REGULAR MEETING OF THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION June 9, 2025 6:00 PM AUSTIN ENERGY HEADQUARTERS/SHUDDE FATH CONFERENCE ROOM 4815 MUELLER BLVD AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the Electric Utility Commission maybe participating by videoconference. Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely by telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation. To register contact Nici Huff, at Nici.Huff@AustinEnergy.com or via phone at 512-972-8621. AGENDA Cesar Benavides Jonathon Blackburn Al Braden Chris Gillett Chris Kirksey Cyrus Reed Joshua Rhodes Members: Dave Tuttle, Chair Kaiba White, Vice Chair Raul Alvarez Lauren Bellomy CALL MEETING TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 5 speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Electric Utility Commission Regular Meeting on May 12, 2025. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. Staff briefing on the Green Building Program by Heidi Kasper, Director Energy Efficiency Services. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 3. Discuss and approve a recommendation on changing city code that relates to allowable methods for board and commission communications. 4. Discussion of electric landscaping equipment distribution event. 5. Discussion and approval of changes to the 2025 EUC meeting schedule. 6. Discussion and approval of recommendations on hiring process for new Austin Energy general manager. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Nici Huff at Austin Energy, at (512) 972-8621 or email Nici.Huff@AustinEnergy.com, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Electric Utility Commission, please contact Nici Huff at (512) 972-8621 or email Nici.Huff@AustinEnergy.com.
ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20250609-003 Date: June 9, 2025 Subject: Use of personal email addresses by City of Austin volunteer commissioners Motioned By: Commissioner Kaiba White, Vice Chair Seconded By: Commissioner Raul Alvarez Recommendation Allow for communications to and from City of Austin volunteer board and commission members to go to both official city email addresses and personal email addresses. Description of Recommendation to Council: The Electric Utility Commission respectfully requests that the Austin City Council amend the city code to allow volunteers serving on city commissions to use a combination of personal and city email accounts. Specifically, commissioners and city staff should be explicitly allowed to copy personal email addresses when emailing commissioners at city (BC) email addresses. A commissioner’s official city email address should still be included on all official communications. Rationale: The City of Austin Clerk’s Office has begun informing staff liaisons for City of Austin boards and commissions that they must only use commissioners’ official city email addresses, due to a requirement in city code. Prior to this recent guidance, some commissioners had requested that correspondence be directed to both their city email address and a personal email address that they check more frequently. This enabled volunteer commissioners to avoid missing communications from liaisons, other city staff, fellow commissioners, and the public. Making communicating with staff and fellow commissioners easier can make serving boards and commissions more accessible and allow commissioners to be more productive on behalf of the City of Austin. Many volunteer commissioners are also working at least one full-time job. Many also have other family and community responsibilities and commitments. Many already have more than one email account to keep up with and adding another can be a significant burden for some commissioners. Commissioners are informed during the mandatory trainings for commissioners that all communications about board or commission business are subject to disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act, regardless of what communication channel – city or personal – that the commissioner uses. Vote: 10-0 For: Chair Dave Tuttle; Vice Chair Kaiba; Commissioner Raul Alvarez; Commissioner Lauren Bellomy; Commissioner Cesar Benavides; Commissioner Johnathon Blackburn; Commissioner Al Braden; Commissioner Chris Gillett; Commissioner Chris Kirksey; Commissioner Cyrus Reed Against: None Abstentions: None Absent: Commissioner Joshua Rhodes Attest: Nici Huff Nici Huff, Staff Liaison
ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20250609-006 Date: June 9, 2025 Subject: Hiring New Austin Energy General Manager Motioned By: Commissioner Kaiba White, Vice Chair Seconded By: Commissioner Dave Tuttle, Chair Recommendation Establish decarbonization experience criteria for candidates and host public forum for finalists. Description of Recommendation to Council: The Electric Utility Commission recommends that the following be included in the hiring process for the next Austin Energy general manager: 1. Establishment of clear criteria for experience that align with the decarbonization goals of Austin Energy, as established by the City Council. 2. One or more hybrid format public forums for a short list (3-5) of finalists for the position that are open to the public and recorded. Attendees should have the opportunity to ask a question of the candidates. Rationale: The general manager of Austin Energy needs to be prepared for more than just operating an electric utility. Austin Energy is different from many utilities because it is publicly owned. And it is different even from many publicly owned utilities because of the priorities of the Austin community and the Austin City Council. The Austin City Council has repeatedly adopted plans that envision the phasing out of fossil fuels at the utility. Doing so will require several changes in programs, operations and policies at the utility. The next general manager must be someone who embraces this challenge and is eager to find solutions to difficult problems. The Austin Energy general manager must be comfortable with responding to the public in a productive way in times of crisis and as a regular course of business. The Austin Energy general manager at times becomes the most visible face of the city government. Engaging the public in a way that builds trust is essential. Participating in at least one public forum prior to being hired is one way to get a taste of how a candidate will approach responding to the public. Vote: 7-0-3 1 of 2 For: Chair Dave Tuttle; Vice Chair Kaiba; Commissioner Raul Alvarez; Commissioner Lauren Bellomy; Commissioner Cesar Benavides; Commissioner Al Braden; Commissioner Cyrus Reed Against: None Abstentions: Commissioner Jonathon Blackburn; Commissioner Chris Gillett; Commissioner Chris Kirksey Absent: Commissioner Joshua Rhodes Attest: Nici Huff Nici Huff, Staff Liaison 2 of 2
