[{"_1":2,"_121":-5,"_122":-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",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_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",6527416,"mediaKeyId","3626366-b6b75962e82872570385bd231435796e","parentId",3626366,"title","Austin Resource Recovery updates committee on curbside recycling trends and solar panel recycling operations","audioSeconds",801,"startMs",6771000,"endMs",7572000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3626366-b6b75962e82872570385bd231435796e&start=6771&end=7572","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3626366-b6b75962e82872570385bd231435796e/thumbnail_6771000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6527416/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Austin-Resource-Recovery-updates-committee-on-curbside-recycling-trends-and-solar-panel-recycling-operations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6527416-416dcf0c620ec0742a2a46e2aa3b15ff/orig.mp4?Expires=1770566101&Signature=BlRVuZmgfmPzS02ngzBpDF8WY58E890yKXRVk5Z~0-r2rPgY341Zw8MfwoH5WympSvu6w48DEZJPFqzKxQ1tE-5Zw8q0z4~mjIvg0Zwc7Fgv-lP0CW67QUehHHhd6YiDvkdmjYXJPdPfFowwlnFruN8p09BKXxvIrk3Ff3Hwa9TO-wj1VbFK4-Zh53AWP0K4MSeNe6MzuwnM7dPEJKIanT9PPYsZ-2e463Z7qy-uYAMNTPKyvY5ulA6xuUFVz3IwW2bwrPO3ZyDGOob5ex5dZvUFLmqCVKH8w2JnR2ZWyA8n5t8rVaZJY52O3hPPfv8Aqkpk83DqnYphvWpxvKPutg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Austin","date","2025-06-02T00:00:00Z","article","Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) briefed the committee on curbside recycling trends, contamination challenges and the department’s residential solar panel recycling program.

Assistant Director Ron Romero summarized curbside recycling history and operations, noting the city’s move to single‑stream cart collection and that ARR partners with Balcones Recycling and Texas Disposal Systems to process residential tonnage. Romero said curbside recycling tonnages peaked in 2022 and 2023 (about 63,000–64,000 tons) and that ARR collected roughly 59,000 tons in fiscal 2024. He said the department attributes earlier peaks in part to COVID‑era household changes and that April and October 2024 set‑out studies showed overall set‑out rates near the mid‑80s percent range across audited council districts (examples: District 7 had one of the higher set‑out rates near 94%). Romero cited contamination as a concern and said program audits reported contamination rates that have ranged from about 15% to 22%; ARR staff said targeted education and school outreach (Generation Zero program) are part of efforts to reduce contamination.

Romero also said ARR will accept aseptic packaging and poly‑coated paper (juice boxes and wine boxes) in the residential recycling stream beginning this summer, following coordination with processing partners.

Assistant Director Amy Slagle described ARR’s solar panel recycling intake. ARR accepts small quantities of solar panels (one to two panels) at no cost from residents in the city’s full‑purpose jurisdiction; larger commercial collections incur fees. Slagle said ARR diverted about 10 tons of solar panels in the last fiscal year and ships collected panels to a vendor in Fort Worth for initial processing; further downstream processing occurs in Wisconsin. Panels are dismantled for recoverable materials (aluminum, silver) and glass and wafers are shredded and separated. Slagle noted solar panels are among the most expensive items in ARR’s electronics contract (roughly $0.50 per pound under current vendor arrangements) and that ARR’s electronics contract requires e‑Steward certification to ensure responsible handling and no export of toxic waste to developing countries.

Councilmembers asked about program capacity and whether larger installations could be recycled locally; staff said ARR’s program is designed for residential and small commercial quantities and that larger commercial recycling may require different partnerships or vendor arrangements. ARR staff said they will provide more data on capture rates and what remains landfilled in follow‑up materials.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Austin - Austin Climate, Water, Environment and Parks Committee Special Called Meeting - Jun 02, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","ARR reported a small decline from recent peak recycling tonnages, plans to add aseptic packaging to curbside collection, and described a residential solar panel acceptance program that diverted about 10 tons last year.","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},6527420,"Parks department says funding study will be complete before budget deliberations; maintenance shortfall highlighted",207,6393000,6600000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3626366-b6b75962e82872570385bd231435796e&start=6393&end=6600","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3626366-b6b75962e82872570385bd231435796e/thumbnail_6393000.jpg","/articles/6527420/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Parks-department-says-funding-study-will-be-complete-before-budget-deliberations-maintenance-shortfall-highlighted","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6527420-810263529a565acbf9783c4e4fcbb0bc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770566101&Signature=kGgBUCWqYycJJgKZB9uJ22zjOmYS8EAxcBLc09QbOMGOnMA~fw4jNQr3A0PY~oHDSWGKVRXE1EB-gRbeRcoTC30oGsX4ngePRM9NZIHwt0YJE5PcmTbwYQLK9fZA6X7KInIOeC3F~3rmd4n9ZdkWLPR7D46p-YR1vOSdRxyIDCTwrb5ZTgAsKEFuPLk7DwpW~j5U8mbHsE7fmnlx2k8Yf6jkYf4HRZKG7q42kwEGI3X70XkOkndTlbJlCyiiR-SLW-oVbbbzXHAalmEUdy06gHRlw00FGwEIzS0Z7WAdqw0nwjMG0QHS~kpX1MM6EY0O-WGuO2ZgT308nqvb4Q3veA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Austin Parks and Recreation told the Climate, Water, Environment & Parks Committee that a consultant study on parks funding will be completed in June and submitted to the council in time for budget deliberations.

Assistant Director Liana Kalivokai said the department engaged consultants (PFM and The Trust for Public Land) to benchmark Austin’s financing and maintenance spending against comparable cities and to identify additional funding sources the city could pursue. Kalivokai said the draft report will be completed in June and provided to council prior to budget adoption as the earlier resolution requested.

Kalivokai said early findings indicate Austin spends “significantly lower” on maintenance compared with several peer cities and that Austin’s park system includes additional functions — for example, city‑owned cemeteries — that increase system stress relative to peer comparisons. The department said the study will include short‑, mid‑ and long‑term recommendations for revenue and financing options that could be considered during upcoming budget cycles.

Vice Chair Ellis asked whether the study would be ready for budget adoption; staff confirmed the report will be submitted before budget deliberations. Committee members said they look forward to recommendations that distinguish capital project funding from ongoing maintenance and to proposals that address equity across neighborhoods.","Parks staff told the committee a consultant study on alternative funding for parks will be completed in June and shared with council before the budget process; the study finds Austin spends less on maintenance per capita than peer cities and notes system stressors such as cemeteries.",{"_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},6527425,"Parks department and Austin Parks Foundation outline volunteer, grant and capital support; call for simpler city processes",525,3029000,3554000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3626366-b6b75962e82872570385bd231435796e&start=3029&end=3554","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3626366-b6b75962e82872570385bd231435796e/thumbnail_3029000.jpg","/articles/6527425/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Parks-department-and-Austin-Parks-Foundation-outline-volunteer-grant-and-capital-support-call-for-simpler-city-processes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6527425-58747d8516e1a274e47051153685230c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770566101&Signature=IkfOiwQHyvMGVgpwraQaPH8ixMt0DsY4j5uOjWyw3tT06DTlXE4y3Cple0bC1dvEBC-YmX3tz6ldDYwpEbvKLpPM8PHjIX1hv3psit45Km-mQ27aqzs1VBCRc5rDNj2IeEFAyPJOMjW3b42xw1l3juaVg0JonMqmR2BbKseGyPdtMHh3XY-hy-t~XIUbtXVAHgCpZ2K74-539KwhYb9gZINLI8Mko0Ev1FrkSIWFZssFgxCPqfkrgkhF1xEIdvy-1hi0J7unZ9d75m6hi9uqhZGrowl0g6dinfXZ~8aYQ~TpxuL9mkJfWvmR62~SKgA9Z2-cElCJ22k17iAyDE8RPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Austin Parks and Recreation and the Austin Parks Foundation briefed the committee on June 1 about long‑standing partnerships that support park maintenance, programming and capital projects.

Liana Kalivokai, assistant director for Austin Parks and Recreation, described a flexible partnership framework the department has used in recent years to engage nonprofits, conservancies and private partners to expand capacity for park development and maintenance. Kalivokai said partnership oversight and transparency are priorities and noted an annual impact report is available online that documents partner contributions.

Colin Wallace, chief executive officer of the Austin Parks Foundation (APF), described APF’s role as a private nonprofit that accepts donations, manages sponsored fund accounts, runs volunteer programs and leads capital campaigns. He said APF mobilized roughly half of the 24,000 volunteers who contributed 75,000 volunteer hours in fiscal 2024 — an amount Kalivokai characterized as “the equivalent of over 2 and a half million dollars in labor.” Wallace said APF raises individual, corporate and foundation funds and deploys them across grants, volunteer coordination and project implementation.

APF leaders outlined program and project work: adopt‑a‑park groups (about 128 adopters), community‑initiated grants and capital projects (examples include the Dino Pit shade at the Austin Nature and Science Center and the Aldebrook pocket park), park activations such as Movies in the Park and the Zilker Eagle miniature train operations (APF reported more than 100,000 riders in its first year). Katie Robillard, a landscape architect with APF, listed ongoing capital work including the Seaholm waterfront, Rosewood Park cabin restoration, Little Walnut Creek Greenbelt trailhead and the All‑Abilities playground at Onion Creek Metro Park.

Jana Bergdorf, APF chief financial officer, described APF’s funding mix and near‑term commitments: ACL Festival proceeds in 2024 provided $4.5 million for park improvement projects and $2.4 million for programming and operations; APF reported $20 million in net assets that are committed to specific future projects (for example, $5 million committed to the All‑Abilities playground). Bergdorf said APF manages sponsored fund accounts for community groups that do not have 501(c)(3) structures and that APF voluntarily undergoes independent audits and national nonprofit ratings.

Councilmembers thanked the presenters and asked about timelines, maintenance capacity and prioritization. Councilmember Duchin pressed on project timelines and maintenance gaps; APF and Parks staff said timelines vary by project complexity and community engagement, and that Parks has long‑term maintenance staffing gaps compared with peer cities. APF leaders urged the city to identify ways to streamline permitting and interdepartmental processes to help get projects implemented more quickly.

Staff and APF representatives also discussed equity in investments and a focus on historically underserved areas: APF said its work often prioritizes projects in the city’s eastern crescent and other neighborhoods with less historic investment. APF said it would share a public impact dashboard on its website in the coming weeks, detailing projects and funding sources.","Parks staff and the Austin Parks Foundation told the committee the nonprofit contributes volunteers, grant funding and project delivery — roughly $2.5 million in volunteer labor and millions in project grants — and asked for clearer city procedures to speed projects.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6527430,"City briefs committee on fleet electrification plan, site-by-site charging study and electric landscaping pilot",597,47000,644000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3626366-b6b75962e82872570385bd231435796e&start=47&end=644","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3626366-b6b75962e82872570385bd231435796e/thumbnail_47000.jpg","/articles/6527430/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/City-briefs-committee-on-fleet-electrification-plan-site-by-site-charging-study-and-electric-landscaping-pilot","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6527430-ab18df6b994b9655bdec18925d1f2810/orig.mp4?Expires=1770566101&Signature=faduQb2vELprJ5FPRu-NB66ILHjbBHCwN2GeAhUn4RUBN6eiplO7f4-Qrf6hf3z-a8P~2ufE4gH0Xk0AtP1abGU~8s-eH7OWMhtmMrrznILHdGksLlS18oIspbgKJRhFwa~Uga5pCkpnfSGBO6opR1e3hD0a1onmjXHdQbCsg6hsp45R-z-GK5lMX5YZLRgej2znMf1umRzSqI3Zj4SI8VkJLoRN-rdPP1AEFZkJN9ECTQNcNd7CQgwyOERGg8Y-xufsfi83P2IlSmreNK~dqL-7H-qW30HQQapJqHW3eBoTrVIm5~0xBgP2fXogV-UnzsQcksJDYFc8RjFoe4y00Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Climate, Water, Environment & Parks Committee heard a briefing on city fleet electrification, charging infrastructure planning, and a parks department study and pilot for electric landscaping equipment on June 1.

Zach Bomber, director of the Office of Climate Action and Resilience, said the city’s goal from the Climate Equity Plan is to electrify 40% of viable fleet vehicle miles traveled by 2030 and to support the city’s long‑term net‑zero greenhouse gas target. Bomber said the city currently has 373 battery-electric vehicles and that “last year, they drove 1,800,000 electric vehicle miles.” He added the city expects to grow to “right at 400” battery-electric vehicles by the end of the year and to over 700 by 2030, prioritizing high‑usage units and departmental readiness.

Rick Harlan, assistant director of Fleet Mobility Services, summarized the fleet profile and the program’s staged strategy. Harlan said only about 29% of the fleet currently has viable battery-electric vehicle (BEV) options and the department targets that “29%” first. He described pilots already under way, including a battery‑electric police pursuit vehicle pilot and electric refuse trucks, saying fleet’s approach is “Prove it first, scale it second.” Harlan said the battery‑electric vehicle fleet logged roughly 1.8 million miles in 2024 and that BEV purchases have averaged about 10% of new vehicle purchases since 2017; in 2024 BEV purchases were 8.2% of new vehicle purchases, slightly above the national consumer market share reported in the presentation.

On infrastructure, Cameron Freeberg, manager of Electric Vehicles and Emerging Technologies at Austin Energy, said the city will have roughly 282 dedicated fleet charging ports at city facilities by the end of the year and plans to reach nearly 500 ports by 2030. Freeberg described a citywide “build once” approach: a consultant-led study to map existing equipment, identify future expansion needs by facility and use case (fleet, employee workplace, public), and produce an Excel inventory and a cost analysis by the end of the calendar year. He outlined a citywide EV charging parking policy to manage competing uses and signage, time limits and enforcement to keep fleet, employee and public needs balanced.

Sarah Talkington, consulting engineer for Parks and Recreation, described a new citywide market assessment and a Parks pilot to evaluate electric lawn and landscape maintenance equipment. Talkington said Parks will survey in‑house crews, contracted vendors and local commercial landscape firms to assess operational fitness, liability and market readiness, with the department preparing a pilot program manual in November. She said the work will focus on commercially viable equipment categories such as mowers, blowers, hedgers and chainsaws; earlier piecemeal adoptions informed the broader study because crews found some tools workable while others raised battery‑life or weight concerns.

Council members asked for additional analysis. Councilmember Siegel requested the fleet’s cost and carbon analyses — Harlan said fleet had run net‑present‑value modeling and estimated that electrifying the remaining 29% of viable units today would produce an approximately $35 million net present value loss over eight years while saving roughly 21,000 metric tons of CO2 over that period (about 2,700 metric tons per year). Councilmember Duchin asked for mileage‑weighted pie charts (share by vehicle miles traveled rather than share of vehicles), and Harlan and Freeberg agreed to provide those. The police‑pursuit BEV pilot will have a 12‑month operational evaluation; final deployment decisions would be made in coordination with the Austin Police Department.

Staff emphasized a staged deployment: select vehicles where technology and service cycles align, expand charging where grid access and site readiness allow, and use pilots to guide larger procurements. City staff said scaling heavier duty and public‑safety electrification depends on market advances in vehicle models and battery technology and on ongoing coordination with manufacturers and Austin Energy.

No formal committee action or vote was taken on policy changes during the briefing; the presentation was informational and councilmembers requested follow‑up materials and analyses to inform future budget and procurement decisions.","City staff told the committee the municipal fleet has 373 battery-electric vehicles, drove about 1.8 million electric miles in 2024, and outlined near-term charging-port build plans and a Parks pilot to assess electric landscaping equipment.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":103,"_45":115,"_47":116,"_49":106,"_51":117,"_53":118,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":119,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":120,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6527434,"Climate, Water, Environment & Parks committee approves minutes without objection",28,75000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3626366-b6b75962e82872570385bd231435796e&start=47&end=75","/articles/6527434/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Climate-Water-Environment-Parks-committee-approves-minutes-without-objection","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6527434-7b33b63d0318fd15f0bd182883b11755/orig.mp4?Expires=1770566101&Signature=nxSf~itoFwKFS2jByUuvmiAseULg00kyae1LJefOVnrNcECTvxGaMnOSywQoI~ZGOBP3cZIbxzww9NdircAyJfc1Iora7SepBpomB3gS97PUn5PlbI8OdANiaihKQO2re5ZzZ5rTxHT2GOc2YnT8w-eFRMjDdeSdslN0oxW~WmfyiH9QnH4BvN27C-wCK7ObpG~UFqZLX5OZVIYoL8~ngzzDz67YI3HI-sXaQga9X45QY0Sue7FS7BZLgR78XJ2KUJWDKs8mIl9qd6xhgup2U0L7~hrJnPxqkfhrK92gAAmKI4mr5RlkrJbl7CdYghYyjP5q7A4UU7HJYGpvI5i1gQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Climate, Water, Environment & Parks Committee approved the prior meeting minutes at the start of its session on June 1. The motion was moved by Councilmember Siegel and seconded by Councilmember Duchin; Chair Ryan Alter noted there were “no objections” and declared the item approved.

The procedural approval occurred immediately after the committee convened; no roll-call vote tally was recorded in the public transcript. The approval was recorded before the committee began substantive briefings on electric vehicle fleet electrification and parks partnerships.","Committee Chair Ryan Alter opened the June briefing and the committee approved the prior meeting minutes on a motion by Councilmember Siegel, second signaled by Councilmember Duchin, with no objections.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Austin Resource Recovery updates committee on curbside recycling trends and solar panel recycling operations

Parks department says funding study will be complete before budget deliberations; maintenance shortfall highlighted

Parks department and Austin Parks Foundation outline volunteer, grant and capital support; call for simpler city processes

City briefs committee on fleet electrification plan, site-by-site charging study and electric landscaping pilot

Climate, Water, Environment & Parks committee approves minutes without objection