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UH, WELCOME TO THE INITIAL MEETING OF THE, UH, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES COMMITTEE.
I'M THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE.
UH, THIS IS GOING TO BE KIND OF AN INTRODUCTORY MEETING.
AND SO, UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND START OFF IF WE CAN, WITH A ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GO THROUGH, UH, AN AGENDA, BUT BEFORE WE DO, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH US TODAY, SINCE THIS IS AN INTRODUCTORY MEETING, AND WE HAVE ASKED FOR CITY STAFF AND STAFF FROM OUR UTILITIES TO JOIN US FOR THIS MEETING.
I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE EVERYBODY TAKE A MOMENT TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.
I KNOW IT CAN BE A LITTLE DIFFICULT, SO WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND CALL OUT YOUR NAME AND HAVE YOU JUST ACKNOWLEDGE YOU'RE HERE AND TELL US, UH, WHETHER YOU REPRESENT, UM, A DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY OR WHETHER YOU REPRESENT, UH, ONE OF THE UTILITIES.
AND I'M JUST GONNA LOOK AT MY SCREEN AND IT STARTS WITH, UH, JAIME CASTILLO.
COULD YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF, PLEASE? SURE.
I'M, UH, CHIEF OF STAFF AND VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS SUPPORT, WHICH INCLUDES FLEET AND FACILITIES.
I'M THE, UH, VICE PRESIDENT OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE WITH SAS.
I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL FOR SAS.
I AM THE CHIEF GRETA GRID OPTIMIZATION AND RESILIENCY OFFICER FOR C P S ENERGY.
WE'RE ALMOST VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS EXTERNAL AFFAIRS WITH SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM.
UH, THIS IS ROBERT PUENTE, PRESIDENT AND C O OF SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM.
AND A SPECIAL HELLO TO VERONICA.
WE WERE PARENTS AT THE SAME SCHOOL.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE A LOT OF YOUR STAFF HAVE MADE THIS FIRST MEETING.
NEXT ON MY LIST IS RUDY GARZA.
UH, GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN.
I'M THE CHIEF CUSTOMER AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT OFFICER AT C P S ENERGY AND, UH, PROUD DISTRICT NINE RESIDENT.
CHAIRMAN RUSSELL HUFF, ASSISTANT PUBLIC UTILITIES DIRECTOR.
I WORK FOR TROY ELLIOTT IN FINANCE.
I AM, I'M A SENIOR DIRECTOR IN POWER SUSTAINABILITY AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT.
I, WHAT'S TONIGHT? TROY BALLOW.
I SEE TROY'S WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
UM, GOOD MORNING CHAIR COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
MY NAME'S TROY ELLIOTT, AND I'M THE DEPUTY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
I'M VERONICA CARILLO IN THE CITY'S, UH, COVID 19 EXECUTIVE OFFICER.
UM, I THINK I'VE COVERED EVERYBODY I COULD SEE ON MY LIST.
BEN GOEL, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
I ALSO SERVE AS THE CITY'S PUBLIC UTILITY SUPERVISOR.
SO MY STAFF WORKS VERY CLOSELY WITH BOTH OF THE UTILITIES ON SEVERAL ISSUES.
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OKAY.I DON'T KNOW IF I MENTIONED, UH, AURORA PERKINS.
COREY KOSKI WITH C P S ENERGY.
I APPRECIATE THE TIME THIS MORNING.
HI, I AM KAMELA KAU WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
I'M THE C F O OF SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH YOU THIS MORNING.
I'M FRANK ALMARAZ, THE CHIEF POWER SUSTAINABILITY AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER FOR C P S ENERGY, UH, AND, UH, ALSO A, A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT NINE.
UH, CHAIRMAN CUR, UH, FRED BOWELL, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER FOR C P S ENERGY AND ALSO A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT ONE, UH, GAR WILLIAMS. GOOD MORNING CHAIRMAN.
I'M GAR WILLIAMS. I'M WITH C P S ENERGY, MY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GRID OPTIMIZATION AND RESILIENCY.
NOW, I'M QUITE SURE THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE, UH, JOINED IN.
I INTRODUCED MYSELF FIRST UP, BUT I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL FOR THE SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM.
UH, LET'S SEE, WHO ELSE? PAUL BARN.
UH, I'M THE, UH, CHIEF GRID OPTIMIZATION AND RESILIENCY OFFICER FOR C P S.
UH, SHANNON ALBERT, I DON'T THINK I'VE INTRODUCED YOU YET.
UH, SHANNON ALBERT, VICE PRESIDENT OF ACCOUNTING FOR C P S ENERGY.
UH, NOW I'LL JUST OPEN IT UP IF THERE'S ANYONE THAT, UH, HAS NOT BEEN INTRODUCED YET.
PLEASE GO AHEAD AND, UH, INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
UH, CHAIRMAN, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
I JUST WANTED TO CHECK AUDIO 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK IT WAS WORKING.
SORRY TO SKIP YOU, OUR CITY ATTORNEY.
I SEE WE HAVE CAROL AND BOY, THAT'S A HARD NUMBER FOR ME TO SIT.
CAROL, COULD YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF? WELL, THAT'S OKAY.
ANYWAY, UH, I JUST WANTED TO GET A FEEL FOR, UH, ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE, UH, JOINED US TODAY SINCE IT IS AN INITIAL MEETING.
UH, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THIS COMMITTEE WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE, THE MAYOR.
AND, UH, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, THE ACTUAL COMMITTEE ITSELF AND HOW IT'S BEEN SET UP.
OUR GOAL IS TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF THE PUBLIC AND LIMIT THE POTENTIAL SPREAD OF C OVID 19.
SO THE MUNICIPAL UTILITIES COMMITTEE IS HOLDING THIS MEETING IN A VIDEO CONFERENCE.
UH, AND SO THE MEETING STANDARDS ARE BASED UPON VARIOUS SUSPENDED PROVISIONS OF THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT ISSUED BY THE TEXAS GOVERNOR IN RESPONSE TO THE C OVID 19 CRISIS.
THESE MODIFIED STANDARDS SHALL REMAIN IN PLACE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, UNTIL THE STATE, UH, DISASTER DECLARATION EXPIRES OR IS OTHERWISE TERMINATED BY THE TEXAS GOVERNOR, WHICH IS WHY WE ARE MEETING HERE TODAY.
UH, AND IT IS A VIRTUAL MEETING.
SO, UH, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND BEGIN BY, UM, JUST LETTING YOU KNOW OUR AGENDA TODAY.
UH, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND DO A BRIEF HISTORY AND OF THE, UH, GOVERNANCE OF THE CITY'S MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITIES.
AND THAT MEANS WE'RE GONNA LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT C P S ENERGY AND THE SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEMS, HOW THEY WERE ESTABLISHED, UH, AND A FEW FUNCTIONS, UH, ABOUT THEM IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY.
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THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BRIEFING ON WINTER STORM ERIE, INCLUDING THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE ON, UH, PREPAREDNESS REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS.AND THAT'LL BE MORE OF A DISCUSSION.
AND FINALLY, WE'LL DO A BRIEFING, UH, AND WE'LL ASK THE UTILITIES TO HELP US WITH THESE ON PASS DUE AMOUNTS FOR UTILITY DELINQUENCIES AND DISCONNECTIONS AND REINSTATEMENT PLANS FOR BOTH UTILITIES.
SO THAT IS OUR AGENDA FOR TODAY.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND ASK BEN GOEL TO BEGIN HIS PRESENTATION.
HOPEFULLY SOME OF YOU HAD RECEIVED, UH, THIS PRESENTATION IN ADVANCE, BUT, UH, HE WILL BE GOING THROUGH IT.
ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, MELISSA VARDA HAS MADE IT.
WELL, GOOD MORNING, UH, CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH YOU THIS MORNING.
AND BEFORE I JUMP INTO THE PRESENTATION, IF YOU DON'T MIND, JUST A COUPLE OF HOUSEKEEPING THINGS.
ONE, UM, I THINK THAT WE HAVE SET ON OUR CALENDARS THAT THIS COMMITTEE WILL MEET EVERY, UH, THE FOURTH TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH.
UH, SO THAT'LL BE OUR REGULAR AND RECURRING MEETING GOING FORWARD.
UH, I DID ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, BASED ON OUR CONVERSATIONS CHAIR, I KNOW YOUR GOAL IS TO GET THE AGENDA FOR THIS COMMITTEE MEETING OUT A WEEK IN ADVANCE, AND TO MAKE SURE ALL THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATIONS ARE OUT TO COMMITTEE MEMBERS AT LEAST 72 HOURS IN ADVANCE.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WE DIDN'T GET THAT DONE ON THIS ONE.
THIS WAS OUR, UH, FIRST MEETING AND WE'RE A LITTLE BIT BEHIND THE CURVE HERE.
BUT THAT'LL BE OUR GOAL GOING FORWARD.
AND ACTUALLY, WE'RE GONNA PUSH A LITTLE BIT MORE.
WE WANT TO TRY TO GET THE AGENDA OUT TO THE COMMITTEE ALONG WITH ALL THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE.
THAT'LL BE OUR GOAL, SO THAT YOU ALL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO REVIEW MATERIAL BEFORE WE COME TO THE COMMITTEE MEETING.
SO, I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE THAT PUTS OUT THE WORD TO OUR UTILITIES THAT IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS OR WE NEED INFORMATION, UH, THEY UNDERSTAND WE WANT THAT WELL IN ADVANCE OF OUR MEETING.
SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT, BEN.
KEVIN, COULD YOU BRING UP THE FIRST PRESENTATION? ALRIGHT.
[1. Briefing on the history and governance of the City’s municipally owned utilities – CPS Energy and the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) [Ben Gorzell Jr., Chief Financial Officer; Troy Elliott, Deputy Chief Financial Officer]]
SO IN THIS FIRST ITEM, WE'RE JUST GONNA SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF, UH, C P SS ENERGY AND SAWS, AND TOUCH ON, UH, SOME OF THE GOVERNANCE ASPECTS AS WELL.SO WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL, LET'S START WITH CITY COUNCIL OVERSIGHT.
CITY COUNCIL RETAINS OVERSIGHT OVER THE APPROVAL OF RATES AND CHARGES FOR BOTH UTILITIES, THE ISSUANCE OF DEBT FOR BOTH UTILITIES, AS WELL AS CONDEMNATION APPROVAL.
UH, YOU ALSO HAVE, THE COUNCIL ALSO HAS APPROVAL OVER, UH, BOARD MEMBERS FOR C P S ENERGY AND SAWS, ALTHOUGH THE PROCESSES WORK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FOR EACH.
AND WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE ON SUBSEQUENT SLIDES.
AND THEN THE MAYOR OF, UH, UH, OF THE CITY DOES SERVE AS THE EX OFFICIO MEMBER ON BOTH BOARDS.
SO IF WE TALK ABOUT C P SS ENERGY IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL, UH, JUST SOME HISTORY HERE.
THE CITY ACQUIRED, UH, THE SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY IN 1942 FROM THE AMERICAN LIGHT AND TRACTION COMPANY.
UM, THAT HAS EVOLVED OVER TIME AND GROWN INTO WHAT WE KNOW TODAY AS C P SS ENERGY.
THEY DO SERVE, UH, 800 OVER ALMOST 900,000 ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS AND OVER 350,000 NATURAL GAS CUSTOMERS IN LARGELY THE BEXAR COUNTY AREA IS PRIMARILY THEIR SERVICE TERRITORY, ALTHOUGH THEY DO HAVE, UH, SERVICE INTO THE EIGHT SURROUNDING COUNTIES AS WELL.
UM, A A LITTLE BIT OUTSIDE OF BEAR COUNTY AS A MUNICIPAL UTILITY, C P S IS EXEMPT FROM THE PAYMENT OF INCOME TAXES, STATE FRANCHISE TAXES, OR USE TAXES AS WELL AS REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES.
UH, IN TERMS OF THE GOVERNANCE, UH, WHEN THE CITY ACQUIRED, UH, UH, WHAT IS NOW C P S ENERGY, UH, THE, ESSENTIALLY THE BYLAWS, IF YOU WILL, THERE ARE NO SPECIFIC BYLAWS.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY CONTAINED IN THE BOND INDENTURES.
SO EVERY TIME THE CITY ISSUES BONDS WITHIN THOSE DOCUMENTS IT OUT, IT OUTLINES THE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE FOR C P S ENERGY.
IN THOSE DOCUMENTS, THE COMPLETE MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL OF THE SYSTEM IS, IS VESTED IN THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
THAT BOARD IS COMPRISED OF FIVE MEMBERS.
AND I MENTIONED THE MAYOR IS ON THE BOARD AS AN EX OFFICIO MEMBER.
BASICALLY, BASICALLY IN HIS ROLE AS THE MAYOR OF SAN ANTONIO, HE SERVES, UH, IN AN EX OFFICIO POSITION ON THE BOARD.
THERE ARE, UH, OUTSIDE OF THE MAYOR, THERE ARE FOUR OTHER, UH, BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE SELECTED FROM GEOGRAPHIC, UH, QUADRANTS ACROSS THE CITY FROM NORTHEAST, NORTHWEST, NORTHWEST, SOUTHEAST, AND SOUTHWEST.
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UNDER THE BOND INDENTURES.BASED ON OUR OWNERSHIP OF C P S ENERGY, UH, THE CITY CAN RECEIVE UP TO 14% OF, OF C P S ENERGY'S GROSS REVENUE.
TO PUT THAT IN CONTEXT FOR YOU, FOR FY 22, OUR PROJECTED PAYMENT FROM C P S AT $361.2 MILLION OR 27% OF OUR CITY'S GENERAL FUND.
AGAIN, THE GENERAL FUND, UM, IS WHERE A LOT OF THE BASIC CITY SERVICES ARE FUNDED.
THINGS LIKE POLICE, FIRE PARKS, UH, STREET MAINTENANCE LIBRARIES.
SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT THOSE BASIC CORE, UH, CITY SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE, THAT'S WHAT'S COMING OUT OF OUR GENERAL FUND.
AND 27% OF THAT FUNDING AND F Y 22 IS ANTICIPATED TO COME FROM C P S ENERGY.
UH, IF WE JUST TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT THE BOARD ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
THIS IS OUR CURRENT, UH, MAKEUP OF THE BOARD.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, THE MAYOR THERE AS THE EX OFFICIO, UH, MEMBER.
AND THEN YOU SEE EACH OF THE MEMBERS LISTED THERE FOR THE FOUR QUADRANTS THAT I MENTIONED.
UM, I THINK YOU'RE AWARE THAT, UM, UH, MR. ED KELLY, UH, UH, HIS TERM IS EXPIRING AT THE END OF THIS COMING JANUARY.
SO C P S ENERGY IS GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS CURRENTLY.
SO THAT'LL BE SOMETHING THE COUNCIL WILL BE TAKING UP, UH, UH, IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
SO IN TERMS OF BOARD VACANCIES AND HOW THOSE ARE FILLED, GET TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO IN TERMS OF THAT PROCESS, WHILE THAT NEXT SLIDE IS COMING UP, UM, THE WAY THIS WORKS FOR UNDER THE C P S, UH, PROCESS, AND THIS IS CONTAINED, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S CONTAINED IN THE, IN, IN THE INDENTURE, UM, A NOMINEE TO FILL A VACANCY IS ELECTED BY THE MAJORITY VOTE OF THE REMAINING MEMBERS ON THE BOARD, INCLUDING THE MAYOR.
SO IN THIS CASE, THE C P S ENERGY BOARD, THE REMAINING, UH, BOARD BOARD MEMBERS ALONG WITH THE MAYOR WOULD ELECT A NOMINEE.
BUT BASICALLY BEN, A MAJORITY VOTE.
MAY I, UH, WE'VE LOST THE CONNECTION HERE AT THE, AT AT, UH, MY FEED.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF THE OTHER, UH, PARTICIPANTS HAVE LOST THEIR CONNECTION OR IF THEY'RE HEARING YOU.
LET ME ASK, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, ADRIANA ROCHA GARCIA, CAN YOU HEAR BEN'S PRESENTATION? I CAN HEAR BEN.
AND IT'S STILL ON THE SLIDE WITH ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS' NAMES.
OKAY, THEN APPARENTLY IT'S JUST HERE IN OUR OFFICE.
I'VE, UH, I CAN GO AHEAD AND HEAR IT NOW 'CAUSE I'VE OPENED UP, UH, MY LAPTOP.
SO GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE AND WE'LL TRY AND DO CORRECTIONS ON OUR END OF THE, UH, THE PROBLEM IS THOUGH, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SHOW THE REST OF THE PRESENTATION THAT BEN'S GOING THROUGH.
ALL RIGHT, SIR, I'LL, UH, I'LL JUST RECAP HERE AGAIN ON BOARD VACANCY.
SO THE PROCESS HERE IS, UM, OUTLINED AGAIN IN THE INDENTURE AND IN THIS CASE IN TERMS OF HOW VACANCIES ARE FILLED FOR THE C P S BOARD.
UM, THEY ARE ELECTED BY A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE REMAINING MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, INCLUDING THE MAYOR.
AND THAT NOMINEE, ONCE IT IS SELECTED BY THE BOARD, IS FORWARDED TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR CONFIRMATION.
AND THE COUNCIL'S ROLE IS TO EITHER CONFIRM THAT NOMINEE OR REJECT THAT NOMINEE.
IF THAT NOMINEE WERE REJECTED, IT WOULD GO BACK TO THE C P S BOARD.
AND, UM, AND WE WOULD THEN GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS AGAIN, AND THEY WOULD THEN FORWARD ANOTHER NOMINEE TO THE COUNCIL.
I JUST WANNA CONFIRM, SHERRY, UH, I, I, I DON'T SEE YOUR SIGNAL THERE.
UH, THE BOARD MEMBERS SERVE FIVE YEAR TERMS, AND THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR TWO FIVE YEAR TERMS, UH, IF THEY'RE REAPPOINTED BY THE BOARD AND THE COUNCIL.
AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES HAS ALL OF THE POWERS, UH, UH, RELATED TO THE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF THE SYSTEM.
THEY ARE THERE TO PERFORM ALL COVENANTS, UNDERTAKINGS, AND AGREEMENTS FROM THE BOND ORDINANCES.
BASICALLY, THEY, THEY ARE RUNNING OPERATIONS OF THE UTILITIES.
THAT IS THE WAY IT IS SET UP AND ESTABLISHED.
AND I MENTIONED THE THINGS THAT THE COUNCIL RETAINS OVERSIGHT OVER.
AGAIN, THOSE ARE RELATED ANCE DEBT, UH, CONDEMNATION OF PROPERTY, AND THEN IN THE CASE OF C P S, CONFIRMATION OF BOARD MEMBERS.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO APPOINT AND EMPLOY ALL OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES.
I'M GONNA FLIP OVER TO THE SA SIDE.
JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY HERE.
UH, THE SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM SS WAS CREATED IN, UH, 1992, AND IT REALLY CAME OUT OF A, A CONSOLIDATION OF
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WHAT WAS THEN KNOWN AS THE CITY WATER BOARD, THE CITY'S WASTEWATER DEPARTMENT, UH, AS WELL AS, AS WELL AS THE WATER REUSE SYSTEM.THOSE WERE BOTH, UH, CITY DEPARTMENTS.
SO A BOND FINANCING WAS EFFECTUATED IN 1992.
THAT COLLAPSED ALL OF THAT INTO A SINGLE STRUCTURE THAT WE KNOW AS THE SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM FOR SAWS TODAY.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, SAWS DID, UH, ACQUIRE, UM, THE, UH, FORMER BEAR NET WATER DISTRICT WAS DISSOLVED AND SAWS, UH, PICKED UP ALL OF THE ASSETS AND LIABILITIES.
THOSE WERE TRANSFERRED TO SAWS IN 2012.
AND THEN, IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS SAW, SERVES MORE THAN 529,000 WATER CUSTOMERS.
AND, UH, FOUR 73,000 WASTEWATER COSTS CUSTOMERS IN AND AROUND SAN ANTONIO.
IN TERMS OF THE GOVERNANCE, IT IS SIMILAR IN THAT, UM, IN THIS CASE, THE BOARD WAS MADE UP OF FIVE MEMBERS.
THERE WERE SOME LEGISLATIVE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE AFTER SALVOS CREATED THAT ALLOWED THE BOARD TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND UP TO SEVEN MEMBERS.
UH, THE BOARD DOES CONSIST OF THE MAYOR AS AN EX OFFICIO MEMBER, UM, VOTING MEMBER.
AND THEN THERE ARE UP TO SIX PEOPLE WHO ARE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OR RESIDE WITHIN THE SOFT SERVICE AREA.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT THOSE LOOK LIKE.
UH, ALL BOARD MEMBERS IN THIS CASE ARE APPOINTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
THEY ARE FOUR YEARS STAGGERED TERMS, AND THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR REAPPOINTMENT FOR ONE ADDITIONAL FOUR YEAR TERM.
SO THEY CAN SERVE UP TO TWO, FOUR YEAR TERMS. UH, IN TERMS OF THE, THE ACTUAL, UH, BOARD MEMBERS MUST BE APPOINTED FROM, UH, SEVERAL DIFFERENT QUADRANTS HERE.
SO WE HAVE FOUR BOARD MEMBERS MUST COME FROM FOUR DIFFERENT QUADRANTS IN THE CITY, NORTHEAST, NORTHWEST, SOUTHEAST, SOUTHWEST.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT AN ADDITIONAL TWO BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE APPOINTED FROM THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDE OF THE CITY.
THOSE COMPRISE THE SIX MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
IN ADDITION TO THE MAYOR'S EX OFFICIO MEMBER, UH, IN THIS CASE, THE BOND ORDINANCE DOES ALLOW SAS TO PAY UP BASED ON OUR OWNERSHIP, UH, UH, TO THE CITY, UP TO 5% OF GROSS REVENUES.
UH, THE CURRENT LEVEL OF PAYMENT IS 4% OF GROSS REVENUES.
THAT WAS CHANGED IN OCTOBER OF 2019 AS PART OF OUR FY UH, 20, UH, ADOPTED BUDGET PROCESS.
WE DID, UH, UH, RECOMMEND, AND THE COUNCIL DID APPROVE INCREASING THAT PAYMENT FROM 2.7% TO 4%.
UH, TO GIVE YOU AGAIN, UH, AN IDEA OF THE CONTEXT HERE.
THE SA PROJECTED PAYMENT FOR FFY 22 FOR OUR FISCAL YEAR 22 BUDGET IS 30.8 MILLION.
THAT GO, AGAIN, GOES INTO OUR CITY'S GENERAL FUND TO HELP SUPPORT, UH, BASIC CITY SERVICES.
UH, THE NEXT SLIDE JUST GIVES YOU A BREAKDOWN OF THE BOARD MEMBERS BY QUADRANTS.
UH, WE DO HAVE ONE VACANCY IN THE SOUTHEAST QUADRANT THAT IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING FILLED.
AND I DID MENTION THAT THE PROCESS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT HERE IN THAT THE COUNCIL DOES, UH, UM, DOES, UH, APPOINT THOSE, UH, MEMBERS TO THE BOARD AUTHORITY.
UH, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES HAS THE COMPLETE ABILITY TO MANAGE THE OPERATIONS OF SAWS OR SEEK, OR THE CITY COUNCIL, AGAIN, RETAINS THE, UH, ABILITY TO EXERCISE APPROVAL OVER RATES AND CHARGES, THE ISSUANCE OF DEBT, LAND, CONDEMNATION, AND BOARD APPOINTMENT.
THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE THE ABILITY AS THEIR OPERATING, UH, SAW TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE BOND AND ENSURE THEY CONTROL THE APPLICATION OF EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES UNDER THAT ORDINANCE.
UH, AND THEN THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO APPOINT AND EMPLOY ALL OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES, UM, THAT THEY FEEL NECESSARY TO RUN THE SYSTEM.
UM, I'LL NOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS CREATION OF THIS COMMITTEE BY THE MAYOR REALLY IS ABOUT, I THINK, IMPROVING COORDINATION COMMUNICATION WITH OUR UTILITIES.
WE'VE HAD PROCESSES IN THE PAST WHERE WE'VE ASKED UTILITIES TO AND BRIEF THE COUNCIL ON A KIND OF BIMONTHLY BASIS ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FRONTS.
UH, WE'VE GOTTEN AWAY FROM THAT HERE, UH, RECENTLY.
AND I THINK THROUGH THIS COMMITTEE, WE'LL NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO COVER A NUMBER OF TOPICS, INCLUDING FOLLOWING UP ON RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH IS THE NEXT ITEM ON, ON THE COMMITTEE ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK CLEARLY FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNICATION COORDINATION IS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT AND CERTAINLY ALIGNS WITH, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S OUTLINED IN THE BOND AND INTEREST IN TERMS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE TWO UTILITIES.
SO WITH THAT, UH, CHAIRMAN, I'LL STOP AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF, UH, AS YOU HEARD EARLIER, A MEMBER OF STAFF MEMBERS ON THE, ON THE CALL AS WELL THAT COULD BE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST WITH.
UH, CAN EVERYBODY HEAR ME? WE'VE HAD A FEW TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES ON OUR SIDE.
UH, I WANNA ADD, UH, UH, COMMENT OR TWO BASED ON, UH, BEN'S, UH, EXPLANATION.
AND, AND THAT COMMENT IS, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE, AS, AS COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE DISCUSSED A LITTLE BIT PURPOSE OF THIS COMMITTEE IS NOT TO GO AHEAD AND TRY TO MANAGE OR DIRECT THE ACTIONS OR THE ACTIVITIES
[00:25:01]
OF EITHER OF THESE UTILITIES.SO I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT STATEMENT TO PUT OUT, RIGHT, RIGHT OUT FRONT, THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS COMMITTEE IS FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO BE INFORMED, AND SO THAT WE CAN SHARE COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATIONS AND THOUGHTS ABOUT THINGS SO THAT WE, WE WILL UNDERSTAND ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED THAT WE CAN PASS ON TO OUR FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO ALL OF US ARE WILLING FORM WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING THE KINDS OF DECISIONS THAT YOU'VE SEEN JUST NOTED THAT, UH, CITY COUNCIL HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DO, THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, A LOT OF, UH, UNUSUAL EVENTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED, UH, NOT JUST, UH, THE WINTER STORM, BUT OVERALL A PANDEMIC.
UH, THOSE TWO HAVE HAD A PRETTY DRAMATIC IMPACT ON BOTH OF OUR UTILITIES.
AND SO CERTAINLY THIS IS AN IMPORTANT TIME, UH, FOR THE COUNCIL TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE UTILITIES ARE MANAGING THROUGH THESE SITUATIONS, THE DIRECTION THEY'RE GOING IN.
UH, WE WANT TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OF OUR UTILITIES, AND THIS IS THE TOOL THAT THE CITY IS ADOPTING TO, UH, ALLOW US TO DO THAT.
SO, BEING THAT SAID, UH, WE JUST HEARD, UH, A SYNOPSIS OF THE HISTORY OF BOTH UTILITIES.
I, I'D LIKE TO ASK IF ANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, WHAT BEN'S JUST PRESENTED TO US OR ANYTHING ELSE REGARDING THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING AT THIS TIME.
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, UH, OR YOU WANNA MAKE, OR YOU WANNA MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND, LET ME KNOW.
THANK YOU, BEN, FOR THE OVERVIEW.
UM, UH, A COUPLE OF OF QUESTIONS.
I, I KNOW A LITTLE BIT OF THE ANSWER, BUT I, I DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND AND I, AND I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE COVER THIS.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE LANGUAGE INCLUDED IN THE BONDS FOR, IN THE BOND COVENANTS FOR BOTH OF THE UTILITIES, WHERE WE WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE, UH, SO THAT WE, WE CAN BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THEM? AND HAS THE LANGUAGE CHANGED OVER TIME? THANK YOU.
SO WE CAN CERTAINLY MAKE, UM, THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO YOU ALL IN TERMS OF THE ENTIRE BOND IN INTEREST, FAIRLY LENGTHY, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY MAKE THAT, UH, INFORMATION AVAILABLE.
UM, IN TERMS OF HOW THEY HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME, I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN ANSWER, UM, ALL OF THE AMENDMENTS OR THINGS.
I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE CHANGED.
I CAN THINK OF A FEW THINGS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT, UM, I'M SURE THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF CHANGES OVER TIME.
UH, AND WHEN YOU SAY CHANGES, UH, SUCH AS YOU COULD HAVE, UH, PARTICULAR PROVISIONS RELATED TO, UM, LANGUAGE AROUND, UM, UM, PAYMENT TO THE CITY.
I, I THINK I'M ON KEEP A SUB DENTURE OF THE WORDING CHANGE SLIGHTLY, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND DO ADDITIONAL RESEARCH.
I, I COULDN'T, UH, WE'D HAVE TO, WE'D HAVE TO DO A LITTLE MORE RESEARCH ON THAT.
SO THE, THE PART OF THE REASON I ASK THEN IS, UH, OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS ON COUNCIL, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME, SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT, WELL, CAN WE DO THIS? CAN WE DO THAT, UH, WITH SAW OR WITH C P S? AND I BELIEVE PART OF THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN, WELL, THE BOND COVENANTS, UM, SAY SUCH, OR THEY SAY, UH, THE OTHER, AND THAT, THAT REALLY RESTRICTS US.
UM, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THAT'S THE EXISTING BOND COVENANTS.
UM, IF WE WANTED TO ISSUE NEW BOND COVENANTS, WE, WE COULD DO THAT IN, IN THE FUTURE, UH, AND BASICALLY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE PREVIOUS BOND COVENANTS EITHER RUN, RUN THEIR COURSE OR, OR BUY THEM OUT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF IN THE FUTURE DOES NOT HAVE TO COME TO COMMITTEE, BUT IF, IF IT'S SOMETHING YOU COULD PROVIDE US SORT OF AN, AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW MANY BONDS, UM, WERE ISSUED WHEN, AND WHAT THEIR LIFETIME IS FOR, FOR EACH OF THE UTILITIES WE CAN.
AND, AND, UM, FOR EACH OF THE UTILITIES, THEY HAVE DIFFERENT SERIES OF DEBT.
THEY HAVE, UH, WHAT THEY REFER TO AS SENIOR LIEN DEBT.
THEY HAVE SUBORDINATE LIEN DEBT.
THE PROVISIONS ARE DIFFERENT WITHIN THOSE, UH, DOCUMENTS.
BUT WHAT YOU STATED IS CORRECT, THERE ARE, UM, IF YOU WERE TO TRY TO AMEND A PROVISION OF THE INDENTURE, THE OLDER BONDS WOULD EITHER HAVE TO BE AMENDED, MEANING YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE, THERE'S A PROCESS IN THE INDENTURE IN TERMS OF HOW YOU WOULD DO THAT, OR THE OLD BONDS WOULD BE THE FEES AND NO LONGER OUTSTANDING.
AND THOSE PROVISIONS WOULD NO LONGER BE APPLICABLE.
IF WE COULD GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF THAT, OR IF YOU COULD PROVIDE THAT TO ME OFFLINE, THAT'D BE, THAT'D BE GREAT.
[00:30:01]
YOU VERY MUCH.UM, AND THEN, UH, JUST, UH, ONE OTHER QUICK COMMENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE THE ANSWER TO THIS, BUT CLEARLY THE, THE TERMS FOR SERVING ON THESE BOARDS ARE NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE TERMS OF A GIVEN COUNCIL MEMBER OR, OR MAYOR.
IS THERE ANY, UM, SORT OF BACKGROUND ON WHY THAT MIGHT BE? WHY THEY, WHY THEY ARE DIFFERENT? I KNOW THAT IN TERMS OF THE SIZE OF THE BOARD, SOME OF THAT IS DRIVEN BY STATE STATUTE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FIVE MEMBER BOARD ON THE C P S SIDE AND THE, THE, UH, THE SIZE BOARD.
UH, I DON'T RECALL OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD WHETHER THERE'S LANGUAGE IN THERE AROUND THE TERM OR WHETHER THAT WAS SOMETHING WE CREATED, UH, IN THE INDENTURE.
ANDY, DO YOU KNOW OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD? NOT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BEN.
MAYBE CAM COULD HELP ME, BUT I DON'T THINK THE TERM IS IN THE STATUTE.
CAM, DO YOU REMEMBER THE TERM, UM, BEGAN THE DATE THAT WE CREATED OF WHAT IS NOW THE DIFFERENT UTILITY C P S ENERGY OR SAW THE DATE THAT THEY WERE FIRST APPOINTED COULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST DATE OF SERVICE, WHICH STARTED THE FOUR YEAR TERM.
THEY WERE NOT PART OF THE CO-TERMINUS WITH CITY COUNCIL, UH, CHANGE THAT WE INSTITUTED YEARS AGO.
BUT, BUT CAM THE QUESTION IS, IS THE, DOES THE STATUTE DETERMINE THE TERM, OR IS THAT SOMETHING DETERMINED SOMEWHERE ELSE? IT, I BELIEVE THE STATUTE SPEAKS TO THE NUMBER OF YEARS THAT A PERSON MAY SERVE.
UM, BUT IT DOES NOT SPEAK TO THE DATE THAT THEY STARTED IN.
DOES THAT MAKE, ESSENTIALLY, ESSENTIALLY THERE IS FLEXIBILITY IN DETERMINING THE TERM OF SPEC OF BOARD MEMBERS.
I'M NOT PROPOSING THAT WE GO AND WE CHANGE EVERYTHING.
I REALLY JUST AM TRYING TO, TO UNDERSTAND WHY THINGS ARE THE, THE WAY THEY ARE RIGHT NOW.
COUNCILWOMAN, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA, I SEE YOUR HANDS UP.
AND I JUST HAVE IT, IT'S ALONG THE SAME LINES OF WHAT COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL IS ASKING.
I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, AND THIS WILL, THIS IS FROM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE.
IN SECTION 1 36 OF OUR CHARTER, WE HAVE THE SUPERVISOR OF PUBLIC UTILITIES.
AND SO THE OFFICE OF THE SUPERVISOR OF PUBLIC UTILITIES NOMINATED BY CITY MANAGER AND CONFIRMED BY THE COUNCIL.
MY QUESTION IS, WHEN DID, UM, WHEN DID WE DESIGNATE, WHEN WAS IT DESIGNATED THAT THE C C F O BECAME THIS OFFICE? AND SPECIFICALLY WHO WITHIN THE CFO'S OFFICE IS TASKED AS PART OF THAT OFFICE? IS IT, I'M ASSUMING THAT EVERYBODY HERE, UM, UH, FROM BEN'S TEAM IS PART OF THAT OFFICE? UH, I'M, I'M JUST TRYING TO, TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UH, COUNSEL, SO, UM, I'LL GET YOU THE DATE, BUT I HAVE SERVED IN THE ROLE OF SUPERVISOR OF PUBLIC UTILITIES FOR, FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
UM, AND I'LL GET YOU THE EXACT DATE.
UH, WHEN IT FIRST, UH, WAS THE FIRST TIME I DID IT, IT WAS ACTUALLY A SEPARATE POSITION.
UH, IT WAS MERGED IN WITH THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE POSITION IN AROUND 2006.
UH, AND THEN IT CHANGED WHEN I WAS PROMOTED TO CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.
THAT ROLE CAME WITH ME THEN AS WELL.
AND SO I'VE HAD THAT FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT YEARS.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE STAFFING, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, UH, YOU SAW, UH, EARLIER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR IN FINANCE, UH, RUSSELL HUFF RUSSELL LEVINE WAVE.
UH, HE IS THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, UH, REPORTING UNDER TROY, WHO'S THE DIRECT WAS THE DEPUTY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.
RUSSELL'S TEAM IS THE ONE THAT WORKS VERY CLOSELY WITH, UH, BOTH UTILITIES AS WE DO ANALYSIS, WHEREAS WE'RE WORKING ON RECOMMENDATIONS IN PARTICULAR ITEMS. HE IS, HIS TEAM IS DOING A LOT OF THAT WORK.
AND THEN OF COURSE, HE'S COORDINATING THAT WORK WITH, UH, WITH TROY AND WITH ME.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY, UH, AS PUBLIC UTILITY SUPERVISOR, I'LL MAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE COUNCIL ALONG THOSE ITEMS. WONDERFUL.
BECAUSE THEN, THEN MY NEXT QUESTION IS SPECIFICALLY IN THE CHARTER, IT SAYS THAT THE SUPERVISOR SHALL RECEIVE REGULAR REPORTS TO, UM, CAPITAL OUTLAY PROPERTY, RETIREMENT, PROPERTY REVENUES, UM, YOU KNOW, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON OF WHAT THIS DOES.
I'M WONDERING HOW OFTEN ARE THOSE REPORTS, UH, AND, AND I GUESS AT WHAT POINT DOES SOMEBODY SAY, OH, THERE'S SOMETHING I NEED TO BRING UP TO COUNCIL.
JUST HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT PROCESS.
SO, IN TERMS OF THE REPORTING, THERE'S, THERE'S A NUMBER OF, UH, ITEMS THAT WILL GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE UTILITIES AND THE UTILITIES OFFICE.
I'LL TELL YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE IN THE CHARTER, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UH, AUDIT REQUIREMENTS TODAY, MUCH OF WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IN TERMS OF ASSETS OR, UH, CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE CAPTURED IN THEIR AUDIT REPORTS, WHICH ARE SUBMITTED TO US ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL REPORTS IN THE CASE OF C P S ENERGY FOR, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR COMPLIANCE, UH, RELATED TO THE, THE,
[00:35:01]
UH, INDENTURE AROUND THE 14% ARE SUBMITTED TO US AS WELL.AND THEN, UH, BUDGET DOCUMENTS, UH, OR BUDGET INFORMATION IS SUBMITTED TO BOTH OFFICES, UH, OR TO OUR UTILITIES OFFICE SO THAT WE CAN REVIEW THAT, UH, AND GIVE FEEDBACK TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, UH, AND TO YOU ALL, IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT, THAT WE WANNA RAISE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION GOING BACK AND FORTH.
AND THEN OVER TIME, IN SOME CASES, UM, YOU ALL HAVE APPROVED, UH, ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS THAT YOU HAVE WANTED US TO LOOK AT.
THINGS LIKE, UH, COMPLIANCE WITH THE E P A CONSENT DECREE.
THERE'S A QUARTERLY REPORT THAT GENERATES AND SUBMIT TO OUR OFFICE.
SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND THEN CLEARLY, IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE SEE OR ARE INTERESTED IN, RUSSELL'S TEAM ALWAYS HAS THE ABILITY TO PICK UP THE PHONE OR REACH OUT TO THE UTILITIES AND, AND GET ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL ASKED A FEW QUESTIONS.
BEN, SHE ASKED, SHE SAID, UH, SHE'S HAPPY TO GET THE ANSWERS HERE OR OFFLINE.
IF IT IS OFFLINE, I'D LIKE TO GET THE ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS AS WELL.
I'M ALSO INTERESTED, UM, AND OH, SO MY QUESTION WAS, I, SO I NOTICED FOR SAWS BOARD, WE HAVE SEVEN BOARD MEMBERS.
AND FOR C P S ENERGY'S BOARD OF TRUSTEES, WE HAVE FIVE.
AND YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE THAT HAVING DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS AND SKILLSETS IS REALLY HELPS MAKE A BOARD, UH, MORE EFFECTIVE.
AND SO I AM INTERESTED IN, IN KNOWING, UM, WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES AND JUST EXPLORING WHAT, WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS FOR WHAT, WHY IS IT ONLY FIVE AND WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR POSSIBLY EXPANDING IT TO MAYBE SEVEN LIKE SA HAS? UH, I CAN ANSWER THAT.
COUNCILMAN, UH, THE ANSWER ON, IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER, THAT'S USUALLY FIXED BY STATE STATUTE, UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S TWO SEPARATE ONES THAT, UH, TALK ABOUT ELECTRIC UTILITIES AND, AND ONE THAT TALKS ABOUT WATER UTILITIES.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, I'M MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE C P S ONE.
UH, THAT'S, UH, AS I SAID, UH, STATED OUT IN STATE LAW THAT IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE AN INDEPENDENT BOARD, WHICH C P S HAS, IT HAS TO BE, UH, THAT NUMBER OF MEMBERS.
SO WE CAN'T EX WE CAN'T EXPAND IT, IF THAT'S YOUR QUESTION.
UH, AND STAY WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE STATE STATUTE.
MAY I, MAY I ANSWER, UH, MR. BRAVO'S QUESTION? I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T HEAR THAT.
MAY I ADD SOME COMMENTARY TO MR. BRAVO'S QUESTION? OH, YES, GO AHEAD, ROBERT.
UM, THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF HOW OLD I AM.
UH, BACK IN 1993, UH, SAS HAD BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR ABOUT, UM, ABOUT A YEAR OR SO.
UH, AND AT THE TIME IT WAS A FIVE MEMBER BOARD.
UM, I PASSED LEGISLATION BACK THEN TO CREATE A SEVEN MEMBER BOARD FOR EXACTLY THE REASONS YOU MENTIONED.
SO, UH, THERE'S A HISTORY OF DOING IT.
SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT WE SHOULD SEND YOU BACK TO THE LEGISLATURE? THE PAY IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, SO I DON'T KNOW.
SO, UH, WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE, UH, TELLING US IS, AND WHAT ANDY HAD SAID WAS, IF THIS CITY WANTED TO EXPAND THE SIZE OF C P SS PORT, IT WOULD TAKE LEGISLATIVE ACTION BEING APPROVED IN AUSTIN.
IS THAT RIGHT, ANDY? THAT'S CORRECT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN? BRAVO.
ONE THING I WOULD ADD, UH, WHEN, WHEN WE ASKED SOME QUESTIONS, AND I KNOW I THINK BEN SAID, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GIVE YOU THAT INFORMATION OFFLINE.
WHAT WE ACTUALLY, UH, WOULD PRESUME IS THAT ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU PUT TOGETHER TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM ANY INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBER ON THIS COMMITTEE WILL BE, OF COURSE, SHARED WITH EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER, AND ALSO WILL BECOME A MATTER OF PUBLIC RECORD AS WE, UH, MOVE FORWARD, UH, PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT OUR MEETINGS TO THE PUBLIC.
UH, AND, AND I'M GONNA INTERJECT HERE TOO, THAT'S ONE THING
[Public Comment ]
I DID NOT MENTION.YOU KNOW, TODAY, UH, WE DO NOT HAVE PUBLIC ACCESS.
UH, IT'S AN INTRODUCTORY MEETING, AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO GO AHEAD AND SCHEDULE THAT IN ADVANCE.
BUT I DO WANT TO LET ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC KNOW WHO ARE LISTENING AT THIS TIME THAT GOING FORWARD, WE WILL, UH, WANT TO GO ENCOURAGE PUBLIC INPUT, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKING THAT MEMBERS OF
[00:40:01]
THE PUBLIC WHO WANT TO EITHER ADDRESS THIS COMMITTEE OR WHO WANT TO GO AHEAD AND SUBMIT, UH, INFORMATION OR QUESTIONS TO THE COMMITTEE THAT, UH, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT.WE WILL BE SETTING UP A SPECIAL COMMITTEE WEBSITE, UH, FOR THE MUNICIPAL UTILITY COMMITTEE.
AND WE'RE GONNA ASK ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO GO AHEAD AND ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE PERSONALLY, TO GO AHEAD AND SIGN UP, UH, AT LEAST TWO DAYS AHEAD OF TIME SO THAT WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF ADVANCED TIME TO BE READY FOR YOU.
UH, AND SINCE WE MEET, UH, OR EXCUSE ME, I SAID, UH, YEAH, SINCE WE MEET MONTHLY, THERE SHOULD BE PLENTY OF TIME FOR PEOPLE TO GO AHEAD AND SCHEDULE, UH, TO MAKE A PRESENTATION TO OUR MEETING, PARTICULARLY.
'CAUSE THE AGENDA WILL BE OUT A WEEK AHEAD OF TIME.
SO WE THINK THAT SHOULD GIVE EVERYBODY PLENTY OF TIME TO SIGN UP AND LET US KNOW THEY'D LIKE TO BE SPEAKING.
UH, BUT ANY KIND OF WRITTEN TESTIMONY WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE COMMITTEE, UH, AND BE REVIEWED BY ALL THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND CLARIFY THAT, UH, AS, AS PART OF THIS PROCESS.
CHAIRMAN, CAN I ADD, CAN I ADD ONE THING? YES, SIR.
THAT THE, THE COMMENTS SHOULD BE, UH, TIED TO SOMETHING THAT'S ON THE AGENDA.
THANK YOU FOR REMINDING US OF THAT.
UH, WE WILL ASK PEOPLE TO, UH, MAKE THEIR COMMENTS IN WRITING OR IN PERSON BASED ON WHAT IS ON OUR AGENDA.
UH, SO I SEE WE'VE REACHED ALL OF THE QUESTIONS.
I THINK, UH, AND WE'VE DISCUSSED OUR ORIGINAL BRIEFING ON THE UTILITIES.
[2. Briefing on Winter Storm URI including the Mayor’s Committee on Emergency Preparedness’ Report and Recommendations [Ben Gorzell Jr., Chief Financial Officer; Troy Elliott, Deputy Chief Financial Officer]]
TO GO TO, UH, THE SECOND BRIEFING THAT WE HAVE, WHICH IS ON, UH, WINTER STORM, WINTER STORM URI, AND ITS IMPACT, UH, ON THE CITY AND THE UTILITIES.AND I WILL POINT OUT THAT WE SENT TO EVERYBODY ABOUT A 50 PAGE, UH, REPORT FROM THE CITY.
WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THAT REPORT ARE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REMEDIATION AND MITIGATION OF SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WERE DETERMINED.
I SENT TO ALL OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND I APOLOGIZED BECAUSE BEN POINTED OUT I MISSED MANY OF THE CITY'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, AND SO YOU WILL GET A MORE COMPLETE, UH, IDEA OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE COME OUT OF THE, UH, THE CITY'S REPORT, WHICH INCORPORATED MANY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE INDIVIDUAL UTILITIES HAD BEEN PUTTING IN PLACE.
COUNCILMAN BRAVO HAD HIS HAND UP.
AND AS THE ONLY FRESHMAN ON THE, UH, COMMITTEE, I WANTED TO, UM, MAKE SURE YOU, YOU DIDN'T MISS HIM.
THERE'S SEVERAL PAGES WORTH ON THE LAST ITEM.
AND THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA TO, TO, UH, FLAGGING THAT.
I, I, UH, WANTED TO ASK IF THERE IS A WAY THAT THE PUBLIC CAN SIGN UP TO RECEIVE EMAIL UPDATES, UH, ABOUT THIS COMMITTEE.
SO ONCE AN AGENDA IS RELEASED, COULD THEY GET THAT EMAIL TO THEM? IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS THAT ARE POSED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THIS COMMITTEE FOR ADDITIONAL MATERIALS, ONCE THEY ARE SENT TO US, IS THERE, COULD THEY BE SENT TO, UM, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO ARE FOLLOWING THIS COMMITTEE CLOSELY SO THAT THEY CAN RECEIVE THE, THE PRESENTATION MATERIALS OR SO THAT THEY CAN RECEIVE THE, UM, RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS AS WELL? YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT SUGGESTION.
YOU KNOW, TOO MANY TIMES WE TEND TO BE REACTIVE AND PEOPLE HAVE TO BE REACTIVE TO WHAT WE DISCUSSED.
I THINK BY DOING THIS, WE CAN HELP PEOPLE BE MORE PROACTIVE, JUST LIKE WE NEED TO BE.
SO, UH, I APPRECIATE THAT RECOMMENDATION, AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND, AND WORK WITH OUR CITY STAFF TO GO AHEAD AND INCORPORATE THAT SO THAT, UH, EVERYBODY, UH, WHO WANTS THE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING AND THE KIND OF INFORMATION WE'RE RECEIVING IN RESPONSE TO WHAT WE DISCUSS, UH, GETS DISSEMINATED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP, AND WE'LL CERTAINLY WORK ON THAT.
SO LET ME GO BACK TO, UH, YOU KNOW, THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT REGARDING THE
[00:45:01]
WINTER STORM.AND, AND I WANTED TO INTERJECT, UH, A THOUGHT THAT I HAD ON THIS, ALTHOUGH THERE'S A, A 50 PAGE REPORT TO LOOK AT, AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, I SAW ONE OF THE, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND I BELIEVE IT WAS RELATED TO SAWS.
UH, THE FIRST ONE SAID, IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE BLACK AND BEACH REPORT.
AND IT, IT GOT ME TO THINKING, I PRESUME BOTH, UH, UTILITIES DID THEIR OWN INTERNAL REVIEW OF HOW THEY PERFORMED, UH, THE BARRIERS THAT THEY MAY HAVE HAD TO OVERCOME, UH, OBSTACLES, PROBLEMS WITHIN THEIR SYSTEMS. AND I DON'T KNOW IF ALL OF WHAT THEY DISCOVERED IN THEIR OWN INTERNAL REPORTS ARE REFLECTED IN THE REPORT THAT THE CITY HAS PUT OUT.
I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME FROM BOTH UTILITIES, BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IS THAT BOTH UTILITIES PROVIDE THIS COMMITTEE WITH A COPY OF THEIR OWN INTERNAL REPORT SEPARATE FROM WHAT THE CITY HAS, SO THAT, UH, WE CAN, UH, LOOK A LITTLE BIT MORE THOROUGHLY, UH, AND SEE IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER ITEMS OF CONSIDERATION THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD WANT TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT.
SO IT COULD, THE, UH, COULD SAAS TELL US, CAN WE, UH, GET A COPY OF THE BLACK AND VEATCH REPORT ON HOW WINDSTORM YURI AFFECTED SA CHAIRMAN, UM, COURAGE, MRS. ROBERT PU? OF COURSE.
THE ANSWER IS YES, AND I BELIEVE, UH, BEN MAY ALREADY HAVE A COPY OF THAT, BUT WE WILL BE GLAD TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
AND IF, IF BEN HAS IT, THEN HE CAN PROVIDE IT FOR US.
SO, YOU KNOW, I HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH THAT.
UH, LET ME ASK, UH,
UM, I THINK THERE ARE CERTAINLY THOUGH, UH, VERY, UH, SMALL PARTS OF THAT REPORT THAT WILL, THAT DO CONTAIN SECURITY INFORMATION THAT, UH, WILL NOT BE RELEASED PUBLICLY.
BUT I'M, I'M THINKING THAT'S A VERY SMALL PART OF THE REPORT, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, UH, FROM NANCY.
BUT I THINK THE BULK OF IT, UH, AS, AS ROBERT SAID, CAN BE SHARED.
THERE'S CERTAIN PORTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN REDACTED, UH, AND THIS, THIS IS JUST STRICTLY, UH, UH, SECURITY MEASURES THAT WE WOULD NOT WANT THE PUBLIC TO, TO SEE WHAT THESE KINDS OF PROTECTIONS ARE SITUATIONS ARE.
WE, WE KNOW WE WANNA PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF OUR SYSTEMS AND, AND THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE.
AND, UH, THERE ARE CERTAIN PRECAUTIONS I'M SURE THAT ARE MADE THAT, UH, NEED TO BE, UH, KEPT, UH, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE.
UH, AND SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT IN THE SYSTEM THAT WE, IN THE REPORT WE GET.
SO THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
ANDY AND ROBERT AND, AND MR. CHAIRMAN, WE, WE ALREADY WENT THROUGH THE REDACTED PORTIONS WITH, UH, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, OUR OWN, UH, NANCY BALINSKI OFFICE.
WE'VE ALREADY, UH, AGREED WITH EACH OTHER WHAT THOSE SECURITY MEASURES ARE.
AND SO THEY'RE REALLY JUST HIGH LEVEL KIND OF INFORMATION, UH, THAT IS STILL OUT THERE FOR THE PUBLIC, BUT THE ACTUAL SECURITY ISSUES THAT ARE VERY SENSITIVE ARE WHAT'S BEEN REDACTED.
LET ME ASK, UH, C P S ENERGY IF THEY HAVE A SIMILAR REPORT THAT, UH, THEY'VE PUT TOGETHER INTERNALLY.
IS THERE ANYONE CAN ANSWER THAT? YES, SIR.
SO WE DO NOT HAVE ONE SINGLE REPORT, UH, THAT WE, UM, COMMISSIONED, LIKE, UH, SAS DID.
UH, WE CAN, UM, COMPILE OTHER, UM, UH, STUDIES AND LESSONS LEARNED THAT, UH, WE HAVE PULLED TOGETHER BOTH INTERNALLY WITH STAFF AS WELL AS, UH, WE'VE STARTED ENGAGING, UM, UH, EXTERNAL EXPERTISE IN SOME TARGETED AREAS.
UH, AND THAT'S HOW WE HAVE APPROACHED IT WHERE WE CAN, UH, CERTAINLY, UH, PROVIDE A ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AROUND, UH, THOSE EFFORTS.
THAT KIND OF SURPRISES ME THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD DIDN'T UNDERTAKE AN, AN IMMEDIATE OVERVIEW OF EVERYTHING AND GET SOME OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS TO COME IN AND TAKE CARE OF THAT.
SO ALL OF THE INTERNAL REVIEWS YOU'VE DONE HAVE BEEN TOTALLY INTERNAL.
YOU HAVEN'T BROUGHT IN ANYBODY ELSE TO HELP LOOK AT THESE THINGS TO FIND ANY, UH, OTHER
[00:50:01]
RECOMMENDATIONS.IS THAT CORRECT? I'D LIKE TO ADD TO THAT JUST REALLY QUICKLY.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS.
THE FIRST IS THAT OUR BOARD WANTED TO BE REALLY RESPECTFUL OF THE, UH, UH, THE CITY'S EFFORT AROUND, UH, THE COMMITTEE ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND DID NOT WANT TO UNDERTAKE A COMPETING STUDY, UH, VERSUS THE, UH, WORK THAT, UH, THAT THE COMMITTEE PRODUCED.
AND SO THERE WAS WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE OUTSIDE OF WHAT WAS LOOKED AT SPECIFICALLY IN THE COMMITTEE ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
BUT AGAIN, THEY WERE, UH, WANTING TO BE VERY RESPECTFUL OF THAT PROCESS FOR, UM, UH, HERE'S AN EXAMPLE.
WE HAD OBSERVATIONS THAT WE MADE DURING THE WINTER WEATHER EVENT.
UM, AND WE'RE SORT OF TAKING CARE OF THOSE.
AND I, AND I SAY WE, I'M THINKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT A POWER GENERATION FLEET.
WE TOOK SPECIFIC OBSERVATIONS AND MADE ENHANCEMENTS ON THEM, AND WE SCHEDULED OUT SOME WORK.
MUCH OF IT, I THINK ALL OF WHAT WE'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED WILL BE DONE, UH, BEFORE THIS NEXT WINTER.
WE ARE SEPARATELY, UH, COMMISSIONING A STUDY THAT IS GOING TO LOOK AT THE, UH, WHAT IS LIKELY TO COME FROM A STATE WINNER WEATHERIZATION STANDARDS.
WHEN WE GET THOSE STANDARDS, WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE ACTION, ASSESS, AND, UH, IMPLEMENT.
BUT WE DON'T WANT TO WAIT UNTIL WE HAVE THOSE STANDARDS IN ORDER TO MAKE THOSE ASSESSMENTS AND BE PREPARED.
SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS, UH, BEGUN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THAT ASSESSMENT PERFORMED SO THAT WE KNOW WHERE THE GAPS ARE, UH, VERSUS ONCE WE SEE THE, THE STANDARDS, THERE IS NOT A SINGULAR REPORT THAT TAKES THE POWER GENERATION, UH, WINTERIZATION.
AND THAT WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM A SYSTEM OPERATIONS STANDPOINT AND WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM A ENGAGEMENT AND SO ON STANDPOINT, UM, BECAUSE WE WERE GENERALLY OPERATING WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK THAT, UH, WAS GIVEN TO US WITHIN THE COMMITTEE ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
BUT WE CAN, WE CERTAINLY HAVE ALL OF THAT AND CERTAIN TARGETED AREAS HAVE BEEN LOOKED AT.
WE CAN COMPILE THAT INTO SOMETHING COMPREHENSIVE, UH, SUBJECT TO THE SAME CONSTRAINTS THAT, UH, THAT ROBERT MENTIONED AROUND SECURITY AND, AND SAFETY, UM, AND PROVIDE SOMETHING, UH, TO YOU.
UH, AND I, I HAD JUST NOTED THAT, YOU KNOW, C P S ENERGY HAD COME OUT WITH EIGHT RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, AND, AND SAWS HAD COME OUT WITH 12.
AND I, I THINK MOST OF US WOULD AGREE THAT THERE WERE, SEEMED TO BE A HECK OF A LOT MORE PROBLEMS DEALING WITH ENERGY THAN THERE WAS WITH WATER.
AND I WOULD'VE EXPECTED THERE WOULD'VE BEEN MANY OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND SO WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME IS YOU STILL HAVE MORE WORK TO DO TO LOOK AT RESOLUTIONS FOR PROBLEMS, UH, AND, UH, I GUESS A LITTLE MORE IN-DEPTH DETAILED LOOK AT HOW TO RESOLVE SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
WELL, UH, CHAIRMAN, I WOULD SAY THE ANSWER IS YES TO YOUR DIRECT QUESTION, BUT, BUT MORE DIRECTLY, I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, ONE OF THEM WAS, IF I JUST DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO NUMBER FOUR, IT, IT SAYS, UM, UH, WE SHOULD, TO BUILD THE TEAM TO CONTROL WHAT THEY CAN CONTROL, UH, GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER, AND THE PURCHASE OF DISTRIBUTION OF NATURAL GAS.
IT, IT REALLY IS A VERY EXPANSIVE RECOMMENDATION.
SO BECAUSE IT'S SO EXPANSIVE, YOU KNOW, IT ESSENTIALLY COVERS ALL OF OUR, THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF OUR BUSINESS.
YOU MIGHT THINK OF THAT AS MANY, MANY SUB COMPONENTS TOO.
YOU KNOW, YOU COULD BREAK THAT INTO MANY, MANY, YOU KNOW, SUB RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, AND OF COURSE, WE HAVE AND ARE LOOKING AT THOSE THINGS INDIVIDUALLY IN A MUCH MORE, UH, GRANULAR LEVEL AS WE MAKE OUR OWN ASSESSMENT.
I, I DO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT IT IS VERY, VERY BROAD.
AND IF WE, AS A COUNCIL, WERE MONITORING TO SEE THAT IT, IT WAS BEING IMPLEMENTED, WE WOULD HAVE NO IDEA HOW YOU MIGHT GIVE US A PIECE HERE AND A PIECE THERE.
UH, BUT THERE MIGHT BE A LOT OF OTHER PIECES THAT NEED TO BE DONE TO, UH, RISE TO THE LEVEL OF EXPECTATIONS THAT THE CITY HAS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE BETTER PREPARED IN THE FUTURE FOR ANY OF ANY OTHER EVENT LIKE THIS.
THAT'S WHY, UH, I, I WOULD, THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO SEE THE, THE BLACK AND VEATCH REPORT, WHICH I'M SURE HAS A LITTLE MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY I WOULD'VE EXPECTED TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE FROM C P S ENERGY.
I DON'T KNOW IF MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANY OTHER THOUGHTS OR, OR IDEAS ABOUT THIS, BUT, UH, I JUST
[00:55:01]
WANTED TO PRESENT MY OWN AT THIS TIME.CAN, CAN, I'VE GOT ONE MORE THING TO ADD TO, TO THE INSIGHT THAT PAUL, WELL, PAUL AND FRANK PROVIDED, WE'VE GOT 25 OPEN RULE MAKINGS GOING ON AT THE STATE LEVEL, YOU KNOW, AS A RESULT OF, UH, THE LEGISLATION PASSED.
YOU KNOW, AS, AS YOU, YOU'RE AWARE, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF THE REGULATION, THE CITY DOES, UH, OF US, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST HIGHLY REGULATED, YOU KNOW, INDUSTRIES, UH, IN THE COUNTRY.
AND WE'RE DEALING WITH 25 OPEN RULE MAKINGS THAT ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING INTO WEATHERIZATION OF POWER PLANTS AT THE STATE LEVEL.
UM, YOU KNOW, HOW WE COMMUNICATE TO COMMUNITIES DURING ENERGY EMERGENCIES, YOU KNOW, SECURITIZATION THAT'S BEING DONE THAT'LL IMPACT PRICING.
SO THERE'S A LOT, A LOT OF ADDITIONAL, UM, EFFORT THAT, THAT FACTORS INTO THESE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'LL ALSO NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO UPDATE THE COMMITTEE ON.
SO, UM, SO, SO, SO TRUST THAT WE ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN ALL, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, ASPECTS OF, OF THE CHANGES TO THE INDUSTRY THAT ARE COMING.
UH, BUT I, I, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU RECOGNIZE THE SHEER NUMBER OF OPEN RULE MAKINGS THAT ARE GOING ON AT STATE LEVEL RIGHT NOW.
I THINK THAT'S USEFUL FOR US TO KNOW.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU COULD, AS YOU SAID, KEEP US INFORMED ABOUT THOSE THINGS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CITY MAY BE ABLE TO, UH, WORK WITH OUR LOCAL LEGISLATORS TO HELP MOVE SOME OF THIS IN THE DIRECTION IT'S GONNA SUPPORT THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
SO, YOU KNOW, LET US KNOW WHAT THOSE DIFFERENT RULES THAT ARE BEING FLOATED AROUND ARE, UH, AND WHETHER THEY'RE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE ON THEIR EFFECT ON C P S AND YOUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE PROTECTED ENERGY FOR US SO THAT WE KNOW HOW TO WORK WITH OUR OWN LOCAL LEGISLATORS.
AGAIN, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM ANY OF THE OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS? YES, COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN BRAVO.
UH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FINAL NUMBER IS, BUT THE INITIAL NUMBER WAS THAT, UH, C P S ENERGY LOST A BILLION DOLLARS THROUGH THE WINTER STORM.
AND WHEN I READ, UH, IN THE AUSTIN PAPER, I READ THAT AUSTIN ENERGY EARNED $54 MILLION DURING THAT SAME WINTER STORM.
AND I'M REALLY INTERESTED, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DID AN INVESTIGATION HERE.
I KNOW C P S ENERGY HAS DONE AN INVESTIGATION, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE, UH, AN INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS, A THIRD PARTY INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS LOOKING AT, UM, WHY DID WE LOSE SO MUCH, WHEREAS AUSTIN ENERGY EARNED, UH, $54 MILLION IN PROFITS FOR THEIR COMMUNITY AND JUST HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING FROM AN ENERGY ANALYST, UH, STANDPOINT, UH, HOW WE ENDED UP IN THIS FINANCIAL SITUATION AND WHAT THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING I'D BE INTERESTED IN EXPLORING HERE IN THE FUTURE.
I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA, UH, THAT WE COULD USE MORE INFORMATION ON.
UM, WE DO HAVE AN ACTUAL PRESENTATION ON BEHALF OF, OF THIS WHOLE, UH, REPORT THAT BEN IS PREPARED TO GO AHEAD AND DELIVER.
SO IF, IF YOU'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AT THIS TIME AND DO THAT, WE'RE READY TO RECEIVE IT.
IT'S JUST A COUPLE OF SLIDES HERE.
UM, AND THEN WE CAN MAYBE HAVE SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW YOU ALL WANT TO MOVE FORWARD AS A COMMITTEE IN TERMS OF RECEIVING UPDATES ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, AS, AS EVERYONE KNOWS, WINTER STORM URI IMPACTED, UH, THE STATE OF TEXAS QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY FROM FEBRUARY 13TH TO FEBRUARY 19TH.
UM, IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT STORMS SINCE THE MONITORING OF THESE TYPES OF WEATHER EVENTS BEGAN IN THE 1950S.
WE HAD CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES AND WIND CHILLS, AND THAT LED TO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT WE HAD NOT EXPERIENCED BEFORE, AT LEAST NOT TO THIS MAGNITUDE, TO INCLUDE THESE CASCADING IMPACTS THAT HAPPEN RANGING FROM ELECTRICITY OUTAGES, THEN INTO WATER OUTAGES.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, DURING THAT ENTIRE TIME, ISSUES WITH TRANSPORTATION AND THE ABILITY FOR, UH, UH, PEOPLE AND VEHICLES TO MOVE AROUND THE CITY.
SO, FOLLOWING THE STORM, THE MAYOR DID, UH, CREATE THE COMMITTEE ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
AND IT WAS REALLY FOCUSING ON, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED, UH, AS IT RELATES TO C P S ENERGY, THE SANITARY WATER SYSTEM, AS WELL AS THE CITY'S EMERGENCY OPERATIONS
[01:00:01]
CENTER.WHAT COULD WE LEARN FROM THAT? AND THEN WHAT COULD WE DO TO PUT OURSELVES IN A BETTER POSITION TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND, TO RECOVER, AND TO MANAGE FUTURE EMERGENCIES, MAYBE NOT EVEN WEATHER RELATED, BUT EMERGENCIES THAT WOULD LEAD US INTO THIS TYPE OF SITUATION WHERE WE WERE HAVING SUCH RAPIDLY CHANGING AND EVOLVING CONDITIONS THAT RESULTED IN THESE CASCADING IMPACTS, UH, REALLY ACROSS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY COMMUNITY AT THE SAME TIME.
SO, UM, THAT WAS THE FOCAL POINT.
THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, INCLUDED FORMER, UH, COUNCILMAN REED WILLIAMS SERVED AS THE CHAIR.
HE WAS A FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT EIGHT.
UH, VICE CHAIR WAS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE, RETIRED GENERAL ED RICE.
AND THEN WE HAD SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THE, UH, COMMITTEE, DR.
UH, ROCHE GARCIA FROM DISTRICT FOUR, UH, COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL FROM DISTRICT SEVEN, COUNCILMAN ELIAS FROM DISTRICT EIGHT, AND COUNCILMAN PERRY FROM DISTRICT 10.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAD LISA TATUM, WHO IS A FORMER ASSISTANT CRIMINAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND PRESIDENT OF THE TEXAS BAR ASSOCIATION ON THE COMMITTEE AS WELL.
I'LL TELL YOU, THE COMMITTEE REALLY FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, UH, SPENT A LOT OF TIME GOING THROUGH A LOT OF INFORMATION.
UH, THEY ACTUALLY HAD 14 PUBLIC LIVESTREAM MEETINGS STARTING IN MARCH, ON MARCH 5TH.
AND AS PART OF THIS PROCESS, THEY GENERATED QUESTIONS AND REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION TO, UM, T P S SAW AND THE CITY'S EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER.
THERE WERE ACTUALLY MORE THAN A HUNDRED REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION.
AND I'LL, I'LL NOTE SOME OF THOSE REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION HAD MULTIPLE PARTS TO THEM.
SO THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WAS GATHERED AS IT RELATES TO, UM, THE, THE, THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE.
UH, THEY ALSO GOT INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY THROUGH AN ONLINE PORTAL THAT WE SET UP ON THE WEBPAGE.
UH, PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO TEXT IN QUESTIONS, UH, UH, UH, FROM A TEXT PERSPECTIVE.
SO THE, THE COMMITTEE SAW THAT FEEDBACK AS WELL AS THEY FORMULATED THEIR QUESTIONS AND THE KIND OF INFORMATION THEY WANTED TO REVIEW FROM THE UTILITIES.
THAT REPORT WAS DELIVERED BY THE COMMITTEE TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON JUNE 24TH.
UM, I'LL NOTE THAT ON THE CITY'S WEBPAGE, SAN ANTONIO.GOV, IF YOU LOOK OVER ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, THE BANNER FOR THE COMMITTEE ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IS STILL THERE.
WE PLAN TO KEEP IT UP IN THAT BANNER.
ALL OF THE RFIS AND ALL OF THE RESPONSES FROM THE UTILITIES AND OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER ARE THERE.
UM, SO ALL THAT INFORMATION IS THERE, ALONG WITH THE FINAL REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE.
THAT COMMITTEE REPORT DID CONTAIN 48 RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THESE, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO CERTAINLY THE UTILITIES VIA THE RFIS COULD ANSWER QUESTIONS.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE COMMITTEE, UH, THROUGH THEIR WORK, UH, DRAFTED THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND PUBLISHED THIS REPORT.
IT WAS DONE VIA SUBCOMMITTEE, UM, CHAIRMAN, UM, WILLIAMS, ALONG WITH COUNCILMAN SANDOVAL, UH, REALLY WERE FOCUSED ON THE T P S ENERGY ASPECT OF IT.
UM, COUNCILMAN AND COUNCILMAN PERRY WERE FOCUSED ON THE SAS COMPONENT, AND THEN DR.
ROCHA GARCIA AND, UH, LISA TATUM, ALONG WITH RETIRED, UH, UH, GENERAL RICE FOCUSED ON THE RESPONSES FROM THE E O C.
AND THEN THEY COLLECTIVELY BROUGHT ALL OF THAT WORK TOGETHER.
UH, IN THIS REPORT, WHICH, WHICH DOES CONTAIN 48 RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE, THERE ARE EIGHT ON C P S ENERGY, 16 ON SAWS, AND 24 ON THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER.
UM, THAT REPORT, AGAIN, IS THERE.
AND AS YOU LOOK AT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU'LL SEE THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN SOME CASES IN THE CASE OF, FOR EXAMPLE, C P S, SOME HAVE MULTIPLE SUBPARTS, UM, OTHERS, UM, DON'T, SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT COUNT, IT COULD BE A LITTLE BIT, UM, MISLEADING IF, IF YOU ARE JUST LOOKING AT THE TOTAL NUMBER.
THERE ARE, THERE'S A LOT THERE IN TERMS OF RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, AS I MENTIONED, THAT REPORT AND THE RFIS AND ALL OF THAT INFORMATION ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.
YOU SEE THE ADDRESS LISTED THERE.
UM, CERTAINLY WE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THE COMMITTEE'S FEEDBACK IN TERMS OF HOW OFTEN OR HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE, RECEIVE FEEDBACK ON, UH, OUR PROGRESS.
I THINK OUR GOAL FROM THE CITY SIDE IS TO WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE UTILITIES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO WHILE SOME MAY BE SPECIFIC TO THE CITY OR SPECIFIC TO CPS OR SAS, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF VALUE IN US WORKING COLLABORATIVELY TO ENSURE THAT, UH, WE'VE GOT A APPREHENSIVE INTEGRATED RESPONSE TO THESE TYPES OF EVENTS IN THE FUTURE.
AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT GONNA GO THROUGH ALL OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, I KNOW, UH, CHAIR YOU SENT OUT THAT REPORT.
WE'RE, WE'RE HAPPY TO HELP WITH THAT AS WELL.
[01:05:01]
CHAIR, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.UH, BEN, ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS I WILL MAKE, UH, TO THIS COMMITTEE IS THAT WE, IN THE FUTURE SET ASIDE PART OF EVERY MEETING GOING FORWARD TO ASK FOR A REPORT ON WHAT RECOMMENDATION EACH UTILITY OR THE CITY MAY HAVE, UH, MET AND, AND GOT, UH, AND, AND COMPLETED WHATEVER WAS REQUIRED IN THAT RECOMMENDATION SO THAT WE CAN FOLLOW ALONG AND SEE HOW QUICKLY AND HOW EFFICIENTLY AND HOW EFFECTIVELY WE ARE ENSURING THAT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE GETTING MET.
AND SO, FOR EXAMPLE, AT OUR NEXT MEETING, IF, IF SAWS CAN SAY, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDATION NUMBER THREE ON SUCH AND SUCH, WE WERE ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND COMPLETE THAT.
OR C P S MAY SAY THE SAME THING, OR THE CITY MAY SAY THE SAME THING BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THESE ARE VERY SERIOUS, UH, SITUATIONS AND WE DO NOT WANNA FIND OURSELVES IN THE SAME SITUATION THIS WINTER OR A YEAR FROM NOW IN A, IN A FUTURE WINTER.
AND SO WE CAN'T JUST SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA GET DONE AND WE'RE NOT GONNA BE AWARE THAT THEY'RE COMPLETED.
AND, UH, SO I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF OUR ONGOING MEETING STRUCTURE TO ASK THE UTILITIES IN THE CITY TO REPORT WHICH RECOMMENDATION HAS BEEN COMPLETED, UH, SO THAT WE CAN KIND OF KEEP TRACK OF THAT.
AND I BELIEVE THAT'S PART OF THE OBLIGATION OF, OF THIS COMMITTEE, IS TO MAKE SURE ALL OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE IMPLEMENTED AS QUICKLY AND AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE.
UH, DO ANY OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT THEY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE? OKAY.
UM, YEAH, JUST A QUICK QUESTION AND I AGREE ENTIRELY WITH THE DASHBOARD, JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE SOME METRIC WHERE IT, UM, SHOWS WHAT OR HOW THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE BEING MET.
SO, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT CHAIR.
ALSO, YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING AND IT WAS SPECIFIC TO HOW DO WE PREPARE, YOU MENTIONED THIS WINTER, AND I'M WONDERING IF THIS COMMITTEE MIGHT ALSO BE WHERE PREPARATIONS FOR THE UPCOMING WINTER WOULD, UM, BE, I GUESS JUST, JUST SHOWCASED OR, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE HAD DIDN'T HAPPEN IN FEBRUARY THAT WE'LL, UH, WE WILL BE PREPARED FOR, FOR THIS UPCOMING WINTER.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING IN LINE WITH WHAT THIS COMMITTEE DID.
I DUNNO IF, UH, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING FOR THE FULL COUNCIL, BUT I JUST THOUGHT THAT I'D ASKED TODAY.
ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS THEY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE OR QUESTIONS? UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, THIS IS ROBERT
UH, I DO WANNA REPORT, UH, THIS COMMITTEE THAT WE HAVE COMMITTED, UH, SAW STAFF HAS COMMITTED TO REPORT TO OUR BOARD MONTHLY, AND WE'RE ALREADY IN OUR FOURTH MONTH ON EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS UPDATES ON HOW WE ARE DOING ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND WE JUST ASK YOU TO SHARE THAT WITH THIS COMMITTEE AS YOU MOVE FORWARD.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? OKAY.
UH, AS YOU HEARD BEN SAY, WE ARE NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TODAY, BUT ALL OF THE COUNCIL, ALL OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE THESE.
UH, WE ARE GOING TO ADD A FEW TO THE CITY'S LIST THAT I NEGLECTED TO INCLUDE IN WHAT WE MAILED OUT.
SO WE'LL SEND THIS OUT AGAIN AND WE'LL A ASK ALL OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO REVIEW THESE.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR CONCERNS ABOUT ANY OF THESE ISSUES, YOU KNOW, FEEL FREE TO BRING THESE UP IN FOREGOING, UH, FOREGOING MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE.
THEN, UH, IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS SECTION, I THINK WE RECEIVED THE BRIEFING AND, UH, WE'VE KIND OF LAID OUT OUR EXPECTATIONS.
[3. Briefing on past due amounts for utility delinquencies and disconnection reinstatement plans at CPS Energy and the San Antonio Water System (SAWS); and eligibility of utility assitance under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) [Ben Gorzell Jr., Chief Financial Officer; Troy Elliott, Deputy Chief Financial Officer]]
ON TO THE FINAL BRIEFING.UH, AND THIS WOULD BE COMING MORE FROM THE UTILITY COMPANIES.
UH, WE'D LIKE TO KNOW, UH, HOW, WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE DELINQUENCIES AND PAYMENTS THAT ARE OWED, WHICH ARE VERY SUBSTANTIAL FOR BOTH OF THE UTILITIES? UM, MY GOAL IS TO HEAR FROM YOU, HOW ARE WE GONNA MAINTAIN THE SERVICE, NUMBER ONE, WHETHER IT'S WATER OR ENERGY.
AND THEN NUMBER TWO, HOW DO WE GO AHEAD AND HELP PEOPLE, UH, WHO NEED TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE THOSE PAYMENTS, DO THAT AND CONTINUE THEIR SERVICE? UH, AND FINALLY, IF THERE IS, UH, NO ALTERNATIVE OTHER THAN DISCONNECTION,
[01:10:01]
YOU KNOW, HOW WILL THAT PROCEED? AND I WOULD WELCOME EITHER UTILITY TO OFFER TO MAKE THE PRESENTATION FIRST CHAIR.UM, WE'VE GOT KIND OF AN OPENING PRESENTATION THAT JUST SUMMARIZES SOME HIGH LEVEL DATA THAT WE'VE COLLECTED FROM BOTH UTILITIES.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO, UM, DISCUSS ELIGIBILITY FOR UTILITY SYSTEMS UNDER ARPA.
UM, AND SO IF YOU'RE OKAY, I'LL JUST GO THROUGH THAT VERY QUICKLY AND THEN WE CAN NOT OPEN IT UP TO BOTH UTILITIES TO COMMENT ON WHAT THEIR SPECIFIC PLANS ARE AT THIS POINT.
AS I BEGAN, I DO WANT TO THANK, UH, BOTH UTILITIES.
SO THE DATA THAT WE'RE GONNA BE GOING ON, GOING OVER IS DATA THAT, UM, OUR, UM, UTILITIES GROUP HAS COLLECTED FROM BOTH C P S AND
AND SO THIS INFORMATION IS COMPILED FROM WHAT THEY HAVE PROVIDED TO US, AND THERE'S A LOT MORE DETAILED INFORMATION THEY'VE GIVEN US.
WE'RE GONNA TRY TO SUMMARIZE HERE REAL QUICK, QUICKLY FOR YOU THIS MORNING.
KEVIN, JUST REAL QUICKLY HERE, IF YOU JUST WANNA LOOK AT WHAT PASSENG DUE RECEIVABLES, WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH RECEIVABLES SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN AND THE MORATORIUM ON DISCONNECTIONS BEGAN IN MARCH, UH, BEFORE MARCH OF 2020.
YOU CAN SEE HERE FOR C P S ENERGY, THE, UH, GROWTH THAT HAS OCCURRED IN THAT RECEIVABLE BALANCE, UH, FROM MARCH OF 20, UP UNTIL JUNE OF 2021, WITH IT BEING UNDER 40 MILLION AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS GRAPH TO BEING WELL OVER A HUNDRED MILLION IN JUNE OF 2021.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, SIMILAR GRAPH FOR SAWS.
UH, YOU CAN SEE HERE IN MARCH OF 20, UH, WELL UNDER, UH, WELL UNDER 20 MILLION, AND NOW IN JUNE OF 2021, RIGHT AT 50 MILLION IN TERMS OF THE GROWTH, IN TERMS OF THE OUTSTANDING BALANCE DUE ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'RE JUST GIVING YOU HERE FOR BOTH C P S AND SAWS, UH, THE AMOUNT PASSED DUE AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2021.
SO THAT'S 110.9 MILLION FOR C P S AND THE C P S CASE, IF YOU TAKE THAT 110.9 MILLION, UM, THEY BOTH HAVE DIFFERENT PROCESSES, THE UTILITIES IN TERMS OF HOW, WHAT MAKES YOU ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECT IN TERMS OF, UH, TIMING AND NOTICES THAT ARE ISSUED.
BUT IN THE CASE OF C P S, OF THAT 110.9 MILLION, 71.9 MILLION IS ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECT.
AND THEN THEY HAVE INCREASED THEIR RESERVES, UH, RELATED TO THESE, UH, OUTSTANDING AMOUNTS OF 78.6 MILLION FOR SAW THE PAST DUE AMOUNT IS 50.1 MILLION.
UM, SUBJECT TO DISCONNECT AMOUNT IS 38.3, AND THE RESERVES ARE AT 38.5.
QUICKLY ONTO THE NEXT SLIDE HERE, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT COMMERCIAL VERSUS UM, OR RESIDENTIAL VERSUS COMMERCIAL, YOU SEE THAT LAID OUT HERE ON THIS SLIDE.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE PASS DUE AMOUNT IS RELATED TO RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS.
SO ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE IS THE NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE 70, OVER 73,000 RESIDENTIAL ACCOUNTS, OR 94%, UH, ARE, ARE RESIDENTIAL.
AND ABOUT A LITTLE OVER 4,300 OR 6% ARE COMMERCIAL.
IF YOU GO TO THE RIGHT PIE CHART, WHEN YOU LOOK AT DOLLAR VALUE, 62.1 MILLION IS RESIDENTIAL VERSUS 10.5 MILLION IS COMMERCIAL.
SIMILAR PICTURE ON SAWS ON THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE 95% OF THE, UH, OF ACCOUNTS OR THE ACCOUNTS ARE RESIDENTIAL VERSUS ABOUT 4,000.
UM, BEING COMMERCIAL DOLLAR VALUE IS 26 MILLION.
UH, THE PAST, THE COMMERCIAL SIDE IS 5.6 MILLION.
I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED AS WE GOT INTO THESE PIE CHARTS, THE PREVIOUS ONE AND THIS ONE, THIS DATA IS AS, AS OF MAY 31ST.
THE JUNE 30TH SLIDE I WENT OVER WAS A SNAPSHOT AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
THE DETAILED DATA THAT THE STAFF HAS, OUR STAFF HAS THAT, THAT COMPILES.
SO FROM THE PREVIOUS SLIDE FORWARD, IT'LL ALL BE AS OF MAY 31ST.
SO IN TERMS OF JUST A QUICK SNAPSHOT, AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE'VE BEEN ASKED IS OUT OF THE RESIDENTIAL PAST DUE AMOUNT, HOW MANY OF THOSE CUSTOMERS ARE ALREADY ON AN EXISTING AFFORDABILITY PROGRAM? ON THE C P S SIDE, IT'S ABOUT 19%.
UH, OF THOSE CUSTOMERS ARE, UH, ON SOME TYPE OF AFFORDABILITY PROGRAM THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THIS, IN THIS, UH, PAST DUE AMOUNT.
IF YOU EQUATE THAT INTO DOLLARS, IT IS ABOUT $12.1 MILLION ON THE SAW SIDE.
IF YOU LOOK AT, AGAIN, OUT OF THE RESIDENTIAL PAST DUE ACCOUNTS AND BALANCES, HOW MUCH OF THAT, UH, ARE, HOW MUCH OF THOSE ARE CUSTOMERS THAT ARE ON, ON EXISTING AFFORDABILITY PROGRAM? IT'S ABOUT 14%.
A LITTLE OVER 11,000 CUSTOMERS ON THE SAW SIDE, ABOUT $2.6 MILLION.
UH, WHEN WE LOOK AT ACROSS THE CITY, UH, IN TERMS OF THE IMPACT,
[01:15:01]
THIS IS THE NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECT BY CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT.AND YOU CAN SEE THERE IS SOME VARIATION BY COUNCIL DISTRICT, BUT IT IS AN ISSUE ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY.
EVERY DISTRICT, UM, HAS, UH, ACCOUNTS THAT, UM, WITH EITHER C P S OR SAWS THAT ARE PAST DUE AND ARE, ARE, UH, ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECT.
THE NEXT SLIDE TAKES THAT SAME COUNT AND JUST GIVES YOU THE DOLLAR VALUES.
UM, THERE IS SOME FLUCTUATION BY DISTRICT, BUT YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS AN ISSUE ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY AND ACROSS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
UH, I'M GONNA GO ONTO THIS, THE NEXT SLIDE REAL QUICK.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE, WE WORK WITH UTILITIES TO DO WAS THIS, TO STRATIFY, UM, THE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS INTO BANDS JUST TO GET AN IDEA OF HOW MANY CUSTOMERS AND OF WHAT DOLLAR VALUE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, THESE BALANCES AND WHAT'S PAST DUE.
SO THIS IS THE $62 MILLION YOU SAW ON THE T P S PIE CHART THAT'S PASSED DUE AND IS BREAKING IT DOWN INTO THESE TIERS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THERE ARE A LITTLE UNDER 30, THERE ARE 3000 895 95 CUSTOMERS THAT OWE LESS THAN $250.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE IT GOING UP FROM THERE.
AND THEN YOU'VE GOT ESSENTIALLY 259 CUSTOMERS THAT OWE, YOU KNOW, $5,000 OR MORE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE TIERS IN BETWEEN.
UM, TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF, OF, UM, THE SIZE OF SOME OF THE PAST DUE AMOUNTS AND THE NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
SIMILAR PICTURE ON THE SAW SIDE.
IF WE GO TO THE NEXT ONE, THERE'S ABOUT 43,000 CUSTOMERS THAT OWE LESS THAN $250.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE TIERS GOING UP TO THE $5,000 OR GREATER.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE WERE TRYING TO JUST GET AN IDEA OF, UM, EXCUSE ME, THESE PAST DUE AMOUNTS AND WHAT THE SIZE OF SOME OF THESE WERE.
UM, UH, IN TERMS OF THE, THE AMOUNTS THAT WERE OWED ON THE NEXT SLIDE IS, UM, IF WE JUST LOOK AT THE, THE CUSTOMERS THAT ARE EXISTING AFFORDABILITY PROGRAM THAT ARE BEHIND AND HAVE PAST DUE AMOUNTS, THAT'S THIS $12.1 MILLION FOR C P SS.
AND IT IS, AGAIN, STRATIFIED IN THOSE SAME KIND OF TIERS, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT SOME OF THE BALANCES ARE OWED, UH, WITH SOME OF THOSE CUSTOMERS THAT ARE ALREADY ON EXISTING PROGRAMS THE SAME.
THE NEXT SLIDE DOES THAT FOR SASS AS WELL.
$2.6 MILLION, UM, BROKEN DOWN INTO THOSE TIERS AROUND 11,400 CUSTOMERS.
I WANT TO SWITCH GEARS JUST A LITTLE BIT, AND AGAIN, THANK THE UTILITIES FOR SHARING A LOT OF INFORMATION WITH US.
WE'D LIKE TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH BOTH OF THEM.
THEY ARE BOTH WORKING ON, UM, THEIR PROGRAMS IN TERMS OF HOW THEY'RE GOING TO RETURN TO, UH, DOING DISCONNECTS.
I KNOW THAT CONTINUES TO EVOLVE WITH THEM.
PART OF THE DISCUSSION WE ARE LOOKING AT AND AND TRYING TO DETERMINE, UH, AND REVIEWING IS HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO USE ARPA OR AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, FEDERAL FUNDS THAT THE CITY IS RECEIVING TO PROVIDE SOME UTILITY ASSISTANCE.
AND, UM, I'M GONNA GO OVER IN A COUPLE OF SLIDES, UH, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE, UH, GUIDANCE THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN ON ARPA AND WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY.
SO THIS SLIDE, AGAIN, AT A HIGH LEVEL ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, TALKS ABOUT THE MAJOR STATUTORY CATEGORIES THAT WE CAN USE ARCA FUNDING FOR.
THEY INCLUDE RESPONDING TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY AND THE NEGATIVE IMPACT ASSOCIATED WITH IT, PREMIUM PAY, REVENUE LOSS, AND THEN INVESTMENT IN WATER, SEWER, AND BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, SINCE THAT STATUTE WAS APPROVED, WE HAVE GOTTEN ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE THAT HAS, UM, CREATED THESE SEVEN DIFFERENT REPORTING CATEGORIES THAT YOU LISTED THAT YOU SEE LISTED ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THIS SLIDE.
WE BELIEVE THAT BASED ON EVERYTHING WE, WE HAVE LOOKED AT AND REVIEWED, THAT UTILITY ASSISTANCE WOULD CLEARLY FIT INTO THE NEGATIVE ECONOMIC, UH, IMPACT CATEGORY AND WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR ARPA FUNDING THERE TO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO NOW WE TALK ABOUT ELIGIBILITY FOR ARPA FUNDS.
UM, IT IS NOT, UM, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT SOME OF OUR OTHER PROGRAMS, THEY TEND TO BE SOMETIMES INCOME-BASED.
UM, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ELIGIBILITY, WE CAN REALLY GET THERE FOR UTILITY ASSISTANCE IN TWO DIFFERENT WAYS.
WE CAN GET THERE WHEN A CUSTOMER RESIDES WITHIN ONE OF THESE QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACKS.
AND I'M GONNA SHOW YOU A MAP ON THE NEXT, UH, PAGE.
UM, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S DEFINED.
AND BASICALLY WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS, IF YOU HAVE A CUSTOMER OR A RESIDENT THAT RESIDES IN ONE OF THESE QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACKS, WE CAN MAKE THE PRESUMPTION THAT, UH, THEY HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED BY COVID AND THAT THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR
[01:20:01]
ASSISTANCE.SO IT, UM, AGAIN, WE'RE MAKING A PRESUMPTION THERE BASED ON THEIR, UM, BEING LOCATED IN ONE OF THESE QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACKS.
THE OTHER WAY WE CAN GET THERE THAT'S A LITTLE MORE ADMINISTRATIVELY I SENSITIVE WOULD BE, OBVIOUSLY WE CAN SHOW AND WORK TO DOCUMENT AND SHOW THAT SOMEONE'S BEEN NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY COVID.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, A, A LETTER THAT, UM, THAT CAN SHOW THAT THEY WERE EITHER LAID OFF OR LOST THEIR JOB AND WERE ON AN UNEMPLOYMENT, THINGS THAT WOULD DEMONSTRATE HOW, UM, THEY WERE IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC.
AND THEN WE WOULD THEN BE WORKING TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY THERE.
IN TERMS OF THE TIMEFRAME COVER, THE LAW REFERS TO, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE GUIDANCE, IT GOES BACK TO MARCH, MARCH 3RD, 2021 FOUR.
AND THAT IS REALLY, UM, AS IT RELATES TO, UM, I'M GONNA CALL IT PRIMARY RECIPIENTS, IN THIS CASE THE CITY.
SO IN TERMS OF OUR EXPENDITURES THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO RECOVERY, WE'RE AT THAT MARCH 3RD DATE.
THERE IS A CAVEAT HERE, AND THE CAVEAT IS RELATED TO H HOUSEHOLDS.
AND WHAT IT SAYS IS, UM, WHICH I EXPLAINED IN SIMPLE TERMS, IT ESSENTIALLY SAYS, IF YOU ARE IMPACTED BY COVID AND YOU ARE OCCURRING, THESE AMOUNTS OWED PRIOR TO MARCH OF 2021, THAT CAN BE ELIGIBLE.
AND WHILE THE GUIDANCE ISN'T SPECIFIC ON THE DATE, WE THINK THAT IT IS REASONABLE THAT WE COULD PROBABLY GO BACK TO JANUARY OF 2020.
UM, AND AGAIN, THAT WOULDN'T BE FOR CITY SPECIFIC COSTS, BUT WE'RE TALKING MORE ABOUT HOUSEHOLDS.
AND WHEN I SHOWED YOU THAT ONE OF THE FIRST TWO CHARTS, YOU COULD SEE HOW THAT BALANCE STARTED TO ACCRUE.
ONCE THE MORATORIUM ON DISCONNECTIONS OCCURRED, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD START TO CREATE A NEXUS THERE IN TERMS OF CREATING ELIGIBILITY FOR THE TIME COVERAGE.
HERE, THE RECORD REPORTING REQUIREMENTS, UH, INCLUDE THAT IF IN FACT WE WERE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE, AND THE ASSISTANCE CAN'T, WHILE IT CAN BE, IT CAN GO TO THE UTILITY, IT'S NOT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE UTILITY.
IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S NOT LIKE SOMETHING TO GO, UH, PICK UP REVENUE LOSS.
WE WOULD BE PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO CUSTOMERS.
SO IF WE GAVE, IF WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE OUR ELIGIBILITY AND PROVIDE FUNDS, THOSE FUNDS WILL THEN GET CREDITED TO CUSTOMER ACCOUNTS.
AND THAT'S WHAT CREATES ELIGIBILITY.
IT DOES CREATE SOME REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
IN THIS CASE, THE UTILITY BECOMES A SUB RECIPIENT TO THE CITY.
UH, THEY MUST COMPLY WITH THE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY WORK WITH THEM TO HELP THEM WITH THAT.
UH, AND THEN FROM OUR STANDPOINT, WE WOULD HAVE TO MONITOR THEIR COMPLIANCE WITH THOSE, UH, REQUIREMENTS.
UH, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE HERE IN TERMS OF THE TYPE OF PROGRAM YOU HAVE.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN PROVIDE ASSISTANCE AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE.
YOU CAN PROVIDE ASSISTANCE ON PROGRAMS THAT ARE ALREADY THERE THAT HAVE EVIDENCE-BASED DOCUMENTATION OF OUTCOMES, OR YOU CAN TRACK THE DATA AND DEMONSTRATE THE OUTCOMES, UM, LATER.
AND THAT WOULD BECOME PART OF OUR REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
SO IF WE THINK ABOUT IT IN TERMS OF UTILITY ASSISTANCE, IT WOULD BE BASED ON THE ASSISTANCE WE PROVIDED, WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME.
AND OF COURSE, THEY'RE LOOKING AT IT FROM AN EQUITABLE STANDPOINT AS WELL.
UM, WE DO NEED TO DESCRIBE HOW THOSE EQUITY GO GOALS DO SERVE OUR MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AND HOW WE MAKE APPLICANTS AWARE.
SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE THERE THAT I WON'T GO INTO ALL OF THAT DETAIL.
I'LL JUST SUM UP HERE ON THE NEXT SLIDE THAT, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE ACT WAS PASSED, WE CONTINUED TO GET GUIDANCE.
UM, ACTUALLY, SORRY, GO BACK ONE.
SORRY, KEVIN, I MISSED THE, THE MATH.
SO THIS IS THE QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACK.
SO I MENTIONED IF WE HAD CUSTOMERS THAT RESIDE IN ONE OF THESE QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACKS, WE CAN MAKE THE ASSUMPTION THAT THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS ARPA FUNDING, UH, WITHOUT HAVING TO GO GET A BUN, GET ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION.
SO THIS IS AN ADMINISTRATIVELY, UH, LIGHTER APPROACH IN TERMS OF, OF, OF HAVING TO GET TO ELIGIBILITY.
UM, SO, AND I WANTED TO SHARE THAT JUST SO YOU GOT AN IDEA.
I MEAN, IT'S A, IT, IT'S FAIRLY REPRESENTED ACROSS THE CITY HERE.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AREAS HERE.
SO THIS WOULD BE ONE AVENUE THAT WE COULD CONTINUE TO LOOK AT, UH, AS AN OPPORTUNITY.
AND THEN ON THE LAST SLIDE, I'LL JUST SUM UP JUST FROM A TIMING PERSPECTIVE.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE FINAL RULES.
WE CONTINUE TO GET ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE.
UM, SOME OF THIS CONTINUES TO EVOLVE THROUGH GETTING NEW REQUIREMENTS LAST WEEK, EVEN AS WE ARE ON CALLS WITH THE TREASURY AND THEY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE, WE ARE, UM, HEARING AND ARE HOPEFUL THAT FINAL RULES WOULD BE ISSUED IN SEPTEMBER.
SO WE WOULD HAVE A VERY CLEAR PICTURE AND UNDERSTANDING THAT IF WE WERE TO CREATE A PROGRAM PARTNER WITH THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE, AND I'M SURE THE UTILITIES WILL WANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM ON WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP, HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE
[01:25:01]
TO HELP AND WHAT THAT DOLLAR VALUE MIGHT LOOK LIKE.SO WE'RE COORDINATING WITH 'EM, UM, UH, BOTH UTILITY COMPANIES ON WHAT THAT PROGRAM MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
SO CHAIR, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I THINK, UH, BOTH UTILITIES CAN PROBABLY, UM, SUM UP WHERE THEY ARE IN TERMS OF MOVING, UH, TOWARDS A, TOWARDS, UH, THE CONNECTIONS.
AGAIN, I DO AGAIN, WANT TO THANK BOTH OF 'EM FOR THE DATA THAT WE HAVE, THEY HAVE PROVIDED TO US.
I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK ON SOME OF THOSE ELEMENTS TO TRY TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE WE ARE, UM, AS IT RELATES TO OUTSTANDING BALANCES, UH, FOR OUR CUSTOMERS AND OUR CITIZENS.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL, I'LL PAUSE THERE.
BOY, I WANNA SAY YOU'VE DONE A GOOD JOB IN PREPARING ALL OF THESE PRESENTATIONS TODAY, AND I WANT TO COMMEND THE UTILITIES 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT THEIR INPUT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE HOPING TO ACHIEVE THROUGH THIS COMMITTEE IS, UH, THE COLLABORATION, COLLABORATION AND THE INFORMATION SHARING.
UH, SO THAT WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE UTILITIES ARE OPERATING AND IF THERE ARE CHALLENGES THEY FACE, UH, HOW THE COUNCIL CAN BECOME INFORMED SO THAT WE CAN BE SUPPORTIVE OF OUR UTILITIES AND MEETING THOSE CHALLENGES.
ONE OF THE GREATEST CHALLENGES I KNOW THEY ARE FACING RIGHT NOW IS, IS THE, UH, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO PAY THEIR UTILITY BILLS.
AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, FROM, FROM THESE TWO REPORTS, UH, ABOUT 150 TO $160 MILLION IN ANTICIPATED REVENUE TO THESE UTILITIES THAT HASN'T BEEN FORTHCOMING THIS YEAR.
UH, I THINK MANY OF US RECOGNIZE THAT FROM YEAR TO YEAR, THERE ARE ALWAYS A CERTAIN NUMBER OF, UH, OF, OF REVENUE RESOURCES THAT, THAT DON'T COME THROUGH.
AND I'M SURE BOTH UTILITIES, UH, PLAN ON HAVING A CERTAIN NUMBER OF WRITE-OFFS EACH YEAR.
UH, WHEN WE KNOW, LIKE ANY ORGANIZATION, YOU, YOU MAY NOT COLLECT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE DEBT THAT YOU OWED, BUT THESE CERTAINLY ARE EXTRAORDINARY NUMBERS.
I DON'T EXPECT EITHER UTILITY, UH, WAS WELL PREPARED IN ADVANCE TO DEAL WITH, UH, THOSE DECLINING REVENUE SOURCES.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET THIS INFORMATION AND TO HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF, OF WHERE WE STAND.
SO I THINK, BEN, YOU DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF, OF MAKING THAT PRESENTATION.
UH, I HOPE TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT FROM THE UTILITIES, BUT I WANNA ADD A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS HERE.
I KNOW THAT BOTH UTILITIES HAVE, UH, BEEN INDICATING THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND START MOVING TO, UH, CUT OFF UTILITIES TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT PAID THEIR BILLS OR WHO HAVE NOT ENGAGED IN A REPAYMENT PLAN BY OCTOBER 1ST.
UH, THAT, THAT'S WORRISOME TO ME.
UH, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I HOPE THE UTILITIES ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT.
I WOULD IMAGINE SINCE THE WORD HAS BEEN PUT OUT OVER THE LAST, UH, MONTH OR MORE, THAT THIS IS A, THIS IS SOMETHING BOTH UTILITIES HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING THAT A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO HADN'T BEEN PAYING HAVE DECIDED THAT, UH, THEY EITHER HAVE THE ABILITY NOW THE WHEREWITHAL OR THE DESIRE TO CATCH BACK UP BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO FACE THE DISCONNECT.
AND I WOULD HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, OVER AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, AND INTO OCTOBER, WE CAN MAYBE SEE JUSTIFICATION FOR NOT HAVING TO GO AHEAD AND, UH, AND CUT THAT OFF AT THIS TIME RIGHT NOW, OF COURSE, THAT THAT'S YOUR CALL, BUT, UH, LET'S HOPE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GETTING THE MESSAGE AND ARE ARE SIGNING UP.
THAT'S SOMETHING I'D LIKE TO HEAR, UH, FROM THE UTILITIES, IF THEY'RE STARTING TO SEE, UH, A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL WHEN IT COMES TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T PAID AND ARE STARTING TO SIGN UP.
AND IF YOU FEEL LIKE, UH, THE EFFORT WITH COMMUNICATIONS TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, ARE STARTING TO PAY OFF, AND IF YOU'RE CONSIDERING ANY OTHER ALTERNATIVES, UH, TO DISCONNECT.
SO, UH, I THINK WE'VE GOT A GOOD BASIS, UH, TO GO AHEAD AND HEAR FROM YOU NOW BASED ON BEN'S REPORT.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM IN PUTTING THAT TOGETHER.
SO I'M AVAILABLE TO HEAR, UH, I THINK WE'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM EITHER, UH, UTILITY AT THIS TIME ABOUT THE DIRECTION THAT YOU'RE MOVING IN, UH, ON DISCONNECTS OR AS I PREFER TO SAY, CONTINUING TO PROVIDE UTILITIES FOR OUR RATE PAYERS.
[01:30:01]
I MAY GO.OUR, OUR VERY FIRST, UH, EFFORT, AND THIS COMES FROM STAFF, BUT ALSO FROM OUR BOARD, IS TO TRY, UH, TO GET OUR CUSTOMERS, UH, TO BE IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE SERVICE.
THAT'S, THAT'S JUST THE WAY THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING THIS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AT SOME POINT, WE MAKE IT TO THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE TO DISCONNECT THEM, BUT OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE THEM CONTINUE TO HAVE OUR SERVICE.
NOW, UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK THE MESSAGE THAT THEY'RE HEARING AND THEY KEEP ON HEARING IS, WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IS, IS SOME OF THIS FEDERAL MONEY GOING TO TAKE CARE OF ME? AND THEREFORE, UM, YOU'LL SEE SOME NUMBERS.
UH, MARY BAILEY WILL GIVE YOU SOME NUMBERS, MORE RECENT NUMBERS THAT I THINK SHOW UNFORTUNATELY THE OPPOSITE, WHERE THE NUMBERS CONTINUE TO GROW AND THEY'RE NOT GOING DOWN.
THEY'RE EITHER STAYING STEADY OR NOT GOING DOWN.
UH, BUT I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE BOARD HAS INSTRUCTED US AND STAFF FEELS THE SAME WAY, THAT OUR FIRST GOAL IS NOT TO DISCONNECT ANYONE.
UH, SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA ASK MARY TO GIVE SOME DETAILS ABOUT WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT THAT TREND LOOKS LIKE.
WELL, UH, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A, A LET ME JUST GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY AND THEN I CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT KIND OF OUR PLANS MOVING FORWARD.
SO, AS YOU KNOW, UM, IN JUNE, SAS ANNOUNCED THAT, UH, WE WERE GONNA BEGIN RESUMING DISCONNECTIONS IN OCTOBER, UH, FOR CUSTOMERS THAT, UH, WERE NOT, UH, WERE IN ARREARS, UM, OR SIGNIFICANTLY IN ARREARS.
AND THE IDEA AT THE TIME, BY ANNOUNCING IT THAT EARLY WAS TO SAY, HEY, LOOK, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO TURN ANYBODY OFF.
WE WERE SEEING, YOU KNOW, ANYWHERE FROM FIVE TO EIGHT TIMES MORE THAN WHAT WE WOULD NORMALLY SEE IN CUSTOMER, UM, UH, DELINQUENCIES, UH, AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC AND OUR, UM, AND OUR DECISION TO, TO HALT THIS CONNECTIONS BACK IN MARCH OF 2020.
AND SO WE DIDN'T WANNA HAVE TO BE TURNING OFF, YOU KNOW, 10, 40,000 CUSTOMERS, UM, UH, ALL AT ONCE, AND THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE CAN, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD HELP THOSE CUSTOMERS, UH, START TO BEGIN TO DEAL WITH THEIR DELINQUENT BALANCES.
AND SO WE ANNOUNCED AT THAT TIME THAT WE WERE ENCOURAGING THEM TO CONTACT US TO, UH, ENTER INTO A PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT THAT WOULD ACTUALLY PREVENT THEM FROM BEING DISCONNECTED.
AND, UH, WE ANNOUNCED THAT WE WERE MAKING SIGNIFICANT, UM, CHANGES IN OUR POLICY.
WE WOULD GO MUCH LONGER ON THESE PAYMENT ARRANGE ARRANGEMENTS THAN HISTORICALLY WE HAD IN THE PAST.
UM, WHEN WE MADE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT, WE BEGAN TO DO COMMUNICATIONS WITH OUR CUSTOMERS.
UH, WE SENT EMAILS TO THOSE DELINQUENT CUSTOMERS, WE MAILED POSTCARDS.
IN SOME CASES WE DID DOOR HANGERS ENCOURAGING THEM TO REACH OUT TO US AGAIN, TO, TO ENTER INTO THAT PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT TO LOOK FOR ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THERE, THERE IS, UH, EXISTING, UH, ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE BOTH AT, UH, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AT THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND, UH, SO THAT HAS BEEN OUR EFFORTS OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
UM, WHILE WE HAVE SEEN AN UPTICK IN PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS, UM, I'VE JUST LOOKED AT IT AS OF YESTERDAY, WE HAVE ABOUT 7,700 CUSTOMERS IN PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY 60,000 CUSTOMERS THAT ARE DELINQUENT.
AND SO WE NEED TO GET A LOT MORE PEOPLE SIGNED UP.
AND WE'VE REALIZED THAT WE'VE SEEN THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT REALLY GETTING THE RESPONSE THAT WE LIKED AS QUICKLY.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE HEARING OCTOBER AND THINKING THEY HAVE MORE TIME.
UM, SO AT THE LAST, UH, A BOARD MEETING THIS MONTH, UM, I, I ANNOUNCED A PROGRAM PARTICULARLY FOR OUR CUSTOMERS THAT ARE ECONOMICALLY, UM, UH, CHALLENGED.
THEY'RE ENROLLED IN OUR ENROLLED IN OUR AFFORDABILITY DISCOUNT PROGRAM THAT IF THEY DO NOT ENTER INTO A PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT, UH, WITH US BY SAY THE MIDDLE OF SEPTEMBER, WE ARE GONNA AUTOMATICALLY ENROLL THEM IN AN ARRANGEMENT.
UM, THAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY, UM, SUSPEND, IF YOU WILL, THAT PAST DUE BALANCE.
AND WHAT THAT DOES IS, UM, IT, IT, UH, ONE, UH, THEY WOULD BE REQUIRED TO MAKE THEIR CURRENT START BEGINNING MAKING THEIR CURRENT CHARGES EACH MONTH, RIGHT? SO A LOT OF OUR CUSTOMERS ARE NOT PAYING ANYTHING.
AND SO THIS WAY THEY COULD, UH, BEGIN TO PAY THEIR CURRENT CHARGES AND PREVENT DISCONNECTION, AND WE WOULD WORK WITH THEM TO TRY TO LOOK FOR, AGAIN, ASSISTANCE, UM, THAT IS AVAILABLE.
THERE IS, TO DATE, MOST OF THE ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN, UM, VERY MUCH TIED TO INCOME.
AND SO THOSE CUSTOMERS, WE HAVE ABOUT ALMOST 10,000, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABILITY, DISCOUNT PROGRAM THAT WOULD QUALIFY, UM, POTENTIALLY FOR DISCONNECTION BECAUSE OF THEIR PAST DUE STATUS.
THOSE CUSTOMERS WOULD BE, UM, MOST LIKELY BE ELIGIBLE FOR THESE FUNDS.
[01:35:01]
THAT THE, THAT BEXAR COUNTY IS GONNA BECOME, UH, BEGIN DISTRIBUTING.THAT IS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN THE LOW INCOME HOUSING WATER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
BEN JUST TALKED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF ARPA MONEY THAT THE CITY MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE.
AND, AND SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE DON'T CUT OFF ANYBODY PREMATURELY WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S, THERE'S SOME ASSISTANCE THAT IS GOING TO BECOME AVAILABLE, UH, PRETTY, UH, FAIRLY QUICKLY FOR THESE CUSTOMERS.
SO BY PUTTING THAT PAST DUE BALANCE ON HOLDING, SAYING THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY THAT, BUT THEY DO HAVE TO START PAYING THEIR CURRENT CHARGES, AND THAT'S HOW THEY CAN, THEY CAN AVOID ANY KIND OF DISCONNECTION IN SERVICE.
WE FELT LIKE THAT WOULD, UM, UM, CERTAINLY PREVENT, UH, THOSE CUSTOMERS FROM LOSING THEIR SERVICE IN OCTOBER.
UM, WITH REGARD TO CUSTOMERS THAT ARE NOT IN OUR, UM, AFFORDABILITY DISCOUNT PROGRAM, SO THAT'S ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, 40,000 OR SO, UH, 45, 50,000.
SO WE, UM, WE, WE ARE LOOKING AT, UM, A PLAN, UH, AN AUTOMATIC PLAN THAT WE WOULD PUT THEM IN.
UM, AND AGAIN, BE TAKING THAT BACK TO OUR BOARD IN SEPTEMBER.
UH, THAT WILL, UH, HELP THOSE CUSTOMERS THAT MAYBE HAVEN'T ALREADY ENTERED INTO A PAYMENT PLAN, BUT THAT THAT PAYMENT PLAN WOULD HAVE SOME TERMS THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO, TO MEET.
AGAIN, THEY, THE FOCUS IS PRIMARILY ON GETTING THEM TO PAY THEIR CURRENT CHARGES AND THEN MAYBE A, A SOME PORTION OF THEIR PAST DUE FOR THOSE CUSTOMERS, NOT IN OUR AFFORDABILITY, UH, DISCOUNT PROGRAM.
THE, UM, THE COMMERCIAL, BOTH THOSE, THAT GROUP AND, AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS, AGAIN, ARE THEIR BEST BET IS TO GET INTO A PAYMENT OF PLAN.
UH, WE WILL AUTO-ENROLL THE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS, BUT ON OUR COMMERCIAL SIDE, WE DO NEED THE, THE CUSTOMERS TO REACH OUT TO US.
WE WILL WORK WITH THEM FOR AS LONG AS THEY NEED IN ORDER TO WORK THROUGH THAT PAST DUE BALANCE.
WE, WE ABSOLUTELY DON'T WANNA BE TURNING ANYBODY OFF IN OCTOBER, BUT WE REALLY NEED PEOPLE TO, UM, UH, ENGAGE WITH US AND, UM, AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN WORK THROUGH THIS TOGETHER.
THE, UH, THE ONE MORE, UH, PROGRAM THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IS EXPANDING OUR LEAK ADJUSTMENT PROGRAM.
IN LOOKING AT THE DATA, PARTICULARLY IN CUSTOMERS THAT OWE, UH, RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS THAT OWE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS, UM, IT'S CLEAR THAT IN MANY CASES THERE WAS A, A LEAK, UH, MAYBE A SIGNIFICANT LEAK IN THEIR PROPERTY THAT MAYBE WENT ON FOR, FOR MULTIPLE MONTHS AND CONTRIBUTED TO SOME VERY HIGH BALANCES.
SO WE, UH, ARE ANNOUNCING AN EXPANDED LEAK ADJUSTMENT PROGRAM WHERE THOSE CUSTOMERS WILL CONTACT US, DEMONSTRATE THAT THE LEAK HAS BEEN REPAIRED.
SAWS WILL CONSIDER, UM, UM, A MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT ADJUSTMENT, UH, RELATED TO THAT LEAK, UM, AND SHOULD TAKE CARE OF A, A PRETTY GOOD PORTION OF THEIR, UH, PAST DUE BALANCE.
SO WITH ALL OF THAT, AGAIN, OUR, OUR PRIMARY, UH, FOCUS IS, UH, TO, UH, AVOID THE DISCONNECTION BY GETTING THE CUSTOMERS TO BEGIN PAYING US, UH, CERTAINLY THE CURRENT CHARGES AND SOME PORTION OF THE PAST DUE.
WE, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, WE WILL BE AS FLEXIBLE AND WORK WITH THESE CUSTOMERS AS POSSIBLE, UH, AND TRY TO AVOID ANY SORT OF DIS SERVICE DISCONNECTION COME OCTOBER.
ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE FOR ME OR ROBERT? WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, MARY, THANK YOU.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND HEAR FROM C P S NOW, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS FOR EITHER UTILITY REGARDING THIS.
MR. CHAIRMAN, THIS IS RUDY GARZA, AGAIN, CHIEF CUSTOMER AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT OFFICER AT C P S ENERGY.
UH, I'M NOT GONNA REPEAT, UH, I'M GONNA TRY NOT TO REPEAT AS MUCH OF THE INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE THAT, UH, THAT MARY, UH, DISCUSSED.
I, I THINK WE'RE VERY WELL ALIGNED.
WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING AT THE REQUEST OF, UH, OF, UH, OF BEN AND, AND RUSSELL TO ENSURE THAT SAWS AND C P S ENERGY WERE TAKING, UH, A SIMILAR APPROACH, UH, TO REINSTITUTING DISCONNECT POLICIES AS POSSIBLE.
UH, I, I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE, UH, SEEN, UH, AN UPTICK IN CUSTOMERS, UH, GETTING CURRENT.
UH, AS SOON AS WE STARTED, UH, TALKING ABOUT RESUMING DISCONNECTS, UH, WE HAD NEARLY 83,000 CUSTOMERS ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECT.
AT THE END OF MARCH, WE'RE DOWN A, AS OF THE END OF JULY TO 73,000 CUSTOMERS.
SO, UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE GOTTEN CURRENT.
UH, WE'VE GOT, UH, 23,000 CUSTOMERS, UH, THAT ARE, ARE ON, UM, SOME TYPE OF, OF, UH, PAYMENT, UH, PROGRAM THAT ARE, THAT HAVE MADE, UH, ARRANGEMENTS, WHICH IS GREAT.
SO WE'VE SEEN, UH, THOSE NUMBERS BOTH MOVE IN A, IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION, UH, WHICH SHOWS, UH, A REACTION, UH, AND A PROACTIVE, UH, REACTION TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE PAST DUE BALANCES.
UH, BACK WHEN WE, UH, UH, SUSPENDED DISCONNECTS IN MARCH OF LAST YEAR, IN MAY OF LAST YEAR, WE BEGAN OUR CUSTOMER OUTREACH RESOURCE EFFORT PROGRAM WHERE I TOOK, UH, A
[01:40:01]
SEGMENT OF OUR ENERGY ADVISORS, UH, AND, UH, AND, AND SET UP A, A OUTBOUND CALL PROCESS THROUGH DEANNA HARDWICK'S TEAM.UH, AND WE'VE MADE OVER 90,000 CALLS.
WE'VE TALKED TO OVER 60,000 CUSTOMERS, UH, 90% OF WHICH WE HAVE, UH, PROVIDED SOME TYPE OF ASSISTANCE TO.
UH, WE'VE WORKED WITH OVER A HUNDRED COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH THAT, UH, PROGRAM, UH, TO ARRANGE FOR ROUGHLY $32 MILLION IN, IN DIRECT BILL BILL PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, UH, FOR OUR CUSTOMERS SINCE, SINCE JUNE OF LAST YEAR.
UM, SO WE ARE, UM, WE ARE PROUD OF, OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE NOT SAT AROUND WAITING FOR CUSTOMERS TO CALL US.
UH, WE HAVE DONE THE CALLING, UH, ON OUR OWN, AND IT'S MADE A HUGE, UH, DIFFERENCE TO THE TUNE OF $32 MILLION, UH, TO DATE.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, I'LL, I WILL REPEAT ONE THING THAT, THAT BOTH, UH, ROBERT AND AND MARY SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, NO CUSTOMER HAS TO GET DISCONNECTED, AND WE HOPE, UH, THAT NONE WILL, UH, ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS REACH OUT TO US AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT FOLKS, UH, WAITING, UH, TO TALK TO THEM, TO TRY TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT, THAT THAT EVENTUAL OUTCOME, UH, IS NOT THE CASE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PRESENTED A PLAN TO OUR BOARD, WHICH IS SIMILAR, UH, TO, UH, WHATS HAS TALKED ABOUT, UH, IN MANY RESPECTS.
UH, IN OUR CASE, UH, WE WOULD, UH, WE'VE, WE HAVE, WE'VE GOT, UH, ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT FOLKS THAT DEAL WITH OUR LARGEST CUSTOMERS, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN TALKING, UH, TO THOSE IN THAT, UH, COMMERCIAL CATEGORY THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECT.
WE'VE GOT ABOUT 216 CUSTOMERS IN THAT CATEGORY WITH, UH, ROUGHLY $1.7 MILLION, UH, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS, THAT, THAT WOULD MAKE THEM ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECT.
UH, YOU KNOW, UH, WE WILL TURN, UH, BACK ON THE, UH, DISCONNECT, UH, PROCESSES, SEPTEMBER ONE FOR THAT, UH, CATEGORY OF CUSTOMERS.
UH, OUR SMALL COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS, UH, WOULD BE NEXT.
SO WE'VE GOT ROUGHLY, UH, 4,000, A LITTLE UNDER 4,000 CUSTOMERS, UH, WITH, UH, $8.4 MILLION IN PAST DUE BALANCES.
UH, AND AGAIN, WE'VE GOT, UH, ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT, UH, FOLKS THAT ARE REACHING OUT DIRECTLY TO THOSE CATEGORIES OF CUSTOMERS, UH, TRYING TO GET THEM SET UP ON PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, UH, PROGRAMS. UM, WE'VE GOT ROUGHLY 2200, UH, CUSTOMERS, UH, THAT ARE RESIDENTIAL, THAT AREN'T ON ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE MADE NO PAYMENTS, UH, OVER THIS TIME PERIOD, AND THAT HAVE NOT RESPONDED TO OUR, UH, UH, ATTEMPTS AT, AT, AT REACHING OUT TO THEM, UH, ROUGHLY 12 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, UH, IN PAST DUE BALANCES.
UH, WE WOULD, UH, WE WOULD, WE WOULD, UH, REINSTITUTE DISCONNECTS FOR THAT CATEGORY, UH, OCTOBER ONE, UH, AS WELL, UH, UH, ALONG WITH THE SMALL BUSINESS.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT ANOTHER COUPLE OF CATEGORIES, UH, RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS NOT ON ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS THAT WE PROBABLY HAVE, HAVE BEEN ON, UH, PAYMENT PROGRAMS AT SOME POINT IN TIME, BUT DO HAVE SOME PAST DUE BALANCES, UH, THAT HAVE, UH, HAVE ACCRUED THAT THEY HAVEN'T TAKEN CARE OF OR HAVEN'T MADE ARRANGEMENTS FOR.
UH, THERE'S A LITTLE UNDER 50,000 CUSTOMERS IN THAT CATEGORY, UH, THAT WOULD BE PUSHED OUT TO NO NOVEMBER ONE, UH, AS A START DATE FOR RESUMING DISCONNECTS.
AND THEN THE MOST VULNERABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT, THAT WE ARE REALLY TRYING HARD, UH, TO GET TO OUR, ARE THE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS WHO ARE, WHO ARE ENROLLED IN ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. WE'VE GOT AROUND 13,000 CUSTOMERS IN THAT CATEGORY FOR ROUGHLY 12 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS PAST DUE.
UH, WE WOULD JUST WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE, THE HOLIDAY SEASON, UH, BEGINNING JANUARY 4TH, UH, OF NEXT YEAR, UH, BEFORE THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECT, UH, AGAIN.
SO WE'RE REALLY KIND OF PHASING, UH, OUR APPROACH IN, UH, OVER, UH, YOU KNOW, FIVE, SIX MONTH PERIOD.
UH, AGAIN, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HOPING THAT, UH, WE'RE ABLE TO GET TO EVERYONE.
UM, AND, UM, OUR, OUR BILL, UH, MESSAGING, WE'LL HAVE A MESSAGE ON THE BILLS, UH, FOR THOSE CUSTOMERS THAT, UH, START SEPTEMBER ONE.
BUT WE'RE GONNA DO A SERIES, UH, OF, UH, VARIOUS COMMUNICATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE, WE, WE REACH MULTIPLE TIMES, UH, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR, UH, ESPECIALLY THE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS IN THAT LAST CATEGORY THAT, UH, THAT WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO SEE GET CUT OFF.
UH, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'LL STOP THERE AND SEE IF, UH, ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS.
AND LET ME JUST INTERJECT TO REMIND ALL OF US ON THIS, THAT, UH, THIS COMMITTEE HAS A HARD STOP AT NOON BECAUSE WE HAVE A CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL SESSION.
UH, BUT ANY OF, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT THEY'D LIKE TO SHARE AT THIS TIME? YES, MELISSA
UM, UH, CHAIR, UM, I'M SORRY, I'M, I'M GOING A LITTLE OUT OF TURN.
I DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC PRESENTATION, BUT WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME, SO I WANTED TO ASK IF I COULD JUST RECOMMEND,
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UM, SOME, UH, ITEMS FOR FUTURE DISCUSSIONS.I'D LIKE TO SEE A PRESENTATION FROM THE UTILITIES REGARDING THEIR UPDATED COMMUNICATION PLAN WITH THE COUNCIL.
ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT CAME TO LIGHT DURING WINTER STORM URI, AND SOME CASES IT'S RESPONSE OR ANSWERS FROM THE UTILITIES THAT I COULD THEN PASS ON TO THE PEOPLE OF DISTRICT SIX WHO ARE ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT DURATION OR CAUSES OF THEIR LOSSES OF POWER.
UM, I'D LIKE TO HEAR HOW OUR UTILITIES HAVE IMPROVED THIS CONDITION AND THE NEW PLAN FOR COMMUNICATION.
AND THEN SPECIFICALLY FROM SAS, I'D LIKE TO SEE A PLAN AND PRESENTATION FOR MASS WATER DISTRIBUTION.
WE HAD MANY RESIDENTS IN HOMES AND APARTMENTS WHO DIDN'T HAVE WATER FOR WEEKS AFTER THE SNOWSTORM
I'D LIKE TO SEE SAWS BE PROACTIVE ABOUT PROVIDING WATER IN THE EVENT THAT THAT HAPPENS AGAIN.
AND OF COURSE, I'D LIKE TO SEE A, A PRESENTATION AND PLAN FOR THAT.
COUNCILWOMAN, UH, ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER OR COMMENT ON WHAT WE'VE JUST HEARD OR, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO PUT SOMETHING IN FOR OUR NEXT MEETING OR A FUTURE MEETING? YEAH, CHAIR.
I THINK THIS, UH, DISCUSSION WAS, UH, VERY INFORMATIVE.
WHILE THE PRESENTATIONS WERE VERY INFORMATIVE, I'M NOT SURE THAT THE NEXT NINE MINUTES WILL, UH, WE'LL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH A, A MEANINGFUL DISCUSSION ON, ON HOW WE HOPE TO, TO SEE THE RESTORATION OF POWER, LET'S SAY THAT, UH, CARRIED OUT.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO CONTINUE DISCUSSING THIS ITEM AT OUR NEXT MEETING? YES, WE CERTAINLY CAN, UH, GO AHEAD AND SPELL OUT ALL RIGHT, UH, HOW YOU WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE ADDRESSED, AND WE CERTAINLY CAN MAKE THAT, UH, AN ISSUE AT THE NEXT MEETING.
I'LL JUST, UH, ASK A, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UH, UPFRONT, AND THEN WE CAN, UM, EITHER GET THIS, UH, RESPONSES BY EMAIL OR AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
BUT REGARDING THE CENSUS TRACT APPROACH, I WAS WONDERING HOW MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BEHIND ON EITHER SAWS OR, OR S BILLS LIVE IN THOSE CENSUS TRACKS.
HOW MANY OF THE ACCOUNTS ARE THERE? UM, AND IS THAT BASICALLY, HOW DOES THE MATH WORK OUT, RIGHT? IF THERE ARE PEOPLE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY THAT ARE STILL BEHIND, UM, HOW WOULD WE DEAL WITH THAT IF WE GO THROUGH THE CENSUS TRACT ROUTE? UH, THE OTHER QUESTION IS, CAN C P S AND SAS FORGIVE SOME OF THE BACK PAYMENT, THE, THE PAYMENTS THAT PEOPLE OWE, OR DOES THE INDIVIDUAL HAVE TO THE INDIVIDUAL OR ARPA HAVE TO PAY THE FULL AMOUNT? THANK YOU.
SO QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? COUNCILMAN BRAVO.
COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN? BRAVO.
UH, I'LL LET COUNCILMAN, UH, ADRIANA, RICHARD GARCIA GO FIRST.
I THINK SHE WAS CHIMING IN RIGHT THEN.
THANK YOU COUNCILMAN, AND THANK YOU CHAIR.
QUICK QUESTION, I JUST, I DON'T WANNA MAKE THE ASSUMPTION THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT STEER AND MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T, UH, DISCONNECT ANY OF THOSE FOLKS ON THAT CRITICAL LIST.
UH, IS THAT, CAN I JUST HEAR FROM C P S THEMSELVES TO CONFIRM THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE DISCONNECTED IN OCTOBER? WE, WE KNOW THE LIST AND WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE LIST, SO YES.
WE'VE GOT ROUGHLY 3000 I THINK, CUSTOMERS THAT ARE ON OUR CRITICAL CARE LIST, AND THEY, THEY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECT, SO, YEAH.
UM, SO ON THE, UH, THE DEAL WHEN ACCOUNTS PRESENTATION, SLIDE 19 SAID THERE WAS A CLARIFICATION, I'M, I'M ASKING FOR A CLARIFICATION OF, UH, I GUESS WE'RE PENDING ON FINAL RULE AND BUDGET ALLOCATION AS THAT FOR ARPA FUNDS.
DOES THAT MEAN WE ARE NOT, THAT CUSTOMERS WHO ARE DELINQUENT RIGHT NOW ARE NOT YET ABLE TO APPLY FOR THOSE FUNDS? YEAH, THAT WOULD BE CORRECT.
SO WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY WILL BE A AVAIL ALLOWED TO APPLY FOR THOSE FUNDS.
SO, SO COUNCILMAN, UM, WHAT WE, WHAT WE WILL NEED TO DO IS GET THE FINAL GUIDANCE AND WORK WITH BOTH UTILITIES.
WE'LL NEED TO PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL ON WHAT LEVEL OF ASSISTANCE, UH,
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UH, WE WOULD RECOMMEND PROVIDING TO BOTH C P S AND SAWS FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS.AND THAT WOULD BE PART OF A POLICY CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNCIL.
YEAH, SO IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A SPECIFIC ALLOCATION OF THE ARPA RULES.
I JUST, I DON'T THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO, TO BEGIN DISCONNECTIONS.
AND IF THERE'S PENDING MONEY OUT THERE AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE TO APPLY FOR, I DON'T THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO, TO START DISCONNECTIONS WHEN THAT MONEY SHOULD BE SOON AVAILABLE.
UM, I SAW THAT C P SS ENERGY, THEY, 73% OF THEIR CUSTOMERS WHO ARE SUBJECT TO DISCONNECT ARE AFFORDABILITY CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE BALANCES BETWEEN ONE AND $5,000 AND 59% OF THOSE CUSTOMERS FOR SAUCE HAVE BALANCES BETWEEN ONE AND $5,000.
AND, AND, UH, I'M, I GUESS SO FOR C P S ENERGY, I'M WONDERING WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THOSE CUSTOMERS HAVE BEEN TARGETED FOR, UM, FOR THE COST OF AIRED THE PROGRAM TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM ENERGY RETROFITS, UH, OR UPGRADES SO THAT WAY THEIR ENERGY CONSUMPTION IS NOT AS LARGE.
AND SO WE COULD BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE ALREADY AFFORDABILITY CUSTOMERS.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE STRUGGLING TO PAY THEIR BILLS.
COULD WE MAKE THEM COST OF AIRED, THE CUSTOMERS DO ENERGY RETROFITS TO BE ABLE TO REDUCE THEIR, THEIR ENERGY CONSUMPTION? UM, I ALSO, I GUESS, WANTED TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UH, SUCCESS RATE ON PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS, LIKE HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY, OR WHAT PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE DELINQUENT HAVE ALREADY HAVE, HAVE ADOPTED THE PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS.
AND THEN, UM, UH, THAT EXPANDED LEAK ADJUSTMENT PROGRAM FOR SAWS, HAS THAT BEEN IMPLEMENTED OR THAT IS GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTED? COULD I INTERJECT AND ASK THAT ALL THREE OF THOSE QUESTIONS BE ANSWERED? YEAH.
AT OUR NEXT MEETING? COUNCILMAN THAT AND SURE.
THAT'S, THAT'S, I GUESS I'M JUST THROWING 'EM ALL OUT SO THEY CAN BE PREPARED FOR THOSE.
UM, AND I HAD ONE LAST ONE, UM, OH THAT, SO I DIDN'T, RUDY, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND FOR SURE ABOUT WHETHER YOU ALL ARE PROACTIVELY CALLING YOUR CUSTOMERS.
I KNOW I SAW THAT YOU WERE MAYBE MAILING THEM, PUTTING FLYERS ON, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU ALL WERE ACTUALLY CALLING CUSTOMERS TO TRY AND SET UP PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS.
SO THAT WAS ANOTHER QUESTION I GUESS, THAT YOU CAN ANSWER IN THE NEXT MEETING.
WELL, WE, WE ARE, THAT'S PART OF THE CORE PROGRAM COUNCIL.
WE'VE CALLED 90,000 CUSTOMERS AND WE'RE STARTING WITH THOSE IN THE LOWEST INCOME CATEGORIES.
UH, I'M SURE THERE MAY BE A FEW ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT WE MAY HAVE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT I WOULD ASK ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS, UH, TO ME SO THAT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND DISSEMINATE THOSE BACK OUT, UH, TO OUR PARTNERS AT THE UTILITIES SO THAT THEY MAY BE BETTER PREPARED TO ANSWER THOSE.
WE WILL SET UP A, A NEW AGENDA.
I'LL SEND IT TO ALL COMMITTEE MEMBERS AHEAD OF TIME TO MAKE SURE WE'RE COVERING EVERYTHING GOING FORWARD THAT WE'VE ASKED ABOUT.
UH, AND I BELIEVE THIS IS A VERY GOOD FIRST MEETING.
I APPRECIATE SO MANY PEOPLE JOINING US FROM BOTH UTILITIES AND FROM THE CITY.
UH, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE GOOD COLLABORATIVE, INFORMATIVE MEETINGS SO THAT YOUR CITY COUNCIL IS PREPARED TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF OUR UTILITIES AND OUR CONSTITUENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO WITH THAT, UH, IF I SEE NO OBJECTIONS, CHAIR, CAN I, ONE, I HAVE A QUESTION CHAIR, THIS IS BEN.
CAN I JUST MAKE ONE COMMENT REAL QUICK? UM, AND I JUST WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON SOMETHING THAT ROBERT SAID 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND WHAT, UH, COUNCILMAN BRAVO WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT.
I, AND, AND IF YOU HEARD THAT BOTH UTILITIES HAVE EXTENSIVE PROGRAMS THAT THEY'RE ROLLING OUT, I THINK THAT THAT ONE OF THE MAIN TAKEAWAYS IS CUSTOMERS REALLY NEED TO CONTACT THE UTILITY.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT ARPA FUNDING.
IT MAY BE PART OF THE PUZZLE AND IT MAY BE ABLE TO HELP A LITTLE, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA SOLVE THIS ISSUE.
I MEAN, YOU SAW THE BALANCES THAT ARE THERE.
SO I DON'T WANNA CREATE THE EXPECTATION THAT SOMEHOW FEDERAL FUNDS ARE GONNA COME IN AND SOLVE THIS ISSUE.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, I THINK, FOR CUSTOMERS TO CONTACT US, TO CONTACT T P S.
IT'S GONNA TAKE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AVENUES AND EFFORTS, I THINK, TO BE ABLE TO KEEP PEOPLE ON TRACK.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT COMMENT AS WE CLOSE.
AND, AND I'LL JUST ADD TO THAT, THAT WE'RE NOT SAYING ANYBODY SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING THEIR UTILITY BILLS.
WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS IF PEOPLE HAVE THOSE LIMITATIONS WHERE THEY CAN'T, WE WANNA GO AHEAD AND HELP CONTINUE TO GIVE THEM THE UTILITIES THEY NEED TO SURVIVE.
AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE, UH, THE JOB OF THIS COMMITTEE TO OVERSEE.
SO THEN AT THIS TIME, I'LL GO AHEAD AND SAY, THIS COMMITTEE IS ADJOURNED.