Regular Meeting of the Environmental Commission October 1, 2025 at 6:00 PM Permitting And Development Center, Events Center, Room 1405 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive Austin, Texas 78752 Some members of the Environmental Commission will be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via 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 by telephone. To register to speak remotely, call or email Elizabeth Funk, Watershed Protection Department, at (512) 568-2244, Elizabeth.Funk@austintexas.gov, no later than noon the day before the meeting. The following information is required: speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, email address and telephone number (must be the same number that will be used to call into the meeting). CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Haris Qureshi Justin Fleury Mariana Krueger, Vice Chair Martin Luecke Allison Morrison Ashika Ganguly Annie Fierro Jennifer Bristol, Chair David Sullivan Richard Brimer Isabella Changsut CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL AGENDA The first 10 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 1. Approve the minutes of the Environmental Commission Regular Meeting on September 17, 2025. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. Staff briefing regarding the Green Infrastructure in the Right of Way – Michelle Marx, Transportation and Public Works Department. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 3. 4. 5. 6. Election of the Environmental Commission Secretary for a term ending on April 30, 2026. Discussion and action on Urban Forestry committee membership Approve the 2026 Environmental Commission Meeting Schedule Discussion and action on the Travis County Landfill permit #684 leakage – Commissioners Sullivan and Brimer 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 Elizabeth Funk, Watershed Protection Department, at (512) 568-2244, Elizabeth.Funk@austintexas.gov, Watershed Protection Department, for additional information; TTY users route through …
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION REGULAR CALLED MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, September 17, 2025 The Environmental Commission convened in a Regular meeting on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive in Austin, Texas. Chair Bristol called the Environmental Commission Meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Jennifer Bristol, Mariana Krueger, Richard Brimer, Annie Fierro, Justin Fleury, Martin Luecke, David Sullivan Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Haris Qureshi Commissioners Absent: Isabella Changsut, Ashika Ganguly PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Craig Nazor, on mowing of Grow Zones Corbin Graham, Travis County Landfill concerns APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Environmental Commission Regular Meeting on September 3rd, 2025. The minutes of the Environmental Commission Regular Meeting on September 3, 2025 were approved on Commissioner Krueger’s motion, Commissioner Sullivan’s second on a 6-0 vote. Commissioners Changsut and Ganguly were absent. Commissioner Qureshi and Luecke were off the dais. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Thank Commissioner Cofer for her service to the Environmental Commission – Liz Johnston, Environmental Officer, Watershed Protection Item conducted as posted. No action taken. 3. Presentation of Development Assessment Report for 1404 East Riverside Drive, located at 1400 ½ and 1404 East Riverside Drive, CD-2025-0002 (District 3). Applicant: Amanda Swor, Drenner Group. Staff: Marcelle Boudreaux, Planning Department, and Leslie Lilly, Environmental Program Manager, Watershed Protection Department 1 Speakers: Marcelle Boudreaux, Planning Amanda Swor, speaking on behalf if the applicant Liz Johnston, Environmental Officer (WPD) Cliff Schaefer, KW, Landscape architect Sam Pheiffer, Kimley-Horn, Civil Engineer Axel Weisheit, Ziegler Cooper Item conducted as posted. No action taken. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 4. Presentation and possible recommendation on Staff’s response to Council Resolution 20241121-073, related to Bird-Friendly design – Leslie Lilly, Environmental Conservation Program Manager, Watershed Protection Department. Speakers: Leslie Lilly, WPD Craig Nazor, Sierra Club Roy Wayley Garrett Jaynes, Austin Energy Green Building A motion to recommend staff’s recommendations with an additional recommendation passed on Commissioner Bristol’s motion, Commissioner Krueger’s second on an 8–0 vote. Commissioners Ganguly and Changsut were absent. STAFF BRIEFINGS 5. Staff briefing on Austin Water’s Wildlands – Sherri Kuhl, Environmental Resource Officer, and Justin Bates, Environmental Conservation Division Manager, Austin Water Item conducted as posted. No action taken. 6. Staff briefing on a change to the Austin Parks and Recreation Concessions Policy to create Legacy Concessions – Idella Wilson, Contract Management Specialist IV, Austin Parks and Recreation Item conducted as posted. No action taken. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Commissioner Sullivan requested an …
2026 Environmental Commission DRAFT Meeting Schedule Permitting and Development Center (PDC) Events Center Room 1405, 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive, Austin, Texas 78752 6:00 pm • January 21 • February 11 • February 25 • March 4 • April 1 (first day of Passover) • April 15 • May 6 • May 20 • June 3 • June 17 • July 1 • July 15: tentative, hold for EVC retreat • August 5 • August 19 • September 2 • September 16 • October 7 • October 21 • November 4 • November 18 • December 2
Technical Advisory Review Panel | Green Infrastructure Working Group Austin Roadmap for Advancing Green Infrastructure in the Right-of-Way This report is a product of the Technical Advisory Review Panel (TARP) – Green Infrastructure Working Group Facilitated by Austin Transportation & Public WorksSeptember 2025 WHY Street Trees Matter in Austin Austin’s streets are critical public spaces that must balance safety, utility reliability, and climate resilience. Street trees are vital infrastructure to achieving that balance. This initiative reframes trees as essential public infrastructure and integrates them into planning, utility coordination, permitting, and design from the outset so that tree needs are consistently addressed to deliver safer, healthier, and more resilient streets for all Austinites. Benefits of Street Trees Council Resolution No 20240321-039 Heat Mitigation Safety Air Quality Public & Mental Health Climate Resilience Review and identify barriers to installation and maintenance of green infrastructure Develop recommendations for modifying existing codes, criteria manuals, and regulations Coordinate with relevant departments to align standard and practices with the goal of enhancing green infrastructure Work with the Technical Advisory Review Panel Economic & Public Resource Value Water Quality & Flood Management (TARP) Ecosystem Benefits Process Process These recommendations are a product of the Technical Advisory Review Panel (TARP) TARP Stakeholder recommended actions for facilitating street trees within Austin's rights-of- way CITY AND DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP * *Staff review and evaluation of TARP recommendations are ongoing Technical Advisory Review Panel Green Infrastructure Working Group Department Staff: Austin Development Services Austin Energy Austin Parks and Recreation Austin Planning Austin Transit Partnership Austin Transportation and Public Works Austin Water Austin Watershed Protection Development Professionals: Arborholic Bartlett Coleman and Associates Entellus HNTB Lionheart McCann Adams Studio Nora Engineering Stanley Studios TBG Partners Consultant Team: AECOM Urbinden 1 2 3 Involve the rules, codes, and standardsthat restrict or complicate greeninfrastructure in the right-of-wayInvolve challenges in securingapprovals, permits, and meetingrequirementsRelate to institutional challenges suchas coordination, structure, andresource allocationREGULATORY FOUNDATIONSPolicy and manual updates to removeobstacles and support right-of-waydesign frameworksStreamline permits and procedures foreasier green infrastructureimplementationPROCESS IMPROVEMENTSIntegrate green infrastructure intocapital projects and improvement plansCAPITAL PLANNING &PROJECTSEstablish funding, tools, andprocedures for ongoing managementof assetsMAINTENANCEBARRIER IDENTIFICATIONPRECEDENTS & BEST PRACTICES RECOMMENDED ACTIONSAssessed the main challenges toplanting and maintaining streettrees in Austin’s right-of-wayReviewed how other citiesovercame similar challengesthrough policy, permitting,and funding strategiesThe final phase findings intoactionable recommendationstailored to Austin, organizedinto four categoriesREGULATORY BARRIERSPERMITTING BARRIERSPROGRAMMATIC BARRIERS REGULATORY FOUNDATIONS PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS MAINTENANCE CAPITAL PLANNING & PROJECTS TARP-RECOMMENDED SEQUENCE Regulatory Foundations Transportation/Right-of-Way …
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20251001-006 Date: October 01, 2025 Subject: Travis County Landfill permit #684 leakage Motion by: David Sullivan Second by: Whereas, a Travis County Landfill in NE Austin has been shown to be leaking into Walnut Creek, THEREFORE, the Environmental Commission requests that the Watershed Protection Dept. and Travis County conduct water quality monitoring upstream and downstream of the point of leakage so as to gauge the extent of contamination and communicate the findings to the City Council and County Commissioners; furthermore, if contamination is found and not addressed, then the monitoring results will be released to the local TV stations, newspapers, and online news outlets. . Vote: For: Against: Abstain: Absent: Attest: 1 of 1
