Dear Neighbors,
I have worked closely with Austin Energy (AE) to host AE-led, area-specific sessions on reliability and vegetation management in light of the frequent and sustained outages experienced by District 10, such as the February 11-14 non-ERCOT related widespread outages, the recent Memorial Day Weekend disruptions, and other instances. Over the coming weeks, representatives from Austin Energy will hold online meetings to discuss the utility’s vegetation management program and answer your questions. Information on which areas will be discussed on which dates is available below. These meetings are part of my larger efforts over the past years to clear AE’s vegetation maintenance backlog, mitigate the wildfire risk posed by trees entangled in power lines, and improve energy reliability in the district.
Trees near or entangled in AE power lines are the cause of many of District 10’s recurring outages and reliability issues. Not only is vegetation management imperative for providing reliable electricity to AE customers, trees on power lines present a wildfire hazard.
Ever since I learned that previous city leadership did not prioritize vegetation management at the level required to deliver top-notch service to AE customers, I have worked with AE leadership to make significant investments to clear power lines in the district and citywide in an environmentally responsible manner, and to prioritize areas that are at risk for wildfires (learn more about my work in this previous newsletter).
While many areas are still in need of line clearance treatment to deliver the reliability AE’s customers deserve, Austin Energy has made progress on the backlog of vegetation management and maintenance, particularly in areas of wildfire risk. Areas whose power lines had been recently cleared have seen a marked improvement in their service reliability. As Austin Energy continues vegetation management efforts over the course of the coming year, they will continue to prioritize high wildfire risk circuits, and they hope to complete these high risk areas by the end of the calendar year.
To learn more about Austin Energy’s tree pruning and vegetation management efforts, visit their website or review this video (start 1:05 in, or around 2:40 p.m.) from a briefing held in early February, just before Winter Storm Uri. You also can view the briefing related to the Memorial Day outage presented at our recent Austin Energy Oversight meeting, including my questions related to outage map issues and their ongoing vegetation management program.
Austin Energy Area-Specific Meeting Information
The below maps show the areas AE will be addressing at the corresponding meetings listed. Austin Energy has prepared each meeting to be area-specific in order to most efficiently address the particulars of each area, so please review the maps and save the date for the meeting that corresponds to your home, office, or neighborhood.
Note that these are the first batch of meetings organized. Please only attend the meeting relevant to you.
Virtual meetings will be from 6 p.m.- 7 p.m. Each meeting will be recorded and made available for those interested in the meeting but unable to attend.
Below, please find the meeting link and dial-in number for the June 16th meeting. WebEx links and dial-in numbers for the remainder of the meetings will be provided as soon as they have been set up by Austin Energy. Wed. June 16 – Join the event virtually using this link, or call in at 1-415-655-0001 (Access code: 145 351 9781) Thurs. June 17 – save the date Tues. June 22 – save the date Wed. June 23 – save the date Tues. June 29 – save the date
1-415-655-0001 (Access code: 145 351 9781) | | Thursday, June 17, 2021 - WebEx Link to Come | | Tuesday, June 22, 2021 - WebEx Link to Come | | Wednesday, June 23, 2021 - WebEx Link to Come | | Tuesday, June 29, 2021 - WebEx Link to Come | | If you live in one of the areas highlighted in the maps above, I hope to see you at your area's designated meeting. We will share additional meeting details in my next newsletter. If you are not subscribed to our mailing list, please email us at District10@austintexas.gov to ensure you receive meeting notifications. In the balance of this newsletter, you'll find updates on homelessness, Prop B, and other Council action, details about how to engage in the FY22 budget process, news about the Austin Civilian Conservation Corps, and more.
Regards,
Alison Alter Council Member, District 10
Subscribe to future newsletters at bit.ly/d10newsletters! | | Update on Homelessness and Proposition B FY22 Budget Process Update (District 10 Town Hall on July 21st) Council Recap Pools Open on Modified Schedule & Call for Lifeguards An Update on the Austin Civilian Conservation Corps Austin Water Expands Multi-Family Customer Assistance Alter a “Driving Force” Behind Wildfire Prevention and Preparedness Use Class A-Rated Materials to Repair Roofs Damaged by Hail Article: Oak Trees Are Still Recovering From the Winter Storm Drive a Senior Needs Volunteers!
| | | Update on Homelessness and Proposition B
Proposition B and City Response
As I detailed in my last newsletter, the City Manager is charged with implementing and enforcing Proposition B. The City Manager’s plan has been developed through a coordinated effort among multiple departments—including the Austin Police Department (APD), the Homeless Strategy Division, the Homeless Outreach Street Team, the Downtown Austin Community Court, Parks and Recreation Department, Austin Resource Recovery and others. We are now in Phase 2 of the enforcement schedule. From June 3rd to July 10th, APD will generally issue written warnings, and may begin issuing citations for violating the camping ordinance if they encounter individuals who have already been warned.
Phase 3: July 11 to Aug. 7: If a written warning has already been issued, APD will then issue a citation. Arrests for violating the camping ordinance will only be utilized in situations where individuals refuse to vacate areas that have been deemed dangerous for the public (e.g. flood prone or wildfire danger, next to a busy or high-speed roadway, etc.).
Phase 4: Aug. 8 and thereafter: If an APD officer issues a citation and the individual does not stop the prohibited conduct (e.g. voluntarily leave the area), APD will arrest the individual for violation of the camping ordinance, regardless of whether the area is specifically deemed dangerous for the public. When APD does arrest an individual for violation of the camping ordinance, that person will be processed through the Downtown Austin Community Court whenever possible.
All citations issued for violation of the new ordinance will be directed to the Downtown Austin Community Court (DACC), where personnel evaluate each case and develop disposition plans that include connecting individuals to needed social services and/or assigning them to community service.
You may watch the City Manager’s press conference on the implementation of this ordinance using this link. Additionally, a webpage has been created to help address frequently asked questions about this issue. As our public safety and public health staff work to implement this ordinance, details, timing, and circumstances may evolve. This webpage will continue to be updated as more information and resources are available to help all community members, including those without housing, understand implementation and enforcement of Proposition B.
Sanctioned Campsite Locations
Many constituents have written and called about the potential sanctioned campsite locations identified in the work session presentation to Mayor and Council last month. I would like to clear up some confusion about what was and was not shared with Council and provide some context.
As many of you remember, I was one of two council members who voted against repealing the camping ban in 2018. However, when the Council majority made that decision, I worked hard to ensure their repeal of the camping ban did not apply to high wildfire risk areas or to parkland. While I have worked hard to ensure enforcement of the camping prohibition in those areas, like many of you, I have been disappointed and frustrated by the uneven enforcement.
I want to emphasize that what was released to Council was not a list of recommendations for campsites. As part of their presentation, staff released a list of properties to provide public transparency about the sites across the city that they are or were vetting. They also published their criteria for identifying a safe camping area. Of foremost consideration among the public safety criteria is: No camping in areas considered drainage or creeks, as they could flood or be overrun with water during heavy rains. No camping in high wildfire-risk areas.
As you can tell, those two criteria alone make most District 10 sites wholly unsuitable.
I do not support sanctioned camping in high wildfire risk areas nor flood prone areas. Regardless of those specific factors, I have deep skepticism regarding the utilization of any parkland anywhere for this purpose. At this stage, the Council has made no commitments to creating these campsites, in any size or number. The city staff are assessing and determining whether sanctioned campsites are a viable next step (among many) as we work to implement Proposition B. To date, no site in District 10 has been identified as suitable.
The staff will be seeking further direction from the Council in June and I will provide additional information as soon as it becomes available. You may read the staff memos on this topic HERE and HERE. If you have questions you may email my Chief of Staff at kurt.cadena-mitchell@austintexas.gov. | | | FY22 Budget Process Update (District 10 Town Hall on July 21st)
City of Austin budget survey: Austin is committed to an inclusive and transparent budget development process that utilizes resident and stakeholder feedback to ensure budget priorities are being met. The City of Austin encourages residents to weigh-in as the City plans for the FY22 budget and to help the City prioritize services that impact how you live, work, play, shop and more. Learn more about the City of Austin Budget, view the full video here.
Save the date for the District 10 Budget Town Hall, to be held virtually on Wednesday July 21st. Additional details on the town hall and other ways to engage with our office during the FY22 budget process will be made available in the coming weeks.
I would also like to highlight two budget-related actions from the most recent City Council meeting: Homestead exemptions: I have voted to increase the senior and general homestead exemption each time this issue has gone before the City Council during my time in office. Last week, I co-sponsored the proposal to raise the homestead exemption to the legal maximum of twenty percent and voted for the preliminary approval last week. We anticipate final approval of the increase to the legal maximum exemption at the next City Council meeting this Thursday. I also co-sponsored a $25,000 increase to the senior homestead exemption and that increase was approved last week. Tax rate: I was the only City Council member to vote against the staff-initiated proposal to allow the Council to consider an eight percent rollback tax rate, a step allowable this year due to the public disaster declaration for Storm Uri. While the Council majority voted to allow that maximum rate to be considered, the Council has not taken a final vote on the adopted tax rate. As indicated by my vote, I do not support proceeding with an 8% increase.
| | | Below, please find some highlights from the May 20th and June 3rd Council meetings.
May 20th, 2021 Council Meeting Summary
Item 2 (Advanced Metering Implementation): This allows Austin Water to fund the Advanced Metering Implementation (AMI) project using discounted interest rates, saving money for ratepayers compared to traditional funding mechanisms. Austin Water’s AMI project will replace customer water meters with meters connected to a wireless network, so that meter reads will no longer be collected manually each month. After AMI implementation, water meter reads will be collected at least daily and will be made available to customers via electronic devices, so they can better monitor their water usage between billing cycles. This will minimize the labor costs and vehicle mileage needed to support meter reading. This will also enable customer usage alerts before a bill arrives and can help identify potential customer-side leaks and semi-real time leak detection, and a superior metering asset management database, that will better facilitate operations and maintenance activities.
Item 12 (Pease Park Conservancy Agreement and Kingsbury Commons): Council authorized a park operations and maintenance agreement with Pease Park Conservancy for the operation, maintenance, and programming for Pease District Park, which spans the border of District 9 and District 10. The Conservancy will be responsible for the daily maintenance of seven acres of the 84-acre Pease District Park, including trash pick-up, mowing, and daily servicing of public amenities. The Conservancy will also provide free family activities, nature-based programming for all-ages, and additional recreational opportunities including programming with the Lamar Senior Center as well as managing rentals within Kingsbury Commons. With support from the Moody Foundation, the Conservancy has nearly completed the revitalization of the southernmost tip of Pease Park, known as Kingsbury Commons which serves as the entrance and focal point of Pease Park. In May I joined park leaders and advocates for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, and I was delighted to celebrate the completion of this incredible project and what it will bring to our community.
Item 13 (Dougherty Arts Center): Operated by the Parks and Recreation Department, since 1978, the Dougherty Arts Center serves as a community arts center, featuring live performances, gallery exhibits, and art classes. While cherished, the existing facility is unable to meet the demands for programming and performances and has long needed an expansion or replacement. With this item, Council approved design option 1A for the new Dougherty Arts Center. This project is funded by both the voter-approved 2012 General Obligation Bond, Proposition 14 - Parks and Recreation (Facility Renovations and Improvements); and the 2018 General Obligation Bond, Proposition B - Libraries, Museums and Cultural Arts Facilities. The new facility will be located at Riverside Drive and Toomey Road, adjacent to the Zach Scott Theater. This new facility will allow for increased and improved programming.
Item 16 (New Domestic Violence Shelter): Resulting from a budget amendment I co-sponsored in our last budget cycle, this item authorized the negotiation, and execution of an agreement with The SAFE Alliance to manage a new City-owned domestic violence shelter and provide supportive services, housing assistance, and direct client assistance. Trends across the nation have shown an increase in domestic violence, and Austin has long needed an increased capacity for assisting individuals and families fleeing family and domestic violence. The SAFE Alliance is a longstanding leader and partner in providing frontline services and shelter to Austinites and this investment will allow them to grow their capacity to save lives.
Item 60 (Funding for Cultural Arts and Musicians): Recognizing the need to ensure funding to stabilize and sustain our cultural arts and music communities, Council approved a resolution directing the City Manager to provide options for supporting the arts sector using federal dollars allocated through the American Rescue Plan and other funding sources. Historically this sector received city funding using our hotel occupancy taxes, but those revenues were reduced during COVID. The City Manager will identify potential options for the Council to consider as we make decisions about our federal allocations and our annual budget process.
Item 61 (Paramedic Practitioners): I authored a resolution to expand healthcare access for Austinites via the City's Paramedic Practitioner Program, which provides healthcare to low acuity patients in the field. When a patient calls 9-1-1 with a low acuity ailment or injury, such as a wound that needs minor stitching or a child with an ear infection, a physician assistant responds and provides medical care on site, helping patients avoid unnecessary trips to the hospital. By creating a pilot payment system for the City to collect fees from insurance providers, Medicaid, and Medicare, we can use the new funds to expand the Paramedic Practitioner Program and serve more Austinites at a lower cost than an ambulance or emergency room trip.
Items 63 and 65 (Water Forward Ordinance Implementation): Council approved two items to advance Water Forward, our 100-year integrated water resource plan. Item 63 and Item 65 were two items I co-sponsored which directed the City Manager to advance efforts that conserve and diversify our water supply by implementing tools such as: Dual plumbing requirements for new larger commercial and multifamily Expansion of current reclaimed water system connection requirements Water benchmarking and budgeting requirements for new developments Landscape transformation ordinances and incentive programs Irrigation efficiency and incentive program.
The items also directed the Manager to provide recommendations to mitigate the impacts to affordability of these new building requirements and to address the increased need for flood protection requirements. Read more about Water Forward here.
June 3rd, 2021 Council Meeting Summary Item 11 (Asian American Resource Center Expansion): Council approved a contract with Trahan Architects APAC for the design of the Phase II expansion of the Asian American Resource Center (AARC) at 8401 Cameron Road. Funded using voter-approved bonds, Phase II of the AARC Master Plan Update includes a live performance theater, programming space and additional parking. Item 12 (Shop the Block): Council approved an extension of the Shop the Block Program which allows businesses impacted by COVID to use their parking lot or public right-of-way as additional open-air dining and shopping space. Item 13 (Fee Waivers for Community First! Village): Council approved just over $4.3 million in fee waivers and reimbursements for Mobile Loaves & Fishes’ Community First! Village expansion which is anticipated to add over 1,300 homes for individuals experiencing homelessness at their 127 acre property. Item 14 (Development Service Staff): Council authorized the Development Services Department to hire an additional 41 full-time employees to process permit applications, conduct inspections, and fill other customer service needs. The positions will not result in a fee increase but will instead be funded using existing fee revenue. The department has seen a marked increase in permit applications which has delayed response times and the revenue from the increased volume will allow these positions to be cost-neutral while improving the customer service experience. Item 20 (Edwards Aquifer Conservation Easement Purchase): Council authorized the purchase of a conservation easement on approximately 4,000 acres of land in Travis County, Texas, located in the Barton Creek Watershed, near Southwest Parkway and US Hwy 71 in the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Contributing Zone. This item is funded by the 2018 Proposition D Bond for Open Space and the purchase price is significantly below the fair-market value appraisal. Items 21 & 22 (Wildfire Interlocal Agreements): These two items are interlocal agreements with Travis County and with UT that are part of a larger effort to share resources and knowledge between entities that have a stake in preventing and mitigating wildfires. Wildfire is everyone’s fight, and the more we work together on items such as prescribed burns and proper fire management, the safer we all will be. | | | Pools Open on Modified Schedule & Call for Lifeguards
The Parks and Recreation Department is working hard to fully operate our summer pool schedule. The pandemic has made it difficult for the department to hire and train their normal volume of lifeguards, so pools will operate with modified hours and capacity. As of last week, Aquatics had recruited and trained 250 lifeguards; approximately 35% of the required 700 lifeguard force. Additionally, several pools across the city were damaged by recent storms and are being assessed for repairs. City staff is preparing a memo detailing the damage, and our next newsletter will include additional details on the condition of facilities and the anticipated timeline for repairs to be completed.
Pools in or near District 10 that are currently open include Deep Eddy Pool and Shipe Pool.
Once minimum staffing levels are met, all undamaged pools will be open. The Department will then work to increase capacity, increase hours of operation, and eliminate the Barton Springs Pool reservation system. PARD will continue to send swimming pool and splash pad updates via social media and the Aquatics website. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a lifeguard, visit www.LifeguardAustin.com. | | | An Update on the Austin Civilian Conservation Corps
The Austin Civilian Conservation Corps (created by my initiative last May), in partnership with American Youthworks, is currently hiring for a wildlands fire mitigation crew. The crew will consist of two crew leads and six crew members, and focus on clearing brush and other potential wildfire fuels, creating fuel breaks, and making our landscapes more resilient to wildfire threats. This ACCC program will be critical in reducing Austin’s wildfire risk, and providing more equitable access to conservation jobs.
The crews will work 40 hours per week for eight months. Crew leads are paid $17/hr and crew members $15/hr, and no prior experience with this type of work is necessary. The program includes services such as case management and an emergency stipend to give our crew members the support they deserve as they transition into these new careers. Participants will receive extensive training and certifications in the technical aspects of wildland firefighting, and will be well positioned to continue their careers in this or other conservation-related fields after the program ends.
The City will hold a virtual information session during the week of June 14 where potential applicants can find out more about the work, the ACCC, and the crew selection process. You can learn more about the ACCC and available opportunities here. Please share with your networks.
The ACCC was created to improve equitable access to conservation- and sustainability-related careers while providing income for Austinites, and pursuing critical environmental goals in the Austin area. To date, the program has provided 100 opportunities to participate in a variety of program types, from public art to green building to landscape conservation.
KXAN recently ran a story on the ACCC and my efforts to add additional funding and make the program permanent. The story features interviews with current ACCC participants, and is available here. | | | Austin Water Expands Multi-Family Customer Assistance
Building on an amendment I authored in the last budget cycle, Austin Water announced a new expanded discount program for seniors, low income and vulnerable Austinites. Until now, our discount program was only available to customers who had an individual utility meter. Many older multifamily complexes have a single meter for multiple customers, and those customers were unable to access the discount program even if they were eligible. This new expanded tool will allow eligible participants to automatically receive a maximum $200 a year credit, which will appear on monthly billing statements as the Austin Water Multi-Family CAP Program Discount.
For more information and a complete list of the ways City of Austin offers customers financial assistance, customers are encouraged to visit this website. | | | Use Class A-Rated Materials to Repair Roofs Damaged by Hail Whether you’re in the midst of needing to have a few shingles replaced—or your entire roof—as a result of Winter Storm Uri or the recent hailstorms, consider using Class A-rated materials when you do. These fire-resistant substances dramatically increase your home’s chances of withstanding a wildfire. Given that Austin is second only to California in the nation in terms of our risk from these devastating fires, having a fire-resistant roof is a prudent idea regardless of whether you live in or near the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) or not.
For more information on the City of Austin's newly adopted WUI code, visit www.austintexas.gov/department/wildland-urban-interface-code. | | | Alter a “Driving Force” Behind Wildfire Prevention and Preparedness
Wildfire risk prevention is a top priority for me. Since I initiated the original wildfire audit in 2019, we’ve significantly increased the wildfire budget, launched the wildfire hub that offers real time data and resources, implemented the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) code, and advanced significant prevention efforts by Austin Water, Austin Energy, and the Austin Parks and Recreation Department. We still have work to do, and we all need to do our part to prepare and harden our homes against wildfire.
To learn more, read this Austin Monitor article and check out the city's online wildfire hub at https://wildfire-austin.hub.arcgis.com. | | | Article: Oak Trees Are Still Recovering From the Winter Storm Many oak trees around the city are still recovering from Winter Storm Uri. If your oak trees are still showing signs of stress or have yet to leaf out this spring, please take a moment to read this article from Texas A&M Forest Service, as it contains advice from some of our state’s top tree experts. Big thank you to former District 10 Environmental Commission Wendy Gordon for sharing this information! | | |
|
|
