[00:00:12]
WE'RE HAVING SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
TESTING ONE, TWO COMMISSIONERS.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? TESTING ONE, TWO, JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE Y'ALL CAN HEAR ME.
[Call to Order]
AT ONE OH FIVE, THIS MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER FOR THE AUSTIN WATER UTILITY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.[Item 1]
ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS GOING TO BE THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM MARCH 5TH MOTION MADE BY VICE CHAIR POOL AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.
RAISE YOUR HAND AND SEE EVERYONE.
ALL RIGHT, THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
UM, THREE ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA TODAY FOR BRIEFING.
UH, THE FIRST IS GOING TO BE THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT WITH UPCOMING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COUNCIL ACTION INNOVATIONS AND EVENTS AT AUSTIN WATER AND A WATER FORWARD REPORT UPDATE.
UM, THE NEXT ONE'S GOING TO BE A COBIT 19 UPDATE REGARDING THE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE, FINANCIAL IMPACT ON THE UTILITIES, FORECASTS AND BUDGETS.
AND THE LAST ONE IS GOING TO BE BRUSHY CREEK REGIONAL WASTEWATER SYSTEM OVERVIEW.
UM, AND THEN WE WILL IDENTIFY ANY FUTURE ITEMS AT THE VERY END OF THE MEETING.
UM, AND AS WE HAD SAID BEFORE, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER IS GOING TO JOIN US IN A FEW MINUTES AND I KNOW THAT VICE-CHAIR POOL AS A COMMITMENT AT ONE 30, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'LL BE ABLE TO JOIN US AGAIN IF THAT COMMITMENT ENDS BEFORE OUR MEETING DOES.
UM, BUT WE UNDERSTAND, UH, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO TO TAKE CARE OF OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I APPRECIATE Y'ALL BEING ABLE TO BE HERE.
[Item 2]
UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH THE DIRECTOR REPORT AFTER MISSOURI'S HELLO COUNCIL MEMBERS.IT'S NICE TO SEE EVERYONE AND, UH, I WANT YOU TO KNOW EVERYTHING'S STABLE AND AUSTIN WATER OR OUR TEAM HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB INNOVATING AND TRANSITIONING TO WORK AT HOME.
OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE MANY, MANY STAFF THAT ARE ESSENTIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS PROVIDING WATER AND WASTEWATER SERVICE EVERY DAY.
AND OUR SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN VERY STABLE AND ARE OPERATING WELL.
AND SO A SLEEP WELL AT NIGHT, NO ONE AUSTIN WATER'S THERE, I THINK.
I THINK WE'VE GOT THINGS UNDER CONTROL RIGHT NOW.
I WOULD NOTE A FEW THINGS FOR YOU THAT YOU KNOW, THE BUSINESS OF THE UTILITY CONTINUES AND ONE OF THAT IS A, IS A RECENT HIRING FOR OUR NEW ASSISTANT DIRECTOR TO LEAD ENGINEERING PROGRAMS. AND UH, HER NAME IS SHEA RAUL'S RULE, SIN AND DOES, SHE'S ON THE LINE WITH US HERE TODAY.
I JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE OUR NEW EXECUTIVE TO YOU.
SO WAS SHEA, IF YOU COULD SAY A FEW WORDS, SHAY, YOU MIGHT BE RIGHT.
UM, IT'S UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
IT'S REALLY NICE TO MEET YOU ALL.
UM, A BRIEF INTRODUCTION ABOUT ME.
I HAVE, UH, 27 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE MUNICIPAL WATER AND WASTEWATER BUSINESS, ALL OF IT AND ENGINEERING CONSULTING UNTIL NOW.
UM, I'VE BEEN IN AUSTIN SINCE 1997 AND MY TECHNICAL BACKGROUND IS DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE INCLUDING TREATMENT PLANTS, PIPELINES, PUMP STATIONS AND STORAGE TANKS.
AND I'VE HELPED MUNICIPAL SYSTEMS ALL OVER TEXAS PLAN AND DELIVER THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS LARGE AND SMALL, INCLUDING WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, MOST RECENTLY I LED, UH, HDR ENGINEERING, CENTRAL TEXAS WATER BUSINESS GROUP, WHICH HAS 60 PROFESSIONAL STAFF IN AUSTIN, ROUNDROCK AND SAN ANTONIO WITH EXPERIENCE IN WATER RESOURCES, WATER SUPPLY PLANNING AND WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE.
[00:05:01]
HAVE JOINED AUSTIN WATER AND I THINK THE ENGINEERING SERVICES PROGRAM IS A GREAT FIT WITH MY BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE.I ALREADY KNOW A LOT OF THE GREAT LEADERS AT AUSTIN WATER, SO GETTING ENGAGED AND UP TO SPEED HAS REALLY BEEN A LOT OF FUN, UH, EVEN VIRTUALLY.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THIS COMMITTEE AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE MYSELF TO YOU TODAY.
IT'S VERY NICE TO MEET YOU AND WELCOME AND I'LL, UH, I'LL, I'LL LOG OFF TO NOT TAKE UP ANY MORE OF YOUR BANDWIDTH THAN LISTEN TO THE REST OF THE MEETING ON ATX THEN.
WELL, WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE SHEA BE A PART OF OUR TEAM AND SHE'S BEEN WITH US A LITTLE OVER FIVE WEEKS AND UH, ALL OF THAT'S BEEN VIRTUAL.
SO SHE'S VERY SAVVY STARTING UP VIRTUALLY AND MEETING HER TEAM AND COMING UP TO SPEED ON OUR PROJECTS.
AND OBVIOUSLY OUR ENGINEERING PROGRAM WORKS A LOT WITH THE COUNCIL AND SHE'S EXCITED ABOUT GETTING TO KNOW YOU ALL BETTER.
THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, A FEW OTHER THINGS I'D LIKE TO COVER TODAY.
UM, ONE IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO GIVE A HEADS UP ON ANY UNUSUAL TRANSACTIONS THAT MAY COME TO THE COUNCIL IN THE NEXT QUARTER.
UH, WE HAVE STARTED A NEGOTIATIONS ON A RENEWAL OF ONE OF OUR LONGTERM, UH, UH, CONTRACTS WITH OUR WHOLESALE, UH, COMPANY.
UH, WATER IMPROVEMENT CONTROL.
DISTRICT NUMBER 10 IS A, IS UP FOR RENEGOTIATIONS.
IT'S A 30 YEAR CONTRACT, SO THESE DON'T COME UP VERY OFTEN AND IT'S ONE OF OUR LARGER WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS.
AND SO WE'RE, UH, WE'RE STARTING NEGOTIATIONS ON THAT AND A WOULD EXPECT SOMETIME THIS SUMMER HOPEFULLY TO BRING A NEW CONTRACT, UH, BACK TO THE COUNCIL YOU'LL GET.
THESE THINGS DON'T HAPPEN WITH 30 YEAR CONTRACTS VERY OFTEN, AND SO, UH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, WOULD BE COMING YOUR WAY.
UH, PERHAPS SOMETIME IN AUGUST WOULD BE A WHEN WE MIGHT ANTICIPATE THAT, BUT WE'LL, UH, WE'LL KEEP YOU UP TO DATE ON THAT.
UM, ANOTHER ITEM TODAY FOR ME TO REPORT ON IS COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN HAD REQUESTED AT OUR LAST MEETING A REGULAR, UH, WRITTEN SUMMARY OF OUR WATER FORWARD PROGRAM.
AND SO WE'VE, UH, UH, HIGHLIGHTED KIND OF A NEW DOCUMENT, IT'S IN YOUR PACKET, BUT IT'S UM, A ONE PAGE QUARTERLY UPDATE ON WATERFALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE WORKED ON ON THE LAST QUARTER.
AND SO IT GIVES YOU KIND OF A QUICK DIGEST OF WHAT'S HAPPENING.
I WOULD NOTE, UH, TWO, UH, MILESTONES ON THAT.
CAN I STOP YOU FOR A MINUTE DIRECTOR? I'M SORRY.
DID, WAS THAT EMAILED TO US? IT WASN'T AN EMAIL.
I THINK IT CAME TO OUR STAFF, SO, UM, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET IT.
AND THEN LET'S BE SURE AND POST IT ON THE, UM, UH, WEBSITE.
AND IF I COULD JUST ADD IN HERE, UM, DO PLEASE SEND DIRECTLY TO COUNCIL OFFICES, NOT JUST TO THE STAFF, ESPECIALLY THESE DAYS WHEN THERE'S, UM, WHEN WE'RE NOT IN THE OFFICE, THAT WOULD BE THE, AREN'T THE ONLY ONES.
UM, WE SEND STUFF TO OUR STAFF AND THEN EVENTUALLY WE SEE THAT THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
I DID WANT TO ASK, UM, DIRECTOR LULAROE, YOU MENTIONED THE NAME OF WHO WE WERE DOING THE 30 YEAR CONTRACT RENEWAL OR THE OR, YEAH.
SO WE HAVE IT WITH AND THE FACT THAT IT IS EXPIRING IT, BUT I MISSED THE NAME.
CAN YOU TELL ME, OH, I'M SORRY.
IT'S THE WA WATER CONTROL IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NUMBER 10, WC ID 10.
AND WHERE IS THAT ONE LOCATED? IT'S KIND OF, UM, TO THE WEST OF AUSTIN AND UH, IN, IN THAT AREA, KIND OF NOT, NOT TOO FAR TO THE WEST OF OUR BORDER.
IT'S UH, IT'S, IT SERVES, UM, KIND OF AREAS THERE.
IT'S A SPECIAL STATE, UH, WATER IMPROVEMENT CONTROL DISTRICTS ARE SPECIAL STATE AUTHORIZED DISTRICTS.
SO THAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY, I THINK, SOUNDS LIKE IT MIGHT BE ADJACENT TO DISTRICT EIGHT.
AND YEAH, THE MEETING DOCUMENT FORWARD, I THINK WHEN WE WERE ALL IN OFFICES TOGETHER AT WORK TO MUCH MORE FLUIDLY WHERE WE WOULD BUMP INTO EACH OTHER BETWEEN MEETINGS AND BE ABLE TO SAY, DID YOU GET THIS, THAT AND WHEN WE'RE REMOTE IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARDER.
SO WE'RE ALL TRYING TO RESTRATEGIZE THAT.
THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO GET THOSE AS WELL.
SORRY TO INTERRUPT WHAT YOU WERE SAYING.
WE'LL TAKE STEPS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE A LITTLE MORE TARGETED ON THAT.
BUT UM, I WAS JUST GOING TO NOTE A COUPLE OF MILESTONES ON THAT, THAT SUMMARY.
UM, THE COUNCIL WILL RECALL, UH, DURING OUR LAST MEETING WE HAD A DISCUSSION AND UH, ULTIMATELY THE, THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE VOTED TO SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATION FOR OUR AMI AND SINCE THEN THAT'S OBVIOUSLY GONE ON TO THE FULL COUNCIL HAS BEEN APPROVED AND WE JUST COMPLETED SIGNING THE CONTRACTS TO START THAT PROJECT.
SO OUR AMI PROJECT IS, UH, IS GOING TO BE FULLY UNDERWAY AND WE'RE CONFIGURING OUR PILOT PROJECT TO START SOME INSTALLATION, UH, LATER IN THE SUMMER.
[00:10:01]
UH, THE OTHER ITEM I'LL NOTE IS WE ARE, UH, CURRENTLY OUT FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES PROCUREMENT, SOME START OF OUR AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY PROJECT, AS YOU MIGHT RECALL FROM WATERFORD, THAT'S A LONGTERM PROJECT TO STORE A DRINKING WATER UNDERGROUND AND AN AQUIFER SOMEWHERE.AND, UH, THIS IS THE START OF OUR PLANNING FOR, FOR THAT PROJECT IN THE FUTURE.
SO TWO ITEMS TO NOTE FROM THAT REPORT AND THERE'S A FEW OTHER KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THAT'S DESCRIBED THERE.
SOME OF OUR CODE IS STILL WAITING ON THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE NAME APPS, BUT, UM, NOW WE'RE JUST READY TO GO AND WHEN THAT TAKES OFF AGAIN AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE ON THAT TODAY OR CERTAINLY IN THE FUTURE ON THESE WATER FORWARD INITIATIVES.
I'VE GOT TO, UM, I SEE THAT THERE IS INFORMATION ABOUT STAFF PARTICIPATION IN THE REGION K PROCESS WITH THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
UM, DO YOU, WOULD THAT COMMENT PERIOD SINCE IT'S OPENED BE AVAILABLE ON THE WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD WEBSITE OR IS THERE A LINK ON AUSTIN WATER'S WEBSITE? WE COULD POINT PEOPLE TO IF THEY WANT TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT THAT WOULD BE PREDOMINANTLY THROUGH THE REGION, K TO STATE AND THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
THAT WOULD BE THE, UH, THE, UH, THE AREA FOR COMMENT.
AND THEN LIKEWISE FOR THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, IT SAYS, UH, AUSTIN WATER'S PLANNING OVER REMOTE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT EVENTS IN THE LATE SUMMER AND EARLY FALL RELATED TO ONSITE REUSE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK.
UM, DO YOU HAVE A MORE PINPOINTED TIMELINE JUST SO WE CAN BE ON THE LOOKOUT ONCE YOU'RE READY TO ACCEPT THAT INFORMATION? WE CAN POINT PEOPLE TO THAT AS WELL.
YEAH, I DON'T THINK COUNCIL MEMBER, WE HAVE A SPECIFIC DATE YET.
UM, OTHER THAN JUST THE SUMMERTIME, I DON'T HAVE KEVIN CRITTENDON IS ON THE PHONE.
IF HE HAS ANY MORE SPECIFICS ON THAT, DON'T HEAR HIM CHIME IN.
SO, UH, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A SPECIFIC DATE, BUT UH, BUT AS WE TURN THAT UP, WE'LL CERTAINLY COMMUNICATE THAT AND SHARE IT WITH THE OFFICE.
I'M SURE THERE'S PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO REALLY ARE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THAT AND WANTING TO PROVIDE GOOD INSIGHT.
SO WE'RE HAPPY TO HELP AMPLIFY WHEN, WHEN THAT BECOMES AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT.
SO GOING BACK TO THE, I'M JUST WANTING TO UNDERSTAND THE, THE SCOPE OF THESE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT EVENTS.
SO THIS IS TO BE AROUND THE, UM, ONSITE REUSE, THE WHOLE ISSUE OF THE ONSITE WHERE YOU USE THE FRAMEWORK, THE INCENTIVES AND CODE CHANGES.
IS THAT, IS THAT THE SCOPE OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT? YES, IT WOULD BE, UH, FOCUSED ON THE NEW CODE AND UH, AND THE FIRST PHASE OF OUR ONSITE REUSE WATER FORWARD IS FOCUSED ON LARGE DEVELOPMENTS GREATER THAN 250,000 SQUARE FEET IN THE, THE, UH, THE FIRST FEW YEARS ARE OPTIONAL.
AND SO, UH, DURING THAT TIME WE WANT TO BE DEVELOPING OUR FRAMEWORK FOR HOW WE WOULD REGULATE ONSITE REUSE.
WE'RE ENVISIONING SOME INCENTIVES TO GET SOME LARGER SCALE DEVELOPMENTS TO BE THE FIRST TO, UH, EXERCISE OPTIONS ON ONSITE REUSE.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE THE FOCUS OF THIS ENGAGEMENT IS TO START TO BUILD THAT FRAMEWORK AND HOW THAT WOULD WORK.
THE KIND OF THINGS WE WOULD NEED TO BE MANAGING.
UH, HOW, HOW ONSITE USE WORKS ON LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENTS.
THAT WOULD BE THE START OF, OF GETTING PUBLIC INPUT ON THAT.
AND THEN WHAT WOULD BE, OR WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND IS THE HOME WHOLE TIMELINE.
SO WHEN, WHEN YOU GET BACK WITH US ABOUT THE INFORMATION ABOUT WHEN THIS IS SCHEDULED, WHEN, WHEN THIS IS GOING TO BE SCHEDULED FOR HIM, IF HE COULD TELL US THE WHOLE TIMELINE.
CAUSE I GUESS I GUESS I'M ASSUMING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT THAT LEADS TO, UM, THAT THAT LEADS TO A, UM, EVENTUALLY TO COUNCIL ADOPTION OF THE FRAMEWORK INCENTIVES AND CODE CHANGES.
SO I WOULD WANT TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE WHOLE TIMELINE.
SO IF WE, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT LIKE LATE SUMMER, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE THEN WORKING TOWARDS IN TERMS OF THE TIMELINE? SO CAN YOU PROVIDE THAT TO US WHEN YOU PROVIDE US THE TIMELINE FOR THE ENGAGEMENT? CERTAINLY.
UM, AND THEN I JUST HAVE ONE LAST RELATED QUESTION.
SO THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING THIS, YOU KNOW, FOR INCLUDING THIS DASHBOARD.
UM, I THINK THE ONLY, THE OTHER PIECE THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND IS JUST, I KNOW THERE'S A WHOLE VERY DETAILED WORK PLAN THAT YOU ALL ARE USING FOR WATER FORWARD THAT YOU'RE WORKING OFF OF
[00:15:01]
AND YOU'VE GOT TIMELINES AND GOALS ON THAT.SO FROM A, FROM A DASHBOARD PERSPECTIVE, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND OUR PROGRESS ON THOSE.
UM, AND SO I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD, UH, CONSIDER INCLUDING ON THIS DASHBOARD, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME ROLLED UP INFORMATION ON OUR TARGETS AND OUR PROGRESS TOWARDS THOSE TARGETS ON OUR WORK PLAN.
GOOD WAY FOR US ALL TO US ALL IN THE COMMUNITY TO STAY, STAY BOTH APPRISED OF THE PROGRESS ON THOSE VARIOUS WORK STEPS.
AND ALSO JUST TO, YOU KNOW, JUST TO CONTINUAL, I MEAN, THE WATERFORD PROGRAM IS A REALLY GREAT PROGRAM, SO IT'S A WAY TO CONTINUALLY, UH, HAVE THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND HOW WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS.
SO DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I'M NOT ASKING FOR THE WHOLE SPREADSHEET UPDATED ON YOUR DASHBOARD.
I'M MORE SAYING THAT SPREADSHEET, THEY DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT IF I REMEMBER IT, IT HAS CATEGORIES AND IT HAS TIMELINES FOR PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND I THINK FROM A DASHBOARD PERSPECTIVE IT WOULD BE GOOD TO UNDERSTAND OUR PROGRESS TOWARDS STEPS.
CERTAINLY I'LL TALK WITH OUR TEAM ABOUT HOW WE CAN ENHANCE NOT ONLY THE SHORT TERM LOOK, BUT GIVE YOU A LITTLE BROADER TERM ON THESE BROADER CATEGORIES AND HOW THESE MILESTONES ARE FITTING IN WITH IT OVER.
THAT'D BE GREAT CAUSE IT DOES THIS, UH, THIS DASHBOARD IS GREAT, BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY GIVE US ANY, IT GIVES US SOME, UH, HIGHER LEVEL GENERAL IDEAS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITHOUT MUCH SPECIFIC.
SO I THINK IF WE JUST DRILL DOWN A BIT, UH, ON THE DATA THAT'S INCLUDED, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF DATA ON YOUR DASHBOARD, ON YOUR WATER QUALITY REPORT.
THAT'S REALLY VERY, UH, VERY HELPFUL, VERY IMPRESSIVE.
UM, AND SO I WOULD JUST ASK YOU TO CONSIDER INCLUDING IN IT, UH, WE'RE DRILL DOWN ON YOUR, UM, WATER FORWARD, UH, DASHBOARD.
AND, UH, AND THAT, THAT, UH, CHAIRMAN, THAT CONCLUDES MY REMARKS.
I'M SORRY I WAS A LITTLE BIT LATE.
I WAS, UM, TALKING WITH THE CHILDCARE TASK FORCE ABOUT SOME, UM, LEGISLATION WE PASSED LAST WEEK.
UM, SO I'M CATCHING UP A LITTLE BIT LATE, BUT I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION ON THE REUSE AND ALTERNATIVE WATERS AND I APOLOGIZE IF YOU'VE COVERED THIS ALREADY.
UM, I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE DRAFTING A FRAMEWORK, ET CETERA, AND THEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE GOING TO BE GETTING THE STAKEHOLDER INPUT.
UM, ONE OF THE STEPS THAT I THOUGHT WE HAD SET IN MOTION WITH WATER FORWARD WAS KIND OF A PERIOD WHERE YOU WOULD, UM, PROVIDE BEST PRACTICES AND PROJECTS SO THAT IF THERE WERE GROUPS THAT WANTED TO ADOPT THIS SOONER OR THEY HAD SOME OF, UM, SOME OF THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND MECHANISMS FOR DOING THAT.
AND I KNOW THAT WE ARE, HAVE A PILOT PROJECT, I BELIEVE ALONG THIS VEIN AT THE PLANNING CENTER.
UM, BUT, BUT SOME OF THE OBSTACLES FOR SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO WANT TO BE DOING THIS, THIS JUST NOT HAVING KIND OF THE EXAMPLES OF HOW TO DO IT OR THE, THE CLEAR MECHANISMS FOR GETTING SUPPORT TO TRY AND DO IT EVEN BEFORE YOU GET THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FULLY SKETCHED OUT.
SO HOW, HOW WOULD YOU BE APPROACHING THAT? WELL, FOR CLIENTS THAT WANT TO WORK ON THIS, WE HAVE A MATERIAL ON OUR WEBSITE, ON, UH, VARIOUS FORMS OF REUSE AND UH, AND UH, HOW TO GO ABOUT DOING THAT.
IN ADDITION, WE WILL CONSULT WITH THEM.
WE ARE ALREADY MEETING WITH SOME CLIENTS THAT ARE CONSIDERING A REUSE ONSITE REUSE AS A PART OF THEIR LAND DEVELOPMENTS AND UH, AND WE'LL PROVIDE KIND OF SPECIALIZED CONSULTING SERVICES FOR THEM TO HELP WALK THEM THROUGH, UH, WHAT KIND OF OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE, HOW TO GO ABOUT, UH, PERMITTING THEM.
UH, THOSE ARE THE KIND OF SERVICES THAT WE HAVE.
OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T HAVE A FULLY FLESHED OUT REGULATORY FRAMEWORK YET BECAUSE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DEVELOP THROUGH THIS FIRST PHASE OF, UH, OF THIS WHOLE CHANGE.
BUT, UH, BUT AS PEOPLE COME IN AND CONSULT WITH US, WE HAVE SOME STAFF THAT ARE DEDICATED TO THIS, UH, TO THIS KIND OF, UH, APPLICATION.
I THINK IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DOCUMENTING SOME OF THE SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS THAT DO EXIST AND UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING IT CLEAR TO THE COMMUNITY OF DEVELOPERS THAT THERE ARE SOME RESOURCES TO HELP THEM DO THIS IF THEY HAVE CLIENTS WHO WANT TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, SOONER, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE FRAMEWORK, BECAUSE I JUST, SOMETHING THAT I HEARD WHEN WE WERE REVIEWING WATER FORWARD
[00:20:01]
WAS AN OBSTACLE EVEN BEFORE YOU GOT TO THE FRAMEWORK WAS KIND OF DEMONSTRATING THIS CAN BE DONE AND THAT THERE'S THE VALUE ADDED, ET CETERA, WHICH I WHOLEHEARTEDLY BELIEVE THERE IS.BUT I THINK THERE'S A, THERE'S A, A MECHANISM FOR THAT INFORMATION SHARING THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE ELEVATED A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WHAT YOU DESCRIBED SO FAR.
WHEN YOU SAY ELEVATED MORE, CAN YOU, CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT? SURE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ONE THING TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, GUIDELINES AND WHAT NOT ON YOUR, ON YOUR WEBSITE.
IT'S ANOTHER TO HAVE KIND OF SAMPLE PROJECTS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, CLARITY OVER HOW YOU CAN, HOW YOU CAN GET HELP.
AND MAYBE IT'S THERE AND I HAVEN'T SEEN IT.
UM, BUT MAYBE SOMEONE CAN DIRECT ME TO WHERE THAT IS AND, UM, WE CAN THINK ABOUT PROVIDING ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK.
UM, BUT, BUT I DEFINITELY REMEMBER THAT DURING WATER FORWARD, THERE WAS AN, THERE WAS AN INTERIM STEP THERE, UM, THAT WE ASKED FOR AND WE MAY HAVE EVEN PROVIDED DIRECTION ON.
YEAH, I THINK WE'RE HAVE TO TALK, I THINK WE'RE CARRYING ALL THAT OUT AND ALL THE COUNCIL DIRECTION.
I MEAN, IN PART, I'M A PART OF THE GUIDANCES REGULATORY FRAMEWORK.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH THIS DIRECTLY OURSELVES.
YOU KNOW, OUR FIRST PROJECT, AS YOU MENTIONED, IS THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
AND THAT WOULD ULTIMATELY BE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE WOULD USE TO GUIDE PEOPLE ON HOW TO PERMIT THESE BECAUSE PERMITTING OF ONSITE REUSE IS NOT JUST AN AUSTIN WATER FUNCTION.
IT'S ALSO A STATE OF TEXAS FUNCTION.
AND SO, UH, SO WE HAVE TO WORK, YOU KNOW, WITH THE STATE ON, UH, TCQ AND THEIR REGULATORY PERMITTING, PARTICULARLY OF OF PLANT SCALE.
I MEAN IF THERE'S OTHER FORMS OF REUSE THAT WE HAVE, THE AIR CONDITIONED CONDENSATE, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY OUR CENTRAL REUSE PROGRAM HAS A LOT OF GUIDANCE ON HOW THAT WORKS AND HOW YOU CONNECT IN THE REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS, THE DESIGN CRITERIA, ALL OF THOSE.
AND SOME OF THOSE CONNECTIONS ARE MANDATORY.
BUT COUNCIL MEMBER LET ME CONSULT WITH MY WATERFALL.
WE'RE TEAM AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, PROPERLY AGGREGATING AND ORGANIZING THAT MATERIAL AND, AND FULFILLING THE NEEDS THAT THE COUNCIL WANTED US TO DO.
AND I OBVIOUSLY HAVEN'T REVIEWED ALL OF THE MATERIAL YOU HAVE FOR THE DEVELOPERS, SO IT MAY BE THERE.
UM, I WANTED TO SLACK THOUGH THAT I'M PRETTY SURE WE HAD SPECIFIC DIRECTION, UM, TO CONSIDER THIS AS AN INTERIM STEP BEFORE THAT RATHER THAN SIMPLY WAITING FOR THE FRAMEWORK.
UM, LET ME PULL BACK WITH MY GENDER UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
[Item 3]
THE NEXT ITEM IS GOING TO BE THE COVEN 19 UPDATE AND THE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.AND I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND JUMP OFF HERE.
I THINK WHAT I'LL DO IS KEEP THIS RUNNING.
I'LL TURN OFF THE CAMERA AND IF I'M ABLE TO COME BACK, I KIND OF DON'T THINK SO, BUT, BUT, UM, I'M GONNA SEE IF I CAN RUN THIS AND ZOOM AT THE SAME TIME.
ARE WE READY TO MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE, THE CUPBOARD 19 UPDATE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AND UTILITY FORECAST AND BUDGET.
SO THAT WOULD BE DAVID ANDERS, MY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.
SO HOPEFULLY DAVID WILL WILL CHIME IN HERE.
LET'S SEE IF MAYBE HE'S ON MUTE.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR NOW.
I WAS WONDERING, I WASN'T ON YOU ANYWAY, BUT MY NAME IS DAVID ANDREWS.
I'M WITH AUSTIN WATER FINANCIAL SERVICES ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AND I'M WANTING TO PROVIDE A BRIEF UPDATE ON OUR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE BILL RELIEF PROGRAM.
AND THEN AUSTIN WATER'S FINANCIAL IMPACT.
AS FAR AS OUR BILL RELIEF PROGRAM COUNCIL APPROVED THE, UH, UH, THE REDUCTION OF 10% TO OUR RESIDENTIAL RATES ON APRIL 9TH.
AND WE, UH, UH, WE IMPLEMENTED THOSE RATES IMMEDIATELY ON THAT PARTICULAR DATE.
SO THEY HAVE BEEN IN EFFECT AND BILLS HAVE BEEN GOING OUT OVER THE LAST MONTH OR SO, UH, WITH THESE REDUCED RATES.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAD MENTIONED DURING THE IMPLEMENTATION OR THE LEAD UP TO THAT WAS THAT THESE RATES WOULD BE IN EFFECT THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH AND THEN THEY WOULD REVERT BACK IN OCTOBER 1ST.
[00:25:01]
BUT I WANTED YOU TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE TO THE COUNCIL, UH, UH, OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE THAT WE HAVE DECIDED TO KEEP THIS RATE IN EFFECT OCTOBER 31ST OF THIS YEAR.UH, THAT IS WHEN WE WOULD NORMALLY MAKE, UH, SEASONAL RATE CHANGES FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.
AND SO WE ONLY WANT IT TO MAKE ONE RATE CHANGE INSTEAD OF TWO.
SO WE DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND IN OUR BUDGET SUBMITTAL, WE WOULD ASSUME THAT THESE RATES WOULD GO BACK INTO, UH, THE PREVIOUS RATES WOULD GO BACK INTO EFFECT ON NOVEMBER 1ST WITH THESE REDUCED RATES THROUGH OCTOBER.
AS FAR AS OUR PLUS ONE PROGRAM IS, YOU KNOW, WE CONTRIBUTED $5 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL FUNDS, UM, TO THE PLUS ONE PROGRAM ALONG WITH AUSTIN ENERGY'S $5 MILLION AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO RUN THAT PROGRAM THE UH, IN APRIL THAT BASICALLY THE FIRST MONTH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE KOBE RELEASED GENERALLY WAS, UH, IT DID INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY.
SO WE, UH, PROVIDED $270,000 OF BILL RELIEF TO ABOUT 13 HOUSEHOLDS JUST IN APRIL.
AND THAT'S ABOUT TWO AND A HALF TIMES THE MARCH LEVELS THAT WE HAD.
IT'S REALLY THE HIGHEST THAT WE'VE HAD.
SO WE WOULD EXPECT EVEN MAY TO, TO CONTINUE TO GROW.
THERE'S, THERE IS A LOT OF ACTIVITY ON THE PLUS ONE WEBSITE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL THEN IS MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN NORMAL.
SO WE WOULD BE EXPECTING THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO HELP MORE HOUSEHOLDS AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UH, IN THIS BILL REALLY PROGRAM.
CAN YOU JUST REPEAT IT? I'M SORRY.
COULD YOU REPEAT THE NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS THAT WERE HELPED WITH THE 270,000 AND THE TIMEFRAME? SURE.
IT WAS 270,000 IN BAIL RELIEF FOR 1300 HOUSEHOLDS.
AND THAT WAS IN THE APRIL, THE MONTH OF APRIL.
AND SO WE WORKED WITH AUSTIN ENERGY VERY CLOSELY AND THEY PROVIDE US MONTHLY REPORTS ON, UH, THIS PROGRAM AS WELL.
AND SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A FURTHER UPDATE AS WE MOVE THROUGH AND, AND USE THESE FUNDS, UH, THAT WERE CONTRIBUTED BY AUSTIN, UH, WATER AUSTIN ENERGY.
AND IS THAT COVERING BILLS THAT ARE MORE THAN JUST A MONTH OR IS THAT JUST, IS THAT A, LIKE A BACKLOG OF PAYMENTS FOR SOME OF THIS? UH, IT, IT CAN BE, YOU KNOW, USUALLY THE, UM, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF, OF, OF, UH, SORT OF RESTRICTIONS AND THAT I THINK IT'S A SEVERAL MONTHS THAT CAN BE DONE.
SO THIS WAS JUST DONE IN APRIL.
SO IT COULD HAVE BEEN A MIXTURE OF BOTH, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST ONE MONTH OR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, UH, OR MORE THAT, UH, SOMEONE, WHEN THEY APPLY, THEY WOULD SORT OF LOOK AT THEIR COMPLETE BILL AND HOWEVER MONTHS, UH, WERE IN A REARS, THEY WOULD, UM, WORK TO HELP THEM, UH, IN A SYSTEM WITH, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE PAYMENT ASSISTANCE.
SO WE'RE REALLY HOPEFUL THAT THIS PROGRAM WILL BE ABLE TO HELP, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF HOUSEHOLDS THAT ARE STRUGGLING, UH, IN THE AUSTIN AREA, YOU KNOW, GIVEN POTENTIAL, UH, LOSSES OF JOBS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO REPORT THAT, UH, GOING FORWARD.
SO, UM, TELL ME THE SPECIFICS OF HOW PEOPLE ARE GET INTO THIS PROGRAM.
ARE THEY JUST, IS THERE AN APPLICATION PROCESS OR ARE THEY ENROLLED? UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, UH, BASICALLY, THERE'S NOT REALLY AN APPLICATION PROCESS, BUT, UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY HAS A FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS OUT ON THEIR WEBSITE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, WHO IS ELIGIBLE, YOU KNOW, IT'S BASICALLY THOSE THAT MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, THEY, I THINK PART OF THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION EXPANDED THE ELIGIBILITY OF THIS PROGRAM.
WE'RE, WE'RE ALSO INCLUDING, UH, IF THEY'RE SUBJECT TO ANY FEDERAL, STATE OR LOCAL QUARANTINE FOR COBIT 19, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN ADVISED BY THE HEALTHCARE PROVIDER TO SELF QUARANTINE, UH, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE SEEKING MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS FOR PROBATE 19.
SO THERE'S SEVERAL NEW, UH, ELIGIBILITY
[00:30:01]
REQUIREMENTS THAT OPEN UP THAT SIGNIFICANTLY TO, UH, THOSE EXPERIENCING CONCERNS.UM, BECAUSE OF THE KOBE 19, UH, THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO LIKE IF THEY HAD A JOB LOSS OR THINGS BEING ABLE TO APPLY FOR FUNDS.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING IS, IS, UM, AND I'M SORRY, I'M JUST NOT REMEMBERING THE SPECIFIC PROCESS.
HOW DOES SOMEONE, UH, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS SO THEY HAVE TO DO SOME KIND OF APPLICATION? UM, WELL, YOU KNOW, THE NORMAL APPLICATION PROCESS IS JUST EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY.
IT, IT'S DOING THE NORMAL PROCESS.
UH, AND, AND THEY WORKED THROUGH TYPICALLY, UH, SOMETIMES LIKE A THIRD PARTY PROVIDER THAT AUSTIN ENERGY HAS PARTNERSHIPS WITH.
UH, THERE'S OVER 20 DIFFERENT PROVIDERS, IF I RECALL THAT THEY CAN WORK THROUGH.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY IT GETS BACK TO WHERE, UH, THAT PROVIDER AND THE CUSTOMER, UH, CONTACTS AUSTIN ENERGY AND THEY WORKED THROUGH LOOKING AT THE BILL, UH, AND APPLY THE FUNDS THROUGH AUSTIN ENERGY TO, UM, YOU KNOW, PAY THOSE PARTICULAR BILLS.
BUT THE PROCESS IS BASICALLY THE SAME.
BUT WE DID EXPAND THE ELIGIBILITY.
I'D BE INTERESTED IN THE DETAILS OF THAT.
UM, SO, SO IT'S NOT, SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, IT'S THE PROVIDERS WHO ARE ACTUALLY DETERMINING WHETHER THEY MEET THE ELIGIBILITY.
SO FOR PARTICULARLY BY EXPANDING THE ELIGIBILITY, WE'RE SPEAKING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW COPE IN SOME WAYS HOW KOVATS IMPACTED THEM.
SO THE DECISION ABOUT DETERMINING WHETHER THEIR ELIGIBILITY IS MADE BY THE PROVIDERS, IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT WE'RE SAYING? I THINK, I THINK THAT'S GENERALLY, AT LEAST THE FIRST PHASE OF THAT IS GENERALLY THAT CASE.
AND THEN ALSO THE ENERGY DOES GET INVOLVED IN THAT.
BUT ULTIMATELY, I'M NOT SURE IF THEY REQUIRE OR LOOK AT ELIGIBILITY SPECIFICALLY AGAIN.
UH, AUSTIN UT DOES HAVE, LIKE I SAID, AN FAQ DOCUMENT OUT ON THEIR WEBSITE THAT I'LL BE GLAD TO PROVIDE TOS.
UH, THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, THAT PROVIDES A LOT MORE INFORMATION ON, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE HOW MUCH DOLLARS CAN BE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE MAXIMUM DOLLARS ARE, UH, HOW MANY TIMES THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO ASK.
I ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE, UH, OVER A YEAR KIND OF DEAL.
SO THOSE KINDS OF RESTRICTIONS ARE STILL OUT THERE.
UH, THAT I'LL BE GLAD TO PROVIDE THIS DOCUMENT TO YOU.
I JUST, I BROUGHT UP THE WEBSITE REAL QUICK AND IT HAS AN APPLICATION AND A, IT'S PRETTY BASIC.
YOU JUST GIVE YOUR NAME AND SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION IN SOME KIND OF DOCUMENT THAT SHOWS YOU'VE EXPERIENCED A HARDSHIP, LIKE, UH, UNEMPLOYMENT OR PAY STUBS THAT INDICATED YOUR PAY ENDED.
UH, THERE'S A WHOLE LIST OF OTHER PROVIDERS YOU CAN GO THROUGH TO ENTER THE PROGRAM.
SO, UM, THE WEBSITE HAS IT OUTLINED PRETTY WELL ALL.
AND, UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL DO SOME ADDITIONAL WILL UP THERE FOR YOU.
SO JUST TWO THINGS JUST TO CONNECT TO THAT.
UM, I, I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT THE, THAT THE, UM, THE CITY IS WORKING ON A, ON A SINGLE APPLICATION PROCESS.
ACTUALLY THAT'S OVERSTATING IT, A BIT MORE OF A SINGLE INQUIRY PROCESS.
WE JUST TALKED ABOUT IT IN THE, UM, UH, IN, IN ONE OF THE CABINET MEETINGS.
UH, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AUSTIN WATER IS ALSO COLLABORATING WITH THAT.
UM, AND SO WHAT THEY'RE WORKING ON IS DEVELOPING, IF AN INDIVIDUAL, AN INDIVIDUAL HAS ONE PLACE OR PHONE NUMBER PLACE THAT THEY CAN CONTACT THE CITY, UH, TO SAY WHAT THEY NEED HELP WITH, UM, AND THEN CONNECTIONS ARE MADE TO THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. SO I'M JUST WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT AUSTIN WATER IS PARTICIPATING IN THAT, IN THAT PROCESS.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THAT OR NOT, BUT DIRECTOR OF RESOURCE, I WOULD JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AUSTIN WATER IS ALSO PARTICIPATING IN THAT PROCESS.
I WILL MAKE SURE I FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
WE'RE APPROPRIATELY PLUGGED IN AND A DIRECT REPORT TO THE CITY MANAGER.
SO EVERY WE'RE ENGAGED WITH DISCUSSING OF COVERT 19 RESPONSES.
AND SO I'LL TAKE STEPS, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO THAT.
YEAH, YOU CAN TALK WITH DIRECTOR RUSS CINEO WAS WHO WE WERE TALKING WITH ABOUT IT.
SO I KNOW SHE'S FAMILIAR WITH THEIR, WHAT THEY'RE WORKING ON.
I KNOW VERONICA WELL THANK YOU.
I THINK IT'S COMING OUT OF EDD, BUT THEY'RE CONNECTING TO ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.
THEN THE OTHER THING IS I WOULD JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU HAVE THIS KIND OF DATA, ONE TO UNDERSTAND THE EXTENT TO WHICH YOU'RE GETTING REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE
[00:35:01]
THAT, UM, THAT ARE, THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO MEET BECAUSE OF OUR, UM, BECAUSE OF OUR ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.SO IS THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US AS A CITY TO UNDERSTAND ANY, ANY GAPS OR ANY UNMET NEEDS.
SO DO YOU ALL HAVE THAT KIND OF DATA? UM, I'M NOT AWARE THAT WE HAVE THAT KIND OF DATA SPECIFICALLY, BUT AUSTIN ENERGY IS THE ONE THAT MANAGES THIS PROGRAM AND WE WORK REAL CLOSELY WITH THEM.
AND FOLLOW UP WITH THEM TO SEE IF THAT DATA IS AVAILABLE OR TO SEE IF WE CAN START TRACKING THAT KIND OF DATA TO PROVIDE THAT.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO, AS WE WORK THROUGH ALL THESE VARIOUS PROGRAMS FOR DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF PEOPLE'S NEEDS, UH, DUE TO COVEN, WE WERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL WANTING TO IDENTIFY ANY UNMET NEEDS THAT WE HAVE OR ANY GAPS.
SO GETTING THAT INFORMATION FROM AUSTIN ENERGY WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE WILL WORK WITH THEM CLOSELY TO SEE WHAT WE CAN PROVIDE, UM, THE COUNCIL AND THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME OF THAT INFORMATION IN THEIR OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AS WELL.
I WAS EXPECT THEM TO PROVIDE UPDATES AS WELL FOR THEM.
I WAS JUST THINKING THE SAME THING, THAT IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE AUSTIN ENERGY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE JUST SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT ANGLES OF IT.
I KNOW A LOT OF FAMILY BUDGETS ARE STRETCHED RIGHT NOW.
A LOT OF HOME WATER BILLS ARE HIGHER BECAUSE PEOPLE AREN'T TAKING THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL OR THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, AT WORK IN THE OFFICES.
AND SO I THINK WE ARE SEEING THE FAMILY BUDGETS FOR THE BRUNT OF, OF THOSE BILLS RIGHT NOW.
UM, I SAW THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR HAD ANOTHER QUESTION.
SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND LET YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO ASK.
I DON'T HAVE TO STEP AHEAD OF YOU.
I HAD A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS BUT YOU CAN GO AHEAD.
UM, SO I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IF WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE UNIVERSE OF FOLKS THAT THIS ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN MULTIFAMILY OR SINGLE FAMILY, UM, SITUATION, CAUSE I'M, I GUESS I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE DEGREE TO WHICH THIS RELIEF IS FAVORING, UM, THOSE IN SINGLE FAMILIES AS OPPOSED TO RENTERS WHO ARE IN MULTIFAMILY WHERE SOMETIMES THEIR UTILITIES ARE INCLUDED AND SO THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO KIND OF GET THIS RELIEF.
AND THAT MAY BE JUST A FUNCTION OF USING OUR PLUS PROGRAM FROM BEFORE, BUT I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS FOR MULTIFAMILY.
SO CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT GENERAL CONCERN OPPOSED TO BOTH RESIDENTIAL AND MULTIFAMILY? I DO NOT KNOW THE SPECIFICS OF, OF WHETHER OR NOT, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN, UH, MULTIFAMILY OR ARE NOT AVAILABLE, UH, TO, TO GET THAT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY IF THEY DO HAVE THEIR, THE RENT IS, INCLUDES THEIR BILL AND THEY DON'T GET A BILL FROM, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL SENIOR JEAN OR AUSTIN WATER, THEN THAT, YOU KNOW, WAS PROBABLY PRECLUDE THEM FROM PARTICIPATING.
BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY BREAKDOWN AS FAR AS, UM, AS THAT FOR, FOR OPTUM WATER.
UH, A LOT OF THAT MIGHT BE, UH, JUST FOR RESIDENTIAL AND NOT MULTI FAMILY BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE INDIVIDUAL, UH, METERS FOR OUR MULTIFAMILY, UM, UNITS AND, AND THEREFORE, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD, THEY WOULDN'T GET THAT WATER BILL THROUGH THAT MECHANISM, BUT CLEARLY THEY WOULD STILL BE AVAILABLE FOR, UH, ELECTRIC, UM, UH, BILL RELIEF AS WELL.
I MEAN, AND I GUESS THEY'RE GOING TO BE DIFFERENT SETUPS FOR DIFFERENT MULTIFAMILY, BUT TO THE EXTENT THAT YOUR UTILITIES ARE INCLUDED IN YOUR RENT, I'M JUST WONDERING HOW WE COULD GIVE THOUGHT TO WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR A SITUATION IF A LANDLORD SAID THEY'RE WILLING TO PASS THE SAVINGS ON FOR A RENTER WHO THEY'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH ON A RENTAL PAYMENT OR, I KNOW THAT GETS A LITTLE COMPLICATED, BUT, UM, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IF A, IF A MULTIFAMILY RESIDENCE HAS A LANDLORD THAT'S WILLING TO PASS ON THE SAVINGS TO, UM, FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN DISRUPTED BY COBIT 19 THAT WE COULD HAVE A MECHANISM TO DO THAT, THAT WOULD THEN ENABLE THE LANDLORD TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT RELIEF IN A WAY THAT A SYSTEM THAT, YOU KNOW, IF I, I JUST THINK THAT THERE OUGHT TO BE A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM OR AT LEAST A PILOT THAT WE COULD DO TO SEE IF WE COULD HELP MORE PEOPLE IN A MULTIFAMILY SETTING TO MAYBE THE ONES WHO ARE MOST IMPACTED
[00:40:01]
BY COVERT.SO WE MAY LIKE, I FRANKLY FELT LIKE THE 270,000 AND 1300 HOUSEHOLDS WAS LOWER THAN I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED, WOULD HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF IT GIVEN YOU KNOW, FOR THE RENT PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE, WE ARE SEEING REQUESTS FOR SOMETHING LIKE $6 MILLION IN RENT RELIEF.
UM, AND 20,000 HOUSEHOLDS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, REQUESTING RELIEF THAT IF THERE WERE A WAY TO DO THAT OR EVEN IF IT'S WITH HAKA, IF WE'RE SOMEHOW REDUCING THEIR UTILITY RENT AND THEN THEY CAN REDUCE THAT IF WE'RE NOT TAKING FULL ADVANTAGE OF THIS 5 MILLION IN THESE FUNDS, UM, WHICH WE WON'T JUST, THIS IS THE RATE WE'RE GOING THROUGH OCTOBER WITH THE 5 MILLION.
IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN DO THAT? YEAH, THAT, THAT DEFINITELY IS AN ISSUE THAT WE HAVE EXPLORED FOR QUITE SOME TIME AS FAR AS AUSTIN WATER AND OUR MULTIFAMILY CUSTOMERS BECAUSE WE DON'T INDIVIDUALLY METER MOST MULTIFAMILY AND IT DOES CAUSE ISSUES.
THEY'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE THAT ASSISTANCE IN DETERMINING SOME SORT OF MECHANISM TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT ASSISTANCE.
AND THAT IS WHAT WE PROBABLY SEE AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM AS WELL.
WHEREAS AUSTIN ENERGY CAN PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, MULTIFAMILY UNITS BECAUSE THEY HAVE SEPARATE BILLS FOR ELECTRIC, UM, CAN PROVIDE THAT ASSISTANCE WITHOUT, UH, THE WATER BILL AS WELL.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE LOOKED AT IN LOOKING AT SOMETHING PERMANENT.
UH, WE HAVEN'T, UH, BECAUSE OF, UH, THE COLVIN 19 COMING UP IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THAT, UH, HAS BEEN STALLED A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY TRY TO SEE IF THERE'S SOME MECHANISM THAT THAT COULD DO THAT.
I WOULD EXPECT THAT, YOU KNOW, AS, AS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE ONLY HAD THIS PROGRAM IN PLACE FOR BASICALLY AN EXTRA MONTH, UH, SINCE IT WAS APPROVED.
SO I WOULD EXPECT THE USE OF THIS TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER AS WE MOVE THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
CAUSE EVEN IF, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO ARE DOING NO DISCONNECTS WITH A SERVICE.
SO A CUSTOMER, YOU KNOW, MY WAY, UH, FOR A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY APPLY FOR THIS KIND OF SERVICE.
KNOWING THAT THAT PARTICULAR BILL IS, IS, YOU KNOW, SORT OF ON HOLD AND NOT BEING, UH, DISCONNECTED.
SO WE DO EXPECT TO SEE GREATER DEMAND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, IN THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS.
I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THOSE CASES WHERE THAT INNER DEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND BEING ABLE TO SEE KIND OF THE BIGGER VIEW.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY TO CLASSIFY SOME OF THE MULTIFAMILY OR EVEN IF YOU JUST TOOK THE PUBLIC HOUSING OPTIONS THROUGH HAKA AND YOU FIGURED OUT A WAY, UM, TO DELIVER IT, THAT WOULD THEN BE PASSED ON TO THE RESIDENTS THAT, THAT COULD MAKE A, THAT COULD MAKE THAT, THAT'S ANOTHER MECHANISM FOR THAT, FOR THAT RELIEF.
AND WE MAY NEED TO SEE WHAT THE AMOUNT THAT WE NEED TO PAY OUT IN MAY IS BEFORE MAKING THAT DECISION.
BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE, THOSE WOULD BE USEFUL, UM, CONVERSATIONS FOR US TO CONTINUE.
AND I MAY THINK ABOUT, UM, THAT WITH MY STAFF.
AND, UM, WOULD YOU BE THE RIGHT PERSON FOR US TO CONTINUE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH EVERYONE AT THE ABSOLUTELY.
AND I'D SAY WE, WE, WE HAD, WE HAD A MEETING SET UP WITH, UH, HAKA, UM, JUST DRIED IN BASICALLY IN MARCH OR SO.
AND THAT'S BEEN SORT OF PUT ON HOLD BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY REACH OUT TO THEM CAUSE WE WERE TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO SEE IF, IF, UM, THERE WAS A WAY TO TRY TO PASS ON, UH, YOU KNOW, ANY TYPE OF CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS THROUGH OUR MULTIFAMILY.
UH, SO WITH THIS, UH, NEW COVIN UH, DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TRY AND CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THAT AS WELL.
SO WE CAN DEFINITELY REACH OUT AND WE'LL DEFINITELY BE AVAILABLE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AS NEEDED.
CAUSE I THINK THIS MAY PROVIDE AN OPENING, DO IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAN MAYBE YOU WERE ABLE AT LEAST, EVEN IF IT'S JUST FOR THE SHORT RUN, UM, NEXT SIX MONTHS.
I THINK THAT COULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT LINE OF THINKING BECAUSE I KNOW THAT SOME APARTMENTS DO EVERYTHING INCLUDED AND SOME DO IT BY SQUARE FOOTAGE.
AND SO I APPRECIATE THE ATTENTION TO KNOWING THAT MAY BE TRICKY, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL TAKING TIME TO CONSIDER HOW WE COULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE
[00:45:01]
THAT RESOURCE AS WELL.UM, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW MANY SHUTOFFS HAVE NOT TAKEN PLACE BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO WITH Y'ALL? UH, NO, I, I DO NOT HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
I HAVEN'T ASKED AUSTIN ENERGY FOR THAT, UH, AT THIS TIME.
UM, I MIGHT RECOMMEND THAT WE KEEP THIS ITEM ON AS WELL FOR OUR NEXT MEETING.
UM, IF WE DECIDE WITH AUSTIN ENERGY OVERSIGHT TO COMBINE THEM, I'M HAPPY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AT THAT TIME.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT THIS COULD BE SOMETHING AS IT EVOLVES, COULD BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR US TO BE INVOLVED IN, TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONS, WE'RE ABLE TO ANSWER THEM AND TELL THEM WHERE TO GO TO RECEIVE THIS TYPE OF HELP.
UM, DO YOU HAVE PLANS FOR WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF WE GET CLOSER TO OCTOBER AND PEOPLE ARE STILL FEELING THE TYPES OF HARDSHIPS THAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING NOW OR EVEN WORSE? UM, DO YOU HAVE KIND OF A DEADLINE FOR WHERE SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE APPROPRIATE TO TAKE PLACE? UH, W WE HAVEN'T REALLY LOOKED TOO FAR IN ADVANCE.
CLEARLY WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THIS FIRST ROUND OF, UH, BILL RELIEF, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DID HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS RELATED TO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU JUST WANT TO, IF WE NEEDED TO, YOU KNOW, EXTEND THESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS FURTHER AND WHAT THAT WOULD DO FINANCIALLY AND BUDGET LEVELS.
UM, BUT WE, YOU KNOW, HAD HOPED TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS AND HOW, UH, SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS WENT.
UH, AND THEN CONTINUE SOME OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS THROUGH THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS WHEN THOSE DECISIONS WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE OF WHEN, LIKE I SAID, THE REDUCED RATES WOULD GO BACK INTO EFFECT OR IF ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING WAS NEEDED FOR THE PLUS ONE PROGRAM THAT WE WOULD LOOK AT AT THAT TIME.
SO WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS, BUT, UH, WAITING TO SEE SORT OF HOW THOSE FUNDS ARE BEING EXPENDED IN THIS FIRST PHASE.
CHAIRMAN ELLIS, THIS IS DIRECTOR MR DARCY.
I WOULD, I WOULD JUST ADD, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET PROCESS HAS, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND THE COUNCIL ON OUR BUDGET IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR REVISITING IF WE SHOULD EXTEND THESE.
THERE'S REALLY THREE PROGRAMS WE CREATED.
UM, ONE IS THE $5 MILLION TRANSFER TO THE PLUS ONE PROGRAM.
UH, BOTH OF US IN AUSTIN ENERGY SUPPLEMENTED THAT BY A TOTAL OF 10 MILLION AND THAT DOESN'T EXPIRE IN OCTOBER.
THOSE DOLLARS WOULD REMAIN THERE UNTIL UTILIZED.
SO AS DAVID DESCRIBES IT, I DON'T KNOW HOW RAPIDLY THIS WOULD PICK UP, BUT THAT CERTAINLY THOSE DOLLARS DON'T GO AWAY IN OCTOBER.
UM, THE OTHER PROGRAMS WE CREATED IS WE'VE REDUCED WATER BILLS FOR ALL RESIDENTIAL CLASSES ACROSS THE BOARD FOR THE TOP THREE TIER OR THE LOWER THREE TIERS.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS, IS WE REDUCED OUR ALREADY LOWER, UH, CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BY 10%.
AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN KIND OF MASSAGE THAT AND KEEP YOU KNOW, SOME OR ALL OF THAT IN PLACE, UH, PAST OCTOBER 31ST.
ALTHOUGH AS DAVID, WE'LL GET INTO THAT, OUR FINANCIAL STRESSES, THE UTILITY STARTING TO PICK UP AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE TO MANAGE OUR LONGTERM FINANCES TOO AS WE WORK THROUGH THESE RELIEF PROGRAMS. I CAN VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT.
I KNOW, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS AND THIS IS DEFINITELY A TIME OF NEED FOR SO MANY FAMILIES, SO I APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION TO DETAIL ON THAT AND LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHERING THIS CONVERSATION.
ARE THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS ON THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC? AUTUMN ANSWERED.
THEN LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS THE BRUSHY CREEK REGIONAL WASTEWATER SYSTEM OVERVIEW.
LET MIKE D. DAVID WANTED TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT, THE COUNCIL ON, UM, ON, UH, GENERAL REVENUE LOSSES, THE UTILITIES EXPERIENCING AND UH, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE WORTH JUST A FEW MORE MINUTES OF HIS REPORT TO GET A SENSE BEYOND JUST THE CUSTOMER RELIEF, UH, WHAT OTHER FINANCIAL, UM, UNDERTAKINGS THE UTILITY IS EXPERIENCING.
IF THE OTHER MEMBERS ARE OPEN TO IT, I THINK WE'VE GOT TIME IN OUR SCHEDULE TODAY TO DO IT.
THINGS LIKE LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOOD TO GO TO SEED.
AND I'LL TRY TO BE BRIEF, BUT I DO WANT TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF FINANCIAL IMPACT ON OUR WATER DEMAND AND REVENUES AND OUR EXPENSES.
SO FOR WATER DEMAND IN APRIL, WE DID TRACK ABOUT FIVE AND A HALF PERCENT LOWER THAN WHAT WE WOULD HAVE EXPECTED IN APRIL.
AND THAT SORT OF INDICATES WHAT OUR MAY REVENUES MIGHT, UH,
[00:50:01]
LOOK LIKE GOING FORWARD.SO IT'S SORT OF AN EARLY INDICATOR ON THAT.
OF COURSE, APRIL WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, UH, WET AND RAINY THAN, UH, THAN NORMAL.
SO I MEAN THAT OF OBVIOUSLY RAIN DOES HAVE, IT'S STILL IMPACTING OUR, UM, OUR WATER DEMAND.
UM, AS FAR AS MAY DEMAND, IT'S PRETTY RIGHT ON TARGET OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE EXPECTED LEVELS, ALTHOUGH THE RAIN EVENTS OVER THE LAST DAY AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, PROJECTED INTO THE WEEKEND WILL HAVE SOME IMPACT AS WELL.
UH, MOVING FORWARD ON OUR WATER DEMAND.
AND AS FAR AS OUR REVENUES, UH, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY HAD A GOOD FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR IN WATER REVENUES, MAINLY IN OCTOBER THROUGH FEBRUARY.
UM, WE HAD SIGNIFICANTLY MORE REVENUE THAN WHAT WE HAD BUDGETED, SO WE WERE ABOUT NINE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS ABOVE BUDGET LEVELS, UH, FROM OCTOBER TO FEBRUARY AND REALLY THROUGH MARCH, EXCUSE ME, THROUGH MARCH.
AND, UH, BUT IN APRIL, YOU KNOW, WHEN ONE, THE REDUCED RATES STARTED, UH, THE BILL STARTED GOING OUT WITH REDUCED RATES.
UM, AND, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE, THE COBIT IMPACTS AND THE STATE HOME ORDERS WERE WELL INTO EFFECT.
SO IN APRIL, OUR WATER REVENUES WERE ABOUT TWO POINT $1 MILLION.
AND ON WASTEWATER WE WERE ABOUT 2.4 MILLION BELOW EXPECTATIONS.
SO, YOU KNOW, COMBINED WE AROUND FOUR AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS BELOW BUDGET LEVELS JUST IN APRIL.
BUT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY OUR EXCESS REVENUES IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR HELPED US OFFSET, UH, THOSE REVENUE LOSSES IN APRIL.
SO TODAY WE ARE ABOUT $5 MILLION ABOVE LEVEL, ABOVE BUDGET LEVELS, UH, IN WATER AND WASTEWATER REVENUES.
SO THAT WILL HELP OFFSET, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY EXPECTED LOSSES PROBABLY IN MAY, JUNE AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UH, AT LEAST HALF OF THESE REVENUE LOSSES IN APRIL WERE DUE TO THE COMMERCIAL CUSTOMER CLASS AND THAT WOULD BE EXPECTED BECAUSE OF THE SHUTDOWN IN A LOT OF OUR COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES.
SOME OF THE LOSS WAS ALSO IN OUR RESIDENTIAL CLASS, UH, ALTHOUGH THAT WAS TO BE EXPECTED BECAUSE OF THE, THE BEGINNING OF THEIR RATE REDUCTIONS.
SO IT'S ABOUT ON PAR WITH, UH, WITH WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT, UH, DUE TO THOSE RATE REDUCTIONS.
UH, YOU KNOW, CAN, YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOK OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS, WE'LL CONTINUE TO REALLY CLOSELY MONITOR, UM, ALL OF THESE REVENUES.
WE LOOK AT THOSE VERY CLOSELY AND, AND COMPARE THOSE TO BUDGET LEVELS TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE CAN RESPOND TO ANY, UM, MORE SEVERE, UH, REVENUE LOSSES.
AS FAR AS OUR EXPENSE UPDATE, UH, KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE ARE TRACKING SOME OF OUR COBIT 19 EXPENSES.
LIKE MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY.
AND THOSE INCLUDE PERSONNEL AND TEMPERATURE MONITORING FOR OUR TREATMENT PLANTS AND SERVICE CENTERS.
SOME OF THE PPE AND SUPPLIES THAT WE HAVE.
SO WE HAVE EXPANDED THROUGH A MAY 7TH, RIGHT UNDER A MILLION DOLLARS, UH, FOR THOSE EXPENSES RELATED TO COVERT 19.
UM, SO THAT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT, ALTHOUGH ABOUT HALF OF THAT IS PERSONNEL RELATED, WHICH WE WOULD GENERALLY HAVE TO SPEND ANYWAY.
UH, BUT WE ARE MONITORING THOSE SPECIFIC ACTIONS THAT WE'RE TAKING FOR, UH, CAUFIELD RELATED, UM, PERSONNEL.
UH, ALTHOUGH EXPENSES THROUGH MARCH, UH, OVERALL EVEN INCLUDING THESE EXTRA MILLION DOLLARS ARE STILL BELOW BUDGET LEVELS BY ABOUT 8 MILLION.
UH, THIS IS PRIMARILY IN OUR DEBT SERVICE REQUIREMENTS AREA.
SO WE, UH, HAVE SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN OUR DEBT SERVICE REQUIREMENTS COMPARED TO WHAT WE HAD ANTICIPATED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 20 BUDGET, WHICH IS ALSO HELPING TO OFFSET, UH, SOME OF THESE COLGATE 19 EXPENSES AND ANY OTHER EXPENSES THAT MIGHT BE THE HEALING.
UH, PART OF THAT DEBT SERVICE REQUIREMENTS WAS BASED UPON A
[00:55:01]
DEFEASANCE THAT WAS TRANSACTED.IT WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL IN APRIL AND WAS TRANSACTED THAT PROVIDED $40 MILLION IN SAVINGS THREE YEARS ALONG WITH SOME THIS, THIS FISCAL YEAR AS WELL.
SO IT WILL PROVIDE US RELIEF, UM, GOING INTO THE NEXT BUDGET YEAR AND HELP US OFFSET SOME OF THE COSTS THAT WE MIGHT BE SEEING, UH, COMING FORWARD.
UH, AUSTIN WATER, YOU KNOW, CONTINUES TO MONITOR OUR FINANCIAL IMPACTS VERY CLOSELY.
UH, WE ARE CONFIDENT WE CAN SUSTAIN OUR FINANCIAL POSITION THROUGH THIS KOBE OF FAN EVENT, YOU KNOW, USING, YOU KNOW, COST CONTAINMENT OR RESERVES, UH, AS WE PLAN.
UM, SO WE'LL JUST CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS CLOSELY AND CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE FURTHER UPDATES, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL MIGHT HAVE, SO SOME OF OUR ALTAR, THANK YOU.
I'M IN AUDIT AND FINANCE, UM, EITHER ON OUR MAY 27TH MEETING OR A MEETING, WE'RE GONNA SCHEDULE AN EARLY JEAN.
WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT, UM, UPDATES, FELICITY FINANCIAL POLICIES.
UM, BUT I THINK THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE WHERE OUR GOOD FINANCIAL PRACTICES, UM, HAVE REALLY STOOD US WELL.
UM, AS WE CONFRONT THIS CRISIS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THE DEFEASANCE PART WAS PART OF ONE OF OUR FINANCIAL POLICY PER SE, BUT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, GOOD FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT TO BE ABLE TO, UM, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE.
UM, I THINK IT WAS STATE LEVEL GRANTS THAT WERE, UM, STATE LEVEL LOANS THAT ALLOW US TO REDUCE OUR, OUR DEBT REQUIREMENTS.
UM, BUT IN TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF WHERE OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS ARE IN PARTICULAR, BUT EVEN THE GENERAL FUNDS, UM, PRACTICES THAT WE HAVE BUILT IN PLACE, UM, IT'S BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE IN A DECENT FINANCIAL SITUATION AS WE FACE THIS REALLY BIG SHOCK.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK AUSTIN WATER AND THE STAFF FOR, YOU KNOW, REALLY, UM, PURSUING IT WAS VERY PRUDENT.
YOU DON'T HAVE ANYMORE QUESTIONS ON THAT ONE? YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION.
SO, UM, AND I'M SORRY YOU SAID THIS, I JUST DIDN'T QUITE CATCH IT.
UM, WHEN DID YOU SAY THE AMOUNT OF THE COVETED RELATED EXPENDITURES OR UH, THEY WERE JUST UNDER A MILLION DOLLARS, LIKE $954,000 AND THAT PERSON? YEAH.
AND THEN, UM, OF COURSE YOU, POLLY, WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS YET.
THIS IS PROBABLY PART OF ALL OF OUR CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'LL BE HAVING NEXT WEEK ON OUR USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS.
BUT, UM, DO YOU KNOW IF THESE HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR FEMA REIMBURSEMENT OR FOR ANY OTHER KIND OF REIMBURSEMENT AT THIS POINT? I DO NOT KNOW IF THOSE HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED SPECIFICALLY FOR, WE ARE ASSUMING THAT THEY ARE.
SO ALL THE DOCUMENTATION AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, WE'RE ALREADY WORKING WITH THE CITY AND THE EOC TO PROVIDE THAT DOCUMENTATION.
THERE'S A SHAREPOINT SITE THAT WE UPLOAD SOME OF THIS INFORMATION TO WITH THE BACKUP.
SO WE ARE ACTING AS IF IT WILL BE REIMBURSED SO THAT WE CAN MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION NOW RATHER THAN TRYING TO LOOK FOR IT, UM, WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO, TO ACTUALLY DO THAT REIMBURSEMENT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PROJECTION FOR CONTINUED, UM, COVERT EXPENSES? UH, WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY, WE, WE HAVE, I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGER PIECES OF, UH, THIS IS OUR TEMPERATURE MONITORING CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE THAT IS, UM, AT OUR, UH, SIX TREATMENT PLANTS AND BASICALLY TWO SERVICE CENTERS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, EXPENSE ABOUT $150,000 PER MONTH, UH, TO DO THAT IN, SINCE WE ARE A CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, WE FELT THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE TEMPERATURE MONITORING FOR, UH, OUR EMPLOYEES BEFORE THEY COME ON TO THE SITE SO THAT WE DON'T, UM, POTENTIALLY IN FACT SOMEONE THAT'S,
[01:00:01]
YOU KNOW, AT A CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PLANT.I THINK OUR PERSONNEL COSTS, UH, WERE VERY HEAVY IN THE FIRST, UH, MONTH, MONTH AND A HALF UP TO DATE.
UH, WE HAD AN ACTIVE, UH, DEPARTMENTAL OPERATIONS CENTER MOVE GOING FORWARD AND, AND TRYING TO PLAN FOR SOME OF THESE THINGS.
AND, AND THAT HAS, UH, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE KINDS OF ACTIVITIES WILL BE LESS INTO THE FUTURE.
SO I WOULD EXPECT OUR PERSONNEL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS WOULD TEND TO START GOING DOWN, UH, OUR PPE AND SUPPLIES.
UH, LIKE I SAID, WE, WE GOT A LOT OF THAT EARLY ON.
UM, SO I WOULDN'T SEE AS BIG OF EXPENSES, UH, GOING FORWARD, BUT DEFINITELY THE TEMPERATURE MONITORING WILL SUSTAIN, UH, FOR SOME TIME, UH, AT THAT LEVEL, UH, THAT I MENTIONED AT 150,000 PER MONTH.
THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL AND GOOD TO KNOW AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE TRACKING THAT AS WE GO ALONG SO THAT, UM, MY INTERPRETATION WOULD ALSO BE THAT SOME OF THIS FEDERAL ASSISTANCE MONEY COULD BE USED ON THIS AND SO IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU'RE PROACTIVELY TRACKING THAT SO THAT THERE'LL BE A LOT EASIER ON THE BACKEND.
UM, ARE THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? ALL RIGHT.
[Item 4]
FOUR WILL NOW BE THE BRUSHY CREEK REGIONAL WATER SYSTEM OVERVIEW.WE HAVE A STAFFER THAT IS MUTED, THAT SHOULD BE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.
KEVIN CRITTENDON SHOULD BE COMING HERE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU NOW.
I'LL BE GIVING A PRESENTATION, UM, OUTSIDE OF WEBEX, UH, TO ACCOMMODATE THE, UH, UH, TECHNOLOGY LIMITATIONS.
SO I MAY BE FLYING A LITTLE BIT BLIND AS FAR AS THE TIMING IS CONCERNED.
SO PLEASE, IF IT APPEARS THAT I OFF SEQUENCE WITH THE SLIDES, SOMEBODY, FEEL FREE TO STOP ME OR CORRECT ME.
PLEASE TELL ME WHEN TO ADVANCE TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND WE'LL BE FINE.
WE'LL DO, UM, AGAIN, MY NAME IS KEVIN CRITTENDON.
I'M ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR AUSTIN WATER.
UM, I'M GOING TO SPEND A FEW MINUTES WITH YOU THIS AFTERNOON PROVIDING A SHORT OVERVIEW OF AUSTIN'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE BRUSHY CREEK REGIONAL WASTEWATER SYSTEM.
UM, THAT, UH, THAT SYSTEM IS UNIQUE BECAUSE IT'S THE ONLY PART OF OUR WASTEWATER SERVICE AREA WHERE, UM, WE, WE DON'T DIRECTLY SERVE AUSTIN WATER CUSTOMERS INDEPENDENTLY, BUT RATHER DO THAT, UH, AND ORIGINAL PARTNERSHIP ALONG WITH THE CITIES OF ROUND ROCK, CEDAR PARK AND LEANDER TO PROVIDE REGIONAL WASTEWATER SERVICE TO EACH PARTNER, CITIES, RETAIL REGIONAL CUSTOMERS.
BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, THE HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF THE BRUSHY CREEK SYSTEM DATES BACK OVER 30 YEARS.
THIS AREA IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND THIS PART OF AUSTIN'S WASTEWATER SERVICE AREA HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING CONTINUED GROWTH SINCE THE LATE 1980S.
THE REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP BEGAN BACK IN 1988 WITH THE BRUSHY CREEK WATER CONTROL AND IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NUMBER ONE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND CITY OF ROUND ROCK WITH A GOAL TO BUILD A REGIONAL WASTEWATER SYSTEM TO MEET SHARED WASTEWATER UTILITY NEEDS IN THE REGION.
THE SYSTEM IS AN ONGOING ENTERPRISE AND HAS EVOLVED OVER THE PAST 32 YEARS AND CONTINUES TO EVOLVE TODAY.
THERE'VE BEEN A NUMBER OF CHANGES OVER THAT TIME, INCLUDING CONSTRUCTION AND EXPANSION.
THE REGIONAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS EXTENSIONS TO THE REGIONAL WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM, CHANGES IN OWNERSHIP AND OPERATIONS OF THE SYSTEM.
TODAY, THE SYSTEM IS JOINTLY OWNED BY AUSTIN CEDAR PARK LANDER AND ROUND ROCK WITH ROUND ROCK BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS AND THAT CLYDE PLEA.
THIS NEXT SLIDE DEPICTS THE GENERALIZED WASTEWATER SERVICE AREA FOR THE BRUSHY CREEK REGIONAL WASTEWATER SYSTEM.
THE SYSTEM IS LOCATED IN WESTERN.
I SEE IT IN THE SOUTHERN WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND AN EFFORT TO ORIENT YOU TO THE SERVICE AREA.
YOU'LL NOTE, UM, THAT U S ONE 83 IS TO THE LEFT OF THE SCREEN RUNNING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH.
UM, CLOSER TO THE MIDDLE OF THE SCREEN.
YOU'LL SEE INTERSTATE 35, AGAIN, RUNNING GENERALLY NORTH TO SOUTH, AND JUST BEYOND THE SCREEN.
ON THE RIGHT SIDE WOULD BE A STATE HIGHWAY ONE 30.
[01:05:01]
OF THE SCREEN IS HIGHWAY 45 WHICH GENERALLY CONNECTS US ONE 83 TO UH, 35.AND THEN THE ONE 30 BEGINNING AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE IN THE LEFT HAND CORNER, THE CITY OF LAND OR SERVICE IS IN THE NORTHWEST AREA.
IT'S PAINTED IN LIGHT BLUE IMMEDIATELY BELOW THAT IS CEDAR PARKS SERVICE AREA.
UM, AGAIN ON THE WEST PORTION OF THE SERVICE AREA AND IT'S DEPICTED IN LIKE GRAIN.
UH, SOUTH OF THAT IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN SERVICE AREA SHOWN IN THE SALMON COLOR.
AND THEN AS YOU MOVE TO THE EAST, YOU'LL SEE THE CITY OF CEDAR PARK SERVICE AREA AND PINK.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, THIS GRAPHIC DEPICTS THE LINES, UH, GREEN LINES RUNNING FROM WEST TO EAST, WHICH SHOWS THE REGIONAL WASTEWATER COLLECTION AND CONVEYANCE SYSTEM.
THOSE ARE BASICALLY LARGE WASTEWATER PIPELINES THAT CARRY WASTEWATER FROM THE REGIONAL CUSTOMERS THROUGH THE REGIONAL PLANTS, WHICH ARE LOCATED IN THE ROUND ROCK AREA.
UM, IF YOU'LL NOTE HIGHWAY 79, UM, JUST TO THE RIGHT OF 35, THERE ARE TWO BLACK BOXES WITH UH, GREEN DOTS.
THE ONE CLOSER BY 35 IS WHAT'S CALLED THE WEST PLANT.
AND THE ONE CLOSER TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE PAGE IS THE EAST PLANT.
THAT IS A INCLUDES TWO PLANTS, THE SMALLER WEST PLANT, WHICH IS THE OLDER PLANT.
IT'S 3 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
AND THE NEWER, LARGER EAST PLANT, WHICH IS, UH, ARE IN THE 20 MILLION GALLON PER DAY RANGE.
AUSTIN CURRENTLY SERVES APPROXIMATELY 4,800 RETAIL WASTEWATER CONNECTIONS FROM THE REGIONAL SYSTEM.
THOSE CONNECTIONS ARE LOCATED IN FAR NORTH AUSTIN, PRIMARILY IN THE AVERY RANCH SUBDIVISION AND AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT NUMBER SEVEN.
AS THE AREA CONTINUES TO EXPERIENCE GROW, THE PARTNER CITIES WORK THROUGH A SYSTEM GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE CALLED THE BRUSHY CREEK OPERATIONS COMMITTEE TO OVERSEE SYSTEM OPERATIONS AND PLAN FOR NEEDED SYSTEM EXPANSIONS.
ONE OF THE DRIVERS FOR A CURRENT NEEDED EXPANSION IS THAT AUSTIN'S WASTEWATER FLOWS INTO THE SYSTEM CURRENTLY EXCEED AUSTIN'S PURCHASE CAPACITY AND THE SYSTEM.
THE REGIONAL PARTNERS, WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON PLANS TO EXPAND THE EAST WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
THE CURRENT CAPACITY OF THAT PLANT IS JUST A LITTLE OVER 20 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
ENGINEERING PLANS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL 10 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY AND TREATMENT CAPACITY OVERALL AT THAT PLANT, AUSTIN'S CURRENT OWNERSHIP IN THE PLANT EQUATES TO APPROXIMATELY 3.4% OF THE CAPACITY AND WILL GROW TO NEARLY 10% OF OVERALL CAPACITY FOLLOWING THE PLANT EXPANSION.
THE EXPANSION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION IN THE COMING MONTHS AND SHOULD BE COMPLETED BEFORE 2024 EACH PARTNER WILL PAY THEIR PRO RATA SHARE OF THE EXPANSION COST BASED ON THEIR NEEDS AND THE CITY OF ROUND ROCK WILL OVERSEE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE EXPANSION.
THIS GRAPHIC PROVIDES SOME INSIGHT INTO THE CURRENT WASTEWATER FLOWS EXPERIENCE AT THE EAST PLANT AND IN COMPARISON TO THE CURRENT AND PLANNED WASTEWATER TREATMENT CAPACITY THERE.
THE GREEN LINE IN THIS GRAPHIC SHOWS THE CURRENT PLANT CAPACITY, WHICH HAS, AS YOU CAN SEE, A LITTLE ABOVE 20 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
AS DISCUSSED, THAT PLANT CAPACITY GROWS TO 30 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY IN THE 2023 2024 TIMEFRAME IS REPRESENTED BY THE JUMP OR STEP IN THAT GREEN LINE.
THE BLUE BARS ON THIS CHART REFLECT THE PROJECTED WASTEWATER FLOWS ANTICIPATED TO BE EXPERIENCED AT THE PLANT.
THE COMBINED REGIONAL WASTEWATER FLOWS AT THE PLANT ARE CURRENTLY EXPECTED TO REACH 17.6 MILLION GALLONS IN THE 2020 TIMEFRAME, WHICH REPRESENTS ABOUT 88% OF THE PLANT'S CAPACITY FOR REFERENCE.
THE TCEQ TEXAS COMMISSION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY HAS ESTABLISHED
[01:10:01]
A REGULATORY THRESHOLD THAT REQUIRES CONSTRUCTION OF A PLANT EXPANSION.WHEN FLOWS REACH 90% OF PLANT CAPACITY.
GIVEN THE ANTICIPATED CONTINUED GROWTH IN POPULATION AND RELATED WASTEWATER FLOW GROWTH, IT'S ANTICIPATED THAT ADDITIONAL WASTEWATER CAPACITY WILL BE DELIVERED IN LATE 2023 JUST IN ADVANCE OF FLOWS REACHING 20 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
FOR REFERENCE, WE'VE INCLUDED AN AERIAL PICTURE OF THE BRUSHY CREEK EAST WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT FOR SOME CONTEXT.
UM, THE PLANT SITE GENERALLY ENCOMPASSES THE, THE MAJORITY OF THE FRAME OF THIS PICTURE.
UH, THE PICTURE ILLUSTRATES THE VARIOUS TREATMENT PLANT COMPONENTS INCLUDING HEADWORKS, AERATION BASIN CLARIFIERS SLUDGE PROCESSING, EFFLUENT FILTRATION AND DISCHARGE FACILITIES.
AT THE TOP OF THE PICTURE, YOU'LL KNOW HIGHWAY 79.
AGAIN, CONNECTING
ON THE RIGHT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME, YOU'LL NOTE, UM, UH, THE TREE LINE ALONG BRUSHY CREEK, UH, BRUSHY CREEK HAVE COURSES OF RECEIVING STREAM FOR THE PLANT OUTFALL FOR THE TREATED WASTEWATER EFFLUENT.
UM, AT THE TOP LEFT CORNER YOU MAY CAN MAKE OUT THE DELL DIAMOND, WHICH IS THE HOME OF THE ROUND ROCK EXPRESS PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL TEAM.
AND THEN YOU MAY NOTE, AND THE WHITE CORNER ACROSS HIGHWAY 79 IS A RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISION IN THE ROUND ROCK AREA KNOWN AS ROUTE RYAN'S CROSSING SUBDIVISION.
SO FINALLY, JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE YOU SOME REFERENCE OF RECENT COUNCIL ACTIONS AND SOME UPCOMING COUNCIL ACTION THAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE FUTURE.
ON MAY, THE SEVENTH COUNCIL APPROVED A REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR AUSTIN SHARE OF THE EAST WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT EXPANSION IN THE COMING MONTHS.
WE'LL ALSO BRING FORWARD THE NRCA TO APPROVE AMENDMENTS TO THE INNER LOCAL AGREEMENT RELATED TO PLANT OWNERSHIP ARRANGEMENT IN ORDER TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SERVICE TO THE CITY OF LEANDER TO MEET THEIR GROWTH NEEDS.
ADDITIONALLY, WE ANTICIPATE SOME MORE TRANSACTIONAL ITEMS RELATED TO CONVEYANCE SYSTEM EXTENSIONS, UM, OTHER OPERATIONAL MATTERS AND SOME MINOR REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL STOP HERE AND JUST BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE REGARDING OUR PARTICIPATION IN THE BRUSHY CREEK REGIONAL WASTEWATER SYSTEM.
I APPRECIATE THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE INNER LOCAL AGREEMENT? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD COME BACK TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL ONCE ALL THE DETAILS ARE NEGOTIATED OR WOULD IT BE A NEGOTIATED EXECUTE TYPE OF AGENDA ITEM? IT WOULD TYPICALLY BE A NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE TYPE OF AN ITEM.
UM, BECAUSE WE ARE A PARTNER, UM, IN THE ARRANGEMENT, UM, UH, THERE WILL BE SOME LEVEL OF DISCUSSIONS GOING ON AMONGST THE PARTNERS ABOUT, UM, MAKING ADDITIONAL CAPACITY AVAILABLE FOR LEANDER.
UM, BUT WE WON'T LIKELY BRING THAT FORWARD TO COUNCIL UNTIL, UM, IT IS, UH, A, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF VISIBILITY ON WHAT THAT LIKELY ARRANGEMENT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? RIGHT.
OKAY, I APPRECIATE THAT WAS REALLY INFORMATIVE AND HELPFUL.
I HAVE ONE QUESTION IF THAT'S OKAY.
HAVE YOU, UM, HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANY, UM, OR HAVE YOU HEARD ANY, ANY, UM, UH, CONCERNS FROM, FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT THIS PROJECT? ARE YOU AWARE? WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY DIRECTLY.
UM, AND WE ARE IN VERY CLOSE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITIES.
UM, ROUNDROCK CEDAR PARK, LEANDER.
UM, AND SO I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY AND WOULD SUSPECT THAT IF THERE WERE ANY SERIOUS CONCERNS, I WOULD HAVE BEEN, UM, ELEVATED AND WE WOULD KNOW ABOUT THEM.
SO TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, WE HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY, ANY COMMENT
[01:15:01]
OR CONCERNS ABOUT THE PLANS HERE.I, I HADN'T MYSELF AND WAS JUST WANTING TO, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT Y'ALL WERE, YOU KNOW, HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC ON IT.
I ALSO HADN'T HEARD ANYTHING ON IT, SO THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW.
I WANTED TO ASK SOMETHING ON BEHALF OF THE DISTRICT SEVEN OFFICE.
UM, SPECIFICALLY, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT ADDITIONAL EXPANSIONS MIGHT BE NEEDED AFTER 2023 AND THIS FIRST NEXT EXPANSION AND WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE OVER TIME.
HOW QUICKLY ARE YOU GOING TO INVEST MORE IN THIS TOPIC? SO IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY.
OBVIOUSLY THE, THE AREA HAS CONTINUED TO GROW.
UM, I THINK GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE WOULD LOOK FOR THIS NEXT INCREMENT OF CAPACITY TO EASILY LAUGH, YOU KNOW, IN THE FIVE TO 10 YEAR RANGE.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S PROBABLY CONSERVATIVE, THAT COULD BE LONGER THAN THAT.
UM, I THINK IT'S BEEN PROBABLY 10 YEARS SINCE THE LAST EXPANSION.
SO AS A GENERAL RULE, WE LOOK TO TRY TO SPACE THE EXPANSIONS OUT KIND OF ALONG THAT 10 YEAR TIME HORIZON WHERE WE CAN, UM, SOME OF THAT COULD CHANGE SOMEWHAT DEPENDING ON, ON, UM, INDIVIDUAL PARTNER INCREMENTAL GROWTH.
SO THAT MIGHT CHANGE THAT OUTLOOK.
BUT ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A REGIONAL SYSTEM IS IT DOES FACILITATE, UM, SOME CAPACITY SHARING, UM, ARRANGEMENTS A LITTLE EASIER.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS, UH, KIND OF, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY AND A FEATURE OF PARTICIPATION IN A SYSTEM LIKE THIS.
AND THAT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION.
IT WAS, UM, HOPEFUL TO SEE KIND OF THE VISUALS AND TO SEE, YOU KNOW, ON THE GROUND WHAT'S HAPPENING OVER THERE.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT ITEM? AND
[Item 5]
WITH THAT WE ARE ONTO IDENTIFYING FUTURE ITEMS. I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT HAVING GOOD 19 CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE UPDATES COMING BACK.WE USUALLY DO OUR DIRECTOR'S REPORT AS WELL.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE COUNCILMEMBER KITCHEN, YOUR COMMENTS ON THE WATER FORWARD DASHBOARD AND BEING ABLE TO SEE KIND OF TIMELINE BUILT OUT A LITTLE MORE DESCRIPTIVELY.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT PUTTING ON OUR ALTAR? AND THIS IS NOT TOTALLY FULLY BAKED, SO I'M HAPPY FOR THERE TO BE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT THE MOST PRODUCTIVE WAY TO DO THIS.
I WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT WE'RE DOING TO ADDRESS THE LEAKAGE ISSUES, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD AND UM, MAYBE AN UPDATE ON HOW AUSTIN WATER IS HELPING OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO CONSERVE WATER SUCH AS THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND MAYBE OTHER THINGS RELATED TO THAT.
THERE MAY BE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE HAVING A BIG IMPACT AS WELL.
YEAH, I THINK KIND OF USAGE ACROSS DEPARTMENTS AND THE DETECTION COULD ALSO BE IMPORTANT.
I KNOW I SAW IT ON THE GENERAL MANAGER'S REPORT.
UM, I WOULD PROBABLY LIKE TO KNOW, WOULD LIKE TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UM, PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST WITH LEAK DETECTION AND KIND OF WHAT OUR BEST PRACTICES ARE TO ALLEVIATE, UH, LOSS OF WATER IN THAT WAY.
SO WE'LL START WORKING ON AN AGENDA THAT BETTER SPELLS OUT THOSE ITEMS AND WORK WITH, UM, AUSTIN WATER TO KIND OF GET THAT LOCKED DOWN.
THAT I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE, UH, UH, HAD A GREAT PILOT THAT STARTED WITH A COUPLE OF POOLS OR AT LEAST ONE POOL.
UM, AND THEY WERE SAVING A LOT OF WATER AND SAVING PART A LOT OF MONEY.
I JUST SORT OF HELPING THEM TO GET THE TECHNOLOGY SET UP SO THAT THEY COULD DO THE WATER DETECTION, UM, AT AN EARLIER STAGE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE MINIMAL BUDGET WE HAVE FOR OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT AND THE NEED TO CONSERVE WATER, UM, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE, UM, FLUSHED OUT MORE AND, AND EXPANDED UPON AND, AND TRY TO FIND THAT MANY WAYS.
UM, THERE'S A, THERE'S A, THERE'S A REVERSE OF THIS TOO THAT I KNOW THAT, UM, MY COMMISSIONER, MY WATER WASTEWATER COMMISSIONER SHARED WITH ME, UM, UM, OPTIMIZING THAT AUSTIN WATER WAS DOING ABOUT THEIR ENERGY USAGE.
A LOT OF MONEY BY TIMING, NOT AT NON-PEAK TIMES.
AND SO, UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE COULD, WE COULD HEAR MORE, MORE ABOUT THOSE KINDS OF STEPS AND THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO RUN MORE EFFICIENTLY.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF THOSE ARE, UM,
[01:20:02]
NO TIME SENSITIVE, BUT THEY ARE THINGS THAT ARE ON, ON MY MIND.I THINK THOSE ARE GREAT CONVERSATIONS TO HAVE AS WELL.
AND IF THERE'S NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR ITEMS, UM, WE WILL ADJOURN.
IT IS NOW TWO 25 AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING.
WE'RE ALL TRYING TO SWITCH UP THE WAY WE'RE DOING THINGS.
SO YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE TECHNOLOGY PROS BY THE TIME EXACTLY.
THAT OUR COMMISSIONERS ARE HAVING THE SAME EXPERIENCE.