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4, 3, 2, 1.[Storm Water Advisory Committee on March 23, 2023.]
AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.I'M ADAM SMITH, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, AND I'M ALSO SERVING AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE STORMWATER ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I WANTED TO OPEN THIS UP WITH A VIDEO FROM THE MAYOR.
UH, SHE'S OUT OF TOWN TODAY, OTHERWISE SHE WOULD BE PRESENTING THIS IN PERSON.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND, UH, HEAR FROM HER FIRST.
I WANNA START OFF TODAY'S MEETING BY THANKING THE MEMBERS OF OUR STORMWATER ADVISORY COMMITTEE, OUR LOCAL MEDIA, AND OUR COMMUNITY, FOR TAKING THE TIME TO JOIN US TODAY AS WE WORK TO ADDRESS STORM WATER MANAGEMENT IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
BEFORE THE DISCUSSION BEGINS, I THINK IT IS CRITICAL FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'RE GATHERED HERE TODAY AND WHAT WE HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH.
OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MEETINGS.
FEDERAL AND STATE ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS REQUIRE LARGE MUNICIPALITIES LIKE BATON ROUGE TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN A MUNICIPAL SEPARATE STORM WATER SEWER SYSTEM, ALSO KNOWN AS MS FOUR, IN A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
HISTORICALLY, THE CITY PARISH HAS NOT ADEQUATELY INVESTED IN THE IMPROVEMENT, INSPECTION, CLEANING, AND MAINTENANCE OF OUR STORM WATER SYSTEMS AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
AS A RESULT, OUR STORM WATER SYSTEMS ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO MITIGATE THE FREQUENT FLOODING, OVERFLOWS, AND CHRONIC LITTER THAT IMPACTS OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND WHILE THIS DISINVESTMENT SPANS MULTIPLE DECADES AND SEVERAL ADMINISTRATIONS, IT IS IMPERATIVE TO ACT NOW.
WE OWE IT TO OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR ENVIRONMENT TO TACKLE THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
OUR CITY PARISH MUST DEVELOP, FUND AND IMPLEMENT AN ADEQUATE STORM WATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM TO IMPROVE STORM WATER QUALITY AND COMPLY WITH OUR ENVIRONMENTAL OBLIGATIONS.
MY ADMINISTRATION IS COMMITTED TO GETTING THIS RIGHT.
THE GOAL TODAY AND THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF OUR STORM WATER ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETINGS IS TO IDENTIFY A SUSTAINABLE LONG-TERM SOLUTION TO THE ISSUE AT HAND WHILE LEVERAGING COMMUNITY INPUT AND FOSTERING TRANSPARENCY IN THE PROCESS.
WE KNOW THE PATH FORWARD WON'T BE EASY AND OUR SOLUTIONS WON'T BE PERFECT, BUT WE MUST WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE SOLUTIONS THAT BOTH FULFILL THE ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS AND CONSIDER THE VERY REAL NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
THAT IS WHY EACH OF YOU ARE IN THE ROOM TODAY TO REPRESENT OUR COMMUNITY AND WORK TOGETHER TO HELP DEVELOP THOSE SOLUTIONS THAT I AND OUR METRO COUNCIL CAN REVIEW AND WORK TO ADOPT IN THE COMING MONTHS.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WANT TO THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR TAKING THE TIME TO JOIN US FOR THIS CRITICAL COMMUNITY CONVERSATION.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU AS WE WORK TOWARD SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR OUR STORMWATER MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES HERE IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
WE'RE GONNA PULL UP THE POWERPOINT HERE.
WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT, I WOULD LIKE FOR ALL OF THE STONEWATER ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO JUST GIVE A BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF WHO YOU ARE AND WHO YOU'RE WITH.
SO I'LL START THAT WITH COUNCILMAN GOE.
UH, I'M HERE REPRESENTING ONE OF THREE COUNCIL MEMBER POSITIONS.
I'M THE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, HERE IN EAST BE ROUGE PARISHS FOR, UH, DISTRICT THREE.
I'M THE CEO O AT THE BAT ROUGES AREA CHAMBER.
LORI WHITE ADAMS. I'M COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT 11, AND LIKE, UH, COUNCILMAN GODDE, I'M HERE.
I'M REPRESENTING THE COUNCIL, UH, JEFF KEENEY.
I'M REPRESENTING THE LOUISIANA STORMWATER COALITION, A GROUP OF FOUR, AND ALSO I WEAR TWO HATS.
I'M ALSO REPRESENTING THE LSU AG CENTER AT BIRD MUSEUM AND GARDENS COR MA BLANC, REPRESENTING BATTER ROUGES COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
I SERVE AS THE VICE CHANCELLOR FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION AT THE COLLEGE.
I'M REPRESENTED, UH, APPOINTED BY THE METRO COUNSELOR.
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KUMAR FROM BLACK AND BEACH MANAGEMENT CONSULTING, ASSISTING THE CITY PARISH WITH THIS STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ENDOVER.I'M AN ENVIRONMENTAL LAWYER WITH THE LAW FIRM OF BRAZIL, SEX AND WILSON.
AND I'M THE MAYOR'S APPOINTEE.
DWIGHT HUDSON, COUNCILMAN FOR DISTRICT NINE, UH, AND ONE OF THE THREE COUNCIL APPOINTEES.
I AM THE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE FOR LSU, AND I AM REPRESENTING LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY.
KAREN ZITO WITH THE HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF GREATER BATON ROUGE.
JUSTIN LANGUA WITH THE GROWTH COALITION.
I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERATION OF GREATER BATON ROUGE CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS.
WE HAVE ABOUT 110 MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS IN THE PARISH, REPRESENTING ABOUT 65,000 HOMEOWNERS.
I'M COREY WILSON, SUPERINTENDENT OF BRECK RECREATIONS DIXON.
I'M PASTOR GREATER MOUNT ALI BAPTIST CHURCH HERE IN BATON ROUGE, AND I ALSO SERVE AS GENERAL SECRETARY FOR THE NATIONAL BAPTIST CONVENTION OF AMERICA.
OKAY, THANKS AGAIN FOR EVERYONE COMING TODAY.
WE DO HAVE A QUITE A LONG AGENDA.
THE INTENT FOR TODAY'S MEETING IS TO REALLY GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THIS COMMITTEE'S ALL ABOUT AND WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE GOING WITH IT OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
UH, WE DO HAVE 40 OR SO SLIDES.
WE'VE GOT FIVE DIFFERENT PRESENTERS.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE A BREAK ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH.
UM, I DO ASK THAT EVERYONE SAVES THEIR QUESTIONS TO THE END.
WE WILL HAVE A, A DISCUSSION SESSION TO THE END.
SO IF YOU COULD, UH, KEEP YOUR QUESTIONS UNTIL THEN, WE WILL, UH, MAKE IT A POINT TO ANSWER 'EM.
SO, AS I MENTIONED, WE'VE GOT THREE MEETINGS SCHEDULED OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS.
WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS, IF, IF, AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE LATER, BUT WE'VE GOT THIS ONE, THE FOURTH THURSDAY OF THE MONTH.
IF IT, IF THAT WORKS FOR EVERYBODY, WE'LL KEEP IT AT THAT SAME TIME PERIOD FOR APRIL AND MAY, AND KEEP IT AT THE SAME FOURTH THURSDAY AT THIS TIME SLOT, IF THAT MAKES IT EASY FOR EVERYONE.
AGAIN, TODAY'S AGENDA IS TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM, TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA NEED OUT OF THIS COMMITTEE.
THE NEXT ONE WILL BE PRESENTING A, THE FINANCIAL PLAN AND JUST SOME DIFFERENT FUNDING MECHANISMS THAT WE COULD GO THROUGH, WHETHER IT'S B OR TAX, OR JUST DIFFERENT STRUCTURES THAT THAT ARE AVAILABLE THAT ARE SEEN IN IN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.
THE THIRD ONE WOULD BE, UM, HOW WE HANDLE IT.
AND ALSO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS BROUGHT UP AT SOME OF THE PRIOR MEETINGS WAS A CREDIT PROGRAM, BUT WE REALLY WEREN'T ALL THAT FAR ALONG INTO IT.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS MENTIONING IS, HEY, IF I DO SOME IMPROVEMENTS, WILL I GET A CREDIT? SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY WANT TO DIVE INTO A LITTLE MORE AS WE MOVE ON TO THIS.
AND THEN IN JUNE, WE WILL WORK TOWARDS A, A RECOMMENDATION.
UM, EVERYONE HERE BESIDES PR AND MYSELF, ARE VOTING MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
UH, SHE AND I ARE JUST, WE'RE WE'RE FACILITATORS AND A CHAIR.
SO WE DO NOT HAVE A, A VOTING POSITION ON THE COMMITTEE, BUT THE REMAINDER OF YOU GUYS DO HAVE A, A VOTING POSITION.
SO AS YOU HEARD, WE'VE GOT QUITE A FEW REPRESENTATIVES FROM A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT AREAS.
WE'VE GOT THE CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS, THE HOME BUILDERS, UH, DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.
WE'VE GOT THE, UH, SOME FAITH-BASED COMMUNITIES HERE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN, AS PART OF THIS, WE CAN REALLY GET INPUT FROM A BROAD GROUP OF FOLKS AND, AND COME TO A CONCLUSION ON, ON WHERE WE NEED TO BE WITH THIS.
SO, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, YOU, AS PART OF THIS, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SOME, SOME ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
AGAIN, WE'RE THIS, THIS FIRST ONE IS AN OVERVIEW.
WE'LL GO OVER THE, THE FINANCES AND THE, THE RATE STRUCTURE AT, AT THE FOLLOWING MEETINGS.
AND WE WILL BE, WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING FOR YOUR FEEDBACK.
WE'RE GONNA WANT YOU TO BRING THIS BACK TO YOUR ORGANIZATIONS OR THE, THE GROUPS OF FOLKS THAT YOU REPRESENT, GET THEIR FEEDBACK
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ON IT, AND THEN BRING THAT BACK TO US SO WE CAN GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY VIEWS THIS.SO WITH THAT, WE'RE GONNA TALK TO YOU FIRST ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN IN THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN.
SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO FRED, AND I'M GONNA GO DOWN TO THE MIC AND WE WILL, UH, FRED WILL GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN.
AND THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONERS.
I DO APPRECIATE THE FACT, UH, THAT Y'ALL TAKING THE TIME AND THE EFFORT TO, TO LOOK AT THIS REAL BIG CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE IN OUR PARISH.
UH, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S CERTAINLY NEEDED.
NUMBER ONE, I AM EXCITED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE, UH, THE STONEWATER MASTER PLAN WAS JUST RECENTLY APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL.
UH, AND THE OTHER THING I'M EXCITED ABOUT IS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS TO DO FEDERAL FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO DO OUR STORMWATER MASTER PLAN AND INSPECTIONS AND INVESTIGATIONS THAT WE NEEDED IN THE PROGRAM.
AND FROM THAT, WE WERE ABLE TO CAPTURE A LOT OF DATA OF OUR SYSTEM THAT WAS MOST CASES ANTIQUATED.
SOME CASES IT WAS 40 TO 50% BLOCKAGE.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET IN THERE WITH CES, WHO IS A CONTRACTOR THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, TRYING TO OPEN UP THESE MAIN, UH, ARTERIES TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE PROBLEMS WE'RE HAVING IN THE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL AREAS OF THAT.
YOU CAN SEE THE STORMWATER SERVICE AREA IS ABOUT 371 MILES, SQUARE MILES.
I WOULD JUST SAY, I MEAN, THAT'S THE ENTIRE PARISH.
I MEAN, THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.
UH, IT DOESN'T, WHILE IT DOES SOMETIMES RAIN IN ONE AREA HARDER THAN THE OTHERS, AND WE ALL KNOW THAT, BUT REALISTICALLY, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FROM A PARISH WIDE SITUATION.
WHAT A POPULATION, ABOUT 440,000 PEOPLE.
UM, WE HAVE THREE MAIN WATERSHEDS THAT SECURE ABOUT 446 SQUARE MILES.
UH, WHAT I'M, WHAT PART OF THE, THE SYSTEM DID UNDER THE INVESTIGATIONS, WE HAD ABOUT 550 MILES OF OUR MAJOR TRIBUTARIES HAS BEEN INVESTIGATED AND SURVEYED, TELLS US WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE, WELL, THE THINGS THAT MAY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IN THE FUTURE AS FAR AS FROM THE, UH, STORMWATER MASTER PLAN AND, AND THAT TYPE OF DATA.
WHILE WE HAD BITS AND PIECES, IT CERTAINLY NEEDED TO BE UPDATED AND UPGRADED TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN GET A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT OUR ISSUES WERE GONNA BE DEALING WITH IN THE FUTURE.
UM, NOBODY HAS TO TELL YOU THAT 200 DAYS OF RAINFALL PER YEAR, I THINK WE'RE CLOSER TO 300.
YOU KNOW, UH, WHEN THE PHONES START RINGING, THERE'S NO QUESTION.
THERE ARE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, BUT I, I THINK THE DATA THAT'S BEEN COLLECTED, WHAT WE ARE PUTTING TOGETHER AND TO, AND FROM MY STANDPOINT, CERTAINLY WILL HELP IMPROVE THE OVERALL DRAINAGE SITUATION.
YOU'LL ALSO SEE THAT IT'S, UM, WELL, I GOTTA CUT OFF THAT.
YEAH, GO BACK TO THE LAST SLIDE.
I WANT TO GO, YOU KNOW, FROM, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, ALSO ABOUT 63,000, UH, STRUCTURES THAT WE ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO CLEAN.
THAT'S THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE SEE EVERY DAY, UH, WANT THEIR DRAINS IN FRONT OF THEIR BOX, IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSE OR ON THE MAJOR ROADWAYS.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, WE STILL HAVE A LOT MORE TO DO.
UH, WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT MAYOR BROOM WAS ABLE TO SECURE FUNDS FOR THE AMERICAN RESCUE ACT, UH, PROGRAM.
AND WE HAVE CERTAINLY PUT THAT MONEY TO USE WITH CLEANING OF, OF CAN OF CANALS, CLEANING THE STRUCTURES, CLEANING THE DRAIN BOXES, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.
UH, LET'S GO ON TO THE NEXT ONE, NUMBER ONE, AND THE MASTER PLAN.
WE HAVE ACTUALLY 11 WATERSHEDS THAT WE DEAL WITH.
AND WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT MODELING EVERY ONE OF THESE WATERSHEDS TO GET A BETTER IDEA ABOUT WHAT IS ACTUALLY TAKING PLACE WHEN WE HAVE CERTAIN RAIN EVENTS.
ALSO, THE RAIN EVENTS THAT WE WERE GETTING, WHAT WERE THE IMPACT? HOW WAS WATER DRAINING OUT AND WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS IN OUR MAJOR CHANNELS THAT WERE, MAY HAVE BEEN RESTRICTING THAT FLOW.
SO I, I, I THINK THAT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, THE OTHER KEY COMPONENT OF THE MASTER PLAN WAS ALSO TO LOOK AT WAYS TO ADDRESS THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR PARISH.
UH, PART OF THE CH CHALLENGE THAT WE GAVE H AND T B WAS TO COME UP WITH A 20 YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN.
AND IT WAS OVER 90 PROJECTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS $2.4 BILLION, UH, WORTH OF FUNDS THAT WILL BE NEEDED TO ADDRESS THAT.
YOU KNOW, NOT ALL OF 'EM HAS TO BE DONE AT THE SAME TIME.
BUT OUR GOAL AND OBJECTIVE IS, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CLIMATE CHANGES AND WHAT, IF YOU BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE IS SOMETHING TAKING PLACE.
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THERE'S NO QUESTION WHEN THE RAIN EVENTS, YOU CAN CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT.BUT THE RAIN EVENTS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS HAVE CHANGED DRAMATICALLY.
AND IT, IT LENDS US TO LOOK AT WAYS TO DO MORE RETENTION.
THAT'S PART OF THE STORM WATER MASTER PLAN.
AND ALSO WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO ON THE CHAPTER 15 OF THE FLOODPLAIN AUDITS THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL, UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT CONVEYANCE ZONES THAT CREATE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE WITHIN RESIDENTIAL AREAS THAT WILL ALSO BE ADDRESSED IN THE FUTURE.
EVERYBODY NEVER UNDERSTANDS WHY YOU CAN GO BUILD 22 FEET HIGH AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA RUN OFF ONTO EVERYBODY.
BUT THERE ARE PROVISIONS THAT ARE UNDER OUR STORMWATER MASTER PLAN THAT YOU HAVE TO MITIGATE WHATEVER FIELD THAT COMES IN.
AND THOSE STILL STEPS OF BEING WATCHED VERY, VERY CLOSELY BY OUR DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT, DIRECTOR OF RACHEL LAMBERT.
WE WORK VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER TO LOOK AT THOSE BENEFITS AND THE PLUSES IN REFERENCE TO THAT.
I, I WOULD JUST WANT, LAST STATEMENT I WOULD MAKE IS THAT IN OUR PLAN, AND THERE WILL BE CHALLENGES WITH WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, I ALSO KNOW THAT FROM THE MODELING THAT AND THE DATA THAT WE ARE ABLE TO COLLECT TECHNOLOGY TODAY.
I WISH WE'D HAVE HAD IT 20 YEARS AGO.
I MEAN, BECAUSE IT CERTAINLY HAS A TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON WHAT WE CAN DO OR SHOULDN'T DO WITHIN OUR REGION.
UH, WE, WE ARE ABLE TO WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH D O T D ON THE MAJOR MODEL OF THE EMIT, UH, AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THAT.
WE PROVIDED OUR DATA TO THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THIS INFORMATION IS BEING HANDLED THROUGH A, NOT NECESSARILY ONE SOURCE, BUT EVERYBODY'S ON THE SAME PAGE.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO BE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE FIVE DIFFERENT MODELS RUNNING FIVE DIFFERENT, UH, PRESENTATIONS.
CUZ THOSE ARE, UH, ARE VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN HOW WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR PARISH.
UH, IN, IN CLOSING, I WOULD JUST SAY, UH, I'VE BEEN HERE 35 YEARS, FEEL LIKE 135 WHEN IT RAINS.
BUT I WILL ALSO SAY THAT I BELIEVE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME, AND I I, THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT WE REALLY NEED TO ADDRESS OUR PROBLEMS AND OUR PARISH.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT CUZ I'D HEAR IT EVERY DAY.
BUT I, AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW Y'ALL DO TOO, AND SOME OF Y'ALL I KNOW OVER HERE VERY WELL HAVE CALLED ME ABOUT SOME OF THOSE PROBLEMS. BUT I WOULD JUST SAY THAT WE HAVE THE DATA, WE HAVE THE, HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF MAKING THESE WORK, EVEN WITH SOME OF THE, UH, PHYSICAL INSPECTIONS AND SOME OF THE CLEANING THAT WE'VE DONE ALREADY HAVE MADE A TREMENDOUS IMPROVEMENT.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT PART OF THE STORMWATER PROGRAM IS GOING TO, WHAT I THINK ADAM WILL TALK ABOUT, WHERE, WHAT DIRECTION WE NEED TO BE AND WHERE WE WANT TO GO IN THE FUTURE.
BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING PART OF THE TEAM.
UH, AND CERTAINLY, UM, IF, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL ANSWER 'EM AT, AT A AFTER.
SO I'M GONNA GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW NOW OF WHAT THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN IS VERSUS THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN.
AND THE FOLKS BEHIND ME ARE GONNA GET INTO IT HERE IN A LOT MORE DETAIL IN A LITTLE BIT.
ONE OF, SO ALL THIS INFRASTRUCTURE THAT FRED WAS TALKING ABOUT, WHETHER IT'S PUT IN AS PART OF A DEVELOPMENT OR IT'S PUT IN AS BY THE, BY THE CORE, OR IT'S UPGRADED IN SOME FUTURE PLAN, IT'S GOTTA BE MAINTAINED, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO OPERATE IT AND MAINTAIN IT.
AND THAT IS A, A KEY COMPONENT OF THIS STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN.
AND WHEN WE SAY WHAT'S PART OF THAT, THAT REGULATORY COMPLIANCE COMPONENT, WELL, O AND M IS PART OF THAT REGULATORY COMPLIANCE COMPONENT, OKAY? BUT NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN IT, WE'VE ALSO GOTTA LOOK AT THE, THE QUALITY OF THE WATER THAT'S BEING DISCHARGED INTO THE STREAMS. WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NOT A LOT OF SILTS OR ANYTHING GOING INTO THE STREAMS OR INTO THE PIPES.
LIKE FRED SAID THERE, THERE'S ALL THESE PIPES THAT, THAT THEY FOUND THAT WERE 40% BLOCKED, BUT WE NEED TO KEEP THAT FROM HAPPENING AND WE NEED TO CLEAN 'EM OUT.
BUT WE ALSO NEED TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO WHERE THAT DOESN'T ENTER THE, THE STREAMS OR THE PIPES IN AS HIGH OF QUANTITIES SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO CLEAN 'EM OUT AS OFTEN, RIGHT? AND WE NEED TO KEEP THAT CAPACITY IN THE SYSTEM BY KEEPING THOSE MATERIALS OUT OF THE SYSTEM.
SO THAT, THAT'S A, A REALLY BIG COMPONENT OF IT.
BUT THERE, THERE'S VARIOUS PHASES OF IT.
THE, THE ROADWAY MAINTENANCE, STREET SWEEPING
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IS, IS A COMPONENT OF THE, THE PROGRAM PUBLIC EDUCATION.AND, BUT THOSE, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE, WITH THE SSO PROGRAM? WE HAD A, A PUBLIC EDUCATION COMPONENT OF, OF THE SSO PROGRAM.
AND WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA DO THE SAME THING HERE.
WE'VE GOT A, A MAJOR COMPONENT OF THIS IS, IS, IS PUBLIC OUTREACH.
WE NEED TO GO OUT AND WE NEED TO WORK WITH, WITH FOLKS LIKE ED LAKI AND, AND GO OUT TO THE, THE CIVIL CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS AND REALLY, AND OTHER FOLKS HERE AND, YOU KNOW, GET THE WORD OUT.
WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO, TO KEEP THE, THE QUALITY OF THE STREAMS WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.
THE OTHER THING FRED SAID WAS IT, IT, IT'S A TEAMWORK RIGHT THERE.
AND FRED AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS THE OTHER DAY.
WHERE DOES HE LEAVE OFF? AND, AND, AND I PICK UP, OR WHERE DOES, WHERE DOES HE LEAVE OFF AND WHERE DOES RACHEL START? EVERY DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE PUBLIC WORKS, ALL SIX AGENCIES, THEY'VE ALL GOT A COMPONENT OF THIS, YOU KNOW, BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, FLEET MAINTENANCE, TRANSPORTATION, DRAINAGE, THE FLEET.
WHAT DOES FLEET HAVE WITH IT? WELL, THEY'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE, WHEN THEY'RE CHANGING OIL IN OUR VEHICLES, IN OUR CITY PARISH FLEET, THAT THOSE ITEMS ARE CONTAINED PROPERLY.
OKAY? IF THERE'S, WE NEED TO HAVE SPILL PREVENTION PLANS SO THAT IF SOMETHING IS SPILLED, WE'VE GOT A WAY TO, TO CLEAN THAT UP AND CLEAN IT UP PROPERLY.
SO EVERY PUBLIC WORKS AGENCY HAS A, A PIECE OF THIS IN, IN SOME FORM OR FASHION.
AND THAT LEADS INTO THE, UH, SO WHERE WERE THE KEY DRIVERS BEHIND THIS? WE'VE, WE'VE GOT THE, THE WATER QUALITY OF IT, WE'VE GOT REGULATORY COMPLIANCE, AND WE, WE'VE GOTTA ADDRESS THIS, THIS AGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE, WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT A WAY AS PART OF BOTH THE MASTER PLAN AND THE MANAGEMENT PLANS TO TAKE CARE OF THIS, THIS INFRASTRUCTURE.
THAT'S WHETHER IT'S, UH, IT'S GOT SOME DEFECTS IN IT IN SOME AREAS, WE NEED TO GO GET THOSE FIXED, OR WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S AT THE CAPACITY THAT IT, THAT IT NEEDS TO BE.
ONE OF THE COMPONENTS THAT WE'RE GONNA GET INTO LABEL IS LATER IS, AND THIS WILL BE FOR A FUTURE MEETING, BUT WHAT LEVEL OF SERVICE DO THE CITIZENS WANNA SEE? HOW OFTEN DO WE WANT TO, TO DO THIS MAINTENANCE IN THIS, IN THESE AREAS? HOW QUICKLY SHOULD WE BE ABLE TO RESPOND IF THERE'S A REQUEST? AND THAT ALL LEADS TO A, AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO THE DRAINAGE CAPACITY THAT, THAT FRED WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'VE GOT A, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HE'S DOING IN THE MASTER PLAN, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE MORE GLOBAL ISSUES, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, HE, HE'S LOOKING AT, HEY, I NEED TO MAKE AN IMPROVEMENT TO, TO THIS STREAM, THIS WATERSHED.
HE'S LOOKING AT LARGER PROJECTS.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT, OKAY, IF THAT, IF THAT PIPE INLET IS BLOCKED, IF THAT, OR IF THAT PIPE IS, IS FULL OF DEBRIS, WHAT'S THAT GONNA DO? WELL, THAT MIGHT NOT, MAYBE IT FLOODS A STREET CORNER.
IT WON'T FLOOD THE WHOLE SUBDIVISION, BUT IT MIGHT FLOOD A STREET CORNER.
IT MIGHT EVEN GET WATER IN A HOUSE.
BUT, SO THAT, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE WHERE THIS IS GOING TO ADDRESS SOME LOCALIZED ISSUES AND HE'S GOING TO ADDRESS THE, THE MORE GLOBAL ISSUES.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO JOE YOUNG.
JOE IS OUR, UH, PROGRAM MANAGER FOR STORMWATER.
AND HE'S GOING TO, UH, GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE REGULATORY COMPLIANCE.
AGAIN, LIKE ADAM SAID, I'M, I'M JOSEPH YOUNG, UH, WITH JACOB'S ENGINEERING.
UM, I'M EXCITED, UH, ABOUT GETTING EVERYBODY TOGETHER AND, AND, UH, ADDRESSING THIS COMMITTEE.
I THINK THE EFFORT THAT'S GONNA BE HAPPENING IN, IN THE COMING IN THE FUTURE IS, IS REALLY, UM, SO BENEFICIAL.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, YOU, WE, FRED TALKED ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF RAIN WE GET OVER HERE, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU GO OUT WEST AND, AND THEY CRY.
THEY'RE CRYING FOR, FOR WATER OVER HERE.
WE'RE, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET RID OF IT.
SO THE EFFORT THAT WE'RE DOING IS EXTREMELY, GONNA BE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE REGULATORY SIDE OF THE, THE PROGRAM IN GENERAL, THE MAYOR MENTIONED MS FOUR, AND YOU'RE GONNA, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR THAT A LOT.
AND, AND, AND WHAT IS MS FOUR? YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S A MUNICIPAL SEPARATE STORM SEWER SYSTEM.
IT'S CURB AND GUTTERS GETTING INTO THE CATCH BASINS, THE INLETS GOING IN THROUGH THE COLLECTION SYSTEM, GETTING OUT ALTING TO THE, THE DIFFERENT CREEKS, BAUS, AND ULTIMATELY INTO
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TO, TO THE GULF.SO IT'S, THAT WHOLE SYSTEM IS A LOT OF DIFFERENT COMPONENTS TO THAT.
IT'S, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS SEWER IN THE, THE NAME MS FOUR, THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SANITARY SEWER AND STORM SEWER.
AND, YOU KNOW, WORKING ON, ON THE SEWER PROGRAM, WE, WE GOT THAT MIX, UH, AND CONFUSION QUITE A BIT WHERE PEOPLE THINK, OH, YOU'RE GONNA COME HERE AND, AND SOLVE THE, THE, MY DRAINAGE ISSUES.
NO, WE'RE DEALING WITH, WE'RE DEALING WITH, WITH SANITARY SEWER WHERE HERE WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA BE SOLVING A LOT OF ISSUES.
AND, UH, I'M EXCITED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO, TO GO SPEAK TO RESIDENTS AND INFORM THEM OF WHAT'S, WHAT'S HAPPENING AND BE ABLE TO SEE THE RESULTS GOING FORWARD.
SO A WHAT IS AN MS FOUR PERMIT? AN MS FOUR PERMIT IS REQUIRED BY THE LOUISIANA POLLUTION DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM, UM, REGULATORY PERMIT THAT'S GOES UN FALLS UNDER THE CLEAN WATER ACT, THE LOUISIANA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT.
AND IT'S A PERMIT THAT'S, UH, RENEWED EVERY FIVE YEARS.
AND, AND THE CITY HAS TO HAVE IT.
AND WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS RIGHT NOW OF, OF THE PERMIT RENEWAL.
AND IT, IT'S GONNA STIPULATE WHAT THE CITY MUST DO, UH, ON A, A DAILY BASIS TO BE ABLE TO STAY IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE PERMIT.
THE, THE PERMIT'S GOING TO REQUIRE THAT THE CITY PARISH, UH, ENGAGE IN THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN.
AND THIS IS, UH, BASICALLY ELIMINATING, UH, POLLUTANTS TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PRACTICAL.
AND THAT LAST WORD, PRACTICAL, UH, WHICH IS HARD FOR ME TO SAY FOR SOME REASON.
BUT, UH, IT, IT'S, UH, IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S A, A WORD THAT IT, IT DOESN'T, IT'S NOT SAYING THAT YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE MOON AND BACK TO BE ABLE TO SOLVE THESE ISSUES, BUT YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT'S, WHAT'S IN YOUR MEANS AND BE TO BE ABLE TO SOLVE THOSE ISSUES.
UM, SO IT, IT'S, UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S GONNA REQUIRE EFFORT THAT'S HASN'T BEEN DONE HERE IN, IN, UH, IN THE, IN THE PAST.
SO IT IS GONNA BE SOME EFFORT GOING FORWARD, FOR SURE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, THE CITY AND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES HAS, HAS TO PUT TOGETHER IS A STORM WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN.
OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY CALL IT A SWIM.
UH, BUT WE HAVE SWAMPS DOWN HERE, SO WE CALL IT A SWAMP.
AND IT, IT'S TO MANAGE THE QUALITY OF STORM WATER DISCHARGES FROM THE MS FOUR, AGAIN, FROM EVERY, EVERYWHERE.
AND TO MAINTAIN THAT COMPLIANCE WITH THE PERMIT GOING FORWARD.
UH, IT HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT COMPONENTS TO IT.
AND, AND WE'LL GO THROUGH SOME OF THOSE RIGHT NOW.
BUT THE, UM, THE SPECIFIC THINGS THAT THE CITY HAS TO DO IS FOLLOW MINIMAL CONTROL MEASURES.
MCMS, THERE'S A LOT OF ACRONYMS, MS FOUR MCMS, SO YOU, YOU'RE GONNA, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR THAT A LOT.
BUT MCM IS MINIMAL CONTROL MEASURES.
THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT THE, THE PERMIT AND THE REGULATORY AGENCIES ARE LOOKING AT TO THAT YOU MUST FOLLOW ON A DAILY BASIS TO BE ABLE TO STAY WITHIN THE GUIDELINES OF YOUR PERMIT ON A DAILY BASIS.
UM, AND, AND THEY'RE, UM, THERE'S, UH, QUITE A FEW OF THEM.
I'LL GO THROUGH 'EM RIGHT HERE.
THERE'S ACTUALLY 14 MINIMAL CONTROL MEASURES.
AND THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT, OH, WELL, BATON ROUGE, UH, THEY, THEY'RE 14.
AND IF YOU GO TO, UH, YOU KNOW, BILOXI, THEY MAY HAVE 12.
IT, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY MUCH STANDARD FROM THE EPA.
I I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT NUMBER 13 IS MEASURABLE GOALS.
WHY ISN'T THE LAST ONE? WELL, THEY, THEY ADDED GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AS NUMBER 14 HERE, UH, NOT THAT LONG AGO.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE PRETTY EXHAUSTIVE.
THEY GO THROUGH ALL ASPECTS OF, UH, WHAT GETS OUT INTO THE, UH, RECEIVING WATERS.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT COMPONENTS FOR EACH ONE, AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY MEASURABLE GOALS.
UH, THE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE REGULATORY AGENCIES ARE REALLY STRESSING IS THAT WE DO HAVE MEASURABLE GOALS FOR EACH ONE OF THESE, UH, MINIMAL CONTROL MEASURES.
AND THEY'RE NOT JUST ONE GOAL FOR EACH.
THERE'S, THERE'S MULTIPLE GOALS.
THERE'S MULTIPLE EFFORTS FOR EACH ONE OF THESE MINIMAL CONTROL MEASURES.
SO IT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA TAKE, UH, QUITE A BIT OF EFFORT, UH, TO BE ABLE TO, TO GET INTO COMPLIANCE.
BUT I, I KNOW WE'RE ALL UP TO THE CHALLENGE TO BE ABLE TO, TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
LEMME JUST GO THROUGH ONE OF THE MEASURES.
UH, I'M GONNA GO THROUGH, UH, MCM ONE, WHICH IS STRUCTURAL CONTROLS AND STORMWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM OPERATIONS.
AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S OPERATIONS THAT REALLY, UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT STORMWATER CAPACITY AND STORMWATER QUALITY, TWO HUGE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS, RIGHT? AND WHEN PEOPLE THINK ABOUT STORMWATER, THEY THINK, OH, GREAT, MY HOUSE IS NOT GONNA FLOOD.
UH, YOU KNOW, MY STREET IS NOT GONNA FLOOD.
YOU'RE GONNA GET RID OF THE WATER AS QUICK AS YOU CAN.
YES, THERE'S A LOT OF ASPECTS TO THAT, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT QUALITY.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WHEN WE GO IN AND, AND DOING THE, THE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING, THE CITY WAS, WAS LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO GET SOME, UH, AMERICAN RECOVERY ACT FUNDS.
AND WE'VE BEEN DOING QUITE A BIT OF EFFORT WHEN IT COMES TO MAINTAINING SOME OF THE, UH, UH, THE STREAMS OUT THERE, ESPECIALLY THE CONCRETE LINE CHANNELS.
[00:30:01]
IS AN EXAMPLE OF SOME PICTURES OF, OF WHERE WE WENT IN THERE AND, AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE BEFORE GROWING UP.A LOT OF SEDIMENT IN THE, IN THE CHANNEL WENT IN THERE, UH, WITH EXCAVATORS AND BOBCATS AND, AND CLEANED IT OUT.
SO YES, WE'RE MAINTAINING IT, WHICH IS SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT, BUT WE'RE ALSO RESTORING THE ORIGINAL CAPACITY THROUGH THAT SYSTEM.
SO YOU, YOU KILL 'EM TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE.
UM, SO THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE A HUGE EFFORT GOING FORWARD.
AND, AND IF YOU JUST DRIVE AROUND THE PARISH, I MEAN, EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES, WHETHER IT BE, YOU KNOW, THE CONCRETE LINE CHANNELS, THE EARTH AND LINE CHANNELS, ALL THE DITCHES, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF MAINTENANCE THAT, THAT NEEDS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE ASPECT OF IT.
ANOTHER ONE IS WHEN IT, WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, THE CONCRETE LINE CHANNELS, AND, AND, AND THE CITY HAS DONE A FEW OF THESE HERE IN THE LAST, UH, FEW MONTHS, UH, YOU CAN SEE FROM SOME OF THESE PICTURES THAT THESE CONCRETE LINE CHANNELS ARE IN, IN, UH, VERY POOR CONDITION, VERY, VERY POOR CONDITION.
AND WE WENT IN THERE AND REPAIRED, UH, SOME OF THEM, AND, UH, JUST MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO THE RESIDENTS AND, AND TO THE OVERALL SAFETY ASPECTS, UH, TO THESE, UM, CHANNELS.
AND, AND YOU CAN SEE, UH, WE, WE GO OUT THERE AND THERE'S A LOT OF EROSION BEHIND THE, THE PANELS, LOT OF ISSUES.
AND, UH, IT, IT, IT'S, YOU CAN, YOU CAN IMAGINE WHEN IT RAINS AND THERE'S A HUGE AMOUNT OF FLOW COMING DOWN THAT CHANNEL, HOW RESTRICTIVE THESE AREAS WOULD BE.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE MAINTAINING IT, BUT WE'RE ALSO PUTTING THE CAPACITY BACK TO WHAT IT WAS ORIGINALLY.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS THE, UM, LITTER AND DEBRIS.
UH, AND, AND ACTUALLY BEAVER DAMS, I KNOW ON, UH, ELBOW BAYOU THERE, THERE'S QUITE A FEW BEAVER DAMS THAT RESTRICTS THE FLOW IN, IN, IN THAT AREA.
BUT ALSO, LITTER IS A HUGE COMPONENT.
SO IF, IF WE CAN DO A GOOD JOB OF KEEPING THE LITTER OUT, KEEPING THE SEDIMENT OUTTA THE, OUTTA THE STREAMS, CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW MUCH, UH, UH, HOW MUCH GOOD THAT WOULD DO GOING FORWARD AND BE ABLE TO, TO KEEP THE SYSTEM FLOWING LIKE IT SHOULD BE? THERE'S, THERE'S NO DOUBT.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE EFFORTS THAT THAT'S BEING MADE TO COLLECT THAT.
THE, THE LETTER IN THESE STREAMS, UH, THE CITY'S ACTUALLY PUTTING IN, UH, TWO, UH, TRASH COLLECTORS ON, UM, BATON ROUGE, UM, BAYOU TO BE ABLE TO COLLECT THE, THE FLOATABLES, UH, NOT ONLY FLOATABLES, BUT ALSO ALLS IN GREECE.
UH, ALL IN GREECE IS A HUGE NO-NO, GETTING INTO THE, THE STREAMS AND, AND WATERWAYS.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE PUTTING THAT HERE IN, IN THE COMING MONTHS, UH, TWO PILOT PROJECTS TO BE ABLE TO COLLECT THOSE FLOATABLES IN ALL IN GREECE AND, AND POTENTIALLY USE THOSE IN OTHER AREAS THROUGHOUT THE PARISH.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UH, BOOMS, THERE'S, THERE'S A, THERE'S A FEW BOOMS OUT THERE THAT ARE COLLECTING TRASH, UH, THAT THAT'LL HAVE TO BE MAINTAINED ON, ON A VERY REGULAR BASIS, AND THAT'LL BE, THAT'LL BE PART OF THE PERMIT.
UM, SO TH THESE ARE, AGAIN, THESE ARE COMPONENTS OF M MCM ONE, UM, BUT AS I UH MENTIONED, THERE'S QUITE A FEW OTHERS THAT NEED TO BE, UH, HANDLED IN, IN THE PROGRAM.
AND JUST, JUST STRESSING YOU, YOU'RE, WHEN WE DO THE PUBLIC OUTREACH SIDE, YOU'RE GONNA GET A LOT OF CONFUSION FROM STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN TO THE, UH, TO THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN.
AND I THINK, UH, THE PUBLIC OUTREACH SIDE OF, OF THIS, UH, EFFORT IS GONNA BE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, JUST SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THROUGHOUT THE PARISH KNOW WHAT, WHAT THIS ENTAILS.
SO, UH, I JUST WANNA STRESS THAT TO EVERYBODY, THAT THAT PUBLIC OUTREACH IS GONNA BE HUGE.
BUT, UH, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO SARAH BOUDREAUX.
SARAH BOUDREAU'S, A DEPARTMENT ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, UM, COORDINATOR, AND SHE'LL GO THROUGH ALL THE, THE LITANY OF THE OTHER 13 MCMS. SO, UH, OUR NEXT MCM MCM TWO JOE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT WHAT WE DO ON THE PUBLIC SIDE TO KEEP THE SILT AND STUFF OUT OF THE STORMWATER SYSTEM.
SO WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO APPLY FOR A PERMIT TO DO A, ANY KIND OF DEVELOPMENT, YOU HAVE TO DO A WATER QUALITY IMPACT STATEMENT.
AND WHAT THAT DOES IS IT LOOKS AT HOW MUCH SILT OR DEBRIS YOU COULD BE POTENTIALLY PUTTING INTO THE SYSTEM.
AND YOU RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN CHOOSE WHAT KIND OF CONTROL MECHANISM YOU WANT TO PUT IN.
SO SOME PEOPLE PUT IN DIFFERENT LITTER CATCHERS, SOME PEOPLE PUT IN ROCK BEDS TO KIND OF FILTER OUT THE SEDIMENT AND WHATEVER THEY PUT IN, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO SIGN A STORM WATER MAINTENANCE COVENANT, AND IT GETS RECORDED WITH THE MORTGAGE.
SO THEY'RE SAYING THROUGH THIS MAINTENANCE COVENANT THAT THEY'RE GONNA OPERATE AND MAINTAIN THE STORM WATER CONTROLS.
SO THAT'S THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN IT.
IT'S THIS CITY'S PARISHES RESPONSIBILITY TO INSPECT IT AND MAKE SURE IT'S BEING MAINTAINED.
AND SO ALL THAT IS PART OF MCM TWO.
AND THERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES, LIKE WOMEN'S HO WOMEN'S HOSPITAL HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT STORMWATER CONTROLS OUT THERE THAT ARE MORE THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE KIND.
THEY HAVE THE WET POND, THEY HAVE THE ROCK FILTRATION BED.
[00:35:01]
THE ONE IN THE RIGHT CORNER IS, UH, OPEN DRY POND.UM, THE OTHER TWO WHERE YOU'RE LOOKING DOWN INTO A STORM DRAIN SYSTEM, THOSE ARE TO REMOVE LITTER AND FLOATABLES.
SO THAT'S WHAT THE CITY PARISH IS DOING TO MAINTAIN OUR ROADWAYS.
SO IT'S BOTH SWEEP, SWEEP, SWEEP SWEEPING TO SAY THAT, UM, ON A ROUTINE BASIS, KIND OF PROACTIVE AND ON A ON DEMAND, SOMEONE CALLS THREE 11 AND SAYS, HEY, MY NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS SWEEP SWEEPING BECAUSE A TRUCK CAME BY AND DUMPED A WHOLE LOAD OF GLASS OR SOMETHING.
SO RIGHT NOW THEY'RE DOING IT MOSTLY ON A REACTIVE BASIS.
IN THE FUTURE, WE'RE GONNA BE MORE PROACTIVE AND KIND OF TARGET DIFFERENT AREAS WHERE WE KNOW, OKAY, HUNDRED OAKS, THEY GOT A LOT OF BIG TREES, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF LEAVES IN THIS, THIS TIME.
WE DON'T WANT THE LEAVES TO GET INTO THE STORM DRAIN SYSTEM AND CLOG IT UP OR GET FURTHER DOWNSTREAM AND CAUSE ISSUES WITH DISSOLVED OXYGEN.
SO WE'RE GONNA PUT THEM ON A MORE ROUTINE BASIS.
AND SO OUR PERMIT REQUIRES THAT WE HAVE MEASURABLE GOALS.
SO ONE OF OUR GOALS COULD BE WE'RE GONNA SWEEP, SWEEP THE ROADWAYS DOWNTOWN ONCE PER WEEK.
WE'RE GONNA SWEEP THE ROADWAYS IN THE GARDEN DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, EVERY QUARTERLY OR HOWEVER, HOWEVER WE DECIDE TO DO IT.
BUT IT NEEDS TO BE MEASURABLE AND DOCUMENTED.
ALSO IN ROADWAYS IS, UM, SPILLS FROM GARBAGE TRUCKS.
A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE CALL ABOUT A HYDRAULIC FLUID IS LEAKING FROM THE GARBAGE TRUCKS.
THAT'S ALSO INCLUDED IN ROADWAYS.
IT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AND CLEANED UP, UM, AND ROADWAYS AS WELL.
IT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO WITH THE SWEET SWEEPING MATERIALS AFTER WE'VE COLLECTED IT, WHAT WE DO BACK AT THE MAINTENANCE LOT WITH IT, THAT'S ALL REGULATED UNDER THE ROADWAYS PROGRAM.
UM, ONE THAT'S NOT VERY POPULAR HERE, BUT IF WE SALT THE ROADS, WHAT WE DO WITH THE SALT PILES, HOW WE CLEAN UP THE SALT AFTERWARDS SO IT DOESN'T GET IN THE STORM DRAIN SYSTEM FROM SNOW MELT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
A LOT OF TIMES WE SAND THE ROADS HERE AND THEN AFTERWARDS THEY'LL COME BACK AND THEY WON'T USE A SWEET SWEEPER, BUT THEY'LL, THEY'LL SWEEP IT UP WITH LIKE AN EXCAVATOR.
UM, BUT IT'S ALL STUFF THAT HAS TO BE DONE AND DOCUMENTED IN THE ROADWAYS PROGRAM, FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT.
SO UNDER THE WATER PERMIT, OUR FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS, IT'S NOT REALLY PUTTING IN NEW FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS, IT'S LOOKING AT EXISTING FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS AND SEEING HOW WE COULD RETROFIT 'EM SO THAT WE CAN IMPROVE WATER QUALITY AS WELL.
AND IF WE DO PUT IN A NEW FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT, WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT AND SAY, WHAT ELSE COULD WE DO? SO WE COULD HELP WITH WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY? AND RIGHT NOW OUR FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS IN THE CITY PARISH, WE HAVE PUMP STATIONS FOR THE, THE MAJORITY OF OUR, OUR FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT THAT ARE REGULATED UNDER THIS PERMIT.
AND THEN HERBICIDES, PESTICIDE SITES AND FERTILIZER APPLICATION.
SO THIS IS BOTH WHAT WE DO AS CITY PARISH, HOW WE STORE IT, HOW WE, WHEN WE, HOW WE SPREAD IT, THE APPLICATION RATES.
BUT IT'S ALSO HOW WE REGULATE THE PRIVATE ENTITIES THAT ARE PUTTING OUT HERBICIDES, PESTICIDES, AND FERTILIZERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS NOT IMPACTING OUR WATERWAYS.
THEY ALL HAVE PERMITS THROUGH, UH, LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY WE'RE REQUIRED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE MAINTAINING THEIR LICENSES AND THAT THEY'RE FOLLOWING, DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
AND IT'S ALSO A PUBLIC EDUCATION COMPONENT.
WHAT I CAN DO AT MY HOUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN, HOW MUCH FERTILIZER SHOULD I PUT OUT, IS THERE A BETTER TIME TO PUT IT OUT? SO ALL THAT'S PART OF THE PUBLIC OUTREACH.
MCM TEN SIX IS ILLICIT DISCHARGE AND IMPROPER DISPOSAL.
SO THIS IS, WE HAVE INSPECTORS THAT WORK FOR THE CITY PARISH, AND IF SOMEONE CALLS 3 1 1 AND SAYS THERE'S A ORAL SHEEN IN THE DITCH BEHIND MY HOUSE, THEY'LL GO OUT THERE AND THEY'RE INVESTIGATE IT AND THEY'LL TRY AND INVESTIGATE IT BACK TO THE SOURCE, WHETHER IT'S AN INDUSTRIAL SOURCE, A COMMERCIAL SOURCE, OR MAYBE A HOMEOWNER IS POURING THEIR OIL IN THE DITCH AND THEY SHOULDN'T BE.
SO WE ALSO HAVE, AND I'LL GET INTO A LITTLE, LITTLE BIT LATER, UNDER MONITORING PROGRAMS, WE HAVE WET WEATHER AND DRY WEATHER MONITORING.
SO WHEN WE DO OUR DRY WEATHER MONITORING, WE'RE MONITORING MAJOR OUTFALLS.
A MAJOR OUTFALL IS A PIPE THAT'S 36 INCHES IN DIAMETER OR MORE.
AND ANNUALLY WE MONITOR A PERCENTAGE OF THOSE WHEN IT'S RAINING AND WHEN IT'S NOT RAINING, IT SHOULD NOT HAVE A DISCHARGE WHEN WE'RE OUT THERE DOING A DRY WEATHER INSPECTION.
IF IT DOES, THEN THAT TRIGGERS THE ILLICIT DISCHARGE AND IMPROPER DISPOSAL PROGRAM WHERE WE NEED TO GO BACK AND TRY AND TRACK THE SOURCE.
LIKE WHY DO WE HAVE A DISCHARGE, EVEN IF IT'S CLEAR WATER, LIKE WHAT'S CAUSING IT AND IS IT, ARE THEY PERMITTED TO, YOU KNOW, TO DISCHARGE THIS THROUGH THE DQ? DEPENDING ON WHAT IT IS, THEY MIGHT
[00:40:01]
HAVE TO GET A PERMIT.AND IF THEY'RE DOING A CAR WASH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEY NEED A PERMIT FROM DQ.
SO THAT KIND OF GETS INTO ILLICIT DISCHARGE AND IMPRO DISPOSAL.
THEN SPILL PREVENTION AND RESPONSE.
THIS IS IF YOU HAVE A MAJOR SPILL ON A ROADWAY, A TANKER TRUCK, UH, TURNS OVER AND SPILLS CHEMICALS.
IT'S HOW THE CITY PARISH IS GONNA RESPOND TO THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DO ME HAVE MITIGATION MEASURES IN PLACE THAT IT DOESN'T GET TO OUR WATERWAYS.
SO A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT AGENCIES IN THE CITY HAVE A PLACE IN THIS, DEPENDING ON HOW HAZARDOUS IT IS AND THE QUANTITY OF IT.
PROBABLY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY WOULD BE INVOLVED IN THIS.
IF IT'S MAJOR, THE STATE POLICE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAZMAT, THE CITY PARISH IS GONNA BE OUT THERE MONITORING IT.
AND IF IT'S A PRIVATE ENTITY, WE'RE GONNA MAKE THEM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF MITIGATING IT AND CLEANING IT UP AS BEST WE CAN.
UM, IF IT'S ON CITY PARISH PROPERTY, THEN OF COURSE WE'LL CLEAN IT UP AND PAY FOR IT.
UM, INDUSTRIAL AND HIGH RISK RUNOFF.
THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE INSPECTORS THAT WORK FOR THE CITY PARISH.
THEY GO OUT AND MONITOR AND INSPECT COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRIAL BUSINESSES.
SO WE HAVE INSPECTORS THAT GO OUT AND THEY WILL INSPECT DIFFERENT ENTITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS PROTECTING THE STORM DRAINS.
IF THEY HAVE FLOOR DRAINS IN THEIR FACILITY, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE CHEMICALS AND OILS ARE NOT STORED RIGHT NEXT TO THE FLOOR FLOOR DRAINS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE SPILL CONTAINMENT.
UM, IF THEY TRIGGER S P C C REGULATIONS, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THEY HAVE AN S SPCC PLAN AND THAT IT'S CERTIFIED BY A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER.
IF THEY HAVE AN L D Q L P D E S PERMIT, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE A STORMWATER POLLUTION PREVENTION PLAN THAT COMPLIES WITH THAT PERMIT.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE USING BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO IMPLEMENT THEIR S W P P P.
IF THEY'RE NOT, OUR INSPECTORS WILL INFORM THEM OF WHAT THEY NEED TO DO AND HOW TO, HOW THEY CAN GET INTO COMPLIANCE.
SO OUR CONSTRUCTION SITE RUNOFF IS MCM NINE, AND THAT STARTS REALLY AT THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
WHENEVER THEY GO TO A DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT AND THEY SAY, I WANT TO DEVELOP THIS TRACK OF LAND BEFORE THEY CAN GET A PERMIT FROM DEVELOPMENT TO DISTURB THAT TRACK OF LAND, THEY HAVE TO HAVE A PERMIT IF IT'S OVER ONE ACRE FROM DEQ.
SO DURING THE PERMIT PROCESS DEVELOPMENT WILL CHECK AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'VE OBTAINED THE DEQ PERMIT.
THEY HAVE TO TURN IN THEIR STORMWATER POLLUTION PREVENTION PLAN FOR CONSTRUCTION.
THAT WAS, WAS PART OF THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT AND IT HAS.
SO DEVELOPMENT WILL CHECK AND MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THAT.
AND BASICALLY IT'S JUST SAYING HOW YOU'RE GONNA CONTROL THE RUNOFF DURING CONSTRUCTION.
ARE YOU GONNA PUT UP SILT FENCES? WHERE YOU GONNA STORE YOUR MATERIALS? WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WITH YOUR CONCRETE WASHOUT? MAKE SURE YOUR PORTA-POTTIES AREN'T NEXT TO OUR WATERWAY.
IT'S BASICALLY A PLAN OF HOW YOU'RE GONNA CONTROL STORMWATER FROM YOUR FACILITY.
THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES HAS INSPECTORS THAT ON A DAILY BASIS GO OUT TO THESE CONSTRUCTION SITES AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE IMPLEMENTING THEIR CONSTRUCTION STORMWATER PLAN.
AND WE WANNA KEEP SILT OUT OF THE ROADWAYS.
A LOT OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF RUNOFF FROM EITHER HEAVY EQUIPMENT, THERE'LL BE MUD IN THE MAIN ROADWAYS.
WE'RE TRYING TO PREVENT SILT GETTING INTO THE CONVEYANCE SYSTEMS AND BACKING UP.
WE'RE TRYING TO PREVENT ANY KIND OF CHEMICALS THAT ARE BEING STORED.
SOME OF 'EM SAY HAVE PAINT AND THEY'RE JUST STORED OUTSIDE WITH, YOU KNOW, NO LID OR IT'S LEAKING.
THAT'S THE KIND OF STUFF WE'RE LOOKING AT, MAKING SURE THE DUMPSTER'S COVERED, MAKING SURE THAT THE PORTA-POTTIES IS NOT NEXT TO A CONVENIENCE SYSTEM, BUT THEY'RE OUT THERE EVERY DAY AND THEY'RE INSPECTING 'EM AND KIND OF EDUCATING THEM ON WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO STAY IN COMPLIANCE.
AND THEN GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT'S MORE YOUR LONG TERM, UM, STORMWATER CONTROLS, BUT IT'S ALSO LOOKED AT DQ PUTS THESE PROGRAMS TOGETHER BECAUSE DURING THE CONSTRUCTION SITE PLANNING, YOU'LL ALSO BE PLANNING FOR ANY KIND OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE YOU MIGHT WANT TO USE TO CONTROL INFILTRATION OR YOU COULD PLANT TREES OR A ROCK GARDEN.
BUT ALL THAT'S ALSO INCLUDED, AND THAT'S MCM 14, SO I'M KIND OF COVERING TWO AT ONCE.
AND ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IS A COPY OF KIND OF A CITY PARISH INSPECTION.
JUST KINDA A LITTLE SNAPSHOT OF WHAT WE DO WHEN WE GOT AN INSPECT THEM.
WE HAVE A COMPUTER BASED PROGRAM.
THEY DO IT ON AN IPAD FOR WHEN THEY FIRST GET THE CONSTRUCTION SITE, THEY TRY AND MEET WITH THE OPERATOR, TELL 'EM THEY'RE THERE TO DO AN INSPECTION.
THEY ASK IF THEY WANNA WALK THROUGH THE INSPECTION WITH THEM SO THEY CAN KIND OF EDUCATE 'EM AS THEY SEE PROBLEMS. THEY CAN TELL 'EM, HEY, YOU NEED TO DO THIS A LITTLE BIT BETTER AT THE END.
[00:45:01]
IT, THEY CAN COME BACK THE NEXT WEEK.IF IT'S FIXED, THERE'S NO ISSUE IF IT'S NOT FIXED AND IT GETS ELEVATED.
SO MCM 10, THAT'S THE FUN ONE.
THAT'S PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ON STORMWATER IMPACT.
SO THAT'S THINGS LIKE WE JUST HAD, OUR HOUSEHOLD HAS THIS WASTE DROP OFF.
WE TRY AND DO TWO OF THE THEM A YEAR WHERE THE CITIZENS CAN COME AND WE CAN DISPOSE OF THEIR WASTE PROPERLY.
UM, IT'S STUFF LIKE EARTH DAY, DOING PRESENTATIONS AT THE SCHOOLS, MAYBE DOING A LITTLE PRESENTATION AT A PUBLIC MEETING, HANDING OUT OUTREACH MATERIALS THAT HELP PEOPLE REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, NOT TO PUT STUFF DOWN THE STORM DRAIN OR TO PICK UP AFTER THEIR PET WASTE.
IT'S HANDING OUT BROCHURES, HAVING, UH, PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS ON TV OR BILLBOARDS, AND KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF BILLBOARDS ON THE, UM, S S O PROGRAM SIDE OF WHAT TO DO.
IT'S JUST DIFFERENT THINGS TO REACH THE PUBLIC AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO HAVE GOOD BEHAVIOR WHEN IT COMES TO STORMWATER.
SO THEN MONITORING PROGRAMS, THAT'S MCM 11.
SO BATON ROUGE, ALMOST EVERY WATERWAY THAT WE DISCHARGE TO HAS AN IMPAIRMENT ON THE 3 0 3 D LIST.
FOR SOME REASON, A LOT OF 'EM ARE REPAIRED FOR FECAL COLIFORMS, WHICH COMES FROM MOSTLY, UM, PRIVATE TREATMENT SYSTEMS, SOME FROM PET WASTES TO SOME FROM SSO OVERFLOWS.
THEN ALSO DISSOLVED OXYGEN AS A PROBLEM.
AND THAT COULD BE FROM TOO MUCH FERTILIZER OR PESTICIDE APPLICATION.
IT COULD BE FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
BUT UNDER MONITORING PROGRAMS, THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS.
ONE IS WHAT I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, THE WET WEATHER AND DRY WEATHER OUTFALLS.
SO WE ARE GOING OUT AND WE'RE MONITORING THOSE 350 OUTFALLS DURING WET WEATHER TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY SHEEN ON THE DISCHARGE.
IS THERE ANY FOAM? IS THERE ANY ODOR? IS THERE ANYTHING THAT INDICATE TO US THAT IT HAS AN ILLICIT DISCHARGE? AND IF WE SPOT ONE DURING THE WET WEATHER MONITORING PROGRAM, THAT KICKS BACK INTO ILLICIT DISCHARGE AND TRACKING THAT BACK.
UM, SAME THING ON THE DRY WEATHER.
IF WE SEE AN A DISCHARGE DURING DRY WEATHER, WE TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHY THIS PROBABLY SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING.
THEN IT ALSO INCLUDES TMDL SAMPLING.
THAT STANDS FOR TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOAD.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS REGULATED BY THE EPA AND DQ.
SOME OF THEM HAVE WASTE LOAD ALLOCATIONS.
WE SAMPLE ON A QUARTERLY BASIS THOSE STREAMS TO SEE, YOU KNOW, AS THE TM D IS IT IMPROVING? ARE WE IN LINE WITH WHERE IT SHOULD BE? IT ALSO INCLUDES, WE HAVE 10 REPRESENTATIVE OUTFALLS THROUGHOUT THE PARISH WHERE WE RUN A WHOLE LITANY OF DIFFERENT PARAMETERS ON 'EM JUST TO SEE WHAT'S OUT THERE.
WE, WE RUN FOR METALS, RUN FOR OIL AND GREASE CHLORINE, AND IT KIND OF GIVES US AN INDICATOR OF WHAT COULD BE GETTING DISCHARGED INTO THE, UH, WATERWAY.
THAT'S MONITORING PROGRAMS AND THEN POLLUTION PREVENTION, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING PRACTICE, PHYSICISTS FROM MANIP MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS.
THAT IS AT OUR TREATMENT PLANTS, AT OUR LANDFILL, AT OUR MAINTENANCE LOTS.
THAT'S MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE GOOD BEHAVIOR, THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING THE SAME BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES THAT THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE FOLLOWING THAT INDUSTRY SHOULD BE FOLLOWING.
SO WE'RE GONNA HOLD THE CITY PARISH ENTITIES TO THE SAME STANDARDS WE'RE GONNA HOLD WHEN WE GO OUT AND INSPECT AN INDUSTRIAL SITE OR A COMMERCIAL SITE, MAKING SURE WE HAVE SPILL PREVENTION PLANS, MAKING SURE WE HAVE SPILL KITS, MAKING SURE WE'RE PERMITTED BY DQ FOR THE DIFFERENT DISCHARGES, LIKE FOR CAR WASHING.
WE HAVE THE CAR WASH PERMIT, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, GOOD TRAINING FOR OUR EMPLOYEES SO THEY KNOW WHAT TO DO IN THE VENAVA SPILL.
MAKING SURE WE'RE PUTTING UP SILK FENCES.
JUST ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO NOT AFFECT THE WATER QUALITY, HOW WE STORE OUR MATERIALS.
MAKE SURE THAT WE STORE 'EM UNDER ROOF OUTSIDE OF WHERE STORMWATER CAN GET INTO 'EM ON OUR STOCKPILES OF DIRT IF WE CAN COVER 'EM OR JUST MAKE SURE THEY DON'T RUN OFF INTO THE PUT UP A SILT FENCE.
JUST ANY KIND OF MEASURE WE CAN TAKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT AFFECTING THE STORM WATER QUALITY.
AN MCM 13 IS MEASURABLE GOALS.
SO FOR EACH OF THE MCMS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, WE HAVE TO HAVE A MEASURABLE GOAL, SOMETHING THAT WE CAN REPORT ON ANNUALLY AND PUT IN OUR ANNUAL REPORT TO THE DEQ THAT SAYS, HEY, WE'RE DOING THIS AND IT'S MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
OR, WE DID NOT DO THIS THIS YEAR AND THIS IS WHY.
BUT IT'S GOTTA BE SOMETHING TANGIBLE AND MEASURABLE THAT WE PUT IN THERE AND IT'S GOTTA BE REPORTED ON ANNUALLY.
AND NOW WE'RE GONNA TAKE A SHORT RECESS BEFORE WE TURN IT OVER TO BLACK AND BEACH.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UH, WE'LL START BACK UP AT 2 35.
UH, I DID WANT TO, FOR THOSE THAT
[00:50:01]
ARE, UH, OUT IN THE AUDIENCE, WE, WE DO HAVE SOME, UH, WATER AND UH, COKES, DIET COKES IN THE BACK IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED IN THAT.AND AGAIN, WE'LL SEE YOU IN 10 MINUTES FOR STATION GOING ON.
BUT IF WE COULD RECONVENE HERE SHORTLY, WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT AT LEAST ONE MEMBER THAT'S GOT A TIME CONSTRAINT AND WE DO WANT TO, WE ARE GONNA ASK YOU TO, UH, COMPLETE A POLL AT THE END OF THIS.
SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE ALL THE MEMBERS GET TO VOTE IN THAT POLL.
SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO, UH, TO WELCOME UP BRAVO KUMAR.
THEY ARE OUR CONSULTANT THAT'S BEEN WORKING WITH US ON THIS PROCESS AND SHE'S GONNA TALK TO US ABOUT, UH, SOME OF THE PROGRAM EFFORTS SO FAR.
UM, SO WE WILL CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION THIS AFTERNOON ON THE, UH, TOPICS WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING.
SO JUST FOR A QUICK RECAP, UH, AS TO WHAT YOU ALL HEARD SO FAR.
I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION JUST TO DISTILLATE, UH, FRED HELPED YOU ALL UNDERSTAND THE MASTER PLAN, THAT IT REALLY COVERS, UH, THE BIG HUGE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WOULD NEED TO BE DONE IN THE 11 WATERSHEDS, UH, THAT ARE, THAT'S THERE IN THE, UH, PARISH AND HOW THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE HANDLED AND THE WORK THAT H AND DB HAS DONE BY EVALUATING AND THE INFORMATION THAT HAS.
THEN ADAM HELPED YOU ALL UNDERSTAND THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN, WHERE THE MANAGEMENT PLAN IS AN INTEGRAL PART AFTER THE REGULATORY COMPLIANCE IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF IT.
UM, SO HOW THE MANAGEMENT PLAN HAS DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AND HOW THAT IS VERY CRITICAL FOR STORMWATER MANAGEMENT AS WELL.
THEN YOU ALL HEARD FROM JOE ABOUT SOME OF THESE ASPECTS AND THEN ALSO, UH, YOU HEARD FROM SARAH WHERE SHE WALKED YOU THROUGH EACH ONE OF THE 14, UH, MINIMUM, UH, CONTROL MEASURES MCM FOURTEENS.
SO THEN THAT REALLY BRINGS US, SO THAT GIVES THE BACKGROUND OF ALL THE COMPONENTS THAT YOU HEARD.
SO NOW I'M GOING TO HELP YOU WALK THROUGH HOW DOES THE CITY PARISH THEN TAKE THIS, TAKE ALL OF THESE THINGS AND HOW DOES THE CITY PARISH ACTUALLY DO IT? SO JUST GONNA GIVE YOU A FLAVOR OF THAT.
SO THE FIRST ONE WE ARE REALLY GONNA TALK ABOUT IS THE OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT MAINTENANCE PROGRAM.
AND WE ARE GOING TO HEAR THE WORD LEVEL OF SERVICE.
SO WHAT DO WE MEAN BY THE LEVEL OF SERVICE? IT'S REALLY WHAT IS BEING ACTUALLY DONE ON THE GROUND AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE, WHAT IS BEING DONE, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE? WHERE SHOULD THE CITY PARISH GO WITH ALL THE THINGS THAT NEED TO GET DONE, BOTH FOR THE COMMUNITY NEEDS AND ALSO FOR REGULATORY COMPLIANCE.
SO ALL OF THAT WE COLLECTIVELY REFER TO AS THE LEVEL OF SERVICE.
OKAY, SO NOW WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE O AND M PROGRAM COMPONENTS, THE WAY THE CITY PARISH ACTUALLY ORGANIZES ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS IS REALLY UNDER FOUR BUCKETS.
THE FIRST ONE IS REALLY CALLED THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE.
SO WHEN I SAY BUCKETS, THIS IS HOW ACTUALLY THE BUDGETING IS ACTUALLY DONE FOR THESE FOUR DIFFERENT BUCKETS.
SO FIRST IS DRAINAGE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT ACTUALLY GOES INTO THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE.
UM, THEN THE SECOND MAJOR BUCKET IS THE SOURCE CONTROLS COMPLIANCE TRACKING.
YOU HEARD A LOT ABOUT WATER QUALITY THAT WOULD KIND OF COME UNDER THE SOURCE CONTROL COMPLIANCE TRACKING.
AND NOT TO CONFUSE RENET SYSTEM MAINTENANCE IS ALSO IMPORTANT FOR WATER QUALITY, BUT THESE TWO ARE KEY, UH, BUDGETARY COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM.
THE THIRD IS THE ENGINEERING AND PLANNING THAT NEEDS TO GO INTO PLACE BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ON ITS OWN.
THERE IS ENGINEERING THAT IS PLANNING, ALL OF THAT HAS TO BE MANAGED AS WELL.
THEN ALL OF THESE THREE THINGS HAVE TO BE MANAGED AS A PROGRAM, RIGHT? SO THAT IS WHERE WE HAVE THE PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION.
SO THAT'S HOW THE WHOLE PROGRAM IS ORGANIZED IN, IN TERMS OF THE EXECUTION BY THE 30 PARISH TEAM.
SO WE'LL JUST GO INTO EACH ONE OF THEM REALLY QUICKLY.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DRAINAGE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE, SO WHAT ARE THE KEY COMPONENTS? NOW AGAIN, AS YOU CAN SEE IN ALL OF THESE, THESE MCM ONE THROUGH 14 THAT SARAH WALKED THROUGH IS GONNA KIND OF HAVE A PLAY.
SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT'S NOT LIKE IN ANY ONE BUCKET.
UM, SO IF YOU LOOK AT DRAINAGE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE, WHAT DOES IT REALLY TAKE? IT REALLY HANDLES, UH, INVOLVES FLOODING.
WHEN THERE IS FLOODING, WHETHER IT IS A MINOR FLOODING, WHETHER IT IS A MAJOR ONE, TYPICALLY WHETHER IT IS SOMEBODY'S BACKYARD, THE CITY PARISHES
[00:55:01]
RECEIVING A CALL, IT'S RECEIVING A CALL FROM CUSTOMERS RECEIVING CALL FROM DIFFERENT ENTITIES, WHICH MEANS THERE ARE WORK ORDERS THAT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED.SO WORK ORDERS ARE CREATED AND THOSE WORK ORDERS HAVE TO BE EXECUTED.
SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE OPERATIONS PROGRAM.
THE SECOND IS THE MAINTENANCE.
NORMALLY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MAINTENANCE, YOU COULD THINK OF A TWO WAYS THAT YOU COULD ALWAYS DO A REACTIVE MAINTENANCE.
YOU COULD DO PROACTIVE MAINTENANCE.
IN AN IDEAL WORLD, YOU REALLY WANT PROACTIVE MAINTENANCE.
AND WE'LL TALK WHY THAT IS IMPORTANT.
SO THE MAINTENANCE, OKAY, MAINTENANCE OF WHAT? MAINTENANCE OF A LOT OF THINGS THAT COMPRISE THE STORM WATER SYSTEM, WHICH IS CHANNELS, OPEN CHANNELS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF CLOSED, UH, OPEN CHANNELS AND DITCHES.
THERE ARE A LOT OF LINED CANALS.
SOME OF THE PICTURES YOU SAW JUST NOW AND ALSO INLETS THAT MANY A TIME PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IF A SINGLE STREET CAN HAVE MULTIPLE INLETS TO GET THE STORM WATER INTO THE CONVEYANCE SYSTEM.
AND THEN THERE ARE MANHOLES, THERE ARE DRAINAGE BOXES WHERE THERE ARE BIG DRAINAGE BOXES THAT AGAIN, HELP CONVEY THE STORM WATER.
AND ALSO THERE ARE PIPES THAT YOU DON'T SEE.
IF IT IS A, NOT, IF IT'S UNDER THE GROUND, YOU DON'T SEE THOSE PIPES, DIFFERENT KINDS OF PIPES.
IT COULD BE CONCRETE PIPES, IT COULD BE CORRUGATED METAL PIPES.
AND THEN OF COURSE, IN MANY PLACES THERE ARE ALSO PUMP STATIONS THAT HAVE TO PUSH THE STORM WATER THROUGH THE CONVEYING SYSTEM.
SO ALL OF THESE THINGS TOGETHER, TOGETHER COMPRISE THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM THAT HELPS REALLY TAKE THE WATER AWAY THAT WE SOMETIMES TAKE FOR GRANTED RIGHT NOW.
ALL OF THAT HAS TO BE INSPECTED.
IT, SOME OF THEM HAVE TO BE CLEANED, IT HAS TO BE MAINTAINED.
ALL OF THAT FALLS UNDER THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE BUCKET.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT ONE THAT, UM, WE ARE PRESENTING HERE AS WELL IS STREET SWEEPING.
YOU HEARD SARAH TALK ABOUT STREET SWEEPING, WHICH IS ACTUALLY ONE ASPECT OF THE MCM AND THAT IS ALSO IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT HAS TO HAPPEN ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND AS SHE EXPLAINED, TO KEEP THE SEDIMENT AND SILTA AWAY AND KEEP THE WATER QUALITY AND ALSO THE QUANTITY STILL FLOWING THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
SO THE ALL THIS HAS TO BE MAINTAINED.
SO WHEN WE WONDER, OKAY, WHY, WHY DOES THIS HAVE TO BE MAINTAINED? WHAT'S REALLY THE BENEFIT? BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT YOU'RE ALL LOOKING FOR IS NOT ONLY WHY THIS IS DONE, WHAT BENEFIT DOES IT REALLY GIVE TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THE CITY PARISH.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, IT REDUCES POLLUTION, IT HELPS MITIGATE THE FLOODING AND BACKING UP OF WATER IN PEOPLE'S BACKYARDS AND FUNDAMENTALLY PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO WITHOUT THIS, YOU REALLY CAN'T HAVE THE PUBLIC SAFETY IN TERMS OF STORMWATER MANAGEMENT THAT YOU HAVE IN THE SYSTEM, BOTH FOR PEOPLE BUT ALSO FOR PROPERTY.
SO IF THESE THINGS ARE MAINTAINED IN THE PROPERTY, VALUES ARE MAINTAINED IN A SENSE AS WELL.
SO THIS IS SO FUNDAMENTAL TO PEOPLE'S SAFETY AND PROPERTY SAFETY.
AND THE SECOND THING, THIS IS WHERE THE PROACTIVE VERSUS REACTIVE COMES INTO PLAY.
MOST OF THE TIME YOU, YOU HEARD THE MAYOR'S ADDRESS AS WELL HISTORICALLY AND EVEN CURRENTLY A LOT OF IT HAS BEEN IS REALLY TENDING ON THE REACTIVE SIDE OF MAINTENANCE WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS AND YOU GO FIX IT.
BUT THAT IS NOT AN IDEAL WAY OF MANAGING THE BILLION DOLLAR ASSETS THAT THE PARISH HAS IN TERMS OF STORMWATER MANAGEMENT.
SO REALLY ONE OF THE IMPORTANT VALUES OF THE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE IS REDUCING INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURE.
YOU ARE NOT DRIVING THE INFRASTRUCTURE UP TO THE POINT OF FAILURE.
YOU'RE TRYING TO DO A PROACTIVE MAINTENANCE SO THAT YOU CAN EXTEND THE USEFUL LIFE OF THE ASSETS.
AND THAT IN TURN ALSO HELPS YOU MAINTAIN THE WATER QUALITY AND THE QUANTITY THAT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT QUITE A BIT.
SO THOSE ARE THE FUNDAMENTAL BENEFITS OF WHY A DRAINAGE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE HAS TO BE OPERATED AND MAINTAINED IN A PROACTIVE MANNER.
SO ON CONVERSELY, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT IS THE RISK OF REALLY CONTINUING THIS REACTIVE APPROACH TO MAINTENANCE, WHICH IS HOW HISTORICALLY IT HAS BEEN, PROBLEM OF COURSE IS A RECORDING FLOODING THE SAME PLACE WILL FLOOD OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN YOU'LL BE SENDING CREW TO THE SAME PLACE TO FIX THE SAME PROBLEM, RIGHT? SO THAT IS ONE CHALLENGE BOTH FOR STREETS, PUBLIC ROADWAYS, AND FOR PROPERTIES.
AND OF COURSE THE CONTINUING PROBLEM.
IF, IF IT IS A VERY REACTIVE MAINTENANCE.
UM, THEN YOU ALSO CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS LITTLE PROBLEM THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, AND THAT AFFECTS WATER QUALITY.
AND FINALLY, IF THERE IS NOT A PROACTIVE MAINTENANCE IN TERMS OF TIMELY INSPECTIONS, TIMELY MONITORING OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE, YOU DO NOT EVEN KNOW IN WHICH PLACES IN THE CITY PARISH IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE ACTUALLY DETERIORATING.
WHICH MEANS WITHOUT OUR KNOWLEDGE, SOMETHING COULD BE DETERIORATING TO THE POINT OF FAILURE AND WE WILL KNOW ONLY WHEN IT ACTUALLY FAILS AND WHEN IT ACTUALLY FAILS.
AND THE COSTS ARE GONNA BE PRETTY ENORMOUS TO FIX IT.
SO REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE RISK OF INFRASTRUCTURE DETERIORATION IS A REAL RISK OF NOT HAVING A PROACTIVE MAINTENANCE.
AND FINALLY, SOMETHING THAT IS VISIBLE TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU AND TO THE COMMUNITY IS POOR AESTHETICS.
IF THIS IS NOT MAINTAINED, IF STREET STREETS ARE NOT SWEPT IN A CONSISTENT MANNER, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A POOR COMMUNITY AESTHETICS AS WELL, WHICH REALLY AFFECTS EVERYBODY'S QUALITY OF LIFE.
SO THAT'S REALLY THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE, JUST, THAT'S A HUGE BUCKET.
THAT'S WHY I'M JUST TAKING THE TIME TO
[01:00:01]
EXPLAIN THAT.WHAT DOES THE CHART SHOW THE CHART? I NOTICE IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO READ, UM, WHAT THE CHART IS REALLY SHOWING US IN 2021, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE IS THE LEVEL OF, UH, EXPENDITURE THAT HAD ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN 2021.
THEN WHAT YOU FIND IN 2022, YOU SEE A BIG JUMP.
AND THE BIG ORANGE, UH, PORTION THAT YOU SEE WAS WHAT THE CITY PARISH WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO DO IN 2022 WHEN THE CITY PARISH HAD THIS ONE-TIME INFUSION OF THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT ARPA MONEY.
SO THAT GOES TO TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THERE IS FUNDING, WHAT CAN BE DONE.
NOW, YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING WHAT WAS DONE FOR THAT ORANGE PIECE THAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE.
A LOT OF IT WAS, UH, OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THE BACKLOGGED WORK ORDERS.
THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF 10 YEARS WORTH OF BACKLOGGED WORK ORDERS THAT THE CITY PARISH HAS BEEN NOW USING THIS MONEY TO GET IT ALL DONE SO THAT THEY CAN REDUCE A NUMBER OF PENDING WORK ORDERS.
SO THE PLAN IS THAT IN 2023, THERE IS STILL SOME ARPA REMAINING MONEY THAT IS AVAILABLE THAT WILL BE USED IN 2023, AND THAT MONEY WILL EVEN BE RATIONED AND USED TO SOME EXTENT IN 2024.
AFTER 2024, THERE IS NO ARPA MONEY.
SO THAT IS THE REALITY ALSO THAT WE MAY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL UNDERSTAND.
SO THIS IS THE RE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE, JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE.
SO WHAT HAPPENED HISTORICALLY, 17 THROUGH 21 4 DRAINAGE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE, THERE WAS REALLY NO ARPA MONEY.
AND REALLY WHAT THE CHART IS SHOWING IS ROUGHLY ABOUT EIGHT, EIGHT TO 9 MILLION WAS WHAT WAS SPENT, BECAUSE THAT'S ALL WAS THERE, THAT'S ALL WAS THE MONEY THAT WAS COMING IN TERMS OF FUNDING.
AND SO THAT FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
SO THAT'S REALLY THE MONEY THAT WAS BEING SPENT ON.
AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THAT MONEY WAS SO LIMITED THAT IT WAS CONSTANTLY RESULTING IN CONTINUOUS DIFFERING OF O AND M AND NOT ONLY DEFERRING OF O AND M ACTIVITIES, BUT ALSO TAKING CARE OF CUZ WORK ORDERS.
SO THE WORK ORDERS WERE JUST PILING UP.
SO THOSE ARE ALL THE RESULT OF LACK OF FUNDING DURING THOSE YEARS.
THE NEXT COMPONENT, UM, WHICH IS ANOTHER MAJOR, UM, BUDGET COMPONENT OTHER THAN THE DRAINER SYSTEM MAINTENANCE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, IS SPECIFICALLY SOURCE CONTROLS AND COMPLIANCE TRACKING.
A LOT OF THE MCMS THAT SARAH WAS EXPLAINING TO YOU ALL, A LOT OF THEM HAVE AN APPLICATION HERE.
SO THIS REALLY, PRIMARILY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE COMPONENT, THIS IS REALLY GEARED TOWARDS POLLUTION PREVENTION IN IMPLEMENTATION OF MONITORING, IMPLEMENTATION OF TRACKING.
UH, SARAH TALKED TO YOU ABOUT CONSTRUCTION MONITORING, POST-CONSTRUCTION MONITORING OF OF PRI PRIVATE PROPERTIES, UH, WHEN THE, WHEN THAT CONSTRUCTION HAPPENS, ALL OF THIS COMES INTO PLAY.
THEN INSPECTIONS OF BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.
SO WHEN PEOPLE PUT STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AS PART OF THEIR CONSTRUCTION, THOSE HAVE TO BE MONITORED AND MAN, UH, MAINTAINED.
BUT MONITORING IS A KEY PART THAT THE C CITY PARISH DOES SO THAT THEY ARE MAINTAINING IT THE WAY THEY NEED TO MAINTAIN IT.
UM, AND THEN TRACKING THE WATER QUALITY.
THIS, AS YOU KNOW, THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RAINFALL.
THERE'S SO MANY WATER CHANNELS AND SO ALL THAT WATER QUALITY IN THE STREAMS AND THE TRIBUTARIES AND THE CHANNELS HAVE TO BE MONITORED, SAMPLED FOR CAUSE.
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE REGULATORY COMPLIANCE.
AND IT'S NOT ONLY MONITORING, BUT TRACKING ALL OF THE DATA AND THEN REPORTING ON IT.
ALL OF THIS COMES UNDER, UH, THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET ITEM, WHICH IS IN, UH, BUDGET CATEGORY CALLED THE SOURCE CONTROLS AND COMPLIANCE TRACKING.
AGAIN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S THE BENEFIT OF DOING THIS, FUNDAMENTALLY IT'S PREVENTION OF POLLUTION OF WATER RESOURCES.
SO WATER RESOURCES IS NOT ONLY, UH, CRITICAL FOR DRINKING WATER RESOURCES, BUT IT'S ALSO CRITICAL FOR RECREATION, FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AGAIN, AND REALLY MANAGING IT IN ONE PLACE.
WATER KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES, SO MANAGING IT IN ONE PLACE TAKES CARE OF THE DOWNSTREAM ISSUES AS WELL.
SO ALL OF THESE BECOME VERY CRITICAL.
AND OF COURSE THE BIG ONE IS THE MS FOUR COMPLIANCE HERE.
BUT AGAIN, IN TERMS OF THE RISK OF NO ACTION, THE BIGGER RISK HERE IS FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH MS FOUR REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS.
SO THAT IS NOT A SITUATION THAT ANY UTILITY WANTS TO BE IN OR SHOULD BE IN.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE OTHER IMPORTANT THING IS REALLY THE DEGRADATION OF WATER RESOURCES.
MANY OF YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD THE WORD IMPAIRMENT, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT RE LEADS TO.
NOT TRACKING, NOT MONITORING, NOT ADDRESSING PROACTIVELY LEADS TO A CONTINUOUS DEGRADATION OF WATER RESOURCES.
AND WHEN YOU ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN, THEN IT TAKES A LOT MORE MEASURES TO BRING THE WATER QUALITY BACK INTO SHAPE.
SO THIS IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT RISK OF NOT DOING THESE THINGS.
SO HERE AGAIN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT HIS, UH, THE FUNDING THAT HAS HAPPENED, UH, REALLY NOW THE ACTIVITIES AGAIN TO MORE, MORE INSPECTIONS AND MORE COMPLIANCE, MORE MONITORING AND MODELING, ALL OF THAT IS HAPPENING BECAUSE THERE'S AN INFUSION OF THE ARPA MONEY.
AND AGAIN, THAT MONEY THAT IS AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW, CITY PARISH IS GONNA
[01:05:01]
VERY CAREFULLY RATION IT FOR SOURCE CONTROL AND COMPLIANCE TRACKING AS WELL SO THAT IT CAN BE STRETCHED.BUT AS YOU CAN SEE HERE IN 2022, UH, THERE IS ARPA MONEY, BUT, BUT REALLY THERE IS GONNA BE NO ARPA FUNDING FOR THIS COMPONENT IN 23 AND 24 BECAUSE THERE'S REALLY NOT MONEY LEFT.
MOST OF IT IS ACTUALLY GONNA GO TO DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE, THE LEFTOVER ARPA MONEY.
THEN THE THIRD COMPONENT REALLY IS ENGINEERING AND PLANNING.
SO THE ENGINEERING AND PLANNING IS A KEY COMPONENT FOR REALLY MANAGING ALL THE ASSETS.
SO THIS INVOLVES NOT ONLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT INVENTORY THE CITY HAS, WHERE IS THAT ACTUALLY THAT INVENTORY, WHAT IS THE KIND OF PIPES, WHAT IS THE CONDITION OF THOSE PIPES? ALL OF THOSE HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND SO ENGINEERING AND PLANNING IS VITAL TO THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN THAT YOU HEARD, UH, FRED TALKED ABOUT IT.
AND SO THERE IS ENGINEERING THAT IS DESIGN, UM, AND THEN ALSO THIS WHOLE MASTER PLANNING ACTIVITY.
DEVELOPING A MASTER PLAN ITSELF IS A BIG ENDEAVOR.
AND THEN GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS, MAKING SURE THE MASTER PLAN THAT IS DEVELOPED MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE CITY FOR THE LONG TERM.
AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, ANY KIND OF WHEN THERE IS AN EMERGENCY, UH, FEMA PLANNING, THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM, COMMUNITY RATING, ALL OF THAT HAS AN IMPACT.
AND THEN ALSO PLANNING FOR THE HAZARD MITIGATION.
THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ASPECT AS WELL.
BUT THE KEY HERE IN THIS PARTICULAR CATEGORY IS ASSET MANAGEMENT BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY ASSETS THAT HAVE TO BE MAIN TO MAN TO BE MANAGED.
AND THEN THE MODELING THAT HAS TO HAPPEN.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS THE CAPACITY? WHERE ARE WE LESS ON CAPACITY? ALL OF THAT COMES FROM THIS MODELING AND HYDRO HYDROLOGIC AND HYDRAULIC MODELING.
SO AGAIN, FROM A BENEFIT TO THE PUBLIC STANDPOINT, REALLY THIS HELPS WITH DRIVING ASSET MANAGEMENT.
ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO POINT OUT, INCREASINGLY WHAT WE ARE FINDING WHEN THERE IS FUNDING AVAILABLE, WHETHER IT IS A STATE REVOLVING FUND LOAN, IN MANY, MANY STATES WE SEE THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN, THE STATE REVOLVING FUND LOAN APPLICATIONS ARE GIVING SPECIFIC POINTS IN TERMS OF THE PROJECT SCORING.
IF THE UTILITY HAS AN ASSET MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, THEY WOULD SAY, IF YOU HAVE AN ASSET MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, DESCRIBE IT.
YOU GET STRAIGHT AWAY, YOU GET FIVE POINTS FOR IT.
NOT HAVING IT ACTUALLY MAKES YOUR APPLICATION LESS COMPETITIVE AGAINST SOMEBODY ELSE'S APPLICATION BECAUSE ALL UTILITIES ARE COMPETING FOR THE SAME POOL OF MONEY.
SO THIS ASSET MANAGEMENT IS NOT ONLY FOR KEEPING THE ASSETS IN PLACE, BUT ALSO WE HAVE TO BE, UH, COGNIZANT THAT IT ACTUALLY AFFECTS COMPETITIVENESS OF GETTING A GRANT MONEY OR EVEN A LOAN MONEY BECAUSE THESE THINGS NOW WE ARE INCORPORATING INTO THE REQUIREMENT.
AND OF COURSE THE BIG ADVANTAGE OF THIS ENGINEERING AND PLANNING AND HAVING A MASTER PLAN AND EXECUTING ON THE PLAN IS OF COURSE INFRASTRUCTURE INTEGRITY.
AND IT ALSO, THIS ALSO HAS AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE SO THAT WHEN AN EMERGENCY, GOD FORBID, LIKE KATRINA, ANYTHING HAPPENS, WE ARE NOT PLANNING AT THAT TIME.
WE ALREADY HAVE A PLAN THAT JUST GETS IMPLEMENTED RIGHT AT THAT TIME.
SO REALLY THIS MORE SO THAN THE OTHER TWO BUCKETS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
THIS IS A VERY CRITICAL BUCKET FOR LONG-TERM RESILIENCE OF THE STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE SYSTEM WE HAVE IN PLACE.
SO NEEDLESS TO SAY, IF ENGINEERING, PROACTIVE ENGINEERING, PLANNING, PLANNING AND MASTER PLANNING IS NOT IN PLACE, THAT IS GOING TO LEAD, THAT IS GONNA IMPACT INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURE AND REALLY, REALLY COSTLY REACTIVE RESPONSE BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT NOW TAKING THE ASSET TO ITS USEFUL LIFE.
YOU'RE NOT EVEN EXTENDING ITS USEFUL LIFE.
YOU ARE REACTING TO A FAILURE.
SO HERE AGAIN, THE, THIS IS NOT A HUGE DOLLAR AMOUNT IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU SEE IN 22, 23, IT IS ABOUT 2 MILLION.
AND THEN IN 23 WE HAVE ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS.
AGAIN, THERE IS NO MORE ARPA MONEY LEFT, BUT THIS ACTIVITY HAS TO CONTINUE.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING AGAIN, WE ARE PRESENTING HERE.
THEN THE NEXT ONE REALLY IS AN OVERARCHING UMBRELLA.
NOW YOU REALLY, THIS IS ALL, THIS FUNDAMENTALLY COMES TO ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY TO DO DRAINER SYSTEM MANAGEMENT, TO DO SOURCE CONTROL AND TRACKING, TO DO THE ENGINEERING AND PLANNING.
ULTIMATELY IT'S THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE ALL OF THESE THINGS HAPPEN.
AND SO THERE HAS TO BE OVERALL EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION.
SO REALLY THIS LEADS TO THE OVERALL STORMWATER PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, BUT ALSO FUNDING MANAGEMENT, RIGHT? FUNDING DOESN'T HAPPEN.
EVEN THE WHOLE BUDGETING PROCESS, EVERYTHING HAS TO HAPPEN IN A VERY METHODICAL WAY.
THAT'S WHAT THIS PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION IS.
SO IT INCLUDES PLANNING, IT REALLY HELPS WITH THE MANAGEMENT.
AND MORE IMPORTANT, THIS KIND OF A STRONG, HAVING THE ORGANIZATIONAL RESOURCES AND THE CAPACITY TO MANAGE A PROGRAM LIKE THIS IS WHAT IS GOING TO REALLY ULTIMATELY LEAD TO TIMELY EXECUTION OF WORK ORDERS.
SO IF FUNDING IS ONE ASPECT, HAVING THE ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITIES, ANOTHER ASPECT, AND THAT ALSO THEN DIRECTLY RELATES TO CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT, CUSTOMER SERVICE.
SO WHEN CUSTOMERS COMPLAIN, THEY ARE NOT FRUSTRATED THAT WORK ORDERS ARE NOT TAKING PLACE, THERE'S BETTER COMMUNICATION WITH THEM.
SO ALL OF THIS REALLY COMES UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF HAVING AN EFFECTIVE PROGRAM
[01:10:01]
ADMINISTRATION.SO IN A NUTSHELL, REALLY THE COMMUNITY'S RESILIENCE IS GONNA DEPEND ON THE CAPACITY TO ADMINISTER A PROGRAM OF THIS MAGNITUDE.
AND, AND SO IF AGAIN, THE PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION AND THE ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY, IF THOSE THINGS ARE NOT ADDRESSED, REALLY THE RISK IS THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE VERY LIMITED ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY TO EXECUTE AND ULTIMATELY AFFECTS SERVICE DELIVERY FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT THE FOUR MAJOR CATEGORIES OF THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, AND THAT IS HOW THE CITY PARISH LOOKS AT WHAT IS NEEDED, DOES THE BUDGETING.
SO WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT HOW THE BUDGETS, HOW THE PLAN IS GONNA LOOK LIKE IN THE NEXT MEETING.
BUT THEN ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE PROGRAM IS THE CAPITAL PROGRAM.
SO WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE CAPITAL PROGRAM, TYPICALLY IN MANY COMMUNITIES, JUST US IN THE PARISH, THE CAPITAL PROGRAM TYPICALLY CONSISTS OF THREE MAIN CATEGORIES.
YOU CAN DO CAPITAL PROJECTS FOR MANAGING AND ENHANCING THE CAPACITY OF DRAINAGE CONVEYANCE SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE FLOODING, SO THAT YOU WATER FLOWS, WATER IS COLLECTED, CONVEYED, PUMPED THROUGH.
BUT THE CAPITAL PROGRAM CAN ALSO BE CLEARLY GEARED TOWARDS CERTAIN PROJECTS FOR WATER QUALITY, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO, YOU CAN SEE THAT PICTURE RIGHT THERE.
IT'S REALLY AS IF YOU LOOK AT A STREAM, UH, STABILIZATION.
IF A STREAM IS NOT ADDRESSED, THEN IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE THERE'S NOT ADDRESS.
IT AFFECTS TWO THINGS SIMULTANEOUSLY.
IT LEADS TO A CHANNEL DEGRADATION, SO WHICH AFFECTS WATER QUALITY, BUT IT COM COMPLETELY AFFECTS THE CAPACITY OF THE CHANNEL TO CARRY THE WATER.
SO IT AFFECTS THE QUANTITY AS WELL.
SO A CAPITAL PROJECT, SOME EX AN EXAMPLE OF THAT, KIND OF A CAPITAL CRO PROJECT AND ADDRESS BOTH.
AND IN SOME, IN, IN CERTAIN TYPES OF CAPITAL PROJECT, YOU COULD ALSO INCORPORATE GREEN INITIATIVES FOR COMMUNITY AESTHETICS BECAUSE SOMETHING THAT IS, THAT CAN MANAGE CAPACITY QUALITY CAN ALSO HELP WITH RECREATION.
SO THERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES WHERE YOU DO A LAKE, WHICH IS A STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, BUT IT CAN FUNCTION AS A LAKE FOR RECREATION.
SO THESE ARE ALL THE TYPES OF CAPITAL PROGRAM HERE.
BUT ONE THING WE WANTED TO MAKE CLEAR TODAY IS THAT YOU HEARD FRED TALK ABOUT THE MASTER PLAN, WHICH IS A CAPITAL PROGRAM.
HE REFERRED TO THE 90 PROJECTS WITH A 2.4 BILLION PROGRAM, THAT KIND OF A CAPITAL PROGRAM.
WE ARE NOT TALKING IN THE CONTEXT OF STORMWATER UTILITY BECAUSE THAT IS PRETTY MASSIVE THAT HAS TO COME.
BUT WHAT WE ARE TALKING WHEN WE TALK CAPITAL PROGRAM HERE, DRAINAGE CAPITAL PROGRAM IS CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT NEED TO BE DONE BECAUSE THERE ARE OPERATIONAL FAILURES, RIGHT? AND ESPECIALLY IF THOSE CAPITAL PROJECTS, IF THERE, IF THERE ARE MINOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, THEN IT'LL BE REALLY CALLED OPERATIONAL REPAIRS.
BUT IF IT EXCEEDS $250,000, WHICH WHICH IS CROSSES A THRESHOLD OF THE PUBLIC BID LAW, THEN IT HAS TO BE DONE AS A CAPITAL PROJECT.
SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
AND AGAIN, NEXT TIME WHEN WE MEET WE WILL TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE WE TALKING IN TERMS OF MAGNITUDE.
BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THIS CAPITAL PROGRAM IS NOT THE MASTER PLAN CAPITAL PROGRAM THAT FRED WAS REFERRING TO.
THIS IS REALLY MORE THE MINOR CAPITAL THAT MAY JUST CROSS THE $250,000 THRESHOLD.
SO WE COLLECTIVELY, OUR TEAM, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE MASTER PLAN, THE MANAGEMENT PLAN, THE COMPONENTS OF IT.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE HOW THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, THE FULL BUCKETS THAT I TALKED ABOUT ARE IMPORTANT AND NOW THE CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THE QUESTION THEN REALLY BECOMES HOW DO WE SUSTAIN THIS SO WE UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE REALITY, WE UNDERSTAND THE NEED, HOW DO WE SUSTAIN IT? REALLY THE PATH INVOLVES FOUR THINGS AND WE REALLY CALL THIS THE NEXUS PRINCIPLE WHERE WE START WITH THE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.
THAT IS THE FUNDAMENTAL THING THAT YOU HEARD A LOT TODAY.
YOU START WITH THE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS BECAUSE THE PROGRAM NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS, THE PRACTICAL LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT CAN BE DELIVERED OR A PERIOD OF TIME, THAT IS WHAT IS A DRIVER.
SO WE ARE NOT STARTING WITH HOW MUCH MONEY SHOULD I GET.
WE ARE STARTING WITH WHAT'S THE PROGRAM WE NEED, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM WE ARE TRYING TO SOLVE? WHAT'S THE PROGRAM WE NEED TO HAVE, WHAT REGULA REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS WE ARE TRYING TO MEET.
SO THEN THAT DRIVES THE COST ESTIMATE.
SO THAT'S CALLED THE COST OF SERVICE.
SO ONCE WE UNDERSTAND THE PROGRAM NEEDS, THAT THEN DRIVES THE COST OF SERVICE.
THE COST ESTIMATES BASICALLY GIVES YOU THE ANSWER THAT YOU'RE ALL LOOKING FOR, PROBABLY, WHICH WE'LL TALK NEXT TIME IS WHAT DOES IT COST, WHAT IS IT GOING TO COST? SO THAT IS COST OF SERVICE.
THEN THE QUESTION IS ONCE YOU HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF THE NEEDS OF THE PROGRAM AND THE COST, THEN THE THIRD QUESTION IS HOW ARE WE GONNA RECOVER THE COSTS? AND THAT GOES INTO THE FUNDING MECHANISM.
THAT'S THE THIRD, THIRD KIND OF A COMPONENT THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS.
AND THE THREE THINGS TOGETHER, THE THE PROGRAM, THE COST AND THE FUNDING.
[01:15:01]
WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? ALL THESE THREE THINGS HAVE TO WORK IN, IN A SYNCHRONIZED MANNER BECAUSE ULTIMATELY IT'S TO BENEFIT THE PUBLIC, BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY.SO THAT'S WHY THESE THREE THINGS WE HAVE TO LOOK AT TOGETHER, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT, WHEN THESE THREE THINGS WORK TOGETHER WITH THE, WITH THE CLEAR UNDERSTANDING THAT IT IS CERT SOLVING CERTAIN PROBLEMS AND PROVIDING CERTAIN BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY.
THAT'S HOW YOU CAN HAVE A SUSTAINED PROGRAM FOR THE LONG TERM.
SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE GONNA TALK MORE IN THE SECOND MEETING AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY IN THE THIRD MEETING.
SO BECAUSE OF THIS NOTION THAT WE NEED TO BRING THE PROGRAM, THE COST, THE FUNDING AND THE BENEFITS ALL TOGETHER HOLISTICALLY, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT REALLY THE CITY PARISH COMMISSIONED AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THE STORMWATER UTILITY FEASIBILITY STUDY THAT BLACK AND RICH HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF HELPING WITH, WHICH WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK ON.
SO REALLY THE COMPONENTS OF THE STUDY THAT WE ARE REALLY EXAMINING IS FIRST IS DEFINING THE LEVEL OF SERVICE WHICH WE TALKED TODAY, THE O AND M COST AND THE CAPITAL COST, WHICH WE WILL TALK IN THE NEXT MEETING.
THEN ONCE WE HAVE THE COST ESTIMATES, THIS IS NOT ABOUT, OKAY, WHAT DOES IT COST IN 2024? CAN WE ADDRESS IT? IT'S NOT A ONE YEAR ISSUE, RIGHT? THIS IS A MULTI-YEAR ISSUE.
IT'S A LONG, IT'S A PERMANENT ISSUE REALLY.
SO TYPICALLY AT LEAST WE LOOK AT A FIVE YEAR PLAN.
SO WE BRING THE COST TOGETHER, THEN THERE ARE SOME INDUSTRY FINANCIAL PLANNING BEST PRACTICES THAT WE HAVE TO CONSIDER AS WELL.
AND WE WILL DO A FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN.
THIS IS NO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT IS DONE FOR A WATER UTILITY OR A SEWER UTILITY.
IT IS JUST THAT SOMETIMES WE DON'T THINK OF STORMWATER AS A UTILITY.
WE THINK OF IT AS THOUGH IT'S AN EXTRANEOUS THING.
THE PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR A SEWER FOR A STORMWATER IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE SAME PRINCIPLES FOR WHAT WE APPLY FOR WATER UTILITY AND WHAT WE APPLY FOR A SEWER UTILITY.
SO THAT'S WHAT YOU WILL, UH, WE WILL TALK ABOUT NEXT 10.
THAT'S A FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN.
OKAY? SO THEN THAT TELLS YOU WHAT'S THE SIZE OF THE PIE THAT WE HAVE TO GET.
NOW THE QUESTION IS HOW DO YOU GET IT FROM WHERE, FROM WHOM? WHO'S PUTTING DEMAND ON THE SYSTEM? SO THAT'S WHERE THIS, THE NEXT COMPONENT, THE IMPROV AREA COMES INTO PLAY.
SO WE WILL TALK ABOUT THAT UNDER THE CONSTRUCT OF A STORMWATER UTILITY, A USER FEE PROGRAM.
MOST OF THE COMMUNITIES IN THE US THAT, THAT DO HAVE A STORMWATER USER FEE PROGRAM USE THIS NOTION OF IMPERVIOUS AREA AS A BASIS.
CAUSE THERE IS A RATIONAL, UH, NEXUS TO IT, WHICH WE WILL TALK IN THE MEET IN THE NEXT, UH, TIME WHEN WE MEET.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE, THERE ARE ABOUT 2000 STORMWATER USER FEE PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY AND MANY OF THOSE 2000 DEDICATED STORMWATER USER FEE PROGRAMS USE SOME FORM OF IMPERVIOUS AREA AS A BASIS FOR COST RECOVERY.
THE THIRD COMPONENT IS REALLY WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE TODAY, ENGAGING WITH STAKEHOLDERS.
WE DID SOME LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT LAST YEAR, BUT REALLY THIS IS A MORE STRUCTURED ENGAGEMENT WITH THE THREE STORMWATER ADVISORY COMMITTEE WORKSHOP THAT WE ARE GONNA BE DOING.
SO THAT IS PART OF THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
AND THEN WE WILL DISCUSS SOME OF THE USER FEE ISSUES.
IF, IF THE STORMWATER, IF ONE OF THE FUNDING MECHANISMS IS GOING TO BE A USER FEE, THEN WHAT ARE THE ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT? THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS YOU'RE ALL GOING TO HAVE, WHICH WE WILL ADDRESS IN TERMS OF USER FEES AND THEN THE RATE STRUCTURE.
WHAT WOULD A RATE STRUCTURE LOOK LIKE IF IT IS GOING TO BE AN INPUT AREA BASED CHARGE, IF IT'S GOING TO BE A USER FEE, WHAT WOULD A RATE STRUCTURE LOOK LIKE? WE WILL WALK YOU THROUGH ALL OF THAT SO THAT WE CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE AND YOU WILL HAVE INPUT INTO SOME OF THE ALTERNATIVES AS TO WHAT YOU THINK IS MORE PRACTICAL, MORE MEANINGFUL.
SO THAT SIX AREAS IS REALLY WHAT OUR STUDY THAT WE ARE WORKING ON COMPRISES.
SO IN SUMMARY, REALLY WHAT WE HAVE TALKED TODAY IS WHAT I WOULD CALL FOR A HOLISTIC STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, REALLY ARE LOOKING AT FOUR PILLARS.
THE FIRST PILLAR IS REALLY OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, AND THE SECOND PILLAR IS REGULATORY COMPLIANCE.
THE THIRD PILLAR IS INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT.
SO IF YOU HAVE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, YOU CAN THEN MANAGE THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
WELL, IF YOU HAVE GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE, THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO REACTIVE WORK ORDERS AND THEREFORE YOUR OPERATIONS COSTS CAN COME DOWN.
SO THERE IS A KIND OF A MARRIAGE BETWEEN OPERATIONS PROGRAM AND INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME PEOPLE TRY TO FOCUS ON ONE OR THE OTHER.
I'VE GONE TO PLACES WHERE THE FOCUS IS HEAVILY ON THE CAPITAL PROGRAM.
THEY COMPLETELY FORGET THE O AND M PROGRAM.
OR SOMETIMES YOU GO TO A PLACE WHERE THERE'S A HEAVY FOCUS ON O AND M AND NO FOCUS ON CAPITAL.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S A NECESSARY MARRIAGE IN TERMS OF THE OPERATIONS PROGRAM AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE REGULATORY PIECE REALLY TOUCH US BOTH.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE THREE PILLARS.
NOW YOU REALLY CAN DELIVER THESE THREE PILLARS WITHOUT FUNDING.
SO, WHICH BECOMES THE NATURAL FOURTH PILLAR.
SO THAT'S WHY WE CALL THIS A FOUR PILLARS OF HOLISTIC, UM, STORMWATER MANAGEMENT.
SO THIS IS KIND OF THE JOURNEY WE ARE GONNA BE WALKING THROUGH AFTER THIS MEETING, THEN INTO THE SECOND MEETING, THEN ONTO THE THIRD MEETING.
UM, SO WITH THAT, UM, WE REALLY HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE NEXT STEP.
UM, ADAM, DO YOU WANT TO TOUCH ON THE NEXT
[01:20:01]
STEPS? WHY DON'T WE GO INTO THE POLL? WE'LL DO THAT POLL WHILE WE HAVE SOME TIME.SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO IS WE'VE TALKED, WE'VE GIVEN YOU A BACKGROUND, WE WANNA SHARE SOME STATEMENTS TODAY.
SO THERE ARE SOME, SOME STATEMENTS HERE THAT WE HAVE, UM, WHICH WE REALLY WOULD LOVE YOUR PERSPECTIVES.
UM, SO WHAT WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO DO IS WE, YOU HAVE A, UH, LITTLE ONE PAGER, A LITTLE POLE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A PAGER IN FRONT OF YOU.
YOU COULD LOOK THROUGH THEM AND REALLY WHAT WE ARE ASKING YOU TO PONDER AND SAY, LET'S ACKNOWLEDGE REALITY.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT? AND SO THE FIRST TOPIC IS LET'S ACKNOWLEDGE REALITY.
THE SECOND THING IS WHEN WE SAY, DO WE OWN IT? DO WE OWN THESE ISSUES, THESE PROBLEMS, THESE SOLUTIONS, THESE CHALLENGES? SO DO WE OWN IT? THE THIRD THING THEN IS DO WE COLLECTIVELY PLAN FOR A SOLUTION? HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE ADDRESS THAT? THEN THE SECOND, THEN THE NEXT ONE IS THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, AND AS YOU ALL GO THROUGH A CONSENSUS BASED SOLUTION AND ALTERNATIVES SOMETIMES, CAN WE SUPPORT IT? CAN WE ALL SUPPORT AND EMBRACE A CONSENSUS BASED SOLUTION FROM OUR OWN INDIVIDUAL PERSPECTIVE? AND CAN THE FOCUS BE ON THE COLLECTIVE GOOD OF THE CITY PARISH? BECAUSE THIS IS A HOLISTIC SYSTEM.
THIS EVERYTHING IS, EVERYTHING WE LOOK AT IS IN TERMS OF A CITY PARISH, NOT IN ANY ONE NEIGHBORHOOD OR ONE ROAD OR ONE STREET OR ONE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT REALLY AS CITY PARISH, AS A COMMUNITY, CAN WE TAKE THAT COLLECTIVE GOOD OF THE COMMUNITY INTO, INTO PLAY AND WHEN WE HAVE SO MANY THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO SOLVE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT REGULATORY, COMPLIANCE, OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE CAPITAL PROGRAM.
AS YOU CAN SEE, CAN WE STRIKE A PRAGMATIC BALANCE ACROSS THE ALTERNATIVES THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS? AND LASTLY, IS STATUS QUO AN OPTION FOR US OR IS IT NOT A SOLUTION? SO WE HAVE A FEW STATEMENTS HERE THAT YOU, WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO PONDER.
SOME OF IT MAY RESONATE WITH YOU OR ALL OF IT MAY RESONATE WITH YOU.
WE WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW DOES IT RESONATE WITH YOU, THESE KINDS OF STATEMENTS.
AND YOU CAN, UM, REALLY MARKET US.
IT RESONATES STRONGLY WITH YOU.
THEN IT IS A HIGH, IF IT RESONATES MODERATELY WITH YOU, THEN YOU CAN MARK IT AS A MEDIUM.
AND IF IT DOESN'T RESONATE THAT MUCH WITH YOU, YOU CAN MARK IT AS A LOW.
THIS IS JUST AN ANONYMOUS POLL WE WANT TO CONDUCT.
AND IF YOU COULD GIVE YOU A PERSPECTIVES, THEN YOU KNOW, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO AT LEAST JUST SHARE WITH YOU WHAT DO YOU ALL FEEL AS A GROUP.
AND BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU ALL TO UNDERSTAND AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE JUST THOUGHT WE WILL DO THIS LITTLE EXERCISE WITH YOU ALL, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
SO WE'LL GIVE A FEW MINUTES FOR YOU ALL TO DO THAT.
AND THEN YOU CAN JUST, ONCE YOU DO THAT, YOU CAN JUST CLOSE THE PAPER BACK OR YOU CAN JUST PASS IT AROUND AND WE CAN COLLECT IT.
IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH SAYING HOW YOUR PEOPLE ARE REPRESENTING YOU COULD, BUT REALLY OUR INTENT WAS TO JUST GET YOUR PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES ON THESE THINGS.
REALLY YOUR PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES WERE WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR.
[01:26:06]
OKAY.SO YOU CAN E EITHER, UH, HOWEVER Y'ALL WANT TO DO IT, WE CAN PICK 'EM UP AFTERWARDS OR IF YOU WANT TO, UH, HANDFUL OF FOLKS FOLDING THEM UP IF YOU WANNA FOLDING IN HALF AND THEN JUST, UH, PASS 'EM IN.
OKAY, SO SOME ACTION ITEMS FOR US.
THE, UH, THE BLACK AND VETCH TEAM WAS, UH, DILIGENTLY TAKEN MEETING MINUTES THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
WE WILL POST BOTH THE PRESENTATION AND THE MEETING MINUTES HERE SHORTLY.
PART OF THE MEETING MINUTES WILL BE THE, UH, THE, THE RESULTS OF THIS POLL, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL SEE HOW EVERYBODY, UH, STANDS ON THAT.
THAT'LL KIND OF HELP US, UH, DRIVE THE NEXT TWO MEETINGS JUST TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS IS, UM, WITH THAT.
AND, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THIS TODAY, BUT WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHTS ON JUST KEEPING THIS THIRD THURSDAY OF I'M, I'M SORRY, FOURTH THURSDAY OF THE MONTH, UH, ONE 30 TO FOUR 30.
DOES THAT KIND OF WORK WITH EVERYBODY FOR THE NEXT TWO MEETINGS? MAKE IT EASY.
SO WE'LL, UH, TENTATIVELY PLAN ON, I THINK THAT PUTS US AT APRIL 27TH AND THEN MAY 25TH, I BELIEVE IS THE WAY IT WORKS OUT.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PLAN ON THAT AND WE'LL, WE'LL SEND OUT THOSE CALENDAR INVITES, GET IT ON EVERYBODY'S CALENDAR.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I'LL, I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR, FOR QUESTIONS.
UH, I, I KNOW, UH, I BELIEVE IT'S REVEREND DIXON HAS TO LEAVE AT THREE 30, IS THAT RIGHT? SO I DON'T KNOW IF IF, UH, I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT HIM ON THE SPOT, BUT JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT HE'S GOT OR WANTS TO BE A PART OF THAT WE DO THAT BEFORE HE'S GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE.
UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, I NOTICED THAT FUNDING ON SEVERAL OF THE PROJECTS THAT YOU MADE REFERENCE TO, UH, WILL BASICALLY RUN OUT IN 2024.
I'M NOT, UH, IF I'M CORRECT, WHAT HAPPENS THEN TO THE PROJECT, UH, WITHOUT THAT KIND OF FUNDING, UH, THAT WILL NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE? YEAH, SO WHAT, WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO SHOW THERE IS THAT WE'VE GOT, SO WE'VE GOT SOME GENERAL FUND FUNDING THAT WE USE, UH, TO, TO FUND THE MAINTENANCE.
AND WE WE'RE ALSO USING IT TO, TO FUND PART OF THE, UH, SOME OF THE COMPLIANCE EFFORTS RIGHT NOW.
SO WHEN YOU SAW, GOING BACK WHEN YOU SAW SOME THAT SAID IT SAID NOT ALL RIGHT? SO THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, IT JUST MEANS THAT IT'S NOT COMING FROM THE ARPA FUNDING.
BUT WHAT WHAT THAT'S REALLY TRYING TO SHOW IS, AND IT IT GOES BACK TO THE LEVEL OF SERVICE.
WHAT, WHAT LEVEL OF SERVICE DO WE NEED TO HAVE? WHAT LEVEL OF SERVICE DO WE NEED VERSUS GOING BACK TO PROVES COMMENT.
DO, DO WE WANT TO BE PROACTIVE? DO WE WANT TO BE REACTIVE? SO I GUESS THE, THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION IS, UH, WITHOUT THAT APA FUNDING OF FUNDING, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING AT THE LEVEL THAT WE'RE DOING IT AT RIGHT NOW IS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE AT THE LEVEL THAT WE'RE DOING IT AT RIGHT NOW WITHOUT SOME FUNDING SOURCE.
I WON'T SAY ANYTHING ELSE AFTER THIS.
[01:30:02]
MAYBE LIKE OIL, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, CHEMICAL LEAKAGE THAT TAKES PLACE THAT GOES DOWN THE DRAIN, BUT RESIDENTS AND EVEN CITY WORKERS ARE USING BLOWERS TO BLOW LEAVES AND CUT GRASS IN THE DRAIN DRAINAGES.WHAT HAPPENS? UH, ARE WE GOING TO ADDRESS THAT AS WELL? YES, SIR.
SO THE BEGINNING STAGE OF THAT IS GONNA BE THE PUBLIC OUTREACH PROJECT, THE, THE PUBLIC OUTREACH COMPONENT OF IT.
WE, WE'VE GOTTA GET THE, THE MESSAGE OUT THERE TO THE, WHETHER IT'S RESIDENTS OR THE, THE RESIDENTS LAWN AND CREWS OR EVEN CITY PARISH WORKERS IF THEY'RE DOING THAT AS WELL.
W WE GOTTA GET THAT MESSAGE OUT THAT, HEY, YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
THAT IT ULTIMATELY ENDS UP CLOGGING UP THE, THE STORM DRAIN SYSTEM AND IT, AND IT CAUSES PROBLEMS. SO THE, THE PUBLIC OUTREACH COMPONENT OF IT IS THE, THE FIRST STEP IN IT.
AND I WOULD SAY, AND I'M LOOKING AT SARAH NOW, I, I WOULD SAY IF IT, IF IT GOES BEYOND THAT AND WE, WE SEE IT HAPPENING, THEN THERE WILL BE, THERE'S COMPLIANCE AND VIOLATIONS THAT WE CAN GET INTO IF THERE'S SOMEONE THAT DOES NOT WANT TO COMPLY WITH THAT.
SO, UH, WHAT I'VE HEARD TERMS NOT NOT CONCRETE, BUT, BUT NATURAL, UM, NATURAL LINE EARTH.
YEAH, YOU, YOU, YOU KNOW THE TERMINOLOGY.
SO I, WHEN YOU SAY WE WERE REPAIRING, WHEN YOU SAY WE WERE REPAIRING, UH, CONCRETES, WOULD IT BE AN OPPORTUNITY THERE TO GO TO EARTHING MORE, UH, SLOPE? YOU KNOW, NOT AS RESTRICTIVE AS SLOPE SORT OF DEAL.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EARTH AND, AND A CONCRETE LINE CHANNEL IS JUST THE HYDRAULICS.
OKAY? IF YOU LEAVE IT EARTHING, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TREES GROW UP, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE VEGETATIVE GRO GROWTH IN THERE THAT'S GONNA RESTRICT THE, THE, THE FACT, THE SEA FACTOR OF THE, OF CHANNELS.
SO YOU'RE SLOWING THE WATER DOWN WITH AN EARTH AND CHANNEL.
NOW, CAN YOU GO IN THERE AND LINE EVERY AIR, EVERY CHANNEL WITH, WITH CONCRETE? I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE A HUGE ENDEAVOR.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, ESPECIALLY ON SOME OF THE, THE CHANNELS THAT YOU DO WANNA GET THE WATER FROM POINT A POINT B QUICKER THAN CONCRETE LAND, UH, LINE CHANNEL DOES MAKE SENSE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU ALSO HAVE A SMALLER FOOTPRINT.
YOU CAN GET A HYDRAULICALLY, YOU CAN GET BETTER, MUCH MORE WATER GOING THROUGH EARTH, UH, CONCRETE LINE CHANNEL WITH A SMALLER FOOTPRINT THAN YOU CAN WITH AN IRVING CHANNEL.
UH, AND YOU DON'T HAVE, IT'S LESS MAINTENANCE OVERALL.
AGAIN, THE ISSUE, AS YOU SAW WITH SOME OF THE PICTURES THERE, THERE'S MAJOR, UM, ISSUES WITH SOME OF THESE CONCRETE LINE CHANNELS THAT ARE, WHEN, WHEN PROBABLY TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THESE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT'LL TAKE CAPITAL PROJECTS TO BE ABLE TO PUT BACK AND RESTORE TO ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION.
SO THEY ARE INSTANCES WHERE CONCRETE'S BETTER THAN NATURAL EARTH Y YES, ABSOLUTELY.
I, YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN CARRY MORE WATER WITH AN EARTH, WITH A CONCRETE LINE CHANNEL THAN AN EARTH.
AND, BUT AGAIN, IT, IT'S COSTLY TO, TO PUT EVERY CHANNEL THAT YOU HAVE THROUGHOUT THE PARISH, UH, LINE WITH CONCRETE.
AND, AND I WOULD, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'LL ADD TO THAT.
SO WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN MOST PLACES, THAT'S THE CAUSE OF THE CONCRETE LINE CHANNEL FAILING.
IT'S ACTUALLY THE PIPE THAT'S RUNNING FROM THE STREET TO THE CHANNEL AND THERE'S SOME, THERE'S A DEFECT IN THAT PIPE OR THERE'S SOMETHING, SOME EROSION, AND THAT EROSION GETS, UH, AROUND THAT PIPE AND IT GOES BEHIND THE CONCRETE WALL AND THEN IT CAUSES A VOID BEHIND THAT CONCRETE WALL.
AND THEN IT JUST CONTINUES DOWN THAT, THAT BEHIND THAT CONCRETE AND WE'VE GOTTA TO FIX IT, WE'VE GOTTA BREAK ALL THAT CONCRETE OUT, FIX THE PIPE, FILL IN THE VOID, AND THEN PUT THE CONCRETE CONCRETE BACK.
SO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COMES OUT OF THIS IS HOW
[01:35:01]
DO WE MAKE THAT CONNECTION BETWEEN THE PIPE AND THE CANAL BETTER SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT ISSUE? BECAUSE THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE FAILURES, THAT'S WHERE THEY ARE.YEAH, AND THE POINT REASON I ASKED, CAUSE AT BRECK WHEN WE HAD OUR STUDY REGARDING HOW WE CAN HELP WITH GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE SORT OF THINGS, ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WAS TO NATURALIZE SOME CONCRETE, UH, NAILS THAT WE HAVE.
SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS GENERAL RECOMMENDATION, ALL CONCRETE CANALS, THEY SHOULD BE NATURALIZED OR, UH, MAYBE IT WAS JUST SPECIFIC TO THE, SO YEAH, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT IS.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE WERE STILL BUILDING PROVEN TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE.
BUT, UM, SARAH TOUCHED ON A LITTLE BIT IN MCM 14 IS GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THERE ARE ARE A LOT OF APPLICATIONS, UM, WHETHER IT BE PARKING LOTS, WHETHER IT BE, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE DEVELOPMENTS GOING IN TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE SOME GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, WHICH IS GOING, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UH, AVENUES TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, OF THOSE.
AND EARTH AND CHANNELS, UH, ARE, ARE, ARE A POTENTIAL COMPONENT OF THAT WHERE YOU GET, YOU KNOW, POINTS FOR OUR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE COUNCIL.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU, JOE, BEFORE YOU LEAVE, WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, ON THE SLIDES FOLLOWING THAT IN TERMS OF LITTER DEBRIS, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE CITY HAD SOME
SO IF YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THE OTHER APPARATUS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT PUTTING IN TWO, THEY'RE BASICALLY THE MANHOLES THAT HAVE A SYSTEM IN IT WHEN THE, UH, JUST HAS THE PIPE RUNNING THROUGH THE MANHOLE AND THERE'S A, THERE'S A LITTLE COLLECTOR SYSTEM IN IT TO WHERE IT'LL, IT'LL COLLECT THE ALLS AND GREASE ON TOP AND THEN COLLECT ALL ANY OF THE FLOATABLES COMING DOWN THE, UH, THE DITCH.
UM, BUT THAT, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, IT'S WHAT IT IS.
IT'S TWO DIFFERENT, WE'RE DRAWING TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF MANHOLES THAT, THAT THEY'RE TRASH COLLECTORS, UH, TO SEE WHICH ONE WORKS THE BEST.
UH, AGAIN, WE WE'RE NOT TRYING TO, WE DON'T, WE CAN'T IMPEDE THE FLOW, BUT IT WILL PICK UP THOSE, THOSE AND SUPPOSEDLY DO A REALLY GOOD JOB.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF INTERESTING TO SEE HOW WELL THEY WORK.
UM, YOU KNOW, BOOMS ARE, THEY DO ARE EFFECTIVE, BUT AGAIN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY HIGH MAINTENANCE.
AND SO THERE'S AGAIN, THERE'S UH, MULTIPLE WAYS OF, OF BEING ABLE TO SOLVE A PROBLEM AND JUST USING THE, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO, TO GET THE MOST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK, UH, GOING FORWARD.
SO KNOW COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS HAS SOME QUESTIONS.
UM, FRED, I WANNA ASK YOU A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STORMWATER, UM, MASTER PLAN.
SO WE KNOW WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY, UM, A $2.4 BILLION PRICE TAG ON THE 90 90 PROJECTS.
UM, WHERE ARE WE? OR, OR WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS OUR, OUR PLAN FOR ENGAGING STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS? CUZ CLEARLY THAT'S, WE'RE GONNA, IT'S GONNA TAKE FUNDING AT MULTIPLE LEVELS.
I WILL TELL YOU, WE'VE ALREADY, IF YOU SAW ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA THERE, UH, LAST NIGHT, WE HAVE TWO THAT WE ARE APPLYING FOR, UH, THAT ARE PART OF THE STONEWATER MASTER PLAN FOR FEDERAL DOLLARS, UH, TO GET SOME STORM DRAIN IMPROVEMENTS THAT NEED TO BE DONE.
WE ALSO HAVE, UH, ABOUT 93 MILLION, UH, THAT WE DO HAZARD MITIGATION PROJECTS.
IT'S A LITTLE SLOW UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT TAKE PLACE.
BUT WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD AND MANY OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE CONNECTORS TO WHAT WE WANT TO DO UNDER THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN.
THE OVERALL, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, MANY OF THOSE ARE, ARE ALSO, THAT CAN BE BROKEN DOWN TO SMALLER SECTIONS.
WE'VE ALSO APPLIED FOR STATEWIDE FLOOD CONTROL ON FOUR PROJECTS.
UH, WE KNOW WE'RE NOT GOING TO ASK THE PUBLIC DEFEND FUND ALL OF THAT, BUT THEY'RE ALREADY PAYING TAXES, SO WHY SHOULDN'T WE USE THE FEDERAL AND STATE DOLLARS TO ADDRESS THAT? AND WE ARE ALREADY DOING THAT CURRENTLY AS AS WE SPEAK.
CAN YOU ESTIMATE WHAT, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THAT 2.4 ARE WE AT WORKING ON 10%, 15%? WELL, I'M ABOUT GETTING IT AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
UH, BUT IN REALITY IF WE COULD GET 25 TO 30% IN THE NEXT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
AND APPARENTLY WITH SOME OF THE FUNDING THAT'S COMING DOWN, UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT TRYING TO FIND ALL AVENUES WE CAN TO TRY TO, UH, ENHANCE OUR DRAINAGE ISSUES BUT NOT USE THE FEDERAL DOLLARS COMPARED TO ASKING OUR TAXPAYERS TO OFFSET THAT COST.
UM, SARAH BREAU, MAY I MAY MENTION ONE THING, PLEASE, IF YOU DIDN'T MIND, ADAM, TO COREY'S QUESTION.
CERTAINLY WE'RE NOT IN TO SOME DEVELOPMENT LOOKING AT MORE CONCRETE LINING.
WE'RE TRYING TO DO AWAY FOR SOME OF THAT.
THE JONES CREEK PROJECT IS A PRIDE PRIME EXAMPLE OF THAT.
[01:40:01]
WIDENING ASPECT.WE WERE GONNA LOOK AT LINING THE ENTIRE CONCRETE, UH, SECTION OF JONES CREEK.
WELL, WHAT WE DID IS TO GO BACK IN AND PUT THE CONCRETE RIP WRAP THAT ALLOWS OF INFILTRATION AND ALSO ALLOWS A LOT OF THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, CONS, THINGS THAT PEOPLE LIKE TO SEE.
UH, CERTAINLY NOBODY WANTS TO SEE CONCRETE UNLESS THE WATER'S UP BY YOUR HOUSE.
YOU WANTED TO GET IN AND OUTTA AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN.
BUT THAT'S THE REASON WE DID THE CONCRETE RIP WRAP IS BECAUSE WE WERE ALSO REQUIRED TO BE SURE THAT DOWNSTREAM HYDRAULICS ARE NOT INCREASED TO CREATE PROBLEMS FOR PEOPLE DOWNSTREAM, OR I JOINED IN PARISHES.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS, WHAT I MENTIONED TO YOU EARLIER ABOUT MODELING IN ALL THESE ASPECTS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT TRYING TO GET THE BEST BANG FOR OUR DOLLAR, BUT ALSO FIND WAYS THAT WE CAN TRY TO ADDRESS AND REDUCE FLOOD RISK FOR OUR PARISH.
UM, A A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE 14 MINIMUM CONTROL MEASURES, WHERE ARE WE GOOD AND IN COMPLIANCE AND, AND DOING WELL WITH OUR MINIMUM CONTROL MEASURES? AND WHERE ARE WE BEING ASKED TO DO BETTER? WELL, RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF A PERMIT RENEWAL.
AND IN THE PERMIT RENEWAL PROCESS, THEY ALWAYS KIND OF ASK YOU TO DO BETTER MM-HMM.
UM, SO OUR NEW PERMIT WITH OUR NEW MANAGEMENT PLAN WILL PROBABLY REQUIRE MORE THAN OUR CURRENT PER PERMIT REQUIRES, BUT I THINK ON ALL OF THEM WE COULD DO BETTER.
UM, IF YOU HAD TO PRIORITIZE THEM, I HAD TO PRIORITIZE 'EM.
I WOULD SAY THE ONE WE'RE PROBABLY DOING THE BEST WITH RIGHT NOW IS CONSTRUCTION SITE RUNOFF AND MONITORING PROGRAMS. UM, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IS PRETTY GOOD WITH WHAT WE REQUIRE FROM DEVELOPMENT.
AND MCM TWO IS PRO AS FAR AS REQUIRING THE MANAGEMENT, UH, CONTROLS.
THEY'VE BEEN REQUIRED FOR A LONG TIME, BUT WE HAVEN'T DONE A GOOD JOB OF GOING BACK AND INSPECTING THEM.
SO THAT'S AN AREA WE'RE IMPROVING THIS YEAR.
WE JUST STARTED INSPECTING THEM.
UM, BUT YEAH, I MEAN THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT ON ALL OF THEM.
AND THESE ONES YOU LISTED, YOU LISTED OFF THE ONES THAT WE'RE DOING WELL ON THE ONES THAT THE ONES WE'RE DOING WELL ON.
AND WHAT ARE THE ONES WE'RE WE REALLY NEED TO WORK ON? WELL, I DON'T THINK WE'VE DONE A WHOLE LOT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ON STORMWATER IMPACTS.
WE DID SOME WATER BILL INSERTS LAST YEAR AND A FEW LITTLE THINGS, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN A LOT OUT THERE WHERE WE COULD REACH THE PUBLIC ON HOW THEY COULD HELP IMPROVE WATER QUALITY.
UM, THE INDUSTRIAL AND HIGH RISK RUNOFF WE'RE BEEFING THAT UP.
WE REALLY, WE WERE LOOKING AT DMR AND UH, PUBLIC INFORMATION DATA THAT WAS AVAILABLE FROM D EQ, BUT WE WEREN'T DOING A WHOLE LOT OF OUR OWN INSPECTIONS.
SO THAT'S AN AREA THAT WE'RE IMPROVING ON NOW.
AND THE SAME THING WITH, UH, PESTICIDE HERBAL SIDE AND FERTILIZER APPLICATION.
HISTORICALLY WE'VE BEEN RELYING MOSTLY ON DEPARTMENT OF AG, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE BEEFING UP.
I, I DID WANT TO ADD TO THAT IF YOU DON'T MIND.
SO, UH, SARAH, THE BEVERAGE AND DIAMOND TEAM, THE JACOBS TEAM, THEY'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER ON THIS, ON THE REVISED STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN, WHICH INCLUDES ALL 14 OF THE MCMS. WE'VE GOT A, A SCHEDULE AND WE'VE GOT MILESTONES.
WE'VE GOT TWO DUE WHAT, APRIL 3RD I BELIEVE.
ANYWAY, WE'VE GOT QUITE A BIT DUE BETWEEN NOW AND SEPTEMBER.
I DID JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT WE ARE ON TIME WITH ALL OF THOSE SUBMITTALS.
WE WE'RE, WE'RE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE WITH EVERYTHING AS FAR AS DRAFTS ARE CONCERNED AND, AND WE'RE, WE'RE ON TIME WITH THAT PROCESS.
UM, ALSO TALKING ABOUT, UM, ROADWAYS, STREET SWEEPING.
SO I MEAN, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF THE ROADS IN THE PARISH ARE OURS, BUT THEN THERE ARE A NUMBER THAT ARE NOT OURS.
WHAT IS THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE STATE? SO WE'RE RESPONSIBLE, THERE'S APPROXIMATELY 2,600 MILES A ROAD THAT THE CITY PARISH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR.
AND THEN, UM, D O T D IS A CO PERMITEE UNDER OUR MS FOUR PERMIT.
SO THEIR ROADS, THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR SWEEP SWEEPING AND THAT'S PART OF THEIR STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN.
UM, SO THERE'S KIND OF DIVISION WITHIN IT AND THEY'RE A CO PERMIT T SO THEY'RE STILL REQUIRED TO SWEEP THE ROADS.
SO, BUT, AND IF THERE'S A SPILL ON A STATE HIGHWAY, THEY RESPOND UNDER SPILL PREVENTION, BUT REALLY HARD.
REALLY HARD CUZ YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT WHAT, UM, SOLIDS OR, OR SUSPENDED SOLIDS OR GETTING INTO YOUR, YOUR, YOUR WATERWAYS FROM STATE ROADS IN WHICH YOU'RE CITY ROADS.
SO HOW, WHAT DOES THAT, HOW DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? UM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN PRACTICE WITH US, HOW DO WE COORDINATE THAT WITH PTD? I HAVE A FEW ROADS I'D LIKE TO TALK TO SOME PEOPLE ABOUT, BASICALLY IS WHERE I'M GOING.
AND IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, IT'S USUALLY NOT CITY PARISH ROADS.
IT'S A COUPLE STATE ROADS, STATE ROADS.
SO, BUT ARE Y'ALL IN CONTACT REGULARLY?
[01:45:01]
WE ARE MEETING REGULARLY.UM, WE'RE STARTING, WE'RE STARTING TO MEET QUARTERLY.
UM, BUT WHERE HE SHOULD BE IN CONTACT, LIKE IF THERE'S AN ISSUE WITH EACH OTHER ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR A QUARTERLY MEETING TO BRING UP AN ISSUE ON EITHER SIDE, SO.
UM, SO GOING TO, OR LOOKING AT MC, UM, UH, NINE, HOW MANY INSPECTORS, HOW BIG IS OUR INSPECT INSPECTION TEAM? HOW MANY INSPECTORS DO WE HAVE? RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TWO CONTRACT INSPECTORS AND TWO CITY PARISH EMPLOYEES THAT ARE INSPECTORS.
WE HAVE SIX SLOTS THAT ARE GONNA BE FILLED PRETTY SOON, I BELIEVE.
AND, AND WE HAVE TWO OPEN, BUT WE'RE GONNA FILL THOSE AND IS IS SIX WHAT WE IS SIX WHAT WE NEED, WE'LL HAVE A TOTAL OF EIGHT CAUSE WE HAVE SIX OPEN POSITIONS AND THEN, OH, I'M SORRY, TWO THAT ARE ALREADY FILLED.
AND THEN RIGHT NOW WE'RE USING TWO CONTRACT EMPLOYEES.
AND THAT SHOULD BE ENOUGH, BUT WE'LL BE ABLE TO RELY BACK ON THE PROGRAM MANAGER IF WE NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO COME IN, IF THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON.
BUT IT SHOULD BE ENOUGH FULL-TIME STAFF.
AND UM, AND THIS MAY BE A QUESTION FOR DEVELOPMENT, YOU MAY, BUT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO HELP ME WITH THIS.
HOW MANY ON AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS DO WE HAVE GOING ON AT ANY ONE TIME IN THE PARISH ON AVERAGE? I KNOW BRETT, HE'S LAUGHING AT ME.
UM, FOR THE STORMWATER PROGRAM, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT STUFF OVER AN ACRE THAT'S SERVING LARGER THAN AN ACRE.
AND SOME OF 'EM ARE AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THEY APPLY FOR THE PERMIT, BUT THEN IT'S MONTHS BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY START, SO THEY'RE JUST ON THE RADAR TO KIND KIND OF MONITOR AND GO OUT THERE AND LOOK.
I, I'VE GOT A FOLLOW UP QUESTION FOR YOU, SARAH.
SO OF THE 14, UM, THE 14 MCMS, IT SOUNDS LIKE MEETING MAYBE NINE IN MEETING THE GOALS OR COMPLIANCE NOW? YES.
NOW AND SO LOOKING AT AND NINE AND UM, 11.
NO, IN TOTAL NUMBER? IN TOTAL NUMBER.
AND, AND SO, AND YOU JUST MENTIONED THAT WE'RE HIRING GONNA HAVE A TOTAL OF EIGHT INSPECTORS.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING, LOOKING AT PRADA'S ECONOMICS, RIGHT OF IT, UM, THAT WE'RE GONNA LOSE.
HOW MUCH OF THAT IS BEING FUNDED, I GUESS THROUGH A AND OR GENERAL BUDGET? AND THEN IF ARP DROPS OFF, HOW MANY ARE WE GONNA CONTINUE TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH? OR IS THAT GONNA DROP DOWN TO FIVE? CURRENTLY IT'S ALL BEING FUNDED THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND AS FAR AS EMPLOYEE, CITY PARISH EMPLOYEE.
SO IT, SO THAT'S NOT PART OF THE ARC.
SO STAYING IN COMPLIANCE IS, LOOKS LIKE WITH THE GENERAL BUDGET, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO, CITY'S GONNA BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT IF IT STAYS IN THE GENERAL BUDGET.
WELL, ME BEING IN COMPLIANCE WOULD BE LIKE ALL THE MCMS TOGETHER, BUT AS FAR AS BEING IN COMPLIANCE FOR INSPECTIONS AND CONSTRUCTION SITE RUNOFF, WE CAN DO THAT IN-HOUSE WITH THE GENERAL FUND MONEY WE CURRENTLY HAVE IF WE'RE AWARDED THAT MONEY AGAIN.
AND I HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE, UH, FOR, UH, JOSEPH BACK ON THE HYDRODYNAMIC SEPARATORS.
UM, WHAT ABOUT THE ONES THAT ARE ALREADY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED OVER THE YEARS? ARE THOSE BEING LOOKED AT AND TO SEE ABOUT MONITORING AND IN AND, UH, TURNING THEM ON THE, THE BOOMS? UM, NO, THE, THE, THE ONES THAT ARE IN PLACE, THE HYDRODYNAMIC SEPARATORS THAT ARE IN PLACE, WHAT, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THERE'S FROM PAST, UM, UH, I GUESS CITY ORDINANCE, THEY HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE BY DEVELOPERS BUT THEY'VE NEVER BEEN UTILIZED.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF THAT'S BEING LOOKED AT IT, IT'S LIKE, UH, SARAH ALLUDED TO, IT'S PART OF THE, THE, UH, POST INSTRUCTION INSPECTION PROGRAM.
IT, IT, IT PROBABLY NEEDS TO, THOSE INSPECTIONS NEED TO BE, UM, INCREASED, NO DOUBT.
UM, BUT THAT'S, I THINK HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
BUT, UM, NOT QUITE WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE RIGHT NOW FOR SURE.
STARTED INSPECTING THE PRIVATE STRUCTURAL CONTROLS ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO, AND SO FAR WE'VE INSPECTED A HUNDRED SITES AND WE'VE FOUND VARIOUS DEVIATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING AT EACH SITE AND THEY'RE ALL GETTING LETTERS TO SAY, HEY, YOU NEED TO DO X, Y, AND Z BY THIS DATE.
SO IF THEY HAVE A RECORDED MAINTENANCE COVENANT, THEN WE'RE GOING OUT THERE AND WE'RE INSPECTING THEM AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE THEM, YOU KNOW, THE STORM WATER CONTROL BE FUNCTIONAL THE WAY IT WAS
[01:50:01]
DESIGNED TO BE FUNCTIONAL.I HAD A, JUST TRYING TO EDUCATE MYSELF AND UNDERSTAND AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
SO WE APPLY FOR THE MS FOUR PERMIT MANUALLY.
I'M GONNA LET SARAH ANSWER THAT.
UH, WE APPLY FOR THE MS FOUR PERMIT ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS.
WE HAVE THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN AND THAT'S KIND OF A LIVING DOCUMENT.
WE UPDATE THAT ANNUALLY AND WE TURN IT IN AS PART OF OUR ANNUAL REPORT.
SO AS WE SEE CHANGES THAT WE WANNA MAKE TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY, WE UPDATE THAT IN OUR MANAGEMENT PLAN AND THAT GETS TURNED IN WITH THE ANNUAL REPORT THAT'S DUE MAY 1ST.
AND SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE A PERMIT AND THERE'S ONE THAT'S COMING UP YOU MENTIONED? YES, WE APPLIED FOR, UH, IT, UH, IT GETS RENEWED EVERY FIVE YEARS.
SO YOU HAVE TO TURN IN THE APPLICATION 180 DAYS PRIOR TO EXPIRING.
AND WE DID THAT, WE TURNED IT IN ON APRIL 1ST.
IT'S TECHNICALLY EXPIRED NOW, BUT IT'S ADMINISTRATIVELY CONTINUED BY THE DEQ UNTIL THEY ISSUE A NEW PERMIT.
AND SO WE'RE GOING THROUGH THAT PERMITTING PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
UH, APRIL 1ST, 2022, WE TURNED IN THAT PERMIT APPLICATION.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHETHER OR NOT THAT PERMIT IS GRANTED OR NOT.
GRANTED, WHERE, AND MAYBE THIS IS THE NEXT MEETING, WHERE DO WE GET INTO POTENTIAL CONSENT DECREE FROM THE FEDS AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? I MEAN, I'M TRYING TO FI FIGURE OUT WELL, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID.
I'M NOT THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE A QUESTION I'M GONNA HAVE TO DEFER TO THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
WHAT, DO YOU HAVE A LIST OF WHAT D E Q HAS A PROBLEM WITH ON OUR CURRENT PERMIT? THAT THEY'RE NOT AUTOMATICALLY RENEWING IT.
IT'S NOT THAT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT, THEY'RE NOT AUTOMATICALLY RENEWING IT, IT'S JUST IT TAKES TIME FOR THEM.
WHENEVER YOU TURN IN A PERMIT APPLICATION, IT COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY GET A PERMIT ISSUED.
BUT IF WE TURN TO IRS IN ON TIME, WHAT, WHY IS IT A PROBLEM? IT'S IT THE Q IT JUST DEPENDS ON THEIR, THE, THEIR RESOURCES AND WHEN THEY REVIEW THE PERMIT AND ISSUE ANOTHER PERMIT.
WE'VE GOT A SOLID WASTE PERMIT THAT WE TURNED IN, UH, LATE LAST YEAR.
WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ON IT YET.
WE, WE'VE GOT, UH, WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT OUTFALL PERMITS THAT WE JUST TURNED IN AND THAT THAT'S JUST IT.
IT JUST TAKES SOME TIME TO GET HIM REVIEWED.
CAN YOU, UM, SARAH'S EXACTLY RIGHT, IF YOU, IF YOU TIMELY SUBMIT THE APPLICATION IN 180 DAYS PRIOR TO THE TIME IT EXPIRES, YOU STILL OPERATE UNDER THAT PERMIT.
IT'S JUST THAT YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OPERATE UNDER THE TERMS OF THE PERMIT FOR WHICH YOU APPLY.
SO IF YOU MODIFY THAT PERMIT IN YOUR RENEWAL, YOU CAN'T MEET THOSE TERMS. WHAT'S WORSE IS IF YOU FAIL TO APPLY WITHIN 108 80 DAYS OF THE EXPIRATION, IF DQ DOES NOT GET TO THAT PERMIT, THEN YOU HAVE NO PERMIT.
SO RIGHT NOW YOU DO HAVE ONE, IT'S NOT EXPIRE, IT'S THE OLD PERMIT IN TERMS OF A CONSENT DECREE.
WHAT WE HOPE WILL HAPPEN IS WE WILL SATISFY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND I'M NOT ONE OF THE LAWYERS ON THIS, BUT IF YOU SATISFY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AT SOME POINT, THEN YOU ENTER INTO THIS DOCUMENT BY CONSENT THAT THEY AGREE TO GET OFF YOUR BACKS FOR, FOR A WHILE.
SO THAT'S JUST A, A SIMPLE WAY TO PUT IT.
SO THEY SATISFY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WELL, YOU'LL HAVE TO TALK TO THE LAWYERS, BUT, BUT THEY'LL GET TOGETHER AND THEY'LL DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT YOU MEET THEIR REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MS FOUR DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS.
THAT'S GONNA BE WORKED OUT BETWEEN BOTH PARTIES.
THEY MIGHT WANT SOME ADDITIONAL STUFF.
AND SO ALL THOSE THINGS ARE WORKED OUT IN THE COMPREHENSIVE DOCUMENT.
AS D E Q OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAD AN ISSUE WITH WHAT WE'RE SPENDING, I DON'T KNOW IF WE KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
I, I'M JUST WONDERING BECAUSE IF, IF WE HAVE A CURRENT MS FOUR PERMIT AND WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE'RE SPENDING NOW, BUT YET D EQ AND THE E AND THE EPA SAY THAT, UH, THEY WANT ADDITIONAL, SOMETHING ADDITIONAL IN, IN THIS NEW PERMIT THAT WE'RE APPLYING FOR, AND YET WE'RE, WE'RE WANTING TO INCREASE FUNDING IN
[01:55:01]
ORDER TO MEET THEIR DEMANDS.WHAT ARE THEIR DEMANDS? WELL, WHAT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT WE THINK NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND AGAIN, AND THEN THE OTHER PART OF IT IS, IS AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO THE LEVEL OF SERVICE.
WHAT, WHAT DO THE RESIDENTS EXPECT? WHAT DO, UH, JUST ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS EXPECT? HOW QUICKLY DO WE WANT TO GET, GET THINGS DONE? DO WE WANT TO BE, LIKE PROP SAID, DO WE WANT TO BE PROACTIVE? DO WE, DO WE WANT TO GET OUT AHEAD OF THIS AND GO LOOKING? DO WE WANT TO GO EVALUATE THE SYSTEM UP FRONT AND GO PROACTIVELY FIND WHERE THERE ARE ISSUES BEFORE A RESIDENT MAY REPORT THAT THERE'S AN ISSUE? YOU KNOW, IF, IF THAT'S THE EXPECTATION, THEN THE FUNDING IS X.
IF THE EXPECTATION IS, IS WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS IT AS THE SERVICE REQUEST COMES IN, THEN, THEN THERE'S A DIFFERENT FUNDING MECHANISM.
SO WHAT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO LEARN HERE IS, IS WHAT, WHAT DO THE STAKEHOLDERS OF THE PARISH WANT FROM US, FROM, FROM A SERVICE ISSUE, FROM A SERVICE PERSPECTIVE.
BUT IT, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IF, IF WE'RE FACING A CONSENT DECREE WITH D EQ, WITH D EQ AND EPA, THERE'S SOME FAILURE ON OUR PART TO MEET THE MS FOUR REQUIREMENTS IN THE PERMIT, WHICH IS THE REASON THEY'RE PRESSING ON THIS.
AND WE'RE, UH, DEMANDING OR OR ASKING THE CITIZENS OF THE PARISH TO PUT UP X AMOUNT OF MONEY TO FUND ALL THESE PROGRAMS AND EFFORTS THAT WE'RE DOING IN MS FOUR TO AVOID THIS CONSENT DECREE.
CUZ CONSENT DECREES I'VE, I'VE FOUND IN THE PAST ARE, ARE BAD NEWS.
I, I NEED, I'M LIKE, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THIS EXCESS FUNDING WE'RE ASKING FOR IS GONNA PAY FOR, AND WHAT FUNDING WE HAVE NOW IS NOT PAYING FOR WITH REGARD TO CONSENT DECREE WITH EPA.
NOT NOT JUST LEVEL OF SERVICE, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID EPA COMING DOWN ON OUR BACKS.
SO HOW IS THIS EXCESS, THIS FUNDING WE'RE ASKING FOR GONNA DO THAT? AND I GET, I I CAN'T COMMENT ON AT THIS TIME ON ANY DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE ONGOING WITH ANY OF THE REGULATORY AGENCIES.
LET ME, LET ME, LET ME TRY THIS ONE ONCE MORE.
A CONSENT DECREE IS IN AGREEMENT WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN YOU STRIKE A CONSENT DECREE, THEN YOU'LL NO LONGER HAVING A FIGHT.
NOW YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE THE TERMS OF IT, BUT THAT IS TO SETTLE THE OUTSTANDING ISSUES.
BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS, TYPICALLY IF YOU DON'T REACH A CONSENT DECREE, THEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT JUST SUES.
RIGHT NOW, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THE CITY OF PARISH HAS NOT BEEN SUED.
SO WHAT YOU'RE ABLE TO DO IS WORK OUT THE TERMS IN ADVANCE OF A LAWSUIT.
MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THE TERMS ARE GENERALLY PRETTY HONORS FOR THE DEFENDANT WHEN THE EPA COMES AFTER YOU WITH THE CONSENT DECREE.
WELL, I'VE, I'VE, I'VE WORKED ON, ON, ON SEVERAL AND UH, THEY VERY WELL CAN BE, BUT YOU GET A CHANCE TO WORK IT OUT RATHER THAN WORKING IT OUT IN FEDERAL COURT.
BECAUSE IF YOU'RE IN FEDERAL COURT, THEN IT'S NOT JUST THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IN THE CITY OF PARIS JUST THEN A FEDERAL JUDGE AS WELL.
AND TIM, IF I CAN BUILD ON WHAT YOU'RE SAYING OVER HERE, UH, IT'S ROUTING SIR.
UH, IF I CAN BUILD ON WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
SO THEN A GOAL FOR THIS COMMITTEE IS NOT TO AVOID A CONSENT DECREE THAT'S ACCURATE.
IN FACT, A CONSENT DECREE IS IMMINENT.
DO I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY? UM, I, I'M NOT ONE OF THE LAWYERS, BUT LIKELY, YES.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANYBODY FROM THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN HERE.
SO NEXT STEP FOR THE NEXT MEETING, WE WANNA MAKE SURE AND HAVE PARISH ATTORNEY REPRESENTATION HERE TO ANSWER SOME OF THE LEGAL QUESTIONS THAT ARE, ARE SURE TO COME UP AS A PART OF THIS PROCESS.
UM, I THINK COUNCILMAN GOE IS CORRECT.
UM, WE'RE NOT IN A SITUATION WHERE WE ARE GOING TO TOTALLY AVOID A CONSENT DECREE.
UH, WE'RE NOW FIND OURSELVES IN A SITUATION WHERE WE ARE TRYING TO FIND A MANAGEABLE CONSENT DECREE.
UM, SO I, I THINK ONE OF THE KEY STEPS TO US BEING ABLE TO DO THIS AND, AND, AND FORGIVE ME IF WE'RE KIND OF GETTING AHEAD TO THE NEXT MEETING, BUT, UM, ONE, WE NEEDED TO KNOW HOW MUCH A PROGRAM'S GONNA COST, UM, AND THEN AT WHAT LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT WILL BE, BUT TWO.
AND THEN I THINK THIS IS, IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL IS, UH, BUILDING OFF
[02:00:01]
OF COUNCILMAN ADAM'S.UH, QUESTION TO FRED, UH, WHAT FEDERAL FUNDING IS AVAILABLE NOT FOR STORMWATER MASTER PLAN PROJECTS, BUT FOR MS FOUR COMPLIANCE? UM, SO IS THAT SOMETHING YOU GUYS HAVE, HAVE STARTED IDENTIFYING WHAT FEDERAL FUNDING OR STATE FUNDING SOURCES MIGHT BE AVAILABLE FOR COMPLIANCE? I, I KNOW, UH, YES.
THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IS LOOKING INTO THAT.
THEY ARE, THEY'RE LOOKING INTO OPTIONS.
UH, AND, AND THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF IT.
UM, YOU HAD ASKED A QUESTION, WHAT DO THE RESIDENTS WANT? UH, I'M NOT SURE THAT'S QUITE CORRECT.
UM, HOW LONG HAS THE MS FOUR PERMIT BEEN IN PLACE FOR BATON ROUGE? DO YOU KNOW OF HALF SARAH? THE CURRENT, THE, ANY, ALL ABOUT 20 YEARS.
AND HERE WE ARE 20 YEARS LATER AND WE STILL HAVEN'T FULFILLED THE REQUIREMENTS OF AN MS FOUR PERMIT.
SO, TO PUT IT RATHER BLUNTLY, THE RESIDENTS WANT YOU TO DO YOUR JOB AND MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF OUR CLEAN AIR ACT, CLEAN WATER ACT HERE.
I THINK IT GOES TO TRANSPARENCY, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TO UNDERSTAND.
SO WE HAVE A GOOD START TODAY AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE, WHAT IT CONSISTS OF, AND PEOPLE WERE PROBING AROUND, WELL, WHAT ARE WE IN COMPLIANCE OR WHERE, WHERE ARE WE DOING WELL AND WHERE ARE WE LACKING? UH, TO ME, THAT GETS TO THE TRANSPARENCY.
UM, SO FUNDAMENTALLY THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT TO KNOW, SO THAT WHEN YOU GO TO THEM AND SAY, HEY, WE WANT YOU TO PONY UP ALL OF THIS MONEY.
THEY HAVE A, AT LEAST AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE WHY RIGHT NOW.
AND IT ENDED IN A FIASCO HERE IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR.
WE NEED TO GET PAST THAT AND GET TO A POINT WHERE I THINK IN THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ASKED, WHERE ARE YOU IN THIS JOURNEY AROUND WHERE WE NEED TO FOCUS OUR ENERGIES ON? SO TRANSPARENCY, GET THE FACTS OUT ON THE TABLE, YOU KNOW, BE, IT'S FRUSTRATING TO HEAR THAT, WELL, WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THE ATTORNEYS SAY WE'RE UNDER THIS WHATEVER VEIL OF SECRECY, THAT'S WHAT GOT US INTO THIS WHOLE PROBLEM THE FIRST TIME.
SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN, YOU KNOW, GO RIGHT UP TO THE EDGE AROUND TRANSPARENCY AND STILL GET PEOPLE'S QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
UH, MAYBE FOR THE NEXT MEETING YOU SEE ALL THIS AND YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, I'M LIKE, I LOOK AT COREY AND I THINK, THINK OF ALL THE EMPLOYEES THAT YOU HAVE, ALL THE MANPOWER, UH, THAT GOES INTO KEEPING, UH, YOUR PARKS AND REC AND EVERYTHING, UM, UP TO SPEED.
WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE EMPLOYMENT IMPACT HERE? HOW MANY, HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD BE REQUIRED, UH, FOR THIS IN YEARS ONE THROUGH FIVE? AND THEN BEYOND TO SUSTAIN THIS, HOW MANY EMPLOYEES WOULD BE REQUIRED? I IMAGINE IT WOULD BE MORE IN ITS INFANCY, UH, THAN IT WOULD BE WHEN WE GET INTO MAYBE LIKE YEAR SIX THROUGH 10 AND BEYOND.
SECOND THING IS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD SOME SUCCESS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THIRD PARTYING, VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF GOVERNMENT.
UH, A GREAT EXAMPLE IS WHAT, UH, SOUTH CENTRAL'S BEEN ABLE TO DO ON THE EXPEDITED PERMIT FRONT HERE AT, AT D P W.
SO IS, IS THIRD PARTY AN OPTION HERE? UM, IS THERE SOMEONE THAT WOULD OVERSEE THIS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, UH, AND MAYBE PROVIDES THESE PEOPLE, UH, THESE EMPLOYEES THAT WOULD TAKE THIS OVER? AND I KNOW THAT'S EXPENSIVE, ED, SORRY, THAT'S GONNA COST A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS, WHAT DO OTHER CITIES OF OUR SIZE DO? UH, WHAT DO OTHER CITIES LARGER OR SMALLER THAN US, THAT ARE TACKLING THIS HEAD ON? WHAT DO THEY DO? I THINK THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE A GREAT WAY JUST TO EDUCATE THE FOLKS HERE IN THE ROOM BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT, WE KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS DO AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE APPRECIATE IT, BUT THERE ARE OTHER CITIES THAT, THAT HAVE TAKEN THIS ON AND DO A BETTER JOB OF IT THAN WE ARE IN BATON ROUGE.
AND I, I'LL SEE IF, UH, PBA CAN MAYBE ANSWER THAT LAST QUESTION FOR YOU.
I, I CAN TELL YOU THAT RIGHT NOW WITH THE ARPA FUNDING, IT'S A LOT OF CONTRACTUAL LABOR.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A, WE HAD A PROGRAM MANAGER, IT STARTED OFF WITH BONTON ASSOCIATES.
[02:05:01]
THEY SCOPED OUT THE WORK.WE PUT SEVERAL ANNUAL CONTRACTS OUT FOR BIDS.
AND SO A LOT OF THE WORK THAT YOU'RE SEEING GOING ON RIGHT NOW IS BEING DONE BY ANNUAL CONTRACTORS.
WE'VE GOT, UH, FOUR OR FIVE CONTRACTS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD RIGHT NOW THAT WE'VE GOT GOING ON THAT WE'RE USING TO, TO TACKLE THIS BACKLOG.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK INTO THAT AND HAVE THAT FOR YOU AS FAR AS WHAT WE, WHAT THE EMPLOYEE COUNT IS IN-HOUSE VERSUS WHAT THE CONTRACTUAL LABOR IS.
AND THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT, THAT MAKES SENSE TO DO IT IN-HOUSE.
AND THEN THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT IT MAKES SENSE TO TO CONTRACT IT OUT.
AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE BALANCING, YOU KNOW, THE, THE INSPECTIONS THAT WE'RE DOING THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE CAN EASILY DO IN-HOUSE.
IT, IT'S, IT'S A POSITION THAT WE CAN EASILY RECRUIT.
IT, IT'S FOLKS THAT WE CAN EASILY GET IN THE DOOR AND, AND, AND GET THEM HERE AND THEY, THEY STAY AND WE, WE CAN DO THAT TYPE OF STUFF.
UM, MAYBE LIKE I SAID, SOME OF THE, UH, BUT WE ALSO NEED THE CONTRACTUAL HELP IN OTHER PLACES.
AND I, SO I THINK WE'VE GOT A GOOD BALANCE OF THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL GET SOME MORE FIRM NUMBERS FOR YOU.
UM, AS FAR AS HOW OTHER CITIES HANDLE IT, THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE HIRED THESE FOLKS CUZ UH, SHE TOLD ME THE OTHER DAY THEY'RE, THEY'VE GOT, UH, TWO OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT THEY'RE DOING THIS WITH, WHERE THE MEETINGS ARE IN MARCH, APRIL, MAY.
SO, UH, THEY'RE THE EXPERTS ON THAT.
I'LL, I'LL LEAN ON HER TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION FOR YOU.
IN, IN TERMS OF STORMWATER MANAGEMENT AND FUNDING, UM, THE MAP REALLY IS ALL OVER THE PLACE IN THE US SO IF YOU LOOK AT QUESTION NUMBER ONE, HOW ARE MUNICIPALITIES IN THE US FUNDING STORMWATER IN TERMS OF DEDICATED FUNDING WHERE THE FUNDING IS RAISED SPECIFICALLY FOR STORMWATER THROUGH USER FEE PROGRAM AND THEN SPEND SPECIFICALLY ON STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, THAT KIND OF DEDICATED USER FEE FUNDING JUST LIKE WE HAVE FOR WATER AND SEWER, THERE ARE ONLY ABOUT 2,200 STORMWATER USER FEE PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW IN THE US.
SO FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, THE DEDICATED USER FEE CONCEPT IS STILL A VERY NASCENT AND EMERGING CONCEPT.
BUT THE KEY THING IS, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE STATES IN THE US, SO THERE ARE ABOUT 42 STATES, LOUISIANA BECAME THE LATEST STATE TO HAVE WHAT WE CALL A STORMWATER UTILITY ENABLING LEGISLATION.
LOUISIANA DID NOT HAVE A STORMWATER UTILITY ENABLING LEGISLATION UNTIL 2022 MAY.
AND WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? IT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT GIVES, UH, MORE LEGAL DEFENSIBLE POSITION FOR MUNICIPALITIES TO ESTABLISH A DEDICATED USER FEE FUNDING BECAUSE THE STATE LEGISLATURE RECOGNIZES TOMWATER USER FEE FUNDING AS A DEDICATED UTILITY.
SO THERE ARE, SO, AS I SAID, LOUISIANA BECAME THE 42ND STATE TO HAVE THAT ENABLING LEGISLATION.
THERE ARE STATES IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAS HAD THAT LEGISLATION YEARS AND YEARS AGO.
UM, SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE LANDSCAPE, FLORIDA USED TO BE THE NUMBER ONE STATE WHERE THERE WERE MORE STORMWATER USER FEE PROGRAMS. THERE WERE ABOUT 200 PLUS STORMWATER USER FEE PROGRAMS BECAUSE OF OBVIOUSLY DRAINAGE AND FLOODING AND ALL OF THOSE ISSUES.
BUT NOW MINNESOTA HAS ACTUALLY SURPASSED FLORIDA IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF STORMWATER USER FEE PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY.
OHIO HAS KIND OF STEPPED UP, THEY HAVE MORE THAN A HUNDRED PLUS STORMWATER USER FEE PROGRAMS TEXAS HAS.
SO THERE ARE MULTIPLE STATES IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE STORMWATER USE, MORE MUNICIPALITIES HAVING STORMWATER USER FEE PROGRAMS. SO THAT IS ONE, ONE ANSWER.
SO THERE ARE MUNICIPALITIES IN THE CITY PARISH KIND OF DOMAIN WHO ARE DOING THAT AND THEREFORE THEY HAVE DEDICATED FUNDING.
THE SECOND QUESTION IS, WHEN YOU HAVE DEDICATED FUNDING, HOW MUCH GENERALLY FUNDING OUR UTILITY IS GETTING, THAT REALLY VARIES FROM PLACE TO PLACE DEPENDING ON WHAT KIND OF FUNDING, UH, LEVELS THEY HAVE IN TERMS OF THE RESIDENTIAL.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, A VERY LARGE ENTITY LIKE PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT, THAT HAS ABOUT CLOSE TO 500,000 PARCELS IN RELATION.
IF YOU LOOK AT, UM, CITY PARISH HERE, WE HAVE ABOUT 250, 300,000 PLUS PARCELS.
PHILADELPHIA, 25, 30 YEARS AGO ESTABLISHED A DEDICATED STRONGWATER USER FEE.
THEY DIDN'T DO IT BASED ON IMPERIOUS AREA, THEY JUST DID IT BASED ON LITERALLY METER SIZE BECAUSE THAT'S ALL THE INFORMATION THEY HAD AT THAT TIME.
BUT RIGHT NOW, IN 2009, THEY TRANSITIONED TO AN IMPERVIOUS AREA BASED ON WATER USER FEE FUNDING PROGRAM.
SO THEIR STORMWATER USER FEE GENERATES ON AN ANNUAL BASIS 117 MILLION FROM 450,000 PARCELS.
SO THAT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF SCALE.
SO THERE ARE MUNICIPALITIES IN THE WEST COAST, LIKE SEATTLE, PORTLAND, THEY ALL HAVE FAIRLY SUBSTANTIVE STORMWATER USER
[02:10:01]
CHARGES PER MONTH.SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE MEDIAN STORMWATER CHARGE PER HOUSEHOLD, NA, THE NATIONAL MEDIAN IS AROUND $6, UM, PER HOUSEHOLD PER MONTH.
BUT THERE ARE MUNICIPALITIES LIKE C CITY OF SEATTLE AND PORTLAND THERE, RESIDENTIAL MONTHLY STORMWATER CHARGE IS ABOUT 22 TO $25.
SO THIS, IT'S NOT AN EASY ANSWER IN A SENSE.
UM, BUT THE POINT IS THAT EACH MUNICIPALITY REALLY HAS TO THOSE MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE ESTABLISHED DEDICATED USER FEE FUNDING PROGRAM, THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT YOU'RE ALL GOING THROUGH DOING THE DUE DILIGENCE EVALUATION, STARTING WITH WHAT DOES THE PROGRAM NEED THAT WE CAN, WHAT ARE WE DOING NOW? WHAT ARE WE NOT DOING? WHERE DO WE NEED TO GO IN TERMS OF WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? AND THEN DEFINING WHAT THE COSTS ARE AND THEN HAVING A PLAN TO GET THERE.
AND, AND NOW THERE ARE SOME PLACES LIKE, UH, KANSAS CITY IS ONE EXAMPLE.
KANSAS CITY, UH, IN MISSOURI, THEY DO THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE COSTS THROUGH A USER FEE PROGRAM, BUT THEIR CAPITAL COSTS IS COMING THROUGH SOME SALES TAX FUNDING.
SO THERE IS A BIG BIT OF A MIXED BAG.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UM, MUNICIPALITIES THAT ARE REALLY DOING A TRUE COST OF SERVICE WHERE THEY DO THIS ANALYSIS, LIKE THE WAY WE ARE DOING AND TRYING TO GET ALL OF THOSE DEDICATED REVENUE REQUIREMENTS THROUGH A DEDICATED USER FEE.
THERE ARE EXAMPLES LIKE PHILADELPHIA, PORTLAND, SEATTLE, UM, MINNEAPOLIS, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF MUNICIPALITIES, LARGE, SMALL WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, EVEN SMALLER COMMUNITIES LIKE NEWARK, DELAWARE, WHICH IS A UNIVERSITY TOWN.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF EXAMPLES WHERE THEY DO DO THIS FULL COST OF SERVICE THAT THEY'RE RECOVERING FROM USER FEES.
BUT THERE ARE ALSO SOME EXAMPLES WHERE SOMETHING IS COMING FROM TAXES AND SOMETHING IS COMING FROM USER FEES.
SO IT IS A BIT OF A MIXED BAG, BUT THERE ARE SOME GOOD EXAMPLES WE CAN GIVE AND WALK THROUGH IF, IF THERE ARE MORE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ON THAT.
UH, ONE THING IF IT MIGHT HELP, WE CAN ALSO DO IS THAT THIS IS A, THIS IS CALLED THE STORMWATER SURVEY.
SO, UH, NATIONALLY THERE ARE ONLY TWO ENTITIES THAT DO STORMWATER SURVEY OF USER FEE PROGRAMS. ONE IS WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY.
THEY DO PRETTY MUCH EVERY YEAR THEY DO THROUGH A WEB-BASED UH, REVIEW.
THEY JUST SEE WHAT CHARGES ARE POSTED ON THE WEB AND THEY, THEY COMPILE.
THAT'S HOW WE KIND OF KNOW THAT THERE ARE ABOUT 2,200 STRONGWATER USER FEE PROGRAMS BLACK AND WHICH WE DO EVERY TWO YEARS.
WE KNOW THAT WHO THE UTILITIES ARE THAT HAVE A USER FEE FUNDED PROGRAM.
WE HAVE A VERY DETAILED QUESTIONNAIRE WE SEND TO THEM AND THERE ARE ABOUT 70 TO 80 UTILITIES THAT PARTICIPATE.
AND WE ASK THEM A LOT OF QUESTIONS, HOW ARE THEY ORGANIZED? WHAT ARE YOU RECOVERING MONEY FOR? HOW ARE YOU USING IT, WHAT'S YOUR RATE STRUCTURE? SO WE DO THAT, WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS.
AND SO THE LATEST ONE WE HAVE IS THE 2021 STORMWATER USER FEE SURVEY.
THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT I COULD, UM, PASS ON IF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO AT LEAST HAVE A COPY, YOU COULD READ THROUGH THAT.
UM, SO THAT MIGHT ANSWER SOME MORE QUESTIONS AS TO HOW DO THEY REALLY DO IT, WHAT DO THEY RECOVER? OKAY, WHAT COSTS ARE THEY COVERING? WHAT ARE O AND M COSTS THEY'RE DOING? THE LAST THING IS REALLY WHEN WE TALK THE PROGRAM EXTENSIVELY, THE REGULATORY COMPLIANCE, THE MS FOUR COMPLIANCE, THE PERMIT COMPLIANCE IS STILL ONLY ONE COMPONENT OF THIS WHOLE STORMWATER PROGRAM FOR WHICH WE ARE TALKING ABOUT FUNDING.
AND, AND HOPEFULLY WHEN WE PRES START PRESENTING SOME COSTS AND THE FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN, IN THE NEXT MEETING, YOU WILL HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT ACTUALLY IN TERMS OF, OF ANNUAL REVENUE REQUIREMENTS.
AND HOPEFULLY YOU'LL HAVE MORE QUESTIONS ON THAT, BUT WE'LL BE ABLE TO PRESENT THE, TODAY I SHOWED YOU THE FOUR CATEGORIES, RIGHT? WE'LL BE ABLE TO PRESENT WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT AS THE COST FOR THOSE FOUR CATEGORIES OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AND WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF TOTAL COST AND WHAT ARE SOME STRATEGIES THAT WE POTENTIALLY COULD CONSIDER FOR HOW THAT, HOW THAT CAN BE FUNDED.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE WILL TALK NEXT MONTH.
AS A FOLLOW UP, WHAT IS MORE COMMON, THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY ON A TAX BILL OR THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY ON WHAT WE WOULD GET LIKE A WATER SEWER BILL WHEN WE INCREASE THE COLLECTIONS, UH, THE COST OF COLLECTION FOR GARBAGE? SO FOR THE, SO I THINK IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, YOU'RE ASKING HOW IS IT BUILT THAT ARE THE TWO THINGS CORRECT.
HOW IT IS BUILT AGAIN, UH, THERE ARE MOST OF THE MUNICIPALITIES, THE 2,200 MUNICIPALITIES THAT ARE HAVING A USER FEE PROGRAM, MANY OF THEM BUILD THROUGH THE UTILITY BUILDING SYSTEM AND SOME OF THEM DO BUILD THROUGH THE TAX ASSESSMENT SYSTEM, BUT IT'S NOT A SIMPLE ANSWER BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE WATER, SEWER AND STORMWATER RESPONSIBILITY.
AGAIN, SOME OF THE COMMON EXAMPLES LIKE WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A SMALLER COMMUNITY WITH ABOUT 25,000 PARCELS, OR IF YOU TAKE PHILADELPHIA, WHICH IS A MUCH LARGER COMMUNITY, THEY ALL THE, THE UTILITY HAS ALL THREE RESPONSIBILITIES, WATER, SEWER, AND STORMWATER.
SO THEREFORE ALL THREE BEING UTILITIES, THEY DO SEND THE STORMWATER CHARGE THROUGH A UTILITY
[02:15:01]
BILLING SYSTEM.BUT THERE ARE OTHER PLACES WHERE THAT IS SOMETIMES NOT THE CASE.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE I'LL GIVE YOU FROM FLORIDA, DELRAY BEACH AND FLORIDA, UH, THEY ACTUALLY BUILD THE STORMWATER CHARGE THROUGH THE TAX ASSESSMENT SYSTEM THROUGH PALM BEACH COUNTY'S TAX ASSESSMENT SYSTEM.
IT IS STILL A UTILITY CHARGE, BUT JUST FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF IT, THEY HAVE DECIDED TO BUILD THROUGH THE TAX ASSESSMENT SYSTEM AND THEREFORE THEY COLLECT THE MONEY ONCE A YEAR OR TWICE A YEAR DEPENDING ON HOW THE TAX INSTALLMENT PAYMENTS COME IN.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF FACTORS THAT GO INTO HOW WOULD YOU DECIDE WHICH WAY TO BILL.
UH, BECAUSE WHEN YOU DO THROUGH THE TAX ASSESSMENT SYSTEM, THE CASH FLOW COMES IN ONLY ONCE A YEAR OR ONCE EVERY SIX MONTHS.
BUT IF YOU DO THROUGH A UTILITY BILLING SYSTEM, YES, THE CASH FLOW COMES IN EVERY MONTH DEPENDING ON A MONTHLY BILLING OR A QUARTERLY BILLING.
BUT THERE ARE ALSO BILLING COMPLEXITIES THAT WE CAN DISCUSS MORE IN FUTURE MEETINGS AS TO, YOU KNOW, YOU BUILD THROUGH ONE VERSUS THE OTHER, WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES? BUT FROM A TECHNOLOGY STANDPOINT, YOU COULD BUILD THROUGH A TAX BILLING SYSTEM OR UTILITY BILLING SYSTEM, THE GROUNDWORK THAT IS NEEDED TO DO THAT.
AND THE ONGOING MAINTENANCE OF BILLING.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT COMPLEXITIES DEPENDING ON WHICH APPROACH, UH, UTILITY TAKES.
AND IF I COULD FOLLOW UP ON, ON BRAVO'S, UH, VERY GOOD EXPLANATION.
UM, LOUISIANA STORMWATER COALITION HAD A STORMWATER SUMMIT, UM, IN NOVEMBER LAST YEAR.
AND UM, IF YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE, LOUISIANA STORMWATER UM, DOT COM, WE HAVE, UH, THE PRESENTATION BY
AND THEN THE OTHER THING WE DID WAS WE HAD A JODI CALHOUN OUT OF TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA COME IN AND HE'S BEEN THERE, THEY'VE HAD A PROGRAM FOR 30 YEARS AND HE WENT OVER, UH, VERY DESCRIPTION, UM, HOW THAT PROGRAM WORKS, HOW THEY STARTED IT AND, AND HOW IT CONCURRENTLY SERVES THEIR UN MUNICIPALITY.
SO THAT'S THAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO, TO WATCH THAT.
IT'S, IT'S EDITED AND SO IT'S REALLY EASY TO GET TO.
AND THEN ALSO THE STUDIES THAT BRAVO HAS MENTIONED ARE, UH, YOU CAN LINK GET THOSE LINKS AT OUR WEBSITE TOO.
FORTUNATELY, I HAVE TO RUN TO MY BOARD MEETING.
UM, BUT
UM, THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FOR ME, AND AGAIN, I CAME IN AS A PAPERS PERSON,
WHAT I SAW PRESENTED WAS GOTTA HAVE TO AVOID, KIND OF GOES BACK TRANSPARENCY.
I I I AGREE THAT ABILITY I EXPLORE IN QUARTER IS FOR BETTER QUALITY LIFE.
THINK THAT'S HOW DO THIS COMING.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT WAS THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FOR I AM INTERESTED IN FINANCIAL.
PART OF THAT IS HAVE, HAVE WE CONSIDERED, IF GREG DOES THIS CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE, ACQUIRE COMMERCIAL COMPANIES, DO THIS RESIDENTIALS, HOW DOES THAT IMPACT THE FINANCIALS? I'M INTERESTED SEEING THAT.
UH, I JUST WANTED THEIR PERSPECTIVE PR APPRECIATE EVERYONE, UH, INPUT AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT MEETING.
I I HAVE ONE LAST THING TO, UH, SHARE.
WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP OUR EYE ON THE PRIZE HERE AND THAT IS PEOPLE WANT THEIR HOUSES TO NOT FLOOD ANYMORE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS AROUND THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN.
NOW RECOGNIZE THAT WE'VE GOT THE, THE MS FOUR COMPONENT THAT'S GOTTA BE INTEGRATED INTO THIS SOMEHOW, BUT PEOPLE WANT US TO TAKE ACTION.
WE'VE GOT LOTS OF MONEY OUT THERE RIGHT NOW TO DO FIVE TRIBUTARIES, COME MEET DIVERSION.
WE'VE HAD THE A R P MONEY AND STUFF.
WE WANT TO GET ON WITH THAT AND MAKE, MAKE IT HAPPEN SO THAT THEY DON'T EXPERIENCE THIS THING ANYMORE.
AND AS WE GO THROUGH THE MS FORCE AND HOW WE'RE GONNA FUND ALL THIS.
SO WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A SENSE OF URGENCY ON FIXING WHAT WE'VE ALREADY SAID WE NEED TO DO.
AND THEN WE ALSO NEED TO BUILD ON THAT BY DOING THESE OTHER PROGRAMS AND MAKING SURE THAT THAT GETS INTEGRATED INTO THE
[02:20:01]
LONG-TERM PLAN.AND SO THAT'S WHAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT.
EVERY TIME IT RAINS, THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT IS THEIR HOUSE GONNA FLOOD KIND OF A THING.
AND WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO RELIEVE THAT FEAR ALSO.
AS WE, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE STARTING TO WRAP.
LET ME ASK A COUPLE OF, I WROTE SOME HOUSEKEEPING QUESTIONS AT THE START OF THIS, SO LEMME JUST ASK 'EM, BECAUSE THE TOPIC OF FEE HAS COME UP A COUPLE OF TIMES.
THERE'S POTENTIAL, WE DON'T ALL AGREE ON THAT.
UH, AND SO WHAT RULES ARE WE AS A COMMITTEE OF I THINK 20 OPERATING UNDER? ARE WE MAJORITY? HOW, HOW ARE WE GOING ABOUT MAKING A RECOMMENDATION? I'LL DIRECT IT TO YOU, BUT CERTAINLY IF IT'S BETTER OR DIRECTED SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND I, I'M, UH, I'M GONNA HAVE TO FOLLOW UP WITH AN ANSWER ON THAT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THAT DECIDED.
SO IN THE NEXT MEETING, JUST FOR CLARITY, WE ARE PRESENTING THE FINANCIAL PLAN IN TERMS OF WHAT, WHAT IS THIS PROGRAM THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING THAT'S GONNA COST, BUT THEN IN THE NEXT MEETING WE ARE GONNA TALK ABOUT JUST FUNDING OPTIONS, NOT JUST A USER FEE.
BUT WHAT ARE THE, WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF FUNDING OPTIONS THAT EXIST? LIKE SOME OF THE EXAMPLES I GAVE IN TERMS OF SOME UTILITIES GETTING PART OF THE MONEY FROM ONE SOURCE AND PART OF THE MONEY FROM ANOTHER SOURCE ARE COMPLETELY FROM ONE SOURCE VERSUS ANOTHER.
SO WE'RE JUST GONNA TALK BROADLY ABOUT TWO OR THREE OR FOUR FUNDING OPTIONS AND WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF THOSE FUNDING OPTIONS FROM A CONCEPTUAL LEVEL SO THAT THEN YOU ALL CAN KIND OF DELIBERATE AND SEE WHERE THE LEANING IS.
BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO STEPS IN THIS PROCESS.
ONE IS, FIRST OF ALL, LOOKING AT WHAT'S THE LEVEL OF SERVICE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT? WHAT ARE THE PRO PROGRAM COST AND HOW DO YOU ALL FEEL ABOUT IT IN TERMS OF, DO YOU FEEL IT'S IT'S ACCELERATING PRETTY FAST OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE MORE PACED? UM, SO THERE ARE INPUTS LIKE THAT, THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO SHARE.
THAT'S ON THE, THAT'S ON THE SIZE OF THE PIE THAT, THAT WE WANNA HAVE.
THE SECOND THING IS THEN HOW DO WE GET THE COST RECOVERY FOR THAT SIZE OF THE PIE? THERE AGAIN, WE'LL PRESENT THE PROS AND CONS OF TWO OR THREE DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT ARE POSSIBLE BECAUSE HONESTLY, UM, I CAN SIT HERE AND SAY THERE ARE LOTS OF OPTIONS.
UM, THERE ARE ONLY A FEW OPTIONS THAT ARE THERE AND EACH ONE HAS A PROS AND CONS, RIGHT? UM, AND WE WILL SAY, WHAT ARE THE PARAMETERS FOR THOSE PROS AND CONS? AND WE WILL DISCUSS THAT.
AND THEN THAT WOULD GIVE YOU ALL A CHANCE TO KIND OF THINK THROUGH AND SAY, OKAY, WHAT DOES SOUND MEANINGFUL TO YOU? OR MAYBE IF IT'S NOT ONE, ONE APPROACH, IS THERE A COMBINATION OF APPROACH THAT, THAT YOU ALL FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH? AND THAT'S A KIND OF FEEDBACK WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR.
SO JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT IT IS NOT, UH, IT'S NOT LIKE A PREDEFINED PERSPECTIVE THAT IT HAS TO BE ONLY THIS FUNDING COST RECOVERY MECHANISM.
THAT'S NOT THE INTENT FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
I'M GONNA DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD WAIT FOR ADAM TO COME BACK.
I, I THINK THE FOLLOW UP ON THAT IS, I MEAN THE, THE, THE MAYOR'S DIRECTION FROM THE VIDEO IS THIS COMMITTEE IS TO IDENTIFY A SUSTAINABLE LONG-TERM SOLUTION THAT FULFILLS OUR ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS.
AND SO TO COME TO A CONSENSUS ON THAT, I STILL HAVE THE QUESTION OF WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR THIS COMMITTEE COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS DOESN'T AGREE WITH ME ON MUCH, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HEADED FOR A LITTLE DISAGREEMENT HERE.
LET'S DO IT ON THE TIMELINE IF YOU WOULD.
UM, I THINK WE UNDERSTAND FROM THIS COMMITTEE'S PERSPECTIVE, THREE MEETINGS LEADING TOWARD A JUNE RECOMMENDATION AND THEN YOU SIGN, YOU, YOU, DURING SOME OF YOUR REMARKS, YOU MENTIONED A SEPTEMBER TIMEFRAME FOR E P A D E Q TO PROVIDE THEM WITH SOMETHING.
SO WALK ME THROUGH BETWEEN JUNE RECOMMENDATION OF THIS COMMITTEE TO SEPTEMBER, WHAT DOES THAT TIMEFRAME LOOK LIKE? YEAH, AND I MAY HAVE CONFUSED TWO DIFFERENT ISSUES.
SO THE, THE JUNE RECOMMENDATION IS FROM THIS COMMITTEE REGARDING THE, THE FEE AND THE, THE STRUCTURE AND WHATEVER ELSE COMES OUT OF THIS COMMITTEE.
THE SEPTEMBER DEADLINE THAT I'VE MENTIONED, THAT IS OUR DEADLINE TO THE REGULATORY AGENCIES TO TURN IN ALL OF THE, UH, REVISED M MCMS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON WITH THEM.
SO IT'S, IT'S TWO SEPARATE THINGS.
SO THE SEPTEMBER ARE NOT BASED OFF OF OUR RECOMMENDATION, BUT IN THE SEPTEMBER DEADLINE WE HAVE TO HAVE A HOW WE'RE GONNA FUND ALL OF THE, OKAY, SO THIS RECOMMENDATION'S GONNA GET FOLDED INTO THE, YEAH.
SO DO Y'ALL, I GUESS THINK ABOUT WHETHER YOU ENVISION BETWEEN JUNE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THIS COMMITTEE TO SEPTEMBER, WHAT PUBLIC OUTREACH YOU'RE DOING.
UM, CUZ I THINK THAT TO ME WOULD BE A NEXT LOGICAL STEP OF COMMITTEE FORMED, COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING GOING WITH IN SEPTEMBER.
[02:25:01]
ABOUT THIS.AND THOSE MONTHS BETWEEN THE TWO, UM, I GOT A QUESTION FROM A RESIDENT THAT I COULDN'T ANSWER AND SO I'M GONNA POSEE IT HERE.
SO THE QUESTION WAS WHY IS EAST BATON ROUGE, I'M GONNA USE THEIR WORD, UH, NOT MINE, BUT BEING TARGETED IN THIS AND WE DON'T HEAR ABOUT SURROUNDING PARISHES.
SO YOU DRIVE LA 30 AND THERE'S A LOT OF INDUSTRY THERE.
WHY, WHY AREN'T WE HEARING THAT OTHER PARISHES AROUND US ARE FACING THESE SAME COMPLIANCE MATTERS? UH, I, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT.
ARE, ARE THEY UNDER THOSE SAME COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS BASED ON POPULATION? SO BATON ROUGE IS A LARGE MS FOUR.
CAUSE WE'RE OVER 250 THOUSANDS.
OUR REQUIREMENTS A LITTLE BIT MORE STRINGENT THAN A SMALLER A MEDIUM MS FOUR.
UH, LAST THING, IN ADDITION TO PARISH ATTORNEY NEXT MEETING, I WOULD THINK IT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR TO TO HAVE A D E Q REPRESENTATIVE, UM, OR AN AND OR, AND OR AN EPA REPRESENTATIVE, UM, TO FEEL QUESTIONS, TO PROVIDE INFORMATION.
UH, MR. HARDY SHAKING HIS HEAD LIKE, THERE AIN'T NO CHANCE THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
WELL, WELL, BUT I THINK WE MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY IN, IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THIS.
AND MR. HARDY, I DEFINITELY WELCOME YOUR INPUT ON THIS.
I THINK WE MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE ENGAGEMENT AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL.
MORE COMMUNICATION AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS.
I DON'T WANT TO MISS THAT OPPORTUNITY WITH THIS COMMITTEE.
IT'S JUST THAT THIS IS IN THE DELIBERATIVE PROCESS NOW.
AND, UM, THEY HAVE THEIR VIEWS AND THEIR LEGAL STRATEGY AND THE CITY PARISH HAS THEIRS.
SO I DOUBT THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO AIR THEIR STRATEGIES IN PUBLIC DURING THIS PROCESS BECAUSE IT'S, THIS IS HEADED TOWARD POTENTIAL LITIGATION.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE CONSENT DECREE TRIES TO AVOID NOT HAVING LITIGATION.
BECAUSE LET ME SAY 1 1 1 MORE TIME.
THERE'S NOT A REQUIREMENT THAT WE HAVE A CONSENT DECREE.
I THINK WE WANT A CONSENT DECREE BECAUSE WE, WE WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO TELL THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
WE REFUSE TO DO WHAT YOU WANT US TO DO.
AND THEN THEY SAY, WELL, THAT'S FINE, THEN WE'RE GONNA SUE YOU.
YOU, YOU'VE ALREADY ADMITTED YOU'RE NOT MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO DOWNTOWN WITH THE FEDERAL JUDGE.
NOW LET ME ADD ONE MORE THING.
ANY CONSENT DECREE THAT WE REACH, AND I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR THE LAWYERS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THEIR OWN STRATEGY, IS WE WANT TO MEET, HAVE A CONSENT DECREE WITH THINGS WE CAN AFFORD AND THE TIME WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THOSE THINGS, WHO'S GONNA SIGN A DOCUMENT THAT WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO VIOLATE AND CAN'T VIOLATE? SO THAT'S WHAT THE PROCESS IS ALL ABOUT.
SO I I JUST WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR CUZ I'M HEARING IS IS IT INEVITABLE? WELL, WE, WE, WE HOPE SO.
CAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE A TRIAL, I DON'T THINK.
CUZ THEN YOU JUST LOOK AT THE LAW, YOU'RE IN VIOLATION OF CLEAN WATER ACT.
HOW MUCH IS A PENALTY? HOW MUCH, HOW SOON DO YOU HAVE TO DO IT? AND THAT'S JUST A GRAND MESS.
WHAT WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW IS, AND I THINK THAT THIS COMMITTEE WANTS TO KNOW, IS WHAT ARE THE ADVERSARIAL POINTS OF CONTENTION BETWEEN US AND EPA? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS THE BIG PROBLEM? WHAT ARE THEY, WHAT ARE THEY GONNA SUE US ABOUT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID, UH, TIME AND OUR FAILURE TO MEET THE MS FOUR REQUIREMENTS.
WHICH REQUIREMENTS HAVE WE FAILED TO MEET? YOU CAN, YOU CAN TALK TO STAFF ABOUT THAT.
IF, IF WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE, THEN WE DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE.
SO I I UNDERSTAND THERE, THERE'S SOME FRUSTRATION WITH, UH, US NOT BEING ABLE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS TODAY.
THE INTENT OF THIS FIRST MEETING WAS TO GIVE EVERYONE AN OVERVIEW OF, OF THE PROGRAM WHAT IT IS WE INTEND TO THE, THE TOPICS OF THE NEXT MEETING IS WHERE WE'RE REALLY GONNA GET INTO THE COST.
WHAT WE ARE GONNA COMMIT TO IS PRIOR TO THE NEXT MEETING, WE WILL GET SOME INFORMATION OUT TO YOU SO THAT YOU HAVE IT BEFORE THEN YOU CAN DIGEST IT BEFORE THEN AND YOU CAN COME TO THE NEXT MEETING WITH THAT INFORMATION.
I JUST WANT TO SECOND THE REQUEST FROM COUNCILMAN GOE TO REACH OUT TO D EQ AND EPA TO REQUEST THAT THEY COME TO THE NEXT MEETING, UH, TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH US ABOUT THEIR VIEWS OF MS FOUR APPROVAL AND THE EFFECT THAT IT HAS ON FLOOD MITIGATION AND, AND HOW THOSE THINGS INTERSECT WITH THE GOALS THAT THEY HAVE FOR THE STATE.
UH, TO THE EXTENT THEY'RE WILLING TO COME, NOT TO TALK ABOUT NECESSARILY THINGS THAT THEY CAN'T DISCUSS, BUT I DO THINK WE NEED TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS FOR FACT FINDING AS A COMMITTEE FROM THE, THE STATE, UH, IF NOT THE FEDS, TO COUNCILMAN GOD'S POINT.
I THINK THE SECOND THING THAT I, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT IS IF
[02:30:01]
THE, TO TO ALSO TO ONE OF HIS QUESTIONS.IF THE COMMITTEE DOES APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION OF SOMETHING IT BELIEVES AS A CONSENSUS APPROACH, BUT MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE DISAGREE WITH IT, DOES IT REPRESENT THE ENTIRE MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE THAT IT APPROVED THAT, SO THAT THE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE ARE THEN PUT IN A POSITION TO LOOK AS IF THEY APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMMITTEE AS THEIR ORGANIZATION SUPPORTING IT, EVEN IF THEY, THAT ORGANIZATION DISAGREES WITH THE RECOMMENDATION.
SO IN A CONSENSUS BASED APPROACH, DOES IT THEN PUT OUR ORGANIZATIONS BY SERVING ON THE COMMITTEE IN A POSITION THAT THEY WILL APPEAR TO BE IN SUPPORT IF THERE IS A CONSENSUS APPROVAL, BUT MEMBERS OF THE GROUP DISAGREE WITH THE OUTCOME? OKAY.
AND, AND I KNOW I'LL, I'LL SAY THAT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I, I GUESS I DIDN'T THINK OF THAT, THAT THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION.
I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM AND WE'LL, WE'LL GIVE THAT SOME THOUGHT.
WELL, LET, LET ME OFFER ONE POSSIBILITY OF WHAT WE KNOW HAPPENS AT OTHER PLACES, ESPECIALLY PLACES IN WASHINGTON DC YOU HAVE A DECISION, BUT INDIVIDUALS ARE ABLE TO VOICE DISSENTS.
SO MAYBE THAT'S A POSSIBILITY.
UM, JUST MAYBE IF I COULD ADD IN OTHER PLACES, UH, WHERE WE'VE HAD THIS KIND OF IN THE PAST STRONGWATER ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, THE COMMITTEE WOULD, UH, SOMETIMES WRITE A RECOMMENDATION PAPER, THE COLLECTIVE COMMITTEE.
BUT IF THERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC, UM, DISSENTING OPINIONS, THEY WOULD DOCUMENT THE DISSENTING OPINION IN THE APPENDIX.
SO IF, IF THEY DECIDE THAT THE CONSENSUS APPROACH IS WHAT THEY WOULD RECOMMEND, UH, THEN BASED ON THE CONSENSUS APPROACH, THEY WOULD HAVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
BUT THEY WILL CLEARLY SAY THE APPENDIX CONTAINS THE DISSENTING OPINIONS AND THEY WOULD DISCUSS IT.
SO I'VE SEEN THAT, BUT, BUT AGAIN,
THE FINAL QUESTION IS, UM, I THINK THAT THERE WILL PROBABLY BE MANY MORE QUESTIONS WE WOULD ALL HAVE LOVE TO ASK.
UH, AND PROBABLY TIME DOESN'T PROVIDE FOR IT.
BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT MEETING, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN SUBMIT QUESTIONS, ADAM, TO YOU IN WRITING THAT YOU CAN GET US ANSWERS BACK IN WRITING PRIOR TO THE MEETING THAT WE COULD ALL REVIEW, UH, THAT WOULD GIVE US KIND OF A, A ADDITIONAL INFORMATION KINDA HEADING TO THE MEETING KNOWING THERE ARE GOING TO BE ONLY THREE MEETINGS THAT MIGHT HELP US ALSO BE ABLE TO FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM YOU, UH, THAT DOESN'T CONSUME THE TIME OF THE MEETING ITSELF? ABSOLUTELY.
I'LL, I'LL MAKE SURE I, I GET OUT, GET MY, UH, INFORMATION OUT TO YOU GUYS.
WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN ON APRIL 27TH AND WE WILL BE IN CONTACT VIA EMAIL.