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THE STAFF READY FOR ME TO START? YES, WE'RE READY WHEN YOU ARE.
[1. Discussion regarding City operations, response and future actions as described in Resolution No. 20210325-067 related to the February 2021 Winter Storm event (Winter Storm Uri).]
IS MONDAY, MAY 17, 2021.I'M GOING TO CONVENE THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL CALLED MEETING BEING HELD VIA VIDEO CONFERENCE.
UH, THIS IS A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING TO DISCUSS CITY OPERATIONS RESPONSE AND FUTURE ACTIONS.
THIS IS RELATED TO FEBRUARY, 2021 WINTER STORM EVENT AS REQUESTED BY CITY COUNCIL IN RESOLUTION 20 2103 25 DASH 67 ON ELISA.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PROCEED, UH, CONSISTENT WITH THE, UH, GENDER, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO, UH, LAID OUT AND POSTED.
THANK YOU FOR THAT ON THE MESSAGE BOARD ISSUES POINTED OUT ARE SOME QUESTIONS THAT, UH, SHE HAD.
UM, AND THEN I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE FOLLOWING BASICALLY THE AGENDA ON THE APPENDIX, THE EXHIBIT THAT WAS PRESENTED AS PART OF THE RESOLUTION.
KATHY, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING BEFORE WE TURN IT OVER TO THE, TO THE MANAGER.
THIS IS THE SECOND OF TWO MEETINGS.
UM, THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING IS NOT NECESSARILY TO GET ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BECAUSE THERE WASN'T A LOT OF NOTICE TO OUR STAFF AS TO WHAT QUESTIONS OR SUBJECTS WE WANTED TO, UM, UH, BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT.
BUT AT THE VERY LEAST, IF WE CAN GET ANSWERS TO IDENTIFY ISSUES AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STAFF ADDRESSES, UH, IN THEIR AFTER ACTION REPORT MANAGER, THAT YOU'LL BE, UH, PREPARING, UH, WE'RE GOING TO START WITH SHELTERING ROUGHLY FROM ONE TO TWO 30 AUSTIN ENERGY FROM TWO 30 TO THREE 30 OR SOME WATER FROM THREE 30 TO FOUR, AND THEN, UM, UH, COUNCIL DENTIFICATION OF NEXT STEPS.
SO UNDERSTANDING OF THE STAFF ON, UH, AFTER ACTION ANALYSIS AND, AND AMERICAN'S AFFIRMATIVE ACTION.
SO YEAH, THEY DO WANT TO SAY ANYTHING BEFORE WE TURN IT OVER TO THE MANAGER.
UM, YOU DESCRIBED REALLY WELL THAT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EXHIBIT A AND KIND OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY, THERE ARE SOME TOPICS.
UM, AND I TRIED TO POINT THIS OUT IN MY MESSAGE BOARD POST.
THERE WERE SOME TOPICS ON AUSTIN ENERGY AND AUSTIN WATER THAT WE'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER, EITHER THE COMMITTEES OR THE OTHERS.
AND SO JUST BEEN IN TERMS OF FORMULATING MY OWN QUESTIONS.
I DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF REMAINING QUESTIONS ON EITHER OF THOSE ISSUES.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE, UH, WITH, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE MAYOR AND, UH, JASON ALEXANDER, WE TRIED TO, WE TRIED TO CARVE OUT THE TIME FOR TODAY, RECOGNIZING THAT WE HAD ALREADY HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS, NOT BECAUSE THERE AREN'T PROBABLY A THOUSAND MORE ISSUES TO TALK ABOUT IN AUSTIN WATER AND AUSTIN ENERGY, BUT JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT TIME ALLOCATED THE BULK OF TIME TODAY IS GOING TOWARDS SHELTERING.
INITIALLY OUR EXHIBIT A AND I THINK I ADDRESSED THIS LAST TIME, BUT OUR EXHIBIT A HAD ALSO A COMMUNITY SHELTERING PIECE.
AND FOR THE REASONS I EXPLAINED LAST TIME, WE'VE WE HAD TO CUT THAT, THAT PORTION.
BUT I DID WANT TO JUST UPDATE MY COLLEAGUES THAT AS I MENTIONED LAST WEEK, MY STAFF HAVE DONE OUTREACH TO SOME OF THOSE WHO WERE INVOLVED AND I CAN POST THIS LIST ON THE MESSAGE BOARD, BUT I'LL JUST RUN THROUGH IT QUICKLY.
UM, THOSE INCLUDED BOSTON, BOSTON MUTUAL AID, UPO, UH, UNITED PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZERS UNITED WAY ST.
MARTINS LUTHERAN, AUSTIN FIREFIGHTERS, AUSTIN NEEDS WATER, AUSTIN FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION, AUSTIN NEEDS WATER SURVIVE TO THRIVE AUSTIN AREA, URBAN LEAGUE, THEIR AUSTIN HOTEL, LODGING ASSOCIATION, GABA ECHO DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE DRIVE A SENIOR COMMUNITY RESILIENCE TRUST 10,000 FEARLESS FIRST RESPONDERS, FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES, UM, AUSTIN DISASTER RELIEF NETWORK, MAYBE ONE OR TWO OTHERS, THE AMERICAN RED CROSS, JUST TO MAKE SURE ALL OF THOSE FOLKS KNOW ABOUT THE COMMUNITY TASK FORCE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE GOING ON AND ENCOURAGING THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT FORUM.
UM, I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME OF THESE INDIVIDUALS AS WELL, JUST TO HELP INFORM MY OWN THINKING.
AND IT MAY BE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING WITH CHAIR FUENTES AND OTHERS ON THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE.
IT MAY BE THAT WE CAN HAVE KIND OF A PANEL DISCUSSION ABOUT COMMUNITY SHELTERING EFFORTS IN THAT FORUM.
UM, BUT JUST KNOW AGAIN THAT I THINK THERE'S A LOT MORE THAN, THAN WE MAY BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT HERE TODAY, BUT WE WERE JUST TRYING TO CARVE OUT A FEASIBLE PLAN FOR CONVERSATION.
UM, I FOUND LAST WEEK'S CONVERSATION REALLY USEFUL, SO THANKS.
IT'S SO HELPFUL TO HEAR OTHER PEOPLE'S QUESTIONS AND REALLY BE ABLE TO BUILD ON THEM.
SO THANKS FOR MAKING SPACE STAFF AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT.
I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION FOR OUR COUNTER VERTIGO.
WE KNOW WHEN THE FUTURE DATES OF THE TASK FORCE WILL BE.
UM, I CERTAINLY WANT TO INCLUDE THE LIST THAT YOU MENTIONED AND THANK YOU FOR REACHING OUT TO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF
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THE TASK FORCE MEETINGS AND TO PROVIDE INPUT.UM, I DO WANT TO REACH OUT TO THE DEL VALLEY COMMUNITY COALITION AND THE AUTUMN LATINO COALITION, WHO ALSO DID A LOT OF GREAT WORK I'VE MET THE STORM.
AND SO I WANT TO INVITE THEM TO THOSE NEXT TASK FORCE MEETINGS.
AND, UH, THERE ARE LIKELY LOTS OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT EACH OF US ARE AWARE OF THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED IN MY LIST.
SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR, UM, ADDING THOSE ADDITIONAL TWO.
YES, WE DO HAVE A LIST OF ALL THE TASK FORCE DATES.
AND I WILL, UM, ASK, I WILL ASK MY STAFF TO POST THOSE ON THE MESSAGE BOARD.
I DO KNOW THERE WAS ANOTHER SESSION ON FRIDAY.
ALL OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE BEING ARCHIVED ONLINE.
AND I THINK OUR STAFF, MY STAFF, I KNOW HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND WITH PIO AND WITH SOME OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOLKS TO, TO REALLY GET THE WORD OUT, BUT I'LL MAKE SURE THAT THOSE DATES GET GET ON.
AND, AND AGAIN, I THINK THE MANAGER MAY HAVE MENTIONED THIS LAST TIME, COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO SAY A FEW WORDS OF WELCOME IN THE BEGINNING OF THOSE MEETINGS.
SO WE REALIZED PRETTY QUICKLY THAT, THAT MY OFFICE COULDN'T COORDINATE THAT, UM, FOR QUORUM REASONS, BUT I BELIEVE THE CMOS OFFICES IS WORKING WITH INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL OFFICES TO SEE WHO'S INTERESTED IN DOING THAT.
AND AGAIN, REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION TODAY.
THAT'S A CONTINUATION FROM LAST WEEK AND AS COUNCIL MEMBER, TOBO SAID, IT WAS VERY HELPFUL TO HEAR FROM EACH OF YOU AND MAKE SURE THAT AS WE'RE WORKING ON THE AFTER ACTION REPORTS, THAT WE'RE INCORPORATING ANY ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK THAT YOU PROVIDE.
UM, SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WE'LL KICK IT OFF WITH THIS FIRST TOPIC AROUND SHELTERING AND, UH, DIRECTOR ORTIZ IS GOING TO LEAD US OFF, BUT WE HAVE A NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF THAT ARE AVAILABLE AS WELL AS WE GET INTO THE MEAT OF THE DISCUSSION.
UM, ONCE AGAIN, MY NAME IS
AND I'M ONE OF THE TWO MAIN AGENCIES THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING AND RUNNING THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER.
UH, AGAIN, WE, WE, WE WORK IN A JOINT EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER WITH TRAVIS COUNTY AND THEREFORE WE WORK VERY CLOSELY BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER AND MEETING THE COMMUNITY NEEDS IN ANY DISASTER THAT WE FACE.
AND, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE KIND OF COME WITH SOLUTIONS, UH, IN A, IN A SHORTENED FASHION, UM, AS, AS IT PERTAINS TO SHELTERING.
AND LET ME TELL YOU THIS WE'LL SAY A, A TASK THAT WAS, UH, IT WAS VERY CHALLENGING.
UH, FOR MANY REASONS WE, WE HAVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SHELTER STRATEGIES THAT WE USE DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION.
UH, AND WE START, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE, WHEN WE GO INTO THE WINTER WEATHER, UH, SEASON, THAT WE ARE ABLE TO SUPPORT WHAT WE CALL A COLD WEATHER SHELTERS.
AND THOSE, THESE ARE SHELTERS THAT WE PRE-IDENTIFY IN ADVANCE AND HAVE A WAY OF MEETING THE NEEDS OF THOSE THAT ARE OUR PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR, UH, ANYBODY ELSE ON THE COMMUNITY THAT DOESN'T HAVE A WARM PLACE TO STAY.
AND BECAUSE OF COVID, THIS WAS GREATLY IMPACTED, BUT THE TEAM WORKED VERY, VERY HARD LAST YEAR TO ENSURE THAT WE, UH, LOOK AT WHAT CHANGES WE NEEDED TO MAKE IN OUR PLAN TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WITH THAT, WE QUICKLY REALIZED THAT THERE WERE SOME LIMITATION BY THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT NORMALLY PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE PERSON WHO'S EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AND WE, WE LOOKED AT, UH, PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SHELTER CAPACITY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, WE WORKED WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE DOING THAT, UH, MEETING AND SO-SO, THIS WAS SOME REQUIREMENTS.
SO THEREFORE IT REQUIRED US TO HAVE SHELTERS, ADDITIONAL SHELTERS PRE-IDENTIFIED, UH, AND, AND AT A MUCH REDUCED CAPACITY.
UM, IF WE WERE NOT IN A COVID ENVIRONMENT, UH, LEADING UP TO THIS A WINTER WEATHER SITUATION, PRIOR TO THAT, WE HAD ALREADY ACTIVATED THE COLD WEATHER SHELTER, UH, PLANS FOR, UH, SEVEN OTHER INSTANCES, WHICH BASICALLY, UH, WHEN WE MEET SPECIFIC CRITERIA, WE OPEN UP A PLACE FOR THOSE THAT I NEED TO REGISTER TO GO TO A SHELTER, AND THOSE ARE TRANSPORTED TO THE SHELTER LOCATION, AND WE KEEP THEM THERE OVERNIGHT.
AND THEN THE NEXT MORNING, UH, THERE, THERE, THERE ARE THIS CHARGE AND THEY'RE ABLE TO, UH, GO BACK HOME OR WHEREVER THEY, UH, THEY, THEY CAN, UM, GET ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY SERVICES, UH, WITHIN THEIR NORMAL ROUTINE.
AS WE GOT CLOSER TO THE START OF, UH, THE EXTREME WEATHER, THIS WOULD BE, UM, ON THAT FRIDAY, WE, WE HAD, UH, WE, UH, WE REALIZED THAT THE COLD TEMPERATURES WERE NOT GOING TO GO ABOVE FREEZING FOR SEVERAL DIFFERENT DAYS.
AND SO WE HAD OUR EMERGENCY MEETING AND THANKS TO, UH, THE SUPPORT FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WE WERE ABLE TO THEN BE ABLE TO CHANGE THE PLAN AND BE ABLE TO OPEN
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UP THOSE SHELTERS, UH, 24 HOURS A DAY UNTIL THE NEED WAS NOT NECESSARY ANYMORE.THIS REQUIRED FOLKS TO GO TO THE CENTRAL LIBRARY AND GET REGISTERED, AND THEN BE TRANSPORTED OVER TO THE SHELTER LOCATIONS.
WE NEED TO VERY QUICKLY HAD TO MOVE AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, ADDITIONAL STAFF.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD DONE IN ADVANCE WAS PRE THE PRE IDENTIFICATION OF ADDITIONAL SHELTER LOCATIONS.
AND WE HAD BEEN WORKING WITH THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER AND WE PRE-IDENTIFY THE PALMER EVENTS CENTER AS A POTENTIAL LOCATION.
AND ON THAT FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, WE MOVED TO START MOVING SOME RESOURCES OUT THERE, LOOKING AT THE SPACE REQUIREMENTS FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING.
AND WE DETERMINED THE CAPACITY, UM, UH, A LITTLE BIT OVER A HUNDRED SPACES THAT THE, AT THE PALMER EVENTS CENTER, AND AS WE, AS THE EVENT ROLLED ON, WE REALIZED VERY QUICKLY THAT, UM, WE NEEDED TO ALSO OPEN UP WHAT WE CALLED WARMING CENTERS.
THE MOST LOGICAL THING TO DO AT THAT POINT IN TIME WAS TO GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP THE PALMER EVENT CENTER AND USE IT AS A WARMING CENTER.
UH, AND THEN THAT VERY QUICKLY WE REALIZED THAT ONE NEEDS TO STAY OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY.
AND REALLY IT WAS, IT KIND OF TRANSITIONED FROM A WARMING CENTER INTO WHAT WE WOULD NORMALLY CALL A SHELTER.
UM, THE WEATHER CONDITIONS MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR, UM, ADDITIONAL STAFF TO GO TO THE SITE TO SUPPORT.
UM, WE ALSO NEEDED TO IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, ADDITIONAL COD SPILLS AND BLANKETS, AND IT, AND BECAUSE OF THE ROAD CONDITIONS, IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO GET ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
AND I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT, UH, VERY THANKFUL FOR THE SUPPORT THAT WE GOT FROM, UH, FLEET SERVICES, PUBLIC WORKS, AND PART PERSONNEL THAT CAME IN AND WORKED EXTRA HOURS, DOING HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE GETTING RESOURCES OUT TO THOSE LOCATIONS AND ALL OF THAT BEING COORDINATED FROM THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, WE MOVED A LOT OF THE, UH, THE PERSONNEL THAT WE WOULD NORMALLY USING TO SUPPORT, UH, ONGOING PANDEMIC RESPONSES AND VACCINATIONS AS THE VACCINATION STOP.
WE STARTED MOVING, UH, THE PERSONNEL THAT WE HAD IN THE FINANCE SECTION.
LET ME SAY, AT THIS POINT, WE DON'T NEED TO START TRACKING COSTS.
I NEED YOU TO GO OVER TO THE DIFFERENT SHELTERS AND SUPPORT THOSE DIFFERENT SHELTER OPERATIONS.
AND I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT, UM, UM, OR WHERE WE FOUND OUT IS WE HAVE A LOT OF GREAT STAFF, UH, BOTH IN ARE IN TEMPORARY LABOR, REASSIGN EMPLOYEES, UH, EMPLOYEES THAT WE BROUGHT IN OUT OF RETIREMENT, UH, AS WELL AS OUR CONTRACTORS AND OTHER AGENCIES THAT THEY KIND OF RALLY TO, TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE DOING THE BEST THAT WE COULD TO PROVIDE A SHELTER AND A WARM PLACE FOR BOTH FOLKS TO STAY THROUGHOUT THE, THROUGHOUT THE EVENT.
UM, ON THAT, UM, INITIAL NIGHT OF, UH, OPERATIONS, WE ALSO CONDUCTED A, AN EFFORT TO GO OUT THERE INTO THE COMMUNITY.
UH, AND WE HAVE FIRE POLICE AND EMS CONDUCTING, UH, CHECKS ON THE, UH, MOST COMMONLY KNOWN PLACES WHERE A PERSON'S EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WOULD ALLOCATE.
AND WE TRY TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO COME TO THE, UH, THE, THE SHELTERS THAT NIGHT.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE SOME FOLKS THAT TOOK UP, UH, TOOK US UP ON THEIR, ON THE OFFER AND WITH THE HELP OF A, OF, OF A SUBTLE AND STAFF FIVE-PART PERSONNEL, WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE SOME OF THOSE, UH, THOSE, UH, PEOPLE INTO THOSE SHELTERS.
UM, AS THE EVENT CONTINUED, WE EXPERIENCED LOSS OF POWER LOSS OF UTILITIES, LOTS OF WATER.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS CHALLENGING.
UH, AND AS WELL AS THE ADDITIONAL DEMAND FOR ADDITIONAL SHELTER SPACES, WE'RE THANKFUL THAT OTHER AGENCIES WERE ABLE TO OPEN UP THEIR DOORS TO, TO FUNCTION IN SHELTERS, BUT EACH SHELTER THAT WAS OPEN FACED THOSE SAME LIMITATIONS.
UH, AND WE HAD TO MOVE PEOPLE AROUND AS BEST AS WE COULD.
WE HAVE TO OPEN AND CLOSE SHELTERS DEPENDING ON THE AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES AND IN OUR AVAILABILITY OF BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT THEM THROUGHOUT THE EVENT.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, IT WAS VERY STRESSFUL, VERY CHALLENGING, BUT I THINK THAT I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES THAT, THAT, UH, REALLY, UH, GOT IN THERE AND, UH, AND DID EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO PROVIDE, UH, SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY IN TOTAL.
SO, UM, WE SHELTER CLOSE TO A THOUSAND INDIVIDUALS DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME, UH, WHICH WAS A, UM, UH, UH, MONUMENTAL TASK.
WE HAD OVER 934 PERSONS AND 10 AND 10 PETS THAT CAME THROUGH THE DOORS AT THE DIFFERENT SHELTERS THAT WERE OPERATED FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, AUSTIN, INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT APRN, AND OTHER FACILITIES OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND WITH THAT, UH, SPENCER, I'LL PAUSE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
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AT THIS POINT, KATHY.SO I'LL JUST ASK A FEW, AND THEN I THINK I SEE COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR HAS SOME I'M THANKING FOR THAT OVERVIEW DIRECTOR ORTIZ.
I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY OF THE DETAILS WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET INTO IN THE COURSE OF THIS CONVERSATION.
SO I'LL JUST FLAG THAT, THAT, UM, I AM REALLY INTERESTED IN SOME OF THE DETAILS, LIKE HOW MANY SHELTERS DID YOU PLAN ON GOING INTO THE STORM? UM, WHAT DEPARTMENTS WERE INVOLVED IN OUTREACH AND ON WHICH DAYS, HOW MANY SHELTERS DID YOU BRING ONLINE IN THE COURSE OF THE STORM? AND THEN HOW MANY OF THOSE REALLY WERE CITY RUN VERSUS VERSUS PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS? UM, BUT THANKS, BRUCE SAID, THANKS FOR SETTING THE CONTEXT BY TALKING ABOUT HOW CHALLENGING IT IS, HOW CHALLENGING IT WAS BECAUSE OF COVID.
I KNOW I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK WITH THE AMERICAN RED CROSS AND, AND WITH SOME OTHERS WHO, WHO WERE NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHOSE WHOSE OPERATIONS HAVE CHANGED BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC AND, AND THEIR VOLUNTEER BASE, HOW MANY SHELTERS DID YOU HAVE GOING INTO? I, I THINK THAT DETAILS FOR ME ARE VERY FUZZY AT THIS POINT, BUT WHAT I THINK I UNDERSTOOD IS THAT YOU HAD PLANNED TO, AND WHEN I REMEMBER YOU HAD A COUPLE PLACES IDENTIFIED AS WARMING CENTERS ON FRIDAY, WE WERE GETTING LOTS OF EMAILS FROM THE COMMUNITY SAYING THESE REALLY SHOULD BE 24 HOURS BASED ON THE PREDICTIONS OF REALLY COLD WEATHER.
AND THEN THEY SHIFTED TO 24 HOURS.
BUT IF YOU COULD GIVE US SOME SENSE OF REALLY HOW MANY YOU HAD ORGANIZED, HAD YOU BEEN IN TOUCH WITH SOME OF OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS AND THE BOW AD, WHICH I'VE FORGOTTEN WHAT IT STANDS FOR, UM, AND THE CENTRAL TEXAS, SOME OF THOSE CENTRAL TEXAS GROUPS THAT, THAT PARTICIPATE IN SHELTERING, AT WHAT POINT WERE YOU IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM? AND THEN HOPEFULLY WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE OUTREACH.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, IN CASE I FORGET TO LATER, OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS REALLY DID FABULOUS WORK ON ALL OF THESE FRONTS.
UM, SO THAT WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING THAT HERE TODAY.
UM, I JUST REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE IT GETS ACKNOWLEDGED AS THE STAFF EFFORT BEFORE, BEFORE WE ANSWER QUESTION, ARE WE ON ATX? YES, WE ARE A MIRROR.
SO I AM GETTING, I AM GETTING, UM, TEXTS FROM PEOPLE SAYING THAT THEY'RE HAVING TROUBLE SEEING IT ON ATX N WE'RE SURE THAT IT CAN BE VIEWED.
SO, UH, THERE WAS JUST A BUFFERING ISSUE.
UH, COUNCILMAN TOBO THAT'S A GOOD, GOOD QUESTION.
SO AGAIN, UH, FROM A CALL WEATHER SHELTER, UH, CAPACITY, UM, W WE HAD PRE-IDENTIFIED, UM, TWO LOCATIONS, UH, AND THEN A THIRD, WHICH WAS A SMALLER FACILITY, UM, THAT WERE THERE TO SUPPORT WHAT, UH, THE COLD, OVERNIGHT COLD WEATHER, UM, UH, STRATEGY, UH, AND BECAUSE OF, UH, KOBE, LIKE I EXPLAINED, THE, THE CAPACITY IN THOSE LOCATIONS WAS REDUCED, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAD, UH, BEEN DOING THROUGHOUT THE WINTER WINTER SEASON FOR THIS YEAR, FOR THIS 20, 20 AND 2021 WENT TO WEATHER SEASON.
AND WE HAD, UH, UP TO THIS POINT HAD ALREADY ACTIVATED THOSE COLD WEATHER SHELTERS ON SEVEN OTHER INSTANCES WHERE WE HAD TEMPERATURES DIP DOWN LOW, AND WE MEET SPECIFIC CRITERIA.
AND THAT'S, UH, THAT'S, THOSE ARE PRE-IDENTIFIED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL LOOK AT, UH, UM, UH, WHAT THE CAPACITY IS, UH, AND WITH THE SOCIAL SERVICES AGENCIES.
AND THIS IS REALLY INTENDED TO BE MORE OF A OVERFLOW, UH, NEED.
SO, UH, THE AGENCIES THAT PREDOMINANTLY PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE VERSUS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, IF THEY, UM, GET TO A POINT WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO EXCEED THEIR CAPACITY, THAT'S WHAT THIS PLAN COMES IN.
WE OPEN UP THESE OVERFLOW SHELTERS, LOCATIONS THAT REGISTER AT, UH, UM, AT A LOCATION THEY'LL BE IDENTIFIED, BUT THESE SEASON WE IDENTIFY THE CENTRAL LIBRARY.
WELL, WE COORDINATE WITH THE, UH, CAPITOL METRO TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION.
AND THEN WE TRANSPORT, UH, UH, THE INDIVIDUALS, ANYBODY THAT REGISTERED AT THAT LOCATION TO THOSE LOCATIONS.
SO THEY ARE A WARM PLACE TO STAY OVERNIGHT.
UH, THAT, THAT IS, UH, THAT'S OUR STRATEGY
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THAT WE FOLLOWED A YEAR.UH, OBVIOUSLY THAT W THAT WAS MODIFIED BECAUSE OF THE, UH, ONGOING PANDEMIC.
UM, AND SO THOSE WERE THE INITIAL SHELTERS THAT WE HAD IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ALSO CONTACTED, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER EARLIER IN THE WEEK.
AND WE HAD, UH, WE LOOKED AT THE AVAILABILITY OF THEIR FACILITIES, THE PALMER EVENTS CENTER, UM, UM, WAS AVAILABLE.
UH, AND, UM, WE WERE, WE CENTERING THAT, UH, AT THAT FACILITY, UH, JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY THE CONVENTION CENTER AT THIS POINT IN TIME WAS BEING UTILIZED AS AN ALTERNATE CARE SITE.
AND SO WE WERE TRYING NOT TO GO INTO THE CONVENTION CENTER LAST WEEK, ULTIMATELY, UH, UNLESS WE KNEW IT WAS FOR US TO DO SO.
UH, AND AT SOME POINT IN TIME DURING THE PEAK CONDITIONS, SO THE WINTER WEATHER, WE DID HAVE TO GO INTO EXHIBIT HALL, NUMBER ONE AND TWO TO SET UP, UH, SP UH, FUNCTIONAL NEEDS SHELTER, UH, BECAUSE OF THE, UH, ONGOING OUTAGES AND, AND, UH, AND UTILITY, UH, DISRUPTIONS AND THE NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY, AND BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE, THE MEDICAL FACILITIES THAT WERE, UM, UH, POTENTIALLY, UH, LOOKING AT HAVING TO, UM, EVACUATE THEIR FACILITIES AT SOME POINT IN TIME.
LUCKILY, WE WERE NOT, DID NOT HAVE TO DO THAT.
UM, BUT WE, WE WERE READY IN THE EVENT THAT, UH, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT WAS NECESSARY.
UH, THE CAPACITY, AT LEAST ONE OF THESE SIDES, UH, WAS AROUND 65, UH, THAT MAY VARY LIKE, UH, PLUS, OR MINUS A FEW AT EACH ONE OF THESE, EACH ONE OF THESE LOCATIONS.
AND AGAIN, THAT WAS TO MEET THE ONGOING, UM, UM, SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS, UM, THAT WAS REQUIRED FOR US AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
NOW, IN ADDITION TO THAT AT THE PALMER EVENT CENTER, UM, AS WE OPEN IT UP AS A, UH, A WOMAN'S CENTER SLASH SHELTER, UH, WE EXPANDED THE CAPACITY UP TO 300, UM, BUT THE NEED WAS EVEN HIGHER THAN THAT.
AND I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT THE STAFF, EVERYBODY THAT WORKED AT THE PALMER EVENTS CENTER, IF I COULD GIVE YOU A, UH, A GOLD MEDAL, I WILL GIVE YOU A GOLD MEDAL BECAUSE THEY, THEY WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND.
UH, THE MAXIMUM CAPACITY THAT WE HAD, UH, AT THE PALMER EVENTS CENTER WAS 459.
AND WE HAD PEOPLE EVERYWHERE WHERE WE POSSIBLY COULD, UH, AND, AND, AND, AND EVEN THE DIRECTOR HAD, I WAS INVOLVED, UH, DIRECTLY PROVIDING SERVICES, UH, TRICIA TROTRO, LIKE I OWE YOU A LOT, UH, FOR THE WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM, UH, AND ALL THE SECURITY PERSONNEL THAT WERE OUT THERE WORKING HARD TO, UH, UH, TO MEET THE NEEDS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, WE ALSO, UM, LOOKED AT OPENING UP OTHER FACILITIES, UM, UM, FROM THE, FROM, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, UH, AND ALSO LOOKED AT, UM, UM, WE GOT WORD THAT AISD WAS GOING TO BE OFFERING A COUPLE OF FACILITIES, AND WE WORKED WITH THEM AND, AND CRT TO, UH, SEE WHAT, HOW THE CITY CAN SUPPORT, UH, THOSE OPERATIONS, AS WELL AS W WORKING WITH AUSTIN DISASTER RELIEF NETWORK, UH, TO DO THE SAME, UH, DEL VALLEY, UH, WORKING WITH TRAVIS COUNTY ALSO OPENED UP, UH, UH, ONE OF THEIR FACILITIES AND, UM, UH, W WE LOOKED AT TRY AND SEE HOW WE CAN SUPPORT THEM.
UH, UM, THROUGHOUT THOSE EVENTS, I CAN GIVE YOU A MORE DETAILED, UH, UH, IN SOME OF THE, UH, DEL VALLEY, UH, HIGH SCHOOL HAD A CAPACITY OF 200, BUT THEIR HIGHEST CENSUS COUNT WAS ONLY REACHED UP TO, UH, 10 INDIVIDUALS.
UH, SO IT, IT, IT, IT VARIES AND DISASTER WORK IS PRETTY HARD TO PRE-IDENTIFY HOW MANY SHELTER SPACES YOU ARE GOING TO NEED.
I GUESS IT DEPENDS ON THE IMPACTS OF THE STORM AND THE IMPACT IMPACTS OF THE COMMUNITY.
UH, THE BEST THAT WE CAN DO IS JUST, UH, PRE-IDENTIFY POTENTIAL LOCATIONS.
AND THEN, UH, AND THEN OPEN THOSE SHELTERS AS THE NEED ARISES, AND WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, UM, PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES IN A SAFE, UH, IN A SAFER ENVIRONMENT, AS BEST AS WE CAN.
SO, UM, MR.
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WE'RE NOT HAVING, UM, ELECTRICITY AND POWER SO THAT THEY COULD STAY WARM WITHIN THEIR OWN HOMES.UM, AS YOU KNOW, UM, THE STORM AND THE LACK OF POWER IN MY DISTRICT STARTED ON THE THURSDAY BEFORE.
UM, AND WE HAD SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT FROM THAT THURSDAY BEFORE, YOU KNOW, THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE, WHEN WE STARTED WITH AIR CAUGHT EMERGENCY.
UM, SOME OF THEM DID GET BACK ONLINE.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN WE MADE REQUESTS FOR SHELTER OPPORTUNITIES UP NORTH, WE MET WITH STONE COLD, YOU KNOW, SILENCE IN RESPONSE, AND, UM, MIKE, TO UNDERSTAND BETTER HOW THAT PROCESSING WENT.
PEOPLE COULDN'T GET TO THE BOMBER CENTER IF THEY WERE UP NORTH.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THIS, THIS, THE, THE EMERGENCY FOR, FOR THE OTHER POPULATION THAT WE AREN'T NORMALLY SERVING THROUGH THIS DIDN'T JUST HAPPEN MONDAY, EARLY MORNING.
IT HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE IN SOME PARTS OF THE CITY.
SO CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT THOUGHT PROCESS AND, AND, AND, UM, WHAT STEPS WERE TAKEN TO TRY AND MEET THAT NEED? UH, YES.
AND, UM, UM, LIKE I WAS SAYING, WE WERE MONITORING THE CONDITIONS OF ALL THAT WEEK.
WE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS, UH, THE, THE, THE, THAT WEEK BEFORE, UH, THAT SUNDAY WITH, WITH WEATHER, UH, IMPACTED, COORDINATING WITH THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES WE MONITORED, THE STORM IMPACTS ON THAT THURSDAY NIGHT AND ON FRIDAY, UH, THE NUMBER OF POWER OUTAGES, UM, UM, UM, UM, WHETHER IT WAS HIGHER THAN NORMAL, IT LOOKED LIKE THEY COMING BACK DOWN.
UH, WE DO, UH, WE DO OFFER THE COLD WEATHER SHELTER OF BORE, ANYBODY THAT NEEDED A PLACE TO GO.
AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME, IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE ONGOING SHELTER THAT WE WERE PROVIDING TO THE COLD-WEATHER SHELTERS WOULD BE SUFFICE ROAD CONDITIONS AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
UM, WE'RE NOT HAMPERED OUR GROWTH IN THIS HAS BEEN NOT BECOME A PROBLEM TILL, UH, SUNDAY, UH, AROUND NOON THOUGHT THAT'S WHERE, UH, THE SITUATION CHANGES.
SO PRIOR TO THAT SUNDAY, OUR APPROACH WAS TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT WERE THE ABROAD, THE SHELTER SPACE, UH, THROUGH WHAT WAS ALREADY PLANNED TO, UH, TO BE PROVIDED, UH, OBVIOUSLY, UM, UM, ADOPT, UH, ON THAT SUNDAY.
UH, WE DID NOT HAVE VISIBILITY ON, ON THE, THE NEED FOR ART GOD, UH, TO HAVE AN EMERGENCY LIKE THEY DID, AND THE RESULT IN IMPACTS, UH, ON THE SECOND WAY.
SO, UH, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, ONCE WE REALIZED THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, UH, WE, WE MADE THOSE NECESSARY CHANGES TO OUR STRATEGY AND TRY TO OPEN IT, OPEN UP ADDITIONAL FACILITIES.
BUT AT THAT POINT IN TIME, IT WAS RATHER DIFFICULT TO, UH, AND WE UNDERSTAND THE, UH, THE PROBLEMS THAT SOME OF OUR, UM, UM, UH, RESIDENTS AND THOSE, UH, UM, UH, FAR AWAY LOCATIONS IN THE FAR NORTH AND FAR SOUTH MAY HAVE TO TRAVEL TO, UH, TO THE PROMO EVENT CENTER.
UH, WE WOULD ALSO HAVE DIFFICULTY EVEN IF, UH, EVEN THOUGH WE MIGHT'VE WANTED TO OPEN UP A, A ADDITIONAL SHELTER LOCATIONS WHEN WE DID NOT HAVE, UH, THE ADDITIONAL STAFF THAT DID NOT HAVE THE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, UH, TO GET THERE IN A TIMELY MANNER.
UH, IT, IT REALLY, UH, WE WERE HAMPERED THAT POINT IN TIME, BUT THE IMPACT OF THE STORM.
MAYOR, IF I COULD SAY, IF I CAN HAVE ONE MORE THING ON THERE REAL QUICK, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT THAT'S A LESSON THAT WE'RE LEARNING, AND I THINK WHAT WE'RE WE, UM, THAT'S WHAT THE RESILIENCY HUB INITIATIVE THAT WE WERE WORKING ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS IS IT'S GOING TO BECOME VERY CRITICAL BECAUSE IT WILL ALLOW US TO BE IDENTIFYING PRE-STAGE OR PRE SUPPORT, UH, UH, POTENTIAL SHELTER LOCATIONS THAT ARE CLOSER TO, UH, TO THE, TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, THAT WAY THEY MAY NOT HAVE TO TRAVEL A LONG DISTANCE.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WORK, WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
SO, ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT I THINK, UM, ACTUALLY AS MY FOURTH IS WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD? I WAS JUST GONNA MAKE A VERY BRIEF COMMENT THAT, UH, ALONG THE LINES I ACTUALLY DIRECT DOROTHY'S YOU KIND OF SAID WHAT I WAS GOING TO SHARE IN THAT THE LOCATIONS BEING ALL THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY ARE SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THE DEL VALLEY, UH, SHELTER THAT WE STOOD UP, MAY PERHAPS ONLY HAVE 10 PEOPLE STAY THE NIGHT.
I KNOW THERE WERE, THE NUMBER SEEMS HIGHER FOR THOSE WHO VISITED IT AS A WARMING CENTER TO CHARGE UP THEIR PHONES AND TO GET WARM.
UM, BUT IN, AT ONE TIME DURING THE STORM, WE CONSIDER THE DEL VALLEY SHELTER AS OVERFLOW, UM, WHEN THE PALMER EVENTS AND OUR REACHED CAPACITY.
[00:30:01]
SO IT DEFINITELY, IT JUST IT'S.SO IT'S SO HELPFUL FOR US TO STAND UP THOSE SHELTERS ALL THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AND TO TRULY MEET THE COMMUNITY WHERE WE ARE.
UH, SO JUST WANTED IT TO VOCALIZE THAT POINT.
AND WE RAN INTO SEVERAL OBSTACLES, ONE, THE W THE WORK CONDITIONS, UH, MADE IT LESS, UH, UH, VIABLE FOR CAPITAL METRO TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT TYPE OF TRANSPORTATION.
UH, AND, AND, UH, UH, AND SO AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO, UH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, IT WAS KIND OF HARD TO PREDICT WHAT THIS, UH, WHAT THIS IMPACTS WERE GOING TO BE.
BUT I THINK NOW THAT WE KNOW WHAT THESE IMPACTS ARE, THE, THE MORE WE'RE ABLE TO SUPPORT, UM, UH, SHELTER OPERATIONS, UH, CLOSER TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS, THEN, UH, THEN, THEN THE BETTER THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE GOING TO BE WITHOUT THEM HAVING TO TRAVEL LONG DISTANCES.
UH, YOU KNOW, UH, YES, I AGREE.
SO, ONE THING THAT I'LL BE INTERESTED IN, IN, IN THE, AFTER AN AFTER ACTION REPORT THAT, UH, THAT YOU ALL DO STAFF DOES IS REALLY LOOK AT THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN THE SHELTERS THAT WE DID AND THE SHELTERING THAT, UH, SURFACED FROM THE COMMUNITY.
UH, AGAIN, UH, AS WE SAW, WE DID THIS CONVERSATION, THE FIRST PART OF THIS CONVERSATION, UH, THERE WERE LOTS OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WERE VOLUNTEERING AND STEPPING FORWARD.
UM, AND, AND EVERY TIME THAT HAPPENS, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN IT'S A FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM, JUST BECAUSE THE CHALLENGE WAS SO GREAT THAT IN THESE INSTANCES, YOU WOULD EXPECT THE COMMUNITY TO PITCH IN AND, UH, AND TO HELP, BUT IT COULD POINT OUT A WEAKNESS IN OUR SYSTEM.
UH, AND EVEN IF IT'S NOT, IT APPEARS AS IF THERE NEEDS TO BE, UM, UH, BETTER COORDINATION, BETTER ANTICIPATION THAT IT'S SO MANY IN THE COMMUNITY ARE GOING TO BE STEPPING FORWARD TO, TO, TO HELP.
UH, SHELTERING IS A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT BECAUSE WE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WERE OUT DOING SHELTERING AND, AND REPORTEDLY WERE ABLE TO, TO REACH TO, TO REALLY HIGH NUMBERS.
UM, SO, UH, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO LOOK AT THAT EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT NON CITY EFFORT WAS ACHIEVING TO SEE IF WE CAN ASCERTAIN WHAT THE NUMBERS WERE, IF WE CAN, WHO THOSE PEOPLE WERE, OR THOSE PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
WAS IT, UH, OTHER, UM, UH, PEOPLE? UM, BUT PART OF THE QUESTION I THINK IS, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR SYSTEM WAS SET UP SO THAT WE WERE TRYING TO PROVIDE SHELTERING COMMENSURATE WITH THE NEED WE THOUGHT WOULD COME FROM THE COMMUNITY, BUT YET THE COMMUNITY WAS SOURCING A LOT ITSELF.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH SHELTERING IF THE STANDARD FOR NEED WAS DIFFERENT.
OR I WAS HEARING A LOT OF REPORTS FROM PEOPLE THAT WERE CONTACTING ME SAYING, WE'VE IDENTIFIED A GROUP OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, IT'S GETTING COLD.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO, OR THEY HAVEN'T LEFT.
THEY HAVEN'T GONE TO THE SHELTERING.
UM, UH, AND WE'RE SENDING OUT A VOLUNTEER CREW TO MEET THEM AND TALK TO THEM AND IN ESSENCE BRING THEM IN.
BUT I ALSO KNOW, UM, UH, I ALSO KNOW ONE FROM, FROM THE CONVERSATIONS WE WERE HAVING, THAT YOU ARE PERSONALLY OUT IN CARS, UH, GOING TO THOSE SAME PLACES, TRYING TO BRING IN, UH, PEOPLE THAT WERE, UH, INTENSE OR OTHERWISE IN COMMUNITY.
THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE ON OUR STAFF THAT WERE DOING THAT, BUT IN, IN ALL THE ACTIVITY, I COULDN'T REALLY TELL WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
SO JUST, JUST ADDING, REALLY TALKING TO THOSE OTHER GROUPS, SOME OF WHICH, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO LISTED IN OUR LIST THAT WERE ACTIVELY ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THIS AREA AND REALLY DOWNLOADING WITH THEM WHAT IT WAS THAT THEY DID.
I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL AND PRESENTING THAT BOTH THE, TO ASCERTAIN, WHAT IS THAT IMPACT OF WHAT WE DO DOES THAT IMPACT HOW WE HELP COORDINATE THOSE EFFORTS? I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION OR DATA THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL FOR US TO GET THERE WAS NOT READILY AVAILABLE CONCERNING SOME OF THE, THE COMMUNITY SOURCED, UH, SHELTERING, UM, BUT FOR WHATEVER IT IS, WE COULD GET JUST GETTING A BETTER PICTURE OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF THE CITY AND WHAT LESSONS WE LEARNED FROM THAT, UH, BOTH APPRECIATIVE OF THE, OF THAT ACTION, WHICH WE ARE
[00:35:01]
A VOLUNTEER STEPPING IN, BUT HOW DO WE BEST ASSIST THAT OR REDIRECT THAT, OR FACILITATE WHATEVER IT IS MAYOR, YOU KNOW, I WOULD JUST ADD THAT, UM, UM, WE, WE WELCOME ANYBODY THAT COULD OPEN THEIR DOORS AND OPEN UP A SHELTER AND WE WOULD REACH OUT TO THEM AND SEE WHAT THEY NEEDED.DO THEY HAVE COTS PILLOWS, BLANKETS? DO THEY NEED WATER TO THE, NEED US TO TRY AND GET THEM FOOD? DO WE NEED THAT? DO THEY NEED US TO TRY AND GET THEM, UH, UM, UH, SECURITY, RIGHT? AND, AND IF, UH, AND AS THEY OPEN UP THE DOORS, IF THEY HAD IT ALL COVERED, GREAT, WE JUST KIND OF KEPT IN CONTACT WITH THEM.
WE TRY TO INCLUDE THEM AS BEST AS WE COULD IN OUR, UM, UH, IN A PRESS RELEASE STATEMENTS, UH, AND, AND, AND THE OVERALL, UH, EFFORT IF THEY, IF THEY HAD A SECURITY COVERED, BUT FOR SOME REASON THEY NEEDED SUPPORT ON PARTICULAR DAY, WE, WE, WE HAD A JOINT TASK FORCE, PAR EXCUSE ME, UH, POLICE AND, AND, AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO, UH, WORKING TO MEET THOSE, UH, THOSE NEEDS, WHETHER IT WAS FROM AISD OR THE CONSTABLE OFFICE, OR WHATEVER WAY THAT WE POSSIBLY COULD.
UM, AND, AND IN THIS SITUATION, IT WAS NOT IN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY NEEDED TO PROVIDE EVERY SHELTER SPACE WE NEEDED TO COORDINATE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, AS, AS SHELTERS BECAME AVAILABLE, AS AGENCIES WERE WILLING TO OPEN UP THEIR, THEIR DOORS AND FUNCTION TO THE SHELTERS, HOW DO WE AS A COMMUNITY MOVE TOGETHER IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER? THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO, UH, UH, TO DO AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
A LOT OF THAT WAS HAPPENING, NOT WITH AGENCIES, IT WAS HAPPENING WITH INDIVIDUALS OR AD HOC GROUPS THAT WERE COVERING TOGETHER.
AND I'M NOT SURE THERE WAS THE SAME COORDINATION BETWEEN THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE AD HOC.
AND, UM, AND IN THAT, CAUSE DIDN'T EXIST IN THAT WAY.
SOME OF THEM UNTIL WE WERE IN THAT, IN THAT MOMENT.
AND I ALSO RECOGNIZE WITH RESPECT TO SHELTERING, OBVIOUSLY IT WAS ALL DEVELOPING AS IT WAS, IT WAS HAPPENING.
I KNOW THAT, UH, I WAS SURPRISED TO GO DOWN TO PALMER, UH, REAL INITIALLY WHEN THE PALMER OPEN, NOT TO SEE ANY RED CROSS VOLUNTEERS ASSISTING AT THAT FIRST MOMENT AS THAT WAS OPENING ONLY TO LEARN THAT RED CROSS WASN'T ASSISTING BECAUSE THE INTERPRETATION OF RED CROSS WAS INITIALLY THAT THIS WAS HOMELESSNESS RELIEF AS OPPOSED TO DISASTER RELIEF.
UH, AND, AND, AND THAT ISSUE WAS, WAS SOON RECTIFIED.
AND THEN RED CROSS PROVED TO BE AN INCREDIBLY VALUABLE AND ADDITIONAL PARTNER.
UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, I CHALK THAT UP TO THE MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS THAT HAD TO BE WORKED OUT IN REAL TIME, UH, AS WE WERE, UH, IN THAT SITUATION, UH, CASPER ELLIS, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
AND THAT IS A REALLY GREAT POINT.
YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE ARE IN NEED, THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY CARE IF IT'S A CITY FACILITY, A CHURCH, A SCHOOL, UM, THEY JUST KNOW THEY NEED SOMETHING ACCESSIBLE.
I KNOW THERE WERE PORTIONS OF MY DISTRICT, ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF THE GREENBELT, YOU KNOW, THAT MOPAC BRIDGE OVER THE GREENBELT IS VERY LONG AND IT WAS VERY ICY AND THERE WERE ABANDONED CARS ON IT.
AND SO I HOPE AS WE TALK ABOUT THE RESILIENCE HUBS, MOVING FORWARD, WE LOOK AT THOSE KINDS OF THINGS AND KNOW THAT THERE MAY BE PORTIONS OF CERTAIN DISTRICTS THAT ARE KIND OF CUT OFF FROM OTHERS.
DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE EAST-WEST CONNECTIVITY, YOU KNOW, IN CASE THERE WAS SOMETHING IN DISTRICT FIVE, THEY COULD GET TO THERE, THERE WEREN'T, YOU KNOW, A WHOLE LOT OF STREET OPTIONS SINCE THEY WERE.
UM, BUT ALSO ON THE FUNDING ASPECT, I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS APPROPRIATE OUT OF GENERAL FUND? WHAT COULD BE, UM, ARP MONEY OR OTHER PANDEMIC DOLLARS, OR JUST FEMA DISASTER RELIEF.
UM, I'M REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT HOW WE APPROACH THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE IN A YEAR LIKE THIS, WE'VE HAD SO MANY ON TOP OF EACH OTHER, IT'S HARD TO FIGURE OUT WHAT RESPONSE WAS BECAUSE OF THE STORM OR BECAUSE OF THE STORM OVERLAPPED WITH A PANDEMIC AND TRYING TO NAVIGATE THOSE SITUATIONS.
I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW A LITTLE MORE JUST ABOUT FUNDING OPTIONS AND HOW WE CAN HELP OUR CITY BE MORE RESILIENT IN THE FUTURE, GIVEN THAT THERE COULD BE DIFFERENT POTS OF MONEY TO PULL FROM TO MAKE IT WORK.
DO YOU HAVE A CLEAR IDEA OF THAT YET? OR SHOULD THAT JUST BE INFORMATION THAT WE HOPE TO SEE IN THE FUTURE? WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RESILIENCE HUBS, I, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING, UM, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A SHORT ANSWER AND THEN, UH, BUT I THINK THE LONGER ANSWER IS REALLY THAT'S, THAT'S ADDITIONAL WORK THAT IS STILL ONGOING.
UH, AND, AND IT, IT GETS OUT, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLICATED FROM THE FEMA SIDE, UH, UM, UH, FEMALE PROVIDERS OR A PROGRAM REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM.
UH, IF WE MEET A SPECIFIC THRESHOLDS, UH, AND FOR THIS DISASTER DATE, WE, WE MET THAT AND THAT WAS EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE ACTIONS, UH, WHICH CAN WE, WE CAN FUND THOSE ACTIONS TO, UH, TO ACTIVELY RESPOND AND TAKE CARE OF OUR COMMUNITY, BUT, BUT THAT'S REALLY MORE ENGAGED, UH, NOT IN A, IN A PROACTIVE
[00:40:01]
MANNER, BUT MORE, UH, AT, AT, UH, REAL TIME.THIS IS WHAT, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO, TO SAVE LIVES, UH, UM, KIND OF SITUATION.
UH, THERE ARE SOME, UH, UH, HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT OPPORTUNITIES THAT, UH, THAT WE WE'D LIKE TO EXPLORE.
UH, THERE WILL BE SOME, UH, HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT FUNDING AVAILABLE THROUGH THE, UH, APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THOSE THROUGH THE, UH, AS A RESULT OF THE, OF THE, OF THIS DISASTER.
UH, IT'S A, UH, IT DOES REQUIRE A LOCAL MATCH AND WHY NOW I THINK IT'S A 75, 25%.
UH, AND, AND, UH, AND ONE OF THE PREREQUISITES THAT WE GOT TO HAVE IS A MITIGATION ACTION PLAN, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DO HAVE.
IN FACT, WE JUST UPDATED THAT MITIGATION, AND SHE'LL BE COMING TO YOU, UH, UH, HERE IN, IN THE MONTH OF JUNE, JULY FOR, UH, ACCEPTANCE, UM, UH, ADDITION, ADDITIONALLY, THERE, THERE'S PROBABLY, UH, PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE CAN, THEN WE CAN EXPLORE, UH, ESPECIALLY, UH, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, AS WE'RE, AS AN AGENCY IS BUILDING A NEW FACILITY, OR EVEN AS THE CITY AND THE COUNTY BUILT FACILITIES TO INCORPORATE SOME OF, SOME OF THAT IN MITIGATION STRATEGIES TO ALLOW US TO UTILIZE THOSE FACILITIES, UH, AS SHELTERS, WITHOUT, UH, UM, UH, EXTREME CONCERNS ABOUT LOSS OF POWER OR LOSS OF WATER.
WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS CAN WE, UH, EITHER, UM, UH, LOOK AT, AT, AT, UH, FUNDING, UH, UM, BACKUP POWER OR, UH, REDUNDANT WATER OR TEMPORARY WATER SOLUTIONS, AS WELL AS, UH, EVEN SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS, UH, HAVING HOOKUPS TO A BUILDING SO THAT EVEN IF WE DON'T HAVE A GENERATOR, WE CAN BRING IN A GENERATOR AND HOOK IT UP TO THE FACILITY, SO THAT THERE'S ONGOING POWER.
AND THAT, THAT WAS ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAD.
UM, WE, WE LOST ONE OF THE, UM, ONE OF THE, UH, RECREATION CENTERS.
UH, WE HAD A GENERATOR ON, UH, THAT WE, THAT WE COULD MOVE OUT THERE, BUT IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN US TWO OR THREE DAYS TO HOOK IT UP, UM, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO CONNECTIONS TO THE BUILDING.
SO I THINK MOST OF THE CONSTANT THINGS THAT WE KIND OF LOOKING AT NOW, UM, WHAT, WHAT WOULD IT COST TO RETROFIT SOME OF THESE INFRASTRUCTURE? UH, AND, AND, AND, AND THIS IS PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE COMING TO YOU, UH, AS PART OF THE RESILIENCY HUB, UH, PROCESS.
UH, SO ALL I ONE, UH, UH, TALK MORE ABOUT IT BECAUSE I'M, I'M AFRAID THAT I MAY GET SOMETHING WRONG OR STEAL THE THUNDER.
THIS IS, I THINK THIS IS, UH, THERE ARE SO MANY LAYERS OF THIS CONVERSATION, AND I JUST WANNA, I JUST WANT TO CIRCLE BACK TO THE SHELTERING AND THE WARMING CENTERS AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CITY, THE CITY RUN FACILITIES THAN THE ONES WE HAD COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.
AND I THINK THIS BECAME, I'LL JUST SPEAK FOR MYSELF AT, AT VARIOUS POINTS.
IT WAS UNCLEAR SORT OF HOW, HOW TO COMMUNICATE ABOUT THOSE.
UM, AND SO I, I WOULD JUST HIGHLIGHT THIS AS AN AREA WHERE WE NEED IMPROVED COMMUNICATION IN THE FUTURE.
FOR EXAMPLE, UM, ST MARTINS STOOD UP A SHELTER AND COMMISSIONER HOWARD WAS, WAS REALLY RUNNING THAT WITH SOME OF THE FACILITY FROM ST.
I DON'T BELIEVE IT EVER APPEARED ON ANY OF OUR LISTS, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN OKAY, BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH CAPACITY THEY HAD, BUT THEY DID NEED BLANKETS AND THEY DID NEED POTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF, UM, MY STAFF HELPED SECURE THOSE FROM THE FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION AND AT ONE POINT IN AND HOWARD NEEDED VOLUNTEERS.
AND SO SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS, AND AGAIN, MY STAFF HELPS OUT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, I MEAN, SOME OF THESE, I THINK WE NEED TO SHARE THESE STORIES SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND HOW TO BETTER STREAMLINE IT IN THE FUTURE.
I, I WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN WHO TO ASK AT THE EOC FOR COTS BLANKETS.
UM, YOU KNOW, ASHLEY RICHARDSON HAPPENED TO KNOW THAT THE ASSOCIATION HAD SOME AND, AND BOB, NICK'S GOT A FIREFIGHTER TO WHO WAS OFF DUTY THAT DAY TO BRING THEM OVER.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE SAME HAPPENED WITH THE WARMING CENTERS.
I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS, BUT I MEAN, THOSE, SOME OF THOSE HAPPENED BECAUSE SEVERAL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND I, UM, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFIED THAT AS A NEED IN, IN SOME OF OUR OWN DISTRICTS THAT WERE OUT.
AND WE KNEW THAT THERE WERE SHELTERS AND WARMING CENTERS THAT THE CITY HAD STOOD UP IN OTHER AREAS.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND WE WORK TO FIND THEM, I MEAN, AT ONE POINT, AND IT WAS LIKE ALL HANDS ON DECK.
UM, WHEN I, WHEN I SAY THAT, UH, IT WASN'T JUST MY STAFF WHO WAS HELPING, I MEAN, AT ONE POINT, MY 13 YEAR OLD WAS PULLING MAPS FROM THE INTERNET OVERLAYING AREAS OF OUTAGE WITH AREAS WHERE SCHOOL FACILITIES WERE, SO THAT WE COULD TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THERE WAS A NEED.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S CLEAR, WE PROBABLY WILL NEVER FIND OURSELVES IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT AGAIN.
BUT ONE REASON THAT I THINK IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL THAT WE SHARE AND IDENTIFY THOSE SITUATIONS.
AND SO THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
I MEAN, I, I, I, I'M STILL, WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT, FEEL TERRIBLE ABOUT SOME OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS IN MY AREA WHERE I WAS GETTING CALLS ALL WEEK LONG FROM PEOPLE WHO WERE WATCHING
[00:45:01]
THE TEMPERATURES DROP IN THEIR HOUSE AND AFRAID FOR THEIR FAMILIES.AND WE COULD NOT, YOU KNOW, MY STAFF AND I COULD NOT FIND A FACILITY THAT COULD BE OPENED AS A WARMING CENTER.
AND SO I JUST DON'T, I DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANT TO EVER BE IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT AGAIN, WHERE, WHERE WE, UM, DON'T EVEN HAVE A LIST OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT SOME OF THE POSSIBILITIES ARE.
SO, YOU KNOW, HAVING SAID THAT, I, I, I ABSOLUTELY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS WAS A TREMENDOUSLY UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCE IN SO MANY LEVELS.
AND THE FACT THAT VOLUNTEERS WERE SCARCE THAN OTHERS, YOU KNOW, IS IT JUST ADDED, HAD TO HAVE ADDED, TO, DID ADD TO THE COMPLICATION.
UM, BUT AGAIN, AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE RESILIENCE PLANNING, I HOPE WE CAN FIGURE OUT LIKE HOW SOME OF THOSE WERE SUCCESSFUL.
YOU KNOW, NOT JUST IN THE CENTERS I'M FAMILIAR WITH, BUT SOME OF THE OTHERS WERE WHERE IT WAS LARGELY A VOLUNTEER EFFORT.
YOU KNOW, WE IDENTIFIED A COUPLE OF NEIGHBORS WHO IDENTIFIED SOME OTHER VOLUNTEERS, AISD CAME AND OPENED IT UP AND PROVIDED SOME SECURITY.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT WARMING CENTER WAS A GO.
SO SOME OF THOSE MIGHT BE GREAT MODELS FOR THOSE RESILIENCE HUBS, WHERE THE CITY CAN'T PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT, BUT SETTING UP THAT NETWORK WHERE THOSE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND THOSE AD HOC ONES CAN COMMUNICATE BACK TO THE AOC, I THINK IS REALLY CRITICAL.
SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW THAT HAPPENS.
I WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE HOTEL MOTEL, UM, PEACE BAY, ARE YOU, YOU ADDED, THERE WERE TWO REALLY GOOD POINTS, UM, THAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT OF WHAT YOU SAID.
ONE IS THE FACT THAT, THAT IN SOME CASES IT WAS A COMMUNICATION ISSUE WHERE OUR CITY STAFF WERE GOING OUT AND ALSO COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS WERE GOING OUT.
AND SO THAT'S, HOPEFULLY WE CAN KIND OF SORT THROUGH SOME OF THOSE, SOME OF THOSE, AND REALLY GET A PICTURE OF, OF, UM, OF HOW THAT ALL WORKED OUT TO CREATE, TO CREATE A SITUATION WHERE I, I BELIEVE A LOT OF FOLKS WERE, UM, WERE INFORMED IN ENOUGH TIME TO TAKE SHELTER OR GET SHELTER THROUGH, THROUGH OTHER UNIONS, WHICH IS FABULOUS MANAGER.
I KNOW, UM, MAYOR PRO TEM, HARPER, MADISON, AND MAYOR ADLER.
AND I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH YOU ON THAT SUNDAY ABOUT SOME OF THE COMMUNITY WORK.
AND ONE OF THE REQUESTS FROM THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, SOME OF THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WERE FOR THE CITY TO SECURE SOME HOTEL MOTEL ROOMS AND HOUSED INDIVIDUALS THAT WAY.
AND I GUESS I, I WANTED TO ASK YOU TO JUST REFLECT ON, ON THAT AND WHY THE BETTER STRATEGY WAS THE ONE YOU PURSUED AND, UM, ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE, YOU KNOW, DO YOU SEE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY IN THE FUTURE TO MAYBE WORK WITH A HOTEL MOTELS AT THE OUTSET? AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T PROVIDE SERVICES IF PEOPLE ARE DISTRIBUTED INTO ROOMS. SO THERE'S NOT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW WELL THAT WORKED FOR THE PEOPLE THEY WERE SERVING, BUT I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU TO REFLECT A BIT ON THAT AND, AND WHAT SOME OF YOUR REASONINGS WERE FOR PURSUING THE PATH THAT YOU DID.
AND AS YOU MENTIONED, UH, WE DID, UH, EXPLORE MANY DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH BOTH, UH, YOU AS COUNCIL AND THEN, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT DIFFERENT SHELTERING, UH, UH, ALTERNATIVES THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE PUTTING FORWARD.
UH, SO AS ONE HAS ALREADY MENTIONED, UH, YOU KNOW, WE PURSUED A SPECIFIC PATH, UH, BUT WE WANTED TO HEAR OTHER SUGGESTIONS THAT WERE COMING FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS, THIS WAS A HISTORIC EVENT AND, AND WE ARE ALWAYS OPEN TO SEEING WHAT THINGS WORKED WELL AND DIDN'T WORK WELL.
AND SO, UH, HOPEFULLY AS YOU POINTED OUT, UH, WE'LL BE HEARING FROM SOME OF THESE, UH, GROUPS THAT, THAT WERE, UH, PURSUING OTHER ALTERNATIVES, UH, SO WE CAN LEARN HOW SUCCESSFUL THOSE WERE AND, AND HOW WE MIGHT, UH, INCORPORATE THAT TYPE OF FEEDBACK INTO FUTURE PLANNING EFFORTS.
I KNOW THAT, UH, WE HAD OUR, OUR DEPUTY CITY MANAGER AT THE TIME NARIO RIVERA, VANDER, MINE, AND OUR HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER, UH, INVOLVED IN SOME OF THE MORE SPECIFICS AROUND THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
I DON'T THINK EITHER, WELL, NERDY IS NOT HERE, BUT I DON'T THINK DIANA'S ON THE CALL THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, SO WE'LL, UH, I DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFICS OF WHAT FEEDBACK WE WERE GIVEN.
UM, BUT I DO KNOW THAT, UH, WE CHOSE TO REALLY FOCUS ON THE SHELTERS THAT WE WERE STANDING UP WITHIN OUR CITY FACILITIES.
UH, AND THAT WAS REALLY THE PRUDENT PATH AT THE TIME.
UM, WE'LL SEE IF, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, HAYDEN HOWARD HAS ANYTHING TO ADD, BUT OTHERWISE, UH, THIS WILL CERTAINLY BE INCORPORATED INTO OUR AFTER ACTION REPORTING, BASICALLY.
UM, WE, WE DID MEET WITH THE COMMUNITY, UM, AS THEY, UM, AND IT WAS AFTER THEY STARTED HOUSING INDIVIDUALS, UM, AND, UM, HAVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE WOULD BE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH THEM.
UM, THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SHARED, UM, REALLY WHEN WE LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, HAVING FOLKS IN MULTIPLE VENUES, UM, THERE WERE, THERE WERE SEVERAL LIMITS LIMITATIONS, UM, AS DR.
ORTIZ HAS SHARED, UM, UH, MR. ORTIZ HAS SHARED WITH YOU.
[00:50:01]
LIMITED WITH STAFF, UM, BUT WE WERE ALSO, UM, WANTING TO MAKE SURE TO MAXIMIZE THE LOCATIONS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, MAKE SURE WE HAD ENOUGH FOOD, MAKE SURE WE HAD ENOUGH EMERGENCY SERVICES, UM, UM, WHERE WE HAD, UM, EMS STAFF THAT WERE THERE FROM THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM, BUT THEN ALSO MAKING SURE OUR PARTNERS, UM, BACK BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE.AND SO IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY, UM, I WAS A PART OF A FEW OF THOSE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, THAT WAS REALLY, REALLY CLEAR IS THAT YOU DEFINITELY, IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE ALL OF THOSE MULTIPLE LOCATIONS, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A PROCESS WHERE YOU CAN HAVE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE HAVING.
THAT I JUST MENTIONED THAT ALL OF THOSE LOCATIONS, UM, AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE OPEN TO, TO PLANNING AND KIND OF LOOKING AT THIS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT.
UM, AND, AND REALLY STARTING TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW COULD WE EVEN HAVE, YOU KNOW, A FEW OF THOSE SERVICES, UH, AND SOME OF THOSE LOCATIONS, THE OTHER THING I WOULD SHARE, UM, THAT WAS SHARED A LITTLE BIT WITH, WITH, UM, WITH JUAN, WHEN HE WAS SPEAKING, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR OUTREACH PURPOSES, WE HAD, YOU KNOW, WE INFORMATION, I DON'T SEE TOSH, UM, THE HOMELESS FOLKS THAT WE HAVE CONTACT WITH THAT HAVE CELL PHONES.
UM, THE PUBLIC SAFETY TASKFORCE, UM, WENT OUT TO SEVERAL LOCATIONS ON VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY DOING EAT, UM, ENCAMPMENTS.
THEY ALL WENT OUT, UM, AND WE'RE ALL, YOU KNOW, STARTING TO KIND OF BRING PEOPLE BACK IN, UM, AND BEING ABLE TO PUT THEM AT THE VARIOUS LOCATIONS THAT WE HAVE OPEN.
AND SO, UM, DEFINITELY KNOWING THAT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US DURING THIS AFTER ACTION, TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF LOOK AT HOW WOULD WE BE ABLE TO EITHER, EITHER TRAIN MORE COMMUNITY FOLKS, UM, THAT WILL BE ABLE TO ASSIST US.
UM, BUT THEN ALSO LOOKING AT, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW WE CAN BE IN MULTIPLE PLACES, EVEN IF IT'S NOT AS, AS COMPREHENSIVE AS A LARGER FACILITY THAT YOU HAVE, BECAUSE YOU DEFINITELY WANT TO HAVE ALL THE FULL ARRAY OF SERVICES WHEN YOU HAVE A LARGER CAPTIVE AUDIENCE.
THANKS FOR, THANKS FOR THAT REALLY HELPFUL RESPONSE COMICS.
AND HE FURTHER ON, UH, SHELTERED WAS MY REALTOR, UM, THIS RELATES TO SHELTER, BUT IT'S, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHERE IT FITS INTO THE SCHEME OF THESE DISCUSSIONS.
UM, IT ALSO RELATES TO SOME AMENDMENTS.
I THINK THAT, UM, COUNCILMEMBER KITCHEN INCLUDED AT VARIOUS POINTS.
UM, WE HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH NURSING HOMES THAT REALLY EXPOSED SOME GAPS IN OUR PLANNING.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD W WHEN THE NURSING HOMES NEEDED HELP AND WHETHER THEY WERE GETTING HELP, WHETHER THEY WERE OUT OF, OUT OF POWER, WHETHER THEY WERE OUT OF WATER, UM, THERE WAS NO ONE CENTRALLY IN THE CITY WHO SEEMED TO HAVE APPROPRIATE CONTACT INFORMATION.
UM, AND THEN THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, ALL SORTS OF NOT ALWAYS VERIFIED SOURCES OF INFORMATION THAT LED SOMETIMES TOO WILD GOOSE CHASES.
UM, BUT YET THERE WERE NURSING HOMES THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, LACKING RUNNING WATER OR LACKING ENERGY.
UM, AND WHILE THAT'S NOT EXACTLY THE SHELTER, THIS IS WHERE, UM, ALL OF THOSE ELDERLY PEOPLE ARE FINDING THEIR SHELTER.
AND IF THEY'RE ABSENT THESE RESOURCES, IT CREATED A LOT OF, UM, CHALLENGES FOR FOLKS WHO WERE ALREADY FEELING PARTICULARLY CONCERNED FROM THAT PANDEMIC.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND BETTER WHAT WE HAD IN PLACE FOR REACHING OUT TO THESE, UM, NURSING HOMES OR LONG-TERM CARE CENTERS.
THAT'S THE MORE APPROPRIATE TERM AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE TO ADDRESS THAT GAP IN OUR PLANNING.
YEAH, I'LL, I'LL LET ME START BY SAYING, UM, UH, I THINK THE CITY AND THE COUNTY WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT ANYBODY, WHETHER IT'S A, UM, UM, UM, A NURSING HOME OR HOSPITAL, UM, IT, UM, WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT AS BEST WE POSSIBLY
[00:55:01]
CAN GIVEN.UM, UM, WHAT, UM, WHAT THE SITUATION IS, UM, UH, A LOT OF THESE AGENCIES, ALL OF THESE FACILITIES, UM, ARE, ARE, HAVE SPECIFIC MANDATES THAT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO, TO MEET, UH, IN ORDER TO OPERATE.
AND ONE OF THEM IS, IS TO HAVE A DISASTER PLAN THAT, UH, IS COORDINATED WITH OUR OFFICE AND THEN ADDRESSES HOW THEY WOULD, UM, UH, THEY'RE GOING TO ACT AND HOW THEY, UH, WHAT ACCESS THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE IN A DISASTER, OR REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY, UM, UM, UM, OR WHAT THE SITUATION IS, IF WE ARE CONTACTED.
UH, AND, UH, AND EVERY, EVERYBODY THAT, THAT CONTACTS US TO COORDINATE THEIR PLANS, WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW, UH, HOW TO, HOW TO REACH US.
UH, AND I WOULD SAY DURING THE WINTER STORM, WE HAD SEVERAL FACILITIES THAT CONTACTED US BECAUSE THEY, UM, THEY LOST POWER AND REGENERATOR, UH, FAILED IN WHICH CASE, THEN WE WORK TO TRY AND PROVIDE SOME SUPPORT, UH, UM, AND, UM, IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN, UH, IF WE COULD, WHETHER IT WAS MAKING, UM, UM, SOME OF OUR PERSONNEL AVAILABLE TO HELP THEM TROUBLESHOOT THE GENERATOR ISSUE, OR, UH, IN SOME SITUATIONS, THEN WE CONTACT THAT WE WERE REACHED, UM, AND THEY CONTACTED US AND ASKED US FOR A FUEL BECAUSE THEIR, THEIR CONTRACTOR COULD NOT DELIVER FUEL FOR WHATEVER REASON.
AND FLEET SERVICES WAS TASKED TO GO OUT THERE.
AND WE PROVIDED, UM, UM, DIESEL OR GASOLINE TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO KEEP THE GENERATORS RUNNING AS BEST AS WE COULD.
I WOULD AGREE THAT THERE WERE SOME FACILITIES OUT THERE THAT HAVE DIFFICULTY, UH, AND, AND, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, WE HOPE TO WORK WITH THE DISHES TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
UH, SO, UH, SO THAT WE HAVE, UH, UH, MORE CLEAR VISIBILITY ON WHAT THOSE NEEDS ARE, UH, AND, AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP THEM BE BETTER PREPARED.
UM, UM, BUT, UH, BUT IF, UM, YOU KNOW, WE GOT ALL KINDS OF REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE, AND WE WERE PRIORITIZING THOSE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE, UH, HELPING EVERYBODY WE COULD, AS BEST AS WE COULD, UM, UH, WITH THE LIMITED RESOURCES THAT WE HAD IN THE CITY, I DID DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE WASN'T, THERE WASN'T SOME SUFFERING THERE, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO FOLLOW UP AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, ASK TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS A CRITICAL PART OF OUR AFTER ACTION REPORT IN TERMS OF THINGS THAT WE CAN DO BETTER.
UM, AND I KNOW MR. RTC SAID, YOU KNOW, IF THEY WERE IN TOUCH WITH US AND, AND WHATNOT, WELL, YOU KNOW, FOR MANY, THE LOGICAL PERSON TO BE IN TOUCH WITH, MAYBE IT WAS AUSTIN ENERGY, OR THEY DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T, THEY WERE, THEY WERE, A LOT OF THEM WERE, DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO GET IN TOUCH.
UM, OR THERE WAS NOT THERE YOU'RE RIGHT.
THEY MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN, BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A DISASTER PLAN THAT IS COORDINATED WITH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, IF THEY, IF THEY SHARED THEIR PLAN AND CONTACTED US, WE'VE RESPONDED BACK WITH THE CORRESPONDENCE.
AND WE TOLD THEM, HERE'S HOW YOU CAN GET AHOLD OF US.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT EVERYBODY HAS FILED THEIR PLANNERS, OR THE PLANS ARE CURRENTLY ON, OR HAS BEEN COORDINATED, OR THAT IS A REQUIREMENT FROM THE STATE.
UH, UH, THIS IS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES.
SO I, AND, AND WHAT WE CAN DO IS MAKE SURE THAT WE COMMUNICATE TO ALL OF THOSE NURSING HOMES, ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES, MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO GET AHOLD OF US.
IT'S NOT JUST THEM GETTING A HOLD OF US, IT'S US REACHING OUT, BECAUSE THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WERE SORT OF PARALYZED ABOUT NOT KNOWING WHERE TO GO AND NOT HAVING THE RIGHT PERSON TO CONNECT UP WITH.
AND YET THESE WERE CRITICAL ENTITIES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, YOU KNOW, NO ONE AT AA HAD A LIST OF THE NURSING HOMES THAT THEY HAD TO BE MAKING SURE TO FIGURE OUT IF THEY HAD, YOU KNOW, GENERATION AND BOSTON WATER DIDN'T HAVE THAT EITHER.
AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK IT'S MY JOB AS A COUNCIL MEMBER TO HAVE THAT LIST, YOU KNOW, IN MY OFFICE, BUT IT SEEM LIKE SOMEBODY IN THE CITY OUGHT TO HAVE IT.
AND I JUST THINK THERE'S A LOT BETTER COORDINATION THAT THAT COULD HAPPEN.
AND THESE THINGS HAPPEN WHEN ONE PERSON IS NOT THERE WHO MIGHT KNOW THIS, UM, ON THEIR END.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT.
LOOKS LIKE, UM, DIRECTOR HAYDN, HOWARD IS, UM, ONE THING I WAS GONNA JUST SHARE, UM, IS THAT WE, WE HAVE NOTICED, UM, THAT WE DID HAVE A CHALLENGE WITH LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.
UM, BUT THE THEME THAT IN THE AFTER ACTION, AND WE TALKED
[01:00:01]
ABOUT THIS AT PUBLIC HEALTH, IS THAT, UM, DURING THIS RESPONSE, DURING THE COVID RESPONSE.WE HAD A LONG-TERM CARE, UM, KIND OF GROUP, UH, INCIDENT COMMAND TEAM SET UP.
AND SO MOVING FORWARD, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO INCORPORATE, WHICH WOULD TYPICALLY BE A PART OF THAT SOCIAL SERVICES BRANCH, UM, THAT WE'VE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, SHARING THAT INFORMATION WITH, UM, WITH MR. ORTIZ BECAUSE, UM, THAT IS REALLY WORKED VERY WELL FOR US DURING THE COVID.
I THINK IT'S LESSONS LEARNED, NOT JUST FROM URI, BUT FROM COVID THAT WE CAN ALSO KIND OF THINK AN OVERLAY AND APPLY THAT TO THIS EXISTING, UM, TO URI AS WELL.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE'LL BE GETTING WITH MR. RTS ON, BECAUSE WE HAVE AN EXTENSIVE LIST OF LONG-TERM CARE PROVIDERS.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE LARGE LOANS, WE HAVE A SMALL ONES.
UM, AND SO, UM, AND WE HAVE THE CONTEXT AT, UM, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION AS WELL.
AND SO WE JUST, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO MARRY THAT.
SO YOU, WE WILL DEFINITELY SHARE THAT WITH YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE.
UM, ONCE WE ARE ABLE TO INCORPORATE THAT.
AND IN MANAGER THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT BUILDS OFF OF ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE AROUND COVID, UH, TO REACH OUT TO THE NURSING HOMES AND THE DASHBOARD YOU PUT IN PLACE AROUND THE NURSING HOMES.
I THINK THAT, UM, UM, CAN YOU ALSO YOU'LL HEAR ME I'M GETTING THE YES.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO, UM, TO JUST MAKE, AS TO MAKE SURE THAT IN YOUR, AFTER OUR AFTER ACTION REPORT, THAT, THAT YOU INCLUDE THE, UH, THAT YOU INCLUDE THE RESULTS OF THE ANALYSIS THAT THE SENIOR COMMISSION IS DOING IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR, OUR AGE FRIENDLY CITY COORDINATOR.
UH, THAT WAS THE, ONE OF THE, THAT WAS PART OF THE AMENDMENT THAT I PUT ON ONE OF OUR FIRST, UM, ITEMS AFTER THE WINTER STORM TO ASK THEM TO WORK.
AND THE POINT THERE WAS THAT AS YOU ALL MAY RECALL, WE HAD A VOLUNTEER EFFORT TO PHONE BANK AND, UM, TEXT, UH, SENIORS THAT WERE LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY, NOT IN, NOT IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES, BUT LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO LEARNED A LOT FROM THAT PROCESS.
AND SO WE ASKED THE, UM, SENIOR COMMISSION TO WORK WITH OUR AGE FRIENDLY COORDINATOR TO KIND OF LOOK AT THAT PROCESS AND MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT GOING FORWARD, HOW, WHAT OUR EFFORTS SHOULD BE FOR REACHING OUT TO INDIVIDUALS, SENIORS, LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT THE RESULTS OF THEIR WORK BE INCLUDED IN THE AFTER-ACTION REPORT, UM, OR AT LEAST A STATUS REPORT.
I'M NOT SURE OF THE TIMING FOR THEM TO FINISH THEIR WORK AT VIS-A-VIS THE TIMING THAT YOU ALL ARE PROCEEDING WITH.
BUT I THINK THAT, UM, AT LEAST A STATUS UPDATE ON THEIR REPORTS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE RESULTS OF THEIR REPORT, UM, INCLUDED.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A WAY TO, UH, TO REACH OUT TO SENIORS, LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY.
THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE FOLKS WITH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE FOLKS DON'T HAVE ANY SAFETY NET AND, UM, AND SO THEY WERE TRAPPED AT HOME WITH NO WATER, NO ELECTRICITY AND IN COLD AND FREEZING, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM WERE.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, THOUSANDS OF THEM THAT WE COULD GET HELPED.
IT WAS ALL A VOLUNTEER EFFORT.
AND SO IT WAS A VOLUNTEER EFFORT.
THE FOLLOW-UP WAS DONE WITH, WITH CITY STAFF WHO DID A GREAT JOB, HELPING TO FOLLOW UP WITH PEOPLE, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT SYSTEM, UH, MORE FORMALIZED IN THE FUTURE SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO, UM, KIND OF SCRAMBLE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU CAN'T REMEMBER KITCHEN BEING THE FIRST ONE, I THINK TO RAISE THAT QUESTION, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MECHANICS WOULD BE TO, UH, TO HANDLE THAT IN THE FUTURE.
THE, UM, IT WAS, WE FELT LIKE THERE WAS AN IMMEDIATE NEED THAT WHERE PEOPLE PROBABLY IN THEIR HOMES, RIGHT THEN THAT NEEDED TO BE FOUND IMMEDIATELY, UM, WHEN COUNCILMEMBER KITCHEN FIRST PROPOSED THAT IT WASN'T IN BUDGET.
IT WASN'T A PLANNED EXERCISE AND THE APPROVAL FOR THE EXPENSE DIDN'T COME RAPIDLY.
SO I PAID FOR IT BECAUSE I PAID THAT'S OKAY.
[01:05:01]
ENTITLED TO GET REIMBURSED BECAUSE IT HAPPENED OUTSIDE OF THE FEMA PROCESS.UH, AND AT THE TIME I DID THAT, I, I KNEW THAT THAT WAS A POSSIBILITY, BUT FELT LIKE IT NEEDED TO HAPPEN AS IT TURNS OUT WITH GOD'S, UH, UH, AN ENTITY TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE CALLS AND THE TEXTS.
AND WE FOUND SOME PEOPLE THAT NEEDED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.
SO BOTH THE
SO THAT AN EMERGENCY IMMEDIATE EFFORT DOESN'T NOT HAPPEN WELL, MAYOR, I THINK YOU WERE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT SOMETHING THAT I'M NOT SURE WE EVER GOT THE BEST SOLUTION FOR, AND THAT WAS WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU CAN'T REACH SOMEONE? CAUSE WE WERE, I KNOW YOU WERE REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, AND SO I'M NOT SURE IF WE KNOW THAT REALLY NEEDS SOME EXPLORATION, YOU KNOW, THAT'S RIGHT.
THERE WERE TWO UNIVERSALS THAT WERE THE PEOPLE WE GOT AHOLD OF THAT FOR EMERGENCY HELP.
AND THEN THERE WERE THE PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T RESPOND TO TWO PHONE CALLS AND FOUR TEXTS.
SHOULD WE BE GOING TO THAT PERSON'S PHONE TO SEE WHY IT IS THAT, THAT PERSON'S NOT RESPONDING.
AND I KNOW THAT WE RAISED THAT AND I KNOW THAT STAFF TOOK OVER THAT ISSUE, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT ISSUE I HAVE WITH SAM COUNCILMEN KITCHEN.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WAS RESOLVED.
SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW THAT TOO COLLEAGUES, ANYTHING ELSE ON, UM, SHELTERING MANAGER? SORRY, I COULD PROBABLY GO ON AND OFF TODAY, BUT I'M GOING TO BE, UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU.
AND THANK YOU FOR THOSE QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, THE LUNG CURRENT LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES AND OTHERS.
I THINK THOSE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT AND, AND TOO, I THINK, UH, I THINK IT, YOU KNOW, I HEARD STORIES AND I'M SURE ALL OF US HAVE OF COMMUNITY MEMBER, HOW COMMUNITIES ORGANIZE THEMSELVES, UM, AS WELL.
AND, AND MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS DID SOMETHING SIMILAR LIKE THAT OF, OF REALLY CHECKING ON THOSE NEIGHBORS WHO THEY KNEW WERE, OR, UM, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, OLDER AND WITHOUT, WITHOUT FAMILY SUPPORT AND THINGS.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US BUILD THAT INTO OUR RESILIENCE PLANNING AT THAT NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL AS WELL, BECAUSE THOSE WILL LIKELY BE THE FIRST, THE FIRST ON THE SCENE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST RESPONDERS.
SO I'M, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE EFFORTS THAT YOU ALL JUST DESCRIBED FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE, AS WELL AS ENCOURAGING THAT LEVEL OF THINKING AND IDENTIFICATION OF, OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, UM, AT THAT LOCAL LEVEL AS WELL.
SO I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, STAFF TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT.
AND I WONDERED IF YOU COULD PROVIDE US SOME INFORMATION ABOUT HOW STAFF ACROSS THE, ACROSS THE CITY ARE IDENTIFIED FOR SHELTER OPERATIONS IN AT NORMAL TIMES, UM, AND HOW YOU HAD TO ADAPT THAT PRACTICE DURING, DURING THIS PROCESS BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE MULTIPLE THINGS, ROADS AND WHATNOT.
UM, AND IF IT MAKES SENSE TO FOLD IN THERE TOO, HOW SOME OF THE, THERE WERE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE HURRICANE HARVEY AFTER ACTION REPORT ABOUT TRAINING AND KIND OF BROADENING THAT TRAINING ACROSS OUR CITY STAFF.
SO I'D BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING HOW THAT, HOW THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS AND WHETHER THAT WAS OF HELP HERE, WHERE, WHERE YOU MAY HAVE HAD TO RELY ON STAFF WHO WERE AND VOLUNTEERS FOR THAT MATTER, WHO WERE NOT, UM, ORDINARY ORDINARILY INVOLVED IN, IN SHELTERING ACTIVITIES.
UH, IT COMES FROM OCTOBER, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE A, UH, A VERY ACTIVE OR EXCUSE ME.
UM, WE PLAY A BIG PART IN THE CAPITAL AREA, HURRICANE SHELTER, HUB, UH, PLAN, UH, CASPI.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO EVERY SUMMER, UH, AROUND THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, WE START THE PROCESS OF RE IDENTIFYING PERSONNEL, UH, IN THE CITY AND THE DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT, UM, ARE AVAILABLE TO GO THROUGH THE SHELTER MANAGEMENT TRAINING.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
WE'LL DO SEVERAL DIFFERENT SESSIONS.
UH, AND WE, AND WE, WE TRY TO IDENTIFY A LARGE ENOUGH POOL OF PERSONNEL.
WE COORDINATE THAT WITH THE DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE, UM, TRAINING THOSE PERSONNEL THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN SUPPORT OF SHELTER, OPERATION, THAT SAME SHELTER MANAGEMENT TRAINING AS, UH, AS THE FOUNDATION OF WHAT WE
[01:10:01]
WOULD, UM, WHO WOULD UTILIZE IN SUPPORT OF SHELTERS THAT MAY BE OPEN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.MAY I INTERRUPT YOU FOR JUST A SEC, IS THAT DIRECTOR OR TWO SAYS THAT SELF-SELECTED OR DO INDIVIDUALS SAY, DO YOU SEND OUT AN EMAIL TO STAFF AND SAY, WHO'S INTERESTED IN THIS? UM, IS IT SELF SELECTIVE IN THAT WAY, OR ARE YOU AT E AT THE, AT, AT, UM, HOMELAND SECURITY, NOTIFYING, DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT YOU BELIEVE ARE MOST HAVE THE MOST RELEVANT SET OF SKILLS AND SAYING, CAN YOU DIRECTOR DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS IDENTIFY? SO HOW DOES THAT PROCESS GO JUST ONTO THE NEXT STAGE? YEAH, AND WE WORK WITH, UH, HOW, UH, EXCUSE ME, OUR, UM, HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT TO CRAFT THAT, UH, THAT, THAT EMAIL, THAT INVITATION FOR THE DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS.
AND YOU MAY HAVE PERSONNEL THAT, UH, UH, THE, THE VOLUNTEER, BUT THEY ALSO NEED, THERE NEEDS TO BE A, A, UH, A CONCURRENCE FROM THEIR SUPERVISOR, THEIR DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, TO ENSURE THAT THEY CAN BE AVAILABLE.
WE CAN TRAIN MORE PEOPLE, BUT WE WANT TO KNOW WHO'S GOING TO BE AVAILABLE TO, TO SUPPORT SHELTER OPERATIONS.
UM, AGAIN, UM, UH, THAT'S WHAT OUR NORMAL PROCESS WOULD BE.
UH, WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH OTHER AGENCIES, OTHER BO AT AGENCIES, VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS ACTIVE IN DISASTER, RIGHT.
UH, AND SO THESE BOW AT AGENCIES TO INCLUDE RICK ROSS AND AUSTIN DISASTER RELIEF NETWORK TO LOOK AT WHAT SHELTER, UH, UH, SHELTER MANAGERS TODAY, THEY HAVE, UH, WHAT SHELTER MANAGEMENT TRAINING THEY MAY POTENTIALLY BE CONDUCTING.
AND SO THAT, THAT WAY, IF WE HAVE A NEED FOR SHELTERING THROUGHOUT, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WHETHER IT'S BECAUSE OF A FLOOD OR, UH, OR WENT TO WHETHER WE HAVE PERSONNEL, UM, AVAILABLE, LIKE THE MAYOR INDICATED, DEPENDING ON THE TOP OF SHELTER WE'RE GOING TO OPEN, UH, IT WILL DETERMINE WHETHER CERTAIN AGENCIES, UM, ARE ABLE TO SUPPORT IT OR NOT.
UH, AND TRADITIONALLY RED CROSS DOES NOT SUPPORT THOSE SHELTERS THAT WERE, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, CENTERED OR, UM, UH, SUPPORTING IN PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, BUT THEY MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME LEVEL OF SUPPORT AND, AND, UH, IN A, IN A DIFFERENT MANNER.
UH, SO ALSO THE, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE, UM, AGAIN, UM, PROBABLY THE, THE, THE CHALLENGE HERE WAS NOT JUST THE FACT THAT WE WERE DEALING WITH, UH, THE PANDEMIC, BUT THEN ALSO THE FACT THAT, UM, A LOT OF OUR PERSONNEL THAT WE HAVE TRAINED FOR SHELTER MANAGEMENT JUST COULD NOT GET OUT OF THEIR HOME AND COULD NOT GET THROUGH THE SHELTER LOCATIONS.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, UH, CAME OUT OF, UH, HARVEY IS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CONDUCT, UM, OJT TRAINING ON THE JOB TRAINING FOR, UH, SHELTER MANAGEMENT.
AND, UH, IN THIS SITUATION, WE, WE DID A VERY, VERY CRUDE, VERY CRASH COURSE, UH, WHERE THE PERSONNEL THAT WERE, THAT WERE VOLUNTEERING, UH, AND, UH, ALSO RECRUITED THERE ONSITE TO THE SUPPORT, UH, OPERATIONS.
WE WERE, WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE HAD A LOT OF, UH, SOME VERY KEY, UH, INDIVIDUALS IN PLACE, UH, THAT, AND ONE OF THEM IS A RETIRED FIRE CHIEF, UM, HARRY EVANS THAT CAME IN OUT OF RETIREMENT TO SUPPORT US WITH THE VACCINATION PROGRAM.
BUT WHEN THE VACCINATION EFFORTS STOPPED, WE REMOVED THEM OVER TO, UH, TO MANAGE THE PALMER EVENTS CENTER.
AND WE, WE GAVE HIM ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL AND THEY HAD TO TRAIN PEOPLE ON, ON THE SPOT ON WHAT THEY NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO DO.
AND WE TRY TO SIMPLIFY THE TRAINING AND JUST KIND OF LEARN AS YOU GO, UH, AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
UH, REALLY THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO.
UM, UH, AND IN ESSENCE, THOSE THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT, WHAT WE, WHAT WE DO.
UM, WE TRY TO IDENTIFY SHELTER MANAGERS, BUT IF THEY'RE NOT AVAILABLE OR NOT ABLE, OR WE NEED MORE, UH, WE'LL TAKE PERSONNEL THAT WE HAVE THERE, AND WE'LL TRAIN THEM AS BEST AS WE CAN.
UH, AND, AND, AND JUST GET THROUGH IT, DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR, ARTIST, JUST AS A FOLLOWUP QUESTION, WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE ASSEMBLING THE SHELTER MANAGER, THE STAFF WHO ARE GOING TO SERVE AS SHELTER MANAGERS, I'M NOT SURE THERE'S EVER BEEN A SITUATION IN THE PAST WHERE YOU'VE NEEDED TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE FROM WHERE STAFF MEMBERS ARE COMING FROM GEOGRAPHICALLY.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU INTEND TO EMBED IN YOUR PLANNING IN THE FUTURE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE STAFF WHO ARE NORTH SOUTH CENTRAL EAST WEST, YOU KNOW, UH, SPREAD GEOGRAPHICALLY IN CASE YOU EVER ENCOUNTER A SITUATION LIKE THAT, AGAIN, WHERE WEATHER CONDITIONS, UM, ARE SUCH THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO GET TO A LOCATION CLOSE BY THAT, AS WELL AS WORK WITH THE VENUE OWNERS, WHETHER THEY'RE CITY FACILITIES, COUNTY, OR PUBLIC FACILITIES, TO SEE HOW WE CAN TRAIN SOME OF THE EXISTING STAFF THAT WORK THERE NORMALLY DAY TO DAY IN SHELTER MANAGEMENT
[01:15:01]
AT LEAST HAVE SOME TYPE OF LEVEL OF ORIENTATION OF WHAT IT IS, AND BEING A SHELTER MANAGER AND A MANAGER IS NOT AN EASY TASK.UH, AND REALLY, I THINK THAT'S A FRONTLINE PERSONNEL THAT, THAT, UH, UM, UH, REALLY GO ABOVE AND BEYOND BECAUSE, UH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE PUBLIC IN, IN A VERY STRESSFUL ENVIRONMENT AND VERY, UH, UH, DEMANDING ENVIRONMENT AND, AND REQUIRES A LOT OF COMPASSION.
UH, AND, AND NOT ANYBODY CAN, CAN, CAN DO THAT.
UM, UH, SO MY HAT, MY HAT GOES OFF TO EVERYBODY THAT, THAT VOLUNTEERED AND, AND SUCK THROUGH IT, UH, UH, BECAUSE, UH, THE, THOSE WERE THE HEROES OF OUR, OF THIS EVENT OF ABOUT DOING OUR, DURING THIS PAST EXPERIENCE.
AND I'LL JUST KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER AND DIRECTOR MCNEELY MAY WANT TO SPEAK TO THIS, BUT ALL OF OUR REC CENTERS WITHIN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, ALL OF THE SUPERVISORS THERE DO GET TRAINED ON SHELTER MANAGEMENT.
AND SO, UH, THAT IS ANOTHER ASSET RESOURCE THAT WE HAVE, BUT IT DOESN'T GET TO YOUR POINT OF WHERE THEY ARE LOCATED AND WHERE THEY ABLE TO GET FROM THEIR HOMES TO THESE VARIOUS OR REC CENTERS.
BUT THERE IS THAT LEVEL OF TRAINING THAT HAPPENS WITHIN PARK.
AND I DID, WHILE I HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT DIRECTOR ORTIZ SAID.
THERE WERE INCREDIBLE HEROES THAT WERE MANAGING THESE SHELTERS, AND SHE'S ON THIS CALL, BUT, UH, UH, TRISH TAR TATRO FROM OUR CONVENTION CENTER REALLY WAS UP DAY AND NIGHT AT THE PALMER EVENTS CENTER.
AND JUST COULD NOT, UH, APPRECIATE HER EFFORTS MORE.
I KNOW THAT DIANA GRAY SPENT MANY SLEEPLESS NIGHTS AT THE, AT THE PALMER EVENTS CENTER AS WELL.
SO THERE WERE, THERE WERE PEOPLE ACROSS THE ENTERPRISE AND ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY THAT REALLY HELPED TO MANAGE AND OPERATE THESE SHELTERS IN THIS VERY CHALLENGING TIME.
ANYTHING ELSE ON SHELTERING MANAGER, YOUR STAFF IS HERE.
WE COULD MOVE AHEAD TOO MUCH ENERGY, AND WE MAY GET TO AUSTIN WATER SOONER THAN THREE 30.
I'LL LET THEM KNOW, AND THEY ARE ON THE LINE.
THEY JUST NEED TO BE OVER SO WE CAN START AS SOON AS THAT HAPPENS.
I KNOW THAT SHE WANTED TO SAY A FEW WORDS IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS SEGMENT.
JACKIE, YOU WANT TO START OUT? SURE.
MY NAME IS JACKIE SERGEANT, AND I'M THE GENERAL MANAGER OF AUSTIN ENERGY.
UH, YOU HAVE ALL HEARD THE STORM DESCRIBED AS A HISTORIC EVENT.
YOU KNOW, THE DEATH DEVASTATION BECAUSE YOU LIVED THROUGH IT AND HELPED OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH IT.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WINTER STORM YURI WAS FAR GREATER THAN ANY OF THE EXTREME WEATHER PLANNING SCENARIOS MODELED BY THE STATES ELECTRIC GRID OPERATOR, ERCOT, OUR STATES POWER GRID AND GENERATOR STATEWIDE NEVER IMAGINED THIS WEATHER SCENARIO OF MULTIPLE DAYS OF SINGLE DIGIT TEMPERATURES COMBINED WITH ICE AND CRYSTAL AND SNOW.
A TYPE OF SNOW THAT IS UNIQUELY PROBLEMATIC FOR POWER PLANTS.
AUSTIN ENERGY WAS REQUIRED BY ERCOT WITHIN MINUTES TO SHUT OFF AN UNPRECEDENTED AND UNACCEPTABLE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS.
THIS HAPPENED FASTER AND LASTED LONGER THAN ANYONE ANTICIPATED.
AT LAST WEEK'S COUNCIL MEETING.
WE HEARD THAT IT SEEMED LIKE AUSTIN ENERGY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS DOING TO THE CONTRARY.
WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ERCOT REQUIREMENTS WERE GOING TO BE.
WE COMMUNICATED WHAT THEY TOLD US REGARDING OUTAGES, AND WE DID IT THE BEST WE COULD.
ERCOT WAS MANAGING AN UNPRECEDENTED AND IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION.
BUT I DO SHARE THE FRUSTRATION OF NOT KNOWING WHAT THE LOAD SHED REQUIREMENTS WERE GOING TO BE UNTIL THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE ISSUED AND WHAT THE NEXT DAY WOULD LOOK LIKE.
I AM PROUD OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S TEAMS. WE'RE WELL-PREPARED FOR THIS EVENT.
AS A RESULT, OUR UTILITY DID NOT SUSTAIN HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN LOSSES, LIKE MANY OTHERS, BUT BECAUSE OF THE STATEWIDE NATURE OF THIS EVENT AND THE ERCOT GRIDS DESIGN, THE CUSTOMER OUTAGES WERE OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL.
AGAIN, WE SHARE THE FRUSTRATION OF YOU AND OUR CUSTOMERS.
WE MET OR COTS REQUIREMENTS, THE BEST WE COULD KEEPING POWER ON TO CRITICAL FACILITIES, LOSING POWER TO HOSPITALS OR COMMUNICATIONS TOWERS OR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS WOULD HAVE TURNED AN ALREADY TRAGIC SITUATION INTO SOMETHING.
LACK OF ROTATIONS WAS NOT BECAUSE OF A FAULT OF OUR SYSTEM, BUT BECAUSE OF THE MATH, THE LOAD SHED MANDATE FROM ERCOT WAS JUST TOO HIGH TO PROTECT CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND ROTATE CIRCUITS.
ERCOT IS NOW REFERRING TO THESE SITUATIONS AS CONTROLLED OUTAGES
[01:20:01]
RATHER THAN ROTATING OUTAGES, BECAUSE THEY RECOGNIZE THAT UTILITIES WITH A LOT OF CRITICAL IN DENSE SERVICE TERRITORIES CANNOT ROTATE IN THIS SITUATION AS A PUBLIC SERVANT.IT'S HEARTBREAKING WHEN THE SERVICE YOU PROVIDE CAN'T BE DELIVERED TO THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT.
WE HAD ALREADY BEEN IN INCIDENT COMMAND MODE FOR SEVERAL DAYS FOR THE ICE STORM THAT BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 11TH.
OUR ENERGY CONTROL CENTER STAFF WAS SLEEPING AT OUR FACILITY WORKING 20 HOUR DAYS, EXHIBITING LEADERSHIP AND CONSISTENT POISE UNDER PRESSURE.
OUR ENGINEERS WORKED DAY AND NIGHT FROM HOME.
SOME CHARGING DEVICES IN THEIR CARS TO HELP US MANAGE THROUGH THE EVENT.
OUR FIELD OPERATIONS TEAM HAVE 300 EMPLOYEES WORKING 14 TO 16 HOUR DAYS FOR 10 DAYS, SLEEPING IN A NEARBY HOTEL DUE TO THE WORKLOAD NEEDS.
THEY SUFFERED IN THE CONDITIONS, WORKING OUT IN THE COLD FOR MANY LONG HOURS AND NAVIGATING THE TREACHEROUS ROADS.
SOME EVENTUALLY CAME HOME TO FIND HOMES AND RUINS FROM WATER LEAKS THAT HAD BEEN LASTING FOR DAYS.
OUR ENERGY MARKET REALTIME SUPERVISOR CAME TO TOWN WEIGHT CENTER THE DAY BEFORE THE STORM, JUST TO GET AHEAD OF THE WEATHER AND SLEPT WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE TO SUPPORT OPERATIONS THROUGH DAY AND NIGHT SHIFTS.
ANOTHER EMPLOYEE SLEPT ON AN AIR MATTRESS AT OUR BACKUP CONTROL CENTER.
AND OUR GAS DESK TURNED INTO A 24 HOUR OPERATION TO FIND, PROCURE AND MANAGE THE NATURAL GAS SUPPLY NEEDED TO RUN OUR PLANTS AND SUPPORT THE GRID.
OUR POWER PLANT STAFF REPORTS FEELING LIKE FIRST RESPONDERS FOR THE FIRST TIME.
OUR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM STAFF MAY CONTACT HER CUSTOMERS ARE MEDICALLY VULNERABLE REGISTRY OR THEIR EMERGENCY CONTACT.
OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES HANDLED UNBELIEVABLE CALL VOLUMES AND ESCALATED CUSTOMER CONCERNS TO THE PROPER TEAMS WITH EMPATHY AND PROFESSIONALISM.
THEY HANDLE SOME OF THE MOST DIFFICULT AND CHALLENGING CALLS OF THEIR CAREERS.
OUR LOGISTICS TEAMS, COMMUNICATIONS TEAM, IT STAFF, AND THREE, ONE WERE ALSO HEROES.
THEY WERE ALL PROBLEM SOLVING TECHNICAL CHALLENGES IN REAL TIME.
TIME WAS ALL HANDS ON DECK AND OUR TEAMS WORK HARDER THAN I'VE EVER SEEN PEOPLE WORK.
WE FOLLOWED ERCOT DIRECTIVES TO PREVENT A CATASTROPHIC GRID FAILURE THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED WEEKS OR MONTHS OF COMPLETE BLACKOUT CONDITIONS AND TAKEN AN INCALCULABLE TOLL.
MY TEAM AT AUSTIN ENERGY TAKES OUR DUTY TO OUR COMMUNITY.
PROVIDING POWER IS AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE, AND WE ARE FACED WITH CHALLENGES THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY UNTHINKABLE.
NOW WE ARE WORKING TO IDENTIFY HOW WE CAN BETTER MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS DURING EXTREME WEATHER SCENARIOS AND WITHIN THE REQUIREMENTS OF ERCOT.
WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING OUR AFTER ACTION REPORT.
THIS IS A VERY THOROUGH PROCESS.
THE GOAL IS FOR EVERY PROBLEM AND EVERY SOLUTION TO BE LOOKED AT AT NEXT WEEK'S UTILITY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MEETING, WE WILL PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ON THE AFTER ACTION PROCESS.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT COUNCIL WOULD FIRST LIKE US TO FOCUS ON POWER PLANT WINTERIZATION AND ON VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PRIOR TO GETTING INTO SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS.
SO I'VE ASKED VICE PRESIDENT OF POWER PRODUCTION, PAT SWEENEY, AND VICE-PRESIDENT OF ELECTRIC SYSTEM FIELD OPERATIONS, ELTON RICHARDS, TO PROVIDE BRIEF PRESENTATIONS ON THOSE TOPICS.
AND AFTER THAT, WE CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE WITH THAT.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO PAT SWEENEY MAYOR.
IF I MAY, I THINK, I THINK THERE MAY BE JUST A POINT OF CONFUSION.
SO THE EXHIBIT A HAD DIFFERENT BULLETED POINTS AND, AND THOSE WERE ON THE BULLETED POINTS.
BUT I, I THINK AS ARE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE WHETHER THERE ARE EXISTING QUESTIONS ON THOSE TOPICS OR NOT.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE NOT TO DIRECT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I WENT AHEAD AND PUT MY QUESTIONS UP ON THE MESSAGE BOARD.
A LOT OF WHICH CORRESPONDED TO ITEMS THAT WE HAD PASSED IN THAT EXHIBIT, A, SOME OF THEM WERE ADDITIONAL, BUT WINTERIZATION AND THE OTHER ONES WERE, WERE EXISTING.
AND TO SOME EXTENT, WE'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THEM IN AUSTIN ENERGY.
SO I'M NOT SURE THAT THOSE ARE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY OF, OF THOSE OF US GATHERED HERE TODAY OR NOT.
AND IF YOU WANT TO TOUCH ON IT, I THINK THAT'D BE OKAY.
THE PRIORITY FOR TODAY'S SESSION IS TO GIVE THE COUNCIL THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO, UH, BRING NEW ISSUES TO YOU.
NOT SO MUCH NECESSARILY TO GET ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS.
SO ANY PRESENTATIONS WE HAVE NOW SHOULD GO AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THE COUNCIL CAN IDENTIFY ISSUES AND QUESTIONS CERTAINLY.
AND WE CAN FOREGO THOSE PRESENTATIONS.
IF THAT'S YOUR PREFERENCE, DOES ANYONE SEE THESE PRESENTATIONS? ONE IS ON THE WEATHERIZATION ISSUE? YES, ONE'S ON THE POWER PLANT WEATHERIZATION
[01:25:01]
AND THE OTHER IS ON OUR LINE CLEARANCE AND VEGETATION.I HAVE THE LINE CLEARANCE, BUT MAYBE IT'S NOT THE FULL PRESENTATION, BUT I HAVE QUESTIONS ON THAT.
WHAT'D YOU DO, BUT MOVE THROUGH THEM QUICKLY, PLEASE.
PAT, WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD WITH THE POWER PLANT WEATHERIZATION.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCILS.
WE'LL MAKE SURE YOU CAN HEAR ME.
WE CAN, IF YOU GO THROUGH QUICKLY, THAT'D BE PRETTY COOL.
AND SO, UH, AND WE'RE TAKING THE APPROACH HERE OF, UH, PICTURES MAY BE HELPFUL HERE.
UM, SO PLANT WINTER WINTERIZATION, AND WE'VE TOUCHED ON THIS BEFORE REALLY BEGINS IN THE FALL, AND IT'S AFFIRM TO ERCOT BY DECEMBER 21ST OF EACH YEAR.
AND IT REALLY CONSISTS OF TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY MEASURES.
SO PERMANENT MEASURES ARE THINGS LIKE INSULATION ON PIPING AND CABINETS, UH, THAT WERE, ARE INSTALLED WHEN THE FACILITY WAS BUILT AND, OR IMPROVEMENTS ARE MADE, UH, METAL STRUCTURES AROUND AREAS THAT ARE AREAS FOR CONCERN FROM PAST WINTER, WINTER WEATHER EVENTS.
SO THEY'RE THERE ALL THE TIME, AND YOU'VE HEARD HE TRACED THAT'S ELECTRICAL HEATING SYSTEMS, UH, THAT, THAT HAVE RESISTANCE HEATING THAT PROVIDE HEAT TO, UH, CRITICAL AREAS.
UH, THEN THERE ARE MEASURES THAT ARE TEMPORARY.
THESE ARE WINDBREAKS THERMAL BLANKETS, UH, THAT ARE APPLIED TO CRITICAL COMPONENT COMPONENTS, UH, TEMPORARY HEAT SOURCES LIKE PROPANE HEATERS OR ELECTRICAL HEATERS, OR EVEN LIGHTING.
UH, THE TEMPORARY MEASURES ARE INSTALLED WHILE THE PERMANENT MEASURES ARE CHECKED FOR PROPER FUNCTION, UH, PER THE PLANT WEATHERIZATION CHECKLIST.
AND, UH, BY THE WAY, I WANT TO MAKE SURE FOLKS UNDERSTAND CONTEXT HERE IN PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW, OUR PLANTS ARE REALLY PRIMARILY DESIGNED FOR THE SUMMER THEY'RE THEY'RE, THEY'RE INTENDED FOR HEAT.
AND SO A LOT OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING FOR WINTERIZATION, WE UNDO, UH, FOR THE SUMMER SO THAT WE CAN SHED HEAT, RIGHT? SO, UH, FROM AN OVERALL PERSPECTIVE, THESE PLANS ARE RECHECK PRIOR TO A MAJOR FORECAST EVENT LIKE, LIKE FEBRUARY.
SO WE WORK ON THEM IN THE FALL.
WE DO THE CHECKS THEN, BUT THEN AS AN EVENT COMES UP ON THE RADAR SCREEN, WE DO ADDITIONAL WALK-AROUNDS AND CHECKS OF THE SYSTEMS AND STATUSES, THE OPERATORS USE REMOTE MONITORING.
THEN THEY DO VISUAL CHECKS, UH, THAT CONFIRM THE FUNCTION OF EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS LIKE SATELLITE PHONES, IF YOU'RE LOSING PRIMARY COMMUNICATIONS.
AND THEN WE TAKE PERSONNEL MEASURES, WE ENSURE ADEQUATE STAFFING LEVELS THAT ARE IN ARE ALSO INCREASED DURING MAJOR FORECAST EVENTS.
AND WE ALSO PROVIDE FOR FOOD AND ONSITE LODGING FOR THE STAFF.
SHOULD THEY NEED TO STAY UP NEXT LINE? I SAID, MOST OF THESE WILL BE PICTURES.
THESE IN THESE BE BRIEF, JUST SOME QUICK REFERENCES TO, UM, THESE ARE WINDBREAKS, UH, AROUND OUR SANDHILL FIVE, UH, PLANT AT THE BOTTOM OF, UH, THE FACILITY ON THE WEST SIDE.
UH, WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THIS IS A RE UH, THIS IS A PERMANENT, UH, ENCLOSURE WHERE IT'S REFERRED TO AS A DOG HOUSE A LITTLE BIT, SEE THE LITTLE BIT OF THE RESEMBLANCE WITH AN OPEN END, MUCH LIKE A DOG WITH B.
AND IT WAS, THIS IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT WAS ADDED AFTER 2011 TO TEXT SOME CRITICAL COMPONENTS AND IT PROVIDES THAT ON A PERMANENT BASIS.
SO SOME, SOME OTHER VERSIONS OF THIS AS WELL.
UH, AGAIN, UP ON THE, ON THE UNIT STRUCTURE, UH, ELEVATED AS WELL AS AT THE BOTTOM, YOU SEE PERMANENT, UH, STRUCTURE ON THE LEFT OR PAGE PROTECTOR ON THE LEFT AND A TEMPORARY ONE WITH COVERS ON, ON THE BOTTOM.
UH, THIS IS A SCREEN THAT IS YOU, THAT REFERS TO SOME OF THE MONITORING THAT IS DONE.
SO WE HAVE SENSORS THAT ACTUALLY CONTINUE TO CHECK THE STATUS OF SOME OF THE SYSTEMS LIKE HEAT SYSTEMS, HEAT TRACE SYSTEMS THAT WE KNOW THEY'RE FUNCTIONING, UH, THROUGHOUT, AND, AND THAT ALSO AVOIDS, UH, AN INDIVIDUAL HAVING TO WALK AROUND NEXT SLIDE, NEITHER SOME, UH, SOME EXAMPLES OF THE ADDITIONAL, UH, TEMPORARY, UH, UH, APPLICATION.
SO WE HAVE, UH, YOU CAN SEE COVERS ALSO SEE SMALL HEATERS, UH, AROUND VARIOUS SYSTEMS AROUND THE PLANT.
THIS IS OUR DECKER POWERPOINT FOR THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO HERE AGAIN, UH, THESE ARE SOME EXAMPLES.
I MENTIONED TEMPORARY HEATING.
THESE ARE HEATERS IN BOTH CASES THAT PROVIDE, UH, SOURCE HEAT, UH, TO A LOCAL SPOT WHERE WE HAVE CONCERNS.
AND SO, UH, THERE'S TWO EXAMPLES OF THESE, UH, THEY, THEY RUN OFF PROPANE OR ELECTRICITY.
WE'LL GO TO ANOTHER SLIDE, UH, HERE AGAIN, UH, SOME EXAMPLES OF, OF FURIOUS PROTECTION.
SO YOU CAN SEE INSULATION ON THE FAR LEFT PICTURE.
UH, THERE'S SOME HEAT TRACING THERE IT'S UNDERNEATH INSTALLATION.
SO YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE IT AGAIN, COVERS THAT ARE INSTALLED, UH, AS YOU MOVE ACROSS TO THE RIGHT GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, HERE AGAIN, THIS MAY SEEM A LITTLE UNUSUAL, BUT A HEAT, UH, LIGHTING IS ACTUALLY
[01:30:01]
A GOOD SOURCE OF HEAT.SO YOU PUT A COVER OVER SOMETHING AND, UH, PUT A LIGHT BULB, UH, GRANDCHILDREN, NOT AN LED LIGHT BULB.
IT'S A, IT'S AN INCANDESCENT OR HALOGEN BULB THAT, THAT SHEDS HEAT WHILE IT'S ON.
AND SO THE COMBINATION OF THE ENCLOSURE AND THE LIGHT BULB IN THERE, UH, PRODUCED THE HEAT THAT WE NEED ON THAT COMPONENT FOR THE PERIOD OF TIME, UH, NEEDED YOU'RE IN THIS, IS THAT THE BECKER PLANT THERE.
THE NEXT SLIDE HERE, AGAIN, THESE ARE COVERS THAT ARE INSTALLED TEMPORARILY, AS WELL AS, UH, YOU CAN GET A LITTLE GLIMPSE OF A HEATER, UH, THERE ON THE FAR, RIGHT AT THE DECKER PLANT.
UH, AND THEN ON THE LEFT HERE, KIND OF ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A LIGHT SOURCE THAT'S PROVIDING HEAT, BUT A COVER THAT'S TRAPPING THE HEAT AND KEEPING SOME CRITICAL INSTRUMENTATION, UM, UM, IN SERVICE THROUGHOUT, UH, AND AGAIN, TO THE RIGHT, UH, INDIVIDUAL HEATERS THAT ARE APPLIED TO AREAS OF CONCERN.
AND THESE ARE AT THE BECKER POWER PLANT AS WELL BELOW THE NEXT SLIDE YOU CAN SEE HERE, UH, SOME OF THE CONDITIONS AT THE SITE, UH, THIS IS A GOOD REFERENCE, UH, FOR, UH, WHAT OUR FOLKS WERE DEALING WITH, RIGHT? THESE STRUCTURES ARE ALMOST ALL METAL THAT A LOT OF THEM ARE UP IN THE AIR BY, UH, SEVERAL STORIES ARE VERY MUCH EXPOSED.
AND SO WHEN THEY HAVE TO BE OUT THERE AND THEY WERE OUT THERE AND YOU CAN SEE IN THE MIDDLE PICTURE, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF OUR STAFF UP ON ONE OF THE STRUCTURES AT THE SANDHILL PLANT.
UH, THEY'RE REALLY OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.
AND IT'S, IT'S A DANGEROUS TIME AND CONDITIONED TO BE OUT THERE WITH ICING, UH, POOR VISIBILITY AND SO ON.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT, THAT, UH, THE FOLKS REALLY DID OUR TEAM DID A GREAT JOB, UH, WORKING TO MAINTAIN THE LIABILITY OPERATION DURING THE EVENT, GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
AGAIN, A COUPLE OF QUICK PHOTOS OF THE CONDITIONS AT THE PLANT.
YOU CAN SEE THE LARGE ICICLES IN THE SNOW COVER ON THE LEFT.
SOME OF THE SNOW IN THE MIDDLE AND THE RIGHT NOW DEEP WAS, UH, HERE AGAIN AT THE SAND HILL PLANT.
WHEN WE LOOK AHEAD, UH, OUR REVIEWS ARE STILL UNDERWAY.
JACKIE MENTIONED THIS, BUT WE'VE IDENTIFIED SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT.
UH, SOME EXAMPLE, ONE EXAMPLE, FOR EXAMPLE, WE, WE DID MAKE MANY IMPROVEMENTS AFTER THE 2011, UH, EVENT, UH, BUTTON, BUT ONE OF THESE DID NOT WORK VERY WELL THIS TIME AROUND, AND I HAVE PROTECTIVE CONTROLS CABINETS.
SO CABINET THAT WAS PUT ON AN ENCLOSURE PROVED TO BE AN ADEQUATE.
AND SO WE'VE SINCE ALREADY HAVE ADDED A HEAT SOURCE TO THAT CABIN.
WE'RE NOT WAITING TO BE TOLD TO DO THINGS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THESE.
AS WE SEE THAT THEY CAN BE IMPLEMENTED QUICKLY AND EASILY.
UM, SOME OTHER EXAMPLES, MOSTLY IN THE LOGISTICAL SIDE OF THINGS, BUT VERY IMPORTANT AS WE FOUND OUT, UH, OUR INCREASED STOCKS FOR LONGER DURATION EVENTS, YOU DID MOST OF THESE EVENTS THAT WE PLAN FOR, WHETHER IT'S A WINTER EVENT OR EVEN A HURRICANE DENT ARE ONLY GOING TO BE A DAY OR TWO IN DURATION, GENERALLY SPEAKING.
AND SO THIS EVENT OBVIOUSLY WENT ON FOR NEARLY A WEEK IN TOTAL.
AND SO THAT'S PROMPTED US TO LOOK MORE CLOSELY AT THE, THE FOOD FOR STAFF, UH, THINGS LIKE MRAS THAT DON'T HAVE TO BE STORED IN A REFRIGERATOR THAT DON'T EXPIRE READILY, UH, UH, THAT, THAT AVOIDS LOGISTICAL, UH, DELIVERIES THAT MIGHT BE HARD OR RISKY FOR FOLKS TO DO DURING THESE TIMES, UH, ADDITIONAL CONSTANT BEDDING AND ADDITIONAL FUEL FOR PORTABLE HEATERS.
CAUSE WE WERE CHALLENGED AT POINTS ABOUT HAVING ENOUGH FUEL ONSITE, UH, TO, TO PROVIDE THE HEAT ON SOME OF THESE PORTABLE HEATERS.
UH, AND AGAIN, UH, THIS IS A REGULAR PROCESS WE DO EVERY YEAR.
UH, WE DO REVIEWS OF THE PROCESS AND UPDATES, UH, TO ADDRESS THEM.
ONE LAST THING I POINTED OUT, I DIDN'T CATCH THEIR REAL QUICK, BUT JUST AS IMPORTANT ON AN ONGOING PROCESS IS THAT WE DO CHECKLISTS EVERY YEAR AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE ADDING AN EVENT AND SCENARIO TRAINING THAT WRAPS AROUND THAT.
SO WE HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE FOLKS ON WHAT IFS BEYOND THE ACTUAL CHECKLIST ITSELF.
WHAT IF THE DURATION IS A CERTAIN LENGTH, UH, WHAT IF THIS HAPPENS AND SO ON SO THAT THAT'S THE, UH, OVERALL, UH, INCLUSION OF MY SLIDES.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, I'LL TRY AND ANSWER THEM.
YOU CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT PRESENTATION.
MAYOR CITY MANAGER, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANKS FOR THE TIME TO PRESENT ON A VERY IMPORTANT PROGRAM OF VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.
AND ALSO THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT THAT YOU'VE GIVEN OVER THE LAST YEAR.
WE GET A NEW CONTRACT IN AND OUR IMPLEMENTATION OF A PLAN TO GET AHEAD OF THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.
SO I'LL TALK VERY QUICKLY ABOUT THE STORM ITSELF AND WHAT WE DID INVENTION VEGETATION MANAGEMENT SIDE.
THEN I'LL GET INTO OUR CURRENT PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE GOT.
UH, WE AS AUSTIN ENERGY SAW THIS AS THREE DISTINCT STORMS WHERE I KNEW THE CUSTOMERS KIND OF SOLID ONE.
AND THEN YOU ADDED THE LOAD SHED IN BETWEEN THE PREPONDERANCE OF
[01:35:01]
THE OUTAGES AND THE DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED OUT THERE WAS DUE TO THE, AND THEN THE HEIGHT SINCE NO IS IT BUILT UPON THE VEGETATION AND EVEN THE ONES THAT WERE OUTSIDE OF THE ESTABLISHED CLARENCE AT THAT TIME, SOMEONE STILL CAME INTO THE FACILITIES WITH ALL SOME OF THE OUTAGES.SO THIS HAS KIND OF SHOWS ON THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, NOTHING WOULD HAVE GENERATION, NOTHING ON THE TRANSMISSION, WHICH WE'VE GOT A VERY ROBUST TWENTY-FIVE FOOT, UH, PROGRAM, BUT THE DISTRIBUTION THAT WAS THE PRIMARY, BUT WE DID HAVE SOME AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS.
AND THEN WE DID HAVE SOME EQUIPMENT FAILURE, BUT THE VEGETATION WAS DEFINITELY THE LEADER.
SO I WANTED TO SHOW THIS JUST AS A TIMELINE.
WHEN WE GOT A FORECAST THAT THE STORM FOR COMING IN, WE HAD 38 CREWS, LOCAL CREWS THAT WERE ON SYSTEM WITH LOCAL CREWS.
WE BUMPED THAT UP TO 42 TO HAVE ON SYSTEM FOR THE FIRST ICE STORM.
WHEN IT CAME IN, WHEN WE GOT THE NOTIFICATION THAT SECOND ICE STORM WAS COMING IN, WE REACHED OUT FOR MUTUAL AID AND BROUGHT IN ANOTHER 32 MUTUAL AID CREWS FOR DISTRIBUTION CREWS.
AND THEN AFTER FEBRUARY 21ST, WHEN ALL OF THE CUSTOMER WERE BACK ON, WE KEPT THOSE CREWS FOR AN ADDITIONAL FIVE DAYS.
JUST TRY TO GET SOME OF THE VEGETATION OUT THERE.
AND SOME OF THE TRIMMINGS WHICH SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAD BROUGHT UP OR SOME OF THE ISSUES, UH, JUST TRYING TO HELP THE CUSTOMERS OF AUSTIN ENERGY.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, WE WERE LOOKING AT IT FROM PILLARS WITH EXCELLENCE, THREE OF RELIABILITY ON OUR UNDER-PERFORMANCE CIRCUIT, SUSTAINABILITY GETTING IN ON A FIVE TO SEVEN YEAR TERM CYCLE CYCLE, AND THEN THE FIRE MITIGATION.
SO THERE'S JUST KIND OF, IT'S THE SIZE AND SCOPE OF THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.
AND THIS GOES FROM MARCH UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND IT'S BROKEN DOWN BY THE COLUMN TICKETS, WHICH CAN EITHER BE AUSTIN ENERGY EMPLOYEES, OR IT CAN BE CUSTOMERS THAT CALL IN OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS ARE PLANNED CIRCUIT WORK.
AND THEN ALSO OUR WALMART WITH PETER UNDERPERFORMING BEATERS.
SO THIS SHOWS THAT THE EXTENDED CONDITION, THIS WAS
WHEN WE HAD A LARGE AMOUNT OF OUTAGES OUT THERE.
THIS WAS PRIOR TO US GETTING IN THERE AND ACTUALLY DOING THE TRIMMING.
BUT THIS DOES SHOW WHAT A LARGE PORTION OF OUR PETERS DO LOOK LIKE AT THIS DATE AND TIME.
THIS JUST SHOWS THE ENVIRONMENTAL LIMITATIONS, WHICH WE SPOKE OF BEFORE THE POINT ABOUT THE BIRD HABITAT OF THE MID POINT OUT IS EVEN WHEN WE'RE IN AN OLD SEASON, WE STILL CONTINUE TO PRUNE ON THAT LINE.
SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE WORKING WITH US ON EDUCATING THE CUSTOMER, THE NEIGHBORHOODS, BECAUSE WE CAN TRIM OAK DURING THE OAK WILT ABOUT TAKING CARE OF CLEAN INTO TOOLS AFTER EACH CUT AND ALSO TREATING THE TREES AS WE CUT.
SO, UH, SOME OF THAT WE ARE GETTING IN FRONT OF NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THE CONTRACT WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR.
IT'S FINALLY CAME TO ROTATION ON JANUARY 17TH OF THIS YEAR, THE 38 CREWS THAT WE STARTED WITH ON THE DISTRIBUTION VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, BY THE END OF MAY, WE'RE GOING TO BE UP TO 58 TOTAL CREWS ON THE VEGETATION, AND THIS IS STRICTLY TO DISTRIBUTION.
AND JUST GIVING THEM BACK AROUND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ASHLYN, RIGHT? AND DAVEY, THESE ARE THE, JUST A SMALLER COMPANIES.
MATTER OF FACT, ASHLYN AND RIDE HAVE BEEN AROUND SINCE 1928 AND DAVEY TREE SERVICES ACTUALLY BEEN AROUND SINCE 1880 AND THEY RANGE ON EMPLOYEES ANYWHERE BETWEEN 34,000 TO AROUND 9,500 BOYS.
SO THESE ARE ONES WE'VE TRAINED OUR BIRTH PLUS TO TREAT TREMORS THAT THEY HAVE.
SO THESE ARE ALL TIED UP IN THESE THAT WE ARE USING FOR VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.
SO THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE A GREAT JOB IN IDENTIFYING WILDFIRE RISK AND THEY WERE THE ONES THAT ACTUALLY PROVIDED THIS BY DISTRICT.
WE'VE BEEN IN COLLABORATION WITH THEM OVER THE LAST YEAR, MEETING WITH THEM AND DISCUSSING THE WILDFIRE RISK AND WHAT WE CAN DO ON OUR TRIMMING TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE GIVING THEM ALL THE SUPPORT THAT THEY CAN DO TO PROTECT THE SAFETY OF THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN ENERGY.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'VE DONE.
I SPOKE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CONTINUING TO PROVE AGAIN, THE WILT AND ALSO DOING SOME ROONEY AS LONG AS WE GET THE CUSTOMER'S APPROVAL.
AND WE ARE PRIORITIZING APPROVING OUTSIDE OF THE WINDOW, WHICH IS AUGUST TO JANUARY.
WE'VE GOT THE INDUSTRY STANDARD NOW FOR THE PRUNING, WITH THE FAST GROWING AT 15 SLOW GROWING HERE, 10 FEET.
AND THEN AS I STATED EARLIER, THE POSSIBILITY OF PRUNING THAT, OH, YOU'RE IN OKLAHOMA.
AS LONG AS WE DO THE PROPER METHOD OF CLEANING TOOLS IN BETWEEN EACH CUT AND ALSO PROTECTING THE CUTS.
ALL WE REALLY NEED ON THIS ONE.
IT'S JUST, THERE'S JUST THE SAME THING THAT WE'VE HAD JUST TO THE COLLABORATION THAT WE'VE GOT WITH CITY COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, PROPERTY OWNERS, WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE TREE PRUNING AND REMOVAL OR THE INFRASTRUCTURE ESTABLISHING WHAT THE STANDARDS ARE ON THE CLEARANCES.
AND THEN JUST SO THEY KNOW THAT DONE FROM TREES THAT THE LIKELIHOOD OF FIRE AND GETTING CLOSE TO THE TREES
[01:40:01]
ON THE FIRE LINES WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THEY'RE TOO CLOSE AND THAT THE BULLETS TALKING ABOUT THE TEXAS WILDFIRE MITIGATION, THAT POWER LINE COST 4,000 MILE FIRES 2009 TO 2013.AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAYS 60% OF OUR STRUCTURES ARE IN MALL, FIRE PRONE AREAS.
JUST ANOTHER REASON IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.
AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.
UM, SO I I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH YOU FOR AWHILE ON THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, WHICH HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE IN MY DISTRICT.
UM, CAN YOU SPEAK TO, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE'RE HERE TALKING ABOUT THE STORM PIECE, CAN YOU SPEAK TO DIFFERENCES? YOU SAW CIRCUITS THAT WERE CLEARED AHEAD OF THE STORM AND ONES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED AS HIGH RISK, BUT NOT YET CLEARED.
AND WHAT KIND OF DIFFERENCE WE SAW IN THE POWER OUTAGES THAT WERE NOT FROM ERCOT.
I'M GOING TO HAVE TO BUY YOU LUNCH ON TNB UP ON THAT ONE.
COMMISSIONER HALTER ACTUALLY MADE A NOTE.
IF WE HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME, NORTHLAND 13 IS ONE THAT'S UP IN A COUNCIL MEMBER WALTER'S AREA IN THE NORTHWEST WOODS THAT HAD OVER SIX VEGETATION OUTAGES IN 2019 AND EARLY 2020.
WE'D FINISHED THAT PRUNING RIGHT BEFORE THE STORM, DURING THE ICE STORM, THERE WAS ZERO VEGETATION OUTAGES ON THAT CIRCUIT.
WE CAN REALLY INCREASE THE RELIABILITY TO THESE LINES EXPEDITIOUSLY.
SO THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT QUESTION, PLEASE.
AND BY THE TIME YOU'RE DONE WITH THE PRUNING THAT'S PLANNED FOR THE SUMMER, HOW MUCH, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE HIGH-RISK, UM, FOR WILDFIRE CIRCUITS WILL BE FINISHED? WE'VE GOT FOUR THAT ARE, WE'RE TARGETING TO BE FINISHED BY MID JULY RIGHT NOW, THE OTHER SIX ARE ON THE WORK PLAN.
EIGHT INTENT IS BEFORE THE WILDFIRE HITS TO HAVE CREWS ACTIVELY ON THOSE.
THOSE WILL NOT FINISH UNTIL APPROXIMATELY THE FALL, JUST BECAUSE OF THE LENGTH OF THE LINES, SOME OF THOSE, BUT BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, WE'RE EXPECTING TO HAVE THE 10 WILDFIRE CIRCUITS, WHICH HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BACK TO THE INDUSTRY STANDARD.
SO THE, BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, YOU EXPECT TO HAVE THE 10, 10 AT THE CALENDAR YEAR.
SO BY THE END OF THAT CALENDAR YEAR, YOU'RE EXPECTING THAT THE 10 HIGHEST RISK WILDFIRE CIRCUITS WILL HAVE HAD THEIR PRINTING DONE.
AND THEN FOR THE PRUNING THAT WAS COVERED DURING THE STORM, UM, APPRECIATE YOU GUYS WORKING WITH US TO PICK UP ANY TRIMMINGS THAT WERE STILL REMAINING.
UM, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW AUSTIN ENERGY IS HELPING WITH SOME OF THAT VEGETATION MANAGEMENT FOR THE, THE LIMBS, ET CETERA, WHICH CREATE A DIFFERENT KIND OF WILDFIRE HAZARD THAN THE LIMBS ON THE, ON THE, UM, WIRES? NO, THE INDUSTRY STANDARD IS THE UTILITIES DON'T COOK DIFFERENT EMERGENCIES FOR EACH REGION, BUT DUE TO THE EXTENT OF THE NATURE OF THIS STORM, WHICH WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT I THINK ANY OF US WANT TO SEE AGAIN, THERE WAS LARGE CONCERNS ON THE GERMANS THAT WERE LEFT BEHIND.
SO THE AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY, WE ACTUALLY DEVELOPED A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM ON BOTH OF US ASSISTING ON GETTING THE TREE LIMBS OUT TO THE FRONT.
I'VE GOT MY LINE FOR YOU IS ACTUALLY IDENTIFIED SOME HELPERS THAT IF AN INDIVIDUAL IS PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO GET THOSE TREE TRIMS TO THE FRONT FROM THE STORM, AND WE'LL ACTUALLY GO UP TO THE FRONT OF THE ROADWAY FOR THE AUSTIN RECOVERY, IF IT'S OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS.
THEN MY FRUITS WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO ASSIST THAT BASED UPON FEEDBACK THAT WE HAVE FROM SOME INDIVIDUALS OUT AND ON SOME NUMBER ALTERS AREA, DOING HIKING AND SEEING SOMEONE GREENBELTS.
BUT WE ALSO SENT SOME OF OUR HELPERS OUT, WALK THOSE ROUTES OUT, PULL UP TO THE ROAD TO GET THOSE INTO THE CHIPPER.
WHAT WERE YOU HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT DOING IS COMING UP WITH A PLAN FOR IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE THIS, THIS COULD ALSO BE A LARGE THUNDERSTORM.
WE COULD BE IN THE SAME POSITION AGAIN.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT WAYS TO POTENTIALLY HAVE A STORM CONTRACT THAT WE CAN USE CONTRACTS FROM THE CITY WITH MINORITY AND BUILDING COMPANIES.
SINCE WE DON'T REQUIRE AN OUTAGE TO GO GET IT, THEN TO MAYBE USE THAT CONTRACT, TO HAVE PEOPLE ASSIST ON THAT.
SO OUR TREE TRIMMERS THAT ARE DOING IT, WHICH WE ALSO WON'T TREAT FOR HIM.
SO I'VE GOT MY CIVIL ENGINEER OR CONTRACTOR MANAGER LOOKING INTO PROCUREMENT TO SEE HOW WE COULD ESSENTIALLY SET THAT UP.
SO THAT'S SOME STUFF THAT WE'RE DOING AND TRYING TO ASSIST
[01:45:01]
ON SOME HALL.AND THEN FOR MY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE ALSO FACING THE ISSUE OF THE AFTERMATH OF THE, THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT OR ON THOSE LINES, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH AUSTIN ENERGY AND NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS AND OTHER THINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROGRAM IS FOLKS UNDERSTANDING HOW AUSTIN ENERGY IS PROPOSING TO APPROACH, UH, VEGETATION MANAGEMENT AND BRINGING THE COMMUNITY ON BOARD TO FACILITATE THAT PROCESS.
ONE OF THE REASONS IT TAKES SO LONG IS THE NEIGHBOR NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON, UM, SO THAT IT CAN BE DONE IN AN EFFICIENT WAY WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THAT.
BUY-IN, IT'S MUCH HARDER, UM, TO GET IT DONE IN A TIMELY BASIS.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH AUSTIN ENERGY TO SPEED, TO SPEED THAT UP.
THANK YOU, MAYOR CITY MANAGER, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
APPRECIATE THE TIME RICHARD'S.
I KNOW YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, BUT THE QUESTION OF ONE, LET ME FIRST SAY THAT, UH, YOU AND YOUR STAFF, UM, UH, WERE WORKING INCREDIBLY HARD.
I JUST WANT TO, TO EMPHASIZE AND REITERATE WHAT YOU SAID IN YOUR OPENING.
UM, UH, EVERYBODY IN HER GROUP SEEMED TO BE OUT ALL OF THE TIME.
UH, AND I KNOW THAT FOR ALL THE FRUSTRATION PEOPLE HAD, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE POWER, THAT FRUSTRATION WAS MOST KEENLY FELT BY, BY YOUR FOLKS, UH, WORKING REALLY FAST, WORKING IN THE DARK AND WORKING IN REALLY RISKY, UH, SITUATIONS, I THINK.
UH, SO THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR THAT AS WE GO FORWARD, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO ADJUST THE CIRCUITS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CITY SO THAT, UH, WE HAVE LESS NON-CRITICAL, UH, LOAD ON OUR CRITICAL SURROGATES, SUCH THAT WE CAN KEEP THOSE CRITICAL CIRCUITS ON, UH, AND HAVE MORE OF THE CITY NOT ON CRITICAL THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO TURN OFF IF IT MAKES SENSE TO DO THAT.
AS WE ARE DOING OUR AFTER ACTION REPORT, THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND WE WILL BE EVALUATING, UM, HOW WE MANAGE THAT AND BETTER ARE BETTER ABLE TO SERVE OUR CUSTOMERS.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE, AND WE'RE NOT ALONE IN THIS OTHER COMMUNITIES, WE'RE IN THE SAME SITUATION IS THAT WE DO HAVE A VERY DENSE SERVICE AREA FOR THE MOST PART.
AND WE HAVE CRITICAL LOADS SPREAD THROUGHOUT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, MANAGING THAT WITHOUT HAVING DUPLICATION OF POWER LINES, UH, SERVING TERRITORY'S BEING ABLE TO DO THAT EFFICIENTLY, UM, IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE COMMANDERS AROUND.
UM, AND SO WE ARE ALSO WORKING, UM, TO LOOK AT, IS THERE SOME WAY WITH OUR LARGER CUSTOMERS AND OUR COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS TO ALLOW THEM TO BACK DOWN, UH, THEIR CONSUMPTION AND THEIR USE OF ELECTRICITY DURING AN EVENT THAT WE CAN COUNT THAT FOR LOAD SHED.
SO THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE WORKED OUT ON THAT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE SOLUTIONS AND ALL THE ANSWERS, UH, BUT WE WILL BE LOOKING AT THAT.
AND, AND INCLUDING THAT IN OUR AFTER ACTION REPORTING, A LOT OF PEOPLE EAGER TO SEE THAT THAT SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO FIND A SOLUTION FOR.
UM, SO I I'M ANXIOUS TO SEE WHO OR WHAT THAT ANSWER IS.
SO HAS THAT SEEMS TO BE, UH, A CHALLENGE THAT WE CAN'T TURN OFF, NOT CRITICAL LOAD WE'RE WE'RE, WE'RE STRESSED.
DOES ANY OF THAT, OF SUCH HIGH PROPORTION, THAT IT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS INCLUDED IN ANY OF THE PLANNING SCENARIOS? SO WE HAD PLANS FOR CIRCUITS THAT WE COULD ROTATE, AND WE HAD EXTRA CIRCUITS, LET ME CALL THEM SPARE CIRCUITS THAT WE PLAN, BUT BECAUSE OF THE WAY THIS EVENT PLAYED OUT ACROSS THE ENTIRE, UM, STATE OF TEXAS AND INTO NEIGHBORING STATES AND FROM UP IN CANADA DOWN TO THE COAST, UM, AND IT HAPPENED SO QUICKLY THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN WE WERE OUT OF THOSE CIRCUITS.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT AND WE'LL BE ADDRESSING THAT'S OUR COOL.
YEAH, I WAS JUST GOING TO, UM, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LIKE
[01:50:01]
THE HIGH RISES THAT WERE STILL LIT UP, UM, LIKE MONDAY AND TUESDAY WHEN WE KNEW THAT THE LOAD SHED WAS HAPPENING.AND I THINK I TALKED WITH, UM, GENERAL MANAGER, UM, SERGEANT ABOUT THAT AT THE TIME, JACKIE, CAN YOU REMEMBER THAT CONVERSATION AND MAYBE SHARE SOME OF THE, UM, THE REASONS FOR, I THINK IT HAD TO DO WITH THE, UH, GENERALLY THE FACILITIES MANAGERS, THEMSELVES BEING ABLE TO GET, TO GET TO THOSE HIGH RISES AND SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO THERE WERE COMPLICATING FACTORS, INCLUDING MAYBE, UH, TECH HUBS IN SOME OF THOSE BUILDINGS THAT HAD TO STAY AT A CERTAIN TEMPERATURE, BUT, UM, DO YOU REMEMBER THAT CONVERSATION? YES.
AND WHAT WAS CHALLENGING FOR US? UH, THE DOWNTOWN SYSTEM IS ON A 35,000 VOLT, UH, NETWORK AND IT'S, UM, OPERATED, YOU KNOW, THE COMPONENTS OF THAT ARE UNDER UNDERGROUND AND THE CONDITIONS ARE SUCH THAT, UM, YOU WOULD HAVE TO SEND PEOPLE INTO VAULTS TO BE ABLE TO SHUT OFF ANY OF THOSE CIRCUITS AND UNDER THE CONDITIONS WITH THE SEVERE WEATHER AND THE ICE, THE WET, THE COLD, IT WAS NOT SOMETHING WE COULD DO SAFELY.
UM, WE REACHED OUT TO THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
WE REACHED OUT TO, UM, THE BUILDING OWNERS MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION AND OTHERS, UH, TRYING TO GET THEM TO SHUT OFF THEIR LIGHTS.
AND, UM, IT WAS, IT WAS VERY CHALLENGING AND VERY FRUSTRATING, UM, AND SOMETHING THAT WE COULDN'T JUST OPERATE THAT NETWORK AND SHUT DOWN AND SECTIONALIZED AND, AND, AND OPERATE THAT SYSTEM SAFELY UNDER, UH, THE CONDITION IT'S NOT DESIGNED.
IT'S, IT'S INTENTIONALLY DESIGNED TO BE, UM, UH, RELIABLE AND OPERATED IN THE WAY THAT IT IS.
UM, SO, BUT THAT THE PERCEPTION AND THE OPTICS ON THAT WAS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING AND CHALLENGING.
UM, AND I'LL JUST NO MAYOR ON THAT TOPIC.
I MEAN, WE HAD A REALLY, UH, IMPORTANT AND PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSIONS WITH THOSE PARTNERS THAT JACKIE, UM, THE MS SERGEANT WAS MENTIONING.
AND SO REALLY ACKNOWLEDGING THEIR WILLINGNESS TO ENGAGE US QUICKLY AND REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE REACHING OUT TO THEIR MEMBERS, UH, TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE ALL WANTED TO DO AT THIS POINT WAS TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.
AND WE DID HAVE THAT, UH, SUPPORT FROM, UH, THOSE PARTNERS THAT, UH, MS. SARGENT MENTIONED.
ARE WE READY? CAN WE ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT OTHER THINGS? SO DOES ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT WINTERIZATION AND THE OTHER I WANTED TO TOUCH BASE ON? UM, AND THANK YOU, THOSE PHOTOS REALLY, I THINK HELP ILLUSTRATE JUST HOW CHALLENGING IT WAS FOR ALL OF YOUR STAFF.
I, I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO READING THE AFTER ACTION REPORT AND SEEING SOME OF THOSE DETAILS ABOUT WHAT THE CONDITIONS WERE LIKE AND HOW STAFF GOT OUT THERE.
AND I JUST THINK THAT'S A REALLY, I WANT TO THROW TO TOUCH ON THE OUTREACH TO MEDICALLY VULNERABLE CUSTOMERS.
I REMEMBERED YOU SAYING THAT IN THE, IN ONE OF MAYBE MULTIPLE PRESS CONFERENCES, AND YOU MENTIONED IT AGAIN TODAY, AND I WANTED TO ASK YOU TO KIND OF ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT ON, UM, ONE I KNOW, EXCUSE ME, I KNOW PEOPLE, EXCUSE ME, OPT INTO THAT AND, AND HAVE TO MAKE THEMSELVES KNOWN.
IF YOU COULD PROVIDE US WITH SOME INFORMATION ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON THAT MEDICALLY VULNERABLE LIST.
AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED NEXT, AS YOU REACHED OUT, AS YOUR STAFF REACHED OUT TO INDIVIDUALS ON THAT LIST, IF THEY WERE WITHOUT POWER, WHAT WERE SOME OF THE NEXT STEPS FOR MAKING SURE THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS WERE SAFE? IF I NEVER REALLY KIND OF HEARD THE PART, TWO OF THAT STORY, HOW, HOW OUR STAFF RESPONDED AND, UM, WHAT YOU DID, IF YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO REACH, UM, SOME OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
SO FOR THAT PROGRAM, UM, THOSE CUSTOMERS HAVE TO HAVE A BACKUP PLAN.
UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS COMMUNICATED AND SHARED WITH US.
AND SO IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO REACH THEM, THEY HAVE AN EMERGENCY CONTACT THAT WE REACH OUT TO AND, AND MAKE THAT CONTACT AND THEN MAKE SURE THAT THEIR PLANS ARE IMPLEMENTED.
AND I SEE THAT MY DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER AND CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER CARRY OVER IS WITH US.
AND I'M GOING TO LET CARRIE EXPOUND ON THAT A LITTLE MORE, CARRIE, UH, YES, UH, CARRIE OVERTON, UH, CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER, UH, JACKIE IS CORRECT THAT WE WORK WITH THOSE MEDICAL VULNERABLE CUSTOMERS TO HAVE EXISTING EMERGENCY PLANS IN PLACE.
WE STARTED OUR CONTACT WITH THOSE CUSTOMERS.
[01:55:02]
ASSOCIATED WITH THAT LISTING.WE STARTED OUR NOTIFICATIONS AND CONTACTS, UM, AS OUR, UM, AS THE STORM WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE IN OUR PREPARATION FOR THE STORM IN THAT WE REACHED ALL 200, 200 OF THE 220 DIRECTLY, EITHER THE CUSTOMER OR THEIR CONTACT THAT'S LISTED ON FILE.
WE DO OUTREACH TO THEM OF THE 20 THAT WE DID NOT HEAR.
BUT, UH, BACK FROM, WE ISSUED A NOTICE OUT TO EMS TO DO AN EMERGENCY WELLNESS CHECK AND AT, AT, UH, DEPENDING ON THE TIME PERIOD THAT THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, UM, AS THEY GOT THROUGH THE CHECKS, THERE WERE NINE, THERE WERE NINE THAT WE HAD TO SEND A CREW OUT FROM MY FIELD SERVICES GROUP TO GO MAKE A CHECK, JUST BECAUSE OF THE TIMING THAT EMS WAS ALSO OVERLOADED.
AND ONLY ONE CUSTOMER HAD TO GET TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL.
UM, THEY CHOSE TO BE THERE RATHER THAN STAYING IN THEIR HOUSE.
THERE WAS NO CONDITIONS, MEDICAL ISSUES AT THAT TIME.
THEY FELT THAT THEY WERE OKAY AT THEIR HOME.
UM, AND ONE CHOSE TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL.
CAN I MAKE SURE I CAPTURED THAT I, I MISSED ONE LITTLE PIECE OF THAT, UM, SAID THERE ARE 220 INDIVIDUALS ON THE MEDICALLY VULNERABLE REGISTRY AND YOU WERE, AND YOU WERE ABLE TO REACH 200 OF THEM.
AND THEN EMS OF THOSE 20 EMS DID SOME OF THE EMERGENCY WELL CHECKS, BUT YOUR FIELD STAFF DID THE OTHER NINE.
AND THEN OF THOSE 20 OR OF THE 221 INDIVIDUAL NEEDED TO BE TRANSPORTED OF THE OTHER 220 IT'S IT'S BOTH.
IT WAS ONLY ONE PERSON OUT OF THE 220 TOTAL THAT HAD TO BE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL.
AND SO DOES THAT MEAN THE REST OF THEM STILL HAD POWER OR THAT THEY DIDN'T NEED, THEY WEREN'T IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY FELT LIKE THEY NEEDED, HE MAY HAVE LOST POWER, BUT THEY DIDN'T FEEL THEY NEEDED TO BE TRANSPORTED.
THEY EITHER, IF THEY LOST POWER, THEY ACTUALLY, UM, HAD ALREADY MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO MOVE IN WHERE THEIR EMERGENCY CONTACT WAS.
UM, MANY OF THEM, UM, IF THEY HAD LOST POWER, UH, WE MADE CONTACT WITH THEM, BUT THEY DECIDED THAT THE CONDITIONS WERE THAT THEY, THEY CHOSE TO STAY AT THEIR HOUSE.
AND FOR, FOR FILLING US IN ON HOW STAFF RESPONDED IN THOSE SITUATIONS, WHERE, WHERE THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO MAKE CONTACT OR WERE ABLE TO VERIFY THAT THAT INDIVIDUAL WAS OKAY, HOW DO, CAN YOU REMIND ALL OF US JUST HOW PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO ACCESS THEM? HOW, HOW DID THIS ONE GET THEMSELVES ON THE MEDICALLY VULNERABLE LIST? WHAT'S THE PROCESS AND WHAT ARE, WHAT'S THE THRESHOLD FOR BEING PART OF IT? UH, YES, UH, OUR CUSTOMERS CAN SIGN UP, UM, ON OUR WEBSITE OR THEY CAN CONTACT US, UH, THROUGH OUR UTILITY CALL CENTER.
AND THOSE CONDITIONS ARE FOR THOSE CUSTOMERS THAT ARE EITHER ON LIFE SUPPORT EQUIPMENT OR, UH, DEFINITION OF CRITICAL ILLNESS.
AND THOSE, UM, ALSO NEED TO BE SUPPORTED WITH A DOCTOR'S, UH, NOTICE, UH, SUPPORTING, UH, WHAT THAT CRITICAL ILLNESS IS.
UM, WE WOULD DO A REVIEW WITHIN OUR CAPS ORGANIZATION AND THEY WILL BE, UM, MANAGED, UM, DIRECTLY THROUGH THAT CAPS TEAM, PROVIDING, UM, OUTREACH SERVICES TO THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ESCORTED THEM THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS ALL THE WAY TO THE POINT THAT THEY ARE EITHER, UM, ON THE MEDICAL, VULNERABLE, VULNERABLE LIST OR GIVEN A REASON WHY THEY CANNOT BE PLACED ON THAT LIST.
THANK YOU FOR THAT PERMISSION.
OH, FOUR NINE, FOUR 9,400 (512) 494-9400 IS THE CONTACT NUMBER.
THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOUR STAFF WHO WORKED ON THAT OUTRAGE AND WORK ON THAT PROGRAM AND SUPPORT THOSE CUSTOMERS, YOU KNOW, YEAR ROUND, NOT JUST DURING EMERGENCIES.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, ENERGY, KATHY? I'M SORRY.
ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, SO ONE, ONE ISSUE I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE EITHER HERE OR, AND I HAVE SOME OTHERS IN HERE, BUT I THINK THEY'RE REASONABLY EASY TO, TO JUST ADDRESS IN THE REPORT AND YOU PROBABLY ALREADY ADDRESSING THEM IN THE REPORT, WHICH IS WHY I'M NOT RAISING THEM LIKE COLD, COLD LOAD PICKUP, WHICH WE TALKED ABOUT A LOT, BUT I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH OF A PROBLEM IT TURNED OUT TO BE, AND THAT KIND OF THING.
BUT I AM INTERESTED IN ANSWERING A QUESTION.
I KNOW MANY OF THE PUBLIC WERE ASKING AT THE TIME AND SINCE, AND THAT IS ABOUT, UM,
[02:00:01]
THE LOAD, THE LOAD SHED REQUIRED OF SURROUNDING MUNICIPALITIES OR OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN THE AREA.IT SOUNDED LIKE IN, IN MANY CASES, OTHER MUNICIPALITIES WERE ABLE TO ROTATE AND SEEM TO HAVE JUST MUCH LOWER REQUIREMENTS FOR THAT.
UM, I'M WONDERING IF, IF YOU COULD ADDRESS THAT, IT SEEMED LIKE THE CITIES WAS IT THAT THE, THE AMOUNT OF BENEFIT FROM SOME OF THOSE SMALLER MUNICIPALITIES WAS NOT GREAT, AND THAT'S WHY THE CITIES SEEM TO HAVE, HAVE, UM, MORE AND MORE OF THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR, OR THE MORE OF THE, THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THAT LOAD SHED, OR IF YOU COULD JUST ADDRESS THAT, IS IT, UH, IT MAY BE A MISCONCEPTION THAT SOME OF THEM HAD HAD MUCH, UM, THAT THE, THAT THE REQUIREMENTS SEEM TO BE MUCH LESS FOR THOSE MUNICIPALITIES, UM, OR THERE MAY BE A RE UH, A REASON WHY THAT WAS THE CASE, BUT JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU TO ADDRESS THAT.
SO A NUMBER OF THE COMMUNITIES ARE WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS OF ANOTHER PROVIDER.
AND SO THAT THEN THE LOAD SHED REQUIREMENT THAT THEY HAVE GET SPREAD ACROSS A BIGGER FOOTPRINT AND THEY'RE MORE SPREAD OUT.
UM, AND THEY DON'T HAVE AS MUCH CRITICAL LOAD ON THEIR SYSTEMS. AND SO THERE WERE MULTIPLE, UM, COMMUNITIES THAT WERE IMPACTED BECAUSE OF THE INABILITY UM, TO ROTATE OUTAGES, WHICH IS, AS I MENTIONED IN MY OPENING REMARKS BY ERCOT IS NOW REFERRING TO THEM AS CONTROLLED OUTAGES.
AND SO I THINK THAT THERE IS SOME MISUNDERSTANDING, UH THAT'S OUT THERE.
UM, BUT AUSTIN ENERGY CERTAINLY WAS NOT THE ONLY UTILITY THAT WAS CHALLENGED IN BEING ABLE TO ROTATE OUTAGES.
I UNDER, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT, KNOW THAT SOME OF THE OTHER LARGE CITY, I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE ALL OF THE OTHER LARGE CITIES WHERE WE'RE REALLY IMPACTED.
UM, AND I'M GOING TO TRY TO USE THAT NEW PHRASE TOO, WHICH IS BETTER, MORE DESCRIPTIVE OF THE ACTUAL CIRCUMSTANCE.
UM, I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND WHY SOME OF THOSE SMALLER TOWNS AND SMALLER AREAS MAY NOT HAVE INFANT IMPACTED ADULT OR MAY ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ROTATE.
BUT AS I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, PART OF IT MIGHT'VE BEEN PART, PART MIGHT BE BECAUSE THEY'RE WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS, THAT THEY ARE WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS OVER A VERY LARGE TERRITORY.
SO THE, SO IT GETS SPREAD OUT MORE, WHICH I'LL HAVE TO THINK THROUGH A LITTLE BIT, BUT THE OTHER IS THAT THEY MAY ALSO NOT HAVE CRITICAL LOADS THAT HAD TO BE ON THEIR SYSTEM.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE CRITICAL LOADS NECESSARILY.
AND SO IT WAS VERY EASY TO ROTATE BECAUSE THERE WEREN'T ANY THAT HAD TO MAINTAIN POWER THE WHOLE TIME.
I THINK I SAID ANYTHING ELSE I'M LOST IN THE ENERGY, JACKIE.
LOOK FORWARD TO FOR ALL THE REPORTS AT THE END OF THIS RACE HERE.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
UH, I THINK THAT WE MOVED TO THE AUSTIN WATER EDITOR.
THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, AND THEY ARE ON THE LINE.
THEY'RE JUST GOING TO BE MOVED OVER, BUT WE DO HAVE DIRECTOR MASSARO WHO WILL LEAD OFF THIS PRESENTATION AS SOON AS HE GETS OVER IT.
HELLO, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UH, DIRECTOR GREG NAZIR IS HERE.
I ALSO HAVE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, UH, ANA BRIAN WARHAWK HERE AVAILABLE TODAY AND, UH, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
COLLEAGUES QUESTIONS ON US WATER, KATHY.
YOU WANT TO KICK US OFF? SURE.
I HAVE, UH, A COUPLE THAT, THAT I THINK WE HAVEN'T TOUCHED ON EARLIER, UM, IN SOME OF THE OTHER DISCUSSIONS, WHY DON'T WE START BY TALKING ABOUT, COULD YOU, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT CONSUMPTION AND HOW QUICKLY NOT CONSUMPTION, BUT THE DROPPING HOW QUICKLY THE WATER SITUATION BECAME DIRE AND, AND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, EARLY ON OR WHEN YOU STARTED TO GET THE NUMBERS, YOU ACTUALLY SENT SOMEBODY TO, TO VERIFY IT BECAUSE IT HAD DROPPED.
SO THE, THE RESOURCES HAD DROPPED SO DRAMATICALLY.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE QUESTIONS I POSTED ON THE MESSAGE BOARD TODAY.
SO I'LL JUST READ THE ONE AT THE, AT THE WATER FORWARD TASKFORCE BRIEFING COMMISSIONER FAUST HAD ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT HOW CONSUMPTION DURING THE WINTER STORM COMPARED TO THE AVERAGE SUMMER CONSUMPTION.
AND IT SEEMED TO BE, AND IT MAY BE
[02:05:01]
A MISUNDERSTANDING, BUT IT SEEMED TO BE THAT, THAT THE CONSUMPTION WAS PRETTY COMPARABLE.IS THAT ACCURATE? WAS THAT AN ACCURATE UNDERSTANDING OF THAT CONVERSATION? AND THEN IF SO, UM, WHY WAS THE STORAGE, WHY WAS THE STORAGE ISSUE? WHY WAS THIS, WHERE WAS THE STORAGE AT THE RESERVOIRS DEPLETED? UM, SO DEPLETED DURING THE WINTER STORM.
SO DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? DO YOU REMEMBER THAT CONVERSATION OR COULD YOU TAKE IT FROM HERE? AND I THINK I CAN NARRATE THAT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, SO, UM, I, I THINK THERE WERE SOME FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE USE PATTERNS WE SAW DURING THE WINTER STORM EMERGENCY AND THE TYPICAL USE PATTERNS WE WOULD SEE CERTAINLY DURING A TYPICAL A WINNER, BUT, BUT, UH, ALSO IF YOU TRY TO COMPARE IT TO A SUMMER DAY, UH, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENCES THERE AND I'LL TRY TO, UM, KIND OF COMMUNICATE THAT A BIT.
UM, W WELL, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT A TYPICAL, UH, SAY DEMAND DAY, YOU GO THROUGH A DIURNAL CYCLES.
YOU, YOU WOULD HAVE, UH, INCREASED DEMAND IN THE MORNING AND THEN DEMAND TAPERS OFF.
AND THEN TYPICALLY THERE'S ANOTHER DIURNAL PEAK IN DEMAND IN THE EVENING, AS PEOPLE ARE COMING HOME FROM WORK AND TAKING SHOWERS IN, IN SUMMER, THAT CAN BE AMPLIFIED A BIT BECAUSE OF IRRIGATION AND COOLING IS ALSO A PART OF THAT.
I MEAN, UM, IF YOU ALWAYS PLAN FOR YOUR PEAK DAYS TO HAPPEN IN THE SUMMER, UH, THAT WAS FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN WITH THIS STORM.
UH, WE, WE HAD, UH, PEAK DAYS AND PEAK HOUR DEMANDS IN THE WINTER AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER.
ONE OF THE BIG DIFFERENCES WAS, IS THE PEAK, UH, ON THAT, ON THAT TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON.
IT REALLY NEVER ABATED, UM, THAT THE PEAK CONTINUED TO CLIMB.
YOU MIGHT RECALL FROM OUR GRAPH, WE HIT A PEAK HOURLY PUMPING RATE OF 327 MILLION GALLONS A DAY, UH, ON AN HOURLY RATE.
AND, AND THE ONLY THING THAT STOPPED THAT FROM CLIMBING IS OUR AZHAR STORAGE SYSTEM.
OUR RESERVOIRS ESSENTIALLY STARTED TO EMPTY, UH, AND REALLY, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS, AS WE'VE BEEN COMMUNICATING, UH, A COMBINATION OF, YOU KNOW, EVERYDAY DEMAND, BUT ALSO THIS INTENSE DEMAND FROM ALL OF THE, UH, THE BURST PIPES ACROSS THE SYSTEM.
AND CERTAINLY NOT JUST THE PUBLIC SIDE, I THINK, AS WE'RE NOW SEVERAL MONTHS INTO THAT, IT'S A LITTLE BIT UNKNOWABLE IN TOTAL, BUT THERE WERE CERTAINLY, UH, THOUSANDS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF, OF BURST PIPES.
SO WE SAW IT KIND OF SUSTAINED PEAK THAT REALLY DIDN'T CYCLE DOWN AND CONTINUE TO DECLINE THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND ULTIMATELY DEPLETED OUR STORAGE.
I MEAN, TYPICALLY YOUR STORAGE WOULD GO DOWN DURING THE MORNING PEAK, BUT THE PEAK WOULD ABATE.
AND THEN YOU WOULD, UH, YOU WOULD, UH, BE ABLE TO REBUILD YOUR STORAGE, WHICH IS WHAT WE DO EVERY DAY.
WE GO THROUGH THOSE KINDS OF CYCLES.
I WILL SAY ALSO, UM, THE UTILITY IS NOT CONFIGURED TO MEET PEAK DEMANDS IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER.
UM, WE DO THE BULK OF OUR MAINTENANCE ON OUR PLANTS AND SOME OF OUR RESERVOIRS DURING THE WINTER MONTHS, REALLY DECEMBER, JANUARY AND FEBRUARY ARE OUR LOWEST USE MONTHS IN FEBRUARY, AND PARTICULARLY IS OUR AVERAGE LOWEST USED MONTH.
AND SO WE USE THAT TIME TO DO A LOT OF OUR MAINTENANCE AND, UH, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING THROUGH IN THE AFTER ACTION IS HOW DO WE APPROACH MAINTENANCE IN A WORLD WHERE YOU HAVE TO MEET PEAK DEMAND, NOT ONLY IN THE SUMMER, BUT MAYBE IN THE SPRING OR THE FALL BECAUSE OF A FLOODING AND A TURBIDITY EVENT LIKE WE EXPERIENCED IN 2018.
AND NOW DURING THE WINTER, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO TAKE A, A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO HOW WE GO ABOUT MAINTENANCE, UH, IN OUR, IN OUR PLANTS.
AND, UH, AND WE'VE STARTED TO START TO THINK THROUGH THAT.
UH, SIMILARLY IN OUR STORAGE SYSTEMS, WE OFTEN TAKE SOME OF OUR STORAGE SYSTEMS DOWN, UM, OUR TANKS, UH, TO INSPECT THEM, CLEAN THEM, WHAT WE WOULD CALL RECOAT, THEM, REPAINT THEM, UH, THAT, THAT IS ALSO SOMETHING WE DO IN COLD WEATHER MONTHS.
AND ANOTHER AREA THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO, UH, THINK ABOUT, UH, RECYCLING OR RE RE RETHINKING, UH, SOME OF OUR MAINTENANCE, MAYBE EVEN DEFERRING SOME MAINTENANCE THAT WE WOULD NORMALLY DO ON UNTIL WE CAN ADD ADDITIONAL STORAGE ACROSS OUR SYSTEM.
I THINK THE OTHER CHALLENGE WITH MEETING THE WINTER STORM EMERGENCY DEMAND IS WE EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT FREEZE DAMAGE AT OUR PLANTS.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE UPDATED THE COUNCIL ON SOME OF THAT IN THE PAST.
UH, AND EVEN SOME OF OUR PIPING SYSTEMS THAT WERE INSULATED AGAINST WINTER FREEZING, UH, ULTIMATELY EXPERIENCED FREEZING.
AND SO THAT'S SOME WORK THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO, UM, EVALUATE IS HOW TO STRENGTHEN THAT WINTERIZATION.
UH, ANOTHER ASPECT OF OUR OPERATIONS IN THE WINTER THAT WE EXPERIENCED IS OUR ABILITY TO RESTART A BASE IN, UH, WAS INHIBITED WITH THE WINTER STORM WATER SYSTEMS, CHEMICALS, UH, ARE NOT AS EFFECTIVE DURING, UH, HIGHLY, UH, COLD WEATHER EVENTS.
[02:10:01]
UH, AND WE FACE SOME CHALLENGES THERE ALSO, WE TYPICALLY, WHEN WE HAVE A BAIT KNIT, UM, UH, BASE IN FOR MAINTENANCE, WE HAVE IT DE-WATERED, I MEAN, WE'RE WORKING IN THERE AND OUR CREWS ARE DOWN THERE AND WE DON'T HAVE WATER.AND, AND IN THE SUMMER, IF WE HAVE TO RESTART A BASE IN, IF IT'S NOT, UH, DOWN FOR, FOR A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, WE CAN OFTEN FILL IT WITH WATER AND STARTED IN PRODUCTION PRETTY RAPIDLY.
WE HAD SOME PROBLEMS WITH THAT DURING THIS WINTER STORM, UH, WITH THE BASINS BEING DEWATERED AGAIN, THEY'VE EXPERIENCED ADDITIONAL FRINGE DAMAGE, UH, FROM, FROM THE WATER, NOT BEING AN INSULATING PART OF THAT.
AND SO THAT WAS ANOTHER LESSON THAT WE LEARNED IS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE OUR BASINS FILLED WITH WATER, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT IN OPERATION DURING THE WINTER TIME, SO WE CAN RESTART THEM AND LOWER THE RISK OF FREEZE DAMAGE.
SO I KNOW THAT'S A LONG ANSWER TO THE, TO THE QUESTION, BUT, BUT, UM, BUT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A COMBINATION OF THOSE FACTORS THAT, UH, THAT, THAT WE EXPECTED.
I MEAN, SOME OF IT WE'D CERTAINLY ADDRESSED BEFORE IN TERMS OF THE BURST PIPES AND HOW THAT HAPPENED ALL OF A SUDDEN, BUT IT'S, I APPRECIATE YOU WALKING US THROUGH THE DEMAND DIFFERENCE, HOW THE PEAK DEMAND LOOKED DIFFERENT DURING THIS EVENT THAN IT DOES IN THE SUMMER AND THE REPLENISHMENT, BUT ALSO THE ISSUE ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE.
I THINK THE UPSHOT IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK TOWARDS HAVING MORE CAPACITY AVAILABLE AT OUR PLANTS AND IN OUR STORAGE SYSTEMS YEAR ROUND, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, HISTORICALLY WE WOULD DO OUR MAINTENANCE IN THE WINTER, UH, AND EVEN IN THE FALL OR SPRING, BUT, UH, WITH THESE, UH, KIND OF ALL SEASONED RISK, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO RETHINK THAT.
AND THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO MEAN ADDITIONAL DOLLARS.
WE STARTED A LITTLE BIT OF THAT WITH SOME, UH, OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS COMING IN AND HELPING US DO MAINTENANCE, FASTER, CLEANING THINGS FASTER, WHERE WE CAN CYCLE THEM THROUGH, UH, YOU KNOW, WHERE INSTEAD OF MAYBE BEING DOWN FOR A MONTH, MAYBE IT'S ONLY DOWN FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
UH, AND I THINK THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE MORE AREAS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO EXAMINE.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, UM, DIRECTOR MASCARAS.
UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE LEAKS MAP.
I KNOW THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT, UM, HAS BEEN INTERESTING TO SEE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT MAYBE WASN'T AS PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE PREVIOUSLY IS NOW SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE CAN, CAN GO AND LOOK AT ALL THE TIME AND UNDERSTAND IF THERE'S AN ISSUE THAT'S JUST AFFECTING THEM, OR IF THERE'S SOME BIGGER SITUATION.
UM, AND I ALSO APPRECIATE A WHILE BACK IN ONE OF THESE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD, YOU SHARED A GRAPHIC THAT HAD KIND OF A, UH, GENERALIZED SYSTEM PLAN OF WHICH SECTION PEOPLE ARE IN THE WATER SYSTEM AND KIND OF WHICH ELEVATION THEY ARE.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT ONLINE KIND OF IN REAL TIME, ARE WE FULL, DID SOMETHING GO OFFLINE AND WE NEED TO WAIT.
UM, I THINK IT COULD DO A LOT TO EASE THE CONCERNS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY FIND THEMSELVES IN A SITUATION WHERE THE WATER'S NOT COMING BACK ON AS QUICKLY AS THEY WANT IT TO.
UM, AND AS WE TALK ABOUT THE SYSTEM STORES AND THE WATER TREATMENT PLANTS AND OTHER THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST A BIG CITY IS GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THERE'S, THERE'S GOING TO BE FREEZING.
THERE COULD BE OTHER SITUATIONS THAT KNOCK THINGS OFFLINE OR JUST OTHER, UM, OTHER SITUATIONS WHERE WE MAY FIND THAT, THAT THINGS ARE TAKEN OFFLINE AND PEOPLE NEED MORE INFORMATION.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT TO HAVE SOMETHING INTERACTIVE THAT'S UPDATING IN REAL TIME TO KIND OF LET PEOPLE KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WATER OUTAGES.
DO YOU, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S POSSIBLE TO DO? YES.
WE CONCUR HAVING, UH, MORE, UM, VISIBILITY AND THE STATUS OF THE SYSTEM.
UM, YOU KNOW, MORE, AS YOU MENTIONED, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHERE THERE'S AN OUTAGE, UH, THE EXTENT OF THE OUTAGE, WHERE WE'RE, UH, WHERE WE KNOW ABOUT LEAKS, THE STATUS OF THOSE LEAKS, UM, YOU KNOW, MORE TRANSPARENCY INTO THE SYSTEM.
THAT'S A PART OF OUR EVALUATION PROCESS AND WE'RE ALREADY FORMULATING STEPS TO, TO MAKE THAT AND IMPROVE PART OF OUR UTILITY.
I WON'T GET TOO SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE.
CAUSE I KNOW PEOPLE ON THE BACK END ARE PROBABLY THINKING THROUGH THAT AND TRYING, TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
UM, AS, AS FAR AS WATER UTILITIES ARE CONCERNED, IS THERE KIND OF A BEST PRACTICE OF BACKUP WATER OPTIONS, LIKE BOTTLES OF WATER? I KNOW THERE'S THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER AND WE'VE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT IT IN THEIR PLANNING AS WELL, BUT ARE THERE ANY UTILITY BEST PRACTICES TO TRY? UM, IF SOMETHING HAPPENS WHERE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE DRINKING WATER AVAILABLE THAT, THAT THE UTILITY ALSO HAS A BACKUP PLAN OR HOW, HOW DOES THAT RELATIONSHIP WORK? WELL, I THINK, UH, AS YOU MENTIONED, PARTNERING WITH THE HOMELAND SECURITY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND OTHERS TO BUILD A, UH, UH, A MORE, UH, READY CAPABILITY.
I THINK THE BEST PRACTICE WOULD BE TO HAVE, UH, MORE RESOURCES AVAILABLE, UH, HAVE OUR OWN POTABLE WATER TRUCKS, TANKERS, UH, PORTABLE WATER STORAGE,
[02:15:01]
TOTES, MORE WADDLED, BOTTLED WATER ALREADY STORED AND READY FOR DISTRIBUTION.I THINK THE MODEL WE'VE BEEN USING IS TO CALL UP THOSE SERVICES ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS.
UH, AND, UH, AND THE MODEL WE NEED TO SWITCH TO IS HAVING THOSE SERVICES AND RESOURCES ALREADY SECURED AND READY TO GO.
PARTICULARLY, I THINK IN THIS EMERGENCY, WHEN YOU HAD AN ENTIRE REGION ENTIRE STATE, UM, EXPERIENCING THIS, THE ABILITY TO GET POTABLE WATER TRUCKS AND TOTES AND BOTTLED WATER WAS SIGNIFICANTLY CURTAILED, UH, GIVEN THE DEMANDS AND THAT HAVING THOSE THINGS IN PLACE BEFOREHAND, KIND OF A RESILIENCY WAREHOUSE SUPPLY, UH, THAT, THAT THAT'S THE BEST PRACTICE WE WANT TO WORK TOWARDS.
AND I THINK THAT'S, UH, QUITE IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT IT COULD BE PORTIONS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THE EXTREME PARTS THAT ARE HARD TO TRAVEL TO LIKE FAR SOUTHWEST D EIGHT AND FAR NORTHWEST D SIX.
UM, JUST MIGHT BE A CONSIDERATION ON TOP OF THE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS THAT I KNOW THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE.
UM, AND I WILL JUST CLOSE BY SAYING THANK YOU TO THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, BUT I AM BOREHOLE.
I WOULD NOT EXPECT HER TO RESPOND AT AND, AND SHE WAS, AND SO I KNOW THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE STEPPING UP TO TRY TO TRY TO MAKE EVERYTHING HAPPEN THAT THEY POSSIBLY COULD.
I DON'T THINK ANA'S SLEPT FOR A WEEK.
I WOULD BELIEVE THAT WE ALL HAD OUR COUNCIL, MY KITCHEN.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU ALSO.
AND THEN ALSO JUST BUILD A LITTLE BIT ON SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING AT THE, UM, AT THE COMMITTEE AND, AND OTHER PLACES IS THE ADDITIONAL VISIBILITY ON THE AMI SYSTEM, FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE ROLLING OUT OF THE AMI SYSTEM, UH, WHICH IS, UM, ALWAYS FORGET AS AN ADVANCED METERING INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT, UM, THE FACT THAT THAT GIVES INDIVIDUALS SUCH A, UM, SUCH A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT THEIR USES AND, UH, AND A WAY IN WHICH TO MONITOR AND DETECT IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS. UH, AND, UH, I APPRECIATE THE, UM, UH, THE EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AND THE ADDITIONAL ROLLOUT THAT'S GOING TO BE OCCURRING.
SO JUST ASK YOU TO KEEP IN MIND IF, IF THERE'S A NEED FOR ASSISTANCE IN, UM, IN, UH, ACCELERATING THAT ROLL OUT.
THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT.
I KNOW Y'ALL ARE MOVING QUICKLY AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT, UM, LAST WEEK, I GUESS, UH, BUT THAT ONE, AS WELL AS OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS OUT OF WATER FORWARD, I THINK THAT WHAT WE'VE JUST EXPERIENCED, UH, ALSO, UM, HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, OF THAT THE WATERFALL PLANS AND THE DIFFERENT INITIATIVES THAT ARE UNDER THE WAY UNDERWAY.
AND I'M NOT SURE HOW VISIBLE THOSE ARE AT THE MOMENT TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A MULTI-YEAR LONG PLAN.
AND SO PEOPLE TEND TO FORGET WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON TO IMPLEMENT THOSE, UM, THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.
AND SO, UH, I THINK I'D JUST SUGGEST, YOU KNOW, CONTINUED CONNECTING PEOPLE BACK TO UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S ALREADY IN THE WORKS, UH, THAT CAN HELP MEET THE CHALLENGES I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
ANYTHING ELSE ON WATER CAFE? YEAH, I HAD, UM, QUICK QUESTION AND IT KIND OF RELATES TO THE AMI, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY, IS REALLY PRETTY EXCITING.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT WILL, WILL ALSO HELP EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS AND CUSTOMERS WITH INFORMATION THEY NEED TO, TO MAYBE EVEN DETECT LEAKS.
LIKE I FOUND I HAD A LEAK AFTER THE, AFTER THE STORM, YOU KNOW, AFTER IT WAS NOT AN OBVIOUS ONE, BUT LIKELY RESULTED FROM, FROM SOME OF THE COLD.
SO, BUT I DID WANT TO ASK AS WE, WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE LOOKING AHEAD ISSUES, UM, SORRY, I'M HAVING TROUBLE FINDING MY LIST NOW HERE.
UH, WHERE DID IT GO? UM, SOME OF THE OTHER, SOME OF THE OTHER ITEMS ON THE LOOKING AHEAD ISSUE, BUT I DID WANT TO ASK YOU WHAT YOUR PLANS ARE FOR PR.
ARE YOU GOING TO CHANGE THE WAY IN WHICH YOU SHARE INFORMATION, UM, ABOUT PREPARATION? SO FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SHUTTING OFF WATER AND HOW, AND I KNOW THERE WAS CONVERSATION AND INFORMATION COMING OUT OF AUSTIN WATER ABOUT HOW TO, HOW TO LOCATE YOUR, THE, UH, METER SHUT OFF NEAR THE STREET.
UM, MANY PEOPLE PROBABLY DIDN'T HAVE THAT TOOL IN ADVANCE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO ACTUALLY OPEN THE LID AND TURN IT OFF.
BUT, UM, I WANT TO INVITE YOU TO TALK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS IN WHICH YOU ARE GOING TO EDUCATE YOUR CUSTOMERS THAT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE CONTEMPLATED BEFORE? AND WHAT MEANS ARE YOU GOING TO USE
[02:20:01]
TO EDUCATE THEM? AND SOME THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT I THINK AT LEAST SOME OF US LEARNED A LOT ABOUT AS A RESULT OF THIS, WERE, WERE THOSE THE SHORT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU FIND YOUR OFF? WHAT KINDS OF TOOLS CAN YOU HAVE ON HAND, UM, THAT WOULD HELP YOU, THAT WOULD ENABLE YOU TO DO THAT? CAN YOU TREAT, CAN YOU, IF YOU'RE DOING RAINWATER COLLECTION, CAN YOU TREAT RAINWATER COLLECTION TO POTABLE STANDARDS? UM, SHOULD YOU FILL UP A BATHTUB? YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ALL THE KINDS OF QUESTIONS, SOME OF WHAT YOU ANSWERED DURING THE TIME AND, AND SOME, SOME ARE MAYBE PART OF A NEW EDUCATION CAMPAIGN.SO WHAT ARE YOUR INTENTS AS FAR AS ADDITIONAL OR EXPANDED OR DIFFERENT KINDS OF COMMUNITY EDUCATION, EITHER IN ADVANCE OF A, OF AN EMERGENCY OR DURING AN EMERGENCY? WELL, I THINK A FEW THOUGHTS THERE, UM, W IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE COMMUNICATE IN ADVANCE OF EMERGENCIES.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE LESSONS THAT WE HAVE IS THE MORE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT TO DO BEFORE YOU'RE IN AN EMERGENCY CIRCUMSTANCE WHEN THE SYSTEM IS SAY MOST VULNERABLE, UM, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT THE TIME TO BE PREPARED, TRYING TO GET PEOPLE PREPARED AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT TO DO AHEAD OF TIME IS, IS CERTAINLY, UH, THE GOAL AND, AND A COUNCIL MEMBER.
YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU'RE HITTING ON SOME OF THE TOPICS THAT WE'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT TARGETING IS A, IS A, IS IMPROVED, UH, VIDEOS AND ONLINE CONTENT THAT'S AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES, PER SE, HOW YOU TURN OFF THE WATER AT THE PROPERTY.
A LOT OF CUSTOMERS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE GO DECADES WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO DO THAT.
AND YOU DON'T WANT TO FIGURE THAT OUT WHEN THERE'S A HUGE LEAK IN FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE OR AT YOUR HOUSE THAT YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW TO DO THAT BEFORE YOU KNOW HOW TO LOCATE IT, WHAT TOOLS YOU NEED.
I MEAN, IT MAY BE HARD TO LOCATE.
I MEAN, THESE ARE ON THE PRIVATE SIDE.
AND SO GIVING CUSTOMERS ADVANCED INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO DO THOSE THINGS, I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
UM, WE, WE WOULD LIKE IMPROVED GUIDANCE ON, ON FAUCET DRIPPING.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANT TO WORK THROUGH IS, UM, IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO DRIP A FAUCET? AND WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DRIPPING AND STREAMING.
UH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT FOR ALL FAUCETS, JUST ONES THAT ARE MORE AT RISK AND HOW WE COMMUNICATE THAT.
I THINK WE'D ALSO LIKE TO COMMUNICATE OTHER WAYS CUSTOMERS CAN, UM, PROTECT THEIR PRIVATE PLUMBING WITHOUT RUNNING WATER, THROUGH FAUCET, DRIPPING, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS BUYING INSULATORS FOR YOUR OUTSIDE HOSE, BIBS THAT YOU PUT INSTEAD OF RUNNING A HOSE, BIB, TURNING IT ON AND RUNNING IT, UH, YOU JUST INSULATE IT, WRAP A RAG AROUND IT, OR BUY THERE'S LITTLE INSULATING THINGS THAT YOU CAN BUY, YOU KNOW, DOING MORE EDUCATION AND, UH, AND, UH, AND VIDEOS AND WEB CONTENT OF THOSE KIND OF NATURE, I THINK, ARE THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO.
UM, ALSO I THINK, UM, IN ADVANCE IS, UH, IS, UH, EDUCATING WHEN WE'RE COMING UP TO A PERIOD THAT MIGHT BE HIGH RISK FOR SAY A, SAY LIKE ANOTHER WINTER STORM.
AND, UH, IDEALLY IF PEOPLE, UM, SAY ONE TO FILL A BATH TUB OF WATER, JUST IN CASE IT'S BETTER TO DO THAT BEFORE THE STORM, THEN RIGHT DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE WORST OF THE STORM, WHEN OUR SYSTEM IS MOST VULNERABLE AND IN TRYING TO WORK THROUGH, YOU KNOW, HOW TO, HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH CUSTOMERS ON HOW TO PREPARE FOR THAT, HOW MUCH WATER TO HAVE AVAILABLE, UH, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE YOU HAVE SOME JUGS OF WATER OR MAYBE, YOU KNOW, A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO MIGHT'VE MENTIONED THIS IN A PREVIOUS DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE LIKE, YOU KNOW, EVERY HOME MIGHT WANT TO HAVE 10 GALLONS OF WATER AVAILABLE.
UM, I KNOW ONE OF YOUR QUESTIONS WAS, YOU KNOW, HOW EVEN TO USE OTHER SOURCES OF WATER, UH, LIKE RAINWATER, UM, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY ANY SOURCE OF WATER THAT'S BOILED CAN BE USED FOR POTABLE PURPOSES.
SO IF YOU HAVE RAINWATER AT YOUR HOUSE AND YOU BOIL IT, IT'S, IT'S ESSENTIALLY POTABLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME OF THOSE INSTRUCTIONS, EVEN SIMPLE THINGS.
NOW I'M GETTING A LITTLE OUT HERE, BUT, UM, IF ANY OF YOU'VE EVER BACKPACKED, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SMALL WATER FILTERS, THEY'RE NANO FILTERS THAT YOU CAN PUT ANY NON-POTABLE WATER SOURCE THROUGH.
THEY ONLY COST 20 BUCKS AND A, AND YOU CAN CREATE POTABLE WATER VERY SIMPLY BY SQUEEZING THEM THROUGH THESE FILTERS.
AND, UH, AGAIN, EDUCATING FOLKS THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THEY CAN DO TO BE PREPARED IS HAVE A SMALL LITTLE NANO WATER FILTER.
THEY ONLY COST 30 BUCKS, UM, UH, AT YOUR HOUSE THAT, THAT THAT'S, UH, OR YOUR APARTMENT.
THAT'S ANOTHER WAY POTENTIALLY THAT WE MAY DO THINGS.
AND AGAIN, I'M JUST TALKING STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS HERE A LITTLE BIT, BUT, UM, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE'LL REFINE AND BE READY FOR THE NEXT WINTER.
SO WE DID TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE WATER STORAGE AND JUST AS YOU SUGGESTED, UM, WE DID, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT EMERGENCE IN TERMS OF PREPARING THE COMMUNITY FOR WHAT THEY MIGHT WANT TO HAVE ON HAND.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WONDER IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE GOOD TO DO THIS AT A FEW, A FEW TIMES A YEAR,
[02:25:01]
BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED RIGHT BEFORE THE STORM IS THAT VARIOUS HARDWARE STORES SOLD OUT OF THOSE LITTLE INSTALLATION THINGS.AND, AND THE SAME IS TRUE OF THE KEYS TO OPEN AND TURN OFF YOUR WATER VALVE AT THE STREET.
YOU KNOW, THOSE WERE ALSO SOLD OUT AT LEAST RIGHT AFTER FOR A WHILE.
UM, IT TOOK ME A LITTLE, A LITTLE BIT TO LOCATE ONE OF THOSE GADGETS THAT YOU CAN OPEN YOUR, YOUR SHUT OFF THING WITH.
SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD, I GUESS I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE YOU AS YOU'RE THINKING THROUGH HOW TO COMMUNICATE, IF WE COULD DO IT A COUPLE TIMES A YEAR, SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE A RUN-ON ON THE STORES FOR THESE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT, THAT PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGED TO KIND OF GET THEM, GET THEM IN ADVANCE, WHICH ALLOWS YOU TO BUDGET FOR THEM TOO, THOUGH.
SOME OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, I THINK THAT LITTLE SHUTOFF VALVE WAS LIKE SIX, THAT LITTLE SHUTOFF TOOL WAS SIX SOMETHING.
IT WAS UNDER $7 AS I RECALL, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR, IT ALLOWS PEOPLE BOTH TO BUDGET FOR THOSE EMERGENCY SUPPLIES, BUT ALSO TO GET THEM AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE YEAR, SO THAT WE'RE NOT ALL HEADING TO THE STORE THE WEEK BEFORE A WINTER STORM TO TRY TO GET, TRY TO GET EVERYTHING WE NEED.
BUT I LIKE, I LIKE THE THOUGHTS THAT YOU, THE, THE WAY IN WHICH YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW YOU CAN EDUCATE IN DIFFERENT WAYS THROUGH VIDEOS AND OTHER MEANS, AND, AND CERTAINLY WOULD EXPECT OUR UTILITY BILLS TO ALSO BE ONE, ONE WAY OF KIND OF DRIVING PEOPLE TO EITHER THOSE ONLINE VIDEOS OR TO OTHER SOURCES SINCE THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE ALL WE'RE ALL RECEIVING EVERY MONTH.
I REMEMBER IT'S A GREAT POINT.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, BACK TO AMI, BEYOND THE ACTUAL METER AT YOUR HOUSE THAT WILL REPLACE WITH A, WITH A DIGITAL DEVICE.
THE PORTAL THAT WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT IS, IS OPERATIONAL NOW, AND THAT CAN REACH ALL CUSTOMERS.
WE CAN USE YOUR EMAIL AND YOUR, YOUR MOBILE NUMBER, THAT'S IN OUR REGULAR BILLING SYSTEM AND USE THIS PORTAL SOFTWARE TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOU.
AND SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THE NEW METER FOR THE PORTAL TO WORK.
AND SO, UH, W UH, AND AS YOU KNOW, FROM OUR PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS, YOU KNOW, THE PORTAL WE USED IT, WE SENT OUT NEARLY, UM, I THINK IT WAS OVER 500,000 EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS THROUGH THE PORTAL.
SO I THINK WHAT WE CAN DO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IS USE THAT PORTAL EVEN TO COMMUNICATE TO PEOPLE, HEY, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S THE, IT'S THE FALL, IT'S SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER.
NOW'S THE TIME FOR YOU TO BE THINKING ABOUT THE WINTER AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, BY YOUR TURNOFF TOOL OR BY YOUR INSULATORS, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE A, MORE OF A, OF A REGULAR ANNUAL REMINDER THROUGH, THROUGH VARIOUS TECHNOLOGIES THAT PEOPLE WERE NOT JUST ASKING THEM TO PULL IT FROM OUR WEBSITE, THAT WE'RE PUSHING IT INTO THEM.
I THOUGHT I SAW YOU SAY ALISON, UM, A TOTAL RANDOM IDEA I JUST HAD, BUT IF THOSE DEVICES TO TURN THE WATER ON AND OFF, ARE THAT CHEAP, THAT COULD BE A GOOD PROMOTIONAL ITEM FOR AUSTIN WATER.
IT MIGHT, IT MIGHT HELP IN THE LONG RUN TO BE ABLE TO REACH PEOPLE AND TEACH THEM HOW TO USE IT.
AND THAT JUST COULD BE SOMETHING TO KEEP KEEPING YOUR HAT IF, UH, IF THAT'S EVER AN OPTION, IF, IF THEY ARE NOT AFFORDABLE, IT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING THAT HOPEFULLY WE'D BE ABLE TO DO TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON HOW TO USE THEM AND, AND HAVE THE TOOL.
AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF YOUR TURNOFFS, YOU DON'T NEED A SPECIAL TOOL.
A LOT OF THE TURNOFFS ON THE PROPERTY SIDE ARE SIMPLE, JUST LITTLE VALVES THAT SHE TURNED, UH, AND, UH, AND IT'S, IT'S NOT A SPECIAL TOOL.
UM, SOMETIMES THEY CAN BE WHAT ARE CALLED, STOPPING WASTE DOWNS.
SO, UH, OTHER TIMES WHEN THEY BREAK OR, OR THEY'RE OLDER, YOU MIGHT NEED A SPECIAL TOOL.
I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO EDUCATE AND EVEN PROMOTE THESE THINGS THROUGH AUSTIN WATER, A SPONSORSHIP OF, OF ITEMS. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
I KNOW IT'S, UH, VERY DISAPPOINTING WHEN PEOPLE FINALLY NEED TO USE SOMETHING AND CAN'T FIND IT OR REALIZE THAT THAT TOOL ISN'T GOING TO FUNCTION FOR WHAT THEY NEED.
COLLEAGUES, EVERYTHING ELSE ON BOARDER.
YOU AND YOUR STAFF, THANK YOU.
MIRROR A MANAGER NOW CONCLUDING WITH, UH, JUST IDENTIFICATION OF NEXT STEPS.
YOU WANT TO THROW THAT OPEN? JUST SAY WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE DOING ON YOUR SIDE, THE ISSUE HERE.
MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UH, AGAIN, REALLY APPRECIATE THE DIALOGUE WE'VE HAD TODAY.
AND LAST WEEK, IT WILL INFORM HOW WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER THE VARIOUS AFTER ACTION BEFORE IT'S, UH, AS YOU KNOW, UH, MANY OF THEM ARE COMING FROM THE SPECIFIC DEPARTMENTS, BUT THEY'RE ALL COORDINATED THROUGH OUR, UH, HOUSTON AREA AND DIRECTOR OTS WILL BE, UH, REALLY WORKING WITH ALL THOSE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE ENCAPSULATED IN OUR OVERARCHING RESPONSE.
AND SO I MIGHT HAVE DIRECTOR ORTIZ, JUST DESCRIBE THAT.
AND THEN WE, UH, STAND TO, UH, ANSWER OR DESCRIBE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE BEFORE WE CONCLUDE TODAY.
[02:30:01]
MY SPONSOR.IT'S A, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE CAPTURE EVERY, UM, OPPORTUNITY TO WE CAN'T TO LEARN FROM THIS EVENT.
AND THEREFORE, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH ARE ALL THE DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES AND EVERY COMMUNITY AGENCY, THE P UM, THE, WHERE, BUT TO IDENTIFY AS TO LOOK AT WHAT A AFTER ACTION REPORT OR HOTWASH THAT THEY'RE CONDUCTING AND MAKE SURE THAT, UH, IT'S, IT'S, UH, WE HAVING A CONSULTANT REACH OUT TO THEM AND, AND, AND GET THAT INFORMATION AND INCORPORATE THAT INFORMATION INTO THE AFTER-ACTION REPORT, AS BEST AS WE CAN, AS WELL AS IN SOME SITUATIONS, EVEN HAVING SPECIFIC MEETINGS WITH THOSE AGENCIES, SO THAT WE HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF, OF, OF THOSE LESSONS LEARNED AND HOW TO BEST INCORPORATE THEM INTO THE OVERALL AFTER ACTION REPORT.
UH, WE, WE HOPE TO GET THIS REPORT, UH, DONE HERE OVER THE SUMMER AND, AND BE ABLE TO, UH, UH, START WORKING ON THOSE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS, UM, WITH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS AS WE SPEAK.
UH, SOME OF THEM WE'LL WAIT FOR THE ACTUAL REPORT, BUT WE'RE NOT WAITING FOR THE REPORT.
THOSE THAT WORK THAT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND START WITH WE'RE FORECAST.
UM, WORK HAS ALREADY STARTED IN TRYING TO ADDRESS THOSE, THOSE AREAS WHERE WE CAN IMPROVE.
COLLEAGUES MANAGE LOOK FORWARD TO THE, TO THE PROCESS.
UH, OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF INFORMATION COVERING FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES, UH, COMMUNITY PANEL, UH, IT'S GOING TO BRING A LOT OF INFORMATION AND DATA ALSO RAISED A LOT OF ISSUES.
UH, THE COUNCIL CONVERSATIONS, BOTH HERE AND LAST WEEK COUNCIL CONVERSATIONS IN THE ORDER COMMITTEE, AND THEN THE ELECTRIC UTILITY, UH, AS AN ENERGY COMMITTEE.
UM, SO WE ALL LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
YOU WANT TO CONCLUDES, I JUST HAD SOME THINGS THAT I WENT INTO TO RAISE, AND I THINK I HAD SAW COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, HAD HER HAND UP TOO.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST AS I'M KIND OF LOOKING AT, AT THE NOTES I MADE FOR, FOR MYSELF, UM, ONE, I'M GOING TO TRY TO SUBMIT A LOT OF THESE QUESTIONS THROUGH THE Q AND A, UNLESS YOU DON'T NEED ME TO DO THAT COUNCIL, UM, CITY MANAGER, UNLESS YOU CAN JUST USE WHAT I ALREADY HAVE.
I THINK I HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL ONES THAT CAME UP AFTER OUR CONVERSATION LAST WEEK, BUT MOST OF THESE, I WOULD ANTICIPATE YOU ARE ADDRESSING, BUT, UM, BUT I WILL TAKE THAT STEP AND KIND OF FORMALLY, FORMALLY SUBMIT THEM.
I AM REALLY INTERESTED IN, IN KNOWING THAT ONE OVERARCHING QUESTION, LIKE HOW HAVE WE USED THE INFORMATION FROM THE, THE RESILIENCE REPORT THAT OUR CITY STAFF DID ON OUR FACILITIES? HOW HAS THAT, HOW DID THAT STAND US IN BETTER SHAPE TO WEATHER THIS STORM, TO FACE THE STORM RATHER? AND THE SAME IS TRUE OF HURRICANE OF THE HURRICANE HUGO AFTER ACTION.
SO I HOPE THAT THAT WILL BE, THOSE WILL BE SOME OF THE CONTEXTS IN WHICH YOU'RE RESPONDING, UM, TO TALK ABOUT HOW, WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS WERE IMPLEMENTED AND HOW THOSE HELPED, OR WHICH ARE STILL REMAINING TO BE RECOMMENDED.
AND I GUESS, YOU KNOW, AS I'M THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE MIGHT, WHAT WE AS A COUNCIL MIGHT WANT TO FOCUS ON, YOU KNOW, I'M CERTAINLY INTERESTED STILL IN BETTER UNDERSTANDING WHAT WENT WELL, WHAT YOU KNOW, WHERE SOME GAPS WERE.
AND I THINK PART OF THAT IS GOING TO BE THAT COMMUNITY INFORMATION AND THOSE STORIES FROM THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, OH, HURRICANE HARVEY, I'M SORRY.
I KEEP SAYING HURRICANE HUGO FOR SOME REASON.
UM, BUT I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN, AS, AS I KNOW, MANY OF YOU HAVE SPOKEN TO LIKE HOW WE BUILD THAT MORE COMMUNITY RESILIENT FRAMEWORK.
AND SO JUST SOME IDEAS, SOME JUST SOME THINGS THAT KEEP COMING UP IS LIKE HOW WE TRAIN OURSELVES, HOW WE TRAIN OUR STAFF, HOW WE TRAIN COMMUNITY MEMBERS, HOW WE REALLY MAKE A CLIMATE AND A CULTURE HERE IN AUSTIN OF COMMUNITY RESILIENCE AND HOW THAT SPILLS OVER INTO THE KIND OF PREPARATION THAT OUR INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS DO IN THE KIND OF WORK THAT THEY PUT INTO COMMUNITY EDUCATION.
I THINK SOME DEPARTMENTS ARE VERY ACTIVE IN THAT REGARD AND, AND OTHERS MAY BE LESS SO, BUT A MORE COORDINATED EFFORT MIGHT BE, MIGHT BE USEFUL.
AND REALLY, HOW DO WE ELEVATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT? I USED TO HEAR A LOT ABOUT CERT TRAINING.
I DON'T HEAR MUCH ABOUT CERT TRAINING ANYMORE, AND THAT MIGHT BE ONE PLATFORM FOR REALLY MAKING, MAKING THAT EFFORT.
AND THEN THERE JUST SOME DATA LEVEL AND THEN MANAGER, I WOULD JUST SAY THERE'S SOME DATA, SOME KINDS OF DATA THAT ARE INCLUDED WITHIN MY QUESTIONS THAT I THINK PROBABLY MY COLLEAGUES SHARE AN INTEREST IN AS WELL.
IN FACT, MAYBE SOME OF THEM ASK THESE QUESTIONS AND I EMBEDDED THEM WITHIN MINE OR THOSE JUST FOR EXAMPLE, OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE SHELTERED AT OUR CITY FACILITIES, HOW MANY OF THEM HAD BEEN THROUGH COORDINATED ASSESSMENT FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN, DID THEY GO THROUGH COORDINATED ASSESSMENT DURING THEIR TIME? OR WAS THERE JUST NOT THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE CAPACITY TO DO THAT KIND OF WORK? WHERE DID THEY GO ONCE THEY LEFT THE SHELTER WHERE SOME OF THEM ABLE TO EXIT INTO HOUSING OR INTO PERMANENT
[02:35:01]
SHELTER, OR, YOU KNOW, JUST SOME OF THOSE DATA, THOSE DATA POINTS.I JUST INFORMATION THAT, THAT I THINK WE CAN BENEFIT FROM.
AND THEN MATT MAY, OR YOU MENTIONED ANOTHER REALLY IMPORTANT BODY OF INFORMATION, WHICH IS WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HOUSED IN HOTELS AND THAT EXPERIENCE.
AND THEN WHAT SERVICES, YOU KNOW, IF WE COULD HAVE PROVIDED A RANGE OF SERVICES, WHAT WOULD THOSE SERVICES HAVE LOOKED LIKE AND WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL? SO THAT IDENTIFICATION OF WHAT WAS CHALLENGING IS GOING TO BE REALLY USEFUL.
I THINK FOR, FOR HELPING US KNOW HOW TO FACE, HOW TO FACE THE NEXT CRISIS.
UM, SO THANKS, THANKS AGAIN TO OUR STAFF WHO SUPPORTED THIS AND TO MY COLLEAGUES, THEY MAY TIME TO, TO COME.
AND THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU'VE RAISED I THINK WILL, WILL REALLY HELP US FLUSH OUT WHAT WENT WELL, BUT WHAT WE NEED TO WORK ON AND HOW WE BETTER PREPARE.
I THINK ALISON HAS COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR HAS HER HAND UP THERE.
DID YOU HEAR HOW LISTEN YOU HAVE MUTED, ALISON.
UM, FOR BRINGING US ALL TOGETHER ON THIS.
AND, UH, I THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT.
I WAS PLEASED TO CO-SPONSOR, UM, THIS REQUEST AND, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS, BOTH ANSWERED AND HAVE THEM OUT ON, ON THE TABLE.
UM, MR. ORTIZ, YOU WENT PRETTY FAST IN YOUR OVERVIEW OF, UM, WHEN WE'RE GETTING THE AFTER ACTION REPORT.
SO CAN YOU ONE MORE TIME, TELL ME LIKE THE TIMING THAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING, SORRY.
I FORGOT THAT, UH, W WE WERE WORKING ON, ON THE AFTER ACTION NOW, AS WE SPEAK, WE, WE ANTICIPATE TO HAVE A, UM, UM, A FINISHED PRODUCT, UH, AT SOME POINT THIS SUMMER, UH, PROBABLY EARLY AT THE LATEST, IF NOT EARLIER, UH, AND THEN WE'LL REVIEW THAT AND THEN PUBLISH IT BEFORE THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO AROUND NOW, I THINK OUR GOAL IS TO LOOK AT, UH, TRYING TO HAVE A FINISHED REPORT THAT WILL BE PRESENTED, UH, IN, UH, BY THE END OF AUGUST.
BUT WE'RE MEETING WITH THE DIFFERENT, UH, ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE HAVING AFTER ACTION REPORTS ON INDEPENDENTLY, AND WE'RE GETTING THEIR INFORMATION AND WE'LL BE INCORPORATING THAT INTO THE OVERALL REPORT.
UM, I WANT TO ECHO WHAT KATHY SAID ABOUT THOSE, THE TWO REPORTS THAT SHE MENTIONED IN PARTICULAR WITH HURRICANE HARVEY, UM, AND THE CLIMATE RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, BUT I, BUT I DO WANT TO ADD, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALSO BEEN THROUGH AN EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO THE BOMBER AND THE WATER BOIL, AND THERE WERE REPORTS FROM EACH OF THEIRS AND FRANKLY, WE'RE, I MEAN, I GUESS WE'RE STILL IN THE EMERGENCY OF THE PANDEMIC, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT HAD WE TAKEN THE TIME OR HALF THE TIME TO LEARN FROM, FROM THAT THAT WOULD HAVE ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, STOOD US IN GOOD STEAD.
SO FOR INSTANCE, WHAT ACM HIDDEN HOWARD MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THEIR SOCIAL SERVICE CABINET WAS, YOU KNOW, USEFUL FOR HER WITHIN HER, HER GROUP, UM, AND TAKING THAT SORT OF TIME TO REFLECT.
UM, I HOPE THAT AS PART OF THIS, WE WILL ALSO LOOK AT SOME OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION MECHANISMS AND WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THAT.
UM, AND I KNOW YOU HAVE THE ORGANIZATIONS, BUT ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF US NOT HAVING EMERGENCY TRAINING IS THEN WE'RE DEALING WITH, YOU KNOW, THE TRUSTEES THAT ARE CALLING US AT ISD, OR WE'RE CALLING THE TRUSTEES AND WE DON'T KNOW WHERE TO DIRECT THEM, AND THEY CAN'T GO CALL YOU, OR I'M GETTING CALLS FROM THE ROLLINGWOOD COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF THIS INTERGOVERNMENTAL STUFF WHERE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE REALLY HELPFUL IN ADDRESSING CHALLENGES IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY AND IN THE WIDER COUNTY, UM, MORE QUICKLY.
BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE TO HAVE, UM, CLEAR KNOWLEDGE AND WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME EXPECTATION THAT WHAT WE'RE ASKING IS BOTH APPROPRIATE.
CAUSE I THINK THERE WERE TIMES WHEN SOME THINGS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATE, BUT ALSO, UM, THAT WHAT WE'RE ASKING IS GOING TO GET A RESPONSE IN A TIMELY MANNER SO THAT, THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO TO OUTSIDE, UM, CHANNELS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UM, AND THEN I WANTED TO KIND OF UNDERSCORE THIS NOTION THAT I THINK HAS ECHOED THROUGHOUT OUR CONVERSATION, WHICH IS THAT WHEN WE ARE IN AN EMERGENCY OF THE
[02:40:02]
SIZE AND MAGNITUDE THAT WE EXPERIENCED, UM, WITH THE STORM AS WITH THE PANDEMIC, THE CITY IS ONE PLAYER.WE ARE AN IMPORTANT PLAYER IN OUR COMMUNITY'S RESPONSE, BUT WE CANNOT BE THE ONLY ONE.
UM, AND IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS NOTION FOR PEOPLE TO ASSUME THAT THE CITY IS THE ONLY ACTOR, UM, THAT CAN, OR, OR MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY MOVING FORWARD.
SO I REALLY THINK TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE BUILD THESE MUSCLES FOR THE COMMUNITY RESPONSE, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THERE ARE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE, UM, CONNECTIONS THAT ARE GEARED TOWARDS THIS SORT OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE, UM, AND THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, MARSHAL THEM IN TIMES OF NEED, UM, TO HELP THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK THERE'S SOME INTERESTING THINGS AND WAYS THAT WE CAN THINK ABOUT THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE REAL RESILIENCE HUBS IS ONE.
UM, AND AGAIN, I WILL GO BACK TO OUR CLIMATE EMERGENCY DECLARATION, WHICH DEALS WITH A LOT OF THIS PREPAREDNESS AND OTHER KINDS OF THINGS.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE ARE MANY OF THESE CLIMATE DISASTERS WHERE THE INDIVIDUAL RESPONSE JUST AS IN THE PANDEMIC, THAT INDIVIDUAL RESPONSE TO KEEP YOU SAFE IS WAY MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING THAT THE CITY DOES.
UM, AND SO I THINK IT'S WORTH, UM, US HAVING OUR RESILIENCE OFFICER, REALLY SPENDING SOME TIME THINKING ABOUT HOW WE BUILD THAT.
UM, I'VE BEEN REVIEWING THE RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS IN GREATER DETAIL.
AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF WHAT THEY'RE RECOMMENDING IN THAT IS CREATING CAPACITY AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL TO MEET NEEDS, UM, THAT THE CITY EITHER ISN'T THE RIGHT PERSON TO MEET ISN'T THE RIGHT ACTOR TO MEET THOSE NEEDS OR OTHERWISE.
UM, SO I DON'T YET HAVE A PLAN OF, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY HOW WE DO THIS.
UM, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO THINK SERIOUSLY IN OUR AFTER ACTION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT COULD THE CITY DO TO HELP, UM, SEED AND CULTIVATE, UM, THOSE ACTIONS OF WHICH WE HAVE PLENTY IN OUR CITY AND OUR COMMUNITY HAS DEMONSTRATED OVER AND OVER AGAIN, BUT WE DO HAVE PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM EVEN GREATER, UM, COMMUNITY ACTION AND THOSE TIMES OF NEED.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER ALTAR.
UH, I THINK, UM, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S WHEN WE HAVE A DISASTER OF THIS MAGNITUDE, THERE'S PLENTY OF DISASTER WORK FOR EVERYBODY.
THE CITY NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED IN, IN ALL THE AREAS, BUT WE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO LEAD EVERY, EVERYTHING.
WE JUST GOT TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SUPPORT, UH, OUR COMMUNITY TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN RECOVER FROM THOSE DISASTERS, UH, AS FAST AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN WITH THE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF, OF PROPERTY DAMAGE AND, AND, AND, AND SAVE AS MANY LIVES AS WE CAN.
BUT, UM, I, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAID LEGS, I THINK THEN THAT, UH, ENDS THIS WORK SESSION.
UM, I, TO MANAGE YOUR THINK THAT, UH, ONE OF THE REAL OPPORTUNITIES HAPPIER IS FIGURING OUT HOW IT IS THAT WE ORGANIZE AND EXPAND AND FACILITATE THE COMMUNITY RESPONSE.
UH, I TRUST WE'LL BE ABLE TO REALLY DO WELL ALL THE OTHER AFTER ACTION STOCK, BECAUSE IT FITS, WHAT'S NORMALLY PART OF THE AFTER ACTION, BUT IT'S REAL CLEAR FROM THIS THAT, THAT, UH, THERE'S, UH, AN UNTAPPED POTENTIAL HERE.
PLEASE WAIT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HELP ORGANIZE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT OUTSIDE OF OUR EMERGENCY.
UH, I HAD ON THAT SAID, UH, COLLEAGUES, IT IS, UH, 3:50 PM.
AND OUR SPECIAL FORM JOINT SESSION WITH, UH, TRAVIS, TRAVIS COUNTY.