* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:03]
          2021. 
          I NOW CALL THIS 
          [CALL TO ORDER]
MEETING OF THE CITY'S WINTER STORM TASKFORCE TO ORDER I AM THE CHAIRS TO RITA DAVIS. 
          OUR VICE VICE-CHAIR IS BECKY AUSTIN. 
          SO OUR FIRST ITEM OF 
          [1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – April 11, 2021]
BUSINESS THIS EVENING, BEFORE WE, UH, EXPLAIN WHAT WE INTEND TO DO IN OUR VARIOUS LISTENING SESSIONS, LISTENING SESSIONS IS APPROVAL OF OUR PRIOR MEETING MINUTES. 
           AUSTIN. 
          I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES APART, APRIL 11TH MEETING. 
          THANK YOU. 
          DOES ANYONE NEED TIME TO REVIEW THE MINUTES MORE? ANYONE OPPOSED TO ADOPTING OUR MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING? IT WAS APRIL 11, 2021. 
          ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AND RAISE YOUR HAND. 
          HOPEFULLY YOUR CAMERAS ARE ON. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          OKAY. 
          OUR MEETING MINUTES FROM OUR APRIL 11, 2021 MEETING ARE ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY. 
          NOW I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO CITIZENS COMMUNICATION. 
          UM, DO WE HAVE SPEAKERS SIGNED UP CITY STAFF? WE DO NOT. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          DO WE HAVE SPEAKERS IN QUEUE THAT WILL BE JOINING OUR MEETING DURING THE LISTENING SESSION? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          OUR ITEMS FOR PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEM ONE APPROVAL OF OUR MINUTES ITEM TO NEW BUSINESS, I WILL WELCOME IT AND GIVE THE 
          [2. a. Welcome and purpose of the Listening Session by Chair Sareta Davis and Vice Chair Rebecca Austin.]
PURPOSE OF OUR LISTENING SESSIONS. 
          AND, UM, BECKY MAY SPEAK AS WELL. 
          SO I WANT TO WELCOME EVERYONE AND ESPECIALLY THE CITIZENS WHO JOINED US THIS EVENING, WHO ARE WAITING TO SPEAK THE PURPOSE OF THE WINTER STORM TASKFORCE, UM, IS TO RECEIVE CITIZEN COMMENTS AND COMMUNICATION FROM ALL CITY DISTRICTS SO THAT WE CAN COMPILE AND PREPARE A REPORT WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CITY COUNCIL TO REVIEW AND INCLUDE IN THEIR ASSESSMENT OF WHAT OUR FUTURE, UH, TASK FORCE OR WINTER STORM, IF NOT CATASTROPHE CITY PLANS SHOULD BE. 
          UM, AS WE ALL SAW DURING THE STORM IN FEBRUARY, 2021, THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO PLAN IN PLACE WHATSOEVER. 
          UM, NOT EVEN IF EMERGENCY SERVICES FAILED, ET CETERA. 
          THERE, THERE JUST WAS NO PLANNING AND I'M ABSOLUTELY THANKFUL FOR THE NONPROFIT AND PRIVATE CITIZENS IN AUSTIN WHO ENGAGED IN AND REALLY SAVED A LOT OF LIVES AND, AND HELPED, UM, RIDE THE STORM IF YOU WILL, UNTIL OUR ELECTRICAL GRID WAS BACK UP AND, UH, CLEAN, RUNNING WATER WAS AVAILABLE AND WE STILL KNOW THAT AND WE STILL KNOW THERE ARE CITIZENS, UM, WITHOUT GAS, WATER AND ELECTRICITY EVEN TODAY. 
          SO I WELCOME YOU ALL. 
          I WANT TO, UH, ALLOW, UH, SOME TIME FOR OUR CITY EQUITY OFFICE REPRESENTATIVES TO SPEAK. 
          WE HAVE WITH US KELLY COLEMAN AND AMANDA YASSO. 
          KELLY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? YES. 
          UM, THANK YOU, UH, CHAIRPERSON. 
          UM, I JUST WANT TO SHARE THAT WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL MAKING THE SPACE TO HEAR FROM DIRECTLY IMPACTED COMMUNITY AND THAT, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER, RIGHT? THAT, UM, THAT SOME PEOPLE WERE MORE IMPACTED THAN OTHERS BY THIS STORM. 
          AND, AND WHILE WE TALK ABOUT, UM, SORT OF HOW THIS STORM WAS A, UH, A FOOT OF OPPRESSION ON SOME COMMUNITIES THAT OTHERS COMMUTE, OTHER COMMUNITIES MAY HAVE, I'M SORRY, Y'ALL GOT KIDS. 
          UM, SOME COMMUNITIES MAY HAVE BENEFITED IN OTHER WAYS. 
          UM, BUT THAT, BUT THAT AS A COMMUNITY, WE REALLY SAW PEOPLE SHOW UP FOR EACH OTHER AND I MEAN COME TOGETHER IN WAYS THAT WE HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE. 
          AND SO TO ALSO, UM, TO BRING THAT TO THE SPACE TOO. 
          AND, UM, WE JUST, WE APPRECIATE, UH, BEING ABLE TO, TO HEAR FROM FOLKS AND, AND ALSO THAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND MAKE THIS PROCESS, UM, OPEN IT UP SOME WITH THE, WITH THE TASKFORCE'S HELP AND THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR, UM, WITH THE HELP FROM Y'ALL TO SORT OF OPEN THIS UP SO THAT IT'S, IT FEELS MORE COMMUNITY DIRECTED AND CENTERED. 
          SO THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING THAT COULD BE REALLY POSITIVE. 
          AND THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, AMANDA. 
          WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? HEY, GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. 
          [00:05:01]
UM, I ALSO, UH, ECHO EVERYTHING THAT, UM, KAREN DAVIS AND KELLY JUST JUST SAID, BUT ALSO TO RECOGNIZE THAT FOLKS ON THIS, UM, ALL RIGHT NOW ON THIS TASK FORCE WHERE WE'RE OUT THERE, UM, EVERY DAY AND NIGHT, UM, SUPPORTING, SUPPORTING PEOPLE WHERE THE CITY FAILED TO DO SO. 
          AND SO I'M GLAD THAT THIS IS HAPPENING. 
          UM, I THINK IT'S, UH, IT'S GOOD IN THAT. 
          UM, WE, WE HAVE, THE CITY HAS HIRED HAGGERTY CONSULTING AS WELL TO DO, UM, TO KIND OF GIVE A RESPONSE, UM, LIKE AN AFTERMATH RESPONSE AFTER THAT RESPONSE, UM, REALLY IDENTIFY I DON'T, WHICH YOU ALL ARE DOING TOO. 
          SO I THINK THE TWO EFFORTS TOGETHER, UM, COINCIDED, WELL, THE TIMING IS GOOD. 
          UM, BUT THIS IS A LOT OF TRAUMA AND IT'S ONGOING TRAUMA. 
          AND SO, UM, I THINK WE, THE EQUITY OFFICE WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THIS TASK FORCE AS MUCH AS WE CAN. 
          UM, AND, AND THINKING ABOUT FORMAT AND FORUM, UM, AND WHAT IT CAN LOOK LIKE TO REALLY REACH OUR MOST NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BOATS, UM, AND HOW WE CAN DO THAT, UH, WITHIN, YOU KNOW, A CITY, A CITY STRUCTURE. 
          UM, AND SO, YEAH, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU FOR HAVING US, UM, AND FORWARD TO, TO HEARING FROM RESIDENTS AND FROM YOU ALL. 
          THANK YOU, AMANDA TCF STAFF. 
          COULD YOU PLEASE DISPLAY OUR AGENDA AGAIN? YES, MA'AM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          BEFORE WE MOVE INTO, UM, ITEM TO BE NEW BUSINESS AND BEGIN AREN'T LISTENING SESSION, I JUST WANT TO PULL THE TASKFORCE MINT, UH, MEMBERS. 
          WE CAN EXPERIMENT TONIGHT WITH, UM, TAKING A VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO SUSPEND ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER. 
          UM, I THINK IT MIGHT FACILITATE A BETTER ACTIVE FLOW BETWEEN TASKFORCE MEMBERS, UM, AND OTHER INDIVIDUALS PRESENT IN TERMS OF CITIZEN COMMUNICATION AND, AND PROVIDING FEEDBACK. 
          SO, UM, I'M GOING TO MOTION THAT WE SUSPEND ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER JUST FOR THE PORTION OF OUR ITEM TO BE NEW BUSINESS LISTENING SESSION. 
          DO I HAVE A SECOND CONNOR? OKAY. 
          UM, THANK YOU, KATHERINE GONZALEZ SECOND. 
          AND DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION? DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING TO OFFER IN FAVOR OF, OR, OR NOT IN FAVOR OF, OF THIS? I APOLOGIZE, COMMISSIONER CONNOR, UM, AS QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, THE QUALITY OF LIFE, THE LGBTQ QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSION HAS LONG SUSPENDED ROBERT'S RULES, UM, AND FEEL VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT, UH, THE ABILITY TO REMOVE THAT EXTRA LAYER THAT IS NOT NECESSARY, ESPECIALLY IN THIS SITUATION WHERE PEOPLE ARE TELLING THEIR STORIES. 
          AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY SENT IN STORIES AND THE ONES THAT WE WILL HEAR TONIGHT, UH, BECAUSE WE CAN DO BETTER. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT WE OWE ONE ANOTHER. 
          SO THANK YOU CHAIR FOR BRINGING THAT UP. 
          I WAS GOING TO ASK ANYWAY, THANK YOU, CATHERINE AND TASKFORCE MEMBER CONNOR. 
          DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? NO. 
          I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR DOING SO AS WELL. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          IS THERE ANYONE OPPOSED TO SUSPENDING ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER FOR THE PURPOSES OF ITEM TO BE OUR LISTENING? ANYONE ABSTAINING? OKAY. 
          ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AND RAISE YOUR HAND AND UNMUTE WHEN, SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          OKAY. 
          SOUNDS LIKE WE'VE UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO SUSPEND OUR USE OF ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER FOR THE PURPOSES OF ITEMS TO BE NEW BUSINESS. 
          UM, I KNOW WE HAVE SOME INTERPRETERS PRESENT. 
          IS THERE ANY WAY YOU WOULD LIKE US TO NAVIGATE IN TERMS OF WHETHER OR NOT IT'S DISRUPTIVE FOR ANYONE TO HAVE THEIR CAMERAS ON WHEN THEY'RE NOT SPEAKING, ET CETERA? I'LL TAKE COMMENT FROM YOU NOW. 
          OKAY. 
          HEARING NONE, UH, TASKFORCE AND YES, YES, YES. 
          UM, I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE HAVING ASL INTERPRETERS HERE TONIGHT AS A PROFOUNDLY HARD OF HEARING PERSON. 
          UM, I THINK I MAY REQUEST THAT WE DO THIS FOR ALL OF OUR COMMISSION MEETINGS, UH, THAT ASIDE, UM, I FEEL LIKE EVERYTHING IS 
          [00:10:01]
WORKING WELL RIGHT NOW. 
          I WILL CHIME IN IF THERE'S AN ISSUE, IF THAT'S OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, RIGHT NOW I HAVE BOTH INTERPRETERS PINNED TO THE SCREEN. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THAT WAS MY PRIMARY CONCERN WITH ASL. 
          IS THAT, IS IT DISRUPTIVE TO HAVE OTHER CAMERAS ON WHEN, WHEN THEY'RE THEY ARE SIGNING, BUT PLEASE, UH, GIVE ME A NOD IF YOU THINK IT'S DISRUPTIVE AT ALL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          SO ITEM TWO, B OUR LISTENING SESSION. 
          I FIRST WANT TO WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS THIS EVENING. 
          UM, I'D LIKE TO GIVE HER, UH, SOME TIME TO, TO SAY A FEW WORDS. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS. 
          ARE YOU PRESENT? I AM. 
          CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES, WE CAN. 
          THAT YOU HAD BEFORE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I I'VE PREPARED A COUPLE OF NOTES FROM OUR EXPERIENCE IN DISTRICT DATE. 
          I KNOW THERE WERE, UM, A HANDFUL OF CONSTITUENTS WHO WANTED TO BE ABLE TO JOIN IN THESE SESSIONS AND WERE NOT ABLE. 
          AND SO I WANTED TO OFFER MY AND MY STAFF'S EXPERIENCE. 
          UM, AND HOPEFULLY YOU'LL BE ABLE TO HEAR MORE FROM DISTRICT EIGHT RESIDENTS DIRECTLY IN THE FUTURE. 
          UM, THANK YOU, CHAIR, VICE CHAIR AND TASK FORCE MEMBERS FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TONIGHT. 
          I THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING YOUR TIME TO EXAMINE WHAT HAPPENED DURING WHICH A STORM URI, AND TO ASSESS HOW WE CAN BECOME MORE RESILIENT AS A COMMUNITY IN THE FUTURE I'M CITY COUNCIL, WOMAN, PAIGE ELLIS, AND I REPRESENT DISTRICT EIGHT, SOUTHWEST AUSTIN. 
          I'D LIKE TO SHARE THE STORY OF WHAT WE EXPERIENCED AS A DISTRICT. 
          AS TEMPERATURES BEGAN TO DROP ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11TH AND THROUGH VALENTINE'S DAY THAT SUNDAY PEOPLE LOST POWER, BOTH DUE TO DOWNED POWER LINES AND SUPPOSEDLY ROLLING BLACKOUTS REQUIRED BY ARCHIVE. 
          THE BLACKOUTS BECAME ANYTHING BUT ROLLING AND AUSTIN ENERGY WAS UNABLE TO PREDICT WHEN POWER WOULD COME BACK ON TUESDAY, THE 16TH EVENTS STARTED TO DOMINO AT 9:00 AM. 
          THERE WAS A WATERLINE BREAK NEAR THE FELLOW NEAR THE WILDFLOWER CENTER THAT WAS GUSHING WATER FOR MORE THAN 24 HOURS BY 8:30 PM IN THE MERIDIAN NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR SH 45, SOUTHWEST AND HIGHWAY 1826 REPORTED WATER OUTAGES. 
          THAT ZIP CODE IS SEVEN EIGHT SEVEN THREE NINE, BECAUSE OF THE WAY OUR WATER SYSTEM IS BUILT. 
          MY DISTRICT WAS THE FIRST TO LOSE WATER AND THE LAST TO HAVE IT COME BACK ON. 
          MEANWHILE, OFTEN WATER WAS TWEETING ON TUESDAY EVENING THAT THERE WERE NO PLANS, WATER OUTAGES. 
          THERE WAS NO NEED TO BOIL WATER. 
          SUPPLY WAS NORMAL AND TREATMENT PLANTS WERE WORKING WELL. 
          THE NEXT MORNING, FEBRUARY 17TH, WE STARTED TO SEE MORE NEIGHBORHOODS GO OFFLINE AND AUSTIN WATER GAVE COUNCIL A HEADS UP THAT THEY'D BE ISSUING A BOIL WATER NOTICE FOR SOUTHWEST AUSTIN. 
          THEY ASSURED US THAT THEY DID NOT INTEND TO EXTEND THE BOIL WATER NOTICE CITYWIDE, BUT URGED WATER CONSERVATION ACROSS THE CITY. 
          AT THIS POINT, THE UTILITY SHARED WITH COUNCIL THAT THEY THOUGHT THE LOW PRESSURE IN WATER LOSS WAS DUE TO FROZEN PIPES. 
          RESIDENTS DRIPPING THEIR FAUCETS AND WATER MAIN BREAKS. 
          MY STAFF STARTED TO BECOME INCREASINGLY ALARMED AND URGE THE UTILITY TO COMMUNICATE CLEARLY WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THE SYSTEM LATER ON WEDNESDAY, COUNCIL LEARNS THAT THE ORIC WATER PLANT IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF MY DISTRICT HAD LOST POWER AND WAS OFFLINE. 
          NO ESTIMATE ON WHEN IT WOULD COME BACK, AUSTIN WATER THEN ISSUED A CITYWIDE, BOIL WATER NOTICE. 
          MEANWHILE, MY TEAM AND I STARTED TO REACH OUT TO VARIOUS IS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE CITY TO TRY TO PROCURE DRINKING WATER FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS. 
          ANTICIPATING SEVERAL DAYS WITHOUT WATER, THE ROADS WERE ICY AND PEOPLE COULD NOT MOVE AROUND. 
          BY THURSDAY MORNING, I HAD WORKED MY CONTACT AS 10 PALLETS OF WATER FROM A BAR OWNER IN TOWN. 
          I ALSO WORKED CLOSELY WITH CONSTABLE STACY SUITS AND REPRESENTATIVE DONNA HOWARD TO ACQUIRE MORE WATER FROM OTHER SOURCES. 
          MEANWHILE, MY TEAM WAS WORKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO FIND OUT IF AND WHEN WATER DISTRIBUTION SITES WOULD BE UP AND RUNNING. 
          WE LEARNED THEY WERE WORKING WITH FEMA AND WATER WOULD ARRIVE ON FRIDAY WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WATER WOULDN'T BE AVAILABLE FOR ANOTHER DAY OR TWO THROUGH THE CITY. 
          MY PARTNER AND I GOT IN OUR TRUCK AND TOOK BOTTLED WATER TO CIRCLE C MERIDIAN AND OTHER NEIGHBORS IN THE SOUTHERN MOST PARTS OF MY DISTRICT. 
          THE ROADS WERE TREACHEROUS, BUT FOLKS HAD NO ACCESS TO WATER AT ALL MY TEAM. 
          AND I USE TWITTER AND FACEBOOK TO TRACK OUTAGES ACROSS THE DISTRICT. 
          WE ENCOURAGED RESIDENTS TO LET US KNOW IF THEY HAD LOST POWER AND WHERE THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS WERE. 
          WE SPENT THE NEXT THREE DAYS DISTRIBUTING WATER TO NEIGHBORS AND APARTMENT COMPLEXES ACROSS THE DISTRICT. 
          APARTMENT COMPLEXES WERE HIT PARTICULARLY HARD. 
          WE LEARNED FROM WIDESPREAD BROKEN PIPES. 
          WE LEARNED OF WIDESPREAD BROKEN PIPES RESULTING IN TENANTS HAVING NO ACCESS TO WATER. 
          WE WORKED WITH PROPERTY MANAGERS TO DETERMINE THEIR NEEDS. 
          AND THEN WE DELIVERED WATER OURSELVES. 
          WE ALSO WORKED WITH THE AUSTIN FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION TO HAVE TRUCKS DELIVER WATER CUBES, TO COMPLEXES, OR TO PUT A TAP ON THE HYDRANTS NEARBY. 
          [00:15:01]
THE WEATHER STARTED TO WARM UP BY THE WEEKEND AND ROADS HAD THOUGHT, BUT WATER OUTAGES WERE STILL EXTREME. 
          MEANWHILE, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE INFORMED US THAT THEIR PLANNED WATER DISTRIBUTION SITES WOULD NOT BE UP AND RUNNING UNTIL SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST, THEY HAD PLANNED SITES IN EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT. 
          AT THIS POINT, MOST OF MY DISTRICT HAD NO WATER FOR ALMOST A WEEK. 
          THE CITY'S DISTRIBUTION SITE IN DISTRICT DATE WAS AT ACC PINNACLE CAMPUS. 
          THEY FINALLY HAD A HUGE SUPPLY OF BOTTLED WATER AVAILABLE AND CARS WERE BACKED UP FOR WHAT SEEMS LIKE MILES TO PICK UP THEIR ALLOTTED ONE CASE PER CAR, MY TEAM, AND I CONTINUED TO DELIVER WATER TO NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMPLEXES. 
          WE SPENT SUNDAY, MONDAY AND TUESDAY GETTING WATER TO EFFECTED APARTMENT COMPLEXES, WE'D CONNECT PROPERTY MANAGERS TO THE FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION. 
          WHEN WE VISITED EACH COMPLEX, WE SAW EXTENSIVE WATER DAMAGE AND GUTTED OFFICES DUE TO BURST PIPES AND FLOODING PLUMBERS COULD NOT KEEP UP WITH THE OVERWHELMING NEED FOR REPAIRS. 
          THE BOIL WATER NOTICE WAS LIFTED ON FEBRUARY 23RD AND MOST NEIGHBORHOODS WERE BACK ONLINE, BUT MANY OF MY APARTMENTS WHILE THEIR CONSTITUENTS WERE STILL WITHOUT WATER AT ALL, THERE ARE STILL SOME APARTMENTS TO THIS DAY THAT DON'T HAVE RUNNING WATER BY WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH. 
          MY TEAM AND I HAD WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK AND WERE TOTALLY EXHAUSTED. 
          WE CONTINUED TO CONNECT THOSE IN NEED TO RESOURCES. 
          WE COULD AND URGED FOLKS TO CONTACT THREE, ONE, ONE AS THE CITY HAD ENHANCED THEIR RESPONSE SYSTEM FOR STORM RELATED ISSUES. 
          WE ALSO WORKED YET A SHOWER AND LAUNDRY STATION SET UP IN THE DISTRICT WHEN IT WAS ALL SAID AND DONE MY TEAM. 
          AND I HAD DELIVERED THOUSANDS OF CASES OF WATER TO OVER 20 APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND HOSTED POP-UP WATER DISTRIBUTION SITES IN OVER A DOZEN NEIGHBORHOODS IN SOUTHWEST AUSTIN. 
          I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT THE TASK FORCE INCLUDE RECOMMENDATIONS SUCH AS CONTINGENCY PLANS FOR POTABLE AND NON-POTABLE WATER DISTRIBUTION AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS LANDING PAGE, INCLUDING INFORMATION ON HOW TO PREPARE IN CASE YOU ARE WITHOUT WATER OR POWER FOR DAYS, AVAILABILITY OF NECESSITIES LIKE DIAPERS AND FORMULA IN THE RESILIENCE HUBS YET TO BE IMPLEMENTED, IDENTIFY CHARGING STATIONS FOR PHONES AND COMPUTERS AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES. 
          SO THAT NEARBY RESIDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION THE CITY AND OTHERS ARE PUTTING OUT AND COORDINATION BETWEEN FLEET SERVICES AND TXDOT FOR ROAD CLEARING. 
          EVEN INTO THE EXTREMITIES OF THE CITY. 
          AS TECH STOCK WAS CLEARING MANY OF THE HIGHWAYS IN MY DISTRICT AND ALL ACROSS THE CITY. 
          THERE WERE SOME PORTIONS DOWN IN SOUTHWEST AUSTIN THAT NEVER GOT THE ROAD CLEAR AND WHERE I STAYED OVER FOR A VERY LONG TIME. 
          I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO HEAR FROM ME TONIGHT AND MORE FROM DISTRICT EIGHT RESIDENTS, AS YOU PREPARE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TO YOU TODAY. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS FOR YOUR COMMENTS. 
          WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT. 
          THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING. 
          AND, UM, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN SIT IN ON FUTURE LISTENING SESSIONS AS WELL. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR OFFER OF SOLUTIONS AS WELL AS PERSONAL STORIES AS TO WHAT WENT ON IN YOUR DISTRICT IN PARTICULAR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANKS CITY STAFF. 
          WOULD YOU PLEASE DISPLAY OUR AGENDA AGAIN? THANK YOU. 
          ITEM 
          [2. b. Listening Session – community members and organizational representatives provide testimony on their experiences during and in that aftermath of Winter Storm Uri.]
TWO, BEING NEW BUSINESS LISTENING SESSION, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ORGANIZATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES PROVIDE TESTIMONY ON THEIR EXPERIENCES DURING AN, IN THE AFTERMATH OF WINTER STORM FURRY SPONSORED BY MYSELF AND JEFFREY CLEMENS. 
          SO CITY STAFF WHO IS FIRST IN QUEUE TO SPEAK, UM, IF THE, IF ALL THE LISTENERS CAN HEAR ME NOW, UM, YOU'LL BE FREE TO SPEAK AS LONG AS I'M ABLE TO GIVE YOU, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO START THERE. 
          SO NO ONE'S CURRENTLY LIMITED TO THREE OR FIVE MINUTES. 
          UM, AND IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE, WE MAY HAVE QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK FOR YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          SO CHAIR DAVIS, I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, WE HAVE FOUR SPEAKERS IN QUEUE AND THE FIRST SPEAKER IS AMY NOAH. 
          AMY. 
          NO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US. 
          AND YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. 
          WE'RE READY TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS. 
          PLEASE BEGIN. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          MY NAME IS AMY NOEL. 
          UM, AND I AM BOTH SPEAKING TO YOU AS A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SEVEN, AS WELL AS THE CHAIR OF THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION. 
          UM, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THIS TIME AND BEING BRAVE TO LISTEN. 
          THIS STORM CHALLENGED ALL OF US IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS. 
          AND IN THE PAST YEAR, PAST 18 MONTHS, I HAVE HAD THE VERY UNIQUE TITLE OF CHAIR OF THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION DURING A PANDEMIC DURING EXTREME WEATHER, DURING SOCIAL UNREST. 
          AND THEN DURING A STORM THAT KILLED 
          [00:20:01]
MY NEIGHBORS THAT KILLED YOUR NEIGHBORS, THAT KILLED CHILDREN, A STORM THAT I AM NOW ON DAY 70 OF NOT HAVING DRINKABLE WATER OR COOKING WATER IN MY OWN HOME. 
          AND THAT IS A HARD BRAND TO MANAGE. 
          I'M GOING TO ASK YOU AS MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE STEPPED UP JUST AS ORDINARY CITIZENS AND VOLUNTEERS, BUT WILLING TO DO THIS WORK, I AM GOING TO ASK YOU TO BE LOUD. 
          I AM ASKING YOU TO BE BRAVE. 
          YOU GUYS ARE ALREADY REBELS. 
          YOU TOSSED OUT ROBERT'S RULES, WHICH IS TECHNICALLY BECAUSE YOU AGREED TO IT WITHIN ROBERT'S RULES. 
          AND I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO EXTEND YOURSELVES FURTHER, BECAUSE I FEEL AS AN INDIVIDUAL, I WAS MORE PREPARED FOR THIS STORM THAN JUST ABOUT ANYONE POSSIBLY COULD. 
          I GREW UP IN THE NORTHEAST, I MOVED TO AUSTIN FROM CHICAGO. 
          WE BROUGHT EVERYTHING. 
          SO I HAVE A FULL HOUSE OF WINTER GEAR. 
          WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT MOST OF OUR NEIGHBORS DON'T WHY WOULD THEY? THE FIRST THING I NOTICED WAS THERE WERE NO CHILDREN OUTSIDE, EXCEPT FOR MY OWN, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THAT WINTER GEAR. 
          WHEN I SAY I WAS PREPARED BETTER THAN MOST, I HAVE A COUPLE OF KEY PARAMETERS THAT WORK IN MY FAVOR, DIGITAL LITERACY AND ACCESS 100% REMOTE WORK AND THE ABILITY TO BUY GROCERIES WITH AN INCIDENT. 
          AND I'LL EXPLAIN TO YOU WHY I CITE THOSE THREE THINGS SPECIFICALLY. 
          IF WE RECALL THE STORM CAME NOT TOO LONG AFTER THE SUPERBOWL, BECAUSE OF THE SUPER BOWL, I MADE IT A POINT TO STOCK UP BECAUSE THE STORM I WAS EXPECTING WAS MAYBE A SPIKE IN COVID INFECTION. 
          AND BECAUSE I HAVE DIGITAL ACCESS AND WE REMOTE WORKER, I WAS ABLE TO STOCK UP AND I WAS PLANNING TO RIDE OUT THAT STORE. 
          I WENT TO SAM'S CLUB IN OUR DISTRICT AND I DID A CAR PICKUP. 
          AND WHILE DRIVING ALONG ONE 83 SOUTHBOUND, I NOTICED THE ICE HAD JUST STARTED TO FORM ON THE TREES. 
          THE SKY HAD JUST TURNED AND I NOTICED EVERY UNDERPASS WAS STILL OCCUPIED. 
          EVERY TENT STILL UP. 
          WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PLANNING THAT WE'RE MAKING. 
          AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CONCERNS OF OUR CITY, WE KNOW WEATHER AND HOMELESSNESS ARE TWO OF THOSE TOP ISSUES. 
          AND AS THE WINTER TASKFORCE FOR YOU, THOSE THINGS ARE INTRINSICALLY TIED BECAUSE IN OTHER CITIES, WHEN THIS HAPPENED, THERE IS AN ACTIVE, INTENTIONAL AND ADVANCED PLAN TO CLEAR THE STREETS OF THE HOMELESS POPULATION FOR THEIR OWN PROTECTION. 
          AND IF WE DIDN'T DO THAT, THEN HOW DARE WE PASS A RESOLUTION TO DO IT. 
          NOW, I AM ALSO GOING TO ASK YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT EVERY SINGLE DAY WE FACE A CITY WITH GREATER AND GREATER DISPARITY, THIS DORM HAS FINANCIALLY IMPACTED MY FAMILY BY MY BEST CALCULATIONS. 
          WE'RE AT ABOUT $8,000 IN AND THAT'S WITHOUT ANY PROPERTY DAMAGE THAT'S WITHOUT OUR MAKING THE EFFORTS, BECAUSE WE ARE RENTERS TO WINTERIZE THIS PROPERTY. 
          THAT'S WITHOUT US NEEDING TO COVER ANY MAJOR MEDICAL EXPENSES AND THAT'S US WITH FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT. 
          AND THAT IS NOT SOMETHING A LOT OF MY NEIGHBORS CAN SAY, BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW HOW DEVASTATING THIS PAST YEAR HAS BEEN FOR MANY PEOPLE'S INDIVIDUAL WORKING SITUATION. 
          THE THIRD AND FINAL THING I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO BE BRAVE ABOUT IS AUSTIN IS VERY MUCH A CITY OF AFFLUENT. 
          AUSTIN ALSO HAS MANY PROPERTY VALUES THAT ARE VERY HIGH AND WITHIN YOUR PROGRAMMING AND YOUR RECOMMENDATION, PLEASE BALANCE THE VALUES OF THE PROPERTIES AND THE INCOME OF THEIR OWNERS. 
          OUR CITY HAS A ROBUST WINTERIZATION PROGRAM AND REPAIR THAT DOES NOT GO ABOVE A PROPERTY VALUE OF $330,000. 
          IF YOU BOUGHT A HOUSE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, 10 TO 12 YEARS AGO, THE LAST TIME WE HAD ONE OF THESE STORMS, 
          [00:25:02]
YOU MIGHT'VE PAID $170,000. 
          AND IF YOUR INCOME HAS NOT CHANGED, BUT YOU ARE NOW NOT ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT PROGRAM BECAUSE OF THAT PROPERTY VALUE, THAT IS NOT A FUNCTIONING PROGRAM. 
          AND FINALLY, I'M GOING TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE RESOLUTION, OUR COMMISSION PATH AT OUR FEBRUARY MEETING RESOLUTION TUESDAY, I'M SORRY, OUR MARCH MEETING RESOLUTION TWO ZERO TWO ONE OF THREE ONE SEVEN ZERO ZERO TWO B. 
          THIS WAS SPECIFIC TO THE STORM WITHIN OUR RESEARCH. 
          A COUPLE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WE NOTED THAT YOU CAN DIRECTLY IMPACT, BUT THE WORD HOLD IN OUR EXTREME WEATHER PLANNING. 
          AS OF RIGHT NOW, THAT IS NOT A PART OF THE EXTREME WEATHER PLAN. 
          THE CITY HAS EARMARKED $67.8 MILLION IN 2021 TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES RELATED TO HOMELESSNESS, INCLUDING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF RAPID REHOUSING EMERGENCY CENTER, SHELTERS, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, SOCIAL, PHYSICAL, AND BEHAVIORAL SERVICES, FOOD AND ACCESS. 
          PLEASE USE A SIMILAR FRAMEWORK AND REMEMBER THAT POPULATION AS WELL AS YOU MOVE FORWARD IN THAT STRUCTURE. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. 
          AND I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW, I'M PROUD OF MYSELF FOR MAKING IT THROUGH THIS WITHOUT CRYING, BECAUSE I WAS TRAUMATIZED. 
          THEN I AM TRAUMATIZED NOW AND I WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THAT WAS AMY NOELLE CHAIR OF OUR ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMISSION. 
          UM, I ECHO YOUR SENTIMENTS WITH REGARD TO YOUR TRAUMA, UM, AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR REMARKS AND, AND WHAT YOU HAD TO OFFER US IN TERMS OF THE ORGANIZATION OF HOW WE CAN GO FORWARD, UM, AND SUBMIT OUR REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL. 
          THANK YOU, CITY STAFF, WHO IS NEXT, THE NEXT SPEAKER IS KIRK SHOOTER. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU, KIRK. 
          YOU HAVE THE FLOOR, PLEASE BEGIN. 
          HI THERE. 
          THANKS FOR HAVING ME. 
          AND, UM, WOW. 
          I HAVE TO FOLLOW THAT. 
          UM, THAT WAS AMAZING. 
          UM, I'M HERE, UM, AS A CHAIR OF THE ASIAN AMERICAN QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSION, AND I DID WANT TO SHARE SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT, UM, THAT, UH, I, AND SOME OF OUR OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE GATHERED AND EXPERIENCED, UM, IN, IN WORKING WITH, UH, AND, AND COMMUNICATING WITH OUR COMMUNITY. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO REPRESENT, UH, THIS DIVERSE COMMUNITY, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH JUST ONE VOICE. 
          UM, AND I DID WANT TO HONE IN ON KIND OF ONE SPECIFIC, UH, THEME THAT WE ENCOUNTERED, UH, THROUGH A LOT OF THIS AND, UM, FOCUSING IN ON THE LACK OF A TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION, UM, UH, AROUND, UH, THE CITY'S EMERGENCY, UH, COMMUNICATION. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK SOMETIMES WE AS COMMISSIONERS FEEL LIKE, OH, IT'S KIND OF A BROKEN RECORD. 
          WE'RE ALWAYS, UH, TALKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT, DO YOU HAVE TRANSLATED MATERIALS? DO YOU, ARE YOU PROVIDING INTERPRETERS? UM, ARE YOU COLLECTING DEMOGRAPHICS ON THE ASIAN COMMUNITY? WELL, UM, I FEEL LIKE AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF PROVING AGAIN HOW IMPORTANT, UH, THIS IS, ESPECIALLY FOR, UH, THESE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, UH, THAT HAVE MEMBERS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE HAS TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, AN UNPRECEDENTED SITUATION, UH, THIS, UH, WEATHER STORM DURING A PANDEMIC. 
          WE HAD A LOT OF OUR CITY STAFF AT HOME WITHOUT POWER. 
          AND, UM, AND SO IT WAS LIKE CRAZY TRYING TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THESE PEOPLE WHO WERE IN THEIR HOMES, UM, AND LACKING ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE. 
          BUT I THINK IT DOES EMPHASIZE THE FACT THAT THERE ARE SOME PROACTIVE THINGS THAT THE CITY CAN AND SHOULD BE DOING AROUND EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AND THAT THERE ARE, UM, MATERIALS THAT, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE AROUND BOIL WATER NOTICES AROUND WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO ACCESS NINE ONE ONE WHEN YOU'RE, UM, A PERSON WITH LINGUAL LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY, UM, THAT THE CITY COULD HAVE AND SHOULD HAVE PREPARED IN ADVANCE. 
          UM, BUT LET ME TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED. 
          UM, 
          [00:30:01]
THE COMMUNITY, THE ASIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY DID GET TOGETHER DID RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, THESE TYPES OF EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS THAT WERE BEING PRODUCED BY THE CITY NEEDED TO BE QUICKLY TRANSLATED, UH, WITH THE COORDINATION OF, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KOSSAR'S OFFICE, A TEAM WAS PULLED TOGETHER AND THEY BEGAN TRANSLATING, UH, THE COMMUNICATIONS THAT WERE COMING OUT OF THE CITY INTO MULTIPLE ASIAN LANGUAGES. 
          UH, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY WITH THE TIMING OF EVERYTHING, A LOT OF THESE WORK, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES TIME TO, UH, TO TRANSLATE THESE MATERIALS AND THEN PUT THEM ONLINE. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, THESE WERE SHOWING UP, I THINK BY THURSDAY OR FRIDAY OF THAT WEEK, YOU KNOW, WHEN, UH, THE WORST OF THE, THE INITIAL PART WAS KIND OF WINDING DOWN AND PEOPLE, AND SOME PEOPLE WERE GETTING POWER AND WATER BACK. 
          AND SO, UH, IN AN EFFORT TO, UH, KIND OF PUSH THE CITY TO PRODUCE THESE KINDS OF MATERIALS OF THE ASIAN AMERICAN QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSION HAS, UM, PUT FORTH AS OUR BUDGET RECOMMENDS MONDAY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022, UH, SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING, UH, FIRST FOR THE, UH, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE AND THE AMOUNT OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, UH, AS A POOL OF FUNDS THAT CAN BE USED BY DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS. 
          AND THEN SECOND, UH, ANOTHER $100,000, ESPECIALLY FOR COMMUNICATION AROUND, UH, EMERGENCIES. 
          UM, WE DON'T WANT TO BE IN A SITUATION AGAIN WHERE, UH, THIS LACK THAT THIS LACK OF TRANSLATED MATERIALS, UH, TAKE FIVE, SIX DAYS TO GET OUT TO THE COMMUNITY. 
          UH, WE THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT AND, UH, WE THINK THAT THE, UH, TYPES OF MATERIALS SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE. 
          UM, AND, UH, THAT IS MY RECOMMENDATION, AND IT'S MY HOPE THAT, UH, THROUGH OUR RECOMMENDATION AND THE WORK OF THIS, UH, TASK FORCE THAT, UH, WE CAN GET, UH, THIS TYPE OF WORK DONE. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU, KIRK. 
          UM, I HAVE A QUESTION WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT, UM, IN TERMS OF, UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU WERE DESCRIBING, UH, A PLAN TO HAVE AN EMERGENCY DISPATCH IN PLACE IN THE EVENT. 
          THERE'S ANOTHER NATURAL CATASTROPHE OR, OR A CATASTROPHE, OTHERWISE, IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT YOU MEAN? NO. 
          UM, REALLY, UM, IT'S ABOUT HAVING, UH, SO, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CITY WAS PUTTING OUT MATERIAL AROUND THE BOIL WATER, NOTICE ABOUT WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, UH, TO TURN YOUR, YOU KNOW, UH, GAS OFF OR WHATEVER, OR YOUR, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE WITHOUT, UM, AND A LOT OF THIS STUFF WAS NOT TRANSLATED. 
          I THINK THAT THE BOIL WATER NOTICE WE SAW SPANISH VIETNAMESE AND ARABIC IS WHAT IS WHAT I SAW. 
          UM, BUT WE THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF OCCASIONS WITH, UH, FLOODS AND EVERYTHING WHEN FULL WATER NOTICES COME INTO PLAY AND THAT THESE COULD BE DONE PROACTIVELY AND THEN JUST BE PULLED OUT AS THEY'RE NEEDED. 
          UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT HAVING A, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO, BUT MAYBE HAVING A TASK FORCE OR SOMETHING THAT CAN BE ACTIVATED, BUT NO, JUST BEING A PART OF THE REGULAR VERSION OF RESPONSE IN PROVIDING THESE MATERIALS TO THE COMMUNITY. 
          UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, WE TALKED WITH, UH, ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY NONPROFITS, ARCHIE, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, HELPING THESE, UH, LIMITED ENGLISH, PROFICIENT SPEAKERS, ACCESS HEALTH SERVICES. 
          UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY ENCOUNTERED IS THAT PEOPLE DON'T CALL NINE 11 BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO INTERACT WITH SCIENCE. 
          AND SO THESE TYPES OF GUIDES CAN BE PROVIDED ABOUT HOW TO, UH, HOW TO INTERACT, UH, WHEN REQUESTING EMERGENCY SERVICES, THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO HAVE. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          YES. 
          YES. 
          COULD YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT KINDS OF MEDIA OR WHAT MODES OF COMMUNICATION ARE MOST EFFECTIVE WITH THE COMMUNITIES YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? I KNOW THAT, UM, I MEAN, I THINK THAT PRINTED MATERIALS, WHETHER THAT'S ONLINE OR, YOU KNOW, PLACED IN, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNITY CENTER OR THE AARC THAT, THAT ANY AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER, UH, BEING PROVIDED TO, UM, FOLKS LIKE ARCHIE THAT ARE OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, I THINK WOULD BE THE MOST HELPFUL, UM, YOU 
          [00:35:01]
KNOW, ONE THING IS THAT A LOT OF INFORMATION WAS BEING PASSED AROUND WINTER, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO WIFI OR, OR EVEN ABLE TO LIKE, CHARGE THEIR PHONE. 
          SO I, I'M NOT SURE HOW, HOW SOCIAL, HOW EFFECTIVE SOCIAL MEDIA WAS. 
          UM, I THINK IT WAS, YOU KNOW, GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN PUTTING IT ON THE WEBSITE, I'M NOT SURE HOW EFFECTIVE THAT IS, THAT THAT'S WHY I THINK THAT THIS MATERIAL SHOULD BE PREPARED IN ADVANCE AND, AND OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY BEFORE A SITUATION LIKE THIS HAPPENS, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU, UH, TESTERS OVER HOUSTON. 
          SORRY. 
          UM, I SAID TELEVISION MIGHT BE ANOTHER OUTLET, BUT IF PEOPLE DON'T HAVE POWER, THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE TOO USEFUL EITHER. 
          I MEAN, THE SITUATION WAS UNIQUE IN THAT REALLY KIND OF ALL OF OUR BOATS COMMUNICATION THAT WE RELY ON. 
          WE'RE JUST ALL KIND OF TAKEN OUT AT ONCE. 
          YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR INFORMATION AND YOUR SUGGESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. 
          I APPRECIATE IT. 
          THANK YOU, KURT. 
          DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR KIRK BEFORE HE DROPS OFF? OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          UM, WHO IS OUR NEXT SPEAKER CITY STAFF? ANA I GITA. 
          THANK YOU, MS.  YOU HAVE THE FLOOR WHENEVER YOU WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU JUST FINE. 
          GREAT, AWESOME. 
          UM, GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU. 
          MY NAME IS ANN  AND I'M A LONG-TERM RESIDENT OF DISTRICT TWO, AND OF COURSE I'M SPEAKING REGARDING THE WINTER STORM AND THE IMPACT IT HAD ON ME AND MY NEIGHBORS. 
          I ALSO TRULY HOPE YOUR WORK WILL RESULT IN AN OPERATIONAL AND ACTIONABLE OUTCOME, NOT JUST THE WORK OF ANOTHER CITY TASK FORCE, FULL STACK DOCUMENT GETS FILED AWAY AND FORGOTTEN. 
          UM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THE EXPERIENCE THAT WE HAD, YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, THE LACK OF THE URGENCY OF THE SITUATION, THE LACK OF NOTICE, NO ALERT WAS SENT OUT. 
          I REMEMBER JIM SPENCER STATING DURING HIS, IN THE WEATHER REPORT ON FRIDAY NIGHT THAT PEOPLE SHOULD GET READY FOR A BAD STORM. 
          THAT MEANT TO ME THAT THE CD SHOULD AFFECT BEING ENGAGED. 
          AT THAT POINT, WE DIDN'T GET ANY OF THAT PREPARATION AND THE PROPOSED ROTATION OUTAGES SOBER. 
          UM, WE WERE EXPECTING, WE QUICKLY REALIZED THAT THEY WERE NOT TRUE. 
          UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, DUE TO THE LOSS OF POWER, MANY OF US IN OUR AREA HAD TO CHARGE OUR CELL PHONES IN THE CARS, AND OF COURSE BEING US AND SOMETIMES BEING IN THE CAR, YOU KNOW, DURING THAT TIME WAS WARMER THAN BEING IN THE HOUSE. 
          BUT WE QUICKLY REALIZED DON'T TALK ON THE PHONE USE TEXTS. 
          SO WE HAD TO ESTABLISH, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT THOSE STRATEGIES, JUST SO THAT WE COULD STAY IN COMMUNICATION WITH EACH OTHER IN I'M GOING TO BE DATING MYSELF, BECAUSE WHEN I GIVE YOU THE OTHER OPTION THAT WE USE IS, UH, WE QUICKLY ESTABLISHED A TELEPHONE TREE NETWORK. 
          SO, UM, I WOULD CALL, I WOULD BE PRIMARILY THE FIRST PERSON THAT WOULD CALL PEOPLE. 
          THEN THEY WOULD, THEN THEY WOULD CHECK ON THEIR NEIGHBORS. 
          BUT WE DID THAT, YOU KNOW, EARLY IN THE MORNING JUST TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE MADE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT. 
          UM, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST TO CHECK IN ON EACH OTHER. 
          AND WE ALSO REALIZED THAT BECAUSE THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE COULD NOT GET TO US. 
          WE REALLY PANICKED WHEN ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS WHO WAS AN OLDER, UH, RESIDENT FAIL AND HIT HER HIT. 
          AND WE WERE IN PANIC MODE BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT WHEN SHE WAS IN TROUBLE, BUT SHE MADE IT OKAY. 
          UH, WHEN HE COMES TO MULTIMEDIA, WHEN PEOPLE ARE SAYING, USE FACEBOOK, USE TWITTER, YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY INTERNET FORGET IT, THAT DOESN'T WORK. 
          UM, AND A LOT OF RESIDENTS THAT ONCE THAT I WAS COMMUNICATING WITH ALL THE HEAD WAS THE PLAIN CELL PHONE. 
          IT WAS NOT EVEN AN IPHONE. 
          SO LANGUAGE WAS A BARRIER AND, AND, UM, MULTIMEDIA MODE, UM, ACCESS, YOU KNOW, DON'T TAKE THAT FOR GRANTED. 
          A LOT OF PEOPLE STILL RELY ON SNAIL MAIL. 
          AND, UM, SO THERE'S GOTTA BE ANOTHER WAY TO GET AROUND TO THEM. 
          WE AS RESIDENTS, WE FIGURED OUT WHO WERE THE MOST VULNERABLE. 
          WE KNOW WHO'S GOT THE LANGUAGE BARRIERS WHO DOESN'T HAVE A MULTIMEDIA ACCESS AND THE ELDERLY, THOSE THAT ARE ADMITTED THAT HAVE MEDICAL NEEDS, THOSE THAT NEEDED SERVICES FOR MEALS ON WHEELS. 
          SO WE FIGURED OUT HOW TO HELP EACH OTHER STAY, YOU KNOW, STAY IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER. 
          THE OTHER THING WE ALSO HAD TO QUICKLY REALIZE IS WHICH ONE OF US HAD WOKE WE'LL GRAB VEHICLES SO THAT THEY COULD GET SOMEBODY TO, UM, A SAFER LOCATION OR IN ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORS, YOU KNOW, GET LIKE A GROCERY RUN FOR US. 
          SO THAT MEANS THOSE THAT NEEDED WATER. 
          HE COULD GET SOME FOR US. 
          UM, 
          [00:40:01]
WE WERE FORTUNATE IN THE SENSE THAT BECAUSE OF COVID-19, ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORS HAD SET UP A, WHAT WE CALL THE COMMUNITY FRIDGE KIND OF LIKE A LITTLE REFRIGERATOR WITH A PANTRY THAT SHE HAD STARTED STOCKING UP WITH, UH, FOOD. 
          UM, AND SHE HAD DONE THIS LIKE MAYBE A COUPLE OF MONTHS PRIOR, SO QUICKLY, THE FOOD RAN OUT AND WE WERE SCRAMBLING TO KEEP THAT STOCKED UP SO THAT PEOPLE WOULD HAVE FOOD AND WATER. 
          ONCE THEY RAN OUT OF FOOD AND WATER DURING THE STORM AND THE BOIL WATER NOTICE, I WISH PEOPLE KNEW IN OUR AREA, SOME OF US, MOST OF US HAVE NATURAL GAS WHERE WE COULD BOIL WATER. 
          FOR THOSE, I KNEW THAT WERE RELYING, HAD ONLY ELECTRICITY. 
          THEY WERE TOTALLY OUT OF LUCK. 
          SO IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF MAYBE THE CITY TRACK THE GRID OF THE PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, ACCESS TO GUESTS TO BOIL WATER SO THAT THEN THEY WOULD KNOW TO PRIORITIZE THOSE AREAS FOR THE PURPOSE OF WATER. 
          UM, SITTING AT THE SHELTER, THE SHELTER THAT WAS SET UP WITH MENDEZ MIDDLE SCHOOL, IT WAS DISORGANIZED AND THE IT CALLS FOR GREAT IMPROVEMENT. 
          I HOPE Y'ALL WILL LOOK AT HOW THOSE EMERGENCY SHELTERS ARE SET UP. 
          HOW THERE, YOU KNOW, WHO'S IN CHARGE, YOU KNOW, WHO MAKES THE CALL AND SO FORTH. 
          A LOT OF KUDOS TO, UM, HER CONSTABLE GEORGE MORALES, WHO, YOU KNOW, TO REALLY HELP US WITH THAT. 
          UM, SO WE NEEDED HELP. 
          AND THE OTHER CONCERN IS PEOPLE WERE NOT GOING TO THOSE SHELTERS BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID THAT THEY WOULD GET EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS. 
          THOSE THAT DID, SOME OF THEM DID GET EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS. 
          SO I KNOW THERE WERE REPERCUSSIONS BECAUSE OF THAT MANY OF US, BECAUSE IN OUR AREA WE HAVE, UM, FLASH FLOODING. 
          SOME OF US DO HAVE EMERGENCY KITS, NEVER THOUGHT TO HAVE A WINTERIZED VERSION OF AN EMERGENCY KIT. 
          SO IF THIS IS WHAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAPPEN, THEN WE NEED TO UPDATE THOSE KIDS AND GET THEM TO, TO THOSE RESIDENTS IF WE NEED THEM, THE THINGS THAT I NEED. 
          UM, I NOW HOPE Y'ALL WILL ACKNOWLEDGE IN, IN THIS SITS UP FOUNDATION IS THE TASK FORCE NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WAS LOSS OF LIFE. 
          THE TASKFORCE ALSO NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WAS AN ECONOMIC IMPACT BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF THE, YOU KNOW, OF THIS MEAT BECAUSE OF THIS, THIS STORM, UM, FOR BOTH RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES AND FOR US, WHAT WAS IT? WASN'T ONLY SAD, BUT IT WAS MOSTLY INFURIATING BECAUSE THIS WAS PREVENTABLE. 
          THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A CALL PRIOR RESOLUTIONS, YOU KNOW, A CALL FOR HAVING RESILIENCY, HUBS ESTABLISHED, AND THAT HAS SAT SOMEWHERE AND NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN. 
          SO THAT'S WHY I'M HOPING THAT THIS TIME SOMEBODY WILL ACTUALLY LISTEN AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. 
          UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, I USED TO, I WAS, UH, I'VE SERVED ON THE FLOOD MITIGATION TASK FORCE. 
          SOME HOPING SOME LESSONS ARE LEARNED FROM THAT. 
          UM, THE QUESTION THAT I HAD, AND THIS IS WHERE I WAS REALLY FURIOUS IS WHERE WAS THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER, WHO WAS IN CHARGE, WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AT THE COMMAND STATION WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS HAPPENING, WHO'S REPRESENTING THOSE, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE IN CHARGE OF THE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SCENE, ESPECIALLY WATER, ELECTRICITY, GUESTS, PUBLIC SAFETY, YOU KNOW, UM, I HOPE THAT THERE'S A NAZI ACCOMPANY AND I'M HOPING THAT'S PART OF YOUR CHARGE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE AN AUTOPSY OF WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT WENT WRONG, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? AND WHERE WERE THE FAILURES WHO WAS ACCOUNTABLE, WHO NEEDS TO BE TRAINED IF THERE, EVEN THAT NEEDS TO BE HAPPENING IN WHERE IS THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WE, BECAUSE OF FLOODING ISSUES, WE'VE LEARNED TO HELP EACH OTHER AND QUICKLY KICK IN, BUT THIS WAS A TOTALLY NEW, UM, EXPERIENCE THAT WE STILL WOULDN'T DID NOT HAVE. 
          UM, WE'RE NOT PREPARED FOR. 
          UM, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH THAT THE PUBLIC SECTOR CAN DO. 
          THIS WOULD BE A CUP TO IDENTIFY WHO IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR CAN HELP US. 
          SO YOU'VE GOT THE CITY BUILDINGS, YOU KNOW, THE REC CENTERS, YOU KNOW, THOSE COMMUNITY BUILDINGS. 
          I MEAN, THERE'S SCHOOLS THAT COUNTY IN, UM, YOU KNOW, FIND OUT WHERE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS NEED TO BE BUILT WITH THOSE AGENCIES IN COLLABORATE AND WHERE THERE'S GAPS IDENTIFY, PULLING THE PRIVATE SECTOR. 
          THAT'S WHERE, WHO FROM THE GROCERY STORES CAN BE HAPPY. 
          AND RESTAURANTS, THERE WAS A GURU THAT CAME TO OUR RESCUE AND PROVIDED FOOD AND ALSO, UM, PORTABLE WATER. 
          AND THAT WAS SO APPRECIATIVE. 
          UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND IS, YOU KNOW, UM, EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY, UH, SIMILAR TO WHAT THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER WAS TALKING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE THOSE, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY GETS A UTILITY BILL. 
          UH, MAYBE SOME OF THAT INFORMATION IN A MULTI-LINGUAL MODE CAN BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY SO THAT THEY CAN GIVE SOME INFORMATION THAT COULD BE ONE MEANS OF 
          [00:45:01]
RELATING GETTING, GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT. 
          THE OTHER THING IS WHENEVER THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER, THEY SHOULD BE CONDUCTING DRILLS AND THEY NEED TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS FROM THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM THOSE DRILLS. 
          SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEY WORK ON EMERGENCY WATER, RESCUES, SIMILAR STRATEGY, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THIS, THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER SHOULD DETERMINE WHERE THOSE DRILLS NEED TO BE DONE. 
          UM, IN, FROM OUR COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE, WE LEARNED TO SET UP A MINI NEIGHBORHOOD, GRILL, AGREE ON THEM FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD GRID. 
          AND, UM, FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT DOING CITYWIDE RESIDENTS, THEY KNOW THEIR NEIGHBORS AND THEY CAN, IF THEY DIDN'T, THEY DO NOW, UM, AND MAYBE UTILIZE THAT. 
          SO, UM, OUR THERE'S A GROUP OF US IN DEPTH, SPRINGFIELD, COMMUNITY LEADERS THAT WE, BECAUSE OF THIS LESSON LEARNED WHERE WE'VE NOW AGREED TO START MEETING ON A MONTHLY BASIS AND TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE CAN AFFORD RESOURCES WE HAVE AND HOW WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER TO MINIMIZE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CA CATASTROPHE OF SUCH A DISASTER. 
          SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO DO THAT. 
          UM, I ALSO REALLY APPRECIATE IT, THE CITY, UM, MANY OF US LOST FOOD BECAUSE OF THE REFRIGERATORS, YOU KNOW, NOT GOING, NOT HAVING ELECTRICITY. 
          WE HAD LOTS OF GOOD. 
          SO I APPRECIATED THE CITY, UM, PREPARING FOR THE ADDITIONAL TRASH PICKUP SO THAT THEY NEEDED TO DO. 
          AND I REALLY ALSO APPRECIATE, UM, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND CITY STAFF THAT REALLY STEPPED UP IN SPITE OF THEIR OWN PERSONAL CRISIS DURING THE WINTER STORM. 
          SO THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT THEY HAD, THEY WERE GOING THROUGH THEIR OWN EMERGENCY CRISIS, BUT THEY STILL WERE WITH US, UM, ESPECIALLY FOR US WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT. 
          UM, I APPRECIATE THE POLICE, FIRE AND EMS, AND THEY WERE OUT THERE REGARDLESS. 
          AND THOSE ARE, IF THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE TRUE PUBLIC SERVANTS. 
          AND I THANK YOU ALSO FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY IN THIS NEW ROLE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, MR. . 
          I HOPE HE CAN STAY FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR, OR JUST COMMENT, UH, BASED ON WHAT YOU HAD TO SHARE. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR STORY, BOTH PERSONAL AND JUST GIVING US SOME AMAZING AND GREAT IDEAS, UH, TO TRY TO HAVE THE CITY IMPLEMENT IN THE FUTURE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN. 
          ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM  MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT ON MUTE IF YOU'RE TRYING TO SPEAK YES. 
          TASKFORCE MEMBER CLEMENS, PLEASE. 
          YES. 
          AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR, UM, TESTIMONY TONIGHT. 
          UM, I THINK THAT IT WAS VERY HELPFUL, UM, AND HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF HOW THE COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER TO WORK ON THESE ISSUES. 
          UM, I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT, UM, DISORGANIZATION AT THE SHELTER, UM, WHAT SHELTER, UM, WHERE DID YOU GO TO, TO GET HELP AND WHAT WILL, WHAT WERE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU SAW? NOPE, I D I PERSONALLY DID NOT GO TO THE SHELTER ONLY BECAUSE OF MY FEAR OF GETTING EXPOSED TO COVID. 
          SO I JUST STAYED COLD IN MY HOME. 
          UM, THE, OF THOSE THAT DID GO, UM, I, THERE WAS SOME MISCOMMUNICATION. 
          I BELIEVE PEOPLE SHOWED UP THINKING THAT THEY COULD STAY OVERNIGHT AND THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. 
          SO THEN THEY HAD RETURNED BACK HOME, WHICH MADE IT DANGEROUS BECAUSE THEN THEY HAD TO GET BACK ON THE STREETS, WHICH WERE NOT DRIVABLE. 
          UM, THE OTHER THING IS, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD IS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT WERE DROPPED OFF, THEY HAD NO, THERE WAS NO GUIDANCE AS TO WHERE IN THE SHELTER THEY COULD GO. 
          YOU KNOW, SO BECAUSE OF COVID, YOU KNOW, DO YOU CREATE A BUBBLE FOR EACH PERSON OR HOW, SO PEOPLE JUST KIND OF LIKE HUDDLED TOGETHER AS MUCH AS SPECIFIC THEY COULD. 
          UM, THEN THERE WAS THE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE HOMELESS POPULATION, BUT, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, THOSE INDIVIDUALS WERE PUT, UH, COMPARED TO OTHERS. 
          THE OTHER THING THAT I DID, UH, I LEARNED BECAUSE I HAVE MY PRIOR WORK IS I ASKED THE QUESTION IF ANYBODY HAS A SERIOUS, UM, CRIMINAL HISTORY. 
          AND SO FOR EXAMPLE, SOMEBODY WITH A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HISTORY, THAT'S THE INDIAN HISTORY. 
          THOSE, THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN THIS TYPE OF EMERGENCY SHOULD NOT BE GOING TO A SHELTER. 
          THEY SHOULD BE GOING SOMEWHERE WHERE THEY ARE. 
          THERE'S NO POTENTIAL FOR THEM TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH THEIR VICTIMS OR PUT THE COMMUNITY, UM, YOU KNOW, SAFETY AT RISK. 
          SO, UM, THAT'S ONE THING. 
          UM, THE OTHER THING IS HOW WERE THEY GETTING FOOD, IF YOU KNOW, UM, HOW WERE THEY GETTING WATER? THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT I HEARD OF PEOPLE THAT WERE BRINGING THEIR OWN FOOD TO THE SHELTER THAT WERE VOLUNTEER, SEPARATE BRINGING SOME OF THEIR OWN FOOD, BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH FOOD FOR THOSE THAT WERE SHOWING UP AT THE SHELTER. 
          SO I CAN DEFINITELY PUT YOU INTO CONTACT WITH, UM, SOME PEOPLE THAT HAD FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE THAT THEY DID, UM, GO. 
          AND, 
          [00:50:01]
UM, UH, AND I WILL ACTUALLY LET THEM KNOW THAT I BELIEVE YOU'RE GOING TO BE HAVING FEATURE MEETINGS. 
          I WILL SPECIFICALLY REACH OUT TO ONE INDIVIDUAL AND ASK HER TO SIGN UP AND SPEAK BEFORE YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH, ANNA. 
          UM, AND THEN ALONG THOSE SAME LINES, I REALLY WOULD APPRECIATE IT. 
          YOU, UM, UH, REACH OUT TO, I SUPPOSE, PATRICIA, UM, TO HELP US CONNECT. 
          UM, I AM ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT THAT MINI ENERGY THAT YOU SAID THAT YOU ALL ESTABLISHED, UM, REALLY INTERESTING AND SOMETHING LIKE, UH, WE SHOULD LOOK INTO IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GET THAT WORK FOR US. 
          UM, YEAH, WE KNOW W W WE WERE, WE WERE A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, SO WE KNEW, UM, SO THAT'S THE SAME CONCEPT THAT WE USED BASICALLY. 
          GOTCHA. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, ANNA. 
          CERTAINLY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ARE THERE OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM MISS ? YEAH. 
          TASK FORCE MEMBER, UH, MANUAL HUMANITAS MR. GARY, UH, YOU MENTIONED, OF COURSE OF YOUR DISTRICT WOULD DO A MULTIPLE FLOODS. 
          UH, I WORKED FOR THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE AND RESPONDED TO THOSE FLOODS. 
          AND YOU MENTIONED, UH, THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE WAS THERE AGAIN, I THINK WE HEARD FROM, UH, A COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, THE CONSTABLE FOR THEIR DISTRICT WAS HEAVILY INVOLVED. 
          CAN YOU SHARE SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE ASSISTANT WITH? UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE, YOU KNOW, CONSTABLES OFFICES ARE VERY ACTIVE IN THE DISTRICTS. 
          THEY HELP OUT EVEN WITHIN THE CITY. 
          YES. 
          WELL, OUR COUNCIL AND GEORGE MORALES, HE'S VERY FAMILIAR WITH MANY COMMUNITY LEADERS. 
          UM, AND HE'S DONE THIS BEFORE. 
          SO, UM, SITTING UP THAT EMERGENCY SHELTER AT THE REC CENTER, OR EVEN AT THE SCHOOL, HE'S HAD THAT PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE. 
          SO BRINGING THAT EXPERIENCE, UM, YOU KNOW, KNOWING WHO THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE HELPS. 
          UH, SO, UM, WE JUST, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, ONCE I HEARD THAT THE PROBLEM I HEARD ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BUT THEN WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT GEORGE WAS INVOLVED FROM ME, THEN I KNEW ALL I NEEDED TO DO WAS STEP BACK BECAUSE I KNEW HE WAS TAKING OVER AND NEEDED ME TO DO WELL. 
          HE KNEW WHAT TO DO. 
          UM, SO THAT'S THE BEST THAT I CAN DO. 
          UM, I CAN, AGAIN, PROBABLY ASK THOSE THAT WERE THERE TO GIVE Y'ALL SOME OF WHAT, WHAT, MORE OF WHAT HE DID. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, IN REGARDS TO FIGURING OUT THE SAFETY PIECE, YOU KNOW, FOUR PEOPLE COULD, YOU KNOW, SITUATE THEMSELVES. 
          THE CRITICAL THING THAT NEEDED TO HAPPEN WAS HAND COMMUNICATING WITH THE SCHOOL OFFICIALS TO MAKE SURE HE, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS ACCESS TO THE BUILDING, THAT WAS ANOTHER FACTOR THAT NEEDED TO BE, UM, FIGURED OUT, BUT HE KNEW ALL OF THAT. 
          SO I'M SORRY, I'M KIND OF LIMITED ON WHAT MY, YOU KNOW, FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE. 
          I DIDN'T HAVE ANY, BUT, UM, I JUST HEARD, YOU KNOW, WHAT HE DID, AND ALSO WE WERE JUST VERY, VERY APPRECIATIVE OF WHAT HE DID FOR US. 
          THANK YOU, MR. GARY, CERTAINLY ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO, UM, RECOGNIZE THAT, NOT REALIZE AT FIRST THAT, UH, THE DIRECTOR OF OUR CITY'S EQUITY OFFICE, BRIAN GNOSIS HERE. 
          BRIAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS OR DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENT BASED ON WHAT YOU'VE HEARD SO FAR? YOU MENTIONED A DAY, THIS THANK YOU. 
          UM, NO WORDS, BUT THIS REALLY WANTED TO THANK ALL OF, UH, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT AND TELLING THEIR STORIES AND, UM, RELIVING WHAT WAS REALLY A TRAUMATIC TIME FOR MANY OF US. 
          AND THEN ALSO FOR US TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE STILL HAVE OFF THE NIGHT, UH, WHO WAS STILL STRUGGLING FROM THE AFTERMATH OF THIS DAWN AS WELL. 
          AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL AS COMMISSIONERS FOR REALLY TAKING THE LEAD, UM, TO REALLY DO THESE LISTENING SESSIONS AND REALLY HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY. 
          I THINK THAT THE INPUT THAT WE ARE HEARING, UH, SHOULD BE REALLY VALUABLE, AND I HOPE THAT IT'S WELL RECEIVED FROM OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER. 
          UH, BECAUSE AS I THINK ABOUT THIS, I JUST CONSTANTLY KEEP THINKING THAT, UM, I DON'T WANT TO EVER HAVE A PEER AGAIN, IN THIS SITUATION AND, UH, EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN DO IN THE INTERIM THAT IN THE EVENT THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS AGAIN, WE'RE JUST NOT HERE IN THIS PLACE AT THIS TIME. 
          AGAIN, I THINK IS, IS REALLY WHAT THE WORK IS AHEAD, BUT JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU ALL, UH, FOR THE NIGHT. 
          AND WE'RE DEFINITELY LISTENING AND TAKING THIS FEEDBACK UNTIL ALL THE DIFFERENT WORK GROUPS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE A PART OF IS WE REALLY TRY TO REVAMP AND HOW WE RESPOND TO THIS AND PLAN BETTER AS A CITY. 
          SO THANK YOU GUYS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          OKAY. 
          I BELIEVE WE'RE READY TO MOVE ON TO, UH, THE LAST TURN. 
          YES. 
          COOL. 
          I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THERE THERE'S ONE MORE SPEAKER. 
          I THINK YOU WERE GETTING 
          [00:55:01]
INTO THAT THOUGH. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE, WE ARE READY FOR OUR, OUR LAST SPEAKER, UM, WHO IS OUR LAST SPEAKER? JEFFREY. 
          OKAY. 
          MR. MESSER, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR, PLEASE BEGIN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? YES. 
          SO MY NAME IS JEFF. 
          UH, I LIVE IN PFLUGERVILLE, UH, TONIGHT I'M SPEAKING AS AN INDIVIDUAL, BUT DURING THE CRISIS, I WAS ON THE LEADERSHIP TEAM OF A GROUP CALLED AUSTIN NEEDS WATER. 
          UM, IF I GO OVER TIME, IT'S TOO LONG TONIGHT. 
          I HOPE THE COMMITTEE WILL ALLOW ME TO CONTINUE BECAUSE WHAT I HAVE TO SAY, MAYBE THE SINGLE MOST CRITICAL THING THAT Y'ALL NEED TO HEAR, UM, AFTER ALL TODAY'S WATER ACTUALLY DID THE JOB, UM, OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE. 
          AND WE DID IT WELL ALSO MEETS WATER WAS STARTED BY PEOPLE WORKING IN THE OFFICE TO FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION AND THE UNION OF PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZERS. 
          THEY STARTED A TEMPORARY WARMING SHELTER AT CAMERON ROAD IN ONE AT 83. 
          THESE CARRYING PEOPLE USE THEIR PERSONAL VEHICLES TO SHUTTLE OUR HOUSELESS, HUMAN FRIENDS, OVER ICY ROADS TO THE SHELTER. 
          AS WITH MOST OF THE VOLUNTEERS, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU ABOUT THEY DIDN'T SLEEP MUCH OR AT ALL, I THINK IT WAS A THURSDAY OR FRIDAY WHEN THE ROADS THOUGHTS ENOUGH OR FOR TRAVEL THAT MANY OF US JOINED THE UPO AND THE AFA AND THEIR EFFORTS, WHICH BY THAT TIME HAD PIVOTED IN A MAJOR WAY TO PROVIDING DRINKING WATER TO THIRSTY AUSTINITES. 
          AUSTIN NEEDS WATER TURNED INTO AN ORGANIZATION THAT WAS CAPABLE OF DISTRIBUTED 10,000 BOTTLES OF WATER A DAY. 
          AND OVER THE ENTIRE CRISIS, LITERALLY DISTRIBUTED HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DRINKING GALLONS OF DRINKING WATER VIA 275 GALLON TOTES CARRIED ON THE BACK OF VOLUNTEERS, PICKUP TRUCKS. 
          WE EVENTUALLY TOOK OVER THE ENTIRE BOTTLE WATER DISTRIBUTION FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN NATIONAL LEVEL. 
          NON-PROFITS CONTACTED US TO SAY THEY HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE WHAT WE HAD DONE. 
          THERE WERE THREE KEYS TO OUR ACCESS SUCCESS. 
          THE FIRST ONE WAS VOLUNTEERS. 
          THE SECOND WAS DRINKABLE WATER GIVEN TO US BY LOCAL BREWERIES AND EVENTUALLY TAP OUR WATER FROM FIRE HYDRANTS AND THIRD, OUR OWN PERSONAL WALLETS. 
          SO OUR VOLUNTEERS JUST, WHO ARE THESE VOLUNTEERS WHERE THEY, THE RED CROSS OR EXPERIENCED DISASTER WORKERS? NO, THERE WERE MUCH MALIGNED. 
          SO-CALLED LEFT THIS UNIT UNIONIST PEOPLE WHO ARE STATE LEVEL POLITICIANS WOULD HAVE YOU BELIEVE ARE RIDING IN ARCHIVIST. 
          THEY WERE SCIENTISTS, GARDENERS, RETIRED MILLIONAIRES, AND THE VERY POOR ONE HARD WORKING MAN, I SAW SHOW UP EVERY DAY AT THE LONG CENTER WAS SLEEPING IN HIS CAR BECAUSE HE COULDN'T AFFORD A HOTEL ROOM. 
          I CAN'T POSSIBLY LIST ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HELPED US NOR TELL THEIR STORIES. 
          AND IN FACT, THERE ARE SO MANY, I'M TALKING ABOUT A COUPLE OF GROUPS HERE, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY MORE THAT WERE OUT THERE. 
          AND PLEASE UNDERSTAND. 
          UM, WHEN I TALK, I'M SPEAKING FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AND WHAT I SAW, WE WEREN'T SKILLED IN EMERGENCY MANUAL MANAGEMENT IN DISASTER RECOVERY. 
          UM, IN ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THE ONLY REAL QUALIFICATIONS THAT WE HAD WERE WE HAD TIME AND WE CARED. 
          SO DRINKABLE WATER, THE LOCAL BREWERY SCENE LITERALLY SAVED LIVES. 
          THEY OPENED UP THEIR SHOPS AND STOP PRODUCTION DIVERTING THE BOILED SANITIZE WATER TO FILL OUR 275 GALLON TOTES. 
          AUSTIN NEEDS WATER VOLUNTEER PICKUP DRIVERS WOULD GRAB AN EMPTY TOTE FROM US. 
          DRIVE TO A BREWERY, BUILD THE 275 GALLON TOTES FIVE GALLONS AT A TIME WITH BUCKETS, THEN GO SIT AT A LOCATION, WAITING FOR THIRSTY AUSTINITES I SAY AUSTINITES, BUT I ALSO REMEMBER US HELPING PEOPLE IN GEORGETOWN ROUND ROCK WALKERVILLE AND ELGON EVENTUALLY PARTS OF THE CITY'S WATER SUPPLY BECAME DRINKABLE. 
          AT WHICH POINT WE FILLED THE TOTES FROM FIRE HYDRANTS. 
          THE THIRD KEY TO OUR SUCCESS WAS OUR OWN PERSONAL WALLETS. 
          AND YES, YOU HEARD THAT, RIGHT? WE DID ALL OF THIS WITHOUT A DIME FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN, STATE OF TEXAS OR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
          SEVERAL OF US EMPTIED OUT OUR CHECKING ACCOUNTS, THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. 
          AND, UM, I DID THE FINANCES FOR A WHILE AND I WOULD, I WOULD EASILY SAY $10,000 SPENT BY OUR VOLUNTEERS BEFORE WE ABLE TO GIVE MONEY BACK TO ANY OF THEM. 
          THE VENDOR OF THE IBC CONTAINERS SOLD 30 OF THEM TO US ON CREDIT BUSINESSES HELPED KNOWING THAT WE DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY HAVE THE FUNDS ON HAND. 
          NONE OF US SAVED UP FOR THIS. 
          NONE OF THIS, NONE OF US HAD THE FORESIGHT. 
          NONE OF US HAD A COMMISSION TO STUDY UP BEFOREHAND, CERTAINLY NOT THE CITY, BUT REMEMBER THE MALIGNED EVIL ARNETT. 
          AND ARCUS A GROUP OF ANARCHIST NAMED AUSTIN MUTUAL AID SOCIETY ALSO KNOWN AS AMA. 
          [01:00:01]
AND IT'S A TERM WHOSE ROOTS ARE, AND MARK'S COMMUNISM GAVE US A $20,000 GRANT, $20,000. 
          ANOTHER LOCAL GROUP PLEDGED $5,000. 
          WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WAS MISSING FROM THE CITY'S RESPONSE? UM, AND, AND WHAT DO WE REALLY NEED TO PLAN FOR IN THE FUTURE? IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I'VE NOT GONE INTO SPECIFICS OF HOW WE GOT THE ONE ON THE THIRSTY. 
          YES. 
          ALSO MEANS WATER DID THAT JOB TOO. 
          WE WENT OUT AND FOUND WHO NEEDED WATER. 
          THOSE DETAILS ARE NOT IMPORTANT. 
          WE DID NOTHING SPECIAL. 
          THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, STATE OF TEXAS, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ALL HAD THE CAPABILITY TO DO WHAT WAS DONE BY AUSTIN NEEDS WATER. 
          THEY ONLY LACKED ONE THING. 
          THEY LACKED CARING AND THEY LACK THE WILL TO DO THE JOB. 
          IT WAS INCREDIBLY UNBELIEVABLE TO ALL OF US, CITY OF AUSTIN WATER DECLARED THE CRISIS OVER WHEN WATER ONLY FLOAT UP TO THE WATER METER ON PROPERTIES AND TENS OF THOUSANDS HAD NO DRINKING WATER. 
          WE TRIED TO FIND OUT FROM THE CITY WHO WAS SITTING, NO LUCK THERE. 
          WE ASKED ABOUT USING FIRE HYDRANTS OR JUST THE MANAGEMENT FOLKS DEMANDED THAT WE USE WATER METERS AND THAT WE PAY FOR THE WATER. 
          THE WATER DEPARTMENT STARTED A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN LATE, LATE, LATE ON AFTER WE'D BEEN DOING THIS FOR WEEKS, THE WATER DEPARTMENT STARTED A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN TAKING CREDIT FOR WHAT WE HAD DONE. 
          THEY EVEN PUT THEIR SIGNS ON THE IVC CONTAINERS WE HAD PLACED. 
          SEE, WE WERE SO BUSY GETTING THE IVC CONTAINERS FILLED UP WITH WATER AND GETTING WATER TO 30 PETE THIRSTY PEOPLE. 
          WE DIDN'T TAKE THE TIME TO DESIGN A FANCY FINE TO PUT ON THE CONTAINERS. 
          WE WERE LUCKY IF WE GOT A PIECE OF PAPER AND TAPED IT ON THERE WITH A PHONE NUMBER, ONE CITY MANAGER PUBLICLY TOLD THE COUNCIL THEY WOULD WORK WITH US. 
          AND THEN OF COURSE, THE NEXT DAY THEY DIDN'T, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT, CHIEF PURSUED A PERSONAL VENDETTA, WALKING OUR ACCESS TO FIRE HYDRANTS. 
          AS WE HAD AUSTIN WATER, DID THE ACTUAL WORK OF GETTING WATER TO THIRSTY TEXANS. 
          WE WATCHED THE, WE WATCHED A NEWS CONFERENCE WHERE TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT TOLD THE WORLD THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS ON THE JOB. 
          NONE OF US ON THE GROUND HAD ANY IDEA WHAT THE HELL HE WAS TALKING ABOUT. 
          NOT A CLUE. 
          WE JOKED THAT THE AUSTIN'S EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER WENT HOME AT NIGHT TO SLEEP WHILE OUR VOLUNTEERS WERE WORKING 18 HOUR DAYS. 
          REMEMBER THOSE 35, 275 GALLON TOTES AUSTIN NEEDS WATER PURCHASED ON CREDIT. 
          WE LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE CITY'S WATER DEPARTMENT HAD 60 OF THESE BRAND NEW SITTING ON A STORAGE LOT, UNOPENED. 
          SURE. 
          THEY WERE LOANED TO US AFTER MANY WEEKS OF US BEGGING THE CITY TO DO SOMETHING, TO HELP US IN ANY WAY. 
          AND THE CRISIS WAS NEARLY OVER OBJECTIONS AND RIDICULOUS REGULATIONS SEEMED TO POP UP OVERNIGHT FROM EOC AND FROM AUSTIN, AUSTIN WATER. 
          AND I'M NOT SURE WHERE ELSE. 
          UM, I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL PERSON, UM, WAS SUPPOSEDLY VERY MUCH IN, YOU KNOW, UPSET AND PRETTY MUCH ON OUR SIDE. 
          AND, UM, VERY MUCH WANTED THE CITY GOVERNMENT TO WORK WITH US. 
          BUT APPARENTLY THAT DIDN'T HAVE ANY WEIGHT WITH ANYONE IN CITY GOVERNMENT DON'T GET ME WRONG. 
          THERE WERE OBVIOUSLY GOOD WILLING PEOPLE IN CITY GOVERNMENT, BUT SOMETHING WAS DEFINITELY WRONG THERE. 
          IF THE COMMITTEE TAKES ONLY ONE THING AWAY FROM WHAT I'VE SAID TODAY, IT'S THAT THEY MUST FIGURE OUT WHY THE WILL TO HELP THIRSTY PEOPLE WAS MISSING. 
          WHY WERE PERSONAL VENDETTAS AND POLITICS ALLOWED TO TRUMP CARING FOR OTHERS? UM, AND FINALLY I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT, UM, I WAS A LITTLE BIT DISAPPOINTED THAT, UH, NO ONE IN THE CITY GOVERNMENT REACHED OUT TO AUSTIN NEEDS WATER OR AMA, UM, FOR HELP WITH THIS. 
          AT LEAST WHEN I, WHEN I REACHED OUT TO PEOPLE, OTHER PEOPLE THAT WERE ON AMA AND AUSTIN NEEDS WATER, UM, AMA HAD STARTED AMA GAVE OUT, THEY GIVE OUT FOOD, THEY GAVE IT WATER. 
          THEY GIVE OUT CLOTHING, UM, AT THE LONG CENTER, THEY, AND THEY, THEY SPENT THOUSANDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FROM THEIR COVID EMERGENCY FUND THAT THEY HAD BEEN BUILDING. 
          UM, SO WE WERE TWO GROUPS THAT ACTUALLY WERE DOING THE WORK AND WE DID, AND WE DID A FANTASTIC JOB. 
          UM, AND YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, ANYWAY, WE DID A FANTASTIC JOB. 
          UM, BUT YET WHEN I TALKED TO THE PEOPLE, OTHER PEOPLE AT AMA IN AN AUSTIN NEEDS WATER, UM, NO ONE KNEW THAT THIS COMMITTEE WAS GOING ON OR NO ONE FROM THE CITY HAD REACHED OUT TO US. 
          AND I WOULD SAY THAT'S A BIG FAIL, UM, A BIG FAIL THERE. 
          UM, AND I'M NOT REALLY A GREAT SPEAKER. 
          [01:05:01]
I'M NOT A POLITICIAN. 
          SO I'M SURE I STEPPED ON A FEW TOES AND WHATEVER, BUT I MEAN, THE REASON YOU GOT THIS HORRIBLE PRESENTATION FOR ME TONIGHT IS BECAUSE YEAH, NO ONE ELSE HAD TIME TO DO IT. 
          NOBODY KNEW ABOUT IT AND WAS PLANNING FOR IT. 
          SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          IF YOU HAVE TIME TO STAY FOR A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. 
          UM, ONE, I WANT TO SAY THAT WE WILL BE MORE PROACTIVE IN GETTING THE WORD OUT, AND THIS IS ONE OF SEVERAL LISTENING SESSIONS WE WILL BE HAVING. 
          SO WE WILL DEFINITELY REACH OUT TO YOU OR, OR WHOMEVER YOU RECOMMEND WITH YOUR ORG, UM, SO THAT YOU CAN PARTICIPATE, IF NOT, UM, AT LEAST KNOW WHEN WE'RE HAVING THESE LISTENING SESSIONS SO THAT YOU CAN WATCH AND BE ENGAGED, UM, IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE, UM, WHAT WAS THE NAME AND WHAT FIRE DEPARTMENT OF THE CHIEF THAT BLOCKED YOUR ACCESS TO FIRE HYDRANTS WHEN YOU WERE TRYING TO COLLECT WATER TO HELP CITIZENS IN NEED? I COULDN'T TELL YOU, BUT IF YOU ASK THE AFA, THAT WOULD BE UP TO THEM, THEY WOULD EXPLAIN IT TO YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          AND YOU SAID, I COULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC AND I REALLY SHOULD. 
          SO BOB NICKS IS THE HEAD OF THE AFA AND HE CAME ALL ON HIS OWN. 
          HE CAME UP WITH A WAY TO GET DRINKING WATER, TO PEOPLE USING FIRE HYDRANTS, UM, AND THAT INVOLVED A CONCRETE BUCKET, A BUCK, FIVE GALLON BUCKET CONCRETE, AND SOME PLUMBING PARTS, WHICH WERE IN VERY SHORT SUPPLY. 
          AND LET ME TELL YOU, IT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY, UM, AND IN GARDEN HOSES, AND IT WAS A COMPLETE AND UTTER NIGHTMARE WORKING WITH THE CITY ON THIS BECAUSE THEY CONSTANTLY THREW UP THROUGHOUT DIFFERENT, UM, YOU KNOW, OBJECTIONS OF HOW WE MIGHT DO IT. 
          SO THEY LITERALLY PUT US OFF WHILE PEOPLE WERE THIRSTY, PROBABLY, I DON'T KNOW, EIGHT TO 10 DAYS WHILE WE WERE HAVING TO NEGOTIATE WITH THEM ON HOW TO DO THIS. 
          UM, AND TRYING TO GET THE PARTS FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT WE NEEDED TO ADAPT TO THE HYDRANTS. 
          UM, YEAH. 
          AND THEN JEFF, YOU MENTIONED, UM, HOW YOU DEVELOPED A PLAN TO, TO, I GUESS, TARGET CERTAIN ERAS TO EAT UP WATER. 
          COULD WE REACH OUT TO YOU AFTER THIS, UM, IN TERMS OF HOW YOU DEVELOP THE PLAN, IF YOU CAN SHARE IT. 
          OKAY. 
          AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO BE, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT TOO. 
          UM, I, I, IT JUST, IT BLOWS, IT BLOWS MY MIND THAT SOME, UH, EARLIER SPEAKERS TALKED ABOUT GETTING A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO SOME DEPARTMENT TO GET, UM, TO, TO GET COMMUNICATION READY, UM, IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND WHATNOT. 
          I MEAN, WE CAME UP WITH A WEBSITE, UM, ONE MORNING, THE IDEA FOR A WEBSITE. 
          WE HAD A PERSON WHO DID WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT FOR A LIVING, AND SHE GOT THE WEBSITE UP AND RUNNING BY THE END OF THE DAY. 
          I MEAN, WITHIN A COUPLE OF HOURS. 
          AND THEN WITHIN A DAY OR TWO SHE'D FIGURED OUT SHE HAD IT IN LIKE SEVEN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. 
          NOW, WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS COMPLETELY INTER YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS A FAIR INTERPRETATION AND EVERYTHING, I'M NOT SURE, BUT SHE USED, YOU KNOW, A PIECES OF CODE TO DO IT. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO IT, THIS IS CODE THAT'S USED FOR ACCESSIBILITY AND OTHER WEBSITES KIND OF THING. 
          UM, I MEAN, I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THERE'S NOTHING CRAZY THERE. 
          WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY CRAZY PLANNINGS. 
          WE, WE HAD SOME EXTREMELY CAPABLE PEOPLE, UM, THAT WERE AROUND US, BUT WE HADN'T, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT THE CITY DIDN'T HAVE. 
          WE HAD NOTHING THAT THE CITY HAD MORE THAN WE HAD THE STATE, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ALL HAD MORE THAN WE HAD. 
          AND WE, WE FIGURED OUT HOW TO DO IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS WITH REGARD TO WHAT JEFF'S HAD TO SAY TO US TONIGHT? COMMISSIONER GONZALES, UM, FIRST JEFF, THANK YOU FOR THE DETAILED EXPLANATION OF THE CREATIVITY OF YOU AND ALL OF YOUR COLLEAGUES THAT AUSTIN NEEDS WATER, BECAUSE IT WAS VERY CLEAR FROM THE BEGINNING THAT AUSTIN IN FACT, NEEDED WATER THAT ANYONE IN THE CITY SHOULD HAVE STOOD IN THE WAY OF THAT GOAL IS UNCONSCIONABLE. 
          AND WE WILL MOST CERTAINLY MAKE SURE THAT THAT KNOWLEDGE IS SPREAD FAR AND WIDE. 
          I DID HAVE A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION, MUCH LIKE CHAIR DATAS HAD ASKED ABOUT THE FIRE CHIEF THERE. 
          YOU'D ALSO MENTIONED AS A CITY MANAGER, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER WHO HAD PROMISED HELP AND THEN NOT FOLLOWED THROUGH, WE WOULD ALSO BE INTERESTED IN FOLLOWING UP WITH THAT PERSON AS WELL. 
          IF YOU KNOW WHO THAT WAS. 
          I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT WAS RIGHT NOW. 
          UM, AND I COULD HAVE LOOKED, TRIED TO LOOK IT UP BECAUSE I'M PRETTY SURE WHERE THEY WORK. 
          SO I TRIED TO SPEAK GENERICALLY AND I DIDN'T WANT TO BE LIKE WRONG, BUT IF YOU GO BACK TO THE CITY, IF YOU GO BACK TO THE CITY, UM, IF YOU GO BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS DURING 
          [01:10:01]
THAT TIME, YOU WILL DEFINITELY SEE A PARTICULAR MANAGER MAKING A VERY BROAD PROMISES TO WORK WITH US. 
          AND DIDN'T, WE GOT A LOT OF PRAISE THAT WHEN ACTUALLY, IF YOU GO GOOGLE, AUSTIN NEEDS WATER, YOU'LL FIND THE, UM, THE CITY DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEETING. 
          I THINK IT WAS A SUB I DUNNO, WHATEVER. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          AND I DO AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'VE BROUGHT UP, THAT I COMMEND OUR FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, THAT THE ASIAN AMERICAN QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSION. 
          YES. 
          THE CITY NEEDS TO HAVE FULLY TRANSLATED, AUTHENTIC 100% CORRECT COMMUNICATION. 
          AND IF MY ORGANIZATION OUT YOUTH, A SCRAPPY LITTLE NONPROFIT, THAT'S 30 YEARS OLD CAN TRANSLATE STUFF QUICKER THAN EIGHT TO 10 DAYS, UH, PROFESSIONALLY AND SPIT OUT TRANSLATIONS USING GOOGLE TRANSLATE, WHICH I FULLY ACKNOWLEDGE IS NOT PERFECT, BUT AT LEAST IT'S SOMETHING THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE CREATIVITY IN THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND A LOT LESS RED TAPE. 
          IT SOUNDS LIKE. 
          SO I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THIS ADDITIONAL FIRE TO OUR CONVERSATIONS. 
          YEAH. 
          AND AS FAR AS TRANSLATING, I MEAN, I WANT TO POINT OUT FOR YEARS, THERE'VE BEEN COMPANIES THAT PROVIDE THEIR SERVICES ONLINE TO DO PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATIONS AND ALL IT TAKES US MONEY. 
          UM, AND SO LIKE, AGAIN, I'M NOT TRYING TO GET ANYBODY FIRED AT THE CITY OR ANYTHING, BUT LIKE, UM, LITERALLY YOU READ A DOCUMENT AND YOU SAY HERE GUYS, $20 TRANSLATE THIS, AND THEN YOU GET A TRUE TRANSLATION FROM A NATIVE SPEAKER. 
          DEFINITELY I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU. 
          AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE FROM, UM, PASSPORTS. 
          REMEMBER HOUSTON, YOU MENTIONED THE AMOUNT OF OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS. 
          HAS ANYONE WITH THE CITY AT ALL OFFERED TO REIMBURSE YOU AND HAS THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE REACHED OUT TO SAY, ONCE THEY'VE COMPLETED A REVIEW PAGE WE'LL APPROVE AND RELEASE FUNDS TO YOU, UM, TO COMPENSATE YOU AND ALSO DO YOU KNOW OF AUSTIN MUTUAL AID OR ANYONE HAS, UM, LIKE JUST, JUST THE, HAS ANYONE RUN THE NUMBERS? SO WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE COSTS WERE AND WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO INCLUDE THAT IN OUR REPORTS AS WELL. 
          RIGHT? SO, UM, THE CHEAPEST STAFF FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE CONTACTED US AND SHE WAS VERY HELPFUL AND SHE MADE SOME STATEMENTS OF EFFECT OF, UH, UH, GETTING US MONEY, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WE WOULD GIVE HER THE RECEIPTS. 
          AND THE WAY THAT I UNDERSTOOD THAT TO BE WAS THAT SHE WAS GOING TO GO TO PRIVATE DONORS. 
          UM, IT DID NOT SOUND LIKE, LIKE SHE WAS GOING TO GET ANYONE AT THE CITY TO PAY US AND, AND NO, NO ONE AT THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER OFFERED US, UM, ANY MONEY AT ALL. 
          AS FAR AS I KNOW NOW I LEFT, I STOPPED WORKING WITH THE ORGANIZATION, UM, A WHILE BACK. 
          AND SO I HAVEN'T BEEN ON THE FINANCES. 
          I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FINAL NUMBERS WERE IN, WHERE WE EVENTUALLY GOT MONEY FROM, BUT I KNOW THAT AUSTIN MUTUAL AID GAVE US THAT $20,000. 
          UM, WHICH, I MEAN, THAT WAS EVERYTHING. 
          SO, AND, AND WE ALSO RAN SOME, I'M SORRY, WE ALSO RAN THE COMMUNITY, GAVE US MONEY. 
          SO WE HAD A GOFUNDME AND, UM, UH, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT ELSE, BUT WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, WAYS TO TRANSFER VENMO AND, UM, SUCH AS THAT, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW MUCH THEY GAVE, BUT THEY GAVE QUITE A BIT THOUSANDS. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND, AND CASPER WITH MEMBER. 
          YES. 
          OH, THANK YOU. 
          IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ALL DID WONDERFUL WORK. 
          UM, I JUST WANTED TO REINFORCE THAT THERE, YOU CAN ALSO SUBMIT ANY KIND OF WRITTEN MATERIALS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO, TO THE TASK FORCE THINGS YOU'VE SAID YOU'D WANTED TO GET SOME MORE INFORMATION ON, AS WELL AS TELLING ANYONE ELSE THAT WE WILL BE HAVING FUTURE MEETINGS SO THAT IF THEY WANTED TO TESTIFY, BUT, BUT YOU CAN ALSO SEND US ANYTHING IN WRITING, UM, WOULD BE HELPFUL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH, JEFF. 
          WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. 
          I THINK WE MAY HAVE SOMEONE ELSE WHO'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT OR ASK YOU A QUESTION. 
          YOU'RE MUTED, KELLY. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THIS IS KELLY. 
          I JUST, UM, I WANTED TO SAY THAT, UH, SORRY, THERE'S AN ECHO. 
          UM, JUST THAT WE WERE, UH, MY STAFF AND I WERE ON THE CALLS, UM, FOR HOURS AND HOURS AND, AND ALSO WENT OUT, UM, AND WORKED WITH AUSTIN MUTUAL AID AND SAW HOW PEOPLE WERE SHOWING UP. 
          AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU, UM, BECAUSE 
          [01:15:01]
YOU HELP PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY, MY NEIGHBORS, UM, AND, AND SO DID, UH, AMA AND, AND, YOU KNOW, A BUNCH OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND PEOPLE. 
          UM, AND I, I REALLY WANTED TO SEE IF, UH, CAUSE I FEEL LIKE AMANDA WAS IN A LOT OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS. 
          UM, AND, AND SO WAS I AROUND THE WATER SITUATION AND TRYING TO GET COMMUNITY FOLKS OF WATER. 
          UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO SEE IF MAYBE WE COULD REACH OUT BECAUSE THE CITY IS ALSO TRYING TO DO, UM, LIKE AN INTERNAL AUDIT, UH, ALSO. 
          AND SO MAYBE, UM, YOU COULD HELP GIVE SOME CONTEXT TO THAT OR THE ORGANIZATION THAT YOU WERE WORKING WITH. 
          UM, JUST A WAY TO LIKE CONNECT AND JUST PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION SO THAT, UM, THE RECOMMENDATIONS, OUR OUTCOMES ARE MORE ROBUST. 
          THAT WAS IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALSO, UH, THIS IS MIRIAM CONNOR. 
          UM, DO YOU THINK THAT EITHER, UH, JACOB, CHAD, CHAD, OR ROM TEAM ARE THE BEST PEOPLE TO CONTACT FOR THAT, UM, THAT SPREADSHEET, THAT OF THE NUMBER AND, UM, FOR MORE DETAILS OR SHOULD WE CONTACT EVERYBODY FROM AUSTIN NEEDS WATER BECAUSE Y'ALL'S INPUT IS SO IMPORTANT. 
          AND ANOTHER THING THAT, UM, THEY DID IS THEY WERE IN CHARGE OF THE NATIONAL GUARD, WHICH IS A WHOLE NOTHER, UM, LEVEL OF, UH, POWER THAT THESE VOLUNTEERS HAD. 
          UM, AND THEY DID A GREAT JOB WITH IT. 
          UM, SO WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST OR EITHER JUST CONTACTING EVERYBODY. 
          OKAY. 
          IS JEFF STILL THERE? HELLO? YES. 
          YES. 
          OH, GREAT. 
          SO THE, THE PERSON WITH THE PERSON THAT KNOWS THE MONEY IS TIMOTHY BRAY. 
          HE WORKS FOR THE UNITED PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZERS, UM, AND THE OTHERS ARE OFF DOING OTHER THINGS RIGHT NOW. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORDS. 
          YES, MA'AM APPRECIATE. 
          Y'ALL LETTING US TALK. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND, AND IN OUR FUTURE LISTENING SESSIONS, WE'RE, WE'RE HAPPY TO HEAR YOUR COMMENT AS WELL, IF YOU HAVE THE TIME AND, AND YOU, YOU HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT COME UP THAT YOU'D LIKE TO OFFER, WE APPRECIATE IT. 
          WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU DID FOR OUR CITY. 
          UH, WE APPRECIATE THAT YOU CARED AND YOU SAVED A LOT OF US. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, WAS THAT OUR LAST SPEAKER CITY STAFF? YES, THAT CONCLUDES OUR SPEAKERS. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WOULD YOU PLEASE DISPLAY OUR AGENDA AGAIN? THANK YOU. 
          SO WE HAVE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS NEXT, AND WE'RE IN THAT WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS TIMING AND, AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AS FAR AS AVAILABILITY OF MEETING TIMES AND THOUGHTS AT THIS POINT, AND PATRICIA IS GOING TO, TO HELP US WITH THAT, BUT JUST BASED ON THE COMMUNITY COMMENTARY, WE'VE HEARD THIS EVENING, I'D LIKE TO JUST, HOPEFULLY WE CAN HAVE SOME DISCUSSION IF ANYONE HAS ANYTHING TO SAY OR, OR TO OFFER, UH, SERITA IT'S VICE-CHAIR OSCAR, WOULD THIS BE A GOOD TIME TO READ SOME OF THE WRITTEN TESTIMONY THAT WE GOT SO THAT YES, THERE COMPARE THAT AS WELL. 
          YES. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME, PLEASE GO AHEAD. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, SO JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS, UM, WE, WE DID RECEIVE WRITTEN TESTIMONY FROM A COUPLE OF CITIZENS WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND THE MEETING, BUT WE, WE FEEL IT'S IMPORTANT TO HEAR THEIR VOICES AS WELL. 
          SO, UM, I KNOW IT'S NOT ALWAYS GREAT JUST TO HEAR SOMEBODY READ SOMETHING, BUT I THINK THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO JUST GET IT ON RECORD. 
          SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND SHARE THAT OUT WITH EVERYONE. 
          ON THE FIRST ONE IS PRETTY SHORT HERE ON THE INDIVIDUAL SAID, I CANNOT ATTEND THE LISTENING SESSION, BUT JUST WANTED TO SHARE ON INPUT. 
          IN ADDITION TO FIXING GRID, TRANSPORTATION NEEDS TO INVEST IN SNOWPLOWS AND CHAINS FOR TIRES. 
          ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES WAS NO EMERGENCY VEHICLES FOR PEOPLE WHO COULD GET TO SAFE HARBOR. 
          MY SON AND HIS FAMILY WERE THAT WERE WITHOUT POWER FOR FIVE DAYS. 
          WE HAD IT, BUT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO GET TO US BECAUSE OF ICY ROAD CONDITIONS. 
          SO THAT WAS THE FIRST ONE. 
          THE SECOND ONE HERE IS A BIT LONGER, JUST DIDN'T BRING IT UP. 
          UM, AND THEN THIS ONE, THE INDIVIDUAL SHARES THEIR STORY AND THEN ALSO HAS SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR THE TASK FORCE. 
          UM, SO 
          [01:20:01]
THEY WROTE AROUND 2:00 AM ON FEBRUARY 15TH, 2021. 
          OUR DOG OZZIE WOKE ME UP. 
          HE WAS SHAKING HEAD TO TOE, SO COLD THAT IT SCARED HIM ENOUGH TO COME AND GET ME. 
          OUR POWER WAS OFF. 
          I WOKE UP MY BOYFRIEND, ROB, AND WE COVERED THE WINDOWS WITH FABRIC TO HELP INSULATE ITS APARTMENT FROM COLD AIR. 
          WE ALSO MOVED FURNITURE AND WALL DECOR IN FRONT OF THE SLIDING GLASS DOOR PATIO. 
          ANYTHING TO BLOCK OUT THE CHILL. 
          IT DIDN'T DO MUCH AGAINST THE 20 DEGREE WEATHER, BUT IT WAS SOMETHING THUS BEGAN. 
          OUR 36 HOUR FROZEN HELL. 
          WE WRAPPED UP IN LAYERS, BURROWED UNDER BLANKETS AND DRIFTED IN AND OUT OF SLEEP WAS OUR BODIES KNOCKED US OUT TO CONSERVE ENERGY. 
          EVERY HOUR FELT LIKE A DAY SHIVERING AFRAID WATCHING OUR PHONE BATTERIES, DOING BOLTS. 
          AS WE MONITORED ERCOT AND CITY OF AUSTIN NOTIFICATIONS, WE HAVE PREPARED FOR THE STORM AND ACCOUNTED FOR POWER OUTAGES, BUT NOT ONE OF THIS LONG. 
          WE HAD LIGHTS, BUT NIKE GROCERIES IN THE FRIDGE THAT WERE SPOILING AND FOOD IN THE FREEZER THAT WE COULDN'T COOK. 
          WOULD YOU STEP AN EXTERNAL PHONE CHARGER? BUT IT WOULDN'T LAST LONG. 
          WE HAD ACCESS TO GRILLS AND SOME CHARCOAL THAT THERE WAS A FOOT OF WINTRY MIX ON THE GROUND WITH SUBFREEZING TEMPERATURES. 
          I SAT THERE WONDERING, WHAT DO WE DO? HOW DO WE KEEP SAFE? AND I KNEW OTHER FAMILIES WERE ASKING THEMSELVES THE SAME QUESTION AND THAT SOME PEOPLE WOULDN'T MAKE IT AS A TRANSPLANT FROM THE MIDWEST. 
          I KNOW HOW DANGEROUS WINTRY MIX IS EVEN IN A CITY THAT KNOWS HOW TO DIG ITSELF OUT. 
          BUT IN AUSTIN, SNOW AND ICE WERE MADE 10 TIMES MORE DANGEROUS BY LACK OF PLOWS AND INEXPERIENCED WINTER DRIVERS STAYING PUT WAS A SAFER CHOICE. 
          OKAY. 
          KEPT PROMISING. 
          WE TAKE TURNS WITH THE HEAT ON. 
          SO WE WAITED AND AFRAID FOR THE POWER TO COME BACK. 
          THAT'S HOW IT WAS FOR DAY AND A HALF. 
          UP UNTIL THE BUILDING KLAXONS WENT OFF ROBERT AND OUTSIDE AND SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING. 
          I WALKED INTO THE DINING ROOM AND FOUND A PUDDLE OF WATER WITH MY SOCK. 
          A PIPE ON THE THIRD FLOOR HAD BURST OUTSIDE OR RIVER, RAN DOWN THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING AND ACROSS THE PARKING LOT GALLONS OF WATER GUSHING FOR A WONDERFUL FISHING THROUGH OUR WINDOW FRAMES, INSIDE WATER DRIP, THROUGH SMOKE ALARMS, LIGHT FIXTURES AND WEAK POINTS IN THE CEILING. 
          WE SHOVED ON OUR WATERPROOF BOOTS AND STARTED PUTTING BLOCKS UNDER THE LEAKS, BUT NOTHING STOPPED THE LEAK FORMING IN THE DINING ROOM AND KITCHEN. 
          I CALLED NINE ONE ONE FOR HELP. 
          BUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF OTHER CALLS AND THEY WEREN'T EVEN SURE IF THEY COULD COME THAT DAY, HE HAD NO CHOICE, BUT TO ABANDON THE APARTMENT THE NEXT HOUR, IT WAS A COLD, WET BLUR. 
          WE HAD A LITTLE DAYLIGHT LEFT ENOUGH TO LOAD SOME FOOD VALUABLES INTO THE CAR AND FLEW TO A FRIEND'S HOUSE. 
          IN ROUND ROCK. 
          AS ROBIN STARTED LOADING, I WALKED INTO THE KITCHEN TO PACK SOME FOOD. 
          I SENT SOMETHING FALLING OVERHEAD. 
          WHITE OBJECT DROPPED FROM ABOVE AND LAPSED OFF MY SHOULDER. 
          AND THAT SPLIT SECOND, I THOUGHT THE CEILING HAD GIVEN AWAY AND I WAS ABOUT TO BE BURIED IN THE COLLAPSE OF SHEET ROCK IN FURNITURE FROM THE UPSTAIRS APARTMENT. 
          IF YOU GALLONS OF WATER DOWN, SORRY, WAS THERE A QUESTION? OKAY, I'LL KEEP GOING. 
          A FEW GALLONS OF WATER DOWN. 
          SO MY HEAD AND SHOULDERS, BUT NOTHING ELSE. 
          THE KITCHEN LIGHT FIXTURE HAD BECOME SO HEAVY WITH WATER. 
          IT FELL SO THEREFORE THE LINT STEM THEN KEPT WORKING. 
          OKAY. 
          SHE WAS WILD WITH PANIC, HAD KEPT GETTING INTO THE WATER. 
          SO I SCOOPED HIM UP AND HELD HIM WHILE WE'RE OFF HER AND SUPPLIES TO THE CARS. 
          FINALLY, WE PUT VALUABLES IN FURNITURE, AS FAR AS WE COULD FROM THE WATER. 
          AND WE LEFT. 
          IT WAS APPARENTLY 19 MILE, 90 MINUTE DRIVE ON FROZEN STREETS. 
          MY CAR BEING LIGHTER, SLID AND FISHTAILED HALF A DOZEN TIMES, MY YEARS DRIVING IN COLD CLIMATES KEPT ME FROM CRASHING. 
          FINALLY, WE MADE IT TO SAFETY, WARMTH, AND THE COMPANY OF GOOD FRIENDS. 
          THE APARTMENT WAS A LOST CAUSE. 
          ULTIMATELY WE MOVED ROB OUT OF IT. 
          SO IT COULD BE GUTTED BY THE RESTORATION COMPANY. 
          WE REPORTED OVER $11,000 IN LOSSES TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY. 
          WELL, FIRSTLY, REIMBURSED AND MOVED ON. 
          WE WERE AMONG THE LUCKY ONES. 
          EVEN IF WE'D LOST A HOME, WE HAD SOMEWHERE SAFE TO GO. 
          EVERYTHING WE'VE LOST COULD BE REPLACED. 
          THINGS WORKED OUT FOR US. 
          WHEREAS 111 TEXANS WERE NOT AS FORTUNATE THINGS DIDN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY. 
          IN THE AFTERMATH WE LEARNED ABOUT THE 2011 REPORT WARNING ABOUT THE CATASTROPHIC DANGER OF TEXAS WAS IN SHOULD ITS ELECTRIC GRID BE OVERTAXED. 
          TEXAS DID NOTHING OR CUT DID NOTHING. 
          WHY? BECAUSE THE STATE WAS TOO CHEAP AND SHORTSIGHTED TO PREPARE. 
          AND THAT MISTAKE HAS COST 111 LIVES AND BILLIONS OF DAMAGE. 
          THE QUESTION IS, WHAT WILL WE LEARN FROM IT? ROB AND I HAVE SINCE MADE SEVERAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS INVESTMENTS. 
          SO WE'LL NEVER BE CAUGHT OFF GUARD AGAIN, BUT I HOPE AUSTIN WILL LEARN FROM THIS TOO. 
          TO THAT END, I RESPECTFULLY SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS. 
          ONE, CREATE AN EARLY WARNING SYSTEM AT WINTER STORMS TO THE CITY EMERGENCY TEXT ALERTS, WARN PEOPLE IN ADVANCE TO BE PREPARED FOR COLD WEATHER BY HAVING EXTRA LAYERS, BLANKETS, FOOD, AND A SAFE PLACE TO STAY, TO CREATE A CITY RESPONSE TO COLD EMERGENCIES, VULNERABLE PEOPLE SUCH AS THOSE WITHOUT CARS OR THE ELDERLY WHO LIVE ALONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO CALL THREE, ONE, ONE OR NINE ONE ONE, AND RECEIVE HELP INCLUDING RIDES TO WARMING CENTERS, EXTRA BLANKETS, ET CETERA. 
          THREE INVEST IN SNOWPLOWS. 
          ATTACHABLE. 
          SNOWPLOWS COULD BE STORED WHEN NOT IN USE, THEN HOOKED UP TO CITY TRUCKS WHEN NECESSARY. 
          IF THE PAVEMENT CAN HANDLE IT, TRUCKS SHOULD ALSO SALT. 
          THE MAIN ROADS AHEAD OF SNOWFALL FOR REQUIRE WINTERIZATION OF WATER PIPES IN THE AUSTIN CITY CODE. 
          AUSTIN MAY NOT CONTROL WHAT ERCOT DOES, BUT WE CAN BE PREPARED FOR EXTENDED POWER OUTAGES, 
          [01:25:01]
SET A DEADLINE A FEW YEARS OUT TO GIVE LANDLORDS AND HOMEOWNERS TIME TO COMPLY. 
          AND ANY NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS SHOULD ADD WINTERIZATION NEEDS AND FIVE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FEDERAL DOLLARS LOBBY GOVERNOR ABBOTT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FUNDING FROM THE AMERICAN JOBS PLAN TO WINTERIZE, TEXAS INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          DON'T RELY ON POWER COMPANIES TO DO THE RIGHT THING. 
          THAT'S ALL. 
          THANKS FOR LISTENING. 
          THANK YOU FOR READING THOSE INTO THE RECORD AND THAT WE HAVE AN EMAIL THAT PROPOSES A, EVEN MORE OF A PLAN OF ACTION. 
          SO YOU STAFF, WOULD YOU PLEASE DISPLAY OUR AGENDA AGAIN? AND RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, WE ARE OPEN IF ANYONE HAS ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR, OR ANYTHING ELSE TO OFFER RIGHT NOW BEFORE WE DISCUSS FUTURE MEETINGS, UM, PLEASE DO THIS IS KOSHER CONNOR. 
          UM, I DON'T FEEL 110 NUMBER THAT'S GOING AROUND. 
          SO IS IT POSSIBLE TO DO SOME KIND OF RESEARCH AND ASKING IF WE CAN GET THE REAL COUNT OF LIVES LOST? WELL, WE CAN DO THAT, BUT I THINK A BIT OF WHAT'S GOING ON AND I AGREE WITH YOU, BY THE WAY, I THINK A BIT OF WHAT'S GOING ON IS, IS REALLY RIGHT. 
          HOW DO YOU, HOW'S IT BEEN CLASSIFIED? YOU KNOW, WHAT IT WASN'T CLASSIFIED AS WAS DUE TO PNEUMONIA OR SOMETHING ELSE, YOU KNOW, VERSUS FREEZING TO DEATH HYPOTHERMIA. 
          SO, UM, OR, YOU KNOW, LACK OF ELECTRICITY TO THE VITAL MACHINES YOU NEED AT HOME IN YOUR HOME CARE TO SURVIVE, YOU KNOW, LACK OF ABILITY TO CHARGE YOUR NEBULIZER, UH, SO THAT YOU COULD TAKE YOUR MEDICINE. 
          SO I THINK A BIT OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE IS THE CLASSIFICATION OF CERTAIN DEATHS THAT MAKES IT SEEM AS IF THE STORM HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. 
          DO, DO WE, UM, DO WE KNOW, OR CAN WE GET FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, DOES AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH OR, OR, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER CITY ENTITY HAVE DATA FOR LOCAL KELLY? WERE YOU RAISING YOUR HAND? I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT I THINK THAT EOC HAS TO TURN SOMETHING INTO THE STATE AROUND FATALITIES AND SO THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT THOSE ARE QUESTIONS, UH, THAT WE WERE, UM, THAT WE WERE ASKING ALSO. 
          AND IT IT'S, IT'S KIND OF LIKE WHAT, WHAT SERITA SAID THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE HARDER TO CONFIRM, UM, CONSIDERING BASED ON LIKE WHAT, UH, WHAT'S WRITTEN ON A DEATH CERTIFICATE. 
          RIGHT. 
          I AGREE. 
          I THINK SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO, WE COULD TRY TO THINK OF A WAY AS A TASK FORCE TO JUST REACH OUT TO CITIZENS GENERALLY. 
          UM, WHO WANTS TO TELL US OF ANY DEATHS OF FRIENDS, UH, ASSOCIATES, COLLEAGUES, PEOPLE THEY DIDN'T KNOW, BUT HEARD ABOUT FAMILY MEMBERS, ET CETERA, THAT THEY BELIEVE WERE A DIRECT CONSEQUENCE OF THE LACK OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE BY THE CITY AND THE STORM. 
          I THINK THAT'S A GREAT AND HEAVY IDEA. 
          WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE THE LEAD ON THAT TASK FORCE MEMBER COUNTER? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND WE WILL DISCUSS IT AT OUR, AT OUR DEBRIEF THEN. 
          SOUNDS GOOD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY. 
          UM, THREE, TWO, ONE OTHER THOUGHT I HAD WAS, UM, IF, IF WE WOULD WANT TO ENCOURAGE NON-PROFITS WHO WERE PART OF RELIEF EFFORTS TO STEP UP AND SPEAK AS WELL? CAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF OUR SPEAKERS TONIGHT REFERRED TO IN VOLUNTEER EFFORTS AND COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO THAT THERE WERE NON-PROFITS OUT THERE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT THEIR OWN CLIENTS OR SUPPORT COMMUNITY MEMBERS. 
          UM, SO MAYBE WE CAN ENCOURAGE SOME OF THEM TO SHOW UP AT FUTURE LISTENING SESSIONS. 
          YES. 
          UM, I, I DID DO SOME OUTREACH, BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT UNDER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND, AND THAT IS GOING TO ENCOMPASS EVERYTHING WE BELIEVE WE SHOULD BE DOING GOING FORWARD. 
          SO, 
          [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
SO WE WILL BEGIN WITH OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS NOW, UM, AS BECKY INDICATED, WE ARE PATRICIA AND I ARE WORKING RIGHT NOW. 
          AND WE'RE HOPING IF, IF YOU HAVE THE BANDWIDTH AND THE CAPACITY, AMANDA, IF YOU COULD, UH, PROVIDE SOME DIRECTION TO US IN TERMS OF WHO, UM, HELPED YOU THE MOST WITH MARKETING AND GETTING THE WORD OUT FOR OUR BUDGET MEETINGS SO THAT WE COULD REACH OUT TO THOSE PEOPLE AND, AND GET A PLAN OF ACTION IN PLACE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. 
          WE CERTAINLY WOULD NOT EXPECT YOU TO DO THAT LIKE WORK FORCE. 
          BUT IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION SAVED SOMEWHERE WOULD REALLY BE HELPFUL 
          [01:30:01]
TO US. 
          UM, IN TERMS OF INVITING OTHER ORGS AND CITIZENS, I THINK WE ALL HAVE TO BE SUPER PROACTIVE IN OUR NETWORKS AND GETTING THAT DONE. 
          UM, SOMETHING THAT WAS DISCUSSED BEHIND THE SCENES IS THAT IT MAY BE PROBLEMATIC TO CONTINUE WITH THE STRUCTURE OF TRYING TO DO A DISTRICT BY DISTRICT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO CHILL COMMENT FROM ANYONE ELSE. 
          AND THERE MAY ONLY BE, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE IN D THREE MAY ONLY BE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO A D ONE MEETING. 
          AND SO, UM, WE, WE NEED TO DISCUSS CHANGING THAT IN TERMS OF OUR FORMAT. 
          SO DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING TO OFFER THERE? I CAN JUST TELL YOU THAT IT, UH, THE CITY BELIEVES IT IT'S A BIT PROBLEMATIC, SO WE MAY NEED TO JUST HAVE OPEN FORUMS GOING FORWARD AND WE JUST ALL REALLY NEED TO DO THE OUTREACH OUTREACH THROUGHOUT THE CITY, LET ALONE OUR OWN DISTRICTS TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNEW WE'RE HERE. 
          IF THEY WOULD LOVE TO GIVE SOME COMMENTS TO US. 
          RIGHT. 
          YEAH. 
          I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE. 
          I'M A SERITA, BUT IT WAS REALLY NICE TO HAVE A SYDNEY COUNCIL YOU'RE HERE TONIGHT AND IT WOULD BE, I THINK, GOOD TO BANK SPECIALLY, EXCUSE ME, I'M LOSING, UM, TO INVITE THEM AND LET THEM LET THEM KNOW. 
          AND IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S SORT OF PINPOINTED FOR THEIR DISTRICT, THEY MIGHT BE MORE WILLING TO COME. 
          BUT IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A DISTRICT, THEN I HOPE THAT WILL ENCOURAGE THEM TO COME TO ONE OF THE SESSIONS. 
          YES, ALITA, I THINK, UM, I THINK THEY'LL COME EITHER WAY. 
          I THINK IT WAS TARGETED TONIGHT, BUT IN OTHER MEETINGS I WAS IN, UM, DURING THE STORM, AS THINGS WERE GOING ON I'M W YOU KNOW, SHOULD COUNCIL HAD TO AVOID FORUM ON A FEW MEETINGS? I WAS, I WAS IN INCLUDING THE MAYOR SHOWING UP. 
          SO I THINK THEY WILL SHOW UP. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF I, I'M NOT RECALLING, IF I SAID IN THE BEGINNING, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, UM, WAS INVITED AND WAS GOING TO ATTEND, BUT IT'S UNDER THE WEATHER. 
          AND THAT IS WHY SHE DID NOT APPEAR TO GIVE ANY COMMENTS THIS EVENING. 
          UM, SO YES, WE WILL CERTAINLY MAKE SURE THAT, UH, CITY COUNCIL KNOWS THE MAYOR IS AWARE AND THEY WILL BE ABLE SHOW UP AND, OR SEND THEIR CHIEFS OF STAFF, UM, TO ANY MEETING, EVEN IF THEY JUST CHOOSE TO LISTEN. 
          IN THE, THE OTHER THING I WOULD ENCOURAGE IS INVITING THE HEADS OF CITY DEPARTMENTS. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, POLICE DEPARTMENT, FIRE DEPARTMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND IT REALLY, YOU KNOW, ANY OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR RESPONSE, UM, TO COME AND HEAR FROM FELLOW CITIZENS. 
          MY, MY ONLY CONCERN, UM, WITH THAT BECKY WOULD BE, UM, I DON'T WANT TO START A BACK AND FORTH WITH SOMEONE WHO'S VERY UPSET WITH THAT PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT. 
          AND ALSO THIS IS, UM, TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY WHAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING. 
          AND I PERSONALLY, WITH THE TASK FORCE WHILE, UM, I THINK WE CAN SEEK COMMENT AS TO WHY CERTAIN THINGS MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT HAVING A DEPARTMENT HEAD HERE TO TRY TO EXPLAIN A WAY THE LACK OF, OF, UH, CARRYING OUT THEIR DUTIES OF THEIR OFFICE. 
          QUITE FRANKLY, THAT'S FAIR. 
          I THINK MORE AS LISTENERS, I GUESS THEN IT'S PARTICIPANTS, BUT I COULD ALSO SEE NOT WANTING TO HAVE THAT KIND OF TILT THE CLIMATE IN THE ROOM. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND, AND ALSO TO, TO, UM, ASK THEM, NOT SAY ANYTHING AT ALL, I THINK WOULD BE DIFFICULT, UM, IF THEY'RE PRESENT BECAUSE THEY ARE CITIZENS AS WELL. 
          SO I THINK, I THINK WE SHOULD, IN THIS PARTICULAR CONTEXT, IN THIS SITUATION, WE NEED TO TAKE COMMENT FROM THE COMMUNITY. 
          AND ALSO I DON'T WANT TO QUELL AND OTHER, UM, COMMUNITY MEETINGS WHERE, UM, THERE'S ONE OREGON PARTICULAR WHERE WE ARE DEVELOPING ANOTHER PROPOSAL FOR THE CITY THAT CITY MANAGER AND THE MAYOR HAVE ASKED FOR AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN IN THAT, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN MEETINGS WHERE ALSO MUTUAL AID AND OTHER ORGS HAVE INDICATED, HEY, IF CERTAIN PEOPLE ARE HERE, WE'RE OUT, WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T FEEL SAFE. 
          WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY, AND WE REALLY DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING WILL BE DONE IF THOSE PARTICULAR PEOPLE ARE PRESENT FROM THE CITY. 
          SO AGAIN, I SAY THAT ALL IN THE INTEREST OF, I DO NOT WANT TO CHILL PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          I WANT TO GET AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. 
          WE CAN SORT OUT WHO DID WHAT AND WHY, OR WHO DIDN'T DO ANYTHING LATER. 
          ALSO ON THAT NOTE, UM, IS I THINK WE SHOULD TALK TO THE HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AS WELL. 
          WE CAN HAVE A MEETING WITH ALL OF THEM IF WE NEED TO. 
          UM, AND THEN IS THERE A WAY THAT PEOPLE, WE CAN GIVE OUT A PHONE NUMBER AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE LISTENING, UM, ON ATX AND, AND THEY CAN CALL IN IMMEDIATELY, IS THAT POSSIBLE? AND, OR ALSO IS THIS ON FACEBOOK LIVE? WE ARE LIVE ON KATIE. 
          WHAT IS IT, BECKY WHAT'S OUR CITY KTX, WE ARE LIVE NOW. 
          UM, SO THAT'S WHERE IT'S BEING BREAKFAST. 
          I HAVE NOT REALLY USED FACEBOOK AS BEING USED. 
          WE'RE BASICALLY ON THE SAME FORM THAT IS USED FOR CITY COUNCIL. 
          THE CLERK'S OFFICE IS NOT GOING TO ALLOW US TO DO WHAT YOU PROPOSED BECAUSE OF RULES AND REGULATIONS AND THE BUREAUCRATIC TAPE THAT THEY'RE, 
          [01:35:01]
THEY'RE STUCK IN. 
          IT JUST, YOU KNOW, THE TIMEFRAME TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK BEFORE THE MEETING IS WHAT IT IS. 
          UM, IT'S THERE IN THE INTEREST OF, UM, NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC, UM, AND, AND NOTICE REGARDING OUR MEETING. 
          SO ANYTHING ADDED IN AFTER A CERTAIN TIMEFRAME WOULD BE DEEMED TO BE A POSSIBLE VIOLATION OF THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT. 
          SO, SO IT WON'T BE POSSIBLE, BUT, UM, I AM, I AM THINKING OF WORK AROUNDS PERSONALLY, JUST GIVE ME SOME TIME AND HOPEFULLY I'LL HAVE SOMETHING TO OFFER. 
          MAYBE WE ALL WILL AT OUR, UM, AT OUR NEXT MEETINGS, UM, WITH RESPECT TO THE PEOPLE IN CITY DEPARTMENTS AND SO ON. 
          UM, ONCE WE HAVE OUR REPORT, IT SEEMS THAT WE WANT TO BE NOT JUST SUBMITTING IT, BUT REALLY TAKING IT AROUND AND TALKING TO PEOPLE AND TO WHOEVER WE THINK IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE A ROLE IN IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          SO I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO, TO TRY TO CONTACT THOSE PEOPLE. 
          AND WE HAVE IT ALL SORT OF PUT TOGETHER. 
          KATHERINE GONZALEZ, I, A FEW PIECES OF INPUT. 
          I'M GOING TO TRY TO KEEP THEM IN ORDER OF WHAT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP. 
          I DO AGREE THAT THE DISTRICT BASED MODEL IS PROBLEMATIC. 
          I'VE HEARD FROM MY OWN FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES WHO WERE TROUBLED BY THAT. 
          UM, AND BASED ON WHAT, UH, JEFF HAD BROUGHT UP IT, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE CAUGHT IT. 
          IT SOUNDED LIKE THERE IS THIS IMPRESSION IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THIS IS THE ONE AND ONLY LISTENING SESSION. 
          AND THIS SEEMS SO VERY SMALL I'M SURE. 
          BUT IF IN THIS PROMOTION, THE CITY CAN ADD AT THE END OF THE LISTENING SESSION, UH, TITLE, WHATEVER IT IS IN PARENTHESES LISTENING SESSION, ONE OF FIVE, TWO OF FIVE, THREE, FIVE, FOUR, OR FIVE, FIVE AND FIVE. 
          SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT THERE'S MORE THAN ONE. 
          UM, AND JUST THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE A VERY SMALL BUT HELPFUL PIECE OF INFORMATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY HAVING LOTS OF FEELINGS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE WINTER STORM. 
          UM, AND TO FEEL LIKE YOU HAD YOUR ONE AND ONLY CHANCE BURIED AND NOT PROPERLY COMMUNICATED IS COUNTER TO WHAT I THINK WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH. 
          AND SECOND, I AM VERY INTERESTED IN RECEIVING BRIEFINGS FROM DEPARTMENTS, NOT NECESSARILY DEPARTMENT HEADS, BUT HAVING DONE THIS WORK IN THE CITY, BEING HERE ALMOST 20 YEARS, UH, I DO WANT TO HEAR FROM THEM, UM, BECAUSE I DO THINK IT IS A PART OF THAT VERY COMPLICATED NEGOTIATION. 
          WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO DO TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO NOT DO THIS AGAIN. 
          AND I'M NOT CERTAIN WHO IT IS AT THIS POINT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM, BUT I DO HOPE THAT WE CAN, PERHAPS IN OUR DEBRIEFS, WHICH ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FOR DEBRIEFS, I ACKNOWLEDGE, BUT, UM, EITHER WRITTEN TESTIMONY OR IF I NEED TO JUST GO TALK TO THEM MYSELF, UM, I DON'T PRETEND TO KNOW HOW ALL OF THIS WORKS. 
          UM, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S A SECRET THAT PEOPLE ARE UPSET AND ANGRY AND HAVING LOTS OF FEELINGS AND ARE DEMANDING THAT THE CITY DOES BETTER, BUT I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY I NEED TO KNOW FOR MY OWN PURPOSES AS WE MAKE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT WE HAVE TO HEAR BOTH SIDES, EVEN IT'S HARD. 
          I AGREE, KATHERINE, I THINK, UM, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS AND HEARINGS WHERE I BELIEVE THAT WAS, I DON'T SEE HOW WE'RE GOING TO MORE THOROUGHLY VET THAT FOR GET AROUND THE PERHAPS, UM, SIDESTEPPING THAT A LOT OF DEPARTMENT HEADS, UM, UH, WERE PARTAKING IN, IN MY OPINION. 
          UM, I ALSO, UM, AND WATCHING SOME OF THE CITY MEETINGS WHERE THEY, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THE VARIOUS HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS WERE PRESENT, UM, I WAS APPALLED AT HOW SOME HEAD AND LET THEIR CAMERAS OFF, UM, WHEN THEY DID SPEAK. 
          I DON'T REMEMBER ONCE HEARING AND I'M SORRY, IT WAS, HERE'S WHY I COULDN'T ACTIVATE AND DO ANYTHING AND GOOD LUCK, SORRY ABOUT IT. 
          SO I'M, I, I CAN'T THINK OF WHAT WE COULD DO TO MAKE THEM RESPOND IN A DIFFERENT WAY. 
          AND I DON'T WANT TO FURTHER ABUSE AND TRAUMATIZED CITIZENS IS I'M 
          [01:40:01]
JUST TELLING YOU WHERE I'M COMING FROM WITH IT, WITH THAT TYPE OF BEHAVIOR, FROM THOSE IN POSITIONS OF POWER WITH THE CITY, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NONE OF THEM HAD BEEN TERMINATED, FIRED TO RESIGN. 
          AND I'M NOT SPEAKING OF ERCOT, I'M SPEAKING OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          SO, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME MAY HAVE EVEN BEEN PROMOTED IF I LOOK INTO IT. 
          SO, SO THAT'S, THOSE ARE MY CONCERNS, BUT CERTAINLY WHATEVER THE GROUP DECIDES, UM, I'M FOR THAT, WE, WE ARE A COLLECTIVE HERE. 
          I ALSO JUST WANTED TO SAY FOR THE RECORD, UM, TO ME, AND NOT ONLY BECAUSE WE ARE IN A SANCTUARY CITY, UM, IF YOU LIVE IN TRAVIS COUNTY, IF YOU LIVE IN AUSTIN, IF YOU LIVE IN THE, IN OTHER CITIES THAT ARE CONSIDERED AUSTIN, YOU ARE A CITIZEN TO ME, REGARDLESS OF YOUR STATUS IN THIS COUNTRY, ET CETERA, TO ME, YOU ARE A CITIZEN. 
          EVERYONE AFFECTED BY THE STORM. 
          LIVING IN AUSTIN, DESERVES THE SAME TREATMENT, DESERVES THE SAME RIGHTS AND DESERVES TO BE HEARD. 
          I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          UH, AS A PERSON WITH A PARTNER WHO IS A DACA RECIPIENT, UH, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE TALK ABOUT FREQUENTLY WHEN THE WORD CITIZEN COMES UP. 
          AND I DO AGREE WITH YOU. 
          I DO NOT WANT TO SUBJECT THE PUBLIC TO ANY EXCUSES. 
          AND I APPRECIATE THAT ADDITIONAL CONTEXT. 
          I OFTEN FORGET THAT MEETINGS HAPPEN WITHOUT ME. 
          UM, SO IF I'M NOT SURE HOW I'M SUPPOSED TO REQUEST THIS, BUT, UM, WHAT IS THE EASIEST WAY FOR MYSELF AND OTHER TASK FORCE MEMBERS TO FIND SURFACE REVIEW THE INFORMATION THAT'S ALREADY BEEN PRESENTED IN A PUBLIC FORUM ASIDE FROM TRYING TO DIG THROUGH ATX MEETINGS, IT'S GOING TO BE THROUGH ATX MEETING, UNLESS OUR DESIGNATED A VOLUNTARY SECRETARY, JEFFREY CLEMENS WANTS TO HELP IN THAT EFFORT. 
          OTHERWISE, I THINK WE OPEN IT UP TO A VOTE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO, TO INVITE, UM, UH, DID IT SIT THE HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS OR CITY STAFF IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO JOIN, UM, ONLY TO BE THERE AND ANSWER QUESTIONS, BUT NOT TO SPEAK. 
          UM, WE, WE CAN VOTE ON THAT. 
          I BELIEVE. 
          I SEE PATRICIA'S HANDS UP. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR DAVIS. 
          I DID WANT TO JUST HIGHLIGHT A FEW THINGS CAUSE I'VE BEEN LISTENING, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO EVERYTHING YOU GUYS ARE SAYING. 
          UM, SO FOR THE FIRST, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAD ORGANIZED THE MEETINGS TO BE TARGETED TO THE CERTAIN DISTRICTS WE CAN, IF YOU, IF YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH JUST HAVING THEM AS LISTENING SESSIONS, WHICH WE WOULD ADVISE YOU DOING. 
          SO, BECAUSE IT WOULD JUST, UM, MINIMIZE ANY MISUNDERSTANDING OR MISINTERPRETATION THAT IT'S ONLY FOCUSED ON THOSE TWO DISTRICTS, BUT RATHER EVERYONE IS WELCOME. 
          WE COULD DO MORE STRATEGIC MARKETING AND OUTREACH TO THOSE TWO PARTICULAR DISTRICTS. 
          SO WE CAN STILL PUSH THAT OUT, UM, FOR A CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, WHICHEVER DATES. 
          UM, I DO ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT THIS TASK FORCE WAS ESTABLISHED UNDER A SPECIFIC RESOLUTION THAT DID, UM, DID STATE THAT YOU GUYS ARE SUBJECT TO THE OPEN MEETINGS REQUIREMENTS. 
          AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE CONVENING THIS MEETING THROUGH WEBEX VERSUS ZOOM. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, SPEAKERS HAVE TO CALL IN AND DAY IN ADVANCE AND REGISTER BY NOON. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TYPICALLY A STANDARD AMOUNT OF TIME THAT YOU SPEAK. 
          SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT THE RESOLUTION CALLED FOR THAT. 
          AND THAT'S WHY WE HELD THE MEETINGS AS SUCH. 
          I ALSO DO WANT TO MENTION THAT THE RESOLUTION DOES NOT CALL OUT THAT WE WOULD HAVE DEPARTMENTS COME AND PRESENT. 
          UM, IT TRULY IS A HEARING TO LISTEN TO TESTIMONY, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT. 
          THANK YOU, PATRICIA. 
          SO I THINK, LET ME, UM, TAKE A VOTE ON A COUPLE OF THINGS BEFORE WE, WE, WE ARE OUT OF TIME, UM, IN TERMS OF REMOVING THE DISTRICT SPECIFIC HEADINGS FROM OUR, UM, FROM OUR FUTURE, UM, LISTENING SESSIONS, UM, IS EVERYONE IN FAVOR OF THAT? IF YOU ARE A POLICE AI AND RAISE YOUR HAND, RIGHT. 
          OH, OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I BELIEVE THAT UNANIMOUS, UNLESS ANYONE WANTS TO ABSTAIN OR PROMOTE ANYTHING OTHER THAN I RIGHT NOW. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN, UM, FROM WHAT PATRICIA SAID, IT SOUNDS LIKE THESE, THESE REALLY AREN'T ONLY FOR CITIZEN COMMENT. 
          AND, AND ON THAT NOTE, UM, I'LL JUST INTERJECT. 
          THIS IS MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT, UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE PERHAPS CATHERINE, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO BE CALLED AND ASKED TO COME AND COMMUNICATE. 
          SO, SO LET'S, UM, LET'S ALL PLEASE THINK ABOUT WHEN WE COME TO OUR DEBRIEF, WE, SOMETHING WE CAN DISCUSS IS HOW WE WANT TO REACH OUT TO THEM IF WE CHOOSE TO DO SO AND, AND GET SOME TYPE OF COMMENT OR SOMETHING IN WRITING FROM THEM, EVEN IF THEY WANT US TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS IN WRITING AND THEY RESPOND. 
          UM, I THINK IF ONE OF US DOES IT, IT ISN'T A FORUM VIOLATION AND YOU CAN BRING THAT BACK TO THE GROUP. 
          UM, UM, IN TERMS OF 
          [01:45:02]
WHAT CATHERINE RECOMMENDED, WHICH I THINK IS AN EXCELLENT IDEA AT CITY STAFF, IS IT GOING TO BE POSSIBLE FOR US TO HAVE A CAPTION REGARDING OUR FUTURE LISTENING SESSIONS AND PERHAPS EVEN THE DATES OF THOSE? YEAH. 
          ATX THEN HAS CLOSED CAPTIONING. 
          OKAY. 
          AND SO THIS MEETING HAS THAT AS WELL. 
          SO WAIT, IS THAT WHAT, WAIT, HOLD ON. 
          I'M ASKING. 
          SO FOR THE FUTURE DATES OF OUR MEETINGS, PATRICIA, COULD WE W ONE HALF CLOSED CAPTIONING? YES. 
          THAT'S A SEPARATE ISSUE. 
          YES. 
          WE WANT CLOSED CAPTIONING, BUT CATHERINE WAS RECOMMENDING, WE ALSO HAVE A TITLE. 
          AND WITHIN THAT, ON THE SCREEN AT ALL TIMES IS, IS THAT THIS IS ONE OF MANY LISTENING SESSIONS AND I WOULD, I WOULD HONE IT EVEN MORE AND SAY, THIS IS ONE OF HOWEVER MANY LISTENING SESSIONS ARE LEFT AND THE NEXT ONES WILL BE ON WHATEVER DATES OR FUTURE LISTENING SESSIONS ON THESE DATES AT THESE TIMES. 
          IS THERE, IS THERE SPACE TO DO THAT? YES, WE CAN DO THAT ON THE, THE AGENDAS. 
          WE CAN ALSO DO THAT AS WE CIRCULATE, UM, MEDIA RELEASES. 
          OKAY. 
          AND IN TERMS OF THAT, IS EVERYONE IN FAVOR OF THAT, PLEASE SAY, AYE. 
          SO THEY CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND WE'RE ALSO VOTING ON CLOSED CAPTIONING, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S, THAT'S GOING TO BE DONE AS WELL. 
          ALETHA. 
          D WERE YOU, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, I SAW YOUR HEAD MOVE, SO I WASN'T SURE. 
          NO, I WAS JUST AGREEING. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, NOW PATRICIA, FOR THE FUTURE DATES OF OUR MEETINGS, I BELIEVE WE HAVE LOST SOMEHOW MAY 12TH AND MAY 28. 
          SO PATRICIA IS GOING TO GIVE US SOME INSIGHT INTO WHAT MEETING DATES AND TIMES ARE LEFT. 
          SO WE CAN ALL LOOK AT OUR CALENDARS RIGHT NOW. 
          WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T HAVE, WE CAN'T WAIT FOR A DOODLE POLL BECAUSE THE CITY TELLING US THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE STRETCHED FOR, FOR BANDWIDTH IN TERMS OF MEETING SPACE AND TIME. 
          I'M HOPING THAT PATRICIA RESERVED A COUPLE OF NEW EVENING SLOTS SHE WAS GIVEN. 
          AND IF WE DON'T WANT THEM, SHE CAN RELEASE THEM AFTER THE MEETING. 
          BUT PATRICIA, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO WORK WITH AT THIS TIME? WE'RE PROJECTING THE DATES. 
          SORRY. 
          WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO GET, I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU MEANT PROJECTING, MEANING THEY'LL COME TO YOU LATER AFTER THE MEETING OR PROJECTING, PROJECTING IT. 
          OKAY. 
          GOT IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO I CIRCULATED THESE DATES EARLIER TODAY. 
          I HOPE YOU CAN SEE THEM. 
          UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY MAY 12TH AND MAY 27TH ARE NOW TAKEN. 
          UM, THE AVAILABLE DATES ARE, UM, THEY'RE AVAILABLE BELOW OUTLINED. 
          THAT'S WHAT THE CITY CLERK HAS AVAILABLE. 
          SO, UM, IF THERE I CAN REQUEST, I HAVE NOT PUT IN THE REQUEST. 
          I WAS PLANNING ON DOING IT TOMORROW MORNING. 
          I WANTED US TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          SO WHAT DOES, UM, I'LL, I'LL START WITH THE, ANY TIMES AS THAT IT'S GOING TO BE PROBABLY, UNLESS THAT DAY'S JUST OFF THE TABLE FOR YOU, PERIOD. 
          I'M THE EASIER TO WORK WITH FOR ANYONE WHO, UM, HAS AVAILABILITY. 
          DO WE HAVE A QUORUM AVAILABLE, MAY 14TH ANYTIME. 
          AND THEN WE CAN PICK A TIME IN THE EVENING AS WE, WHAT, IN WHAT WE DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY THAT MAY WORK BEST FOR US AND AS WELL AS CITIZENS WHO HAVE TO WORK DURING THE DAY, AND CAN'T SHOW UP AT ONE 30 TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          SO 14, DO YOU WANT TO NOTE THAT THOSE ANY TIMES ARE FRIDAYS? SO IF YOU WANTED TO DO FRIDAY EVENING, I MEAN, WE COULD DO THAT. 
          SO, OR DURING THE DAYTIME, THIS IS COMMISSIONER FRANKS. 
          UM, TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE SINCE I AM BLIND, IF YOU ARE SHARING SOMETHING, COULD YOU PLEASE, UM, KIND OF ILLUSTRATE WHAT THE TEXT HAS SAID TO EACH OF US? SO IT'S TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE. 
          YES. 
          COMMISSIONER FRANKSTON. 
          SO SORRY ABOUT THAT. 
          SO THE AVAILABLE DATES AND TIMES ARE AS FOLLOWS MAY 10TH THROUGH THE 13TH. 
          THEY HAVE MORNING SLOTS AVAILABLE, MAY 14TH, ANYTIME, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING RIGHT NOW, MAY 24TH MORNING, ONLY MAY 25TH MORNING AND AFTERNOON, MAY 27TH MORNING AND MAY 28TH. 
          ANYTIME. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND SO IT'S, IT LOOKS LIKE TO ME, UNLESS SOMEONE DISAGREES THAT, UM, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE ON FRIDAYS, IT'S FINE WITH ME. 
          UM, THE, ANY TIME DATES OF MAY 14TH AND MAY 28TH, AND THEN THE AFTERNOON OF MAY 25TH, UNLESS SOMETHING ELSE IN THE EVENING, UH, COMES UP, I BELIEVE. 
          UM, NOW PATRICIA, YOU DID SAY THAT JUNE 23RD, SIX TO 8:30 PM IS STILL OPEN, CORRECT? YEAH. 
          AND WE DO HAVE THAT TIME OR WE DON'T, WE DO HAVE THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THE ONES ILLUSTRATED IN LIGHT BLUE. 
          WE DO HAVE, SO WE HAD THE 29TH, UM, 
          [01:50:01]
YOU SAID JUNE, SO JUNE 11TH, SIX TO 11TH, UM, PENDING, I NEED TO GET A GOOD DATE, BUT RIGHT NOW, LOOKING AT WHAT WE'RE SAYING FOR ANY TIME, IF WE WERE TO GO WITH THOSE, ANY TIME DATES, THEY COULD REPLACE AT LEAST THE ONES THAT ARE STRUCTURED THROUGH THE MARCH 12TH AND MARCH 27TH. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          SO HOW DOES EVERYONE FEEL ABOUT, UM, 6:00 PM TO 8:30 PM? AND, AND NOW THAT I'M LOOKING AT THAT, I THINK WE MAY NEED TWO HOURS. 
          IF WE HAVE MORE INPUT AND COMMENT, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THIS EVENING. 
          I DID ALLOW, UM, INDIVIDUALS TO SPEAK AS LONG AS THEY NEEDED TO BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS PRESENT. 
          SO I HAD THE LATITUDE TO DO THAT, BUT, UM, DO WE WANT TO EXTEND BEYOND AN HOUR AND A HALF SARITA? UM, I HAVE A CONFLICT THAT YOU CAN HAVE THE COURT HANDS. 
          I COULD DO A MORNING MEETING THAT DAY, LIKE 11. 
          OKAY. 
          I CAN'T DO MAY 24TH OR MAY 25TH AT ALL. 
          OKAY. 
          RIGHT NOW WE'RE DISCUSSING MAY 14TH AND MAY 20TH. 
          AND SO, UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO ALSO SAY, IF YOU, IF THOSE DATES ARE A CONFLICT FOR YOU, WE NEED TO KNOW THAT FIRST, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE JUST NEED TO KNOW IF WE HAVE A QUORUM AT THOSE TIMES, BECAUSE WE'RE, AGAIN, AS WE DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY, WE BELIEVE MEETING AFTER WORK HOURS IS WHAT'S GOING TO BE EASIEST FOR MOST COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY THE WORKING CLASS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE COMMENT PROVIDED THEY DON'T WORK IN EVENING JOB. 
          UM, SO MAY 14TH WHO IS AVAILABLE 6:00 PM TO 8:00 PM. 
          THIS IS COMMISSIONER FRANKS. 
          I AM UNAVAILABLE. 
          I HAVE OUR MONTHLY MEETING IS ON THE SECOND FRIDAYS FROM FIVE 30 TO SEVEN EVERY MONTH. 
          OKAY. 
          AND IT IS AVAILABLE. 
          SO WE HAVE, UM, COMMISSIONER FRANKS AND, AND, UH, BECKY AUSTIN UNAVAILABLE, WHO IS AVAILABLE. 
          THANKS RITA. 
          I'M, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT. 
          UM, BUT I DID WANT TO MENTION THAT I REMEMBER HEARING AT THE LAST MEETING THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'RE, WE'RE LEANING INTO EVENING MEETINGS FOR ALL THREE, THAT WE HAD SUGGESTED HAVING AT LEAST ONE DAY TIME MEETING THAT WAS BETTER FOR SENIORS AND FOR PEOPLE WITH YOUNG CHILDREN. 
          SO, SO WE MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER AT LEAST ONE OF THESE BEING DURING THE DAY FOR THAT REASON, I KNOW IT'S AN IMPEDIMENT FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE DAYTIME JOBS AND THEY PREFER EVENING, BUT WE ALSO SHOULD RECOGNIZE MAY MAYBE OTHER FOLKS FOR WHOM THE DAYTIME MEETING MIGHT WORK BETTER. 
          YEAH. 
          SORRY. 
          THIS IS COMMISSIONER VAN SICKLE. 
          I HAS SAID THAT FOR SENIOR CIVICALLY, DURING THE DAY WAS BETTER. 
          IF THEY'RE IN PERSON, IF THEY'RE IN THE EVENING SIX TO EIGHT 30 IS NOT SUCH A PROBLEM. 
          I MEAN, I'M SORRY IF THEY'RE VIRTUAL SIX TO EIGHT 30 IS NOT SUCH A PROBLEM, AT LEAST FOR THE, THAT I'VE WORKED WITH. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S MY MEMORY OF IT AS WELL. 
          UM, SO ANYONE ELSE IN TERMS OF A DAYTIME MEETING VERSUS EVENING, BEFORE I CONTINUE TO ASK WHO'S AVAILABLE ON MAY 14TH, SIX, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO EXPRESS MY CONCERN ABOUT HAVING MEETINGS ON FRIDAYS AND THE EVENING UNDERSTOOD, BUT THERE ARE NO OTHER EVENING TIMES AVAILABLE TO US BECAUSE WE, THE 12TH AND THE 27TH. 
          AND SO I THINK WE HAVE MORE OF A CHANCE OF INPUT. 
          THEN, THEN WE WOULD HAVE SOMETHING AT 10:00 AM OR 11:00 AM. 
          THERE'S A COMMISSIONER MANUAL MINUTES OF MAY 14 IN THE MORNING. 
          I'M TIED UP, BUT THE EVENING I'D BE AVAILABLE. 
          OKAY. 
          WHO ELSE IS AVAILABLE IN THE EVENING? SIX TO EIGHT ON MAY 14TH. 
          I AM AVAILABLE. 
          I'M AVAILABLE AS WELL. 
          THAT'S THREE COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER GONZALES. 
          UM, I AM AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME AS WELL. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          ABANDONED CYCLE IS AS WELL. 
          OKAY. 
          AND HOUSTON, MS. HOUSTON, DID WE LOSE SOMEONE ALETHA? ARE YOU AVAILABLE? I MEAN 14TH IN THE EVENING. 
          I CAN'T HEAR YOU. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          OKAY. 
          I'M I? YES. 
          I SAID I THOUGHT SPEAKER. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THAT IS A QUORUM AVAILABLE BY MY ACCOUNT. 
          DID I MISS ANYTHING? DOES ANYONE DISAGREE WITH THAT? KURT DAVIS? THIS IS CATHERINE GONZALES. 
          I'M AVAILABLE BOTH OF THOSE STATES. 
          SO WE'LL JUST SHORTCUT THE NEXT CONVERSATION FOR ME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I'M AVAILABLE WHENEVER YOU NEED ME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND THEN TO OUR NEXT DAY, WOULD YOU CITY STAFF DISPLAY THAT AGAIN, PLEASE? OKAY. 
          MAY 28TH, ANYTIME WHO IS AVAILABLE? SIX TO 8:00 PM. 
          THIS 
          [01:55:01]
IS COMMISSIONER ACCORDIONS. 
          I'M AVAILABLE ANYTIME. 
          SO I CAN DO THE EVENING AS WELL. 
          OKAY. 
          I CAN AS WELL. 
          THAT'S TWO. 
          OKAY. 
          WE HAVE FRANCS HOUSTON AVAILABLE. 
          CONNOR CONNOR? YES. 
          FRANK'S IS AVAILABLE, CORRECT? YES. 
          WE WERE DISCUSSING MAY 28, CORRECT? YES. 
          ANYTIME MAY 28TH IS GOOD FOR ME. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO I BELIEVE THERE, WE HAVE A QUORUM, UM, UH, MR. VAN SICKLE, LIKE I THINK I CAN BE AVAILABLE. 
          OKAY. 
          SO, UH, MAYBE, UH, MAYBE. 
          YEAH. 
          AND THEN CLEMENS I'M AVAILABLE. 
          OKAY. 
          AND BECKY, DID YOU ALREADY RESPOND SO SORRY, TRYING TO MAKE THE EVENING ON THE 28TH OR THE SIX TO EIGHT ON THE 28TH, I CAN DO THAT. 
          JUST A HEADS UP THAT'S THE FRIDAY BEFORE A HOLIDAY WEEKEND. 
          SO, UM, IF WE WANTED TO CONSIDER THAT JUNE DATE INSTEAD, AND THEN, UM, IN TERMS OF OUTREACH NOW, NOW THAT WE'VE DONE THAT. 
          SO PATRICIA, UM, I'M, I'M TRYING TO DO THIS IN AN ORGANIZED FASHION THAT IS ONLY ORGANIZED IN MY HEAD, BUT IF, IF YOU WOULD ALL TRUST ME, THERE'S A PLAN HERE. 
          WE'RE GOING TO GET TO, OKAY. 
          WE NEEDED TO LOCK THAT IN FIRST. 
          NOW WE'RE GOING TO WRAP BACK AROUND, UM, UH, PATRICIA, WE ARE GOING TO DO MUCH MORE OUTREACH. 
          WE SHOULD HAVE SOME MARKETING IN PLACE. 
          KEEP THAT IN MIND. 
          WELL, BEFORE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE 28TH BECOMES FIRM, SO THAT SHOULD HELP WITH ANY HOLIDAY WEEKEND. 
          NOW, IN TERMS OF THE OTHER DATES MAY 10TH, THE 13TH IN THE MORNING, MAY 24TH IN THE MORNING, MAY 27TH, MAY 25TH MORNING OR AFTERNOON, AND MAY 27TH IN THE MORNING. 
          IS THERE ANYONE WITH SUPER STRONG INCLINATIONS THAT THEY'D LIKE TO SHARE FOR US TO CONSIDER AS TO WHY THEY THINK WE MUST HAVE A MORNING OR AFTERNOON MEETING AND GIVE UP ONE OF OUR MEETINGS THAT HASN'T ALREADY BEEN SHARED? I DO HEAR YOU CHAIR DAVIS. 
          I JUST WANT TO SAY IT'S PATRICIA. 
          I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING REAL QUICK. 
          SO THE 14TH THAT WOULD REPLACE MAY 12TH AND THE 28TH WOULD REPLACE THE MAY 27TH. 
          I WAS INCORRECT WHEN I SAID IT EARLIER. 
          I'M NOT SURE WHAT I SAID. 
          SO WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE WE WORKING WITH PATRICIA? WHAT'S GOING ON? JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE STILL HAVE, UM, WHERE IT'S SAYS PENDING W WE STILL WOULD NEED A DATE, UM, FOR THAT I CAN CIRCLE BACK TO THE CITY CLERKS AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING AVAILABLE AT ALL DURING THAT DAY TIME. 
          OR IF ONE OF THESE EARLIER DATES WILL WORK, WE'LL JUST SHIFT. 
          UM, AND MAY 28TH COULD, COULD, COULD SERVE AS, UH, THE FOURTH LISTENING SESSION. 
          OKAY. 
          SO RIGHT NOW WE NEED TO REPLACE TWO, CORRECT. 
          LET ME MAKE SURE I'M ON THE RIGHT TRACK. 
          WE JUST NEED ONE MORE DATE. 
          NO, I'M JUST SAYING, IN TERMS OF LIKE, STARTING FROM, WE WE'VE LOST TWO DATES, WE NEED TWO DATES, CORRECT? TO HAVE LISTENING SESSIONS, HE NEEDED THREE DATES BECAUSE WHERE IT SAYS PENDING, I HADN'T HEARD BACK. 
          I DIDN'T HAVE A GOOD DATE. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO, UM, WE COULD DO THE 14TH. 
          WE COULD DO THE 28TH AND THEN WE STILL NEED A THIRD, CORRECT? YES, THAT'S CORRECT. 
          EXCELLENT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO, UM, AND WE DO STILL HAVE JUNE 23RD, SIX TO EIGHT 30 SECURED? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          SO RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TONIGHT IS THREE MORE DATES. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          SO ABSENT, WANTING TO DISCUSS WHY YOU THINK, UM, WITH REGARDS TO EITHER MAY 14TH IN THE EVENING, OR MAY 28TH IN THE EVENING, WE SHOULD HAVE MORNING OR AFTERNOON ON ONE OF THOSE DATES OR ANY OTHER DAY YOU SEE LISTED HERE AND I'LL READ THEM OUT AGAIN. 
          UM, UH, IF NEED BE, UM, PLEASE SPEAK NOW OR FOREVER. 
          HOLD YOUR PEACE. 
          DON'T WE STILL NEED ONE MORE RIGHT NOW I'M MAKING SURE NO ONE IS JUST COMPLETELY. 
          WE HAVE QUORUM FOR THE 14TH AND 28TH OF MAY SIX, SIX, SIX TO EIGHT, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE NO ONE WANTS TO HAVE ANY MORE STRONG PUSHBACK TO THAT BEFORE WE, UH, VOTE ON THAT. 
          AND THEN WE GO TO THE THIRD DAY. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO EVERYONE IN FAVOR OF MEETING MAY 14TH, SIX TO 8:00 PM, PLEASE SAY, AYE. 
          AND RAISE YOUR HAND. 
          HI. 
          HI. 
          OKAY. 
          I BELIEVE THAT WITH SIX EYES. 
          AND SO 
          [02:00:01]
THAT'S A MUDRA. 
          OKAY, MS. OKAY. 
          THAT'S MORE THAN A MAJORITY. 
          SO IT WILL, UM, HOPEFULLY SECURE MAY 14TH. 
          ARE YOU ABLE TO REACH OUT THIS EVENING, PATRICIA AND TELL THEM WE WANT THAT TIME SLOT? YES. 
          I'VE ACTUALLY EMAILED THEM ALREADY. 
          MAY 14TH AND MAY 28TH, SIX TO 8:00 PM. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          AND WE WILL OFFICIALLY VOTE ON, ON, UM, CITY STAFF. 
          CAN YOU POST THE, THE CHART AGAIN, PLEASE? WITH THE MONEY? YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          MAY 28TH, SIX TO 8:00 PM. 
          WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A HOLIDAY COMING AFTER THAT WEEKEND AND THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE WILL HAVE MARKETING IN PLACE AND THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE'RE ALL GOING TO DO A LOT ABOUT REACH, TO MAKE SURE THAT MEETING IS AS WELL ATTENDED AS POSSIBLE. 
          WHO IS IN FAVOR OF MEETING MAY 28TH, 6:00 PM FOUR, FIVE, SIX. 
          I BELIEVE WE HAVE SEVEN, NINE, EIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, SO WE'VE UNANIMOUSLY VOTED FOR MAY 28TH, SIX TO 8:00 PM AS WELL, PATRICIA. 
          SO NOW DO WE NEED TO VOTE ON ANOTHER DATE IF YOU'RE SAYING THAT JUNE 20? UH, SO JUNE 23RD, SIX TO 8:30 PM IS SECURE. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, EITHER JUNE 6TH, SEVENTH, EIGHTH, NINTH, 10TH, OR 11TH PENDING THEY'RE PAINTING. 
          THOSE DATES ARE PENDING. 
          I HAVE TO GET IT TIMEFRAME. 
          OKAY. 
          SO YOU NEED A TIMEFRAME FROM US AND A DATE TO PROPOSE TO THE CITY. 
          NO, I HAVE TO GET, UM, DATES FROM THE CITY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO IN OUR NEXT, IN OUR DEBRIEF, WE WILL BE VOTING ON ONE MORE DAY. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. 
          YOU'LL HAVE THE INFORMATION BY THAT TIME. 
          OKAY. 
          UNDERSTOOD. 
          SO THEN WHERE WE STAND THIS EVENING IS WE HAVE COMPLETED, OF COURSE, OUR APRIL 29TH, 6:00 PM TO 8:30 PM MEETING OUR DEBRIEF DEBRIEF WILL BE MAY 7TH, 10:00 AM TO 11:00 AM. 
          UH, WE WILL NO LONGER BE MEETING ON MAY 12TH. 
          UM, WE HAVE REPLACED MAY 12TH WITH MAY 14TH, 6:00 PM TO 8:00 PM. 
          AND WE WILL DEBRIEF MAY 21ST, 10:00 AM TO 11:00 AM WE NO LONGER HAVE MAY 27. 
          WE'VE REPLACED THE MAY 27TH WITH MAY 28TH, 6:00 PM TO 8:00 PM. 
          AND WE WILL DEBRIEF JUNE 4TH, 10:00 AM TO 11:00 AM. 
          WE STILL HAVE OUR LISTENING SESSION, JUNE 23RD, 6:00 PM TO 8:30 PM. 
          AND THAT DEBRIEF IS JUNE 25TH, 10:00 AM TO 11:00 AM. 
          AND AT OUR DEBRIEF ON MAY 7TH, 10:00 AM TO 11:00 AM. 
          WE WILL HAVE MORE INFORMATION FROM PATRICIA TO THEN DECIDE ON THE LAST DATE WE NEED. 
          THAT WILL BE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN JUNE 6TH TO 11TH AND A POTENTIAL DEBRIEF ON JUNE 18TH, 10 TO 11. 
          DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO EVERYONE? I ORGANIZE IT AS WELL AS I, I COULD. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          WHAT, WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED FROM US, PATRICIA? I CAN TELL YOU ALL BEHIND THE SCENES, I'LL BE WORKING WITH PATRICIA AND AMANDA TO JUST RETRIEVE THE INFORMATION WE NEED TO GET MARKETING OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. 
          UM, WHAT ELSE SHOULD WE TALK ABOUT IN TERMS OF GETTING THE WORD OUT AND MARKETING? IS THERE ANY COLLECTIVE PUSH WE WANT TO MAKE, IN ADDITION TO OUR, UM, INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS, ANY IDEAS OR THOUGHTS, RADIO, DO YOU THINK? UM, UM, MARIANNE, WE HAVE MANY CONTEXTS THAT WE COULD USE, UM, WITH 88.7 TO GET THE WORD OUT. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          AND SPANISH, UM, RADIO APPS AS WELL. 
          UM, YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, DO YOU HAVE THE BANDWIDTH TO WORK ON THAT AND, AND, UM, GIVE US AN UPDATE AT OUR DEBRIEF. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          REMIND ME PLEASE. 
          YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          PATRICIA IS GOING TO REMIND US ALL OF ACTION ITEMS IN AN EMAIL. 
          IS THAT CORRECT, PATRICIA? YES. 
          YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          AND I'LL HELP YOU WITH THAT AS WELL, MIRIAM. 
          UM, YOU JUST LET ME KNOW WHAT TO DO. 
          ANYONE ELSE. 
          DOES ANYONE THINK THAT IF THIS IS POSSIBLE, PATRICIA, NOW BACK TO THOSE SLOTS WE 
          [02:05:01]
SAW THAT WERE MORNING OR MORNING AND AFTERNOON, SHOULD WE SECURE AN EXTRA SPOT IN THE EVENT? SOME CALAMITY HAPPENS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM AT ANOTHER MEETING, OR FOR SOME REASON WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE WELL-INTENDED, BUT IT WAS NOT. 
          SHOULD WE DO THAT TONIGHT? HOW DOES EVERYONE FEEL ABOUT THAT? I SEE TWO KIDS SAYING YES. 
          THREE MINUS SAME YES. 
          FOUR. 
          OKAY. 
          SO CITY STAFF, WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU PLEASE POST THE CHART AGAIN? SO THIS NOW, UM, IN MY OPINION, IF YOU ALL AGREE, WHEN WE AGREE ON THIS DATE AND TIME, IT WILL NOT BE POSTED PUBLICLY. 
          IT WILL BE SOMETHING WE HAVE IN OUR BACK POCKETS IF WE NEED IT. 
          AND FOR THAT REASON, I THINK IT SHOULD BE A LITTLE FURTHER OUT. 
          SO, UM, MAY 25TH IS WHAT I WAS THINKING AFTERNOON. 
          THAT'S JUST MY OPINION. 
          WHAT DOES ANYONE ELSE THINK AVAILABLE? MAY 24TH OR 25TH. 
          SO ANYTIME I'LL BE OUT OF HERE. 
          OKAY. 
          UNDERSTOOD. 
          YEAH. 
          WHAT ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE? I AM AVAILABLE IN THE AFTERNOON. 
          NOT IN THE MORNING. 
          OKAY. 
          I'M AVAILABLE IN THE AFTERNOON? NOT IN THE MORNING. 
          I'M AVAILABLE? NOT IN THE AFTERNOON OR IN THE AFTERNOON AS WELL. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT'S THREE. 
          ANYONE ELSE? OKAY. 
          THAT WAS THREE PEOPLE TALKING, I THINK, UM, IT W WAS THAT YOU COMMISSIONER CLEMENTS? I WAS JUST MAKING SURE THIS IS A MAY 25TH, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT YES. 
          UM, I AM NOT AVAILABLE IN THE MORNING, BUT YOU ARE IN THE AFTERNOON. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT'S FOUR AVAILABLE IN THE AFTERNOON. 
          WHO ELSE? COMMISSIONER? TWO MINUTES. 
          I'M AVAILABLE IN THE EVENING? YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          IT LOOKS LIKE FOR MAY 25TH, THEY'RE ONLY GIVING US THE OPTION OF MORNING OR AFTERNOON. 
          COULD YOU DO AN AFTERNOON WITH NOTICE? HELLO, COMMISSIONER JIMENEZ. 
          COULD YOU DO AN AFTERNOON WITH NOTICE OR, OR YOU'RE ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE EVENING? YEAH, I'M GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THAT'S FIVE. 
          I THOUGHT I HEARD A THIRD VOICE NOW. 
          DO WE HAVE DAY? OKAY, GREAT. 
          SO THAT WOULD BE, AND THEN, UH, COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ. 
          YOU'RE ALSO AVAILABLE IN THE AFTERNOON. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE WOULD HAVE A QUORUM IN THE AFTERNOON ON MAY 25TH, IF WE NEED THAT DATE, UM, LET'S PLEASE NOW TAKE THE VOTES, UM, TO HAVE, UM, AVAILABLE TO US, BUT NOT YET POSTED A REPORT. 
          IT MAY 25TH IN THE AFTERNOON, PATRICIA BY AFTERNOON. 
          WHAT, WHAT DO THEY MEAN? DO THEY MEAN AFTER LUNCH? UP TILL 5:00 PM? WHAT DO THEY MEAN? YES. 
          SO IT'S AFTER, AFTER LUNCHTIME. 
          SO IF Y'ALL WANTED TO DO A THREE TO FIVE OR A ONE TO FOUR, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE TO THREE. 
          YEAH. 
          I'M GOING TO START WITH 3:00 PM TO 5:00 PM. 
          DO WE HAVE A MAJORITY THAT VOTES FOR 3:00 PM TO 5:00 PM FOR SIX. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          EXCUSE ME. 
          BUT YES, TIMES THAT WE'VE LISTED ORIGINALLY WERE TWO AND A HALF HOURS AND WE ARE NOW VOTING ON A TWO HOUR TIME BLOCK. 
          YES. 
          I AM ASKING TWO HOUR. 
          YES. 
          I AM ASKING FOR TWO HOUR TIME BLOCKS BECAUSE WE ARE NOW COMBINING ALL DISTRICTS AND ALL MEETINGS. 
          OKAY. 
          SO CITY WERE GIVE US TWO HOUR TIME BLOCKS AND I BELIEVE WE DID VOTE ON THAT. 
          THAT, THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA BECAUSE IF WE DON'T USE IT AND HEY, YOU KNOW, UM, BUT IF WE NEED IT, IT'S THERE. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          IS THAT BUT ELITE? THAT IS, THAT IS A TWO HOUR TIME BLOCK. 
          IS THAT TOO MUCH FOR YOU? LIKE, WOULD YOU HAVE TO DROP OFF OF THE MEETING IF IT WERE TWO HOURS INSTEAD OF AN HOUR AND A HALF? OH, I CAN'T HEAR YOU. 
          TWO HOURS IS FINE. 
          UM, ORIGINALLY WE HAD TALKED ABOUT TWO AND A HALF, BUT I THINK TOO PLENTY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO YOU'RE THINKING, UM, TWO AND A HALF MIGHT BE BETTER. 
          I DON'T KNOW. 
          I I'M JUST POINTING OUT THAT, THAT WE'VE MADE THAT CHANGE WITHOUT REALLY DECIDING IT. 
          I THOUGHT WE DECIDED ON, UM, TWO IS PLENTY. 
          WELL, I THINK. 
          OKAY. 
          IS IT POSSIBLE AND, AND KEEP IN MIND THE LEAD THAT I'M WORKING WITH, I WAS BLINDSIDED TODAY THAT WE LOST TWO DATES THAT I THOUGHT WE HAD SECURE. 
          SO YEAH. 
          TRYING TO, TRYING TO WORK WITH IT NOW AND ROLL WITH IT. 
          UM, CAN WE STILL HAVE TWO AND A HALF HOUR SLOTS? PATRICIA 
          [02:10:02]
TOO. 
          I MEAN, TONIGHT WE'RE RUNNING LONGER, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING TO DO A LITTLE MORE PLANNING AND LOGISTICS HERE, BUT IF, IF WE HAVE TWO HOURS FOR FULL MEETING, MOSTLY THE LISTENING SESSION, I THINK WE SHOULD BE FINE WITH THAT. 
          DOES EVERYONE ELSE AGREE WITH THAT AS WELL? YES, SIR. 
          YEAH. 
          I'M FINE WITH IT. 
          I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE KNEW THAT'S WHAT WE WERE DOING, RIGHT. 
          NO, BUT I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT ALETHA. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP. 
          UM, I DID NOT EXPLAIN WHY I WAS SAYING TWO HOURS. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          SO IT LOOKS LIKE PATRICIA, WE VOTED ON, UH, ANOTHER DATE. 
          WE WOULD JUST LIKE TO SECURE, BUT NOT REPORT YET. 
          IN THE EVENT WE NEEDED A MAY 25TH, 3:00 PM TO 5:00 PM. 
          I WILL BE REQUESTING THAT TIMEFRAME AS WELL. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT AGAIN, PLEASE MAKE AN ASTERIX NEXT TO THAT ONE. 
          UM, INDICATING THAT THAT'S JUST IN CASE WE NEED IT. 
          WILL THERE BE ANY GRADES OR PRIORITY? OKAY. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          UM, PLEASE POST OUR AGENDA AGAIN. 
          THAT IS THE, UH, TENTATIVE MEETING DATES. 
          OKAY, GREAT. 
          SO, UM, WE'VE DONE THAT. 
          UM, WE HAVE OUR DEBRIEF COMING UP, UH, FOR THE DEBRIEF. 
          PATRICIA IS GOING TO BRING US THAT, THAT OTHER JUNE DATE OR SOME POSSIBILITIES FOR US TO VOTE ON. 
          UM, WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS, I TOOK SOME NOTES THIS EVENING. 
          WE ARE GOING TO DISCUSS, UM, WHAT HAPPENED HERE THIS EVENING AND, UM, WHAT WE CAN CAN TAKE FROM THAT, FOR OUR REPORTS, WE ARE GOING TO DISCUSS ANY OTHER GREAT IDEAS. 
          ANYONE COMES UP WITH BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, UM, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE MORE INFO ABOUT MARKETING FOR YOU, UM, TO INCLUDE MY IN MIRIAM'S OUTREACH TO RADIO STATIONS, AND THEN ANY OTHER IDEAS ANYONE HAS I, IF I HAVE THE TIME AND BANDWIDTH, I PLAN ON SHOWING UP WITH THE LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS. 
          I THINK WE SHOULD ACTIVELY REACH OUT TO YOU WHO HELPED DURING THE STORM AND INDIVIDUALS, INDIVIDUAL ACTIVISTS, UM, THAT WE NEED TO INVITE TO THE SESSIONS AND ASK THEM IF THEY HAVE THE BANDWIDTH, IF THEY CAN ALSO INFORM CITIZENS THAT THEY WORK WITH REGULARLY. 
          DID ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? THIS IS REALLY MINOR, BUT MY NAME IS MISSPELLED IN A FEW PLACES. 
          SO, SO HE'S OFTEN WITH THE KNEE IT'S SHOWING UP HERE BOTH WAYS IS THAT, UM, I SEE IT SPELLED CORRECTLY ON THE AGENDA IN WHERE I'M VIEWING IT ON YOUR SCREEN. 
          IT'S CORRECT. 
          A U S T E N. 
          IS THAT RIGHT? AND THE LIST OF MEMBERS IT'S AUSTIN, BUT DOWN BELOW, HERE'S ANOTHER DOCUMENT WITH AN EYE AS WELL. 
          SO JUST FOR THE FUTURE, IT'S AN OFTEN MADE MISTAKE LIVING IN AUSTIN AND BEING IN AUSTIN. 
          AND WOULD YOU IT'S REBECCA. 
          OKAY. 
          OR WOULD YOU PREFER IT TO SAY BECKY? REBECCA IS FINE? CAUSE MY CITY ID IS SET UP AS REBECCA. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ANYONE ELSE? OKAY. 
          THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR AVAILABILITY. 
          UM, I THINK THIS WAS A GREAT FIRST SESSION. 
          I THINK THEY'RE ONLY GOING TO BE EVEN BETTER FROM HERE. 
          UH, PATRICIA, IN TERMS OF OUTREACH TO COUNCIL, UM, AND THE MAYOR AND, OR THE CHIEFS OF STAFF, WILL YOU BE HANDLING THAT TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE AWARE OF EVERY MEETING AND NETWORK? WE'RE DEFINITELY MAKING SURE THEY ARE INVITED TO EACH SESSION WITH NOBODY. 
          YES. 
          I WILL MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF ALL THE MEETING DATES MOVING FORWARD IN TIMES AND THAT WE WOULD EXTEND AN INVITATION TO THEM. 
          SHOULD THEY WANT TO ATTEND OR JUST TO ALL OF THEM. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, UH, I MOVE THAT. 
          WE ADJOURN THIS MEETING. 
          DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SET. 
          THAT WAS THAT YOU BECKY. 
          OKAY. 
          ANYONE OPPOSED? ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          OKAY. 
          THIS APRIL 29, 2021 MEETING OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          WINTER STORM TASKFORCE IS ADJOURNED AT 8:14 PM. 
          THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. 
          BYE 
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.