[00:00:06]
[CALL TO ORDER ]
AND I CALL THE OCTOBER 14TH AUSTIN WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION MEETING TO ORDER, UH, PRESENT, WE HAVE COMMISSIONERS, NAVARRO, PANI REYES, MYSELF, MAXWELL GAINES, AND VIRTUALLY WE HAVE COMMISSIONER MOSS AND COMMISSIONER TUON.SO WE BARELY HAVE CORAL COMMISSIONER PANI.
IT IS THIS RAIN APPROPRIATELY ON THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION MEETING DAY.
UM, ALRIGHT, SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE GOING
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
TO PUBLIC SPEAKERS AND I BELIEVE WE DO HAVE ONE PUBLIC SPEAKER SIGNED UP, SO, CORRECT.SO SANTIAGO, UM, SHOULD LIKE TO COME UP.
I AM HERE TO, UH, SPOKE BACK IN FEBRUARY TO THIS, UH, DAIS.
UM, WANTED TO RETURN AND GIVE A, AN UPDATE ON THE, UH, FESTIVAL, FESTIVAL BEACH, FOOD FOREST.
UM, I THINK TWO WORDS, THE OR TWO PHRASES THAT ARE PROMINENT IN MY MIND RIGHT NOW ARE, UM, ADVANCE FUNDING AGREEMENTS AND, UM, UNREALIZED POTENTIAL.
UM, SO THE FOOD FOREST HAD BEEN WORKING FOR NEARLY FIVE YEARS, UP TO THE POINT TO EXPAND FROM TWO THIRDS OF AN ACRE TO THREE AND A HALF ACRES.
UM, IN PARALLEL, UM, AUSTIN WATER HAD, OR CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES HAD HIRED AN ENGINEERING FIRM TO, UH, REROUTE A WASTEWATER LINE, A FOUR FOOT DIAMETER WASTEWATER LINE, AND A TWO FOOT DIAMETER WATER LINE, UH, THAT WAS GONNA BE DISRUPTED BY I 35.
UM, PART OF THE DUE DILIGENCE THAT WAS MISSED AND WAS, UH, WITNESSED AT THE PARKS BOARD WAS THE ENGINEER TESTIFYING THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE HARM ANYTHING TO THE FOOD FOREST.
UM, FAST FORWARD TO, UH, THE GREEN LINE IN THE CORNER UP THERE.
UH, TOP RIGHT CORNER IS GOING THROUGH THE FOOD FOREST.
UM, THE BLACK LINE IS THE, WAS THE EXISTING, WHICH HAS NOW BEEN ABANDONED, UH, WATERLINE.
THE GREEN ONE IS A WASTEWATER LINE.
UM, SO THE, THE PREVIOUS PHOTO WAS SHOWING, UH, A STARK CONTRAST.
THERE'S STILL A LOT OF EXISTING TREES THAT ARE, ARE BROKEN.
UM, THE THING THAT I ARE, THE, UH, THE SAGE IN PARTICULAR IS WHAT'S SORT OF DYING FROM THE REMOVAL OF, UM, A RETAINING WALL.
WE HAD A LOT OF PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY SHOW UP AND, UH, HOUSE A LOT OF OUR PLANTS, UM, OUR TREES, UH, WHICH ARE GOING TO BE STUNTED AND, UH, DIFFICULT TO GO BACK INTO THE GROUND.
UM, IT, I JUST FEEL REALLY HUMILIATED BY THE PROCESS OF GETTING GIVEN 30 DAYS NOTICE TO TRY TO EMERGENCY, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO SUPPORT US.
UM, AND, UH, OUR ORGANIZATION'S FEELING A LOT OF ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, BURDEN FROM INTERACTING WITH TXDOT, SAY AUSTIN, AUSTIN ENERGY, AUSTIN WATER CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES, ATTEMPTING TO ASCERTAIN WHAT ALL OF THAT IS AND WHY THERE'S NOT BETTER, UH, COORDINATION.
UM, YEAH, UH, THIS HAS NOW GONE ON FOR LIKE EIGHT MONTHS.
I'M JUST SORT OF CURIOUS ABOUT TIMELINE, UH, WHEN THIS IS GONNA GET WRAPPED UP AND, UM, WHEN RESTORATION CAN START TO OCCUR.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE KEVIN KOHLER'S WORK IN, UH, BEING A, A GOOD PARTNER.
UM, AND YEAH, UH, THE ADVANCED FUND, I SAW ADVANCED FUNDING AGREEMENTS WAS ON LIKE THE AGENDA WHILE BACK.
UM, AND I'M JUST KINDA CURIOUS HOW THAT GOES THROUGH, UM, AND MAKE SURE THERE'S STILL LIKE DUE DILIGENCE TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
UM, THANKS FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SANTIAGO.
AND WE'LL TRY TO ROUTE THIS IN APPROPRIATE PLACES SO WE CAN TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ADDRESS THIS, UH, FOR YOU AND BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
SO, APPRECIATE YOU COMING TODAY.
CAN, I GUESS WE CAN'T ASK ANY QUESTIONS OF SANTIAGO RIGHT NOW.
SO COMMISSIONERS, WERE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR SANTIAGO? WHAT WAS THE ASK FROM THIS COMMISSION TODAY? SO I, I UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS HAS BEEN FRUSTRATING FOR YOU, BUT WHAT DID YOU WANT COMMISSION TO DO FOR YOU OR ON BEHALF OF YOU? WHAT, WHAT KIND OF DIRECTION WERE YOU EXPECTING?
[00:05:02]
UH, SORT OF JUST IN THE FUTURE, BETTER ACCOUNTABILITY.UM, THERE'S, FROM MY EXPERIENCE IN TALKING TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, THERE'S NOT REALLY A LOT OF LEVERAGE OR TOOLS AT THE DISPOSAL OF THE COMMISSION.
UM, IT'S MORE OF JUST SORT OF ENTERING INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD, THE, THE REALITY OF, UM, THIS ACTION, UM, AND, AND THE LACK OF, OF VISIBILITY.
AND IN PARTICULAR, UM, THE CHAPTER 26 ALTERNATIVES THAT, UH, WERE NOT EVEN REALLY FE LIKE LOOKED AT OR, UM, THEY WERE JUST RADICALLY DISMISSED IN TERMS OF COST FOR THE ENGINEERING, RE-ENGINEERING, UM, THE PROJECT.
UM, SO IF YOU HAD, UH, IF YOU COULD REQUEST ON THIS PROJECT, WHAT WOULD THAT BE? IF, IF, IF YOU HAD THE, THE OPTION TO MAKE SOMETHING BETTER FOR YOU? LIKE, WHAT WOULD THAT BE? I, I HAD PROPOSED A, A FAIRLY CLEAR ALTERNATIVE, UM, AT, AT THE, IN THE FEBRUARY MEETING, WHICH WAS TO DO A ROAD VACATION.
UM, AND IN PARTICULAR, UH, THE LACK OF COORDINATION BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS.
UM, AUSTIN ENERGY IS ATTEMPTING TO WORK WITH THE SAME, UH, CONTRACTORS, THE CONSTRUCTION FIRM AND THE ENGINEERING FIRM AND TXDOT.
AND IT'S JUST A LOT OF MOVING PARTS AND WE ARE SORT OF JUST LIKE STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF GETTING SLAMMED AROUND WITHOUT ANY FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN RESPOND AND COMMUNICATE WITH OUR OWN GROUP, UM, IN A MEANINGFUL WAY TO, TO ACTUALLY, UH, WE OPERATE ON A CONSENSUS BASIS.
AND SO LIKE GETTING BUY-IN FROM OUR GROUP ON THINGS MOVING FORWARD IS, IS ALREADY INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT AND SLOW AND TO HAVE TO MOVE QUICKLY.
LIKE THIS WAS, UH, VERY, VERY STRESSFUL AND HAS CAUSED A LOT OF FISSURES AND, UH, JUST, UH, RELATIONAL DYNAMICS WITHIN OUR OWN GROUP, UM, OF HOW TO, HOW TO MOVE FORWARD AND BE WHOLE FROM THIS DAMAGE THAT, THIS HARM THAT WAS CAUSED.
UM, AND, AND IN TERMS OF LIKE WHAT CAN BE DONE, I MEAN, THE DAMAGE IS DONE, UM, AND THE UNREALIZED POTENTIAL OF HAVING CANOPY AND TREES THAT WERE GOING TO BE, UH, A NOISE AND AIR, UM, BREAKING UP BETWEEN THE HIGHWAY, UH, I MEAN, BIGGER TREES WOULD BE GREAT TO PUT IN, BUT ONE OF THE TREES THAT WE HAD MOVED, UM, IS NOT PROBABLY GONNA MAKE IT, IT LOOKS PRETTY, PRETTY TERRIBLE RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND EVERYTHING THAT WAS LEFT IN THE PARK IS A BUNCH OF CRUSHED ASPHALT, UM, JUST MOUNTED OVER TO KEEP IT FROM ERODING.
UM, THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE SITE, ALL THE WAY OF THE BRIDGE HAS JUST NOT BEEN VISIBLE TO THE DECISION MAKERS IN THE CITY.
UM, WHETHER IT'S TRANSPORTATION OR PARKS AND PARKS AND REC, UM, I KNOW THAT THIS, THIS AUSTIN WATER IS GETTING A PIPELINE THAT'S GOING ACROSS THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, BUT THERE WAS NO ALTERNATIVE FOR THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE TO BE EXAMINED.
I'VE GONE TO HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION, THEY HAVE NO TOOLS.
THEY'VE MADE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, TO SERVE A HISTORIC PEON OR TO PRESERVE A HISTORIC PEON GROVE.
AND THERE'S NOT, THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANYTHING BOARDS OF COMMISSIONS CAN DO.
THERE'S NOT EVEN OVERSIGHT OVER A CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES, UM, IN TERMS OF A, A BOARD OR A COMMISSION.
UM, SO IT'S LIKE, HOW DO I GET ANSWERS AND ACCOUNTABILITY? I DON'T KNOW, OTHER THAN CONTINUING TO SHOW UP AND UPDATING WHERE WE ARE AND THE STRESSES WE'RE EXPERIENCING.
AND SO I GUESS YOUR, YOUR GROUP NONPROFIT GROUP, WE, UM, THROUGH, OR WE'RE NOT A NONPROFIT.
WE, WE HAVE A NONPROFIT SPONSOR.
AND, AND SO THEIR INTERESTS ARE ALSO CONFLICTING WITH WHAT WE, AS A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS TO GIVE OUR TIME TO STEWARD THIS FOR IS TO HAVE BUILT A FIVE YEAR AGREEMENT WITH THE PARK CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS DEPARTMENT TO HAVE NOTICE OF THESE SORTS OF THINGS.
AND TO THAT NOT BE AGREED UPON THE CITY SIDE IS REALLY EMBARRASSING FOR US TO HAVE TO MAINTAIN THE SAME LEVEL OF INTEGRITY WITH THAT CONTRACT.
AND THEN AUSTIN AND LIKE WHO HOLDS AUSTIN WATER ACCOUNTABLE IN THAT SITUATION.
UM, AND WHO HOLDS PARKS AND WHO HOLDS TXDOT? I DUNNO.
I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER I WANT.
I WANNA KEEP TREES AND, UM, YEAH.
YEAH, THOSE ARE GOOD QUESTIONS, DEFINITELY.
AND, UM, YEAH, SO WE'RE TAKING ALL OF THIS RIGHT AND YEAH, ATTEMPT TO, YOU KNOW, DO, UH, A LOT BETTER.
I KNOW THESE TYPE OF THINGS ON THESE LARGE PROJECTS, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS GET, GET CAUGHT IN IT.
AND, UH, SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TO COME, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, AGAIN TO THIS COMMISSION LIKE YOU DID IN FEBRUARY TO, TO UPDATE US AND, UH, YEAH, WE'LL WE CAN DO WHAT WE CAN AS COMMISSIONERS AND, UH, FIGURE OUT HOW TO, HOW TO, YOU KNOW, GET SOME ANSWERS TO YOU ABOUT COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION.
SO, CHAIR, I WAS GONNA, I THINK I WAS GONNA TAG DEPUTY DIRECTOR JENKINS IF WE COULD JUST FOLLOW UP WITH HIM AND AT LEAST I'M SURE I, I, I KNOW AUSTIN WATER PROBABLY DOES NOT HAVE A SAY OVER THE STATE OR AT LEAST SOME OF THE QUESTIONS.
IF HE GOT AN AUDIENCE, I THINK THAT
[00:10:01]
WOULD ITSELF BE, THANK YOU.THANK YOU COMMISSIONER PAN, AND THANK YOU FOR COMING.
SANTIAGO, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
UM, YOU KNOW, CONTINUED SYMPATHIES FOR THE SITUATION.
UM, I KNOW YOU NOTED IN YOUR REMARKS THAT YOU'VE, UH, APPRECIATED AND HAVE BEEN CO COORDINATING WITH, UH, DIVISION MANAGER OF AUSTIN WATER, KEVIN KOHLER.
UM, SO HE'S HERE IN THE AUDIENCE TONIGHT, AND SO I, I KNOW HE'LL, UM, STEP OUT TO SPEAK WITH YOU AGAIN THIS EVENING.
AND, UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO TRY TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THAT PROCESS.
WE HAVE UPPED OUR COORDINATION WITH, WITH, UH, AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT TO TRY TO BETTER HELP THAT SITUATION AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE COORDINATING INTERNALLY WITH THE GROUP THAT HAS, UM, THE AGREEMENT WITH YOU AND, AND YOUR ORGANIZATION TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THOSE LINKAGES ARE, UM, BEING DISCUSSED AND, AND MADE AWARE OF.
I LOOK FORWARD TO ALSO JUST SORT OF WITNESSING THIS, TONIGHT'S MEETING AND, UM, AND, AND THE PERMIT HAD EXPIRED LIKE THREE MONTHS AGO AND THE PARK'S STILL CLOSED.
SO I THINK COMMISSIONER TUON IS IN THE PARKING GARAGE.
YEAH, BECAUSE THE, BECAUSE THE NEXT IS, IS VOTING, UH, THINGS.
SO, UM, WELL, I'LL, I'LL TAKE THIS TIME.
I WANNA, UH, I KNOW COMMISSIONER PENN IS NOT HERE, BUT I WANNA THANK COMMISSIONER PENN FOR CHAIRING THE LAST, UH, COMMISSION MEETING.
SO I GUESS WE MAY WANT TO THAT'S RIGHT.
TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK OR BREAK, I GUESS.
WE'LL RE RECESS FOR FIVE MINUTES OR SO.
MEETING AT 5 48, UH, I WANNA ANNOUNCE VICE CHAIR TOO YOUNG HAS JOINED THE DAIS WITH US.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT THROUGH THE TRAFFIC.
UM, APOLOGIES FOR MY TARDINESS.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION MEETING HELD ON SEPTEMBER 16TH.UM, COMMISSIONERS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR CHANGES REQUESTED TO THE MINUTES? IF NOT, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? OKAY.
COMMISSIONER NAVARRO MOTIONS TO APPROVE.
OR COMMISSIONER MOZ SECONDS, I BELIEVE, RIGHT? UH, YES.
ALL RIGHT, EVERYONE IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
UH, THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
[00:15:01]
ON TO THE DISCUSSION.I NEED TO GO TO THE QUESTIONS AND
[ DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS]
RECUSALS.SO, UH, COMMISSIONER NAVARRO, ANY QUESTIONS OR RECALS? NO QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER REYES? NO QUESTIONS? NO.
COMMISSIONER MOSS? NO QUESTIONS.
AND I HAVE NO QUESTIONS OR RECUSALS.
SO THAT LOOKS LIKE OUR CONSENT AGENDA IS ITEMS TWO THROUGH 16.
SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? I MAKE A MOTION.
COMMISSIONER PGI MOTIONS TO APPROVE.
VICE CHAIR TO YOUR OWN SECONDS.
EVERYONE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THEIR CONSENT AGENDA, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
MAKING MORE TIME FOR OUR SPEAKERS TODAY.
ALL RIGHT, SO THE NEXT ACT, THE NEXT UH, ACTION ITEM IS TO APPROVE THE 2027 WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION MEETING SCHEDULE.
SO IS THAT THE VERY BACK END OF YOUR PACKET?
[17.Approve the 2027 Water and Wastewater Commission meeting schedule. ]
ITEM NUMBER 17.IF Y'ALL WANT TO PULL THAT OUT, THIS ONE WAY, WAY, WAY IN THE BACK.
SO THEY SET 'EM A COURSE ON THE, UH, WEDNESDAY AGAIN, UH, THE SECOND WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH, UNLESS SPECIFIED THERE IS A TUESDAY MEETING IN NOVEMBER.
'CAUSE HEATHER UH, MENTIONED THAT THE, UH, THE WEDNESDAY THERE IS VETERAN'S DAY, RIGHT? SO THAT WOULD BE A CITY HOLIDAY.
UM, ANYWAYS, I MEAN, IF, IF WE CAN CHANGE PARTICULAR DATES, IF Y'ALL ARE THAT FORWARD LOOKING AND, YOU KNOW, YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
UH, IF NOT, WE CAN ALSO DISCUSS, UH, TIME OF THE MEETING IF FIVE 30 IS STILL, UM, GOOD WITH EVERYONE.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER ORTIZ JOINING THE COMMISSION MEETING.
SO YEAH, SO FIVE 30, IS THAT STILL A GOOD TIME FOR EVERYONE? DOES ANYONE WANNA PROPOSE A DIFFERENT TIME DISCUSSION WHEN IT'S NOT RAINING? IT'S GREAT.
WELL, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE RAIN STARTS, WHEN YOU START YOUR COMMUTE, THAT'S THE PROBLEM, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU TIME IT, YOU'RE LIKE, I'M GONNA GET THERE AND THEN IT HITS YOU.
OKAY, THEN FIVE 30, THEN WE'LL JUST KEEP IT AT FIVE 30 WITH THIS SCHEDULE.
SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE 2027 COMMISSION MEETING SCHEDULE CHAIR? I JUST HAVE A QUESTION.
I DON'T HAVE ANY PAIN ABOUT IT.
IT'S THAT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH.
WHY DIDN'T WE THINK OF MOVING IT TO THE FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY, THE THIRD WEDNESDAY INSTEAD OF DOING IT ON A TUESDAY? JUST A QUESTION.
I DON'T THINK I HAVE A, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE MY CALENDAR FOR NOVEMBER 20 10TH.
THERE WAS, UM, A COUNCIL MEETING.
WE WERE ALSO ALIGNING WITH THE COUNCIL SCHEDULE, AND SO WE WERE TRYING TO GET A LITTLE FURTHER OUT.
THERE WAS A COUNCIL MEETING, I THINK THAT NEXT DAY, THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
SO WE WERE TRYING TO HAVE A MEETING A LITTLE FURTHER FROM COUNCIL.
I'M HAPPY TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS.
COMMISSIONER PENI MOTIONS TO APPROVE.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I GOT A QUESTION.
OH, THAT NOVEMBER 10TH, IS THAT, THAT'S A WEDNESDAY.
IS THAT A WEDNESDAY? GOOD CATCH.
IS THAT IN THE NINTH? NO, IT SHOULD BE NOVEMBER 9TH.
I JUST WANNA JUST TRIPLE CHECK THAT.
UH, YOU ARE CORRECT, COMMISSIONER RE 10 IS IN FACT A WEDNESDAY.
SO THAT WE WILL MAKE THAT CORRECTION THIS MONTH, THIS YEAR.
NOVEMBER 10 FALLS ON A TUESDAY, AND YOUR MEETING IN NOVEMBER WILL BE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH, 2026.
BUT FOR 2027, IT WILL BE WEDNESDAY THE 10TH IF YOU A VOTE TO APPROVE THAT.
YEAH, I, SO, SO, SO STILL TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9TH.
WE'RE STILL MOVING IT TO NO, YOU COULD VETERAN'S DAY NEED, RIGHT.
VETERAN'S DAY WILL BE ON THE 11TH.
[00:20:01]
A TYPO.WE SHOULD HAVE TYPED WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10.
WEDNESDAYS ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
FOR IT BEING ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH, 2027
UH, SO COMMISSIONER PAN DURRANI MOTIONS TO APPROVE.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
EVERYONE VOTING IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
ALRIGHT, UNANIM UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED FOR OUR SCHEDULED MEETINGS IN 2027.
OKAY, SO NOW WE'LL MOVE TO OUR STAFF
[18.Staff briefing regarding City of Austin Utilities’ bill payment Customer Assistance Programs and water service disconnections due to non-payment – Matthew Thomas, Austin Water Assistant Director, Customer Experience; Jerry Galvan, Austin Energy Vice President, Customer Care Services; Sandra Escobedo, Austin Energy Vice President, Customer Account Management. ]
BRIEFINGS.UH, THE FIRST STAFF BRIEFING IS REGARDING THE, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN'S UTILITIES BILL PAYMENT, CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, AND WATER SERVICE DISCONNECTIONS DUE TO NON-PAYMENT.
SO I'D LIKE TO WELCOME THE SPEAKERS UP.
YEAH, SO GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
RANDY JENKINS, DEPUTY DIRECTOR AUSTIN WATER.
UM, SO, UH, A FEW COMMISSION MEETINGS AGO, SEVERAL QUESTIONS, UH, SURFACED ABOUT OUR DISCONNECTS FOR NONPAYMENT.
AND SO WITH US THIS EVENING IS, UM, SANDRA WITH AUSTIN ENERGY, WHO MANAGES OUR UTILITY, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN UTILITIES.
AND, UH, BESIDE HER IS MATTHEW THOMAS, CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR AUSTIN WATER.
AND SO THEY WILL SHARE A PRESENTATION TO SHOW BOTH, UH, WHAT WE DO AS A WHOLE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND THEN CERTAINLY, UM, DIVING INTO SOME OF THE DETAILS FOR AUSTIN WATER CUSTOMERS SPECIFICALLY.
SO, WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
UM, I, I'M JUST GOING TO SAY THAT, UH, BEFORE WE, UH, REALLY STARTED TALKING ABOUT THE SPECIFICS ABOUT THE QUESTION, WE FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT YOU HAVE AN OVERALL COMPREHENSIVE PRESENTATION ON HOW EVERYTHING WORKS IN SUPPORTING OUR CAP CUSTOMERS.
AND SO, 'CAUSE WE HAVE KIND OF THE JOINT UTILITY BILLING HERE AT, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WE NEEDED TO LEAD WITH THE GROUP THAT PRIMARILY MANAGES THE OVERALL PROCESS.
AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO SECONDARILY WHAT AUSTIN WATER DOES TO, TO SUPPORT BEYOND THEIR ACTIVITIES.
SANDRA, SO GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
I'M SANDRA ESCOBIDO, VICE PRESIDENT OF CUSTOMER ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT.
AS NOTED TODAY, I'M HERE REPRESENTING OUR CITY OF AUSTIN UTILITY SERVICES, AND WE'LL WALK YOU GUYS THROUGH WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE COLLECTIONS PROCESS THAT WE SUPPORT, AND THEN SOME OF THE OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT YOU GUYS ASK QUESTIONS AROUND IN TERMS OF PROGRAMS. SO NEXT SLIDE.
SO JUST TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT CITY OF AUSTIN UTILITIES DOES FOR THE OVERALL CITY, IS THAT WE MANAGE ALL OF THE CALL CENTER APPLICATIONS.
SO THIS INCLUDES OUR UTILITY CONTACT CENTER, UM, THAT ALL CUSTOMERS CALL OUT TO FOR FIRST TIER SERVICE.
WE ALSO PRODUCE THE CONSOLIDATED MONTHLY BILL THAT, UM, ENCOMPASSES SIX UTILITY SERVICES THAT ARE ON THE SIDE OF THE, OF THE SLIDE.
WE ALSO OVERSEE METER READING VALIDATION.
SO ANYTHING THAT IS NOT AUTOMATED OR, OR IT MIGHT HAVE A PROBLEM IN ANY GIVEN MONTH, WE WILL GO AND, AND ENSURE THAT THE METERS ARE VALIDATED, READ CORRECTLY, AND READY TO BILL.
I ALSO, IN MY WORLD, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLES MANAGEMENT.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS THE ENTIRE, UM, ORDER TO CASH CYCLE FROM A CUSTOMER'S INVOICE TO PAYMENT AND COLLECTIONS.
WE ALSO OVERSEE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS THROUGH CITY OF AUSTIN UTILITIES.
AND THEN WE ALSO OVERSEE THE BRANCH MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE, UM, BEEN, BUT WE HAVE A SOUTH BRANCH AND A NORTH BRANCH THAT ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TO COME AND MAKE FEE FREE PAYMENTS AND ALSO REQUEST ANY ASSISTANCE THAT THEY MIGHT NEED RELATIVE TO THEIR CITY OF AUSTIN UTILITY, UH, ACCOUNT.
SO ON AVERAGE, UH, ON A MONTHLY BASIS, WE BILL FOR 615,000 CUSTOMERS ACROSS ALL SIX UTILITY SERVICES.
AGAIN, THAT IS, IF YOU ARE ENERGY AND WATER, YOU GET BOTH.
IF YOU ARE ALL THE SERVICES YOU GET, ALL IF YOU'RE WATER ALONE, THEN YOU GET JUST YOUR WATER BILL.
SO WE GENERATE ALL OF THOSE INVOICES.
AND THEN WE ARE ALSO, AS I NOTED, RESPONSIBLE FOR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, WHICH WE'LL DIVE INTO A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
BUT THIS IS OUR NA NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PROGRAM BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE FOR CUSTOMERS WHO MIGHT NEED SOME HELP.
SO AGAIN, JUST TO SET THE FOUNDATION FOR WHAT OUR TYPICAL CUSTOMER JOURNEY LOOKS LIKE, UM, THEY ARE BILLED BASED ON A BILL CYCLE.
AND SO WHEN THE BILL GENERATES EVERY CUSTOMER, UM, HAS A DAY 17 DUE DATE, UM, AT WHICH POINT THEN THEY START TO RECEIVE SOME ENGAGEMENT NOTIFICATIONS FROM US.
THEY GET A REMINDER LETTER, THEY MIGHT GET SOME EMAILS, DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY'VE SET UP IN TERMS OF THEIR SELF-SERVICE NEEDS.
THEY MIGHT GET THEIR OWN TEXT ALERTS OR, OR EMAIL ALERTS.
UM, AND GENERALLY WHEN THEY PASS THAT DUE DATE IS WHEN WE'RE REALLY LOOKING TO ENCOURAGE CUSTOMERS TO REACH OUT TO US TO SEE WHAT IF THEY NEED ASSISTANCE.
UM, IF THEY REACH DAY 21 AND THEY HAVE NOT, UH, COMMUNICATED WITH US ABOUT ANY NEED, THEY WILL RECEIVE A 10 DAY NOTICE THAT SAYS THEY WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECTION IN THE UPCOMING 10 DAYS.
IF THEY GET TO THAT POINT, UM, THEN WE WILL DO
[00:25:01]
A FINAL COURTESY NOTIFICATION TO THE CUSTOMER, EITHER VIA EMAIL, DIGITAL DOOR HANGER, OR A PHYSICAL DOOR HANGER TO SAY, YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECTION.PLEASE REACH OUT TO US IMMEDIATELY.
UM, IF THEY DO NOT AT THAT POINT, REACH OUT TO US, THEN THEIR ELECTRIC SERVICES DISCONNECTED FIRST.
SO THE REASON WHY THAT HAPPENS IS BECAUSE MOST OF OUR CUSTOMERS, ONCE THEY GET TO THIS POINT, THEY WILL RECTIFY THAT SITUATION PRETTY QUICKLY WHEN THEIR ELECTRIC SERVICE IS DISCONNECTED.
AND SO WE HAVE FOUND THAT IT IS NOT NECESSARY TYPICALLY TO, UM, DISCONNECT THEIR WATER.
AND SO WE GIVE THEM A THREE DAY GRACE PERIOD TO RESOLVE THAT SITUATION BEFORE WE GO OUT AND DISCONNECT WATER.
SO THE OTHER THING TO HIGHLIGHT IS THAT BOTH WATER AND ELECTRIC HAVE MORATORIUMS RE RELATIVE TO WEATHER.
SO, UM, MORE ON THE ELECTRIC SIDE, BUT THERE ARE SOME ON THE WATER SIDE.
UM, SO WE ARE VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT ISSUING DISCONNECTION ORDERS ON HIGH HEAT DAYS OR, OR VERY COLD DAYS.
AND THEN MOVING INTO OUR NEXT SLIDE.
SO AGAIN, WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN FOR ALL OF OUR CUSTOMER BASE.
WELL, SO WE'LL START THERE AND THEN WE'LL MOVE INTO WHAT HAPPENS FOR OUR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS CUSTOMERS.
BUT ALL CUSTOMERS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS, AND WE ARE ACTUALLY RECOGNIZED FOR HAVING SOME OF THE MOST FLEXIBLE PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT OPTIONS OUT THERE, MULTIPLE OPTIONS THAT CUSTOMERS CAN GO THROUGH, UM, IF THEY DETERMINE THAT THEY NEED HELP WITH THEIR UTILITY BILL.
WE ALSO HAVE PROGRAMS AND CONTINUE TO LOOK AT ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS LIKE BUDGET BILLING, WHERE A CUSTOMER CAN SET A FIXED PAYMENT AMOUNT TO HELP THEM WITH THEIR BUDGETING NEEDS.
AND THEN AGAIN, THROUGH THEIR DIGITAL SELF-SERVICE TOOLS, CUSTOMERS CAN SET UP ANY KIND OF BUDGET PROMPTS THAT THEY NEED.
THEY CAN SET REMINDERS TO LET THEM KNOW IF THEY'VE GONE TOO HIGH.
UM, THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, PUT A STOP ON THEIR AUTO PAY DEPENDING ON WHAT DOLLAR AMOUNT THEY, THEY CAN AFFORD ON ANY GIVEN MONTH.
UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF OPTIONS THAT WE PROVIDE FOR CUSTOMERS TO HELP THEMSELF MANAGE IN TERMS OF THEIR BUDGET NEEDS.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AS I NOTED EARLIER, THEY CAN ALSO COME IN PERSON AND TALK TO US AT THE BRANCH, UM, IF THEY NEED SOME IN PERSON, YOU KNOW, CONVERSATION OR HELP.
AND THEN MOVING TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO THAT'S, LIKE I SAID, THE GENERAL POPULATION, BUT WHEN YOU START THINKING ABOUT CUSTOMERS THEN WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, THERE'S A COUPLE OF PATHS THAT THESE CUSTOMERS CAN TAKE.
SO WE HAVE OVER TIME, UM, SET UP AN AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT PROCESS WHERE BASED ON ON THE ROLES OF TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, CUSTOMERS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT, WE CHECK THAT, UM, THEY MUST BE ELIGIBLE AT 200% OF FEDERAL POVERTY INCOME LEVEL, WHICH, UH, FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR IS ABOUT $66,000.
UM, AND IF WE CAN MATCH THEIR RESIDENTIAL ACCOUNT TO THAT ENROLLMENT, THEN THEY ARE AUTO-ENROLLED.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT 97% OF OUR, UM, CUSTOMER BASE CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN A CAT PROGRAM IS AUTO-ENROLLED.
CUSTOMERS THOUGH CAN SELF-ENROLL.
SO ABOUT 3% OF THEM ACTUALLY WILL GO THROUGH AND FILL OUT AN ONLINE APPLICATION OR A PAPER APPLICATION.
AND AGAIN, ONCE WE ARE ABLE TO VERIFY THAT INCOME REQUIREMENTS, WE'RE ABLE TO ENROLL THEM INTO AN ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THAT GIVES THEM SOME DISCOUNTS.
AND WE WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO THIS IS, UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED, WE HAVE A WHOLE SERVICE MODEL THAT SURROUNDS COT THAT SUPPORTS CUSTOMERS STARTING WITH THAT UTILITY BILL DISCOUNT.
SO THAT'S THE THING THAT MOST PEOPLE KNOW.
IF YOU QUALIFY, YOU GET AN AUTOMATIC DISCOUNT ON YOUR ELECTRIC IN YOUR WATER.
UM, BUT MORE THAN THAT, WE RECOGNIZE CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE MEDICALLY VULNERABLE NEEDS, UM, MEANING THAT THEY MUST HAVE, THEY HAVE SOME SORT OF LIGHT SUPPORT REQUIREMENT WITHIN THEIR HOME.
UM, IN THOSE CASES WE HAVE CASE MANAGEMENT WHERE WE ACTUALLY WORK WITH THOSE CUSTOMERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE SUPPORT AS NEEDED, UM, IF THEY EXPERIENCE ANY KIND OF OUTAGE, NOT EVEN A DISCONNECTION OUTAGE, JUST ANYTHING THAT MIGHT IMPACT THEIR MEDICALLY UM, SUPPORTED EQUIPMENT.
WE ALSO PARTNER WITH, AND THIS ISN'T MY AREA OF EXPERTISE, BUT I BELIEVE OVER 60 LOCAL, UM, ASSISTANCE ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH PLUS ONE TO HELP CUSTOMERS TO CONNECT THEM TO IMMEDIATE NEED WHEN THEY HAVE IT.
UM, WE ALSO DO A LOT OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS. SO WE DO A LOT OF OUTREACH OUT IN THE COMMUNITY TO HELP EXPOSE CUSTOMERS TO THESE PROGRAMS. UM, WE OFFER AN A REARAGE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM WHERE WE WILL HELP MATCH DOLLARS TO HELP YOU BRING DOWN YOUR PAST DUE PAYMENT AMOUNT.
UM, SO IF CUSTOMERS WILL PARTNER WITH US, THAT'S A GREAT WAY FOR THEM TO GET TO A ZERO BALANCE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE CONNECT THEM TO WEATHERIZATION OPTIONS WHEN THAT'S ALSO AVAILABLE.
SO WE REALLY TAKE A VERY WELL-ROUNDED APPROACH, UM, TO HELPING CUSTOMERS WHEN WE CAN, CONNECTING THEM TO THE RIGHT PROGRAMS TO GET THEM WHAT THEY NEED.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL TRANSITION OVER AND I'LL COME BACK AT THE END TO KIND OF, TO CONNECT YOU GUYS.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS, OKAY, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, UH, IS UNIQUE TO THE ELECTRIC SIDE OF THE BUSINESS, THAT THERE, THERE TENDS TO BE MORE RECOGNITION AROUND AND MORE, UH, NATIONAL KIND OF AVERAGES AND STUDIES THAT'S DONE AROUND WHAT THEY DO.
WHERE ON THE WATER SIDE, THERE'S TYPICALLY NOT AS MANY STUDIES THAT LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABILITY AND, AND PROGRAMS AROUND AFFORDABILITY, UH, AND IN PARTICULARLY AROUND DISCONNECTION
[00:30:01]
RATES.SO, UH, ONE OF THE STUDIES, UH, THAT WAS FROM THE, YOU KNOW, THE LOW INCOME HOUSE HOUSEHOLD, UH, WATER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, UH, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, THEY HAD A STUDY DURING, UH, CID, UH, TO PUT TOGETHER A SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE THAT WERE AFFECTED THROUGH COVID TO SUPPORT THEM WITH THEIR WATER BILLS.
AND SOME OF THE OUTCOME FROM THAT WAS THAT THEY FOUND ONE IN FIVE HOUSEHOLDS OWED WATER DEBT TO THEIR UTILITIES, AND THEN THE LOWEST INCOME FOLKS HAD UP TO 40% OF THEIR HOUSEHOLD INCOME THAT WAS TOWARDS PAYING THEIR WATER BILL.
UH, THAT THEY OUTLINED THAT AFFORDABILITY CHALLENGES WERE DIFFERENT IN DIFFERENT REGIONS AND IN PARTICULARLY, UH, URBAN SYSTEMS. UH, LARGER CITIES, UH, HAD HIGHER ARREARS, MEANING THEY CARRIED LARGER DEBTS, UH, THAN MAYBE THE SMALLER SYSTEMS. AND THE RURAL SYSTEMS TENDED TO HAVE HIGHER DISCONNECTION RATES.
AND THEN ALSO THEY CAME OUTTA THAT LOOKING AT LARGE UTILITIES THAT AVERAGE NEARLY $50 MILLION IN, UM, AND PAID WATER BILLS.
AND SO, UH, THE LARGER UTILITIES, UH, YOU COULD SAY WE'RE MAYBE IN A BETTER FINANCIAL, UH, POSITION TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE SOME OF THAT DEBT, BUT THAT ALSO ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS BOTH BENEFITED THE UTILITIES AND THE CUSTOMERS EQUALLY.
SO I, I INCLUDE THIS JUST AS AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT THAT CAME OUT FROM THAT STUDY.
NOW, THE ACTUAL SUPPORT PROGRAM ACTUALLY ENDED IN 2023, THE FUNDING THAT THEY PROVIDED.
BUT THE INFORMATION THAT THAT CAME OUT OF THE STUDY, AND IN PARTICULARLY THE MORATORIUMS, THEY TALKED ABOUT THAT THE VERY LARGE CITIES ARE THE ONES THAT PARTICIPATED AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN THOSE MORATORIUMS, INCREASING THE, THE AMOUNT OF ARREARS, UH, AND DEBT THAT, UH, THEY INCURRED DURING THAT PERIOD.
AND THEN DISCONNECTIONS DURING THAT TIME, UH, FOR, FOR VERY LARGE UTILITIES, LIKE, LIKE AUSTIN, UH, WE'RE ABOUT 4.6%.
SO WE TALK ABOUT, UH, AFFORDABILITY AND THEN, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES AUSTIN WATER PRIORITIZE, UH, AFFORDABILITY? THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WAS EXTREME FORESIGHT FOR OUR CEDAR CITY LEADERSHIP AND FOR AUSTIN WATER WAS INITIATING, UH, UH, AFFORDABILITY STUDIES AND PUTTING THAT IN PLACE.
SO ALL THE WAY BACK FROM 2018, UH, AUSTIN WATER HAS, UH, PRE, YOU KNOW, PREPARED AND PRESENTED AN AFFORDABILITY REPORT, UH, THAT'S AVAILABLE, UH, UH, ON THE AUSTIN WATER, UH, WEBSITE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT, THAT, THAT WAS A BIG THING THAT THEY LOOKED AT, WAS THE TREND OF INCREASING EVERY YEAR IN WATER BILLS.
BUT AUSTIN WATER OVER THAT SAME PERIOD OF TIME, 2018 TO 2025, HAD AN ACTUAL LESS THAN 2% RATE INCREASE OVERALL, UH, IN THEIR WATER RATES.
SO, UH, THEIR FOCUS ON AFFORDABILITY IS SIGNIFICANT.
AND THEN ALONG WITH THAT, THE COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN, IN PLACE, UH, OVERALL FOR ALL OF OUR UTILITIES.
AND THEN WE ALSO EXPAND ON THAT EVEN FURTHER.
SO TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS, UH, THAT ARE ENCAPSULED WITHIN THE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND WHAT THE REACH IS FOR OUR WATER CUSTOMERS.
UH, THERE'S APPROXIMATELY 23,000, UH, SINGLE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS THAT ARE PART OF THE CAP PROGRAM.
AND THEN THAT'S BEEN EXPANDED TO ALSO IDENTIFY THOSE CUSTOMERS THAT, UH, ARE IN MULTIFAMILY WHERE THEY MAY NOT HAVE INDIVIDUAL METERED, BUT THEY'RE STILL HAVING TO PAY, UH, WATER BILLS THROUGH KIND OF A CONSOLIDATED, UH, COST.
SO THE PROGRAM WAS PUT IN PLACE, AND THAT'S ANOTHER 36,000, UH, FAMILIES, UH, THAT ARE, UH, BENEFITING FROM THE CAP PROGRAM.
AND ON AVERAGE, UH, OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE A 53%, UH, BILL DISCOUNT IN PARTICULARLY THOUGH FOR THE MULTIFAMILIES THAT DON'T HAVE THE INDIVIDUAL BILL, THEY'RE STILL RECEIVING A A $17 MONTHLY CREDIT, UH, THROUGH THEIR ELECTRIC ACCOUNT, UH, OR, OR IF NOT, IT'S JUST, UH, MAILED IN TO THEM IF THEY'VE NOT HAD AN ELECTRIC ACCOUNT.
SO THOSE ARE PROGRAMS THAT, UH, WE HAVE IN PLACE JUST FOR, FOR WATER THAT SUPPORTS THOSE CUSTOMERS ALONG WITH WAIVED, UH, FIXED FEES AND THEN DISCOUNTED RATES FOR OUR, OUR RESIDENTS.
[00:35:03]
SO WE ALSO EXPANDED BEYOND THOSE, THOSE PRIMARY THINGS TO ALSO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SERVICES.OUR, OUR CALM PROGRAM, UH, WHICH IS OUR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE LEAK MITIGATION PROGRAM.
UH, WE BEGAN THAT IN DECEMBER OF 2025, UH, WHERE WE'RE PROVIDING PRIVATE SIDE WATER LOSS RESOLUTIONS WHEN FOLKS HAVE LEAKS, UH, THAT WE CAN COME IN THERE AND HELP THEM RESOLVE SOME OF THESE MAJOR LEAKS THAT ARE DRIVING UP, UH, THEIR UTILITY BILL.
UH, WE'VE, UH, YOU KNOW, AVERAGED ABOUT, UH, $860 PER REPAIR FOR THE 32 CUSTOMERS THAT WE'VE DONE JUST SINCE, UH, DECEMBER.
AND WE'RE LOOKING TO EXPAND THAT PROGRAM NOW, UH, AS OF OCTOBER.
UM, AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, WE ALSO PROVIDE WATER DELIVERIES DOING BOTH PLANNED AND UNPLANNED OUTAGES FOR ANY OF THOSE CUSTOMERS WITHIN OUR PROGRAM THAT IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY AN OUTAGE, THEN WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE BEING TAKEN CARE OF.
AND THEN ALONG WITH ALL OF THOSE OTHER EXPANDED, WE ALSO HAVE DIGITAL TOOLS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO OUR CUSTOMERS TO ASSIST THEM, UH, THE TIERED BILL NOTIFICATION SO THAT A CUSTOMER, WHENEVER THEIR USAGE IS GOING TO GO HIGHER, WHICH WOULD PUT 'EM AT A DIFFERENT TIER LEVEL OR RATE LEVEL WITHIN THEIR USAGE, THEY CAN HAVE NOTIFICATION THROUGH THE MY A TX WATER ACCOUNT.
UH, THEY CAN ALSO HAVE WATER USE THRESHOLDS IF THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OR BE NOTIFIED WHEN THEIR USAGE GOES ABOVE A LIMIT THAT THEY SET FOR THEMSELVES.
THEY CAN HAVE THOSE LEAK NOTIFICATIONS PUT IN PLACE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, LEAK ADJUSTMENTS FOR WATER AND WASTEWATER.
UH, IF THAT OCCURS, THEN THEY, THEY CAN RECEIVE THOSE LEAK ADJUSTMENTS.
SO GETTING DOWN TO, I'M SORRY, NEXT SLIDE.
IT'S NOT ANOTHER SLIDE, IT'S, OH, THERE IT IS.
SO WE, THE, THE SPECIFIC QUESTION THAT HAD COME TO US WAS TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS AUSTIN WATER'S ACTUAL, UH, DISCONNECTION RATE FOR OUR CAP CUSTOMERS? AND SO PROVIDING THAT INFORMATION THAT, TO ANSWER YOUR QUE THE QUESTION SPECIFICALLY.
SO GIVEN A LITTLE HISTORICAL, UH, BACKGROUND, UH, FOLLOWING, UH, THE PERIOD FROM COVID, WHEN YOU LOOK AT 23 TO 25 AND THEN NOW LOOK AT, UH, 2026, WHERE, WHERE WE ARE.
SO OVERALL, UM, MEANING ALL CUSTOMERS THAT DURING 20 TO 23 TO 25, IT WAS AT 2.8%.
NOW, LOOKING AT THAT, EVEN DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME, WHEN I SHOWED YOU THAT EARLIER REPORT, THE AVERAGE FOR LARGE UTILITIES WAS 4.6.
SO OVERALL WE HAD A DISCONNECTION RATE OF 2.8.
SO WE WERE WELL WITH LOW BELOW THAT AVERAGE THAT THEY REPORTED IN THAT STUDY.
AS OF 2026, OVERALL, IT'S DOWN TO 0.9 OF A PERCENT OVERALL ON DISCONNECTIONS FOR ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS.
NOW, WE MOVED TO OUR NON CAP CUSTOMERS THAT THEIR, THEIR RATE FROM 23 TO 25 WAS ACTUALLY 1.61.
NOW THAT RATE IS FOR 2026 0.8%.
AND THEN FOR OUR ACTUAL CAP CUSTOMERS, AGAIN, 2325 IS 5.34.
AND, BUT A SIGNIFICANT AND NOTABLE DROP NOW FOR FY 26 TO 2.0%.
SO, UM, WE'VE DONE EXTREMELY WELL.
UH, WE HAVE EXTREMELY LOW, UH, DISCONNECTION RATES ACROSS THE BOARD, BUT NOW IN PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT CAP AND IT'S SLIGHTLY HIGHER, BUT YOU'RE ALSO LOOKING AT, UH, A GROUP OF CUSTOMERS THAT ARE MORE FINANCIALLY CHALLENGED.
SO THEY'RE MORE, MORE DIRECTLY IMPACTED THAN THE, THAN THE LARGER POPULATION.
SO, ALRIGHT, NEXT SLIDE AND I'LL HAND IT BACK TO YOU.
SO WE JUST WANTED TO CLOSE WITH A COUPLE OF, OF HIGHLIGHTS.
AND I, I KNOW YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING WHY THERE'S AN AUSTIN ENERGY ARTICLE AT A WATER COMMISSION MEETING.
UM, BUT IT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO TIE THE TWO BACK BECAUSE AGAIN, WE REPRESENT CITY OF AUSTIN UTILITIES.
AND SO AN ARTICLE THAT JUST RECENTLY CAME OUT IN THIS LAST MONTH HIGHLIGHTED THAT TEXAS OVERALL HAS A PRETTY HIGH, IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST IN THE NATIONS IN TERMS OF DISCONNECTION RATES.
UM, BUT CPS AND AUSTIN ENERGY ARE MUCH LESS LIKELY TO, TO HAVE THOSE HIGH DISCONNECTION RATES BECAUSE WE'RE SO FOCUSED ON CUSTOMERS.
AND SO IN THIS ARTICLE, YOU CAN SEE NEARLY 24% OF CUSTOMERS, RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS WERE CUT OFF FOR NONPAYMENT IN 2024 RELATIVE TO ALL OF
[00:40:01]
TEXAS, AUSTIN ENERGY HAD CUT POWER TO 5.5% OF THE CUSTOMERS THAT IT SERVED DURING THAT TIME.AND WHY THAT'S RELEVANT TO YOU GUYS IS, AGAIN, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT WHOLE, UM, RECEIVABLES PROCESS, WE DON'T GO OUT AND AND TOUCH WATER UNTIL THREE DAYS AFTER THIS.
SO IT'D BE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN EVEN THAT FIVE, 5.5% OF DISCONNECTIONS FROM AUSTIN ENERGY.
SO IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE REALLY HIGHLIGHTING THAT AS PUBLIC POWER, AS A SERVICE OF THE CITY, WE ARE ABLE TO REALLY FOCUS OUR PROGRAMS AND OUR ATTENTION AND OUR TIME ON THOSE CUSTOMERS THAT NEED IT AND ARE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER THOSE, THOSE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED AND ARE ABLE THEN TO KEEP OUR DISCONNECTION RATES INCREDIBLY LOW.
AND THEN WE JUST WANTED TO END WITH JUST GIVING YOU GUYS SOME RESOURCES RELATIVE TO, UM, TO HOW CUSTOMERS CAN CONNECT WITH CITY OF AUSTIN UTILITIES.
SO THEY CAN CALL DIRECTLY FOR A CAP APPLICATION.
THEY CAN ALSO APPLY ONLINE, THERE'S A WEBSITE THERE.
MEDICALLY VULNERABLE CUSTOMERS ACTUALLY GO THROUGH A PROCESS, OF COURSE GETTING, UM, THEIR PHYSICIAN APPROVAL SO THEY CAN CALL AND GET THOSE REGISTRATION FORMS THAT ARE SENT TO THEIR PHYSICIAN AND THEY CAN GET SET UP.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S OF COURSE LOGIN TOOLS, UM, AT OUR DIRECT SUPPORT SERVICES PORTAL WHERE CUSTOMERS CAN, CAN LOG IN, GET ACCESS, AND START SETTING UP ALL OF THE ALERTS THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.
SO LOTS OF WAYS WE JUST WANT CUSTOMERS TO REACH OUT TO US AND WE CAN CERTAINLY FIND A WAY TO HELP THEM AND THAT IS IT.
UM, I LOOKED AT THIS BEFORE AND, AND UH, I WAS LIKE, MAN, WE'RE IN FOR A REALLY ROBUST, UH, THIS ANSWERED TONS OF MY QUESTIONS ALREADY, SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND UM, AND THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF UTILITIES, RIGHT? IS INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE AND ENSURING THAT THINGS ARE, YOU KNOW, MOVING ALONG AND, AND THE DISCONNECTIONS DON'T HAPPEN.
SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT IS PUT INTO THIS AND IT SHOWS WITH THE RATES, UH, THE LOW RATES OF DISCONNECTION.
UM, SO I'LL ASK THE, MY FIRST QUESTION AND THEN I CAN JUMP IN.
UM, SO I HAVEN'T, YOU KNOW, RECEIVED A PAPER BILL IN A LONG TIME 'CAUSE I SIGNED UP FOR THE ELECTRONIC LONG TIME AGO EMAIL, I GUESS IT'S CALLED.
UH, WHAT'S THE PERCENT OF LIKE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE PAPER BILLS VERSUS WE ARE OVER, LAST TIME I CHECKED IS ACTUALLY ABOUT 56% E-BILL, UM, AND ABOUT 44%.
AND WE ARE ACTUALLY RUNNING ACTIVE PILOTS RIGHT NOW TO ENCOURAGE CUSTOMERS TO GO ONTO E-BILL.
UM, BECAUSE IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST HELPFUL FOR THEM.
THEY CAN ALSO STILL GET PAPER IF THEY WANT TO, BUT E-BILL JUST KIND OF MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING'S RUNNING SMOOTHLY EVERY MONTH AND THEY, THEY GET IT AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO WAIT ON, ON POSTAGE TIME.
WE'RE HOPING TO KEEP GETTING HIRED.
I ASSUME THAT IT WOULD IN THIS DAY AND AGE BE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT, YOU WOULD THINK.
BUT WE
WE, WE WAIT UNTIL CUSTOMERS OPT IN.
AND, UH, 'CAUSE ALSO TOO, THAT'S A SAVINGS IF, WELL THE BILLS, I MEAN THE PAPER AND A POSTAGE MM-HMM.
UM, AND, UM, YOU HAD HIGHLIGHTED, UH, IN THAT STUDY THE, UH, UNPAID BILLS.
IT WAS LIKE 15 MILLION FOR THE LARGE, WHAT IS THE NUMBER FOR AUSTIN WATER IN TERMS OF LIKE UNPAID BILLS ON A, 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT HOW, HOW, I MEAN, IT'S LIKE, IT'S A ROTATING THING 'CAUSE THESE BILLS GET PAID, YOU KNOW, SO THEN THEY'RE NOT DISCONNECTED.
AND SO AT ANY ONE TIME, WHAT'S THE, LIKE AFTER 30 DAYS, LET'S CALL IT THAT.
YEAH, SO I, I HAD THE STAT IN MY HEAD PROBABLY A MONTH AGO 'CAUSE I WAS PRESENTING THIS, UM, I WANNA SAY MOST OF OUR, WE'RE AT ABOUT 3% OF TOTAL RECEIVABLES EXCEEDS 90 DAYS.
SO MOST DEBT AND RECOVERY IS, IS TAKING PLACE WITHIN THAT FIRST TO 90 DAYS.
I THINK IT'S THREE TO 4% THAT EXCEEDS 90 DAYS.
AND THAT STARTS TO GET DIFFICULT, RIGHT? IF YOU'VE, IF YOU'VE GONE THAT FAR, NOW WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY HAVING TO WORK WITH YOU TO KIND OF MAKE SURE YOU'RE EITHER ON A REARAGE PROGRAM OR DOING SOMETHING ELSE.
BUT IT'S A FAIRLY SMALL PERCENTAGE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ENTIRE RECEIVABLES PROCESS.
I KNOW THAT'S TOUGH TO JUST, YOU KNOW, HAVE THAT NUMBER TOP OF HEAD, TOP OF MIND.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I, I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION.
HOW DID WE COME UP WITH THE $17 CREDIT? LIKE HOW, HOW WAS 17 THE NUMBER? I'M GOING TO, UH, PHONE AN EXPERT AND A FRIEND
UH, JOSEPH GONZALEZ, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS SERVICES WITH AUSTIN WATER.
UM, AND THE, THE THE $17, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE IMPLEMENTED IT, UH, OUR AVERAGE DISCOUNT PERCENTAGE FOR
[00:45:01]
RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS WAS IN, UH, THE, THE 40% RANGE.AND, UM, SO THE $17 TRIED TO PROVIDE A SIMILAR, SIMILAR LEVEL OF DISCOUNT, UH, FOR MULTIFAMILY CUSTOMERS, YOU KNOW, PRIMARILY, UM, YOU KNOW, APARTMENT RESIDENTS WHO HAVE LOWER LEVELS OF, OF DEMAND.
SO IT WAS TRYING TO PROVIDE A SIMILAR LEVEL OF DISCOUNT ON, UM, AN AVERAGE LEVEL OF DEMAND FOR OUR MULTIFAMILY CUSTOMERS.
AND HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN $17 OR HOW OFTEN IS THAT NUMBER REVISITED? UM, SO WE IMPLEMENTED THE PROGRAM IN 20, I WANNA SAY 20, 21, MAYBE 2022.
UM, AND IT'S BEEN THE SAME SINCE.
SO IT DID, IT IS KIND OF DUE FOR, FOR REVIEW.
UM, I WILL SAY I, YOU KNOW, I THINK TWO THINGS, WELL ACTUALLY, UH, I'M GONNA PHONE A FRIEND, UM, AND, AND MORE AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR NEW ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OVER FINANCIAL SERVICES.
UM, SO I'M GONNA IN INVITE, UH, NABIL, UH, JOSE UP, UH, TO, UH, MAYBE TAKE THIS QUESTION.
I'M NOT SAYING I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT IT'S LIKE I SAID, AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE, UH, OUR, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR NEWEST EXECUTIVES.
I DON'T THINK REGIS WOULD ALLOW THAT PHONE A FRIEND, THE PHONE, A FRIEND
UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
UH, NABIL JOSE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL SERVICES.
UH, PLEASURE TO MEET EVERYBODY HERE TODAY.
UM, I DON'T THINK I GET TO PHONE A FRIEND, SO, UM,
UM, SO MY INITIAL QUESTION WAS HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH $17? AND THEN, UM, JOSEPH WAS KIND ENOUGH TO ANSWER THAT.
AND THE NEXT QUESTION, THE FOLLOW UP WAS HOW OR WHEN WAS THAT NUMBER ESTABLISHED? AND HE SHARED IT WAS 21.
UM, AND SO MY, I GUESS PENDING QUESTION IS HOW OFTEN WILL THAT NUMBER BE REVISITED AND KIND OF REVIEWED AND POTENTIALLY ADJUSTED? SURE.
UM, SO I THINK JOSEPH MENTIONED THAT WE'LL PROBABLY LOOK TO REVIEW THAT AS WE KIND OF WORK OUR WAY THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE NEXT BUDGET PROCESS.
UM, HISTORICALLY WE WERE, UH, AROUND THE 40%, UH, DISCOUNT RATE FOR CAP, UH, CUSTOMERS.
WE'RE STILL, UH, CURRENTLY WE'RE CLOSER TO, TO 50% FOR THE DISCOUNT RATE.
SO, UM, WE'LL PROBABLY LOOK TO, TO REVISIT THAT.
BUT, UM, AS A PORTION OF THE CAP DISCOUNT TO, UM, NON CAP CUSTOMERS WE'RE, WE'RE IN LINE WITH WHERE WE WERE, UM, WHEN THE INITIAL DISCOUNT WAS PUT IN PLACE FOR MULTIFAMILY, AND IT'S STILL ABOVE THE ORIGINAL KIND OF 30% TARGET THAT WE HAD FOR CAP DISCOUNT, THAT WENT UP TO ABOUT 50%, AND NOW WE'RE AT ABOUT 49%.
SO WE'LL REEVALUATE, BUT WE'RE STILL IN LINE WITH KIND OF WHERE WE'RE, WHEN THE RATE WAS SET.
AND I, I, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, UH, WHEN WE GOT THE QUESTION, WE TOOK SOME TIME TO LOOK BACK AT, UM, THE AVERAGE BILL HISTORICALLY FOR, UH, FOR OUR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS AS WELL AS OUR CAP CUSTOMERS.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE THING OF NOTE IS, UH, THAT IN 2017 BEFORE WE IMPLEMENTED OUR 2018, UH, RATE REDUCTION, UM, THE AVERAGE CAP BILL WAS $50, $54 AND, AND CHANGE, UM, SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, AS NA BILL MENTIONED, UH, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE 2018 RATE REDUCTION, UM, AND THEN IN 2021, UH, YOU KNOW, 2020 DURING COVID, I, WE HAD A 10%, AN ADDITIONAL 10% RATE REDUCTION FOR, UH, RESIDENTIAL AND CAP CUSTOMERS.
NOW, UM, THOSE DISCOUNTS WERE INTENDED TO BE TEMPORARY, ALTHOUGH WHEN WE ROLLED INTO FISCAL YEAR 21, WE, WE REVERTED BACK TO THE PREVIOUS RATE FOR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS, BUT HELD OUR CAP RATE, UM, AT THAT 10% DISCOUNTED RATE.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT BUMPED US UP FROM, FROM OUR 40% DISCOUNT RATE UP TO 50% DISCOUNT RATE.
UM, NOW FAST FORWARD, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF RATE REDUCTIONS INCLUDING A SIGNIFICANT ONE IN THE CURRENT YEAR BUDGET, BUT THE CURRENT YEAR AVERAGE BILL, UH, FOR CAP CUSTOMERS BASED ON 5,800 GALLONS WATER AND 4,000 GALLONS WASTEWATER, UH, HAS, HAS GONE UP BY 75 CENTS AS COMPARED TO THAT 2017 AVERAGE BILL.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE SET THE $17 RATE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS KIND OF BASED ON THAT 17, THAT FISCAL YEAR, 2017 AVERAGE BILL.
SO, SO GETTING BACK TO A SIMILAR LEVEL, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL OKAY, BUT WE WILL REVIEW IT, UM, IN, YOU KNOW, WE REVIEW IT, OUR AVERAGE BILLS ANNUALLY, BUT,
[00:50:01]
BUT CERTAINLY IN OUR NEXT COST OF SERVICE.AND, AND I'D PROBABLY LIKE JUST TO ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF THAT FEASIBILITY STUDY, UH, FOR 2026 PUBLISHED FOR 2026, WE TAUGHT, AND I MENTIONED THAT EARLIER, FROM 2018 TO 2025, UH, OUR APP AVERAGE, ITS CUMULATIVE RATE INCREASE WAS ONLY 1.5%.
SO THE, THE $17 WOULD STILL BE RELEVANT WITH THAT LOW OF A RATE INCRE OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
AND THEN ONE OTHER QUESTION WAS ON SLIDE 13, YOU SHOWED THE GRAPHS OF OVERALL DISCONNECTIONS VERSUS AUSTIN WATER DISCONNECTIONS, AND THEN YOU SAID THAT, THAT ACROSS ALL CUSTOMER GROUPS, THE, THERE WAS A LARGE DECREASE IN 2026.
DO WE KNOW WHY? LIKE, WHAT WAS SPECIAL ABOUT 2026 THAT, WELL, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT, AGAIN, A LOT OF THIS HAD TO DO WITH THE ENDING OF A LOT OF THE, THE SUPPORT PROGRAMS THAT I TALKED ABOUT.
THE, THE LIP, LIP Y HAVE PRONOUNCED THAT PROGRAM, WELL, IT ENDED IN 2023.
SO CUSTOMERS THAT WAS RECEIVING SUPPORT FROM COVID THROUGH THAT PERIOD OF TIME THAT ENDED.
AND SO AGAIN, SOME OF THEIR ARREARAGE WOULD BUILD UP DURING THAT TIME, UH, SINCE THAT, THAT FUNDING ENDED, UH, AND THE DROP OFF.
YEAH, I CAN SHARE A LITTLE INSIGHT THERE.
AGAIN, YOU, YOU DO HAVE TO KIND OF LOOK BACK TO THE COVID PERIOD WHERE, WHERE CUSTOMERS HAD KIND OF PICKED UP QUITE A BIT OF DEBT.
SO 23 TO 25 WE WERE REALLY NORMALIZING.
SO WE'RE REALLY HELPING CUSTOMERS RECOVER THAT ARREARAGE, UM, AND GET BACK.
SO I JOINED AUSTIN ENERGY AND, AND CITY OF AUSTIN UTILITIES IN EARLY 25, AND, AND WE LOOKED AT THAT AS SORT OF OUR NORMALIZATION YEAR.
UM, AND SO 25, 26 HAVE BEEN REALLY MORE IN LINE WITH WHAT WE EXPECT SEASONALLY 26 HAS BEEN IMPACTED, UM, HEAVILY WITH MORATORIUM TIMES, THOUGH ALSO WE DIDN'T REALLY DO A LOT OF DISCONNECTIONS AT ALL OVER THE SUMMER BECAUSE IT WAS SO HOT.
AND SO THERE'S SOME IMPACTS THERE, BUT I WOULD SAY 25 AND 26 WERE MORE NORMALIZED.
UM, AND SO WE EXPECT THIS IS GONNA BE KIND OF OUR NORMAL SEASONAL PATTERN.
AND I, I'D ALSO JUST ADD, YOU KNOW, UH, DURING COVID WE, WE SUSPENDED DISCONNECTS FOR, FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.
AND ANY, AS, AS, AS SANDRA MENTIONED, ANY TIME YOU HAVE DEBTS ACCUMULATE, UM, YOU KNOW, AND YOU START, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU REINITIATE UH, DISCONNECTS, YOU'RE GONNA SEE A LITTLE BIT OF A JUMP.
AND, AND SO, YOU KNOW, AFTER THAT JUMP, THINGS TEND TO NORMALIZE AND, AND GIVEN THE HOT SUMMER, WE MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT LOWER THAN NORMAL, BUT, BUT NOT OUT OF LINE.
AND ONE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD JUST ADD TO THE DATA IS YOU'RE EVALUATING THAT IN, IN YOUR DECKS.
UM, THE, THE DISCONNECTS, THAT'S A MOMENT IN TIME.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE DISCONNECTED FOR FOREVER, YOU KNOW, ONCE THEY COME INTO COMPLIANCE.
SO, SO THE, THESE DATA, DATA POINTS DON'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE STILL WITHOUT SERVICE, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY WERE WITHOUT SERVICE, YOU KNOW, UNTIL THEY GOT THEIR ACCOUNT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND REALLY JUST CONTACT US.
I THINK THAT'S KIND OF OUR BIGGEST MESSAGE AND TAKEAWAY, UM, FROM WORKING TOGETHER, UM, WITH SANDRA AND HER TEAM, AS YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS OUR CUSTOMERS ARE CON CONTACTING US AND COMMUNICATING WITH US, THEN WE WERE WORKING WITH THEM IN WHATEVER WAY THAT, THAT WE ARE AND CONNECTING WITH THEM WITH COMMUNITY RESOURCES, NOT JUST OUR OWN, BUT BUT OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, THAT'S THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY, RIGHT? AND YOU SAW ON THE SLIDES, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE TO, TO HELP CUSTOMERS, PARTICULARLY CUSTOMERS WHO, UM, ARE STRUGGLING TO, TO KEEP UP.
WHETHER, WHETHER IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, CONNECTING THEM WITH THIRD PARTY, UM, YOU KNOW, FINANCIAL PAYMENT PROVIDERS THAT HELP, HELP PROVIDE PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, WHETHER IT'S, UM, WHETHER IT'S, UM, AND I'M BLANKING.
UM, JUST PAYMENT, WELL, GETTING ON A PAYMENT TERM, UH, I, I FORGET WHAT THE TERM A PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT PAYMENT ARRANGE, SORRY, IT'S A LONG DAY.
THAT ANSWERED ALL MY QUESTIONS.
MY QUESTION, SO I'VE HEARD THE, WITH THE DISCONNECT MORATORIUM, UM, SO WHO DECIDES, LIKE, IS THAT A DIRECTOR, UH, DECISION EXECUTIVE TEAM? YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT, LIKE, IT'S ALSO NOT REALLY PUBLICIZED, RIGHT? LIKE, OH, IT'S, IT, IT IS NOT PUBLICIZED ON A DAILY BASIS.
SO CAMP, CAMP MAYBERRY IS OUR BASE, AND IT IS, THERE ARE VERY SPECIFIC RULES LAID OUT IN TERMS OF THE TEMPERATURE TODAY AND THE TEMPERATURE TOMORROW AS TO WHETHER WE WILL, UM, DISCONNECT TOMORROW.
SO I WAS TELLING THEM, IRONICALLY, WE'RE IN OCTOBER, WHICH IS TYPICALLY NOT A MORATORIUM MONTH, UM, BUT YESTERDAY AND TODAY BECAUSE OF THE FEELS LIKE WAS ACTUALLY A MORATORIUM DAY.
SO, UM, BUT WE DO NOT PUBLICIZE THOSE THINGS.
WE ARE LOOKING THOUGH ON A DAILY BASIS AND, AND DEPENDING ON, ON THE WEATHER, WE WILL MAKE A CALL, RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO WE HAVE SET CRITERIA FOR, FOR WEATHER RELATED MORATORIUMS, UM, AND THEN SPECIAL MORATORIUMS LIKE COVID,
[00:55:01]
YOU KNOW, UM, IS, IS DONE KIND OF, I THINK IN COORDINATION, YOU KNOW, WITH AUSTIN ENERGY, BUT, BUT EVEN AT THE CITY MANAGER LEVEL, IT'S, IT'S UM, KIND OF A CITY DECISION, YOU KNOW, UH, AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE WOULD HAVE AN EXTENDED MORATORIUM ON DISCONNECTS.I MEAN, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE LEARNED ABOUT THAT.
AND SO I, I LOVE, I LOVE THE TRIGGER, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY YOU DON'T WANNA BE TURNING OFF POWER AND WATER DURING EXTREME HOT OR COLD DAYS, SO IT'S CERTAINLY A CUSTOMER PROTECTION.
UM, BUT WHAT THEN WE FIND IS THAT THEN WE HAVE TO HELP, YOU KNOW, IN THE SHOULDER MONTH.
SO LIKE RIGHT NOW WE WOULD CONSIDER THIS A SHOULDER MONTH, OCTOBER, WHICH IS TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY NICER WEATHER.
WE HELP CUSTOMERS RECOVER THEN, RIGHT? THEIR, THEIR BILLS ARE GOING DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
THEY'RE ABLE TO RECOVER AND SORT OF AGAIN, SET UP PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS OR DO WHAT THEY NEED TO TO KIND OF BALANCE OUT.
UM, BUT YES, WE ARE VERY FOCUSED ON THE CUSTOMER PROTECTION ASPECTS OF THIS.
COMMISSIONERS OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.
THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'M SORRY, MATTHEW, IF I, UM, I DID PROVIDE SOMEWHAT OF AN INTRODUCTION TO YOU, BUT WHEN YOU, UM, ANNOUNCED NABIL AS ONE OF OUR NEWEST EXECUTIVE TEAM MEMBERS, I FAILED TO, UM, TO, UH, HIGHLIGHT THAT YOU ARE ALSO ONE OF OUR NEWEST EXECUTIVE TEAM MEMBERS.
SO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.
SO EVERYONE, UM, MATTHEW, UH, JOINS US, ALTHOUGH MAYBE SHAY INTRODUCED YOU AT A PRIOR MEETING, SO THAT JUST CAME FLOODING BACK TO MY MIND.
ALL RIGHT, SO ONE MORE BRIEFING.
[19.Staff briefing regarding the July 23, 2026 Council resolution on large volume water users and related stakeholder engagement – Marisa Flores Gonzalez, Austin Water Water Resources Team Supervisor; Emlea Chanslor, Austin Water Chief of Staff.]
WE'RE GOING TO THE STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING THE JULY 23RD, 2026 COUNCIL RESOLUTION ON LARGE VOLUME WATER USERS AND RELATED STAKEHOLDER AND ENGAGEMENT.AND SO I'LL, UM, PROVIDE A, A QUICK INTRODUCTION HERE.
SO WE HAVE, UH, ONE OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS JOINING US VIRTUALLY MARISA FLORES GONZALEZ, WHO'S A WATER RESO RESOURCES SUPERVISOR, UH, FOR AUSTIN WATER, AND THEN AUSTIN WATER CHIEF OF STAFF, EMILY CHANCELLOR, TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE FOR US.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INTRODUCTION, RANDY.
AND, UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE INFORMATION WITH YOU ABOUT OUR LARGE WATER USERS OPEN HOUSE.
UM, I'M SORRY THAT I COULDN'T BE THERE IN PERSON, BUT I'M GLAD THAT I WAS, UH, ABLE TO ATTEND VIRTUALLY.
UM, JUST FOR SOME BACKGROUND, ON JULY 23RD, 2026, AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A RESOLUTION DIRECTING STAFF TO DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO LARGE VOLUME WATER USERS, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW CUSTOMER APPLICATION PROCESS, INDIVIDUAL WATER CONSERVATION PLANS, ANNUAL REPORTING, STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, AND OTHER RELATED CONSIDERATIONS.
AND ON OCTOBER 25TH, 2026, AUSTIN WATER HELD A PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE AT THE PLANNING, PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER TO SEEK COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ON AUSTIN WATER'S.
PROPOSED POLICY CONCEPTS FOR LARGE WATER USERS IN OUR SERVICE AREA.
UH, THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GATHERED AT THIS OPEN HOUSE WILL INFORM STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WILL BE PRESENTED ON DECEMBER 9TH, 2026 TO THE CLIMATE WATER ENVIRONMENT AND PARKS COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL.
I'LL WALK THROUGH, UH, SOME OF WHAT WE SHARED AT THE OPEN HOUSE.
THE BOARDS THAT WERE PRESENTED AT THE OPEN HOUSE HAVE ALSO BEEN INCLUDED IN THE COMMISSION'S BACKUP AND, UH, AND ARE ALSO POSTED ONLINE.
UM, I'LL PROVIDE A VERBAL KIND OF SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE PROVIDED, AND THEN EMILY CHANCELLOR WILL FOLLOW WITH TAKEAWAYS, UM, RELATED TO THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED AS WELL AS NEXT STEPS AT THE OPEN HOUSE AUSTIN WATER SHARED A PROPOSED DEFINITION FOR WHAT WE'RE DETERMINING A HIGH IMPACT WATER USER.
THIS DRAFT DEFINITION IDENTIFIES COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, INCLUDING INDUSTRIAL AND MANUFACTURING, WITH HISTORICAL OR PROJECTED WATER USE ABOVE 85 MILLION GALLONS PER YEAR, UH, INCLUDING BOTH POTABLE AND NON POTABLE WATER USE.
THIS THRESHOLD ALIGNS WITH THE EXISTING LARGE VOLUME CUSTOMER CLASS VOLUMETRIC THRESHOLD.
UH, WE EXPLAINED AT THE OPEN HOUSE THAT CUSTOMERS MEETING THIS THRESHOLD WOULD BE SUBJECT TO NEW REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING A SEPARATE APPLICATION PROCESS REQUIRED WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, SUBMITTAL, WATER BUDGETING, AS WELL AS ANNUAL REPORTING.
AUSTIN WATER OUTLINED A DRAFT APPLICATION PATHWAY FOR HIGH IMPACT WATER USERS SEEKING TO CONNECT TO OUR SYSTEM.
THIS WOULD BUILD ON THE EXISTING SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST, SITE DEVELOPMENT, PERMIT REVIEW, AND BUILDING REVIEW PROCESSES THAT DEVELOPERS
[01:00:01]
ALREADY NAVIGATE.AND THIS NEW PROCESS WOULD ADD REQUIRED SUBMITTAL OF AVERAGE YEARLY WATER, UH, USAGE AT THE SER STAGE TO FLAG PROJECTS AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, AS POTENTIAL HIGH IMPACT WATER USERS.
IF THEIR ESTIMATED WATER DEMAND EXCEEDS OUR PROPOSED THRESHOLD, DEVELOPERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED THAT THEY MAY BE SUBJECT TO FEATURE WATER CONSERVATION, REUSE AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AT THE SITE PLAN STAGE.
UM, HIGH IMPACT WATER USERS WOULD BE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A WATER BENCHMARKING APPLICATION TO PRODUCE DETAILED ESTIMATES OF FUTURE WATER USE AND TO CONFIRM, UH, THEIR, UM, STATUS AS A HIGH IMPACT WATER USER.
UM, DURING THIS SITE PLAN STAGE HIGH IMPACT WATER USERS WOULD ALSO NEED TO SUBMIT A WATER CONSERVATION PLAN FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT.
THEY COULD USE A STAFF DEVELOPED WATER BALANCE CALCULATOR THAT BUILDS OFF OF OUR EXISTING WATER BENCHMARKING CALCULATOR TO CREATE THOSE DETAILED ESTIMATES OF WATER USE.
THAT WOULD THEN POPULATE THE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.
AND THOSE PLANS WOULD EXPLAIN WHAT ADDITIONAL CONSERVATION MEASURES AND TECHNOLOGIES THE SITE WOULD USE TO REDUCE WATER USE, HOW A RECLAIMED WATER WOULD BE USED TO MEET NON-POTABLE DEMANDS, AND HOW WASTEWATER FROM THE SITE WOULD BE MANAGED RESPONSIBLY.
THE WATER CONSERVATION PLANS WOULD ALSO SET FIVE AND 10 YEAR MEASURABLE WATER USE GOALS AS EITHER TOTAL GALLONS USED, UM, OR, OR EXISTING DEVELOPMENTS WHO WOULD BE, UH, SUBMITTING WATER CONSERVATION PLANS.
WE COULD BE ESTABLISHING A PERCENTAGE REDUCTION TARGET FROM A HISTORICAL BASE YEAR FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS.
IF WATER CONSERVATION PLANS DID NOT MEET AUSTIN WATER STANDARDS, THEY WOULD REQUIRE COUNCIL APPROVAL TO MOVE FORWARD THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
AND AUSTIN WATER COULD ALSO ESTABLISH ENFORCEMENT TOOLS TO MAINTAIN COMPLIANCE WITH INDIVIDUAL WATER CONSERVATION PLANS, INCLUDING REQUIRING CORRECTIVE ACTION PLANS AND OPPOSING THINGS LIKE EXCESS USE CHARGES OR PENALTIES FOR NON-COMPLIANCE.
UM, WE'RE ALSO CONSIDERING REQUIRING THAT PLANS BE UPDATED EVERY FIVE YEARS TO MAINTAIN ALIGNMENT WITH THE CITYWIDE WATER CONSERVATION PLAN THAT'S REQUIRED TO BE SUBMITTED BY AUSTIN WATER TO THE STATE.
UM, AUSTIN WATER ALSO PRESENTED THE CONCEPT OF ESTABLISHING WATER BUDGETS FOR HIGH IMPACT WATER USERS.
WATER BUDGETS WOULD ESTABLISH A REASONABLE VOLUME OF EFFICIENT USAGE FOR HIGH IMPACT WATER USERS BASED ON DATA COLLECTED THROUGH THE WATER BENCHMARKING APPLICATION AND MEDIA READINGS.
HIGH IMPACT WATER USERS EXCEEDING THEIR WATER BUDGET COULD PAY HIGHER RATES, UM, TO ENCOURAGE CONSERVATION.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO SHARED A PROPOSAL FOR ADDITIONAL ANNUAL REPORTING FOR HIGH IMPACT WATER USERS.
THESE, UM, HIGH IMPACT WATER USERS WOULD HAVE TO REPORT ANNUALLY TO AUSTIN WATER, UM, INFORMATION INCLUDING THEIR WATER USAGE FROM ALL SOURCES REPORTED ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
WATER THAT LEAVES THE SITE AS WASTEWATER, OTHER DISCHARGE WATER THAT WAS USED FOR COOLING, UM, AS WELL AS THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO ACHIEVE THEIR CONSERVATION PLAN GOALS AND THEIR COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR PLANS REQUIREMENTS.
UH, STAFF ENCOURAGED COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ATTENDED THE OPEN HOUSE TO SHARE FEEDBACK THROUGH PAPER SURVEYS THAT WERE PROVIDED, AS WELL AS, UM, THROUGH AN A SPEAK UP AUSTIN PAGE THAT AUSTIN WATER LAUNCHED, UM, TO SUPPORT THE OPEN HOUSE.
AND AT THIS POINT I'LL HAND IT OVER TO EMILY CHANCELLOR, UH, TO SHARE MORE ABOUT THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED AND NEXT STEPS.
UM, EMILY, CHANCELLOR AUSTIN, WATER CHIEF OF STAFF, UM, WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, SO WE PUBLICIZED THE OPEN HOUSE MEETING.
WE WERE REALLY, UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU TO SEVERAL COMMISSIONERS WHO ATTENDED.
WE'RE SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU THERE.
WE PUBLICIZED THE OPEN HOUSE MEETING THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, UH, PRESS RELEASE.
UH, WE EMAILED OUT TO FOLKS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO GET UPDATES ABOUT OUR WATER FORWARD PLAN.
UH, WE PROVIDED THE NOTICE TO, UH, THIS COMMISSION, OUR WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONERS.
WE HAD, UM, ALMOST 30 PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED, INDIVIDUALS WHO ATTENDED.
WE HAD A LOT OF MEDIA ACTUALLY THERE.
WE HAD, UH, NINE DIFFERENT MEDIA OUTLETS WHO CAME.
THERE'VE BEEN A LOT OF NEWS STORIES ABOUT, ABOUT THIS EFFORT.
AND SO AS MARISA MENTIONED, WE HAD, UH, SURVEYS, PAPER SURVEYS THERE, UM, AND WE GOT 11 OF THOSE RETURNED THAT EVENING.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE ONLINE SURVEY OPEN UNTIL SUNDAY, THIS COMING SUNDAY.
AND SO, UM, WE WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING GOOD FEEDBACK AND WE'RE DEFINITELY, UM, GETTING FOLKS KNOW THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS WITH ALL THE MEDIA COVERAGE.
WE'VE ACTUALLY HEARD FROM ANOTHER CITY,
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UM, THAT THEY HAD SEEN IN THE NEWS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS.THEY WANNA MEET WITH OUR TEAM AND COMPARE NOTES.
SO THAT'S BEEN REALLY A BENEFIT.
UM, THE INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR PACKET, WE REALLY WORKED WITH OUR TEAMS TO TRY TO SUMMARIZE OUR CURRENT PROCESS IN A VERY HIGH LEVEL WAY, OF COURSE.
AND THEN TO HIGHLIGHT THE POLICY ISSUES THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT TO BRING RECOMMENDATIONS BACK TO COUNCIL.
AND SO THE RESOLUTION THAT PASSED, UM, GAVE US, UM, A DEADLINE TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL ON DECEMBER 9TH AND WILL BE MEETING WITH A COUNCIL COMMITTEE, THE CLIMATE, WATER ENVIRONMENT AND PARKS COMMITTEE ON DECEMBER 9TH TO SHARE OUR STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE ANTICIPATE PREPARING A MEMO IN ADVANCE OF THAT MEETING.
UM, AND SO THAT'S THE SCHEDULE WE'RE ON, MARISA AND OTHERS OF FORMED, UM, TEAMS WITHIN OUR STAFF TO BE LOOKING AT THESE THINGS AND PREPARING THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'LL BE WORKING THROUGH APPROVALS WITHIN THE CITY AND CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
UM, AND, UM, SO THAT, THAT'S OUR UPDATE.
WE WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON THERE AND WE'D LOVE TO HEAR ANY DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS.
IF THERE'S, UM, THINGS ON THE PUBLIC INFORMATION THERE FROM OUR MEETING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO DISCUSS, UM, THIS WOULD BE A GOOD TIME OR IF YOU HAVE INPUT YOU WANT US TO CONSIDER.
THANK Y'ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPEN HOUSE.
UM, YEAH, I ATTENDED AND, AND, UH, IT WAS REALLY A GREAT WAY TO LAY IT OUT IN TERMS OF THE STATIONS AND MOVING PEOPLE ALONG.
SO IT WAS, I THINK, I MEAN, OF COURSE I'M NOT A LAY PERSON FROM A WATER WORLD STANDPOINT, BUT IT WAS PRESENTED IN A WAY WHERE IT COULD REALLY BITE-SIZE KIND OF INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE COMING AND ATTENDING, UH, AN OPEN HOUSE LIKE THAT.
SO I DID APPRECIATE THE, THE FORMAT.
AND, UM, SO YEAH, SO, UM, UM, COMMISSIONER CRO, HE ATTENDED THE OPEN HOUSE, BUT OBVIOUSLY HE'S NOT HERE AT THE COMMISSION MEETING, AND HE HAD EMAILED, UH, A FEW QUESTIONS.
AND SO I WAS GONNA MAYBE, UH, UH, UH, ASK SOME OF THOSE JUST TO PUT 'EM INTO THE RECORD AND TO SPUR SOME OTHER DISCUSSION AS WELL.
UM, AND SO ONE OF HIS FIRST ONES WAS, UM, IN, IN TERMS OF THESE HIGH IMPACT CUSTOMERS AND MARISSA, YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CLASSES, BUT LIKE, ESSENTIALLY YEAH.
WHO ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE? IS THESE YEAH, JUST THE SEMICONDUCTORS, UH, CONCRETE PLANTS, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHAT'S THE, UH, GENERAL CONSENSUS OF, YOU KNOW, THE HIGH IMPACT USERS FROM AN INDUSTRY STANDPOINT, LOOKING AT IT, UM, VIA THE 85 MILLION GALLONS PER YEAR THRESHOLD, THAT WOULD BE INCLUSIVE OF THOSE LARGE VOLUME CUSTOMERS THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY IDENTIFIED.
SO IT'S LARGELY, UM, MANUFACTURING, UH, INCLUDING SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING.
AND, UM, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IS ALSO, UH, A LARGE VOLUME CUSTOMER AS WELL.
AND SO REALLY THIS WOULD NOT ENCOMPASS ANY SORT OF RESIDENTIAL, UM, CUSTOMER AS A HIGH IMPACT RIGHT AT THAT THRESHOLD.
NO, WE DON'T HAVE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS EXCEEDING THAT AMOUNT.
I GUESS IT WOULD BE MULTIFAMILY, WOULDN'T BE NECESSARILY RESIDENTIAL.
I'M JUST TRYING TO CONVEY THAT QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, YEAH, I WOULDN'T THINK, HOPEFULLY THE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE OVER THE 85.
UM, SO HE WAS ALSO ASKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF THAT THRESHOLD OF THE 85 MILLION GALLONS A YEAR, UM, ARE THERE OTHER CITIES THAT DEFINE THE HIGH IMPACT CUSTOMERS? AND IF SO, HOW DOES THAT 85 MILLION GALLONS A YEAR COMPARED TO OTHER LARGE, UM, CITIES OR WATER PROVIDERS? I'M SURE THAT MARISA WILL HAVE SOME INFORMATION TO SHARE.
I I THINK THAT WE ARE FINDING OURSELVES THAT WE'RE SORT OF ON THE CUTTING EDGE ON THIS TYPE OF WORK, SO THERE'S NOT A LOT OF SORT OF TEMPLATES TO FOLLOW.
UM, AND SO, UM, BUT MARISA MAY HAVE SOME, SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO SHARE, BUT THAT, THAT IS, UM, ONE OF THE BENEFITS AND, UH, CHALLENGES OF BEING, UM, SUCH A LEADING UTILITY IS THAT OFTEN THERE'S NOT, UM, COMPARABLES TO LOOK AT.
WE'RE, WE'RE SETTING, WE'RE SETTING IT, AND OTHER CITIES ARE ALREADY ASKING US, HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS? UM, WE HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH TO LOOK AT OTHER CITIES WHO ARE IMPLEMENTING SIMILAR TYPES OF POLICIES OR FRAMEWORKS.
AND AS EMILY MENTIONED, THERE AREN'T THAT MANY.
UM, WE ARE KIND OF ON THE LEADING EDGE.
UM, WE DID FIND THAT WITHIN, IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA, THEY HAVE VOLUMETRIC THRESHOLDS, UM, THAT TRIGGER REQUIREMENTS FOR, UM, UH, THIS CONSERVATION PLANS AND, UH, SUSTAINABLE WATER SERVICE APPLICATIONS, UH, AROUND THE 90, UM, MILLION GALLON PER YEAR
[01:10:01]
THRESHOLD.UM, AND THEN THERE'S A, A, A, A SUBSEQUENT THRESHOLD TO THAT, BUT THAT'S KIND OF IN LINE WITH THE, THE 85 MILLION GALLONS PER YEAR THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED.
TUCSON, ARIZONA HAS A VOLUMETRIC THRESHOLD OF 89, ABOUT 89, UM, OR 90 MILLION GALLONS PER YEAR, ALSO TRIGGERING THE, UH, SUSTAINABLE WATER SERVICE APPLICATION, I BELIEVE, OR, UM, CONSERVATION PLAN.
SO, UM, THOSE THRESHOLDS THAT WE HAD IDENTIFIED FROM JUST THOSE TWO CITIES SEEM TO BE IN ALIGNMENT, UM, AND A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN THE VOLUMETRIC THRESHOLD THAT WE, UM, HAVE INITIALLY PROPOSED.
UH, AND THEN I GUESS ONE MORE, ONE LAST ONE.
UM, SO IN TERMS OF THE, THE IDEA OF A WATER BUDGET AND WHEN YOU THINK OF A NEW DEVELOPMENT COMING IN, AND SO A WATER BUDGET, MARISSA, YOU SAID MAYBE LOOKING AT HISTORICAL WATER USE, WELL, IF IT'S A NEW DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, RIGHT.
HOW WOULD, UH, A WATER BUDGET POTENTIALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IF THEY HAVE ANOTHER, UH, DEVELOPMENT IN ANOTHER CITY OR ANOTHER STATE OR SOMETHING, YOU COULD LOOK AT WATER USE THERE, BUT I GUESS, UH, COMMISSIONER WAL CROFT HAD THAT QUESTION.
I THINK IT IS A GREAT QUESTION FOR SETTING A WATER BALANCE BUDGET.
THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, SO JUST TO CLARIFY, WE ARE THINKING ABOUT CLASSIFYING BOTH, UM, POTENTIALLY EXISTING CUSTOMERS AND NEW DEVELOPMENTS AS HIGH IMPACT WATER USERS DEPENDING ON THEIR, UM, CURRENT OR, OR ANTICIPATED USE.
SO IF THERE WAS AN EXISTING CUSTOMER THAT, UM, USED ABOVE THAT VOLUMETRIC THRESHOLD, THEN THEY COULD BE SUBJECT TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF SUBMITTING A WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, COMPLYING WITH THAT WATER CONSERVATION PLAN, AND THEN ALSO WATER BUDGETING REQUIREMENTS.
AND THAT COULD, UM, INCORPORATE THEIR, UM, HISTORIC USAGE IF FOR A NEW DEVELOPMENT, THE WAY WE WOULD IDENTIFY WHETHER THEY, THEY COULD, UH, EXCEED THAT 85 MILLION GALLON PER YEAR THRESHOLD WOULD BE THROUGH THE SUBMISSION OF THE WATER BENCHMARKING APPLICATION.
UM, AND THAT WOULD GIVE US KIND OF A DETAILED PICTURE OF THEIR POTENTIAL WATER USE ON THE SITE, UH, AND WOULD HELP US TO IDENTIFY WHAT WAYS THAT THEY COULD REDUCE WATER USE TO BE MORE EFFICIENT.
AND THAT WOULD ALSO TRIGGER FOR THOSE NEW DEVELOPMENTS THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY ALSO TRIGGER THE WATER BUDGETING, UH, REQUIREMENTS.
AND, UM, WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH THE DETAILS ON HOW WATER BUDGETS WOULD BE SET, BUT THE MARKETING APPLICATION WOULD BE, UM, USED FOR THOSE NEW DEVELOPMENTS.
TECH AT LEAST GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT THE BUDGET WOULD BE SET.
THANK YOU FOR THE ANSWER, COMMISSIONERS.
I HAVE A QUICK ONE, WHICH IS I FIRST THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR ALL THIS INFORMATION THERE.
THERE WAS AN ARTICLE THIS MORNING IN THE TEXAS TRIBUNE, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE SAW IT, ABOUT DATA CENTERS AND THEIR WATER USAGE AND HOW ONLY 30% OF SURVEYED DATA CENTERS IN, IN THE STATE RESPONDED TO THE WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD IN THE STATE WATER PLANNING PROCESS.
AND SO I'M LIKE ASTOUNDED AT THE AMOUNT OF DATA THAT AUSTIN WATER COLLECTS REGARDING WATER USAGE AND, AND THAT IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE MORE BASED ON WHAT I, IS THAT ACCURATE, LIKE IN, ARE WE SEEING THAT BECAUSE THERE WILL BE SORT OF THIS EXPANSION OF ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS, WE WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO COLLECT MORE DATA ABOUT ALL OF THESE HIGH IMPACT WATER USERS? MARISSA, DO YOU WANNA, YOU WANNA TAKE THAT? I THINK IN GENERAL THAT IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS ESTABLISHING REQUIREMENTS FOR MORE INFORMATION.
AND, AND SO I GUESS LIKE ANOTHER TANGENTIAL QUESTION THAT WOULD BE LIKE, HOW, IN TERMS OF OUR REGIONAL WATER PLANNING PROCESS, AND I KNOW I ALWAYS SEEM TO COME BACK TO THIS IN THESE MEETINGS, BUT IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WILL THEN SORT OF TAKE INTO THAT PROCESS SEEING WHAT, WHAT WE ARE SEEING ON THE PUBLIC SIDE OF THINGS AND HOW IT ACTUALLY IS LINING UP WITH, WITH WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING IN THAT PROCESS WHEN THE STATE GOES THROUGH ITS PLANNING PROCESS? YES.
SO ANY, ANY, UM,
[01:15:01]
BEING A TEXT WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD IS ALSO WORKING TO, UH, USE THE DATA THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COLLECT TO INCORPORATE, UM, POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL INDUSTRIAL DEMANDS INTO THE REGIONAL WATER PLANNING PROJECTIONS.UM, BUT WE FEEL THAT THE DATA THAT WE'RE WE'LL BE COLLECTING AS WELL AS THE POLICY FRAMEWORKS THAT WE'LL BE PUTTING IN PLACE, UM, WILL HELP TO INFORM AND PROVIDE, UM, BETTER PROJECTIONS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS ALWAYS READY TO, UM, PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO OUR PARTNERS IN THE REGIONAL WATER PLANNING PROCESS, UM, IN REGION K AND OTHER, UH, REGIONS BASED ON OUR EXPERIENCE, UM, OF, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TYPES OF, UH, USERS THAT WE ARE ENCOUNTERING.
WELL, AND, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WHAT I WAS GETTING AT IS IT SEEMS LIKE, LIKE YOU WERE BOTH SAYING, PEOPLE ARE NOW SEEKING OUT THE CITY'S EXPERTISE ON THIS TOPIC.
AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING TO JUST KEEP IN MIND, LIKE IF WE'RE ABLE TO COLLECT ALL OF THIS DATA IN A NEW WAY, IT COULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR THE WHOLE STATE IF EVERYONE IS LEARNING FROM US.
SO I KNOW THAT A THRESHOLD HAS TO BE SET SOMEHOW, SO I'M JUST SPIT BALLING HERE.
A DEVELOPMENT SAYS, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA USE A LOT OF WATER, BUT YOU KNOW, WE CAN FIGURE OUT WAYS TO ONLY ON AVERAGE, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR USE 80 MILLION GALLONS JUST SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THESE EXTRA HOOPS.
I, I MEAN, OF COURSE THEY'RE FIGURING OUT WAYS TO CONSERVE WATER AND REUSE WATER IN ON SITE OR WHATEVER, RIGHT? I DON'T KNOW.
I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE WHAT'S THE NEXT CLASS DOWN IN THE, THERE'S, I MEAN, WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE NEXT? IT IS NOT HIGH IMPACT, IT'S KIND OF LARGE.
WHAT'S THAT? KIND OF LARGE, KIND OF LARGE? YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS, IT REALLY MEANS ANYTHING, BUT IT'S, IT'S JUST LIKE THE IDEA THAT A, A COMPANY COULD SAY LIKE, YOU KNOW, OH MAN, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO A LOT OF WORK FOR MM-HMM
IF WE'RE OVER THE 85, AND SO LET'S FIGURE OUT WAYS.
AND SO THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU GET A BUNCH OF DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE IN THAT 70 TO 80 MILLION GALLONS A YEAR.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE THIS IS JUST, THEN IT, THE PROGRAM GETS REFINED LATER ON.
I MEAN, OF COURSE WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE, SO MAYBE THIS IS NOT A QUESTION, THIS IS JUST ME TALKING, BUT, UM, YEAH.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? NOT A QUESTION, BUT I GUESS A COMMENT ON THAT IS, I HAD FORGOTTEN MY QUESTION NOW I REMEMBERED, BUT IT'S KIND OF LIKE, IF IT'S ONE USER, BUT THEY HAVE LIKE A CAMPUS AND THERE'S MULTIPLE BUILDINGS OR DIFFERENT FACILITIES AND ONE FACILITY IS HIGH, BUT THE OTHER ONE ISN'T, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THAT, IS IT, DO YOU LOOK AT THAT USER AS A WHOLE OR IS IT PER LIKE METER, OR HOW DO YOU DO THAT? AND I, I THINK I HAVE A FOLLOW UP TO THAT FOLLOW UP, RIGHT? I MEAN TO, I THINK TO, TO CHAIR'S POINT, I MEAN, CAN THEY ACTUALLY NOW SCHEME THE SYSTEM BY NOW SHOWING 80 80, 80 80? DO YOU COUNT THEM ALL OR DO YOU GIVE THEM A BREAK? LIKE HAS THAT THOUGHT PROCESS BEEN, I GUESS, DEVELOPED AND EXPLORED? MARISA, I KNOW THIS HAS COME UP.
DO YOU HAVE SOME INFO? YEAH, THIS IS A CONCERN.
THESE ARE REALLY GREAT QUESTIONS WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT EXACTLY THIS.
UM, AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE MULTIPLE BUILDINGS THAT ARE IN FAIRLY CLOSE PROXIMITY THAT MAKE UP A CAMPUS, AND WE WOULD WANT TO INCLUDE THE WATER USE ACROSS, UM, ALL OF THOSE BUILDINGS THAT WOULD MAKE UP A SINGULAR CAMPUS TO, UM, SEE WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE EXCEEDING THAT THRESHOLD.
WE'VE INCLUDED IN OUR DRAFT DEFINITION FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS, IT COULD BE ONE OR MORE BUILDINGS, UM, EITHER AS AN INDIVIDUAL SITE PLAN OR INCLUDED AS A OVER A PHASED SITE PLAN.
AND WE WOULD WANT TO BE, UM, LOOKING AT THE WATER USAGE ACROSS, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL PHASES OF THE, OF THE SITE PLAN OF ACROSS ALL OF THE BUILDINGS ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, AN INDIVIDUAL CAMPUS.
BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TALKING THROUGH, LIKE HOW DO WE, UH, MAKE SURE TO CAPTURE WATER USAGE IN A HOLISTIC WAY AND NOT ALLOW THOSE KINDS OF LOOPHOLES, IF YOU WILL, FOR, UM, FOLKS WHO WANTING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD DISCUSSION.
AND IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TUNING IN, IT'S DECEMBER 9TH.
OH, AND IS THERE A WAY, BECAUSE I STILL NEED TO FILL OUT MY SURVEY BEFORE THE DEADLINE.
[01:20:01]
YOUR PACKET, MAKE SURE TO YES.AND SO GET YOUR SURVEY IN BEFORE MIDNIGHT ON SUNDAY.
AND, AND IF YOU WANNA FOLLOW THIS DISCUSSION AS WE REPORT TO THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE, THAT'LL BE ON DECEMBER 9TH.
UM, AND, AND WE'LL BE, UM, COMING.
BE GLAD TO COME BACK AND GIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
MAYBE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN, BUT, SO WE HAVE THESE THRESHOLDS, AND I'M SURE YOU KNOW, THESE COMPANIES, THESE LARGE, YOU KNOW, WATER USERS ARE GONNA EVOLVE AND THEY'RE GONNA GET MORE EFFICIENT AND MAYBE IT'S GONNA IMPROVE.
UH, WHAT TYPE OF COMMUNICATION IS THERE TO SAY, HEY, IS THIS, IS THIS THRESHOLD MAYBE TOO HIGH? DO YOU KNOW, THINGS HAVE EVOLVED? YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M ASSUMING THAT YOU GUYS ARE BEING PROACTIVE ON THAT.
UM, I, I DON'T NECESSARILY, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE PROACTIVELY LOOKING AT WATER USES, BUT MOST OF THESE COMPANIES ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE PRETTY SMART AND THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA START IMPLEMENTING TECHNOLOGY TO BE A LITTLE MORE EFFICIENT.
WHAT, WHAT KIND OF DIALOGUE DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT POINT.
TECHNOLOGY IS EVOLVING REALLY QUICKLY, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO COOLING.
PEOPLE ARE MOVING TO DIFFERENT COOLING TECHNOLOGIES THAT MAKE THE, MAKE FACILITIES MUCH MORE EFFICIENT, WHICH IS GREAT, AND WE LOVE TO SEE THAT.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE INCORPORATED INTO OUR THINKING, AND WE WILL LIKELY BE INCORPORATING INTO KIND OF WHAT WE PROPOSE IS THAT WE WANT TO BE REVISITING THESE, UM, REQUIREMENTS AND THESE REGULATIONS SO THAT WE CAN ALSO KEEP UP WITH HOW, UM, TECHNOLOGIES ARE EVOLVING IN A WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE COULD INCLUDE A LIST OF, UM, UH, BEST, UH, UH, UM, BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OR, YOU KNOW, LIST OF LIKE THE DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES OR MEASURES THAT AN A DEVELOPMENT COULD IMPLEMENT IN ORDER TO REDUCE THEIR WATER USE.
AND IT'S LIKELY THAT THAT LIST WOULD HAVE TO BE UPDATED OVER TIME TO REFLECT KIND OF THE BEST AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGIES, UM, THAT, UM, THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLE TO IMPLEMENT.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL NEED TO BE TRACKING WITH OVER TIME.
UH, WE'LL ALSO NEED TO BE TRACKING WITH THE DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES OR TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT THAT MAY, UM, BE MEETING THESE THRESHOLDS.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, TODAY THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF INDUSTRY, AND THERE MAY BE IN THE FUTURE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, UM, OTHER INDUSTRIES THAT COULD HAVE DIFFERENT CONSIDERATION, RAISE DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS OR CONCERNS OR BE MAYBE NEEDING TO BE ADDRESSED THROUGH THESE REQUIREMENTS.
SO I THINK IT'S A GREAT POINT THAT WE'LL HAVE TO CONTINUALLY REVISIT THESE REQUIREMENTS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE MEETING THE NEEDS OF TODAY AS WELL AS TOMORROW.
UM, SO, UM, I THINK EMILY, MORE TO YOU, UM, WHAT WAS THE, WHAT WAS THE KIND OF PEOPLE WHO, LIKE WHAT WAS THE, THE BREAKUP OF THE PEOPLE WHO SHOWED UP TO THIS, UM, TO THE OPENNESS? YEAH, SURE, SURE.
UM, WE REALLY HAD A VERY GOOD MIX.
WE HAD, UM, A NUMBER OF COMMISSIONERS AND TASK FORCE MEMBERS, SO, YOU KNOW, VERY INFORMED STAKEHOLDERS.
WE HAD SOME RESIDENTS, UM, SOME WHO HAVE A DEVELOPMENT IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT.
UM, AND, AND THEN WE DID HAVE SOME BUSINESS, UM, REPRESENTATIVES THERE.
SO I FEEL LIKE AS FAR AS THE MAJOR STAKEHOLDER GROUPS THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH WE HAD A SMALLISH, UM, GROUP THERE THAT WE REALLY, UM, HAD MOST OF THE MAJOR STAKEHOLDER GROUPS REPRESENTED, WE WERE REALLY PLEASED WITH THAT.
I, I, THAT ANSWER DEFINITELY MAKES ME FEEL BETTER.
WE WERE, YEAH, I WAS TRYING TO DO THE SURVEY, I WAS TRYING TO READ THE SURVEY QUESTIONS, NOT REALLY FILL OUT THE SURVEY DURING, UM, SURE.
BUT, UM, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS ARE HARD FOR A REGULAR RESIDENT, RIGHT? SURE.
LIKE, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I WAS GOING WITH THAT QUESTION IS, UH, IF I DID NOT, IF I DID NOT DO WHAT I'M DOING, I DON'T, 85 MILLION GALLONS A DAY DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING TO ME.
IS THAT TWO FOOTBALL FIELDS? IS THAT ONE FOOTBALL FIELD? WHAT, WHAT IS THAT REALLY? RIGHT? SO SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS ACTUALLY TRACK THAT.
SO I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAD THOUGHT ABOUT SIMPLIFYING THIS TO THE AVERAGE USER.
UM, LIKE I SAID, RIGHT, 85 MILLION GALLONS A DAY DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING TO ANYBODY WHO DOES NOT IN THAT PROFESSION.
SO THE SURVEY REALLY WAS TO ACCOMPANY THE OPEN HOUSE EXPERIENCE, BUT WE WANTED TO HAVE AN ONLINE OPTION FOR FOLKS WHO DIDN'T WANNA DO THE PAPER SURVEY IN THE MOMENT, OR, YOU KNOW, ANYONE WHO IS INTERESTED.
BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF CONTEXT NEEDED, UM, FOR THIS ISSUE AND THAT IT REALLY IS MULTIFACETED.
AND SO THE QUESTIONS REALLY WERE TO, UH, FOLLOW THE DISCUSSION THEY HAD DURING THE OPEN HOUSE EXPERIENCE.
AND THIS WILL NOT BE THE END OF
[01:25:01]
OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.SO IN DECEMBER, UM, WE WILL BE PROPOSING A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN FOR OUR FURTHER WORK, BECAUSE IN DECEMBER WE WILL COME WITH, UM, SOME POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT WE WILL NOT BE PREPARED FOR COUNCIL TO VOTE ON ACTUAL CODE CHANGES AT THAT MEETING IN DECEMBER, WE'LL BE GIVING OUR POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS, GETTING FEEDBACK, AND THEN COMING BACK WITH SPECIFIC ACTIONS FOR COUNCIL TO VOTE ON.
SO WE'LL HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DURING THAT PROCESS.
AND IT'S DEFINITELY, THIS WAS SORT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ON A FAIRLY SHORT TIMEFRAME, UH, TO GET THIS, THIS, UH, FROM COUNCIL AND WE WANTED TO FIT IN AT LEAST ONE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY.
UH, AND SO WE WILL ITERATE ON THAT AND HAVE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AS, AS WE CONTINUE THIS WORK.
AND MAYBE JUST A COMMENT, UM, SURE.
IT MIGHT, THIS IS EVOLVING REALLY FAST AND, AND IT'S, IT IS GOING TO EVOLVE EVEN FASTER.
SO IT MIGHT BE, UM, UH, IMPORTANT TO JUST CONTINUE HAVING THESE OPEN HOUSES.
MAYBE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF EVERY QUARTER THAT MIGHT BE TOO MUCH, BUT MM-HMM
WHAT IS TOO MUCH ON, YOU KNOW, I GUESS SOMETHING WE'RE EMBARKING THAT IS REALLY UNKNOWN, RIGHT? SO, UM, I THINK OVER COMMUNICATION, IT, IT MAY BE, IT MAY BORE, BUT YOU KNOW, UNDER COMMUNICATION CAN TAKE THINGS OUT OF CONTEXT AND MM-HMM
IT COULD CRIPPLE REALLY A LOT OF THINGS, SO MM-HMM
UM, I THINK THAT'D BE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK MARISA WANTED TO JUMP IN HERE TOO.
OH NO, I JUST HAVE, UM, 85 MILLION GALLONS IS ABOUT 261 FOOTBALL FIELDS FILLED TO A DEPTH OF ONE WATER.
I THINK THAT CONTEXT WAS EXACTLY WHERE I WAS GOING WITH THAT.
AND I THINK I HAD A COMMENT TOO, UM, THE COMMENT FROM COMMISSIONER NAVARRO, RIGHT? I THINK IT, UH, IT'S A COMMENT, IT'S NOT A QUESTION SPECIFICALLY.
I THINK IT'S, AND YOU HIT THAT REALLY WELL, EMILY, EARLY ON, EARLY ON WHEN YOU SAID YOU ARE SORT OF IN THE LEADING PHASE AT THIS POINT.
'CAUSE THERE'S NOT MANY OTHER UTILITIES WHO ARE EVEN THINKING ABOUT THIS.
SO IT IS PROGRESSIVE AND THAT'S REALLY GREAT TO SEE, BUT YOU ALSO DON'T WANNA CREATE CHALLENGES OR YOU DON'T WANNA CREATE ISSUES THAT DON'T EXIST, OR YOU'RE TRYING TO SOLVE A PROBLEM THAT DOESN'T FULLY FIT IN THE FRAME.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE JUST, I MEAN, I KNOW YOU'RE TRYING TO EXPEDITE THIS FOR A CERTAIN TIMEFRAME BECAUSE OF CERTAIN COUNCIL DIRECTION, BUT I JUST WAS HOPING THAT THE COMMENT REALLY IS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS WELL-ROUNDED AND THOUGHT OUT AS THIS IS, THE IMPLICATIONS ARE STILL GOING TO BE, UH, RESONATING WITH THE, UH, SURE, SURE.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S ROOM TO BE FLEXIBLE KIND OF BAKED INTO IT.
LIKE I, I HOPE THAT IN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LIKE WATER BUDGETING, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? I HOPE THAT THAT MEANS IT'S A FLEXIBLE THING BECAUSE TO COMMISSIONER NAVARRO'S POINT, YEAH.
THERE, THERE WILL BE EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS.
THERE ALSO MAY NOT BE ALL OVER THE PLACE.
THAT MAY BE SPLIT BETWEEN DIFFERENT USERS.
JUST CLARIFICATION, WERE THESE ALL THE MATERIALS THAT WERE AT THE OPEN HOUSE? YES.
AND THEY WERE LIKE POSTER BOARDS, DIFFERENT STATIONS? THEY WERE POSTER BOARDS, YES.
AND ALSO WE GAVE THAT HANDOUT AT THE MEETING YEAH.
TO FOLKS WHO ATTENDED SO THEY COULD HAVE THE MINI VERSION AND THEN WE HAD THEM ON THE BOARDS.
SO I HAD MENTIONED MYSELF AND COMMISSIONER WOLFEN CRT ATTENDED.
I DON'T WANNA LEAVE COMMISSIONER MOOZ OUT BECAUSE THAT'S RIGHT.
SO YEAH, I WANNA MAKE SURE TO GET A SHOUT OUT TO ANDY FOR ATTENDING AS WELL, SO, ALRIGHT.
YES, IT WAS, IT WAS A GREAT EVENT.
THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR, UH, HOSTING IT AND, UM, YEAH, LOOKING FORWARD TO REVIEWING THE DOCUMENTS, SO THANK YOU.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ITEMS, IDEAS? I, I, I JUST WANT, BASED OFF OF OUR, UH, PUBLIC SPEAKER FROM TODAY, I JUST WANTED TO GET AN UPDATE ON THE IH 35 PROGRAM.NOT ANYTHING LIKE JUST, I, I THINK, UM, THE GENTLEMAN HAS BEEN HERE MULTIPLE TIMES, SO I JUST WANTED TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE PROJECT IS, WHO'S LEADING, WHAT ASPECTS.
SO JUST AN UPDATE ON THE IH 35 PROGRAM.
AND THEN THINKING ABOUT THE OPEN HOUSE, UM, AND IN, IN THE MATERIALS THAT COMMISSIONER WILSON GRA HAD PROVIDED OR QUESTIONS, HE RAISED THIS AND, AND I THOUGHT THIS ONE MIGHT BE A GOOD FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, HOW DO, HOW DOES AUSTIN WATER STRUCTURE THESE OPEN HOUSES? HOW DO THEY DO THE OUTREACH? YOU KNOW, HOW IS LIKE THE LOCATIONS FOR THE OPEN HOUSES CHOSE, YOU KNOW, JUST SO WE CAN GET A UNDERSTANDING
[01:30:01]
OF THE PLANNING THAT GOES INTO THAT SO THAT IF WE HAVE ANY INSIGHTS THAT WE CAN PROVIDE, UM, FOR PLANNING FUTURE OPEN HOUSES FOR THE PUBLIC.SO ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. OKAY.
WELL THEN I WILL ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 7 0 5.