Item 01 - Draft Minutes from August 20, 2025 Meeting — original pdf

Backup

WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION REGULAR CALLED MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, August 20, 2025 The Water and Wastewater Commission convened in a regular called meeting on July 16, 2025 at Waller Creek Center, 625 E 10th Street, Austin, Texas. Commission Members in Attendance: Chair Chris Maxwell-Gaines, William Moriarty (remote), Alex Navarro (remote), Alex Ortiz (remote), Shwetha Pandurangi, Mike Reyes, Vice Chair Marcela Tuñón, and Evan Wolstencroft Commission Members Absent: Amanda Marzullo, Jesse Penn, and Shannon Trilli Chair Maxwell-Gaines called the Water and Wastewater Commission to order at 4:04 p.m. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL No speakers were registered. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approval of minutes from the July 16th, 2025 regular meeting of the Water and Wastewater Commission. The minutes were approved on Commissioner Pandurangi’s motion and Vice Chair Tuñón’s second on an 8-0 vote with three absences. DISCUSSION AND ACTION 2. Recommend approval to authorize a contract for a biogas membrane for Austin Water with EWT Holdings III Corp d/b/a Evoqua Water Technologies LLC, for a one-time purchase in an amount not to exceed $767,357. Funding: $767,357 is available in the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Operating Budget of Austin Water. Recommended on Commissioner Wolstencroft’s motion and Vice Chair Tuñón’s second on an 8-0 vote with three absences. 3. Recommend approval to authorize an amendment to a contract for continued supervisory control and data acquisition equipment, software installation, and support services for Austin Water with Control Panels USA, Inc., to increase the amount by $1,100,000 for a revised total contract amount not to exceed $3,200,000. Funding: $1,028,733 is available in the Operating Budget of Austin Water, funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. Recommended on Commissioner Wolstencroft’s motion and Vice Chair Tuñón’s second on an 8-0 vote with three absences. 4. Recommend approval to authorize the negotiation and execution of a cost participation agreement with Lennar Homes of Texas Land & Construction, Ltd. for the City to reimburse the developer for an amount not to exceed $6,228,082.00 for costs associated with the design and construction of an oversized wastewater lift station, force main, and appurtenances related to Service Extension Request No. 5219R2 that will provide wastewater service to a proposed single-family development located at 13419 Gregg Manor Road. Funding is available in the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Capital Budget of Austin Water. Recommended on Commissioner Wolstencroft’s motion and Vice Chair Tuñón’s second on an 8-0 vote with three absences. Page 1 of 3 5. Recommend approval to authorize negotiation and execution of an agreement with Colorado River Alliance (the Alliance) to provide educational and engagement activities to equip Austin Water customers with knowledge and tools needed to protect the Texas Colorado River and support its long-term viability as the primary source of Austin’s water supply. Funding: Funding in the amount of $100,000 is included in the FY 25-26 Operating Budget of Austin Water. Funding for remaining contract terms is subject to availability in future budgets. Recommended on Commissioner Pandurangi’s motion and Commissioner Wolstencroft’s second on an 8-0 vote with three absences. 6. Recommend approval to authorize negotiation and execution of a financing agreement with the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) for a 20-year low-interest loan in the amount of $3,000,000 as part of the TWDB’s State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) loan program, for Austin Water’s polybutylene pipe replacement project (also known as the Municipal Conservation Project). Funding is contingent upon available funding in future Austin Water budgets. Recommended on Commissioner Wolstencroft’s motion and Vice Chair Tuñón’s second on an 8-0 vote with three absences. 7. Recommend approval to authorize negotiation and execution of a financing agreement with the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) for a low-interest loan in the amount of $10,000,000 as part of the TWDB’s State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) loan program, for Austin Water’s Travis Heights Reclaimed Water Main project (also known as the Direct Reuse Strategy Project). Funding is contingent upon available funding in future Austin Water budgets. Recommended on Commissioner Wolstencroft’s motion and Vice Chair Tuñón’s second on an 8-0 vote with three absences. 8. Recommend approval to authorize a contract for Baseform software and support services for Austin Water with Baseform, Inc., d/b/a Baseform for an initial term of one year with up to four one-year extension options in an amount not to exceed $921,500. Funding: $30,717 is available in the Operating Budget of Austin Water, funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets. Recommended on Commissioner Wolstencroft’s motion and Vice Chair Tuñón’s second on an 8-0 vote with three absences. 9. Recommend approval to authorize a contract for construction services for the West 35th Street Water and Wastewater Pipeline Renewal for Capital Delivery Services with Santa Clara Construction, LTD., in the amount of $1,928,531 plus a $192,854 contingency for a total contract amount not to exceed $2,121,385. Funding: $1,497,983 is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Water, and $623,402 is available in the Capital Budget of the Watershed Protection Department. Recommended on Commissioner Wolstencroft’s motion and Vice Chair Tuñón’s second on an 8-0 vote with three absences. STAFF BRIEFINGS 10. Briefing on Austin Water’s quarterly report on Water Management Strategy Implementation for Q2 - Austin Water Conservation Division Manager Kevin Kluge and Assistant Director Kevin Critendon presented and answered questions. COMMITTEE UPDATES 11. Update from the Joint Sustainability Committee meeting regarding conservation and sustainability initiatives. – Chair Maxwell-Gaines provided an update. 12. Update from the Austin Integrated Water Resource Planning Community Task Force meeting regarding Water Forward Plan implementation. – Commissioner Moriarty was off the dais and did not provide an update. Page 2 of 3 FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Discussion of future agenda items. Commissioner Pandurangi requested a deeper dive on reclaimed water, onsite reuse and other water supply strategies. Commissioner Ortiz requested a briefing on Austin Water’s broader communications programs such as the MyATX Water smart meter program, Colorado River Alliance partnership, and other initiatives. Chair Maxwell-Gaines added a request for data on outreach and advertising done through media outlets. ADJOURNMENT Chair Maxwell-Gaines adjourned the meeting at 5:03p.m. Page 3 of 3