Dear Neighbors,
I hope you had a restful and restorative holiday and were able to spend time with loved ones. In November we received the City’s Winter Storm Uri after action reports about last winter’s terrible storm and the loss of power and water throughout our city. These reports are an important step, but we have much more work to do as a city and as a state to improve our preparation. There also are things that each of us can do in our homes and our community.
Improving Electric Reliability Winter Storm Uri affected every Austinite who experienced the severe weather event. Power outages in District 10 first began on February 11th, days before the ERCOT-directed outages and Austin Water issues began. These earlier outages were largely the result of trees and other vegetation coming into contact with power lines during icy conditions.
As noted in past newsletters, I have worked with Austin Energy leadership to revise, prioritize, and better fund the line clearance and vegetation management program to improve electric reliability. In District 10, Austin Energy will complete the circuits in high wildfire risk areas that experience frequent outages within the next couple of months, and they will continue line clearance work to ensure all circuits are up to date citywide.
Winter Storm After Action Reports On Tuesday November 16, Council discussed the three after action reports for the City of Austin, Austin Water, and Austin Energy. We heard from the heads of each of the utilities as well as the director of the Homeland Security and Emergency Management department. You may view that discussion here, including my questions and comments about the need for urgency in making improvements in our emergency management systems.
The reports collectively recommend hundreds of action items for implementation, and the City will prioritize the recommendations that will have the biggest impact on safety and preparedness. The recommendations range from improved planning practices, to supply chain management, to communications and coordination. You can find the city’s After-Action resources on the dedicated Winter Storm Uri page, which includes each of the reports, feedback from residents, and more.
At the November Audit and Finance Committee meeting, the City Auditor’s office presented their audit on disaster preparedness, which you may read here. I encourage you to watch the meeting (video here). I pushed for greater expediency and effort to prepare for this upcoming winter and to implement high priority recommendations as soon as possible.
I also expressed frustration that several action items were recommended in past reports over the years that would have put the city in a better place if they had been implemented. One such item is the creation of resilience hubs (first brought forward in my resolution declaring a climate emergency in 2019). I am happy to report that in recent months the City has dedicated funding and staff to collaborate with AISD and other institutions to develop and create resilience hubs to ensure Austnities have a place to go for resources and shelter in the event of emergencies. I was proud to partner with Council Member Tovo and other colleagues to identify funding and next steps to move the resilience hub approach forward.
Earlier in the fall, we also received very useful recommendations from the Winter Storm Uri Task Force and several community groups, including the Community Resilience Trust, Black Leadership Collective, and Austin Voices. I want to thank them for providing their feedback and insights to help our community improve and target our preparedness efforts.
Though efforts to improve emergency management and disaster preparedness have been underway for months, these recently released documents reveal a number of areas where we need to invest in and improve. As your council member, I intend to work closely with City staff and my colleagues to ensure that we are much better prepared to respond to future disaster events.
Preparedness Tips Each of us has a role in improving our community’s emergency preparedness. Here are a few steps you can take today: Sign up for Warn Central Texas: register for regional emergency notifications by text, phone, and email and receive alerts for various events, including dangerous weather and wildfires. Build a kit: The City of Austin’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has checklists that you can use to begin building your emergency kit for you and your family and for your pets. Ready.gov: the federal government’s emergency preparedness website features resources and planning guidance for disaster events, including ways to get involved. You may also find interesting this recent KUT article on tips for personal preparedness. Holiday Fire Safety: as we enter the holiday season, the National Fire Protection Association offers several tips and recommendations to keep your home safe from fires.
In the remainder of this newsletter, you will find an update on the COVID-19 pandemic and how to get a vaccine or booster shot, a recap of our most recent council meeting, ways to give back during the holiday season, and more.
I also would like to wish a very Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate the Festival of Lights. May you enjoy time spent with your loved ones.
Regards, Alison Alter Council Member, District 10
| | Office Transitions District 10 Job Opening Council Recap Gun Violence Prevention Funding for Parks and Greenspaces Pediatric COVID Vaccines Available Now Call for Applicants: District 10 Boards and Commissions Capital City Village 10 Year Anniversary Meals on Wheels Call for Volunteers Giving Tuesday KOOP Radio Interview on Recent Acts of Hate Zilker Holiday Art Contest Winner from District 10 A Message from Austin Water: Stop the Grease Blob City of Austin Language Access Resources
| | It is with bittersweet sentiments that we announce the staff departure of April Romero Brown. April has been an integral part of the District10 team for the last 4 years, leading in areas of communications, transportation, and public safety. If you’ve enjoyed our newsletters, April has been the one behind-the-scenes making sure they are delivered to you each month. Please join us in congratulating April as she transitions to work in the private sector. April, thank you for your dedicated service to District 10 and the City of Austin!
| | | I am looking to hire a key position in my City Council office, my Communications and Community Outreach Coordinator. I am looking for someone who thrives in a fast paced environment, juggles multiple tasks with ease, learns quickly, writes well, and who excels at helping people solve problems. Communications responsibilities include media relations and management of our website, newsletter, and social media. Community outreach activities include event planning, addressing constituent concerns, and organizing volunteers. We have a small office and candidates must collaborate well with others and be willing to learn new things. Submit a resume, cover letter, and a writing sample to Council Member Alison Alter via email to kurt.cadena-mitchell@austintexas.gov.
A full job description is available at the following link:
https://district10commscoordinator.getresponsepages.com/
| | | The November 18th agenda featured several items of interest:
Item 2: Last month Council Member Greg Casar resigned his District 4 Council seat to run for Congress. This item approved a special election to be held on January 25th, 2022 to elect a new Council Member to represent District 4 for the remainder of the current term.
Item 9: This item authorizes $5.3 million in grants to provide relief to our arts community. Funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act, the grants will support Core and Cultural Heritage contractors and festivals using a framework brought forward by the Arts Commission.
Item 18: This is a contract that will aid in mitigating the threat and effects of potential wildfire events around the city. These contracts will provide vegetation treatment services, creating shaded fuel breaks on various Austin Water Wildland Conservation Division properties (BCP, Water Quality Protection Lands). This work will benefit the public by providing reduced wildfire risk to communities and residences while also protecting natural resources.
| | | Earlier this month I was proud to stand alongside District Attorney José Garza and other elected officials to uplift recent innovations to prevent and end violence in Austin/Travis County. You may view my remarks here. In 2019, I led the creation of a Task Force on Gun Violence, and I authored the budget amendment to establish a local Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) — a key Task Force recommendation. I’m proud and excited to see Travis County build on those efforts, and I welcome the new partnerships and collaborations to be launched alongside the OVP. | | | | | | Pediatric COVID Vaccines Available Now Children ages 5-11 are now eligible to receive the Pfizer pediatric COVID-19 vaccines! Pediatric doses will be available this week through Austin Public Health at Delco, Old Sims Elementary Gym, and Pflugerville Library locations. Vaccines are also available through UT Health Austin, Travis County drive-thru, pop-up community events, and other local clinics and pharmacies. Visit the CDC website for more information on COVID vaccines for children and teens. You also can find local vaccine information at https://www.austintexas.gov/covid19-vaccines. Booster shots and flu shots are widely available at HEB, CVS, and Walgreens. | | | District 10 Openings: Boards and Commissions The District 10 office is seeking new representatives to serve on the Building and Fire Code Board of Appeals and the Commission on Immigrant Affairs. If you are interested in volunteering for either commission, please send your resume and a short memo with the following information to my office at district10@austintexas.gov: What is your assessment of the top three policy questions your commission will be dealing with over the next four years? A statement of the expertise and experience that you bring to these issues. A statement of what issues you anticipate emphasizing in your work supporting your commission.
Please feel free to share these opportunities with your friends and neighbors.
| | | Capital City Village Celebrates Ten Years of Service to Austin Seniors Earlier this month, I was delighted to join Capital City Village at their tenth anniversary celebration and to deliver a proclamation declaring November 10th as Capital City Village Day in Austin. Capital City Village is a local nonprofit with a mission of helping Austin seniors age well in their own homes. Since 2011, Capital City Village has offered hundreds of local seniors transportation, technology help, minor home repairs, friendly phone calls, health & wellness talks from medical professionals, presentations from local notables, various interest groups, and social gatherings.
As a grassroots organization, the ideas for programs and services come from the participating seniors, so that the direction of the organizations reflects the needs of the community. Membership with Capital City Village is offered on a sliding scale to accommodate a wide range of household incomes. If you’d like to help, you can attend one of their events or contact the office to learn more about membership and volunteer opportunities at (512) 524-2709 or info@capitalcityvillage.org.
| | | Meals on Wheels Urgently Needs Volunteers
Meals on Wheels Central Texas has an urgent need for 500 delivery volunteers! Sign up now to start delivering hot meals and friendly smiles to homebound seniors in January. Meals on Wheels also offers “substitute volunteer” positions for those who cannot commit to weekly routes. If you are unable to volunteer time, please consider donating to Meals on Wheels. | | |
Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving that takes place every year the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and commercial shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The movement brings people together around service and giving. Visit https://ilivehereigivehere.org/givingtuesday to make a donation to a local nonprofit, or to draw inspiration from their “30 Acts in 30 Days” campaign to spread generosity throughout the season. | | | Radio Interview on Recent Acts of Hate I was honored to join my constituent, Bob Dailey of KOOP Community Radio, to discuss the civic impact and community response to the arson at Congregation Beth Israel, along with the defacement and expressions of hatred that took place in Northwest Austin. In the episode, we will also hear from Michelle Manning Scott, Rabbi Neil Blumofe, Jim Harrington of the Texas Civil Rights Project, and Austin Sanders, staff writer for the Austin Chronicle. Tune in Tuesday, November 30th at 6:00 PM to KOOP 91.7 FM, streaming through https://koop.org/. Previous episodes of the program can be found at Civil Rights and Wrongs, now complete back through May, 2020. Tuesday’s episode will be posted soon after the show airs. For those asking how they can help, please consider making a donation to the fund Congregation Beth Israel has set up to help cover the cost of repairs. If you would like to read more about my response to these recent incidents, I invite you to review my last newsletter. | | | Zilker Holiday Art Contest Winner from District 10 I am delighted to announce that my constituent, Jane Pirkl from Bryker Woods Elementary, came in first place in the junior division of the Zilker Holiday Tree Art Contest! Congratulations to all six winners. | | | A Message from Austin Water: Stop the Grease Blob
Clogged drains are a common problem during the holiday season. Pouring cooking oil or grease down the drain causes it to stick to the insides of the wastewater pipes, creating a grease blob. Grease blobs can cause expensive repairs, foul odors and sanitary sewer overflows! View this important message from Austin Water on how to Stop The Grease Blob this holiday season. | | | City of Austin Language Access Resources Did you know that the City of Austin offers free language assistance? If you or someone you know needs language assistance while navigating City services, please visit the iSpeak Austin webpage, where you can:
Understand your legal rights to language access services Download iSpeak Austin materials Find resources to help English language learners, immigrants, and refugees View the city's Language Access Policy File a comment/complaint
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