* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:02]
          SO I'M GONNA CALL THE MEETING TO 
          [CALL TO ORDER ]
ORDER. 
          THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. 
          UM, I'M THINKING WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY REGISTERED TO SPEAK. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          THEN WE'LL GO TO 
          [1.  Approve the minutes of the Joint Sustainability Committee Special Called Meeting on May  13th, 2026.]
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. 
          DOES ANYBODY WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE'VE GOT A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. 
          DO HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. 
          OKAY. 
          MOTION AND A SECOND. 
          UH, ANY EDITS OR CHANGES? OTHER CHANGES TO THE MINUTES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE? OKAY. 
          ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. 
          PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. 
          AND I SEE THAT RODRIGO, YOU'VE JOINED. 
          JUST REMEMBER, YOU NEED TO TURN ON YOUR CAMERA TO BE COUNTED. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          THE MINUTES ARE ADOPTED. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          SO WE'VE GOT, UH, WHAT I THINK AT LEAST SOME OF US THINK 
          [3.  Staff briefing regarding Travis County Environmental Preferred Procurement Program.  Presentation by Ryan Kenney and Katie Cane, Travis County Operational Sustainability. ]
IS AN EXCITING PRESENTATION LINED UP FOR THE EVENING ON ENVIRONMENTAL, ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERENTIAL PURCHASING FROM OUR FRIENDS AT TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          UM, IF, IF YOU'LL WANNA, UM, COME FORWARD, WE'LL GET STARTED WITH THAT. 
          UM, AND WE'VE GOT, UH, RYAN, KENNY AND KATIE CRANE, RIGHT? YEAH. 
          SORRY. 
          KATIE KANE. 
          I ADDED AN R IN THERE. 
          THAT'D BE A NICE NAME TOO. 
          KANE CRANE. 
          ANYWAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. 
          WE'VE DEFINITELY, UH, BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, THIS PRESENTATION. 
          SO THANKS FOR MAKING THE TIME, AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? I THINK I TURNED THE MIC ON. 
          OKAY. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          I'LL MOVE IT FORWARD. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          HOW IS THIS? OKAY. 
          I'M KATIE KANE. 
          MY NAME IS RYAN KINNEY, AND WE ARE HERE AS REPRESENTATIVES FROM TRAVIS COUNTY'S OPERATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY TEAM HERE TODAY TO TALK TO Y'ALL ABOUT ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PURCHASING. 
          SO, JUST AS A QUICK BACKGROUND, I'M AN ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALIST. 
          I'VE BEEN WITH TRAVIS COUNTY FOR ALMOST FOUR YEARS NOW, AND I HAVE THE, I GUESS, UNDERSTOOD TITLE OF RECYCLING COORDINATOR. 
          AND I HELP OUT WITH A LOT OF PROGRAMS AT TRAVIS COUNTY THAT DEAL WITH WASTE DIVERSION, TONER AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, BATTERY AMBASSADOR PROGRAM. 
          UM, AND WITHIN THOSE PROGRAMS, WE TRY TO REALLY INSTILL EPP IN ANY WAY WE CAN, AND WE'LL GET INTO HOW WE DO THAT THROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION. 
          YES, AND THANK YOU KATIE. 
          UM, AND I'M THE ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALIST SENIOR ON THE OPERATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY TEAM. 
          I REALLY LOOK AT, UM, MY UNOFFICIAL TITLE AS SUSTAINABILITY ANALYST. 
          SO I HELP LOOK AT ALL OF OUR, UM, DATA, LOOK AT ALL OF OUR SUSTAINABILITY INFO METRICS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, AND FIGURE OUT WHAT AREAS WE'RE SUCCESSFUL IN, WHAT AREAS WE NEED IMPROVEMENT AND ALL THAT OTHER FUN STUFF. 
          SO LET'S GET GOING. 
          AWESOME. 
          SO FOR A QUICK AGENDA, WE'RE GONNA JUST COVER REALLY QUICKLY WHAT EPP IS, WHY IT MATTERS, HOW YOU CAN SHOP EPP AND WHAT EPP LOOKS LIKE AT TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          AND AS A HEADS UP AS WELL, EPP IS GONNA BE THE ABBREVIATION FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PURCHASING. 
          SO WHAT IS IT? THIS IS THE BASIC SUMMARY DEFINITION OF WHAT EPP IS. 
          IT'S JUST PURCHASING AND PROCURING PRODUCTS AND SERVICES THAT HAVE THE LEAST ADVERSE EFFECT ON HUMAN HEALTH AND THE QUALITY OF THE ENVIRONMENT WHEN COMPARED TO SIMILAR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. 
          WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EPP, WE REALLY THINK ABOUT THESE THREE KEY FACTORS, THE LIFECYCLE PERSPECTIVE, GREEN SPENDING, GREEN PRODUCTS, AND VENDOR SELECTION AS WELL, WHICH WE'LL ALL COVER ON THE REMAINDER OF TODAY'S SLIDES. 
          SO WHY DOES EPP MATTER? SO EPP, THERE'S A LOT OF BENEFITS THAT COME WITH IT. 
          SOMETIMES THERE MIGHT BE COST SAVINGS, BUT MORE OFTEN WE REALLY FOCUS ON WHAT THE PRODUCTS ARE ACTUALLY MADE OUT OF. 
          IF IT'S MADE WITH RECYCLABLE MATERIALS OR MATERIALS FROM REFUSE, IF THEY HAVE TO TRAVEL HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD, IF THE PRODUCTS ARE MADE WITH TOXIC CHEMICALS OR NOT. 
          THOSE ARE ALL FACTORS AND CONSIDERATIONS WHEN LOOKING AT EPP AND A REALLY, ANOTHER BIG POINT WITH EPP IS THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY, RIGHT? SO LOOKING AT THE WHOLE LIFE CYCLE, NOT JUST PRODUCING THE PRODUCT, RECEIVING IT, AND THEN THROWING IT AWAY. 
          REALLY LOOKING AT EACH STEP IN THAT PROCESS AND FIGURING OUT HOW TO KEEP THOSE MATERIALS WITHIN EACH ITEM IN CIRCULATION FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. 
          SO ALL OF THESE POINTS, ALL OF THESE FOCUS AREAS REALLY ULTIMATELY ADD UP TO HOPEFULLY REDUCE OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S WHAT OUR TEAM EXISTS FOR, IS REDUCING GREENHOUSE GASES, GAS EMISSIONS, REDUCING OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT, AND ULTIMATELY MAKING TRAVIS COUNTY A MORE 
          [00:05:01]
SUSTAINABLE ORGANIZATION. 
          SO FOR A LITTLE EXERCISE, WE'LL KIND OF JUST LOOK AT THIS REALLY SURFACE LEVEL. 
          SO ITEM A VERSUS ITEM B, JUST LOOKING AT THE PRICE, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU BUY OR WHICH ONE WOULD YOU PUT IN YOUR CART? A YEAH, SO IT'S CHEAPER. 
          YOU, YOU MIGHT GET MORE FOR THE COUNT, IT'S 2 CENTS VERSUS 4 CENTS. 
          BUT WITH EPP, IT REALLY TRIES TO LOOK AT NOT JUST THE PRICE TAG, RIGHT? IT LOOKS INTO HOW THE MATERIALS WERE MADE, HOW IT GETS TO YOU, ALL THAT FUN STUFF. 
          SO WHEN WE BREAK DOWN THE TWO ITEMS, POTENTIALLY WITH ITEM A, IT MIGHT HAVE TO BE SHIPPED HALFWAY ACROSS THE WORLD, IT MIGHT HAVE TO GO ON A FREIGHT TRAIN ON A UPS TRUCK, A DELIVERY TRUCK IN ORDER TO GET TO YOU. 
          SO THAT'S A LOT OF FUEL EDGE, THAT'S A LOT OF MILEAGE, THAT'S A LOT OF DIRECT EMISSIONS INTO OUR ATMOSPHERE AND TO OUR ENVIRONMENT. 
          ITEM A COULD POTENTIALLY EVEN BE MADE WITH TOXIC CHEMICALS. 
          CHEMICALS THAT AREN'T REALLY HEALTHY FOR US OR OUR ENVIRONMENT. 
          AND THEN ANO, ANOTHER, UM, ITEM TO KIND OF PAY ATTENTION TO IS POTENTIALLY THE ITEM IS NOT MADE WITH ETHICAL WORK STANDARDS, OR THE EMPLOYEES ARE NOT GETTING FAIR WAGES WHEN YOU DO PURCHASE THAT PRODUCT. 
          AN EXAMPLE OF THIS MAY BE, COULD BE FAST FASHION, OR THOSE WEBSITES WHERE YOU CAN BUY 10,000 DRESSES FOR $5 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          THAT'S AN EXTREME EXAMPLE, BUT THEY'RE SO CHEAP BECAUSE THE EMPLOYEES ARE NOT BEING PAID FAIRLY AND EARNING HONEST OR, UM, UH, VALUABLE WAGES. 
          SO ITEM B ON THE CONTRARY, POTENTIALLY IT'S LOCALLY MADE, IT CAN CUT DOWN ON THAT TRANSPORTATION COST OR IT, IT CUTS DOWN ON TRANSPORTATION AND IT'S NOT GONNA BE SHIPPED HALFWAY ACROSS THE WORLD. 
          ITEM B, IF YOU SAW ON THE LAST SLIDE, IT WAS MADE WITH RECYCLABLE MATERIAL. 
          SO RECYCLED CONTENT. 
          AND POTENTIALLY WITH EPP, IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT MORE COSTLY BECAUSE THE EMPLOYEES WORKING TO MAKE THAT PRODUCT ARE BEING PAID FAIRLY AND EQUITABLY. 
          SO THIS IS A REALLY SIMPLE EXAMPLE OF THE KEY DIFFERENCES OR THE KEY DIFFERENCE IN A REGULAR PRODUCT THAT YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW WHERE IT COMES FROM, WHAT IT'S MADE OF, VERSUS SOMETHING THAT'S CERTIFIED EPP WITH ECO LABELS, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE'LL GET INTO LATER ON IN THIS PRESENTATION. 
          SO NOW THAT WE KNOW THAT QUICK EXAMPLE OF, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT NOT JUST WANNA BUY THE CHEAPEST THING ONLINE, YOU MIGHT WANNA TAKE A DEEPER DIVE INTO WHAT AN EPP PRODUCT IS AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF IT. 
          WE'RE GONNA GET INTO HOW YOU CAN ACTUALLY SHOP EPP. 
          SO I'VE KIND OF TOUCHED BASE ON A FEW OF THESE BULLET POINTS SO FAR, BUT JUST CONSIDER IF IT'S MADE OUT OF RECYCLED CONTENT OR IF IT'S MADE LOCALLY PER CHANCE. 
          YOU REALLY WANNA AVOID TOXIC CHEMICALS, SINGLE USE ITEMS. A REALLY BIG ENCOUNTER THAT WE'VE HAD AT TRAVIS COUNTY IS DEPARTMENTS BUYING STYROFOAM CUPS. 
          IT CAN, THAT IDEA CAN BE ELIMINATED WITH A SIMPLE CONVERSATION, RIGHT? EXPLAINS STYROFOAM IS SINGLE USE, IT'S MADE OUT OF PLASTIC, IT WILL NEVER BREAK DOWN IN A LANDFILL. 
          HERE'S A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION LIKE PAPER CUPS THAT MIGHT EITHER BE ON THE SAME COST LEVEL OR EVEN CHEAPER. 
          ECO LABELS I'VE TALKED ABOUT AS WELL. 
          THESE ARE LABELS THAT JUST SHOW A CERTIFIED EPP PRODUCT AND THE LABELS CHANGE DEPENDING ON IF IT'S, UM, MADE LOCALLY, MADE ETHICALLY MADE WITH NON-HARMFUL CHEMICALS, THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          AND WE HAVE A WHOLE SLIDE DEDICATED TO WHAT THOSE LABELS LOOK LIKE. 
          AND THEN LASTLY, KIND OF ALMOST IN A HOLISTIC APPROACH, TAKE A LOOK AT THE VENDORS, SEE IF THEY HAVE TAKE BACK PROGRAMS THAT ALREADY EXIST FOR THEIR ITEMS, RIGHT? THAT'S GONNA BE A REALLY BIG FOCUS WHEN WE LOOK AT THE LIFECYCLE PERSPECTIVE LATER ON IN THESE SLIDES. 
          UM, IT'S REALLY NOT FOCUSING ON JUST MAKING THE PRODUCT AND SELLING IT, IT'S FOCUSING ON HOW THEY'RE MADE, HOW THEY'RE SHIPPED, WHAT IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AT EVERY STAGE IN THAT PRODUCT'S LIFE. 
          SO THIS LIFECYCLE PERSPECTIVE, I THOUGHT THIS WAS A REALLY GOOD IMAGE THAT JUST BREAKS DOWN EACH STEP IN A PRODUCT'S LIFE. 
          SO, AS I MENTIONED, SOMETIMES EPP PRODUCTS OR PRODUCTS NOT MADE WITH THAT EPP MINDSET OR OUTLOOK MIGHT NOT CARE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS IN EACH OF THESE LEVELS. 
          HOWEVER, THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID AT EACH EACH STAGE, RIGHT? SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE DESIGN OR IF YOU'RE GONNA BE USING RAW MATERIALS, IS THERE A POTENTIAL SOLUTION TO USE RECYCLED MATERIALS OR MATERIALS THAT HAVE BEEN RECOVERED OUTSIDE OF THE LANDFILL? LOOKING AT THE SUPPLY CHAIN OR THE SHIPPING PROCESS, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? IS IT LOCAL OR IS IT MADE OUT OF THE COUNTRY? SO THIS LIFECYCLE PERSPECTIVE IS A VERY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF EPP, SIMPLY BECAUSE SMALL DECISIONS IN EACH STEP CAN ADD UP TO A REALLY BIG ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT FOR THE POSITIVE. 
          IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D WANNA ADD ON THIS? UM, NOT JUST FOR LIKE A, FOR EXAMPLE, RAW MATERIALS, NOT JUST LOOKING AT, UM, RECYCLED MATERIALS, BUT ALSO THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SUSTAINABLY SOURCED, UM, EITHER VIA ETHICALLY OR, UM, THINGS LIKE SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY, ET CETERA. 
          SO, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT CAN GO INTO 
          [00:10:01]
CONSIDERATION. 
          AWESOME. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          SO ECO LABELS, NOW THAT YOU KIND OF KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR, MAYBE KIND OF TYPE IN RECYCLED PAPER, UM, PAPER TAGS OR RECYCLED PAPERCLIPS, WHATEVER IT MAY BE. 
          IF YOU REALLY WANNA ENSURE THE PRODUCT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS CERTIFIED EPP, THESE ARE JUST EXAMPLES OF THE LABELS YOU CAN FIND. 
          SO SOMETIMES THEY'LL ACTUALLY BE ON THE PRODUCT ITSELF, OR IT WILL BE ON THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION IF YOU'RE SHOPPING ONLINE. 
          SO FOR A REALLY COMMON EXAMPLE, I THINK WE POTENTIALLY CAN ALL RECOGNIZE IS UNDER THE SAVE ENERGY LABEL SPOT ENERGY STAR APPLIANCES. 
          I'M PRETTY SURE IN A LOT OF NEW BUILDS IN AUSTIN, THIS ISN'T A FACT, THIS IS JUST FROM, UH, TALKING TO FRIENDS OF MINE. 
          A LOT OF THEIR APPLIANCES ALREADY COME, ENERGY STAR MANUFACTURERS AND APARTMENT COMPANIES ARE ALREADY INSTALLING THOSE WAY AHEAD OF BEFORE PEOPLE ARE MOVING IN. 
          SO WE CAN SEE EEP, EPP IN PRACTICE IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT AVENUES AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS. 
          AND THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF AN ECO LABEL THAT WOULD JUST BE ON A PRODUCT AND TO, TO LOOK AT BEFORE BUYING. 
          AND I WILL SEND, I THINK THESE SLIDES ARE AVAILABLE FOR Y'ALL AS WELL. 
          SO THERE'S A LINK DOWN HERE YOU CAN FIND TO THE EPAS WEBSITE ON WHERE WE GOT THESE LABELS AT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO NOW THAT WE'VE KIND OF COVERED WHAT EPP IS, WHY IT MATTERS, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT EPP LOOKS LIKE AT TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          SO WE HAVE POLICY IN 2019. 
          THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT ADOPTED THE EPP POLICY, AND SINCE THEN THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF RESOURCES AND INITIATIVES THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED THROUGH THIS POLICY. 
          SO WE'LL COVER LATER ON THE REUSE RESOURCES AT TRAVIS COUNTY, SO THE REUSE STORE AND THE PURCHASING WAREHOUSE. 
          AND WE'LL ALSO TALK ABOUT EDUCATION AND TRAINING SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY. 
          SO I'LL KICK IT OVER TO RYAN FOR THIS SLIDE. 
          YES. 
          SO UNDER THE 2019, UH, EPP POLICY, UM, IT SET A COUPLE, UM, GOALS, GUIDELINES, UM, THAT THE COUNTY SHOULD STRIVE FOR. 
          UM, AND ONE OF THOSE IS THE EPP FOR MINIMUM OF 50% OF OFFICE SUPPLY PURCHASES. 
          AND IF YOU'VE EVER BOUGHT OFFICE SUPPLIES, THAT IS A HUGE, UM, TASK. 
          UM, BUT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS THAT. 
          UM, SOME OF THE OTHER GUIDELINES OR GOALS ARE INCLUDING INFLUENCING VENDOR BEHAVIOR BY LIKE JUST TALKING TO THEM, RIGHT? SAYING, WE WANT, UM, INFORMATION ON WHAT OUR PURCHASES ARE WITH Y'ALL. 
          SO, FOR EXAMPLE, TAKING, HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH A LARGE VENDOR SUCH AS LIKE AMAZON, UM, YOU CAN REALLY, THEY CAN LOOK AT ALL YOUR PURCHASES AND TELL YOU HOW MUCH OF THEM ARE EPP, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE THINGS PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IS THAT THE PURCHASES WE ALREADY MAKE A LOT OF TIMES ALREADY WOULD QUALIFY FOR EPP. 
          SO YOU DON'T EVEN NEED TO MAKE CHANGES, IT'S JUST MORE RECOGNIZING THE THINGS YOU'RE ALREADY DOING AND EXTENDING THAT TOWARDS OTHER, UM, I GUESS PRACTICES. 
          AND THEN LASTLY, UH, DEVELOPING AND UTILIZING OUR INTERNAL REUSE NETWORKS, WHICH I BELIEVE WE'LL TALK ABOUT LATER IN THIS PRESENTATION. 
          UM, SUCH AS THE REUSE STORE AND PURCHASING WAREHOUSE. 
          SO WITH THE EPP PROCESS, THERE IS A FEW STEPS. 
          THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE INCLUDE IN THE EPP PAPERWORK AND THE SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING GUIDE THAT WE TRY TO SEND OUT TO ALL RELEVANT EMPLOYEES, IN ADDITION TO AN ANNUAL EPP TRAINING ONLINE MODULE THAT EMPLOYEES TAKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW THEY CAN PRACTICE EPP. 
          IN ADDITION TO ONLINE TRAINING AND ONLINE MODULES, IN PRETTY MUCH EVERY PRESENTATION THAT WE DO, WE TRY TO TOUCH BASE ON A FEW OF THESE STEPS, REALLY SPECIFICALLY THE REUSE OPPORTUNITIES, WHICH WE'LL GET INTO ON THE LATER SLIDES. 
          BUT THIS IS JUST KIND OF A SUMMARY OF HOW YOU CAN PRACTICE EPP IN YOUR ORGANIZATION. 
          SO YOU IDENTIFY THE PRODUCT, YOU VERIFY THE NEED, TRY TO FIND REUSE OPPORTUNITIES FIRST, AND IF THAT'S NOT AN OPTION, THEN GO FOR EPP PRODUCTS. 
          SO THIS IS A LINK TO THE SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING GUIDE. 
          WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN SEND THAT OUT TO Y'ALL, AND IF NOT, WE CAN FIND SOME ONLINE RESOURCES THAT, THAT WE PULLED FROM CREATING OUR OWN. 
          AND THEN YOU, AFTER THAT, YOU WOULD CHECK FOR CERTIFICATIONS OR ECO LABELS, AS I MENTIONED A FEW SLIDES AGO. 
          AND THEN YOU JUST COMPLETE THE PURCHASE. 
          SO AS RYAN SAID, UM, A LOT OF THE TIMES PRODUCTS ARE ALREADY EPP OR CONSIDERED IN THAT CATEGORY, AND IF THEY'RE NOT, YOU JUST NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH DEPARTMENTS, CONVERSATIONS WITH EMPLOYEES, AND SHOW THEM HOW SIMPLE OF A SWITCH IT CAN BE, AND THEN THEY CAN FOLLOW THIS GUIDE AND, AND REPLACE WHATEVER ITEM THEY'RE BUYING WITH SOMETHING THAT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY. 
          SO SOME FUN THINGS TO TALK ABOUT, WE HAVE THE TRAVIS COUNTY REUSE STORE. 
          THIS IS ONE OF OUR NEWER RESOURCES OVER, I GUESS IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. 
          I SAY IT'S NEW, BUT I GUESS IT'S NOT ANYMORE. 
          UM, THIS IS WHERE EMPLOYEES CAN DONATE OR PICK UP GENTLY USED OFFICE SUPPLIES FROM ALL AROUND THE COUNTY. 
          SO PAPERCLIPS, UM, BINDERS, WE EVEN HAVE SOME TONER CARTRIDGES THAT PEOPLE DONATE IF THEY DON'T WORK WITH THEIR CURRENT COPY OR PRINTER. 
          A WHOLE PLETHORA OF ITEMS. WE EVEN 
          [00:15:01]
HAD A REALLY FUNNY, UM, POSTER THAT WAS IN A NICE CASE, AND I THINK SOMEONE PICKED THAT UP AS WELL. 
          SO YOU CAN EVEN DECORATE YOUR OFFICE WITH REUSE SUPPLIES. 
          SO THIS IS ACTUALLY A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WITH OUR TNR ADMIN TEAM. 
          THAT'S TRANSPORTATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES. 
          THEY HAVE BEEN A HUGE HELP IN HELPING MONITOR AND GETTING PEOPLE IN THAT ROOM, PICKING UP THE SUPPLIES AND TAKING IT AWAY. 
          SO EPP IS NOT JUST ONE PERSON'S JOB, RIGHT? IT, IT CAN BE A REALLY COUNTY-WIDE OR ORGANIZATION-WIDE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT. 
          AND WHEN YOU GET MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN A, IN A PROGRAM, IN A PROJECT, REALLY GREAT THINGS CAN COME OUT OF IT. 
          AND SO SIMILARLY, WE HAVE THE PURCHASING WAREHOUSE THAT HAS BEEN AROUND A LOT LONGER THAN THE REUSE STORE, BUT THIS IS FOR LARGER FURNITURE ITEMS, DESKS, CHAIRS, ET CETERA. 
          NAME IT, THEY PROBABLY HAVE IT. 
          SO THIS IS A REALLY COOL PROGRAM WHERE IF YOU DON'T NEED A DESK ANYMORE, YOU'RE REDOING YOUR OFFICE, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, THE FACILITIES MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT WILL COME PICK THAT UP, BRING IT TO THEIR WAREHOUSE, AND EMPLOYEES CAN THEN GO IN AND SHOP WHAT THEY NEED FOR ANY ITEMS THAT EMPLOYEES DON'T GRAB. 
          IF THEY'RE JUST SITTING THERE FOR, WHO KNOWS, A FEW YEARS, MAYBE A FEW MONTHS, I DON'T KNOW THEIR EXACT TIMELINE, IT ACTUALLY GOES OUT FOR BID. 
          SO OTHER EXTERNAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN UTILIZE THESE MATERIALS WITHOUT HAVING THEM GO TO LANDFILL. 
          AND IN RETURN, THAT'LL GENERATE SOME REVENUE FOR TRAVIS COUNTY AS WELL. 
          SO THOSE ARE JUST TWO EXAMPLES OF EPP RESOURCES THAT CAME OUTTA THAT POLICY. 
          AND AGAIN, IT REALLY IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WITH SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS. 
          WE COULD NOT DO WHAT WE DO WITHOUT THE HELP OF EVERYONE AT TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          SO THAT'S KIND OF IT. 
          WE'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS OR IF, IF, RYAN, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WANTED TO ADD THAT I MAY HAVE MISSED? I WOULDN'T SAY LIKE, THE MAIN THING THAT HAS COME FROM THIS POLICY IS THE, LIKE WE ALWAYS THINK ABOUT REUSE, RE REDUCE, RECYCLE, BUT REFUSE OR NOT, YEAH, REFUSE. 
          LIKE YOU DON'T, SOMETIMES YOU DON'T NEED THE PRODUCT AND YOU CAN MAKE DUE WITH THE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES YOU HAVE OR, UM, USE ONE OF THESE OPTIONS LIKE THE REUSE STORE. 
          UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY TRY TO, UH, INSTILL IN OUR EMPLOYEES AT THE COUNTY. 
          YEAH, THAT'S A REALLY GREAT POINT THAT YOU BRING UP. 
          I THINK ESPECIALLY IN TODAY'S SOCIETY, WE JUST WANNA BUY NEW AND BUY MORE THAN WHAT WE NEED. 
          AND THAT WITH THE REUSE STORE, WITH THE PURCHASING WAREHOUSE, I THINK THAT REALLY TARGETS THAT NEW R THAT REFUSE BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT ALREADY EXIST THAT THE COUNTY HAS ALREADY PURCHASED, LET'S PUT 'EM TO USE BEFORE THEY JUST HEAD TO LANDFILL. 
          SO THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, SO THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH. 
          WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS OR JUST HAVE A VERY CONVERSATIONAL COLLABORATIVE SPACE. 
          YEAH. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          UH, SOUNDS LIKE Y'ALL ARE DOING GREAT WORK. 
          UM, I HAVE, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL FIRST PITCH IT TO MY, MY COLLEAGUES HERE. 
          DID YOU HAVE ONE? GO AHEAD. 
          YES. 
          CAN YOU ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT OF HOW IS IT THAT THE GREEN TEAM OR TINA ARE, UM, INFORMS OTHER COUNTY WORKERS ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND HOW DO YOU GET THE BUY-IN FOR THEM TO PARTICIPATE? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. 
          I'LL START OFF ANSWERING WITH MY EXPERIENCE ON THAT. 
          SO AS IRIS MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE THE TRAVIS COUNTY GREEN TEAM, WHICH, WHICH INCLUDES REPRESENTATIVES FROM SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS. 
          I WISH ALMOST EVERY DEPARTMENT, I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBERS, BUT THEY ATTEND MONTHLY MEETINGS AND THEY GET TO LEARN ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE INITIATIVES AT TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          SO THAT'S ONE WAY TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT EPP. 
          BUT WE ALSO DO ONSITE ASSESSMENTS WITH SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS, WITH ALL OF OUR FACILITIES, WHOEVER'S GONNA BE ON SITE THAT DAY. 
          I GO IN AND I MEET WITH THEM AND I TALK ABOUT ALL OF THESE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE. 
          AND AS SOON AS I MENTION REUSE STORE AND FREE OFFICE SUPPLIES, THE ADMIN EMPLOYEES AND REGULAR EMPLOYEES TOO, THEY PERK UP AND THEY'RE LIKE, WHOA, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THIS EXISTED. 
          SO THAT IS ANOTHER WAY WE DO ONSITE ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWING, ESSENTIALLY, TO REALLY SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AS WELL. 
          I ALSO JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT WE ALSO DO TRAININGS, UM, IN PERSON EITHER VIA LIKE NEW HIRE ORIENTATIONS. 
          I KNOW WE HIT ALL OF THE T AND R NEW HIRE ORIENTATIONS, WHICH IT IS THE SECOND LARGEST DEPARTMENT AT THE COUNTY, UM, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE OTHER NEW HIRE ORIENTATIONS. 
          SO WE CAN GET IN THERE EARLY, UM, BEFORE THEY BUY ALL THE SUPPLIES FOR THEIR DESK OR MAYBE BRING STUFF FROM HOME. 
          UH, WE HAVE STUFF TO HELP THEM OUT. 
          YEAH. 
          AND ONE LAST THING TO ADD TO THAT. 
          SO I MENTIONED RIGHT BEFORE WE STARTED, WE JUST FINALLY COMPLETED THE 2026 UPDATE TO THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN. 
          SO THAT'S WHERE OUR TEAM ACTUALLY MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM EVERY DEPARTMENT THAT MEETS AND REPORTS TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT, ALONG WITH A FEW OTHERS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY'RE ALREADY DOING TO HELP WITH BEING SUSTAINABLE AND SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVES AT TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          AND ALSO TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN DO. 
          AND I THINK A LARGE FOCUS IN THAT WAS PURCHASING AND SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT AND, AND THOSE TOPICS. 
          YES, AND THE GREEN TEAM IS FANTASTIC ADVOCATES, UM, LIKE KATIE SAID EARLIER, COVERS A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS AT THE COUNTY. 
          UM, AND SO WE CAN REALLY GET A WORD OUT THAT WAY. 
          UM, IF YOU HAVE A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE GOING TO THE RE STORE OR, UM, BUYING SOMETHING THAT IS 
          [00:20:01]
EPP WITHOUT COSTING TOO MUCH, YOU CAN SHARE THAT KNOWLEDGE. 
          UM, PEOPLE WOULD RATHER SHARE HAPPY STUFF THAN DARK AND DEPRESSING STUFF SOMETIMES. 
          SO YEAH, GREAT QUESTION. 
          I SAW AARON AND THEN CHARLOTTE. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, MY QUESTION IS FROM LIKE, I'M THINKING OF A LOT OF, I WAS LOOKING INTO, UH, THIS PROGRAM AS IT RELATES TO LIKE PLACES LIKE NEW YORK CITY AND THERE WERE A LOT OF SPECIFIC LAWS THAT THIS CITY HAD PASSED. 
          AND I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW LIKE IF ANY OF THESE ARE IN PLACE HERE OR IF WE, MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE AS A COMMISSION SHOULD WORK ON, BUT THERE WERE LAWS IN RELATED TO LIKE, UH, CITY OPERATIONS, RIGHT? LIKE ALL PRINTER, ALL PRINTERS SHOULD LIKE BE SET UP TO PRINT LIKE DOUBLE-SIDED PAPER, UM, SHOULD BE PURCHASING LIKE RECYCLED PAPER, UM, THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          BUT THEN LARGER TYPE OF PROGRAMS AS WELL IS SAYING, HEY, FOR ANY LARGE SCALE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY AN ANALYSIS BEING DONE TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF A, UH, BIDDER ON A PUBLIC PROJECT IS EXCEEDING MAYBE CERTAIN CARBON THRESHOLDS OR LIKE LIMITS THAT THEY'RE EXCLUDED. 
          UM, AND I GUESS MY, MY QUESTION IS TWO PART IS ONE, IN RELATION TO THOSE KIND OF SPECIFIC EXAMPLES, ARE YOU AWARE OF POLICIES LIKE THAT THAT WOULD SUPPORT THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM? AND THE SECOND QUESTION WOULD BE, ARE YOU AWARE OF ANY SORT OF, UH, LIKE INDEX TO, TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHICH PROGRAMS ARE MAYBE LOW HANGING FRUIT TO START REALLY LIKE, YOU KNOW, BEING AWARE OF THIS PROGRAM AND THEN APPLYING THESE STANDARDS? SO I CAN GO OFF THE FIRST QUESTION. 
          UM, AT LEAST AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, WE HAVE A GREEN BUILDING POLICY THAT INFORMS A LOT OF OUR, UM, I THINK FUTURE BUILDINGS AND RENOVATIONS THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT SOME OF THAT STUFF. 
          UM, AS REGARDING, UM, LIKE AN INDEX OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, WE DO DO ANNUAL REPORTING OF WHICH WE ALSO LOOK AT OUR EPP. 
          UM, TYPICALLY WE LOOK AT, WE ASK AND GATHER INFORMATION FROM OUR LARGE VENDORS, UM, BECAUSE IT'S ALL IN ONE PLACE. 
          UM, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO TELL US EXACTLY WHAT WE PURCHASED WHEN WE PURCHASED IT, UM, WHETHER IT HAS AN ECO LABEL ON IT OR NOT. 
          UM, BUT INTERNALLY IT'S KIND OF A LITTLE BIT MORE CHALLENGING 'CAUSE IT REQUIRES SEVERAL HANDS TO, UM, INPUT INFORMATION INTO OUR TRACKING SYSTEM. 
          AND THEY, WHICH INCLUDES MAINLY JUST LIKE A, LIKE A CHECKBOX SAYING THIS WAS MADE WITH EPP OR MADE IN MIND WITH EPP. 
          SO SOMETIMES THINGS AREN'T CHECKED THERE, UM, WHICH WE, THEY DO HAVE LABELS ON IT AND WHATNOT, BUT, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT IMPROVING ON CHARLOTTE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YES, THANK YOU BOTH FOR THIS PRESENTATION. 
          THIS IS GREAT INFORMATION. 
          UM, I, I REALLY APPLAUD HOW TRAVIS COUNTY IS, UM, REALLY TRYING TO EMBRACE THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY. 
          AND, UM, I I LIKED A LOT WHAT YOU SAID, UM, MR. KENNY ABOUT REFUSE THE, THE MOST SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT IS THE ONE THAT YOU, YOU DON'T BUY, ACTUALLY. 
          UM, I'M CURIOUS IF AS TO, WITHIN TRAVIS COUNTY POLICY, UH, FOR PURCHASING, IS THERE ANY SORT OF GUIDELINE THAT SAYS WE WILL, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WILL PROCURE EPP PRODUCTS WITH A PREMIUM OF X PERCENT. 
          SO LIKE IN THE EXAMPLE THAT YOU SHOWED THE POST-IT NOTES THAT WERE, UM, EPP WERE DOUBLE THE PRICE PER UNIT, RIGHT? UM, IS THERE ANY SORT OF GUIDELINE THAT THE COUNTY ADHERES TO REGARDING, UM, COST? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, FISCAL, UM, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY IS IMPORTANT AND WE KNOW THAT MOST PRODUCTS DO NOT ACTUALLY PRICE IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS, UM, TO THE PRODUCT. 
          SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, WHAT'S THE, IS THERE ANY POLICY AROUND, UM, COST PREMIUM? I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING SPECIFICALLY STATED IN THE COUNTY'S EPP POLICY. 
          UM, BUT WE DO FOLLOW ALL THE STATE OF TEXAS RULES AND WHATNOT, WHICH I THINK IS LIKE 10% ACCORDING TO THEIR EPP POLICY. 
          UM, I COULD BE WRONG ON THAT FRONT, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT, UM, I KNEW, YOU KNOW, THE PURCHASING AGENTS, THE ONES WHO ACTUALLY MAKE THESE PURCHASES AND UM, AFTER THEY'VE BEEN REQUESTED, TEND TO, UM, ASK FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THESE ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PURCHASING. 
          [00:25:01]
UM, IF YOU'RE GONNA MAKE AN EPP PURCHASE, YOU MUST KIND OF BACK IT UP WITH INFORMATION ON WHY YOU'RE MAKING THIS PURCHASE. 
          AND THEN IT'S, AT LEAST FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, IT'S UP TO THEIR DISCRETION IF AS LONG AS IT'S BELOW A CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNT. 
          UM, I BELIEVE ONCE YOU GET UP ABOVE THE $50,000 MARK, THINGS REALLY CHANGE, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR PROCUREMENT PROCESS. 
          BUT, UM, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, WE REALLY STRIVE TO GET THINGS THAT ARE THE SAME PRICE. 
          UM, AND THAT'S OFTEN THE CASE IS THAT A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE ARE ALREADY BUYING THE EPP PRODUCT. 
          UM, SO JUST MAKING SURE WE'RE GETTING THE LOW HANGING FRUIT FROM THAT STAND FRONT. 
          UM, IF YOU'RE MAKING LIKE A REOCCURRING PURCHASE, UM, OFTENTIMES YOU'LL BUY THE SAME PRODUCT OR THE PRODUCT WE BOUGHT THE SAME OVER AND OVER AGAIN. 
          AND SO IF WE CAN CHANGE THOSE LOW, I GUESS, UM, TO A COMPARABLE PRICE, UM, IT'S REALLY EASY TO OVERCOME SOME OF THOSE FINANCIAL BARRIERS. 
          UM, IT'S JUST BEING KNOWLEDGEABLE AND ACTUALLY MAKING AN EFFORT TO LOOK FOR THESE, UM, ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PURCHASES, SO. 
          GOTCHA. 
          OKAY. 
          COOL. 
          GREAT. 
          UM, AND THEN MY, MY SECOND QUESTION IS AROUND THE LABELS. 
          UM, UH, YOU HAD A SLIDE THAT SHOWED ECO LABELS, IT'S LIKE 20 OR SOMETHING. 
          UM, HOW IS THERE SOME KIND OF TRAINING THAT YOU GET TO IDENTIFY WHICH OF THESE ARE LEGIT AND WHICH ARE GREENWASHING? 'CAUSE AS WE KNOW, I USED TO BE A MARKETING, UM, AND YOU CAN SLAP A GREEN LABEL ON SOMETHING AND, AND KIND OF TRICK PEOPLE INTO THINKING THAT IT'S ECO-FRIENDLY, UM, OR USE LANGUAGE THAT'S THAT. 
          SO HOW DO YOU I GUESS, KIND OF SIFT THROUGH THAT? YEAH, GREAT QUESTION. 
          I'LL START WITH, UH, ANSWERING. 
          WE HAVE SEVERAL TRAIN, OR NOT SEVERAL, BUT WE HAVE ONE REALLY LARGE TRAINING, THE EPP ONLINE TRAINING THAT EMPLOYEES TAKE. 
          AND THERE IS A SECTION IN THERE THAT GOES INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT EACH EQUAL LABEL AND WHICH ONES ARE LEGIT VERSUS WHICH ONES THAT COULD BE POTENTIAL GREENWASHING. 
          AND THEN ALSO THROUGH OUR GREEN TEAM. 
          WE'VE DONE A FEW PRESENT PRESENTATIONS NOW ON THAT SPECIFIC TOPIC AND WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR, WHAT TO AVOID. 
          AND IF A PRODUCT SEEMS IFFY, IT MIGHT BE IFFY. 
          DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH INTO IT AND KIND OF INVESTIGATE, YOU KNOW, WHAT COMPANY AM I SUPPORTING? WHAT PRODUCTS AM I BUYING? IS IT LEGIT OR IS IT JUST A NICE STICKER THAT LOOKS GOOD AND IS TRICKING MY BRAIN? SO WE DEFINITELY ARE VERY AWARE OF GREENWASHING. 
          WE TRY TO DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN THROUGH EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TO JUST GET PEOPLE AWARE OF WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT AND WHAT THEY'RE BUYING. 
          A LOT OF THESE ECO LABELS ARE CERTIFIED BY NGOS, UM, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. 
          THERE'S A LARGE VARIETY IN WHAT CONSTITUTES AN EQUAL LABEL. 
          SO WE REALLY, UM, ENCOURAGE, FAMILIARIZING OURSELVES WITH CERTAIN EGO LABELS THAT WE KNOW AND TRUST AND HAVE DONE OUR RESEARCH ON, UM, SO WE CAN BE A LITTLE MORE CONFIDENT IN OUR DECISION MAKING. 
          YEAH. 
          AND ONE MORE THING TOO. 
          WE ACTUALLY HAVE GUIDES FROM SOME OF OUR LARGEST SPEND VENDORS ON HOW TO ACTUALLY FIND EPP PRODUCTS AND WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR ON THAT FRONT AS WELL. 
          SO SOME OF OUR LARGEST VENDORS, WE HAVE SPECIFIC WORKSHEETS THAT WE ATTACH TO THE TRAININGS THAT PEOPLE CAN JUST SAVE TO THEIR COMPUTER QUICKLY PULL UP WHENEVER THEY'RE SHOPPING. 
          YEAH. 
          OR THEY MIGHT HAVE THEIR OWN VENDOR PORTAL, LIKE INSTEAD OF, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, I DON'T KNOW, GRANGER.COM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          THEY MIGHT HAVE A PORTAL THAT'S JUST FOR, AND YOU JUST OPEN IT UP AND IT'S ALREADY FILTERED TO EPP OR STUFF WITH AN ENVIRONMENTALLY LIKE FRIENDLY LABEL. 
          GRANTED WE JUST SAID THAT, UM, NOT EVERY TIME AN ECO LABEL'S ON SOMETHING IS A GOOD, BUT, UM, YOU CAN GET A PRETTY GOOD LEAD, UH, READ ON THINGS THERE. 
          GREAT, THANK YOU. 
          YEAH, GO AHEAD. 
          UM, DO YOU HAVE A DECISION, SORRY, DO YOU HAVE A DECISION MATRIX TO HELP PEOPLE MAKE A EPP PURCHASE? UM, SOMETIMES IT CAN BE REALLY HARD TO LOOK AT VARIOUS FACTORS AND DECIDE OKAY, A, B, C, AND NOT D BUT IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S AVAILABLE THAT YOU SHARE WITH EMPLOYEES AT TRAVIS COUNTY, OR IS THAT UNDER DEVELOPMENT OR NOT? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. 
          DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SHARE? I THINK WE, WE HAVE OUR PURCHASING GUIDE, UM, THAT IS PROVIDED TO ALL THE PEOPLE MAKING PURCHASES AND EVERY SINGLE INDIVIDUAL WITH PURCHASING POWER AT THE COUNTY, UM, TAKES THIS EPP TRAINING ANNUALLY AND IS REQUIRED TO, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A DEDICATED MATRIX CURRENTLY. 
          THAT'S A FANTASTIC IDEA THAT I'M GONNA PITCH IF THERE'S NOT ONE . 
          SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          BUT, UM, I DEFINITELY THINK THE GUIDE IS REALLY IMPORTANT. 
          AND THEN JUST MAKING SURE THAT THE DECISION MAKERS WHO ARE MAKING THESE PURCHASES ARE INFORMED AND AWARE IS AT LEAST CURRENTLY OUR ONLY WAY OF DOING THINGS. 
          SO I, THIS IS JUST A, UH, COMMENT. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, I WORK FOR A, A SOFTWARE COMPANY HERE IN TOWN, AND OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A REALLY BIG, UH, STARTUP COMMUNITY. 
          UM, I WOULD BE REALLY INTERESTED, YOU KNOW, WITH LIKE THE TECHNOLOGY COMMISSION WITH CAPITAL FACTORY TO SEE IF THERE'S, UM, WAYS THAT WE COULD INCORPORATE 
          [00:30:01]
TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE, UH, THE DECISION MAKING, RIGHT? TO REDUCE THE BARRIERS TO, UM, MAKE, MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION ON, YOU KNOW, HOW SOMETHING WOULD ALIGN WITH THIS. 
          AND SO, JUST KIND OF OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I'M THINKING LIKE, IF YOU WERE TO FEED IN CITY PURCHASE ORDERS, UM, YOU KNOW, OR ONES THAT WERE NOT MARKED, RIGHT, IS THERE A WAY IMPROVING THAT DATA TO SAY, OKAY, FOR THE ONES THAT WE DO THINK THERE'S A HIGH LIKELIHOOD THAT THIS IS AN EPP PROGRAM PURCHASE THAT WAS JUST NOT MARKED, IS THERE A WAY TO USE TECHNOLOGY TO BETTER ALIGN WITH THAT? AND FOR THE ONES THAT WEREN'T, UM, YOU KNOW, PURCHASING AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM, BUT WE THINK THAT THERE WAS A ALTERNATIVE THAT, YOU KNOW, WAS WITHIN A REASONABLE PRICE RANGE THAT, THAT THEY REALLY SHOULD HAVE, UM, THAT YOU WOULD CAN EASILY MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION TO INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THEY'RE DOING IT MOVING FORWARD. 
          UM, I'M JUST, JUST A COMMENT, NOT REALLY A QUESTION, BUT I WOULD BE CURIOUS IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE WITH PEOPLE LIKE THAT. 
          THAT'S A GREAT IDEA, . 
          IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO TAKE BACK TO OUR TEAM AND KIND OF DISCUSS MORE ABOUT. 
          YEAH, SO THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          UM, REALLY, REALLY GREAT STUFF. 
          IS THIS A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM? UM, YES AND NO. 
          I BELIEVE IT REALLY DEPENDS. 
          SO THE, ON CERTAIN ASPECTS OF IT ARE MORE VOLUNTARY. 
          UM, NO ONE'S TELLING YOU TO GO TO THE REUSE STORE, UM, STRONGLY SUGGESTED, UM, AND YOU HAVE TO TAKE TIME OUTTA YOUR DAY AND GET ALL THAT STUFF FIGURED OUT. 
          UM, BUT FOR, I THINK IT SAYS STRIVE IS THE ACTUAL WORD PART OF THE RESOLUTION, BUT DON'T QUOTE ME ON THAT. 
          UM, SO I REALLY DEPENDS, I THINK ON THE PURCHASING AGENT THEMSELVES, WHO'S MAKING THESE DECISIONS. 
          UM, 'CAUSE WE CAN PUT A REQUEST IN FOR A PURCHASE, UM, BUT THEY'LL DO THEIR RESEARCH AND SAY, HEY, I FOUND THIS ONE FOR CHEAPER OR WHATNOT. 
          AND SO, UM, THERE'S SOME MONEY, MANY HANDS THAT GO INTO MAKING A PURCHASE AT THE COUNTY. 
          SO, UM, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION, . 
          YEAH, A LOT OF WHAT WE DO AT SUSTAINABILITY, WE'D NEED THE BUY-IN FROM OTHER PEOPLE. 
          WE NEED THE BUY-IN FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS. 
          SO I LIKE HOW YOU SAID STRIVE, WE URGE, WE REALLY RECOMMEND PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY WITH DEPARTMENT LEADERS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS. 
          THEY'RE NORMALLY THE ONES THAT IF THEY'RE ON BOARD, IF THEY AGREE WITH IT, THEY THINK IT CAN WORK WITHIN THEIR OPERATIONS. 
          IT ALMOST BECOMES A REQUIREMENT TYPE VIBE TO THEIR EMPLOYEES, TO THEIR STAFF TO REALLY UPHOLD THIS POLICY. 
          BUT IT DID START WITH A RESOLUTION FROM COMMISSIONER'S COURT. 
          YES. 
          IS THAT SOMETHING, CAN YOU SHARE THAT WHEN YOU SEND THAT, UM, PURCHASING GUIDE AS WELL? YEAH, SURE. 
          I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT. 
          I'M CURIOUS LIKE HOW MUCH OF THE DETAIL, DETAIL THAT YOU SHARED WITH US WAS IN THAT RESOLUTION OR WAS IT KIND OF BIGGER PICTURE AND THEN Y'ALL HAD TO DEVELOP THE DETAILS OF WHAT THAT MEANT AND HOW TO OPERATIONALIZE IT? YEAH, FROM WHAT I CAN REMEMBER READING A LOT OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND A LOT OF THE GOALS, THE POLICY AND THE RESOLUTION HAVE STRIVE STRIVED FOR, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PUT INTO PLACE THROUGH THE REUSE STORE, THROUGH THE PURCHASING WAREHOUSE, OR AT THE VERY LEAST THROUGH OUR EDUCATION AND OUR TRAINING. 
          SO IT DEFINITELY HAS BIG GOALS AND BIG IDEAS AND WE ARE GOING THROUGH THOSE, THOSE ITEMS AND REALLY TRYING TO IMPLEMENT THEM ONE AT A TIME. 
          OKAY. 
          ANNA, I DON'T KNOW IF I CUT YOU OFF, SORRY. 
          NO, IT, WELL, YOU KNOW ME. 
          I'LL, I'LL GO ON. 
          BUT, UM, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT THE CITY LEVEL, I THINK THE ANSWER I GOT TO VERY SIMILAR QUESTION WAS, OKAY, THERE'S LIKE A BREAKDOWN ABOVE AND BELOW $50,000, I THINK WAS, WAS THE ANSWER. 
          AND THEN THERE'S A BREAKDOWN, WHETHER IT'S UH, AN RFP OR AN IFB, WHICH IS AN INVITATION FOR BID. 
          THERE WE GO. 
          UH, A REQUEST FOR PURCHASE. 
          DOES THAT TRACK, DOES THAT SOUND SIMILAR TO HOW THINGS ARE HAPPENING AT THE COUNTY? IT'S VERY SIMILAR, UM, PROCESS FROM MY UNDERSTANDING OF THINGS. 
          UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EPP GENERALLY FOR LIKE MAKING OUR PURCHASES, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S STUFF OF LIKE AMAZON OR LIKE OFFICE DEPOT AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          NOT NECESSARILY A LARGE PART OF A LARGER LIKE CONTRACT LEVEL. 
          UM, AT LEAST FROM MY CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF IT. 
          BUT, AND I DO WANNA ADD, I THINK ON A FEW, UM, IFPS THERE HAVE HAS BEEN LANGUAGE ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY INCORPORATED INTO THERE. 
          SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE DEFINITELY ON NEWER CONTRACTS ON NEW SOLICITATIONS WE REALLY TRY TO FOCUS ON AS WELL IS JUST MAKING SURE THAT THAT LANGUAGE IS THERE, THAT IS A FOCUS OF WHAT WE WANT FROM THE VENDOR, FROM THE CONTRACTOR, WHOEVER IT MAY BE. 
          SO THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE, WE REALLY TRY TO DO AS WELL. 
          THANKS. 
          [00:35:07]
IT LOOKS LIKE, I'M SORRY, I CAN'T ACTUALLY SEE WHO, WHO THAT IS UP THERE. 
          LET ME , SORRY, THIS IS FINE. 
          THIS CHRIS. 
          OH, IT'S CHRIS. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          THINGS ARE A LITTLE LIKE DARK AND SO I DON'T KNOW. 
          ANYWAY, CHRIS, GO AHEAD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, GREAT PRESENTATION, GREAT WORK Y'ALL ARE DOING. 
          UH, YOU MENTIONED THAT IN ORDER TO, REGARDING THE PRICING THAT AN INDIVIDUAL HAS TO PROVIDE JUSTIFICATION FOR THE HIGHER PRICED ITEM THAT'S EPP, THAT KIND OF SOUNDS LIKE AN OPT IN, UH, UH, SCENARIO. 
          I WONDER IF Y'ALL LOOKED AT THE OPT OUT WHERE YOU HAVE TO JUSTIFY THE NON EPP PRODUCTS. 
          SO JUST FOR MY UNDERSTANDING, THE QUESTION IS, WHEN CAN YOU JUSTIFY, ESPECIALLY LOOKING AT A PRICE TAG STANDPOINT ON NOT BUYING EPP VERSUS BUYING EPP? YOU CUT OUT A LITTLE BIT WHENEVER I WAS, I WAS HEARING, UH, YEAH, COMMISSIONER DAVIS HAD, UH, MENTIONED THE PRICING AND RYAN HAD ANSWERED THAT INDIVIDUALS HAVE TO JUSTIFY THE EPP PRODUCT. 
          I'M WONDERING, HAVE Y'ALL THOUGHT ABOUT HAVING THEM JUSTIFY THE NON EPP PRODUCTS? THAT WAS A GREAT QUESTION. 
          UM, I, AT LEAST FROM MY POINT OF VIEW DOWN THE LOW RUNG OF THE TOTEM POLE AT THE COUNTY, UM, I THINK THAT'S LIKE A HIGHER UP DECISION. 
          UM, AND HAVE TO TALK WITH INDIVIDUALS. 
          UM, I DO KNOW THAT WHEN THEY'RE MAKING A PURCHASE IN UM, SAP, I BELIEVE WHEN THEY'RE INPUTTING EVERYTHING IN, UM, THERE'S LIKE A BOX THAT SAYS, HAVE YOU CONSIDERED EPP, UM, WHEN MAKING THIS PURCHASE? AND I THINK IT'S RELATIVELY NEW, BUT, UM, THAT'S TO THE EXTENT OF IT AND THAT'S IT. 
          UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOME LEGAL CHALLENGES TO DOING OTHER WAY AROUND, UM, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK INTO. 
          BUT IT'S A GREAT IDEA. 
          AND I JUST WANNA ADD MY TWO SENSE AS WELL. 
          THIS IS ALL ROOTED IN SUSTAINABILITY, RIGHT? SO THERE'S THREE PILLARS, THE ECONOMIC, THE SOCIAL, THE ENVIRONMENTAL. 
          SO IF SOMETHING IS JUST ASTRONOMICALLY A VERY DRASTIC PRICE DIFFERENCE AND THERE MIGHT BE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS OR CONSTRAINTS OR OTHER ITEMS AT PLAY, THEN I THINK THAT'S A FAIR CONVERSATION TO HAVE OF OKAY, MAYBE EPP RIGHT NOW IS NOT THE MOST SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION FOR OUR TEAM. 
          SO THERE'S A LOT OF PILLARS, THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS THAT COPE THAT YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT BEFORE PURCHASING AS WELL BACK TO THE LIFECYCLE, THE PRODUCT, SORRY, JUSTIFICATION WOULD COME IN. 
          YES. 
          UM, I THINK THE JUSTIFICATIONS NEED TO BE PRETTY STRONG SOMETIMES, UM, DEPENDING ON THE, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT. 
          UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO LIKE LIFECYCLE AND DISPOSAL OF SOME OF THESE PRODUCTS. 
          'CAUSE SOMETIMES YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO DISPOSE OF IT TRADITIONALLY LIKE YOU WOULD OTHER PRODUCTS. 
          SO EVERYTHING'S TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION. 
          GOOD POINT. 
          THIS IS A, A QUESTION PRIMARILY FOR, UH, FELLOW COMMISSIONERS IS WHAT TO WHAT EXTENT DO DOES THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAVE SOME KIND OF, YOU KNOW, LEVERAGE INFLUENCE TO BE ABLE TO INFLUENCE, LIKE INFLUENCE A POLICY CHANGE LIKE THAT AT THE COUNTY TO SWITCH FROM OPT-IN VERSUS OPT OUT? I DON'T THINK THAT'S REALLY THE ROLE OF THE, THE CITY, BUT WE CAN WORK ON IMPROVING OUR POLICIES AT THE CITY. 
          GOT IT. 
          IF Y'ALL HAVE AN OPT-IN POLICY, MAYBE IT'LL INSPIRE SOME OF OUR OFFICIALS AT THE COUNTY TO DO AN OPT-IN POLICY. 
          SO I THINK ON SOME, IT SEEMS LIKE ON SOME ITEMS IT MAYBE IS JUST KIND OF A HARD REQUIREMENT. 
          I THINK WHAT WE'VE BEEN, UM, YEAH, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS HOW TO EXPAND THE SCOPE OF WHAT IS COVERED BY THOSE KIND OF MORE MANDATES. 
          UM, I WAS CURIOUS. 
          I I REALLY DID APPRECIATE WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, REFUSING ITEMS AND, AND I'M, I'M CURIOUS IF THE, IF THERE'S ANY PIECE OF THIS THAT GIVES GUIDANCE OR EVEN REQUIREMENTS, UH, TO DEPARTMENTS ABOUT GIVEAWAYS. 
          IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT I, YOU KNOW, SEE MOST MOSTLY CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT IN GENERAL, LIKE, OH, EVERYBODY DOES IT, RIGHT? YOU'RE OUT TABLING AND THERE'S JUST THIS INSTINCT THAT LIKE, WE NEED TO GIVE SOMETHING AWAY. 
          AND SO OFTEN THAT SOMETHING IS A LITTLE PLASTIC, SOMETHING THAT WON'T LIVE LONG, UH, BUT IT'S MATERIAL WILL LIVE LONG. 
          AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THAT'S ANYTHING THAT Y'ALL HAVE ADDRESSED AT ALL, JUST KIND OF MORE AS A PRACTICE AS OPPOSED, I MEAN, I GUESS YOU COULD REPLACE SOME OF THOSE PRODUCTS MAYBE WITH LIKE ECO-FRIENDLY THINGS, BUT ALSO MAYBE JUST TRYING TO LIKE DISCOURAGE THAT MENTALITY OF YEAH. 
          GIVING AWAY TRASH. 
          THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT. 
          AND WE'VE, WE'VE PRACTICED THAT ON A SIMILAR NOTE BUT ON A DIFFERENT FRONT. 
          SO WE'D ALWAYS DO AN EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION EVERY YEAR. 
          AND THERE WAS JUST ONE YEAR WHERE WE NOTICED IT WAS ALL 
          [00:40:01]
STYROFOAM PRODUCTS BEING SERVED, BEING, UH, FOR UTENSILS, ALL THAT. 
          SO WE GOT AHEAD OF THE GAME, WE JUMPED THE GUN BEFORE THE NEXT YEAR. 
          WE REALLY JUST SAT DOWN, WE TALKED WITH THEM, WE SAID, HEY, MAYBE LIKE COMPOSTABLE PLATES OR, OR BIODEGRADABLE PLATES, JUST SOMETHING THAT'S NOT STYROFOAM, RIGHT? SO I THINK THE SAME METHOD CAN BE USED, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO SWAG AND OUTREACH. 
          AND I KNOW INTERNALLY WITHIN OUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY DIVISION, THAT'S BEEN A REALLY BIG FOCUS ON NOT JUST GIVING AWAY THINGS WITH OUR LOGO ON IT, RIGHT? MAYBE THINGS THAT ARE USABLE THAT ARE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY. 
          I KNOW ONE PERSON WAS JUST LOOKING AT BIODEGRADABLE OR BAMBOO FORK KNIFE AND SPOON SETS MM-HMM . 
          SO JUST MAKING THAT QUICK SWITCH AS WELL OF LOOKING AT PRACTICAL ITEMS, ITEMS THAT AREN'T JUST GONNA BE THROWN AWAY IMMEDIATELY ONCE YOU LEAVE THE TABLE. 
          SO THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT ALSO. 
          AND THAT'S SOMETHING, OH, GO AHEAD. 
          SORRY. 
          I WAS GONNA SAY, WE ALSO ASK PEOPLE, ARE YOU GONNA USE THIS SOMETIMES? YES. 
          AND THEN WE'LL OFFER THEM A DIFFERENT ITEM. 
          THEY SAY NO. 
          UM, WHICH HAS GONE A LONG WAY. 
          SOME OF OUR, UM, TABLING EVENTS. 
          YEAH. 
          AND QR CODES. 
          SOME PEOPLE LOVE THEM, SOME PEOPLE HATE THEM. 
          BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE REALLY ALSO ENCOURAGE A LOT OF GROUPS TO DO SINCE WE ALL HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES THAT WE WANNA SHARE. 
          BUT WE MIGHT NOT WANNA PRINT ALL OF THOSE OUT. 
          SO QR CODES EVERY TIME FOR AT LEAST SOCIAL MEDIA AND SOME RESOURCES AS WELL. 
          SO THAT'S JUST ANOTHER WAY TO CUT DOWN ON TABLE WASTE AND, AND ITEMS AS WELL. 
          YES. 
          BUT WE REALLY, IT'S A GREAT IDEA TO, UM, EXPAND IT TO THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. 
          SO I THINK WE'RE GONNA ADD THAT TO OUR TWO LIST. 
          HAVE SOME CHATS. 
          THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. 
          I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD APPLY TO YOUR PROGRAM, BUT, UM, I WAS GOING BACK TO THE QUESTION ABOUT LIKE, OH, LIKE CITY VERSUS COUNTY AND THE REASON WHY I WAS ASKING THAT, UM, ON MY HOME COMMISSION WE HAD, UM, A PROGRAM THAT WAS AT THE COUNTY THAT THE CITY WAS PUTTING A, A, YOU KNOW, SIZABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY INTO LIKE SOMETHING LIKE 60%. 
          AND I RECOGNIZE THAT'S PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, PURCHASING DEPARTMENTS ARE TRULY SEPARATE ENTITIES, SEPARATE BUDGETS. 
          BUT I DO WONDER IF THERE'S ANY COORDINATION BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE CITY FOR PURCHASING, NOT ONLY FOR LIKE ECONOMIES OF SCALE FOR LOWER COSTS, BUT I'M THINKING ABOUT, UM, REDUCED LIKE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ON LIKE SHIPPING. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, TO, LET'S SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO COORDINATE PURCHASE OF MATERIALS THAT WE BOTH NEED TO PURCHASE. 
          UM, AND MAYBE A, A PROGRAM THAT, OR A, A PRODUCT THAT WOULD BE AN EPP PRODUCT THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, NOT AS EASY TO JUSTIFY, MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT MORE ATTAINABLE IF PURCHASED AS PART OF A, THE LARGER ENTITY. 
          THAT'S ALSO A PRETTY GOOD IDEA. 
          I CAN'T SPEAK TOO MUCH ON WHAT THE VIABILITY OF THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, BUT DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO EXPLORE AS WELL. 
          YEAH. 
          OH, I HAD ONE MORE QUESTION. 
          IN THE TIME THAT YOU'VE IMPLEMENTED THE EPP PROGRAM, HOW MUCH PROGRESS HAVE YOU SEEN? AND THIS IS NOT LIKE A PERCENTAGE PROGRESS, JUST BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE ITSELF. 
          LIKE HAVE YOU SEEN MORE BUY-IN? ARE PEOPLE STILL RESISTANT? ARE THEY STILL MAKING THEIR OLD PURCHASES? OR HAS AWARENESS AT LEAST SHIFTED THE CONVERSATION? UM, A LITTLE BIT. 
          SO, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, WE, EVERYONE IN THE PURCHASING DECISION CAPACITY RECEIVES THIS TRAINING. 
          I THINK IT WAS UP TO 888 EMPLOYEES LAST YEAR, WHICH IS A PRETTY BIG CHUNK OF THE COUNTY. 
          UM, AND I THINK THAT'S SHOWN A LITTLE BIT IN SOME OF OUR SPECIFIC CATEGORIES. 
          I KNOW, UM, EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION WE SAID OUR GOAL WAS 50% OFFICE SUPPLIES BEING MADE. 
          EPPI THINK WE'RE AT LIKE, I WANNA SAY LIKE 12% OR 11% CURRENTLY UP FROM 4% JUST SEVERAL YEARS AGO. 
          SO IT IS, AT LEAST FROM THAT STANDPOINT OR STANDPOINT IS, UM, INCREASING. 
          UM, IT COULD ALSO JUST BE DUE TO BETTER REPORTING OR SOME OF THESE OTHER ITEMS MIGHT ACTUALLY BE EPP AND WE'RE JUST NOW CATCHING THAT. 
          SO, UM, AT LEAST FROM THAT STANDPOINT, WE ARE SEEING SOME IMPROVEMENTS. 
          UM, KATIE DEALS A LOT MORE WITH THE REUSE AND PURCHASING WAREHOUSE, SO SHE CAN TAG IN ON THAT. 
          YEAH, SO WHEN I STARTED A FEW YEARS AGO, THAT WAS A REALLY BIG GOAL IS ONE, TO GET THE REUSE STORE UP AND RUNNING, BUT ALSO TWO, DOING A LOT OF EDUCATION AND OUTREACH FOR OUR TONER AMBASSADORS OR BATTERY AMBASSADORS, EVERYONE AT THE COUNTY. 
          SO A FUN EXAMPLE THAT I'M, I'M THINKING OF RIGHT NOW IS FOR TONER AMBASSADORS. 
          I TALK ABOUT EPP, YOU KNOW, BY TONER THAT IS MADE, UH, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER JUST MAKING SURE THEY'RE MADE IN THE US FROM OFFICE DEPOT OR A VENDOR. 
          AND THEN THEY CAN ACTUALLY, THEN, SINCE IT'S CERTIFIED, IT'S LEGIT, THEY CAN RECYCLE IT THROUGH THE TONER AMBASSADOR PROGRAM. 
          SO ANOTHER BIG CHUNK OF THAT WAS JUST ADVOCATING IF YOU HAVE TONER, YOU'RE NOT GONNA USE, IT'S OUTDATED FOR YOUR COPIER, PUT IT IN THE REUSE STORE, SOMEONE ELSE MIGHT GRAB IT. 
          AND THERE HAVE BEEN QUITE A FEW PEOPLE THAT HAVE MESSAGED 
          [00:45:01]
ME ASKING, WHERE CAN I GET TONER THAT HASN'T BEEN USED, DOES IT THAT ALREADY EXIST SOMEWHERE AT THE COUNTY? AND I JUST DIRECT THEM TO THE REUSE STORE AND THEY'RE ABLE TO USE IT. 
          SO THAT ALSO HELPS US SAVE MONEY AND GENERATE SOME REVENUE ONCE IT GETS RECYCLED AS WELL. 
          AND TO PIGGYBACK OFF THAT, UH, I THINK LAST WEEK WE RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM THIS ONE TEAM ASKING, WHERE DO YOU BUY TONER? 'CAUSE THEY HADN'T BOUGHT TONER IN SEVERAL YEARS. 
          SO, UM, DEPENDING ON THE INFILTRATION OF EPP OR THE I GUESS, PRACTICES, UM, WE'VE HAD SOME SUCCESS OVER OTHERS. 
          JUST DEPENDS ON THE DIFFERENT MAKEUP OF THE INDIVIDUAL TEAMS AND AWARENESS. 
          YEAH, THAT'S, I'M REALLY GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP, THAT EMAIL, ESPECIALLY OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY KNOW WE HAVE A SUSTAINABILITY TEAM AT TRAVIS COUNTY HAS SKYROCKETED AND SO AND FORTH THE REST OF OUR PROGRAM'S PARTICIPATION THAT HAS NOT SKYROCKETED, BUT HAS ALSO INCREASED AS WELL. 
          SO THAT'S BEEN A REALLY COOL TRANSITION TO SEE JUST GOING FROM PEOPLE NOT KNOWING WE EXIST TO BEING THE FIRST PEOPLE THEY ASK QUESTIONS TO WHEN IT COMES TO ETHICAL OR ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PURCHASING. 
          AND IS THERE ALSO LIKE A CENTRALIZED PURCHASING, LIKE AN ADDITION, LIKE FOR LARGER PURCHASES? IS THERE A PURCHASING IN A WAY? ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS THE TONER AMBASSADOR PROGRAM. 
          SO WE ACTUALLY WORKED WITH THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, I BELIEVE IT WAS THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, JUST TO GET, SEE WHAT THE COPIER FLEET WAS LOOKING LIKE. 
          IT WAS ALL THESE DIFFERENT BRANDS, ALL THESE DIFFERENT TYPES, WHICH MEANS A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE BUYING DIFFERENT TYPES OF TONER THAT MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO BE RECYCLED OR GENERATE REVENUE. 
          SO WE'VE WORKED WITH THEM TO REALLY MAIN, UM, MAINSTREAM STREAMLINE ALL THE PRINTERS AND COPIERS AT TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          AND THOSE BRANDS ACTUALLY HAVE TAKE BACK PROGRAMS THEMSELVES, SO WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT POTENTIALLY THROWING ITEMS AWAY WHEN THEY CAN JUST PUT IT IN THE BOX OF THE NEW TONER AND SHIP IT OFF. 
          SO THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE WHERE WE'VE REALLY WORKED WITH THE, THE ITS DEPARTMENT, THE AUDITOR'S DEPARTMENT, THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, TO REALLY TRY AND PRACTICE EBP ON A LARGER FRONT, SPECIFICALLY FOCUSING ON THE DISPOSAL AND RECYCLING LIFECYCLE PART OF THE LIFECYCLE. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT IN GENERAL, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING ALL OF THEIR PURCHASING AS A DEFAULT. 
          THERE'S NOT, LIKE HERE IN THE CITY, IN CITY OF AUSTIN, IT'S, IT SEEMS LIKE SMALLER PURCHASES MAYBE THE DEPARTMENTS KIND OF DO DIRECTLY AND THEN LIKE THE BIGGER STUFF GOES THROUGH THE CENTRALIZED PURCHASING, BUT Y'ALL DON'T HAVE, SO WE HAVE A CENTRALIZED PURCHASING DEPARTMENT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, BUT ALL THE INDIVIDUAL REQUESTS FOR PURCHASES COME FROM THE INDIVIDUAL TEAMS AND DEPARTMENTS. 
          AND SO, AND THEY'RE NOT AGGREGATING NECESSARILY? YEAH, IT DEPENDS ON WHO HANDLES IT AT THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT. 
          AND SO THEY'RE THE ONES WHO MIGHT FIND, THEY'LL, THEY WILL GO ONLINE AND SAY, HEY, I FOUND THIS FOR A LITTLE BIT CHEAPER OR WHATNOT. 
          AND SO FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHO'S ASSIGNED TO YOU. 
          UM, BUT THAT IS, THEY ALL REQUIRED TO DO THIS TRAINING. 
          UM, BUT THEY MIGHT HAVE INDIVIDUAL BUY-IN MIGHT BE DIFFERENT, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER. 
          UM, YOU MUST PROVIDE JUSTIFICATION IF SOMETHING'S A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE NON EPP ITEM. 
          AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER STEP IN THE PROCESS. 
          SO THAT'S SOMEWHERE THAT I THINK WE CAN REALLY WORK ON IN THE FUTURE. 
          DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          AND SO IT SOUNDS LIKE EVEN, EVEN AT THAT LEVEL, IT IS STILL OPTIONAL. 
          IT'S NOT LIKE ONCE YOU REACH KIND OF CENTRAL PURCHASING, IT'S NOT A MANDATE NECESSARILY. 
          YEAH. 
          SO IF YOU CAN PROVIDE, THEY'LL, THEY'LL COME BACK AND SAY, HEY, I FOUND THIS ITEM FOR YOU. 
          YEAH, YOU CAN SAY, THAT'S NOT GONNA WORK FOR ME FOR X REASONS. 
          AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PURCHASING REASONS. 
          SOMETIMES THEY'LL FIND ALTERNATIVE IF YOU NEED LIKE PPE OR SOMETHING. 
          THEY'RE NOT EXPERTS ON EVERY KIND OF PPE OUT THERE. 
          AND SO THEY MIGHT FIND SOMEBODY THAT DOESN'T JUST WORK FOR YOUR TEAM. 
          AND SO YOU CAN GIVE YOUR FEEDBACK AND INFLUENCE THE DECISION A LITTLE BIT. 
          UM, BUT THERE'S STILL A LOT OF LEGS AND CHECKS IN THE BEFORE YOU CAN ACTUALLY MAKE THE EPP PURCHASE. 
          SO IT REQUIRES A LOT OF BUY-IN FROM EVERYBODY. 
          OKAY. 
          HAVE YOU ALL CONSIDERED ANY SORT OF LIKE, UH, I DON'T KNOW, INCENTIVE? INTERNAL, I DON'T KNOW, COMPETITION, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHO CAN USE THE REUSE STORE THE, OR AVOID AS MANY NEW PURCHASES OR I DON'T KNOW HOW, THERE'S PROBABLY DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN STRUCTURE IT, BUT EVEN, YOU KNOW, I THINK SOME OF THESE THINGS PROBABLY COULD BE MANDATED, BUT MAYBE FOR SOME OF THE OTHERS IT'S GAMIFYING IT A LITTLE. 
          YES. 
          UM, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA TOO. 
          WE DO HAVE SOME CHALLENGES WITH THE WAY THE COUNTY'S STRUCTURED. 
          UM, IT'S JUST DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE COUNTY. 
          LIKE THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE DEPARTMENTS UNDER OUR COMMISSION, COMMISSIONER'S COURT, UM, FOR EXAMPLE. 
          AND SO A WHOLE COUNTYWIDE THING MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING, BUT MAYBE WE START IN ONE DEPARTMENT AND GO THROUGH THE TEAMS MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT MORE PRACTICAL. 
          YEAH. 
          [00:50:02]
GREAT. 
          UM, AM I MISSING ANY HANDS? ANYBODY ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS TO SHARE? ALL RIGHT. 
          IT'S BEEN A GOOD CONVERSATION AND I, I THINK WE'RE DEFINITELY LEAVING WITH SOME, SOME IDEAS THAT WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO DISCUSS AND LET PERCOLATE. 
          SO. 
          AWESOME. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          APPRECIATE YOUR WORK. 
          THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. 
          YEAH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. 
          AND SAME, WE HAVE A LOT OF IDEAS THAT Y'ALL HAVE GIVEN US THAT WE WILL TAKE BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YEAH. 
          ALL RIGHT, WELL, THANKS SO MUCH. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          SO WE'VE GOT A, A VERY LEAN AGENDA TODAY, AND I, I HOPE Y'ALL DON'T MIND THAT I JUMPED INTO THAT, BUT I DIDN'T WANNA MAKE THEM HANG OUT WHILE WE HAD OUR DISCUSSION. 
          UM, CHRIS, MAYBE I'LL JUST ASK, IS, IS YOUR UPDATE FAIRLY BRIEF OR ARE YOU GONNA WANNA TAKE A LITTLE TIME WITH THAT? THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT. 
          THAT WASN'T MY REQUEST. 
          I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO, OH, OKAY. 
          SO NUMBER FOUR, WE SHOULD STRIKE FROM THE AGENDA. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL THEN THAT MAKES IT EASY THAT WE'LL GO BACK TO ITEM NUMBER 
          [2.  Discussion to develop Joint Sustainability Committee priorities and plan for upcoming year. ]
TWO. 
          UM, AND THIS IS, IS GOOD TIMING BECAUSE WE'LL NEED TO, UH, ONLY TO SUBMIT OUR ANNUAL REPORT TO THE, UH, CITY CLERK, I THINK END OF NEXT MONTH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          IF MEMORY SERVES, I THINK IT'S THE END OF JULY. 
          UM, AND THIS IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THE AREAS THAT IS GOOD TO HAVE THE COMMISSION REALLY UNIFIED ON, AND I THINK AARON SUGGESTED THAT WE HAVE THIS, UH, CONVERSATION AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M REALLY GONNA LEAVE IT, UH, FAIRLY OPEN. 
          UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THE, THE, I THINK THE HOPE IS THAT WE CAN COME OUT OF THIS WITH, UH, MAYBE NOT A LIST OF EVERY SINGLE THING, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE OF COURSE ARE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT IS STRATEGIC TO BE REACTIVE, BUT ALSO STRATEGIC TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, THINKING AHEAD AND, AND WHAT IS IT THAT WE KNOW THAT WE MAYBE SHOULD START GETTING SOME PRESENTATIONS LINED UP ON? WHAT IS IT THAT WE MAY WANNA START, UH, DOING SOME RESEARCH ON? ARE THERE, YOU KNOW, TOPICS THAT MAYBE WE WANNA CREATE WORKING GROUPS ON, ANYTHING LIKE THAT. 
          SO, UM, I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP AND I'M GONNA TAKE SOME NOTES, UM, ON DIFFERENT TOPICS AND IDEAS. 
          UM, AND MAYBE WE CAN START BY, YOU KNOW, ADDING THINGS TO A LIST AND THEN IF IT FEELS LIKE, WOW, THAT'S A, THAT'S A HUGE LIST, THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT LIKE, HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE THAT LIST, IF THAT SOUNDS OKAY. 
          AND I THINK I ALREADY SAW A HAND, WAS THAT CHRIS? YES, YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GO FOR IT. 
          I'M STILL RELATIVELY NEW TO THIS, UH, COMMISSION. 
          I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD ACTUALLY PROVIDE A QUICK SYNOPSIS OF THE MISSION OR VISION OF THIS, UH, COMMITTEE. 
          YEAH, SO IT'S, IT IS PRETTY BROAD BECAUSE THIS COMMISSION HAS, UH, THE CHARGE OF ADVISING CITY COUNCIL ON, UH, EVERYTHING THAT IS IN THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN. 
          UM, IT ALSO STILL MENTION REFERENCES THE OLD, UH, AUSTIN CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, BUT FOR THE MOST PART IT'S REALLY THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN. 
          UM, BUT I THINK IT ALSO IN OUR BYLAWS JUST, YOU KNOW, HAS SUSTAINABILITY MORE GENERALLY. 
          SO, UM, IT'S VERY BROAD. 
          UM, ALMOST ANYTHING THE CITY DOES TECHNICALLY PROBABLY, UH, YOU KNOW, COULD HAVE A LINK TO THIS COMMISSION BECAUSE SUSTAINABILITY IS, IS, UH, IS AN ISSUE WITH EVERYTHING. 
          UM, CERTAINLY LIKE WE HAVE, UM, ADVISED ON SOME ISSUES THAT ARE VERY, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC TO GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION, WHICH IS THE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF OVERARCHING THEME OF THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT, THAT REALLY HAS THAT AS, UM, I GUESS A PRIMARY, UH, IMPETUS, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE IMPORTANT I THINK, FOR US TO DO. 
          UH, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TAKEN ON OTHER ISSUES THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE HAVE MORE TO DO WITH AIR QUALITY, UM, OR, YOU KNOW, WATER USE, UM, AND, AND MAYBE ALSO HAVE AN IMPACT ON GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. 
          UM, BUT YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY THAT CLIMATE IMPACT IS OUR, YOU KNOW, PRIMARY, YOU KNOW, OUR NUMBER ONE KIND OF THEME. 
          UM, BUT THESE OTHER ASPECTS OF SUSTAINABILITY FIT IN THERE. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, IT'S ENERGY, IT'S WATER. 
          AGAIN, WE JUST HAD DISCUSSION ABOUT PRODUCTS, RIGHT? WE'VE, I THINK NOT THAT LONG AGO, HAD A, UH, A FEW MONTHS AGO HAD THE PRESENTATION ON, UH, LOW CARBON CONCRETE. 
          THAT'S BEEN A RECURRING, UM, ISSUE 
          [00:55:01]
THAT WE'VE, THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING AND TRYING TO GET THE CITY TO MOVE FORWARD ON. 
          UM, BUT THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GONNA BE IN THE BOND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WEIGHED IN ON THAT. 
          WE'VE WEIGHED IN ON, UM, OBVIOUSLY THE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, WE ALMOST ALWAYS HAVE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          SO, UM, IT'S, IT CAN BE PRETTY BROAD, WHICH IS WHY IT'S PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA FOR US TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IS IT THAT WE SEE COMING AND WHAT DO WE WANT TO KIND OF MAKE AN ISSUE OVER THE COMING YEAR. 
          I HOPE THAT'S HELPFUL. 
          GO AHEAD, ANNA. 
          I JUST MAYBE WANTED TO ADD, YOU KNOW, THE THING THAT STRIKES ME ABOUT AUSTIN'S CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN IS THE GOAL IS NOT JUST TO ACHIEVE NET ZERO EMISSIONS, BUT IT'S TO DO IT IN AN EQUITABLE WAY. 
          I HAVE A SUGGESTION. 
          UM, I, SO I'VE BEEN HAVING SOME DISCUSSIONS ON MY HOME COMMISSION AS WELL AS WITH THE VARIOUS CHIEFS OF STAFF, UH, ON CITY COUNCIL ABOUT A POTENTIAL UPCOMING BOND. 
          UM, AND, UH, I THINK LIKE A GENERAL BOND, I THINK IS THE WORD THAT THEY'RE USING, RIGHT? AND I BELIEVE THE AMOUNT THAT IS BEING DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW IS 480 MILLION, UM, PUBLIC, UH, KIND OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF THIS PUBLICLY ARE, UM, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THE MAYOR WATSON AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBER DUCHEN AS WELL. 
          BUT FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THERE IS EITHER SUPPORT OR PEOPLE WHO ARE KIND OF STILL DECIDING ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE IN SUPPORT OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS. 
          AND GIVEN THE SCALE OF, YOU KNOW, OF A POTENTIAL BOND, PARKS HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAVE BEEN BEING DISCUSSED PRETTY HEAVILY WITH A LOT OF SUPPORT, UM, WATERSHED, I KNOW INFRASTRUCTURE IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN BEING DISCUSSED. 
          AND SO I'D BE REALLY CURIOUS TO KNOW IF, I MEAN, I, I'D BE IN FAVOR AND I'D BE CURIOUS TO KNOW IF IT HAS ANY SUPPORT, UM, TO KIND OF MAKE SOME SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW THAT MONEY SHOULD BE USED IN RELATION TO, TO PARKS AND, AND WATERSHED AND ANY OTHER ELEMENTS THAT WE THINK WOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, A SUSTAINABLE LENS. 
          UM, BUT YEAH, I THINK THAT'S ONE THING THAT I'D BE INTERESTED IN. 
          I CAN'T REMEMBER IF, UM, IF YOU WERE AT THE MEETING THE LAST TIME THAT WE DID MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON THE BOND ARE YOU SUGGESTING? UM, YEAH, I GUESS, ARE YOU AWARE OF THAT AND IF SO, ARE YOU SUGGESTING SOMETHING MORE REFINED OR, YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          CAN YOU, DO YOU REMEMBER WHICH MEETING THAT WAS? I'LL GO BACK TO THE MEETING MINUTES. 
          I'LL LOOK RIGHT NOW. 
          IT WAS, I WANNA SAY MAYBE LIKE FEBRUARY, MARCH. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THIS IS ABOUT A PROSPECTIVE BOND THAT THE CITY COUNCIL IS STILL DECIDING ON WHETHER OR NOT TO, TO ACTUALLY GO THROUGH WITH, CORRECT. 
          YEAH, IT, I GUESS IT WAS PROBABLY FEBRUARY. 
          UM, BUT LET ME, I, I'LL LOOK IT UP AND CIRCLE BACK ON THAT, ANNA. 
          YEAH, SO WE, UM, DISCUSSED THIS IN OUR, UH, WORKING GROUP ON PURCHASING AND, UH, GOT A COUPLE COMMENTS IN, UH, FIRST OF WHICH WAS, UH, ENCOURAGEMENT TO FOCUS, UM, AND TO NOT MAKE OUR LIST TOO LONG. 
          UM, SO, UH, THAT, THAT WAS, UM, ONE IMPORTANT PIECE OF INPUT, WHICH I WILL THEN MAYBE GIVE A LONG LIST  SUBSEQUENTLY. 
          UM, BUT, UH, I THINK WHAT, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE BIG THEMES THAT CAME UP WAS HOW DO WE FUND BIG CAPITAL PROJECT NEEDS? LIKE, THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN WITH LARGE POTS OF MONEY MAY OR MAY NOT APPEAR. 
          UM, I'LL SAY, AARON, I THINK THIS COMMISSION HAS CERTAINLY HAD A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT ON WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE, I THINK A CLIMATEY BOND. 
          I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE, MAYBE GET , LIKE GIVE YOU, FILL YOU IN ON SOME OF THE HISTORY OFFLINE. 
          UM, BUT, BUT IN ANY CASE, LIKE MAYBE BONDS ARE THE WAY TO FUND BIG CAPITAL PROJECT NEEDS. 
          MAYBE THERE'S OTHER WAYS. 
          I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WAS ONE POCKET. 
          UM, THAT FLIP SIDE OF THAT IS FREE POLICY ITEMS, SO THINGS THAT WE DON'T NEED TO PAY FOR. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF THE ANSWER IS WE ARE ALL BROKE, THEN UM, WE SHOULD ACT BROKE. 
          AND LIKE, LET'S JUST FIGURE OUT THINGS THAT DON'T COST MONEY. 
          UM, THE OTHER ITEM, WHICH I THINK WE HEARD ABOUT TODAY WAS SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING. 
          UH, I THINK AS A PART OF THAT, 
          [01:00:01]
I THINK THE LOW CARBON CONCRETE FOCUS IS, UH, A PART OF THAT. 
          UM, AND, AND SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S SOME NEW UPDATES COMING DOWN THE ROAD TOO, SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT. 
          BUT THAT SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING, MAYBE COMMA, MAYBE SUB, YOU KNOW, LOW CARBON, CONCRETE. 
          UM, AND THEN TWO OTHER ITEMS I THINK HAVE BEEN FLAGGED BEFORE THAT JUST WANTED TO PUT FORWARD. 
          UM, ONE OF WHICH IS SHORT-LIVED CLIMATE POLLUTANTS AND, AND REFRIGERANTS PARTICULARLY. 
          I KNOW THAT'S COME UP, UM, BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE CHECKED IN ON THAT ONE. 
          SO MAYBE IT'S GOING GREAT AND WE DON'T NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT. 
          MAYBE IT'S NOT. 
          UM, AND THEN THE LAST ITEM, WHICH I THINK IS A PERSISTENT ONE IS, AND MAYBE FALLS MORE INTO YOUR WOR YOUR ROLE AS, AS YOU SEE IS, IS JUST GAS GENERATION, RENEWABLE ENERGY, UM, YEAH, I DUNNO. 
          PURCHASING RENEWABLES, ELECTRICITY. 
          MM-HMM . 
          ELECTRICITY. 
          AND THAT ONE IS ONE, BOTH WHERE I THINK WE HAVE BEEN REACTIVE, BUT I, AND YOU CAN, I MEAN, YOU CAN TELL ME AS SOMEBODY WHO'S ACTUALLY ON THE EUC, UH, THERE MIGHT BE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE A BIT MORE PROACTIVE BECAUSE I HAVE A FEELING LIKE THERE'S MORE STUFF COMING DOWN THE LINE AND WE COULD PROBABLY PREDICT WE COULD BE A BIT MORE PREDICTIVE ABOUT HOW LONG SOME OF THOSE, THOSE THINGS ARE GREAT. 
          THOSE FIVE, THAT'S NOT TOO LONG. 
          AND, AND THEY'RE ALL THINGS THAT WE HAVE PRETTY RECENTLY, YOU KNOW, BEEN ENGAGED IN. 
          SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE, NONE OF THEM ARE OUT OF THE BLUE. 
          UM, I DID FIND THE RESOLUTION THAT WE PASSED, THE LAST ONE THAT WE PASSED, 'CAUSE ANNA'S RIGHT, WE HAVE PASSED SEVERAL RESOLUTIONS IN THE LAST LIKE YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS ON THE BOND. 
          UM, THAT YES DID START AS A TALK OF A CLIMATE BOND AND THAT, THAT IS PERHAPS WEANED A BIT, UNFORTUNATELY. 
          BUT THE LAST ONE THAT WE PASSED WAS END OF FEBRUARY. 
          AND, UH, JUST TO KIND OF SUMMARIZE, WE, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDED THAT THE BOND AS A WHOLE BE CARBON NEGATIVE, UM, AND RECOMMENDED, YOU KNOW, VARIOUS CARBON REDUCING STRATEGIES FOR ANY BUILDINGS. 
          UM, AND THEN A VARIETY OF KIND OF ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION, UH, STRATEGIES, SIDEWALKS, BIKE LANES, ET CETERA. 
          UM, AND THEN, UH, EV ELECTRIFICATION, I, LAST I KNEW AND I HAVEN'T KEPT UP IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, SO IT'S POSSIBLE THAT, UM, SOMETHING HAS SHIFTED. 
          ADDITIONALLY, I THINK THE ACT OF TRANSPORTATION STUFF AND POTENTIALLY THE EV CHARGING, AND THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR CITY FLEET, I THINK THOSE WERE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, ON THE TABLE AT LEAST. 
          UM, YEAH, THAT, THAT IS ON THE WEBSITE FOR THE FEBRUARY MEETING IF YOU WANNA TAKE A LOOK. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          OTHER THOUGHTS? WHAT HAVE FOLKS BEEN TALKING ABOUT AT YOUR HOME COMMISSIONS THAT MIGHT BE GOOD FOR US TO ALSO HELP WITH? CHRIS? I'VE NEVER SPOKEN AT THESE MEETINGS AND NOW HERE, I'M, I LOVE IT. 
          UM, I'M CURIOUS IF WE'VE EVER HAD ANY PRESENTATIONS ON THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, AND SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO PURCHASING, UM, HOW PURCHASES ARE MADE DURING EMERGENCIES. 
          'CAUSE JUST BEING IN THAT FIELD AND HAVING RESPONDED BEFORE, UH, YOU MAKE LOTS OF BIG PURCHASES REALLY FAST AND YOU DON'T REALLY PAY ATTENTION TO HOW THEY'RE MADE OR WHATEVER. 
          UM, SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD AREA TO LOOK AT SINCE EMERGENCIES AREN'T GOING AWAY AT ALL. 
          UM, SO IF WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, RECOMMEND THAT. 
          I LOVE THAT WE, UH, NO, WE HAVE DEFINITELY NOT HAD THAT CONVERSATION, AND IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT I ALWAYS STRUGGLE WITH DURING EMERGENCIES. 
          I HAVE TO LIKE BITE MY LIP BY MY TONGUE A LOT, , LIKE, OH, PEOPLE NEED THAT STUFF, BUT ALSO WE COULD HAVE DONE IT BETTER. 
          YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. 
          UH, ONE OTHER SUGGESTION. 
          UH, I'M ON THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION, AND I HAD RECOMMENDED THIS AT OUR LAST MEETING TOO. 
          WE WERE LOOKING AT OUR, UH, CALENDAR, AND I'M SURE A LOT OF YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE NEW DOGS HEAD DEVELOPMENT IN EAST AUSTIN, 2,600 ACRES, UH, THAT THE CITY'S LOOKING AT ANNEXING FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE. 
          WE'RE THINKING ABOUT JUST KEEPING AN EYE ON THAT, UH, LOOKING AT THE PARTNERS, HAVING THEM COME PRESENT TO US ON HOW THEY'RE CONSIDERING PUBLIC HEALTH, HOW THEY'RE CONSIDERING, YOU KNOW, ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND JUST THINGS THAT ARE WRAPPED AROUND PUBLIC HEALTH. 
          I WONDER IF THE, THIS COMMISSION WOULD HAVE ANY INTEREST IN KEEPING AN EYE ON THAT FROM A SUSTAINABILITY, UH, PERSPECTIVE AND KIND OF DOING THE SAME THING. 
          GREAT IDEA. 
          AND THAT ONE'S, YEAH. 
          IN NEAR TERM HOT ISSUE THAT MAYBE WE CAN MAKE THAT REQUEST SOONER THAN LATER. 
          [01:05:03]
WHAT ELSE? I KNOW WHEN IT COMES TO AI THAT THERE'S A LOT OF, LIKE, OBVIOUSLY ORGANIZED GROUPS, UM, TESTIFYING. 
          I LOOKED THROUGH OUR PAST RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE'VE DONE ANYTHING ON THAT FRONT. 
          AND EVEN ON THE TOPIC, I'M LIKE, WELL, WHERE COULD WE ADD VALUE? I WOULD NEED TO RESEARCH ON THAT, BUT IT DOES FEEL LIKE A TOPIC THAT WE SHOULD BE WEIGHING IN ON. 
          UM, I KNOW THAT THERE IS INTEREST, UM, IN CERTAIN OFFICES TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN ATTRACT, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME DATA CENTERS AND HOW WE CAN MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE PALATABLE TOWARDS, UH, THE CITY. 
          I, I DISAGREE WITH THAT SENTIMENT, BUT BECAUSE OF THAT, I DO FEEL LIKE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD MAYBE BE, UH, PROVIDING OUR INPUT ON. 
          YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. 
          AND GETTING, GETTING OURSELVES EDUCATED ON THE TOPIC. 
          YES. 
          SO AI AND DATA CENTERS. 
          YEAH. 
          AND, AND AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE, WHERE WE CAN ADD VALUE, BUT IT DOES SEEM LIKE WE SHOULD BE IN THAT CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE CONVERSATIONS ARE ONGOING AT THE CITY LEVEL ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA BE PARTNERING TAX INCENTIVES, ALL THAT TYPE OF STUFF. 
          GREAT. 
          WHAT ELSE, CHARLOTTE? YEAH. 
          UM, THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION AT THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION AROUND THE PERMITTING PROCESS FOR, UH, SOLAR RESIDENTIAL SOLAR INSTALLATIONS. 
          UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT'S NECESSARILY A PRIORITY FOR THIS COMMITTEE, BUT I THINK IT DOES, UM, POTENTIALLY MERIT SOME CONSIDERATION, UM, WITH RESPECT TO MAKING IT, UH, EASIER AND FASTER, LESS FRICTION TO, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR RESIDENTS TO, YOU KNOW, TO GET SOLAR. 
          YEAH. 
          AND THEN THE SECOND THING IS, UM, AND I'M THINKING ABOUT IS, UM, IT'S JUST WATER USAGE. 
          SO ALONG WITH THE, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSION ABOUT RECOMMENDING SOME GUARDRAILS AROUND THINGS LIKE DATA CENTERS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE POLICIES AROUND BRING YOUR OWN WATER OR, UM, LIMIT LIMITS ON, UH, WATER USAGE, UH, WITH RESPECT TO THE, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED YEAR WATER PLAN, WATER FORWARD PLAN, AND DROUGHT FORECAST. 
          SO, UM, YOU KNOW, KNOW WHEN YOU SEE THINGS THAT ARE GOING AROUND THE STATE, LIKE IN CORPUS CHRISTI, AND THERE'S PLACES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, REALLY STARTING TO STRUGGLE WITH WATER AVAILABILITY. 
          UM, IT'S GONNA GET MORE EXPENSIVE AND, AND SOLUTIONS ARE GONNA GET MORE EXPENSIVE, UM, AS TIME GOES ON. 
          SO I THINK HAVING A, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF FORWARD LOOKING, UM, POSITION ON, ON THE, THOSE ITEMS WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE GOOD TO DO. 
          GREAT. 
          THANKS, CHARLOTTE. 
          SO I THINK THE SOLAR PERMITTING ISSUE THAT FALLS UNDER THE ELECTRIC GENERATION TOPIC, SO I KINDA ADDED THAT AS A, A SUBTOPIC THERE. 
          AND THEN, YEAH, MAYBE IT'S NOT ONE THAT WE ARE LEADING ON, BUT IT'S ONE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF SOMETHING IS, UM, BEING RECOMMENDED BY THE RMC THAT WE COULD CERTAINLY ADD OUR VOICES TO POTENTIALLY. 
          UM, AND THEN FOR WATER USE LIMITATIONS ON, ON DATA CENTERS. 
          AND WERE YOU SUGGESTING A MORE GENERAL WATER CONSERVATION, UM, ITEM AS WELL, OR MOSTLY TIED TO THE DATA CENTER ISSUE? UM, I, I WAS THINKING MORE GENERAL. 
          UM, I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC, YOU KNOW, POLICY RECOMMENDATION IN MIND, UM, JUST RECALLING A BRIEFING THAT WE GOT LOOKING AT LIKE, THE LARGE CUSTOMERS, AND THERE'S CERTAIN CUSTOMER IN PARTICULAR THAT'S USING, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY, REALLY GROWING ITS WATER USAGE AND JUST, UM, JUST KIND OF TAKING A LOOK AT, UH, WHAT OUR WATER SITUATION, UH, IS, IS 
          [01:10:01]
GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN THE FACE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, HOTTER LONGER SUMMERS AND, AND THAT KIND OF THING. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          UH, WITH THE, YOU KNOW, WITH AN EQUITY LENS, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE RESPOND TO SOME OF THESE CHALLENGES, UM, YOU KNOW, EQUITABLY KNOWING THAT, UM, THINGS LIKE WATER SHORTAGES DON'T AFFECT ALL EQUALLY. 
          SO TRUE. 
          AND YOU'VE PIQUED MY INTEREST. 
          UH, DO YOU MIND SHARING WHAT THE CUSTOMER IS, WHO THE CUSTOMER IS, WHOSE WATER USES IT INCREASING SO DRAMATICALLY? UM, TESLA. 
          YES. 
          TESLA. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          SO IT DOES LOOK LIKE IT'S, THAT'S A TIME AROUND DATA CENTERS THAT IT'S A TIMELY, UH, YOU KNOW, INITIATIVE TO BE LOOKING AT THAT. 
          APPARENTLY, UM, MAYOR WATSON AND FOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE GIVEN THE CITY MANAGER UNTIL JULY TO EVALUATE WHETHER NEW LARGE SCALE DATA CENTERS SHOULD BE ALLOWED IN THE CITY LIMITS, AND IF SO, UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS. 
          AND SO, RIGHT. 
          BASICALLY, I WOULD EXPECT BY NEXT COUNCIL MEETING THAT SOME SORT OF PRESENTATION IS GOING TO BE DONE. 
          SO, UM, MAYBE WE HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, AND THEN WE CAN, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT WHAT FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS THAT MAYBE WE WANT TO ASK PRIOR TO THAT PRESENTATION. 
          GREAT IDEA. 
          AND IT SOUNDS LIKE POTENTIALLY THAT PRESENTATION WILL HAPPEN BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING, WHICH MEANS MAYBE WE DON'T, WE CAN'T HAVE AN INFLUENCE ON THE PRESENTATION, BUT WE COULD PERHAPS GET THE PRESENTATION DELIVERED HERE AS WELL. 
          UM, AND SURE THE CONVERSATION WON'T BE ENDING IN JULY, BUT MORE, UH, KIND OF RAMPING UP. 
          SO THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT, GREAT NOTE THERE. 
          OKAY. 
          ARE THERE OTHER TOPICS THAT FOLKS WANNA ADD TO THE LIST? UM, YEAH, ANNA, WELL, THERE'S SOME TOPICS THAT YOU'VE BROUGHT UP BEFORE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THIS LIST, BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, MAYBE I'LL ASK IF THERE ARE TOPICS YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THIS LIST CHAIR. 
          WAIT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW. 
          MY, MY LIST IS A  A MILE LONG. 
          UM, I MEAN, I THINK THESE, THESE ARE ALL GOOD TOPICS. 
          I THINK THE DATA CENTERS IS DEFINITELY ONE THAT, UM, I I THINK IT'S, IT'S LIKE AN EMERGING TOPIC, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST HERE, BUT STATEWIDE. 
          UM, AND WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD GET GOING ON THAT. 
          UM, FOR SURE. 
          UM, OBVIOUSLY I THINK THE ELECTRIC ISSUES, UM, ARE REALLY IMPORTANT. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, WHILE CITY COUNCIL DID APPROVE A CONTRACT FOR THOSE SPEAKERS, THERE ARE STILL MANY STEPS ALONG THE WAY, NOT LEAST OF WHICH IS ANY SORT OF DECISION ABOUT WHERE THEY MIGHT BE CITED. 
          AND FOR THAT MATTER, THERE MAY BE OFF RAMPS, UH, TO THAT, UM, THAT DECISION BEFORE YOU KNOW, IT, IT REALLY COMES TO PASS. 
          SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK EITHER WAY, ELECTRIC, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THAT'S A HUGE PIECE OF OUR EMISSIONS. 
          YOU KNOW, THE OTHER BIG PIECE OF OUR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IS TRANSPORTATION. 
          AND WE, YOU KNOW, DON'T SEEM TO HAVE REALLY MUCH OF ANYTHING HERE ON TRANSPORTATION. 
          SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UH, PART IN PARTICULAR ELECTRIFICATION OF THE CITY FLEET IS ONE THAT I, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE WOULD DO WELL TO CONTINUE ENGAGING ON, UM, BECAUSE THERE'S A, THERE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST GREAT EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS, UH, BOTH IN TERMS OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND OTHER AIRPLANES TO BE HAD THERE. 
          THANKS. 
          ONE THING I'VE ALSO HEARD YOU TAKE UP IS THIS IDEA OF, UM, CRAP, WHAT IS IT? IT'S NOT THE GREEN CHOICE PROGRAM I PAY INTO IT. 
          IT'S THE THING, THE, LIKE, WHEN YOU PAY, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOUR AUSTIN ENERGY, I MEAN, GREEN, GREEN CHOICE IS THAT IT IS POINTLESS PROGRAM THAT DOES EXIST. 
          I HEARD IT ADVERTISED AGAIN ON THE RADIO THE OTHER DAY AND HAD A, THIS, THIS SEEMS LIKE A GREAT CALM MYSELF, , THIS SEEMS LIKE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR US TO TAKE UP. 
          UM, I THINK BECAUSE IT FITS INTO THE HOW DO YOU FUND THINGS MM-HMM . 
          FITS INTO, I HEARD A LOT OF HATE FOR GREENWASHING TODAY. 
          UM, YEAH. 
          AND, UH, IT'S ONE WHERE I THINK THERE'S LIKE A CLEAR POLICY IDEA THAT WOULD, WOULD POTENTIALLY SAVE MONEY. 
          UM, SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THAT GOES ON THE LIST. 
          MAYBE IT'S A SUB ITEM, BUT I WOULD, I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO TAKE THAT ONE REALLY SERIOUSLY, BECAUSE I'VE, I'VE HEARD YOU BRING IT UP. 
          I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA, AND I'D LOVE TO KNOW HOW WE COULD SUPPORT HOW IT'S, WE COULD SUPPORT MOVING THAT MONEY TO SOME OF THESE MORE IMPACTFUL ITEMS THAT AREN'T FUNDED RIGHT NOW. 
           YEAH. 
          OR ANYTHING IMPACTFUL. 
          AND I KNOW THAT RMC ALSO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THEY, THEY ACTUALLY DID TAKE UP THE GREEN CHOICE ISSUE AND I DON'T 
          [01:15:01]
THINK REALLY REACHED A, A RESOLUTION ON IT, BUT, UH, THERE'S DEFINITELY, I THINK, YEAH. 
          FOLKS THERE. 
          I DON'T KNOW, CHARLOTTE, HAS THAT BEEN AN ONGOING CONVERSATION OR HAS IT KIND OF BEEN ON THE BACK BURNER? UM, IT, IT HAS BEEN ON THE BACK BURNER. 
          THERE IS DEFINITELY APPETITE TO REVISIT IT. 
          UM, SO I'M SURE IT WILL COME BACK AGAIN AT SOME POINT THIS YEAR ONTO THE RMC. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, ALL RIGHT, SO I'M ADDING THAT UNDER, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY ELECTRIC GENERATION, AND FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR, THE, THE ISSUE IS THAT YOU PAY INTO THE PROGRAM AND IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY REALLY RESULT IN ANY, UH, CHANGE IN PRACTICE. 
          UH, NOT A MEANINGFUL CHANGE. 
          THERE'S NOT A LOT OF ADDITIONALITY REALLY THERE. 
          UM, THE OTHER KIND OF, I THINK, THING THAT WE COULD ADD UNDER THERE IS COMMUNITY SOLAR. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, THERE IS THE SOLAR STANDARD OFFER FOR COMMERCIAL. 
          THERE IS NOW CAPACITY THERE, BUT THERE'S NO ACTUAL, UM, OFFERING FOR PEOPLE TO BUY INTO. 
          SO THERE IS NO OPTION FOR PEOPLE TO BUY INTO COMMUNITY SOLAR RIGHT NOW. 
          UM, BUT THAT WAS A PROMISE, SO THAT SHOULD BE WORTH COMING, AND WE COULD WEIGH IN ON THAT AS WELL. 
          OH, I HAD, UM, TWO CONSIDERATIONS, AND I'LL START WITH THE FIRST ONE. 
          SELFISHLY, I LIVE UP IN DISTRICT 10 AND A WILDFIRE RISK IS MORE AND MORE OF AN ISSUE, AND I KNOW OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS PUSHING OUT A LOT OF INFORMATION, AT LEAST IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT I THINK IN GENERAL, WE SHOULD ALL BE MORE AWARE OF IT. 
          UM, THE SCARY PART IS THERE'S ONLY TWO EXITS OUT OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THEN THEY ALL GO INTO MORE, UM, PRESERVE AREAS. 
          SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER TALKING ABOUT AND HOW WE CAN BE PREPARED FOR THAT. 
          MM-HMM . 
          THE SECOND THING, AND I'M NOT SURE HOW EXACTLY WE DISCUSS IT HERE, BUT IN GENERAL, EDUCATION OR KNOWLEDGE, AWARENESS OR SHARING ABOUT THE SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN GENERAL, AS A, AS A RESIDENT, I'M FAIRLY MOTIVATED TO LOOK INTO THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE AND AVAILABLE, THE SERVICES OUT THERE, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OTHER RESIDENTS ARE, AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION, BUT IF THERE'S SOME SORT OF ENGAGEMENT OR INFORMATION SHARING THAT WE PUT OUT THERE THAT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE PROMINENT THAN WHAT'S ALREADY OUT THERE SO THAT WE GET MORE BUY-IN, UM, OR AT LEAST AWARENESS THAT WE START MOVING THAT NEEDLE MORE, UM, AND GET MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE CONVERSATION. 
          I MEAN, LAST, LAST MONTH'S, UM, ENERGY DISCUSSIONS THAT IT WAS, IT WAS OPPOSED, BUT ULTIMATELY, NOT MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY EVEN KNEW THAT THERE WAS A VOTE ON PEAKER PLANTS BEING ISSUED. 
          AND SO JUST HAVING MORE AWARENESS OF THAT I THINK WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD DEFINITELY TAKE UP, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE COVER A LOT OF BROAD TOPICS, BUT, UM, YEAH. 
          SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. 
          YEAH, I LIKE IT. 
          ANY OTHER, OTHER THOUGHTS HERE? AND I THINK EVEN, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT, SO RIGHT NOW, MAYBE I CAN, UM, I CAN, I CAN THROW THIS INTO A DOC THAT I CAN, WELL, MAYBE I CAN SHARE. 
          LET'S SEE IF I CAN DO THAT THE WAY I'M SIGNED ON. 
          ARE YOU ABLE TO ADD ME TO THE PANEL OR AM I IN THE PANEL ON MY ONLINE PRESENCE? YES. 
          ALL RIGHT, GREAT. 
          GIMME JUST A SECOND. 
          I'M GONNA JUST SHARE THIS LIST ON THE SCREEN SO THAT WE CAN LOOK AT IT TOGETHER AND, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANYTHING HERE THAT ANYBODY FEELS LIKE, OH, WE, WE SHOULD NOT BE FOCUSED ON THAT, THEN WE CAN ALSO DISCUSS OR MAYBE EVEN JUST PARING IT DOWN. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          [01:20:04]
SO I THINK THIS, THIS ONE HERE, THE, THE POLICY POL POLICY CHANGES, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT OBVIOUSLY IT'S CROSSCUTTING, RIGHT? SOME OF THESE OTHER ITEMS ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW, MIGHT, YOU KNOW, THEY MIGHT FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY, BUT I DO THINK THAT THAT IS PRETTY GOOD THEME FOR US POTENTIALLY OVER THE, THE COMING YEAR IN TERMS OF LIKE FOCUSING ON THINGS THAT DO NOT REQUIRE US TO, UM, GET NEW MONEY ALLOCATED IN SOME WAY. 
          I'LL SAY THAT. 
          UM, ONE OTHER COMMENT ON THAT THAT CAME UP IN OUR GROUP WAS THAT, UH, THINGS THAT YOU CERTAINLY YES TO THINGS THAT ARE FREE ALWAYS, BUT WE COULD ALSO BE THINKING ABOUT THINGS THAT MIGHT COST MONEY IN A DIFFERENT ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL FEDERAL LANDSCAPE. 
          AND SO THINKING AHEAD TOWARDS WHAT MIGHT SOME OF THOSE CHANGES NEED TO BE. 
          SO, SO THIS COULD BE INCLUSIVE OF BOTH THINGS THAT ARE FREE TODAY, BUT ALSO PREPARING FOR A BETTER DAY. 
          YEAH. 
          BEING STRATEGIC ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MM-HMM . 
          WHAT A FUTURE THAT HAD A BUDGET WOULD LOOK LIKE, SUCH THAT THINGS ARE READY TO GO WHERE THAT WORLD TO EMERGE. 
          MM-HMM . 
          ANY, ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS LIST, CHARLOTTE? YEAH, , I, I THINK YOU MENTIONED ABOUT, UH, TRANSPORTATION AND GIVEN THAT, UH, TRANSPORTATION IS I THINK THE BIGGEST SOURCE OF OUR, OUR CITYWIDE EMISSIONS, UM, BEYOND JUST ELECTRIFICATION OF THE CITY FLEET, UM, I'M JUST THINKING IS, ARE ARE THERE POLICIES THAT WE CAN PURSUE, UH, THAT DON'T COST MONEY? I DON'T KNOW. 
          I THINK WHAT I'M THINKING DOES COST MONEY, BUT, UM, ENCOURAGING, UH, UPTAKE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, EXPANDING ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, UM, YOU KNOW, SHIFTING, FINDING WAYS TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF, UM, SINGLE OCCUPANT VEHICLES, UM, WHETHER THEY'RE ELECTRIC OR GAS, UM, YOU KNOW, REDUCING CONGESTION, WHICH REDUCES, YOU KNOW, POLLUTION AND ALL OF THAT. 
          SO I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE OF A PUSH AROUND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION TO ELECTRIFICATION. 
          GREAT. 
          AND SO, I MEAN, DOES THIS CAPTURE IT LIKE PUBLIC TRANSIT FOCUS OR WAS THERE SOMETHING BEYOND THAT THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD? UM, YES, THAT IS PART OF IT. 
          AND I THINK JUST, YOU KNOW, MODE SHIFTING TOO. 
          MM-HMM . 
          SO MAYBE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, IT, YOU KNOW, BIKE PATHS, CYCLING, WALKING, MAKING, UM, YOU KNOW, WALKING MORE ACCESSIBLE WITH SHADE AND, UH, COOL CORRIDORS AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING SPECIFIC IN MIND, BUT I'M JUST, UM, I THINK THERE'S MANY WAYS TO, UM, ENCOURAGE MODE SHIFTING AWAY FROM SINGLE OCCUPANCY VEHICLES. 
          THANKS. 
          YEAH, I AGREE. 
          IT'S HARD TO SEE EVERYBODY AT ONCE NOW, SO FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN IF YOU HAVE A THOUGHT. 
          I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL. 
          I, AND I KNOW WE'RE STILL BUILDING OUT THIS LIST, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO START THINKING ABOUT, UM, LIKE PRIORITIZATION AS WELL AS PROJECT PLANNING OF LIKE, THESE ARE MAYBE LIKE PHASE ONE PROJECTS. 
          THESE ARE LIKE PHASE TWO. 
          UM, SO YEAH, THAT'S JUST KIND OF HOW I'M LOOKING AT THIS LIST RIGHT NOW. 
          MM-HMM . 
          BY THAT, DO YOU MEAN LIKE WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF OUR, I GUESS, ACTIVITY OR WHERE WE THINK THE CITY IS ON THE ISSUE? I, I THINK MAYBE, RIGHT. 
          WE MENTIONED, FOR EXAMPLE, THE, THE DATA CENTERS, UH, THING AROUND HAPPENING IN JULY, RIGHT? AND I DON'T KNOW THE TIMELINE FOR ANY DECISIONS RELATED TO THAT, BUT LET'S SAY AN ITEM ON THIS LIST, WE KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A DECISION, UM, YOU KNOW, RELATIVELY SOON OR THAT OUR INPUT SHOULD BE PROVIDED, UM, YOU KNOW, SOONER RATHER THAN LATER THAN WE WOULD MOVE THAT UP. 
          UM, 
          [01:25:01]
YOU KNOW, IN THE, THE TIMELINE THAT WE'RE LOOKING IN AND WORKING ON THAT PARTICULAR ITEM. 
          MM-HMM . 
          I GUESS DOGHEAD IS ANOTHER ONE THAT SEEMS LIKE IT'S, IT'S NEAR TERM. 
          I WOULD SAY ONE THING THAT I THINK HAS INCREASED EFFECTIVENESS IS I THINK WHEN WE'VE HAD CLEAR OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE DEEPER, WHETHER THAT'S LIKE THROUGH WORKING GROUPS OR WHATEVER, I THINK WE'VE FOUND THAT EFFECTIVE. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE, HAVE THOUGHTS OR FOUND THAT EFFECTIVE OR FOUND IT INEFFECTIVE OR HAVE OTHER IDEAS ON HOW WE COULD STRUCTURE THAT. 
          I LIKE THE IDEA OF A WORKING GROUP, ANNA, I'M ON BOARD WITH THAT. 
          MAYBE WE CAN BREAK OFF INTO SMALLER GROUPS, GET OUR IDEAS, AND THEN PRESENT IT IN THESE MEETINGS SO THAT WE CAN GET MORE BUY-IN AND THEN SUBMIT IT TO THE COUNCIL. 
          I WOULD SAY MY COMMENT ON THE WORKING GROUPS IS, IS LIKE, I THINK WHEN WE FIRST FORMED WORKING GROUPS VIA THE, THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, THERE WAS A LOT OF BREADTH OF THINGS TO FOCUS ON. 
          AND I, IT FELT LIKE WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, HEY, WHAT'S THE BEST, YOU KNOW, PLACE TO ENGAGE? THERE'S A LOT OF MAYBE SPINNING UP ON, HEY, YOU KNOW, IS THIS THE TOPIC TO FOCUS IN ON? AND LIKE, THERE'S STUFF TO LEARN. 
          MAYBE TO ERIN'S POINT ABOUT LIKE PHASE ONE, PHASE TWO, PHASE THREE, THERE'S LIKE, HEY, I'M, I'M, I'M LEARNING ABOUT THIS AREA. 
          AND THEN THERE'S, UH, YOU KNOW, HEY, I'M, I'M ENGAGED ON THIS ISSUE. 
          I HAVE, I HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON. 
          I HAVE A SENSE OF WHERE THE GAPS ARE, WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. 
          UM, AND IF YOU, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN JUMP TO THAT, I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE COULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE. 
          I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ANY THING TO DELIVER YET, BUT I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WERE WE TOO, I THINK WE HAVE TO REFORM SOME OF THESE WORKING GROUPS EVERY YEAR. 
          UM, THAT'S WHAT I LEARNED FROM MY COMMISSION TRAININGS. 
          UM, IF WE REFORM THE GROUPS, I THINK HAVING SLIMMED DOWN MANDATES, RIGHT? AND MAYBE THE FOCUS IS COMING FROM THIS LIST, NOT THE BROADER, YEAH, I THINK IT WOULD CERTAINLY BE, YOU KNOW, I'D PUT FORWARD THAT MAYBE WE TRY THAT AND SEE, YOU KNOW, IF WE FIND THAT TO BE EFFECTIVE. 
          AND THAT'S NOT TO SAY PEOPLE CAN'T BE REACTIVE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I FIND FOR ME, WHERE IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE BEEN EFFECTIVE, IS IT WHEN WE ARE REMINDED TO CHECK IN CONSTANTLY. 
          UM, AND I KNOW THIS IS, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE I, I, I'M THE ONE WHO NEEDS REMINDING AND MAYBE EVERYONE ELSE HERE IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, CHAMPS AT THAT. 
          BUT BEING, GETTING THAT REMINDER EVEN JUST TO SAY, HEY, LIKE, CHECK IN WITH THAT DEPARTMENT, WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THAT INITIATIVE, YOU KNOW, AS A REMINDER THAT, THAT THIS IS A, A PRIORITY AND THAT CITIZENS ARE INTERESTED IN THIS IS I THINK CAN BE HELPFUL. 
          I'M JUST DOING A LITTLE, A LITTLE GROUPING HERE JUST TO LIKE, SEE LIKE, DO WE HAVE, DO WE HAVE ANY NATURAL, NATURAL GROUPING? IT SEEMS LIKE SOME OF THESE HAVE A KIND OF DEVELOPMENT THEME, SO I COULD SEE MAYBE A GROUP FOCUSED ON THOSE ISSUES. 
          UM, OR THOSE TOPICS. 
          OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE, WE ALREADY HAVE OUR WORKING GROUP THAT IS FOCUSED ON KIND OF CONSUMPTION AND PURCHASING, SO MAYBE ADDING THIS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UM, ELEMENT IN THERE. 
          UM, I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF THE ELECTRIC STUFF PROBABLY IS GONNA BE US MAYBE ADDING OUR VOICES TO STUFF AS OPPOSED TO LEADING, BUT, UM, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY, BUT I KNOW THAT THE RMC HAS BEEN VERY ACTIVE AND, UM, SO I THINK A LOT OF THOSE WE PROBABLY CAN, CAN MAYBE GET, LIKE, GET SOME BRIEFINGS, SUPPORT, SOME ACTIONS. 
          UM, THIS ONE HERE IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE, WE'VE TOUCHED ON IN I THINK, MULTIPLE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, TRYING TO GET THE CITY TO DO MORE TO SHARE SUSTAINABILITY, ANY PROGRAMS AND REBATES, INCENTIVES, WHATNOT. 
          UM, BUT WE HAVEN'T REALLY, I THINK, FULLY EXAMINED LIKE WHAT WE COULD, COULD DO ABSENT THAT, UM, EFFORT. 
          [01:30:04]
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ON KIND OF GROUPINGS OR APPROACH TO HOW WE, UM, HOW WE SHOULD TACKLE THIS LIST? OR ANYTHING THAT YOU WANNA SAY? WELL, THAT'S PROBABLY A, LIKE, YOU KNOW, LATER IN THE YEAR KIND OF THING OR NEAR TERM THING. 
          I HAD A, I HAD A QUESTION ON THE WATER CONSERVATION PIECE, AND I WAS WONDERING IF THE ENCOURAGING PUBLIC TRANSIT USE AND ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION ARE SORT OF GROUPED TOGETHER. 
          UM, BUT MY QUESTION ON WATER CONSERVATION, IS THAT ALSO WATER REUSE? UM, OR I, I DUNNO WHAT THE APPROPRIATE TERM THERE WOULD BE, BUT RECYCLABLE WATER. 
          UM, I KNOW THAT AUSTIN HAS A GRAY WATER SYSTEM FOR CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT NOT ALL NEIGHBORHOODS, AND IT'S EXTREMELY HARD TO GET IT IN CERTAIN, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS. 
          SO I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S JUST MORE OF EDUCATION FOR US TO KNOW AND THAT WE CAN EITHER WEIGH IN ON, UM, BUT AGAIN, ESPECIALLY GIVEN OUR WATER CHALLENGES, I THINK THAT WOULD GO A HUGE, HUGE WAY. 
          UM, ALLEVIATING THAT. 
          YEAH. 
          AND I'M THINKING LIKE MAYBE THAT KIND OF COULD FIT, YOU KNOW, IT, THE DATA CENTER ISSUE, DOGS HEAD POTENTIALLY LIKE, YEAH, MAYBE THAT FITS IN WITH THESE, WITH THIS GROUP. 
          I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE BROADLY SPEAKING, IF YOU, IF YOU WERE TO ASK ME, COVER MY EYES, CLOSE MY EYES, LIKE WHAT ARE THE TOP EMISSIONS ISSUES IN, IN AUSTIN? I WOULD SAY IT'S ELECTRICITY GENERATION, IT'S TRANSPORTATION, IT'S, UH, PROBABLY CONCRETE. 
          UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IF I ADD ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES TO THAT, I WOULD SAY IT'S DEVELOPMENT INCLUSIVE, YOU KNOW, WATER, WILDFIRES. 
          AND SO TO ME, THOSE FOUR BUCKETS FEEL GOOD. 
          OBVIOUSLY THAT'S COLORED BY MY OWN BIAS AND EXPERTISE, BUT I MEAN, WE CAN'T HAVE SIX GROUPINGS. 
          MAYBE. 
          MAYBE I'M MOVING , LIKE ACTS. 
          ACTS, THE REFRIGERANTS. 
          . 
          YEAH, I MEAN, THE REFRIGERANTS IS AN INTERESTING ONE WHERE LIKE, UH, DEFINITELY SOME STUFF IS HAPPENING AT THE CITY. 
          IT'S AN ENTIRELY CLEAR TO ME WHAT, WHAT OUR NEXT STEP WOULD BE, BUT MAYBE THAT'S MORE OF A LATER, LATER IN THE YEAR KIND OF THING. 
          PHASE ONE TO AARON'S LANGUAGE. 
          YEAH. 
          PHASE ONE OPPORTUNITY. 
          UM, YEAH, GO AHEAD, HARRIS. 
          I THINK WHEN I SEE THIS LIST, UM, IT HAS A LOT ALREADY. 
          AND, UM, WHILE I THINK THAT THE GROUPINGS CAN BE HELPFUL, I THINK THAT A TIMELINE WOULD BE HELPFUL. 
          WHAT ARE WE GONNA TACKLE FIRST SO THAT OUR NEXT MEETINGS, UM, ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE FOCUSED AND WE MAY NOT HAVE TIME TO TACKLE EVERYTHING, SO WE SHOULD PROBABLY PRIORITIZE THE RANKING SYSTEM OF SORTS. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND I AM CURIOUS, ERIN, I'M, I'M GUESSING THAT YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE LAST BOND RESOLUTION. 
          DO YOU STILL FEEL LIKE THAT ITEM IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO, THAT WE SHOULD WEIGH IN ON AGAIN? NO, NO. 
          I THINK THAT LOOKING AT IT, WE WERE HIGH LEVEL ENOUGH TO KIND OF MAKE OUR, OUR POINT. 
          THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD THINGS ABOUT THAT RECOMMENDATION, UM, THAT I THINK ANYTHING FURTHER WOULD JUST KIND OF DILUTE THE WORK THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE. 
          SO NO, I, WE CAN DROP THAT. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          NO, I DO THINK WHAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL IS A BUNCH OF MEMBERS OF THIS COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, TAKING THAT RESOLUTION AROUND TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, ASAP AND REMINDING THEM THAT WE DID MAKE A RECOMMENDATION AND REMINDING THEM THAT THIS ALL STARTED WITH A CONVERSATION ABOUT A CLIMATE BOND, AND THESE ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, COULD, COULD MAKE THAT A REALITY EVEN WITH A PAIRED DOWN FOCUS. 
          UM, YEAH, I THINK, I'M TRYING TO THINK LIKE, OKAY, YES, WHAT DO WE TAKE UP FIRST? AND LIKE, 
          [01:35:01]
OKAY, REFRIGERANTS, WE, MAYBE WE DON'T TAKE IT OFF THE LIST, BUT MAYBE IT DOES MOVE DOWN, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I THINK A LOT OF THE ELECTRIC STUFF, WE CAN PROBABLY PLAY MORE OF A SUPPORTING ROLE. 
          UM, THERE'S A LOT HERE UNDER TRANSPORTATION, WHICH I THINK HAS IT, IT'S BOTH GOOD. 
          AND ALSO I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE STRUGGLED TO GET WINS IN THAT CATEGORY SOMETIMES, MAYBE BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS CATEGORY, THERE'S DEFINITELY MORE NEAR TERM STUFF, LIKE THINGS THAT ARE JUST HAPPENING, CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE ALREADY HAPPENING, STUFF GOING ON, FOR SURE. 
          WITH DOUG'S HEAD DATA CENTERS, I WOULD MAYBE SUGGEST THAT, AND MAYBE THIS IS JUST ME BEING LESS INFORMED, BUT A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT ARE FLAGGED IN DEVELOPMENT ISSUES, I THINK HAVEN'T EXACTLY COME UP IN THIS COMMISSION BEFORE. 
          SO MAYBE THERE'S JUST AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INFORMING OURSELVES MM-HMM . 
          AND SO TO IRIS'S POINT ABOUT LIKE, OKAY, LIKE WHAT'S THE SCHEDULE? WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO HERE? I MEAN, TO ME, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IS GETTING, YOU KNOW, PUSHING FOR UPDATES LIKE ON A MONTH. 
          YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME THINGS HERE THAT AREN'T GONNA CHANGE MONTH TO MONTH, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY INFORM OURSELVES MONTH TO MONTH. 
          SO MAYBE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT'S SOMEPLACE TO HIGHLIGHT IS LIKE, HEY, WHERE ARE THERE THINGS WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT? LIKE, TO ME, DOULA'S POINT, I ALSO DID NOT KNOW THAT WE HAD A GREAT WATER SYSTEM UNTIL THE PIPELINE WAS BEING INSTALLED ON, DOWN THE STREET FROM ME, AND THERE WAS A GIANT HOLE IN THE STREET. 
          AND I SAID, OH, WHAT'S THIS? OKAY, THAT'S GREAT, BUT MAYBE THERE'S PEOPLE HERE WHO KNOW ALL ABOUT THAT. 
          AND OUR THINKING, GEE, ONE, ONE WAY THAT WE HAVE, UH, ON MY HOME COMMISSION THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO KIND OF PRIORITIZE, UH, IS PART OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS AS CHAIR AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MOST, IF NOT THE MOST INFORMED PERSON, YOU KNOW, RELATED TO KIND OF THE INTERSECTION OF POLICY AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY, UM, LIKE POLITICS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          YOU'RE PRIORITIZING LIKE THINGS THAT YOU THINK THAT OUR COMMISSION CAN HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON AND PROVIDING YOUR INPUT. 
          BUT THE OTHER PART OF IT IS, UM, WHICH, UH, WHICH ITEMS THAT WE AS COMMISSIONERS ARE, ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO WANT TO, YOU KNOW, DO THE WORK TO, TO EDUCATE OURSELVES TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, CITY EXPERTS, UM, AS WELL AS EVEN DO THE WORK TO KIND OF DRAFT A RECOMMENDATION, PRESENT IT TO THIS COMMISSION. 
          SO I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE THE SECOND PART OF THIS EXERCISE, IS FOR PEOPLE TO BE LIKE, OH, I WOULD LIKE TO SIT ON A, ON THE DEVELOPMENT WORKING GROUP AND, YOU KNOW, I'M COMMITTED TO, UM, MEETING TWICE OR, YOU KNOW, HOWEVER MUCH THAT WORKING GROUP DECIDES IN BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT MEETING TO DISCUSS THIS WITH THE OTHER PEERS THAT ARE SITTING ON THAT WORKING GROUP. 
          SO, UM, GREAT. 
          BE PROBABLY A USEFUL EXERCISE IS LIKE, JUST KIND OF A RAISE OF HANDS DOWN THE DIFFERENT TOPICS BASED ON HOW THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN PRIORITIZED. 
          AND IF THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, FOR PEOPLE INTERESTED IN WORKING ON THAT, THEN YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T DO MUCH. 
          SO I LOVE IT. 
          YES, GREAT POINT. 
          WE CAN HAVE A BEAUTIFUL LIST, BUT IF THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT NOBODY IS UP FOR, UM, PUTTING THE TIME IN ON, THEN, THEN WE MIGHT AS WELL TAKE IT OFF THE LIST. 
          'CAUSE IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. 
          UM, OR AT LEAST IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN HERE, SO WHY DON'T, WHY DON'T WE DO THAT? UM, AND I'LL, I'LL KEEP THE GROUPINGS FROM NOW, I GUESS, BUT MAYBE WE CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, THEN KIND OF DIG INTO LIKE, YOU KNOW, IS HOW MANY THERE ARE THAT WANNA WORK ON SPECIFIC ITEMS WITHIN THE GROUPS, BUT SO THIS GROUPING OF DEVELOPMENT ISSUES, UM, CAN I, CAN I GET A SHOW OF HANDS OF LIKE WHO'S, WHO'S INTERESTED IN ENGAGING ON THAT TOPIC? OKAY. 
          HOLD ON. 
          I'M GONNA STOP SHARING SO THAT I CAN BETTER SEE PEOPLE. 
          OKAY. 
          SO I'M SEEING CHRIS, AARON, RODRIGO, OKAY. 
          YES, YES. 
          SORRY, I WAS, WAS STARTING WITH, UM, 
          [01:40:08]
OKAY, GREAT. 
          AND THEN WHAT ABOUT THE, I MEAN, WE, WE ARE, I KNOW THERE'S ALREADY MYSELF AND ANNA ON THE WORKING GROUP THAT HAS BEEN ENGAGING ON PURCHASING ISSUES. 
          UM, BUT IS ANYBODY ELSE, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO SUGGESTED THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ITEM, BUT YEAH. 
          IS THAT, ANYBODY ELSE WANNA BE ADDED TO THAT? CHRIS, WAS THAT YOU? OKAY, GREAT. 
          OKAY. 
          GIMME JUST A SECOND. 
          TOO MANY DOCUMENTS. 
          MONTHS. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          WHAT ABOUT THE KIND OF, I GUESS I'M GONNA CALL IT LIKE COMMUNITY EDUCATION. 
          UM, OKAY, GOT YOU. 
          AND THAT'S ONE THAT I'M, I'M DEFINITELY INTERESTED IN. 
          ANYBODY ELSE? CAN YOU REPEAT AGAIN, SINCE IT'S NOT ON SCREEN? WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE SUB-BULLETS UNDER THAT ONE? UM, IT, WELL, THERE WEREN'T REALLY, THERE'S NOT REALLY SUB BULLETS. 
          IT'S SHARING CITY OF AUSTIN SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES WITH THE COMMUNITY. 
          SO I THINK THIS, YOU KNOW, WOULD KIND OF FALL INTO THE, YOU KNOW, WE MADE A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION ABOUT TRYING TO LIKE, HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A TEAM AT THE CITY THAT WAS DOING THAT. 
          BUT CAN WE BE A TEAM? THAT MIGHT BE HARD IF THERE'S ONLY TWO OF US , BUT PERHAPS WE CAN THINK OF SOME IDEAS AT LEAST FOR, YOU KNOW, WE, I'M, I'M UP FOR MEETING UP WITH YOU AND TALKING ABOUT IT. 
          WELL, WE CAN ALSO, YEAH, WE CAN HAVE ONE, ONE THIS, SORRY, OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, COME BACK TO IT. 
          UM, IF WE GO THROUGH THE OTHER TOPICS FIRST. 
          OKAY. 
          TRANSPORTATION, THIS INCLUDES ELECTRIFICATION, PUBLIC TRANSIT USE, ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION BY CLIENT, SIDEWALKS, ET CETERA. 
          OKAY. 
          I'M SEEING CHARLOTTE, I, UM, OKAY. 
          AND TRANSPORTATION RELATES TO BIKE USE, YOU SAID? YEP. 
          BIKES AS WELL? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          SO VARUN, RODRIGO, AND AARON AND CHARLOTTE. 
          I GOT YOU. 
          I'VE GOT A PARTY OUTSIDE HERE. 
          OKAY. 
          REFRIGERANTS AND OTHER SHORT-LIVED CLIMATE POLLUTANTS. 
          ANNA, THIS WAS YOUR, I MEAN, YEAH, , I GUESS WE COULD THROW THIS INTO THE PURCHASING BUCKET. 
          UM, YEAH, YEAH, WE CAN, LET'S, WE CAN, I MEAN, THAT'S A THING THAT GETS PURCHASED. 
          WE CAN, IT'S A AMANDA'S NODDING THAT'S, THAT LOOKS LIKE, THAT LOOKS LIKE AN ENDORSEMENT FROM OUR PURCHASING AND AIR QUALITY SPECIALIST. 
          SO THAT SOUNDS DOUBLY TRUE. 
          UNLESS THERE'S ANYBODY ELSE WHO'S GOT LIKE A BURNING DESIRE TO TAKE THIS ON AS A SEPARATE GROUP, MAYBE WE RE RENAME THAT. 
          UM, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN REVISIT THAT, BUT I'LL, I'LL THROW IT INTO THAT GROUP. 
          UM, MORE OF A CONSUMPTION KINDA ISSUE IS TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, LIKE WHAT'S BEING PURCHASED, WHAT TYPES OF EQUIPMENT THAT WOULD DEFINITELY FALL INTO THAT. 
          LIKE POL I DON'T THINK THE CITY HAS YET ADOPTED A POLICY ON LIKE WHAT TYPES OF REFRIGERANTS OR, I DON'T KNOW, I CAN'T REMEMBER IF THERE IS A SET POLICY OR JUST DIVISION. 
          RIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, I THINK FOR ME, PART OF THE INTEREST IN LIKE ASSIGNING SOME OF THESE THINGS IS, IS MAYBE EVEN JUST TO REMIND OURSELVES TO FOLLOW UP AND SEND AN EMAIL. 
          YOU KNOW, I FIND THAT THOSE CAN EVEN BE PRODUCTIVE WORKING GROUP MEETINGS IS TO SAY, OKAY, IT WAS MY JOB TO CHECK IN. 
          I DIDN'T CHECK IN. 
          AND SO WE'LL SPEND THE MEETING AND I'LL JUST WRITE THE EMAIL. 
          MM-HMM . 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          AND THEN THE LAST KIND OF GROUPING WAS ELECTRIC GENERATION, 
          [01:45:01]
UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE COULD CERTAINLY HAVE A GROUP ON, I THINK IN THE PAST THAT'S BEEN A LITTLE LIGHT. 
          SO, UM, YEAH. 
          IS IS THERE AN INTEREST IN US ACTIVELY WORKING ON THOSE ISSUES? CHARLOTTE, YOU'RE RAISING YOUR HAND. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          I MEAN, I'LL ADD MYSELF TO THAT BUCKET AS WELL. 
          IF NOTHING ELSE, IT CAN BE A SIDE BARING ON WHAT IS HAPPENING AT THE RMC AND WHAT ISN'T HAPPENING AT THE UC AND WHAT WE CAN BRING FORWARD HERE. 
          , I'M, I'M HAPPY TO JUMP IN ON THAT AS WELL SINCE I'VE BEEN VOCAL ABOUT IT. 
          BUT WITH THE CAVEAT THAT I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GONNA BE SUPER HELPFUL. 
          I BET YOU WILL BE. 
          YOU USUALLY ARE. 
          , YOU DO WORK. 
          I APPRECIATE IT. 
          UH, UH OH, WITH THE CAVEAT THAT I CAN QUIT AT ANY TIME, . 
          SO IS ANYBODY NOT RAISE THEIR HAND FOR ANY OF THESE GROUPS? AND IF SO, IS THERE SOMETHING YOU MIGHT WANNA ADD YOURSELF TO? I KNOW WE GOT AARON. 
          UH, JOSH, ARE YOU ON ANY, DID YOU RAISE YOUR HAND FOR ANYTHING? NO, BUT I'M, I'M PRETTY STRETCHED OUT HERE, SO, OKAY. 
          DIANA, HOW ABOUT YOU? HOW'S YOUR CAPACITY? GOOD. 
          I'D LIKE TO BE ON TRANSPORTATION, PLEASE. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          I KNOW YOU WERE ON THAT BEFORE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT TECHNICALLY, UH, POSTED TO CREATE WORKING GROUPS. 
          SO THIS IS, THIS IS A VISION, THIS IS A PLAN. 
          UM, IF WE WANNA FORMALIZE THESE, WE CAN, BUT OF COURSE WE ARE ALLOWED TO MEET IN SUB QUORUM GROUPS INFORMALLY ANYWAY. 
          BUT, UM, IF WE DECIDE THAT WE WANNA FORMALIZE THESE, WE CAN, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT MAYBE WE START ACTUALLY BY HAVING, YOU KNOW, A SINGLE, UH, KIND OF INFORMAL MEETING. 
          AND I'LL SEND THIS LIST AROUND, UM, YOU KNOW, OF EACH OF THE GROUPS. 
          AND THAT MAYBE WILL BE A GOOD WAY FOR US TO DETERMINE LIKE, OKAY, IS THERE, IS THERE REALLY SOME, UH, YOU KNOW, IS THERE REALLY SOMETHING HERE TO HANG ON TO SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, UH, ENVISION OURSELVES TAKING ACTION ON AND, YOU KNOW, HAVING SOME MEANINGFUL EFFECT ON, ON A POLICY OR PROGRAM WITHIN THE CITY? AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK DO, I WOULD HOPE THAT MAYBE, BUT MAY, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY BY OUR NEXT MEETING HAVE, HAVE AT LEAST HAD THAT INITIAL CONVERSATION SO WE CAN THEN COME BACK AND SAY, WELL, WE THINK THAT ACTUALLY WE SHOULD FOCUS JUST ON THESE, LIKE, TWO THINGS. 
          OR ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, AS WE STARTED DISCUSSING X, Y CAME UP AND WE THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ADD. 
          UM, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE NEED TO LIKE VOTE ON AND ADOPT, UM, RIGHT NOW. 
          AND IN FACT, I DON'T THINK WE'RE EVEN POSTED TO, TO VOTE ON ANYTHING. 
          SO, UH, DOES THAT SOUND LIKE AN OKAY APPROACH, UH, SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, DELVE TOO FAR IN TO THE DETAILS HERE, UH, TODAY, BUT CAN, CAN HAVE SOMETHING TO GO FORWARD AND, AND KINDA A, A LITTLE PIECE OF HOMEWORK FOR THE MONTH AHEAD BEFORE OUR JULY MEETING AND GET A THUMBS UP, THUMBS DOWN. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          SO I'M, I'M SEEING THUMBS UP. 
          SO THAT MEANS WE THEN NEED TO HAVE SOMEBODY TO COORDINATE THESE GROUPS. 
          THE PURCHASING GROUP. 
          WE'VE ALREADY GOT ANNA, THANK GOODNESS, OUR FEARLESS LEADER. 
          UM, WE HAVE THE DEVELOPMENT ISSUES GROUP, UM, CHRIS, AARON, RODRIGO, MEDULLA, AND KABA. 
          DOES SOMEBODY WANNA TAKE OWNERSHIP OF CONVENING THAT GROUP AT SOME POINT IN THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, COUPLE WEEKS? I, YEAH. 
          CHRIS, I SEE YOUR HAND RAISED. 
          YOU GOT TO IT FIRST. 
          GO FOR IT. 
          ALL RIGHT, CHRIS, 
          [01:50:02]
THANK YOU. 
          I'M HIGHLIGHTING YOU. 
          UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. 
          UH, LET ME KNOW, I THINK HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE MY, ALL MY, MY CONTACT INFO IS PRETTY EASY TO FIND. 
          I'M PRETTY MUCH OUT THERE. 
          EVERYBODY'S GOT MY CELL PHONE, SO, UM, LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE, . 
          I KNOW SOME OF US MOSTLY USE LIKE, WORK AND PERSONAL EMAILS, SO, UH, I WOULD SAY DEFINITELY FOR ME, USE MY WORK EMAIL. 
          YOU CAN COPY THE BC AS WELL. 
          PLEASE DO. 
          AND, AND FOR ALL OF US FOR THIS WORK, WE SHOULD COPY ALL OF OUR BC EMAILS, RIGHT? JUST SO IT'S, IT'S THERE FOR THE CITY'S RECORD. 
          UM, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO ACTUALLY REACH EACH OTHER, PLEASE. 
          UH, SO THAT, THAT WE CAN HAVE TIMELY COMMUNICATION. 
          ALL RIGHT, SO THAT'S THE FIRST TWO GROUPS. 
          WE'VE GOT DEVELOPMENT ISSUES, WE'VE GOT PURCHASING SLASH REFRIGERANTS. 
          UM, I THINK MEA YOU AND I CAN, ONE OF US WILL REACH OUT TO THE OTHER AND WE'LL HAVE THE CONVERSATION THERE ON OUTREACH, UH, INITIATIVES. 
          HOW ABOUT TRANSPORTATION? WE HAVE CHARLOTTE, IRIS, RODRIGO, VARUN, AARON AND DIANA. 
          NICE BIG GROUP THERE. 
          WHO WANTS TO COORDINATE IT? ALL RIGHT. 
          YAY. 
          IRIS HAS GOT A WINNER. 
          , THANK YOU. 
          AND THEN ELECTRIC GENERATION CHARLOTTE, YOU WANNA, YOU RAISED YOUR HAND FIRST. 
           TO CONTRIBUTE FOR SURE. 
          ALL RIGHT, I'LL, I'LL SEND, I'LL SEND OUT AN EMAIL TO COORDINATE THE THREE OF US. 
          WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT. 
          ACTUALLY, I'D PROBABLY GET A TEXT YOU GUYS 'CAUSE IS, I'M ALLERGIC TO EMAIL LATELY. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I WOULD JUST SAY PLEASE DON'T, DON'T WAIT. 
          I KNOW THE, THE SCHEDULING CHALLENGES CAN BE REAL AND I KNOW PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY TAKING VACATION AND IN AND OUT AND WHATNOT, SO IT'S BETTER TO JUST EVEN TOMORROW SEND THE EMAIL SO YOU CAN START THE PROCESS OF ELIMINATING ALL THE TIMES THAT DON'T WORK AND FIND THE ONE THAT DOES. 
          UM, DOES THAT, YEAH, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S THE LESSON LEARNED FROM OUR WORKING GROUP IS LIKE THE WORST PART IS THE UPFRONT SCHEDULING. 
          AND THEN ONCE YOU CAN GET THAT ON A CALENDAR, LIKE WE DO TWICE A MONTH, AND EVEN IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERY MONTH OR EVERY WHATEVER, EVERY BUY, EVEN IF A CERTAIN ONE MEETING DOESN'T HAPPEN, THEN YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL SOMETHING ON THE CALENDAR AND THERE'S STILL AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO EMAIL, TEXT, OR SAY, HEY, NO UPDATES OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER. 
          I THINK WE FOUND THAT, ALTHOUGH I THINK I'VE BEEN A PRETTY SHADY PARTICIPANT LATELY, SO SORRY, . 
          NO, BUT IT GETS, YOU'RE BEING TOO KIND. 
          IT REMINDS YOU TO SEND A TEXT MESSAGE AND SAY, HEY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THIS, OR I WOULD LIKE AN UPDATE ON THAT. 
          AND THAT, THAT I THINK IS, IS IMPORTANT IN GETTING THE WORK TO GO FORWARDS. 
          SURE. 
          THAT, OKAY, GREAT. 
          IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT ANYBODY WANTS TO SHARE IN TERMS OF THIS, THIS TOPIC? ANYTHING THAT YOU, THAT YOU HOPE ALL THE GROUPS WILL BE THINKING, DOING, KEEPING IN MIND WORDS OF WISDOM, INSPIRATION. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE KEY HERE IS THAT WE NEED TO FIND SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN MAKE PROGRESS ON, RIGHT? WE'RE NOT GONNA ACHIEVE EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE, THAT'S FOR SURE. 
          UM, BUT ANYTHING THAT WE CAN ADD VALUE TO THEN, UM, STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. 
          SO LET'S KIND OF GO FORTH AND, AND FIGURE OUT WHERE THAT IS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT IS IN EACH OF THESE THAT WE CAN, WHAT, WHAT LITTLE LEVERS WE CAN PULL. 
          UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER, I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE IDENTIFIED SOME POTENTIAL THINGS TO REQUEST FOR PRESENTATION FOR NEXT, SO JUST MOVING ON TO OUR 
          [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, SEEMS LIKE MAYBE SOME SORT OF PRESENTATION ON DATA CENTER OR SOMETHING. 
          AND IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE WILL HAVE SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE PRESENTING ALREADY. 
          SO POTENTIALLY WE CAN GET THAT PRESENTATION, SOMETHING ON DOG'S HEAD. 
          AND AGAIN, MAYBE, UM, MAYBE WE'LL HAVE A MORE TARGETED LIST OF QUESTIONS AT SOME POINT, BUT, UM, MAYBE REACHING OUT, 
          [01:55:01]
I DON'T KNOW WHO, WHO SHOULD WE REQUEST? I KNOW THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION HAD A BIG MEETING ON THAT RECENTLY, BUT IS THERE SOMETHING MORE, I DON'T KNOW, SUMMARY IS THERE, AMANDA, ANY, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON WHO WE SHOULD BE ASKING FOR THAT PRESENTATION? IS IT WATERSHED, IS IT, UM, MAYBE IT'S YA AND MAYBE IT'S THE APPLICANT AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WOULD COME HERE. 
          UM, BUT YEAH, PERHAPS THE APPLICANT AND WATERSHED OR I DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE, BUT WE, WE, WE WANT, WE WANT INFORMATION, RIGHT? YOU CAN TELL THEM WE AREN'T GONNA HAVE ANY ACTION ITEM ON OUR AGENDA WHERE WE, WE WANNA BE INFORMED OR MAYBE JULY. 
          YEAH, I, YEAH, JULY WOULD I THINK BE IDEAL SINCE THAT IS CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, IN MOTION. 
          QUICK, QUICK MOTION THERE. 
          AND THEN I THINK THE REQUESTING SOUNDS LIKE, AARON, WERE YOU SAYING THAT IT'S ACTUALLY THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE THAT WE SHOULD APPROACH ON THE DATA CENTER'S PRESENTATION? THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO BE GIVING THAT PRESENTATION AT SOME POINT IN JULY. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TO THE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE PRESENTING TO, IF THEY'RE PRESENTING TO, BUT YES, I THINK MY MAIN POINT IS THAT CITY COUNCIL WON'T BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING AND IT'S THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE THAT'S DOING THAT RESEARCH. 
          SO YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          I THINK WE SHOULD LEARN FROM THEM WHAT, WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED, WHAT GAPS THAT THEY STILL HAVE, AND OBVIOUSLY PREPARE SOME QUESTIONS FOR THEM. 
          GREAT. 
          UM, AND THEN I KNOW WE HAVE AN OUTSTANDING REQUEST FOR AN UPDATE ON THE LOW CARBON CONCRETE IF  OKAY. 
          IF YOU  IF YOU'D COME TO THE MEETING THIS WEEK. 
          OH, SORRY, SHAME, SHAME. 
          YEAH, WE'VE, I, I CAN GIVE AN UPDATE ON WHEN WE CAN GET SOME UPDATES, BUT THE, THE SHORT VERSION IS THAT THERE'S, UM, I THINK WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA PUSH OUR REQUEST FOR A PRESENTATION UNTIL THE FALL FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS, BUT, UM, I THINK THE NEXT THING THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'VE POSTED SOME OF THESE NEW RULES ANYWAYS. 
          I CAN, I CAN GIVE YOU LIKE THE UPDATED TIMELINE. 
          SO LIKE STUFF HAS HAPPENED AND SO NOT WE'RE, THAT'S MAYBE MORE OF A MEDIUM TERM THEN THAT'S MORE OF A MEDIUM TERM. 
          I'LL SAY. 
          I'M, I'M, YOU KNOW, THERE MIGHT BE OPPORTUNITIES. 
          UM, I'VE BEEN JUST EMAILING WITH UM, MARIN COUNTY, UH, IN, IN CALIFORNIA WHO, WHO'S LIKE MAYBE WE COULD ASK TO, TO PRESENT, UM, SHOWING SOME APTITUDE TO, OR SORRY, NOT APTITUDE TO INTEREST IN, IN, IN TALKING TO US SO THERE COULD BE OTHER PRESENTATIONS. 
          OKAY. 
          ON THAT TOPIC. 
          WELL IT SOUNDS LIKE IF WE ALSO HAVE RAINER RIVER YOU SAID FOR JULY. 
          OKAY. 
          THEN, I MEAN, LET'S SEE WHAT ELSE WE, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN GET SOMETHING OUR DOG SAID DATA CENTER IS AND RAINER RIVER, THEN THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY, THAT'LL . 
          THAT'LL BE A LOT ALREADY RIGHT THERE. 
          SO, UM, JUST LET ME KNOW THOUGH IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER REQUESTS THAT COME ACROSS AND OF COURSE LIKE ADDING ON, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF COMMISSION UPDATES OR EVEN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE RESOLUTIONS THAT YOU WANT, YOU KNOW, THE JSC TO ALSO KIND OF ADD SUPPORT TO COMING FROM YOUR HOME COMMISSIONS. 
          I THINK THOSE THINGS LIKE OPEN INVITATION, UM, THERE THAT DOESN'T NEED TO BE LIKE A LOT OF ADVANCE PLANNING, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A TOPIC THAT WE HAVE TAKEN UP AT SOME POINT. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          I'M NOT SEEING ANY OTHER HANDS OR COMMENTS, SO IF THERE'S NOT OBJECTION, I'M GONNA ADJOURN AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL CONTRIBUTING TO THE MEETING. 
          THANK YOU EVERYBODY. 
          I.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.