Feb 23, 2022 Austin Water Oversight Committee

THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

GIVE A, UM, SOME COMMENTARY HERE, I WANTED TO BRIEFLY RECAP THE VARIOUS INTERACTIONS COUNSEL HAS HAD WITH STAFF REGARDING THE RECENT, WHAT WATER BOILED EVENT THAT WE HAD.

AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALTRA HAS JOINED US.

SO OUR NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.

THERE WILL NOT BE A DIRECTOR'S REPORT TODAY, SO WE WILL MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR ON OUR AGENDA.

SO JUST TO

[2. Discussion and possible action on recommendations to Council for Council action on issues related to the February 5, 2022 boil water event.]

WE FIRST HELD THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING.

WE RECEIVED A, UH, MEMO OF THE INCIDENT, UH, DIRECTLY, I THINK, A FEW DAYS AFTER THE INCIDENT.

UM, THEN WE ALSO PARTICIPATED IN A Q AND A SESSION.

WE'VE HELD ADDITIONAL DISCUSSIONS AT OUR LAST WEEK'S COUNCIL MEETING.

UM, IN WHICH TIME COUNCIL ADOPTED A, UH, RESOLUTION LED BY OUR MAYOR PRO TEM CALLING FOR AN EXTERNAL AUDIT THAT WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE FIVE MOST RECENT INCIDENTS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH OUR UTILITY.

AND, UH, SO THIS TODAY'S MEETING OF AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT, OF COURSE, IS A CONTINUATION OF THAT CONVERSATION AS WELL AS TO ENSURE THAT, UM, WE ARE PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO LEARN MORE SO THAT QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED TO THE EXTENT THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.

UM, AND ALSO SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE, UM, IN OUR ROLE AS AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.

SO WITH THAT, I WILL, UH, WELCOME DIRECTOR MESZAROS WHO WILL PROVIDE US WITH THE LATEST UPDATES ON THE RECENT BOIL WATER EVENT.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL STAFF HERE THAT WILL BE PROVIDING SOME CONTENT FOR YOU IN TERMS OF, UH, OF BOIL WATER AND SOME OF THE OTHER AGENDA ITEMS TODAY.

SO I'LL TURN IT OVER FIRST TO KEVIN CRITTENTON, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, GOOD AFTERNOON CHAIR AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS.

IF WE CAN PULL UP THE PRESENTATION, I'M GOING TO START THIS AFTERNOON'S PRESENTATION, REALLY WITH PROVIDING A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERVIEW OF OUR OVERALL WATER TREATMENT PLANT AND HOW THE OVERALL WATER TREATMENT PLAN INTEGRATES INTO OUR WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, REALLY JUST TO PROVIDE SOME FRAMEWORK FOR A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF, OF HOW OUR OVERALL SYSTEM WORKS.

AND AGAIN, AS GREG MENTIONED, MY NAME IS KEVIN CRITTENDON I'M ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR AUSTIN WATER OVER OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AREA.

NEXT SLIDE.

UM, THIS IS A MAP OF OUR SERVICE AREA.

UM, THERE ARE NINE MAJOR PRESSURE ZONES IN OUR SERVICE AREA.

THOSE NINE ZONES ALLOW US TO PROVIDE A WATER UTILITY SERVICE IN INCREMENTALLY HIGHER ELEVATIONS THROUGHOUT OUR SERVICE AREA.

UM, JUST OVERALL OUR WATER SERVICE AREAS ABOUT FIVE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIFTY SIX SQUARE MILES IN AREA, WE SERVE 243,000 CONNECTIONS.

SORRY IF I CAN INTERRUPT JUST REAL QUICK.

COLLEAGUES WERE AN ITEM NUMBER TWO, ITEM NUMBER TWO.

I MISSPOKE.

UH, WE HAVE ABOUT A 540 SQUARE MILE PLANNING AREA, WHICH INCLUDES THE AREAS IN OUR EXTRA TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION.

AND, UH, OUR MAXIMUM, UH, DEMAND IS ABOUT 215 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.

AND WE HAVE ABOUT 185 MILLION GALLONS OF STORAGE IN OUR SYSTEM.

FROM THE SAME, UH, LIKE AUSTIN RESERVOIR SOURCE.

THIS GRAPHIC PROVIDES A BIT OF A DEPICTION OF HOW OUR WATER SYSTEM IS INTERCONNECTED AND HOW WE MOVE WATER FROM LOWER ELEVATIONS TO HIGHER ELEVATIONS IN THE SYSTEM.

ALL WORK WATER TREATMENT PLANT IS ONE OF THREE WATER TREATMENT PLANTS IN OUR SYSTEM.

UM, THEY ARE, UH, ORRICK AND DAVIS WATER TREATMENT PLANTS ARE DEPICTED AND KIND OF THE LOWER THIRD OF THIS GRAPHIC.

THERE ARE THE TWO GRAY BOXES JUST ABOVE LAKE AUSTIN.

UM, THOSE TWO WATER TREATMENT PLANTS TAKE A RAW WATER FROM LAKE AUSTIN AND THEN TREAT IT AND THEN PUMP IT INTO, UH, THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.

UM, UNIQUELY HANCOCK'S WATER TREATMENT PLANT IS, UM, ALSO LOOK, UH, IDENTIFIED IN THE SLIDE.

IT TAKES WATER OUT OF LAKE TRAVIS THAT'S, UM, PROVIDES US SOME ADDITIONAL WATER SUPPLY, UH, DIVERSITY SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE ALL OF OUR RAW WATER SUPPLY COMING

[00:05:01]

OVERALL, OUR THREE WATER TREATMENT PLANTS HAVE A CAPACITY OF 335,000 MILLION GALLONS, EXCUSE ME, 335 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.

UH, INDIVIDUALLY, UH, THAT BREAKS DOWN TO DAVIS WATER TREATMENT PLANT IS 118 MILLION GALLONS A DAY.

THAT'S ABOUT 15% OF OUR OVERALL TREATMENT PLANT CAPACITY.

UM, OUR ALDRICK WATER TREATMENT PLANT IS 167 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.

THAT'S ABOUT 50% OF OUR TREATMENT PLANT CAPACITY AND HANCOCKS, WHICH IS OUR NEWEST PLANT IS, UH, A 50 MILLION GALLON COULD THAT DAY CAPACITY.

AND THAT'S ABOUT 15% OF OUR OVERALL TREATMENT PLANT CAPACITY.

UM, ALL THREE PLANTS ARE LIME SOFTENING PLANTS.

THEY REMOVE HARDNESS FROM THE WATER THROUGH A PRECIPITATION PROCESS.

UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS SLIDE AND KIND OF HOW EACH OF THE PLANTS OPERATE TO PROVIDE SERVICE IN THE SYSTEM, UM, ALL RIGHT, PRIMARILY PROVIDES WATER SERVICE TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST ZONES, BUT DO PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF WATER SUPPLY FOR THE CENTRAL TREATMENT.

EXCUSE ME, THE CENTRAL PRESSURE ZONE DAVIS ON THE OTHER HAND PROVIDES A PRIMARY SUPPLY FOR NORTH AND SOME OF OUR NORTHWEST ZONES.

IT DOES PROVIDE SOME SERVICE INTO THE CENTRAL ZONE, BUT A LESSER AMOUNT THAN ALL REC.

AND THEN, UM, UM, HANCOCK'S WHO THEN PROVIDES WATER PRIMARILY TO THE NORTHWEST ZONES.

UM, WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY THROUGH HANCOCKS TO ACTUALLY DROP WATER DOWN INTO THE NORTH ZONE ON THIS PARTICULAR GRAPHIC IT'S SHOWN IS THAT SMALL OF VERTICAL LINE GOING FROM NORTHWEST AE TO THE NORTH ZONE.

SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF AN OVERVIEW ABOUT HOW THE WATER KIND OF MOVES, UM, IN ELEVATION THROUGHOUT OUR SYSTEM.

THIS IS A MAP OF OUR OVERALL WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.

THIS IS PRIMARILY OUR TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS, SO THESE ARE LARGER DIAMETER WATER, TRANSMISSION LINES, GENERALLY IN THE 30 INCH DIAMETER AND LARGER.

UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A FAIRLY ROBUST, UH, SYSTEM, UH, OVERALL OUR WATER, UH, TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, UH, REPRESENTS ABOUT 3,700 MILES OF PIPELINES THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.

UM, THOSE ALL WORK, UH, INTEGRATED TO EFFECTIVELY DISTRIBUTE WATER FROM EACH OF THE PLANTS AMONGST OUR VARIOUS, UH, PRESSURES ZONES.

UM, YOU CAN SEE THE SYSTEM STARTS UP NORTH, UM, AROUND THE AVERY RANCH SUBDIVISION, UH, IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY.

IT EXTENDS TO THE EAST TO THE EAST AUSTIN RESERVOIR NEAR A LAKE WALTER ELONG DROPS DOWN TO THE SOUTHERN PART OF OUR COMMUNITY.

UM, UH, THAT LAST LINE THAT'S SHOWN ON THE SLIDE.

THERE IS AROUND, UM, THE INTERSECTION OF AGE 35 AND STATE HIGHWAY 45, UH, NEAR THAT THE HAYES TRAVIS COUNTY LINE.

AND THEN IT MOVES WEST OUT TO, UM, THE THOMAS SPRINGS ROAD AREA WEST OF OAK HILL.

UM, ALL IN ALL OUR SYSTEM IS A HIGHLY INTEGRATED CONNECT COLLECTION OF PIPES, PUMPS, PLANTS, AND RESERVOIRS, AND ENABLES US TO EFFECTIVELY PROVIDE UTILITY SERVICE TO OUR CUSTOMERS.

THEY'RE QUITE CONSIDERABLE.

THIS IS JUST A FOCUS KIND OF A SMALLER SCALE OF PRIMARILY THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST ZONES AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, UM, ALL RIGHT, IS THE PRIMARY SUPPLY FOR THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST ZONES? UM, AGAIN, IT'S 167, UM, UH, 167 MILLION GALLONS A DAY CAPACITY.

THAT IS OUR SINGLE LARGEST WATER TREATMENT PLANT REPRESENTING ABOUT 50% OF OUR COMMUNITIES, UH, POTENTIAL WATER SUPPLY.

UM, BASICALLY THE, FROM, FROM THE ALRICH, UM, MEDIUM SERVICE PUMP STATION, WE PUMP WATER OUT OF ALRICH AND PUMP IT DOWN TO CENTER STREET AND OUR PILOT KNOB RESERVOIRS.

UM, THOSE RESERVOIRS ARE CAPABLE OF SERVING THE CENTRAL ZONE AND THEN CAN PUMP THAT WATER BACK TO THE DAVIS LANE PUMP STATION SEPARATELY.

WE CAN ALSO PUMP WATER OUT OF ALRICH FROM OUR HIGH SERVICE PUMP STATION AT ALL, RICK DIRECTLY TO THE DAVIS LANE PUMP STATION, AGAIN, TO PROVIDE RESILIENCE AND REDUNDANCY THROUGH OUR SYSTEM, UM, FROM THE DAVIS LANE PUMP STATION, THEN WE CAN PUMP UP TO THE SOUTHWEST PRESSURE ZONE.

SO SOUTHWEST A AND B AND C.

UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF RESERVOIRS IN SOUTHWEST AREA, INCLUDING LUTHERAN LANES, SLAUGHTER LANE, UM, THOMAS SPRINGS ROAD IN THE, UH, OAK HILL AREA.

SO, AND THEN AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, DAVIS WATER TREATMENT PLANT IS ALSO ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME SERVICE IN THE CENTRAL ZONE, BUT MUCH LESS VOLUME THAN WE CAN GET OUT OF THE ALRICH PLANT.

NEXT SLIDE.

AND THEN FINALLY, I WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH JUST, UH, A BIT OF, UH, UH, SOME PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON OVERALL TO IMPROVE AND ENHANCE THE RESILIENCY AND THE EFFICIENCY OVER WHICH WE CAN PROVIDE SERVICE THROUGHOUT

[00:10:01]

THE CITY.

UM, THERE ARE FIVE GROUPS OF PROJECTS THAT ARE, UM, THAT WE'RE WORKING ON TO TRY TO, AGAIN, CONTINUE TO ENHANCE OUR WATER TRANSMISSION SYSTEM.

UM, JUST IN ORDER, WE'VE GOT THE MCNEIL TRANSMISSION MCNEIL ROAD, TRANSMISSION MAIN THAT IS SHOWN IN THE BOX LABELED NUMBER ONE UP THERE AT THE TOP.

THAT'S ABOUT A 1.6 A MILE TRANSMISSION LINE MAIN IT'S A 72 INCH DIAMETER.

SO IT'S A VERY LARGE TRANSMISSION MAIN IT'S INTENDED TO ENHANCE OUR ABILITY TO MOVE WATER FROM OUR HANCOCK'S PLANT DOWN TO THE NORTH ZONE.

THE SECOND ON THE LIST ARE SOME SOUTHWEST PRESSURE ZONE RESILIENCY PROJECTS.

THAT'S IN THE BOX TOO IN THE WEST PART OF TOWN AND THE ORANGE YELLOW, EXCUSE ME, ORANGE AND PINK AREAS IN THE SOUTHWEST.

UM, ULTIMATELY THAT WOULD BE A PROJECT TO PROVIDE A 2 MILLION GALLON, UH, ELEVATED STORAGE TANK IN OUR SOUTHWEST BE PRESSURE ZONE.

ALSO, IT WOULD PROVIDE A TWO MILE 24 INCH, UH, TRANSMISSION LINE TO HELP PROVIDE RESILIENCY TO THAT AREA.

AND THEN SOME, UH, SOUTHWEST A PUMP, UH, OUT SOUTHWEST A ZONE PUMP STATION IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL.

UH, THE THIRD GROUP OF PROJECTS IS OUR SOUTH 35 AND FAR SOUTH PRESSURE ZONE PROJECTS.

THOSE ARE, UH, BOX THREE ON THAT GRAPHIC THAT THE VERY SOUTHERN PART OF OUR SYSTEM THAT'S TO BUILD A 3 MILLION GALLON ELEVATED STORAGE TANK, UM, JUST EAST OF TO MEET SOME GROWTH, UH, NEEDS FOR THAT EXTREME PART OF OUR SYSTEM.

UM, THE FOURTH SET OF PROJECTS IS OUR DAVIS WATER TREATMENT PLANT MEDIUM SERVICE TRANSMISSION LINE.

AND THAT'S A VERY AMBITIOUS PROJECT.

IT'S ABOUT, IT'LL PROBABLY BE CONDUCTED IN TWO PHASES AT 6.5 MILES OF 84 INCH WATER TRANSMISSION LINE.

THAT PRIMARY GOAL IS TO BE ABLE TO HELP MOVE WATER OUT OF OUR DAVIS WATER TREATMENT PLANT, UH, INTO THE CENTRAL ZONE.

SO THAT'S ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE BURDEN ON THE ORRICK PLANT IN THE CENTRAL ZONE.

AND THEN FINALLY, THE NORTH PRESSURE ZONE ENHANCEMENTS.

THERE'S A SERIES OF SIX PROJECTS IN THAT BOX, NUMBER FIVE.

UM, AND AGAIN, THOSE PROJECTS, UM, THE NORTH PRESSURE, EXCUSE ME, THAT AREA OF THE SERVICE AREAS CONTINUES TO GROW.

UM, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITIES IN THOSE AREAS FOR US TO DO.

I THINK THERE'S SIX INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS TO BE ABLE TO BETTER MOVE WATER FROM WEST TO EAST IN THAT AREA, ALL TOLD THESE PROJECTS ARE ABOUT $300 MILLION WORTH OF INVESTMENT AND WOULD LIKELY TAKE PLACE.

I MEAN, WE'RE ALREADY IN VARIOUS STAGES OF PLANNING AND DESIGN, BUT IT WILL PROBABLY TAKE US IN THE 15 TO 20 YEARS TO EXECUTE ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS.

SO WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENT, UH, THE PREPARED PART OF THE PRESENTATION.

SO I'M AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS OR WE CAN, UH, AS YOU'VE LIKED.

THANK YOU, COLLEAGUES.

AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, GOING OVER DOING A MORE IN-DEPTH, UM, OVERVIEW OF THE ONWARD PLAN.

WHAT CAME TO LIGHT AT OUR LAST COUNCIL MEETING, UM, IN PART OF CON, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM ALTERS RESOLUTION WAS THE UNIQUE ROLE THAT ALL WORK PLAYS IN OUR DISTRIBUTION CENTER, UH, SYSTEM.

AND SO IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO KIND OF HAVE AN OVERVIEW OF, OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

AND I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO FOR JOINING US TODAY, UH, COLLEAGUES, ANY, ANY QUESTIONS AIR PER TIME.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS UNDERSTANDING THE NUMBERS FOR HOW MUCH DAVIS SERVED AND HANCOCK.

CAUSE I HAD THEM BOTH AT 15%, BUT WITH WILDLY DIFFERENT NUMBERS, I THINK I MIGHT'VE WRITTEN, I'M GONNA HAVE TO ASK YOU TO REPEAT THAT.

I'M SORRY.

SO CAN YOU TELL ME, UM, THE MILLIONS OF GALLONS THAT ARE SERVED OUT OF DAVIS AND OUT OF HANCOCK'S BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU SAID THEY WERE THE SAME PERCENTAGE, BUT THE NUMBERS SOUNDED DIFFERENT TO ME.

SO I WAS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SAID.

THE DAVIS WATER TREATMENT PLANT CAPACITY IS 118 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.

AND THAT'S ABOUT 35% OF OUR TOTAL PRODUCTION CAPABILITY.

ALRICH IS 167 AND THAT'S RIGHT AT 50% OF OUR TOTAL PRODUCTION CAPABILITY.

AND THEN HANCOCK'S IS 50 MGD AND THAT'S ABOUT 15% HE'S AROUND NUMBERS.

SPEAKING, FOLLOWING THE AFTER ACTION REPORT, UM, FROM THE WINTER STORM URI, UM, WE LOOKED AT A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS.

UM, SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS A LOT.

SO TODAY YOU DIDN'T TALK ABOUT, UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT SORT OF THE SYSTEM IN GENERAL.

UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, CHANGES AT OLRICK THAT ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED RIGHT NOW DUE TO THE AFTER ACTION REPORT FOR THE 2020 BOIL WATER NOTICE OR THE 2018? UM, AND I MAY HAVE TO ASK FOR A LITTLE BIT OF HELP FROM THE CROWD HERE, BUT, UM, GENERALLY

[00:15:01]

MANY OF THEM FOCUSED ON HARDENING THE ORRICK PLANT SPECIFICALLY, PARTICULARLY WITH RELATED, WITH RESPECT TO A POWER SUPPLY.

UM, AND I MIGHT ACTUALLY ASK SHAY TO COME ON UP AND TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICS, BUT WE HAVE DONE SOME WORK.

WE WERE ALREADY IN THE THROES OF COMPLETING SOME WORK AT ALL REC ON, UM, UM, UPDATING SOME GEAR AT, UH, THE LOW SERVICE PUMP STATION.

AND THEN WE HAVE A VARIETY OF OTHER PROJECTS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON WITH AUSTIN ENERGY.

SO I'LL GET SHADY TO JUMP IN GOOD AFTERNOON.

UM, MY NAME IS SHEA ROLSON AND I'M THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES.

SO, UH, THE KEVIN, THE PROJECTS THAT KEVIN REFERRED TO, WE HAVE THE LOW SERVICE PUMP STATION ELECTRICAL FEED RENEWAL PROJECT, WHICH IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW.

THAT IS A OVERALL ELECTRICAL RESILIENCY PROJECT THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON WITH AUSTIN ENERGY.

UM, THE 2018 FLOOD RESULTED IN POLYMER FEED SYSTEMS BEING INSTALLED AT ORRICK.

AND THERE ARE CURRENTLY, UH, GOING INTO CONSTRUCTION AT DAVIS AND HANCOCK'S THE, UM, UH, ZEBRA MUSCLE EVENT RESULTED IN, UM, THE, UH, SYSTEM BEING INSTALLED, WHICH IS A CHEMICAL FEED SYSTEM FOR ZEBRA MUSCLE CONTROL.

AND WE HAVE A LONGER-TERM PROJECT TO DO COPPER ION SYSTEM FOR ZEBRA MUSSEL CONTROL AT ORRICK AT ALL THREE PLANTS.

AND THE, UM, AFTER WINTER STORM URI, OUR FOCUS WAS ON, UM, WINTER RESILIENCY, COLD WEATHER RESILIENCY, LIKE KEVIN TALKED ABOUT AS WELL AS ELECTRICAL RESILIENCE EFFORTS WITH AUSTIN ENERGY.

THEY'RE WORKING ON A NUMBER OF IMPROVEMENTS TO THE BEE CREEK SUBSTATION THAT SERVES ALL REC THANK YOU.

AND THE ELECTRICAL, UH, RESILIENCY EXAMPLE THAT YOU GAVE FIRST.

UM, I KNOW WE NEED TO IMPROVE THAT POST URI, BUT AM I CORRECT? THAT THAT WAS ALREADY IN THE WORKS BEFORE URI YES.

HAPPENED? YES.

BECAUSE AS I RECALL, WE HAD, WE HAD APPROVED A CONTRACT IN DECEMBER OR JANUARY.

IT JUST WASN'T FINISHED YET WHEN THE STORM HIT THAT'S RIGHT.

YOU APPROVED THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT, UH, FOR THE LOW SERVICE PUMP STATION ELECTRICAL FEED RENEWAL PROJECT IN JANUARY OF 2021.

UM, IN TERRA, IS THERE, ARE WE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT WE KNOW AT THIS POINT, UM, ABOUT THE RECENT INCIDENT OR FROM MY, THE ONLY POINT IN THE AGENDA TO TALK ABOUT IT? THIS IS THE ITEM TO TALK ABOUT IF THERE IS ANY NEW INFORMATION ABOUT THE BOIL WATER INCIDENT, UH, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING STAFF DOES NOT HAVE ANY NEW INFORMATION TO SHARE, BUT OF COURSE WE COULD ASK THE DIRECTOR TO SPEAK TO THEM.

UH, DURING THAT TIME AND HOW WE CAN TIE TOGETHER, UM, UH, ALARMS AND, AND, UH, AND ACTIONS AND DATA LOGS AND EMPLOYEE, UH, INTERVIEWS, UH, INTO A, INTO A MORE COMPLETE PICTURE CANCER KITCHEN.

UH, WE DID DISTRIBUTE AN UPDATED, UM, Q AND A TO, UH, THE COUNCIL TODAY.

UM, AT LEAST HEATHER THAT'S CORRECT, ISN'T IT? YES.

SO THAT, UH, DOCUMENTED, UH, QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED FROM THE DAYAS DURING THE WORK SESSION ON THURSDAY, OR EXCUSE ME, UH, LAST TUESDAY, AS WELL AS, UH, UM, UH, ADDING ADDITIONAL, UH, Q AND A, UH, CONTENT, UM, FROM, UH, OTHER QUESTIONS THAT WERE POSTED OR ENHANCED.

SO YOU DO HAVE AN UPDATED Q AND A, UH, WE DO HAVE, UM, UH, PLANNED EXECUTIVE SESSION ON, UH, TUESDAY NEXT WEEK TO TALK ABOUT A FEW OF THE SPECIFIC SCADA QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED.

UH, WE FELT AS I COMMUNICATED TO YOU ON THURSDAY, THAT THOSE QUESTIONS, UH, INVOLVING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE STRUCTURE AND POTENTIAL CYBER SECURITY RISKS, THAT THOSE ARE BEST TO BE, UM, ADDRESSED IN A CLOSED SESSION.

AND WE'RE GEARING UP FOR THAT, UH, WITH YOU ALL ON TUESDAY.

AND THEN THERE'S A SERIES OF QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED THAT ARE CONNECTED TO OUR INVESTIGATORY PROCESSES ON, UM, THE, UH, THE ACTIONS THAT WE'RE TAKING, UH, BY VARIOUS STAFF ON DUTY, UH, UH, DURING THE EVENT.

AND THOSE WILL BE PROVIDED WHEN WE COMPLETE THE INVESTIGATION PROCESS ITSELF.

AND AS I INDICATED ON THURSDAY, WE ANTICIPATED THAT BEING APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS.

AND, UH, AND WE'RE ON COURSE FOR THAT SCHEDULE THAT WOULD PUT US, UM, PROBABLY COMPLETING OUR INVESTIGATORY, UH, REPORTING, UH, BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK OR THEREABOUTS.

AND, UH, AND I THINK THEN, THEN THERE'LL BE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO GO INTO MORE DETAIL, UH, HOLISTICALLY OF, UH, OF, OF WHAT TRANSPIRED OPERATIONALLY,

[00:20:01]

UM, SO, AND I'M JUST TRYING TO RECALL THE, THE SCOPE OF THE, OF THE ANALYSIS THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED THAT WILL BE READY AND I GUESS END OF NEXT WEEK, OR WHATEVER YOU JUST SAID IN TERMS OF TIME, UM, DOES THAT, UH, THAT SHOULD ALSO INCLUDES RECOMMENDATIONS, CORRECT? UH, YES.

ALTHOUGH WE WILL DO, I THINK ADDITIONAL, UH, WORK ON, UH, AFTER ACTION RECOMMENDATIONS.

UM, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE A, OF, OF, OF ALL OF THOSE IN A PRETTY GOOD WAY, UH, WHEN WE COMPLETE THAT PROCESS AND WE'VE SHARED SOME OF THOSE IN THE Q AND A ALREADY STEPS THAT WE'VE TAKEN, YOU KNOW, TO, TO MEET WITH ALL THE STAFF, TO ENHANCE ALARMS, TO, UH, HAVE MORE, UM, UH, MORE, UH, NOTICES OF, OF, UH, TURBIDITY DATA OUTSIDE OF THE OPERATION STAFF ON DUTY.

SO SOME OF THOSE ACTIONS HAVE HAPPENED OR ARE HAPPENING NOW, BUT, BUT AGAIN, THERE MAY BE OTHER RECOMMENDED STEPS, INCLUDING THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ALSO IN THE Q AND A ABOUT STRENGTHENING, UM, TRAINING OR FILLING VACANCIES THAT THERE ARE, I THINK, YOU KNOW, UH, BESIDES INFRASTRUCTURE AND SCADA CHANGES, PROBABLY OTHER STEPS THAT WE WOULD WANT TO TAKE ON, ON JUST STRENGTHENING THE, THE, UH, THE STAFF SIDE OF, OF THIS.

AND THEN THE TUESDAY EXECUTIVE WORK SESSION WILL GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET INTO SOME DETAIL WITH REGARD TO THE, UM, THE SYSTEMS. YEAH.

JUST SPECIFICALLY SCADA.

I MEAN, THERE WERE QUESTIONS, LIKE, WHAT IS ALARMED? UH, DID THE ALARMS GO OFF? WHAT IS CONTROLLED THROUGH SCADA? WHAT IS NOT CONTROLLED THROUGH SCADA? AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S MAYBE LIKE A HANDFUL OF QUESTIONS OF THAT SORT, MAYBE, UH, FOUR OR FIVE OR THEREABOUTS.

AND WE WERE PLANNING TO PROVIDE SOME INPUT ON THAT.

UM, WE'RE NOT PLANNING ON, LIKE, WE WON'T, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE WHOLE INVESTIGATION COMPLETED.

NO, NO, I'M NOT ASKING THAT.

I THINK THAT, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY ON TUESDAY, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, PART OF WHAT PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ABOUT AND WE'RE ALL CONCERNED ABOUT IS, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO STRENGTHEN THE USE OF THOSE SYSTEMS, YOU KNOW, FROM A TECHNOLOGY STANDPOINT OR A PROCESS, YOU KNOW, WORKFLOW, PROCESS STANDPOINT.

SO, UM, AND, AND I, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE, AS YOU HAVE MENTIONED, UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR SECURITY AROUND THE DISCUSSION ON THOSE SYSTEMS. SO I THINK THAT THAT WILL PROVIDE US A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.

AND THEN OF COURSE THE, YOU KNOW, THE CHANGES, THE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WILL, THAT YOU ALL WILL END UP, UH, MAKING IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND.

SO THANK YOU.

AND COLLEAGUES, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT THERE WAS THE UPDATED Q AND A MEMO SENT AS PART OF OUR COMMITTEE BACKUP.

AND THAT WAS EMAILED THIS MORNING AT 8:19 AM.

UM, IT'S EXTENSIVE, IT'S 13 PAGES, AND IT LOOKS TO BE COMPREHENSIVE AND PROVIDING RESPONSES TO THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE POSED DURING LAST WEEK, SPECIAL CALLED MEETING.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, CUSTOMER TOBA CHAIR.

I WOULD JUST ASK OUR CITY STAFF IF THEY HAVEN'T, I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S POSTED ON THE BACKUP, BUT IF THEY COULD ALSO MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS DISTRIBUTED TO THE COUNCIL AT LARGE, SO THAT THOSE OF US NOT ON THE COMMITTEE ALSO GET IT.

I DON'T BELIEVE I GOT AN EMAIL THIS MORNING.

PLEASE TAKE THOSE STEPS.

COULD OCCUR AT FUTURE WORK SESSIONS OR, OR COUNCIL MEETINGS, OR HOWEVER, THE COUNCIL BEST DECIDED THEY WANTED TO DO THAT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH DIRECTOR MS. TORRES MAYOR PRO TEM.

AND SO IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY, WE'LL HAVE THAT REPORT OUT AT THE END OF NEXT WEEK.

NOW IS THE PLAN TO BRING THAT FOR PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL.

WE DON'T HAVE ANOTHER, A WALK MEETING UNTIL MAY.

SO I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT YOUR QUESTION, I'M SORRY.

I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO DUPLICATE WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE MAIN COUNCIL MEETING AND AT AWOL, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANOTHER MEETING UNTIL MAY.

UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT THE PLAN WAS IN TERMS OF WHEN THAT REPORT COMES OUT IN TERMS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UH, PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF IT.

WELL, WE, WE, UH, WE WOULD, UH, ONCE THE REPORT'S FINALIZED, WE WOULD RELEASE IT, UH, I THINK PROBABLY SEND IT TO THE COUNCIL, UH, VIA SOME KIND OF CORRESPONDENCE, UM, REDACTING, IF THERE'S ANYTHING OF, OF, UH, YOU KNOW, CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE NATURE, BUT A BIG PART OF THIS REPORT WILL BE, YOU KNOW, MORE ON STEPS TAKEN OR NOT TAKEN BY STAFF.

AND, AND, UH, AT LEAST THAT, THAT, THAT WAS OUR PLAN.

I DON'T, I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE A BRIEFING SCHEDULED FOR THE COUNCIL RIGHT NOW, BUT I'M SURE THAT COULD, UH, THAT

[00:25:01]

OH, MAYBE OUR CHAIR CAN WORK OUT WHAT WOULD BE BETTER AT THE FULL COUNCIL OR IF WE NEED TO HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING OF OUR YES.

AND THEN WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THAT, UM, TOWARDS THE END OF TODAY'S MEETING.

SO I WOULD LOVE TO GET SOME ON THAT CUSTOMER POOL.

I WAS ALSO WONDERING IF ANY OF THE INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF THEIR COMMUNITY WANTED TO HAVE A TOWN HALL WHERE AUSTIN WATER COULD COME AND ANSWER QUESTIONS DIRECTLY FROM THE PUBLIC IN PROBABLY A SMALLER VENUE THAN MAYBE CITY HALL AT ONE OF THE REC CENTERS OR SOMETHING, WHICH IS WHERE I'VE DONE MINE IN THE PAST, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD MAYBE, UM, ARRANGE FOR, AND THEN IT COULD, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT MAY BE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO BE OUT IN THE PUBLIC TO TALK DIRECTLY WITH THE RESIDENTS, AS OPPOSED TO US, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY FIELDING THE QUESTIONS.

IT WOULD GIVE THE RESIDENTS AN ACTUAL OPPORTUNITY TO DIRECT THE QUESTIONS TO YOU ALL.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WOULD BE REALLY, REALLY HELPFUL TO, UM, MY COLLEAGUES AND ME, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AUSTIN WATER WOULD BE WILLING TO CONTEMPLATE, I THINK YES, IF COUNSEL, UH, IF THEY HAVE THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW WE CAN ASSIST IN THAT, WE WOULD CERTAINLY BE, BE OPEN TO THAT.

I THINK WE'RE KIND OF AT A PLACE WHERE WE'RE ASKING THE QUESTIONS AND YOU ALL ARE RESPONDING AND WE ARE GETTING QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY, BUT WHAT'S MISSING IS THEM BEING ABLE TO SIT IN THE SAME ROOM WITH Y'ALL AND, AND ASK SOME QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, AND KIND OF HAVE A FORMAT ALONG THOSE LINES.

I THINK THAT MAY BE THE NEXT, THE NEXT STEP THAT WE'D LIKE TO TAKE, AS OPPOSED TO EVERYBODY JUST KIND OF FOCUSING ON THE COUNCIL, BEING INTERLOCUTOR.

I, I'D KIND OF LIKE TO HAVE THE CITIZENS BE ABLE TO HAVE DIRECT ACCESS.

THAT'D BE GREAT.

THANKS.

AND THAT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION CUSTOMER POOL, AND WE DO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE'LL BE CONSIDERING LATER, YOU'RE ACTUALLY HERE SHORTLY IN A FEW MINUTES, SO THAT MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO PROVIDE DIRECTION.

SO NEXT UP, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO A PRESENTATION BY RANDY JENKINS ON BILL CREDIT TO AUSTIN WATER CUSTOMERS.

HI, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MEMBERS.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING US THIS AFTERNOON AS MENTIONED.

MY NAME IS RANDY JENKINS.

I'M ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE FOR AUSTIN WATER.

SO IN RESPONSE TO, UM, THE IMMENSE FRUSTRATION FELT BY OUR CUSTOMERS THAT WE CERTAINLY SHARE AT AUSTIN WATER, WE ARE PROPOSING A RECOMMENDED GOODWILL BILL CREDIT, UM, AT THE ACCOUNT LEVEL FOR, UM, RESIDENTIAL MULTI-FAMILY CAP CUSTOMERS, AS WELL AS MULTIFAMILY AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS.

AND SO, UM, WE DID A LOT OF NUMBER CRUNCHING, UM, AND UTILIZED HISTORICAL AVERAGE FOR FEBRUARY CONSUMPTION AND TAKING THAT FEBRUARY CONSUMPTION AT EACH ACCOUNT LEVEL FOR RESIDENTIAL MULTIFAMILY AND COMMERCIAL, UM, BETWEEN 40 AND FAT HISTORICAL, FEBRUARY CONSUMPTION IS THE RECOMMENDED BILL CREDIT.

SO, UM, THE GALLONAGE EQUAL FOR RESIDENTIAL AND MULTIFAMILY CAP IS A $10 ACCOUNT LEVEL CREDIT MULTIFAMILY, A $75 CREDIT AND COMMERCIAL, A $50 CREDIT.

I KNOW, UM, SEVERAL QUESTIONS HAVE COME UP THROUGH YOUR OFFICES AND, AND TO US AT AUSTIN WATER ABOUT WASTEWATER AVERAGING AND LEAK ADJUSTMENTS.

AND, UM, STAFF HAS SUBSTANTIALLY REVIEWED OUR WASTEWATER AVERAGING CALCULATION AND LEAK ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED TO DATE AND IN COMPARISON TO WINTER STORM YURI, UM, IT THERE'S REALLY NO COMPARISON.

WE'RE SEEING NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW FOR SUBMITTED LEAK ADJUSTMENTS IS ABOUT A HUNDRED CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE SUBMITTED FOR THAT BASED OUT OF, YOU KNOW, OUR WINTER WEATHER IN EARLY FEBRUARY, AS OPPOSED, UM, WINTER STORM YURI, WE WERE IN TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS REACHING OUT FOR ASSISTANCE.

UM, SO WE'RE HANDLING THOSE LEAK ADJUSTMENTS AND WASTEWATER AVERAGING CALCULATIONS MANUALLY, ALREADY TO DATE.

AND SO OUR PROPOSAL IS, UM, JUST A STRAIGHT ACCOUNT LEVEL CREDIT, UM, IN THESE AMOUNTS FOR ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS.

SO WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE FOR US.

ANY QUESTIONS, COLLEAGUES? OKAY.

VICE CHAIR, KITCHEN COLLEAGUES.

NEXT.

I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.

THE LAYOUT, MY RECOMMENDATION FOR DISCUSSION IS THERE A SECOND? THANK YOU.

I'D LIKE TO TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO THE RESOLUTION PROVIDED TO YOU TODAY.

THIS ITEM WOULD DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO

[00:30:01]

EXPLORE A FEW DIFFERENT MITIGATION OPTIONS TO ADDRESS THE IMPACTS FROM THE RECENT BOWL WATER EVENT.

FIRST, THE RESOLUTION WOULD, UH, WOULD DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO PROVIDE OPTIONS TO ADDRESS ANY ADVERSE WATER BILL IMPACTS EXPERIENCED BY AUSTIN WATER CUSTOMERS.

IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE AS WHAT WAS JUST SHARED.

UM, THIS IS ACTION IS SIMILAR TO WINTER STORM AREA, BUT WE KNOW THAT WINTER STORM ERIE IS MUCH SMALLER IN SCALE IN TERMS OF THE LENGTH OF THE DURATION OF THE EVENT.

AND SECOND, THIS ITEM WOULD ALSO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO EXPLORE THE POTENTIAL OF REALLOCATING EXISTING FUNDS FROM WITHIN THE AUSTIN WATER BUDGET TO SERVE AS AN INVESTMENT IN THE UTILITIES WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE, THE POTENTIAL AMOUNT SHOULD BE BASED ON THE AMOUNT THAT COULD BE PROVIDED TO CUSTOMERS THROUGH UTILITY BILL RELIEF.

AND SO I WANT TO BE SURE COLLEAGUES THAT WE HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THOSE RELIEF DOLLARS MIGHT BE USED INSTEAD TO REINVEST IN THE UTILITIES, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.

WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT WHAT YOUR STORM ERIE EXPOSED, HOW VULNERABLE OUR COMMUNITY IS WHEN IT COMES TO EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS AND THE BREAKDOWN AND INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT THIS MOST RECENT BOIL WATER EVENT EXPOSED THE EXISTING VULNERABILITIES WITHIN OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS.

AND SO ULTIMATELY WE NEED ALL THE INFORMATION LAID OUT BEFORE US, BEFORE WE CAN MAKE A DETERMINATION ON THE BEST USE OF CITY DOLLARS AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

SO WITH YOUR SUPPORT TODAY, THIS RECOMMENDATION, UH, WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE MARCH 3RD COUNCIL AGENDA WITH THE DIRECTION TO COME BACK TO US WITH RECOMMENDATIONS ON MARCH 24TH, ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.

AND, UM, SO THIS WOULD BE WHAT THE, WHAT, WHAT, UH, STAFF HAS SHARED, UM, ENSURING THAT THERE IS AN OPTION FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ANY ADVERSE IMPACTS.

WE KNOW THAT WE'RE IN A WATER WASTEWATER AVERAGING PERIOD.

UH, SO YOU WANT TO BE SURE TO BE ABLE TO OFFER A GOODWILL CREDIT.

UH, AND, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF, UH, IF WE USE THOSE DOLLARS TO REINVEST IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE.

SO HAVING THOSE OPTIONS LAID OUT FOR US, UM, TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AS A FULL COUNCIL, UH, WOULD COME BACK TO US.

YES, MAYOR PRO TEM.

UM, I APPRECIATE THE ADDITIONS AND CHANGES HERE AND YOU BRINGING THIS FORWARD.

UM, I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION.

UM, THE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, THE ONE THAT'S IN RED, UM, AS I UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU JUST SAID, IT WAS LIKE, BASICALLY WE HAVE AN OPTION OF WHETHER WE WANT TO GIVE YOU A REBATE, THIS GOODWILL REBATE, OR IF WE WANT TO REINVEST THAT MONEY TO SAFEGUARD THE SYSTEM IN SOME WAY.

UM, SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE CAN CHANGE THAT INTO SOUTHERN AND A REALLOCATION OF RELOCATION INTO, UM, CAUSE IT WAS A LITTLE BIT, UM, CONFUSING TO ME BECAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD REINFORCE WHAT YOU WERE, WHAT YOU WERE THAT MAKES SENSE.

ANY OBJECTIONS WITH THAT CHANGE.

THANKS CHAIR.

I REALLY LIKE THIS RECOMMENDATION OF THE INVESTMENT INTO THE INFRASTRUCTURE, BECAUSE THE REALITY IS THE ACTUAL A KIND OF A, A CREDIT WOULD BE A FAIRLY MINIMAL AMOUNT IS I'M UNDERSTANDING PROBABLY LESS THAN $10.

ON THE OTHER HAND, IT WOULD COST THE CITY HAVE UPWARDS OF $2 MILLION TO MAKE THOSE ALLOCATIONS.

AND WE COULD INSTEAD PUT THAT MONEY TOWARD THE VERY NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS THAT THAT CLEARLY ARE, ARE NECESSARY AND THAT WE ALL SUPPORT AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE ACCOMPLISHED.

SO I THINK THIS IS A REALLY GREAT RECOMMENDATION AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR BRINGING FORWARD.

ANY FURTHER YES, DIRECTOR.

SO, UH, I JUST, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST CLARIFY MY UNDERSTANDING AND I, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE HERE, BUT WE HAD SHARED A CHAIR, SOME THOUGHTS ON THIS, UM, THAT WE WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT WE JUST, WE NOT USE TERMINOLOGY IN TERMS OF ONLY INFRASTRUCTURE, LIKE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE MIGHT BRING FORWARD THAT WOULD HELP US REDUCE RISK IN THE, IN THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THIS LATEST EVENT MADE ALSO INCLUDE OPERATIONAL ENHANCEMENTS.

SO WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGE THE LANGUAGE WHEN WE HAD SUGGESTED SOME LANGUAGE TO THAT EFFECT.

UM, I, I JUST EMPHASIZING, I HOPE THAT THAT GOT TO YOU ALL, UH, IN, IN TERMS OF, OF A, OF A SUGGESTED, UM, CHANGE TO THAT.

THAT WE WOULD WANT TO REINVEST IN ENHANCED TRAINING, UH, ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT VACANCIES, I DON'T KNOW, BUT WE JUST WERE LOOKING TO MAKE THE LANGUAGE AS FLEXIBLE AS POSSIBLE.

THANK YOU, DIRECTOR.

UM, WE WILL TRY AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY WAY TO MAKE ANY TWEAKS TO THE LANGUAGE.

DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TWEAKS TO THE LANGUAGE? WE, I DON'T KNOW.

HEATHER, DO YOU HAVE THE COPY OF IT HERE? YEAH, BUT BASICALLY IT WAS JUST A, IT ORIGINALLY STARTED OFF AS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND, AND WHILE THAT, THAT CERTAINLY IS POSSIBLE, BUT, UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE MIGHT BE OPERATIONAL EXPENSES

[00:35:01]

UM, AND, UH, AND, AND I THINK WE HAD JUST SAID, UM, UH, RE REALLOCATION, UM, UH, INTO THE UTILITIES OPERATING BUDGET OR UTILITIES FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN IN, IN LIEU OF A REFUND, WHATEVER THE COUNCIL DETERMINED WAS BEST.

WE COULD PROVIDE THOSE INPUT POINTS TO THE COUNCIL WHEN WE COME BACK ON THIS RESOLUTION.

GOTCHA.

MAYOR PRO TEM.

UM, WE CAN KEEP WHAT WE HAVE.

I JUST HAD A SUGGESTION BASED ON WHAT HE SAID, AND WE CAN CONSIDER, UM, THE CITY MANAGER IS DIRECTED TO ALSO PROVIDE, UM, ALTERNATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO REDUCE RISK, UM, WHICH MAY INVOLVE A ONE-TIME REALLOCATION INTO THE UTILITIES OPERATING BUDGET OR THE UTILITIES FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN IN LIEU OF DIRECT BAIL RELIEF TO CUSTOMERS.

BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT WOULD CAPTURE THE IDEA.

YUP.

THAT WOULD BE DEFINITELY MORE IN LINE.

UM, SO TRY TO REPEAT THAT.

YES, PLEASE.

THE CITY MANAGER IS DIRECTED TO ALSO PROVIDE, UM, ALTERNATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO REDUCE RISK, UM, WHICH MAY INVOLVE A ONE-TIME RELOCATION INTO THE UTILITIES OPERATING BUDGET OR THE UTILITIES FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN IN LIEU OF DIRECT UTILITY BILL RELIEF TO CUSTOMERS.

ANY OBJECTIONS TO A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.

BECAUSE TECHNICALLY IT'S ALREADY IN YOUR OPERATING BUDGET, SO IT'S, I MEAN, THE MONEY'S COMING FROM YOUR OPERATING BUDGET ANYWAY.

SO I THINK THAT LANGUAGE WOULD ALLOW IT TO STAY IN THERE AS WELL.

UNANIMOUS MOTION CARRIES.

SO WE HAVE A MOTION IT'S BEEN SECONDED ALL IN FAVOR.

ALRIGHT.

STEP, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER FOUR, A BRIEFING ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN AS REQUIRED BY TEXAS SENATE BILL THREE, ADOPTED IN 2021 IN RESPONSE TO WINTER STORM ERIE.

SO NEXT

[4. Emergency Preparedness Plan as required by Texas Senate Bill 3 adopted in 2021 in response to Winter Storm Uri.]

EXCUSE.

UM, CAN I JUST PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DIRECTION SOMETIMES WHEN WE DO, UM, COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS, THEY'RE JUST, THEY JUST SAY THEY'RE FROM THE COMMITTEE.

UM, AND I THINK YOU MIGHT PREFER IT TO BE FROM THE COMMITTEE, BUT THEN ALSO TO HAVE THE NAMES OF THE FOLKS ON THE COMMITTEE, AND THEN IF COUNCIL MEMBER TOVA WANTS TO BE ON IT, SO YOU CAN BE LISTED AS THE SPONSOR, THE SPONSOR.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF, I MEAN, IT'S FINE TO HAVE IT BE FROM THE COMMITTEE AS WELL, BUT I THINK THAT THEY OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO ADD A LITTLE LINE THAT SAID YES, THE SPONSORS, UNLESS I'M MISTAKEN THAT THAT'S VIOLATING SOME PROCEDURE STUFF.

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO? YES.

AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER TOVA, YOU'RE NOT ON THE COMMITTEE.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE? NO.

NO, WE'D LOVE TO, CO-SPONSOR IT.

OKAY, GOOD AFTERNOON.

UM, I BELIEVE IT IS A NEW SLIDE DECK.

THAT'S IT.

UM, MY NAME IS SHEA ROLSON.

I'M THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES AT AUSTIN WATER.

AND I WILL GIVE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE TODAY ON THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN.

THAT'S REQUIRED BY SENATE BILL THREE, WHICH WAS PASSED SHORTLY AFTER WINTER STORM URI LAST, UM, ABOUT A YEAR AGO.

THERE ARE, UH, THERE ARE THREE DEADLINES ASSOCIATED WITH SENATE BILL THREE.

THE FIRST WAS TO SUBMIT OUR CRITICAL LOAD LISTS TO OUR VARIOUS POWER PROVIDERS AND THE TEXAS PUC.

UH, THAT DEADLINE WAS IN NOVEMBER 1ST AND WE COMPLETED THAT.

SO OUR, UM, OUR MAIN POWER PROVIDER IS AUSTIN ENERGY, AND WE'VE BEEN COORDINATING CLOSELY WITH THEM ON GETTING OUR FACILITIES ON THEIR CRITICAL LOAD LIST.

UM, BUT WE HAVE, UH, UH, SEVERAL OTHER POWER PROVIDERS AS WELL.

THE SECOND DEADLINE IS THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN ITSELF.

AND THIS IS A PLAN THAT REQUIRES A UTILITY WATER UTILITIES TO MAINTAIN 20 PSI THROUGHOUT THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, DURING A POWER OUTAGE GREATER THAN 24 HOURS.

AND THE PLAN TEMPLATE THAT WAS PREPARED BY TCEQ IDENTIFIES 14 AVAILABLE OPTIONS.

UH, SO OUR PLAN A IS DUE TO TCQ ON MARCH 1ST, NEXT WEEK, AND WE ARE PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON IT.

NOW, NEXT

[00:40:01]

SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO OF THE 14 OPTIONS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED, WE REVIEWED THOSE CRITICALLY AND DETERMINED WHICH ONES APPLIED TO US.

AND WE ARE USING ESSENTIALLY ALL OF THE OPTIONS THAT APPLY TO AUSTIN WATER.

AND YOU CAN BROADLY CATEGORIZE THOSE OPTIONS AS EITHER POWER, RESILIENCY OR RESILIENCY IN THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.

ON THE POWER RESILIENCY SIDE, WE TALKED ABOUT THE CRITICAL LOAD DESIGNATION THAT PART'S BEEN DONE.

UH, ANOTHER OPTION THAT WE WILL HAVE IN OUR PLAN IS REDUNDANT ELECTRICAL FEEDS, WHICH ALL OF OUR WATER PLANTS HAVE REDUNDANT FEEDS, AND WE'RE WORKING ON THOSE FOR, UH, A FEW OTHER CRITICAL FACILITIES AS WELL.

HARDENING ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THIS IS OUR, UH, DAVIS WATER TREATMENT PLANT PDU, UM, NEW POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM THAT'S CURRENTLY GOING OR CURRENTLY IS JUST FINISHED CONSTRUCTION IN IS AN OPERATION AND THEN A NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL PERMANENT AND PORTABLE GENERATORS.

UM, THAT WILL BE USED THROUGHOUT OUR SYSTEM, BOTH ON WATER.

WE'LL USE THEM BOTH ON WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS. THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN IS SPECIFICALLY AROUND WATER FACILITIES.

THE SECOND BROAD CATEGORY IS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM RESILIENCY.

AND SO THIS IS, UM, INCLUDES WATER STORAGE.

WE DID SOME SIGNIFICANT CALCULATIONS AROUND OUR AVAILABLE WATER STORAGE THAT WE HAVE AND HOW AT, AT THE LEVEL OF DEMAND THAT'S PRESCRIBED IN THE PLAN, HOW MUCH TIME THAT WOULD GIVE US DURING A SYSTEM WIDE POWER OUTAGE.

SO THAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN OUR PLAN.

OUR, UH, KEVIN TALKED EARLIER ABOUT THE INTERCONNECTIVITY THAT WE HAVE BETWEEN PRESSURE ZONES.

THAT'S AN OPTION THAT TCQ GIVES US, UM, THAT DEMONSTRATES OUR RESILIENCY THAT WE WILL HAVE IN OUR PLAN, AND THEN THE EMERGENCY WATER RESTRICTIONS, WHICH WE DEVELOPED OVER THE LAST YEAR AND ARE AVAILABLE TO US NOW IN THE EVENT OF A, OF A, UM, CATASTROPHIC POWER LOSS.

WE CAN IMPLEMENT THOSE EMERGENCY WATER USE RESTRICTIONS.

SO THOSE ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF OUR PLAN, AND WE WILL TURN THAT IN NEXT WEEK.

AND THEN, UM, WE HAVE MOST OF THESE ITEMS EITHER COMPLETED OR UNDERWAY AND, UM, IMPLEMENTATION IS DUE JULY 1ST.

SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THAT MANY OF THESE THINGS ARE, ARE DONE OR THE THINGS THAT CAN NOT BE COMPLETED BY JULY 1ST ARE SUBSTANTIALLY IN PROGRESS.

AND I'M HAPPY TO ANY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, MS. ROLSON AND ONCE THE PLAN IS SUBMITTED, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WILL BE SHARED WITH OUR COMMITTEE AND WITH COUNCIL? I BELIEVE THAT THE PLAN HAS A FAIR AMOUNT OF BACKUP INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY REVIEW IT TO DETERMINE WHAT PORTIONS WE CAN GIVE TO YOU IN THE PUBLIC VENUE VERSUS ANY THAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO, UM, PERHAPS REVIEW WITH YOU IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.

THANK YOU, COLLEAGUES.

ANY QUESTIONS MAYOR? PRETEND.

UM, SO DOES THIS ONLY PERTAIN TO LIKE A WINTER POWER SITUATION? IS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE APPLYING FOR ALL EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS? THIS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN IS SPECIFICALLY AROUND SYSTEM-WIDE POWER OUTAGES GREATER THAN 24 HOURS.

IF YOU HAD A WILDFIRE THAT CREATED THE POWER OUTAGE, WOULD ANYTHING BE DIFFERENT HERE IN THE, NO, IT WOULDN'T.

AND IN FACT, I WOULD SAY, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S THE, THE WAY THE SENATE BILL THREE WAS WRITTEN, THAT REALLY ALL OF THESE ITEMS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ARE PART OF OUR OVERALL RESILIENCY TO, TO ALL KINDS OF THREATS.

UM, AND CERTAINLY ANYTHING THAT CREATED A POWER OUTAGE, WHETHER IT WAS, YOU KNOW, WINTER WEATHER OR WILDFIRE, THESE ITEMS WOULD HELP US BE BETTER PREPARED FOR THAT.

LAST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE, THIS IS A BRIEFING ON THE FEDERAL WATER AND WASTEWATER FUNDING FROM THE INFRASTRUCTURE, INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.

[5. Federal Water and Wastewater Funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.]

UM, COLLEAGUES THOUGHT THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF AVAILABLE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, UM, THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR US TO CONSIDER AND PLANS FROM THE UTILITY ON WHAT THEY WILL BE, UM, APPLYING FOR.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

I'M CHRISTINA ROMERO, I'M FINANCIAL MANAGER WITH AUSTIN WATER.

AND TODAY I WILL BE PRESENTING THIS INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING STRATEGIES.

TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD FUNDING.

SO I'LL BE PROVIDING AN OVERVIEW OF OUR LEGISLATIVE UPDATE, OUR TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD SWIFT AND SRF LOANS, OUR AGGREGATE SAVINGS WITH THOSE LOANS AND THEN FUTURE PROJECTS FOR POTENTIAL

[00:45:01]

SO OUR LEGISLATION UPDATES STARTS WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT KNOWN AS .

THIS WAS SIGNED INTO LAW BY PRESIDENT BIDEN ON NOVEMBER 15TH, 2021.

AND JUST TO NOTE, THERE'S STILL INFORMATION COMING OUT FROM, UM, THIS ACT AND HOW IT'S GOING TO WORK THROUGH THE DIFFERENT STATE AGENCIES PER EPA, TEXAS IS TO RECEIVE AN ESTIMATED OF $2.9 BILLION OVER FIVE YEARS.

AND IF YOU LOOK TO THE RIGHT OF THIS SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE THAT $35.44 BILLION IS TO TEXAS IN VARIOUS DIFFERENT, UM, PROGRAMS. AND SO FOR WATER, THE 2.9 BILLION WILL BE THROUGH THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD.

SO 71% OF THOSE FUNDS WILL BE FOR DRINKING WATER.

AND 29% WILL BE FOR CLEAN WATER AND OVERALL, UH, THAT 2.9 BILLION AGAIN, SPREAD OVER THE FIVE YEARS.

AND THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION IS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE FUNDING.

AND SO THAT'S 1.6, 6 MILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT TOO, FOR ANY OF OUR RECLAMATION PROJECTS TO SEE IF, IF THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE.

SO TODAY THESE ARE OUR SWIFT AND SRF LOANS.

AND SO OUR SWIFT LOANS, WE HAVE THREE REUSE PROJECTS THAT TOTALED 65, A LITTLE OVER $65 MILLION, AND THOSE PROJECTS ARE FAIRLY COMPLETE.

WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR THE OUT FROM THE BOARD FOR OUR DRINKING WATER SRF LOANS.

WE HAVE TWO, UH, CURRENTLY FOR A NORTH AUSTIN RESERVOIR AND PUMP STATION AND ALL RICH WATER TREATMENT PLANT PUMP STATION, AND ELECTRICAL FEED FOR CLEAN WATER.

WE HAVE WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT, PANT PUMPING AND SLUDGE THICKENER AND SAR WASTEWATER TREATMENT, PLANT ELECTRICAL SUBSTATION.

SO THESE ARE CURRENT LOANS IN WHICH THEY ARE FUNDED FROM THE BOARD.

SO WE DO HAVE 266.6 MILLION IN LOAN COMMITMENTS FROM THE BOARD, AND WE ARE CLOSING ON THOSE LOANS ANNUALLY.

TODAY.

THIS IS OUR AGGREGATE LOAN SAVINGS.

AS OF OUR LAST LOAN CLOSING BACK IN NOVEMBER, WE HAVE SAVED $34 MILLION IN PRESENT VALUE SAVINGS TODAY AND HAVE CLOSED ON $197.7 MILLION FROM THAT 266.6 MILLION COMMITMENT.

SO YOU CAN SEE OUR LARGEST SAVINGS WAS IN 2022, AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE HAD A LARGER LOAN CLOSING FOR SRF LOANS AND FOR OUR SWIFT LOAN.

SO THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS OUR FUTURE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW FOR POTENTIAL TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD FUNDING.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR SWIFT A OF 345 MILLION.

THAT'S JUST AN ESTIMATE FOR THE AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY FOR DRINKING WATER.

WE ARE LOOKING AT AN ESTIMATE AROUND A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN PROJECTS THAT WE WILL BE SUBMITTING TO THE BOARD, UH, FOR OUR DRINKING WATER.

AND THEN FOR CLEAN WATER, WE'RE LOOKING A LITTLE OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.

UM, AND THOSE ARE ALSO FIVE PROJECTS AS WELL AS THE DRINKING WATER THAT WE WILL BE SUBMITTING TO THE BOARD.

AND THESE ARE PROJECT INFORMATION FORMS THAT WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD, UH, COME THIS MARCH IN ORDER FOR THEM TO BE REVIEWED AND EVALUATED AND RANKED NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

AND NOW OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.

THANK YOU, MEMBER KITCHEN.

UM, YES, JUST A FEW QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO, UM, ON THAT LAST PAGE WITH THE AQUIFER STORES, THE AMOUNT FOR THE OCTOPUS STORAGE, IS THAT SUFFICIENT TO COVER THE, UH, THE WHOLE COST OR IS THAT A PIECE OF IT OR? SURE.

SO, UM, THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY ESTIMATED IN OUR CIP PLAN.

SO THAT IS, UM, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING THE TOTAL COST.

AND THEN I ALSO UNDERSTOOD THE AMI.

OH, UH, SO THE AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY PROJECT IS, UH, IS STILL IN VERY PRELIMINARY STAGES.

WE'RE GOING THROUGH, UM, KIND OF CONFIGURING A PILOT EVALUATION AND BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THAT PILOT PROCESS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, THAT WILL DRIVE SELECTION OF THE FINAL AQUIFER LOCATION.

AND, UH, AND THEN, AND THEN REALLY THE MAJOR INVESTMENTS WILL TAKE PLACE PROVIDED, YOU KNOW, IT STILL MAKES SENSE, UM, WHICH WE THINK IT WOULD.

UM, BUT, BUT SO I, I, THAT, THAT PROJECT IS NOT THROUGH ANY FINAL DESIGN IN ANY WAY, AND I WOULD NOT WANT TO COMMUNICATE THAT, THAT NUMBER.

GOTCHA.

OF IT, BUT YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH A LOT MORE WORK, A WHOLE LOT MORE DESIGN.

THAT MAKES SENSE.

YEAH, BUT THIS IS AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, THAT'S, THAT'S THE SCOPE

[00:50:01]

YOU HAVE TO LOCATE WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE AMONG OTHER THINGS.

LOTS OF THINGS LIKE THAT.

THAT'S RIGHT.

THAT MAKES SENSE.

UM, WITH THE AMI, JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU HAD MENTIONED.

UM, DO WE ALREADY HAVE ALL THE FUNDING IDENTIFIED FOR THE COMPLETE ROLLOUT? I MEAN, I KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE ROLLING OUT NOW.

WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF YEARS BEFORE WE'RE FINISHED WITH THE ROLLOUT, BUT DO WE NEED ANY MORE FUNDS FOR THAT, FROM THIS INFRASTRUCTURE BILL OR WE'RE ALREADY FUNDED FOR, UM, AT THIS TIME WE ARE FUNDED FOR THIS, THROUGH THE BOARD FOR AMI.

AND SO WE STILL HAVE, UH, ANOTHER, UH, TWO LOAN CLOSINGS, UH, THAT WE STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH.

BUT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE FUNDING FOR THAT.

AND I WILL NOTE ALL THESE POTENTIAL PROJECTS, UH, FUTURE PROJECTS.

THOSE ARE, AGAIN, JUST ALL ESTIMATES.

THOSE ARE ESTIMATES THAT WE HAVE AT THIS TIME.

NOTHING IS, IS FINALIZED.

AS GREG MENTIONED, I WILL ADD THOUGH, UM, FOR THE AQUA STORAGE AND RECOVERY, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT THE, THE RECLAMATION, UH, THE RECLAMATION DOLLARS AS WELL, BECAUSE THAT IS ALSO FOR UNDERGROUND, UM, WATER STORAGE.

THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS.

AND QUICK QUESTION, WE KNEW WHEN WE APPLY FOR THIS FUNDING FROM THE TEXAS WATER BOARD, IS IT IT'S A PROCESS THAT THEY EITHER SAY APPROVE THE FULL AMOUNT OR DENY THE FULL AMOUNT, OR DO THEY APPROVE IT IN, BUT SAY AT A CERTAIN LEVEL.

SO INSTEAD OF 340 AND 5 MILLION, THEY MIGHT SAY, WE WILL GIVE YOU A HUNDRED MILLION TO FUND THIS PROJECT.

IS THAT HOW IT WORKS? WELL, IT DEPENDS ON THE DIFFERENT TYPE OF LOANS.

SO FOR SWIFT THAT'S FUNDED THROUGH, UM, JUST SOLELY THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD USING STATE FUNDS.

AND SO FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THEY DO NOT HAVE A CAP ON THAT, BUT FOR SRF, UM, FOR DRINKING WATER AND CLEAN WATER, THEY DO HAVE A MAXIMUM CAP PER PROJECT.

AND SO FOR, UM, DRINKING WATER, LET'S SEE THAT IS $44 MILLION FOR DRINKING WATER.

AND FOR CLEAN WATER, LET'S SEE THAT IS 24 MILLION, OH, I'M SORRY.

CLAIM WATER 44 MILLION AND DRINKING WATER 24 MILLION.

AND SO WE, WE LOOK AT OUR PLAN.

WE, WE LOOK AND, UM, WE, UH, CONVENE WITH OUR IN-HOUSE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD COMMITTEE.

THAT'S MADE UP OF, UH, FINANCE OF DIFFERENT ENGINEERS, INCLUDES AN ADY.

UM, AND WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER TO DETERMINE WHICH PROJECTS WOULD BE BEST SUITED FOR THESE LOANS THAT HAVE A CHANCE TO GET INVITED TO APPLY.

GOOD DEAL.

THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM.

UM, YOU KNOW, THESE, UM, WHAT OUR DEVELOPMENT BOARD PROGRAMS ARE GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REDUCE OUR COSTS.

UM, I WANTED TO CLARIFY, SO TEXAS IS RECEIVING 2.9 BILLION, BUT THEN THEY'RE PUTTING THEM INTO REVOLVING LOAN FUNDS.

SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT THIS FUNDING IS GOING TO BE THERE, YOU KNOW, FOR A LONGER TERM OR MORE USEFUL IN SOME WAY, BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING THE LOANS OR IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT THEY WILL REDUCE THE COSTS OF THE LOAN OR DO SOMETHING USING THAT MONEY TO, TO ACTUALLY MAKE AN INVESTMENT BEYOND THE FUND'S CURRENT PURPOSE AND SPEAKING WITH, UM, THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD REGIONAL, WE WORK WITH, HE INDICATED AT THIS TIME, UH, THEY DO HAVE, UH, , UM, ALLOTMENT, UH, FROM THAT $2.9 BILLION.

AND, UH, THEY LOOK TO HAVE EQUAL ALLOTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE FIVE YEARS.

UM, WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO WITH THOSE FUNDS IS THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK BACK AT PAST, UM, PROJECTS THAT MAY NOT HAVE GOTTEN INVITED TO APPLY.

HOWEVER, THEY DID MAKE IT TO THEIR STATE WATER PLAN, AND THEY'RE GOING TO REEVALUATE THOSE AND SEE IF, UM, THEY CAN FUND THEM BECAUSE THEY DO HAVE A MAXIMUM BUDGET AS WELL, THAT THEY CAN FUND FOR PROJECTS.

AND SO THEY'LL LOOK AT THAT, BUT THEY'LL ALSO LOOK AT, UH, NEW, UM, PROJECT INFORMATION FORMS THAT GET ADDED TO THE STATE PLAN AND THEN DETERMINE IF, UM, HOW MUCH THEY CAN FUND THOSE.

I BET IT'S ADDING ADDITIONAL SEED MONEY TO THE EVOLVING.

YES, THEY ARE ADDING ON TOP OF THEIR FUNDS.

UM, SO SAY FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A $44 MILLION PROJECT AND THAT PROJECT IS GOING TO TAKE MAYBE THREE OR FOUR YEARS TO COMPLETE, YOU'LL GET, UM, FUNDED FROM THEIR Y 22 BUDGET TO FUND THAT ENTIRE PROJECT THAT YOU WOULD HAVE, UM, PUT IN THAT PROJECT INFORMATION FOR, RIGHT.

TRADITIONALLY THESE ARE NOT GRANTS.

THESE ARE A LOAN INSTRUMENT, WHICH MEANS YOU DO PAY THEM BACK, UH, UNLESS YOU'RE A VERY IMPOVERISHED COMMUNITY THAT TYPICALLY HOW IT WORKS.

SO WE WOULD ANTICIPATE THESE DOLLARS WOULD JUST ENHANCE FUTURE FUNDING ALSO.

RIGHT.

BUT DO WE HAVE A SENSE OF THEM EXPIRE? I MEAN, LIKE, I'M JUST NOT FAMILIAR WITH THEM FROM WHAT I HAD LEARNED ABOUT THAT INFRASTRUCTURE FUND, THAT IT WOULD JUST ALLOW YOU TO SEED SOMETHING THAT GOES ON FOREVER.

I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S A BAD INVESTMENT, I'D JUST TRY TO UNDERSTAND IT.

UM, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THEY DO HAVE TO USE THE FUNDS.

UM, THEY WILL, UM, ALLOCATE THOSE TO THE PROJECT.

AND,

[00:55:01]

BUT LET'S SAY WE FUND PROJECTS OVER THIS FIVE YEARS AT THE END OF EIGHT OR NINE YEARS, WE'RE DONE WITH ALL THOSE PROJECTS.

WHERE'S THE 2.9 BILLION PLUS THE INTEREST.

SO THAT 2.9 BILLION, UM, THEY HAVEN'T INDICATED THAT THEY'RE GOING TO CHANGE ANY OF THEIR INTEREST RATES THAT THEY CURRENTLY HAVE RIGHT NOW.

AND SO THAT 2.9 BILLION, THEY'RE LOOKING TO RELEASE THAT ON TOP OF WHAT THEY'VE ALREADY BUDGETED, UM, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 22.

SO THEY'RE JUST ADDING ANNUALLY ON TOP OF WHAT THEY'VE ALREADY BUDGETED THE MONEY FROM THE ACTUAL BILL ITSELF.

UM, JUST AN INTERESTING THING THAT THEY'RE ALLOWING THAT TO HAPPEN.

IT'S JUST A BIGGER LOAN LOAN FUND POOL.

ISN'T IT? I UNDERSTAND THAT.

I JUST, USUALLY, THEY'RE SORT OF SAYING YOU HAVE TO, I MEAN, WITH ALL OF THE CARES ACT MONEY AND ALL OF THE OTHER STUFF, IT WAS, YOU HAD TO SPEND IT BY A CERTAIN DATE.

THESE ARE LOANS.

THIS IS A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT KIND OF SYSTEM.

I UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM IN TEXAS AS A SYSTEM, BUT I DON'T, I MEAN, PERHAPS THE 2.9 IS GIVEN TO THE LOAN FUNDS.

I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF IT SPECIFIES IN LEGISLATION THAT IT'S TO BE LOAN FUNDS, BUT YEAH.

SO, UM, THIS DOES WORK DIFFERENTLY.

UM, BACK IN 2009, THE H A R R A FUNDS, OUR FUNDS, IF YOU RECALL, THOSE WORKED VERY DIFFERENTLY.

THEY PROVIDED A 0% INTEREST RATE.

THERE WERE ROLLED OUT REALLY QUICKLY.

THEY WANTED PROJECTS THAT WERE SHOVEL-READY.

UM, SO THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT WHERE IT'S NOT THE SAME, THIS IS JUST SOLELY ACTING AS IF YOU ADDED EXTRA POT OF MONEY TO THE SRF PROGRAMS. OKAY.

OR THEN THEY REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THEY PUT IN THE POT FROM THEIR BUDGET, CORRECT.

IN THE NEXT YEAR OR THE YEAR AFTER, WHICH IS HOW DO WE PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING? YEAH.

WELL, THE SOURCE OF THE SOURCE OF ALL SRF IS FEDERAL DOLLARS EXISTING.

AND, AND THROUGH THIS NEW PROGRAM, THE ONLY SOLELY FUNDED STATE PROGRAM IS THE SWIFT PROGRAM, WHICH IS JUST FOR WATER, SUPPLY DEVELOPMENT RELATED PROJECTS OR CONSERVATION.

SO I DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT TEXAS WOULD CUT BACK ON SRF FUNDING BECAUSE IT'S ALL FEDERAL DOLLARS NOW IS MY UNDERSTANDING.

THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION, THE HOUSE.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.

ARE AN ITEM NUMBER SIX, WHICH IS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, I WANT TO OPEN UP THE DISCUSSION.

OKAY, COLLEAGUES, WE

[6. Identify items to discuss at future meetings.]

I'D LIKE TO SHARE THAT.

UM, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A COUPLE OF TOPICS IN THE PIPELINE FOR OUR NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING, UM, WHICH IS NOT UNTIL MAY 25TH.

SO WE HAVE, UM, A FEW MONTHS UNTIL OUR NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING.

AND FOR THAT MEETING, WHAT THE TOPICS WE HAVE ON DECK INCLUDE A OVERVIEW OF THE SERVICE EXTENSION REQUEST PROCESS, A BRIEFING ON THE CITY'S PURPLE PIPE PROGRAM.

UH, AND THEN ALSO, UM, WE HAVE A BRIEFING REQUESTED BY MAYOR PRO TEM FOR WILDFIRE WILDFIRE, MITIGATION STRATEGIES.

UM, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD TO THAT LIST? YES, CUSTOMER, UM, IF THE, IF THERE'S ROOM, UH, BECAUSE, UH, I THINK, I THINK AT ONE POINT WE WERE, UM, HAD PERIODICALLY HAVING UPDATES ON THE WATER FORWARD PLAN.

SO IF THERE'S ROOM AT THAT ONE OR THE NEXT ONE, IT'D BE HELPFUL TO JUST HAVE A, UM, AN UPDATE ON THE WHOLE PLAN WHERE WE GET A LOT OF REALLY GOOD, DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT PIECES OF IT, UH, LIKE THE AMI PIECE.

BUT IT'D BE HELPFUL TO JUST GET TO IT'S PROBABLY, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN WE LAST DID THAT, BUT IT WOULD PROBABLY BE HELPFUL TO HAVE JUST A REVIEW OF THE STATUS OF THE WHOLE, UM, WATERFORD PLAN.

UNDERSTOOD.

PIECES OF THE CONVERSATION.

AND SO WE ALSO, EVEN THOUGH OUR NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING IS NOT UNTIL MAY AND THE ONE AFTER THAT IS NOT UNTIL AUGUST.

UM, MY OFFICE HAS BEEN RECORDING WITH OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS OFFICE AND WE'LL BE HAVING A TOUR OF THE ALRICK PLANT ON APRIL 14TH WAS THE DATE THAT ENDED UP WORKING FOR EVERYONE.

SO THAT'LL BE ANOTHER TIME FOR OUR COMMITTEE TO COME TOGETHER FOR A TOUR.

UM, BUT I DID WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, DIRECTOR MAZARRA SHARED WITH US THAT WE ARE ANTICIPATING, UH, AND AN UPDATE OF THE INVESTIGATION FROM THE BOIL WATER INCIDENT, UM, THAT WILL BE SHARED WITH US, UH, IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO, UM, AS WELL AS ANOTHER UPDATE, UH, DURING THE WORK SESSION ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK, AS END IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, UM, TO GO OVER A FEW

[01:00:01]

AND SO WE HAVE, UM, THOSE TWO THINGS HAPPENING IN ADDITION TO THE INVESTIGATION REPORT, WHICH IS COMING OUT, I'M SORRY, YOU SAID AT THE END OF THE MONTH, IS THAT RIGHT? I'M SORRY, I LOST YOUR TRAIN.

UM, YOU MENTIONED WHAT WAS THE TIMELINE THAT YOU MENTIONED FOR THE INVESTIGATION REPORT TO BE COMPLETED? UH, W WE ANTICIPATED A REPORT, UM, BY, UH, APPROXIMATELY THE END OF NEXT WEEK.

I MEAN, I CAN'T SAY THE EXACT DAY, BUT WE HAD TARGETED ABOUT A TWO WEEK WINDOW ON NO, I TAKE THAT BACK.

THAT WAS ON THURSDAY.

IT WAS TWO WEEKS.

SO THIS WOULD BE WEEK AFTER NEXT, UH, W BY THE END OF WEEK AFTER NEXT WAS ABOUT WHEN WE THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE WRAPPED UP NOT NEXT WEEK, BUT THE WEEK FOLLOWING.

SO JUST TO RECAP, WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER UPDATE AT, ON TUESDAYS WORK SESSION IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.

AND THEN BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK, WE, SHOULD WE ANTICIPATE HAVING AN INVESTIGATION REPORT? NO, NO.

BY THE END OF THE FOLLOWING WEEK FOLLOWING WEEK.

SO EARLY MARCH.

UM, SO COLLEAGUES, MY QUESTION TO, TO OUR COMMITTEE IS IF WE SHOULD CONSIDER CONVENING A COMMITTEE MEETING, UH, LATER IN MARCH OR APRIL, BECAUSE OUR NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING ISN'T SCHEDULED UNTIL MAY 25TH, YOU THOUGHTS OR FEEDBACK CUSTOMER POOL.

OH, I'M FINE WITH THAT.

I MEAN, AS LONG AS WE, I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THE FULL COUNCIL OVER WHAT COMES BACK IN THE REPORT.

UM, BUT YEAH, I THINK WE NEED TO DO THAT FULL COUNCIL.

IT'S HELPFUL TO HAVE THE COMMITTEE TO DIG INTO MORE DETAIL.

SO THE CUSTOMER QUESTION, ARE YOU SAYING, ARE YOU IN FAVOR OF HAVING ANOTHER COMMITTEE MEDIA? IF IT WORKS FOR EVERYBODY? SORRY, I MISUNDERSTOOD THAT YOU WERE SAYING, JUST DO MAKE ANYTHING.

THAT WAS MY FAULT.

SO I GUESS, UM, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A SENSE IF THE COMMITTEE IS INTERESTED IN US CONVENING A COMMITTEE MEETING EITHER IN LATE MARCH, ONCE WE HAVE A, A REPORT BACK, AND ONCE WE GET THROUGH SPRING BREAK AND SOUTH BY LATE MARCH OR EARLY APRIL FOR ANOTHER COMMITTEE MEETING TO GO OVER THE INVESTIGATION REPORT, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, WHY, WHY DON'T WE HAVE THE STAFF FLOAT A COUPLE OF DATES AROUND, AND THEN WE CAN LOOK AT OUR CALENDARS AND DECIDE, I KNOW I'VE GOT MY CALENDAR IS, HAS PRETTY MUCH FILLED UP.

UM, BUT THERE MAY BE A LITTLE BIT OF SPACE AND I CAN MAYBE MOVE THINGS AROUND.

BUT IF WE KIND OF GET A SENSE OF WHERE EVERYBODY IS, THEN IT'D PROBABLY BE EASIER FOR US TO MAKE DECISION ON THAT.

ALRIGHT, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN.

SO WE WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER'S OFFICES, LOOKING AT SCHEDULING A POTENTIAL OR A NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING DATE.

IF THAT WORKS OUT FOR EVERYONE'S SCHEDULES.

UM AND THEN LASTLY, WE WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY THOSE WATCHING TODAY THAT MAY PER MAYOR PRO TEMPS POLICY ADOPTED BY COUNCIL LAST WEEK, AUSTIN WATER IS COORDINATING AN EXTERNAL AUDIT TO REVIEW WATER'S FIVE RECENT WATER QUALITY EVENTS.

AND SO, UM, WITH THAT, IT IS NOW I AM CHAIR.

SO AUSTIN, WATER'S NOT COORDINATING THAT.

THAT IS THROUGH THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE.

JUST TO, TO CLARIFY, OF COURSE, IF THEY ASK FOR ANY ASSISTANCE, WE'LL PROVIDE IT.

BUT, BUT THAT, THAT IS THANK YOU, CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE IS COORDINATING.

SO IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER BUSINESS, THE MEETING OF AUSTIN WATER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE IS ADJOURNED AT 2:35 PM.