Commissioners questioned Austin Energy staff about training and oversight for contractors hired to perform vegetation management and tree-trimming work, and ultimately approved several consent items including the transmission vegetation contract.

Paul Vasquez, interim vice president for electric system field operations, said the contractor provides the hands-on training and Austin Energy reviews the contract to ensure the vendor meets the utility’s trimming specifications. “The training is provided by the company that's providing the service. And then Austin Energy's part of that is to review the contract terms to make sure that they're in compliance with our training or with our trimming specifications,” Vasquez said.

Vasquez said Austin Energy inspectors who are familiar with the right-of-way areas guide contractors on safe access and work techniques. He described the specific contract discussed at the meeting as a transmission-services contract that covers wider rights-of-way where the utility typically has access, rather than work that requires entry onto private backyards. “This contract that we're speaking on right now is for our transmission services...and so this one is actually in, like, right of ways that are generally wider,” he said.

A commissioner described an instance in which vehicles accessing a small preserve near East Riverside had damaged the site during spring conditions and asked staff to follow up after the meeting. Vasquez agreed to meet with the commissioner to review the specific location and the operations involved.

Later in the meeting a member moved and another seconded a motion to approve the remaining consent items, described on the agenda as items 3 through 6; the commission approved them by voice/hand vote. The transcript does not record a roll-call tally for the combined consent approval.

The discussion and vote took place on the same day commissioners also approved a separate $30 million transfer to the power supply stabilization reserve and set future briefings on distribution hardening and energy storage.