Travis County Commissioners Court
February 10, 2009, 2009
Item 22
22 is to consider and take appropriate action on the central Texas region's implementation of the 2009 big push initiatives to maintain attainment of the eight-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard.
>> good morning, judge, Commissioners.
>> morning.
>> on February 3rd when we last sus discussed the big push initiative with you, you requested two follow-ups.
one to come back to court on February 17th with some specific proposals for the court to discuss further, followed by a process of sharing the information that the approved proposals that you want us to move forward with all of the affected county departments to get their input and ideas.
tnr is developing a summary that describes the consequences of not addressing ground level ozone and we are developing five proposals covering ozone action day parking restrictions, fueling and mowing restrictions, a teleworking proposal, a program to encourage and educate county employee commuting alternatives, and a channel 17-based communication effort.
these proposals are under development and we'll be filing those in short order later this week.
the second follow-up you requested is to come today and discuss a little bit further what local -- what local entities are planning as their own efforts as part of the big push.
either on their own or in collaboration with some of the regional partners like us.
so this is a status report.
many ideas have just now been emerging, but nonetheless I can report on a few things that are being considered, particularly with the city of Austin.
you've made -- of course, judge Biscoe knows, but a letter has been cosigned by the judge and mayor wynn to be sent to flint hills resources requesting that cleaner diesel fuel be supplied during the ozone season.
as the owner of an electric utility, the city's studying power management during the ozone season.
we can report the city already has a telework program that affords their employees that flexibility.
>> how does theirs work?
telework?
if you know.
>> certainly.
it works where they have an agreement between their management and the employee that they will do certain tasks at home, certain days of the week.
it not necessarily for a full-day.
it could also be just for a couple of hours during the day that they will work from home.
and it's an agreement that's signed between the manager and the employee and they have to meet certain requirements about the office area where they will be working out of their home.
>> do we have a copy of the standard agreement that they used?
>> yes, sir, we do.
>> is there like a policy also?
agreement plus the policy?
or just the agreement?
>> it's the document that I have right hire in my hand.
it describes the scope, the purpose, the procedures, the definitions, and there's a telework agreement that each employee signs that they agreed to adhere to.
>> I'd like a copy of that.
everybody else?
>> and we have something similar under development that we'll be bringing back to you on that.
other things that the city is doing relating to ozone action days is they've had -- you've probably seen some publicity on a climate protection planning effort that they're undertaking and that's the zero waste and emissions overall by the city.
and so they're looking at how that planning effort can address big -- the big push and the specific end point of ozone action days.
they do provide-- the latest information we have, this is something we're still trying to tie down, but we do believe they provide free cap metro transit passes to city employees.
the city, also like the county is, is a participant in the river city ride share program.
those are a few things that they're undertaking.
the state of Texas is another large employer to this area.
they offer compressed work week, flex time and telecommuting at state agencies.
some of these practices have been in place for some time.
flex time I think actually goes back to the 19 '80's, for instance.
state agencies support and encourage employee use of car pools and van pools through capital metro.
it offers things like preferential parking.
>> working time on the job and state computers can be used to sort of manage the car pool.
also the city and the state government offer free parking in the downtown area, which is something that we're looking at closely here and we'll be bringing back that proposal also on the county level.
>> will you have parking spaces in your proposal?
>> we are considering that.
i think -- we got the -- we're considering at least for some discussion.
we understand that there's a lot of difficult issues in I am policemenning something like that.
-- in implementing something like that.
we're certainly not naive about that.
>> can I back up a little bit?
if there's an ozone action day and a city employee takes capital metro rather than his or her car, how does capital metro get paid?
get paid by the city?
i'm assuming the city pays capital metro.
or do we know?
>> they have bus passes that all city employees can use year long.
>> all right.
so the employees --
>> does this involve purchases from cap metro?
>> does the city of Austin purchase them from cap met metro?
>> yes.
>> the employee keeps the bus pass --
>> they just have to show their badge and they can ride on the bus.
>> okay.
>> and there's an amount that's agreed on, on a formula, an estimate of how many employees would actually use it.
and they've come up with that formula based on experience and with the city and with -- they're looking into doing this with the state a little more.
it's all based on the formula.
and so the county would pay that amount and then the employees of course would have to have some kind of badge that shows you're a county employee and you show that and you ride.
>> I always wondered how you carried that out.
>> and the state is looking at it, but they're going to have to consider it in their budget.
but they're very interested in doing that.
>> but if we were just to do this on ozone action days, would it be possible to reimburse or pay capital metro like after the fact?
>> I guess you could discuss it with them and see what is available.
because of the -- all the paperwork and bookkeeping and stuff like that.
>> see, the last year we had, what, five or six ozone action day?
the year before that we had more like 15?
so it's almost impossible to predict how many ozone action days there would be.
let's just think about that.
>> you may want a strategy that looks at the ozone action day season and says for this block of time, for this half year or however many months that is, we offer those passes just to try to prevent the ozone increasing even before we know we're at more of an alert level.
>> and we could purchase several day passes in advance.
since you do know the day before, if it looks like it will be an ozone action day and you can hand those out to employees the day before.
>> and there are county employees who are interested.
i've been asked when are we going to arrive at this point?
so people are interested.
>> would it be possible as we move forward in this process, looking at the things that we're really trying to push forward with the big push, how are we as far as contacting the other parties that are a part of this great initiative to ensure that we decrease the emissions that's causing this and posing the problems?
where are we in that effort?
>> we meet weekly and biweekly with the different organizations to discuss options and strategies that we all can do to increase the impact.
>> and I guess my question, though, is do we know if you're meeting with them, have there been any evidence of what they're proposing to do as we are being presented this information today?
this is an updating and carry overfrom what we're continuing to do, is within these meetings is there information passed to you as you participate in these meeting to let us know that they are doing what they're supposed to do to make sure that we're all on the same page?
>> yes, we do pass this information on to the court whenever we meet here.
>> and I guess the question is, is everybody doing the same thing we're doing?
that's the bottom line.
>> yes, it appears that all major employees in the 11 jurisdictions that signed the '03 flex plan do have strategies to reduce commutes -- commuting by employees and single occupied vehicles, whether they all seem to have at thely commuting plans, car pooling, every one of them have the opportunity to participate in the river city's ride share program.
>> so all the -- the strategies have the similar goal by all these entities, but exactly the procedures they implement could be a little bit different.
with adele going to these meetings, she's picking up on good ideas that it's kind of like a transfer of information.
well, that would work for us, well, maybe this would work for us if it was a little bit different.
so it's -- these forums are kind of helping to develop these more final and specific plans of action.
>> do we have a target deadline for having our plans in place?
>> implementation should begin by April 1, which is the ozone season.
and so I guess our target is to come back with our specific proposals and then have a period of -- I would estimate, you know, a couple of weeks for other departments to look at these things and to see the impact to revise those and then sometime in March actually put it into implementation phase or approval and implementation.
>> do we have some goals that we're trying to meet in terms of the numbers of Travis County employee commutes that we've reduced?
>> yes.
we would like to find out exactly how many employees are telly commuting.
what are the means of how they're commuting and our goal is to get at least 20% of employees using at least some method of getting to work other than single occupied vehicles.
>> so a 20% reduction?
>> yes.
>> and sob?
>> on ozone action days or all the time?
>> all the time.
>> what does the city do for employees who need to travel to carry out their city duties, but they have taken the bus to work?
>> the city of Austin is actually going to participate in the Austin car share program.
it's a pilot program this year where they will have three cars for employees to use.
and I do not know if they have city vehicles for them to use as well, but I do know that they are participating in the Austin car share program for their employees to use during the day.
>> I would also suggest that we look at possibly an Austin bike share program.
often times when I come downtown, the meetings that I have are within a half mile radius of my office.
and if we had a stable of bicycles available, I think they would get used.
>> does the city of Austin -- does capital metro provide the cars and the car share program?
>> no, they don't.
>> the city of Austin is --
>> [ inaudible ].
>> actually, it's a private group called Austin car share.
>> but there was a yellow bicycle project.
>> yeah.
>> I think all the bicycles disappeared.
>> oh.
>> they went to providing bicycles to low income folks rather than providing yellow bikes for general use, I believe.
they conserved their resources and refocused.
>> I tried one one day and I called my lawyer and complained.
>> the city of Austin is also purchasing the pilot program 20 bicycles for their employees to use throughout the year during their day to do errands or run to lunch or something like that.
and I am investigating the prospect of getting a grant to do the same for Travis County.
>> we also often find bicycles in our surplus property that we auction off.
so I've been eyeballing that in terms of each time looking foe bikes that are usable for this very reason.
>> you have a long list of possibilities there right?
>> yes.
erks and are we expected to -- and are we expected at some point to give you some indication of whether we ought to go to the next step and actually full together a plan or are you assuming that we want to do all of it?
>> we're expecting to come back with five specific proposals that -- in getting your approval we would then try to time lies those with some -- after some input with some of the departments.
so they would be specific proposals relating to the mowing, the fueling, a telecommute plan and the other things that I mentioned.
so we wouldn't be coming back to you with every single thing that we would continue to collaborate with the other partners on.
i think a lot of those things will just go on and we'll find out about grants to apply for, but we did want your action on these five specific things.
>> how do you arrive at those five?
the ones that will have most impact?
>> that's -- we tried to look at this long list of things, and thought, okay, in terms of what this county can do, what would be the best?
so that's how we sort of selected them.
some of it is more judgment than a lot of data behind what the actual result or improvement will be, what are more feasible than others.
and then others, you know, the parking one is really just kind of a push the envelope one actually.
so we may just think after we think about that a little bit further that it may or may not be viable.
but we're trying to -- a combination of bold and feasible.
>> okay.
>> and judge, can I just make a little tiny comment?
that is in relation to ms.
Eckhardt's idea and my experience with bicycles, I've survived a car-bicycle encounter, and I think we should do everything we can to encourage or mandate that helmets are included.
for you and for everybody else who rides a bicycle on the city streets.
because it can be --
>> that's not very libertarian of you.
>> [ laughter ]
>> you know, I'm not -- I'm not an all-100% anything really.
but again from personal experience, I was in a car-bicycle encounter that put me into a coma.
and through no fault of my own.
i drive and ride safely and all the rest of it and you can obey all the traffic laws, but if somebody just doesn't see you or doesn't choose to pay attention, it could be deadly.
so if we're going to throw money at putting bikes out there, just my suggestion is to include helmets.
that's all.
>> thank you.
>> let's give you a chance to finish your list.
>> I was pretty much done with my list.
we have had limited opportunity to discuss these actions with every employer that we'd like to.
some of the other ones we talked about last week were the university and some of the others.
but -- so I'm pretty much done with that list for right now.
>> let my ask you a question then.
so do we think we have optimal impact if we choose five of those initiatives and then go to the other jurisdictions and get them to do the same?
five?
or will we get more impact if they were to do something different?
>> when I think at what the five things are, I think they are similar things that we might wish the other ones to do similar to us.
they hit upon things that with a mass of employees that -- if there's a lot of participation you get change.
and that relates to the commuting.
one of the things we have is the -- is education outreach or an education kind of communication piece using channel 17.
i think if other entity do similar things, we can further broaden the education and the -- and the encouragement that we want to give the citizens.
because channel 17 is only going to be one segment of who is going to listen, as an example.
>> it just appears to me that the cooperation level as far as what we can get the most bang out of the buck as far as what we're doing and what other governmental entities and jurisdictions are doing is a priority, right?
that's why I pulled the question earlier, will this net us the best impact on reducing our emissions if we don't correct it, we'll definitely throughout us into a non-attainment status without these corrections.
so I -- I really don't know.
i understand that you had weekly meetings.
i understand all that.
the same things that -- just like as the judge stated, the optimal impact.
is this really getting the most bang out of the buck?
and for others.
i see what we're doing, but I'm not at the comfort level of what others are doing.
and regardless of how we look at that, we're married in this stuff.
we're siamese twins and all these other things, no separation.
we're intertwined, period.
since we are, then it will be similar impacts that will assure us that we do not fall into the category of non-attainments.
i'm concerned about that.
>> if you think of the sources, the most significant source in this county or in this region for causing this high ground level ozone is vehicle use.
not our -- not smoke stacks, but vehicle use.
and so all of our things do relate to, you know, the fueling, the use mowers, the letting people know how you can get to work by an alternative means.
and I think if each of these major entities is sharing in that common drive toward addressing vehicles, then couple actively there's a -- cumulatively there's a high degree of -- I don't want to say certainty.
there's a good reason to believe it will make a difference.
>> I hope so.
i really hope so.
>> Commissioner, one comment on the five that y'all enumerated on January 30th.
three out of the five do directly kick in on ozone action days, which I think is important for their implementation.
that make all the sense in the world.
the other two are more in influencing and educating our behavior regarding commuting.
i just wanted to make sure that in regards to the big push that it is not for ozone action days only.
you had mentioned that.
i just want a clarification that our goal is a 20% reduction in single occupant vehicle usage all the time, because as you stated, we get an ozone action day because of the cumulative buildup over the course of hours, days, weeks.
we have an ozone action day, not because of something that happened that day, we have an ozone action day because of the cumulative effect over time.
so -- did I hear that right, that we are looking for 20% reduction in single occupant vehicle period or are we just trying to get that reduction on ozad's.
>> we would like to make this a habit for employees and for employers.
so that then if you establish it as a habit, then it becomes regular and you don't have to watch for an ozone action day to take effect.
>> but it seems to me that in -- over the next -- between now and the end of ozone action season for '09, we really need to do whatever we can on ozone action day.
so I guess we want to do both, but I think our primary purpose, primary focus ought to be ozone action days in '09.
and I guess in terms of getting the other entities and residents to do stuff, all these habits will take a long time and incorporate into your way of doing business or your life-style.
but we need maximum participation on some of these in '09, otherwise we've got the next 20 to 25 years to bother with.
do you see what I'm saying?
so I think that, you know, concentrating on life-style, habit changing, notions, issues, is a good thing.
but what brought this to court was the realization that if we don't do a whole lot better on ozone action day in '09, the chances are we'll be in non-attainment and have to worry about the federal government for a couple of decades.
that was my thing about the five impacts.
a lot of these good things to do and we really ought to try to get everybody to do them, but reality says, hey, if you can't get them to do it four, five days a year, you will certainly not get them to do it 365.
but if we're lucky, we'll have a few ozone action days in '09 and if we're even luckier, we'll have a much higher level of participation, so thinking that preparation and opportunity generate luck for you, I think we ought to focus on what can we do as a county, what can we do to try to get residents to try to help out, what can we do to persuade other governmental entities that these are good thigz and they're easy to do and let's do it in '09.
do you hear what I'm saying?
and if they're easy to do in '09, hopefully they will be even easier in 10, 11, 12, thereafter.
>> this is why we have a mixture of strategies that we're taking into place.
some of them are long-term, changing total behavior modification of people to commute throughout the year.
and then there are some strategies that will be taking effect at least strictly on ozone action days to decrease emissions on those particular days.
that's why we have a mixture.
>> it's a nice mix.
>> yes.
think about that because what we ask of the city, hays county, Williamson, the other members of capcog seem to me will turn on that and make sense to them as well as us.
and for residents, the message really is -- I don't know that I'd go to residents with a 20-year plan.
i think I'd go with them with an '09 plan and my argument will be after '09, see, we told you it would be easy.
now we can keep doing it.
and what we know, though, from the past few years is I think that too few of our residents really appreciate the real meaning of ozone action day and how simple it is to refuel the night before.
the more people we get doing it the better.
think about that.
>> and if they fuel after dark all the time, it becomes a habit, that's even better.
we should be fueling after dark whether it's an ozad or not because of the cumulative effect.
>> when the ozone action day comes on the radio now, my guess is 80% of residents do whatever they do when commercials come on.
we want them to think of specific actions that we all can take that will make a big difference beginning immediately or beginning this year.
and they're so easy that we ought to do them forever.
and so -- well -- how do you determine in ozone action day, how advanced notice is available for you to say this will be an ozone action day?
how do they do that?
is it two or three days before it actually hits?
how many hours?
how is that determined?
>> the Texas commission on environmental quality has several meteorologists that take into account -- they look at all the qualities that would cause a high so zone action day.
for example, high temperature, moisture in the air, the wind pattern and they ea announce this at 2:00 p.m.
the day before the ozone action day.
>> that's the earliest projection we can get based on data?
>> yes.
>> noose about as early as we can -- that's about as early as we can get right there?
all right.
which leads us to another point, and the point is who is listening to the radio?
is it enough lead time to make sure that there is a lot more compliance than-- on these particular days and the aggressiveness of getting the word out that this is going to be an ozone action day.
how many folks out there really know that?
and I'd like to comply, but I didn't know that it was an ozone action day.
so I'm really concerned about it because I think folks will comply if they had enough projected notice that this is an ozone action day.
>> that is one of our goals is to make everyone aware the day before that it an ozone action day.
for example, the clean air force has at least 33,000 people that have signed up for the e-mail action alert.
the tceq, I don't know how many people get their notifications, but they also have a means of where people can sign up where they will also receive an e-mail alert.
this e-mail alert is also distributed to all Travis County employees as well.
and the meteorologist on the news, local news stations, also announce where it's an ozone action day.
and we have several streamgz that we're going to try to incorporate to get the message out as well that tomorrow is an ozone action day.
these are the things that you need to do now so we don't have a problem tomorrow.
>> and I guess looking at that list of the private sector and the public sector, the major employers especially -- the big major employers, private sector and public sector, are they all notified in this particular effort?
as far as notification that it is going to be an ozone action day?
do we have that?
we don't have to have an answer today, but it would be good to know.
who all has notice that it's going to be an ozone action day, so those folks that want to comply would have an opportunity to comply because they've been notified.
>> there are a number of businesses that have signed up for these alerts who do notify their employees as well.
i can get you that list.
>> that would be good to know.
those may need to be something added to it that may not be participating.
>> another thing that we can do is using channel 17, for instance, is have something flash by there that would you like to receive notices directly?
and so people can take down the way to join that e-mail group if they have e-mail access.
>>
>> when a hear a tornado alert, I perk up because I know there are specific things I need to prepare to do.
ozone action day alert, hopefully will have the same affect one day.
one day in '09.
it's lunchtime.
when should we have this item back on for action?
action by the court.
action by the court.
>> action by the court.
>> this court.
>> next week?
>> next week.
>> next week.
all right.
we've got you on record.
we'll have it back on next week.
thank y'all very much.
move the lunch motion.
recess to 1:30.
all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote with Commissioner Gomez temporarily off the dais.
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Last Modified:
Tuesday, February 10, 2009 2:00 PM