Aug 10, 2020 Electric Utility Commission

UH, SO THAT'S, UH, A QUORUM I'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO CITIZENS COMMUNICATION.

DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZENS COMMUNICATIONS, JEFF.

CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS, UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL HERE.

UM, MOVING ON TO THE

[Consent Agenda]

UM, ARE THERE ANY THAT COMMISSIONERS WOULD LIKE PULL FOR DISCUSSION COMMISSIONER FOR KILL? I HAVE A QUESTION ON NUMBER 12.

AND KRISHA TRUSSELL.

I HAVE A QUESTION ON, UH, ITEMS, UH, NINE, 11 AND 15.

AND I THINK I SAW SOMEONE ELSE CRUSHER BOYLE, UH, NUMBER 13, PLEASE.

COMMISSIONERS.

UH, LET'S SEE.

I THINK JUST WELDON IS NOT ON VIDEO.

DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO PULL? NO.

SO WITH THAT, I'VE GOT, UM, ITEMS NUMBER NINE, 11, 12, 13, AND 15 FOUR FOR DISCUSSION.

SO, UH, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS, TWO THREE, FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN, EIGHT, UM, 10 14.

AND THAT'S IT.

SO MOVE.

AND IS THERE A SECOND? THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.

TEXT FROM KAREN SAYING SHE'S HAVING TROUBLE FINDING THE, UM, THE LINK.

JEFF ARE YOU I'LL RESEND IT TO HER.

AND I THINK, I THINK I GOT EVERYBODY JUST FOR RECORD KEEPING PURPOSES THERE, BUT UM, UH, DID EVERYBODY GET A VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS? I THINK IT PASSED UNANIMOUSLY, SO UNLESS EVERYBODY ANY OBJECTION TO THAT.

UM, SO THEN WITH THAT, WHY DON'T WE JUST GO IN ORDER HERE? WE'LL, WE'LL START WITH,

[9. (8/27) [Purchasing] Authorize negotiation and execution of a multi-term contract with Facilities Resource Inc (WBE/DBE), to provide on-site space planning and related services, for up to five years for a total contract amount not to exceed $900,000.]

UH, ITEM NUMBER NINE.

AND THERE WAS SOMEONE FROM STAFF TO, UH, RESPOND TO QUESTIONS.

I WILL SPEAK TO NUMBER NINE.

THIS IS RUSTY MENUS.

UM, THIS HAS TO DO WITH, UM, SITES, SPACE PLANNING, AND I NOTED THAT THERE WAS, UM, A, HAD ADOPTED A MASTER PLAN.

MY QUESTION IS, UH, DID THE MASTER PLAN ENVISION CONTRACTING FOR SITE PLANNING SITE SPACE PLANNING WHEN IT WAS ADOPTED? THAT'S MY FIRST QUESTION.

UM, YES, AT LEAST.

SO, I MEAN, W WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY, UH, THAT THOSE THINGS WERE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION WITH THE MASTER PLAN? YES.

SO IN LIGHT OF THE CURRENT, UH, PANDEMIC AND SOCIAL DISTANCING, WILL THIS CONTRACT FOR SITE SPACE PLANNING ADDRESS ISSUES RELATED TO PHYSICAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS? YES, IT WILL.

SO THAT'S, THOSE WERE MY QUESTIONS ON NUMBER NINE.

[00:05:04]

ALRIGHTY.

I THINK YOU'RE MUTED.

THANK YOU BOTH.

UM, I WOULD ASK FOR, IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER NINE? UH, HEARING NONE.

I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO PASS ITEM NUMBER NINE OR APPROVED ITEM NUMBER NINE.

UH, COMMISSIONER MOVED, UH, COMMISSIONER BOYLE.

WAS THAT A SECOND? YES, THAT'S A SECOND.

AND, UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.

COMMISSIONER WELDON.

DID I GET YOU? YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE.

NOT ON VIDEO, I THINK.

SO YOU HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH MY CONNECTION.

I AM SHARING MY CAMERA IF YOU'RE NOT SEEING IT.

THAT'S SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS CISCO.

I MAY LOG OUT AND LOG IN.

WE CAN SEE YOU.

WE CAN SEE, WE CAN SEE NOW I TURNED IT ON.

SEE, I SEE NOTHING.

I AM GETTING NO VIDEO DISPLAY.

I HAD JUST, I SEE NO INPUT ON MY SIDE.

UH, RACHEL HAS JOINED US AS WELL.

I THINK SHE IS NOW VISIBLE AS WELL.

CAN I SHARE THIS FOR AGAIN? JUST TO MAKE SURE I GOT EVERYTHING COMMISSIONER WELDON.

I CONDITIONER STONE.

DID YOU VOTE ON ITEM NUMBER NINE? OKAY, GREAT.

I VOTE, YES.

PERFECT.

ALRIGHT, NOW WE GOT A FULL HOUSE.

I'M NOT MOVING ON

[11. (8/27) [Austin Energy/Law] Authorize execution of an Interlocal Agreement with the Lower Colorado River Authority and the Lower Colorado River Authority Transmission Services Corporation for construction services regarding jointly owned transmission infrastructure projects for a term of three years, in an amount not to exceed $3,000,000, and to establish long-term joint ownership and cost responsibilities for maintenance and operation of the facilities.]

THE NUMBER 11.

UH, ANYONE FROM DAF, UH, ITEM NUMBER 11 IS ALSO A QUESTIONER I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS.

MADAM CHAIR, CHARLES DICKERSON, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICE.

ALSO ENERGIES ON, THANK YOU.

UM, THIS HAS TO DO WITH ANNE LCRA, H E JOINTLY OWNED, UM, TRANSMISSION LINE.

AND MY QUESTION IS I WAS, UM, UH, CONCERN THAT THIS, UH, CONTRACT WAS TO ISTAT IN PART TO ESTABLISH JOINT OWNERSHIP AND COST RESPONSIBILITIES FOR O AND M OF FACILITIES.

THESE ARE EXISTING LINES, AND I'M CONCERNED THAT ALREADY HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING WITH LCRA CONCERNING JOINT, THAT JOINT OWNERSHIP AND ALLOCATION OF THE COST OF MAINTENANCE.

CAN YOU ADDRESS THAT PLEASE? YES, I CAN SOMEONE TALK WITH ME TO BE STRATEGIC? SO THE LANGUAGE PROBABLY COULD'VE BEEN WRITTEN MORE AWFULLY, BUT WE DO ALREADY HAVE, THESE ARE EXISTING LINES.

WE BOTH PERFORM MAINTENANCE AND IT'S JUST TO REASSESS WHAT MAINTENANCE NEEDS TO BE DONE NOW, WHAT MAINTENANCE NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THE FUTURE, WHAT CHANGES WHO'S GOING TO DO THE MAINTENANCE AND WHERE A LOT OF TIMES, DEPENDING ON WHAT MAINTENANCE PINNACLE, THE ISSUE WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE, WHAT CONGESTION ISSUES WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE THAT ERCOT MADE, WHICH WAS, MAY INFORM A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SOLUTION AND THAT DIFFERENT TYPE OF SOLUTION MAY INFORM DIFFERENT TYPES OF WORK.

AND SO IT'S JUST TO REASSESS.

WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS HOW WE COLLABORATIVE.

IT'S NOT TO SUGGEST THAT WE DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE JOINT OWNERSHIP.

IT'S JUST TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE HAVE A THIRD PARTY HELPING US FACILITATE THE BEST WAY FOR THE COST.

WHO'S THE THIRD PARTY THAT'S HELPING YOU WITH DETERMINING COSTS CONTRACTOR THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ESTABLISH? UH, OH, I CONTRACTOR.

SO, BUT THE LANGUAGE I PICKED UP ON WAS IT HAD TO DO WITH ALLOCATION OF THE COST FOR THOSE, UH, NECESSARY UNDERTAKINGS.

AND THAT'S WHAT I AM QUESTIONING WHY THAT HASN'T ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED COST FOR, UM, ANYTHING THAT COMES UP ON THOSE LINES.

WHAT, CAUSE WE HAVE MULTIPLE CHANGES THAT HAPPENS WITH THE LINES AND WHEN DIFFERENT CHANGES COME UP, WE WANT TO GO BACK IN THERE WE ARE.

I'M SORRY.

I'M TRYING TO TOGGLE BETWEEN SCREENS AND I STILL MUTE MUTE.

CAN I BE HEARD? OKAY.

SO THE REASON FOR THAT IS, IS THAT WE HAVE MULTIPLE LINES AS DIFFERENT TYPES OF MAINTENANCE COMES UP ON DIFFERENT PARTS AND MATERIALS ARE BROUGHT TO BEAR.

WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO REFRESH TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH HOW THE FUNDING IS BEING HANDLED.

BUT THIS IS, THIS IS PRETTY MUCH, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR QUESTIONS, BUT THIS IS STANDARD PRACTICE FOR JOINT OWNERSHIP OF ASSETS AND UTILITIES.

I WOULD HOPE THAT IT WOULD BE, I JUST SUMMARY WAS PRESENTED.

IT APPEARED THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME YOU WERE GOING TO BE ADDRESSING NO MA'AM ALRIGHT.

I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 11.

UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM, NUMBER 11, HEARING, HEARING NONE,

[00:10:01]

THAT'S SO MOVE A SECOND.

CRUSHERS, TRUFFLE AND BOIL ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.

AND I THINK I ACTUALLY SAW EVERYONE THAT TIME.

UM, SO AGAIN, THE ITEM PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, UH, MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER

[12. (9/3) [Purchasing: Various depts; AE’s portion $1,120,000] Authorize award of a multi-term contract with MEA Promos, to provide marketing collateral products, for up to five years for a total contract amount not to exceed $3,957,800.]

TWO.

I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER TRUFFLE, IS THIS ALSO YOUR ITEM OR THAT WAS FOR SURE.

I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ON NUMBER 12.

UM, I SEE THAT THIS IS AN ALLOCATION OF PROMOTIONAL, UM, ITEM EXPENSE AMONG A LOT OF AUSTIN, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN DEPARTMENTS.

AND THAT WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DOES THAT ALLOCATION GET MADE? IS IT BASED ON, OKAY.

X PERCENT OF IT IS ACTUALLY RELATED TO THE ELECTRIC UTILITY BRANDED SOMEHOW WITH AUSTIN ENERGY STUFF, OR IS IT JUST AN ALLOCATION? SOMEONE PULLS OUT OF THE CHARLES PICK UP ON AGAIN, KEEP OPERATING THE OPPOSITE ENERGY.

I WAS, EXCUSE ME, ONE SECOND.

I WAS SCROLLING THROUGH THE, UM, BECAUSE YOU USED THE WORD ALLOCATION LOOKING AT THERE'S ABOUT A MILLION, TWO OUT OF A $4 MILLION BUDGET FOR PROMOTION THAT IS BEING HOW, YOU KNOW IT'S BEEN PAID FOR ESSENTIALLY AUSTIN ENERGY.

AND I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THIS IS ONE THAT WAS ALLOCATED BASED ON THE RELATIVE PORTION OF AUSTIN TO THE GROUP, OR WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING SPECIFIC TO THINGS THAT ARE BRANDED SOMEHOW WITH AUSTIN, THEN I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON HOW THAT ALLOCATION IS MADE.

WE'RE HAVING TROUBLES WITH, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE STATS ALL IN LINE BECAUSE I HAVE THE STAFF RESPONSE INDICATING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE WITH, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO HEAR IT.

SO I APOLOGIZE AS SOON THAT MEANS IT'S PURCHASING IS ALSO NOT ABLE TO GET THE CREDIT AND THEY KEPT, PERHAPS I HEARD JEFF, I HEARD THE COMMISSIONER'S QUESTION.

WE'LL GET BACK.

THIS QUESTION IS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE MILLION DOLLARS FOR BRAND NAMES.

AND HOW DO WE COME UP WITH YOUR ALLOCATION THERE? WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.

IT'S NOT URGENT AND IT'S NOT GOING TO KEEP ME FROM APPROVING IT.

IT'S JUST THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS HAVE THESE ITEMS THAT COME UP WHERE THERE WAS AN ALLOCATION AMONG CITY DEPARTMENTS AND I I'M ALWAYS TRYING TO GET A HANDLE ON HOW THE ALLOCATIONS ARE BEING MADE.

SO I JUST LIKE TO KNOW THAT IT'S POINT OF INFORMATION.

I HOPE TO HAVE THAT ANSWER FOR THE ENTIRE COMMISSION ALL IN.

SO GREAT.

UM, SO COMMISSIONER VIRTUAL THAT I DID, I HEAR THAT, UM, DESPITE NOT BEING ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION TODAY, UH, YOU'RE PREPARED TO MOVE APPROVAL OF THE ITEM OR, OKAY, GREAT.

AND A SECOND, ALL SECOND.

UM, COMMISSIONER READ THERE'S SOME SECONDS.

SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.

THANK YOU CHARLES DICKERSON AGAIN.

UH, AGAIN, ITEM NUMBER 12 IS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY MOVING ON TO

[13. (9/17) [Purchasing] Authorize negotiation and execution of various cooperative contracts during the Fiscal Year 2020-2021, for the purchase of computer, network and other technology hardware, software and related maintenance and technology services, in an amount not to exceed $62,000,000. (Part 1 of 3)]

ITEM NUMBER 13.

I THINK THIS IS COMMISSIONER BOILS.

IS THAT CORRECT? GREAT.

UM, AND UH, SOMEONE FROM STAFF IS PREPARED TO, UH, DISCUSS THIS ITEM.

THAT'D BE GREAT.

I'M SORRY.

YEAH, GO AHEAD, CHARLES.

SORRY ABOUT THAT.

UM, AND COMMISSIONER BOYLE, IS THIS YOUR ITEM NUMBER 13? I THINK YOU'RE ON MUTE.

THERE YOU GO.

UH, ITEM, UH, THERE WAS $62 MILLION DIVIDED UP AMONG A NUMBER OF, UH, DEPARTMENTS.

SO COMMISSIONER BORDER TWO, COULD YOU GIVE ME YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION, SIR? OR? YES.

UH, AS I UNDERSTAND THIS PARTICULAR,

[00:15:01]

WHAT IS AUSTIN SHARE OF THE 62 MILLION? ARE YOU ON, UM, RC, SIR? WHAT'S THAT YOU SPEAK AT THE RC NUMBER 12? NO, I'M ON ITEM 13.

ITEM 13 IS ON TRANSMISSION POLES.

UH, HOLD ON HERE.

LET ME SEE IF I MADE A MISTAKE HERE.

YEAH, IT SHOULD BE, UH, THE DRS TO BE A $62 MILLION ITEM.

A COOPERATIVE CONTRACT, $62 MILLION FOR COMPUTER NETWORK AND OTHER TECHNOLOGY HARDWARE, SOFTWARE AND RELATED.

I MUST HAVE I THOUGHT THAT WAS OKAY.

MAYBE I WANT TO HEAR THE, I APOLOGIZE.

I CAN ASK YOUR QUESTIONS.

YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW'S THE $62 MILLION.

WHAT PART OF THAT IS AUSTIN ENERGY.

AND, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE HOW IT'S DIVIDED UP AMONG THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL.

WELL, WE CAN GET THAT IN.

IT'S BASICALLY BASED ON, UM, WHERE THEY WERE GOING TO PURCHASE STAFF ARGUMENTATION MAINTENANCE SERVICES.

SO ALL THE DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY IS AS YOU ACCURATELY POINTED TO HAVE REQUESTS FOR IT SERVICES, THIS DRL COMES UP AND ALSO ENERGY'S COMPONENT IS BASICALLY HOW MUCH WE'RE GOING TO SPEND FOR THE SERVICES THAT WE NEED, BUT WE CAN GET YOU TO BREAK DOWN, WHICH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN AN ENGINEER, OBVIOUSLY THE DEPARTMENT, WELL, I'D LIKE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF BREAKDOWN I NOTICED IN THE ITEM THAT IT REFERS TO CERTAIN ITEMS THAT ARE OVER $150,000.

CAN WE HAVE KIND OF AN ITEMIZED BREAK BREAKOUT ON THOSE ITEMS? CERTAINLY, UH, THE, THE, UH, UH, AND AS FAR AS THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, IT'S JUST WIDE OPEN, RIGHT? THERE ARE NO VENDORS, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST WHAT, IT'S JUST THE MONEY THAT YOU THINK YOU MAY, YOU MAY NEED CERTAIN ITEMS AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THE VENDORS ARE GOING TO BE.

IS THAT HOW IT WORKS? YEAH.

ARTISTS ARE LIST OF PREAPPROVED VENDORS AS PART OF THE PURCHASING PROCESS.

AND THOSE VENDORS ARE GOING TO BE THE ONES WE SELECT THROUGH THE PROCESS TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES AND OUR EQUIPMENT.

RIGHT.

BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHO THOSE VENDORS ARE NOW.

DO WE, WE KNOW WHO THE LIST OF VENDORS AUDIT SPECIFIC VENDORS.

WE WON'T KNOW UNTIL WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.

RIGHT? SO, SO YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THE VENDORS ARE.

AND THEN THE, UH, IN THE HERE, IT SAYS THAT YOU'RE BRINGING FORWARD ALL THE REQUESTS FOR AUTHORIZATION AT ONE TIME TO REDUCE WORKLOAD.

UM, MY QUESTION IS, SO IS THIS A CHANGE IN POLICY? AND IF SO, WHY ARE YOU DOING IT NOW? AND DIDN'T DO IT EARLIER.

UH, IT'S A CHANGE IN APPLICATION.

I WANT TO GO BACK THERE CAUSE WE'RE A TRADE BECAUSE YOU SAID A FEW TIMES, WE DON'T KNOW WHO THE VENDORS ARE.

I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR.

WE KNOW THAT THE GROUP OF VENDORS ARE, WE DON'T KNOW WHO THAT SELECTED THAN THERE IS FROM THAT GROUP.

AND THAT'S IMPORTANT.

THAT'S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION BECAUSE THAT'S AN ENTIRE PURCHASING PROCESS THAT CLEARS WHO THOSE VENDORS ARE GOING TO BE.

SO WE HAVE SOME SENSE THERE WITH RESPECT TO A CHANGE IN POLICY, WE'RE CONTINUALLY LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN FURTHER BE MORE EFFICIENT.

SO IT IS A CHANGE IN HOW WE USED TO DO IT INSTEAD OF DOING EACH PIECE SEPARATELY AND HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE PURCHASING PROCESS AND TIME PEOPLE, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO A LOT OF THINGS AT ONE TIME, SO THAT WE CAN MINIMIZE IT, STREAMLINE THE PROCESS, GET THE SERVICES AND EQUIPMENT WHERE THEY NEEDED MORE QUICKLY.

BUT LET'S ASSUME YOUR LIST OF VENDORS THAT ARE APPROVED ARE A HUNDRED.

YOU GOT ALL THOSE VENDORS, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHICH VENDORS ARE GOING TO BE FOR THE PARTICULAR ITEMS. YES, SIR.

YOU'RE EXACTLY CORRECT.

WE HAVE NOT SELECTED THE VENDORS YET.

AND THE, I GUESS MY FRUSTRATION IS IT'S HARD FOR ME TO EVALUATE THIS WITHOUT FIRST OF ALL, EVALUATING THE REQUEST THAT'S BEING MADE BY AUSTIN ENERGY.

I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION OR HOW THAT WAS COMPILED AND WHY WE'RE GETTING AN ITEM.

THAT'S BIG, IT'S GOT THIS MUCH MONEY IN IT AND WE'RE GETTING IT JUST BEFORE A CITY COUNCIL MEETING.

COULDN'T YOU HAVE ASKED FOR THIS AT AN EARLIER MEETING WHERE WE COULD GO INTO MORE DETAIL.

IT IS MY BELIEF THAT YOU ALL ARE SERVING AS A POLICY BODY.

WELL, THIS IS A JOINT APPS BETWEEN AUSTIN ENERGY AND AUBURN CITY.

SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE TIMING OF WHEN THEY HAD THEIR REQUESTS READY, BUT BECAUSE WE DO IT AS A COLLABORATIVE, WE HAVE TO WAIT TO ORDER PARTS FROM THE GOVERNOR TO BRING IT IN.

I UNDERSTAND, BUT I MEAN, WE'RE KIND OF PUT IN A TOUGH SPOT HERE WHERE WE ARE, WE'VE GOT TO APPROVE IT, OR IF WE DON'T, YOU CAN'T MAKE THESE PURCHASES, IS THAT THE WAY IT WORKS? NOW, IT'S AN UNDERSTANDING THAT, UM, WHILE WE SINCERELY NECESSARILY WANT YOUR APPROVAL,

[00:20:01]

AND THAT AS A STAFF, WE HAVE TO BE TRUSTED WITH KNOWING HOW TO APPLY TO MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT THAT WE NEED.

AND IF YOU DON'T APPROVE IT, WE'RE STILL GONNA MOVE THIS FORWARD BECAUSE WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS EQUIPMENT.

WE HAVE TO HAVE THESE SERVICES AND IT'S NOT JUST AUSTIN.

ENERGY'S OPPOSITE AGENCIES AS WELL.

WELL THEN WHAT'S OUR FUNCTION HERE.

IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT ANYWAY, THAT THAT'S A QUESTION BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THIS DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT.

I THOUGHT WE WERE TRYING TO LOOK AND TO HAVE SOME ACCOUNTABILITY HERE.

I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THAT.

WE WANT YOU ALL TO BE DONE WITH IT.

BUT I THINK THE QUESTION THAT YOU'RE ASKING IS NOT POLICY IT'S EXECUTION.

WELL, IT'S ALSO HAVING SOME UNDERLYING DATA TO SUPPORT THE REQUEST.

THAT'S ALL I'M DONE.

COMMISSIONER.

HADN'T HAD A COMMENT.

BRIEFLY.

I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I SHARE THAT CONCERN ABOUT UNDERLYING DATA.

UM, IT FELT LIKE MOST OF THE BACKUP WAS INCREDIBLY LIGHT THIS TIME AND WE DIDN'T GET IT UNTIL FRIDAY FOR LATE AT, UM, AT A MONDAY 10:00 AM MEETING.

SO I WOULD SEE SOME IMPROVEMENT ON THAT FRONT.

UM, AND JUST WHILE I'M HERE FOR A MOMENT TOO, I WOULD ALSO LIKE EIGHT, EIGHT WHEN WE FINISHED UP HERE.

SAY THAT LAST PART AGAIN, KOSHER.

I, I WOULD LIKE TO PULL ITEM NUMBER COMMISSIONER.

WE'VE ALREADY CONSENTED THAT ITEM, BUT I'M HAPPY TO GO AHEAD AND LET YOU ASK YOUR QUESTION, BUT JUST SO YOU KNOW, THAT ITEM HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED, UM, UH, WITH THE QUORUM BEFORE YOU GOT ON, UH, THE MEETING.

UM, SO, BUT, BUT I DON'T SEE ANY PROBLEM IN GOING AHEAD AND ALLOWING YOU TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS.

UM, SO, UH, I THINK NO MORE DISCUSSION ON ITEM 13, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 13.

I HA I HAVE A POINT ON 13.

SO AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THIS IS ALL DIR PURCHASES, RIGHT? UH, IS THAT CORRECT MR. ? YES, SIR.

YES, SIR.

SO, SO WHAT WE'RE DOING, I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND I MAY HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD THE POSTING LANGUAGE, BUT THIS IS ESSENTIALLY SAYING, GIVE US A BUDGET CITYWIDE IT'S $68 MILLION.

WHAT PORTION DOES IT SAY? WHAT PORTION OF THAT IS, IS SUPPOSED TO BE ALLOCATED TO PURCHASES OR AUSTIN ENERGY, BUT IT'S BASICALLY SAYING, GIVE US A BUDGET.

AND AS LONG AS WE'RE BUYING FOR THROUGH THE DIR PROGRAM, IT'S APPROVED, IS THAT ESSENTIALLY THE WAY THE POLICY IS BEING REQUESTED? YES, SIR.

MORE DETAILED INFORMATION AND WE WILL MAKE IT MORE DETAILED.

I HONESTLY, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE I'M.

I ACTUALLY AGREED WITH A CERTAIN EXTENT WITH MR. BOYLE HERE.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE APPROVING.

WE'RE, WE'RE APPROVING SOME PORTION.

I MEAN, FROM OUR, OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO AUSTIN ENERGY, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE WERE APPROVING SOME PORTION OF $68 MILLION.

WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH COULD BE SPENT OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.

WE DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO PURCHASE THINGS THAT WE DON'T REALLY KNOW.

AND WE'RE BASICALLY JUST SAYING WE'RE NO LONGER GETTING APPROVED SPECIFIC PURCHASES.

WE'RE JUST GOING TO GIVE YOU A BUDGET AND WE DON'T EVEN KNOW EXACTLY WHAT AM I MISSING? HOW AM I OVER THINKING THIS THING? I DON'T THINK YOU'RE OVERTHINKING AND I APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER BALL'S CONCERNS.

UM, I THINK THE CONVERSE OF THAT IS WHEN YOU SAY A PROVEN CERTAIN THINGS, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, AND I'M CERTAINLY OPEN TO BEING CORRECTED, THIS IS A POLICY PRIORITY.

THE POLICY IS TO MOVE THE UTILITY ALONG ASSISTANCE.

STAFF IS CHARGED WITH RUNNING A UTILITY.

UM, I DIDN'T SEE THIS BODY AS A VITAL.

IT'S GOING TO TELL US WHAT SERVICE WE CAN BUY OR WHAT ROUTERS WE SHOULD BUY THIS BRAND, AS OPPOSED TO THAT BRAND.

THIS IS NOT AN IT COMMITTEE OR COMMITTEE THAT WOULD TELL US TO USE THIS BRAND OF TRANSMISSION PULL OVER THAT TYPE OF BRAND, THAT TRANSMISSION POLE.

SO YOU'RE RIGHT AT A HIGH LEVEL.

WE'RE ASKING THIS BODY TO AFFIRM THE BUDGET, NOT ONLY FOR AUSTIN ENERGY, BUT BROADLY, WHICH IS KIND OF STRANGE TO ME, CAUSE I DON'T, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR HER, BUT I KNOW THIS IS ELECTRIC UTILITY FOR PERMISSION, BUT WE'RE ASKING THIS BODY TO AFFIRM AUSTIN ENERGY'S PIECE AND TRYING TO FIND

[00:25:01]

COMMISSIONER BALL WAS RIGHT.

YOU HAVE THIS BIG NUMBER.

YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE AUSTIN MCS PART.

LIKE HE WILL NOT WANT TO SEE IT.

SO WE NEED TO PROVIDE THAT.

UM, BUT EVEN IF WE PROVIDE THAT, IT IS MY BELIEF THAT WE WILL BE PROVIDING YOU AUSTIN.

ENERGY'S TOTAL POT, NOT GIVING YOU LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM, WHAT SERVER WE'RE GOING TO USE.

WHAT'S UM, UH, MONITORS.

WE'RE GONNA USE THOSE STAFF FUNCTIONS.

THAT'S NOT THE FUNCTION OF ANY BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO GET INTO THAT LEVEL OF MANAGEMENT OF HOW YOU, HOW YOU TOTALLY EXECUTE ITS MISSION.

OKAY, WELL, NOT TO NOT TO BEAT THIS TO DEATH, BUT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

I REALLY DON'T CARE WHAT BRANDS OF PRODUCTS YOU BOUGHT OR EVEN WHETHER IT'S SERVERS OR SOFTWARE OR, UM, YOU KNOW, HARD GOODS OR NETWORKING, UH, OR WHATEVER.

I KINDA, I KINDA DON'T WANT TO VOTE TO SAY, OKAY, SOME PORTION OF $68 MILLION, DON'T KNOW, I'M JUST APPROVING YOU TO GO SPEND THAT ON WHATEVER COMES, UH, IF THE CASE, I, I'M NOT REALLY SURE THAT OUR APPROVAL COMMISSIONER, THIS IS JEFF BALDEZ.

NOT THAT YOU KNOW, THAT NORMALLY WE ATTEMPT TO HAVE THE, THE PORTION THAT IS ALSO THE ENERGIES OF THE ITEMS LISTED.

THIS WAS AN OVERSIGHT.

IT'S NOT HIM.

YOU CAN SEE OTHER EXAMPLES ON THIS SAME AGENDA WHERE WE DETAIL AUSTIN ENERGY'S PORTION.

SECONDLY, IF I COULD JUST PAUSE FOR A MOMENT AS POSSIBLE AND BRIDGE THE STAFF CALL IN LINE, AND THAT WOULD HAVE NOTHING ELSE ALLOW PURCHASING IT'S COULD BE ABLE TO CHIME IN AND GIVE US WHAT AMOUNT OF THIS MULTI-DEPARTMENTAL ITEM IS.

IN FACT, AUSTIN ENERGY'S GTM AT CITY HALL, IF THAT'S CORRECT.

AND JEFF, THIS IS, THIS IS COMMISSIONER REED.

UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE DESCRIPTION IT TALKS ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, SOME THINGS NEEDED FOR THE SHINES PROJECT.

I'D BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING OF THE AUSTIN ENERGY BUDGET.

YOU KNOW, UM, I DON'T NEED TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, NETWORKING VERSUS THIS, BUT JUST, IT'D BE GENERALLY NICE TO KNOW SOME OF THOSE DETAILS ABOUT WHAT AMOUNT OF THAT MONEY IS FOR DIFFERENT PROJECTS, DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROJECTS.

WE'RE SORRY, YOUR CALL CANNOT BE COMPLETED AS DIAL.

SHOULD WE, SHOULD WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM AND THEN COME BACK TO THIS WHEN, UH, UM, WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO GET ON, WHY DON'T WE DO THAT? JUST, JUST A REMINDER.

I THINK WE NEED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES STILL AS WELL.

OH, THANK YOU.

YES, I SKIPPED A MINUTE.

UH, ITEM NUMBER 15, AND I BELIEVE KRISHNA REED.

WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD.

UM, AND, UH, I'LL, I'LL TAKE UP THE LAST MEETING'S MINUTES, UH, ONCE WE GET TO THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. UM, SO NEXT I HAVE,

[15. (9/17) [Purchasing] Authorize an amendment to an existing contract with Altec Industries, Inc., to provide customized utility vehicles, for an increase in the amount of $9,500,000, for a revised total contract amount not to exceed $30,500,000.]

YOU HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM.

SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS CALL CANNOT BE COMPLETED.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS THIS IS, UM, THIS IS MONEY TO, UH, AUGMENT AN EXISTING CONTRACT TO LEASE UTILITY VEHICLES.

IS THAT CORRECT? YES.

THIS IS RUSSELL NOW.

ACTING CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.

IT IS AN EXISTING CONTRACT.

HE DID SEE AN AMENDED.

IT'S WHAT HE DOES FOR HEAVY, HEAVY EQUIPMENT, UM, BUCKETS, CRANES, KNUCKLE BOOMS, SUCH AS THAT.

YEAR PERIOD AND, AND HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACT AS OPPOSED TO BUYING THE VEHICLES OUTRIGHT.

MY, MY QUESTION WAS REALLY ABOUT ARE THESE VIA, COULD THESE VEHICLES IN ANY WAY, UM, IS THIS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE ELECTRIFICATION OF THOSE TYPE OF VEHICLES? AND IS THAT CONSIDERED IN THE CONTRACT THAT AS, AS NEW TYPES OF VEHICLES BECOME AVAILABLE, IS THAT SOMETHING YOU GUYS LOOKED AT OR CONSIDERED? WELL, WE CERTAINLY WILL.

EVERY TIME WE BUY SOMETHING, WE KEEP AN EYE TO AN ELECTRIC VERSION OF IT.

UM, IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE, THERE IS NO VIABLE, UH, ELECTRIC ALTERNATIVE.

UM, BUT WHAT'S NICE ABOUT THIS LEASE PROGRAM THAT DOES TWO THINGS THAT I THINK ARE ENVIABLE IN THAT, TO THAT REGARD IS THAT, UH, THESE LEASES RUN FOR FIVE YEARS.

SO WE ALWAYS HAVE THE MOST CURRENT EMISSION SYSTEMS ON THESE TRUCKS.

PLUS IT, EVERY FIVE YEARS, IT GIVES US A CHANCE TO REEVALUATE WHAT TECHNOLOGY HAS ARISEN, UH, UH, OVER THAT FIVE

[00:30:01]

SO THE ADVANTAGE TO DOING LEASING IS THAT YOU'RE NOT LOCKING IN LONGTERM TO THESE VEHICLES.

SO YOU CAN, THERE'S, THERE'S A NUMBER OF ADVANTAGES TO THIS LEASE, BUT THAT'S CERTAINLY ONE OF THEM COMMISSIONER CHAIR HOPKINS.

I HAD QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE AS WELL.

WELCOME TO WEBEX.

ENTER YOUR ACCESS CODE OR COMMISSIONER REED.

DID YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? NO, I JUST WANTED TO, I WAS JUST TRYING TO CLARIFY THAT AND WAIT, FINAL QUESTIONS.

SO RUSTY, YOU GUYS ARE COMMITTED AS YOU, AS YOU LEASE VEHICLES TO LOOKING AT ALTERNATIVES, INCLUDING ELECTRIC YOU'RE, YOU'RE STARTING FROM SO THAT YOU'RE SEEING ALL THE TYPES OF VEHICLES, RIGHT.

WHEN WE LOOK TO PURCHASE OR ACQUIRE ANY VEHICLES, WE LOOK FOR THAT ALTERNATIVE AS LONG AS THERE'S A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE.

COMMISSIONER TRUSSELL, GO AHEAD.

YES, THANK YOU.

UM, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THIS IS A CONTRACT THAT WAS INITIALLY ENTERED INTO IN AUGUST OF 2017 FOR $21 MILLION.

IS THAT RIGHT? YES, MA'AM.

AND AT THAT TIME, UH, THE CITY OR AUSTIN ENERGY HAD DONE A CROSS, HELLO, THE CITY HAD DONE A COST COMPARISON OF LEASING VERSUS VERSUS KURT TO SAYING THAT UTILITY CUSTOMIZE UTILITY VEHICLES.

AND MY QUESTION IS YOU'RE TAKING A 45% INCREASE IN THIS CONTRACT THREE YEARS IN.

AND I WANT TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE LOOKED TO SEE IF YOUR COST COMPARISON FOR LEASING VERSUS PURCHASING STILL IS VALID.

YES, MA'AM.

WE JUST HAD ONE SECOND.

I THINK WE HAD A, UH, MAYBE AN EIGHT STAFF MEMBER CALL IN SUCCESSFULLY.

UM, BUT IF I COULD ASK YOU TO JUST MUTE YOUR LINE JUST FOR A MINUTE, WE'VE MOVED ON TO ITEM NUMBER 15 IN KRISHA, TROPO, UH, UH, UH, DISCUSSING THAT ITEM NOW.

AND SO, UM, GIVE US ONE MINUTE.

OKAY, THANKS.

GO AHEAD.

SO YES MA'AM.

SO IF I HEARD YOUR QUESTION CORRECTLY, WAS THERE A COST BENEFIT DONE ON THIS, UH, ON, ON THIS PIECE OF THE CONTRACT? AND THE ANSWER IS YES, MA'AM 45%.

IT SEEMS TO ME AT 40% INCREASE AND THE COST OF YOUR LEASE IS SIGNIFICANT.

YES, MA'AM THIS, THESE MONIES WERE SPECIFICALLY FOR 19 VEHICLES.

UM, AND WE DID DO A COST BENEFIT ON THESE 19 VEHICLES FOR, UH, FOR 9,500 ON A NINE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.

UM, AND THAT, THAT COST CENTER, IT DID BEAR OUT THAT ON OUR NET PRESENT VALUE BASIS ON THE FIVE YEARS THAT THE LEASING FROM THE BENEFIT OF, UH, OF THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OVER THE LIFE OF THAT PROGRAM OR THEREABOUTS, SO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS LESS TO LEASE AT A COST OF 9.5 MILLION FOR I'M KIND OF BLOWN AWAY BY THE FACT THAT'S ONLY 19 VEHICLES.

YES, MA'AM.

I, I DON'T KNOW IF, WELL, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT TO THE PRIOR 21.

I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.

I KNOW THAT I DON'T MISS NINE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT THAT'S BEING ASKED TO BE APPROVED.

UM, IT'S FOR 19 VEHICLES, WE DID DO A COST BENEFIT AND, UH, IT, IT PROVED OUT, I GUESS I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT THREE YEARS INTO A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT, YOU'RE SEEKING SUCH AN IMPACT, A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE.

UH, AND I MEAN, THAT'S A PRETTY SLIM COST BENEFIT.

IN MY OPINION, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ON A, WHAT WILL NOW BE $30 MILLION, $30 MILLION CONTRACT? WELL, THE ALTERNATIVE WOULD HAVE BEEN TO PURCHASE OF VEHICLES OUT, RIGHT? AND AS I SAID, THERE'S NUMEROUS BENEFITS TO THIS LEASE PROGRAM THAT WHEN ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE FACTORED IN, THAT SAID, IF THEY ALL TURN TO, IF IT'S EASIER TO SPEND NINE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS ON A FIVE YEAR LEASE FOR 19 VEHICLES OR BUY THEM OUTRIGHT THAT THE LEASE, THE LEASE OPTION WAS THE BEST.

THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS.

FURTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER 15.

MA'AM

[00:35:03]

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER HADDEN.

OH, GO AHEAD.

COMMISSIONER HAD, WELL, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION RAISED ABOUT WHETHER THERE ARE VIABLE ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN THIS REALM.

YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN TO SOME CONFERENCES AND SO ON WHERE THERE IS A LOT OF HEAVY EQUIPMENT NOW THAT IS ELECTRIC AND IT SAVES A LOT ON OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST AN AGENDA IN THE FUTURE THAT'S, UM, RELATED TO THE AVAILABILITY OF WORK TRUCKS, UH, UM, FROM SMALL TO LARGE AND HEAVY EQUIPMENT USED BY AUSTIN ENERGY.

UM, THAT MIGHT BE ELECTRIC, UM, SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE OPTIONS WE'VE GOT.

I'VE MADE NOTE OF THAT TEACHER AGENDA ITEMS, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 15 HEARING NONE.

I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 15.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER AT VIRTUAL.

AND IS THERE A SECOND COMMITTEE COMMISSIONER? WELL DONE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.

I THINK I DIDN'T SEE COMMISSIONER.

UM, AND I THINK COMMISSIONER , UH, SCREEN IS ALSO FROZEN.

SO ALTHOUGH, OKAY, GREAT.

SO I BELIEVE THE ITEM NUMBER 15 PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

I'LL GO AHEAD AND COMMIT YOUR HEAD.

SO I THINK, OH, OKAY.

AND MR. BYFIELD, PLEASE MAKE NOTE OF THAT.

ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, AND AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS ALREADY BEEN CONSENTED, BUT COMMISSIONER HADN'T HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

UM, SO NOW I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO

[8. (8/27) [Purchasing] Authorize negotiation and execution of a multi-term contract with Davey Resource Group Inc., or one of the other qualified offerors, to provide electric distribution vegetation management pre-planning services, for up to five years for a total contract amount not to exceed $17,500,000.]

SO IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, GO AHEAD PLEASE.

UM, MORE LIKE A COMMENT.

UM, I APOLOGIZE.

I HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING ON AND, UM, THINGS, APPARENTLY IT MOVED REALLY FAST IN THIS MEETING.

UM, THIS IS THE ITEM I HAD REQUESTED, UM, TO HAVE, UM, THE LINE CLEARANCE ISSUE AND THE USE OF HERBICIDES, UM, FOR LINE CLEARANCE ON THE AGENDA.

AND IT DID NOT GET POSTED AS AN AGENDA ITEM.

UM, AND I WAS NOT PROVIDED WITH AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY, AND YET HERE WE HAVE AN ITEM THAT INVOLVES THE EXPENDITURES.

UM, I REMEMBER A TIME IN AUSTIN WHERE THIS WAS A HOTLY DEBATED ITEM, WHERE PEOPLE WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE CHEMICALS BEING USED, UM, AND PRETTY WIDELY AT THAT POINT IN TIME.

UM, AND I, I'M VERY GRATEFUL BECAUSE I GOT TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH, UM, MR. DICKERSON AND JOSEPH OSBORNE IN THAT DEPARTMENT THIS MORNING.

WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, UM, AND I GOT SOME ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS THAT, THAT THE CHEMICAL COG GARLAND FOR IS BEING USED, UM, FOR STUMP REMOVAL AND TO PREVENT THINGS FROM COMING BACK.

I BELIEVE LINE CLEARANCE IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.

WE HAVE TO DO THAT.

UM, AND HOWEVER, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT POLICIES OF WHAT NOTIFICATION IS GIVEN.

UM, I KNOW OF A PROPERTY WHERE, UM, THERE IS A DOG, THERE ARE TWO YOUNG CHILDREN AND CHEMICALS WERE USED ON THE FENCE AND TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, NO NOTICE WAS GIVEN.

UM, AND I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WE HAD MOVED TO ALL PRUNING AS VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.

THAT IS APPARENTLY NOT TRUE.

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE INFORMATION ON THIS FRONT AND POSSIBLE FUTURE DISCUSSION.

UM, AND, UH, I WOULD HAVE ABSTAINED ON THAT ITEM, GIVEN THE CHANCE TO VOTE.

AND I THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THAT IT WAS HARD TO GET ON THIS MORNING ON THIS SCHOOL.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.

UM, AND, AND THAT IS, UH, YOUR ABSTENTION IS NOTED IN THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.

I THINK, UM, UH, MR. DICK DICKERSON, I SEEK IN INTENDED TO COVER, UH, VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, UH, IN HIS, UH, THIRD QUARTER, UM, OPERATIONS UPDATE, UH, RATHER THAN A SEPARATE LINE, UM, AGENDA ITEM.

BUT, UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION WITH HIM THIS MORNING AND, AND SO MAYBE HE WAS ABLE TO ANSWER EVEN MUCH MORE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

[00:40:01]

THEN THERE'S, THERE'S STILL QUITE A FEW QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED.

I GOT SOME GENERAL INFORMATION, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE POLICY AS A GROUP AND TO POSSIBLY MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE FUTURE.

WE'LL ADD IT TO A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A FULL DISCUSSION ON, ON THIS ISSUE.

ITEM NUMBER 13, AND I THINK HOPEFULLY WE SUCCESSFULLY BRIDGED IN, UH, SOMEONE FROM PURCHASING TO AT LEAST PROVIDE A BREAKDOWN OF, OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S PORTION OF THE, OF THE 62 MILLION VIR CONTRACT, UH, YOLANDA MILLER HERE, PURCHASING OFFICE.

UM, THEN I'D LIKE TO GO NOW TURN BACK TO

CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.

UH, THE, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY PORTION OF THIS AMOUNT IS $21 MILLION.

I KNOW FOLKS HAD HAD MORE QUESTIONS SURROUNDING THE BREAKDOWN.

I DON'T KNOW, UM, MS. MILLER, IF YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION IN FRONT OF YOU, BUT FOR INSTANCE, I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER REED WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEE POTENTIALLY SOME TYPE OF BREAKDOWN OF THAT 21 MILLION IS THAT INFORMATION YOU HAVE AVAILABLE? I HAVE INFORMATION PER DIFFERENT TYPES, LIKE EXAMPLE HARDWARE IS A 1.9 MILLION SOFTWARE IS ABOUT $2 MILLION AND SERVICES IS, UM, ABOUT $17 MILLION.

AND, YOU KNOW, SOME I'M JUST ROUNDING UP.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

IS THERE ANY OTHER, UM, I WAS SPECIFICALLY INTERESTED, THERE WAS A MENTION IN THE DESCRIPTION ABOUT SOME OF IT BEING USED, UM, FOR THIS SHOT AS PART OF THE SHINES PROJECT.

AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS WHETHER THAT WAS, UH, WHETHER YOU HAD THAT BROKEN DOWN AT ALL.

UH, UNFORTUNATELY FROM THE INFORMATION THAT I'VE BEEN THAT I RECEIVED, I CANNOT TELL WHAT SPECIFICALLY IS DEDICATED TO SHOW.

OH, WAIT, WAIT A MINUTE.

JUST VERY LITTLE, I CAN ONLY TELL THAT THERE'S ABOUT 400,000 DEDICATED AND SERVICES TO SHINE SPECIFICALLY.

THERE MAY BE OTHERS IN STAFF FROM AUSTIN ENERGY MAY BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET BACK TO THE COMMISSION ON THE SPECIFICS COMMISSIONER, READ MORE PERSPECTIVE.

I WANT TO NOTE, AND WE'LL GET THIS TO YOU FROM AN HISTORICAL TREND.

AS FAR BACK AS 2015, THE CRR WAS WHEN IT WAS 66 MILLION, UM, COLLECTIVELY ACROSS THE CITY, THE SDRS COME DOWN ABOUT 21.

UM, THE, THE NUMBER THAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU, WHAT AUSTIN ENERGY'S PIECE BEING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE $20 MILLION PROJECTED OUTREACH MONEY, 21, BASED ON A BREAKDOWN THAT MS. MILLWOOD SAID, WHAT SPECIFICALLY, WHAT PART IS ON SHAWN'S, WE'LL GET INTO THAT ON THOSE SEPARATE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU WANT.

SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HA WE'VE HAD, UH, UH, FULL DISCRETION ON, ON THIS ISSUE, INCLUDING, UM, WHETHER OUR, UH, WHETHER WE HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO MAKE MEANINGFUL, UH, RECOMMENDATION AND, UH, WHETHER WHETHER THAT FRANKLY REALLY MATTERS.

UM, AND, AND SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A GOOD AND INTERESTING CONVERSATION, I THINK AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, MOVING, MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS ITEM, UH, IT, IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OPTIONS WE, UH, APPROVED GIVEN THE INFORMATION WE HAVE NOW.

UM, OR WE, UH, WE EITHER WE COULD, I GUESS, NOT MOVE THIS ITEM FORWARD.

UM, AND, AND, AND, UH, AUTHOR ENERGY WILL, WILL CONTINUE TO REQUEST THIS AMOUNT FROM, UH, I GUESS THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE, WOULD BE THE UTILITY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.

SO, UM, WITH THAT IN MIND, I GUESS I WILL, I WILL OPEN THE ITEM UP FOR, UH, UH, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER 15.

UM, AND IF WE, IF WE HAVE THE BOAT, WE'LL, WE'LL MOVE IT FORWARD ON THAT.

IF NOT, UM, WELL, WE'LL LET AA DO WHAT THEY DO.

LET ME JUST SAY SOMETHING HERE.

I'M LOOKING AT THEM FOR THE ATTACHMENTS AUC ANNUAL REVIEW.

THAT WAS ONE OF THE ITEMS IN THERE IS PROVIDE PUBLIC OVERSIGHT OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S ANNUAL BUDGET AND EFFORTS TO REDUCE COSTS AND PROVIDE CLEAN,

[00:45:01]

RELIABLE POWER.

SO I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME KIND OF BALANCE IN TERMS OF LETTING THE STAFF DO THEIR JOBS AND PROVIDING A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION TO ALLOW US TO DO OUR OVERSIGHT OF THE BUDGET OBLIGATION.

SO, MR. DICKERSON, I, I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY.

I'LL GIVE YOU MY BROAD VIEW OF THIS STUFF.

I THINK WE APPROVE WAY TOO MANY CONTRACTS.

I THINK THE THRESHOLD FOR OUR APPROVAL STUFF IS WAY LOWER THAN IT SHOULD BE FOR A UTILITY OF THIS SIZE.

THAT'S A CITY CHARTER ISSUE AND SOMETHING I CAN'T THINK WE CAN, UH, ADDRESS HERE.

UH, YOU KNOW, MY, MY VIEW IS THAT WE SHOULD LIMIT OURSELVES TO POLICY, BUT IT DOES SEEM LIKE THIS APPROACH ON, UH, ON CONTRACTING IS A CHANGE IN POLICY, OR IT'S A PROPOSED CHANGE IN PAUSE, UH, IN THE PAST, WHENEVER, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, UH, WHENEVER WE HAVE APPROVED CONTRACTS, EVEN DIR CONTRACTS, IT WAS AT LEAST FOR SOMETHING, UH, SPECIFIC.

IT WASN'T JUST, HERE'S $21 MILLION.

GO SPEND THIS ON STUFF THAT FITS IN THE DR.

DIR CONTRACT.

UM, I'M NOT EVEN SAYING THAT'S A BAD HOW TO GET THERE, BUT NOT REALLY SURE WHAT MY VOTE TO APPROVE.

SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS BASED ON OUR WAY.

SO I DO NOT DISAGREE WITH YOU COMMISSIONER JUST POINTED OUT.

WE WERE REMISS PROVIDING A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL AND WE'LL GET THAT DETAIL.

I THINK IT WAS MILLER PROVIDED THAT DETAIL.

I TOO AGREE WITH YOU.

HAVING WORKED IN MANY PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, THE LEVEL OF WHICH AUTHORITY IS SAID IS EXTREMELY LOW, WHICH MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUALLY BRING THESE TYPES OF CONTRACTS.

WE CAN BREAK THIS DOWN BETWEEN HOW MUCH OF IT IS SOFTWARE, HOW MUCH OF IT'S HARDWARE, HOW MUCH OF YOUR SERVICES, JUST IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE, I WOULD THINK TO YOUR POINT THAT THIS COMMISSION WILL WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN, AND OFTEN ENERGY IS ALWAYS DRIVING THE COSTS DOWN, AND WE COULD PROVIDE A SHEET THAT SHOWS THAT THE OTHER THING THAT'S KIND OF QUIRKY ABOUT THIS IS THAT I CAN ONLY, AND MY STAFF CAN ONLY ACCURATELY REPRESENT THE TECHNICAL BOSTON ENERGY, BUT IT'S A JOINT ASK BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THE OPAC, YOU KNOW, THE OLD AXIOM THAT YOU CAN GET A BIGGER BANG.

IF YOU INCORPORATE MORE THINGS, YOU GET THE ECONOMIES OF SCALE.

HAVING SAID THAT, EVEN WHEN WE PROVIDE THE DETAIL, MY STAFF UNDER MY DIRECTION IS NOT GOING TO BE DEFENDANT EACH LINE ITEM.

THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.

WE'RE GOING TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO PURCHASE FOR THESE REASONS TO ACHIEVE THIS ELECTRICAL POLICY OBJECTIVE.

AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH, WELL, WHY ARE YOU BUYING 15 SERVERS? AND LAST YEAR YOU BOUGHT THE, THAT THAT'S A STAFF FUNCTION.

THAT IS, THAT IS MY HONEST BELIEF.

WE SHOULD GIVE YOU MORE CLARITY WHEN WE FAILED IN THIS ONE AND WE'LL GET THAT.

BUT I'VE BEEN BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE HAS ASKED VERY DETAILED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SPECIFICS OF WHAT WE DO, AND THOSE ARE EXECUTION ISSUES AND HAVING A MEMBER FOR MANY COMMISSIONS AND MANY BOARDS, THIS IS THE FARM WAY FOR BOARD OVERSIGHT.

FOR ME, IT'S, IT IS WAY DEEPER THAN POLICY IS EXECUTION.

AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO DEFEND SOME QUESTIONS UNDER MY WATCH.

AND I MEAN THAT WITH ALL DUE RESPECT.

I MEAN, WE'RE ALMOST, WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO 11 O'CLOCK AND IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS, I JUST DON'T LIKE THIS BUSINESS OF GETTING PAPER OR KIND OF SUPPLEMENTS, YOU KNOW, WE OUGHT TO HAVE THIS STUFF TO BEGIN WITH.

SO MY ONLY POINT HERE IS YOU'RE, YOU'RE, UH, YOU'RE GOING AFTER SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY NOT AT ISSUE.

RIGHT.

UM, I AGREE WITH YOU.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST, MY, MY POSITION HAS ALWAYS BEEN, LOOK, IF YOU'VE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS AND YOU'VE DECIDED YOU NEED TO BUY 15 SERVERS INSTEAD OF 14 OR 20, UM, THAT'S FINE.

I ASSUME THAT PROCESS IS GOOD.

WHAT WE'RE BEING ASKED TO DO NOW IS JUST GIVE YOU $20 MILLION AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S BEING SPENT ON.

SO THERE'S GOT TO BE SOMETHING IN BETWEEN ME GIVING YOU A BLANK CHECK AND, AND YOU GIVING ME IN EXCRUCIATING DETAIL ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.

KIM, CAN WE TABLE THIS AFTER CHAIR APPROVES SORT OF END OF THIS DISCUSSION THAT WE CAN FORWARD TO THE COMMISSIONS, A BREAKDOWN? I THINK, UM, THE PURCHASING OFFICER, MR. NOAH PROVIDED A BREAKDOWN BETWEEN HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE AND SERVICES.

WE CAN GIVE YOU THAT VISUALLY, SO YOU CAN SEE IT, OR YOU COULD SEE AUSTIN ENERGY'S POWER RELATIVE TO THE CITY'S PIECE OF THE PROCESS.

AND IF IT'S OKAY WITH THE COMMISSION AND THE CHAIR, IF YOU CAN HAVE TIME DURING THE COURSE OF THE REST OF THIS MEETING, YOU CAN LOOK AT IT AND THEN YOU CAN MAKE A DECISION IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU.

MADAM CHAIR, MR. DICKERSON, COULD I RESPOND? YES, SIR.

THE ONLY THING BOTHERS ME A LITTLE BIT.

[00:50:01]

AND ONE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T WANT TO GET DOWN IN THE NITTY GRITTY OF WHICH SERVERS ARE, HOW MANY, BUT I THINK WE HAVE SOME RESPONSIBILITY ABOUT COSTS ABOUT DUPLICATION, ABOUT NEED.

I JUST, MAYBE YOU DON'T CALL IT.

I BELIEVE WE HAVE SOME RESPONSIBILITY TO NOW.

I'M NOT SUGGESTING WE'LL GET INTO MINUTIAE, BUT I THINK WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITY.

I ALSO THINK THAT SEVERAL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THINK WE SHOULD BE DOING COMMISSIONER HADN'T HAD, I JUST BRIEFLY KIND OF WANT TO ADD TO THE DISCUSSION THAT ON THIS SIDE, AND THEN OTHERS, THIS TIME THE BACKUP WAS INCREDIBLY LIGHT.

UM, IT WASN'T EVEN IN OUR EMAIL AND IT WAS ON THE WEBSITE.

UH, WE GOT IT PRETTY LAST MINUTE FOR A MEETING AT 10:00 AM ON MONDAY.

AND I'D LIKE TO ASK THAT OUR BACKUP MORE COMPLETE WITH MORE DETAIL IN A GENERAL WAY FOR THE NEXT TIME AROUND.

WITH GOING AHEAD AND DOING THAT, UM, AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO RUMINATE FOR ANOTHER 30 MINUTES UNTIL WE GET TO THE END OF THE END OF THE MEETING.

I JUST WANT TO SUGGEST THAT ANYBODY WHO'S NOT TALKING SHOULD I WAS GOING TO ASK, OH, GO AHEAD, GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER.

I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK IF WE CAN, AS A GROUP, SORT OF DETERMINE WHAT THRESHOLD I HEAR THIS CONVERSATION THAT WE DON'T WANT TO GET, BE GETTING INTO THESE REALLY SMALL DETAILS, WHICH I AGREE, BUT I MEAN, CAN WE COME UP WITH, ARE WE ALLOWED TO CHANGE WHAT WE REVIEW SO THAT WE CAN JUST LIKE, FOR ME, I WOULD RATHER JUST SEE WHERE WE ARE IN THE SPENDING ON TECHNOLOGY AND UNDERSTAND HOW EACH ASK FITS INTO THE LARGER BUCKET.

I THINK THAT WOULD PROBABLY MEET MOST PEOPLE'S.

AND SO IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE'RE BEING ASKED TO VOTE ON THIS.

UM, WHEN REALLY IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CONTRIBUTE VERY MUCH TO, OR WE MAYBE SOME OTHER MEETING, ARE WE ALLOWED TO TWEAK WHAT WE VOTE ON IN THAT WAY? OR IS THAT NOT, IS THAT JUST SET BY CHARTER SOMEWHERE ELSE? I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

UM, MR. VICEY NO, UH, WHERE, I MEAN, I THINK THAT THE THRESHOLD, A MINIMUM THRESHOLD CONTRACT AMOUNT, UH, FOR, UH, BOARDS AND COMMISSION CONSIDERATION IS SET BY, UH, IS IT CITY ORDINANCE OR IS IT A CHARTER? AND, AND THEN, AND THEN SEPARATELY, I GUESS THE QUESTION IS WHETHER, WHETHER OUR, OUR, OUR BOARD HAS, OR COMMISSION HAS AUTHORITY TO, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE POTENTIALLY SET A HIGHER THRESHOLD, UM, THAT DESPITE, UH, THE, THE THRESHOLD REQUIRED BY, UM, THE ORDINANCE OR CHARTER THAT WE, WE WOULD POTENTIALLY LIKE TO ONLY CONSIDER A NUMBER HIGHER THAN THAT, UM, THAT NOT TO SAY THAT THOSE THINGS WOULDN'T APPEAR ON OUR AGENDA, BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT NOT PULL THEM FOR DISCUSSION UNLESS THEY REACH A CERTAIN THRESHOLD OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

UM, AND THEN, AND THEN MY THIRD POINTED, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, COMMISSIONER STONE'S QUESTION ABOUT, I THINK THIS IS JUST MY VIEW AS WELL.

I THINK, UM, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY A, AN APPROPRIATE BALANCE TO BE STRUCK AS COMMISSIONER TUTTLE SAID AS WELL.

I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE, UM, AN, UH, AN OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITY AND AS COMMISSIONER VIRTUAL SAID, JUST A BLANK CHECK.

THAT DOESN'T REALLY, I MEAN, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT WE ARE FULFILLING OUR, OUR ROLE, UM, WHEN, WHEN PROVIDING A, JUST A QUOTE UNQUOTE BLANK CHECK.

UM, AND SO I DO, I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS CONCERNING.

I THINK THERE HAS TO BE SOME WAY TO STRIKE THAT BALANCE, UM, WITHOUT GETTING INTO THE MINUTIA OF, OF, OF EXECUTING, UM, YOUR, YOUR, YOU KNOW, ACTUAL, UH, JOBS, UM, COMMISSIONER, I MEAN, UH, MR. DICKERSON, BUT I, I, I DO THINK THAT AS COMMISSIONER STONE SAID THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, AT LEAST FOR ME, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE RATHER THAN JUST IN A VACUUM, HOW THIS, THIS FIGURE, UM, YOU KNOW, FITS WITHIN THE LARGER CONTEXT OF THE BUCKET.

I THINK THAT'S REALLY USEFUL INFORMATION FOR ME IN PARTICULAR.

UM, AND, AND SO THAT, THAT'S MY, MY LAST COMMENT ON THAT.

ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON, ON THIS ITEM? I THINK, UH, UH, MR. DICKERSON REQUESTED THAT WE, WE TABLE THIS ITEM UNTIL THE END OF THE MEETING, UM, TO SEE IF THEY CAN PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

I'M NOT SURE FROM, FROM WHAT I'M HEARING, THAT IT'S GONNA ACTUALLY RELIEVE THE CONCERNS, UM, BASED ON, BASED ON WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE, THE DISCUSSION WE'VE HAD, BUT I DON'T THINK I DON'T SEE ANY PROBLEM

[00:55:01]

UM, SO WHY DON'T, WHY DON'T WE DO THAT? WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UM, OKAY.

THE STAFF BRIEFINGS AND REPORTS.

UM, BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE LEAVE 10 MINUTES THIS DEVICE, IF YOU CAN HELP ME TO REMEMBER, UM, TO, UH, COME BACK TO ITEM 15, JUST SO THAT WE DO EITHER TAKE ACTION OR DON'T ON THAT ITEM.

AND WHILE I'M, WHILE I'M AT IT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UH,

[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – Approve minutes of the July 17, 2020 regular meeting.]

UH, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE JULY 17TH, UH, 2020 MEETING COMMISSIONER BOYLE.

IS THERE A SECOND COMMISSIONER REED? THANK YOU.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? HI.

HI.

I THINK I DIDN'T SEE COMMISSIONER STONE'S VOTE OR HERE.

YES, THERE WE GO.

ALRIGHT.

I THINK THAT MINUTES PASSED A UNANIMOUS UNANIMOUSLY.

NUMBER 18 NOW, AND THAT'S, UM, UPDATE REGARDING RATE REVIEW, INCLUDING MILESTONES AND TIMELINE AND THE HOUSE DISCOUNT.

SO NOW ON TO STAFF BRIEFINGS AND REPORTS, AND, AND I ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT, SO WE'VE GOT OUR QUARTERLY OPS BRIEFING AND QUARTERLY FINANCIAL BRIEFING, AND THEN WE A RATE REVIEW.

UM, AND, AND WE'VE NOW PUSHED OFF THE RATE REVIEW ITEM A COUPLE OF TIMES.

SO IF, IF FOLKS WOULD, UM, BE INTERESTED, I THINK THAT I MIGHT LIKE TO TAKE THOSE OUT OF ORDER AND, AND HAVE A QUICK DISCUSSION.

I THINK IT IS GOING TO BE QUICK, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A QUICK DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER 18, UH, JUST SO THAT WE DO MAKE SURE AND COVER THAT ITEM.

I SPEAK THAT FOLKS ARE INTERESTED AND WANT TO WANT TO HEAR WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT'S GOING ON.

SO, UM, IF, IF, UH, THE, THE COMMISSION WILL PERMIT, I'M GOING TO TAKE UP ITEM

[18. Update regarding rate review, including milestones and timeline, and Houses of Worship discount.]

JUST, IS THERE MR. BISON? IS THERE ANYTHING I NEED TO DO OTHER THAN THAT? LIKE, DO I NEED TO GET A VOTE ON TAKING IT OUT OF ORDER? OKAY.

THAT THEIR ENERGY CONSUMPTION HAS DECLINED IN RESIDENTIAL HAS INCREASED.

SO WE'RE GOING TO DO ITEM NUMBER 18 NOW.

AND, UM, I, I THINK WHO DO WE HAVE FROM AUSTIN ENERGY TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER 18? RUSSELL NINE IS ACTING CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.

SO, UM, JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND.

SO I'LL SAY INTERVIEW HAS FINANCED A POLICY THAT STATES IN PARK THAT RATE ADEQUACY REVIEW SHALL BE COMPLETED EVERY FIVE YEARS.

I ADMIT TO BE PERFORMING A COST OF SERVICE STUDY.

THAT'S WHERE THE PROCESS WE ARE IN RIGHT NOW THAT COST STUDY HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED YET.

ALTHOUGH WE ARE VERY, VERY CLOSE.

UM, I WOULD X IT WOULD NOT SURPRISE ME THAT SOMETHING WOULD BE MADE PUBLIC WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, BUT CERTAINLY WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS, I WOULD EXPECT SOMETHING TO COME OUT IN THAT REGARD.

AND THAT WILL DETERMINE, UM, WHETHER AUSTIN ENERGY WILL ADVANCE TO A, TO A BASE RATE PACE OR NOT.

SO, UH, RIGHT NOW THE JURY IS STILL OUT.

UM, AS FAR AS, UM, UH, HOUSES OF WORSHIP GO, I WILL TELL YOU THIS, UH, WE HAVE THE HOUSES OF WORSHIP, UM, UM, ARE ELIGIBLE FOR, UH, TWO TYPES OF SPECIAL TREATMENT.

ONE IS A, A, A CAP ON THEIR AVERAGE RATE THAT IS IN A FIVE-YEAR PHASE, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, UH, AND WHATEVER PEAK DEMAND IS ON THE WEEKENDS IS DISREGARDED.

AND SO THOSE DEMAND CHARGES ARE APPLIED TO THAT.

AND THAT THAT ELEMENT WILL STAY IN THE TERRACE UNTIL THE BASE RATE CASE, UH, IS ROCK FORWARD.

AND THEN THAT ISSUE WILL BECOME COMFORT DISCUSSION.

UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, UM, IF YOU KNOW, NOT, NOT WITH SAYING ANYTHING AND WHAT THE, WHAT THE RATE ADEQUACY COST REPORT WILL SAY, THESE ARE, ARE, ARE INTERESTING TIMES TO SAY THE LEAST.

UM, WE HAVE A TEST YEAR OF 2019 SET FOR THIS RIGHT REVIEW ADEQUACY.

AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UH, 2020 IS NOTHING LIKE THE TEST HERE, UH, THAT COVID HAS COME INTO PLAY.

IT HAS IMPACTED, UH, ENERGY AND LOAD, UH, TO THE EXTENT WHO PAYS SWAT.

UM, AND I HAVE A, A, UM, A FINANCIAL REPORT THAT WILL GIVE YOU A LITTLE LATER THEN TOUCH ON THE IMPACTS OF COBIT.

UH, BUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS IS THAT THE COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS

[01:00:01]

AND, UM, NONE OF THOSE METRICS ARE PORTRAYED, UH, IN THE COST OF SERVICE.

AND THEY ARE, THOSE ARE SIGNIFICANT, UM, ELEMENTS IN THE COST OF SERVICE CAUSE THEY DRIVE COSTS NOW TO THAT EXTENT, UM, UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW LASTING, IF THE COBIT IMPACT IS SHORT TERM OR LONG TERM.

UM, SO, UM, THAT'S ABOUT ALL I HAVE TO SAY TO THAT.

I, I KNOW THAT THE LONG TERM LAND BEFORE THIS RATE ADEQUACY WAS ALWAYS TO, TO DEFER, UH, CAUSE THERE WERE JUST REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE NUMBERS SHOW IT'S LOGICAL BECAUSE OF THE COCONUT EXPERIENCE.

PLUS WE KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT MAJOR ELEMENTS COMING INTO PLAY IN THE NEXT ONE TO THREE YEARS, THAT WE ARE, UH, GOING TO CLOSE DECKER, SENIOR UNITS, AND THAT WE HAVE OUR INTENTIONS ARE TO EXIT A POWER PLANT AND ALWAYS LONGTERM GOAL WAS TO DEFER RATE ACTION AND COMBINE ALL OF THESE ELEMENTS.

AND THAT ALSO ALLOWS CUPBOARD TO PLAY OUT AND SEE WHAT KIND OF LONG TERM IMPACTS THERE ARE NOW WITH ALL THAT BEING SAID, UM, RIGHT.

ADEQUACY REVIEW IS IN THE FINAL STAGES.

UM, AND LIKE I SAID, THE RESULTS SHOULD BE OUT SHORTLY.

I HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION.

CAN YOU REPEAT THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU CITED AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF YOUR PRESENTATION OR, UM, IT WAS YOUR, WHERE THE OBLIGATION FOR THE RATE REVIEW.

CAN YOU REPEAT THAT AGAIN? YES.

MA'AM SO FINANCIAL POLICY NUMBER 17 STATES IN PART THAT A RATE ADEQUACY REVIEW SHALL BE COMPLETED EVERY FIVE YEARS AT A MINIMUM THROUGH PERFORMING A COST OF SERVICE STUDY.

SO JUST IF, IF I COULD STAY MAYBE THE OBVIOUS.

SO WE HAVE A POLICY THAT WE MUST DO A RATE REVIEW EVERY FIVE YEARS.

THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THAT CITY COUNCIL ACTUALLY HAS TO ADOPT A NEW RATE.

UH, WITHIN THAT TIME PERIOD, THEY COULD DECIDE TO DELAY IT SEVERAL YEARS.

IS THAT TRUE? WHAT WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO DO IS TO PREPARE A RATE ADEQUACY REVIEW.

CERTAINLY WE ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO BRING A RIGHT CASE IN EVERY FIVE YEARS.

IS IT? THE FACT IS, IS THAT WE, WE STOP AND WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS TO SEE, BUT BASED CASES, LARGE.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE PROCESS WE'RE IN NOW AND THEN WE'LL MAKE OUR RECOMMENDATION.

UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IF, IF AUSTIN ENERGY DETERMINES AND THE NUMBERS BEAR OUT THAT, THAT OUR RATE BASE RATE CASE IS NOT WARRANTED AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME, I WOULD VENTURE TO GUESS THAT WE WILL NOT GO ANOTHER FIVE YEARS BEFORE A BASE RATE CASE WOULD BE BROUGHT.

I HAVE TO WAIT AND MENTIONED, UH, THE DECKER CLOSURES AND FTP.

THOSE THINGS WILL CERTAIN CERTAINLY PROBABLY WARRANT ANOTHER CLOSER LOOK AT BASE RATES AND CERTAINLY COULD SERVE AS A CATALYST INITIATE BASE RATES A BIT SHORT CHANGE.

THE FISCAL YEAR 2019.

IS THE TEST HERE FOR YOUR CURRENT COST OF SERVICE STUDY? IS THAT RIGHT? YES.

MA'AM TH THE, THIS IS KIMBALL.

UH, I MEAN, CAN I INTERJECT AT THIS POINT A LITTLE BIT, UH, MR. MENDEZ, THE, SO ARE YOU WAITING FOR A REPORT FROM NAVIGANT? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE WAITING FOR? ACTUALLY, THE CONSULTANTS ARE NEW, NEW GEN, UH, STRATEGIES AND SOLUTIONS, UH, IS, IS A CONSULTANT ON THIS CASE, I GUESS, AND THEY HAVE NOT FORMALIZED YET, UH, OR THEIR OPINION.

WOULD BE COMPLETE, BUT THE AUDITED NUMBERS WOULDN'T, WOULDN'T BE OUT.

ARE YOU WORRIED THOUGH, THAT IF YOU GO INTO NEXT YEAR, YOU KNOW, WITH YOUR SEA RAY CASE AND YOU FILE IT, THEN THAT YOUR TEST HERE IS GOING TO BE TOO OLD? WELL, I CERTAINLY THINK THAT THAT'S THE NATURE OF THE BEAST IN THIS REGARD.

WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, OUR TEST YEAR, REGARDLESS OF, OF, I THINK, I THINK THE BIGGER CONCERN IN THAT ISSUE IS IMPACTING QUITE HONESTLY, IF WE WERE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A BASE CASE, UM, UH, SOMETHING WOULD GO PUBLIC AROUND THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.

UH, AND, AND, UM, UH, THAT MEANS THAT FISCAL YEAR 2020

[01:05:01]

SO WE COULDN'T USE 2020.

UM, WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT IN THESE PAST YEARS, WHILE OUR TEST YOUR ENDS ON SEPTEMBER 30TH, WE DON'T GET AUDITED NUMBERS UNTIL THE END OF MARCH TYPICALLY.

SO THERE'S ALREADY A SIX MONTH LAG IN THERE.

SO BY THE TIME WE GET THE NUMBERS, UH, RUN IT THROUGH THE COST OF SERVICE, PREPARE RIGHT PACKAGE.

IT IS JUST WHAT IT IS, BUT YOU CAN GO BEYOND THE END OF THE TEST HERE FOR KNOWN AND MEASURABLE CHANGES, WHICH MIGHT REFLECT SOME OF THE COVID THE SEX, THE PROBLEM WOULD IT BE, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE IN THE NORMALIZED LOAD.

AND, UM, UM, AND, AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE KNOWN AND MEASURABLE.

SO, I MEAN, IT WOULD CERTAINLY, IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN NOTHING COULD BE DETERMINED, YOU KNOW, UNTIL AFTER SEPTEMBER WHEN ALL THOSE FINAL NUMBERS COME THROUGH.

AND THE OTHER THING IS, IS YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT 2021 IS GOING TO BRING, RIGHT? SO THERE'S A VACCINE, WHAT WE, AND, AND THINGS, SO BACK TO NORMAL, WHAT IS BACK TO NORMAL AND HOW QUICK DOES IT GET BACK TO NORMAL, RIGHT.

IS, HAS, HAS THIS, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LOVE, I, I WOULD THINK THAT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE SOME BANKRUPTCIES.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY BUSINESSES WILL ACTUALLY COME BACK.

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT RESIDENTIAL CONSUMPTION.

UM, SO A LOT OF THAT TAKES PLACE.

SO EVEN IF WE FINISH UP WITH THE 20, 20 DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW THAT THAT'S GOING TO CARRY FORWARD INTO 21, MAYBE SO MAYBE NO.

I MEAN, THAT'S ONE OF, REALLY ONE OF THE UNKNOWNS IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS.

DO YOU THINK TESLA IS A FACTOR HERE AT ALL, OR I REALLY CAN'T COMMENT ON TESLA.

UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES.

UM, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT PROCESS HERE.

YOU KNOW, I WASN'T AROUND, OR I WASN'T ON THE COMMISSION WHEN WE, WHEN WE LAST DID OUR BASE RATE CASE IN 2015.

UM, AND, AND, AND MAYBE COMMISSIONER VIRTUAL, MAYBE YOU CAN SHED SOME LIGHT ON THIS OR OTHERS THAT WERE ON PRESSURE HADN'T.

UM, UH, BUT I I'M, I'M KIND OF, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT A PRESENTATION FROM 2015 THAT HAD THE MAJOR MILESTONES, AND IT WAS A, IT WAS A TIMELINE THAT, THAT, UM, HAD SOME, YOU KNOW, UH, DATES THAT WERE PROVIDED.

AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST FOR REFERENCE, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, THIS SAYS OCTOBER 15TH, UM, BEFORE COUNCIL IMPARTIAL HEARING EXAMINER RCA APPROVED, UH, NOVEMBER 16TH EUC UPDATE ON COST OF SERVICE PROCESS AND TIMELINE, NOVEMBER 19TH, COUNCIL, INDEPENDENT CONSUMER ADVOCATE, RCA.

AND, YOU KNOW, I CAN KEEP GOING IF I COULD INTERJECT JUST FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH THAT WAS ALL DONE.

AFTER A DETERMINATION WAS MADE THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A RATE CASE, AND WE, THE CITY, THE CITY COUNCIL HAD ALREADY COMMITTED TO IT.

AND IT WAS COMMITTED TO LONG, LONG BEFORE THAT DAY.

WHAT I THINK RUSTY IS TELLING US NOW IS WE END UP WITH A REPORT THAT JUST SAYS, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST NEED TO KEEP ON KEEPING ON FOR ANOTHER YEAR OR SO.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT IT, UH, AND DO A WRITE CASE IN, IN TWO YEARS OR ONE YEAR OR WHATEVER.

UH, AND I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD SPEND TOO MUCH MORE TIME ON THIS TOPIC CAUSE WE REALLY JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO KNOW WHETHER THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

THE ONE I WOULD ADD TO IT IS THERE'S A GENERAL PERCEPTION IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO HAVING A GREAT CASE EVERY FIVE YEARS COME WHAT MAY AND THAT'S, THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY, UH, AND THERE CAN BE A LOT OF GOOD REASONS NOT TO DO THAT.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE OUGHT TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT, UH, SEE WHAT THE REPORT SAYS.

THAT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT, WHERE I WAS GOING WITH.

THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO KNOW IS THAT IS THIS TIMELINE THAT WAS CREATED FIVE YEARS AGO AFTER THE DECISION WAS MADE TO SET A BASE RATE CASE WAS NECESSARY AND, OR IT HAD BEEN COMMITTED TO.

UM, AND SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT I'M HEARING IS WE'LL FIND OUT IN ANOTHER 30 DAYS OR SO WE'LL, WE'LL, WE WILL RECEIVE A PUBLIC VERSION OF THE COST OF SERVICE STUDY AND THEN AT THE TERM END AND WE'LL RECEIVE AT THE SAME TIME, UH, A RECOMMENDATION FROM AUSTIN ENERGY AS TO WHETHER THEY BELIEVE THAT A RATE CASE WOULD BE, UM, ADVISABLE AT THIS TIME, OR WILL WE RECEIVE THOSE IN TANDEM, BOTH RECOMMENDATION FROM AA ON WHETHER A RATE CASES ADVISABLE OR, AND THE COST OF SERVICE STUDY.

IS THAT GOING TO HAPPEN AT THE SAME TIME IN THE NEXT MONTH? YOU KNOW, NOT WITHSTANDING INDIAN

[01:10:01]

I WOULD CERTAINLY THINK THAT THAT THOSE ELEMENTS WOULD BE RELEASED.

UM, THAT'S ALL I HAD ON, UH, ITEM NUMBER 18.

IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THAT? OKAY.

WELL, I THINK THIS DISCUSSION HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL.

I, I APPRECIATE THAT INFORMATION.

AND, UM, I THINK WE HAD DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY CREATING A WORKING GROUP FOR A POTENTIAL RATE CASE, BUT GIVEN WHERE WE ARE, I THINK THAT THAT'S NOT NECESSARY RIGHT NOW.

SO WE'LL WAIT TO HEAR BACK FROM AUSTIN ENERGY ON THE RESULTS OF THE COST OF SERVICE STUDY AND, AND THEN WE'LL MAKE THAT DETERMINATION AT THE TIME IF NECESSARY.

SO, UM, GOING BACK UP TO ITEM NUMBER, WE'LL PULL IT UP HERE.

HANG ON JUST A SECOND.

SORRY.

I LOST MY PAGE ITEM

[16. 3rd Quarter Operations Briefing]

NUMBER 16.

THIS IS THE THIRD QUARTER OPERATIONS BRIEFING.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? I WAS HAVING SOME TROUBLE TOGGLING MY MUTE BUTTON LOUD AND CLEAR.

SO CHARLES DICKERSON, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT AUSTIN ENERGY TO PROVIDE THE THIRD QUARTER OPERATIONAL UPDATE THE BRIEFING.

HE COULD ADVANCE THE NEXT SLIDE.

I DON'T KNOW WHO HAS CONTROL.

JEFF, DO YOU HAVE CONTROLLERS? OKAY.

AND THIS IS THE BASIC AGENDA.

WHEN TALK ABOUT SAFETY FOOTPRINT, UH, TEACHER STANDPOINT, UH, PERFORMANCE ON SITE, ENERGY RESOURCES.

UM, AND WE ALSO AMENDED THIS, UH, AT THE REQUEST, I BELIEVE A COMMISSIONER AND TOTAL COMMISSIONER WELDON, MAYBE BOTH TO KIND OF SHOW THE DETAILS OF THE, OR AT LEAST LIST OUT, BE 10 WORST PERFORMING FEEDERS AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THAT REGARD.

SO WE'VE, UH, HOPEFULLY THIS SLIDE DECK HAS THAT AMENDMENT IN THERE AND THAT'S NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

IT'S THE SCREEN.

ON THE SAFETY AND THE SAFETY, AND THEY'RE BOTH MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

OH, NO, IT JUST WENT TOO MANY.

SO THIS IS A COMMERCIAL AVAILABILITY, UM, AND WE SHOWED A SLOT RECORDER TO THE EXTENT THAT THE UNITS, UM, DURING THE TIMEFRAME ARE NOT AVAILABLE.

THE TARGET IS BECAUSE WE HAVE A SEASONAL OUTAGES AND WE HAD SOME REFUELING AT STP, UH, AND THAT'S KINDA STANDING PAR FOR THE COURSE FOR THE TIME OF YEAR THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT SLIDE, A GENERATION AND LOAD ANALYSIS.

YOU'LL SEE, IN THE UPPER LEFT HAND QUADRANT THAT OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF MONEY WE SPEND ON A COMBINATION OF SHOOL, AND RPPA SAYS 66% OF ALL THE COSTS OR RENEWABLES BECAUSE OUR RENEWABLE FLEET IS GROWING.

OUR, IF YOU LOOK IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND QUADRANT, YOU'LL SEE SOMETHING THAT I HAD NOT SEEN SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.

OR IF I DO, I DON'T REMEMBER.

I SHOULD HAVE GOING BACK AND LOOK, YOU'LL SEE THAT AUSTIN ENERGY'S CUSTOMERS CONSUMED ABOUT 92 MEGAWATTS, LESS THAN WE GENERATED.

THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN WE HAVE IN THAT POSITIVE, BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON THE TIME IN WHICH THE CONSUMPTION AND THE GENERATION HAPPENED.

BUT THE REASON FOR THIS BASICALLY IS THE FACT THAT OUR RENEWABLE FLEET, UH, UM, UH, CONTINUES TO GROW AND THE RENEWABLES ARE GOING TO GENERATE WHEN THE SUNSHINE AND THE WIND BLOWS, UM, AND DOWN IN THE LOWER RIGHT HAND QUADRANT, THE RENEWABLES, A PERCENTAGE OF THE ASSUMPTION IS 44%.

UM, AND THAT NUMBER WILL FLEX DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH WE CONSUME OF OUR RENEWABLES REMAIN STATIC.

AND WE CONSUME MORE.

OUR CUSTOMERS CONSUME MORE IN A GIVEN TIME PERIOD.

THEN THE NUMBER B, UM, THE PERCENTAGE WOULD BE LOWER AT THE RENEWABLES REMAIN STATIC, AND OUR CUSTOMERS CONSUME LESS.

THE RENEWABLE PERCENTAGE WILL BE HIGHER.

AND CONVERSELY OF OUR CUSTOMERS ASSUME THE SAME AMOUNT AND WE ADD MORE RENEWABLES.

I WAS ABLE TO GO UP, BUT THIS, THIS GIVE YOU A RELATIVE VIEW OF HOW RENEWABLES ARE DOING AS A PERCENTAGE OF CONSUMPTION.

NEXT SLIDE.

SO SYSTEM RELIABILITY, UM, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE REALLY GOOD NUMBERS ON THE SAFETY STARTING TO TREND BACK DOWN.

OF COURSE THE BEST OUTAGE IS THE ONE THAT NEVER OCCURS.

SO WHILE WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON MINIMIZING THE DURATION OF OUTAGES, WE SPECIFICALLY WANT TO START WHAT REDUCING THE FREQUENCY OF OUTAGES.

UH, AND THAT'S STARTING TO COME DOWN.

UM, SADIE IS STARTING TO COME DOWN TO KATY, WHICH IS A MATHEMATICAL DERIVATION BY DIVIDING THE SAIDI BY THE SAFETY.

I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO TECHNICAL IS HOW YOU CAN GET THAT NUMBER.

AND SOMETIMES KATIE CAN LEAD TO SOME ANOMALIES.

SO FOR INSTANCE, IF WE'RE HAVING FEWER OUTAGES, UM, BUT THE DURATION OF THE OUTAGES ARE NOT GOING DOWN AS QUICKLY AS THE NUMBER OF OUTAGES, THEN IT WOULD MAKE THE KT NUMBER LOOK LIKE IT'S GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.

UM, SO I TEND TO FOCUS

[01:15:01]

UM, NEXT SLIDE.

IT DIDN'T MAKE IT INTO THIS DECK.

AND I APOLOGIZE.

I REVIEWED IT.

WE HAVE A LIST OF THE 10 WORST PERFORMING THEATERS, AND WE'VE HAD SO MANY DECK CHANGES.

WE DO HAVE AN INFORMATION.

I'LL GET THAT TO YOU BEFORE WE FINISH THIS DISCUSSION.

CAUSE I HAVE IT.

THE ONE THAT WAS DISTRIBUTED SEEMS TO HAVE, I HAVE THE PDF FOR IT.

APPRECIATE IT.

AND, UH, IT'S NOT SHOWING THEM WHAT I'M SEEING ON THE SCREEN.

COMMISSIONER.

I JUST WANT TO GO TO THE DEATH IS BROWN SLIDE 10.

ALRIGHT.

I MEAN, WAIT, COMMISSIONER, TOTAL.

I DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF.

I JUST COULDN'T SEE IT ON THERE.

IT IS ON SLIDE.

10 COMMISSIONER TOLD HER YOU WERE ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING WE'RE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS.

JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU KUDOS ON THAT.

IS THERE A WAY THIS IS HEADING TOWARD THE TOP 10%, RIGHT? FROM 25.

NO, THIS, THIS LIST IS THE WORST PERFORMING FEEDING.

SO THIS HAS TAKEN ALL OF THE FEEDERS THAT WE HAVE AND THE ONES WITH THE WORST COMBINATION OF FREQUENCY AND DURATION ARE THE ONES THAT WE, WE FOCUS ON ALL OF THE FEEDERS, BUT THE WORST 10, WE GIVE EVEN MORE DEEP RETENTION.

THE, THE THOUGHT BEING IS THAT IF WE CAN MOVE THOSE UP, THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE AT WORST 10 FEEDERS, UNLESS ALL THE FEED HAS HAD THE EXACT SAME SAFETY AND SAFETY.

BUT AS WE FOCUS ON THE ONES THAT ARE PERFORMING BADLY, THEIR PERFORMANCE WILL GET BETTER.

AND THEN WE'LL PUT AN EVEN MORE CONCENTRATED EFFORT ON THE NEXT 10.

WHEN I GAVE THIS LAST UPDATE, I BELIEVE YOU.

AND ANOTHER COMMISSIONER ASKED, UM, WHAT DOES THAT LIST OF FEED IS? WE JUST HAVE THEM HERE.

I DON'T, I DIDN'T WANT TO GET THIS SPECIFIC STREETS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE BECAUSE THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION CAN INFORM PEOPLE TO KEEP TAKING IT FOR HIS THINGS.

BUT I JUST WANT TO BE RESPONSIVE.

WE HAVE A LIST OF THE FEEDERS AND THE THINGS WE'RE DOING ON THE RIGHT, THE THINGS THAT WE DON'T SPECIFICALLY RUN THESE FETUS TO MINIMIZE THE FREQUENCY AND DURATION OF THE OUTAGE.

RIGHT.

AND APPRECIATE THAT.

AND I THINK IT'S GOOD WORK.

MY POINT IS WE'RE HEADING IN THE SADIE AND SAFETY FROM THE TOP 25% TO TOP 10, RIGHT.

WE'RE HEADING INTO THE TOP 10%, RIGHT AT THE TOP.

EXACTLY.

WHICH AT SOME POINT FROM A POLICY DISCUSSION AND WE'RE GOING TO PROBABLY I'LL GET WHAT THEY GET WITH YOU ARE TO FIGURE OUT FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE, IS THAT WHAT WE WANT TO BE DOING? BECAUSE IT IS, UM, IT'S, IT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY OR CLOSEST TO BE A TOP 10% AND ONE WOULD ARGUE WELL, SO WHAT, WHY WOULDN'T YOU WANT TO BE THERE BECAUSE THERE MAY BE OTHER THINGS MORE IMPORTANT TO OUR CUSTOMERS BECAUSE DIMINISHING RETURNS AND REMAIN IN THAT TOP 10%, W W WE'RE MOVING DEEPLY INTO THE FIRST COURTHOUSE, MOVING CLOSE TO THE TOP 10%.

I'VE I'VE SEEN A LOT OF UTILITIES DISCUSSES THAT WHERE THEY REALLY WANT TO BE.

WE DON'T REALLY HAVE AS A GOOD IDEA OF WHERE THE KNEE OF THE CURVE IS.

EXACTLY.

SO WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT AND TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.

UM, IF WE COULD GO BACK TO SLIDE NINE, SO THIS IS OUT OF WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT REACH.

I THINK I SAW IT ON SLIDE NINE ON MY DECK.

SO THIS IS A VERY, VERY, UM, GOOD SLIDE.

UM, AND I'LL JUST GO RIGHT ACROSS THE TOP.

SO THE RESOURCE PLAN THAT WE DO CONTEMPLATED THERE DURING THE TIME PERIOD, THAT'S DEMONSTRATED ON A SLIDE THAT BASED ON ECONOMIC DISPATCH AND MARKET CONDITIONS, OUR UNITS WOULD HAVE RUN TO THE POINT THAT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ADMITTED A LITTLE OVER TWO AND A HALF MILLION TONS OF CO TWO INTO THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT WE ACTUALLY ADMITTED, UM, ONE AND A HALF MILLION TONS INTO THE ENVIRONMENT, ALMOST A HALF A MILLION OF THAT REDUCTION AS A RESULT OF OUTREACH, UM, CONSTRUCT, WHICH BASICALLY WE ADDED AN ECONOMIC ADDED ON TO THE DISPATCH PRICE OF THE UNITS.

AND DURING THOSE PERIODS OF TIME, BECAUSE OF THAT ECONOMIC ADD OF THE UNITS WOULDN'T HAVE RUN, THEY WOULD HAVE RUN OTHERWISE.

AND IT HAD, THEY RUN.

THEN WE WOULD HAVE ADMITTED ALMOST A HALF, A MILLION, MORE TONS OF CARBON INTO THE AIR.

IN TERMS OF THE FORFEITED REVENUE? IT'S ABOUT $4 A TON.

SOME OTHER COMPONENTS AS TO WHY THE UNIT DIDN'T RUN, BUT WHAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON THE FACULTY TO REACH THE OTHER TWO BARS YOU SEE HERE HAVE TO DO WITH, UM, THE MARKET AND WHAT OUR MODEL SUGGESTED WOULD HAVE HAPPENED.

SO THERE ARE OTHER REASONS WHY WE HAVE EVEN LESS CARBON, BUT WHAT WE WANT TO TAKE CREDIT FOR FROM A REACH PERSPECTIVE IS THAT WE ACTUALLY DID WHAT WE SAID WE WAS GOING TO DO AS SUGGESTED BY COMMISSIONER WELDON.

AND WE WALKED THROUGH IT THROUGH THE RESOURCE PLAN.

WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ASSIGN A ECONOMIC ADDER, WHICH WE'RE GOING TO BASICALLY CALL A CARBON PENALTY FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S NOT WHAT IT IS, BUT IT'S, IT'S MORE SIMPLISTIC TO SAY IT THAT WAY.

AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THE UNIT, UM, WE'RE NOT CALLED UPON BECAUSE THEY WERE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN WHAT THE MARKET WANTED AT THE TIME.

AND SO IT'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL.

DO YOU HAVE A, AN ESTIMATE FOR THE EFFECTIVE COST OF CARBON

[01:20:01]

TERRIFIC.

NEXT SLOT, CHARLES, JUST LIKE A PIPE IN TO SAY, WE'VE GOT ABOUT EIGHT MINUTES LEFT IN THE MEETING.

I'M GOING TO WORRY.

I'M GOING TO BREEZE THROUGH THIS.

I'M GONNA BREEZE THROUGH THIS REAL QUICKLY.

SO ONLY THING I WANT TO HIT ON THIS SLIDE.

THIS IS OUR ONSITE ENERGY RESOURCES WANT TO CONTINUE TO REMIND PEOPLE.

AND SOME OF THE NEWER COMMISSIONERS THAT WE USE OUR ENERGY AT NIGHT WHEN, UM, THE COST OF ENERGY IS A LOWER AND CLEANER UNITS ARE RUNNING, UM, SO THAT WE CAN COOL WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS.

WE TAKE THAT.

AND DURING THE DAY WHEN, WHEN THE COST OF ENERGY IS HIGH, WE CAN COOL BUILDINGS WITHOUT USING ELECTRICITY.

WE CAN COOL BUILDINGS BY CHANNELING COOL FLUIDS UNDERNEATH OF THE STREETS OF AUSTIN TO CERTAIN BUILDINGS OR SIGN UP FOR IT AND REDUCE THEIR ELECTRIC LOAD.

WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PROVIDING COOLING SERVICES TO THEIR CUSTOMERS AND THEIR BUSINESS, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PLANTS ONLINE FOR MAINTENANCE OR CONSTRUCTION, AND THEY'RE ALL ON TARGET, WHICH TYPICALLY EXCEPTIONAL GIVEN THE COVID AND HOW THINGS HAVE SLOWED DOWN.

AND THAT'S WHY I'M IN RESPECT TO THE EIGHT MINUTES.

NEXT SLIDE.

SO AGAIN, THIS IS THE SCORECARD WE TALKED ABOUT USING, UH, ALL THINGS ARE GREEN RIGHT NOW WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ASSET MANAGEMENT.

WE'RE HOLDING THAT IS AMBER, BECAUSE IT TAKES A LOT TO GET INTO IT AND UNDERSTAND WHERE ALL THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS ARE.

WE TALKING ABOUT LONG LIVE ASSETS, OVER 40 YEARS, SOME OF THEM ARE STILL THERE.

SOME OF THEM ARE NOT.

WE'LL CONTINUE TO CATALOG OUR ASSETS TO ATTRACT AN ALBUM, YOUR PROJECTION OF WHEN THEY MAY FAIL YOU.

OTHER TYPES OF DIAGNOSTICS THINK WE'RE AS PRISTINE AS WE NEED TO BE, BUT WE'RE GETTING THERE.

AND THAT CONCLUDES THE FORMAL POSITION.

OPEN AVAIL MYSELF FOR QUESTIONS, OH, SMALL CELL DEPLOYMENT.

THIS WAS GOING TO BE AN INDEPENDENT.

UM, BUT IT REALLY GOOD HEADWAY WORKING.

UM, NOT ONLY WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, BUT WITH VARIOUS VENDORS WHO WANT TO DEPLOY A SMALL CELL AND WE'VE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR OWN CRITERIA MANUAL, WE CHANGED SOME OF OUR TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO, UH, INSTALL THE SMALL CELLS.

AND WE'VE MADE GOOD HEADWAY IN THAT SPACE.

I'M NOT GOING TO DRAIN THIS SLIDE.

THE POINT OF LET'S SAY, WE'RE DOING REAL WELL.

UH, I'M GOING TO TOSS IN A COMMENT HERE, UH, MARTY YOU'RE READING, BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO LOSE OUR FEED IN FIVE MINUTES, UH, I THINK WE SHOULD GO BACK TO ITEM 15.

IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT HAVE AN ABILITY TO APPROVE AND MOVE ON.

YEAH, I AGREE.

YEAH, I THINK, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK, UM, UH, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING.

LET'S MOVE THE THIRD QUARTER FINANCIALS AND THE EEC ANNUAL REVIEW.

LET'S PUSH BOTH OF THOSE ITEMS TO NEXT MONTH AND, AND TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER 15 AND, AND RESOLVE THAT EITHER.

UH, I BELIEVE IT'S ITEM 13, JUST TO CLARIFY.

IT JUST FILLS WITH TODAY'S FLOW.

SO ITEM NUMBER

13.

UM, WE HAD A GOOD DISCUSSION, I BELIEVE.

UH, JEFF, YOU SENT SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, INFORMATION ON, ON, ON THIS ITEM.

I DON'T KNOW IF FOLKS HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT, BUT, UM, SO I THINK RIGHT NOW WE ARE AT THE STAGE OF, UH, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM, NUMBER 13, HEARING NONE.

UM, JEFF, HOW DOES THIS WORK FOR SPEED REALLY? UH, DOES THE ITEM FAIL IF IT FAILED TO MOVE APPROVAL? NO RECOMMENDATION, PLEASE.

DON'T IT GOES TO COUNCIL.

IT'LL SAY THAT YOU SEE REVIEW THERE.

MARTY, I DO APPRECIATE WHAT JEFF SENT OUT FROM STAFF.

THAT'S EXACTLY THE TYPE OF INFORMATION.

I THINK WE WERE LOOKING FOR.

IT JUST, IT'S HARD BECAUSE WE JUST LITERALLY GOT IT.

IT'S HARD TO, BUT I HAVE THE KIND OF TO KAREN'S POINT, THAT'S THE KIND OF INFORMATION WE'D LIKE AT THE CRUNCH, UH, SO THAT WE CAN ASK THE QUESTION.

OF AGENDA ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDAS FROM, UM, COMMISSIONER HATTON.

HOPEFULLY WE CAN, UM, HAVE SOME PROCESS IMPROVEMENT AROUND, UM, GETTING THAT TYPE OF DETAIL, UM, WITH MORE TIME TO, TO THINK ABOUT IT AND, UM, PRIOR TO THE MEETINGS, UH, SO THERE'LL BE NO RECOMMENDATION ON ITEM NUMBER 13.

UM, WE HAVE A COUPLE

[22. Discuss potential future agenda items. ADJOURNMENT]

ARE THERE ANY OTHERS THAT THAT FOLKS WANT TO ADD WHILE WE HAVE JUST ANOTHER MINUTE OR TWO?

[01:25:03]

OKAY, GREAT HEARING NONE THEN.

UM, THERE'S ALSO THE REPORT ON CITY COUNCIL ACTION.

ANY ANYONE INTERESTED IN DISCUSSING THAT LOOKS LIKE? NO.

UM, THEN, UH, I THINK THAT IS EVERYTHING ON OUR AGENDA OTHER THAN THE ITEMS WE'VE MOVED TO NEXT WEEK.

UH, SO WITH, OH, GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER HEAD YOU'RE YOU'RE ON MUTE.

SORRY ABOUT THAT.

SO JUST TO CLARIFY, I AM ASKING THAT WE STILL, UM, PUT A BRIEF, THIS DOESN'T NEED A BRIEF ITEM ON THE, UH, LINE CLEARANCE AND ALSO, UM, THE ELECTRIC, UH, VEHICLE AVAILABILITY AND, UM, THE LARGE EQUIPMENT AND SMALL CHUCKS.

AND I GOT TO THINKING THAT THEY'VE ELECTED PORTS LIKE IN LOS ANGELES.

SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO HEAR WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T YEAH, I HAD THE SAME THOUGHT.

KAREN, WHY, WHY, LIKE OTHER PORTS ARE ELECTRIFYING? WHY CAN'T WE, BUT IT COULD, YOU KNOW, I I'M SURE THERE ARE DIFFERENCES.

LIKE, WE KIND OF TOUCHED THAT ON THIS ITEM LAST YEAR, BUT I MUST ADMIT I WASN'T SATISFIED WITH IT.

MEANING I'D LIKE TO SEE KIND OF A LADDER OF EXPECTED LIFETIME OF OUR FLEET OF VEHICLES AND WHAT FRACTION IS ELECTRIC, NON ELECTRIC AND, UH, MAYBE MAYBE A BIGGER POOL FROM STAFF ABOUT WHAT A POLICY RECOMMENDATION RECOMMENDATION, WHERE WE'RE WILLING TO OFFER, UH, BASED ON WHAT'S ACHIEVABLE AT WHAT COST AND MATT YOU'RE TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT AUSTIN ENERGY OF VEHICLES.

I'M TALKING ABOUT AUSTIN ENERGY'S FLEET OF WHAT'S, YOU KNOW, WHAT FRACTIONS LEASED, WHAT FRACTIONS OWNED, WHAT THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE LEAST WHAT THE LADDER IS, ESSENTIALLY WHAT THE LADDER IS BECAUSE EACH, EACH TIME ELISA ENDS, THAT'S A DECISION POINT OPPORTUNITY, UH, BASED ON WHEN VEHICLES CYCLE IN AND OUT.

AND OF COURSE THERE'S A COST PREDICTION, RIGHT? AND, BUT WE'VE NEVER GIVEN GUIDANCE.

ARE WE WILLING TO PAY A PREMIUM TO SEE ELECTRIFICATION OF SOME ASPECTS OF OUR FLEET OPERATIONS IN A WET, WHAT ARE THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE DECISION POINTS? SO I JUST WANT US TO BE AGGRESSIVE ON THAT TOPIC BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY THERE.

I THINK THAT THAT CAN BE, I THINK, TAKEN UP TOGETHER AS A, AS AN AGENDA ITEM, AS A COMMISSIONER HEAD AND EXPRESSED.

AND SO WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL ADD THAT.

I THINK WE'RE BUMPING UP ON OUR, ON OUR TIME HERE.

SO THANKS AGAIN.