[00:00:07]
          >> GARCIA: GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. WELCOME TO THE MUNICIPAL UTILITIES COMMITTEE FOR DECEMBER 9, 2024. WE'LL START OFF WITH THE ROLL CALL. 
          QUORUM. >> GARCIA: WE'LL START WITH THE EASY STUFF AND THAT'S THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FOR OCTOBER 22, 2024. 
          I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE. THERE'S A MOTION AND A 
          SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. >> ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          DO WE HAVE PEOPLE? >> 
          THREE MINUTES, MS. DEE DEE. IT'S ALL YOURS. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS DEE DEE. I'M A CLEAN ENERGY ADVOCATE WITH PUBLIC CITIZEN AND I'M TALKINTALKING ABOUT CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 
          RATEPAYERS ARE ABLE TO SEE BUSINESS MATTERS DISCUSSED AND PLANNED. 
          IT IS CONCERNING THAT THE CIC SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS ARE NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC . 
          THIS LACK OF TRANSPARENCY SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY CONCERNING TO YOU ALL AND TO EVERY RATEPAYER, ESPECIALLY SINCE CPS ENERGY IS PLANNING A THIRD RATE INCREASE IN 2025. I SERVED ON CPS ENERGY'S RATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR TWO YEARS WHERE WE DISCUSSED, PLANNED, AND GAVE INPUT ON A RATE INCREASE, THE NEW ITERATION OF THE STEP PROGRAM AND SAW THE CLOSING OF THE SPRUCE COAL PLANT. WE WERE ABLE TO SEE THE COST OF SERVICE STUDIES, REVENUE REQUIREMENT RESOURCE PLANNING, INPUTS, OUTPUTS, AND ALL MEETINGS WERE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. THE SAME SHOULD HOLD TRUE FOR THE SUBCOMMITTEES. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO ABOUT ASKING IN A PREVIOUS MEETING ABOUT RATE RESTRUCTURING. COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR YEARS THAT CPS DESIGN RATES FOR CONSERVATION. EVEN THOUGH CPS ENERGY DOES NOT HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TO CHANGE CUSTOMERS' DIFFERENT RATES 
          STILL HAPPEN. THANK YOU. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, MS. DEE DEE. WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM 2, WHICH IS A BRIEFING BY CPS ENERGY REGARDING THE FORMATION OF THE COMMUNITY INPUT COMMITTEE. 
          I KNOW THERE IS A SMALL PRESENTATION. IS IT KELLY? MATT? KATHY. MATT, IT'S ALL YOURS. 
          GO AHEAD. >> THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY, CHAIR, MEMBERS. I'M MATTHEW JONES, DIRECTOR OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT RELATIONS. I'LL BE PRESENTING ON BEHALF OF KATHY GARCIA, OUR VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, WHO WAS UNABLE TO BE HERE TODAY BECAUSE OF A FAMILY MATTER THAT REQUIRED HER ATTENTION. AS MEMBERS OF THE MUNICIPAL UTILITIES COMMITTEE, Y'ALL UNDERSTAND THE CORE FUNCTION OUR UTILITIES PLAY IN OUR DAILY LIVES. HOW THEY FORM THE BACKBONE OF OUR COMMUNITY'S HEALTH, SAFETY, AND ECONOMY. WE UNDERSTAND THE VOICES OF THOSE WE SERVE AS MUNICIPAL-OWNED UTILITY MUST BE REFLECTED IN THE DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE. 
          WE HAVE A VARIETY OF WAYS THAT OUR CUSTOMERS CAN PROVIDE INPUT AND FEEDBACK TO THE UTILITY. ONE OF THOSE AVENUES IS THE COMMUNITY INPUT COMMITTEE. 
          TODAY'S PRESENTATION WE WILL HIGHLIGHT THE HISTORY, PURPOSE, STRUCTURE, AND IMPACT OF THE COMMITTEE IN FOSTERING COLLABORATION IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          CPS ENERGY HAS HAD SOME FORM OF A COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR DECADES. 
          WHEN OUR LEADERSHIP AND COUNCIL SOUGHT TO HAVE A PLATFORM FOR BROADER REPRESENTATION WITH DIVERSE VOICES. THAT BECAME THE CAC. 
          TEN APPOINTED AND FIVE SELECTED AT-LARGE FROM THE SERVICE TERRITORY. 
          THAT COMMUNITY PROVIDED INPUT ON A WIDE ARRAY OF TOPICS LIKE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, RATES, FLEET OPERATIONS, CYBERSECURITY PROTECTIONS, AND CUSTOMER COMMUNICATION AND PROGRAMS. AT TIMES THAT COMMITTEE ALSO HAD AD HOC COMMITTEES CREATED TO ADDRESS A SPECIFIC PURPOSE. EARLIER THIS YEAR, OUR BOARD --E REMISS IF I DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE OUR CHAIR AND OUR VICE CHAIR IN THE AUDIENCE. VOTED TO AMEND THE CAC BYLAWS AND ESTABLISHED THE COMMUNITY INPUT COMMITTEE. THE COMMITTEE IS MADE UP OF 19 MEMBERS AND WE WILL GO 
          [00:05:03]
OVER THE COMPOSITION IN THE NEXT SLIDE. THE CIC IS PURELY ADVISORY COMMITTEE IN NATURE. THE COMMITTEE IS NOT A GOVERNING OR DECISION-MAKING BODY AND AS INDICATED HERE, THE CIC'S PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE INPUT AND FEEDBACK ON OUR UTILITIES' KEY INITIATIVES AND BUSINESS PRACTICES. 
          SO THE CIC CONSISTS OF 19 MEMBERS WHO ARE CUSTOMERS OF CPS ENERGY AND RESIDE WITHIN OUR SERVICE AREA. TEN ARE FROM EACH OF YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICTS. 
          FIVE ARE AT-LARGE SELECTED BY THE CIC ITSELF. AND AT LEAST TWO OF THOSE FIVE MUST RESIDE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS OF SAN ANTONIO TO PROVIDE THAT GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY. FOUR MEMBERS ARE APPOINTED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES REPRESENTING THEIR BOARD QUADRANT. THE TERMS ARE FOR TWO YEARS AND THEY CAN SERVE UP TO THREE TERMS. THE CIC BYLAWS ARE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE. THERE'S A SPECIFIC DEDICATED WEBSITE TO THE CIC, WHICH WE'LL COVER TOWARDS THE END OF THE PRESENTATION. AND THOSE WERE CREATED WITH INPUT FROM BOTH EXISTING COMMITTEE MEMBERS, WHICH FORMERLY WAS THE CAC, PRIOR COMMITTEE MEMBERS, OUR BOARD, AND INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC WHEN THOSE WERE FORMED. AS IT WAS WITH THE CAC, ALL CIC MEMBERS ARE APPROVED BY OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES. THE CIC HAS THREE SUBCOMMITTEES, WHICH YOU SEE LISTED HERE ON THE SLIDE. THESE SUBCOMMITTEES ARE WORKING EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS STRUCTURED TO DELVE MORE DEEPLY INTO TECHNICAL MATTERS THAT COULD INVOLVE COMPETITIVE INFORMATION. SIX MEMBERS SERVE ON EACH SUBCOMMITTEE SO THERE'S NO QUORUM IN EACH OF THESE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS. AND NO RECOMMENDATIONS CAN BE MADE IN A SUBCOMMITTEE. THOSE WOULD NEED TO BE MADE FROM THE FULL CIC MEETINGS, WHICH IS OUTLINED IN THE BYLAWS OF THE COMMITTEE AS WELL. 
          ALSO, I WANT TO PAUSE HERE TO SAY AND RECOGNIZE SOME OF OUR CIC MEMBERS WHO ARE ACTUALLY PRESENT WITH US TODAY. I KNOW I DID SEE PETER. 
          IF YOU COULD RAISE YOUR HAND. PETER, WHO IS OUR BOARD QUADRANT FOUR APPOINTEE. I SAW MARIA NELSON, ONE OF OUR AT-LARGE APPOINTEES RECENTLY ADDED TO THE COMMITTEE. AND ANY OTHER FOLKS? HEY, DR. JULIAN VILLAREAL, WHO IS COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO'S APPOINTEE ON THE COMMITTEE. SO THIS SLIDE RIGHT HERE'S GOING TO SHOW YOU THE MEMBERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY APPOINTED BY EACH OF YOU. REPRESENTING YOUR DISTRICTS. 
          WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING WITH COUNCILMEMBER CABELLO HAVRDA, WHO IS WORKING TO FILL THE SEAT THAT'S CURRENTLY OPEN IN HER DISTRICT. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, THAT MEMBER WAS SERVING AND HAD TO RECENTLY RESIGN TO HELP A FAMILY MEMBER. SLIDE 7, THIS IS THE FOUR MEMBERS THAT WERE APPOINTED BY OUR BOARD. ONE FROM EACH OF THEIR RESPECTIVE QUADRANTS. 
          AND THE FINAL SLIDE HERE, THESE ARE THE FIVE AT-LARGE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. 
          I WANT TO BRIEFLY GO THROUGH SOME OF THE MEETING PROTOCOLS. 
          MOST OF THIS IS OUTLINED IN THE BYLAWS THAT ARE ESTABLISHED FOR THE COMMITTEE AND POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE. THE CIC MEETS AT LEAST QUARTERLY. MEETINGS ARE GENERALLY HELD ON THE SECOND WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH. THERE ARE VARIOUS CHANNELS THAT WE UTILIZE TO ANNOUNCE AND PROMOTE THE CIC MEETINGS TO THE PUBLIC. AN AGENDA AND MEETING MATERIALS ARE POSTED ON THE CIC WEBSITE PRIOR TO EACH MEETING. 
          THE MEETING ITSELF IS OPEN, LIVE STREAMED, AND RECORDINGS OF THE MEETINGS ARE POSTED ON THE CIC WEBSITE. PUBLIC INPUT IS RECEIVED AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH CIC COMMITTEE MEETING AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARIES OF THE CIC MEETINGS ARE PROVIDED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES IN THEIR BOARD MEETING PACKET, WHICH IS ALSO POSTED AND MADE PUBLIC AHEAD OF THEIR BOARD MEETINGS. 
          WE HAVE VOLUNTARILY INCLUDED THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARIES ON THE CIC WEBSITE AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARIES OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS, WHICH ARE MADE PUBLIC IN THE EXACT SAME WAY. AND, FINALLY, HERE'S A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF OUR CIC WEBSITE AND ALL THE MATERIALS WE POST THAT ARE HOUSED THERE FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION. 
          SO, FINALLY, IN CLOSING, I WOULD JUST -- AS I MENTIONED IN MY OPENING REMARKS SAY THAT THE CIC IS ONE OF MANY AVENUES WE HAVE FOR PUBLIC INPUT TO OUR UTILITY AND OUR BOARD. BUT IT IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A REPLACEMENT FOR ALL PUBLIC INPUT. THERE ARE VARIOUS OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PUBLIC TO PROVIDE US INPUT. THIS INCLUDES AT THE BEGINNING OF FULL CIC MEETINGS WHERE WE DO OFFER PUBLIC INPUT. AT MONTHLY BOARD OF TRUSTEE MEETINGS AND AT SPECIAL INPUT SESSIONS HELD BY OUR BOARD, IN ADDITION TO COMMUNITY TOWN HALLS, OPEN HOUSES, COMMUNITY SURVEYS AND OF COURSE WE HAVE AN E-MAIL THAT CAN BE USED AT ANY TIME TO PROVIDE INPUT. WITH THAT, LET ME PAUSE AND SAY THANK YOU TO THE COMMITTEE AND TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. 
          >> GARCIA: GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION. PLEASE LET KATHY KNOW WE MISSED HER BUT THAT YOU DID 
          A GREAT JOB. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MATT. >> THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          [00:10:03]
          >> GARCIA: I WANT TO THANK OUR D4 APPOINTEE, FRANK GONZALES AND MR. ONOFRE. 
          THANK YOU ALL FOR BELIEVING IN HIS WORK AND ALLOWING HIM TO CONTINUE . 
          IN APRIL YOU HAD MADE THAT CHANGE FROM THE PREVIOUS COMMITTEE TO THIS NEW ONE. 
          CAN YOU JUST WALK US THROUGH AGAIN FOR THE REASONING OR JUST THE HISTORY BEHIND THAT 
          CHANGE? >> I'M ON MY SIXTH MONTH AT CPS ENERGY SO I MIGHT CALL A FRIEND. LUCKILY WE HAVE SOME FOLKS HERE. 
          OUR GENERAL COUNSEL, SHANNON RAMIREZ. OUR CEO, RUDY GARZA TO GO THROUGH SOME OF THE KEY HIGHLIGHTS. ONE OF THE BIG ONE WAS 
          ADDING FOUR ADDITIONAL MEMBERS TO THE COMMITTEE. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU. 
          SHANNON. >> THANK YOU. IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE. 
          I CAN WALK YOU A LITTLE BIT THROUGH THE HISTORY. THERE WAS A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT DRIVERS. YOU KNOW, THE CAC, THAT'S MY DOWNFALL SO THIS WILL GET MESSY. THE CAC EXISTED FOR QUITE A BIT OF TIME AND WE HAD SOME LEARNINGS FROM IT AND WE WENT TO THEM WHEN THE BOARD ASKED FOR CERTAIN FEEDBACK ON TOPICS. YOU KNOW, SEVERAL YEARS AGO THERE WAS A CALL TO CREATE THE RATES ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH WAS AN AD HOC COMMITTEE ALSO CREATED BY THE BOARD. THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION AROUND THAT AT THE TIME OF ITS CREATION BECAUSE RATES HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN ADDRESSED BY THE CAC AS WELL. SO AS WE STARTED TO GO THROUGH THE RAC PROCESS THERE WERE A NUMBER OF WONDERFUL LEARNINGS FROM THAT AND SO WE TOOK THE COMBINED LEARNINGS OF THE CAC AND THE RATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND AT THE DIRECTION OF THE BOARD AND AT THE REQUEST OF A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM OUR STAKEHOLDERS AROUND THE CITY, WE DECIDED TO TAKE THE LEARNINGS FROM BOTH OF THOSE GROUPS AND MAKE ANY CHANGES THAT WE NEEDED TO MAKE. ONE OF THE CHANGES THAT WE DID MAKE FROM THE PRIOR GROUP WAS THAT WE MADE THE MEETINGS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. 
          AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT APPLIES TO THE GOVERNING BODIES OF PUBLIC ENTITIES. THIS IS NOT A GOVERNING BODY. 
          THIS IS AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE GROUP THAT GIVES FEEDBACK AND EXCHANGE OF IDEAS WITH OUR LEADERSHIP, SO IT'S NOT SUBJECT TO THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT BUT WE HEARD THE CALL FOR TRANSPARENCY. SO WE DID WHAT MIRRORS A LOT OF WHAT COUNCIL AND OUR BOARD DOES, SO THE FULL MEETINGS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. THE COMMITTEES ARE OFTEN USED FOR EDUCATIONAL WORK SESSIONS. I WOULD COMPARE THEM TO THE WORK SESSIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE THAT ARE NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AS WELL. FOR OUR BOARD, WE HAVE BOARD COMMITTEES THAT ARE NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO BE EDUCATED AND TO DO WORK SESSIONS ON CERTAIN TOPICS. SO WE TOOK A LOT OF OTHER LEARNINGS AS WELL. WE CHANGED THE NUMBER AND, YOU KNOW, WE CHANGED SOME OF THE OPTIONS FOR HOW MEMBERS WERE COMPOSED. SO THE IDEA REALLY WAS TO TAKE THE THINGS THAT WE HAD LEARNED THAT WORKED AND THAT DIDN'T WORK FROM THE CAC AND 
          FROM THE RATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU. 
          EVEN THOUGH THE SUBCOMMITTEES ARE CLOSED OR NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, RIGHT, IS THERE STILL OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INPUT AND HOW DO 
          THEY DO THAT? >> ABSOLUTELY. I THINK WE MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHO IS ON THE COMMITTEE SO YOU CAN CONTACT THEM AND GO TO THEM WITH YOUR IDEAS. IF THAT IS IDEAS ABOUT WE ARE OR ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT, YOU CAN DO OUTREACH. I ALSO THINK -- YOU ALL ARE CITY OWNER AND REGULATOR SO PEOPLE GO TO YOU ALL WITH INPUT ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO. BUT THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, THE AGENDAS ARE MADE PUBLIC. THE EXECUTIVE REPORTS GO TO THE FULL COMMITTEE AND THEN ON TO THE BOARD. AND SO THERE IS A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO SEE WHAT'S GOING TO BE DISCUSSED TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK. 
          I CERTAINLY ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO SHOW UP AND PROVIDE PUBLIC FEEDBACK AT THE FULL CIC MEETINGS BECAUSE THOSE ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. 
          >> GARCIA: WHICH IS YOUR MOST SUCCESSFUL INPUT MECHANISM RIGHT NOW? 
          >> MYSELF. BUT I ATTEND PRETTY MUCH A CROSS-SECTION OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, MADAME CHAIR. I WOULD SAY OUR INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY FAIRS THAT WE DO ATTRACT THE MOST PARTICIPANTS. I GOT TO GIVE IT TO MY CHAIR. SHE HAS TRIED EVERYTHING THAT SHE CAN TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES AND WE DON'T GET A LOT OF PARTICIPATION. I'M HOPEFUL THAT THAT'S A GOOD THING THAT THERE'S NOT A LOT OF CONTROVERSY. WE'RE GETTING OUR JOB DONE AND SO I'D LIKE TO THINK IT'S BECAUSE OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. BUT CERTAINLY THOSE COMMUNITY INPUT SESSIONS THAT WE HAVE IN YOUR DISTRICTS ARE THE MOST WELL ATTENDED EVENTS THAT WE DO. 
          [00:15:05]
          >> GARCIA: AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'LL OPEN IT UP TO 
          COLLEAGUES. COUNCILWOMAN CABELLO HAVRDA. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU, MADAME CHAIR. THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION, MATT. 
          I THINK WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE SUBCOMMITTEES, WHAT ARE THE SUBCOMMITTEES? WHAT ARE THE NAMES OF THE SUBCOMMITTEES? 
          >> SURE. LET ME TAKE US BACK HERE. SO AT THE BOTTOM, WE CAN SEE THE THREE SUBCOMMITTEES ARE POWER AND TECHNOLOGY, RATES, FINANCE AND BUSINESS, AND 
          CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS. >> HAVRDA: EARLIER I THINK THE ATTORNEY WAS TALKING ABOUT THE SUBCOMMITTEES ARE NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, CORRECT? BUT SHE ALSO MENTIONED THAT THERE'S THESE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FEEDBACK, SPECIFICALLY IF THEY DON'T LIKE WHAT'S BEING TALKED ABOUT IN THE SUBCOMMITTEE OR THEY DO, THEY CAN GIVE THAT FEEDBACK. HOW DO THEY KNOW WHAT'S BEING TALKED ABOUT IN THE SUBCOMMITTEE IF THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND? 
          >> THOSE ARE OUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORTS. AFTER EACH MEETS, AN EXECUTIVE REPORT IS CREATED THAT DEFINES EXACTLY WHAT WAS DISCUSSED. 
          THAT IS SENT UP TO THE FULL COMMITTEE, WHICH IS THEN SENT TO OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES BEFORE THEIR BOARD. IT IS POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE, SENT TO THE BOARD, AND IT IS POSTED ON THEIR WEBSITE. IT IS PRESENTED TO THE BOARD IN A PUBLIC SETTING WHICH 
          ALSO HAS A PUBLIC INPUT COMPONENT TO IT. >> HAVRDA: HOW LONG DOES 
          THAT TAKE? >> IT DEPENDS ON THE CADENCE OF WHEN THE TWO MEETINGS ARE BUT IT COULD BE A MATTER OF DAYS OR A WEEK. BUT IN THE -- GO AHEAD. 
          >> I WANT TO POINT OUT THE WORK OF THE CIC IS IN LARGE PART DIRECTED BY WHAT THE BOARD IS CONSIDERING. SO IF THE BOARD IS GOING TO CONSIDER A RATE REQUEST OF SOME SORT, THAT'S GOING TO GET KICKED OVER TO THE CIC FOR INPUT, JUST LIKE WE DID WITH THE RAC. IT WILL FLOW THROUGH THE COMMITTEE PROCESS LIKE WE DID WITH THE RAC TO EDUCATE THEM ON THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THOSE COMMITTEES SO THAT WHEN THE FULL CIC, YOU KNOW, IS CONSIDERING A RECOMMENDATION, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE A WORK SESSION ON THAT. SO ALL THOSE COMMITTEES WORK IN ADDITION TO THE THINGS THAT THE COMMITTEE THEMSELVES ARE INTERESTED IN. IF IT'S A POLICY RECOMMENDATION THAT THE BOARD HAS ASKED SPECIFICALLY FOR, IT WILL BE DIRECTED BY THE BOARD. 
          >> HAVRDA: I WANT TO FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS. 
          I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY'RE NOT PUBLIC. IS THAT IN THE BYLAWS? 
          >> IT'S NOT IN THE BYLAWS. THE SECTION OF THE BYLAW LEAVES IT UP TO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS THEMSELVES ABOUT THE FORMAT OF THEIR MEETINGS. 
          IT'S NOT WRITTEN IN THE BYLAWS. >> HAVRDA: SO THE SUBCOMMITTEES COULD CHOOSE TO BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC THEMSELVES? 
          >> THEY COULD. BUT I WILL JUST REITERATE THAT THESE BYLAWS WERE CREATED WITH A LOT OF INPUT FROM EXISTING AND PRIOR MEMBERS WHO FELT LIKE THESE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS ARE INCREDIBLY USEFUL WHEN THEY'RE LEARNING ABOUT VERY DELICATE BUT ALSO INTRICATE POLICY MATTERS. AND NO FORMATION OF A RECOMMENDATION HAPPENS IN THE SUBCOMMITTEE. THOSE HAVE TO, BY THE 
          BYLAWS, BE DONE IN A FULL CIC MEETING. >> HAVRDA: I APPRECIATE THAT BUT YOU DID -- I'M SORRY TO THE ATTORNEY. WHAT'S HER NAME? 
          >> LET ME MENTION ONE MORE THING. SHANA. 
          LET ME MENTION ONE MORE THING, COUNCILWOMAN . LIKE WE DID WITH THE RAC, THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE CANNOT DISCUSS IN OPEN SESSION. 
          THAT ARE PROPRIETARY. OUR GENERATION STRATEGY, THE WAY WE PAY FOR THINGS THAT GIVE US A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE. THAT HAPPENS IN THE SUBCOMMITTEE AS WELL SO WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THE FULL -- WE MAY HAVE TO TAKE THE FULL CIC IN EXECUTIVE SESSION BUT THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE MEANT TO 
          BE HAD IN COMMITTEE. >> HAVRDA: I APPRECIATE THAT BUT I MAINTAIN THAT PROBABLY NOT ALL THINGS THAT ARE TALKED ABOUT IN SUBCOMMITTEE ARE, YOU KNOW, 
          NEED TO BE HAPPENING IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION. >> COMPETITIVE OR 
          CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. >> HAVRDA: WHY NOT GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION IN THE SUBCOMMITTEE? SOMETHING SHANA SAID THAT I HAVE TO TAKE EXCEPTION TO IS WE HAVE WORK SESSIONS THAT ARE IN PRIVATE. AND WE DON'T. 
          WE HAVE EXECUTIVE SESSIONS. OUR BUDGET SESSIONS ARE PUBLIC. 
          ANYBODY CAN GO TO ANY OF OUR SESSIONS. I HAVE TO TAKE EXCEPTION WITH WE'RE GOING FORWARD AND TALKING ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, I WILL ASK TO MAKE THEIR MEETINGS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED IN EXEC THEN THEY MOVE INTO EXEC, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER BODY WOULD. 
          >> THE NEXT FULL MEETING OF THE CIC WILL BE ON JANUARY 6 AND WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION AND INFORM THEM OF THE OUTCOME OF THIS MEETING AND LET THEM KNOW. 
          >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU, MATT. >> YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          >> GARCIA: COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, MATT FOR THE PRESENTATION. I WOULD LIKE TO ECHO COUNCILWOMAN HAVRDA'S COMMENTS AND CITY COUNCIL DOES NOT HAVE A CLOSED-DOOR WORK SESSION. 
          THOSE ARE COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND ARE PUBLICIZED. WE DO ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION BUT I WANT TO THANK RUDY FOR THAT CLARIFICATION ON THE POINTS THAT IF IT IS 
          [00:20:03]
PROPRIETARY INFORMATION, THAT MAY BE A REASON. BUT TO MY COLLEAGUE'S POINT, I THINK HAVING AN EXECUTIVE SESSION WITHIN THE SUBCOMMITTEE WOULD BE A VALUE AND INCREASE TRUST IN TRANSPARENCY WITH GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND BROADCASTING THOSE MEETINGS. I WAS READING THE BYLAWS AND, FOR EXAMPLE, SECTION F, IT'S A BIT CONFUSING BUT SHANA KIND OF HELPED ME UNDERSTAND A BIT WHY IT'S STATED THAT WAY. IF YOU COULD JUST CLARIFY. SECTION F STATES MEETINGS OF THE CIC ARE NOT SUBJECT TO THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT BUT MEETINGS OF THE CIC ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC EXCEPT FOR ANY CLOSED MEETING. CAN YOU JUST HELP ME 
          UNDERSTAND THAT SECTION F? >> THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT APPLIES TO THE GOVERNING BODIES OF PUBLIC ENTITIES. THE CIC IS NOT A GOVERNING BODY. 
          IT IS AN ADVISORY BOARD. SO ALL OF THE STUFF THAT WE'RE DOING TO MAKE THEM 
          OPEN ARE PURELY VOLUNTARY. >> CASTILLO: AND SO I BELIEVE, MATT, YOU STATED EARLIER THAT THE SUBCOMMITTEES WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OPEN THEIR SUBCOMMITTEES TO THE PUBLIC. WHAT WILL BE THE PROCESS TO ALLOW THE SUBCOMMITTEES TO 
          DECIDE TO GO PUBLIC WITH THEIR SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS? >> I WOULD REFER BACK TO THE ORIGINAL PROCESS OF CREATING THE BYLAWS, WHICH WAS GETTING THEIR INPUT, GETTING THE PUBLIC'S INPUT, GETTING OUR BOARD VOTE WOULD BE A GOOD MODEL. 
          BUT AT THE VERY MINIMUM, I'M GUESSING THAT WOULD BE AT LEAST A RESOLUTION AND A VOTE ON THE FULL -- EITHER THE FULL COMMITTEE OR POSSIBLY THE SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRS THEMSELVES. I WOULD HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT MECHANISM. 
          >> CASTILLO: GIVEN THEY ARE NOT A GOVERNING BODY, I WOULD EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF TRANSPARENCY AND HAVING THOSE MEETINGS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. 
          I UNDERSTAND THERE IS INFORMATION THAT MAY NOT BE -- IT CAN BE A POTENTIAL RISK. PUBLICIZING AND GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. 
          WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM OUR CONSTITUENCY AND WHAT I'M HEARING FROM CIC IS HAVING THE ABILITY TO BE TRANSPARENCY WITH THE PUBLIC WITH WHAT'S BEING DISCUSSED IN THE SUBCOMMITTEES. I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO ALLOW THEM TO BE TRANSPARENT WITH STAKEHOLDERS. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE MEETINGS, ARE THEY TYPICALLY ALL AT 11:30 TO 1:00 OR DO THEY FLUCTUATE DEPENDING ON 
          THE AVAILABILITY OF ATTENDEES? >> THAT IS TYPICALLY TRUE. 
          THEY ARE ALL TYPICALLY AT 11:30 TO 1:00. >> CASTILLO: WAS THAT TIME SELECTED BASED OFF A SURVEY OF THE CIC MEMBERS AND THEIR AVAILABILITY? HOW WAS THAT TIME-FRAME SELECTED AS THE BEST TIME FOR THE CIC MEETINGS? 
          >> WASN'T AROUND FOR THE FORMATION SO I CAN'T ANSWER THAT. 
          BUT IT MAY BE HISTORICAL. >> THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS 
          SELECTED THE TIMES THAT THEY WOULD MEET. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU FOR THAT. I ASKED THAT QUESTION BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WE KNOW OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE WORKING A 9:00 TO 5:00 AND WE WANT TO ENSURE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO GIVE INPUT IF THEY HAVE ANY DIRECTION THEY WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE TO THE CIC AND THAT TIME-FRAME DOESN'T NECESSARILY GIVE WORKING FAMILIES THAT FLEXIBILITY. 
          HOWEVER, I UNDERSTAND THAT IF THAT'S THE AVAILABILITY OF THE CIC MEMBERS, THAT'S UNDERSTOOD. IN TERMS OF WITH THE CAC AND NOW THE CIC, ARE THERE ANY CURRENT EXAMPLES OF THE INPUT IMPACTING CPS AND THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS OR 
          DIRECTION? >> I THINK THERE'S PLENTY OF IT IN THE 25-YEAR HISTORY OF THE CAC. I CAN SPEAK TO THE FIRST FEW MEETINGS OF THE NEWLY-FORMED CIC. WHAT THEY HAVE FOCUSED ON THE LAST COUPLE OF MEETINGS HAVE BEEN OUR HORIZON 2050 STRATEGY. THE SAME PRESENTATION THAT THIS COUNCIL RECEIVED IN A B SESSION. AND I THINK THERE'S BEEN INCREDIBLY GOOD INPUT THAT HAS SHAPED THE EVOLUTION OF THAT STRATEGIC THINKING FROM YOUR REPRESENTATIVE SPECIFICALLY ON THE COMMITTEE. 
          WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COMPETITIVE PRICING IN OUR STRATEGIC VISION, I THINK OUR LEADERSHIP AND FOLKS HAVE HEARD HIS INPUT VERY WELL ON THAT. 
          >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, MATT. LASTLY, I KNOW IT'S PART OF Y'ALL'S BYLAWS AS WELL THAT WITH THE UPLOADING OF THE RECORDINGS, IT COULD TAKE UP TO 30 DAYS FOLLOWING EACH CIC MEETING. HAS IT TAKEN 30 DAYS BEFORE IT GETS UPLOADED? WHAT DOES THAT TYPICALLY LOOK LIKE? 
          >> A MATTER OF DAYS. OUR LAST CIC MEETING WAS ON FRIDAY. 
          IF IT'S NOT ALREADY UP ON THE WEBSITE, IT GETS PUT UP TODAY. 
          >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. >> GARCIA: COUNCILMAN COURAGE. 
          >> COURAGE: THANK YOU. I WANT TO COMMEND CPS ENERGY BECAUSE I'VE BEEN WATCHING THE CAC FOR YEARS AND I WAS UPSET BY THE FACT THAT THEY WERE CLOSED MEETINGS THAT NO ONE KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON. BUT I UNDERSTOOD THAT WAS FROM REALLY AS MUCH THE REQUEST OF PRIOR MEMBERS ON THOSE BOARDS WHO KIND OF FELT LIKE THEY DID NOT WANT TO BE VERY PUBLIC ABOUT SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE. 
          I RESPECT THE FACT THAT THEY AREN'T A DECISION-MAKING BODY BUT I GUESS I'LL ASK 
          [00:25:02]
CPS TO COACH ALL OF THOSE MEMBERS THAT IF THEY ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY GET OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND ASK QUESTIONS OR ANSWER QUESTIONS. IT DOESN'T HELP TO HAVE 19 PEOPLE WHO ONLY HAVE THEIR OWN THOUGHTS GOING FOR WHATEVER DIRECTION WE'RE GOING IN. 
          YOU KNOW, I HAVE MEETINGS EVERY MONTH OF THE PEOPLE WHO SERVE ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WHO REPRESENT DISTRICT 9 ON THE 30-SOMETHING BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THEY DO. AND EVERY MEETING I ASK THEM WHAT'S GOING ON? WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COMMITTEE? WHAT SHOULD WE KNOW? I ENCOURAGE THEM TO GO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND ASK ABOUT THOSE THINGS SO THEY ARE REPRESENTING A WIDER VARIETY OF POINTS OF VIEW RATHER THAN JUST THEIR OWN. 
          BUT, OF COURSE, BEING THERE AND GETTING THE INPUT FROM THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF DOES HELP THEM UNDERSTAND QUITE A BIT OF THE DETAIL AND THE PROCESSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT ARE INVOLVED. IT'S KIND OF HARD FOR SOMEBODY ON THE OUTSIDE TO REALLY GATHER THAT. SO I HOPE THAT AS THIS COMMITTEE CONTINUES TO FUNCTION, THAT THEY WILL BE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BROADER COMMUNITY AND NOT JUST THEMSELVES. AND THAT, YOU KNOW, CPS AND SAWS WITH THEIR OWN SIMILAR ADVISORY COMMITTEES WILL RECOMMEND THAT THEY REALLY GET OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY AND ASK QUESTIONS WHEN THEY HEAR DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT ARE COMING UP. 
          BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY A BIG STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS ON THAT. THANK YOU. 
          >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. COUNCILMAN WHYTE. 
          >> WHYTE: YEAH, BRIEFLY. I'LL ECHO MY COLLEAGUES ON THE TRANSPARENCY ISSUE. 
          I MEAN, ONE OF THESE SUBCOMMITTEES IS TITLED RATES, FINANCE, AND BUSINESS. THERE'S NOT A LOT MORE HOT-BUTTON ISSUES OUT THERE THAN WHEN CPS ENERGY RAISES RATES ON OUR CITIZENS AND THAT'S HAPPENED TWICE NOW IN THE LAST THREE YEARS. I HEAR ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME AT DISTRICT 10 MEETINGS. 
          AND SO TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, CLOSED-DOOR SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS WHERE THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, RATES, I JUST THINK IS A BAD LOOK. 
          I MEAN, THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THAT CREATES DISTRUST IN THE PUBLIC AND SO TO THE EXTENT THESE MEETINGS CAN BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, I'M CERTAINLY FOR THAT. 
          ARE THERE ANY TRAINING PROGRAMS PROVIDED TO THESE MEMBERS ON THE COMMITTEE 
          BEFORE THEY GET ON THERE? >> YES. WE HAVE AN ONBOARDING PACKET TO GIVE THEM THE BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE UTILITY ITSELF AND ITS 
          FUNCTIONING. >> WHYTE: WHAT ABOUT IN TERMS OF SPECIFIC TRAINING 
          BASED UPON THE SPECIFIC COMMITTEE THAT THEY'RE ON? >> THAT WOULD HAPPEN IN THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS. THAT'S THE POINT OF THESE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS. 
          >> WHYTE: SO THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS INVOLVE TRAINING FOR THOSE 
          MEMBERS ABOUT -- >> I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE ON RATES, FINANCE, AND BUSINESS. SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER DEALT WITH DEVELOPING A RATE, FOR EXAMPLE, MAY BENEFIT FROM UNDERSTANDING RATE DESIGN AND STRUCTURE, GENERALLY SPEAKING. NOT WHAT'S BEING TALKED ABOUT OR IMPLEMENTED BUT ALL OF THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT GO INTO THAT RATE DESIGN AND STRUCTURE WOULD BE SOMETHING 
          GOOD FOR THEM TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND. >> WHYTE: OKAY. 
          WELL, I THINK THAT, AGAIN, THE MORE TRAINING THE BETTER AND ISSUE SPECIFIC TRAINING BASED UPON SUBCOMMITTEE OF COURSE WOULD BE VALUABLE AS WELL. 
          LAST QUESTION. SO FAR YOU MENTIONED HORIZON 2050 IS SOMETHING THE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN WORKING ON. ANY POTENTIAL POLICY CHANGES OR ANYTHING THAT YOU SEE COMING YET FROM THE WORK THAT ANY OF THESE COMMITTEES 
          HAVE BEEN DOING? >> NO. WELL, I MEAN, I WOULD CONSIDER HORIZON 2050 A PRETTY BIG STRATEGIC POLICY SHIFT, AT LEAST FOR THE 
          FUTURE OF WHERE THIS ORGANIZATION IS GOING. >> WHYTE: BUT JUST ANYTHING SPECIFIC THAT ORIGINATED FROM THE COMMITTEE? 
          >> THE WAY THAT THE COMMITTEES ARE FORMED IS THEY ARE AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO OUR BOARD AND THEY ARE ASKED TO PROVIDE OPINIONS ON THOSE ITEMS BEFORE THEY GO TO THE BOARD. AND SO TYPICALLY, AS RUDY WAS SAYING, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS THEM TAKE UP A TOPIC BEFORE THE BOARD TAKES UP THAT TOPIC. 
          YOU KNOW, UNLESS Y'ALL SEE ANYTHING ELSE. >> I WOULD PROBABLY POINT TO WHATEVER POINT IN TIME WE START DISCUSSING A RATE REQUEST. 
          THAT WOULD OBVIOUSLY GET KICKED OVER TO THE CIC TO DIG INTO. 
          AGAIN, THERE'S ANYTHING IMMINENT ON THAT BUT THAT IS THEIR FUNCTION. 
          WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO CREATE TWO MULTIPLE COMMITTEES GOING FORWARD, WHICH IS WHY WE BROUGHT THE CAC AND THE RAC INTO ONE RECOMMENDATION. 
          THAT WAS VERY MUCH DRIVEN BY THE BOARD. THIS IS A COMMITTEE THAT RECOMMENDS ITEMS TO THE BOARD. THAT'S THE ONLY REASON THEY EXIST. WE'RE GOING TO UPDATE OUR VISION 2027, PROBABLY 
          [00:30:02]
TOWARDS THE END OF NEXT YEAR, TO VISION 30, WHICH DRIVES OUR GENERATION PLAN AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY BEYOND 
          HORIZON 2050 TO GIVE US SOME POLICY GUIDANCE. >> WHYTE: THANKS, MATT AND 
          RUDY. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. 
          >> COURAGE: YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HAVE IT CLEAR IN MY MIND HOW THIS PROCESS IS GOING TO WORK. AND THAT IS, FOR EXAMPLE, A MEMBER OF THE BOARD MAY HAVE AN IDEA THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE CPS UNDERTAKE OR THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF, OF COURSE, WILL BE LOOKING AT NEW IDEAS, NEW PROCESSES, NEW WAYS OF GENERATING ENERGY. AND SO WOULD I BE RIGHT IN SEEING THOSE IDEAS THAT ARE JUST PUT OUT THERE FOR DISCUSSION WOULD THEN BE TAKEN TO THE CAC AND PRESENTED TO GET THEIR OPINION OR THEIR POINT OF VIEW OR TO ASK THEM DO THEY 
          NEED MORE INFORMATION TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THAT. >> THAT'S CORRECT. 
          >> COURAGE: AND THEN ANY RECOMMENDATION IN SUPPORT OF OR AGAINST OR FOR FURTHER DETAIL WOULD THEN GO BACK TO THE BOARD AND THE BOARD WOULD TAKE THAT INTO 
          CONSIDERATION AS THEY MAKE THEIR DECISION. >> THAT'S CORRECT. 
          WE'RE HAPPY TO PROVIDE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE, AN EXAMPLE OF THE FEEDBACK RECEIVED ON A PARTICULAR ISSUE AND HOW THAT CHANGED A PARTICULAR TOPIC, HORIZON 2050 OR 
          OTHERS THEY DISCUSSED. >> COURAGE: IF A COMMITTEE MEMBER THEMSELVES COME UP WITH AN IDEA, IS THAT SOMETHING THE COMMITTEE CAN TALK ABOUT? 
          >> YES. ALL OF THE ABOVE. YES. 
          IF YOU LOOK IN THE BYLAWS, WHAT THIS COMMITTEE IS DESCRIBED AS IS A BIDIRECTIONAL FLOW OF IDEAS. IT'S NOT JUST ONE WAY. THIS IS THE WAY THE 
          COMMUNITY CAN BE INVOLVED AS WELL. >> COURAGE: AND IF A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE, ONE OF THE SUBCOMMITTEES, OR THE CIC SAYS I'VE GOT AN IDEA, CAN THEY RELY ON THE STAFF TO HELP THEM BRING THAT IDEA FORWARD AND LOOK AT IT? 
          >> YES, SIR. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU. >> YES, SIR. 
          >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MATT AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION AND SO IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE SOME IDEAS TO TAKE BACK TO THE COMMITTEE. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO REPORTS ON WHAT THE COMMITTEE SAYS. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT CONVERSATION. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM 3, WHICH IS A BRIEFING BY CPS ENERGY REGARDING PREPARATIONS FOR THE UPCOMING WINTER SEASON AND 
          OPERATING CONDITIONS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAME CHAIR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. BENNY ETHRIDGE, THE CHIEF ENERGY SUPPLY OFFER. 
          I'LL BE JOINED BY OUR CHIEF METEOROLOGIST, CHIEF ENERGY OFFICER, AND CHIEF COMMERCIAL STRATEGY OFFICER. WE HAVE PREPARED A BRIEF PRESENTATION FOR YOU. 
          WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT OUR SUMMER PERFORMANCE AND THEN GET 
          INTO OUR WINTER WEATHERIZATION. >> THIS SUMMER OUR CPS ENERGY TEAMS ROSE TO THE OCCASION TO HELP INFORM AND EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITY AND PROVIDE RELIABLE TO SERVICE TO CUSTOMERS. OUR CHIEF METEOROLOGIST PROVIDED DAILY FORECASTS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER TO HELP OUR TEAM STAY INFORMED. 
          >> I'M CPS ENERGY CHIEF'S METEOROLOGIST BRIAN ALONZO. WE SAW TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF SUMMERS COMPARED TO THIS YEAR AS WELL AS LAST YEAR SO WE'RE GOING TO BREAK DOWN THE NUMBERS FOR YOU. LET'S START OFF BY TALKING ABOUT THE TRIPLE DIGIT DAYS. 
          WE SAW 75 DAYS LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR WE ONLY SAW 27. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THOSE RECORDS, 16 RECORDS WERE BROKEN AND LAST YEAR AND AS FAR AS THIS YEAR, ONLY THREE. NOW THE REASON FOR THAT WAS HIGH PRESSURE. 
          NORMALLY AND ESPECIALLY WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR, WE HAVE HIGH PRESSURE SITTING ON TOP OF TEXAS AND WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU GET A LOT OF THE WINDS COMING DOWN AND OF COURSE IT PREVENTS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FROM DEVELOPING HERE. 
          BUT THAT HIGH PRESSURE THIS YEAR WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE OFF TO OUR NORTHWEST, SO THAT ALLOWED FOR DISTURBANCES TO MOVE ON THROUGH AND THAT'S WHEN WE STARTED TO SEE MORE LIFT IN THE ATMOSPHERE, MORE CLOUDS AS WELL AS PRECIPITATION AND THUNDERSTORMS. THAT WAS REFLECTED IN THE PRECIPITATION AS WELL. 
          MAY TO AUGUST LAST YEAR, A LITTLE OVER 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL, BUT THIS YEAR 7.33 INY HELPED OUT AND DID IMPROVE SOME OF THE DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS SOUTH TEXAS. NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR HURRICANE SEASON. 
          EARLY FORECASTS WERE CALLING FOR AN ABOVE NORMAL SEASON. IN FACT, SOME FORECASTS WERE CALLING FOR RECORD SETTING. BUT AS OF OCTOBER 11, IT WAS PRACTICALLY A NEAR-NORMAL SEASON. THERE IS NO ONE CLEAR INDICATION AS TO WHY A FORECAST WAS PRETTY MUCH A BACKUPS BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT CLIMATOLOGISTS AND RESEARCHERS ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO BE STUDYING THIS YEAR. 
          OF COURSE ALL WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING, ESPECIALLY THE PAST FEW MONTHS, IS WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES WHERE HURRICANES 
          [00:35:05]
HELENE AS WELL AS MILTON HAVE CAUSED A LOT OF DEVASTATION. 
          WE DID SEE HURRICANE BERYL AFFECT THE HOUSTON AREA EARLIER THIS YEAR . 
          I WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT NOVEMBER 30 IS WHEN HURRICANE SEASON ENDS. 
          >> HERE ARE SOME OTHER WAYS OUR TEAM WORKED TO MEET SUMMER DEMAND AND COMMUNICATE WITH OUR CUSTOMERS. SUMMER 2024 WAS MILDER THAN 2023. ERCOT DID NOT SET A NEW DEMAND RECORD AND EXPERIENCED A TOTAL OF 22 DAYS WITH A PEAK DEMAND OF 80 GIG WATTS COMPARED TO 46 DAYS LAST NUMBER. CPS ENERGY REACHED A NEW DEMAND RECORD OF 5,858 MEGAWATTS BEATING OUT OUR PREVIOUS DEMAND OF 5,703 MEGAWATTS LAST AUGUST. 
          THE ENERGY SUPPLY TEAM SAFELY GENERATED OVER 22 MILLION MEGAWATT HOURS OF ENERGY FROM MAY THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2024. WE HELPED CONSERVE ABOUT 250 MEGAWATTS, WHICH IS THE EQUIVALENT OF POWERING ABOUT 62,500 HOMES. 
          OUR ENERGY DELIVERY SERVICES TEAMS WORKED TO RESPOND TO CUSTOMER OUTAGES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THIS CALENDAR YEAR THERE HAVE BEEN EIGHT SIGNIFICANT STORMS BASED ON CUSTOMER OUTAGES, WITH HALF OF THOSE STORMS OCCURRING THROUGH THE JUNE THROUGH AUGUST TIME-FRAME. OUR TEAMS WORKED YEAR ROUND TO RESPOND TO LOCAL RESTORATION EFFORTS AND THIS SUMMER WE HAD 165 TEAM MEMBERS SUPPORT FOUR DIFFERENT MUTUAL AID EVENTS. TEAM MEMBERS ASSISTED CENTERPOINT ENERGY AND GARLAND POWER AND LIGHT . WE ALSO DEPLOYED TEAM MEMBERS TO ARIZONA TO TAKE PART IN THE LIGHT UP NAVAJO PROJECT THAT PROVIDED POWER TO PEOPLE FOR THE FIRST TIME OUR TEAMS HAVE INCREASED EFFORTS TO SUPPORT RELIABILITY AND RESILIENCY DURING WEATHER EVENTS. WE ARE ON TRACK TO COMPLETE 1,000 MILES OF TREE TRIMMING THIS YEAR WITH 634 MILES TRIMMED BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER. THESE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT EFFORTS WILL HELP MITIGATE OUTAGES ESPECIALLY DURING STORMS. THIS YEAR CPS ENERGY'S CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING TEAM EXECUTED A CAMPAIGN THAT INTRODUCED A VIBRANT MEMBER OF THE CPS ENERGY FAMILY. OUR CHAMELEON OFFERED A FRESH TWIST. THERE ARE A VARIETY OF TACTICS INCLUDING ADVERTISING IN GAS STATIONS, MOVIE THEATERS, AND OUTDOOR BILLBOARDS RESULTING IN MESSAGING AT MORE THAN 395 LOCATIONS. THIS YEAR WE EXPERIENCED 18 MORE DAYS DESIGNATED AS GREEN AND 27 LESS YELLOW DAYS DUE TO A MILDER SUMMER. 
          THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR NEW MARKETING CAMPAIGN RESULTED IN AN IMPRESSIVE 72% INCREASE AND PAGE VIEWS OF OUR CONSERVATION WEB PAGE. 
          WE ALSO CONTINUED PROACTIVE OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY AND MEDIA PARTNERS BY HOSTING A SUMMER READINESS PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE BEGINNING OF JUNE TO SHARE OUR SUMMER PREPAREDNESS EFFORTS. WE COMMUNICATED INFORMATION ON CONSERVATION LEVELS AND BILL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS ON A VARIETY OF LIFESTYLE SHOWS IN BOTH ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH TO KEEP CUSTOMERS INFORMED. 
          OUR PARTNER AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT TEAM SHARED INFORMATIONAL TOOL KITS WITH OVER 1600 COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO KEEP PARTNERS INFORMED AND PROVIDE THEM WITH RESOURCES TO COMMUNICATE TO THEIR NETWORKS. WE'LL CONTINUE USING OUR COMMUNICATIONS CHANNELS TO INFORM OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT CONSERVATION AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ASSISTANCE. OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM HOSTED MORE THAN 500 COMMUNITY EVENTS TO INFORM CUSTOMERS ABOUT ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAMS. THE AFFORDABILITY DISCOUNT PROGRAM WAS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE AN ENERGY BURDEN, AN EXPANDED FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL REQUIREMENT WHICH BENEFITS MORE THAN 73,000 CUSTOMERS. MORE INVESTMENT WAS MADE TO SUPPORT THE RESIDENTIAL ENERGY ASSISTANCE PARTNERSHIP, REAP UTILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. WITH NEW MAXIMUM BENEFITS THREE TIMES THE PREVIOUS AMOUNT. CPS ENERGY ALSO LAUNCHED THE WEATHERIZATION REPAIR ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TO PROVIDE MINOR REPAIRS TO HOMES. 
          CPS ENERGY THANKS OUR EMPLOYEES FOR THE WORK THEY DID THIS SUMMER AS ONE TEAM TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY POWERED AND INFORMED. 
          >> THANK YOU. AND JUST A QUICK RECAP, WE STILL HAD SOME CHALLENGES THIS PAST SUMMER EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A LITTLE BIT MILDER. WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF OUR ALL-IN STRATEGY AROUND GENERATION RESOURCES. 
          AS YOU LOOK AT EACH OF THOSE BARS, YOU'LL SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD AN ISSUE AT A SUBSTATION FIRE AT OUR NUCLEAR SITE. BECAUSE OF OUR OTHER UNITS WE WERE ABLE TO COVER THAT. WE EXPERIENCED TWO LEAKS IN OUR LARGEST BOILER ON 
          [00:40:06]
SPRUCE. WE WERE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT. 
          ALL IN IS PAYING DIVIDENDS FOR US IN GENERATION AND AS YOU LOOK AT OUR CPS ENERGY TEAM. IT'S AN ALL-IN EFFORT AND I FELT LIKE WE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL SUMMER. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS TURN IT OVER TO BRIAN ALONZO TO TALK ABOUT THE WINTER WEATHER OUTLOOK AND I'LL RETURN AND WE'LL TALK 
          THROUGH OUR PLANS. >> THANK YOU, BENNY. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY. 
          IT'S A PLEASURE TO TALK TO YOU TODAY AND LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH WHAT'S KNOWN AS METEOROLOGY WINTER, WHICH IS JANUARY AND FEBRUARY. THIS IS COMING FROM THE FOLKS WHO LOOK AND DIVE INTO THE NUMBERS. LOOK AT ANALOGS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS. 
          THEY LOOK AT WEATHER PATTERNS AND WHAT'S GOING ON ESPECIALLY WITH LA NINA. 
          YOU HAVE BEEN HEARING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT THIS UPCOMING WINTER HERE. 
          SO AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME WE ARE ON THE CUSP NEAR THE THRESHOLD OF GOING INTO A LA NINA WINTER SEASON. WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN? LA NINA IS WHERE YOU GET THE COOLING OF THE PACIFIC WATERS ALONG THE PACIFIC AND THAT AFFECTS OUR WEATHER PATTERN. THAT AFFECTS THE JET STREAM AND THAT JET STREAM MOVES TO THE NORTH OF US HEADING TO THE NORTHERN STATES AND DOESN'T MOVE THAT IN OUR DIRECTION. SO WE REALLY DON'T SEE A WHOLE LOT OF ACTIVE WEATHER. 
          SO WITH THAT HAPPENING, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE EXPECTING. 
          WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION. BUT THE ONE THING I DEFINITELY WANT TO REITERATE IS WHEN YOU GET TO THIS LA NINA, WE'RE ON THE CUSP. IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY WEAK LA NINA. THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF VARIABILITY THAT COULD HAPPEN THIS WINTER. WE HAVE SEEN A LITTLE BIT OF THAT VARIABILITY GOING ON. 
          WE SAW RIGHT AROUND THANKSGIVING WE GET A GLANCING BLOW OF SOME COLDER AIR. MOST OF THAT MOVED OFF TO THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. 
          AND OF COURSE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE EXPECTING HERE IN LESS THAN 24 HERE WE'RE GOING TO BE EXPECTING ANOTHER FRONT THAT'S GOING TO BE ARRIVING OVERNIGHT TONIGHT AND THAT'S GOING TO KICK UP THE WINDS TOMORROW. IT'S DEFINITELY GOING TO BE A LOT COOLER. WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE SEEING 80S LIKE THIS AFTERNOON. 
          WE ARE GOING TO BE EXPECTING SOME COLD TEMPERATURES, ESPECIALLY WEDNESDAY AND THIS MORNING WHERE WE COULD SEE LOW TEMPERATURES IN SAN ANTONIO RIGHT AROUND 34, 35 DEGREES IN DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO. BUT YOU HEAD TO THE NORTHERN PARTS OF BEXAR COUNTY, YOU COULD SEE THOSE TEMPERATURES GETTING TO RIGHT AROUND THE FREEZING MARK. YEAH, DEFINITELY GOING TO FEEL A LITTLE COLD BUT IN THE AFTERNOON THOSE TEMPERATURES GO BACK UP INTO THE 50S AND 60S. 
          MOST OF COLD AIR IS GOING TO MOVE TOWARDS THE EAST AND WE GET A LITTLE BIT OF A GLANCING BLOW. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE EXPECTING AS WE GO THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS HERE BUT FOR THE MAJORITY OF THESE THREE MONTHS WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION. NOW THE ONE THING I DO WANT TO REITERATE WHEN IT COMES TO BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION IS THIS REALLY INCREASES THE FIRE WEATHER THREAT HERE ACROSS THE AREA. I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU THAT OUR LAKES ARE IN REALLY BAD SHAPE HERE ACROSS OUR AREA. AND OF COURSE OUR AQUIFERS ARE NOT DOING TOO WELL. AT THE SAME TIME, WE JUST CONTINUE TO BE REALLY NEEDING GOOD RAINFALL, ESPECIALLY THE RAINFALL THAT WE SAW THIS WEEKEND. 
          IT'S WELCOME BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH. WE'VE ONLY GOT 2,200TH OF AN INCH OF RAIN AT THE SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND WE NEED MORE THAN THAT . WE NEED SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN TO HELP US GET OUT OF THIS DROUGHT SITUATION. BUT THERE ARE SOME RAIN CHANCES EXPECTED ESPECIALLY AS WE GO THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS HERE. THAT WILL BE GOOD BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH. WE NEED TO SEE THIS WITH A MORE REGULAR BASIS. 
          WHEN WE START TO GET THESE FRONTS THAT MOVE ON THROUGH, LIKE THE ONES THAT COME IN TOMORROW, WHAT HAPPENS IS WE GET THOSE WINDS THAT KICK UP AND, AT THE SAME TIME, IT REALLY KNOCKS DOWN THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY LEVELS AND WE CAN SEE THAT WILDFIRE THREAT INCREASING. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BURN BANS AS WELL. 
          AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING WE'LL KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON AS WE GO THROUGH THIS UPCOMING WINTER. I WANTED TO SHARE THIS FORECAST WITH YOU, WHICH IS THE FARMER'S ALMANAC. THERE IS FARMERS' ALMANAC AND ANOTHER ALM ALMANAC . 
          SO MANY FORECASTS ARE ALIGNING THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE THIS TYPE OF WEATHER SITUATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE EXPECTING AS WE GO THROUGH THE NEXT THREE MONTHS. BUT I'LL ADD THAT SOME OF OUR FORECASTS ARE INDICATING MAYBE FEBRUARY IS A MONTH TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON FOR A POTENTIAL ARCTIC OUTBREAK. 
          STILL TOO EARLY TO SAY WHAT IMPACTS THAT WOULD BE LIKE, HOW STRONG THIS AIR MASS WOULD BE AND AT THE SAME TIME WOULD THERE BE ANY PRECIPITATION MIXED WITH 
          [00:45:02]
SOME OF THAT COLD AIR BUT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE'LL KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON. I'M ALWAYS LOOKING AT THE FORECAST EVERY DAY TO SEE WHAT'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING, ESPECIALLY AS WE LOOK AT THE LONG-TERM FORECAST. WITH THAT, WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT TEAM READINESS WITH 
          ENERGY SUPPLY. >> THANKS, BRIAN. LET ME LEAD IN WITH OUR ENERGY SUPPLY THEM. OUR UNITS ARE PREPARED FOR WINTER OPERATIONS. 
          WE HAVE COMPLETED WEATHERIZATION ACTIVITIES. WE STILL HAVE ONE UNIT IN OUTAGE IN CORPUS CHRISTI. IT WILL BE OUT BY THE END OF THE MONTH AND WE'LL MAKE OUR FORMAL CERTIFICATION WHEN THAT UNIT IS COMPLETE. UNITS ARE READY TO GO. 
          WHAT WE'RE SEEING AT THIS POINT IS NO PLANS TO SCHEDULE UNIT OUTAGES DURING THE DEEP WINTER PERIOD OF JANUARY AND FEBRUARY. OUR GAS SUPPLIERS ARE READY AND PREPARED. STORAGE SUPPLIES -- NATURAL GAS STORAGE IS TOPPED OFF. 
          AND WE'RE AT A PRETTY GOOD PLACE AS WE GET READY TO MOVE INTO THE WINTER SEASON. 
          OUR PLANS FOCUS ON PEOPLE, PROCESS, AND EQUIPMENT. WE GET OUR PEOPLE READY TO GO THROUGH TRAINING, PREPARATION. WE CHECK OUR PROCESSES, SEE IF WE NEED TO MAKE ANY CHANGES BASED ON EQUIPMENT ADDITIONS AND SUCH CHANGES. 
          INCLUDING THE ADDITION OF OUR CORPUS AND LAREDO FACILITIES. 
          AND FINALLY EQUIPMENT CHECKS THAT WE MAKE. SO AT THIS POINT, AS I SAID, ALL OF THESE CHECKS AND PREPARATIONS ARE IN PLACE AND WE'RE READY TO GO FOR THE WINTER SEASON. NOW I'LL TURN IT OVER TO RICHARD MEDINA TO TALK ABOUT 
          ENERGY DELIVERY. >> HI. GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          SO FOR EDS, WHICH COVERS ELECTRIC AND GAS, AND THOSE ARE THE CREWS THAT MONITOR THE GAS SYSTEM, BOTH ELECTRIC AND GAS, ALL THE TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION LINES, BOTH OVERHEAD AND UNDERGROUND. OUR TEAM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, SAFETY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING AND WE COVER A LOT OF SAFETY BRIEFINGS TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN RECOGNIZE CODE STRESS SIGNS. WE COVER BACK FEED, WHICH MEANS A LOT OF CUSTOMERS PUT GENERATORS OUT THERE AND IF THEY'RE NOT HOOKED UP RIGHT THEY CAN BACK FEED INTO OUR LINES. JUST MAKING SURE THEY HAVE ALL THE PPE AND ARE READY FOR THE WINTER SYSTEM. ALL OUR TEAMS WORK ON THE TRANSMISSION SIDE WITH ERCOT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SYSTEMS ARE READY. 
          SUBSTATIONS ARE ALL CHECKE. ON THE DISTRIBUTION SIDE, YOU KNOW, HEAVY FOCUS ON TREE TRIMMING AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR TEAMS DID THE POWER FLOW ANALYSIS, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE READY FOR WINTER PEAKS ON THE SYSTEM. ALL THAT'S BEEN TAKEN CARE OF. ON THE GAS SIDE, THEY'LL INCREASE SOME OF THE PRESSURES JUST TO ACCOUNT FOR DEMANDS ON THE GAS SIDE. ON THE EQUIPMENT SIDE, YOU KNOW, WE MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING'S TESTED AND INSPECTED, ESPECIALLY ON THE SUBSTATION SIDE. AND ALL THE EQUIPMENT FEEDING THE POWER PLANTS. 
          AND THEN WE ALSO LOOK AT INVENTORY CHECKS JUST IN CASE THERE'S AN ISSUE THAT WE HAVE PROPER INVENTORY. AND THEN WE CONTINUE TO INSTALL SMART SWITCHES OUT THERE WHICH ARE CALLED RECLOSERS. THAT GIVES OUR SYSTEM OPERATORS THE ABILITY TO MOVE POWER AROUND IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENS ON THE SYSTEM. ON OUR OPERATIONS SIDE, WE'RE ALWAYS WORKING AND LOOKING AT DRILLS, BOTH WITH ERCOT, THE COUNTY, THE CITY. SO LIKE BRIAN WAS MENTIONING, WILDFIRE IS AN ISSUE WE ARE ON TOP OF. WE MAPPED OUT THE AREA ON HIGH-RISK AREAS FOR WILDFIRE AND WE DID DRONE INSPECTIONS ON ALL THOSE FACILITIES. 
          VISUAL INSPECTIONS AND CHECKED ALL THE POLES IN THOSE AREAS. 
          SO WHENEVER THERE'S AN ISSUE BRIAN WILL LET US KNOW, HEY, THERE'S A WILDFIRE ZONE AND WE'LL MAKE PRECAUTIONS THERE FOR THOSE AREAS. OTHER DRILLS IS JUST WORKING WITH ERCOT ON SEVERE WEATHER. A LOT OF PREPAREDNESS AROUND LOAD SHED WITH OUR SYSTEM OPERATORS. AND THEN LAST, SIMILAR TO BENNY, WE DO REPORT BACK TO ERCOT AND THE COMMISSION THAT ALL THESE ITEMS WERE TAKEN CARE OF. AND THEN ERCOT WILL SEND FOLKS -- ERCOT AND THE RAILROAD COMMISSION WILL SEND TEAMS TO DO SPOT INSPECTIONS. 
          AND WE'RE EXPECTING THAT. ERCOT HAD ALREADY SENT SOME TEAMS DECEMBER 4 TO DO SOME INSPECTIONS. AND THE RAILROAD COMMISSION IS SENDING FOLKS ON THE 12TH TO DO SOME INSPECTIONS. NEXT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO 
          DEANNA. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          SO FOR OUR CUSTOMER FOCUS, WE HAVE ABOUT 3200 EMPLOYEES AT CPS ENERGY. 
          [00:50:06]
FROM A CUSTOMER AND COMMUNICATION STANDPOINT, OUR TEAM IS ABOUT 600 FOLKS. 
          WE HAVE ABOUT 600 EMPLOYEES READY TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR CUSTOMERS OVER THE WINTER SEASON. SO WE'VE GOT A LITTLE LESS THAN A MILLION CUSTOMERS SO WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO BE PRETTY BUSY. ON AVERAGE, OUR EMPLOYEES TAKE ABOUT 6,000 PHONE CALLS A DAY AND WE'RE ABOUT TEN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS ACROSS THE CITY EVERY SINGLE DAY. SO WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT THAT WE'RE THERE TO HELP CUSTOMERS UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES. 
          ULTIMATELY WE WANT CUSTOMERS TO KNOW THAT THEY CAN CONTROL AND SAVE ON THEIR ENERGY BILL AND THAT WE HAVE SOLUTIONS TO HELP SUPPORT THEM AS WELL AS MAKING SURE WE'RE EMPHASIZING THE EMERGENCY AND WINTER PREPAREDNESS THAT CUSTOMERS THEMSELVES CAN DO. SO I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT FOUR KEY AREAS HERE FROM A CUSTOMER PERSPECTIVE. IN SEPTEMBER WE DID ROLL OUT A NEW PAYMENT OPTIONS SO KIND OF LIKE H-E-B, WE NOW CAN TAKE PAYMENT THROUGH GOOGLE PAY, APPLE PAY. 
          WE ALSO CAN TAKE AMERICAN EXPRESS. THIS HAS MADE LIFE EASIER FOR OUR CUSTOMERS. WE HAVE SEEN ABOUT 20% OF PAYMENTS THAT CUSTOMERS ARE MAKING NOW BEING THROUGH THIS CHANNEL THAN REALLY ANY OTHER CHANNEL, SO CONTINUING TO SEE GROWTH THERE. BUT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT OTHER PAYMENT OPTIONS AS WE ARE EXPANDING AND MAKING IT EASIER FOR CUSTOMERS. 
          AT THE SAME TIME, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S CHALLENGES, ESPECIALLY OVER THE HOLIDAYS FOR CUSTOMERS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE PAYMENTS. ON TOP OF REAP AND ALL OF THE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT WE ALREADY OFFER, WE ALSO OFFER ENERGY ANGELS. 
          THAT ALLOWS FOR PEOPLE TO GIVE THE GIFT OF ENERGY TO FAMILIES OR INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY KNOW THAT ARE IN NEED. SO FAR THIS YEAR WE HAVE HAD ABOUT 50 INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE STEPPED UP AND HELPED OUT ANOTHER FAMILY OR FRIEND THAT THEY KNOW ARE IN NEED. 
          WHAT WE REALLY SEE IS OVER THE COURSE OF THE HOLIDAYS, PEOPLE REACH OUT AND SAY I HAVE A FRIEND. THERE'S A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY, A NEIGHBOR, SOMEONE THAT WE KNOW IS CHALLENGED WITH THEIR BILLS AND WE WOULD LIKE TO HELP THEM OUT. 
          WE ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO LOOK AT ENERGY ANGELS AS WELL AS DONATING TO REAP. 
          SPEAKING OF REAP, ON TOP OF EXPANDING THE QUALIFICATIONS MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO FOR BOTH OUR AFFORDABILITY DISCOUNT PROGRAM AS WELL AS FOR REAP TO GET MORE CUSTOMERS TO BE QUALIFIED FOR THAT. IN NOVEMBER WE DID HAVE OUR ANNUAL GRILLS GIVING CELEBRATION WHERE WE HAD A LITTLE OVER 60 BARBECUE TEAMS COMPETE. ABOUT A THIRD OF THOSE WERE CPS ENERGY TEAMS. AND THAT WAS ALL IN AN EFFORT TO RAISE MONEY FOR REAP. 
          THIS HAS BEEN THE BEST MOST PROFITABLE SEASON THAT WE HAD. 
          WE WERE ABLE TO RAISE OVER $400,000 AND WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THOSE OF YOU ABLE TO MAKE IT OUT TO OUR BARBECUE COOKOUT. IT'S REALLY GOOD FOOD FOR A REALLY GOOD REASON. AND THEN LASTLY IS OUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. 
          AGAIN, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY KNOWS THAT THERE ARE WAYS THAT THEY CAN BE ENERGY EFFICIENT, STILL STAY WARM, CAN HELP US THROUGH BEING ABLE TO -- WHENEVER THERE'S A PEAK DEMAND THAT THEY CAN HELP CONTROL IT THROUGH OUR DEMAND RESPONSE, AS WELL AS PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL TOWN HALLS. 
          AND AS YOU SAW IN THE VIDEO EARLIER, WE DID ROLL OUT AN ENHANCEMENT TO THE CAMPAIGN THAT WE HAVE AROUND THE COLORS. THE GREEN, YELLOW, ORANGE, AND RED ALERTS. AND WE HAVE CAM THE CHAMELEON THAT BRINGS ATTENTION TO OTHER THINGS. JUST LIKE CAM CAN CHANGE COLORS, OUR DAY-TO-DAY WE CAN CHANGE COLOR. WE WERE IN ABOUT 400 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT ABOUT HOW TO PREPARE AND SAVE ON ENERGY OVER THE SUMMER. 
          AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT DURING THE WINTER. 
          WE ALSO CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE CUSTOMERS TO SIGN UP FOR ENERGY ALERTS. 
          YOU CAN GO ONLINE TO CPSENERGY.COM OR CALL US 210-353-2222 AND WE CAN SET CUSTOMERS UP WITH ALERTS BASED ON THEIR PREFERENCE , WHETHER YOU WANT A PHONE CALL, E-MAIL, OR A TEXT, WE CAN SEND THAT NOTIFICATION TO YOU IN THE EVENT OF A BILL REMINDER OR ALSO IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY ISSUE THAT'S COMING UP THAT WE WANT TO SHARE AND HELP PEOPLE GET PREPARED FOR. BUT ULTIMATELY WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS HERE AT THE CITY AND ACROSS WITH ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL THE COMMUNICATION CHANNELS AVAILABLE TO US SHOULD THERE BE ANY ISSUES AS WELL AS HELP PROVIDE THE MOST PERTINENT INFORMATION THAT DOES COME UP. WITH THAT, WE WILL TAKE ANY 
          QUESTIONS. >> GARCIA: GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I LOVED THE VIDEO. I WAS THINKING THAT GARRETT AND RONIA MIGHT HAVE SOME COMPETITION. IT WAS REALLY WELL DONE. 
          TO OUR METEOROLOGIST, BRIAN, I WAS SAYING THE SAME THING. I FEEL LIKE I'M WATCHING ADAM OR STEVE. IT WAS VERY COOL. BUT THANK YOU FOR THE 
          [00:55:03]
BRIEFING. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD THIS BRIEFING BECAUSE WE NEVER WANT TO GO BACK TO SOMETHING LIKE URI AND SO THE PREPAREDNESS IS DEFINITELY IMPORTANT. I'M GOING TO START OFF WITH A QUESTION SPECIFICALLY ON SLIDE 9. AND IT'S TALKING ABOUT HAVING 8.178 MEGAWATTS AVAILABLE AND SO IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN WHAT WE WOULD SEE AT PEAK DEMAND. 
          THAT'S JUST WHAT CPS HAS AVAILABLE, CORRECT? AND THEN IF SO HOW DOES THAT 
          COMPARE TO THE REST OF THE STATE? >> SO THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE HERE. THERE IS A LARGER RESERVE MARGIN AS YOU LOOK ACROSS THE STATE. WE OF COURSE HAVE ACCESS TO THAT THROUGH COMMERCIAL MEANS, IF NEEDED. SO IT'S BELT AND SUSPENDERS TO PROTECT OUR CUSTOMERS. 
          GO AHEAD. >> I THINK I KNOW WHAT QUESTION YOU'RE ASKING, MADAME CHAIR. WE ALWAYS PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY MORE THAN OUR FAIR SHARE OF RESERVE MARGIN, YOU KNOW, BACK TO THE STATE. IT'S A GOOD THING FOR OUR COMMUNITY, TO THE EXTENT WE GET PAID FOR THAT. THAT IS A DIRECT BENEFIT TO OUR SYSTEM AND OUR RATEPAYERS. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE'RE A GOOD MAJORITY OF THE STATE'S RESERVE MARGIN BUT OVERALL THE STATE WILL HAVE A RESERVE MARGIN BEYOND WHAT THEY NEED. AND AT TIMES WE'RE A LARGE 
          PORTION OF THAT. >> GARCIA: SO IN AN EXTREME WEATHER CONDITION, ERCOT ASKS US TO SHED SOME LOAD. DOES THAT SEEM LIKELY THIS WINTER SEASON OR ACCORDING TO WHAT KIND OF WE HEARD THE WEATHER REPORT? 
          >> GREAT QUESTION. ERCOT IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE OVERLY CONSERVATIVE IN HOW THEY COMMUNICATE TO THE PUBLIC. SO I THINK THEY ARE MESSAGING ON THE CHANCE OF A URI-LIKE EVENT. LIKE LAST WINTER, WE SAW EXTREME TEMPERATURES BUT IT WASN'T OVER THE ENTIRETY OF THE STATE AND IT WAS A VERY SHORT DURATION, OVER A COUPLE OF DAYS. AND SO BASED ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE GET BACK FROM BRIAN, I THINK THE CHANCES OF A WINTER URI EVENT, I THINK FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE NOT HIGH. BUT THEY'RE POSSIBLE. 
          AND WHEN THEY'RE POSSIBLE AND IF ERCOT FINDS ITSELF SHORT AGAIN, THEN WE WOULD BE IMPACTED BY LOAD SHED. BUT, AGAIN, I THINK WE ARE, YOU KNOW, IN A LOT DIFFERENT POSITION FOUR YEARS DOWN THE ROAD THAN WE WERE DURING WINTER STORM URI YOUR. 
          OUR PLANTS ARE MAINTAINED AND ERCOT VALIDATES THAT THE WORK IS DONE AND IT DEPENDS ON THE WEATHER PATTERN AND HOW MUCH OF THE STATE IS UNDER FREEZING AND FOR HOW LONG. THAT'S ALWAYS GOING TO DRIVE KIND OF WHAT HAPPENS. 
          >> GARCIA: GREAT. THANK YOU, RUDY. I AGREE THAT I FEEL LIKE WE ARE IN A MUCH BETTER PLACE. AND SO WE SAW WHAT HAPPENED -- AND YOU ALL REFERENCED HURRICANE BERYL EARLIER AND I APPRECIATE YOU ARE ALL WORKING ON CLEARING THE LINES AND THE TRANSFORMER BOXES. I'M ASSUMING WE HAVE 
          INCREASED SERVICE OR MOVING AT A FASTER PACE. >> WE HAVE TRIMMED MORE LINES THIS YEAR THAN ANY YEAR PREVIOUSLY. SO, YOU KNOW, AS THE STATE KIND OF LOOKED INTO, YOU KNOW, HOUSTON'S SITUATION, YOU KNOW, AND WE ACTUALLY HAD SOME MEDIA INQUIRIES OF OURS AND WHEN THEY COMPARED OUR TREE TRIMMING TO WHAT WAS DONE IN OTHER PLACES, WE'RE IN A PRETTY GOOD PLACE. 
          >> GARCIA: WONDERFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH, RUDY. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. 
          WE'LL START OFF WITH QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES. 
          COUNCILMAN COURAGE. >> COURAGE: THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS OR ONE OF THE THINGS I READ IN THE PAPER TODAY WAS HOW THE PUC AND ERCOT ARE SAYING WE DON'T WANT YOU TO SHUT SOME OF YOUR FACILITIES DOWN. 
          THEY'VE TOLD US ONE PLANT FOR SURE. THEY'RE EVEN CONSIDERING TWO MORE, I UNDERSTAND. BUT RIGHT NOW I'M THINKING MORE ALONG THE WINTER. 
          AND YOU SAID WE'VE GOT ONE PLANT THAT'S NOT OPERATIONAL RIGHT NOW BUT IT SHOULD COME 
          BACK ONLINE. >> YES. THAT'S CORRECT. 
          >> COURAGE: WHAT ABOUT ROUTINE MAINTENANCE? DO WE HAVE A FEW WE'RE GOING TO BE SHUTTING DOWN FOR MAINTENANCE DURING THE WINTER SEASON? 
          >> NO. WE HAVE COMPLETED ALL OF THE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. 
          LIKE I SAID, WE'VE GOT ONE UNIT THAT IS A LITTLE BIT OF A HOLDOUT AND IT'S A RELATIVE SMALL UNIT IN OUR FLEET. ALL THE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE IS COMPLETED ON ALL THE OTHERS AND THEY'RE READY TO GO. 
          >> COURAGE: I HOPE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT CHOICE COMING OUT OF AUSTIN TO ENABLE US TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR OWN ENERGY PLAN GOING FORWARD. 
          PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING RELATED TO THE BAD WEATHER WE HAD A FEW YEARS AGO WAS WE'RE ADDING MORE CAPACITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT THESE PLANT -- NOT PLANTS. 
          THE ONES THAT WE'RE USING WITH SAWS TO KEEP THEIR PLANTS OPERATIONAL. 
          WHAT ARE THOSE? >> THE DISTRIBUTED -- >> COURAGE: NEW 
          [01:00:09]
GENERATORS. I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE A LOT THAT WE HAVE ALREADY HOOKED UP BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE TO HOOK UP. WHAT KIND OF BENEFIT WOULD THOSE OFFER TO US THIS WINTER IF WE WENT THROUGH ANOTHER CRISIS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE SHORT? DO WE HAVE SOME OF THOSE OPERATIONAL? ARE THEY GOING TO FEED BACK SOME ENERGY TO US? ARE THEY GOING TO KEEP THE 
          PUMPS GOING WITH SAWS? >> THAT WOULD BE THEIR FIRST MISSION WOULD BE TO KEEP THE PUMPS GOING IF WE HAD AN OUTAGE. IF WE DON'T HAVE AN OUTAGE SITUATION, THE SAWS' UNITS ARE GETTING THE ENERGY THEY NEED, THEN WE COULD USE THOSE TO SUPPORT SWINGS IN THE LOCAL GRID, JUST AS WE CAN USE MORE BATTERIES THAT 
          HAVE COME INTO THE MARKET AND SO FORTH. >> COURAGE: I SAW WE'RE ENTERING INTO A CONTRACT FOR $400 MILLION TO GET MORE BATTERIES AVAILABLE FOR US 
          HERE. >> YES, SIR. THAT'S CORRECT. 
          >> COURAGE: HOW MANY OF THOSE GENERATORS ARE ACTUALLY UP AND RUNNING AND 
          HOW MANY MORE ARE THERE TO GO? >> I BELIEVE JUST ONE. 
          ONE FACILITY. IF WE WANT TO GO TOO DEEP ON THAT, I'M GOING TO NEED TO PHONE A FRIEND FROM SAWS. ONE FACILITY AT THIS POINT AND THERE'S ANOTHER TWO 
          COMING IN JANUARY. >> COURAGE: BUT WHAT WAS THE OVERALL GOAL FOR HOW 
          MANY GENERATORS WE WERE GOING TO PUT UP TOGETHER? >> ULTIMATELY IT'S PUSHING 
          ABOUT 35 MEGAWATTS. 15 SETS. >> COURAGE: WE'RE JUST 
          STARTING THAT PROCESS THEN. >> STARTING TO PHASE THEM IN NOW. 
          AS THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT CONCLUDES AND WE CHECK THEM OUT AND GET THEM ONLINE. 
          >> COURAGE: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THTHANK YOU, MADAME CHAIR. 
          >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE. COUNCILMAN WHYTE. 
          >> WHYTE: THANKS, CHAIR. Y'ALL ARE CONFIDENT IF URI WERE TO HAPPEN AGAIN WE'RE 
          NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH THE SAME THING WE DID? >> I CAN NEVER TELL YOU I'M CONFIDENT URI WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. I WILL TELL YOU WE HAVE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY AND FOCUSED A LOT OF EFFORT ON RUGGEDIZING OUR EFFORTS BEYOND WHERE THEY WERE TO MEET THE NEW PUC REQUIREMENTS AND WE HAVE FORTIFIED OUR GAS SYSTEM AND ADDED ADDITIONAL STORAGE. AND THE GAS SUPPLIERS HAVE STEPPED UP THEIR PROGRAMS. WE HAVE A MUCH MORE ROBUST SYSTEM THAN WE HAD WHEN WE EXPERIENCED URI THE FIRST TIME. BUT A WEATHER EVENT COULD 
          STILL OCCUR. >> I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO SAY URI WILL NEVER OCCUR AGAIN. 
          IF IT DOES, CAN YOU GUARANTEE US IT WILL GO A LOT BETTER. 
          >> THE EXPERIENCE WILL BE BETTER. BASED ON THE TWEAKING WE HAVE DONE TO OUR LOAD SHED SYSTEM SHOULD ALLOW US TO ROTATE OUTAGES IF WE GET INTO THAT SITUATION IN A MUCH MORE, YOU KNOW, REASONABLE MANNER THIS GO-AROUND. AND OUR COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS ARE DIFFERENT. 
          SO COUNCIL WAS FRUSTRATED, AND RIGHTFULLY SO DURING WINTER SWINTER STORM URI. 
          I THINK THE EXPERIENCE WILL BE MUCH IMPROVED IF WE FIND OURSELVES THERE AGAIN. 
          >> WHYTE: OKAY. ON SLIDE 3, AS WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS HORIZON 2050, THE NEW ENERGY SOURCES, ARE THEY GOING TO PROVIDE SIMILAR OR GREATER ENERGY COMPARED TO 
          THE COAL PLANTS THAT WE'RE RETIRING? >> SO WE'RE ADDING ADDITIONAL COVERAGE BEYOND WHAT WE'RE GIVING UP WITH THE COAL PLANTS. 
          AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE CURRENTLY LOOKING FORWARD TO LOOKING TOWARDS GAS CONVERSION WITH 
          ONE OF THE COAL UNITS. >> WHYTE: RIGHT. THESE NEW SOURCES, THOUGH, 
          WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A GREATER ENERGY SUPPLY? >> YES, SIR. 
          WE'RE ADDING ADDITIONAL MEGAWATTS TO OUR FLEET TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY. 
          AT THIS POINT, I THINK OUR GROWTH IS PUSHING 190 MEGAWATTS A YEAR. 
          SO WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT. >> WHYTE: AND WE PURCHASED THESE 
          YES. EARLIER THIS YEAR. >> WHYTE: HOW HAS THAT 
          IMPACTED ENERGY PRODUCTION SO FAR? >> SO IT'S PUT US IN A VERY STRONG POSITION. WE'VE PRODUCED A LOT OF ENERGY OUT OF THOSE UNITS AND THEY'VE HELPED SERVE OUR COMMUNITY AND THE LARGER ERCOT MARKET. 
          >> WHYTE: SO WOULD YOU SAY THAT THAT PURCHASE, THE RESULTS WE GAINED FROM IT 
          HAVE MET CPS'S EXPECTATIONS SO FAR? >> I WOULD SAY THEY HAVE MET TO EXCEEDED. WE HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL WITH THOSE UNITS SO FAR AND 
          LOOK FOR MORE GOOD TO COME OUT OF THEM. >> WHYTE: OKAY. 
          THANKS. >> THANK YOU. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, 
          COUNCILMAN. COUNCILWOMAN CABELLO HAVRDA. >> HAVRDA: THANK YOU, MADAME CHAIR. I WAS ON COUNCIL OF COURSE DURING THE WINTER STORM AND I WILL SAY THAT I HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT THE EXPERIENCE WOULD BE DIFFERENT. THERE WAS OF COURSE A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP BUT THE BIGGEST PROBLEM THAT I HAD DURING THE WINTER STORM IS THAT I COULDN'T GET A HOLD OF ANYBODY AT CPS. AND I THINK THE COMMUNICATION ALONE HAS CHANGED BETWEEN US AS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PUBLIC AND CPS. 
          SO I'M THANKFUL FOR THAT. HOPEFULLY IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN BUT I DO -- I BELIEVE 
          [01:05:06]
THAT THERE'S A LOT OF CHANGES THAT WERE MADE THAT WOULD BE POSITIVE. 
          I HAVE A QUESTION ON SLIDE 9. THERE'S -- IT SAYS THERE'S 8,178 MEGAWATTS AVAILABLE FOR CPS ENERGY CUSTOMERS. I'M GOING TO ASK THIS OF JANIE, IF THAT'S OKAY. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE DATA CENTERS. 
          IN DISTRICT 6 WE HAVE SO MANY DATA CENTERS. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE 
          CAPACITY FOR LARGE-LOAD USERS? >> 
          >> YEAH, I CAN TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS. LARGE LOADS GO THROUGH SEPARATE PROCESS THROUGH ERCOT BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL TRANSMISSION CONNECTED. 
          AND SO THAT PROCESS, WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY IS WE'RE WORKING WITH THE LARGE LOADS, SPECIFICALLY DATA CENTERS ON THEIR RAMP SCHEDULES. 
          A LOT OF THEM ARE PRETTY LARGE. AND SO IN THE PAST, DATA CENTERS USED TO BE ABOUT 150 MEGAWATTS. AND THEY'VE INCREASED TO 200, 300, 400, 500. TWO 500S IS A WHOLE POWER PLANT. 
          SO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE PAST WE WERE ABLE TO JUST CONNECT TO THE NEAREST TRANSMISSION LINE AND BUILD A SUBSTATION. AND NOW WITH ALL THE DATA CENTERS, WE'RE HAVING TO UPGRADE OTHER TRANSMISSION LINES. 
          BUT THAT ALL GOES THROUGH ERCOT AND ALL THAT COST IS COVERED THROUGH T-COST AND IT'S COVERED THROUGH THERE. THEN IT FITS INTO THE GENERATION PLAN THAT BENNY MONITORS. WE WORK HAND IN HAND. AS WE'RE WORKING WITH CONTRACTS, HE'S WORKING WITH SECURING THE POWER NEEDED FOR THOSE SITES. 
          >> IF I COULD JUST ADD TO THAT. A LOT OF THE VISION 2027 PLAN WAS ABOUT INVESTING $1.3 BILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO ENHANCE THE TRANSMISSION INFRASTRUCTURE. THIS AGAIN INVESTMENT AIMS TO ADD ONE GIGAWATTS BY 2029. THIS IS IN LIGHT OF THE PLANNING WE'RE DOING BOTH IN 2027 AND THE EXECUTION -- I'M SURE YOU'RE GOING TO GET FEEDBACK ON 2030. 
          AND ALSO 2050 IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF PLANNING AHEAD. AND, AGAIN, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER ABOUT PUBLIC INPUT. AND I THINK THIS IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY WHERE PUBLIC INPUT IS VITAL TO THE PLANS WE HAVE ALREADY AND THE INVESTMENTS. AND, AGAIN, LIKE STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION FEEDBACK. 
          AND THEN BEING ABLE TO LEARN FROM FEEDBACK. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, PIVOT AS NEEDED. I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILWOMAN. 
          >> HAVRDA: IT DOES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MADAME CHAIR. 
          >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO. 
          >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK Y'ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION. I JUST WANT TO BE SURE I COMMEND Y'ALL FOR ALWAYS PRIORITIZING THE SAFETY AND PREPAREDNESS OF CPS EMPLOYEES AND WHEN WE ARE EXPERIENCING ROLLING BLACKOUTS OR EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS AND MEN AND WOMEN WHO EXPOSE THEMSELVES TO THE ELEMENTS TO RESTORE POWER. I'M EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK OF THOSE TEAM MEMBERS. NOT ONLY ARE THEY EXPOSING THEMSELVES TO THE ELEMENTS BUT ALSO JUST TO A LOT OF HAZARDOUS -- IT'S JUST HAZARDOUS PERIOD, RIGHT? SO JUST WANT TO BE GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK THAT THOSE MEN AND WOMEN DO. IN TERMS OF THE PREPAREDNESS, I SEE THAT THERE IS COORDINATION WITH THE COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. 
          I KNOW THE METEOROLOGIST HIGHLIGHTED, YOU KNOW, THE POTENTIAL THREAT OF WILDFIRE AND JUST A MORE DRY WINTER. I'M ASSUMING THERE IS COORDINATION WITH THE SAN ANTONIO FIRE DEPARTMENT. CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH WHAT THAT COORDINATION AND/OR 
          PLANNING LOOKS LIKE? >> PHONING A FRIEND. >> WE WORK HAND IN HAND WITH CPS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THE COUNTY PRESENTED, WE WERE ACTUALLY AT THOSE WILDFIRE TABLE TOP EXERCISES AS WELL. 
          FROM A FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSPECTIVE AS WELL AS THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE, WE WORK HAND IN HAND WITH CPS. WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS DOES HAPPEN -- YOU'LL SEE THIS AS PART OF MY PRESENTATION LATER. 
          CPS IS ACTUALLY SITTING IN THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER WITH US. 
          AND SO THAT COORDINATION AND THE COMMUNICATION THAT WE HAD DIFFICULTIES WITH DURING WINTER STORM URI HAVE IMPROVED GREATLY TO WHERE I WOULD SAY THEY'RE PROBABLY 
          THE BEST THEY HAVE EVER BEEN. >> CASTILLO: WONDERFUL. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT. IN TERMS OF THE CUSTOMER SERVICE FOCUS, WILL CPS ENERGY BE FACILITATING DISCONNECTIONS DURING THE WINTER? 
          >> YES. SO SIMILAR TO OUR SUMMER LIMITATIONS, THERE ARE 
          [01:10:04]
LIMITATIONS FOR EXTREME WEATHER IN THE WINTER THAT DO CAUSE US TO PAUSE DISCONNECTIONS. SO IT'S BASED ON THE TEMPERATURE BEING AT OR BELOW 32 DEGREES. I CAN GET YOU THE SPECIFICS. NOT JUST IN OUR TERRITORY BUT ANY OF THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES THAT WE PROVIDE SERVICE TO OR THE COUNTIES THAT SURROUND THOSE COUNTIES. WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH BRIAN ALONZO TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE WEATHER IS GOING TO BE AND BASED ON THE TEMPERATURE AND THE RISK, OUR EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE IN LINE WITH THE PUCTC'S EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS AND WE DO NOT DO DISCONNECTS ON THOSE DAYS. 
          >> CASTILLO: GETTING CUSTOMERS CONNECTED TO PAYMENT PLANS, HAVE Y'ALL SEEN AN INCREASE OR DECREASE OF FAMILIES OR HOUSEHOLDS AT RISK OF DISCONNECTION? 
          >> YES. WE HAVE. SO SINCE THE PEAK OF OCTOBER 20% OF OUR CUSTOMERS THAT ARE ON SOME TYPE OF INSTALLMENT PLAN. 
          WE HAVE SEEN A REDUCTION OF -- LET'S SEE. IT IS ABOUT 18%. 
          ABOUT 20% OF OUR CUSTOMERS THAT WERE ACTIVELY PAST DUE. WE'RE DOWN TO ABOUT 18% OF OUR CUSTOMERS THAT ARE PAST DUE. AND OF THOSE, 41% ARE ON SOME TYPE OF INSTALLMENT PLAN. AND WE ALSO ARE SEEING BETTER -- CUSTOMERS BEING ABLE TO STAY ON THOSE INSTALLMENT PLANS BETTER. 
          THE INDUSTRY STANDARD IS USUALLY BETWEEN 40% TO 50% OF CUSTOMERS CAN STAY ON AN INSTALLMENT PLAN. OURS ARE STAYING ON ABOUT 80% OF THE TIME. 
          IF ONE INSTALLMENT PLAN DOESN'T WORK, WE'LL FIND ANOTHER ONE THAT DOES WORK AND IT'S BEEN A LOT MORE SUCCESSFUL. OVERALL, WE HAVE SEEN A REDUCTION 
          >> CASTILLO: I'M GRATEFUL FOR ANDREW VEGA WHO WORKS WITH OUR TEAM. 
          OFTEN AFTER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND DOING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. 
          ONE CONSTITUENT HAD A RECOMMENDATION. SHE'S GRATEFUL FOR THAT WORK BUT IF THERE COULD BE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM CPS THAT COULD PRESENT ON MORE OF THE TECHNICAL PIECES IN REGARDS TO RATE STRUCTURES AND CPS PROGRAMMING. 
          AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GREAT RECOMMENDATION. I KNOW IF I REQUEST FOR CPS TO BE PRESENT, THEY WILL, BUT I THINK HAVING THAT BE THEIR DESIGNATED ROLE OF ANSWERING THESE UTILITY RATE QUESTIONS AND POWER QUESTIONS WOULD BE VERY IMPACTFUL AND OF VALUE. SO I TOLD HER I WOULD RELAY THAT RECOMMENDATION TO YOU ALL. BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T WANT TO HOLD ANDREW ACCOUNTABLE FOR RATES. I KNOW THAT'S NOT YOUR ROLE BUT SHE FELT THAT SOMEONE 
          FROM CPS SHOULD BE PRESENT IN THOSE COMMUNITY MEETINGS. >> ABSOLUTELY. 
          WE WILL WORK TO DO THAT. AT THE SAME TIME, WHEN WE DO THE COMMUNITY EVENTS WHERE WE GO TO THE DIFFERENT FAIRS, WE BRING A LOT OF OUR PARTNERS ALONG WITH US LIKE SAWS. I KNOW COSA IS THERE AS WELL. 
          WE TYPICALLY SET UP DIFFERENT STATIONS FOR EVERYTHING FROM OUR GENERATION PLANNING TO RATES. WE'VE HAD A TABLE FOR HORIZON 2050 AS WELL. WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE HOW WE CAN EXPAND THAT TO GET THE TECHNICAL INFORMATION OUT THERE ALONG WITH THE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE. 
          THANK YOU FOR THE FEEDBACK. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          >> GARCIA: THANK YOU SO MUCH. I THINK THAT'S IT FOR CPS ENERGY FOR NOW. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH ALL FOR BEING HERE. 
          WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NO. 4, WHICH IS A BRIEFING BY SAWS REGARDING PREPARATIONS FOR UPCOMING WINTER SEASON. SO THANK YOU. THERE WE HAVE IT. 
          IT'S ALL YOURS. >> ALL RIGHT. MY NAME IS ANDREA WISER BEAMER. I AM CURRENTLY THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT SAWS. 
          I WANTED TO START WITH THIS LOVELY PICTURE, WINTER STORM URI. 
          JUST AS ARE REMINDER, IT WAS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EVENT IN RECORDED HISTORY. 
          108 HOURS BELOW FREEZING. MOST SNOW ACCUMULATION IN OUR CITY SINCE 1985. 
          99-POINT '99% OF THE TIME OUR PARTNERS AT CPS MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY, BUT DURING THIS EVENT OUR PARTNER CPS WAS PUT IN CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND THEIR CONTROL. TEXAS POWER GRID WAS ON THE BRINK OF DISASTER AND THERE WERE CASCADING EFFECTS ACROSS THE STATE. CPS ENERGY WAS INTEGRAL IN KEEPING THE GRID FROM COLLAPSE. SO WHILE THIS PICTURE LOOKS LIKE A PRETTY POSTCARD, WE ALL REMEMBER THE DIFFICULT DAYS THAT RESULTED IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO WHAT'S CHANGED SINCE THEN? FROM THIS EVENT WE'VE EVALUATED OUR PROCESSES, WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER TO INCREASE OUR COMMUNICATION AND PREPARE FOR ANOTHER PEAK EVENT WHETHER IT'S SUMMER OR WINTER. CPS AND SAWS TEAM MEMBERS ARE IN CONSTANT 
          [01:15:02]
COMMUNICATION ON ALL SETTING POWER AT PEAK HOURS IN ORDER TO MEET OUR NEEDS. 
          SAWS IS CPS'S LARGER CUSTOMER SO WE HELP WITH LOAD SHED BY REDUCING OUR POWER USAGE. WE PREFILL OUR STORAGE TANKS AHEAD OF THOSE KEY TIMES. 
          WE SHUT DOWN OUR TREATMENT PROCESSES TEMPORARILY DURING THOSE KEY TIMES AND WE UTILIZE THERMAL ENERGY STORED AT THE CHILLED WATER PLANTS. 
          WOOF R WE'VE BEEN SO EFFECTIVE THAT LAST YEAR WE RECEIVED REBATES FROM CPSE FOR REDUCING OUR USAGE. THIS YEAR WE IMPLEMENTED DEMAND RESPONSE SO WE ANTICIPATE OUR REBATE TO BE EVEN HIGHER THIS YEAR. SO ON AVERAGE SAWS IS ABLE TO REDUCE ITS DEMAND DURING DEMAND RESPONSE AND POWER UP TO 1800 TEXAS HOMES ON A PEAK SUMMER DAY. BUT WE RECOGNIZE IT TAKES MORE THAN JUST COMMUNICATION TO BE READY FOR ANOTHER NATURAL EVENT, SO WE HAVE REGULAR LABEL TOP EXERCISES AND DISASTER TRAINING EVENTS WITH COSA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, BEXAR COUNTY, CPS ENERGY AND OTHER KEY STAKEHOLDERS. SINCE 2022 WE'VE HAD 39 SUCH EVENTS. AS WE REPORTED IN 2022, WE FULLY IMPLEMENTED THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE CITY'S EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS COMMITTEE AND WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF IMPLEMENTING THE PREPAREDNESS PLAN REQUIRED BY THE STATE AS REQUIRED BY SB3 AND I'LL GET INTO THAT IN MORE DETAIL IN A SUBSEQUENT SLIDE. SO OUR OVERALL SYSTEM WEATHERIZATION STRATEGY IS FOCUSED ON PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE. THERE ARE FACILITIES THAT REQUIRE ADDITIONAL CREWS AND RESOURCES DURING TIMES TO KEEP OUR CUSTOMERS IN SERVICE. AS WE EXPERIENCE NEW WEATHER EVENTS WE EVALUATE OUR APPROACH AND WE IMPLEMENT CHANGES AS NECESSARY. SO OVERALL I CAN TELL YOU WE'RE IN BETTER SHAPE TODAY THAN WE WERE IN 2021. WE ACTUALLY START OUR WINTER PREPAREDNESS EFFORTS IN SEPTEMBER, LATE SUMMER, EARLY FALL. 
          SO TYPICALLY IT'S STILL 100 DEGREES WHEN WE'RE ORDERING HEATERS, FUEL, OUR INSTALLATION JACKETS AND STARTING TO INSTALL THEM BECAUSE THAT'S HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET THE EQUIPMENT ON-SITE AS WELL AS INSTALL THEM. 
          SO SOME OF THE THINGS WE ARE TO DO IS TO INSULATE EXPOSED ASSETS SUCH AS VALVES, PIPING, WITH INSULATION AND JACKETS. WE INSTALL ELECTRICAL HEAT TRACE TAPE, INSTALL DRAIN LINES AT CRITICAL FACILITIES. 
          AND WITH BRING THESE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT SUCH AS HEATERS AND THE NECESSARY FUEL AT KEY STRATEGIC LOCATIONS. SIMILARLY AT OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS WE INSULATE AND PUT HEAT TRACING ON EXPOSED TYPES. 
          WE HAVE SALAMANDERS AT KEY STATIONS TO PROVIDE KEY UPSETS AT KEY AREAS OF THE PLANT. AND WE INSTALL TARPS AND WIND PROTECTION COVERINGS AT AREAS OF THE PLANT AS WELL. PARAGRAPH SO IN ADDITION TO OUR FACILITIES WE WORK TO PREPARE OUR FLEET. WE NEED OUR VEHICLES TO BE PREPARED FOR OUR EMPLOYEES TO NAVIGATE IN TREACHEROUS WEATHER. SO IS IT OF THOSE PROVISIONS INCLUDE TIRE CHAINS FOR CRITICAL VEHICLES WE'VE INSTALLED AUXILIARY FUEL TANKS AND PUT THEM ON THE TRUCKS. WE'VE ADDED ADD DIVES TO KEEP THE FUEL FROM FREEZING. AND WHEN WE SEE THE FORECAST AND WE KNOW A FREEZE IS COMING WE PARK THEM INSIDE SO THERE AREN'T ISSUES WITH THEM STARTING AND BEING READY TO GO WHEN NEEDED. SO WE ALSO WORRY ABOUT OUR PEOPLE, OUR CREWS WHO HAVE TO WORK OUTSIDE IN THE ELEMENTS IN THIS WEATHER. WE HAVE COLD WEATHER GEAR IN SUPPLY FOR THEM WHICH INCLUDES HATS, GLOVES, MASKS AND HAND WARMERS. 
          ONE OF THE LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS WE'RE MAKING IN OUR SYSTEM IS TO IMPROVE RESILIENCY OVERALL AT OUR FACILITIES. AS WE DESIGN PANELLED NEW FACILITIES OR REHABILITATE EXISTING FACILITIES, WE'RE MAKING KEY IMPROVEMENTS. 
          THESE INCLUDE MOVING ELECTRICAL GATHER AS WELL AS INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL FACILITIES INSIDE TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED BUILDINGS, BUT THIS COMES AT A COST. AND SO IT SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASES THE COST OF OUR PROJECTS. WE ALSO INCLUDE BACKUP GENERATORS AS A DESIGN STANDARD FOR CRITICAL FACILITIES. SO I KNOW COUNCILMAN COURAGE YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT OUR GENERATOR PROGRAM AND I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT. AS A RESULT OF WINTER STORM URI, THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE 
          [01:20:01]
PASSED SB3 IN 2021. THIS REQUIRED WATER UTILITIES TO SUBMIT AN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN TO BE REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE TCEQ. 
          THIS PLAN IS CONFIDENTIAL UNDER HOMELAND SECURITY AS IT DOES OUTLINE CRITICAL FACILITIES. ONE KEY FACTNER OUR EPP THAT I CAN SHARE IS THE INSTALLATION OF GENERATORS IN JERRY JUST PARTS OF OUR SYSTEM. 
          THIS PROGRAM IS MULTI-PHASED, IT'S GOING TO COST OVER $300 MILLION. 
          CONSTRUCTION IS UNDERWAY AND THE PLANNED COMPLETION IS BY THE END OF 2030. 
          A PORTION OF THE GENERATORS ARE THE NATURAL GAS CO-GENERAL FACILITIES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AS WELL WITH CPS. SAWS AND CPS ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT IN SEPTEMBER OF 2022 FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE NATURAL GAS FACILITIES THAT ARE AT A SAWS STATION. THIS LAWS SAWS TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE POWER SUPPLY WHEN THERE'S A POWER OUTAGE, BUT THE REST OF THE TIME, WHICH WILL BE THE VAST MAJORITY, IT ALLOWS CPS TO OPERATE AND SELL THIS POWER TO THE GRID. THE FIRST GENERATORS ARE SET TO BE IN OPERATION ACTUALLY NEXT WEEK. SO WE TALKED ABOUT OUR FACILITIES, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OUR PEOPLE, BUT WHAT ABOUT OUR CUSTOMERS? WE'RE WORKING TO EDUCATE AND PREPARE OUR CUSTOMERS FOR AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. WE HAVE ROLLED OUT A CAMPAIGN READY FOR THE UNEXPECTED. ON OUR WEBSITE WE HAVE NUMEROUS HOW-TO VIDEOS AND INFORMATION GRAPHICS COVERING TOPICS SUCH AS WHAT TO HAVE ON HAND FOR WATER EMERGENCY, WHAT TO DO BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER A BOIL WATER NOTICE. HOW TO FLUSH IN AN OUTAGE. HOW TO PREPARE AND PROTECT YOUR PIPES FROM A FREEZE EVENT. THESE ARE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. WE ARE ONE OF THE FIRST TEXAS UTILITIES TO ROLL OUT A CAMPAIGN LIKE THIS SO WE WON SOME AWARDS THROUGH THIS CAMPAIGN FROM THE AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION AND THE PUBLIC WORKS SOCIETY OF AMERICA. 
          WE'VE ALSO ROLLED OUT A LIVE OUTAGE MAP THAT YOU CAN ACCESS FROM THE WEBSITE OR FROM YOUR PHONE. THIS ALLOWED CUSTOMERS TO REPORT AN OUTAGE AND TO SEE IN REALTIME IF THERE'S AN ISSUE THAT AFFECTS YOUR HOME. 
          WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS TOOL IN 2021, BUT WE HAVE IT TODAY. TO ACCESS THE MAP ON YOUR PHONE YOU NEED TO DOWNLOAD THE SAWS APP. AND NOW THIS IS MY OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE A SHAMELESS PLUG FOR OUR NEW SAWS APP THAT WAS LAUNCHED EARLIER THIS YEAR. IT'S A GREAT TOOL PARTICULARLY FOR CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE THEIR AI METER. AS WAS BRIEFED TO YOU IN OCTOBER, WE'RE MAKING GREAT PROGRESS ON THIS OVER 2--MILLION-DOLLAR INITIATIVE TO UPGRADE ALL OF OUR METERS TO ELECTRONIC METERS. WE'VE INSTALLED 56% OR 336,000 METERS TO DATE. 
          IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DOWNLOAD THE APP AS IT GIVES YOU REALTIME ACCESS TO YOUR ACCOUNT. THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION. I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. 
          >> GARCIA: GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE ALSO IN MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE YOUR CREWS SUPPORTED AND READY TO WORK IN STREAM WEATHER CONDITIONS. AND THEN -- EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS. 
          AND ALSO THE CAMPAIGN VIDEOS, I LIKED THE PREPAREDNESS CAMPAIGN VIDEOS, I LIKE YOUR MESSAGING ON IT. BUT OTHER THAN -- AND I JUST DOWNLOADED THE APP, SO I'LL GO THROUGH AS WELL, BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT LIKE THE APP WILL SEND PUSH NOTIFICATIONS AS WELL IN CASE OF OUTCOMES IN CERTAIN AREAS, ET CETERA? 
          >> WE HAVEN'T GOT TONE THAT POINT YET, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT I CAN 
          CERTAINLY MENTION TO OUR I.T. TEAM. >> GARCIA: YEAH. 
          THAT WOULD BE REALLY COOL, RIGHT. SO THAT WAY USUALLY -- AND I LEARNED FROM URI, AND SO WHAT I WOULD DO IS JUST LIKE GO IN AND CHECK LIKE MY ZIP ZIP CODES AND SO ON THE CPS APP. SO IT WAS EASY ENOUGH TO DO THAT. 
          SO I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT ON SAWS AND JUST KIND OF LIKE GO TO ONE EASY PLACE. BUT THE OTHER ITEM, THE OUTAGE MAP, IS VERY IMPORTANT. WILL IT ALSO INCLUDE TIMELINES FOR REPAIRS LIKE 
          HOW LONG THIS WILL -- >> IT GIVES A GENERAL FEEL IF IT'S GOING TO BE OUT FOR TWO HOURS OR GENERALLY. THEN AS SOON AS WE HAVE MORE UPDATES FROM THE CREWS IN THE FIELD WE WORK TO UPDATE THAT INFORMATION ON THE MAP AS WELL. 
          SO IF IT'S DELAYED, THERE'S A PART THAT'S ON ORDER AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE LONGER, WE WILL UPDATE IT AS WELL SO OUR CUSTOMERS GET SOME REALTIME DATA. 
          >> GARCIA: OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          AND ROBERT, YOU LOOKED LIKE -- YOU'RE GOOD? ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ROBERT IS HERE. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. 
          WE'LL START WITH QUESTIONS AND I'LL START WITH COUNCILMAN WHYTE. 
          [01:25:03]
          >> WHYTE: THANKS, CHAIR. THE SAME QUESTION I ASKED FOR CPS. 
          IF THERE WAS ANOTHER URI TOMORROW, DO YOU THINK WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE AND READY TO 
          GO. >> I THINK NEAR BETTER SHAPE THAN WE WERE IN '21. 
          >> AND WHAT SPECIFICALLY MAKES YOU SAY THAT? >> NUMBER ONE, THE 
          COMMUNICATION BETWEEN US AND CPS. >> WHYTE: SO THERE'S BEEN ACTIVE STEPS TAKEN TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAWS AND CPS? 
          >> YES, THERE IS. THERE IS A TEXT CHAIN. THE MOMENT SOMETHING IS HAPPENING AND WE SEE THIS A LOT IN THE SUMMER DEMAND PERIOD WHEN THERE IS PEAK DEMAND RESPONSE NEEDED IN THE SUMMER, WE ARE ON A CHAIN, THEY'RE ASKING US IMMEDIATELY TO START SHUTTING THINGS OFF. WE ARE TALKING TO EACH OTHER CONSTANTLY. AND IT WASN'T QUITE LIKE THAT IN '21. 
          >> WHYTE: OKAY. SO I'M WRITING DOWN HERE THE TEXT CHAIN, COMMUNICATION IS 
          BETTER, NUMBER ONE. WHAT ELSE? >> AND WE'VE GOT THE FIRST ROUNDS OF GENERATORS THAT ARE COMING ON. WE'VE GOT THE FIRST ONES COMING ON BOARD THIS MONTH. AND BY JANUARY WE SHOULD HAVE TWO MORE SITES THAT ARE ONBOARD. THE MOMENT WE START GETTING MORE OF THESE GENERATORS ON BOARD IT PROVIDES THAT EXTRA POWER AS NECESSARY, FIRST OF ALL, WHERE SAWS NEEDS IT IF THERE'S A WEATHER EVENT WHERE POWER IS OUT. AND THEN IT PROVIDES CPS THAT FLEXIBILITY TO HAVE THAT POWER FOR THE GRID WHEN WE NEED IT AND SAWS DOESN'T 
          NEED IT. >> WHYTE: SO THE GENERATORS ARE FOR EXTRA PROTECTION WHEN WE NEED IT AND PROTECTION WE DIDN'T HAVE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. 
          >> YES, SIR. >> WHYTE: ALL RIGHT. AND THE MAINTENANCE OF 
          THESE, I GUESS SAWS BUYS THEM AND CPS MAINTAINS THEM? >> OPERATE AND MAINTAINS. 
          >> WHYTE: OKAY. IS THERE A WRITTEN AGREEMENT BETWEEN CPS AND SAWS RELATED 
          TO THIS? >> YES, SIR. IT WAS APPROVED IN SEPTEMBER 20. 
          >> WHYTE: OKAY. ON SLIDE 13, IF A CUSTOMER DOESN'T HAVE THE APP, HOW DO 
          THEY GET NOTIFICATIONS? >> IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE APP, IF THEY CAN'T GET ON OUR WEBSITE, AT THIS POINT THE MOST EFFICIENT THING IS TO CALL. 
          IF THEY CALL 704-SAWS, THEY TALK TO A CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT, WE CAN GIVE THEM THAT 
          REALTIME DATA AS WELL. >> WHYTE: OKAY. AND THAT'S HOW IT WAS BACK A 
          FEW YEARS AGO. >> RIGHT. >> WHYTE: THE RADIUS AROUND THE SELECTED AREA WHERE THE NOTIFICATIONS ARE GIVEN, IS THERE A SPECIFIC 
          RADIUS? >> SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE GIVING OUT PUSHOUT NOTIFICATIONS. 
          IF YOU ACTUALLY, THOUGH, GO ON THE WEBSITE, IF YOU THINK ON YOUR STREET, HEY, MY WATER PRESSURE SEEMS LOW, IS THERE AN ISSUE? IS IT AT MY HOUSE OR IS IT A LARGER ISSUE? IF YOU CLICK ON THE WEBSITE, PUT IN YOUR ADDRESS, YOU CAN SEE, OKAY, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A MAIN BREAK DOWN MY STREET. 
          THAT'S PROBABLY THE CAUSE. >> WHYTE: OKAY. I JUST WANT TO STRESS WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT A COUPLE OF MINUTES AGO, AND THAT'S THE COMMUNICATION. 
          I -- IN THE YEAR AND A HALF THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S A SINGLE ISSUE THAT THE CITY AND SAWS AND ALL OF US TOGETHER IN THIS ONE BIG FAMILY, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A SINGLE ISSUE THAT WE STRUGGLE WITH MORE THAN COMMUNICATION. 
          AND SAWS PUBLIC WORKS COMMUNICATION THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AT OUR LAST MEETING I THINK HAS BEEN AN ISSUE, AND SO I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT IN THIS REGARD SAWS AND CPS HAVE TAKEN ACTIVE STEPS TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION, HOPEFULLY NOT JUST DURING THE WINTER MONTHS AND WHEN ANYTHING TERRIBLE HAPPENS, BUT REALLY ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WHEN WE ALL NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE. 
          SO I APPRECIATE THAT. THANKS, CHAIR. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, 
          COUNCILMAN. COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLOCOUNCILWOM. >> CABELLO HAVRDA: I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR SAN ANTONIO CITIZENS TO HAVE ACCESS TO UTILITIES DESPITE THE WEATHER CONDITIONS. SIMILAR TO MY QUESTIONS ABOUT CPS AS WELL, DO WE KNOW IF SAWS WILL BE FACILITATING DISCONNECTIONS DURING AN EXTREME WEATHER 
          CONDITION? >> I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT. 
          >> OUR DISCONNECTIONS ARE NOT AFFECTED BY STATE LAW LIKE CPS IS. 
          SO THE DEFINITION OF EXTREME WEATHER, WE DO NOT DO THOSE DISCONNECTIONS, BUT THESE ARE OUR -- NOT DRIVEN BY STATE LAW. WE DO HAVE A PHILOSOPHY OF 
          DISCONTINUING DISCONNECTIONS DURING HOLIDAY PERIODS ALSO. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. 
          AND I ASK THAT QUESTION TO BOTH YOU ALL AND CPS BECAUSE OF THE TREND WE'RE SEEING. 
          AND WE KNOW HAVING NO ACCESS TO UTILITIES, WHETHER IT'S SAWS AND CPS, THAT CAN LEAD 
          [01:30:04]
TO A NOTICE TO VACATE, EVEN IF YOU OWN THE HOME AND/OR STRUCTURE. 
          AND I JUST WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE DOING ALL WE CAN TO KEEP FOLKS HOUSED, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S EXTREMELY COLD. SO THAT'S WHY I ASKED THAT QUESTION. AND THEN THE TEXAS SUCH GREAT HD I'M CURIOUS IF THERE'S ANY ONGOING CONVERSATIONS WITH STATE OFFICIALS WITH INVESTING IN THAT PROGRAM TO KEEP MORE FOLKS CONNECTED TO THEIR WATER UTILITY? AND ESSENTIALLY ALWAYS A FUND THAT THE COUNTY HELPED DISBURSE RESIDENTS TO CONTINUE TO PAY OFF THE BALANCE OR STAY UP TO BALANCE WITH THEIR SAWS BILL. 
          >> YES. WE WORKED WITH THE CITY OBVIOUSLY DURING URI WITH Y'ALL'S PROGRAM WITH THE HELP OF BEN AND HIS TEAM AND THAT SAME TEAM AT THE COUNTY LEVEL WE ALSO WORKED WITH A LOT OF THAT MONEY CAME FROM THE STATE, THROUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SO YES, WE HAVE A VERY ACTIVE PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE THOSE RESIDENTS -- THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO NECESSARILY BE COUNTY RESIDENTS BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN YOUR DISTRICT ARE COUNTY RESIDENTS. 
          SO THEY BENEFITED FROM THAT ALSO. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. 
          THANKS, ROBERT. >> YOU ASKED CPS ABOUT THEIR DISCONNECTIONS. 
          WE REACHED OUR HEIGHT ALSO DURING THE SAME PERIOD AS CPS AND WE HAVE SEEN A STEADY PROGRESSION DOWNHILL. THE AMOUNT OF DISCONNECTS AND THE AMOUNT OF DELINQUENT 
          MONEY THAT IS OWED TO SAWS. SO IT'S ALL WORKING BETTER. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, ROBERT, THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> GARCIA: COUNCILMAN 
          COURAGE? >> COURAGE: I THINK WE ALL REMEMBER WHEN THE POWER WENT OUT IN THAT STORM AND I DON'T THINK ANY OF US THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WATER, BUT I UNDERSTAND NOW THE INTEGRATION BETWEEN ENERGY AND WATER AND HOW YOU'RE CO-DEPENDENT ON ONE ANOTHER. AND I KNOW THAT AT THE TIME THERE WERE VERY FEW THINGS WE COULD DO TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM THEN, BUT BESIDES GENERATION, WHAT ELSE HAS BEEN DONE TO HELP MAKE SURE THE WATER WILL FLOW IN COLD WEATHER? BECAUSE I'M SURE THAT NOT ALL OF THESE FACILITIES THAT ARE GOING TO GET A GENERATOR, THAT'S GOING TO KEEP IT WARM, HAVE ONE NOW THIS YEAR OR PROBABLY WON'T EVEN NEXT YEAR OR THE YEAR AFTER BECAUSE I HEARD YOU SAY UNTIL 2030. SO WHAT'S BEEN IMPLEMENTED TO KEEP THE WATER FLOWING IN THOSE KINDS OF FACILITIES THAT MAY HAVE BEEN AFFECTED LAST TIME? 
          >> SO WE DO HAVE A PRIORITIZED LIST OF STATIONS WE NEED TO HAVE ON BOARD THAT WE CANNOT LOSE POWER TO. AND WE HAVE PROVIDED THAT LIST TO OUR SISTER AGENCY CPS SO THEY KNOW HOW CRITICAL THOSE STATIONS ARE AND KEEPING ELECTRICAL SERVICE TO THOSE STATIONS. SO THEY'RE DEEMED AS CRITICAL ON THE CPS LIST AS WELL. THAT IS ONE KEY AS WELL. 
          SO THEY KNOW, OKAY, IF THIS STATION IS GOING TO GO DOWN, IF WE HAVE TO SHUT OFF POWER FOR THIS AREA, THERE IS AN EFFECT THAT'S WATER SERVICE IS GOING TO BE AFFECTED TO 
          THE CUSTOMERS. >> COURAGE: HAVE WE WRAPPED PIPES MORE TOO? 
          >> THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS TOO. WE'VE GOT HEATERS THAT WE BRING ON-SITE. WE WORKED TO HAVE OUR TANKS FULL WHEN WE KNOW THERE'S 
          GOING TO BE AN ISSUE, BUT IT'S A PROLONGED OUTAGE -- >> COURAGE: LIKE 100 
          HOURS? >> RIGHT. WRAPPING PIPES, HAVING TANKS FULL, ONLY LASTS FOR SO LONG. COURAGE I UNDERSTAND. 
          >> AGAIN, I WOULD SAY WE'RE IN A MUCH BETTER POSITION TODAY THAN WE WERE IN 2021. 
          >> ROBERT? >> I DO WANT TO REMIND AND EMPHASIZE COUNCILMAN COURAGE THAT EVEN WITHOUT THIS COMMUNICATION THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO HAVE NOW, WITHOUT THIS WINTER PREPAREDNESS THAT ANDREA JUST TALKED ABOUT AND WITHOUT THESE IMPLEMENTATIONS OF THESE GENERATORS, URI AND ITS AFTERMATH WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED BUT FOR ERCOT AND WHAT THEY THEY DID DO THIS COMMUNITY. CPS IS '99 .9% RELIABLE AND A GOOD UTILITY. 
          WHEN THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE POWER TO GIVE TO US THAT'S WHAT CAUSED OUR SHUT DOWN. 
          SO NOW THAT CPS -- THE FIRST QUESTION THAT MARK ASKED WAS IS THIS GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN? AND THE QUESTION REALLY IS NO BECAUSE OF CPS. 
          CPS IS DOING ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT BENEFIT SAWS AND BENEFITS OUR ABILITY TO MOVE 
          THAT WATER. >> COURAGE: SURE. I KNOW ALL THREE ORGANIZATIONS REALLY WORKED HARD TO TAKE STEPS TO MAKE SURE IT DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. 
          AND SAWS DID A GOOD JOB ON ITS PART JUST LIKE CPS DID. AND I BELIEVE THE CITY DID TOO. ONE OF THE SITUATIONS THAT CAME UP THAT I KNOW YOU'VE ADDRESSED AS AN ORGANIZATION WAS INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS WHO WERE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH PIPES BREAKING. 100 HOURS OF FREEZING OR MORE, AND I KNOW YOU INITIATED A NEW PROGRAM. COULD YOU EXPLAIN HOW THAT MAY STILL BE AVAILABLE TO HELP PEOPLE SHOULD WE GO THROUGH ANOTHER DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE PEOPLE'S 
          HOMES AND THE PIPES DON'T STAY WORKING? >> EVEN BEFORE URI, BEFORE THIS EVENT WE HAD AND HAVE A PROGRAM HELPING INDIVIDUALS WITH INDOOR PLUMBING THAT 
          [01:35:04]
CAN'T AFFORD IT. SO THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE AND IS IN PLACE NOW. 
          A NEW PROGRAM THAT WE DEVELOPED WITHIN DAYS OF THIS HAPPENING WAS A BRAND NEW PROGRAM WHERE WE SOLICITED AND OBTAINED PRIVATE MONEY FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS, SOME OF OUR OWN RESOURCES, AND ALLOWED INDIVIDUALS WITH THESE HOMES WHERE THEIR PIPES BROKE TO CONTACT US AND WE WERE ABLE TO HIRE PLUMBING FIRMS TO ACTUALLY FIX THOSE PIPES THAT ARE PRIVATE PROPERTY, AND SO THERE WAS A LOT OF CAN CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD TO HAVE WITH OUR ATTORNEYS, WITH THE CITY ATTORNEYS TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS CAPABLE. 
          AND THE PRIVATE COMPANIES HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, USAA, H.E.B., ALL HELPED IN THAT ENDEAVOR BY CONTRIBUTING TO THIS FUND THAT EXISTED FOR THAT SMALL TIME PERIOD. 
          >> COURAGE: IS THAT STILL AVAILABLE OR COULD IT BE MADE AVAILABLE IF WE GO 
          THROUGH THAT AGAIN? >> PROBABLY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THOSE KINDS OF EMERGENCIES DRIVE A LOT OF PEOPLE'S NEED TO GIVE, AND I WOULD RATHER NOT HAVE THE 
          EMERGENCY AND HAVE TO START KNOCKING ON THEIR DOORS. >> COURAGE: OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL, THANK YOU. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. COUNCILMAN, DID YOU -- WONDERFUL. 
          ALL RIGHT. SINCE I HAVE YOU HERE YOU MENTIONED WATER PRESSURE. 
          >> REPORTED LOW WATER PRESSURE AT THE AIRPORT STEPPING OUT OF BAGGAGE CLAIM B TO THE LEFT, TWO WEEKS AGO, AND I WENT AGAIN LAST WEEK AND IT WAS STILL BAD. SO I DON'T KNOW WHO I NEED TO TELL, BUT I FIGURED CEO 
          IS IN THE HOUSE. >> WE'LL LOOK AT THAT. >> GARCIA: I LOVE IT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. ITEM NUMBER 5 IS A BRIEFING BY SAN ANTONIO OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REGARDING PREPARATIONS FOR THE UPCOMING WINTER SEASON. 
          SO THAT'S GOING TO BE BRIAN. AND I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE MARIA VIA GÓMEZ HERE AS WELL, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE PRESENTATION. GO AHEAD, BRIAN, IT'S ALL 
          YOURS. >> THANK YOU, AND GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          MY NAME IS BRIAN NORRIS, DEPUTY CHIEF WITH THE SAN ANTONIO FIRE DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS FULFILLING THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. SO GOOD AFTERNOON WITH THAT. 
          I'LL JUST ANSWER ONE QUESTION AHEAD OF TIME, ARE WE IN A BETTER PLACE THAN BEFORE WINTER STORM URI? YES. ARE WE COMPLETELY WHERE WE WANT TO BE IN ORDER TO BE PREPARED FOR THESE TYPE OF CASCADING EVENTS? THE ANSWER WOULD BE NO, BUT WE'RE MAKING GREAT STRIDES TOWARDS IT. 
          SO DO I THINK OUR EXPERIENCE WILL BE MUCH BETTER? ABSOLUTELY. 
          WITH THAT, CPS KIND OF SHOWED -- >> GARCIA: I'M SORRY, WE 
          HAVE TO STOP. WE'VE LOST A QUORUM. >> I WAS GOING TO SHOW OFF BY SAYING HOW -- WE'RE EXPECTING A WARMER AND DRYER WINTER THAN NORMAL, SO DON'T TAKE THE BET ON A WHITE CHRISTMAS IF YOU EVER HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. 
          BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID THERE ARE STILL GOING TO BE THE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE COULD HAVE THE SHORT BOUTS OF REALLY COLD WEATHER AND COLD TEMPERATURES AS WELL AS PRECIPITATION THAT COMES IN. THESE EVENTS WILL LAST SHORTER THAN WHAT WE WOULD SEE WITH WINTER STORM URI. I KNOW WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF EVENTS SINCE THEN THAT LAST ABOUT 24 HOURS BEFORE WE'RE OUT OF IT. THE POSSIBILITIES OF THOSE ARE STILL THERE, HOWEVER THEY ARE LESS LIKELY FOR THE UPCOMING WINTER SEASON. 
          WITH THAT A LITTLE BIT OF REVIEW OF WHAT THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DOES. 
          WE HAVE A COORDINATION AND INFORMATION SHARING ORGANIZATION. 
          THAT'S WHAT WE DO. SO FOR OPERATIONAL COORDINATION WE WORK WITH ALL THE CITY DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS OUR EXTERNAL PARTNERS IN ORDER TO COORDINATE THE RESPONSE AND THE PREPARATION ACTIVITIES FOR ANY DISASTER THAT MAY HIT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. THAT INCLUDES SAWS, CPS, TXDOT AND ALL OF THE CITY DEPARTMENTS WHICH WE WORK WITH ALL OF THE TIME. THE SECOND PART WITH THE INFORMATION SHARING PART IS REALLY BROKEN INTO TWO PARTS, A SITUATIONAL ASSESSMENT. I KNOW AT OUR TRAININGS AND THE TABLETOPS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH COUNCIL, GETTING ACCURATE FACTUAL INFORMATION IS VERY IMPORTANT TO YOU SO YOU CAN SHARE IT WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS WELL SHARING THAT INFORMATION WITH US SO THAT WE CAN TAKE ACTIONS ON THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN YOUR AREAS. 
          SO IT'S THAT SITUATIONAL ASSESSMENT THAT I KNOW YOU'VE SEEN AT LEAST TWICE A DAY WHEN WE'VE HAD EMERGENCIES COMING UP, LAYING OUT EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING AND ANY FACTUAL INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE. THAT'S THE FIRST PART OF T. 
          THE SECOND PART IS KEEPING OUR PUBLIC INFORMED. WE DO THAT THROUGH THE DIFFERENT MEDIA OUTLETS. WE HAVE THE AVAILABILITY OF DOING EMERGENCY ALERTING, AND WE'LL DO GO INTO THESE DIFFERENT THINGS AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION. 
          BUT THE BIG THING TO REMEMBER, AND I KNOW ALL OF Y'ALL HAVE HEARD IT BEFORE, IT'S ONE MESSAGE, MANY VOICES. AND SO AS LONG AS ALL OF US ARE SAYING THE SAME THING AND WIRE GETTING FACTUAL INFORMATION, IT DOESN'T 
          [01:40:01]
MATTER WHICH VOICE WE'RE HEARING IT FROM AS LONG AS IT'S CONSISTENT IN THE WAY THAT WE GO ABOUT THINGS. SO WITH THAT, LOOKING AT THE NEXT ITEM, PLANNING AND PREPAREDNESS FOR A WINTER EVENT. I LOOK AT THIS AS PROACTIVE AND REACTIVE. IN PREPARATION WE'RE TRYING TO BE AS PROACTIVE AS WE CAN. WORKING IN MEETINGS WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS, OUR UTILITIES, OUR STAKEHOLDERS. WE HAVE SAT THROUGH MANY TABLETOPS, WE HAVE COORDINATED MANY PLANNING ACTIVITIES AT THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER IN ORDER TO BE PREPARED FOR WHAT IS COMING TO US IN THE NEXT SITUATION. 
          COMMUNITY EDUCATION. AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE'RE HOLDING ANOTHER COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOP THIS THURSDAY IN COUNCIL DISTRICT 3. 
          THIS IS JUST TO GET INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC. 
          COORDINATED PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO WEATHER ALERTS, EMERGENCY MESSAGING. ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS TO US WHEN WE'RE DOING THESE COMMUNICATION PLANS IS TO NOT JUST BECOME NOISE, RIGHT? SO I WON'T EVEN ASK HOW MANY PEOPLE TURN OFF THEIR AMBER ALERTS OR THEIR WEATHER ALERTS OR THOSE THINGS THAT COME ACROSS YOUR PHONE. 
          OUR ROLE IS NOT TO BE THAT ORGANIZATION THAT YOU TURN OFF. 
          IF IF YOU GET A COMMUNICATION FROM US WE WANT IT TO BE SOMETHING THAT YOU PAY ATTENTION T SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITIES TO DO THAT. IN WORKING WITH HUMAN SERVICES AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO CONDUCT OUTREACH FOR OUR UNSHELTERED POPULATION HAS BEEN ONE THING THAT WE'VE PAID A GREAT DEAL OF ATTENTION TO. UNDERSTANDING WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT POPULATION THERE'S A CERTAIN SET OF NEEDS THEY HAVE FOR SERVICES WHEN WE BRING THEM IN TO TAKE CARE OF THEM THROUGH ANY TYPE OF WEATHER EVENTS. 
          AND THEN THE RESPONSES WHERE WE BECOME ACTIVE REACTIVE. THE ICE PLAN HAS BEEN AMENDED. IT IS OPERATED BY THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT. THEY SIT SIDE BY SIDE WITH US AS WELL AS THE SAN ANTONIO FIRE DEPARTMENT AND WE ALSO HAVE PEOPLE WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND TXDOT WHO HELP US MANAGE THAT ICE PLAN AND KEEP EVERYBODY FLOWING. TRANSPORTATION IS ONE OF THE HUGE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE THINGS THAT IS AFFECTED WHEN WE HAVE THESE WINTER EVENTS. 
          WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO OPEN WARMING CENTERS OR PLACES TO STAY WARM. 
          ONE THING WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL WITH THAT IS WE'RE NOT DIRECTING PEOPLE JUST TO CITY FACILITIES. IF YOU NEED TO GO SOMEWHERE TO STAY WARM YOU CAN GO TO A MALL, YOU CAN GO TO A STORE, YOU CAN GO TO THE MOVIES, BUT HAVING THESE CHURCHES AND COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT CAN HELP US ON HAVING PLACES THAT PEOPLE STAY WARM AS WELL AS COOL ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE'RE NOT JUST FOCUSING ON CITY RESOURCES. WE DO HAVE OUR SIX RESILIENCY HUBS WHICH I WILL GO OVER IN JUST A LITTLE BIT AND THE ROLE THAT THEY WILL PLAY IN OUR RESPONSE. 
          AND THEN THE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS REPORTS, WE GET THE MESSAGE LOUD AND CLEAR THAT THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD. I HAVE HANDED EACH OF YOU AND COUNCILMAN COURAGE I MAY HAVE MISSED YOU, BUT I WILL GET YOU ONE, I PROMISE, ARE THE COLD WEATHER GUIDES THAT GO OUT. THESE ARE AVAILABLE IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACILITIES AROUND THE CITY. AND PREPAREDNESS IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON IN THAT PROACTIVE PHASE OF PREPARING OUR RESIDENTS IN ORDER TO BE PREPARED IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENS. 
          REALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE TYPES OF EVENTS THEY'RE WHAT WE CALL CASCADING EVENTS. ONE DOMINO FALL WHICH CAUSES ANOTHER DOMINO TO FALL, WHICH CAUSES ANOTHER DOMINO. OUR GOAL IS TO PREVENT AS MANY DOMINOES FROM FALLING AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE. SO IF OUR RESIDENTS ARE PREPARED, THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO NOT NEED OUR SERVICES AND THEY CAN MAKE IT THROUGH THE EVENT IN A MORE COMFORTABLE FASHION. THE OTHER THING WE DO IS THAT WE REALIZED THAT [INDISCERNIBLE] DOES EXIST SO WE'VE CREATED A DOOR HANGER THAT WE DISTRIBUTE IN SOCIALLY VULNERABLE NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES. 
          THOSE HAVE GONE OUT FOR THIS CURRENT YEAR AND SO WE DO DO THE DOOR HANGERS, WHICH IS KIND OF AN ABBREVIATED VERSION OF THAT PREPAREDNESS GUIDE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING THROUGH RIGHT NOW. SO COMMUNITY OUTREACH, THE FOUR P'S, EVERYBODY HAS HEARD ABOUT IT. WHEN WE FOCUS ON PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO, WE DO REAL GOOD AT DRESSING FOR THE WARM WEATHER, NOT SO MUCH FOR THE COLD WEATHER. 
          SO TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO LAYER AND TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO STAY WARM. 
          ALSO A HUGE PIECE OF THE PEOPLE PART IS LOOKING AT YOUR FAMILY AND NEIGHBORS. 
          IF WE'RE TAKING CARE OF EACH OTHER WE HAVE MORE RESILIENT NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES SO JUST REMINDING PEOPLE THAT PEOPLE ARE WHAT'S IMPORTANT. 
          GO VISIT YOUR NEIGHBOR. MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THINGS THAT -- I'M SORRY. 
          WAYS TO STAY WARM. THEY'RE ADDRESSING APPROPRIATELY. 
          YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS AS WELL. TAKING CARE OF YOUR PETS, BRINGING THEM INSIDE, GIVING THEM A PLACE TO TAKE SHELTER. PLANTS, I AM NOT SOMEBODY WITH A GREEN THUMB. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ARE. MY PLANTS ARE DEAD ALREADY BY THE TIME THE COLD WEATHER HITS, BUT IF YOURS AREN'T BRING THEM INSIDE AND COVER THEM UP SO YOU CAN CONTINUE TO ENJOY THEM.  AND PIPES, I KNOW THIS WAS BROUGHT UP DURING THE SAWS PRESENTATION. I LOOK AT IT AS A BOWL VERSUS A SPAGHETTI COLANDER. THE MORE HOLES YOU HAVE IN THE SYSTEM THE PRESSURE GOES AWAY AND WE'RE A PRESSURE SYSTEM WHEN IT COMES TO OUR WINTER SYSTEM. 
          [01:45:02]
SO DURING WINTER STORM URI WE HAD TONS, LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF PHONE CALLS ABOUT BROKEN PIPES THAT NOT ONLY DO DAMAGE TO PEOPLE'S PROPERTIES BUT IT AFFECTS THE WATER SYSTEM AND MAKES IT HARDER TO REGENERATE THAT PRESSURE COMING THROUGH OUR SYSTEM. SO PIPES ARE VERY IMPORTANT AND WE TAKE CARE TO INSULATE AND ALSO KEEP THAT WATER MOVING DURING COLD WATER DAYS. 
          AND IN COORDINATED WEATHER RESPONSE PLAN AND TIPS, WE WORK WITH ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT AGENCIES, THE CITY, COUNTY GET TOGETHER WITH CPS, SAWS, VIA, PRETTY MUCH ANYBODY THAT WILL LISTEN AND PUT OUT AN AWARENESS FOR US, WE TRY TO LINK AS MANY PEOPLE TO SOCIAL MEDIA, TO INTERNET SITES, TO ANYTHING WE CAN TO GET THEM PREPARED. ALL OF THAT GOES THROUGH THE CITY, THROUGH THE COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT AND WE WORK HAND IN HAND WITH THEM TO GENERATE THE DIFFERENT MESSAGES. I KNOW OURS ARE GETTING READY TO GO OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. I'VE ALSO JUST APPROVED OUR WARMING SITES INTERACTIVE MAP TO GO UP ON THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WEBSITE. SO TONS OF INFORMATION IS GOING OUT. 
          IT'S GETTING PEOPLE INTERESTED TO GO TO LOOK TO THAT INFORMATION IS WHAT'S IMPORTANT. THE CITY MANAGER HAS ASKED US TO PUT TOGETHER AN INFOGRAPHIC THAT TALKS ABOUT SHELTERING IF WE NEED TO DO THIS. 
          SO THE FIRST PART OF THIS IS OUR COLD WEATHER PLAN THAT WE LOOK AT FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. LEVEL ONE IS REALLY STARTS WHEN WE GET TO FREEZING TEMPERATURES THAT ARE GOING TO LAST MORE THAN A FEW HOURS. 
          THIS IS WHERE WE START LOOKING AT DAYTIME WARMING SITES, PLACES TO STAY WARM, PLACES THAT WE CAN HAVE PEOPLE GO TO JUST STAY WARM. LIBRARIES, SENIOR CENTERS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, GO TO THE MALL. WE HAVE AN INTERACTIVE MAP OF THE SITES THAT IS ON THE SAN ANTONIO OFFICE OF THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WEB PAGE. WHEN WE GET INTO LEVEL 2 AND THREE IS WHEN WE START TO LOOK AT DISRUPTIONS IN CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE OR DANGEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS THAT COULD AFFECT OUR RESIDENTS. THIS IS WHEN WE LOOK AT OPENING THE RESILIENCY SITES FOR SHELTERING AND THEN IF WE GET TO LEVEL 3 WHEN WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE A WINTER STORM URI THIS IS WHERE WE LOOK AT TAKING OVER THE ALAMODOME AND OTHER PLACES BECAUSE WE HAVE A LARGE LOSS OF WATER. 
          ALSO PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IS SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY WANT TO PAY ATTENTION T THIS IS A GROUP OR A POPULATION THAT REQUIRES SOME SPECIAL SERVICES WHEN THEY COME IN THAT MOST PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO THAT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY IN THAT POPULATION. SO WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AND THEIR OUTREACH PROGRAMS, THESE ARE THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF THINGS THAT THEY -- AND THIS IS THE COLD WEATHER PLAN THAT THEY HAVE. 
          HAVEN FOR HOPE HAS -- IS OUR GO-TO. THEY HAVE 628 BEDS AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE YEAR, ESPECIALLY IN THE COLD WEATHER MONTHS. 
          WHEN WE START TO GET INTO THE COLD WEATHER PLAN, START TO LOOK AT IMPROVING OUR EXPANDING THAT CAPACITY COMMUNITIES PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE THAT CAN EXPAND THE CAPABILITIES THAT PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE OR UTILIZE. 
          THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF OUR RESILIENCY HUBS. YOU SEE THAT TWO OF THEM ARE IN TEAL. WE HAVE BEEN INSTALLING GENERATORS TO HARDEN THESE FACILITIES, QUOTE, UNQUOTE. WE HAVE A PLAN AND WE ARE WORKING WITH PUBLIC PARTNERS TO PROVIDE POWER AT THOSE PLACES, HOWEVER THE OTHER FOUR CITY-OWNED RESILIENCY HUBS ALREADY DO HAVE THAT GENERATOR POWER AND WE ARE ABLE TO USE THOSE FOR CONGREGATE SHELTER OR EMERGENCY PREPARES IF WE NEED TO. 
          I COVERED UP MY BUTTON THERE. COOPERATION WITH OUTSIDE AGENCIES. AS YOU HAVE HEARD TIME AND TIME AGAIN, THE COOPERATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE UTILITIES, AS WELL AS THE COUNTY HAS IMPROVED GREATLY. 
          THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE WORK WITH. 
          THE ONE THAT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS AT THE END. IT'S THE A GROUP OF PROBABLY 400 ENTITIES THAT CAN COME TOGETHER AT ANY TIME. WE WILL GET ON A PHONE CALL WITH THESE FOLKS AND GIVE THEM ALL THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO THEY CAN SAY WITH ORGANIZATIONS. WE HAVE MONTHLY MEETINGS FOR THIS GROUP AND EVERYBODY YOU CAN THINK OF FROM THE MILITARY TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO THE FBI, WHATABURGER HAS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, I NEVER KNEW WHATABURGER HAD EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BEFORE I GOT INTO THIS, BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IT MAKES A GREAT DEAL OF SENSE. SO ALL OF THESE PEOPLE COME TOGETHER SO WE CAN SHARE INFORMATION, WE CAN COLLECT INFORMATION AND DISTRIBUTE IT EFFECTIVELY. 
          AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, AT THAT POINT I WANT TO RECOGNIZE SOME OF MY STAFF THAT WALKED OUT OF THE ROOM OF COURSE RIGHT BEFORE I WAS GOING TO RECOGNIZE THEM. 
          OH, Y'ALL JUST CHANGED PLACES!  THAT'S WHAT IT IS. [LAUGHTER]. 
          [01:50:02]
STAND UP, GO AHEAD. THESE FOLKS BEHIND ME ARE INTEGRAL INTO WHAT WE DO FOR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. SO I WANT TO THANK THEM. [APPLAUSE]. 
          LARRY, YOU SHOWED UP!  ALL RIGHT!  BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, LARRY. 
          BUT WORKING WITH THIS, IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO DO ANYTHING WITHOUT OUR STAFF AT THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, SO I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE THEM. FOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, I KNOW THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR CITY COUNCIL. YOU HAVE MADE IT VERY CLEAR AND WE HAVE DONE OUR VERY BEST SINCE WINTER STORM URI TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED. 
          THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE WITH DEPUTY CITY MANAGER MAR 83 I CAN'T VILLAGÓMEZ, AS WELL AS COMMISSIONER WALSH HAVE WORKED WITH THE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM TO BE YOUR CONDUIT TO GET INFORMATION AND THAT INFORMATION FLOWS BOTH WAYS. 
          SO IF YOU ARE NOT GETTING THE INFORMATION YOU NEED, I KNOW YOU WILL HEAR FROM US AT LEAST EVERY 12 HOURS, USUALLY TWICE A DAY ON THAT SITUATIONAL AWARENESS PIECE OF WHAT'S GOING ON. IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT WOULD BE THE CONDUIT TO PASS THAT INFORMATION THROUGH. AND REMEMBER THAT IT'S THE ONE MESSAGE, MANY VOICES THAT WE REALLY TRY TO ENFORCE AND WE SPEAK AS MANY FACTS AS WE POSSIBLY CAN AND YOU WILL GET THAT THROUGH THOSE UPDATES. 
          AND SPEAKING OF TALKING TO THE PUBLIC AND THE MEDIA, THIS IS WHERE WE ORGANIZED EVERYBODY THROUGH WHAT WE CALL THE JOINT INFORMATION CENTER AT THE EMERGENCY JOINT EMERGENCY CENTER. THIS IS WHERE THEY GO OUT AND GET INFORMATION AND ORGANIZE THEM SO WE CAN HAVE THAT ONE MESSAGE MANY VOICES TYPE UNDERSTANDING AS EVERYBODY TALKS TO THE MEDIA AND WE PASS ALONG THAT FACTUAL INFORMATION. 
          AND WITH THAT I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. 
          THANK YOU. >> GARCIA: THANKS, BRIAN. I'LL START OFF BY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT DURING THE SAWS PRESENTATION I WAS GOING TO MENTION THAT WHATABURGER CUPS WORK GREAT TO COVER LIKE YOUR WATER FAUCETS. 
          BUT I WAS LIKE I'LL REFRAIN BUT SINCE YOU MENTIONED THEM I'LL GIVE THEM A SHOUT-OUT. 
          AND THANK YOU, EVERYBODY, FOR BEING HERE. AND LARRY, I KNOW YOU'RE ALWAYS SWAMPED SO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. I'M PLEASED TO SEE THE RESILIENCY HUB IN MY DISTRICT, MILLER'S POND IS GOING TO GET THE GENERATORS. 
          I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. WE'VE DONE SOME IMPROVEMENTS, THERE'S EVEN FISH IN THE POND, RIGHT, SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT. I ALSO HAVE BEEN APPROACHED BY TEXAS A&M SAN ANTONIO AND SO THEIR NEW JIM FACILITY IS APPARENTLY TOP OF LINE AND IT IS APPROVED FOR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS LIKE AT THE STATE LEVEL. 
          SO ANYWAY, SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO TALK WITH THEM OR COORDINATE 
          WITH THEM, BRIAN. >> I HAVE NOT. WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE RESILIENCY DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS SUSTAINABILITY TO LOOK AT THAT COMMUNITY-BASED HUB TYPE SCENARIO. AND WE DIVIDE IT INTO TWO DIFFERENT WAYS. 
          ONE IS A DAY-TO-DAY TYPE OPERATION. HOW CAN WE MEET THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS AND WHAT THEY WANT TO BECOME A RESILIENT COMMUNITY. 
          THE OTHER PART WHEN WE LOOK AT EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE IS CONGREGATE SHELTERING. AND CONGREGATE SHELTERING TAKES IT TO A NEW LEVEL. 
          THE IDEA IS THAT THEY WOULD APPLY THE SHELTER, THE SECURITY AND THE STAFF WHERE WE WOULD SUPPLY THE TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT AND Y'ALL HAVE BEEN VERY NICE IN SUPPORTING US, BEING ABLE TO PURCHASE SUPPLIES WITH ARPA FUNDS IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THAT CONGREGATE SHELTERING MISSION. WE ARE READY TO DO IT, BUT NEED TO FIND THE RIGHT PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY TO DO IT. 
          >> GARCIA: GOT IT. SOUNDS LIKE YOU CAN TALK TO TEXAS A&M BECAUSE THEY'RE READY. AND I APPRECIATE THE OUTREACH TO THE HOMELESS POPULATION. I THINK IT'S CRITICAL IN THESE UPCOMING DAYS ESPECIALLY. AND I ASKED ABOUT THIS LAST WEEK, I ASKEDBERT WALSH AND IN PARTICULAR I HAD SEEN A SMALL BUS IN DC THAT WAS KIND OF DRIVING AROUND PICKING UP ANYBODY WHO WANTED TO GET A RIDE TO A SHELTER SO THEY HAD A NUMBER PAINTED ON THE BUS AND PEOPLE COULD JUST CALL AND ASK TO BE PICKED UP. 
          IT WAS LIKE 27 DEGREES AND THERE WAS LIKE A WIND CHILL THAT MADE IT A LITTLE BIT LOWER. SO I WAS WONDERING LIKE IF WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          AND SO ERIK SAID THAT LIKE DHS, THE BUSES ARE THE ONES THAT DO THAT, BUT THAT VIA I CAN'T COULD ALSO BE TAKING PEOPLE TO LOCATIONS TO SHELTERS. 
          AND MY QUESTION WAS HOW DO WE GET THAT WORD OUT, RIGHT? LIKE HOW ARE THEY ABLE TO KNOW THAT THEY CAN TAKE THE VIA FOR FREE? CAN THEY GO UP ON THEIR OWN? 
          [01:55:08]
WILL THEY BE TURNED AWAY IF THEY SHOW UP? TELL ME ABOUT THAT. 
          >> SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT TRANSPORTATION MEDIA THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO EVERYBODY, TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST, BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOUSELESSNESS, THE HOMELESS OUTREACH PROGRAM THAT IS PUT ON BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, THEY DO AN AMAZING JOB REMAINING IN CONTACT WITH THESE FOLKS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. IT'S NOT JUST WHEN WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY, IT'S WHEN IT'S TOO HOT, WHEN IT'S TOO COLD, AT ANY GIVEN TIME. I CAN TELL YOU PEOPLE FIND THEIR WAY TO OUR WARMING CENTERS, THEY FIND THEIR WAY TO THE SHELTERS THAT WE STAND UP. WE PUT IT OUT THROUGH ALL TYPES OF MEDIA, ALL TYPES OF SOCIAL MEDIA. A LOT OF PEOPLE END UP KNOWING WHERE TO GO. 
          WE DO HAVE A TRANSPORTATION NETWORK SET UP WHENEVER WE STAND UP THESE TYPES OF FACILITIES. SO VIA HAS BEEN A GREAT PARTNER TO US DOING THAT AS WELL AS ALL THE -- I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE FANCY ENOUGH TO HAVE A BUS, BUT VANS DEFINITELY I KNOW THEY HAVE ACCESS TO AND THAT OUTREACH PORTION HAS BEEN VERY GOOD 
          FOR US. >> GARCIA: WONDERFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          AND AGAIN, I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW, RIGHT, THAT THEY CALL A NUMBER. SO I FEEL LIKE WE'VE BEEN PHONING A FRIEND ALL DAY TODAY, SO I'M LIKE, OKAY, UTILITY COMPANY -- SO TELEPHONE COMPANIES AS WELL, AND I'M ASSUMING THAT -- I CAN'T REMEMBER THAT REALLY LONG LIST OF PARTNERS, BUT I KNOW VIA IS ON THERE, BUT I'M ASSUMING THE TELEPHONE COMPANIES ARE ALSO A PART? 
          >> WE HAVE 311 THAT USUALLY DOES THAT FOR US. WE ALSO HAVE WHAT THEY CALL HOMELESS HOTLINE TO WHERE PEOPLE CAN CALL TO GET SERVICES OR IF THEY NEED SOMETHING. AND I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. 
          >> 207-0799 BUT I THOUGHT THAT WAS GOING AWAY. >> I HAVE NOT HEARD IT WAS 
          GOING AWAY. >> GARCIA: THANK GOD. OKAY, BUT I WAS TALKING IN TERMS OF LIKE EMERGENCY COORDINATION, RIGHT, LIKE TELEPHONE COMPANIES AND SO I JUST DIDN'T REMEMBER IF THAT'S ONE OF YOUR LONG LIST. 
          YOU HAVE LIKE TO THREE DIFFERENT SETS LIKE NON-PROFITS AND MAYBE EVEN 
          HAVE H.E.B. ON THERE. >> YES. >> GARCIA: THEY'RE ON 
          THERE. >> THEY WEREN'T ON THESE LISTS BUT WE DEFINITELY HAVE LISTS THAT H.E.B. IS ON, DIFFERENT LISTS OF FOOD CHAINS AND THOSE DIFFERENT AVENUES.  WE PUT OUT ALERTS TO CELL PHONES. WE PUT OUT ANYTHING TO SOCIAL MEDIA. IF WE CAN GET THE MESSAGE OUT WE'RE GOING TO GET IT OUT. IS IT DIRECTED PARTICULARLY TO PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS? NO. HOWEVER, THAT OUTREACH PROGRAM REALLY DOES A GOOD JOB IN REACHING THOSE FOLKS AS WELL AS THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT ARE OUT THERE FROM HAVEN FOR HOPE AND ALL OF THE -- I THINK I HAD SOME OF THE CATHOLIC MINISTRYIES AND ASL MINISTRIES, ALL OF THOSE DO AN AMAZING JOB 
          REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THAT SITUATION. >> GARCIA: SO ONE OF THE THINGS AT THE POINT IN TIME COUNT THAT WE HAD IS EVERYBODY WAS CHARGING THEIR PHONES. LIKE NO MATTER HOW COLD IT WAS, THEY WERE SITTING THIS AND JUST WAITING AT THE VIA TRANSIT CENTER TO CHARGE THEIR PHONES. 
          SO I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU ALL GET THAT MESSAGING OUT, BUT SIMILAR TO WHAT I ASKED SAWS EARLIER IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE A STRATEGY TO HAVE PUSH NOTIFICATIONS GOING TO THESE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS SAYING CALL THIS NUMBER IF YOU NEED A RIDE OR HOP ON THE VIA OR JUST -- I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO DO THAT OR WHAT APP -- 
          >> IT WOULD TAKE SOME COORDINATION THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES. AND I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR THEM AS FAR AS HOW THAT GOES ABOUT, BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY START THAT COORDINATION AND THOSE 
          DISCUSSIONS. >> GARCIA: YEAH. I WOULD LOVE THAT BECAUSE I KNOW THEY HAVE ACCESS TO PHONES SO IT'S IMPORTANT. SO THE OTHER APP FOR ANYONE, 
          RIGHT, IS THE SOUTH TEXAS APP. >> READY SOUTH TEXAS. 
          >> GARCIA: THANK YOU. AND SO I'M ASSUMING THAT YOU ALL ALSO PUSH THE COMMUNICATION OR DECIDE WHEN TO PUSH CERTAIN MESSAGES THROUGH THAT. 
          >> YES. >> GARCIA: ALL RIGHT. AND ARE WE ALLOWING ANIMALS 
          TO STAY AT THE WARMING SHELTERS? >> AT THE WARMING CENTERS IF THEY DO SHOW UP WITH AN ANIMAL WE'RE -- THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF LEGALITIES THAT GO ALONG WITH ANIMALS, WITH SERVICE ANIMALS AND THOSE DIFFERENT TYPES. 
          IF THE ANIMAL IS NOT ALLOWED INTO THE FACILITY ITSELF, WE DO HAVE CARRIERS, WE WORK WITH ACS THAT WE CAN HAVE A PLACE TO WHERE THE ANIMALS CAN STAY WARM AS WELL. 
          WHEN WE DO CONGREGATE SHELTERING, FOR SAN ANTONIO PURPOSES THE ANIMAL DOESN'T NECESSARILY SLEEP IN THE SAME ROOM AS THE HUMAN POPULATION DOES, HOWEVER, THERE IS A SPACE AVAILABLE FOR THEM TO STAY WARM AND STAY IN CONTACT WITH THEIR 
          OWNERS. >> GARCIA: GOT IT. AND MY FINAL QUESTION IS THE NON-PROFIT EMERGENCY RESPONSE PILOT PROGRAMS THAT WERE BUDGETED IN THE 2024 
          [02:00:01]
          BUDGET. WHAT'S THE STATUS ON THAT? >> AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU COULD REFRESH MY MEMORY ON THAT? OH, THE COMMUNITY SHELTERS? THAT WAS THAT COMMUNITY HELP PROGRAM THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT AND TEXAS A&M SAN ANTONIO WOULD BE A GREAT ONE TO TALK TO. WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING THROUGH THE OFFICE OF RESILIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY TO TRY TO IDENTIFY MORE PARTNERS AND HOW WE CAN MOVE ON WITH THAT. 
          WE'VE HAD SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH SOME, AND IT IS A HIGH STANDARD TO MEET. SO WE'VE BEEN MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT. 
          >> GARCIA: THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO, WOULD 
          YOU LIKE TO START? >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, AND OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. I KNOW TEAM MEMBERS HAVE BEEN MAKING THE ROUNDS AT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND THE ASSOCIATIONS ARE GRATEFUL WHEN THEY'RE CONNECTED TO THAT INFORMATION. THANK Y'ALL FOR THAT. 
          I APPRECIATE THE EMPHASIS THAT Y'ALL HAVE PUT ON AND THE OVERALL WORK WITH CONNECTING UNHOUSED FOLKS TO RESOURCES. I'M SURE MANY OF US HAVE READ THAT STORY, THE UNFORTUNATE STORY OF THE TWO UNHOUSED FOLKS WHO DIED WITH THEIR DOGS ON THE EASTSIDE. AND I THINK THAT PROVIDES US WITH SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO OPEN UP WARMING SHELTERS BEFORE IT'S FREEZING FOR UNHOUSED FOLKS SO THAT WAY THEY CAN GET CONNECTED WITH RESOURCES RATHER THAN JUST AT FREEZING AND THEN SOME OF US IF WE LOSE HEAT AT HOME I COULD GO TO [INDISCERNIBLE] BUT I KNOW FOR MANY OF OUR UNHOUSED FOLKS THEY LOSE THEIR BLANKETS AND JACKETS THROUGH SWEEPS, SO MAKING SURE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO WARM PLACES IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXPLORE ON HOW TO INCREASE ACCESS FOR THOSE UNHOUSED FOLKS. AND I KNOW DHS DOES OUTREACH AND THEY HAVE LITERATURE TO PASS OUT TO UNHOUSED FOLKS, BUT CAN OUR OFFICES ALSO BE PROVIDED WITH THOSE PUSH CARDS? BECAUSE OFTEN TIMES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN I KNOW THE TEMPERATURE, WHEN THERE'S A DRASTIC DROP FROM 70 TO 30 OR 70 TO 40, I'LL CHECK ON MY UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS TO SEE WHAT RESOURCES THEY MAY NEED AND SAY HEY, THESE ARE THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO YOU. AND I SOCIAL SECURITY A PUSH CARD WITH THOSE SHELTERS AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE COULD BE HELPFUL TO PROVIDE THEM WITH IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN RECEIVING THOSE SERVICES. LASTLY, -- YOU ASKED A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS, COUNCILWOMAN. I KNOW VIA IS ONE OF THE PARTNERS. 
          IN TERMS OF THEIR BUS STATIONS THAT HAVE HEAT AND/OR COOLING, WILL THEY LEAVE THOSE OPEN 24/7 FOR SHELTER? OR IS IT JUST MORE PROVIDING 
          SERVICES WITH TRANSPORTATION THAT VIA PROVIDES? >> SO THERE ARE HOURS THAT VIA DOES NOT OPERATE DURING THE DAY. IT'S A VERY SHORT TIME PERIOD DURING THE DAY. I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION. 
          THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN GET FROM VIA, BUS I CAN GET YOU 
          AN ANSWER ON THAT. >> CASTILLO: I WOULD LIKE TO ASK ABOUT THAT AND IN PARTICULAR CENTRO THEY LOCK UP THE INDOOR WAITING SPACE BUT I THINK WE NEED IT FOR FOLKS. A LOT OF FOLKS MAY MY DISTRICT MISS THE LINEUP OR THEY'LL WALK HOME OR STAY DOWNTOWN UNTIL THE NEXT DAY AND I KNOW THAT SOUNDS EXTREME, BUT THAT'S THE EXTREMES THAT THEY LIVE IN. SO I THINK MAKING THAT ASK IF THEY CAN KEEP THOSE SPACES OPEN WOULD BE OF BENEFIT TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AND THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS. 
          [LAUGHTER]. >> WE'LL GET WITH VIA AND GET YOU AN ANSWER ON THAT. 
          >> GARCIA: COUNCILMAN COURAGE? >> COURAGE: I KNOW THAT YOUR OFFICE DOES A GREAT JOB, MANY OF US AS COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE BEEN OUT THERE AND HAVE SEEN HOW WELL PREPARED WE ARE. BUT I'M WONDERING ABOUT HOW WELL PREPARED WE ARE REGIONALLY? AND BY THAT I MEAN THERE ARE 17 OR 18 SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND AROUND US. 
          AND THERE ARE OVER 20 INDEPENDENT COMMUNITIES. HOW PLUGGED IN ARE THOSE RESOURCES OR THOSE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TO WHEN AN EMERGENCY MAY COME UP AND THEY NEED TO LET THEM KNOW SO STUDENTS CAN GET HOME OR STAY IN SCHOOL? OR INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES CAN DO MORE TO OPEN UP THEIR LOCAL SHELTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO HOW IS THIS PLAN BROAD ENOUGH TO ENCOMPASS ALL OF THOSE IN OUR GREATER COMMUNITY? 
          >> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. WE [INDISCERNIBLE] WITH THE EOC IN BEXAR COUNTY. 
          SO WE SHARE THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER WITH US. SO WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS WE'RE IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH COUNTY OFFICIALS WHO ALSO HAVE THE SMALLER COMMUNITIES AROUND SAN ANTONIO. THE BALCONES HEIGHTS, ALAMO HEIGHTS, THEY PROVIDE EMERGENCY SERVICES TO THEM. ALSO WITH THAT MCIS GROUP THAT I BROUGHT UP, REGION 20 IS IN THERE SO THEY ENCAPSULATE A LOT OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS. FOR A LOT OF THE MORNINGS THAT WE HAVE ICE OR 
          [02:05:01]
SOMETHING LIKE THAT WE'RE USUALLY ON THE SUPERINTENDENT'S CALL LIST TRYING TO DECIDE WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE SCHOOL OR NOT BECAUSE HONESTLY, THAT INFORMATION GOES TOWARDS THE CITY MAYBE MAKING A DECISION ON WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO OPEN CITY SERVICES THAT DAY OR GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT AND DOING THAT MEDIA PLAN IS VERY IMPORTANT. SO EVERYBODY IS VERY TUNED IN. THEY HAVE ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE. 
          THAT MCIS GROUP HAS BEEN CRITICAL TOW THAT AS WELL AS SHARING THE EMERGENCY 
          OPERATIONS CENTER WITH BEXAR COUNTY. >> COURAGE: SO IF I WERE TO SIMPLIFY IT I WOULD SAY THE COUNTY AS OUR PARTNER THERE AT THE EMERGENCY CENTER NOTIFIES ALL THE SMALL MUNICIPALITIES OF ANYTHING THEY NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR AND REGION 20 DOES THE SAME WITH THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS. 
          >> YES. AND ACTUALLY, IT'S EVEN BIGGER THAN THAT. 
          SO REGION 20 IS HUGE. STRAC, WHICH IS ANOTHER PARTNER FOR US FOR EMERGENCY AGENCIES AND HOSPITALS IS A 22-COUNTY REGION. SO WE'RE VERY ACTIVE IN THE REGION AS FAR AS GETTING INFORMATION OUT AND INFORMATION SHARING. 
          >> COURAGE: THANK YOU. >> YES, SIR. >> GARCIA: COUNCILMAN 
          WHYTE? >> WHYTE: BRIEFLY, I THINK YOU'VE ANSWERED A BUNCH, DO WE HAVE THE POINT IN TIME COUNT RIGHT NOW ON OUR HOMELESS POPULATION. 
          >> I WOULD NOT KNOW THAT INFORMATION. WE CAN GET IT FROM -- DO YOU 
          HAVE IT, MARIA? >> GOING TO SAY, COUNCILMAN, WE DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER, BUT WE WILL BE DOING THE COUNT IN JANUARY. WE DO IT EVERY YEAR SO WE'LL 
          HAVE THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU. >> IT'S JANUARY 26TH. 
          >> WHYTE: OKAY. ARE WE COORDINATING WITH OTHER CITIES, SURROUNDING CITIES, REGARDING, YOU KNOW, WHAT ASSISTANCE THEY CAN BE IN TERMS OF SHELTERING OUR 
          FOLKS OR HOMELESS? >> AS FAR AS ESDS AND SURROUNDING POPULATIONS, ABSOLUTELY. IF WE WERE GOING TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT WAS CATASTROPHIC AND WE NEED TO TAKE OVER A LARGE AREA IN ORDER TO DO CONGREGATE SHELTERING, THEY WOULD WE WOULDE TO DO THAT WITHIN THE CITY AS WELL. 
          BUT YES, WE COORDINATE THROUGHOUT THE REGION. THERE IS A VERY INTRICATE AND BOLSTERED EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT NETWORK THAT RUNS ALL THE WAY UP TO THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT WE'RE VERY MUCH A PART OF. 
          >> WHYTE: OKAY. AND THE COUNTY, I KNOW THE COUNTY IS ON HERE AND I KNOW EARLIER I BROUGHT UP COMMUNICATION ISSUES WITH -- WITH DIFFERENT ENTITIES, BUT CITY-COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS I THINK FALL RIGHT IN THIS CATEGORY TOO WHERE I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT. SO WHAT ARE THE CONVERSATIONS LIKE AND WHO DO YOU CONVERSE WITH OVER AT THE COUNTY? 
          AND WHAT ARE THEY DOING TO ASSIST IN THESE EFFORTS? >> SO THE COUNTY, LIKE THE CITY, HAS AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR AS WELL AS A DEPUTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATE E AND WE TALK ALL THE TIME. SO THE DEPUTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CORD IT NATE AS WELL AS OUR CHIEF, ARE BOTH COHABITATED AT THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER. SO THE COMMUNICATION EMERGENCY MANAGEMENTWISE BETWEEN THE CITY AND COUNTY IS AS GOOD AS IT'S EVER BEEN, IT REALLY IS. 
          AND ACTUALLY, THAT IS REALLY SPARKED WITH SOME OF THE CHANGE OF LEADERSHIP THAT WE'VE SEEN ON BOTH SIDES TO REALLY WANT TO HAVE THAT MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND 
          THOSE MUTUAL POLICIES MOVING FORWARD. >> WHYTE: OKAY. 
          I APPRECIATE IT. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. 
          COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO? >> CASTILLO: IN TERMS OF THE TEXTS THAT GOES OUT, DO YOU NEED TO OPT INTO THOSE OR HOW DO YOU COMPILE THE CONTACTS THAT RECEIVE THOSE 
          BLASTS? >> SOME OF THE TEXT BLASTS YOU HAVE TO OPERATE INTO. 
          WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO OPEN UP CELL PHONES IN CERTAIN AREAS THAT ARE IMPACTED BY AN EMERGENCY. OPT IN, OPT OUT, LIKE AMBER ALERTS. 
          THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF INFORMATION THAT CAN COME IN IF YOU WOULD LIKE TOW OPT IN OR OPT OUT. OTHER THING I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP IS AUDIO]. IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED MEDICALLY FRAGILE OR HAVE SOME SORT OF NEED LIKE THAT, THEY CAN OPT INTO THAT PROGRAM WITH THE STATE AND LEGISLATIVELY THAT COMES DOWN WITH A WHOLE DIFFERENT SET OF RESPONSIBILITIES FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE FOLKS ARE DOING WELL. 
          >> CASTILLO: THAT'S HELPFUL. AND IN TERMS OF DISTRICT 5, WE ALWAYS SEE AN INCREASE OF FIRES, WHETHER IT'S VACANT STRUCTURES AND/OR OCCUPIED STRUCTURES. AND I'M CURIOUS IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITY OR -- I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S STIPULATIONS ON USING THAT SOFTWARE FOR THE TEXT BLAST, BUT I BELIEVE THERE WOULD BE VALUE ON JUST OVERALL FIRE SAFETY TIPS WITH NOT OVERPLUGGING YOUR POWER STRIP AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO JUST HELP EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND JUST HOPEFULLY REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF FIRES THAT WE SEE OUT OUT IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          >> YES. AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE COMMUNICATION AUDIO]. WE HAVE SOME FIRE SAFETY TIPS IN THERE BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY LIKE YOU HAD BROUGHT UP THE CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING, THAT DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN TO OUR HOMELESS POPULATION, IT HAPPENS IN A LOT OF PEOPLE -- IN IN A LOT OF PLACES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE SHELTER. 
          SO PROPER WARMING TECHNIQUES, NOT OVERLOADING THESE PLUGS, KEEPING SPACE 
          [02:10:04]
HETEROS AWAY FROM FLAMMABLES. DURING CHRISTMAS TIME MANGING SURE THERE'S WATER IN YOUR CHRISTMAS TREES SO WE'RE NOT CAUSING FIRES, BUT IMPROPER HEATING OF HOMES IS SOMETHING THAT WE DEAL WITH UNFORTUNATELY EVERY YEAR. 
          >> CASTILLO: YES. THANK YOU FOR THAT, JUST EDUCATING THE MILK ON THOSE PIECES. IT'S SOMETHING THAT MY CONSTITUENTS ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT AND THERE'S ALWAYS THE INCREASE OF CONCERN BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF FIRES THAT 
          WE EXPERIENCE. THANK YOU. >> NO, THANK YOU. 
          >> GARCIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. AND THE CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING, I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET OUT TO OUR SPANISH-SPEAKING POPULATION ESPECIALLY. AND SO WHEN I WAS THREE YEARS OLD I WAS -- I ALMOST DIED OF CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING BECAUSE MY MOM DOESN'T KNOW. SO IT WAS JUST LIKE KIND OF HITS HOME TO ME EVERY TIME I HEAR THAT. I KIND OF STRESS OUT IN PUSHING AT THE MESSAGE. 
          AND WE COULD HAVE BEEN BOTH BEEN DEAD HAVE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT NOT GOTTEN THERE IN TIME. SO TO ME IT'S SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO STAY ALIVE WHEN IT'S SO COLD. 
          >> I GET IT. EVERYTHING FROM THE CITY PERSPECTIVE, ESPECIALLY IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, IS DONE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. SO WE DO HAVE A SPANISH VERSION OF THE COLD WEATHER GUIDE THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU. 
          I DECIDED TO GIVE YOU THE ENGLISH ONE, BUT WE DO HAVE A SPANISH GUIDE FOR THAT AS WELL AS THE DOOR HANGERS, BOTH SIDES ONE IS SPANISH AND ONE IS ENGLISH, SO WE 
          HAVE THOSE SERVICES AVAILABLE. >> GARCIA: THIS IS A VERY HELPFUL INFORMATION. THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE HERE TODAY TO HELP US PREPARE FOR THE WINTER. THANKS. THAT CONCLUDES OUR MEETING AT 3:13 P.M. THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.