Mar 12, 2021 Special Joint Sustainability Committee

I HEARD, UH, BOB HENDRICKSON HERE, SO I'M GUESSING THAT WE DO HAVE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.

THANK YOU, ALBERTA.

I AM .

I REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.

[CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]

JUST ONE SUNDAY, BOB.

OH, I GUESS WE ARE SORRY.

I'M REALIZING THAT I SKIPPED OVER OUR MINUTES CAUSE I WAS THINKING WE, WELL, WE CAN USE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION FIRST.

SORRY, BAD.

LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO IT.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

I'M BOB HENDRIX, CHAIR OF THE AUSTIN SHIRA CLUB'S EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE DURING WINTER STORM URI THROUGH A COMBINATION OF LUCK AND WHITE PRIVILEGE.

I DID.

ALTHOUGH I LOST ELECTRICITY FOR SEVERAL DAYS, MY HOUSE WAS FAIRLY WELL-INSULATED.

SO ONLY DROPPED TO 40 DEGREES INSIDE WEARING SEVERAL LAYERS OF MY WARMEST CLOTHING AND SLEEPING UNDER SIX BLANKETS.

I SLEPT WARM AND COMFORTABLE.

I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW LESS PRIVILEGED VULNERABLE FOLKS THAN I WOULDN'T HAVE FARED AND THE TYPE OF CHEAP APARTMENT I HAD IN CORPUS CHRISTI, WHICH WOULD HAVE DROPPED PEOPLE BELOW 10 DEGREES.

THE FIRST NIGHT WITH ELECTRICITY AND ME OUT WITH MY PHONE BATTERY DEAD.

AND WITH A SHORT WALK TO MY CAR, WHISKING A SERIOUS FALL CONTACTING NUMBERS AND FROM SERVICES WOULD'VE BEEN DIFFICULT.

I WASN'T ADEQUATELY PREPARED WITH THIS EVENT NOR WAS AUSTIN TO HELP AUSTIN PREPARE FOR UNEXPECTED EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS, WHICH WILL KEEP COMING.

AUSTIN NEEDS TO FOLLOW UP ON HIS CLIMATE RESILIENCE RESOLUTION.

IT SHOULD BUDGET FOR AND HIRE CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICERS.

SO AUSTIN CAN BE BETTER PREPARED FOR FUTURE EMERGENCIES.

I APPRECIATE THE WORK SUSTAINABILITY AND ITS CLIMATE RESILIENCE TEAM DID TO PREPARE THE 2018 CLAIM RESILIENCE PLAN, BUT WE NEED MORE IMPLEMENTATION, MORE OVERSIGHT AND MORE FOCUS, NOT JUST FROM THE VULNERABILITY OF CITY ASSETS AND LIFE SAVING SERVICES, WHICH ARE IMPORTANT, BUT FROM THE VULNERABILITY OF LOW-INCOME AND STRUGGLING FAMILIES, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT BETTER HOW TO HELP THEM IN AN EMERGENCY.

A RESILIENCE OFFICER COULD DO JUST THAT KX AGAIN IN AUGUST, 2019 REPORTED THAT AUSTIN WAS CONSIDERING A CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER QUOTE, CITY MANAGER, SPENCER CRUMP'S OFFICE RECOMMENDED THAT THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL ROLE BE FILLED WITHIN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS AND THE 18 MONTHS SINCE THEN IT HASN'T BEEN OR RESILIENCE OFFICE COULD ALSO IDENTIFY IMPORTANT PROJECTS THAT WOULD HELP VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AND BE READY WHEN BIDEN'S INFRASTRUCTURE CLIMATE BILL FINALLY PASSES TO LATER THIS YEAR, THE MONEY WILL GO TO COMMUNITIES WHO WERE READY TO USE IT WELL.

SO AS AUSTIN PREPARES ITS BUDGET FOR 2022, I URGE YOU TO INCLUDE MONEY FOR A CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICE AND STAFF.

IT'S TIME FOR SOME AUSTINITES WHO DIDN'T SURVIVE.

ERIE IS PROBABLY PAST TIME.

THANK YOU FOR HEARING MY REMARKS.

[00:05:04]

THANK YOU, BOB.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, THANKS.

UM, I THINK THAT DOES GIVE US SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT, UH, FOR OUR NEXT MEETING.

WE'RE WE'RE NOT, UH, POSTED FOR BUDGET ITEMS ON THIS MEETING, BUT WE WILL LET OUR AT OUR FOLLOWING MEETING.

AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE MINUTES.

UM, THANK YOU.

LET'S GO AHEAD

[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

DID EVERYBODY HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK THEM OVER? I'M GUESSING THAT PEOPLE ARE MAYBE LOOKING THEM OVER RIGHT NOW AND IF WE HAVEN'T REVIEWED THEM AND WANT TO JUST DEFER THEM TO OUR NEXT MEETING, THAT'S FINE TOO.

UM, CAUSE WE ARE HAVING OUR REGULAR MEETINGS LATER IN THE MONTH.

I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.

KAREN.

KAREN MOVES TO APPROVE.

I SEE ROB SECONDING SECOND, PLEASE.

UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING THAT THEY SEE NEED NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED OR, UH, DESIRE TO WAIT? SO YOU HAVE TIME TO LOOK THEM OVER OR IS EVERYBODY FINE WITH, UH, MOVING FORWARD WITH US? OKAY.

ALL IN FAVOR.

IF YOU'RE ON SCREEN, RAISE YOUR HAND OR IF YOU'RE NOT SAY AYE.

AYE.

I THINK I HEARD, UM, ALBERTA AND PHYSIO.

IS THAT CORRECT? I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I HAVE YOU REGISTERED CORRECTLY.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING AND I WILL SAY, UM, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, UM, COMING TO ME IN, IN SUGGESTING THAT WE HAVE THIS SPECIAL CALLED MEETING TO HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO, UM, HEAR AND TALK ABOUT THE FREEZE EVENT AND ALL THAT, UH, HAS, HAS COME AFTER.

EXCELLENT.

AND ALEXIS, DID I HEAR FROM YOU AS WELL? I'M ABSTAINING JUST SINCE THIS IS MY FIRST MEETING, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

YES, THAT IS ALL RIGHT.

OF COURSE.

UM, ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN.

WE STILL HAVE SEVEN.

SO THE MINUTES ARE STILL ADOPTED, UH, WITH SEVEN YES AND ONE ABSTAINING.

ALRIGHT, EXCELLENT.

LET'S MOVE ON TO

[2a) City's response to recent freeze event, including actions related to power outage, boil water, roadway clearing of snow and ice, and emergency messaging (Discussion and/or possible action)]

SO JUST THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UM, I DO WANT THIS COMMISSION TO BE ABLE TO BE RESPONSIVE TO EVENTS THAT ARE RELEVANT TO CLIMATE.

AND THIS ONE CERTAINLY IS SO THANKS FOR THAT.

UM, UNDER NEW BUSINESS, WE HAVE, UM, TWO, TWO ITEMS LISTED.

WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THE CITY'S RESPONSE TO THE RECENT PRIESTS EVENT, UM, AND OPTIONS, UH, WHERE THE FOCUS ON OF COURSE, POWER OUTAGES.

UM, SO I KNOW WE HAVE A BOSTON ENERGY, UH, REPRESENTATIVE HERE TO, TO SPEAK WITH US.

THANK YOU, SYDNEY FOR JOINING US.

CONTRIBUTED IN A MEANINGFUL AND MEASURABLE WAY AS DID OTHER RESOURCE TYPES.

A COMMITTEE CHAIR, UM, COMMITTEE MEMBER WHITE.

UH, WE APPRECIATE THE INVITES, UH, TODAY, UH, AS YOU ARE AWARE AND VARIOUS FORUMS, AND I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO SOME OF YOU IN OTHER FORMS, WE HAVE THE DETAILED VIEW, THE ELECTRIC GRID EMERGENCY THAT OCCURRED IN LATE FEBRUARY.

UM, IT ISN'T MY TO GO OVER THOSE PRESENTATIONS IN DETAIL TODAY.

UM, BUT WE DO HAVE A STATEMENT THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD SEGUE.

UM, AS YOU KNOW, IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE ERCOT LOAD SHED EVENTS AND HOW ERCOT WAS EXERCISING.

AND IN THAT TO BALANCE THE ELECTRIC GENERATION WITH LOAD, WE ALSO DISCUSSED IN VARIOUS OTHER FORUMS, MYSELF AND OTHERS, ABOUT SOME OF THE EXTREME WEATHER IT'S DURATION, THE POOL OF WORK TECHS, THE WEATHER PATTERN AND HOW WE SHATTERED 50 AND A HUNDRED YEAR RECORDS.

WE DISCUSS IN THOSE OTHER FORMS. UM, THE DEDICATED PERSONNEL AT AUSTIN ENERGY ON SOME OF THEM ARE MANY OF THEM WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK TO RESTORE SERVICE IN DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS CONDITIONS, SLEET, ICE, AND SNOW.

AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO REHASH THAT.

UM, WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY'S GENERATION RESOURCES, NOT SPECIFICALLY HOW ALL THE RESOURCES CONTRIBUTED TO PROVIDING THE ELECTRICAL SUPPLY NEEDS FOR ERCOT ALSO TOPICALLY AFFIRMED AND CONFIRMED THAT AUSTIN ENERGY'S RENEWABLE FLEET WHEN IT'S SOLAR SPECIFICALLY

[00:10:01]

AGAIN, THE GOAL HERE ISN'T TO REPEAT THOSE PRESENTATION, AS I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE PROVIDED THE URL LINKS AND YOU CAN GO BACK AND USE THOSE, BUT I DID WANT TO TAKE THIS OR WE AS AUSTIN ENERGY MINING AND TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND ON THE CENTRAL THEME OF SUSTAINABILITY, SPECIFICALLY CLIMATE, BUT WE BELIEVE CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY IS THE KEY TO THIS CHARTER.

UM, AND SO LET ME JUST TAKE A MOMENT THERE AS AN ELECTRIC PROVIDER, AUSTIN ENERGY BY NECESSITY HAS TO BE RESPONSIVE TO CLIMATE ISSUES.

IN FACT, ALL ELECTRIC PROVIDERS HAVE TO BE GRANULARLY SENSITIVE TO CLIMATE.

WHETHER WE'RE LOOKING AT TEMPERATURE, HUMIDITY, CLOUD COVER, WIND SPEED DIRECTION, OR A VARIETY OF IMMUNOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS.

CLIMATE IS A KEY TO OUR PLANNING.

HORIZONS ARE PEOPLE WHO PREPARATIONS IT IS A COMMONPLACE, UH, OPERATIONAL INPUT.

UM, HOW IMPORTANT IS CLIMATE TO AUSTIN ENERGY INTO OUR INDUSTRY? AND I'M JUST GOING TO LAY OUT A FEW BENEFITS OF CLIMATE OR WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT.

OUR ABILITY TO CLASS CLIMATE IS, UH, IS SIGNIFICANT AND IT CAN PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT OUTCOMES.

FOR INSTANCE, IF WE CAN FORECAST CLIMATE, IF WE CAN FORECAST WEATHER, TEMPERATURE, HUMIDITY, CLOUD COVER, FIRE ELECTRIC GENERATION PRODUCTION, RESOURCES BECOME MORE CONCISELY EFFICIENT.

ONCE WE KNOW THE TEMPERATURE, WE HAVE A HIGH DEGREE OF CERTAINTY OF A LOAD, AND THEN WE CAN ALLOCATE GENERATING RESOURCES ACCORDINGLY.

AGAIN, TRYING TO SHOW THE LINK WHERE AUSTIN ENERGY IS TIED IN OUR INDUSTRY IN GENERAL IS TIED TO CLIMATE WEATHER, ESPECIALLY EXTREME WEATHER.

AND OBVIOUSLY AS WE CAN BETTER FORECAST, UH, WEATHER AND CLIMATE, RENEWABLE RESOURCES, THEIR OUTPUT, UM, BETTER ANALYTICS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT PROVIDES FOR BETTER EFFECTIVENESS IN UTILIZATION OF RENEWABLE RESOURCES, UM, AS WELL.

SO IN SUMMARY CLIMATE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, UH, TO AUSTIN ENERGY.

AND LET ME JUST BRING, LASTLY, AS I CLOSE, LET ME JUST BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO, UH, FEDERAL, UH, WHAT WE CALL FERC, FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION.

AND IT'S A, UH, A FEDERAL COMMISSION THAT HAS CONVENED A TECHNICAL CONFERENCE.

AND THE TITLE OF THIS TECHNICAL CONFERENCE IS IMPORTANT, RIGHT TO ELECTRIC SYSTEM RELIABILITY FROM CLIMATE CHANGE AND EXTREME WEATHER.

IT'S A TITLE CLEARLY SAYS CLIMATE CHANGE AND EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS ARE FRONT AND CENTER FOR OUR INDUSTRY.

AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, AUSTIN ENERGY, AS WE PARTICIPATE WITH OUR ENERGY CHEEVERS WILL AND MUST CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THAT DIALOGUE AND, UM, COMMITTED SHUTTER WHITES WITH THOSE PREPARED REMARKS, UH, YIELD BEFORE BACK TO YOU.

A HOME BATTERY BATTERY STORAGE AND HOW THAT MIGHT HELP US, UH, IN THE FUTURE FACING SOME SORT OF FUTURE POWER OUTAGE, LIKE THE ONE WE SAW ON THE END OF FEBRUARY, UM, COMMITTEE MEMBERS SNYDER.

WHO HAS QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UH, HI, THANKS FOR THE, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION.

UM, SO, UH, I KNOW THAT AUSTIN ENERGY HAS, UH, UH, LAUDABLE AND REASONABLY AGGRESSIVE GOAL TO, UH, NET ZERO ENERGY PRODUCTION FOR THE CITY.

UH, IS IT 2030? WHATEVER IT IS, IT'S PRETTY, IT'S PRETTY SOON.

AND, UH, DURING THAT OUTAGE, UH, I, UH, AND I SORT OF HEARD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, UH, I GUESS YOU COULD CALL IT DECENTRALIZATION OF, OF STORAGE OF ENERGY STORAGE, UM, AS, UH, SO I JUST WANTED TO HEAR, IN SOME WAYS THE, THE CRISIS PROVIDES US WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVISIT DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE IN THE PAST, UH, OR TO TAKE A NEW DIRECTION.

AND SO I WONDERED IF AUSTIN ENERGY HAD ANY THOUGHTS, WHAT THE CURRENT PLAN IS, WHETHER THIS WAS GOING TO BE REVISITED ABOUT THINGS ALIKE, BOTH DECENTRALIZED POWER PRODUCTION, LIKE ROOFTOP, SOLAR, OR CITY-BASED, UH, SOLAR, UH, AND IN PARTICULAR, THE USE OF ENERGY STORAGE, LIKE VEHICLES THAT TIED INTO THE GRID OR, UM,

[00:15:01]

THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.

SO I WOULD SUMMARIZE THE QUESTION IS AS A RESULT OF THIS ELECTRIC GRID EMERGENCY, ARE WE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT NEW TECHNOLOGIES, UH, REFINEMENTS OF EXISTING TECHNOLOGY? WHAT IS IT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT A, SO YOU RAISE A GOOD POINT.

SO, SO WE DO HAVE AN AFTER ACTION PLAN THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE OPPORTUNITIES, TO DO THINGS BETTER.

AS I MENTIONED, AS FOR A TECHNICAL CONFERENCE ON EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS, UH, AS AN INDUSTRY, WHOLE, SOME OF THOSE ISSUES WILL BE MADE, WILL BE DISCUSSED, UH, AS AN AFTER ACTION IN A MORE GRANULARLY COMING BACK TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BOTH ARE, WE HAVE COMMITTED TO AS OUR CLIMATE PLAN TO TAKE A LOOK AT DYNAMICALLY, UH, WHAT VENTS NEW TECHNOLOGIES.

AND WE'VE ALREADY COMMITTED TO ALWAYS LOOKING AT NEW TECHNOLOGIES WHERE THEY MIGHT BE MORE ECONOMIC OR W BETTER ECONOMICS US.

SO I DON'T, I DON'T LOOK AT THIS EVENT AS, UM, CHANGING COURSE.

I LOOKED AT THIS EVENT AS, UH, AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE THE DYNAMIC RE-EVALUATION, UH, THAT WE'VE ALREADY COMMITTED TO.

UM, I, I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND I APPRECIATE, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY'S, UM, PROGRESSIVE THINKING ON GETTING TO NET ZERO AND SO FORTH, I GUESS, WHERE THIS PRESENTS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY.

ISN'T SO MUCH IN AUSTIN, ENERGY'S THINKING ABOUT IT AS THE PUBLIC'S WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT MAYBE A CHANGE, ADDITIONAL COSTS FOR A MORE RESILIENT STRUCTURE THAT MAY INVOLVE HOME ENERGY STORAGE, OR, UH, UH, DECENTRALIZED ENERGY PRODUCTION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

BUT I HEAR YOUR POINT AND I APPRECIATE IT.

I, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE THOUGHT IS FOR THE TIMELINE ON THE AFTER ACTION REPORT AND WHETHER WE MIGHT GET A, UH, A BRIEFING ON THAT AFTER IT COMES OUT.

BUT, UH, BUT I, I, FOR ONE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT.

UM, AND I, I, I, ON ANOTHER CALL, I, UH, UNDERSTOOD AUSTIN ENERGY WAS LOOKING AT, UH, THE ISSUE OF, UH, CIRCUIT BREAKERS.

I THINK I LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND THE CITY, UH, GOT THE TEXT NOTIFICATION AT WHATEVER ONE 46 IN THE MORNING ON MONDAY THAT MY POWER WOULD BE GOING OUT FOR 40 MINUTES AT A TIME, WHICH LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN MY POWER DIDN'T COME OUT ON UNTIL, UH, THURSDAY MORNING AND I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE SUFFERED LESS DAMAGE.

HAD IT BEEN CYCLING THROUGH, YOU KNOW, MY BROTHER-IN-LAW'S POWER WAS ON THE WHOLE TIME.

IT DIDN'T REALLY SEEM TO MAKE MUCH SENSE LOGICALLY.

SO I DUNNO IF THERE'S ANYTHING TO OFFER OR IF THERE'LL BE MORE TO COME ON, UH, HOW THE, UM, THE CIRCUIT ISSUE IS GOING TO BE ADDRESSED OR WHETHER IT WILL BE ADDRESSED.

UM, SO TO ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION, WE ARE TRYING, WE ARE WORKING TO PARTNER PARTNER WITH DEPUTY, UH, IT'S AN, THE RESEARCH ARM OF THE ELECTRIC INDUSTRY, AND THAT IS GOING TO BE PART OF OUR ACTION, UH, ACTION REVIEW AFTER ACTION REVIEW, UH, EVERY WILL BE ABLE TO ADVISE US AND HELP US IN THE, WHAT WE CALL PERHAPS A SMARTER OR A SMARTER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS ARE USUALLY CALLED SMART DISTRIBUTION, BUT PERHAPS A SMARTER DISTRIBUTION.

YOU'RE CORRECT.

WE DID HAVE CHALLENGES IN, IN SECTIONALIZING CERTAIN CIRCUITS.

UM, SO WE'RE, WE WILL BE EVALUATING, UH, TECHNOLOGY THAT THE SMART DISTRIBUTION TECHNOLOGY FOR A PUBLIC FACILITY HERE, WHICH ARE POINTS WE'LL TAKE THEM.

I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE ONCE THE AFTER ACTION REPORT IS COMPLETED.

APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU, BRAD.

I SAW NANCY.

UM, THANK YOU, MR. JACKSON.

UM, SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, I DO WANT TO TAKE A BIT OF A STEP BACK BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A SPECIAL CALL MEETING AND, AND I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT WE, WE ARE, WE SHOULD NOT BE SO QUICK TO KIND OF FORGET WHAT HAPPENED AND KIND OF BACK TO THE STATUS QUO.

THANKS FOR KIND OF JOINING US AT THIS COMMITTEE.

I FEEL LIKE THIS MIGHT BE THE FIRST OFFICIAL SORT OF COMMISSIONS LAST COMMITTED MEETINGS SINCE THE EVENT.

I KNOW WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION ARE THERE MEETING, UH, I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, I'M SURE IT WAS NOT EASY FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM.

AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THAT LIGHT'S ON OUT AND EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE BACK TO NORMAL, SORT OF, UH, BUT I THINK THAT, UM, I DO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT A LOT OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE DOING HARD WORK JUST TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

[00:20:01]

AND SO I WANT TO GO STRAIGHT TO REASON IN MY OPINION, WHY WE SHOULD EVEN HAVE THIS SPECIAL CALL MEETING.

UH, SO I'M REFERRING TO THE CLIMATE RESILIENCE ACTION PLAN THAT WAS DONE IN APRIL, 2018 BY THE CITY THAT BASICALLY SUPPOSED TO LOOK AT CITY ASSET AND OPERATION LONGTERM AND SHORT TERM.

UM, AND YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T IMAGINE YOU HAVE EVERY BITS OF THAT IN FRONT OF YOU, AND I'M SURE YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE PLAN AT THAT LEVEL.

AND IT'S JUST A CONVERSATION I WANT TO AT LEAST KIND OF POSE FOR YOU.

AND MAYBE THAT WILL BE AN ONGOING CONVERSATION FOR SURE.

THE WAY I LOOK AT IT IS IF WE GO TO EVEN THE WAY THAT YOU'LL HAVE TO PLAN WITH FRAME, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST CHAPTER, IT TALKS ABOUT THE FOUR MOST CRITICAL RISKS, UH, KEY CLIMATE HAZARD.

AND IF YOU GO EXTREME IT, HEAT DROUGHT, FLOODING, AND WILDFIRE.

SO I FEEL LIKE WE, AT THE VERY LEAST, WE HAVE TO ADD ONE MORE NOW INTO THAT FRAMING WAY EXTREME THE OTHER WAY AROUND WITH THE FREEZE AND SNOW.

SO KINDA MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS FROM A PLANNING PERSPECTIVE, HAVE THERE BEEN ANY KIND OF A BREAKING UP THE NORM, HEY, YOU KNOW, THIS HAPPENED, WE CAN'T RESTORE BACK THE OPERATION TO THE NORMAL, BUT FROM A PLANNING PERSPECTIVE, HAS THERE BEEN LIKE A PUN INTENDED, A CIRCUIT BREAKER THAT HAS BEEN TRIGGERED WITHIN THE PLANNING ASPECT TO SAY WE CAN'T PLAN FOR THE NORM ANYMORE.

WE NEED TO START PLANNING FOR IT, VERY DIFFERENT, NORMAL, VERY DIFFERENT BASELINE AND A VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF RISK.

SO THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T WANT TO BE IN THE SAME SITUATION WITH THE SNOW AND THE FREEZE, BUT THE NEXT TIME IT MAY NOT BE THE SNOW IN THE FREE, RIGHT.

IT COULD BE ANOTHER LEVEL OF EXTREME HEAT.

IT'S ANOTHER LEVEL OF EXTREME FLOODING.

SO JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WITH, FROM A PLANNING STANDPOINT, AT THE LEADERSHIP LEVEL, HAS THAT BEEN LIKE A CIRCUIT BREAKER THAT'S BEEN TRIGGERED SO THAT THE PLANNING DOES NOT REVERT BACK TO THE NORM, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBER BRING UP SOME VERY, VERY GOOD POINTS.

UM, THE CLIMATE RESILIENCY ACTION PLAN SPEAKS TO A LOT OF THINGS FIRE, AS YOU MENTIONED, BY EXTREME COLD WASN'T NECESSARILY POSTULATED.

I BELIEVE IN THAT PLAN.

I THINK YOU ARTICULATED THAT AS WELL.

UM, FROM A RESILIENCE STANDPOINT, LOOKING AT A LOCALIZED, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY, WE ARE LOOKING AT RESILIENCY, UH, IN OUR ELECTRIC SYSTEM AND IT WILL BE PART OF OUR ACTION ACTION, UH, AFTER ACTION REPORT.

IN YOUR TERMS OF TALKING ABOUT GOING BACK TO NORMAL, I THINK AS AN INDUSTRY, I, UNFORTUNATELY I DO HAVE TO SOMEHOW GO BACK TO OUR OVERALL INDUSTRY OF THE PLANNING AT THE BIGGEST SCHOOL BILL LEVELS.

WE ARE LOOKING AT THE THREAT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND EXTREME WEATHER.

AND THAT'S WHY I MENTIONED THAT FOR A TECHNICAL CONFERENCE, IT IS IMPORTANT ON A, ON A INDUSTRY-WIDE BASIS, BUT ON A LOCALIZED LEVEL, WE WILL BE LOOKING AT RESILIENCY, UH, FOR OUR SYSTEM JUST AS WE LOOK AT, UH, WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND SOME OF THOSE OTHER THINGS.

WATERFALL WORD, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO LOOK AT A HUNDRED YEAR INTO THE FUTURE, WHICH IS A VERY LONG, AND I MEAN, THAT'S A LONG TIME, BUT I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF AUSTIN ENERGY HAVE ANY KIND OF LONGER TERM STUDY OR PLAN THAT IS, UH, IN THE WORK OR WILL BE IN THE WORLD SOON.

THEN HOPEFULLY AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THERE'S TO BE MORE QUALITATIVE, UM, WAY FOR US TO LOOK AT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC OR, UH, SORT OF REPRESENTATIVE OF, OF THE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC.

WE CAN KIND OF START TALKING ABOUT BENCHMARKING RESILIENCY, UH, GOING FORWARD.

IF I MIGHT DRAW ON THAT SORT OF, UH, UH, RESILIENCY ACTION PLAN, ONE MORE THING, UH, WHEN WE GET TO THE SORT OF ACTION PLAN, UH, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.

AND A LOT OF FOLKS ON THIS COMMISSION IS MORE EDUCATED THAN ME ON, ON THE AUSTIN ENERGY, SORT OF IN THE MECHANICS.

UH, BUT I, I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT AUSTIN WATER HAD A A HUNDRED YEAR, UH, WALKER FORWARD PLAN THAT THEY RECENTLY ADOPTED.

AND OBVIOUSLY THERE'S THINGS WITHIN THAT PLAN THAT HAS TO BE CHALLENGED AND BENCHMARK, AND RE-LOOKED AT, UH, WITH THIS EXTREME WEATHER.

UH, THE ONLY THING THAT IS REFERENCED IN HERE AND THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH IS THE POWER GENERATION PLAN THAT YOU'LL HAVE, WHICH SUPPOSED TO BE FOR CASAD TO 20, 27.

IS THAT RIGHT? UM, AND YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO KNOW, IS THERE ANY KIND OF, UH, UH, PLAN THAT GONNA ALLOW US TO LOOK FURTHER AHEAD, MORE THAN 2027, UH, CONTEXT,

[00:25:01]

YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THE THING I CAN POINT TO IS THE, THE CLIMATE PLAN, OUR, OUR, OUR POWER RESOURCE AND CLIMATE PLAN.

IT IS A LONG-TERM PLAN.

IT DOES REQUIRE THAT IT'S REVISITED FROM TIME TO TIME AS WE SPOKE TO EARLIER.

UH, THE DYNAMICNESS OF THAT PLAN, I THINK, SPEAKS TO, TO, UH, YOUR ISSUE THAT WE DO HAVE OUR FINGER ON THE POLLS.

WE ARE LOOKING AT THESE THINGS AS WE GO LONGER TERM, WE ARE LOOKING AT NEW TECHNOLOGIES.

WE ARE TRYING TO INCORPORATE AS MUCH RENEWABLE AS WE CAN, UH, AS FAST AS WE CAN RESPONSIBLY AND RESPONSIBLY FINANCIALLY AS WELL.

UM, BUT I, I DO THINK THAT PLAN IS WHAT I'D ASK YOU TO LOOK TO IN REGARD TO THE OVERALL CITY'S RESPONSE TO CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND THAT ACTION PLAN.

UH, I WOULD ASK THAT THE UNDERSTANDING THAT AUSTIN ENERGY IS JUST A PART OF THAT OVERALL CITY PLAN.

UH, IT WOULD PROBABLY HAVE VALUE TO HAVE, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY, EXCUSE ME, THE CITY REPRESENTATIVES, UH, HERE AS WELL.

AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND WE CERTAINLY, UH, YOU KNOW, DON'T, DON'T WANNA MAKE IT SOUND LIKE IT'S JUST AUSTIN ENERGY TO CARRY THE BURDEN HERE, AND I A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE WITH YOU, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU, YOU MAKE THE TIME TO BE HERE.

UM, MY LAST COMMENT AND, AND, AND YOU FEEL FREE TO ALSO KIND OF RESPOND TO, UH, IS I JUST ALSO WANT TO POINT TO THE FACT THAT THE FACT THAT THIS COMMITTEE, UH, SORTA IS CHARGED WITH HELPING KIND OF FACILITATE IN, UH, WORKING WITH THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE TO UPDATE OUR AUSTIN, UH, COMMUNITY CLIMATE PLAN, LIKE, LIKE YOUR PLAN WOULD NEED TO BE UPDATED EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS.

AND IN THIS TIME AROUND AT 2020, I MENTIONED THIS BEFORE WE ENDED UP WITH AN AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, WHICH I AM MORE THAN A HUNDRED PERCENT SUPPORTIVE OF BECAUSE IT PUT EQUITY AT FRONT AND CENTER, A DISASTER AFFECT PEOPLE.

SOME PEOPLE WERE FAR WORSE THAN OTHERS.

AND I THINK AS YOU ALL THINK ABOUT YOUR NEXT PLANNING FORWARD, WHATEVER THAT IS, I WOULD CERTAINLY RECOMMEND THINKING ABOUT IT THE SAME WAY WHERE ANY KIND OF ACTION LONG-TERM AND SHORT-TERM TAKE EQUITY LENS IN FRONT AND CENTER TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO BENEFIT FROM, YOU KNOW, THE SAME IMPACT.

UM, UM, THE EQUITY ISSUE IS NOT LOST ON US IN IT AS AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION.

AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT.

UM, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT YOU BROUGHT UP.

I JUST WANT TO, UM, OFFER A LITTLE BIT OF A CLARIFICATION ONE, THE RAZORS MANAGEMENT COMMISSION AND THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMMISSION DID HAVE A JOINT MEETING, I GUESS IT WAS AT THE START OF THIS WEEK.

UH, TO, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN COVER AT LEAST THE LOAD THAT WAS THE DEMAND THAT WAS LEFT, UH, FOR AUSTIN CUSTOMERS.

WAS, WELL, THIS WEEK FEELS LIKE TWO WEEKS.

UM, AND, AND THOSE PRESENTATIONS ARE THE ONES THAT SYDNEY WAS REFERRING TO AT THE START.

AND I AM WONDERING IF, YOU KNOW, IF, IF FOLKS HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THOSE, MAYBE IT WOULD BE WORTH GOING THROUGH A FEW, UM, HIGHLIGHTS SYDNEY.

AND I KNOW IF, IF YOU'RE PREPARED TO DO THAT, BUT IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL.

YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT DOES COME TO MIND IS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SHOWING, UH, LIKE THE PRODUCTION AND, UM, I DON'T, THERE WERE JUST A FEW HIGHLIGHTS IN THERE THAT MAYBE WOULD BE WORTH SHOWING FOLKS.

UM, AND THEN JUST TO MAKE SURE THERE'S, UM, CONNECTION BETWEEN WHAT YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT NOW AND THAT, UM, PLANNING, UM, I THINK THE, THE PLAN THAT, THAT SIDNEY WAS REFERRING TO IS THE SAME PLAN.

IT SHOULD THE UPDATED VERSION.

SO THERE IS A PLAN THAT GOES OUT TO 2030, SORT OF 2035.

SO THAT'S THE MOST UPDATED ONE JUST WANTED TO, UM, YEAH, MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE THERE.

UM, SYDNEY, I DUNNO.

DO YOU WANT TO SHARE, ARE THERE ANY OF THOSE SLIDES THAT YOU THINK IT WOULD BE MAYBE APPROPRIATE TO SHARE WITH THIS COMMISSION HERE? NO, I'M NOT PREPARED FOR THOSE.

I JUST ASSUME THAT, UH, THOSE LINKS WERE MADE AVAILABLE.

SO IT WOULD TAKE ME, IT WOULD NOT BE PRODUCTIVE FOR ME TO GET MY COMPUTER CONFIGURED TO GET THOSE UNFORTUNATE.

NO, THAT'S TOTALLY FINE.

I DO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE LOOK THROUGH THOSE PRESENTATIONS BECAUSE THERE'S SOME GOOD INFORMATION THERE.

UM, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT I WILL JUST ENCOURAGE, UH, FOLKS TO BE AWARE OF IS THAT, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN ENERGY'S, UH, RESOURCES DID PERFORM PRETTY WELL.

AND WE'RE ACTUALLY IN GENERAL, UH, PRODUCING ENOUGH ENERGY,

[00:30:01]

UM, BUT OF COURSE THAT ENERGY GETS SPREAD AROUND THE ERCOT FORMULA ANYWAYS.

SO I THINK GNAT'S POINT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT ABOUT DISTRIBUTED ENERGY AND, AND LOCALIZED ENERGY STORAGE.

UM, BECAUSE AT A CERTAIN POINT YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES LINED UP PERFECTLY THAT AUSTIN ENERGY OWNS, BUT IF THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, SCALE THEY'RE DEPLOYED OR THE ERCOT GRID AND AS A, AS A WHOLE.

SO, UM, THERE'S BEEN A TWO, TWO DIFFERENT THINGS TO WORK ON.

ONE IS THE BIG SYSTEM.

AND THEN HOW IS OUR, OUR LOCALIZED SYSTEM, UM, BEING AS RESILIENT AS IT CAN, EVEN WHEN THE LARGER SYSTEM IS, YOU KNOW, STUMBLING, DO OTHERS HAVE QUESTIONS? IT'S JUST GOING TO BE A FUTURE HERE.

I WILL SAY WE DID INVITE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT DON'T WANT TO AUSTIN ENERGY THAT FEEL LIKE YOU WERE SINGLED OUT.

WE DID INVITE PASTA AND WATER AND OTHERS TO, UH, COME AND TALK WITH US TODAY.

SO I APPRECIATE YOU RESPONDING TO THE REQUEST.

I'M GLAD WE'RE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE IT, UH, EVEN, EVEN IF UNDER SHORT NOTICE.

SO, YEAH.

OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS A DISCUSSION ON CLIMATE RESILIENCE BASELINE.

WHAT I DON'T WANT TO KEEP YOU UP IF THERE ARE NOT OTHER QUESTIONS, IT SEEMS THAT PERHAPS THERE'S NOT ALL RIGHT.

WELL, LET'S, LET'S MOVE ON TO

[2b) Discussion on climate resilience plan baseline in the context of Winter Storm Uri from energy production, water reserve, redundancy, emergency routes and availability of decentralized community emergency centers (Discussion and/or possible action)]

UM, ACTUALLY MAYBE BEFORE WE DO THAT, UM, I WOULD JUST MAYBE ASK ZACH, WERE YOU ABLE TO FIND OUT ANY INFORMATION ABOUT FORMING THE CENTERS AND WHO WAS RUNNING THOSE AND KIND OF HOW THAT WORKED? I KNOW YOU WERE TRYING, AND IT WAS CHALLENGING.

I GOT A CONTACT, BUT I HAVE NOT, UH, REACHED OUT TO THAT.

I GOT THE CONTACT YESTERDAY EVENING.

SO I'M GOING TO REACH, AND THAT'S ANOTHER THING FOR THIS GROUP TO KNOW THAT, UM, WE, YOU, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SORT OF SCRAMBLING TO REACH OUT TO AS MANY FOLKS AS WE COULD TO GET THEM TO COME TO THIS MEETING.

AND MANY FOLKS LIKE JUST WEREN'T READY TO COME YET.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO, SO AUSTIN WATER SAID THAT AFTER THEY HAVE WATER AND WASTEWATER COMMISSION, THAT THEY WOULD PROBABLY BE PREPARED TO COME IN APRIL.

UM, AND YEAH, REACHING OUT TO LIKE STREET BRIDGE AND REACHING OUT TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE EOC AND THE, THE ACTUAL, LIKE HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RESPONSE.

WE MAY BE ABLE TO GET THEM TO CALM, BUT IT'S LIKELY NOT GOING TO BE, IT MAY BE AT THE MARCH MEETING IT MORE LIKE WE WILL BE AT THE APRIL MEETING, UM, JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN OVERWHELMED AND THEN TRYING TO CATCH UP.

AND LIKE, IT WAS JUST, IT WAS GETTING HARD TO GET PEOPLE TO COME.

THANKS FOR THAT.

I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE, HAVE BEEN TRYING AND NOT, UM, I DUNNO SINCE, SINCE YOU'RE OUR REPRESENTATIVE ON THE WATER AND WASTEWATER SIDE, YOU KNOW, UM, IF YOU WANT TO REACH OUT AND SEE IF THEY'RE WILLING TO COME TALK WITH US AT OUR NEXT MEETING, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, FEEL, FEEL FREE TO DO THAT.

UM, IT PROBABLY MAKES MORE COMING FROM, FROM THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THAT COMMISSION PERHAPS.

UM, YEAH.

AND WE'LL TOUCH BASE ON THAT.

I'LL TOUCH BASE WITH THAT.

BUT YEAH, I, I LIKED ZACH MENTIONED, I DON'T THINK IT'S, I DON'T THINK THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO.

I THINK IT'S JUST A, EVERYBODY'S STILL TRYING TO DO WITH THE AFTERMATH.

UM, BUT I THINK THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHY THIS COMBINATION IS TIMELY.

AND I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT IT.

YOU KNOW, OTHERWISE, UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S CLIMATE CHANGE IS INCONVENIENT.

AND I FEEL LIKE AT, AT THE VERY LEAST, NOW WE COULD CONFIDENTLY SAY THAT IT'S HERE.

IT'S NOT A FUTURE PROBLEM.

UM, AT LEAST IT'S IN TEXAS.

SO BEFORE I, MAYBE PEOPLE FEEL LIKE MAYBE IT GONNA HIT CALIFORNIA BEFORE IT HIT TEXAS.

SO ZACH, THANK YOU FOR TRYING TO PUT ALL THESE TOGETHER.

I THINK IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A ONE-TIME MEETING.

WE'LL CONTINUE TO HEAR FROM DIFFERENT FOLKS.

YEP, ABSOLUTELY.

YEP.

ON TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM.

UM, I GUESS, UM, LET'S, LET'S MOVE

[00:35:01]

I MEAN, THESE ARE, THESE ARE VERY, UH, LINKED TO AGENDA ITEMS OBVIOUSLY, BUT, UM, THE NEXT ITEM IS REALLY FOCUSED ON, UH, THE, THE CLIMATE RESILIENCE, UH, BASELINE AND HOW THE STORM, UM, MAY HAVE KIND OF CHANGED, CHANGED THOSE BASELINES.

UM, NOT DO YOU WANT TO KIND OF START US OFF HERE? I KNOW YOU, YOU ALREADY MADE SOME COMMENTS UNDER OUR LAST ITEM, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU KIND OF WANT TO ADD TO KICK OFF THIS CONVERSATION? YEAH, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I CERTAINLY POINTED THAT CONVERSATION TO AUSTIN ENERGY JUST BECAUSE THEY BASICALLY GOING TO BE IN THE FIRST SEAT FOR AWHILE.

UM, BUT CLEARLY THE NEXT EXTREME EVENT MAY NOT BE AFRAID.

WE COULD HAVE ANOTHER NEXT EVENT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IF YOU MIGHT RECALL, IF YOU LOOK AT THE RESILIENCE PLAN, THE FIRST IMAGE WAS THE FLOOD.

THAT WAS A HALLOWEEN, UH THAT'S EITHER HALLOWEEN OR WHATEVER FLOOD.

SO FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, THE TOPIC OF TOWN WAS FLAT AND THEN AD 14 COMES OUT NOW, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, UH, IT'S FREE.

AND SO ENERGY LOSS.

THE NEXT COME OUT, I FEEL LIKE OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S CROWDED IN THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE AND PEOPLE THAT'S ALREADY IN THE OH, OH, MINDSET.

CLIMATE CHANGE IS ALREADY CONSTANTLY THINKING ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS.

SO, YOU KNOW, NEXT TIME IT COULD BE WORSE NEXT TIME IT COULD BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, BUT I STARTED MATTER PUBLIC, I THINK UNTIL NOW I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT HAS BEEN PERSONAL ENOUGH.

AND NOW I FEEL LIKE IT HAS BEEN, BECOME A LOT MORE PERSONAL FROM A RESILIENCE STANDPOINT.

SO I WONDER IF I DON'T WANT TO FOCUS ON THE NEGATIVE, IN MY OPINION, WE SHOULD KIND OF FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE SIDE THAT RIGHT NOW, I FEEL LIKE IF WE HAVE A HARD TIME REACHING COMMUNITY AND EXPLAIN TO THEM WHAT IT WAS BEFORE MESSAGE OUT, IF WE DO THE MESSAGING RIGHT THIS TIME AROUND, I FEEL LIKE IT SHOULD BE A LOT MORE IMPACTFUL AND KAREN CAN SPEAK TO THE EDUCATIONAL ASPECT.

LIKE WHAT CAN WE DO TO KIND OF EDUCATE THIS? BUT AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO LOOK AT THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF THIS.

AND THE ANECDOTAL THAT I HAVE IS I LIVE IN MILLER AND MILLER, FORTUNATELY FARE REALLY WELL.

UH, I DON'T KNOW IF MAYBE IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE HOSPITAL GRID OR THE FACT THAT THEY ARE DECENTRALIZED POWER STORAGE STATION, THOSE FAIRLY NEAR MILLER, OR THE FACT THAT IT'S NEWER AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.

THERE'S NO OVERHEAD POWER.

ANYWAYS, EVERYTHING IS UNDERGROUND, BUT WHATEVER THAT IS, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN START LOOKING AT THAT AS YOU KNOW, ANY COMMISSION CAN SAY, UH, UH, WE HAVE RELEVANT IN LAND USE WHERE WE HAVE A HARD TIME FOR US TO MANAGERS, TO EVEN A GROUT, TO BERRY, UH, AGREE TO BURY EXISTING OVERHEAD POWER LINE BECAUSE BEFORE IT WAS LIKE, OH, IT COSTS TOO MUCH AND SO ON AND SO FORTH, BUT NOW IT'S NO LONGER A MATTER OF CAUSE IT'S A MATTER OF INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCY.

SO THAT COULD BECOME A LAND USE CONVERSATION.

UH, THEN, YOU KNOW, WITHIN MILLER, UH, THERE THERE'S COMMUNITY FACEBOOK GROUP THAT, AND I GO GOING FROM NEIGHBORS, EXCHANGING, YOU KNOW, UH, STUFF THAT THEY DON'T WANT ANYMORE TO LIKE A TRUE, UH, PLATFORM TO REACH PEOPLE.

CAUSE THAT NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP THAT, THAT I USED TO BE A CHAIR OF, UH, THE FACEBOOK MEMBERSHIP TO LIKE 4,000 PEOPLE.

THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE AND SOME OF THEM DON'T USE TWITTER.

SOME OF THEM DON'T IT INTO OTHER EMERGENCY.

SO THEY'RE REALLY USING NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR TYPE OF COMMUNICATION.

AND THEN FROM THERE, UH, WE JUST HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH A LOT OF FOLKS THAT ARE, THAT I'M ENGAGED WITH IN THE ARROW, UH, WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LIKE MORE LIKE A THINK TANK WHERE WE CHALLENGE THE EQUITY ASPECT OF COMMUNICATION.

THE CITY SENT OUT TEXT MESSAGES.

WE SHOULD CHALLENGE EVERY NORM AND THEN LEADING INTO THE POSITIVE SIDE OF IT AND SEE IF THE COMMUNITY WILL BE A DRIVER TO A CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION RATHER THAN THE REGULATORY.

IT COME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, BUT THAT DOESN'T HAVE A TRUST FACTOR COMPONENT WHERE THERE'S GOING TO BE PEOPLE THAT SAY, WELL, I DON'T REALLY CARE WHAT THE CD SAID.

UH, I'M GOING TO LISTEN TO WHAT AISD SAID, LIKE THE SCHOOL TEACHER AND PRINCIPAL, AND THAT'S GREAT.

WE NEED TO RELY ON THOSE.

SO EVEN THE ASPECT OF COMMUNICATION NODE WHERE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT OTHER PEOPLE TRUST WILL BE A VERY EFFECTIVE PLATFORM RATHER THAN THE OFFICIAL TWITTER HANDLE OR WHATEVER THAT IS.

SO I THINK THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LEAN ONTO THE POSITIVE SIDE OF THIS EXPERIENCE SOMEHOW, WHICH IS THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNITY BUILDING THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENED DURING THE PRICES.

PEOPLE LEVERAGE THAT AND TURN THAT INTO AN EFFECTIVE, ONGOING EDUCATIONAL TOOL.

UH, AND THERE'S, THERE'S THINGS THAT, THAT USED TO BE OKAY, LIKE THE OVERHEAD NOW, MAYBE IT'S NOT OKAY ANYMORE.

MAYBE YOU SHOULD DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

SO THAT'S HOW I, I I'D LIKE TO THINK IN MY OPINION, IS

[00:40:01]

BECAUSE FRANKLY RIGHT NOW, EVERY COMMISSION MEETING, IT'S JUST US TALKING TO YOUR JOB RATHER THAN THE COMMUNITY SHOWING UP AND SAY, I NEED TO DO ABC.

I KNOW THERE'S IN THE RECOVERY ACT.

HEY MATT, DO YOU MIND IF I ADD ON TO WHAT YOU WERE SAYING AS WELL, BECAUSE THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION THAT ON FEBRUARY 24TH, UM, AND SO WE CAN ACTUALLY QUITE QUICKLY AFTER, UM, WINTER STORM URI, AND WE'RE ABLE TO DISCUSS A LOT OF THE KEY POINTS THAT YOU JUST BROUGHT UP.

WE HAD A COMMUNITY MEMBER, JOE SPEARMAN COME AND SPEAK WITH US AND TALKED ABOUT TO YOUR SAME POINT.

NOW THAT A LOT OF BUSINESSES LOCALLY THAT WERE VERY ESTABLISHED IN NEIGHBORHOODS, THEY WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE DIFFERENT RESOURCES AND WATER AND FOOD TO THOSE COMMUNITY NUMBERS, AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, CONDUCT DIFFERENT OUTREACH AND THINGS TOO.

SO ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE'RE STARTING TO BUILD RIGHT NOW AND WHICH MAYBE THIS COMMISSION COULD ALSO LOOK AT AS A RECOMMENDATION AROUND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS AND ALSO COMMUNITY SUPPORT AS WELL.

AND HOW DO WE STREAMLINE THAT MORE EFFECTIVELY? BECAUSE I LOVE YOUR IDEA TO LEVERAGE THAT EVEN MORE.

AND, AND HOW DO WE EQUIP BUSINESSES, COMMUNITY LEADERS THROUGHOUT DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS WITH THE PLAN AND THE TOOLKIT AND THE SKILLS TO BE LEADERS DURING EMERGENCIES WHEN THOSE COME UP.

UM, SO I LOVE THE IDEA OF WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS HOW DO WE ENABLE MORE PEOPLE TO DO THAT? CAUSE THAT WAS REALLY USEFUL, UM, AND KEY DURING WITH IN SUMMARY.

THANKS KAREN.

YEAH, I DEFINITELY HAVE SOME COMMENTS COMING FROM THE FOOD POLICY BOARD AND I JUST WANT TO START OFF WITH RIGHT AWAY.

THE FACT THAT FOOD ISN'T MENTIONED IS REALLY INDICATIVE OF OUR GENERAL EXPERIENCE, UM, THAT FOOD, IT NEVER, IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT A NICE TO HAVE IT'S A NECESSITY AND YET IT NEVER SEEMS TO RISE TO THE LEVEL OF OTHER RESOURCES THAT ARE CONSIDERED CRITICAL.

UM, AND I THINK WE'VE ALL BEEN THROUGH A YEAR OF THIS AND THEN IT WAS COMPOUNDED IN THE WINTER STORM.

WE HA WE MET ON THE FOOD POLICY BOARD, MET ON MARCH 1ST.

UM, I HAPPENED TO BE OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING TIME AND WE SPENT TIME TALKING ABOUT THE, THE WINTER STORM RESPONSE.

UM, AND BASICALLY THE, THE OVER ARCHING IS THAT IT'S ONE OF THE MOST SHAMEFUL THINGS TO HAVE HAPPENED FROM THE GOVERNMENT LEVEL, UM, THAT THERE WAS NO FOOD PLAN WAS UNCONSCIONABLE, BUT UNCONSCIOUS WOULDN'T THAT WORD UNCONSCIONABLE, UM, THAT FOOD WAS EXPECTED TO SORT OF MAGICALLY APPEAR.

THERE WERE PLANS IN PLACE FOR, AT A WHOLE OTHER SET OF LEVELS AND NO FOOD PLAN.

UM, AND THEN PEOPLE WERE SET, SCRAMBLING AND RESOURCES WERE CALLED UPON PEOPLE RESTAURANTERS WERE EXPECTED TO GO TO RESTAURANTS THAT HAD NO POWER.

THEY WERE ALREADY DEALING WITH POTENTIAL SPOILAGE, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR INVENTORY.

UM, BUT BASICALLY THE EXPEC EXPECTATIONS AROUND FOOD AND DELIVERY AND LABOR ARE SO DIMINISHED, UM, THAT THERE WAS JUST AN EXPECTATION THAT YOU COULD PLACE A CALL AND HAVE FOOD DELIVERED.

UM, AND THAT WAS RESTAURANT, ALL THE PEOPLE WORKING IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY WERE HAVING THE SAME EXPERIENCE AS EVERYONE ELSE THEY HAD.

THEY DROVE, THEY DID DRIVE THROUGH THE SNOW AND THE ICE AND THE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS TO GET TO THEIR RESTAURANTS AND THEIR KITCHENS AND MAKE THEM FOOD.

UM, BECAUSE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THEY FELT, THEY FELT, THEY KNEW THE URGENCY AND THEY FELT THEY KNEW THE NEED.

UM, THE, YEAH, BASICALLY THAT WAS FROM SORT OF THE FOOD PREPARATION SIDE.

I MEAN, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE EXPERIENCED, WE ALWAYS COME BACK TO THIS POINT ON, ON FROM THE FOOD POLICY BOARD.

IT'S ONE OF OUR LINES IS THAT THERE'S TWO DAYS WORTH OF FOOD IN THE CITY AT ANY GIVEN TIME, WHICH I THINK WE EXPERIENCED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC AND WE EXPERIENCED IT AGAIN.

AND THIS, THE EMPTY GROCERY STORES.

THERE'S, THERE'S JUST NOT WHEN, WHEN THE, WHEN, YOU KNOW, THE SUPPLY CHAINS ARE DISRUPTED, THERE'S NO FOOD TO BE HAD.

AND THIS WOULDN'T GET INTO THE AGRICULTURE SIDE, COMPOUNDED WITH LOCAL FARMS. SO MOST PRODUCE FARMS ARE CONSIDERED, ARE CONSIDERED SPECIALTY CROPS, WHICH MEANS IT'S VERY HARD FOR THEM TO GET INSURANCE LIKE COMMODITY CROPS.

UM, THAT'S AT THE USD, THAT'S AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, BUT WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT OUR LOCAL PRODUCE, OUR LOCAL FARMS ARE LOOKING AT HUGE LOSSES TO CROPS AND INFRASTRUCTURE, WELLS PUMPS, IRRIGATION.

UM, SO THE FARMERS THEMSELVES ARE HAVING TO LEARN OF THIS LEVEL OF RESILIENCY ABOUT RIDING OUT EXTREME WEATHER SITUATIONS ON THEIR OWN.

UM, SO IT, YOU KNOW, RELATING TO FOOD ACCESS, LIKE THEY'VE, THEY'RE LOOKING AT TWO TO FIVE MONTHS WITH NO INCOME AND THAT MEANS LOW, VERY LITTLE PRODUCE COMING LOCALLY.

UM, ANYTHING THAT'S AVAILABLE, IT MEANS THEY HAD ALREADY GOTTEN IT OUT OF THE GROUND BEFORE THE STORM AND TWO TO FIVE MONTHS WHERE THEY'RE REBUILDING, TRYING TO KEEP EMPLOYEES LOOKING AT GETTING BRIDGE FUNDING.

UM, AT THAT POINT IN MARCH 1ST, THERE WAS NOTHING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

[00:45:01]

THERE IS, UM, I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF IT, BUT THERE IS SOME SIGNIFICANT AGRICULTURAL FUNDING, BUT I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS ON HOW THAT'S GONNA COME DOWN TO THE LOCAL LEVEL.

SO WE ARE FROM THE FOOD POLICY BOARD WORKING ON, UM, A RESPONSE WITH RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE HAVEN'T DEVELOPED THAT YET.

WE WERE JUST WANTING TO GET THE, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION AND ESTABLISH THE BASELINE AT OUR LAST MEETING.

AND WE'LL, YEAH, WE'LL BE DEVELOPING, UM, OUR RECOMMENDATIONS CERTAINLY FOR AN, A NEED ABOUT AN EMERGENCY PLAYBOOK, THE EMERGENCY OPERATION AND PREPAREDNESS, JUST NOT INCLUDING FOOD IS UNACCEPTABLE.

UM, AND IT'S HAPPENED OVER AND OVER AGAIN FROM THE FOOD SYSTEM PERSPECTIVE.

UM, AND SO IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, GETTING HIGH FRUSTRATION ABOUT WHEN, WHEN, AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO ELEVATE FOOD, TO THE LEVEL OF OTHER RESOURCES, WHICH ARE ALL CRITICAL? NOT, NOT TO SAY THAT YES, ELECTRICITY AND WATER, NOT CRITICAL, BUT, AND FOOD IS, IS JUST AS CRITICAL.

SO THAT'S THE, THE OVERVIEW.

THANK YOU, KAREN.

I REALLY COULDN'T AGREE MORE WITH EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAID.

UM, I GREW UP ON A SMALL ORGANIC VEGETABLE FARM AND WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF IN MY BACKGROUND, IT, IT ALWAYS DOES STRIKE ME AS, UM, REALLY CHALLENGING HOW PEOPLE THINK ABOUT FOOD, THAT, WHERE DOES IT COME FROM? IT COMES FROM THE RESTAURANT, IT COMES FROM THE GROCERY STORE.

AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY THAT IS, THAT IS NOT, THAT IS NOT ACCURATE.

AND IT EDITED, IT ONLY WORKS THAT WAY W WHEN EVERYTHING IS WORKING AND, UH, AND, AND CLIMATE AND WEATHER, UM, THROW A WRENCH IN THAT.

AND YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

THE SMALL, SMALL FARMERS INSURANCE.

IT'S, NON-EXISTENT MY FAMILY LOST CROPS MANY TIMES TO WEATHER RELATED THINGS, AND WE NEVER, WE NEVER HAD ANY INSURANCE FOR ANY OF THAT.

SO, UH, IT'S, THAT'S A REAL HARDSHIP.

AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A PLAN TO DEAL WITH THAT ON THE LOCAL LEVEL, BUT, UM, I HOPE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD MAYBE ENCOURAGE SOME SORT OF LOCAL SYSTEM TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR ON THE FARM SIDE.

BUT I'VE ALSO BEEN THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ON THE GROCERY STORE SIDE, YOU KNOW, AT THE SAME TIME THAT THERE WERE EMPTY SHELVES AND LONG LINES AND PEOPLE WITHOUT FOOD, THERE WERE GROCERY STORES THROWING AWAY AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF FOOD BECAUSE THEY HAD NO POWER.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S PAINFUL TO SEE PAINFUL TO SEE THOSE, THOSE IMAGES GOING UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND PEOPLE TRYING TO GET OUT THERE TO LIKE RESCUE THAT FOOD AND, AND GET IT TO PEOPLE.

AND THE CHALLENGE OF DOING THAT WHEN ROADS WERE JUST TOTALLY NOT CLEARED.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HOPE THAT WE CAN, UH, FIND OUT AT THIS COMMISSION IS, IS A REAL ASSESSMENT OF WHAT, IF ANY SNOW AND ICE REMOVAL, RESOURCES, EQUIPMENT OUR CITY HAS.

IF THE ANSWER IS ZERO, I THINK WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT.

UM, BECAUSE WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, ELECTRICITY, AT LEAST IN THEORY IS SUPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, COME THROUGH THE WIRES AND WATER IS SUPPOSED TO COME THROUGH A PIPE.

WE DON'T HAVE ANY WIRES OR PIPE TO PREMISE.

SO I THINK WE, UM, YEAH, WE, WE NEED, WE NEED A MORE THOUGHTFUL APPROACH TO HOW WE'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH, WITH WINTER WEATHER, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, THESE WEATHER EMERGENCIES IN GENERAL, WHEN IT COMES TO FEEDING PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO STOP UP, YOU KNOW, I, I'M LUCKY THAT, YOU KNOW, AT ANY, AT ANY TIME I I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO WEEKS.

I MIGHT NOT HAVE WHAT I WANT TO EAT, BUT I, I TEND TO GO WEEKS THAT, YEAH, I HOPE THAT'S A FOCUS, OTHER THOUGHTS ON FOOD OR OTHER, UH, RESILIENCE KIND OF SUBJECTS THAT WE SHOULD BE TAKING UP IN THE, IN THE COMING MONTHS.

ROB.

SO, UH, FIRST LET ME SAY, KAREN, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOOD, UM, BUT WHEN YOU JUST TALKED RIGHT, THEN I WAS LIKE, OH YEAH, FOOD FOOD IS AT CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.

LIKE ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT, AND IT MADE ME WONDER IS LOCAL AGRICULTURE SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO BE THINKING, TALKING ABOUT, LIKE, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE HARDEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE AROUND LOCAL AGRICULTURE? IT'S

[00:50:01]

A MARK OF, UH, A WELL-ESTABLISHED SOPHISTICATED ECONOMY WHEN YOU HAVE INSURANCE ON THE THINGS THAT ARE INCENTIVE CENTRAL.

AND OBVIOUSLY, I DIDN'T KNOW THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN COMMODITY CROPS AND VEGETABLES.

UM, BUT THAT'S VERY INTERESTING.

I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S NECESSARILY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING TO KNOW AND THINK ABOUT WHETHER WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

UM, AND, UH, OKAY.

BUT TO YOUR POINT OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE I ALSO, YOU KNOW, HAVE LIKE 15 MONTHS OF RICE AND BEANS.

UM, FORTUNATELY, UM, SO WE HAD LOTS OF RICE AND BEANS AND WE HAD A GAS STOVE, AND IF WE HADN'T HAD A GAS STOVE AND I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, PITCHING THAT WE NEED TO GET RE WE NEED TO GO ALL ELECTRIC AND WE NEED, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO GET SOLAR.

MY NEIGHBOR HAD SOLAR.

I WAS LIKE, HEY, YOU GOT POWER, I GUESS.

AND HE'S LIKE, NO.

AND I WAS JUST BACK TO THE GRID.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW DO WE MAKE THE PITCH TO, YOU KNOW, FOR THE WHOLE CITY TO GO ALL ELECTRIC, TO GET RID OF THEIR, YOU KNOW, CARBON FOOTPRINT COOKING, UM, IN, WHEN WE HAVE, UH, WHEN WE HAVE EVENTS LIKE THIS, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S GOING TO STICK IN PEOPLE'S MINDS.

UM, IT'S STUCK IN MIND, HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW, WHAT, HOW WOULD WE HAVE EATEN? UM, SO I, I JUST WANTED TO RAISE THOSE POINTS AND THINK ABOUT, I THINK THE ISSUE OF, UH, LIKE PERSONAL RESILIENCE OR NEIGHBORHOOD RESILIENCE, UH, ENERGY STORAGE, OR, YOU KNOW, AND I'M NOT SURE THAT THE TECHNOLOGY IS NECESSARILY WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE NOW, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT WON'T BE IN A YEAR.

UM, AND, AND HOW DOES THAT STORY, HOW COULD WE STORAGE OUR WAY OUT OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE GRID AND ERCOT, UM, OR HOW CAN WE ADDRESS IT IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS US TO COOK OUR FOOD AND KEEP OUR HOUSES AT REASONABLE TEMPERATURE AND SO FORTH IN THESE SORTS OF CRISES.

AND I JUST ALSO WANTED TO, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT MATT SAID ABOUT, UM, LAND COMMISSION, UH, PLANNING OR CHANGES THAT WOULD HARDEN OUR PHYSICAL, ELECTRICAL AND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.

IT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT HAS COME IN FRONT OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S A NATURAL THING FOR THE PLANET TO SURFACE FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

THAT STUFF TENDS TO COME MORE FROM STAFF, BUT, UH, I'M GLAD YOU RAISED IT BECAUSE I WANT TO, UH, AT LEAST HAVE SOME INITIAL DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION SHARE.

UM, JUST TO SEE IF WE AT LEAST NEED TO HAVE A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION FROM STAFF ABOUT THAT.

JUST A QUICK NOTE THAT ROB, YOU MIGHT WANT TO ALSO WORK WITH KAREN ON LOOKING AT URBAN FARM ALLOWANCE IN THE CURRENT LAND USE.

UM, THERE THERE'S, THERE MIGHT BE A BIT OF A LAND USE BARRIER IN ALLOWING OPEN FARM IN, IN AUSTIN AS WELL.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO THAT, KAREN.

YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF THIS IS BIGGER PICTURE STUFF IN TERMS OF ALSO JUST SORT OF BOTH, I, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LONG TIME AND ACTUALLY IN THEIR BUDGET YEAR, LAST YEAR TRIED GET FUNDING FOR, UH, A LONG RANGE FOOD PLANNING, LIKE A FOOD PLAN FOR THE CITY OF WHICH THERE DOESN'T CURRENTLY CURRENTLY EXIST AND THAT WASN'T ADOPTED INTO THE BUDGET AND WE'RE WORKING UP OUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT EXPECT TO MAKE THE SAME SORT OF RECOMMENDATION THIS YEAR, THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE LONG A LONG-TERM PLAN THERE SPECIFIC PROGRAMS GET FUNDED, AND THOSE ARE, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT.

WE NEED ALL OF THOSE SOLUTIONS, BUT THERE IS NO LONG-TERM PLAN OR AN EMERGENCY PLAN AS IT TURNS OUT THAT INCLUDES FOOD.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, A LONG-TERM PLAN TO INCLUDE EMERGENCY PLAN, AND THAT WILL RELATE TO, I MEAN, AND, AND THE WORK ON FOOD AND CLIMATE, YOU KNOW, IT, IT DOES RELATE TO AGRICULTURE AND I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S THE URBAN FARM ORDINANCE.

SEEN POPPING UP, NOT SURPRISINGLY, UM, DURING AND SINCE THE STORM.

IS THERE'S A LOT THERE.

I CAN HAVE A LONG CONVERSATION OFFLINE ABOUT, ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THAT.

AND THERE IS DISCUSSION REVISITING THAT, BUT IT'S, IT'S, UM, WE'RE ALSO GOING THROUGH A LARGE, UM, UNDERTAKING AND CONVERSATION AROUND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

UM, IT'S SO CRITICAL, ESPECIALLY AROUND ANYTHING THAT DEALS WITH LAND.

AND SO, YEAH, KIND OF SOME, JUST SOME, SOME PINS AND SOME TOPICS THERE.

UM, BUT IT'S, UH, WHEN WE ALSO TALK ABOUT LOCAL FOOD MEAT IN TEXAS, IT'S MORE REGIONAL THAN SPECIFICALLY IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, OR EVEN IN TRAVIS COUNTY, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT A SLIGHTLY LARGER AREA AND YEAH, ROB, I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING UP THE GAS ISSUE BECAUSE THAT IS DEFINITELY BEEN ONE THAT I'VE, UH,

[00:55:01]

UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IT'S, IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE THAT PEOPLE ARE THINKING ABOUT IT BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY JUST WENT THROUGH.

I WILL SAY I HAVE A GUEST STOVE.

IT'S STILL ON MY SHORTLIST TO GET RID OF IT, EVEN WITH WHAT JUST HAPPENED.

AND I, I CAN SAY THAT BECAUSE I HAVE A CAMP STOVE, LIKE FUNDAMENTALLY, I STILL COULD, COULD COOK WHATEVER I NEED TO ON MY CAMP STOVE, I'VE DONE IT FOR WEEKS CAMPING.

I COULD JUST DO IT HERE AND WANT A GARAGE.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, LIKE THAT'S MY GAME PLAN IN MY HOME, BUT I THINK THAT WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT IS SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU SAID, AND IT WAS ABOUT YOU, YOU MENTIONED KIND OF INDIVIDUAL RESILIENCE, AND THEN YOU MENTIONED NEIGHBORHOOD RESILIENCE.

AND I THINK IT'S THAT NEIGHBORHOOD RESILIENCE THAT, UM, IT'S PROBABLY MOST PRODUCTIVE FOR US TO FOCUS ON MAKING EVERY SINGLE HOME, UH, TOTALLY RESILIENT WITH ENERGY STORAGE OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERY BEGINNING, EVERYBODY, A GAS STOVE AND ENERGY STORAGE OR WHATEVER.

UM, IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE, BUT IT'S, IT'S PROBABLY NOT OUR BEST OPTION AND LESS THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING ALL THE TIME.

UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE HAVE THAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO OUR LIFETIMES.

UM, BUT I THINK AT LEAST IN THE NEAR TO MEDIUM TERM THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVING WALKABLE RESILIENCE, HUBS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN AND SHOULD BE REALLY FOCUSED ON.

SO EVEN IF SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T CAUSE THERE'S MANY PEOPLE RIGHT NOW THAT DON'T HAVE A GAS STOVE AND MAYBE THEY DON'T HAVE A CAMP STOVE, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE BUYING EVERYBODY A $50 GIMP STOVE, ISN'T AN UNREASONABLE, UM, SOLUTION EITHER, BUT YOU KNOW, IT WOULD WALK, YOU KNOW, JUST IF YOU COULD GO OUT AND GET SOMEWHERE WHERE YOU CAN GET, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET WARMTH, YOU CAN GET FOOD OR YOU CAN GET KOOL-AID IF IT'S SUMMER OR WHATEVER, UM, WHERE YOU CAN GET THOSE ESSENTIAL RESOURCES THAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY NEED.

I THINK THIS BECOMES SOMEWHAT MORE MANAGEABLE.

UM, YOU KNOW, IF THE, IF THE ALTERNATIVE IS THAT YOU HAVE TO DRIVE SOMEWHERE TO GET FOOD AND DRIVE SOMEWHERE TO GET TO WARM, THEN IT'S DRIVING, IT'S NOT SAFE, THEN IT REALLY STARTS TO FEEL LIKE, UH, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY GOOD OPTIONS.

AND I DO SOUND ON THAT.

ZACH, IF YOU DON'T MIND ME PUTTING YOU ON THE SPOT, I KNOW YOU HAVE TO GO IN A FEW MINUTES HERE, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND AUSTIN ENERGY HAVE KIND OF RENEWED CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RESILIENCE HUBS WITH SOLAR AND STORAGE.

AND SO I'M WONDERING IF YOU CAN SHARE WITH US KIND OF WHERE THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE AND, AND WHAT THE NEEDS AND WHATNOT ARE.

IT'S KIND OF THE INITIAL FOCUS IS A LOT OF LIKE COMMUNITY LISTENING AND A FOCUS ON EQUITY.

SO I GUESS I WOULD JUST SAY AT A HIGH LEVEL, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE CAN PROBABLY COME BACK LIKE PROBABLY THE NEXT MEETING AND SORT OF GIVE YOU THE FULL SORT OF UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH EVERYTHING.

UM, AS YOU, AS IT HAS BEEN REFERENCED MULTIPLE TIMES NOW, YOU KNOW, WE CREATED THIS CLIMATE RESILIENCE ASSET AND OPERATIONS PLAN, LIKE IN 2018, 19.

UM, AND THEN THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, A COUNCIL RESONANCE RESOLUTION IN 2019 ASKING SORT OF LIKE, WHAT ARE ALL THE THINGS WE SHOULD BE DOING ABOUT RESILIENCE? AND IN ME AND MY TEAM CURRENTLY TWO DIFFERENT, LIKE VERY LONG RESPONSES TO COUNCIL WITH LIKE LAUNDRY LIST OF THINGS THAT SHOULD BE DONE, UM, YOU KNOW, INCLUDING DOING A WHOLE STUDY ON RESILIENCE, HUBS, HIRING A CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER, UH, CONTINUING, CONTINUING TO IMPLEMENT EVERYTHING IN THAT CLIMATE RESILIENCE, UM, AS AN OPERATIONS PLAN.

AND SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THOSE THINGS, UM, BUT GETTING FUNDING AND GETTING ATTENTION AND GETTING LIKE ONGOING ACCOUNTABILITY AND COMMITMENT FOR THIS THING, UM, HAS BEEN REALLY CHALLENGING.

UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK CLIMATE, YOU KNOW, THE THREAT OF CLIMATE CHANGE OF REDUCING EMISSIONS TENDS TO STAY SORT OF FRONT AND CENTER TO THESE DISASTERS, LIKE GET EVERYBODY REALLY EXCITED AND INTERESTED, AND THEN YOU, THE NEXT THING, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO BE JULY, WE'RE GOING TO FORGET THAT IT HADN'T SNOWED.

UM, SO I THINK PART OF THIS IS, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK AND UNEARTHING THOSE RESPONSES AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALREADY LAID OUT A LOT OF REALLY FANTASTIC IDEAS THAT, UM, THAT MARK KUDOS MY TEAM AND I HAVE COME UP WITH, UM, BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE TO BE DONE.

UM, AND IT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, A, UH, THE CHIEF, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT THE CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER POSITION ACTUALLY HAS BEEN NAMED NOW, UM, AND IT'S, UH, ELVIS, THE RHINO, AND SHE HAS STARTED TO RAMP UP INITIATIVES RELATED TO RESILIENCE.

[01:00:02]

UM, THERE'S A WHOLE SERIES OF ACTIVITIES THAT ARE HAPPENING.

UM, NOW THERE, BUT YOU KNOW, THIS JUST HIGHLIGHTS THAT LIKE THE INFRASTRUCTURE WORK NEEDS MORE SUPPORT.

WE NEED FUNDING TO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, GET OLD AND SUPPORT THINGS LIKE RESILIENCE, HUBS, AND WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE EQUITY ISSUES.

I MEAN, THIS IS, THIS IS IT'S VERY RICH AND IT'S VERY, IT'S A LOT MORE THAN JUST LIKE ONE PLAN OR ONE, YOU KNOW, COUPLE OF PEOPLE CAN REALLY ADDRESS.

UM, AND YOU KNOW, WHEN A GOAL GOES ALL THE WAY UP TO LIKE DEPARTMENTS LIKE AUSTIN ENERGY AND AUSTIN WATER, LIKE REALLY TAKING FULL OWNERSHIP OF THEIR PORTIONS OF THOSE PLANS AND LIKE BUILDING THE FUNDING INTO THERE, YOU KNOW, UM, LONG-TERM CAPITAL PLANS AND ACTUALLY LIKE MAKING THIS BIGGER CHANGES OVER TIME.

UM, SO, UM, YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK WHAT I WILL ESSENTIALLY DO IS, YOU KNOW, I CAN FOLLOW UP AFTER THIS MEETING WITH, UM, ALL OF THE LINKS TO THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE.

AND IF YOU GUYS WANT TO HEAR FROM MARK AND I, AND SORT OF GIVE YOU THE FULL RUNDOWN ON LIKE, WHAT HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED AND WHAT HASN'T BEEN IMPLEMENTED, UM, WE CAN DO THAT, UM, IN A COMING MEETING.

AND THAT WILL JUST KIND OF PUT ALL THOSE THINGS LIKE BACK FROM CENTER FOR THE GROUP TO CONSIDER AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND NOT, AND I'M NOT SAYING AT ALL THAT, LIKE, IT'S ALL OF THE THINGS, OR IT'S PERFECT, OR IT'S LIKE, ALL RIGHT.

UM, IT, IT'S A GOOD START.

AND SO WE SHOULD TAKE THAT AND THEN SORT OF BUILD FROM THERE.

SO THAT LIST ALREADY HAVE KIND OF COST ATTACHED TO IT.

GREAT.

SO I WILL REMIND EVERYONE THAT, UM, I BELIEVE IT'S APRIL 9TH IS THE DEADLINE FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO GET BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS IN.

SO THAT IS GOING TO BE, UH, AN ITEM ON OUR NEXT, UH, MEETING AGENDA AT THE END OF THE MONTH.

AND SO I THINK WHAT ZACH IS TALKING ABOUT WILL PERHAPS BE, UM, INSPIRE HOPEFULLY SOME ACTION FROM THIS COMMISSION AND ZACH, IF YOU CAN SEND THAT AROUND SOONER THAN LATER, THAT'LL BE GREAT BECAUSE THEN FOLKS CAN START, UM, THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE SHOULD PRIORITIZE.

UM, AND I GUESS, UM, I WOULD REQUEST MAYBE IN TERMS OF THE RESILIENCE HUBS, UM, IF WHOEVER IS APPROPRIATE AT AUSTIN ENERGY, WHETHER IT'S TIM HARVEY OR SOMEBODY ELSE, UM, CAN, CAN GIVE US AN UPDATE AT THAT MEETING.

I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL ON THAT, ON THAT ONE.

GREAT.

I WILL, I'LL SEND THOSE THINGS DIRECTLY AFTER THIS MEETING, AND THEN WE WILL, UM, BE PREPARED TO GIVE DATES SOON.

UM, I'M GONNA HAVE TO DROP OFF HERE.

DO OTHERS HAVE COMMENTS OR THOUGHTS, ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SHARE? UM, I DID HAVE A COMMENT, UM, UPDATE FROM THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AND IT PERTAINS TO, UM, EQUITY IN, UM, THE RECOVERY.

CAUSE NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM, AND THE ISSUES AS, YOU KNOW, CLASS FOR MOST OF US, IT'S, IT'S PAST, WE'VE MOVED ON, BUT THERE'S SOME PEOPLE IN THE CITY WHO STILL DO NOT HAVE WATER.

UM, AND SO THE RECOVERY IS IT'S NOT BEHIND.

PEOPLE WHO ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, OFF FELLOW RESIDENTS WHO, WHO HAVE NOT MOVED ON YET, WHO ARE STILL IN, IN, YOU KNOW, THE SITUATION.

YOU KNOW, AND, UM, AND PEOPLE DON'T HAVE GAPS THROUGH THE HOOK GASES AND FOR THEM, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR APARTMENTS.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST THE, THE HELPLESS MASSIVE UNDER THE CITY, THE APARTMENTS IN THE CITY THAT, UM, UH, SUPPOSEDLY ASSIGNED TO HELPING OUT OR OUT THERE PROVIDING HELP, BUT, UM, BACK TO THE COMMUNICATION ISSUE AS WELL, BECAUSE WE HAD CITIZENS COME AND COMMENT, UM, WHERE THE CITY IS SAYING, WE HAVE THESE CENTERS WHERE WE HAVE WATER AND WE HAVE FOOD, THE PEOPLE WHOSE THOUGHT MINTS OR WHO HAD TO MOVE OUT OF THEIR HOMES BECAUSE THERE'S NO WATER OR ELECTRICITY OR GAS DON'T KNOW THAT THE CITY RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE.

SO THERE'S A DISCONNECT, YOU KNOW, IN THE COMMUNICATIONS, UH, GETTING THE COMMUNICATIONS TO THEM.

BUT IN ANY CASE, JUST ANYBODY FROM NOT HAVING ONE AND HAVING BEEN STILL OUT OF THEIR HOMES AND, YOU KNOW, NOT KNOWING WHEN THEY CAN GO BACK IS A REAL BIG, BIG PROBLEM.

SO, UH, WHAT IS, UH, BACK TO NORMAL, IF AT WHAT POINT, WHAT PERCENTAGE YOU KNOW, IS OKAY IS WHAT IT IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT SOUNDED LIKE TO ME, OR WHAT WAS THE THOUGHT GOING THROUGH MY HEAD? IT FELT LIKE, YOU KNOW, 99% OF PEOPLE ARE FINE, SO WE WERE GOOD, BUT THERE'S STILL THE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE 1%, 2%, THERE ARE STILL

[01:05:01]

AND, UH, AND WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT.

IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, FRONT PAGE BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE, OF THE PEOPLE EXPERIENCING IT ANYMORE.

IT'S JUST THE, IT, AT LEAST THE SAME PEOPLE WHO EVERY TIME, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, THESE KINDS OF DISASTROUS EVENTS GET ACTED.

AND, UM, MAYBE WHEN, EVEN WHEN IT'S THE CASE THAT EVERYBODY GETS IMPACTED, THEIR RECOVERIES IS HARDER.

AND MAYBE EVEN, UM, SO SOME PEOPLE, UH, THERE ISN'T A RECOVERY, UM, BECAUSE TO JUST TAKE THE, YOU KNOW, IT, IT TAKES SO LONG.

SO ANYWAYS, THE POINT I'M TRYING TO, TO MAKE HERE IS, UH, IT TIES THE CIVILIANS.

AND, UM, WE, THE, IN THE, IN THE RECOVERY, LOOKING AT THE, THE NUMBER, WHAT NUMBER MAKES US FIGHT, IT HAS TO BE EVERYBODY.

IT HAS TO BE ALL INCLUSIVE.

IT CAN'T BE JUST MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE, UH, UH, FINE.

WE, WE, UM, IT HAS TO BE EVERY SINGLE PERSON.

AND HOW DO WE GET THAT? UM, YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S IT.

CAUSE I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO KEEP ELEVATING THAT JUST BECAUSE MOST OF US ARE, ARE DOING OKAY NOW, UM, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE HAS RECOVERED AND AT, DO YOU THINK THAT'S A ROLE THAT WE NEED TO PLAY HERE IS TO CONTINUE, UH, ENSURING THAT OUR RESPONSE AND OUR FUTURE PLANNING IS REALLY GEARED TOWARDS THE MOST VULNERABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

IF WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE ESSENTIALS, THEN CHANCES ARE PRETTY GOOD THAT THE REST OF US WILL BE OKAY.

BUT, UM, IT DOESN'T GO THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T PLAN FOR THE, JUST FOR THE MAJORITY.

ARE THERE OTHER THOUGHTS THAT FOLKS WOULD LIKE TO SHARE BEFORE WE ADJOURN DUE TO ONE QUICK THING? UH, ZACHARY DROP OFF, IT WOULD BE NICE TO HEAR FROM THE CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER, UH, IN THE FUTURE MEETING.

UH, BUT TO, YOU KNOW, IF I CAN PICK IT BACK ON A BETTER, AS A POINT WITH DISCUSSES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY AND, AND YOU KNOW, OR THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, YOU WANT TO ESTABLISH A DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN THE COMMUNICATION FRAMEWORK REGISTER THE MESSENGER DELIVERABLE METHODS.

BECAUSE SOMETIMES EVEN FOR PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IN MY COMMUNITY, LIKE VIETNAMESE AMERICAN, THEY GREW UP IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY WHERE, YOU KNOW, THEY BOIL WATER EVERY DAY.

SO FOR THEM TO SAY, WELL, LET'S GET OUT OF THE HOUSE.

CAUSE YOU GOT TO BOIL WATER.

IT DOESN'T RESONATE WITH THEM, BUT OBVIOUSLY THESE ARE PEOPLE ALSO HAD HEALTH RISK AND COVID, AND YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY DON'T, THEY HAVE A LOT OF TRUST ISSUE RELATED TO VACCINE AND ALL THAT.

AND SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN RECEIVE THE TEXTS AND IT SAY IN THE LANGUAGE OF VIETNAMESE THAT THEY COULD ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND THERE'S A CULTURAL BARRIER AND THERE'S A SOCIAL THAT WAS SO ONE OF THE FIRMS, ONE OF THE WORD IS TO BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH TO THEM THAT, HEY, DO ABC OR GO TO THE WARMING CENTER OR SUPPORT SYSTEM.

SO I THINK W AS WE GET TO THE COMMUNICATION, I THINK THAT THE, THE, THE, THE EQUITY COMPONENT OF COMMUNICATION IS, IS FAIRLY SIMILAR TO THE CLIMATE CHANGE, IN MY OPINION, IN A WAY, BECAUSE I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT IF WE CAN DO GOOD FOR THE CLIMATE, IT'S ALSO A SELF-SERVING PURPOSE AND THAT'S GOOD, BUT SOMEHOW IT DOESN'T GET THROUGH TO PEOPLE.

THEY CAN REALLY COUNT ON THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO, TO GET THAT MESSAGE OUT.

CAUSE THEY, THEY, THEY, YOU KNOW, FOR SOME FOLKS, THEY STILL FEEL LIKE THAT'S NOT TOP PRIORITY AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN UNTIL ON.

SO I, I JUST THINK THAT, YES, WE NEED TO COVER ALL THE TOPIC.

AND I'M VERY GLAD THAT GARREN EDUCATE ME A LITTLE BIT TODAY ON THE FOOD PART, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, LIKE, WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THROUGH TO PEOPLE SOMEHOW, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A ONE TIME CONVERSATION WHEN, WHEN THE MEMORY IS STILL FRESH AND THEN EVERYTHING KIND OF GO AWAY.

AND SO, YEAH, I THINK IT'S A TOUGH ROAD AHEAD.

UM, YEAH, CAUSE YOU'VE TOUCHED ON COMMUNICATION A COUPLE OF TIMES.

IT MAKES ME THINK THAT, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE CITY ALREADY HAS THIS, BUT, UM, MAYBE IF THEY DO, IT NEEDS TO BE MORE ROBUST, MORE OF A, KIND OF A COMMUNICATION TREE WHERE MAYBE THE INFORMATION IS COMING OUT OF THE CITY, BUT IT'S BEEN FILTERING DOWN TO DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT THEN HAVE VARIOUS CONNECTIONS WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE TRUSTED MESSENGERS AND THAT

[01:10:01]

MAYBE I DIDN'T SAY, I FORGET TO SAY, BUT LET'S SAY MY KID'S SCHOOL, RIGHT.

MY KID GO TO SUMMIT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

I HAVE GOTTEN 20 CALLS FROM THE PRINCIPAL, JUST LETTING ME KNOW THE SAME INFORMATION THAT THE CITY PUT OUT, BUT I KNOW SOME PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ONLY HEAR FROM THEIR PRINCIPAL AND THAT'S THE SOURCE OF TRUST.

AND I THINK WE FIND THE PEOPLE THAT PEOPLE ALREADY NATURALLY TRUST.

AND WE KIND OF DELEGATE THE COMMUNICATION NETWORK TO THEM, JUST LIKE WHEN ZACH AND TEAM DID THE CLIMATE PLAN, THEY HAVE A, WHAT THEY CALL COMMUNITY THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY MESSENGER, RIGHT.

THAT THEY PAY A VERY MODEST AMOUNT THAT ALLOW COMMUNICATION TO COME OUT.

I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GREAT IDEA.

CAUSE PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, UH, THERE, THERE WAS A GOOD, UH, SOMEONE THERE WERE SAYING, YOU KNOW, IN THE TIME OF NEED, YOU, YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO BUILD COMMUNITY FRAMEWORK.

YOU HAVE TO USE WHAT'S THERE.

UM, YEAH.

UM, ANYBODY ELSE WILL BE, YES.

IT LOOKS US.

HAD A QUICK, UH, QUESTION THAT I WANTED TO RAISE TO.

GREAT POINT THAT YOU BROUGHT UP BEFORE.

UM, AND JUST IN GENERAL, I'M WONDERING, DO WE KNOW HOW WE'RE MAPPING RIGHT NOW AS A CITY WHERE PEOPLE SELL NEED HELP AND SUPPORT AND RESOURCES? CAUSE I KNOW THERE WAS A PHONE TREE TYPE OF THING THAT WE DID, UM, AND THAT COUNCIL AND, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN VOLUNTEERS WORKED ON TO WHAT NAT WAS KIND OF TALKING ABOUT BEFORE.

BUT I'M ALSO WONDERING, BECAUSE I WAS POINT LIKE THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE IN NEED, SO HOW ARE WE MANAGING THAT AS A CITY? UM, AND I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER.

SO I WAS WONDERING IF SOMEBODY ELSE KIND OF KNEW WHAT WE'RE DOING.

GOOD QUESTION.

ANYBODY HAVE AN ANSWER.

WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT.

IF NOT, NONE OF US HAVE AN ANSWER.

UM, I DON'T KNOW.

MAYBE THERE'S ONE OUT THERE.

UH, I WILL, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO BRING THAT BACK UP IN OUR NEXT MEETING AND I'LL WATCH THOSE.

I THINK THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

UM, JUST SAYING, NO, I DO INTEND TO, TO LEAVE THIS KIND OF AN AGENDA ITEM SIMILAR TO THIS ONE ON OUR NEXT AGENDA SO THAT WE CAN PICK THIS CONVERSATION UP BECAUSE CERTAINLY THIS IS THE BEGINNING, NOT THE END.

AND ALSO SINCE WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER ON IT, IT MIGHT BE WORTH IT TO THOSE WHO HAVE CAPACITY TO REACH OUT TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS THEN AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE BROUGHT UP IN OUR JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MEETING THAT, UM, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF PEOPLE NEEDING HELP, BUT THE ARE THEIR VOICES AND THEIR NEEDS ARE GOING ON HEARD BECAUSE THE MEDIA IS NOT FOCUSING ON IT.

THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ARE DOING IT RIGHT RIGHT NOW.

UM, SO YOU KNOW, HOW IS YOUR OFFICE MAPPING THIS? HOW ARE WE FINDING THOSE WHO ARE MOST VULNERABLE CURRENTLY IN OUR DISTRICTS MIGHT BE GOOD TO CONTINUE TO RAISE.

GOOD IDEA.

ANY ANYBODY ELSE? FINAL WORDS OR A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

THANK YOU ALL.

LET'S KEEP AN EYE ON THE EMAIL FOR THOSE, UH, THOSE LISTS AND PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT WILL BE COMING YOUR WAY SO WE CAN BE PREPARED FOR ACTION AT OUR NEXT MEETING.