[00:00:04]
[CALL TO ORDER]
GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY.WE WILL CALL THIS MEETING OF THE CLIMATE WATER ENVIRONMENT AND PARKS COMMITTEE TO ORDER.
AND WE ARE, WE HAVE A FULL, UM, EVERYONE'S HERE.
[Public Communication: General]
FURTHER ADO, WE'LL JUST START WITH PUBLIC, UH, SPEAKERS.DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS THIS MORNING? YES, SIR.
UM, TARA CARR, DAVID S AND JONATHAN C**N.
GOOD MORNING, CHAIR ALTER AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
I MANAGE LAKE AUSTIN MARINA, AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE LAKE AUSTIN STAKEHOLDER GROUP.
I ATTENDED YOUR JULY MEETING, BUT ARRIVED A LITTLE LATE TO SPEAK, AND AFTER HEARING THAT DISCUSSION, I MADE IT A PRIORITY TO BE HERE TODAY.
FIRST, I'D LIKE TO SAY WORDS MATTER.
HYDRILLA IS NOT SIMPLY NUISANCE VEGETATION.
IT IS A NON-NATIVE INVASIVE AQUATIC PLANT AND A FEDERALLY LISTED NOXIOUS WEED.
THE CITY'S JULY MEMO REPORTS INVASIVE VEGETATION COVERING 40.6% OF LAKE AUSTIN ALREADY EXCEEDING THE UPPER END OF ITS OWN STATED MANAGEMENT RANGE OF 30%.
SO WHY DO CITY COMMUNICATIONS CONTINUE TO SOFTEN THE LANGUAGE? LET'S CALL HYDRA WHAT IT IS AND MANAGE IT ACCORDINGLY.
SECOND, I NEED TO ADDRESS PUBLIC SAFETY.
AT THE JULY MEETING, ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER JOHNSTON STATED, LAKE PATROL HAD NOT COMMUNICATED SPECIFIC SAFETY CONCERNS RELATED TO HYDRILLA.
AS A STAKEHOLDER WHO COMMUNICATES WITH LAKE PATROL VIRTUALLY EVERY DAY, I FOUND THAT INCREDIBLY DISCOURAGING.
WE ARE SEEING LOSS OF PROPULSION, RESTRICTED ACCESS, SWIMMERS AND SKIERS, ENCOUNTERING DENSE VEGETATION AND BOATS AND PERSONAL WATERCRAFT BEING PUSHED INTO INCREASINGLY CONCENTRATED NAVIGABLE AREAS.
THOSE ARE SAFETY CONCERNS, NOT ANECDOTES.
SINCE THAT MEETING, SIGNIFICANT FLOOD WATER HAS PASSED THROUGH LAKE AUSTIN AND TOM MILLER DAM.
HOW MANY RECENTLY STOPPED GRASS CARP MAY HAVE PASSED THROUGH TOM MILLER DAM.
AND WILL WE HAVE A POST BLOOD SURVEY TELLING US WHAT THE LAKE ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE NOW FOR BOTH VEGETATION AND FISH? THAT SEEMS LIKE INVALUABLE DATA FOR ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT.
ARE WE COLLECTING IT? I SUPPORT THE CITY'S DECISION TO CONDUCT A DRAWDOWN, BUT I STRONGLY QUESTION THE ECONOMIC CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO ITS TIMING.
THE CITY PLANS TO LOWER LAKE AUSTIN FROM OCTOBER 12TH TO NOVEMBER 30TH, INSTEAD OF THE HISTORICALLY UTILIZED WINTER MONTHS, THE CITY'S MEMO CAREFULLY CALCULATES THE FINANCIAL EXPOSURE WITH LOST LCRA POWER GENERATION 7,000 UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS, POTENTIALLY UP TO 68,000.
UNDER EXTRAORDINARY CONDITIONS, IT DISCUSSES AIR CAUGHT POWER PRICES.
AND WHY OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER REDUCE THAT FINANCIAL RISK? THE CITY HAS CLEARLY DONE THE MATH ON ITS OWN ECONOMIC EXPOSURE.
WHERE IS THAT MATH FOR OURS? WHERE IS THE ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSIS FOR MARINAS, RESTAURANTS, BOAT CLUBS, RENTAL COMPANIES, SERVICE PROVIDERS, THEIR EMPLOYEES AND TOURISM? AT MY BUSINESS ALONE, HISTORIC FIELD DELIVERIES.
IN OCTOBER, ROUGHLY AVERAGE SEVEN TO NINE TIMES THAT OF THE JANUARY AND FEBRUARY LEVELS, THE CITY HAS QUANTIFIED THE ECONOMIC RISK ASSOCIATED WITH THE DRAWDOWN TO LCRA AND ITSELF ONLY.
IT HAS NOT QUANTIFIED THE ECONOMIC RISK.
IT IS TRANSFERRING TO THE BUSINESSES THAT DEPEND ON THE LAKE.
I SUPPORT THE DRAWDOWN AND I SUPPORT ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT.
BUT ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT REQUIRES CONSIDERING ALL OF THE IMPACTS, ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY, RECREATIONAL, AND ECONOMIC.
CAN I JUST SO I CAN PUT A, A FINER POINT, YOU'RE JUST THAT YOU, YOU WANT THE DRAW DOWN, BUT TO BE IN JANUARY THAT IF I, IF I'M SUMING SUMMING UP.
AND ALSO WITH THE DATA THAT THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO COLLECT AND IT LINING UP.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I WAS A HUNDRED PERCENT CLEAR.
MY NAME IS DAVID CAJAS AND MY FAMILY AND I OWN FLOAT ON BOAT RENTALS.
WE HAVE 18 BOATS IN OUR FLEET AND EMPLOY ABOUT 20 PEOPLE HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, 25 TO BE EXACT ON LAKE AUSTIN.
UH, BORN AND RAISED TO AUSTINITE AUSTINITE.
MY FAMILY IMMIGRATED HERE FROM COLUMBIA, MEXICO
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IN THE EIGHTIES, AND WE'VE CALLED AUSTIN HOME OUR ENTIRE LIFE.WE'RE A FIRST GENERATION FAMILY BUSINESS AND LAKE AUSTIN ISN'T JUST WHERE WE OPERATE, IT'S HOW WE PAY OUR TEAM AND FEED OUR FAMILIES.
UM, ALSO OPPOSING THE TIMING OF THE DRAWDOWN.
THE TO LEARN WAS SUCH SHORT NOTICE THAT THE LAKE WILL BE CLOSED DURING ONE OF OUR BUSIEST TIMES OF THE YEAR, IS REALLY DEVASTATING.
IT OVERLAPS WITH UT FOOTBALL SEASON AND FORMULA ONE WEEKENDS WHEN SOME OF OUR CLIENTS COME TO AUSTIN AND BOOK WITH US.
UH, WE ALSO SERVICE A RANGE OF PRIVATE CLIENTS THROUGH OUR MANAGEMENT DIVISION THAT LIVE ON THE LAKE OR CALL AUSTIN COUNTRY CLUB HOME BASED ON EXPERIENCE WITH PREVIOUS DRAWDOWNS.
EVEN WHEN IT BEGINS REFILLING, IT CAN TAKE A LONG TIME FOR WATER TO SETTLE AND CLEAR.
SO REALISTICALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'LL PROBABLY BE CLOSED THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE'VE BEEN GIVEN ENOUGH TIME TO PREPARE, AND IF THINGS AREN'T, YOU KNOW, IF ACTION ISN'T TAKEN, THE RESERVATIONS WILL HAVE TO CANCEL AND MANY OF THESE CUSTOMERS WILL HAVE TO FIND SOMEWHERE ELSE TO GO.
UM, ASKING Y'ALL TO RECONSIDER THE SMALL BUSINESSES AND EMPLOYEES WHOSE LIVELIHOOD DEPEND ON LAKE AUSTIN.
AND IF THE DRAW DOWN MOVES FORWARD IN THIS RUSH TIMELINES, YOU KNOW, WONDERING IF THERE'LL BE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR AFFECTED SMALL BUSINESSES, SOMETHING LIKE WHAT HAPPENED DURING COVID SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO PAY OUR EMPLOYEES.
UM, WE'RE SIMPLY ASKING FOR MORE TIME AND CONSIDERATION AND A PLAN FOR THE PEOPLE WHOSE LIVELIHOOD DEPEND ON THE LAKE.
UH, I KNOW PEOPLE ARE APPROPRIATELY SKEPTICAL OF REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS.
UH, WE'RE BUILDING FOUR SEASONS LIKE AUSTIN, UH, BUT WE LIVE HERE IN AUSTIN AND WE PLAN TO LIVE, UH, IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND BE NEIGHBORS HERE.
UH, DURING THE ENTITLEMENT PROCESS, WE DONATED 12 HOME LOTS ON THE CLIFF, UH, TO BECOME A PUBLIC PARK ON LAKE AUSTIN AND 2,400 FEET OF OUR SHORELINE, UH, TO PROVIDE SAFE AND LEGAL ACCESS WHERE PEOPLE ARE CURRENTLY PARKING NEXT TO FIVE NO PARKING SIGNS.
UM, IF YOU'RE CURIOUS, THE ONLY REASON THE TRASH IS PICKED UP ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, UM, IS BECAUSE WE DO IT, UH, THREE TIMES A WEEK.
UM, DURING THE ENTITLEMENT PROCESS, WE EARNED THE SUPPORT OF ALL NINE HOA, UH, HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS NEARBY, UH, 3000 HOMEOWNERS.
UM, 75 OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS CAME HERE TO CITY HALL TO ENDORSE THE PROJECT.
UM, AND WE GOT NINE SEPARATE LETTERS ALSO ENDORSING THE PROJECT SIGNED BY OUR NEIGHBORS.
WE HAD A REALLY SIMPLE PROCESS.
WE MET WITH OUR NEIGHBORS, ASKED THEM WHAT THEY WANTED, AND DID WHAT THEY ASKED.
UM, WE WANT TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THIS LAND AND GOOD NEIGHBORS.
UM, WE, UH, SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT WE ASKED FOR THIS LATE CLOSURE.
I WANNA SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON THAT.
UH, WE FINALLY CLOSED IT ON OUR LOAN TWO MONTHS AGO AND STARTED CONSTRUCTION.
UM, SOME, UH, WE WOULD NEVER ASK THE CITY TO CLOSE ANY PUBLIC ACCESS TO LAKE AUSTIN JUST SO THAT WE COULD HELP WITH OUR CONSTRUCTION.
UM, ESPECIALLY NOT DURING FOOTBALL SEASON IN F1.
WE'RE NOT OPPOSED TO A DRAWDOWN.
THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA, WE'RE IN FAVOR OF IT.
WE THINK IT SHOULD BE IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY LIKE IT ALWAYS WAS.
UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THE CITY HAS ASSUMED THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE WINTER STORM IN 2021, BUT TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THE CITY HAS NOT RECEIVED A WRITTEN RESPONSE FROM THE STATE SAYING THAT THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE.
AND I HIGHLY DOUBT THE STATE HAS ACCOUNTED FOR THE ECONOMIC IMPACT AND THE ENGINE THAT LAKE AUSTIN IS FOR THE CITY.
UM, OR THE FACT THAT, UH, FROM WHAT I CAN TELL ONLINE, UH, THIS DAM REPRESENTS ABOUT 0.02% OF OR CUT POWER AND LESS THAN 1% OF AUSTIN'S POWER.
IT SEEMS LIKE THOSE TWO THINGS OUGHT TO BE IMBALANCED AND A DECISION SHOULDN'T BE MADE ON THE TIMELINE.
AND ASSUMING THAT JANUARY, FEBRUARY IS IMPOSSIBLE, UNLESS WE GET A WRITTEN RESPONSE FROM THE STATE SAYING THAT, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, I'M GONNA DO THINGS A LITTLE OUT OF ORDER HERE JUST 'CAUSE OUR SPEAKERS ARE HERE.
UH, WE WERE GONNA HAVE THIS JUST
[4. Update regarding a drawdown of Lake Austin. [Shay Ralls Roalson, Director - Austin Water]]
BE A DISCUSSION IF ANYBODY WANTED BY MEMORANDUM OF ITEM NUMBER FOUR.BUT I'M GONNA HAVE, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'D BE DIRECTOR ROLSON OR, UH, LIZ JOHNSTON, UM, OR WHOMEVER, WHOEVER I SHOULD SAY.
I WAS WONDERING IF SOMEONE COULD JUST SPEAK TO, DID WE LOOK AT THE JANUARY TIME LAW TIMEFRAME? I KNOW MY, MY FIRST THOUGHT AND THE SPEAKER MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SEEN SEVERE WEATHER OCCUR AND TYPICALLY THAT EARLY FEBRUARY TIMEFRAME, KIND OF VERY END OF JANUARY, EARLY FEBRUARY, AND THAT MIGHT BE A CONCERN ABOUT AN ADDITIONAL COST FOR THEIR 'CAUSE OF A ADDITIONAL
[00:10:02]
REQUIREMENT FOR THE ELECTRICITY GENERATION.BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS, WAS JANUARY CONTEMPLATED AND, AND COULD YOU JUST SPEAK TO THAT? GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS CHAIR.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN WATER.
UM, SO THAT YOU KNOW WHO YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, I'M GONNA LET THE, UH, THESE FOLKS INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AS WELL.
HI, I'M THERESA LUTZ, ACTING, UH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH AUSTIN WATER.
LIZ JOHNSTON, ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER, WATERSHED PROTECTION MORNING, KEITH MYERS, DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
SO, TO THE QUESTION ABOUT, UM, BEING ABLE TO DO THE DRAWDOWN IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, AS WE HAD DONE PREVIOUSLY PRIOR TO, UH, WINTER STORM URI IN 2021, UM, WE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH LCRA AND THEY INDICATED THAT THEY, THEY DO NOT DO DRAWDOWNS IN THE WINTER MONTHS SINCE WINTER STORM URI.
UM, THE SPRING IS A POSSIBILITY AND THE FALL IS A POSSIBILITY.
AND SO, UM, AS EARLY AS OUR, UH, MEMO TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR OF 2025, WE INDICATED THAT THE, THAT THE LIKELY TIMEFRAME FOR THIS DRAWDOWN WAS OCTOBER, NOVEMBER.
UM, AND, UM, AND FURTHER IN CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE, TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE, THEY INDICATED THAT THE SPRING TIMEFRAME IS, AND, AND IT'S, WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THE SPRING TIMEFRAME, BUT THAT'S UNWORKABLE FOR OTHER REASONS AS WELL.
AND CAN YOU REMIND US HOW, HOW LONG FROM WHEN WE START THE DRAW DOWN TO THEN IT BEING AT THAT DRAW DOWN LEVEL AND THEN REFILLING, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THOSE TIMELINES? SO THE WAY THE DRAWDOWN PROCESS WORKS IS, UM, LAKE AUSTIN IS A, IS A, ESSENTIALLY A PASS THROUGH LAKE.
IT'S ALSO THE LAKE THAT, UM, AUSTIN WATER TAKES WATER FROM FOR OUR TWO LARGEST WATER TREATMENT PLANTS.
SO THE PROCESS FOR DRAWING DOWN LAKE AUSTIN IS TO HOLD WATER THAT WOULD NORMALLY BE PASSED FROM LAKE TRAVIS THROUGH MANSFIELD DAM IN LAKE TRAVIS, AND THEN ALLOW THE WATER IN LAKE AUSTIN TO BE BENEFICIALLY USED.
IT'LL BE RELEASED FROM THE DAM FOR DOWNSTREAM USES, UH, AUSTIN WATER WILL USE IT FOR OUR DRINKING WATER PLANTS.
OTHER WATER USES ON THE LAKE WILL HELP DRAW IT DOWN.
UM, LCRA ANTICIPATES THAT, UM, IT WOULD DRAW DOWN NO FASTER THAN ONE FOOT PER DAY, UM, BUT THAT IT COULD TAKE AS LONG AS THREE WEEKS TO DRAW IT DOWN.
REFILLING IT IS SOMEWHAT MORE PREDICTABLE.
UM, THEY INTEND TO REFILL IT AT A RATE THAT IS DONE BY RELEASING WATER FROM LAKE TRAVIS THAT'S BEEN STORED THERE.
AND THEY ANTICIPATE REFILLING IT AT A RATE OF UP TO TWO FEET PER DAY.
SO ABOUT ABOUT FIVE DAYS, FIVE TO SIX DAYS TO REFILL IT AT THE BACK END.
AND HOW LONG DO WE HOLD IT DOWN? OUR GOAL IS TO HOLD IT DOWN FOR FOUR WEEKS, UM, FOR, UM, FOR PROPERTY OWNERS TO HAVE TIME TO DO MAINTENANCE ON THEIR DOCKS AND BULKHEADS AND, AND REMOVE SEDIMENT.
UM, AND OF COURSE THAT, AND SO WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO BEGIN THE DRAWDOWN AS LATE AS POSSIBLE WHILE CONCLUDING BY NOVEMBER 30TH.
AND LIZ, THE, I REMEMBER THE CONVERSATION FROM LAST TIME, YOU MENTIONED ACTUALLY THAT DRAWING DOWN THE WATER, IT'S SEPARATE FROM THE HYDRILLA ISSUE, THAT THE, WHATEVER IT IS, IT'S TOO DEEP INTO THE GROUND AND, AND TOO TO SOMETHING, UM, THAT DRAWING THE LAKE DOWN THAT'S REALLY ABOUT MAINTENANCE.
IT'S NOT ABOUT, WE COULDN'T JUST LIKE MOW IT DOWN, UH, TO MANAGE THAT.
SO DRAWDOWNS COULD HAVE, UH, UM, UH, AN EFFECT ON CONTROLLING ANOTHER INVASIVE SPECIES, EURASIAN MILFOIL.
UM, THE HYDRA WILL BOUNCE BACK.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, WE DO HAVE SOME REALLY GREAT ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTISTS IN WATERSHED WHO HAVE BEEN DOING MODELING EFFORTS OVER THE PAST SUMMER, BUILDING A MODEL TO SEE ALL THE VARIABLES THAT, UM, EXIST ON LAKE AUSTIN, INCLUDING DRAWDOWNS.
AND SO WE WILL BE ADJUSTING THE STOCKING RATE OF CARP, UH, BASED ON WHETHER OR NOT A DRAWDOWN HAS OCCURRED TO ACCOUNT FOR ANY CHANGES THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A TIME FOR FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO REMOVE, UH, THE, THE BIOMASS, THE, THE, THE PLANTS THAT ARE DRYING OUT ABOVE THE, THE TUBERS THAT ARE IN THE SEDIMENT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT REMOVAL OF THE BIOMASS MIGHT HELP, UH, HELP THE CARP DO THEIR JOB AS WELL.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THAT THERE'S NO EFFECT, IT'S JUST THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO KILL IT.
UM, I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER DERE, COUNCILOR S THIS DIRECTLY IMPACTS YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
I DUNNO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, I'M HAPPY TO GO.
[00:15:01]
WHOEVER WANTS TO GO.I'LL, I'LL LET YOU, LET'S GO LEFT TO RIGHT HERE.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T KNOW IF PART OF THE BRIEFING, IF WE SKIPPED A STEP AND THERE'S ANYTHING Y'ALL WANNA SHARE ABOUT UPDATES BEYOND THE MEMO ABOUT THIS PROCESS, HOW WE GOT HERE, WHAT THE IMPACTS ARE, ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED TODAY.
IS THERE ANYTHING Y'ALL WANT TO ADD THAT WAS PART OF ANY KIND OF, UM, COMMENTS OR PRESENTATION REGARDING THE BRIEFING Y'ALL WANNA SHARE? I I'LL ASK PERHAPS IF LIZ COULD RECAP SOME OF THE CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT, THAT'D BE HELPFUL.
YEAH, SO, YOU KNOW, WE BEGAN RECEIVING REQUESTS FOR A DRAW DOWN AS EARLY AS LAST FALL.
UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, AT THAT TIME THERE WAS, UM, SOME CONFUSION ABOUT HOW DRAWDOWNS AFFECTED HYDRILLA.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, IT WAS A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF HYDRILLA ON, ON LAKE AUSTIN.
AND SO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN, YOU HAD A VIRTUAL TOWN HALL LAST FALL.
WE FOLLOWED UP WITH TWO, UM, TWO VIRTUAL TOWN HALLS AS WELL.
UM, IN NOVEMBER AND THE SPRING, WE'VE HAD A CONVENED A SMALLER STAKEHOLDER GROUP AS WELL.
UH, WE'VE MET TWICE WITH THEM AND HAVE HAD SENT NUMEROUS, UH, EMAILS TO A LARGER STAKEHOLDER LIST THAT WE HAVE CREATED OVER TIME.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN DOING WHAT WE CAN TO ENGAGE AND, YOU KNOW, LET FOLKS KNOW THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL THE VARIOUS ISSUES OUT THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT PERFECT.
SO I, I REGRET IF THERE ARE FOLKS WHO HAVE NOT HEARD ABOUT IT UNTIL NOW, BUT WE HAVE BEEN, UH, LETTING FOLKS KNOW THAT A DRAWDOWN IS, WAS UNDER CONSIDERATION, UM, FOR A WHILE.
AND I THINK OUR FIRST EMAIL OUT TO THE STAKEHOLDER LIST THAT HAD A, THE POTENTIAL FOR A DRAWDOWN WAS, UH, BACK IN APRIL.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT BECAUSE I THINK THERE IS A SENSE THAT, UM, SOME FOLKS HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF NOT BLINDSIDED BY THIS, INCLUDING PEOPLE THAT ARE PART OF THAT STAKEHOLDER GROUP.
SO PART OF MY, I'M TRYING TO UN UNRAVEL A MYSTERY HERE IS HOW THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED GIVEN THAT, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WE STARTED THIS, AS YOU SAID, PROBABLY WHAT, SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR, UH, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF AND WHEN IS THE APP, IF WE'RE GONNA DO A DRAW DOWN, WHEN IS THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO DO A DRAW DOWN? MAYBE THAT'S THE NEXT THING Y'ALL COULD SPEAK TO, WHICH IS WHAT WAS THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS REGARDING THAT DRAW DOWN IN TERMS OF, UH, SHOULD WE DO IT? AND THEN WHAT WAS THE RIGHT TIME? WHAT WOULD, WHAT, WHAT OR WERE RA'S LIMITATIONS IN THAT PROCESS? WHERE WAS THE CITY'S LIMITATIONS IN THAT PROCESS? CAN YOU HELP ME STEP THROUGH THAT PROCESS? SO WE BEGAN, UM, TALKING TO LCRA.
UM, SO FOR YOUR AWARENESS, THE CITY HAS, UM, OR FOR PROBABLY OUR LISTENERS AWARENESS, THE CITY HAS A, UM, WATER COMMITTEE WITH LCRA BECAUSE OF OUR, OUR WATER PARTNERSHIP AND OUR CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENTS.
AND, AND AUSTIN WATER IS THE REPRESENTATIVE TO THAT COMMITTEE.
AND SO WE HAVE A LOT OF, UM, UH, WORK WITH LCRA.
AND SO WE BEGAN THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM ABOUT A DRAWDOWN IN THE, UM, PROBABLY OCT SEPTEMBER OCTOBER TIMEFRAME OF 2025.
UM, FROM THE BEGINNING THEY WERE VERY CLEAR THAT, UM, THEY DO NOT CONDUCT DRAWDOWNS IN THE JANUARY FEBRUARY TIMEFRAME.
UH, SO WE, WE, UM, INDICATED THAT THE, UM, IN THE, IN THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION THAT WE HAD, THAT THE DRAWDOWN TIMEFRAME WOULD BE THE FALL, UH, WE THEN WORKED THROUGH, BECAUSE WE HAD NOT DONE A DRAWDOWN SINCE 2017.
AND SO THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK TO DO ON, UH, THE FORM OF THE AGREEMENT WITH LCRA, UM, AND THE, THE VARIOUS OTHER, THE, THE COST COMPONENTS, UM, THE VARIOUS OTHER, UH, COORDINATION ITEMS THAT NEEDED TO BE HANDLED WITH, UH, REQUESTING A DRAWDOWN.
UH, AND THEN ON THE, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE CITY WE WERE, UM, HAVING THE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS AND INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, UM, THE, UH, WHETHER OR NOT TO PROCEED WITH A DRAWDOWN, UH, WHETHER IT WAS FEASIBLE, UM, AND WHAT THE TIMING WOULD BE AND HOW TO LIMIT THE IMPACTS.
UM, AND, UH, AND SO THAT, UH, WORKING THROUGH THAT PROCESS, UM, TOOK US TO THE, THE JULY MEETING OF THE CLIMATE WATER ENVIRONMENT AND PARKS COMMITTEE OF THIS COMMITTEE WHERE WE PRESENTED, UM, THE TERMS OF THAT AGREEMENT AND THE TIMING.
AND WHAT WAS YOU, YOU'VE HEARD SOME REQUESTS ABOUT TRYING TO PUSH THIS INTO SPRING OF NEXT YEAR.
WAS THAT, UH, HOW DID THAT FACTOR INTO YOUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS? SO ONE OF THE ISSUES WITH THE SPRING TIMEFRAME IS THE, UM, THE UNPREDIC MORE UNPREDICTABILITY IN THE WEATHER AND POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING AND FOR RELEASES, UM, FROM NECESSARY RELEASES FROM MANSFIELD DAM, UH,
[00:20:01]
FROM LAKE TRAVIS INTO LAKE AUSTIN, WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY, UM, UH, REDUCE THE TIMEFRAME OF THE LOWERING OR PREVENT US FROM DOING A LOWERING IT ALSO, THEY EL WILL HAVE TO RELEASE AND ALL ALLOW THERESA TO, TO STEP IN AS NEEDED, BUT WE'LL HAVE TO RELEASE ADDITIONAL WATER DURING THAT TIMEFRAME FOR DOWNSTREAM USES BECAUSE OF THE SEASON.UH, AND THAT WOULD CAUSE LAKE LEVELS TO FLUCTUATE, UM, THROUGH LAKE AUSTIN, EVEN AS WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO KEEP IT LOWERED.
YEAH, FOR DOWNSTREAM RICE IRRIGATION, LCRA WILL BE ANTICIPATING HAVING, UM, RELEASES THIS COMING SPRING.
AND THEN THERE WAS ALSO AN ISSUE WITH, UM, FISH SPAWNING.
IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO THAT, LIZ, PLEASE.
YEAH, SO SPRING IS ALSO A FISH SPAWNING SEASON, UM, AND OUR COLLEAGUES AT TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE HAVE INDICATED THAT A SPRING DRAWDOWN WOULD NOT BE, UH, DESIRABLE, UH, FOR THAT AS WELL.
AND SO I UNDERSTAND THE FISH SPAWNING THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED, BUT WHAT WAS THE IMPACT ON WHAT YOU MENTIONED BEFORE THAT THERESA, THE, UH, UM, YEAH, LCRA, ANY CONCERNS THAT LCRA ALSO HAS ABOUT THE WATER OR YOU ALL HAVE ABOUT MANAGING WATER LEVELS? IT'S WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IT'S REALLY ABOUT THE, THE LCRA HAVING TO RELEASE WATER TO SATISFY DOWNSTREAM WATER NEEDS AT A GREATER RATE THAN THEY DO IN THE FALL.
THAT THEN CAUSES, FOR THE DRAWDOWN, IT'S NOT AN ISSUE FOR LCRA, BUT FOR THE DRAWDOWN IT WILL CAUSE LAKE LEVELS, PARTICULARLY AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE UPSTREAM END OF THE LAKE TO FLUCTUATE DURING THAT DRAWDOWN PERIOD.
SO IT'S A LITTLE, IT'S LESS, IT'S MORE UNPREDICTABLE AND THAT'S A CONSEQUENCE FOR PEOPLE TRYING TO DO WORK OR ACCOMPLISH THE, THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH DURING THE DRAWDOWN, WHAT I CORRECT.
HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCE OF THAT.
UH, WHAT EFFORTS HAVE Y'ALL MADE CURRENTLY TO TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS AWARE OF THE DRAWDOWN THAT'S NOW, YOU SHARED A MEMO LAST WEEK, UM, HOW HAVE WE SORT OF INJECTED THIS IN THE BLOODSTREAM OF PEOPLE'S CONSCIOUSNESS THAT MIGHT BE IMPACTED BY THIS? YEAH, SO IN ADDITION TO THE MEMO, UH, AN EMAIL HAS BEEN SENT OUT TO THE STAKEHOLDER GROUP, UM, LCRA AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN ISSUED JOINT PRESS RELEASES.
SO IT DID GET PICKED UP BY, UM, NUMEROUS, UH, MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS LAST WEEK, AND WE'VE BEEN POSTING IT TO OUR SOCIAL MEDIA.
THERE WILL BE A, UH, AN IN-PERSON TOWN HALL EVENT SEPTEMBER 9TH, UM, WITH VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, UH, TABLING AT THAT EVENT, UH, TO HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, QUESTIONS ANSWERED AS WELL.
IT'S, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IN THE ANALYSIS BETWEEN LCRA, THINKING ABOUT ALL OF THE PROS AND CONS FOR WHEN TO POTENTIALLY DO THIS DRAW DOWN, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE BEST OPTION YOU ARRIVED AT WAS THE OCTOBER NOVEMBER TIMEFRAME.
IS THAT A FAIR CHARACTERIZATION? YES.
UH, SO ANOTHER CONCERN THAT'S BEEN RAISED IS WHETHER PEOPLE HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR DOING WORK ON THEIR PROPERTIES, THEIR BOATS, THEIR DOCKS, DREDGING, MECHANICAL HARVESTING, UH, THE SENSE THAT, YOU KNOW, 50 OR 60 DAYS ISN'T ENOUGH TIME, THAT THIS IS IN SOME CASES PRETTY SPECIALIZED WORK.
CAN YOU STEP ME THROUGH HOW Y'ALL THOUGHT ABOUT THAT PROCESS AND, AND IF THIS IS A CONCERN THAT WAS DISCUSSED AT THE STAKEHOLDER GROUP OR INTERNALLY? YEAH, SO WE HAVE A DIRECTOR MARS, WHO CAN TALK TO, UH, EXPEDITED PERMITTING, BUT, UM, YES, THERE, THERE ARE A LIMITED NUMBER OF CONTRACTORS ON LAKE AUSTIN THAT IS, UH, UH, AN ISSUE THAT WOULD HAPPEN REGARDLESS OF THE, THE TIMING.
SO, UM, I, I, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST IT'S BEEN KIND OF A MAD SCRAMBLE TO GET WORK DONE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, NEW PEOPLE COME IN AND SO HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BRING MORE FOLKS, UH, UH, TO BE ABLE TO, TO ASSIST.
BUT WE DO HAVE EXPEDITED PERMITTING THAT, UH, KEITH CAN SPEAK TO, AGAIN, KEITH MORRIS, AUSTIN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
SO WE'RE STANDING UP, UH, A QUICK TWO PAGE APPLICATION FOR WORK TO BE DONE DURING THE LAKE DURING THIS PERIOD, WE'RE KEEPING IT VERY NARROW TO THE WORK THAT CAN BE DONE DURING THAT TIME PERIOD.
SO PRIMARILY WE'RE LOOKING AT REPAIRING RED DECKING, MAINTENANCE OF EXISTING DOCKS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT REPAIRS TO BULKHEAD, UH, REMOVAL OF, OF SEDIMENT AND BARRIERS TO NAVIGATIONAL ACCESS, UH, OR TO THE, THE MARINAS AND BOAT SLIPS.
THEN ALSO REMOVAL OF ANYTHING SUBSURFACE.
SO THINK OF, UH, ANYTHING WITH THE DOCK UNDER SURFACE OR SUBSURFACE, THE PILING SUBMERGED STRUCTURE.
THE INTENTION IS WE'RE STANDING THIS UP ON MONDAY, TUESDAY, THIS COMING WEEK.
WE'LL, IN INFORM ALL THE DEVELOPMENT STAKEHOLDERS, UH, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING THAT WORK, THE INTENTION IS TO HAVE THAT ONCE WE RECEIVE IT, UH, LIKE A THREE TO FOUR DAY, NO MORE THAN A FIVE DAY TURNAROUND
[00:25:01]
ON THE PERMIT.ALSO, ONE OF THE UNIQUE THINGS, AND THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, IS ESSENTIALLY THE, ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE, ARE BY, RIGHT? SO MEANING THAT THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE A REVIEW.
IT'S JUST GOING TO BE CHECK THE BOX, ARE YOU DOING THESE THINGS? YES.
ALSO WITH THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT IF YOU'RE PROPOSING TO DO WORK THAT IS A LONGER DURATION, SAY A, A BRAND NEW MARINA, A BRAND NEW BOAT DOCK, THAT PROBABLY IS NOT GOING TO FIT INTO THAT TIMELINE FOR BOTH PERMITTING AND CONSTRUCTION PURPOSES.
DIRECTOR, HELP ME UNDERSTAND, JUST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WHAT DOES THAT PERMANENT, WHAT DOES THAT FIVE DAY TURNAROUND LOOK LIKE COMPARED TO, SAY, A USUAL PROCESS THAT YOU MIGHT UNDERTAKE FOR A TYPICAL TERM PERMIT? SO LET'S JUST SAY THAT IT WAS, UH, A FULL SITE PLAN FOR THE, FOR LAKE.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT SIX MONTHS OR LONGER SITE PLAN EXEMPTIONS, WHICH SOME OF THE SMALLER SKILL WORK, YOU'RE STILL PROBABLY LOOKING AT ABOUT 30 DAYS.
SO WE'RE TAKING THOSE, NARROWING IT DOWN TO VERY SPECIFIC WORK THAT HAS LOW PUBLIC RISK, PUBLIC OUT THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE FOR AND COMPRESSING THAT TO FIVE DAYS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY EXPECTATIONS ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL ACTUALLY COME AND APPLY FOR PERMITS AND GET WORK DONE HERE? THE, BY SIMPLIFYING THE PROCESS AND MAKING IT BY RIGHT.
WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THAT WILL, THAT THAT WORK WILL, WILL BE DONE AND BE PERMITTED.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME WORK THAT, THAT PEOPLE JUST SIMPLY AREN'T AWARE OR INFORMED THAT IT REQUIRES A, A PERMIT.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE'LL HAVE MORE, UH, THE CULTURE WITH US IS THAT'S, THAT'S ALSO GOING TO BE LESS ENFORCEMENT AND MORE OF A ENGAGEMENT AND INFORM AND PARTNERSHIP ON DOING IT, DOING THE WORK AND DOING IT, DOING IT RIGHT.
AND THEN IF RETROACTIVELY WE NEED THE PERMIT, IT, THEN, THEN SO BE IT.
WE WANT IT DONE WITHOUT, UH, DAMAGING ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, CONSIDERATIONS, UH, AND THEN APPROPRIATELY PERMITTED.
UH, LAST QUESTION IS, DO, DO YOU HAVE ANY WAY TO GAUGE, I MEAN, THE LAST TIME WE DID A DRAW DOWN WAS A DECADE PLUS AGO.
DO YOU HAVE ANY WAY TO UNDERSTAND, UM, SORT OF HOW MANY PEOPLE, OR, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT A STAKEHOLDER GROUP AND IT'S GOT ANGLERS AND IT'S GOT HOMEOWNERS AND IT'S GOT DIFFERENT CONSTITUENCIES THAT UNDERSTAND MAKE UP IT.
UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE OF YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR WHO IS, SORRY, WHO IS GONNA BE, UH, WHO'S GONNA BE LEVERAGING THIS, RIGHT? IS IT GONNA BE A LOT OF HOMEOWNERS THAT HAVE JUST INDIVIDUAL BOATS AND, AND DOCKS, AND IS IT GONNA BE, I KNOW THE CITY WANTS TO DO WORK, AND SO PART OF MY CURIOSITY IS PART MUCH PLANNING HAS GONE INTO EVEN YOUR EFFORTS TO TRY AND GET THE WORK DONE AND PREPARE FOR THE CITY.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE OBVIOUSLY BEEN HAD THIS IN MOTION FOR SOME TIME, SO I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW HOW DIFFICULT IT'S BEEN TO EVEN GET THAT WORK LINED UP.
UM, SO YEAH, I BELIEVE THAT THE MAJORITY OF, UH, FOLKS WHO WILL BE UTILIZING THIS WILL BE PRIVATE HOMEOWNERS.
THAT'S JUST THE, THE, THE MAJORITY OWNER ALONG LAKE AUSTIN.
BUT, UM, YES, THERE HAVE BEEN INTEREST FROM, UH, THE, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT, UH, TRAVIS COUNTIES INDICATED THEY MAY NEED TO DO SOME WORK AS WELL.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IS JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, CHANGING OUT THE FACE OF YOUR BULKHEAD SEDIMENT REMOVAL IS A BIG THING THAT PEOPLE NEED TO DO.
UM, THIS IS A REALLY GOOD TIME TO DO THAT.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE KIND OF ENFORCING THE LIMITS THAT WE USUALLY HAVE, UH, THAT, UH, TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF DREDGING THAT WOULD OCCUR IF THE LAKE WERE INUNDATED.
THIS IS A REALLY GOOD TIME TO JUST REMOVE ALL OF THE, THE SEDIMENT BUILT UP AROUND DOCKS FOR NAVIGATION.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE QUITE A BIT OF, OF FOLKS, UH, DOING KIND OF THE, THE, THE MAINTENANCE THAT'S EASY TO DO WHEN THE LAKE IS DRAWN DOWN AND BENEFICIAL TO DO WHEN THE LAKE IS DRAWN DOWN.
SO LAST QUESTION IS ABOUT, YOU'VE HEARD THIS IS HAPPENING AT PEAK SEASON, IT'S CONFLICTING WITH A LOT OF POTENTIAL COMMERCE CONFLICTING WITH F1 AND FOOTBALL AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE ONE OF THE BUSIER SEASONS, IF NOT THE BUSIEST DURING THE YEAR FOR THIS KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER AQUATIC ACTIVITY ON THE LAKE.
HOW MUCH, UH, HOW MUCH WAS THIS A CONSIDERATION? YOU'VE HEARD PEOPLE REQUEST LIKE AN ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSIS? UH, I'M CURIOUS EVEN 10 PLUS YEARS AGO WHEN WE DID THIS, HOW MUCH WAS THAT A CONSIDERATION AS PART OF THIS PROCESS? CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? WE KNEW THAT IT WOULD BE IMPACTFUL AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PREVIOUS DRAWDOWNS DID OCCUR WHEN IT WOULD BE LEAST IN FACT IMPACTFUL FOR BUSINESSES.
AND THEN IT'S AN UNFORTUNATE SITUATION THAT THAT TIMEFRAME IS NOT AVAILABLE TO US.
UM, I DO THINK THAT IT WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR US WHEN WE MAKE, UH, A DECISION IN THE FUTURE FOR A DRAW DOWN TO HAVE BETTER ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSIS DONE BEFORE WE MAKE THAT DECISION.
[00:30:01]
KNEW THAT IT WOULD BE AN IMPACT.WE DON'T, UH, THERE WASN'T TIME TO DO A FULL ECONOMIC STUDY.
UM, AND I DID WANNA MENTION ONE OTHER OTHER THING THAT I FORGOT TO MENTION THE LAST TIME.
UM, WE ARE ALSO STARTING TO COORDINATE A, A LARGER CLEANUP EFFORT TO ENGAGE WITH NEIGHBORHOODS AND PARTNERING ORGANIZATIONS.
COLORADO RIVER ALLIANCE HAS INDICATED, UM, THEIR INTEREST IN THAT AS WELL.
SO THAT WILL HAPPEN DURING THE DRAWDOWN.
UH, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE AWAY FROM DOING THIS EVERY 10 YEARS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE RIGHT CADENCE IS.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT FOR THAT, KNOWING THAT WE ARE, DO WE HAVE SOME UNKNOWNS IN THIS PROCESS THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED? THERESA LUTZ, AGAIN, AUSTIN WATER, UH, ONE KIND OF DATA POINT IN THAT IS LCRA HAS KIND OF A, A WORKING POLICY THAT THEY DON'T DO, UM, INDIVIDUAL LAKE DRAW DOWNS MORE FREQUENTLY THAN EVERY FOUR YEARS.
SO WE'RE, UM, THINKING THAT THAT WOULD BE A POTENTIAL CADENCE.
UH, THEY HAVE OTHER LAKES, LCRA DOES THAT, THEY DO DRAW DOWNS ON INTER, UM, PASS THROUGH LAKES UP HIGHER IN THE HIGHLAND LAKES CHAIN.
AND SO THEY HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, PLANS TO DO FUTURE DRAWDOWNS THERE, BUT THEY DON'T, UM, LIKE TO, UH, PLAN TO DO THEM SIMULTANEOUSLY AND THEY HAVE A PACE OF EVERY FOUR YEARS.
SO WE'RE THINKING THAT THAT WOULD BE A GOOD, UM, PACE TO, TO LOOK TO IN THE FUTURE.
I KNOW I'VE ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS HERE AND YOU GUYS MIGHT HAVE, UH, SOME OF YOUR OWN, BUT I THINK THE MAIN THING I WANNA EMPHASIZE IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS KIND OF A NEW PROCESS AND MAYBE NOT A NEW PROCESS, BUT ONE THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE FOR A DECADE, AND WE'RE GONNA BE TRYING TO MONITOR THIS.
YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO KEEP OUR EARS ON THE GROUND, MAKE SURE THAT WE MONITOR THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY WHO MAY BE EITHER TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS OR OTHERWISE IMPACTED BY THIS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE MEMO JUST CAME OUT LAST WEEK.
I THINK WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF HEARING FROM PEOPLE.
THERE'S GONNA BE THE, THE, THE MEETING YOU HAVE ON THE SEPTEMBER THE NINTH, IS THAT VIRTUAL OR IS THAT IN PERSON? THAT IS IN PERSON.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DO START TO COLLECT FEEDBACK AND UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK HERE.
UH, BUT THAT'S KINDA WHERE MY THINKING IS AT THIS MOMENT.
AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY WANT TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR QUESTIONS, CONCERNS ABOUT THIS TOO.
UM, I KNOW THAT COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN ASKED A LOT OF THESE QUESTIONS, BUT I'M STILL CURIOUS, IS THERE ANY FLEXIBILITY IN THAT OCTOBER NOVEMBER WINDOW? LIKE IS SOMETHING LIKE MID-NOVEMBER TO EARLY JANUARY AN OPTION, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT COULD HELP MAKE SURE THESE BUSINESSES AREN'T DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED DURING A BUSY SEASON? I UNDERSTAND THEM PICKING JANUARY AND FEBRUARY FOR A WINTER STORM REASONS, BUT I THINK WE ALL KNOW AT THIS POINT THAT WINTER STORM'S GONNA HIT THE LAST WEEK OF JANUARY TO MAYBE THE THIRD WEEK OF FEBRUARY, AND THAT'S GONNA BE THE WINDOW, RIGHT? THE, THE WINDOW FROM LCRA IS TO BE, UH, BACK TO THE FULL LAKE LEVEL BY NOVEMBER 30TH.
AND SO THAT'S THE DATE THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING BACKWARDS FROM.
SO THEY DON'T, THEY'RE NOT GONNA ENTERTAIN, YOU KNOW, EVEN MOVING IT BACK A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
SO DECEMBER'S OFF THE TABLE TOO, RIGHT? RIGHT.
BASICALLY, YEAH, THAT, UM, DECEMBER THROUGH, UH, FEBRUARY IS OFF THE TABLE.
AND THEN, UH, APOLOGIES IF YOU ALREADY COVERED THIS, BUT WHY WAS THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, 10 YEAR GAP WHERE WE DIDN'T DO ANY DRAW DOWNS? WAS IT THAT THE LAKE LEVELS DIDN'T WARRANT IT OR THERE WAS SOME OTHER CONSIDERATIONS WHERE WE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T DO IT FOR 10 YEARS? UH, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE, UH, DROUGHT STATUS MORE THAN ANYTHING.
UM, WE'VE BEEN IN A, A VERY BAD DROUGHT FOR THE NUMBER OF YEARS.
UM, UM, AND YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE HADN'T ESTABLISHED, UH, A PROCESS FOR MAKING THE DECISION UNTIL RECENTLY.
SO THIS YEAR WE DO HAVE THAT PROCESS, SO THERE WILL BE A CADENCE THAT WE WILL LOOK AT.
UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE WE HADN'T RECEIVED AS MUCH REQUEST FROM THE COMMUNITY AND, AND THE VEGETATION WASN'T AN ISSUE THAT WOULD TRIGGER FOLKS TO ASK FOR A DRAWDOWN LIKE THEY HAD IN THE PAST.
IN THE PAST, THESE DRAWDOWNS HAVE BEEN VERY MUCH TIED TO CONTROLLING MILL FOIL.
UM, AND SO WHEN HYDRA CAME, UM, RESURGED IN LAKE AUSTIN OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, I THINK PEOPLE THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, NOW IS A GOOD TIME FOR A DRAWDOWN BECAUSE IT'LL HELP WITH THE HYDRA WITHOUT QUITE UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE PLANTS.
SO I THINK IT'S BEEN A, A FEW DIFFERENT REASONS.
I KNOW ANECDOTALLY I'VE HEARD FROM MORE PEOPLE THAT WANNA SEE A LAKE DRAW DOWN, SO I THINK MORE OF THE ISSUE IS JUST THE, THE TIMING OF IT AND MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS KNOW.
UM, IS THERE A CENTRALIZED POINT OF CONTACT OR EMAIL ADDRESS THAT WE SHOULD BE SENDING COMMUNICATIONS TO, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY FOLKS THAT REACH OUT TO ME ARE GETTING THE SAME INFORMATION THAT COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN CONSTITUENTS ARE RECEIVING? UM, YES, THERE IS AN EMAIL.
[00:35:01]
SO IF YOU GO TO, UH, THE WATERSHED PROTECTIONS LAKE AUSTIN WEBSITE, THERE'S A CONTACT US, UH, UH, LINK THERE.ALRIGHT, WELL THANK Y'ALL FOR INDULGING US FOR GOING A LITTLE OUT OF ORDER HERE, BUT THOUGHT IT MIGHT WORK BEST GIVEN THE THANK YOU DISCUSSION WE'VE HAD.
WELL, WE'LL CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION AND I HAD THE SAME QUESTION ABOUT DECEMBER.
I, IT SEEMS LIKE MORE OFTEN THAN NOT WE'RE WEARING SHORTS ON CHRISTMAS TIME, SO CAN'T IMAGINE A WINTER STORM THEN, BUT I GUESS LCRA HAS DIFFERENT IDEAS.
[2. Briefing on performance measures from Austin Climate Action and Resilience. [Zach Baumer, Director - Climate Action and Resilience]]
WELL WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER TWO.THIS IS THE BRIEFING ON PERFORMANCE MEASURES FROM THE AUSTIN CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE.
I WANNA SAY DEPARTMENT, BUT IT'S NOT, WE'RE WE'RE JUST, WE'VE CUT THAT, THAT DESCRIPTOR OFF OF ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS.
ALL, UH, I SEE DIRECT B BALMER GET AWAY.
UH, I'M ZACH BALMER, DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE, AND I HAVE HERE TODAY WITH ME, EMILY KING, URBAN FORESTER.
UM, SINCE THE URBAN FORESTRY TEAM JOINED OUR OFFICE CLOSE TO A YEAR AGO, EMILY HAS BEEN HELPING OUT WITH OUR BUDGET AND FINANCE MANAGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND PERFORMANCE TRACKING.
SHE HAS A KNACK FOR QUANTITATIVE STUFF, SO, UH, SHE'S HERE TO HELP PRESENT ON THE STUFF.
SO, UH, I HAVE A, JUST A VERY BRIEF PRESENTATION ON OUR FY 2026, UH, PERFORMANCE.
UH, I'M GONNA BRIEFLY COVER OUR VISION AND MISSION, THEN EMILY'S GONNA TALK ABOUT OUR KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS IN OUR KEY MILESTONES, MOST OF WHICH HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED JUST OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE FOUR TEAMS, UH, WITHIN OUR OFFICE.
SO THE VISION FOR OUR, UH, FOR AUSTIN CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT BEFORE, IS THAT AUSTIN IS A THRIVING, EQUITABLE AND ECOLOGICALLY RESILIENT COMMUNITY.
OUR MISSION IS TO PROTECT AND IMPROVE AUSTIN'S QUALITY OF LIFE NOW AND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS BY LEADING EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE NET ZERO COMMUNITY-WIDE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, A HEALTHY AND JUST LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM, A THRIVING URBAN FOREST, AND A CLIMATE ADAPTIVE CITY.
SO HERE EMILY IS GONNA TALK THROUGH, UH, THE FOUR KPIS AND THE KEY, UH, AND THE MILESTONES THAT WE HAVE FOR TRACKING PERFORMANCE OVER OUR OFFICE.
SO OUR FIRST KPI IS, UM, THE COMMUNITY CARBON FOOTPRINT IN METRIC TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS IN MILLIONS.
SO WE HAVE A TARGET OF 5.8 AND OUR LAST MEASUREMENT HAS A, AT 11.5 MILLION METRIC TONS.
UM, THAT TRACK THAT, UM, THAT KPI IS OFF TRACK.
WE HAVE REALLY AGGRESSIVE, UM, CARBON GOALS, UM, THROUGH OUR CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN OF HAVING, UM, NET ZERO AND, UM, AND SO AGAIN, OUR GOALS ARE, ARE REALLY AGGRESSIVE AND WE'RE NOT QUITE ON TRACK WITH THAT.
UH, NEW KPI IS THE PERCENT INCREASE IN ACRES OF FOOD PRODUCTION OCCURRING ON PUBLIC LANDS IN AUSTIN.
WE'LL BE MEASURING THAT MOVING FORWARD.
SAME FOR THE NEXT ONE, THE PERCENT INCREASE OF, UM, TREES PLANTED OR SHADE STRUCTURES ALONG PILOT CORRIDORS.
AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE DATA, BUT WE WILL BEGIN TRACKING THIS.
AND OUR FINAL ONE IS THE PERCENT OF TREES DISTRIBUTED TO HIGH PRIORITY PRIORITY AREAS.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN TRACKING FOR A WHILE NOW, AND WE ARE MEETING OUR, OUR GOALS ON THIS ONE FOR OUR KEY MILESTONES.
UM, SO WE WILL BE, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO REPORTING ABOUT THESE IN THE FUTURE AND HOW WE'RE DOING ON 'EM.
UM, SO THERE'S SIX KEY MILESTONES TOTAL.
WE ARE LOOKING TO COMPLETE INSTALLATION OF 50% OF OUR CONTRACTED SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS AT CITY FACILITIES, UM, WITH A TARGET DATE OF FY 28.
WE ARE LOOKING TO IMPLEMENT FIVE NEW PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE CLIMATE REVOLVING FUND WITH PARTNER DEPARTMENTS ALSO BY FY 28, INCREASING THE CITY'S TREE CANOPY COVER BY PLANTING 15,000 TREES IN DISTRIBUTING TREES AND DISTRIBUTING AT LEAST 70% OF TREES TO HIGH PRIORITY AREAS.
WE ARE HOPING TO RAISE FUNDING FOR NON-LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES THROUGHOUT THE CENTRAL TEXAS THROUGH THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD PLAN IMPLEMENTATION COLLABORATIVE.
WE ARE LOOKING TO BEGIN IMPLEMENTATION OF A THREE YEAR ACTION PLAN WITH AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT FOOD PURCHASING
[00:40:01]
DEVELOPED WITH THE CENTER FOR GOOD FOOD PURCHASING, AND FINALLY ADVANCED CITY COOLING STRATEGIES BY UPDATING RESILIENT BUILDING CODES AND PILOTING COOL CORRIDORS IN HIGH HEAT NEIGHBORHOODS.UM, AND AS A, AS SHE SAID, WE, UH, JUST FORMED ALL OF THESE, UH, NEW MILESTONES THIS YEAR AS PART OF THE, UM, AS PART OF THE CSP PROCESS.
SO WE WILL GET DATA ON THESE AND REPORTING ON THESE IN FUTURE YEARS.
UH, SO THE NEXT FOUR SLIDES ARE JUST SOME C SOME KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS ACROSS OUR FOUR TEAMS. SO OUR FIRST TEAM IS THE CLIMATE TEAM THAT WORKS ON CLIMATE MITIGATION.
WE ARE CURRENTLY IMPLEMENTING OUR CLIMATE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO 2027.
THERE ARE 46 PRIORITY ACTIONS IN THAT PLAN.
UM, AND WE'LL BE ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH A PROCESS NEXT YEAR, UM, TO UPDATE THAT WITH ANOTHER TWO YEARS INTO THE FUTURE.
UM, SOME ACTIONS THAT ARE ACTIVELY BEING IMPLEMENTED THAT ARE IN THAT PLAN ARE THE SOLAR ON CITY FACILITIES PROGRAM, TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT WITH TPW, UH, UH, LAND ACQUISITION PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WATERSHED AND WATER AND PARKS, UH, AND THEN FLEET ELECTRIFICATION.
UM, SOME ACTIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDER DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'RE WORKING ON BEHIND THE SCENES NOW TO, TO BRING FORWARD, UM, INTO, INTO THE COMING YEAR TO TO LAUNCH ARE THE CLIMATE REVOLVING FUND, WHICH WILL ACTUALLY BE COMING BACK AND PRESENTING ON THAT TO THIS COMMITTEE IN SEPTEMBER.
UH, AN UPDATE TO THE CITY'S GREEN BUILDING POLICY.
AND THEN FINALLY, UH, A RE REFRIGERANT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM JUST LOOKING AT THE, UH, THE GREENHOUSE GASES THAT ARE IN, UH, AIR CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT AND, UH, CHEMICALS, UM, THAT CAUSE CLIMATE CHANGE THAT, UH, WE CAN DO MORE TO, TO BETTER MANAGE.
UH, AND THEN FINALLY, AS WE'VE TOLD YOU BEFORE, WE HAVE NOW FULLY I IMPLEMENTED SOME ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES TO ESTABLISH CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL CLIMATE IMPLEMENTATION.
UH, WE NOW FULLY HAVE THESE ACTIVE GROUPS, UH, THE CLIMATE CABINET, UH, THE CART, WHICH IS THE CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE TEAM AND ACTIVE DELIVERY TEAMS, UH, WORKING CROSS-DEPARTMENTALLY TO, UH, IMPLEMENT ACTIONS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
UH, NEXT ON RESILIENCE, OUR RESILIENCE TEAM, UH, THE BIG, UH, ACCOMPLISHMENT THIS YEAR WAS THAT WE PUBLISHED THE RESILIENT AUSTIN PLAYBOOK.
THAT PLAYBOOK HAS FOUR PILLARS, 14 STRATEGIES AND 47 ACTIONS AIMED AT ALIGNING CITY DEPARTMENTS AND PARTNERS AROUND COORDINATED PROACTIVE SOLUTIONS TO INCREASE OUR COMMUNITY RESILIENCE AND PREPARE US FOR, UH, A CHANGING CLIMATE.
UM, A KEY PROJECT THAT WE'VE, UM, HAS BEEN UNDERWAY THIS YEAR IS WE SECURED A HEAT HEALTH AND EQUITY CHALLENGE FUND GRANT FROM C 40.
UM, THAT'S A INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT WE WORK WITH.
THIS IS A SMALL GRANT, BUT IT'S BEEN KEY FOR US TO PARTNER WITH, COMMUNICATE WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA ON EXTREME HEAT SOLUTIONS, UM, AND HELPING PRIMARILY OUR UNHOUSED POPULATION WITH, UM, MANAGING EXTREME HEAT, ESPECIALLY ON DAYS LIKE TODAY.
UH, AND THEN THIRD IS FOOD SYSTEMS. UH, OUR FOOD SYSTEMS TEAM IS SMALL BUT MIGHTY.
UM, UH, THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN WAS ADOPTED IN 2024.
WE NOW HAVE A FULLY, UM, UPTODATE IMPLEMENTATION DASHBOARD THAT'S BEEN UPDATED TWO YEARS NOW TO TRACK THE PLAN 61 STRATEGIES AND IMPLEMENTATION.
UH, NEARLY 80% OF THE, THE ACTIONS IN THE FOOD PLAN ARE IN PROGRESS, AND SO THEY'RE FULL UPDATES ON THAT DASHBOARD ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON.
WE ARE A SIGNATORY OF THE MILAN URBAN FOOD POLICY PACT.
THAT'S AN INTERNATIONAL PACT ON SUSTAINABLE AND LOCAL FOOD PLANNING.
WE HOSTED, UH, EARLIER THIS SPRING, THE, NO, THE NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICAN REGIONAL FORUM.
UM, MANY, MANY CITIES FROM ACROSS THE, UM, OUR SIDE OF THE WORLD AND, AND THE WORLD, UH, IN TOTAL CAME TO THE CITY AND WE, UM, HAD A MULTI-DAY FORUM ON IMPLEMENTATION OF SUSTAINABLE FOOD PRACTICES AND CITIES.
UM, AND THEN THE BIG THING IS THAT WE KICKED OFF THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN IMPLEMENTATION COLLABORATIVE TO, TO DRIVE IMPLEMENTATION ACROSS THE REGION.
UM, WE ARE USING TRAVIS COUNTY FUNDING AND WE HAVE, UM, CONTRACTED WITH A, A THIRD PARTY TO ESSENTIALLY FACILITATE THIS COLLABORATIVE.
AND SO THIS GROUP IS MEETING, UH, MONTHLY NOW.
AND REALLY THE MAIN UM, THE MAIN GOAL OF THE IMPLEMENTATION COLLABORATIVE IS FOR GOVERNMENT AND NONPROFITS AND BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY TO PARTNER ON FUNDRAISING, UH, TO RAISE FUNDING, UH, THROUGH LOCAL AND FEDERAL GRANTS, UM, TO BRING, UM, EXTERNAL FUNDING AND TO SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT PLAN.
AND THEN FINALLY, URBAN FOREST TEAM, I'LL LET EMILY GIVE THIS UPDATE.
UM, SO YEAH, ZACH MENTIONED OUR TEAM JOINED UP WITH US IN CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR, AND, UM, HAPPY TO REPORT THAT IN FY 26 WE'VE AWARDED TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS
[00:45:01]
TO LOCAL PARTNERS THROUGH THE URBAN FOREST REPLENISHMENT FUND TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY FORESTRY PROJECTS.AND WE'VE ALSO PUBLISHED AN ANNUAL REPORT, UM, ABOUT THE USE OF THE FUND.
WE HAVE HOSTED THE ANNUAL ROOTS AND WINGS FESTIVAL THAT HAPPENED LAST FALL.
WE HAD OVER 200 EVENTS HOSTED BY OVER 70 LOCAL PARTNERS, AND WE WORK WELCOMED THE, UM, SIXTH COHORT OF THE YOUTH FOREST COUNCIL TO OUR TEAM.
AND WE ALSO COMPLETED A PILOT PROGRAM, UH, THAT WAS CALLED TREE AMBASSADORS THAT WAS WORKING WITH, UM, LOCAL RESIDENTS.
AND THAT'S OUR UPDATE, UH, THANK YOU.
AND LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
WELL, THANKS, UH, DIRECTOR AND EMILY, UH, GREAT REPORT.
UM, I'LL JUST SPEAK FOR THE DISTRICT 17.
YOU KNOW, ACAR IS ONE OF OUR FAVORITE, UH, OFFICES OR DEPARTMENTS,
AND SO, UM, I GUESS FOR ONE OF THEM, UM, KPI 9 7 1 5 AND I'M, I'M ACTUALLY KIND OF CURIOUS WHY THE NUMBERS ARE SO HIGH.
DO YOU REALLY HAVE A 10,000 KPIS? UM, WHAT'S THAT? ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT? OH, OKAY.
UM, FOR 9 7 1 5, UM, IN TERMS OF PERCENT TREES ALONG PILOT CORRIDORS, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR Y'ALL TO SHARE WITH OUR OFFICE THE PILOT CORRIDOR PLANS? YES, I CAN GET WITH MY TEAM.
UM, THAT'S A COLLABORATION BETWEEN, UM, OUR RESILIENCE TEAM AND THE URBAN FORESTRY TEAM AND, UH, TPW, UH, TO IDENTIFY THESE, UM, HIGH HEAT PILOT CORRIDORS SO WE COULD GET THE DETAILS ON THOSE AND SHARE WITH YOU.
UH, I'M SURE A LOT OF US HAVE SUCH HOT CORRIDORS.
UH, WE HAVE A FEW IN D SEVEN, UH, AND THEN BOTH FOR THAT KPI AND 9 7 1 4, WHICH IS ALSO TREE RELATED.
WE KNOW THAT MOST OF THE TREE RELATED WORK IS BEING MADE POSSIBLE BY THE URBAN FOREST REPLENISHMENT FUND, BUT HAVE STAFF LOOKED INTO OTHER FUNDING SOURCES LIKE, UH, FEDERAL GRANTS OR OTHER GRANT DOLLARS THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO EXPAND THE WORK? UM, YES.
WE HAVE, UM, IN FACT WE ARE THE CITY'S RECIPIENT OF, UH, COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING, UM, TO SUPPORT SOME TREE PLANTING ALONG CORRIDORS THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH PROJECT PARTNERS TO, UM, FIRM UP A A, A PROJECT NARRATIVE FOR THAT WORK.
AND WE'VE AP WE'VE APPLIED FOR, UM, IRA FUNDING IN THE PAST.
UM, BUT THERE, THERE'S DEFINITELY A CAPACITY ISSUE IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL OUTSIDE FUNDING WE COULD APPLY FOR AND THEN MANAGE IN-HOUSE.
UM, AS IT IS, IT IS A FULL-TIME TEAM JOB TO MANAGE THE URBAN FOREST FUND AS IT IS, BUT YES, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, AND HAVE Y'ALL WORKED WITH, UH, I GUESS OUR GOVERNMENT RELATIONS DIRECTOR, CARRIE ROGERS ON THAT? OR IS THAT MORE OF AN IN-HOUSE EFFORT? YES, WE HAVE.
VICE ALICE, FEEL LIKE PEOPLE REALLY ARE GONNA WANNA TALK ABOUT TREE PLANTING DURING THIS CONVERSATION.
UM, HAS THE HEAT ISLAND MAP BEEN UPDATED AND HOW, HOW DOES THAT REFLECT THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE TARGETING? I KNOW THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT ASSESSMENTS THE CITY HAS DONE ABOUT, UM, WHERE TREES SHOULD BE PLANTED AND, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW DOES THAT INTERPLAY WITH, LET'S SAY OUR PARK SYSTEM WHERE WE NEED TO ADD TREES VERSUS OUR CORRIDORS WHERE WE NEED TO ADD TREES? CAN YOU TALK ME THROUGH THAT, THE MAPPING? SURE.
I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT THE CADENCE IS FOR UPDATES FOR HEAT ISLAND MAPPING.
UM, BUT JUST RECENTLY OUR TEAM HAS BEGUN WORKING MORE CLOSELY WITH A NATIONWIDE NONPROFIT AMERICAN FORESTS MM-HMM
UM, USING THEIR TREE EQUITY SCORE ANALYZER TOOL TO DETERMINE, UM, WHAT PRIORITIZATION AREAS AROUND TOWN.
AND THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UM, POTENTIAL METRICS THAT WE WOULD WANNA LOOK AT AND PRIORITIZE, INCLUDING URBAN HEAT, INCLUDING DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION.
AND, UM, SO THESE, THESE TOOLS HELP US FOCUS ON SPECIFIC PARTS OF TOWN AND THEN ZEROING IN TO THE PARCEL LEVEL AND WHERE TO PLANS ON A PARCEL LEVEL IS DEFINITELY LEGWORK THAT'S DONE BY, BY THE APPROPRIATE STAFF MEMBERS.
I WAS FORTUNATE TO GET TO MEET THE MAYOR OF TUCSON A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND SHE HAS LIKE THIS MILLION TREES PROGRAM AND I KNOW WE OPENED UP THE CONVERSATION HERE IN AUSTIN ABOUT, HEY, DO WE HAVE THAT, UM, COULD WE MAKE ONE? AND THE INFORMATION I GOT BACK WAS THAT EVERYTHING WAS WORKING FANTASTICALLY WELL, UM, AND THAT IT WASN'T NECESSARILY WORTH TAKING APART AND TRYING TO RECONFIGURE HOW THAT WORKS.
UM, BUT TREE EQUITY SCORE I THINK WAS SOMETHING THAT TUCSON HAD DONE.
SO I'M REALLY CURIOUS TO, TO SEE, YOU KNOW, IN REAL TIME, HOW DO WE ANALYZE WHERE THINGS NEED TO BE PLANTED? UM, HOW CAN OTHER PARTNERS LIKE TREE FOLKS THAT GIVE AWAY FREE
[00:50:01]
TREES HELP, UM, BE A PART OF THIS? 'CAUSE I KNOW THEY'RE SUCH A FANTASTIC NONPROFIT PARTNER WITH THE CITY.UM, AND I DID GET TO MEET THAT OTHER NATIONWIDE NONPROFIT GROUP BECAUSE WE DID TREE PLANTINGS IN ZILKER PARK IN THE FALL OR IN THE SPRING ACTUALLY.
UM, AND SO I'M REALLY CURIOUS HOW FOLKS, YOU KNOW, HOW LIKE A HOMEOWNER COULD TAP INTO THIS AND, AND HELP BE A PART OF WHICH TREES NEED TO GO WHERE AND HOW, HOW CAN THEY HELP FULFILL THE, THE GOALS OF THIS PROGRAM IN, IN A REALLY EASY WAY? SO IS THAT INFORMATION ACCESSIBLE ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE FOR FOLKS? YES, IT IS.
WE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOME REALLY FANTASTIC, UM, INTERNAL RESOURCES THAT WE'VE PUT TOGETHER THAT REALLY TELL THE STORY OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR URBAN TREE CANOPY AND WE KIND OF WILL HOLD YOUR HAND THROUGH THAT INFORMATION AND THEN SHARE OUT TO THOSE EXTERNAL WEBSITES.
AND, UM, WE HAVE STAFF ON HAND THAT ARE, UM, ACTIVELY WORKING WITH OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS TO HELP THOSE NONPROFIT STAFFERS REALLY CONNECT THE DOTS BETWEEN THE PROGRAMMING AND THE TOOLS AND, UM, HOW TO MAKE RESOURCES AVAILABLE.
UM, AND I'M ALSO CURIOUS, 'CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF, THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT DO VOLUNTEER DAYS, LIKE IT'S MY PARK DAY OR OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SO I'M CURIOUS IF THERE'S BEEN ANY FOLKS THAT HAVE REACHED OUT WANTING TO ENGAGE IN THIS CONVERSATION TO SAY, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA GO TO SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOODS OR CORRIDORS AND WORK THAT'S GONNA BE OUR VOLUNTEER DAY.
IS, YOU KNOW, TREE PLANTING IN AREAS WHERE IT'S NECESSARY.
IS, IS THAT LEVEL OF CONVERSATION HAPPENING AS FAR AS LIKE MASS VOLUNTEER OUTREACH OFF HANDS? I'D PROBABLY HAVE TO GET BACK WITH YOU BECAUSE I THINK ABOUT AN EVENT LIKE IT'S MY PARK DAY AND THERE ARE SO MANY ACTIVATIONS THAT HAPPEN.
I THINK THE ONLY, THE ONLY GROUPS THAT GET TURNED DOWN OR, OR ONCE AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION RUNS OUT OF CAPACITY, UM, IF GROUPS EVEN GET TURNED DOWN.
UM, SO I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE OFFHAND, BUT WE CAN GET BACK WITH YOU ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN, UM, MY LAST QUESTION WILL BE JUST ABOUT, UM, AS FOLKS DO WANT TO ENGAGE WITH TREE PLANTING, UM, WHAT INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE AROUND NATIVE PLANT SPECIES, WHICH ARE THE ACTUAL SPECIES OF TREES THAT BEST THRIVE? WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, EAST AND WEST OF THE BAES ESCARPMENT, YOU SEE A VERY, VERY DIFFERENT, UM, TREE POPULATION, TREE SPECIES PLANTED.
HOW CAN YOU MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE, UM, ABLE TO ENGAGE IN THAT INFORMATION AND PLANT A TREE THAT'S GOING TO THRIVE THERE AND, UM, WILL BE REGIONALLY APPROPRIATE FOR THE CLIMATE CONDITIONS THAT EACH PART OF TOWN SEES? SURE.
UM, INTERNALLY WE HAVE AUSTIN TEXAS.GOV/TREES.
IT'S A TREE INFORMATION CENTER, BUT SOMEWHAT OF A CLEARING HOUSE.
ANYTHING YOU MIGHT WANNA KNOW ABOUT TREES IN AUSTIN YOU'RE MOST LIKELY GOING TO FIND THERE.
UM, WE PARTNER WITH, UM, WATERSHED PROTECTION WITH THE GROW GREEN PROGRAM IN TERMS OF, UM, WORKING TO HAVE THE, THE GROW GREEN TREE GUIDE, UM, OR LANDSCAPE GUIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, FULL OF FULL OF REALLY GOOD AND RELEVANT INFORMATION.
AND AGAIN, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, WE PARTNER WITH TREE FOLKS, UM, ON THE FREE TREE GIVEAWAY PROGRAM CALLED NEIGHBOR WOODS.
AND WE DO WORK ALONGSIDE OF THAT ORGANIZATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TREES THAT ARE BEING OFFERED FOR FREE TO RESIDENTS ARE APPROPRIATE FOR OUR AREA.
I'VE SEEN PICTURES OF HOW LONG THE LINE GETS, WHEN IT'S TIME TO GO GET YOUR FREE TREE.
UM, AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION WILL JUST BE ABOUT THE YOUTH FOREST COUNCIL AND TREE AMBASSADORS PROGRAM.
HOW DO THOSE OPERATE? ARE THEY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SCHOOLS OR ARE THEY, UM, THROUGH OUR PARKS AND REC PROGRAMMING? HOW ARE PEOPLE ENGAGING WITH THOSE PROGRAMS? SURE.
SO THESE ARE PROGRAMS THAT ARE RUN OUT OF OUR SHOP IN CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE.
UM, THEY, THEY DO NOT RUN IN A SILO.
WE ABSOLUTELY PARTNER WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS.
YOUTH FOREST COUNCIL RECRUITS APPROXIMATELY 16 YOUNG PEOPLE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16 AND, UH, 21, UH, FOR A YEAR OF SERVICE.
THEY COME ON AS PART-TIME, UH, TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES WITH THE CITY AND THEY LEARN LEADERSHIP, THEY LEARN, UM, UH, JOB SKILLS AND IT'S, IT'S KIND OF A GATEWAY TO GREEN INDUSTRY, UM, EMPLOYMENT.
AND THEY ENGAGE IN ON THE GROUND ACTIVITIES SUCH AS, UM, YOU KNOW, VOLUNTEER EVENTS, LEARNING HOW TO LEAD TREE IDENTIFICATION WALKS, THESE KINDS OF THINGS WHERE THEY CAN TAKE THESE SKILLS BACK TO THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES AND DO THIS GOOD WORK, UM, IN THE PLACES WHERE THEY, THEY, YOU KNOW, LIVE AND GO TO SCHOOL.
UM, THAT PROGRAM'S BEEN ONGOING SINCE 2020 AND UM, AND AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S A NEW COHORT EVERY YEAR.
THE TREE AMBASSADORS AGAIN, WAS A PILOT PROGRAM THAT WE JUST RAN THIS PAST FALL WHERE WE RECRUITED
[00:55:02]
ABOUT A DOZEN.UM, THIS IS, THIS IS MORE GEARED TOWARDS ADULTS, INDIVIDUALS FROM, AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE LARGELY TRYING TO RECRUIT FROM SOME OF OUR HIGHER PRIORITY AREAS OF TOWN, BUT THOSE ARE NOT THE EXCLUSIVE DEMOGRAPHICS THAT ARE INCLUDED.
AND, UM, AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION, UM, KIND OF GROWING ON A BASELINE OF, OF EDUCATION THAT THE FOLKS COMING IN ALREADY KNOW AND UNDERSTAND AND HELPING EQUIP PEOPLE WITH THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO LEAD STEWARDSHIP PROJECTS AGAIN IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES AS WELL.
I KNOW A TON OF FOLKS THAT WOULD WANNA BE A PART OF THE YOUTH FOREST COUNCIL.
DOES, UH, WHEN YOU SAY A YEAR, DOES THAT RUN CALENDAR YEAR OR DOES IT START, DOES IT LINE UP WITH SCHOOL YEARS OR KIND OF WHERE IS IT TIME FOR PEOPLE TO APPLY, I GUESS IS WHAT I'M GETTING AT
YEAH, WE, WE'VE TRIED A COUPLE OF CONFIGURATIONS AND RIGHT NOW OUR CADENCE IS, UM, WE'VE, WE'VE JUST HIRED ON, SO IT STARTED BACK IN JUNE, IT WILL RUN UNTIL MAY.
SO WE WILL BE RECRUITING, UH, LATE NEXT SPRING.
UM, BUT IT IS TIME TO BE LOOKING INTO TREE AMBASSADORS.
WE ARE EITHER THE GATEWAY MIGHT HAVE ALREADY OPENED OR IT'S PENDING FOR APPLICATIONS FOR THE TREE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM THIS FALL.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION AND UPDATES.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS HOPEFULLY BUILDING ON A FEW THINGS THAT ALREADY HAVE COME UP.
ONE IS, I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE, UH, THE ONE KPI, THE FIRST ONE THAT WE'RE OFF TRACK.
AND IF YOU CAN KIND OF GIVE ME YOUR PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT'S DRIVING US IS THAT THINGS THAT ARE KIND OF ENTIRELY OUT OF OUR CONTROL THAT ARE CAUSING US TO MISS THOSE TARGETS? WHAT'S GOING ON THERE? IS THERE A NARRATIVE Y'ALL CAN SHARE? YES.
UM, SO THIS METRIC FOR THE COMMUNITY CARBON FOOTPRINT, WE HAVE BEEN TRACKING THIS DATA ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2010.
BASICALLY LIKE ALL THE THINGS THAT OUR CITY AND OUR COMMUNITY IS DOING TO ADDRESS OUR COLLECTIVE CARBON FOOTPRINT.
SO THIS IS POWER GENERATION, RIGHT? THIS IS, UH, WASTE, THIS IS ALL OF THE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD, ALL THE ENERGY USED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS IS THE BIGGEST, THE HIGHEST LEVEL, UH, MEASURE OF OUR IMPACT.
SO THE, OUR FOOTPRINT STARTED OUT BACK IN, I THINK 2010 AT, I BELIEVE 14.5 MILLION METRIC TONS.
SO WE HAVE MADE SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS, UH, REDUCING THE COMMUNITY WIDE FOOTPRINT OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 15 YEARS.
UM, BUT OUR GOAL IS NET ZERO EMISSIONS BY 2040.
SO THERE IS A VERY STEEP LINE THAT GOES DOWN FROM 2020 BASICALLY TO 2040 TO ZERO.
UM, THIS IS AMONG THE MOST AGGRESSIVE GOALS IN THE COUNTRY.
UM, COUNCIL ADOPTED THIS GOAL REALLY AS LIKE A STRETCH GOAL AS A LEADERSHIP GOAL FOR US.
UM, OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS, OUR COMMUNITY CARBON FOOTPRINT HAS SORT OF FLATTENED OUT.
UM, OUR, OUR MO THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF EMISSION REDUCTIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED HAVE COME ON THE ENERGY SIDE.
THEY'VE COME FROM AUSTIN ENERGY AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THEIR, UH, GENERATION PLANS, OF THEIR EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS, RENEWABLE PROGRAMS. UM, BUT TRANSPORTATION EMISSIONS REMAIN THE STICKIEST, THE STICKIEST EMISSIONS TO REDUCE.
UM, I MEAN, WE HAVE LOTS OF PLANS AND TONS OF EFFORTS AS YOU KNOW, TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE OUTTA CARS, UM, AND TRY TO ELECTRIC VEHICLE ELECTRIFY VEHICLES THAT ARE, UM, THAT ARE REMAINING ON THE ROAD.
UM, BUT WE CURRENTLY ARE CONTINUING TO ADD MORE AND MORE PEOPLE THAT BRING MORE AND MORE CARS THAT, UM, AND WE ARE JUST NOT GETTING PEOPLE COLLECTIVELY OUT OF CARS FAST ENOUGH, UM, ONTO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND BIKING AND WALKING, UM, AND ELECTRIFYING THOSE VEHICLES FAST ENOUGH.
SO THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT THE CITY CAN DO TO AFFECT THESE NUMBERS.
UM, BUT THIS REALLY IS THE COMMUNITY ACTION.
THIS IS ALL, EVERYONE IN INCLUDED, EVERY SINGLE VEHICLE OUT THERE THAT GETS SWITCHED TO AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE THAT GOES ZERO EMISSIONS AFFECTS THE SUM NUMBER.
UM, SO, UM, I THINK THAT WE ARE KEEPING OUR EYE ON THIS.
WE ARE, OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE ALL CENTERED ON TRYING TO DO ALL THE THINGS THAT WE CAN TO MAKE THIS GO DOWN.
UM, BUT I THINK THIS, WHERE WE ARE NOW JUST REFLECTS THE REALITY OF WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF LIKE MAKING NATIONWIDE AND GLOBAL EMISSIONS COME DOWN.
AT THIS POINT, DO YOU FEEL LIKE WE'VE KIND OF ADDRESSED THE LOW HANGING FRUIT AND WE'RE NOW UNDER THE MORE DIFFICULT CHALLENGES, AS YOU SAY, OF TRYING TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR? AND I'LL JUST, I'LL ASK THAT QUESTION AS YES, DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY.
UM, I MEAN THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO WHAT'S THE LOWEST HANGING FRUIT AND THE LOW HANGING, THE MEDIUM AND THE HIGH.
[01:00:01]
COLLECTIVELY.UM, I MEAN A LOT OF THE SOLUTIONS THAT WE DO HAVE ARE ECONOMIC.
UM, THEY, THEY DO WORK ECONOMICALLY, LIKE THEY DO SAVE PEOPLE MONEY AND REDUCE EMISSIONS.
UM, BUT THAT COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR CHANGE, THAT COLLECTIVE CULTURAL CHANGE, UM, SPECIFICALLY AROUND TRANSPORTATION, AROUND VEHICLES, IS REALLY THE HARDEST THING WE HAVE TO ADDRESS AT THIS POINT.
I MEAN, SETTING ASIDE AE AS PART OF THIS YEP.
WHERE DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE NEXT BEST PLACE TO GO WORK ON THIS? IS IT THE FLEET, UH, OR CHANGING RESIDENT BEHAVIOR OR MASS TRANSIT, OR WHERE DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE, THE NEXT BEST PLACE TO GO WORK ON THIS IS THAT YOU MAY ALREADY BE DOING BY THE WAY.
UM, SO THINGS LIKE ADDRESSING OUR CITY FLEET ARE IMPORTANT AND THEY MAKE AN IMPACT, BUT IT'S A VERY, VERY SMALL IMPACT IN TERMS OF THIS TOTAL NUMBER.
UM, THE LARGEST AREAS TO MAKE THE BIGGEST IMPACT RIGHT NOW ARE, UM, IN MASS TRYING TO MOVE PEOPLE OUT OF SINGLE ACCU SINGLE OCCUPANCY VEHICLES, RIGHT? SO EVERYTHING WITH AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, ALL OF OUR WORK WITH, UM, TO GET LIGHT RAIL BUILT, UM, WORK WITH CAP METRO TO GET PEOPLE ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S PROBABLY THE NUMBER ONE THING.
AND THEN THE SECOND THING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THAT IS ALL OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, UH, WORK THAT THEY DO ON SIDEWALKS AND BIKING, UH, AND BIKE AND PET INFRASTRUCTURE, RIGHT? TO MAKE ALL OF THAT INFRASTRUCTURE AVAILABLE AND SAFE.
SO IF PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO USE A CAR, THEY CAN VERY EASILY SWITCH OVER TO, UM, TO USING A BIKE OR, OR WALKING.
UM, SO THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST CHUNK.
THE SECOND THING THAT GOES IN PARALLEL WITH THAT IS ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
UM, SO INCENTIVIZING ELECTRIC VEHICLES, ENCOURAGING ELECTRIC VEHICLES, UM, ENABLING THE CULTURAL ADOPTION OF THAT.
UM, AND AUSTIN ENERGY'S PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT CHARGING STATIONS AND CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, BECAUSE THE MORE THE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE'S NORMALIZED, THE MORE THE PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT THEY CAN BUY A VEHICLE AND EASILY CHARGE IT.
I WANNA SWITCH GEARS AND JUST BUILD ON COUNCIL MEMBER SIEGEL'S POINT.
IF YOU CAN SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE WHOLE COMMITTEE, THAT'D BE HELPFUL.
AND THEN, UH, AND AS PART OF THAT, I THINK JUST ALSO MAKING SURE THAT I, OR WE UNDERSTAND WHAT PILE QUARTERS MEANS IN THIS CONTEXT.
UH, I WANTED TO TURN TO THE URBAN FOREST REPLENISHMENT FUND QUICKLY, AND UH, I WANTED TO CONFIRM MY UNDERSTANDING, AND I THINK THIS IS THANKS TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, THAT WE SPENT, OR WE AUTHORIZED I THINK A MILLION DOLLARS IN THE FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET FOR VEGETATION MANAGEMENT FROM THAT FUND.
IS THAT CORRECT? I'M DRAWING A BLANK.
MAYBE STAFF CAN CHOP MY MEMORY.
I REALLY, THERE'S A QUESTION THERE ABOUT, UM, THE USE CASES FOR THE FUND AND IS VEGETATION MANAGEMENT ONE OF THOSE USE CASES? 'CAUSE I, MY RECOLLECTION IS THAT THAT WAS ONE OF THE LATE AMENDMENTS IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET THAT WE ADDED SY OR NODDING YOUR HEAD.
CAN YOU EXPAND THAT OR SOMEBODY SPEAK TO IT? EMILY CAN I THINK, EXPLAIN, UH, WHAT WAS ADOPTED AND, UH, IMPLEMENTED OVER THE LAST YEAR? YES.
IN THE FY 26 BUDGET PROCESS, THERE WAS A MILLION DOLLARS ALLOCATED TO AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT FROM THE URBAN FOREST REPLENISHMENT FUND.
UM, THAT FUNDING IS LARGELY GOING TO BE SPENT ON, UM, VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, UM, ON PARKLANDS.
SO THAT, THAT IS AN ACCEPTABLE USE CASE FOR URBAN FOREST REPLENISHMENT FUND DOLLARS.
HOWEVER, UM, URBAN FOREST REPLENISHMENT FUND RECEIVES FUNDING FROM TREES THAT ARE IMPACTED LARGELY THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
SO IT IS, IT IS MANY COMING IN WHEN TREES ARE REMOVED AND WE LOSE CANOPY.
SO HIGHEST AND BEST CASE USE PRO FOR URBAN FOREST REPLENISHMENT FUND IS TREE PLANTING TO EXPAND CANOPY.
AND, UM, DEFINITELY NOTING THAT MAINTAINING AND PRESERVING EXISTING CANOPY SO THAT WE AT LEAST CAN HAVE A KNOWN NET LOSS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
BUT WE, WE DO HAVE A CANOPY GROWTH GOAL, UH, OF 50% CANOPY COVER BY 2050.
I WOULD JUST BE CURIOUS TO MAKE SURE I, IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE SOME OF THAT MONEY HASN'T BEEN SPENT YET FROM THAT AUTHORIZATION, OR HAS IT ALL BEEN SPENT? 'CAUSE THERE'S, IN THE REPORT YOU'VE GOT ABOUT $620,000 SPENT ON CARRYING, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE RIGHT CATEGORY THAT VEGETATION MANAGEMENT WOULD FALL UNDER, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND KIND OF WHAT HAPPENED SINCE THAT MONEY WAS AUTHORIZED.
YEAH, THAT, THAT SPECIFIC FUNDING, THAT MILLION DOLLARS, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH AUSTIN FIRE TO DETERMINE HOW BEST THEY WANT TO USE THAT FUNDING, GIVEN THE FUNDING PARAMETERS AND GIVEN THE, UM, THE INITIAL, UM, INTENTIONS BEHIND IT.
[01:05:01]
WE HAVE WORKED OUT A TWO TO THREE YEAR TIMELINE TO, UM, TO ALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS AND TO SPEND THOSE FUNDS.SO FY 26 BEING THE FIRST YEAR, UH, THE FUNDING IS LARGELY GOING TO VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.
AND IT'S, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOUR PREFERENCE IS TO, TO USE THE FUND FOR ACTUAL TREE PLANTING AND CANOPY CREATION AND NOT MEDITATION MANAGEMENT.
BARRING COUNCIL DIRECTION FOR FUNDING IN THE BUDGET.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO ASK A BROAD QUESTION ABOUT THE WORK Y'ALL ARE DOING.
HAVE, MY UNDERSTANDING IS, UM, WELL I'LL JUST, HOW DO THE GOALS AND KPIS YOU'VE LAID OUT HERE STACK UP WITH, SAY WHAT THE COUNTY IS DOING IN THIS SPACE? HAVE Y'ALL DO, IS THAT SOMETHING YOU GUYS CHECK OR MONITOR TO, TO SORT OF SEE WHAT OUR PEERS IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ARE DOING RELATIVE TO WHAT WE ARE ACCOMPLISHING? UM, I WOULD SAY THAT WE COORDINATE AND ARE IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE COUNTY AND THEIR TEAMS THAT WORK ON CLIMATE MITIGATION.
UM, BUT I THINK I WOULD SAY THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS A LOT LONGER WITH A LOT MORE RESOURCES.
AND SO WE HAVE MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE PLANS.
WE HAVE MUCH MORE DETAILED PLANS FOR RESILIENCE AND TREES AND FOOD AND CLIMATE.
UM, SO WE, WE SUPPORT THEM WHERE WE CAN, WE HELP THEM WHERE WE CAN, UM, AND WE TRY TO STAY ON THE SAME PAGE WORKING WITH THEM.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S SORT OF WHAT THE RELATIONSHIP IS.
BUT IN TERMS OF SORT OF GOALS AND RESULTS, IT'S, IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE IT MIGHT BE APPLES AND ORANGES JUST BASED ON RESOURCES ALONE? YEAH, I THINK SO.
UM, BUT WE TRY TO, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE WE REALIZE THAT WE OVERLAP AND INTERCONNECT WITH THEM.
SO IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS OR IF THEY WANT HELP OR IF THEY WANT, UM, YOU KNOW, TO USE OUR INFORMATION AND, UH, TO RUN WITH THEIR OWN GOALS OR THEIR OWN PROGRAMS, WE ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT THAT AND, AND TRY TO HELP THEM IN THOSE EFFORTS.
AND THEN I'M GONNA ASK A SIMILAR QUESTION, BUT EXCEPT INTERNALLY, WHICH IS, AND YOU ALLUDED TO THIS EARLIER, HAVING TO WORK WITH WHOEVER FLEET OR AE OR ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE WITHIN OUR UMBRELLA.
UH, HAVE THERE BEEN ANY BARRIERS THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED AS FAR AS TRYING TO MEET SOME OF THE GOALS, LIKE THE EMISSIONS GOALS IS ONE WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, BUT IN TERMS OF THE OTHER GOALS, IN TERMS OF, UH, FOOD, IN TERMS OF HOW WE'RE BEST LEVERAGING THE URBAN FORESTRY REPLENISHMENT FUND.
HAS THAT BEEN ANY, UH, CAN YOU JUST SPEAK AT ALL TO CHALLENGES OR OPPORTUNITIES WITH DEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION AS YOU'VE RUN INTO IT IN ADDRESSING THE, THE SUBJECT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SUBJECT THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY? YEAH.
UM, I THINK I WOULD SAY THAT REALLY THE ONLY BARRIER THAT WE RUN INTO IS, UH, PEOPLE IN FUNDING RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS. UM, OUR OFFICE, HAVING BEEN IN PLACE FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS AND WORKING IN THIS SPACE, WE HAVE DEVELOPED VERY STRONG RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE WORK WITH.
UM, I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE THAT THE MAIN THINGS THAT WE ACTUALLY DO ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS ARE LEAD, ADVISE AND COORDINATE AS WELL AS CATALYZE ACTION.
AND SO OUR BUSINESS IS, IS CHANGE AND COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
UM, SO THERE IS UP AND DOWN EVERY DEPARTMENT.
I MEAN, I HAVE RELATIONSHIP WITH DIRECTORS, MY STAFF HAS RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR STAFF.
UM, WHEN WE NEED TO GET PEOPLE IN A ROOM TO WORK ON A PROJECT THAT'S BIGGER THAN JUST US OR JUST ONE DEPARTMENT, PEOPLE SHOW UP.
UM, OUR CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE TEAM THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, IS A QUARTERLY GROUP THAT'S, UM, WE INVITE ANY AND EVERY DEPARTMENT TO PARTICIPATE.
THERE ARE PROBABLY A HUNDRED PEOPLE THAT COME TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS.
UM, SO THERE IS, THERE IS NO ISSUES WITH, UM, COLLABORATION OR WORKING TOGETHER OR SUPPORT, UM, THE CITY ORGANIZATION.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE REALLY, THE RESULTS SHOW, UM, FROM OUR DEDICATION AND SUPPORT TO THIS FOR SUCH A LONG TIME IS THAT OUR ORGANIZATION HAS REALLY GROWN TO THIS PLACE WHERE WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT UNDERSTAND THESE TOPICS OF CLIMATE AND RESILIENCE ACROSS ALL CORNERS OF THE ORGANIZATION.
AND WE HIRE PEOPLE, UH, NEW PEOPLE EVERY DAY THAT HAVE KNOWLEDGE IN THESE AREAS.
UM, AND THEY UNDERSTAND COUNCIL'S GOALS AND COUNCIL'S PRIORITIES AND CITY MANAGEMENT SUPPORTS THEIR IMPLEMENTATION.
SO, UM, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF GETTING EVERYBODY TOGETHER AND, AND MAKING THE WORK HAPPEN.
I APPRECIATE YOU SPEAKING TO THAT.
I HAVE JUST ONE QUESTION, COMMENT, UH, KIND OF BUILDING A LITTLE BIT ON WHAT
[01:10:01]
MANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS, RIGHT? SOLAR OUT OF AUSTIN, ENERGY, ELECTRIFICATION OF THE FLEET, OUT OF FLEET, UH, YOU KNOW, GO ON AND ON.AND SO ONE THING THAT I WAS CURIOUS IF WE MIGHT EXPLORE AS A ONE OF YOUR KPIS WOULD BE SOMETHING AROUND BASICALLY HOW MUCH ARE OTHER DEPARTMENTS LISTENING TO WHAT YOU'RE ASKING THEM TO DO? AND IT, IT, WE WOULD HAVE TO, TO REALLY FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
BUT IF, IF FLEET HAS A GOAL OF ELECTRIFICATION OF THE FLEET, YOU KNOW, ARE THEY MEETING IT? AND, AND IS IF AE HAS A GOAL ABOUT SOLAR, ARE THEY MEETING IT? AND SO KIND OF A-A-K-P-I OF KPIS AS IT WERE, RIGHT, OF HOW ACROSS THE ENTERPRISE ARE WE MEETING OUR CLIMATE RELATED KPIS? ARE, ARE THE DEPARTMENTS THEMSELVES DOING THE WORK THAT AS A COLLECTIVE RESULT IN WHAT WE WANT TO SEE THAT COLLECTIVE RESULT IN? SO, UH, FOOD FOR THOUGHT, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW WE WOULD STRUCTURE THAT, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GIVE SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING, RIGHT? WHEN WE GIVE DEPARTMENTS DIRECTIVES TO DO THINGS, ARE THEY DOING IT AT, AT WHAT CLIP ARE THEY DOING IT? AND WE COULD KIND OF MEASURE THAT.
UM, GREAT COMMENT AND QUESTION.
AND I THINK THE FIRST PLACE THAT WE COULD START IS ON, ON OUR CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN IMPLEMENTATION DASHBOARD.
SO THERE ARE, THERE'S THE TOP LEVEL GOAL OF COMMUNITY WIDE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, BUT THERE ARE, I THINK IT'S 14 SUB GOALS THAT BREAK DOWN TRANSPORTATION, ENERGY WASTE INTO THESE SUB-SECTORS AND THEIR QUANTITATIVE GOALS.
UM, THAT THE DEPARTMENTS ARE ACTUALLY MORE RESPONSIBLE FOR MEETING MANY OF THOSE GOALS BECAUSE IT'S IMPLEMENTATION WITHIN THEIR WORK AREA.
UM, SO I THINK WE COULD PROBABLY START WITH THOSE, UM, AND THEN BUILD FROM THERE.
MOST OF THOSE ARE PRETTY QUANTITATIVE, BUT WE COULD ALSO HAVE SOME QUANT, UH, QUALITATIVE GOALS ABOUT HOW ARE THEY IMPLEMENTING, HOW SUCCESSFUL ARE THEY BEING AT IMPLEMENTING, UM, DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE PLAN.
UM, SO THAT'S A GOOD CHALLENGE.
WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND THINK INTERNALLY ABOUT THAT.
[3. Briefing on wildfire mitigation through on-demand brush and household hazardous waste collections. [Paul Bestgen, Marketing Supervisor - Austin Resource Recovery]]
WELL, WITH THAT WE WILL MOVE TO OUR FINAL ITEM, WHICH IS ITEM NUMBER THREE, A BRIEFING ON WILDFIRE MITIGATION THROUGH ON-DEMAND BRUSH AND HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTIONS.MY NAME IS PAUL ESTON AND I'M A MARKETING SUPERVISOR AT AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.
AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT WILDFIRE MITIGATION THROUGH ON-DEMAND COLLECTIONS.
AND JUST A LITTLE OVERVIEW, UM, OUR CUSTOMERS AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY CUSTOMERS, RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS, CAN REDUCE WILDFIRE RISK BY UTILIZING OUR ON DEMAND HOUSEHOLD, UH, OUR ON DEMAND BRUSH AND HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTIONS.
CUSTOMERS CAN SCHEDULE UP TO THREE COLLECTIONS FOR EACH ON DEMAND SERVICE EACH CALENDAR YEAR.
AND, UH, TECHNICALLY WE ALSO HAVE BULK AND CLOTHING AND TEXTILE COLLECTIONS AS WELL.
BUT FOR THE SAKE OF THIS PRESENTATION, WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON BRUSH AND HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE.
SO FOR ON-DEMAND HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION, UH, HHW CAN CATCH, FIRE, REACT, AND EXPLODE.
AND SO WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE OUR CUSTOMERS AND AUSTINITES TO CREATE A SAFE SPACE BY REMOVING UNUSED FLAMMABLES FROM IN AND AROUND THEIR HOMES.
AND WE SUPPORT THAT BY OFFERING OUR CUSTOMERS ON DEMAND HOUSEHOLD HOUSE HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION.
THEY CAN SCHEDULE THESE APPOINTMENTS THROUGH OUR AUSTIN RECYCLES APP OR ONLINE@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV SLASH ONDEMAND, AND WE'LL COME RIGHT TO THEIR HOUSE TO HELP THEM SAFELY DISPOSE OF THESE MATERIALS.
WE DO HAVE A ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN THAT IS RUNNING RIGHT NOW THROUGH THE END OF AUGUST, REMINDING OUR CUSTOMERS THAT THIS SERVICE IS AVAILABLE.
WE HAVE VIDEO ADS, RADIO AND WEBSITE ADS THAT ARE BEING, UM, DISTRIBUTED ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY, AND THOSE WILL GO THROUGH THE END OF THE MONTH.
ALL AUSTINITES, INCLUDING TRAVIS COUNTY RESIDENTS, CAN ALSO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO DROP OFF HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE AT OUR RECYCLE AND REUSE CENTER.
THESE APPOINTMENTS CAN ALSO BE MADE THROUGH OUR AUSTIN RECYCLE APP OR ONLINE@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV SLASH DROPOFF.
WE ALSO WANNA REMIND OUR CUSTOMERS THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEY CLEAN UP ANY OVERGROWN TREES AND BRUSH THAT ARE AROUND THEIR HOMES.
[01:15:01]
OBVIOUSLY, TRIMMING TREES REGULARLY AND REMOVING THIS BRUSH CAN HELP REDUCE WILDFIRE RISK FOR THEM AND FOR THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.AND SO WE'RE REMINDING OUR CUSTOMERS THAT THEY CAN SCHEDULE THESE ON-DEMAND BRUSH COLLECTIONS, AGAIN THROUGH THE AUSTIN RECYCLES APP OR ONLINE@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV SLASH ONDEMAND, AND THEY CAN SET THAT, THAT BRUSH MATERIAL OUT AT THE CURB AND WE'LL COME CLEAN IT UP FROM THEIR HOUSE.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY OF OUR CUSTOMERS THAT WANT TO TAKE THE EXTRA STEP, DO SOMETHING MORE, THEY WANT TO GET MORE INVOLVED IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, WE ENCOURAGE THEM TO GET WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS AND, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZE A NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP WHERE MAYBE THEY SUPPORT THEIR NEIGHBORS WHO DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO CLEAN UP THEIR YARDS, HELP THEM TO BE ABLE TO CLEAN UP THEIR YARDS, SET OUT THEIR BRUSH AND SCHEDULE THESE APPOINTMENTS SO THAT WE CAN COME BY AND HELP CLEAN UP ALL OF THE BRUSH, UH, MATERIAL THAT ARE IN THEIR, THAT'S IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY CAN ALSO CONSIDER BECOMING A ZERO WASTE BLOCK LEADER, AND WE CAN PROVIDE THEM SOME INFORMATION SO THAT THEY CAN GO AROUND AND EDUCATE THEIR NEIGHBORS, THEIR FRIENDS, FAMILY ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS AND, AND HELP, UH, THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD EVEN MORE.
AND THEN FINALLY, THEY CAN START A FIRE ADAPTED COMMUNITY, WHICH IS A PROGRAM WHERE A NEIGHBORHOOD OR A GROUP OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE COMMITTING TO REDUCING WILDFIRE RISK TOGETHER IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE ALSO PROVIDE BRUSH COLLECTION TO OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS BEYOND OUR CURBSIDE CUSTOMERS.
THIS INCLUDES ANDERSON MILL AND RIVER PLACE LIMITED DISTRICTS.
THEY DO RECEIVE THE THREE ON-DEMAND BRUSH COLLECTIONS EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
WE ALSO PARTNER WITH AUSTIN FIRE TO PROVIDE AN ANNUAL BRUSH COLLECTION FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO LIVE IN EMERGENCY SERVICE DISTRICT FOUR.
AND THAT USUALLY HAPPENS IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY EVERY YEAR.
AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE OUR ZERO WASTE BLOCK LEADER PROGRAM AND WE PARTNER WITH OUR BLOCK LEADERS TO HELP SPREAD OUR ON DEMAND BRUSH COLLECTION MESSAGING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, SOME OF OUR BLOCK LEADERS ARE ORGANIZING NEIGHBORHOOD BRUSH CLEANUPS AND HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION EVENTS FOR THEIR NEIGHBORS.
AND THEN THEY BRING THOSE MATERIALS TO OUR RECYCLE, UM, OUR, OUR RECYCLING REUSE CENTER.
AND WE DO PARTNER WITH THE AUSTIN, WITH AUSTIN FIRE TO EDUCATE OUR, OUR RESIDENTS ABOUT, UH, THIS ON DEMAND COLLECTION SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM.
WE'RE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF CREATING PRINTED MATERIALS THAT WILL PROVIDE TO AUSTIN FIRE TO THE WILDFIRE DIVISION, SO THAT THEY CAN DISTRIBUTE THAT INFORMATION WHEN THEY'RE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY DOING EDUCATION AND HELPING NEIGHBORHOODS TO REDUCE THEIR FIRE RISK AND TO SUPPORT THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S EFFORTS TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WILDFIRE PREVENTION.
WE ARE RUNNING A PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN RIGHT NOW.
WE LAUNCHED IT ON AUGUST 10TH, AND OUR MAIN GOAL IS TO RAISE CUSTOMER AWARENESS ABOUT HOW THEY CAN REDUCE WILDFIRE RISK THROUGH OUR ON-DEMAND BRUSH COLLECTION.
AND SO WE'RE ALSO, YOU KNOW, SHARING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM AUSTIN FIRE, INCLUDING THE AUSTIN WILDFIRE HUB@ATXWILDFIRE.COM, REMINDING OUR CUSTOMERS THAT THEY CAN GET, UM, EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES THROUGH AUSTIN FIRE AS WELL.
SO THIS EDUCATION CAMPAIGN, WHICH I SAID, AS I SAID, LAUNCHED ON AUGUST 10TH, WE'LL GO THROUGH SEPTEMBER.
OUR MAIN AUDIENCE IS OUR RESIDENTIAL CURBSIDE CUSTOMERS, THE ONES WHO HAVE ACCESS TO OUR ON-DEMAND BRUSH COLLECTION.
BUT WE'RE ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PUTTING AN EMPHASIS ON OUR CUSTOMERS WHO LIVE IN THE HIGH OR ELEVATED WILDFIRE RISK ZIP CODES.
AND SO THE MAP ON THE SCREEN IS THE, THE, UH, ORANGE AND RED, UH, AREAS ARE THE ZIP CODES WITH HIGHER WILDFIRE RISK.
AND SO OUR ADVERTISING EFFORTS ARE BEING TARGETED TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT LIVE IN THOSE AREAS.
I AND SOME OF THE TACTICS THAT WE ARE IMPLEMENTING RIGHT NOW.
UM, THIS WEEK WE, UH, LAUNCHED OUR BILLBOARD CAMPAIGN.
SO THERE ARE 16 BILLBOARDS UP AROUND THE CITY OF AUSTIN ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY, UH, REMINDING OUR CUSTOMERS ABOUT SCHEDULING ON-DEMAND BRUSH PICKUP.
WE ALSO HAVE WEBSITE ADS AND SOCIAL MEDIA ADS RUNNING THAT ARE TARGETING THOSE HIGH AND ELEVATED, UH, RISK ZIP CODES.
WE HAVE RADIO ADS RUNNING IN SPANISH, AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE CREATING SOME PRINTED MATERIALS THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE TO AUSTIN FIRE AND THAT WE'LL ALSO BE ABLE TO, UH, PASS OUT AT COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT WE GO TO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
SO THIS WILL BE A MESSAGE THAT WE CAN SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE, THE ONGOING, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND OF COURSE, WE'RE USING OUR OWN DEPARTMENT CHANNELS.
SO OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS AT AUSTIN RECYCLES OUR WEBSITE.
WE JUST PUBLISHED A BLOG THIS WEEK, WHICH ENCOURAGES OUR CUSTOMERS TO USE ON-DEMAND BRUSH COLLECTION WHILE ALSO SHARING SOME OF AUSTIN FIRE'S INFORMATION
[01:20:01]
AS WELL.AND THEN WE'LL CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH, UM, OTHER DEPARTMENTS, AUSTIN FIRE, UM, AUSTIN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION SO THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING THE CITY'S EFFORTS IN REDUCING WILDFIRE RISK BY REMINDING OUR CUSTOMERS HOW THEY CAN SERVICE, UH, SCHEDULE ON-DEMAND COLLECTIONS AND REMINDING ALL OF AUSTIN RESIDENTS AND TRAVIS COUNTY RESIDENTS HOW THEY CAN SCHEDULE HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTIONS OR DROP OFFS AT OUR RECYCLING REUSE CENTER.
AND THAT IS THE INFORMATION I HAVE TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY.
LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
COUNCIL MEMBER DECHEN, UH, FIRST APOLOGIES TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR EXTENDING OUT THIS MEETING, LIKE ANOTHER 20 MINUTES HERE.
UH, BUT I'M GONNA KEEP IT AS BRIEF AS I CAN.
I MEAN, THE, I FIRST OF ALL APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND THE UPDATES AND THE WORK YOU GUYS ARE DOING TO, UH, RUN THIS CAMPAIGN AND TRY AND GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THIS AND CHANGE SOME BEHAVIOR AND LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE'VE SORT OF SWITCHED SYSTEMS AND THAT THEY NEED TO TRY AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS NEW OPPORTUNITY.
THE UNDERLYING ISSUE THAT I, I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE HEARD ME TALK ABOUT IS, AND I'VE KIND OF PROBABLY BEEN A BIT OF A NACK TO STAFF ABOUT, IS THAT OUR, MY UNDERSTANDING IS OUR BRUSH COLLECTIONS HAVE BEEN DOWN BY ABOUT 62% SINCE WE SWITCHED TO ON DEMAND FROM THE SCHEDULE PICKUPS AND THE STAFF.
THE RESPONSE I'VE GOTTEN FROM STAFF HAS BEEN, WELL GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE WORD OUT TO CHANGE SOME BEHAVIOR TO, UH, RUN THESE CAMPAIGNS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN INFORM PEOPLE SO THAT WE CAN, UM, HOPEFULLY START TO SEE SOME CHANGES AND, UH, PICK UP NUMBERS.
AND I THINK MY QUESTION THAT I'M GONNA START WITH IS WHAT ARE THE GOALS RIGHT NOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE INTERNALLY FOR, UH, FOR BRUSH PICKUPS AND WHAT HAPPENS IF THIS CAMPAIGN, WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE RUNS THROUGH THE MAYBE LATE SEPTEMBER, LIKE HOW MUCH TIME DO WE GIVE THIS BEFORE WE COME UP WITH A DIFFERENT STRATEGY FOR HOW TO APPROACH WHETHER ON DEMAND AND SCHEDULED IS DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE NEEDED TO DO? GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS, AMY SLAGEL, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.
SO, UH, OUR GOALS WITH BRUSH COLLECTION IS OBVIOUSLY TO TRY TO GET AS MUCH MATERIAL OUT OF THE COMMUNITY, UH, EVERY YEAR.
THE SAME WITH BULK AND HAZARDOUS WASTE.
WE WANT FOLKS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE PROVIDING.
SO, UH, I WILL SAY, UH, THAT, UH, PAUL AND HIS TEAM HAVE BEEN WORKING TO DO MORE EDUCATION HERE IN THE COMMUNITY AND WE'VE ACTUALLY SEEN AN OVER 50% INCREASE IN OUR ON DEMAND BRUSH COLLECTION FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR VERSUS, OR THE SAME TIMEFRAME, UH, IN 2026 VERSUS 2025.
SO WE'RE SEEING THAT MESSAGE TAKE HOLD IN THE COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, OF THOSE DISPOSAL OPTIONS.
SO WE'RE, I THINK WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, GRAB IN THE COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE, UH, CONTINUE TO UTILIZE THAT PROGRAM.
AND, AND THIS IS SOME PART OF AN ONGOING MESSAGING THAT I KNOW THAT HE AND HIS TEAM ARE WORKING ON AS, AS ALONG WITH A FD, UH, TO HELP GET MORE MESSAGE OUT ABOUT UTILIZING THIS ON DEMAND SERVICE.
WELL I WOULD SAY IF YOU GUYS DO HAVE UPDATED INFORMATION THAT IS MORE RECENT THAN THE NUMBERS THAT I THINK WERE SHARED WITH THIS COMMITTEE, MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW, SIX MONTHS AGO OR SO, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL SO THAT I CAN SEE THAT PROGRESS THAT'S BEING MADE BY THIS SORT OF CAMPAIGN.
OR MAYBE IT'S TOO EARLY, MAYBE YOU LET THE RUN THE CAMPAIGN RUN AND THEN TRY AND UPDATE THOSE NUMBERS AND SEE WHERE WE'RE AT AT THAT POINT.
I THINK IT'D BE GREAT TO HAVE THE CAMPAIGN, UH, FINALIZED AND THEN WE CAN, UH, PROVIDE SOME MORE UPDATES.
UH, I THINK THAT'S THE MAIN QUESTION AND CONCERN THAT I'VE GOT IS THAT MAYBE I'VE GOT OUT OF DATE INFORMATION, MAYBE WE NEED TO LET THE CAMPAIGN RUN ITS COURSE, BUT I'M JUST THINKING INTERNALLY ABOUT CONTINGENCIES IN CASE WE CAN'T MOVE THE NEEDLE ON THIS AS MUCH AS WE HOPED IN TERMS OF, AT THE VERY LEAST, CAN WE PRIORITIZE OUR ENERGY AS YOU GUYS ARE DOING BASED ON THAT LAST SLIDE TO THE AREAS THAT ARE MORE WILDFIRE PRONE OR HAVE THE HIGHEST RISK FACTORS SO THAT WE CAN, UM, UH, WHETHER IT'S FROM THE EDUCATION PIECE THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING NOW OR MAYBE EVEN DOWN THE LINE, IF, IF, IF WE CAN'T CHANGE THE CURRENT TRAJECTORY TO, UH, EXPLORE WHETHER IT MAKES THAT, EXCUSE ME, EXPLORE WHETHER IT MAKES SENSE TO OFFER A DIFFERENT MAKEUP OF OPTIONS TO PEOPLE THAT ARE MORE WILDFIRE PRONE AS OPPOSED TO JUST DOING ON ON DEMAND.
I THINK WE'LL WANNA CONTINUE THE EDUCATION, BUT UH, WE ARE, WE WILL ARE LOOKING AT OPTIONS THAT WE CAN, UH, REACH OUT TO HOAS AND HAVE THEM ALL KIND OF SCHEDULE, UH, COLLECTIONS ALL TOGETHER.
SO I THINK WE, WE WANNA CONTINUE TO LET THIS PROGRAM, UH, UH, GAIN TRACTION IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE, WE SEE THE USAGE, I MEAN IT WASN'T JUST IN BRUSH, WE SEE THAT INCREASE IN, IN HAZARDOUS WASTE AS WELL AS WELL AS OUR BULK PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF IT AND WE THINK THAT IT'S DEFINITELY BEING UTILIZED BY CUSTOMERS AND, AND I KNOW THAT INTERNALLY
[01:25:01]
WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON SOME NEW CUSTOMER EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS.THAT WAY WE CAN REACH OUT TO PEOPLE THAT HAVE JUST GOTTEN HERE AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE SERVICES AND HOW TO UTILIZE 'EM, UH, TO, TO THEIR BENEFIT.
WELL, I'LL JUST ASK Y'ALL TO KEEP ME INFORMED ABOUT THE PROGRESS THAT Y'ALL ARE MAKING WITH THE CAMPAIGN AND WITH THE, UH, THE OVERALL COLLECTIONS.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS, IS THERE ANY, UH, AT THIS POINT DATA YOU CAN SHARE WITH US OR UPDATES REGARDING THE SORT OF ORGANIZED NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP, THE MORE LARGER SCALE EFFORTS THAT YOU MENTIONED IN THE PRESENTATION? UH, NOTHING SPECIFICALLY.
I, WE HAVE HAD, UH, ONE, UH, COMMUNITY OR ONE ORGANIZATION REACH OUT AND WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING THROUGH SOME LOGISTICS ON HOW WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN WITH THEM.
SO NO PLAN JUST YET, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON IT.
ALRIGHT, WELL THEN I'LL LOOK FOR THOSE UPDATES AND IF YOU CAN SHARE THAT, UH, MAYBE IN EARLY OCTOBER WHEN THE, OR OR WHATEVER, MID-OCTOBER, WHENEVER YOU GUYS HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO UNDERSTAND HOW SUCCESSFUL THE CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN AND WHERE RUSH PICKUPS ARE AT THAT POINT, THAT WOULD BE REALLY VALUABLE.
UH, TO DEFER TO PIO AND HOW LONG IT TAKES TO, TO MEASURE THAT INFORMATION.
BUT WE, WE CAN CERTAINLY FOLLOW UP.
ANYTHING DOWN THERE? I WAS PROMISED 20 MINUTES MARK
WELL, I WAS TRYING TO, I WAS REALLY INCLUDING ALL OF MY PRIOR QUESTIONS IN THAT WE'RE EXTENDING OUT THE READING.
NO, THAT'S, I'M HAPPY TO KEEP GOING IF YOU WANT
AND I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
I THOUGHT THE REPORT WAS VERY THOROUGH AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL FOCUSING ON, YOU KNOW, HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL AND BRUSH PICKUP IN THIS WAY.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT KEEPING THINGS CLEAN, UH, IT'S ABOUT KEEPING THINGS HEALTHY AND MAKING SURE PEOPLE ARE AT RISK FOR WILDFIRE.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE REPORT.
WELL, I, I AGREE AND I THINK Y'ALL ARE, I KNOW, ROLLING OUT SOMETHING NEW ALWAYS, IT'S TOUGH FOR PEOPLE TO, TO CHANGE, BUT I, I DO THINK THERE'S A LOT OF VALUE.
THE, THE ONLY, UM, FEEDBACK I WOULD HAVE IS AS WE'RE LOOKING TOWARD, UH, THE HOLIDAY SEASON, I HAVE TO IMAGINE, AND MAYBE I'M WRONG, BUT THAT IN DECEMBER WE SEE A REALLY BIG INFLUX IN SOLID WASTE, A LOT OF PACKAGING MATERIALS, STYROFOAM, THESE KINDS OF THINGS DUE TO CHRISTMAS AND OTHER HOLIDAYS.
AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THERE IS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE I TALK TO HAVE NO CLUE THAT YOU COULD TAKE STYROFOAM TO, UM, OUR REUSE CENTER.
IS THERE ANY KIND OF SURGE COMMUNICATION RIGHT AROUND THIS TIME OF, HEY, DON'T THROW ALL THIS IN YOUR TRASH CAN.
WE DO, UH, WE DO SPECIFIC COMMUNICATION AROUND THE HOLIDAYS REMINDING OUR CUSTOMERS ABOUT HOW TO DISPOSE OF ITEMS THEY MIGHT GET AROUND THE HOLIDAYS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT PACKAGING, INCLUDING STYROFOAM ELECTRONIC, THEY MIGHT BE REPLACING THEIR ELECTRONICS, SO REMINDING THEM THAT THEY CAN RECYCLE THESE ELECTRONICS OR IF THEY'RE STILL IN GOOD WORKING CONDITION, FIND SOMEONE ELSE WHO MAY BE ABLE TO TO USE THEM.
SO WE DO INCREASE OUR COMMUNICATION, UM, DURING THE HOLIDAYS.
YOU KNOW, WE, UH, WE REMIND OUR CUSTOMERS THAT THEY CAN RECYCLE COOKING OIL AT THE RECYCLE AND REUSE CENTER, WHICH CAN ALSO BE COLLECTED THROUGH ON DEMAND HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE, WHICH IS ACTUALLY PART OF OUR CAMPAIGN RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SHARING THIS MESSAGE YEAR ROUND BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE MOVING TO AUSTIN.
PEOPLE LIVE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF AUSTIN.
SOME HAVE APARTMENTS, SOME LIVE IN OUR, OUR HOMES.
SO WE TRY OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR MESSAGE, WELL, IT IS OFTEN TARGETED TOWARDS OUR CURBSIDE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS.
WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE OUR MESSAGE IS, IS, UH, USABLE FOR ALL OF AUSTINITES.
AND SO WE DID A, A, A MAJOR RECYCLING CONTAMINATION CAMPAIGN THIS YEAR, WHICH TARGETED, UM, ON THE FOUR MAIN CONTAMINANTS THAT WE SEE IN OUR, OUR CARTS AND STYROFOAM WAS ONE OF THEM.
AND SO WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF COMMUNICATION AROUND STYROFOAM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
WE SENT OUT A, A RECYCLING CONTAMINATION MAILER TO ALL OF OUR CURBSIDE CUSTOMERS THAT TOUCHED UPON HOW TO RECYCLE BATTERIES, ELECTRONICS, PLASTIC BAGS, AND STYROFOAM.
SO EVERY ONE OF OUR CURBSIDE CUSTOMERS SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A MAILER, LETTING THEM KNOW ABOUT THE OPTIONS AND UM, AND KIND OF ALSO EXPLAINING, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DO WITH THAT STYROFOAM WHEN IT GOES TO THE CENTER, YOU KNOW, AND HOW IT'S MELTED DOWN AND, AND, AND RECYCLED.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO TELL THOSE WHOLE STORIES NOT ONLY ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH THE MATERIAL, BUT WHAT IT TURNS INTO WHAT HAPPENS ONCE WE COLLECT IT.
AND I KNOW THE TURNOVER WOULD TAKE A LITTLE WHILE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I I, THE, THE STICKER YOU OFTEN SEE ON YOUR RECYCLING CART, YOU KNOW, REALLY HELPFUL OF SHOWING WHAT CAN AND CAN'T GO IN THERE AND IT'S RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE WHEN YOU'RE PUTTING IT IN.
UM, DO WE HAVE, AND MINE DOESN'T, BUT MAYBE Y'ALL HAVE UPDATED THIS, DO WE HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR FOR TRASH CANS WHERE WE SAY, DID YOU KNOW, WAIT, THESE FOUR THINGS OR THESE FIVE THINGS
[01:30:01]
CAN ACTUALLY BE RECYCLED, DON'T THROW THEM AWAY.DO WE, DO WE DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT ON THE TRASH CARTS SO THERE IS NO STICKER ON THE TRASH CART? AND THAT HAS BEEN A DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE HAD INTERNALLY AND WE HAVE DECIDED AT THIS TIME THAT, UH, THE COST OF ADDING THAT STICKER TO THE TRASH CART, UM, WASN'T, UH, WE DECIDED NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMIND PEOPLE, UM, OF HOW TO TO, YOU KNOW, RECYCLE AND COMPOST PROPERLY.
UM, OFTENTIMES THOUGH WE DO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE TAKING YOUR TRASH TO THE TRASH CART, IT'S ALREADY BEGGED, RIGHT? SO AT THAT POINT, MOST PEOPLE JUST WANNA THROW IT IN AND, AND MOVE ON AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, SO WHILE IT COULD BE A DEFINITELY BE AN OP, ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY THERE, THERE MAY BE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE GET IN FRONT OF PEOPLE BEFORE THEY THROW THAT ITEM IN THE TRASH.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO PUT OUR EFFORTS ON, IS TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, BEFORE YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE AT THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU'RE MAKING THAT DECISION, DOES IT GO IN THE RECYCLING, THE COMPOSTING OR THE TRASH? WE WANT TO GIVE YOU THAT INFORMATION BEFORE YOU THROW IT IN THAT, THAT BIN INSIDE YOUR HOUSE.
ALRIGHT, WELL I APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU'RE DOING.
OH, COUNCILLOR DECHEN, I'VE INSPIRED A QUESTION.
I INSPIRED A QUESTION ABOUT TECHNOLOGY, RIGHT? YOU REFERENCED THE, THE APP, WHICH I'M ASSUMING THE AUSTIN RECYCLED APP SEVERAL TIMES IN THE UPDATE YOU SHARED.
DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HOW WIDELY ADOPTED THAT APP IS AT THIS POINT? OR HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE USING THAT APP TO SCHEDULE AND UM, FOR REMINDERS, ET CETERA? LIKE, I'M EVEN WONDERING WHETHER THAT APP IS ONE OF THE USE CASES YOU HAD IN MIND WAS IF PREVIOUSLY WE HAD THE SCHEDULED PICKUPS AND WE'RE NOW ASKING PEOPLE TO USE THE APP OR DRIVING PEOPLE TO THE APP IS UH, IS POTENTIALLY ONE OF THE SOLUTIONS THAT WE TREAT ON DEMAND AS A SCHEDULED ACTIVITY FOR PEOPLE THAT USE THE APP, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO WE DO USE THE, THE AUSTIN RECYCLES APP TO EDUCATE OUR CUSTOMERS.
UM, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER OF HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE DOWNLOADED THE APP IN FRONT OF ME, BUT WE DID JUST PUSH OUT A APP COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN, UM, THIS WEEK.
SO EVERYONE WHO HAS SCHEDULED REMINDERS THIS WEEK STARTING SUNDAY, SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A MESSAGE IN THEIR REMINDER ABOUT ON DEMAND BRUSH AS A WILDFIRE PREVENTION TOOL.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE USE THE APP, YOU KNOW, TO PUSH OUT THIS MESSAGING FOR ANYONE WHO'S HAD THEIR, THESE NOTIFICATIONS.
UM, AND I, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THE LAST ONE WE DID, WHICH WAS FOR HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE, UM, ABOUT A MONTH AGO THERE WAS OVER 60,000 NOTIFICATIONS SET UP.
SO IT IS DEFINITELY A REALLY IMPORTANT TOOL.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, WE WILL CONTINUE TO, TO UTILIZE IT.
WELL I'D APPRECIATE AS YOU GUYS ARE UPDATING US NEXT MONTH, UH, OR IN OCTOBER WHENEVER THE CAMPAIGN IS OVER TO INCLUDE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE, THE UTILITY AND ADOPTION RATE OF THAT APPLICATION.
AND AS YOU SAID, YOU'VE JUST RATTLED OFF A FEW STATISTICS THAT HELP ME UNDERSTAND KIND OF HOW WIDELY IT'S USED AND THAT'D BE VALUABLE AFTER THE CAMPAIGN IS RUN ITS COURSE TO LET US KNOW WHAT YOU'RE FINDING FOR THAT AS A POTENTIAL SOLUTION FOR THIS, UH, ENGAGEMENT PROBLEM.
YES, WE CAN INCLUDE INFORMATION ON, ON APP DOWNLOADS AND, AND NOTIFICATIONS.
[1. Approve the minutes for the July 15, 2026, meeting of the Climate, Water, Environment, and Parks Committee.]
ALMOST FORGOT WE NEED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.SO, UH, I WILL TAKE A MOTION, MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER UCHIN SECOND BY VICE CHAIR ELLIS.
WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
AND WITH THAT WE WILL ADJOURN OUR MEETING OF THE CLIMATE WATER ENVIRONMENT PARKS COMMITTEE AT 11:09 PM THANK YOU VERY MUCH.