Nov 10, 2021 Audit and Finance Committee

I'M NOT HEARING ANY OBJECTIONS TO THE MINUTES APPROVAL.

THAT'S MY REPORT.

SHE'S GOT HER HAND UP NOW.

SO WE'RE ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MINUTES.

GOING TO MOVE TO A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING DATES.

THAT WAS ITEM ONE.

UM, WE ARE NOW

[3. Discussion and possible action regarding Audit and Finance Committee meeting dates for 2022.]

UM, SO I WANTED TO FLAG A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT THESE DATES.

UM, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST ASKED COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO MAKE SURE THAT MY OFFICE AND OR THE AUDITOR ARE AWARE IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE MISSING A MEETING AS MUCH IN ADVANCE AS POSSIBLE.

UM, WE DO HAVE PRETTY REGULAR MEETINGS, SO IT DOES HAPPEN THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO MISS, BUT IT'S MUCH EASIER IF WE CAN PLAN FOR THEM.

UM, SO THE MEETING DATES THAT ARE SET, WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THE MAYOR CANNOT ATTEND IN JANUARY AND COUNCIL MEMBER POOL CANNOT ATTEND AN APRIL.

UM, SO THOSE MEETINGS IN PARTICULAR, UM, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO ATTEND.

UM, AND THEN WE ARE GONNA REVISIT THE SUMMER DATES IN MARCH.

UM, PARTICULARLY THE JUNE AND JULY DATES.

WE'RE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO SKIP ONE OR BOTH OF THOSE, BUT WE WON'T KNOW THAT, UM, UNTIL MARCH WHEN WE HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT'S ON OUR CALENDAR.

SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TODAY IS GO FORWARD WITH A CALENDAR THAT INCLUDES THOSE DATES.

UM, AND THEN WE WILL ADJUST IT'S MUCH EASIER, I THINK, TO CANCEL A MEETING THAN IT IS TO SCHEDULE A MEETING.

UM, SO WE ARE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE THOSE DATES ON OUR CALENDAR.

SO WE'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ITEM THREE, UM, FOR THE MEETING DATES, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, UH, MAKES THAT MOTION SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER.

TOVA ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, UNANIMOUS ON THE DYESS COMES FROM OUR POOL.

YOU OKAY, GREAT.

UM, THANK YOU.

UM, ACTUALLY I'M SORRY THAT, YEAH, THAT WAS ITEM THREE.

[4. Discussion and possible action regarding the calendar Year 2022 Audit Plan for recommendation to Council.]

THEN ITEM FOUR IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE CALENDAR YEAR 2022 AUDIT PLAN FOR RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL MS. STOKES, DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THIS? JUST, JUST A QUICK, UM, KIND OF OVERVIEW.

SO WE PRESENTED THIS, WE PRESENTED THE PROPOSED PLAN LAST MONTH.

UM, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ADDITIONS OR EDITS TO THAT PLAN.

SO, UH, WE ARE PROPOSING THE PLAN, UH, THAT WAS IN FRONT OF YOU LAST MONTH AND IT'S ALSO IN TODAY'S BACKUP TO MOVE AND THAT WOULD MOVE FORWARD TO COUNCIL FOR, UM, FULL THE FULL COUNCIL TO WEIGH IN ON.

AND DO YOU KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE GOING ON NEXT WEEK'S MEETING OR IN DECEMBER? IT WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE NEXT WEEK, SO.

OFFICE WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT IS PLANNED.

UM, THANK YOU.

I UNDERSTAND THAT THE MAYOR IS NOT HERE TODAY.

MAY HAVE AN AMENDMENT.

I HAVE NOT SEEN THE AMENDMENT.

UM, IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME WHETHER IT SHOULD BE A AMENDMENT TO THE PLAN OR A SPECIAL PROJECT, ET CETERA.

UM, WE WILL TRY AND WORK THAT OUT, UM, BEFORE IT COMES TO COUNCIL.

UM, BUT FOR THE MAYOR OR FOR ANYONE ELSE, IF WE ARE GOING TO ADJUST THE PLAN, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE TAKING OFF.

UM, BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE SO MANY RESOURCES IN THE AUDIT

[00:10:01]

SO IF YOU, UM, ARE GOING TO MAKE ANY PROPOSED AMENDMENTS, A, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU PLEASE SURFACE THOSE AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE AND BE THAT YOU NEED TO CLARIFY WHAT, WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE MOVING OFF OF THE PLAN.

UM, BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS VERY CAREFULLY CHOSEN THROUGH A PROCESS WHERE EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER HAD AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO WAIT IN, UM, THROUGH THAT.

UM, SO I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AUDIT PLAN.

UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO MAKES THAT MOTION SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, KELLY, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, MOVING THAT ON TO COUNCIL.

THAT'S A MEMBER POOL YOU'RE IN FAVOR.

I THINK THERE'S SOME KIND OF WEIRD TIME DELAY, SO AN UNANIMOUS, UM, VOTE ON THAT.

OKAY, GREAT.

IS THERE ANY OTHER BUSINESS THAT WE HAVE TO VOTE ON BEFORE WE TAKE UP THE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS? GOT IT.

UM, SO I WANT TO INVITE UP THE AUDITOR'S, UM, STAFF TO TAKE UP ITEM TWO, WHICH IS THE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AUDIT.

[2. Discussion and possible action on the Disaster Preparedness Audit.]

UM, I, WHEN I, YOU KNOW, I THINK AT, AT SOME POINT, UM, WE'LL NEED TO, TO CLARIFY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS AUDIT AND THE AFTER ACTION, UM, REPORTS.

UM, BUT THIS IS AN AUDIT THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR BY RESOLUTION THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO LED ON.

AND I CO-SPONSORED, AND I'M NOT SURE WHO ELSE WAS, WHO ELSE WAS ON THAT.

UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE PREPARE FOR FUTURE EMERGENCIES.

AND ONE WAY THAT WE DO THAT IS FROM LEARNING FROM THE PAST AND TAKING ACTION.

UM, AND THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT STEP IN BEING BETTER PREPARED.

UM, SO I'M GOING TO INVITE THE AUDITORS STAFF TO PRESENT AND AFTER THEY PRESENT, WE WILL WE'LL, UM, THE APPROPRIATE, UH, STAFF MEMBERS AND OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO THE AUDIT.

AND THEN WE WILL OPEN IT UP FOR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.

GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS MARIA STRAW AND I WAS THE AUDIT LEAD FOR THIS PROJECT.

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS AUDIT WAS TO DETERMINE IF THE CITY'S DISASTER PLANNING AND PREPAREDNESS EFFORTS POSITION THE CITY TO RESPOND EFFECTIVELY AND EQUITABLY TO WINTER STORM ERIE.

AS YOU KNOW, WINTER STORM MURIE WAS AN UNUSUALLY SEVERE EVENT IN AUSTIN.

THERE WERE SEVEN DAYS BELOW FREEZING AND A RECORDED SIX INCHES OF SNOW.

AUSTINITES EXPERIENCED EXTENDED PERIODS WITHOUT ELECTRICITY AND RENDER A BOIL WATER NOTICE FOR SIX DAYS, CITY STAFF WHO RESPONDED TO THE STORM, PUT IN AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF EFFORT TO RESPOND TO THE STORM AND WORK TIRELESSLY FOR MANY DAYS.

IN FACT, THESE EFFORTS ARE CONTINUING AS STAFF, THINK ABOUT HOW TO IMPROVE DISASTER RESPONSES IN THE FUTURE.

THE IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY WAS SIGNIFICANT.

AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE GRAPH ON THE RIGHT TRAVIS COUNTY HAD THE SECOND MOST DEATHS IN THE STATE AFTER HARRIS COUNTY, 21 OF THESE DEATHS WERE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS AND 16 INVOLVED HYPOTHERMIA.

ADDITIONALLY, PEOPLE WHO DIED SKEWED OLDER THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION, ABOUT 64% OF PEOPLE WHO DIED WERE OLDER THAN 60.

ALSO FOUR PEOPLE WHO DIED WERE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN OUR AUDIT.

WE HAD FOUR FINDINGS.

THE FIRST WAS RELATED TO PLANNING AND PREPAREDNESS GENERALLY, AND THE OTHERS WERE RELATED TO COMMUNICATION, RESOURCES AND EQUITY.

WE FOUND THE CITY WAS UNPREPARED TO RESPOND TO SPLINTER STORM URI FOR THREE MAIN REASONS.

I'LL DISCUSS THESE REASONS ON THE FOLLOWING SLIDES, BUT AT A HIGH LEVEL, THE CITY'S PLANNING EFFORTS DID NOT ADEQUATELY CONSIDER THE RISKS POSED BY A SEVERE PROLONGED OR WIDESPREAD DISASTER.

ALSO, THE CITY HAD NOT IMPLEMENTED PAST RECOMMENDATIONS THAT MAY HAVE IMPROVED ITS RESPONSE AND HAD NOT HISTORICALLY PRIORITIZED DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE.

THE CLIMATE CRISIS IS EXPECTED TO RESULT IN MORE INTENSE AND MORE FREQUENT WEATHER EMERGENCIES, BUT THE CITY HASN'T ADEQUATELY PREPARED FOR THIS.

THE CITY'S PLANS ACKNOWLEDGE MAJOR CATASTROPHIC EVENTS, BUT HAVE LITTLE SPECIFICS FOR HOW TO RESPOND TO THEM.

CITY PLANS ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THE POTENTIAL OF A WINTER STORM, BUT NOT ONE WITH THE IMPACT WE SAW DURING WINTER STORM.

MARY PLANTS ANTICIPATED A LIMITED SEVERITY STORM.

ONE WITH SHORT DURATION, NO LOSS OF LIFE AND LIMITED IMPACT ON CITY SERVICES LIKE POWER AND WATER.

THEY ALSO ANTICIPATED THE NEEDS TO TREAT ROADS FOR ICE, BUT NOT FOR SNOW REMOVAL.

OF COURSE, THE CONDITIONS OF FEBRUARY STORM WERE MUCH MORE SEVERE THAN THESE PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS.

THERE ARE ALSO A NUMBER OF LESSONS LEARNED THAT ARE DISCUSSED IN OUR REPORT THAT AT THE CITY HAD ACTED ON MAY HAVE IMPROVED ITS RESPONSE.

AGAIN, THESE ARE IN OUR REPORT, SO I'LL DISCUSS THEM ONLY AT A HIGH LEVEL.

THIS INCLUDED RECOMMENDATIONS FROM PAST DISASTERS WHERE THE CITY LOOKED AT WHAT HAD HAPPENED BEFORE AND MADE RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE A RECOMMENDATION FROM A 2011 AUDIT, WHERE WE RECOMMENDED THE CITY, MAKE SURE ALL DEPARTMENTS HAVE CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS PLANS ON FILE TO ENSURE THEY'RE ABLE TO RESPOND

[00:15:01]

AND CONTINUE CITY SERVICES IN A DISASTER.

IT ALSO INCLUDED RECOMMENDATIONS FROM PAST TRAININGS, INCLUDING ONE ON WINTER WEATHER AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CITY PLANS WHERE THE CITY HAD DEVELOPED RECOMMENDATIONS TO MITIGATE HAZARDS FACING THE CITY AND INCREASE RESILIENCE STAFF REPORTED CHALLENGES WITH IMPLEMENTATION INCLUDED A LACK OF STAFF TIME AND RESOURCES, WHICH WAS EXACERBATED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

BUT ANOTHER CHALLENGE IS THE NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN JUST THE MOST RECENT THREE AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR PAST DISASTERS, THERE WERE OVER 400 RECOMMENDATIONS.

SO THIS IS DEFINITELY A CHALLENGE FOR THE CITY PRIORITIZING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON THOSE THAT WOULD HAVE THE MOST IMPACT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL.

THE CITY ALSO HAS NOT HISTORICALLY PRIORITIZED OR FUNDED DISASTER PREPAREDNESS OR COMMUNITY RESILIENCE INITIATIVES IN AUGUST, 2019 CITY COUNCIL DIRECTED CITY MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENT RESILIENCY HUBS.

AND IN MAY, 2020 COUNCIL DIRECTED CITY MANAGEMENT TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE RESILIENCY PLAN.

NEITHER OF THESE WERE ACTED ON BEFORE THE STORM IN FEBRUARY.

HOWEVER, CITY COUNCIL RECENTLY APPROVED $3 MILLION FOR TWO RESILIENCY HUB PILOT PROJECTS THAT ARE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED.

IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS, WE MADE SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS IN RESPONSE TO THIS FINDING.

OUR SECOND FINDING WAS RELATED TO COMMUNICATION.

WE FOUND THAT THE CITY DID NOT COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY WITH AUSTIN RESIDENTS IN THE DAYS LEADING UP TO OR DURING WINTER STORM JURY, BECAUSE THE CITY WAS UNPREPARED FOR SUCH A SEVERE WINTER STORM.

SO RESIDENTS WERE LEFT WITHOUT CRITICAL INFORMATION THAT MAY HAVE HELPED THEM STAY SAFE.

WE HAD THREE MAIN ISSUES RELATED TO COMMUNICATION, WHICH I'LL DISCUSS ON THE FOLLOWING SLIDES.

THE CITY'S EARLY MESSAGES DID NOT COMMUNICATE THE URGENCY OF THE SITUATION TO RESIDENTS OR ADEQUATELY PREPARE THEM FOR POSSIBLE RISKS LIKE WIDESPREAD OR PROLONGED POWER OR WATER OUTAGES AND IMPASSABLE ROADS, EARLY MESSAGES, PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON ICY CONDITIONS AND POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO PIPES SUCH AS THE TWEET ON THE RIGHT OF THE SLIDE.

BUT DIDN'T PREPARE THE CITIES FOR THE UNUSUAL AND SEVERE NATURE OF THE STORM, SUCH AS MESSAGING ABOUT PREPARING FOR EXTENDED WATER OR POWER OUTAGES AND ENSURING SUPPLIES WERE ON HAND LIKE FOOD AND WATER, EVEN LESS PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED BETWEEN FEBRUARY 12TH AND FEBRUARY 14TH.

THIS WAS AFTER THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER WAS ACTIVATED AND BEFORE SNOW BEGAN TO FALL IN THE AUSTIN AREA, ADDITIONALLY, MINIMAL PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED THROUGH THE CITY'S WARNING SYSTEM, WARNED CENTRAL TEXAS.

THE CITY COMMUNICATED A WINTER STORM WEATHER WARNING HAD BEEN ISSUED THROUGH THE SYSTEM, BUT NO OTHER PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION.

WE ALSO FOUND THAT INFORMATION ABOUT PREPARING FOR POWER AND WATER OUTAGES WAS RECEIVED AFTER IT WAS TOO LATE TO BE USEFUL.

THIS WAS BECAUSE THE CITY HAD NOT ANTICIPATED THE POSSIBILITY OF THESE OCCURRING.

AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE, RESIDENTS WERE MADE AWARE OF POSSIBLE POWER OUTAGES AT 1:10 AM.

THEY WERE THEN MADE AWARE THAT POWER OUTAGES WERE STARTING AT 1:25 AM JUST 15 MINUTES LATER.

THIS OCCURRED PARTLY BECAUSE THE CITY DIDN'T RECEIVE INFORMATION FROM OUTSIDE REGULATORS WITH MUCH ADVANCED NOTICE AND INFORMATION CHANGED REALLY QUICKLY.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE TIME BETWEEN ERCOT ALERTING THE CITY ABOUT POSSIBLE ISSUES AND THEM CALLING FOR ROTATING POWER OUTAGES WAS ONLY ABOUT AN HOUR, BUT STILL HAD THE CITY ANTICIPATED THE POSSIBILITY OF A PROLONGED POWER OUTAGE AND ITS PLANNING EFFORTS.

THE CITY COULD HAVE COMMUNICATED BETTER ABOUT PREPARING FOR THIS POSSIBILITY.

EARLY ON.

AS I MENTIONED, INFORMATION ABOUT PREPARING FOR WATER OUTAGES WAS ALSO RECEIVED AFTER IT WAS TOO LATE TO BE USEFUL.

AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE, AWESOME WATER TWEETED AT 6:00 PM THAT THERE WERE NO PLANS TO DISRUPT WATER SERVICE.

LATER THAT NIGHT, AUSTIN WATER SAID THEY WERE AWARE OF WATER OUTAGES IN SOUTHWEST AUSTIN, AND THEY IMPLEMENTED A CITY-WIDE BOIL WATER.

NOTICE THE NEXT DAY, THIS OF COURSE DIDN'T GIVE RESIDENTS ENOUGH TIME TO PREPARE FOR THESE WATER OUTAGES.

THIS OCCURRED BECAUSE THE CITY HADN'T THOUGHT THROUGH WHAT COMMUNICATIONS IT WOULD NEED FOR SUCH A SIGNIFICANT OR WIDESPREAD EVENT.

AUSTIN WATER STAFF SAID THEY HAD MESSAGING AND PREPAREDNESS TIPS PREPARED FOR A TYPICAL ONE OR TWO DAY FREEZE, BUT NOT A WEEK LONG.

ONE PLANNING FOR HOW TO COMMUNICATE IN THESE SORT OF SEVERE AND PROLONGED DISASTERS IS CRITICAL.

GIVEN THE ONGOING CLIMATE CRISIS, THE CITY ALSO COMMUNICATED MINIMAL INFORMATION AND NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGES.

AND THESE COMMUNICATIONS WERE OFTEN LESS TIMELY.

THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WHEN WE LOOK AT THE FIVE, MOST COMMONLY SPOKEN LANGUAGES IN AUSTIN, THERE ARE AT LEAST 88,000 RESIDENTS IN THE CITY WHO SPEAK ENGLISH LESS THAN VERY WELL.

SO MANY RESIDENTS HAVE THE NEED TO ACCESS INFORMATION ABOUT DISASTERS IN LANGUAGES, OTHER THAN ENGLISH TO STAY SAFE.

[00:20:02]

IN FACT, INFORMATION DURING A DISASTER IS KNOWN AS BEING JUST AS CRITICAL AS FOOD OR WATER.

THE CITY'S LANGUAGE ACCESS POLICY REQUIRES THE CITY TO SEND MESSAGES THROUGH WARN CENTRAL TEXAS IN SPANISH, AND TO MAKE REASONABLE EFFORTS TO SEND THOSE MESSAGES AND OTHER LANGUAGE INDICATE ALL OF THESE MESSAGES IN SPANISH AND DIDN'T COMMUNICATE MESSAGES IN ANY OTHER LANGUAGES THROUGH THE SYSTEM.

AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE, THE FIRST MESSAGE SENT THROUGH WARNED CENTRAL TEXAS WAS ON FEBRUARY 15TH.

THIS WAS FOUR DAYS AFTER AN INITIAL MESSAGE WAS SENT TO ENGLISH SPEAKERS ON FEBRUARY 11TH, THREE DAYS AFTER THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER WAS ACTIVATED.

AND A DAY AFTER SNOW BEGAN TO FALL IN THE AUSTIN AREA.

THIS WAS ALSO THE DAY POWER OUTAGES STARTED FOR MANY STAFF REPORTED.

IT WAS DIFFICULT TO ACCESS LANGUAGE, ACCESS VENDORS, ACCESS VENDORS, BECAUSE MANY OF THEM ARE LOCAL AND WERE ALSO AFFECTED BY THE STORM.

WE SAW THE MAIN REASON THESE ISSUES OCCURRED WAS THE LACK OF PREPARATION FOR COMMUNICATING DISASTER RELATED INFORMATION AND OTHER LANGUAGES.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS HAVE CONSISTENTLY IDENTIFIED LANGUAGE ACCESS AS AN ISSUE.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE COLORADO RIVER FLOODING EVENT RECOMMENDED THE CITY DEVELOP A LANGUAGE ACCESS PLAN FOR EMERGENCIES, BUT THIS HAS NOT BEEN DEVELOPED.

ADDITIONALLY, BASED ON A REVIEW OF COMMUNICATIONS RELATED PLANS, THE PLANS ONLY ADDRESS SPANISH AND AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE AND NO OTHER LANGUAGES.

AS A RESULT, THE CITY WAS UNPREPARED TO SERVE RESIDENTS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY.

WE MADE A COUPLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN RESPONSE TO THIS FINDING.

OUR NEXT FINDING WAS RELATED TO RESOURCES.

EVEN IF THE CITY'S PLANS HAD ANTICIPATED A SEVERE WINTER STORM, THE CITY LIKELY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RESPOND EFFECTIVELY BECAUSE THE CITY LACKED ADEQUATE RESOURCES TO RESPOND TO SUCH A COMPLEX DISASTER.

SOME DEPARTMENTS HAVE SOME PLACE SUPPLIES ON HAND, BUT THE CITY DOESN'T GENERALLY MAINTAIN AN EMERGENCY SUPPLY STOCKPILE AND COULDN'T EASILY RELY ON OTHER AGENCIES FOR SUPPLIES DUE TO THE WIDESPREAD NATURE OF THIS EVENT.

THE CITY ALSO HAS NO CENTRALIZED INVENTORY TO TRACK SUPPLIES ACROSS CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE TO USE DURING DISASTERS STAFF REPORTED.

WE DON'T MAINTAIN SUPPLIES ON HAND BECAUSE IT COULD BE, IT WOULD BE COST PROHIBITIVE, AND THERE'S A LACK OF STORAGE SPACE, BUT THIS CAUSED A LOT OF CHALLENGES DURING WINTER STORM ERIE.

THE CITY DIDN'T HAVE SUPPLIES LIKE GENERATORS, TIRE CHAINS, FOOD, WATER, OR SNOWPLOWS, AND HAD TROUBLE ACCESSING SUPPLIES FROM ELSEWHERE.

A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE WHAT TO KEEP ON HAND WOULD BE BENEFICIAL.

THE CITY ALSO DOESN'T HAVE AN EFFECTIVE PROCESS FOR ENSURING STAFF ARE AVAILABLE AND TRAINED TO RESPOND TO DISASTERS.

AND THE CITY DIDN'T HAVE ADEQUATE STAFFING TO RESPOND EFFECTIVELY TO THE STORM.

THIS LACK OF STAFFING WAS A MAJOR CHALLENGE IN THE CITY'S ABILITY TO RESPOND IN A DISASTER, ESPECIALLY ONE LIKE WINTER STORM JURY.

THE CITY NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO RELY ON STAFF FROM ACROSS ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS TO COME TOGETHER AND RESPOND.

WHAT WE HEARD THROUGHOUT THE AUDIT WAS THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO FIND VOLUNTEERS FROM CITY DEPARTMENTS TO MEET THE MANY NEEDS THEY HAD.

SO STAFF WHO RESPONDED WERE WORKING EXTREMELY LONG HOURS AND BEING, BEING EXPECTED TO DO A LOT.

WE SAW EXAMPLES OF THESE SORTS OF PROCESSES IN HOUSTON AND FORT WORTH, WHICH WE MENTIONED IN OUR REPORT, WE MADE A FEW RECOMMENDATIONS IN RESPONSE TO THIS FINDING.

OUR LAST FINDING WAS RELATED TO EQUITY.

WE FOUND THAT THE CITY'S DISASTER PLANNING AND PREPAREDNESS EFFORTS ARE NOT EQUITY FOCUSED.

AND AS A RESULT, THE CITY'S RESPONSE DID NOT EFFECTIVELY SERVE ALL RESIDENTS.

THE CITY'S PLANS DO NOT CONTAIN THE SPECIFICITY NEEDED TO HELP CITY STAFF DIRECTLY SERVE POPULATIONS WHO NEED IT THE MOST SUCH AS DETAIL ON HOW VULNERABLE POPULATIONS WILL BE REACHED DURING A DISASTER.

WE SAW EXAMPLES OF PLANS, ACKNOWLEDGING EQUITY, CONSIDER CONCERNS EXIST, BUT LITTLE DETAIL FOR HOW TO, TO MANAGE THOSE CONCERNS.

THE CITY ALSO DOES NOT HAVE A FORMALIZED PROCESS FOR ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY FOR ENGAGING COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, TO ASSIST WITH REACHING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.

EVEN THOUGH THIS IS RECOMMENDED BY BEST PRACTICES, THE CITY RELIED ON INFORMAL CONTACTS THAT STAFF AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS KNEW AS A MEANS OF REACHING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, RATHER THAN HAVING AN ESTABLISHED LIST OR DATABASE OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, A MORE ESTABLISHED APPROACH WOULD HELP THE CITY BETTER SERVE THE COMMUNITY, BUT MAY ALSO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE STRAIN ON CITY RESOURCES DURING A DISASTER, WHICH WAS A MAJOR CHALLENGE.

THERE WAS A LOT GOING ON.

THIS WOULD ALSO

[00:25:01]

HELP THE CITY FOCUS ON SERVING INDIVIDUALS WHO NEED ASSISTANCE AND RESOURCES.

THE MOST.

LASTLY, THE CITY DOES NOT KNOW IF IT IS REACHING THE MOST VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE A GOOD WAY TO MEASURE ITS OUTREACH EFFORTS.

THE CITY HAS SOME MEASURES RELATED TO COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS FOR DISASTERS, BUT THESE MEASURES ARE COMMUNITY-WIDE AND TOO BROAD TO GUIDE SPECIFIC EFFORTS AND TO UNDERSTAND WHO IS NOT BEING REACHED WITH CURRENT INFORMATION, STAFF SAID THE MAIN LIMIT TO TRACKING AND ANALYZING DATA ON OUTREACH IS A LACK OF STAFFING, WHICH AGAIN HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.

WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS.

I THINK WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW THE STAFF TO RESPOND AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS.

ABSOLUTELY.

UH, YES.

SORRY ON OUR, THANK YOU.

UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS.

UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER REMARKS.

ON BEHALF OF THE CITY MANAGER ON THIS TOPIC, A WINTER STORM URI WAS A STATEWIDE CATASTROPHIC EVENT LAYERED ON TOP OF AN ALREADY HISTORIC GLOBAL PANDEMIC.

AND THAT CONTINUES TODAY, THE CITY OF BOSTON, LIKE THE STATE OF TEXAS, BUT IT'S UNPREPARED FOR SUCH A COMPLEX DISASTER.

YET OUR EMPLOYEES ROSE TO THE CHALLENGE AND DID THEIR VERY BEST, MANY OF THEM LEAVING THEIR FAMILIES TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY FIRST AND SPEAKING OF COMMUNITY, WE ALSO SAW COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO HELP ONE ANOTHER.

DURING THIS EPIC EVENT, TODAY'S AUDIT REPORT TOGETHER WITH THE AFTER ACTION REPORT WE PRESENTED TO COUNCIL LAST WEEK WILL SERVE AS THE BASIS FOR STAFF'S EFFORTS TO CONTINUE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS THAT WILL BETTER SERVE THE COMMUNITY.

I WOULD NOTE FOR THE COMMITTEE AND THE PUBLIC THAT IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS WILL TAKE TIME AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.

IN THE CASE OF A FEW KEY DEPARTMENTS, SUCH AS HOMELAND SECURITY, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE.

THEY CONTINUE TO BE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN ADDRESSING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AS WELL.

THIS RAISES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COMMUNITY'S ROLE TO PREPARE BEFORE A DISASTER HAPPENS BY MAKING A PLAN, KNOWING THEIR NEIGHBORS AND STAYING INFORMED RESIDENTS CAN VISIT READY CENTRAL TEXAS.ORG TO LEARN ABOUT THE TOOLS AVAILABLE TO HELP WITH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.

ADDITIONALLY, RESIDENTS ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO BEGIN BUILDING EMERGENCY KITS NOW AND SUPPLIES NOW, INCLUDING ENOUGH WATER, FOOD BATTERIES, A RADIO AND FIRST AID FOR UP TO SEVEN DAYS AS ALWAYS THE CITY MANAGER, HIS OFFICE RECOGNIZES THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT THROUGH THE WORK OF THE CITY AUDITOR AND APPRECIATES OUR WORKING TOGETHER ON THIS AND ALL AUDIT REPORTS.

AND WITH DEBT, WE WERE CERTAINLY OPEN FOR QUESTIONS THE COMMITTEE MAY HAVE.

SO BEFORE I OPEN UP FOR, UM, QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE, I DID WANT TO INVITE, UM, KATIE UP, IF YOU COULD SPEAK OR WHOEVER WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO JUST SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, PUTTING THIS AUDIT IN CONTEXT RELATIVE TO THE AFTER ACTION REPORT.

UM, AND THEN I'LL WANT TO MAKE A FEW COMMENTS AND THEN I WILL INVITE MY COLLEAGUES FOR QUESTIONS.

SURE.

I CAN SPEAK TO THAT.

SO, UM, I THINK Y'ALL ARE PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH OUR WORK, BUT, UM, OUR CHARGE WAS TO LOOK AT THIS THROUGH A CITY-WIDE LENS, UM, AND TO REALLY EVALUATE THE KIND OF THE PRIOR PLANNING EFFORTS THAT THE CITY HAD PUT TOGETHER AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT REALLY SET US UP FOR SUCCESS.

UM, DURING THIS STORM AND HAGGERTY, I THINK THEY COULD SPEAK TO KIND OF WHAT THEIR, THEIR EFFORTS ARE INTENDED TO DO, BUT REALLY, I THINK THEY TOOK SORT OF A DIFFERENT LENS AND THERE'S A LOT TO LOOK AT HERE.

SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OVERLAP IN OUR RESULTS, BUT CERTAINLY THEIR CHARGE WAS DIFFERENT.

UM, TO WORK, TO IMPROVE OUR PREPAREDNESS.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THE THOROUGHNESS OF THIS REPORT.

UM, BEFORE WE GET INTO CONVERSATION, I WANT TO MAKE IT REALLY CLEAR THAT IF WE HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO BETTER, WHERE WE MADE MISTAKES, THAT IS NOT TO, UM, DISCOUNT THE VERY HEROIC EFFORTS THAT THE STAFF WHO WERE ABLE TO RESPOND TOOK, UM, DURING THAT, UM, STORM, UM, WE ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH FOLKS WHO WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND WHO WERE JUGGLING THEIR OWN CHALLENGES AT HOME BEING WITHOUT POWER, ET CETERA.

UM, BUT WE DO OWE IT TO OUR EMPLOYEES AND OUR CITIZENS TO EXAMINE WHAT HAPPENED, WHERE WE TOOK MISSTEPS AND HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.

UM, AND SO IT WAS IN THAT SPIRIT THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT THIS AUDIT AND TALKING ABOUT HOW WE USE THIS INFORMATION KIND OF MOVING FORWARD.

UM, SO I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT AS A CITY COUNCIL, IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY,

[00:30:02]

IT'S OUR CITY MANAGEMENT'S, UM, RESPONSIBILITY TO LOOK TOWARDS THAT.

THERE'S A LOT IN THIS AUDIT AND ANYONE WHO HASN'T READ IT, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ IT.

UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, OPPORTUNITIES THAT WERE MISSED THAT WE NEED TO DOUBLE DOWN AND MOVE FORWARD ON.

UM, WE, THE AUDIT SPEAKS VERY ELOQUENTLY TO THE, UH, NUMEROUS RESOLUTIONS AND REPORTS THAT HAD RECOMMENDATIONS OF HOW WE COULD BE BETTER PREPARED.

MANY OF WHICH SEEM VERY PROFICIENT.

UM, IN LIGHT OF THE EVENTS, I WOULD, UM, FOCUS FOLKS' ATTENTION ON THE FEMA 2020, UM, FEBRUARY, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS AT THE TOP OF PAGE 12.

UM, SO WE NEED TO ADDRESS SHELTERING FOR WINTER WEATHER.

UM, WE NEED TO DO AN EXERCISE INVOLVING NOT HAVING ANY ELECTRIC POWER.

UM, WE NEED FOR NON-OPERATIONAL DEPARTMENTS TO HELP OPERATIONAL DEPARTMENTS.

WE NEED LONG-TERM STAFFING.

NOW, GRANTED THAT CAME OUT JUST BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, BUT WE KNOW A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO BE DOING.

WE HAVE REPORTS THAT SAID WE NEEDED TO HAVE, UM, ACCESS TO LANGUAGE, ET CETERA.

ALL OF THOSE ARE IN THERE.

UM, WE NEED TO DO BETTER.

AND I HAVE TO SAY AS CHAIR OF THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, THAT I HAVE NEVER SEEN A MANAGEMENT RESPONSE THAT WAS SO DEFENSIVE IN LIGHT OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE CHALLENGE THAT'S BEFORE US AND THE REAL POSSIBILITY THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD HAPPEN AGAIN.

UM, AND IT'S MY HOPE THAT THE CITY MANAGEMENT WILL TAKE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS SERIOUSLY AND WORK WITH COUNCIL TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES, UM, MOVING FORWARD.

I WANT TO NOW OPEN UP THE FLOOR TO QUESTIONS OR, AND INVITE COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO WHO'S RESOLUTION LED TO THIS PARTICULAR AUDIT, IF SHE WANTS TO, UM, GO FIRST.

IN THE AFTER ACTION REPORT, UH, MORE THAN MORE THAN IN THIS ONE, BUT, UM, I CAN TELL YOU AS, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER RECEIVING PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS AND OTHER KINDS OF TEXTS FROM CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE NOT SURE THEY WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SURVIVE IN THEIR HOUSE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, UM, IT WAS, IT WAS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO ME TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE NEVER HAD A SITUATION AGAIN, WHERE I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHO TO ASK AMONG THE CITY STAFF FOR HELP OR TO COMMUNICATE THOSE REALLY DIRE POTENTIALLY LIFE ALTERING, UM, QUERIES FOR HELP TOO.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

NO ONE HAS START, UM, IN VERY MUCH THE SAME PLACE YOU DID COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER.

I WANT TO REALLY ACKNOWLEDGE OUR STAFF THROUGHOUT THE, THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION.

UM, YOU KNOW, FROM OUR INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL OFFICES TO OUR PUBLIC, OUR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY STAFF, OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT, OUR PUBLIC HEALTH.

UM, THERE WERE REALLY, AS YOU SAID, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER JUST, UM, HEROIC EFFORTS THROUGHOUT OUR ORGANIZATION FROM, FROM INDIVIDUAL, FROM STAFF MEMBERS WHOSE, WHO WERE SUFFERING THROUGH THIS STORM AS WELL, AND WHOSE FAMILIES WERE SUFFERING THROUGH THE STORM AND, AND NONE OF THE FOLLOWING CONVERSATION, UM, DISCOUNTS, ANY OF THAT EXTRAORDINARY EFFORT.

I WAS ON THE PHONE OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN WITH ONE OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES ONLY TO LEARN DAYS IN THAT, UM, HE HAD BEEN HAVING MOST OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS FROM HIS, FROM HIS CAR BECAUSE HE HAD NO AX.

HE HAD NO, UH, ELECTRICITY IN HIS HOME.

AND SO WE ARE, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE HEROIC AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ONGOING EFFORTS OF ALL OF OUR CITY STAFF WERE INVOLVED IN THE RESPONSE SAVED LIVES.

UM, AS THE AUDIT NOTES, THERE WERE SEVERAL REAL CATASTROPHIC EVENTS, UM, THAT, THAT, UM, WERE, IT DID NOT HAPPEN, UM, AND DID NOT UNFOLD IN OUR HOSPITALS AND SOME OF THE OTHER PLACES WHERE, WHERE THEY COULD HAVE BECAUSE OF THE ACTIONS OF OUR CITY.

THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, AS, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M VERY INVOLVED IN, IN LOTS OF ELEMENTS OF THAT EMERGENCY RESPONSE FROM HELPING GET WATER, UH, TO CONSTITUENTS, NOT JUST IN MY DISTRICT, BUT OTHERS AND HELPING, UH, TRYING TO, TO STAND UP WARMING CENTERS AND DO SO MANY OF THE OTHER, THE OTHER ELEMENT, THE OTHER REAL IMPORTANT, BASIC NEEDS, UH, THAT NEEDED THAT, THAT WERE REQUIRED DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME.

I SAW THINGS THAT I HAD NOT SEEN IN, IN OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE IN THE PAST.

AND DEFINITELY THIS WAS, UH, THERE WERE ELEMENTS OF THIS CRISIS THAT WERE UNFORESEEN AND, UH, UH, CONFLUENCE OF EVENTS THAT WERE UNEXPECTED TO SOME EXTENT AND HAPPENING TOGETHER, UH, WAS NOT CONTEMPLATED.

SO WHILE I UNDERSTOOD THE CHALLENGES, THERE WERE CERTAIN PROCESSES AND PROTOCOLS THAT I BELIEVED SHOULD BE FLOWING BETTER.

I WILL, I'LL JUST NAME ONE OF THEM.

YOU KNOW, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, WE HAD LIMITED COMMUNICATION, UM, ALMOST NO COMMUNICATION TO OUR GENERAL COMMUNICATION TO OUR COUNCIL, FEW UPDATES, NO IDENTIFIED CONTACT FOR US.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY A CONVERSATION WE NEED TO HAVE

[00:35:01]

SO PART OF THE RESOLUTE, SO THE RESOLUTION HAD THREE PARTS.

ONE WAS JUST HAVING AN INITIAL QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION, SOME WORKSHOPS AND WORK SESSIONS WITH OUR CITY STAFF, SO THAT WE COULD ASK OUR INITIAL QUESTIONS.

THE OTHER PART WAS A COMMUNITY TASK FORCE, WHICH DID A GREAT JOB.

AND THERE'S A VERY USEFUL REPORT WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I BELIEVE REALLY ALIGNED VERY WELL WITH, WITH THE AUDIT, WITH SOME OF THE FINDINGS OF THE AUDIT, INCLUDING ESPECIALLY, AND IMPORTANTLY LANGUAGE ACCESS THAT CAME UP AGAIN AND AGAIN, IN THE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS AROUND, AROUND THIS EVENT.

AND THEN THE THIRD PART WAS THIS AUDIT, THE AFTER-ACTION REPORT IS GOING TO BE VERY USEFUL.

I, I AM, UM, APPRECIATIVE TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER.

THE TWO OF US ARE, CO-SPONSORING A SPECIAL CALLED SESSION.

I'M NOT SURE YET WHETHER THAT'S GOING TO BE PART OF OUR NEXT WORK SESSION OR ON A DIFFERENT DAY, SO THAT WE REALLY HAVE THE TIME WE NEED TO ASK QUESTIONS OF THE CONSULTANT ABOUT THE AFTER ACTION REPORT.

AND I HOPE WE'LL ALSO HAVE, UM, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK WITH OUR COLLEAGUES ABOUT THE FINDINGS OF THE AUDIT.

THEY ARE VERY DIFFERENT IN APPROACH.

AND THOUGH THERE ARE SOME THEMES THAT HAPPEN IN BOTH.

I THINK WHAT IS NOT, I HAVEN'T, I HAVEN'T REALLY, UH, RE READ THE AFTER ACTION REPORT IN THE LEVEL OF DETAIL I NEED TO, BUT WHAT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY FOCUS, AT LEAST IN MY, MY REVIEW AT THIS POINT ON ARE ONE OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS HAD BEEN MADE IN THE PAST.

AND SO YOUR AUDIT REALLY CLEARLY SHOWS WHERE SEVERAL OF THOSE AREAS, WHERE, WHERE MULTIPLE TIMES, IN SOME CASES, OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS WERE TOLD TO HAVE A LANGUAGE ACCESS PLAN TO HAVE, UM, SOME OF THESE RESOURCES IN PLACE TO TALK ABOUT STAFFING, TO TALK ABOUT TRAINING ACROSS DEPARTMENTS, AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S AM ADRIANO.

I THINK YOU HAVE AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS AND CLEARLY THAT NEEDS TO ALSO BE PART OF OUR, OF OUR WORK AS A CITY AND PREPARING A RESILIENT COMMUNITY.

BUT WE DO NEED TO ANSWER, I THINK, TO OUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT WHY WE WERE NOT PROOFED PREPARING JUST FOR STARTERS, WHY WE WERE NOT PROVIDING THAT KIND OF INFORMATION IN A LANGUAGE THEY COULD UNDERSTAND.

SO ONE EXAMPLE FOR EXAMPLE, IS, UM, THE WATER BOIL NOTICE, WHICH WENT OUT TO NON ENGLISH LANGUAGE SPEAKERS AND WAS DELIVERED IN CHINESE, SPANISH, VIETNAMESE, AND ARABIC ONE DAY AFTER THE WATER BOIL NOTICE TOOK EFFECT.

SO COULD YOU PLEASE FIRST, I MEAN, I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL START THERE.

COULD YOU TALK TO US ABOUT LANGUAGE ACCESS? THIS HAS BEEN A NEED IDENTIFIED IN MULTIPLE REPORTS AND AFTER ACTION REPORTS.

CAN YOU TALK GENERALLY ABOUT WHY THAT, WHY THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO LANGUAGE ACCESS HAD NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED AT THE TIME OF THE WEATHER EVENT AND THEN ONCE THE WEATHER EVENT HAPPENED? CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHY THOSE EMERGENCY MESSAGES, BOTH ABOUT PREPAREDNESS BEFORE THE EVENT AND A RESPONSE, INCLUDING THE, ESPECIALLY THE WATER BOIL NOTICE? UM, ONCE THE EVENT HAD TAKEN PLACE COUNCIL MEMBER TO HAVE, I DO BELIEVE, BUT JUST LIKE I CAME FROM THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE.

I SEE HER STANDING THERE.

OH, I'M SORRY, MS. DANG, I DIDN'T SEE YOU OVER THERE.

IT'S HARD KNOWING WHERE TO PUT OUR ATTENTION HERE, CHECKUPS, UH, GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS JESSICA KING.

I'M WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE AND LANGUAGE ACCESS IS A KEY TENANT OF WHAT THE CPIO, UM, GROUP WORKS TOWARDS.

AND THE REALITY IS WE ACTUALLY DID HAVE, WHEN WE DO HAVE A LANGUAGE ACCESS PLAN IN PLACE FOR SAID, THE CHALLENGE WAS THAT OUR STAFF WHO ARE THE LEADS ON LANGUAGE ACCESS DID NOT HAVE POWER, DID NOT HAVE INTERNET ACCESS.

AND THEREFORE HAD A CHALLENGE REACHING THE BASIC ARE OUR VENDORS WHO PROVIDE THE SERVICE.

AND SO WE WERE NOT ABLE TO ACCESS THOSE SERVICES BECAUSE WE COULD NOT GET A HOLD OF THOSE VENDORS TO SUPPORT US IN THAT NEED.

UM, KEEPING ALSO IN MIND THAT THE WAY OUR STRUCTURE IS SET UP FOR LANGUAGE ACCESS, WE, WE HEARD FROM MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF THE INTEREST OF UTILIZING LOCAL VENDORS TO HELP WITH TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION NEEDS BECAUSE, AND IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.

MANY OF OUR VENDORS, MANY OF OUR

[00:40:01]

LOCAL PARTICIPANTS KNOW THE COMMUNITY THEY CAN SERVE AS AMBASSADORS.

THEY UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE THAT IS UTILIZED HERE.

AND SO MOST OF OUR VENDORS ARE HERE.

AGAIN, THE CHALLENGE WAS THEY WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME DIFFICULTIES THAT MANY OF OUR STAFF AND THE REST OF OUR COMMUNITY WERE EXPERIENCING.

AND SO ONE OF THE RESPONSES AND THE WAY WE WILL NEED TO ADDRESS THAT IS ENSURING THAT OUR STAFF HAVE ACCESS TO POWER, EVEN WHEN POWER GOES OUT, UM, AS WELL AS RELIABLE INTERNET INTERNET WAS GOING IN AND OUT THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE EVENT, I'M SURE MANY OF YOU ALSO EXPERIENCED THE SAME CHALLENGES.

AND SO EVEN THOUGH WE MIGHT'VE HAD LIMITED POWER AGAIN, I KNOW FOR A FACT, MY STAFF, AGAIN, WE'RE ALSO WORKING IN THEIR CARS, UM, TO SEND TEXT MESSAGES, TO SEND POSTS, UM, AND TO TRY AND CONTACT OUR VENDORS, TO BE ABLE TO HELP WITH TRANSLATION.

TRANSLATION IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T OCCUR OVERNIGHT.

AND THE MOVIE, THE EVENT WAS A MOVING TARGET IN MANY WAYS, BECAUSE THE INFORMATION WE WERE RECEIVING WAS OCCURRING AT THE SAME TIME, ESPECIALLY REGARDING POWER, WE WERE RECEIVING IT, UH, LIVE AS THE PUBLIC WAS RECEIVING IT.

AND SO AS THAT INFORMATION WAS ROLLING DOWN FROM ENERGY PROVIDERS AT THE STATE LEVEL, WE WERE GETTING IT TOO, AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO TRANSLATE THAT ON THE FLY WHEN IT THEN CHANGES AGAIN.

AND SO THE CHALLENGE IS HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT ONE, OUR LANGUAGE ACCESS SERVICES ARE ABLE TO BE ACCESSED, EVEN IF, UM, THEY ARE NOT, ARE THEY EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS? CAN WE GO NATIONAL? CAN WE LOOK AT DIFFERENT RESOURCES THAT WE CAN ACCESS, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, OUR STAFF NEED POWER AND INTERNET ACCESS TO SECURE THOSE SURFACES CLEARLY.

AND THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU FOR IDENTIFYING, UM, AND TALKING US THROUGH THE PIECE THAT WAS RELEVANT AFTER THE STORM HAPPENED AND KNOCKED OUT POWER.

THERE WERE SOME MOMENTS, UH, SOME EXAMPLES THAT ARE OUR AUDIT SITES ABOUT MESSAGES NOT BEING TRANSLATED INTO SPANISH PRIOR TO THE STORM HITTING PRESUMABLY BEFORE YOUR STAFF LOST POWER.

CAN YOU ADDRESS, CAN YOU ADDRESS THAT ISSUE PLEASE? YES.

I WOULD WANT MORE DETAIL ON THE SPECIFICS BECAUSE AGAIN, THE STORM WAS ONE THAT WAS A MOVING TARGET.

UM, ROLLING BLACKOUTS OCCURRED OR ROLLING OUTAGES OCCURRED.

UH, WE WERE NOTIFIED IN THE, IN THE MORNING HOURS, THE EARLY MORNING HOURS.

AND SO THE IMPACT OF THOSE SITUATIONS, DIDN'T REALLY, THEY WEREN'T REALLY REALIZED UNTIL THE CRACK OF DAWN FOR MOST PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST WAKING UP AND REALIZING THEY'RE QUITE COLD.

UM, SO A LOT, DEPENDING UPON WHAT THE TRANSLATION WAS, AS SOON AS WE WERE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE ONLINE, UM, AND AWARE OF THE SITUATION, THEN WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE MORE QUICKLY.

AND WE UTILIZE STAFF THAT WE HAD WHO HAD ACCESS TO SOME POWER AND TO SOME INTERNET RESOURCES TO TRANSLATE THE MATERIAL AS QUICKLY AS WE COULD.

YEAH, I THINK AS YOU'VE IDENTIFIED, THE PLANS GOING FORWARD ARE GOING TO HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR A SITUATION THAT HASN'T PRESENTED ITSELF BEFORE IN THIS COMMUNITY WHERE YOUR STAFF WHO ARE DOING THE WORK AND NEED TO BE IN CONTACT WITH THOSE VENDORS ARE UNABLE TO GET RELIABLE ACCESS TO ENERGY, TO ELECTRICITY, TO INTERNET THAT'S, THAT'S CLEARLY GOING TO GOING TO NEED A DIFFERENT KIND OF SOLUTION.

AND YOU'VE IDENTIFIED SOME OPTIONS OF HAVING, YOU KNOW, A PRIORITY FOR LOCAL VENDORS, BUT ALSO THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH INDIVIDUALS AND OUTSIDE COMMUNITIES, I WOULD SAY.

AND I THINK IT IS THE AUDIT THAT SUGGESTS THIS AS WELL, THAT, THAT ALSO HAVING SOME, HAVING A KIND OF A SECOND OR THIRD TIER TEAM THAT MAY BE OUTSIDE OF YOUR OFFICE, BUT, BUT OUR OTHER CITY STAFF MEMBERS WHO CAN, WHO CAN HELP, UM, IF THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE RESOURCES THAT YOUR STAFF DID NOT, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THEY'RE FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER ANYTHING LIKE THAT EXISTS CURRENTLY.

WE DO.

WE HAVE, WE, I AM A FAN OF ENSURING THAT WE HAVE CROSS CROSS CROSS TRAINING AMONG OUR TEAM, BECAUSE I DO NOT BELIEVE IN ONE POINT OF FAILURE.

AND SO THERE ARE MULTIPLE STAFF WHO HAVE ACCESS, BUT WE HAVE AT LEAST, I THINK, THREE TO FOUR TIERS OF THOSE WHO CAN SECURE THOSE VENDORS AND, AND REACH THEM.

WE COULD NOT REACH THOSE STAFF BECAUSE OF POWER AND INTERNET ACCESS FAILURE.

SO YOUR TEAM COULDN'T REACH THOSE OTHER RESOURCES BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T GET IN TOUCH WITH, IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.

SO MY STAFF, WHEN WE WOKE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING AND, AND, AND EXPERIENCED THIS SITUATION ACROSS THE CITY, THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE IS CHECK IN WITH STAFF WHO IS AVAILABLE, WHO CAN HELP, WHO CAN, WHO CAN GET ONLINE AND START DOING WORK.

AND SO, BECAUSE WE WERE VIRTUAL, WE'RE IN A COVID ENVIRONMENT, WE'RE NOT IN OUR OFFICE, WE COULDN'T TRAVEL BECAUSE OF THE ROADS.

UM, YOU KNOW, THE BEST THING WE CAN DO IS GO THROUGH TEXT AND GO THROUGH CALLS.

MANY OF OUR STAFF WERE NOT ABLE TO EITHER SECURE THEIR POWER, DIED ON THEIR PHONE OR INTERNET ISSUES ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

SO SECURING ACCESS TO THEM TO FIND OUT WHO CAN HELP.

THAT WAS THE FIRST BARRIER.

AND THEN ONCE WE WERE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE RAMPED UP, THAT'S

[00:45:01]

WHERE THE LAG AND DELAY AND THEN TRANSLATION OCCURS AFTER THAT SAME TIME.

SO IT'S, IT'S, IT IS, IT IS A SENSE OF TRYING TO HOPE AND PRAY THAT YOUR STAFF ARE OKAY WHEN YOU DON'T HEAR FROM THEM.

AND THEN TO RELY ON THEM, TO HELP GET INFORMATION OUT AS YOU ARE ALSO TRYING TO BRING EVERYTHING ELSE ONLINE AND WORKING TO, AND, AND JUST TO RE-EMPHASIZE THAT POINT THAT WE STAYED AT THE BEGINNING THAT, UM, I KNOW COUNTS THE CHAIR STATED THAT I DID AS WELL.

I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO GO THROUGH, TO REALLY TALK ABOUT THESE IN DETAIL.

UM, AT THE SAME TIME I WANT TO COMMEND YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DID DO.

AND I HOPE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE SPIRIT IN WHICH WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED AND WHERE, WHERE, UM, WHERE THE CHALLENGES WERE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE WE'RE, WE'VE GOT PLANS B, C AND D ALL THE WAY ON UP TO Z, SO THAT IF WE'RE IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT AGAIN, UM, THERE'S A, EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT THAT NEXT STEP SHOULD BE GOING BACK TO BEFORE THE STORM, THOUGH, I WILL JUST SAY, I THINK THAT IS A DIFFERENT, THAT'S GOING TO REQUIRE A DIFFERENT SOLUTION AND, AND FRANKLY, A DIFFERENT RESPONSE.

AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT NECESSARILY UNDERSTANDING YET WHY THOSE MESSAGES ABOUT EMERGENCY REPAIR PREPAREDNESS AND THE DAYS BEFORE THE STORM HIT WERE NOT TRANSLATED INTO MULTIPLE LANGUAGES AND, AND MORE BROADLY, UM, AND MAYBE THIS IS A CONVERSATION WE CAN TAKE UP FOR THE AFTER ACTION IN OUR, IN OUR LONGER, UM, HALF DAY, DAY LONG CONVERSATION.

WHAT STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN WITH REGARD TO MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN GET THOSE MESSAGES OUT, ESPECIALLY ABOUT PREPAREDNESS IN ADVANCE OF EVENTS IN THOSE LANGUAGES THAT WE KNOW ARE OUR NEIGHBORS NEED? ABSOLUTELY.

THERE ARE, WE ARE IN THE WORKS ON THAT ALREADY.

UM, I DO, I DO APPRECIATE THE SPIRIT WITH WHICH THIS COUNCIL IN THIS BODY IS LOOKING AT CHANGES.

I DO HOPE THAT YOU ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT WE LIVE THROUGH IT AS WELL, AND STUFF IS INTENT ON MAKING CHANGES, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH THIS AGAIN OURSELVES.

AND THERE'S A COMMITMENT ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION.

AND ESPECIALLY THOSE OF US WHO WORKED THE MANY, MANY HOURS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS COMMUNITY COULD OVERCOME SUCH A DEVASTATING STORM.

UM, WE WANT TO SEE THOSE CHANGES TO, SO I HOPE THAT DESPITE ALL THE CRITICISM WE CAN LOOK TOWARDS THOSE CHANGE IN THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT STAFF FROM FORWARD CAN BE IMPLEMENTED.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.

UM, FOR ALL OF THAT.

SO I, I THINK I'LL, I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS, BUT SINCE, UM, SINCE I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR A WHILE, I STILL, I STILL WILL NEED AN, A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHY THOSE MESSAGES PRIOR TO THE STORM WERE NOT TRANSLATED.

AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THERE'S A RESPONSE YOU WANT TO GIVE NOW OR AFTER MS. KING, BUT, UM, I KNOW OUR AUDIT DID IDENTIFY THAT AS AN ISSUE AND I WILL CERTAINLY LOOK INTO IT.

I WANT IT TO LOOK AT ALL THE STORM, UM, INFORMATION AND THE CONTENT.

I DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE A DATABASE OF PRE TRANSLATED MATERIAL AND WE HAVE ACCUMULATED THAT OVER TIME.

SO I WANT TO LOOK AT THAT DATABASE AND SEE WHETHER OR NOT WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE TWEAKS TO THE INFORMATION BECAUSE AS THE STORM STARTED ROLLING IN, THIS WAS LAYERS OF STORM.

IF YOU RECALL.

SO ONE CAME IN AND THEN IT STOPPED AND THEN IT COME, ANOTHER CAME IN AND IT STOPPED.

AND THEN ANOTHER CAME IN.

AND SO, UM, WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT HOW THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE ALREADY PRE TRANSLATED WAS WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS ACTUALLY HELPFUL, RELEVANT IN ANTICIPATION OF THE EVENT.

UM, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.

TOVO JUST FOR, UM, A TIME-CHECK, UM, WE DO NEED TO TAKE UP THE EMS ITEM, WHICH WE CAN DO CLOSER TO 11.

UM, IF WE NEED TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION AT OUR NEXT MEETING, UM, WE CAN, UM, BUT JUST IN TERMS OF A TIME CHECK ON AMOUNT OF TIME, WE HAVE ABOUT ANOTHER HALF HOUR THAT WE CAN, UM, POTENTIALLY KEEP TALKING ABOUT THIS, UM, TODAY.

LIKE MY COLLEAGUES AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THESE CHANGES.

EXTENDED SHORT.

HOW LONG ARE WE SCHEDULED? I THOUGHT WE WERE SCHEDULED TIL 1230 TODAY.

IS THAT NOT ACCURATE? NO, IT'S JUST 1130.

GOTCHA.

THANKS.

UM, BUT WE CAN EXTEND THE CONVERSATION IN DECEMBER, UM, AND WHATNOT.

UM, BUT I THINK WE DID HAVE AN HOUR PLUS ON THIS.

SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, DID YOU WANT TO GO NEXT? THANK YOU.

AND I JUST WANT TO SAY ALSO I ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES AS FAR AS THE HEROIC EFFORTS THAT WERE, WERE DONE DURING THE WINTER STORM, BUT I'M HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY OVERWHELMINGLY, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT WHO THINK IT'S VERY CONCERNING THAT THE CITY IS TELLING PEOPLE TO BE PREPARED.

AND THIS AUDIT SHOWS THAT WE ARE UNPREPARED.

SO I'D LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD MUCH

[00:50:01]

UM, SO IN RECOMMENDATION NUMBER FOUR, THE AUDITOR'S REPORT TALKS ABOUT CORRECTIVE ACTIONS AND IMPLEMENTATIONS.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT HSES HAS AN ENTRY-LEVEL EMPLOYEE WHO HAS NO AUTHORITY IN EITHER HIS DEPARTMENT OR CITY TO ENFORCE COMPLIANCE WITH CORRECTIVE ACTION PLANS.

AND IT'S MY ANALYSIS THAT IF THAT IS ACCURATE, WHICH I THINK THAT ONE MAY BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO YOU DIRECTOR OF, UM, THAT THAT ROLE SHOULD PROBABLY BE GIVEN TO ONE OF THE DEPUTY DIRECTORS WHO HAS AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE THOSE PLANS, BECAUSE ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, SAYS THAT THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.

CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT FOR ME? AND MAYBE CLARIFY WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD OR WHAT I, WHAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT, EXCUSE ME, AVI, DOES THAT WORK FOR THEM TO BE SPEAKING OVER THERE? OR SHOULD WE HAVE THEM COME SPEAK WITH AUDITORS THAT WORKS OVER THERE FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE? OKAY, GOOD MORNING.

COUNCIL MEMBER I'M IN FRONT OF THESE WAS THE DIRECTOR FOR HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

WE'RE LOOKING INTO THAT AND WE'LL BE MAKING SOME ADJUSTMENTS IN, IN, UH, IN RESPONSIBILITIES AND IN CLARIFYING THE ROLES IN THE, IN THE, UH, AND MAYBE IT MIGHT'VE BEEN A, UH, JUST A LACK OF AWARENESS OF WHAT THE, EXACTLY THEIR FUNCTION NEEDED TO BE, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THEIR RECOMMENDATION, MAKING THE ADJUSTMENTS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

UH, COUPE IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT.

IT'S GOING TO BE VITAL FOR OUR DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE ALL OF THE CAPABILITIES READY TO RESPOND.

AND FOR THOSE AT HOME WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT COOP IS, IT'S THE CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS PLANNING, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.

THANKS.

UM, IN RECOMMENDATION NUMBER SEVEN, IT TALKS ABOUT IN THE AUDIT AVAILABLE SUPPLIES DURING DISASTERS.

AND I'D LIKE TO CLARIFY THIS INFORMATION AS WELL.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN EFFORT TO CREATE A THREE PERSON LOGISTICS TEAM WITHIN HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TO MANAGE THE WAREHOUSE THAT YOU ALL ARE LEASING WHERE YOU STORE SUPPLIES, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT ADDRESSES THE FACILITY OR EXISTING PLAN TO CHANGE STAFFING.

SO I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND IF THE CONTRACT STAFF NOW THAT'S ON HAND, COULD POSSIBLY BE CREATED INTO PERMANENT POSITIONS OR WHAT YOUR FURTHER PLANS ARE FOR THAT WAREHOUSE.

IF YOU COULD JUST BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT PAT AND YES.

SO BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, WE'VE HAD TO, UH, ESTABLISH A LONGER OR MORE ROBUST LOGISTICAL FUNCTION.

UH, IN PREVIOUS DISASTERS, THE LOGISTICAL FUNCTION WAS, UH, ONLY STOOD UP FOR A PERIOD OF TIME TO MANAGE THE DISASTER, BUT BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER A YEAR NOW, AND THAT HAS ALLOWED US TO EXPAND AND EVALUATE, UH, SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER ENSURING THAT WE HAVE AN ADEQUATE, UH, INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, UH, THAT REQUIRED TEMPORARY STAFF TO BE BROUGHT ON BOARD.

UH, AND, AND IT REALLY HAS HELPED US KIND OF GRAB A HOLD OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE ACQUIRED FROM THE PANDEMIC THAT WE'RE ALSO AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO THE WINTER STORM.

AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, AS WE LOOK AT IT, THESE DISASTERS BEING MORE COMPLEX, UH, AND THE FREQUENCY OF DISASTER THAT WE'RE HAVING, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TO EVALUATE THE LOGISTICAL NECESSARY CAPABILITIES IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE READY TO RESPOND TO FUTURE DISASTERS THAT WILL ALSO INCLUDE STAFFING NECESSARY, UH, TO SUPPORT THOSE FUNCTIONS.

WE POSSIBLY CAN MAKE IT AND ASSEMBLIES WE, AS WE CAN GET IT OUT QUICKLY.

SO PRIOR FOR ME, BEFORE I WAS ON COUNCIL, I WORKED IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

SO I HAVE A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORK THAT YOU DO.

AND I KNOW THAT IT IS VERY COMPLICATED IN RECOMMENDATION EIGHT.

IT TALKS ABOUT THE, UM, PUBLIC INFORMATION THAT GOES OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.

AND WHEN I WORKED AT THE, I WAS A SINGLE UNIT PIO RESOURCE IN THE ER IN THE PIO SECTION AT THE BASTROP COUNTY COMPLEX FIRE.

AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT LEVELS OF VETTING THAT HAPPEN WITHIN THE PIO SECTION AT HSE.

M CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT JUST BRIEFLY? SO THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS, SO CAN YOU, UH, RE SORRY, UM, COULD YOU EXPLAIN THE LEVELS OF VETTING THAT GO THROUGH BEFORE A MESSAGE GOES OUT FROM HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT THROUGH A DISASTER? I BELIEVE THERE'S THREE LEVELS OF VETTING THAT GOES FORWARD, WHICH IS, COULD ADD TO THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT IT TAKES TO GET A MESSAGE.

YES, EXACTLY.

AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE INFORMATION THAT GOES OUT TO THE PUBLIC IS TIMELY AND IT'S ACTIONABLE, AND IT, AND ADDRESSES THE, UH, THE QUESTION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ANSWER.

AND SO WE DO GO THROUGH A VETTING PROCESS TO ENSURE THAT WE COORDINATE WITH THE OPERATIONAL DEPARTMENTS ON THAT, ON THE, THE, THE ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION.

AND THEN WE DON'T, AND WE GO THROUGH A PROCESS TO WOULD ALSO INCLUDE, UH, THE PA THE EOC DIRECTOR AND POLICY GROUP TO, UH, TO EVALUATE THAT, THAT INFORMATION DISSEMINATION, THAT'S GOING TO GO OUT AS WELL TO ENSURE THAT WE GET IT OUT AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN AS, AND AS MANY LANGUAGES THAT WE CAN ASK.

MY COLLEAGUE, JESSICA KING INDICATED, UH, UH, WE WERE DRASTICALLY LIMITED IN OUR ABILITIES.

UH, THIS WAS A DISASTER DIFFERENT FROM OTHER ONES, UH, AND THE INFORMATION WAS CONSTANTLY CHANGING AND THAT REQUIRED US TO GO BACK AND RESTART THAT PROCESS.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INFORMATION THAT GOES OUT IS ACCURATE, UH, AS, AS BEST AS

[00:55:01]

AND THEN JUST LASTLY, I WAS PARTICULARLY CONCERNED DURING THIS SEVERE WEATHER EVENT, BECAUSE AS A NEWLY ELECTED COUNCIL MEMBER, I WAS STILL GETTING MY FOOTING.

AND MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS GET INFORMATION TO ACCESS, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN TALK TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING.

AND AT ONE POINT I BECAME SO FRUSTRATED BECAUSE CITY STAFF WAS NOT REACHABLE OR, OR THEY JUST WERE DOING OTHER THINGS THAT I WENT OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY TO GET ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION AT THE CAPITOL AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, I NEEDED THE SITUATION REPORTS.

AND I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S GOOD PRACTICE.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MOVING FORWARD A MUCH BETTER FLOW OF INFORMATION TO COUNCIL AND TO CITY LEADERSHIP OR FROM CITY LEADERSHIP.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DID.

IT WAS CERTAINLY, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T CALL THESE TYPES OF EVENTS, EVENTS, THEY'RE INCIDENTS, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T PUT THEM ON A CALENDAR AND SCHEDULE THEM.

SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DID DURING THAT TIME.

OF DISASTERS AS, AND AS WELL AS LOOK AT WHAT CAPABILITIES THE CITY AND THE COUNTY NEED AND THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY TO DEVELOP, TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE SEEN IS THAT THE CITY MAY HAVE SOME CAPABILITIES, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT MAY NEED THE HELP DON'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO MAKE THE, THE S THE, THE ASSISTANCE BE A LOT, GO A LOT SMOOTHER.

I'M GOING TO ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND THEN INVITE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER FONTUS, WHO'S NOT ON THE COMMITTEE IF SHE HAS QUESTIONS AT THAT POINT.

UM, SO WE HAVE, UM, 130 SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE AFTER ACTION REPORT FROM HAGGERTY PLUS WHATEVER'S IN THE, UM, SPECIFIC AAE AND AUSTIN WATER RECOMMENDATIONS.

WE HAVE 10 FAIRLY CLEAR RECOMMENDATIONS, I BELIEVE IS THE NUMBER FROM THIS AUDIT, SOMETHING OVER THE ORDER OF 400 RECOMMENDATIONS FROM PLASTIC PLANS, UM, THAT NEED IMPLEMENTING OR HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDING THERE IS OBVIOUSLY OVERLAP ACROSS THEM.

THERE'S THERE ARE PATTERNS OF THINGS WHERE WE'VE, WHERE WE'VE SEEN.

THERE'S BEEN PROBLEMS AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED WITH LANGUAGE ACCESS AND, UM, SHELTER, ET CETERA.

UM, MR. ARIANO OR MR. ORTIZ HELPED ME UNDERSTAND HOW WE ARE PRIORITIZING AMONG THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.

WE JUST GOT A LOT OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.

SOME HAD BEEN THERE, THEY HADN'T BEEN ACTED ON WHAT I DON'T WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN IS WHAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED IS WHERE WE DIDN'T ACT ON RECOMMENDATIONS FROM PAST REPORTS.

I MEAN, THE NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ACTED ON WITH RESPECT TO THE WATER BOIL EVENT IN 2018 IS ASTONISHING.

SO HOW CAN WE UNDERSTAND HOW WE ARE PRIORITIZING? BECAUSE I THINK WE ALL UNDERSTAND THE CONSTRAINTS AND THE UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF FEBRUARY.

WHAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT IS NOT REPEATING THOSE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PREPARED.

SO PLEASE SPEAK TO HOW WE ARE GOING TO PRIORITIZE AMONG THESE DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATIONS AND TO MOVE FORWARD.

LET ME, UH, SPEAK ON THAT AND, UH, SEE IF THERE'S ANY, UH, ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT A CERTAIN SET OF MANAGEMENT'S VERY UNKNOWN WE MAY WANT TO ADD.

UM, I THINK THE, THE CHALLENGE THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS FACED IN THE LAST, UH, FOUR TO FIVE YEARS HAS BEEN THE FACT THAT WE THAT'S BEEN A, A, UM, HIGH LEVEL OF ACTIVITY, AS FAR AS DISASTERS ARE CONCERNED.

THEY'RE, THEY'RE BEING MORE FREQUENT.

UH, OUR AFTER ACTION REVIEW PROCESS DOES TAKE WHILE BECAUSE IT IS VERY COMPREHENSIVE.

UM, AND IN THE LAST, UH, TWO YEARS, UM, YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION TO THE PANDEMIC, WE ALSO RESPONDED TO A, UH, A MAJOR COASTAL EVACUATION FOR HURRICANE LAURA AND THE WINTER STORM EVENT.

UM, THERE HAS BEEN WORK DONE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE UN ACTION REPORTS.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE FREQUENCY OF THE, OF THE DISASTER SECURING HAS GOTTEN IN THE WAY OF SEEING SOME OF THOSE EFFORTS THAT ARE ON THE WAY GOING TO GET INTO COME TO COMPLETION.

SOME OF THE, THE, THE SOLUTIONS ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, COMPLICATED, MORE COMPLEX, AND SO REQUIRE A LITTLE MORE TIME, UH, THE WAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD.

AND, AND THAT IS TO LOOK AT ALL OF THESE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS THAT WE HAVE, THAT WE HAVE ADDRESSED, EVEN THE PREVIOUS ONES THAT WE HAVE, UH, LOOKED AT THAT MIGHT'VE, THAT WERE RESOLVED, BUT WE'RE SEEING THEM COME BACK AGAIN, UH, AND IS IN PRIORITIZE AND BASE ON WHAT IS, WHAT ARE THE ONES THAT WE CAN, UH, UH, ADDRESS VERY QUICKLY AS WELL, AND MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE HAVE THE COMMITMENT FROM, UH, NOT ONLY THE CITY AND COUNTY DEPARTMENTS, BUT AS WELL AS, UH, SOME OF THESE ARE GOING TO BE PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR, WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND ENSURE THAT WE, WE PROVIDE THE ADEQUATE LEVEL OF ATTENTION.

GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE HAVE AN ONGOING RESPONSE WHEN PANDEMIC, UH, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT, UH, THAT WE LOOK AT WHAT CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS TO BE STRENGTHENED, WHAT EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE MEASURES CAN BE, CAN BE TAKEN IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN LIMIT THOSE, THE FUTURE IMPACTS

[01:00:01]

SO THERE IS, NEEDS TO BE A, A BROADER COMMUNICATION THAT WE NEED TO ENGAGE.

SO ENSURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT WAYS TO PRIORITIZE THAT, THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, ADAPTABILITY, TO ENSURE THAT WHAT CAPABILITIES WE'RE BUILDING IN THE CITY ARE ABLE TO BE, UH, QUICKLY UTILIZED TO MINIMIZE THE DISASTERS.

FOR EXAMPLE, UM, IN, IN 2018, WE SUFFERED A BOWL WATER CRISIS THAT IMPACTED THE ALICE'S FACILITIES.

UM, WE, WE EXPERIENCED THE SAME, UH, DURING THIS WINTER STORM.

SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT, MAKE SURE THAT DIALYSIS FACILITIES HAVE THE ADEQUATE EQUIPMENT TO ALLOW US TO, UH, BE ABLE TO PROVIDE WATER IF WE NEED TO, OR POWER OF NEED TO IN AN EASIER MANNER SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT THEY WILL TO PROVIDE THE INTERNET SERVICES THAT THEY PROVIDE TO THE COMMUNITY IS NOT AN EASY CHALLENGE.

I DO KNOW THAT ALL WERE COMMITTED TO SITTING DOWN WITH ALL OUR PARTNERS AND, AND LOOK AT THAT A MATRIX OF, OF PRIORITIZATION BASED ON WHAT, UH, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO SAVE LIVES AND PROTECT PROPERTY AS BEST AS, AS BEST WAY THAT WE CAN TO MOVE FORWARD.

THANK YOU, MR. ARIANA, DID YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING? UH, THANK YOU, CHAIR.

I WOULD JUST ADD THAT CERTAINLY A DIRECTOR OR TEETH HAS DONE A GOOD JOB ALREADY STARTING WITH THE, UH, THE COMMUNITY TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS AND DOING A SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON WITH THE AFTER-ACTION REPORT.

UH, CERTAINLY THIS WILL HAVE THE ATTENTION OF THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO MAKE, UH, TO HELP, UH, WITH, UH, AS WELL AS THE OTHER, UH, INVOLVED DEPARTMENTS TO PRIORITIZE AND SEE HOW WE MIGHT INCORPORATE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, AS WELL AS TEACHER BUDGETS.

SO I'M GOING TO ASK THAT AT OUR SPECIAL CALLED MEETING THAT COME PREPARED WITH A REALLY CLEAR STATEMENT OF HOW WE'RE PRIORITIZING AND WHAT THAT PLAN IS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE, AS A COUNCIL NEED TO UNDERSTAND.

WE CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT RESOURCES YOU NEED.

WE CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT STEPS NEED TO, TO TAKE PLACE, UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, A MESS OF 600 RECOMMENDATIONS, MANY OF WHICH OVERLAP, ET CETERA.

UM, THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS, SUMS LOW-HANGING FRUIT.

SOME IS MORE COMPLICATED, UM, BUT WE NEED THAT CLARITY THAT WE ARE ON TOP OF THIS AND THAT WE'RE TAKING EVERY MEASURE POSSIBLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DOESN'T REPEAT.

AND I WILL JUST POINT OUT THAT IT IS NOVEMBER, FEBRUARY IS NOT VERY FAR AWAY.

AND SO IT IS CONCERNING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAS BEEN DONE.

AND I UNDERSTAND WE ARE IN A PANDEMIC.

I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE MULTIPLE DISASTERS, BUT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT AS WE DID DURING COVID TO ITERATE AND MOVE FORWARD AND LEARN FROM MISTAKES, TAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPLEMENT THEM.

THE NEXT QUESTION I HAVE IS, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE DATES FOR IMPLEMENTATION IN THIS AUDIT ARE ALARMING 20 23, 20 24.

AGAIN, IT'S NOVEMBER, FEBRUARY IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.

UM, I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND MR. ARIANO WHY WE ARE WAITING UNTIL THE FISCAL YEAR 23 BUDGET TO BE IMPLEMENTING THINGS.

OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED UNDER THE BUDGET, BUT, YOU KNOW, WITH HE, SOME HAS 15 STAFF MEMBERS AND WE'RE STILL IN A PANDEMIC, ET CETERA.

AND WE HAVE, UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, EXPECTATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE CLIMATE EVENTS.

WE HAVE TO RESOURCE THE DEPARTMENT.

WE HAVE TO RESOURCE MOVING FORWARD WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND IF WE WAIT UNTIL AUGUST AND WE'RE WAITING TILL OCTOBER, THEN IT TAKES THREE MONTHS OR FOUR MONTHS TO HIRE, ET CETERA.

THAT'S TOO LATE.

SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE WAITING UNTIL FISCAL YEAR 23 AND WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW.

UM, BECAUSE IF THEY'RE, I JUST DON'T THINK THERE'S THAT MUCH WIGGLE ROOM IN HAYSOM'S BUDGET OR WHOEVER ELSE'S BUDGET, UM, TO DO THAT.

SO I WOULD BRIEFLY SAY CERTAINLY HAPPY TO LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES FOR A MID-YEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENT IN THE PARTICULAR CASE OF, UH, KEY SUMS STAFFING.

CERTAINLY WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TEMPORARY STRAPPINGS TO GET US ALONG IN TERMS OF, UH, UH, ADDRESSING THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC AND, AND ONE OR TEAS CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THAT.

BUT AGAIN, I THINK,

[01:05:01]

UH, SOME OF THESE LONGER-TERM LEAD ITEMS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED, AT LEAST IN OUR INITIAL MANAGEMENT RESPONSE, LOOKS TO HOW WE MIGHT, UH, ADDRESS EACH ITEM COMPREHENSIVELY.

AND IT WILL TAKE TIME TO DO THAT IN THE MEANTIME, THOUGH, UH, CERTAINLY OPEN TO TAKING A LOOK AT AS HAS, UH, HOW WE MIGHT DO THINGS USING TEMPORARY RESOURCES AND DOING AS MUCH PLANNING AS WE CAN TO GET THINGS MOVING.

YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I JUST REALLY WANT TO UNDERSCORE THAT AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE LEVEL OF PRIORITY THESE ACTIONS ARE HAVING, OR WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO START DOING IFCS OVER A PARTICULAR ELEMENTS OF THE AFTER ACTION REPORT.

AND, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEFORE US AN AUDIT THAT BASICALLY SAYS WE'VE DONE ALL THESE AFTER ACTION REPORTS AND WE HAVEN'T FOLLOWED THROUGH ON THEM.

WELL, WE CAN'T KEEP DOING THAT.

WE HAVE TO IMPLEMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IN HERE OR SOME COMBINATION AND, UM, OF THE DIFFERENT REPORTS AND GET MOVING ON DIFFERENT PIECES.

IT IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING AS A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO SPONSORED A RESOLUTION IN 2019 THAT SAID SET UP RESILIENCE, HUBS SET SAID, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THESE CLIMATE ACTIONS.

WE NEED TO BE ORGANIZED AND DO THESE THINGS.

UM, AND TO LOOK AT THESE VARIOUS REPORTS AND AFTER ACTION REPORTS, AND TO THINK THAT WE WERE IMPLEMENTING THEM.

I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, IT'S, IT'S EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING AND WE NEED SYSTEMS IN PLACE THAT DON'T LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN.

AND I THINK COLLEAGUES THAT ARE ON THE COMMITTEE, WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHETHER WE WANT TO BE DEVOTING SORT OF SOME REGULAR TIME TO BE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, PARTICULAR, UM, PIECES OF THESE REPORTS AND HOW THEY'RE GETTING IMPLEMENTED AND DIVING INTO PARTICULAR PIECES TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THINGS THAT RISE UP, UM, FOR US, UM, ON THAT.

AND THEN LASTLY, I WANT TO TAKE UP THE POINT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY MENTIONED WITH RESPECT TO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND HAVING, UM, THE TRAINING AND THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED IN ORDER TO DO OUR JOB AND TO NOT GET IN THE WAY OF, UM, THE RESPONSE.

UM, SO WHAT PROCESSES SHOULD EXIST GOING FORWARD FOR A MORE FORMALIZED ROLE FOR CITY COUNCIL DURING DISASTER EVENTS AND WHAT PLANS ARE THERE FOR US TO HAVE THE EMERGENCY PLANNING, UM, TRAINING THAT I EVEN AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, FIVE YEARS IN, HAVE NEVER RECEIVED, NEVER BEEN OFFERED.

LET ME, UM, START BY SAYING THERE IS, UM, A SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR TRAINING AS WE LOOK AT, UM, REQUIRED BY, BY STATE LAW FOR THE CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIAL, UH, IN THE AREA OF, UH, THAT BEING THE MAYOR OF THE COUNTY JUDGE OUTSIDE OF THAT, THAT FROM A, FROM A REGULATORY STAND POINT, THAT THERE REALLY ISN'T MUCH, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING TO, UH, UH, UH, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ALL, UM, UM, UH, SHARING THE INFORMATION THAT WE CAN.

UM, AND, AND NO MATTER WHAT YOSSI ACTIVATION, WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT WE WILL, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT HOW WE WERE PROVIDING THAT INFORMATION TO YOU, OR HOW WE CAN IMPROVE IN PROVIDING THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.

UH, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER IS DOING THOSE EOC ACTIVATIONS, UH, TO ENSURE THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AND, AND, AND HOW YOU CAN DISSEMINATE THAT INFORMATION TO YOUR, TO YOUR DISTRICTS AND ENSURE THAT WE ARE, UH, ADDRESSING THOSE QUESTIONS.

I THINK THAT THEY'RE WHAT W WHAT YOU'RE HEARD FROM US IS THAT A REALIZATION THAT IT WENT TO SOME URI WITH EVERYTHING ELSE WAS GOING ON, IT STRETCHES REALLY THING.

AND I THINK ALLOWED FOR, FOR SOME OF THOSE, UM, PROCEDURES THAT WE HAD UTILIZED IN THE PAST TO COMMUNICATE THE COUNCIL WERE STRETCHED VERY THIN, AND WE MAY NEED TO LOOK AT OUT, UH, HOW WE CAN STRENGTHEN THOSE.

UM, UH, AND I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.

I REMEMBER.

CAN I JUST ADD SOMETHING TO THE POINT ABOUT THE, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE WE LOSE THAT ONE? SURE.

I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY WANTED TO SPEAK ABOUT THE COUNCIL PIECE, AND THEN YOU CAN JUST SAY REAL QUICK, IF YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE THE SAME ACCESS TO THE WEB EOC THAT I HAVE, I'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE WITH YOU CONTACT INFORMATION FOR CAP COGS, SO YOU CAN GET A LOGIN, UM, AND YOU CAN GO TO PREPARING TEXAS.ORG TO DO BASIC TRAINING ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.

THESE ARE THINGS THAT I DO BELIEVE SHOULD BE YOUR ROLE.

I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN JUST DIRECT YOU TO PROVIDE THAT, BUT I THINK IT'S THE CONSENSUS OF THIS COUNCIL THAT, THAT SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO INCOMING COUNCIL MEMBERS.

IT'S VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION.

THERE WERE THINGS IN THERE THAT I NEEDED TO TELL MY CONSTITUENTS ABOUT, AND I DIDN'T KNOW,

[01:10:01]

BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THE INFORMATION, WHICH IS WHY I WENT OUTSIDE OF THE ORGANIZATION.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR.

AND BEFORE YOU TAKE UP YOUR POINT COUNCIL MEMBER TO GO, I THINK ONE THING THAT I'VE LEARNED IN MY FIVE YEARS IS THAT IF THERE IS A VACUUM COUNCIL WILL FILL IT AND YOU, YOU CREATE MORE WORK WHEN WE DON'T HAVE THE CLEAR PATHS, UM, WHEN THINGS DON'T HAPPEN, WE TRY TO MAKE THEM HAPPEN IN OTHER WAYS.

AND SO IT IS HELPFUL FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO DO YOUR JOB.

I'M VERY AWARE THAT THERE WERE SITUATIONS THAT COUNSEL COMPLICATED THINGS BY ASKING CERTAIN THINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, NOBODY, NOBODY COMES OUT SMELLING LIKE ROSES FROM WHAT HAPPENED.

EVERYONE TOOK HEROIC STEPS, BUT WE CAN STILL LEARN FROM THAT.

AND MY EXPERIENCE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER IS WE NEED THAT OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW WHO WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE TALKING TO.

WHO'S GOING TO ANSWER STUFF.

WHO'S GOING TO BE ABLE TO HELP US WITH THE DIFFERENT, THE DIFFERENT PIECES AND ABSENT THAT WE ARE GOING TO CREATE, UH, A MAIL STORM OF, YOU KNOW, REQUESTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE COMING UP, PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO RESPOND TO THE EMERGENCY, AND THAT CAN BE AVOIDED, UM, AND IMPROVED IN SO MANY WAYS, BOTH TO HELP US TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR CONSTITUENTS, BUT ALLOW OTHER STAFF TO FOCUS ON WHAT THEY NEED TO FOCUS ON.

UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO.

AND THEN IF IT COMES FROM WHEN JUSTICE QUESTION.

RECOGNIZE THAT, BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT BECAUSE IT'S HAPPENED WITHIN THE LAST FEW YEARS.

UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.

I WOULD LIKE ACCESS TO THE WEB.

I SEE THAT YOU MENTIONED, I HAVE HAD THE DESIRE.

I HAVE HAD A DAY LONG DISASTER TRAINING.

I CAN SAY IT WOULDN'T HAVE HELPED WITH, UM, WHAT WE EXPERIENCED BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES, BUT I CAN ADDRESS THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE AFTER ACTION REPORT, BECAUSE THERE ARE JUST CERTAIN THINGS THAT I HAD NO SURETY WERE GOING TO HAPPEN IF WE DIDN'T STEP OUT OF OUR LANE AS A COUNCIL OFFICE AND COUNCIL STAFF AND DO IT.

SO I THINK THAT SPEAKS TO THE COMMUNICATIONS PIECE AS WELL.

BUT AGAIN, I'LL ADDRESS THAT IN THE, WITH RELATIONSHIP TO THE AFTER ACTION REPORT THAT SUGGESTS AND SORT OF IMPLIES THAT PART OF THE ISSUE IS, UH, COUNCIL COUNCIL NOT UNDERSTANDING ITS ROLE.

UM, SO TO ADD TO THE REQUESTS THAT OUR CHAIR MADE ABOUT COMING TO THE AFTER-ACTION CONVERSATION, PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT THE PRIORITIZATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS.

I NEED TO ALSO UNDERSTAND AS WE HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, WHY THAT NEED WASN'T ADVANCED TO, UM, TO COUNSEL AS A NEED.

UM, AND, AND PROBABLY I NEEDED TO HEAR THIS FROM THE CITY MANAGER.

UM, I'M REALLY DISTRESSED BY THE AUDIT FINDING THAT THERE, THAT THERE WAS NOT A PROCESS IN PLACE FOR TRACKING RECOMMENDATIONS, AS WELL AS PRIORITIZING RECOMMENDATIONS.

I NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW, WHAT WAS THE THINKING BEHIND HOW THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED IF THERE WASN'T A SYSTEM FOR TRACKING THEM AND, YOU KNOW, KEEPING TRACK OF WHAT HAD, WHAT HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED, WHAT A TIMELINE WAS FOR IMPLEMENTATION.

SO THIS, I KNOW WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME HERE, AND I HAVE ZILLIONS OF OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT TRAINING AND SHELTERING, WHICH I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE SUBJECT OF ANOTHER AUDIT, BUT IS IMPORTANT TO THIS ONE.

I HAVE A SLEW OF OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT JUST LET ME ADD THAT ONE TO THE REQUESTS THAT, THAT WE GET A REAL CLEAR ANSWER FROM, FROM STAFF ABOUT WHY, IF THERE WERE RESOURCES NEEDED TO DO THAT REALLY IMPORTANT WORK OF TRACKING AND PRIORITIZATION, WHY THAT NEED WASN'T IDENTIFIED AND ADVANCED, AND HOW, WHAT WAS THE THINKING BEHIND HOW THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD, WOULD BE TURNED INTO ACTION? UM, IF THERE WASN'T A TRACKING MECHANISM, IF I CAN SPEAK ON THAT AND TOOK BACK TO, UH, UH, CUSTOMER KELLY'S COMMENTS, I THINK THAT ANOTHER THING THAT CAN BE DONE, UH, AND, AND WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND IS, UH, WE OFFER A EOC, UH, REPRESENTATIVE TRAINING, UH, THAT, THAT CAN, THE COUNCIL CAN PARTICIPATE, BUT DOING IT VIRTUALLY NOW, IT'S, UH, IT'S ABOUT THREE TO FOUR HOURS LONG.

AND I WOULD, I WOULD URGE COUNCIL TO, TO, UH, YOURSELF OR YOUR STAFF, UH, ENGAGE IN THAT TRAINING.

AND I THINK IT WILL HELP UNDERSTAND AND ADDRESS THOSE, SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS OF, OF WHAT WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO GO BACK TO.

I THINK THAT IS THE TRAINING I REFERENCED THAT I HAD PARTICIPATED IN, I BELIEVE IT WAS A DAY LONG, BUT THANK YOU FOR MAKING THAT AVAILABLE TO THE WHOLE COUNCIL.

AND THEN ALSO, UM, UH, I THINK WHAT WE FOUND OUT, UH, AND THIS IS FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH, WITH THE CITY OTTERS, IS THAT IN PREVIOUS, UH, TIMEFRAMES, THERE WASN'T A TIME IN BETWEEN DISASTERS WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, TO ADDRESS THOSE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS, BUT BECAUSE OF THE, THE AMOUNT OF DISASTERS THAT WE HAVE IN SO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER, IT, THERE HASN'T BEEN ENOUGH TIME IN BETWEEN THEM TO LOOK AT THOSE, UH, AND COMPLETE ALL OF THOSE GREAT ACTIONS AND THEY'RE IN.

AND THAT REALLY HAS COST THE, THE CONGESTION IN, IN WORK, THE NEEDS TO BE DONE AT THE SAME TIME AS WE CONTINUE TO RESPOND.

SO WE

[01:15:01]

AND SO WE ARE SAYING THAT WE NEED TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A SYSTEM OF TRACKING THOSE, UH, IMPLEMENTATION, UH, SUGGESTIONS AND PLANS.

THEY GO BEYOND JUST ONE DISASTER, BUT TO LOOK AT MULTIPLE DISASTERS.

AND BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE LOOKING, NOT JUST THE, UH, THE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS FROM ONE PARTICULAR DISASTER, BUT LOOK AT THEM FROM HOW THEY FIT INTO PREVIOUS DISASTROUS AS WELL.

SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT AS WELL.

AND, BUT IT CAME ABOUT BECAUSE OF THE, THE AMOUNT OF, OR THE NUMBER OF DISASTERS THAT WE'RE FACING IN THE LAST TWO YEARS THAT REALLY BROUGHT THAT TO LIFE AND WE'RE, AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO ADDRESSING THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER FONTEZ, THANK YOU TO ASK YOU TO BE REASONABLY REEF.

YES, YOU CAN.

AND IN FACT, I, I WILL RESERVE QUESTIONS UNTIL WE HAVE OUR SPECIAL CALL MEETING.

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A BRIEF COMMENT.

UM, FIRST THANK YOU TO THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR, ALTAR FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND FOR CREATING THE SPACE FOR US TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AND THANK YOU TO OUR CITY AUDITOR, RECORDING YOUR TEAM FOR WORKING ON THIS.

UM, PART OF THE REASON WHY I'M HERE, TODAY'S WE KNOW THAT WHEN DISASTERS HAPPEN, NOT ALL COMMUNITIES ARE AFFECTED THE SAME, AND CERTAINLY FOR COMMUNITIES LIKE MINE WHO ARE ALREADY IN A VULNERABLE POSITION, UM, WE HAVE, WE OFTEN BEAR THE BRUNT OF, OF DISASTERS.

AND SO IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO, TO, TO HEAR AND TO GET A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S BEING PRESENTED TODAY.

UM, IT IS TROUBLING TO SEE THAT WE HAD RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE PART OF PREVIOUS AFTER ACTION REPORTS THAT WERE NEVER ACTED UPON.

IT IS REALLY HARD TO GO BACK TO MY COMMUNITY AND TO SAY, WELL, WE, WE KNEW WHAT TO DO.

WE COULD HAVE PREPARED BETTER, BUT WE DIDN'T, BUT NOW WE KNOW WHAT TO DO, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ACTION ON IT AND IMPLEMENT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TWO YEARS FROM NOW AS NOT, OKAY.

I CAN NOT DO THAT.

I CAN NOT SAY IN 20, 23, BE IMPLEMENTING RECOMMENDATIONS SO THAT WE NEVER EXPERIENCED WHAT WE EXPERIENCED DURING THE WINTER STORM.

AND SO I JUST WANT TO UNDERSCORE UNDERSCORE THE POINT OF HOW IMPORTANT AND URGENT IT IS FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD ON THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.

UM, AND, AND AS WE LOOK AT REBUILDING A SYSTEM THAT IS EQUITABLE, NO, THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN THE, THE CHART, THE MAP THAT SHOWED THE REGISTRATIONS OF, UH, AUSTINITES ARE ON THE WARREN CENTRAL TEXAS SYSTEM, YOU WILL SEE THAT THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT DISPARITIES THERE AND AUSTENITE TO LIVE EAST OF 35 OR LESS LIKELY TO BE REGISTERED ON THE WARREN CENTRAL TEXAS SYSTEM.

AND SO I EXPECT, AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO ENCOURAGE MORE OF OUR COMMUNITY TO SIGN UP ON THAT ALERT SYSTEM, BECAUSE I KNOW JUST HOW CRUCIAL IT IS DURING TIMES OF DISASTER.

UH, AND SO THAT THAT'S FOR THE BRIEF REMARKS AND WANDER TO PROVIDE.

TO TALK ABOUT IT AS WELL.

AND I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT EVEN ON THE WEST SIDE, THE REGISTRATION IS NOT VERY HIGH FOR WARREN CENTRAL.

SO WE, AS A COMMUNITY HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, AND THE MEDIA WHO ARE HERE, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLEASE, UM, REGULARLY AND OFTEN HELP US TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO BE PREPARED.

YOU HAVE A ROLE IN HELPING US CONSTRUCTIVELY, GET OUR COMMUNITY PREPARED, TAKE THE PREPAREDNESS MESSAGES, GET FOLKS THAT INFORMATION ON WARREN CENTRAL, UM, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY CAN DO THEIR PART OF, OF BEING, BEING PREPARED.

UM, SO WE WILL HAVE, UM, SOME CONTINUED CONVERSATIONS, MS. STOKES, IS IT, UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE MAY WANT TO HAVE ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION IN THE COMMITTEE, SO I'M A LITTLE BIT HESITANT TO APPROVE THE AUDIT, BUT I WANTED TO JUST CHECK IF THERE WERE ANY COMPLICATIONS WITH THAT, UM, FOR YOU.

CAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S ABOUT SO MUCH, UM, THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AUDIT AND CHANGING THE AUDIT AS MUCH AS IT IS THAT WE WANT TO KEEP HAVING COMMUNICATION.

SO AS THE AUDITOR, I WANTED TO JUST ASK YOU WHAT YOUR PREFERENCE WOULD BE ABOUT HOW WE APPROACH THAT.

SURE.

SO, SO I AM FINE EITHER WAY.

UM, THE, THE AUDIT IS OUT AS I'LL KNOW, IT'S, IT'S BEEN POSTED AS A DRAFT.

WE'LL FINALIZE IT AND POST IT ON OUR WEBSITE.

YOU DON'T WANT TO APPROVE IT TODAY.

UM, YOU CAN, AND WE CAN COME BACK AND ANSWER QUESTIONS LATER IF YOU, UM, WANT TO HOLD OFF ON THAT.

I THINK IT'S ACCEPT IF Y'ALL WANT TO ACCEPT THAT TODAY.

YOU CAN.

UM, IF YOU WANT TO DO THAT AT A LATER DATE, THAT'S FINE AS WELL.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO? SORRY, SORRY.

UM, THANKS.

THANKS VERY MUCH.

I WOULD, I WOULD MOVE THAT.

WE ACCEPT THE AUDIT.

UM, SINCE WE DON'T HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE AUDIT PROCESS, WE JUST HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AUDIT AND THAT WE DO SO WITH, UM, UH, COMMITMENT TO TALKING ABOUT IT AT OUR NEXT AUDIT AND FINANCE MEETING, IN ADDITION TO TRYING TO FIND TIME WITHIN THAT AFTER ACTION REPORT DAY

[01:20:01]

SO I MOVE THAT, WE ACCEPT THE AUDIT.

COUNCIL JASPER BROWN, THE INTERIM CHIEF OF EMS, LIKE THE PRESENTATION TO COME UP.

SO COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO, UM, I'M GOING TO ACCEPT THAT WALKING MOTION AND COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO MOVES TO ACCEPT THE AUDIT AND COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY SECONDS.

IT, UM, ALTHOUGH THAN FAVOR.

SO COUNCIL MEMBER FOR ALTAR WHO ARE ON THE DYESS, UM, ACCEPT THE AUDIT.

UM, MR. T'S, DID YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING ELSE? OKAY.

UM, SO WE WILL TRY TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION.

I'M SORRY THAT WE DON'T HAVE MORE TIME.

WE DID HAVE, UH, A BUDGET RIDER THAT I AUTHORED DURING, UM, THE BUDGET PROCESS WITH RESPECT TO EMS AND, AND SORT OF HOW WE MOVE FORWARD WITH SOME OF THAT EMS IS PART OF OUR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.

SO I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HEARING SOME OF THAT IN A TIMELY MANNER IN CASE WE DO, UM, NEED, NEED TO PROVIDE ANY GUIDANCE WITH RESPECT TO THAT PROCESS.

UM, THANK YOU TO STAFF WHO WERE, WHO PARTICIPATED IN PUTTING THE AUDIT TOGETHER, THANK YOU TO THE STAFF, LEAD OUR EMERGENCY TEAM.

THESE ARE NOT EASY CONVERSATIONS, UM, BUT THEY'RE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE IN ORDER TO BE BETTER PREPARED IN ORDER FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE A REPEAT AND THAT YOU HAVE THE RESOURCES YOU NEED TO DO YOUR JOB, AND WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHERE THOSE GAPS ARE WITHOUT HAVING, UM, THESE MORE IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION.

SO WE, WE APPRECIATE THAT OPPORTUNITY.

I THINK OUR COMMUNITY IS ASKING FOR AND DEMANDING THAT WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS, UM, AND IT, IT HELPS TO ALSO HELP PEOPLE BE PREPARED THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO KEEP, UM, WITH THOSE MESSAGES.

SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE, UM, AND PARTICIPATING IN, IN WHAT I HOPE WILL BE, UM, CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS.

SO THANK YOU.

I'M GONNA INVITE, UH, UM, CHIEF BROWN AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE THAT WE WON'T GET TO THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY.

SO SINCE YOU WAITED THIS LONG, IF YOU CAN WAIT UNTIL 1130, CAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA TAKE THAT LONG, BUT, UM, I JUST ASK THAT YOU STAY ON UNTIL 1130 AND WE'LL SEE, WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS ON THAT.

UM, CAUSE I DON'T THINK THERE WERE MANY ISSUES WITH THAT.

UM, SO, UM, CHIEF BROWN, GOOD MORNING

[5. Discussion and possible action on the update from Emergency Medical Services on Fiscal Year 2022 budget rider and billing updates.]

YES.

SO I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET RIDER ALTER ONE THAT WAS SPONSORED DURING THIS YEAR'S FISCAL BUDGET OF .

UM, THERE WAS SIX PIECES TO THE WRITER.

UM, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT FOUR OF THOSE TODAY AND I'LL JUST BRIEFLY DESCRIBE THE LAST TWO.

UM, SO THE CITY MAGIC GREG DID TO REPORT TO COUNCIL WITHIN 30 DAYS REGARDING WHAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN TO ADDRESS THE EMS BILLING BACKLOG AND TO PROVIDE COUNSEL WITH DETAILED PLANS TO IMPROVE THE BILLING SYSTEM IN THE FUTURE AND UPDATE RE REVENUE PROJECTIONS, UH, TO THE CITY MANAGER, DIRECTED TO CONDUCT A STUDY REGARDING THE COST OF SERVICE FOR PROVIDING EMS AND REPORT TO THE UPDATED FIGURED COUNSEL BY NOVEMBER 30TH, THE COST OF THE SERVICE SHOULD INCORPORATE BILLABLE EXPENSES OF THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER OCMA, WHICH PROVIDES MEDICAL EXPERTISE AND SERVICES TO RESIDENTS AS APPROPRIATE.

UH, THE CITY MANAGER SHOULD RETURN TO COUNCIL POTENTIAL FEE SCHEDULE AND AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE IN THE SAME MANAGERS ALL STRIKE TO CONDUCT A FULL EVALUATION OPTIMIZATION OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE FIRE EMS EFFICIENCY STUDY, PARTICULARLY OPPORTUNITIES RELATED TO UPDATING ESPS TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY RECOVERS COSTS AS APPROPRIATE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL ON WHAT IS FEASIBLE, INCLUDING POTENTIAL FEE SCHEDULE AMENDMENTS, NUMBER FOUR, WHICH WE'LL CONSIDER CONCLUDED TODAY IS THE CITY MANAGER DIRECTOR TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON BILLING AND OPTIMIZATION ITEMS TO THE AUDIT FINANCE.

BUT IN SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, IT IS NOVEMBER, BUT I THINK WE TRIED TO GET ON LAST MONTH, BUT JUST MISSED THE AGENDA.

UH, NUMBER FIVE, THE CITY MANAGER IS FURTHER DIRECTED TO EVALUATE AND BRING FORWARD TO COUNCIL.

I PLAN TO A CHIEF 12 PERSON STAFFING AT EMS STATIONS OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.

ALONG WITH THE PROJECTED COST INCORPORATING ANY CHANGES MADE FROM ITEMS ONE THROUGH FOUR TO THIS RIDER AND MAY ACCELERATE THE TIMELINE.

THE CITY MANAGER IS FURTHER DIRECTED TO ASSESS WHERE THE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES NEEDED FOR THE DOWNTOWN STATION.

ASSUMING 12 PERSON STAFFING.

SO FIVE AND SIX, I WON'T BE ADDRESSING DIRECTLY TODAY.

UM, UH, IT'S BASED ON THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS ONE THROUGH FOUR, WE PLAN TO BRING THOSE FORWARD WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND THE BUDGET PROCESS AND POSSIBLY AMENDMENTS TO THIS YEAR, IF NECESSARY AND SIX WE'RE WORKING WITH THE, UM, THERE WAS ANOTHER DIRECTIVE COUNCIL DIRECTIVE ON THE SAFER SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THAT ENTIRE GROUP, UH, ON, ON THE PLANS.

AND I KNOW A MEMO JUST WENT OUT ABOUT THAT TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL ABOUT THE, UM, PROCESS OF THAT.

SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE SAFER, UH, SIXTH STREET INITIATIVE ALSO THERE.

UM, FIRST I'D LIKE TO JUST, UM, HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF UNDERSTANDING OF, UH, KIND OF WHAT GOT US TO THE BILLING BACKLOG.

[01:25:02]

UM, THIS CHART, THE TOP LINE RECORD, UH, REPRESENTS THE NUMBER OF PATIENT CARE RECORDS WE RECEIVE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, UM, FLUCTUATES AROUND 105, A HUNDRED DOWN TO IN 2020.

WE HAD 99,000, OUR LOWEST OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS, BUT IT'S ABOUT A HUNDRED TO A HUNDRED, 5,000, UH, PATIENT CARE RECORDS PER YEAR THAT ARE CREATED, UH, IN 2019.

OUR GOAL IS TO PROCESS, UM, A PATIENT CARE RECORD WITHIN 10 DAYS FOR BILLING, UM, PREVIOUS TO 2018.

YOU'D SEE, WE WERE AT FIVE DAYS, FIVE DAYS, WE GOT UP TO 12 DAYS, WE'RE DOWN TO 11 IN 2019.

WE, UH, IMPLEMENTED A NEW PATIENT CARE RECORD SYSTEM FOR THE FIELD.

IT WAS AN ELECTRONIC PATIENT CARE RECORD.

WE WERE ALREADY USING ELECTRONIC IN THE FIELD, BUT THIS WAS A NEW SYSTEM.

UM, AND THAT PRODUCED A NEW PATIENT CARE RECORD TO THE BILLING DEPARTMENT THAT WAS DIFFERENT IN A DIFFERENT FORMAT.

SO IT TOOK A LITTLE BIT OF LEARNING CURVE ON HOW TO CODE THE BILLING TO INTERPRET THAT, UH, INFORMATION THAT WAS COMING ACROSS.

AND SO THAT STARTED A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKLOG.

NOW OUR CURRENT STAFFING IS ONLY ABLE TO HANDLE THE, THE EXACT NUMBER, UH, OF, UH, PATIENT CARE RECORDS.

WE GET ON A DAILY BASIS.

SO ANYBODY WHO'S SICK, WE HAVE SOMEBODY OUT FOR A DAY, A WEEK.

UM, YOU KNOW, ANY PERIOD OF TIME ALREADY STARTS TO GET SOME BACKLOG BECAUSE OUR CURRENT STAFF CAN ONLY HANDLE ABOUT THEM.

SAME NUMBER OF BILLS, BILLING RECORDS WE GET IN PER DAY.

UM, SO WHEN WE SAW A LITTLE BIT OF A LEARNING CURVE ON THE NEW, UH, BILLING PROCESS THAT CAME OVER, IT OBVIOUSLY, UH, CREATED SOME, UM, A TREND OF GOING TO A LONGER PROCESSING TIME.

AND THEN OF COURSE WE HAD COVID WHICH HIT US, WHICH WE TOOK ALL OUR STAFF WENT VIRTUAL.

THERE WAS SOME SETUP TIME, DAYS MISSED AS FAR AS BILLING THAT STARTS TO CREATE MORE OF A BACKLOG BECAUSE EVERY DAY THAT'S MISSED FROM THE ENTIRE STAFF CREATES MORE BACKLOG.

UM, AND THEN IT JUST KINDA SNOWBALLED FROM THERE BECAUSE WE HAD PEOPLE OUT WITH COVID THEMSELVES.

THEY COULDN'T WORK EVEN FROM HOME, UH, OR THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, HAD OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES.

WE ALSO, DURING THE TIME PERIOD, WE HAD UP TO THREE PEOPLE, UM, THAT WERE OUT, UM, BECAUSE OF VACANCIES BECAUSE THEY'D MOVED ON TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS OR OTHER CAREERS ELSEWHERE.

SO AGAIN, COMPLETE STAFF AND WE CAN HANDLE THE NUMBER WE GET IN.

WE START MISSING STAFF OR ANYTHING.

OUR BILLING BACKLOG WE CAN IS SKINNER CONTINUES.

CHIEF, CAN YOU JUST REMIND ME WHEN THE BILLING CHAIN, THE BILLING SYSTEM CHANGED? I WAS IN 2019.

THERE WERE SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS MADE.

UM, SO OUR CURRENT BACKLOG OF PATIENT CARE RECORDS IS 13,917.

UM, AGAIN, I WAS TALKING ABOUT OUR STAFFING CONCERNS, UH, DURING THE VACANCIES OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS, WE HAD A ONE POINT INITIAL VACANCIES UP THREE PEOPLE.

UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY AS OF LAST WEEK, FULLY STAFFED FOR THE FIRST TIME.

IN SOME TIME, PLUS WE HIRED AN ADDITIONAL ATTEMPT, UH, PERSON, UM, THIS'LL HELP WITH OUR CONSISTENCY AND IF SOMEBODY IS OUT SICK, AT LEAST IT'LL, YOU KNOW, UM, BE ABLE TO BACKFILL IN THAT SPOT AND KEEP THE NUMBER OF BILLS WE GET PER DAY ABLE TO BE CODED IN, IN AND SENT OUT FOR, UH, THE BILL.

UM, THAT'S NOT GOING TO HELP US WITH OUR BACKLOG.

SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE ENGAGED A VENDOR TO PROVIDE INITIAL EPCR CODING.

UM, THEY HAVE A PROCESS THAT SOLE SOURCE, UM, THAT'LL END.

SO WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE SOLE SOURCE OR SOLE SOURCE PROCESS, UM, GETTING THEIR CERTIFICATION, THE QUOTE, FINANCIAL IMPACT.

I SIGNED OFF ON THE SOLE SOURCE DOCUMENTS OVER AT PURCHASING.

AS SOON AS WE GET THE WORD FOR PURCHASING, WE HAVE THE FUNDS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.

UM, IT'S GOING TO COST US ABOUT $60,000.

UM, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK TO COUNCIL CURRENTLY.

UM, IT'LL BE UNDER THE CAP THERE TO GO AND SEND OUT THOSE PREVIOUS BILLS AND GET THOSE ALL DONE ELECTRONICALLY ONCE.

SO WHAT THEY DO IS THEY'LL GO THROUGH AND START TO MATCH, UM, UH, BILLING INFORMATION.

IF YOU'RE, UH, IF THE INSURER, WHETHER WE GOT ALL YOUR, UM, INSURANCE INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, ANY SECONDARY INSURANCE INSURANCE, IF YOU HAVE A THIRD AND THINGS LIKE THAT ADDED TO THE, TO THE, UH, PATIENT'S BILL AND THEY'RE ABLE TO CODE THE BILL IN THE ACTUAL CODING IS WE UTILIZE LANGUAGE OF EITHER THEY HAVE CHEST PAIN, MAYBE THEY HAVE ALTERED MENTATION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THAT HAS TO BE TURNED INTO A BILLING CODE THAT THEN IS SENT TO THE, UH, WHETHER IT'S MEDICARE OR MEDICAID OR, OR HUMANA BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD, WHOEVER.

AND THAT'S WHAT'S PAYABLE IS THAT BILLING CODE AND THERE'S THOUSANDS OF BILLING CODES THAT COULD BE USED.

AND SO THIS SYSTEM IS ABLE TO ACTUALLY CODE THE BILL FOR US THROUGH THE SYSTEM.

IT'LL SEND THOSE BACK TO US.

THERE'LL PROBABLY BE A FEW AREAS WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT.

AND THEN WE'RE SENDING ALL THOSE BILLS AT ONCE TO, FOR PAYMENT, UH, TO THE DIFFERENT PAYERS, WHETHER IT BE MEDICARE, UM, THE DIFFERENT PRIVATE INSURANCE COMPANIES OR A PRIVATE BILL.

SO THAT'S THE PROCESS THERE.

WE ANTICIPATE THAT, UM, WE SHOULD HAVE EVERYTHING TAKEN CARE OF, UH, THIS MONTH THROUGH THE SENDING THEM THE INFORMATION AND GETTING IT ALL DONE IN DECEMBER.

AND, UM, SENDING OUT THOSE BILLS SOMETIME IN THE MID,

[01:30:01]

MID DECEMBER.

UH, NUMBER TWO, THE COST OF SERVICE IS CONDUCTED EVERY FIVE YEARS BY THE DEPARTMENT ALREADY.

IT WAS ALREADY DUE FOR ONE, UM, OUR CURRENT COST OF SERVICES, $1,139.

AND THE LAST COST OF SERVICE WAS DONE IN 2018.

UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY, UM, IN PROCESS OF DOING ONE NOW, UH, AND WE STARTED IT THIS MONTH AND WILL BE COMPLETED BY JANUARY OF 22.

UH, WE'VE LIKED TO HAVE STARTED IT A LITTLE SOONER, BUT I TOOK STAFF AND OTHERS TO DIRECT IT TOWARDS ANOTHER PORTION, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT LATER, WHICH SLOWED US DOWN A LITTLE BIT.

PLUS OUR, THIS IS INVOLVES OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS, UH, OTHER STAFF THAT, AND THEY WERE WORKING ON CLOSE OUT OF THIS LAST FISCAL YEAR, WHICH OCCURS ABOUT THIS TIME.

SO THEY WERE WORKING THROUGH CLOSE OUT OF THE BUDGET PROCESS AND THOSE THINGS.

SO, UM, CONDUCT A FULL EVALUATION OF OPTIMIZATION OPPORTUNITIES WITH ENVIRONMENT STUDY.

UH, ONE OF THEM WAS TO, UH, REVISE OUR CHARITY CARE POLICY AND ELIGIBILITY.

UM, DETERMINATION.

WE BROUGHT THIS TO YOU IN COUNCIL ON SEPTEMBER 2ND, YOU PASSED AND ADDED, UM, ADDITIONAL, UM, THINGS THAT WE COULD WRITE OFF UNDER OUR CHARITY CARE PROGRAM.

UH, WE ADDED 10 ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY CATEGORIES AND WE REALLY FEEL THAT X IS GOING TO HELP.

FOR EXAMPLE, PREVIOUS POLICY, WE WERE ABLE TO WRITE OFF ABOUT 1700 AND THOSE WERE SUBMITTED.

UM, AND WE ALREADY RECEIVED THE CHECK THIS MONTH FOR ABOUT $1.2 MILLION.

AND TO DATE FOR THIS MAY CHANGE, WE MADE LAST TIME, WE'VE WRITTEN OFF ABOUT 11,000 BILLS INSTEAD OF 1700.

SO, UM, WE'RE REALLY GOING TO POTENTIALLY SEE, UM, UH, AN INCREASE IN THE REVENUE THERE.

WE WON'T KNOW THAT AMOUNT UNTIL AUGUST AND THAT AMOUNT DOESN'T COME UNTIL OCTOBER.

SO, UM, IT WON'T COME IN TIME FOR US TO PREPARE FOR THE APRIL MAY TIMELINE.

I DON'T KNOW THE TIMELINE YET SET FOR WHEN THE MANAGER DELIVERS BUDGET AND REVENUE PROJECTIONS.

WE WILL TRY TO PROJECT SOME OF THAT, BUT WE WON'T KNOW A HARD NUMBER UNTIL PROBABLY AUGUST.

AND THEN THE CHECK COMES ACTUALLY IN , UH, IT'LL COME IN OCTOBER CONDUCT A VALUATION OPPORTUNITIES AGAIN, UM, RECOMMENDATION 13 WAS REVIEWED BILLING PRACTICES TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES, TO CAPTURE REVENUE OF BOTH TREATMENT AND NON TRANSPORT ALLOWABLE AND RECOMMENDATION.

15 WAS CONSIDERED REVIEWING COMMERCIAL PAYER DATA REGARDING CHANGES IN PAYMENTS BY PROCEDURE CODE, OUR COMMERCIAL PAYERS TO ENSURE ACCURATE REPORTING, UH, TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO MAXIMIZE OUR ZOE.

THESE WERE IN, THIS IS IN PROCESS.

WE'VE CONTRACTED WITH A COMPANY CALLED PAIGE WE'RE BERG AND WORTH IT'S PWW.

UM, WE DID THAT ON SEPTEMBER 9TH INTO CONDUCTING AN ASSESSMENT OF THE OPTIMIZATION OPPORTUNITIES.

UH, THE AMS TEAM WE'VE MET WITH THEM, UH, REVIEW INITIAL STEPS.

WE PROVIDED A YEAR'S WORTH OF DOCUMENTATION, AND THAT'S WHERE ALL OUR TRANSACTIONS WE'VE DONE WITH ALL OUR RECORDS FOR A YEAR'S WORTH.

WE SENT THAT TO THEM.

THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THEM.

AND, UM, THEY'LL START WITH THE REVENUE CYCLE MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT POSTERS IN OCTOBER.

SO, UM, WE SHOULD HAVE AN ONSITE MEETING WITH THEM IN NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER.

AND AGAIN, THEY'LL START TO GIVE US FEEDBACK ON WHAT WE CAN IMPROVE ON OR, UM, CHANGE IN OUR BILLING PROCESS.

UM, YOU KNOW, THE PREVIOUS AUDIT AND STUDIED, UM, THEY ASKED FOR SOME INFORMATION, BUT THEY DIDN'T DO THE DETAILED WORK OF LOOKING THROUGH ALL OUR BILLING PRACTICES.

THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO DO AN ONSITE VISIT.

IT WAS DURING COVID.

UM, SO THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME INFORMATION WE'VE PROVIDED ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS THEY GAVE US, UM, TO ALSO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS, WHETHER, YOU KNOW, FOR COMMERCIAL PAYERS, WHETHER WE'RE GETTING WHAT WE CAN GET FROM THE COMMERCIAL PAYERS OR NOT.

SO THEY'LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS, UH, DEFINITIVELY AND WHAT THINGS, IF ANYTHING, WE CAN DO BETTER.

AND WE WANT, IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO BETTER, WE WANT TO FIX IT.

I MEAN, CAUSE IT ONLY HELPS US IN OUR BILLING PROCESS AND OUR POTENTIAL REVENUE CAPTURE, UH, 16 WAS, UM, ALSO AS PART OF THE, UH, STUDY WITH STINKS, THEY'RE IMPLEMENTING SIX NAVIGANT FEE SCHEDULE INCREASES FOR AMBULANCE TRANSPORT.

UM, THIS IS IN PROCESS OBVIOUSLY, UM, W UM, COUNCIL'S PART OF THE RECORD, UH, THE APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET, UH, INCREASED OUR FEE TO OUR MAX ALLOWED, WHICH WAS OUR COST OF CURRENT COST OF SERVICE.

UM, AND, UH, WE'RE DOING THE NEW COST OF SERVICE AND WE'LL SEE, WE'LL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POTENTIAL FEE INCREASES.

THEN YOU ALSO CREATE A NON-RESIDENT FEE, WHICH WAS BASICALLY ANYBODY THAT'S NON-RESIDENT GOES TO THE MAX, WHETHER THEY'RE ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT, TRANSPORT, OR BASIC LIFE SUPPORT TRANSPORT, THEY'D GO TO THE MAX, UH, OF THE FEEL OUT.

UM, SO ADDITIONAL FEE INCREASE WOULD BE BASED ON COST OF STUDY.

SO THAT'S MY UPDATE.

I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE REGARDING ANY OF IT.

SO, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS.

UM, OBVIOUSLY WE'D PREFER WE WEREN'T IN THIS SITUATION THAT WE HAD TO DO THIS IN THE, IN THE FIRST PLACE.

[01:35:01]

UM, IT DOES SEEM LIKE YOU'VE PUT TOGETHER CHIEF BROWN, A PATH FORWARD, UM, TO ADDRESS THE BACKLOG, BUT ALSO, UM, TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT OUR BILLING SYSTEM TO FIND ADDITIONAL WAYS THAT WE CAN GENERATE, UM, THE REVENUE THAT WE CAN, WE CAN UNDER STATE LAW APPROPRIATELY WITH THE SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE.

UM, AS WE ALWAYS DO WITH RESPECT TO EMS, FOR THOSE WHO, WHO, WHO ARE LOWER INCOME AND DON'T HAVE INSURANCE, UM, THIS IS, UH, A REALLY IMPORTANT PROCESS BECAUSE WE'VE ALSO THROUGH, COVID IDENTIFIED A NEED TO HAVE MORE EMS STAFF, UM, IN OUR STATIONS.

UM, WE HAVE A GOAL AS A COUNCIL OF BEING FULLY STAFF, WHICH I THINK IS AT 12, WHICH WAS EXPRESSED IN ONE OF THE OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE RIDER.

UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THE DIRECTION THAT WAS IN THAT RIDER, UM, TO YOU AND TO MR. ARIANO THAT, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL IS DO ALL THESE THINGS TO FIX THE BILLING SYSTEM AND APPLY, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S NECESSARY TO GET US ON THE PATH OVER TIME TO GETTING TO THOSE 12, UM, MEDICS.

SO IN THE TIMETABLE WHERE WE DON'T GET THE MONEY UNTIL OCTOBER, UM, DOES THAT PRECLUDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BEGIN THE CLASSES FOR THE MEDICS THAT WOULD BE NEEDED BECAUSE, UM, YOU HAVE TO TRAIN THE MEDICS, YOU KNOW, CAUSE WE COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE THE MONEY IN PLACE IN OCTOBER, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO TRAIN THEM.

SO CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT THAT OR HOW MR. ARIANO IS THINKING ABOUT, UM, THAT STEP AND, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE'RE JUMPING, I IDEALLY WOULD BE JUMPING TO GET ALL 12, UM, NEXT YEAR, BUT, BUT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT A PHASING PROCESS.

UM, SO THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT A PLAN AT LEAST ADDING 10 PER YEAR OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS WAS WHAT WAS DISCUSSED IN THE BUDGET RIDER.

UM, IF ADDITIONS WERE TO BE CREATED IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR'S BUDGET, KNOWING THAT MONIES WOULD BE COMING FROM THESE ADDITIONAL REVENUES AND ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE WE WERE HAPPENING, WE COULD START HIRING THOSE PERSONNEL EARLY, UM, BECAUSE WE HIRE THEM AS CADETS WITH THAT.

UH, TECHNICALLY THOSE POSITIONS HAVE NO MONIES THEY'RE FUNDED THROUGH OUR BUDGET SAVINGS.

AND THEN IT'S ONCE THEY GRADUATE FROM THE ACADEMY THAT THEY BECOME SWORN PERSONNEL, AND THEN WE ACTUALLY NEED THE, UH, PCN, A PLACE TO PUT THEM A ACTUAL FTE.

SO WE COULD START THE PROCESS SOONER.

WE WOULD START HIRING EARLIER THAN THAT, BECAUSE IT TAKES SEVERAL MONTHS TO GO THROUGH THE HIRING PROCESS.

WE'D START AN ACADEMY BEFORE THEN KNOWING THAT WHEN THEY GRADUATE, IT WOULD BE IN THE NEW FISCAL YEAR, EVEN IF IT'S ONE DAY INTO THE NEW FISCAL YEAR, THAT'S ALL WE NEED.

UM, IF THAT WAS THE PLAN TO GO FORWARD.

SO THAT'S HOW WE WOULD DO THAT, SO THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL OCTOBER ONE TO START THAT PROCESS.

AND WHEN DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE MORE SURETY OF THAT TO BEGIN THE RECRUITING PROCESS? UH, WE'D PROBABLY NEED, UM, A SURETY BEFORE STARTED AT A, AN ACADEMY, WHICH OUR ACADEMIES ARE NOW.

WE REDUCED THEM FROM 12 WEEKS TO EIGHT WEEKS.

SO PROBABLY IN JULY, WE WOULDN'T WANT TO BRING ANYBODY IN AND TELL THEM YOU'RE COMING IN FOR A JOB UNTIL WE HAVE SOME ASSURETY IN JULY OR AUGUST TO KIND OF START AN ACADEMY.

WE COULD DO THE HIRING PROCESS EARLY, CREATE A LIST.

WE WANT TO CREATE THAT LIST AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AND THAT WE'D NOTIFY PERSONNEL THAN 30 DAYS.

SO THEY HAVE TIME TO LEAVE EMPLOYMENT MOVE HERE, THEY'LL START THINGS WHEN THE ACADEMY STARTS.

I WOULD ASK, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU AND MR ARIANO AND, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ON TRACK SO THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE MAY EVEN BE, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN SUFFICIENT MONEY FROM THE CHARITY CARE ALONE, RELATIVE TO WHAT WAS IN THE BUDGET LAST YEAR TO GET US TO THE 12 PERSON STAFFING SORT OF RIGHT OFF THE RIGHT OFF THE BAT, IF THE ESTIMATES ARE CORRECT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THAT'S THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT LOGISTICALLY AND WITH THE ACADEMIES, I DON'T KNOW, BUT WHAT I DON'T WANT TO SEE HAPPEN IS US HAVE TO WAIT EVEN EVEN LONGER.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE NEED SOME FLEXIBILITY IN THAT, IN THAT STAFFING FOR EMS THAT WE HAVE NOT HAD THIS YEAR, UM, WITH COVID AND I THINK IT WOULD BE, UM, IMPORTANT FOR US TO TAKE THOSE STEPS.

UM, MR. ARIANO, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN COMMIT TO LOOKING FORWARD TO CERTAINLY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, THESE ARE ITEMS ISSUES THAT CERTAINLY WE HAVE HEARD FROM YOU AND OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WHERE YOU HAVE A PRIORITY IN TERMS OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, WHETHER IT'S HERE IN EMS OR CERTAINLY FOR THE OFFICE OF, UH, OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICERS.

SO DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, CERTAINLY ABLE TO TAKE THIS FORWARD AS PRIORITY ITEMS, UH, FOR CONSIDERATION IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.

LOOKING AT THAT AND TAKING, UM, THE NEXT STEPS.

AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD ASK, UM, CHIEF BROWN IS IF YOU CAN WORK WITH MY OFFICE FOR COMING BACK TO AUDIT AND FINANCE AT APPROPRIATE TIME, UM, WHETHER IT'S FEBRUARY OR MARCH OR JANUARY, YOU KNOW, BASED ON WHEN THAT COST OF STUDY COMES BACK, UM, SO THAT WE CAN BE

[01:40:01]

YES, MA'AM UM, I'D JUST LIKE TO COMMENT ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS, ALTHOUGH NOT TO BE IN A GOOD PLACE OF HAVING A BILLING BACKLOG, BUT FINDING THIS VENDOR, IT'S VERY UNIQUE WHAT THEY DO, UM, THAT MAY SET US UP ON A PATH, UH, TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THEM IN SOME MORE SORT OF HYBRID MODEL WHERE WE UTILIZE THEM AS A PERMANENT BASIS FOR ALL BILLS COMING IN, THAT DOES SOME OF THIS INITIAL WORK IN CODING.

IT WOULD NOT REMOVE OUR CURRENT STAFF, BUT, UH, CAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS CUSTOMER SERVICE PROBLEMS THAT OCCUR THAT CAN'T BE RESOLVED, YOU KNOW, ELECTRONICALLY AND THOSE TYPE THINGS.

UM, AND POTENTIALLY INSTEAD OF COMING AND ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF, BECAUSE WE, WE HAVE PROPOSED THAT AND IN SEVERAL, UH, PAST BUDGETS ABOUT ADDITIONAL BILLING STAFF, BECAUSE OUR BUILDINGS ARE INCREASES, BUT THIS WOULD BE A WAY TO CURB THAT ADDITIONAL NEED BY UTILIZING A VENDOR FOR THE SERVICE.

UM, WE CURRENTLY USE A, UH, ELECTRONIC PROGRAM THAT DOES SOME OF THE WORK, BUT NOT ALL OF WHAT THEY DO SO WE COULD POSSIBLY ROLL THOSE FUNDS THAT WE CURRENTLY USE INTO THIS AND REDUCE THAT COST.

SO WE MAY BE COMING TO YOU IN THE FUTURE OR PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS TO SAY, THIS IS AN INCREASE, UM, TO DO ALL OUR BILLS WOULD BE ABOUT $500,000.

UM, BUT MAYBE GIVEN PERSONNEL VERSUS THIS.

UM, AND IT'S, AND IT'S, IT'S NOT A WAY TO REPLACE PERSONNEL NECESSARILY, BUT IT'D BE WAY TO ENHANCE AND KEEP US ON TRACK INSTEAD OF GETTING INTO THIS BILLING BACKLOG, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO WERE EITHER OUT, TAKE A VACATION, GET SICK, UM, AND WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO BE IN THE BILLING BACKLOG TYPE OF SITUATION.

ABOUT 10 MORE MINUTES LEFT IN OUR SCHEDULED MEETING.

DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS? THAT'S MY MOTTO.

I MISSED A CRUCIAL PIECE OF INFORMATION TOWARD THE END OF YOUR PRESENTATION.

IS THE NON-RESIDENT RATE IMPLEMENTED OR IS IT IN THE PROCESS OF BEING IMPLEMENTED? IT IS IMPLEMENTED.

IT IS PART OF THE FEE SCHEDULE CURRENTLY, UH, FOR ANYBODY WHO WAS TRANSPORTED AFTER OCTOBER 1ST.

THAT'S TERRIFIC.

I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE THAT A DIFFERENTIAL RATE PUT INTO PLACE.

THANKS TO THE OTHER CHANGES THAT YOU'VE IMPLEMENTED.

THANK YOU, CHIEF BROWN, APPRECIATE THAT.

UM, SO COLLEAGUES WE HAVE

[6. Discussion and possible action regarding the Economic Recovery Funds Audit.]

UM, I THINK WE COULD DO THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY.

IF, IF FOLKS, UM, ARE COMFORTABLE, WE MIGHT HAVE TO GO OVER FIVE MINUTES, BUT I THINK WE COULD GET IT DONE.

UM, AND IT'S A POSITIVE REPORT.

UM, ANYONE COUNCIL MEMBER, TOVAR, KELLY HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS TO TRYING TO DO THAT QUICKLY.

I THINK WE NEED A FEW FOLKS MOVED OVER.

IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE COMING OVER NOW.

EXCELLENT.

UM, FOR THIS ITEM AND, UM, WE, SO I'VE SEEN, I'M MISSING A COUPLE OF FOLKS THAT THAT MAY NEED TO JUMP BACK ON, BUT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.

UM, SO, SO THIS AUDIT OF ECONOMIC RECOVERY FUNDS, UM, WAS LED BY, UH, WAS MANAGED BY KEY SOLACE.

AND YOU CAN SEE KEITH UP THERE ON THE SCREEN, UM, VISITS KEITH'S, UH, FIRST AUDIT TO PRESENT TO YOU GUYS.

HE'S A NEW AUDIT MANAGER.

HE'S BEEN IN OUR OFFICE FOR A LONG TIME AS AN INVESTIGATOR.

UM, BUT SO TH SO THERE'S KEITH OR THERE WITH KEITH.

UM, AND SO HE WAS THE MANAGER ON THIS PROJECT.

KELSEY THOMPSON WAS THE LEAD AND SHE IS GOING TO DO A QUICK PRESENTATION.

AND THEN WE'LL TAKE L'S QUESTIONS.

I BELIEVE WE HAVE STAFF FROM, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS HOUSING, UM, ON, ON THE CALL AS WELL.

GREAT.

GOOD MORNING COMMITTEE.

MY NAME IS KELSEY THOMPSON AND I WAS THE LEAD AUDITOR FOR THIS PROJECT.

OUR OBJECTIVE WAS, DID THE CITY EFFECTIVELY MANAGE THE DISTRIBUTION OF ECONOMIC RECOVERY FUNDS? NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

IN MARCH, 2020 OF THE COVID-19 BEGAN AFFECTING THE AUSTIN ECONOMY AND THE CITY CREATED AND ADMINISTERED MULTIPLE RELIEF PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS THIS IMPACT.

MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN MANAGING THESE PROGRAMS AND DISTRIBUTING THIS FUNDING.

AND WE LOOKED AT NINE PROGRAMS THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT MANAGED FROM APRIL, 2020 TO MARCH, 2021.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT DISTRIBUTED $47 MILLION OF BOTH FEDERAL AND LOCAL FUNDING FOR THESE PROGRAMS. WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENTS, RELIEF OF EMERGENCY NEEDS FOR TENANTS OR RENT PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE TO AUSTIN TENANTS.

THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT DISTRIBUTED ABOUT $50 MILLION ON THIS PROGRAM FROM MAY, 2020 TO JUNE, 2021.

AND THE PROGRAM IS CURRENTLY STILL ONGOING WITH ADDITIONAL FEDERAL FUNDING.

NEXT LINE, OUR FIRST FINDING IS THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT APPEARS TO HAVE PROVIDED PANDEMIC RELIEF FUNDING TIMELY TO ELIGIBLE RESIDENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS.

PROVIDED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO VARIOUS COMMUNITY MEMBERS, SUCH AS SMALL BUSINESSES, NONPROFITS, CREATIVE WORKERS, CHILDCARE PROVIDERS, AND OTHERS.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT MANAGED NINE PROGRAMS, AND THESE PROGRAMS

[01:45:01]

WE REVIEWED FOUR OF THESE PROGRAMS IN DETAIL MARKED IN GREEN ON THE SLIDE AND THE PROGRAMS THAT WE REVIEWED IN DETAIL ACCOUNTING FOR ABOUT 70% OF THE TOTAL FUNDING.

SO ONTO WHAT WE FOUND, WE REVIEWED A 3% SAMPLE FOR EACH OF THE FOUR PROGRAMS THAT WE REVIEWED IN DETAIL.

AND EVERY APPLICANT THAT WE REVIEWED WAS ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING.

ACCORDING TO THE PROGRAM GUIDELINES APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL.

WE ALSO LOOKED AT A SAMPLE OF APPLICANTS WHO WERE DETERMINED TO BE INELIGIBLE BY THE PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS, AND THEY WERE ALL DEEMED INELIGIBLE, APPROPRIATELY AWARDEES IN OUR SAMPLE RECEIVED FUNDING ANY MONTH OR LESS ON AVERAGE FROM THE APPLICATION CLOSED DATE.

AND WE SAW THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT CONSIDERED EQUITY WHEN DESIGNING THESE PROGRAMS, THREE PROGRAMS THAT WE REVIEWED IN DETAIL HAD AN EQUITY COMPONENT TO THE SELECTION PROCESS.

AND FOR ALL THREE, THERE WAS A HIGHER REPRESENTATION OF BLACK INDIGENOUS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR AWARDEES THAT IN THE APPLICANT POOL.

NEXT SLIDE.

OUR SECOND FINDING IS THAT THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT HAS MADE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE RENT PROGRAM OVER TIME TO BE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY AND BETTER ALIGN WITH BEST PRACTICES.

THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT MANAGED DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE RENT PROGRAM THROUGHOUT 2020 AND 2021.

EACH VERSION HAD DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES AND OTHER PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES.

WE LOOKED AT THE RENT 1.0 PROGRAM THROUGH RENT 3.0 IN THIS AUDIT AND RENT 4.0 PROGRAM WAS CURRENTLY ONGOING AT THE TIME OF OUR REPORT.

WE LOOKED AT THE TEXAS HOUSERS PRINCIPLES FOR EQUITABLE RENT, WHICH SAY THAT RENTAL ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE SEVERAL THINGS.

IT SHOULD BE RAPID ACCESSIBLE, ACCOUNTABLE, TARGETED, AND SUSTAINED.

AND WE FOUND THAT THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT MADE CHANGES TO THE RENT PROGRAM.

SO THAT RENT 3.0 IS BETTER ALIGNED WITH THESE BEST PRACTICES AND MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE RENT 3.0 PROGRAM.

SO IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR TENANTS TO RECEIVE FUNDING FASTER.

THE RENT 3.0 PROGRAM WAS MORE ACCESSIBLE BY ONLY REQUIRING ELIGIBILITY DOCUMENTS AFTER SELECTION INTO THE PROGRAM.

AND THE REC PROGRAM HAS BEEN ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PUBLIC BY PUBLISHING AWARDEE DEMOGRAPHICS ONLINE, THE RENT PROGRAM HAS TARGETED PEOPLE AT, OR BELOW 30% OF THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME THROUGH A WEIGHTED LOTTERY TO SERVE THOSE FOLKS WHO NEED THEM, WHO NEED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE THE MOST.

AND THEN LASTLY, THE RENT 3.0 PROGRAM WAS MORE SUSTAINED AS THEY INCREASED.

THE AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE ATTENDANT COULD RECEIVE FROM ONE MONTH TO UP TO 15 MONTHS.

WE NOTED THAT THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE PLANS TO OFFER EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE WITHOUT FEDERAL PANDEMIC RELIEF FUNDING.

SO WE HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL OBSERVATION IN THE REPORT THAT THE CITY COULD CONSIDER CONTINUING THE RENT PROGRAM, PAST FEDERAL FUNDING TO SERVE AS A MORE PERMANENT SOLUTION TO ADDRESS THE NEED FOR RENT RELIEF, WHICH WILL LIKELY CONTINUE AFTER THE CITY HAS SPENT ITS FEDERAL PANDEMIC RELIEF FUNDING.

NEXT LINE, PLEASE.

WE ISSUED NO RECOMMENDATIONS AS A PART OF THIS AUDIT.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION AND WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.

SUBMITTED BY OUR VENDOR TODAY, WE'LL ACTUALLY TAP OUT ALL OF THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE FOR RENT 4.0.

UM, THERE WERE NO RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT THEY DID WANT TO GIVE, UM, EDD AND HOUSING STAFF AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND IF THEY WANTED TO.

THEY'LL NEVER NOVIA.

DID YOU WANT TO, DO YOU WANT TO GO, OR DO YOU WANT ME TO GO? WHAT'S A PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO THE GROUPS THAT WE SERVED.

AND I WOULD SAY THE SAME.

THIS HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO ASSIST, UM, OUR, OUR CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS THAT, THAT HAVE HAD EXPERIENCED HARDSHIPS DURING THE PANDEMIC.

UM, THE OBSERVATION THAT THE AUDITORS BROUGHT FORWARD ABOUT A SUSTAINED, UH, EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IS ONE THAT WE SHARE.

AND WE ACTUALLY HAD PLANS TO, TO WORK, TO INCORPORATE BEFORE THE PANDEMIC HIT.

UH, THE PANDEMIC JUST TOOK IT IN.

WE RODE THE TSUNAMI OF FEDERAL FUNDS TO GET US TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.

UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE POSSIBILITY OF HOW WE COULD STRUCTURE ADDITIONAL EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE.

MOVING FORWARD.

WE'VE ACTUALLY, UH, ARE WORKING WITH SOME PARTNERS IN HOUSING WORKS TO HELP US ESTABLISH WHAT THE NEED FOR EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE IN AUSTIN MIGHT BE POST PANDEMIC.

UH, WE HOPE TO HAVE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THAT LIKELY TOWARDS THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.

UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY OF CONTINUING THIS AND TO ENSURE THAT IT'S RIGHT SIZE.

I WOULD ALSO NOTE THAT WHILE THE AUDIT WAS TAKING PLACE RENT 4.0 WAS ONGOING.

WE ACTUALLY, I GOT WORD THIS MORNING THAT, UM, THE DRAW THAT WAS

[01:50:01]

SO WE WILL BE, UM, LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO SUSTAIN, YOU KNOW, THE DELIVERY OF THE, OF THE FUNDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF BEING DEPLOYED INTO AND TO CONTINUE TO TIE UP THE, THE, THE PROGRAM NEEDS WITH, UM, WITH PAPERWORK AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE.

UM, BUT WE ARE AT THE TAIL END OF OUR, OUR ALLOCATION OF KNOWLEDGE FROM THAT PROGRAM.

MR. LOVE, CAN YOU JUST SAY, I BELIEVE THAT THE NUMBER ON PAGE SEVEN MAY NOT BE THE FULL AMOUNT THAT WAS ALLOCATED FOR RENT 4.0, CAN YOU, UM, PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION? YEAH, THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL 6.7 OF BUDGET STABILIZATION RESERVES THAT WENT INTO THE PROGRAM, UH, THAT WAS ACCESSED, UM, AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.

UH, AND THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN THROWN DOWN.

SO IF SOMEONE IS TRYING IN THE MEDIA TO TOTAL UP THE AMOUNTS, THEY NEED TO ADD 6.7 FOR THE RENTAL PART.

I BELIEVE WE HAVE ABOUT, UH, 16 MILLION.

WE HAVE ACTUALLY DEPLOYED TWO PROGRAMS, UH, UH, 3.9 FOR OUR ARTS AND NONPROFIT RAMP PROGRAM.

GREAT.

SO THERE'S A, AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF MONEY TO WHAT IS ON, UM, PAGE FOUR OF THE AUDIT OF THE 6.9.

IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID? YES.

EXAMPLES AND JUST, HOW DID WE DO IT? AND WE ALWAYS ATTRIBUTE TO OUR LEADERSHIP, OUR COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, LEADING WITH, UM, THE NEED, THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND TO ECHO WHAT SYLVIA SAID.

SO THAT 47 MILLION WOULD BE IN ADDITION TO THAT.

UM, THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THOSE POINTS.

UM, I WANNA, UM, SAY THANK YOU TO OUR STAFF AND OUR VENDORS WHO REALLY HELPED AUSTIN, UM, GET FUNDING OUT THE DOOR TO OUR BUSINESSES, OUR NON-PROFITS OUR CHILDCARE TO OUR ARTISTS, TO, UM, FOLKS WHO NEEDED THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE.

UM, THESE WERE NOT PROCESSES THAT WE, UM, KNEW HOW TO, WE KNEW HOW TO DO, UM, EXACTLY.

UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF INVENTING THE WHEEL AS WE WENT, UM, AND I'M REALLY PROUD IN BOTH CASES.

I THINK THE SUCCESS WE HAVE IS ALSO DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE WERE WILLING TO ITERATE.

WE WERE WILLING TO LEARN, WE ACCEPTED, OKAY, WE DID THIS, RIGHT.

IT WAS BETTER TO GET THE MONEY OUT OF THE DOOR, GET IT INTO PEOPLE'S HANDS.

UM, WE'RE KEEPING AT IT, WE'RE GOING TO LEARN.

WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL OF OUR CONTROLS IN PLACE.

UM, BUT WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GOING TO REFLECT ON WHAT WE DID AND MOVE FORWARD SO WE CAN BE, UM, MORE EFFECTIVE.

AND I THINK IN BOTH, UM, THE EDD PROGRAMS AND IN THE HOUSING WITH THE RENT PROGRAMS, UM, WE WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL IN DOING THAT PROCESS OF LEARNING UNDER DIFFICULT, UM, CONDITIONS, FINDING A WAY, UM, TO PARTNER WITH ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAD THE CAPACITY, UM, TO HELP US GET THIS MONEY OUT THE DOOR, UM, IN EACH OF THESE CASES, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE VENDORS WHO ACTUALLY, UM, RAN THE GRANT PROCESS, WE HAD COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO HELPED US TO GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, LET AS MANY PEOPLE KNOW IT WAS VERY TARGETED.

UM, AND I'D INVITE, UM, EITHER OF YOU TO JUST REALLY BRIEFLY SPEAK TO HOW IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE, WE TAKE FOR GRANTED BECAUSE WE GOT THIS OUT THE DOOR AND THAT WE DID THIS, UM, THAT EVERYONE IS DOING THIS AND WHAT I'VE BEEN LEARNING MORE AND MORE IS THAT OTHER CITIES ARE VERY FAR BEHIND US.

I KNOW THAT THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU WHO WAS ONE OF OUR KEY PARTNERS ON GETTING THE EDD IS BEING ASKED BY OTHER CITIES TO HELP THEM GET THE MONEY OUT THE DOOR.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD MONEY OUT THE DOOR FOR A REALLY LONG TIME.

WE HEAR, WE HEAR COMMENTS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL ABOUT HOW RENTAL ASSISTANCE IS NOT GETTING OUT TO PEOPLE AND CITIES AND COUNTIES ARE SITTING ON IT.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE HAD TO QUITE A BIT OF MONEY AND WE HAVE GOTTEN IT OUT THE DOOR TO THE BENEFIT OF OUR CITY.

SO I DID INVITE EITHER OF YOU, IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION TO KIND OF CLOSE US OUT OR UNLESS THERE ARE OTHER QUESTIONS, UM, WHICH THERE MAY BE, UM, WITH A SENSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON, UM, ELSEWHERE AND HOW, HOW THIS SUCCESS COMPARES.

YES, YES.

I WILL SAY DAVID GRAY, OUR, UH, PROJECT MANAGER HAS BEEN ON THE CALL WITH SEVERAL CITIES, UH, WANTING INSIGHT ON HOW AUSTIN WAS ABLE TO, TO EMPLOY SO QUICKLY.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, I THINK WE HAVE A MEETING THIS WEEK WITH ANOTHER CITY FROM COLORADO, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.

SO, UM, PEOPLE ARE DEFINITELY CALLING US WANTING TO SEE

[01:55:01]

UH, WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE THE BENEFIT OF TREMENDOUS LEADERSHIP FROM CITY COUNCIL AND FROM OUR CITY MANAGEMENT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE FOR THE PURPOSES OF OUR RENT PROGRAM, WE HAVE AMAZING PARTNERS, UH, AND I THINK MUCH OF THE SUCCESS AND OUR ABILITY TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY AND THE WAY WE HAVE HAS BEEN ATTRIBUTABLE TO HAKA AND TO CVR AND OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM.

UM, WE, I WAS ON A CALL THIS MORNING, AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, WE MOVE FORWARD WITH NEXT STEPS WHILE WE AWAIT TO HEAR IF WE WILL GET ADDITIONAL, UM, MONEY.

THE, THE ERA $1, UM, WERE, WHICH WERE RENT 3.0, UM, THERE WAS A DEADLINE TO SPEND THAT BY SEPTEMBER AND THE AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE NOT ABLE TO SPEND THE, THE, TO MEET THAT SPENDING THRESHOLD WERE ASKED TO SUBMIT REMEDIATION PLANS.

WE OBVIOUSLY WERE NOT ONE OF THOSE AGENCIES, BUT WE WERE ASKED TO SUBMIT AN ASK FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO HELP MEET THE NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE KNOW STILL EXIST.

AND SO, UH, WHILE SOME, SOME CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE SUBMITTING REMEDIATION PLANS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY CAN MEET THE 60%, 60% SPENDING THRESHOLD.

UH, WE'RE HOPING THAT, UM, THROUGH THAT RECAPTURE, UH, FUNDS THAT WE MIGHT GET ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT WE CAN USE TO HELP SUPPORT, UM, YOU KNOW, AUSTINITES, SO WE, UM, WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE OF THE PARTNERSHIP AND BECAUSE OF THE TREMENDOUS STAFF WE HAVE WITHIN THE CITY OF BOSTON WORKING ON THIS, UH, AND I COMMEND ALL OF THEM AND APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO BE PART OF THIS PROGRAM.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, KELLY, OR COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS.

UM, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO A GROUP THIS MORNING, AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF US HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO CONSTITUENTS WHO HAVE BENEFITED FROM THESE PROGRAMS. AND I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS MY THANKS TO DIRECTOR HOLT, RAB DIRECTOR, TRUE LOVE, AND ALL OF YOUR STAFF, INCLUDING THOSE WHO ARE ON THE CALL FOR REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THE MONEY THAT WE WERE GETTING WASN'T BEING INVESTED IN IMMEDIATE SOLUTIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO NEEDED THEM.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND I, I IMAGINE IT WAS, I DIDN'T IX.

I DIDN'T DO YOUR JOB, SO I DON'T KNOW ALL THE EFFORT THAT WAS REQUIRED, BUT I KNOW IT MUST HAVE BEEN A VERY EXTRAORDINARY ONE FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR TEAMS. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO I, I, YOU KNOW, AS WE, WE HAVE, WE COVERED A LOT OF STUFF TODAY IN THIS MEETING.

UM, AND JUST AS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER WITH RESPECT TO THE WINTER STORM RESPONSE.

UM, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO LEARN BOTH FROM OUR MISTAKES AS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, BUT ALSO FOR WHEN WE DO DO THINGS RIGHT.

UM, AND, AND I THINK THERE WERE, THERE WERE FITS AND STARTS AND THINGS COULD HAVE GONE FASTER OR SLOWER, BUT, UM, I AM REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET THE MONEY OUT THE DOOR.

AND I LOVE HEARING MR. LOVE THAT WE MAY RECEIVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING, UM, TO GET OUT THE DOOR AND THAT WE HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING GOING OUT, PARTICULARLY FOR OUR ARTS COMMUNITY AND THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE FUNDS WERE DESIGNED TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY.

UM, WE WERE ENTRUSTED WITH THEM TO GET THEM OUT THE DOOR.

UM, AND TWO, WE ASKED AS A COUNCIL FOR THEM TO BE DISTRIBUTED, UM, EQUITABLY ON.

AND I THINK THIS AUDIT IS ONE, ONE SIGNAL BEYOND THE MANY STORIES OF FOLKS WHO'VE BEEN HELPED.

UM, THAT'S A TESTAMENT TO THE HARD WORK.

SO PLEASE THANK ALL OF YOUR STAFF.

I KNOW WITH ALL OF THE TOMO THAT'S GOING ON WITH COVID WE PERHAPS DON'T PAUSE ENOUGH TO SAY THANK YOU.

UM, SO, SO THANK YOU ALL, UM, FOR THAT, FOR THAT WORK.

UM, SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE AUDIT COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY MOVES TO ACCEPT COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO SECONDS THAT AND I'M GOING TO VOTE? YES.

SO IT'S UNANIMOUS ON THE DIAS.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING.

UM, WE HAVE NEXT

[7. Identify items to be discussed at future meetings.]

ITEM.

THE LAST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS FUTURE ITEMS. UM, WE WILL CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION, UM, IN DECEMBER ABOUT THE AFTER ACTION REPORT, WE HAVE A PENSIONS UPDATE AND INTEGRITY UNIT ANNUAL REPORT.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE STOKES? NOT AT THIS TIME.

SO THOSE ARE THE ITEMS WERE AWARE OF AND WE'LL CHECK IN WITH THE VARIOUS PARTIES TO MAKE SURE THERE AREN'T, THERE'S NOTHING MISSING.

GREAT.

UM, IT'S NOVEMBER 10TH AT 1140, AND I'M GOING TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING.

AND THEN I WILL JUST REMIND YOU THAT FOR JANUARY, WE KNOW THAT THE MAYOR IS AT THE MAYOR'S CONFERENCE DURING, UM, OUR, I BELIEVE IT'S THE JANUARY 19TH MEETING.

SO IF YOU ARE GOING TO MIX, IF YOU CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN SECURE CORUM, UM, AND MAKE SURE WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, THAT WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED.

SO IT IS 1139.

AND, UM, I APPRECIATE YOU STAYING 10 MINUTES OVER SO WE CAN COMPLETE OUR AGENDA.

[02:00:01]