Austin Water is proposing an upgrade to city water meters that would allow meter readings to be collected digitally instead of manually with the goal of improving reading accuracy, according to city documents. City Council approved an application for an $80 million low-interest loan from the Texas Water Development Board to fund the program at its April 21 City Council meeting.
If the application is accepted and City Council approves the loan, it will result in an average rate increase of approximately 1.7 percent, or 68 cents, for water utility customers, according to city staff.
The loan application approval does not designate approval of a smart meter program, District 10 City Council Member Sheri Gallo said.
"This just begins the application process for the funding; this will come back to the council,” Gallo said. "We certainly want to get the results of [smart meter pilot programs] and understand the cost-effectiveness of [moving to] that system.”
City Council also approved a TWDB loan application for nearly $87 million to fund wastewater treatment plant improvements.
Drone research
City Council approved two agreements with local universities to research the use of drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, and other robotics in emergency response.
The Austin Fire Department will partner with the University of North Texas and the University of Texas Cockrell School of Engineering to evaluate the effectiveness of drones in responding to natural and manmade disasters such as wildfires, floods, hazard material spills and tornadoes.
Drones may assist emergency service providers by allowing them to remotely monitor emergency situations and coordinate efforts, according to the the interlocal agreement between the city and the University of North Texas.
"The fast deployment of UAV-carried, on-demand communication infrastructure expedites emergency response operations," the agreement reads. "Emerging technologies, including the use of robotics and UAVs, have been demonstrated in other municipalities, states and countries of assisting the fire service in emergencies."
Tenant relocation
Austin began designing a program last year to aid renters who are displaced from their apartments because of development. On April 21, City Council agreed to include mobile home residents as beneficiaries of the proposed policy.
City staff will initiate a new stakeholder response process to account for mobile home residents and, as a result, may bring the tenant relocation program before City Council in two parts for approval: the first part would relate to apartment residents while the second would relate to mobile home residents, staff said.
“We need to really focus on helping these families; they are residents that have kids going to our local schools,” District 3 Council Member Sabino "Pio" Renteria said, adding that he has several mobile home parks in his district. “We’re trying to make sure they get the assistance also, and just because they live in mobile homes doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get the assistance.”
Smart city challenge
City Council accepted a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation after it was selected as one of seven finalists in the Smart City Challenge—a nationwide competition among cities for $40 million of U.S. DOT funding for innovative transportation solutions.
Austin was selected as a finalist in March and received the $100,000 to complete ideas, as well as develop technical demonstration plans and budget plan documents for the city's final submission, according to city documents.
