[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6629728,"mediaKeyId","2703475-c02b3b41f7a8b291c013a98b9ecc9f12","parentId",2703475,"title","Watershed Protection outlines $122.4 million FY25 budget, flags funding gap and CIP priorities","audioSeconds",2088,"startMs",5284000,"endMs",7372000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2703475-c02b3b41f7a8b291c013a98b9ecc9f12&start=5284&end=7372","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2703475-c02b3b41f7a8b291c013a98b9ecc9f12/thumbnail_5284000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6629728/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Watershed-Protection-outlines-1224-million-FY25-budget-flags-funding-gap-and-CIP-priorities","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6629728-a930846c37e1454a7b40815709b2cfc2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139736&Signature=iUeAtzJM0gM835hvqKhjDrQ~q42py~o9PBx7gDzjODb9NpmUImJfGT0X74IoCQlK4bdz4MB9C7FQ0~1cO8Dx2ausIt1WV1Gk0KTtEu943fXEssgeFVBUkLv-nERMANt2IizYAVqDKlsofGaQ4Wa0KoaRfoG5su5nhRzQq0YoKZgtQ5h8b1hyBBswSLkA5l8vuUnSO2E08KvCZfyDuUJKM-rY42VEY5-L6L5POMA48WiYkfKQ-GpTbTGcBoBYEeD10sYFd7~ikkua5fs--LGiKqatcBifjP~fASIiD~Y6kR1wwYwxJ23hijFmwYLl8x~9zOf-n2VAbwW27zJThLb5iw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Austin","date","2025-03-19T00:00:00Z","article","The Watershed Protection Department on March 19 presented its fiscal year 2025 budget and a high-level capital improvement program overview to the Environmental Commission, describing a large portfolio of ongoing flood, erosion and water-quality projects and a structural funding gap that staff said will make outside capital — including bonds — important to future delivery.

Assistant Director Anupa Garpare told commissioners the department's FY25 budget totals $122.4 million, with drainage utility charges providing roughly $113 million of the revenue. Personnel costs are the largest single use at about $51.2 million; the department reported 442.5 full-time-equivalent positions for the fiscal year.

Garpare said the annual transfer from operations to the capital-improvement program (CIP) for FY25 is $26.5 million but that five-year planning guidance assumes that transfer will drop to $20 million per year in future years. She and managing engineer Pam Kerfitt said the department expects to continue leveraging other revenue — developer fees, external grants, and general-obligation bonds — to complete larger projects.

Garpare also told the commission the drainage utility rate increased 9.9% for the current fiscal cycle; staff said that raises the typical single-family residential bill by about $1.21 per month for a 3,100-square-foot lot with 37% impervious cover.

Kerfitt presented a portfolio snapshot: 112 active CIP projects citywide (mapped projects plus planning and studies), with many items in preliminary engineering or design. She highlighted six projects approaching construction milestones this year:

- Brassy Wood storm-drain improvements (Williamson Creek watershed): construction on Phase 1 is under way; a second phase is in final design. Funding sources include the drainage fund, 2018 bond money and developer-related detention fees.

- Nichols and Beckett Meadow water-quality pond reconstructions: construction under way to replace a liner and redesign another pond; funded from the drainage fund.

- Floodplain-study updates citywide: Watershed is updating floodplain maps using NOAA Atlas 14 precipitation data; preliminary maps for early study areas are expected for community review in early 2026.

- Roy G. Guerrero channel stabilization (East Austin): a major stream-restoration project in construction this year that combines drainage, park improvements and FEMA hazard-mitigation funding.

- Waller Creek Tunnel mechanical-screen upgrades: a construction-phase project to add debris-prevention screens to wet walls in the tunnel to maintain long-term operability.

- Old Lampasas/Old Land Passes Dam modernization (Bull Creek watershed): a dam-safety and detention-pond modernization project that includes overtopping protection, access improvements and added water-quality elements; construction continues through 2025.

Kerfitt said the department currently has projects funded from a combination of drainage transfers, prior bond proceeds (including 2018 Proposition D), developer fees (detention/RS&P) and occasional external grants. Staff encouraged commissioners to submit any budget recommendations by March 31 through the city's budget form; the commission made and passed a recommendation related to design funding (see Votes at a glance).

Commissioners asked about coordination with Travis County on land acquisitions, the status of federal and state infrastructure funds, the department's ability to convert preliminary engineering work into shovel-ready projects for bonds, and how community engagement will accompany floodplain map updates. Kerfitt and Garpare said the department will provide updated top-20 project lists and web-based project maps to the commission as those tools are refreshed.

The department posted project pages and mapping tools on Watershed's website and said staff are available to follow up on specific neighborhood questions and 311 service requests.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Austin - Environmental Commission - Mar 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Watershed Protection Department on March 19 presented its fiscal year 2025 budget and a capital-improvement overview to the Environmental Commission, reporting a $122.4 million budget, a 9.9% drainage-fee increase and a broad CIP of more than 100 active projects.","taxTitle","Austin, Travis County, Texas","taxId",2819,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6629733,"Watershed Protection presents equity-focused scoring for proposed 2026 bond projects",2359,1050000,3409000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2703475-c02b3b41f7a8b291c013a98b9ecc9f12&start=1050&end=3409","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2703475-c02b3b41f7a8b291c013a98b9ecc9f12/thumbnail_1050000.jpg","/articles/6629733/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Watershed-Protection-presents-equity-focused-scoring-for-proposed-2026-bond-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6629733-51e6a6d7ad74b609fa9be1dcade0d70e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139736&Signature=BsHWBF1Hs5c0TyskpnqKDdOud6oPqBc9EZODqwiybsTH51p3fC7dk~JI74djgaHbCZX4oz0qJ~ZKc22qs9OH0VOCofX7~9HqFpmhT38P5aBM3NpppYFsOb1iU0959NbOGmVRqv6rN6-Cc4z5vlqlCos2U67nS-82II24pqHPiW8r3B2c3C2uKrEJ4nMC~Q8F61oOOUoYZR9xO~STIIVdWbfdQFTRxEWymbIN5noJnOQVsTSnQtc6o1xN03AJv6PxI3UUKd1XL7VJ-riiSwU5KZZaw5mvqZbbqlNDZNawrGUrUwAZ1bHAOguKgKVlfliBouvVkwd~l-BrmhtaDBCpyw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Watershed Protection Department on March 19 presented draft guiding principles and a technical scoring matrix it intends to use to prioritize drainage and stormwater projects for a potential 2026 general obligation bond.

The department told the Environmental Commission that Capital Delivery Services has set implementation rules: projects selected for bond funding must result in a public asset placed “in the ground” within a six-year spending window (January 2027 through FY32) and be expected to function for the 20-year repayment period. Kelly Gagnon, principal planner for the department, said those constraints shaped how staff weighted the criteria.

Gagnon said the department assigned a 100-point scale across six pillars: equity; affordability; innovation; sustainability and resiliency; proactive prevention (the department’s strategic-priorities score); and community trust and relationships. She described that distribution as a reflection of Watershed’s portfolio and of overlaps between goals rather than a ranking of importance.

Under the equity component (top score 15 points), Watershed plans to use a geographic analysis based on a principal-component analysis of several social indicators. That combined analysis will include the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index, a race/language theme, measures of displacement risk and proximity to environmental hazards; the highest-ranked areas would receive the full equity points.

For affordability (15 points), Gagnon said projects will score higher when they reduce net cost to the city and ratepayers by leveraging external funds or partnering with other departments (for example, a Dig-Once coordination that pairs stormwater work with a utility trenching project). Innovation points are reserved for novel, evidence-based approaches or new trusted technologies that fit the bond’s delivery constraints.

Sustainability and resiliency points were structured to reward projects that pursue recognized sustainability ratings (for example, Envision or the SITES initiative) and those that benefit communities with higher community health risk scores. The department proposed 40 points for “proactive prevention,” a category linked directly to Watershed’s strategic plan problem-score methodology; projects that solve the highest-severity, top-ranked problems would receive the most points.

Gagnon also emphasized “community trust and relationships” points aimed at feasibility and implementability: projects that are likely to be completed by FY32 and that demonstrate transparent plans to meet community expectations would score higher.

Commissioners and staff discussed schedule and next steps. Commissioner Dave Sullivan, who serves on the Bond Election Advisory Task Force, told the commission the task force and work groups are still assembling eligible project lists and that community engagement is planned before final recommendations. He said Capital Delivery Services has suggested a likely bond package size in the range of “about $600 million” as a starting point, while noting citywide needs total in the billions.

Gagnon said the department will apply the criteria to a subset of projects already screened as eligible and that Watershed is coordinating with the City’s Environmental Investment Plan and other departments on land-acquisition proposals, which will be evaluated through a separate, citywide process.

The department asked commissioners for feedback on the weighting and on the datasets used to measure social vulnerability and displacement risk. Gagnon said staff will return with refined language and with project lists once Capital Delivery Services and legal review confirm eligibility.

More information and materials are posted at the Watershed site (RainToRiverATX.com) and will be presented to the task force and working groups in coming months.","The Watershed Protection Department on March 19 presented draft guiding principles and a technical scoring matrix it intends to use to prioritize drainage and stormwater projects for a potential 2026 general obligation bond.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6629723,"Judge's Hill resident warns proposed condo would intersect critical environmental feature at bluff",505,185000,690000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2703475-c02b3b41f7a8b291c013a98b9ecc9f12&start=185&end=690","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2703475-c02b3b41f7a8b291c013a98b9ecc9f12/thumbnail_185000.jpg","/articles/6629723/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Judges-Hill-resident-warns-proposed-condo-would-intersect-critical-environmental-feature-at-bluff","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6629723-58db13635227ac6950a00377b4a5e547/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139736&Signature=m6yXPirPPEjDtHNHIrCdnXTuSqZBSqHC1lwb~C7ZVAI3C0FlNYGdaXbKrFYnvTzLxyujbJvhPLU194HveA2pMCkBA-07yuQ7gp4RFd~-gKGuWRrtWg7Dmzsyry~QfUu3APQgR7Hnnb2hglSGEPu84YnRwlLc53M8grr8Y7h5OjHopCAbfVF8uta7H0mBfyGgABA1gwxF87aHRE6WjQw1o8OERUacensRQ5x6G3EN5ZK09reeK3VFiMC208wqU59La1M~ND7vi7BEzB5Uns~JsdHn~kumLi2nsgGbbVd8WROc8aRpsNAF2nRbLx57DqfnrAl46iwGAJcraNgqV57j7Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Judge's Hill resident told the Environmental Commission on March 19 that a proposed condominium-apartment development adjacent to House Park may intrude on a mapped critical environmental feature (CEF) at the top of a bluff and that construction could threaten slope stability for nearby homes.

Paul Gosselinck (identified in the meeting record as a member of the public) described the location as the bluff visible from Enfield Road near the Lamar Street bridge, within the area sometimes referenced from House Park and Poplar Street. He displayed conceptual site plans and said the developer's design includes a three-level parking garage whose toe would intersect the slope at or below a mapped CEF.

Gosselinck told commissioners that several geologists have reviewed the site and that city watershed staff and multiple consultants located the CEF. He named a local consultant, Phil Bullock; and two academic geotechnical experts he said his group retained: Bob Gilbert from the University of Texas soil mechanics/geotechnical program and Bob Backus from Georgia Tech. Gosselinck said those reviewers concurred on the CEF location and raised concerns about slope stability where a multilevel parking garage would require excavation at the slope's toe.

He showed photographs and historic examples of slope failures, pointing to a collapsed section at Peace Park (near Wolters Drive) and a separate Poplar Street failure as illustrations of how cut-and-fill construction and toe excavation can initiate progressive sloughing. Gosselinck said the city's environmental criteria manual requires a 150-foot buffer from defined critical environmental features and that, as mapped and agreed by staff and consultants, the buffer would intersect the proposed building footprint.

Gosselinck asked the commission to advise the Planning Commission if the Environmental Commission determined the proposal raised an environmental concern worthy of further review. He also said the city currently lacks in-house hydrogeotechnical staff who could independently arbitrate competing consultant conclusions and that the applicant's geotechnical report alone may not be sufficient to resolve the safety question.

The commission acknowledged receipt of Gosselinck's materials and asked staff to retain his contact information; staff indicated follow-up would be available through the commission's public-communication process and through the normal planning and review channels.","A resident alerted the Environmental Commission that a proposed condominium/apartment project adjacent to House Park and Lamar Street may intrude on a mapped critical environmental feature and that a planned three-level parking garage could destabilize the slope. He said multiple consulting geologists concur the feature is present and urged the","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Watershed Protection outlines $122.4 million FY25 budget, flags funding gap and CIP priorities

Watershed Protection presents equity-focused scoring for proposed 2026 bond projects

Judge's Hill resident warns proposed condo would intersect critical environmental feature at bluff