Jul 22, 2020 Resource Management

UH, COMMISSIONER JOHNSON.

UH, COMMISSIONER FREELAND ON.

THANKS.

THANK YOU, JAMIE.

I'M HERE, SO THANK YOU AND COMMISSIONER SMITH.

I'M HERE AS WELL.

HEY SANTA, YOU MISSED ME, MR. DILLMAN IS PRISON.

HOW DID I MISS YOU? I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT.

LEO COMMISSIONER.

CHAIRMAN CHAIRMAN EMERITUS.

DIOVAN IS HERE AS WELL.

UM, GREAT.

THE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING.

SO WITH THAT, LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF

[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Approve minutes of the June 17, 2020 Special Called Meeting of Resource Management Commission.]

THE MINUTES WERE DISTRIBUTED WITH THE PACKET THAT JAMIE SENT OUT TO THE COMMISSION, UH, LAST WEEK.

UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? DANA? THERE'S ONE CORRECTION THAT, UH, UH, THEN I NOTICED THAT THE COMMISSIONERS AND ATTENDED THAT STILL HAS ME SHOWN AS THE CHAIR FOR THE JUNE MEETING.

AND I BELIEVE YOU WERE THE CHAIR IN JUNE.

SO JAMIE THAT'S ONE CORRECTION THAT WOULD BE CORRECT.

WOULD THAT CHANGE AT ALL? UH, WITH THAT CHANGE I'LL I'LL MOVE TO, TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES.

WE HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? ALL SECOND.

ALRIGHT, MR. THOMPSON.

COMMISSIONER JOHNSON.

UH, WE HAVE A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR.

HI.

HI REBECCA.

I JONATHAN DANA.

I THINK THAT WAS EVERYONE.

UH, SORRY.

JAMES WAS AT YOU ABSTAINING.

WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST WITH US TODAY, JOSHUA ROBINSON FROM THE EQUITY OFFICE.

YEAH, THE SUSTAINING I WASN'T HERE.

WHAT'S THE, AND, AND ANY OPPOSED, OKAY.

WITH THAT, THE, THE MINUTES, UM, NEXT, BEFORE WE GO ON TO ITEM TWO, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY A QUICK THANK YOU TO, UM, HEATHER, LOTS OF, PART OF THE LAW DEPARTMENT, THE CITY LAW DEPARTMENT, WHO, UM, UH, ORGANIZED A WORKSHOP FOR THE, ON THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT FOR THIS COMMISSION.

AND THANK YOU ALSO TO JAMIE FOR, UH, ORGANIZING THAT AND THE STAFF THAT WERE INVOLVED, UM, AND ALSO TO THE COMMISSIONERS WHO WERE ABLE TO ATTEND.

UM, FOR ME, IT WAS AN EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE DISCUSSION AND I THINK IT WILL HELP US ALL, UM, BE MORE IMPACTFUL IN OUR ROLES, ON THE COMMISSION, UM, IN EXECUTING OUR MISSION.

SO, UM, JUST SORT OF SAY A QUICK, THANK YOU AGAIN TO HEATHER, UM, UH, FOR THAT PRESENTATION AND THE, UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND THE MATERIALS FROM THE WORKSHOP ARE AVAILABLE AND CAN BE DISTRIBUTED, UM, IF YOU HAVEN'T RECEIVED THEM.

UM, AND WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO GO ON TO ITEM TWO.

UM,

[2. STAFF REPORTS AND BRIEFINGS Briefing by Office of Equity on Resource Management Commission consideration of equity and inclusion regarding the commission and its work.]

UM, JOSHUA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH ONCE AGAIN, FOR BEING WITH US.

AND WE HAVE, UM, 30 MINUTES FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

UM, W ONE COMMENT HERE, UM, WE'LL GO THROUGH JOSHUA'S PRESENTATION.

WE ALSO HAVE AN ITEM UP FOR DISCUSSION REGARDING EQUITY AND INCLUSION, UM, FOR THE SUBMISSION.

UM, SO THIS COMMISSION WILL HAVE A DISCUSSION AS ITEM FOR THIS, UH, THIS PIECE IS FOR JOSHUA'S PRESENTATION, UH, WITH THAT I WILL HAND IT OVER TO YOU, JOSHUA.

AWESOME.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS.

[00:05:01]

UM, AS MADAM CHAIR SAID, JOSHUA ROBINSON, I, WITH THE CITY OF CITY OF AUSTIN'S EQUITY OFFICE, I HAVE BEEN WITH THE OFFICE A LITTLE BIT OVER A YEAR.

I'M ACTUALLY ORIGINALLY FROM KANSAS.

SO I'M GETTING USED TO THIS, UH, TEXAS WEATHER, YOU KNOW, SO WE GET ALL FOUR SEASONS, ALL FOUR SEASONS IN KANSAS.

I'M STILL GETTING USED TO YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME.

SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SHARE MY SCREEN.

OKAY, THERE WE GO.

CAN YOU ALL SEE MY POWERPOINT PRESENTATION? OKAY, PERFECT.

AND SO QUICKLY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF.

I CURRENTLY IN THE EQUITY OFFICE, ONCE AGAIN, I'M THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSIONS LIAISON.

SO I WORK WITH ALL OF OUR QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSIONS, WHICH IS ABOUT THEM, AND THEY HAD AN IDENTITY DRIVEN PURPOSE.

SO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMISSION AND SPENDING LATINO LGBT COMMISSION FOR WOMEN AND COMMISSION ON SENIORS, UM, ASIAN AMERICAN COMMISSION.

AND SO I HELPED THEM TO STRATEGIZE, ORGANIZE, MOBILIZE, AND WORK THROUGH THE BUREAUCRACY OF THE ORGANIZATION.

SO I WORK WITH NON COMMISSIONS, BUT IT'S ALSO A GOOD FOR ME TO KIND OF STEP OUT OF THAT AND SEE OTHER COMMISSIONS AS WELL.

UM, ONE THING I DO WANT TO PREFACE IS THAT WE TYPICALLY DO GIVE THIS PRESENTATION IN TWO HOURS BY CONDENSE IT, UM, FOR THIS COMMISSION.

SO THIS IS KIND OF JUST A QUICK ONE.

SO WHAT WE DO IN THE EQUITY OFFICE.

SO, UM, I THINK SOME QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT AS I'M GOING THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION IS, DOES THIS COMMISSION, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, WHAT IS YOU ALL'S PURPOSE? AND THEN WHAT ROLE DO YOU PLAY IN THIS COMMISSION, YOUR MISSION AND THE GOALS AND OUTCOMES YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE? I BRING THIS UP BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AS YOU ALL THINK ABOUT EQUITY, IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THE FOUNDATION OF WHY THIS COMMISSION WAS STARTED AND HOW AND HOW THE FOUNDATION IS EQUITY BEING USED.

SO KIND OF JUST THINK A LITTLE ABOUT WHY DOES THIS COMMISSION EXISTS AND HOW CAN WE INTEGRATE EQUITY IN THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO? OR HOW CAN YOU INTEGRATE EQUITY IN THE WORK THAT YOU DO? BECAUSE THIS IS A CO-CONSPIRATOR MOVEMENT, RIGHT? EVERYBODY HAS TO BE INVOLVED IN IT.

IT JUST CAN'T BE THE ONES WHO ARE DOING THE EQUITY WORK CONSISTENTLY.

IT HAS TO BE A JOINT EFFORT.

WHO ARE WE? SO BASICALLY WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE DO WORK AROUND RACIAL EQUITY, UM, EVERYONE IS CLEAR ON WHAT EQUITY MEANS AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EQUALITY, QUALITY AND COMPARISONS TO EQUITY.

I THINK A LOT OF YOU HAVE PROBABLY SEEN THIS GRAPHIC BEFORE.

IT'S A VERY COMMON GRAPHIC, BUT WE USE IT BECAUSE IT'S VERY, VERY SIMPLISTIC AND IT GETS TO THE POINT, A QUALITY MEANS EVERYBODY GETS THE SAME THING, NO MATTER WHAT THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES, NO MATTER IF THEY HAVE BEEN EFFECTED BY STRUCTURAL OR SYSTEMIC RACISM, RIPE EQUITY IS WHEN INDIVIDUALS GET WHAT THEY NEED WHEN THEY NEED IT RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT.

RIGHT? WE UNDERSTAND THAT LOOKING AT STRUCTURAL AND SYSTEMIC RACISM, THAT CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN AT A DISADVANTAGE DUE TO THOSE SYSTEMS. AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE, THEY ARE PROVIDED WHAT THEY NEED RIGHT NOW.

AND THAT'S WHAT EQUITY SPEAKS TO IS GIVING FOLKS WHAT THEY NEED.

SO WHEN WE STARTED THE EQUITY OFFICE, WE HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD A CLEAR DEFINITION OF RACIAL EQUITY.

AND SO THE CITY RECOGNIZES THAT THAT RACE IS A PRIMARY DETERMINANT OF, OF SOCIAL EQUITY.

AND THEREFORE WE BEGIN THE JOURNEY TOWARDS SOCIAL EQUITY.

WITH THIS DEFINITION, RACIAL EQUITY IS A CONDITION WHERE RACE NO LONGER PREDICTS A PERSON'S QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND WHEN I TALK ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE, THAT MEANS YOUR SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT, YOUR HEALTH, THAT MEANS YOUR, UH, SOCIAL ECONOMIC STATUS, ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT DETERMINANTS LEAN TOWARDS YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE, RIGHT? AND SO WITHIN OUR OFFICE, WE LEAD WITH RACE BECAUSE AS YOU SEE HERE, RACE IS A DETERMINING, LITERALLY IS THE BEST DETERMINING FACTOR OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S QUALITY OF LIFE.

SO BLACK AND BROWN CHILDREN ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE IN POVERTY IN COMPARISON TO WHITE CHILDREN, BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN ARE PAID CONSIDERABLY LESS IN COMPARISON TO WHITE WOMEN, RIGHT? BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE ARE TREATED DIFFERENTLY.

THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN COMPARISON TO WHITE PEOPLE, RIGHT? AND THEN ALSO, AS WE'VE SEEN WITH COVID-19 BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO GET COVID-19 AND THEN DIE FROM IT.

AND THERE'S AN EMPIRICAL DATA AND EMPIRICAL RESEARCH JUST SUPPORT EVERYTHING I JUST SAID.

SO THAT'S WHY WE LEAD

[00:10:01]

WITH RACE.

SO OUR EQUITY FRAMEWORK FOR EQUITY AND HOW WE DO OUR EQUITY LENS IS WE LOOK AT TO NORMALIZE, OPERATIONALIZE AND ORGANIZE, RIGHT? SO WE WANT TO NORMALIZE CONVERSATIONS AROUND RACIAL EQUITY, RIGHT? A LOT OF TIMES, SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMEONE BRINGS UP RACE OR EVEN DIVERSITY, SOME FOLKS KIND OF CRINGE KIND OF TENSE UP A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO NORMALIZE THIS CONVERSATION.

SO WE DON'T HAVE THOSE KIND OF CRINGEY MOMENTS.

ALSO LOOK AT AS WELL TOO.

AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS CAN BE DIFFICULT, BUT WHAT WE ASK PEOPLE TO DO IS TO LEAN INTO IT, LEAN INTO YOUR DISCOMFORT, LEAN INTO WHAT THAT IS WITH THE OPERATIONALIZED PIECE.

IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, SO WHAT WE DO ON OUR WORK, WE LOOK AT SYSTEMS WE'RE VERY HIGH LEVEL SYSTEMS LEVEL BECAUSE WHEN YOU ARE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE SYSTEM, THEN EVERYTHING KIND OF TRICKLES DOWN.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, EVEN IN THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, THE EDUCATION SYSTEM, IT WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK AT WHERE ARE THE, WHERE ARE THE STRUCTURAL DEFICIENCIES WITHIN THOSE SYSTEMS? WE CAN THEN GO IN TO HELP TO FIX IT.

THAT'S WHERE THE OPERATION OF THE OPERATIONALIZED PIECE COMES IN.

THE ORGANIZING WITHIN OUR OFFICE, WE WERE BIRTHED OUT OF COMMUNITY, ORGANIZING LITERALLY THE COMMUNITY, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE WHAT WE NEEDED AND MADE SURE THAT THIS OFFICE COULD EXIST.

SO WHEN IT COMES TO ORGANIZING, WE'RE ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIP, BUILDING ALL ABOUT PARTNERSHIP.

AND SO WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS ORGANIZE WITHIN THE CITY AND THEN FOLKS ARE ORGANIZING OUTSIDE OF THE CITY.

SO THEN THERE'S THAT PRESSURE COOKER WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO GET ORGANIZING AND ABLE TO GET PUSHED ON BOTH ENDS.

SO ORGANIZE IT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AS WE CONTINUE TO DO THIS WORK AND HAVE THOSE ALLIES AS WELL.

SO OUR EQUITY ASSESSMENTS, OR IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF, BASICALLY IN A NUTSHELL, IT'S A GENERAL SET OF QUESTIONS THAT HELP THE CITY DEPARTMENTS TO LOOK AT HOW EQUITABLE ARE THEIR FUNCTIONS WORKING, RIGHT? SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THEIR BUDGET, WE'RE LOOKING AT THEIR, UH, PERSONNEL, WE'RE LOOKING AT THEIR INITIATIVES, THEIR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

AND WE'RE SEEING WHERE ARE YOU ALL BEING EQUITABLE AND HOW CAN YOU BE MORE EQUITABLE? AND SO FOR EACH DEPARTMENT, IT LOOKS KIND OF DIFFERENT.

SO IT'LL LOOK DIFFERENT FOR AUSTIN ENERGY IN COMPARISON TO MAYBE THE DEVELOPMENT SERVE AS THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT OR EVEN CTM, WHICH IS THE, CITY'S IT DEPARTMENT WITH THIS TOOL WE'RE ABLE TO ASSESS WHAT DOES EQUITY LOOK LIKE IN YOUR DEPARTMENT? AND HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HAVING EQUITABLE OUTCOMES IN THE WORK THAT WE DO AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO.

SO REALLY QUICK, I WANTED TO SHOW THIS GRAPHIC.

SO OBVIOUSLY THIS IS OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, AND THIS IS A MAP UP OF A MAP OF POVERTY HERE IN THE CITY.

SO THE BLUE THAT KIND OF DARK BLUE COLOR IS WHERE THERE IS LESS THAN 10% OF POVERTY, RIGHT? AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, IF YOU KNOW THE HISTORY BEHIND AUSTIN, THERE'S A DIVIDE.

LOT OF , I'M PRETTY SURE EVERYONE HERE HAS DRIVEN ON 35, UH, ONCE IN THEIR TIME, LIVING HERE IN AUSTIN.

AND JUST A COOL LITTLE FACT, I'M FROM KANSAS CITY, THERE'S AN ODD 35 IN KANSAS CITY.

CAUSE I, 35 GOES STRAIGHT UP ALL THE WAY TO CANADA.

BUT, UM, IF YOU LOOK WEST OF OUR 35, IT'S LESS THAN 10% OF POVERTY, RIGHT? BUT THEN IF YOU LOOK AT EAST OF AND THAT KIND OF MUSTARD, KIND OF ORANGE COLOR, THERE'S 20 TO 40% OF POVERTY.

AND THEN THEIR RED COLOR, THERE'S OVER 40% KNOWING THE HISTORY BEHIND AUSTIN IN THE 1928 MASTER PLAN, WE KNOW THAT BLACK AND BROWN WILL SPECIFICALLY BLACK PEOPLE WERE PUSHED OUT WHERE WERE PUSHED TO EAST AUSTIN.

AND IF THEY DID THE MOVE, THEY HAD THEIR UTILITIES CUT OFF.

SO, SO THEY WERE LITERALLY FORCED TO MOVE TO AUSTIN.

IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THIS BECAUSE IN THE WORK THAT WE DO, HISTORIES OF HISTORY IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART BECAUSE HISTORY IS ABLE TO GIVE A CONTEXTUAL, UM, REASONING, NOT, NOT REASONING, BUT IT'S ABLE TO GIVE US SUBTEXT ON WHY WE'RE IN THE POSITION THAT WE'RE IN.

SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS IDEA OF WHY BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE ARE MORE, MORE IN POVERTY WAS BECAUSE WE WERE STRIPPED OF RESOURCES OF ACCESS AND PUSH TO EAST AUSTIN HERE,

[00:15:01]

UM, IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.

AND SO NOW EVEN IN 2020, OR EVEN IN THE 21ST CENTURY, THOSE DISPARITIES ARE STILL PREVALENT.

SO YOU SEE IN WEST AUSTIN, IT'S LESS THAN 10% OF POVERTY, BUT THEN, UH, BUT THEN EAST OF OUR 35 BB POVERTY INCREASES ANOTHER GRAPHIC.

I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE REALLY GOOD FOR, YOU KNOW, IN THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO WITH AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, IS WHO POLLUTES AND WHO WAS IMPACTED.

RIGHT? SO THIS STUDY BY THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND 2019 FOUND THAT THE, UH, WHITE, SO THAT WHITE FOLKS ARE THE MAJORITY OF POLLUTERS, BUT BLACK AND LATIN NEXT ON THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IMPACTED THE MOST.

RIGHT? SO EVEN SEEING THE IDEA THAT ALTHOUGH BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE ARE NOT POLLUTING THAT MUCH, WE ARE RECEIVING THE IMPACT TO WHAT WE ARE BEING IMPACTED THE MOST AND EVEN SPEAKS TO THE IDEA OF COVID-19 WITH THIS IDEA THAT, UM, BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO GET COVID-19 AND THEN DIE FROM IT.

AND IT'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS.

I THINK A LOT OF REASONS IS FOR THE UNDERLINING CONDITIONS, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT, BUT, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE HEALTH DETERMINANTS THAT BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO LIVE IN IMPOVERISHED AREAS WHERE THERE'S A FOOD DESERT, WHERE THEY WERE, WHERE THERE'S A LACK OF CLEAN ENERGY AND CLEAN AIR, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT DETERMINANTS THAT REALLY, UM, EXACERBATES THE, THE, UH, CHANCES OF BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE GETTING COVID-19 ANOTHER ONE.

AND I SPOKE ABOUT THIS TOO.

ANOTHER DISPARITY THAT WE SEE IN TRAVIS COUNTY IS THAT BLACK AND BROWN CHILDREN ARE MORE LIKELY TO LIVE IN POVERTY IN COMPARISON TO WHITE CHILDREN.

RIGHT? AND SO WE BRING THIS DISPARITY BECAUSE THESE DISPARITIES NOT ONLY FOCUSED ON ONE, ONE SECTOR, IT'S MANY DIFFERENT, IT'S VERY INTERSECTIONAL, RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THESE DATA, TO SEE HOW THESE DISPARITIES ARE AFFECTING BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE.

AND THE REASON WHY WE SHOULD LEAD WITH RACE.

AND ONE THING I WANT TO, UH, MAKE CLEAR IS IT'S ABOUT A SYSTEMIC PATTERN THAT IS HAPPENING, RIGHT? SO WE LOOK AT, EVEN DURING JIM CROW, RIGHT? SO IF YOU WERE BLACK, THERE WERE SCHOOLS THAT YOU COULD ONLY GO TO.

AND THOSE SCHOOLS WERE FUNDED AT A CERTAIN LEVEL, RIGHT? SO EVEN LOOKING AT IT FROM BACK THEN, THOSE ARE STILL HAVING EFFECTS TO US TO THIS DAY.

SO WE SEE HOW IT'S VERY SYSTEMIC.

AND THEN ALSO THERE'S THIS IDEA OF RACIAL BIAS AGAINST BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE.

SO ANOTHER DISPARITY THAT WE HIGHLIGHT IS THAT BLACK AND BROWN, BLACK WOMEN ARE MORE LIKELY TO DIE IN CHILDBIRTH IN COMPARISON TO WHITE WOMEN.

AND A REASON FOR THAT IS, IS BECAUSE WHEN BLACK WOMEN EXPLAIN THAT, THAT, THAT THEY'RE SUFFERING, THEY'RE NOT BELIEVED RIGHT.

AND SOME RACIAL BIAS ALSO CONTRIBUTES TO THE DISPARITIES THAT WE SEE FOR BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE.

AND THEN THE LAST GRAPHIC I WANTED TO SHOW YOU ALL IS THIS IDEA OF, OF COLORBLINDNESS, RIGHT? SO, UM, 19,000 EMAILS TO PUBLIC SERVICE DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING LIBRARIES, SCHOOLS, SHERIFF COUNTY TREASURERS, AND CLERK'S OFFICES WERE SENT IN THE IDENTICAL EMAIL, RIGHT? SO FOR BLACK SOUNDING NAMES, THEY WERE LESS LIKELY TO RECEIVE A RESPONSE AND LESS LIKELY TO HAVE A CORDIAL, RESPECTFUL RESPONSE.

SO YOU SEE HERE, WE HAVE SUSAN SMITH AND THEN WE HAVE A LA KESHA WASHINGTON.

AND WHAT THIS IS SAYING IS THAT WITH RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, IF YOUR NAME IS LAKISHA OR, OR, OR IF YOUR NAME IS JAMAL, YOU, YOU ARE NOT TAKING SERIOUS, NOT TAKING SERIOUSLY IN YOUR REQUESTS OR YOUR INQUIRY WHEN IT COMES TO GOVERNMENT ENTITIES.

RIGHT? SO EVEN WHEN WE HEAR SOMEONE'S NAME, THERE'S A RACIAL COMPONENT TO WHAT AS WELL ON HOW WE TREAT THEM.

AND WE CAN EVEN TAKE CARE OF FURTHER TO IF SOMEONE HAS AN ACCENT, RIGHT? SO IF THEY HAVE A BRITISH ACCENT, WHICH IS SEEN AS MORE ELEGANT, A MORE REGAL VERSUS A SPANISH, OR IN A AFRICAN ACCENT, HOW DO WE TREAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS BASED OFF OF THEIR ACCENT? RIGHT? SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, SO, SO THIS IS WORK THAT WE

[00:20:01]

SO A QUESTION THAT I WANTED TO PROPOSE TO YOU ALL, AND I'M PRETTY SURE YOU HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT IT IS WHAT WOULD EQUITABLE RECOMMENDATIONS LOOK LIKE FOR THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION? AND I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL SHOULD KIND OF THINK ABOUT AND KIND OF LEAN INTO AND NOT EVEN, AND NOT EVEN RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT ALSO THE WORK THAT SHE WILL ALL DO.

AND I THINK THAT A PART OF DOING THIS WORK AROUND RACIAL EQUITY BASED OFF OF THESE DISPARITIES IS THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO SENSOR BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE IN YOUR WORK.

AND IT GETS BACK TO THE EQUITY PIECE, RIGHT? BECAUSE BASED OFF OF DISPARITIES, BASED OFF OF THIS DATA, WE HAVE TO CENTER BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY ARE THE MOST, WE ARE THE MOST WHO ARE SUFFERING AND HE IS NOT EVEN WITH SOCIAL SERVICES, IT COULD BE WITH THE UTILITIES.

RIGHT, RIGHT.

IT COULD BE WITH THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO.

SO I THINK THAT'S ABOUT CENTERING BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE.

SO, UM, ARE THE THANK YOU.

AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, JOSHUA, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT IMPORTANT PRESENTATION.

AND, UM, I THINK THIS, THIS TOPIC IS SO INCREDIBLY RELEVANT AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

AND I THINK SO MANY OF THOSE STATISTICS ARE FOR ME PERSONALLY, IT'S JUST, IT'S, IT'S TOUCHING AND EYE OPENING TO THINK ABOUT THE MULTITUDE OF WAYS THAT SYSTEMIC RACISM PLAYS OUT IN OUR SOCIETY TODAY.

SO, SO THANK YOU.

UM, WE DO HAVE TIME, UH, SET, UH, FOR A DISCUSSION ABOUT EXACTLY THE QUESTION YOU'VE POSED TO US JOSHUA, ABOUT WHAT CAN THIS CONDITION DO TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE DOING OUR PART TO ACTIVELY DISRUPT SYSTEMIC RACISM.

UM, BUT, AND WE HAVE TIME FOR THAT DISCUSSION, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I'D LIKE TO POSE, UH, JUST ASK THE COMMISSION, WHAT QUESTIONS MIGHT YOU HAVE OF JOSHUA? WELL, WHILE WE'VE GOT A WHILE WE'VE GOT HIM HERE, MANY, I BELIEVE I SAW YOUR HAND RAISED.

I WAS WONDERING IF YOUR INTERNAL DISCUSSION, UM, LATER ON THIS AFTERNOON, ABOUT HOW WOULD QUESTIONS INCLUDE AND EQUITY, UM, IN THOSE AREAS THAT ARE IN THE PURVIEW OF OUR CONDITIONS.

SO I'M CLEAR YOU ASKED IF I WOULD STAY FOR THE LATER DISCUSSION SO I CAN STAY.

YEAH, I'LL BE AT, I WAS PLANTED THIS DAY, BUT YEAH, I'LL BE ABLE TO, I'LL BE ON THE CALL.

GREAT.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE FEELING, UM, BOTH WELCOME.

AND I ASKED, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIRMAN.

I THINK YOU MAY HAVE A SECOND MIC OPEN, UM, IN YOUR WORKSPACE OR AT LEAST SOMEBODY THAT IS OPEN AND WE'RE GETTING FEEDBACK.

LET'S SEE.

I'M GOING TO TRY TO MEET BOTH MY MIC FOR JUST A MOMENT.

LET'S SEE IF THAT MAKES IT GO AWAY.

DID IT GO AWAY FOR OTHER PEOPLE, NOT YOU DANA SOMEBODY ELSE.

LET'S SEE.

I'M LOOKING AROUND TO SEE HOW MANY RED MIX I SEE.

NOT SURE WHERE THE FEEDBACK IS COMING FROM.

THANK YOU SO MANY WILL, WILL DO IT.

I GUESS IF YOU THINK IT MAY BE YOUR ENVIRONMENT, PLEASE, PLEASE DO REMEMBER TO GO TO GO ON MUTE.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR, OR COMMENTS OR THOUGHTS FOR JOSHUA FOR, FOR THIS PART OF THIS DISCUSSION.

LET'S UH, I BELIEVE WE'RE, WE'RE TRACKING WELL TIMEWISE, SO LET'S MOVE ON.

I WOULD NEED IT ON MY PHONE AND I UN-MUTED MY PHONE, BUT NOT MY, MY LAPTOP, YOU KNOW, THE BUTTON ON THE SCREEN.

UM, YEAH.

SO ON THAT POINT, UH, YOU KNOW, ON THE POINT OF ENTERING EQUITY AND PRACTICING EQUITY, I WANTED TO BRING UP THAT, YOU KNOW, THE EQUITY OFFICE FOR, UH, OR THE, THE CITY, I THINK LED BY THE EQUITY OFFICE FOR AWHILE FREE COPING, I'VE BEEN DOING, UM, UNDOING RACISM TRAINING ON ANTI-RACISM, UH, TWO, WHICH ARE A LITTLE MORE ADVANCED THAN SORT OF AS INTRODUCTORY EQUITY PRESENTATION.

SO I WANTED TO UPLIFT THAT AND, AND, YOU KNOW, PUT THAT OUT THERE AS AN OPTION THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE LOOKING INTO FOR THE FUTURE.

UH, AND ALSO TO ASK HIM REAL FAST, UM, UH, DO Y'ALL ANTICIPATE, YOU KNOW, I GOT COVID Y'ALL ANTICIPATE PRESUMING THOSE WORKSHOPS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SHANE, FOR THAT RECOGNITION.

YES.

WE DO PLAN TO RESUME THE WORKSHOPS

[00:25:01]

BECAUSE OF COVID-19.

WE DID HAVE TO PUT THEM ON HOLD, BUT WE DO PLAN TO RESUME MILLS, UM, RIGHT NOW.

SO WE, THE WORKSHOPS ARE FACILITATED BY THE PEOPLE'S INSTITUTE FOR SURVIVAL AND BEYOND.

THEY'RE AN ORGANIZATION OUT OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, AND THEY'VE BEEN DOING THESE WORKSHOPS FOR A VERY LONG TIME, UM, ALONE TIME AND WORKING SO DISRUPT AND DISMANTLE STRUCTURAL RACISM.

SO, YES, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE WILL BE CONTINUING THOSE PROBABLY IN 2021 AT THIS MOMENT, BUT I WILL, AND I CAN SEND THIS TO, UH, JAMIE, BUT THE INSTITUTE, THEY ARE DOING SOME VIRTUAL WORK TO ADAPT TO.

UM COVID-19 SO THEY DO HAVE SOME VIRTUAL, UH, SESSIONS THAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING IS NOT, IT'S NOT THE FULL ONE THAT YOU'VE PROBABLY BEEN TO SHAME, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19, UM, BECAUSE CURRENTLY WHAT THE CLIMATE FOLKS ARE WANTING TO JUMP INTO THIS WORK.

SO YES.

AND I COULD SEND THAT INFORMATION TO JAMIE.

THANK YOU, JOSH.

AND THAT'S A, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP.

UH, AND ACTUALLY I WOULD EVEN SAY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, SHORTER ZOOM WORKSHOPS ARE PROBABLY A GOOD PLACE TO START THE, UM, THE 20 HOUR TRAINING THAT I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE A COUPLE OF TIMES IS IT'S PRETTY ADVANCED.

AND I THINK THAT THERE'S, IT CAN BE, IT CAN BACKFIRE A LITTLE, WE GO INTO IT WHEN FOLKS AREN'T QUITE READY FOR IT.

UM, BUT YEAH, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING, UH, TO HEARING MORE ABOUT THE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES IN THE MEANTIME, AND GETTING FOLKS PLUGGED INTO THAT, UM, YOU TO FURTHER ADVANCE OUR LEARNING PROCESS AND BE ABLE TO BETTER PRACTICE EQUITY IN OUR WORK.

THANK YOU, SHANE.

AND THANK YOU JOSHUA VERY MUCH FOR, FOR SHARING THAT INFORMATION WITH US AS IT'S AVAILABLE.

JAMES, I THINK I SAW YOUR HAND.

I HAD ONE JUST GENERAL COMMENT.

UM, JUST ABOUT THIS, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, JOSHUA PROVIDED A LOT OF THE, UM, THE INFORMATION REGARDING WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOUNT FOR OR WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO TRACK OR UNDERSTAND ABOUT, UM, LIKE WHAT THE ACTUAL EXPERIENCES, BUT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE GO ABOUT IN OUR WORD GETTING AN IMPROVEMENTS OR TRACKING IMPROVEMENT? UM, SO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES IN OUR, UM, ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS OR ANY OF OUR PROGRAMS, AND WE DO COST-EFFECTIVENESS TESTS, RIGHT, WE'RE EVALUATING ON TRC, UH, TESTS AND WAITING, WAITING, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DIFFERENT COST OVER TIME OF THE PROGRAM, WHETHER IT'S COST EFFECTIVE.

UH, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY, I KNOW SOME OF Y'ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH, OBVIOUSLY THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO US, BUT IN THE OVERALL SCOPE, THERE'S ALSO THE SOCIETAL COSTS TEST, WHICH REFLECTS, WHICH YOU CAN ADD IN AND PROVIDE THINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE EQUITY WEIGHTING, SO THAT WE, AS WE LOOK AT OUR PROGRAM, BUT THAT IS ALSO CONSIDERED IN CONJUNCTION WITH, UH, AS MUCH OF OUR, OUR, OUR OTHER, UM, TESTS THAT WE APPLY.

SO I'LL ADD TO THAT AS A KIND OF A, UM, POSSIBLE EVALUATION METRICS.

NOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT EVERY UTILITY, UH, USES, UM, ALL OF THE DIFFERENT TESTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, RIGHT.

UM, AS FAR AS RATE IMPACT, PARTICIPANT COST TEST ALL THESE OTHER TESTS, RIGHT.

BUT IT'S JUST A TOOL AT OUR DISPOSAL THAT WE JUST, I THINK SHOULD KEEP IN MIND.

UM, AND, BUT OBVIOUSLY THE WEIGHT, BIG WEIGHT OF THAT IS IF WE USE THIS, THE TOTAL COST TEST, AND OBVIOUSLY IT TAKES SOMEBODY TO PUT SOME LIKE SOME NUMBERS OR THOUGHT BEHIND IT, IN THAT SCOPE, UM, WHICH IS USUALLY THE PROHIBITING FACTOR FOR IMPLEMENTATION PEOPLE GET CONSULTANTS.

AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, WE JUST, OUR LEGAL REQUIREMENTS ONLY TRC.

SO WE'LL ONLY LOOK AT THAT, BUT IT'S JUST A THING TO, UM, FOR US TO, I THINK, TO LOOK AT, ARE, ARE CONSIDERED, UM, IS TO HAVE THAT AS AN ADDITIONAL ITEM TO BE AWARE OF OUR ADDITIONAL PATHS IN OUR SPACE, THAT WOULD BE A POTENTIALLY USEFUL.

THANK YOU, JAMES.

I THINK IT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION.

AND, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, I THINK BOTH HOW WE AS A COMMISSION, UM, CAN INCORPORATE, UM, BOTH THE CONCEPTS OF EQUITY IN, IN PRACTICE, IN OUR WORK, UM, AND EVALUATION OF, OF EQUITY.

I THINK THOSE, THOSE PIECES ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER.

UM, YOU KNOW, I'M REALIZING NOW THE WAY IT'S PLAYING OUT, I APOLOGIZE FOR HAVING THE, THE PRESENTATION AND THE DISCUSSION AT SEPARATE PLACES ON THE AGENDA, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT DOES MAKE IT AWKWARD FOR ALL OF US.

UM, SO JOSHUA, I'LL SAY THANK YOU AGAIN FOR AGREEING TO, TO STAY ON FOR OUR DISCUSSION, UM, WHICH WE HAVE ON THE SCHEDULE RIGHT

[00:30:01]

NOW FOR FOUR O'CLOCK.

SO I HOPE THAT DOESN'T, UM, THAT, THAT WORKS WITH YOUR SCHEDULE AS WELL.

AND SO LET'S JAMES LET'S CONTINUE THAT CONVERSATION WHEN WE GET TO, TO ITEM FOUR.

UM, AND THEN ALL THOSE SAY AS SO WE

[4. NEW BUSINESS Discussion and possible action on increasing equity and inclusion though a workshop of commissioners and developing processes to increase equity and inclusion within the Commission.]

CAN BE, OH, YES.

UM, WHEN I SIT AT THE AGENDA AND CONSULTATION WITH CITY LEGAL, THEY SAID YOU COULD JUST MOVE TO ITEM FOUR, WHICH IS ACTION ON THIS ISSUE, WHICH FOR THE FLOW OF THE MEETING, WE'VE WORKED A LOT BETTER.

IT WOULD WORK BETTER, LIKE GREAT.

LET'S DO IT.

LET'S LET'S CONTINUE.

UPDATE WAS AN EXERCISE THAT HELPED PEOPLE HAVE A LOT MORE RESPECT FOR THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THIS COMMISSION OF THAT COMMISSION.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UM, SO I'D LIKE TO THEN MAYBE LET'S CONTINUE THAT SUGGESTION OF JAMES, UM, ABOUT WHAT KIND OF, WHAT, UH, MAYBE WHAT OTHER SUGGESTIONS DO WE HAVE IN PRACTICE FOR HOW THIS COMMISSION MIGHT, UM, CENTER EQUITY AND ADOPT PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES THAT HIGHLIGHT EQUITY IN OUR WORK, UM, AND THE, THE FLOOR IS OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.

AND, UM, NOW WE'RE MADAME CHAIR.

UM, I HAD ASKED TO HAVE THIS PUT ON THE AGENDA AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH A NUMBER OF OUR MEMBERS OVER TIME AND HAVING SERVED ON MISSIONS FOR, I DON'T KNOW, 20 SOMETHING YEARS.

I BET YOU MAYBE LONGER.

UM, IT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REVIEW THE EXPERIENCE WE HAVE, UM, THAT HAS TROUBLED ME IS THAT WE DON'T REALLY GET INPUT ON MANY OF THE DECISIONS AROUND THE PROGRAMS THAT WE ARE DESIGNING AND DEVELOPING, UM, FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE ECONOMICALLY CHALLENGED OR PEOPLE OF COLOR.

UM, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT.

UM, WE HAVE, UH, UM, A RELATIVELY STAID AND AGED SYSTEM OF OUTREACH THAT CLEARLY IS FAILING AND GETTING THE ISSUES THAT IMPACT, UM, THOSE COMMUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR MEETINGS.

PART OF IT CLEARLY IS THE FORMAT AND IT'S IN THE EVENINGS AND IT'S IN A DOWNTOWN OFFICE BUILDING FROM THE COMMUNITY.

UM, BUT OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT HAS TROUBLED ME, UM, IS THAT AS SOMEONE WHO HAS HELPED RECRUIT MEMBERS TO THIS COMMISSION OVER TIME, UM, THAT IT'S ALWAYS DIFFICULT, UM, US TO FIND INTERESTED AND, UM, QUALIFIED PEOPLE TO RECOMMEND A VARIOUS COUNCIL PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE AND, UM, UH, APPOINTMENT COMING UP.

AND FRANKLY, I THINK WE DO A REALLY POOR JOB.

UM, AND, UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO ASK MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS ABOUT IS THEIR THOUGHTS ON THIS, AND ALSO TO HELP US GET SOME PROFESSIONAL ADVICE ON HOW TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE IN OUR THIS BODY AND, AND OTHERS THAT WE MAY BE IN A POSITION TO RECOMMEND.

UM, THIRD, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO ENGAGE THIS COMMISSION AND A DISCUSSION ABOUT DOING AN EQUITY TRAINING TOGETHER.

UM, I DID THIS PROBABLY 20 YEARS AGO IN NEW ORLEANS.

UM, THE NAME OF THE PROGRAM WAS DIFFERENT, BUT IT'S BASICALLY XY UNDERSTAND IT, THE SAME COMPONENTS AND IT'S BEEN UPDATED AND IT'S FAR MORE EFFECTIVE.

NOW I HAVE HAD SEVERAL OF MY COLLEAGUES AND MY WIFE WHO RECENTLY WENT THROUGH THE EQUITY AND TRAINING PROGRAM.

THE TINY AWARD, UM, DID THAT FOR ALL OF THE COMMISSION MEMBERS THAT WERE WORKING ON THE CLIMATE PLAN.

AND SEVERAL OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED IT SAID IT WAS EXTREMELY PROFOUND AND REALLY CHANGED THEIR WAY OF, UM, AND THEIR LENSES FOR LOOKING AT THIS PROBLEM AND THE IMPACT OF GOING THROUGH IT AS A GROUP SORT OF CLIMATE.

WHAT I DON'T THINK THERE WERE COMMISSIONERS, BUT THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE CLIMATE

[00:35:01]

AND, UM, I CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE AND, UM, WAY THAT MY WIFE LOOKS AT THE WORLD, UM, SINCE HAVING GONE THROUGH THAT TRAINING.

AND I THINK WE, AS A BODY OWE IT TO OURSELVES TO DO IT TOGETHER, UM, BECAUSE IT WILL BE A MORE COHESIVE AND, UM, BODY, AND IT WILL HELP US HAVE COMMON LENSES TO LOOK AT THE CHALLENGES OF BEING MORE INCLUSIVE, UM, IN OUR WORK AND TO THINK OF WAYS THAT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, UM, CAN BE MORE EFFECTIVE TO THE AFFECTED COMMUNITIES.

SO THOSE ARE THE THREE THINGS THAT WHEN I PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA THAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, AND, UM, I'M SURE THERE ARE MANY MORE THAT PEOPLE ON THIS COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO PUT ON THE TABLE TO DISCUSS THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I WONDER IF IT WOULD MAKE SENSE MAYBE FOR US EACH TO DISCUSS THOSE THREE POINTS, UM, IT TOGETHER INPUT FROM, FROM THE REST OF THE COMMISSION.

UM, AND, AND MAYBE EVEN STARTING IN REVERSE ORDER, BECAUSE I THINK EACH OF EACH IS IMPORTANT AND PERHAPS EVEN BUILDS ON ONE ANOTHER.

UM, AND, AND REGARDING THE TOPIC OF AN UNDOING RACISM TRAINING SESSION, UM, WHICH SHANE ALSO THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR COMMENTS REGARDING THE, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT IT'S, IT'S NOT A TRAINING, IT'S NOT A ONETIME EVENT, YOU KNOW, AND UNDOING RACISM IS A, IT'S A PROCESS.

AND, UM, I WOULD PROPOSE, UM, A CULTURE THAT WE AS A COMMISSION SHOULD CONSIDER ADOPTING.

UM, SO TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE ARE VIRTUAL SESSIONS AVAILABLE FOR US TO PARTICIPATE IN AS A COMMISSION, UM, I WOULD SUPPORT THAT EFFORT.

UM, AND SMITTY, I ALSO PERSONALLY LIKE YOUR IDEA OF US GOING THROUGH THE TRAININGS TOGETHER, BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT MAKES US STRONGER AS A BODY.

UM, BUT I'D LIKE TO JUST OPEN THAT TOPIC UP TO THOUGHTS FROM THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS, MAYBE HERE'S THE SIMPLE QUESTION.

WOULD YOU ALL BE WILLING TO GO THROUGH AN UNDOING RACISM TRAINING? YEAH, I SEE SOME THUMBS UP.

CHIME IN REAL FAST TO CLARIFY SOMETHING.

CAN GIVE SOME MORE CONTEXTUAL WORK AROUND WHAT WE DO.

SO, UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, BACK TO WHAT JOSHUA WAS SAYING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE THESE WEBINARS OR, UH, CONVERSATIONS FOR HAP, UM, THAT WOULD DEFINITELY BE SHORTER AND NOT THE FALL TRAINING.

AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO DO RIGHT NOW, UM, AND JUST TO BE CONSISTENT AND MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S ON THE SAME PAGE, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE, THERE, THERE ARE AN ARRAY OF DIFFERENT ASSET RACISM AND EQUITY TRAINING.

I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT THE UNDOING RACISM TRAINING, IT'S THE NAME OF A SPECIFIC ANTI-RACISM TRAINING BY THE PEOPLE'S INSTITUTE.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE LAUNDRY DUDE ALREADY INVOLVED IN THAT.

I JUST WANT TO, THIS IS A POINT THAT I'VE HAD TO BRING UP IN OTHER CIRCLES WHEN WE FIRST STARTED TALKING ABOUT TRAININGS OF THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO CONTEMPLATE THE NAME OF ONE TRAINING WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOUR CATEGORIES OF TRAINING.

I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT, UM, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WOULD NOT BE THE UNDOING RACISM TRAINING THAT INSTITUTE OFFERS AND THAT'S, AND THANK YOU, SHANE FOR MAKING THAT A POINT I WANTED TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF COVID-19 DEFINITELY HAD THINGS THE WAY THAT WE OPERATE.

SO JUST SOME CONTEXT, WE WERE DRILLING THE UNDOING RACISM TRAINING PEOPLE'S INSTITUTE ONCE A MONTH, WE HAVE A CON.

SO, SO THERE'S A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY, WITH THE ORGANIZATION.

SO WE WERE DOING THE ONCE A MONTH.

AND SO BECAUSE OF COVID-19, WE JUST, WE JUST STOPPED AS FAR AS THE VIRTUAL ONES THEY'VE BEEN DOING, UM, THAT'S STUFF THAT WE HAVE NOT EXPLORED HE HAD WITH THEM.

AND SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, IT'S SOMETHING THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE QUITE NOT DOING RIGHT NOW.

I THINK ONE THING I CAN OFFER YOU OFFER YOU ALL, IS THAT WHAT THE PRESENTATION I DID TODAY, IT WAS REALLY, REALLY, REALLY DENSE.

AND SO, UH, THE EQUITY OFFICE, WE COULD DO A PRESENTATION WITH YOU ALL THAT'S ABOUT TWO HOURS LONG THAT

[00:40:01]

AND THERE'S SOME INTERACTION.

THERE IS SOME TALKING THAT IS DEFINITELY SOME OF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO IN THE FUTURE.

UM, BUT AS FAR AS THE VIRTUAL ONES WITH THE PEOPLE'S INSTITUTE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CITY, AS FAR AS, UH, THE CONTRACT WE'RE CURRENTLY NOT DOING RIGHT NOW.

THANK YOU, JOSHUA.

AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA.

UM, TH TH A TWO HOUR TRAINING SESSION, UM, I REALIZED YOU WERE TIME CONSTRAINTS TODAY, BUT I THINK THAT'S A GREAT FIRST STEP AND TO ALLOW US TO HAVE ADDITIONAL DISCUSSIONS, UM, KIND OF WORKSHOP STYLE, PERHAPS, UM, AMONG THIS BODIES.

UM, AND I LOVE THE STRUCTURE OF YOUR PRESENTATION, I THINK WAS EVEN KIND OF OFFERED THOSE CHALLENGES TO US AS A BODY.

UM, SO IT WOULD BE NICE TO, TO HAVE THE TIME TO GO INTO THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

UM, SO I THINK THAT'S LIKE, PERHAPS LET'S, LET'S SAY LET'S TRY TO SCHEDULE THAT TYPE OF WORKSHOP.

OH, JAMIE, YES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.

I'M SURE.

SINCE THIS WAS POSTED FOR FORMAL ACTION TO SET UP A WORKSHOP, YOU CAN JUST TAKE A VOTE ON IT REAL QUICK TO BE SAFE, TO MAKE SURE, GET COMFORTABLE WITH THE POSTING LANGUAGE AND NOT INCLUDE THE WORDS I'M DOING RACISM WORKSHOP.

IT JUST SAID, HEY WORKSHOP.

SO WHATEVER WORKSHOP WE FIND WITH YOUR WELL, THANK YOU.

SO, UM, IS THERE A MOTION, DO I HAVE A MOTION FOR A VOTE TO, UH, TO ESTABLISH A, AN EQUITY WORKSHOP FOR THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION? YEAH, I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION IF THAT'S THE QUESTION.

UH, MOVED BY COMMISSIONER JOHNSON.

DO I HAVE A SECOND SECOND AND BY COMMISSIONER BABIAK.

CITY COUNCIL BE AT, WOULD BE, UM, PLACES FROM WHICH WE COULD BROADCAST, UM, AND HOW DIFFICULT IT IS.

UM, ALL IN FAVOR.

AYE.

WE HAVE ENOUGH VIDEO TO RAISE HANDS.

UH HUH.

THANK YOU, EVA.

UH, ALL OPPOSED ANY ABSTENTIONS? SO WITH THAT, THE MOTION PASSES.

THANK YOU ALL.

UM, MAYBE THE OTHER TWO POINTS THAT YOU BROUGHT UP, I THINK WERE, WERE ALSO QUITE RELEVANT, INCLUDING HOW DO WE INCREASE DIVERSITY, UH, TOM, THIS COMMISSION, AS WELL AS, HOW DO WE RECEIVE ADDITIONAL CITIZEN, UH, INPUT FROM A MORE DIVERSE, UH, GROUP OF CITIZENS THAT WE ARE REPRESENTING ON THIS COMMISSION? UM, IS THERE ADDITIONAL, ARE THERE ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS, COMMENTS, OR DISCUSSIONS FROM OTHER COMMISSIONERS ABOUT THE OTHER TWO ITEMS THAT COMMISSIONER SMITH HAS PROPOSED? SO TO THE ISSUE OF THE MEETING LOCATIONS AND, UM, ONE OF THE REASONS WHERE TETHERED, UM, OR HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST TETHERED TO THE, UH, THE AUSTIN ENERGY BUILDING WAS THE ABILITY THAT THE EQUIPMENT THEY HAD TO BROADCAST.

AND, UM, IT WAS, UH, THE PRIMARY REASON THEY WANTED US THERE.

AND THEN THE OTHER, WHICH IS MAKES GOOD SENSE.

UM, AND ONE LEVEL IS THAT THIS IS WHERE THE STAFF ARE AND SHOULD THERE BE, AND THEIR MATERIALS.

AND SO SHOULD THERE BE, AS THERE OFTEN ARE QUESTIONS THAT THE STAFF IS ILL PREPARED FOR, SOMEBODY CAN RUN UPSTAIRS AND GET DOCUMENTS.

UM, HOWEVER, THE LOCATION, UM, IS INTIMIDATING AND SHOULD BE FAST.

ISN'T THAT FANCY? SO IT'S NOT THE, NOT THE ROOF ITSELF, IT'S INTIMIDATING, BUT AT THESE BIG BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN, AND IT'S NOT PART OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE SEEKING.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE MY PITCH TO JAMIE AND ASK HIM TO RUN UP THE AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, IS, ARE THERE OTHER LOCATIONS OR COULD THERE BE OTHER LOCATION AND, UM, VARIOUS, UH, CITIES OR PRECINCTS THAT ARE DIVIDED OUT BY

[00:45:01]

IS IT WITH THESE TECH, THE TECHNOLOGIES WE NOW HAVE TODAY, UH, TO DO A GOOD QUALITY MEETING OFF OF OUR COMPUTERS, OUR IPHONE, UM, TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN, TO BE CHECK THAT OUT, JAMIE, THAT'D BE APPRECIATED.

WE'LL BE HAPPY TO RUN THAT UP, THE FLAGPOLE SMITTY, BUT, UH, I WILL MENTION THAT WHEN AUSTIN ENERGY WAS LOOKING FOR A LOCATION FOR A FLEET OF HEADQUARTERS, WHICH I BELIEVE WILL BE HOPEFULLY MOVING INTO WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 14 MONTHS, IT WAS A VERY CENTRAL LOCATION THAT HAS EASIER ACCESS THAN WHERE WE ARE NOW.

THAT WAS ONE OF THE KEY THINGS WE LOOKED AT.

SO THAT WOULD BE FROM STARTER LANE.

I'LL GIVE YOU THAT, BUT WE DID CHOOSE A NEW HEADQUARTER BUILDING WITH ACCESS FOR NOT ONLY EMPLOYEES, BUT THE PUBLIC IN MIND PULLING.

SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YOU KNOW, YOU'RE HAPPY TO TALK TO PEOPLE DOWN HERE WE CAN DO.

AND THERE, THERE ARE COMMUNITY CENTERS AND VARIOUS CITY OFFICE BUILDINGS ALL OVER THE CITY.

AND SO THERE MAY WELL BE THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE SOMEWHERE EMBEDDED IN THOSE BUILDINGS, SIMILAR CAPACITIES OR EASY PLACES TO GET STABLE.

UM, MAYBE UPGRADE SIGNALS OUT.

SOMEBODY PROBABLY COULD LOOK INTO THAT.

I DO BELIEVE THERE'S SOME TECHNICAL ISSUES THERE THAT THEY GO BEYOND JUST A ZOOM MEETING AND WE'LL GET BACK TO A DOOR TELEVISION, BUT LET ME HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH SYDNEY CLERK AND OTHERS.

APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU, JAMIE.

I BELIEVE THAT THIS, THIS, UM, WELL, I HOPE BE AN ONGOING CONVERSATION, UM, WITH THIS COMMISSION.

AND SO, UM, THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT OUR ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, TO DISCUSS HOW WE WILL INCREASE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION, UM, AMONG THIS COMMISSION AND ALSO SOLICITS, UM, GREATER ENGAGEMENT FROM A DIVERSE TOPIC, A DIVERSE GROUP OF, OF CITIZENS THAT WE'RE REPRESENTING.

UM, ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ON THIS TOPIC BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM? I WOULD LIKE, I WAS JUST DONE THAT I WAS GOING TO SAY REALLY QUICKLY.

I CAN REACH OUT TO JAMIE AS REGARDS TO SCHEDULING AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT OFFLINE.

JOSHUA.

BUT, UM, THERE WERE MANY THINGS AS SOMEBODY WHO IS NOT FROM AUSTIN, THAT MEMBERS OF MY STAFF WEREN'T AWARE OF.

THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH.

GO AHEAD.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ASK THE EQUITY OFFICE, IF THEY COULD HELP DO A PRESENTATION FOR US AT SOME POINT ON ESSENTIALLY HOW TO FIND SOLICIT RAIN, UM, UNDER INVOLVED COMMUNITIES, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD AND GET IN AND HELP THEM AND HELP SOLICIT THOSE PEOPLE AS APPLICANTS FOR VARIOUS POSITIONS.

UM, WHEN YOU, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CAST OUR NET BIGGER AND THAT, AND I'LL MAKE AN, I MADE A NOTE OF THAT AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN UNPACK DURING THE WORKSHOP.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JOSHUA.

UM, AND THANK YOU FOR STAYING ON AND PARTICIPATING IN OUR DISCUSSION.

UM, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS WILL BE THE FIRST OF MANY OF MANY, SO WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

UM, NOW WE'D LIKE TO, UM, MOVE, UH, BACK TO ITEM THREE,

[3. Presentation of 2021 Austin Energy Customer Energy Solutions Budget.]

UH, ON THE AGENDA.

UM, DEBBIE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE, UH, WITH OUR, OUR SCHEDULING.

UM, THIS IS A PRESENTATION OF THE, UM, CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS BUDGET, UM, AND DEBBIE, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING WITH US AND WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.

IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE.

UM, CAN YOU HEAR ME AND THOSE, THE AB TECH AT CITY HALL HAVE MY PRESENTATION LOADED OR DO I NEED TO SHARE MY SCREEN? LET ME VERIFY ONE MOMENT.

SO WHILE HE'S DOING THAT, IF I COULD JUST, UM, IF YOU DON'T MIND HAVING LISTENED TO THAT DISCUSSION, I WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO THE EQUITY OFFICE.

THEY ARE A SMALL STAFF, BUT VERY IMPACTFUL.

AND ABOUT A MONTH AGO, MYSELF, SOME MEMBERS OF MY STAFF, JACKIE SERGEANT, AND HER CHIEF OF STAFF WENT THROUGH THE TWO HOUR EQUITY TRAINING THAT, UH, JOSHUA, UM, CONDENSED FOR YOU TODAY.

AND I CAN SAY WITHOUT HESITATION, IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST THOUGHT PROVOKING, REVEALING AND EDUCATIONAL TRAININGS THAT I HAVE GONE THROUGH IN GAGE.

[00:50:01]

UM, AND THAT HELPED ME UNDERSTAND WHY SAYING I'M FROM THE CITY AND I'M HERE TO, YOU MAY NOT ALWAYS RESONATE WELL WITH CERTAIN COMMUNITIES.

SO I DO WANT TO SAY THEY A MARVELOUS JOB AND THEY DID IT IN A WAY THAT WAS AS EFFECTIVE AS I'VE EVER SEEN.

AND I'VE BEEN THROUGH SOME OF THESE TRAININGS, RIGHT.

SO IF CITY HALL IS NOT ABLE, YES.

IS IT THE EQUITY PRESENTATION? NO, IT'S THE CES BUDGET PRESENCE.

OH, I'M SO SORRY HERE.

LET ME LOAD THAT ONE.

IT'S RELATIVELY UNCHANGED AT $44 MILLION.

UM, SO, UM, SO MY APOLOGIES FOR WEIGHING IN ON THAT DISCUSSION, BUT, UM, THAT TRAINING IS STILL VERY PRESENT IN MY, MY MIND AND THEY DO A WONDERFUL JOB.

UM, I'LL, I'LL JUST START OFF BY TALKING AS, UM, THE GENTLEMEN BRINGS UP MY PRESENTATION BY INTRODUCING MYSELF.

MY NAME IS KIMBERLY.

I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS AT AUSTIN ENERGY.

AND AS, UH, WE, OR AS I HAVE DONE FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, I THINK I'VE LOST COUNT.

I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CES CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS, PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021.

NOW YOU SHOULD HAVE ALSO RECEIVED AN ADVANCE, A DOCUMENT ENTITLED CUSTOMER ENERGY SOLUTIONS, BUDGET, BUDGET OVERVIEW, AND THAT'S A WORD DOCUMENT THAT GOES ON AT SOME LINE OR PDF THAT PROVIDES A LOT OF DETAIL ABOUT THE CURRENT YEAR THAT WE'RE IN, UM, WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED AND, UM, OUR PROPOSED BUDGET AND WHAT WE'RE SETTING OUT TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE COMING YEAR.

UM, IF YOU COULD MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UM, I WANTED TO, UH, BUT BACK WHEN I WANTED TO FRAME THIS PRESENTATION IN TERMS OF THE GENERATION RESOURCE PLAN, AND SO YOU CAN SEE HERE, I WON'T READ THROUGH THIS.

SOME OF THE GOALS THAT WERE RECENTLY UPDATED AND THE GENERATION RESOURCE PLAN AT 2030, AND I WANT TO AGAIN, OFFER MY, THANKS TO THOSE OF YOU ON THIS COMMISSION WHO WERE EITHER DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THOSE DELIBERATIONS OR WHO APPEARED BEFORE THE WORKING GROUP COMMITTEE.

AND SO I KNOW SOME OF YOU SHANE, I SAW, I KNEW THERE ARE A NUMBER OF TIMES THAT IS EXACTLY, UH, THE PURPOSE OF THAT GROUP.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE GOALS, THEY'RE VERY AMBITIOUS SCHOOL, BUT SOME OF THE OTHER GOALS THAT AREN'T SHOWN HERE, BUT I DON'T WANT TO OMIT, UM, OR THE GOALS TO GET TO, UM, UH, CONTINUED SHARE SOLAR, SHARED SOLAR PRIVATE WE'VE MADE GREAT PROGRESS ON THAT AFFORDING LIMITED INCOME CUSTOMERS, PREFERENTIAL ACCESS TO COMMUNITY SOLAR AT A DISCOUNTED RATE RETAINING.

AND THIS ONE'S IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, THIS TED RETAINING A THIRD PARTY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST TO ASSIST US IN HOSTING CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE NOT TAKEN PART IN OUR PROGRAMS WITH THE OBJECTIVES OF IDENTIFYING AND REMOVING BARRIERS TO PROGRAM OPTION.

SO THIS GIVES YOU A SENSE AS TO WHAT THE GOALS WERE THAT WERE ESTABLISHED.

I BELIEVE IT WAS LATE MARCH WHEN THE CITY APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY THE WORKING GROUPS, UM, AND RECOMMENDATION FOR THE GENERATION RESOURCE PLAN TO 2030, AND THEY, OUR STRETCH GOALS, BUT THEIR GOALS THAT WE AS STAFF ARE ALL PROUD TO SUPPORT NEXT SLIDE.

SO TO FURTHER, UH, PREFACE MY REMARKS, I WANT TO NOTE, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE REST OF YOU.

I HOPE THIS IS A YEAR THAT I NEVER FOR, NONE OF US EVER REPEAT.

UM, AGAIN, IT HAS BEEN UNPRECEDENTED IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD, ALL OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S BUDGETS AND YEAH, CF BUDGET WERE DEVELOPED PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC AND THAT HAS, AND IT WILL IMPACT OUR ACTUAL RESORTS RESULTS FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, AS WELL AS OUR FISCAL 21 ON PROGRAM DELIVERY.

THIS SIDE WAS USED WITH THE EUC LAST WEEK AND IT PROVIDES A ONE PAGE SNAPSHOT OF OUR BUDGET.

SO JUST FOR MY GROUP OF ABOUT 120 PEOPLE, YOU CAN SEE OUR AGGREGATE BUDGET.

AND THAT INCLUDES NOT ONLY ARE THOSE COSTS THAT ARE RECOVERED AND THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY SERVICES, TARA, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES COSTS THAT ARE REQUIRED.

I'VE WRITTEN BASE RATES.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, OUR DATA ANALYTICS GROUP, OUR KEY ACCOUNTS GROUP COSTS FOR THOSE PROGRAMS, SOME OF THE GREEN BUILDINGS PROGRAMS ARE RECOVERED IN BASE RATES.

IF YOU LOOK DOWN THE LOW THAT YOU SEE THE BREAKOUT IN TERMS OF THE ALLOCATION OF THOSE PROGRAMS

[00:55:01]

BY BUCKETS.

AND SO THE LARGEST BUCKET REALLY ARE ENERGY EFFICIENCY INCENTIVES, AND YOU HAVE LABOR, UM, AND, UH, CONTRACTUALS THAT GO TO SUPPORT PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION.

SO I HAVE A WORKFORCE WITH PEOPLE TAKE IN APPLICATIONS, THEY SUPPORT CUSTOMER, WE RUN A MINI CALL CENTER.

WE GO OUT AND WE CONDUCT OFFERS AUDITS.

WE DO INSPECTIONS, QA QC.

UM, SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE WRAPPED INTO OUR BUDGET, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE E INCENTIVES ARE THE SOLAR PROGRAM.

SO MORE THAN HALF OF OUR BUDGET REALLY RELATES TO INCENTIVES.

I'M ALSO HAPPY TO NOTE THAT AS PART OF OUR BOOK, ASSUMING THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVES IT, WE SOUGHT THE CONVERSION OF TWO CONTRACTUAL BOYS CONTRACTORS TO FULL TIME EQUIVALENTS IN THE GREEN BUILDING AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES GROUP ONE TO FOCUS ON SUPPORT FOR COMMERCIAL GREEN BUILDING, WHICH HAS GROWN AT A STUNNING PACE.

AND ANOTHER TOOK FOCUS ON EXTENDING LAST MILE.

WELL, TRANSPORTATION, ELECTRIFICATION COME CUSTOMERS AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.

WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT'S BEEN DOING THAT ON A CONTRACTUAL BASIS.

SHE'S AN AMAZING ASSET WHO BY THE WAY, HAS ALSO WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE AND BRINGS AN ENORMOUS SKILL SET WITH HER.

AND THE LAST, THE LAST THING THAT I WANTED TO NOTE THAT YOU CAN SEE WE'VE GOT, UM, OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE HAVE A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN BUDGET.

MOST OF THAT HAS FOCUSED ON, UM, UH, ON CHARGING STATIONS.

I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE NOW HAVE AS A, I BELIEVE IT WAS LAST MONTH, PUT IN PLACE 26 DC FAST CHARGING STATIONS, UM, AT VARIOUS AT NINE SEPARATE LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT OUR SERVICE TERRITORY.

UM, A NUMBER OF THOSE FIVE OF THOSE WERE FACILITATED FROM THE TCEQ GRANT AND IN THE COMING FISCAL YEAR, THAT A LINE THAT YOU SEE THERE REPRESENTS FOUR ADDITIONAL PORTS THAT WILL BE INSTALLED AND ELECTRIC.

SO IF YOU WANT TO MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, SO SLIDE FOUR SHOWS YOU JUST THE INCENTIVE PORTION OF OUR BUDGET.

THIS LOOKS AT BOTH THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY INCENTIVES, AS WELL AS THE SOLAR INCENTIVES AND AS WELL AS THE FUNDING PROVIDED FROM THE CAP CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TARIFF.

SO JUST A FEW THINGS TO NOTE ON THIS SLIDE FUNDING FOR LOW INCOME WEATHERIZATION AND THE PROPOSED UPCOMING BUDGET YEAR IS UNCHANGED AT ROUGHLY TWO POINT $3 MILLION.

WE'VE ALLOCATED AN ADDITIONAL, ALMOST THREE QUARTERS OF A MILLION DOLLARS TO THE REDESIGNED LIMITED INCOME MULTIFAMILY WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM.

THIS PROGRAM WAS GOING TO REFER SICKLY WELL BEFORE COVID HIT IN, IN MARCH.

AND, UM, TO THAT END, WE'VE SEEN STRONG UPTAKE THROUGH A PROGRAM THAT HAS BUNDLED DIFFERENT MEASURES TOGETHER.

WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UM, PAY FOR 100% OF THE INSTALLED MEASURES.

UM, AND, UH, I BELIEVE IT'S SOMETHING LIKE OVER 2,600 APARTMENT UNITS.

NOW, THE SOLAR INCENTIVES ARE REDUCED MODESTLY BY A TOTAL OF $250,000 THAT WON'T CONSTRAIN PROGRAM GROWTH POST COBIT INTEREST IN RESIDENTIAL SOLAR SYSTEM SYSTEMS STRONG.

AND IN FACT, WE ANTICIPATE WE'LL PROBABLY SPEND OVER $6 MILLION AGGREGATE IN SOLAR INCENTIVES THIS YEAR, WHICH EXCEEDS OUR BUDGET ALLOWANCE DUE TO THE EXTENT SUCCESS AND ACHIEVING LOW INFLOW INSTALLED COSTS.

SOME OF OUR CUSTOMERS AREN'T EVEN SEEKING INCENTIVES ANYMORE.

SO IN ANY ONE YEAR WE'RE SEEING 10 TO 20% OF SOLAR INSTALLATIONS ARE NOT EVEN APPLYING FOR AN INCENTIVE.

THE ONLY PROGRAM THAT'S CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY IN OUR, OUR UPCOMING BUDGET YEAR IS THE SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM.

THAT PROGRAM FOCUSES ON LIGHTING.

UM, THAT PROGRAM WAS FUNDED NOT BECAUSE OF CODE, BUT BECAUSE AGAIN, THIS ALL TOOK PLACE PRIOR TO COVID, BUT REALLY BECAUSE LIGHTING STANDARDS HAVE IMPROVED TO THE POINT THAT WE DIDN'T NEED TO SPEND AS MUCH MONEY.

IT WAS THE STANDARD THAT WAS AVAILABLE, BUT WE'RE ACUTELY AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THIS CUSTOMER IS VERY IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC AND BY THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND SO STAFF, AS WE SPEAK IS WORKING TO DEVELOP A BUNDLED MEASURE APPROACH TO REACH THIS MARKET THAT INCLUDES SMART THERMOSTATS AC TUNER, AND DO IT YOURSELF, INSTALLED LAMPS AS OPPOSED TO PROMOTING VALVE REPLACEMENT AS WELL.

WE FEEL IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO RE REACH THAT SEGMENT TO YOU MOVED TO THE NEXT SLIDE, TRYING TO BE MINDFUL OF YOUR TIME.

SO THIS GIVES YOU A, UM, UH, ONE-PAGE OF FIDDLY YET, UM, BUSY OVERVIEW OF OUR PROGRESS RELATIVE TO THE 1200

[01:00:01]

MEGAWATT GOAL THAT I MENTIONED EARLY ON.

SO IF WE WERE TO GET TO OUR FISCAL 24 FUEL, WE'LL PROBABLY EXCEED IT BY ROUGHLY FIVE MEGAWATTS.

AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MOMENT, WE'D HAVE 332 MEGAWATTS LEFT TO CLOSE THE GAP AND THE CHART TO THE RIGHT SHOWS YOU HOW MUCH WE WOULD NEED TO FILL IN WITH LOCAL SOLAR, UM, AS WELL AS CUSTOMER SITE OF SOLAR.

SO REMEMBER THE GOAL FOR LOCAL IS 375 MEGAWATTS, THE 200 MEGAWATTS CUSTOMER SIDED, EITHER IN FRONT OF, OR BEHIND THE METER.

NOW, IN THE CASE OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY, I CAN TELL YOU THAT I BELIEVE.

UM, AND SO THE DNB STUDY HAS BEEN COMPLETED JUST AS OF YESTERDAY, I GOT IT IN DRAFT FORM.

UM, I BELIEVE WE WILL BE TAKING MUCH LOWER CREDIT FOR ENERGY CODE SAVINGS.

AND THAT'S WHERE YOU'VE SEEN.

IF YOU LOOK AT EACH OF THOSE SLICES IN RECENT YEARS, WITH THE GROWTH IN AUSTIN, WE'VE SEEN SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE ENERGY.

SO I BELIEVE YOU WILL SEE THAT SCALED BACK.

IT WILL BE VERY MUCH A STRETCH GOAL, UM, IN THE FUTURE.

AND IN THE CASE OF THE LOCAL SOLAR, YOU CAN SEE THAT'S A LARGE GAP.

I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT ONCE.

UM, AND, AND IT'S BEEN DELAYED A BIT, BUT ONCE THE EAST BLACKLINE'S FACILITY, UM, IS UNDERWAY AND ONLINE, THAT WILL HELP CLOSE THE GAP.

AND OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE SOME COMMUNITY SOLAR INSTALLATIONS THAT, UM, ARE, UM, IN THE PIPELINE.

SO IF YOU COULD ADVANCED A SLIDE SIX, WHEN I TALK ABOUT OUR RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS, WHAT WE PROJECT FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR COMPARED TO WHAT WE'RE TARGETING FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR AND SOME OF THE FACTORS BEHIND THE PERFORMANCE.

UM, SO YOU CAN SEE, I WANT TO SPEAK TO THE FACT THAT MEGAWATT SAVINGS OR ONE OF THE GOALS THAT WE STRIVE TO REACH.

WE CAN'T IGNORE ENERGY SAVINGS, AND WE CAN'T IGNORE THE FACT THAT SOME PROGRAMS THAT MAY YIELD VERY MODEST, UM, MEGAWATT SAVINGS ARE DEEPLY IMPACTFUL WHEN IT COMES TO MISSION.

SO I'LL START WITH SORT OF THE BAD NEWS, GOOD NEWS, IF YOU DON'T MIND.

SO IN TERMS OF THE PANDEMIC AND THE ECONOMY, IT, THOSE HAVE HAD A, A REALLY MORE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE APPLIANCE EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS, THE WEATHERIZATION PROGRAMS, THE HOME PERFORMANCE WITH ENERGY STAR PROGRAM AND THE RESIDENTIAL RATINGS RATINGS.

I MEAN, KEEP IN MIND, BACK IN MARCH, WE WENT INTO A SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER, AND THAT CONTINUED FOR QUITE SOME TIME THAT AFFECTED NOT JUST MY STAFF, BUT ALSO AFFECTED OUR, OUR PARTICIPATING CONTRACTORS WE DIDN'T HAVE.

AND IN FACT, WE STILL HAVE SUPPLY CHAIN CONSTRAINTS IN TERMS OF GETTING EPE.

CUSTOMERS ARE RELUCTANT TO LET SOMEBODY OTHER THAN AN IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBER INTO THEIR HOUSE, GIVEN THE WAY CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE UNFOLDED OVER THE LAST FOUR TO FIVE MONTHS.

SO I'VE SAID ALWAYS, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO SAY THE SAFETY OF OUR CUSTOMERS, OUR EMPLOYEES, AND OUR CONTRACTORS IS PARAMOUNT.

AND SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS LIKE THE WEATHERIZATION PROGRAMS WHERE PEOPLE WERE IN THEIR HOMES, IN THEIR APARTMENT UNITS WERE PRETTY MUCH SUSPENDED SINCE THE MIDDLE OF MARCH.

AND THEY WERE RECENTLY REINITIATED IN EARLY JULY AS WE GOT A SUPPLY OF PPE, AS WE WERE ABLE TO DO MORE VIRTUAL INSPECTIONS, BUT ENSURING THAT OUR CONTRACTORS ALSO HAD HAD, UM, PROTECTED, UM, GEAR.

LET ME TELL YOU, UM, WHERE I THINK WE'LL END UP, I THINK WITH WEATHERIZATION, WE'LL PROBABLY END UP AT ROUGHLY 275 HOMES WEATHERIZED BY THE END OF THE YEAR, NOT WHAT WE TARGETED, BUT NONETHELESS, UM, I THINK RESPECTABLE GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, AND AGAIN, SOME OF THOSE HOMES THAT WE'RE GOING IN ARE SO PEOPLE THAT ARE VULNERABLE.

SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PROTECT THE HEALTH AND THE SAFETY OF OUR CUSTOMERS.

I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT.

AS I SAID IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF THE MULTIFAMILY 100% WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM, WE WEATHERIZE 2,600 APARTMENT UNITS.

THAT'S AN ALL TIME RECORD.

I MEAN, WE ARE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL, EVEN AT THAT POINT IN THE YEAR OF WHERE WE'VE EVER BEEN WITH OUR MULTIFAMILY PROGRAM OVER THE YEARS, THE SPAN OF A FIVE YEARS, ANOTHER ONE, AND HERE'S A BIG SHOUT OUT TO MY STAFF.

WHEN SCHOOLS WENT REMOTE, OUR STAFF DID A WONDERFUL JOB.

THEY PULLED TOGETHER, THEY PUT TOGETHER THE AUSTIN ENERGY, ALL STARS KIDS.

THESE ARE THE KITS THAT ARE SENT TO TITLE NINE SCHOOLS.

IT'S USUALLY IN, IN SCHOOL TRAINING, WE WERE ASKED TO DELIVER THOSE TO CENTRAL LOCATION SO THAT THOSE COULD BE DISTRIBUTED WHEN KIDS WERE RECEIVING

[01:05:01]

THEIR WEEKLY HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS OR WHEN THEY WERE RECEIVING MEALS.

AND WE DISTRIBUTED KITS TO ALMOST 4,800 FAMILIES.

AND THAT EXCEEDED OUR GOAL BY 870%.

THAT'S EIGHT, SEVEN ZERO.

UM, SO AGAIN, AND THOSE COME WITH MEASURES AND THEN THEY COME WITH SMART PLUGS.

THEY COME WITH LED LIGHTS, THE OTHER GOOD NEWS, WHICH WE'LL SEE THE HUGE CONTRIBUTION ON HERE.

I'M FROM THE MULTIFAMILY ENERGY CODE.

AND OVER THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS USUALLY SEE 70 PROJECTS IN PROGRESS AND 20 NEW PROJECTS.

UM, ANY, ANY ONE YEAR, LAST YEAR WAS A RECORD AT ROUGHLY 20, AS OF EARLY JUNE.

THIS WAS OVER A MONTH AGO.

WE SAW 88 MULTIFAMILY PROJECTS IN PROCESS 27, NEW PROJECTS SUBMITTED YEAR TO DATE, AND THAT ACCOUNTED FOR OVER 18,000 APARTMENT UNITS.

ALL OF THOSE PROPERTIES FOR BEING BUILT TOO 2015, UM, INTERNATIONAL ENERGY CONSERVATION CODE AS AMENDED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN STANDARDS.

AND MY STAFF ADVISES ME.

THEY ARE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT AUSTIN.

IT'S NOT IN ANY ONE LOCATION, THE LAST LITTLE BIT OF GOOD NEWS AND THIS SLIDE, IT'S NOT LITTLE, IT'S ACTUALLY BIG.

LET'S LOOK AT THE RESIDENTIAL SOLAR UPTAKE, WHICH WE PROJECT THE YEAR, UH, ARE NORMALLY WE'RE TARGETING SEVEN MEGAWATTS.

WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, GETTING TO ABOUT 8.6 MEGAWATTS THIS YEAR.

SO EXCEEDING OUR GOAL BY 23% AND OVERSPENDING OUR BUDGET.

AND JUST AS A FRIENDLY DEBBIE KIMBERLY REMINDER, WE DON'T SUSPEND, UM, OUR PROGRAM.

IF WE EXCEED OUR BUDGET, NEVER WILL DO THAT.

UM, THAT'S YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

A CERTAINTY.

WE HAVE ANOTHER SEVEN MEGAWATTS TARGETED, UH, FOR NEXT YEAR AND WITH OUR BUDGET, UH, RESIDENTIAL BUDGET, WE'RE LOOKING AT ROUGHLY 1000 RESIDENTIAL, THE SOLAR INSTALLATIONS.

WE ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO ENROLLING OUR, UH, RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS IN THE COMMUNITY, SOLAR INSTALLATION AT ABI AT THE AIRPORT PROBABLY EARLY NEXT YEAR AT THE LATEST.

UM, AND AS WE'VE DONE BEFORE, AND I KNOW COHIBA IS ON, IT WILL GIVE PREFERENTIAL ACCESS TO LIMITED INCOME CUSTOMERS TAKE THAT ENROLLMENT FIRST AT A DISCOUNTED RATE.

AND YES, SO TO MAKE SURE I'VE EXPLAINED THIS, THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WILL COMMIT TO CONTINUE TO DO SO HE CAN TURN TO SLIDE SEVEN AND THE COMMERCIAL PROGRAM HERE AGAIN.

UM, YOU CAN SEE, UM, WHAT WE'VE DONE, UM, THIS YEAR WITH THE COMMERCIAL SEGMENT, UM, ALMOST OF OUR YEAR TO DATE RESULTS HAVE COME BACK FROM THE COMMERCIAL ENERGY CODE, AGAIN, BOTH OF THESE NUMBERS FOR THE CURRENT YEAR AND WHAT WE HAVE NEXT YEAR DO NOT REFLECT THE RESULTS OF THE DNV GL STUDY, WHICH IS STILL BEING FINALIZED.

AND I WILL SAY, ALTHOUGH WE DON'T HAVE, WE WON'T HAVE UPDATED PULL UP PROJECTIONS UNTIL AFTER WE CLOSE OUT THE FISCAL YEAR.

AS OF NOW, WE HAVE, UM, OVER WE'RE 170 PARTICIPANTS OR LOCATIONS ENROLLED IN LOAD, GO UP FOR A TOTAL OF 44 MEGAWATTS.

AND THAT'S HUGELY IMPORTANT IN ADDITION TO OUR POWER PARTNER THERMOSTAT PROGRAM THAT IS USED BY OUR RESIDENTIAL AND SMALL COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS, WHEN WE'RE SEEING THE TYPE OF WEATHER THAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS AND CLOSING IN ON WHAT COULD EQUAL OR POTENTIALLY SEE THE ERCOT SYSTEM FEE.

SO IF YOU WANT TO ADVANCE TO MY NEXT SLIDE, I WANT TO JUST CLOSE BY SAYING, UM, THIS YEAR HAS BEEN LIKE NO OTHER YEAR THAT ANY OF US HAVE SEEN AND NONE OF US WANT TO REPEAT, AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THE SITUATION IS GOING TO GO ON.

SEEING A RESULT, A RESULTANT REDUCTION SEND IN SAVINGS FROM SMALL BUSINESS CUSTOMERS, WHICH I'VE MENTIONED BEFORE.

AND THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD SAY HERE IS COMMERCIALS.

INTEREST HAS REALLY LAGGED AND STAFF IS WORKING ON POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS FOR THIS SECTOR BECAUSE THOSE CUSTOMERS, ESPECIALLY NOW IN LIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC ARE TIGHT ON CASH.

AND WE SEE IT OBVIOUSLY IN WHAT WE LOOK AT IN TERMS OF OUR WEEKLY ANALYSIS OF, OF, UM, HOW CUSTOMERS ARE FAIRING, BUT THEY'RE ALSO SEEKING MUCH SHORTER PAYBACKS.

SO A 10 YEAR PERIOD.

YEAH, IT DOESN'T ALWAYS CUT IT UP FOR THAT CUSTOMER.

ONE OF THE ADVANCED TO SLIDE EIGHT, SIR.

AND THIS ONE I DID JUST BECAUSE I KNOW A COUPLE OF YOU, I'M JUST GONNA CALL ON I'M SORRY, BECAUSE I KNEW HE WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN THIS ONE.

IT SHOWS WHAT OUR DC FAST CHARGING STATION DEPLOYMENTS WERE FOR FISCAL YEAR 20.

WE DID DEPLOY 26 NEW DC FAST CHARGING STATIONS.

UM, SO WE NOW HAVE, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, THE 969 LEVEL TWO PART FOUR, IT'S LOCATED AT TUCSON 274 LOCATIONS.

THIS SHOWS YOU THE CURRENT SITES OF THOSE THAT WERE FUNDED BY THE TCEQ GRANT, AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL SITES.

UM, PLUS, UM, WE'LL BE INSTALLING FOUR NEW CHARGING FOR FOUR IT'S, AS I MENTIONED AT ELECTRIC.

[01:10:01]

UM, WE HAVE TRIED TO BE AS NIMBLE AS POSSIBLE, FRANKLY, SINCE THE MIDDLE OF MARCH, ALL CEO STAFF HAVE BEEN WORKING REMOTELY AND THERE WERE SOME ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES.

I MEAN, WE HAD TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGES IN THE LIFE.

I'M SO FORTUNATE TO WORK FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AUSTIN ENERGY AND AUSTIN ENERGY DID A YEOMAN'S JOB OF OVERCOMING THOSE, UM, THOSE INITIAL CHALLENGES BECAUSE IN MANY OF MY STAFF, MANY OF THEM, THE MAJORITY, OR THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY MORE EFFICIENT AND MORE PRODUCTIVE AND FRANKLY, ENJOYING NOT HAVING A DAILY COMMUTE, IT CAN BE OVER AN HOUR IN LINE.

WE'VE ALSO FOUND WAYS TO MAKE OUR OPERATIONS MORE EFFICIENT.

UM, WE'VE CONDUCTED, UH, INSPECTIONS REMOTELY THAT ALSO REDUCED COMMUTE, IMPROVES HEALTH AIR QUALITY, IMPROVES THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY.

UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT EVEN MORE WAYS TO STREAMLINE OUR GIFTS AND PROGRAMS. EXCUSE ME, I'M JUST WRAPPING UP.

I'LL JUST SAY THAT RELY, RELY MORE ON DIGITAL AND VIRTUAL TOOLS.

AND THEN LASTLY, THE, WHAT WE ANTICIPATED IN TERMS OF THE ENGAGEMENT WE'VE DEVELOPED AN RFP, IT SHOULD BE GOING OVER TO THE EQUITY OFFICE SHORTLY.

WE'VE BEEN THROUGH SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE, UM, AND THE TRAINING WAS, WAS, AS I SAY, TERRIFIC.

UM, WE ARE FOCUSED ON HOW WE CAN BEST OVERCOMING OVERCOME BARRIERS ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.

CES WENT THROUGH THAT EQUITY ASSESSMENT, UM, THAT JOSHUA TALKED ABOUT AND THAT IDENTIFIED SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR US, NOT JUST INTERNALLY, BUT POTENTIALLY WHAT WE COULD DO TO COLLECT DATA ON OUR CUSTOMERS, IF THEY WOULD AGREE TO GIVE IT TO US.

AND IT IS OUR MISSION TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN WITH A KEEN FOCUS ON QUALITY, UM, AND EQUITY AND CONTINUING TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF OUR CUSTOMERS.

SO WITH THAT, I'LL CLOSE AND SEE IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS.

DEBBIE, I HAVE A COUPLE, UM, AND I KNOW YOU'D BE DISAPPOINTED IF I DIDN'T LOSE HER FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, AT FIRST I WANT TO SAY, UM, THAT THE NUMBERS ARE REALLY IMPRESSIVE AND GROWING AND KIND OF LOOK BACK AT WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, UM, THINKING ABOUT ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS. UM, WE HAD NO IDEA OF WHAT IT WOULD TURN OUT TO AND HOW MUCH ENERGY WE WOULD SAY THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR DOING THAT.

UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, T PAUL RAISED IN HIS MEMO TO US WAS THE QUESTION OF, UM, WHETHER LOW INCOME FAMILIES ACTUALLY DO, UM, USE MORE ENERGY, UM, THAN, UM, THOSE OF US WITH.

UM, AND SO IF YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW YOU GET THAT DATA, AND ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT HE RAISED, UM, WAS THAT OUR MEASURE OF WHO IS, UH, BELOW INCOME, UH, IS BASED ON APPLICATION, UM, TO THE CAP PROGRAM, WHICH HE POINTS OUT.

AND I THINK WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS NUMBER OF TIMES IN MY EXPERIENCE, UM, DOESN'T NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE FULL NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WERE LOW INCOME JUST BY 20% OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO WOULD YOU ADDRESS THAT FOR BRISKLY, FIRST OF ALL, T PAUL, HE I'VE KNOWN HIM FOR NOT NEARLY AS LONG AS YOU WOULD USE SELDOM WRONG.

UM, SO HE IS CORRECT.

MODIFIED LAST YEAR, SO THAT ANYONE AT, OR BELOW 200% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES, UM, IT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE AND, UM, THE FOLKS IN CUSTOMER CARE.

I, AND I WILL NEVER HEAR THE END OF IT.

SO, UM, SO THEY DO, THEY DO SMITTY AND THEY USE ROUGHLY 15% MORE ENERGY ON AVERAGE.

AND SO THE PROXY FOR THAT YOU'RE CORRECT TYPICALLY WAS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ENROLLED IN THE CAP PROGRAM.

AND SO HISTORICALLY THAT'S BEEN WHAT, 35 TO 40,000 CUSTOMERS.

AND REMEMBER THE CAP PROGRAM, UH, ELIGIBILITY WAS JUST

[01:15:01]

SO I'M NOT IN THAT GROUP.

THE FOLKS IN CUSTOMER CARE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THIRD PARTY ENTITY THAT IS ABLE TO DO INCOME VERIFICATION PRETTY EASILY FROM, AND I BELIEVE DON'T HOLD ME TO THIS.

THEY DRAW FROM HHS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ROLES.

ANOTHER WAY WE GET AT THAT THROUGH LENNOX GROUP IS THEY HAVE ACCESS TO, UM, T CAD DATA AND THEY HAVE ACCESS TO CENSUS TRACK DATA.

AND SO IF YOU CAN BOARD DOWN INTO A MUCH MORE GRANULAR LEVEL, YOU CAN STILL IDENTIFY THOSE POCKETS JUST AS JOSHUA DID, AND HIS PRESENTATION, EVEN AT A MORE GRANULAR LEVEL TO FIND THOSE POCKETS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE AT THAT INCOME LEVEL.

AND THAT ANALYSIS ALSO BEARS OUT THE FACT THAT GENERALLY THOSE CUSTOMERS OR USING MORE ENERGY, OKAY.

MOST OF THE LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THEM LIVE IN THE RENTAL PROPERTIES AND THUS THEY DON'T KNOW HAVE THE ABILITY TO UNDERTAKE THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY WOULD OTHERWISE THERE'S A LANDLORD OR AN OWNER THAT GETS IN THE WAY OF THAT.

AND, AND THEY, THEY, THEY LACK THE ABILITY TO MAKE THOSE, THOSE CONTROLS.

SOME OF THEM ALSO LIVE IN MASTERY FOR METERED PROBLEM PROPERTIES, WHICH GENERALLY THEY'RE BILLED AT COMMERCIAL RATES.

AND THEN THAT ELECTRICITY BOOK IS BASED BAKED INTO THEIR RENT.

WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THOSE IN AUSTIN, BUT NONETHELESS IT DOES CONTRIBUTE, BUT PAUL IS RIGHT.

THAT'S HOW WE GET TO IT.

APP IS A PROXY.

UM, AND THEN WE ALSO DO, UH, INDEPENDENT ANALYTICS.

ARE YOU SEEING MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS AND THE CAPTAIN'S DATA, AND THEN WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR, UM, I'M SORRY, I CUT YOU OFF.

NO, NO, NO.

UM, I WOULD, AND IT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY DURING THE PANDEMIC AUSTIN ENERGY DID A COUPLE OF THINGS.

WE INCREASED THE CAP DISCOUNT TO 15%, UM, OVER 10% BECAUSE THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT PEOPLE SAID IS THAT WE NEED BILL RELIEF.

WE NEED IT NOW.

UM, AND THAT WILL CONTINUE INTO, UH, FISCAL 21.

I'M INFORMED.

WE ALSO SAID THAT THROUGH, I WANT TO SAY IT'S THROUGH THE END OF OCTOBER, UM, WE WILL ONLY BUILD CUSTOMERS LOVE AT TIERS ONE THROUGH THREE.

SO YOU KNOW, THAT IN TERMS OF OUR BASE RATES, WE HAVE THAT INCLINING BLOCK STRUCTURE AND A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, IN THOSE, THOSE UPPER TIERS, SURE.

THERE MIGHT BE PEOPLE LIKE, YOU KNOW, ME, I LIVE IN A BIGGER HOUSE, I'VE GOT AN ADULT KID LIVING WITH ME, BUT, BUT A LOT OF THEM JUST, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL USE MORE ENERGY BECAUSE OF THE INEFFICIENCY OF THE SAME STOCK IN WHICH THEY'RE, THEY'RE USING, BUT LIVING.

SO, SO THOSE ARE TWO WAYS THAT AUSTIN ENERGY SOUGHT TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO THEM.

AND THEN WHAT PERCENTAGE OF, UM, PEOPLE IN POVERTY ARE, UH, ELDERLY LIVING ALONE? I DON'T KNOW, BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO TRY TO GET YOU INFORMATION ON THAT.

LET ME JUST SKIP AHEAD TO ONE THING.

UM, HOPEFULLY MY STAFF WON'T GET UPSET WITH ME, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RELATIVE TO OUR WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM, UM, AND ESPECIALLY BEING COGNIZANT OF BARRIERS, UM, IS TO CHANGE THE METRIC FROM 200% FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES, LOOKING AT MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME FOR THE AUSTIN AREA.

SO SAY 80% OF MFR BECAUSE THE COST OF LIVING IN AUSTIN IS FINE.

I DON'T THINK YOU WOULD DISAGREE WITH ME ON THAT.

HOW CAN WE GET INTO THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT HISTORICALLY HAVE NOT TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF OUR PROGRAMS? HOW CAN WE MORE MINORITY CONTRACTORS TO BE PARTICIPATING CONTRACTORS THAT GO OUT TO SPEAK TO CUSTOMERS AND NOT JUST IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH, BUT IN VIETNAMESE, IN, IN ARABIC AND IN OTHER LANGUAGES.

UH, SO THAT WE BELIEVE IS A MORE RELEVANT INDICATOR SMITTY OF HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT MEASURING POVERTY AND IS FPG, UM, APPROPRIATE FOR AUSTIN.

AND FOR THAT MATTER, AS PART WOULD REALLY PROBABLY GET ALL A LITTLE, MAYBE MIGHT BE OKAY WITH IT, BUT SOME OF THE THINGS WE HAVE, LIKE THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE HOME, UM, YOU KNOW, OR THE PROPERTY VALUE, THE MORE OF THOSE THAT YOU LAYER INTO THIS IS AN ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.

IT BECOMES THAT MUCH OF AN ADDITIONAL BARRIER, UM, FOR SOMEBODY.

SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS LOOK AT ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS THROUGH THAT LENS OF HOW CAN WE STREAMLINE IT? HOW CAN WE MAKE IT EASY AND PLEASANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH AUSTIN ENERGY? HOW CAN WE REMOVE THE BARRIERS?

[01:20:01]

SO, I MEAN, THOSE, I THINK AS Y'ALL TAKE ON THAT CHALLENGE, SORRY FOR OVERSTEPPING MY BOUNDS HERE.

SOME OF THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE SAID TO OURSELVES.

WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF TRYING TO GET PARTICIPATING CONTRACTORS IN OUR PROGRAM.

IT LOOKS LIKE THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE'RE SERVING.

HOWEVER WE GO ABOUT DOING THAT.

UM, I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

CONGRATULATIONS, CAVE.

I WOULD, MY, YOU NEVER TAKE A DAY OFF.

I'M MOSTLY TAKING TIME OFF, BUT, UH, TAKING BY MY, UH, MISSION, UH, OBLIGATIONS HERE.

UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

UM, AND THANK YOU FOR REITERATING THAT, UH, COMMITMENT TO, YOU KNOW, NOT TURN PEOPLE AWAY FROM THE RESIDENTIAL SOLAR PROGRAM.

UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT REASON, I'M NOT GONNA, YOU KNOW, RAISE A BIG STINK ABOUT THE, THE DECREASE IN THE NUMBER THAT I SEE HERE, BUT I AM JUST WONDERING, YOU KNOW, IF YOU COULD BRIEFLY SPEAK TO WHAT YOU'RE THINKING IS IF YOU'RE GOING OVER A BUDGET, UH, THIS YEAR, IF THERE'S A REASON FOR PUTTING A LOWER NUMBER IN MIXTURE, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS YOU'RE COMMITTING TO NOT TURN PEOPLE AWAY, I'M NOT OBJECTING.

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE NUMBER IS, BUT JUST WONDERING.

SO AGAIN, UM, AND I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T COVER THIS, UM, ENOUGH QUEBEC.

UM, SO WE DEVELOPED THIS BUDGET PRE COVID AND WE LOOKED LIKE WE WERE GOING TO BE ON TRACK.

ONCE PEOPLE STARTED STAYING AT HOME IN THE MIDDLE OF MARCH, PEOPLE COULD GO DOOR TO DOOR AND SOLAR CONTRACTORS DO THAT ON A REGULAR BASIS.

AND THEY'LL GO THROUGH A COMMUNITY AND KNOCK ON DOORS AND SAY, HEY, DID YOU KNOW, I MIGHT BE ABLE TO SAVE YOU MONEY IF YOU ENROLL IN OUR SOLAR SOLAR PROGRAM.

SO WE SAW THAT FROM THE MOMENT THEY SHELTER IN PLACE, THE ORDER WAS LIFTED.

WE SAW MORE PEOPLE GOING DOOR TO DOOR.

SO WE KNOW THAT IT WAS SOME OF THAT.

SOME OF THIS WAS ALSO RESIDUAL FROM WHAT HAPPENED AT THE END OF LAST YEAR.

REMEMBER LAST YEAR WE WERE REALLY UNDERPERFORMING.

AND SO FOR A LIMITED PERIOD OF TIME, WE DID THE, YOU KNOW, LIMITED TIME OFFER.

WE'RE GOING TO ADD A THOUSAND DOLLARS ON.

AND SO WE SAW AN UPTAKE FROM THAT.

IN FACT, THAT DEVELOPED A BACKLOG ON INSPECTIONS.

THE ONLY UNFORTUNATE THING ABOUT THAT COHIBA WAS WHEN WE INCREASE THE, THE INCENTIVE BY A THOUSAND PERCENT, THE COST OF THE INSTALLATIONS WENT UP.

SO THE CUSTOMERS DIDN'T NECESSARILY SEE THE BENEFIT OF THAT, THE CONTRACTORS.

SO, I MEAN THAT, IT'S BACK DOWN TO THE $2,500 LIMIT.

WE'RE SAYING THE COST COME BACK DOWN FOR ABOUT $3, 25 CENTS A WATT.

SO WE WANT TO BE JUDICIOUS IN TERMS OF HOW WE TURN THAT ON IT.

UM, WELL, AND I, I DEFINITELY SUPPORT THAT.

SO JUST FOLLOW UP ON THAT.

I MEAN, WOULD YOU SAY THE INCREASE WAS ABOUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS OR DID THE CUSTOMER GET SOME BENEFIT FROM THAT OR, AND WE FOLLOWED UP, THEY DID NOT GET ANY BENEFIT.

YOU KNOW, MANY OF THEIR BUSINESSES SHUT DOWN, YOU CAN'T OPERATE THAT 25% CAPACITY IN THE CASE OF SOME OF THESE CUSTOMERS.

THAT'S BEEN AN UNFORTUNATE IN SOME WAYS.

UH, OKAY.

UM, AND THEN I GUESS MY OTHER, UH, SOLAR RELATED QUESTION IS ON THE, UH, COMMERCIAL, UH, PROGRAM.

I KNOW YOU ALL ARE, UM, GATHERING SOME INPUT AND POSSIBLY MAKING SOME CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM.

AND I'M JUST WONDERING HOW WERE, IF THEY MADE THOSE CHANGES MIGHT BE INCORPORATED INTO THE COMMERCIAL SOLAR BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.

SO IN, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET IS WHAT IT IS AND IT IS ONLY A GUIDELINE AND I READ THEM SORT OF VIEWS FROM OTHER POTS OF MONEY.

SO, YOU KNOW, IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER WE'RE UNDER AN ORDER, I MEAN, LOOK AT THIS YEAR WITH OUR SOLAR PROGRAM, WE'RE GOING TO BE, WE'RE GOING TO BE CLOSE TO PROBABLY ABOUT 11 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, SO CLOSE TO THE DOLLAR AMOUNT.

UM, SO, UM, I MEAN, PUT A 6.4 MILLION ABOUT, UM, SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE MORE THAN WHAT WE BUDGETED AND CLOSE TO THE MEGAWATT FULL OF 11.4 MEGAWATTS.

SO IF WE MODIFY AND WE'VE DONE THIS MID CYCLE FOR SAME THING FOR THE WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM, WE'LL CARRY ON WITH THAT SAME BUG TO SEE, ARE THERE ANTS WE'RE LOOKING AT IS A 10 YEAR PDI STILL APPROPRIATE? AND WHAT WOULD THAT, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE AS A MEANS BY WHICH TO SPARK INTEREST IN THE PROGRAM, BEING MINDFUL OF THE FACT THAT COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS FROM, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN, THEN IT'S ESPECIALLY HARD YET.

UM, BECAUSE

[01:25:02]

SO, SO, SO THAT'S PART, BUT WE NEED TO TALK TO THOSE CUSTOMERS AND WE NEED TO TALK TO THE CONTRACTORS TO SAY, WHAT COULD WE DO TO TRY TO SEE AN UPLIFT IN THAT PROGRAM FOR OUR COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS.

OKAY, THANKS.

UM, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER HERE, IF THERE'S SOME SOLID RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COME OUT OF THAT PROCESS, UH, HEARING FROM THE CONTRACTORS, HEARING FROM THE COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS, THIS NUMBER ONE, YOU KNOW, STOP Y'ALL FROM MAKING ADJUSTMENTS BEFORE, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT BUDGET ROLLS AROUND, OH, NOT AT ALL, NOT AT ALL.

IT HELPS TO INFORM THE NEXT BUDGET.

AND IF WE EXCEED THE BUDGET THIS YEAR, I MEAN, I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHERE THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD NEWS.

IT IS A GOOD NEWS STORY FOR ME.

SO, UM, AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO COME BACK AND BREATHE YOU AS WE MAKE THOSE CHANGES.

SO WE'RE ALWAYS HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT OUR AWESOME, UH, THANKS FOR THAT.

UM, AND THEN I GUESS MY FINAL QUESTION IS, UH, I DUNNO, AND MAYBE IT'S MORE OF A COMMENT.

UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WERE ON FOR THE START OF OUR MEETING AND OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT EQUITY AND HOW, UM, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO LOOK AT HOW THIS COMMISSION CAN, UM, BE MORE PROACTIVE IN CENTERING EQUITY.

I THINK HE, I THINK IF SOME OF YOUR COMMENTS, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU WERE PROBABLY LISTENING TO THAT.

UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T EXPECT THAT YOU HAVE A, UM, PRECISE ANSWER TO THIS, BUT I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, AS I LOOK AT THE BUDGET HERE, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME PROGRAMS OBVIOUSLY THAT ARE FOCUSED SPECIFICALLY ON LOW INCOME.

UM, BUT I, I KNOW THAT THOSE, UH, PROGRAMS DON'T NECESSARILY OFFER ALL THE SAME THINGS AS ALL OF THESE OTHER PROGRAMS, UH, THAT THEY ARE GENERALLY PROVIDING, UM, DO OFFER.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, JUST FOR EXAMPLE, THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, CHARGING STATIONS OR, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT LIKE A LOW INCOME VERSION OF THE, YOU KNOW, HEAT PUMP REBATE, RIGHT? SO WE, IN A WAY WE HAVE, WE HAVE A QUALITY IN A LOT OF THESE PROGRAMS, BUT NOT NECESSARILY EQUITY.

UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I DON'T NECESSARILY NEED THE SAME REBATE.

SOMEBODY WHO EARNS A QUARTER OF WHAT I DO IN ORDER TO GET THAT SAME PIECE OF EQUIPMENT INSTALLED.

SO, UM, YEAH, I GUESS JUST KIND OF WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UM, IN THE CONTEXT OF THAT CONVERSATION, AND ALSO JUST, I DON'T KNOW, INVITE YOU TO SHARE ANYTHING THAT YOU MAY HAVE TO SAY, UM, AND HOW WE CAN WORK WITH YOU GOING FORWARD TO KNOW, TO IMPROVE WHAT IS GOOD HERE, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT LIVING UP TO THAT, UM, THAT GOLD STANDARD THAT MAYBE NOBODY'S LIVING UP TO.

HELLO, THIS IS A CITY HALL.

JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU IT'S FOUR 30 IT'S TIME TO WRAP IT UP.

HELLO, IT'S FOUR 30.

IT'S TIME TO WRAP IT UP.

WE'RE STILL ON THAT CHAIR, BUT WE CAN'T HEAR YOU COMMISSIONERS.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? HELLO.

UH, AB TECH AT CITY HALL, JUST REMINDER THAT THIS MEETING IS SCHEDULED TO HARD STOP AT FOUR 30 WRAPPING UP RIGHT NOW.