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>> GARCIA: GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. WE'LL GET STARTED WITH TODAY'S MUNICIPAL UTILITIES COMMITTEE MEETING FOR SEPTEMBER 24, 2024.
AND, DEBBIE, IF YOU COULD TAKE ROLL CALL.
>> CLERK: CHAIR, WE HAVE QUORUM. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. WELCOME BACK TO THE MUNICIPAL UTILITIES COMMITTEE. WE HAVE HAD A BRIEF HIATUS BUT THE MAYOR BROUGHT THIS COMMITTEE BACK AND I'M GLAD TO SEE WE HAVE THE CONTINUED UTILITIES AND I'M GLAD OUR COLLEAGUES ARE HERE TO KICKOFF THIS MEETING.
DEBBIE, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? >> CLERK: WE HAVE NO
[Briefing and Possible Action on the following items ]
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. >> GARCIA: WONDERFUL.
WE'LL GO RIGHT INTO THE ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA. THE FIRST IS A BRIEFING BY SAWS ON THE DISCONNECTION PROCEDURES OF THE UTILITY. THE SAME BRIEFING IS GOING TO BE PRESENTED LATER BY CPS ENERGY BUT WE'LL START OFF WITH SAWS AND I BELIEVE MR. PUENTE IS GOING TO KICK US OFF. MR. PUENTE, IT'S ALL YOURS.
AND CECILIA IS GOING TO FOLLOW. >> GOOD MORNING, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. THANK YOU FOR LETTING US BE HERE.
GOOD MORNING AND IT'S REALLY, I THINK, GOOD THAT THE CITY HAS STARTED THESE MEETINGS AGAIN. IT ALLOWS SAWS TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOU.
I THINK IT'S BETTER FOR US. WE'RE ABLE TO TELL YOU ALL THE THINGS WE'RE DOING.
I THINK IT'S BETTER FOR THE CITY BECAUSE YOUR CONSTITUENTS WILL BE IN FRONT OF YOU AT H-E-B, AT A HOMEOWNERS' ASSOCIATION MEETING AND ASK YOU THINGS ABOUT SAWS AND IT PROVIDES YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW HOW WE'RE DELIVERING THOSE TWO BASIC SERVICES. CURRENTLY, WE ARE IN THE DRAFT STAGE OF OUR BUDGET FOR 2025. WE HAVE PRESENTED TWO TIMES BEFORE OUR BOARD ALREADY.
TWO MORE TIMES BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY VOTE ON IT. IT LOOKS LIKE 2025 WILL BE A BUDGET WHERE WE WILL NOT NEED A RATE INCREASE, SO HOPEFULLY THAT STAYS TRUE.
BUT WE KNOW THAT THE DISCONNECTION ISSUE IS A BIG ISSUE FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
AND IT IS OUR ATTEMPT TO GET A DELINQUENT PAYER TO PAY. SO FAR IT'S WORKED BUT IT'S A 45-DAY PROCESS. LAST WEEK WE STARTED THAT AGAIN AND SO WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY STARTED IS COMMUNICATING WITH THE CITY AND COUNTY.
WE HAVE ALREADY STARTED THE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE DELINQUENT OWNER AND THAT INCLUDES E-MAILS, PHONE CALLS, AND PERSONAL VISITS, NOT JUST ONE BUT MULTIPLE TIMES. WE THINK THESE EFFORTS WORK. WE WANT TO EXPLAIN THAT TO YOU AND HOPEFULLY HAVE YOU UNDERSTAND WHY WE NEED TO DO THAT.
CECILIA WILL GIVE YOU ALL THE DETAILS ABOUT HOW THAT HAPPENS.
THERE IS ONE LAST THING. IN MY COMMUNICATIONS WITH COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ, THERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS AND CONCERNS HE EXPRESSED TO ME.
I'M IN THE PROCESS OF COMMUNICATING WITH HIM AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT BEST TO DO AND HOW TO HOPEFULLY ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS.
WITH THAT, I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING OUR WORK WITH Y'ALL AND CECILIA WILL NOW PRESENT ON THIS DISCONNECTION ISSUE. THANK YOU.
>> HI. GOOD MORNING. CECILIA VELASQUEZ, I AM THE VICE PRESIDENT OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AT SAWS. FIRST WE WANTED TO PUT OUR BILLING PROCESS IN PERSPECTIVE . IN 2023 WE AVERAGED OVER 561,000 BILLS. MONTHLY WATER BILLS, WHICH TOTALED 6.9 TOTAL BILLS WE PROCESSED. OVERALL WE BILLED FOR $862 MILLION IN OPERATING REVENUES. WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU A COMPARISON OF OUR DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS AND PROVIDE YOUR PERSPECTIVE OVER TIME. WE LOOKED BACK AT JANUARY 2023. WE HAD SLIGHTLY OVER 94,000 RESIDENTIAL ACCOUNTS THAT WERE DELINQUENT. THIS TOTALED $37.1 MILLION. WE HAD 3600 DELINQUENT COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS TOTALING $5.4 MILLION, AND 627 DELINQUENT APARTMENT ACCOUNTS TOTALING $4.2 MILLION. FAST FORWARD TO THE END OF JULY 2024 WE HAD BEEN ABLE TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS WITH OUR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS IN TERMS OF BOTH THE NUMBER OF DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS AND THE TOTAL AMOUNT OWED. HOWEVER, THE TOTAL DELINQUENT APARTMENT ACCOUNTS HAD INCREASED AS WELL AS THE TOTAL AMOUNT OWED BY THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS. THIS SLIDE WILL SHOW YOU OUR BILL PROGRESSION REGARDING WHEN BILLS BECOME DELINQUENT. ON DAY ZERO, BILL NUMBER ONE IS MAILED AND 15 DAYS LATER THAT BILL IS DUE. FAST FORWARD 30 DAYS AFTER THE BILL WAS MAILED AND PAYMENT IS NOT MADE, ACCORDING TO THE CITY'S
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CHAPTER 34 ORDINANCE, AT THIS POINT THE ACCOUNT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR SERVICE DISCONNECTION. HOWEVER, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, SAWS MAILS THE NEXT BILL, BILL NUMBER TWO, WITH THE PAST-DUE MESSAGE FOR BILL NUMBER ONE.IN A SEPARATE LETTER WE MAIL A FINAL NOTICE MESSAGE TO THE CUSTOMER.
AND ON DAY 61, BILL NUMBER THREE IS MAILED WITH THE FINAL NOTICE MESSAGE FROM BILL ONE. ONCE WE GET TO THIS POINT, WHICH IS 60 DAYS AFTER BILL NUMBER ONE WAS MAILED, THE ACCOUNT IS REVIEWED FOR POTENTIAL SERVICE DISCONNECTION. HOWEVER, AT THIS POINT WE UNDERSTAND THAT OUR CUSTOMERS MAY NEED ONE MORE REMINDER. SO WE PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL SEVEN DAYS BEFORE THE EARLIEST POTENTIAL SERVICE DISCONNECTION DATE.
DAY 67 IS THE ABSOLUTE EARLIEST POINT IN TIME WE WOULD DISCONNECT SERVICES, COMPARED TO DAY 31 WHEN SAWS IS TECHNICALLY ABLE TO DISCONNECT SERVICE.
TO GO INTO MORE DETAIL REGARDING OUR SERVICE DISCONNECTION PROCESS FOR OUR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS, ON THAT DAY 61, ALL DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS ARE MANUALLY REVIEWED. HOWEVER, DUE TO OUR LABOR LIMITATIONS, ACCOUNTS HAVE TO BE PRIORITIZED BASED ON DELINQUENT BALANCE AND BILLING CYCLE. WE SCHEDULE 500 TO 700 DISCONNECTIONS PER DAY MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. IF SELECTED FOR DISCONNECTION, WE MAKE A ROBO CALL WHICH INFORMS THE CUSTOMER THEY HAVE SEVEN DAYS TO PAY PRIOR TO DISCONNECTION. ON AVERAGE, 40% OF OUR CUSTOMERS WHO RECEIVE THAT ROBO CALL MAKE A PAYMENT AND ARE NOT DISCONNECTED. HOWEVER, IF A PAYMENT IS NOT MADE AND SERVICE IS DISCONNECTED, WE OFFER SAME-DAY SERVICE RESTORATIONS WHICH REQUIRES THE SAME RESOURCES THAT TURN THEM OFF.
AND OVER 50% OF OUR CUSTOMERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND ARE RESTORED THE SAME DAY. YEAR TO DATE WE HAVE COMPLETED 30,000 SERVICE DISCONNECTIONS WITH 20% OF THOSE BEING REPEAT OFFENDERS.
FOR THOSE ACCOUNTS THAT GET DISCONNECTED, THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF MONTHS THAT AN ACCOUNT IS DELINQUENT BEFORE DISCONNECTION IS OVER FOUR MONTHS.
SO, AGAIN, 61 DAYS, 67 DAYS, WITH THE AVERAGE HAPPENING THEY ARE DELINQUENT OVER FOUR MONTHS BECAUSE OF OUR PRIORITIZATION AND OUR LABOR LIMITATIONS.
THE AVERAGE BALANCE WE'RE TURNING OFF IS $300. PLEASE NOTE WE HAVE ANOTHER 22,000 ACCOUNTS IN OUR BACKLOG THAT HAVE NOT BEEN TURNED OFF.
FOR APARTMENTS, WE UTILIZE AS MANY RESOURCES AS POSSIBLE TO REACH OUT TO MANAGERS AND PROPERTY OWNERS. 400 OF THOSE APARTMENTS WENT THROUGH THE BILL PROGRESSION BUT DIDN'T MAKE THEIR REQUIRED PAYMENTS AND ARE ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECTION. SO FOR EACH OF THESE ACCOUNTS WE REVIEW THEM AND WE SEND OUT ROBO CALLS PROVIDING OPTIONS TO SET UP PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS ON OUR WEBSITE ELECTRONICALLY THREE, SIX, OR NINE MONTHS. OR THEY CAN CALL US AND WE CAN PROVIDE 12, 18, OR 24-MONTH PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS.
TO OFFER THOSE PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS. FOR THE ROUGHLY 100 UNRESPONSIVE ACCOUNTHOLDERS WE REACH OUT MONTH AFTER MONTH .
FOR THOSE WITH BALANCES OVER $50,000 WE START THE DOOR HANGER NOTIFICATION PROCESS ON THE PROPERTY OFFICE DOORS. PRIOR TO COVID WHEN WE WOULD GET TO THIS STEP, WE WOULD GET AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE FROM THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT. AGAIN, JUST PLACING IT ON THE PROPERTY OFFICE DOORS.
HOWEVER, AFTER COVID, PROPERTY MANAGERS HAVE NOT BEEN RESPONSIVE WHICH HAS LED US TO MOVING TO THE NEXT STEP IN OUR PROCESS. FOR THOSE ACCOUNTS WHERE NO PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS ARE MADE, WE NOTIFY THE ACCOUNT HOLDERS THAT THE DOOR HANGERS WILL BE PLACED ON EACH TENANT'S DOOR. FOR THOSE UNRESPONSIVE WE WILL PROCEED WITH HANGING THOSE DOOR HANGERS ON THE DOOR.
WE WANT TO PROVIDE YOU A COPY OF WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE INCLUDING THE SCHEDULED DISCONNECTION DATE AND TIME. THEY PROVIDE BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO BE PREPARED, AND INSTRUCTS TENANTS TO CONTACT THEIR LANDLORD OR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FOR QUESTIONS. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA AND CITY STAFF ON ATTACHING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR TENANTS IN THE FUTURE.
TH NEXT SLIDES FOCUS ON OUR APARTMENT COLLECTION EFFORTS THIS PAST SUMMER.
IN MARCH WE FOCUSED ON THE TOP TEN APARTMENTS WITH THE LARGEST DELINQUENT BALANCES THAT TOTALED $1.2 MILLION. THESE ACCOUNTS HAD BEEN PAST DUE SINCE COVID.
BASED ON OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS, FIVE OF THOSE APARTMENTS MADE THE REQUIRED
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PAYMENTS. THE FIVE REMAINING APARTMENTS STILL OWED US $750,000. NO ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS NOR CONTACT WERE MADE BY THESE APARTMENTS THROUGH JUNE. OVERALL, OUR OUTREACH AND DISCONNECTION PROCESS ENCOMPASSED A FIVE-WEEK PERIOD. IN WEEK ONE WE CONTINUED OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS, PROVIDED A LIST OF APARTMENTS TO THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT, SUPPORT SERVICES, AND CPS. IN WEEK TWO WE CONTINUED OUTREACH EFFORTS AND ANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM OUR AGENCY PARTNERS. IN WEEK THREE AUDIO] AGENCY PARTNERS OF OUR DOOR HANGER TIMELINE AND THEN WE PLACED THE DOOR HANGERS ON THOSE PROPERTY OFFICE DOORS OF THOSE FIVE APARTMENTS.IN WEEK FOUR, IN ADDITION TO CONSTANT OUTREACH, WE NOTIFIED OUR AGENCY PARTNERS OF THE TENANT DOOR HANGER DATES AND TIMES AND THEN WE PLACED THE DOOR HANGERS ON THE TENANTS' DOORS ON THOSE DATES AND TIME. WEEK FIVE THE SCHEDULED DISCONNECTION DATE IN JUNE, WE WERE ABLE TO OBTAIN PAYMENT FOR ONE APARTMENT BUT FOUR OF THOSE PROPERTIES HAD THEIR SERVICES DISCONNECTED FOR NO PAYMENT.
THREE OF THOSE PROPERTY SERVICES WERE RESTORED WITHIN TWO HOURS OF PAYMENT.
SERVICES REMAINED DISCONNECTED AT ONE VACANT APARTMENT.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE APARTMENT THAT WE DISCONNECTED HAD BEEN DELINQUENT FOR AN AVERAGE OF 20 MONTHS. AGAIN, COMPARED TO OUR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS, OUR AVERAGE IS DISCONNECTED AFTER FOUR MONTHS. PRIOR TO THIS YEAR THE LAST TIME WE TURNED OFF SERVICES TO AN APARTMENT WAS IN 2019 WHEN WE COORDINATED DISCONNECTION EFFORTS WITH CPS AND THE CITY'S CODE COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT. THIS SLIDE OUTLINES THE JULY APARTMENT OUTREACH AND COLLECTIONS PROCESS. WE FOLLOWED THE SAME PROCESS FOR WEEKS ONE THROUGH FOUR WITH ANOTHER TEN APARTMENTS WITH PAST DUE BALANCES TOTALING $700,000. WHEN WE GOT TO THE SCHEDULED DISCONNECTION DATE IN WEEK FIVE, NO SERVICE DISCONNECTIONS WERE NEEDED BECAUSE ALL OF THE REQUIRED PAYMENTS HAD BEEN MADE. DURING WEEKS FIVE AND SIX WE MET WITH CITY STAFF, ALONG WITH COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA AND HER STAFF, TO REVIEW COORDINATION EFFORTS MOVING FORWARD. THIS SLIDE AGAIN PROVIDES AN OVERALL SUMMARY OF OUR TOTAL DELINQUENT BALANCES. SO PRIOR TO COVID, OUR DELINQUENT BALANCES RANGE FROM APPROXIMATELY 13 TO $16 MILLION AND THEN COVID HIT IN MARCH 2020 WHEN WE SUSPENDED DISCONNECTION. AS YOU CAN SEE, THOSE BALANCES PEAKED AT $57.1 MILLION. AT THAT POINT WE RESUMED DISCONNECTIONS IN SEPTEMBER OF 2021. THIS HELPED, ALONG WITH ARPA FUNDING THAT WE BEGAN TO RECEIVE FROM THE CITY IN FEBRUARY OF '22. ONCE THE MAJORITY OF THOSE FUNDS WERE EXHAUSTED OUR BALANCES STARTED INCREASING.
FROM THE COUNTY IN NOVEMBER OF 2022. AGAIN, THIS SUPPORT HELPED US THROUGHOUT 2023 WHEN THAT FUNDING WAS EXHAUSTED. IN 2024, WE IMPLEMENTED A NEW PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT CRITERIA AND RE-UPPED OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS TO OUR LARGE COMMERCIAL AND APARTMENT ACCOUNTS. THROUGH JULY OUR BALANCES STILL TOTAL $31.3 MILLION. SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE UTILIZING ALL OF OUR RESOURCES AND TOOLS, INCLUDING OUR CUSTOMER OUTREACH EFFORTS, PROVIDING PAYMENT OPTIONS, PROVIDING EXTENDED PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS, AND ONLY UTILIZING SERVICE DISCONNECTIONS AS OUR LAST RESORT.
THAT'S OUR LAST SLIDE ON THAT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU, CECILIA. THANK YOU FOR ACCEPTING THE INVITATION TO PRESENT ON THE TOPIC. WE'LL HEAR FROM CPS IN JUST A LITTLE BIT. BUT WE DID HAVE MULTIPLE-FAMILY DISCONNECTIONS MOVING IN D4. I APPRECIATED HOW QUICKLY YOU ALL CAME TOGETHER WITH THE PARTNERS. I SEE VERONICA HERE FROM NHSD.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT THERE. WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND TRLA TO SEE WHAT OUR LEGAL AVAILABLE RESPONSE WOULD BE.
AND SO I'M SO GLAD WE WERE ABLE TO DISCUSS IT AND I JUST WANTED TO PUBLICLY SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT. WE'LL START WITH SOME CONVERSATION AND SOME QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES AND WE'LL START WITH COUNCILWOMAN CABELLO HAVRDA.
>> HAVRDA: THANK YOU, MADAME CHAIR. THANKS, CECILIA FOR THE PRESENTATION. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE DISCONNECTIONS FIRST.
I HEARD YOU SAY THE CITY ORDINANCE, YOU'RE ELIGIBLE TO DISCONNECT AFTER 30 DAYS.
IS THE 60 DAYS, THE FINAL NOTICE, IS THAT IN REGULATION AS WELL OR IS
THAT A DECISION MADE BY YOU GUYS? >> NO, AGAIN, WE JUST GIVE EXTRA TIME. AGAIN, THAT'S BASED ON -- WE HAVE OUR CUSTOMER
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INFORMATION SYSTEM. WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS.AS FAR AS WE PROVIDED THAT INTERNALLY. >> HAVRDA: SO THAT WAS THE
SAWS' DECISION, THE FINAL NOTICE AFTER 61 DAYS. >> ACCORDING TO THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, WE DO HAVE TO ISSUE A FINAL NOTICE PRIOR TO ANY ACTION BEING TAKEN TO TERMINATE A CUSTOMER'S SERVICE FOR NON-PAYMENT. WE HAVE TO NOTIFY THE
CUSTOMER RIGHT TO A FINAL NOTICE. >> HAVRDA: THE TIMING IS
THE SAWS' DECISION? >> 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF THE MAILING SYSTEM BILL.
WE SHALL BE -- AGAIN, THIS CUSTOMER WOULD BE. SO IT'S 30 DAYS.
IT'S IN THE ORDINANCE THAT WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THAT -- >> HAVRDA: THE ORDINANCE IS 30 DAYS BUT I'M GETTING AT THE FACT THAT THE 60 DAYS --R THREE, MAILED THE FINAL
NOTICE, THAT 61 DAYS IS A SAWS' DECISION. >> THAT IS THE 30-DAY FINAL NOTICE. WE'RE JUST GIVING AN EXTRA FINAL NOTICE IN BILL THREE.
>> HAVRDA: AND ANOTHER AFTER THAT. 61.
>> ANOTHER NOTICE, A REMINDER. PLEASE PAY.
>> HAVRDA: OKAY. SO GIVEN THAT, YOU SAID THAT YOU SCHEDULED 500 TO 700 DISCONNECTIONS A DAY. I'M A LITTLE HUNG UP ON THE WORD "SCHEDULED."
DOES THAT MEAN THEY ARE DISCONNECTED THAT DAY? >> NO.
WHEN I SAY 500 TO 700, IT DEPENDS ON WHERE WE ARE IN THE BILLING CYCLE.
WE HAVE 20 BILLING CYCLES AROUND THE AROUND SERVICE AREA SO IT DEPENDS ON IF THERE'S ONLY 400 ACCOUNTS THAT ARE DELINQUENT AND ELIGIBLE TO BE DISCONNECTED, WE'RE ONLY GOING TO DO 400 BASED ON THE GEOGRAPHY OF THAT.
ON AVERAGE, WE DO 500 TO 700 A DAY. AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS WE SCHEDULE THEM -- WE WOULD SCHEDULE THEM TODAY. A ROBO DIAL WOULD GO OUT TODAY SAYING SEVEN DAYS FROM TODAY YOU WILL BE DISCONNECTED.
PLEASE PROVIDE PAYMENT BEFORE THEN. THAT'S WHERE 40% OF OUR CUSTOMERS MAKE A PAYMENT AND WE DON'T HAVE TO GET TO THE DISCONNECTION.
>> HAVRDA: THAT WAS MY NEXT QUESTION. THE SEVEN DAYS PRIOR WAS YOU'RE SCHEDULING THE DISCONNECTION, 500 TO 700 A DAY, THOSE ARE ROBO CALLS, AND THEY ARE LIKELY TO GET DISCONNECTED IF THEY DON'T PAY.
ARE YOU COMMUNICATING IN YOUR NOTICES THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, OPTIONS FOR
PAYMENT PLANS? >> OH, YES. AGAIN, IN THE NOTICE IT NOT ONLY GIVES THEM THE SEVEN DAYS, IT PROVIDES LANGUAGE THAT SAYS PLEASE GO TO OUR WEBSITE. WE DO PROVIDE PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS ELECTRONICALLY ON OUR WEBSITE. THEY DON'T HAVE TO CALL ANYONE.
IT'S PROVIDED IF THEY LOG INTO THEIR ACCOUNT. WE MADE THAT DURING COVID VERY EASY THAT THEY CAN CREATE A PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT ON THEIR OWN.
ONCE THEY CREATE THAT PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT, AS LONG AS THEY HAVE NOT BROKEN THREE OR MORE PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS -- IF YOU HAVE BROKEN THREE PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS, WE ASSUME YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SATISFY THAT NEXT PAYMENT
ARRANGEMENT. >> HAVRDA: ARE YOU HAVING COMMUNITY EVENTS AS WELL OUTSIDE THE DOOR KNOCKING? I REMEMBER AT LEAST DURING THE PANDEMIC THOSE WERE PRETTY SUCCESSFUL, BRINGING IN PEOPLE TO TALK WITH SOMEBODY ABOUT A PAYMENT
PLAN. >> EVERYWHERE WE GO, I KNOW GAVINO'S TEAM REACHES OUT. OUR UPLIFT PROGRAM. WE HAVE 35,000 CUSTOMERS WHO ARE A PART OF OUR UPLIFT PROGRAM RIGHT NOW. THEIR BILLS ARE ALMOST HALF SO WE TRY TO GET AS MANY PEOPLE TO APPLY FOR THOSE PROGRAMS. YES, WE ARE GOING OUT TO ALL THE EVENTS THAT WE NORMALLY WAS.
>> HAVRDA: THERE WAS A TIME WE HAD A SAWS' REPRESENTATIVE IN OUR DISTRICT OFFICE WHO HAD OFFICE HOURS. IS THAT STILL HAPPENING? OKAY. THANK YOU. ON THE DOOR HANGERS, DO YOU HAVE ENGLISH AND SPANISH. IS THERE AN OPTION FOR OTHER LANGUAGES OUTSIDE OF THOSE
TWO? >> YEAH. WE DEFINITELY COULD.
IF WE GOT A REQUEST THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN THERE'S A LARGE POPULATION OF CUSTOMERS THAT SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE. WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY
FEEDBACK TO SAY THERE WAS ANY CONCERN. >> HAVRDA: IF YOU COULD JUST ADD SOMETHING ON THE DOOR HANGER ABOUT WHERE THEY COULD CALL FOR A DIFFERENT
LANGUAGE OPTION. >> SURE. >> HAVRDA: I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. AND THEN, FINALLY, THE PROCESS FOR DISCONNECTION WHEN IT COMES TO APARTMENTS, YOU HAVE APARTMENTS THAT THEIR RENT AND THEIR UTILITIES ARE ALL INCLUSIVE AND THEN AS WE KNOW SOMETIMES THE APARTMENT OWNER DOESN'T PAY THOSE BILLS. WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR THAT SO THAT THE TENANTS WHO ARE PAYING THEIR BILLS ARE NOT HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT
THE APARTMENT OWNERS ARE NOT DOING, NOT PAYING THE BILLS? >> THERE ARE MANY
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DISCUSSIONS WITH COUNCILWOMAN ROCHA GARCIA AND THE OTHER CITY STAFF.THAT HAS COME UP SEVERAL TIMES. OUR FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIP IS WITH THAT PROPERTY MANAGER. AGAIN, AS FAR AS GIVING ANY OTHER INFORMAION TO THEIR TENANTS, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE WE WOULDN'T BE PROVIDING ANY OTHER INFORMATION TO THE TENANTS. THAT'S WHY ANY KIND OF LEGAL REPRESENTATION, THAT WOULD BE COMING EITHER FROM THE CITY -- AGAIN, THAT INFORMATION COULD BE ADDED TO THE DOOR HANGER AT THAT POINT.
>> HAVRDA: ARE YOU NOTIFYING THE TENANTS THOUGH, NOT JUST THE
APARTMENT MANAGER, RIGHT? >> WE ARE NOTIFYING THE TENANTS.
RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS LIKE -- WE UPDATED OUR COORDINATION EFFORTS SO I KNOW THERE WAS A FIVE-WEEK PROCESS BUT NOW WE HAVE AN EVEN MORE ADVANCED NOTICE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE GIVING THE CITY STAFF. 30 DAYS OUT THE CITY STAFF OBVIOUSLY WILL KNOW THE LIST OF APARTMENTS. AGAIN, WE HAVE A LIST RIGHT NOW OF 15 APARTMENTS THAT OWE US A LITTLE OVER $1.5 MILLION.
AND SO ONCE WE GET TO WEEK TWO, THAT'S WHEN THE TENANTS WOULD BE NOTIFIED.
SO THEY NOTIFY 14 DAYS IN ADVANCE AND THEN THEY WOULD BE NOTIFIED AGAIN A WEEK IN ADVANCE. AND THEN THE DAY BEFORE WE WOULD BE NOTIFYING THEM.
SO WE WILL -- >> HAVRDA: I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION, SPECIFICALLY ON THAT ISSUE. IT DOESN'T SEEM FAIR TO THE TENANTS.
I UNDERSTAND YOUR FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIP IS WITH THE APARTMENT OWNER BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY THEY ARE ALL PEOPLE WE SERVE AND REPRESENT SO I'D LIKE FOR
THEM TO HAVE A SAY IN IT. >> MOST OF THE LIST -- PROPERTY MANAGERS ON THE
LIST, HAVEN'T MADE PAYMENTS SINCE MARCH AND APRIL. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
>> COURAGE: THANK YOU. I THINK THERE'S A RELATIVE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HOMEOWNER OR A RENTER AND A HOUSE THAN A COMMERCIAL BUSINESS, AN APARTMENT COMPLEX OR A COMMERCIAL BUSINESS. AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE MAY GET THE LEVERAGE THAT WE NEED SOMETIMES TO GET THEM TO MAKING UP FOR THAT. BUT I'M WONDERING IF YOU HAVE LOOKED AT REACHING OUT BEYOND THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY AND REACHING OUT EVEN BEYOND THE OWNER TO MAYBE THE MORTGAGE LENDER WHO HAS UNDERWRITTEN THE FUNDING FOR THOSE APARTMENT COMPLEXES. ALMOST EVERY ONE OF THEM ONE WAY OR ANOTHER GOES BACK TO THE LENDER AND SAYS I NEED A MILLION DOLLARS TO UPGRADE SOME APARTMENTS.
OR TO ADD AIR-CONDITIONING IMPROVEMENTS, WHATEVER. AND MAYBE IF WE CAN DO THE KIND OF RESEARCH THAT WILL LET US KNOW WHO'S THE LENDER THAT IS INVOLVED IN THE LOSS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG, THAT MAYBE THEY'LL BE ABLE TO PUT MORE PRESSURE ON THE OWNER, WHO WILL PUT THE PRESSURE ON MANAGEMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY STEP UP AND ASSUME THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. SO THAT'S ONE THOUGHT THAT COMES TO MY MIND. AND ALSO I HATE TO SEE INDIVIDUALS HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE WORK OR THE LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY THAT AN OWNER TAKES ON OR A MANAGER.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY I THINK WE NEED TO PROTECT THOSE PEOPLE BY DEVELOPING MAYBE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO STEP IN OR SAWS TO BE ABLE TO ASSUME A LEGAL OPPORTUNITY TO PUT A LIEN ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY, WHICH MEANS IF THEY DON'T PAY, WHEN THE OWNER GOES TO SELL THAT PROPERTY, THEY MAY HAVE TO PAY QUITE A BIT TO THE CITY OR SAWS TO RECTIFY THAT SITUATION. I DON'T KNOW OF ALL THE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS BUT, TO ME, SAWS SHOULD HAVE A LEGAL RIGHT TO BE ABLE TO PUT A LIEN ON A PROPERTY FOR UNPAID WATER. AND I KNOW THAT DOESN'T RESOLVE THE PROBLEM TODAY OR TOMORROW UNLESS THE OWNER RECOGNIZES THE PROBLEM.
>> I UNDERSTAND. THAT'S NOT AVAILABLE IN OUR ORDINANCE RIGHT NOW.
BUT LIKE YOU SAID IT'S A TOOL THAT WE DEFINITELY HAVE LOOKED INTO.
SO IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE CAN CONTINUE LOOKING INTO.
IT'S JUST NOT AVAILABLE, BASED ON THE ORDINANCE RIGHT NOW.
>> COURAGE: I UNDERSTAND THAT. I WOULD LIKE SAWS AND CPS BOTH TO LOOK INTO THAT KIND OF A PROCESS WITH OUR LEGAL STAFF.
IF THEY DIDN'T PAY THEIR TAXES, THE CITY COULD GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE PROPERTY.
I'M NOT SURE THAT WE WANT TO TAKE ON PROPERTY AS MUCH AS JUST, AGAIN, CREATING THE PRESSURE ON THE PROPERTY OWNER TO ASSUME THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT THEY HAVE. AND IF THEY CAN'T, THEY NEED TO SELL THE PROPERTY TO
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SOMEBODY WHO WILL GO AHEAD AND ASSUME THAT RESPONSIBILITY AND PART OF WHAT THEY LOSE IS WHAT THEY OWE. ANYWAY, THOSE ARE A COUPLEOF THINGS THAT COME TO MY MIND ON THIS. >> WE HAVE WORKED WITH THE CITY'S CODE COMPLIANCE. AGAIN, AS YOU SAID SOME OF THESE ARE REPEAT BAD ACTORS AND THEY HAVE OBVIOUSLY ISSUES WITH CODE COMPLIANCE AS WELL.
SO WE ARE TRYING TO INCREASE COORDINATION WITH THE CITY'S CODE COMPLIANCE SO WE WOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH PROCESSES MORE QUICKLY ON THE CODE COMPLIANCE SIDE.
>> COURAGE: OKAY. I MAY HAVE SOME MORE THOUGHTS LATER.
THAT'S IT FOR NOW. THANK YOU. >> GARCIA: WHAT CECILIA WAS REFERENCING IS WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN MOVE INTO THE PROACTIVE APARTMENT INSPECTION PROGRAM AND LEVERAGE THAT AS A PART OF THE SOLUTION.
COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, CHAIR.
THANK YOU, ROBERT AND CECILIA FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE TREND THAT WE SEE IN DISTRICT 5 IS THAT NOT HAVING ACCESS TO UTILITIES CAN LEAD TO A NOTICE TO VACATE, BECAUSE IT IS A CODE COMPLIANCE VIOLATION. THE TREND WE HAVE SEEN IN DISTRICT 5 WITH OUR MULTIFAMILY APARTMENT COMPLEXES, WE'RE GRATEFUL THAT THE PROPERTY OWNER DOES COME INTO A COMPLIANCE AGREEMENT BUT THE CONCERN IS LEADING UP UNTIL THAT'S ESTABLISHED AND THOSE CONVERSATIONS TAKE PLACE, THERE ARE FAMILIES THAT ARE GOING WITHOUT WATER. AND IN A PLACE LIKE THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WHERE THERE'S EXTREME HEAT, THIS IS A LIFE OR DEATH CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING AND THAT WE HEAR FROM RESIDENTS THAT CALL OUR OFFICE NEEDING ACCESS, WHETHER IT'S TO UTILITY ASSISTANCE OR A TENANT IN ONE OF THESE APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT IS A BAD ACTOR. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THESE BAD ACTORS AREN'T REFLECTIVE OF AN INDUSTRY. IF THEY'RE NOT PAYING THEIR UTILITIES, THEY'RE LIKELY NOT PAYING ANY DUES TO ANY ORGANIZATION.
I THINK THERE IS OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CONNECT THIS TO CODE COMPLIANCE APARTMENT -- THE MULTIFAMILY CODE INSPECTION. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO PROPERTIES WHERE THE TENANTS ARE PAYING ALL BILLS PAID, I BELIEVE THAT'S CONSIDERED THEFT. THEY'RE PAYING FOR A SERVICE THAT THEY'RE NOT RECEIVING AND THE WATER'S BEING SHUT OFF. SO I'M CURIOUS HOW CAN WE ENSURE WE'RE HOLDING THESE LANDLORDS ACCOUNTABLE THAT AREN'T PAYING THE BILL WHEN A TENANT IS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THEIR DOLLARS ARE GOING TOWARDS THEIR UTILITY. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT CITY STAFF HAS RESEARCHED OR IS THIS SOMETHING THAT SAWS HAS RESEARCHED TO SEE HOW CAN FOLKS, LANDLORDS THAT ARE NOT PAYING THE UTILITY BUT ARE RECEIVING ALL BILLS PAID RENT ACCOUNTABLE FOR NOT
FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH PAYMENT? >> IF I COULD ADDRESS THAT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS READY TO TALK ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE. BUT THEY HAVE FILED SUIT ALREADY ON THESE ISSUES.
SO THE CITY ON ITS OWN HAS TAKEN THIS INITIATIVE AND THEY'VE ADDED SAWS AS -- AND CPS -- AS PART OF THE REASONS FOR FILING THAT SUIT.
SO, YES. WE ARE HERE READY TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO GET THIS -- TO GET OUR BILLS PAID KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S INNOCENT PEOPLE INVOLVED. I WILL EMPHASIZE, HOWEVER, THAT DURING THE LAST ROUND THAT WE DID THIS, THAT MADE THE NEWS AND THERE WAS MEDIA EVERYWHERE, THE LONGEST ANYBODY WAS WITHOUT WATER WAS 90 MINUTES. AN HOUR AND A HALF.
THERE WAS A BIG GROUP OF APARTMENTS THAT EVEN BEFORE THIS NEWS BLITZ THEY PAID.
SOME PAID ON THAT DAY. SOME PAID AND THEY WERE SHUT OFF FOR ONLY 30 MINUTES.
SO THIS DOES WORK AND THE INNOCENT TENANT IS NOT WITHOUT WATER FOR MORE THAN -- WAS NOT WITHOUT WATER FOR MORE THAN 90 MINUTES.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS A COMMENT ON THAT.
>> COUNCILWOMAN, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO LOOK INTUS OF THE LITID PROVIDE A REPORT BUT I'M NOT
PREPARED TO DO THAT TODAY. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU FOR THAT.
MY POINT IS ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THESE LANDLORDS THAT AREN'T RESPONSIBLE.
AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S VERY FEW BUT THOSE FEW IMPACT HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES.
AND THOSE 40 MINUTES WITHOUT WATER, I HAVE SO MANY RESIDENTS WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT HEALTH ISSUES. WE TALK ABOUT SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE LACK OF ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, NOT HAVING WATER CAN HAVE VERY DETRIMENTAL IMPACTS, EVEN FOR THAT 40 MINUTES.
ALL THAT TO SAY I BELIEVE IT'S A REFLECTION OF THE LANDLORD, NOT NECESSARILY THE WORK OF SAWS BUT I DO BELIEVE THERE IS OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY AND SAWS TO CO-CREATE SOME TYPE OF ACCOUNTABILITY PROCESS, RIGHT, THAT CAN RESULT IN THEM GETTING A POINT WITH CODE COMPLIANCE OR PUTTING A LIEN ON THE PROPERTY WITH THE GOAL OF IT BECOMING A CITY-OWNED MULTIFAMILY PROPERTY.
[00:30:03]
AND THEN OVER IN INDIANAPOLIS, A PROSECUTOR IS CURRENTLY GOING AFTER LANDLORDS SUSPECTED OF POCKETING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO GO TOWARDS UTILITIES. AND THERE'S ACTUALLY A WARRANT OUT FOR THIS LANDLORD'S ARREST. WHILE THAT IS THE EXTREME, LEAVING SAN ANTONIANS WITHOUT WITHOUT IS EXTREME. SO I WOULD LIKE US TO EXPLORE WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING TO HOLD THESE LANDLORDS ACCOUNTABLE AND THEN IF WE CAN HAVE AN UPDATE ON WHAT CITY STAFF FINDS. THANK YOU, CHAIR.>> IF I MAY ADDRESS A COUPLE OF COMMENTS. YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THE TENANTS HAVE TO BE LOOKED AT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE PAYING THEIR RENT. THE LANDLORD IS THE BAD ACTOR.
WE HAVE TO -- WE, SAWS, HAVE TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE WITH THE CITY BECAUSE THEY LISTEN. THESE BLITZES THAT WE'VE HAD CAUSED A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER DELINQUENT PAYERS TO PAY. SO IF THEY HEAR THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE SERIOUS ABOUT THESE DISCONNECTIONS BECAUSE OF SOMETHING HINDERING US FROM DOING IT, THEN THEY WILL NOT PAY. SO WHATEVER THE CITY AND SAWS CAN AGREE TO SUCH AS NOTIFYING LENDERS, SUCH AS THE COMMENTS THAT YOU'VE MADE, COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO, WE NEED TO GET ON THE SAME PAGE ON ALL OF THOSE IDEAS AND THEN IMPLEMENT THEM SO THAT THE OTHER SIDE, THE APARTMENT OWNERS WILL NOT SEE THAT THERE'S A RIFT BETWEEN US OR AN AVENUE BETWEEN US AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY.
THEY CAN GO ANOTHER TWO OR THREE OR FOUR MONTHS AND NOT PAY.
>> GARCIA: BEN, WERE YOU GOING TO ADD SOMETHING? >> GOOD MORNING, CHAIR.
JUST LISTENING TO THE CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW, I THINK ROBERT'S POINTS ARE WELL TAKEN THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A WAY TO ENSURE THAT WE MOVE TOWARDS PAYMENT.
BUT WHAT I HEAR YOU ALL TALKING ABOUT -- AND I THINK WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT -- IS WE'VE GOT TO FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HOLDING THE BAD ACTOR, THE LANDLORD ACCOUNTABLE BUT MAKING SURE WE DON'T HARM TENANTS IN THE PROCESS. AND SO I THINK THERE'S BEEN SOME WORK DONE OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS TO INCREASE COORDINATION AMONGST US BUT AS YOU ALL HAVE TALKED ABOUT, THERE ARE OTHER IDEAS AND THINGS WE NEED TO EXPLORE TO GET TO THAT POINT, TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HOLDING LANDLORDS ACCOUNTABLE, TO MAKE SURE THOSE BILLS ARE GETTING PAID BUT THAT WE'RE ALSO BEING COGNIZANT OF THE IMPACT TO
TENANTS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT APPROACH. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, BEN.
THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO. COUNCILMAN WHYTE.
>> WHYTE: THANKS, CHAIR. IT LOOKS LIKE THE NUMBER OF DELINQUENT APARTMENT COMPLEXES HAS GONE UP. DO WE HAVE A REASON FOR THAT?
>> SO, AGAIN, I BELIEVE THAT --N TIME BEFORE JUNE AND JULY WE HAD NOT CUT OFF ANY APARTMENTS. SO THE BEST TOOL THAT WE HAD WAS JUST OUR REGULAR OUTREACH. OUR OUTREACH CALLING, ROBO DIALING, E-MAILING, REACHING OUT TO APARTMENT PROPERTY MANAGERS, MAKING SITE VISITS.
A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE GO TO THE PROPERTY OFFICE, UNFORTUNATELY THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING IN THAT OFFICE DO NOT HAVE A LOT OF -- THEY DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION FOR US. THEY'RE JUST WORKING FOR THE APARTMENT.
THEY'RE NOT THE ACTUAL PROPERTY MANAGER ON SITE. AGAIN, JUST LIKE MR. PUENTE SAID, IF WE'RE NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE PROCESS OF GETTING TO THE CUTOFF AND SERVICE DISCONNECTION, WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE THAT NUMBER CONTINUE TO GROW.
>> WHYTE: YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT YOUR BILL PROGRESSION SLIDE.
IT'S NOT REALLY WHAT WE HEAR, I GOT TO TELL YOU A LOT OF TIMES FROM CUSTOMERS AND EVEN AS WE'VE CHECKED IN WITH SOME OF THE VARIOUS APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT HAVE SUFFERED THESE SHUTOFFS. WHAT SORT OF POLICIES, PROCEDURES, CHECKS DO Y'ALL HAVE IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT PROPER NOTIFICATION ARE
GOING TO YOUR CUSTOMERS? >> SO FOR ALL CUSTOMERS, AGAIN, ALL CUSTOMERS FOLLOW THIS BILL PROGRESSION. ON A RESIDENTIAL OR COMMERCIAL CUSTOMER, EVEN THOUGH IT SAYS 67 DAYS OF POTENTIAL SERVICE DISCONNECTION, ON AVERAGE THAT'S FOUR MONTHS. FOR OUR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS.
THEY HAVE TO BE DELINQUENT FOUR MONTHS BEFORE CUTTING THEM OFF.
FOR THE FOUR APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT WE DID DISCONNECT SERVICES, ON AVERAGE THEY WERE DELINQUENT 20 MONTHS. SO, AGAIN, I'M NOT SURE AS FAR AS THE PROCESS WE ARE FOLLOWING. THIS AGAIN IS FOR ALL OF OUR ACCOUNTS. THIS IS THE SOONEST THAT AN ACCOUNT COULD BE
DISCONNECTED. >> WHYTE: BUT SO SOME ARE LESS.
WHAT'S THE REASON? >> THE FOUR APARTMENTS, WE HAD TO START SOMEWHERE.
[00:35:05]
WE SAW THE PROGRESSION. IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE.IN MARCH WE STARTED WITH THE TEN ACCOUNTS THAT TOTALED OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
THAT'S WHERE WE STARTED. WE STARTED WITH THOSE ACCOUNTS AND THOSE ACCOUNTS DID NOT HAVE ANY ACTIVE PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS ON THEM.
THEY WEREN'T ACTIVELY REACHING OUT TO US. THEY WERE UNRESPONSIVE CUSTOMERS. AGAIN, WITH VERY LARGE BALANCES.
AGAIN, JUST REGULAR OVERTIME OUH AND TELLING THEM WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF DISCONNECTION, FIVE OF THOSE PAID. JUST WITH THE THREAT OF DISCONNECTION, JUST BEING ABLE TO SAY IT, AGAIN, IN JUNE, FIVE OF THOSE CUSTOMERS PAID. FIVE AGAIN WERE UNRESPONSIVE AND THEY WERE UNRESPONSIVE FOR MONTHS. SO MARCH TO JUNE THOSE FIVE CUSTOMERS NEVER RESPONDED TO US. WHEN WE STARTED THE FIVE-WEEK PROCESS, STARTED LETTING THE CITY KNOW, LETTING THE COUNTY KNOW, LETTING CPS KNOW THAT WE WERE GOING TO DISCONNECT SERVICE, GIVE A DISCONNECTION DATE OUT IN THE FUTURE, ONLY ONE OF THOSE APARTMENTS PAID BEFORE THAT TIME PERIOD.
AND ON THE SCHEDULED DISCONNECTION DATE, AGAIN, RIGHT BEFORE OR RIGHT AFTER THEY GOT DISCONNECTED, THREE OF THOSE CUSTOMERS PAID. BUT IT TOOK THEM BEING DISCONNECTED TO COME UP WITH THE PAYMENT. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS. WE AREN'T EVEN REQUESTING THEY PAY THE FULL BALANCE.
WE ARE ASKING FOR A 50% PAYMENT AND 50% CAN GO ON A PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT.
>> WHYTE: WHAT'S THE SPLIT BETWEEN APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT PAY FOR EVERYTHING, THEY MAKE THE PAYMENT VERSUS THE INDIVIDUAL APARTMENTS PAY THE UTILITY BILL?
>> WE HAVE ROUGHLY -- I WOULD HAVE TO GET YOU THE EXACT AMOUNT.
I DON'T WANT TO QUOTE WRONG, SO I CAN GET YOU THAT INFORMATION.
>> WHYTE: ESTIMATE. IS IT IN THE 50/50 RANGE OR WHERE IS IT?
>> NO, I WOULD SAY A LITTLE OVER HALF WOULD STILL NOT PAY.
AGAIN, WE HAVE 700 APARTMENTS THAT ARE DELINQUENT, 400 THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECTION. AND I THINK WE HAVE ROUGHLY 2500 APARTMENTS.
>> WHYTE: SORRY. I DIDN'T ASK THE QUESTION RIGHT.
APARTMENT COMPLEXES WHERE THE FACILITY PAYS FOR THE ENTIRE BILL VERSUS THE
INDIVIDUAL UNIT. >> WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TELL YOU THAT.
WE MAY BE ABLE TO COORDINATE WITH CPS BUT SINCE WE ONLY HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH SUBMETERED APARTMENT COMPLEXES, WE DON'T HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH ANY OF THE OTHER APARTMENTS INDIVIDUALLY. WE HAVE CUSTOMERS.
NOT SAYING THEY'RE APARTMENT CUSTOMERS AND WE HAVE A ONE-ON-ONE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU. IF I LIVE IN AN APARTMENT AND I PAY FOR WATER, MY NAME IS GOING TO BE ON THE BILL. I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TELL THAT I'M AN APARTMENT.
I LIVE IN AN APARTMENT. >> WHYTE: SO YOU CAN'T TELL US THE SPLIT THERE?
DID I HEAR MY TIME UP? WOW. >> GARCIA: COUNCILMAN COURAGE HAD TAPPED IN AGAIN THEN WE CAN COME BACK TO YOU.
COUNCILMAN COURAGE. >> COURAGE: I WOULD LIKE TO GO BACK TO THE SLIDE THAT SHOWS THE DELINQUENT ACCOUNT COMPARISON. PAGE THREE, I THINK IT IS.
WHAT I THINK WOULD BE USEFUL FOR US AS COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD BE TO UNDERSTAND ANY BREAKDOWN BETWEEN THOSE THAT ARE DELINQUENT AND THOSE WHO MAY BE DELINQUENT BUT HAVE ENTERED INTO A PAYMENT PLAN. DOES THAT -- DO THEY STILL FALL IN THE DELINQUENT ACCOUNT AREA IF THEY'VE SIGNED UP AND ARE PAYING A PAYMENT PLAN?
>> THEY ARE STILL CONSIDERED DELINQUENT BUT THEY WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED ELIGIBLE FOR
DISCONNECTION. >> COURAGE: I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME OF THAT ALMOST
IN EVERY CATEGORY. >> SURE. >> COURAGE: WHEN WE HAVE 94,000 DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS FOR RESIDENTIAL, IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW HOW MANY OF THOSE HAVE SIGNED UP FOR A PAYMENT PLAN. MIGHT EVEN BE GOOD TO PUT AN ASTERISK THERE, HAVE DEFAULTED, BUT ARE SIGNED UP NOW.
>> ON AVERAGE WE HAVE ABOUT 30% OF OUR DELINQUENT CUSTOMERS WHO SIGN UP FOR PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS. UNFORTUNATELY, 80% OF THOSE BREAK THEIR PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS.
>> COURAGE: THE SAME FOR COMMERCIAL AS WELL AS APARTMENTS.
AND I'D LIKE TO SEE A BREAKDOWN OF THAT BY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
AND THAT WOULD HELP US TO REACH OUT TO SOME OF THOSE BUSINESSES AND FIND OUT WHY THEY'RE HAVING A PROBLEM PAYING THAT. AND FIND OUT MAYBE THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR SOME OF OUR SMALL BUSINESS FINANCE ASSISTANCE.
AND SOME OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT. AND APARTMENTS TOO.
HOW MANY APARTMENTS IN OUR DISTRICT ARE BEHIND. REACHING OUT TO THE TENANTS THERE AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THERE'S A PROBLEM IF THEY DON'T KNOW ALREADY.
>> YES. >> COURAGE: IT MAY NOT HAVE GOTTEN AS FAR AS YOU PUTTING SOMETHING ON THEIR DOOR SAYING THE APARTMENT'S BEHIND, SO THEY MAY NOT KNOW. WE DON'T WANT THEM TO FIND OUT IN A MONTH WHEN THEY ARE
[00:40:03]
ILL PREPARED FOR ANYTHING. IF WE KNOW, WE CAN DO MORE MAYBE TO HELP RESOLVE THAT PROBLEM. AND MAYBE NOT BUT AT LEAST IT HELPS US KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR COUNCIL DISTRICTS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT. [TIMER] I WAS GOING TO SAY IT LOOKS LIKE COMMERCIAL HASN'T HAD AS MUCH OF AN IMPACT ON RESOLVING WHAT THEY OWE.
THEY OWED $5.4 MILLION. NOW THEY OWE 4.9 IN A YEAR. THEY HAVEN'T MADE MUCH OF AN IMPROVEMENT EITHER AND I'M WONDERING IF WE APPLY THE SAME PRESSURE, CONTACTING MORTGAGE LENDERS OR DEALING MORE SOMEHOW TO HOLD THEM MORE RESPONSIBLE OR GIVE THE CITY AND SAWS MORE LEVERAGE OVER THEIR MAKING THEIR PAYMENTS.
>> WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT AND RE-UP OUR EFFORTS. >> COURAGE: AND WE NEED TO
RE-UP OUR EFFORTS TOO AS A CITY. >> AFTER THE MEETINGS WITH COUNCILMEMBER ROCHA GARCIA AND THE STAFF, I KNOW A COUPLE OF THE COUNCIL DID ASK FOR THOSE INDIVIDUAL LISTS ALREADY, SO WE HAVE PROVIDED THEM FOR THOSE.
BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY PROVIDE THEM FOR EVERYONE AND LET YOU KNOW.
>> COURAGE: THANK YOU. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
COUNCILMAN WHYTE. >> WHYTE: YEAH, BRIEFLY. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S TALK ABOUT POTENTIAL LIENING OF THE PROPERTIES, WHICH I THINK MAY BE A GOOD IDEA. THERE'S BEEN TALK ABOUT THE PROACTIVE INSPECTION PROGRAM, WHICH I'M -- I'LL SAY I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THAT.
BUT I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS IS WE ALL GOT TO GET IN THE SAME ROOM WITH THE CITY AND SAWS AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO HERE.
I MEAN, IS THIS REALLY SOMETHING WHERE COUNCIL NEEDS TO TAKE ACTION IN TERMS OF A CITY ORDINANCE? I MEAN, I'M USUALLY AGAINST THAT.
THIS, TO ME, SEEMS LIKE WE NEED TO MAKE SURE FIRST AND FOREMOST THAT SAWS HAS ALL THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN PLACE TO ADEQUATELY NOTIFY THESE CUSTOMERS AND THERE'S QUALITY CONTROL IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE IT'S BEING DONE ON A TIMELY BASIS AND IT'S BEEN DONE CONSISTENTLY. AND THEN FROM THERE WE CAN TALK WITH THE CITY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IF ANYTHING WE NEED TO DO ON OUR END.
BUT I REALLY WOULD ENCOURAGE US, CHAIR, TO ALL AND HAVE SOME SORT OF MEETING WHERE EVERYBODY CAN GET TOGETHER AND FIGURE THIS OUT. WHAT HAPPENED SEVERAL WEEKS AGO WAS NOT GOOD AND WE HEAR ABOUT IT FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS.
IT'S NOT FAIR TO THEM. BUT, BY THE SAME TOKEN, YOU GUYS NEED TO MAKE SURE THESE COMPLEXES ARE PAYING ON TIME. YOU CAN'T HAVE DELINQUENT BILLS SITTING AROUND FOR MONTHS ON END. LEAVE IT AT THAT.
THANKS. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN WHYTE.
DEFINITELY THE DISCONNECTION POLICY IS A CONVERSATION THAT ULTIMATELY WE DO NEED TO HAVE WITH NOT ONLY OUR COUNCIL BUT ALSO WITH OUR APPOINTED TRUSTEES.
AND SO I THINK THAT THAT COORDINATED EFFORT THAT WE STARTED OUT WITH NHSD AND THIS IS WHY YOU CAN, THIS IS HOW YOU CAN, WHY YOU CAN'T, OR WHY YOU CAN'T, ET CETERA, THAT WE NEED TO BRING THAT. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IF WE CAN COME BACK WITH A PLAN HERE TO THE COMMITTEE AND MOVE IT ON TO A B SESSION. AND IN PARTICULAR LOOKING AT THE LEGAL ASPECTS, LOOKING AT AN ORDINANCE, LOOKING AT WHAT COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO SAID AS WELL WITH THE EXAMPLES OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN OTHER CITIES.
I LIKE THAT SHE REFERENCED IT ESSENTIALLY AS THEFT. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH SOME OF OUR CITY'S MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS.
AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT YOU ALL ARE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS.
THANK YOU, BEN. I KNOW THAT YOU ALL ARE STILL LOOKING AND WORKING AND HAVE BEEN WORKING AT FINDING A SOLUTION FOR US. BUT OUR RESIDENTS NEED SOME OPTIONS AND SO LET'S JUST CONTINUE WORKING ON THAT. BUT WOULD IT BE OKAY, BEN, IF YOU ALL HAVE A MONTH, WOULD YOU ALL BE ABLE TO COME BACK HERE AND POSSIBLY HAVE A B SESSION THAT IS SCHEDULED SHORTLY AFTER THAT WITH ERIK'S APPROVAL?
>> G.>> I THINK WE CAN SCHEDULEA FOLLOW-UP FOR THE NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU AGAIN TO THE SAWS' STAFF FOR THAT PRESENTATION. IT'S CPS'S TURN NEXT. AND SO THEY ALSO HAVE ITEM NO. 2 IS A BRIEFING ON CPS ENERGY'S DISCONNECTION PROCEDURES.
AND SO WE'LL GET STARTED AND WE'LL TURN THE MIC OVER TO RUDY GARZA.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO OUR
[00:45:04]
CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MUNICIPAL UTILITIES COMMITTEE, GIVING YOU ALL INFORMATION THAT YOU ALL NEED TO HELP DO YOUR JOBS. I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE OUR VICE CHAIR IS WITH US TODAY ALONG WITH THE CPS ENERGY TEAM.OUR CHAIR, JANIE GONZALEZ IS OOUT OF TOWN ON BUSINESS TRAVEL BUT I DO HAVE A MESSAGE SHE WANTED ME TO CONVEY TO THE COMMITTEE THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR DISCUSSION TODAY. AS A COMMUNITY, WE DEPEND ON OUR UTILITIES TO ENSURE ESSENTIALS OF DAILY LIFE. CPS ENERGY REMAINS COMMITTED TO DELIVERING SAFE, RELIABLE, EFFICIENT, AND SUSTAINABLE SERVICES THAT ALIGN WITH OUR COMMUNITY'S EVOLVING NEEDS. BEING MUNICIPALLY OWNED PROVIDES US WITH THE UNIQUE ABILITY TO LISTEN, RESPOND, AND CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE. SO, AGAIN, THAT IS OUR GOAL.
THAT IS OUR APPROACH TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING EVERY DAY AND I THINK YOU'LL HEAR FROM KRISTIN AND RICHARD TODAY ABOUT THE TWO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. >> GOOD MORNING, MEMBERS OF THE MUC COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS KRISTEN WAGNER AND I AM THE VICE PRESIDENT OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE OPERATIONS FOR CPS ENERGY. I JUST APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND BE A PART OF THIS DISCUSSION. I KNOW THE SUBJECT OF DISCONNECTS, PARTICULARLY OF OUR MASTER METERED ACCOUNTS, THOSE WHERE PROPERTY OWNERS HAVE THEIR ACCOUNTS ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECT IN SPITE OF, PERHAPS, TENANTS PAYING THEIR BILLS, IS A TOPIC THAT IS AT THE TOP OF EVERYONE'S MIND AND CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE PROVIDED ALL OF THE SUPPORT POSSIBLE TO PREVENT DISCONNECTIONS WHERE WE CAN.
WE'LL START THIS MORNING WITH A DISCUSSION AROUND OUR ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLES PROCESS AND SUPPORT, WHICH ULTIMATELY DOES INCLUDE DISCONNECTIONS.
FOR OUR AGENDA -- SORRY. WE'LL FIRST START OFF WITH AN ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE UPDATE. THIS IS OUR BILLING TIMELINE FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS BUT WITH A MASTER METERED APPROACH THERE ARE STEPS WE TAKE TO TRY TO PREVENT ANY RISK OF DISCONNECTION IN THAT CASE. WE'LL TALK ABOUT OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS WITH REGARDS TO EXTREME WEATHER AND WHEN WE DO AND DON'T DISCONNECT, PARTICULARLY IN THE SUMMER MONTHS. WHAT OUR MASTER METER PROCESS LOOKS LIKE IN ACTION AND THEN WHAT SERVICES AND SUPPORT WE PROVIDE TO OUR CUSTOMERS THROUGHOUT OUR COLLECTIONS PROCESS. THROUGH JUNE OF THIS YEAR THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF CUSTOMER ACCOUNTS THAT WERE AT RISK OF DISCONNECTION IS 32 MILLION. WE DO HAVE JUST OVER 34,000 ACCOUNTS PAST DUE IN MAY AND ARE NOW CURRENT IN JUNE. SO WITH REGARDS TO KIND OF THE BUCKETS THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, WE DO HAVE 72 MILLION ACCOUNTS THAT ARE ACTIVELY -- $72 MILLION IN ACTIVELY ENGAGED AND MAINTAINING THEIR CURRENT PLAN.
THAT IS A TOTAL OF 69,000 ACCOUNTS. WE DID SEE THOSE NUMBERS COME DOWN, 5 MILLION, AND A TOTAL OF 2,000 ACCOUNTS FROM LAST MONTH WHICH TELLS US OUR CUSTOMERS ARE ENGAGED IN ACTIVELY PAYING THEIR INSTALLMENT PLANS.
THOSE ARE WORKING FOR THEM AND THE CUSTOMIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE DONE THROUGH OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO ENSURE THAT WE CREATE A PLAN THAT WORKS AND THAT IS WITHIN THEIR BUDGET IS EFFECTIVE. WE DO HAVE $32 MILLION IN COLLECTIONS AND THAT MAY BE WRITTEN OFF, WHICH IS A TOTAL OF 37,000 INACTIVE ACCOUNTS. WE DO SEE THAT NUMBER HAS COME DOWN FROM LAST MONTH AS WELL. AND ULTIMATELY, AGAIN, WE DO HAVE $32 MILLION WORTH OF AT-RISK ACCOUNTS TOTALING 79,000 ACCOUNTS. WHICH IS UP FROM THE PREVIOUS MONTH. AND THAT IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE ARE NOT DISCONNECTING OR WE HAVE NOT BEEN DISCONNECTING THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER.
WE ARE PRIMARILY WORKING ON DELINQUENCY MESSAGING. DESPITE OUR INABILITY TO PERFORM DISCONNECTIONS, WE ARE SENDING OUT CALLS, E-MAILS, AND TEXT REMINDING CUSTOMERS ON THE DISCONNECT LIST THAT THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECTION AND
[00:50:04]
ENCOURAGING THEM TO CALL US TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS OR TO SEEK ASSISTANCE TO PREVENT ANY RISK OF DISCONNECTION.SO THIS IS A REPRESENTATION SIMILAR TO SAWS' PRESENTATION REGARDING WHAT OUR BILLING TIMELINE LOOKS LIKE. AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, THIS IS A GOOD REPRESENTATION OF OUR TOTAL COLLECTIONS TIMELINE.
EXCEPT THAT, AS WE GET TO THE BOTTOM, I'LL EXPLAIN THAT WE DO A LITTLE BIT MORE OUTREACH AND INTERACTION WITH OUR PROPERTY MANAGERS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PREVENT AN UNNECESSARY DISCONNECT FOR TENANTS, AS WE UNDERSTAND THEY ARE PAYING THEIR RENT TO THE PROPERTY OWNER AND MAY NOT HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER WHETHER OR NOT THEIR CPS ENERGY BILL GETS PAID.
SO AS YOU NOTICE FROM THE START OF WHEN WE SEND THE BILL, THE CUSTOMER HAS 16 DAYS UNTIL THEIR DUE DATE. ONCE THAT 16TH DAY ARRIVES, THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE TWO DAYS TO MAKE A PAYMENT BEFORE THEY ARE CHARGED A LATE FEE AND WE SEND OUT A COURTESY CALL ADVISING THEM THAT THEY ARE LATE. AT THAT TIME, THEY'VE GOT FIVE DAYS BEFORE WE SEND OUR FIRST PAYMENT REMINDER. IT'S A REMINDER THAT THEIR BILL IS NOW LATE AND THAT IF THE PAYMENT IS NOT MADE THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECTION. FIVE DAYS AFTER THAT -- I'M SORRY.
SEVEN DAYS AFTER THAT WE DO WHAT'S CONSIDERED A DIRECT CALL.
IT IS A COLLECTIONS CALL ADVISING THE CUSTOMER THAT THEY ARE NOW CLOSER TO THE ELIGIBILITY FOR DISCONNECT. AND THEN AT 37 DAYS WE DO SEND A FINAL DISCONNECTION NOTICE. THAT IS OUR STANDARD COLLECTIONS TIMELINE FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL AND WE FOLLOW THE SAME PROCESS FOR OUR MASTER-METERED ACCOUNTS. THE DIFFERENCE COMES IN AT 40 DAYS WHERE AT THIS POINT WE ENGAGE OUR ENERGY TO BUSINESS TEAM, WHICH IS THE GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM THAT ACTUALLY GO OUT AND INTERACT WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER. THEY WILL TAKE THEM A PRINTED NOTICE OF THEIR PAST-DUE BALANCES AND WHAT IS OWED. AND THEY WILL HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THEM AT THAT TIME REGARDING THE POTENTIAL RISK OF DISCONNECTION.
AT THAT TIME, THEY WILL ALSO SUBMIT INFORMATION TO THEIR LEADERSHIP, OUR ENERGY TO BUSINESS TEAM, EXCUSE ME, WILL SEND NOTIFICATION TO THEIR LEADERSHIP THAT WE ARE HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS SO THAT WE CAN START THE ESCALATION PROCESS.
SO ON DAY 44 WE ACTUALLY TAKE HAND-DELIVERED FINAL NOTICE TO THE PROPERTY OWNER TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE REACHED A POINT WHERE WE ARE AT THE PROCESS OF CONSIDERING MOVING TO DISCONNECTION AND WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THAT WILL BE, BOTH TO THEM AS WELL AS TO THEIR TENANTS. THAT LETTER IS ALSO SENT CERTIFIED MAIL SO THAT WE CAN DOCUMENT THE FACT THAT THAT LETTER HAS BEEN SENT AND HAS BEEN RECEIVED. AT THIS POINT, AT DAY 44, WE DO START THE ESCALATION TO OUR KEY STAKEHOLDERS. WE NOTIFY SENIOR LEADERSHIP, OUR GOVERNMENT RELATIONS TEAM, OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH GROUPS, OUR LEGAL AND SECURITY TEAM, AS WELL AS OUR SYSTEM OF OPERATIONS TEAM WHICH ULTIMATELY WOULD BE TASKED WITH A DISCONNECT IF WE DO MAKE THAT DECISION. WE ARE STILL HAVING PROCESS. WE CONTINUE TO MAKE PHONE CALLS.
WE CONTINUE TO MAKE SITE VISITS. BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR GROUPS ARE AWARE THAT THERE IS A CUSTOMER THAT HAS A TENANT THAT IS ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECTION. AT THAT SAME TIME WE DO BRING IN OUR STAKEHOLDERS. WE NOTIFY CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, SAWS, AND OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, LET THEM KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE TENANTS THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED AND THAT WE HAVE NOT HAD COOPERATION BY THE PROPERTY OWNER AT THIS POINT, DESPITE OUR MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS AND THAT IF WE DO NOT GET SOME COOPERATION OR SOME PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS MADE ON THEIR BEHALF, THAT THE POTENTIAL FOR DISCONNECTION IS IMMINENT. AT THIS TIME WE'RE ALSO NOTIFYING OUR GROUPS SUCH AS
[00:55:02]
OPPORTUNITY HOME AND DHS. WE NOTIFY OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, OUR PRECINCT COMMERCE, AND SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY, OUR COUNTY PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT BURN VICTIMS, ET CETERA. COSA C ODE COMPLIANCE, IF NECESSARY, AND WE'LL CONTACT SAWS TO COORDINATE IF WE REACH THAT POINT.AT THAT POINT WE DO DO A LOCATION ASSESSMENT TO EVALUATE THE TYPE OF DISCONNECTION AND RESOURCES NECESSARY TO TERMINATE SERVICES.
AGAIN, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND WE UNDERSTAND WHAT TYPE OF DISCONNECT WE WOULD ACTUALLY BE PERFORMING SO IF A DISCONNECT HAPPENED, THERE WAS NO DISCONNECT BETWEEN WHAT TYPE OF DEVICES WE NEEDED TO OPERATE TO GET SERVICES BACK ON. AT DAY 50 WE POST PUBLIC NOTICES.
OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM WOULD ACTUALLY GO OUT TO THE PROPERTY AND PLACE POTENTIAL DISCONNECTION NOTICES IN AT LEAST FIVE LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COMPLEX COMMON AREAS. AND AT LEAST SIX DAYS AFTER THE FINAL DISCONNECTION NOTICE IS DELIVERED AND FOUR DAYS BEFORE A SCHEDULED DISCONNECT, THOSE TENANTS WOULD HAVE NOTICE THAT THERE IS THE POTENTIAL TO MOVE FORWARD.
AT THAT POINT WE WOULD COORDINATE WITH ALL OF OUR INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS TO DECIDE ON THE DISCONNECTION DATE. OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE SOME CONSIDERATIONS THAT GO INTO WHETHER WE DO OR DO NOT DISCONNECT ON A CERTAIN DAY.
WE HAVE WEATHER CONDITIONS, SYSTEM CONSIDERATIONS. THERE MAY BE SOME CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING WITH THE CITY OR OUR LEGAL TEAM AND SO WE DECIDE WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST APPLICABLE DATE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DISCONNECT AND THEN WE CONTINUE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PROPERTY MANAGERS, LETTING THEM KNOW WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH DISCONNECTION IF WE CANNOT SECURE PAYMENT BEFORE THEN. ON DAY 55, THAT IS WHERE WE WILL, YOU KNOW, ADVISE THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD. THE DATE IS SCHEDULED. WE LET ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS KNOW AND THEN WE WOULD PROCEED WITH DISCONNECT IF ALL OF OUR ATTEMPTS TO SECURE PAYMENT OR CREATE A PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT FOR THAT PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY WERE UNSUCCESSFUL AT THAT TIME.
AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, PER OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS, WE DO NOT DISCONNECT UNDER EXTREME WEATHER EMERGENCIES. AS IT RELATES TO THE SUMMERTIME, IF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES A HEAT ADVISORY FOR A COUNTY IN THE CPS ENERGY SERVICE AREA AND THEN WE WILL NOT DO DISCONNECTIONS AND WE WILL NOT DISCONNECT FOR THE FIRST TWO CALENDAR DAYS FOLLOWING THE TERMINATION OF SUCH ADVISORY.
IN THE WINTER MONTHS, IF THE PREVIOUS DAY'S HIGHEST TEMPERATURE DID NOT EXCEED 32 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AND THE TEMPERATURE, ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WE WOULD NOT DO DISCONNECTIONS UNDER THOSE SCENARIOS AS WELL.
SO WE DO PRIORITIZE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR CUSTOMERS USING PRACTICES CONSISTENT WITH THE PUC OF TEXAS. AGAIN, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HANDLING OUR DISCONNECTIONS WITH COMPASSION AS WELL AS A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT CUSTOMERS ARE PAYING THEIR BILLS.
AND A FEW YEARS BACK -- SO WE HAVE NOT DONE ANY MASTER-METER DISCONNECTIONS IN FOUR YEARS AT THIS POINT. OUR EFFORT TO USE OUR COLLECTION ACTIVITIES AND THE STRATEGIES THAT I HAVE PREVIOUSLY OUTLINED. TO MAKE CONNECTIONS, TO TALK TO TENANTS, TO WORK WITH OUR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT ACCOUNT HOLDERS TO FIND THE SERVICES AND SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE BILLS GET PAID HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL UP TO THIS POINT. BUT WE HAVE ACTUALLY HAD SOME SITUATIONS WHERE WE HAVE GOTTEN VERY CLOSE. SO I WANTED TO KIND OF SHOW YOU WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
SO WE HAD A MASTER-METERED ACCOUNT, AN APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT BECAME ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECTION. THEY WERE AT RISK. WE DID AN INTERNAL REVIEW AND DECIDED THAT ALL OF THE COLLECTION ATTEMPTS THAT WE HAD DONE UP TO THAT DATE HAD
[01:00:02]
BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. WE HAD MADE MULTIPLE PHONE CALLS.WE HAD MAILED OUR NOTICES, AS PER OUR COLLECTIONS PROCESS, AND HAD BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL AT THAT TIME TO SECURE PAYMENT. AT A TIME WE DID ENGAGE OUR ENERGY TO BUSINESS TEAM, SEND THEM OUT TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT TEAM AND ESCALATE UP THROUGH THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP TO TRY TO GET SOME COMPLIANCE AND ULTIMATELY GET THEM TO EITHER ENTER INTO AN ARRANGEMENT OR TO PAY THEIR BILL IN FULL.
WE DID MULTIPLE SITE VISITS. WE HAD MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS WITH THIS GROUP. HAND DELIVERED THOSE NOTICES AND WOULD CONTINUE ALL OF OUR COLLECTION ATTEMPTS VERBALLY AND IN WRITING THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
AT THIS POINT WE DO ENGAGE OUR SENIOR LEADERSHIP AND OUR ADDITIONAL STAKEHOLDERS, MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF THE GROUPS THAT WERE -- THAT NEEDED TO KNOW THIS WAS SOMETHING WE WERE MOVING FORWARD WITH HAD THE DETAILS THEY NEEDED TO EITHER PARTNER WITH THE CITY, TO PARTNER WITH OUR LEGAL COUNSEL, AND TO GATHER THE RESOURCES AND SERVICES TO SUPPORT TENANTS IN THE EVENT WE DID HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DISCONNECTION, THAT THAT PROCESS WAS STARTED. THAT WE WERE HAVING THE CONVERSATIONS NECESSARY TO HAVE THE SUPPORT IN PLACE, SHOULD A DISCONNECTION BE REQUIRED.
AT THAT POINT, WE REENGAGED WITH THE CUSTOMER, ADVISED THEM THAT WE HAD ESCALATED THIS UP THROUGH OUR ESCALATION PROCESS, THAT WE HAD MADE THE PROPER NOTIFICATIONS, AND THAT WE NEEDED THEM TO NEGOTIATE WITH US TO TRY TO MAKE A PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT TO PREVENT THIS DISCONNECTION. IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT TO THEIR TENANTS AND THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO SUPPORT THEY MAY BE RECEIVING FROM OTHER ENTITIES IN THE EVENT THAT THIS WAS CONDUCTED, THAT THE DISCONNECT WAS CONDUCTED. WE PLACED PUBLIC NOTICES THROUGHOUT THE APARTMENT COMPLEX AS WELL AS WE DID USE DOOR HANGERS IN THIS CASE TO MAKE SURE THAT CUSTOMERS -- OR THE TENANTS, RATHER, HAD PLENTY OF NOTICE. WE DID SEE IN SOME INSTANCES THAT THOSE NOTICES HAD BEEN TAKEN DOWN BY PROPERTY OWNERS, WHICH WOULD LIMIT NOTICE TO THOSE TENANTS.
AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE WELL AWARE OF WHAT THE POTENTIAL WAS IF WE DID NOT RECEIVE PAYMENT. WHICH ALSO SPARKED SOME CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN TENANTS AND THEIR PROPERTY OWNERS AS WELL, WHICH INCREASED THAT PRESSURE ON THEM TO WORK WITH US. WE DID GO AHEAD AND MAKE THOSE NECESSARY RESOURCES AVAILABLE, BECAUSE WE GOT TO THE POINT WHERE WE WERE ABOUT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DISCONNECTION, BUT ULTIMATELY AT THE 11TH HOUR, THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT TEAM DID COME FORWARD AND WORK WITH US ON SETTING AN INSTALLMENT PLAN.
THEY PAID AN AMOUNT DOWN AND ULTIMATELY WORKED WITH US TO MAKE AN INSTALLMENT PLAN AND THEY ENABLED THEIR OWN FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO ENSURE THEY HAD THE FUNDS AVAILABLE TO PREVENT THAT DISCONNECTION AND THAT RESOLVED THE ISSUE AND WE NO LONGER HAD TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DISCONNECTION. AT THAT POINT WE DID CREATE SOME CASE MANAGEMENT FOR THAT ACCOUNT TO MAKE SURE WE WERE MONITORING THE ACCOUNT REGULARLY AND MAKING SURE THEY HAD ONGOING SUPPORT TO CONTINUE HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE TO THEIR PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS, WHICH THEY DID DO, AND ULTIMATELY PREVENT US FROM HAVING TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS AGAIN TO PREVENT A POTENTIAL DISCONNECT IN THE FUTURE. WE ARE COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH CUSTOMERS AND THE APPROPRIATE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RESOURCES TO IDENTIFY SOLUTIONS AND MAKE SUSPENDING SERVICES A LAST RESORT. WE WILL GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO TRY TO PREVENT THAT AT ALL COSTS. WE DO HAVE A TIMELINE BUT WE ARE COMMITTED TO DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN AND MAKING THAT DISCONNECTION THE VERY LAST OPTION TO PREVENT THAT EXPERIENCE FOR THOSE TENANTS.
AND LASTLY, WE DO HAVE LOTS OF BILLING PROGRAMS, ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, AND PAYMENT METHODS FOR OUR CUSTOMERS TO ENGAGE WITH US, NOT ONLY TO ENSURE THAT THEY CAN PAY THEIR BILLS AND THAT WE WORK WITH THEM ON WHETHER IT IS TO PAY THEIR BILL IN FULL, TO CREATE AN INSTALLMENT PLAN, OR TO BUILD SOME TIME IN TO WHERE
[01:05:03]
THOSE CUSTOMERS MIGHT BE ABLE TO RECEIVE A PAYMENT OR GET PAID SO THEY CAN MAKE A PAYMENT TOWARDS THEIR ACCOUNT. WE DO DEPLOY ALL OF THOSE WHEN WORKING WITH OUR CUSTOMERS. THAT INCLUDES OUR RESIDENTIAL, OUR COMMERCIAL, AND OUR MASTER-METERED ACCOUNTS.SO WE DO HAVE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS THAT WE DO WHEN WE'RE WORKING WITH CUSTOMERS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, WHEN THEY CALL US FOR SUPPORT, IN ADDITION TO WORKING WITH THEM ON PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS. WE DO ALSO OFFER AGENCY ASSISTANCE. WE DO PARTNER WITH OVER 200 AGENCIES IN THE SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY AREA SO PROVIDE UTILITY ASSISTANCE AND OTHER TYPES OF ASSISTANCE. KIND OF THE WHOLE-HOME ASSISTANCE THROUGH OUR BUNDLED CARE PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE CAN HELP CUSTOMERS SATISFY A BILL OR AN OUTSTANDING EXPENSE IN ONE AREA, PERHAPS THEY WILL HAVE THOSE FUNDS IN ORDER TO MAKE PAYMENTS TOWARDS THEIR UTILITY BILL. WE DO MAKE IT CONVENIENT FOR THEM TO MAKE THEIR PAYMENTS THROUGH MULTIPLE PAYMENT METHODS SO THAT CUSTOMERS CAN PAY THROUGH THE CHANNEL OF THEIR CHOICE. WE KNOW THAT NOT EVERYBODY -- THERE IS A DIGITAL DIVIDE AND NOT EVERY CUSTOMER HAS DIGITAL AVAILABILITY, SO WE DO STILL HAVE FOUR WALK-IN CENTERS. CUSTOMERS CAN CONTINUE TO PAY BY MAIL, BY PHONE. AND WE HAVE EXPANDED OUR PAYMENT OPTIONS ONLINE TO INCLUDE APPLE PAY, GOOGLE PAY, AND AMERICAN EXPRESS, JUST FOR CONVENIENCE PURPOSES. AND THAT'S ALL WE HAVE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU SO MUCH, KRISTEN, FOR THE INFORMATION.
ON DAY 44 YOU ALL DO THE HAND DELIVERY OF A NOTICE AND ALSO I THINK YOU ALL MENTIONED THE CERTIFIED MAIL. SO I APPRECIATE THAT EXTRA STEP THAT YOU ALL TAKE. HOW SUCCESSFUL WOULD YOU SAY THAT IS?
LIKE, DO YOU ALL GET A MORE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE ON THOSE? >> SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT DEPENDS ON WHO WE REACH WHEN WE GO IN. SOMETIMES WE MIGHT BE DEALING WITH JUST KIND OF THE FRONT OFFICE MANAGER. WE'RE NOT REALLY DEALING WITH THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING THE BILLS, THE FINANCE MANAGER OR SOMEONE LIKE THAT. BUT I WOULD SAY, AGAIN, WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY DISCONNECTS IN OVER FOUR YEARS. AND WE HAVE ABOUT 400 MASTER-METERED ACCOUNTS THAT COME IN AND OUT OF THAT DISCONNECTION ELIGIBILITY. SO I WOULD SAY PRETTY
SUCCESSFUL, OVERALL. >> GARCIA: GOT IT. THANK YOU.
AND THEN BEFORE I MOVE ON, I JUST WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO OSCAR MEDINA, HE'S OUR CREW MEMBER, AND HE JUST MAKES SURE THAT ANY RESIDENT WHO IS AT RISK OF DISCONNECTION, HE AND MY TEAM WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER SO WE CAN KEEP THEIR LIGHTS ON. YOU ALL DO A GREAT JOB AND I'M SURE ALL YOUR CREW MEMBERS. BUT HE REALLY GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND SO I HAVE TO GIVE HIM A PUBLIC SHOUT OUT. ARE YOU HAVING THE SAME ISSUE OF NON-PAYMENT FOR
MULTIFAMILY AS SAWS IS? >> SO I WOULD SAY WE -- THE WAY THAT -- THE STRATEGY THAT WE USE FOR OUR DISCONNECTIONS LIST IS THAT WE MONITOR THE TOP 50 ACCOUNTS AT ANY TIME. WE DISCONNECT BASED OFF HIGHEST BALANCE AND LONGEST BALANCE. AND SO WE'RE MONITORING ABOUT TEN MASTER-METERED ACCOUNTS A MONTH THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECT. I WOULDN'T SAY THAT WE HAVE THE SAME ISSUE THAT SAWS HAS. I THINK WE HAVE MADE SOME REALLY GREAT CONNECTIONS AND HAVE BUILT UP RELATIONSHIPS WITH THOSE GROUPS OVER TIME, BECAUSE WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM AND WE HAVE AN ENERGY TO BUSINESS TEAM THAT ACTUALLY GOES OUT AND SPEAKS TO THOSE GROUPS IN PERSON. BUT WE DO HAVE MASTER-METERED ACCOUNTS THAT HAVE PAST-DUE BILLS AND THAT WE ARE HAVING TO MONITOR AND
WORK WITH ON A REGULAR BASIS. >> GARCIA: AND HOW DOES YOUR DISCONNECTION POLICY DIFFER RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, MULTIFAMILY?
>> HOW DOES IT DIFFER IN -- I'M SORRY? >> GARCIA: IN JUST YOUR
PROCESS. >> THE PROCESS DOES NOT DIFFER EXCEPT THAT THE MASTER-METERED ACCOUNT HAS SOME ADDITIONAL TOUCH POINTS FROM DAY 44 TO DAY 54 WE DO TAKE SOME ADDITIONAL STEPS TO DO THOSE IN-PERSON SITE VISITS, PROVIDE ACCOUNT SUMMARIES, ENGAGE WITH THE TENANT AND THE STAKEHOLDERS. THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY
DIFFERENCE IN THOSE PROCESSES. >> GARCIA: WONDERFUL.
I'LL HOLD MY QUESTIONS FOR THE REST OF THE COUNCIL CONVERSATION.
BUT I'LL START WITH COUNCILWOMAN CABELLO HAVRDA. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU, MADAME CHAIR. HOMEOWNERS, WHEN THEY SIGN UP FOR CPS, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO GIVE THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION, JUST BY VIRTUE OF THE CONNECTION PROCESS.
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>> THAT IS CORRECT. >> HAVRDA: I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING THIS DEFINITION. MASTER METER IS TENANTS THAT DON'T PAY CPS DIRECTLY, THEY
PAY THEIR APARTMENT? >> THAT IS CORRECT. >> HAVRDA: ARE APARTMENT OWNERS REQUIRED TO GIVE CPS THEIR TENANT'S CONTACT INFORMATION?
>> NO. >> HAVRDA: IS THERE A PRIVACY ISSUE?
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. SO I DON'T THINK IT'S A PRIVACY ISSUE.
I THINK IT IS THAT THE ACCOUNT HOLDER IS THE PROPERTY OWNER.
SO THE ACTUAL TENANTS DON'T HAVE AN ACCOUNT WITH CPS ENERGY.
SO WE DO NOT COLLECT THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION. >> HAVRDA: I WONDER IF IT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO REQUIRE APARTMENT OWNERS TO GIVE YOU THE CONTACT INFORMATION -- SAWS AS WELL -- SO IT WOULD ELIMINATE THAT INTERFERENCE. WHEN YOU GUYS ARE PUTTING DOOR HANGERS UP THEY MAY OR MAY NOT GET IT BECAUSE THEY MIGHT GET REMOVED.
BUT IF YOU HAVE THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION, YOU CAN DIRECTLY CONTACT THEM.
>> SO WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK INTO THAT AND SEE WHAT OPPORTUNITIES THERE ARE.
I WOULD DEFINITELY DEFER TO THE LEGAL TEAM TO SEE IF THERE WOULD BE ANY RISK ASSOCIATED WITH THAT BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK INTO SEEING IF THAT'S AN OPTION.
>> HAVRDA: I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT. YOU GUYS DO COMMUNITY EVENTS --S GO TO EVERY EVENT THAT DISTRICT 6 HAS, NO MATTER WHAT IT'S ABOUT.
AND I KNOW THAT AT EVERY EVENT THERE'S AT LEAST ONE PERSON THAT SIGNS UP ON A PAYMENT PLAN, SO I DO REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS PARTICIPATING IN THAT.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU, MADAME CHAIR.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN CABELLO HAVRDA. COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO.
>> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, CHAIR AND THANK YOU, KRISTEN FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'M GRATEFUL TO SEE YOU ALL HAVE THE EXTREME WEATHER POLICY.
I'M CURIOUS IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO EXTEND IT TO THE EXCESSIVE HEAT OUTLOOKS WHICH EXTENDS IT BY A COUPLE OF DAYS. RATHER THAN A FEW DAYS WITH THE WEATHER EMERGENCY DEFINITION, IT'S A WEEK OUTLOOK.
AND I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY THERE. I KNOW WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF CONSTITUENTS THAT JUST COME IN TO SIT IN THE AC BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE IT AT HOME.
THAT WAS TO MY POINT EARLIER ABOUT THE 40 MINUTES WITHOUT WATER.
WE HAVE CONSTITUENTS THAT COME JUST TO SIT AND ENJOY THE AMENITIES THAT THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT, THE EXPENSES AT HOME. AND THEN A COUPLE OF THINGS.
I SEE THE APARTMENT ASSOCIATION HERE AND I'M CURIOUS IF YOU ALL HAVE DATA THAT YOU CAN SHARE REGARDING YOUR MEMBERSHIP AND HOW MANY HAVE ALL BILLS PAID, WHETHER IT'S WATER AND/OR ELECTRICITY. I'M CURIOUS TOO IF THERE'S A TREND WITH THOSE THAT ARE NOT PAYING THEIR CPS BILL AND THEIR WATER BILL, IF THERE'S A TREND THERE AND IF WE CAN WORK WITH THE APARTMENT ASSOCIATION ON A PATH FORWARD, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THEY'RE INTERESTED IN.
I THINK THESE BAD ACTORS LIKELY AREN'T PAYING MEMBERSHIP DUES IF THEY AREN'T PAYING THEIR UTILITIES. I KNOW EARLY ON AND A COUPLE OF TIMES WHEN WE HAVE THE RATE INCREASE CONVERSATIONS, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT RATE RESTRUCTURING. WHERE IS THAT CONVERSATION AT? AND WHEN CAN WE GET AN UPDATE ON WHERE THE RATE RESTRUCTURE PROCESS IS AT?
>> SORRY, COUNCILWOMAN. I'VE BEEN FIGHTING MY ALLERGIES FOR THE LAST WEEK.
THE PRIMARY CHALLENGE WITH RESTRUCTURING RATES, WHEN THE RATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS MEETING, WAS OUR TECHNOLOGY, WHICH WE'VE HAD TWO RATE CASES NOW THAT HAVE ADDRESSED TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT. WE'RE WELL ON OUR WAY ON THAT -- MAKING THAT INVESTMENT. ONCE WE GET OUR NEW ENTERPRISE SYSTEM IN PLACE, IT WILL OPEN UP THE DOOR FOR NEW RATE OPTIONS.
WE HAVE RECONSTITUTED OUR CITIZENS' ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO BE THE CITIZEN INPUT -- COMMUNITY INPUT COMMITTEE. THAT IS KIND OF A BLEND OF WHAT THE CAC WAS AND WHAT THE RATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS. ONE IS RATE DESIGN.
WE ARE GOING TO START THE PROCESS OF EDUCATING THEM AND THEN THEY WILL BRING RECOMMENDATIONS FORWARD ON THINGS THAT WE BELIEVE OUR CUSTOMERS ARE INTERESTED IN.
>> CASTILLO: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT UPDATE, RUDY. AND I ASK THAT QUESTION BECAUSE WHAT WE HEAR FROM CONSTITUENTS IS THAT THERE IS A CORRELATION BETWEEN JUST THE EXPENSE OF THEIR CPS UTILITY AND THE ABILITY FOR THEM TO MAKE A PAYMENT.
SO THAT'S WHY THAT CONVERSATION IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
GLAD THAT YOU ALL ARE MOVING ON IT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE AS IT DEVELOPS.
THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO.
COUNCILMAN COURAGE. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU. I'M A LITTLE PUT OFF THAT WE DIDN'T SEE ANY KIND OF DESCRIPTION OF HOW YOU DEAL WITH COMMERCIAL AND INDIVIDUAL. I DON'T KNOW IF THE PRESENTATION ON MASTER BILLING IS EXACTLY THE SAME FOR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL BUSINESS OR EXACTLY THE SAME FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BEHIND. CAN YOU TELL ME IS THIS THE
EXACT SAME PROCESS YOU USE FOR ALL OF THEM? >> IT IS NOT THE EXACT -- IT IS THE EXACT SAME PROCESS THROUGH THEIR DISCONNECTION ELIGIBILITY AT DAY 44.
[01:15:01]
WE FOLLOW ALL OF THE SAME PROCESSES, SEND ALL OF THE SAME NOTICES.WE DO ALL OF THE SAME COURTESY CALLS. FINAL NOTICES, ALL OF THAT FOLLOWS THE SAME PROCESS UP UNTIL DAY 44, WHICH IS WHEN WE START ENGAGING THE GROUPS TO GO OUT AND VISIT PROPERTY OWNERS IN PERSON. WE START HAND DELIVERING NOTICES. SO IT'S JUST THAT EXTENDED PORTION THAT GOES INTO MASTER METERED. BUT FOR COMMERCIAL AND INDIVIDUAL, THROUGH DAY 44
IT'S THE SAME PROCESS. >> COURAGE: WHY DON'T WE DO THE SAME THING FOR COMMERCIAL AND GIVE THEM MORE OUTREACH AND THE SAME THING FOR RESIDENTIAL?
>> SO WE DO HAVE OUR ENERGY TO BUSINESS TEAM, WHICH IS OUR SMALL TO MEDIUM BUSINESS SUPPORT GROUP. AND THEY DO DO ADDITIONAL OUTREACH FOR THOSE GROUPS, DEPENDING ON, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE LEVEL THAT THEY'RE AT.
I WOULD SAY TO GO TO THE EXTENT, I THINK WE GO TO MORE OF AN EXTENT FOR MASTER-METERED ACCOUNTS BECAUSE THERE ARE TENANTS INVOLVED, PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE ANY SAY IN WHETHER THAT GETS PAID. BUT FOR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS, WE DO HAVE DELINQUENCY CALLS THAT WE MAKE.
WE DO HAVE ALL OF THE SUPPORT THAT'S OFFERED, YOU KNOW, WE ENCOURAGE CUSTOMERS TO CALL US AND WORK WITH US. SO WE DO HAVE THAT SUPPORT, BOTH IN OUR WALK-IN CENTERS AND OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTERS. AND WE HAVE THE ENERGY TO BUSINESS TEAM. BUT I WILL AGREE WITH YOU, IT DOES NOT GO TO THE EXTENT WE DO FOR MASTER METERED, JUST BECAUSE OF THAT TENANT-PROPERTY OWNER
DYNAMIC. >> COURAGE: I NOTICED THAT THE NUMBER OF POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS WHO ARE FACING THIS FROM SLIDE 3 COMES TO -- LET ME SEE.
I DID A LITTLE NOTATION ON THIS MYSELF. I LIKE TO ADD UP THE NUMBERS AND SEE WHAT THEY SAY. BASICALLY, THERE'S ABOUT $134 MILLION INVOLVED IN SLIDE 3. AND THAT'S 185,000 ACCOUNTS, ACCORDING TO YOUR NUMBERS HERE. SO IT WOULD BE RIGHT TO SAY THAT 185,000 ACCOUNTS ARE AT
RISK SOMEHOW RELATED TO NON-PAYMENT. >> SO THE 32 MILLION, THE 37,000 INACTIVE ACCOUNTS, THOSE ARE ACCOUNTS THAT ARE NO LONGER ACTIVE.
>> COURAGE: DOES THAT MEAN PEOPLE MAY HAVE MOVED OUT AND ABANDONED THE ACCOUNT?
>> THAT IS CORRECT. >> COURAGE: OKAY. >> SO THOSE WOULD NOT BE IN THE ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECT. ONCE THE -- SO THE $72 MILLION, THE 69,000 ACCOUNTS, ONCE A CUSTOMER ENTERS INTO AN INSTALLMENT PLAN WITH US, THEY ARE NO LONGER ELIGIBLE FOR DISCONNECT. THEY DO HAVE A PAST-DUE BALANCE, IT'S AN INSTALLMENT PLAN OVER TIME. BUT AS LONG AS THEY MAINTAIN THAT INSTALLMENT PLAN, THEY ARE PROTECTED FROM DISCONNECTION.
>> COURAGE: HOW MANY HAVE STARTED A PLAN, STOPPED, AND SAID I'LL START IT AGAIN, ET CETERA. A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THESE?
>> IT HAPPENS BUT THE LAST NUMBER THAT I HAD WAS WE HAD ABOUT 80% THAT KEPT TO THEIR
INSTALLMENT PLAN. >> COURAGE: STAYED IN COMPLIANCE.
THAT'S VERY GOOD. NOW, HOW MANY ACCOUNTS OR DISCONNECTIONS WERE THERE THIS YEAR? HOW MANY DISCONNECTIONS HAS CPS DONE?
>> SO, I'M SORRY -- I HAVE MY NUMBERS. BETWEEN JANUARY AND APRIL, I WANT TO SAY THAT WE DID ALMOST 54,000 DISCONNECTIONS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS THE CONVERSATION ABOUT WEATHER AND KIND OF THE HEAT ADVISORY DISCUSSION. WE DO LOOK AT THE WEATHER ON A DAILY BASIS AND WE MAKE CALLS BASED ON BOTH AMBIENT AND HEAT INDEX AND DEDECIDE WHETHER OR NOT WE DO DO DISCONNECTIONS. BETWEEN MAY TO PRESENT, WE HAVE ONLY DONE ABOUT 9,000.
ON AVERAGE, WHEN WE ARE DISCONNECTING ON A REGULAR BASIS, WE DISCONNECT ABOUT 3,000 ACCOUNTS A WEEK. THAT TELLS YOU BETWEEN MAY AND THE END OF AUGUST, LET'S SAY, WE'VE ONLY DISCONNECTED ABOUT 9,000 CUSTOMERS BECAUSE OF -- DUE TO WEATHER
OR OTHER SYSTEM LIMITATIONS. >> COURAGE: I MIGHT WANT TO FOLLOW UP IN A MINUTE.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. COUNCILMAN WHYTE.
>> WHYTE: I HEARD IT ASKED A COUPLE OF TIMES BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I HEARD THE ANSWER. WE DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A CORRELATION BETWEEN SAWS
COMPLEX DELINQUENCIES AND CPS? >> I THINK WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF ACCOUNTS ALIKE. SO THERE ARE SOME THAT I BELIEVE WE WOULD NEED TO COORDINATE ON IF WE WERE LOOKING AT THAT KIND OF A DISCONNECTION PLAN MOVING FORWARD. YES, I DO THINK WE HAVE ACCOUNTS IN COMMON.
[01:20:02]
SURE. >> COUNCILMAN, JUST TO KIND OF GET DIRECTLY TO THE ISSUE WITH THIS TOPIC COMING UP. WE DON'T SHARE OUR CUSTOMER ACCOUNTS.
WE'VE GOT STRICT CUSTOMER INFORMATION RULES SO WE DON'T PUT A LIST TOGETHER AND COMPARE SAWS TO CPS ENERGY. WE CAN'T DO THAT.
>> WHYTE: GOT IT. ALL RIGHT. LAST YEAR, RUDY, WHEN WE HAD A FULL COUNCIL MEETING, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW MUCH WE HAD IN DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS AND THERE WAS A BUNCH LEFT OVER FROM THE COVID YEARS.
IS THAT NUMBER DOWN FROM THIS 72 MILLION THAT I'M LOOKING AT HERE ON THIS
SLIDE? >> YES. SO WE ARE DOWN TO ABOUT $136 MILLION IN PAST-DUE ACCOUNTS, WHICH IS DOWN TO OUR LOWEST POINT BACK TO OCTOBER OF 2021. SO, YES. THAT HAS COME DOWN.
>> I THINK KRISTEN SAID IT BUT I'LL JUST REITERATE. 80% OF THOSE CUSTOMERS ARE ON PAYMENT PLANS. THAT'S KIND OF ALL WE CAN DO.
>> WHYTE: THERE'S 136 MILLION DELINQUENT AND THIS 72 MILLION IS WHAT'S ON
A PAYMENT PLAN? >> THEY'RE ENGAGING US TRYING TO GET IT PAID OFF.
THAT MAY BE 12 MONTHS, 18 MONTHS, COULD BE A COUPLE OF YEARS IN SOME CASES.
BUT AS LONG AS THEY KEEP UP WITH WHAT THEY HAVE COMMITTED TO PAYING US, WE WILL KEEP THEM ON A PAYMENT PLAN THAT WILL KEEP THEM OFF OF THAT DISCONNECT LIST.
KRISTEN KNOWS THIS WAY BETTER THAN I DO. >> WHYTE: THIS 32 MILLION IS NOT A PART OF THAT 136. THAT'S ADDITIONAL DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS THAT NOW WE'RE
GOING TO WRITE OFF. >> IT IS INCLUDED IN THE 136 MILLION BUT THEY ARE DUE TO BE WRITTEN OFF. THOSE ARE CUSTOMERS -- THOSE ARE ACCOUNTS THAT ARE NOT AT
RISK FOR DISCONNECTION. >> WHYTE: JUST SO I'M CLEAR, OUT OF 136, 32 WE'RE GOING TO WRITE OFF. THAT GETS US DOWN NEAR $100 MILLION.
AND 72 OUT OF THAT $100 MILLION WE'VE GOT PAYMENT PLANS FOR.
>> THAT IS CORRECT. >> WHYTE: OKAY. THE AT RISK OF DISCONNECTION, 32 MILLION, IT LOOKS LIKE, IF I'M READING THIS RIGHT, IT WENT UP $4 MILLION LAST MONTH. IS THAT JUST BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE SUMMER AND BILLS ARE
HIGHER? >> THAT AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE NOT DISCONNECTING.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT DISCONNECTION INCENTIVE, I WOULD SAY.
YES, THAT'S WHY WE WOULD SEE THAT GO UP. >> WHYTE: WHEN DO WE START
DISCONNECTING AGAIN? >> WE DISCONNECT AT EVERY, YOU KNOW, EVERY AVAILABLE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO AS IT RELATES TO WEATHER. BUT WE SEE THAT START COMING BACK END OF SEPTEMBER/EARLY OCTOBER. WE SHOULD SEE THAT IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS WE WOULD PROBABLY START RETURNING TO WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER
NORMAL DISCONNECTION SCHEDULE. >> WHYTE: MY LAST QUESTION IS THE SAME QUESTION I HAD FOR SAWS. ARE THERE INTERNAL QUALITY CONTROL CHECKS THAT Y'ALL DO TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE APPLICABLE NOTICES ARE BEING
GIVEN TO YOUR CUSTOMERS BEFORE THEY'RE DISCONNECTED? >> ARE WE TALK ABOUT MASTER
METERED SPECIFICALLY OR THE GAMUT? >> WHYTE: ALL OF THEM.
>> WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEE -- SO WE TRACK HOW MANY NOTICES GO OUT.
WE TRACK, BASED ON HOW MANY -- SO HOW MANY NOTICES GO OUT VERSUS HOW MANY CALLS THAT GENERATES BACK TO US. WE CAN ACTUALLY TELL WHEN CUSTOMERS ARE ACTUALLY GETTING THEIR NOTICES, BECAUSE IT GENERATES TRAFFIC BACK TO US.
WE DO HAVE A RIGOROUS PROCESS, YOU KNOW, IN ALL OF THESE AREAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE COMMITTING TO OR WHAT OUR PROCESS IS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING.
>> WHYTE: IT'S ALL GOOD TO HAVE A PLAN. >> SURE.
>> WHYTE: YOU JUST GOT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ACTUALLY FOLLOWING IT AND HAVE THE INTERNAL, AGAIN, QUALITY CONTROL CHECKS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING IT.
LIKE I MENTIONED WITH SAWS, SOMETIMES I THINK WE HEAR FROM CUSTOMERS AND WE HEAR
DIFFERENT. >> SURE. .>> WHYTE: I NEVER GOT THIS
NOTICE OR THAT NOTICE. THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU,
COUNCILMAN WHYTE. COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO. >> CASTILLO: WITH THE $32 MILLION IN COLLECTIONS THAT MAY BE WRITTEN OFF, CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHEN
CPS DETERMINES AN ACCOUNT OR AMOUNT MAY BE WRITTEN OFF? >> SO WE HAVE A DONING PROCESS AND TIMELINE. AFTER IT BECOMES ELIGIBLE TO BE WRITTEN OFF.
WE DO PARTNER WITH COLLECTION AGENCIES TO TRY TO COLLECT THAT MONEY BEFORE WE WRITE IT OFF. IN ADDITION, ANY CUSTOMER THAT STARTS NEW SERVICE WITH THE SAME ACCOUNT DETAILS OR IDENTIFYING INFORMATION WITHIN THAT PERIOD OF TIME,
[01:25:01]
WE WOULD ACTUALLY TRANSFER THAT BALANCE TO THAT ACTIVE ACCOUNT IN AN ATTEMPT TOCOLLECT. >> LET ME ADD, I PUSHED OUR CFO TO TRY TO GET TO THE WRITE-OFF PROCESS QUICKER. IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET THEM BACK INTO THE COLLECTION PROCESS, THAT'S WHY WE KIND OF TAKE OUR TIME.
BUT WE'VE GOTTEN PROBABLY A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVE THAN WE HAD BEEN IN THE PAST WITH THE WRITE-OFF PROCESS. AND I WILL SAY THIS. ONE OF THE METRICS THAT I PAY ATTENTION TO IS WHAT WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR WRITE-OFFS VERSUS WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY WRITING OFF. WE ARE BETTER THAN PLAN AS IT PERTAINS TO WRITE-OFFS.
WE HAD $39 MILLION FOR WRITE-OFFS AND THAT NUMBER IS AROUND 32.
KRISTEN AND HER TEAM ARE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB OF ACTUALLY GETTING THOSE CUSTOMERS TO AGREE TO PAYMENT PLANS, WHICH GETS THEM PAID.
>> CASTILLO: ARE YOU ALL TRACKING IF ONE OF THOSE IN THE COLLECTIONS OR MAY BE
WRITTEN OFF IS WITHIN THE CRITICAL CARE PROGRAM? >> THAT'S ONE THING KRISTEN DID MENTION, TO COUNCILMAN COURAGE'S QUESTION EARLIER. ANYBODY WHO IS ON AN ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OR ON THE CRITICAL CARE PROGRAM, THEY GET A LITTLE BIT MORE ATTENTION THAN JUST YOU AND ME WHO MIGHT GET INTO TROUBLE ONE MONTH.
THEY ABSOLUTELY GET A LOT MORE VISIBILITY INTO WHAT THEIR STATUS IS THAN MOST
CUSTOMERS. >> CASTILLO: GREAT. THANK Y'ALL FOR WALKING
THROUGH THAT. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO.
COUNCILMAN COURAGE. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU. YOU PROBABLY KNOW, MAYBE RUDY NEEDS TO ANSWER. BUT AT THE HEIGHT OF 2022 OR 2023, WHAT WAS THE AMOUNT THAT WAS PAST DUE THAT CPS WAS FACING AT ITS HIGHEST POINT?
>> YEAH. IT WAS RIGHT ABOUT $208 MILLION, COUNCILMAN.
SO WE WERE MAKING STEADY PROGRESS REALLY UP UNTIL AUGUST.
EVEN THIS SUMMER MONTHS WE SAW THOSE BALANCES COMING DOWN UNTIL AUGUST.
IT GOT HOT AND WE LOST A LITTLE BIT OF GROUND. BUT WE'RE DOING THE JOB THAT THE COMMUNITY EXPECTS US TO DO. IT'S JUST GOING TO TAKE A
LITTLE TIME. >> COURAGE: YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT POTENTIALLY WRITING OFF $32 MILLION IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. NOW WHAT DID YOU WRITE OFF
LAST YEAR IN THAT BUDGET? >> WE'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT, SIR.
>> COURAGE: OUT OF THE 200-SOMETHING MILLION OWED TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO, YOU BROUGHT IT DOWN SOME BUT SOME OF THAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN OFF.
YOU DIDN'T GET THE MONEY AND IT MAY BE HERE TOO. >> IN THIS RANGE.
IT'S 30-PLUS MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR WE HAVE BEEN WRITING OFF FOR A FEW YEARS NOW.
>> COURAGE: ALL RIGHT. AND ONE LAST COMMENT. YOU TALKED ABOUT PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO WALK IN AND TAKE CARE OF PAYMENTS. YOU MENTIONED FOUR LOCATIONS. I KNOW FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, PEOPLE WOULD GO TO H-E-B AND PAY THEIR PAYMENT. WHY AREN'T WE STILL DOING THAT AND MAKING IT SIMPLE FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T GET ONLINE OR DON'T LOOK AT THEIR MAIL VERY
>> WE DO. THEY CAN STILL MAKE THEIR PAYMENT THROUGH HEB.
WE HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT HELP SUPPORT CUSTOMERS PAYING THEIR CPS ENERGY BILL AND WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING TOWARDS CREATING MORE OPPORTUNITY THROUGH RETAIL BILL PAY AND WE'RE EXPLORING A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE THAT
EASIER. >> COURAGE: I JUST MISSED IT WHEN YOU DIDN'T MENTION
THAT BEFORE. THANK YOU. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE UPDATE. I KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT HAD A LITTLE MORE ATTENTION AND YOU WERE GOING TO HAVE TO COME BACK.
I SCHEDULED THE NEXT ITEM BECAUSE IT'S A BRIEF ONE, BUT FOR BOTH OF YOU ALL AND I WOULD LIKE TO COMBINE THE PRESENTATION SO THERE'S ONLY LIKE FOUR SLIDES AND IT'S SPECIFICALLY ON THE STAGING PROCEDURES FOR WHEN YOU ALL DO CONSTRUCTION WORK.
WE'LL START OFF WITH THE ONE THAT'S PULLED UP AND DR. GOMEZ WILL BE PRESENTING
FOR SAWS. >> I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE CONSTRUCTION GROUP AT SAWS AND TODAY I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT CONSTRUCTION STAGING PROCEDURES.
OUR CONSTRUCTION GROUP, THE MAIN RESPONSIBILITY WE HAVE IS TO SPEND LOTS OF MONEY RELATED TO DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
OF THAT WE'RE CLOSE TO 500 MILLION BUDGETED FOR CONSTRUCTION-RELATED PROJECTS. OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WE'RE GOING TO SPEND OVER $3 MILLION AND ALMOST THREE IS RELATED TO CONSTRUCTION. EVERYTHING WE DO IS REACH THE PUBLIC, COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION WITH THE PUBLIC.
ALTHOUGH THE STAKEHOLDERS IN THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY. WE COMMUNICATE WITH FOLKS
[01:30:02]
DURING AND PRIOR TO CONSTRUCTION TO MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE WE DOING IT, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO IMPACT YOUR LIFE. WE COORDINATE WITH CITY COUNCIL THROUGH OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT, COORDINATE WITH THE CITY AND RIGHT-OF-WAY OWNERS, TXDOT, COUNTY, ET CETERA. WE COORDINATE WITH CPS ENERGY AND OTHER UTILITY PROVIDERS IN TOWN AND BUSINESS OWNERS, PROPERTY OWNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING.WE GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS DURING DESIGN. WE MAKE SURE ALL OF THOSE COMMUNICATIONS MAKE IT INTO OUR CONTRACT DOCUMENTS SO CONTRACTORS KNOW, ANY SPECIAL COMMUNICATION NEEDS DEPENDING ON THE LOCATION. I KNOW THERE'S SPECIFIC NUANCES ON THE PROJECT. ONCE THE BOARD APPROVES THE CONTRACT, OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO HELP US OUT TO PROVIDE UPDATES TO THE COMMUNITY AND SO WHAT CHANGE IN SCHEDULE, WHEN ARE WE COMING, WHEN WE MAY BE INTERRUPTING SERVICE AND ANY ROADWAY IMPACTS. TRAFFIC CONTROL, CLOSURES, STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO GENERALLY WE DON'T SECURE STATION AREAS FOR YOU CAN -- STAGING AREAS, BUT WE HAVE A UNIQUE PROJECT IN AND AROUND HARDBERGER PARK FOR WHICH WE ARE SECURING A STAGING AREA FOR THAT CONTRACTOR. ON THAT MAP ON THE SCREEN YOU CAN SEE THE CROSS-HATCH AREA THAT'S BEING ALLOCATED FOR A STATION FOR THAT PROJECT FOR THE CONTRACTORS SO THEY CAN THEN BRING ALL THE EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS AND OUT OF THAT MANAGE THE INSTALLATION OF THE NEW WATER MAIN THROUGH THE SENSITIVE AREA OF THE PARK.
IT'S ONE OF THESE VERY UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES WE GET OURSELVES INTO.
OTHER THAN THAT, WE GENERALLY DON'T REQUIRE ANY STAGING AS PART OF OUR CONTRACT DOCUMENTS. WE COORDINATE WITH RIGHT-OF-WAY OWNERS, TXDOT , COUNTY, RELATED TO SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS WITHIN THEIR RIGHT-OF-WAY TO MAKE SURE OUR CONTRACTORS SIMPLY FOLLOW THOSE REQUIREMENTS AS PRESCRIBED IN THE CONTRACT DOCUMENTS. IF THE CONTRACTOR DEEMS IT NECESSARY TO SECURE A STAGING AREA, THEN THAT'S ON THEM. THEY GO AND THEY REACH OUT TO PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE VICINITY OF A PROJECT, THEY COME TO AN AGREEMENT WITH THAT PROPERTY OWNER. THEY MAKE THE MONTHLY PAYMENTS WITH THAT OWNER DIRECTLY, AND THEN WHAT WE ASK THE CONTRACTOR TO DO IS THEY NEED TO PROVIDE A COPY OF THE EXECUTED AGREEMENT WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER FOR OUR RECORDS SO WE HAVE A WAY TO GO BACK AND CHECK WAS THERE AN AGREEMENT OR WAS THE CONTRACTOR SUPPOSED TO BE ENTIRE LOCATION AND ONCE THE ACTIVITIES ARE COMPLETED DID THEY DO WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO TO LEAVE THE PLACE IN THE SAME OR BETTER SHAPE THAN THEY FOUND IT.
IF ANY ISSUES ALONG THE WAY COME UP, THEN NORMALLY WE GET NOTIFIED.
WE PROMPTLY ADDRESS THE ISSUE, WE SEND AN INSPECTOR TO THAT LOCATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED, WHY IT HAPPENED. AND THEN FOLLOW UP WITH THE CONTRACTOR TO MAKE SURE THE CONCERN IS ADDRESSED IN A TIMELY MANNER.
THOSE STAGING AREAS THAT THE CONTRACTOR SECURES, AGAIN, THEY ARE DRIVEN BY THE TYPE OF PROJECT, COMPLEXITY AND SIZE. AND THEN THEY -- IF THE CONTRACTOR GETS THOSE AREAS SECURE SO THERE'S A FENCE, BUT THEY ARE NOT MANNED 24/7, 365 AND THE CONTRACTOR MAY CHOOSE TO INSTALL TEMPORARY SECURITY CAMERAS OR TEMPORARY GUARDS JUST TO MONITOR SECURITY FOR THAT SITE.
ONE OF THE OTHER WAYS IN WHICH WE IMPACT THE COMMUNITY DURING A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IS TRAFFIC CONTROL. FOR THAT WE ONCE AGAIN COMMUNICATE WITH THE RIGHT-OF-WAY OWNERS, WE MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S DOABLE AS PART OF WHAT'S REQUIRED AND THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE CONSTRUCTION WORK AND MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND LANE CLOSURES, THE DURATION OF THOSE CLOSURES. THE RIGHT-OF-WAY OWNER TENDS TO DICTATE THE TYPE OF SIGNS WE NEED TO USE, THE ADVANCED NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR ANY CLOSURES AND DETOURS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND THEN THE -- ALL OF THAT IS -- WE HAVE A TRAFFIC CONTROL PLAN AS PART OF THE DOCUMENTS SO THEN THE CONTRACTOR IS REALLY IN THE BUSINESS OF IMPLEMENTING THAT PLAN. AND THEN FOLLOWING UP WITH THE RIGHT-OF-WAY OWNER IN CASE ANY CHANGES ARE NEEDED. EVERY NOW AND THEN THINGS CHANGE DURING CONSTRUCTION SO WE GET TOGETHER WITH THE COSA, COUNTY, MAKE SURE WE ADDRESS CONCERNS THAT MIGHT BE COMING UP AND THEN IMPLEMENT WHATEVER DEVIATION FROM THE ORIGINAL PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MITIGATE THE CHALLENGES TO THE COMMUNITY. ONE OTHER NOLTY THERE THAT IS IMPORTANT IS OUR CONTRACTORS ACTUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR SECURING THE RIGHT-OF-WAY PERMIT DIRECTLY WITH THE RIGHT-OF-WAY OWNER. AND THEN FINALLY, WE USE TECHNOLOGY TO COMMUNICATE
[01:35:05]
WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA BEING USED TO NOTIFY PEOPLE THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO A TEMPORARY SHUT-DOWN FOR WATER AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOTIFYING PEOPLE AHEAD OF TIME. THOSE TEND TO BE RELATIVELY SHORT DURATIONS SO WE DON'T IMPACT LIVES EXTREMELY. THE OTHER MATTER THAT WE HAVE IS OUR OUTAGE MAP, SO PEOPLE CAN GO TO THE WEBSITE ON THE PAGE AND LOOK AT WHAT'S PLANNED OR CURRENTLY HAVING OUTAGE ISSUES. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWERANY QUESTIONS. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE'LL CONTINUE WITH RICHARD LUHAN WITH THE CPS CONSTRUCTION AREA.
>> GOOD MORNING. , IF I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF CPS ENERGY'S GAS DELIVERY BUSINESS. AND TODAY I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THREE MAJOR AREAS OF CONSTRUCTION AS PART OF OUR ENERGY DELIVERY SERVICES DIVISION.
I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT OUR GAS PROJECTS, OUR TRANSMISSION PROJECTS AND OUR ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION FOCUSING ON THE STAGING OF MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT.
BEGINNING WITH OUR GAS AREA, WE DO A LOT OF PLAN WORK AROUND THE CITY.
MOST OF THIS WORK IS DONE BY CPS ENERGY CONTRACTORS. WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE CITY'S RIGHT-OF-WAY INSPECTIONS AREA AS PART OF THE PERMITTING PROCESS TO COORDINATE ANY STAGING REQUIREMENTS, TO COORDINATE TRAFFIC CONTROL, ALSO RIGHT-OF-WAY RESTORATION AND, OF COURSE, CLEANUP. AND AT THE END OF THE PROJECT, THEY ENSURE THE BACKFILL ACTIVITIES ARE DONE APPROPRIATELY AND THE SITE IS CLEAR. WE ALSO DO A LOT OF JOINT BID WORK WITH THE CITY AND YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF MAJOR GAS PROJECTS AROUND THE CITY.
ONE EXAMPLE IS A BIG TXDOT JOB THAT WAS JUST COMPLETED RECENTLY WHERE THEY MOVED QUITE A BIT OF PIPELINE AS PART OF THE 1604 PROJECT. IN THESE CASES WE CONTRACT DIRECTLY WITH THE CITY, THE COUNTY OR TXDOT AND THEIR GENERAL CONTRACTOR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING THE WORK, SEQUENCING THE WORK, AS WELL AS MATERIAL AND EQUIPMENT STAGING. FINALLY, WE HAVE QUITE A BIT OF UNPLANNED WORK.
THIS IS EMERGENCY AND MAINTENANCE WORK. IN THESE CASES, IT'S VERY SHORT DURATION WORK. AND FOR THE MOST PART WE BRING OUR MATERIALS TO THE JOB SITE, COMPLETE THE WORK AND REMOVE THE MATERIALS AND ENSURE CLEANUP.
THE NEXT AIR IS OUR ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION. THESE AREAS ARE THE VERY HIGH TOWERS YOU WILL SEE AROUND THE CITY THAT CARRY HIGH VOLTAGE FROM OUR POWER PLANTS TO OUR SUBSTATIONS. MOST OF THIS WORK IS DONE WITHIN A TRANSMISSION EASEMENT, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE OCCASIONAL JOBS THAT IMPACT THE RIGHT-OF-WAY.
WE STAGE OUR WORK IN LAY-DOWN YARDS THAT WE HAVE STAGED AROUND THE CITY AND MATERIAL ISN'T MOVED TO THE JOB SITE UNTIL IT'S NEEDED. AGAIN, RIGHT-OF-WAY IS FULLY CLEANED UP UPON COMPLETION OF THE WORK, AND THE SITE IS INSPECTED TO ENSURE THAT IT HAS BEEN PROPERLY RESTORED. JUST IN GENERAL, AS YOU'LL SEE IN ALL CASES, WE'RE BRINGING MATERIALS WHEN WE NEED THEM AND THEN REMOVING THE MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT UPON COMPLETION OF THE WORK. FINALLY, OUR ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION PROJECTS, THE MAJORITY OF THESE PROJECTS THAT REQUIRE STAGING ARE USUALLY WITHIN SUBDIVISIONS AND WE DO A LOT OF COORDINATION WITH OUR CUSTOMERS, OUR CONTRACTORS AND OUR DEVELOPERS. IN THESE CASES THERE'S A LOT OF LAND TO LAY DOWN MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT AND WE GENERALLY COORDINATE THAT WITH THEM.
WE DO FOLLOW A PROCESS TO SELECT WHERE WE'LL PLACE EQUIPMENT AND STAGE IT.
FOR THE MOST PART WE'LL BRING IT TO THE SITE WHEN NEEDED.
WE'LL UTILIZE THE CUSTOMER OR DEVELOPER'S PROPERTY. WE'LL UTILIZE EASEMENTS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND SIMILAR TO SAWS WE WILL ALSO CONTRACT WITH PRIVATE LANDOWNERS TO IMPLEMENT A TEMPORARY EASEMENT. SO THREE GENERAL THEMES ACROSS ALL PROJECT TYPES. WE CAREFULLY SELECT THE AREAS WHERE WE USE FOR STAGING TO ENSURE SAFETY OF THE JOB SITE, SAFETY TO THE COMMUNITY AND SAFETY TO OUR CREWS. WE WANT TO ENSURE, OF COURSE, EFFICIENCY OF THE WORK AND WE WANT TO MINIMIZE IMPACTS TO TRAFFIC AND TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE COLLABORATE WITH ALL OF OUR RIGHT-OF-WAY STAKEHOLDERS, OUR CUSTOMERS, OUR DEVELOPERS VERY CLOSELY TO ENSURE WE'RE MEETING LOCAL RULES AND REGULATIONS
[01:40:05]
AS WELL AS MEETING OUR SAFETY STANDARDS, AND, OF COURSE, WE DO A LOT OF COORDINATE WITH THE CITY'S RIGHT-OF-WAY AREA. AND FINALLY, MOST MATERIAL IS BROUGHT TO THE JOB SITE. WE STORE IT ON OUR DESIGNATED FACILITIES AND IT IS MOVED TO THE AREA WHEN WE NEED IT DURING CONSTRUCTION. AND THAT CONCLUDES MYPREPARED REMARKS. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOU.
THIS ITEM CAME TO MIND BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME RESIDENTS THAT ASK US EVERY TIME ABOUT STAGING AND HOW LONG ARE THEY GOING TO BE THERE, ET CETERA.
AND SO I RECOGNIZE THAT THE CONTRACTORS DO THIS MOSTLY, RIGHT, ON YOUR BEHALF, AND SOME OF THE MAINTENANCE MAYBE IS NOT IN YOUR AREA. WE HAD A PROJECT THAT WAS OVER ON MILITARY THAT HAD LIKE OVER GROWN WEEDS THAT WERE GROWING AROUND IT BUT IT TOOK A LITTLE LONGER. AND SO THAT'S THE OTHER REASON THAT I WAS ASKING, BUT ALSO LIKE THE PROBANDT, I HAD SOMEONE ASK ABOUT THAT AND THEY WERE JUST WORRIED ABOUT DID THEY TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE SCHOOL BUSES THAT ARE PASSING BY, ET CETERA. SO THAT'S THE REASON THAT I THOUGHT THIS -- I MEAN IT'S A FAIRLY SIMPLE ONE, BUT WE GET ASKED ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME.
IN THE -- HOW FAR IN ADVANCE DOER COORDINATE WITH BUSINESS OWNERS?
>> DEPENDING ON THE PROJECT, IT'S -- I THINK WE HAVE A SPECIFIED PERIOD OF TIME REQUIRED TO POST SIGNAGE AT LEAST A WEEK IN ADVANCE, BUT DEPENDING ON THE IMPACT, WE'RE COORDINATING FOR TWO, THREE WEEKS DEPENDING ON HOW THAT GOES.
SOMETIMES EVEN MONTHS DEPENDING ON THE DURATION OF THE PROJECT ITSELF.
>> GARCIA: YEAH, I KIND OF LIKE THE MONTHS, AND SO I FEEL LIKE THEY SHOULD BE COORDINATED WITH PROBABLY THREE MONTHS IN ADVANCE, RIGHT? AND SO I KNOW SOME OF IT IT'S LAST MINUTE, I GET IT, THE EMERGENCY.
THEY ARE NOT GETTING UPSET ABOUT THAT. IT'S THE OTHER STUFF.
SO ANYTHING WE CAN DO. I ALSO NOTICED FOR SAWS THEY HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA.
DOES CPS ALSO POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA? >> YES, MA'AM.
>> GARCIA: IS THERE ANY WAY YOU CAN TAG LIKE THE DISTRICT SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL JUST KIND OF LIKE TO REMIND US SO THAT WE COULD SHARE IT IMMEDIATELY?
>> WE CAN DO THAT. >> GARCIA: OKAY, GOOD. SO CAN I GET THAT COMMITMENT ALSO FROM SAWS? IS THAT GOOD? OKAY.
I THINK THIS WOULD JUST BE EASY. SO YEAH, I WOULD LOVE TO MAYBE AS A FOLLOW-UP MAYBE JUST BY EMAIL JUST GIVE US BOTH ENTITIES OR BOTH UTILITIES IF WE CAN JUST HAVE THE SECURITY, RIGHT, THAT WILL COORDINATE AT LEAST A COUPLE OR THREE MONTHS IN ADVANCE WHERE POSSIBLE.
AGAIN, NOT IN THE EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. THANK YOU TO BOTH OF YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION. I APPRECIATE IT AND TO MR. P.
ENTE AND MR. GARZA FROM CPS FOR BEING HERE. I'LL START WITH QUESTIONS
FROM MY COLLEAGUES. COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE. >> WHYTE: IT'S FOR SAWS.
HOW DO WE -- HOW DO YOU PICK YOUR CONTRACTORS? >> SO I WOULD SAY KIND OF TWO WAYS. MOST OF OUR PROJECTS ARE -- ESPECIALLY AROUND THE PIPELINE SITE LOW BIDS. SO THE LOWEST PRICE PROVIDED IS SELECTED.
OTHER PROJECTS, ANYTHING OVER 10 MILLION AUTOMATICALLY IS PROCURED RFP. SO THAT'S QUALIFICATIONS PLUS PRICE.
>> WHYTE: AND ARE WE REVIEWING -- WHEN THESE PROJECTS ARE DONE, ARE WE DOING A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE PROJECT IN TERMS OF WAS IT DONE ON TIME, QUALITY
OF PROJECT, ET CETERA? >> I WOULD SAY WE DON'T HAVE A TODAY A PROCESS BY WHICH WE DO A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF EVERY PROJECT. HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE LESSONS LEARNED. AS VICE PRESIDENT I'M BIG ON NOT MAKING THE SAME MISTAKE MULTIPLE TIMES AND LEARNING FROM PAST MISTAKES. WHAT WE DO IS WE MAKE SURE THAT WE TRACK PROGRESS AND PERFORMANCE OF CONTRACTORS ON A PROJECT BASIS THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT WENT WRONG.
PROJECT VERSUS THE CONSTRUCTION. CONSTRUCTION IS DIFFERENT.
THINGS CHANGE IN THE FIELD. WE USE THAT FOR FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES AS PART OF
SELECTION PROCESSES FOR FUTURE PROCUREMENTS. >> WHYTE: I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU, I'D LIKE TO SEE A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF EACH PROJECT WHEN IT'S COMPLETED.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE REST OF YOU ALL AROUND THIS TABLE, BUT CONSTRUCTION IS TAKING ENTIRELY TOO LONG IN THIS CITY. AND THAT'S -- AND IT'S A PROBLEM. AND I DON'T KNOW IF -- I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S SO MUCH ON THE SAWS PROJECT AS IT IS ON SOME OF THE PUBLIC WORKS SIDE.
[01:45:02]
>> IT'S THE PUBLIC WORKS SIDE. ALL OF OUR PROJECTS, ALL OF OUR PROJECTS THAT WE DO ON SAWS ARE ON TIME AND ON BUDGET.
WHEN WE HAVE A JOINT PROJECT, THAT'S WHEN WE HAVE PROBLEMS.
>> WHYTE: OKAY. >> I'M SORRY, THAT'S JUST THE TRUTH.
>> WHYTE: I HEAR YOU. ALL I KNOW IS WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD FROM FOLKS ON OUR -- ON THE PUBLIC WORKS SIDE, AND I KNOW MOST OF ALL THAT THERE'S JUST A LOT OF
FRUSTRATION IN THE COMMUNITY. >> WE'RE FRUSTRATED ALSO.
WE'RE VERY FRUSTRATED ALSO. >> WHYTE: I HEAR YOU. WE'RE ALL FRUSTRATED.
AND SO WHAT I WANT TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF HOW WE CAN DO THINGS BETTER.
AND TO ME, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THESE BIG EXPENSIVE PROJECTS GOING ON, WHETHER THEY ARE SAWS PROJECTS OR PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS, AND I SAID THIS THE OTHER WEEK WHEN WE HAD OUR BUDGET BRIEFING WITH PUBLIC WORKS. AFTER EVERY PROJECT IS COMPLETE, I THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO LOOK AT THE PROJECT AND REALLY SEE IF THINGS WENT AS IT SHOULD. BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THEY ARE NOT.
>> ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT SAWS PROJECTS OR CITY JOINT PROJECTS?
>> WHYTE: I THINK IT'S BOTH. >> IF IT'S SAWS PROJECTS, IT'S NOT. WE CAN SHOW YOU ALL OF OUR PROJECTS THAT WE ARE DOING, THEY ARE ON TIME AND WE HAVE INSPECTORS THAT LOOK AT THE JOBS BY THESE CONTRACTORS ON A DAILY BASIS AND WE HAVE A FOLLOW-UP ON THAT. IF IT'S A JOINT PROJECT WITH THE CITY, YES, THERE ARE 98% OF THEM, 99% OF THEM WORK WELL, ON TIME, ON BUDGET.
THERE'S A FEW THAT MAKE THE NEWS. THOSE ARE THE PROBLEMS AND THOSE ARE THE ONES WE'RE WORKING WITH THAT WE HAVE CONSTANT MEETINGS WITH PUBLIC WORKS ALL THE WAY FROM ERIK AND MYSELF, EVEN WITH OUR BOARD MEMBERS TO
MAKE SURE THEY GO EASIER AND QUICKER. >> WHYTE: I DON'T THINK THERE'S A FEW, I THINK THERE'S MORE THAN A FEW. TELL ME THIS THEN.
IN THESE JOINT PROJECTS, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST ISSUES IN DEALING
WITH PUBLIC WORKS ON THESE JOINT PROJECTS. >> THE CITY IS VERY DRIVEN BY -- THE CONSTITUENTS NEED THEIR STREETS CLEAR. DETOURS ARE VERY EVEN
VITAMIN FOR A LOT OF -- INCONVENIENT FOR ALL. >> WHYTE: SCHEDULE IS
IMPORTANT TO YOU ALL TOO I WOULD ASSUME. >> MORE IMPORTANT IS REGULATORY ISSUES. CERTAIN THINGS HAVE TO PASS REGULATORY INSPECTION, REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
ISSUES. SOMETIMES THOSE CONFLICT. >> WHYTE: OKAY.
SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS SAWS IS DOING EVERYTHING PERFECTLY --
>> I'M NOT SAYING THAT. I NEVER SAID THOSE WORDS. WHAT I DID SAY WAS 98, 99% OF THE JOINT PROJECTS WE HAVE WITH THE CITY WORK VERY WELL.
THAT REMAINING ONE OR TWO PERCENT, THREE PERCENT ARE THE PROJECTS THAT MAKE THE NEWS. THE ONES ON BROADWAY, ALAMO STREET, ST. MARY'S, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT MAKE THE USE, OTHER ONES WE HAVE PROBLEMS WITH.
>> WHYTE: I THINK MY TIME -- >> GARCIA: THANK YOU.
YOU CAN CHIME IN AGAIN. BEN GORZELL WAS GOING TO SAY SOMETHING.
>> SO I THINK ON THIS ISSUE I THINK THERE'S SOME CHALLENGES ACROSS THE BOARD AND I THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT ALL OF US CAN DO BETTER.
I KNOW THERE ARE CONVERSATIONS GOING ON ABOUT HOW WE DO THAT, LOOK AT JOINT BID, MANAGE CONSTRUCTION BECAUSE THERE IS LOT OF CONSTRUCTION GOING ON ACROSS THE CITY, NOT JUST SAWS, CPS, THEY CAN DOT, THERE'S A WHOLE -- TXDOT.
I THINK THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL OF US TO IMPROVE AND I THINK THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE ONGOING. I'M NOT ON THE DETAILS OF ALL OF THAT, BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN PROBABLY FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ALL AS WELL.
>> AND HE'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. INCLUDING SAWS, WE CAN ALL WORK BETTER TOGETHER, AND WE WILL ALWAYS STRIVE TO DO THAT.
>> WHYTE: AND NO MORE FINGER POINTING, JUST LET'S FIGURE OUT WHAT THE DAMN
PROBLEM IS BECAUSE THIS IS A REAL, REAL ISSUE. >> I HOPE YOU DAYS THAT TO PUBLIC WORKS ALSO -- ADDRESS THAT TO PUBLIC WORKS BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES POINTING FINGERS. WE SAID WE WANT TO WORK WITH THE CITY.
IT WAS PUBLIC WORKS STAFF THAT SAID WE WERE AT FAULT. THEY WERE THE ONES POINTING
THE FINGER. >> WHYTE: I HEAR YOU AND WE ADDRESSED WITH THEM AS WELL. REST ASSURED MY OFFICE IS GOING TO KEEP PUSHING PUBLIC WORKS AS WELL AS SAWS SO WE CAN GET THESE THINGS DONE ON TIME FOR THE RESIDENTS.
>> I THINK THAT THERE'S SOME ACCOUNTABILITY HERE ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND I DON'T THINK IT JUST RESTS WITH PUBLIC WORKS. AND I THINK THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY ON THIS SIDE THAT I'M AWARE OF IT IS IN FINGER-POINTING MODE. WE WANT TO WORK TOGETHER TO
[01:50:02]
FIGURE OUT SOLUTIONS AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO DO THAT. I THINK THAT JOINT BID MAKES A LOT OF SENSE ON A LOT OF PROJECTS, BUT WE HAVE TO DO IT IN THE RIGHT WAY.I SAY THAT COLLECTIVELY BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY WHETHER YOU ARE A BUSINESS OWNER, A RESIDENT, THEY DON'T CARE WHETHER IT'S US, SAWS, CPS, TXDOT, THEY JUST KNOW THEY ARE BEING IMPACTED. ALL MY POINT IS THAT WE'VE GOT TO FIND A BETTER WAY TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SOME OF THIS STUFF MOVE FASTER.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU, BEN. COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, CHAIR. I'M CONFIDENT PUBLIC WORKS AND SAWS ARE COMMITTED TO BRINGING FORTH THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS THAT OUR CONSTITUENCIES DESERVE.
A COUPLE OF OPPORTUNITIES I THINK THAT I SEE ARE WITH THE COMS AND ENGAGEMENT.
I'M HAPPY TO SEE BOTH MAKE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS BUT I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO DO TARGETED ADS. WHETHER IT'S TO DEMONSTRATE WHERE A DETOUR WILL BE JUST TARGET A SPECIFIC AREA ABOUT ANY POTENTIAL ROAD CLOSURES.
I UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE BUSINESS OWNERS MAY NOT NECESSARILY LIVE IN THAT AREA, BUT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THAT SOCIAL MEDIA THROUGH THEIR BUSINESS AND THAT WAY THEY CAN RECEIVE THAT UPDATE. IDEALLY THEY SHOULD RECEIVE IT BEFORE IT'S ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND ONE THING THAT COMES TO MIND IS A FORECAST TO BE SENT OUT TO POTENTIAL IMPACTED BUSINESSES IN PARTICULAR.
SMALL BUSINESS OWNER HAD POSTED ONLINE THEY RECEIVED A NOTICE A DAY BEFORE THEIR ROAD IS GOING TO BE CLOSED. WAS IT SAWS OR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, I'M NOT AWARE WHOSE PROJECT IT WAS, BUT POINT BEING IT WAS A VERY SHORT NOTICE.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE IN THE ROOM TO TAKE NOTE HOW CAN WE SEND OUT FORECASTS TO THESE POTENTIALLY IMPACTED AREAS SO THEY CAN PLAN AHEAD.
WE ALL RECEIVED PUBLIC WORKS BRIEFING UPDATES MONTHLY AND RECEIVE THAT FORECAST, THEN OUR TEAM WE TRY TO PLAN WITH NEIGHBORS TO SAY HEY THIS IS COMING AND, OF COURSE, PUBLIC WORKS ISSUES THEIR NOTICES. BUT I THINK HAVING THAT FORECAST CAN ALLOW BUSINESS OWNERS TO PLAN, AND I THINK WHETHER, AGAIN, NO MATTER THE ENTITY, ONE-DAY NOTICE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE ESPECIALLY FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO HAVE TO PLAN ON HOW THEY ARE GOING TO RECEIVE SUPPLIES AND EMPLOYEES ARE GOING TO GET TO WORK AND HOW PATRONS ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THAT SPECIFIC SERVICE. ALSO REQUEST THAT I DO HAVE IS CAN SAWS PROVIDE COUNCIL OFFICES WITH NOTICES OF PROPOSED PROJECTS? LIKE FOR EXAMPLE ON PROBANDT STREET, I WASN'T AWARE UNTIL A CONSTITUENT CALLED AND I REACHED OUT TO DAVID MC BETH. WE WEREN'T AWARE UNTIL WE HAD TO CALL AND ASK QUESTIONS. CAN YOU ALL JUST NOTIFY US OR SEND US WHAT YOU ARE SENDING TO THE ASSOCIATIONS, THAT WAY WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE?
>> OF COURSE WE WILL. >> CASTILLO: THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM.
I THINK THERE WOULD BE VALUE IN A STAKEHOLDER GROUP WITH SOME OF OUR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS ON WHAT THEY BELIEVE ARE BEST PRACTICES WITH COMMUNICATION ON THESE PROJECTS. BECAUSE I BELIEVE EVERYONE ACKNOWLEDGES THESE ARE IMPROVEMENTS THAT DO NEED TO BE MADE, BUT THERE'S JUST A FEW KINKS ON COMMUNICATION ON WHEN THESE PROJECTS AND HOW LONG THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE.
AND I THINK BRINGING SOME OF THOSE FOLKS INTO THE ROOM TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT THEIR EXPECTATION IS CAN HELP EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM HAVE A BETTER COMS PLAN.
>> HEARING THIS, I'M SURE HE WILL DO THAT. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE.
>> COURAGE: THANK YOU. I WANT TO CONCUR WITH WHAT MARC SAID ABOUT REVIEWING THE PROJECTS AND GETTING FEEDBACK TO THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DOING THE WORK, BUT ALSO MAYBE IN A WAY GETTING THE FEEDBACK BACK TO COUNCIL ON A PROJECT THAT MAY HAVE BEEN DONE IN THEIR DISTRICT. I HAD TWO PROJECTS THAT DIDN'T WORK OUT WE WELL. I'M NOT SAYING IT WAS SAWS OR CPS OR -- BUT, YOU KNOW, I WASN'T KEPT AWARE OF IT AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND.
I THINK WHEN WE SAY WE GET A WEEK OR TWO OF NOTICE FOR SOMETHING OR THAT THE BUSINESS OR THE CITIZENS GET A DAY OR TWO OR A WEEK OR TWO OF NOTICE, THAT'S JUST -- IT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE IN THE WAY THAT WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND PREPARE THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR WHATEVER GETS DONE. AND SO I THINK EVERY ORGANIZATION OUGHT TO BE REVIEWING MAJOR PROJECTS AND LOOKING FOR ANY FAULTS OR ANY PROBLEMS THAT CAN BE REMEDIED. WHETHER IT'S PUTTING IN SAWS REPLACING PIPELINE OR CPS HAVING TO CUT TREES IN A WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD TO PROTECT THE WIRES OR WHETHER IT'S THE CITY PUTTING IN A NEW RIGHT-TURN LANE AT AN
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INTERSECTION, WE NEED TO HAVE A COUPLE MONTHS' NOTICE REALLY.AND MOST OF THE TIME EVERYONE KNOWS THAT SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN SOMETIME DURING THE YEAR, AND YOU'VE PROBABLY GOT ALL YOUR PLANS LAID OUT FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, POSE OF THEM. AND I THINK -- MOST OF THEM.
WE NEED TO KNOW SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THE BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS ARE PREPARED.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE START DOING IN MY DISTRICT, EVERY TIME WE GET THE NOTICE OF SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, STAFF MEMBERS GO OUT WITH A FLIER AND PUT IT ON PEOPLE'S DOORS AND BUSINESSES RIGHT AROUND WHERE THE WORK IS BEING DONE SO THEY GET AN EXTRA WORD FROM OUR OFFICE AND THEY KNOW WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AND WE WON'T KNOW THAT WITHOUT BETTER NOTIFICATION. I HOPE ALL THE MAKE SURE THE COUNCIL OFFICES ARE INFORMED WELL, WELL IN ADVANCE AND WE'LL DO OUR PART.
THANK YOU. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE.
COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU, CHAIR. I GUESS IT WAS ABOUT A YEAR AGO A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS WENT TO A COFFEE SPOT ON BROADWAY AND THEY TOLD US THEY WEREN'T COMMUNICATED TO ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. ABOUT A WEEK LATER I CAME TO A B SESSION AND ASKED ERIK WALSH ABOUT THAT AND HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT WE DO HAVE LEE ASONS. GET THE BUSINESS OWNERS' INPUT AND HE SAID WE DO HAVE THAT. HERE WE ARE A YEAR LATER STILL TALKING ABOUT IT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE THOSE LIAISONS, BUT IF WE DON'T, IT'S NOT WORKING EFFECTIVELY. I WONDER IF YOU COULD TALK TO US MORE ABOUT THAT, BEN, WHAT THAT PROCESS IS FOR THAT LIAISON. THAT'S MY WORD, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE OFFICIALLY CALLED. BUT I THINK IN THE SPIRIT OF COMMUNICATION THAT THAT'S -- WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE AND NOT KIND OF THE WEEK BEFORE.
HAVE THAT MEETING WITH THE BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE AREA TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WOULD WORK FOR THEM AND NOT. MAYBE YOU CAN'T DO IT, BUT AT LEAST YOU HAVE THEIR INPUT AND UNDERSTAND HOW BETTER TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT.
>> GORZELL: I WILL FOLLOW UP ON THAT. I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT PROCESS. I KNOW THEY HAVE THINGS IN PLACE ON COMMUNICATION, BUT ALSO WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO IMPROVE THAT AS WELL. WE'LL FOLLOW UP AND I'LL GET
THAT BACK TO YOU. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU. IN THE SPIRIT OF COMMUNICATION, I THINK, YOU KNOW, TODAY I APPRECIATE YOUR PASSION, ROBERT.
AND NOT KIND OF COMMUNICATING THROUGH THE MEDIA OR EVEN THIS COMMITTEE, ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE HAVING REGULAR MEETINGS WITH SAWS AND PUBLIC WORKS ABOUT EACH INDIVIDUAL PROJECT SO THAT -- YOU ARE ON THE SAME PAGE FROM THE BEGINNING. THE FINGER POINTING WHETHER IT'S FINGER POINTING OR NOT, THIS SORT OF BLAME IS JUST ODD TO ME IF YOU ARE MEETING REGULARLY.
IS THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THESE MEETINGS? ARE YOU POINTING OUT WHAT'S
GOING ON? >> I CAN TELL YOU THAT AT A PROJECT LEVEL THE STAFF MEETS, BOTH SIDE, RIGHT, ON EVERY PROJECT ON A REGULAR BASIS AND THINGS FLOW IN MY MIND MUCH EASIER AT THAT POINT IN TERMS OF THE PLANNING AND THAT KIND OF
THING. >> HAVRDA: I GUESS MY CONFUSION IS, IF YOU ARE MEETING REGULARLY, WHY AREN'T THESE ISSUES BEING BROUGHT UP THEN AND
RESOLVED? >> ONE OF THE BIGGEST IS THE SCHEDULING.
IT'S IN AND AROUND THE DURATION NECESSARY FOR OUR WORK, SAWS WORK RELATED TO THAT PROJECT. IT'S THAT WATER, SEWER, CHILL WATER, RECYCLED WATER, WHATEVER THE NATURE OF OUR WORK IS. SO WE DON'T HAVE ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF TIME IN THE PROJECT IT'S GOING TO BE HARDER FOR THE CONTRACTOR OR
THE PROJECT TO BE SUCCESSFUL. >> HAVRDA: I WOULD LIKE TO SIT IN ON ONE OF THESE MEETINGS TO SEE HOW THEY GO. I WANT TO MAKE A POINT ABOUT WHAT BEN SAID. I THINK THAT MOST OF MY COLLEAGUES WOULD AGREE TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, EVERYTHING IS THE CITY, RIGHT? SAWS, CPS, THEY ARE MAD AT THE PRESIDENT, THE GOVERNOR, THEY ARE CALLING US.
SO SOME PEOPLE MAY THINK THIS IS REPRESENT, SAN ANTONIANS, SO THAT'S WHY WE ALL KIND OF GET WORKED UP ABOUT IT.
I DO APPRECIATE YOU ALL'S PASSION ABOUT IT, BUT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER WITH YOU ON THIS. THE LAST THING IS, FOR SAWS AND CPS, ARE YOU GUYS MEETING AND SHARING BEST PRACTICES AND COORDINATING INFORMATION AND SCHEDULES?
>> WE DO FOR DIFFERENT PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES, WE MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS.
I THINK THOSE MEETINGS ARE HAPPENING AT DIFFERENT LEVELS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COORDINATE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT EACH OTHER IS DOING. AND SO WE CAN PLAN THAT
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BETTER. >> HAVRDA: IS THE CITY BROUGHT INTO THOSE MEETINGS?
>> NOT DIRECTLY UNLESS -- >> A JOINT BID PROJECT WHERE THE CITY IS INVOLVED.
>> I'LL JUST SPEAK FOR ROBERT AND I. WE'RE ON THE PHONE WITH ERIK BIWEEKLY TO GO OVER ANY ISSUES AT A HIGHER LEVEL. WE MEET AT DIFFERENT LEVELS
DEPENDING ON THE PROJECT NEEDS. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU SO
MUCH. THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> GARCIA: I HATE TO PUT BRIAN ON THE SPOT BUT HE COORDINATES OUR COMMUNICATION FOR PUBLIC WORKS. I SAW HIM OVER THERE AND I THINK HE WANTED TO ADD
SOMETHING, BRIAN. >> I THINK YOU WERE -- COUNCILWOMAN, YOU BROUGHT UP LIAISONS. WERE YOU REFERRING TO LIAISONS AT THE CITY? WE DO HAVE CAPITAL PROJECTS OFFICERS IN PUBLIC WORKS WHOSE JOB IT IS TO COORDINATE WITH BUSINESSES WHENEVER ANY PROJECT COMES UP, ANY CONSTRUCTION UPDATES
AND ANYTHING LIKE THAT. >> HAVRDA: CAPITAL PROJECTS OFFICERS?
>> CORRECT. CPOS FOR SHORT. >> HAVRDA: I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT TO MY EARLIER POINT, IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE GOING VERY WELL.
MAYBE WE COULD FIGURE HOW TO WORK THAT BETTER, THAT LIAISON
THANKS. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU,ED COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA. I DON'T HAVE ANYBODY IN THE QUEUE.
COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE LOOKS LIKE HE WANTS TO CHIME BACK IN.
GO AHEAD, COUNCILMAN. >> WHYTE: I'LL JUST SAY THAT LET'S JUST GET EVERYBODY IN THE SAME ROOM AND FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON FOR THE GOOD OF THE CITY.
I MEAN SO MANY TIMES I FEEL LIKE THESE PROBLEMS CAN BE WORKED OUT IF EVERYBODY JUST GETS OUT OF THEIR OWN CORNER, STOPS POINTING FINGERS, GETS IN THE SAME ROOM AND SAY WE'VE ALL GOT THE SAME GOAL WHICH IS GET THE THING DONE QUICKLY FOR THE BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS OF SAN ANTONIO. LET'S HAVE MORE MEETINGS IF
WE NEED TO. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE.
COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. >> CASTILLO: A YOU MEAN -- A COUPLE OF THINGS.
WHAT I'VE HEARD IS CONTRACTOR AND THEY ARE GOING FROM PROJECT TO PROJECT AND THAT'S WHY PROJECTS ARE BEING DELAYED BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GIVING OPPORTUNITIES TO SMALLER CONTRACTORS TO TAKE ON SOME OF THAT WORK. I DO NOT KNOW IF THAT'S THE CASE, HOWEVER, WHAT I THINK IS EVIDENT HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES HOW ARE WE ADVERTISING. ITS IMPACTING THEIR LIVELIHOOD.
IF WE KNOW A PROJECT IS GOING TO TAKE LONG BECAUSE OF TCEQ AND OUR OFFICE DEALS WITH THEM A LOT AND IT'S A VERY LONG PROCESS, HOW CAN COMMITTEE MAKE SURE WE ARE ADVERTISING TO THESE BUSINESSES SO WE ARE REDUCING IMPACT.
GOING BACK TO THE TARGETED ADS, ONE SHARED ABOUT THE DURATION OF THE PROJECT, THIS -- HOW CAN WE ADVERTISE THE DETOUR TO GET TO THESE LOCATIONS AND THEIR HOURS.
SMALL BUSINESS OWNER HAD A REALLY GOOD IDEA AND THIS IS MORE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT FOR MANY OF THESE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE IMPACTED BY LARGE-SCALE BOND PROJECTS, HOW CAN WE WORK WITH VIA FOR MOBILE ADVERTISEMENTS OF THESE BUSINESSES THAT ARE IMPACTED SO WE HAVE A BUS WITH THESE BUSINESSES GOING THROUGHOUT THE CITY SO FOLKS UNDERSTAND THEY ARE STILL OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE.
AND ULTIMATELY MY POINT IS BEYOND THE INFRASTRUCTURE PIECE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE OUR BUSINESSES CAN STAY AFLOAT AND THAT LOOKS LIKE LETTING FOLKS KNOW THEY ARE OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE THAT RESOURCES OF ADVERTISEMENT. THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
THANK YOU. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE.
>> COURAGE: YEAH, I JUST FEEL LIKE I WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON WHAT MARC WAS JUST SAYING ABOUT THE COORDINATION. AND IT'S HARD TO REALIZE THAT IT'S NOT ONLY CPS AND SAWS AND THE CITY, BUT IT'S ALSO A LOT OF PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT THAT IS GOING TO TAKE PLACE. AND I THINK THAT WE REALLY NEED TO SEE A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN SAWS AND THEIR SCHEDULE FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND CPS FOR THEIR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS SCHEDULE AND THE CITY FOR OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS SCHEDULE AND THEN TIE INTO DSD AND THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES THAT THEY ARE HEARING ARE COMING FORWARD FOR WHETHER IT'S HOTELS OR REDOING AN OFFICE BUILDING OR WHATEVER. BECAUSE ALL OF THOSE INTERACT WITH TRAFFIC ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. AND SO I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN'T TRY AND BRING EVERYBODY TOGETHER. I KNOW SAWS AND CPS AND THE
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CITY HAVE DIFFERENT FISCAL YEARS SOMETIMES. AND SO THE PROJECTS THAT ARE DEVELOPING MAY GET DEVELOPED AT SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT TIMES. BUT I THINK WE NEED TO DEVELOP SOME KIND OF COMMON CALENDAR OR OUTLOOK ON WHAT'S GOING TO BE DEVELOPED AROUND THE CITY AND HOW WE CAN AT LEAST ADDRESS BUSINESSES AND TRAFFIC AND COORDINATE THOSE EFFORTS AND WE DO NEED TO INCLUDE THE PRIVATE SECTOR AS WELL ASCPS, SAWS AND THE CITY. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE.
I DO LIKE THE FORECAST IDEA. AND SO AT THE CITY COUNCIL LEVEL WE GET A FORECAST ON B SESSIONS, ON COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND WE'RE ABLE TO PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA AND MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT BRIAN'S TEAM TAKES ON AS COMMUNICATION, BUT I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHERE IT LIES BECAUSE IT ALSO SEEMS LIKE IT'S PART OF BEN'S TEAM AREA. WE HAVE THE JIK OR WHATEVER WE CALL IT. MAYBE WE DO THE SAME FOR THIS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. WITHOUT FURTHER QUESTIONS, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN TO ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE, FOR PRESENTING, FOR LISTENING TO OUR QUESTIONS AND TO THE TEAM OVER AT BEN'S GROUP WHO HAS A WHOLE LOT OF HOMEWORK IN A MONTH.
SEE YOU ALL NEXT MONTH. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.