* 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. [00:00:05] OKAY. [CALL TO ORDER] GOOD EVENING [*Portions of this clip experienced audio distortion*] EVERYONE. THE TIME IS 6:04 PM I'M GOING TO CALL TO ORDER THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION. IT IS WEDNESDAY, JULY 15TH, 2026. WE ARE AT THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER ROOM 14 0 5 6 3 1 0 WILLAMINA DELCO DRIVE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. WE'LL START BY ESTABLISHING QUORUM. COMMISSIONER BRIMER HERE. COMMISSIONER FLURRY HERE. COMMISSIONER LUKI HERE. COMMISSIONER MORRISON HERE. VICE CHAIR BRISTOL. HERE. COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN HERE. AND I'M ALSO HERE. WITH THAT WE HAVE QUORUM. NEXT, [APPROVAL OF MINUTES] WE'LL GO TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM LAST MINUTE'S MEETING, OR LAST FROM THE LAST MEETING, UH, ON JULY 1ST. AND I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS. SO MOVED. MOVED BY COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN SECOND, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BRIMER. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HANDS. AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS. MOTION PASSES. GREAT. NEXT, [2. Staff briefing regarding the history of Austin Watershed Protection ordinances. Presentation by Matt Hollon, Regulatory Policy Analyst, Austin Watershed Protection. ] WE'LL GO TO STAFF BRIEFINGS. ITEM NUMBER TWO, STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING THE HISTORY OF AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTION ORDINANCES. PRESENTATION BY MATT HOLLAND, REGULATORY POLICY ANALYST, AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTION. YEAH, SO, UH, MATT'S GETTING HIS PRESENTATION UP. UM, SO I'LL, UH, WHILE HE'S DOING THAT, I'LL GO AHEAD AND JUST GIVE HIM AN INTRODUCTION AND MAYBE HE'LL GRAB A TACO OR TWO AS WELL. UM, SO, UH, MATT HOLLAND, UM, SOME OF YOU KNOW HIM AND HAVE KNOWN HIM FOR A LONG TIME. HE'S A PREVIOUS, UH, DIVISION MANAGER OVER OUR PLANNING TEAM IN AUSTIN. WATERSHED PROTECTION, UM, HAS DONE A, A TON OF WORK, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR THE CITY FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, HE'S WORKED ON, UH, PRIVATE ENTITIES AS, AS WELL. AND, UM, HAS JUST A, A LOT OF REALLY GOOD HISTORY WITH, UH, ALL OF THE POLICIES AND, AND REGULATIONS, UH, FROM PRETTY EARLY ON. AND, UH, I DON'T WANNA OVERSTATE IT, HE WASN'T HERE IN THE EIGHTIES, MAYBE, WELL, HE CAN CLARIFY , MAYBE IN THE, SINCE THE NINETIES, BUT HE KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED IN THE EIGHTIES. UM, SO, UH, WE INVITED HIM. HE'S, HE'S GIVEN A, A TALK, UH, TO OTHER GROUPS IN, IN, IN, UM, AUSTIN ABOUT THIS, UH, TOPIC AS WELL. AND SO I ASKED HIM TO, UM, GIVE ONE, UH, PREPARE ONE FOR Y'ALL, UM, JUST FOR YOUR, UH, HISTORY AND JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, SO YOU HAVE SOME AWARENESS OF WHAT THE REGULATIONS ARE AND WHAT WENT BEFORE AND WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY. AND, UM, YEAH, UH, HE IS ACTUALLY RETIRED, SO HE WENT TO AUSTIN WATER FOR A TIME AND THEN CAME RETIRED, AND THEN CAME BACK, AND NOW HE'S ON MY TEAM, AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. SO, TAKE YOU AWAY. HEY, MATT, REAL QUICK BEFORE YOU START GETTING STARTED, A LITTLE HOUSEKEEPING. SO, UM, NORMALLY WHEN WE HAVE OUR RETREAT, UM, WE'RE NOT IN A PUBLIC MEETING LIKE WE ARE TODAY. SO EVEN THOUGH WE ARE IN A PUBLIC MEETING, IT IS A DISCUSSION, UM, MORE THAN, AND THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A FLOW TODAY WHERE OBVIOUSLY WE'RE EATING. UM, SO WE'RE GONNA CALL THIS A HYBRID RETREAT. HOW DOES THAT SOUND? SOUNDS GREAT. SOUNDS GOOD. YEAH. THANK YOU FOR NEW COMMISSIONERS. WE DO THIS ONCE A YEAR. IT'S OUR ANNUAL REVIEW OR RETREAT. PLEASE GET FOOD. WE'RE MORE CASUAL TODAY AND CHILL, SO THANK YOU. ALRIGHTY, LIZ, THANKS FOR THE INTRODUCTION. AND HOWDY EVERYBODY. I KNOW A NUMBER OF YOU GUYS AND LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING TO KNOW YOU MORE. UM, AND THIS IS A PRETTY THOUGHT PROVOKING, UH, AT LEAST IN MY OPINION, UH, PRESENTATION OF, UH, BASICALLY THE KIND OF THE HISTORY OF WATERSHED REGULATIONS IN, IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. LET'S SEE. I DON'T HAVE A CLICKER. HOW DOES THAT WORK? HERE IT IS. OH, IT'S RIGHT HERE. REALLY SORRY. YEAH. UH, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN, WOULD YOU PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR MIC? PROBLEM? THANK YOU. NICE. COOL. GOOD TIMES. ALRIGHT, CAN I, YEAH, CAN YOU PUT THAT IN THE PRESENTATION MODE? THAT'D BE GREAT. LOVE IT. OKAY. CAN EVERYBODY SEE IT THERE? ALRIGHT, SO WE GOT EVERYBODY HERE AND THEN COMMISSIONER BRIMER ONLINE. IS THAT, IS THAT THE DEAL? OKAY. ALRIGHT. I GUESS I'M GONNA, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHICH, HOW TO, HOW, HOW TO LOOK HERE. OKAY. I'LL LOOK AT THAT ONE OVER THERE. DARK. YEAH. YEAH, A LITTLE LOWER LIGHTING, THAT KIND OF THEATER ATMOSPHERE. ALRIGHT, AWESOME. LOOK AT THAT. SWEET. OKAY. WELL THAT'S PERFECT. THAT WORKS FOR ME. . THAT WORKS FOR ME. OKAY. SO YEAH, AS LIZ MENTIONED, I GIVE, I DO GIVE THIS PRESENTATION TO, UM, OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY SERIES. UM, AND SO, UH, [00:05:01] SO OTHER, UM, ENTITIES AROUND TOWN WILL REQUEST THIS PRESENTATION. I FIRST GAVE IT AS, UM, AS PART OF OUR CITY OF CREEKS SERIES, THE WATER AND WATERSHED PROTECTION HAS PUT OUT HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT ACTUALLY HAS MANY OTHER EPISODES THAT IF YOU'D CALL THIS AN EPISODE, UM, THAT EXPLAIN OTHER KEY THINGS WE DO. UM, SO THIS WAS JUST KIND OF MY CONTRIBUTION TO IT. IT'S EVOLVED A LITTLE BIT OVER TIME, BUT I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD, ESPECIALLY TO THE Q AND A. AND SO I'VE PUT A LOT INTO THIS AND I'M HOPING TO KIND OF BL BREEZE THROUGH A LOT OF IT SO THAT WE CAN GET TO SOME QUESTIONS AND SO FORTH, UM, AND HAVE A DISCUSSION. SO THAT'S KINDA MY FAVORITE PART OF IT TOO, ALTHOUGH I LOVE THE CONTENT. UM, OKAY, SO, UH, I'LL, THIS IS JUST A, THE, THE OVERVIEW SLIDE. I'LL, I'LL, I'LL TALK ABOUT SOME, THOSE ARE SOME REALLY FUN PHOTOGRAPHS THAT SAY A LOT PICTURES WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS KIND OF THING. TALKING A LOT ABOUT GEOGRAPHY, A LOT ABOUT WEATHER AND DEMOGRAPHY AND, AND HOW THAT, AND POLITICS AND HOW THAT'S AFFECTED OUR WATERSHED ORDINANCES. UM, YOU GUYS ALSO INTERACT SOME WITH, UH, CODE AND CRITERIA KINDS OF THINGS LIKE THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA, MANUAL DRAINAGE CRITERIA MANUAL. THAT'S NOT THE MAIN THING. I'LL, I'LL MENTION SOME THINGS ABOUT THAT, BUT MAINLY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CODE, CODE. THINGS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE HAVE TO DO WITH ORDINANCES THAT THE CITY COUNCIL ULTIMATELY PASSES. BUT YOU GUYS ARE EN ROUTE TO THOSE. ANY WATERSHED ORDINANCE IS GONNA GO TO YOU GUYS FIRST. YOU, YOU SEE IT AND THEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION SEES IT AND THEN COUNCIL SEES IT. SO SOME OTHER HISTORIC ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION OR ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD IN THE PAST, UH, SAW ALL OF THESE, UM, OR MOST OF 'EM. I DON'T KNOW IF THE, I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD FIRST CAME ABOUT, BUT MAY NOT HAVE EXISTED IN THE SEVENTIES. UM, SO I'LL TALK ABOUT THE REGULATIONS. I'VE GOT A, A QUICK OVERVIEW AND ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES MADE IT REALLY NEAT. UM, OH, THANK YOU. I'LL, OKAY. YEAH, THANKS BUD. OKAY. SO, UH, I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT, I, I'LL BREEZE THROUGH THE, UM, A LOT OF THE WATERSHED REGULATIONS, MANY OF WHICH YOU'VE SEEN PEOPLE COMING IN ASKING FOR VARIANCES FOR THEM AND SO FORTH. UM, AND THEN I'LL, I'LL GO THROUGH A TIMELINE AND TALK ABOUT THE MAJOR WATERSHED ORDINANCES AND WHEN THEY HAPPEN AND IT, AND HOPEFULLY IT'LL ALL KIND OF HANG TOGETHER AND THEN, AND THEN AND WITH SOME CONCLUDING, UH, THOUGHTS. ALRIGHT. SO MANY, MANY PEOPLE WHEN THEY THINK OF AUSTIN, THEY THINK OF THE WEST AUSTIN, THEY THINK OF THE HILL COUNTRY, THEY THINK OF THE EDWARDS PLATEAU, AND IT'S A SPECTACULAR PLACE. IT'S GETTING DUMPED ON RIGHT NOW, AND WATER CRAZY. UH, SOME OF THE PLACES OUT WEST OF US ARE FLOODING. UM, AND SO, BUT IT'S, IT'S STEEP, IT'S ROCKY. IT'S, UH, UH, IT USED TO HAVE MORE SOIL, BUT PEOPLE FARMED IT AND THEN THEY RANCHED THE HECK OUT OF IT. AND THEN A LOT OF THE SOIL WASHED AWAY. AND SO IT HAS PRETTY THIN SOILS. UM, UH, AND, AND, AND, BUT IT'S, IT'S PRETTY, UH, A LOT OF IT'S REALLY HEAVILY WOODED. YOU CAN SEE THAT PICTURE. THIS IS, THIS IS BARTON CREEK WATERSHED LOOKING DOWNTOWN. LOVE THIS PHOTO. PRETTY OLD PHOTO. YOU'LL NOTICE A LOT OF BUILDINGS THAT ARE THERE NOW ARE NOT IN THIS PHOTO. I DID NOT SHOULD PHOTOSHOP THEM IN OR ATTEMPT THAT. UM, BUT THIS IS WHAT, THIS IS WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK OF, AND A LOT OF OUR ORDINANCES STARTED IN THIS AREA BECAUSE IT WAS KIND OF IN BEST, THE BEST CONDITION WHEN THESE THINGS WERE HAPPENING. PEOPLE THOUGHT OF, OH, OKAY, WE GOTTA PROTECT THESE LANDS. LOOK AT THAT. THEY'RE IN GREAT WILD SHAPE. WE NEED TO PROTECT THEM. AND WHEN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WHICH IS THE, UM, BLACKLAND PRAIRIE, IT'S, UM, IT WAS JUST, IT HAD BEEN FARMED FOR A HUNDRED SOMETHING YEARS, UH, BEFORE THESE ORDINANCES KIND OF CAME INTO PLACE. AND PEOPLE, WHEN THEY WERE LOOKING AT THIS WERE LIKE, OH, LET'S JUST KIND OF FARMLAND KIND OF THERE. DIDN'T REALLY THINK ABOUT IT VERY MUCH, DIDN'T THINK IT NEEDED PROTECTING IN THE SAME WAY. AND WE'LL GET INTO SOME OF THAT AND, AND WHY THERE WAS A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF PROTECTION OVER TIME, UM, THAT WE NEEDED TO ACTUALLY ADDRESS AND CORRECT, UM, UH, TO SOME EXTENT. SO BLACKLINE PRAIRIE IS A BIG PORTION OF AUSTIN. I'LL HAVE, I'VE GOT A SLIDE THAT, UH, GOES IN. I LOVE THIS SLIDE. UM, A COLLEAGUE, AARON WOOD PUT THIS TOGETHER SOME YEARS AGO, UH, FOR A DIFFERENT SLIDE FORMAT. UH, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT'S ACTUALLY THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S. ETJ IS THE, IS THE, SO THE GRAY IS BEYOND OUR FIVE MILE ETJ EXTRA TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION. AND SO, UM, MOST OF THE TIME THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING FOR THE CITY, WHICH IS ALMOST 30, WITH OVER 36 YEARS NOW, UH, NOT ALL WITH THE CITY LIKE LIZ MENTIONED, BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT WORKING IN AND AROUND THE CITY ON OUR STUFF, UM, I WAS ALWAYS THINKING THERE, HEY, WE'RE GONNA ANNEX THESE AREAS OVER TIME. WE'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN'S GONNA GROW FROM ITS CITY LIMITS OUTWARD INTO ITS ETJ. THAT WAS KIND OF THE GAME PLAN FOR ALL CITIES IN IN TEXAS. UM, WHETHER THEY'RE LARGE OR SMALL, THEY HAD BIGGER DIFFERING SIZES OF ET JS. THAT'S NO LONGER THE CASE. AND THAT'LL ACTUALLY BE ONE OF THE BIG MAJOR TALKING POINTS I'LL TALK ABOUT LATER. BUT THEN WHEN THIS SLIDE WAS MADE, WE'RE LIKE, HEY, LOOK, YOU KNOW, WE REGULATE THESE AREAS, WHICH WE STILL DO, BUT THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE. AND ACTUALLY, THIS SLIDE WAS PUT TOGETHER. NOTICE THIS SLIDE. IT HAS A FEW LITTLE DONUT HOLES. YOU CAN SEE WESTLAKE DOWN THERE, YOU CAN SEE SUNSET VALLEY. THE LATER SLIDES WERE DONE BY MY, MY, MY, MY COLLEAGUES RECENTLY. AND IT LOOKS LIKE SWISS CHEESE OUT IN THE ETJ. AND SO YOU GUYS ALREADY KIND OF KNOW THAT STUFF, BUT, ALRIGHT, SO THE LAKE TRAVIS AND THE, AND THE DIFFERENT LAKES POP UP HERE. UM, FIRST THAT IS, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY THIS, THE, THE COLORADO RIVER IS THE GIANT, YOU KNOW, 800 POUND GORILLA IN OUR, IN OUR WATERSHED. IT IS, IT IS THE MAJOR FOREST. THERE ARE A FEW PLACES IN AUSTIN THAT DRAIN TO THE BRAZOS RIVER, [00:10:01] UM, AND MAYBE EVEN TO THE GUADALUPE BLANCO KIND SYSTEM. BUT ALMOST EVERYTHING GOES TO THE COLORADO. UM, LET'S SEE, UH, THERE'S BARTON SPRINGS. I MEAN, KENNY FALLS, YOU COULD HAVE PUT, I COULD HAVE PUT A LOT MORE STUFF ON THIS MAP. ALCON'S FAULT LINE RUNS UP THROUGH, YOU CAN ALMOST SEE THIS IF YOU GET IN AN AIRPLANE, YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE, IN THE VEGETATION FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER OF ALCON'S FAULT. IT REALLY SHOWS WHERE THE BLACKLAND PRAIRIE IS AND WHERE THE HILL COUNTRY IS IN A LOT OF WAYS. UM, AND IT'S KIND OF TOTALLY FASCINATING. UM, GIANT, UH, FACT OF LIFE AND WATERSHED LIFE HAS TO DO WITH OUR FLOODPLAINS. AND YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS MAP, THIS SHOWS THE A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAINS IN AUSTIN. AND LOOK HOW MUCH BIGGER THEY ARE IN THE EAST. THAT'S BECAUSE IT'S FLATTER. AND SO THE WATER SPREADS OUT MORE WHEN IT FLOODS. THE SAME AMOUNT OF RAIN JUST SPREADS OUT MORE. THE FLOOD PLAINS ARE MORE DOMINANT, UM, AND MORE AND HAVE A BIG IMPACT. THE INCISED STEEP CANYONS IN THE WEST DON'T HAVE THAT SAME PATTERN. UM, AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THINGS LOOK LIKE. AND SO REGULATORILY THAT IT HAS AN IMPACT. SO OUR WATER SUPPLY IS IN OUR, IS, WE HAVE TWO WATER TREATMENT PLANTS ON LAKE AUSTIN, AND WE HAVE ONE ON LAKE TRAVIS. WE USED TO HAVE ONE IN LADY BIRD LAKE, UH, THE GREEN WATER TREATMENT PLANT. UM, AND SO IN THE EARLY DAYS OF ORDINANCES IN THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES, WE WERE REALLY, REALLY FOCUSED ON THAT FOR GOOD REASON. YOU DON'T WANNA FOUL YOUR WATER SUPPLY. SO HOW DO YOU PROTECT THAT AREA? YOU, YOU DO SOME DIFFERENT THINGS. THE EDWARDS AQUIFER, THE BARTON SPRINGS SEGMENT OF IT, AND THE NORTHERN, WHAT WE CALL THE HERE, THE NORTHERNS EDWARDS AQUIFER IS IN THIS, WE HAVE SOME DIFFERENT REGULATIONS THAT AFFECT THAT DIFFERENTLY. THAT'S VERY SENSITIVE. WATER DOESN'T FILTER VERY MUCH GOING INTO THOSE CAR FEATURES, CAVES AND, AND, AND CAR, OTHER CAR FEATURES. SO WE'VE, SO WE KNEW EARLY ON THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE CUT, WE NEEDED TO PROTECT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY. UM, AND THEN, AND THEN THERE'S CREEKS ALL OVER AUSTIN, 50 SOMETHING OTHER WE'VE NAMED, UM, MAYBE MORE THAN THAT IN A WAY. UM, AND, UH, SO THAT'S, ANYWAY, THAT'S, THAT'S, UM, YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT AUSTIN WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT HOW FAST WE HAVE BEEN GROWING IN THE LAST 30 YEARS. THIS, UH, THIS, THIS IS CENSUS DATA AND JUST SHOWS ACTUALLY IT'S DATA FROM OUR CITY DEMOGRAPHER'S OFFICE. AND IT HAS A LITTLE PROJECTION OUT THERE AND KIND OF WHATEVER THAT COLOR IS, THE ORANGEISH SUGAR, WHATEVER, BROWNISH ORANGE. SO IT GOES UP GREEN. AND ONE INTERESTING THING IS EVERY, I WAS GIVING THIS TALK FOR A WHILE AND I, I JUST KEPT SAYING THE THING. WE'RE ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING PLACES IN NORTH AMERICA IN, IN, IN CERTAINLY UNITED STATES. UM, I GEEK OUT 'EM IN AN URBAN PLANNER. I WOULD LOOK AT MSA DATA MULTI, UH, METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA DATA. AND IT SHOWS LIKE THE AUSTIN AREA WITH ROUND ROCK AND, AND PFLUGERVILLE AND, AND SAN MARCOS AND THEN THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH AREA AND WHATEVER. THOSE BIG ONES DON'T GROW OR SHRINK VERY MUCH. 'CAUSE THE DENOMINATOR, HERE WE GO, GET OUR MATHEMATICIAN INVOLVED HERE. IT IS SO GIANT, IT'S HARD TO ACTUALLY BUDGET, BUT AUSTIN SOMEHOW WAS JUST GROWING CRAZILY. YOU HAD TO GO LIKE UP INTO THE, AND WE WERE LIKE THE 30 SOMETHING BIGGEST MSA AND WE HAD BY FAR THE BIGGEST PERCENTAGE GROWTH FOR A REALLY LONG TIME. AND THEN YOU HAD TO GO INTO THE SIXTIES OR SEVENTIES TO GET ONE THAT WAS BIGGER THAN US, LIKE BOISE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WAS JUST TINY. SO THAT WAS KIND OF, IM IMPRESSIVE AND INTERESTING. PUTS A LOT OF PRESSURE ON A CITY OR AN AREA WHEN YOU HAVE A LOT OF POPULATION GROWTH AND ON OUR ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES. UM, BUT INTERESTINGLY, AUSTIN'S STARTING TO LEVEL OUT. AND SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE A TGA THING. WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE, THE LACK OF ABILITY TO ANNEX AS AS MUCH. BUT AUSTIN'S IS NOTICEABLY SLOWED DOWN IN GROWTH. AND THERE'S SOME GREAT PRESENTATIONS BY OUR, OUR CITY DEMOGRAPHER. YOU MAY HAVE ACTUALLY HAD HER SPEAK TO YOU, VIOLA VALENCIA AS HER NAME. SHE, YOU CAN GOOGLE HER AND GET GREAT PRESENTATIONS AND WHERE SHE DESCRIBES A LOT OF THIS. BUT IT'S A NEW, IT'S A NEW THING. AND ACTUALLY IT WILL PROBABLY AFFECT US IN TERMS OF OUR REGULATORY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, UM, POSITION. ALRIGHT, EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT CITY OF AUSTIN CITIZENS ARE EXTREMELY ACTIVE AND INVOLVED. AND THEY HAVE DRIVEN, THEY DROVE THESE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS. MOST CITIES AROUND TEXAS, UH, DIDN'T HAVE THIS. WE DID, THEY DIDN'T HAVE SOMEBODY. NOT THAT THEY, NOBODY CARED, BUT IT WAS JUST THAT AUSTIN WAS KIND OF AN UNUSUALLY ACTIVE, UH, PLACE. I ACTUALLY GREW UP, WAS BORN IN AUSTIN, BUT GREW UP IN, IN IN DALLAS AREA. DALLAS. MY DAD WAS SUPER ACTIVE AND HE WAS ONE OF A FEW PEOPLE AND NOT A LOT. AND SO, UM, THIS, THIS WAS HEARTWARMING WHEN I CAME TO AUSTIN TO SEE THIS KIND OF INTERACTION. SO I SORT OF WHIMSICALLY PUT DOWN, WE WERE HIGHLY AWARE, AWARE AND EDUCATED COMMUNITY. WE'RE POLITICALLY AND SOCIALLY ACTIVE COMMUNITY. AND THEN I GO INTO THE, UM, STATE OF LEGISLATURE. THEY'RE ALSO HIGHLY AWARE AND EDUCATED AND POLITICALLY AND SOCIALLY ACTIVE. SO THEY WATCH WHAT WE DO. THEY DON'T LIKE EVERYTHING WE DO. AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY BASICALLY PASS LEGISLATION THAT SAYS, SORRY, CITY BOSTON, YOU CAN'T DO THAT ANYMORE. UH, KIND OF LIKE I WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH THE ETJ RELEASES AND THE ANNEXATIONS. BUT THEY SAID THAT WE HAD LOTS OF BATTLES IN THE NINETIES ABOUT, UM, IN OTHER TIMES, BUT ESPECIALLY IN THE NINETIES, ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE COULD HAVE OUR SOS SAVE OUR SPRINGS ORDINANCE THAT REGULATES THE BARTON SPRING ZONE. UM, SO THEY'RE A MAJOR FLARE AND FACTOR. UM, YOU'LL SEE THIS SLIDE IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE'S PRESENTATIONS, THE SAME ONE. SO I ACTUALLY GOT A LITTLE SLIGHTLY HIGHER RESOLUTION VERSION. I'VE [00:15:01] BEEN USING A SUPER GRAINY ONE. UM, BUT THIS, HEY, THIS IS SUPER, UH, RELEVANT FOR RIGHT NOW. LOVE THIS QUOTE, THIS, OUR OWN METEOROLOGIST IN AUSTIN, UM, GIVES A PRESENTATION AND THAT'S WHERE I FIRST SAW THIS. HE SAYS, TEXAS IS THE LAND OF PERENNIAL DROUGHT BROKEN BY THE OCCASIONAL DEVASTATING FLOOD. AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE A METEOROLOGIST IN THE YEAR 1927. SO WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS A LONG TIME. WE'VE BEEN FLOODING A LONG TIME. WE'VE HAD CRAZY WEATHER A LONG TIME, BUT IT REALLY DOMINATES OUR WATERSHED PROTECTION, UM, YOU KNOW, BACKDROP OR, OR, OR, OR BASELINE. SO I LOVE, I I, I KEEP SEARCHING FOR THIS. I KNOW I HAVE SEEN A PICTURE OF THIS INTACT BEFORE IT WAS DESTROYED, BUT THIS IS A PICTURE OF IT IN 1869 WHEN IT, UH, THE MCKINNEY FALLS. YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD OF MCKINNEY FALLS THAT HAD EIGHT A A, A MILL ON IT THAT WAS REALLY FAMOUS AND HELPFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY. AND IT WAS DESTROYED IN 1869 BY THIS BIG FLOOD, ONE OF THE BIGGEST ONION CREEK FLOODS IN HISTORY. THE ONE IN 2013 WAS REALLY SIMILAR IN SIZE, MAYBE BIGGER THAN THE ONE IN 1869, BUT IT WAS A IN GARGANTUAN. SO AT THE TIME, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY BRIDGES ACROSS THE RIVER. IT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT. AND, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW, 10 AND FORD ROAD OVER THERE, KIND OF OVER IN EAST AUSTIN. WELL, THAT'S, THERE WAS A 10 AND FORD FORD IN THE RIVER WHERE PEOPLE USED TO TAKE THEIR, UH, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER OXCARTS THROUGH THERE. AND THIS WAS A HOPE FOR THING. UM, UH, WHERE THEY, SO IT WAS, IT WAS ONLY, ONLY LASTED LESS THAN A YEAR. UM, LET'S SEE, T PAUL S HAS SOME GREAT INFORMATION ABOUT THIS THAT I REMEMBER TAPPING INTO AT ONE POINT, ONE OF OUR LONG TIME AUSTIN ENVIRONMENTAL FOLKS, UM, UH, AND, UH, HE HAD A WHOLE HISTORY ON IT IN ONE OF HIS, HIS ANNUAL REPORTS. BUT ANYWAY, THIS DAM, I MEAN, IT'S REALLY, I, THE, THE, THE STRUCTURES BACK THEN WERE INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL. AND, AND SO HE, THEY PUT TOGETHER THIS DAM, IT'S REALLY CLOSE TO WHERE, UM, THE TOM MILLER DAM IS TODAY. UM, AND THEY BUILT, AND YOU CAN TELL IT'S IN PAST TENSE AND IT'S OMINOUS. AND SO HERE'S THE WATER COMING OVER, SPILLING OVER. THEY'RE PROUD OF IT. UH, THEY BUILT IT IN 1891 AND THEN UNFORTUNATELY, UM, IN, UH, 1900, ONLY NINE YEARS LATER, IT WAS JUST COMPLETELY WIPED OUT BY GARGANTUAN FLOOD. AND SO THIS IS GONNA BE A THEME OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN THE EARTH BETWEEN NINETEEN HUNDRED AND NINETEEN THIRTY FIVE, WHERE THERE'S ANOTHER, UH, BIG FLOOD. THEY PUT, THEY BUILT IT BACK. IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT. THEY REALIZED, HEY, WE NEED A WATER SUPPLY. WE NEED TO CONTROL THESE FLOODS. WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE AUSTIN DOWNTOWN FLOODING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. SO THEY BUILT IT BACK, THEY STARTED THIS THING, AND THEN IT, IT ACTUALLY, UH, GOT DAMAGED DURING CONSTRUCTION. THEY, THEY DID NOT COMPLETE IT. THIS IS AN AMAZING PHOTOGRAPH FROM THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER THAT SHOWS THE 1935 FLOOD. UM, AND SO YOU'RE LOOKING ACROSS CONGRESS AVENUE THERE, DOWNTOWN, JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SHOWS THE, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S THE SAME FLOOD THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A HOUSEBOAT OR A HOUSE WASHING OVER THE REMNANTS OF THE DAM. UM, SO EVERYBODY REALIZED WE NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING THERE WASN'T GONNA WORK JUST TO HAVE A DAM THERE. UM, AND I CAN GO INTO MORE DETAIL ON THE Q AND A IF YOU GUYS WANNA HEAR MORE STUFF ABOUT THE DAMS. BUT IT'S THIS, IT'S, UM, WE, WE ENDED UP BUILDING, WE, THE STATE OF TEXAS WITH FEDERAL HELP BUILT THE SIX DAMS, TWO OF WHICH ARE BIG WATER SUPPLY LAKES, UH, BUCHANAN AND TRAVIS. AND THEN TRAVIS HAS NOT ONLY THE WATER SUPPLY, HALF OF THE WATER SUPPLY, BUT IT HAS ALSO HAS THAT AMOUNT OF STORAGE ON TOP RESERVED FOR FLOODING. AND HERE IT IS, UH, THE MANSFIELD DAM CRUCIAL. UM, EVERY LIFE WOULD BE DIFFERENT IN AUSTIN IF WE DID NOT HAVE THIS SYSTEM, AND WE WOULD NOT HAVE THE SAME PROTECTED WATER SUPPLY AND, UH, WE WOULD NOT HAVE THE SAME FLOOD PROTECTION. THIS, IT WAS A GAME CHANGER FOR AUSTIN'S HISTORY, UH, BIG TIME, SIMULTANEOUS TO THE CONSTRUCTION, SORT OF NEAR SIMULTANEOUS TO THAT CONSTRUCTION WAS TRYING TO BUILD THESE KIND OF AS A, AS, AS IN A, IN SERIES WAS TOM MILLER. AND THIS, THIS CREATES LAKE AUSTIN THAT CREATES A BUNCH OF OUR WATER SUPPLY STORAGE. AND SO WE KIND OF SOLVED, QUOTE UNQUOTE, HOPEFULLY WE WILL NEVER HAVE A FLOOD THAT WIPES OUT THAT STUFF. BUT HERE WE ARE. I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLY UNLIKELY THAT, THAT THE MEMORIAL DAY FLOOD REMINDED US 30 YEARS LATER, UM, UH, THAT THE, UM, THAT IT WAS STILL, UH, NOT 30 YEARS, SORRY, WELL, WHATEVER, 35. UM, UH, WITH THE 40, IT WAS ABOUT 40 YEARS OF THAT, 40 YEARS AFTER THEY DID THE, THOSE DAMS. HERE COMES A BIG FLOOD IN ONE OF OUR WATERSHEDS. AND SO IT FLOODED MULTIPLE WATERSHEDS, INCLUDING SHOAL CREEK AND LITTLE WALNUT CREEK. BUT IT, IT REALLY HIT, UM, UM, SHOAL HARD. WE ENDED UP WITH, UH, 13, UM, CASUALTIES, YOU KNOW, LOSSES, UH, VERY TERRIBLE. UM, AND REALLY IT WAS A WAKE UP CALL. AND SO A LOT OF THE REGULATIONS I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A LITTLE BIT, KIND OF IN IN ACTION THAT THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT TOOK, UH, STEM FROM THAT. UM, THIS IS AN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH THAT SHOWS THE AREA WHERE BARTON CREEK MALL WAS. YOU COULD SEE MOPAC STARTING TO GET BUILT THERE. UM, AND SO, UM, HERE IT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. AND SO THIS COMPANY THAT BUILT THE MALL DECIDED, HEY, LET'S JUST MAKE A PANCAKE FLAT [00:20:01] DISC INSTEAD OF KIND OF WORKING WITH THE LAY OF THE LAND. SO, UM, THIS REALLY UPSET, UNDERSTANDABLY, A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE. AND, AND THEY BASICALLY JUST TOOK WHAT USED TO BE A MOUNTAIN AND SORT OF LEVELED IT AND KIND OF DID WHAT YOU CALL IT, UH, YOU KNOW, WAS CUT AND FILL AVERAGING AND CREATED THIS PLATEAU THERE. BUT A LOT OF THE WATER WASHED OFF WENT INTO THE CREEK VERY CLOSE BY IS BARTON SPRINGS DOWNSTREAM? HERE IT IS. UM, HERE'S, HERE IT IS TODAY OR SO. I KNOW IT'S THAT 2018. BUT ANYWAY, IT'S KIND OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE NOW. IT'S ONLY TWO MILES DOWNSTREAM OF BARTON SPRINGS AND A WHOLE LOT OF THE EROSION SEDATION THAT HAPPENED DURING THE CONSTRUCTION. THEY, NOBODY HAD SEAL FENCES. NOBODY HAD, UH, SET IATION BASINS. NOBODY HAD ANYTHING FOR DURING CONSTRUCTION AT THE TIME BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT AT THAT TIME, OR DIDN'T, IT WAS JUST IN, IN, IN ITS INFANCY. AND SO IT REALLY AFFECTED BARTON SPRINGS. THEY HAD TO SHUT IT DOWN A BUNCH OF TIMES FOR TURBIDITY AND, AND BACTERIA AND WHATNOT 'CAUSE OF THE, AND SO THAT, AND I, FOR A LONG TIME I WAS GIVEN THIS PRESENTATION AND TALKING ABOUT THIS, AND I THOUGHT, OKAY, THAT WAS KINDA THE BEGINNING WAS BARTON CREEK SQUARE MILE WHEN I MOVED BACK TO AUSTIN, UM, IN THE, IN THE LATE EIGHTIES. I THAT PEOPLE WERE STILL BOYCOTTING GOING TO THE MALL, SOME PEOPLE. UM, BUT THEN I REALIZED FROM THIS PRESENTATION, I FORGET, LIZ, DID WE, DID WE, I DON'T THINK WE WATCHED THIS TOGETHER AS A GROUP. WE MIGHT HAVE, WE MIGHT HAVE. I'VE WATCHED IT WITH A GROUP. I DON'T KNOW WHICH GROUP. YEAH. MIGHT HAVE BEEN OUR GROUP. YEAH, SO, SO I, THIS IS, UH, YOU CAN CLICK ON THE LINK FROM THE PDF THAT'S IN MY BACKUP, BUT, UH, IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING SHOW. IT'S ON, IT'S ON, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, PBS, UH, LOCAL AFFILIATE HERE, KLRU, UM, AND TALKS ABOUT THE SIXTIES, TALKS ABOUT, UM, ROBERTA CRENSHAW, WHO WAS INCREDIBLE PERSON AND DID ALL KINDS OF GREAT WORK AND WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND EVERYTHING, HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT. ALRIGHT. UM, WE HAD SOME EARLY WATERSHED ORDINANCES THAT KIND OF MISSED THE MARK IN SOME WAYS THAT WE NEEDED TO COME BACK TO. AND I JUST WANTED TO HELP SHOW A FEW PHOTOS. I THINK DAVE WAS AROUND, WENT IN 2013 WHEN WE PASSED THE, THE WATERSHED PROTECTION ORDINANCE AND WENT THROUGH PLANNING COMMISSION AND COUNCIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD AT THE TIME. UH, THIS WAS A BIG DEAL IN MY CAREER, UM, HELP HELPING WITH THIS. WE, UM, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THIS IN MORE DETAIL IF I HAVE TIME, BUT, BUT BASICALLY THE EASTERN CREEKS DIDN'T GET THE SAME PROTECTIONS AS THE WESTERN ONES. WE KIND OF WERE FOCUSED ON THE EDWARDS PLATEAU AND THESE EASTERN CREEKS WITH THE, WITH CLAY, CLAY SOILS AND LOTS OF FARMING AND WHATNOT. PEOPLE JUST LIKE, HEY MAN, I CAN COME IN WITH MY, MY ROAD GRATER, MY, MY BULLDOZER, WHAT HAVE YOU. I CAN KIND OF MAKE WHATEVER CHANNEL SIZE, SHAPE, WHAT HAVE CONFIGURATION I WANT. NO BIG DEAL. AND IT LED TO A LOT OF THIS STUFF, WHICH REALLY JUST GETS RATTLED APART BY BIG FLOODS. AND, AND SO THIS, THIS CONCRETE DOESN'T LAST FOREVER. UH, THESE ARE DYNAMIC STREAM SYSTEMS. THEY DO BAD DAMAGE TO THESE THINGS. UM, AND SO WE REALIZED WE NEEDED TO DO BETTER IN OUR PROTECTIONS AND DO, DO DO RIGHT BY THE, THE EASTERN CRESCENT. UM, ANY CREEK FLOOD WAS ANOTHER WAKE UP CALL. THAT WAS THE 30 YEARS IN MY HEAD. 30 YEARS FROM THE, A LITTLE BIT OVER AFTER 32 YEARS LATER AFTER THE MEMORIAL DAY FLOOD, HERE COMES THE ONION CREEK FLOOD, VERY BIG BASIN, ONION CREEK'S, KIND OF A RIVER. IT'S A SMALL RIVER. IT GOT 13 INCHES OF RAIN OR SOMETHING IN 2013, YOU GUYS, SOME OF YOU GUYS WERE HERE PROBABLY FOR THIS. IT WAS A, IT WAS A REALLY SHOCKING EVENT AND FLOODED, UM, HUNDREDS, EIGHT, 900,000 HOMES. I NEED TO GET THE DATA ON THAT. BUT WE ENDED UP HAVING TO BUY OUT A BUNCH OF, WE HAD ALREADY BOUGHT OUT 320 SOMETHING HOMES BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. WE KNEW I WAS, I WORKED ON THIS STUDY WHERE WE WERE LOOKING AT IT GOING, UHOH, THIS IS COMING. AND THIS, AND OUR ORIGINAL FLOODPLAIN MAPPING WAS NOT AWARE OF THE LEVEL OF RISK THESE GUYS HAD, AND WE HAD TO REMAP IT. AND A BUNCH OF PEOPLE SUDDENLY, QUOTE UNQUOTE, BECAME PART OF THE FLOODPLAIN AND WE REALIZED THERE WAS 10 TO 12 FEET DEEP, SOME OF 'EM, THEIR HOUSES. SO WE BOUGHT, WE, WE WORKED, WORKED FOR THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS, GOT SOME MONEY, NOT FAST ENOUGH. WE WERE, YOU KNOW, ANYWAY, THAT'S A LONGER STORY. BUT WE, WE DID, WE, WE REALLY PUSHED OURSELVES AND TRIED TO GET AS MUCH AS WE COULD. BROUGHT OUT 300 HOMES, BUT THEN ANOTHER 800 FLOODED AFTER THAT. IT WAS, IT WAS HORRENDOUS. UM, AND SO, UH, THERE WERE SOME KIND OF A LOWER NEIGHBORHOOD AND AN UPPER ONE, BUT THEY BOTH, THEY BOTH FLOODED PRETTY BADLY. UM, AND SO THAT HAPPENED TWICE IN 2013 AND 2015. SO THOSE WERE, I WAKE UP CALLS. ALRIGHT, HOW AM I DOING ON TIME HERE? UM, OKAY. YEAH, ACTUALLY WHAT, I SHOULD BE MORE SPECIFIC. SO ANOTHER 15 MINUTES OR 10 ANOTHER YEAH, I SHOULD BE, I SHOULD BE ASKING YOU HERE . OKAY. YOU'RE GOOD. OKAY, THANK YOU. I COULD TALK ABOUT THIS THE WHOLE, I COULD FILIBUSTER THIS MEETING. WE'VE GOT A LIGHT, WE'VE GOT A LIGHT AGENDA AND I'M PERSONALLY ENTHRALLED, SO, OKAY. I'M NOT WORRIED. OKAY. OKAY, GREAT. I LOVE IT. OKAY. UM, ALRIGHT, SO OUR, SO I'M GONNA GO THROUGH, AND SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, SO YOU, MAYBE YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE BUILDING A, YOU'RE BUILDING A PROJECT AND YOU WANT TO, YOU KNOW, YOU WANNA DO SOMETHING, A SITE PLAN, YOU GOT A SUBDIVISION BUILDING PERMITS, NOT SO MUCH, ALTHOUGH SOME OF THESE THINGS APPLY TO THOSE TOO. SO YOU'RE DOING DIFFERENT TYPES OF LAND DEVELOPMENT. WHAT ARE THE REGULATIONS THAT ARE GONNA TOUCH YOU? AND THEN I'LL TALK ABOUT IT LATER AND TALK ABOUT WHEN THOSE CAME ALONG AND WHY. SO, SO THIS IS JUST LIKE, UM, SO AGAIN, SAME PERSON THAT MADE THAT COOL PHOTO. THE THING WITH THE MAP [00:25:01] THING, UH, PUT TOGETHER, UM, TAKING ONE PIECE OF PROPERTY AND SHOWING LAYER AFTER LAYER OF THIS HAD TO HAPPEN. THIS HAD, YOU KNOW, HE HAD TO CONSIDER THIS AND THIS AND THIS AND THIS TO GET TO YOUR FINAL, UM, PRODUCT. IT WAS PRETTY, UH, IT WAS PRETTY HELPFUL, I THOUGHT. PEOPLE LOOKING AT IT. SO I'M GONNA GO DOWN THE LIST. THESE ARE KIND OF IN ORDER, BIG PICTURE TO SMALLER, MORE DETAILED, MORE FINE GRAINED. UM, BUT SO WE START WITH WATERSHED CLASSIFICATION. I'M GONNA GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THESE. SO I'M NOT, SO A LOT OF THIS IS FOR YOUR BACKUP AND I WANT YOU TO FLAG THESE AND THINK, OH, HEY MATT, MATT NEEDS TO TALK A LOT MORE ABOUT WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, NO ADVERSE IMPACT OR SOMETHING, WHICH I CAN, I LOVE TO DO BECAUSE I LOVE TO TALK ABOUT THIS, BUT I'M NOT, I'M NOT GONNA, UM, WON'T NECESSARILY DO EVERY ONE OF THEM JUSTICE AS I BLITZ THROUGH. BUT WATERSHED CLASSIFICATION IS THE BIG PICTURE. UH, YOU'LL SEE SOME MAPS, JUST FIVE DIFFERENT WATERSHED CLASSES AROUND WATER, YOU KNOW, URBAN SPRING ZONES, SUBURBAN WATER SUPPLY, RURAL WATER SUPPLY, SUBURBAN, ET CETERA. THOSE ARE, THOSE WERE EARLY, EARLY, EARLY, DONE IN 1986, CREATED THOSE. UM, AND THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE BIG IMPACTS ON THE WATER QUALITY SIDE OF THINGS, ON THE COVER LIMITS. MOST, MOST SPECIFICALLY. THEY, THEY EXTEND OUT IN SOME OTHER AREAS. SO WE REALIZED REALLY EARLY ON WHEN I WAS FIRST WORKING HERE IN 1990, IT WAS MY FIRST YEAR AS AN INTERN AT THE CITY OF BOSTON. I, UM, IT WAS, I WAS REALLY SWEPT UP. WE WERE SUPER INTERESTED. WE WERE ALREADY REALLY INTO IMPERVIOUS COVER THAT WAS LIKE KIND OF BIG. IT'S ALMOST LIKE THE CURRENCY OF WATERSHED PROTECTION, YOU KNOW, AND, AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A REAL ACTION REACTION. HIGHER THE IMPERVIOUS COVER MORE WATER RUNNING OFF, MORE WA MORE POLLUTANTS COME COMING INTO THE PICTURE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. UM, IT, IT, YOU KNOW, OVER, OVER MY CAREER, IT IS BECOME CLEAR THAT IT'S WAY MORE COMPLICATED. WELL, IT TURNS OUT WE LIKE HAVING ROOFS AND NOT BEING IN THE RAIN OR IN THE EXTREME COLD OR HEAT OR WHATEVER, AND WE WANNA DRIVE ON A NON DIRT ROAD AND WHATNOT. SO YOU KIND OF HAVE TO HAVE A PREVIOUS COVER. AND THEN THERE'S A LONGER DAVE WITH A CONVERSATION. WE COULD, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ABOUT DENSITY AND HOW THAT WORKS AND WHAT LIKE PER CAPITA IMPACTS, INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING IMPACTS PER SE, THIS REALLY BIG DEAL. UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, IT HAS TO DO WITH A LOT OF, UM, POLICY DISCUSSIONS WE WANT TO HAVE. I LOVE, YOU KNOW, CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THIS STUFF. SO YEAH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S COOL. SO FLOODPLAIN RESTRICTIONS AND PROHIBITIONS ARE, ARE REALLY CRUCIAL. I WOULD ARGUE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE FIRST THREE, THREE OR FOUR ARE LIKE THE MAIN ONES THAT YOU WOULD SAY, HEY, IF YOU HAD JUST A FEW, A HANDFUL OF THESE THINGS, WHAT WOULD YOU FOCUS ON? FLOOD PLAN RESTRICTIONS ARE JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, LIFE SAFETY, CRITICAL, UH, PROPERTY PROTECTION, THE WHOLE THING. I GOT ALL, UM, STREAM SETBACKS AND BUFFERS THAT WE, WE HAD THAT STARTED THAT EARLY ON. I, I'M NOT GONNA, ACTUALLY, I HAVE SLIDES FOR EACH ONE OF THESE, SO I'M NOT GONNA GO, THAT'S A NICE LIST. WE CAN RETURN TO IT IF YOU WANNA SEE THIS. AND THIS IS GETTING INTO THE NITTY GRITTY OF SOME OF THE THINGS YOU SEE ON INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS AS THEY COME IN AND SAY, HEY, I DON'T WANNA DO, I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANNA COMPLY WITH THE BOILER PLATE CUT AND FILL LIMITS. I WANT SOMETHING MORE, ET CETERA. SO THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD STUFF IN THERE. ALRIGHT, SO I JUST, OH YEAH, HERE'S THE SWISS CHEESE VERSION OF THIS. THIS IS NO LONGER, LOOKS LIKE FIVE MILES OF US. THIS IS FIVE. THERE'S PEOPLE SAYING, NO THANKS, I'M OUTTA HERE. AND PEOPLE EXEMPTING OUT OR RELEASING FROM THE ETJ. SO YOU SEE THE LOOK AT THE LIGHT GREEN OUT THERE, THERE'S A BUNCH OF WHITE. SO THAT'S, UH, AND THEN YOU SEE THAT, UH, IN OTHER AREAS OF OUR, OUR JURISDICTION AS WELL. UM, BUT I WANTED TO KIND OF SHOW YOU LIKE WHEN YOU HEAR, OH, URBAN WATERSHEDS, HOW BIG IS THAT? AND I'M, I'M, I'M BUMMED. I'VE REALIZED TODAY, AFTER, GIVEN THIS SO MANY TIMES, I NEED ONE ON HERE THAT SHOWS WHERE THE POPULATIONS ARE LIKE WHAT, HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE IN THESE DIFFERENT AREAS RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, AT THE PRESENT. AND IT CHANGES OVER TIME. AND WE EXPECT TO BE MORE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SUBURBAN WATERSHEDS THAT ARE RELATIVELY UNDEVELOPED COMPARED TO THE OTHERS. AND SO THE, THE POPULATION WILL CONTINUE TO GO UP OUT THERE, BUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED IN HERE AND WHAT'S GOING ON AND SO FORTH. I THINK THAT WOULD ADD A LITTLE, A LOT MORE RICHNESS, BUT A VERY HIGH PERCENTAGE RELATIVE TO ITS SIZE OF THE POPULATION OF AUSTIN LIVES IN THE YELLOW URBAN WATERSHEDS. IT'S JUST MORE DENSE, MORE PEOPLE THERE. IT'S WHERE PEOPLE WERE LONGEST IN AUSTIN IN THE MOST AND LONGEST. IT WAS PRETTY SPARSE. IF YOU LOOK AND THERE'S WONDERFUL 1940 AERIAL AUSTIN, TEXAS THAT YOU CAN LOOK AT ON THE PROPERTY PROFILE. I PLUG THE PROPERTY PROFILE. UM, UH, LIZ AND I ARE BOTH SORT OF, UM, OF JUNKIES OF THE PROPERTY PROFILE, RIGHT? PRETTY COOL. AND SO IT'S A, IT'S AN INCREDIBLE RESOURCE AND YOU CAN, YOU CAN LOOK AT IT INDIVIDUAL PARCEL OR YOU CAN LOOK AT A BIGGER AREA AND IT, UM, ANYWAY, I, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND LOOKING AT IT, BUT IT ACTUALLY IS THIS LITTLE SLIGHT, YOU SAY, OH, I WANT TO, I WANT JUST, THERE'S A ROADMAP COMES A GENERIC ROADMAP LIKE YOU'D SEE ON, UH, YOU KNOW, GOOGLE MAPS KIND OF, AND YOU CAN CLICK ON THERE AND SAY, I WANNA SEE THE AERIAL. AND THE FIRST AERIAL IS, IT'S 2025. THEY JUST, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THAT'S BEEN UP. THERE WAS, WELL NOT THAT LONG, RIGHT? THEY UPDATED IT PRETTY REGULARLY, SO YEAH, PRETTY COOL. I MEAN, YEAH, I I THINK IT HAD BEEN 22, 23 UNTIL RECENTLY. ANYWAY, UP TO DATE ISH, ISH. 2020 FIVE'S UP THERE. TAKES A LITTLE WHILE TO GET THOSE UP. YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOT OF WORK. UM, SO 25, 25 COMES UP THERE AND YOU'RE LIKE, OH, THAT'S COOL. THAT'S WHAT IT'S LOOKING LIKE PRETTY MUCH NOW, WELL THERE'S A LITTLE SLIDER AND YOU CAN GO BACKWARD AND GO, OH, I WANNA SEE 2018 AND 2015 AND 20 IN 90 19 97 ONES ONE I REMEMBER LOOKING AT, WHEN WAS THE YOUTH WORKING AT THE WATERSHED? [00:30:02] UM, ACTUALLY 19 86 1 PLANETE IS WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT. BUT, BUT WE GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO 1940 AND 1940 AERIAL IS REALLY KEY. 'CAUSE IT SHOWS WHAT AUSTIN LOOKED LIKE IN THIS VERY ANCIENT TIMES. AND THERE'S PRETTY HIGH RESOLUTION, AMAZINGLY. AND SO THE HEAD AND ALL THESE OTHER AREAS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT AND STUDYING, TURNS OUT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, LIKE JUST FARMLAND OR JUST WHAT HAVE YOU. SO THAT WEST LOOKED LIKE RANCH LAND AND YOU CAN STILL SEE A LOT OF JUNI, OAK, JUNIPER MIX, ET CETERA, KIND OF POPPING UP ON THERE. AND THEN THE EAST IS JUST FARMLAND. AND SO THESE AREAS, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY HAVE SOME HISTORICAL RELEVANCE, UM, WITH ALL THAT. UM, OKAY, SO URBAN URBAN'S ONLY 5% OF THE AREA LAND AREA OF OUR SAY 14, 14, 14. I WAS ABOUT TO SAY IT CAN'T BE FOUR. SO 14, SO IT'S LIKE 15. IT'S LIKE, WHAT IS THAT ONE AND SIX OR SEVEN ACRES IS IN THERE. SO, BUT IT HAS A LOT OF THE POPULATION. SO THAT'S REALLY, BUT, BUT I WOULD ARGUE THAT IN, IN, IN, IN 19 90, 91, WE, WE PASSED THE, THE WATER, THE URBAN WATERSHED ORDINANCE AND SAID, HEY, WELL WE GOTTA HAVE SOME PROTECTIONS HERE. IT WAS A LITTLE LATE TO THE GAME. IT WAS FIVE YEARS AFTER THE, THE, THE COMPREHENSIVE WATERSHED ORDINANCE LOOKED AT EVERYTHING. BUT WE WANTED TO SEAL THAT DONUT HOLE, BUT SO MUCH HAD ALREADY GONE IN THAT IT WAS REALLY HARD FOR IT TO ACTUALLY TAKE EFFECT. AND SO IT SORT OF HAD, IT SORT OF HAS THEORETICAL BUFFERS. IT HAD, AND THEY'RE NOT THEORETICAL IF YOU HAD A PROJECT THAT IT COULD TRIGGER THEM, BUT IN A LOT OF CASES, UM, IT WAS SORT OF TOO LATE QUOTE UNQUOTE FOR THAT TO REALLY TAKE EFFECT. UM, BUT ANYWAY, SO THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT TO TALK ABOUT HERE. THERE'S, UM, SO WE, WE CREATED, AND UH, THIS WAS I THINK IN THE FIRST KIRK WATSON ERA OF THE LATE, LATE, LATE NINETIES, RIGHT? UH, WE HAD THE, UH, WE WERE FIGHTING THE STATE LEGISLATURE WHO WAS SAYING, WE DON'T LIKE YOUR SOS ORDINANCE AT ALL AND WE WANT TO GET RID OF IT. AND THEY TOOK US TO THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT, WHICH SOMEHOW AT THAT TIME UPHELD IT, WHICH I DUNNO IF THAT WOULD HAPPEN TODAY, BUT THAT, THAT HAPPENED. BUT WE WERE, WE WERE IMMORTAL PERIL OF ACTUALLY LOSING SOME OF THE ORIGINAL, UH, RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENTALLY PROTECTIVE ORDINANCES WE HAD. AND SO WE WERE KINDA LIKE BACK AGAINST THE WALL AND THEY'RE LIKE, HEY, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS ARE BEING TOO RESTRICTIVE. AND THEY, THERE WAS, THERE WAS LEGISLATION THAT SAID, WE'RE GONNA MAKE ANY CITY THAT HAS ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS JUST UNIFORMLY APPLY THOSE ACROSS THEIR DISTRICT. WELL, THAT WAS GONNA FORCE US TO CHOOSE BETWEEN, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOS ORDINANCE EVERYWHERE IN THE CITY AND HAVE 20% OR 15% OF PURPOSE COVER OR WHAT HAVE YOU LIMITS OR NOT. AND SO WE, WE WERE IN A REAL BIND, AND SO I THINK WE WERE KIND OF WENT INTO SORT OF PROMOTION MODE OF LIKE, HEY, WE'RE OPEN FOR BUSINESS. WE GOT THE DESIRE DEVELOPMENT ZONE OUT HERE, AND COME ON OUT HERE AND WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL HELP YOU OUT. SO ANYWAY, WE, THAT'S A WHOLE 45 MINUTE DISCUSSION WE CAN HAVE ABOUT THAT. BUT THAT'S A, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S TWO. THERE'S THE DRINKING WATER PROTECTION ZONE IN THE, IN THE, IN THE, IN THE, UM, IN THE, SORRY, DEVELOPMENT ZONE. SO HERE'S THIS, HERE'S THIS, THIS IS A MULTIFAMILY PROJECT THAT WAS BUILT IN, I THINK SLAUGHTER CREEK AND THE, AT THE TIME IT HAD THIS, YOU KNOW, IT WAS BUILT WITH CERTAIN REGULATIONS. WE HAVE OBJECTIVES, UM, PROTECTING SENSITIVE FEATURES, MINIMIZING SITE DISTURBANCE, MANAGING STORMWATER ROCK. SO ALL THOSE THINGS YOU SAW ON THOSE LIFT OF THINGS, TRY TO DO THESE THINGS. SO I'M GOING THROUGH, UM, SO WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A FLOOD PLAIN, UM, ORDINANCE THAT, UM, THAT UH, BASICALLY SHOWS A, I THINK THIS IS THE PRE ATLAS 14, 'CAUSE I THINK THIS IS OLD ENOUGH THAT IT DIDN'T HAVE THAT ON THERE, BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER. IT JUST SHOWS UP UNDER YOUR FLOODPLAIN. UM, THAT'S VERY PROTECTED. UM, AUSTIN IS, UM, IF YOU GO TO HOUSTON AND YOU WANNA BUILD, IT'S REAL FLAT THERE. AND SO THEY'VE KIND OF HAD TO HAVE SORT OF DIFFERENT RULES MAYBE FOR THEM. I MEAN, EVERY, EACH COMMUNITY HAS TO FIGURE THEIR OWN WAY FORWARD, BUT THEY ALLOW YOU TO GO AHEAD AND BUILD IN THE FLOOD IN THE FLOODPLAIN. AS LONG AS YOU ELEVATE ABOVE TWO FEET ABOVE THE, THE FLOODPLAIN OR WHATEVER THEIR, THEIR STANDARD IS. THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S BETTER THAN NOT KNOWING WHERE THE FLOOD PLAIN IS OR NOT ELEVATING HIGH ENOUGH OR WHAT HAVE YOU. BUT IT'S NOT IDEAL. AND SO IN AUSTIN, WE ACTUALLY SAY YOU CAN'T INTRODUCE NEW STUFF IN THE FLOODPLAIN EXCEPT MAYBE PARK-LIKE THINGS IF YOU REDEVELOP, THERE'S SOME OTHER REGULATIONS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THAT. THAT'S A WHOLE CONVERSATION. BUT IT'S REALLY GOOD ONE. AND, AND I HAVE A, I DIDN'T INCLUDE THIS, I PROBABLY SHOULD DO IT IN THE NEXT ONE VERSION OF THIS. I HAD A SLIDE THAT SHOWS THESE BAR CHARTS AND IT JUST SHOWS BY DECADE HOW MANY NEW STRUCTURES WERE BUILT THAT LATER PROVED TO BE IN THE, IN THE FLOODPLAIN. AND IT EVEN SHOWS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ORIGINAL ONES AND THE ATLAS 14. AND IT SHOWS A BUNCH IN THE SIXTIES, A WHOLE BUNCH IN THE SEVENTIES, AND THEN IT TAILS OFF EIGHTIES NINE. AND BY THE NINETIES WE'RE, WE'RE INTRODUCING ALMOST NO NEW STUFF IN THE FLOODPLAIN THAT WAS, THAT SHOWS THE, THE POWER OF REGULATION AND, AND, AND PREVENTION AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THOSE GUYS WHEN THEY, WHEN IT FLOODS AND BUYING 'EM OUT OR HAVING BIG DAMAGE OR WHATEVER. AND NOW WE'RE GETTING 20 INCHES AT ONCE AND, YOU KNOW, BIG SANDY CREEK OR WHAT HAVE YOU. SO WE NEED, SO THESE, THIS IS A REAL SUCCESS STORY IN AUSTIN, OKAY. CREEK BUFFERS, WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE A, YOU KNOW, ADMITTEDLY KIND OF COMPLICATED CREEK BUFFER SYSTEM, BUT IT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR A LONG TIME. UH, I LOOKED IT UP, IT WAS THE, I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BARTON CREEK ORDINANCE. IT WAS THIS, IT WAS THE WILLIAMSON CREEK [00:35:01] ORDINANCE. IT WAS THE FIRST TWO TIER, UH, CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE, WATER QUALITY TRANSITION ZONE ORDINANCE IN 1980. UM, SO WE, IT'S BEEN AROUND A WHILE. UM, YOU KNOW, 40 TO 46 YEARS HOPEFULLY ISN'T TERRIBLE. UH, SO 46 YEARS LATER, NOT HARD OF MATH, BUT STILL STRUGGLING. UM, SO WE HAVE THESE TWO TIERED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE, HEY, LET'S, LET'S REALLY RATCHET THINGS DOWN NEXT TO THE CREEK. CAN'T DO MUCH OF ANYTHING, BUT THEN WHEN YOU GET A LITTLE FURTHER AWAY, WE WANT TO KIND OF, THEN YOU CAN MAYBE BUILD 30% IMPERVIOUS OR SOMETHING ELSE. UM, IT DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU ARE. UM, BUT THAT IS, THAT WAS FOR, THAT WAS FOR WATER QUALITY. THEN WE HAVE A, AN EROSION HAZARD ZONE, WHICH I KIND OF JUST LAYER LAYERED ON TOP. AND YOU, YOU GUYS, SOME OF YOU GUYS REMEMBER WHEN I CAME IN AND WE, WE UPDATED THE COLORADO RIVER VERSION OF THAT BACK IN MARCH OF LAST YEAR. AND WE SAID, HEY, A HUNDRED FEET WIDE IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. WE NEED 200 FEET WIDE ON THE COLORADO, BUT THIS IS THE CITYWIDE ONE. AND I JUST CRUDELY SKETCHED THIS IN WITH SOME POLYGONS AND POWERPOINT. SO IT'S NOT GREAT LOOKING, BUT IT, IT GETS THE JOB DONE. AND THAT YELLOW BUFFER THERE, UM, IS JUST THE AREA YOU NEED TO LOOK AT TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T HAVE SOME KIND OF GEOTECH, GEOLOGICAL OR GEOTECHNICAL PROBLEM WITH, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR PROJECT KIND OF SLIDING INTO THE CREEK AND ERODING IN, INTO OBLIVION. UM, SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS PUT IN IN 2013 ALSO WITH THE, UH, WITH THE, UM, WATERSHED PROTECTION ORDINANCE. YOU GUYS HEAR CASES WHERE PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT STEEP SLOPES A LOT ALONG WITH CUT AND FILL. UH, THIS PARTICULAR SITE DID HAVE QUITE A BIT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME STEEP SLOPES. SO THEY HAVE TO WORK AROUND THOSE, OUR IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITS, INTERACT WITH THOSE STEEP SLOPES, UM, TO, TO DO THEIR MAGIC IN TERMS OF LIKE PROTECTING PEOPLE AND MAKING SURE YOU DON'T, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S MORE PROBLEMATIC IF YOU BUILD ON STEEP AREAS. YOU'RE JUST GONNA HAVE, YOU NEED TO TAKE MORE CARE AND PROBABLY EASE OFF ON THE GAS IN TERMS OF LIKE HOW, HOW INTENSIVE YOUR PROJECT IS. SO EARLY ON IN THE EIGHTIES, MAYBE EVEN LATE SEVENTIES, WE FIGURED THAT OUT. I THINK IT WAS, MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE ONE, IT'S A GREEK THING AGAIN, I'LL DOUBLE CHECK IT IF WE CARE ABOUT THE SPECIFIC ORDINANCE. UM, HERE'S THE IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITS OF SLIDES REAL SIMILAR TO THAT FIRST ONE, EXCEPT THIS ONE JUST SHOWS HOW FAR, WHAT'S THE MAXIMUM NEW STUFF YOU CAN BUILD IN THESE WATERSHED. THIS IS FROM A WATERSHED IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMIT PERSPECTIVE, I LITTLE LEMONADE. IT'S THEORETICALLY POSSIBLE THAT YOU COULD, IN AN AREA WHERE THE IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITS FOR YOUR WATERSHED GO WAY UP HIGH, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY, BUT YOUR ZONING ACTUALLY IS EVEN LOWER THAN THAT. DOESN'T HAPPEN A LOT, BUT IT'S, SOMETIMES IT DOES. MAYBE YOUR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL 45 WILL CAP YOUR THING. AND SO YOU CAN'T GO HIGHER THAN THAT. BUT GENERALLY THE WATERSHED, PREVIOUS COVER LIMITS ARE THE, ARE THE HIGHER OR THE LOW OR THE MORE PROTECTIVE SORT OF LOWER LIMIT. SO YOU SEE THAT WE WERE TRYING TO PROTECT THE WATERSHEDS IN THE DRINKING WATER AREAS IN BARTON SPRING ZONE. WE HAD STUDIES THAT SHOWED IF YOU HAD EVEN 10% IMPERVIOUS COVER THAT YOU WERE GONNA, AND YOU WERE GONNA HAVE THREATS TO, UM, SENSITIVE WATERWAYS AND, YOU KNOW, NITROGEN, NITROGEN LEVELS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WOULD, WOULD, WOULD TRIGGER ALGAE BLOOMS AND OTHER PROBLEMS AND SO FORTH. AND SO WE WERE GETTING THIS SCIENCE IN THE EARLY, UM, IN THE EARLY NINE. BY THE EARLY NINETIES, WE WERE RECOGNIZING ALL THIS STUFF. AND THAT WAS WHY THESE THINGS, WE KEPT RATCHETING IT BACK IN THOSE, UH, WATERSHEDS. THESE ARE THEORETICAL, NOT THEORETICAL, THEY, THEY APPLY TO REAL PROPERTIES. BUT WHEN YOU ACTUALLY LOOK AT WHAT'S THERE, THIS IS AT LEAST AS THE, AS OF THE LAST TIME WE MEASURED IMP PURPOSE COVER, WHICH IS PRETTY CONSTANTLY. SO IT'S PROBABLY A YEAR OLD OR LESS, UM, OLD. BUT THAT'S WHAT THE, THIS IS, BY THE WAY, THIS IS JUST PAR, THIS IS A LITTLE WONKY. THIS IS PARCELS. I HAVE THIS ON HERE. OH NO, DIDN'T MEAN TO DO THAT. SORRY. THIS IS JUST PARCELS. AND SO IT'S SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT IF YOU ADD IT IN RIGHTS OF WAY AND ALL SOME OTHER STUFF. BUT THIS GIVES YOU THE IDEA OF LIKE, OF PEOPLE DEVELOPING PARCELS OF LAND THAT HAVE THIS APPLY TO THEM. THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON. AND SO WE SUCCEEDED AND WE'RE LIMITING THE IMPERVIOUS COVER IN AREAS LIKE WATER SUPPLY, RURAL RIGHT ALONG LAKE AUSTIN. 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE LOTS OF POLLUTED RUNOFFS GOING STRAIGHT INTO THESE, UH, WATERWAYS WHERE WE PULL OUR DRINKING WATER OUT OF. BUT BY THE WAY, A BIG PART OF SOME OF THIS, IT'S NOT JUST OUR REGULATIONS, IT ALSO HAS TO DO WITH PARKLAND DEDICATION AND PRESERVE THE LANDS. WE HAVE BALCONES CANYONLAND PRESERVES, WE HAVE, UH, WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS AND SO FORTH. SO THOSE REALLY IN GREAT WAYS HAVE DROPPED DOWN SOME OF THE IMPERVIOUS COVERS IN THESE, IN THESE KEY VERY SENSITIVE AREAS FOR AUSTIN. SO IT'S, SO REGULATIONS ARE NOT THE ONLY TOOL WE HAVE. AND, AND IN FACT WE'VE, UH, SOME, I WOULD ARGUE THAT IN SOME CASES THOSE ARE, THOSE HAVE BEEN MORE EFFECTIVE. SO THAT, ANYWAY, THAT'S, UH, I DON'T, UM, YEAH, BUT SUBURBAN IS ONLY 26% AT THIS POINT. I, I BET THAT IF YOU AND I, I'VE PLAYED AROUND WITH THIS SOME, WE JUST, BECAUSE I LOVE GEEKING OUT WITH EXCEL AND, AND, AND GIS AND, AND LOOKING AT THESE, THIS DATA, IT IS GONNA BE HARD FOR THE URBAN WATERSHEDS TO GET MUCH ABOVE THE MID FORTIES. JUST WHEN YOU LOOK AT LAND USE MIX AND YOU LOSE PARKLAND DEDICATION, YOU LOOK AT CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES AND [00:40:01] OTHER THINGS, IT'S NOT GONNA GET TO 50 LIKE THE URBAN WATERSHEDS THAT JUST HAD A DIFFERENT REGIME WHEN THOSE WERE PUT IN. AND YOU COULD EVEN ARGUE THOUGH, MAYBE WE WANT HIGHER, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW. THAT'S, THAT'S A BIG POLICY DISCUSSION. HOW HIGH DO WE WANT TO GO? MAYBE WE CAN USE STRUCTURAL WATER QUALITY CONTROLS AND OTHER MEASURES TO GO HIGHER, GET MORE DENSITY AND THEREFORE, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE PROTECT MORE LAND OUT IN THE HEER LANDS AND SO YOU DON'T HAVE AS MUCH SPRAWL OR WHAT HAVE YOU. SO THESE ARE LONG INTERESTING CONVERSATIONS TO HAVE ABOUT THIS. BUT, UM, ANYWAY, SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THAT SLIDE. UM, OKAY, SO ON WITH IMPERVIOUS COVER. UH, SO WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE DEVELOPING A PIECE OF PROPERTY, IF YOU DO HAVE THOSE TWO TIERS OF BUFFERS, UM, SO THIS IS OLD, THIS IS, THIS IS BACK WHEN WE HAD, UM, THE PRE, UH, WATER PRE WATERSHED PROTECTION ORDINANCE BUFFERS, I DON'T THINK, YEAH, WE DON'T HAVE A 30% WATER QUALITY TRANSITION ZONE. WE DO ON THE WEST SIDE. WEST SIDE CREEKS HAVE THE, YEAH, WEST SIDE CREEK. DO THEY HAVE, I DON'T REMEMBER, I DON'T REMEMBER. 30 THAT, THAT DIDN'T CHANGE. YEAH. OKAY. BOTH PERCENT. THIS IS ON THE WEST SIDE, SO YOU COULDN'T, YOU COULDN'T BUILD IT ALL IN THE CRITICAL ZONE. YOU COULD BUILD 30% IN THE TRANSITION ZONE AND YOU COULD SEE HOW THEY ACTUALLY, IN THIS PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT HAVE REALLY MADE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIGHTENED THE LOAD WITHIN THE 30% AREA. AND THEN THEY PUT A LOT OF THEIR OTHER STUFF WHERE THEY COULD, THEY HAD STEEP SLOPES AND SOME OTHER THINGS TOO. SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S, THAT'S HOW, THAT'S ALL PLAYING THROUGH CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES. REALLY COOL TOPIC. UH, SO THEY HAD SPRINGS AND BLUFFS ON IN THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY, BUT THERE'S CANYON RIM ROCKS AND CAVES AND SINKHOLES AND SPRINGS AND WETLANDS. THERE'S, THERE'S DIFFERENT TYPES OF THESE. YOU HAVE TO, DEPENDING ON HOW BIG IT IS AND WHAT IT IS, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO BE, HAVE TO SET BACK 150 FEET OR EVEN 300, RIGHT, LIZ? I THINK IN SOME CASES, UH, YEAH, FOR POINT RECHARGE 300, YEAH, 300. LIZ, LIZ IS AN INCREDIBLE ENCYCLOPEDIA AND AMAZING WITH ALL THIS STUFF. OKAY. AND THEN FREE PROTECTIONS. AND AUSTIN IS PROUD TO SAY PROUD. AND YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD A LOT, YOU KNOW, YOU INTERACT WITH NAOMI ROMAN RELL, OUR, OUR CITY ARBORIST. AND WE HAVE PRETTY, PRETTY, UM, ADVANCED, UM, TREE PROTECTIONS IN AUSTIN. MOST TEXAS CITIES, LOTS OF TEXAS CITIES LOVE TREES AND WANNA PROTECT THEM, AND THEY DO, BUT A LOT OF TIMES IT'S A MITIGATION ORDINANCE AND IT SAYS, HEY LOOK, YOU WANT TO CUT THE TREE DOWN, THEN YOU GOTTA REPLACE IT WITH THIS MANY TREES OR WHAT HAVE YOU. AUSTIN TRIES TO STAY AHEAD OF THAT WITH OUR BIGGEST, MOST PRIZED TREES. AND SO WE TRY TO KEEP THEM AND PRESERVE THEM AS OPPOSED TO JUST MITIGATING THEM. SO HERE'S A BIG OLD EYE OAK AND THEY HAD TO STAY AWAY FROM THAT. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, WE JUST, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO BE ON THAT PARTICULAR, UM, DEVELOPMENT. AND SO THAT, THAT HAS, AND THAT HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPABILITY OF PEOPLE. THEY'RE GIVING PARCEL AND WHATNOT. AND HERE'S THE CUT AND FILL LIMITS. UM, UM, SO THIS, THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS A REALLY STEEP TRACK. AND SO THAT'S WHY YOU, AND YOU'LL SEE THIS A LOT AND YOU'LL SEE IT ON AN AERIAL. I'VE SPENT HOURS LOOKING AT AERIAL AND AUSTIN. 'CAUSE IT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO SEE LIKE, WHAT'S GOING ON. WHERE DO PEOPLE BUILD, HOW DOES IT WORK? WELL, IF YOU HAVE REALLY STEEP LAND, YOU'RE GONNA PROBABLY BUILD ON JUST KIND OF ON THE TOP ON THESE PLATEAUS. AND YOU'RE GONNA, IN THE, AND THE STEEP CANYONS AND WHATNOT IN BETWEEN ARE JUST REALLY HARDER TO DEVELOP ON. AND WE HAVE THESE REGULATIONS THAT, THAT PROTECT THEM BETTER BECAUSE OF THE RAPID RUNOFF AND DAMAGE THAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU, IF YOU JUST KIND OF LET IT GO WIDE OPEN. ALRIGHT? UM, AND THEN YOU REMEMBER THE BARTON CREEK SQUARE MILE EXAMPLE. YOU HAD ALL THE EROSION SEDIMENTATION AND, AND ALL THIS RUNOFF GOING INTO THE CREEKS AND UH, AND CAUSING MAYHEM. AND BY THE WAY, IT'S NOT JUST THE WATER'S DIRTY FOR A WHILE, THAT'S SOIL IS REALLY VALUABLE AND YOU DON'T WANT THE SOIL AND ALL THE HUMUS AND ALL THE GOOD STUFF TO JUST WASH AWAY. YOU WANT TO KEEP IT IN PLACE AND HAVE THAT BUILD UP AND, AND, AND, AND IMPROVE OVER TIME SO YOUR VEGETATION IS HEALTHY AND HAS A A, A GOOD SOIL LAYER AND SO FORTH. SO A LOT OF REASONS TO PROTECT SOIL. UM, AND SO THERE'S, WHEN IT'S CONSTRUCTION THEME THERE, SO THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF FOCUSING ON. AND THEN WE, WE, WE, WE FOCUS A TON ON THIS. I'VE A LOT OF MY CAREER I'VE TALKED, I'VE FOCUSED ON WATER QUALITY, UH, STRUCTURAL CONTROL. SO THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT KINDS. THERE'S, UM, WATER QUALITY PONDS AND THERE ARE FLOOD PONDS OR FLOOD DETENTION REALLY, UM, WATER QUALITY CONTROLS, WE CALL 'EM STRUCTURAL, UM, UH, SCMS STRUCTURAL CONTROL MEASURES. IT'S CHANGED OVER TIME, BUT THE MOST PEOPLE JUST STILL, YOU KNOW, AFFECTIONATELY REFER TO THEM AS PAWNS. THEY DON'T HOLD WATER IN AS A POND VERY OFTEN. YOU KNOW, SOME OF 'EM DO THE WET PONDS, BUT, UM, THIS, THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY, BECAUSE OF WHERE IT WAS, DIDN'T NEED TO DO DETENTION, IT WAS ACTUALLY, UM, SO THAT'S A COOL, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU GUYS ABOUT WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES DETENTION WORK AND WHERE, WHERE WOULD YOU PUT IT AND NOT PUT IT AND WHATNOT. IT'S KIND OF GOOD TO KNOW FOR Y'ALL 'CAUSE BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES SOMEBODY WILL BRING IT UP AND SAY, WELL, WE'RE GONNA DO DETENTION. AND, AND A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE LIKE, WHAT? THAT'S TERRIBLE. YOU'RE GONNA, THAT'S GONNA DESTROY THE WORLD. AND, AND WE'RE LIKE, ACTUALLY IN THIS CASE, [00:45:01] SUPER IMPORTANT TO HAVE DETENTION BECAUSE OF WHERE IT IS AND THE WATERSHED AND WHAT THE IMPACTS WILL BE IF YOU DON'T DETAIN THE WATER VERSUS MAYBE YOU WANNA LET THAT WATER GO THROUGH AND, AND NOT HAVE THE BIG SLUG OF WATER FROM UPSTREAM JOIN IN WITH YOUR PROPERTIES RUN OFF, ET CETERA. SO IT'S PRETTY, IT'S A PRETTY FASCINATING TOPIC. UM, AND WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN BUSTLING WITH SOME OF THOSE THINGS, UM, RECENTLY. ALRIGHT, SO NOW I, I'M COMING TOWARD THE END OF MY PRESENTATION WHERE I TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE THE, THE DIFFERENT MAJOR WATERSHED ORDINANCES, JUST KIND OF, KIND OF AS A 1 0 1 FOR YOU GUYS TO KNOW THE KIND OF THE HISTORY OF THIS. I'VE GONE THROUGH A LOT OF THESE SORT OF IN PASSING WITH PHOTOS AND, AND, AND THAT EXAMPLE OF THAT ONE SITE. BUT THE WATERWAY ORDINANCE, WHICH ACTUALLY I'VE SORT OF DUG INTO IT AGAIN TODAY WHEN I WAS PREPARING FOR THIS SORT OF A TWO PART THING, BOTH IN 1974, JUST A COUPLE WEEKS APART, KIND OF HAD A BOOKEND DEAL WHERE THEY, THEY STARTED REGULATING 25 YEAR FLOODPLAINS. IT STARTED SAYING NO ADVERSE IMPACT. AND I DON'T THINK YOU USED THAT LANGUAGE, BUT IT WAS LIKE, CAN'T CAUSE EXTRA FLOODING ON YOUR NEIGHBOR AND YOU NEED SOME, THAT'S WHERE DETENTION PONDS STARTED, GOT THEIR BIRTH, WAS, YOU KNOW, LET'S START, LET'S START DOING THIS. THEY, THEY STARTED REGULATING WHAT THEY CALLED NATURAL AND TRADITIONAL CHARACTER OF CREEKS. WE DON'T WANNA LOOK LIKE THE TERMINATOR RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE DOWN THE LA RIVER. WE WANT TO, OR, OR SAN ANTONIO RIDING YOUR MOTORCYCLE DOWN THE CREEK. WE WANT YOU, WE WANT TO HAVE NATURAL CREEKS WITH, WITH, WITH EARTH AND ROCK AND CLAY OR WHATEVER IT IS. NOT CONCRETE AND NOT, NOT, NOT SUPER MODIFIED. SO THAT WAS A BIG FORK IN THE ROAD. AND I THINK, I THINK AUSTIN HAS REALLY PROFITED FROM THAT EARLY, UM, SORT OF PRESCIENT ON LIKE, HOW DO YOU DO THIS BETTER? SO, UM, UH, AND THEN WE HAD THESE OTHER ORDINANCES. I'M GONNA BLOW THROUGH THAT BECAUSE, UH, YEAH, I HAD SOME OTHER ONES I WANTED TO END HERE. UH, ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES DUG AROUND AND FOUND THIS 1911 MAXIMUM FLOOD ORDINANCE. WOULDN'T IT, WOULD, IT ONLY HAPPENED 11 YEARS AFTER THAT BIG FLOOD IN 1900. KINDA INTERESTING. THEY WERE PROBABLY STILL THINKING ABOUT THAT. WOW, THAT WAS A BAD DEAL. UM, WE HAVE, UM, AND THEN SO THIS, AS YOU'RE LOOKING BACK THROUGH YOUR PACKET, THE THE FIRST SLIDE SHOWS, HERE'S THE NAME OF THE ORDINANCE, OOPS, HERE'S THE NAME OF THE ORDINANCE OR WHAT WE CALL IT. AND THEN, AND THEN HERE'S, HERE'S WHAT IT DID. HERE'S, HERE'S IT. YOU KNOW, SO LIKE, WE WANT NATURAL CREEKS, WE WANT TO, WE WANNA PROTECT THE FLOOD PLAIN. AND WE STARTED WITH 25 YEAR WE DID FLOOD DETENTION. AND THEN WE REALIZED, AND WE START LAYERING THIS STUFF ON. AS WE, AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION AND WE START UNDERSTANDING THINGS, WE SEE MORE DEVELOPMENT GOING IN. WE SEE THE IMPACT. OKAY, MAYBE WE NEED CREEK BUFFERS. THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, YOU DIDN'T HAVE THAT IN THE SEVENTIES. UH, WE JUST HAD THE FOOT FLOODPLAINS AND THEN WE GO, PREVIOUS COVER LIMITS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT. 'CAUSE OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW, MAX THIS OUT TOO MUCH RUNOFF. WE HAD WATER QUALITY CONTROL. I DIDN'T GO INTO THE DETAILS, THOSE. IT WAS ACTUALLY EVOLVED OVER TIME TOO. BUT YOU CAN SEE WHEN THEY FIRST APPEAR, UM, 1983, IT SOUNDS LIKE, AND I THOUGHT AT FIRST THIS WAS GO 1981, THAT WAS THE MEMORIAL DAY FLOOD. MUST HAVE BEEN WHY THEY DID THAT. THAT WAS HELPFUL. BUT THE, BUT APPARENTLY FEMA AND THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM WERE STARTING TO KICK IN AND REALIZED THE SAME THING WE WERE WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, 25 YEAR FLOODPLAIN KIND OF STUFF ISN'T GONNA CUT IT. WE NEED TO HAVE A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN. UM, AND LATER ON, AT THE VERY BOTTOM IT SAYS, UPDATED A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAINS. THAT'S THE ATLAS 14 VERSION. SO FLOODPLAINS HAVE GONE THROUGH THEIR OWN. WE HAD NO FLOODPLAINS AT ALL PRIOR TO THE MID SEVENTIES. SO PEOPLE WERE NOT STUPID. AND THEY, SOME PEOPLE KNEW NOT TO BUILD RIGHT NEXT TO THE CREEK, BUT IF, IF, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, LIKE THE GEOMETRY OF THE BASIN AND HOW MUCH WATER AND HOW MUCH INTENSITY AND WHATNOT, YEAH, YOU'RE JUST KIND OF WINGING IT. AND SO SUDDENLY WE HAD, SUDDENLY WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD MAP MAPS IN THE SEVENTIES, AND THEN THAT RAMPED UP TO THESE BETTER ONES IN THE EIGHTIES. AND THEN BY THE LATE 20 2010S, WE HAD THE ATLAS 14 INFORMATION. WHO KNOWS, MAYBE IN THE 20 YEARS FROM NOW OR LESS THAN THAT IN THE NOW, WE'LL HAVE TO UPDATE THOSE AGAIN. UM, BUT THAT'S, IT'S SUCH, IT'S SUCH GOOD PROGRESS. AND WE'RE JUST, AGAIN, WE'RE NOT SEEING, WE DON'T SEE FLOOD OF THAT MUCH FLOODING IN THOSE AREAS WHERE WE'VE MADE PEOPLE STAY OUT OF THOSE FLOOD PLAIN PLAINS. AND IN ONION CREEK, WE HAD, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WOULD'VE BEEN TODAY, THE 10 YEAR FLOOD PLAIN OR SOMETHING WITH WHAT PEOPLE WERE BUILDING IN. I'M GUESSING THAT, DON'T QUOTE ME, BUT THAT'S ONE. AND WE ENDED UP HAVING TO BUY OUT 800 OR 900 HOMES 'CAUSE OF THAT, THAT MISTAKE. IT WAS A MISTAKE. IT WAS JUST SORT OF A, YOU KNOW, WE, IN THE, IN THE, IN THE PASSAGE OF TIME, WE, WE FIGURED THINGS OUT WAY BETTER THAN WE, WE KNEW AT THE TIME THAT WE WERE, WE'RE IN A BETTER, WE'RE IN A MUCH BETTER SPOT THAN WE WERE 50 YEARS AGO WHEN A LOT OF THIS STUFF WAS STARTING. OKAY. UM, OKAY. I COULD TALK ABOUT ALL THESE IN DETAIL. HONESTLY, THIS IS SORT OF THE SAME STUFF EXCEPT JUST A LITTLE SHOWN AND A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT WAY. UM, WE NOTICED THAT MAXIMUM FLOOD ORDINANCE, I DIDN'T PUT THAT IN, INTO, UH, NOT TO SCALE. UM, LET'S SEE. SO YOU HAVE, UM, MAJOR FLOODS. AND SO, SO AS WE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT THIS, AS I'VE GONE THROUGH, LOTS OF THIS BEGAN IN THE BARTON SPRING ZONE OR MAYBE ALSO LAKE AUSTIN, WHERE YOU TALK ABOUT THERE'S IMPACTS AND PEOPLE ARE LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE, [00:50:01] ROBERTO RA AND OTHERS, HEY, WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING HERE. UM, AND SO YOU HAVE THESE EVENTS, WHICH BARTON CREEK SQUARE MALL, UM, ET CETERA. YOU HAVE THE 1981 FLOOD. IT, IT PROMPTS US TO DO NEW THINGS WITH OUR REGULATORY, UM, SYSTEM. UM, CONS OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE BARTON SPRINGS BAR. IF YOU LOOK AT THE BARTON SPRINGS, I, I, I DID A, I DID A STUDY WITH MY GROUP, UM, MANY YEARS AGO NOW, PROBABLY 15 YEARS AGO NOW. UH, IT WAS BACK WHEN, UH, LEE LEFFINGWELL WAS MAYOR AND HE WAS WANTING TO LOOK AT THE RE LIKE THE, THE GRANDFATHERING OF PROPERTIES. HE'S LIKE, YEAH. AND THERE WAS A LOT OF UPROAR ABOUT THAT. HEY, THERE'S ALL THESE GRANDFATHERING AND PEOPLE ARE, PEOPLE ARE JUST GOING WILD WITH HIS GRANDFATHERING. AND WHEN WE WENT IN THERE AND LOOKED AND, AND IT IS A CONCERN, AND, AND, AND THERE'S SOME EXAMPLES THAT ARE KIND OF EGREGIOUS AND YOU'RE LIKE, OH MY GOSH, THE, THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND OTHERS HAVE MADE IT SO IT'S REALLY HARD FOR US TO REGULATE THESE GUYS. AND IT TURNED, AND IT WAS KIND OF SEMI DEPRESSING, BUT IT WAS BASICALLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE AREA, AND I COULD GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE SAME DATA, IT'S PROBABLY REALLY SIMILAR, UM, TODAY, A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. BUT MOST OF THE BAR SPRING ZONE HAD ALREADY BEEN EITHER DEVELOPED OR SET ASIDE, ITS PRESERVED, AND THERE WAS JUST A LITTLE TINY BIT LEFT THAT WAS KIND OF IN PLAY. AND YOU'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, WHAT'S GOING ON THERE. AND I, AS AN URBAN PLANNER, I LIKE TO KNOW LIKE, WHAT IS THE CONTEXT? LIKE WHAT ARE WE, WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? WHAT, HOW MUCH IMPACT DOES THIS HAVE? HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT KNOBS AND LEVERS DO WE HAVE TO TO, TO TWIST AND TURN AND PULL IT BACK AND FORTH FOR TO, TO DO BETTER THINGS? AND AS WE BUILD OUT THESE REGULATIONS, HAVE, SOME OF THEM HAVE LESSENING IMPACT, LIKE, OH, WE'VE ALREADY BUILT OUT THE, THE CREEK BUFFER. IT'S ALREADY THERE. AND SO PEOPLE CAN REDEVELOP IN THERE. THEY HAVE TO DO SOME THINGS, ET CETERA, BUT YOU'RE, YOU'RE JUST NOT GONNA GET CERTAIN THINGS BACK AFTER YOU DEVELOP AND SO FORTH. SO THAT'S ONE THAT'S IN MY LIST OF OUR BIG, BIG THINGS. UM, REGULATIONS WILL ALWAYS BE REALLY IMPORTANT, AND WE ALWAYS WANT PEOPLE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE WAY TO DEVELOP AND HOW THEY DO IT. BUT, BUT, UM, THEY'RE MOST, THEY'RE MOST EFFECTIVE WHEN THEY'RE PREVENTATIVE MEASURES, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THAT BIG DROUGHT. AND, AND THIS CHANGES COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS, YOU KNOW, SO WE WERE REALLY OBSESSED WITH WATER QUALITY ALL THROUGH THE NINETIES, IN EARLY TWO THOUSANDS. AND THEN WE HAD THIS GIANT LONG DROUGHT, AND THEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS LAKE GOING DRY. REMEMBER WHEN IT WENT DOWN TO OH, WELL UNDER 30% FULL? AND, UH, IT WAS, IT WAS SCARY. AND WE WERE, AND WE WERE LOOKING AT PROJECTIONS SHOWING, WELL, IT'S GONNA BE IN THE MUD AT SOME POINT. THAT'S BAD. AND SO WE THAT, SO WE, THAT LED TO SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT ONSITE REUSE AND, AND, AND SO FORTH. HADN'T PUT ALL THAT IN HERE. UM, BUT ANYWAY, THESE, THESE, THESE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS BACK TO CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT. UM, AND THEN WE HAD THOSE OTHER COUPLE OF BIG FLOODS, 2015. THERE WAS ACTUALLY ONE IN 2016 TOO. I'M PUT THAT ON THERE. AND THIS IS THE LAST SLIDE. AND I CAN GO BACK TO ANY OF THESE IF YOU WANT TO, OR I'VE TALKED TOO LONG. WE CAN STOP AND WHEN I'M DONE. UM, BUT, UM, I'VE GOT TONS OF THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS. WANTED TO SHARE. UM, I, SO I'M, I'M, I'M JUST KIND OF BLESSED MYSELF TO HAVE KIND OF, I MEAN, I WAS, I HAD SOME COLLEAGUES WHO HAD BEEN WORKING ON THREE OR FIVE OR SIX YEARS IN WATERSHED PROTECTION BEFORE I STARTED IN 1990. BUT THAT BIG ORDINANCE OF 1986, WHERE THE CONFERENCE, WATERSHED ORDINANCE, THAT WAS, THAT WAS KIND OF THE LANDMARK THING LAST FOUR YEARS BEFORE I CAME, WHICH WAS KINDA HARD TO BELIEVE. IT'S LIKE, OH, BACK TO 2022 THAT HAPPENED. WELL, THAT'S NOT VERY LONG AGO NOW. SO THAT'S WHAT IT WAS FOR ME AT THE TIME. BUT WE, THE, THE, THE UNITED STATES DIDN'T REALLY START LOOKING AT WATER QUALITY DATA UNTIL THE SEVENTIES, LATE SEVENTIES. AND SO A LOT OF THIS STUFF WAS KIND OF BRAND NEW AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT. WE HAD A LOT OF WATER WASTEWATER SCIENTISTS, WHICH WERE AWESOME PEOPLE, AND THAT TONS OF KNOWLEDGE, BUT THEY WERE, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE WHAT IT'S STORMWATER AND WASTEWATER DIFFERENT, BUT LIKE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND AND A BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF WE DON'T REALLY LOOK AT ANYMORE AT THE TIME. SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, WHAT'S EVEN GOING ON. AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE, AND WE THREW A LOT OF THINGS AT THE WALL, LIKE ALL THESE REGULATIONS HERE, MOST OF THEM WERE FROM THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES WITH REFINEMENTS IN THE NINETIES, 2022 THOUSANDS AND 2010. UM, AND SO I, I PREDICT WE'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, WE'LL CONTINUE TO NEED TO GO BACK AND GO, WHICH OF THESE ARE WORKING, WHICH, WHERE, WHICH NEED TO BE. UM, MAYBE THEY'RE, THEY WORK IN THEORY, BUT NOW THERE'S, EVERYTHING'S BUILT OUT. AND SO THEY DON'T HAVE THIS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW. IT, IT'S JUST AN INTERESTING, UH, CONVERSATION TO TALK ABOUT WHERE ARE WE, HOW FAR ARE WE COME? AND THEN, UM, AND I WOULD ARGUE, YOU KNOW, SO, UH, AND I'M, AND I KNOW I MIGHT, I PROBABLY HAVE, UM, I DUNNO WHAT KIND OF BIAS CONFIRMATION, BUT SOMETHING BIAS OF THIS. 'CAUSE I'M LIKE, OH WOW, I'VE BEEN STUDYING THIS MY WHOLE LIFE AND I THINK ALL THE GOOD STUFF DONE, WE'RE DONE. SO PICK, PICK ME WITH A GRAIN OF SALT WHEN I SAY THIS. BUT I THINK A LOT OF THE KIND OF BIG KEY STUFF IS IN PLACE NOW. WE KEEP DIALING IT A LITTLE BIT, TWIST THINGS KNOB LOOKING AT IT, BUT I, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE LIKE WHEN FLOOD, WE NEED TO HAVE FLOODPLAINS WITH ALL THAT. THAT'S PRETTY BAD. AND THAT WENT INTO PLACE, THAT WAS HUGE. UM, UH, HYDROLOGIC [00:55:01] AND HYDRAULIC, UM, TROLLS ON SO FORTH, PUT IN COMBO THAT WAS BIG. AND SO WE HAD SOME OF THE THREE LEG, UM, ALRIGHT. AND WE HAVE PREVENTED A LOT OF STUFF AND I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK WE'VE DONE IN AUSTIN OVER THE LAST 40, 50 YEARS, UH, WITH THIS. UM, AND WE'VE PREVENTED A LOT OF THINGS. AND, AND I'VE BEEN STUDYING THE WATER QUALITY SIDE OF THINGS PROBABLY THE MOST, THE LONGEST IN MY CAREER. AND IT IS REALLY HARD TO CLAW BACK FULL BLOWN FUNCTION IN A, IN A WATERSHED ONCE YOU LET IT GO SURFACE. LIKE, BY THE WAY, SHOAL CREEK USED TO LOOK LIKE BART CREEK BACK AND BEFORE IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE, IT HAD A BIG SPRING CIDER, SPRING HAD THIS BIG SPRING WHERE PEOPLE SWIMMING OR PEOPLE WERE FISHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE WATERSHED GOT REALLY BUILT OUT AND WENT 50 SOMETHING PERCENT IMPERVIOUS AND IT HAD NO CONTROLS ON IT. STUFF THAT BASICALLY JUST KIND OF REAL FLASH. SO IT DOES, THAT ALL WENT AWAY. THAT ALL KIND OF GOT HAMMER. UM, AND SO I, THERE'S PROBABLY NO WAY OF REALLY PRACTICALLY GETTING BACK AND I'VE SPENT A LOT OF MY CAREER TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO RETROFIT ALL THESE LITTLE TINY THINGS BACK IN. BUT THE, THE COST OF THOSE, ITS MAINTENANCE BURDEN AND EVERYTHING IS REALLY SORT OF TRAGIC. SO IT'S, ANYWAY, WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE THAT STUFF OUT, BUT IT COUNCIL PREVENTION KIND OF CURE FACT. ALRIGHT. UM, WE'RE STILL FINE TUNING AND YOU GUYS STILL SEE LIZ AND I AND OTHERS COME ALONG AND TALK TO ABOUT SOME DUE ORDINANCE. WE WANT, WE WANT TO GUYS, WE DID THAT WITH THE COLORADO RIVER ONE LAST YEAR. WE HAD THIS UNSTABLE SLOPE ORDINANCE COMING UP. SO THIS PROCESS COMING TO Y'ALL, COMING TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, COME TO COUNCIL, CONTINUES ON. THOSE HAVE TO BE INITIATED BY COUNCIL OR PLANNING COMMISSION, UM, AND SO FORTH. YOU GUYS ARE IN THE LOOP AND MATTERS. YOU KNOW, YOUR INPUT GETS POLLUTED AS THOSE OTHER BODIES. UM, ALRIGHT, UM, I'LL BE COMING BACK AT SOME POINT. GREENFIELD DRAINED STANDARD STUPID PROBABLY LATER, ALMOST, ALMOST NEXT JANUARY OR SOMETHING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, GOT SO MANY TIMES FIRE. OKAY. AND THEN WE GOT, UM, AND THEN YOU SAW, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY ATTENTION AND FOCUS DOES CHANGE OVER TIME AND YOU HEAR ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME. OH, THERE'S A KIND OF FLOOD FATIGUE AND NOT FLOOD FATIGUE. THERE'S, WELL, THERE IS AN INFORMATION FATIGUE, BUT THERE'S ALSO PEOPLE LIKE, OH WOW, SO WE'RE FLOODING A LOT. SO FLOODING IS A BIG DEAL, KIND OF FORGET ABOUT THE WATER QUALITY. AND THEN THAT GOES AWAY AND THEN FLOODING GOES AWAY AND THEN IT'S BROWS. YOU THINK ABOUT THAT. AND SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO KIND OF KEEP, KEEP THOSE CYCLES IN MIND, UM, OVER TIME TO, UM, HONESTLY, FROM A REGULATORY STANDPOINT, YOU NEED TO KIND OF STRIKE THERE HOT. SURE. THAT PEOPLE ARE STILL ENGAGED. SO I A HORRENDOUS JULY FOUR, FIFTH, SIX FLOOD THE LAST YEAR STILL ON PEOPLE'S MIND, STILL WAS STATE LEGISLATURE. WE NEED TOM RIGHT NOW AND SO FORTH. WE NEED TO USE THAT. UM, STATE AND NATIONAL INTERACTIONS ARE CERTAINLY A WILD CARD AND REALLY, UM, KIND OF BACK FOOT ON SOME OF THAT STUFF, BUT I, I WOULD EDITORIALIZE, BUT, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO, TRYING TO DO THE BEST WITH THAT CONTEXT. UM, AND THEN, UM, AND I THINK CLIMATE CHANGE IS, OUR WEATHER PATTERNS ARE VERY DIFFERENT. IT'S NOT JUST, HEY, IT'S REALLY HOT OR NOT. UM, AND IN SOME WAYS WE GET THE SAME AMOUNT OF RAINFALL, MAYBE SOMETIMES RAINFALL, BUT WE'RE GETTING LONGER DRY PERIODS IN BETWEEN. IT'S GETTING BIG RAINS AND WE USED TO GET SMALL RAINS, SMALL RAINS, MEDIUM SPEEDING RANGE, SOME BIG OCCASIONAL BIG RAIN, AND NOW IT'S JUST LIKE GIANT RAIN, NOTHING THING FOR THREE MONTHS, GIANT RAIN, THAT SORT OF THING. THAT'S REALLY CHANGING THINGS. AND I THINK OUR OWN PERSPECTIVE OF WATERSHED INSPECTION, WE, WE LOOKED AT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY INDEX DATA AND SO FORTH. AND IT'LL BE INTERESTING BEING KIND OF HOW THAT STUFF CHANGED OVER TIME. BUT I THINK WHERE WE LIKE, KIND OF GEARED TOWARDS AN ERA WHERE THINGS LOOK DIFFERENT. SO, UM, IN THE FLOOD WORLD, THE OLD 100 YEAR FLOOD IN, IN AUSTIN, 24 HOUR ONE OH FLOOD WAS 10.2 INCHES. EXACTLY WHAT THAT LOOKED WELL, LIKE, IT WAS LIKE A LOT OF WATER EVERYWHERE. BUT THE ATLAS 14 PICKED IT UP 12.8, LIKE 20 SOMETHING, 28 HIGH 20 WATER. OKAY. THAT WAS BIG. THE OLD 500 GEAR USED TO BE 13 AND A HALF, IT'S NOW UP TO 19 AND A HALF. SO WHAT WE SAW IN BIG SANDY CREEK LAST YEAR, VILLE BUILT FORTH WAS A, WAS A 18 19 20 INCH GREEN. SO WE'RE GETTING THESE 500 YEAR FLOODS RAN SOME DAYS A MATTER OF TIME IF, BUT NOT, [01:00:01] UH, BUT UM, I DIDN'T SAY THAT RIGHT. WHATEVER FRONT BAY, IT WILL HA IT WILL HIT AUSTIN. ONE OF THOSE WILL HIT AUSTIN UNTIL WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF GOT OUR, OUR GEAR SPINNING AT WATERSHED. LIKE WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? WE CAN'T REGULATE, I WE AREN'T GONNA WANNA REGULATE EVERYBODY TO SPEED FIVE FEET OFF THE GROUND OR WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE. UM, BUT ANYWAY, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT'S KIND OF THING. AND THEN FINALLY, UM, WE JUST, YOU GUYS, YOU GUYS ACTUALLY JUST RECENTLY SAW THE RAIN RIVER FRAMEWORK THAT WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING WITH OUR, OUR, OUR OUR, UM, FOR TICKET PLAN OR IN TALK WITH Y'ALL AGAIN LATER ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS AND HOW WE SUBMIT THAT. SO HOW DO WE MORE EFFECTIVE GUIDE WHERE OUR THAT GETS THAT? OKAY. I'M VERY HAPPY TO GO BACK TO ANY OF THESE EARLIER SLIDES, FEEL LIKE, HEY, THAT'S GREAT. HAD ENOUGH. THAT'S DO. SO ANYWAY. OH YEAH, THAT WAS CRUCIAL. YES. UM, ALRIGHT, LET'S GO TO COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS AND WE'LL START WITH COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN. UM, MATT, WELL ONE THING I'M AMAZED THAT YOU DIDN'T MENTION THE 24 HOUR, UM, SIT IN THAT WE DID AT CITY HALL TO GET SOS PASSED. OH, YEAH, YEAH. WELL, IT WAS ON THE TIME. OH, SORRY. YEAH, IT WAS ON THE TIMELINE. OH, HAD, OKAY. WE HAD, SO I BLEW PAST IT, BUT IT WAS, UM, YEAH, SO WE HAD TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THIS THAT CERTAINLY IN MY EARLY CAREER. SO IN 19 IT, JUNE OF 1990, WE HAD THE BARTON CREEK POD CRAZINESS, RIGHT. WITH AN ALL NIGHT DEAL, RIGHT? AND THEN, AND THEN THAT LED TO A WHOLE BUNCH OF SHENANIGANS AND INTERACTION WITH COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY AND DEVELOPMENT AND WHATNOT. AND THAT LED TO THE 1992, SEPTEMBER NINE, TWO, RIGHT. UH, BESOS ORDINANCE, RIGHT? AND SO THE COMMUNITY WAS SO FED UP WITH WHAT THEN COUNCIL WAS DOING IS THEY SAID, WE'RE WE'RE GONNA GO AROUND THE COUNCIL, WE'RE GONNA VOTE, WE'RE GONNA VOTE FOR AN ACTUAL, UM, ORDINANCE TO BE PASSED. THAT DOESN'T GO THROUGH COUNCIL, THAT GOES THROUGH JUST THE COMMUNITY. THERE'S, THERE'S THAT PATHWAY. IT'S A REALLY HIGH BAR, RIGHT? SO THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF ORDINANCES PRODUCED THAT WAY, BUT IT WAS, UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF OUTCRY. SO IT WAS A TWO THIRDS OF THE COMMUNITY VOTED FOR YOU. YEAH. AND I WOULD SAY THAT WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT COMMUNITY NOW. I THINK MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT AS FOCUSED ON THAT ISSUE. I WOULD SAY THAT GUYS LIKE DAVE AND ME WERE AT THE TIME WERE SUPER LIKE BREATHING IT IN AND EVERYBODY KNEW WHAT A FERGUS COVER WAS AND RECHARGE AND CARS AND ALL THIS STUFF. AND I THINK ALL THESE NEW PEOPLE HAVE COME, I MEAN, YOU SAW THE POPULATION THING, POPULATION AT THE TIME OF THAT 1992 THING WAS WAY LESS THAN HALF OF WHAT WE HAVE NOW. SO WE HAVE LIKE BETWEEN ALL THE NEW BRAND NEW, YOU KNOW, BABIES AND WHATNOT AND, AND ALL THE NEW INFLUX OF PEOPLE. RIGHT. PROBABLY A THIRD OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE NOW WERE, BUT, BUT OKAY. SO LET ME ASK YOU A TECHNICAL QUESTION. DON'T WE HAVE BETTER WAYS TO MONITOR NOW? I MEAN, CAN'T WE TAKE MEASUREMENTS EASIER TO MEASURE WATER POLLUTION AND, UH, TURBIDITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT? UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT THE, THE, THE METHODS HAVE CHANGED A TON SINCE THEN. WE CERTAINLY STILL DO A LOT OF THE, THERE ARE, UM, THERE'S THE TECHNOLOGY TO DO CONTINUOUS MONITORING. UM, HOWEVER, SO WITH OUR CREEK MONITORING AND OUR RESERVOIR MONITORING, WE HAVE CERTAIN SITES THAT WE GO TO AND IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT CONTINUOUS. AND SO WE HAVE, UM, SO MANY SITES THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE CONTINUOUS MONITORING STATIONS AT EVERY ONE OF THOSE SITES. AND IT'S EXPENSIVE AND YOU HAVE TO PUT, YOU KNOW, EQUIPMENT IN, YOU JUST HAVE TO LEAVE IT IN A CREEK, FOR EXAMPLE, AND PEOPLE WILL MESS WITH IT OR IT GETS WASHED AWAY IN A FLOOD. SO I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THEY'VE LOOKED AT IT IN CERTAIN PLACES. THERE MIGHT BE A CONTINUOUS MONITOR IN BAR MONITOR SPRINGS. I HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK ON THAT. BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOOKING AT PLACES WHERE IT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE, BUT IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE FOR EVERY CREEK. OKAY. OKAY. AND WE DO ACTUALLY HAVE, AND YEAH, GREAT ANSWER. AND WE HAVE, SO IF YOU GO ON TO, UM, AND I LOVE, UM, HYDRO MET ANOTHER THING TO LOOK UP. YOU KNOW, LCA HAS GOT THIS WONDERFUL THING AND MIGHT, MAYBE YOU GUYS ALREADY USE IT, BUT YOU CAN CLICK ON THERE AND YOU GO, HOW MUCH RAIN HAVE WE GOT IN THE LAST 12 HOURS OR LAST TWO WEEKS, OR WHATEVER. UM, BUT IT HAS FLOW ON THERE. IT HAS, YOU KNOW, SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE VERY, WITH ALL THIS GREAT MONITORING WE'VE DONE OVER TIME, WE CAN, WE COULD WE CORRELATE THIS AMOUNT OF FLOW AND THIS'S COVER AND THIS AND SO FORTH. AND WE HAVE MODELS THAT ACTUALLY CAN TRY TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, OKAY, WE, WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON HERE AND WE DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT AND SAMPLE AS MUCH AS WE USED TO BECAUSE WE HAVE THESE RELATIONSHIPS DOWN. YEAH. YEAH. AND, AND ALSO JUST TO KIND OF BE A LITTLE WONKY, UM, NOT EVERY POLLUTANT CAN BE MONITORED THAT WAY. E COLI FOR EXAMPLE. THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT YOU NEED, UH, LAB SAMPLES, YOU HAVE TO GET A GRAB SAMPLE [01:05:01] AND SEND IT TO A LAB. SO, UM, AND SEDIMENT SAMPLES AS WELL. AND WE ALSO GO OUT AND LOOK AT THE BUG COMMUNITY. SO THERE'S NO GETTING AWAY FROM US ACTUALLY GOING TO A CREEK AND TAKE SAMPLES. ONE, I JUST WANNA MAKE ONE OTHER POINT TOO, THAT WITH REGARD TO THE, THE URBAN, UH, AREA THERE THAT HAS THE HIGHEST IMPERVIOUS COVER, IT ALSO HAS THE LOWEST GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS PER HOUSEHOLD. AND YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE, YOU WANT TO HAVE LOWER GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, BUT IT'S A TRADE OFF. UM, WITH A HIGHER DENSITY, YOU HAVE MORE PEOPLE GOING SHORTER DISTANCES, TRAVELING MORE BY MASS TRANSIT, WALKING MORE, BIKING MORE, ET CETERA. NO, THAT'S A INCREDIBLY GOOD POINT. AND I WAS ACTUALLY, I I WAY MORE NOTES THAN I COULD EVER SAY OR YOU WOULD WANT ME TO SAY. BUT, UM, DENSITY THING'S HUGE. AND, YOU KNOW, WATER USE PER CAPITA ENERGY USE PER CAPITA MATERIALS USED PER, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, PER UNIT, ET CETERA, IS WAY LESS WHEN YOU HAVE THE DENSITY AND SO FORTH. AND THE TRANSIT AND ALL THESE OTHER SORT OF SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS ARE THERE TOO. SO IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT A, UM, UNCOMPLICATED EQUATION TO FIGURE, LIKE HOW DO YOU MINIMIZE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. COMMISSIONER MORRISON, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE THOROUGH PRESENTATION, SUPER EDUCATIONAL. UM, I THINK I'M MOST CURIOUS ON, I MEAN, THE QUESTION WAS POSED LIKE, HOW ARE THE REGULATIONS AND THE APPROACH TO THESE ISSUES EVOLVING AS CLIMATE CHANGES AND AS, UM, RAINFALL AND STORMS BECOME MORE INTENSE THAN WE HAD PROJECTED. SO WHAT DOES THE PROCESS LOOK LIKE AROUND LIKE, FORWARD LOOKING PROJECTIONS FOR RAINFALL AND FOR STORMS? AND WOULD ANY OF THAT TRIGGER A, UM, YOU KNOW, AN ANALYS, A A A REEVALUATION OF FLOODPLAINS AND UH, AND LIKE HOW WE'RE SORT OF EVALUATING THE CITY OKAY. AND SURROUNDING AREAS? TERRIFIC QUESTION. UM, IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, I, WHEN I WAS STILL IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, I GOT TO WORK WITH THIS WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH FEDERATE WRF GROUP. UH, THEY WERE DOING A PROJECT WHERE THEY WERE LOOKING AT WATER QUALITY CONTROLS AND SO FORTH. AND THEY BROUGHT ME IN AS, YOU KNOW, TO HELP WITH THE TEAM. AND I WAS WORKING WITH THE, WITH THIS UK GROUP ALONG WITH OUR US GUYS. AND THEY ALREADY HAD ALL THESE MODELS OF LIKE, HERE'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN 30 YEARS FROM NEAR 50. YOU KNOW, THEY PROJECTED DIFFERENT STORMS. AND THEY'RE LIKE, YEAH, THE UK DOESN'T, NOT GONNA, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF SEE WHERE THE, WHERE IT'S HEADED. SO WE NEED, SO THEY GOT AHEAD OF IT AND THEY WERE LIKE, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA, UH, WE'RE GONNA PREDICT THAT THERE ARE THESE LARGER STORMS 'CAUSE WE WANNA BUILD THAT IN. 'CAUSE WE KNOW IN THE NEXT 50 YEARS WE'RE GONNA BE BUILDING ALL THIS STUFF. WE WANT IT TO BE IN A, IN A BETTER SPOT. SO I WOULD SAY THAT THE UNITED STATES IS JUST A LITTLE MORE BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL POLITICALLY WITH THAT STUFF. AND SO THERE WAS A LITTLE TRICKIER TO DO. UM, BUT I'M PROUD OF WHAT WE DID WITH THE ATLAS 14 THING. YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF, IF YOU, IF YOU, UM, LOOKING AT IT ONE WAY, OKAY, WE'RE LOOKING IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR, WE'RE LOOKING AT DATA WE ALREADY COLLECTED, AND IT ALREADY SHOWED THAT THE THIR THAT THE 10 INCH THING NEEDED TO BE 12, 12.8 KIND OF THING. SO WE ALREADY KNEW THAT THAT WAS, BUT WE BUMPED IT UP AND THEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN ADDED AN EXTRA FOOT FOR THE HOUSES WE SAID WE WANT, INSTEAD OF, WE USED TO SAY ONE F FOOT ABOVE THE FLIGHT OF LEVEL WAS WE, YOU HAD TO DO. NOW WE HAVE, NOW IT'S TWO ACROSS THE BOARD EVERY ANYWHERE IN TOWN. UH, IF YOU'RE IN THE FLOODPLAIN, UM, I THINK OF THE FUTURE WE'RE GONNA PROBABLY NEED TO LOOK AT, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DROP OFF. YEAH, THIS FLOODPLAIN A HUNDRED YEAR, AND THEN THERE'S A 500 YEAR, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THAT IS, WHERE WE'RE STILL MODELING THOSE, STILL DOING THE ATLAS 14 WORK. BUT IF YOU'RE IN THIS OTHER AREA, IT SORT OF JUST DROPS LIKE, OH, OKAY, THE FLOOD PLAIN ENDED AND THEN THE HOUSES RIGHT NEXT TO THAT COULD BE JUST TWO FEET DOWN OR WHAT, YOU KNOW, THAT SORT OF THING. WE WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA NEED TO LOOK AT THAT AND WE'RE TALKING ACTIVELY AMONGST THE FLOODPLAIN OFFICE ABOUT DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THAT SITUATION. BUT I WOULD SAY WE'RE A LITTLE MORE, I MEAN, THE UNITED STATES IS A LITTLE MORE REACTIVE TO THAT. IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT TO, TO, TO DO THINGS. I'D SAY WE WANT TO, BUT THE, THE SECOND THING ABOUT THAT IS I THINK THE, THE EXTREME STUFF HAS TO DO WITH THE STUFF WE DIDN'T DO IN THE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES. AND THAT'S THIS GIANT PROBLEM. WHEREAS I THINK THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ATLAS 14 AND SOME SLIGHT CHANGE ISN'T GONNA BE AS BIG. YOU CAN, YOU CAN, 20 YEARS FROM NOW YOU CAN GET THE VIDEO OUT AND GO, THAT GUY WAS A REAL IDIOT. HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT, THAT IT WAS A WAY BIGGER IMPACT. BUT I, MY MY, MY SENSE IS THAT THAT'S NOT GONNA, THAT WE'RE GONNA BE WORRYING ABOUT OTHER THINGS AS OPPOSED TO THOSE KINDS OF ADJUSTMENTS. UM, AND ACTUALLY ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS, ONE OF, ONE OF OUR BIG STUDIES WE DID WAS TALKING ABOUT OUR REGULATIONS AND HOW, HOW WELL THEY AFFECT THINGS. THIS HUGE PERCENTAGE OF OUR LAND IS ALREADY DEVELOPED [01:10:01] AND ALREADY HAS STUFF ON IT. AND SO PUTTING IN THE NEW THING OR ASKING NEW PIPES TO BE A LITTLE BIT BIGGER WHEN, WHEN WE ALREADY HAVE 1200 MILES OF STUFF IN PLACE, IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE GONNA DIG IT ALL UP AND JUST, YOU KNOW, DO, DO GOOD AND MAKE IT ALL, ALL, ALL AWESOME. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A SLOW PROCESS TO REPLACE THINGS AND DO THAT. BUT, BUT ANYWAY, I'M, I'M, AND I'M, I'M VERY PROUD OF THE, THE OUTS 14 ORDINANCE AND THE FACT THAT WE ADDED IN THAT EXTRA PROTECTION. AND I THINK THAT'S GONNA DO US, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TRYING TO BE FARSIGHTED AS FARSIGHTED AS WE COULD POLITICALLY KIND OF PUSH IT ANYWAY. BUT THERE IS ALSO A PROCESS, UM, STATEWIDE TO LOOK AT NEW DATA. UM, I THINK THEY'RE CALLING IT ATLAS 15 ACTUALLY. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE, YOU KNOW, AS MORE DATA COMES ON, IT WILL BE, I ANTICIPATE JUST STATEWIDE IT WILL BE LOOKED AT MORE, MORE FREQUENTLY THAN IT HAD BEEN. AND SO WHEN WE GET THAT INFORMATION FROM THE STATE, THEN WE UPDATE OUR INFORMATION AS WELL. SO COMMISSIONER LUKI, VERY ENLIGHTENING. UM, I WAS HERE IN 81 WHEN THE FLOOD OCCURRED THAT, UH, FLOODED DOWNTOWN. UM, AND I KNEW SOMEBODY WHO, UH, WAS ON, ON ONE OF THOSE RESCUE TEAMS WITH A BOAT. AND, UH, THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE, UM, ABOVE THE, UH, TRAFFIC LIGHTS AT 12TH AND LAMAR , THAT'S HOW HIGH IT WENT UP. WOW. WOW. AT THAT SPOT RIGHT THERE, WHICH IS SHOAL CREEK TURNING AT THAT POINT. AND, UH, I THINK THAT WAS WHEN AUSTIN REALLY HAD TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT THIS SUBJECT OF, OF THE FLOODING ISSUE. AND, UH, WE HAD A, YOU KNOW, A, A A, I'D SAY A PRETTY GOOD REACTION IN TERMS OF HOW THAT GOT HANDLED. UM, 'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T REALLY HAD FLOODING LIKE THAT SINCE IN THIS TOWN. BUT, UM, UH, I THINK I, I, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE EVENTS IN, IN 90 AND 92, WHERE THE, THE, UH, CITIZENS OF THE CITY KIND OF JUST TOOK OVER THIS, THIS REGULATORY PROCESS OF HOW IT IS WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW DEVELOPMENT TO OCCUR. AND, AND, AND I'M WONDERING, AND I I THOUGHT OF THIS MANY TIMES ABOUT THE TRAJECTORY OF THE POLITICS OF AUSTIN WAS COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY AFFECTED BY THOSE EVENTS AT THAT TIME, AND THAT YOU COULDN'T REALLY GET ELECTED, UH, TO THE CITY COUNCIL IF YOU DID NOT SUPPORT THE SOS UM, IDEA BACK THEN. AND I THINK THAT LASTED, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG TO, TO AFFECT LOCAL POLITICS. 15, BUT I'M ASSUMING YOU SAW IT FIRSTHAND. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH, THAT'S TRUE. YEAH. THE SINGLE MIN, YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD POINT. UM, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN BROUGHT UP THE SINGLE MINUTE, YOU KNOW, SO WE, IT USED TO BE THAT YOU'D HAVE THE, YOU KNOW, AT LARGE FOLKS AND THEN THEY WOULD, YOU KNOW, AND A LOT OF THEM WERE, THAT WAS A PRETTY BIG ISSUE FOR THEM. UM, BUT IT DID, IT DID, THAT DID SHIP THINGS A LITTLE BIT. UM, YEAH, AND IT IS, IT IS CURIOUS. THERE WAS ANOTHER VERSION OF THAT. IT WAS ACTUALLY THE, WHEN I MENTIONED THE STUDY WHERE WE LOOKED AT THE LAND USES WITHIN THE BART SPRINGS WATERSHED AND HOW MANY OF 'EM WERE ALREADY THERE AND HOW MUCH, WHAT LAND COULD, COULD BE GRANDFATHERED, ET CETERA, THAT WAS AS A RESULT OF ANOTHER CITIZENS' INITIATIVE THAT WAS PUSHED BY THE SAME GROUPS THAT WERE TRYING TO DO. SOS SOME YEARS LATER WOULD'VE BEEN 2008, I THINK SEVEN, 2007 MIGHT DOUBLE CHECK ME ON THAT, BUT I'M ALMOST CERTAIN IT'S 2007. SO THERE WAS LIKE PROP ONE AND PROP TWO, AND THEY SAID, HEY, WE WANT TO DO AWAY WITH GRANDFATHERING, WE WANNA DO, ET CETERA. AND THAT ENDED UP FLIPPING THE OTHER WAY AND GETTING VOTED DOWN TWO TO ONE INSTEAD OF VOTED IN TWO TO ONE. AND THAT WAS, TO ME, THAT LOOKING BACK ON IT, UM, I REMEMBER THINKING, WOW, THAT'S A, THAT'S A BIG SEA CHANGE. BOSTON HAS REALLY CHANGED FROM 1992 TO 2007, UH, WHERE PROBABLY WE WOULD'VE SORT OF REFLEXIVELY SAID, LET'S DO THIS BACK IN THE EARLY NINETIES. UM, AND, UM, I MEAN, WE'RE WONKY. WE LIKE TO LOOK AT DATA AND, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T, WE WEREN'T, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO LOOK AT THE STUFF WE WERE DOING AT THE TIME, BUT THAT WOULD'VE BEEN, WE WERE TALKING TO A, A, A STAKEHOLDER GROUP. WE USE THAT INFORMATION TO HELP INFORM SOME POLICY, ET CETERA. UM, BUT, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THINGS, THINGS HAVE CHANGED AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I, AND I, AND BE, IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF WE HAVE ANOTHER SIMILAR KIND OF REFERENDUM, YOU KNOW, PROPOSED IN THE FUTURE OR NOT. UM, I THINK PEOPLE, MY SENSE IS THAT PEOPLE HAVE KIND OF REALLY, THEY THINK, HEY, WE GOT THIS COVERED. WE'VE INSTITUTIONALIZED THIS IN A GOOD WAY AND WE'RE PROTECTING THINGS. LET'S FOCUS ON CLIMATE CHANGE. LET'S FOCUS ON THESE OTHER THINGS, WHICH ARE REALLY, YOU KNOW, CRITICAL TOO. SO WE HAVE THIS KIND OF FOCUS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ISSUE TOO. ANYWAY, I'M NOT, I'M JUST KIND OF RIFFING WITH YOU. I'M NOT SURE IF I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. [01:15:03] LEMME JUST DOUBLE, LEMME JUST DOUBLE CHECK. UH, COMMISSIONER BRIMER, CAN YOU HEAR COMMISSIONER LUKI RIGHT NOW? Y WELL, I, I COULD, HE'S NOT SPEAKING NOW. I CAN HEAR YOU. YEAH. OKAY. OKAY. WE'LL, WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT SIDE OF THE ROOM FOR QUESTIONS. UM, COMMISSIONER BRIER, I'LL GO AHEAD AND GO TO YOU FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS. UH, THANK YOU, UH, MATT, YOU DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB ON THIS. UH, I COULD PROBABLY, UH, QUESTION YOU FOR HOURS. I THINK PROBABLY, UH, WHAT I WILL DO IS, UH, LET YOUR PRESENTATION STAND AND THEN CALL YOU INDIVIDUALLY AND, UH, DRAIN YOUR BRAIN ON INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS. SO I DON'T TAKE UP THE TIME OF, UH, OF EVERYONE ELSE. BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE, UH, YOUR DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE IN ALL OF THIS. AND I FIND IT VERY INTERESTING TO UNDERSTAND THE, UH, BACKGROUND OF WHAT WE'RE WORKING WITH TODAY AND TRYING TO IMPLEMENT. BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR. I APPRECIATE, UH, YOU KNOW, YOUR TIME AND COMMITMENT TO, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL THIS SORT OF THING. THANKS, SIR. WELL, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT COMMENT. APPRECIATE IT A LOT. ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONER BRIAN, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON, UM, MIC'S ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROOM, SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND GO TO VICE CHAIR BRISTOL. SWEET. ALRIGHT. UM, EYE CONTACT, I'M JUST KIDDING. , JUST WANNA, YOU KNOW, KIND OF MAKE, GET YOU A LITTLE GUARD THERE. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. FIRST OFF, LOVE THE PRESENTATION. UH, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, SOMETIMES I THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE, WHY ARE WE HERE? WHY ARE WE IN THIS ROOM? AND IT'S A GOOD TIME TO THINK ABOUT THAT AS WE, YOU KNOW, ARE HERE FOR, AND I CAN'T SAY THE WORD RETREAT WITHOUT PUTTING AIR QUOTES AROUND IT, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A RETREAT, ALTHOUGH I DO APPRECIATE DINNER. UM, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS, THERE WERE THREE KIND OF MAJOR EVENTS IN MY LIFE THAT MADE ME AN ENVIRONMENTALIST AND A CONSERVATIONIST. ONE, UH, WAS THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOOP 360, UH, BLASTING AWAY. AND, UH, THAT OCCURRED RIGHT WHERE, UH, MY HORSE WAS STABLE. AND I LOVED EXPLORING DOWN IN BEE CREEK. AND BEFORE IT WAS A WILD BASIN, COULD RIDE MY PONY, UH, ALL DOWN THERE WAS SIX, SEVEN YEARS OLD. AND, UM, LOVED IT. BUT YOU HAVE IT BLASTING AND HERE COMES, YOU KNOW, THIS INEVITABILITY. THEN BARTON CREEK MALL HAPPENED, AND WATCHING THEM TEAR OFF, YEAH, 30 FEET OF A HILL WAS PRETTY POWERFUL AS A, AS A KID, YOU KNOW? I MEAN, IT WAS, IT WAS DESTRUCTIVE AND PAINFUL. AND, AND THEN LATER, OF COURSE, IN THE EIGHTIES, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WAS TEENAGER LOVED MALL, UH, UH, SPENT A LOT OF TIME, PROBABLY WAY TOO MUCH TIME IN THAT MALL. UM, EVEN AS I'M TALKING ABOUT IT, I CAN SMELL IT , UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A TRIGGER. AND, UM, AND THEN IN THE 1981 FLOOD, UH, WHICH, UM, I, YOU KNOW, HAD, UH, A FRIEND WHO WAS RESCUED FROM ONE OF THOSE CARS, THERE WERE SOME OF THE TEENAGERS, UH, DOWN THERE, UH, AND, UH, WHO WERE TRYING TO, UH, GET DOWN, UH, B CAVES ROAD, YOU KNOW, SO ALL THREE OF THOSE THINGS SORT OF, YOU KNOW, HAPPENED FAIRLY, YOU KNOW, WITHIN SORT OF A 10 YEAR PERIOD, UH, OF TIME THERE. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT REALLY ALL OF MY LIFE OF HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE DO THINGS AND HOW CAN WE DO 'EM BETTER, AND HOW CAN WE NOT DO THESE THINGS, YOU KNOW, UH, HOW DO WE PREVENT THAT TYPE OF FLOODING? HOW DO WE NOT BUILD ANOTHER BARTON CREEK, YOU KNOW, MALL? AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IF WE WE'RE GONNA BUILD A ROAD AGAIN? PLEASE DON'T LET US LAST THROUGH ALL THE HILLS. YOU KNOW? SO THOSE KIND OF THINGS I, I HOLD SORT OF, YOU KNOW, UP HERE. UM, AND I LIKE TO THINK THAT WE, YOU KNOW, YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS, THAT WE'RE AT THIS LIKE WAY BETTER PLACE, AND I KNOW THAT WE ARE, BUT I DO SEE SOME LAXING OF THESE THINGS. I SEE US BOTH AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, THE STATE LEVEL, AND NOW I, I ALWAYS THOUGHT WE WERE SORT OF IMPERVIOUS HERE AT THE CITY LEVEL, BUT I'M SEEING THIS LIKE, THIS PUSH AND PULL BETWEEN, WE NEED MORE TAX DOLLARS, WE NEED MORE INCOME INTO THE COFFERS, WE NEED MORE DENSITY, WE NEED ALL OF THESE THINGS. SO WHAT LAYERS CAN WE PEEL OFF THAT MAKE IT NOT SO HARD, NOT SO EXPENSIVE? AND, YOU KNOW, TO ME, I KEEP COMING BACK TO, [01:20:01] WELL, IF, IF THAT'S THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, THEN THAT'S THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, BECAUSE WE VALUE THESE THINGS AND WE HAVE THESE THINGS, AND WE HAVE THESE BEAUTIFUL, YOU KNOW, CREEKS AND WATERSHEDS AND ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT WE'VE PROTECTED. I LIVE NEAR WALNUT CREEK NOW, I REMEMBER WHEN IT LOOKED LIKE BARTON CREEK, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. NOW YOU HAVE APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT UP NEXT TO IT. WE, WE REALLY BUTCHERED THE HECK OUT OF THAT CREEK SYSTEM, YOU KNOW? UM, BUT WE HAVE OPPORTUNITY, ESPECIALLY NOW IN THE EASTERN QUADRANT TO DO A BETTER JOB, YOU KNOW, AND, UM, AND REALLY THINK INTENSELY ABOUT HOW DO WE PROTECT THAT AND MANAGE THAT, ESPECIALLY TO, TO CREATE, YOU KNOW, SOME SAFETY AROUND, UH, SOME OF THESE ZONES. SO, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M NOT, I I HAVE 0.0 QUESTIONS. UH, I MADE A LOT OF NOTES HERE. UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THANKS. YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE, UH, IN, IN OUR STATE AND CITY, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, HAVING THAT LONGEVITY OF HISTORY IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, IF ONE PERSON GOES AWAY, SO GOES THAT HUGE BRAIN TRUST, UM, AND THERE'S NOT THAT OVERLAP PERIOD WHERE YOU'RE TRAINING SOMEBODY AND YOU'RE JUST LIKE BRAIN DUMPING ON THEM EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT, UM, SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, CORPORATE AMERICA, UH, LIKES TO DO SO. UM, ANYWAY, SO THANKS AND I, YOU KNOW, THANKS LIZ FOR BRINGING HIM BACK. . WELL, APPRECIATE THAT. YEAH, THOSE ARE, AND I REMEMBER, ACTUALLY, I REMEMBER THE, SO I WASN'T HERE FOR THE 9 81 FLOOD, BUT REMEMBER 91 SLASH 92, WE HAD ANOTHER RAIN BOMB, UH, THAT HIT KIND OF THE COLORADO SYSTEM. REMEMBER THERE WAS LIKE A STANDING WAVE, RIGHT? RIGHT. THE WHERE THE, UM, GREEN WATER TREATMENT PLANT INTAKE THING IS, OR MAYBE MAYBE SEA HOME. ANYWAY, THAT WENT ON FOR A LONG TIME. MY, MY HOUSE ON WALL CREEK ALMOST GOT RENT HOUSE, YOU KNOW, IT, WATER WENT UP TO THE VERY BRIM OF THE, ALMOST GOT FLOODED. IT WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A SCARY TIME. SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST FLOODS AT THE TIME, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ALWAYS IN 19 81, 19 92. AND THEN, AND THEN OF COURSE THE, UH, THE, THE, UM, H THE HALLOWEEN DOUBLE DOUBLE HIT IN 20 13, 20 15. SO, I DON'T KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I'M, UM, ANOTHER THING, ANOTHER COOL THING THAT THE ATLAS 14 AND, AND DON'T FORGET, JULY, 2017, 2017 WAS ANOTHER HUGE ONE. AND 2018 WAS THE ATLANTA RIVER FLOOD THAT WIPED OUT THOSE TREATMENT PLANTS, YOU KNOW, SO, OR YOU KNOW, NOT WIPE 'EM OUT, BUT IT, IT, IT STRAINED THEM TO, YOU KNOW, DIFFICULT SPOT. UM, SO ANYWAY, IN EACH ONE OF THESE, WE'RE GETTING, WE'RE FINDING A NEW CLIMATE CHANGE, CRAZY THING THAT HAPPENED, AND HOW DOES OUR CITY INFRASTRUCTURE AND OUR POPULATION REACT TO THAT THING? AND SO I THINK YOU GUYS DO AN INCREDIBLE SERVICE BY LIKE, ADVERTISING SOME OF THOSE THINGS, MAYBE ELEVATING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MAYBE WE DON'T, WE STAFF DON'T TALK ABOUT OR, OR DON'T TALK ABOUT AS MUCH AS YOU WANT US TO. AND SO, SO ANYWAYS, IT'S A, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS HAVE A, HAVE A MEGAPHONE, UH, TO TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS TOO. THANK YOU. I'M GONNA GO BACK TO THIS SIDE OF THE ROOM TO COMMISSIONER LUKI, IF YOU WANNA FINISH OUT YOUR THOUGHTS. THANK YOU. YEAH. I HAD ONE LAST QUESTION REGARDING THE RAIN EVENT, UM, LAST, UH, UH, ONE YEAR AGO THAT, THAT, UH, UNFORTUNATELY TOOK A LOT OF LIVES. AND FROM THE REPORTS THAT I SAW, THERE WAS AN UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF RAIN THAT FELL IN ONE SPOT, BASICALLY. YEAH. AND CREATED THAT SITUATION. WHICH MAKES ME WONDER, ARE YOU GUYS LOOKING AT THAT AND GOING, OKAY, WHAT IF WE PUT THAT SPOT INSTEAD OF THAT HAPPENING OVER THERE IN KIRK COUNTY, IT HAPPENS IN TRAVIS COUNTY. WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS IN TRAVIS COUNTY IF THAT HAPPENS? PUT IT RIGHT FOR WEST BUILDING CREEK, WHERE ALL THESE, YOU KNOW, APARTMENT COMPLEXES OR WHATEVER ARE, OR WHAT HAVE YOU. I MEAN, IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHERE IT IS IN TOWN. WE DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'LL BE, BUT WE, YOU KNOW, IT'S INCREDIBLY HARD TO REGULATE TO THAT. I MEAN, 'CAUSE AGAIN, THOSE WERE, LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, THOSE ARE PROBABLY FIVE WHAT ISH, 500 ISH YEAR FLOOD FLOODS. AND SO THERE'S ALL THIS INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE, THERE'S ALL THESE BUILDINGS IN PLACE. WHAT DO YOU DO OTHER THAN TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT RISK? TRY HAVE THEM BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT. I'M VERY EXCITED, EXCITED IS PROBABLY NOT THE RIGHT WORD. I'M REALLY GRATEFUL THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE, BE COMING OUT WITH THESE 500 YEAR FLOOD MAPS. AND, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY NEXT CALENDAR YEAR 2027, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION. AND THAT'S GONNA BRING A LOT OF NEW PEOPLE END UP BEING REAL INTERESTED THAT THEIR HOUSE SUDDENLY GOT PUT IN THE FLOODPLAIN. BUT WE'RE RUNNING OUR FLOODPLAINS UP. WE'VE ALWAYS, WE'VE ALWAYS REGULATED UP TO WHAT'S CALLED THE 64 ACRE THRESHOLD. SO THERE'S A POINT AT WHICH A CREEK GETS 64 ACRES OF LAND DRAINING TO IT AT SOME POINT. AND EVERYTHING DOWNSTREAM OF THAT HAS MORE THAN 64 ACRES. SO THAT'S WHERE THE, THE FLOODPLAIN IS DELINEATED FROM. WELL, IN THE UP TILL NOW, WE HAVE A FEW OF THOSE IN CERTAIN STUDIES, CERTAIN CREEKS, BUT WE, IT'S NOT CITYWIDE. BUT, BUT WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS COMING YEAR. WE'RE GONNA HAVE, EVERYBODY'S GONNA UNDERSTAND THAT ALL THE WAY TO THE 64 POINT [01:25:01] ACRE POINT. UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE MAYBE UPSET, UH, 'CAUSE THEY'RE GONNA, HEY, WHAT'S THIS? I DON'T, YOU KNOW. UM, BUT FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, AND I THINK FOR MOST POLICY PERSPECTIVES, THAT'S, YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY OR YOUR BUSINESS OR WHATEVER IT IS THERE. AND WE'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE THE 500 YEAR FLOOD PLAIN WITH THAT 19 AND A HALF INCH. I THINK IT'S, THAT'S WHERE I DOUBLE CHECKED ME THOUGH. IT'S GONNA EXTEND OUT FURTHER, AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE, HOPEFULLY HAVE PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE OTHER DECISIONS, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE IN THIS EXTENDED AREA SO THAT PEOPLE WILL HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT'S GOING ON. UM, AND THAT HELP HELPS. UM, OTHER COMMISSIONER WAS ASKING ABOUT THE CLIMATE CHANGE STUFF. THAT'S A BIG, YEAH. HOPE THAT PEOPLE SEE THAT. YEAH. IF I CAN ALSO ADD, UH, JUST TO FURTHER, UM, THAT THAT SIMULATION YOU SUGGESTED WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS IF A RAIN BOMB WERE TO GO OFF IN AUSTIN? I KNOW OUR, OUR FLOOD PLAIN OFFICE DID, UH, DID, DID ACTUALLY LOOK AT THAT TO SEE WHAT SOME OF THE EFFECTS WERE. I, I DON'T HAVE THE RESULTS, YOU KNOW, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I KNOW, I KNOW THAT THEY DID LOOK AT THAT. AND I JUST WANT YOU TO, YOU ALL TO KNOW ABOUT OUR, OUR FLOODPLAIN OFFICE. THEY DON'T COME HERE AS OFTEN AS THE ENVIRONMENTAL FOLKS ON IN WATERSHED, BUT THERE ARE, UM, JUST A WHOLE TEAM OF PROFESSIONAL, DEDICATED FOLKS, UH, LOOKING AT FLOODPLAIN ISSUES, SPECIFICALLY, UH, LOOKING AT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RESPONSE, UM, TO, TO FLOODS THAT WE HAVE, UM, FOLKS WHO'VE BEEN UP ALL NIGHT LOOKING AT, UH, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY WAS SAFE, UM, LOOKING AT THE RADAR. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THERE IS THAT, THAT PART OF WATERSHED DOES EXIST. AND, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO HAVE, YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE IS A FLOOD EVENT, THEY'RE THE ONES WHO GO OUT AND DO SITE VISITS AND RECONNAISSANCE AND SPOKE. THEY SPEAK TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED A, YOU KNOW, TRAGEDY. UM, YOU KNOW, THE HALLOWEEN FLOODS. THERE WERE FOLKS WHO HAD LOST THEIR LIVES. UM, AND IN ADDITION TO POSSESSIONS AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LIVING IN CREEKS IN AUSTIN FREQUENTLY ARE, ARE VICTIMS OF FLOOD EVENTS, EVEN SMALLER EVENTS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE, THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, VERY DEDICATED TO KEEPING THE COMMUNITY SAFE. SO, JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT CONTEXT. THAT'S ABSOLUTELY AWESOME. AND ALL THAT DATA THAT YOU SEE KIND OF REPRESENTED IN HYDRO MET IS EVALUATED IN A MUCH MORE, UM, YOU KNOW, SORT OF MINUTE BY MINUTE BASIS BY THESE FOLKS THAT LIZ IS TALKING TO YOU GUYS ABOUT. THEY, I MEAN, THEY REALLY, I MEAN, ALL THIS WEEK THEY, THEY, YOU KNOW, THIS WEEKEND WE WERE ALREADY HEARING THERE COULD BE THIS STUFF COMING UP TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, YOU KNOW, SO THREE OR FOUR DAYS IN ADVANCE THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE KNOW WHICH CREWS ARE GONNA GO OUT AND PUT UP BARRICADES, ALL THIS KIND OF STUFF. SO IF WE HAD THE TRAGIC JULY 5TH EXAM, UH, BIG SANDY CREEK KIND OF THING HAPPEN, WE WOULD TRY TO SWING INTO ACTION AS, AS QUICKLY AS WE COULD. THE SMALLER THE WATERSHED, THE LESS LIKELY WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO JUST GET OUT THERE AND BUILD. 'CAUSE IT'S JUST, YOU DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS WATER TO KIND OF BE COMING DOWN THE PIKE AND GET PEOPLE OUTTA THE WAY IN TIME. BUT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE RISK, THEY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AND HAVE THE, THE STAFF OUT THERE. THAT WAS A GREAT ADDITION. SO, WELL, IT BEGS THE QUESTION, ARE YOU ULTIMATELY GONNA HAVE SOME KIND OF COMMUNICATION SYSTEM THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO SET UP AS A WARNING SYSTEM IN THE CITY? YEAH, SO THERE'S A STATE LAW DISCUSSING WHAT THOSE REGULATIONS MIGHT BE. UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, BECAUSE OF THE, THE FLOODS IN, UM, KERRVILLE AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, THE CAMPS WHERE THERE, YOU KNOW, AREN'T, UH, THE ABILITY TO SEND TEXT MESSAGES AND MORNING, UM, WHICH WE ALL LOVE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO RECEIVE THAT, UH, WARNING BLAST. UM, SO THERE, YOU KNOW, SOME PLACES MAY NEED SIRENS. UM, THAT'S A STILL A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW THAT WOULD WORK IN, IN AUSTIN BECAUSE SIRENS DON'T ALWAYS TELL YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW EITHER. UM, AND IT'S ALL, IT'S VERY NEIGHBORHOOD SPECIFIC. IT COULD BE A SIREN GOES OFF IN ALL OF AUSTIN AND IT'S LIKE, WELL, WHERE IS THE FLOOD? MM-HMM. SO, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S STILL THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL OBVIOUSLY COMPLY WITH WHATEVER STATE LAW, UM, IT GETS ENACTED OR, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE, THE LAW IS THERE, IT'S JUST WHAT THE RULES ARE AND HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE MEET THAT? BUT THERE IS A LOT OF COORDINATION ALREADY AMONGST EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT GROUPS, TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, CITY STATE OFFICIALS TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, UM, THAT WARNING, UH, IS, IS EFFECTIVE. GREAT. THANK YOU ALL. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND I'M JUST GONNA PICK UP THE PACE A LITTLE BIT SO WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT, BUT COMMISSIONER FLURRY. COOL. UM, THANKS FOR THE TALK. UM, I THINK YOU GOT REALLY GREAT PRESENTATION SKILLS, POWERPOINT SKILLS, EVEN THOUGH YOU MADE A LITTLE COMMENT ABOUT IT NOT LOOKING GOOD. I THINK, UH, THERE IS A SKILL YOU GOT THERE. UH, I WORK AS A PLANNER, GOT A TEAM OF PLANNERS AND JS ANALYSTS, AND I WANNA SHARE THAT PRESENTATION TO LOOK HOW YOU CAN WALK PEOPLE THROUGH A MAP. UH, I THINK, UH, I, I, I GUESS THE QUESTION FOR THAT IS, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT DO YOU GOTTA SAY ABOUT THAT SKILL AND GETTING PEOPLE TO CARE ABOUT THESE THINGS? , [01:30:02] ? YEAH. UH, YEAH, WE'VE BEEN DOING IT OUR, OUR, UH, I'VE, I'VE BEEN DOING A WHILE AND I HAVE, I, I HAVE A LOT OF GOOD HELP TOO FROM OTHER, OTHER FOLKS THAT, YOU KNOW, CONTRIBUTE TO THE MAPS OR TO THE, TO THE IDEAS. UM, REVIEW IT, CORRECT ME, UM, AND SO FORTH. IT WAS REALLY HELPFUL. UM, BASICALLY TRYING TO TELL A STORY AND YOU'RE TRYING TO, AND YOU'RE TRYING TO WALK AND, AND ESPECIALLY IF IT'S COMPLICATED, YOU'RE TRYING TO WALK PEOPLE THROUGH IN STEPS THAT ARE NOT TO SORT OF, YOU KNOW, WASH OVER THE OTHER PERSON THAT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, YOU KIND OF SEE, OH YEAH, YEAH. YOU'RE REALLY KIND OF STAYING WITH IT. SO, UM, I, YEAH. I LOVE, I LOVE USING POWERPOINT IN DIFFERENT WAYS. I THINK, YEAH, THIS STARTED OUT AS JUST A-P-D-F-I THINK IT'S A LITTLE MORE EFFECTIVE IF YOU CAN KIND OF, KIND OF LAYER THINGS ON AND SEE IT A UN UNFOLD A LITTLE MORE SLOWLY. YEAH. UM, BUT, UM, YEAH. AND IT'S ALSO A TIME SINK. I, I CAN IMAGINE DOING THIS FOR, WELL, NEXT ONE, TAKE ANOTHER TWO WEEKS TO PUT THE NEXT EDITION OUT. IF I COULD ASK YOU MAYBE ONE OTHER QUESTION. UH, AND I LIKE HOW YOU SAID, I'VE SEEN THIS IMAGE SOMEWHERE, UH, BUT I CAN'T FIND IT AGAIN. YEAH. UH, SO I'VE, I'VE BEEN IN AND AROUND ONION CREEK FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS NOW. YEAH. YEAH. UM, AND SO THAT ONE PHOTO REALLY CAUGHT MY EYE. I COULDN'T TELL IF IT WAS THE COLORADO VI RIVER, BUT YOU MENTIONED MCKINNEY FALLS AND THE PONTOON BRIDGE. YEAH. WAS THAT THE, THE LOWER FALLS THERE, OR WAS THAT WELL, I THINK THAT WAS IN, I THINK THAT'S AROUND 10 AND FOUR DOWN PROBABLY. OKAY. PROBABLY ACROSS IN LATE. WHAT'S LOW LADY BIRD LAKE. YEAH. BUT THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE COME UP WITH, COME ACROSS ANY THINGS LIKE THAT, WOULD IT HAVE TO DO WITH MCKINNEY FALLS? I'D LOVE TO SEE THOSE. 'CAUSE THAT THAT WAS A, YEAH, THAT'S A DISASTER. I MEAN, ALMOST ALL THESE WERE DISASTERS. LIKE I DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT, BUT THE, IT WIPED OUT THE WATER SUPPLY OF AUSTIN TO HAVE THOSE DAMS WASHED OUT SEVERAL TIMES. AND THE COMMUNITY KIND OF WENT INTO A DEPRESSION, UH, AN ECONOMIC DEPRESSION FOR A WHILE. SO THIS, IT'S SUCH A BIG DEAL TO HAVE THIS INFRASTRUCTURE WORK. AND ONE OTHER LITTLE FACT JUST, UH, 'CAUSE IT'S A POINT, I THOUGHT I READ SOMEWHERE THAT ONION CREEK WAS THE LARGEST CREEK AS IN JUST SMALLER THAN A RIVER. AND YOU SAID IT'S REALLY A RIVER, NOT CREEK, SORT OF SMALL RIVER. IS THAT KIND OF TRUE? IS IT? WELL, I MEAN, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE THRESHOLD FOR RIVER VERSUS THE CREEK IS. IT'S KIND OF SUBJECTIVE PROBABLY, BUT IT'S, UM, I MEAN, THE EAST COAST WOULD CONSIDER COLORADO RIVER, A CREEK , SOME OF THOSE, SOME OF THE RIVERS ARE JUST RIGHT, MASSIVE, RIGHT? YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. AND THE, BUT EVERYTHING'S BIGGER IN TEXAS, SO EVERYTHING'S BIGGER IN TEXAS. WE, WE WANT IT TO BE. YEAH, FOR SURE. UM, IT'S GOT FOUR, I THINK 400 SOMETHING SQUARE MILES OF LAND DRAINED INTO IT BY THE TIME IT GETS TO THE COLORADO. SO YEAH, THAT'S A, IT'S, IT'S BIG. COOL. AND WHEN IT GETS 13 INCHES OF RAIN LIKE IT DID IN 2013, IT'S GONNA, IT'S A LOT OF WATER. YEAH. IT WAS 140,000 CFS, I THINK WAS MY RECOLLECTION. BLEW OUT A COUPLE, BLEW OUT A COUPLE ROADS, UH, FLOODED ALL THOSE HOMES. YEAH. YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME CA CASUALTIES. IT WAS, IT WAS TERRIBLE. YEAH. THANK YOU. YEAH, COMMISSIONER CHIN SENT. HI. UH, THANKS SO MUCH FOR THAT. THAT WAS, THAT WAS REALLY LIKE FASCINATING. I LOVED HEARING JUST FROM EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE, THE KIND OF LIKE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AND HEARING THAT CONTEXT, BECAUSE I AM LIKE NOT A BORN AND RAISED AUSTINITE. AND SO I REALLY JUST KIND OF LIKE VALUE BEING ABLE TO HEAR ABOUT EVERYONE'S, LIKE, LIVED EXPERIENCE HERE. UM, AWESOME. SO I HAVE, I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS FOR YOU BECAUSE I THINK Y YOU'RE REALLY AWESOME. UM, BUT I'LL LIKE SHRINK THEM INTO A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT QUESTIONS. UM, MY FIRST IS HOW, IN TERMS OF THAT HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AND OTHER PEOPLE CAN TOTALLY CHIME INTO, UM, HOW YOU'VE SEEN THE ROLE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION SHIFT THROUGHOUT TIME AND HOW THAT REPRESENTS THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE COMMUNITY. BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE TALK ABOUT LIKE THE GROWTH, WE TALK ABOUT SHIFTING PERSPECTIVES. YEAH. OBVIOUSLY WHEN PEOPLE ARE WORRIED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FEEDING THEIR KIDS, THEY'RE LESS WORRIED ABOUT HAVING A POLLINATOR GARDEN. SURE. YEAH. SO, UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT HOW YOU'VE SEEN THAT SHIFT ACROSS THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS WITHIN AUSTIN AND THEN YEAH. THE ROLE OF THE COMMISSION AND SORT OF WHERE YOU SEE IT GOING. YEAH. UH, THAT'S A FASCINATING QUESTION. UM, ACTUALLY, I THINK COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN NAILED IT. NAILED IT THERE. THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A, A BIG CHANGE DURING MY CAREER WHERE WE WENT FROM SEVEN AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO 10 COUNCIL MEMBERS, PLUS A MAYOR, I'M SORRY, IT WAS SIX, SIX COUNCIL MEMBERS PLUS A, PLUS A MAYOR BACK IN THE DAY SEVEN, AND THEN 10 IN ONE. AND THO AND BOTH OF THOSE SYSTEMS COULD WORK WELL AND DO, YOU KNOW, GET GOOD RESULTS. BUT YOU, YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME VOICES ON THE EAST SIDE FOR A WHOLE BUNCH OF REASONS. ONE OF WHICH WAS WE USUALLY HAD, UM, FOLKS ON THE COUNCIL THAT WERE FROM THE WEST. I MEAN, THERE, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SOME STUDIES THAT WOULD SHOW WASN'T THAT HARD TO DO. IT'S LIKE, WHERE DO YOU LIVE AND WHERE DO YOU, ET CETERA. AND ALMOST ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR A REALLY LONG TIME WERE FROM LITERALLY WEST AUSTIN. [01:35:01] AND, AND IN FACT, A SUBSET EVEN OF THAT. SO THERE, THERE'S ALMOST NO ONE FROM THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE RIVER FOR A LONG TIME. SO, SO IF YOU JUST DON'T, YOU KNOW, AND THEY, THEY DID HAVE THIS SORT OF GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT THEY CALLED IT WHETHER YOU'D HAVE, YOU KNOW, A, A PERSON OF COLOR, YOU KNOW, AFRICAN AMERICAN AND A HISPANIC PERSON ON THERE. SO THAT, THAT WAS GOOD. BUT IT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, ANYWAY, THAT, THAT'S ITS OWN TOPIC THAT I'M NOT TOTALLY, TOTALLY UP ON ALL THE DETAILS ON AND PROBABLY GET MYSELF IN A, IN A STRANGE SPOT IF I STARTED TALKING ABOUT THAT TOO, TOO LONG. BUT I, THAT'S, THAT CHANGED WHEN YOU GO TO TEN ONE. AND SO I THINK, AND YOU GET 10 COMMISSIONERS AND EACH ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IS, IS APPOINTING ONE OF Y'ALL TO COME HERE. SO YOU, YOU PROBABLY JUST INSTANTLY HAVE MORE GEOGRAPHIC SPREAD WITH THAT. UM, I THINK THE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, OR IT WAS CALLED THE ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD AT THE TIME, WAS SUPER, I MEAN, WAS IT WAS SUPPOSED TO FOCUS ON THESE CODE AND CRITERIA OR CODE STUFF THAT WE WERE, WE DID. AND SO A LOT IT WAS, IT WAS ALMOST ALL ABOUT WATER QUALITY, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TREE PROTECTION AND ITS LANDSCAPE ORDINANCE AND SO FORTH. BUT I WOULD SAY JUST, THIS IS ANECDOTAL FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, CLIMATE CHANGE AND, AND OTHER ISSUES HAVE REALLY FOLDED IN THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT. BUT, BUT, BUT MEANWHILE YOU ALSO HAVE REFOR RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION AND THESE OTHER BODIES WITHIN THE CITY. AND SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT IS KIND OF A MORE COMPLEX ENVIRONMENT WE USED TO HAVE. WE'RE FOCUSING MORE ON BARTON SPRINGS, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, OR MAYBE LAKE AUSTIN. AND NOW WE'RE JUST, WE'RE FOCUSING ON A LOT MORE ISSUES NECESSARILY, AND WITH A LOT MORE VOICES AND A LOT MORE REPRESENTATION FROM THE COMMUNITY. THAT'S, IT'S FANTASTIC. IT'S, IT'S MORE DIVERSE, MORE MORE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY, PROBABLY. SO THAT'S, THOSE ARE THE, THAT'S KINDA THE BROAD WAY OF, I I DON'T, AND, AND LIZ IS YOU WANNA YEAH. I MEAN, IT DOES SEEM LIKE, NOT JUST WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, JUST, YOU KNOW, TO KIND OF, KIND OF SEE WHAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE, YOU KNOW, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AS I WAS A STAFF MEMBER PRESENTING VARIANCES WAY BACK WHEN. AND, UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF FOCUS ON NATURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION. AND EVEN WHEN I STARTED IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, MID TWO THOUSANDS, THAT HAS SEEMED TO HAVE SHIFTED IN IMPORTANCE IN THE COMMUNITY AS AUSTIN HAS GROWN. AND SO FOLKS COMING IN ARE GONNA BE YOUNGER. THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY GONNA HAVE GROWN UP HERE. THEY, YOU KNOW, THAT THOSE KIND OF OLD SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, CONSIDERATIONS, I THINK OF IT LIKE THAT. I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT THAT PROBLEM HAS BEEN SOLVED AND IT'S NOT AN ISSUE FOR THEM ANYMORE. UM, THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT AFFORDABILITY, UH, TRANSIT, CLIMATE CHANGE, A LOT OF FOCUS ON STILL RECYCLING. DOES IT WORK, DOES IT NOT WORK? AND JUST ALL OF THE NOISE GOING ON, IT'S JUST, UH, PEOPLE DON'T, DON'T HAVE THAT LEVEL OF, UM, IT, IT'S NOT AS FRONT AND CENTER FOR FOLKS ANYMORE, AS MUCH AS IT USED TO BE. AND SO THERE'S A, A LOSS OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT, WHAT IT MEANS TO PROTECT NATURAL RESOURCES. UM, EITHER THEY, THEY, THEY THINK IT'S ALREADY BEEN SOLVED OR THAT IT NEVER WILL BE SOLVED. YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, SHO CREEK'S TRASHED AND NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT. UM, WITHOUT REALLY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE STILL SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AND WE, WE DO DO EVERY DAY. UM, YEAH. SO, YEAH, IT'S JUST, IT'S, IT'S HARD TO, TO BRING THAT BACK TO PEOPLE'S ATTENTION, I WOULD SAY, AND MAKE IT IMPORTANT AND PRIORITIZE THAT THAT'S REALLY WELL DONE. YEAH. YEAH. KIND OF ATOM, LIKE THE ATTENTION, IT'S LIKE THE ATTENTION THEY TALK ABOUT THAT, LIKE THE ATTENTION ECONOMY OR WHATEVER IT IS MM-HMM . IT'S JUST KIND OF ATOMIZED. AND SO YOU HAVE REALLY IMPORTANT SEGMENTS AND SOME, SOME PEOPLE ARE SUPER PASSIONATE ABOUT THOSE, BUT THEN THE OTHER, WHATEVER, GIANT PERCENT OF PEOPLE ARE JUST OFF DOING SOMETHING ELSE. YEAH. SO IT'S REALLY SO THAT, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND EVERYTHING ELSE, IT'S BEEN, IT'S JUST, IT'S DISTRACTING. IT, IT'S BOTH, IT CAN, IT CAN LEAD TO GREAT FOCUS AND IT CAN ALSO LEAD TO INCREDIBLE REFRACTION AND DISTRACTION OR WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT. SO YEAH. I, I TOTALLY AGREE. I, I WAS CURIOUS IF THE AMOUNT OF TRANSPLANTS, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT MYSELF INCLUDED, BORN AND RAISED HERE, IF WE'RE SEEING SORT OF LIKE A DIMINISHING EFFECT OF, UM, THAT ON LIKE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP OF THE LAND. LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT I HAVE TO STOP MYSELF IN MY HEAD BECAUSE I'M LIKE, OH, WELL THAT, LIKE, THAT'S A TEXTIN THING. IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT FOR, AND THEN I'M LIKE, NO, NO, BABE, YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR FIVE YEARS. WAKE UP SWEETIE. YEAH. , THAT'S A YOU THING. AND I'M LIKE, OH YEAH, OKAY. YEP. THAT'S ME THING. SO, YEAH. I'M CURIOUS WHAT, UM, YOU THINK THE COMMISSION WOULD BE [01:40:01] ABLE TO DO. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY AS INDIVIDUALS WERE ABLE TO IMPACT THAT. UM, BUT YEAH, JUST ON LIKE A, A LARGER SCALE, IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE A PRIORITY? YEAH, SURE. AND, AND, AND THE, AND THE, AND THE COMMISSION HAS MADE, AND, AND I I, I'M SHOCKED THAT I DIDN'T GO INTO MORE DETAIL THAN I DID ON THE, ON THE WATERSHED PROTECTION ORDINANCE FROM 2013. THAT'S THE ONE WHERE WE HAD THE HEADWATER CREEKS. WE HAD EROSION HAZARD ZONES COME IN FOR THE FIRST TIME. WE HAD A FLOOD, PLAIN MODIFICATION, PROTECTIONS HAD LIKE HUNDREDS OF DIFFERENT CHANGES WE MADE THAT WAS STARTED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD, IT WAS CALLED AT THE TIME. THEY, WE, WE STAFF WENT TO THEM AND SAID, LOOK, WE'VE GOT A DISPARITY ON OUR REGS. WE'RE NOT PROTECTING THIS AREA VERY WELL. WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK? AND THEY WERE LIKE, WE WANNA KNOW A LOT MORE. AND WE ENDED UP WITH THESE LONG, AND I THINK YOU GUYS ARE DOING THAT WITH BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN NOW. I MEAN, YOU GUYS, I MEAN, YOU GUYS HAVE A PLATFORM. YOU HAVE THE ABILITY, YOU DON'T HAVE THE LITERAL ABILITY TO INITIATE A NEW, NEW ORDINANCE. BUT YOU CAN, YOU COULD GO TO PLANNING COMMISSION OR YOU COULD GO TO COUNCIL AND SAY, WE, THAT'S WHAT THEY, THAT'S WHAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD AT THE TIME DID. THEY SAID, WE, HEY, COUNCIL, HERE'S A RESOLUTION FROM US. WE THINK THIS IS NEEDING TO HAPPEN. AND THEN THEY GIVE THAT TO THE COUNCIL, WHICH THEN TOOK IT UP AND PASSED THEIR OWN VERSION OF THAT RESOLUTION. SO YOU GUYS HAVE THE AGENCY IN THAT WAY. UM, TO, TO, YOU KNOW, UM, AND I THINK, I MEAN, HONESTLY, I MEAN, I GET, I, I'M REALLY CHATTY AND TALKATIVE. YOU ALREADY TELL. AND I LOVE INTERACTING WITH NEIGHBORS. AND I TALK TO PEOPLE ALL THE TIME. AND I, I MEAN, WHETHER YOU'VE BEEN HERE A, A MONTH OR, OR ALL YOUR LIFE, MOST OF THESE THINGS KIND OF RESONATE. LIKE, I DON'T WANT MY HOUSE TO FALL IN THE CREEK 'CAUSE IT ERODED AND FELL IN. OR I DON'T WANNA, I DON'T WANNA FLOOD OR I DON'T WANNA, I DON'T WANNA, AND, YOU KNOW, DIRTY THE WATER BY 'CAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING OR WHATEVER. SO THERE'S A LOT OF COMMONALITY BETWEEN PEOPLE WHERE THEY WANT THESE THINGS. THEY'RE JUST FOCUSING ON, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, I DUNNO, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF STUFF GOING ON NOW WITH CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY USE AND FAILING INFRASTRUCTURE AND STUFF. IT'S JUST VERY, UH, SO I DON'T KNOW. I GUESS I WOULD, MY, MY UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR YOU WOULD BE JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, PICK SOMETHING THAT LOOKS DOABLE, THAT COULD, YOU KNOW, ACHIEVABLE AND THAT, YOU KNOW, COULD RESONATE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT SUPER DIFFUSE MAYBE OR SOMETHING OR TWO. UM, ANYWAY. YEAH. OH, THANKS. YEAH. I DUNNO. LIZ IS SHAKING HER HEAD. I WANNA, I WANNA MAKE SURE I GET CORRECTED HERE. IT'S HARD. YEAH. OH, I THINK YOUR MIC ISN'T ON LIZ. OH, THANK YOU. . UM, YEAH, I MEAN, YEAH, MATT, YOU, YOU EXPLAINED LIKE, YOU KNOW, AS ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONERS, WHAT Y'ALL CAN DO, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU DO HAVE CONTACTS IN YOUR COMMUNITY AND YOUR DISTRICT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, UH, HAVE BEEN HEARTENED A BIT TO SEE NEW FACES COME THROUGH FROM THE COMMUNITY WHO WE DON'T NORMALLY SEE ON, ON THINGS. AND SO IF THERE'S A WAY TO HARNESS PEOPLE AND KEEP THEM ENGAGED AND, AND, UM, AS YOU KNOW, ISSUES WILL COME AND GO. AND SO, YOU KNOW, DON'T LET FOLKS OFF THE HOOK IF THERE ISSUES DONE AND THEY'RE DONE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DONE. LIKE, LET, YOU KNOW, FIND WAYS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO STAY INVOLVED, I GUESS. MM-HMM . NEW FOLKS. NO, THAT'S GREAT. ESPECIALLY, I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. LIKE HERE, I KNOW AMONGST MY LIKE AGE GROUP, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE VERY TRANSIENT IN THAT THEY'RE HERE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AND THEN THEY MOVE TO A DIFFERENT CITY AND A DIFFERENT CITY AND WHATEVER. AND THERE'S AN APPRECIATION FOR THE BEAUTY OF IT. BUT I DON'T THINK MANY, I CAN SAY ANECDOTALLY FROM THE PEOPLE THAT I INTERACT WITH, MANY ARE NOT GOING ONE STEP FURTHER AND SAYING LIKE, OH WOW, THIS IS NATURE. LIKE, I LOVE NATURE. IT MAKES ME FEEL SO GOOD. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A POST OR HONESTLY JUST A POST, UM, . LIKE, THEY'RE LIKE, OH MY GOSH, THIS WATER LOOKS SO GOOD RIGHT NOW. AND I'M LIKE, NO. YEAH, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO PROTECT IT. BUT , YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. UM, OKAY. I'LL BE QUICK WITH MY, UH, NEXT QUESTION. THIS IS SORT OF ALONG THE SAME LINES, BUT AS IT PERTAINS TO POLITICS, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, UM, WHERE THE FUNDING MECHANISMS FOR THIS RESEARCH COMES FROM. AND IF THERE ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, I AM A MARINE BIOLOGIST. UM, A LOT OF OUR FUNDING, WE'RE ABLE TO KIND OF LIKE REFRAME IT AND GET MONEY FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE BECAUSE THE, I AM A CORAL REEF BIOLOGIST SPECIFICALLY, BUT, UM, THE CORAL REEFS PROTECT OUR COASTLINE. OKAY. AND SO I'M CURIOUS WHAT SORT OF KIND OF UNIQUE LIKE FUNDING MECHANISMS LIKE THAT EXIST FOR LIKE FRESHWATER SYSTEMS? [01:45:02] GREAT QUESTION. UM, AND I'LL, I'LL, I'LL TAP INTO TO LIZ HERE AND ANYBODY ELSE WHO WANTS TO TALK ABOUT IT TOO. UM, FOR A LONG TIME WHEN I WAS, YOU KNOW, WORKED, I'VE WORKED, SO FROM 2005 TO, UM, BASICALLY THE PRESIDENT, I'VE WORKED FOR WATERSHED WITH THAT ONE SMALL, UH, DIGRESSION TO, UM, AUSTIN WATERS WILDLAND CONSERVATION, WHICH WAS WONDERFUL. UM, BUT OUR, OUR FUNDING IS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY FROM THE DRAINAGE UTILITY CHARGE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, SO WE, YOU KNOW, OUR DEPARTMENT GETS A VERY HIGH PERCENTAGE OF ITS MONEY FROM THE MONTHLY BILLS THAT YOU GUYS PAY. WE, I, EVERY, ALL EVERYBODY, ALL OF US PAY, UH, TO THE STORMWATER DRAINAGE FUND BASICALLY. UM, THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS AND FEES AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT WE BRING IN, UM, THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO US. UM, BUT THEY'RE, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE MONEY COMES FROM THERE. IN THE PAST, A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE WOULD SAY, OH, YOU'RE GONNA PLAY FOR THIS GRANT? AND WE WOULD GO, AH, IT'S TOO MUCH TROUBLE. YOU KNOW, IT'S A BUNCH OF EFFORT TO JUST GET THE GRANT. THEN YOU PRACTICALLY SPEND, YOU KNOW, A THIRD OF IT JUST ON ADMINISTRATION OF THE GRANT OR, YOU KNOW, ALL THE TIME WITH THE, IT'S BEEN, IT'S KIND OF CLICHE AND THAT'S NOT ALWAYS TRUE, BUT IN THE RECENT PAST, THINGS HAVE GOTTEN EXPENSIVE AND, AND MONEY'S NOT AS, YOU KNOW, AS, AS TIGHT. AND SO WE LIKE TO, WE, WE ARE, WE'RE MUCH MORE ACTIVE AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A PERSON THAT LOOKS AT GETTING GRANT FUNDING AND GETTING, YOU KNOW, STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS AND OTHER FROM OTHER SOURCES. SO WE'RE, WE'RE AT, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL ABOUT IT NOW AND LOOKING AT THOSE. UM, AND SO WE, I COULD PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH THIS PERSON IF YOU WANT TO HEAR, TO HEAR, HEAR MORE FROM HER. SO THEY'LL WAY MORE THAN ME. UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'LL BE OVER HOW MUCH THE OVERLAP WILL BE WITH WHAT YOU DO, UM, BUT WE DO A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, SO WE'VE DONE A LOT OF OUR OWN INTERNAL RESEARCH WITH OUR OWN FUNDING, BUT WE'RE LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS. SO LIKE FOR INSTANCE, WE GOT A LOT OF FLOOD FUNDING WHERE WE WOULD DO SOME OF THE MAPPING WE'RE DOING FOR ATLAS 14 IS THROUGH, UM, DIRECTLY THROUGH THE STATE OF TEXAS, WHICH HAS BEEN FANTASTIC. OKAY. THAT WAS MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WE GOT FROM THEM. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S POSSIBLE TO GET MONEY FROM OTHER SOURCES. IT'S HARDER THAN EVER NOW, MAYBE. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT, AND THAT'S, IT'S A GREAT, THAT'S WHY IT'S A GREAT QUESTION. BUT, AND JUST TO ADD TO THE, THE DRAINAGE UTILITY CHARGE, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE OPERATING BUDGET IS, IS THAT A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE SCIENTISTS, AND YOU KNOW ME, WE DO GET SOME REVIEW FEES. SO THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMPONENT, UM, THERE'S A FEE FOR SERVICE FROM THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FOR STAFF TO REVIEW PLANS FOR COMPLIANCE. AND THEN ANOTHER BIG ONE IS, UH, BOND FUNDING FOR OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. SO ALL THOSE DRAINAGE CREEK EROSION, YOU KNOW, AND WATER QUALITY PONDS. UM, A LOT OF THAT IS, IS BOND FUNDING, ALTHOUGH WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE OF THAT LEFT. SO YEAH, BONDS ARE A BIT, YEAH, BONDS, BONDS IS A BIG SOURCE. OKAY. SPENT IT ALL. SO YEAH. GREAT. QUE I GET IT, . GREAT QUESTION EVERYBODY. UM, AND THEN, UH, I WAS JUST CURIOUS, WHAT TYPE OF, UM, LIKE RESEARCH GOES INTO THE FLOOD ANALYSES AND WHAT, WHAT SORT OF LIKE INTEGRATIVE WORK IS DONE IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT FLOODS MORE OR FLOOD PREVENTION MORE ON AN ECOSYSTEM LEVEL, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UM, LOCAL SHRUBBERY AND, UM, PERHAPS LIKE RIPARIAN HEALTH. UM, I KNOW THAT FOR CROPS THEY'RE ABLE TO CREATE, YOU KNOW, CROP YIELD MONITORING, UM, AND PREDICTION ANALYSIS. AND, UM, I'M CURIOUS IF ANY OF THAT SORT OF ANALYSIS IS BROUGHT INTO THESE, UM, PREDICTIONS. SURE. UM, THE FLIP POINTIN DELINEATION STUFF IS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD. IT'S MOSTLY, UM, USING G UH, YOU KNOW, SOME SUR SOME GEODETIC SURVEYS FROM THE FIELD, BUT IT'S ALSO A LOT OF LIDAR DATA, ET CETERA. SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO GET THE LAY OF THE LAND WE'RE TRYING TO FIND, AND WE'RE TRYING TO CHARACTERIZE BASICALLY THE DRAG ON WATER AS IT GOES WITH THIS MANNING ZEN COEFFICIENT THING. MM-HMM. THAT, THAT TALKS ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, WATER MOVES THROUGH A SMOOTH SURFACE VERSUS THROUGH A, YOU KNOW, GIANT FOREST, YOU KNOW? YEAH. IT'S VERY DIFFERENT. SO YOU'RE TRYING TO CHARACTERIZE THE BASIN IN TERMS OF, UM, BASIN, THE BASIN SIZES. IT'S SORT A HYDROLOGIC COMPONENT AND HYDRAULIC COMPONENT, SO THAT'S NOT GETTING INTO WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AS MUCH, THAT'S JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, WHERE'S THE LINE? YEAH. YEAR FLOOD 25. THERE IS, BUT WE DO, WE DO TALK A LOT ABOUT, LIKE, OUR EROSION GUYS TALK A LOT ABOUT AN INCI CHANNEL, JUST MEANING IT'S DOWN CUT. IT USED TO BE KIND OF NICE, NICE NATURAL FORM, AND IF WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF WATER, THEN IT COULD OVERFLOW THE BANKS AND KIND OF FERTILIZE SLASH WATER THIS AREA AROUND IT. AND THAT'S THE FLOODPLAIN. AND WITH AN URBAN CREEK, IT GETS SO MUCH WATER SO FAST THAT IT JUST STARTS CUTTING THIS BIG DEEP CHANNEL AND THEN IT CUTS OFF, UP OFF FROM ITS FLOODPLAIN. IT HAS TO GET REALLY HIGH BEFORE IT DOES THAT. SO YOU END UP WITH REALLY STUNTED AND REPAIRING ZONE IMPACTS AND HEALTH AND ALL [01:50:01] THESE OTHER THINGS. SO IT STARTS TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'RE NAIL ON A WHOLE BUNCH OF THE SYNERGETIC THINGS THAT HAPPEN WHEN GOOD AND BAD, DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. SO ANYWAY, WE COULD GEEK OUT AND TALK ABOUT IT FOR A LONG TIME. BUT I THINK, I MEAN, I MEAN, I MEAN, I'M, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE FLIPPANT. I DON'T WANNA YEAH. THINK ABOUT TIME HERE. NO, I APPRECIATE IT. DON'T WANNA ON A TANGENT MYSELF, BUT, UM, BUT THAT'S, UM, IT'S, IT'S, I THINK OUR FLOOD MISSION IS MOSTLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, WHERE'S THE WATER? YEAH. HOW OFTEN IS IT GONNA GO BE PAST THESE DIFFERENT LIMITS FOR THESE? 'CAUSE WE LOOK AT TWO YEAR FLOODS, 10 YEAR FLOODS, 25 YEARS, AND A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODS FOR THESE DIFFERENT PURPOSES. YOU DO THAT WHEN YOU'RE SUBMITTING A DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION. UM, BUT ANYWAY, BUT THE, BUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ARE, ARE IMPORTANT TOO. AND THAT'S A KIND OF A SEPARATE ANIMAL. BUT WE, WE, WE DO, AND WE TALK A LOT ABOUT FLOODPLAIN MODIFICATIONS. YOU WANNA COME IN AND YOU, YOU WANNA MUCK AROUND AND, AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN THE NATURAL CONTENTION. THAT'S GONNA BE HARD IF IT'S IN BAD SHAPE AND YOU'RE GONNA RESTORE IT AND DO SOME THINGS, THEN WE HAVE A DIFFERENT SET OF RULES AND TOOLS. YEAH. AND SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE PLANT COMMUNITIES. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME, UH, A LOT OF, QUITE A BIT OF STUDIES, UM, IN THE PAST 10 YEARS, UM, LOOKING AT RIPARIAN FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENTS. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, DOCUMENTING, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT A HEALTHY RIPARIAN ZONE LOOKS LIKE BASED ON WHAT A, LIKE A, A STANDARD OR, UM, I'M NOT THINKING OF THE RIGHT WORD, BUT, UH, UN UH, MODIFIED FLOOD PLAIN WOULD LOOK LIKE. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT PLACES THAT HAVE BEEN FARMED OR RANCHED OR OTHER, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, DISTURBED FOR OTHER REASONS AND HOW THOSE DIFFER FROM AN UNTOUCHED ONE. AND SO WE CAN TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND WHEN WE LOOK AT FLOODPLAIN MODIFICATIONS, WE, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT RESEARCH THAT WATERSHED STAFF HAVE DONE IT NOW INFORMS HOW WE REQUIRE THOSE, UM, FLOODPLAINS TO BE RESTORED AND ELEVATED. SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF, ON THE EAST SIDE RANCHING HAS REALLY, EVEN BEFORE ANY IMPERVIOUS COVER CAME, IT REALLY CHANGED THE PLANT COMMUNITY, UM, THAT HAD BEEN THERE. AND THE SOILS ARE DIFFERENT AND, UM, IT'S SOMETIMES EVEN LESS BIODIVERSE IN AN UNTOUCHED RANCH LAND THAN IT WOULD BE IN THE URBAN, UM, AREAS OF AUSTIN. UM, SO IT'S, IT'S VERY INTERESTING. THERE'S NOT THE SEED, YOU KNOW, THE SEED, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT, YEAH. THE, THE SOIL, THE SEEDS DON'T, AREN'T EXISTING IN THE SOIL, SO THEY'RE NOT GONNA EVER REBOUND. SO HOW DO WE USE THAT INFORMATION AND INFORM IT TO, YOU KNOW, TO ALLOW SOMEBODY TO MODIFY THE FLOODPLAIN, BUT THEN THE AREAS THAT THEY'RE NOT MODIFYING OR HAVE MODIFIED, HOW DO WE BRING IT UP, UM, USING THAT INFORMATION? SO PLANT COMMUNITY IS ONE, UM, VARIOUS THINGS. AND THEN LARGE WOODY DEBRIS AND, AND ALSO BRINGING IN HOW DO WE KEEP THE CREEKS FROM DEGRADING MORE? SO SOMETIMES WE ACTUALLY ASK PEOPLE TO PUT GREAT CONTROLS IN CREEKS FOR THOSE SORT OF THINGS. SO YEAH, THAT THERE IS A LOT OF THAT BACK AND FORTH WITH SCIENTISTS, AND THEN THAT INFORMS POLICY . COOL. THANK YOU. AND SOME OF THAT WAS BROUGHT IN BY THE ENVIRON OLD ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONS OR, OR BOARDS ASKING ABOUT QUESTIONS, ASKING LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, A PUT OR, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, CAN, CAN YOU TRY THIS THING? AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE EXPERIMENTATION ALSO IN, IN SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE SYSTEMS WE USE. SO, UM, ANYWAY, WE'RE TRYING TO TRY TO KEEP, KEEP AHEAD OF IT. GREAT QUESTIONS. WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR A RICH DISCUSSION. THIS WAS FASCINATING. UM, I THINK THAT PRESENTATION SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING REQUIRED FOR EVERY SCHOOL STUDENT IN AUSTIN. CERTAINLY EVERY CITY STAFF MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, I LEARNED A LOT TONIGHT, AND I'M SO GRATEFUL AND IT FELT LIKE WE SHOULD BE AROUND A CAMPFIRES STORIES, LIKE THE ORAL TRADITION IS SO IMPORTANT AND THERE REALLY IS SO MUCH THAT'S LOST. AND I AM ORIGINALLY FROM CENTRAL TEXAS, BUT LIKE I SAID, I LEARNED A LOT TONIGHT TOO. UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STRUCK ME, THAT I'VE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HERE IS HOW FLOODS ARE A MARKER OF TIME FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE LIVED HERE A LONG TIME. AND FOR ME, I GREW UP ON THE GUADALUPE RIVER IN NEW BRAUNFELS. AND SO, UM, I REMEMBER HEARING MY PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS TALKING ABOUT THE 1972 FLOOD, AND THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, MARKERS ON THE BUILDINGS IN NEW BRAUNFELS. THIS IS WHERE THE FLOOD WATER WAS THIS YEAR AND THIS YEAR. UM, AND THEN 1998 WAS A HUGE FLOOD FOR US IN NEW BRAUNFELS 2002. I'M A JULY BIRTHDAY, SO A LOT OF TIMES MY BIRTHDAYS WOULD BE WHEN THE FLOODS WERE HAPPENING. WE HAVE PHOTOS OF ME OUT ANYWAY, . SO YEAH, THE FLOOD, THEY'RE SIGNIFIERS OF, OF TIME AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE MEMORABLE. AND I JUST THINK THAT'S INTERESTING AND, AND UNIQUE TO THIS REGION. UM, SO JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT IT'S TODAY YOUR ACTUAL BIRTHDAY. JULY 7TH WAS THE SEVENTH BIRTHDAY. BIRTHDAY, YEAH. . OH, WOW. NO, TODAY'S NOT LAST WEEK. UM, SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU SAID THAT JUST STRUCK ME. UM, YOU SAID THERE'S NO CLAWING BACK THESE PRISTINE CONDITIONS. ONCE THEY'RE GONE, THEY'RE GONE. AND I THINK, AGAIN, THAT'S THE IMPORTANCE OF SHARING THIS HISTORY, IS THERE IS A BASELINE SHIFT [01:55:01] BECAUSE FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE MOVED TO AUSTIN MORE RECENTLY, OR WHO ARE JUST YOUNGER, DON'T HAVE THESE RECOLLECTIONS OF WHAT SHOAL CREEK USED TO LOOK LIKE, WHAT WALLER CREEK USED TO LOOK LIKE. UM, AND SO WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME UNDERSTANDING OF THE DEGRADATION THAT'S HAPPENING. LIKE THERE'S, THERE'S A NEW BASELINE STANDARD. SO YEAH, WE NEED TO BRING BACK STORYTELLING AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR DOING THAT TONIGHT. UM, AND THEN IF WE COULD BRING BACK UP YOUR PRESENTATION TO, UM, ON THE PDF ITSELF, IT'S LISTED AS PAGE 41 OF 45, BUT IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER IT'S, THERE'S A PAGE NUMBER 46. OKAY. AND THE TITLE IS AUSTIN'S MAJOR, MAJOR WATERSHED ORDINANCES. AND IF THAT'S TOO MUCH TROUBLE, I DON'T WANNA MAKE YOU GUYS SURE. SO IT'S FREAK OUT SCRAMBLE THIRD, THIRD OR FOURTH FROM THE END. CLOSE TO THE END. YEAH. YEAH. UM, AND I'LL JUST MENTION WHY, AND THIS WILL JUST BE MY ONE QUESTION BEFORE WE MOVE ON. UM, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE HISTORICALLY THESE MAJOR ORDINANCES IN AUSTIN HAVE HAPPENED ON AVERAGE EVERY SEVEN YEARS, ROUGHLY. AND WE'RE COMING UP ON THE SEVEN YEAR MARK. I HAVEN'T. THAT'S REALLY COOL. I DIDN'T, UM, I MEAN, THERE'S SOME YEARS WHERE IT WAS, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE JUST THREE YEARS. THERE WAS AN INTERVAL, A LONGER INTERVAL OF THIS TIMELINES, THE TIMELINE. YES. OKAY. SO I JUST DOING QUICK MATH, IT SEEMS LIKE AN AVERAGE OF, YOU KNOW, EVERY SEVEN YEARS. SO I'M, I'M FEELING LIKE WE'RE WE'RE DUE FOR ANOTHER ONE. , WE'RE DUE. SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU SORT OF SAID QUOTE UNQUOTE, THE BIG STUFF IS IN PLACE ALREADY. UM, IF I DO HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION, I I HAVE A COMMENT ON THAT, BUT YEAH, MY QUESTION TO YOU AND TO LIZ IS WHAT'S NEXT? WHAT ARE WE MISSING? WHAT IS OUR NEXT BIG WATERSHED ORDINANCE THAT YEAH, WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT FOR OUR GENERATION? LET, LET ME, UM, AND LET'S SEE. I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA, THIS IS GREAT, THANK YOU GUYS FOR AV SUPPORT FOR PUTTING THAT BACK UP. AND I, I'M GONNA GO TO THE, UM, LET'S SEE, WHERE IS IT? SO I'M GONNA BE A DEVIL'S ADVOCATE WITH MY OWN STATEMENT. SEVERAL OF THEM THAT I MADE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BROUGHT BACK UP. I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY INCREDIBLY DEMORALIZING TO HEAR SOMEBODY SAY, OH, WELL THE DAMAGE IS DONE, CAN'T GET IT BACK. IT'S OVER. SO, I MEAN, ACTUALLY WE, THAT THE CAMP, THAT WOULD BE A BETTER CAMPFIRE DISCUSSION THAN THIS IN FRONT OF THE MICS HERE. BUT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT, AND I DON'T THINK, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE END OF THE STORY, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO END THAT CONVERSATION. SO I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT. 'CAUSE I THINK, UM, AND THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALK ABOUT A LOT AND WITH OUR OWN WORK, AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, LIKE HOW DO WE MOVE TOWARD HAVING INFILTRATION, HAVING DIFFERENT THINGS HAPPEN? HOW DO WE DO ONSITE REUSE? ALL THAT STUFF. AND THOSE ARE INCREDIBLY HARD AND LABOR INTENSIVE AND HAVE LONG CONVERSATIONS THAT, THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE ABOUT THOSE. BUT THAT'S, TO ME, THE RESILIENCE POINT. BUT PROBABLY, IF I WAS JUST GUESSING, I WOULD SAY THERE'S THAT, THAT, THAT IN THE INTERSECTION OF RESILIENCE AND CLIMATE CHANGE IS GONNA BE PROBABLY THE NEXT. SO, UM, WHEN I DON'T KNOW THE NEXT, NEXT BIG THING WITH WATERSHEDS, THAT'S MY GUT FROM DOING THIS WHILE, SO INTANGIBLE TERMS, 'CAUSE WE ARE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT OUR COMMISSION'S GOALS FOR THE NEXT YEAR. HOW COME, HOW CAN WE HELP YOU? LIKE WHAT SPECIFICALLY DOES THAT LOOK LIKE, WHETHER IT'S YEAH, AT A GRANULAR LEVEL, LIKE I KNOW YOU'RE TALKING BIG PICTURE, IT'S THE INTERSECTION OF THESE THINGS. YEAH. BUT CAN YOU BE ANY MORE SPECIFIC TONIGHT IN TERMS OF DIRECTION? SO I THINK, I THINK ANOTHER, I MEAN, A REALLY IMPORTANT THING THAT I DIDN'T MENTION IS THAT WE'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE INFILL DEVELOPMENT AND WHERE IS IT, YOU KNOW, LIKE, LIKE HOW FAR DOWN IS, IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO PUT A SHED IN A DOG HOUSE, SO WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, YOU KNOW, I'M BEING FLIPPANT, BUT IT'S JUST LIKE, JUST TO MAKE A POINT. BUT LIKE AT SOME POINT YOU'RE LIKE, WE DON'T NEED TO REGULATE THIS. WE NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING ELSE. BUT THEN MEANWHILE THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, IT WAS VERY FLATTERING AND I APPRECIATE THE, LIKE, LET'S HAVE MORE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THIS. AND THE, AND SO THERE'S LIMITS ON THIS. AND I WOULD SAY THE LIMITS ARE, ESPECIALLY ON THE REGULATORY END OF THIS, WHERE WE'RE STARTING TO FIND THIS, LIKE, TAKES A LOT OF HEAT COMPARED TO THE LIGHT YOU GET TO DO AT THESE LITTLE TINY, SMALL LEVELS. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN, BUT, BUT EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THERE ARE THESE ADDITIVE QUALITIES TO THIS STUFF THAT ARE, ARE, ARE, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? UM, YOU KNOW, UM, AND, AND THAT I THINK THERE'S THIS, UM, THE CITIZEN AWARENESS, THE, THE, THE, THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF, OF UNDERSTANDING LIKE NOT JUST GOOD BEHAVIOR, BUT LIKE, I WANNA BE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY. I WANNA BE A PART OF SOMETHING BEING BEAUTIFUL. I WANNA BE A PART OF SOMETHING BEING FLOWING AND LIVELY AND I WANT MY TREE TO SURVIVE THE DROUGHT. I WANT ALL THESE THINGS TO HAPPEN. HOW DO I FIT INTO THAT? AND I THINK, AND YOU GUYS ARE PART OF THAT, IT'S NOT JUST REGULATORY, IT'S ACTUALLY SORT OF BULLY PULPIT, UNDERSTANDING HOW PEOPLE UNDER LIVE IN THIS PLACE AND DO THINGS AS THEY DO THEIR DAILY LIVES THAT ACTUALLY ADD TO THE HEALTH AND RESILIENCE OF THIS. SO IT'S MAYBE NOT REGULATORY, MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S MORE EDUCATION, MORE LIKE, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A CITIZEN OF AUSTIN IN A REALLY POSITIVE WAY? NOT LIKE YOU'RE, IT'S NOT COMMAND AND CONTROL, [02:00:01] IT'S MORE WE WANNA BE PART OF THIS. AND YOU GUYS COULD BE PART OF THAT DISCUSSION. ANYWAY, I'M JUST AGAIN, KIND OF RIFFING HERE. YOU'RE FINE. WOULD YOU MIND GOING UP ONE PAGE OR BACK ONE PAGE? I'M GOING UP BACK THAT ONE. THIS ONE. THERE WE GO. YES. THANK YOU. YEAH, THEY HAD IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME. UM, SO I GUESS THIS IS KIND OF THE TOP LEVEL THAT I'M WONDERING. ALL RIGHT. 1974, WE WERE DEALING WITH NATURAL CREEKS FLOODPLAINS 1980. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT CREEK BUFFERS. YEP. SO LIZ, FOR 20 26, 20 27, DO YOU HAVE LIKE A TOP LINE? IF THERE WERE GONNA BE A WATERSHED ORDINANCE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IT WOULD BE ABOUT? YEAH, THERE ARE TWO ACTUALLY IN PROGRESS. OKAY. UM, ONE IS LESS WATERSHED. SO, YOU KNOW, WE DID HAVE A, A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT, UM, ORDINANCE, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A PRETTY BIG LIKE CLEANUP EFFORT AND THERE WERE SOME OTHER POLICIES ASSOCIATED WITH IT IN 2022. THAT WAS A RESOLUTION THAT WAS, UM, BROUGHT FORWARD BY COUNCIL MEMBER O TOVO. RIGHT. BE, YOU KNOW, IN THE YEAR BEFORE SHE LEFT. UM, AND FELL OFF THE, YOU KNOW, ROLL OFF THE DAIS. UM, AND SO THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS FROM THAT, UM, RESOLUTION DIRECTING STAFF TO, TO LOOK AT. ONE WAS RELATED TO SLOPE PROTECTIONS IN URBAN WATERSHEDS. AND THE OTHER ONE THAT, UH, MATT HAS BEEN WORKING ON IS GREENFIELD DETENTION. AND SO YEAH, HE HAS IN THE GREEN THERE. UM, SO, UH, THE, THE SLOPE PROTECTIONS IN URBAN WATERSHEDS WAS, YOU KNOW, SAYING, WELL BRING, YOU KNOW, URBAN WATERSHEDS DON'T HAVE SLOW PROTECTION, SO BRING THOSE PROTECTIONS INTO THAT SPACE. UM, THAT, THAT, UH, WATERSHED CLASSIFICATION, WE'VE LOOKED AT THAT AND WE THINK THAT BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY BUILT UP, UM, IT, THE, THE, THE WAY THAT CONCURRENT SLOPE PROTECTIONS ARE OUTSIDE OF URBAN REALLY DOESN'T MAKE A LOT OF SENSE IN THE URBAN WATERSHED BECAUSE THE SLOPE PROTECTIONS ARE REALLY INTENDED FOR A LOT OF GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENT. AND IT'S WHEN SLOPES ARE, UH, HIGHLY CHANGED. THEY, UH, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S BEEN LIKE, IF IT'S A MANMADE SLOPE, DO WE REALLY WANNA PROTECT THAT, FOR EXAMPLE? SO, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, SLOPE FAILURES. SO WE HAVE CERTAIN GEOLOGY IN CERTAIN PARTS OF TOWN, NOT EVERYWHERE, WHERE THERE, WE'VE GOT LIMESTONE ON TOP OF CLAY AND WE HAVE THESE SLOPE FAILURES. YOU SEE IT ON SHOOL CREEK AND OTHER PLACES. UM, AND SO WHEN DEVELOPMENT, UM, IS PROPOSED IN THESE AREAS, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE GOOD REGULATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT DEVELOPERS ARE ACTUALLY DOING A SLOPE ANALYSIS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DESTABILIZE THE SLOPE AND THAT THEIR PROPERTY OR THEIR DEVELOPMENT IS NOT AT RISK FROM BEING, UM, CAUSING A SLOPE FAILURE OR BEING AFFECTED BY THAT. SO THAT'S SORT OF WATERSHED, BUT IT'S REALLY MORE BUILDING. AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE SLOWLY WORKING ON, ON BRINGING SOME RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO THAT. UM, AND THEN GREENFIELD, I'LL LET MATT ANSWER THAT QUESTION. SURE. YEAH. THAT WAS ONE OF THESE, AND IT WAS, IT WAS A WHILE BACK THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN KIND OF JUST CHIPPING AWAY AT THIS BIG LIST OF THINGS THAT THE COUNCIL ASKED US TO DO A WHILE BACK. BUT THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY WERE, THEY WERE, YOU, YOU'LL HEAR IT CALLED GREENFIELD DETENTION EVERY NOW AND THEN. I DON'T LOVE THAT TERM. I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE, 'CAUSE THE, THE, THE SOLUTIONS WE'LL WANT TO USE DON'T INCLUDE AND ARE, AND PROMINENTLY INCLUDE DETENTION, BUT IT ALSO COULD BE CONVEYANCE IMPROVEMENTS. UH, YOU KNOW, A A BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS THAT WE DO ALREADY. UM, BUT BASICALLY, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE A LARGE, ACTUALLY WE'RE SITTING IN AN AREA THAT'S THE PART OF THE HIGHLAND MALL. RIGHT? THE HIGHLAND MALL WAS DEVELOPED IN THE MID OR THE EARLY SEVENTIES. IT WAS RIGHT BEFORE THIS 1974 DATE YOU SAW THERE. IT WAS LIKE 73 OR SOMETHING. I HAVE A, A PRESENTATION THAT HAS THAT IN THERE. AND SO THEY, THEY WERE ABLE TO KIND OF GET ON, THEY DON'T HAVE UP, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO DETENTION. IT WAS PRIOR TO THAT THING. SO WHEN THEY CAME BACK AND REDEVELOPED THIS WITH RED LEAF AND ICC AND EVERYTHING ELSE, THEY ACTUALLY PUT IN, YOU GO ACROSS, UH, AIRPORT BOULEVARD HERE, THERE'S A VERY LARGE WATER QUALITY POND. IT'S A BIG WET POND AND IT TAKES A LOT OF WATER FROM THIS BIG SUPER IMPERVIOUS AREA. IT'S HOT AND POLLUTED AND LOTS OF EXTRA WATER. AND IT GOES INTO THAT POND, IT SLOWS IT DOWN, FILTERS IT OUT, AND THEN, AND, AND DOES, YOU KNOW, FROM A BIG AREA. AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS REALLY SUCCESSFUL. OUR REGULATIONS LONG ASK YOU TO DO THAT, BUT THEY DIDN'T ASK YOU TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT FLOOD 'CAUSE YOU WERE KIND OF ALREADY IN BAD SHAPE, SO, WELL, IT MIGHT NOT MAKE IT WORSE. SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, WHAT DO WE, WHAT WOULD WE ASK PEOPLE TO DO? AND, AND DOWN TO WHAT LEVEL? AND I THINK PROBABLY IF YOU ASKED TINY PROPERTIES TO DO THAT, YOU'D END UP WITH SOME STRANGE RESULTS. AND YOU'D ALSO GET A TON OF BACKLASH FROM THE COUNCIL AND FROM THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AND FROM JUST THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL. SO WHERE DO WE, BUT IF IT'S GIANT, IF IT'S NORTH CROSS MALL, IF IT'S HIGHLAND MALL, IF IT'S SOMETHING HUGE, WE'D LIKE TO, WE, WE, BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE KIND OF GAINS WE CAN'T MAKE ON OUR OWN, ON THE PRI THE PUBLIC SIDE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE LAND TO, TO DO THAT THING THAT IS POSITIVE. WE WANT IT TO WORK FOR THE DEVELOPMENT. [02:05:01] 'CAUSE IF THEY DON'T BUILD IT, THEN IT DOESN'T HELP EITHER. SO WE WANT IT TO BE A POSITIVE THING WHERE WE COME IN AND SAY, LOOK, WE'RE, OUR DRAINAGE OUTCOMES ARE BETTER BECAUSE WE'VE ASKED THESE PEOPLE TO DO MORE THAN THEY'RE DOING NOW, WHICH IS VERY LITTLE OR NOTHING. SO ANYWAY, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE CHALLENGE OF IT. AND SO I'VE ACTUALLY DONE QUITE A BIT OF RESEARCH JUST LOOKING AT 228,000 PARCELS IN AUSTIN AND HOW BIG ARE THEY AND WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE AND WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT ARE THEIR CHARACTERISTICS AND ALL THIS DIFFERENT STUFF. IT'S PRETTY INTERESTING WORK, BUT I I, IT'S TAKING A WHILE TO GRIND THROUGH IT AND ALSO TALKED TO MY COLLEAGUES IN ASSET MANAGEMENT, FLOOD PLAIN OFFICE, ET CETERA. BUT ANYWAY, IT'S A PRETTY FASCINATING, UM, IT'S GONNA BE A FASCINATING TOPIC. GREAT. WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS. I KNOW, UM, SOME MIGHT'VE WANTED TO ASK MORE QUESTIONS BUT DIDN'T HAVE TIME. SO PLEASE FIND MATT ON EMAIL. I'M THERE, I'M ON EMAIL AND YOU, YOU'VE GOT MORE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'D LOVE TO GET MORE FEEDBACK IF YOU SEE EXTRA THINGS THAT YOU WANNA HAVE MORE CLARIFICATION OF OR, OR, OR WHATEVER. I'M, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT. I, I ENJOY IT. GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU GUYS. GREAT QUESTIONS. ALRIGHT, WELL LET'S MOVE [3. Discussion of Environmental Commission Bylaws. ] ON TO DISCUSSION ITEMS. SO NEXT WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER THREE, DISCUSSION OF ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION BYLAWS AND VICE CHAIR BRISTOL IS GONNA WALK US THROUGH THAT. ALL RIGHT. LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE HERE ON BYLAWS. UM, I'M GONNA MAKE THIS SUPER QUICK BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE A LITTLE, UM, ON UH, UH, DELAYED ON TIME. AND SO WE'RE GONNA PLAY A GAME. UM, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE YOUR MICS ON, BUT I DO WANNA HEAR YOU SAY YES. NO, I'M NOT SURE THOSE ARE YOUR ANSWERS FOR THESE QUESTIONS. OKAY. SO WE'RE THINKING ABOUT OURSELVES. LOOK AT DAVID. HE'S REALLY GETTING READY OVER HERE. , UM, . I KNOW, I KNOW. LOOK AT YOU. IS THERE A PRIZE? THERE COULD BE A PRIZE. I MADE THIS PYRAMID HERE. YOU CAN HAVE THE PYRAMID . UM, OKAY. UH, WHAT OF THESE THINGS DO WE ADVISE COUNCIL ON? DO WE ADVISE COUNCIL ON WATERSHED PROTECTION? YES. YES. YES. WE DO. RUNOFF. YES. YES, YES, WE DO. WASTEWATER. YES. SOMEONE ELSE? I DON'T KNOW. OKAY. YES, THE ANSWER IS YES, WE DO. UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. YES. YES, WE DO. ENDANGERED SPECIES. YEAH. YES. NOT YET. DUN. TRICK QUESTION, TRICK QUESTION. I TRICKS IN HERE. I'M NOT SAYING THERE'S NOT TRICKS IN HERE. I'M NOT ABOVE THAT. UH, FLOOD CONTROL. YES, YES, YES. WE DO. UH, ROADWAY PLANNING. YES. YES. THANK YOU. DOWN HERE. YES, WE DO AIR QUALITY. YES. DAVID? WELL, I DO . YEAH. YES. AFFORDABLE HOUSING. NO, NO, WE DON'T. URBAN FORESTRY AND TREES. YES. YES. RECREATION RESOURCES. YES, YES, YES. WE DO, UM, REVIEW PROGRAMS AND POLICY OF FLOOD CONTROL. YES, YES, YES. AQUIFER HEALTH. YES. YES. NO, NOT YET. . HMM. ALL RIGHT. SO YOUR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT IS TO, UH, READ THIS, READ OUR BYLAWS, UH, AND, UH, MAYBE, UH, NICOLE CAN EMAIL THOSE OUT TO EVERYBODY. THEY'RE SUPER FASCINATING AND I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY THEM. THEY'RE ON OUR WEBSITE. BUT THEN I WANT YOU TO EMAIL ME ONE THING YOU LEARNED. OKAY. THAT'S IT. THAT'S YOUR DISCUSSION ON OUR BYLAWS. WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY NOT YET? LIKE IS THERE A PROCESS BY WHICH WE EXPAND THE SCOPE OF THERE IS A PROCESS FOR THAT? UM, YEAH. AND IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE WANNA SEE, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, WE'VE TALKED, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST FEW MEETINGS QUITE A BIT ABOUT THE ALLUVIAL AQUIFERS. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO TAKE ON? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO, UH, ADVISE COUNSEL ON? DO WE WANNA ADVISE COUNSEL ON ENDANGERED SPECIES? RIGHT. UM, SO, AND A LOT OF TIMES WHERE THOSE ENDANGERED SPECIES ARE OVERLAYS WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION, SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THOSE COULD EASILY BE WOVEN IN THERE. UM, AND YES, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT PROCESS IS, BUT I DO KNOW FOR SURE THAT IF THE, IF THAT IS THE WILL OF THE COMMISSION, THEN WE CAN ADD THAT IN THERE. COOL. YEAH, I WILL FIND OUT. THAT'LL BE MY HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT TO [02:10:01] YOU, IS I'LL FIND OUT WHAT THE PROCESS IS. COOL. OKAY. THANK YOU. VICE CHAIR. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO REVIEW, JUST TO REMIND OURSELVES WHAT IS WITHIN OUR SCOPE, UM, WHAT MAYBE ARE WE MISSING? I THINK IT'S A GOOD GUIDELINE FOR QUESTIONS THAT WE CAN ASK WHEN, YOU KNOW, APPLICANTS OR CITY STAFF ARE PRESENTING TO US. HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT THE AIR QUALITY? HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT THE RECREATIONAL RESOURCES, ET CETERA. SO IT'S JUST A GOOD INTERNAL LIST FOR US. AND WE CAN ALSO KEEP THAT IN OUR MINDS AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT GOALS FOR THE YEAR. UM, BUT GREAT. LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON [4. Discussion of Robert’s Rules of Order, the Texas Open Meetings Act, and general commission procedures. Presentation by Commissioner Sullivan. ] TO DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER FOUR. SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE DISCUSSION OF ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER. THE TEXAS OPENS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, AND COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN WILL BE PRESENTING THOSE. AND THEN WE'LL REVIEW SOME GENERAL COMMISSION PROCEDURES, AND NICOLE WILL TAKE THAT ON. I KNOW WE'VE HAD SOME COMMISSIONERS COME IN, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST YEAR OR TWO. SO WE JUST LIKE TO REVIEW THESE RULES FOR EVERYONE SO THAT WE ARE ALL ON A, YOU KNOW, HAVE A LEVEL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE DOING. I JUST HAVE A LOUD VOICE AS IT IS. OKAY. SO ANYWAY, UM, AND CAN YOU MAKE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, FULL SCREEN? NICE. OKAY. SO ANYWAY, UM, I WAS ASKED TO MAKE THE PRESENTATION ON ROBERT'S RULES 'CAUSE I'VE DONE THIS FOR SUCH A LONG TIME. UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW WHO I AM, SO I DON'T NEED TO GO OVER THAT. UH, SO ROBERT'S RULES, THIS IS, UH, JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND ABOUT IT THAT HE WAS AN ARMY OFFICER BACK IN THE LAST COUPLE OF CENTURIES AGO. AND, UM, HE WROTE THIS BOOK ABOUT, UH, ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER. AND SO, UM, YOU CAN FIND A COPY OF THIS. I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT MY CHEAP ONE. I HAVE THIS ROBERTS RULES SIMPLIFIED BOOK AT HOME, BUT THIS IS FROM WIKIPEDIA AND I ONLY HAVE SEVEN SLIDES HERE, SO THIS ISN'T GONNA TAKE ALL THAT LONG. YEAH. DO YOU KNOW THAT HE ALSO WAS THE ENGINEER THAT DESIGNED, UM, THE SEA WALL IN GALVESTON AFTER THE 1900 FLOOD? NO, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. WELL, THERE, THERE YOU GO. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT, . SO ANYWAY, THOUGH, BUT HERE'S A, HERE'S A COUPLE OF SOURCES THAT YOU CAN ACCESS. ROBERT RULE ROBERT'S RULES MADE SIMPLE, AND THEN ROBERT'S RULES IN PLAIN ENGLISH, WHICH IS THE VOLUME I JUST MENTIONED, WHICH IS A SMALL BOOK THAT I USE. UM, SO ANYWAY, WHAT ARE ROBERT'S RULES? WELL, THE MAIN POT MOTION HERE IS ABOUT RUNNING MEETINGS. AND THE IDEA IS ONLY ONE MOTION CAN BE DISCUSSED AT A TIME. UM, EVERYBODY HAS A RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSION, BUT THE WAY IT SHOULD WORK IS NOBODY SHOULD SPEAK BEFORE EVERYBODY, AGAIN, A SECOND TIME UNTIL EVERYBODY ELSE HAS SPOKEN. AND EVERYONE HAS A RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON. AND ONLY INTER URGENT MATTERS MAY INTERRUPT THE SPEAKER LIKE, IT'S 10 O'CLOCK AND WE HAVE TO EXTEND THE MEETING. SOMETHING LIKE THAT. UM, THE, UM, WAY IT WORKS, AND AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, THE CHAIR CALLS FOR A MOTION. GENERALLY THE CHAIR FACILITATES THE DISCUSSION, BUT SHE CAN ALSO SECOND A MOTION, A, A MOTION ONCE MADE, MUST BE SECONDED BEFORE THE DISCUSSION CAN GO ON. THE MAKER AND THE SECONDER GET TO EXPLAIN WHY THEY PUT FORWARD THE MOTION, AND THEN FOLLOWING THE MOTION. AND THE SECOND THE CHAIR FACILITATES AN ORDERLY DISCUSSION, AND THE BOARD MAY LIMIT THE TIME A MEMBER CAN SPEAK. UM, AND THEN ONE MUST WAIT UNTIL EVERYBODY ELSE HAS HAD A, YOU KNOW, A CHANCE TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU CAN SPEAK A SECOND TIME, UNLESS IT'S TO ANSWER A QUESTION LIKE THE MAKER OF THE MOTION MIGHT ANSWER A QUESTION FROM SOMEBODY. AND THEN, UH, THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MOTIONS. UM, THERE'S A MAIN MOTION, AND THEN THERE CAN BE AMENDMENTS TO THE MAIN MOTION. AND EACH OF THESE REQUIRES A SECOND. BUT THE, UM, AMENDMENT CAN'T REALLY CHANGE THE, YOU CAN'T LIKE NEGATE THE MEETING OF THE MAIN MOTION, BUT YOU CAN ADD ON SOMETHING THAT'S VERY CLOSELY RELATED TO IT. AND THEN THERE CAN BE A CALL TO LIMIT DEBATE, AND THAT REQUIRES A VOTE, BECAUSE SOMETIMES AN ARGUMENT CAN GO ON AMONG MEMBERS. AND, UM, WE DON'T WANT TO, WE WANT TO GET TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN VOTE. AND SO THERE'S A CALL TO LIMIT DEBATE, AND THAT REQUIRES TWO THIRDS OF THE MEMBERS. THEN THERE'S ALSO AN OPTION TO POSTPONE. THERE'S AN OPTION FOR RECESS, THERE'S AN OPTION TO TABLE A MOTION, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO, IF YOU DO TABLE A MOTION, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A MOTION TO REMOVE IT FROM THE TABLE, MEANING TAKE IT UP AGAIN. AND SO ALL THESE TYPES OF MOTIONS REQUIRE A SECOND, AND WE OFTEN DON'T SEE THESE THINGS. BUT THE POINT IS THAT IF YOU [02:15:01] WANT TO, YOU KNOW, GET INTO REAL PARLIAMENTARIAN, UM, WARFARE, UH, YOU CAN USE SOME OF THESE THINGS . AND THEN, UH, THAT'S BASICALLY ALL I HAVE TO TALK ABOUT, ABOUT RYAN'S, UM, ROBERT'S RULES. UM, OH YEAH, THE TYPES OF MOTIONS. AGAIN, YOU CAN SAY, I MOVE, WE APPROVE PROJECT XTZ. UH, SEC, SOMEBODY COULD, UM, SECOND IT, OR SOMEBODY COULD ELSE MAKE A MOTION SAYING, I, I MOVE THAT WE REFER PROJECT X, Y, Z TO THE, TO A SUBCOMMITTEE, OR I MOVE THAT WE RECESS FOR LUNCH, OR I MOVE THAT WE VOTE BY PAPER BALLOT. YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S DIFFERENT, UM, SECONDARY MOTIONS THAT CAN APPLY TO A MAIN MOTION. AND THEN I THINK THAT WAS MY LAST SLIDE ON THIS. NOPE, I GOT A TABLE HERE. SO HERE'S A TABLE, UM, OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MOTIONS THAT I'VE MENTIONED THAT THEY ALL MUST BE SECONDED. SOME ARE OPEN FOR DISCUSSION, SOME CAN BE AMENDED. UH, MOST ARE JUST REQUIRE MAJORITY, BUT TO LIMIT DEBATE OR END DISCUSSION REQUIRE TWO THIRDS OF THE, OF THE MEMBERS, WHICH IS EIGHT OUT OF 11. AND, UM, THEN YOU CAN ALSO RECONSIDER A MOTION IN THE, IN THE SAME MEETING IF SOMETHING ELSE COMES UP THAT WASN'T, UH, PEOPLE WEREN'T AWARE OF ORIGINALLY. AND, UM, THEN THERE'S SPEEDY ACTION. UM, WHEN IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT THERE'S NO OBJECTION, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE CHAIR CAN SAY, MOVE THINGS ALONG QUICKLY BY SAYING, IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION TO THIS HEARING, NO OBJECTION, THEN THE MOTION PASSES. UM, OR IF THE AGENDA IS COMPLETE AND THE MEETING'S ALMOST OVER, UH, THE CHAIR CAN SAY, UM, ANYONE OBJECT TO ADJOURN ADJOURNING HEARING, NO OBJECTION. THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT XX PM THANKS EVERYONE. UM, OR IF THERE'S AN AMENDMENT IS OFFERED, AND THE CHAIR CAN CALL FOR AN AN ANYBODY WHO OBJECTS, AND IF NO ONE OBJECTS, THEN THE AMENDMENT IS ADDED. AND, UM, THEN THERE'S THE IDEA OF A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, WHICH AGAIN, YOU CAN SPEED UP TO SAY, ANYONE OBJECT TO THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. AND HEARING NO OBJECTION, THE AMENDMENT IS, IS ADDED. SO ANYWAY, BUT OF COURSE, IF SOMEONE OBJECTS, THEN YOU HAVE TO GET A, A MO, MAKE A MOTION, AND SECOND THE MOTION. AND THEN DISCUSSION SHOULD ENSUE FROM THAT. BUT, UH, SPEEDY ACTION IS ALWAYS WELCOME. AND THEN OFFICER ELECTIONS, UM, CITY OF AUSTIN COMMISSIONS USUALLY HAVE A CHAIR, VICE CHAIR, SECRETARY, ELECTED FROM THE MEMBERSHIP. UH, SOMETIMES THERE'S A NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE, AND THIS IS ALL PART OF ROBERT'S RULES ALSO. BUT THE IMPORTANT POINT HERE IS THAT WHEN A NOMINATION IS MADE, IT DOES NOT REQUIRE A SECOND. SO THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF AN IMPORTANT POINT. AND A PERSON CAN NOMINATE THEMSELVES AND THEN THE CHAIR CAN ASK. AND IF THERE'S NO MORE NOMINATIONS HEARING KNOWN, THEN NOMINATIONS ARE CLOSED. BUT THE POINT IS, NOMINATIONS ARE ONE THING THAT DO NOT REQUIRE A SECOND. AND THEN THAT'S THE END OF, UM, MY ROBERT'S RULES OF, UH, OF ORDER THING. AND I LOVE TO, I LOVE TO END, UM, SLIDES WITH, UM, A JOKE OR SOMETHING. SO ANYWAY, UH, THE NEXT ONE IS ON, UM, THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT. ANY QUESTIONS WHERE WE'RE PULLING UP THAT? I THINK THAT LAST PHOTO WAS LIKE OLD ENVIRONMENTAL THE LAST DAY OF THE APARTMENT. YEAH, RIGHT. YEAH. WHILE HE'S BRINGING THAT UP, I'LL ALSO SAY SOMETIMES THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE WILL, UH, HAVE A TRAINING ON ROBERT'S RULES. THEY DID ONE EARLIER THIS YEAR, I THINK, UH, CHAIR KRUGER AND, UH, SECRETARY QURESHI, I WENT. AND, UM, THAT WAS VERY, VERY WELL DONE. SO IF YOU, IF THAT COMES UP AND YOU HAVE THE TIME, I WOULD RECOMMEND ATTENDING THOSE TRAININGS. YEAH. SO ANYWAY, NOW WITH TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, THIS IS ABOUT THE WAY MEETINGS ARE ADVERTISED AND THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, SO THE, UM, AGAIN, THERE'S A, UH, HANDBOOK ON THIS AT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S, UH, WEBSITE. AND THEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, HAS A, UM, MEET COA MEETING RULES, AGAIN, WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW OFF, HOW FAR IN ADVANCE YOU HAVE TO POST THINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT WAS ADOPTED FIRST IN 1967 AND WAS UPDATED IN 73 AND CODIFIED WITH SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE IN 1993. AND IT'S BEEN AMENDED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THIS ENACTMENT. IN FACT, UM, WHEN I FIRST MADE UP THE, THESE SLIDES, UM, A CHANGE HAS BEEN MADE, [02:20:01] WHICH, UM, NICOLE POINTED OUT TO ME. UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, YEAH, IT'S NOT ON THIS SLIDE. I GUESS SOME OF THE DETAILS ARE ABOUT THE QUORUM IN THE T TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT OR THE QUORUM REQUIREMENT, THE REQUIREMENT FOR MATURITY MAJORITY VOTE THAT THE MEETING HAS TO BE IN PUBLIC. UM, NOW WHEN, UM, ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS IS THAT, UH, CHANGES OCCURRED DURING COVID THAT YOU COULD BE NOT IN THE SAME PLACE. UM, AND YOU COULD DO, YOU COULD BE, UH, REMOTE DESKTOP INTO A MEETING, BUT, UM, I BELIEVE THE CHAIR HAS TO BE IN THE SAME, IT HAS TO BE, UH, PRESENT. UM, THE MEETINGS MUST BE PRE NOTICED. UM, YOU, THERE, YOU, WE WANNA MAKE ANY MISTAKES. IT'S ON THE SIDE OF OPEN GOVERNMENT. YOU CAN USE ROBERT'S RULES TO, UH, CONDUCT MEETINGS. UM, AND YOU CANNOT CONDUCT MEETINGS WITH PROCEDURES INCONSISTENT WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT. BUT THE POINT IS, YOU CAN WAIVER FROM ROBERT'S RULES THAT, THAT HAPPENED ON THE BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE THAT I WAS ON. THEY SAID, WELL, LET'S, LET'S, UM, RELAX ROBERT'S RULES AND ALLOW MORE OPEN DISCUSSION, BECAUSE WE HAD 22 MEMBERS THERE AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE. AND IT WAS PRETTY EASY JUST TO TALK AMONGST OURSELVES. UM, AND THEN WITH REGARD TO QUORUMS AND VOTING, UM, THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, UH, A QUORUM BE PRESENT IN ORDER TO CONDUCT A MEETING. AND A QUORUM IS MORE THAN 50% OF THE MEMBERS. SO WITH 11 MEMBERS, WE NEED SIX TO HAVE A MEETING. BUT, UM, IT SAYS ABSENCE AND EXPRESS PROVISION. TO THE CONTRARY, A PROPOSITION IS CARRIED IN A DELIBERATIVE BODY BY A MAJORITY OF THE LEGAL VOTES CAST A QUORUM BEING PRESENT. NOW THAT'S IN THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT. HOWEVER, IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S RULES IN CITY CODE CHAPTER TWO, ONE, IT'S A QUORUM. YOU MUST HAVE, IF YOU HAVE 11 MEMBERS AND ONLY SIX MEMBERS OF PRESENT, IT'S NOT A MAJORITY OF THOSE THAT DECIDE SOMETHING, SOMETHING IS DECIDED IF ALL SIX OF THEM AGREE. SO IT, IT'S NOT THE CASE THAT IT'S THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE QUORUM. IT'S THAT IT'S THE, IT'S THE, UH, QUORUM NUMBER IS REQUIRED TO PASS ANY MOTION IN, ON A CITY OF AUSTIN BOARD OF COMMISSION. SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT THAT YOU CAN HAVE. UM, WELL, THAT, UH, IF YOU HAD, IF YOU HAD EIGHT MEMBERS SHOW UP AND YOU HAD FIVE OF THOSE MEMBERS VOTE IN FAVOR OF SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE BINDING THE BODY IF YOU ALLOWED THAT, BUT YOU CAN'T, IT'S GOTTA BE SIX MEMBERS. I GOTCHA. BUT CITY, BOSTON, YEAH, WITH THE CITY OF BOSTON RULES. AND THEN THIS IS, THIS IS WHERE NICOLE HELPED ME OUT WITH, UM, A THING, UH, POSTING REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT. THINGS HAVE TO BE POSTED THREE BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE A SCHEDULED MEETING. NOW IT USED TO BE 72 HOURS, BUT THAT MEANT YOU COULD POST SOMETHING ON FRIDAY FOR A MONDAY MEETING. BUT SATURDAY AND SUNDAY ARE NOT BUSINESS DAYS. SO IT'S NOW CHANGED TO THREE BUSINESS DAYS. SO IF YOU'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING ON MONDAY, YOU GOTTA POST IT ON TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY, WHATEVER, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE THREE BUSINESS DAYS IN ADVANCE, NOT 72 HOURS. AND THE POSTING MUST BE ON A WEBSITE AND IN A HARD COPY PUBLIC SPACE, WHICH I GUESS I'M NOT SURE WHERE THEY DO THAT. I KNOW THEY DO IT IN CITY HALL, BUT, UM, IT'S, NOBODY EVER LOOKS AT THAT, I DON'T THINK. I THINK EVERYBODY NOW LOOKS AT A WEBSITE AND THAT THE POSTING MUST BE IN A, GIVE A GOOD IDEA ABOUT WHAT IS DISCUSSED. LIKE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, A CITY MANAGER REPORT ALONE WITHOUT LISTING TOPICS IS NOT SUFFICIENT. BUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE WE LISTED HERE ABOUT, UM, HISTORY OF AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTION ORDINANCES, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MORE DETAIL AND THAT'S WHAT WE SAW. SO THAT'S ANOTHER IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT. AND THEN, UH, FINALLY, THERE'S NO SNORING DURING MEETINGS, NO DIRTY JOKES, NO MEANNESS, NO CRYING BABIES, NO HAIR PULLING. SO ANYWAY, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. I MEAN, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS A ROUGH IDEA ABOUT THE RULES ABOUT CONDUCTING PUBLIC MEETINGS UNDER CITY RULES AND ROBERT'S RULES AND TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT. SO THAT'S ALL I GOT. THANK [02:25:01] YOU. COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN. ONE OTHER THING THAT I BELIEVE IS PART OF TOMA THAT ISN'T MENTIONED HERE AS A WALKING QUORUM. OH, YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT? WELL, DO YOU THINK THAT CAN COME UP? THE THING IS THAT YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, GO OUT IN THE HALLWAY AND CALL SOMEBODY AND ASK THEM WHO'S ON THE BOARD, WHO'S NOT HERE, AND THEN COME BACK IN AND SAY, SO, AND HARRIS WANTED US TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS. THE EVERYBODY HAS TO BE PRESENT IN ONE PLACE. YOU CAN'T LIKE CARRY A MEETING OUTSIDE AND THEN, UH, OR BEFORE THE MEETING, TALK TO THREE OTHER MEMBERS ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO OR TALK TO A QUORUM ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO. SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT ABOUT, UM, NOT BREAKING THE RULES OF A, YOU KNOW, HOLDING A MEETING OUTSIDE OF A PUBLIC, UH, SPACE AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S IN THE SAME ROOM UNDER AN OPEN MEETING MM-HMM . WHEN DETAILS ARE DISCUSSED. RIGHT. AND SO THAT'S WHY, UM, IF WE EVER WANNA SHARE SOMETHING WITH THE WHOLE GROUP, WE MESSAGE IT TO NICOLE, WHO THEN MESSAGES IT TO US. BECAUSE IF I SEND A MESSAGE TO YOU OR WE HAVE A CONVERSATION AND THEN LATER THAT SAME DAY YOU TALK TO MARTIN ABOUT IT, WHO THEN TALKS TO JUSTIN ABOUT IT, RIGHT? AND THEN TALKS TO ISABELLA ABOUT IT, WHO THEN TALKS TO RICK ABOUT IT, THAT'S A WALKING QUORUM. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. YEAH. EVEN THOUGH WE WEREN'T ALL IN THE SAME PLACE, WE ALL JUST DISCUSSED THE SAME ISSUE AND IT WASN'T ON THE RECORD. SO THAT IS WHAT'S CALLED A WALKING QUORUM. SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE OUTSIDE OF THIS ROOM AND MAKE MAKING SURE THAT IF WE'RE TALKING IT'S WITH A GROUP THAT'S SMALLER THAN SIX AND THAT ISN'T COMMUNICATED BEYOND, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE A BETRAYAL OF PUBLIC TRUST. SO IF WE EVER HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE WANNA SHARE WITH THE WHOLE GROUP, WE MESSAGE NICOLE WHO THEN MESSAGES US TO KIND OF PROTECT US FROM THAT VIOLATION. RIGHT. ONE, ONE OTHER THING I'D MENTION TOO IS THAT MY PRESENTATIONS ARE UP ON THE WEBSITE FOR THIS MEETING. AND SO THERE'S URLS THAT YOU CAN CLICK ON TO GET TO, UH, THE TEXAS OPEN MEETING ACT OR ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER OR OTHER, SOME OF THE OTHER HOT LENGTHS THAT I HAD IN THERE. AWESOME. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT BEFORE WE GO TO NICOLE FOR GENERAL? OH YEAH. VICE OL. YEAH. SO, UM, SO A COUPLE THINGS. UM, NICOLE, REMIND US ON THE POSTING, 'CAUSE THAT THAT HAS CHANGED WITHIN THE PAST SIX MONTHS OF WHAT THE TIMING AND THE DATE IS OF THAT NOW. YEAH, SO THE POSTING DATES ARE THREE BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE THE MEETING IS HELD. AND SO WE POST ON THE FOURTH BUSINESS DAY. UM, SO POSTING IS ON THURSDAYS FOR THIS WEDNESDAY MEETING, AND THEN, UM, IT DOESN'T APPLY TO CITY HOLIDAY. SO IF WE HAD A CITY HOLIDAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK OR THAT WOULD INTERFERE WITH POSTING, WE WOULD POST A DAY AHEAD OF THAT. AND, UM, YEAH, YEAH, BECAUSE WE ADOPT THE ANNUAL SCHEDULE, I WORK OUT ALL OF THE POSTING DEADLINES AND LOOK AT ALL THE CITY HOLIDAYS AND LIKE ARRANGE THAT. SO IT'S LIKE SET FOR THE, THE YEAR. YEAH. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND, AND BEFORE YOU CAME ON, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE MISSED A COUPLE OF THOSE DEADLINES AND BECAUSE ESPECIALLY IN JANUARY OR WHEN THERE'S SEVERAL HOLIDAYS THAT ARE ON A MONDAY, UM, AND UM, YOU KNOW, THAT CAUSED US TO HAVE SOME PROBLEMS. WE HAD TO SKIP A MEETING, WE HAD TO DO THINGS. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT PART IS REALLY IMPORTANT. UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE ARE THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE TO HAVE TO NICOLE, WHAT WE HAVE TO HAVE UPFRONT, I WILL ALSO SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, CHAIR KRUGER, MYSELF AND SECRETARY, UH, QURESHI AS WELL AS UM, LIZ AND NICOLE AND, AND SOMETIMES LESLIE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE MEET EVERY OTHER MONDAY, UM, TO ALSO LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE AND KIND OF GET THAT HASHED OUT, UM, SO THAT WE CAN ALSO GET ALL THAT BACKUP MATERIAL, UM, THERE IN TIME. SO THERE'S KIND OF A LOT OF, A LOT OF BACKGROUND WORK ALSO THAT HAPPENS PRIOR TO THE MEETINGS. UM, AND YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A BURNING THING THAT NEEDS TO GET ON THE AGENDA, YOU KNOW, YOU DO HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY TO SECOND THAT. UM, AND THAT CAN BE DONE. WE'VE DONE THAT A COUPLE TIMES. EMAIL, IT'S BETTER IF IT'S DONE WITHIN THE ROOM HERE. I JUST WANNA REMIND, REMIND PEOPLE OF SORT OF THAT PART OF THE PROCESS. GREAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THAT? OKAY, WITH THAT, LET'S GO TO NICOLE AND WELL, I HAVE ONE THING ABOUT THE CRYING BABIES PART. I DON'T REMEMBER READING THAT IN THE, UH, ROBERT RULES OF ORDER. I DON'T, HE DIDN'T NAME ANY NAMES, SO YOU KNOW, . YEAH, WELL YOU KNOW, I'VE READ ROBERT GO OF ORDERS. I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING CRYING BABIES IN THERE, BUT I WILL DEFER TO, UH, DAVE AS THE, UH, RESIDENT EXPERT . OKAY. NICOLE, UH, GENERAL, ANY ANY OTHER GENERAL COMMISSION PROCEDURES? UM, YEAH, I'D JUST LIKE TO GO OVER ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS. [02:30:01] UM, SO JUST A FRIENDLY REMINDER THAT A BOARD MEMBER AUTOMATICALLY VACATES THEIR POSITION IF THEY'RE ABSENT FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE REGULAR MEETINGS. SPECIAL CALLED MEETINGS DO NOT COUNT TOWARD ATTENDANCE VIOLATIONS. UM, OR ONE THIRD OF ALL REGULAR MEETINGS IN A ROLLING 12 MONTH TIMEFRAME. UM, SO YEAH, IF YOU HAVE ANY, IF YOU EVER HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON WHERE YOU STAND WITH ATTENDANCE, YOU CAN JUST SEND ME AN EMAIL. I CAN LET YOU KNOW. UM, BUT THEN ALSO WE DO SEND OUT THE ATTENDANCE SURVEY AND THAT IS, UM, NOT A RECORD OF YOUR ATTENDANCE, BUT IT LETS US KNOW, UM, IF WE'LL HAVE QUORUM FOR THE MEETING. SO THAT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL AND APPRECIATE WHEN YOU ALL FILL THAT OUT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, AND THEN ALSO JUST A, ANOTHER REMINDER THAT, UM, MEMBERS MUST BE PRESENT FOR 50% OF THE VOTES CAST, UM, AND IF THEY ARE NOT PRESENT FOR THOSE, UM, MEMBERS ARE COUNTED AS ABSENT AND THAT COULD COUNT AGAINST YOUR ATTENDANCE VIOLATION. SO JUST, UH, KEEP THAT IN MIND AND IF YOU'RE EVER ABSENT AND YOU'LL KNOW AHEAD OF TIME, YOU CAN ALWAYS SEND ME AN EMAIL THAT IS HELPFUL. UM, AND THEN, SO Y'ALL ARE, I'M, I THINK MOST OF Y'ALL ARE AWARE THAT THERE IS EXCUSED ABSENCES AND UNEXCUSED ABSENCES AND, UM, SO CITY CODE LAYS OUT THE EXCUSED ABSENCES AND THOSE ARE, UM, IF A MEMBER HAS ILLNESS OR INJURY OR THEIR FAMILY MEMBER, IMMEDIATE FAMILY HAS, UH, AN ILLNESS OR INJURY. UM, AND THEN EXCUSED ABSENCE FOR BIRTH OF ADO OR ADOPTION OF A BOARD MEMBER'S CHILD AND THEN 90 DAYS AFTER BIRTH, THE BIRTH OR ADOPTION OR FOR MILITARY SERVICE. UM, AND THEN WE COUNT ALL THE OTHER ABSENCES AS UNEXCUSED. UM, I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES Y'ALL, LIKE SOMETIMES PEOPLE HAVE VACATIONS AND THEY'RE GONE FOR A WHILE, SO, UM, I'M NOT REALLY SURE IF THAT'S LIKE, CAN BE WORKED OUT IN ANY WAY BECAUSE I KNOW SOME PEOPLE GO ON SABBATICALS. NO. OKAY, SO THE POINTING YOU MIGHT YEAH, GIVE A WAIVER. I'M NOT. YEAH, IF YOU EVER NEED A WAIVER FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE, YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER COULD GRANT YOU THAT. SO JUST WORK THAT OUT WITH THEM. UM, BUT YEAH, OTHERWISE, UM, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT FOR ATTENDANCE. IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT, I COULD ANSWER, TRY TO ANSWER THEM. I DO HAVE A QUESTION. UM, AT THE LAST MEETING I HAD TECHNICAL ISSUES AND I BELIEVE ANOTHER COMMISSION MEMBER DID AS WELL, UH, DUE TO FAULTS WITH THE TECHNOLOGY, UM, I WAS TRYING TO CONNECT AND IT WAS UNABLE TO PASS ME THROUGH. WE EVENTUALLY SOLVED THE PROBLEM, BUT UH, I MADE A GOOD FAITH EFFORT TO ATTEND. IF THIS, YOU KNOW, IF IT WOUND UP THAT I COULD NOT ATTEND BECAUSE OF A TECHNOLOGY ISSUE, WOULD THAT BE COUNTED AS A UNEXCUSED ABSENCE OR HOW IS THAT HANDLED? COMMISSIONER BRIMER, I THINK IF ANYBODY, IF I COULD GIVE AN AWARD FOR PERFI ATTENDANCE, IT WOULD BE TO YOU. SO, UM, , I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S, ANYBODY'S REALLY SUPER WORRIED ABOUT YOU IN PARTICULAR, UM, ON THAT. YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE, WE SEE YOUR FACE AND WE KNOW YOU'RE HERE AND THAT WAS LAST MEETING WAS, WAS PRETTY DIFFICULT, UH, ALL THE WAY AROUND. YEAH, YEAH. WE, WE COUNTED YOU AS PRESENT IN THAT CASE, SO, OKAY. IT WAS OUR FAULT. NO PROBLEM. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE RULES ARE FOR THE WHOLE THING. SURE. AND I JUST WANTED TO RECAP JUST SO PEOPLE HAVE CLARITY. SO IF YOU MISS THREE CONSECUTIVE MEETINGS, SO THAT WOULD BE FIRST MEETING, NEXT MEETING TWO WEEKS LATER, NEXT MEETING, TWO WEEKS, LA TWO WEEKS AFTER THAT. SO THREE MEETINGS WITHIN SIX WEEKS, IT AUTOMATICALLY VACATES YOUR SEAT. SO THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO AT THAT POINT. YOU ARE, YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY REMOVED FROM, FROM YOUR SEAT. SIMILARLY, WE HAVE ROUGHLY 24 MEETINGS A YEAR, TWO PER MONTH. IF YOU MISS A THIRD OR MORE OF THOSE, YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY VACATING YOUR SEAT. SO THAT'S EIGHT OR MORE MEETINGS IN A SINGLE CALENDAR YEAR. BUT IF ANY OF THOSE EIGHT ARE THREE CONSECUTIVE, WHICH IT WOULD BE PROBABLY LIKELY WITH THE VOLUME OF MEETINGS WE HAVE, THEN AGAIN THAT WOULD BE AN AUTOMATIC VACATION OF, OF THE SEAT. SO, UM, NICOLE'S GREAT ABOUT KIND OF KEEPING ON TOP OF THAT AND SENDING OUT REMINDERS TO FOLKS SO WE DON'T HAVE PEOPLE GET CLOSE TO THAT. UM, BUT ANYWAY, JUST WANTED TO, TO CONCRETIZE THAT FOR PEOPLE AND I SEE YOU GUYS TALKING. OKAY. WELL THANK YOU. YEAH, I APPRECIATE IT. GO AHEAD NICOLE. ANYTHING ELSE? UM, YEAH AND THEN JUST VERY GENERAL STUFF. UM, ATTENDANCE SHEETS ARE PROVIDED IN, UH, [02:35:01] FOR WHEN YOU'RE IN PERSON, JUST SIGN THAT. AND THEN IF YOU DO ATTEND REMOTELY, UM, I SEND THE ATTENDANCE SHEET, UM, IN THE MEETING INFORMATION EMAIL. SO IF YOU DO ATTEND REMOTELY, FILL THAT OUT, SEND IT TO ME BEFORE THE MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER. UM, IF YOU DON'T WANNA FILL OUT THE SHEET AND SIGN IT AND SEND IT BACK, YOU CAN JUST EMAIL ME WITH THAT. YOU ARE ATTENDING THE MEETING REMOTELY AND WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, I NEED THOSE TWO PIECES OF INFORMATION TO COUNT AS LIKE AN ATTENDANCE FORM. UM, AND THEN I THINK THAT'S REALLY, OH, I HAD A QUESTION FOR Y'ALL. UM, DO Y'ALL FILL OUT SFI EVERY YEAR? OKAY. UM, . YEAH, I WAS JUST CURIOUS OF THAT. 'CAUSE I WAS JUST READING THAT SOME OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT, THE COMMISSIONS THAT LOOK OVER LAND DEVELOPMENT, UM, FILL OUT THE SFI, WHICH I DIDN'T KNOW, SO JUST WANTED TO ASK, BUT OKAY. FINANCIAL INFORMATION. MM-HMM . YEAH. YEAH, IT'S ANNUAL. UM, YEAH, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THE, THE RECUSAL PIECE 'CAUSE IT, YOU KNOW, CAME UP ONCE THIS YEAR, BUT WE DIDN'T DO A GOOD ENOUGH JOB OF LIKE COMMUNICATING AHEAD OF TIME WHAT THAT CAN LOOK LIKE. AND UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE IN FRONT OF ME OF WHAT LIKE CONSTITUTES A RECUSAL. BUT, UM, I KNOW WE PREVIOUSLY HAD A, A COMMISSION MEMBER WHO, UM, WORKED FOR THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY, WHICH RECEIVES CITY FUNDING. AND SO PERIODICALLY THERE WOULD BE ISSUES THAT WOULD COME BEFORE US DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE TRAILS THAT THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY WAS WORKING ON. SO WHEN THOSE ITEMS CAME BEFORE US, SHE WOULD EXIT THE ROOM, JUST BE ABSENT FOR THAT ITEM, NOT VOTE ON IT. AND AS SOON AS THAT ITEM WAS DONE, SHE WOULD COME BACK INTO THE ROOM. AND THAT'S THE CONVENTION THAT I'VE SEEN ON OTHER COMMISSIONS AS WELL. SO IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO BE ABSENT FROM THE ENTIRE MEETING. UM, BUT THE IDEA IS JUST TO HAVE THE MOST HONEST AND OPEN DISCUSSION FOR EVERYONE THAT IF THAT PERSON, YOU KNOW, ISN'T IN THE ROOM, PEOPLE CAN FEEL MORE FREE TO SAY, X, Y, Z ABOUT THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY IN THIS EXAMPLE, VERSUS IF SHE'S JUST EVEN SITTING THERE QUIETLY. SO IT'S JUST TO TRY AND MAINTAIN A MORE DEMOCRATIC AND, AND FAIR PROCESS. BUT NICOLE, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER, UM, SPECIFIC LANGUAGE AROUND SORT OF WHAT MERITS, UM, RECUSAL ON AN ITEM? UM, I DON'T, UM, I KNOW IT'S LAID OUT LIKE ON THE ATTENDANCE SHEET, UM, IN DETAIL, AND THEN I, I COULD PROVIDE, UM, LIKE A LINK TO THE CITY CODE ABOUT THAT. UM, BUT ALSO IF YOU, AFTER THE FACT, LIKE REALIZE THAT YOU DO HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, JUST MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOTED ON THE ATTENDANCE SHEET BECAUSE THAT IS A, A RECORD THAT WE KEEP. AND, UM, I HAVE HAD, UM, PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS ON THOSE RECORDS BEFORE, NOT LIKE FOR THIS COMMISSION, BUT JUST IN GENERAL. SO JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S ACCURATE. AND IT'S TYPICALLY RELATED TO A PERSONAL FINANCIAL STAKE IN SOMETHING LIKE IF YOU IN ANY WAY HAVE A FINANCIAL STAKE IN THE OUTCOME OF THIS VOTE, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, THAT'S GROUNDS FOR RECUSAL. BUT ANY KIND OF PERSONAL BENEFIT TO YOU OR YOUR SPOUSE, UM, OR ANOTHER FAMILY MEMBER WOULD BE CONSIDERED GROUNDS FOR RECUSAL. YEAH. AND IT, IT, IT'S NOT JUST, UH, SO IT, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT IT RIGHT NOW. SO FINANCIAL, OCCUPATIONAL, PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS AND IT, IT, IT COULD ALSO JUST BE THE APPEARANCE OF THAT. THAT IS ALSO SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY DISCUSSED. SO, YOU KNOW, IN THE CASE YOU MENTIONED BEFORE, SOME OF THAT MAY HAVE BEEN THE APPEARANCE OF A CONFLICT OR, YOU KNOW, SO OUT, OUT OF, OUT OF A, AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, YOU WANT TO BE, UM, YOU WANT TO RECUSE YOURSELF. IF ANYONE, IF YOU, IF YOU THINK THAT SOMEONE MAY THINK THAT YOU HAVE A, A RECUSAL, YOU SHOULD, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S A GOOD SIGN THAT YOU, YOU SHOULD, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IF YOU VOTE ON SOMETHING, THEN PEOPLE DON'T TRUST THE, THE INTEGRITY OF THE VOTE BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T RECUSE YOURSELF THEN THAT, YOU KNOW, UNDER, YOU KNOW, UNDERMINES THE PROCESS. SO. GREAT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR CON YEAH, . I JUST WANNA POINT OUT, IF YOU RECUSE YOURSELF, YOU DO HAVE TO RETURN, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO COME BACK. WELL, I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TO, LIKE AT ANY MEETING YOU CAN ANY TIME OR YOU CAN LEAVE THE MEETING, JUST TAKE OFF. YEAH. I MEAN, IF IT'S THE LAST ITEM, YOU CAN JUST LEAVE. BUT IF YOU NEED TO COME BACK FOR 50% OF YOUR VOTES, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU HAVE TO COME BACK DEPENDING ON WHERE IT IS IN THE, UH, AGENDA. ALRIGHT, GREAT. UH, NICOLE, ANY OTHER NOTES FOR US? UM, NO, I THINK THAT'S IT FROM ME, SO. OKAY. YEAH. THANK YOU. GREAT. I HAVE ONE THING THAT I, THAT I DO WANNA, UM, KIND OF A PROCEDURAL THING THAT WE CHANGED BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO AT ONE MEETING, UM, WHICH WAS, UM, THAT NICOLE WOULD READ OUT WHEN WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT. AND, UM, WHICH HAS BEEN GREAT, BY THE WAY. I'M JUST GONNA GO AHEAD AND SAY, 'CAUSE I TEND TO BUTCHER THE NAMES REALLY BAD, BUT IT IS [02:40:01] OUR MEETING AND, AND IT SHOULD BE LED BY US. AND SO I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WE NEED TO, WHETHER IT'S VICE CHAIR OR SECRETARY, YOU KNOW, HAS THAT PROCESS, IT'S TOO MUCH TO PUT IT ON ONE PERSON. LIKE IF IT'S JUST THE CHAIR THAT'S HERE, OR, OR ONE OF THE OFFICERS THAT ARE HERE, YOU KNOW, THEN IT COULD GO BACK TO NICOLE OR IT COULD BE ANOTHER MEMBER, UM, OF, UH, THE COMMISSION. SO, BUT I, I THINK JUST TO, YOU KNOW, THE PERCEPTION OF THIS IS OUR MEETING AND THIS IS US RUNNING IT. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THAT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO LET'S GO ON [5. Discussion of public comment process. ] TO NUMBER FIVE, DISCUSSION OF PUBLIC COMMENT PROCESS. UM, SO WE'VE HAD SOME WELL ATTENDED MEETINGS LATELY, WHICH IS EXCITING. UM, AND IT HAS ALSO, UM, YEAH, BROUGHT UP, BROUGHT UP QUESTIONS AROUND WHAT IS OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PROCESS. UM, SO MOST OTHER COMMISSIONS THAT WE ARE AWARE OF DON'T HAVE SPECIFIC GUIDELINES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. UM, BUT OUR CONVENTION ON THIS COMMISSION HAS BEEN THAT PUBLIC COMMENT IS THREE MINUTES LONG, WHICH IS STANDARD ACROSS MOST COMMISSIONS. UM, THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN AT THE LAST COUPLE OF MEETINGS WHERE WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF PUBLIC COMMENTARIES HAVE HEARD ME REDUCE THAT SPEAKING TIME TO TWO MINUTES, JUST IN THE INTEREST OF GETTING US ALL OUT OF HERE BY 10 O'CLOCK. UM, SO RIGHT NOW THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THE CHAIR'S DISCRETION. UM, BUT WE DID, LIKE, ONE INSTANCE THAT CAME UP WAS, UH, THERE WAS SOMEONE WHO INTENDED TO BE HERE IN PERSON, BUT THEN WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT. AND THEY EMAILED NICOLE SAYING, CAN I DONATE MY TIME TO SOMEONE WHO IS HERE IN PERSON? AND WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THAT WRITTEN OUT IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ACCEPT AS A COMMISSION OR NOT. UM, SO THAT'S A QUESTION I THINK FOR US TO THINK ABOUT. UM, NICOLE LOOKED UP FOR ME, UM, WHAT SOME OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONS DO. AND LET ME JUST PULL UP HERE. I, I DO WANNA POINT OUT IT IS IN OUR BYLAWS, OH, GO AHEAD. BECAUSE I JUST READ UP. PLEASE DO. OKAY. UM, GREAT. YEAH. UH, AND, UH, THIS IS UNDER ARTICLE SEVEN, UH, THE MEETINGS. AND IT SAYS THE CHAIR SHALL ALLOW, UH, A SPEAKER TO SPEAK FOR NO LESS THAN TWO MINUTES PER AGENDA ITEM. AND FOR THREE MINUTES ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS. SO WE HAVE IT IN OUR BYLAWS. YEP. OH, THANK YOU. NO, THAT'S HELPFUL. SEE, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I REVIEWED THEM TOO. UM, I, ALRIGHT, I THINK THIS IS THE, UM, LET'S SEE, PAGE THREE. OKAY, THIS IS FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION. UM, SO THEY HAVE SPEAKER TIME ALLOCATION, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMUNICATION. THE COMMISSION SHALL ALLOW UP TO FOUR CITIZENS TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION ON MATTERS, NOT ON THE AGENDA DURING THE PERIOD OF TIME. SET ASIDE FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, SPEAKERS REGISTERED TO SPEAK DURING GENERAL PUBLIC COMMUNICATION WILL BE ALLOWED THREE MINUTES. EACH SPEAKER DONATION OF TIME IS NOT PERMITTED FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMUNICATION ITEMS. UM, AND THEN FOR DISCUSSION ACTION ITEMS, SPEAKER DONATION OF TIME IS AN AVAILABLE OPTION FOR IN-PERSON PARTICIPANTS, BOTH THE REGISTERED SPEAKER DONATING TIME AND THE SPEAKER RECIPIENT MUST BE PRESENT WHEN THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CONDUCTED. A SPEAKER MAY RECEIVE A MAXIMUM OF FOUR ADDITIONAL MINUTES OF DONATED TIME, UM, AND THEN ZONING. NOPE, THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT TAB. OKAY. UM, YEAH, THIS IS ZONING AND PLATTING. SO, SO, UH, FOR THEM, UNDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION SAYS AFTER THE MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER UP TO 10 SPEAKERS FROM THE PUBLIC WILL BE ALLOWED THREE MINUTES EACH TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION ON MATTERS, NOT ON THE AGENDA. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AT THE START OF OUR AGENDA, WE HAVE THE, THE SPACE FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMUNICATION. RIGHT NOW, AS FAR AS I'M AWARE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY LIMITS ON THAT. WE HAVEN'T REALLY NEEDED TO. UM, PLANNING COMMISSION ALLOWS UP TO FOUR PEOPLE FOR THAT ZONING AND PLANNING ALLOWS UP TO 10 PEOPLE FOR THAT. UM, BUT I REALLY JUST WANNA OPEN THE DISCUSSION TO ALL OF US BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE CLARITY TO PEOPLE WHEN THEY COME HERE SO THEY CAN KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. SO JUST WANNA OPEN THE FLOOR TO YOU ALL. DO YOU HAVE STRONG PREFERENCES ON, FOR EXAMPLE, HOW MANY PEOPLE WE WOULD ALLOW TO GIVE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT? OR HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN DONATE TIME TO A SINGLE SPEAKER? SO IF WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER WHO IS COMING UP ON AN AGENDA ITEM, CAN THREE PEOPLE DONATE TIME? CAN FIVE PEOPLE DONATE TIME? CAN SIX PEOPLE DONATE TIME? UM, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? SO JUST YEAH, WANT THIS TO BE A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS, SEE WHAT FEELINGS ARE OUT THERE. I HAVE AN EXTREMELY STRONG OPINION ON THIS. OKAY. NOT THAT I EVER HAVE A STRONG OPINION ON ANYTHING. UM, I THINK THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS KIND OF A, UH, BAD DATA POINT BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF ITEMS THEY ADDRESS FOR MEETING IS VERY LARGE. AND I THINK, AND, AND DAVE HAS SERVED ON THE COMMISSION, SO HE [02:45:01] PROBABLY HAS A BETTER PERSPECTIVE THAN I DO, BUT I'VE ATTENDED A COUPLE OF THEIR MEETINGS FOR DIFFERENT REASONS, AND THEY COVER A LOT OF TERRITORY, AND THEY HAVE TO RESTRICT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT SPEAK IN ORDER TO GET ALL THEIR ITEMS ADDRESSED IN A TIMELY MANNER. WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY ITEMS TO ADDRESS IN OUR MEETINGS. I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT IT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE. I THINK THAT PERSONALLY WE DON'T GET AS MUCH PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AS WE SHOULD, AND WE SHOULD DRIVE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION TO THE MAXIMUM. UH, I THINK THAT, UH, PERHAPS DONATING TIME PAST 10 MINUTES IS PROBABLY NOT A GOOD IDEA. BUT I THINK WE SHOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SPEAK AND ATTEND, YOU KNOW, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, SIMPLY BECAUSE MY PHILOSOPHY IS THAT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD DRIVE AND ENCOURAGE AND NOT DISCOURAGE. SO THAT'S KIND OF MY PHILOSOPHY ON THE ENTIRE THING. UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN DOING SOME RESEARCH ON FOR A DIFFERENT REASON, UH, ON THINGS. IF YOU GO BACK TO THE ZUCK PARK VISION PLAN, WE WERE IN SESSION UNTIL MIDNIGHT LISTENING TO PEOPLE PROVIDE INPUT ON THAT TYPE OF THING. AND I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD DISCOURAGE THAT. I DON'T THINK I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH LIMITING IT TO TWO MINUTES AS OPPOSED TO THREE MINUTES. BUT I THINK THERE'S ALSO AN ADVANTAGE TO ALLOWING A MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO PROVIDE THEIR INPUT. I THINK THAT COUNCIL SOMETIMES LIMITS PEOPLE TO A MINUTE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND THEIR OPINIONS, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC'S ABILITY TO PROVIDE INPUT TO COUNCIL IS UNJUSTLY LIMITED. I THINK THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION SHOULD BE A FORUM BY WHICH PEOPLE ARE GIVEN AN ADEQUATE VENUE TO STATE THEIR OPINIONS ON WHATEVER THE TOPIC IS. BUT THAT'S MY PERSPECTIVE ON THINGS. THANK YOU. YEAH, I DO THINK IT'S, IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT ALTHOUGH WE'VE HAD SOME WELL-ATTENDED MEETINGS RECENTLY, WHICH IS GREAT, AND I'D LOVE TO SEE MORE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. UM, IT, IT'S NOT AS TYPICAL AS IT IS AT PLANNING COMMISSION, WHICH IS WHY THEY DO HAVE MORE RIGOROUS RULES AROUND THIS. SO I AGREE. IT'S, IT'S NOT A DIRECT COROLLARY, BUT JUST HELPFUL. SO ANY OTHER THOUGHTS AROUND THIS? YEAH, COMMISSIONER MORRISON, I WOULD BE, UM, I MEAN, I VERY MUCH AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER BRIER ON DOING YEAH. JUST ARRANGING THINGS SO THAT WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE AND SHARE THE THOUGHTS. BUT I THINK THAT, UM, IF WE ARE GOING TO IMPOSE TIME LIMITS ON THE PUBLIC WHEN THEY COME TO SPEAK, WE SHOULD IMPOSE THE TIME LIMITS ON OURSELVES AS WELL. UM, DOESN'T NECESSARILY, DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE ONE TO ONE, BUT I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF HAVING A DISCUSSION AROUND WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE TO YEAH. THINK ABOUT WHAT MIGHT BE REASONABLE TO, UM, YEAH, FOR OUR OWN SPEAKING LIMITS AS WELL, ESPECIALLY ON LIKE LONG DAYS OR WHEN WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, 20 OR 30 PEOPLE SHOW UP TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS. YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD NOTE. AND MAYBE THE PERSON WITH THE BYLAWS HAS THIS UP, UM, BUT I THINK IT'S WRITTEN SOMEWHERE IN CITY CODE THAT QUOTE UNQUOTE, YOU SHALL NOT LIMIT ANY COMMISSIONER'S SPEAKING TIME. IS THAT CORRECT? UM, , UM, THAT BEING SAID, I MEAN, I, I FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT HOW WE ARE AS A BODY, AND I KNOW A COUPLE OF TIMES I'VE ASKED FOLKS LIKE, LET'S JUST STICK TO ONE QUESTION FOR NOW. AND EVERYONE HAS AD ADHERED TO THAT. SO, UM, AND THIS HAS COME UP DEFINITELY BEFORE AND, UM, PRIOR TO ANYBODY HERE ON THE COMMISSION TODAY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE, IN THE PAST WE'VE HAD SOME COMMISSIONERS THAT WERE, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY RAMBLED, THEY, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY WERE LONG-WINDED. I'LL JUST GO AND SAY IT. AND, UM, AND WE, WE DISCUSS, UH, AT ONE OF OUR RETREATS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AND, UM, AND, AND EVEN THOUGH I WAS PROBABLY THE PERSON DRAGGING MY FINGERNAILS ACROSS, YOU KNOW, THE TABLE THE MOST, UM, YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS OUR TIME TO DISCUSS DEBATE, YOU KNOW, HAVE, HAVE THIS KIND OF ROBUST DISCUSSION. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN THROUGH THE COMMISSIONERS. UM, I ALSO THINK [02:50:01] IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALLOW, YOU KNOW, THE, I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER BRIMER, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC, UH, TO COME AND HAVE A TRUSTED SPACE WHERE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, VOCALIZE WHAT THEY'RE THINKING AND, UM, AND HAVE THAT BE, YOU KNOW, UH, RECEIVED FOR GOOD OR BAD. UM, AND SO, YEAH, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S DIFFICULT. UM, I WOULD HATE TO SQUANDER THE DISCUSSION AND THE ROBUSTNESS OF THE DISCUSSION AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, YOU CHAIR, UM, AND ANY CHAIR THAT SITS IN IN THAT SEAT, YOU KNOW, HAS THE DISCRETION TO SAY, HEY, WE'VE GOT A LOT ON OUR AGENDA TODAY AND WE'RE GONNA LIMIT TO, TO ONE QUESTION. AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER PERRY, UM, WHO WAS BEFORE ME, UM, YOU KNOW, WOULD SEND OUT AN EMAIL AND SAY, HEY, LOOK, WE'VE GOT A LOT TO, TO DO ON THIS ONE. PLEASE COME PREPARED WITH YOUR QUESTION, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND REALLY KIND OF THINK THAT OUT BEFORE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GETTING HERE AND GETTING IN THE PRESENTATION. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST REALLY WANNA REITERATE THAT, THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN DO, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE MEETING AND PRIOR TO THE MEETING. AND I THINK TO COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN'S POINT FROM THE ROBERTS RULES OF ORDERS, LIKE THIS IS ALSO JUST A PRINCIPLE THAT I SHARE WHERE IT'S NO ONE SPEAKS TWICE BEFORE EVERYONE'S SPOKEN ONCE. AND I THINK SOMETIMES IF WE EACH START WITH ONE OR TWO QUESTIONS, BY THE TIME IT GETS ROUND TO US, WE'LL FIND, OH YEAH, I WAS GONNA ASK THAT QUESTION AND SOMEONE ELSE ASKED IT. SO JUST 'CAUSE YOU'RE THE FIRST PERSON DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO ASK ALL THE QUESTIONS UP FRONT. SO JUST A SENSE OF TRUST THAT THE QUESTION WILL BE ASKED, AND THEN I'LL ALWAYS RETURN AT THE END. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS? SO SOMETHING THAT YOU REALLY WANTED TO KNOW WASN'T ASKED, YOU'LL HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE. UM, BUT I, I MEAN, I APPRECIATE THE NOTE BECAUSE IF WE'RE LIMITING THE PUBLIC'S SPEAKING TIME, WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF OUR OWN. SO THAT'S, THAT'S NOTED FOR SURE. UM, SO, SO I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING THOUGH IS, UM, IF WE'RE GONNA GONNA UPDATE OUR BYLAWS ANYWAY, THAT MAYBE THERE NEEDS TO BE AN UPDATE FOR THE DONATION OF TIME. THAT, THAT NEEDS TO BE, THOSE PEOPLE NEED TO BE PRESENT AND THAT IT CANNOT HAPPEN VIA EMAIL. IS THAT I'M SEEING NED'S OKAY. I THINK, YEAH, I THINK I'D AGREE WITH THAT. OKAY. UM, I ALSO AGREE, I THINK WITH THE DONATED TIME SHALL NOT EXCEED 10 MINUTES AND I'M GLAD THAT IT ALREADY EXISTS IN OUR BYLAWS. A MINIMUM OF TWO MINUTES, MAXIMUM OF THREE MINUTES. MM-HMM . SO THEN IF, IF THE SPEAKING TIME IS AT THREE MINUTES, YOU CAN GET DONATED TIME FROM I GUESS TWO OTHER PEOPLE TO GET UP TO NINE MINUTES. AND THEN IF WE'RE AT TWO MINUTES, YOU CAN GET DONATED TIME FROM UP TO FOUR PEOPLE FOR MAXIMUM OF, OF 10 MINUTES. THEN WHY DON'T WE JUST MAKE NINE THE LOUDEST INSTEAD OF 10? BECAUSE 'CAUSE IT WOULD BE NINE. YEAH, IT WOULD BE NINE IF WE'RE AT THE THREE MINUTES. BUT THEN THAT WOULD, UM, LIMIT SOMEONE TO EIGHT MINUTES IF WE'RE AT THE TWO MINUTE SPEAKING TIME. SO WHY DON'T WE JUST DO A DONATION OF TWO, TWO ALLOTMENTS, 2, 4, 6 OR THREE. THAT WOULD BE, I SEE, I SEE , I SEE. I THINK NOT TO EXCEED 10 MINUTES. OKAY. THAT WORKS FOR ME. BUT WHAT DO OTHER PEOPLE THINK? DONATION. WELL, AND THERE COULD BE SOMEBODY WANTS TO DONATE, LIKE MAYBE THEY HAVE THREE MINUTES OR SOMETHING AND THEY WANNA DONATE ONE MINUTE AND THEY NEED TWO. YEAH. WHICH, YEAH, I TRIED TO REMIND PEOPLE AT, AT THAT LAST MEETING, LIKE, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE ENTIRETY OF YOUR TIME. YOU CAN GET UP AND YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS LEFT AND DONATE THE REMAINDER TO SOMEONE. UM, OKAY. YEAH. PARDON ME, I SHOULD, I SHOULD, YEAH. I HAVE A THOUGHT FOR, UM, THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS. I FEEL LIKE THE, I DON'T KNOW, MY PRIMARY CONCERN WAS LIKE AT ONE OF THE MEETINGS WE HAD A LOT OF, UM, PUBLIC COMMENTARY AND THE PERSON, UH, GIVING THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS JUST KIND OF LIKE VOLUNTEERING THEIR TIME TO BE HERE SEEMED LIKE THEY DIDN'T WANNA COME BACK AND HAVE MORE QUESTIONS. AND THEY ALSO JUST LIKE, TOTALLY FAIR, BUT LIKE, I COULD TELL THAT THEY LIKE WANTED TO GO HOME. UM, SO WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR US TO KIND OF SAY LIKE, PERHAPS SOMETHING LIKE THE FIRST 15 SPEAKERS OR THE FIRST 45 MINUTES OF PUBLIC COMMENTARY WILL BE ABLE TO ASK THE PRESENTER QUESTIONS, BUT THAT WAY WE CAN LET THE PRESENTER GO HOME AT SOME POINT, OR LIKE AT AN EXPECTED POINT SINCE I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE HERE. LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE MANDATED TO BE HERE OR IF THEY'RE JUST VOLUNTEERING THEIR TIME. SO NO PUBLIC COMMENTERS CAN DIRECTLY POSE QUESTIONS TO A PRESENTER. ONLY WE CAN. OKAY. SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE LIKE PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST. WELL, UM, SO WE HAVE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING THAT CAN BE ABOUT ANY ITEM, [02:55:01] NOT ON THE AGENDA. UM, AND THEN IF WE'RE TAKING UP A SPECIFIC ITEM, WE'LL TYPICALLY DO WHATEVER PRESENTATION. MAYBE IT'S APPLICANT PRESENTATION, STAFF PRESENTATION, SO EVERYONE HAS THE INFORMATION, THEN WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE GO TO COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS. UM, AND NO, I MEAN, ANYONE CAN LEAVE THE MEETING AT ANY TIME, BUT OF COURSE, LIKE WE ARE HERE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND ENGAGE. BUT I WILL SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, AT THE LAST COUPLE OF MEETINGS THAT HAVE THAT WHERE WE'VE ANTICIPATED HIGHER ATTENDANCES, WE'VE TRIED TO CRAFT THE AGENDA IN AN ORDER SO THAT, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, WAS IT THE LAST MEETING WHERE WE HAD THE PRESENTATION ON LIKE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND SOMETHING ELSE? WE PUT THAT UP FRONT MM-HMM . SO THE CITY STAFF ISN'T WAITING UNTIL 10:00 PM AND WE ARE ALL SO TIRED AND THEN THEY'RE GIVING PRESENTATIONS. SO THERE IS THOUGHT THAT GOES INTO THE AGENDA ORDER TO TRY AND LIKE RESPECT EVERYONE'S TIME. I WILL SAY THAT, BUT UM, IN TERMS OF, YEAH, PUBLIC COMMENTERS DON'T ASK QUESTIONS DIRECTLY TO PRESENTERS. WE DO, AND THEY DO STAY AROUND FOR US TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS, WHICH MEANS THEY HAVE TO SIT THROUGH ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENTERS. YEP. YEAH. I, YEAH. AND IN AND IN GENERAL, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE PEOPLE ARE PAID, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE AN APPLICANT, THEY'RE PAID STAFF RIGHT. TO OKAY. PRESENT IT. YEAH. YEAH. I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT VOLUNTEERING TO BE HERE. OKAY. I COULDN'T TELL THE PUBLIC IS IS DEFINITELY VOLUNTEERING TO BE HERE. YES. I COULDN'T TELL OFF OF ONE OF, UH, THEIR LIKE REACTIONS. IT, IT WAS LIKE AN APPLICANT OR SOMETHING, AND THEY JUST DID NOT WANNA COME BACK. SO I WAS LIKE, OH, MAYBE THEY'RE LIKE VOLUNTEERING THEIR, THEIR TIME TO BE HERE OR SOMETHING. NO. YEAH. THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF LIKE, SO THE, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS, UH, BUT GOOD TO KNOW, THERE WAS A, THE, THE, UM, THE MOPAC EXPANSION, SO THEY WERE NOT REQUIRED TO BE HERE. OKAY. THEY, THEY ARE NOT A CITY AGENCY, IT'S A STATE AGENCY OR ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, UH, QUASI STATE AGENCY. OKAY. ASSOCIATED WITH TDOT, YOU KNOW, SO THEY, THEY DO NOT HAVE TO FOLLOW OUR RULES. THEY WERE HERE BECAUSE WE, THEY WERE ASKED AND, UM, SAID THAT THEY WOULD BE HERE. SO, OKAY. THAT, THAT IS ONE OF THOSE CASES WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD, YOU ASKED HER TO COME BACK AND SHE WAS LIKE, NO, THANKS, YOU KNOW? TOTALLY. YEAH. OKAY. I JUST WASN'T SURE IF THEY WERE ALWAYS LIKE VOLUNTEERING OR IF IT WAS LIKE, SOMETIMES I'LL ALSO SAY SOMETIMES, UM, THERE ARE REQUESTS FOR PRESENTATIONS OF CITY STAFF, UM, AND STAFF ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL TRY TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE REQUESTS, BUT MAY NOT ALWAYS BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE REQUESTS. AND SO IF THEY ARE HERE, YOU KNOW, UH, AND YOU ASK THEM TO COME BACK, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY OR MAY NOT, BUT THEY MAY NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT WITH THEIR LEADERSHIP TO SEE LIKE, DOES IT MAKE SENSE? YOU KNOW, CAN THEY ACCOMMODATE THAT REQUEST? AND SO SOMETIMES THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE REQUESTS OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS. UM, WE DO GET A LOT OF THOSE FOLKS COME IN, YOU KNOW, MOST OF MOST FOLKS ARE REALLY EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT THEIR PROGRAMS AND IT'S, IT'S AND SUCH, BUT SOMETIMES IT'S NOT REALLY POSSIBLE OR THERE'S NOT A REAL STAFF PERSON WHO CAN PROVIDE THAT, THAT, UM, YEAH, THE INFORMATION, LIKE, IT'S JUST NOT, UH, A RESOURCE THAT WE HAVE. SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO TRY TO ACCOMMODATE IT, BUT IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT. HOWEVER, IF THEY ARE HERE, THEY'RE NOT VOLUNTEERS THERE CITY STAFF, SO THEY CAN, OKAY, GOTCHA. YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. SO TO RECAP, WHAT I'VE HEARD IS WE ALREADY HAVE IN OUR BYLAWS THAT PUBLIC COMMENTERS WILL HAVE A MINIMUM OF TWO MINUTES, MAXIMUM OF THREE MINUTES EACH. WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT AMENDING IS, UM, PUTTING A MAXIMUM ON THE DONATED TIME NOT TO EXCEED 10 MINUTES TOTAL. AND PEOPLE WHO ARE DONATING TIME MUST BE PRESENT IN PERSON. I'M PERSONALLY FINE WITH PEOPLE DONATING TIME FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT AS WELL AS ON SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS. BUT DO YOU ALL HAVE ANY FEELINGS ON THAT NEED TO APPLY PARAMETERS? BECAUSE I KNOW SOME OTHER COMMISSIONS HAVE, OKAY, SO I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO THEN DELINEATE THAT THAT'S JUST ALL PUBLIC COMMENT. I DO HAVE, I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION. YES. UM, ARE WE ALLOWED, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. I'M TALKING ABOUT WHEN SOMEONE IS MAKING A COMMENT ABOUT A SPECIFIC ITEM THAT IS ON THE AGENDA, ARE WE ALLOWED TO ASK A QUESTION OF THE PERSON WHO IS MAKING THE COMMENT? SO LET'S SAY MM-HMM . YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING AN APPLICANT TALKING ABOUT A PUD WHATEVER. AND SO SOMEONE COMES UP AND ADDRESSES, YOU KNOW, THEIR OPINION ABOUT THAT. ARE WE ALLOWED TO ASK THE PERSON MAKING THE COMMENT A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE SAYING TO CLARIFY WHATEVER IT IS THEY'RE SAYING? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. 'CAUSE IN MY EXPERIENCE AND MY UNDERSTANDING, NO. HOWEVER, [03:00:01] I WENT TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION LAST NIGHT TO GIVE PUBLIC COMMENT, WENT TO STAND UP AND THEY SAID, OH NO, SORRY, THERE'S A COMMISSIONER WHO HAS A QUESTION. SO THEN I SAT BACK DOWN, I WAS LIKE, OH, OKAY. UM, THEY ASKED A QUESTION, I STOOD UP AGAIN AND THEY'RE LIKE, NO, NO, NO, SOMEONE ELSE HAS ANOTHER QUESTION. SO ON THEIR COMMISSION, THEY DO ALLOW BACK AND FORTH, UM, QUESTIONING, UM, I IMAGINE DURING THAT THREE MINUTE WINDOW. BUT MY UNDERSTANDING HAS ALWAYS BEEN NO, THERE CAN BE NO BACK AND FORTH COMMUNICATION ON THIS COMMUNI ON THIS COMMISSION. UM, I THINK THAT IF IT IS A, AN ITEM THAT'S BEEN POSTED AND THEY'RE TALKING AND YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A COMMENT AND YOU, YOU MAY WANT TO HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION, I THINK THAT IS AT YOUR DISCRETION AS CHAIR. UM, YOU KNOW, UM, I, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THAT OFTEN AT OTHER COMMISSION LIKE THE, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL OR PLANNING COMMISSION. BUT IT DOES HAPPEN OCCASIONALLY. I HAVE SEEN IT LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT THE CHAIR HAS A FOLLOW UP QUESTION, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE ANOTHER COUNCIL OR COMMISSIONER WHO REQUESTS OF THE CHAIR THAT THAT PERSON BE BROUGHT BACK TO ANSWER A QUESTION. IT, IT COULD HAPPEN. IT, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, NOT ALL THE TIME, LIKE YOU, WE HAVE LIMITED TIME. RIGHT. BUT, BUT IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE. I DON'T THINK IT WOULD GO AGAINST ANY RULES. YEAH. I WOULD SAY I WOULD WANNA KEEP IT WITHIN THE THREE MINUTE SPEAKING TIME. LIKE IF, IF THEY SPOKE FOR TWO MINUTES AND THEY HAVE A MINUTE LEFT OVER, THEN WE HAVE A MINUTE FOR COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS. AND THAT'S MY, I MEAN, THAT'S KIND OF THE DIRECTION. MY QUESTION IS NOT THAT I WANT TO OPEN THIS UP TO AN EXTENSIVE QUESTION SESSION FOR EACH PERSON WHO'S MAKING A PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT I WANT TO KIND OF MAKE IT THE THING WHERE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIR, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ASK A CLARIFYING QUESTION OF A PUBLIC PERSON IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S NOT CLEAR, AND THEN YOU AS A CHAIR CAN SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, NO, OR YES, OR IT'S GONNA TAKE TOO MUCH TIME, OR, I DUNNO, WHATEVER THE SITUATION HAPPENS TO BE. YEAH. BUT I WOULD SAY, CHAIR, MAY I ASK A QUESTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL PRESENTING REGARDING THEIR STATEMENT? AND THEN YOU WOULD SAY YES OR NO, OR I DON'T KNOW, WHATEVER YOU SAY, I DON'T CARE. YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ITEMS THAT ARE POSTED FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION, FOR EXAMPLE, VERSUS CITIZEN COMMUNICATION AT THE BEGINNING. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT IS SOMEBODY SIGNING UP. IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S POSTED. THERE'S NO Q AND A WITH THAT. UM, HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S AN ITEM THAT YOU WILL BE ACTING ON OR IT'S A BRIEFING OR YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT THERE ARE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AND IT'S POSTED, WHAT I WOULD, I GUESS WHAT I NORMALLY SEE IS, YOU KNOW, ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENT GOES FORWARD AND YOU SAVE YOUR QUESTION AND THEN YOU COULD, DURING YOUR Q AND A TIME, BRING THAT PERSON BACK. THAT'S A, THAT'S ANOTHER WAY THAT YOU CAN ASK A QUESTION OF, OF AN INDIVIDUAL FROM THE AUDIENCE. HMM. RIGHT. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT. I WOULDN'T ASK A QUESTION WHO OF SOMEONE WHO IS JUST USING GENERIC PUBLIC COMMENT, YOU KNOW, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING. 'CAUSE I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE JUST COM SPEAKING ABOUT SOME RANDOM ITEM. PERHAPS MY QUESTIONS WOULD BE DIRECTED TO A PERSON SPEAKING TO SOMETHING THAT IS SPECIFICALLY ON THE AGENDA THAT WE ARE GOING TO ACT ON. AND I WOULD NEED TO CLARIFY A STATEMENT THAT THEY HAVE MADE THAT I DON'T COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND. AND I WOULD REQUEST THE CHAIR ALLOW ME TO ASK THEM A QUESTION TO CLARIFY WHATEVER IT IS THEY SAY. SO I THINK I'M, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE RULES AND GAME. YEAH. UM, JUST, I, I WOULD SAY THAT, I MEAN, LET'S LET THAT BE THE EXCEPTION, NOT THE RULE THAT DOESN'T, AND I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, JUST GIVEN THE TIME TONIGHT, LIKE THIS SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING THAT MAYBE WE COULD CHEW ON A LITTLE MORE TALK ABOUT IN THE UPCOMING OFFICER MEETING, BUT I THINK IT'S AT THE CHAIR'S DISCRETION WOULD BE MY UNDERSTANDING. AND I JUST WANNA TALK MORE WITH LIZ TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT SHE'S SEEN ELSEWHERE. UM, BUT I'M CERTAINLY OPEN TO TRYING SOMETHING. I JUST WANNA HAVE, HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, AND THEN I CAN COMMUNICATE THAT WITH YOU ALL AND WE CAN TRY IT OUT AND SEE IF WE LIKE IT OR IF IT'S DISRUPTIVE. I WOULD LIKE TO JUST MAKE ONE COMMENT ON THAT. YEAH. UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WHEN YOU'RE NEW, I'M NOT NEW ANYMORE, I'LL SAY I LEFT THAT, BUT IT, WHEN I WAS NEW, THAT WAS VERY SHOCKING TO ME HOW PUBLIC COMMENT THAT FOLKS WOULD COME HERE AND WE'D JUST SIT IN SILENCE AND I'D BE LIKE, MAN, I WOULD NOT WANT TO COME BACK TO THAT GROUP, UH, AND SPEAK IN FRONT OF 'EM. AND, AND THEN I KIND OF LEARNED HOW WE COULD SUBTLY ENGAGE WITH THE PUBLIC COMMENT AND, YOU KNOW, THROUGH OUR Q AND A. BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS VERY STRIKING TO ME THAT DIDN'T SEEM WELCOMING TO THOSE THAT ARE TAKING, YOU KNOW, THE TIME TO COME HERE AND WE [03:05:01] WANNA HONOR THAT AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, A, A PLACE. SO ANYTHING THAT, THAT CAN ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO COME OUT AND IF IT'S A SUBTLE, JUST BEING ABLE TO, TO CALL THEM UP, YOU KNOW, THE CHAIR RECOGNITION THAT, UH, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT THAT WAS VERY STRIKING TO ME, AND I LIKE THE SENTIMENT OF ENCOURAGING AS MUCH PUBLIC PARTICIPATION UNTIL IT'S A PROBLEM WE CAN'T MANAGE. BUT RIGHT NOW IT DOESN'T SEEM UNMANAGEABLE. AND THEN ONE QUESTION MAYBE TO FURTHER, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ONLINE COMMENT. LIKE, CAN SOMEONE SIGN UP VIRTUALLY OR THEY HAVE TO BE HERE AS WELL? THEY CAN SIGN UP VIRTUALLY. YEAH. NICOLE, DO YOU WANNA REVIEW THAT PROCEDURE? UM, YEAH, IT SAYS ON THE AGENDA, LET ME FIND IT. UM, YEAH, SO REMOTE SPEAKERS CAN SIGN UP. UM, THEY HAVE TO SIGN UP NOON THE DAY BEFORE THE MEETING. UM, AND THEN IT SOUNDED LIKE, OR WHAT WAS, WHERE DID Y'ALL LAND ON DONATION OF TIME FOR REMOTE ATTENDEES? WAS THAT NOT, IT WAS FOR IN PERSON ONLY. WE DID SAY IN PERSON ONLY IF SOMEONE'S GONNA DONATE TIME, THEY NEED TO BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT. BUT THAT'S AN INTERESTING IDEA. IF SAY I'M PHYSICALLY PRESENT AND I WANT TO DONATE TIME TO A VIRTUAL SPEAKER, CAN I DO THAT? I MEAN, I THINK I WOULD PERSONALLY ALLOW THAT. UM, I JUST WANT SOMEONE VERIFIED IN ATTENDANCE. 'CAUSE LIKE, WE HAD AN INSTANCE COME UP WHERE AGAIN, SOMEONE EMAILED SAID, OH, I CAN'T BE THERE. CAN I DONATE MY TIME? BUT THEY WEREN'T PRESENT VIRTUALLY, THEY WEREN'T PRESENT IN PERSON. SO I'VE SEEN COUNSEL, IF YOU'RE ONLINE, UM, IF YOU ARE VIRTUAL, I THINK THEY'LL, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE CLERK'S OFFICE WILL VERIFY THAT THEY ARE THERE VIRTUALLY. UM, SO I, I I BELIEVE THAT THOSE FOLKS CAN DONATE TIME. UM, WE CAN DOUBLE CHECK ON THAT, BUT I THINK THAT THAT IS, THAT IS A, THERE'S A PRECEDENT THERE. OKAY. YEAH. YEAH. I MEAN, I, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD DISCRIMINATE AGAIN IF, IF SOMEONE IS ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN A MEETING REMOTELY, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD DISCRIMINATE THEM, UH, WITH ANY DIFFERENT RULES THAN SOMEBODY WHO'S HERE IN PERSON. MM-HMM . OKAY. I AGREE. SO MAYBE WE ADJUST THE LANGUAGE TO SAY, UM, PEOPLE DONATING TIME MUST BE CONFIRMED TO BE PRESENT EITHER VIRTUALLY OR IN PERSON. OKAY. YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD NOTE. OKAY. UM, ANY OTHER NOTES BEFORE WE MOVE ON? YES, COMMISSIONER? I HAVE ONE. YES. UH, JUST I'M ON TWO OTHER COMMISSIONS. I THINK COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN WOULD HAVE THE SAME, UH, RESPONSES THAT IS THE, UH, GENERAL PUBLIC WHEN THEY COME IN TO JUST HAVE A, A COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING. IT CAN COME FROM LEFT FIELD. THEY COULD BE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS NOT ON THE AGENDA WHATSOEVER. AND SO ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN THAT MOMENT. AND THERE'S A REASON WHY WE DON'T INTERACT WITH THAT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETIMES. AND SO I, I'VE BEEN IN MULTIPLE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION, I'VE SEEN IT MULTIPLE TIMES WHERE PEOPLE JUST COME IN AND JUST MAKE SOME KIND OF STATEMENT. AND THERE THERE'S NO, THERE'S NOTHING THERE. THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO GAME THERE. IT'S, SO, IT'S VERY, IT'S A VERY ODD FEELING, UH, WHEN YOU'RE SITTING THERE HAVING NOT SEEN THAT BEFORE. BUT I'VE SEEN IT A LOT OF TIMES NOW. AND, AND YOU JUST, THAT RULE IS THERE FOR A REASON. YOU DON'T WANNA ENGAGE IT. BUT THE IDEA OF BRINGING THEM BACK LATER, IF IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH A LATER DISCUSSION AND THEN, AND QUESTIONING THEM AT THAT POINT, THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT I'VE SEEN DONE. OOPS. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH, WELL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT MORE IN THE NEXT OFFICER MEETING AND, AND COME UP WITH A PLAN FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, AND HOW TO BEST ENGAGE OR NOT. ALL RIGHT. UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE [6. Discussion of the 2025-2026 goals and objectives of the Environmental Commission. ] ON TO THE LAST ITEM, ITEM NUMBER SIX, DISCUSSION OF THE 20 25, 20 26 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION. SO THIS IS SOMETHING WE DO EVERY YEAR. UM, EVERY YEAR WE ARE REQUIRED. UM, I'M SPECIFICALLY REQUIRED TO SUBMIT AN ANNUAL INTERNAL REVIEW OF THE COMMISSION THAT REVIEWS WHAT WE'VE DONE THIS YEAR, UM, AND ALSO SETS OUT GOALS FOR THE NEXT YEAR, LAST YEAR. UM, I JUST WANTED TO READ THROUGH THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES THAT, THAT WE SET FORWARD, AND THEN YOU CAN HEAR THEM REFLECT ON THEM AND SEE WHAT MIGHT WE WANNA CHANGE, WHAT NEW THINGS DO WE WANNA ADD? SO LAST YEAR, OUR GOALS THAT WE LAID OUT WERE FOCUS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION'S REVIEW AND OVERSIGHT ON SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY, AND INCLUDING SPECIES PROTECTION, AIR QUALITY, LIGHT POLLUTION, AND CONSTRUCTION, MATERIAL REUSE, UNDERSTAND AND SUPPORT FLOOD MITIGATION POLICIES, UNDERSTAND AND SUPPORT PROGRAMS THAT PRIORITIZE CREEK AND WATERWAY CLEANUPS TO ALLOW WATER TO MOVE DURING HEAVY RAIN EVENTS. UNDERSTAND AND SUPPORT THE NEW ATLAS 14 MAPS AND POLICIES THAT SURROUND FLOODPLAIN AND DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT CLIMATE RESILIENCY AS IT RELATES TO TREE CANOPY AND URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT, ESPECIALLY AFTER EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS SUPPORT ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES RESILIENCY THROUGH HABITAT [03:10:01] PROTECTION, WILDFIRE MITIGATION, CAVE PROTECTION, AQUIFER AND RECHARGE, ZONE PROTECTION, AND BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN. UNDERSTAND HOW FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS WILL IMPACT ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN AUSTIN IN THE SHORT AND LONG TERM REVIEW AND ADDRESS POLLUTION ISSUES AND SUPPORT, BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN, PUBLIC INPUT AND IMPLEMENTATION. SO THAT WAS INTERESTING FOR ME TO HEAR AND REFLECT ON TO, TO JUST THINK THROUGH. YES, I THINK WE DID ADDRESS THOSE THINGS. NO, I, I'M NOT SURE WE DID ADDRESS THE OTHERS. UM, BUT JUST WANNA OPEN THE FLOOR FOR INITIAL THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS. UM, AND THEN I PROPOSE WE JUST KIND OF GO LINE BY LINE TO SAY, IS THIS SOMETHING WE WANNA CARRY INTO THE NEW YEAR? OR DO WE WANNA SCRAP IT AND ADOPT SOME NEW THINGS? SO FIRST, JUST WANNA OPEN IT UP TO, TO GENERAL REACTIONS. QUESTION OR QUESTION. SHOULD THIS, SHOULD THIS SAY 20 25, 20 26 OR 2026? 2027? IT'LL BE 2026. 2027. SO I WAS JUST READING LAST YEAR'S RIGHT, THAT'S WHAT I READ. YEAH. OKAY. OH, BUT ON THE AGENDA, YEAH. YEAH. IT SHOULD BE 20 26, 20 27. THAT'S JUST A TYPO. OKAY. YEAH. THANK YOU. UM, YEAH, OTHER THOUGHT, GENERAL THOUGHTS ON LAST YEAR'S GOALS? I THINK WE WERE HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY THE JULY 4TH FLOODING OF LAST YEAR. THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING IN THIS. 'CAUSE WE, WE DID THIS RIGHT AFTER THAT. SO THERE WAS A LOT OF, UH, FLOOD WAS ON THE BRAIN AT THAT POINT. OKAY. I LIKE WITH YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE'VE ACHIEVED A LOT OF THOSE THINGS. UH, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, THE BIRD FEELING SIGN IS STILL, UH, JAMMED UP AND, UM, HAS NOT BEEN ACHIEVED, FOR LACK OF BETTER WORD. UM, AND SO I THINK WE'RE SO NEED TO KEEP THAT ONE ON THERE. UM, WE, WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB WITH HEARING FROM AND CONSIDERING, UM, YOU KNOW, FLOOD, UH, YOU KNOW, CREEK MANAGEMENT, STORM WATER MANAGEMENT. UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE ALWAYS SORT OF ONGOING. UM, I THINK THERE'S A, THERE WAS A WORKING GROUP THAT WE, THAT WE STARTED LAST YEAR THAT WE HAVE NOT COMPLETED, UH, THAT WAS, UH, TURF. OH, YEAH, YEAH. ARTIFICIAL TURF. ARTIFICIAL TURF. YEAH. SO I JUST WANNA TOSS THAT BACK ONTO THE FIRE. UH, I WAS CAPTURED BY THE, THE IDEA OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES NOT BEING ON OUR LIST OF THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING. AND REMEMBERING THAT IN OUR DISCUSSION MAYBE A MONTH AGO, THAT I DISCOVERED THAT THERE IS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES THAT'S IN THE, IN THE, IN THE COL, COLORADO RIVERSHED, THE, THE MUSCLE, THE FAT MUCK, FAT BUCKET. RIGHT? NEVER, NEVER. AND I WAS THINKING, WHY DON'T WE HAVE A LIST OF ALL THE ENDANGERED SPECIES OF THIS AREA THAT WE ARE AWARE OF? WE SHOULD KNOW THAT WHATEVER THEY ARE, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE PUT THAT IN THERE. THAT'S A GOOD NOTE, BECAUSE THERE ARE A TON THAT ARE ENDEMIC TO, LIKE OUR AREA THAT DON'T EXIST ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD. MM-HMM . SO, TOTALLY. IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S IN OUR PURVIEW MM-HMM . TO KNOW THAT. AND, AND WHENEVER WE HAVE ANY KIND OF DISCUSSION THAT WE REMEMBER, BECAUSE I'VE LEARNED VERY WELL NOW THAT IN EVERY DISCUSSION WE DO TALK ABOUT BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN. THAT IS A THING THAT I SAY OUT LOUD TO PEOPLE THAT THEY NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE. BUT I ONLY HEARD IT FIRST IN THIS MEETING COMING FROM THAT END OF THE BUILDING OVER THERE, . AND, AND NOW I REALIZE THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. THAT'S EXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANT. UH, SO YEAH. ADD TO THAT ENDANGERED SPECIES. MM-HMM . MIKE. YEAH. THANK, THANK YOU FOR THAT. LET ME YEAH. STRUCTURE THIS CONVERSATION A LITTLE MORE BECAUSE I DO THINK WE EACH BRING TO THE TABLE OUR OWN SET OF EXPERTISE AND PERSONAL PASSIONS. UM, SO LEMME GO AHEAD AND GO AROUND THE TABLE AND YOU CAN, YOU'RE ABLE TO REFLECT ON LAST YEAR'S GOALS, BUT ALSO FEEL FREE TO TELL ME WHAT YOU ENVISION SOME GOALS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE FOR THIS YEAR. ARE, AND I'LL START WITH COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN. WELL, I'M VERY INTERESTED IN CLIMATE CHANGE AND AIR QUALITY. MM-HMM . I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT, BY DOING MY DAY JOB. GREAT. DO YOU WANNA, UM, ADD, LEND ANY, UH, SPECIF SPECIFICITY TO THAT, OR LEAVE IT? WELL, I MEAN, WE COULD REVIEW ANNUALLY, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR MEASUREMENTS FROM MONITORS ARE ABOUT PARTICULATE MATTER AND OZONE AND, UH, TEMPERATURE TRENDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I CAN PREPARE THINGS LIKE THAT FOR YOU. OZONE PARTICULATE MATTER. AND WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU SAID? UH, THINGS LIKE GLOBAL. OH, TEMPERATURE. LIKE TEMPERATURE, YEAH. PERFECT. OKAY. AND EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS. MM-HMM . PERFECT. GREAT. ANYTHING ELSE YOU [03:15:01] WANNA ADD? NO. I'LL, I'LL JUST GO WITH THAT. OKAY. CAN I, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? SURE. SO, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE, WE HAVE THIS BIG LIST OF THINGS IN OUR BYLAWS THAT WE WILL ALWAYS BE THINKING ABOUT, ALWAYS BE RECOGNIZING, RIGHT? UH, AND I, I, I DON'T HAVE AN OPINION EITHER WAY. DO WE WANNA DUPLICATE SOME OF THOSE ON OUR GOALS THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE THOSE MORE, LIKE BROUGHT FORWARD MORE TO THE FRONT, OR JUST WE WANNA RELY THAT THEY'RE IN OUR BYLAWS AND THESE ARE ADDITIONAL THINGS. I DON'T HAVE A AN OPINION EITHER WAY. THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I THINK WE COULD REITERATE THEM AND THEN SAY, AND SPECIFICALLY COLON, HERE'S SOME, HERE'S SOME THINGS, OR UNDERNEATH THE LIST, LIKE WHATEVER IT SAYS ABOUT AIR QUALITY, WE CAN PUT, UM, SORT OF A SUB BRACKET UNDERNEATH THAT WITH ANY SPECIFICS. I LIKE THAT IDEA JUST TO REAFFIRM THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TASKED TO DO AND HERE ARE THE SPECIFICS WITHIN IT. GREAT. UM, YEAH. COMMISSIONER MORRISON, UM, IS THERE A WRITTEN VERSION OF THIS? YOU DON'T NEED TO, UH, NOT IN BACKUP. OKAY. UM, YEAH, I'M NOT SURE WHERE OUR ANNUAL REVIEW IS AVAILABLE ONLINE, BUT I CAN SEND IT TO YOU. UM, JUST FOR REFERENCE, YOU'RE WONDERING ABOUT LAST YEAR'S? YEAH. I, LAST YEAR'S WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR REFERENCE, BUT OBVIOUSLY ONCE WE DRAFT, UM, NEXT YEAR'S JUST TO HAVE MM-HMM . BUT I THINK THAT, I MEAN, LIKE INITIAL REACTIONS ARE THAT, UM, THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE FLOODING EVENTS FROM LAST SUMMER, YOU KNOW, ARE STILL, UH, HEAVY ON PEOPLE'S HEARTS. AND I THINK A BIG, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I MEAN, IT WAS THE CATALYST FOR MY, UM, INVOLVEMENT ON THIS COMMISSION. AND, UH, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, MAINTAINING THE, LIKE, SPIRIT OF, OF THAT CONTINUES TO BE LIKE A PLACE WHERE THIS COMMISSION CAN MAKE A BIG IMPACT. UM, AND SO, UH, YEAH, JUST A SORT OF CONTINUATION OF THAT I THINK SEEMS APPROPRIATE. UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS, AND I, AND NOW I'M, I DON'T REMEMBER IF THIS WAS CAPTURED IN THERE, BUT JUST PROTECTING THE SPACE, YOU KNOW, PROTECTING THE SPACES AND IN THE CITY THAT ALLOW PEOPLE TO BE ACTIVE AND, UM, MAINTAIN, PROTECT, ADVANCE THEIR PHYSICAL HEALTH IS A PERSONALLY HUGE PASSION OF MINE. AND ALSO ANOTHER AREA WHERE I THINK LIKE THIS BODY CAN MAKE A BIG IMPACT IN THE CITY. I THINK THAT GOES WELL UNDER THE RECREATIONAL PIECE IN OUR BYLAWS. COOL. YEAH. GREAT. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER LUKI. HAVING WATCHED, UM, THE DROUGHTS COME AND GO, I FEEL LIKE THE, UH, WATCHING, UH, WHERE WATER, HOW WE DEAL WITH WATER IN DEVELOPMENTS, UM, IS A REAL BIG PASSION OF MINE. UM, UH, CASE IN POINT WOULD'VE BEEN WHEN, UH, UH, CODA CAME THROUGH WITH THEIR A THOUSAND ROOM HOTEL AND, AND CA CASINO, WELL, NOT A CASINO, BUT ANYWAY, UM, IT IN THE 18 HOLE GOLF COURSE, IT STRUCK ME THEN THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT THAT ONE THING WOULD BE USING, JUST, JUST THEM BY THEMSELVES AND US KIND OF JUST COMING UP WITH THIS IDEA, WELL, WE NEED TO GET THEM TO MAYBE COME UP WITH THEIR OWN WATER TO A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE. WE HAD A VERY LONG CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT AND TOOK QUITE A LONG TIME TO COME TO THE CONCLUSION OF HOW MANY GALLONS IS THAT IN A YEAR, ET CETERA. AND I THINK THAT MOVING FORWARD, ANYTIME ANYBODY COMES TO US WITH, WITH ANY KIND OF LARGE PROJECT THAT'S GONNA USE A WHOLE LOT OF WATER, THAT WE NEED TO HAVE IT IN THERE, THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CREATE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF YOUR OWN WATER, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO CAPTURE IT OR WHATEVER. WE NEED TO PUT THAT INTO OUR, JUST OUR EVERY TIME, EVERY TIME WE TALK ABOUT IT, HOW MUCH WATER ARE THEY USING, WHERE ARE THEY GETTING IT FROM? THAT SEEMS LIKE A, A REAL, UH, ACHIEVABLE GOAL, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO GOLF COURSES. I THINK THAT'S JUST A NO BRAINER. YOU, THEY USE A LOT OF RESOURCES AND, UH, WE NEED TO BE IN, WE NEED TO HELP THE CITY COUNCIL UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT FIVE YEARS DOWN THE ROAD HAVING ADDED THREE GOLF COURSES AND THEN WEARING A DROUGHT THAT LASTS FOR 15 YEARS. AND THAT REALLY CHANGES THE DYNAMICS OF WATER USE JUST IN THAT ONE ARENA. IF I MAY OFFER A SUGGESTION ALONG THOSE LINES. SO AUSTIN WATER, OF COURSE, HAS THEIR OWN, UH, OVERSIGHT COMMISSIONS, [03:20:01] UM, UH, ESPECIALLY RELATED TO THE WATER FORWARD PLAN. SO AUSTIN WATER HAS, UH, KIND OF OWNS THE, UH, THE, THE IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT YOU'RE POINTING OUT ABOUT WATER, PRESERVING OUR WATER RESOURCES AND NOT, YOU KNOW, WASTING, UH, POTABLE WATER, FOR EXAMPLE. AND IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE, UH, SOMEONE FROM THEIR WATER RESOURCE PLANNING GROUP COME AND GIVE A TALK ABOUT, UH, THEIR WATER FORWARD PLAN. AND JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY KIND OF, UH, SUGGESTIONS THAT YOU OFFER ISN'T COUNTER TO WHAT THEY WOULD SAY OR JUST CONSISTENT WITH THAT PLAN. UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU HAVE SOME BACKGROUND AND THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS ALSO BEING ASKED. BECAUSE SOMETIMES, UH, IF STAFF IS SAYING ONE THING AND THEN A COMMISSION IS SAYING SOMETHING ELSE, IT GETS A LITTLE CONFUSING FOR APPLICANTS TO KNOW WHAT TO DO, AND COUNCIL GETS CONFUSED. SO IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GET SOME CONSISTENCY ON WHAT TYPE OF THINGS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE OR NOT WANT TO SEE IN, IN THAT SPACE. I AGREE. AND I WAS JUST GONNA ADD, BECAUSE THIS IS ON MY LIST AS WELL, UM, AND I DID JUST BECOME AWARE TODAY THAT THERE'S AN ITEM ON THE JULY 23RD COUNCIL AGENDA PUT FORWARD BY COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE SIEGEL RELATED, I BELIEVE THEY'RE CALLED LARGE LOAD WATER USERS. UM, SO I THINK THE TESLA GIGAFACTORY IS THE THIRD LARGEST WATER U USER IN ALL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN. UM, AND WE'RE SEEING A NUMBER OF PROJECTS COME FORWARD LIKE CODA, LIKE DOGS HEAD, WHERE THERE ARE GONNA BE MORE LARGE LOAD WATER USERS. SO, UM, THE POLICY IS OUT THERE, IT'S GONNA BE CONSIDERED ON JULY 23RD. I WISH I HAD KNOWN ABOUT IT SOONER, AND MAYBE WE COULD HAVE CONSIDERED IT ON THIS COMMISSION, BUT, UM, JUST WANNA REITERATE THAT THERE IS POLICY HAPPENING AROUND THIS. SO I THINK DEFINITELY ROOM FOR OUR INVOLVEMENT IN IT AS WELL. UM, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? NO, THAT WAS IT. OKAY. COMMISSIONER FLURRY, I DIDN'T REALIZE MY MIC WAS ALREADY ON. UH, I DO JUST LIKE THE WATER SCARCITY THEME, UH, THAT HAS COME UP IN MANY PROJECTS WITH THE DATA CENTERS OF THE GOLF COURSES. UM, THE, THE, UM, I DON'T REMEMBER WHO PRESENTED, BUT WE HAD ASKED THEM A YEAR AGO TO PRE AN UPDATE ON THE LEAKY PIPES SITUATION IN AUSTIN AND HOW MUCH WATER WE WERE LOSING. AND IT, IT SEEMS TO BE A RELEVANT THEME, UH, TO RELATED TO THE COMMISSION. SO I THINK THAT'S CLEARLY ONE, AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS MAKES IT IN A, A LINE OR NOT, BUT JUST, UH, IT'S SOMETHING I'LL, I'LL JUST SHARE HOW I APPROACH, UH, JUST SOMETHING SIMPLE OF EVERY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT I THINK IS KIND OF RELATED TO THIS. UH, THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE HAS A PROGRAM CALLED NATURAL SIGHT AND SOUNDS, MAYBE SOME OF Y'ALL HAVE HEARD OF IT. AND IT'S JUST HOW DO WE, YOU KNOW, PROTECT A DARK SKY? HOW DO WE PROTECT A CLEAN SKY, THE AIR, THE, THE NOISE? AND IT'S JUST THAT NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF IMPORTANT FOR, FOR US, IT'S, IT'S THE NOISE, IT'S THE DARK SKY, IT'S THE, UM, UH, UH, JUST THE ENVIRONMENT WE LIVE IN. AND SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO JUST SEE US CAPTURE THAT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT A PROJECT. AND ONE COUPLE OTHER THINGS THAT COME TO MIND. AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY MAKE BYLINES OR, OR BYLAWS, UH, HOWEVER WE'RE EXPLAINING IT, BUT WHEN YOU WERE GOING THROUGH LAST YEAR'S GOALS, AND, UM, I THINK THERE IS, AND MAYBE THIS JUST IS INHERENT IN THE COMMISSIONER POSITION, BUT VERY MUCH THAT WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE THIS TO THE COMMUNITY, WHAT WE'RE LEARNING HERE, THAT THAT'S OUR CHARGE, REALLY. AND I LOVE IT WHEN WE GET GREAT PRESENTATIONS THAT I CAN JUST TAKE AND SHARE WITH OTHERS. AND SO I DO SEE THAT MY, A ROLE SOMETIMES IN QUESTIONS I ASK IS REALLY JUST SO THAT I'M MAKING SURE I'M PRESENTING CLEAR INFORMATION WHEN I'M TALKING WITH, WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AND I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A GOAL, UM, FOR, FOR ALL OF US OR INHERENT IN THE POSITION, BUT THAT STRUCK ME AS MAYBE JUST BEING ABSENT, UH, FROM, FROM THE, THE GOALS. AND, UM, THIS IS JUST PERSONALLY, I'VE BEEN CURIOUS ABOUT THE GEOGRAPHY OF SOME OF THE, THE, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST ITEMS WE'RE HEARING. IS IT A LITTLE WEST CENTRIC? IS IT A LITTLE MORE NORTH CENTRIC? I, I, I'VE BEEN WANTING TO UNDERSTAND THE GEOGRAPHY, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I'M WONDERING LIKE, ARE WE JUST, WE APPROVED A VARIANCE, YOU KNOW, THREE MONTHS AGO, IS THIS CONSISTENT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ALLOWED SOMEONE TO HAVE TURF, BUT NOT SOMEONE ELSE TO HAVE TURF? AND SO I KNOW WE REALLY WANNA BE CONSISTENT FROM ONE PROJECT TO THE NEXT. AND I DON'T KNOW WHOSE CHARGE THAT IS TO HAVE, HAVE A DATABASE WHERE YOU CAN QUICKLY REFERENCE THAT KIND OF STUFF. BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT STOOD OUT TO ME THAT I THINK WE WANNA JUST MAKE SURE WE'RE CONSISTENT IN OUR, OUR MESSAGING. UM, SOUNDS LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOME SORT OF REGIONAL ANALYSIS, AND I THINK THERE'S CONSISTENCY AND THEN THERE'S EQUITABILITY, SO. EXACTLY. YEAH. CONSISTENCY, I THINK CAN BE APPLIED DIFFERENTLY. YEAH. AND I, I THINK SOMETIMES I SEE IN THE AGENDA, LIKE WHICH, WHICH DISTRICT THE, UH, TOPIC IS RELATED TO. AND, AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT MAY, IT WOULD BE JUST INSIGHTFUL TO SEE, WELL, HOW MANY ITEMS HAVE WE HEARD RELATED TO DISTRICT FOUR VERSUS DISTRICT TWO VERSUS DISTRICT ONE? UM, AND JUST MAKING SURE WE'RE BEING EQUITABLE THERE. UM, BUT, AND I WILL SAY, I THINK THAT WAS A COUPLE OF, UM, UH, RETREATS AGO WE HAD A PRESENTATION OF SORT OF WHERE WE HAD VOTED ON EVERYTHING. DO YOU RECALL THAT? [03:25:02] UH, NOT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. I COULD GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT. YEAH. IT SEEMED LIKE MIKE MCDOUGLE MCDOOGLE. YEAH. YEAH. SOUNDS LIKE HE'S SOMETHING HE WOULD DO. YEP. THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE? THAT'S ALL. OKAY, COMMISSIONER CH. UM, YEAH, I JUST WANNA ECHO THE SENTIMENT ABOUT, UH, HAVING CLEAR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN, I MEAN, I, WE ACT AS SORT OF LIAISONS BETWEEN LIKE STAFF AND COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC. AND I THINK THE BIGGEST THING I'VE SEEN THIS PAST YEAR HAS BEEN A LACK OF CLEAR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN EVERYONE, HONESTLY. UM, AND I THINK IT JUST LEAVES THE, THE PUBLIC FEELING REALLY DISHEARTENED, AND THAT MAKES ME FEEL REALLY SAD. UM, SO I THINK, YEAH, MAKING THAT A TOP PRIORITY IN WHETHER THAT IS LIKE CREATING MORE DIGESTIBLE, UM, FLYERS OR SOURCES OF INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC, I'M HAPPY TO START TO DO THAT. UM, AND JUST KIND OF HAVE EVEN LIKE MAIN TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR MEETING OR SOMETHING. UM, JUST SOMETHING SO THAT PEOPLE HAVE MORE ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION BECAUSE LIKE, YES, WE HAVE TOMA, BUT ALSO IT IS SO BURIED, LIKE I AM LIKE GETTING A TERMINAL DEGREE AND I CAN'T FIND LIKE WHERE SOMETHING IS, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW SOMEONE WOULD NAVIGATE WITH ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE OR WHATEVER THE CASE IS. UM, SO YEAH, I, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO PLACE SOME EMPHASIS ON THAT. UM, AND THEN ASIDE FROM THAT, I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL, AND I DON'T THINK THIS IS LIKE A TONIGHT THING, BUT, UM, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF WE CREATED LIKE SOME PRIMARY LIKE, TOP OBJECTIVES FOR THE YEAR AND THEY COULD CHANGE LIKE YEAR TO YEAR, UM, TO BE LIKE REPRESENTATIVE OF, OF EVERYONE'S INTERESTS. BUT I JUST THINK THAT SOMETIMES HAVING LIKE SET MORE SPECIFIC GOALS CAN HELP US ADVOCATE FOR THEM BETTER AND KEEP THEM TOP OF MIND. AND IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT EVERYTHING ELSE IS NOT LIKE SUPER IMPORTANT. UM, AND I WOULD WANT LIKE IT TO BE A DISCUSSION AND EVERYONE CAN AGREE ON THEM, BUT JUST THAT WAY WE HAVE SOME LIKE, ACTION ITEMS THAT WE CAN REALLY LIKE HONE IN ON. LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN, LIKE THIS HAS BEEN YEARS. AND SO I THINK LIKE THAT WOULD BE A GREAT EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT WE COULD REALLY LIKE DRIVE HOME IN THE NEXT YEAR WITH THE HOPES OF THAT, LIKE COMING TO FRUITION AND SEEING IT THROUGH. UM, BUT THAT IS JUST A KIND OF GENERAL COMMENT ABOUT THAT. UM, YEAH, OTHER THAN THE COMMUNICATION, I THINK THE ENDANGERED SPECIES, I'VE LIKE ASKED, UH, PEOPLE THAT CAME TO PRESENT BEFORE AND LIKE MOST OF THE TIME THEY DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE ENDANGERED SPECIES THERE. THEY DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S LIKE REQUIRED QUITE YET OR IF IT'S REQUIRED AT ALL. I ALSO DON'T KNOW IF IT'S REQUIRED AT ALL FOR THEM WORKING ON THREATENED SPECIES MYSELF. I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T EVEN KNOW THAT THEY'RE THERE. BUT I DO THINK THAT IT'S LIKE THE JOB OF THE RESEARCHER OR THE APPLICANT TO LOOK AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT THERE BEFORE THEY GO AHEAD AND DESTROY WHATEVER THEY'RE GONNA DESTROY. ONE COMMENT ON THE ENDANGERED SPECIES COMPONENT IS, UM, WELL, I DO BELIEVE IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THERE TO BE GENERAL AWARENESS. THERE ALSO NEEDS TO BE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY HAS JURISDICTION OVER. AND SO WE CAN'T REALLY MANDATE ANY REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. NOW YOU CAN CONSIDER IT AND YOUR OVERALL, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SAY THERE'S A DEVELOPMENT AND YOU KNOW, IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO PRESERVE LAND OR, OR WHAT HAVE YOU, BUT THERE ISN'T ANYTHING SPECIFIC THAT WE CAN DO, UM, THAT WE CAN MANDATE. IT WOULD NOT BE LEGAL FOR US TO DO THAT. SO JUST TO BE AWARE THAT THERE ARE SOME LEGAL LIMITATIONS TO WHAT WE CAN DO WITH ENDANGERED SPECIES. OKAY. BUT THEN WE CAN JUST MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION LIKE THAT THEY MAKE SURE THAT THERE AREN'T ANY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, JUST TO BRING IT UP IN COUNCIL'S MIND. SURE. YEAH. THANK YOU. AND I DO WANNA ADD, UM, IN OUR BYLAWS, ITEM NUMBER 10 SAYS [03:30:01] THAT WE ARE TASKED WITH QUOTE, PUBLIC EDUCATION ON ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS. UM, AND I DO SERVE LIKE SOME OTHERS HERE ON TWO OTHER COMMISSIONS, L-G-B-T-Q, QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSION AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION. AND BOTH OF THOSE COMMISSIONS HAVE WORKING GROUPS THAT ARE TASKED WITH BEING KIND OF THE PUBLIC FACING ENTITY. UM, AND ON THE CASE OF THE L-G-B-T-Q COMMISSION, THERE IS A WORKING GROUP CALLED THE TRANS RESOURCE GUIDE WORKING GROUPS. SO WITH ALL OF THE ANTI-TRANS BILLS THAT HAVE COME UP, THE COMMISSION HAS PUT TOGETHER A PHYSICAL ZINE TYPE, UM, RESOURCE GUIDE THAT HAS A LIST OF LEGAL RESOURCES, UM, HEALTH RESOURCES, UM, QUEER OWNED BUSINESSES, SAFE SPACES THAT THEY'VE HANDED OUT AT DIFFERENT PLACES IN THE COMMUNITY. THEY'VE ALSO MADE STICKERS WITH QR CODES. THERE'S A DIGITAL VERSION OF IT. UM, SOUGHT PRIVATE FUNDING FOR THAT. UM, THE HUMAN RIGHTS WORKING GROUP IS, UM, MAKING A SIMILAR RESOURCE GUIDE, I THINK IN PARTICULAR IN THE FACE OF ICE RAIDS AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT TO JUST SAY, HERE ARE THE SOCIAL SERVICES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE. UM, SO THERE IS PRECEDENT ON COMMISSIONS FOR DOING THINGS LIKE THAT. WE ARE SPECIFICALLY TASKED WITH PUBLIC EDUCATION ON ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS. SO I THINK THAT'S INTERESTING TO THINK ABOUT WHAT MIGHT THAT LOOK LIKE ON THIS COMMISSION? THERE ARE PARAMETERS IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CAN SHARE PUBLICLY, LIKE WITH THE PRESS, FOR EXAMPLE, OR SOCIAL MEDIA. WE CAN SPEAK OUT AS INDIVIDUALS, BUT IF WE'RE, WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO BE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE WHOLE COMMISSION. SO THERE IS JUST SOME, UH, NUANCE THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHEN, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THINGS OUT PUBLICLY. BUT THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT I'M INTERESTED IN EXPLORING AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT POINT THAT SEVERAL FOLKS HAVE BROUGHT UP. UH, COMMUNICATION IS, IS REALLY IMPORTANT. ALL RIGHT. LET'S GO TO COMMISSIONER BRIMER. OH, SORRY. I WANNA, UM, FOLLOW UP, UH, CHAIR, UH, WITH, UM, UH, COMMENT THAT YOU MADE OF UNDERSTANDING KIND OF WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST. UH, I THINK IT WAS COMMISSIONER, I THINK IT WAS KEVIN WHO CREATED KIND OF A SPREADSHEET THAT HAD, YOU KNOW, HERE WAS THE OBJECTIVES AND GOALS THAT WE HAD IN THE PAST THREE YEARS. AND THEN WE COULD KIND OF SEE WHERE THEY LINED UP AND THEN LIKE, THESE ARE THE NEW ONES. UM, I DID NOT DO THAT LAST YEAR, UM, BUT IT WAS HELPFUL, YOU KNOW, UM, SO ANYWAY, I'M JUST TOSSING OUT THERE. THAT WAS, THAT WAS A USEFUL, UM, THING THAT WE HAD IN THE PAST. COMMISSIONER BRIER? UH, YEAH, THANK YOU. UH, I THINK MOST OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, EXCUSE ME, THAT, UH, I HAVE, WERE BROUGHT UP BY OTHER COMMISSIONERS. UM, I'M GONNA BRING UP THE TOPIC OF DATA CENTERS, BUT RATHER THAN SAY DATA CENTERS, WHICH I THINK IS TOO SPECIFIC, I'D RATHER BRING UP THE ISSUES SURROUNDING THEM, WHICH ARE REALLY KIND OF WATER AND POWER, WHICH I THINK FALL MORE DIRECTLY INTO OUR, UH, MANDATE IS, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, CLIMATE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WATER TYPE OF, UH, CONSUMPTION. AND, UH, I THINK WE NEED TO PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE ATTENTION TO THAT TYPE OF, UH, THING, UH, FOCUS ON THAT. UH, FLOODING, I, I THINK, UH, ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS, AND I APOLOGIZE IF I DON'T RECALL WHO IT WAS, UM, IS SOMETHING I THINK IS BECOMING MORE INTERESTING. I'M SITTING UP HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE NOW AND I'M GETTING REGULAR, UH, TEXT ALERTS FROM THE CITY ABOUT FLOODING. UM, YOU KNOW, WE ALL REMEMBER FLOODS FROM LAST YEAR, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S NOT GOING AWAY. AND, UH, I DON'T WANT TO WHIP A DEAD HORSE WITH REGARD TO DOG HEAD, BUT ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE BROUGHT UP WITH DOG HEAD IS THAT SOME OF THE PROPERTY IN THAT DEVELOPMENT IS WITHIN THE A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN THAT THE DEVELOPER IS PLANNING ON, UH, CONSTRUCTING WHATEVER IN. SO I DON'T THINK THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT'S EVER GOING AWAY. ONION CREEK STILL HAS PROPERTY THAT IS WITHIN THE FLOODPLAIN THAT HAS NOT BEEN BROUGHT OUT. SO THIS IS GONNA BE A CONTINUING PROBLEM GOING FORWARD. UH, I LIVE IN NORTHWEST AUSTIN AND WE CONTINUALLY, UH, UNFORTUNATELY HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE VICTIMS OF, UH, DROWNING ALONG BULL CREEK, UH, EVERY YEAR, EVERY OTHER YEAR. SO I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES CONTINUING, UH, YOU KNOW, ATTENTION TO, UH, DAVE SULLIVAN. I, I BELIEVE, UH, MENTIONED, UH, AIR QUALITY. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I'M SIGNED UP FOR IS, UH, NOTIFICATIONS OF, UH, INFORMATION FROM TCEQ. AND I REGULARLY GET, UH, AIR QUALITY PERMIT REQUESTS FROM TCEQ THAT FALL WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. AND THESE ARE NEVER BROUGHT UP BEFORE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, [03:35:01] AND I THINK WE SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO THEM. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DIRECTLY IMPACT THESE. UM, I WAS TOLD A FEW YEARS AGO, BEFORE THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, UH, WITHIN WATERSHED, UH, YOU KNOW, WAS BROUGHT ON BOARD THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING WE SHOULD NOT REALLY PAY ATTENTION TO. BUT I THINK THAT WE SHOULD, AND WE SHOULD PROVIDE ADVICE, WHICH IS WHAT OUR JOB IS, IS TO PROVIDE ADVICE, RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL AND THE CITY MANAGER ON THINGS. AND THERE'S ONE I SAW RECENTLY THAT HAD TO DO WITH, UH, AIR QUALITY WITH REGARD TO A MINING OPERATION IN, UH, SOUTHEAST AUSTIN. AND THIS IS SMALL PARTICULATE MATTER, WHICH REALLY DRIVES ASTHMA AND OTHER LUNG PROBLEMS. AND THIS IS SOMETHING I THINK THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION SHOULD WEIGH ON AS FAR AS RECOMMENDING TO, UH, COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING ADVICE AND DIRECTION ON, AND I AGREE WITH, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ON EDUCATION. I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING WE HAVE, UH, NOT BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE ON IN THE PAST. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE TO BE DILIGENT OR WHATEVER THE PROPER TERM IS IN THE WAY WE HANDLE THAT TYPE OF THING. AND MAYBE WHAT THAT AMOUNTS TO IS THE WAY WE INTERACT WITH OUR CONSTITUENCIES AND OUR INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS IS WORKING THROUGH WITH THE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE APPOINTED US AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH THEIR STAFFS AND ATTENDING THEIR, UH, VARIOUS DISTRICT MEETINGS TO ENSURE THAT EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS THAT WE FEEL THAT ARE IMPORTANT OR ACTIONS THAT WE HAVE TAKEN, GET DISTRIBUTED AMONG THE, UH, PUBLIC AT LARGE. SO THEY UNDERSTAND THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THE TOPICS WE ADDRESS AND, YOU KNOW, THE BIRD, YOU KNOW, THE BIRD, UH, TYPE OF THINGS AS AN EXAMPLE, UM, ARE IMPORTANT. AND PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE ACTIVELY, UH, ENGAGED IN AND THAT WE NEED TO SUPPORT OF THE PUBLIC AT LARGE TO MOVE THIS THROUGH COUNCIL. SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT, UH, YEAH, I WOULD SUGGEST. BUT BACKING UP, YEAH, WE HAVE A RATHER EXTENSIVE, UH, LIST OF TASKS THAT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR. AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE SHOULD BACK AWAY FROM ALL OF THOSE, BUT IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THINGS THAT I WOULD SUGGEST WE FOCUS ON FOR THE COMING YEAR, THOSE ARE THE ONES I WOULD, UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD RECOMMEND. OKAY. THANK YOU. I'LL NOTE THAT WE HAVE 18 MINUTES LEFT AND I'LL GO TO VICE CHAIR BRISTOL. UH, YEAH, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE I, I'M JUST KINDA WRESTLING WITH, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE HEARING, UM, WATER CONSUMPTION AND CONSERVATION, UM, AND THEN ENERGY CONSUMPTION CONSERVATION SEEMS TO RISE PRETTY HIGH TO THE TOP. UM, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE SEVERAL OF THOSE THINGS CAN SORT OF FALL INTO THOSE, THOSE CATEGORIES. UM, AND THEN, UM, I WANNA ADD INTO THERE, ESPECIALLY 'CAUSE THIS FALLS UNDER ENERGY CONSUMPTION, BUT LIGHT POLLUTION, UH, SOMETHING THAT CONTINUES TO BE IMPORTANT, UM, TO ME. UM, AND THEN I, I, YOU KNOW, UM, I LIKE THIS DISCUSSION OF, OF HOW ARE WE, UH, REPRESENTATIVES IN THE COMMUNITY AND I THINK WE ABSOLUTELY SHOULD BE. UM, BUT THE GREAT NEWS IS, IS THAT WE LIVE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND THAT SOME OF THE BEST CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL NONPROFITS ARE RIGHT HERE, AND WE HAVE ACCESS TO THEM 24 7. AND YOU ARE A COMMISSIONER. AND WHEN YOU CALL, OR WHEN YOU EMAIL ONE OF THEM, THEY ARE GOING TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND THEY'RE GOING TO REACT AND, YOU KNOW, SO WELL, LET'S RELY ON THEM. WE ARE NOT THE ONLY SPACE THAT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, WE'RE NOT THE ONLY PLACE THAT HAS TO BRING THINGS FORWARD. WE'RE A GREAT REPRESENTATION OF THAT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO ENGAGE AND RELY ON THESE WONDERFUL, AMAZING NONPROFITS THAT ARE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL. SO I JUST, JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE. GREAT. THANK YOU. WELL, I MEAN, I LOVE EVERYTHING THAT EVERYONE HAS SHARED THUS FAR. I THINK TOP OF MIND FOR ME, CERTAINLY OUR DATA CENTERS AND LARGE LOAD WATER USERS, I KNOW THAT, UM, THE COUNCIL AND MAYOR SPECIFICALLY ARE GONNA TAKE UP THIS ISSUE IN AUGUST. WE'RE KIND OF AHEAD OF THE GAME. WE'VE ALREADY PASSED A RECOMMENDATION ON IT, BUT I DO THINK IT'S GONNA BE A, A TOPIC THAT CONTINUES. SO THAT'S CERTAINLY IMPORTANT TO ME. UM, AND THE ONLY THING THAT I HAVEN'T HEARD MENTIONED THAT [03:40:01] IS, IS IMPORTANT TO ME IS URBAN AGRICULTURE AND REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE. AND I THINK THAT GOES ALONG WITH PROTECTING AND PRESERVING OUR BLACK LAND PRAIRIE AND IMPLEMENTING THE A AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN. UM, AND HOW CAN WE DO THAT IN CONCERT WITH THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT, THAT WE'RE SEEING. SO I WILL REFLECT ON ALL OF THIS. I'VE TAKEN NOTES. I'LL PUT IT IN A WRITTEN FORM. I'LL SHARE IT OUT TO NICOLE WHO CAN SHARE IT TO YOU ALL OVER EMAIL. IF YOU HAVE ANY NOTES FROM ME, ANYTHING THAT I MISSED OR THAT YOU'D LIKE TO BE WORDED DIFFERENTLY, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IN THE NEXT WEEK. 'CAUSE I'LL NEED TO SUBMIT THIS AT THE END OF THE MONTH. UM, OR IF YOU THINK OF SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU DIDN'T BRING UP TONIGHT, FEEL FREE TO TO EMAIL ME AND I WILL INCLUDE IT. ANY OTHER FINAL NOTES ON THAT? YEAH. OH NO, NOT, NOT A, NOT A RAISED HAND. GOT IT. ALL RIGHT. SO WITH THAT, UH, LET'S GO TO FUTURE [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ] AGENDA ITEMS. PEOPLE ARE TOO TIRED FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. NO, I HAVE ONE. OH, NOT RICK. OKAY. , GO AHEAD. I'M SORRY. I APOLOGIZE FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. I NEED TO BRA BEAT MEMBERS OF THE, UH, URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE AGENDA FOR OUR UPCOMING MEETING IN SEPTEMBER. UH, DON'T MAKE ME DRIVE FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE DOWN TO YOUR INDIVIDUAL HOUSES AND POUND ON YOUR DOOR AT THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING TO, UH, DEMAND AGENDA ITEMS. PLEASE, UH, RECOMMEND ITEMS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE FOR US TO DISCUSS AT THE NEXT MEETING. SO, UH, THAT'S THE ONLY THING I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS AT THE, UH, AT OUR NEXT MEETING. OKAY. SO, AS IT PERTAINS TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, ARE YOU WANTING SPACE FOR AN UPDATE FROM THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE OR? SURE. ALL OF THAT. OKAY. SOUNDS GOOD. UM, ANYTHING ELSE? UM, PARDON ME, CHAIR, CAN WE GET A CO-SPONSOR FOR THAT ITEM? OKAY, I'LL, I'LL CO-SPONSOR IT. THANK YOU. UM, ALRIGHT, SO WITH THAT, ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO ADJOURNMENT? THIS IS THE SPEEDY PROCESS THAT COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN LIKES. ANY OBJECTIONS? HEARING NONE THE TIME IS 9 46 AND WE'RE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.