVE TO ADOPT.
OKAY, NOW WE CAN OPEN DISCUSSION, UM, ABOUT THIS.
YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THE, THE MEMO AND ALL THE ATTACHMENTS IN, UH, IN YOUR PACKET.
UH, DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR OUR PRESENTERS? WE'RE STILL DIGESTING.
I, I GUESS I'LL START WITH A QUESTION.
THIS WAS, UM, THIS HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION? YES, YES.
AND DID, WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME OF THAT? NOT YET.
OH, NOT YET, BUT WE WILL, SO WE WILL GO TO RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION HERE AND ALSO WE WILL GO TO ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD.
AND THE THIRD ONE IS WATER AND WASTE WATER COMMISSION.
AND THEN FOR COUNCIL ACTION, THIS IS ON FOR THE FY 27 BUDGET ADOPTION, OR IS IT FOR, IS JULY MEETING OR CAN YOU KIND OF GIMME A YEAH, GOOD QUESTION.
SO YES, THESE PROJECTS WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE OVERALL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT AUSTIN WATER HAS SUBMITTED TO THE BUDGET OFFICE.
SO ALL THESE PROJECTS, AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL THAT AREN'T PRESENTED AS PART OF THE DRINKING WATER PROTECTION ZONE ARE, ARE INCLUDED AND PRESENTED TO COUNCIL, TO THE CITY MANAGER FIRST, THEN TO COUNCIL, UM, IN MID-JULY.
UM, OKAY, UH, I SEE COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN HAS A HAND RAISED, GO AHEAD, ASK YOUR QUESTION.
UM, I APOLOGIZE, MAYBE I'VE MISSED THIS IN THE MEMO, BUT CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE PROPOSED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN SURE IS IN THE YES, ON PAGE THREE AND FOUR LISTED ALL THE PROJECTS INCLUDED.
SO THERE ARE TOTAL 11 PROJECTS.
THE TOTAL FIVE YEAR SPENDING PLAN IS AROUND $109 MILLION.
AND IT'S, THE TOTAL SPENDING PLAN FOR THIS 11 PROJECTS IS $313 MILLION.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE, PLEASE, BETWEEN THE COLUMN LABELED SPENDING PLAN AND TOTAL SPENDING PLAN? OKAY.
IS IT FOR ONE YEAR'S INVESTMENT FOR NO PROJECT? SO YEAH, FOR THE PROJECT, ACTUALLY IT'S A MULTI-YEAR PROJECT, AND NOW WE'RE IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE IS INCLUDING THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
SO THAT'S THE COLUMN YOU CAN SEE FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
THE TOTAL SPENDING PLAN HAS BEEN LISTED OUT FOR THE TOTAL SPENDING PLAN IN THE LAST COLUMN THAT'S FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END, SO IT MAY MORE THAN FIVE YEARS.
SO HERE YOU CAN SEE THE TOTAL SPENDING PLAN FOR EACH PROJECT
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IS MORE THAN, UM, THE COLUMN JUST FOR FY 27 2 31.SO IT'S JUST A PART OF THE TOTAL SPENDING PLAN.
SO, SO FOR, UM, THE THIRD ITEM, THE SOUTH AREA LIFT STATION IMPROVEMENTS, THE, THE ULTIMATE, THE DESIGN PHASE WILL COST A, A THIRD OF A MILLION DOLLARS, BUT YOU EXPECT ULTIMATELY THAT ENTIRE PROJECT TO TAKE 8.61 MILLION, UM, OVER A PERIOD THAT IS PROBABLY LONGER THAN THE FIVE YEAR BUDGET CYCLE? UH, YEAH.
ESSENTIALLY THIS IS MARTIN TOWER.
UH, I'M THE MANAGING ENGINEER OVER OUR INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT DIVISION.
I'M A, UH, ENGINEER WHO WORKS TO PUT TOGETHER THIS PLAN WITH THE OTHER, UH, PARTS OF THE ORGANIZATION.
UH, YES, THE ONLY THING I WOULD MODIFY FROM WHAT YOU SAID IS THAT, UH, AGAIN, THAT MIDDLE COLUMN, THE FY 27 TO 31 SPENDING PLAN, IT'S JUST WHAT WE'LL BE SPENDING IN THE FIVE YEAR WINDOW THAT IS OUR CIP PLAN.
IN, IN THIS MOMENT, WE ARE IN THE DESIGN PHASE.
WE WILL NOT BE, YOU KNOW, PROGRESSING THOROUGHLY BEYOND THAT DESIGN PHASE.
WE'LL BE SPENDING ABOUT $300,000 IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, BUT CONSTRUCTION WILL ENSUE OUTSIDE THE FIVE YEAR WINDOW.
APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATIONS.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO GET JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, CLARITY ON THE PROJECT DAVIS MEDIUM SERVICE WATER TRANSMISSION MAIN.
UM, IT'S AT THE BOTTOM OF PAGE THREE.
UM, SO THAT'S IN THE DESIGN PHASE.
IT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE LARGEST, IF NOT THE LARGEST PROJECT.
UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT ENTAILS, PLEASE? GLADLY.
SO YOU WILL MAYBE RECALL, WE HAVE, UH, THREE WATER TREATMENT PLANTS.
UH, THE DAVIS WATER TREATMENT PLANT IS THE OLDEST ONE OF OUR, UH, FACILITIES.
IT'S, UH, LOCATED, UH, NEAR MOUNT BONNE AND THAT FACILITY IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO, UM, EXPAND ITS CAPACITY AND TO, UH, RELIEVE THE BOTTLENECKS IN THAT FACILITY'S ABILITY TO SERVE MORE WATER INTO THE CITY, WE NEED MORE, ACTUALLY NOT TREATMENT CAPACITY, BUT TRANSMISSION CAPACITY.
SO THIS IS A, UH, FUTURE TRANSMISSION LINE TO SUPPLEMENT THE EXISTING TRANSMISSION LINES COMING OUT OF THAT PLANT.
AND BECAUSE IT'S IN A PRETTY DENSE PART OF THE CITY, A OLDER PART OF THE CITY, THIS WOULD BE A, UM, YOU KNOW, A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT AS WE WOULD TRY TO, TO FIND A, UM, A WAY GENERALLY THROUGH TUNNELING, I BELIEVE IS WHAT THEY'VE, UH, SOME OF THE IDEAS THAT THEY'RE CONSIDERING TO BRING THAT INTO THE CENTER OF THE CITY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR, YES, COMMISSIONER KENARD.
UM, CAN YOU JUST GIVE A BIT OF CONTEXT ABOUT WHETHER THESE, UH, PLANS ARE SORT OF BIG HISTORICALLY? IS THAT IS, YOU KNOW, ARE WE LOOKING AT AN UNPRECEDENTED INCREASE IN, IN CAPITAL EXPENSES HERE, OR IS IT KIND OF YEAH, IN LINE WITH, UM, I WANNA PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEXT ACTUALLY AROUND THIS MEMO.
SO THE AUSTIN WATER, UH, DEPARTMENT, WE GENERATE A FIVE YEAR PLAN AND WE REFRESH IT EVERY YEAR.
AND THAT PLAN HAS GROWN OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
IT IS A PLAN THAT ENCOMPASSES 350 PLUS PROJECTS.
THIS MEMO IS THE 11 PROJECTS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO GROWTH AND, UH, CAPACITY EXPANSION INSIDE THE DRINK WATER PROTECTION ZONE.
SO ANY OF OUR, UH, AGING INFRASTRUCTURE RENEWAL, ANY OF OUR, UH, UH, ENHANCEMENTS, THOSE THINGS ARE NOT SPECIFICALLY ON THIS, UH, ON THIS MEMO.
SO IF WE TALK ABOUT THIS MEMO, THIS IS NOT, UH, DRAMATICALLY BIGGER THAN IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST.
UH, BUT IT'S, ITS GROWTH HAS TRACKED WITH OUR LARGER CIP WHICH HAS BEEN GROWING STEADILY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AS WE HAVE BEGUN TO, UH, ASSIMILATE INTO OUR CONSTRUCTION AND, AND DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION PLANS.
SOME OF THE MAJOR GENERATIONAL INVESTMENTS LIKE, UM, UH, THE, THE, YEAH, EXACTLY.
THE BIGGEST ONE RIGHT NOW IS THE WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN AT $1.5 BILLION.
THAT'S AN EXPANSION OF THAT PLANT THAT, UH, IS OVER THE EAST SIDE OF AUSTIN WHERE THE WASTEWATER PLANT IS.
BUT BUT YEAH, THIS, THIS PARTICULAR, UH, LIST OF 11 IS TRACKING WITH THE LARGER CIP GROWTH, UM, BUT IS NOT SUBSTANTIVELY, YOU KNOW, LARGER THAN HAS BEEN IN THE PAST.
SO YOU HAVEN'T BEEN HIT BY MUCH IN TERMS OF, UM, LIKE INFLATION IN TERMS OF SUPPLY CHAINS AND, AND ALL THE REST OF IT.
'CAUSE THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE ELECTRICITY SYSTEM A LOT.
IN FACT, THE INFLATION THAT WE'VE SEEN SINCE COVID HAS FAR OUTSTRIPPED THE GENERAL KIND OF CONSUMER INFLATION.
[01:40:01]
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S, UH, THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY HAS SEEN THAT ALTHOUGH THE WATER UTILITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY HAVE.UM, SO, BUT THESE, YOU KNOW, FIVE AND 10 YEAR PLANS THAT WE MAKE, YOU KNOW, WE ANTICIPATE THESE MAJOR INVESTMENTS.
AND THE BIGGEST THING THAT WE SEE, YES, INFLATION HAS INCREASED THE COST OF OUR PROJECTS BEYOND MAYBE WHAT IT WAS FIVE, SIX YEARS AGO WHEN WE FIRST PUT IN THE PLAN.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE SPENDING THAT HAS A SHAPE WHERE IT STARTS SMALL WITH DESIGN AND THEN IT GETS LARGER IN CONSTRUCTION.
SO OFTENTIMES WHEN WE SEE THE RISE IN THE SPENDING FOR ANY GIVEN PROJECT, IT'S BECAUSE THAT WINDOW OF THE PLAN IS MOVING INTO THE, THE MAJOR SPENDING PERIODS OF THE NATURAL COURSE OF A PROJECT.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WHILE THESE ARE, THESE ARE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT KIND OF TRACK WITH WHAT'S, UH, BEEN DONE HISTORICALLY, THESE AREN'T HUGE OUTLIERS.
AND I THINK I'M THINKING ABOUT WHAT THIS WILL DO TO RATES, PARTICULARLY LIKE SMALL RESIDENTIAL RATES.
UM, HOW WILL, HOW WILL THESE PROJECTS AFFECT LIKE AN AVERAGE, UM, RESIDENTIAL BILL? I CAN LET TINA SPEAK TO THAT.
TINA ROMERO, AGAIN, AUSTIN WATER, UM, ACTING ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL SERVICES.
SO, UH, AFFORDABILITY IS KEEP A KEY OF MIND TO US.
WE KNOW THAT ECONOMICALLY, UM, OUR PROJECTS, WE ARE SEEING, UH, HIGHER COST, UH, IN THAT AREA, JUST ALL THE WAY AROUND EVEN OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE COSTS AND, AND THE CITY'S FILLING IT AS WELL.
SO, UM, WE DEFINITELY WORK THROUGH THAT WITH OUR 2024 COST OF SERVICE STUDY, UH, THAT EXTENSIVE STUDY THAT WE DID.
UM, BECAUSE EVERYONE IS SEEING COST INCREASE.
I TALK TO OTHER NEIGHBORING UTILITIES, UM, UTILITIES IN DIFFERENT STATES.
EVERYBODY IS, IS FEELING GROWTH IN THEIR CAPITAL PLAN.
AND SO, UM, AS WE LOOK AT THE CAPITAL PLAN, WE BALANCE THAT WITH, UM, THE NEEDS OF THE UTILITY TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SERVING, UM, OUR CUSTOMERS WITH SAFE, RELIABLE SERVICES AND, UM, GETTING THEM THE WATER THAT THEY NEED, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT, UM, WE ARE KEEPING AFFORDABILITY, KEEP A, UH, TOP OF MIND.
AND SO WITH THAT SAID, UM, WE DID RELEASE OUR FORECAST.
IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT THAT, IT IS ONLINE.
UM, UH, IF YOU GO TO, UH, THE CITY'S, UH, WEBPAGE UNDER BUDGET, YOU'LL SEE THAT ALL DEPARTMENTS FORECASTS ARE PUBLISHED.
AND SO THAT DOES SHOW, UM, THE FIVE YEAR RATE OUTLOOK, UM, THAT WE WILL BE, UM, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE BUILT IN, UH, EACH BUDGET CYCLE.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NO.
I'M GONNA CALL THE QUESTION, UM, THIS IS, UH, FOR ADOPTION.
SO, UM, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO, UH, RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE AUSTIN WATER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS LOCATED IN THE DRINKING WATER PRO PROTECTION ZONE TO INCLUDE IN THE FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL SPENDING PLAN.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS, AND IF YOU'RE ON, UH, VIRTUAL, PLEASE TURN YOUR CAMERA ON.
UM, THE, UH, THE MOTION, UH, PASSES, IT'S ADOPTED.
THE RECOMMENDATION IS ADOPTED, SEVEN TO ZERO.
[6. Discussion and recommendation regarding an audit of Austin Energy’s District Energy and Cooling System. ]
ALONG, UH, THAT BRINGS US TO ITEM SIX, WHICH IS DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION REGARDING AN AUDIT OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S DISTRICT ENERGY AND COOLING SYSTEM.UH, HOPEFULLY THIS WILL GO QUICKLY.
UH, BUT, UM, BASICALLY, UH, PROBABLY CLOSE TO A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, THERE WAS, UH, A SUGGESTION THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, EXCUSE ME, AUSTIN ENERGY SELL THE DISTRICT CHILLING SYSTEM, THAT IT HAS PILOTED AND BUILT STEP BY STEP, UH, TO A PRIVATE DEVELOPER.
AND, UH, CONCERNS WERE RAISED.
AND AT, DURING OUR MAY MEETING, UH, RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION HAD, UH, DISCUSSED, UH, PASSING A RESOLUTION, ASKING FOR AN AUDIT, UH, OF THE DISTRICT CHILLING SYSTEM AND WHAT MIGHT BE NEEDED, UH, IF SOMETHING WAS NEEDED TO, UH, MAKE THE SYSTEM,
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UH, MORE SELF-SUFFICIENT TO MAKE THE SYSTEM, UH, TO, TO CORRECT IT IF THERE WERE REVENUE DEFICIENCIES.AND AT THAT MAY MEETING OF LAST YEAR, UH, AN AUSTIN ENERGY SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE, UH, MORE OR LESS, UH, ASKED US TO, UH, PULL IT DOWN.
AND AS I RECALL, UH, OFFERED, UH, SAID THAT THERE, THERE WOULD BE A, A STUDY DONE AND THAT THE RESULTS WOULD BE, UH, PUBLIC AROUND OCTOBER OF 2020, OCTOBER OF 2020 OCTOBER OF 2025, THAT THIS, UH, MICROPHONE SEEMS TO HAVE FEEDBACK.
AND SEVERAL TIMES WE HAVE ASKED, UH, FOR THIS TO BE BROUGHT TO OUR COMMISSION AND IT NEVER HAS.
AND SO AFTER 13 MONTHS, UH, I AM, UH, AND, AND WITH, UH, SPONSORSHIP OF COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN, UH, ARE ASKING THAT WE, UH, PASS THIS RESOLUTION AS ORIGINALLY SUGGESTED.
AND JUST TO READ IT IN THE RECORD, UH, NOW I DON'T YOU NEED TO READ THE ENTIRE THING INTO THE, I'M SORRY, I DON'T THINK YOU NEED TO READ THE ENTIRE THING INTO THE RECORD.
WELL, I WAS JUST GONNA READ THAT, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED.
IF YOU WOULD RATHER I WAIVE THAT.
UH, NOW, UH, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THAT THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL ONE COMMISSION AND COMMISSION AND AUDIT OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S DISTRICT ENERGY AND COOLING SYSTEM TO IDENTIFY THE DRIVERS OF THE FINANCIAL UNDERPERFORMANCE, ASSESS THE COST BENEFIT, A FUTURE EXPANSION OR DIVESTMENT, AND TO SUGGEST POTENTIAL ACTIONS AUSTIN ENERGY MAY TAKE TO ENSURE ITS LONG-TERM VIABILITY, AND TO DIRECT AUSTIN ENERGY TO PUBLICLY SHARE A STRATEGIC ROADMAP DETAILING THE TIMELINE RATIONALE AND EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR ANY PLANNED EXPANSION OR DIVESTMENT OF DISTRICT ENERGY AND COOLING SYSTEM AND DELIBERATE PUBLIC, UH, STATUS REPORT NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026.
UM, OUR ORIGINAL MAY, UM, RESOLUTION, UH, FROM LAST YEAR SAID SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025, TO REINFORCE JUST HOW LONG THIS HAS TAKEN.
UM, AND SO I AM, WE ARE ASKING THE COMMISSION SUPPORT TO FORWARD THIS TO CITY COUNCIL.
I WISH THIS WOULD'VE, I WISH THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.
UM, QUESTION, DO WE KNOW, UH, IF THE, UH, THE AUSTIN ENERGY HAS, UM, SORT OF TABLED CONSIDERATION OF DIVESTING FROM, UH, THE DISTRICT ENERGY AND COOLING? UH, I, I KNOW AT ONE POINT IT'S COME UP MANY TIMES AT, AT THIS COMMISSION.
I KNOW AT ONE POINT, UH, WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT BEING CONSIDERED, SALE WAS NOT, WAS NO LONGER BEING CONSIDERED, BUT THAT THERE WAS A CONSULTANT THAT WAS HIRED TO DO ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS PROBABLY LIKE AN INTERNAL SORT OF AUDIT TO DO THIS KIND OF A, UM, EXACTLY.
AND THEN WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR IT FOR 13 MONTHS, AND I PERSONALLY DO NOT HAVE AN UPDATE.
THE PEOPLE IN CHARGE OF THE DISTRICT CHILLING SYSTEM ARE NOT HERE TO TELL US.
SO, GOING WITH WHAT WE HAVE, I'M GOING WITH WHAT WE HAVE.
I THINK, SOUNDS LIKE THEY'VE HAD ENOUGH TIME TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND NOTHING'S BEEN DONE, SO LET'S,
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UH, PASS IT.I, UM, JOINED VICE CHAIR ROBBINS ON THIS BECAUSE IT IS AN ISSUE THAT HAS SAT FOR TOO LONG.
UM, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY EXPLANATION FROM AUSTIN ENERGY AS TO WHY THE ANALYTICAL REPORT AND PLAN THAT THEY HAD COMMITTED TO HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED.
AND AS VICE CHAIR ROBINS SAYS, WE'VE WAITED LONG ENOUGH, AND IF THAT REPORT IS NOT GONNA SHOW UP, THEN IT IS, UM, I THINK WITHIN OUR PREROGATIVE AND RESPONSIBILITY TO, TO HELP ASK THE CITY TO LOOK VERY CLOSELY AT THE VALUE AND ROLE OF THIS ASSET AND, AND PUSH AUSTIN ENERGY TO DEVELOP A COMMITMENT COM COMMITTED PLAN BASED ON AN INFORMED ANALYSIS.
UM, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION IN A SECOND.
I DON'T THINK WE'VE MOVED OR SECONDED THIS.
SO, UH, COMMISSIONER KENNER, DO YOU MOVE? YEAH, YEAH.
MOVE TO ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATION.
ANY, UH, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION BEFORE? NOPE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING THE RECOMMENDATION, UM, TO COMMISSIONER AN AUDIT AND DIRECT ENERGY TO AUSTIN ENERGY, TO PUBLICLY SHARE A ROADMAP, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
VICE CHAIR ROBBINS AND COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN.
[7. Discussion and recommendation regarding the funding of a consultant report on the financial feasibility of the purchase of the Texas Gas Service Austin system.]
NUMBER SEVEN.DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION REGARDING THE FUNDING OF A CONSULTANT REPORT ON THE FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY OF THE PURCHASE OF THE TEXAS GAS SERVICE AUSTIN SYSTEM.
UM, THE COMMISSION, UM, I THINK YOU ALL HAVE BEEN THROUGH SEVERAL ROUNDS OF THE TEXAS GAS SERVICE FRANCHISE NOW, SO YOU KNOW THE ISSUES PRETTY WELL.
UH, AND TO DO A VERY QUICK RECAP, UH, FOR ALL OUR TROUBLE, WE DID GET SOME THINGS OUT OF THIS FRANCHISE THAT LIKELY WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF WE WERE NOT HERE.
UH, THREE OF THEM SPECIFICALLY.
UH, WE WILL HAVE A LOW INCOME ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IN 2029 THAT ONLY, I BELIEVE, THAT ONLY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S MUNICIPAL GAS UTILITY HAS A, A, UH, A LOW INCOME ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR GAS UTILITY CUSTOMERS.
UH, WE WILL BE THE SECOND TO HAVE, UH, ANYTHING LIKE IT.
AND THE FIRST WITHIN A PRIVATE GAS UTILITY, UH, WE HAVE GOTTEN BETTER LEAK REPORTING, THEN WE PROBABLY WOULD'VE GOTTEN, AND WE HAVE MORE MONEY TO THE GENERAL FUND FROM THE FRANCHISE FEE.
UH, AND I'M GONNA BALLPARK IT, MAYBE A MILLION DOLLARS.
I KNOW A MILLION DOLLARS ISN'T WHAT IT USED TO BE, BUT STILL A LOT OF MONEY TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
AND SO, UM, UM, THESE, THESE THINGS, UH, I'M HAPPY WITH OTHER THINGS I'M VERY UNHAPPY WITH.
THERE WAS NOTHING, UH, TO LOWER RATES, INCLUDING INCREASED CAPITAL RECOVERY FEES.
THERE WAS NOTHING TO CHANGE THE RATE STRUCTURE OF THE RESIDENTIAL CLASS TO A MORE PROGRESSIVE RATE.
AND THERE WERE SEVERAL LEAK DETECTION OR, UH, CONSUMPTION REDUCTION STRATEGIES THAT WERE TOTALLY IGNORED, EVEN THOUGH THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO REDUCTION IN GAS COMPANY PROFITS.
UH, AND SO AS THE OLD SAYING GOES, POSSESSION IS NINE TENTHS OF THE LAW, IF WE, IF THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAD A MUNICIPAL GAS UTILITY, WE COULD BETTER CONTROL THE RIGHTS, BETTER CONTROL THE RIGHT STRUCTURE, BETTER CONTROL LEAK REDUCTION AND CONSUMPTION STRATEGIES.
AND I PERSONALLY, DURING, UH, THIS, UH, FRANCHISE FEE DISCUSSION, TRIED TO FERRET OUT WHAT IT WOULD ACTUALLY COST THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO, TO
[01:55:01]
OWN THIS SYSTEM.AND I GOT A GOOD WASTE FROM IT.
BUT SOME OF THE, I DON'T WANNA GET INTO THE WEEDS TOO MUCH, BUT SOME OF THE DATA THAT I WAS USING CAME FROM THE LAST RAPE CASE, AND THEY WERE USING, UH, VARIOUS, UH, UM, DEBT DFE MECHANISMS, UH, UH, THAT, THAT I COULD NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND.
I ASKED THE CITY COMPTROLLER TO GIVE ME ACCESS TO THE UMRA CONSULTANT THAT THEY USED, AND SHE WOULD NOT ALLOW IT.
THIS MIGHT HAVE TAKEN ONE OR TWO DAYS OF A CONSULTANT'S TIME, I WOULD ESTIMATE IT WOULD'VE COST THIS CITY BETWEEN ONE AND $5,000, BUT UP FOR THAT'S CONSULTANT, NOT FOR ME.
AND SO, GIVEN THAT I DON'T FEEL FULLY ADEPT AT THIS, I THOUGHT THE BEST ALTERNATIVE WOULD TAKE WOULD BE TO TAKE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM THIS MILLION DOLLARS OR SO A YEAR, UH, ADDITION TO THE GENERAL FUND, A SMALL AMOUNT OF IT, UH, AND JUST DO A STUDY TO ASSESS WHETHER IT WOULD BE TO THE RATE PAYER'S BENEFITS TO OWN THE SYSTEM OR NOT.
MY OWN BACK OF THE ENVELOPE CALCULATIONS SHOW THAT THERE WOULD BE A GREAT BENEFIT, BUT I WOULDN'T FEEL CONFIDENT AT THIS POINT PRESENTING THEM PUBLICLY BECAUSE I'M NOT FULLY ATTUNED TO WHAT SOME OF THE NUMBERS MEAN.
THEREFORE, I THINK THE BEST ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE TO HIRE A CONSULTANT WHO IS MORE WELL-VERSED.
AND THEREFORE, I, UH, UH, PIN THIS RESOLUTION.
UH, AND I'M GONNA READ IT INTO THE RECORD, IF IT'S OKAY, JUST THE THEN BE A, JUST THE, THE QUICKLY THEN BE A RESULT THAT THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION ADVISE, ADVISE THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO BUDGET $100,000, UH, TO UNDERTAKE A STUDY OF THE COST AND BENEFITS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN PURCHASE OF THE TEXAS GAS SERVICE SYSTEM TO THE AUSTIN CITY IN THE AUSTIN CITY LIMITS, UH, TURNING IT INTO A MUNICIPAL UTILITY AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN INVITE OTHER LARGE CITIES IN THE TEXAS GAS, UH, SERVICE, GREATER SERVICE TERRITORY TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS STUDY FOR THE PURPOSE OF STUDYING COST AND BENEFITS OF MUNICIPALIZATION AT, UH, OF THE TEXAS GAS SERVICE SYSTEM IN THEIR OWN CITY LIMITS.
UM, AND, UM, I'LL SAY ONE LAST THING.
UM, THE, UH, THERE'S ONE PERSON, KABA WHITE, THAT MADE A COGENT QUESTION ABOUT MUNICIPALIZATION SAYING, WELL, SOME OF US ARE CLIMATE HAWKS.
WHY WOULD WE WANT TO OWN A FOSSIL FUEL SYSTEM? UH, TO WHICH I WOULD ANSWER ONE, BECAUSE WE COULD, UH, CONTROL BETTER CONTROL THINGS LIKE CONSERVATION AND LEAK REDUCTION.
AND, UH, TWO, UH, BECAUSE, UM, MY SECOND ANSWER WOULD'VE NOTHING TO DO WITH BEING A CLIMATE HAWK.
IT'S JUST BETTER FOR, UH, THE RATE PAYERS.
AND THE MORE THAT RATE PAYERS SAVE, THE MORE THAT THEY CAN EITHER INCREASE THAT THE MORE THAT THEY CAN INCREASE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND THAT MIGHT INCLUDE, UH, CARBON REDUCTION STRATEGIES LIKE CONSERVATION.
UM, THAT'S NOT THE MAIN ARGUMENT I WOULD MAKE TO CLIMATE HAWKS, BUT IT'S ONE THAT I WOULD JUSTIFY, UH, JUSTIFY THIS.
SO, KABA, IF YOU'RE LISTENING, I RESPECT YOU.
I JUST DON'T FULLY AGREE WITH YOU.
UH, AND WITH THAT, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO PUT THIS, UH, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THIS, UH, FOR PASSAGE, AND IF THERE'S A SECOND WE CAN DISCUSS IT.
[02:00:01]
IS THERE A SECOND? WAS THAT COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN? OKAY, GREAT.WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATION TO HIRE A CONSULTANT TO STUDY, UH, MUNICIPALIZATION OF THE GAS UTILITY.
COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN, YOU HAVE A COMMENT? PLEASE GO AHEAD.
I, UM, DO NOT HAVE VICE CHAIR ROBBINS TIME OR CAPABILITY OR WILLINGNESS TO DO OTHER PEOPLE'S HOMEWORK IN TERMS OF RESEARCHING THE COSTS OF AND BENEFITS OF MUNICIPAL, THE TEXAS GAS SYSTEM.
WITH THAT SAID, HOWEVER, IT IS CLEAR THAT WE WALKED INTO THE, THIS RECENT FRANCHISE AGREEMENT DISCUSSION WITH, UM, INSUFFICIENT DATA AND INSUFFICIENT RESEARCH AND INSUFFICIENT SUPPORT FROM THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO PLAY A CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE.
I THINK WE CAN REMEDY THAT AND SET UP THE CITY AND, UH, FULFILL OUR OWN RESPONSIBILITIES MUCH MORE EFFECTIVELY BY LOOKING IMMEDIATELY HIRING SOMEBODY WHO IS COMPETENT TO DO THE KIND OF HOMEWORK AND RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS TO LOOK AT THE, UM, BENEFITS AND COSTS OF DOING MUNICIPALIZATION.
THERE ARE, AS VICE CHAIR ROBBINS, HAVE NOTED MANY OTHER MUNICIPAL GAS UTILITIES IN TEXAS AND ELSEWHERE, AND ALL THE, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT'S GONNA COST TO BUY TO, TO MUNICIPALIZE THIS.
AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHETHER THIS CITY IN THESE TIMES OF TIGHT BUDGETS WOULD BE WILLING TO PONY UP THE ADDITIONAL COST THAT IT WOULD TAKE IN TERMS OF CAPITAL AND OPERATING FEES TO, TO MAKE SUCH A PURCHASE.
BUT WE WILL NEVER KNOW WHETHER WE CAN GAIN LEVERAGE OVER WHETHER WE CAN SAVE COSTS LONG TERM AND GAIN BETTER LEVERAGE OVER THINGS LIKE LEAK REDUCTION AND BETTER CONSERVATION PROGRAMS AND FAIRER RATES FOR LOW INCOME AUSTIN GAS CONSUMERS.
UNLESS A STUDY LIKE THIS IS UNDERTAKEN, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT DONE NOW, RATHER THAN HAVE THE FUTURE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION WALK INTO THE SAME BUZZ SAW THAT WE DID TENURE NOW.
SO I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THAT THIS STUDY BE CONDUCTED IMMEDIATELY AND THAT EVERYBODY ON OUR COMMISSION SUPPORT THIS.
YEAH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.
COMMISSIONER ROBBINS, I STRONGLY SUPPORT DOING THIS, AND I JUST WANTED TO ADD, UH, I GUESS A POINT INCREASING THE RELEVANCY OF THIS IS THAT I, UNLESS I'M INCORRECT, I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE IN THE NEW FRANCHISE AGREEMENT, OR I GUESS AT THIS POINT, IT'S AN AGREEMENT PROPOSAL THAT THE CITY DOES HAVE THE ABILITY AT ANY POINT WITHIN THE NEXT 10 YEARS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, PURCHASE THE SYSTEM OR ENTER INTO THOSE, UH, NEGOTIATIONS TO PURCHASE THE SYSTEM.
SO I THINK DOING THIS, THE SOONER THE BETTER, AND IT, IT SEEMS AS RELEVANT NOW AS IT EVER WILL BE.
AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS OVER THE LAST YEAR OR TWO, WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE, I THINK, LITERACY AROUND CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY INTO WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD MEAN.
SO I I STRONGLY SUPPORT US, YOU KNOW, UH, PASSING THIS RESOLUTION TODAY AND HAVING THE CITY TO LOOK INTO THIS.
THANKS, COMMISSIONER ROBBINS FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
UH, I THINK I MAYBE FALL INTO LIKE THE REALM OF THE CLIMATE HAWK, LIKE CABO, BUT, UM, SO JUST TO VOICE THAT I FEEL A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH, WITH THIS IN THE SENSE THAT I WORRY ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, IF MUNI MUNICIPALIZATION WAS TO GO FORWARD, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CONCERN THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN WOULD THEN BECOME DEPENDENT ON RATES LIKE GAS RATES IS A, IS A CONCERN.
THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW.
AND, UM, THIS WOULD BE A FIRST STEP IN, IN GETTING TO, IN FIGURING THAT OUT.
AND SO I'M GONNA SUPPORT THIS EVEN THOUGH I, YOU KNOW, I ALSO DO WORRY ABOUT, UM, ADDING FOSSIL FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE TO OUR CITY, BUT I KNOW THIS IS, IT'S NOT LIKE THAT'S GOING, THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT THAT WILL HAPPEN, BUT I SUPPORT THIS FOR THAT REASON, JUST TO BETTER UNDERSTAND IT.
COULD I ANSWER, UH, YOU REAL QUICK? SOMETHING OCCURRED TO ME, UH, I LISTENED TO A PODCAST, UH, NOT SO LONG AGO THAT ONE OF OUR OTHER COMMISSIONERS SENT TO ME.
UH, COMMISSIONER FARMER, I COULD FORWARD IT TO YOU, BUT IT WAS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF GAS UTILITIES, AND IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING THAT THERE ARE ABOUT 14 STATES THAT ARE TRYING TO LOOK INTO THE FUTURE OF WHAT A GAS UTILITY MIGHT LOOK LIKE 10, 20, 30 YEARS FROM NOW.
AND THE VERY FIRST PROJECTS ARE STARTING TO ROLL OUT WHERE THEY'RE,
[02:05:01]
THEY'RE WANTING TO CONVERT WHOLE NEIGHBORHOODS TO THERMAL NETWORKS INSTEAD OF GETTING THE HEAT FROM GAS, THEY'RE GETTING IT FROM GEOTHERMAL, UH, UH, HEAT PUMPS.AND AGAIN, THIS IS JUST BEGINNING AND IT'LL PROBABLY BE FIVE OR 10 YEARS BEFORE WE REALLY KNOW WHAT WORKS OR WHAT DOESN'T WORK.
BUT CONSIDER THIS, WHO IS MORE LIKELY TO TAKE THE LEAD, THE CITY OF AUSTIN OR TEXAS GAS SERVICE? NO, FOR SURE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? SUPER QUICK COMMENT, PLEASE.
UM, YEAH, JUST TO BACK UP, UM, WHAT VICE CHAIR ROBBINS HAS SAID, UH, IT STRIKES ME AS VERY DIFFICULT TO, UM, SORT OF PHASE SOMETHING OUT UNLESS YOU OWN IT.
SO, UM, EVEN IF YOU ARE SORT OF ALIGNED WITH THE CLIMATE GOALS, I THINK OWNING IT IN THE FIRST PLACE IS PROBABLY A GOOD WAY OF DOING THAT.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A TYPO, UH, RIGHT AT THE END,
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO IDENTIFY THAT TGS IT SAYS TGS SYSTEM AS OPPOSED TO SYSTEM.
THERE'S NO T, THERE'S NO TI WOULD LOVE T UH, IN, IN THE VERY LAST SYSTEM, BUT THAT'S THE ONLY COMMENT.
UH, MS. GOODWIN, COULD YOU, UH, PLEASE CORRECT THIS FOR OF RECORD? THANK YOU.
OTHER THAN THAT, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU NO, I'M VERY HAPPY TO SCORE IT.
UM, I, I HAVE TO SAY THAT, UM, MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, YOU HAVE MADE SOME VERY COMPELLING, UM, POINTS AND COMMENTS.
I THINK COMING INTO THIS, I, I WAS NOT SOLD ON, ON THIS IDEA FOR MANY OF THE REASONS THAT HAVE, THAT HAVE COME UP, UM, SO FAR, BUT ALSO NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS THE REALITY OF THE BUDGET SITUATION THAT WE ARE IN WITH THE CITY TODAY.
UM, WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES TO DO THINGS THAT WE SHOULD REALLY BE DOING IN TERMS OF, UM, HOMELESSNESS SUPPORT, UM, AFFORDABILITY, LIKE ALL OF THESE KINDS OF THINGS.
UM, AND SO PART OF IT STRIKES ME AS, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT IS, YOU KNOW, IN, IN A YEAR WHERE IT IS VERY, FUNDS ARE VERY, VERY TIGHT.
IS THIS THE BEST USE OF FUNDS? UM, KNOWING THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO BE IN A 10 YEAR, UH, AGREEMENT, I GUESS THERE'S THE CLAUSE THAT WE CAN PURCHASE IT AT ANY TIME, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
IT, IT FEELS TO ME LIKE, UM, I I, I'M JUST NOT CERTAIN THAT THIS IS THE BEST USE OF FUNDS AND OR THAT THE TIMING IS RIGHT TO DO THIS.
UM, IN ADDITION TO, YOU KNOW, GETTING INTO THE, YOU KNOW, THE FOSSIL FUEL BUSINESS.
SO, UM, I, I AM NOT GOING TO BLOCK THIS.
UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE IS A LOT OF WIDE SUPPORT ON THIS, AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT PROBABLY HAS ENOUGH TO PASS.
UM, SO I'M PROBABLY GONNA SIT THIS ONE OUT.
CHAIR DAVIS, UH, YOU NEVER LET ME HAVE ANY FUN
UM, YES, CONSIDER IF THE CITY OWNED THE SYSTEM THAT WE WOULD MAKE A 12% PROFIT AND THAT MONEY COULD HELP THE GENERAL FUND.
UH, AND THIS WON'T BE THE ONLY LIEN BUDGET.
ALSO, UH, CONSIDER THAT, UH, THIS IS, AGAIN, I ONLY BALLPARK THE GENERAL FUND INCREASE AS A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.
UM, I I'M GONNA TRY AND GET A BETTER CALCULATION ON THAT, AND I'M ACTUALLY WORKING ON THAT NOW.
BUT LET'S ASSUME FOR THE SAKE OF DISCUSSION THAT THAT'S THE ABOUT RIGHT.
WELL, THIS IS $100,000 OUT OF $1 MILLION THAT'S GOING TO OCCUR EVERY YEAR FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
IT'S NOT, I'M NOT ASKING FOR A LOT HERE,
AND, AND YOU HAVE PUT IN LIKE AT LEAST A HUNDRED DOLLARS WORTH OF WORK TO
UM, COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA CALL THE QUESTION, GO AHEAD.
I WAS, IF, IF I WERE IN THE ROOM, I WOULD HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGING MY COLLEAGUE, VICE CHAIR ROBBINS TO, UM, HUSH UP AND TAKE THE WIN OF YOU NOT OPPOSING THIS
[02:10:01]
POINT OUT THE OFFER, THE ANALOGY, 2, 2, 2 COMMENTS IN RESPONSE TO YOUR CONCERNS.ONE OF THEM IS THAT I VIEW THIS AS THE POSS SIMILAR TO, UM, CONSIDERING WHETHER YOU WANNA KEEP RENTING OR BUY THE HOUSE.
IT HAS A MATERIAL CHANGE TO YOUR LONG-TERM FINANCIAL SITUATION AND CAN COME WITH A LOT OF BENEFITS DEPENDING ON WHAT, HOW THE ANALYSIS GOES.
AND THIS IS THE KEY GATING ANALYSIS IN THAT KIND OF DECISION THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE CONDUCTED.
SECOND, I DEEPLY RESPECT YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT HOW AUSTIN AS A CITY SPENDS ITS MONEY, BUT I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT, THAT I BELIEVE OUR JOB AS THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION IS TO RECOMMEND POLICY CHANGES FOR THE CITY COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION AND LET THE CITY COUNCIL DECIDE WHETHER TO HOW THEY WANNA SPEND THE MONEY.
SO THEY HAVE THE BUDGET RE BUDGETARY RESPONSIBILITIES THAT WE DO NOT.
AND I THINK IT IS OUR OPPORTUNITY AND OBLIGATION TO RAISE THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION AND BUDGETING DECISION, AND DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T THINK IT'S MY PLACE TO TELL THEM HOW TO SPEND THAT MONEY, BUT I, IT IS MY PLACE TO GIVE THEM THE CHOICE OF SPENDING SOME OF AUSTIN'S MONEY IN THIS FASHION.
APPRECIATE ALL, ALL THIS GREAT DISCUSSION.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF, TO RECOMMEND THE CITY, UH, CONDUCT A STUDY ABOUT MUNICIPALIZATION OF THE TEXAS GAS UTILITY.
UH, THE RECOMMENDATION PASSES 6 0 1.
[8. Presentation by Solar Austin regarding the Solar Installation and Permitting Process by David Levesque, Program Coordinator and Stan Pipkin, Board Member. ]
NOW WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WE ARE AT OUR LAST ITEM, WHERE DID MY AGENDA GO? I BELIEVE WE'RE AT THE LAST ITEM.NUMBER EIGHT, WHICH IS A PRESENTATION BY SOLAR AUSTIN ON THE SOLAR INSTALLATION AND PERMITTING PROCESS.
SO WE'VE GOT OUR PRESENTERS, OUR VERY PATIENT PRESENTERS WHO HAVE SAT HERE THIS EVENING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UH, THE Y'ALL'S TIME AND ATTENTION.
AND, UH, WE, UH, SO DAVID AND I ARE GONNA KIND OF CO-PRESENT HERE.
WE'LL, WE'LL HAND OFF SORT OF IN THE, IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS.
UM, I FEAR THIS MAY ALSO BE, UH, PALE IN COMPARISON TO THE ISSUES YOU WERE JUST DELIBERATING.
THIS IS A VERY SMALL ASK, BUT WE THINK IT'S STRATEGIC AND IMPORTANT AND WILL HAVE, HAVE IMPACT.
UM, SOME DISCUSSION CAME UP FROM THE CITIZEN, UH, COMMUNICATIONS AROUND KIND OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE REST OF THE WORLD AND WHAT ARE THE, WHAT'S THE SCALE OF THE ISSUE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF COST, UH, COST LOWERING THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE.
UM, SOFT COST, THIS IS MAYBE A PART OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CAN BE BETWEEN 10 AND 30% OF DISTRIBUTED SOLAR PROJECTS.
SO WE'RE SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT PROJECTS THAT HOMEOWNERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS, UM, INSTALL THEMSELVES.
SO THIS IS A CUSTOMER CHOICE ISSUE.
UM, 10 AND 30% IS SUBSTANTIAL, UM, SPECIFICALLY AROUND PERMITTING AND THE PROCESSES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IT CAN BE, UH, MUCH OF THAT OR, UH, OR IT, IT VARIES.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF COMPLEXITY.
WE WANT TO, WE, WE WON'T GET INTO ALL THAT, BUT JUST KNOW THAT, UM, IT'S SUBSTANTIAL AND IT'S SOMETHING WE THINK WE CAN CONTROL.
UH, SO WHO ARE WE? UM, STAN PIPKIN, UM, SOLAR AUSTIN BOARD MEMBER SINCE 2011, AND, UH, HAVE OPERATED AS A PARTICIPATING SOLAR CONTRACTOR FOR 18 YEARS.
I'M A LITTLE BIT THE FROG IN THE, THE WATER THAT'S ABOUT TO BOIL AND DON'T KNOW IT YET.
UM, HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN WORKING WITH AUSTIN ENERGY DIRECTLY, UM, BOTH AS A, AS A PARTNER AND, AND ALSO IN WORKING GROUPS BEFORE.
I'M THE PROGRAM COORDINATOR AT SOLAR AUSTIN.
AND I WANNA SAY THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILY IS ON A LATE NIGHT.
I APPRECIATE RICHARD FROM AUSTIN ENERGY BEING HERE.
IS ANYBODY FROM AUSTIN SERVICES DEVELOPMENT SERVICES HERE? NO.
WE'LL KEEP MOVING AROUND TO KEEP Y'ALL INTERESTED HERE.
SO, UH, WE'LL KIND OF START AT THE END, BUT I THINK BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE, UH, CAME HERE IS TO ASK FOR, UH, YOUR COMMISSION TO AUTHORIZE AND ESTABLISH A WORKING GROUP TO PUT SOME EFFORT TOWARDS THE, UH, THE, THE ISSUES WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT.
UH, THE PROBLEM WE WANT TO ADDRESS IS THE SIMPLE FACT THAT, UH, SOLAR IS A COMPLEX PROCESS, GOES THROUGH MANY DIFFERENT, UH, LAYERS
[02:15:01]
AND LEVELS OF OVERSIGHT.UM, THERE ARE COSTS, THERE ARE HARD COSTS INVOLVED, BUT IT IS TIME THAT IS REALLY THE THING THAT JUST SLOWS THE, THE, THE MOVEMENT FORWARD.
I WOULD SAY JUST AUSTRALIA CAME UP.
UM, IT'S CERTAINLY WORTH LOOKING AT.
I THINK THE RECOMMENDATION IS ASK THE QUESTION, LIKE, HOW DO YOU DO IT IS A GOOD ONE.
UM, THE REALITY IS THEY JUST DO THINGS MUCH FASTER AND IT'S, IT'S A WHOLE HOST OF THINGS THAT, UH, ALLOW OR UNLOCK THAT SPEED AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE UP AGAINST.
TIME IS COST IN DIRECT WAYS AND MANY INDIRECT WAYS, AND IT'S ALSO JUST FRICTION.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR IS HOW DO WE REDUCE THAT THAT TIME? UM, AND IF WE DON'T DO THAT, WE RUN THE RISK OF NOT MEETING OUR GOALS.
THE GOALS THAT, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY AND THE CITY HAS ADOPTED ARE BOTH AMBITIOUS AND ACHIEVABLE.
UM, WE'RE ABOUT, SO 405 MEGAWATTS OF LOCAL SOLAR BY 2035.
AND I WOULD SAY IN GENERAL, WE'RE NOT WAY OFF TRACK.
UM, WE NEED TO ACCELERATE, BUT I THINK AL ACTUALLY BROUGHT UP A, A CRITICAL POINT.
THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, UH, THE CONDITIONS HAVE CHANGED AS OF LAST, UM, THIS TIME LAST YEAR, LEGISLATION HAS NOW SUNSETTED ONE OF A, A KEY RESIDENTIAL, UM, FEDERAL INCENTIVES.
AND IT'S PUTTING, IT'S ACCELERATING THE SUNSET OF, OF COMMERCIALS.
SO WE WERE ON TRACK, WE WERE CLOSE TO BEING ON TRACK, BUT WE'VE BASICALLY TAKEN OUT, UH, A THIRD ROUGHLY OF THE FEDERAL PARTICIPATION IN, IN MAKING THIS WORK.
AND SO THE CONDITIONS ARE RADICALLY DIFFERENT, AND TO ASSUME THAT WE JUST STAY ON TRACK WOULD BE, UM, IRRESPONSIBLE.
SO WE THINK THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY, UH, LARGELY IN JEOPARDY OF NOT MEETING THE GOALS IF WE DON'T LOOK AT ALL OF THINGS, THE WHOLE PROCESSES COMPREHENSIVELY, AND TRY TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO LOWER COST AND, AND, UH, SPEED UP THE TIME.
ONE OF, BEFORE I GO, UM, WE IMAGINE THAT, UH, I THINK BACK TO AUSTRALIA, WE CAN'T, I DON'T BELIEVE JUST AS SOMEONE IN THE INDUSTRY THAT WE JUST SORT OF PLUCK THINGS FROM OTHER PLACES AND SAY, THIS WILL WORK HERE.
YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST, UH, WITHOUT CAREFUL APPLICATION, BOTH OF HOW IT MEETS OUR LIVED REALITY.
AND WE'VE, WE REALLY ARE, UH, UH, MINDFUL TO SAY ANYTHING WE'RE LOOKING AT NEEDS TO MEET WHAT AUSTIN ENERGY'S COMMITMENTS AREAL ARE ALREADY ARE, I WOULD SAY RELIABLE IS THE THING THAT COMES UP OFTENTIMES IN TERMS OF HOW THE TECHNOLOGY MEETS OUR GRID, UM, AFFORDABLE.
CLEAN IS INHERENT IN WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND EQUITABLE IS HOW DO WE MEET OUR CUSTOMERS IN WAYS WHERE THEY CAN PARTICIPATE.
I WILL SAY, AND RICHARD, I THINK IT'S GOOD THAT YOU'RE HERE.
UM, AUSTIN HAS BEEN A SOURCE OF INNOVATION IN THIS PARTICULAR PART OF THE INDUSTRY SINCE, UM, SINCE ITS FOUNDING.
UM, THE VALUE OF SOLAR IS SOMETHING THAT'S, UH, UH, BOTH INNOVATIVE AND UNIQUE AND HAS BEEN RESILIENT ACROSS KIND OF POLITICAL SHIFTS.
UM, AND THE PROGRAM DIVERSITY THAT IS IN PLACE IS ACTUALLY REMARKABLE.
UM, SO WE CAN'T JEOPARDIZE THOSE THINGS.
UM, BUT WE NEED TO TARGET THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN INTRACTABLE AND HAVEN'T CHANGED.
UM, WE THINK THE, THE LAST TWO POINTS, UM, IS REAL.
UM, THERE'S AN INDUSTRY THAT SUPPORTS THIS DEPLOYMENT.
IT'S, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY CAN'T DO IT ON THEIR OWN.
UM, AND SO WHAT DID THAT, WHAT DOES THAT INDUSTRY LOOK LIKE? HOW DOES IT STAY HEALTHY? AND, AND LIKEWISE, THE, THE SENTIMENT THERE IS DEMAND FOR THIS FROM, FROM CONSUMERS, UM, BUT IT'S FRAGILE.
AND SO IT'S AFFECTED BY THINGS OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL.
UM, I WOULD SAY OUR EFFORTS HAVE TO BOLSTER THAT, UM, IN GENERAL.
SO, UM, WE IMAGINE THERE'S ANY NUMBER OF SOLUTIONS.
UM, WE THINK THERE'S WAYS TO EXPLORE.
WE THINK THERE'S, UH, WHAT WE DO NEED TO, UH, LOOK TOWARDS IS HOW DO WE LOWER COSTS AND INCREASE THE SPEED.
IT'S KIND OF A, A GENERAL PRINCIPLE, UM, FOLLOWING, UH, KIND OF BEST PRACTICES ON HOW PROCESSES NEED TO BE PUT IN PLACE SO THEY'RE REPEATABLE, SCALABLE, RESILIENT CONDITIONS CHANGE.
THE PROCESS NEEDS TO ADAPT WITH THAT.
UM, WE THINK SOLAR PERMITTING CAN BE NORMALIZED.
IT'S CONSIDERED KIND OF ITS OWN WEIRD THING.
UM, AND IT'S NOT INTEGRAL INTO THE CITY'S PROCESSES RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE THINK THERE'S, THERE'S ROOM THERE.
UM, AND THEN REALLY TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT THE INDUSTRY IS CHANGING RAPIDLY, UM, BOTH FROM A TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE THAT HAS IMPLICATIONS ON THE GRID, OUR MANAGEMENT OF IT, AND THE PROCESS OF HOW WE DE UH, DEPLOY THESE STRATEGIES NEEDS TO RESPOND TO THAT AS WELL.
UM, I'LL MAKE THIS LAST POINT AND THEN HAND IT OFF TO DA DAVID.
ARE YOU SEEING THAT NEXT SLIDE? I'M SORRY.
UM, THERE'S A, THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF DATA THAT WOULD NEED TO BE UNPACKED WITHIN
[02:20:01]
THIS.SO THIS IS NOT, UH, UH, THE, THE, IT'S NOT THE SINGLE NUMBER TO REMEMBER, BUT IT'S, UM, 120 DAYS IS, UM, IS A LONG TIME.
SO THESE CAN BE SMALL PROJECTS, LARGE PROJECTS.
UM, IT'S REALLY AN UNSUSTAINABLE AMOUNT OF TIME BOTH TO ACHIEVE ANY KIND OF ACCELERATION IN THE INDUSTRY, UM, TO DEVELOP SOME EFFICIENCIES THAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR CAN BRING TO BEAR.
UM, AUSTRALIA IS MEASURED IN, YOU KNOW, UH, A FEW WEEKS.
SO FROM START TO FINISH, IT MAY BE, IT'S LIKE ORDERING A PIZZA.
AND SO THERE ARE PROJECTS THAT HAPPEN IN FASTER THAN 120 DAYS, BUT, BUT IMAGINE THIS IS THE AVERAGE.
AND SO IT'S REALLY THE TIME THAT WE'RE TARGETING.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA LEAVE YOU WITH THAT.
THERE'S BEEN, UH, YOU KNOW, OVER THE COURSE OF, OF THE, THE KIND OF REBATE PROGRAM AND THE INTERCONNECTION, UH, A ALLOWANCES, THE TECHNOLOGY HAS RADICALLY, UM, INCREASED IN COMPLEXITY.
SO WE'VE INNOVATED, THE INDUSTRY HAS INNOVATED TO MEET THAT THE COMPLEXITY GRADIENT HAS GONE UP RADICALLY, AND IT'S, IS, IS CONTINUING.
IT'S, IT'S, WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT IT WILL, WILL CONTINUE TO GROW, AND OUR PROCESSES ARE STILL LAGGING.
SO IT'S, UM, DON'T SEE THIS AND SAY IT'S A ONE DIMENSIONAL PROBLEM, BUT IT REPRESENTS KIND OF AN UNSUSTAINABLE BURDEN ON, ON WHAT WE THINK TO REACH OUR GOALS.
SO WE BROUGHT SOME CASE STUDIES OF SPECIFIC EXAMPLES.
IT'S NOT THE THINGS, UH, SORRY.
NEXT SLIDE JUST TO CHAT WITH YOU ABOUT.
AND, UH, SOME OF THIS WE COVERED IN OUR, UM, PRECURSOR MEETING A FEW WEEKS AGO.
SO AUSTIN ENERGY HAS, DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB COMMUNICATING WITH CONTRACTORS ON A MONTHLY BASIS, AND THEY ALWAYS UPDATE ON TIMELINES OF WHAT THEY CAN EXPECT.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO COMMUNICATE HERE IS THAT THE TIMELINES THAT AUSTIN ENERGY SOMETIMES SAYS IN THE TIMELINES WE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE IN THE INDUSTRY DON'T LINE UP.
SO, UM, ANOTHER AREA THAT WE SEE THAT COULD BE IMPROVED IS THERE ARE A LOT OF DATA SILOS WITHIN THE PROCESS, INCLUDING DIFFERENT SOFTWARE PLATFORMS AND SOMETIMES PDFS AND SOMETIMES FORMS, AND SOMETIMES TCA AS A SOURCE OF DATA VERSUS OTHER SOURCES.
AND SO IT'S JUST A CUMBERSOME GROUPING OF SOURCES AND PROCESSES AND INTERFACES THAT MAKE COMMUNICATION AMONGST ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS CHALLENGING AS A PROCESS GOES ON, WHICH IS WHY WE GET THESE 120 DAY AVERAGE TIMES TO COMPLETION.
SO, SORRY, THIS IS FOR THE DATA SILOED
UM, I'M A, OKAY, NOW, NEXT SLIDE.
YEAH, SO THIS IS JUST A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF SOME THINGS THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED RECENTLY ON THE 900 SPRINGDALE ROAD PROJECT, THERE WAS A B MISSING FROM THE ADDRESS THAT DELAYED THE WHOLE PROJECT BY A MONTH AND A HALF.
THAT WAS JUST SIMPLY A, A HUMAN ERROR OF NOT TRANSFERRING THE B FROM ONE PAPERWORK TO ANOTHER.
UH, ON THE CO-OP RADIO PROJECT, UH, THERE WAS A DATA ENTRY ERROR, UH, AND THAT DELAYED THE PROJECT BY THREE MONTHS IN TERMS OF GETTING THE REBATE.
AND THEN, UH, YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE THIRD ONE? YEAH.
THE THIRD ONE IS, UM, UH, A NEW CONSTRUCTION, MULTIFAMILY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, REALLY A, A KIND OF BELLWETHER FOR ALL THE THINGS THAT REPRESENTS INNOVATION.
I THINK, UM, THE NEW CONSTRUCTION, UM, IS, UH, PROBLEMATIC IN TERMS OF APPLYING SOLAR.
UM, I BRING THIS UP BECAUSE AUSTIN HAS ADOPTED THE IECC 2024, WHICH IS, REQUIRES ANY NEW COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION TO EITHER INSTALL SOLAR OR MAKE SERIOUS PROVISIONS FOR IT.
IT'S A, IT'S MORE THAN THE SOLAR READY, YET THE PERMITTING PROCESS DOES NOT REFLECT THAT INTEGRATION.
AND IT, IT, UH, THAT THE, THE DELAYS, THIS IS ABOUT A SIX MONTH DELAY, JUST GETTING THE ADDRESS RIGHT, AND IT'S REALLY UNPACKING THAT WOULD BE TO SAY TO DAVID'S POINT, IT'S A, IT'S, UH, KIND OF DATA SETS ARE, ARE, UM, INCOMPATIBLE.
UM, AND IT'S REALLY, UH, PRESENTS A LOT OF PROBLEMS THAT COULD BE, I THINK, YOU KNOW, EASILY AVOIDED.
SO, WE'RE GRATEFUL THAT AUSTIN HAS MOVED TO MOSTLY DIGITAL PLATFORMS, AND IT'S PROBABLY TIME TO EVOLVE THEM AGAIN.
CURRENTLY THERE'S A LOT OF PDFS, WHICH ARE WHAT WE CALLED UNSTRUCTURED DATA, MEANING YOU CAN'T COMPUTE AGAINST THEM, AND THAT MEANS THAT YOU HAVE A HUMAN, MOST LIKELY, MY ASSUMPTION, I HAVEN'T BEEN BEHIND THE SCENES, BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS A HUMAN READS A PDF, AND THEN THEY INPUT DATA INTO ANOTHER SYSTEM, WHICH IS A DATABASE, AND IT, THAT'S WHERE WE GET THESE ERRORS, LIKE THE ADDRESSES, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND THEN IT JUST CAUSES A SUPER DELAY.
SO A SIMPLE THING IS LET'S MOVE TOWARDS STRUCTURED DATA, WHICH I'M SURE THAT MOST OF THE CITY HAS OR IS MOVING TOWARDS, UH, AS AN EXAMPLE OF POTENTIAL A SOLUTION.
[02:25:01]
CLEAR HERE THAT WE HAVE HIGHER REQUIREMENTS, UM, IN TERMS OF INSPECTIONS AND ALSO IN TERMS OF ELECTRICAL CODES THAT THEY DON'T HAVE IN THE REST OF THE STATE, WHICH AGAIN, INCREASES COST AND COMPLEXITY.I'M SURE THERE ARE GOOD REASONS FOR THIS.
UM, AND I'M SURE THERE ARE ALSO WAYS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE SPEEDING UP THE COMMUNICATION OF ALL THESE THINGS.
WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS, SORRY, NEXT SLIDE.
I'M ADVANCING THE SLIDES HERE, PUTTING THAT THERE.
SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE NUMBER OF INSPECTIONS AFTER THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN BUILT.
AND YOU COULD SEE IT'S A 24 HOUR PERIOD.
THAT'S WHAT WE HAD PLANNED ON DOING, UH, THAT WE PLANNED ON THAT TWO WEEKS AGO.
AND IT'S NOT GONNA BE DONE UNTIL NEXT WEEK.
SO THERE'S LIKE A THREE WEEK PERIOD OF JUST DOING THESE LAST INSPECTIONS ON THIS PROJECT.
UM, AND SO WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE IS THE INSTALLING INSTALLATION COMPANIES PAYING PEOPLE TO PAY ATTENTION EVERY WEEK, AND IT'S INCREASING, INCREASING THE COST EVERY WEEK.
THERE'S A DELAY, IT'S INCREASING THE COST, RIGHT? UM, ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS THIS EMAIL THAT I RECEIVED FROM DEVELOPMENT SERVICES SUGGESTING THAT, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN ENERGY AND MDSD ARE NOT ON THE SAME PAGE RELATIVE TO ELECTRICAL REQUIREMENTS.
THIS IS NOT, UM, SO WE CAN MOVE ON FROM THAT.
MY, THE ONLY POINT IS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THERE ARE SIMPLE, I THINK WE THINK, OH, SORRY.
WE THINK THERE ARE SOME, SOME SIMPLE THINGS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE ON RELATIVELY QUICKLY TO IMPROVE THESE KINDS OF ERRORS.
UH, SO MAINLY WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN, IN CONCLUSION IS IDEALLY WE WOULD HAVE A SINGLE AUTHORITY THAT CAN MAKE DECISIONS AND ITERATE ON THE PROCESS AND ESCALATE TO RESOLVE ISSUES QUICKLY.
IN OTHER WORDS, IN TERMS OF LIKE A FEW DAYS INSTEAD OF A FEW WEEKS OR MONTHS, UH, WE'VE HEARD FROM, FROM DAVID HOGAN AND ALSO OTHERS IN THE AUDIENCE ABOUT HOW MANY MONTHS IT'S TAKEN FOR THEIR PROJECTS TO GET DONE.
AND I KNOW WE'RE COMING INTO THE END OF THE TIME HERE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OTHER THING WE COULD DO IN THE WORKING GROUP IS REFERENCE FEDERAL AND STATE BEST PRACTICES.
FOR EXAMPLE, THERE IS A FEDERAL, UH, STATE LAW THAT ALLOWS FOR A THIRD PARTY PERMITTING ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS, WHICH WE ARE NOT USING.
THIS CAN TAKE THE PERMIT TIME FROM TWO WEEKS TO THREE DAYS.
IT'S HAPPENING IN THE REST OF TEXAS.
UH, IT COULD BE EMPLOYED HERE.
DO YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THAT? UH, YEAH, MAYBE I COULD JUST, I, I THINK WE'RE JUST, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, WRAPPING UP AND I THINK THE, UM, WE WANNA KIND OF LEAVE YOU WITH THE IDEA THAT, UM, OUR, OUR LIVED EXPERIENCE WITH SOLAR IS THAT THERE ARE MANY STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED IN PUTTING THESE SYSTEMS IN.
UM, AND WE THINK IT'S GONNA BE BECOME MORE AND MORE COMPLEX, AND THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO NORMALIZE IT, LIKE, TO TAKE A, A STRONG STEP TO SAY, BRING ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS IN, LOOK AT OUR PROCESSES AS WE HAVE THEM.
AND I THINK THERE'S A TECHNOLOGY, A REAL TECHNOLOGY BURDEN WITH THE ACTUAL SYSTEMS THAT THE CITY IS USING FOR, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
UM, BUT IT, UH, CURRENTLY IT'S, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT BEING MAPPED TOGETHER.
SO, UH, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, UH, WE THINK GETTING ALL THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE ROOM IS, IS PARAMOUNT.
UM, AND I KNOW WE WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AUSTIN ENERGY, I THINK HAS BEEN TRYING TO DO THIS FOR A LONG TIME, UM, TO GET EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM AT THE RIGHT TIME, UM, TO LOOK AT THESE PROCESSES CAREFULLY.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY ASKING FOR, UM, A CHARTER FROM, FROM THIS COMMISSION.
AND IF, IF, IF THAT IS THE RIGHT ASK OF YOU, UM, THAT WOULD EMPOWER A GROUP TO BE ESTABLISHED TO, TO DO THAT.
UH, SO WE, WE PUT TOGETHER A, OUR STRAW MAN LIST OF WHO WE THINK AT LEAST SHOULD BE INVOLVED.
WE RECOGNIZE THERE'S PROBABLY MORE THAT COULD BE INVOLVED.
UM, WE ARE ALSO QUITE INTERESTED IN AN OUTCOME BASED PROCESS, UM, WHEREBY WE FIND A GROUP THAT IS WILLING TO WORK TOWARDS AN OUTCOME.
UM, AND I THINK THE, I WOULD, UH, IMPRESS ON EVERYBODY THAT IF IT TAKES YEARS, THEN WE MISS OUR GOALS.
AND SO IT'S REALLY SOMETHING THAT WE THINK THAT CAN BE, UM, EVEN IF IT'S INCREMENTAL SOLUTIONS, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE, WE THINK IT NEEDS TO BE IMPLEMENTED AS, UM, AS A WAY TO REALIZE SOME OF THE GOALS THAT WE'RE AFTER.
UH, NEXT SLIDE IS, I THINK, YEAH, KIND OF THAT'S IT.
APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S TIME, UH, UH, APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S FORTITUDE.
IF THIS IS A NORMAL MEETING, I APPLAUD YOU,
UM, I, I KNOW IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU WERE KIND OF GOING THROUGH QUICKLY BECAUSE OF THE LATE HOUR, BUT I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR, PER YOUR PERSISTENCE AND, AND STAYING HERE THROUGH THIS.
AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT WORK THAT YOU DO.
[02:30:01]
GETTING TO OUR SOLAR GOALS IS SOMETHING I, I'M SURE EVERYONE ON THIS COMMISSION IS, IS, UM, PASSIONATE ABOUT.I, UM, I DO ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME, UM, DISCUSSIONS THAT, UM, THAT YOU'VE HAD AND BEEN WORKING WITH MR. GENE'S TEAM, UM, WITH MR. HARVEY AND, AND THAT KIND OF THING OFFLINE SO FAR.
SO HOPEFULLY YOU'VE BEEN GETTING SOME, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME GOOD, UH, FEEDBACK AND, AND WORKING, UM, YOU KNOW, AND WORKING WITH THAT TEAM AS WELL.
YEAH, I, I THINK THAT'S, THAT, THAT IS ACCURATE.
I THINK THERE'S A, A POINT AT WHICH WE REALIZE THAT SOME OF THE OTHER STAKEHOLDERS ACTUALLY ARE MEANINGFUL IN TERMS OF, UH, PROBLEMS TO ADDRESS OR CHALLENGES TO ADDRESS.
AND I THINK THAT'S, UH, I WOULDN'T SPEAK FOR MR. HARVEY OR MR. GENESEE, BUT I THINK, UM, SOME OF THE FRUSTRATIONS I'VE HEARD FROM THEM ARE REALLY ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER GROUPS.
SO FINDING A WAY TO, UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE OMNIBUS APPROACH TO GET ALL PERSPECTIVES, I THINK EVEN CONSUMER PERSPEC PER PERSPECTIVES IN THIS IS IMPORTANT.
AND, UM, I'VE NOT BEEN A PART OF A GENERAL CONVERSATION WHERE ALL THESE THINGS CAN BE VOICED AT ONCE.
UM, I, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING OF THEM IS, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY OUTSIDE THE, THE SYSTEM, BUT I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALL MULTI-LAYERED, UM, AND CONTINGENCIES, THE DEPENDENCIES OF INFORMATION AND PROCESSES ARE KIND OF WELL BEYOND OUR OBSERVATIONAL PERSPECTIVE MM-HMM
UM, BUT, UH, UH, WE, WE THINK THAT IF IT'S NOT SOLVED, IT WON'T SOLVE ITSELF.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN IMPROVEMENTS MADE INCREMENTAL IN VARIOUS WAYS, BUT THEY'VE ALSO JUST INTRODUCED NEW COMPLEXITIES.
SO, UM, SO DO I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY THAT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR FROM US IS A RECOMMENDATION TO FORM A WORKING GROUP THAT WOULD, WOULD INCLUDE MEMBERS FROM THIS COMMISSION, POTENTIALLY FROM THE, FROM THE ELECTRICAL UTILITY COMMISSION, AS WELL AS SOME OF STAFF MEMBERS THAT, UH, FROM THE CITY AND THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS THAT WORK ON SOLAR INSTALLATIONS WITH THE GOAL? YOU SAID YOU MENTIONED OUTCOME BASED, UH, GOAL TO, I IMAGINE, IS THAT TO, TO REDUCE THE TIME AND COMPLEXITY THAT IT TAKES FROM PERMITTING TO, UH, CLOSE OUT.
IS THAT KIND OF WHAT THE GOAL WOULD BE? YEAH, THAT THAT'S CORRECT.
I MEAN, I THINK AT SOME POINT, THE WORKING GROUP, I IMAGINE WOULD BE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A FEASIBLE CHANCE TO ACHIEVE THAT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I WAS CLEAR ON, ON KIND OF WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE SEEKING.
SO ANYTHING YOU WANNA ADD, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, I DO SEE SOME QUESTIONS WE HAVE FROM, UH, OUR REMOTE PARTICIPANTS.
UM, COMMISSIONER SCHWARTZ, GO AHEAD, PLEASE.
Y UM, YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA, UM, I GUESS, UH, IF WHAT, WHAT DO WE AS A COMMISSION THINK IS THE CORRECT MECHANISM TO KIND OF ASK FOR THIS? I GUESS IT'S EASY FOR US TO FORM A WORKING GROUP WHERE WE CAN INCORPORATE OTHER COMMISSIONS INTO LIKE OFFLINE CONVERSATIONS, BUT IF WE'RE LOOKING AT SOMETHING WHERE IT SOUNDS LIKE THE GOAL HERE IS TO ASK A FEW DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO KIND OF COLLABORATE TOGETHER, WOULD THAT BE, YOU KNOW, UH, WOULD THAT BE A RESOLUTION WHERE WE'RE A RESOLUTION TO COUNCIL, WHERE WE'RE ASKING FOR, YOU KNOW, THE STAFF TO WORK ON THIS OR, UH, I JUST WANTED TO GET, UH, THOSE OF YOU WITH MAYBE MORE EXPERIENCE THAN ME, WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE ON THE BEST WAY TO GO ABOUT THIS.
I, IS THERE SOMEONE ON THE, ON THE COMMISSION THAT HAS A, AN ANSWER TO THAT? IF NOT, I CAN TAKE A STAB AT IT AND THEN MAYBE ASK FOR HELP FROM THE LIAISON.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT WE CAN FORM WORKING GROUPS, SUB QUORUM OF, OF COMMISSIONERS TO WORK ON ANY TOPIC.
AND IT TAKES ON A MORE INFORMAL SORT OF A, OF A BOT, UM, SHAPE, AND THAT WE CERTAINLY CAN INVITE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM INDUSTRY MEMBERS FROM, YOU KNOW, STAFF, UH, TO WORK ON IT.
UH, I KNOW THAT AUSTIN ENERGY WOULDN'T PROVIDE RESOURCES TO LIKE ADMINISTER IT, SO IT WOULD BE SORT OF A SELF-GOVERNING BODY THAT A COMMISSIONER MOST LIKELY, OR POTENTIALLY SOMEONE FROM THE INDUSTRY WITH, WITH A VESTED INTEREST IN IT, WOULD, WOULD TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, ALIGN SCHEDULES AND KIND OF GET THAT STUFF DONE.
UM, AND I, I THINK THAT THE OUTCOME WOULD BE, UH, MAYBE A SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WOULD THEN GO TO COUNCIL FOR CHANGES POTENTIALLY TO BE, TO BE MADE TO SOME OF THESE PROCESSES OR ORGANIZATIONS.
I DON'T KNOW IF STAFF LIAISON WANTS TO ADD OR CORRECT OR NO.
[02:35:11]
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.SO, UM, YES, YOU CAN CREATE A, UH, WORKING GROUP.
UM, THE BOARD WILL BE ABLE TO DETERMINE THE SIZE OF THE WORKING GROUP, BUT, UH, THE NUMBER OF BOARD MEMBERS MUST BE FEWER THAN QUORUM.
UM, A WORKING GROUP MAY DESIGNATED CHAIR AND, UM, QUORUM, UH, REQUIREMENTS DO NOT, UH, APPLY.
UM, STAFF SUPPORT IS NOT PROVIDED FOR WORKING GROUPS.
UM, AND I THINK, UH, TEXAS OPEN MEETING ACT IS NOT REQUIRED RIGHT.
SO I THINK THE ONLY, UH, QUESTION IS JUST LIKE, HOW, HOW MUCH PARTICIPATION CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS? I THINK YOU HAVE DSD OR A, WHAT IS IT CALLED NOW? A DSA DS? YEAH.
UM, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UM, AND AUSTIN ENERGY AND MAYBE OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL.
SO I I I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH, UH, TIME THEY, I COULDN'T SPEAK FOR HOW MUCH TIME THEY COULD COMMIT TO THAT.
CERTAINLY COULD BE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE AND, AND I WOULD IMAGINE THEY WOULD BE OPEN TO TRYING TO ALIGN SOMETHING SCHEDULE-WISE.
SO, SO I I DON'T SEE ANY, ANY, UM, REAL BARRIERS TO THAT.
UM, DOES THAT HELP YOUR QUESTION, COMMISSIONER SCHWARTZ? OR DID YOU HAVE DEPARTMENTS ARE NOT MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP DEPARTMENTS ARE NOT MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP, SO THAT'S, I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY COULD BE CERTAIN STAFF MEMBERS COULD BE INVITED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION, PROVIDE INPUT TO COLLABORATE WITH THE WORKING GROUP, RIGHT.
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, RIGHT? IS HAVE A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS THAT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, HAPPEN JUST ONCE A MONTH HERE AT THE, AT THE COMMISSION MEETINGS WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE, UM, IMPROVEMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO PROCESSES.
BUT WE ARE, WE'RE NOT ON THE INSIDE, RIGHT? WE'RE NOT DOING THESE THINGS DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
SO THE FOLKS THAT ARE LIVING AND BREATHING THESE PROCESSES AND MAY HAVE REASONS FOR WHY IT IS THE WAY IT IS, MAY HAVE THEIR IDEAS FOR IMPROVING, IT SHOULD BE WELCOMED INTO TO PARTICIPATE WITH THAT.
COMMISSIONER SCHWARTZ, AND THEN I DO SEE YOU, COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN.
UM, DOES, DOES THAT, HOW DOES THAT SOUND TO YOU? YEAH, I, I THINK I MEANT TO TAKE MY HAND DOWN BEFORE, BUT THAT, THAT HELPS ANSWER MY QUESTION.
SO, SO I GUESS IT SOUNDS LIKE, UM, WE WOULD CREATE THE WORKING GROUP AND THEN MAYBE THAT WOULD TURN INTO RESOLUTION, THE WORKING GROUP'S RESOLUTION, IF THAT, IF IT CAME TO, UH, THE POINT WHERE IT NEEDED TO BE A RESOLUTION OR MAYBE RMC RESOLUTION IN THE FUTURE, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT, IF IT TURNED INTO SOMETHING THAT WE WANTED TO ASK COUNSEL TO DO, UM, EITHER OF THOSE TWO, I DON'T CAN, WORKING GROUPS CAN PASS RESOLUTIONS OR IS, UH, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING, I GUESS I KNOW.
NO, THAT ALLISON'S SHAKING HER HEAD NO.
SO NO, THEY WOULDN'T, MAYBE IT WOULD, IT WOULD TURN INTO AN RMC KIND OF BASED ACTION OR SOMETHING.
JUST GOOD TO GET CLARITY ON THAT.
YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I THINK THE WORKING GROUP COULD COME AND, AND PRESENT OR SPEAK AT THE RMC AT THE, AT THE BOARD MEETING, AND, AND A MEMBER OR MEMBERS COULD BRING A RECOMMENDATION FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE RMC, UM, BASED ON THEIR WORK IN THE WORKING GROUP.
BUT EACH, SO RMC AND EUC WILL HAVE TO VOTE ON CREATING THEIR OWN, JUST JUST LIKE WE DID, UH, WHAT IS, WHAT WAS IT? YES.
FOR THE LONG TERM STORAGE? YES.
I CAN, I, I AM HAPPY TO FORM AN RMC WORKING GROUP.
I SEE NO REASON WHY THE EUC NEEDS TO FORM ONE.
ALSO, EUC MEMBERS, INDIVIDUAL AS INDIVIDUALS ARE WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS AS THEY ARE IN ANYTHING ELSE IN LIFE WITHOUT BEING FORMAL REPRESENTATIVES AT THE EUC OR WEARING THE EUC
[02:40:01]
FLAG WHEN THEY SHOW UP AT A MEETING.AS LONG AS THERE'S LESS THAN A CORE QUORUM OF THEM.
AND, AND WE'RE ALL BUSY ENOUGH THAT I WOULD BE SHOCKED IF EVERY MEMBER OF WHOEVER WANTS TO BE RMC PARTICIPANT, AND THIS SHOWS UP EVERY TIME, MUCH LESS ANOTHER FORM QUORUM FROM THE EUC.
I WANT TO BACK UP A STEP AND ASK THE, ASK THE FOLLOWING CONTEXT QUESTION.
AND MR. GENESEE, IF YOU CAN START WALKING TO THE PODIUM, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
I KNOW THANK, UM, MR. KIN, I KNOW A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WORK ON THIS IN TALKING TO AUSTIN ENERGY STAFF AND OTHER CITY STAFF FOR A LONG, A NUMBER OF MONTHS NOW.
AND, AND IT'S CLEAR THAT THEY HAVE MADE PROGRESS IN THINKING ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT TO ACCOMPLISH, BUT IT'S ALSO CLEAR THAT BECAUSE THEY ARE HERE, THEY HAVE NOT GOTTEN ENOUGH PROGRESS AND THEY ARE TURNING TO US TO TRY TO HELP MOVE THIS FORWARD.
SO MY QUESTION FOR MR. GENESEE IS, UM, DO WE, IS THERE APPETITE AMONG AUSTIN ENERGY AND CITY STAFF TO KEEP THIS GOING? WHAT HAS IMPEDED PROGRESS TO DATE IN, IN MOVING FORWARD ON THE GOALS THAT, THAT, UM, MR. KIN AND MR. LEVECK AND THEIR OTHER HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH YOUR GROUP TALKING TO, TO YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES ABOUT? SO, SO WHY ARE WE STUCK AT THIS PLACE HERE? OKAY.
WILL YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES SHOW UP AND CAN WE HOPE TO MAKE FURTHER PROGRESS, I THINK, OR WILL THIS YES, THAT THOSE ARE ALL VERY FAIR, FAIR QUESTIONS.
UM, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE POSTED TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT IS THE PRESENTATION BY THE GUEST SPEAKERS.
WE CAN TALK TO THE GUEST SPEAKERS.
I, I WILL SAY ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IN OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS IS FOR CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS, UH, TO COME AND TALK ABOUT THIS PROCESS, POTENTIALLY WITH THE SUPPORT OF A DS, UM, FOR NEXT MONTH.
AND THEN THAT MONTH WE CAN BE POSTED FOR, UM, FORMING A WORKING GROUP.
I IMAGINE THAT WOULD BE PRETTY EASY TO, TO ADOPT, TO APPROVE.
UM, BUT RATHER THAN GETTING INTO A THING WITH CUSTOMER G SOLUTIONS TONIGHT, WE NEED TO KEEP THIS FOCUSED ON, UH, WHAT WE'RE POSTED FOR.
THAT'S, THAT'S VERY, AND MAY I ASK, UM, OUR, OUR GUEST THE QUESTION, PLEASE? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
SO, SO Y'ALL HAVE BEEN TALKING TO CITY STAFF FOR A WHILE, AND YOU KNOW, WHO, YOU'VE GOT A GOOD LIST HERE OF SOME OF THE OTHER PARTICIPANTS WHOM YOU THINK WOULD BE CONSTRUCTIVE MEMBERS OF THIS KIND OF WORK GROUP.
HAVE YOU GOT A SOLID INDICATION OF THEIR WILLINGNESS AND ABILITY TO PARTICIPATE WITH THE SAME LEVEL OF COMMITMENT AND DEEP ENTHUSIASM THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BROUGHT TO THIS PROCESS OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS? A LOT OF, LOT OF QUALIFIERS IN THAT.
UM, I, I, I, I WOULD SAY I WAS GONNA RESPOND TO YOUR EARLIER QUESTION TO MR. GENESEE.
UM, OUR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT AUSTIN INJURY HAS BEEN VERY WILLING, UM, AND VERY OPEN IN VARIOUS LEVELS OF, WE'LL SAY, PROCESS INNOVATION, UM, THROUGH A NUMBER OF MEANS OPEN, UH, STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS.
UM, MY CONCERN HAS BEEN THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT WE DO NOT HAVE THE CONFIDENCE RIGHT NOW IN THEIR, BOTH THEIR, WE'LL SAY PARTICIPATION AT LARGE, BUT REALLY CRITICAL PARTICIPATION SAYS WHO'S, WHO'S THERE THAT CAN PROVIDE THE OVERSIGHT AND PERSPECTIVE AND JUDGMENT INSIDE A WORKING GROUP THAT WOULD BE EFFECTIVE.
UM, WE KNOW INDIVIDUALS, BUT WE'VE NOT APPROACHED 'EM ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR SETTING.
UM, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT, AND THIS IS THIRD PARTY OUTSIDE, IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT FOR AUSTIN ENERGY TO LEVERAGE THOSE GROUPS INTO A CONSISTENT KIND OF OUTCOME BASED PROCESS.
SO I THINK OUR ENTHUSIASM WOULD SAY, YES, WE, WE WOULD CONTINUE TO PURSUE THIS, BUT WE DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE THAT PINPOINTED WHO THOSE PEOPLE ARE.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING FOR A BIT MORE MAYBE, UM, UH, AUTHORITY OR, UH, KIND OF A, A, A CHARGE THAT WOULD GIVE US THE ABILITY TO WALK INTO THOSE DEPARTMENTS AND INVITE PEOPLE WITH A BIT MORE OF A CA MORE THAN A CASUAL INVITATION TO DO A VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION IN A GROUP, BUT TO SAY THIS IS A COMMITMENT THAT WE CAN GET SOMETHING DONE.
UM, SO, UM, SO YEAH, I THINK THAT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE, WE HAVE A LIST OF WHO WE'D LIKE TO TARGET, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A TARGETED LIST OF INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE EXPRESSED BOTH SO, SO COMMITMENT AND OTHERWISE.
SO PART OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY IN PUTTING THIS TOGETHER WILL BE TO USE OUR WHATEVER LIMITED INFLUENCE
[02:45:01]
WE MAY HAVE TO APPROACH THE CITY COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER AND ASK FOR SOME FORMAL PARTICIPATION BY OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS TO MATCH THE EFFORTS BY AUSTIN ENERGY AND YOU ALL TO MOVE THIS FORWARD IN A CONSOLIDATED, MORE EFFICIENT CITY INITIATIVE.UM, IS, IS THERE ANOTHER BOARD OR COMMISSION, UM, THAT LIAISES WITH THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES? IS THAT JUST PLANNING, DO WE KNOW, I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S A DIFFERENT BORDER COMMISSION THAT COULD WORK IN PARALLEL OR FOLKS FROM THAT BORDER COMMISSION THAT WOULD HAVE MAYBE MORE INFLUENCE FOR THOSE DEPARTMENTS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? I MEAN, WE HAD THE SAME QUESTION AND KIND OF CAME UP SHORT AS TO, I MEAN, SORT OF Y'ALL'S YOUR EQUIVALENT OVER THE D UH, YOU KNOW, A A DS.
UM, SO, SO WE ALSO HAD THE SAME QUESTION.
MAYBE I CAN JUST ADD TO ALLISON, MISS, UH, COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN'S QUESTION BY, I GUESS SECONDING WHAT STAN SAID THAT SOLAR AUSTIN'S BEEN WORKING WITH AUSTIN ENERGY FOR 20 YEARS TO IMPROVE AND, AND CREATE AND DO ALL KINDS OF AMAZING THINGS FOR OUR CITY.
SO THE QUESTION IS LIKE, UH, CAN WE OPTIMIZE NOW EVEN FURTHER AND IMPROVE BETTER? AND AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, INCLUDE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
COMMISSIONER KENNER, I SEE YOUR, YOUR FINGERS HOVERING OVER YOUR MIC, IT HOVERING ON THE RUN.
UH, YEAH, I WAS JUST, UH, SORT OF CURIOUS.
UH, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SOMETHING THAT STRUCK ME WAS THE, UM, THESE BARRIERS, THESE SORT OF TIME CONSTRAINTS THAT YOU'RE EXPERIENCING.
AND IT SOUNDS KIND OF FAL ON SOME LEVEL THAT, THAT A AN ADDRESS BEING WRONG COULD LIMIT YOU, UH, BY WEEKS AND AND MONTHS POTENTIALLY.
ARE YOU KEEPING A SORT OF REPOSIT, LIKE A PUBLIC LIST OF STUFF THAT SLOWS YOU DOWN? UH, IT'S NOT, NOT TOTALLY PUBLIC, BUT I MEAN, THIS IS PART OF THE KNOWLEDGE SHARE.
WE'VE HAD SEVERAL KIND OF INFORMAL DEBRIEFINGS WITH, UH, A STAFF TO PINPOINT SOME OF THESE THINGS.
AND THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THE, THEY ALL SEEM LIKE ANOMALIES, BUT THEY JUST OCCUR VERY FREQUENTLY.
RIGHT? SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE ROOT CAUSE? HOW DO THEY, HOW DO THEY ARISE? BUT WE DON'T HAVE A PUBLIC LIST.
I MEAN, IT'S SOMETHING WE'VE STARTED SOME OF THE CASE STUDIES.
THOSE ARE, THAT'S A SMALL SELECTION.
UM, BUT YEAH, IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S A GOOD IDEA.
I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT I'M SURE IF WE HAD A STRATEGY TO AGGREGATE THE DATA THAT THE CITY HAS ACROSS ALL ITS PLATFORMS, YOU COULD SEE PATTERNS AND THESE KINDS OF CHALLENGES.
THE A BC PORTAL THAT'S USED TO COMMUNICATE AND SUBMIT PERMITS AND ALL THAT STUFF.
IT ALSO DOES TRACK WHEN THINGS WERE SUBMITTED AND HOW LONG IT TOOK AND HOW MANY TRIES THERE WERE.
AND THESE KINDS OF THINGS ARE TRACKED IN THOSE PLATFORMS, AT LEAST PUBLICLY.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A DATABASE THAT YOU COULD QUERY AND LIKE COME UP WITH A SURVEY.
THE, THE DATA THAT I SHOWED YOU HERE, THAT CHART OF 120 DAYS ON AVERAGE IS, IS OUR EFFORTS EXTERNAL TO THE CITY JUST DOWNLOADING PUBLIC DATA FROM THE PERMIT, OPEN PORTAL AND, AND PROCESSING IT.
A LOT OF THIS IS DIGITAL, SO IT COULD BE ANALYZED.
UH, VICE CHAIR ROBBINS, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE MIGHT BE A NEED FOR TWO RESOLUTIONS.
UH, ONE THE WORKING GROUP AND SECOND, UH, ASKING THE CITY COUNCIL TO DIRECT RELEVANT CITY DEPARTMENTS TO, UM, PARTICIPATE IN THE WORKING GROUP AND OR OTHER, UH, UH, EFFORTS TO STREAMLINE SOLAR PERMITTING.
UM, I WILL, UH, VOTE FOR BOTH.
I'LL CO-SPONSOR BOTH IF PEOPLE HERE THINK THEY'RE NEEDED.
I'M JUST TRYING TO GIVE YOU A QUICK TAKEAWAY FROM, UH, WHAT I'VE GLEANED FROM THIS CONVERSATION.
IS YOUR HAND STILL UP OR UP AGAIN? IT'S UP AGAIN.
I, UM, CONCUR VICE CHAIR ROBBINS THAT WE NEED TWO RESOLUTIONS.
WE ARE NOT GONNA WRITE 'EM TONIGHT.
UM, BUT I WILL BOTH RESOLUTIONS AND CO-SPONSOR THEM WITH OTHERS.
UM, I WOULD, YOUR NEXT ITEM AGENDA IS TO CALL FOR ITEMS FOR THE NEXT AGENDA.
LET'S PUT THIS ON FIRST, PLEASE.
SO THERE WILL EXPECT TWO RESOLUTIONS COMING ON THIS TOPIC.
[02:50:01]
MR. LEBECK.MR. PIPKIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
WE, WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, SEEING MORE OF YOU AND WORKING WITH YOU.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
OKAY.SO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. THIS IS THE FIRST ONE, UM, THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, WHAT ELSE DO WE HAVE FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? SHE LOOKS AT ME,
I'LL, UM, I'M, I'M PRETTY TIRED AND, UM, I UH, I HAVE NO SUGGESTIONS.
COME UP WITH SOMETHING TOMORROW.
WE HAVE TIME TO, TO SEND THEM IN TO MS. GOODWIN.
UH, COMMISSIONER SILVERSTEIN, YOU HAVE THIS, THIS IS THE POINT IN EVERY OTHER AGENDA WHEN I ASK MS. GOODWIN AND, AND MS. EVERHART TO PUT THE ITEM OF THE, WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THIS CITY'S DISTRICT? HEATING AND COOLING.
STUDY OR WE ARE, I GUESS WE WERE DOING IT WE'RE DOING THAT TODAY.
GONNA TURN UP, TURN UP ENTERPRISE REPORT READY.
SO LET THE AGENDA JUST FOR YUCKS AND UM, NOT LIST IT.
IF THEY CAN CANCEL IT IF THEY AIN'T GONNA HAVE A REPORT READY.
I WAS THINKING 'CAUSE WE DID OUR RES OUR RECOMMENDATION, BUT YES.
UM, YOUR AUDIO WAS GOING IN AND OUT.
UM, ANY OTHER AGENDA ITEMS? REMEMBER YOU CAN UM, SEND THEM TO MS. GOODWIN AND COPY ME.
UM, ANYTIME BEFORE THE, UH, POSTING DEADLINE, WHICH IS POSTED SOMEWHERE.
I THINK YOU HAVE IT, BUT IF NOT, YOU CAN CON CONFIRM WITH MS. GOODMAN.
BUT, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO END BEFORE 9:00 PM BARELY.
SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
UH, IT IS 8:59 PM WE ARE ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR PARTICIPATION.