[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:07]
NOW THE COMMISSION, SEPTEMBER LIFE SENTENCING COMMISSION.
CAN WE SHARE MY HOME? PRESENT? WE SHOULD WANT TO CHERYL VICE CHAIR.
WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM EIGHT APPROVAL
[A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
OF MINUTES FROM THE 31ST 2020 COMMISSION.LET ME SHARE NOW THAT ANY QUESTIONS ON THE MINUTES, IF NOT 10 MOTION, SECOND BY COMMISSION, THE PEN AND HAND AND I CAN SEE IT.
[B. ITEMS FOR COMMISSION’S REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION FOR APPROVAL TO CITY COUNCIL]
B ON THE TABLE.ANY QUESTIONS? AND THEN YOU START WITH COMMISSION.
NUMBER ONE, YOU HAPPY? NO QUESTIONS.
QUESTION NUMBER THREE, PLEASE.
AND I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, NO QUESTIONS, NO RECUSALS, NO QUESTIONS.
DON'T WANT TO HAVE CONSENT ITEMS AND THE, A TO CARRIED.
THIS IS COMMISSIONER MICHELLE, JUST CONFIRMING.
I HAD NO QUESTIONS OR RECUSALS AS WELL.
WE GOT THE CONSENT ITEMS. B ONE AND B TWO AND B THREE AND 10 MOTION.
UH, YOU MENTIONED RIGHT NOW THAT THE CONSENT IS V ONE AND V TWO, JUST TO CONFIRM, CORRECT.
IT'S JUST THAT I HAVE QUESTIONS WOULD BE OKAY.
SO IF WE WANT TO, I'LL MOVE TO PRODUCE ITEMS ONE AND TWO
AND THE COMMISSIONER COMMISSION? YES.
[B.3. Recommend approval to negotiate and execute an interlocal agreement with the Shady Hollow Municipal Utility District (District) for the transfer of the District’s former water and wastewater system to the District with reimbursement to the City in the amount of $714,387 for costs related to improvements to the system, and additional consideration to the City provided in related agreements with the District.]
RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO NEGOTIATE.AND
UM, QUESTION FOR STAFF IS I JUST WANT, BASED ON THIS AGREEMENT, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S
[00:05:01]
A REVERSE COURSE.SO WE HANDING BACK THE TREATMENT PLANT RATHER THAN CONTINUE ON.
SO DOES THAT MEAN WE STILL GOING TO PROVIDE RETAIL WATER AND WASTEWATER STUFF? COMMISSIONER, THIS IS A DIRECTOR WAS I'LL START IN THE GENERALITIES REVERSING COURSE.
WE'RE RETURNING THESE ASSETS TO REVERT TO A WHOLESALE CUSTOMER AS THESE PREVIOUSLY WERE RETAIL CUSTOMER OF AUSTIN WATER.
SO WE UNDERSTAND THEN WHEN IT SAID IN THE SORT OF THE FOURTH, THE THIRD PARAGRAPH IN THE BACKUP WHERE IT SAYS, OKAY, COURT ENDS WITH THE SPA, APRIL, 2018, THE CITY BEGAN PROVIDING RETAIL SERVICE.
WAS THAT JUST SORT OF A TEMPORARY PHASE OR? WELL, AT THE TIME THE CITY HAD PLANS TO ANNEX THIS, UH, THIS MIRAGE AND WAS MOVING FORWARD WITH THE ANNEXATION PLAN, WHICH INCLUDED BOSTON WATER, TAKING OVER THE MUDS ASSETS FOR RETAIL OPERATIONS, WHICH IS TYPICALLY WHAT WE DO DURING AN ANNEXATION, BUT A NEW STATE LAWS INTERVENED THAT, UM, REALLY MADE THE ANNEXATION IMPOSSIBLE.
AND THE CITY HAS, UH, IS WORKING TO UNWIND, UH, THAT, UH, THAT, UH, PORTION OF THE AGREEMENT AND RESOLVE OTHER ISSUES.
THERE WERE, THAT WERE OUTSTANDING WITH THE ANNEXATION.
AND WE HAVE STAFF THAT CAN ELABORATE ON THAT IN MORE DETAIL.
UH, THAT CONFIRMED MY QUESTION, I GUESS SO, SO YEAH, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T, THE REVERSING COURT MAY NOT BE THE BEST TERM, BUT I THINK IN THE BACKUP, JUST MENTIONING SPECIFIC STATE LAW THAT SORT OF DRIVE THE DECISION WOULD MAKE SENSE.
WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS NOW, BUT IF THERE A HEADS UP ON SIMILAR SITUATION LIKE THIS, WHERE WE HAVE, WE ARE CHANGING THE COURSE DUE TO THIS STATE LAW AND SEVERAL MORE TRANSACTION THAT HAPPENED, I WILL BE HELPFUL TO KNOW.
UH, SO AS THEY COME IN IN, UH, SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THAT THE COMMISSIONER, WE WOULD NOT ANTICIPATE ANY OTHER ITEMS OF THIS SHORT, THIS WAS, WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS KIND OF TRAPPED BETWEEN WORLDS AND A, AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES OF THAT, OF THAT NATURE.
SO ALL OF THE, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S NO DECISION THAT IT'S, UH, INITIATED, BUT PENDING, UH, THE STATE LAW INTERPRETATION MEANS THAT ALL OF THE DECISION WAS ALREADY MADE.
UM, THERE'S NO MORE MUD THAT WAS ANTICIPATED FOR RETAIL ANYMORE.
IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
THERE'S NONE THAT ARE QUEUED UP FOR US THAT ARE CURRENTLY WHOLESALE FOR US TO TAKE OVER AS RETAIL, WE ASSUME DID THE RETAIL OPERATIONS OF LOST CREEK AND ANOTHER PLACE SEVERAL YEARS AGO, AND THOSE REMAIN RETAIL CUSTOMERS AND FULLY ANNEXED INTO THE CITY.
JD HOLLOW HAD NOT BEEN ANNEX, BUT WE HAD TAKEN OVER THE RETAIL OPERATIONS AHEAD OF ANNEXATION.
AND WHEN THEIR ANNEXATION DISPOSITION CHANGED, UH, WHERE, UH, UNWINDING THAT, THAT DETAIL ALONG WITH SOME OTHER ASPECTS OF THE ANNEXATION PLANNING.
LAST QUESTION IS THIS AMOUNT, ROUGHLY A HUNDRED, 700,000 IT'S ALREADY ACCOUNT FOR ALL OF THE COSTS, UH, OCCURRING DURING THE PROCESS MEANS THAT AT THE END OF ALL OF THIS, IT WILL BE A NET NEUTRAL FOR AUSTIN WATER, UH, THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, CORRECT.
UH, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY CORRECT.
FROM AN ASSET PERSPECTIVE, WE TOOK OVER THEIR ASSETS, WHICH WERE PREDOMINANTLY PIPE ASSETS, UH, AND DISTRIBUTION COLLECTION.
AND AS A PART OF US OWNING THE SYSTEM FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS, WE INVEST DOLLARS, MOSTLY SCADA SYSTEMS, UH, AND, UH, AND THE, THE, THIS, UH, THIS TRANSFER WOULD MAKE US WHOLE WITH REGARDS TO THOSE INVESTMENTS THAT WE MADE INTO THEIR SYSTEM.
UH, WE ALSO NEED TO NEGOTIATE A WHOLESALE SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH THE MOD, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING ON AND WOULD ANTICIPATE, UH, IDEALLY RESOLVING THAT, UH, BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR AND BRINGING FORTH A NEW WHOLESALE AGREEMENT FOR THE MUD TO RETURN AS A WHOLESALE CUSTOMER.
THAT ANSWERED ALL MY QUESTIONS.
TERRY YOU'RE MUTED AND YOU'RE HEAR ME.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? OTHER STUFF, IF NOT IN
[00:10:01]
THE MOTION, THIS IS NOT A MOTION TO APPROVE MOTION.THAT PERMISSION IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND.
THAT PERMISSION, LET ME SHARE ALL IN FAVOR.
PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SHE, EVERYONE WE SHOULD HAVE.
[C.1. Update from Joint Sustainability Committee Meeting]
JOINED THE COMMITTEE MEETING YESTERDAY.I THINK THERE IS A STAFF BRIEFING AFTER THIS AND PUSHING THE AGENDA.
UM, ESSENTIALLY WE'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME WITH A SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, UH, STAFF RELATED TO THE PLAN UPDATE.
SO I'M EXCITED FOR Y'ALL TO HEAR SOME OF THE DETAILS AND THE PLANT, UM, UH, TODAY.
UH, THE MAIN THING I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT WAS WHEN WE STARTED THE UPDATE PROCESS, THE WATERFALL PLAN WAS NOT IN THE SORT OF RADAR, UH, FOR SUSTAINABILITY STAFF.
UH, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF PLAN WITHIN THE CITY.
UH, I'D LIKE TO CLAIM JUST A TINY BIT OF EDITS, JUST KIND OF FLAGGING THAT TO STAFF ATTENTION.
CAUSE I KNOW AUSTIN WATER STAFF HAD DONE A GREAT JOB WITH A WATERFALL OF PLAN.
AND SO NOW IT IS PART OF THE UPDATE WITH THIS CLIMATE PLAN.
SO I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT, UH, OTHER THAN THAT, I'LL, I'LL LEAVE IT TO STAFF TO WALK THROUGH SOME OF THE DETAIL.
UM, I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT WOULD BE UNPREDICTABILITY OF THE WEATHER TODAY.
UM, THE MORE RESILIENT THE CITY IS AS A WHOLE, THE BETTER WE WILL BE.
UM, WHETHER IT'S THE WATER BOIL OR SHORTAGE OF WATER OR MUSCLE, UH, WHATEVER IT IS, I THINK WE WANT TO BE RESILIENT AS, AS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR PERMISSION? THANK YOU.
[C.2. Update from Water Resource Planning Community Task Force]
PLANE COMMITTEE COMMISSION, PNEUMONIA.YETI IS ANY, THIS IS TWO SOLUTES ON THE CALL.
THIS YOU WANT TO DO IT? I'M HAPPY.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE MUDITA ONLINE.
SHE COULD PROBABLY HELP WITH MARISA.
HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE YOU ARE UN-MUTED HELLO? HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, GO AHEAD.
GONZALEZ IS WATER RESOURCES AND SUPPLIES PROGRAM MANAGER AT AUSTIN WATER.
OUR LAST WATER FOR A TASK FORCE MEETING WAS HELD FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4TH AT 1:00 PM.
MATAR STAFF PROVIDED AN UPDATE ON WATERFORD IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS, INCLUDING THOSE STRATEGIES TO REDUCE DEMAND OR CONSERVATION STRATEGIES.
I WORKED IN BOTH AREAS FORWARD.
UM, I WORK PROTECTING OUR CORE CALLED RUBBISH SUPPLIES AND DOTING DROUGHT RESILIENCY AND SOME NOTABLE ITEMS THERE.
BUT, UM, ON AUGUST 27TH, COUNCIL AUTHORIZED NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF A CONTRACT WITH HDR ENGINEERING TO PROVIDE ASR PILOT PROGRAM MANAGEMENT SERVICES AND POST CONTRACT EXECUTION IN ABOUT OCTOBER, 2020, THAT TEAM WILL BEGIN DESKTOP MODELING AND FIELD TESTING TO EVALUATE POTENTIAL PILOT SITES FOR A PILOT PROJECT.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE UPDATES ON THAT WORK.
WE'RE ALSO PLANNING TO HOLD A, UH, ONSITE WATER REUSE AND CONSERVATION CODE CHANGE WORKSHOP ON SEPTEMBER 23RD.
BELIEVE THAT INFORMATION THAT'S ALSO BEEN SENT OUT TO THE COMMISSIONERS.
UM, AND WE ARE ALSO PLANNING TO CONVENE A CLIMATE TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP TO SUPPORT SOME OF THE WORST CARE UPDATE OR WATERFORD PLAN FOR 2023 PLAN UPDATE PROCESS.
THAT'S ALSO PROVIDED AN UPDATE OR A RECAP OF OUR AUGUST 12TH ORDINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING TO INCLUDE A FETISH UPDATE ON COACHING IS INCLUDED IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE PROCESS.
UM, OUR WORK RELATED TO AFFORDABILITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND
[00:15:01]
THEN WATERSHED PROTECTION STAFF PROVIDED A PRESENTATION ON TOXIC ALGAE OR HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOMS AND LADY BIRD LAKE, UM, PROVIDING A GREAT DEAL OF INFORMATION ON WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE 2019, UH, UH, HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOM EVENTS AND, UM, ANSWERED CAP FORCE MEMBER QUESTIONS, UM, AND PROVIDED SOME DISCUSSION AT THE END OF THAT PRESENTATION.UM, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE COMMISSIONERS MAY HAVE.
UM, OUR NEXT MEETING COULD BE SCHEDULED SOMETIME IN, UH, OCTOBER AND, UM, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO COME BACK AND PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AT THAT TIME AS WELL.
CAN YOU AS NEEDED MARISA? I WAS GOING TO ADD A COUPLE THINGS TO MAURICE'S RATHER SUBSTANTIAL AND EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.
UM, WELL SHE, SHE VERY CORRECTLY REPORTED ON HIRING THE ENGINEERING FIRM TO BEGIN THE PURSUIT OF THE ASR PROJECT, WHICH WILL BE A MULTI-DECADE LONG THING, AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THING.
UH, SECONDLY, WE HAVE CREATED WATER CONSERVATION RULES THAT WERE EMBEDDED IN THE CODE NEXT PROCESS, AS YOU KNOW, THE CODE NEXT PROCESS IS KIND OF SIDETRACKED.
AND WE ARE ASKING THAT OUR RULES BE PULLED OUT OF THAT THING AND PASS INDEPENDENTLY.
AND I THINK THERE IS SOME MOVEMENT TO, UH, MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
SO THAT'S KIND OF IMPORTANT BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THERE'S DEVELOPMENTS FLYING UP ALL OVER THE PLACE.
UH, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS THIS TESLA AUTO PLANT.
AND WE'VE GOT TO HAVE THE RULES IN THERE TO SAVE WATER.
THIRDLY, SHE MENTIONED THE TOXIC ALGAE ISSUE IN LADY BIRD LAKE.
AND, UM, THE REASON WE WERE INTERESTED IN THAT AS A TASKFORCE IS THAT WE HAVE A STRATEGY IS PART WATER FORWARD CALLED THE INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE STRATEGY, WHICH INVOLVES PUTTING RECLAIMED WATER IN LADY BIRD LAKE, NEAR LONGHORN DAM, AND THEN PICKING IT UP AT THE HIGH END OF THE LAKE AND INTRODUCING IT TO ONE OF THE WATER TREATMENT PLANTS OR POTABLE USAGE.
UH, AND THIS WOULD BE AN EMERGENCY STRATEGY WHEN THE LAKES GOT VERY LOW.
SO THE CONCERN ON THE PART OF THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS WAS WITH THE LAKE FOR THE LAST TWO, SUMMERS HAS BEEN INFESTED WITH THIS TOXIC MATERIAL, BUT BY THE WAY, IT'S NOT JUST HARMFUL TO PETS, BUT IT WILL KILL KIDS.
UH, WE, UH, WE ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND, UH, WE'RE KIND OF IN THE MODE OF TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
BUT ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE ASKED THE EXPERTS IN CITY WITH OUR STRATEGY OF PUTTING A NUTRIENT RICH RECLAIMED WATER IN THE LAKE, DO MORE HARM AND HE STARTED INDICATED IT WOULD, IT MIGHT INTRODUCE OTHER KINDS OF TOXIC ISSUES INTO THE SLAKE.
SO THE POINT BEING THIS STRATEGY AND IMPORTANT STRATEGY, THE SERVICE SCREWED UP AT THE MOMENT.
SO, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, THE CITY IS TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT G THING OUT.
OBVIOUSLY THEY DON'T WANT THE SIGNATURE WATER FEATURE OF THE ENTIRE CITY TO BE POISONOUS.
BUT THE THOUGHT WAS THAT WE HAD IT LAST YEAR AND I THINK MAYBE PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WOULD GO AWAY.
WELL, DIDN'T GO AWAY, CAME BACK.
AND UM, SO THERE IS A DEEP CONCERN ABOUT THAT WHOLE SITUATION.
AND I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE THINGS TO BE SAID ABOUT IT.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT TO MARISSA'S PRESENTATION AND ANY QUESTIONS OF HER OR ME BE HAPPY.
YOU WEREN'T COMMISSION CHAIRMAN.
YOU JUST NEEDED YOURSELF RIGHT NOW.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER? I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE CAN USE
[00:20:01]
A TECHNICAL BRIEFING REGARDING SOME OF THE BIG TOPICS THAT COMMISSIONER MORIARTY JUST MENTIONED.SO MAYBE THAT'S COULD BE A FEATURE ITEM.
[D.1. COVID-19 – Austin Water Operations, Staff and Financial Impact Update]
STAFF AND THE FINANCIAL IMPACT UPDATE.GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
THIS IS DAVID ANDREWS, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR OPTUM WATER.
I ASSUME YOU CAN HEAR ME OKAY.
I WILL BE PROVIDING A BRIEF UPDATE ON OUR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AS WELL AS A COVID-19 FINANCIAL UPDATE IN AUGUST.
THE PLUS ONE PROGRAM PROVIDED $1.5 MILLION IN BILL RELIEF TO 4,100 CUSTOMERS.
SINCE APRIL THE PLUS ONE PROGRAM HAS PROVIDED $4.7 MILLION IN BILL RELIEF TO OVER 13,750 CUSTOMERS EACH MONTH DURING THE PANDEMIC, THE MORE CUSTOMERS HAVE BEEN HELPED AS WELL AS MORE DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT PROVIDING THIS BILL RELIEF PROGRAM AS FAR AS, UM, FINANCIAL IMPACT OF COVID-19.
OUR WATER DEMAND IN AUGUST, UH, WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN WHAT WE HAD BUDGET IS ALMOST 26% HIGHER, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR OVER 1.2 BILLION GALLONS, UH, MORE DEMAND THAN WE HAD ANTICIPATED IN THE BUDGET.
SO THIS SHOULD INDICATE, YOU KNOW, A, A STRENGTHENING OF SEPTEMBER REVENUES, UH, AS WE MOVED THROUGH YOURSELF AND THEN WE CAN RECOVER A LITTLE BIT OF SOME OF THE REVENUE THAT WE HAVE LOST, UH, DURING THE PANDEMIC, AS FAR AS THE REVENUE UPDATE FOR AUGUST, UH, WATER AND WASTEWATER REVENUES WERE $11.5 MILLION BELOW EXPECTED LEVELS FOR RESIDENTIAL MULTIFAMILY AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMER CLASSES.
THIS MAKES THE AMOUNT FOR A SERVICE REVENUES BEING BELOW BUDGET BETWEEN APRIL AND AUGUST TO BE $31 MILLION BELOW BUDGET LEVELS, UH, DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, UH, DEMAND REDUCTIONS.
OF COURSE, AS I'VE MENTIONED IN PAST PAST UPDATES, UH, WE DID HAVE A STRONGER FIRST PART OF THE YEAR, UH, IN FISCAL YEAR 20.
SO A YEAR TO DATE REVENUES IS ONLY ABOUT $22 MILLION BELOW BUDGET AT THIS TIME THAT IS OFFSET PARTIALLY BY THE EXPENSE UPDATES THAT, UH, I WILL PROVIDE OPERATING EXPENSES THROUGH AUGUST ARE APPROXIMATELY 5.5 MILLION BELOW BUDGET LEVELS AND, UH, DEBT SERVICE, UH, EXPENSE.
UH, AND THIS IS ACTUALLY THROUGH JULY, EXCUSE ME, WE DON'T HAVE AUGUST JUST YET, BUT, UH, THROUGH JULY THAT SERVICE EXPENSES WERE $12 MILLION BELOW BUDGET.
SO COMBINED OPERATING AND DEBT SERVICE WAS ABOUT 17 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS BELOW BUDGET, WHICH WILL HELP US SET SOME OF THE, UH, REVENUE LOSSES THAT WE'VE HAD DURING THE PANDEMIC, AS FAR AS ACTUAL COVID 19 SPECIFIC EXPENSES.
UH, TODAY, UH, SINCE APRIL, WE HAVE SPENT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS ON COVID RELATED ITEMS, INCLUDING PERSONNEL, UH, TEMPERATURE MONITORING AND, UH, PPE AND SUPPLY WITH THAT.
AND I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE
[D.2. Draft Austin Climate Equity Plan Presentation]
HI, THIS IS ZACH ROMMER FROM THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.UM, I'M JUST ON THE PHONE AND YOU CAN'T FOLLOW ALONG VERY WELL WITH ETX N SO I'M SORT OF DOING THIS BLIND.
SO I HAVE THE, I HAVE THE FLIGHT PULLED UP THAT I FINISHED SHARED WITH THE GROUP.
UM, YEAH, AND I WOULD, I'LL JUST WALK THROUGH THESE, THE SLIDE PRESENTATION, AND
[00:25:01]
I THINK IT, UM, AT SOME POINT THERE'S A, UH, THERE'S A GOAL AREA SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON, UM, WATER ISSUES.SO I THINK, UM, AND ALSO WATER STAFF MEMBER MAY JUMP IN ON THAT ONE.
UM, BUT IF YOU'RE READY AND YOU HAVE THE SLIDES UP, I CAN, I CAN JUST TAKE IT AWAY.
UH, WHERE ON THE SUMMARY SLIDES? GREAT.
SO AS I SAID, MY NAME'S ZACH BAUER, I'M THE CLIMATE PROGRAM MANAGER HERE IN THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.
AND I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, MANY DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTAL STAFF, AS WELL AS COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO REVISE THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY CLIMATE PLAN.
AND, UM, UH, AS MATT HO, UH, MENTIONED A FEW MINUTES AGO, UM, BECAUSE SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE IS SORT OF THE COMMISSION THAT OVERSEES KIND OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS CLIMATE ACTION WORK WITHIN THE CITY.
SO I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM AND, UM, MATT HAS BEEN KIND OF FOLLOWING ALONG THROUGH THIS WHOLE PROCESS, UM, HELPING, YOU KNOW, GIVE HER OFFICE GUIDANCE ON, ON HOW TO REVISE THIS PLAN.
SO THERE WE GO NOW IS THE FULL DRAFT.
UM, THERE'S A BRIEF VERSION AND THEN A VERY LONG VERSION.
UM, UH, THE, THE VERSIONS OF THE DRAFT PUBLIC COMMENT VERSIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT ARE NOW OUT FOR REVIEW.
UM, THEY'RE AVAILABLE ON A SPEAK-UP AUSTIN SITE.
YOU CAN ACCESS THAT THROUGH THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY WEBSITE, UM, OR THROUGH SPEAK UP, OFTEN DOWNLOAD THOSE TWO DOCUMENTS, AND WE ARE TAKING PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE NEXT MONTH.
SO BASICALLY THROUGH THE ENTIRE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, AND THEN WE ARE AIMING TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL, UH, BY THE END OF OCTOBER WITH THIS REVISED PLAN FOR ADOPTION.
UM, SO WE HAVE BEEN GOING AROUND, I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN TO OH, UPWARDS OF 10 BOARDS OR COMMISSIONS, AND WE HAVE ABOUT 10 MORE TO GO.
UM, SO YEAH, SO TODAY I'M JUST LOOKING FOR YOUR COMMENTS, THOUGHTS, AREAS OF INTEREST.
AND, UM, WE'LL JUST GO FROM THERE.
SO NEXT SLIDE, UH, 2015 COMMUNITY CLIMATE PLAN.
SO WHETHER YOU'RE AWARE OR NOT, UM, BACK IN 2014, THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED THE TARGET OF NET ZERO COMMUNITY-WIDE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 2050.
THIS IS LONGTERM ASPIRATIONAL TARGETS THAT THEY SAID, AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS COME FROM BURNING NATURAL GAS, COAL, UH, GASOLINE DIESEL, BASICALLY USING FOSSIL FUELS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO THE GOAL IS THAT WE WOULD BE USING ALMOST NO FOSSIL FUELS BY 2050.
SO THAT TARGET WAS SET BACK IN 2014, WE WORKED WITH A BROAD RANGE OF STAKEHOLDERS BACK IN 2014, 15, AND CREATED THIS CLIMATE.
UM, THE FIRST PLAN REALLY JUST FOCUSED ON ELECTRICITY USAGE, NATURAL GAS, USAGE, TRANSPORTATION, AND LAND USE OF MATERIALS, WASTE MANAGEMENT, AND MANY INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES IN THE CITY.
UM, THIS PLAN WAS VERY QUALITATIVE.
IT WAS VERY FOCUSED ON COM CITY OPERATIONS AND WHAT MINTED THE PLAN WAS THAT WE WOULD DO A FULL REVISION AT THE FIVE YEAR MARK.
SO THAT'S SORT OF 2019, AND IT WAS TIME TO START UPDATING THIS PLAN.
SO HOW WAS THIS PLAN UPDATE CREATED? SO IN 2019, WE STARTED WITH DIRECTION FROM THE DRUG SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE AND THERE WAS A WORKING GROUP OF THAT COMMITTEE THAT REALLY WORKED WITH ME AND MY STAFF AND SPOKE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS THIS REVISION GOING TO LOOK LIKE? AND WHAT WERE YOU GOING TO FOCUS ON? SO WHAT WE ENDED UP CREATING A STARTING BACK IN THE SUMMER OF 2019, AND THEN IT REALLY GEARED UP IN NOVEMBER OF 2019 WAS SORT OF A GIANT COLLABORATIVE PLANNING EFFORT OF MY OFFICE AND MY STAFF PLUS ABOUT 24 CITY STAFF FROM AUSTIN ENERGY, AUSTIN, WATER, WATERSHED PROTECTION, UM, PARKS, LOTS OF, LOTS OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, PUBLIC WORKS, UM, AS WELL AS 120 COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME TO SERVE ON OUR STEERING COMMITTEE AND OUR ADVISORY GROUPS.
SO THIS WAS A DEEPLY COLLABORATIVE PROCESS WITH THE COMMUNITY.
THIS WASN'T A, WE DIDN'T HIRE A CONSULTANT AND THIS WASN'T LIKE A CITY RUN PROCESS WHERE WE JUST ASKED FOR INPUT.
WE LIKE PHYSICALLY COLLABORATED WITH THE COMMUNITY TO CREATE EVERYTHING IN THIS PLANNING EFFORT.
UM, I LOOKED THROUGH ALL THE DETAILS ON THE SLIDE, BUT WE ESSENTIALLY, UM, ALL OF THESE GROUPS MET ESSENTIALLY EVERY OTHER WEEK FROM NOVEMBER THROUGH JULY AND, YOU KNOW, UPLOAD THE 4,000 PLUS HOURS HAD BEEN DONATED BY THE COMMUNITY ESSENTIALLY TO COLLABORATE AND CREATE THIS NEW VERSION OF THIS NEW PILOT PLAN.
UM, THIS IS A HISTORY OF INEQUITIES, SO IT BECAME REALLY CLEAR WHEN WE STARTED THIS PLANNING EFFORT.
[00:30:01]
UH, THE JUDGE SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE MADE IT REALLY CLEAR THAT WE NEEDED TO ADDRESS EQUITY AND MAKE EQUITY, RACIAL EQUITY, UM, EXTENDED POINT AND A FOCAL FOCUS OF THIS PLAN REVISION.SO THIS IS JUST A HIGHLIGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY CAME TO LIGHT THROUGH, YOU KNOW, MY OFFICE OF WORKING ME AND MY OFFICE, WORKING WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE, AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, TH THE INEQUITIES THAT HAVE BEEN, THAT WERE CREATED IN OUR COMMUNITY GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO PRE 1928, WHEN THE 1928 MASTER PLAN, THEN, YOU KNOW, A HISTORY OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES ON THE, ON THE EAST SIDE OF OUR CITY NOW THAT ARE SORT OF LEADING TO GENTRIFICATION IN THOSE SAME COMMUNITIES, UM, OR AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION DECREASING HOME OWNERSHIP, UM, INEQUITIES IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, LEADING ALL THE WAY TO THIS DAY, INEQUITIES ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, THE PANDEMIC THAT AUSTIN IS AN UNEQUAL AND AN UNFAIR PLACE.
UM, AND RACIAL INEQUITIES, UM, DICTATE TOO MANY QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATORS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND THIS CAN'T BE IGNORED NOW, WHETHER IT'S A CLIMATE PLAN ON CLIMATE OR A PLAN OR ANY ISSUE THAT THE CITY IS WORKING ON, THESE ARE REAL THINGS THAT NEED TO BE THOUGHT ABOUT AND ADDRESSED.
SO NEXT SLIDE, UM, WE'RE CHANGING THE EARTH'S CLIMATE.
SO OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A CLIMATE PLAN, BUT THE BASIS OF THIS WORK IS FOCUSED ON HOW DO WE REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, UM, AND GLOBALLY GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS HAVE NOT STARTED TO DECREASE.
SO ANYTHING OFF SCENARIO, WE HAVE BEEN DECREASING ALL OUR COMMUNITY WIDE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, BUT GLOBALLY GLOBAL EMISSIONS HAVE NOT STARTED TO COME DOWN YET.
AND WE ARE ON A TRAJECTORY TO BE, UM, IN THE DANGER ZONE OF THE AMOUNT OF CLIMATE CHANGE THAT WILL OCCUR.
UM, CURRENTLY ONE DEGREE OF WARMING HAS ALREADY OCCURRED, AND IF WE DON'T DRAMATICALLY REDUCE EMISSIONS GLOBALLY, WE WILL BE, UH, IN THE, IN THE TERRITORY OF, WELL, MORE THAN TWO DEGREES, C WARMING GLOBALLY, AND, AND SCIENTISTS TELL US THAT THAT IS NOT A GOOD THING.
SO THE URGENCY IS, IS REALLY THERE FOR US TO TAKE ACTION NOW ON CLIMATE CHANGE, NEXT SLIDE, UH, CLIMATE PROJECTIONS, UM, THERE'S A REAL TIE IN HERE WITH, UH, WITH AUSTIN WATER AND HOW AWESOME WATER SUPPORTS AND CONNECTS WITH THIS PLAN.
UM, SO PROJECTIONS, ANY ANALYSIS THAT WE HAVE DONE TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND HOW CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTS AUSTIN IS THAT WE WILL HAVE HIGHER TEMPERATURES, MORE DROUGHT, INCREASED RISK OF WILDFIRE, AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME, MORE INTENSE RAIN AND FLOODING.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE ARE CLIMATE, UH, HAZARD.
SO WE ALREADY KIND OF EXPERIENCED THE OFF SCENARIO.
IT'S JUST PROJECTED THAT THE ALL FOUR OF THESE THINGS ARE PROJECTED TO GET MORE INTENSE AND HAPPEN MORE FREQUENTLY.
AND THE, AND THE REALLY IMPORTANT THING ABOUT THAT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF INCOME, IF YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ARE A LOT OF NICE THINGS AND YOU HAD A LOT OF MONEY FOR ENERGY AND WATER, UM, BUT YOU CAN SORT OF PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SOME OF THESE THINGS, BUT LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED CURRENTLY BY THESE OF HABITS.
AND THEY WILL BE AFFECTED EVEN MORE SO IN THE COMING YEARS FROM THE SHOCKS AND STRESSORS.
SO THIS ISN'T JUST ANOTHER REASON WHY EQUITY REALLY NEEDS TO BE CENTERED IN CLIMATE WORK.
NEXT SLIDE IS OUR COMMITMENT TO CLIMATE EQUITY.
SO I'M GOING TO PUT A LOT OF WORDS ABOUT EQUITY AND ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND HOW THESE TWO THINGS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR PLANNING PROCESS, WE REALLY HAD TO HAVE A LOT OF HARD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT DOES THIS MEAN, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE ENVISIONING AND CREATING THIS ASPIRATIONAL PLAN.
WE'RE ENVISIONING, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY NOT USING FOSSIL FUELS IN THE NEXT 20, 30 YEARS.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, TRYING TO ENVISION A COMMUNITY THAT, OR EVEN ELIMINATED DISPARITIES THAT CAN BE PREDICTED BY RACE.
YOU KNOW, THIS FEELS EVEN BIGGER THAN JUST OUR ACTIVITIES HERE IN AUSTIN.
SO WE SAID ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PLANNING PROCESS OVER 140 PEOPLE THROUGH A FULL DAY EQUITY TRAINING, WHERE WE WORKED WITH A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER, AND WE HELPED KIND OF TRY TO BREAK DOWN WHEN WE SAY EQUITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE, WHAT DO WE MEAN? SO WE ENDED UP WITH THESE SEVEN VALUES IN THE CENTER, AND THIS IS WHERE WE REALLY TRY TO ROOT ALL OF THE GOALS AND STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS IN THIS PLAN BACK TO THE SEVEN TOPICS IN THE CENTER.
AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT WHAT WE REALLY NOTICED IS THAT IF WE ARE NOT PROACTIVELY ADDRESSING EQUITY AND THINKING ABOUT HOW, UM, GOALS AND STRATEGIES AND POLICIES WOULD AFFECT THESE OUTCOMES, THAT WE WILL, WE WILL JUST BE PERPETUATING INJUSTICE, THAT BUSINESS AS USUAL IN AUSTIN, JUST PERPETUATES UNFAIRNESS.
SO WE HAVE TO BE REALLY DISTINCTLY THINK ABOUT THIS.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE IS THE, A NET
[00:35:01]
ZERO BY 2050.SO THIS IS THE GRAPH YOU HEAR YOU'RE SEEING IS THE STACKED UP COMMUNITY CARBON FOOTPRINT THAT STARTED ARE BASED ON 2010, WHERE THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY WAS EMITTING OVER 14 MILLION TONS OF EMISSIONS PER YEAR.
UM, BACK WHEN WE STARTED, THE MAJORITY OF THE EMISSIONS WERE COMING FROM ELECTRICITY AND NATURAL GAS.
YOU USED IN BUILDINGS, UM, DUE TO AUSTIN ENERGY, IMPLEMENTING THEIR GENERATION PLANS OVER THE LAST DECADE.
THOSE EMISSIONS HAVE STARTED TO COME DOWN, WHICH PROJECTED THAT THEY WILL EVEN CALM DOWN EVEN FURTHER AS AUSTIN ENERGY GETS EVEN CLOSER AND CLOSER TO, UM, ZERO CARBON DELIVERING ALL ZERO CARBON ELECTRICITY AND IN THE COMING DECADE.
UM, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THEN THE, THE SECOND LARGEST SOURCE OF EMISSIONS THERE IS TRANSPORTATION.
SO TRANSPORTATION IS A HUGE FOCUS OF THIS PLAN AND THIS EFFORT, EVERY SINGLE GASOLINE CAR AND TRUCK, UH, GASOLINE AND DIESEL CAR AND TRUCK OUT THERE CREATES A MASSIVE INPUT.
THE OTHER, UH, THE OTHER REALLY IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE ON THIS SLIDE IS THAT DIGITAL KNOW TARGETED DEBT ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL WAS NET ZERO COMMUNITY WIDE EMISSIONS BY 2050, AND DUE TO, UH, UPDATED SCIENCE AND, UM, NUMEROUS
I MEAN, THERE'S A, THERE IS A MYRIAD OF REPORTS TALKING ABOUT THE URGENCY TO REDUCE EMISSIONS FASTER AND MORE AGGRESSIVELY.
SO THE STEERING COMMITTEE IS RECOMMENDING THAT WE BUMPED THE TARGET UP TO NET ZERO EMISSIONS BY 2040 WITH THIS REAL STEEP DECLINE, AND THEN ACTUALLY TRY TO MOVE TO NEGATIVE EMISSIONS BEYOND 2030 TO TAKE ACCOUNT FOR THE MILLIONS OF TIMES.
WE'VE ADMITTED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE OVER THE YEARS AND YEARS.
SO THAT'S JUST, UM, UM, A RECOMMENDATION FOR CITY COUNCIL THAT THEY ADOPT THAT TARGET.
THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY LIKE A, UM, A POLICY CHANGE.
SO NEXT SLIDE, UM, A PLANE I'M ON PLANS.
IT'S REALLY CLEAR WHEN WE STARTED THIS SCOPING OUT WHAT WAS GOING TO BE IN THIS PLAN REVISION THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER INITIATIVES THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE CITY, AND WE DID NOT WANT THE CLIMATE PLAN TO TRAMPLE ALL OVER IT.
WE WENT INTO TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CONNECT IN A JOIN TO SOUNDS LIKE THE GENERATION PLAN TO THE WATER FORWARD PLANS, TO TRANSPORTATION PLANS AND SUPPORT THOSE EFFORTS, BUT ALSO SORT OF LIKE SHOW HOW THEY INTERCONNECT WITH THIS EFFORT.
SO WHAT WE ENDED UP WITH WAS FIVE PLAN SECTIONS.
SO AS I SAID EARLIER, WE HAVE A STEERING COMMITTEE AS WELL AS FIVE ADVISORY GROUPS.
AND SO THERE WAS AN ADVISOR GROUP ORGANIZED AROUND EACH ONE OF THESE SECTORS.
SO SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, THAT'S FOCUSED ON HOW BUILDINGS ARE BUILT, HOW THEY'RE OPERATED, HOW WATER AND ENERGY ARE USED IN BUILDINGS.
UH, THEN TWO SECTOR, TWO SECTIONS FOCUSED ON TRANSPORTATION.
SO HIS TRADITIONAL LAND USE THERE'S ABOUT HOW THE CITY IS DESIGNED AND LAID OUT AND HOW PEOPLE GET AROUND WITHOUT CARS.
IF WE'RE GOING TO BE GETTING TO NEAR ZERO CARBON, ELECTRICITY IS WHETHER BY AUSTIN ENERGY, HOW DO WE ELECTRIFY THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT ZERO EMISSIONS, ELECTRICITY, AND THEN FINALLY, UH, TO SORT OF BRAND NEW SECTIONS, NATURAL SYSTEMS, WHICH ADDRESSES EVERYTHING AND THE GROWING ALIVE AND THE NATURAL WORLD AROUND US THAT COMES TO QUESTER CARBON FROM THE ATMOSPHERE.
AND THEN THE ELECTRIC SECTOR IS CONSUMPTION, WHICH IS THINKING ABOUT KIND OF THE UPSTREAM BEYOND, BEYOND COMPOSTING AND RECYCLING.
HOW DO WE, HOW CAN WE REDUCE AND ELIMINATE WASTE, JUST OUTPUT NO COMMUNITY.
SO NEXT SLIDE, UH, EQUITY PROCESS FOR THE ADVISORY GROUP.
SO WE HAVE THESE ADVISORY GROUPS THAT FOCUSED ON THESE TOPICS, THE MEETINGS THROUGHOUT THE SPRING, WE HAD COMMUNITY FOCUS WORKSHOPS TO GET INPUT ON WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THIS PLANNING PROCESS.
THEN WE, WE WORKED WITH OUR STEERING COMMITTEE ACTUALLY TO DESIGN OUR OWN EQUITY TOOL, TO APPLY TO OUR PROCESS, TO ENSURE THAT EQUITY WAS REFLECTED IN THE GOALS AND STRATEGIES THAT CAME OUT THE OTHER END.
SO WE CAME UP WITH THE SIX STEP PROCESS.
UM, WE BUILT A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS AROUND OUR VALUES AROUND HEALTH AND AFFORDABILITY AND, UM, AND THOSE TOPICS.
AND THEN EACH ONE OF OUR ADVISORS JUST KIND OF STEP THROUGH THIS PROCESS, UH, WHILE THEY WERE CREATING THEIR GOALS AND STRATEGIES TO ENSURE THAT EQUITY WAS BAKED, KIND OF THREW OUT THE ENTIRE PROPOSAL AND JUST, WASN'T KIND OF LIKE LEFT ON THE SIDE OR FORGOTTEN.
UM, AND IT WAS TRULY INTEGRATED, I'M SORRY, UH, IS COMMUNITY CLIMATE AMBASSADORS.
UM, IT'S KIND OF THE LAST THING ON OUR PROCESS IS, YOU KNOW, AN INNOVATIVE IDEA THAT WAS RECOMMENDED BY THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE WAS THAT WE GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND REALLY GET ON THE GROUND INPUT FROM REAL PEOPLE.
SO, UM, THE PICTURE OF THE FOLKS HERE, UM, BESIDES THE, THE WOMAN WITH THE JEAN JACKET, THAT'S SWIMMING, SALINAS ARE, UM, IS ON MY TEAM.
SHE'S OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST.
SO I WORKED WITH SALINE AND WE CREATED THIS AMBASSADOR PROGRAM.
THESE ARE ALL INDIVIDUALS WHO, UM, MIGHT NOT BE THE TYPICAL PERSON TO PARTICIPATE IN A BORDER COMMISSION OR LIKE COME TO CITY
[00:40:01]
HALL, BUT A REAL PEOPLE THAT REALLY CARE ABOUT EQUITY AND CARE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND CARE ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.SO WE PAID THESE FOLKS A SMALL STIPEND, AND THEY ESSENTIALLY WENT OUT TO THEIR, TO OUT TO THEIR COMMUNITIES, THEIR FRIENDS, THE NEIGHBORS, UM, AND THEY HELD A LITTLE PARTIES AND ZOOM MEETINGS AND LIKE GATHERED ON THE GROUND INFORMATION FROM THEIR COMMUNITY.
AND SO THEY ENDED UP BEING AMBASSADORS FROM THEIR COMMUNITY TO SHARE BACK WITH THE CITY, LIKE REALLY, WHAT DO PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THESE TOPICS? AS YOU CAN SEE THAT THE DISTINCT FOCUS HERE WAS RACIAL EQUITY AND TRYING TO HEAR THE VOICES THAT ARE TYPICAL ARE TYPICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED IN, IN THE CITY PROCESS.
SO THIS WAS, UM, AN EXCITING PART, UM, YOU KNOW, INTERESTING NEW ENGAGEMENT ANGLE THAT WE TRIED, AND THEN WE ENDED UP ACTUALLY WE'LL SEE IN THE DRAFT PLAN, UM, HOW WE INCORPORATED THEIR FEEDBACK AND THEIR INPUT ACTUALLY INTO THE PLANNING EFFORT.
SO, UM, I'M GOING TO TRY AND GO PRETTY QUICKLY THROUGH THESE, UH, THE NEXT SLIDE IS SUMMARY.
SO THE SUMMARY OF WHAT YOU WILL SEE IN THIS NEW PLAN, UM, IS 18 QUANTITATIVE GOALS.
MOST QUANTITATIVE GOALS ARE THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE ACCOMPLISHED BY 2030 TO KEEP US ON TRACK FOR OUR, OUR TARGETS.
AND THEN THERE ARE 75 STRATEGIES THAT HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED THAT ARE REALLY, THE FOCUS IS THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
THESE ARE NOT 20, 30 YEARS, YOU KNOW, BIG PICTURE IN A REALLY LONGTERM THING.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE NOW.
UM, AND THEN JUST ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT ON EQUITY, IF THEY, THE WAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO REALLY SEE EVERY DAY THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS IS TRYING TO PRIORITIZE AND FINISH AND TARGET COMMUNICATIONS THAT LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR FOCUS ON ANTI-DISPLACEMENT FOCUS ON JOBS, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, JUST TRANSITION FOCUSED ON HEALTH BENEFITS, AND THEN REALLY LIKE CENTERING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN OUR ONGOING EFFORTS.
SO THE FIRST LITTLE AREA HERE IS, AND I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL THIS DETAIL.
UM, FIRST GOAL AREA IS SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS.
SO THERE WAS AN ADVISORY GROUP AROUND SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS.
THESE ARE THE FULL FOUR GOAL AREAS THAT THEY CAME UP WITH.
SO THE FIRST ONE IS AIMING FOR NET ZERO CARBON, NEW BUILDINGS AND EXISTING BUILDINGS.
NOW 2030 SECOND GOAL IS AROUND REDUCING COMMUNITY-WIDE EMISSIONS FROM REFRIGERATE AND EQUAL.
THESE ARE THE CHEMICALS THAT ARE IN, UM, AIR CONDITIONERS IN COOLERS, UM, REFRIGERATED PLEASERS TO THE ATMOSPHERE.
THE THIRD GOAL IS AROUND REDUCING THE EMBODIED CARBON FOOTPRINT OF BUILDING MATERIALS.
AS WE KNOW, UM, JUST THE, THE UPSTREAM CARBON FOOTPRINT ASSOCIATED WITH STEEL AND CONCRETE AND WOOD HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT, AND WE CAN, UM, MAKE POLICIES AND PROGRAMS TO HELP REDUCE THAT IMPACT.
AND THEN THE LAST SCHOOL, OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THE MAJOR AREAS THAT BUILDINGS HAVE AN IMPACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE IS THROUGH WATER USAGE.
SO THE LAST GOAL HERE WAS ADDED IN COLLABORATION WITH AUSTIN WATER STAFF.
UM, AND IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THE NEXT SLIDE KIND OF LIKE DETAILS THIS OUT IN A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC AND A LITTLE MORE SPECIFICS.
SO MARISSA OR HEATHER AND YOU ON THE PHONE.
DO YOU WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT, WHAT WE ENDED UP HERE WITH GOAL NUMBER FOUR? HELLO, THIS IS MESA.
HI, MY NAME IS
AGAIN, WE WERE VERY HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PLAN BACK INTO THE NEVADA COMMUNITY.
UM, THIS GOAL, UH, INCLUDES, UH, UM, ALIGNMENT WITH THE 2018 WATERFORD PLAN, UH, AND HAS A GOAL OF EQUITABLY ACHIEVING COMMUNITY WIDE WATER DEMAND OF 152,000 ACRE FEET IN 2030.
AND THAT'S FOUND FROM THE PROJECTED BASELINE 2030 DEMAND OF 176,000 ACRE FEET PER YEAR.
WATER DEMAND THAT TO ACHIEVE THAT REDUCED DEMAND OF 152,000 ACRE FEET.
WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT THE NEW TERM OF WATERFORD CONSERVATION REUSE STRATEGIES AND AUSTIN WATER STAFF ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ALONG WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THE BROADER COMMUNITY TO DO THAT.
AND JUST SAY A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE STRATEGIES THEMSELVES.
UM, WE HAD THREE KIND OF GROUPINGS OF STRATEGIES THAT INCLUDE EQUITABLE ENGAGING THE RESIDENTS AND, UM, TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSITIONS AND CONSERVATION PROGRAMS, INCLUDING CORRECTING, ANALYZING, AND RESPONDING TO DEMOGRAPHIC DATA ON REBATE AND OTHER PROGRAM PARTICIPATION AND TARGETING YOUR OUTREACH EFFORTS TO INCREASE PROGRAM PARTICIPATION IN, UM, UNDERSERVED AREAS OF OUR COMMUNITY WHILE COMPLETING EQUITY ASSESSMENTS OF OUR CUSTOMER PROGRAMS. AND WE ALSO, UM, WANTED TO, UM, MAKE, UH, AN EFFORT TO REDUCE EMISSIONS AT THE WATER ENERGY NEXUS, UM, BY
[00:45:01]
EVALUATING ENERGY USAGE ACROSS AUSTIN WATER FACILITIES AND DEVELOPING A PLAN TO REDUCE USAGE SPIKES AND DECREASING DEMAND.SO, UH, SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS STRATEGY, OF COURSE, AND ENSURES CLEAN AND SAFE DRINKING WATER IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE WIDER UTILITIES GOALS.
AND IN TERMS OF THE DIRECT BENEFIT TO OUR CUSTOMERS ALSO HELPS TO MANAGE IT FOR OUR WATER UTILITY BETTER AND PROVIDE A REAL AND MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR A COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF HOW WE PLAN FOR WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND THE FUTURE, AND ALSO HOW WE IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES TO DO THAT.
THANKS A LOT FOR JUMPING IN THERE.
LISA, I'M REALLY GLAD WE WERE ABLE TO GET THIS IN THERE AND CREATE THAT ALIGNMENT WATERFORD.
SO TO THE NEXT SIDE, SHIPSTATION AND LAND USE, I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THESE LAST SLIDES PRETTY QUICKLY.
UM, SO THERE, THERE, UH, AT THE TOP HERE AROUND NEW DEVELOPMENT, SO TRYING TO, UM, AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER AS THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE PROCESS IS KIND OF IS WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW.
AND, BUT THESE GOALS AROUND, UM, DRIVING, UH, NON-RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT INTO CITY GROWTH CENTERS AND CORRIDORS, AND THEN FOCUSING ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THESE ARE IN LINE WITH IMAGINE AUSTIN AND WITH THE STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT, THEN THE LAST TWO GOALS ON THIS SECTOR ARE RELATED TO, UH, DRAMATICALLY INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF, UM, USE OF PUBLIC TRANSIT AND THEN DRAMATICALLY TRYING TO REDUCE THE, THE, TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE, UM, USING PEOPLE, POWER TRANSPORTATION, SO BIKING, WALKING, ET CETERA.
UM, SO THESE WOULD TAKE, YOU KNOW, FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THINGS LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE TRANSPORTATION ONE WAS FALL, UH, PROJECT CONNECT TO BEING FULLY BUILT OUT AND REALLY TRYING TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING LIKE SIZABLE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE OUT OF CARS, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, LESS THAN 1% OF TOTAL TRIPS IS ON PUBLIC TRANSIT, LESS THAN 1% OF TOTAL DISTANCE OF TRIPS IS ON BIKING AND WALKING.
SO WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE MORE PARTNERS IN THIS AREA.
UH, NEXT SECTOR, THE NEXT SLIDE IS TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION.
UM, THE GOAL HERE IS REALLY AROUND, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF WE ALL REALLY SUCCESSFUL AT GETTING PEOPLE OUT OF CARS, UM, THERE WERE STILL GOING TO BE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF CARS IN ALL LIKELIHOOD ON THE ROAD IN 2030 AND BEYOND.
SO THE GOAL HERE IS AROUND TRYING TO GET TO 30% OF TOTAL MILES TRAVELED IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN ELECTRIFIED BY 2030.
AND THEN THE SECOND GOAL IS AROUND HAVING THE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE EQUITABLY, DISTRIBUTED, AND BUILT OUT ACROSS THE CITY AND ALL SHAPES AND SIZES AND FORMS TO MAKE, UM, CHARGING VEHICLES SUPER SIMPLE AND EASY.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS AROUND MAKING THIS A REAL REGIONAL EFFORT, UM, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S REALLY CLEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, ELECTRIFYING VEHICLES TO TRAVEL SHORT DISTANCES IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS ONE THING, BUT MANY OF THE LONGEST TRIPS AND LONGEST COMMUTE AND OUR HIGHEST BILLS FROM FOLKS ARE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN SURROUNDING SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES AND MAKE LONG COMMUTES BACK AND FORTH INTO THE CITY.
SO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE PARTNER PARTNERING WITH THOSE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
SO I JUST WOULDN'T PRODUCT CONSUMPTION.
THE FIRST ONE IS AROUND, UM, TRYING TO DRIVE A FOCUS TOWARDS, UH, REDUCING FOOD INSECURITY AND THEN TRYING TO BE SO FOCUSED ON PRO CLIMATE PROHEALTH FOOD, WHICH IS BETTER FOR PEOPLE DIETS AND BETTER FOR THE PLANET.
UM, CAUSE FOOD UPSTREAM FOOD PRODUCTION IS A MASSIVE, UM, UM, FOOTPRINT OF THE SECOND GOAL IS THEY'RE TRYING TO REDUCE OUR, UH, INSTITUTIONAL COMMERCIAL AND GOVERNMENT, UH, PURCHASING.
SO TRYING TO WORK ON SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING, LIKE AT THE GOVERNMENT LEVEL TO REDUCE UPSTREAM IMPACTS.
SO PURCHASES WE MAKE, AND THEN THE THIRD ONE IS SUPPORTING ALSO RESEARCH RECOVERY IN THEIR REVISION OF THE ZERO WASTE PLAN.
UM, AND THEN ALSO REALLY TRYING TO SUPPORT THEIR EFFORTS FOR CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND WE USE AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ALLOWED, UM, RETOOLING AND, AND, UM, AND FIXING THINGS AND NOT TRYING TO MOVE AWAY FROM THIS CULTURE OF JUST BY, UH, BY USING.
AND THEN THE LAST SLIDE HERE, A NATURAL SYSTEM, THIS IS A BRAND NEW SECTION FOR THE PLAN, UM, QUANTIFYING EMISSIONS ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH CARBON IS PULLED DOWN IN TREES OR IN SOIL.
AND AN AGRICULTURE IS, UH, IS AN EMERGING AREA AND NOT SIMPLE TO DO.
UM, SO, BUT WE WORKED WITH PART STAFF AND MANY OUTSIDE EXPERT EXPERTS IN WATERSHED STAFF TO COME UP WITH FOUR, FOUR GOALS HERE AROUND HOW CAN WE SEQUESTER MORE CARBON IN OUR NATURAL AREAS.
SO, UM, THE FIRST GOAL HERE IS AROUND PROTECTING AN ADDITIONAL 20,000 ACRES OF CARBON POOLS ON NATURAL LANDS, UM, AND REALLY MANAGING THOSE LANDS WITH THE FOCUS ON RESILIENCE.
THE, THE IDEA HERE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE SEEING WITH FIRES IN CALIFORNIA RIGHT NOW, UM, YOU KNOW, WE NOT
[00:50:01]
ONLY WANT TO CAPTURE MORE CARBON IN OUR, IN OUR SOILS AND IN OUR NATURAL AREAS, BUT THERE IS A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF CARBON THAT'S ALREADY STORED IN THOSE AREAS.SO HOW DO WE PROTECT THOSE, UH, THAT CARBON THAT'S CURRENTLY STORED? AND THE NEXT GOAL IS AROUND FARM LAND.
SO TRYING TO WORK REGIONALLY TO PROTECT, UH, 500,000 ACRES OF FARM LAND AND REALLY USE IT TOWARDS THERE AGRICULTURE PROGRAMS, BECAUSE THE MORE THAT WE CAN USE CAN USE IT ON NATURAL LANDS TO REALLY PULL DOWN CARBON FROM THE ATMOSPHERE AND STORE IT IN SOIL.
THAT CAN BE A HUGE OPPORTUNITY.
THE NEXT ONE IS AROUND INCREASING TRACING TO BE COVER ACROSS THE CITY.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS AROUND, UM, IN CITY ONLY ANSWERS SPECIFICALLY REALLY PARKS, UM, TRYING TO CREATE MANAGEMENT PLANS THAT RESULT IN NEUTRAL OR NEGATIVE CARBON EMISSIONS AND MAXIMIZE THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT.
UM, BECAUSE ACROSS THE REGION, ACROSS THE RESEARCH THAT'S BEEN DONE BASED ON WHETHER YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, WATERING, KNOWING, AND LIKE INTENSIVELY MANAGING A PROPERTY VERSUS, UM, LESS INTENSIVE MANAGEMENT, THE CARBON FOOTPRINT AND HOW MUCH CARBON STORED IN THOSE LANDS CAN DRAMATICALLY, UH, BE DIFFERENT.
SO SCHEDULE, SO WHERE WE ARE NOW, UM, LIKE I SAID, THE FULL DOCUMENTS ARE OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH AND THEN WE WILL BE MAKING REVISIONS AND EARLY OCTOBER AND THEN AIMING FOR, UH, EITHER THE OCTOBER 29TH OR NOVEMBER 12TH DATES FOR, UH, FOR CITY COUNCIL ADOPTION SUPPORTERS, NEW PLAY.
SO, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
I CAN, UM, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT, UM, IF THE WAY I ON HAVE THE LINKS TO THE NEW PLAN, I CALL EVEN SEND THE, SEND THE DOCUMENTS.
UM, SO YOU CAN SHARE THOSE AROUND AND EVERYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
LIKE YOU GO TO TIME COMMISSIONER, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD ANY SESSIONS.
MR. NASSSA, MR. CHAD, THIS IS NOT, I JUST WANT TO COMMENT THAT
[D.3. Zebra Mussel Update]
UPDATE.EVERY SIX MONTHS, WE PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON
CAN YOU HEAR ME? THIS IS A RECORDING.
AS THEY PULL UP THE SLIDE DECK THERE, EVEN MUSTARD WILL KIND OF REFRESH ON THE LAST BRIEFING.
THERE IS THE LAST PRESENTATION WITH THE ONE ON WASTEWATER COMMISSION ON MARCH 11TH, 2020.
IF YOU RECALL, MERDOD MERABI HAS BEEN A, KIND OF A, UM, THE LEAD FOR A LOT OF THE ZEBRA MUSSEL.
HE RETIRED BACK IN MAY OF THIS YEAR, 2020.
SO UNFORTUNATELY HE'S NOT WITH US, BUT WE DO HAVE STUFF IN THE LINE ENGINEERING WITH PROCESSING FACILITY.
UM, ALSO THE, UH, SHAY WILSON TO HELP WITH ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE MAY HAVE.
I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF KIND OF OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE UPDATES WE HAD LAST TIME.
AND IF YOU FOLLOW THE LINKS FOR THE WATER WASTEWATER COMMISSION, THEY CAN TELL, THEY CAN TAKE YOU BACK TO THE ORIGINAL PRESENTATIONS BACK TO SEPTEMBER OF 2017.
SO WE WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE BRIEFINGS AND NOW WE'RE ON A REGULAR SIX MONTH, UH, BRIEFING SCHEDULE.
UM, THE LAST BRIEFING WE HAD MURDOCH ROBBIE TALKED ABOUT, UM, HIS, UH, UH, HIS EDUCATION WITH LCMS AQUATIC BIOLOGIST, UH, STEVEN DAVIS, WHO TALKED ABOUT THE SPAWNING OF LAKE TRAVIS AND LAKE COST.
AND THE LAKE TRAVIS SPAWNING PERIOD WAS BETWEEN APRIL AND JULY WHILE THE LAKE AUSTIN SPAWNING PERIOD WAS BETWEEN MAY AND OCTOBER.
AND THEY ALSO, HE ALSO PLANTED OUT SOME RECOMMENDED TIMEFRAMES FOR CLEANING AND INSPECTING SOME OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE TO BE TARGETED AROUND DECEMBER AND MARCH, AS WE KIND OF STILL LEARN FROM WHAT, UM, BETTER RECOMMENDATIONS WILL ENTAIL.
WE'LL ALSO ADJUST SOME OF OUR INSPECTIONS AS WE GET
[00:55:01]
A BETTER HANDLE ON THE INSPECTIONS AND SIMILAR MITIGATION STRATEGIES.SO YOU SHOULD BE SEEING THE, UH, THE SLIDE DECK, UM, JUST SHORTLY ON, LET'S SEE THE HANDCUFFS CLEMENS.
SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS SINCE THE LAST UPDATE, WE HAVE HAD A SIGNIFICANT CLEANING FOR THE HANDCUFFS OR A WATER TREATMENT PLANT, UH, THAT CONSISTS OF, IF YOU RECALL, AT THREE INTAKE STRUCTURES, AN UPPER INTAKE STRUCTURE, A MIDDLE INTAKE STRUCTURE, AND A LOWER INTAKE STRUCTURE AT ALL.
THOSE THREE, UH, SCREENS ARE CONNECTED BY 108 INCH INTAKE MANIFOLD WITH THAT CLOTHING THAT WAS PERFORMED IN MAY OF MAY.
THIS YEAR, THERE WAS VERY LITTLE ACCUMULATION IN THE LOWER INTAKE STRUCTURE.
UM, I BELIEVE YOU'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT, UM, THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.
SO, UM, I'M REFERRING TO THE INTAKE STRUCTURE THAT HAS THE TWO CLEANING SCREENS.
AND SO IF YOU ALSO RECALL SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE NOT DONE TO DATE IS BESIDES CLEAN THE SCREENS THAT MANIFOLD INTAKE PIPE HAS BEEN A DIFFICULT PART OF SOME OF OUR CLEANING PROCESSES.
SO WE DID, UH, WE DO HAVE A, UH, DRIVERS CONTRACT THAT WE UTILIZE TO DO, UH, CONFINED SPACE CLEANING.
AND SO THEY WENT IN AND CLEANED THAT 108 INCH INTAKE MANIFOLD, UM, IN PREPARATION FOR, UH, AS ACHIEVING THE GOAL OF HAVING A WALL WATER LINES, ZEBRA MUSCLES THREE.
AND SO IN DOING SO, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE GOALS THAT WE WANT TO INTAKE THAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE IS TO HAVE SAFER PREPARATIONS FOR OUR CONTRACT SERVICES, AS WELL AS FEWER DOWNTIME.
WHEN WE A, UH, YEAH, TIME WE TAKE THE, UM, THE RAW WATER SYSTEM OUT OF SERVICE, WE TAKE THE PLANT OUT OF SERVICE AND THAT A SIGNIFICANT UNDERTAKING WITH THE PLANNING WE HAVE TO LOOK AT, WHICH PLANTS ARE IN, IN SERVICE AS, SO IT IS A LARGE UNDERTAKING THEM, THE PLANNING PARTS.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT SAID WE DID, IF YOU KIND OF GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE ON, HANCOCK'S CLEANING YOU IN, THAT WAS THE SEED THREE INTAKE STRUCTURES.
AS I MENTIONED, UM, HAVE BEEN, UM, WE INCLUDED THE DIVING CONTRACT TO HELP EXTEND OUR CHEMICAL SEED LINES TO OF THE INTAKE STRUCTURES.
WHAT THIS DOES IS NOW AFTER CLEANING THESE INITIALLY IN MAY, IT ALLOWS US TO NOW FEED CHEMICAL AND PROTECT THAT RAW WATER PIPING SECTION.
AND SO AS, AS WE WORKED THROUGH SOME OF THE SPANNING SEASONS, WE'RE GOING TO SEE THROUGH INSPECTIONS, HOW EFFECTIVE THIS HAS BEEN.
AND SO THAT WAS A NEW PROCESS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE.
WE EXTENDED THE LINES WE'VE BEEN OPERATING IN THIS FASHION SINCE, SINCE MAY.
AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION.
I MENTIONED THAT SOME OF THE RECOMMENDED CLEANING INSPECTION TIMEFRAMES SHOULD BE SOMETIME BETWEEN DECEMBER AND MARCH.
WE'RE GOING TO EVALUATE THAT ON THE NEXT ROUND OF CLEANINGS FOR THE HANCOCK'S TO SEE HOW EFFECTIVE THIS NEW SETUP HAS BEEN.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, HOW THIS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE OTHER MAJOR FACILITIES.
ALSO, ALSO IN THE LAST UPDATE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT OUR PROGRESS TOWARDS, UM, SETTING UP THE TEMPORARY COPPER SULFATE FEED SYSTEMS AT THE OTHER TWO PLANTS, BOTH RICK AND DAVIS.
UM, SOME OF THE FEATHERS THAT YOU SEE ON HERE INCLUDE THEM FEED PIPING, FEED EQUIPMENT, PUMPS, CONTAINMENT, AND TOTES.
SO WE ARE TARGETED THIS MONTH TO START THE, UM, THE TEMPORARY FEED SYSTEMS WITH OVERT FIRST, AND THEN, UH, DAVIS LATER IN THIS MONTH TO START UP THE FEED SYSTEMS
[01:00:01]
THAT WILL HELP PROTECT OUR RAW WATER PIPING, INCLUDING, UH, UH, WELLS ARE NO SERVICE WELLS THERE AT THE FACILITIES ON THE UPPER RIGHT, IS A CONTAINMENT THAT INCLUDES THE HOUSING FOR THE PUMPS AND PIPING, UH, ON THE UPPER LEFT IS A KIND OF A SNAPSHOT OF THAT, UM, OF THAT PIPING SYSTEM AND PUMPING SYSTEM.AND THE LETTER LEFT IS THE TOTES LETTER AND ALSO IN CONTAINMENT SYSTEMS THAT ALSO INCLUDES SOME TEMPORARY MAKESHIFT AWNINGS FOR THESE TEMPORARY FACILITIES.
AS I MENTIONED, THE TARGET IS TO START UP THESE SOCIAL THINGS BY THIS MONTH, UM, AS EARLY AS THE MYTH, THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH TO END UP NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, OTHER MITIGATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THEM THROUGH THIS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION PHASES IS INCLUDED FOR THE FIRST TIME WE DID DO A INSPECTION OF A LONGHORN DAM THAT WAS COMPLETE, UM, IN SEPTEMBER ON SEPTEMBER THE THIRD.
AND THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME WHEN WE HAVE ASHLEY CLUNE LONG HORN DAM.
AND WE'RE GONNA, WE'VE LEARNED FROM THAT AND WE'RE GOING TO ADJUST OUR FREQUENCIES OF CLOONEY, THE GATES.
AND SO THAT'S, UH, UPCOMING UPDATES THAT WE'LL HAVE IN THE FUTURE AS WELL.
SOME OF THE OTHER, UM, PROPOSED OR INSPECTIONS AND CLUES INCLUDE, UH, SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER THE 14TH IS OVER A QUARTER OF A PLANT, UH, DIVING AND CLUES INSPECTIONS, AS WELL AS DAVID'S GOT A JUNE PLANT ON SEPTEMBER THE 28TH.
THIS IS A PREPARATION FOR THE STARTUP OF THE TWO TEMPORARY SYSTEMS THAT I JUST MENTIONED.
UM, WE WERE STARTED WORKING ON THE PERMANENT SYSTEMS, UH, AS OF THIS SUMMER WE'RE UNDER DESIGN, AND THAT SHOULD BE ABOUT AN EIGHT MONTH DESIGN SCHEDULE FELL BY A BID PHASE.
UM, WE'RE STILL CONSIDERING THE COPPER ON GENERATION SYSTEM AS THE LAST UPDATE WE HAD SIX MONTHS AGO, WE HAD NOT RECEIVED NSF CERTIFICATION AT ONE OF THE VENDORS THAT WAS ACHIEVED IN MARCH.
SO THAT'S STILL TOO, UH, IN UNDER CONSIDERATION, JUST KIND OF, UH, YOU KNOW, THE PICTURE ON THE LEFT OR ON THE RIGHT THERE IS AN OPERATOR SHOVELING SOME ZEBRA MUSCLES INTO A WHEEL BARREL THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU A SENSE OF THE AMOUNT OF FOCUS, UH, ENERGY, UH, SUPPORT THEY WERE TRYING TO ACHIEVE TO GET THE ZEBRA MESSER THREE WALL WATER PIPING SYSTEM FOR THIS YEAR, AND TO HELP, UH, IMPROVE THE RESILIENCY OF ALL THREE PLANTS.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER FOR ANY QUESTIONS, IF YOU HAVE ANY IN REGARDS TO ANY OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S PROVIDED.
THE, UH, INSPECTION OF LONGHORN DAM, HOW DID THAT TURN OUT? I AM STILL
UH, WE INITIATED THE INSPECTION AS WELL AS WE HAD A COUPLE OF PLANNING MEETINGS WITH THE VENDOR.
OBVIOUSLY WE DID THIS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND INCLUDED LONGHORN DAM, AND AS WELL AS OTHER FACILITIES, WE HAD INITIATED AN ACTUAL, UH, CLEAN, UH, SO A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, WE DID DO START THE PLANNING FOR THIS, UH, ACTUAL WORK.
UH, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT BUILDUP ON THE GATES AT, AND THAT'S WHY WE INITIATE THE CLUE.
I HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE REPORT BACK, UM, AS EARLY AS THIS WEEK.
SO I'LL DEFINITELY FOLLOW UP ON THE NEXT REPORT OUT ON WHAT THE PROGRESS AND SUCCESS OF THAT WAS.
BUT WE DID COMPLETE THAT PROBABLY IN A FULL DAY ON SEPTEMBER THE THIRD, BUT, BUT, UH, THE REASON I ASKED THE QUESTION I I'VE HEARD, UH, FROM PEOPLE THAT THE LONGHORN DAM IS IN SOME STATE OF DISREPAIR, IS THAT TRUE? AS FAR AS OUR MAINTENANCE STAFF, WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE CAN, UM, EXCHANGE AS, AS HYDRAULIC EQUIPMENT ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT, BUT, UH, WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING AND HAVING A MAINTENANCE PLAN IN MOTION.
SO AS FAR AS OTHER INVESTMENTS, I AM NOT IN TUNE WITH THAT, BUT,
[01:05:01]
UM, I CAN CHECK IN WITH ENGINEERING ON WHAT FUTURE PLANS FOR UPDATES FOR LONGHORN DAM OR, BUT I, I HAD HEARD THERE WERE SOME SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE DAM AND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY TO ME, I DON'T THINK IS THAT THEY'RE THAT SERIOUS, YOU'VE GOT MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS, AND THAT'S GOING TO TAKE CARE OF IT THAT, RIGHT.YOU'RE CLEAR COMMISSIONER,
WE HAVE A PLAN OR A NEURO STRUCTURAL ISSUES OF SIGNIFICANCE.
UH, WE WORK WITH AMY ON THE TRANSFER OF THAT ASSET TO, TO AUSTIN WATER AND, UH, AND, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE VERY CONFIDENT OF THE DAM AND, UH, COULD PROVIDE MORE DETAILS ON THAT IN A FUTURE BRIEFING IF DESIRED.
UM, SECOND QUESTION, HAS THE WATER DEPARTMENT CONSIDERED IN ANY WAY OF TRYING TO READ THE LAKES OF THE ZEBRA MUSSELS AND THE ANSWER MAY BE THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO DO SO WE CAN'T DO IT, BUT I'M ASKING THE QUESTION.
IS THERE ANY PROGRAM OR THOUGHT TO TRYING TO ADDRESS AND GET RID OF THESE THINGS? WE, WE KNEW OF NO STRATEGY TO DO THAT.
WE CONSULT REGULARLY WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION ON THE ZEBRA MUSSELS IN THE ROLE WATER.
AND, UH, AND, UM, WE DON'T KNOW.
I KNOW THERE ARE SOME EXPERIMENTAL ACTIVITIES WITH POTENTIALLY A BREEDING CHANGES, YOU KNOW, A GENETIC CHANGES WITH THE MUSCLES, BUT I THINK IT'S ALL THEORETICAL RIGHT NOW.
RECENT, I ASKED THE ZEBRA MUSSEL QUESTION IS, UH, I'VE HAD OCCASION TO, UH, ATTEND A FEW OF THESE, UH, TOXIC ALGAE PRESENTATIONS.
IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S ONE EVERY WEEK.
AND, UH, I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT THE TAX DALE AT ALGAE IS A DERIVATIVE OF THE ZEBRA MUSSELS INVADING THESE LAKES.
THEY HAVE ALTERED THE ECOSYSTEM TO THE POINT THAT IS LOUD, THIS, UH, THIS BAD ALGAE TO GET IN THERE.
SO OBVIOUSLY THE ZEBRA MUSCLES ARE A PROBLEM ON TO THEMSELVES, BUT THEN THEY CAUSE A SECONDARY PROBLEM.
ONE THAT I WOULD ARGUE IS NOT INSIGNIFICANT.
THE FACT THEY'VE GOT POISON LT EVERYWHERE.
SO, UH, WHEN, WHEN WE HAVE OUR PRESENTATION, UH, WHENEVER THAT GETS SCHEDULED TO THE WATER WASTEWATER COMMISSION, I THINK THE GENTLEMEN FROM THE CITY WILL, WILL COVER THAT, THAT THE ZEBRA MUSSELS ARE A BAD ACTOR IN THIS WHOLE BAD LAKE SITUATION.
I HAVE A QUESTION, MY SHIRT, THE CAPILLARY PLAN TO USE COPPER SULFATE B, IF THAT TURNS OUT TO BE WILDLY SUCCESSFUL.
UM, WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST MOTIVATORS OR THE PERMANENT SYSTEM? IS IT LONG TERM LIFE CYCLE COST? IS IT REDUCTION IN CHEMICAL? UM, I GUESS WHAT ARE THE REASONS TO, UM, PURSUE THE, UH, COPPER ION GENERATION SYSTEMS? WELL, I'LL START WITH THAT.
AND MAYBE SHE CAN HELP WITH, UH, ADDRESS SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, UH, CONTENT WITH THAT.
BUT RIGHT NOW, COMPARATIVELY, WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THE COST AND THEY SEEM TO BE, UM, ON PAR WITH EACH OTHER.
UH, ANOTHER PART OF THAT IS, UM, THE SOURCING OF HAVING TO NOT HAVE AS MANY DELIVERIES AND FACTOR THAT INTO THAT AS WELL.
WHAT BENEFIT THAT BRINGS, UH, WE DO SEE THAT WE ARE GETTING SUCCESS WITH LOWER DOSAGES THAN A RECOMMENDED FROM MANUFACTURER, AND WE'RE CONTINUE TO ADDRESS THOSE LOWER DOSAGES AND ADJUST AS NEEDED.
SO WE ARE GOING TO EVALUATE ALL THOSE INCLUDING, UH, ADDITIONAL BENEFITS THAT WE DEFINITELY HAVE NOT EVEN CONSIDERED YET, BUT I'M IN SHAPE.
YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL POINTS THAT YOU WANT TO MAKE THEM.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS MR. CHAIR? THIS IS MATT.
I'M JUST GOING TO ADD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND YOU MAY NOT HAVE IT TODAY, BUT MAYBE IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS BRIEFING.
UM, IT WILL BE VERY HELPFUL TO ALSO GET A UPDATE ON WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT, UH, THE NEW NORMAL WOULD THESE MUSCLE FROM A BIOLOGY STANDPOINT? UM, I RECALL
[01:10:01]
FROM LAST MEETING THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING SO DRASTIC THAT CAUSE A GREAT DIE OFF AND CREATING ISSUE THAT WOULD HAVE TO ADDRESS, UM, OR I GUESS, UH, CAUSE THE, UH, THE END USER TO NOTICE OR HAVING DISCOMFORT.UH, I IMAGINE AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS LEAVING, UH, LIVING WITH THESE MUSCLE, UH, THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE MIGHT KNOW MORE ABOUT THEIR BIOLOGY.
IS IT THE TEMPERATURE OF THE LAKE THAT AFFECT THEM? UH, THE TEPIDITY OR THE AMOUNT OF RAIN, THE AMOUNT OF RUNOFF.
UM, SO WHENEVER THAT IS READY TO SHARE, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO KNOW, AND I THINK IT WILL HELP ADDRESS THEM IN A CONCERN THAT COMMISSIONER MORIARTY HAD BROUGHT UP.
UM, SO MAYBE IN THE FUTURE Y'ALL CAN SHARE WHENEVER THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT I KNOW THAT THE LAST BRIEFING WE DID TALK ABOUT THAT THIS MAY BE AN ELEVATED REPRODUCTIVE ACTIVITY YEAR, AND THAT IN ORDER FOR US TO MAYBE ADDRESS WHETHER OR NOT THAT ACTUALLY HAS OCCURRED, WE WILL BE DOING IT.
ANOTHER INSPECTION THAT THE NEXT TWO ARE, LIKE I SAID, I WAS SCHEDULED FOR THIS MONTH.
AND THEN WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THE, HANCOCK'S SEE WHETHER OR NOT WE HAD ANY LOTUS DIFFERENCE IN SOME OF THE ELEVATED, PROPOSED OR PROJECTED ELEVATED REPRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES THAT THEY HAD SUGGESTED BACK SIX MONTHS AGO, COMMISSIONER CASTLEBERRY, THIS IS A TRACKING WAS THERE.
SO I WANTED TO, UH, ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON YOUR QUESTION.
THE COMMON ION SYSTEM LOOSENING SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGES TO LONGTERM OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, UH, STORING CHEMICALS ONSITE, HAVING CHEMICAL DELIVERY SYSTEMS AND PUMP ROOM, UH, IS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONALLY INTENSIVE FOR US.
IT TAKES UP A LARGER SPACE WHERE A COPPER ION SYSTEM IS VERY SMALL CONTAINED.
IT'S JUST A CHUNK OF COPPER, UH, EASIER TO MAINTAIN A SNIP SIGNIFICANTLY, A SMALLER FOOTPRINT.
AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE DETAILS THAT ARE DRIVING US TO GIVE SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO THAT COMMISSIONERS.
ANY QUESTIONS, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION
[E.1. Discussion of future agenda items.]
ITEM DISCUSSION, THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. AND WE'VE GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER HOLE ABOUT SOCIAL SPRAIN AND NOTHING SECOND THAT MY COMMISSION NO MONEY AT THE, AND ON THE FUTURE AGENDA.ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE, CAN SHE GO TO FOR FEATURE ITEMS, ANY HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE DISCUSSED? YEAH, JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION.
UM, ARE WE, AND HOW WE'RE HANDLING THESE ONLINE, UM, ARE ALL REQUESTS TO PARTICIPATE, BEING RESPONDED TO? UM, AND I, I GUESS THAT'S A QUESTION FOR STAFF.
I, UM, TRIED TO PARTICIPATE IN A SEPARATE, OBVIOUSLY THIS MEETING, BUT IN ACTUALLY THE WATER FORWARD GROUP AND I PUT A REQUEST IN NEVER REALLY GOT A RESPONSE.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW WE'RE, I GUESS, ENSURING THAT THIS IS AN OPEN PUBLIC PROCESS, UM, AND MAYBE, UM, JUST A REQUEST TO, TO AUSTIN WIRE OR EVEN CITY WHOEVER'S, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A PROCEDURE IN PLACE TO TRY TO CATCH, UM, THAT IT DOESN'T JUST FALL TO ONE PERSON, OR I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO CATCH THAT, BUT IT'S KIND OF AN IMPORTANT ROLE THAT WE'RE ALL SUPPOSED TO BE, YOU KNOW, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, UH, THIS IS A COMMUNITY PROCESS AND NOT JUST LIMITED TO THE PEOPLE HERE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO LEAVE THAT AND, AND ASPECT, MAYBE THERE BE SOME ATTENTION, MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S THERE'S, UM, OR MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR ANY REQUESTS AND RESPONDING TO THOSE.
I MIGHT SUGGEST IS MS.
[01:15:01]
THE BULK OF THE COMMISSION NEEDED THE COMMISSION APPROVAL COMMISSION, A COMMISSION TO APPROVE IT FOR ANY MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE OR WHATEVER.SOMETIMES WE ARE A MEMBER OF A SUB COMMUNITY
WE'LL HAVE ONE REPRESENTATIVE TO A CERTAIN MEETING OR WHATEVER, THEN AT LEAST IF IT'S AN INTERNAL, IF IT'S INTERNAL SUBCOMMITTEE, I THINK WE CAN HAVE AS MANY AS WE WANT, JUST LIKE A BUDGET COMMITTEE, SUB COMMITTEE.
WE CAN HAVE AS MANY AS YOU WANT, BUT FOR THE JOINT COMMITTEES, I THINK IT IS THAT MAYBE ONE MEMBERS WE PRESENTED PERMISSION TO A SUSTAINABILITY STUDY OR THE RESOURCE PLANNING COMMITTEE, I DON'T KNOW, THAT'S AN
ANY MORE HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS? OKAY.
IF NOT, THEN THE MEETING IS TURNED 18.