Jul 22, 2026 Joint Sustainability Committee

[00:00:03]

89.

SORRY FOR THE WAIT.

THERE WAS A CONFUSION WITH ONE OF OUR MEMBERS ON THE DATE OF THE MEETING, SO TURNS OUT THEY COULDN'T ATTEND.

SO, UH, WE ARE NOW AT

[CALL TO ORDER ]

UM, IS ANYBODY GONNA HAVE TO LEAVE AT A CERTAIN TIME? IF SO, CAN YOU SHARE WHAT TIME? 8, 7 30.

OKAY.

UM, WE HAVE SOME ACTION ITEMS THAT I WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET TO, BUT ONE OF THEM WILL BE INFORMED BY A PRESENTATION.

SO I'M SORRY, BUT I'M GONNA SUGGEST THAT WE PUSH RAIN TO RIVER TOWARD THE END OF THE AGENDA, NOT BECAUSE WE DON'T THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.

LOVE IT.

AND THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, BUT JUST 'CAUSE YEAH.

HEDGE OUR BETS HERE.

SO I THINK FIRST, WE'LL, WE'LL START WITH DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS FROM THE PUBLIC? UH, ONE ITEM.

OKAY.

SO THEN WE WILL, UH,

[1. Approve the minutes of the Joint Sustainability Committee Special Called Meeting on June 25th, 2026.]

CAN I GET A MOTION? JUST WANNA MAKE MOVE TO ADOPT.

SORRY.

ONE THING, UM, ON THE AGENDA, YES.

THAT JUST SAYS JUNE 25TH, BUT WE MET ON JUNE 24TH.

SO THIS, THIS AGENDA.

OKAY.

SO CAN WE MAKE THAT CORRECTION ON THE MINUTES? THANKS FOR CATCHING THAT.

OKAY.

SO WE HAD A, WE HAVE A MOTION.

UH, DID WE HAVE A SECOND? AND WE HAVE A SECOND.

THANK YOU ANNA.

UH, ALRIGHT.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER CORRECTIONS, SIR? OKAY.

ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND PLEASE.

OKAY.

THE MINUTES ARE ADOPTED.

THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT, SO NOW WE'RE GONNA GET

[Items 3. & 4.]

UM, AND WELL, YEAH, WE'LL DO THAT.

AND THEN I THINK WE'LL WAIT ON FURTHER DISCUSSION PROBABLY UNTIL AFTER WE DO OUR OTHER ITEMS. BUT I WANTED TO HEAR THIS ONE JUST BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE RELEVANT TO THE DOG SAID RESOLUTION.

ALL RIGHT.

TAKE IT AWAY, BOBBY.

OKAY.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

BOBBY LAVINSKY.

I'M THE SENIOR STAFF ATTORNEY FOR SAVE SPRINGS ALLIANCE, AND I'LL ALSO TRY TO BE QUICK KNOWING YOUR TIME ISSUE.

UM, SO, UH, JUST FOR STARTERS, UM, I'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK DOWN IN THE SAN MARCOS AREA.

THAT'S ACTUALLY WHERE I LIVE NOW.

UM, I'M PART OF THE DATA CENTER ACTION COALITION.

WE'VE BEEN, UH, I'M GONNA SAY FIGHTING THE DATA CENTERS JUST 'CAUSE IT'S ACCURATE FOR THE VERY, UH, LAST TWO TO THREE YEARS.

UM, WE STOPPED ONE OF THE DATA CENTERS THROUGH ZONING.

WE THEN, UM, UH, I THINK THROUGH PEER PRESSURE STOPPED ONE OF THE LANDOWNERS WHO LIVES IN SAN MARCOS FROM, UH, PURSUING A DATA CENTER PROJECT.

AND THEN NOW ON MONDAY OF THIS WEEK, I HAVE FILED A LAWSUIT, UM, AGAINST THE GUADALUPE COUNTY ON TWO OTHER BIG DATA CENTERS.

SO BOTH OF THEM ARE GIGABYTES, I'M GONNA GET TO THEM LATER BECAUSE THEY GET TO OUR, UM, UH, GET TO KIND OF THE IMPACTS THAT LOCAL COMMUNITIES ARE FEELING.

IT'S IMPORTANT FOR AUSTIN THOUGH, EVEN THOUGH A LOT OF THEM ARE HAPPENING AROUND, UM, THE PERIPHERY, UM, AUSTIN IS, UM, ONE OF THE CITIES THAT COULD BE LOOKED AT FOR LOCATION OF A DATA CENTER.

AND, UH, WITH THE DOGHEAD DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW, UM, THE LANDOWNER HAS NOT RULED OUT PURSUING A DATA CENTER.

UM, SO JUST TO KIND OF GIVE A BIG OVERVIEW OF WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING, TEXAS IS KIND OF BEING VIEWED AS THE EPICENTER FOR DATA CENTERS.

WE HAVE MORE DATA CENTERS BEING PROPOSED THAN ANYWHERE ELSE.

UM, AND THE ONES THAT EXISTED BEFORE, THEY WERE LARGELY IN THE, THE VIRGINIA AREA.

UM, AND THAT'S KIND OF SHIFTING, UM, AS WE SPEAK.

UM, AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, CHEAPER LAND, LESS REGULATION THAT EQUALS TEXAS.

UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF WHY THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOOKING AT IT.

THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING AT, UM, UH, WHERE THE POWER LINES ARE.

UH, WE TALKED TO ONE OF THE DATA CENTER OPERATORS, AND WHERE THEY'RE LOCATING IS REALLY DEPENDENT ON HAVING ACCESS TO A POWER PLANT, HAVING ACCESS TO A BIG SUBSTATION, AND THEN ALSO HAVING ACCESS TO THE, THE, UM, THE, THE FIBER LINE THAT ARE THERE, UM, ALREADY, UH, AND AT THE STATE LEVEL, THERE ARE 480 PROJECTS CURRENTLY IN THE QUEUE WITH, UH, ERCOT.

UH, THE MEGAWATTAGE OF THE PEAK TIME ALL HIGH IS 85,508 MEGAWATTS IN THE QUEUE IS, UH, OVER 438

[00:05:01]

UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A FIVEFOLD INCREASE ON THE STRAIN OF POWER IN TEXAS.

IF ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE QUEUE WITH ERCOT GET APPROVED, THAT'S MORE WATER BEING USED, MORE ENERGY BEING USED.

AND I THINK THAT IS AN OBJECTIVE STAT.

UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY THAT WE ARE OVER-INFLATING THE WHAT'S HAPPENING, BUT I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS FROM ERCOT, AND IT, IT SHOWS THAT NO MATTER WHAT YOUR VIEW IS ON THE NE NECESSITY OF DATA CENTERS, THEY'RE GOING TO BE USING MORE POWER AND MORE WATER.

UM, THEY'RE, IT'S ALSO GOING TO OBJECTIVELY HAVE AN IMPACT ON OUR LOCAL IMPACTS TO OUR, UM, TO OUR ENERGY RATES.

SO, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY PUT OUT, UM, IT WAS KIND OF A MORE OF A JOINT, UM, MEMO FROM THE CITY, BUT IN AUSTIN ENERGY HAD A SECTION, THEY PUT OUT THIS STATEMENT.

I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY USEFUL TO KIND OF FRAME WHAT'S HAPPENING.

AN AI DATA CENTER COULD BE BUILT IN AS LITTLE AS 18 MONTHS FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF LOAD AS A HIGH DENSITY MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT COVERING THOUSANDS OF ACRES THAT MAY TAKE 20 TO 25 YEARS TO FULLY BUILD OUT.

SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE THAT EXISTS RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVING TO GET RAPIDLY, RAPIDLY PREPARED, PREPARED FOR THESE THINGS.

AND A LOT OF THE SMALLER COMMUNITIES AREN'T EQUIPPED TO HANDLE IT.

AND I DON'T EVEN THINK SOME OF THE LARGER COMMUNITIES ARE EQUIPPED TO HANDLE IT.

AND AUSTIN REALLY NEEDS TO GET AHEAD OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN THEIR, IN THE FUTURE.

UM, THE TRANSMISSION COSTS GET THEN, UH, DISTRIBUTED TO RATE PAYERS, UM, THROUGH THE COST OF SERVICE STUDIES.

UH, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE, THE ONE WAY TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT, UM, WHAT A DATA CENTER'S RESPONSIBLE FOR IS A LOT OF PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, LIKE, WHEN A DEVELOPER COMES IN AND THEY'RE BUILDING ON A SITE, THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR, UM, BUILDING THE ACCESS TO THE ROAD.

SO IF THEY HAVE TO BUILD AN ACCESS ROAD TO A LARGER ARTERIAL, DATA CENTERS ARE THE SAME WAY IN THE SENSE THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THE, THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE SITE AND WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THEM, GET TO THEM, TO THAT ROAD, TO THOSE POWER LINES.

BUT ONCE IT HITS THAT, THOSE TRANSMISSION LINES, THEY'RE NO LONGER RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE COSTS, AT LEAST NOT YET.

UM, AND SO THERE'S A BIG, UM, UH, EMPHASIS ON TRYING TO GET DATA CENTERS TO BE THEIR OWN, UH, OR LARGE, UH, ENERGY USERS TO BE THEIR OWN CATEGORY.

UH, SO THAT WAY WE CAN START SHIFTING THOSE COSTS OF THOSE TRANSMISSION LINES ONTO THEM.

AND THAT'S GOING TO BE NECESSARY BECAUSE WE'RE, IT'S GOING TO END UP IN, UM, UH, INCREASES IN OUR ENERGY RATES FOR ALL RESIDENTIAL RATES.

I THINK, AND KABA, CORRECT ME ON IF I'M WRONG ON THIS ONE, I THINK RIGHT NOW, AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, IT'S 44% OF THE, UH, THE COSTS ARE DISTRIBUTED TO RESIDENTIAL OR SOME SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE.

SO I I, I COULD BE OFF ON THAT, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I UNDERSTAND.

UH, AND THEN, UM, THE OTHER PART OF THE ENERGY RATES THAT I THINK, UH, KIND OF GETS GLOSSED OVER IS JUST DEMANDS AND DEMANDS ON THE FOSSIL FUELS DEMANDS ON ALL THE RESOURCES.

THERE'S A COST TO THAT THAT COMES AS JUST AS PART OF LIKE INCREASING THE MARKET COMPETITION FOR THESE RESOURCES.

THEY'RE ALL COMPETING FOR THE SAME EQUIPMENT, FOR THE SAME ENERGY SUPPLIES.

UM, AND THAT'S GONNA HAVE, UM, AN IMPACT ON, UH, MARKET POWER.

THEN THERE'S A, THERE'S A REAL, UH, HEAVY CONCERN ON, UH, WHETHER THERE ARE GONNA BE STRANDED COSTS.

SO AFTER A DATA CENTER GETS, UM, BUILT, AND THEN LET'S SAY IT SHUTS DOWN, WELL, WE JUST RAMPED UP ALL OF OUR U OUR, OUR MASSIVE, UM, WE JUST RAMPED UP OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AT A MASSIVE SCALE.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE ENERGY RATES WHEN THE, WHEN THERE'S NO LONGER THAT USER PAYING FOR THE RATES? UM, THIS, IT'S, THIS IS SIMILAR, THIS IS MORE AT THE STATEWIDE LEVEL.

UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE, THE TRANSMISSION LINES THAT ARE BEING FORECASTED THAT, UM, THE PUC JUST EVALUATED WAS, UH, IN THE FACTOR OF $33 BILLION.

UM, AND SO WITH THAT, UM, THOSE TRANSMISSION COSTS GETS PASSED ON TO CONSUMERS, UH, THROUGH THE UTILITY, THROUGH THE UTILITIES.

UM, AND I MENTIONED THAT THE NEED FOR A RATE CLASS TO, TO PREVENT, UM, RESIDENTIAL AND SMALL BUSINESSES FROM HAVING TO BEAR THE COST OF THESE DATA CENTERS ARE PUSHING ONTO OUR ENERGY RATES.

UM, THIS CHART AT THE TOP, IT SHOWS, UM, THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS HOW HAVE REALLY ESCALATED IN COST.

AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF DEBATE ABOUT WHAT THE CO THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE TO THAT COST.

BUT AS DATA CENTERS ARE BEING BROUGHT ONLINE, I THINK WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO SEE MORE PEAKS ON, UM, HOW MUCH THESE THIS IS COSTING US.

UH, I'M MORE OF A WATER PERSON, SO, UM, I KNOW A LOT MORE ABOUT, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH WATER.

THAT'S ALSO THE BIG CONCERN THAT WE HAVE DOWN IN HAYES COUNTY, WHERE, UM, WE ALREADY HAVE TO IMPORT WATER FROM OTHER AREAS TO JUST SUSTAIN OUR CURRENT DEMANDS.

AUSTIN'S NOT TOO FAR OFF, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH MOSTLY RELYING ON LAKE TRAVIS AND THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD SOME FORECAST TOO THAT DIDN'T LOOK REALLY GREAT WITH THE FUTURE OF AUSTIN WATER UNLESS WE START MAKING SOME SERIOUS CHANGES.

UM, WHEN I THINK ABOUT ALL THE WATER ADVOCACY THAT PEOPLE AT THIS GROUP AND, AND OTHER GROUPS HAVE DONE, UH, YOU REALLY START TO THINK

[00:10:01]

BUT A LOT OF THAT GETS WIPED OUT OVERNIGHT WITH JUST ONE DATA CENTER WITH HOW MUCH WATER THAT THEY COULD ULTIMATELY USE.

UM, THE STATEWIDE FORECAST DO NOT CURRENTLY FACTOR IN THE DATA CENTER DEMANDS THAT ARE COMING ONLINE.

UH, SO THAT THE MOST RECENT ONE WAS THE 2022 STATE WATER PLAN, THE 2027 ONES GOING ONGOING.

AND EVEN IN THAT 2027 PLAN, WE ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE DATA CENTER FORECAST IN THAT PLAN.

IT'S NOT PROJECTED TO BE PART OF OUR STATEWIDE PLANNING UNTIL 2032.

ONE OF THE TALKING POINTS I OFTEN HEAR FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE PROPONENTS OF DATA CENTERS IS, WELL, IT'S BETTER THAN A RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISION, BUT WE ALREADY NEED THE WATER FOR THOSE RESIDENCES.

AND THE, AND A DATA CENTER DOES NOT OFFSET THE DEMAND FROM, FROM FUTURE RESIDENTIAL GROWTH.

WE ARE OPERATING CURRENTLY AT A DEFICIT FOR PROJECTED WATER.

AND THE, THE NEW DATA CENTER DEMANDS ONLY MAKES THAT WORSE.

WATER IS A FINITE RESOURCE.

YOU CAN'T JUST CREATE IT.

UM, AND IF YOU ARE IMPORTING IT FROM FURTHER AND FURTHER OUT, YOU'RE USING MORE ENERGY AND IT'S COSTING MORE TO CONSUMERS.

SO, UM, THE OTHER, UH, ANOTHER PART OF THAT, UH, CONVERSATION ALSO WAS LIKE, RECLAIM WATER.

WHILE RECLAIM WATER IS BETTER THAN USING POTABLE WATER FOR A ANY USER, UM, WE WERE ALREADY FACTORING IN RECLAIMED WATER AS SOMETHING WE NEEDED TO DO BEFORE THE ADDITIONAL DEMANDS OF DATA CENTERS.

SO IF WE'RE USING RECLAIMED WATER JUST TO SUSTAIN THESE DATA CENTERS, WE'RE NOT REALLY GAINING MUCH, UM, BY APPROVING THEM.

UH, AND THEN, UH, I THINK THAT THIS CONVERSATION AROUND DATA CENTERS HAS REALLY, I THINK, FINALLY MADE THE CONNECTION FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE BETWEEN THE WATER ENERGY NEXUS.

UM, WHEN YOU ARE USING MORE ELECTRICITY AT A SITE, YOU'RE, THAT GETS TURNED INTO HEAT AND IT HAS TO BE DISSIPATED IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

SO THEN THERE'S THESE CONVERSATIONS ON, IS ONSITE COOLING BETTER THAN OFFSITE COOLING? UM, OR IS IT BETTER TO HAVE CLOSED LOOPED? AND I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT WILL ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS.

BUT THE FUNDAMENTAL FACTOR IS IT ALL USES ENERGY.

IT ALL USES WATER.

UM, SO WHEN YOU DO AIR COOLING, YOU HAVE A LOWER DIRECT IMPACT TO LOCAL WATER, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO USE MORE ENERGY.

AND SO WHEREVER YOU'RE GETTING YOUR ENERGY SOURCE FOR, YOU'RE USING MORE WATER FROM THAT LOCATION.

AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE STATE AS ONE WATER SYSTEM, WE'RE STILL USING WATER TO, TO COOL THOSE DATA CENTERS.

UM, AND THEN LIKE WITH WATER COOLING, IT HAS A HIGHER DIRECT WATER USAGE WITHIN, IT USES LESS ENERGY.

SO IT, IT'S REALLY CONTEXT SENSITIVE ON WHAT'S THE PREFERRED SOLUTION IS.

AND I THINK WHEN I GOT IN ENGAGED IN THIS CONVERSATION ON A DATA CENTER, IT WAS KIND OF LIKE, WELL, WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO FOR THIS PARTICULAR SITE? BUT WHEN YOU DO THAT, YOU LOSE CONTEXT ABOUT THE, THE RAPID PROLIFERATION OF THESE ACROSS THE STATE.

AND REALLY, I THINK THE ANSWER IS RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PLANNING IN PLACE OR ANY PROPER INFRASTRUCTURE TO HANDLE WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S COMING, UH, TO US.

UM, THERE ARE NON-WATER COOLING TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE, BUT, UH, THEY COME WITH A HIGHER OPERATIONAL AND CAPITAL COSTS.

SO THOSE DATA CENTER OPERATIONS ARE, UH, OPERATORS ARE NOT REALLY INCLINED TO PURSUE THEM.

WHEN WE TALKED TO ONE OF THE ONES THAT WERE BEING PROPOSED IN SAN MARCOS, THEY BASICALLY SAID, YEAH, WE'LL FIGURE OUT WATER LATER.

AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF COMING IN, UM, COMING INTO, UH, PLAY RIGHT NOW.

WE HAVE ONE THAT'S GONNA JUST LIKE, EH, THERE'S A BUNCH OF PEOPLE THAT WE MAY BE IN TO LIKE START TRUCKING WATER FROM.

WE'LL JUST BUY IT FROM SOMEWHERE AND JUST TRUCK IT IN AND STORAGE IN A TANK.

UM, THEY'RE REALLY JUST KIND OF FIGURING OUT AS THEY GO, BECAUSE THEY'RE VENTURE CAPITALISTS.

THEY'RE NOT REALLY PEOPLE THAT ARE PART OF OUR, UM, THEY'RE NOT REALLY, UH, IN IT FOR DEVELOPING OUR COMMUNITY.

I, I SHOULD WANNA BE CAREFUL IN SAYING THAT, BUT, UM, THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE A BUCK.

UM, AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, OTHER THAN WIND AND SOLAR, ALL POWER GENERATION USES WATER.

SO I MEAN, YOU CAN, YOU CAN ARGUE THAT ONE IS BETTER THAN ANOTHER, BUT, UM, IT, I DON'T SEE, UM, A BENEFIT IN, UH, IN, UH, SUGGESTING THAT ONE POWER SOURCE LIKE, UH, A NUCLEAR, UM, IS GOING TO SOLVE THIS SITUATION FOR US.

UM, SO I THINK THE OTHER PART OF THE STORY IS, YOU KNOW, DOES IT JUST, DOES IT MAKE SENSE FOR TEXAS TO BE THE WORLD SUPPLY OF DATA CENTERS? AND THAT'S KIND OF IN THE BACKDROP OF EVERYTHING.

WE ARE A STATE THAT IS PRONE TO RECORD DROUGHT, UM, UH, AND IT'S, IT'S ONLY GETTING WORSE OVER TIME.

OUR CLIMATE IS CHANGING.

THIS CHART AT THE BOTTOM, UM, SHOWS HOW OFTEN WE'VE BEEN IN DROUGHT FOR THE LAST 20 OR SO YEARS.

UM, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE VERY RARELY IN A, IN A STATE WHERE WE'RE

[00:15:01]

THIS WAS, UM, WHAT I FOUND IN THE DATA TO BE THE WORST DROUGHT, UM, UH, ACROSS THE STATE, UM, WHERE 88% OF THE STATE WAS IN STAGE FOUR DROUGHT ALL AT ONCE.

UM, AND SO I WANNA BRING IT TO, UM, THE, THE TWO THAT I'M, I'M CURRENTLY FIGHTING RIGHT NOW.

UM, THEY ARE BOTH GIGAWATT DATA CENTERS.

SO THAT'S, UH, THEY'RE VERY, VERY LARGE SCALE.

AND I THINK I GLOSSED OVER BEFORE, WHEN YOU HEAR PEOPLE TALK ABOUT EXISTING DATA CENTERS SAYING, HEY, WE ALL USE OUR IPHONES.

WE ALL STREAM NETFLIX, WE NEED DATA CENTERS.

IT'S TRUE DATA CENTERS ARE NOT INHERENTLY BAD.

WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING IS THE SCALE OF THEM AND THE NUMBER OF THEM.

AND SO, LIKE, WHILE A NORMAL DATA CENTER IN THE PAST WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE TO MAYBE EVEN UP TO 30 GIGA, UH, UH, MEGAWATTS BEING LIKE THE LARGER, LARGER ONE, NOW THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH COMING IN AT, AT THE GIGA GIGAWATT LEVEL.

UM, AND THEY'RE ASKING LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO SUPPLY THEM THE WATER TO SERVE AND THE ENERGY TO SERVE THOSE, THE, THOSE GIGAWATT, UM, LEVEL DATA CENTERS.

UH, THESE TWO COMBINED, UH, REPLACE 1700 ACRES OF FARMLAND.

SO WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT LOCAL FOOD, WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, JUST THE IMPACTS TO RANCHERS AND FARMERS, UM, THIS IS GONNA HAVE A HUGE, UM, JUST DISASTROUS EFFECT FOR A LOT OF OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY.

UH, THESE AREAS GET FLATTENED, THEY GET PAVED.

UM, SO WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT 1700 ACRES BEING CONVERTED INTO 4 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF DATA CENTER, THAT'S A HECK OF A LOT OF CONCRETE, AND IT'S A HECK A LOT OF IMPACT TO, UM, UH, TREES AND NATIVE VEGETATION.

UM, AND IT HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT.

NOT ONLY DOES THE ADDITIONAL CONCRETE AND THE LA AND THE, THE REDUCTION OF THE VEGETATIVE COVER REDUCE, UM, UH, REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF LIKE A NATURAL COOLING.

UM, YOU ALSO HAVE THESE DATA CENTERS BEING A HEAT SOURCE THEMSELVES.

SO THERE'S STUDIES COMING OUT THAT'S SAYING THAT THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, INCREASE TEMPERATURES JUST AROUND THE DATA CENTER UP TO 15 DEGREES.

UM, AND, UH, THE OTHER PART OF THEIR, THEY TEND TO CLUSTER, UM, BECAUSE THEY NEED TO RELY ON THOSE SAME, THE SAME INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THEY TRY, THEY, THEY SHARE IN THE COST OF THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.

UM, SO THEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT POCKETS WHERE THEY START HAVING, UM, POWER PLANTS BEING CON CONCENTRATED TOGETHER.

SO WITH THESE TWO BEING NEXT TO AN EXISTING COAL PLANT, WE ARE NOW LOOKING AT NEXT, OR NEXT, SORRY, AN EXISTING NATURAL GAS PLANT.

WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, THREE POWER PLANTS WITHIN A 1.5 MILE RADIUS OF EACH OTHER.

UM, AND THE OTHER PART OF JUST, I'M GONNA GO BACK IN A SECOND.

THE OTHER PART OF, UM, UH, JUST THE LAND USE CONSIDERATION THERE IS, UM, WE ALL ARE TALKING ABOUT HOW DO WE CREATE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES, ACTIVE COMMUNITIES, THESE ARE DEAD ZONES.

THEY HAVE VERY FEW JOBS.

THERE'S VERY FEW PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY IN THOSE BUILDINGS.

SO IF YOU HAVE THIS, UH, BEING PROPOSED, LET'S SAY ON THE DOG'S HEAD, YOU'RE GOING TO CREATE A SITUATION WHERE YOU'VE GOT MASSIVE NUMBER OF ACRES NOT BEING ACTIVELY USED BY PEOPLE, AND IT'S NOT A REALLY FRIENDLY URBAN ENVIRONMENT.

UM, SO WE HEAR ABOUT NOISE A LOT.

THERE'S ACTIVE LAWSUITS ABOUT PEOPLE WHO CAN'T SLEEP AT NIGHT.

UM, THEIR HEALTH'S BEING IMPACTED BECAUSE THEY'RE LIVING NEXT TO JUST THIS CONSTANT BUZZ.

UM, WHEN WE TALKED TO CYRUS, ONE, WHEN THEY WERE COMING INTO OUR COMMUNITY, THEY MEANT, THEY SAID THAT IT WAS BASICALLY A CONSTANT LEVEL OF 65 DECIBELS.

AND SO IF YOU'RE NOT REALLY PLANNING FOR HOW TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT CONSTANT NOISE, UM, THAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE LIVING NEXT TO, UM, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE IMPACTS TO THEIR ABILITY TO SLEEP 24 HOUR.

UH, SO IT'S A 24 HOUR A DAY NOISE SITUATION.

UM, THERE'S EXTENDED PERIODS, THERE'S CONSTRUCTION.

THESE ARE MASSIVE SITES.

IT'S CONSTRUCTION TRUCKS.

UM, UH, THESE ARE MULTI-YEAR PROJECTS.

UM, UH, NATURALLY WHAT FOLLOWS FROM, UH, NEEDING TO EXPAND INFRASTRUCTURE IS EMINENT DOMAIN.

SO THAT'S BECOMING A CONCERN IN A LOT OF COMMUNITIES.

UM, FIND PARTICULATE MATTER IS BECOMING A LOCAL CONCERN BECAUSE WE'RE NOW, UM, OVER THE THRESHOLD IN TRAVIS COUNTY FOR, UM, WHAT'S CONSIDERED SAFE FOR HUMAN CONDITIONS, UM, UH, FOR FINE PARTICULATE MATTER.

AND THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP A LOT IN THE CONTEXT OF HIGHWAYS.

WHEN HARC WAS LOOKING AT THIS, THEY MENTIONED THAT, UM, THE AMOUNT OF FINE PARTICULATE MATTER THAT IS GOING TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS DATA CENTER EXPANSION WOULD EXCEED ALL OF TEXAS HIGHWAYS.

UM, AND THEN WITH THE, UH, WITH THAT COMES ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CONCERNS BECAUSE IT'S NOT, UM, IT, IT THAT THEY ARE MORE LIKELY THAN NOT GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAPPEN IN AREAS THAT HAVE ALREADY SUFFERED FROM ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CONSEQUENCES WITHIN NATURE THAT WE'VE GROWN AS, AS A REGION.

[00:20:01]

UH, HOW DO WE GET HERE? THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE HAS COMPLETELY DEREGULATED, UM, MOST OF WHAT WE CAN DO.

UM, SO WE HAD SB 2038, WHICH ALLOWS PEOPLE TO REMOVE THEMSELVES FROM THE ETJ.

YOU'LL SEE MOST OF THE DATA CENTERS BEING LOCATED AROUND THE CITY EDGES, WHERE THOSE, UH, REMOVALS, REMOVALS HAVE HAPPENED.

THAT WAS ABOUT A DECADES OF DEREGULATION.

COUNTY AUTHORITY GOT, UM, THAT GOT DEREGULATED AS WELL.

SO COUNTIES DON'T REALLY HAVE MUCH THEY CAN DO.

THEY'RE DESPERATELY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS THAT THEY CAN HELP.

UM, UH, BUT WE, WE NEED MORE, UH, LEGISLATION AROUND THAT.

UM, AND I THINK THAT WITH THE SB 2038 CONVERSATION, ACCESS TO WATER AND WASTEWATER BECAME ONE OF THE LAST STOPS THAT WE HAVE TO REALLY CONTROLLING HOW WE CAN GROW AS A COMMUNITY.

SO WE NEED TO BE STRENGTHENING OUR POLICIES AROUND SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST.

UM, SO MAYBE REQUIRING COUNCIL APPROVAL FOR LARGER SCALE SERVICE, UH, EXTENSION REQUEST.

AND THEN, UM, WE, UH, NEED BETTER REGULATIONS AT THE STATE LEVEL SO PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY FIGHT BACK AT THE TCEQ.

UM, I'M JUST GONNA MENTION THIS REALLY FAST AND, AND, AND END THERE.

UM, SO A LOT OF PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THAT.

ST.

MARCOS IS THE FIRST COMMUNITY THAT DID A BAN IN THEIR ZONING FOR DATA CENTERS.

I THINK I PUT BAN IN QUOTATION MARKS BECAUSE IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A MISNOMER.

REALLY, WHAT THEY DID IS THEY CREATED A ZONING CATEGORY FOR DATA CENTERS, AND THEN THEY JUST ELECTED NOT TO APPLY IT IN ANY OF THE CATEGORIES THAT WERE CURRENTLY BEING USED.

SO IT'S NOT REALLY A BAN, IT EXISTS IN THE CODE, BUT, UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY, A DATA CENTER DEVELOPER WOULD HAVE TO COME IN AND ASK FOR, AND IT'S RATHER THAN JUST SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE BY RIGHT.

UM, AND THEN, UH, THERE'S MULTIPLE VOTER INITIATIVES THAT ARE GOING AROUND.

UM, TAYLOR SUBMITTED A, A PETITION.

UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'RE GONNA BE CHALLENGING THAT IN COURT 'CAUSE THE COUNCIL REFUSED TO ACCEPT IT.

UM, THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE ATTEMPTS AT MORATORIUMS AT THE COUNTY LEVEL.

UH, THE, PROBABLY THE CLOSEST ONE THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS TO A MORATORIUM IS HAYES COUNTY HAS SAID THAT THEY RE REFUSE TO DO ANY DISCRETIONARY APPROVALS FOR A DATA CENTER.

UM, SO THAT'S GONNA LAST AT LEAST UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR WITH, UNTIL WHEN THE NEW COURT TAKES OVER.

UM, AND THEN I WANNA MENTION THAT, UH, THIS IS A BIPARTISAN ISSUE.

UH, I AM STANDING, I'M NOT, UM, I'M NOT A, I I SHOULDN'T SAY MY POLITICAL AFFILIATION.

I, I THINK YOU COULD PROBABLY GUESS, BUT I'M, I'M STANDING NEXT TO PEOPLE THAT ARE HARDCORE ON THE OTHER SIDE.

UM, AND IT'S A REALLY KIND OF A BEAUTIFUL THING WHERE YOU'VE GOT, UH, PEOPLE FROM VERY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, UM, COMING TOGETHER AND RECOGNIZING THAT, UH, THIS IS A MOMENT THAT WE REALLY NEED SOME ACTION.

UM, AND IT GOES ABOVE PAR PARTY POLITICS.

UM, AND THEN, UH, I, I MENTIONED THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING LAWSUITS.

UM, THERE'S SEVERAL, I THINK I SAW ANOTHER TOMA BASED LAWSUIT IN ANOTHER COMMUNITY RECENTLY.

UM, AND THEN, UH, UH, I'M SURE COMMISSIONER QURESHI COULD SPEAK TO THE AUSTIN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION THAT WAS MADE ON APRIL 1ST.

THERE'S SOME REALLY GOOD SUGGESTIONS IN THERE, AND WE'RE HOPING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WILL TAKE IT UP WHEN THEY CONSIDER THESE POLICIES IN AUGUST.

THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I'M GONNA END.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BOBBY.

SUPER INFORMATIVE.

DO FOLKS HAVE QUESTIONS? I I DO.

DO YOU HAVE ANY, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT HOW MANY SITES HAVE BEEN APPROVED IN AUSTIN, UH, THAT ARE IN THE QUEUE, OR THAT ARE ACTIVELY OPERATIONAL AND THAT ARE IN THE QUEUE? SO WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS I'VE MADE A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR THAT VERY QUESTION.

AND, UM, THAT INFORMATION IS BEING, BEING WITHHELD AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS REFUSING TO GIVE IT OVER AND, AND TRYING TO SEEK EXCEPTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT.

I, I, DID THEY SAY WHY? WHAT EXCEPTION? SO, OFTENTIMES WITH THESE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT REQUESTS, THEY'RE RECLAIMING THAT THERE IS, UM, UH, EITHER HOMELAND SECURITY CONCERNS OR CONFIDENTIALITY CONCERNS.

UM, AND SO THEY DO HAVE TO NOTIFY THIRD PARTIES ABOUT, UH, THE REQUEST, AND THEN THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT.

UM, THE ONLY THIRD PARTY THAT I KNOW THAT OBJECTED TO OUR REQUEST WAS, UM, TESLA.

BUT I WILL SAY THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS PROBABLY ABOUT THREE MONTHS BEHIND ON RESPONDING TO THAT DATA SET THAT, THAT PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST, WE HAVE GOTTEN AN AG RULING.

THEY DO HAVE TO RELEASE THINGS.

SO IT MAKES ME FEEL A LITTLE BIT BETTER ABOUT THE PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST THAT I HAVE YET TO GET RESPONSE TO,

[00:25:01]

ALL RIGHT.

UH, WHO ELSE HAS QUESTIONS OR, OR THOUGHTS TO SHARE HERE? WE ARE PLANNING TO TAKE THIS, I THINK, UP AGAIN NEXT MONTH, SO I'M SURE THAT I, WE'LL BE MARINATING ON THIS AND, UH, COMING BACK TO THIS INFORMATION THAT YOU PRESENTED.

SO THANK YOU, BOBBY.

YES, CHARLOTTE.

HI.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MR. LAVINSKY, FOR THIS PRESENTATION.

IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE AND, AND ALSO QUITE TERRIFYING.

UM, CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE PM 2.5 THAT YOU MENTIONED, THE AIR EMISSIONS FROM THE DATA CENTERS? LIKE HOW, UH, WHAT'S THE MECHANISM BY WHICH THOSE EMISSIONS OCCUR? YEAH, I APPRECIATE THAT.

I DID GLOSS OVER THAT.

UM, SO ANY DATA CENTER THAT IS LARGER THAN 75 MEGAWATTS HAS TO HAVE A BA, A BACKUP GENERATOR THAT PRODUCES, UM, 50% OF ITS POWER, UM, UNDER SB SIX.

AND THEY ARE OFTEN DIESEL, BA GENERATORS, DIESEL.

GOTCHA.

AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THE RELATED, UM, UH, EMISSIONS THAT COME WITH THE POWER PLANTS THAT GET BUILT AS WELL.

THANK YOU.

UM, I HAVE ANOTHER ONE MORE QUESTION.

HAVE YOU PRESENTED, UH, OR SHARED ANY OF, OF THIS WITH THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION? I HAVE.

I PERSONALLY HAVE NOT.

I DON'T, I I GO TO A LOT OF COMMISSIONS, BUT THAT'S NOT ONE I TYPICALLY GO TO THAT OFTEN.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

OKAY.

YEAH.

UH, IT'S, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WE HAVE DATA CENTERS COMING NOW, BUT IF WE, IF WE DON'T, THEN WE, WE PROBABLY WILL IF, IF WE DON'T STOP IT GIVEN, GIVEN THE TREND ON THE STATE.

SO I THINK THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT OUR COMMISSION IS GONNA WANNA REVISIT.

IT DEFINITELY HAS A, A CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.

UH, COULD I ASK ONE QUESTION? YEAH.

'CAUSE IT PERTAINS TO PLEASE THE DOG'S HEAD RECOMMENDATION.

MM-HMM .

UM, YOU SAID THAT WASTEWATER, UH, OR, UH, I THINK WATER TREATMENT, UH, PLANTS, FACILITIES, THAT, THAT DIDN'T REALLY HAVE ANY IMPACT ON THE WATER USAGE.

OR COULD YOU KIND OF RE REITERATE THAT POINT? BECAUSE SOME BACKGROUND, THE, UM, AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AND THE WORKING SESSION THAT THEY HAD YESTERDAY, THAT WAS A POINT THAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, IS ESSENTIALLY SAYING OF, OH, COULD WE ENSURE THAT THESE FACILITIES ARE MORE EFFICIENT BY, YOU KNOW, REQUIRING, UM, SOME SORT OF LIKE, FOR THEM TO USE, UH, NON-TREATED WATER.

SO COULD YOU KIND OF ELABORATE ON THE POINT THAT YOU HAD IN YOUR SLIDES ABOUT THAT? YEAH, SO I THINK YOU'RE, UM, REFERENCING THE RECLAIMED WATER.

UM, AND THE RECLAIMED WATER OFTEN GETS RAISED AS THE SOLUTION FOR PROVIDING THE WATER TO THESE, UM, LARGE INDUSTRIAL SCALE, UH, FACILITIES.

AND IT IS THEORETICALLY A GOOD USE OF WATER.

I THINK THE CONCERN IS, UM, DOES THAT RECLAIM WATER THEN GET PUT BACK INTO THE SYSTEM? 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW, IF WE USE RECLAIM WATER FOR RESIDENTIAL PER SE, YOU CAN PUT THAT BACK INTO THE SEWAGE, TREAT IT AGAIN, AND CONTINUING TO USE IT.

IF YOU HAVE A SCENARIO WHERE YOU'RE USING IT IN AN INDUSTRIAL SPACE AND THAT WATER CAN'T BE REUSED ANYMORE, DOES IT THEN EXIT THE SYSTEM? AND SO YOU'RE NOT REALLY GETTING THE BENEFIT OF THAT RECLAIMED WATER LONG TERM.

UM, AND EVERY SYSTEM IS DIFFERENT.

I'M NOT GONNA SAY THAT THEY CAN'T DO IT.

UM, WHAT WE HAVE SEEN WITH THE ONES THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED IN OTHER LOCATIONS THOUGH, IS THEY TREAT THAT WATER AS HAZARDOUS WASTE.

AND SO THEY NEED TO EITHER PUT IT IN SEALED CONTAINERS AND SHIP IT OFF, OR THEY'RE TRYING TO DO SOME SORT OF, UM, ONSITE TREATMENT AND THEN, UM, DUMP IT INTO A RIVER, WHICH WOULD NOT BE, MIGHT NOT BE A GREAT, UH, SOLUTION.

WE'LL BE FIGHTING THAT AS WELL.

BUT, UM, THAT, SO IT'S, IT'S WHEN I SPOKE TO A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS ABOUT, UM, WHAT HAPPENS WITH, UH, LIKE THE EVAPORATION, UH, WITH THESE DATA CENTERS, YOU ALSO LOSE A LOT, EVEN WITH CLOSED LOOP SYSTEMS, YOU LOSE A LOT OF THAT WATER.

SO IF YOU RECLAIM WATER IS ALSO BEING, YOU KNOW, PIPED THROUGH AND THEN YOU'RE LOSING IT THROUGH A COOLING TOWER, YOU'RE, UM, YOU'RE NOT REALLY PUTTING IT BACK INTO YOUR SYSTEM IN A WAY THAT YOU WOULD, WOULD DO WITH OTHER POTENTIAL USES FOR REALLY RECLAIM WATER.

I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S, IT'S A BAD THING, BUT IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE FACTORED INTO.

IT'S NOT A ONE FOR ONE SOLUTION THERE.

UM, AND THEN THE, UH, SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED WHEN I RESPONDED ABOUT THE WATER AND WASTE ION, THIS TOPIC HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT AT THE WATERFORD TASK FORCE.

UM, AND, UM, THERE IS A RECOMMENDATION COMING

[00:30:01]

THAT WOULD BE, UM, INFORMATIVE FOR YOUR NEXT ACTION.

BOBBY, I DID HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THE, THE NON-WATER OPTIONS ARE, I'VE READ JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LIKE PFAS AND OTHER CHEMICALS MAYBE BEING USED.

ARE THOSE THE SCENARIOS IN WHICH THOSE ARE USED OR ARE THOSE USED EVEN WHEN THERE'S WATER BEING USED? OR IS IT BOTH? I THINK THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE TECHNOLOGY AND THERE'S A, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE WITH EACH, EACH FACILITY.

THE NON-WATER OPTIONS ARE CHEMICALS THOUGH.

UM, AND I'D BE SPECULATING ON HOW IN ANY INDIVIDUAL SITE WOULD BE USING THOSE.

SOME OF THEM SIT, UH, THE SERVERS INSIDE OF 'EM AND THEY JUST KIND OF SIT THERE.

SOME OF THEM USE 'EM AS, AS COOLING SYSTEMS. IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT WITH EACH ONE.

OKAY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING HERE AND SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE WITH US.

OKAY.

UM, I KNOW WE HAVE I THINK HALF, HALF AN HOUR TILL WE LOSE ONE OF OUR MEMBERS, SO, UH, NOT, NOT PERMANENTLY, BUT OFF OF THE MEETING.

UM, SO WE'RE GONNA JUMP INTO OUR ACTION ITEMS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET THROUGH THOSE.

UM, AND WE DO HAVE THREE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'RE, UH, CONSIDERING TODAY.

I THINK HOPEFUL.

HOPEFULLY WE CAN, WE CAN MOVE THROUGH THEM FAIRLY QUICKLY.

UM, THE FIRST ONE IS,

[Items 5. & 6.]

UM, AND THIS IS ITEM FIVE ON OUR AGENDA IF WE CAN BRING THAT RESOLUTION UP.

AND, UH, ALTHOUGH FOR REASONS I DON'T UNDERSTAND, WE WERE PREVENTED FROM GETTING A PRESENTATION ON ACARS BUDGET.

UM, WE, WE DO KNOW THAT THE, UM, WHAT'S CALLED THE FACE GRANTS ARE SLATED FOR ELIMINATION.

UH, SO I DID DRAFT UP A RESOLUTION RECOMMENDING THAT THOSE COME BACK AND, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THAT UP HERE ON THE SCREEN.

ALL.

OKAY.

SO I DID, UH, I DID THIS IN JUST RECOMMENDATION FORMAT.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN MAKE THAT ANY BIGGER.

THAT WOULD BE, SO, UH, CURRENTLY THERE'S A BUDGET OF 75,000.

SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, PRETTY SMALL, SMALL DOLLAR ITEM ALREADY.

UH, IT USED TO BE DOUBLE THAT A COUPLE YEARS AGO, BUT, UH, WAS, WAS ALREADY CUT DOWN FOR LAST YEAR AND FOR THIS YEAR TO 75,000.

SO IT'S THE FOOD AND CLIMATE EQUITY, UH, GRANTS.

AND, UH, AMANDA DID SHARE WITH ME, UH, A COUPLE ADDITIONAL PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT I DIDN'T HAVE FROM THE KIND OF WHAT WAS ONLINE, UM, OR, WELL, ONE OF THEM I DID, BUT THE, THE, THE KIND OF HOW MANY GRANTS ARE BEING ALLOCATED, UH, WITH THE CURRENT BUDGET.

SO, UM, MIGHT WANNA ADD THAT IN.

BUT, UM, BASICALLY THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO KEEP THESE SMALL DOLLAR GRANTS.

THEY GO OUT AND $3,000 GRANTS TO, YOU KNOW, LOCAL GROUPS OR, YOU KNOW, CAN EVEN BE INDIVIDUALS, UH, DOING PROJECTS THAT SUPPORT FOOD ACCESS, CLIMATE EQUITY, UM, YOU KNOW, SUSTAINABILITY PROJECTS.

I'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, IT BEING USED FOR, UH, COMMUNITY GARDENS OR SETTING UP A, A WATER, UH, RAINWATER CATCHMENT, UH, THAT KIND OF THING.

SO, UM, WHAT I, WHAT I CAN OBSERVE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT IS SMALL AND, UM, KIND OF NECESSITATES COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.

SO YOU'RE REALLY KINDA LEVERAGING, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT HUMAN CAPITAL AND, AND I'M ALMOST ALWAYS, I'M GUESSING, VOLUNTEER, UH, INVOLVEMENT IN THESE PROJECTS.

SO I THINK IT'S PRETTY GOOD BANG FOR THE BOOK AND A PRETTY SMALL THING FOR THE CITY TO BE DOING TO ADVANCE THIS KIND OF WORK.

SO I'LL PAUSE THERE AND I CAN'T SEE EVERYBODY BECAUSE, UH, BECAUSE OF THE SCREEN.

SO IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR WANNA ADD

[00:35:01]

BUT IF ANYBODY HAS A QUESTION OR COMMENT, JUST SPEAK UP.

DON'T WAIT FOR ME TO CALL ON YOU.

I'M LOOKING THROUGH SOME OF THE PAST PROJECTS.

SO WE'D SAY THAT A, A CORE GOAL OF THIS GRANT PROGRAM IS TO, UM, ADDRESS LIKE FOOD DESERTS.

UH, WOULD THAT BE A CORE GOAL OF THIS? AMANDA, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT PLEASE? IN YOUR RECOMMENDATION, LIKE ELIMINATING INEQUITY THAT LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL MONTH? THAT, OKAY.

SO AM AMANDA, FOR, FOR THOSE WHO MAYBE COULDN'T HEAR IN THE ROOM, UH, DID CONFIRM THAT YES, INEQUITIES DOES COVER FOOD DESERTS.

YEAH, I'M LOOKING THROUGH BEST PROJECTS, UH, BREAKFAST DISTRIBUTION FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.

UM, REGENERA REGENERATIVE COMMUNITY GARDENING MEAL SERVICE, UM, FOR FOOD INSECURE TEEN MOTHERS.

SO YEAH, COMMUNITY GARDENS FOR IMMIGRANT, OLDER, OLDER ADULTS, LIKE 50 OTHERS.

.

OKAY.

JUST TRYING TO SHARE THIS.

HI, EVA.

YES.

I'LL JUST SAY, UH, I, I THINK THIS IS A MEANINGFUL, UM, PROGRAM FOR 25 TO 50, UH, UH, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.

IT'S WORTHY.

IT'S, UM, I, I I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VALUABLE AND IMPORTANT AND I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT IT.

THAT'S ALL.

THANK YOU.

OKAY.

SO, ALL RIGHT, GREAT.

I'M SHARING NOW, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT I'VE ADDED JUST THE, ABOUT THE BUDGET IN 2025 AND, AND I'M ADDING JUST THIS ONE.

OOPS.

ONE ADDITIONAL POINT HERE.

THIS GRANTS.

OKAY.

SO, UM, I KNOW I NEED TO READ THIS IN, SO I'M GONNA, UH, JUST DO THAT NOW BEFORE WE CAN, OH, ACTUALLY, CAN WE, UH, I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THIS RESOLUTION OR THIS RECOMMENDATION.

SECOND, SECOND, HARRIS SPEECH TWO AT THAT TIME.

ALL RIGHT.

UM, SO I'M GOING TO, UH, AND I REALIZE I HAVE A LITTLE TYPO HERE.

ADD THIS, UH, SENTENCE, UH, AFTER UNDER RATIONALE, AFTER THE WORDS IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL, UM, I AM ADDING, FACE GRANTS ARE INTENDED TO BUILD AND STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS AND TRUST BETWEEN CITY STAFF AND COMMUNITY GROUPS, ORGANIZATIONS OR BUSINESSES WORKING FOR FOOD AND CLIMATE EQUITY AND JUSTICE.

AND THAT, UH, CAME, CAME DIRECTLY FROM THE, THE MISSION OF THE GRANTS.

AND THEN ALSO AFTER THE, IN THE SECOND PARAGRAPH, ADD A SENTENCE AFTER THE FIRST SENTENCE THAT SAYS IN 2025, UM, AND I'M ACTUALLY GONNA SAY FY 2025, 'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S CORRECT.

AND I'M GONNA ADD FY BEFORE 2024.

AND THEN, SO FOR THAT SECOND SENTENCE, IT'LL SAY IN FY 20 25, 70 5,000 WAS ALLOCATED TO FACE GRANTS PROVIDING FUNDING FOR 25 COMMUNITY PROJECTS.

IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO ADDING THOSE TWO SENTENCES? OKAY, I'M GONNA STOP SHARING SO I CAN SEE EVERYBODY.

IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY.

ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND.

OKAY,

[00:40:01]

ALL RIGHT.

THE NEXT ONE IS

[7. Approve a recommendation to Council regarding energy and water rate increases.]

THIS IS, UM, ABOUT THE RATE INCREASES THAT ARE PROPOSED.

AGAIN, THIS YEAR.

ANOTHER 5%, UH, RATE, RATE INCREASE IS BEING PROPOSED FOR BASE RATES.

UM, AND THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RATE CASE, WHICH UP THROUGH 2022 WAS THE PRACTICE THAT THERE WAS A DEEP DIVE INTO RATES TO REVIEW THE NEED AND HOW THOSE RATES WOULD BE SPREAD ACROSS DIFFERENT CUSTOMERS.

AND, UH, THAT PRACTICE HAS KIND OF BEEN LEFT BEHIND IN AE IS JUST ASKING FOR ANNUAL 5% RATE INCREASES NOW.

SO I'LL ALSO, WELL, ACTUALLY, I THINK THAT ONE, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT I WAS PLANNING TO CHANGE.

SO DID YOU HAVE THE UPS THERE, WERE YOU, OR WAS THAT, WERE YOU SHARING THAT ONE? AWESOME, THANK YOU.

SO HOPEFULLY Y'ALL HAD A CHANCE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS ONE.

I HAVE A, A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATION MM-HMM .

UM, FOR THE INDEPENDENT EXAMINER, DO WE KNOW HOW MUCH THAT WOULD COST AND WHAT THE TIMELINE FOR THAT REVIEW WOULD, UH, HOW LONG THAT WOULD TAKE? SO I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER, UH, OFFHAND ON THE COST.

UM, BUT IN TERMS OF THE TIMELINE, I CAN TELL YOU THAT LAST TIME AROUND, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY PUT OUT THERE COST A SERVICE STUDY SOMETIME EARLY IN THE YEAR, I WANNA SAY JANUARY, FEBRUARY.

AND THE, THE KIND OF PROCESS OF FILING TO INTERVENE STARTED SOMETIME SOON AFTER THAT.

I FORGET, FEBRUARY, MARCH, SOMEWHERE IN THAT.

AND I THINK IT WAS BY, YOU KNOW, I WANNA SAY NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE RATES.

SO IT DID TAKE MOST OF THE YEAR.

HOWEVER, THERE WERE, UM, YOU KNOW, PERIODS IN THERE WHERE THE INDEPENDENT, UH, WHERE THE HEARING EXAMINER WAS BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, TAKING ALL THE INFORMATION THAT HAD BEEN PRESENTED, KIND OF LIKE YOU WOULD IN ANY SORT OF LIKE, UH, COURT CASE OR WHATEVER.

UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SO IN THAT PERIOD, NOT TOO MUCH WAS HAPPENING WITH THE, WITH THE PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING THE CONSUMER ADVOCATE.

SO IT WAS PROBABLY LIKE, HMM, MAY, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST, YOU KNOW, FOUR, FOUR TO FIVE MONTHS I WOULD SAY OF LIKE KIND OF ACTIVE PROCESS.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEN IT MOVES TO CITY COUNCIL.

AND THAT'S KIND OF SEPARATE FROM THE, THE FORMAL RATE CASE PROCESS.

BUT THE CONSUMER ADVOCATE WAS, UM, I THINK VERY VALUABLE IN BOTH OF THE LAST TWO OF THESE WAS DONE IN 20 20 16 AND IN 2022.

AND, YOU KNOW, SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES WERE MADE AS A RESULT OF THAT ENGAGEMENT THAT BENEFITED RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? WANNA MAKE A MOTION? MOTION GENERAL, UH, JUST REALLY, REALLY QUICKLY, GENERAL COMMENTS? MM-HMM .

UM, THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY AND INCREASING THAT, UH, IN THE PUBLIC.

I THINK THIS RECOMMENDATION, UH, TAKES A STEP TO ACTUALLY MAKE GOOD ON THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT GOAL.

AND SO THAT'S GOOD TO, UH, I THINK IT'S A IMPORTANT FOUNDATION FOR WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE OUR COMMISSION IS GONNA BE WORKING ON WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, GETTING FEEDBACK FROM, UH, PEOPLE LIKE MR. LAVINSKY, UH, TO LAY THE FOUNDATION TO ACTUALLY ANALYZE, UM, THE RATE TIERS AND UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH OF THE DEMAND IS INCREASING BY THOSE VOLUMETRIC, UH, RATE TIERS.

SO, UM, IT DOES SEEM LIKE A, A REALLY IMPORTANT, UH, RECOMMENDATION BOTH TO INCREASE PUBLIC TRUST AS WELL AS TO INCREASE THAT PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY ON WHERE THESE COSTS ARE COMING FROM.

THANK YOU.

YES.

THIS IS, UM, EXACTLY THE TYPE OF PROCESS THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, CREATION OF A NEW, UM, RATE CLASS OR ADJUSTMENT OF THE RATES FOR AN EXISTING, YOU KNOW, UH, HIGH VOLUME INDUSTRIAL TYPE OF RATE.

[00:45:04]

I THINK I SAID LESS, MUCH LESS ELOQUENTLY, BUT, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S BROKE.

AND I THINK THE POINT OF HAVING A MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME UNDER, YOU KNOW, SOME CONTROL OVER SOME OF THOSE LEVERS.

UM, SO I'M CERTAINLY SUPPORTIVE OF, OF ADOPTING THIS.

IS THAT A MOTION? YEAH, I'LL MAKE A MOTION.

I MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT.

SECOND.

ALL RIGHT.

WE'VE GOT A MOTION, WE'VE GOT A SECOND.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS? I OKAY.

ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.

OH, ACTUALLY, OH, YES.

SORRY.

I'M SO SORRY.

NO, MY QUESTION IS, UH, I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS SOME OF, UH, SOMETHING LIKE THIS DISCUSSED AT THE EUC THIS WEEK.

YES.

AND IF YOU COULD JUST SHARE BRIEFLY, UM, WHAT THAT WAS, AND IF IT WAS, I DON'T THINK IT WAS EXACTLY THE SAME, BUT, UH, AND THE OUTCOME OF THAT.

YES.

UH, SO THE EUC RESOLUTION WAS, UH, KINDA WHAT I STARTED FROM WHEN I CREATED THIS.

UM, BUT FRANKLY, UH, MADE THIS ONE STRONGER.

THE EUC RESOLUTION DID PASS.

UM, AND THE WAY THAT I, YOU KNOW, FEEL THAT THIS ONE IS STRONGER IS THAT IT, IT CLEARLY STATES THAT THE, UM, EXISTING REQUEST FOR INCREASING RATES IN FY 27 SHOULD BE DECLINED UNTIL AFTER THE RATE CASE, UM, THAT UC WAS ASKING AT LEAST TO HAVE A, UH, A SEPARATE MEETING AT CITY COUNCIL TO DISCUSS THE CURRENT RATE INCREASE, UM, AND THEN TO HAVE A RATE RATE CASE SO SIMILAR, BUT KINDA LEFT THE DOOR OPEN FOR THE 5% RATE INCREASE, PERHAPS GOING FORWARD WITHOUT THE RATE CASE.

IT DIDN'T ENDORSE IT, BUT SAID THAT AT LEAST THERE SHOULD BE A SEPARATE MEETING.

BUT IT DID PASS.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

YEP.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SORRY, I WASN'T TRYING TO JUMP THE GUN THERE.

OKAY.

ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HANDS.

OKAY.

THAT RESOLUTION IS ADOPTED, OR RE RECOMMENDATION IS ADOPTED.

THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT, I'LL PASS IT TO

[8. Approve a recommendation to Council regarding Dog’s Head Development.]

OKAY.

RECOMMENDATION.

UH, THE, SO I DO NEED TO READ THIS, UM, BECAUSE I SUBMITTED IT LATE, BUT I THINK THE WAY THAT I WOULD LIKE TO APPROACH IT, UM, YOU EACH HAVE, SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THIS RECOMMENDATION IN YOUR IN CITY INBOX.

SO IF YOU COULD PULL THAT UP AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH IT, UM, FOR MANY PEOPLE ON THIS COMMISSION, UM, YOU MAY NOT BE KIND OF AWARE OF THE DOG'S HEAD DEVELOPMENT.

UM, SO I'M GONNA DO A VERY BRIEF, UH, SUMMARY.

UH, THE DOG HEAD DEVELOPMENT, IT IS OUT NEAR THE AIRPORT, AND ESSENTIALLY CITY COUNCIL TOMORROW WILL BE VOTING, UH, ON WHETHER OR NOT TO EXTEND A TURS, WHICH IS TAX INCREMENT REFINANCE ZONE.

IT'S A FANCY WAY OF SAYING THAT THERE WILL BE A, A REIMBURSEMENT FOR ALL COLLECTED CITY TAXES SPENT IN THAT SPECIFIC ZONE.

UM, THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION, UH, IT HAS HAPPENED INCREDIBLY, UH, YOU KNOW, RAPID, UH, I THINK THE NEIGHBORS IN THIS AREA, THEY HAD ABOUT 57 HOURS OF NOTICE BEFORE THE CITY VOTED ON TO ANNEX THIS LAND.

UM, THAT WAS ABOUT TWO OR THREE WEEKS AGO.