1. 032625 JSC Meeting Minutes for Approval — original pdf

Backup

JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE REGULAR MEETING MEETING MINUTES March 26, 2025 The Joint Sustainability Committee convened in a hybrid meeting via videoconferencing and at Austin Energy Headquarters. Board Members in Attendance in Person: Anna Scott, Haris Qureshi, Kaiba White, Charlotte Davis Board Members in Attendance Remotely: Heather Houser, Christopher Campbell, Marissa Bell, Lane Becker, Rodrigo Leal, Melissa Rothrock, Yure Suarez Board Members Absent: Chris Maxwell-Gaines, Amy Noel, Chris Crookham, Alberta Phillips, Diana Wheeler City Staff in Attendance: Rohan Lilauwala, Braden Latham-Jones, Michelle Marx CALL TO ORDER Chair Kaiba White called the meeting to order at 6:29 pm. Public Communication • Adam Greenfield on item 2, in favor of the Austin Core Transportation Plan. Suggestion to convert all remaining one-way streets to two-way streets. Also in support of protected bike lanes, bus lanes, trees. • Scott Johnson speaks in favor of low-carbon concrete and residential landscape incentive program. • Zenobia Joseph speaking in opposition to light rail plans on civil rights grounds. 1. Approval of minutes from the February 26th, 2025 meeting of the Joint Sustainability Committee. • Qureshi motion, Scott second, passes on a 10-0 vote (Suarez off dais). DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Austin Core Transportation Plan Update – Michelle Marx, Transportation and Public Works Department. • Qureshi – does this change transit routing? Marx – CapMetro has provided info on routing that has been incorporated into the plan. • White – should JSC consider recommendation to maximize one-way to two-way conversions. Marx – not a panacea for improving safety. With tight intersection spacing in East Downtown, allows for signal coordination to reduce speeds. Context dependent – would work in places with wide streets, widely spaced intersections. 3. CapMetro Sustainability Updates – David Carr, CapMetro • Qureshi – can you comment on lack of electric buses on new rapid routes? Carr – Proterra bankruptcy has affected commissioning of new buses. New Flyer buses in service now. Charging infrastructure still being installed – especially in-route charging. • White – why is CapMetro backing away from electric bus purchases? Carr – very expensive. MetroRapid costs being covered by grants and other sources. Range performance capabilities aren’t there yet. • Carr – issues with a lack of parts and service from Proterra. New company has taken over – CapMetro pause until they catch up with servicing and parts. Nationwide issue. • Rothrock - can charging infrastructure be shared? Carr – theoretically, yes. New buses use pantograph chargers (tech not readily available). 450kw charging – does not exist for commercial vehicles. Overnight at 60kw charging possible but might take all day. Could be used for small vehicles. • White – is CapMetro coordinating with ARR on plans to electrify garbage trucks. Carr – different types of vehicles, duty cycles, technologies. Opportunities for some synergies, but not at the moment. Discussions with AISD, airport, etc. happening. 4. Internal Climate and Efficiency Revolving Fund Proposal – Rohan Lilauwala, Office of Climate Action and Resilience. • Davis, White – how are savings measured? Lilauwala – by certified energy manager. SOP to keep fund robust and healthy over time. • White – could things like refrigerants be paid for? Lilauwala – projects need to have savings/revenue to keep the fund capitalized. • Campbell – would it need funding every year? Lilauwala – theoretically, seed funding could sustain it for a long time. • Scott – what is amount needed? Lilauwala – comprehensive climate implementation plan has the number at $5 million seed funding. 7. Recommendation on the Austin Core Transportation Plan. • Scott – feels safer on two-way streets. • Bell amendment – exploring additional one-way to two-way conversion of streets– no objections to friendly amendment, approved • Davis amendment another be it resolved ‘ACT plan includes protected bike lanes in both directions on all downtown streets’– no objections to friendly amendment, approved • Qureshi motion, Davis second, passes 11-0. 8. Recommendation on Internal Climate and Efficiency Revolving Fund Proposal. • Item skipped, embedded in Sustainable Buildings recommendations. 9. JSC Sustainable Buildings Working Group FY 25/26 Budget Recommendations. • White motion, Scott second. Amendment to clarify all FTE asks to be annual. Amendment to fix typo. No objections. • Passes 11-0. 10. JSC Consumption Working Group FY 25/26 Budget Recommendations. • Davis motion, Qureshi second. Amendment to clarify first sustainable purchasing recommendation so FTE ask is annual – no objections. Amendment to strike food hub recommendation – no objections. Passes 10-0 with Bell abstaining. 11. JSC Natural Systems Working Group FY 25/26 Budget Recommendations. • Davis motion, Becker second. Amendment to remove ACCC recommendation, to be considered in cross-sectoral recommendations – no objections. Passes 11-0. 12. JSC Transportation Working Group FY 25/26 Budget Recommendations. • Davis motion, Leal second. Amendment to clarify that FTE costs are annual – no objection. Amendment to change Project manager position to $110,000 and Resilience coordinator position to $90,000 annually – no objection. • Zenobia Joseph – public comment; speaking in favor of equitable transportation infrastructure. • Amendment to add ‘and that have been historically disinvested in the Eastern Crescent’ after ‘tree canopy cover’ – no objection. Amendment to add numbers to each recommendation – no objection. • Passes 11-0 13. JSC Cross Sector Working Group FY 25/26 Budget Recommendations. • Amendment to clarify that all costs are annual expenditures, amendment to correct Office of Sustainability name – no objection. • White motion, Bell second. Passes 11-0. 6. Water and Wastewater Commission update on recent approvals that affect water conservations efforts. – Chris Maxwell-Gaines • Item skipped 7. Environmental Commission updates on PARD Concessions Report Presentation, Austin Energy Green Building Program overview and WPD FY25 Budget, programs, and projects. – Haris Qureshi. • Summary of updates from Environmental Commission FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS • ADJOURNMENT White adjourned meeting at 9:15 pm with no objections.