DAILY AGENDA

Tuesday, April 18

1:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Sponsor Move-In

3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Registration

Wednesday, April 19

Speakers and sessions are subject to change. All events are at the hotel unless otherwise noted.

7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Registration

7:30–8:15 a.m.
Breakfast

8:15–8:30 a.m.
Welcome and Introduction
TMUA President Steven Kana, Director of Utilities, City of Killeen

8:30–9:15 a.m.
Land Development Update – Water/Wastewater CCNs and District Annexations
This presentation will focus on the current trends and potential legislative changes in the certification, transfer, and decertification of water and sewer certificates of convenience and necessity (CNN), and the ability of a municipality to regulate the creation and annexation of water districts.
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Speaker: David Klein, Principal, Lloyd Gosselink Rochelle & Townsend, P.C.
Presentation

9:30–10:15 a.m.
Water Rate Affordability: Balancing Business Needs with a Customer’s Ability to Pay
This presentation will present and discuss the ongoing debate around the affordability of water and wastewater service. Common metrics used to quantify affordable service will be discussed. The session will also identify the considerations that should be made by a utility when attempting to consider affordability in setting rates for customers. Examples of pricing structures that attempt to address affordability will be presented, along with the advantages and disadvantages of such methods, and other mechanisms of financial assistance to customers will be explored.
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Speaker: Chris Ekrut, Chief Financial Officer, NewGen Strategies and Solutions
Presentation

10:15–10:45 a.m.
Networking Break with Sponsors

10:45–11:45 a.m.
Top Five Legislative and Regulatory Developments
This presentation will cover developing state legislative issues. It will also examine existing and emerging state and federal regulatory planning considerations that affect cities.
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Speaker:Nathan Vassar, Principal, Lloyd Gosselink Rochelle & Townsend, P.C.
Presentation

Noon–12:45 p.m.
Lunch

12:45–1:45 p.m.
Executive Leadership from a City Manager’s Perspective
There is satisfaction in being a servant leader and working for local government in the great state of Texas. However, with this rewarding career there are many challenges. Succession planning and retaining institutional knowledge has never been more important as retirements and turnover continue to be problematic while the public sector compete with the private sector for jobs. Being able to meet the growing demands of the citizens by providing high quality services while maintaining financial stability with local taxes and utility rates are additional challenges that face fast growing cities. This presentation will discuss some of the leadership challenges and how municipalities are able to manage the increasingly growing responsibilities facing cities.
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Speaker: Brooks Bennett, Assistant City Manager, City of Round Rock

2:00–2:45 p.m.
LCRR: Failure to Communicate Is a Violation Waiting to Happen
The lead and copper rule revisions (LCRR) include extensive public outreach requirements that affect every aspect of utility operations. Employees throughout the utility play a role in meeting the rule’s requirements, whether it’s opening an account, repairing a break, replacing a meter, implementing a pipe rehab project, or doing compliance sampling. While there is a dedicated section of the rule related to public information and outreach, almost every section of it contains requirements for outreach activities. There are very few differences in outreach requirements based on the water system’s size. It is easy to violate the communication utility lead and copper rule revisions if you are not careful. Don’t let it happen to you.
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Speaker: Mary Gugliuzza, Media Relations and Communications Coordinator, City of Fort Worth
Presentation

2:45–3:15 p.m.
Networking Break with Sponsors

3:15–4:00 p.m.
Understanding Impacts of PFAS Regulations and Important Litigation for Municipalities
This session will be an update and explanation of the impact of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) chemicals on municipalities, including analysis of the chemical, its environmental impact, federal and state regulatory standards (both current and expected), and status of the current multi-district litigation (MDL). We’ll also identify the municipalities participating and the potential damages they may incur to recover for current and future treatment of this chemical.
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Speakers: Cary McDougal, Attorney, Baron & Budd Law Firm
Presentation

4:15–5:15 p.m.
How Supply Chain Issues, Inflation, and Undersized Staffs Impacted Your Management of Operations and CIP Projects?
During this session, a panel of utility managers and supply chain experts will tackle the following questions challenging us all and hopefully facilitate a lively discussion regarding these critical issues and many more:

When will I ever receive those products I ordered?
How come everything cost so much, and how am I supposed to budget for this constantly moving target?
Have we hit the ceiling yet? What does the future hold?
I can never seem to hire a staff large enough to get all the work done. When should I outsource some of this work to contractors?
Should I build a team for inhouse project design or turn to the experts?

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Moderator: TMUA President Steven Kana, Director of Utilities, City of Killeen

Panelists: Kenneth Icenhower, P.E., Assistant Director, Texarkana Water Utilities; Jason Jones, President, McCain Waterworks Marketing; Dan Reese, Director of Public Works, City of Canyon; and Laura Wilson, Deputy Director, Infrastructure, City of Fort Worth

5:15-6:30 pm
Free Time

6:30–9:00 p.m.
Dinner and Bowling
We’re at a resort with multiple activities so we may as well use it! Enjoy a fun, networking evening with dinner from B-Lux Bar and Grill followed by bowling at the resort’s lanes.

Thursday, April 20

7:30–9:00 a.m.
Registration

8:00–9:00 a.m.
Breakfast and Business Meeting

9:00–10:30 a.m.
Ready for Anything: Austin Water’s Journey in Adaptation and Resilience
Over the last several years, Austin Water has faced unprecedented challenges including extreme winter weather, invasive species, and an operational service failure at our largest water treatment plant. This presentation will discuss the rapid response, planning, and takeaways from Austin Water’s operational events in these extraordinary times.
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Speaker: Randi Jenkins, Austin Water Assistant Director for Customer Experience, City of Austin; and Shay Ralls Roalson, PE, Austin Water Director, City of Austin
Presentation

10:30 a.m.
Closing and Adjournment