[1. Open Meeting.]
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TODAY IS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND, 2023, AND THE TIME IS 6:01 PM AND THIS IS THE BRIEFING WORKSHOP OF THE LEANDER CITY COUNCIL, CITY SECRETARY
[2. Roll Call.]
CRABTREE.WILL YOU PLEASE CALL ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER KATHERINE BATTALION PARKER.
COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID MCDONALD HERE.
PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER CHRIS ZK.
HERE, MAYOR CHRISTINE DELAL HERE.
[3. Receive update from Atmos Energy regarding the December 2022 winter storm.]
UH, MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE, RECEIVE UPDATE FROM ATMOS ENERGY REGARDING THE DECEMBER, 2022 WINTER STORM.WITH US TODAY IS LETICIA SIGNS, MICHAEL ST.
IF, UH, Y'ALL WANNA COME UP, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
AND, UM, OUR TEAM IS HERE TO JUST ONE.
WE WANNA START OFF WITH AN APOLOGY TO YOU, OUR CUSTOMERS HERE IN THE CITY OF LEANDER.
UH, WE TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY OUR DUTY TO SERVE OUR CUSTOMERS HERE, YOUR CONSTITUENTS, AND QUITE FRANKLY, WE FAILED THEM, UM, ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS.
AND SO WE WANTED TO KIND OF JUST COME TO YOU AND, AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT PAST EVENTS AND WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, TO CORRECT THOSE EVENTS.
AND SO, IF IT'S OKAY, I'LL JUST KIND OF, KIND OF START WITH WHAT, WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST, AND THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
SO, I'LL, I'M GONNA GO BACK AND JUST KIND OF TALK ABOUT WINTER STORM URI.
UM, WHEN THAT EVENT CAME THROUGH, IT REALLY FOR US, UH, IT BOILED DOWN TO A GAS SUPPLY ISSUE FOR US.
WE SIMPLY, WITH ALL THE FREEZE OFFS IN THE PRODUCTION FIELDS, SIMPLY COULD JUST NOT GET ENOUGH GAS INTO OUR SYSTEM.
UH, WE FOUND SOME AREAS THAT, UH, HAD SOME CHALLENGES THAT NEEDED SOME FORTIFICATIONS.
AND THEN, AND THEN FINALLY, UM, WE'VE, WE FOUND SOME INFORMATION ABOUT HOW OUR CUSTOMERS, UH, USED THEIR GAS.
UM, AND SO WE TOOK THAT INFORMATION AND REALLY WE KIND OF PUT THAT TOGETHER.
WE, WE HAD FORTIFICATIONS PLANNED, UH, THAT WERE APPROVED AND, AND GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF BEING PERMITTED, UH, BEING CONSTRUCTED.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAD A CONTINGENCY PLAN THAT WE PUT IN PLACE AFTER WINTER STORM URI BASED ON WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THAT EVENT.
AND SO, GO INTO WINTER STORM ELLIOT, WE USED THAT INFORMATION FROM URI, UM, THAT WE THOUGHT WAS GOOD, SOLID DATA ON HOW OUR CUSTOMERS WERE USING GAS, UH, THE FORTIFICATIONS THAT WE HAD COMPLETED, THE ONES THAT WE HAD IN PROGRESS, UH, THE PLANS THAT WE HAD IN PLACE.
WE BROUGHT C N G IN FOR THAT EVENT.
AND SIMPLY WHAT HAPPENED FOR US IS DE DEMAND JUST, UH, OUTPACED OUR CONTINGENCY PLAN.
SO ESSENTIALLY, IT WAS A FAILURE OF OUR CONTINGENCY PLAN.
WE BROUGHT CNG IN, UM, THE USAGE JUST OUTPACED WHAT WE COULD SERVE.
AND SO, UH, WE REALLY KIND OF TOOK THAT INFORMATION AFTER THE EVENT, UM, AND, AND REALLY DOVE INTO THE DATA IN HOW OUR CUSTOMERS WERE USING GAS, UH, OUR SUPPLY CHAIN, THE FORTIFICATIONS, UH, ALL OF THOSE THINGS, AND REALLY CAME UP WITH A, A NEW PLAN.
AND SO MOVING FORWARD, I, I THINK YOU'LL SEE THAT WE, WE'VE HAD A MUCH MORE ROBUST CONTINGENCY PLAN MOVING INTO THIS EVENT.
UM, MIKE WILL TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT OUR C N G ASSETS THAT WE HAD IN PLACE, BUT OUR PLAN WAS MUCH MORE, MUCH MORE ROBUST MOVING INTO THIS EVENT.
WE ALSO ARE MUCH MORE CONSERVATIVE IN OUR PLANNING, UM, LOOKING AT THE PROJECTS, UH, FOR FORTIFICATION, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS THAT ARE, THAT ARE NEEDED ACROSS OUR SYSTEM, NOT JUST HERE IN THE CITY OF LEANDER.
AND THEN WE'VE ALSO LOOKED AT, UM, UH, REALLY DOVE INTO TO, UM, THE DATA ABOUT HOW OUR CUSTOMERS USED GAS UPSTREAM OF LEANDER.
AND, AND QUITE FRANKLY, WE, WE FOUND THAT, UH, SOME JUST REALLY EXCEEDED THEIR CONSUMPTION MORE THAN WE EVER EXPECTED AND MORE THAN WE HAD EVER SEEN IN THE PREVIOUS EVENTS.
AND SO, UH, MOVING FORWARD, WE HAVE REALLY LOOKED AT, IN OUR CONTINGENCY PLANNING, UTILIZING CURTAIL OR INTERRUPT INTERRUPTION OF INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE AN IN INTERRUPTABLE CONTRACT WITH US.
AND THAT'S DESIGNED TO BE ABLE TO SHED THAT LOAD TO PROVIDE MORE DOWNSTREAM SUPPLY OR PRESSURE FOR CONSTITUENTS HERE IN THE LEANI AREA.
ALL THAT TOGETHER, UH, HAS REALLY SERVED US WELL IN THIS EVENT.
UH, WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY ISSUES, UH, TO DATE.
AND SO, UH, THAT'S JUST KIND OF WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE PREVIOUS EVENTS AND WHAT WE'VE DONE TO REALLY, UM, PUT OURSELVES IN A POSITION TO SERVE CUSTOMERS MOVING FORWARD.
UH, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MICHAEL BAY.
HE'S OUR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS HERE IN ROUND ROCK.
HE'S GONNA TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR FORTIFICATION PROJECTS AND SOME OF OUR CONTINGENCY PLANNING AND, AND, AND IN RELATION TO OUR C N G L N G, UH, ASSETS THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE.
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YOU, MICHAEL.UM, SO JUST TO PICK UP WHERE, WHERE MICHAEL LEFT OFF A LITTLE BIT ON OUR FORTIFICATIONS, UH, I, I WOULD LIKE TO WALK, UH, THROUGH SOME OF THESE FORTIFICATIONS THAT WERE ALREADY UNDERWAY.
PRIOR TO STORM ELLIOT, THESE WERE SOME OF THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM STORM URI THAT WE BEGAN, UH, PLANNING, DESIGNING, PERMITTING, AND WE'RE UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND, OR STILL IN DESIGN AND PERMITTING PHASES TODAY.
SO I'D LIKE TO WALK THROUGH A FEW OF THOSE ON A HIGH LEVEL AS I GO THROUGH 'EM, IF, IF THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS AT THE END QUITE NATURALLY STOP ME, I CAN, I CAN DIVE IN A LITTLE BIT DEEPER.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, WE CAME OUTTA STORM URI DURING STORM URI AND THEN IMMEDIATELY AFTER, UH, Y'ALL RECALL, WE RAN AN EIGHT INCH POLY LINE CONNECTED FROM THE END OF OSAGE INTO TREVISO PROPER.
UM, THAT LINE, UH, DID REMARKABLE THINGS FOR TREVISO THEN IT WAS SUCCESSFUL LAST WINTER.
UM, IT STILL WAS NOT WHERE WE WERE, UH, HAPPY TO LEAVE OFF.
SO SOME OF THESE OTHER FORTIFICATIONS WE THAT WE HAVE UNDERWAY, UM, WERE COUPLED WITH THAT PROJECT.
ONE OF THOSE, OR TWO OF THOSE THAT I'M GONNA KIND OF COUPLE TOGETHER ARE, ARE, IS A 12 INCH POLY LINE THAT COMES OUT OF OUR CEDAR PARK AREA, KIND OF DOWN THE, UH, LONE STAR DRIVE CORRIDOR, 1431 LAKELINE CORRIDOR.
THOSE PROJECTS, UM, WERE UNDERWAY, UM, DURING STORM URI.
I'M PROUD TO REPORT, UH, TWO WEEKS AFTER WE SAT DOWN AND, AND MET WITH THE CITY OF LEANDER.
AND THOSE PROJECTS WERE ON THE HOME STRETCH.
THEY'RE COMPLETED AND TIED IN AS WE SPEAK.
AND THIS STORM RIGHT HERE JUST SHOWS THE PROOF OF REALLY WHAT THOSE, WHAT THOSE, UH, PROJECTS WE'RE CAPABLE OF DOING.
I, I MEAN, JUST PERFORMED EXCEPTIONALLY WELL, DELIVERS A, A MUCH MORE, UH, A LOT MORE VOLUME STRICTLY TO NOT ONLY CEDAR PARK, BUT DIRECTLY INTO THE CITY OF LEANDER AND OUT TO THE OUTSKIRT OUTSKIRTS OF THE TREVISO GRAND MESA, UH, UH, SUBDIVISIONS.
UM, A COUPLED WITH THAT, WE'RE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING 4.9 MILES OF A HIGH PRESSURE LINE THAT COMES OUT OF OUR GREATER ROUND ROCK CORRIDOR ALL THE WAY INTO THE CEDAR PARK, UH, AREA.
THE, THAT LINE, THAT LINE SPECIFICALLY IS, UH, THE, THE LINE THAT SERVES THAT BRAND NEW 12 INCH POLY LINE THAT I JUST REFERENCED TO, THAT'S IN SERVICE.
AND SO THAT, UH, REPLACEMENT IS ACTUALLY UPSIZING THAT LINE FROM A SIX INCH TO AN EIGHT INCH.
UM, WITH THE CAPABILITY OF TAKING IT FROM, UH, EVENTUALLY ONCE WE, THE PROJECT I'M GONNA SPEAK ON NEXT, WE'LL, WE'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE IT UP FROM ITS EXISTING OPERATING PRESSURE TO A MUCH HIGHER OPERATING PRESSURE, WHICH AGAIN, WILL DELIVER MUCH MORE PRESSURE AND VOLUME TO THAT SYSTEM.
AGAIN, BEING ABLE TO TAKE IT RIGHT DOWN THE 12 INCH THAT'S IN, IN, UH, THAT'S IN SERVICE THAT'S GOING TO TREO.
UM, SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT ONE, THAT, THAT PROJECT'S, UH, THE ESTIMATED, UH, COMPLETION DATE OF THAT PROJECT'S, UH, QUARTER ONE OF CALENDAR YEAR 23.
AND WE'RE STILL ON TRACK TO MEET THAT, MEET THAT COMPLETION DATE.
UM, JUST UPSTREAM OF THAT ONE, WE HAVE A LINE THAT RUNS DOWN THE CORRIDOR OF RONALD REAGAN COMING OUT OF OUR AUSTIN AREA, RUNS ALL THE WAY DOWN RONALD REAGAN CORRIDOR.
AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF, UH, A PRESSURE UP RATE OF THAT LINE.
AGAIN, NOT REPLACING THE LINE, JUST TAKING IT FROM ITS CURRENT OPERATING PRESSURE UP TO AN ELEVATED OPERATING PRESSURE OR HIGHER OPERATING PRESSURE, AGAIN, ALLOWING MORE PRESSURE, MORE VOLUME STRAIGHT INTO THE CITY OF LEANDER AND THE CITY OF CEDAR PARK AS WELL.
AND, UM, SO THEN THOSE PROJECTS ARE ALL UNDERWAY.
TWO PROJECTS THAT I'M GONNA SPEAK ON NOW ARE UNDER DESIGN PERMITTING, UM, WITHIN THE, UH, WITHIN THE COUNTY.
UM, ONE OF THOSE IS THE, THE, THE LINE THAT I REFERENCED TO THAT'S RUNNING, RUNNING PARALLEL TO RONALD REAGAN.
UH, WE'RE GONNA EXTEND THAT LINE NORTH ALL THE WAY UP RONALD REAGAN TOWARDS, SO I'M JUST GONNA SAY TOWARDS THE 1 95, UH, CORRIDOR AS WELL, THAT ON THE BACKSIDE OF SUN CITY, THAT'S PHASE, UH, PHASE ONE OF TWO.
AND, UH, THE SECOND PIECE OF THAT IS THEN COMING, UM, FROM THERE ALL THE WAY OVER TO TOWARDS BARTLETT, TEXAS.
AND SO THAT WILL BE A 20 INCH PIPELINE, HIGH PRESSURE PIPELINE THAT WILL CONNECT RIGHT INTO A MAJOR SET OF, UH, PIPELINES THAT, THAT WE OPERATE, THAT RUN NORTH AND SOUTH ON THAT SIDE OF THE, UH, THAT SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE.
THAT'S, UH, THAT'S A MAIN CORRIDOR.
SO THE END RESULT OF THOSE PROJECTS RIGHT THERE THAT I, THAT I MENTIONED, IS JUST ONE, NOT ONLY CAPACITY, NOT ONLY PRESSURE, THE VOLUMES REDUNDANCY, SECOND FEEDS INTO THE SYSTEM, UM, ALLOWS US TO OPERATE OUR SYSTEM DIFFERENTLY.
UM, OUR SYSTEM IS EXTREMELY DYNAMIC.
WE OPERATE IT DIFFERENTLY EVERY DAY BASED OFF THE CONDITIONS THAT WE SEE.
AND I THINK THIS WEEK IS PROOF THAT, UH, THE DYNAMIC AND THE, THE WAY THAT WE ARE OPERATING IT TODAY VERSUS HOW WE'VE DONE IT IN THE FUTURE, UM, HAS REALLY PROVEN ITSELF.
WE'VE HAD A, WE'VE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL WEEK.
UM, A PIECE OF THAT'S BEEN COUPLED WITH A VERY CONSERVATIVE CONTINGENCY PLAN ON OUR C NNG OPERATIONS.
SO Y'ALL, Y'ALL, MOST OF Y'ALL ARE AWARE THAT WE'VE BROUGHT IN TANKER TRUCKS DURING STORM ELLIOT.
UM, WE'VE BROUGHT 'EM INTO STORM URI.
UM, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO WAS STORM URI, THE ICE GOT US.
WE COULD NOT MOBILIZE THOSE TRUCKS OUT OF THERE.
UH, WHEN WE GET INTO STORM ELLIOT, OUR CONTINGENCY PLAN FAILED.
WE DID NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO KEEP UP WITH THE SYSTEM DEMAND PLUS OUR CNG.
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HAVE IT.AND SO THIS TIME WE HAVE, UH, OUT OF ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, WE ONLY HAD FOUR TANKERS AND, UH, THREE TANKERS AT, AT THE, ANY GIVEN POINT INT TRIVIO LAST TIME.
BUT TWO OF THOSE WERE LARGE TANKERS.
ONE WAS NOT NEAR AS LARGE TODAY.
IF YOU LOOK IN TREVISO SUBDIVISION, WE'VE GOT FOUR OF THE LARGEST TANKERS THAT, THAT ARE OUT THERE.
UM, THAT'S NOT ONLY COUPLED WITH THOSE TANKERS, BUT WE'VE GOT TANKERS ALL OVER THE GREATER ROUND ROCK AREA TODAY.
WE'VE GOT A TOTAL OF 10 TANKERS, UM, CONNECTED TO THIS AT THIS GIVEN POINT, UM, THAT ARE READY TO OPERATE AT A ANY POINT'S NOTICE.
AND SO, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT IN LEANDER, THEY HELP SHED LOAD IN OTHER AREAS TO HELP VOLUME COME ACROSS SOME OF THESE PIPELINES TO SERVE DIRECTLY INTO THE LEANER TREVISO, UH, GRAND MESA SUBDIVISION.
UM, PROUD TO REPORT JUST THE WAY THAT WE'VE OPERATED OUR SYSTEM THIS WEEK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
WE HAVE NOT FED ONE OUNCE OF C N G INTO ANY OF OUR, ANY OF OUR, UH, GREATER ROUND ROCK AREA OR LEANDER.
SO THAT'S, UH, WE'RE STILL GOT IT THERE FOR A RESERVE TO GET THROUGH THIS WINTER EVENT.
UM, ONE LAST THING, JUST FROM OUT OF ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, WE'VE ALSO BEEN IN THE PROCESS OF STANDING UP A LIQUIFIED NATURAL GAS FACILITY.
UM, THAT LIQUIFIED NATURAL GAS FACILITY, UH, CREATES A, AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A LOT MORE VOLUME STORED, UM, ON SITE.
AND THROUGH THAT PROCESS OF TAKING IT FROM THE LIQUID STATE TO A GAS STATE ALLOWS US TO, UH, UH, INJECT A VERY HIGH VOLUME OF, UH, NATURAL GAS INTO A PIPELINE, WHICH WILL THEN, UH, HELP US DURING PEAK SHED LOAD SHEDDING EVENTS, UM, DURING D DEPENDING ON THE STORM.
AND SO WE HAVE NOT, UH, HAD TO RUN THAT FACILITY YET.
WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF FILLING THAT FACILITY.
WE WERE, WE WERE GONNA TRY TO GET IT ALL PUT TOGETHER.
UM, AND WE'VE CHOSE THAT OUR CONTINGENCY PLAN WITH C N G WAS GONNA BE SUFFICIENT FOR THIS, FOR THIS, UH, EVENT.
AND SO WE, UH, END OF THIS WEEK, IT'S OUR GOAL TO HAVE THAT L N G FACILITY READY TO RUN AT FULL CAPACITY FOR THE NEXT WINTER EVENT.
SO DEFINITELY GREAT, UH, GREAT NEWS.
I WANNA PAUSE JUST FOR A SECOND, UM, TO SEE, UH, THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT I WALKED THROUGH AND TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY QUESTIONS ON OUR FORTIFICATIONS, OUR C NNG PLAN OR OUR L LNG PLAN.
UH, LET'S GO DOWN THE LINE, PLACE ONE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA RECOGNIZE TREVISO, THE TREVISO COMMUNITY, NOT, IT'S NOT TREVI AND I, I JUST, I KNOW THERE'S SOME PEOPLE WATCHING AND WELL, I'M JUST GONNA LET YOU KNOW IT IS TREVISO, NOT TREVISO, SO I KNOW THEY WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
UM, SO YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE, IN INCREASING THE PRESSURE, HOW, HOW DO YOU INCREASE THE PRESSURE? BECAUSE WE'VE HEARD DIFFERENT STORIES ABOUT HOW THAT HAPPENS AND BEING AT THE END OF THE LINE, WHETHER THAT'S, UH, GRAND MESA, THE NORTH PART OF, OF LEANDER AND TREVISO, THE TREVISO COMMUNITY.
H HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? YES, MA'AM.
AND SO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE OPERATE OUR SYSTEM AT DIFFERENT PRESSURES.
WE HAVE A, A ROBUST PRESSURE CONTROL AND GAS CONTROL, UH, SCADA SYSTEM AND, AND FOLKS THAT OPERATE OUR SYSTEM, UM, BASED ON WHAT'S COMING IN.
SO WE, WE CAN TAKE OUR, OUR SYSTEM FROM A VERY LOW PRESSURE ALL THE WAY TO A VERY HIGH PRESSURE BASED ON ITS DESIGN AND WHAT IS, WHAT, WHAT IT WAS BUILT FOR AND DESIGNED FOR AT THAT GIVEN POINT.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE LIMITS THAT WE CAN RAISE AND LOWER UP TO BASED ON HOW THAT, THAT PIPELINE SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED FOR, UM, AT INSTALLATION DATE.
AND SO WE GO BACK TO WHAT I MENTIONED ON THAT LINE THAT RUNS UP RONALD DA REAGAN CORRIDOR.
THAT LINE WAS DESIGNED FOR A SPECIFIC PRESSURE AT THAT POINT.
IT HAS THE CAPABILITIES THROUGH NEW TESTING, REPLACEMENT OF COMPONENTS, UM, DIFFERENT REGULATOR STATIONS ALONG THE WAY, UPGRADING ALL OF THOSE.
AND THEN WE'LL TAKE THAT AND RAISE IT IN INCREMENTS FOR, UH, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S SAFE TO OPERATE AT A HIGHER SYSTEM WITH A LOT OF SURVEY WORK AND A LOT OF TESTING ALONG THE WAY.
AND THEN IT'LL BE SET THAT ONCE IT PASSES ALL OF THOSE TESTS, THAT WE CAN THEN SAFELY OPERATE IT JUST AS WE DO TODAY AT A HIGHER PRESSURE AND IT'S READY TO GO.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE'LL ALWAYS OPERATE IT AT THE MOST, AT THE HIGHEST PRESSURE AT ANY GIVEN POINT, BUT IT GIVES US THE ABILITY AND THE BANDWIDTH TO DO SO.
SO IT, IT WAS LITERALLY EXCEEDING THE, THE PRESSURE CAPACITY OF THE LINES THAT, THAT CAUSED THE PROBLEMS BEFORE AND STORM ELEMENT AND, AND THE, THE SUPPLY.
WE, IT WAS DOWN TO THE, THE AMOUNT OF VOLUME THAT WE COULD PUSH THROUGH THE PIPELINE, WHICH IS COUPLED WITH PRESSURE.
THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT THE VOLUME WE COULD NOT KEEP UP WITH THERE.
AND I DON'T WANNA TAKE ALL THE QUESTIONS.
I'M SURE EVERYBODY HAS THE QUESTIONS FOR YOU, BUT, UM, SO HOW, HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU, I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE PRETTY CONFIDENT, BUT I, HOW DO WE GIVE OUR RESIDENTS THE CONFIDENCE THAT YOU HAVE, THAT THIS IS GOING TO SERVE THEM IN THE FUTURE, IN THE WAY THAT THEY EXPECT IT TO BE, TO SERVE THEM? YES, MA'AM.
UM, DO YOU WANT WELL, I, I'M JUST SAYING, I, I THINK THIS, THIS EVENT SHOWS THAT WE'VE REALLY, REALLY POURED INTO THIS DATA.
WE'VE REALLY PUT TOGETHER A VERY ROBUST PLAN, A VERY CONSERVATIVE PLAN, AND IT, AND IT'S PAYING OFF RIGHT NOW.
AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE OPERATING THE SYSTEM DIFFERENTLY.
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SOME PROJECTS IN PLACE ALREADY.WE'VE GOT MORE PROJECTS THAT ARE, ARE, ARE SCHEDULED TO BE PUT IN PLACE, UH, WELL IN, IN THE FIRST QUARTER AND THEN ON THROUGHOUT THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, BUT I THINK THIS WEEK HAS BEEN REALLY GREAT EVIDENCE THAT THE, THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE TO HOW WE OPERATE OUR SYSTEM, THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY PUT IN PLACE, THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE COMING, THAT WE, WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT SERVING OUR CUSTOMERS, WE, IT DOES US NO GOOD TO EXTEND TO A, A, A SUBDIVISION WITHOUT A PLAN TO SERVE ON.
AND, UH, THIS IS JUST PROVING OUT THAT OUR PLANS ARE, ARE WORKING OUT.
UH, I REALIZE WE'VE, WE'VE FAILED YOU TWICE AND THERE'S, UH, PROBABLY SOME LACK OF TRUST.
BUT, UH, I, I WILL SAY WE HAVE PUT IN AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF TIME IN PLANNING, UH, LEARNING FROM BOTH OF THESE EVENTS AND PUTTING IN MUCH BETTER PLANS IN PLACE MOVING FORWARD.
SO THE BIG QUESTION THAT I THINK EVERYONE WANTS TO KNOW, AND THEN I WANT TO, I WANNA UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT THE L N G FACILITY IS.
UM, IS THE, THE, THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WE HAVE GOING ON IN LEANDER, MUCH OF IT HAS BEEN APPROVED.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN UNDO.
UM, AND I THINK PEOPLE WANNA KNOW AND BE CONFIDENT THAT, UH, GAS CAN BE SUPPLIED TO THOSE NEW HOMES WITHOUT HURTING THE EXISTING HOMES.
AND, AND THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
WHEN WE, WHEN WE WORK WITH A DEVELOPER, WE HAVE EVERY INTENTION OF SERVING EVERY LOT THAT WAS IN THAT DEVELOPMENT.
UH, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE HAD TO HAVE A FEW FORTIFICATIONS PUT IN PLACE AS DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES TO GROW OUT.
UH, AND WE TRY TO KEEP PACE WITH THAT.
UM, HAVE WE FALLEN SHORT ON A COUPLE OCCASIONS? YES, MA'AM.
BUT, UM, WE HAVE ACCELERATED OUR FORTIFICATION PLAN IN ORDER TO KEEP UP WITH THAT GROWTH.
AND SO, UH, OUR, WHEN WE, WHEN WE SIGN OFF WITH A DEVELOPER, OUR INTENTION IS TO SERVE EVERY LOT THAT THEY, THAT THEY CONTRACTED FOR.
SO, UH, WE'RE WALKING IN LOCKSTEP WITH THEM.
UM, OUR FORTIFICATION PLANS ARE JUST BEING SPED UP AND ARE ARE BEING MORE ROBUST IN, IN THAT PLANNING.
SO IS THERE ANYTHING THE CITY CAN DO TO HELP FACILITATE, OR IS THIS, UH, STRICTLY AN ATMOS ISSUE? NO, MA'AM.
IT IS, IT IS SOLELY ON OUR SHOULDERS.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S ON OUR SHOULDERS.
AND, AND WE ARE, WE ARE, WE ARE GOING FULL FORCE TO GET THESE THINGS, UH, THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED AND THE FUTURE ONES SO THAT, UH, WE DON'T HAVE TO STAND BACK BEFORE YOU OR YOUR CUSTOMERS, YOUR CONSTITUENTS, AND, UM, DISAPPOINT THEM AGAIN.
AND WHERE'S THAT, THE LNG FACILITY? IT'S IN CEDAR PARK.
IT'S IN CEDAR PARK? YES, MA'AM.
IT'S SO, IT, IT ALREADY EXISTS.
IT'S BEEN CONNECTED, IT'S NOT BEEN CONNECTED YET.
WE, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF FUELING THE L N G FACILITY RIGHT NOW.
IT'S A TEMPORARY LNG FACILITY.
UH, THAT'S, THAT'S PERMITTED BY THE RAILROAD COMMISSION OF TEXAS, UH, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO INJECT INTO THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT MIKE WAS TALKING TO YOU ABOUT, THAT THIS AREA IS SERVED FROM.
SO IT WILL GO STRAIGHT, STRAIGHT INTO THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM, UH, TO BOLSTER THAT, TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT INTO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM HERE IN THIS AREA.
SO IT'S, IT, I, IS IT SEASONAL? I WOULD GUESS? YES, MA'AM.
AND HOW LONG BEFORE IT IS UP AND RUNNING? IF WE NEED IT LATER THIS YEAR, WE EXPECT THAT IT WILL BE FULLY FUELED BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU FOR THIS UPDATE.
MY QUESTION WAS AROUND SYSTEM DEMAND, AND I THINK YOU ANSWERED THAT.
UM, SO DO WE FEEL LIKE THE DEVELOPERS ARE LETTING, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SAYING UNLOCKING, UNLOCK STEP WITH THE DEVELOPERS? DO, IS THERE ANY GAPS? THAT WAS GONNA BE MY QUESTION.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT THE CITY COULD DO TO FACILITATE THAT CONVERSATION OR WE TALK ABOUT YOUR CONVERSATIONS THIS WEEK? YEAH, YEAH.
AND, AND WE WORK WITH EVERY ONE OF OUR DEVELOPERS.
SO WHEN THEY, WHEN A DEVELOPER COMES TO THE TABLE AND IS LOOKING AT A, AT A FUTURE, FUTURE SUBDIVISION, A FUTURE PHASE THAT COMES THROUGH OUR PLANNING TEAM, ONE, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ABILITY TO SERVE AND CONTINUE TO SERVE OUR EXISTING CUSTOMERS.
WE'RE WE'VE, WE'VE LEARNED FROM OUR MISTAKES AND WE'RE GETTING BETTER.
UM, JUST THIS WEEK WE MET SPECIFICALLY WITH, UH, TAYLOR MORRISON AND SOME OF THE HOA INTRA VSO.
I APOLOGIZE MA'AM, BUT WE MET WITH THEM.
I SPENT ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF WITH THEM YESTERDAY.
UM, WE JUST TO, JUST TALKING THROUGH, UM, WHERE WE'VE CAME FROM, WHERE WE'RE GOING, UM, SOME OF THE SAME THINGS THAT FROM A FORTIFICATION STANDPOINT THAT WE'RE SITTING HERE TODAY TALKING ABOUT, BECAUSE GRANTED, THEY'VE HAD THE SAME QUESTION.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SUBDIVISION THAT'S 50% BUILT OUT TODAY WITH LEANDER FOR, FOR US, FROM A CUSTOMER BASE GROWING AT ABOUT A 17% CLIP, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE STILL SUC SUCCESSFUL AND GROWING THE CITY OF LEANDER BECAUSE IT IS OUR GOAL TO GROW RIGHT HERE WITH Y'ALL.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SERVE, CONTINUE TO SERVE CUSTOMERS IN LEANDER.
SO WE ARE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS DAILY.
UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS,
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UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT THEY'RE BRINGING TO THE TABLE, IF WE SAY WE CAN SERVE IT, WE'RE GONNA SERVE.AND YOU GUYS ARE ACCOUNTING FOR THE HOUSE SIZES CUZ IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, TREVISO, WE HAVE BIGGER HOUSES THAN WE HAVE IN THE REST OF LEANDER.
SO YOU'RE NOT JUST COMPARING, LIKE FOR LIKE ON OTHER HOUSES, YOU'RE ACCOUNTING FOR THE HOUSE SIZE, IT'S GONNA TAKE MORE GAS THERE.
ANY QUESTIONS? I DO HAVE A COUPLE.
AND, UH, AGAIN, THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING HERE AND LADIES FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
UM, I KNOW IT'S PROBABLY NOT EASY COMING IN AND TRYING
UH, SO AGAIN, THANKS FOR BEING HERE, BUT I GUESS I JUST WANNA GET A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC.
UM, YOU KNOW, CUZ WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE DONE BRINGING IN THE, THE TRUCKS BEING PREPARED, THAT SEEMS TO BE TO A SPECIFIC AREA TO TRAVI.
SO WHAT IS BEING DONE SPECIFICALLY OUT THERE? I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE THINGS ON STANDBY, BUT WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T NEED TO BRING TRUCKS IN FOR FUTURE EVENTS? THAT, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY ABOUT THESE FORTIFICATION PROJECTS THAT MIGHT KIND OF WALK THROUGH WITH YOU.
THOSE, THOSE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT ARE GONNA BRING, UH, THAT, THAT VOLUME, THAT CAPACITY TO THIS AREA.
AND SO OUR, THIS HAS BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF A PHILOSOPHY SWITCH FOR US.
UM, AND JUST IN HOW WE PLANNED OUT THOSE FORTIFICATIONS, UM, OBVIOUSLY DEMAND HAS, HAS INCREASED HERE.
AND SO WE'VE HAD TO ACCELERATE THOSE FORTIFICATION PROJECTS, UH, TO KEEP UP WITH, WITH, WITH THIS GROWTH.
AND SO REALLY THE SOLUTION IS, IS, UH, THE UPGRADE OF THE HIGH PRESSURE FACILITIES, UH, THE LARGER PIPE THAT WE'RE EXTENDING OUT TO THIS AREA.
UM, AND, AND THEN THE REDUNDANCY AND THE ADDITIONAL SUPPLY THAT, THAT NORTHERN LOOP WILL BRING INTO THIS AREA IS THE, IS THE SOLUTION TO, UH, THE VOLUME CAPACITY, UH, ISSUES THAT WE'VE, WE'VE DEALT WITH IN THE PAST.
SO DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR, YOUR QUESTION? WE'LL HAVE A FOLLOW UP.
SO DOES THAT, WILL THAT MEET THE DE DEMAND DEMAND OF THE FUTURE EXPANSION IN THAT AREA? THOSE YOUR FORTIFICATION PROJECTS ALREADY, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT FUTURE GROWTH AND TREVISO INVISO, THERE'S MORE PHASES COMING.
SO IS IT GOING MEET THE DEMAND COMING WEED WITH THAT DEVELOPER, UH, TO SERVE THOSE PHASES, THEN OUR FORTIFICATION PLANS ARE TARGETED TO SUPPLY THOSE, THOSE PHASES.
IS THAT, AND JUST ONE MORE FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
IF WE HAD ANOTHER EVENT, WOULD YOU HAVE TO BRING TRUCKS BACK AGAIN OR DO YOU FEEL CONFIDENT IN THE SYSTEM? I, AGAIN, WE'LL, WE'LL EVALUATE EVERY STORM, BUT I, I THINK IN THE NEAR TERM YOU'LL SEE TRUCKS, UH, AS FUTURE STORMS COME IN IT BECAUSE IT, IT TRULY IS PART OF OUR CONTINGENCY PLAN.
UH, WE BROUGHT 'EM IN FOR THIS EVENT THINKING THAT WE, WE WOULD HAVE TO SERVE SOME THROUGH THOSE, UH, THROUGH THOSE, UM, ASSETS THAT WE SET OUT THERE.
BUT OUR, OUR PLAN TO OPERATE THE SYSTEM UPSTREAM OF HERE WORKED EXCEPTIONALLY WELL.
AND SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO USE THAT.
BUT ARE WE GONNA BRING 'EM BACK IN IN THE NEXT EVENT? PROBABLY UNTIL WE CAN PROVE THAT THE FORTIFICATIONS ARE DOING WHAT THEY, THEY WERE DESIGNED TO DO.
AND, AND I'LL ASSURE YOU, THIS IS NOT THE ONLY PLACE THAT WE BRING CG INTO.
WE, WE HAVE ASSETS ALL ACROSS OUR SYSTEM, UH, FOR THIS SPECIFIC REASON THAT WE USE, UH, TO, TO SHAVE THE PEAKS OR, UM, STAND SYSTEMS UP.
AND SO IT IS NOT UNIQUE TO, UH, LEANDER OR THE GREATER AUSTIN AREA.
WE, WE USE THOSE FACILITIES, THOSE ASSETS ACROSS OUR SYSTEM AND, UH, THEY'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
AGAIN, I GO BACK TO OUR FAILURE AND OUR, OUR PLAN TO JUST NOT HAVE ENOUGH TANKERS HERE THE LAST TIME.
THAT'S WHY YOU SAW A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE THIS TIME, THAT IF SOMETHING WENT AWRY ON HOW WE OP OPERAT OPERATE THE SYSTEM UPSTREAM THAT WE HAD, UH, THE VOLUME CAPACITY HERE TO SERVE.
SIX MY FELLOW FOLKS DOWN THE, THE WAY I ASK A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS I HAVE, BUT I APPRECIATE Y'ALL BEING HERE AND, AND BECAUSE IT HAS, UM, FAILED A COUPLE OF TIMES, RIGHT? IT'S ALL ABOUT SHOWING US WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, TOM.
AND, UM, HOPE THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO REALLY HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AGAIN CUZ IT'S VERY IMPORTANT OUR RESIDENTS DO DEPEND ON YOU.
AND SO, UM, WE HOPE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THESE HICCUPS ANYMORE.
THIS AS WELL, WE, WE TAKE IT VERY SERIOUS, OUR DUTY TO SERVE OUR CUSTOMERS.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE, WE'RE HERE TO COME TO YOU AND TESTIFY.
UM, WE AP WE APOLOGIZE, BUT WE ARE CERTAINLY PUTTING IN A LOT OF TIME AND A LOT OF EFFORT, A LOT OF RESOURCES TO ENSURE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
[00:25:01]
WITH YOU ON THE, THE, WE'VE, WE'VE ASKED, I THINK WE'VE, WE'RE GONNA BE BELABORING SOME OF THIS STUFF, UH, A LITTLE BIT HERE, BUT I'M GONNA USE MY TIME JUST TO SUMMARIZE IF THAT'S OKAY.UM, I AM ONE OF THE, UM, RESIDENTS THAT LOSES GAS EVERY TIME THAT THERE'S SOMETHING, CAUSE I'M ON THE TOP OF GRAND MESA AND, UM, I SHARE THE TRIBIO NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, PAINT ON SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
SO WE HAVE OUR OWN CONTINGENCY PLANS, UH, WITHIN OUR HOME IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENS AND NOBODY WANTS TO BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH THOSE THINGS.
SO WE ARE A FAMILY WITH, WITH THREE LITTLE KIDS AND EVERYTHING TOO.
AND SO WE FIT THE MOLD OF, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT ARE MOST INTERESTED ON MAKING SURE THESE THINGS GO GO RIGHT.
SO, UM, I KNOW YOU'RE NOT EXACTLY THE ONES THAT ARE FEEDING THE AC THE ACTUAL GAS INTO THE SYSTEM AND EVERYTHING, BUT YOU'RE THE REPRESENTATIVES AND IN MY BUSINESS, I'M ALWAYS THE ONE THAT HAS TO BE THE FACE OF THE ORGANIZATION TOO.
SO I DO SAY THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, BUT WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE JUST, THAT WE'RE WE'RE CLEAR ON THIS.
SO, UM, IN THIS LAST STORM, UM, WE DIDN'T KNOW CN G WAS NEEDED.
MICHAEL, YOU'RE REFERENCING TO THIS WEEK? YES SIR.
WE HAVE NOT FED ANNOUNCED WITH CNG IN, IN THIS AREA.
AND YOU HAD MORE, YOU HAD ALMOST, I WOULDN'T SAY DOUBLE, BUT PROBABLY ANOTHER THIRD TO 40%, UH, OF C N G AVAILABLE BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THE TANKER TRUCKS THAT WERE THERE FOR THIS STORM, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
AND THAT'S IN ADDITION TO, UM, ANOTHER SIX UNITS SPREAD ACROSS THE GREATER ROUND ROCK AREA TO HELP LOAD IN OTHER AREAS IF NEEDED TO PUSH MORE GAS TO LEANDER THROUGH THE SYSTEM PROPERTY.
AND ONE OTHER THING THAT WAS SAID WAS, UM, YOU ASKED A REALLY GOOD QUESTION, IT PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT IT ASKED A REALLY GOOD QUESTION AND IT WAS, COULD THE CITY HAVE DONE ANYTHING ELSE DIFFERENTLY OR IS THIS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY? AND YOU SAID YOUR RESPONSIBILITY? CORRECT.
SO WE, WE JUST JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PARTNERING TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY AND WE'RE SETTING GREAT EXPECTATIONS WITH OUR GROWTH.
UM, AND THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THOSE THINGS TOO.
SO IN TRIVIO THAT WAS MY BIGGEST THING WAS WITH THE GROWTH OF TRIVIO, ARE WE GONNA BE GOOD IN, IN LAYMAN'S TERMS? AND WHAT I'M HEARING IS YES, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THOSE FORTIFICATIONS ARE, ARE PLANNED FOR THE BUILD OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND NOT JUST, UM, WHAT WE JUST WENT THROUGH IN OUR CURRENT CURRENT POPULATION THERE TOO.
UM, AND, AND I'LL SAY, UM, WE JUST GOT WORD THIS WEEK THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER MAJOR, UH, POLYPRO THAT'S BEEN APPROVED.
IT, IT IS JUST BEEN APPROVED, IT'S NOT BEEN DESIGNED, PERMITTED OR ANYTHING THAT WE BROUGHT TO THE CITY ON, BUT THERE'S ANOTHER PHASE OF THE LARGE DIAMETER OF POLY THAT'S THAT'S GONNA GO TO TREVISO AS AS WELL.
SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE DETAILS ON THAT.
BUT IT'S, IT'S ALREADY BEEN APPROVED, IS IS NOW GONNA BE IN THE PROCESS.
AS ANOTHER LAG OF, UH, THE TWO THAT WERE JUST PUT IN PLACE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE SET POLICY AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE GET THE ANSWER OF THE EMAILS OF EVERYBODY THAT'S UPSET IN THESE THINGS.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ASKING GOOD QUESTIONS, BUT DOES OUR SENIOR MANAGEMENT HAVE A DIRECT LINE TO GET AHOLD OF YOU WHENEVER THEY NEED TO? UM, I NEED TO MAKE SURE, LIKE, PLEASE MICHAEL CAN PROBABLY TESTIFY THAT OVER THE LAST MONTH THERE'S BEEN MORE COMMUNICATION, UH, BETWEEN US THAN PROBABLY OUR SPOUSES.
UH, IT, IT'S, SO YES, WE, THE LAST, IN THE PRIOR EVENT OVER CHRISTMAS AND IN THIS MINIMUM THREE, FOUR TIMES A DAY, I SAY DAY NIGHT, UH, EVERYTHING THAT ALL OF YOUR UTMOST REPRESENTATIVES HAVE, HAVE STATED TONIGHT IS EXACTLY WHAT WAS REPRESENTED TO ME THROUGHOUT THE TIME.
BOTH THE PRIOR EVENT WHEN THERE WERE ISSUES, THEY BROUGHT IT UP, UM, WHEN THERE WEREN'T.
AND ALSO IN OUR MEETING WITH THE MAYOR, THOSE CAPITAL PROJECTS TO FORTIFY EVERYTHING.
AND THE OTHER PIECE WAS THE, I I THINK, AND MIKE REMINDED ME, BUT I DO THINK THAT THE CURTAILMENT PIECE ON THE INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS HAD, THAT'S JUST MY HUMBLE OPINION, HAD TO HAVE ALSO HAD A GREAT IMPACT.
NOT JUST, AND I DO THINK THOUGH ALSO COMING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE WITH OUR WATER SYSTEM AND THE HIGH GROWTH AND HOW FAST EVERYTHING GREW IN OUR DYNAMIC MODELING, I DO THINK WE MODEL REMODEL OVER AND OVER AGAIN AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THINGS SLOW DOWN, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MAKE IT NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS AND THE DEEP WATER INTAKE AND ALL THAT STUFF.
I WOULD THOUGH ALMOST SUGGEST IF THERE'S A WAY, UH, TO MODEL EVEN IN THE FUTURE, LET'S SAY WE WENT BACK TO THAT DOUBLE DIGIT GROWTH IN KIND OF SCENARIOS ACROSS YOUR SYSTEM.
IS THERE A A THRESHOLD YOU MIGHT REACH? BECAUSE WE'VE BASICALLY DONE THAT WITH ORDINANCES.
WHERE IS THE THRESHOLD THAT WE CAN'T GO BEYOND WHERE WE, IF WE DO MUCH MORE, WE'LL HIT A MORATORIUM? AND I DO THINK SLOW TIMES IS THE TIME TO DO IT.
AND IF THERE IS A WAY TO MODEL, WHAT WOULD THAT MAXIMUM BE?
[00:30:01]
SO YOU MIGHT HAVE TO SAY NO TO SOME DEVELOPMENTS AS THEY COME AND THEN SO WE COULD WORK IN TANDEM ON THAT.AND I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S A GREAT POINT AND I'LL GO BACK TO OUR, OUR NEGOTIATIONS WITH BUILDERS AND DEVELOPERS.
UM, BEFORE WE SIGN A CONTRACT WITH THEM TO SERVE.
IT OBVIOUSLY GOES THROUGH OUR, WHAT WE CALL OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT, OUR ENGINEERING ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT THAT, WHAT KIND OF HOMES DISTANCE, UH, WHAT'S GONNA BE REQUIRED BEFORE WE SIGN THAT CONTRACT TO SAY YES, WE'LL SERVE IT.
BECAUSE WE KNOW ON THE BACKSIDE THERE'S GOTTA BE THINGS DONE TO BE ABLE TO, TO SERVE THAT.
UH, I'LL GO BACK TO OUR PHILOSOPHY.
IT'S BEEN, UM, WE'VE HAD TO CHANGE OUR PHILOSOPHY AND THE TIMING OF THOSE FORTIFICATIONS IN THIS AREA, PARTICULARLY CUZ OF THE GROWTH RATE.
AND SO THAT'S, I THINK WHY YOU SEE THE MORE ACCELERATED PROJECTS THAT MIKE HAS TALKED ABOUT IS BECAUSE THE GROWTH RATE IS, UM, PROBABLY EXCEEDED WHAT WE ORIGINALLY HAD PUT IN PLACE AS OUR PHILOSOPHY.
WELL OUR PHILOSOPHY'S CHANGING BECAUSE IT'S HAD TO, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE STANDING BEFORE YOU CUZ WE'VE, WE'VE FAILED YOU TWICE.
BUT, UH, SO MOVING FORWARD WE LOOK AT EACH ONE OF THOSE AND AND OUR ENGINEERING TEAM SAYS, YES, WE CAN SERVE IT.
WE'LL SIGN THE CONTRACT WITH THE INTENT TO SERVE.
IF WE CAN'T SERVE IT, WE DON'T, WE DON'T SIGN THE CONTRACT.
PLACE FOUR, ANY QUESTIONS? NO.
YEAH, MY QUESTION WAS ALONG THAT LINE AROUND THE MODELING AND POPULATION GROWTH, WHICH WOULD NECESSITATE AN INCREASE USE IN THE SYSTEM, AND WAS THAT JUST NOT A PART OF THE EQUATION OR WAS IT A PART OF THE EQUATION AT A LOWER LEVEL WHEN YOU ORIGINALLY DID CONTINGENCY PLANS PREVIOUSLY? BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE LOOKING AT OUR GROWTH RATE, YOU WOULD'VE BEEN BETTER ABLE TO ANTICIPATE A GREATER USAGE OVER THESE LAST FEW STORMS THAT WE'VE HAD, UM, THAN WHAT ACCOUNTED FOR.
AND THEN HOW NIMBLE IS YOUR SYSTEM BECAUSE WE'VE HAD THAT GROWTH RATE, BUT THINGS CHANGE.
SO HOW ARE Y'ALL GONNA BE ABLE TO ADJUST QUICKLY WHEN THE NEXT STORM COMES UP THAT MAYBE DOESN'T NEED WHAT THIS STORM NEEDED THIS YEAR? SURE.
I I, I HOPE I'M GONNA ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
AND, AND JUST IN WHAT, UH, WHAT WE'VE DONE IN TERMS OF EVALUATING THE DATA FROM BOTH OF THOSE EVENTS MM-HMM.
UH, THE CUSTOMER USAGE SHOWED US ONE THING AFTER URI.
THE CUSTOMER USAGE SHOWED US SOMETHING ALMOST TOTALLY DIFFERENT AFTER ELLIOT.
UM, AND HENCE OUR, OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT INDUSTRIAL LOADS.
UM, WE REALLY, UM, I I I'LL JUST, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAD A REALLY GOOD HANDLE ON THE IMPACT OF THE INDUSTRIAL LOAD UPSTREAM OF THIS AREA.
AND, AND SO, UH, WITH, WITH THAT LOAD CONNECTED AND BURNING AT CRITICAL TIMES, UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO SAY IT KINDA ROBS THE SYSTEM OF THAT CAPACITY TO BE ABLE TO SERVE IT.
THOSE CUSTOMERS HAVE A CONTRACT WITH US THAT ALLOWS US TO INTERRUPT THEM FOR THOSE REASONS.
WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT IN THE PAST.
UM, THAT IS NOW PART OF OUR CONTINGENCY PLANNING.
WE, WE EXERCISE THAT RIGHT TO INTERRUPT IN THIS EVENT PROVIDED A LOT MORE CAPACITY FOR US TO SERVE MUCH MORE NIMBLE, AS YOU SAY.
BEC AND IT PROVED OUT THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO USE THE CONTINGENCY OF THE C N G BECAUSE WE WE'RE MANAGING OUR SYSTEM A LOT BETTER BASED ON WHAT WE LEARNED FROM BOTH EVENTS.
DOES NO, IT DOES, DOES THAT, IT DOES.
AND MY LAST QUESTION WAS REALLY ABOUT, I'VE READ COMMENTS THAT PEOPLE IN TRUVISO HAD IN OTHER COMMUNITIES ABOUT BEING AT THE END OF THE LINE.
AND WHAT IS YOUR PROCESS TO NOTIFY, I KNOW YOU SAY WHEN YOU SIGN A CONTRACT WITH DEVELOPERS, YOU FULLY INTEND TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
BUT IS THERE SOME CONCERN THAT PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE ABOUT POTENTIALLY PURCHASING A HOME AT THE END OF THE LINE? AND WHO GIVES THEM THAT INFORMATION? IS THAT THE DEVELOPER? IS THAT YOU GUYS, LIKE HOW IS THAT COMMUNICATED TO A POTENTIAL BUYER SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION? IT'S NOT A QUESTION I WOULD KNOW TO ASK UNTIL THIS EVENT HAPPENED.
UM, AND I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN AWARE THAT THERE COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY BEEN A PROBLEM AT ALL WITH, UM, WITH ANYTHING IF I WAS AT THE END OF THE LINE.
SO IS THERE TRULY AN ISSUE WITH BEING AT THE END OF THE LINE, EVEN THOUGH YOU FULLY INTEND TO PROVIDE SERVICE, UM, TO DEVELOPMENTS THAT YOU SIGN A CONTRACT WITH? I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO ANSWER THAT, BUT I'LL I'LL START AND MIKE'S REALLY OUR OKAY.
I MEAN, HE, HE LIVES, WE BOTH ARE FROM HERE, BUT HE LIVES HERE.
BUT, UM, I, I'LL SAY THIS, WE, WE HAVE SYSTEMS THAT ARE AT THE END OF THE LINE ALL OVER OUR MM-HMM.
SO THIS IS NOT UNIQUE TO TREVISO OR,
[00:35:01]
UH, PICK A SUBDIVISION.THERE, THERE ARE SUBDIVISIONS, THERE ARE ENTIRE SYSTEMS THAT ARE AT THE END OF A LINE.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S SHOULDN'T BE A CONCERN OF BEING AT THE END OF THE LINE.
THE, THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE HAD HAVE BEEN CAPACITY UPSTREAM OF THE END OF THE LINE AND NOT BEING ABLE TO GET THAT VOLUME THERE.
AGAIN, WHY WE HAVE FORTIFICATION PROJECTS, WHY WE'RE INCREASING THE MAXIMUM, ALLOW OPERATING PRESSURE OF THOSE HIGH PRESSURE ASSETS, CHANGING COMPONENTS TO PROVIDE MORE VOLUME THROUGH THE REGULATORS.
UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AND ARE DOING UPSTREAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM AT ANY END OF THE LINE SYSTEM.
A ACROSS MINTEX DIVISION OR, OR ANYWHERE WE SERVE.
SO, I, I MAY HAVE ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.
NO, YOU, YOU SAID IT WELL, AND I, I JUST, A COUPLE THINGS COME TO MIND.
I'VE BEEN OPERATING THIS WHOLE WEEK AND HELPING MAKE DECISIONS ON HOW THIS THIS SYSTEM OPERATES AND, AND, AND SORT OF SUPPORTING MY TEAM.
UM, AND VERY PROUD OF THAT THIS WEEK.
UM, THE END OF THE LINE IS THAT FROM A CUSTOMER'S STANDPOINT, SHOULD NOT EVEN BE A THOUGHT.
IT IS OUR COMMITMENT, WHETHER IT'S IN THE MIDDLE, THE BEGINNING OR THE END TO SERVE.
UM, AND I THINK A BIG PIECE OF THAT, WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT C AND GENE AND A BIG PIECE OF THAT FROM JUST FROM A A, A, A, A CONSERVATIVE CONTINGENCY PLAN IS THOSE ARE ON THE END OF THE LINE TODAY.
THEY WERE ONTO THE END, END OF THE LINE BEFORE.
UM, AND WE HAVE SIX ADDITIONAL TODAY NOT IN LEANDER THAT ARE ON THE END OF A LINE SOMEWHERE IN THE GREATER ROUND ROCK CEDAR PARK AREA.
SO, UM, THAT IS OUR CONTINGENCY PLAN AS WE GET PRESSURES IF THEY WERE TO DROP OR WE WERE SEEING SOME ISSUES, THEY WILL AUTOMATICALLY COME ON AND, AND PROTECT THE END OF THE LINE.
SO, BUT I THINK TODAY, I MEAN, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION TO THE BEST THAT I CAN THINK OF IT, I DON'T WANT A CUSTOMER TO HAVE TO BUY A HOME ANYWHERE IN THE CITY OF LEANDER AND WONDER IF THEY'RE AT THE END OF THE LINE OR ARE THEY GONNA, ARE WE GONNA HAVE THE ABILITY TO SERVE? AND IT'S OUR COMMITMENT TO Y'ALL AND TO EVERY CUSTOMER IN THE CITY OF LEANDER IN RESIDENT THAT WE'RE GONNA SERVE THEM.
AND, UH, WE'VE LEARNED FROM THE LAST TWO STORMS, AND I THINK THIS STORM THIS WEEK HAS PROVED OUT THAT, UH, SOME GREAT STRIDES AND WE'RE NOT STOPPING HERE.
I KNOW THERE ARE PROBABLY CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE HEARD THAT MM-HMM.
UM, AND I'M SURE THAT'S WHERE THE MM-HMM.
UM, IF WE FIX OUR UPSTREAM ISSUES, THERE'S NOT A PROBLEM AT THE END OF ALL.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THROUGH FORTIFICATIONS, INCREASING PRESSURES, UM, EXERCISING OUR, OUR, OUR RIGHT UNDER STRUCTURAL AGREEMENTS WITH INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS TO INTERRUPT THEM.
WE'RE DOING ALL THOSE THINGS SO THAT, UM, IT DOESN'T REVEAL ITSELF AT, WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE OTHER WAY.
YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
UM, SO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE.
UM, AND SPEAKING TO THE, THE PLAN OF CURTAILING THE INDUSTRIAL USERS, I DID HEAR YOU MISS SIGNS IN THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY, UH, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CALLS THIS WEEK, ASKING THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHEN THEY WERE CLOSING TO CHANGE THOSE THERMOSTATS.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT THAT'S PRETTY SMART BECAUSE YOU FIGURE EVERYBODY CLOSES DOWN FOR THE STORM AND DOESN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.
IT, AND PROBABLY LEAVES 'EM ON.
AND SO I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS A, A GOOD MOVE AND I'VE NEVER HEARD THAT HAPPEN BEFORE.
UM, I WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CNG TRUCKS, UM, BECAUSE IN MY EXPERIENCE IN THE WORLD, I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
DOES THAT, YOU SAID THAT YOU USE IT THROUGHOUT AT SYSTEM.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS USED ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY OR OTHER, OTHER ENTITIES? YES, MA'AM.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE OWN AND OPERATE OUR OWN CNG FLEET.
THAT'S PART OF OUR BUSINESS MODEL.
WE USE IT ALL YEAR LONG, UM, ON SPECIAL PROJECTS, ON WINTER EVENTS AND SO FORTH.
BUT, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY THIS EVENT, I THINK Y'ALL WILL SEE THAT THERE'S A, THERE'S A DIFFERENT VENDOR OUT THERE THAT WE'VE CONTRACTED WITH THAT THAT VENDOR IS SAURUS.
UM, THEY ARE OUT OF ALBERTA, CANADA, AND THEY OWN A MASSIVE CNG FLEET.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING THEY DO.
AND SO THEY ARE IN OUR AREA SUPPORTING US.
UH, WE'VE CONTRACTED WITH THEM AND THEY'RE WORKING SIDE BY SIDE WITH OUR TEAM, UM, TO HELP SUPPORT THIS AREA.
UM, THEY'RE ALL OVER THE WORLD.
I MEAN, THEY'RE ALL OVER THE US, UM, HOLDING UP, UM, CITIES AND BEING, UH, PLANTS AND BACKUP AND, AND OTHER OPERATORS CONTINGENCY PLANS AS WELL.
AND WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD THE LUXURY TO CONTRACT WITH THEM IN THIS EVENT, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO CONTRACT WITH THEM TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE PROPER, THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF CNG AT THE RIGHT TIME AT THE RIGHT PLACE.
YOU JUST HAVE TO BE IN SORT OF THE RIGHT
[00:40:01]
AREA.AND MAYOR, I, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT IN OUR PREVIOUS MEETING, UH, OUR L AND G PROVIDER, UM, THEY, THEY DO WINTER PEAK SHAVING OPERATIONS ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES.
AND ONE OF THE PLACES I'VE, I MENTIONED, THEY, THEY MENTIONED THAT THEY'RE IN BRECKENRIDGE, COLORADO.
UM, A LOT OF THE ALPINE TOWNS, UH, UP THERE SKI TOWNS THAT, THAT, UH, GROW IN POPULATION DURING THIS TIME OF THE YEAR BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE GOING THERE TO SKI.
AND SO THEIR POPULATION'S GROWING AT THE TIME WHEN THEIR WEATHER IS THE COLDEST.
AND SO, UM, THOSE GAS COMPANIES BRING IN LNG AS ASSETS TO SET UP TO DO WHAT THEY CALL WINTER PEAK SHAVING.
AND THAT'S TO GET THEM OVER THAT HUMP, UH, DURING THE COLDEST TIMES OF THE YEAR WHEN THEIR POPULATION IS HIGHER THAN IT IS ANY OTHER TIME OF THE YEAR.
AND SO, UH, THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR UTILITIES, GAS UTILITIES TO USE THESE ASSETS FOR WINTER OPERATIONS, UM, TO, TO, TO BE ABLE TO SHAVE THOSE PEAK DEMANDS AND SERVE CUSTOMERS.
AND THEN, UM, MOST OF MY QUESTIONS WERE ALREADY ANSWERED.
UM, THE LAST ONE, I DON'T, I DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO PHRASE IT OR WHAT I'M ASKING FOR.
I FEEL LIKE WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PREVIOUS EVENTS IS THAT THE HUMANITY GETS LOST IN IT.
UM, YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, JUST PEOPLE THAT COME INTO A RETAIL STORE.
THERE ARE PEOPLE AT HOME WITH THEIR FAMILIES THAT WANNA BE SAFE.
UM, THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WHEN THEY'RE TUCKING THEIR KIDS INTO BED, THEY'RE NOT GONNA FREEZE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THERE HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATION FAILURES AND I THINK IT SCARES PEOPLE.
UM, AND EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT IN ONE OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAS BEEN AFFECTED, UM, THE CITY MANAGER, AND I THINK WE JUST ABOUT GOT AN ULCER LAST WEEK LOOKING AT THE FREEZE COMING UP.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO ASK ABOUT HOW YOU'RE HOLDING YOURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE AND HOW YOU'RE GOING TO IMPROVE.
BUT I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE.
I'M GLAD THAT YOU ARE MAKING YOURSELVES AVAILABLE PUBLICLY.
UM, I'M GLAD THAT THIS LAST EVENT, UH, THIS WEEKEND WENT REALLY WELL.
UM, I THINK IT'S A SIGN THAT THESE THINGS ARE WORKING OUT, AND I JUST HOPE THAT YOU CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE COMMUNICATION WITH THE, THE RESIDENTS AND JUST LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU'RE LOOKING OUT FOR THEM AND THAT YOU CARE AND THAT YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, AHEAD OF TIME.
IF THERE'S A CONCERN AND YOU'RE COMMUNICATING THAT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN BE READY AND NOT JUST BE SCARED THAT WHEN THEY SEE A TRUCK, THAT THAT MEANS THAT YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA LOSE GAS AND JUST BE PREPARED.
UH, LET THESIS SCIENCE MANAGER OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS FOR THE AREA AND ABSOLUTELY WE ARE COMMITTED TO IMPROVING OUR COMMUNICATION.
IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY IDEAS FOR US, ABSOLUTELY.
I'LL CONTINUE TO MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE.
WE UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT THAT COMMUNICATION IS WHEN WE KNOW THAT THERE'S SEVERE WEATHER COMING.
IF WE KNOW ABOUT ANY SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS, WE ABSOLUTELY WANT TO IMPROVE OUR COMMUNICATION, AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO DOING THAT.
UM, WE, WE ARE YOUR RESIDENTS AS WELL.
WE LIVE HERE, WORK HERE, PLAY HERE, AND WE CARE VERY MUCH ABOUT EACH AND EVERY RESIDENT.
AND SO YOU HAVE OUR COMMITMENT TODAY, HOWEVER YOU THINK POSSIBLE.
IF, IF YOU HAVE IDEAS, WE ARE GONNA WORK WITH OUR CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM AS WELL TO SEE IF WE CAN COME UP WITH SOME VERY SPECIFIC, UH, MESSAGING FOR CUSTOMERS AND OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
AND NOW WE HAVE THAT REALLY CLOSE LINE.
I'M FAIRLY NEW TO THE AREA, NOT THAT NEW.
UM, BUT NOW WE HAVE OUR COMMUNICATION, WE HAVE CELL PHONE NUMBERS, WE HAVE EMAILS, AND WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO BE COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THOSE COMMUNICATIONS.
AND, AND I WILL SAY IT'S BEEN NOTICED THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, UM, AND I CAN'T THANK Y'ALL ENOUGH.
COUNSEL, WAS THERE ANY FOLLOW UP THAT ANYBODY HAD? JUST ONE SMALL THING AND AND THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR DOING THIS.
GIVES US A LITTLE CLEARER PICTURE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW NONE OF US ARE QUALIFIED TO ANSWER THESE TOUGH QUESTIONS AND WE DON'T HAVE THE PROPER TERMINOLOGY.
SO IT'S, IT'S HELPFUL AND EXPLAINING THE END OF THE LINE.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S THE FIRST I'D EVER HEARD OF IT.
AND, AND, UH, KNOW, KNOWING THAT THERE HAD BEEN ISSUES YEARS IN THE PAST.
UM, IT, IT, IT DOES EXPLAIN IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
AND, UM, MIKE'S GIVEN ME THE SIDE EYE, UH,
IF WE COULD HAVE, LIKE EVERYTHING YOU JUST SAID, I'M DOTTING IT DOWN AND I KNOW I'M GONNA GET IT WRONG.
JUST SOMETHING SIMPLE THAT EXPLAINS, UH, WHAT HAS CHANGED SINCE TWO YEARS AGO, WHAT YOU'VE COMPLETED AND WHAT YOU STILL HAVE TO WORK ON.
AND JUST, JUST SIMPLE AND, YOU KNOW, LANGUAGE THAT ANYBODY CAN UNDERSTAND, NOT TOO, NOT TOO TECHNICAL AND OR, OR IF YOU ALREADY HAVE THAT, GIVE US THE LINK TO THAT AND MAYBE WE CAN PUT IT ON THE WEBSITE.
IS THAT OKAY? MIKE, DO YOU APPROVE OF THAT QUESTION? THANK YOU.
YEAH, I THINK IT WOULD JUST BE BENEFICIAL IF WE HAVE, LIKE, IF SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, ASK ANY, ANY ONE OF US THAT QUESTION, YOU KNOW, WE ARE LIKE, WHY DON'T WE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT? WELL, WE ARE, WE DON'T MANAGE YOU.
SO AT LEAST WE COULD DIRECT THEM TO ACCURATE INFORMATION.
[00:45:01]
AND, AND THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY'VE BEEN LEFT IN THE COLD, NO PUN INTENDED.AND I THINK A GREAT PLACE MAY BE TO START WITH, UH, THE RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FROM THE RAILROAD COMMISSION THAT, UH, THAT I SENT IT TO YOU ALL THAT, THAT I BELIEVE THE COMMISSION'S ALREADY ASKED FOR A LOT OF THAT INFORMATION OKAY.
IN WHICH WE RESPONDED FORMALLY TO THEM.
AND SO THAT DOCUMENT'S ALREADY OUT THERE THAT PERFECT.
LAYS OUT THESE FORTIFICATION PROJECTS, UH, THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, UH, TO, TO, TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.
SO WE CAN PROVIDE THAT LINK TO YOU AND SEE IF THAT'S A, A GOOD PLACE TO START.
AND THEN CERTAINLY WE CAN REENGAGE.
YES, THE EMAIL, IF WE COULD START THERE AND THEN IF THAT, IF THAT DOESN'T SUFFICE FOR YOU, THEN NO, THAT'S GOOD.
CERTAINLY YOU CAN REENGAGE WITH US AND WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL OUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO PROVIDE IT.
NO, I, AS LONG AS WE HAVE IT ON OUR WEBSITE TO DRAG PEOPLE.
AND THEN CITY MANAGER, BEVERLY, SUPER FAST.
WAS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION AS FAR AS THE TEMPERATURE OF BOTH THESE LAST STORMS, THE ELLIOT VERSUS THIS LAST ONE? YOU KNOW, ELLIOT WAS, WHEN WE HAD THE BIG, THE BIGGER IMPACT FROM WHAT I REMEMBER, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE TRACKED ANY OF THIS STUFF.
IT WAS MUCH COLDER, UH, FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, DO WE STILL THINK EVEN IF THAT WOULD'VE BEEN THE, IF, IF THIS LAST STORM WOULD'VE WOULD'VE, UH, PRODUCED THE SAME TEMPERATURES FOR THE SAME DURATION, DO YOU THINK WE WOULD'VE HAD THE SAME RESULT? AND ARE YOU REFERENCING TO THE SAME RESULT THAT WE'VE HAD THIS WEEK? YEAH.
WE WOULD'VE HAD A, A SUCCESSFUL WEEK.
UM, I WAS JUST RESPONDING TO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS, SO I KNOW WE'VE TRANSFERRED SO MANY INFORM MUCH INFORMATION LATELY.
UM, BUT WHAT WE CAN DO IS TAKE THE, THE ONES THAT WERE MOST RECENTLY COMPLETED, IF YOU COULD SEND ME US AN UPDATED LIST SURE.
OF THE, THE FIVE CORE ONES, AND THEN I'LL, WE'LL GET THAT TO COUNCIL AND THEN, UH, THE ONES PENDING.
AND I THINK THAT THAT WILL, THAT'LL HELP AN UNDERSTANDING PART OF IT.
BUT I THINK THE THING REMEMBER TOO, THEIR SYSTEM, IT'S KIND OF LIKE B BBC WAY IS BIGGER THAN US.
AND THEN THE, THE OTHER DIFFERENTIAL IS, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS EVEN ON THE MODELING SIDE.
SO ON WATER, YOU MODEL AND YOU BUILD THE SYSTEM FOR THE WORST DAY EVER.
I GUESS IF SPONGEBOB WOULD SAY IT AND THEN
UH, THINK ABOUT, WE'VE HAD THE, I GUESS URI WAS THE WORST IN 85 YEARS IN TERMS OF, SO YOU HAD YOUR MASSIVE GROWTH PLUS WHAT WAS REALLY OUTSIDE THE MOST PEOPLE TO MODEL, WHETHER IT WAS ERCOT, RAILROAD COMMISSION OR UTILITY PROVIDERS.
BUT NOW THAT THAT IS KNOWN THAT IT IS MAYBE A POTENTIAL RECURRING ISSUE, THEN THAT'S, I THINK THE OTHER THING WE, THE DISCUSSION WE CAN EVEN HAVE, UM, EVEN IN THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, MAYBE EVEN SHARING INFORMATION, IS THAT EVERYTHING IS MODELED MOVING FORWARD, LOOKING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AT THOSE, THOSE TRENDS IN THOSE WORST CASE SCENARIOS, BUT IN PARTNERSHIP NOT WORKING AGAINST EACH OTHER.
AND ALSO WITH OUR COALITION OF CITIES.
DID Y'ALL HAVE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WANTED TO SAY BEFORE WE CLOSE OUT? THANK YOU.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
I KNOW IT MEANS A LOT TO US AND TO OUR RESIDENTS.
UM, WITH THAT, WE ARE GOING TO ADJOURN OUR BRIEFING WORKSHOP AT 6 49.
PLEASE BE IN YOUR SEATS AT SEVEN O'CLOCK FOR THE MEETING.
[4. Open Meeting, Invocation and Pledges of Allegiance.]
GOOD EVENING.TODAY IS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND, 2023.
AND THE TIME IS 7:04 PM AND THIS IS THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE LEANDER CITY COUNCIL.
TONIGHT, PASTOR CHRIS WIMBERLEY OF STELLA HILLS CHURCH WILL BE PROVIDING THE INVOCATION, FOLLOWING THE INVOCATION.
PLEASE REMAIN STANDING FOR THE PLEDGES OF ALLEGIANCE.
GLAD TO SEE EVERYONE IN HERE WARM AND TOASTY.
IT'S BEEN PRETTY COLD LAST FEW DAYS.
CANNON, YOU COMING? COME ON, BUDDY.
MY SON CANNON'S WITH ME HERE TONIGHT.
UH, WOULD YOU ALL PRAY WITH ME? FATHER, WE LOVE YOU, LORD.
GOD, YOU ARE TOO GOOD TO US, LORD.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT E EVEN THE, THE FACT THAT WE'RE HERE IS A GIFT FROM YOU.
BREATH IN OUR LUNGS AND BEATING HEARTS.
LORD, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH, FATHER AND LORD, ALL THINGS COME FROM YOU.
I THANK YOU TONIGHT, LORD, FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, FOR OUR MAYOR, FOR OUR CITY COUNCIL.
LORD, THOSE THAT HAVE DEDICATED THEIR LIVES TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY, WE'RE SO GRATEFUL FOR THEM.
GOD, WOULD YOU BLESS THEM? LORD? WOULD YOU GIVE THEM FAVOR? GOD WOULD YOU PROTECT THEIR FAMILIES? LORD, CAST YOUR MIGHTY ANGELS TO WATCH OVER OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, LORD, AS THEY GO OUT AND PROTECT US, LORD AND GOD.
UM, I PRAY FOR WISDOM AND DISCERNMENT AS THE, AS THE COUNCIL LEADS OUR CITY AND OUR COMMUNITY, THAT YOU
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WOULD JUST GIVE THEM THAT DIVINE WISDOM THAT COMES FROM YOU, LORD.AND GOD, I THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE IN ATTENDANCE TONIGHT.
GOD, AS WE BRING OUR, OUR, OUR PRAYERS, OUR DREAMS, OUR SUGGESTIONS, OUR IDEAS, OUR CONCERNS THAT WE WOULD DO SO WITH A HEART OF LOVE, LORD, AND, AND GRACE AND COMPASSION, FATHER AND LORD, I PERSONALLY THANK YOU TONIGHT FOR THE GREAT SACRIFICE THAT YOU MADE FOR US, LORD, IN, IN YOUR SON JESUS CHRIST, UPON THE CROSS, I'M SO GRATEFUL, GOD, THAT YOU HAVE SENT YOUR SON TO DIE FOR MY SINS.
LORD GOD, MAY WE JUST FOREVER BE GRATEFUL FOR THE THINGS YOU'VE GIVEN US.
[5. Roll Call.]
ITEM NUMBER FIVE, CITY SECRETARY CRABTREE, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER KATHERINE BATTALION PARKER.HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER ESME MACIA.
HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID MCDONALD HERE, MAYOR PROM.
NICOLE THOMPSON, PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER CHRIS CERNEY.
HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER BECKY ROSS.
HERE QUORUM IS PRESENT IN THE CITY COUNCIL'S ELIGIBLE TO DO
[6. Public comments on items not listed in the agenda. Public comments on items listed in the agenda will be heard at the time each item is discussed by Council. [All comments are limited to no more than 3 minutes (6 minutes if translation is needed) per individual.]]
BUSINESS.MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER SIX, NON AGENDA ITEM, PUBLIC COMMENTS.
FOR ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, I WILL CALL ON SPEAKERS PRIOR TO THE DISCUSSION OF THE AGENDA ITEM AND DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING, INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE SUBMITTED COMMENTS VIA THE WEBSITE WILL ONLY HAVE THEIR POSITIONS READ INTO THE RECORD.
ANY WRITTEN COMMENTS HAVE BEEN SHARED WITH THE COUNCIL AND WILL BE MADE A PART OF THE OFFICIAL RECORD.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT PUBLIC COMMENTS IS A TIME FOR YOU TO COMMUNICATE TO COUNSEL, BUT IT IS NOT A TIME THAT WE CAN HAVE BACK AND FORTH DISCUSSION.
WITH THAT, WE WILL GET STARTED.
FIRST UP, WE HAVE LAURA HOLAND.
WELL, IF SHE COMES BACK IN, WE'LL WE'LL CALL ON HER.
PLEASE GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT SAN GABRIEL PARKWAY EAST.
THAT'S A SECTION OF SAN GABRIEL PARKWAY THAT GOES BETWEEN, UH, COUNTY ROAD TWO 70 AND RONALD REAGAN.
THE PROJECT WAS INITIATED IN 2015 WHEN PALMARA BLUFF WAS ANNEXED INTO THE PALMARA RIDGE MUD.
AT THAT TIME, THE DEVELOPER AGREED TO PAY FOR THE PORTION OF THE ROAD DEVELOPMENT COSTS AS BORDERED BY THE PROPERTY OF PALMARA RIDGE MUD.
UH, NOW IT'S, IT'S SAID IN THE DOCUMENTATION THAT THE DEVELOPER IS PAYING FOR THAT, BUT WE KNOW THAT THE MUD'S PAYING FOR IT, RIGHT? THE HOMEOWNERS ARE PAYING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT PORTION OF THE ROAD.
SO, UM, ALSO IN, UH, JUNE OF 2015, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A TASK ORDER NOT TO EXCEED $700,000, PROVIDING FOR THE DESIGN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION PHASE, UH, FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
AND THEN IN NOVEMBER OF 2016, 4.2 MILLION WAS INCLUDED IN THE BOND PACKAGE FOR LEANDER AND WAS PASSED.
SO THAT'S THE HOW IT GOT INITIATED FROM 2018 THROUGH 2020.
CITY COUNCIL REVIEWS OF C I P PROJECTS SHOWED SAN GABRIEL EAST CONSTRUCTION, STARTING IN 2017, TO BE COMPLETED IN 2020 EVERY YEAR.
SAID THE SAME THING STARTED IN 2017, COMPLETED IN 2020.
IN MAY OF 2022, THERE WAS A COMMUNITY IMPACT ARTICLE SAYING SAN GABRIEL PARKWAY, PHASE TWO, WHICH IS THE SECTION BETWEEN PALM ME RIDGE, UH, CONSTRUCTION THAT WAS ALREADY COMPLETED, AND RONALD REAGAN, THAT THAT WAS GONNA START IN SUMMER OF 2022 AND CONTINUE THROUGH LATE 2023.
IT INCLUDES A TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT RONALD REAGAN.
UH, IN THAT ARTICLE, UH, C I P MANAGER TONY BEES WAS, WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS WERE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SECTION OF THE ROAD BEING OPEN SO THEY WOULD HAVE BETTER ACCESS.
UM, AND THEN IN JULY 22, CITY COUNCIL C I P, UH, REVIEW SAN GABRIEL PARKWAY.
PHASE TWO IS STILL SHOWING AS CRITICAL AND FUNDED FOR 2022.
PHASE THREE IS NOW BEING LISTED UNDER 2023 C I P.
AND THEN IN OCTOBER, 2022, CITY COUNCIL MEETING, PHASE THREE, SAN GABRIEL PARKWAY IS SHOWING FOR 1 MILLION
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IN DESIGN.ONLY SEVEN YEARS AFTER THE INITIATION, WE'RE SPENDING A MILLION DOLLARS ON DESIGN.
AND THEN PHASE TWO HAS $0 IN 2023 $0 IN 2024.
SO SUPPOSEDLY PHASE TWO IS GETTING PUSHED DUE TO CONFLICT WITH ELEVATED WATER STORAGE TANKS.
I ACTUALLY HAVE FIVE QUESTIONS FOR THE COUNCIL AND FOR THE CITY.
WHY HASN'T SAN GABRIEL PARKWAY BEEN COMPLETED BY NOW? IT'S BEEN SEVEN YEARS SINCE IT WAS INITIATED.
WHY IS THE CITY COMMUNICATING PROGRESS AND EXPECTED COMPLETION DATES? THEY HAVE NO BASIS.
IN FACT, WHY CAN'T THE SAN GABRIEL, UH, UH, RE UH, RONALD REAGAN CONNECTION CONSTRUCTION BE DONE IN PARALLEL WITH THE WATER TOWER CONSTRUCTION? I'M SORRY, MR. OBERG, PLEASE WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS.
AND THEN WHAT IS THE CURRENT CITY COUNCIL COMMITMENT FOR COMPLETION OF PHASE TWO AND PHASE THREE? AND LASTLY, WHY ARE PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE PALMERA RIDGE MUD PAYING FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION FOR A CITY DESIGNATED FOUR LANE ARTERIAL ROADWAY? SO, THANK YOU.
HEATH ARMSTRONG, PLEASE GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
I WON'T TAKE UP A LOT OF TIME.
UH, MY NAME'S HEATH ARMSTRONG.
I LIVE AT 1300 LINES LA AND LEANDER, UM, IN THE GRAND MESA COMMUNITY.
UM, I WAS JUST GONNA MAKE A COUPLE OF QUICK COMMENTS ABOUT THE PRESENTATION WE HEARD EARLIER.
UH, FIRST OFF, UM, I'M A UTILITY ATTORNEY.
I'VE BEEN ONE FOR ABOUT 14 YEARS.
I'M NOT AN ENGINEER, SO I DON'T INTEND TO CAST ASPERSIONS ON ANYTHING THAT WAS PRESENTED.
BUT, UH, I WOULD JUST EXERCISE A LITTLE BIT OF CAUTION WHEN IT COMES TO THE FACT THAT RIGHT NOW, THOSE RESIDENTS, INCLUDING MYSELF AND, AND OTHERS ARE ON A RADIO LINE, WHICH MEANS WE, WE ARE AT THE END OF THE LINE.
NOW, THEY'VE PUT IN INJECTION POINTS FOR C N G TRUCKS TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE PRESSURE.
AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA FOR NOW, BUT THAT'S NOT A PERMANENT SOLUTION WHEN ON THE ELECTRIC SIDE, WHEN YOU BRING IN DISTRIBUTED GENERATION, IT'S BECAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY HAD AN OUTAGE.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU USE FOR NORMAL OPERATIONS.
AND SO I WOULD JUST CAUTION YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S NOT A PERMANENT PART OF THEIR SOLUTION.
UM, ALSO, AS WAS SAID BEFORE, YOU MIGHT KEEP IN MIND THAT THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OR THE LOW TEMPERATURE FOR URI AND THE STORM OVER CHRISTMAS EVE WAS ABOUT 20 DEGREES LOWER, UM, THAT WAS MENTIONED, BUT IT IS AN IMPORTANT FACT.
IT REQUIRES THAT MUCH MORE HEAT, REQUIRES THAT MUCH MORE GAS.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY BELIEVE THAT THEY'VE SOLVED THE ISSUE IN THOSE CONDITIONS, BUT WE DON'T KNOW THAT FOR SURE UNTIL IT HAPPENS.
SO I JUST CAUTION ON THOSE ITEMS. THANK YOU.
I DO NOT HAVE ANYBODY ELSE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
WAS THERE ANYBODY WHO WISHED TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE
[7. Recognitions/Proclamations/Visitors. Black History Month proclamation (February)]
ON TO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, PROCLAMATIONS.WE HAVE A BLACK HISTORY MONTH PROCLAMATION WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ASMI MET KELAN GOIA, CITY OF LEANDER PROCLAMATION.
WHEREAS DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH, WE CELEBRATE THE MANY ACHIEVEMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY AFRICAN AMERICANS TO OUR ECONOMIC, CULTURAL, SPIRITUAL, AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT.
AND WHEREAS BLACK HISTORY MONTH GREW OUT OF THE ESTABLISHMENT IN 1926 OF NEGRO HISTORY WEEK BY CARTER G WOODSON, AND THE ASSOCIATION OF THE STUDY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE AND HISTORY.
AND WHEREAS THE OBSERVANCE OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH CALLS OUR ATTENTION TO THE CONTINUED NEED TO BATTLE RACISM AND BUILD A SOCIETY THAT LIVES UP TO ITS IDEALS.
AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF LEANER CONTINUES TO WORK TOWARD BECOMING AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY IN WHICH ALL CITIZENS PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE ARE RESPECTED AND RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS AND POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR COMMUNITY, THE STATE, THE COUNTY, THE COUNTRY, AND THE WORLD.
WHEREAS THE CITY OF LAND IS PROUD TO HONOR THE HISTORY AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN OUR COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT OUR STATE AND NATION.
NOW, THEREFORE, I AM MAYOR CHRISTINE DEL OF THE CITY OF LEANDER IN RECOGNITION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS PASSED AND PRESENT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
DO YOU HEREBY PROCLAIM FEBRUARY, 2023 TO BE BLACK HISTORY MONTH? I ENCOURAGE ALL CITIZENS TO CELEBRATE OUR DIVERSE HERITAGE AND CULTURE AND CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS TO CREATE A WORLD THAT IS MORE JUST PEACEFUL AND PROSPEROUS FOR ALL IN WITNESS THEREOF.
I HAVE HERE ON TO SET MY HAND AND CAUSE THE CITY SEAL OF THE CITY OF LEANER TO BE AFFECTED ON FEBRUARY 2ND, 2023.
ANYBODY WANNA COME UP FOR A PHOTO?
[01:01:02]
OKAY, EVERYBODY LOOK AT ME.DO YOU KNOW HOW TO USE THIS? NOPE.
BOTTOM BUTTON BACK TOP BUTTON.
YOU SEE, I'M DEFINITELY GONNA HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING JUST TO BIG BUTTON.
[8. Receive annual update of Hotel Occupancy Tax funds from Leander Chamber of Commerce.]
BUTTON.ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.
RECEIVE ANNUAL UPDATE OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUNDS FROM THE LEANDER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
WELCOME CHAMBER PRESIDENT AND FRIT BRANCH.
SHE IS OUR NEW, BUT NOT ALL THAT NEW, BUT NEW.
SHE'S NOT BEEN TO THIS YET, UH, DIRECTOR OF TOURISM AND DIGITAL MARKETING.
SO SHE HAS DONE A LOT OF THE WORK THAT I'M GONNA STAND HERE AND TAKE CREDIT FOR.
SO I THOUGHT IT SEEMED RIGHT TO ACTUALLY HAVE HER HERE TO CONGRATULATE HER ON THE INCREDIBLE WORK SHE'S DONE THIS YEAR.
I'M GONNA HIGHLIGHT, WE'LL START WITH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A VISITOR CENTER LOGO, WHICH IS PRETTY AMAZING.
SO OF COURSE, HIGHLIGHTING OUR HERITAGE AND THE TRAIN PROGRAM, WHICH HAS BEEN A DRIVING FORCE AND THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY COMING TO LEANDER TO SEE, WHICH WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT.
UM, OVERALL, THIS IS OUR BUDGET FOR THE YEAR.
UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF, UH, THE MONEY THAT WE'RE BRINGING IN.
THIS IS OUR 22 TOTAL THAT WE HAD TO WORK WITH, WHICH IS VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY SMALL FOR A CITY OF THIS SIZE.
AND CONSIDERING THE MAGNITUDE OF WORK THAT WE DO, UH, WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO DO ALL OF THESE THINGS.
OF COURSE, THE REASON THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO AS MUCH AS WE DO IS BECAUSE WE DO A LOT OF IT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHAMBER.
AND SO ALTOGETHER WE'RE ABLE TO DO THINGS THAT YOU WOULD SEE CEDAR PARK DOING, OR GEORGETOWN OR CITIES SIMILAR IN SIZE TO OURS, BUT THAT MAYBE HAVE, I DON'T KNOW, 28 HOTELS INSTEAD OF ONE, WHICH WE ARE WORKING ON.
UH, BUT IT'S REALLY EXCITING TO BE ABLE TO SEE THIS TYPE OF PRODUCT COME OUT OF SUCH A SMALL BUDGET.
SO I ALWAYS LIKE TO POINT THAT OUT.
THIS IS ALSO, I ADDED A SLIDE HERE THIS YEAR.
UM, THIS IS OUR ENTIRE CONTRACT AMOUNT THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF OUR HOTEL CONTRACT AND WHAT WE'VE SPENT IN ENTIRETY.
IN ADDITION, IT SHOWS WHAT IS REMAINING.
AS YOU'LL SEE, THERE'S A COUPLE OF LARGER AMOUNTS REMAINING.
UH, THOSE ARE INTENTIONALLY REMAINING FOR THE IDEA OF BEING ABLE TO DO BIGGER THINGS LIKE MAYBE A STATUE OR MAYBE SIGNAGE FOR OLD TOWN PARK, OR MAYBE A HOTEL STUDY THAT WE SO DESPERATELY NEED.
AND SO IN ORDER TO DO BIG PROJECTS LIKE THAT, WE ARE NOT ABLE TO DO THOSE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS BECAUSE OUR BUDGET IS TOO SMALL.
ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS ARE.
SO WE'VE STARTED SETTING ASIDE FUNDS EACH YEAR TO BE ABLE TO AGGREGATE THOSE FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO HOLD, HOLD AND EVENTUALLY DO SOME OF THE LARGER PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE AS A GOAL.
SO I WAS HERE TO TELL YOU ABOUT THAT.
THAT YEAR WE HAD 672 PEOPLE ENGAGED IN LEARNING MORE AND WANTING TO COME SEE LEANDER, WHICH WE WERE PRETTY STOKED ABOUT.
UH, THE IDEA THAT WE HAD 672 PEOPLE EVEN INTERESTED TO FIND OUT ABOUT
[01:05:01]
LEANDER, WE WERE PRETTY, PRETTY, PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PAST YEAR.SO WE'VE SEEN A LITTLE BIT OF GROWTH BASED ON THE WORK THAT ASHLEY'S DONE AND THE WORK THAT OUR TEAM HAS DONE.
THE PREDOMINANT GROWTH IN THOSE THINGS ARE, OF COURSE, OUR VIDEOS, WHICH WE DEBUTED AT JUNE TO ALL OF YOU, WHICH CATHERINE, MOST OF YOU, CATHERINE, NICOLE ESME, ARE ALL FEATURED IN.
UH, THOSE VIDEOS HAVE DONE VERY, VERY WELL IN SERVING THE PURPOSE OF HAVING PEOPLE COME TO LEANDER.
I KNOW IT'S THAT RUNNING, I KNOW IT'S A NO-BRAINER.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU'LL SEE THAT OUR OVERALL, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS NUMBER, THIS WAS LAST YEAR.
THIS IS OUR PRIOR YEAR, UH, JUST PEOPLE READING OUR BLOGS.
AND YOU'LL SEE HOW IN THE INCREDIBLE JUMP, AGAIN, IT'S THE CONTENT THAT WE ARE NOW PROVIDING, UH, THE CONTENT'S MORE MEANINGFUL, MORE VALUABLE, AND MORE CONSISTENT.
AS WE MENTIONED LAST YEAR, CONSISTENCY IS KEY.
SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT REGULAR CONTENT POSTED TO KEEP PEOPLE ENGAGED IN WANTING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LEANDER AND KEEP THEM ENGAGED IN COMING TO VISIT.
UH, THESE ARE OUR TOP BLOG POSTS.
OF COURSE, YOU CAN SEE LAKEWOOD PARK SET OUT TO PARKS AND REC FOR THAT INCREDIBLE PARK.
IT GIVES US A VERY GOOD THING TO PROMOTE, TO FEATURE.
UM, AND IT IS A REMARKABLE PARK.
IT ACTUALLY DRIVES PEOPLE TO VISIT LEANDER ALL OF THE TIME.
SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT PARKS AS A WHOLE, I WON'T TAKE TOO MUCH OF Y'ALL'S, UH, THUNDER, BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT PARKS AS A WHOLE AND THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THEM, THEY ACTUALLY DO GENERATE REVENUE.
EVEN THOUGH ON THE BOOKS, THEY MAY NOT GENERATE REVENUE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO WHEN WE DRIVE PEOPLE TO THEM, OF COURSE, THINGS TO DO IN LEANDER, WHICH PEOPLE SAY THERE'S NOTHING TO DO.
THOSE PEOPLE ARE NOT READING OUR BLOG.
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS TO DO IN LEANDER.
UH, OF COURSE THE OLD TOWN STREET FESTIVAL.
AND THEN ASHLEY'S ADDED, UM, SPECIFIC GROUPS IF YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE.
SO IF YOU WANNA DO A BAR TOUR, BREWERY TOUR, YOU CAN DO THAT.
IF YOU WANNA FIND GLUTEN FREE FOOD, YOU CAN DO THAT.
AND SO DEPENDING ON WHAT YOUR DESIRE IS, YOU'RE NOW ABLE TO REALLY EASILY FIND THOSE THINGS ON OUR WEBSITE, WHICH IS PRETTY EXCITING.
UH, FIRST WE ARE GETTING A BRAND NEW WEBSITE.
UH, SO NOT ONLY A BRAND NEW WEBSITE, A BRAND NEW CRM.
SO WE ARE MIGRATING THE ENTIRE CHAMBER TO A NEW SYSTEM.
ALONG WITH THAT, ALL OF THE PROPERTIES THAT WE HAVE, UH, FOR A, A VARIETY OF REASONS, MOSTLY, UH, REVOLVING AROUND SMALL BUSINESS, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN JUNE WHEN I'M BACK.
BUT, UH, THE REALLY EXCITING THING ABOUT THAT IS ALL OF OUR PROPERTIES ARE GONNA GET A BIG BOOST BECAUSE OF THAT.
AND IT ALLOWS US THE ABILITY TO DO KIOSKS.
SO IN OUR HOTEL AND IN FUTURE HOTELS, IN CITY HALL, IN PLACES WHERE YOU WOULD GO IN LEANDER TO MAYBE STAY, WE'LL NOW HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO LIKE TOUCHSCREEN KIOSK IN THOSE PLACES THAT WILL DIRECT PEOPLE TO OUR OWN LOCAL BUSINESSES, WHICH IS PRETTY AMAZING.
SO, UH, THAT'S OUR BIG GOAL FOR THE YEAR.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, OF COURSE, WE WANNA ASSIST THE, UH, THE CITY IN CONDUCTING A HOTEL STUDY, WHICH WE ARE MEETING WITH, UH, CITY MANAGER AND MIKE NEW NOW TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN WE ARE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHING OUR TRAILER TRAIN SCAVENGER HUNT, WHICH YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU.
YOU, UH, YOU CAN COME TO OUR OFFICE AND GET THE TRAIL OF TRAIN SCAVENGER HUNT.
WE'VE ALREADY HAD PEOPLE COMING, WE'VE HAD PEOPLE COMING FOR A WHILE, BUT WE'VE FORMALIZED IT AND NOW THERE'S PRIZES AND THE WHOLE NINE YARDS.
WHO KNEW? I MEAN, I FELT LIKE I KNEW, BUT I MEAN, IT'S PRETTY INCREDIBLE.
AND THEN I'VE ALSO LEFT ALL OF YOU THE FIRST OF OUR WATER BOTTLE STICKERS, BECAUSE OF COURSE YOU WANT THOSE WHEN YOU COME TO LEANDER.
SO, UH, IN OUR GIFT STORE, WHICH I OH, THAT'S NICE, CATHERINE.
UH, IT CAN BE FOR ANYTHING, ANYWHERE YOU'D LIKE TO PASTE THAT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALIZED WHEN WE WENT ON OUR BOARD RETREAT TWO YEARS AGO WAS THAT NOWHERE IN LEANDER CAN YOU BUY THINGS THAT ACTUALLY SAY LEANDER AND HAVE THAT PRIDE.
AND SO WE'VE REALLY MADE IT A VERY CONCERTED EFFORT TO HAVE THINGS IN OUR STORE THAT ANYBODY COULD GET.
SO IF YOU JUST WANT SOME STICKERS, WE'VE GOT THAT.
OR IF YOU WANT ONE OF OUR INCREDIBLE LEANDER PILLOWS, YOU CAN COME AND GET THOSE TWO.
AND SO, UH, IT'S BEEN A REALLY GREAT YEAR.
PROPS TO ASHLEY FOR REALLY TAKING, UH, THIS ROLE AND MAKING IT INCREDIBLE.
BUT YOU ALSO HAVE THE FULL REPORT IN FRONT OF YOU.
THE FULL REPORT, UM, OUTLINES ALL OF THE GOALS THAT WE HAD FOR 2022, WHERE WE'RE AT IN THOSE GOALS ALONG WITH BUDGET.
UM, AND THEN, UH, CURRENT BUDGET AND FUTURE BUDGET.
SO I'LL, I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAVE QUESTIONS.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE OR MAYBE ASHLEY.
TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE SCAVENGER HUNT.
SO THE SCAVENGER HUNT IS A PHOTO HUNT.
DO YOU WANNA TALK? I'LL LET YOU SHARE.
THIS IS GEARED TOWARDS INSTAGRAM, WHICH IS ONE OF THE KEY DEMOGRAPHICS WE WANNA GROW IN.
IF YOU WANT, IF YOU ONLY HAVE FACEBOOK,
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YOU CAN PARTICIPATE.IF YOU ONLY HAVE A PHONE AND YOU JUST WANNA TAKE PICTURES WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS, YOU CAN STILL PARTICIPATE WITHOUT THAT HAPPEN, I PROMISE.
WE'RE NOT GONNA HOLD IT AGAINST YOU.
BUT BASICALLY YOU CAN GO OUT TO THESE PLACES.
YOU FIND THIS TRAIN, YOU GET A PRIZE AT EACH OF THE PLACES THAT YOU VISIT.
SO THESE BUSINESSES GET TO PARTNER, WE GET TO SHOW OFF SOME OF OUR LOCAL LEANDER BUSINESSES THAT HAVE THESE TRAINS ALREADY IN PLACE.
THEY GET A PRIZE, THEY GET TO TAKE A PICTURE WITH THEIR PRIZE POSTED TO INSTAGRAM AND HASHTAG, OF COURSE LEANDER IS BECAUSE WE ARE AUTHENTICALLY TAN TEXAS.
AND THEN YOU TAG THE BUSINESS THAT YOU VISIT.
THIS IS A GREAT WAY FOR US TO SHOW OFF LEANDER, BUT WE ALSO GET TO SHOW OFF THESE COOL ARTWORKS THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE LEANDER HAS A HUGE ART PRESENCE.
WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IT.
SO THAT'S WHAT THIS IS TARGETING IT.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THEY WERE PRIZES.
LIKE, I'M GONNA TAKE MY KIDS OUT HERE.
THEY'RE REALLY, PRIZES ARE ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD.
WHAT ARE THEY, WHAT'S SOMETHING TO DO? THEY'RE DIFFERENT FOR EVERY BUSINESS, SO, OH, THE BUSINESSES ARE GIVING PRIZES.
WHEN YOU COMPLETE IT, YOU CAN COME TO THE CHAMBER AND ALSO GET A PRIZE ENTERPRISE.
SO THERE ARE, THERE ARE LOTS OF IN, YEAH, LOTS OF INCENTIVES TO PARTICIPATE.
CAN, CAN YOU GET TO MEET SOME COOL BUSINESS OWNERS? YEAH.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE KIOSK THAT IS COMING? THAT SOUNDS VERY INTERESTING.
SO WILL THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE FEATURED THERAPY ONES THAT ARE CHAMBER MEMBERS, OR ARE THEY ALL LEANDER BUSINESS? OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? YOU WILL NEED TO BE A MEMBER TO BE FEATURED ON THE KIOSK.
UH, BUT YES, IT WILL BE ANY MEMBER, ANYBODY THAT IS A MEMBER IN LEANER WILL BE ABLE TO BE FEATURED ON THE KIOSK.
AND SO THE KIOSK IS REALLY FOR RESTAURANTS, PER SE.
BUT EVERY BUSINESS WILL ACTUALLY BE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SCROLL THROUGH ANY BUSINESS.
SO IF YOU WANTED TO FIND A, I DON'T KNOW WHAT A TREE TRIMMER, I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU DO THAT WHEN YOU'RE VISITING LEANDER, BUT IF YOU WANTED TO, YOU COULD DO THAT.
THAT'S WHY REALLY TOP OF MIND RIGHT NOW, BY THE WAY, IF YOU NEED A TREE TRIMMER, WE HAVE SEVERAL GREAT MEMBERS THAT DO THAT.
UH, BUT ANYWAY, UH, BUT YES, SO BASICALLY IT'LL BE A IPAD KIOSK THAT WILL BE IN THE HOTEL.
THE HOTEL'S ALREADY OBVIOUSLY WANTING ONE.
SO THEN WHEN SOMEONE WANTS TO FIND, IT'LL PULL UP WHERE THE RESTAURANT IS, GIVE YOU A MAP TO IT.
AND THEN THEY CAN ALSO PULL IT UP ON YOUR PHONE, UH, WHICH IS NICE.
BUT A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU'RE COMING IN, THEN THE HOTEL CAN ACTUALLY KIND OF ASSIST YOU.
SO THAT SOUNDS REALLY COOL CUZ WHEN WE TRAVEL, TYPICALLY WHAT WE SEE IS JUST BROCHURES FOR DIFFERENT YES.
AND THEN SOMEBODY'S GOTTA GO FILL THOSE, SOMEBODY'S GOTTA KEEP UP WITH THAT WHEN THE INFORMATION CHANGES.
THIS JUST SEEMS MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY.
BUT ALSO IT'S CURRENT UPDATED ALL THE TIME.
AND SO ON THE BACKSIDE OF THAT, OUR MEMBERS WILL BE ABLE TO UPDATE WITH CURRENT MENUS.
THEY'LL BE ABLE TO UPDATE WITH AN APP ON HOW TO GET TO IT.
THEY'LL BE ABLE TO UPDATE SPECIALS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE.
SO, AND IT WILL ALL IT UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY, SIMULTANEOUSLY.
SO IF, FOR EXAMPLE, MUTANS IS CLOSED TODAY, IT CAN ACTUALLY, THEY CAN ACTUALLY PUSH THAT INFORMATION OUT AND UPDATE THAT.
SO PLUS IT'LL OF COURSE CONTINUE TO, UH, DIVIDE JUST LIKE WE DO TODAY.
SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A CERTAIN TYPE OF FOOD OR A CERTAIN TYPE OF ANYTHING, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND THEN FOR, YOU MENTIONED THE VIDEOS, UM, FOR TOURISM.
HOW DO PEOPLE GO AND FIND THAT INFORMATION? IS IT ON THE CHAMBERS WEBSITE? IS IT ON THE DIFFERENT, SO IT'S ON VISIT LEANDER.
BUT ALSO USUALLY IT'S NOT THAT WAY THAT THEY'RE FINDING THEM.
THE VIDEOS ARE, ARE USED TO BRING PEOPLE TO THAT WEBSITE.
SO IF YOU GO TO TOUR TEXAS AND TYPE IN LEANDER, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THAT THEY'RE ALSO ON YOUTUBE.
AND THEN WE RUN ADS FOR THEM TO PUSH PEOPLE.
THE VIDEOS ARE DESIGNED TO GET PEOPLE TO SEE 'EM AND GO, OH, I WANNA KNOW MORE.
AND THEN GO TO OUR VISIT LEANDER TX SITE.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A WHOLE LOT OF FUN TO SEE ALL THE BRAINSTORMING AND ALL THE IDEAS THAT HAVE COME THROUGH DIFFERENT EVENTS AND MEETINGS AND JUST CHIT-CHATTING AROUND THE TABLE AND SEE HOW THEY COME TO FRUITION.
IT'S, IT IS MAKES MY HEART HAPPY.
SO SHE GETS TO SEE, SHE'S OUR, UH, COUNCIL REP.
SO SHE GETS TO SEE WHEN WE, SO LIKE EVEN THAT BROCHURE CAME FROM AN IDEA THAT WAS JUST LIKE, WOULDN'T IT BE COOL IF, YOU KNOW? SO IT'S FUN.
WE ARE, WE'RE VERY GOOD ABOUT ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO PEOPLE WHO KNEW.
BRIDGET, WHEN, WHEN WE'RE COMPARING OUR CITY TO OTHER CITIES, WE ONLY HAVE ONE HOTEL.
SO HOW FAR BEHIND ARE WE WAY BEHIND? SO WE HAVE SOME WAY, WE HAVE SOME INSIGHT THERE.
YEAH, WE'RE ACTUALLY, OH, OBVIOUSLY, GO AHEAD RICK
SO IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WE WERE SUCCESSFUL ON THE HOTEL MOTEL LEGISLATION PIECE.
SO THE NEXT STEP, NOW GRANTED, ONE CITY I WORKED IN HAD 50,000 PEOPLE IN 5,500 HOTEL ROOMS, BUT WE ALSO HAD 32 2 MILES OF BEACH.
[01:15:01]
RIGHT.A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT PARALLEL.
HOWEVER, THIS IS A GOOD TIME BECAUSE WE HAVE ONE HOTEL AND WE'RE NOT SATURATED AND WE REALLY DON'T WANT TO BE WITH LIMITED SERVICE HOTELS.
THIS IS THE TIME FOR US TO DO THE MARKET STUDY TO SEE WHAT THE MARKET WILL BEAR.
AND WE WOULD DO THAT WITH THE INTENT OF ONE I THE FIRST IDENTIFYING WHERE A HOTEL CONVENTION CENTER, YOU KNOW, SIZING WOULD BE, NOT NECESSARILY SITE, BUT KIND OF WHAT THE TYPE WOULD BE, WHAT THE MARKET WOULD BE FOR CERTAIN CONFERENCES AND CONVENTIONS, HOW BIG THE, UH, CONFERENCE SPACE WOULD BE, WHAT YOUR AVERAGE DAILY RATE OR ADR IS.
AND THUS REALLY WHAT IT WOULD KIND OF COST BASED ON THAT KIND OF PRODUCT TO BUILD AND WHAT THE CITY'S, YOU KNOW, DIRECTION OF THAT STATE HOTEL MOTEL TAX TO ASSIST IN THAT CONFERENCE SPACE.
UM, WOULD BE, BUT THE OTHER UPSIDE WOULD BE, SO Y'ALL CAN MAKE VERY EDUCATED DECISIONS IS THERE COULD BE ROOM FOR SOME OTHER TIERS OF HOTELS.
BUT BEFORE YOU GO ON AND APPROVE THIS ONE, THAT ONE, THAT ONE.
WHAT I'VE SEEN, AND UH, I DUNNO IF CHIEF'S HERE, RIGHT? CHIEF'S NOT HERE TONIGHT, BUT I HAVE SEEN SOME COMMUNITIES THAT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, YOU END UP WITH 25, 30 LIMITED SERVICE HOTELS AND THEN YOU'RE RUNNING PD CALLS TO THEM AS THEY DECLINE FOR VARIOUS THINGS.
DAVID, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? AND I THINK IT'S VERY WISE THAT WE DON'T SATURATE THE MARKET WITH THE WRONG PRODUCT, BUT WE FIGURE OUT WHAT THE RIGHT PRODUCT IS BEFORE Y'ALL MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
AND WE AGREE,
I MEAN, WE'RE AT ALMOST A HUNDRED PERCENT OCCUPANCY YEAR ROUND.
SO WE WON SEVERAL CONVENTIONS IN 22 THAT ASHLEY AND I HAD WORKED ON TO BRING, AND WE ACTUALLY COULDN'T BRING THEM TO LEANDER.
WE ACTUALLY BROUGHT 'EM TO CEDAR PARK BECAUSE OUR HOTEL IN LEANER COULD NOT ACTUALLY HOUSE 'EM.
AND I THOUGHT, WELL, AT LEAST IF WE GET 'EM, WE'LL GET 'EM AND MAYBE THEY'LL COME TO A RESTAURANT HERE, YOU KNOW, OR MAYBE THEY'LL COME TO BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY SECURED THEM.
SO, AND WE, WE LOST THEM BECAUSE THEY JUST DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH ROOM NIGHTS FOR WHAT, TWO OF THEM? THREE OF THEM.
SO IT, IT, IT HAPPENS, IT HAPPENS PRETTY REGULARLY BECAUSE OUR HOTEL DOES STAY AT, WHICH IS WHY THAT MONEY IS LIKE, IT IS FROM ONE HOTEL.
IT'S A PRETTY MUCH A HUNDRED PERCENT OCCUPANCY PRETTY MUCH YEAR ROUND, WHICH IS INCREDIBLE.
SO THAT, THAT GIVES YOU A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION, I THINK.
OTHER QUESTIONS? ANYTHING ELSE, COUNSEL? I JUST WANNA SAY WHEN, WHENEVER I RECOMMEND A BUSINESS OR WHATEVER TO SOMEONE I KNOW, IF I'M RECOMMENDING, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE PERSON I'M RECOMMENDING IS TAKEN CARE OF AND OTHERWISE I'M NOT GONNA RECOMMEND THEM.
OR I WILL SAY I HAVE NOT DONE BUSINESS WITH THEM, BUT I'VE HEARD SO AND SO IS GOOD.
WHAT I REALLY APPRECIATE ABOUT OUR CHAMBER IS I KNOW WHEN I SEND SOMEBODY TO THE CHAMBER, THEY'RE GONNA BE TAKEN CARE OF BETTER THAN ANYBODY POSSIBLE.
I HAVE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT OUR CHAMBER.
AND THAT IS A TESTIMONY TO YOU, TO THE STAFF.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR THE HARD WORK.
THANK YOU FOR BEING THE BIGGEST CHEERLEADER FOR THE CITY AND EVERYTHING YOU DO AND THE INFLUENCE THAT YOU HAVE ON EVERYONE THAT WALKS IN THAT DOOR AND ALL OF YOUR STAFF, YOU ARE MUCH APPRECIATED.
[ CONSENT AGENDA: ACTION]
RIGHT, MOVING ON TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA, COUNSEL.YOU'LL BE CONSIDERING CONSENT.
ONE SECOND MOTION AND A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PASSES UNANIMOUSLY MOVING
[22. Conduct a Public Hearing regarding Comprehensive Plan Case CPA-22-0005 to amend the Transportation Master Plan to remove the proposed collector roadway located to the south of the terminus of Republic Trails and to the west of Ronald W. Reagan Boulevard, Leander, Williamson County, Texas. Discuss and consider action regarding Comprehensive Plan Case CPA-22-0005 as described above. ]
INTO PUBLIC HEARINGS.ITEM NUMBER 22, CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PLANK CPA 22 0 5 TO AMEND THE TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN TO REMOVE THE PROPOSED COLLECTOR ROADWAY LOCATED TO THE SOUTH OF THE TERMINUS OF REPUBLIC TRAILS AND TO THE WEST OF RONALD W. REAGAN BOULEVARD.
LEANDER WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TEXAS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
UM, SO THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING FOR A AMENDMENT TO OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UM, WE'RE AMENDING THE TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN.
CURRENTLY THERE IS A, A PLANNED COLLECTOR CLA CLASS ROADWAY THAT EXTENDS FROM THE HAZELWOOD SUBDIVISION AND CONNECTS BACK TO RONALD REAGAN.
UM, IN MAY OF 2021, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A VARIANCE THAT ELIMINATED THE SECTION, UM, THAT GOES BETWEEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THROUGH THIS PROPERTY.
AND THERE'S AN APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT'S CURRENTLY UNDER DEVELOPMENT NOW.
WE HAVE A NEW PROJECT THAT'S COMING UP THAT'S LOCATED DOWN HERE.
SO WE CREATED A SITUATION WHERE WE DIDN'T CLEAN UP THE MASTER PLAN TO MATCH THE VARIANCE.
SO IT'S KIND OF A FRAGMENTED SECTION OF THE ROADWAY.
UM, SO THIS IS, UH, A CLEANUP ITEM TO BRING EVERYTHING INTO COMPLIANCE WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING, UM, ON THE GROUND.
THIS DID GO BEFORE THE PLINY AND ZONING COMMISSION DURING THE JANUARY 12TH MEETING, AND THEY DID RECOMMEND APPROVAL.
AND I'M AVAILABLE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
[01:20:01]
AND THE APPLICANT'S ALSO HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.THE PUBLIC PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN.
I'LL CALL ON ANYBODY WHO SUBMITTED CARDS, BUT NOBODY SUBMITTED CARDS.
UH, IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WISHED TO SPEAK? ALL RIGHT, SEEING NONE, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.
WE'LL NOW DISCUSS AND CONSIDER ACTION REGARDING COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CASE CPA 2 2 0 0 0 5 AS DESCRIBED PREVIOUSLY.
COUNSEL, MOTION TO APPROVE SECOND MOTION AND A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
[23. Conduct a Public Hearing regarding Zoning Case Z-22-0018 to amend the current zoning of Interim SFR-1-B (Single-Family Rural) to adopt the Winding Oak PUD (Planned Unit Development) with the base zoning districts of SFT-2-A (Single-Family Townhouse) and GC-2-A (General Commercial) and Subdivision Case CP-22-0010 to adopt the Winding Oak Concept Plan on two (2) parcels of land approximately 12 acres ± in size, more particularly described by Williamson Central Appraisal District Parcels R432300 and R538852; and commonly known as 100 Winding Oak Drive, Williamson County, Texas Discuss and consider action regarding Zoning Case Z-22-0018 as described above.]
ITEM NUMBER 23, CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING ZONING CASE Z 2,218 TO AMEND THE CURRENT ZONING OF INTERIM SFR ONE B.SINGLE FAMILY RULE TO ADOPT THE WINDING OAK P U D PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT WITH THE BASE ZONING DISTRICTS OF SF T TWO, A SINGLE FAMILY TOWNHOUSE AND GC TWO, A GENERAL COMMERCIAL AND SUBDIVISION CASE CP 20 21 10 TO ADOPT THE WINDING OAK CONCEPT PLAN ON TWO PARCELS OF LAND, APPROXIMATELY 12 ACRES, PLUS OR MINUS IN SIZE, AS STATED ON THE POSTED AGENDA.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
THIS IS A, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE WINDING OAK PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT.
THIS PROPERTY IS LOCATED TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE INTERSECTION OF HIWAY AND WINDING OAK.
THE APPLICANT INCLUDED A PROPOSAL THAT, UM, INCORPORATED TOWNHOUSES AS WELL AS GENERAL COMMERCIAL.
UM, THIS WAS PRESENTED TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AND THEY UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDED DENIAL BECAUSE OF THE WATER RESOLUTION THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL.
UM, WE HAVE SPOKEN WITH THE APPLICANT AND, UM, THEY ARE INTERESTED IN AMENDING THEIR PUD TO REMOVE THE SINGLE FAMILY TOWNHOUSE PORTION AND JUST PROCEED WITH THE GENERAL COMMERCIAL AND STAFF SUPPORTS THAT REQUEST AND IT IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UM, I AM AVAILABLE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AND THE APPLICANTS ALSO HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN.
I WILL CALL ON SPEAKERS WHO SUBMITTED CARDS, AND THEN I'LL READ POSITIONS INTO THE RECORD IF ANYBODY SUBMITTED THOSE.
PLEASE GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
I LIVE AT 24 0 1 AIRPORT DRIVE.
UH, I AM HERE TODAY TO EXPRESS MY OPPOSITION TO THE REZONING OF THIS AREA.
UM, I'M OPPOSED TO THIS BASED ON THREE THINGS, REALLY.
THE THE WATER SUPPLY SITUATION, WHICH YOU'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH, UH, THE LAGGING COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND LACKING INFRASTRUCTURE IN GENERAL IN LEANDER.
UM, YOU GUYS ADOPTED A RESOLUTION, I THINK BACK IN OCTOBER, UM, TO LIMIT RESIDENTIAL AND HEIGHT CITY DEVELOPMENT DUE TO THE WATER SUPPLY SITUATION.
THIS IS ON YOUR REQUEST DOES NOT ALIGN WITH THAT RESOLUTION, SO, UM, WOULD ASK YOU GUYS TO, YOU KNOW, THINK BACK ON, ON YOUR OWN DECISION THERE.
UM, AS NOTED BY THE CITY MANAGER OF THAT MEETING, THE WATER SUPPLY SITUATION LANDER IS AT RISK, UH, EVEN BASED ON CURRENT ENTITLEMENTS.
UM, AND EVEN WITHOUT FURTHER RESIDENTIAL APPROVALS, WE MAY HAVE REAL TROUBLES OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS BASED ON THE CONTINUED DROUGHT, UM, UNTIL THOSE OTHER WATER SYSTEMS COME ONLINE.
ALSO, AS NOTED THAT MEETING, I THINK AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT HERE IS THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, UM, TO SUPPORT THE EXISTING POPULATION IS MATERIALLY LACKING.
UH, WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY IN CEDAR PARK,
AND SO, UM, IT'LL BE GREAT TO SEE THOSE SORT OF PRO PROJECTS PRIORITIZED.
SO WE GET SOME MORE COMMERCIALS TO SUPPORT THE RESIDENTIAL.
UM, BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE'S ALSO LAGGING SIGNIFICANTLY BEHIND THE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.
UM, WE RECENTLY SAW ISSUES AND I THINK, UH, WE'VE HEARD A LITTLE BIT EARLIER TODAY ABOUT DELIVERING NATURAL GAS TO TWO NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT LEAVES PEOPLE WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO COOK AND HEAT THEIR HOMES.
THAT'S NOT A GOOD PLACE TO BE.
UM, A LOT OF ROADS ARE REALLY BUSY.
SIGNALS ARE LACKING, AND TURNING LANES ARE DESPERATELY NEEDED.
A LOT OF PLACES THEY'RE SINGLE LANE BRIDGES IN PLACES.
UM, THERE'S ALREADY A PLETHORA OF APARTMENTS AND I DIDN'T SEE HOUSING, UM, CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION OR ALREADY ENTITLED FOR CONSTRUCTION.
IN CONTRAST, THE NEAREST PARKED MY HOME, UH, THAT HAS A SPORTING COURT IS OVER 10 MINUTES AWAY.
IT'S ACROSS TOWN AND THERE'S ONLY ONE PARK IN LEANDER THAT HAS A BASKETBALL COURT.
I FOUND THAT OUT TRYING TO TEACH MY KID HOW TO TRAP FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAM.
UH, AND THAT ONE WAS ALMOST 15 MINUTES AWAY FROM THE HOUSE.
SO, UH, I'M HERE TO ASK THAT YOU GUYS, UH, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS THESE ISSUES BEFORE APPROVING ANY HIGH DENSITY HOUSING.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, READ HERE, UH, WE, WE DON'T NEED MORE TOWN HOMES RIGHT NOW.
WE NEED RELIABLE WATER, RELIABLE NATURAL GAS, BETTER ROADS AND SIGNAGE AND, AND PARKS, UH, THAT DON'T REALLY REQUIRE FAMILIES TO COMMUTE ACROSS TOWN.
UM, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT PERHAPS THE CITY COULD CONSIDER TAKING THE BACK HALF OF THIS PROPERTY HERE THAT WAS DESTINED FOR TOWN HOMES AND THAT WOULD MAKE A GREAT AREA FOR A PARK FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
[01:25:01]
SO WITH THAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND GOOD EVENING.PLEASE GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
UM, STEVE OBERG, 2336 BELINDA DRIVE.
UM, I'M A LITTLE UNSURE WHAT WE'RE BEING ASKED TO EITHER SUPPORT OR NOT UNDERSTAND THE COMMERCIAL PORTION, BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE REQUESTING FOR THE ZONING FOR THE REST OF THEIR PROPERTY.
UH, THEY CAME IN ORIGINALLY WITH SINGLE FAMILY TOWN HOME, VERY HIGH DENSITY.
IT WAS, IT DIDN'T FIT INTO THE CITY'S, UH, DOCUMENTATION ON THE ZONE ON ZONING AND PLANNING AS FAR AS INFILL OR ANYTHING ELSE.
IT'S NOT PART OF A, IT'S NOT PART OF A HUNDRED ACRE PLUS P U D.
SO I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT WE'RE BEING ASKED TO APPROVE OR NOT.
BUT THE COMMERCIALS SECTION OF IT WOULD CREATE A LOT OF TRAFFIC.
AND THE, AND AS WE'VE SAID BEFORE, THERE'S ONLY TWO WAYS IN AND OUT OF PALMARA RIDGE, AND THAT'S PALMARA RIDGE DRIVE COMING OFF OF RONALD REAGAN IN WINDING OAK.
WINDING OAK IS A SUBSTANDARD STREET.
AND IF YOU ADD 4,000 TRIPS A DAY ON TOP OF THE TRAFFICS THAT'S ALREADY THERE FROM THE RESIDENCE AND ALSO PEOPLE GOING TWO AND FRONT OF TAR IN SCHOOL, IT'S, UH, IT'S, WE ALREADY HAVE WHAT I CONSIDER A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE.
IT'S JUST GONNA MAKE THAT PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE WORSE.
THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE WANTED THEIR OPPOSITION RECORDED, BUT DIDN'T WANT TO SPEAK.
ANDREW BUNTS AND JANICE LINZ, I DO NOT HAVE ANYBODY ELSE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
WAS THERE ANYBODY WHO WISHED TO SPEAK TONIGHT? COME ON UP, SIR, PLEASE GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES AND THEN AFTERWARDS IF YOU COULD SPELL, FILL OUT A SPEAKER CARD WITH THE CITY SECRETARY.
I LIVE ON 2344 BELLON DRIVE TWO DOORS DOWN FROM STEVE.
WE'VE LIVED THERE FOR THREE YEARS AND I, I PLAYED GOLF AT CRYSTAL FALLS TWICE A WEEK.
I PLAY VERY EARLY AND IF I LEAVE, IF SOMETIMES IT'S DELAYED CUZ OF THE FROST, IF I LEAVE EARLY, THERE'S NO PROBLEM GETTING OUTTA WINDING OAKS.
BUT IF I LEAVE, WHEN THE TEACHERS ARE ALL COMING IN, THERE'S SO MUCH TRAFFIC ON WINDING OAKS.
YOU CAN WAIT FIVE MINUTES TO GET ONTO HERO WAY AND WITH THE BUILDING OF THIS, UH, PROPOSED TOWNHOMES OR SOMETHING, IT'S GONNA MAKE IT WORSE.
AND THERE'S NO, THE ONLY IN AND OUT IS GONNA BE ON WINDING OAK.
AND ALSO IT'S, UH, IT'S A DANGER FOR KIDS CUZ WE GOT PEOPLE CUTTING THROUGH THERE RIGHT NOW.
IT'S CUZ THEY'RE AVOIDING THE LIGHT THEY GOT PUT IN, WHICH WAS A SAFETY REASON.
NOW THEY CUT THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CUZ WHERE WE'RE AT ON BELL AND DRIVE, WE SEE 'EM CUT THROUGH, I SEE TRUCKS SPEEDING THROUGH THERE AND THEY GET THROUGH, UH, PALMARA RIDGE.
SO, UH, PRETTY MUCH OPPOSED TO IT.
AND THEN THE OTHER PROBLEM IS THE WATER SITUATION.
WE CAN'T EVEN WATER OUR YARDS, YOU KNOW, LIKE ONCE A ONCE A WEEK AND YOU'RE GONNA PUT THIS IN, THEY'RE GONNA, UH, YOU KNOW, TAKE A LOT OF WATER.
ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK YOU GUYS NEED TO THINK ABOUT IS, UH, I'VE READ ABOUT ONE PLACE WHERE THEY WERE GONNA, UH, REQUIRE 'EM TO USE WELL WATER AND BRING IN THEIR OWN PROPANE GAS TO DEVELOP HOUSES INSTEAD OF TAKING THE WATER OUTTA THE SYSTEM, CUZ THE INFRASTRUCTURE'S NOT THERE.
I BROUGHT THE CARD NOW OR LATER.
WAS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WISHED TO SPEAK? ALL RIGHT.
SEEING NONE THEN, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS, WE GOTTA GET OH, OH, THANK YOU.
PLEASE GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, AND THEN YOU CAN FILL OUT A CARD WITH THE CITY SECRETARY.
I LIVE AT 24 33 COSTA STREET IN PALMER RIDGE.
UM, I AGREE WITH WHAT EVERYBODY WAS SAYING.
UM, I MEAN, IF THEY DO BUILD ANYTHING THERE, THE, THE TRAFFIC'S A NIGHTMARE RIGHT NOW.
I, IF I HAPPEN TO LEAVE LATE AND I TRY TO GET OUTTA THE NEIGHBORHOOD AT SEVEN 30, IT, IT TAKES 20 MINUTES TO GET OUT TO RONALD REAGAN OR I CAN CUT THROUGH WINDING OAK AND THEN IT'S BAD.
THEY'RE PUTTING IN THAT SIGNAL.
BUT, UH, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE THERE IF THEY'RE GONNA BUILD MORE STUFF.
IT'S THAT WINDING OAK'S REALLY NOT EVEN A PROPER ROAD FOR TRAFFIC.
IT'S MORE LIKE A DRIVEWAY, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PEOPLE WHO USED TO LIVE THERE.
SO IT'S NEED, NEED SOMETHING DONE AROUND THERE WITH THE TRAFFIC IF, UH, IF THEY'RE GONNA BRING IN MORE STUFF.
THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.
WE'LL NOW DISCUSS AND CONSIDER ACTION REGARDING ZONING CASE Z 22 0 18 AS DESCRIBED PREVIOUSLY.
SO I JUST WANNA CONFIRM, WE, THIS HAS BEEN THE, I'M SORRY, THE, THE RESIDENTIAL COMPONENT HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THIS REQUEST? CORRECT? THAT, THAT'S THE PROPOSAL FROM THE APPLICANT.
SO IF YOU SUPPORT IT AT THE SECOND READING, WE'LL PROVIDE UPDATED MAPS AND EXHIBITS TO SHOW THAT.
[01:30:01]
OKAY.SO DO YOU, DO WE HAVE THE, UM, THE, HOW MANY ACRES IS THIS, IS THIS FOR THE ENTIRE LOT OR NOW ARE WE'RE JUST PARTIALING? JUST THE RED PORTION.
SO WED HAVE TO REIFY IF WE DID THE ENTIRE LOT TO COMMERCIAL.
SO HOW MANY ACRES ARE WE TALKING ABOUT AND SQUARE FOOTAGE? THERE'S THE GUY THAT KNOWS
SO THE REMAINDER OF THE 12 WOULD STAY IN ITS CURRENT ZONING, WHICH I THINK IS SINGLE FAMILY, SINGLE FAMILY RURAL.
AND WHAT'S THE PROPOSED SQUARE FOOTAGE FOR, FOR COMMERCIAL? UH, IT'LL HAVE TO GO INTO SITE PLAN, UM, ROUGHLY TO DETERMINE WHAT THE ULTIMATE IS.
I THINK IT EQUATES TO 40,000 APPROXIMATELY.
SO THAT, THAT ALLOWS FOR PARKING AND EVERYTHING.
UM, AND THEN WAS THERE, THERE, THERE HAS NOT BEEN A TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS DONE, EVEN NOT AT THIS STAGE.
BUT WITH THE, UH, SITE PLAN, THAT'S WHEN THOSE TRIGGERS WILL COME INTO EFFECT.
AND ANY TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS, TURN LANES, UH, ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS FOR ADJACENT ROADWAYS, THOSE THINGS WILL GET FLUSHED OUT DURING THAT SITE PLAN STAGE.
IS THERE A REASON WHY Y'ALL CHOSE, UH, LOCAL COMMERCIAL VERSUS, OR GENERAL COMMERCIAL FOR LOCAL COMMERCIAL? AS YOU KNOW, HERO WAVES PLAN TO BE PRETTY MASSIVE EAST WEST ROADWAYS.
SO WITH THE TRAFFIC THAT'S GENERATED ON THAT AND THE VISIBILITY, THAT'S WHY WE'RE ASKING FOR THE GENERAL COMMERCIAL.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT BROADER RANGE OF USES, MORE, UM, THAT YOU'D SEE ON A MORE MAJOR ARTERIAL THAN A LOCAL COMMERCIAL USE.
AND WITH, AND WITH OUR PUD WE ARE PROVIDING A LIST OF PROHIBITED USES WITHIN THAT TOO.
THAT WOULD BE MORE OF YOUR, I GUESS, AVERSIVE USES THAT, THAT PEOPLE WOULDN'T WANT TO SEE.
SO THE PUD GIVES US THAT ABILITY TO RESTRICT AND PROHIBIT CERTAIN USES AS WELL.
ROBIN, THE OTHER BENEFIT TO THE PUD TOO IS JUST THE MATERIALS THAT COME ALONG WITH THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
SO REQUIRES A HIGHER STANDARD OF ARCHITECTURE AND MASONRY.
NO, I WAS GONNA ASK DIRECTOR GRIFFIN A QUESTION.
UM, REMIND ME AT WHAT POINT THEN WE WOULD PUT IN ANY PARAMETERS IN THE PUT ABOUT WHERE TRAFFIC CAN EXIT.
LIKE THEY COULDN'T EXIT OFF ON AIRPORT, THE COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC FOR THIS PARTICULAR, IS THAT LATER ON OR IS THAT AT THIS TIME? YEAH, IT'S SOMETHING WE LOOK AT AT THE SITE DEVELOPMENT STAGE.
MS. GRIFFIN, YOU CAN STAY HERE FOR A SECOND.
WE WOULD ALSO BE LOOKING AT, UM, THE FUTURE OF WINDING OAK TRAIL, RIGHT.
IF, IF THIS WAS EXPECTED TO IMPACT TRAFFIC THERE.
SO WHEN THEY LOOK AT A TRAFFIC STUDY, THEY WOULD EVALUATE THE ROADWAYS IN THE AREA.
AND EVEN THOUGH IT'S ON, IT'S NOT THE WHOLE PROPERTY THAT'S GONNA GET DEVELOPED MAYBE RIGHT NOW, KEEP THE RULE ZONING ON THE TOP PORTION UNTIL THERE MAYBE IS ANOTHER TIME TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
GENERAL COMMERCIAL PRETTY MUCH MATCHES EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE'RE DOING IN, IN THAT AREA FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN.
BUT THIS WOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT CORNER, UM, BECAUSE THOSE ARE IMPACTED AREAS BY THE GENERAL COMMERCIAL.
JUST CURIOUS, THE, THE STRUCTURES THAT ARE THERE, CAN, WOULD THOSE BE USED AS COMMERCIAL OR ARE THEY TO BE REMOVED? MOST LIKELY NOT.
MOST OF THAT WOULD BE DEMOED, I BELIEVE.
SO JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, WE WOULD JUST BE APPROVING THE ZONING.
WE'RE NOT APPROVING ANY EGRESS, ANYTHING LIKE THAT ONTO WINDING OAK OR ANY OTHER STREETS? WE'RE JUST APPROVING BOZON AND ONLY ON THE 4.6 ACRES.
NOT ON THE, NOT ON THE WHOLE PORTOR PORTION.
AND WE, EVEN WITH THE PUBLIC COMMENTS, THERE IS AN AGREEMENT THAT WE NEED MORE COMMERCIAL FOR US.
RIGHT? YEAH, I THINK THAT, THAT, I DON'T, IT WAS PROBABLY MOST TIMES WHEN PEOPLE COME AND SPEAK, THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT WHAT, WHAT GOT PRESENTED AT PLANNING AND ZONING, RIGHT? AND SO THERE'S COMPLETE CHANGE MM-HMM.
AND SO WHAT THIS DEVELOPER HAS DONE, THEY SAID, WELL, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE THAT OUT OF OUR PROJECT AND WE WILL TALK ABOUT THAT SOME OTHER TIME.
IF SOMETHING CHANGES OR WE'LL BUILD IT AS SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL, IF THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE THAT COULD BE GONE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK TO DO THAT.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS JUST THE COMMERCIAL PIECE ON THE CORNER, UH, ON, ON THE FRONTAGE, UH, FOR HERE AWAY IN THAT CASE, WHICH I DON'T THINK ANYBODY HAD A PROBLEM WITH.
UM, AND WE NEED THE, WE NEED THE ROADWAY TO ACTUALLY DEVELOP, WE NEED EVERYBODY TO COME ALONG.
UH, THE QUICKER THAT HAPPENS, THE QUICKER WE ACTUALLY BUILD THE ROAD TOO.
SO, UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE ON COMMISSION, DO HAVE A QUESTION? YEAH.
AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA REQUEST A PUT IN
[01:35:01]
THE DEVELOPMENT, IS THAT CORRECT? IT, THE ZONING WE'RE REQUESTING IS A POD IS A PUT.AND SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE RESTRICTIVE AND WE CAN ACTUALLY RESTRICT THE TYPE OF BUSINESSES THAT CAN GO IN, CORRECT? IN THE, IT'S, IT'S ALREADY IN THE, UH, WHAT WE'LL BE PROPOSING.
IT'S, UH, IT'S ON, UM, ALLOWED, YEAH.
PAGE ONE OF SIX, WHICH IS, UH, 2 69 IN OUR PACKET MM-HMM.
AND, UM, IT'S PROHIBITED OUTDOOR ANIMAL BOARDING, MANUFACTURED HOUSING, SALES, COMMERCIAL PARKING LOT, FUNERAL HOME, PASSENGER TERMINAL VEHICLE SALES, RENTAL OR REPAIR PAWN, SHOP, MINI STORAGE WAREHOUSE.
ALL OF THOSE, UM, ARE PROHIBITED USES WITHIN THE PUD.
AND SO ANY TYPE OF STUFF WITH THE ROADS, ANY TYPE OF PARKING REQUIREMENTS, ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS WOULD BE LATER.
THIS IS JUST ZONING FOR GENERAL COMMERCIAL, WHICH THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL THE, THAT'S ALL THEY'RE ASKING FOR RIGHT NOW.
AND IF IT WAS ANYTHING ELSE, THE CLINTON AND ZONING DID A GOOD JOB OF KIND OF LETTING EVERYBODY KNOW AS FAR AS THE RESOLUTION THAT WE HAD TO PUT FORWARD BECAUSE OF OUR SITUATION HERE.
SO, AND Y'ALL DID A GOOD JOB OF LISTENING,
SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO, TO APPROVE, UM, THE ALTERED ASK HERE, WHICH IS JUST THE GENERAL COMMERCIAL, COMMERCIAL PORTION ON THE 4.6 ACRES.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
ITEM 24 HAS BEEN POSTPONED BY THE APPLICANT.
[25. Discuss and consider action regarding an Interlocal Agreement with the Williamson County Economic Development Partnership; and authorize the City Manager to execute any and all necessary documents.]
MOVING INTO OUR REGULAR AGENDA.ITEM 25, DISCUSSED AND CONSIDER ACTION REGARDING AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP AND AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ANY AND ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS.
INTERIM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, LENDY.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
UM, WE AND LEANDER HAVE BEEN PART OF THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP SINCE 2014.
UM, IN 2022, THE COUNTY, UM, LET US KNOW, HEY, WE WANNA, WE WANNA GROW UP A LITTLE BIT, RIGHT? WE WANNA HAVE A LITTLE MORE FOCUS ON, ON PROMOTING WILLIAMSON COUNTY AS A WHOLE.
AND SO THEY CONTRIBUTED, I BELIEVE, $500,000 TOWARDS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP, UM, IN ORDER TO BRING SOME STAFF ON BOARD AND TO, TO MOVE FORWARD WITH WILLIAMSON COUNTY AS A WHOLE AND THAT FOCUS ON REGIONALISM.
UM, SO I'VE INVITED DAVE PORTER, HE'S THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UH, OF THE WILCO EEDP, UH, TO JUST GIVE A QUICK OVERVIEW OF, OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
UM, AND THEN WE CAN JUST TALK THROUGH, UH, WHAT THEY'RE ASKING IN TERMS OF OUR PARTICIPATION.
I'M EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP.
I HAVE ABOUT A DOZEN SLIDES I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU, AND THEN, UM, BE HAPPY TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS.
SO, THE PARTNERSHIP RIGHT NOW CONSIST OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, CEDAR PARK, LEANDER, HUK, GEORGETOWN, GERALD, LIBERTY HILL, TAYLOR, AND THE ROUND ROCK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, A LITTLE BIT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BACKGROUND.
FIRST OF ALL, I SHOULD HAVE EXPLAINED A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT MY BACKGROUND FROM 2004 TO 2000, THE END OF 2014, I WAS THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE AUSTIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
MY PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY WAS THE OPPORTUNITY AUSTIN PROGRAM, WHICH LEANS PART OF I'D BEEN HERE MANY TIMES.
UH, AT THE, IN, I HAD AN OFFER, UH, AT THE BEGINNING OF 2015 TO GO TO FLORIDA, AND I TOOK THAT OPPORTUNITY, UH, AND SPENT EIGHT YEARS IN FLORIDA, AND I HAD TO GET BACK HERE TO ENJOY THE WINTER.
SO,
I THOUGHT IT HAS WORKED VERY WELL.
UH, BASICALLY THE PRIMARY PURPOSE IS FOR LEAD GENERATION, UH, TO DO MARKETING OF THE REGION.
AND ALSO WE DEVELOPED A PRETTY COOL WEBSITE THAT, UH, LEANDER IS DEFINITELY A PART OF.
SO, WHAT I TOOK A LOOK AT, UH, THE AUSTIN CHAMBER DOES A GOOD JOB OF, UH, TRACKING PRIMARY EMPLOYERS THAT HAVE EITHER MOVED IN OR EXPANDED WITHIN THE FIVE COUNTY REGION.
UH, PRIMARY EMPLOYERS ARE THOSE COMPANIES THAT PRODUCE A GOOD OR SERVICE THAT GENERATES NEW WEALTH, MEANING MOST OF THE PRODUCT IS SHIPPED OUT OF THE REGION.
AND SO YOU'RE BRINGING IN NEW DOLLAR BILLS.
SO FROM 2016 TO TWO, THE SUMMER 2022,
[01:40:01]
THIS PAST SUMMER, THERE WERE 908 ANNOUNCEMENTS, UH, OF PRIMARY EMPLOYERS EXPANDING OR MOVING INTO THIS REGION.OF THAT 85% LANDED IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
NOW, THAT SEEMS HIGH WHEN I USED TO RUN THIS BACK.
WHEN THEY DO THEIR FIVE YEAR INCREMENTS, THEY USED TO BE AROUND 95% LANDED IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO WE'RE SEEING THAT SPILLOVER EFFECT, UH, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THE GROWTH IS OCCURRING MORE AND MORE.
THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GREAT PAYING JOBS ARE OCCURRING OUTSIDE OF TRAVIS COUNTY.
UH, WILLIAMSON COUNTY ATTRACTED 10%, AND THEN THE OTHER THREE COUNTIES, UH, THE REST OF 'EM, SO I BROKE IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
IN THE 86 PROJECTS THAT LANDED IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, CEDAR PARK AT 22, GEORGETOWN SIX, LEANER HAD SEVEN.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE CHAMBER BROUGHT ALL THESE, THE AUSTIN CHAMBER, THESE ARE JUST THE, THEY TRACK 'EM.
SO A LOT OF TIMES SMALL EMPLOYERS, PRIMARY EMPLOYERS WITH MAYBE 10 OR 15 EMPLOYEES, BUT THEY PRODUCE A PRODUCT THAT SHIPPED OUT OF THE, THE REGION.
UM, SO THERE WERE SEVEN, EXCUSE ME, SEVEN, YEAH, SEVEN HERE IN LEANDER.
AND, UH, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
SO THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP WAS FORMED IN 2014 TO HELP SUPPLEMENT THE MARKETING EFFORTS OF THE AUSTIN CHAMBER.
UH, THE ANNUAL DUES RANGE FROM 3000 TO 10,000, DEPENDING ON POPULATION OF THE CITIES HERE IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
THERE'S BEEN NO STAFF TO DATE.
AND WELL, UP UNTIL THIS PAST MARCH, UH, THE FUNDS WERE USED TO DEVELOP A WEBSITE, THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEBSITE, UH, SOME BRANDING OPPORTUNITIES, AND THEN, UH, ONE OR TWO TRADE SHOWS A YEAR THAT THEY WOULD VOLUN GO AND, UH, WORK TRADE SHOWS.
AND THEN WE USE THE DELL DIAMOND AND H E B CENTER TO HOST LOCAL REAL ESTATE, UH, BROKERS.
YOUR REAL ESTATE BROKERS, COMMERCIAL BROKERS TEND TO BRING YOU PROJECTS.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE CATER TO THEM.
AND TO, MATTER OF FACT, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO SOMETHING LAST NIGHT AT THE H E B CENTER WITH THE HOCKEY GAME, BUT, UH, OBVIOUSLY THAT WAS POSTPONED, BUT WE'LL DO IT AGAIN.
SO THOSE ARE IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT SINCE 2014.
IT'S BASICALLY, IT'S A 5 0 1
THEN THIS PAST MARCH, UH, MARCH OF 2022, THEY HIRED THEIR FIRST PART-TIME ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT.
SO MUCH ACTIVITY, AS YOU KNOW, IS GOING ON IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, ASHLEY, SHE'S A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE HERE, BUT SHE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF HER TIME WAS BEING SPENT WITH THE PARTNERSHIP.
AND SO WE NEEDED, THEY NEEDED AT THAT TIME, A PART-TIME ADMIN PERSON TO HELP OUT, TO HELP PLAN SOME OF THE EVENTS.
IN APRIL OF LAST YEAR, WE HOSTED A SITE CONSULTANTS EVENT THAT'S CORPORATE SITE SELECTORS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT BRING IN TYPICALLY FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS.
WE LIKE TO SHOWCASE WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
AND SO WE DID THAT LAST APRIL, AND WE'RE GONNA DO ANOTHER ONE, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT.
IN JUNE OF THIS PAST SUMMER, A CONSULTANT WAS HIRED ME
UH, BEFORE I, AFTER THE END OF MY FIRST TRIP AT THE END OF JUNE, I GATHERED THE BOARD AND I SAID, IF YOU'RE GONNA ACTIVATE THIS, WE'RE GONNA NEED A LOT MORE MONEY.
UH, AND SO WE WENT TO THE COUNTY.
UH, THEY WERE INITIALLY GONNA PUT IN FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, 30,000, BUT WE ASKED, REQUESTED 500,000.
AND OVER THE NEXT SIX WEEKS, WE, YOU KNOW, I WAS BACK HERE QUITE A BIT, WE MET WITH THE COUNTY.
EACH OF THE COMMISSIONERS, THEY VOTED FIVE ZERO IN FAVOR OF THIS.
THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON HERE THAT THEY NEED HELP.
UH, EVERYBODY'S DRINKING FROM A FIRE HOSE, FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT, AND IT, IT'S JUST, IT'S TIME TO DO THIS.
SO THE COUNTY CAME ON BOARD IN SEPTEMBER, AS I MENTIONED, IT WAS A FIVE OH VOTE.
AND THEN, UH, SOMEWHERE IN LATE SUMMER, UH, I WAS ASKED IF, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE GOT THE VOTE, YOU WANT TO COME RUN IT.
I, YOU KNOW, I SPENT THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, UH, WATCHING WHAT WAS GOING ON UP HERE IN, UM, THE CENTRAL TEXAS.
[01:45:01]
ASTONISHING THE AMOUNT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY THAT'S OCCURRING IN CENTRAL TEXAS.AND A LOT OF THAT'S NOW SHIFTED INTO WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
YOU LOOK AT THE SAMSUNG PROJECTS, APPLE CELL LINK, ALL THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS, AND THERE'S A LOT MORE THAT, UH, A LOT OF, MORE OF THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS LOOKING RIGHT NOW.
UH, MY WIFE AND I ARE EXCITED TO BE BACK.
WE OFFICIALLY GOT HERE, UH, LATE OCTOBER, SO I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE A COUPLE MONTHS, AND I'M GETTING TO LAY THE LAND, TRYING TO GET REACQUAINTED WITH EVERYBODY.
UH, A LOT OF GOOD FRIENDS STILL HERE.
SO THE VISION OF THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP IS TO BECOME THE LEAD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION FOR WILLIAMSON COUNTY, BASICALLY REPLACING OUR RELIANCE ON THE AUSTIN CHAMBER.
THAT'S NOT A BASH AT THE AUSTIN CHAMBER.
THAT'S JUST THE EVOLUTION OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THIS REGION.
THEY, MATTER OF FACT, I WOULD CON SAY THAT MOST OF THE ACTIVITY, THE REASON FOR ALL THIS ACTIVITY IS BECAUSE OF THE AUSTIN CHAMBER, BUT THINGS ARE GROWING OUTSIDE OF TRAVIS COUNTY, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SOME OF OUR OWN DECISIONS, UH, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE SOURCE OF FUNDS.
UH, SO WILLIAMSON COUNTY, AS I MENTIONED, THEY WERE GONNA PUT IN 30,000.
WE GOT 'EM TO KICK IN A HALF A MILLION.
THE PARTNER COMMUNITIES AROUND ROCK CHAMBER, UH, THEY WENT FROM 10,000, UH, YEARLY MEMBERSHIP TO 20,000.
THE COUNTY HAD REQUESTED THAT THE PARTNER CITIES, IF THEY COULD, TO UP THEIR PARTICIPATION, SINCE THEY WENT FROM 30,000 TO 500,000, THEY THOUGHT THAT LOCAL COMMUNITIES SHOULD STEP UP A LITTLE BIT MORE AS WELL.
CEDAR PARK WENT FROM 10,000 TO 20,000.
GEORGETOWN IS IN IT FROM 10 TO 20,000.
THEY WEREN'T PART OF THE PARTNERSHIP UNTIL JUST RECENTLY.
SO I PRESENTED TO THEIR CITY COUNCIL ABOUT A MONTH AGO, AND THEY VOTED TO DO 10,000, PROBABLY GO TO 20 NEXT YEAR.
UH, GERALD WENT FROM 3000 TO 10,000, UM, AND THEN LIBERTY HILL WENT FROM 5,000 TO 10,000.
SO THAT'S REALLY THE FUNDING SOURCES WERE PRIMARILY A PRI OR A PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP.
THERE'S NO PRIVATE SECTOR MONEY IN THIS.
EVENTUALLY, AT SOME POINT WE MAY HAVE TO DO THAT, BUT NOT FOR THE TIME BEING.
SO I'LL GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.
SO THE USE OF THE FUNDS RIGHT NOW, WE'RE ENHANCING THE WEBSITE.
UH, WE'RE INCLUDING A BUILDINGS AND SITES DATA DATABASE IN THE WEBSITE.
SO ALL THE PROPERTIES IN LEANDER, BOTH RETAIL, COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL WILL BE, WILL BE PART OF THAT WEBSITE.
UNDER THE LEANER PROFILE, UH, WE'RE DOING A SITE CONSULTANTS EVENT NEXT MONTH AROUND THE DELL TECHNOLOGIES GOLF TOURNAMENT AT THE AUSTIN COUNTRY CLUB.
UH, WE ALREADY HAVE FIVE CONSULTANTS, UH, THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO ATTEND.
IT'LL BE A FIRST CLASS SERVICE TO THEM.
WE FLY 'EM IN, WE TREAT 'EM, WE TAKE 'EM TO THE GOLF TOURNAMENT.
WE'LL DO A HELICOPTER TOUR OF THE COUNTY OVER LEANER.
UH, WE'RE ALSO DEVELOPING MARKETING MATERIALS.
THIS IS A STARTUP ORGANIZATION.
WE, THERE'S BEEN A FEW MARKETING MATERIALS, BUT IT'S JUST BEEN KIND OF ON THE FLY.
WE NEED A MORE CONSISTENT LOOK.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE UPDATING AND CREATING MORE MARKETING, UH, MATERIALS.
ONCE THE WEBSITE'S DONE, THE WHOLE IDEA IS TO DRIVE TRAFFIC TO THE WEBSITE.
AND THEN FINALLY, I HAD TO GET AN OFFICE, AND I'VE BEEN OFFICED OUT OF MY CAR, OUT OF MY MESSY HOUSE.
UH, BUT WE FOUND AN OFFICE SPACE IN CEDAR PARK ON PARMER, UH, THAT HOPEFULLY I CAN TAKE, UH, GET INTO THIS THIS NEXT WEEK.
UH, IT'S A PERFECT CORPORATE, UM, LOCATION.
UH, PERCEPTION WISE, IT'S A CLASS, A OFFICE BUILDING, AND I THINK IT'LL REPRESENT WILLIAMSON COUNTY VERY WELL.
AND THE OTHER USE OF THE FUNDS IS LEAD GENERATION.
YOU KNOW, ONCE WE GET A LITTLE BIT MOMENTUM, WE'LL START PLANNING OUR OWN TRIPS TO TAKE ASHLEY AND THE OTHERS IN, IN FROM WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND GO DO OUR OWN MARKETING TRIPS, PROMOTE WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
SO THAT'S PRIMARILY THE USE OF THE FUNDS.
SO THIS STRUCTURE, AGAIN, IT'S A 5 0 1
THE COUNTY, UH, TO GET THEM TO UP THEIR INVESTMENT.
WE TOLD THEM THEY COULD HAVE THREE VOTES ON THE, ON THE BOARD.
AT, AT THE 20,000 LEVEL, A COMMUNITY GETS TWO VOTING MEMBERS, AND AT 10,000 YOU GET ONE VOTING MEMBER.
AND THEN ALSO THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES, UH, FOR THE OFFICERS.
RIGHT NOW, BEN WHITE AND CEDAR PARK IS THE PRESIDENT, AND THAT ROTATES EVERY YEAR.
[01:50:01]
YOU PROBABLY KNOW HIM, CAMERON GOODMANUH, THE TREASURER IS, UH, JORDAN ROBINSON.
AND SO ASHLEY WILL WORK UP IN A FEW YEARS AND BECOME PRESIDENT FOR A YEAR, UH, YOU KNOW, OF THE ORGANIZATION, AND I'LL WORK CLOSELY WITH HER.
SO THAT'S THE, UH, THE WAY WE'RE STRUCTURED.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHY NOW, YOU KNOW, YOU GET THOSE QUESTIONS.
WHY NOW WE SEE SO MUCH MASSIVE GROWTH.
YOU KNOW, BOTH POPULATION, UH, COMMERCIAL EVALUATIONS ARE GOING UP.
THERE'S HUGE NUMBER OF PROJECTS CURRENTLY LOOKING AT WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
UH, WHY NOW, AGAIN, REPLACING OUR RELIANCE ON OPPORTUNITY.
AUSTIN, WE WANT TO LEVERAGE OPPORTUNITY AUSTIN GOING FORWARD.
I'VE ENCOURAGED EACH COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE THEIR PARTICIPATION AT SOME FORM, AT SOME LEVEL WITH OPPORTUNITY AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF, OF DOING THEIR NEXT FIVE YEAR STRATEGY.
SO THE TIMING OF CREATING THIS ENTITY IS VERY TIMELY.
SO WE'LL LEVERAGE OPPORTUNITY AUSTIN, BUT WE WANT TO START MAKING OUR OWN MARKETING DECISIONS.
YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THE MONEY IS FUNNELED INTO A BIG POT AND IT'S, THEY MARKET THE ENTIRE REGION.
WHAT WE WANT TO DO, OBVIOUSLY, IS JUST MARKET WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
BUT OPPORTUNITY AUSTIN WILL ALSO SUPPLEMENT THAT.
BUT WE WANT TO BE THE LEAD MARKETING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION FOR WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
HAVING A CENTRALIZED, UH, ORGANIZATION WILL HELP PROVIDE A MORE STRATEGIC PROCESS, UH, IN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE CITIES, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND, UH, WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
IT ALLOWS US TO TACKLE THE CHALLENGES AND VOID.
DO WE HAVE CHALLENGES THAT COME WITH GROWTH AND SUCCESS? YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE ALL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE PREVENT, WE SEE WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE.
SO HOW DO WE PREVENT BECOMING, YOU KNOW, THE HOMELESSNESS, THE AFFORDABILITY ISSUE? HOW DO WE PREVENT THAT? OR HOW DO WE GET OUT IN FRONT OF THAT? SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE WANT TO STAY OUT IN FRONT OF.
WE WANT TO ADDRESS WITH EACH OF THE CITIES, HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT? I NOTICED THAT LIKE IN ROUND ROCK, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOW HAVING TO LOCK THE CHAMBER FRONT DOOR BECAUSE OF THE, UH, HOMELESSNESS ISSUE.
PEOPLE WALKING INTO THE CHAMBER LOBBY.
THAT WASN'T LIKE THAT EIGHT YEARS AGO.
BUT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST MOVED UP THIS WAY AND WE, WE NEED TO ADDRESS, BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE THINGS.
THAT IS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNCTION AS WELL.
UH, IT ENHANCES OBVIOUSLY THE COMMUNICATION, UH, WITH THE COUNTY.
SO I WENT THROUGH THAT VERY QUICKLY.
UH, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN A GREAT SUPPORTER WHEN I WAS IN AUSTIN.
I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE CONTRIBUTED AND BEEN PART OF THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP.
AND, UH, I APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR TIME AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, UM, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
UM, THE VOTING MEMBERS, WHAT SORTS OF THINGS ARE THEY VOTING ON? SO THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S A COMMON QUESTION.
UH, THE DIRECTION THAT WE GO, YOU KNOW, IF, UH, WHETHER THAT'S, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE ISSUES WE TACKLE.
ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT I AM VERY SERIOUS ABOUT IS THE BROADBAND ISSUE THAT HAS BECOME A KEY SITE, UH, SELECTION CRITERIA IS HOW, WHAT'S YOUR BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY LIKE LAST WEEK, THE COMP CONTROLLER RELEASED THE BROADBAND MAP FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND LEANDER NEEDS A LOT OF IMPROVEMENT.
IT SHOWS THAT IN THE MAP AND IN FACT, WILLIAMSON COUNTY NEEDS SOME IMPROVEMENT.
IT SHOULD BE ALL OF OURS, RIGHT? TO HAVE HIGH SPEED INTERNET CONNECTIVITY.
SO MUCH MORE IS HAPPENING BETWEEN THE EMPLOYER AND THE EMPLOYEE AT HOME.
AND WE NEED TO HAVE THAT ACCESS THAT'S GONNA HELP BOTH THE HOMEOWNER FIND AND KEEP A GREAT PAYING JOB.
BUT ANYWAY, IT'S, IT'S THOSE SORTS OF THINGS THAT WE TALK ABOUT.
SO HOW DOES THAT EQUATE TO WHAT THEY'RE VOTING ON? LIKE, ARE THEY VOTING WELL TO, LIKE SEEK GRANTS OR? WELL, WE COULD, WE'VE ONLY HAD TWO BOARD MEETINGS SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, SO.
SO AGAIN, THIS THING IS A BRAND NEW STRUCTURE.
UH, WE GOT SOME FUNDING, WE WANT IT TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
WE'RE GONNA LAND SOME PROJECTS, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO TACKLE SOME OF THESE OTHER ISSUES CUZ BROADBAND IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT GOING FORWARD.
I KNOW WE TALK A LOT ABOUT WATER, WHICH IF WE SHOULD, BUT BROADBAND NEEDS TO BE PART OF THAT, THAT CONVERSATION AS WELL.
CUZ THAT'S GONNA HELP HOMEOWNERS, IT'S GONNA HELP EVERYBODY.
SO I DON'T, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT.
[01:55:01]
MEETINGS, UM, BUT THAT'S JUST THAT, YOU KNOW, IT GIVES YOU A VOICE IN SOME CASES, TWO VOICES ON WHAT DIRECTION WE SHOULD BE HEADED.OH, UH, MR. BEVERLY, AND I'M NOT SURE YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER THIS, BUT YOU KNOW, WAY BACK WHEN, WHEN IT WAS THE HOUSTON CHAMBER, BEFORE IT BECAME THE PARTNERSHIP MM-HMM.
SO LET'S TAKE THE HIGH TECH OF, OF THE TIME HIGH TECH AT THE TIME.
UM, SO EVENTUALLY THAT EVOLVED.
FIRST IT WAS THE CLEAR LAKE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, FOUNDATION OR WHATEVER, RIGHT.
PARTNERS CLAY F AND THEN IT BECAME THE BERRY HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP.
I THINK THERE'S A DOZEN PLUS CITIES.
SO THOSE, SO BARRY HOUSTON IS A MEMBER OF THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU'D HAVE A DELEGATION COME IN FOR A LOT OF FOREIGN DELEGATIONS, A LOT OF INVESTMENT, BIG PROJECTS THAT WOULD ALSO GIVE THE POTENTIAL FOR FOCUS ON THAT AREA, YOU KNOW, NORTHERN GALVESTON COUNTY, SOUTHERN HARRIS COUNTY RATHER THAN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON OR LANDING IN KATY IN THE ENERGY CORRIDOR.
SO I SEE THIS AS A SIMILAR, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT ME, MEGAPOLI, WHATEVER, I'VE SEEN THIS KIND OF THING BEFORE AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT AS, THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE.
THE FW PROBABLY HAS A FEW OTHERS.
OTHER EXAMPLE, I THINK IN THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY, AUSTIN, THAT THEY'RE PLANNING RIGHT NOW, ERNST AND YOUNG IS DOING THAT UH, STRATEGIC PLAN.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE CORRIDOR GOING SOUTH TO CONNECT WITH SAN ANTONIO TO HAVE A FOR THE FIRST TIME.
WHAT, WHAT ARE THE WAYS THAT AUSTIN AND SAN ANTONIO CAN WORK TOGETHER? IN THE PAST, WHEN I WAS HERE EARLY IN 2004, THERE WAS TALKS ABOUT A, AN AIRPORT SOMEWHERE AROUND NEW BRAUNFELS, BUT THAT DIDN'T GO TOO FAR CUZ NOBODY WANTS TO GIVE UP THEIR AIRPORT.
AND SAN ANTONIO AND AUSTIN DIDN'T REALLY LIKE EACH OTHER.
BUT THE MORE THAT THEY GROWS TOGETHER, IT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
THE COOL THING ABOUT WILLIAMSON COUNTY IS MOST OF THE TECH IN AUSTIN IS IN NORTH AUSTIN AND IT'S CREEPING ACROSS THE BORDER.
YOU LOOK AT THE APPLE PROJECT THAT'S GONNA COME THIS WAY, I SEE A, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY HERE FOR SOME OFFICE PRODUCT AS WELL AS SOME MANUFACTURING, BUT OFFICE TO ATTRACT SOME OF THE TECH COMPANIES, IT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
MOST OF THE WORKFORCE ALREADY LIVES HERE.
THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE DOWN THERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, MORE FOLKS ARE NOW STAYING IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY THAN LEAVING TO GO TO WORK.
AND THAT WASN'T LIKE THAT WHEN I LEFT.
SO MORE OF THE, MORE OF THE CITIZENS IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY ARE STAYING HERE TO WORK.
SO WE NEED TO GET MORE JOB OPPORTUNITIES SO WE CAN EVEN GET MORE PEOPLE TO STAY WITHIN WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
SO I'M TRYING TO GET A CLEAR PICTURE OF, OF, UM, THE HISTORY.
SO IT SAYS ESTABLISHED IN 2014, BUT YOU'RE SAYING YOU'VE ONLY HAD TWO, TWO MEETINGS.
HAS THIS, HAS THERE BEEN A SHIFT? NO.
SO BASICALLY IT'S ALL BEEN VOLUNTEER DRIVEN UP UNTIL A FEW MONTHS AGO.
THERE WAS COORDINATION, BUT THERE WASN'T ANYBODY OVERSEEING.
AND EVERY YEAR THAT PRESIDENT WOULD CHANGE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, JORDAN WOULD BE JORDAN ROBINSON TO BE PRESIDENT OR BEN WHITE OR MARK THOMAS AND TAYLOR.
SO NOTHING, THE ONLY THING THAT'S CHANGED IS THAT WE BECAME, UM, MORE OF A FORMAL BOARD.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BYLAWS, UM, YOU KNOW, SO WE HAD A FORMAL BOARD MEETING THIS PAST MONTH WHERE WE INVITED THE WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS TO COME IN AND TALK.
SO IT'S THAT TYPE OF BOARD SETTING VERSUS HAVING IT AT A RESTAURANT.
BUT YOU WERE ALREADY A 5 0 1
SO IT WAS ALL VOLUNTEER DRIVEN UP UNTIL MARCH OF LAST YEAR WHEN THEY HIRED A PART-TIME, UH, ADMIN PERSON.
AND WE STILL HAVE, I NEED ABOUT FOUR MORE
SO I KNOW ANY, ANY EFFORTS TO, TO BRING COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IS, IS BENEFICIAL.
ESPECIALLY, ESPECIALLY IN OUR SITUATION.
WE DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING TO WORK WITH.
SO I I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS.
UM, SO THE, THE INCREMENTS, THE 10 10,000 VERSUS 20,000 MERELY REPRESENTS THE NUMBER OF SEATS AT THE TABLE? CORRECT.
AND THE POTENTIAL RETURN ON INVESTMENT REALLY IS NOT, IT DOESN'T REALLY MEAN ANYTHING BECAUSE THE VOTES ARE NOT VOTING ON A, UM, THEY'RE NOT VOTING ON GOING AFTER A PARTICULAR LOCATION OR A PARTICULAR BUSINESS, RIGHT? OR DO YOU NOT WE DON'T KNOW THAT YET.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING, WE WANT TO GENERATE LEADS,
[02:00:01]
SO TO SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE, THE THE EIGHT DIFFERENT PARTNERS, THAT'S THE PRIMARY PURPOSE.SO LEAD GENERATION WOULD BE UP TO, UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL CITIES.
I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
NO, I KNOW I, YOU KNOW, WHY THROW 20,000 AT SOMETHING AND IF WE CAN DO 10 AND GET THE SAME BENEFIT, I MEAN, WE DON'T WANNA SPEND MONEY.
I DON'T THINK WE WANNA SPEND MONEY JUST FOR THE SAKE OF SPENDING MONEY, BUT IF IT'S WORTH IT TO SPEND 20, IT'S STILL, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA UNDERSTAND.
AND YOUR EXPERTISE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PRIMARY EMPLOYERS.
ARE YOU GUYS TRACKING IN THIS DATABASE THAT YOU WILL HAVE SHORTLY? LIKE WHAT ARE THESE PRIMARY EMPLOYERS LOOKING FOR? ARE THEY, LIKE, I KNOW SAMSUNG WAS LOOKING FOR SO MANY ACRES AND THAT PUT LEANDER OUT OF THE BIDDING FOR THAT, BUT SO WHAT, WHAT ARE THESE PRIMARY EMPLOYERS LOOKING FOR BESIDES BROADBAND? WELL, DEPEND THAT'S, IT DEPENDS ON THE INDUSTRY SECTOR FOR A ADVANCED MANUFACTURING LIKE SAMSUNG, WATER, WATER, WATER, ELECTRICITY, YOU KNOW, ELECTRICITY AND WATER AND SEWER.
UH, THAT, THAT'S KIND OF THE KEY DRIVER FOR THAT PARTICULAR ONE.
BUT IS THERE A CERTAIN SIZE PARCEL THAT SOME OF THESE PRIMARY EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING FOR? YEAH, I MEAN THEY ALL AREN'T MASSIVE.
NOT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING SPOILED HERE WITH ALL THESE MASSIVE PROJECTS LOOKING AT WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND IT'S NOT A NORMAL THING, BUT IT'S BEEN NORMAL FOR THE LAST YEAR AND IT'S GONNA BE NORMAL FOR THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO BECAUSE OF THE CHIPS ACT AROUND SEMICONDUCTOR THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S IMPLEMENTED.
YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS, UH, YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED, OFFICE IS A GREAT POTENTIAL.
I, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S COMING THIS WAY AND, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF I ANSWER THEIR QUESTION OR NOT, BUT NO, I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU'RE GONNA KEEP SOME OF THAT INFORMATION IN THIS DATABASE OF YEAH.
SITE LOCATION TO KIND OF MATCH THESE CITIES WITH, HEY, A PRIMARY EMPLOYER MIGHT BE GOOD.
OH, IT'S GONNA BE NOT IN LEANDER BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE LAND FOR IT OR WHATEVER THAT IS.
SO THEY'LL HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE GENERATE A LEAD.
THAT LEAD GOES TO ALL EIGHT PARTNERS AND IF SOMETIMES THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO RESPOND BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS, BUT SOMEBODY ELSE IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY PROBABLY CAN.
RIGHT NOW THE WINNER OR WINNERS ARE THOSE THAT HAVE INDUSTRIAL SITES READY TO GO INDUSTRIAL SITE.
HU AND TAYLOR HAVE SAT ON THESE MEGA SITES OVER A THOUSAND ACRES EACH FOR DECADES.
YOU KNOW, AND SO REALLY IN TEXAS, THERE AREN'T A LOT OF MEGA SITES OVER A THOUSAND ACRES, BUT RIGHT THERE IN, IN JUTO AND TAYLOR BACK TO BACK, THERE'S A HUGE MEGASITE AND, UH, HU'S TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT NOW.
BUT THE WINNERS RIGHT NOW FOR THE INDUSTRIAL ARE THOSE THAT HAVE THE PROPERTY THAT HAVE, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE TO THE SITE OR CLOSE TO THE SITE.
AND SO, BUT THAT'S JUST ONE SEGMENT.
THERE'S A WHOLE OTHER SEGMENT WITH, UH, OFFICE AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES IN TECH.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING THAT SPILLOVER AS WELL INTO WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
CAN, CAN WE HAVE RICK OR ASHLEY CAN, CAN YOU GUYS ANSWER, UM, AS FAR AS OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR, WHAT WE'RE CAPABLE OF DOING, WHAT OUR INTENTIONS ARE, UM, OUR STAFF'S, STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION ON INTENTIONS ON MOVING FORWARD WITH THE ORGANIZATION AND HOW WE PARTNER WITH THEM? I KNOW WE ASKED, I ASKED SOMETHING SIMILAR ON OUR, ON OUR CALL.
SO I JUST THINK IT WOULD, IT WOULD HELP, UM, TO, TO GET THAT PART.
THIS HAS TO DO WITH, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY VOTING MEMBERS, WHAT OUR PARTICIPATION IS THIS YEAR, WHAT IT COULD BE NEXT YEAR, AND HOW WE SEE OURSELVES PARTNERING.
BUT COULD YOU ALSO ADD WHAT WE'VE SPENT IN THE PAST SINCE EVIDENTLY WE'VE BEEN A MEMBER SINCE 2014 OR 17 AND, AND WHAT THE BENEFIT HAS BEEN UP UNTIL THIS POINT.
SO SINCE 2014 WE'VE CONTRIBUTED $5,000.
UM, AND SO WHEN, WHEN DAVE SAYS THAT IT WAS VOLUNTEER RUNS, SO ALL OF THE COMMUNITIES WERE VOLUNTEERING TO RUN THE WILCO EEDP.
SO WE WERE KIND OF FRANKENSTEINING THIS ORGANIZATION TOGETHER, UM, AND, AND TRYING TO RUN IT WHILE, WHILE WORKING IN OUR RESPECTIVE CITIES, RIGHT? BUT WE WANTED TO HAVE THAT FOCUS ON REGIONALISM BECAUSE WE REALIZED WE'RE ALL SHARING, SHARING TALENT, WE'RE ALL SHARING UTILITIES, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SHARING A LOT OF THINGS WITHIN THE COUNTY.
UM, SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, ABOUT $5,000 PER YEAR SINCE 2014.
UM, AND THEN SAME FOR OPPORTUNITY AUSTIN, $5,000 FOR MEMBERSHIP WITH OPPORTUNITY AUSTIN AS WELL.
UM, AS FAR AS BUDGET, UM, WE, WE MAINTAIN THAT $5,000 BUDGET FOR, FOR THIS YEAR.
WE CAN MOVE THINGS AROUND AND TO TO GET TO THAT 10,000.
BUT RICK AND I HAVE BEEN KIND OF THINKING ABOUT SOME IDEAS.
IT'S ABOUT SOME OF THESE THINGS, PENNYWISE OR WHATEVER THAT IS.
I DON'T WANNA CLOWN TO POP UP BECAUSE I SAID THAT.
[02:05:01]
MAY BE A SCENARIO.YES, WE, I THINK WE BUDGETED FIVE MM-HMM.
I DO THINK A HYPER FOCUS ON WILCO, BUT ALSO BEING ABLE TO KIND OF DIFFERENTIATE IN REAL TIME, MAYBE WITH MORE FOCUS THAN THE AUSTIN CHAMBER MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO.
UM, EVERYBODY'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT AND ALL THE CITIES COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
SO I CAN TELL YOU, BECAUSE WE DID COMPETE FOR SAMSUNG, YOU KNOW, WHERE DID WE HAVE FLAT LAND? WHERE WERE THERE, WAS THERE ENOUGH OF IT? AND THEN WATER CAPACITY AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS ON THE OFFICE SIDE, IF YOU DO LOOK, YES, WE HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE IN IT.
NORTHLINE, WE HAVE 180 3 A IN, WE HAVE, UH, THE RAIL PIECE, WE HAVE THE TOLL ROAD.
AND I THINK THAT PART OF WHAT I WOULD EXPECT THE, THE BODY TO DO, YES, THEY'RE GONNA TRY TO SPREAD THE WEALTH, BUT THEY'RE ALSO NOT GONNA SAY, HEY, LEANER, WE'VE GOT THIS PROJECT, IT NEEDS AN INDUSTRIAL REAL SPUR.
IT'S GOTTA HAVE A THOUSAND ACRES AND ALREADY HAVE, YOU KNOW, A MILLION SQUARE FEET OF TILT WALL WITH NO OCCUPANTS IN IT READY TO GO.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA FLOAT THAT TO US.
BUT WHAT THEY WILL PROBABLY COME BACK AND SAY, WHERE COULD YOU PUT AN OFFICE, BUILD A SUIT? YOU KNOW, IS THERE TRANSPORTATION COMPONENTS IN PLACE? IS THERE HOUSING IN PLACE, EXECUTIVE HOUSING, INTERIM HOUSING, APARTMENTS, TOWN HOMES AND THAT, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS THAT, AND ONE REASON THAT ASHLEY'S ALSO HELPING IMMENSELY WITH OUR EFFORTS IS HER PRIOR EXPERIENCE ALSO WITH THE STATE.
SO YOU BRIDGE THE STATE EFFORT, THOSE RFIS, THE LOCAL EFFORTS, AND THEN PLAYING TO THE STRENGTHS OF EACH OF THOSE CITIES.
I'M JUST GONNA ASK, SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN HERE WERE THE LEADS THAT WE RECEIVED SEVEN COMPARED TO SOME OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAD 22 AND 33 OVER THAT SAME PERIOD OF TIME WAS BASICALLY BASED ON OUR INABILITY TO PROVIDE SOME OF THE THINGS LIKE INFRASTRUCTURE AND WATER? IS THAT THE DIFFERENCE ALMOST? WELL, LOOK, I'M, I'M NOT NECESSARILY GONNA GO INTO IT.
I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT ALL SPECIFICS OKAY.
ON EVERY ONE OF THOSE TO DO THAT.
HOWEVER, I CAN TELL YOU HAVING WORKED WITH SITE SELECTORS IN DIFFERENT VENUES DOING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, IF SOME, AGAIN, EVERYBODY HAS THEIR STRENGTHS, WE ALL KIND OF COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER KIND OF LIKE AS A STAFF TOO.
AND IN THE DEVELOPMENT CYCLE, LEANER IS AT RIGHT NOW.
IF YOU ALSO LOOK AT OUR DISCUSSIONS WHERE OUR FUTURE INDUSTRIAL SITES WOULD BE, THE DISCUSSIONS ON HERITAGE GROVE ROAD, WE KIND OF, SOME OF THE EARLY DECISIONS TO BE MORE OF, LET'S SAY NORTHLINE OR FOCUSED MORE ON BEDROOM COMMUNITY.
AND WITH SOME RETAIL, SOME OF THOSE DECISIONS WERE MADE SOME TIME AGO.
WE CAN PLAY TO, TO THOSE THINGS THAT WE CAN CHANGE MOVING ON IN THE FUTURE THAT ALSO COMPLEMENT SOME OF OUR LAND USE AND OUR ZONING AND TOPOGRAPHY.
AND THEN GOING BACK ALSO TO THE CAPACITY TO SERVE THAT WITH WATER SEWER AND WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE DEVELOPMENT CYCLE.
UH, I CAN TELL YOU THIS, WE, WE WOULD'VE HAD A VER IF YOU THINK WE HAVE A PROBLEM RIGHT NOW, IF WE WOULD'VE GOTTEN SAMSUNG, UH, IT WOULD BE ANOTHER ISSUE.
SO THAT'S ALSO WHY WE FULLY REPRESENTED WHERE WE WERE AT THAT TIME, WHERE WE KNEW WE ACTUALLY WERE ON, ON WATER WITH SAMSUNG.
AND JUST TO TOUCH ON THE, THE LEADS THAT WE, THE, THE SEVEN LEADS THAT WE HAVE ARE ACTUALLY PROJECTS THAT LANDED IN LEANDER.
SO ISN'T THAT WE ONLY RECEIVED SEVEN LEADS BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
AND SO THE WILCO EEDP ISN'T GONNA SAY, HEY, LEANER, YOU DON'T HAVE THE RAIL SPUR, WE'RE NOT GONNA SEND THIS TO YOU.
THE WILCO ADP IS GONNA DEPEND ON THE COMMUNITY TO SAY, HEY, I CAN'T DELIVER ON THIS.
SO THEY'RE NOT GONNA PICK AND CHOOSE WHO GETS WHAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S NOT THE ROLE OF THE EDP.
AND SO WE HAVE BEEN KEEPING, I'VE BEEN KEEPING KIND OF TRACK OF WHY WE AREN'T REMITTING FOR LEADS AND I CAN DEFINITELY PUT A REPORT TOGETHER, WHETHER IT'S WATER, IF IT'S AN EXISTING BUILDING.
IT'S IN YOUR MONTHLY REPORT? IT IS IN MY MONTHLY REPORT.
SO IF I'M READING THROUGH ALL OF THIS FROM A STAFF STANDPOINT, YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE US PARTICIPATE AT THE WHAT LEVEL? I THINK IT'D BE VERY VALUABLE TO PARTICIPATE AT THE 20,000.
THAT'S WHERE I THOUGHT WERE GOING, BUT I NEEDED YOU TO SAY THAT AND, AND I THINK IT WOULD, IT MAKES SENSE TO ME, ESPECIALLY WITH THE FOCUS THAT WE'RE PUTTING ON, UM, COMMERCIAL.
AND I DO THINK IT'S ABOUT, UM, PULLING TOGETHER RESOURCES AND THE STRUCTURE UNDERNEATH THE VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION.
I, I DON'T SEE THE VALUE IN THAT, RIGHT? THERE'S JUST, THERE'S TOO MUCH.
BUT BEING PULLED TOGETHER, UM,
[02:10:01]
YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A SMALL FEE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE UPDATES ON WHAT WE'RE, UM, BASICALLY THE ROI, RIGHT? LIKE HOW, HOW IS THAT HELPING US? ARE WE ON PAR WITH THE OTHER MEMBER CITIES THAT HAVE TWO VOTES? WAS THAT A MOTION? NO.UH, WELL I JUST HAVE ONE MORE THING TO ADD THERE, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE ARE, WE ARE SHOWING FROM, UH, MR. POWER'S PRESENTATION TOO.
WE'RE SHOWING THE POSSIBLE LIKE SHORTAGE FOR THE FIRST TIME MM-HMM.
AND SO WHAT I WOULD WANT, THAT'S THE REST OF MY QUESTION, WAS NOT JUST WHAT, WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO RIGHT NOW TOO, BUT OUR INTENTIONS, OUR INTENTIONS ARE TO BE THE BEST POSSIBLE PARTNER WE CAN POSSIBLY BE WITH YOU.
THIS IS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY IN THE FACT THAT WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON IT HERE REGIONALLY.
UM, JUST SHOWS THAT WHAT, WHAT WE'RE GROWING INTO.
UM, IS THERE ANY DIFFERENCE IN US RAMPING UP THIS YEAR AND THEN THE NEXT YEAR AS FAR AS HOW, WHAT, WHAT TYPE OF OPPORTUNITIES WE WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR IN THAT SO THAT WE CAN BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE IN DOING THOSE THINGS TOO? AND WE WOULD GO FROM 5,000 TO 10,000 IN OUR GOAL IS TO NEXT YEAR PROPERLY BUDGET FOR THE $20,000 AS WELL TOO, RATHER THAN THROWING SOMETHING EXTRA AND TRYING TO PULL AWAY FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE THAT WE'RE ALREADY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT.
AND I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE WITH EVERYBODY AT WHY WE'RE DOING THIS CUZ I ABSOLUTELY WANNA FULLY PARTICIPATE AND IF IT WAS EASY FOR US AND IF WE WERE IN A LAST YEAR'S SITUATION, THIS WOULD BE SO EASY JUST TO SAY, YEP, RIGHT NOW LET'S GO.
UM, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY AND ALSO LOOK IN THE EYE AND SAYING WE CAN'T WAIT TO WORK WITH YOU EVEN MORE AND WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE.
UH, WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STEWARDING IN OUR RESOURCES WELL AND UM, I DON'T KNOW.
WELL IF I'M UNDERSTANDING, SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE DOING 5,000 WITH WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND 5,000 WITH AUSTIN.
AND SO IF WE WERE AT THE 10,000 LEVEL, WE'D BE JUST STAYING EVEN, RIGHT? NO.
OR WOULD STILL PARTICIPATE, PARTICIPATE IN OPPORTUNITY AUSTIN AS WELL.
AND THEN THE FIVE RATHER THAN 15 MORE, GO FIVE MORE THIS YEAR AND, AND ASK RICK AND STAFF TO FIND FIVE MORE THOUSAND DOLLARS RATHER THAN SAYING GO FIND $15,000 THIS YEAR.
WELL, AND I THINK THE, FOR ME THE QUESTION WOULD BE IS, I MEAN YES IT IS ABOUT TAKING OUTTA ONE BUDGET AND PUTTING IN ANOTHER, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF FLOAT THAT'S BUILT INTO THINGS AND DO WE FIND THAT THIS $15,000 IS WORTH THE INVESTMENT TO BE ABLE TO AGAIN, SORT OF STAND ON THE HILL THAT WE'VE BEEN STANDING ON, THAT WE WANT COMMERCIAL AND IF, AND IF THIS IS, YES, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA MONEY BUT IT COULD ALSO PAY OFF IN DIVIDENDS.
BUT I DO THINK THERE'S SOME ACCOUNTABILITY WITH THAT TOO TO THE MAYOR'S, UM, PURPOSE.
THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA SPEND MONEY JUST TO SPEND MONEY AND WE, WE DO EXPECT RESULTS FROM IT.
I THINK, UM, WHEN YOU SAID 20,000, I SAW AFFIRMATIONS FROM BOTH ASHLEY AND RICK AND THAT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE IF THE TWO OF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH IT, LIKE YOU TWO ARE THE EXPERTS IN, IN WHAT WE CAN DO WITH OUR BUDGET.
WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO TRADE SHOWS, IF YOU'RE GOING TO ICS E OR WHATEVER, IS THERE AN ADDITIONAL FEE THAT WE PAY OR DOES THIS MEMBERSHIP COVER THE BOOTH THERE? NO, YOU PAY YOUR OWN EXPENSES AND WHAT WE DO IS PAY THE TRADE SHOW SPACE.
BUT EVERYBODY PAYS THEIR OWN EXPENSES TO, SO WE'LL PAY LIKE ASHLEY'S TRAVEL RIGHT? BUT YOU GUYS ARE COVERING THE BOOTH.
WE DON'T HAVE TO WRITE A CHECK TO YOU ADDITIONAL.
SO WE'LL DO THE UH, TRADE SHOW BOOTH AND THE EXHIBIT, ALL THE COSTS WITH THAT.
YEAH, THAT COMES OUT OF FROM ME.
OUR BUDGET AND WAS 20 WHAT YOU WANTED THIS IS THIS, THERE WON'T BE MANY TIMES WHERE I WOULD SAY, WAIT, LET'S GO OVER THE BUDGET PIECE BECAUSE AS Y'ALL KNOW, AND WE'LL BE COMING BACK AFTER THE NEXT, UH, DISCUSSIONS ON, YOU KNOW, AFTER WE RECEIVE MORE DATA ON UH, PERMITS AND THINGS, WE HAVE OTHER GAPS TO FILL.
IF THIS, IF YOU REALLY LOOK AT WHERE WE'RE AT IN OUR DEVELOPMENT CYCLE WHERE DEVELOPMENT'S COMING TO RIGHT TO OUR EDGE OF CEDAR PARK ON THE TOLLWAY, I DO THINK IF THERE IS AN AREA WE WERE GOING TO SPEND A LITTLE MORE, A SMALL AMOUNT MORE, THIS WOULD BE IT ALONG WITH THE FACT THAT, AND WE'LL GET INTO FULLY STAFFING THE DEPARTMENT TOO.
I'LL, THAT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING ELSE.
I'LL BE SPEAKING TO Y'ALL SEPARATELY ON, WHICH IS COMING SOON, THAT WE'RE GONNA HIT IT ON ALL FRONTS BECAUSE WE NEED TO, BECAUSE IT IS AT OUR DOORSTEP RIGHT NOW.
IF IT WASN'T, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, STATIC ECONOMY, NOTHING'S GONNA CHANGE.
BUT WE ARE AT A INFLECTION POINT THAT WE, IT'S GONNA BE NOW OR NEVER.
CUZ SOME THINGS ARE GOING TO COME AT US AND WE WANT TO HAVE THE BEST CAPABLE TEAM AND PARTNERS AND ABILITY FOR Y'ALL TO MAKE DECISIONS ON THINGS.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THIS WILL HELP.
[02:15:01]
IT CERTAINLY WON'T HURT AND I WOULD WANT TO PUT US ON, EVEN THOUGH OUR, MOST OF THOSE, ALL OF THOSE COMPETING CITIES, PARTNER CITIES IN THERE, I'LL HAVE FOUR B CORPSE.WE DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO BE, UH, I THINK HAVING MORE PEOPLE AT THE TABLE AND WE WILL BE FULLY STAFFED.
SO YOU SAID WE HAVE GAPS TO FILL, DO YOU MEAN BUDGET GAPS OR LAND GAPS? UH, WE HAVE LAND.
WE OBVIOUSLY ARE GONNA HAVE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, YOU KNOW, AND ROBERT'S PRESENTATION, UH, AT THE RETREAT.
WE HAVE SOME CHALLENGES TO GET THROUGH THIS YEAR.
HE ALSO SHOWED SOME OF THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL WITH THE AD VALOREM COMING ONLINE.
BUT AGAIN, THE COMMERCIAL LONG TERM, THAT PIECE IS CRITICAL AND THIS IS, THIS IS FOCUSED ON THAT EFFORT AS WELL.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS AN AREA WE HAVE TO, SO YOU'RE SUGGESTING THIS WOULD FILL THOSE GAPS? NOT DON'T SPEND THE EXTRA MONEY BECAUSE WE HAVE GAPS TO FILL.
IT'S GOING TO BE PART OF OUR LONG TERM STRATEGY AND OUR NEAR TERM STRATEGY TO LAND THE STUFF WE NEED TO.
SO MR. PORTER, YOU UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH WE HAVE WRITING ON THIS? YES.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, CITY MANAGER AND STAFF IS SAYING THAT YOU WOULD, UH, PREFER US TO DO THE $20,000 OPTION AND YOU WILL FIGURE OUT HOW TO COME UP WITH THAT EXTRA MONEY, UH, WITHIN YOU AND YOUR STAFF BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO GIVE YOU WAY OUT CUZ OF OUR CONVERSATION THE OTHER DAY AND ROBERT LEAVES FOR VEGAS TOMORROW WITH ROBERT? WITH ROBERT HERE AND, UH, DON'T COME BACK
I'M TRYING THAT'S, AND SO IF THAT'S WHAT YOU GUYS ARE SAYING, I'M ALL FOR IT, BUT I'M, I WAS TRYING TO, I WAS TRYING TO, UH, FOLLOW UP ON A CONVERSATION WE HAD ON TUESDAY ON MY CALL, UM, WHERE IT SEEMED TO BE THAT THIS WAS A LOGICAL STEP THAT WE WERE TAKING FORWARD.
AND AGAIN, IF YOU GUYS HAVE IT AND YOU GOT FIGURED OUT, THEN I'M, I'M ALL FOR IT.
CAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO BE ALL IN, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO DO IT RESPONSIBLY.
SO IF YOU'RE SAYING WE CAN DO IT RESPONSIBLY, THEN I'M GONNA BE WITH WHATEVER WE'RE DOING.
BUT I WANTED TO JUST BE VERY DIRECT.
I, I'LL, I'LL SAY LONG TERM, OUR EFFORTS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HAVE TO BE, HAVE TO BE A PRIORITY BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY TO PAY FOR POLICE, FIRE, UH, PARKS, CAPITAL PROJECTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, IT WILL BE FOR DECADES CRITICAL.
SO THAT IS, WHEN I SAY IT'S A, IT'S KIND OF A STAFF MULTIPLIER.
IF WE HAD TO EVEN PAY AN INTERN ANOTHER 15,000, LET'S SAY A PAID INTERN VERSUS GETTING ANOTHER PARTNER AT THE TABLE THAT'S ACTUALLY HELPING US SIFT THROUGH LEADS AND PROVIDE LEADS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO OUR AREA THAT MIGHT FIT OUR PROFILE, THEN YES, I THINK IT WOULD BE WISE TO, TO MOVE FORWARD ON THE 20.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE $20,000 MEMBERSHIP.
DOES THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
ALL RIGHT, ITEM 26, COUNCIL MEMBER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. ANY DELIBERATION OF OR DECISION ABOUT THE SUBJECT OF THE INQUIRY SHALL BE LIMITED TO A PROPOSAL TO PLACE THE SUBJECT ON THE AGENDA FOR A SUBSEQUENT MEETING.
COUNCIL, DOES ANYBODY HAVE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM? THANK YOU.
[27. Council Member Closing Statements.]
ON TO ITEM 27.COUNCIL MEMBER CLOSING COMMENTS, PLACE ONE.
OKAY, SO AS ALWAYS, BECAUSE WE ARE ALWAYS WANTING YOU TO SHOP LOCAL BEFORE COUNCIL MEETINGS, WE ALWAYS GRABBED DINNER FROM A LOCAL PLACE.
AND TONIGHT IT WAS OUR LOCAL GROCERY STORES.
IT WAS RANDALL'S AND HEB AND IT WAS SOUP AND IT WAS FANTASTIC BECAUSE IT IS SO COLD THIS WEEK.
UM, AND KUDOS TO EVERYBODY WHO PULLED THAT TOGETHER.
UM, AS WE SHIFT NOW INTO CLEANUP FROM THE ICE STORM, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT, UM, WE WANT RESIDENTS TO KNOW.
SO NUMBER ONE, THERE ARE GOING TO BE PEOPLE KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR AND THANK YOU SO MUCH TO COUNCIL MEMBER ROSS FOR POINTING THIS OUT.
PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR, WANTING TO INSPECT YOUR ROOF, DO REPAIRS, WHATEVER.
IN LEANER, YOU MUST HAVE A PEDDLER'S PERMIT.
YOU HAVE TO REGISTER WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND BE VETTED THAT YOU ARE NOT A SCAMMER AND THEY HAVE TO CARRY THAT PEDDLER'S PERMIT ON THEM ANYTIME THEY'RE KNOCKING ON A DOOR.
SO IF SOMEBODY COMES UP TO YOUR DOOR BEFORE YOU ALLOW THEM UP ON YOUR ROOF BEFORE YOU ALLOW THEM TO MAKE ANY SORT OF REPAIR, ASK TO SEE THAT PERMIT.
AND IF THEY CAN'T PROVIDE IT TO YOU, CALL THE POLICE NON-EMERGENCY LINE BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT THAT IN OUR CITY.
IF YOU GO TO LEANDER TX.GOV RIGHT NOW, RIGHT ON THE FRONT PAGE WE HAVE A LINK UNDER NEWS
[02:20:01]
AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.THE VERY FIRST LINK CITY WILL ACCEPT TREE AND SHRUB BRUSH FEBRUARY 11TH AND 18TH.
WE UNDERSTAND THIS WEEKEND WE ARE ALL JUST UNBEARING OURSELVES.
UM, SO WE'RE NOT DOING IT THIS WEEKEND, BUT THE NEXT TWO SATURDAYS IN A ROW AT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE BIG DUMPSTERS OUT THERE FOR YOU TO COME AND BRING ALL OF YOUR BRUSH.
ALL OF THE DETAILS ARE ON OUR WEBSITE.
IF YOU DON'T WANNA COME OUT TO THAT, YOU CAN ALSO LIKE TRIM AND BUNDLE UP ALL OF YOUR BRUSH AND PUT IT WITH YOUR TRASH.
ALL OF THAT IS INCLUDED ON THE WEBSITE.
UM, WE ALL HAVE A LOT OF CLEANUP TO DO AND SO OUR STAFF IS DOING AN AWESOME JOB OF MAKING THAT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE.
SPEAKING OF OUR STAFF, DOING AN AWESOME JOB THIS WEEK WAS TRYING AND, AND COLD AND DIFFICULT AND SLIPPERY.
AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYBODY WHO, UM, WHO GOT US THROUGH AND KEPT EVERYTHING RUNNING SMOOTHLY AND, UM, SLID AROUND OUT ON THE ROADS,
AND, UM, WE'RE AWARE OF THAT AND WE APPRECIATE YOU AND, AND ALL THAT THAT Y'ALL PUT INTO THE JOB.
AND UH, AND THEN LASTLY, AS PART OF RECOVERY, WE HAD A LOT OF LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT WERE CLOSED ALL WEEK OR, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T HAVE ANY CUSTOMERS AND THEY'RE GONNA BE OPEN THIS WEEKEND.
SO SINCE WE'RE ALL TIRED OF SITTING AT HOME, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE THIS WEEKEND.
GO OUT TO THE LOCAL RESTAURANTS AND DO SOME SHOPPING IN LEANDER.
IT HELPS OUR LOCAL ECONOMY AND IT HELPS OUR BUSINESSES TO JUST STAY IN BUSINESS AND RECOVER FROM THIS WEEK OF LOSS THAT THEY'VE HAD.
UM, AND WHILE YOU'RE OUT THERE, MAKE SURE THAT YOU TELL THEM THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND CHOOSING LEANDER.
[28. Convene into Executive Session pursuant to: 1. Section 551.071, Texas Government Code, and Section 1.05, Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct to consult with legal counsel regarding recreation center; and 2. Section 551.071, Texas Government Code, and Rule 1.05, Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, to consult with legal counsel regarding Docket No. 53063, petition by outside city ratepayers appealing the water rates established by the City of Leander, Texas; and 3. Section 551.072 and 551.087, Texas Government Code Deliberate the purchase, exchange, lease, or value of real property and deliberate proposed economic development incentives for one or more business prospects that the governmental body seeks to have locate, stay, or expand in or near the territory of the governmental body is conducting economic development negotiations related to the following project(s): Project Cutting Edge and Project Ride or Die; and 4. Section 551.074, Texas Government Code, to discuss or deliberate the duties of a public officer or employee: City Manager. Reconvene into open session to take action as deemed appropriate in the City Council's discretion regarding: 1. Recreation center; and 2. Ratepayers appealing the water rates; and 3. Project(s): Cutting Edge and Ride or Die; and 4. City Manager.]
THAT WE ARE GOING TO MOVE INTO ITEM 28.IT'S A LONG ONE, BEAR WITH ME.
UM, WE'RE GONNA CONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TWO ONE SECTION 5 51 0.071 TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE AND SECTION 1.05, TEXAS, TEXAS DISCIPLINARY RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT TO CONSULT WITH LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING RECREATION CENTER AND TWO SECTION 5 51 0.071 TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE AND RULE 1.05, TEXAS DISCIPLINARY RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT TO CONSULT WITH LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING DOCKET NUMBER 5 360 3 PETITIONED BY OUTSIDE CITY RATE PAYERS APPEALING THE WATER RATES ESTABLISHED BY THE CITY OF LEANDRO, TEXAS AND THREE SECTION 5 51 0.072 AND 5 5 1 0.087 TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE TO DELIBERATE THE PURCHASE EXCHANGE, LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY AND DELIBERATE PROPOSED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES FOR ONE OR MORE BUSINESS PROSPECTS THAT THE GOVERNMENTAL BODY SEEKS TO HAVE, LOCATE, STAY, OR EXPAND IN OR NEAR THE TERRITORY OF THE GOVERNMENTAL BODY AND IS CONDUCTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEGOTIATIONS RELATED TO THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS, PROJECT CUTTING EDGE AND PROJECT RIDE OR DIE.
AND FINALLY, FOUR SECTION 5 51 0.074 TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE TO DISCUSS OR DELIBERATE THE DUTIES OF A PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE CITY MANAGER.
WE ARE CONVENING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 8:38 PM ALL RIGHT, WE ARE RECONVENING INTO OPEN SESSION AT 11:01 PM TO TAKE ACTION AS DEEMED APPROPRIATE IN THE CITY COUNCIL'S DISCRETION REGARDING NUMBER ONE, RECREATION CENTER.
MAYOR PROTE, DO YOU HAVE A MOTION? NO ACTION NUMBER TWO, RATE PAYERS APPEALING THE WATER RATES.
MAYOR PROTE, DO YOU HAVE A MOTION? NO.
ACTION NUMBER THREE, UH, PROJECTS CUTTING EDGE.
MAYOR PROTE, DO YOU HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE AN ADDENDUM TO THE CHAPTER THREE 80 AGREEMENT WITH PROJECT CUTTING EDGE D TERMINATING THE THREE 80 AGREEMENT? SECOND MOTION, AND A SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
MAYOR PROTE, DO YOU HAVE A MOTION? NO.
AND CITY MANAGER MAYOR PRO TEM, DO YOU HAVE A MOTION? NO.
COUNSEL IS ADJOURNED AT 11:02 PM.