[CALL TO ORDER ]
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[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL ]
HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP? SPEAK.TELL US WHAT YOU NEED TO TELL US.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE WORKING GROUP ON CONSUMPTION, ALONG WITH, UH, KABA AND ANNA AND MELISSA, IF SHE'S ON THE CALL TODAY FROM Z WAC.
I'VE LOOKED AT THE LAST FEW AGENDAS OR SAY THREE OF THE LAST FOUR OR SO, AND I HAVEN'T SEEN A AGENDA SLOT FOR WORKING GROUP UPDATES.
ARE THOSE SUPPOSED TO BE GIVEN HERE AND IF SO, ARE THEY SOMETIMES SLOTTED? SO YOU CAN GET AN UPDATE ON THE TRANSPORTATION WORKING GROUP, ON THE NATURAL SYSTEMS WORKING GROUP, ON THE CONSUMPTION WORKING GROUP.
WE DON'T HAVE A STANDING AGENDA ITEM FOR THAT.
UM, SO IT'S PRETTY MUCH AS THERE'S AN AGENDA RE LIKE ITEM REQUESTED FROM ANY GROUP OR MEMBERS.
YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S NO LIMITATION.
I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER TURNED ANYBODY DOWN ON AN AGENDA REQUEST.
UM, BUT WE DON'T JUST LEAVE THOSE SITTING.
AS AN INTERESTED CITIZEN, I, I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED TO KNOW IF ALL THOSE GROUPS ARE STILL MEETING AND WHAT THEY'RE DISCUSSING, WHAT SORT OF GOALS THAT THEY HAVE AND WHAT SORT OF ITEMS THAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO MOVE ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
I'LL SAY THIS BRAGGING ON OUR WORKING GROUP, WE WORKED TOGETHER AND HAD AN AGENDA AN AN ITEM THAT WAS PASSED BY THE WORKING GROUP AND THEN BY THIS GROUP THAT FUNDED BATTERY ELECTRIC RIDING LAWNMOWERS.
AND THAT DID MAKE ITS WAY, AND RICK HARLAN FROM THE FLEET MOBILITY SERVICES WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THAT SOON.
SO I WON'T STEAL ALL OF HIS THUNDER, BUT LEARNING ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENED THAT'S POSITIVE OR MOVING THE NEEDLE FORWARD ON SUSTAINABILITY WOULD BE VERY GOOD NEWS INDEED.
OKAY, SO WE DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE MINUTES TO APPROVE THIS MONTH, SO WE'LL BE SKIPPING ITEM ONE.
[2. Staff briefing on Austin Fleet Electrification Process. Presentation by Rick Harland, Deputy Director, Austin Fleet Mobility Services ]
FIRST UP IS GONNA BE, UH, RICK HARLAN, THANKS FOR COMING.UH, HE'S GONNA BE PRESENTING ON THE AUSTIN FLEET ELECTRIFICATION, UH, PROCESS.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE YOU BROUGHT SOME COMPANY, SO PLEASE DO INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
I DID, I BROUGHT, UH, I, I BROUGHT, UH, MATT SAGER AND, UH, MATT IS, UH, UH, WORKS WITH FLEET MOBILITY SERVICES.
HE'S THE MANAGER OVER OUR CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND FUEL SYSTEMS. SO I THOUGHT IT'D BE A GOOD, UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU ALL TO MEET HIM AND, UH, AND GET A SENSE OF, UH, JUST WHAT, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
HE IS NEW TO THE POSITION AND WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE HIM.
AND I JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE HIM, SO THANK YOU FOR ASKING.
OKAY, SO GOOD EVENING, CHAIR WHITE, UM, AND MEMBERS OF THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY AND TO SHARE WITH YOU, UM, UH, WHAT, WHERE WE'RE AT WITH ELECTRIFICATION OF THE CITY FLEET.
UH, MY NAME IS RICK HARLAND, AGAIN, I'M THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR FLEET MOBILITY SERVICES.
UM, WE APPRECIATE THE INVITATION AND TO SHARE OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THIS ELECTRIFICATION INITIATIVE, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE THE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN THE BROADER CITY SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS AND UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF TRANSLATING ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES INTO REAL TANGIBLE INITIATIVES.
SO TODAY I'D LIKE TO WALK YOU THROUGH, UH, WHERE WE STAND WITH FLEET ELECTRIFICATION AND WHAT WE'VE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY AND, UM, AND HOW WE'RE APPROACHING THE NEXT PHASE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF ELECTRIFICATION.
WE'VE BEEN AT THIS SINCE 2017, AND OUR PROGRAM HAS EVOLVED CONSIDERABLY.
IN THE BEGINNING, WE WERE JUST FOCUSED ON INTRODUCING ELECTRIC VEHICLES TO THE CITY FLEET.
TODAY WE'RE MANAGING MUCH MORE COMPLEX OPERATING ENVIRONMENT INVOLVING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY, CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE, ENERGY REQUIREMENTS, FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE, AND THE NEED OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE SUPPORT.
AND THAT'S REALLY THE THEME OF TODAY'S PRESENTATION.
ELECTRIFICATION IS NO LONGER SIMPLY ABOUT PURCHASING ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
IT'S ABOUT DEVELOPING THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND OPERATING SYSTEMS NECESSARY TO SUPPORT THEM RELIABLY AND AT ECONOMICALLY AT SCALE.
SO I'LL SHARE SOME OF OUR SUCCESS WITH YOU IN THE COMING SLIDES.
AND THE FIRST THING I'D LIKE TO DO IS JUST BEFORE WE GET STARTED, IS JUST KIND OF SHOW YOU WHERE WE ARE, UH, WITH, UH,
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WITH OUR FLEET PROGRAM HERE.IF YOU LOOK ACROSS THE, UH, DASHBOARD, THERE ARE REALLY THREE THINGS THAT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT.
ONE IS OUR OPERATIONAL GROWTH.
SECOND WOULD BE OUR FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE AND THEN OUR ENVIRONMENTAL RESULTS.
SO AGAIN, IN 2017, WE ONLY HAD 39 BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN THE FLEET.
UM, BY THE END OF 2026, WE'LL HAVE APPROXIMATELY 430 BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES ACROSS ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON.
OUR ELECTRIC FLEET IS NOW TRAVELING ROUGHLY 2 MILLION MILES ANNUALLY.
AND THAT'S IMPORTANT 'CAUSE WE'RE NO LONGER EVALUATING ELECTRIFICATION SIMPLY AS A COMMON, UH, AS A CONCEPT OR SOME KIND OF PROJECT.
UM, WE'RE NOW, WE NOW HAVE YEARS OF OPERATING EXPERIENCE UNDERNEATH THIS, INCLUDING VEHICLE UTILIZATION, MAINTENANCE, CHARGING PERFORMANCE, AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION.
AND THE SECOND PART IS OUR FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE.
AS OUR ELECTRIC FLEET HAS GROWN, WE'VE CALCULATED APPROXIMATELY 3.1 MILLION IN LIFE TO DATE MODELED SAVINGS COMPARED TO THE EQUIVALENT INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE VEHICLES.
THOSE SAVINGS REFLECT OUR COST COMPARISON ASSUMPTIONS AND OPERATING EXPERIENCE, AND THEY PROVIDE AN IMPORTANT BASIS FOR EVALUATING FUTURE INVESTMENTS IN BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE FLEET.
UH, WE'RE ALSO LEARNING THAT THE FINANCIAL CASE ISN'T, UM, IDENTICAL FOR EVERY VEHICLE CLASS.
CERTAIN VEHICLES THAT ARE HIGHER USE AND HIGHER CONSUMPTION OF PETROLEUM FUELS HAVE A GREATER OPPORTUNITY FOR SAVINGS AND A GREATER OPPORTUNITY TO REDUCE OUR CARBON OUTPUT AS WELL.
SO ACQUISITION COST UTILIZATION, ENERGY CONSUMPTION, MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS, AND CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE ALL INFLUENCE THE ECONOMICS OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE.
AND THE LAST THING I WOULD LIKE TO TRY TO POINT OUT ON THIS SLIDE, OR NOT THE LAST THING, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING OF THE THREE THINGS ACROSS THE TOP OF THE SLIDE IS THE CALCULATED, UH, REDUCTION IN GREENHOUSE GAS.
WE'VE REDUCED OUR TOTAL CARBON OUTPUT BY 46,500 METRIC TONS OF CUMULATIVE CARBON DIOXIDE REDUCTION OVER THE LIFE OF THIS PROGRAM, ALONG WITH A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PETROLEUM FUEL.
AND THAT'S ABOUT 5.2 MILLION GALLONS OF FUEL SAVED FROM PUTTING INTO PETRO INTO OUR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE VEHICLES.
SO THOSE ARE MEANINGFUL RESULTS, AND THEY DEMONSTRATE THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH ON WHAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH AS ELECTRIFICATION MOVES BEYOND SMALL PILOT PROGRAM INTO REGULAR MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS.
SO AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SLIDE, I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT AS WELL, IS, UH, SOME OF OUR, UH, PILOT PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE BEEN ENGAGED IN, THESE INCLUDE THE CHEVY BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE, THE POLICE PURSUIT BLAZER THAT WE'VE GOT IN OPERATION.
WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF THOSE OUT WITH A PD AND THEY'VE BEEN OUT THERE FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF NOW.
UM, THEY'VE ALREADY SET THE TRACK RECORD OUT AT, UH, SHAW LANE AND, UH, ARE FASTER THAN ANYTHING WE'VE GOT ON THE STREET AS FAR AS, UH, SPEED GOES.
AND SO SOME PEOPLE AT A PD REALLY LIKE THAT.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE A BATTERY ELECTRIC REFUSE TRUCK.
THIS IS THE, UH, CRANE CARRIER, OR NOT CRANE CARRIER, THE BATTLE GROUP, UH, CURB TENDER.
IT'S AN 11 YARD CURB TENDER THAT WE'VE HAD OUT THERE.
IT'S, UH, FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS NOW, A LITTLE OVER TWO YEARS.
AND, UH, IT'S, UH, BEEN MOVING THROUGH REGULAR DUTY CYCLE KIND OF MORE CONSISTENTLY OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO.
FIRST YEAR WAS KIND OF, UH, WORKING THROUGH SOME OF THE GLITCHES THAT COME WITH PUTTING SOMETHING LIKE THIS INTO OPERATION.
AND THEN LASTLY IS THE, UH, FRONT LOADER THAT WE'VE GOT.
IT'S A VOLVO FRONT LOADER THAT, UH, THAT WE'RE USING IN OUR MATERIAL, OUR ORGANIC MATERIAL OPERATIONS OUT AT HORNSBY BEND.
AND SO THESE, UM, THESE PARTICULAR PILOTS ARE, ARE, ARE OUR WAY OF EVALUATING, UM, WHAT CAN WE ADOPT INTO CITY OPERATIONS.
AND, UH, AND WE'VE OBVIOUSLY GOTTA BUILD OUT THE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THEM.
BUT, UM, AND SPEAKING OF CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE, I THINK THAT THAT'S WHERE I'D LIKE TO GO NEXT WITH YOU ALL.
UM, SO AS THE ELECTRIC FLEET HAS GROWN, ONE OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT CHALLENGES HAS BEEN MAKING SURE THAT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE GROWS ALONG WITH IT.
THIS IS THE LONG POLE IN THE TENT.
UM, BY THE END OF CALENDAR YEAR 2026, WE'RE FORECASTING APPROXIMATELY 267 CHARGING PORTS ACROSS OUR FLEET NETWORK.
255 OF THOSE ARE LEVEL TWO PORTS, AND 12 OF 'EM ARE DC FAST CHARGING PORTS.
AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT OUR CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE HERE ON SOME SUBSEQUENT SLIDES AHEAD.
UH, THAT INFRASTRUCTURE WILL SUPPORT A FLEET OF APPROXIMATELY 430 BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES, OR ABOUT 1.6 BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES PER PORT.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE NEED A SINGLE PORT FOR EVERY BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE.
WHAT MATTERS IS UNDERSTANDING THOSE, UH, HOW THOSE VEHICLES OPERATE, WHERE THEY'RE PARKED, HOW MUCH ENERGY THEY CONSUME, HOW MUCH TIME THEY HAVE AVAILABLE TO RECHARGE.
FOR MOST OF OUR LIGHT DUTY FLEET, A LEVEL TWO CHARGING STATION IS A PRACTICAL SOLUTION.
UM, WE USE, UH, SOME HIGHER POWERED CHARGING STATIONS FOR OUR CITY FLEET THAN YOU WOULD SEE IN YOUR TYPICAL HEB OR BANK PARKING LOT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, AND THEN WITH WHERE ARE, THERE ARE OCCASIONS WHERE WE HAVE HIGHER ENERGY, UH, APPLICATIONS OR
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THE NEED TO, UM, RECHARGE VEHICLES AT A FASTER PACE BECAUSE OF THE SERVICE DUTY.WE HAVE A DC FAST CHARGE OVERLAY THAT WE'RE BUILDING, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT COMING UP.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO MAXIMIZE CHARGING POWER AT EVERY LOCATION.
WE'RE MATCHING THE POWER, CHARGING POWER TO THE VEHICLE'S OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS.
AND SO WE'RE OFFERING BOTH OF THOSE, AND THAT'S WHAT WE BUILD IN THE CITY TODAY.
SO OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS, OUR FLEET CHARGING NETWORK HAS, UM, DELIVERED APPROXIMATELY 480 MEGAWATT HOURS OF ELECTRICITY.
WE'RE FORTUNATE IN AUSTIN TO HAVE, UM, A CHARGING RATE THAT'S VERY FAVORABLE TO US THROUGH OUR AUSTIN ENERGY CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENTS OF ONLY 9 CENTS PER KILOWATT HOURS.
UM, THAT, UH, PROVIDES A VERY FAVORABLE ENERGY COST ENVIRONMENT, ALTHOUGH WE STILL HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR OUR CAPITAL COSTS, UH, THE CHARGING EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION AND ONGOING MAINTENANCE.
LOOKING AHEAD AT OUR NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER, WHICH REPRESENTS THE NEXT STEP FOR US, WE'RE PLANNING ON 74 LEVEL TWO CHARGING PORTS AND 12 DC FAST CHARGING PORTS.
THIS WILL BE OUR FIRST REAL TRUE CHARGING HUB FOR THE CITY FLEET.
UM, THIS FLEET WILL, THIS, THIS FACILITY WILL SUPPORT A BROADER RANGE OF MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS, INCLUDING AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERIES INITIAL, UM, ELECTRIC FLEET FOR SOLID WASTE PACKERS.
AND AS WE MOVE INTO THESE APPLICATIONS, ELECTRICITY CAPACITY AND CHARGING DEMAND AND INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING BECOME INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT.
THIS IS WHERE EARLY COORDINATION WITH OUR UTILITY PARTNERS BECOMES ESSENTIAL.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND SITE CAPACITY, POTENTIAL ELECTRICAL UPGRADES, CHARGING SCHEDULES, FUTURE DEMAND BEFORE THE VEHICLES ARRIVE AND NOT AFTER.
SO THE LESSON FOR US IS THAT CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE ISN'T SIMPLY SUPPORTING AN ASSET.
IT'S A, IT'S AN INTEGRAL PART OF FLEET OPERATIONS.
AND AS WE CONTINUE TO SCALE IN, UH, ELECTRIFICATION, UH, WE'RE BECOMING MUCH MORE DELIBERATE ABOUT HOW WE'RE MATCHING VEHICLES, THE MISSION, THE CHARGING EQUIPMENT, AND THE ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THAT'S THE EXPERIENCE THAT SHAPED SEVERAL OF OUR LESSONS THAT WE'VE LEARNED.
AND I'D LIKE TO SHARE THOSE WITH YOU NEXT.
SO IF I WAS TO LOOK OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS AND SEE WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM OUR EXPERIENCE IN OPERATING A BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE FLEET AND BEING AN EARLY ADOPTER, I WOULD SAY THAT THE FOUR THINGS WOULD BE FIRST, ELECTRIFY WHERE THE DUTY CYCLE FITS.
UM, SECOND WOULD BE, UH, ONE, TECHNOLOGY DOESN'T FIT EVERY MISSION.
WE OPERATE EVERYTHING FROM PASSENGER VEHICLES TO LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS, POLICE VEHICLES, AMBULANCES, FIRE APPARATUSES, AND YOU NAME IT, WE'VE GOT IT HERE AT THE CITY.
AND THIRD VEHICLES AND CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE HAVE TO BE PLANNED TOGETHER.
AND FOURTH, WE NEED TO VALIDATE BEFORE WE SCALE.
SO AS WE, UH, PUT THESE NEW PILOT APPLICATIONS OUT INTO THE FIELD, UM, WE NEED TO TEST THEM, EVALUATE THEM, AND DETERMINE IF THEY'RE, THEY CAN SUSTAIN THE CITY'S MISSION.
UH, SO THE LARGER LESSON IS THAT SUCCESSFUL FLEET ELECTRIFICATION HAS TO BE MISSION DRIVEN, INFRASTRUCTURE READY, AND VALIDATED BY ACTUAL OPERATING DATA.
WE'RE MOVING BEYOND SIMPLY ASKING HOW MANY VEHICLES CAN WE ELECTRIFY? WE'RE ASKING WHERE ELECTRIFICATION MAKES OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL SENSE, AND HOW CAN WE IMPLEMENT IT WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE SERVICES THAT OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS PROVIDE TO THE CITIZENS? AND THAT APPROACH BECOMES EVEN MORE IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY ITSELF IS CHANGING.
AND ON THIS SLIDE, I'D LIKE TO KINDA SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF HOW THE TECHNOLOGY LANDSCAPE IS CHANGING.
THIS IS ANOTHER LESSON FOR US, UM, THAT WE'VE LEARNED IS THAT AS MUCH AS WE'RE, UH, ADOPTING TO PUTTING BETTER ELECTRIC VEHICLES INTO OPERATION, THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY IS CHANGING AND, AND TRYING TO, AND GRAPPLING WITH HOW THEY CAN GO ABOUT DOING THIS THEMSELVES.
SO WE'RE SEEING MANUFACTURERS ADJUST THEIR PRODUCT STRATEGIES BASED ON RANGE AND TOWING CAPACITY, UH, COST OPERATING REQUIREMENTS, AND CUSTOMER DEMAND.
THE COMPANY ENDED ITS PRODUCTION OF THE CURRENT BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE FORD F-150 LIGHTNING, OF WHICH WE'VE GOT PROBABLY 65 OF THEM OUT IN THE FIELD TODAY OPERATING.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE NOT BEING SUPPORTED, IT JUST MEANS THAT THEY STOP PRODUCTION ON IT.
AND THEY'RE MOVING TOWARDS AN EXTENDED RANGE ELECTRIC ARCHITECTURE FOR ITS NEXT GENERATION.
AND THAT'S KIND OF BASED OFF OF CUSTOMER DEMAND.
AND FROM THESE, FROM THESE BATTERIES, THESE BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES, GENERAL MOTORS HAS DISCONTINUED PRODUCTION OF THE BRIGHT DROP ELECTRIC DELIVERY VAN.
WHILE STELLANTIS IS PURSUING A BROADER STRATEGY THAT INCLUDES BATTERY, ELECTRIC, HYBRID VEHICLES, AND THE WHOLE GAMUT.
UM, BUT THEY'RE JUST A LITTLE SLOWER TO BRING TO MARKET SOME OF THE MORE LEADING EDGE BATTERY ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY.
THESE DEVELOPMENTS TELL US THAT THE MARKET ISN'T MOVING TOWARDS A SINGLE PROPULSION, UH, TECHNOLOGY.
AND THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR MUNICIPAL FLEETS BECAUSE OUR OPERATING MISSIONS ARE VERY DIVERSE AS WELL.
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FROM PASSENGER VEHICLES TO LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS, TO POLICE VEHICLES, REFUSE TRUCKS, YOU NAME IT LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, THOSE APPLICATIONS HAVE VERY DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS FOR RANGE PAYLOAD, TOWING, UTILIZATION, AND CHARGING.AND IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, THE CHART ON THE RIGHT, IT ILLUSTRATES SOME OF THE FOUR DIFFERENT TYPES OF BATTERY, UH, PROPULSION SYSTEMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
YOU HAVE THE BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE, THE BEV, THIS IS OUR GOLD STANDARD, RIGHT? THIS IS NO TAILPIPE EMISSIONS AT ALL.
THIS IS WHAT WE WANNA FOCUS ON.
AND THEN YOU'VE GOT YOUR CONVENTIONAL HYBRID, WHICH IS AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE WITHIN A SUPPLEMENTAL BATTERY, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN BUYING FOR A PD FOR SEVERAL YEARS AT THIS POINT, UM, AS WELL AS TRYING TO PUT THEM INTO A PURE BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE.
AND THEN YOU'VE GOT YOUR PS AND THEN WHAT, THEN YOU HAVE YOUR EXTENDED RANGE ELECTRIC VEHICLE.
AND THOSE CAN GET UP TO 700 MILES OF RANGE.
THEY'RE NOT ON THE MARKET YET.
THIS IS ALL FORECASTING THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY.
GENERAL MOTORS AND FORD ARE BOTH, YOU KNOW, TELEGRAPHING THAT KIND OF A, A MESSAGE.
AND, UM, AND SO THAT ESSENTIALLY IS A, STILL A BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE THAT'S PLUGGED IN, BUT IT HAS AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE VEHICLE ON BOARD THAT ACTUALLY RECHARGES THE BATTERY, UH, HELPS RECHARGE THE BATTERY, WHICH JUST EXTENDS THE RANGE ON THOSE.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT THAT MIGHT BE VERY GOOD FOR HIGHER MILEAGE AND MORE DEMANDING APPLICATIONS.
WE'LL SEE WHAT'S AVAILABLE IN THE MARKETPLACE AS THINGS CHANGE.
UH, THE IMPORTANT POINT ISN'T THAT, UH, ONE OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES IS NECESSARILY BETTER THAN ANOTHER.
IT'S THAT THEY PROVIDE DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS FOR DIFFERENT OPERATING REQUIREMENTS.
AND, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY THE DIRECTION OUR FLEET IS MOVING.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO MAKE THE OPERATION FIT THE TECHNOLOGY, WE'RE TRYING TO SELECT THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY THAT FITS THE OPERATION.
SO FOR AUSTIN, DIVERSIFICATION ISN'T A RETREAT FROM ELECTRIFICATION.
IT'S AN EVOLUTION TOWARDS MATCHING THE PROPULSION TECHNOLOGY MORE PRECISELY TO THE MISSION.
UH, OUR STRATEGY NEEDS TO REMAIN TECHNOLOGY NEUTRAL, MISSION DRIVEN, FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO RESPOND TO THE MARKET THAT CONTINUES TO EVOLVE.
UM, EVEN AS MANUFACTURERS ADJUST THEIR PRODUCT OFFERINGS, WE'RE CONTINUING TO FIND MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND THE BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE FLEET.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT NEXT, ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO ON THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE HERE, I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU GUYS WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY.
AND, UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE LEFT, YOU'RE LOOKING AT SOME NUMBERS THERE.
THAT'S, UH, 663 PIECES OF EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLES ARE SCHEDULED TO BE PURCHASED IN 2027.
THAT'S FOR GENERAL FUND AND THE ENTERPRISE FUND.
UM, WE'VE REVIEWED THE ACQUISITIONS LIST AGAINST THE BATTERY ELECTRIC PRODUCTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON THE MARKET AND AVAILABLE TO US.
UM, AND IN SOME THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE TO US, WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH THE FORD, UH, PULLBACK, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME OTHER OPTIONS THERE.
AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED 82 POTENTIAL.
BEV APPLICATIONS ARE 12.4% OF OUR ACQUISITION.
UH, PLAN HAS A BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE OPPORTUNITY.
THE REMAINING 581 ACQUISITIONS INVOLVE VEHICLE CLASSES AND EQUIPMENT AND THINGS THAT WHERE THERE'S JUST NOT A BATTERY OPERA OPTION AVAILABLE TO US IN THE MARKETPLACE.
SO EVEN IF WE WANTED IT, WE COULDN'T GO GET IT.
UH, SO I WANNA MAKE AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION HERE OF THE 82, UM, UH, VEHICLES THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED.
THOSE ARE OPPORTUNITIES AND NOT PREDETERMINED PURCHASES.
UM, WE'LL STILL SCREEN EVERY ONE OF THESE PURCHASES THROUGH THE OPERATION AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S SUITABLE TO HOW THE DEPARTMENT IS INTENDING TO USE THOSE VEHICLES.
SO ON THE RIGHT YOU'LL SEE WHERE SOME OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES, UM, FOR EMERGING, UH, UH, THESE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES HAVE EXISTED ACROSS OTHER OPERATIONS.
AND SO, UH, INCLUDING WHAT SCOTT JOHNSON WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT.
UM, BUT OUR GREATEST OPPORTUNITY IS LIGHT DUTY VEHICLES.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHERE WE'VE BEEN KIND OF, THAT'S OUR BREAD AND BUTTER RIGHT NOW.
IT'S VERY MATURE PRICES COME DOWN, AND IN SOME CASES, THEY'RE LOWER COST FOR THESE VEHICLES THAN THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE EQUIVALENT.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE SEEING PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS FOR THESE SEDANS, SUVS, VANS, AND OTHER SELECTED LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS.
AND THERE'S SOME REALLY GOOD NEWS ON THE HORIZON WITH SOME SMALLER TRUCKS AS WE TRY TO DOWNSIZE AND MOVE ELECTRIC, PARTICULARLY WHERE VEHICLES, UM, RETURN TO COMMON LOCATIONS AND HAVE PREDICTABLE OPERATING PATTERNS.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE VEHICLES ARE BEING USED FOR US TO ELECTRIFY 'EM.
BUT THE ELECTRIFICATION IS ALSO MOVING BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL VEHICLES, PARKS AND RECREATIONS.
WE'RE SEEING OPPORTUNITIES WITH COMMERCIAL ELECTRIC MOWERS.
WE'VE GOT SIX OF THESE MEAN GREEN ELECTRIC MOWERS, UH, THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE.
WE WERE ONLY GONNA DO TWO, AND WE ENDED UP WITH FOUR, AND NOW WE'VE GOT SIX, AND WE'VE EXTENDED THEM TO, UH, TO GOLF, UH, OPERATIONS AS WELL.
SO THE GOLF COURSE IS USING 'EM AS WELL.
AND, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S LIKE A LOT OF THINGS WITH BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES THAT ONCE, OR BATTERY ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT.
ONCE YOU START USING THEM, WE FIND THAT THERE'S INITIAL PUSHBACK, INITIAL RESISTANCE, BUT ONCE THEY'RE PUT IN PLACE, PEOPLE START TO LIKE THEM.
AND IT'S JUST BEEN OUR EXPERIENCE THROUGH ALL OF THIS ENTIRE JOURNEY.
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IF YOU'VE EVER DRIVEN A BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE OR IF YOU'VE EVER, YOU KNOW, UM, USED A LAWNMOWER THAT WAS ELECTRIC AS OPPOSED TO AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE VEHICLE, OUR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE, THEN YOU CAN APPRECIATE THIS, RIGHT? SO COMMERCIAL MOWERS ARE A VERY GOOD, UH, SOURCE OF KIND OF MOVING OUR OPERATIONS.AND SO YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT, UH, A US IS, UH, THEY'VE GOT A TORO UNIT THAT'S OUT THERE RIGHT NOW, AND WE'VE MOVED OUR SOLAR CHARGING STATION OUT THERE TO HELP SUPPORT THEM, UH, WITH ELECTRIFICATION OF, UH, AIRPORT GROUNDS.
AND WE'RE BUILDING SOME INFRASTRUCTURE OUT THERE BECAUSE THAT'S A VERY GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, UH, HAVE A VERY CONSOLIDATED FLEET OUT THERE THAT JUST TRAVELS AROUND ON AIRPORT GROUNDS.
IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ELECTRIFICATION ACROSS THEIR ENTIRE, UH, GROUNDS EQUIPMENT.
BUT, UM, AND THEN THERE'S THE, UH, REFUSE VEHICLES, WHAT I WOULD CALL THE NEXT FRONTIER.
UM, BUT IT'S ALSO OUR GREATEST OPPORTUNITY, AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT IN JUST A SECOND.
UH, THEY HAVE THESE TRUCKS, THE, THE REFUSE TRUCKS, UH, THEY'RE OUR, OUR HIGHEST COST PER MILE.
THEY ARE HIGHEST CARBON OUTPUT VEHICLE.
AND SO EVERYBODY REALIZES THAT, THAT THIS IS OUR GREATEST OPPORTUNITY.
UM, BUT THEY DO HAVE SUBSTANTIAL PAYLOADS AND HYDRAULIC LOADS AND DEMANDING DUTY CYCLES AND HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR RELIABILITY AND UPTIME.
SO THERE'S NOT A LOT OF ROOM TO GET OUT THERE WITH A BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE THAT FAILS IN ITS MISSION.
SO, VERY IMPORTANT THAT, UH, AS WE ADVANCE THIS TECHNOLOGY, THAT WE VALIDATE ITS PERFORMANCE, UH, BEFORE MAKING LARGE SCALE ACQUISITION DECISIONS.
LARGER POINT IS THAT WE'RE APPROACHING ELECTRIFICATION AS A SCREENING AND INVESTMENT PROCESS, NOT SIMPLY A VEHICLE REPLACEMENT TARGET.
WE IDENTIFY THE OPPORTUNITY, WE VALUE EVALUATE THE MISSION, WE CONFIRM THE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THEN WE VALIDATE THE TECHNOLOGY BEFORE SCALING.
AND THAT GIVES US A MUCH STRONGER BASIS FOR MAKING DECISIONS THAT WHERE ELECTRIFICATION CAN BE DELIVERED, UH, AND WHERE IT CAN OPERATIONALLY SUSTAINABLE AND FINANCIALLY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY, UH, BENEFICIAL.
AND SINCE SOLID WASTE REPRESENTS ONE OF OUR MOST INTERESTING OPPORTUNITIES, I THINK I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
UM, ONE OF THE MORE INTERESTING, LIKE I SAID, OPPORTUNITIES IS SOLID WASTE.
I THINK THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE ON, UM, WHY, UM, WE'VE BECOME MUCH MORE FOCUSED ON VALIDATING TECHNOLOGY AGAINST THE ACTUAL OPERATING MISSION.
SOLID WASTE IS FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER VEHICLE THAT WE'VE GOT IN THE FLEET.
UM, THESE, THESE ARE HEAVY DUTY VEHICLES, OPERATING, DEMANDING ROUTES, CARRYING SUBSTANTIAL PAYLOADS, RUNNING HYDRAULICS.
THEY, THEY TRAVEL, UM, YOU KNOW, ANYWHERE FROM SEVENTY TWO, A HUNDRED AND TWENTY MILES IN A GIVEN DAY.
THEY'LL HIT ANYWHERE BETWEEN 1,015 HUNDRED HOMES IN A DAY WITH AN ARM OR SOMETHING THAT, UH, THAT'LL BE PICKING UP A TRASH CAN.
SO THIS IS, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL SYSTEM IS GONNA RUN CONTINUOUSLY ALL DAY LONG, WORKING VERY HARD AND PERFORMING AN ESSENTIAL PUBLIC SERVICE EVERY DAY.
SO VEHICLE AVAILABILITY IS CRITICAL IF A REFUSE TRUCK DOESN'T COMPLETE ITS ROUTE, UM, THAT HAS AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT ON SERVICE DELIVERY.
SO THE QUESTION ISN'T SIMPLY WHETHER AN ELECTRIC TRUCK REFUSE TRUCK EXISTS OR IS AVAILABLE.
THE QUESTION IS WHETHER IT CAN BE RELIABLY, UH, WHETHER IT CAN RELIABLY COMPETE, COMPLETE THE MISSION DAY AFTER DAY UNDER ACTUAL OPERATING CONDITIONS.
UH, WE'VE DONE SOME PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS ON AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND, UH, BACK LAST YEAR.
AND THAT ANALYSIS SUGGESTED THAT 65% OF THOSE ROUTES COULD POTENTIALLY BE COMPATIBLE WITH A BATTERY ELECTRIC REFUSE OPERATIONS, UH, BASED ON THEIR OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS AND ASSUMPTIONS THAT WERE USED IN THE STUDY.
UM, THAT'S AN ENCOURAGING INDICATION OF THE OPPORTUNITY, BUT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT 65% IS A PLANNING ESTIMATE AND NOT A COMMITTED ELECTRIFYING OF 65% OF THE SOLID WASTE FLEET.
THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL SUITABLE ROUTE AND DEMONSTRATING THAT A ELECTRIC SOLID WASTE TRUCK CAN RELIABLY PERFORM THE ROUTE AND DAILY SERVICE.
AND THAT'S THE WORK WE'RE FOCUSED ON NOW.
WE'RE EVALUATING ACTUAL ROUTE MILEAGE, ENERGY CONSUMPTION, PAYLOAD, HYDRAULICS, UH, CHARGING REQUIREMENTS, MAINTENANCE AND VEHICLE UPTIME.
AND WE ALSO NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE SEASONAL CONDITIONS AND THE VARIABILITY BETWEEN THE ROUTES, BECAUSE THE REAL MEASURE OF SUCCESS ISN'T WHETHER THE TRUCK CAN COMPLETE A DEMONSTRATED ROUTE.
IT'S WHETHER IT CAN CONSISTENTLY DELIVER THE SERVICE TO OUR RESIDENTS THAT THEY CAN DEPEND ON.
AND THIS IS WHERE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FLEET AND AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY BECOMES ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT.
AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY UNDERSTANDS COLLECTION, OPERATIONAL DEMAND, ROUTE REQUIREMENTS AND SERVICE EXPECTATION.
THE TONNAGE THAT THESE VEHICLES NEED TO CARRY FLEET BRINGS THE TECHNOLOGY, THE MAINTENANCE, THE LIFECYCLE COST, THE INFRASTRUCTURE EVALUATION.
TOGETHER WE HAVE A, UM, WE HAVE TO DETERMINE WHICH APPLICATIONS ARE READY FOR DEPLOYMENT AND HOW QUICKLY WE CAN REASONABLY SCALE.
THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER WILL ALSO PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE AS WE DEVELOP THE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT ELECTRIC REFUSE OPERATIONS.
UM, THAT BECOMES PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT
[00:25:01]
AS AUSTIN EVALUATES THE NEXT PHASE OF HEAVY DUTY ELECTRIFICATION AT THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER.WE SPECIFICALLY BUILT LEVEL THREE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE AND ACTUALLY BUILT, UM, A NETWORK OF CONDUIT SO WE COULD EXPAND IT WITHOUT HAVING TO INCUR SOME OF THE HARD COSTS THAT GO WITH BUILDING OUT A LARGE SCALE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO, AND WE'VE SET ASIDE SPACE FOR ADDITIONAL TRANSFORMERS AND, AND, UH, OTHER TYPES OF ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT TO SCALE THEM ONCE THIS TECHNOLOGY GETS MOVING FORWARD.
SO, UM, SO THIS IS OUR FIRST ACTUAL CHARGING HUB IN THE CITY THAT SERVES A DUAL ROLE, BOTH, UH, PETROLEUM FUEL AND ELECTRIFICATION.
AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR MORE TO TRY TO MANAGE THE EXPANSION, AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT IN OUR SOUTHERN AREA OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS WELL.
SO AS WE BEGIN TO INTRODUCE HEAVY DUTY ELECTRIC VEHICLES, UM, THE CONVERSATION CHANGES FROM INDIVIDUAL CHARGING PORTS TO FACILITY ELECTRICAL CAPACITY CHARGING SCHEDULES, AND THE ABILITY TO SUPPORT MULTIPLE HIGH ENERGY VEHICLES RETURNING TO A COMMON LOCATION THAT THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS HAVE TO BE UNDERSTOOD ALONGSIDE THE VEHICLE DEPLOYMENT STRATEGY.
SO OUR APPROACH TO SOLID WASTE ELECTRIFICATION IS STRAIGHTFORWARD.
UM, MODEL THE OPPORTUNITY, DEPLOY THE TECHNOLOGY, AND MEASURE THE ACTUAL PERFORMANCE AND VALIDATE THE RESULTS, THEN SCALE WHAT WORKS.
UM, WE ENCOURAGE, UH, WE'RE ENCOURAGED BY THE POTENTIAL.
UM, WE'RE EQUALLY COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT INVESTMENT DECISIONS ARE SUPPORTED WITH OPERATING DATA FORECAST, ESTABLISH ESTABLISHES THE OPPORTUNITY, OPERATING EXPERIENCE DETERMINES THE INVESTMENT, AND THAT LEADS DIRECTLY TO OUR BROADER CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE STRATEGY ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO HERE IS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT ELECTRIFYING THE SOLID WASTE FLEET, BUT IT'S ABOUT ELECTRIFYING THE ENTIRE FLEET ACROSS THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE HAVE 7,800 PIECES OF EQUIPMENT ON ROAD, OFF ROAD TO NON-POWERED.
WE'RE FOCUSED, FOCUSED ON THE ON-ROAD EQUIPMENT AT THIS POINT, AND WE'RE TESTING SOME OFF-ROAD.
BUT THE, SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS THAT WE'VE LEARNED IS CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE HAS TO FOLLOW THE MISSION AND OPERATING GEOGRAPHY OF THE FLEET.
BECAUSE THE FLEET ELECTRIFICATION GROWS, INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING BECOMES INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE THERE ARE TWO PRIMARILY PRIMARY APPROACHES FOR MUCH OF OUR LIGHT DUTY FLEET.
LEVEL TWO CHARGING WORKS EXTREMELY WELL.
THESE VEHICLES GENERALLY RETURN TO A PREDICTABLE LOCATION AND REMAIN PARKED OVERNIGHT FOR EXTENDED PERIODS AND HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME TO RECOVER.
AND, UH, THE ENERGY THAT THEY USE DURING THE DAY THAT ALLOWS US TO DISTRIBUTE RELATIVELY LOWER COST CHARGING CAPACITY ACROSS CITY FACILITIES.
BUT AS WE MOVE INTO POLICE VEHICLES AND REFUGE REFUSE TRUCKS AND OTHER HIGHER DEMAND UTILIZATION OR HEAVY DUTY APPLICATION, THE DC FAST CHARGING BECOMES MORE STRATEGIC RESOURCE.
THOSE VEHICLES MAY HAVE A LARGER ENERGY REQUIREMENT, A SHORTER TURNAROUND TIME, OR OPERATING PATTERNS THAT MAKE OVERNIGHT CHARGING ALONE INSUFFICIENT.
SO WE'RE NOT APPROACHING CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE AS A ONE SIZE FITS ALL SOLUTION.
SO NOW IF YOU LOOK AT THE, UH, FRAMEWORK AT THE CENTER SIDE, UM, THIS IS REALLY HOW WE'RE APPROACHING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE START BY UNDERSTANDING WHERE ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE DOMICILED.
SO THE MAP ON THE LEFT I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND HERE.
THE MAP ON THE LEFT IS, UH, WE USE GIS OR WE USE VEHICLE TELEMETRY DATA.
WE KNOW WHERE EVERY VEHICLE IS AT, AND WE TOOK MULTIPLE SNAPSHOTS, AND THIS IS A HEAT MAP THAT WE IMPORTED THAT TELEMETRY DATA INTO ESRI, GIS THEN MAPPED IT.
AND EACH ONE OF THOSE PURPLE RINGS IS A LOCATION THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY BUILDING A DC FAST CHARGE LOCATION TODAY.
UH, THEY'RE ACTUALLY BEING BUILT TODAY.
MATT IS IN CHARGE OF THAT BUILD SCHEDULE.
UH, EACH ONE OF THOSE PURPLE RINGS IS A THREE MILE RADIUS.
UM, OUR GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT IN THE URBAN CORE THAT ALL CITY VEHICLES WILL BE WITHIN A, UH, THREE MILE RA, UH, RADIUS OF A, UH, DC FAST CHARGE LOCATION.
UH, ONCE WE'RE DONE WITH THE INNER CORE, THE URBAN CORE, THEN WE'LL MOVE TO WHAT WE CALL OUR MID CORE, WHICH IS, UH, LOCATIONS WILL BE WITHIN FIVE, UH, THREE TO FIVE MILES OF THE NEAREST CHARGING STATION.
AS WE GET TO THE OUTER RING LATER ON, WE'LL FOCUS ON, UH, FIVE TO SEVEN MILES.
BUT WE'RE WORKING ON THE INNER CORE TODAY.
THIS IS ACTUALLY WHAT IS BEING, UM, BUILT TODAY.
UM, IT'S, UH, INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT THAT WE USE TELEMATICS TO DRIVE THESE DECISIONS.
UM, THE, UH, WITHOUT, UH, GIS AND THIS INFORMATION ALSO ALSO TELLS US THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE UTILIZATION OF THESE VEHICLES AND WHICH VEHICLES ARE CHARGING AND HOW LONG THEY'RE THERE AT THE STATION.
AND WE CAN SEE EVERYTHING ABOUT THEM WITH OUR GPS SYSTEM THAT'S ON BOARD WITH OUR VEHICLES TODAY.
BUT WE CAN ALSO SEE THE SUBSEQUENT
[00:30:01]
CHARGING, UM, UTILIZATION OFF OF OUR CHARGEPOINT, UH, SYSTEM AS WELL.SO WE ARE KIND OF CROSS-REFERENCING BOTH OF THOSE TWO TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UM, UH, UTILIZING THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE IF WE NEED TO EXPAND IT.
WE'VE BUILT CAPACITY, UH, TO EXPAND THESE CHARGING STATIONS.
UM, AT THE CURRENT LOCATIONS WHERE THEY'RE AT, MOST OF THESE HAVE BEEN PAIRED UP WITH EXISTING CITY FUEL SITES, AND THE GOAL THERE WAS TO TRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CURRENT PATTERNS THAT PEOPLE OPERATE IN.
THEY CURRENTLY GO TO A LOCATION AND GET FUEL, THE DIFFERENCES, THEY'LL GO TO THE LOCATION, VERY SAME LOCATION AND GET CHARGING CAPACITY FOR THEIR BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE IN THE FUTURE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, SO WE CAN'T AFFORD TO REALLY, UM, UH, PLANNING CAPACITY AND UTILIZATION IS, IS JUST, IT HAS TO BE VERY MUCH THOUGHT OF AS A KIND OF A MORE OF A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE AT THIS POINT, RATHER THAN A VEHICLE PERSPECTIVE.
AND THIS IS WHY WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THIS, WHAT WE CALL A DC FAST OVERLAY WITH A DISTRIBUTED LEVEL TWO, UH, CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE LEVEL TWO CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN.
WE'RE PUTTING THOSE INTO THE MULTI-DEPARTMENT HIGH DENSITY PARKING GARAGES TODAY, AND THEN WE'LL WORK OUR WAY OUT TO SOME OF THE LOWER DENSITY PARKING LOTS, UH, LATER ON AS WE KIND OF EVOLVE THIS WHOLE PROGRAM.
BUT, UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UM, UH, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR CHARGING STRATEGIES EVOLVE FROM SIMPLY DEPLOYING, YOU KNOW, CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY, UH, MORE OF A MATURE WAY OF APPROACHING THE FULL ELECTRIFICATION FOR THE CITY FLEET, UH, HERE TODAY.
UM, SO THIS IS OUR ROADMAP ON WHERE WE'RE GOING.
SO, UM, EVERYTHING WE'VE DISCUSSED TODAY, OUR OPERATING EXPERIENCE, THE LESSONS WE'VE LEARNED, THE, UH, CHANGING TECHNOLOGY, UH, LANDSCAPE, THE IMPORTANCE OF INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING ALL COMES TOGETHER WITH WHERE ARE WE GOING IN THE FUTURE WITH THIS.
AND THE CENTRAL IDEA, UH, OF THIS ROADMAP IS THAT WE'RE TAKING A DISCIPLINED PHASED APPROACH TO THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.
WE'RE CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ELECTRIFICATION, BUT WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT OUR INVESTMENTS ARE SUPPORTED BY OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE, AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE READINESS.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SLIDE, OUR FOCUS IS, UH, BETWEEN YEARS 2027 AND 2028 IS JUST REALLY EXECUTION.
WE'RE CONTINUING TO DEPLOY BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
UH, WE ARE IN APPLICATIONS WHERE TECHNOLOGY IS PROVEN, PARTICULARLY ACROSS OUR LIGHT DUTY FLEET.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE EXPANDING THE LEVEL TWO CHARGING NETWORK AND DEVELOPING THE DC FAST CHARGE OVERLAY NETWORK, UM, WHERE THE CITY WHERE OUR MISSIONS REQUIRE IT.
AND WE'RE ALSO CONTINUING TO EVALUATE EMERGING APPLICATIONS, INCLUDING THE POLICE VEHICLES, SOLID WASTE VEHICLES, PARKS AND RECREATION EQUIPMENT, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE TESTING AND EVALUATING AT THIS POINT.
AND WE'RE INCREASINGLY USING GIS AND TELEMATICS TO GUIDE WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THIS INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE FUTURE.
IT REALLY DOES GIVE US A GLIMPSE INTO WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
THE OBJECTIVE DURING THIS PERIOD IS TO, UH, BUILD ON WHAT'S ALREADY WORKING AND COLLECTING THE OPERATING DATA WE NEED TO MAKE A SOUND DECISION ABOUT THE NEXT PHASE.
SO IF YOU MOVE TO THE RIGHT SIDE, LOOKING AT YEARS 2029 THROUGH 20 20, 20 31, THIS REPRESENTS THE NEXT STAGE EXPANDING AND SCALING APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT THEY CAN PERFORM AS EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES MATURE AND WE GAIN OPERATING EXPERIENCE, WE'LL BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO EXPAND ELECTRIFICATION TO MORE DEMANDING VEHICLE CLASSES.
THAT POTENTIALLY INCLUDES BROADER DEPLOYMENT OF ELECTRIC REFUGE TRUCKS AND HEAVY DUTY EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING, UH, THE, UH, VOLTERRA FIRE APPARATUS AS WELL.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT BATTERY ELECTRIC APPLICATIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT CROSS A NUMBER OF OUR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO EXPAND UPON.
UM, IT ALSO MEANS DEVELOPING HIGH POWERED CHARGING HUBS AS THE OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS EMERGE AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO EVALUATE IMPROVEMENTS IN BATTERY, WE'RE CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THE IMPROVEMENTS IN BATTERY TECHNOLOGY, SMART CHARGING, LOAD MANAGEMENT, VEHICLE TO GRID CAPABILITIES AS THOSE TECHNOLOGIES BECOME COMMERCIALLY VIABLE.
UM, BUT I WANNA EMPHASIZE SOMETHING IMPORTANT HERE.
THESE ARE STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS, NOT PREDETERMINED COMMITMENTS TO DEPLOY PARTICULAR TECHNOLOGY OR PURCHASE A SPECIFIC NUMBER OF VEHICLES.
WE'RE GOING TO LET THE OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE LIFECYCLE ECONOMICS, INFRASTRUCTURE READINESS AND TECHNOLOGY MATURE MATURITY GUIDE THOSE DECISIONS.
AND THAT'S REALLY THE IMPORTANT DISTINCTION ABOUT THIS ROADMAP.
WE'RE NOT LOCKING OURSELVES INTO A TECHNOLOGY YEARS IN ADVANCE ONLY TO FIND THAT WE CAN'T UTILIZE THAT EQUIPMENT.
UM, WE'RE MAINTAINING THE FLEXIBILITY TO RESPOND BY, AT THE SAME TIME MANAGING A VERY RAPID PACE OF DEPLOYMENT.
[00:35:01]
KNOW THAT WE ARE FIRST ADOPTERS AND WE'LL PILOT ANYTHING THAT THEY'VE GOT THAT CAN VIABLY BE PUT INTO THE FIELD.WE ACTUALLY WANT TO TEST MORE AND, AND, AND SEE WHAT ELSE IS IS OUT THERE.
UM, THERE'S A COST TO THAT THOUGH.
AND SO WE NEED TO KIND OF BALANCE THAT.
UM, SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD INTO THOSE MORE DEMANDING APPLICATIONS, AND WHAT WE REALIZE IS WE NEED, UH, ESPECIALLY WITH THE, THE, THE CHARGING HUBS, UM, THE, WE HAVE TO BRING IN OUR UTILITY PARTNER BECAUSE WE CAN OUTSTRIP OUR, UH, SUBSTATION CAPACITY AND HAVE TO DO A BIT OF ENGINEERING WITH OUR OWN ELECTRICAL GRID TO SUPPORT THESE OPERATIONS.
SO THESE FUTURE ELECTRICAL LOADS, SITE CAPACITY, INFRASTRUCTURE, TIMELINES, UM, OPPORTUNITIES TO MANAGE CHARGING AS A PART OF PLANNED PROCESS, NOT AFTER THE VEHICLE DECISIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE.
SO OUR APPROACH IS STRAIGHTFORWARD, DEPLOY WHAT'S PROVEN, VALIDATE WHAT'S EMERGING, AND SCALE WHAT PERFORMS. AND WITH THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE MADE SOME MEANINGFUL PROGRESS OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.
UM, WE STILL HAVE CHALLENGES TO SOLVE, PARTICULARLY WITH HEAVY DUTY AND SPECIALIZED APPLICATIONS.
UM, AND WE'RE LEANING IN AND WE'VE ALSO LEARNED A GREAT DEAL ABOUT, UM, WHAT WORKS AND WHAT MAKES WHAT'LL BE BETTER IN TERMS OF MAKING DECISIONS TOGETHER AS A UNIFIED TEAM AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, MULTI-DEPARTMENT APPROACH TO IT ALL.
WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE HAVE.
EVERYBODY IS VERY CAVALIER ABOUT MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS, BUT WITH SOME LEVEL OF CAUTION.
AND I APPRECIATE THE COMMITTEE'S INTEREST IN THIS WORK AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE OUR EXPERIENCE WITH YOU.
AND I THANK YOU, CHAIR WHITE AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR LETTING US SHARE OUR STORY WITH YOU, YOUR STORY WITH YOU.
UM, A LOT OF EXCITING STUFF THERE.
WHO HAS QUESTIONS? I KNOW, I, I HAVE A COUPLE, SO, UH, DO I I SEE SOMEBODY, HARRIS, IS THAT YOU? YOU'RE VERY, YOU'RE, YOU'RE IN THE, IN THE GLOOM.
YOU'RE BECOME BETTER LIT HERE.
UH, YEAH, YOU KNOW, APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
OBVIOUSLY I WANT THE JSC, SO IT'D BE PRETTY CONCERNING IF I WASN'T.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I DO HAVE AN OPERATIONAL QUESTION THAT CAME TO MIND.
UH, YOU KNOW, I'M ALSO A BIG FAN OF THE E-BIKE, YOU KNOW, PROGRAM THAT THE CITY HAS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, RECENTLY IT WAS IN THE NEWS FOR A NOT SO GREAT REASON.
THERE WAS A BIG FIRE RIGHT AT, UH, WHEREVER THE VEHICLES WERE HOUSED, THAT KNOCKED OUT A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE FLEET AND MADE THEM BASICALLY UNUSABLE FOR THREE TO SIX MONTHS, RIGHT? AND WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE SOLID WASTE VEHICLES AND ELECTRIFYING THEM, I WAS LIKE, MAN, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS LIKE A FIRE WHEREVER THEY WERE STORED AND WE COULDN'T USE THEM FOR THREE TO SIX MONTHS, THAT WOULD SUCK.
SO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO TRY TO REDUCE EMISSIONS, RIGHT? BUT WE ALSO WANT TO MAINTAIN, UH, YOU KNOW, AVAILABILITY OF VEHICLES GIVEN SOME KIND OF, UH, CATASTROPHIC EVENT LIKE THAT.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, IF IT, THEY, EVEN IF THEY WERE GAS POWERED, I'M SURE A SIMILAR SITUATION WOULD PROBABLY HAVE A SIMILAR EFFECT, BUT WHAT CAN WE DO TO TRY TO REDUCE THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF STUFF LIKE THAT HAPPENING? WELL, SO THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE ON THE LESSONS LEARNED, RIGHT? WITH BATTERY ELECTRIFICATION, YOU, YOU DO HAVE RISK, UM, WITH THESE, UH, TYPES OF BATTERIES.
UM, BUT WE DON'T, JUST FOR THE RECORD, DON'T MANAGE BCYCLE.
THAT'S NOT IN OUR, UH, REALM AS A FLEET ORGANIZATION.
HOWEVER, THE LITHIUM ION BATTERY RISK IS TRUE, AND IT DOES EXIST.
AND MOST OF THE MANUFACTURERS HAVE LEARNED, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE IS CONTROLLING THE, THE BATTERY CHARGING.
YOU DON'T LET IT GET TOO, UH, DEPLETED AND YOU DON'T CHARGE IT UP TOO HEAVILY.
THE VEHICLES THAT WE BUY ARE HEAVILY, UM, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF LIABILITY.
SO A COMPANY LIKE GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY LIKE FORD MOTOR COMPANY, THEY'RE PUTTING A LOT OF WORK INTO MAKING SURE THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
UH, THERE'S ALWAYS THAT RISK THOUGH, AND, UM, AND WE ALL SEE THOSE EVENTS THAT TAKE PLACE AND, AND, UH, AND QUESTION EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE ASKING, UH, AT THIS POINT.
SO TODAY, YOU KNOW, WE KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT SITUATION HAPPEN WITH ANY OF OUR FLEET VEHICLES.
WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF RECALLS WHERE THAT WAS A RISK CONCERN.
WE HAD CHEVY BOLTS A FEW YEARS BACK.
WE ALMOST, WE PARKED ALMOST A HUNDRED OF THEM AS GENERAL MOTORS WORKED THROUGH A SOFTWARE UPGRADE TO ENSURE THAT THAT VERY THING DID NOT HAPPEN.
UH, SO HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, BUT I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE HOW TECHNOLOGY EVOLVES.
AND I THINK BATTERY CHEMISTRY IS ALSO CHANGING AS WELL.
THAT MIGHT HELP DE-RISK SOME OF THAT.
UH, SO IN THE LITHIUM ION BATTERIES ARE PROLIFERATED ACROSS THE ENTIRE WORLD AT THIS POINT NOW.
[00:40:02]
YEAH, APPRECIATE, GO AHEAD.HEY, HOW'S IT GOING? CAITLYN GRIFFITH, UH, FROM ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION.
UM, I DO REMEMBER VOTING ON THE ELECTRIFIED, UH, DUMP TRUCK, AND I'VE HEARD POSITIVE THINGS FROM RICHARD MCHALE.
UH, CAN YOU SHARE SOME OF THE KIND OF SNAGS THAT YOU EXPERIENCED WITH THAT VEHICLE WHILE YOU GUYS WERE KIND OF GETTING USED TO IT AND IRONING OUT THE KINKS? YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S ROUGHLY GOT ABOUT 7,500 MILES ON IT NOW.
THE FIRST YEAR OR SO, IT WAS ALL SOFTWARE.
IT WAS, UH, BATTERY CHARGING GLITCHES, UM, AND UM, BATTLE, THE BATTLE GROUP HAD TO KIND OF WORK THROUGH THAT, THOSE THAT SOFTWARE ISSUES.
AND SO WE, YOU KNOW, PARKED THAT TRUCK, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S SAT FOR THE MOST PART THE FIRST YEAR, BUT IT'S BEEN ON REGULAR ROUTES AT THIS POINT NOW AND SEEMS TO BE WORKING PRETTY WELL.
UH, AND WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT.
THE LAST I CHECKED WITH RICHARD MCHALE OR DIRECTOR MCHALE, UH, WAS, UH, IT WAS WORKING FINE FOR THEM AND I SPOKE TO THEIR AD REGARDING THAT AND HASN'T BEEN IN OUR SHOPS FOR ANY REPAIR.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A SIGNIFICANT WARRANTY ON THE BATTERY SYSTEM ON THAT VEHICLE.
SO ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS WITH IT WHILE WE'RE IN THIS PERIOD OF TIME IS GONNA BE SUPPORTED AND WE MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT WARRANTY ON ALL OF OUR BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
IT'S SUPPORT THIS WHOLE PERIOD, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE TYPICALLY SEVEN TO EIGHT YEARS ON WARRANTY ON THESE BATTERIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT, UM, IF, YOU KNOW, THE BATTLE GROUP WANTS TO SELL MORE OF THESE, THEY JUST HAVE TO SOLVE SOME OF THEIR ISSUES, UH, WE'RE GAINING CONFIDENCE IN THAT VEHICLE THOUGH.
ACTUALLY, GOT A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS.
UM, IN YOUR FIRST SLIDE, IT SAYS THAT, UH, 2 MILLION MILES OF CITY VEHICLES ARE ELECTRIFIED MILES.
YEAH, I WAS WONDERING HOW THAT COMPARES TO LIKE TOTAL CITY MILEAGE.
SO THE CITY ITSELF TRAVELS ROUGHLY ABOUT 34 MILLION MILES A YEAR.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, 2 MILLION IS A, IS A, IS A DROP IN THE BUCKET.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT A PD REPRESENTS 40% OF THOSE TOTAL MILES TRAVELED.
UH, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN DRAW YOUR CONCLUSIONS FROM THAT.
IT'S, IT'S A DROP IN THE BUCKET, RIGHT? I THINK WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON, UH, TRYING TO INCREASE THAT OVER.
WE'VE GOT A CLIMATE EQUITY GOAL TO, UH, GET 40% OF ALL TOTAL MILES TRAVELED OR 18 MILLION MILES BY 2040.
WE'RE TRYING TO ACCELERATE THAT TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.
AND THEN I WAS ALSO JUST, UH, CURIOUS ABOUT THE 581 VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT THAT THEY DON'T HAVE BATTERY ELECTRIC KIND OF EQUIVALENTS.
I WAS WONDERING LIKE WHAT KIND OF VEHICLES, FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD THOSE KIND OF VEHICLE START TO GET INTO THE DUMP TRUCKS? YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GETTING INTO SOME HEAVY DUTY VEHICLES THERE.
ANYTHING THAT'S MEDIUM, THAT'S MEDIUM DUTY AND ABOVE, THERE'S JUST NOT A LOT OF BATTERY OPTIONS THERE.
AND A LOT OF THAT 581 PIECES OF EQUIPMENT IS NOT NECESSARILY AN ON-ROAD VEHICLE, EITHER IT'S TRAILERS AND OTHER TYPES OF EQUIPMENT, OFF-ROAD CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT.
ALTHOUGH WE ARE LOOKING AT THE CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT, YOU COULD SEE WE GOT THAT VOLVO FRONT LOADING DOZER.
WE THINK, UH, CASE HAS GOT SOME GOOD EQUIPMENT THAT'S OUT THERE.
WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT TRYING TO FIND AN APPLICATION FOR, UM, PUTTING MORE OF THAT OFF-ROAD EQUIPMENT IN TO PLAY.
AND THEN, UH, MATT AND OUR ACQUISITION TEAM ARE WORKING ON MOBILE DC FAST LEVEL THREE CHARGING.
SO WE COULD ACTUALLY, THEY COULD BE ON A JOB SITE.
WE GO OUT THERE AND CHARGE 'EM.
THEY OPERATE, YOU KNOW, AND DO THEIR THING.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE TETHERED TO SOME LOCATION THAT THEY NEED TO GO BACK TO OR HAUL IT BACK TO OFF THE JOB SITE.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO PUSH DEEPER INTO THAT 581 VEHICLES THAT OTHER EQUIPMENT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
I'D ACTUALLY LOVE TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
SO 581 SOUNDS LIKE FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT.
UM, SURELY WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, IS THE CITY BUYING THAT MANY, UH, DUMP TRUCKS AND TRAILERS? WHAT, WHAT ELSE IS IN THERE? AND SPECIFICALLY, ARE THERE ANY REFUSE TRUCKS IN THAT? THERE ARE, THERE ARE SOME REFUGE TRUCKS IN THAT.
AND UH, SO, UM, HOW MANY DO YOU, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER.
I WANNA SAY WE'RE LOOKING AT SOMEWHERE NORTH OF 15 OR SO.
UM, SOLID WASTE TRUCKS COULD BE, UH, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER AT THE TOP OF MY HEAD KIBA, UH, BUT I, BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO GIVE THAT TO YOU AND I'D ALSO BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A LIST OF THAT, WHAT THAT OTHER EQUIPMENT LOOKS LIKE.
NO, I KNOW YOU DO A GOOD SPREADSHEET MAYBE.
YEAH, I, UM, WELL THAT KIND OF, UH, I GUESS FOLLOWS INTO THE NEXT, UM, QUESTION I HAD.
SO YOU HAVE THIS ONE, UH, YOU KNOW, REFUSE TRUCK THAT'S IN THE PILOT AND YOU KNOW, I HEAR FIRST YEAR WAS ROCKING.
NOW IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S GOING SMOOTH.
THAT'S ONE TRUCK, ONE MANUFACTURER.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE STILL ANTICIPATING JUST BEING IN THE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PILOT PHASE FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR AND NEXT.
SO CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT THE PROGRESSION OF THAT PILOT LOOKS LIKE? UM, YOU KNOW, HEARING THAT THERE'S 15 REFUSE TRUCKS THAT NEED TO BE PURCHASED,
[00:45:01]
IS THERE OPPORTUNITY TO MAYBE GET A COUPLE OF THOSE ELECTRICS AND POTENTIALLY FROM ANOTHER MANUFACTURER SO THAT YOU CAN START GETTING A LITTLE BIT MORE DATA, YOU KNOW, THAN JUST ONE VEHICLE FROM ONE MANUFACTURER? I THINK IN THE PILOT, YEAH, I THINK I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, THAT YES, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY, WE ARE LOOKING AT, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF MANUFACTURERS OUT THERE.WE'VE DONE SOME PILOTS WITH ONE OF THEM ALREADY.
UH, I SPOKE ABOUT IT, UH, WITHIN, IN THE CWP PRESENTATION.
UM, IT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE THAT WE'VE TESTED.
WE'VE GOT A NEW WAY TRUCK THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT, UM, EVALUATING.
UH, WE'D LIKE TO GET THAT ON BOARD HERE.
AND THIS LET US RUN IT FOR A FEW WEEKS, NOT AT ANY COST TO US.
WE WANNA SEE HOW IT PERFORMS. FIRST.
THESE TRUCKS, THESE BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES, SOLID WASTE TRUCKS, THEY'RE WANTING NORTH OF $900,000 FOR THESE WITH TWO TIMES THE AMOUNT OF A SOLID WASTE TRUCK.
WE, WE WANT TO SEE THEM PERFORM FIRST.
SO WE'RE PULLING 'EM IN AND EVALUATING THEM AND TALKING TO DIRECTOR MCHALE AND HIS STAFF.
THEY'RE NOT OPPOSED TO TRYING TO PUT SOMETHING INTO SERVICE, BUT THEY, UH, UM, THEY, THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S RELIABLE ENOUGH TO, UM, RUN THE ROUTES.
AND AS I UNDERSTAND, THEY'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES TO KIND OF RECONFIGURE THEIR ROUTES.
BUT AGAIN, I MEAN, THIS IS A JOINT DECISION BETWEEN A RR AND FLEET.
WE CAN CERTAINLY SEE THE VEHICLE TRY TO DETERMINE IF IT CAN MEET THE SERVICE ABILITY, THE RE MEET THE DISTANCE, AND DO THE, UM, THE ROUTE AND WITH THE NUMBER OF TIPS.
UM, BUT A THING THAT HAS TO BE DETERMINED AS THE VEHICLE'S WITH US FOR A WHILE IS WHAT IT'S MAINTAINABILITY IS.
AND, UM, AND WHICH WE DON'T KNOW THAT YET WITH THESE VEHICLES.
LIKE DO THEY, DOES IT STAY ON UP ONLINE? UH, WILL IT CONTINUE TO WORK? AND THOSE ARE ALL JUST, YOU HAVE TO PROVE THOSE OUT IN THE FIELD, UM, THROUGH A PHASED APPROACH.
SO I THINK THIS COMING YEAR, I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MAYBE ONE OR TWO TO EVALUATE, NOT AT A COST PURCHASE THOUGH, BUT UM, AT A, UH, VENDOR COST IS WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE.
SO JUST KIND OF LIKE TEST THEM FOR A COUPLE MONTHS SORT OF THING.
WELL, I THINK IF THEY, IF THEY, IF IT PROVES OUT TO BE WHERE IT ACTUALLY CAN DO THE JOB AND RUN SOME ROUTES AND SEEMS RELIABLE, THEN I THINK THAT THE JOINT DECISION AND THAT DECISION WOULD BE WITH A RR BECAUSE IT'S THEIR CAPITAL, UH, TO DECIDE WHETHER THEY WANT TO GO AHEAD AND PUT THAT IN SERVICE.
WE'LL OBVIOUSLY SUPPORT IT WITH CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
I THINK THE THING FOR US IS THAT WE SET UP THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER TO COME ONLINE AT THE END OF 2027.
THERE'S YOUR DC FAST CHARGING HUB.
THERE'S, THAT'S THE WHOLE PLAN, RIGHT? SO IT TAKES ABOUT A YEAR FOR A BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE TO ARRIVE OR ANY, UM, SOLID WASTE VEHICLE TO GO THROUGH THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS AND GET DELIVERED TO US.
SO BETWEEN NOW AND OUR DECISIONS HERE IN THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, FEW MONTHS, LIKE WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? WHICH, WHAT ARE WE GONNA BUY? WHAT ARE WE GONNA, ARE WE GONNA BUY ONE AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE NORTHEAST SERVICE CENTER TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT WITH THE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO I THINK THE OPPORTUNITIES THERE, UH, BUT I, I THINK, UH, WE'RE CAUTIOUSLY APPROACHING IT.
THERE'S SOME NEW BATTERY CHEMISTRY THAT'S COMING ONLINE.
WE'RE HOPING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME, UM, SOLID STATE BATTERIES AND OTHER THINGS WILL TAKE SOME, TAKE SOME OF THE WEIGHT OUT OF THESE VEHICLES.
UM, AS YOU COULD SEE, THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY IS CHANGING HOW THEY'RE THINKING WITH THAT E REV DESIGN, WITH THE EXTENDED RANGE DESIGN.
THAT WOULD BE A BEAUTIFUL ENGINEERING FIT FOR A SOLID WASTE TRUCK.
THEN YOU COULD REALLY DO, UH, YOUR FULL ROUTE WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM.
WE JUST NEED TO SEE THAT OUT OF THEM.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A NUMBER OF COMPANIES THAT ARE COMPETING FOR THAT SPACE AND THEY WANT OUR ATTENTION AND WE'RE OBVIOUSLY READY TO DEPLOY ONCE THEY CAN PROVE THAT THEY CAN DO THE JOB.
UM, AND AND WHEN YOU, YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, DOUBLE THE COST, THAT'S BEFORE ACCOUNTING FOR ANY STATE INCENTIVES, RIGHT? I'M ASSUMING YOU'RE LOOKING AT UTILIZING THE TURP PROGRAM? YEAH, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
WE, WE ARE GOING TO, THERE'S A, THERE'S A GRANT THAT'S COMING UP HERE IN DECEMBER THAT A TURP PROGRAM GRANT THAT I THINK ELECTRIFICATION OPPORTUNITY FOR US.
UM, THERE WAS A NEVY GRANT THAT WAS JUST, UH, AWARDED ON OCTOBER 15TH, BUT THAT WAS FOR PUBLIC CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE ALL OVER LOOKING FOR THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
THEY'VE JUST KIND OF CHANGED A LITTLE BIT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS WITH A DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATION FROM FEDERAL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.
BUT, UH, WE SEE STATE OF TEXAS, WELL, YEAH, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE STATE, YOU KNOW.
IT'S ONE OF THE FEW THINGS THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS REALLY DONE RIGHT.
WHEN IT COMES TO ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY, IN MY OPINION.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US YEAH.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND YEAH, ADD TO THAT PILOT.
'CAUSE I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WOULD CHANGE CHANGE.
IT JUST, YOU GET, YOU'D HAVE A MORE ROBUST DATA SET IF YOU, YOU KNOW, HAVE SOME MORE.
UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, I WOULD ALSO LOVE TO SEE THAT.
I DON'T KNOW, IS THAT, UM, ONE VEHICLE, IS IT STILL DOING DOWNTOWN ROUTE OR IS IT STARTED KIND OF ALTERNATING BETWEEN OTHER ROUTES? OR IS IT, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THAT VEHICLE'S TRAVELING TO.
I, I KNOW THAT THERE'S INCREASED UTILIZATION ON IT.
I KNOW INITIALLY IT WAS A DOWNTOWN ROUTE, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'VE EXPANDED TO BECAUSE
[00:50:01]
I JUST DON'T SEE THAT EVERY DAY MYSELF.UM, BUT I'LL GET MY NEW FRIEND HERE TO ASK.
BUT WE HAVE FRIENDS IN PLACES THAT WE'LL FIND OUT AND YEAH.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE 65%, JUST, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, 'CAUSE I'M, I'M, I'M PRETTY SURE I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS, BUT JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE THAT WAS WITH, WITHOUT KIND OF ADDING A TRANSFER STATION OR ANYTHING.
LIKE THAT WAS JUST STATUS QUO WITH A RR OPERATIONS AND I, YOU KNOW, SO IF THEY WERE TO, I KNOW THEY'VE BEEN TALKING FOR SEVERAL YEARS ABOUT WANTING TO TRANSFER STATION SO AS TO CUT DOWN THOSE ROUTES THAT 65% IS WITHOUT THAT AND THEN THAT WOULD EXPAND IT.
AND, AND I THINK THAT THE THRESHOLD WAS, UH, 70 MILES WAS, UH, ANY LESS THAN 70 MILES REPRESENTED THIS, THE THE 65%.
YEAH, I MEAN I THINK OBVIOUSLY LIKE HERE WE CARE A LOT ABOUT CARBON EMISSIONS AS YOU'VE IDENTIFIED.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF OTHER PIECE OF, I THINK WHAT WE TALK ABOUT A LOT IS AIR POLLUTION AND HEALTH AND YOU KNOW, THAT JUST KIND OF OVERALL, UM, YEAH, ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT.
AND OBVIOUSLY THOSE, THOSE BIG DIESEL TRUCKS THAT ARE KIND OF ALMOST IDLING DOWN OUR STREETS BASICALLY, UM, THERE'S HUGE OPPORTUNITY THERE FOR, FOR AIR POLLUTION.
SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THIS COMMISSION HAS ALREADY PASSED RESOLUTIONS AND STUFF AND SUPPORT.
SO YOU'VE, YOU'VE GOT, UM, GOOD SUPPORT HERE.
UM, DEFINITELY LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING.
WE APPRECIATE THAT, THAT IN PARTICULAR ADVANCE JUST 'CAUSE IT'S LIKE WE, WE FEEL THE SAME WAY.
WE APPRECIATE THAT AND THIS IS WHY WE LOVE PRESENTING TO YOU ALL AND WE KNOW THAT YOU ALL SHARE THE SAME ENTHUSIASM FOR ELECTRIFYING THAT FLEET THAT WE DO.
ONE LAST QUESTION, AND IT'S ON THE TOTAL OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM.
SO IT WAS ABOUT BIKING, UH, ON THE LADYBIRD LAKE TRAIL WITH MY, MY FAMILY, INCLUDING MY 6-YEAR-OLD THE OTHER DAY.
AND UH, ALONG COMES ONE OF THE, AGAIN, UH, I DON'T KNOW THOSE SMALL VEHICLES THAT THAT POWER USES ON TRAILS AND UH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS NOT ELECTRIC UNFORTUNATELY, AS IT SEEMS LIKE MOST OF 'EM DON'T SEEM TO BE.
AND YOU KNOW, MY KID COMMENTED ON IT RIGHT AWAY.
HE'S LIKE, WHY IS THAT NOT ELECTRIC? OH, THAT STINKS.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE SUCH A, A LOW HANGING FRUIT KIND OF OPPORTUNITY.
YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, SMALL VEHICLE, LOW SPEED, I KNOW THOSE EXIST AS ELECTRIC AND I DIDN'T REALLY SEE THAT HIGHLIGHTED ANYWHERE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY INSIGHT AS TO WHY ARE WE STILL USING GAS POWERED FOR THAT APPLICATION? THIS IS A GREAT QUESTION.
UH, THE, UH, UT V ATVS, UH, SMALL FOOTPRINT TYPE VEHICLES, MOST OF THOSE ARE, YOU KNOW, WITH, UH, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY TO GET INTO PLACES THAT THEY WOULDN'T NORMALLY BE ABLE TO GET AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE VEHICLE IN THERE.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BRING THE FOOTPRINT DOWN.
SO, UH, IN OTHER WORDS, LIKE, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, EMS HAS GONE TO AN ASAP UNIT.
THEY HAVE A MINI AMBULANCE NOW AT THIS POINT, BUT IT IS STILL INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT WHAT WE'RE WAITING ON NOW, IT, AND YOU CAN GET AN ELECTRIC UTV FOR SURE, THEY'RE THERE.
THE REAL QUESTION IS HOW DO WE RECHARGE THEM, RIGHT? IT'S LIKE IF YOU'RE GOING TO ISOLATE THESE VEHICLES DOWN TO A DOWNTOWN PATROL AND THEY COME BACK TO A SINGULAR LOCATION, WE'D BE HAPPY TO PUT SOME CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE THERE.
ONE PUBLIC SAFETY GROUP JUST MOVED OVER TO SOUTH MOPAC, NOW THEY'RE MOVING, BUT THEY STILL HAVE A DOWNTOWN PATROL AND THEY'RE KIND OF SCATTERED RIGHT NOW.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF WE CAN GO AHEAD AND PUT, IF WE PUT CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE SUBSTATIONS C WOULD THEY, COULD THEY DO THAT WITH SOME OF THOSE, UH, UTVS AND WOULD THE UTVS HAVE THE RANGE TO BE ABLE TO DO FULL WEEKEND OR EVENT, UH, LEVEL OPERATIONS IN THESE, THESE TRAILS THAT ARE OFF ROAD? SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE EXPLORING AND IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE ABSOLUTELY LOOKING AT.
AND I THINK, UH, THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS THAT ARE LOOKING AT TRYING TO REDUCE THE SIZE OF THE FLEET, MOVE TOWARDS THOSE U-T-V-A-T-V TYPE OPERATIONS AND THEN ELECTRIFY THEM WHERE WE CAN.
IT'S JUST THE RECHARGING OF THAT EQUIPMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY, UM, FRAGMENTED ON HOW AND WHERE THEY OPERATE.
BECAUSE YOU COULD THROW IT ON A TRAILER, TAKE IT OVER HERE, TAKE IT OVER THERE, AND UH, SO IF THERE'S NOT THAT CONSISTENT PLACE TO COME BACK TO AND CHARGE, THEN WE'VE GOTTA HAVE SOME KIND OF MOBILE CHARGING TO SUPPORT THEM.
SO THAT'S THE OPERATIONAL PIECE WE JUST HAVEN'T QUITE WORKED OUT FULLY YET.
BUT IT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND IT'S ABSOLUTELY THE DIRECTION WE'RE GOING.
SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT I I THINK THESE WERE LIKE PARK, THEY HAVE, YEAH, PARKS HAS 'EM AS WELL.
SO, UM, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THOSE AT LEAST PRIORITIZE.
I MEAN, I, I, I WANT 'EM ALL ELECTRIC.
'CAUSE AGAIN, IT SEEMS LIKE LOW HANGING FRUIT TO AN EXTENT.
UM, BUT THE, THE PARK ONES, I MEAN ESPECIALLY 'CAUSE PEOPLE ARE OUT EXERCISING IN THOSE SPACES AND
[00:55:01]
IT'S LIKE, BOY, THEN YOU ARE JUST BREATHING IN THAT EXHAUST.SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CAN MAYBE HELP NUDGE THEM ALONG OR WHATEVER, BUT UM, WE'LL TAKE A GOOD HARD LOOK AT 'EM.
CAN I ASK JUST ONE, SPEAKING OF EXHAUST, CAN I JUST ASK ONE MORE QUESTION PLEASE? UM, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, I'M NOT REALLY IN ON, UH, UPCOMING EV FLEET TECHNOLOGY, BUT ERES STILL USE GASOLINE FOR EITHER GENERATION, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, AND THEN I KNOW IT'S STILL KIND OF LIKE AN UP AND COMING TECHNOLOGY, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE ONE THAT YOU GUYS ARE INTERESTED IN.
UM, IS THERE ANY IDEA OF LIKE HOW MUCH GASOLINE A SINGLE VEHICLE WOULD USE IF IT WERE AN E REV? AND HOW MUCH WOULD THAT COMPARE TO LIKE THE BATTERY USE? YEAH, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT'S OUT THERE YET.
UM, I KNOW IT'S A REDUCED SIZE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE AND A REDUCED SIZE FUEL TANK.
UM, AND SO, UM, WE, THEY'RE JUST NOT ON THE MARKET YET, SO WE CAN'T SPEC 'EM OUT YET.
SO AS SOON AS WE FIND OUT MORE, I'D BE HAPPY TO COME BACK AND REPORT TO YOU ALL.
I THINK WE'RE ALL JUST WAITING FOR THE MARKET TO KIND OF DEVELOP A LITTLE BIT HERE.
IT SEEMED TO JUST WENT THROUGH SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT UPHEAVAL, UH, WITH THE AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURERS OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
I THINK THAT MIGHT HAVE POLITICAL, LIKE UNDERLINES, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, YOU DO AWAY WITH, YOU KNOW, CAFE STANDARDS GETTING ROLLED BACK, YOU KNOW, SO I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF, YOU KNOW, UH, A POLITICAL SWING MIGHT LEAD TO A DIFFERENT RESULT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
YOU KNOW, I REALIZE IT'LL TAKE A WHILE.
UM, AARON, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.
YOU OUTLINED SOME OF THE KIND OF REQUIREMENTS THAT YOU HAVE AND THE DILIGENCE THAT YOUR TEAM IS TAKING.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY, LIKE IF WE FALL SHORT OF THE FLEET ELECTRIFICATION GOALS, WHAT COULD YOU SEE BEING THE LIKELY CONTRIBUTORS TO KIND OF WHY WE DIDN'T MEET THE GOALS THAT WE, THAT YOU'VE SET OUT, UH, FOR A COUPLE YEARS FROM NOW? YEAH, I THINK SOME OF THE WILD CARDS FOR US ARE THE, THE OEM MANUFACTURERS, FOR EXAMPLE, FORD JUST SUDDENLY PULLING BACK AND GENERAL MOTORS DOING THE SAME THING, AND, UH, EVALUATING THAT TECHNOLOGY AND WITHOUT ACTUALLY HAVING A BRIDGE SOLUTION IN PLACE TO GO FROM WHERE WE ARE TO WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GO NEXT.
SO THEY LEFT US IN A, IN A, IN A, IN A MOMENT WHERE WE DON'T HAVE A, ANOTHER SOLUTION TO MOVE TO FOR PICKUP TRUCKS OR FOR THAT NEXT GENERATION BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS THE ENTIRE SUPPLY CHAIN, RIGHT? YOU, WHEN YOU'RE GETTING INTO THESE BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES, YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT MINING OPERATIONS.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, BRINGING THAT ALL BACK DOMESTICALLY OR CHIPPING, UH, PRECIOUS MINERALS FROM OVERSEAS, UH, THE MANUFACTURING PLANTS TO PRODUCE BATTERIES THAT THEY DON'T DO THAT IN THE SAME PLANT THAT THEY ACTUALLY MANUFACTURE THE VEHICLES IN AND JUST STANDING UP THE ENTIRE FRAMEWORK FOR THE BATTERY TECHNOLOGY.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT HAVE KIND OF BEEN HOLDING US BACK, AND THEY HAVE NOT SHOWN TO DATE THAT THEY ARE NOT WITHOUT SOME CONTROVERSY AND A ROCKY ROAD.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UM, THERE ARE SOME GOOD NEWS THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
YOU'VE GOT ALL THESE AUTONOMOUS MOBILITY VEHICLES THAT ARE RUNNING AROUND OUT HERE.
UM, YOU'VE GOT, THERE'S A TIPPING POINT THAT TAKES PLACE AT SOME POINT WITH THE AMOUNT OF BATTERY, ELECTRIC, AUTONOMOUS MOBILITY VEHICLES THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT, UM, THAT ARE GONNA DRIVE DEMAND IN THIS MARKET.
AND THAT SENDS A VERY CLEAR MESSAGE TO A FOR-PROFIT MANUFACTURER TO BUILD MORE OF THIS PRODUCT, RIGHT? SO THE, THE, THE APPETITE FOR MORE BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES IS THERE, AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING WITH THE INCREASED DEMAND IS THERE'S GONNA BE A TIPPING POINT AT SOME POINT WHERE IT'S GONNA BECOME THE NORM AS OPPOSED TO THE EXCEPTION TO THE RULE.
AND WE'RE SEEING THAT ALREADY HAPPEN TODAY, PARTICULARLY HERE IN AUSTIN.
I MEAN, WE'RE ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THAT, BUT, UH, SO MINING OPERATIONS, STANDING UP THE ENTIRE SUPPLY CHAIN BATTERIES, THE FOR-PROFIT COMPANIES, AND THEN OF COURSE REGULATION, UM, AND POLICY AND OVERALL GOVERNANCE OVER THE, OVER BATTERY ELECTRIFICATION.
UM, WHAT ARE WE DOING, UM, WITH REQUIRING BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES TO BE USED AS OPPOSED TO, FROM A REGULATORY STANDPOINT AS OPPOSED TO TODAY IT'S VOLUNTARY.
YOU KNOW, YOU COULD SAY IN THESE AREAS IT'LL BE BATTERY ELECTRIC ONLY AND NOT INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE ANYWHERE IN THIS PARTICULAR VICINITY.
I MEAN, THERE IS, THERE ARE SOME REGULATORY STEPS THAT COULD BE TAKEN, UH, THAT WOULD BE STATED.
AND I'M KIND OF GETTING OFF ON INTO GROUND THAT I'M NOT, SHOULDN'T BE REALLY TALKING, BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FROM A REGULATORY STANDPOINT TO PUSH BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE, UH, ADOPTION.
[01:00:01]
IT SOUNDS LIKE HAVING SOME SORT OF MONITORING OF, UH, INDUSTRY DEMAND BY KIND OF PURE CITIES AND THAT MIGHT KIND OF INFLUENCE, UM, THE PROCUREMENT OF, OF OUR OWN, UM, YOU KNOW, AS IT MIGHT GET EVEN MORE DIFFICULT AS MORE PEOPLE START KIND OF GOING INTO THE MARKET, AND LIKE YOU SAID, IF IT BECOMES A REQUIREMENT.SO I'D BE INTERESTED TO KIND OF, UH, CONTINUE THAT DISCUSSION OFFLINE TO SEE HOW WE'RE MONITORING THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE NEED TO BE RESPONSIVE, THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO SO.
YEAH, I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE BENCHMARK OURSELVES, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS A CITY FLEET NATIONALLY EVERY YEAR.
AND, UH, UH, AND, UH, WE SIT ON A NUMBER OF COMMITTEES THAT ARE NATIONAL, UH, UH, COMMITTEES THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY A KEY CONTRIBUTOR.
AND AUSTIN HAS A BIG VOICE, UH, NATIONALLY WITH THE ADOPTION OF BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE ARE ONE OF THE LEADING CITIES IN THE NATION.
UH, OUR BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE PROGRAM IS NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED.
AND, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WANT US TO COME AND, AND SHARE OUR EXPERIENCE.
AND I'LL TELL YOU THAT IT'S, UH, UM, WE REALLY BENEFIT FROM HAVING, UM, A REALLY GOOD COHESIVE GOVERNANCE, OVERALL GOVERNANCE FROM THIS COMMITTEE TO THE CITY COUNCIL, TO THE OVERALL DIRECTION FROM OUR EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP IN THE CITY.
EVERYBODY IS UNIFIED IN A SINGULAR DIRECTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
UM, AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE IN EVERY CITY.
JOANNE, I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THAT WAS VERY THOROUGH AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT HAVING GONE THROUGH THIS WITH CAP METRO THIS YEAR WITH OUR ADDITIONAL, UM, CHARGING STATIONS.
UH, THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD, UM, BRING UP, ONLY BECAUSE, UH, I KNOW WE DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT DURING THAT TIME, BUT, UM, FOR SOME OF YOUR LARGER VEHICLES, UM, HOW THEY WOULD PERFORM IN HEAT.
SO AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT GLOBAL WARMING, UM, AND HIGHER TEMPERATURES, UH, HERE IN TEXAS, UM, ESPECIALLY, UM, OUR AREA, UM, WHERE SOME OF THOSE LARGER VEHICLES COULD BE AFFECTED BY, UM, BY THE HEAT AND CHARGING, UM, DEFINITELY ADD THAT TO YOUR, TO YOUR ALREADY OVERLOADED LIST OF THINGS THAT YOU'RE MONITORING.
BUT, UM, JUST APPRECIATED YOUR THOROUGHNESS.
UH, THIS IS REALLY GREAT, THE, A GOOD DIRECTION AND, UH, SIMILAR TO WHAT, UM, OTHERS HAVE SAID ON THE QUESTIONS THAT, UH, YOU'VE BEEN ANSWERING.
UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT, NEXT PHASE OF, UH, OF THIS.
I, LIKE I SAID, I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP THE TEMPERATURE, UH, AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL, THAT WOULD ALSO HELP, UH, GUIDE YOU AS YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT.
ANY OTHER FINAL QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, RICK, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
YOU, Y'ALL ARE DOING GREAT WORK AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THAT NEXT REFUSE TRUCK OUT ON THE ROAD.
AND, AND I'M GONNA TELL MY SON TON THAT, THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON GETTING THOSE, UH, THOSE VEHICLES OUT ON THE TRAIL ELECTRIFIED
[3. Staff briefing on the Austin Climate Revolving Fund. Presentation by Phillip Duran, Senior Climate Analyst, Austin Climate Action and Resilience]
WE'VE GOT, UH, PHILIP DURAN WHO IS GONNA BE PRESENTING ON AUSTIN'S CLIMATE REVOLVING FUND.THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE ALSO TAKEN ACTION ON IN THE PAST, SO EXCITING TO SEE IT MOVING FORWARD.
JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I AM PHILIP DRAWN, SENIOR CLIMATE ANALYST FOR AUSTIN CLIMATE ACTION RESILIENCE, AND I HAVE BEEN LEADING ESTABLISHMENT AND EARLY OPERATIONS OF THE CLIMATE REVOLVING FUND FOR THE LAST YEAR.
I'M HERE TODAY TO GIVE YOU ALL AN UPDATE ON THAT.
UH, WE'LL START OUT WITH A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND HOW WE GOT HERE.
I THINK YOU ALL ARE PROBABLY PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH ALL THAT, GIVEN THAT YOU'RE INSTRUMENTAL IN, IN MAKING THAT PROGRESS.
UM, I'LL SAY THE WORK, I'LL, I'LL DESCRIBE THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE TO DATE.
I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR PLANS FOR, UH, ORGANIZING AND EARLY OPERATIONS OF THE FUND.
I'LL DESCRIBE A LONG TERM ROADMAP AND THEN I'LL GO OVER IMMEDIATE NEXT STEPS.
SO ESTABLISHING A CLIMATE REVOLVING FUND AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS PART OF A GREATER EFFORT TO START TO REFRAME CLIMATE PROJECTS AS INVESTMENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THINGS, ACTIONS THAT WE CAN TAKE AS, AS AN ORGANIZATION AND AS AS A COMMUNITY THAT NOT ONLY MEET OUR CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL TARGETS, BUT ALSO POTENTIALLY SAVE, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN ORGANIZATION MONEY AND, AND THE COMMUNITY MONEY AT LARGE.
UM, THIS SOLVES SEVERAL PROBLEMS FOR US.
UH, AS WE KNOW, UH, WE HAVE NOT ALWAYS HAD A SURPLUS OF DEDICATED FUNDS FOR CLIMATE PROJECTS.
[01:05:01]
OUR DEPARTMENTS OF PARTNERS DO CLIMATE WORK, UM, BUT FUNDS DEDICATED TO CLIMATE ACTION ITSELF HAS NOT ALWAYS, UH, BEEN ABUNDANT.UM, RICK WAS JUST HERE TALKING ABOUT EMERGING TECHNOLOGY.
THERE'S EMERGING TECHNOLOGY ACROSS ALL SECTORS AND, UH, AND RENEWABLES AND, AND CLIMATE SOLUTIONS, TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS AND RESILIENCE.
AND THIS IS A GOOD MOMENT IN TIME TO BE INVESTING IN THOSE THINGS.
AND THEN AS BUDGETS TIGHTEN ACROSS OUR ORGANIZATION, UM, WE ALSO HAVE A GREATER NEED TO REDUCE OPERATIONAL COSTS.
SO I REALLY SEE THIS AS THE RIGHT SOLUTION AT THE RIGHT TIME, UM, AND, AND A GOOD MOMENT TO MAKE IT HAPPEN BECAUSE I THINK, QUITE FRANKLY, IF WE DIDN'T MAKE IT HAPPEN IN THIS MOMENT IN TIME, UH, IT MIGHT BE MORE DIFFICULT TO HAPPEN, UH, MORE DIFFICULT TO MAKE HAPPEN FISCALLY AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO A REMINDER HERE OF THE HISTORY, UM, LATE LAST YEAR, CITY COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER AND AUSTIN CLIMATE ACTION RESILIENCE, AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO ESTABLISH A REVOLVING FUND.
UH, THE CITY MANAGER MADE IT A TOP, UH, 25 PRIORITY FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026.
AND THE SHORT VERSION OF BOTH OF THOSE DIRECTIVES IS THAT THE FUND SHOULD PAY FOR PROJECTS THAT ONE, REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, AND TWO, CREATE SAVINGS, AND THEN CAPTURE THOSE SAVINGS TO PUT BACK IN THE FUND TO REINVEST IN MORE PROJECTS IN A SNOWBALLING VIRTUOUS CYCLE, UM, THAT KEEPS CLIMATE ACTION FUNDED AND MOVING FORWARD AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO WHILE THIS IS A NEW CONCEPT TO US, A NEW EFFORT FOR US AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, IT IS NOT A NOVEL, UH, FORMAT THROUGHOUT THE REST OF NORTH AMERICA AND THE WORLD.
UH, I DID A BRIEF AND FORMAL SURVEY OF OTHER PUBLIC ENTITIES IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA, YOU KNOW, CITIES, COUNTIES, UH, UNIVERSITIES, PUBLIC TRANSIT AUTHORITIES, FOLKS LIKE THAT.
AND I ESTIMATE THAT THERE ARE ABOUT 2000 REVOLVING FUNDS OF A SIMILAR MODEL ACROSS THE US.
UM, UM, CAN WE GO BACK PLEASE? SO I WOULD SAY THAT EACH ONE OF THOSE MODELS IS LOCALLY CUSTOM, UH, BESPOKE TO THAT, THEIR RULES, THEIR NEEDS, THEIR PRIORITIES, AND UH, THEIR LIMITATIONS.
AND WE ARE DOING THE SAME THING HERE IN AUSTIN.
WE HAVE OUR OWN SET OF PRIORITIES AND NEEDS AND LIMITATIONS, BUT WE ARE LEARNING FROM THESE OTHER GROUPS, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET IT RIGHT.
UH, ON, ON THE SHORT TERM FOR US, AND I WOULD SAY IN PARTICULAR, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND HARRIS COUNTY, WE'RE INSTRUMENTAL TO OUR EARLY PROGRESS.
UH, WE'RE IN REGULAR CONTACT WITH THEM.
THEY'VE HAD HEALTHY FUNCTIONAL REVOLVING FUNDS FOR I BELIEVE, 15 YEARS IN THE CASE OF SAN ANTONIO, AND FIVE TO 10 YEARS IN THE CASE OF HARRIS COUNTY.
AND THEY WERE GREAT REGIONAL PARTNERS IN MAKING SURE THAT WE GOT OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT HERE.
SO I'D LIKE TO GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR THAT.
SO DOWN TO THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS, WHAT'S NOT ON THIS TIMELINE IS THE TAX RATE ELECTION LAST NOVEMBER.
UH, I THINK WE'RE ALL PROBABLY AWARE THAT THERE WERE LOTS OF THINGS IN THERE THAT, UM, WE WERE HOPEFUL FOR INITIATIVES THAT COULD HAPPEN AT THE CITY.
AND ONE OF THEM WAS SEED FUNDING FOR THE, THE REVOLVING FUND THAT, UH, THE TAX REELECTION WAS NOT VOTED UP BY AUSTIN'S RESIDENTS, BUT THE DIRECTIVES FROM CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY MANAGER REMAINED A PRIORITY.
AND SO IN EARLY 2026, WE BEGAN ASSEMBLING ALL THE RELEVANT, UH, PARTIES TO GET CREATIVE AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WE COULD DO TO GET THE FUND ESTABLISHED IN THE CURRENT SITUATION.
WE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS THERE.
UH, WE FOUND A LOT OF SOLUTIONS.
AND IN JUNE, 2026, AUSTIN FACILITIES MANAGEMENT HIRED A NEW ASSET MANAGER, UH, TO PARTNER WITH US ON ESTABLISHING THE FUND.
UH, AND ALONG WITH THAT, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAD BEEN MEETING, WE GOT ALIGNED ON A PHASE APPROACH TO HOW WE WOULD ESTABLISH A REVOLVING FUND, STARTING WITH, UH, UH, AS A SMALL PROOF, PROOF OF CONCEPT PILOT PHASE, AND THEN EXPANDING OUTWARD FROM THERE.
I'LL GET INTO MORE DETAIL ON THAT LATER IN.
IN AUGUST OF 2026, CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED, UH, THEIR FISCAL YEAR 27 BUDGET, WHICH INCLUDED SEED MONEY FOR THE REVOLVING FUND.
THAT WAS A MILLION DOLLARS IN CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION AND $500,000 IN ONE TIME CASH EFFECTIVELY CREATING THE FUND AS OF THE START OF THE NEW FISCAL YEAR.
WE ARE HOPEFUL FOR THE, UH, ADDITION OF ADDITION OF MORE CAPITAL TO THE REVOLVING FUND, UH, TO INCREASE OUR ABILITY TO FUND PROJECTS, UH, IN THE FORM OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY REBATES THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND, AND AUSTIN ENERGY.
AND THEN ALSO, AS THE SOLAR AND CITY FACILITIES PROJECT GETS ESTABLISHED AND BEGINS GENERATING REVENUE IN THE FORM OF LICENSE PAYMENTS OR WHATEVER ELSE, UH, THAT REVENUE COULD ALSO FLOW TO THE REVOLVING FUND.
WE'RE STILL WORKING OUT THE DETAILS THERE.
LOTS OF THINGS HAVE TO COME INTO PLACE, BUT THE HOPE IS THAT THOSE SOURCES COULD ALSO SUPPORT THE REVOLVING FUND.
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AND NOW WE ARE IN, UM, OCTOBER NOW, UH, BUT, UH, STARTING IN EARLY OPERATIONS, UH, FOR THE REVOLVING FUND, UH, WE FORMED A STEERING COMMITTEE, UH, THAT'S WORKING ON FINALIZING THE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE, DEVELOPING A PROCESS FOR, UH, IDENTIFYING AND PRIORITIZING PROJECTS TO FUND.AND, UH, A UPDATE WAS ALSO GIVEN TO THE COUNCIL OF CLIMATE WATER ENVIRONMENT AND PARKS COMMITTEE IN LATE SEPTEMBER.
THIS IS A MAP OF ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS RELATIVE TO THE REVOLVING FUND.
UM, IN THE CENTER OF THE WEB, YOU'LL SEE THE STEERING COMMITTEE, UH, I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THEM ON THE NEXT SLIDE, BUT IT IS REALLY THE JOB OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE TO COMMUNICATE OUT IN ALL DIRECTIONS, UP TO CITY LEADERSHIP AND TO CITY COUNCIL AND COMMUNICATE APPROACH AND DIRECTION TO, UM, IMPLEMENTING DEPARTMENTS AND PARTNERS, AS WELL AS TAKE FEEDBACK DIRECTION FROM OUR LEADERSHIP AND FROM OUR, OUR, UH, PARTNERS.
I'LL NOTE, AND WE'LL GET INTO THIS MORE LATER AS WELL, THAT IN PHASE ONE, WE'RE FOCUSING ON O FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AS OUR, OUR MAJOR IMPLEMENTING PARTNER.
BUT WE HAVE DESIGNS ON EXPANDING TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS LATER ON.
AND AS OF RIGHT NOW, IT'S STAFF FROM CLIMATE ACTION RESILIENCE AND FACILITIES MANAGEMENT THAT ARE HANDLING ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES AND ULTIMATELY ENERGY MANAGER, UH, ENERGY VERIFICATION DUTIES, UH, MYSELF INCLUDED, MOVING FORWARD.
SO HERE'S THE COMPOSITION OF THE REVOLVING FUND STEERING COMMITTEE.
UH, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT IT'S SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS FROM CLIMATE ACTION RESILIENCE, UH, FACILITIES, ENERGY AND, UH, BUDGET AND FINANCE.
THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT WE REALLY FELT LIKE WE NEEDED TO HAVE AT THE TABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ASKING AND ANSWERING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.
UH, WE'VE BEEN MEETING FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW, UM, OR PROGRESSING SEVERAL, SEVERAL OF THE PRIORITIES LISTED THERE ON THE RIGHT.
BUT IN SHORT, THE TASK GIVEN TO THE STEERING COMMITTEE IS TO ESTABLISH THE FUND AND TO NAVIGATE EARLY OPERATIONS.
UM, AND SO THAT INCLUDES A FEW THINGS THAT I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY.
FINALIZING THE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE, UM, DEVELOPING A PROCESS AND, UH, DEVELOPING CRITERIA FOR PROJECT SELECTION, UM, EVALUATING THOSE PROJECTS AND ULTIMATELY PICKING THEM.
AND THEN AS THOSE PROJECTS ARE IMPLEMENTED, AND WE START TO SEE THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION REDUCTIONS IN SAVINGS TO REVIEW AND VERIFY THOSE SAVINGS.
AND THEN MOVING ON LONGER TERM, BIG PICTURE, IT'S REALLY THE, THE JOB OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE TO SUPPORT THE FUND, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THE RIGHT STAKEHOLDERS ARE KEPT IN THE LOOP AND COMMUNICATED WITH, AND TO GET CREATIVE IN MAKING THE FUND HEALTHY AND VIABLE LONG TERM.
SO THE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE, IT'S A DOCUMENT THAT HAS HAD MANY FOLKS COLLABORATE ON IT.
UM, IT'S A WORKING DRAFT THAT WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO FINALIZING, BUT THE HIGHLIGHTS ARE THAT IT OUTLINES HOW THE FUND SHOULD OPERATE FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE, HOW THE FUND SHOULD SPEND ITS MONEY, THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FUND PROJECTS, HOW REVENUE SHOULD BE CALCULATED, GENERATED, CAPTURED, FED BACK INTO THE FUND.
AND, UH, ESTABLISHES GUIDELINES THAT ARE ALIGNED WITH OUR EXISTING BEST PRACTICES FOR MEASURING CLIMATE IMPACTS AND, UH, FINANCIAL SAVINGS.
IT ALSO DEFINES ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE STAKEHOLDERS, UH, RELATIVE TO THE REVOLVING FUND AND DELEGATES CERTAIN AUTHORITIES TO THE STEERING COMMITTEE.
AND, UH, VERY IMPORTANT AT THIS STAGE FOR THE REVOLVING FUND, IT SETS FUND HEALTH AND GROWTH AS OUR EARLY PRIORITY.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FUNDING GOOD PROJECTS THAT REVOLVE AND GIVE US THE ABILITY TO CONTINUE TO, UH, FUND ADDITIONAL PROJECTS IN THE FUTURE.
ALSO IMPORTANT, IT ALLOWS FOR REVISIONS TO THE OPERATIONS.
YOU KNOW, I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THIS RIGHT, BUT, UH, IT WILL PROBABLY BE AN ITERATIVE PROCESS, ESPECIALLY AS OPERATIONS EXPAND.
AND SO WE ALLOW FOR THAT IN THE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE AND, UH, AND, UH, COMPLIANCE WITH THE RESOLUTION THAT DIRECTED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FUND.
IT ALSO DESCRIBES THE ANNUAL REPORT OUT TO THE CLIMATE WATER ENVIRONMENT PARKS COMMITTEE.
I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY THE PROJECT SELECTION CRITERIA.
UH, THE STEERING COMMITTEE HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS, PUTTING A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO IT.
UM, ALL OF THE DIFFERENT, UH, FOLKS IN THAT COMMITTEE KIND OF BRING THEIR OWN AREA OF EXPERTISE.
AND WE HAVE LANDED ON THIS AS OUR INITIAL APPROACH TO, UH, PRIORITIZING, EVALUATING, AND ULTIMATELY SELECTING, UH, PROJECTS FOR THE REVOLVING FUND.
SO THE FIRST TWO THERE, FINANCIAL
[01:15:01]
VALUE AND CLIMATE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, THOSE ARE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE DIRECTION FROM THE RESOLUTION THAT CREATED THE FUND AND FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S DIRECTION.SO PROJECTS THAT SAVE MONEY AND REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
BUT IN KIND OF GOING THROUGH THE THOUGHT PROCESS WITH THE STEERING COMMITTEE, WE REALIZED THAT OUR EVALUATION APPROACH SHOULD PROBABLY BE A BIT MORE HOLISTIC THAN THAT, UM, ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS IS SUCH A VISIBLE PROJECT.
AND SO WE'RE ALSO CONSIDERING UTILITY EFFICIENCY, UM, THINGS LIKE KILOWATT HOURS, REDUCED NATURAL GAS, REDUCED PEAK DEMAND REDUCED, WHICH IS A PRETTY HIGH PRIORITY FOR OUR UTILITY.
AND THEN FROM A PRACTICAL PERSPECTIVE, NEED AND READINESS IS IMPORTANT.
LIKE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROJECTS ARE SERVING A PURPOSE THAT MIGHT ALREADY EXIST, AND WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE RELATIVELY SHOVEL READY IF POSSIBLE.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, FOR CLIMATE ACTION RESILIENCE, THE REASON THAT WE DO ALL THAT, WE DO THAT WORK AND ARGUABLY THAT WE DO ALL OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE WORK THAT WE DO WITH THE CITY, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
AND SO WE DIDN'T WANNA LEAVE THAT OUT OF CONSIDERATION.
SO UNDERNEATH EACH ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES, WE'VE DEVELOPED MORE GRANULAR, MORE DETAILED CRITERIA.
SOME OF THEM ARE QUANTITATIVE, NUMERICAL BASED.
SOME OF THEM ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE DISCUSSION BASED, LEANING ON THE EXPERTISE, UH, OF THE MEMBERS OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE.
BUT THE HIGH LEVEL PROCESS WILL BE THAT WE WILL PUT ALL THE FACTS TOGETHER.
WE'LL ASK FOR INPUT FROM THE STEERING COMMITTEE, UH, LEAN ON THEIR EXPERTISE, WE WILL EVALUATE ASYNCHRONOUSLY INDEPENDENTLY, AND THEN THE STEERING COMMITTEE WILL CONVENE TO, UH, PICK, PUT TOGETHER A PACKAGE OF PROJECTS TO FUND FOR THIS INITIAL PHASE.
THERE'S A LOT, A LOT GOING ON ON THIS SLIDE, A LOT OF BOXES.
UM, BUT THIS IS A VISUALIZATION OF THE STEPS DESCRIBED IN THE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE OF HOW THE FUND WILL OPERATE.
UM, I'LL TOUCH MORE ON THIS, BUT WE'RE IN PHASE ONE RIGHT NOW.
AND AS MENTIONED BEFORE, THAT IS INCLUDING AWESOME FACILITIES MANAGEMENT IN THEIR BUILDINGS NOW DOING ENERGY EFFICIENCY UPGRADES AT THEIR BUILDINGS LATER ON.
IT, IT'LL, IT'LL INCLUDE ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, UM, BUT FROM THOSE GROUPS WILL FLOW THE WHOLE UNIVERSE OF POSSIBLE PRO PROJECTS THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY FUND FROM THE REVOLVING FUND.
UM, SOME MEMBERS OF THE REVOLVING OR, UH, SOME MEMBERS OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE, UM, THE FOLKS THAT ARE GETTING CERTIFIED AS ENERGY MANAGERS, WE'LL DO AN INITIAL PASS AT THOSE PROJECTS, TAKE A LOOK AT, UM, WHAT FEELS LIKE GOOD FITS BASED ON DIFFERENT CRITERIA THAT WE CAN QUICKLY EVALUATE, AND THEN CREATE A SHORTER LIST TO PUT, UH, IN FRONT OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE.
UM, THE STEERING COMMITTEE WILL GET DEEPER INTO THE DETAILS, UM, FOR EVALUATION BASELINE, PRE-PROJECT ENERGY BILLS, WHICH IS PRETTY IMPORTANT FOR CAPTURING SAVINGS.
AND THEN ESTIMATE TO FORECAST THE LONG-TERM FINANCIAL SAVINGS AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION REDUCTION.
AND AS I MENTIONED ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, THEN WE WOULD GET INTO PROJECT SELECTION, WHICH INCLUDES EVALUATION AND THEN A MEETING TO PICK THEM, AND THEN ULTIMATELY PUT THOSE, UH, INITIAL PROJECT SELECTIONS IN FRONT OF OUR EXECUTIVE ADVISORS, UM, FOR AWARENESS AND BUY-IN.
AND THEN WE'RE OFF TO IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECTS.
UH, THOSE PROJECTS WILL BE FUNDED BY THE REVOLVING FUND, AND ONCE COMPLETED, ONCE THEY INTERRUPTION INTEROPERATION, UM, THE REVOLVING FUND WOULD BEGIN, UH, CAPTURING THE SAVINGS GENERATED BY THOSE ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROJECTS.
AND THEN THERE'S JUST A CYCLE THAT GOES ON FOR THE ENTIRE, UH, LIFETIME OF THAT ASSET.
UM, PROBABLY ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
UH, I THINK THAT'S THE MOST, UH, SECURE WAY TO CAPTURE SAVINGS.
UM, BUT EVERY TIME, EVERY, EVERY TIME THERE'S A BILL, WE'VE GOT AN ESTIMATE FOR THE AMOUNT OF SAVINGS THAT THE PROJECT GENERATED, AND THAT WOULD BE TRANSFERRED TO THE FUND AND IT WOULD ACCUMULATE OVER TIME.
AND THE, THE LAST STEP IS TO RETURN TO STEP ONE, BUT I THINK IN THE HOPEFULLY NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE, WHEN THE FUND IS HEALTHY AND SAVINGS ARE ROLLING IN AND THERE ARE MULTIPLE REVENUE SOURCES, IT WOULD REALLY BE A ROLLING PROCESS.
UH, WHEN THERE'S A PROJECT WITH NEED AND IS A, MEETS SEVERAL OF THE PRI UH, OF THE HIGH PRIORITY CRITERIA, AND THERE'S ENOUGH MONEY IN THE FUND TO, UH, PAY FOR IT, WE WOULD, WE WOULD CONSIDER IT.
WE'D, UH, GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
AGAIN, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE PROJECT.
IT'S ILLUSTRATIVE, NOT A REAL PROJECT THAT WE'VE GOT ON THE COMING DOWN THE DOCKET, BUT IT'S PRETTY CLOSE TO WHAT WE COULD EXPECT FROM A REAL PROJECT.
UM, LED UH, LIGHT RETROFITS ARE GENERALLY PRETTY GOOD.
UH, CANDIDATES, YOU KNOW, IN THE ABATEMENT CURVE, THEY'RE ONE OF THOSE LOWEST HANGING FRUITS, FRUITS THAT ALWAYS PAY FOR THEMSELVES, UH, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF LIGHT THAT THEY'RE REPLACING.
AND SO HERE YOU CAN KIND OF SEE HOW THE ECONOMICS WORK.
UM, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT UPFRONT INVESTMENT, UM, AND THEN SAVINGS SLOWLY
[01:20:01]
START TO ACCRUE OVER TIME.AND IN THIS PARTICULAR EXAMPLE, A SIMPLE PAYBACK PERIOD IS AROUND SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS.
BUT BECAUSE THE USEFUL LIFETIME OF THE ASSET IS ESTIMATED TO BE CLOSER TO 20 YEARS, ONCE YOU'VE PAID OFF THE INITIAL INVESTMENT, ALL OF THE REST IS REVENUE, IS IS GRAVY, AS IT WERE.
AND SO ON A PROJECT LIKE THIS OF THIS SCALE, WE COULD EXPECT THE FUND TO RECAPTURE, UH, SOMETHING LIKE $170,000 IN IN PROFIT.
THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER FACTORS HERE THAT GO INTO PLAY, BUT, UM, IT IS A CONCEPT THAT DOES WORK IN PRACTICE AND THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA PROVE OUT.
AN IMPORTANT THING HERE, AND I'LL, YOU'LL HEAR ME SAY THIS MAYBE EVEN A COUPLE MORE TIMES, IS THAT IT'S CRITICAL THAT AS PROJECTS PAY THEMSELVES BACK AND AS THEY, THE ENERGY EFFICIENCIES ARE REALIZED AND THE UTILITY BILLS DECREASE AS A RESULT, THAT THE BUDGET ALLOCATIONS THAT GO TO PAYING THOSE UTILITY BILLS STAY CONSTANT SO THAT THE, THE REVOLVING FUND CAN CONTINUE TO CAPTURE THE DIFFERENCE AND IT CAN STAY, UH, VIABLE MOVING FORWARD.
THAT'S A BIG RECOMMENDATION WE GOT FROM OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS AND OTHER FOLKS THAT HAVE RUN REVOLVING FUNDS AND IS A HURDLE THAT, OR, UH, A STUMBLING BLOCK THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO, UM, TO GET AROUND.
YEAH, I MENTIONED EARLIER THE PHASED APPROACH.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE IN PHASE ONE OR THE PROOF OF CONCEPT PHASE.
UM, IT'S ABOUT FINDING A SMALL SET OF REALLY GOOD PROJECTS TO, UH, DEVELOP THE MUSCLE MEMORY AND THE KNOW-HOW THE CITY OF AUSTIN ON HOW REVOLVING FUND WORKS, UH, TO WORK WITH AUSTIN FACILITIES MANAGEMENT ON, ON THOSE PROJECTS.
UH, GENERALLY ENERGY EFFICIENCY UPGRADES TO GET ALL OF OUR PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES IN PLACE, AND THEN TO NORMALIZE THEM ON THE WAY THAT WE'RE GONNA DO THIS AS IT'S, AS OPERATIONS GET LARGER AND HOPEFULLY THE FUND GROWS.
PART OF THAT IS ALSO BRINGING DEPARTMENTS ALONG THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY IMPLEMENTERS, BUT THAT WE VERY MUCH PLAN AND HOPE WILL BE IMPLEMENTERS IN THE FUTURE, GETTING THEM FAMILIAR WITH THE WORKFLOW, THE PROCESS, AND WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE, AND THEN EXPAND TO THOSE DEPARTMENTS IN PHASE TWO.
IT'S ALSO WORTH NOTING THAT IF EVERYTHING GOES ACCORDING TO PLAN, SOLAR RUN CITY FACILITIES PROJECT WILL BE GENERATING REVENUE, UH, ESPECIALLY THE SOLAR STANDARD OFFER, UH, INSTALLATIONS IN, IN PHASE TWO IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
AND THE CURRENT PLAN IS TO HAVE THOSE LEASE, UH, LICENSE PAYMENTS FLOW TO THE REVOLVING FUND AS WELL, WHICH COULD BE A WELCOME AND LIKELY AT THAT PHASE NEEDED INJECTION OF CAPITAL.
PROBABLY IN PHASE TWO, WE'RE STILL FOCUSING ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROJECTS AS WELL.
IT'S JUST THE TYPE OF WORK THAT WE REALLY KNOW HOW TO DO WITH THE CITY.
UM, IT'S PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD AND UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT IN PHASE THREE, ONCE THE FUND IS HEALTHY AND IT'S GROWING AND WE'RE SUPPORTING A BUNCH OF HIGH VALUE PROJECTS, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPAND THE POSSIBILITIES TO OTHER THINGS POTENTIALLY FOR THAT FLEET.
ELECTRIFICATION, CHARGING NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS, THINGS THAT CAN BOTH ACHIEVE OUR, UH, OUR CLIMATE GOALS AND, UH, BE CAPITALIZED, UH, TO SUPPORT THE FUND.
AND, AND THAT'S NOT JUST ASPIRATIONAL.
THERE ARE OTHER EXAMPLES OF, UH, REVOLVING FUNDS THAT HAVE GOTTEN CREATIVE WITH LIKE TREE PLANTING AND, AND THEY'VE MADE IT WORK FOR THEIR, UH, THEIR PURPOSES.
SO SOMETHING THAT IS ON THE HORIZON, MAYBE DISTANT HORIZON, BUT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE THINKING OF NOW COMING BACK TO TODAY.
UH, IMMEDIATE NEXT STEPS ARE, ARE THINGS THAT, UH, ARE NEAR TERM MILESTONES.
UH, WE DID REPORT OUT TO THE CLIMATE WATER ENVIRONMENT PARKS COMMITTEE IN LATE SEPTEMBER, AND WE ARE CURRENTLY, UH, ACTIVELY WORKING ON FINALIZING THE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE AND THE PROJECT SELECTION PROCESSING CRITERIA.
AND WE'VE ALSO REPORTED OUT TO ALL OF THE NON FACILITIES MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENTS AT A QUARTERLY CLIMATE ACTION RESILIENCE TEAM MEETING WITH A HUNDRED OR SO ATTENDEES FROM LOTS AND LOTS OF DEPARTMENTS AROUND THE CITY TO KEEP THEM IN THE LOOP ON WHERE WE ARE, UM, WHAT WE'RE DOING NEXT, AND WHAT OUR, OUR FUTURE PLANS ARE.
AND IT WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED THERE.
IT WAS GOOD RECEPTION FROM THOSE FOLKS.
THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES HERE.
UM, FROM NOW THROUGH THE REST OF THE YEAR, OUR FOCUS IS REALLY ON FINDING THOSE PROJECTS, GETTING, GETTING A PROCESS IN PLACE THAT'S GOOD, UH, FAIR, TRANSPARENT AND, AND YIELDS REALLY GOOD PROJECTS, UH, THAT CAN HELP SUPPORT THE FUND AND THEN IMPLEMENT THOSE PROJECTS IN 2027, UH, GET 'EM DONE, UM, MONITOR THE UTILITY BILLS, CAPTURE THE SAVINGS, MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT THE FINANCIAL MECHANISMS IN PLACE TO GET THE MONEY FLOWING BACK TO THE FUND, AND THEN ITERATE ON OUR PROCESS AND, UM, IF EVERYTHING GOES ACCORDING TO PLAN, MOVE ON TO PHASE TWO.
SO A COUPLE HIGH LEVEL TAKEAWAYS FROM GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
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I MENTIONED THAT I'VE BEEN LEADING THE PROJECT FOR THE LAST YEAR.IT, THAT TIME HAS FLOWN BY, IT'S BEEN A SPRINT.
UM, BUT IT SHOWED THAT WITH THE RIGHT MOTIVATION AND THE RIGHT FOLKS AT THE TABLE, YOU KNOW, INTERDEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION AND PROBLEM SOLVING, GETTING CREATIVE IS, IS POSSIBLE.
AND I THINK THAT THE REVOLVING FUND IS POTENTIALLY A MODEL FOR THAT.
UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN EVERYBODY IS ALIGNED BETWEEN LEADERSHIP ELECTEDS AND, UH, AND THE RIGHT, UM, DIRECTORS AND LEADERS AT OUR DEPARTMENTS.
ALSO, I MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, I THINK THAT THIS IS REALLY THE RIGHT SOLUTION FOR THE RIGHT TIME.
IF WE DIDN'T MAKE THE CLIMATE REVOLVING FUND HAPPEN NOW, I'M NOT SURE THAT IT EVER WOULD'VE HAPPENED.
I ACTUALLY MADE MY INITIAL PITCH FOR REVOLVING FUND, I THINK BACK IN 2022.
SO THIS HAS BEEN A, A, A GOAL OF MINE FOR A WHILE, AND IT'S REALLY NICE TO SEE IT COME
UM, AND, AND I THINK THAT IN THE CURRENT FISCAL ENVIRONMENT, IT IS A USEFUL WAY TO REFRAME THE CONVERSATION THAT CLIMATE ACTION IS AN INVESTMENT, UM, BOTH IN OUR FUTURE, BUT ALSO IN THE BOTTOM LINE.
AND, UH, CLIMATE ACTION THAT CAN SAVE THE CITY MONEY ARE THE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING.
AND, AND WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT MORE CREATIVE WAYS TO DO THAT AND SHOW THAT.
UM, AND LASTLY, UH, WE HAVE $1.5 MILLION IN SEED FUNDING.
THAT MAYBE SOUNDS LIKE A LOT TO YOU, MAYBE A DOESN'T.
I THINK ON THE SCALE OF AN ORGANIZATION LIKE THE CITY OF AUSTIN, IT'S ACTUALLY NOT THAT MUCH MONEY.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PICK GOOD PROJECTS THAT HOPEFULLY REVOLVE VERY QUICKLY, BUT IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO BOTH IMPLEMENT THOSE AND TO SEE THE SAVINGS.
SO BE PATIENT AND WE HOPE TO BE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.
UM, BUT BUT BE PATIENT WITH US AS WE GET IT SET UP.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
WHO HAS QUESTIONS? I'VE GOT A QUESTION.
UM, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR BABY OF FOUR YEARS NOW, I GUESS
LIKE THE PROJECT IS WELL, OH, OH YEAH.
UM, JUST A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT, I GUESS IT WOULD BE CLOSE TO LIKE PHASE TWO OF YOUR PROJECT.
UM, DID YOUR OFFICE OR YOUR TEAM, UM, OR MAYBE THE STEERING COMMITTEE, UH, CONSIDER DOING SIMILAR LIKE EFFICIENCY PROJECTS FOR WATER FIXTURES AND WATER SAVINGS BY CHANCE? YES.
SO I WOULD EVEN SAY THAT THEY ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR PHASE ONE.
UM, YEAH, WATER IS, IT WOULD FIT UNDER THE CATEGORY OF UTILITY EFFICIENCY.
UM, I THINK THAT FOR PHASE ONE, PROBABLY THE ECONOMICS JUST HAVE TO BE REALLY STRONG FOR THAT.
AND I DON'T WANT TO GET AHEAD OF, UH, SOME, SOME OF THE FOLKS ON MY TEAM THAT ARE, ARE DOING THE ANALYSIS AND DOING THAT KIND OF WORK, BUT IT MIGHT BE THAT FOR THE EARLY PHASES, THE ENERGY PROJECTS JUST YIELD A BETTER RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
I'M NOT, DON'T HOLD ME TO THAT.
BUT THAT WOULD BE MY INITIAL INSTINCT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY, IT'S NOT A BUG, IT'S A FEATURE.
I MEAN, OUR, OUR UTILITY WORKS TO KEEP THE, UH, PRICE OF WATER REALLY LOW BECAUSE THEY SEE IT AS A RIGHT.
AND I, I, I AM IN FULL AGREEMENT WITH THAT, BUT IT MIGHT MEAN THAT, UM, PROJECTS THAT ARE SOLELY FOCUSED ON WATER MIGHT BE MORE, MORE SUITED TO PHASE TWO OR PHASE THREE, AS YOU SAY, FOR THAT REASON.
AS A RATE PAYER, I WOULD ALSO APPRECIATE IT IF THEY KEPT THE PRICE OF WATER LOW.
ALTHOUGH YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT USING WHAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS, SO, YEAH.
UH, OTHER QUESTIONS? I I, I DID HAVE A COUPLE, UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT I THINK THERE WAS A MILLION THAT WAS PUT IN WITH CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.
UM, IS THE FUND GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING THE DEBT SERVICE? HOW'S THAT GONNA WORK? YEAH, GREAT QUESTION.
THAT WAS MY FIRST QUESTION TOO.
NO, UH, THE REVOLVING FUND WILL NOT HAVE TO SERVICE THE DEBT.
THE, UH, CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION ARE SERVICED, THE DEBT THERE IS SERVICED SOMEWHERE ELSE IN, IN THE BUDGET, AND YEAH.
UM, AND THEN JUST KIND OF IN A SIMILAR VEIN, UM, SINCE, YOU KNOW, UH, WHEN YOU YEAH, UH, I'M, I'M GLAD THERE'S A MILLION AND A HALF IN THERE, IS BETTER THAN NOTHING, BUT YES, IT'S VERY SMALL.
UM, SO THINKING ABOUT HOW CAN THAT BE EXPANDED BEYOND JUST THE REVOLVING, WHICH WE'LL WILL TAKE SOME TIME, UM, WONDERING, YOU KNOW, ARE Y'ALL LOOKING AT, LIKE, I KNOW, I KNOW THE CITY JUST PUT IN A COUPLE GRANT APPLICATIONS TO CCO FOR THE, THE SOLAR.
THEY ALSO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR
[01:30:01]
EFFICIENCY.ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT THAT AT ALL AS A WAY TO POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, GET SOME MORE PROJECTS IN MOTION BEYOND THE 1.5 MILLION? YEAH.
BOLSTER THE FUND? GOOD QUESTION.
SO THE SECO LOANS FOR THE SOLAR PROJECT WILL GO TOWARDS, UH, FINANCING THE SOLAR PROJECT.
AND THAT IS HAPPENING IN PARALLEL WITH THE REVOLVING FUND, RIGHT? UM, BUT IT IS WALKING A VERY TIGHT ROPE IN BOTH TIME, I THINK, AND, AND ECONOMICS.
AND SO WHEN IT STARTS TO, WHEN IT PAYS OFF AND STARTS TO GENERATE REVENUE, I THINK THEN THE, UM, BOLSTERING THE REVOLVING FUND IS A NATURAL NEXT STEP.
SO, WAIT, JUST TO CLARIFY, YOU'RE SAYING IN THAT CASE, THE FUND WILL HAVE TO PAY THE DEBT SERVICE AND IT'LL HAVE TO PAY IT ALL BEFORE ANY MONEY GOES BACK IN THE FUND? SORRY.
SO THE REVOLVING, THE SOLAR ON CITY FACILITIES IS NOT FUNDED CURRENTLY BY THE REVOL FUND.
WE WILL BE FUNDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROJECTS AND, AND THAT THE FINANCES AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS HAPPENING ON A, ON A PARALLEL PATHWAY.
UM, WHAT I WAS SAYING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT, FOR CITY OWNED INSTALLATIONS, UM, SOLAR TAKES MAYBE EIGHT TO 10 YEARS TO PAY OFF OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR THOSE EIGHT TO 10 YEARS THAT SOLAR REVENUE IS JUST GOING TO SERVICE THAT DEBT, BUT IT, BUT IT'S INDEPENDENT OF THE VOLUME FUND, WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT, RIGHT? MM-HMM
UM, AND THEN AT THE END OF THAT TIME, I THINK THEN IT WOULD BE NATURAL FOR ANY ADDITIONAL PROFITS TO BE LOOKED AT TO BOLSTER THE REVOLVING FUND.
HOPEFULLY BY THEN THE, THE REVOLVING FUND IS HEALTHY AND GROWING.
AND, AND THAT WOULD JUST BE, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL ON TOP OF, OF ALL THE GOOD WORK AND ALL THE GOOD STUFF THAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING.
UM, BUT I THINK WHAT THAT PROJECT IS REALLY TEACHING US HOW TO DO IS HOW TO MAXIMIZE THE THINGS LIKE CCO LOANS AND ALL OF THE STATE AND FEDERAL INSOFAR AS THEY EXIST STILL EXISTS, REBATES.
AND SO, YES, WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT PROJECTS, UM, THE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE DESCRIBES THAT THE FUND WOULD RECAPTURE ANY REBATES AND INCENTIVES, AND THAT WE, THERE'S EVEN A, IN THE SELECTION PROCESS, SORT OF SOME BONUS POINTS FOR A PROJECT THAT LEVERAGES, UH, THOSE THINGS.
SO WE'RE ALREADY THINKING ABOUT IT AND, UH, I THINK WE HOPE TO GET BETTER AT IDENTIFYING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
MAYBE YOU DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS.
UH, IT'S OKAY IF YOU DON'T, BUT IT, YOU, YOU SAID THAT ALL OF THE SAVINGS FROM THOSE SOLAR PROJECTS ARE GONNA GO INTO SERVICING THE LOAN.
IS THAT JUST A FEATURE OF THE, THE DURATION OF THE LOAN IS SHORT ENOUGH THAT IT REQUIRES THAT? IS THAT, YEAH, I, I GUESS I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOU ON THAT.
MY IMPRESSION IS THAT, UM, THAT'S JUST OUR FINANCIAL BEST PRACTICE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE MONEY IS THERE TO SERVICE THE CCO DEBT.
I'M JUST THINKING, AND I KNOW THAT'S PRETTY LOW INTEREST LOAN, SO IT, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW, DEPENDING ON THE SAVINGS OPPORTUNITIES WITH OTHER PROJECTS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE LOGICAL SINCE THE CEOS ARE BEING USED FOR A PORTION OF THAT MONEY.
UM, BUT I'M GLAD YOU'RE LOOKING AT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, YOU MENTIONED THE SOLAR STANDARD OFFER, UM, UM, I FORGET WHAT YOU CALLED THEM.
THE, YOU KNOW, THE PAYMENTS, LICENSE PAYMENTS.
UM, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HOW MUCH THAT'S GONNA GENERATE? I HAVE SOME ESTIMATES, BUT LIKE THEY'VE, IT VARIES PRETTY WIDELY, PRETTY WIDELY BASED ON HOW QUICKLY AND HOW MUCH IS INSTALLED.
UM, I THINK IT COULD BE POTENTIALLY ANYWHERE FROM A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO APPROACHING A MILLION A YEAR ONCE EVERYTHING IS FULLY IMPLEMENTED.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S VERY MUCH THE HIGH END.
AND, AND AS I SAID, WE HAVE PLANS TO DIRECT THOSE LICENSE PAYMENTS TO THE FUND WHEN THEY'RE, THEY'RE UP AND FLOWING.
AND, AND I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY LIKE THERE'S A LOT IN MOTION RIGHT NOW WITH SOLAR, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THOSE TWO CONTRACTS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING PAST THAT, I ASSUME THE SOLAR ENERGY, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL SOLAR ENERGY AND CITY FACILITIES WOULD BE ELIGIBLE THROUGH THE FUND.
IS THAT CORRECT? I, I THINK IT, YOU MEAN ON TOP OF THE CURRENT PROJECT? YEAH.
I, I THINK, YES, IT COULD BE ELIGIBLE.
IT, IT NEEDS TO BE A CONVERSATION, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH EVERY IMPLEMENTING ENTITY.
I THINK WHEN THEY CHOOSE TO DO SOMETHING, IT'S A MATTER OF MAKING THE NUMBERS WORK OUT.
AND WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY WANT TO HAVE THE REVOLVING FUND BE A MECHANISM TO MAKE, MAKE THE ECONOMICS NOT WORK FOR A DEPARTMENT.
WE WANT IT TO BE A MECHANISM THAT MAKES THE ECONOMICS WORK FOR A DEPARTMENT.
SO WE JUST HAVE TO EXPLORE THAT AND UNPACK IT WITH THEM.
BUT I THINK IT'S DEFINITELY A CONVERSATION.
I RECENTLY LEARNED THAT AUSTIN
[01:35:01]
ENERGY IS NOT, MAYBE HASN'T BEEN, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT OFFERING SOLAR INCENTIVES SPECIFICALLY TO THE CITY.UM, BUT I SAW THAT YOU DID LIST REBATES AS ONE, UM, YOU KNOW, FUNDING PIECE OF REVENUE THERE.
UH, I GUESS YOU'RE THINKING IT FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THAT? HAS THE CITY RECEIVED SOLAR INCENTIVE MONEY FOR PAST INSTALLATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE AND YEAH.
DO YOU HAVE ANY INSIGHT INTO THAT? I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT, RIGHT? YEAH.
I, I DON'T THINK I KNOW ENOUGH.
I LIKE, I KNOW JUST ENOUGH ABOUT THAT TO BE DANGEROUS AND WOULDN'T WANT TO GIVE YOU BAD INFORMATION ON THAT.
BUT THE CITY DOES GET THE REBATES FOR EFFICIENCY.
IS THAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING? IF, IF THEY ARE ELIGIBLE AND, AND YES.
I MEAN, IF THEY'RE ELIGIBLE AND AND WE SHOULD BE GETTING THEM, THEN YES, MAYBE WE CAN FOLLOW UP.
BECAUSE I THINK LIKE THAT'S WHERE I'M LIKE, WHY WOULD THE CITY NOT BE ELIGIBLE? I KNOW THAT LIKE UT IS ELIGIBLE AND I MEAN, LIKE, IF ALL THESE OTHER INSTITUTIONS ARE ELIGIBLE, WHY WOULD WHY WE NOT BE SURE? YEAH.
WHY WOULD THE CITY NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR, I MEAN, HONESTLY FOR THE SOLAR AS WELL, IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE.
UM, I'M LOOKING JUST TO SEE ANY QUESTIONS ONLINE.
OKAY, PHILIP, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
OBVIOUSLY IT'S ANOTHER THING THAT WE'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR.
UH, YOU KNOW, I GOOD TO KNOW IT'S BEEN SINCE 2022.
'CAUSE I THINK BASICALLY AS SOON AS YOU, WHATEVER WE'VE BEEN ON THAT TRAIN WITH YOU, SO IT'S GREAT.
AND I'M GLAD THAT THAT POSITION GOT, THERE WAS A WAY TO HEAR THAT, THAT FACILITY OR THAT MANAGEMENT POSITION EVEN ANOTHER, ANOTHER THING THAT WE'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR
WELL, THANK ROLL THAT BOULDER UP THE HILL, RIGHT? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
WELL, AND THANKS, UH, ALL OF Y'ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN THAT AND, UH, HOPE TO BE BACK WITH MORE GOOD NEWS IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE.
MAKE GOOD USE OF THOSE PENNIES.
WE DON'T HAVE PENNIES ANYMORE.
[4. Staff Briefing on Austin Zoning process introduction. Presentation by Jonathan Tomko, AICP, Planner Principal, Austin Planning]
HAVE, UH, ZONING, UH, PROCESS INTRODUCTION.UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOME OF US ARE REAL FAMILIAR WITH ZONING, BUT I THINK PROBABLY SOME OF US ARE NOT.
UM, AND THIS IS GONNA BE, UH, DEFINITELY AN, UH, AN UP AND COMING ISSUE, NOT JUST FOR ALL THE, ALL THE THINGS ZONING, BUT SPECIFICALLY AROUND DATA CENTERS.
AND, UH, WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS, SOME, SOME ACTION HERE ON THAT.
SO, UH, JONATHAN, UH, I'M SORRY, I'M NOT SURE HOW TO SAY YOUR LAST NAME.
AND THANK YOU FOR COMING TO EDUCATE US.
UH, JONATHAN TOMKO WITH AUSTIN PLANNING.
UM, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF, UH, THE REZONING PROCESS AS REQUESTED AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL MIGHT HAVE.
UM, WE'RE GONNA START PRETTY BASIC, UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT ZONING IS.
UH, ZONING IS LAND USE REGULATIONS, AND THEY, UH, EXIST WITHIN THE FULL PURPOSE JURISDICTION AND AS WELL AS THE LIMITED PURPOSE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY.
THEY ARE A POLICE POWER THAT'S GRANTED, UH, TWO, UH, JURISDICTIONS WITHIN THE STATE.
AND THEY DIVIDE LAND WITHIN THE JURISDICTION INTO SEPARATE DISTRICTS OR ZONING DISTRICTS.
UM, THEY ESTABLISH WHERE DIFFERENT USES AND SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS CAN BE PERMITTED, UM, AND, AND THOSE REGULATIONS.
THERE IS A PROCESS TO CHANGING THOSE, AND I'LL GO INTO THAT AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.
SO THE, LOOKING AT HOW THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, DIVIDES IT, ZONING, UH, DISTRICTS AND LAND USES, UH, EACH ZONING STRING HAS, UH, SEVERAL PARTS.
UM, THERE CAN BE A BASE DISTRICT, UH, WHICH IS THE BASE REGULATIONS THAT APPLY TO THE SITE.
THERE CAN BE COMBINING DISTRICTS THAT CAN BE APPLIED, UH, IN TANDEM WITH THE BASE DISTRICT.
AND SO THAT IS A COMBINATION OF REGULATIONS THAT APPLY TO THE BASE DISTRICT.
AND THEN THERE ARE OVERLAY DISTRICTS, WHICH ARE DISTRICTS THAT PROVIDE SPECIFIC USES OR SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR A PARTICULAR AREA WITHIN THE CITY.
SO AN EXAMPLE OF AN OVERLAY DISTRICT MIGHT BE, UH, THE CITY ADOPTED AN EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY THAT'S TRYING TO, UH, REDUCE THE NUMBER OF AUTOCENTRIC USES IN AREAS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SEE MORE TRANSIT UTILIZATION.
AND SO AN ETO OVERLAY MAY BE APPLIED TO SOMETHING WITH A BASE DISTRICT THAT MAY ALSO HAVE A COMBINING DISTRICT.
[01:40:01]
OUR LONGER THAN AVERAGE STRINGS, BUT IT IS A ACTUAL ZONING STRING.SO, UH, CS IS GENERAL, UH, COMMERCIAL SERVICES.
SO, UH, THERE'S A STRING OF USES IN SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS WITH THAT, UH, MU MEANS MIXED USE, UM, THAT IS ALLOWING USES TO BE MIXED WITHIN THE SITE.
UH, CONDITIONAL OVERLAY APPLIES TO THIS PARTICULAR ZONING STRING.
AND THAT'S THE CO UH, THIS SITE HAS AN EO, WHICH IS THE EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, UH, DESIGNATION I MENTIONED, AS WELL AS A DENSITY BONUS, WHICH IS THE DENSITY BONUS EAD.
AND THEN THIS, UH, PARTICULAR SITE IS WITHIN A NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN.
UM, THERE'S CERTAIN PARTS OF THE CITY THAT HAVE ADOPTED NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS, AND WHEN THEY, UH, MEET THAT STANDARD, THEY HAVE AN NP ON THE END OF THE STRING.
SO THIS IS, UM, A, A COMMON COMMERCIAL ZONING STRING.
I WOULDN'T SAY SAY COMMON, BUT, UH, IT IS AN EXAMPLE OF A ZONING STRING AND HOW TO READ THAT AND UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT PIECES THAT GO INTO THAT.
AND YOU CAN GO INTO THE, UH, CITY'S, UH, CODE, UH, IN SECTION 25 2 TO LOOK UP EACH OF THESE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AND, AND WHAT THEY MEAN, UM, AND WHAT THEY ENTITLE A PARTICULAR PROPERTY TO.
UH, AND THIS IS JUST DIGESTING IT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO YOU SEE THE BASE DISTRICT AND THE COMBINING AND OVERLAY DISTRICTS, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER.
UH, THIS IS A RESIDENTIAL ZONING STRING.
IT HAPPENS TO BE A LITTLE BIT SHORTER.
UH, SF THREE IS THE FAMILY RESIDENCE, UH, DISTRICT.
UM, THERE IS A CONDITIONAL OVERLAY WITH THIS SITE THAT IS FURTHER RESTRICTING THAT, OR, UH, EITHER THROUGH SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS OR USES.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THIS EXISTING WITHIN A NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN, WHICH IS THE NP.
SO THERE ARE FIVE, FIVE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF LAND USES, AND THESE ARE SOME EXAMPLES.
THIS IS THE FIRST THREE AND THE SECOND TWO ARE ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
BUT, UM, THERE, YOU SEE, THERE'S DIFFERENT TYPES OF RESIDENTIAL ALL THE WAY FROM SINGLE FAMILY TO MULTIFAMILY.
UM, THERE'S DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMMERCIAL, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE DIFFERENT OFFICES OR USES LIKE RESTAURANTS.
UM, EACH OF THESE, UH, USES MAY BE ALLOWED, UH, PERMITTED OUTRIGHT, UM, CONDITIONALLY ALLOWED OR RESTRICTED DEPENDING ON THE ZONING CATEGORY THAT YOU'RE WITHIN AND WHAT YOU HAVE, UH, ENTITLEMENTS TO ON A PARTICULAR PIECE OF PROPERTY.
UH, MOVING TO THE BRIGHT, WE HAVE INDUSTRIAL, WE HAVE KIND OF OUR LIGHT AND HEAVY, UH, MANUFACTURING RECYCLING CENTERS, UH, WAREHOUSE AND DISTRIBUTION ARE SOME, UH, MORE INTENSE INDUSTRIAL USES.
MOVING TO THE LAST TWO CATEGORIES, WE HAVE, UH, CIVIC USES SUCH AS SCHOOLS OR DAYCARES, UM, HOSPITAL SERVICES, PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, AGRICULTURAL.
WE HAVE ANIMAL PRODUCTION, UH, CROP PRODUCTION, OR URBAN FARMS. SO, AS I MENTIONED, EACH OF THOSE, UH, USES, UH, CAN BE PERMITTED OR OUTLAW, UM, OUT ALLOWED BY RIGHT WITHIN A DISTRICT, A CONDITIONAL USE.
IF IT, UH, THERE WAS A CONDITIONAL USE WITHIN A ZONING CATEGORY FOR USE, THAT MEANS IT'S ON A DISCRETIONARY BASIS.
SO THAT MEANS, UM, IF YOU'D LIKE TO DO THAT USE, YOU WOULD STILL, UH, NEED TO COME BACK TO THE LAND USE COMMISSION, EITHER THE PLANNING COMMISSION OR A ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION FOR APPROVAL, AND ULTIMATELY CITY COUNCIL, UH, FOR APPROVAL AS WELL.
UM, SO IF YOU WERE LOOKING FOR A PARTICULAR USE AND YOU OWNED A PIECE OF LAND, UH, THAT HAD A ZONING CLASSIFICATION, IF THERE WAS A SEA THERE, UM, THAT WOULD BE A CONDITIONAL USE AND YOU WOULD NEED TO, TO FOLLOW THAT PROCEDURE IN ORDER TO, TO, UM, DO THAT USE.
UM, WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR WITH A CONDITIONAL USE IS A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION, UH, ON WHAT YOU MIGHT BE DOING SPECIFICALLY.
UM, AND THEY WANT A SECOND CHANCE TO KIND OF APPROVE THAT OR, UH, WEIGH IN ON IT INSTEAD OF ALLOWING IT BY RIGHT WHENEVER YOU WANT TO DO IT.
UH, AND THEN LASTLY, THERE'S TWO MORE, UH, PROHIBITED USES.
THEY WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED WITHIN A CERTAIN DISTRICT.
UM, AND IF YOU WANTED TO DO A PROHIBITED USE ON A PARTICULAR PIECE OF PROPERTY, YOU WOULD NEED A REZONING OF THAT PROPERTY TO A ZONING CLASSIFICATION THAT DID ALLOW THAT USE OR FIND ANOTHER PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT IT'S ALLOWED ON.
UH, AND THEN LASTLY, NON-CONFORMING USES, WHICH IS A LAND USE THAT WAS LAW LAWFULLY ESTABLISHED PRIOR TO THE PIECE OF PROPERTY BEING ANNEXED OR, UH, THE CURRENT, UH, CODE BEING ADOPTED.
SO KIND OF BEING GRANDFATHERED IN.
SO NOW WE'RE GONNA GET TO THE OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS.
I'M GONNA TAKE THESE KINDA ONE AT A TIME.
I KIND OF WANTED 'EM TO SHOW UP ONE AT A TIME, BUT WE'LL JUST DO IT THIS WAY.
UM, SO A ZONING APPLICATION IS SUBMITTED, UM, TO THE CITY.
THEY PAY THEIR FEES, A ZONING SIGN IS POSTED ON THE PROPERTY.
UM, I JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY THAT, UH, THE AUSTIN BUILD PLUS CONNECT SYSTEM, WHICH IS USED FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS,
[01:45:01]
WOULD HAVE A COPY OF THE APPLICATION, THE LETTER, ANYTHING THAT IS PROVIDED BY THE APPLICANT, UH, THAT STAFF SEES WOULD ALSO BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AT THAT RESOURCE.UH, THE SIGN DIRECTS FOLKS TO CONTACT THE CASE MANAGER.
UH, CASES ARE KIND OF SIGNED BY GEOGRAPHIC AREAS.
UH, THERE'S FIVE, UH, ZONING CASE MANAGERS AT THIS TIME WITH DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY THAT THEY SPECIALIZE IN.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WORKFLOW, UH, ALLOWS CASES TO BE, UH, ALLOCATED AS, UH, IS NECESSARY.
UM, THEN A NOTICE OF FILING IS MAILED OUT, UM, THAT'S MAILED OUT TO ALL PROPERTY OWNERS.
U UH, UTILITY CUSTOMERS, REGISTERED NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN 500 FEET.
UM, THAT THEN YOU BEGIN THE STAFF REVIEW PROCESS.
UM, THE STAFF REVIEW REVIEW PROCESS HAS DIFFERENT REVIEWERS WITHIN MULTIPLE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE LOOKING AT WHAT THE REQUEST IS AND PROVIDING COMMENTS OF WHAT THEY KNOW FROM THEIR CODE SECTION MIGHT BE APPLICABLE TO THAT PARTICULAR CASE, OR ANY CONCERNS OR COMMENTS THAT THEY HAVE.
THEY MAY ALSO REACH OUT TO THE, UH, PROPERTY OWNER OR ITS REP, UM, AGENT THAT'S REPRESENTING THEM IN A REZONING CASE, AND ASK THEM QUESTIONS AND COLLECT INFORMATION BEFORE COMPLETING THEIR REVIEW.
UM, I ALSO GET QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM THE, UM, THE REVIEWERS AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS, BUT ALL OF THAT IS AVAILABLE, UM, IN THAT AUSTIN BUILD PLUS CONNECT, UH, RESOURCE.
SO IF PARKS DEPARTMENT WAS PROVIDING COMMENTS ON A REZONING CASE AND THEY'D COMPLETED THEIR REVIEW, THOSE WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC TO REVIEW IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY THOUGHT ABOUT THAT CASE OR WHAT THEIR COMMENTS WERE ON THAT CASE.
ONCE WE HAVE ALL THE COMMENTS FROM ALL THE REVIEWERS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO REVIEW A CASE, THEN THE ZONING TEAM MEETS TO, UH, DISCUSS THE CASE AND DEVELOP A STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
UM, THERE IS ONE STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CITY, AND ONCE WE HAVE A STAFF RECOMMENDATION, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH PROVIDING NOTICE, UM, OF THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR PLANNING COMMISSION, OR THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION NOTICES ARE MAILED OUT, AGAIN TO ALL PROPERTY OWNERS.
UM, UTILITY CUSTOMERS, REGISTERED NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS WITHIN 500 FEET.
UM, SO THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THEY'VE RECEIVED SOMETHING IN THE MAIL.
UM, THEN THERE'S A PUBLIC HEARING HELD BEFORE PLANNING COMMISSIONER'S APP.
UM, YOU HAVE TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK.
YOU CAN DO THAT EITHER ONLINE IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING OR WHEN YOU GET HERE AT CITY HALL, UM, AT THE COMPUTER TERMINAL.
UM, IF YOU REGISTER ONLINE IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING, YOU DO HAVE THE OPTION OF, UH, SPEAKING VIRTUALLY.
AND WE DO HAVE A, A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S A CONVENIENT WAY TO, YOU KNOW, GET MORE FEEDBACK ON CASES.
UH, PLANNING COMMISSIONER OR ZAP HEAR THE CASE, THEY HEAR STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION, UH, AND THEN THEY DECIDE, UH, THEIR ACTION ON THE CASE.
UM, THE LAND USE COMMISSION CAN EITHER, UH, RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE CASE, APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS, APPROVE A LESS INTENSE ZONING DISTRICT, DENY A REQUEST, OR PROVIDE NO RECOMMENDATION.
AND SO AT THIS POINT, YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FROM STAFF AND YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE LAND USE COMMISSION.
AND SO THOSE COULD BE THE SAME OR THEY COULD BE DIFFERENT, UM, AT THAT POINT.
UM, AND THAT AGAIN, IS TAKING IN ALL THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY THAT WAS PROVIDED AT THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THEN STAFF, UH, PROVIDES A NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
AND AGAIN, IT'S MAILED OUT TO ALL PROPERTY OWNERS, UTILITY CUSTOMERS, AND REGISTERED NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION WITH WITHIN 500 FEET.
AND, UM, THAT MEETING IS TYPICALLY SCHEDULED.
I'D SAY IT'S TYPICALLY AT LEAST SIX WEEKS FROM THE PUBLIC HEARING DATE BETWEEN PLANNING COMMISSION AND ZAP.
UM, THAT HAS TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE NEWSPAPER.
AND THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A THRESHOLD FOR, YOU KNOW, REVIEW BEFORE THAT GETS ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA.
BUT THOSE CASES ARE ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA.
FOLKS CAN SIGN UP TO SPEAK IN ADVANCE IN PERSON VIRTUALLY.
UM, AND THEN COUNCIL HEARS THE CASE.
THEY ARE AWARE OF WHAT THE LAND USE COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION WAS.
THEY MAY HAVE WATCHED THE VIDEO.
UM, ALL BACKUP IS INCLUDED, UM, FOR BOTH PUBLIC HEARINGS IN TERMS OF ANYTHING IN WRITING THAT THE CASE MANAGER RECEIVES.
AND CASES REQUIRE THREE READINGS AND COUNSEL THAT'S AT COUNSEL'S DISCRETION.
THEY CAN CHOOSE TO HEAR ALL THREE READINGS ALL AT ONCE.
THEY CAN SHARE, CHOOSE TO HEAR A CASE ON FIRST READING ONLY FIRST AND SECOND, AND BRING IT BACK FOR THIRD, ANY KIND OF COMBINATION.
UM, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT STAFF, UH, DIRECTS AT ALL.
UM, SO WE MENTIONED THOSE KIND OF DIFFERENT USES.
AND, UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO CLARIFY THAT THERE'S THE USES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO THE SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
SO SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS MAY BE THE HEIGHT OF THE LOT, SIZE OR WIDTH, BUILDING COVERAGE, IMPERVIOUS COVER, FLORIDA
[01:50:01]
AREA RATIO OR SETBACKS.AND THEN I MENTIONED THE, THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
SO, UM, WE GET A LOT OF PHONE CALLS, UM, BUT WE DO TELL FOLKS IF THEY WANT SOMETHING TO BE PART OF THE PUBLIC RECORD, IT DOES NEED TO BE IN WRITING.
UM, SO WE DO GET THINGS STILL BY SNAIL MAIL, BUT IF WE RECEIVE EMAILS, WE REDACT, UH, THE NAMES OF, UH, THE EMAIL ADDRESSES, BUT WE LEAVE THE NAMES.
UM, I THINK WE ALSO USUALLY REDACT PHONE NUMBERS.
UM, BUT ANYTHING WE RECEIVE IN WRITING BECOMES PART OF THE CASE BACKUP.
SO IF WE RECEIVE IT PRIOR TO THE LAND USE COMMISSION MEETING, UM, IT GOES IN THE, THE CASE REPORT FOR THE COMMISSIONERS TO SEE THAT AND REVIEW THE COMMENTS THAT WE'RE GETTING AND SEE WHAT WE'VE HAD IN TERMS OF CORRESPONDENCE ON A CASE.
IF IT'S RECEIVED BEFORE CITY COUNCIL, IT WOULD GO IN THE, THE BACKUP FOR THAT AS WELL AS ANY OTHER BACKUP PREVIOUSLY.
UM, OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IS THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
UM, WHERE I MENTIONED PEOPLE CAN SIGN UP TO SPEAK.
THERE'S TIME LIMITS AND DONATION OF TIME POLICIES.
THOSE ARE OUTLINED ON THE SPECIFIC COMMISSIONS, UH, OR COUNCIL'S WEBSITE.
AND THOSE CHANGE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE BODIES.
UH, ANOTHER WAY TO ENGAGE IN THE PROCESS, SOME FOLKS, UH, USE THEIR RIGHT TO PROTEST, UM, PER CITY CODE.
A PROPERTY OWNER OR INTERESTED PARTY HAS THE RIGHT TO PROTEST AS ZONING CHANGE.
UM, VALID PETITIONS ARE FILED IN, UM, OPPOSITION OR IN, UM, TO A REZONING REQUEST BY PROPERTY OWNERS.
IT HAS TO BE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN 200 FEET THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE 500 FEET IN WHICH THINGS ARE MAILED OUT.
UM, IT'S JUST DIFFERENT IN THE CODE IN TERMS OF WHAT'S REQUIRED FOR A PROTEST.
UM, A PROTEST MAY REQUIRE A SUPER MAJORITY, UH, NINE OF THE 11 COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, AT THIRD READING IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE VALID.
I'LL GO INTO THOSE CHANGES WITH THE STATE LAW.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN RECENT CHANGES THAT HAVE AFFECTED PROTEST RIGHTS, AND THESE WERE MADE THROUGH HOUSE BILL 24, THIS LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
SO HERE'S THE KIND OF TWO CATEGORIES AND I'LL, I'LL WALK YOU THROUGH WHAT CHANGED.
SO IN THE FIRST COLUMN, SO IF A PROTE, UH, PROPOSED CHANGE DOES NOT ALLOW MORE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, THEN THE EXISTING ZONING AND ALLOWS ADDITIONAL COMMERCIAL AND OR INDUSTRIAL USES, A VALID PETITION WOULD REQUIRE 20% OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS BY AREA, UH, WITHIN THE 200 FOOT, UH, BUFFER OF THE REZONING.
AND THEN THE REQUIRED, UH, COUNCIL VOTE TO OVERCOME THAT PETITION.
IF THAT MEANT THAT 30, UH, 20% THRESHOLD WOULD BE THE SUPER MAJORITY, THE NINE OF THE 11.
UM, I WILL NOTE TOO, ALSO WITH PETITIONS IN BOTH OF THESE COLUMNS, A SIGNATURE OF A PROPERTY, UH, HAS TO BE THE, UH, OWNER OF THE PROPERTY.
IT CANNOT BE RENTERS AND IT HAS TO MATCH WHAT'S IN TAD.
UM, SO IF THERE IS AN ENTITY, THERE'S ANOTHER FORM THAT HAS TO BE FILLED OUT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, VERIFIES THAT THE PERSON HAS SIGNATURE AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF THE ENTITY IN ORDER FOR THAT SIGNATURE TO COUNT.
AND THE OTHER THING I WOULD NOTE IS BECAUSE IT'S BY AREA, IF YOUR PROPERTY IS ON THE, THE VERY EDGE AND ONLY A TINY LITTLE BIT IS WITHIN THAT 200 FOOT BUFFER, YOUR SIGNATURE WOULD COUNT LESS THAN SOMEBODY THAT HAS A HUGE LOT THAT'S RIGHT NEXT TO THE SUBJECT TRACT.
UM, MOVING TO THE SECOND COLUMN, UH, IF THE PROPOSED CHANGE ALLOWS MORE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT THAN THE EXISTING ZONING AND DOES NOT ALLOW ADDITIONAL COMMERCIAL OR INDUSTRIAL USES, UNLESS THE ADDITIONAL USE IS LIMITED TO THE FIRST FLOOR OF ANY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AND DOES NOT EXCEED 35% OF THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT, A VALID PETITION WOULD REQUIRE 60% OF PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN THE 200 FEET.
AND EVEN IF YOU MET THAT THRESHOLD OF THE 60%, IT WOULD STILL REQUIRE A SIMPLE MAJORITY, SIX OF THE 11 COUNCIL MEMBERS TO OVERCOME THAT PETITION.
UM, I WANNA POINT TO SOME OTHER RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
SO I MENTIONED THE AUSTIN BUILD PLUS CONNECT.
I THINK THAT'S ONE PLACE, UH, THAT'S, THERE'S A WEALTH OF INFORMATION.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT LAYERS ON THERE THAT YOU CAN TURN ON AND OFF WITH THE GIS.
IT'S A VERY POWERFUL TOOL FOR THE PUBLIC TO, TO KIND OF SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY FROM A GEOGRAPHIC BASIS.
UM, WITHIN THAT PROPERTY PROFILE PROFILE WEBSITE, THERE'S THAT HANDY PURPLE BOX OUT TO TELL PEOPLE THE I WANT TO BOX.
SO YOU CAN SEARCH AN ADDRESS, YOU CAN RUN A PROPERTY PROFILE REPORT FOR A SPECIFIC ADDRESS.
YOU CAN REALLY ANSWER A LOT OF QUESTIONS YOURSELF KIND OF THROUGH THIS TOOL AND COLLECT THAT INFORMATION.
UM, THERE'S ALSO LINKS TO THE, UH, SPECIFIC ZONING ORDINANCES AND OTHER INFORMATION THAT CAN BE FOUND WITHIN THERE.
ALSO AVAILABLE, UM, IS COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATIONS WITH CITY STAFF.
[01:55:01]
THERE'S A TEAM THAT'S KIND OF ON THE STANDBY IF FOLKS HAVE QUESTIONS.UM, OUR TEAM REALLY HANDLES CASES THAT HAVE ALREADY SUBMITTED A REZONING APPLICATION, AND SO THAT KEEPS US PRETTY BUSY AROUND THE CLOCK.
BUT, UH, FOLKS, UM, ON THIS PARTICULAR TEAM ARE WAITING TO KIND OF DO MORE DUE DILIGENCE ON A CASE AND RESEARCH THINGS.
UH, IF FOLKS HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, THEY CAN SET UP A MEETING IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY IN ENGLISH OR IN SPANISH, UM, AT THEIR CONVENIENCE.
AND LET'S SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING ELSE.
THE ONLY OTHER THING I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT I WASN'T ABLE TO PUT ON THE SLIDE WAS THE TWO, UH, CODE SECTIONS.
SECTION 25 2 4 91 IS THE USE TABLES OF EACH OF THOSE ZONING CATEGORIES THAT TELLS YOU, WHICH IS WHETHER THE USES ARE ALLOWED, UH, CONDITIONAL OR UH, PROHIBITED.
AND THEN SECTION 25 2 4 92 IS THOSE SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
SO THAT SETBACKS, UH, IMPERVIOUS COVER HEIGHTS, UH, FOR EACH OF THE DIFFERENT ZONING CLASSIFICATIONS IS AVAILABLE IN THAT CODE SECTION.
AND THAT, UH, CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS Y'ALL MIGHT HAVE.
UM, MAYBE JUST TO START, COULD YOU CONNECT THIS FOR US TO THE RESOLUTION THAT THE COUNCIL PASSED AT THE END OF AUGUST AROUND, UM, DATA CENTERS AND WHAT WORK IS GOING ON THERE AND, AND KIND OF HOW, ESPECIALLY THE FIRST PHASE OF THAT, LIKE HOW, HOW DOES THAT FIT INTO THIS PROCESS? IT SEEMS LIKE MAYBE IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT 'CAUSE IT'S NOT, UH, INITIATED BY THE PROPERTY OWNER.
UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT REVIEWING CODE.
UM, I KNOW THAT MANY DEPARTMENTS ARE WORKING ON A SUITE OF REGULATIONS, UH, RESPONSIVE TO THAT AND THAT THEY, UM, ARE AIMING TO RELEASE THAT IN SEPTE, UM, SPRING OF 2027.
BUT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT OUR TEAM PARTICULARLY WORKS ON, UM, IN, IN TERMS OF THE ZONING CASE MANAGERS.
UM, THAT'S, UH, KIND OF WORKING BETWEEN A LOT OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO DEVELOP WHAT THOSE STANDARDS MIGHT BE.
UM, AND THEN WE WOULD APPLY THEM AS CASES CAME IN.
WHAT ABOUT THE FIRST PHASE? BECAUSE THE RESOLUTION HAD, THERE WERE, THERE WERE TWO PHASES TO THAT AND ONE WAS TO DEAL WITH THE LARGE DATA CENTERS AND THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN IN DECEMBER.
YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT? YEAH, I'M, I'M NOT POSTED TO SPEAK ABOUT DATA CENTERS.
I'M POSTED TO SPEAK ABOUT AN OVERVIEW ON ZONING.
I GUESS THERE WAS SOMETHING LOST IN TRANSLATION 'CAUSE THAT WAS THE CONTEXT IN WHICH WE WANTED AN OVERVIEW WAS KIND OF WHAT DOES THAT PROCESS LOOK LIKE? DO YOU THINK YOU COULD CONNECT AMANDA WITH THE RIGHT PERSON TO GIVE US THAT? WE CERTAINLY COULD OVERVIEW.
I, I'M NOT, UH, I MEAN THIS IS THE STANDARD PROCESS, UH, IN TERMS OF A RESOUNDING YEAH, THAT'S AGAIN, I'M SURE JUST A MISCOMMUNICATION.
UM, SO IF YOU, IF YOU CAN CONNECT WITH HER, UH, AFTERWARDS, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
'CAUSE WE JUST WANNA, YOU KNOW, BE INFORMED ABOUT WHAT THAT PROCESS LOOKS LIKE, ESPECIALLY THE PART THAT'S COMING UP YEAH.
YEAH, NO, THAT'S, THAT'S FINE.
UM, DO OTHERS HAVE QUESTIONS? I HAVE QUESTIONS AGAIN.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, DID THE DOGHEAD DEVELOPMENT GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS IN TERMS OF A REZONING MM-HMM
UM, I WAS NOT THE CASE MANAGER OF THAT PARTICULAR CASE.
UM, I THINK THERE, THERE, I JUST CAN'T SPEAK TO THE DOG'S HEAD.
I, I'M, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT NOT I WAS A CASE MANAGER ON AND, AND NOT WITHIN MY AREA IN TERMS OF KNOWING WHAT IT WENT THROUGH OR DIDN'T GO THROUGH.
UM, AND IN TERMS OF 500 FEET, I THINK, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT YOU INVENTED THESE RULES, SO THIS IS NOT DIRECTED AT YOU, BUT, UH, I THINK IN SOME SCENARIOS, 500 FEET JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE IN THE CONTEXT.
AND SO I'M KIND OF CURIOUS ABOUT, UM, WHAT ARE AVENUES TO, UH, DISCUSS MAYBE CHANGING THAT IN CERTAIN CONTEXTS WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A, A MORE RURAL SETTING WHERE 500 FEET REALLY DOESN'T QUITE REACH SOMEONE'S NEIGHBOR.
I MEAN, I WILL SAY IN TERMS OF NOTIFICATION, IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO PROVIDE NOTICE TO ALL PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN 500 FEET.
SO IF THAT WAS TO BE ENLARGED, THAT WOULD DEFINITELY COME WITH A A COST.
I MEAN, WE'VE HAD SOME MAIL OUTS THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF ADDRESSES FOR A PARTICULAR REZONING CASE AND THAT CAN GET PRETTY EXPENSIVE PRETTY QUICKLY.
WHICH OF COURSE, IN LIKE A MORE URBAN OR A
[02:00:01]
SUBURBAN LANDSCAPE WOULD MAKE A LOT MORE SENSE, BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING'CAUSE WE KIND OF HAVE TO TREAT ALL CASES EQUITABLY.
KIND OF SEEMS LIKE IN THAT SENSE, EQUAL AND EQUITABLE DON'T QUITE MEAN THE SAME THING.
UH, BUT YEAH, THANKS FOR SHARING.
UM, I'M NOT SEEING ANY OTHER HANDS, BUT IF I, IF I MISSED YOU, COME OFF MUTE.
APPRECIATE THE, THE PRESENTATION.
[5. Community Solar meeting report by Kaiba White, Electric Utility Commission ]
I DID HAVE, UM, ONE UPDATE, UH, FROM THE, UH, COMMUNITY SOLAR STAKEHOLDER MEETING.I THINK, UH, I THINK AMANDA DID SHARE THAT NOTICE OUT WITH, WITH ALL OF Y'ALL.
UM, I DID ATTEND, UM, I WILL SAY IT, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT, IT WAS STILL FELT LIKE IT WAS A BIT IN THE DISCUSSION, UH, PHASE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WAS SHARED THAT NOTHING WOULD, UM, WAS PLANNED TO ACTUALLY GO LIVE UNTIL AFTER THE NEXT BUDGET ADOPTION.
SO LOOKING NOT UNTIL I THINK JANUARY OF 2028, UNFORTUNATELY, IS WHAT THEY'RE, UM, EXPECTING FOR THAT, UH, LAUNCH TIMELINE.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY THEIR, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY IS LOOKING FOR THAT, UM, PROGRAM TO BE KIND OF A QUOTE PREMIUM PRODUCT.
SO I THINK THEY HAD ESTIMATED SOMETHING AROUND LIKE $7 AND 50 CENTS INCREASE ON THE AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL BILL FOR, FOR IF YOU SIGN UP TO PARTICIPATE.
UM, I THINK THAT WAS ASSUMING A SIMILAR KIND OF COST PREMIUM AS THEY CHARGE FOR THE GREEN CHOICE PROGRAM.
UM, AND THEY DID SHARE SOME, UH, KIND OF SURVEY DATA THAT SEEMED TO SUPPORT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS WOULD BE WILLING TO PAY.
UM, A LOT OF THE CONVERSATION WAS AROUND, UM, KIND OF HOW THE MONEY WOULD BE SPENT.
UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK AS SOME OF US KNOW GREEN CHOICE, YOU KNOW, HAS KIND OF, UM, EVOLVED IN, IN SUCH A WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT MONEY NOW COMES IN AND, AND ESSENTIALLY JUST KIND OF GOES INTO THE GENERAL BUCKET OF, UH, PSA, UH, POWER SUPPLY ADJUSTMENT, UM, FUNDS.
AND SO IT DOESN'T REALLY GO DIRECTLY TOWARDS SOMETHING PROGRAMMATIC.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE VISION IS THAT FOR THIS PROGRAM, THAT MANY WILL HOPEFULLY, UM, DO SOMETHING SPECIFIC TO ADVANCE SOLAR SINCE THAT'S, I THINK WHAT MOST PEOPLE WHEN THEY SIGN UP FOR A PROGRAM LIKE THAT, WHAT THEY THINK THAT THEY'RE DOING.
UM, BUT IT'S STILL VERY MUCH KIND OF UP, UH, UP FOR DISCUSSION.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE ITEMS ON THE LIST WAS, YOU KNOW, REDUCE THE PSA NOW OF COURSE REDUCE THE PSA BY HOW MUCH I DID ASK FOR THAT ESTIMATE.
UM, DID NOT GET IT, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE IT WOULD BE VERY, VERY, VERY SMALL.
SO SMALL, BUT PROBABLY MOST PEOPLE WOULD NOT ACTUALLY SUPPORT IT 'CAUSE IT'S NOT REALLY MEANINGFUL.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, I WILL SAY I PERSONALLY AM AM ADVOCATING FOR THAT MONEY TO BE USED, UH, TOWARDS SOME SORT OF RESIDENTIAL HOSTING PROGRAM.
UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, I'M TOLD THAT AUSTIN ENERGY IS ALSO WORKING ON.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S STILL TO BE DETERMINED.
BUT THAT IS I THINK THE, THE KIND OF BIG QUESTION MARK SINCE AE SEEMS PRETTY SET ON THAT, UM, THAT MODEL OF JUST KIND OF ADDING A PER KILOWATT HOUR CHARGE IF YOU'RE A COMMUNITY SOLAR, UH, SUBSCRIBER, I THINK THEY ARE ENVISIONING, UH, SOME SORT OF LOW INCOME PORTION THAT MAYBE WOULD NOT HAVE THAT PREMIUM, UH, SIMILAR TO THE CURRENT COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE CURRENT PROGRAM KINDA LOCKS IN A RATE FOR 15 YEARS THAT REPLACES THE PSA, THIS PROGRAM WOULD NOT HAVE THAT.
SO IT WOULD JUST BE A, YOU KNOW, KIND OF FOREVER PREMIUM PRODUCT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, I KNOW SOME FOLKS MAY NOT BE, UH, SUPER EXCITED ABOUT, BUT I THINK ON THE, ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, IT IS, IT IS A SOURCE OF REVENUE THAT THEN CAN BE PUT INTO SOLAR AND PERHAPS HOME BATTERIES AS WELL.
SO, UM, YEAH, I, I ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO, YOU KNOW, AS THE NEXT MEETING COMES UP, IF THIS IS SOMETHING YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, UM, PLEASE DO ATTEND.
IT'S, UH, EITHER, USUALLY IT'S, IT'S A HYBRID MEETING.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ATTEND REMOTELY, SO THAT IS AN OPTION.
[02:05:01]
UM, AND, AND THEY'RE ALL RECORDED AS WELL IF YOU WANNA HEAR IT AFTER THE FACT.BUT, UH, WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, MORE FOLKS I THINK FROM THIS COMMISSION WHERE WE HAVE, I KNOW HAD SOME ROBUST CONVERSATION ABOUT KIND OF DRIVING THAT, UH, RESIDENTIAL KIND OF SIDE OF, OF SOLAR AND BATTERIES AND I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM AROUND SOLAR FOR ALL AND HOPEFULLY THAT IS ACTUALLY COMING BACK, BUT IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, DON'T HAVE THE MONEY YET, SO WE'LL SEE.
UH, SO YEAH, THAT WAS THE UPDATE.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING THAT THEY KNOW THEY WANT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING OR TWO? OKAY.BUT REAL QUICK ON THAT UPDATE THAT YOU JUST PROVIDED, IS THAT, UM, SOMETHING THAT THE JSC HAS ACTED ON BEFORE IN TERMS OF, UM, A RESOLUTION OR IS THERE A SPACE FOR US TO DO THAT? IS IT TIMELY? I DO BELIEVE WE HAD A RESOLUTION, UM, BACK A LITTLE WHILE AGO THAT MIGHT'VE BEEN, UH, RELATED TO KIND OF RESIDENTIAL HOSTING AND, AND WHAT TO USE THAT MONEY FOR.
I'LL HAVE TO LOOK BACK, BUT I, I, I THINK, I THINK THAT WE DID DO SOMETHING ON THAT AT LEAST A YEAR PLUS AGO.
UH, TIME, TIME GETS A LITTLE FUZZY, BUT, UM, YEAH, I THINK SO.
SO YEAH, WE COULD, WE COULD BRING, MAYBE YOU AND I CAN TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE, WHAT WE DID BEFORE AND, AND SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING MORE TARGETED THAT WE WANNA, UM, RECOMMEND AS THIS IS, YOU KNOW, GONNA ULTIMATELY COME BACK TO CITY COUNCIL FOR SOME SORT OF APPROVAL, UM, I GUESS WITH THE NEXT BUDGET.
AND, AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO WAIT TO THE NEXT BUDGET.
I THINK THAT'S THE OTHER THING THAT, AND I DID ASK THAT QUESTION AND THAT'S JUST KIND OF STANDARD PRACTICE.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY, UM, THESE TYPES OF PROGRAMS, I HAVE SEEN THEM, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, THERE'S NOT REALLY A BUDGETARY IMPACT IN THAT.
IT DOESN'T AFFECT, YOU KNOW, OTHER ASPECTS OF THE BUDGET.
SO IT COULD CERTAINLY HAPPEN OFF CYCLE.
SO THAT MIGHT BE ALSO SOMETHING WE MIGHT WANNA WEIGH IN ON THERE.
THERE IS ALREADY, UM, I FORGET WHAT THE NUMBER IS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT SEVERAL MEGAWATTS, UM, THAT ARE ONLINE AND IN DEVELOPMENT RIGHT NOW THROUGH THE SOLAR STANDARD OFFER PROGRAM.
UM, SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT MODEL IS WORKING, UM, WHICH I THINK, YOU KNOW, IS, IS WHY I'M LIKE, WOW, THAT'S GREAT.
THAT'S WORKING FOR COMMERCIAL.
LET'S ALSO MAKE IT WORK FOR RESIDENTIAL.
UM, BUT SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THERE'S, THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY AN ALREADY PRODUCT THERE THAT COULD BE SOLD THROUGH THE COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAM.
SO THERE'S NOT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A NEED, THERE'S, THERE'S NOT NECESSARILY A NEED TO WAIT FROM THE SUPPLY SIDE OF THINGS.
UM, LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE AGENDA ITEMS. AND ACTUALLY, KAI, I WAS GOING TO SAY, UH, I WOULD LIKE NEXT TIME TO GIVE A, UH, UPDATE FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
UH, WE PASSED SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT DOG HEAD AND WE RECENTLY GOT A STAFF BRIEFING ABOUT THE BRACKEN RIDGE TRACKED, UH, THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IS GOING TO DEVELOP, UH, I THINK IT'S LIKE SEVERAL HUNDRED ACRES OF, UH, PARKLAND NEAR LAKE AUSTIN THAT BASICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING, WE'RE LETTING UT DEVELOP AN EXCHANGE FOR UT GIVING THE MUNI GOLF COURSE, THE LINES GOLF COURSE OF THE CITY.
SO THAT WAS A VERY INTERESTING PRESENTATION THAT WE GOT AT THE LAST MEETING.
AND WE'LL BE PASSING, UH, A RECOMMENDATION ABOUT IT, UH, I ASSUME IN OUR NEXT ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEETING NEXT WEEK.
SO IT WOULD BE GOOD TO GIVE AN UPDATE, UH, TO THE JSC ABOUT IT.
AMANDA, CAN YOU ADD THAT TO OUR LIST? THANK YOU.
HARRIS, HAVE SOME THOUGHTS ON, ON THAT STUFF.
I THINK, UM, YEAH, YEAH, I THINK FROM THE ZAC PERSPECTIVE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT THE F FM EIGHT 12 LANDFILL AND IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE SOMETHING SIMILAR MIGHT BE GOING ON WITH THE PEC.
SO MAYBE TALKING ABOUT THAT AT SOME POINT IF THERE'S SOME YEAH, IS THERE SOME HAPPENING? YEAH.
WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON THERE? OR IS THE LANDFILL REOPENING OR IS IT SOMEHOW BOTH.
I DON'T, WHY DON'T WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN LEARN AND THEN MAYBE AN UPDATE ON THAT.
[02:10:01]
UH, ARE YOU RAISING YOUR HAND CHARLOTTE, OR JUST FIXING YOUR HAIR? OKAY.