COVID Updates, Winter Storm Relief Resources, and More

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Subject: COVID Updates, Winter Storm Relief Resources, and More

Dear Neighbors,

This month we mark one year from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Austin. Over the course of the past twelve months, my Council colleagues and I have worked with city staff, local organizations, and other government agencies to provide resources, relief, and recovery assistance for Austinites. As a community we have mourned those we have lost and made choices to help stem the spread of the pandemic.

As we note this milestone and look forward, I am pleased to have good news to share. President Biden announced last week that the federal government had secured enough vaccine supply for every adult by the end of May. With an increase in vaccine supply, we can more quickly return to some measure of normality and speak concretely about achieving herd immunity within a matter of months. We also anticipate extended relief benefits and additional COVID funding to flow into the state and to the city as a result of the latest federal stimulus bill. These developments are welcome and refreshing.

On Tuesday morning, Council held its regular joint meeting with Travis County to receive a briefing from Interim Health Authority Dr. Escott and Austin Public Health Director Stephanie Hayden-Howard. I would like to highlight a few updates.

First, in response to feedback from the public, Austin Public Health will now be conducting weekly releases for first dose appointments on Monday evenings. All of the first dose appointments available in the week will be made available during the Monday release. The specific days made available and the number of appointments released will vary each week depending on vaccine availability and the timing of shipments.

After the Monday release of appointments, APH will monitor inventory, receipt of unplanned vaccine shipments and appointment no-show rates at clinics. Should additional vaccine doses become available later in the week, APH will conduct another appointment release on Thursday evening of each week. APH will cancel the Thursday release of appointments if there is no available vaccine. The public will see this cancellation on the scheduling page and on APH's social media channels. The bulk of the vaccine and main release days will be on Mondays. At this time appointments are only available to those in the 1A or 1B groups. Visit the APH website for tips to help individuals schedule appointments.

Second, Austin Public Health issued the infographic below to provide guidance on how and when to obtain the second dose of the vaccine. Please note you must receive your first dose from APH to receive the second dose from them. With greater certainty surrounding vaccine supply, APH is now scheduling second dose appointments when people receive their first dose.

Third, we received good news with respect to our efforts to ensure our educators, childcare providers, and children can return to safe in-classroom instruction as swiftly as possible. Following long awaited eligibility changes by The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Austin Public Health and other providers in the Austin-Travis County area are actively working to vaccinate all school and childcare staff. Austin Public Health has updated their system to allow these groups to schedule an appointment as soon as possible.

Our staff reported that in just 48 hours following the change, over 680 school employees or childcare providers were vaccinated through APH, through a concept known as “School Saturdays”. To be vaccinated through APH, school and childcare staff should register through the APH vaccine portal. Verification of employment may be required onsite. There are over 12,000 school or childcare staff who are currently pre-registered in the system. The number of weekly appointments dedicated to this effort will vary based on shipments and resources and APH is not the only provider for these vaccines.

Finally, at our briefing we discussed Governor Abbott’s plan to lift the statewide mask mandate today. In my view it is important that we remain committed to the health and safety of our neighbors and our community. I echo and endorse the joint statement recently released by our local safety and health care organizations:

“With more COVID-19 vaccines on the horizon, there is hope around the corner. In the meantime, we must continue our vigilance with masking, distancing, and hand washing. This remains critical in our ongoing efforts to protect the community from the virus and its new variants.” – Austin Public Health | Austin-Travis County EMS | Austin Fire Department | Travis County Medical Society | Austin EMS Association | Integral Care | Austin Healthcare Council | Office of the Chief Medical Officer | Austin Fire Association | Central Health | CommUnityCare Health Centers | Ascension Seton | Baylor Scott & White Health | St. David's HealthCare.

Though Governor Abbott lifted the statewide mask mandate today, under state law, our local public health authority has the duty and responsibility to control disease outbreak and the power to set forth rules to decrease the spread of the disease. Dr. Escott’s local orders include a mask requirement, and those rules have been in place since July and have been approved to last through April. Under the existing health authority rules, businesses and other sites must require individuals to wear a face covering, with some exceptions. Businesses should also clean and disinfect high touch items, require at least six feet between groups of ten or less, and post face covering and hygiene signage.

In the City of Austin, an individual must also wear a face covering when outside of their residence. Read the full Health Authority Emergency Rules for Austin and Travis County (renewed 3/9).

Complaints about noncompliance should be referred to 3-1-1 (512-974-2000) or making a report through the 3-1-1 mobile app. Read about the existing City enforcement and fines here.

The City of Austin also requires everyone over the age of six to wear a face covering when on or in City property, with a few exceptions. Those rules go into effect on Wednesday, March 10 and expire on July 8, unless amended or withdrawn.

The Travis County order requiring masks on or in County property was signed in June 2020 and remains in effect. Read the full City of Austin Face Covering Rules for City Property During COVID-19 Pandemic.

All current and previous orders and rules can be found at austintexas.gov/department/covid-19-information/orders-rules.

In addition to our efforts on COVID-19, Council continues our work on Reimagining Public Safety. Last week, we received a briefing on the Austin Police Department training academy from APD leadership and consultants Kroll & Associates. I encourage you to watch the presentation here and see the slides here. Kroll identified many areas in need of improvement and change and issued recommendations to address the issues. The recommendations were sorted into “long term” and “short term” with guidance that the short term recommendations be completed before the commencement of the next cadet class. APD agreed with all recommendations and provided updates on the implementation timeline.

Today, the Council Public Safety Committee will meet to discuss the reimagining public safety process. You can watch the meeting here. In an upcoming newsletter, I will provide more details and resources on the latest updates on our efforts, including the Cadet Academy recommendations.

In this newsletter, you will find information regarding available resources for relief and recovery as we emerge from the effects of Winter Storm Uri, upcoming opportunities for public input on the future of I-35, and more.

Warm regards,

Alison Alter

Council Member, District 10

Table of Contents

COVID-19 Grant Available for Austin Legacy Businesses – March 17th Deadline
Utility Bill Relief for COVID-19 and Winter Storm Uri
Volunteer Plumbing Services Available
Temporary Disaster-Related Property Tax Exemption
Disaster Unemployment Assistance for Travis County residents – March 26th Deadline
Online Scheduling for Recycle & Reuse Drop-Off Center Appointments
ATXRepairs – Home and Business Repair Website
How to Get FEMA Reimbursement
I-35 Capital Express Central Virtual Public Scoping Meeting
Austin Parks & Recreation Virtual Spring Break

Phase 1: $20K Grants for Legacy Businesses; click image to follow link

COVID-19 Grant Available for Austin Legacy Businesses

Local businesses that have called Austin home for at least 20 years can apply for the Austin Legacy Business Relief Grant. Established by Austin City Council through the Save Austin’s Vital Economic Sectors (SAVES) Fund, the Austin Legacy Business Relief Grant offers financial assistance to eligible local businesses experiencing reduced operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eligible legacy businesses must have operated in a City of Austin Council District for at least 20 years; must meet the City’s definition of a legacy business; and must have significantly reduced operations since March 2020. Read more about grant eligibility requirements. Phase 1 applications close March 17.

The Austin Legacy Business Relief Grant will be distributed in two phases:

Phase 1: Emergency Funding - Eligible local businesses can apply for a $20,000 grant and are required to complete a Technical Assistance Evaluation.

Phase 2: Enhanced Funding - Only Phase 1 grant recipients are eligible to apply for additional funding up to $140,000.

Utility Bill Relief

Last week my colleagues and I approved $10 million in emergency bill relief for customers experiencing financial difficulty as a result of Winter Storm Uri or COVID-19. The approved funding is effective immediately and is made possible through a combination of rate reductions, utility bill credits and a funding infusion to the Plus 1 - Customer Assistance Program from Austin Water and Austin Energy.

The Plus 1 – Customer Assistance Program received an additional $5 million funding infusion from Austin Water and $5 million from Austin Energy. The Plus 1 program has helped nearly 16,000 individual households and provided more than $11.7 million in assistance to Austinites experiencing financial difficulty due to COVID-19, serious illness, recent job loss or other emergencies.

Austin City Council also approved a series of measures designed to avoid high utility bills as a result of last month’s extreme freezing temperatures.The utility bill relief uses a combination of temporarily reduced rates applied to higher consumption attributed to the winter storm and adjustments to the wastewater averaging calculation process to keep unexpectedly high utility bills down.

These two primary tools will be automatically applied to customer bills - making it a seamless process for customers. As a result, you will see the relief comes from using a historical estimate for February ‘s usage and an actual read in March coupled with a limit on that bill. The table below shows the bill impact for a customer with 6,000 gallons of normal consumption whose consumption increased to 40,000 gallons during the storm.

Additional relief measures approved by Council include:

Wastewater Averaging Period will estimate wastewater bills using a historical water usage beginning on Feb. 14, instead of actual metered
Waive the Emergency Water Shutoff fee of $31.25
Temporarily suspend late fees beginning Feb. 12 for all residential customers
Waive $20 initiation fee usually charged when service is transferred to a new residence for Austinites who had to relocate due to residence storm damage. This waiver is currently in effect for customers who started, stopped or relocated service beginning Feb.15 through April 3
Apply a one-time $10 credit on electricity bills for all residential customers, which will appear on bills issued after March 1

City of Austin utility customers are encouraged to closely review their utility bills, log onto their account at www.COAUtilities.com, and to contact City of Austin Utilities at 512-494-9400 with any questions about their bills, the reduced rates, or wastewater averaging.

Should customers need additional assistance or if they experienced a rupture to their plumbing system during the freezing weather event, customers can apply for a leak adjustment. Temporary changes have been made to the City guidelines - allowing all retail customers access to these services during this difficult time. Customers can find information at Austin Water web page for Leak Adjustment and High Bill Adjustment.

Stay up to date on Austin Water’s winter storm recovery and customer assistance efforts by visiting www.austintexas.gov/article/winter-storm-recovery-and-customer-assistance

Volunteer Plumbing Services Available

My office has worked to recruit volunteer plumbers to Austin and help coordinate their efforts to assist individuals and apartment complexes in recovery efforts. ADRN, Water Mission, and Plumbers without Borders remain in town and are still looking for homes and properties in need of plumbing services. These services are provided at no cost and are prioritized for low-income and vulnerable populations. You may sign up through the ADRN Crisis Clean Up Hotline by calling 1-800-329-8052.

You can learn more about the work volunteers are doing in this CBS article.

If your property was damaged during the storm? You may be eligible exemption for a temporary exemption on your 2021 property taxes. Fore more information click this image or go to traviscad.org/disasters

Temporary Disaster-Related Property Tax Exemption

The Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD) wants property owners to know that they may be eligible for a temporary disaster-related exemption to help lower their property taxes if their property was damaged during the recent winter storms.

In order to qualify, a property must have suffered damage that totals a minimum of 15% of the property’s improvement value. The amount of the exemption is determined by multiplying the property value, after applying the assessment rating, to a fraction comprising the days remaining in the tax year after the governor has declared a disaster divided by 365. The temporary exemption lasts until the property is reappraised.

The deadline to apply for a temporary exemption related to the winter storms is May 28, 2021. Property owners must complete an application and submit it to TCAD by mail, office drop box (850 East Anderson Lane), or online. More information can be found on the TCAD website.

Texas Workforce Commission - click for disaster unemployment assistance

Disaster Unemployment Assistance for Travis County residents –

March 26th Deadline

Residents whose take-home pay was impacted by the February winter storm can now apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) through the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). Workers who lost their jobs and self-employed individuals who have been unable to work due to damage sustained from the winter storm may be eligible for DUA benefits.

DUA is an unemployment insurance benefit made available especially for victims of disaster and is available to individuals who:

Have applied for and used all regular unemployment benefits, including Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) and Extended Benefits (EB), from any state, or do not qualify for unemployment benefits
Worked or were self-employed or were scheduled to begin work or self-employment in the disaster area
Can no longer work or perform services because of physical damage or destruction to the place of employment as a direct result of the disaster
Establish that the work or self-employment they can no longer perform was their primary source of income
Cannot perform work or self-employment because of an injury as a direct result of the disaster
Became the breadwinner or major support of a household because of the death of the head of household, or
Were unable to reach their job or self-employment location because they must travel through the affected area and are prevented from doing so by the disaster

Applications must be submitted by March 26, 2021. When applying, specify that the application is related to the damage caused by severe storms. To learn more and apply, go to TWC’s website or call a TWC Tele-Center at 800-939-6631 (7 a.m. - 7 p.m.| 7 days a week).

Online Scheduling for Recycle & Reuse Drop-Off Center Appointments

Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) has launched an online scheduling tool for Austin and Travis County residents to schedule drop-off appointments at the Recycle & Reuse Drop-Off Center (RRDOC) at 2514 Business Center Drive. RRDOC is currently operating by appointment only. Face coverings and social distancing must be maintained by all visitors. Accepted items include household hazardous waste, electronics, tires, plastic bags, Styrofoam, and clothing and housewares. Schedule an appointment on the Austin Recycles App, or at austintexas.gov/dropoff.

Austin Emergency Repair Resources -- Click here or visit austintexas.gov/atxrepairs

ATXRepairs – Home and Business Repair Website

The City of Austin launched a new website to support local residents and business owners whose properties were damaged in the recent winter storm. Please visit austintexas.gov/atxrepairs to find information about plumbers, electricians, and other contractors; code compliance and service requests; the City’s emergency permitting process; homeowner’s funding assistance; and federal and local assistance programs.

The City is partnering with multiple governmental agencies and community groups to maintain this list of critical resources for Austin residents and business owners, and city staff will update the website as new information and resources become available.

How to Get FEMA Reimbursement

President Biden has issued a disaster declaration for Travis County in response to the winter storm, and FEMA assistance is now available. Before applying, take photos of your belongings and damages, and make a list. If you have insurance, you must file a claim before applying for FEMA assistance.

To contact FEMA and apply for assistance, visit disasterassistance.gov, download the FEMA app on your phone, or call 1-800-621-3362.

I-35 Capital Express Central Virtual Public Scoping Meeting

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is holding a virtual public scoping meeting from March 11-April 9 to provide stakeholders an opportunity to view and comment on the I-35 Capital Express Central project. The project proposes to add two non-tolled high-occupancy vehicle managed lanes in each direction along I-35 from US 290 East to SH 71/Ben White Boulevard, with additional flyovers at I-35 and US 290 East. The proposed project also includes various operational and safety enhancements, including reconstructing ramps, bridges and intersections; improving frontage roads; enhancing bicycle and pedestrian paths; and accommodating transit routes.

Attendees will be able to comment on how alternatives will be analyzed, coordination plan and schedule, project purpose and need, and the range of alternatives. All comments must be received on or before Thursday, March 25, 2021, to be a part of the official virtual public scoping meeting record. Learn more about the project and the scoping meeting here.

Virtual Spring Break Camp from Austin Public Health; click to register

Austin Parks & Recreation Virtual Spring Break

The Austin Nature & Science Center is hosting a virtual spring break camp from March 15th-18th. Register for the camp here.

Session 1 (Ages 5-7): 10-11 a.m.
Session 2 (Ages 8-12): 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Austin Parks & Recreation (PARD) also has many entertaining and educational videos for kids to explore at any time during spring break. Check out the list of videos here.

CONTACT US!

District10@austintexas.gov

(512) 978-2110

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