20260603-001, Draft Meeting Minutes May 20, 2026 — original pdf

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ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MINUTES REGULAR MEETING WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2026 The Environmental Commission convened in a regular meeting on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at the Permitting and Development Center, Room 1405, located at 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive in Austin, Texas. Chair Kruger called the Environmental Commission Meeting to order at 6:02 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Mariana Krueger, Chair Haris Qureshi, Secretary Annie Fierro Justin Fleury Allison Morrison David Sullivan Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Richard Brimer Isabella Changsut PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None present. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Environmental Commission Regular Meeting on May 6, 2026. The minutes from the Environmental Commission Regular Meeting on May 6, 2026, were approved on Commissioner Sullivan’s motion, Secretary Qureshi’s second, on a 6-0 vote. Commissioners Changsut and Fierro were off the dais. Vice Chair Bristol and Commissioner Luecke were absent. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. Discussion and action to approve a recommendation regarding potential environmental impacts of the MoPac South Project, as presented to the Environmental Commission on May 6, 2026. The motion to approve a recommendation to Council regarding potential environmental impacts of the MoPac South Project was approved on Secretary Qureshi’s motion, 1 Commissioner Sullivan’s second, on a 7-0 vote. Commissioner Changsut was off the dais. Vice Chair Bristol and Commissioner Luecke were absent. 3. Discussion and action to approve a recommendation to Council regarding the Barton Springs Road Bridge Project, as presented to the Environmental Commission on May 6, 2026. The motion to approve a recommendation to Council regarding the Barton Springs Road Bridge Project was approved with the following amendments on Secretary Qureshi’s motion, Commissioner Sullivan’s second, on an 8-0 vote. Vice Chair Bristol and Commissioner Luecke were absent. The following amendment was made by Commissioner Changsut, seconded by Commissioner Brimer, and approved on an 8-0 vote. Vice Chair Bristol and Commissioner Luecke were absent. The amendment was to include the following addition to the main motion: • Deputize a public liaison for this project, create an easy-to-use online, public portal with relevant project documents (including the full Environmental Impact report), and hold more frequent, targeted meetings in the community for continued stakeholder engagement. The following amendment was made by Commissioner Brimer, seconded by Commissioner Sullivan, and approved on an 8-0 vote. Vice Chair Bristol and Commissioner Luecke were absent. The amendment was to include the following addition to the main motion: • Include a full environmental impact report, which includes relocating utility/gas lines and other additional construction that would be needed for entirely replacing the Barton Springs Bridge. 4. 5. Discussion and action to approve a recommendation to Council to purchase property located at 6202 and 6204 Caddie Street, 1600, 1604, 1606, 1608, 1610, 1612, and 1614 Montopolis Drive, and 6205, 6211, and 6215 Fairway Street. Presented by Susana Almanza and Carlos Pinon, Poder. Sponsors: Vice Chair Bristol and Secretary Qureshi. The motion to approve a recommendation to Council to purchase property located at 6202 and 6204 Caddie Street, 1600, 1604, 1606, 1608, 1610, 1612, and 1614 Montopolis Drive, and 6205, 6211, and 6215 Fairway Street was approved on Secretary Qureshi’s motion, Commissioner Sullivan’s second, on an 8-0 vote. Vice Chair Bristol and Commissioner Luecke were absent. Discussion and action to approve a recommendation to Council regarding implementation of efficient, local, natural gas-powered peaker generation units as part of Austin Energy’s Resource, Generation, and Climate Protection Plan to 2035. Sponsors: Vice Chair Bristol and Secretary Qureshi. The motion to approve a recommendation to Council regarding implementation of efficient, local, natural gas-powered peaker generation units as part of Austin Energy’s Resource, Generation, and Climate Protection Plan to 2035 was approved on Secretary 2 Qureshi’s motion, Commissioner Sullivan’s second, on an 8-0 vote. Vice Chair Bristol and Commissioner Luecke were absent. The following amendment was made by Commissioner Brimer, seconded by Secretary Qureshi, and approved on an 8-0 vote. Vice Chair Bristol and Commissioner Luecke were absent. The amendment was to include the following addition to the main motion: • Direct the city manager to conduct an independent economic analysis to evaluate the feasibility of implementing zero emissions technologies and energy management (such as having Austin Energy build solar panels on residential and commercial properties that they can generate energy from) compared to gas peakers, including the financial impacts of the added greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution. The following amendment was made by Secretary Qureshi, seconded by Commissioner Sullivan, and approved on an 8-0 vote. Vice Chair Bristol and Commissioner Luecke were absent. The amendment was to include the following addition to the main motion: • Direct the city manager to conduct an independent environmental impact analysis on developing these gas peaker facilities versus implementing zero emissions technologies and energy management The following amendment was made by Chair Krueger, seconded by Secretary Qureshi, and approved on an 8-0 vote. Vice Chair Bristol and Commissioner Luecke were absent. The amendment was to include the following addition to the main motion: • Reject the authorization of Austin Energy to develop and execute any contract to purchase gas peaker power generation COMMITTEE UPDATES 6. Update from the Urban Forestry Committee regarding the meeting on May 13, 2026. The update was given by Commissioner Brimer. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS None. ADJOURNMENT Chair Krueger adjourned the meeting at 7:45 p.m. without objection. 3