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GOT SOME LOVEI WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME YOU TO THIS MEETING OF THE BAYTOWN AREA WATER AUTHORITY.
CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCE THAT WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.
OUR FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS WILL BE TO RECEIVE CITIZEN COMMENTS IF THERE ARE ANY.
ALRIGHT, AS WE HAVE NO CITIZEN COMMENTS, OUR NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS WILL BE, UM, ITEM TWO A.
WE WILL CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE AUTHORITIES FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26 PROPOSED BUDGET.
THE PUBLIC HEARING TODAY ARE, IS BEING HELD FOR THE PURPOSE OF GIVING RESIDENTS OF THE DISTRICT THE RIGHT TO SPEAK AND BE HEARD.
EVERYONE DESIRING TO SPEAK AT TODAY'S HEARING SHOULD HAVE EITHER SIGN THE APPROPRIATE LIST IN THE FOYER OR EMAIL THE DISTRICT ASSISTANT SECRETARY PRIOR TO THE POSTED TIME OF THIS MEETING.
EACH SPEAKER SHALL GIVE HIS OR HER NAME AND ADDRESS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A PROPER RECORD OF THESE HEARINGS.
THE RULES ALLOW EACH SPEAKER THREE MINUTES TO PRESENT INFORMATION.
HOWEVER, I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BE AS BRIEF AND TO THE POINT AS POSSIBLE.
IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE DIRECT THEM TO ME AND WITH THE EIGHT OF THE STAFF, I SHALL ATTEMPT TO HAVE THE QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
[a. Conduct Public Hearing for the Baytown Area Water Authority Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Proposed Budget.]
I NOW CALL TO ORDER THIS FIRST PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE BAYTOWN AREA WATER AUTHORITY FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26.I WOULD NOW LIKE TO REQUEST THAT STAFF SUMMARIZE THE SUBJECT OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, THE BUDGET YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU HAS BEEN CHANGED, SO I WANNA WALK THROUGH THE CHANGES WITH YOU.
UM, THE PROPOSED REVENUE HAS NOW BEEN INCREASED TO THE 6.7%, WHICH WAS BASED OFF OF THE, UH, WATER RATE STUDY THAT WAS PRESENTED TO YOU FROM 6%.
UM, AND ALSO THE OTHER CHANGE WAS THE TRANSFER OUT TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.
WE INCLUDED TWO ADDITIONAL PROJECTS.
ONE WAS THE SEDIMENTATION BASIN FOR 465,000, AND THE OTHER WAS THE CHEMICAL FEED PROJECT FOR 54,000, UM, WHICH NOW LEAVES OUR, UH, EXPENDITURES TO BE AT 21,768,468.
AND WE STILL HAVE 250 DAYS OF OPERATING.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I GOT THIS RIGHT.
UH, YOU SAID THAT THE REVENUES HAVE BEEN, UH, REDUCED BECAUSE OF A REDUCTION IN THE INCREASE REVENUE REVENUES WERE INCREASED FROM, ORIGINALLY IT WAS 6%.
UM, AND IT'S BEEN INCREASED TO 6.7 BASED ON THE WATER RATE STUDY.
AND THEN, UM, SO NOW THE UM, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FUND, RATHER THAN SHOWING A TRANSFER IN OF 1,000,525 WILL BE THE SAME.
2 0 44 THAT'S GOING OUT? YES SIR.
AND REFRESH MY MEMORY, WHERE DOES THE 350,000 GENERAL FUND TRANSFER GO? UM, THAT JUST GOES TO GENERAL FUND FOR ADMINISTRATIVE COST.
AND WE DON'T HAVE A BUDGET ON THAT, THE BREAKDOWN.
DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE, UH, HAVE A QUESTION? ALRIGHT.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? ALRIGHT, THERE BEING NO ONE DESIRING TO SPEAK, I NOW CLOSE THIS FIRST PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE BAYTOWN AREA WATER AUTHORITY FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26.
[b. Consider a resolution adopting the Baytown Area Water Authority Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Proposed Budget.]
UM, OUR NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS WILL BE TO CONSIDER A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE AUTHORITIES FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26.ALRIGHT, ARE THERE QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? I HAVE QUESTIONS FRANK.
SO YOU KNOW HOW THE, THE STUDY SUGGESTED WE GO UP SO MUCH EVERY MONTH OR EVERY YEAR TO THE 6.7% AND WHATEVER, WHY DON'T WE JUST GO UP 20 OR 30% WHAT'S WHAT AND JUST PUT A NIP IT ALL IN THE BUD.
WELL, THAT WOULD BE AN OPTION.
UM, THE STUDY WAS BASED ON THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED AND THE PRIMARY DRIVER IS GONNA BE THE EAST, UH, PLAN EXPANSION.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE PRESENTED
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THAT LAST TIME THAT, AND YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS WHAT THE 6.7 IS BASED ON.IS I JUST, I JUST DIDN'T KNOW, IS THERE SOMETHING TO KEEP US FROM DOING THE, THE HIGHER RATE OR IS THERE A NEGATIVE TO IT? UH, WELL THAT WOULD INCREASE THE COST OF, YOU KNOW, THE CITIES AND THE OTHER CUSTOMERS.
THE BUT THEY'RE UNDER CONTRACT.
RIGHT? THE THEIR, THEIR RATES AREN'T GONNA CHANGE.
THEY, THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD HAVE TO PAY WHATEVER.
UM, BUT UH, THE CITY IS, YOU KNOW, OVER 90%, UH, CUSTOMER AND SO THAT WOULD BE THE BIGGEST THING.
CITY WOULD HAVE TO EAT IT OR THEY COULD RAISE RATES.
THE CITY WOULD BASICALLY, ITS COST WOULD GO UP AND TO COMPENSATE FOR THAT, THEY WOULD HAVE TO RAISE, UH, IT RATES ON THE, ON THE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS, THE END USERS.
DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANYTHING THEY, A QUESTION OR DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
HOST LIKE, SIGN MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
[a. Consider a resolution adopting the updated Baytown Area Water Authority Water Conservation Plan for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Texas Water Development Board.]
UM, WE WILL NOW CONSIDER A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE UPDATED BAYTOWN AREA WATER AUTHORITY WATER CONSERVATION PLAN FOR THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD.UM, THE ITEM BEFORE YOU AS STATED IS THE, UM, APPROVED RESOLUTION OF THE UPDATE TO THE CURRENT WATER CONSERVATION PLAN.
UM, IT'S VERY MINIMAL UPDATES FROM THE PREVIOUS VERSION, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN, UM, FIVE YEARS AGO.
ESSENTIALLY THE UPDATES ARE FOR, UM, IN THE PLAN THAT HAS UPDATED PROJECTIONS FOR THE CURRENT FIVE YEAR PERIOD AND THE HISTORICAL USAGE FOR THE MORE RECENT YEARS.
AND THERE WAS, UM, ONE SMALL, UM, REFERENCE TO THE TEXAS WATER CODE IN RE IN, UM, RELATION TO, UH, EMERGENCY CONDITIONS AND HOW THAT WATER IS DIVVIED UP.
UM, IT CITE TEXAS WATER CODE, UH, 11.039.
SO THOSE ARE REALLY THE ONLY CHANGES TO THE, THE PLAN.
AND SO WITH THAT STAFF, UH, WILL ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS AND RECOMMENDS APPROVAL.
DO YOU HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE WHO TO APPROVE? I'LL SECOND.
DOES ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE.
POST LIKE SIGN MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
[a. Receive a report on the status of the Baytown Area Water Authority East Expansion Project.]
WE WILL NOW RECEIVE A REPORT ON THE STATUS OF THE AUTHORITIES EAST EXPANSION PROJECT.ALRIGHT, SO WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW IS WE ARE ROUGHLY IN THE 60 TO 75% DESIGN OF THIS PROJECT.
ACTUALLY LAST WEEK WE HAD A WORKSHOP ON THE 60% DESIGN.
IT WAS A LOVELY THREE HOUR WORKSHOP WITH US, THE DESIGN BUILDER, UM, BAWA STAFF AND THE OPERATIONS STAFF WHERE WE WENT THROUGH A LOT OF THE COMMENTS, YOU KNOW, THAT WERE PROVIDED AS A PART OF THE 60%.
I WILL SAY OVERALL EVERYBODY WAS VERY HAPPY WITH THE DESIGN.
A LOT OF WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, JUST DETAILS WHERE SOME OF THE PIPING GOING, HOW IS SOME OF THE OPERATIONS GONNA WORK, AND JUST MAKING SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTOOD, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS IN THE DESIGN AND THAT EVERYBODY WAS COMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD TO THE 75%.
SO WE'RE MOVING ALONG VERY WELL.
CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? SURE.
SO SINCE WE JUST BUILT THIS STATE OF AN ART PLANT MM-HMM
HOW, HOW HARD IS IT TO DESIGN A, AN EXPANSION OF IT? ARE WE JUST TOTALLY REDOING EVERYTHING OR IS IT GONNA BE MOSTLY THE SAME AND JUST TWEAKING A FEW THINGS? IT'S MOSTLY THE SAME.
SO MOST OF YOUR FACILITIES ARE THE SAME FACILITIES YOU HAD ON THE EXISTING SITE, BUT WE DID GO THROUGH AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S WHAT THE OPERATION STAFF AND THE STAFF WANTED TO DO AS PART OF THE INITIAL DESIGN.
SO THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THE INITIAL WORKSHOPS ARE.
BUT A LOT OF LIKE WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LAST WEEK IS THINGS LIKE HOW ARE THE PIPING AND THE VALVES GOING TO BE SET SUCH THAT YOU CAN OPERATE BOTH THE EXISTING AND THE PROPOSED OR IF YOU'RE DOING MAINTENANCE ON THIS BASIN, HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE THIS BASIN IS WORKING AND THAT YOU'RE STILL GETTING YOUR DISINFECTION TIME THROUGH THAT WHEN YOU HAVE ONE OF THESE DOWN.
I KNOW IT SOUNDS EASY BECAUSE IT'S A BIT OF A REPEAT, BUT THERE ARE SOME COMPLEXITIES MORE ON THE OPERATIONS SIDE OF IT ONCE YOU START TO EXPAND THE FACILITY.
SO ARE YOU GONNA USE EITHER SIDE AS A REDUNDANCY IN CASE YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH SOMETHING? IS THAT PART OF THE COMPLEXITY THERE? THERE IS, BUT YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE IT ALL OPEN MAJORITY OF THE TIME.
BUT IF THERE IS A REPAIR IT IS BUILT INTO THE DESIGN THAT
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YOU CAN TAKE ONE DOWN AND STILL BE ABLE TO OPERATE THE FACILITY AND GET THE WATER THAT YOU NEED.AND ACTUALLY I REMEMBERED YOUR QUESTION FROM LAST TIME.
SO I PUT THIS IN HERE 'CAUSE YOU ALSO ASKED LIKE ARE WE DESIGNING IT TO ENSURE FOR FUTURE EXPANSIONS IN HERE? SO THIS IS WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE AT YOUR FULL 24 MGD.
SO ALL OF THE KIND OF FADED AS THE EXISTING PLANT, ALL OF THE BLACK IS WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING AS A PART OF THIS DESIGN.
AND THEN ALL OF THE RED IS WHAT WOULD BE IN FUTURE EXPANSIONS.
SO WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE LEAVING PLENTY OF SPACE FOR THIS SITE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, SO THIS IS THE SCHEDULE THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON.
AS I MENTIONED, WE DID GET THE 60% DESIGN.
UM, WE WILL BE GETTING, SORRY, I JUST REALIZED I HAD A TYPO HERE.
75 UH, PERCENT DESIGN PACKAGE AND COST MODEL AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.
BASICALLY INCORPORATING ALL THE COMMENTS THAT WE JUST HAD INTO 60% AND THEM JUST KIND OF FURTHER DEVELOPING IT.
REALLY WHAT WE'RE HITTING NOW IS A LOT OF THE AGENCY REVIEW TIME.
SO NOT ONLY ARE WE GONNA GET THAT, BUT AROUND THIS TIME EARLY AUGUST, THEY'RE GONNA BE SUBMITTING THEIR PACKAGE TO TCQ.
UM, IF Y'ALL RECALL, I THINK IT WAS TWO MONTHS AGO, WE TALKED ABOUT THERE WAS AN EXEMPTION THAT HAD TO BE OUT AT TCQ.
WE'RE WAITING ON THAT APPROVAL TO SUBMIT THE PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS, BUT IT'S ANTICIPATED WE'LL GET THIS BY THE END OF THE MONTH OR EARLY NEXT MONTH AND THEN THEY'RE READY TO SUBMIT IT.
AT THE SAME TIME WE WILL ALSO BE SUBMITTING TO THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD SO THAT THEY CAN APPROVE IT SINCE THAT'S WHERE YOUR LOAN IS COMING FROM.
AND THEN WE WILL BE LOOKING TO GET THE 90% AND THE GMP OR GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE PROPOSAL IN OCTOBER.
BUT THE INTENTION IS TO GET TCQ APPROVAL BEFORE WE GET A LOT OF THAT, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE REALLY THE FINAL SCOPE BEFORE WE GET THOSE PRICING.
SO HOW CAN YOU ASK FOR PROPOSALS IF YOU'VE ONLY GOT 90% DESIGNED? MY 90% DESIGN? I MEAN YOU, YOU KNOW ENOUGH OF THE SCOPE THAT YOU CAN GO OUT AND GET THOSE PROPOSALS AGAIN, REALLY BETWEEN 90 AND A HUNDRED PERCENT.
IT'S, IT'S JUST MOSTLY SMALL CLEANUP ITEMS. OKAY.
SO, AND THAT'S REALLY THE WAY PROGRESSIVE DESIGN BUILD WORKS IS THAT YOU'RE GETTING THOSE PROPOSALS A LITTLE AHEAD OF FINISHING THE DESIGN SO YOU KEEP THAT SCHEDULE, YOU KNOW, MOVING BUT IT PRETTY CONFIDENT WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING AT 90%.
BUT THAT'S ALSO WHAT WE LOOK AT AS WE REVIEW THESE SUBMITTAL PACKAGES THAT THEY'RE COMPLETE ENOUGH THAT WE'RE COMFORTABLE WHEN WE GET THOSE PROPOSALS.
AND THEN I DO WANNA MENTION TWDB NEXT STEPS JUST 'CAUSE YOU'RE GONNA START SEEING MORE OF THIS, THIS MONTH.
TWDB BOARD SHOULD BE APPROVING Y'ALL'S LOAN.
UM, I DID CHECK THE BOARD MEETING AGENDAS.
I HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET, BUT EVERYTHING WE GOT FROM THE STAFF IS IT WILL GET APPROVED THIS MONTH.
AND THEN ONCE THAT GETS APPROVED, THERE'S MORE PAPERWORK IF THAT HAS TO BE DONE.
SO WHAT YOU'LL START SEEING IN FUTURE MEETINGS IS A, A LOT OF RESOLUTIONS APPROVING THE FINANCE AGREEMENT WITH U-N-T-W-D-B AND YOU AND THE CITY OF BAYTOWN BECAUSE OF THE WAY Y'ALL'S CONTRACTS WORK.
ANTICIPATE THAT AROUND Q3 OF 2025 AND THEN YOU SHOULD TAKE YOUR FUNDING AROUND NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR, WHICH LINES UP TO THE GMP PACKAGE AND WHEN WE'LL BE APPROVING THAT.
UM, THAT'S ACTUALLY ALL I HAD TODAY.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? CONCERNS? ANY QUESTIONS? OH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[a. The next Baytown Area Water Authority meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 20, 2025, at 4:30 p.m., in the Council Chamber located at City Hall, 2401 Market Street, Baytown, Texas 77520. ]
UM, THAT WILL BRING US TO THE MANAGER'S REPORT.AND THE ONLY ITEM THAT I HAVE IS YOUR NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING WILL BE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST THE 20TH AT FOUR 30 HERE IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
AS THERE'S NO, UH, ADDITIONAL BUSINESS ON OUR AGENDA AT ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN MOTION.
I'LL SECOND MOTION IN A SECOND.