Minutes — original pdf

Approved Minutes

ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, October 21, 2024 ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION REGULAR CALLED MEETING MINUTES Monday, October 21, 2024 The Electric Utility Commission convened in a regular called meeting on Monday, October 21, 2024, at Austin Energy Headquarters, 4815 Mueller Blvd, Austin, TX 78723. Chair Dave Tuttle called the Electric Utility Commission meeting to order at 6:02 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Dave Tuttle, Chair; Kaiba White, Vice Chair; Commissioner Randy Chapman; Commissioner Chris Kirksey; Commissioner Cyrus Reed; Commissioner Joshua Rhodes Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Commissioner Ayo Akande; Commissioner Raul Alvarez; Commissioner Cesar Benavides; Commissioner Jonathon Blackburn PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL • Susan Lippman- Gen Plan • Debra White- Gen Plan • Ben Suddaby- Gen Plan • Scott Johnson- Lawnmower Rebate and E-Bike Rebate Programs APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Electric Utility Commission Regular Meeting on September 9, 2024 and Approve the minutes of the Electric Utility Commission Special Called Meeting on September 30, 2024. The motion approving the minutes of the Regular Electric Utility Commission meeting of September 9, 2024 and the minutes of the Special Called Electric Utility Commission, were approved on Commissioner Chapman’s motion, Chair Reed’s second on an 10-0 vote with one vacancy. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ON RECOMMENDATIONS 2. Recommend approval of an ordinance amending the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Austin Energy Operating Budget Special Revenue Fund (Ordinance No. 20240814-007) to accept and appropriate $31,593,683 in grant funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and add three full-time equivalent grant positions to implement the Solar for All residential-serving community and residential rooftop solar program.  ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, October 21, 2024 The motion to recommend approval of an ordinance amending the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Austin Energy Operating Budget Special Revenue Fund, was recommended on Chair Tuttle’s motion, Commissioner Reed’s second on an 10-0 vote with one vacancy. 3. Recommend approval of a resolution authorizing the filing of eminent domain proceedings and payment to acquire the property interests needed for the Cap Ex South, CKT987 & 1031 Structure Relocation 2021 Project for the public use of relocating various structures along existing circuits 926/927, 987, and 988 to accommodate the Texas Department of Transportation expansion of Interstate Highway 35 (IH 35), requiring the acquisition of 0.168 acres (7,319 square feet) of a permanent electric transmission and distribution easement, being a portion of Lot 23, Block “A”, Circle “S” Ridge Section 1, a Subdivision recorded September 14, 1946 in Book 4, Page 285, Plat Records, Travis County, Texas, a portion of said lot 23 (Tract II) conveyed to Long Real Estate holdings, LLC by Warranty deed with vendor’s lien dated November 27, 2012, as record in document No. 2012202489, official public records, Travis County, Texas, November 27, 2012 from Long Real Estate Holdings, LLC, a Texas limited liability company located at 7008 South Interstate Highway 35, Austin, Texas 78745, currently appraised at $572,123, subject to an increase in value based on updated appraisals or a Special Commissioners’ award. The owner of the needed property is Long Real Estate Holdings, LLC. The property is located at 7008 South IH 35, Austin, Texas, 78745. The general route of the project is along IH 35 from State Highway (SH) 71 south to SH 45. The motion to recommend approval of a resolution authorizing the filing of eminent domain proceedings and payment to acquire the property interests needed for the Cap Ex South, CKT987 & 1031 Structure Relocation 2021 Project for the public use of relocating various structures along existing circuits 926/927, 987, and 988 to accommodate the Texas Department of Transportation expansion of Interstate Highway 35 (IH 35), was recommended on Commissioner Rhodes’s motion, Commissioner Chapman’s second on an 10-0 vote with one vacancy. 4. Recommend approval authorizing the negotiation and execution of all documents and instruments necessary or desirable to acquire a Permanent Electric Transmission and Distribution Easement, consisting of approximately 0.0466 acres (2,032 square feet) of land and a Temporary Construction Easement consisting of approximately 0.1200 acres (5,229 square feet) generally located at 8801 South Interstate Highway 35, Austin, Texas 78744 and being out of the Santiago Del Valle Survey, Abstract No. 24, Travis County, Texas, being a portion of the remainder of Lot 4C, Block “A”, Resubdivision of Lot 4, Block “A” South Bend Subdivision, a Subdivision recorded September 2, 2003, in Document No. 200300231, Official Public Records, Travis County, Texas, from Patricia A. McBrayer, in an amount not to exceed $204,900, including closing costs. The motion to recommend approval authorizing the negotiation and execution of all documents and instruments necessary or desirable to acquire a Permanent Electric Transmission and Distribution Easement, consisting of approximately 0.0466 acres (2,032 square feet) of land and a Temporary Construction Easement consisting of approximately 0.1200 acres (5,229 square feet) generally located at 8801 South Interstate Highway 35, Austin, Texas 78744, was recommended on Commissioner Rhodes’s motion, Commissioner Chapman’s second on an 10-0 vote with one vacancy.  ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, October 21, 2024 5. Recommend authorizing negotiation and execution of a contract for the design and fabrication of steel transmission poles with KBS Electrical Distributors Inc., for up to five years for a total contract amount not to exceed $75,000,000. The motion to recommend authorizing negotiation and execution of a contract for the design and fabrication of steel transmission poles, was recommended on Chair Tuttle’s motion, Commissioner Reed’s second on an 10-0 vote with one vacancy. 6. Recommend authorizing negotiation and execution of a contract for project management training with International Institute for Learning, Inc. for up to five years for a total contract amount not to exceed $500,000. The motion to recommend authorizing negotiation and execution of a contract for project management training, was recommended on was recommended on Chair Tuttle’s motion, Commissioner Reed’s second on an 10-0 vote with one vacancy. 7. Recommend authorizing execution of a construction contract for 6th Street Chilled Water Transmission Line Extension project, with Primoris Energy Services Corporation in the amount of $22,593,601 plus a $2,259,360 contingency for a total contract amount not to exceed $24,852,961. The motion to recommend authorizing execution of a construction contract for 6th Street Chilled Water Transmission Line Extension project, was recommended on Commissioner Rhodes’s motion, Commissioner Reed’s second on an 10-0 vote with one vacancy. 8. Recommend execution of a contract for construction services for the Decker Power Plant – Dam Upgrades Reissue with MortMara Construction Inc. dba McMillen, Inc. in the amount of $12,198,059 plus a $1,801,941 contingency for a total contract amount not to exceed $14,000,000. The motion to recommend execution of a contract for construction services for the Decker Power Plant – Dam Upgrades Reissue, was recommended on Commissioner Rhodes’s motion, Commissioner Reed’s second on an 10-0 vote with one vacancy. 9. Recommend authorizing negotiation and execution of three multi-term contracts for vegetation management services on energized distribution lines with Asplundh Tree Expert, LLC; Davey Tree Surgery Co; and Wright Tree Service, Inc., for up to six years for total contract amounts not to exceed $168,000,000. The motion to recommend authorizing negotiation and execution of three multi- term contracts for vegetation management services on energized distribution lines, was recommended on Commissioner Rhodes’s motion, Commissioner Reed’s second on an 10-0 vote with one vacancy. 10. Discussion and approval of the 2025 Electric Utility Commission Meeting Schedule. The motion to recommend approval of the 2025 Electric Utility Commission Meeting Schedule, was recommended on Commissioner Chapman’s motion, Vice Chair White’s second on an 10-0 vote with one vacancy.  ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, October 21, 2024 STAFF BRIEFINGS 11. Staff briefing and process update on the Resource, Generation, and Climate Protection Plan by Lisa Martin, Deputy General Manager and Chief Operating Officer, and Lynda Rife, President of Rifeline. The presentation was presented by Lynda Rife, President of Rifeline. 12. Staff briefing and Modeling Overview for the Resource, Generation, and Climate Protection Plan by Michael Enger, Vice President of Energy Market Operations. The presentation was presented by Michael Enger, Vice President of Energy Market Operations. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS • Study on Distribution - Chair Tuttle ADJOURNMENT Chair Tuttle adjourned the meeting at 8:05 p.m. without objection. The meeting minutes were approved at the November 18, 2024 meeting on Commissioner Reed’s motion, Commissioner Rhodes second on an 9-0 vote with Commissioner Kirksey off the dais and Commissioner Chapman absent.