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[CALL TO ORDER ]
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, NATASHA HARPER, MADISON, AND WE ARE MEETING, UM, IN PERSON TODAY AND AUSTIN AND CHAMBERS AT CITY HALL.UH, AND THE TIME IS NOW 2:06 PM.
I'M GOING TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
[1. Approve minutes of the March, 28, 2022 meeting of the Public Safety Committee. ]
UH, FIRST ON OUR AGENDA, WE HAVE TO APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES FROM MARCH 28TH PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING.UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY MOTIONS THAT WE APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES FROM MARCH 28TH, 2022, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF A UNANIMOUS VOTE TO APPROVE THOSE MEETING MINUTES.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE RIGHT INTO DISCUSSION.
WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS CITY PREPARATIONS FOR DISASTER RESILIENCE.
I'M SPONSORED BY MYSELF AND CAN'T REMEMBER ELLIS.
THEN WE'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO SOME BRIEFINGS.
UM, WE HAVE 1, 2, 3 OF THOSE, UM, ALL RELATIVELY SUBSTANTIVE.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING THOSE.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE, UM, DIRECTOR ORTIZ WITH US THIS MORNING.
I'M ASSUMING TO DISCUSS CITY PREPARATIONS FOR DISASTER RESILIENCE.
AND WHEN IT'S NOT AN EMERGENCY MADAM CHAIR, WHEN YOU'RE DOING A LOOP, BUT YOU MEANT, I THINK UNANIMOUS WITH COUNCIL MEMBER VELLA OFF THE DICE.
RIGHT? YOU NEED ME TO DO THAT FOR THE RECORD? I'M SORRY.
I CALLED THE VOTE UNANIMOUS FOR, UM, FOR ADAPTING MEETING MINUTES FROM MARCH 28TH, BUT IT'S UNANIMOUS WITH COUNCIL MEMBER VELA OFF THE DIOCESE.
AND WE ALSO HAVE ONE GENERAL COMMUNICATION SPEAKER.
THANK YOU ON THE PHONE IF WE CAN UNMUTE, AND THEN WE'LL FOLLOW THAT WITH YOUR PRESENTATION.
THE SPEAKER HAS TWO MINUTES, CORRECT? OUR SPEAKER'S NOT PRESENT, SO WE'LL MOVE ON.
[2. Discussion of City preparations for disaster resilience. Sponsors: Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison, and Council Member Paige Ellis ]
YOU, GEORGIA FOR THESE GOOD AFTERNOON.UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
UH, I'M THE DIRECTOR FOR HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE TO KINDA, UH, BE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE AS FAR AS FROM A RESILIENCY STANDPOINT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY WE'RE WORKING REAL HARD AND LOTS OF DIFFERENT AREAS.
AND, UM, UM, UH, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF INPUT AS A RESULT OF WINTER STORM URI AND THE CITY AUDIT AND THERE'S DIFFERENT EFFORTS ARE ON THE WAY, BUT ELECTING, UH, KIND OF FIDELITY MORE SPECIFICALLY.
WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU ADD A SUIT FROM A RESILIENCY STANDPOINT? UM, IN REGARDS TO THE CITY COLLEAGUES, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS COUNCIL? REMEMBER KEVIN, THANK YOU.
UM, I KNOW THAT OUR CITY'S ABOUT TO GET REALLY HOT AS WE DO TRADITIONALLY EACH TIME THIS PART OF THE YEAR COMES AROUND.
SO I'M WONDERING, UM, IN THAT CONTEXT, HOW ARE WE GOING TO IMPROVE EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ON WHERE OUR, UM, COOLING CENTERS ARE GOING TO BE? AND THEN ALSO HOW PREPARED ARE WE FOR WILDFIRES, BROWNOUTS AND BLACKOUTS, AND, UM, WHAT STEPS ARE WE ACTIVELY TAKING TO PREPARE FOR, FOR THE NEXT HEAT WAVE DURING THE SUMMER? UH, YES.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE, OUR, OUR HEAT PLAN UPDATE.
UH, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS, UH, WITH, UH, A WORKING GROUP TO EVALUATE THE, THE CONDITIONS OF THE PLAN AND WHAT DIRECTION WE'RE MOVING AND WHAT ARE OUR CAPABILITIES THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO HAVE ON HAND, OR ONE OF THE KEY PARTS OF THAT IS MAKING SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR, THE, THE P THE PILLARS OF PREPAREDNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, THAT IS MAKING A PLAN, BUILDING A KID, KNOWING YOUR NEIGHBOR AND GETTING CONNECTED.
AND THAT IS A FOUNDATION OF THE PREPAREDNESS SPECIFICALLY FOR KEITH, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OUR, WE'RE WORKING WITH DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL ARE AWARE AND UNDERSTAND, UH, WHAT OUR CAPABILITIES ARE GOING TO BE AND, AND HOW THOSE ARE GOING TO BE MONITORED AND EVALUATED, EVALUATED, UH, AND WHAT THE TRIGGERS ARE GOING TO BE FOR US TO BE STANDING UP AND, AND, AND ENGAGING WITH THE DISTRICT COMMUNICATION HEAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE EXPERIENCED EVERY YEAR.
UH, AND SO WE W WE NEED TO CONSTANTLY REMIND ALL OUR, EVERYBODY ON WHAT, UH, ASPECTS THEY CAN DO TO PREPARE, UH, FOR THE SUMMER HEAT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT WHAT THINGS THEY CAN DO, UH, TO KEEP THEMSELVES COOL.
THERE ARE OTHER, UH, EXISTING PROGRAMS THAT ARE PROVIDING, UH, FANS
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AND OTHER, UM, RESOURCES TO HELP, UH, THE COMMUNITY IN WORKING.UH, WE CAN GIVE YOU A LIST OF WHAT THOSE PROGRAMS ARE.
UH, DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC LIST HERE IN FRONT OF ME, BUT, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT FOLKS TO KNOW IS THAT IF THEY ARE EXPERIENCING, UH, CONDITIONS IN THEIR HOMES, THAT THEY'RE, UH, TOO HOT, UH, THERE ARE PLACES WHERE THEY CAN GO THEN BEFORE WE EVEN OPEN UP COOLING STATIONS, THAT THEY CAN GO AND STAY, UH, HANG OUT DURING THE DAY WHERE, WHEN, WHEN THE WORST HEAT MAYBE EXPERIENCE AND THEN BE ABLE TO, UH, SAY HOME, UH, WHEN WE, WHEN WE, UH, HAVE MULTIPLE DAYS OF THREE DIGIT DEGREES AND EXPERIENCE, AND, UH, REALLY BAT, UH, HEAT CONDITIONS, UH, THROUGH OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WE'LL BE EVALUATING WHAT THOSE, UH, IMPACTS OF THE HEATS ARE, ARE GOING BE, UH, HAVING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN WE'LL BE ACTIVATING, UH, FORMERLY ACTIVATING COOLING, BUT CAN, UH, GIVE YOU A SYNOPSIS, UH, AT A LATER, AFTER THIS, AFTER THIS MEETING WITH WHAT THOSE SPECIFICS ARE GOING TO BE, BUT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED OF HOW WE WILL ACTIVATE COOLING STATIONS AND, AND HOW WE'LL BE COMMUNICATING WITH, UH, NOT ONLY THE PUBLIC, BUT THE REST OF THE, OF THE PARTNERS, UH, INVOLVE IN, IN THE HEAT RESPONSE, SPECIFICALLY DEALING WITH WA UH, WITH URBAN FIRES, A WILD LAND FIRES, UH, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT TAKES THE LEAD ON THAT, OR WILDLAND FIRE DIVISION IS, IS WORKING WITH US AND, AND TRAVIS COUNTY TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY, UM, UM, TAKING THOSE THINGS INTO CONSIDERATION.
UH, AND, AND WE ARE, UH, SPECIFICALLY MONITORING FIRE DANGER TIME PERIODS, UH, IN WHICH CASE WE ARE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY TO CONDUCT, COUNTY-WIDE MEET, UH, UH, CONFERENCE CALLS WITH THE, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE OTHER EMERGENCY SERVICE DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY TO LOOK AT OUR CAPABILITIES.
UM, THERE ARE WILDFIRES OCCURRING THROUGHOUT THE STATE RIGHT NOW.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF RESOURCES THAT WE NORMALLY HAVE HERE ON HAND, THEY'RE GOING OUT TO HELP FIGHT SOME OF THOSE FIRES.
SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP TABS ON WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE IN CASE SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THAT TAKES A, THAT REALLY INVOLVES US BEING, UH, ABLE TO COORDINATE WITH THE DIFFERENT FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, AS WELL AS OUR SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
AND WE'RE CONSTANTLY MEETING TO LOOK AT WHAT CAPABILITIES WE NEED TO HAVE.
WE'RE GOING THROUGH A PROCESS AROUND OUR REEVALUATING, OUR EXISTING PLANS, UH, AND WE WORK BE WORKING TOWARDS A, UH, A WORKSHOP LATER THIS SUMMER WITH THE KEY DEPARTMENTS TO, TO, UH, TO WALK THROUGH THE PROCESS OF A RESPONSE TO A WILDLAND FIRE, UH, SPECIFICALLY ACTUALLY, I'LL TAKE THIS MOMENT IN TIME HERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE MEETING WITH YOU ALL TOMORROW, UH, ON THEIR SENIOR OFFICIALS WORKSHOP.
AND, UM, I'M GOING TO LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG A LITTLE BIT, BUT, UH, UH, THE, THE SPECIFICS, UH, HAZARD THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE USING IN OUR DISCUSSIONS IS GOING TO BE THE FIRE THREAT WHILE IN FIRE SCENARIO.
SO, PERFECT TIMING, UH, FROM THAT SOUND POINT, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ENGAGING NOT ONLY WITH THE FRONTLINE PERSONNEL, UH, BUT WITH OUR POLICYMAKERS AS WELL.
AND THEN ALSO WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
SO PREPAREDNESS, UH, IS, IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, AND, AND WE'RE WORKING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THOSE PLANS IN PLACE.
I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, I APPRECIATE ALL THAT BACKGROUND AND INFORMATION I'D ASKED FOR, UM, SOME LOCATIONS OF WHERE THESE COOLING CENTERS WERE.
AND YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE PLACES PEOPLE CAN GO WHEN IT GETS HOT, BUT I DIDN'T HEAR SPECIFIC LOCATIONS.
I WOULD GUESS THAT LIBRARIES ARE A GOOD PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO GO TO IF THEY'RE EXPERIENCING EXTREME HEAT IN THEIR HOMES.
AND, AND, UH, PLACES THAT ARE ALREADY OPEN, LIKE LIBRARIES, COMMUNITY CENTERS, UH, EVEN SOME, UH, UM, UH, COMMERCIAL STORES, UH, GROCERY STORES, UH, PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN WALK TO THEY'RE OPEN DURING THE DAY.
UH, THEY'RE THEY'RE, THEY'RE COOL.
SO YOU CAN WALK IN THERE, WALK AROUND, I WOULD SAY MALLS, BUT I KNOW A LOT OF OUR SHOP CONSIDERS ARE, ARE TRANSITIONING TO OTHER MODELS, BUT THERE'S OTHER PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO TO THEY'RE OPEN, UH, DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS, WHICH IS THE WORST HEAT, AND WE WOULD INCUR.
SO THE FIRST THING YOU'LL HEAR FROM US IS ENCOURAGING THE PUBLIC TO GO TO THOSE OPEN FACILITIES, LIBRARIES, AND COMMUNITY CENTERS BEING, UH, ONE OF THEM AS WELL.
AND THEN I REALLY LIKE HOW YOU TALKED ABOUT SUPPORTING THE PILLARS OF PREPAREDNESS IN THE COMMUNITY, MAKING A KIT, BEING PREPARED, KNOWING YOUR NEIGHBORS.
UM, I WAS WONDERING AS PART OF THE RESILIENCY IN THE COMMUNITY, I REALLY KNOW THAT THE COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM IS A GREAT ASSET FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THEIR COMMUNITY THAT MAYBE DON'T UNDERSTAND OR KNOW HOW TO PREPARE, TO BE PREPARED.
CAN YOU TALK TO US MORE ABOUT THE CERT PROGRAM, HOW MANY CLASSES YOU'VE HAD THIS YEAR? HOW MANY PLAN ON HAVING IN THE FUTURE? BECAUSE I KNOW MY OFFICE OVER
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THE SUMMER IS GOING TO HOST ONE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ENCOURAGING THESE TYPES OF TRAININGS IF WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO SO AT HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.SO AT THIS POINT IN TIME, BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, A LOT OF THE, UH, THE TRAINING THAT WAS OFFERED, UH, ON CERTAIN HAS GONE TO AN ONLINE MODEL.
AND YOU'LL FIND THAT ON OUR WEBSITE AND ENCOURAGE ANYBODY TO GO IN THAT DIRECTION.
WE ARE WORKING ON A PILOT PROJECT SPECIFICALLY WITH GLOSS AND MAMBAS HOSTON ON, ON DEVELOPING A, A NEIGHBORHOOD BASED PROGRAM THAT ENCOURAGES THE DEVELOPMENT OF CERT CAPABILITIES.
UH, AND WE'RE IN THAT TRANSITION PHASE TO TRY AND TO, UH, ESTABLISH CERT TEAMS AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL.
UH, WE DON'T NEED ONE CITY WIDE TEAM.
WE NEED A HUNDRED SMALLER TEAMS, EACH ONE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL WHERE THEY CAN ENGAGE.
AND SO, UM, UM, THAT'S IN THIS POSITION RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE, UM, THE MAIN PERSON THAT WAS LEADING OUR EFFORT MOVED ON.
AND SO WE'RE IN THE TRANSITION OF HIRING.
WE WILL BE BRINGING SOMEONE ON BOARD, UH, TO GOD THAT DIRECTION, BUT THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE MOVING IS, IS IN THAT FASHION TO SUPPORT THE RESILIENCY HUB EFFORTS THAT ARE GOING.
UH, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE ELEMENTS THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT AND TRYING TO FACILITATE THROUGH THE RESILIENCY HUB.
I KNOW THAT SOMETHINGS YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY DO ONLINE, THAT YOU WOULD DO IN PERSON LIKE THE SKILLS TRAINING OR STOPPING BLEEDING, THAT SORT OF THING, BASIC FIRST AID.
BUT I DO APPRECIATE THAT YOUR OFFICE IS MAKING AN EFFORT TO GET THAT COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION MADE AVAILABLE.
COUNCIL MEMBER, KELLY COUNCIL MEMBER ELLISON.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US DIRECTOR.
I'D LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT WATER BOTTLE DISTRIBUTION.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF FAMILIES IN TOWN THAT PROBABLY THINK ABOUT WHEN IT'S COLD, WHEN IT'S FREEZING.
THAT'S THE LAST TIME THEY HAD A SITUATION WHERE THEY NEEDED TO KNOW WHERE WATER BOTTLE DISTRIBUTION WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.
UM, NOW THAT WE'RE ENTERING THE HOT SUMMER MONTHS, I KNOW THERE'S NOT ONLY A RISK OF WILDFIRE, BUT ALSO FLOODING.
UM, AND SO, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT EIGHT WHERE WE KNOW THAT WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE FIRST OFFLINE AND LAST BACK ONLINE, UM, LIKE WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME? WHAT IS THE CURRENT PLAN FOR COMMUNICATING OR ROLLING OUT WATER BOTTLE DISTRIBUTIONS, DEPENDING ON HOW DIFFERENT PARTS OF TOWN ARE EFFECTED.
SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BOTTLED WATER, NOT JUST BOTTLES TWO BOTTLES, TWO TO FILL THEM WITH WATER, CORRECT.
IT'S WHAT MAKES THEM UNDERSTANDING.
YEAH, IT WOULD BASICALLY BE KIND OF THE BULK PALLET DISTRIBUTION THAT WE NORMALLY SEE.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S A COLLABORATION WITH AUSTIN WATER WHERE, UM, I, I BELIEVE THEY HAVE SOME Y'ALL MAY HAVE SOME.
AND SO WHAT IS THE PLAN TO BE ABLE TO QUICKLY DEPLOY THE MOST EMERGENT NEEDS FOR PEOPLE, WHETHER IT IS THE ACTUAL FRESH BOTTLES OF WATER.
UM, I KNOW THAT IN THESE EMERGENCIES YOU MAY NEED, UH, THE BULK, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CUBE BOTTLED WATER THAT HAPPENED LAST TIME, YOU KNOW, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT MAY NEED INFORMATION ON THE DRINKABLE WATER AND THE NON-POTABLE WATER AS WELL.
UM, AS WE KNOW BABY FORMULA, YOU CAN'T USE BOILED WATER, EVEN IF YOU HAVE THE CAPACITY TO BOIL IT.
AND SO WHAT EXACTLY ARE THE NEWEST PLANS ON HOW TO MAKE SURE FAMILIES KNOW IF WHEN AND WHERE, AND HOW TO GET DRINKABLE WATER OR NON-POTABLE WATER, DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION.
UM, SO LET ME START ANSWERING THIS QUESTION AND, UM, UM, THERE'S DIFFERENT EFFORTS THAT ARE UNDERWAY AND CERTAIN THINGS.
THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE, UH, WE AS INDIVIDUALS NEED TO DO TO PREPARE OURSELVES AND OUR FAMILIES.
SO I'M GOING TO START IN, IN THAT REGARD FROM A PREPAREDNESS STANDPOINT, UM, PART OF GOING BACK TO THOSE PILLARS OF PREPAREDNESS, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING A PLAN AND BUILDING A KID SPECIFICALLY, UH, WE RECOMMEND THAT THAT INDIVIDUALS PREPARE IN ADVANCE AND, AND GET BOTTLED WATER, HAVING BOTTLED WATER AVAILABLE AT THEIR HOMES ONE GALLON PER PERSON PER DAY.
SO I HAVE A FAMILY OF FOUR, UH, RIGHT NOW MY, MY OLDEST IS OFTEN THE NAVY.
SO FOUR THAT'S FOUR GALLONS PER PERSON PER DAY TIMES.
UH, THE NATIONAL STANDARD THAT FEMALE RECOMMENDS IS THREE DAYS.
UM, BASED ON WHAT WE EXPERIENCE WITH, UM, WINTER STORM URI, WE WERE SAYING MUCH LONGER PERIODS OF AT LEAST SEVEN DAYS, UH, AND IN SOME AREAS OF THE COUNTRY, MAYBE 14 DAYS, BUT SEVEN TIMES FOUR, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LOOKING AT 28 GALLONS.
UH, AND, AND THAT'S WHAT WE RECOMMEND TO ENSURE THAT, UH, UH, FOLKS AT THEIR HOMES ARE ABLE TO, UH, TO, TO BUILD THAT LEVEL OF PREPAREDNESS IN THE EVENT, SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN.
UM, WE LOOK AT POINTS OF DISTRIBUTION FOR A BOTTLE OF WATER, UH, TO BE STOOD UP WHEN THERE IS A DISRUPTION IN THE, IN THE
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WATER COMMUNITY LIFELINE, RIGHT? UH, UH, IF WE LOSE POWER OR LOSE WATER, UH, IT HAS A TREMENDOUS IMPACT IN OUR COMMUNITY.SO THOSE POINTS OF DISTRIBUTION, UM, UM, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE DONE IT, UH, THREE TIMES IN THE LAST, UH, THREE, FOUR YEARS, WE'VE GAINED SOME EXPERIENCE ON THAT.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, PRIORITIZING THOSE POINTS OF DISTRIBUTION BASED ON, UH, COMMUNITY NEED.
UH, AND THEN ALSO LOOKING AT, UH, FROM A EQUITY LENS PERSPECTIVE.
UH, AND I WOULD SAY OUR EQUITY OFFICE WILL BE A KEY, UH, PARTNER IN HELPING US ESTABLISH THOSE AREAS WHERE WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE THOSE EFFORTS.
UH, WE WILL LOOK AT, UH, HOW, UH, THE PRIVATE SECTOR, GROCERY STORES, HEB WALMARTS OF THE WORLD, UH, WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO BRING ADDITIONAL WATER IN THOSE AREAS.
UH, BUT, UM, AWESOME WATER UTILITY, AS WELL AS MY OFFICE ARE WORKING RIGHT NOW ON ESTABLISHING A MORE SPECIFIC PLAN OF DETERMINING HOW MUCH WATER ARE WE GOING TO HAVE ON HAND IN, IN THAT INITIAL PUSH OF DISTRIBUTED OUT.
BUT, UH, WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC, UH, LOCATIONS IDENTIFIED BECAUSE THERE IS NO NEED, BUT IF THERE WERE A NEED, THE PROCESS WOULD INVOLVE US LOOKING AT THAT, THOSE IMPACT AREAS, LOOKING AT, UH, ESTABLISHING THOSE POINTS OF DISTRIBUTION, WHICH ONE WOULD GO FIRST AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ALSO CONTRACTS IN PLACE TO BRING IN ADDITIONAL WATER IN, UH, IN 2018 WHEN WE HAD TO DO IT, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO GET WATER DOWN THE STREET, UH, AND, AND SEGUIN, UH, IN SEGUIN, UH, WATER PLANT THAT WAS LOCATED THERE.
BUT IN, IN WINTER STORM URI, WE WERE BUYING WATER FROM THE OTHER 40, UH, 47 STATES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES THAT WERE NOT IMPACTED BY THE WINTER STORM, AS WELL AS SOME WATER FROM MEXICO THAT WE'RE BRINGING IN.
SO THOSE THINGS ARE KIND OF MORE COMPLICATED AND TRYING TO DETERMINE HOW FAST CAN THAT WATER IN PLACE, HOW THAT'S GOING TO BE COMMUNICATED.
WE'RE GOING TO BE COMMUNICATING THAT IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, TOO, INCLUDING THROUGH OUR ALREADY CENTRAL TEXAS APP, THAT WE HAVE THAT, UH, THAT WE ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO DOWNLOAD BOTH FROM THE APPLE STORE AND ON THE ANDROID STORE.
UH, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS OF HOW WE WILL BE COMMUNICATING, UH, GIVING PEOPLE INFORMATION OF WHERE THE MAPS ARE OR WHERE THOSE POINTS OF DISTRIBUTIONS ARE GOING TO BE.
AND, UH, WHAT HOURS OF OPERATIONS AND SO FORTH.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THROUGH OUR, OUR, OUR, UM, JOINT EFFORT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, WE WILL ESTABLISH A JOINT INFORMATION SYSTEM TO DISTRIBUTE THAT INFORMATION OUT AND IN ARE WORKING ON HAVING THAT PROCESS BE TRANSLATED IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES TO INCLUDE, UH, AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE THROUGH A SERVICE THAT WE HAVE WITH A COMPANY OUT OF SAN ANTONIO CALLED DEAF LINK.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT WE'RE ONLY THE THIRD, UH, WE'RE ONE OF FOUR COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE WHOLE STATE OF TEXAS THAT IS DELIVERING INFORMATION IN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE IN, IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS WHERE WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO RECORD IT AND TRANSMIT IT CORRECTLY.
SO USING THOSE TOOLS, USING SOCIAL MEDIA AND USING OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAMS WHO WILL BE GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE, WE'RE ALSO, WE'RE LOOKING TO IDENTIFY, UH, UH, RESOURCES SO THAT WE ARE ABLE TO BUILD A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LOCAL NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, THOSE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS ARE GOING TO BE A KEY PLAYER IN HELPING US IDENTIFY WHERE THE NEEDS ARE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE BUILDING A LEVEL OF RESPONSE TO ADDRESS THOSE AREAS.
THE PRIORITY AGAIN, IS TO ENSURE THAT OUR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE ARE R ARE, ARE AS UP AND RUNNING, AND THEN GET THE WATER, UH, RESTORED TO THE, TO THE LARGEST POPULATION THAT WE CAN.
AND MAKING SURE WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR RESPONSE, BUT THROUGH AN EQUITY LENS AND ESTABLISHING THOSE POINTS OF DISTRIBUTION WHERE THE COMMUNITY HAS THE GREATEST NEEDS.
BUT AGAIN, IF EVERYONE CAN GO TO THE GROCERY STORE AND START BUYING ADDITIONAL AND GALLONS OF WATER, IF YOU HAVE THAT ABILITY AND YOU'RE ABLE TO HAVE AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF BOTTLED WATER IN YOUR HOME BEFORE AN EMERGENCY, THEN YOU'RE HELPING NOT ONLY YOURSELF, BUT THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE THEN WE CAN FOCUS OUR RESOURCES TO THOSE AREAS WHERE HAVE GREATER NEED.
I KNOW WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO COMMUNICATE THE FIRST 72 BEGINS WITH YOU BECAUSE THERE'S DEFINITELY THAT NEED FOR THE FIRST FEW DAYS, UH, TO TRY TO HELP MAKE SURE FAMILIES ARE RESILIENT ON THEIR OWN.
I'M SEEING THAT IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO DEPLOY THE ASSISTANCE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE NEED, BUT I WOULD JUST STRONGLY URGE NOW THAT WE KNOW HOW THE WATER TREATMENT PLANTS AND THE LEVELS OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE, DEPENDING ON PRESSURIZATION AFFECTS DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.
UM, I KNOW THAT AS, AS WATER CAME BACK ONLINE DURING WINTER STORM URI, THERE WAS A SITUATION, YOU KNOW, WHERE PEOPLE WOULD MOVE TO
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OTHER PARTS OF TOWN TO GO GET THEIR WATER AND BRING IT BACK.AND WE HAD TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO FULLY FILL BACK IN AND EVERY SINGLE PIPE SITUATION UNTIL, UM, UNTIL THAT PRESSURIZATION HAPPENS.
AND SO, UM, I JUST KNOW IN SOUTHWEST AUSTIN, WE SAW VERY ACUTELY HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE OFFLINE FOR A WEEK, UM, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE, TO THE SAME RESOURCES NEEDED, UM, REGARDLESS OF WHERE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT IT IS.
BUT I DO LOOK FORWARD TO PARTICIPATING IN THAT TRAINING TOMORROW MORNING.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE VERY ENLIGHTENING.
AND I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT DEPENDING ON WHAT DISASTER IS TAKING PLACE, THE RESPONSE TO IT IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE VERY NIMBLE AND TO RESPOND TO EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS WHEN, WHEN IT'S TAKING PLACE.
THANK YOU, MEMBER ELLIS, YOUR ADLER.
WELL, THANKS FOR THE, UH, FOR THE UPDATE AND IT'S GOOD TO SEE ALL THE ACTIVITY HAPPENING AND LOTS OF PLACES.
UM, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT ONE ASPECT OF IT.
I GUESS MY TAKEAWAY FROM BEING IN THE EOC OR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS AND WATCHING AS THESE EVENTS HAPPEN, UH, AS WE GOT TO LARGER EVENTS THERE, THE KEY THING THAT LOOKED LIKE IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, BUT IT WOULD BE THE HARDEST THING FOR US TO DO BECAUSE IT'S SO FAR OUT OF OUR WHEELHOUSE IS HOW WE WORK WITH THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT EXIST IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THE CITY, UH, I THINK VERY UNDERSTANDABLY IT LOOKS AT THIS CHALLENGE OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE UNDER THE LENS OF WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO.
UH, SO, SO EVEN WHEN WE MAKE REFERENCE TO THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE OUT TO THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, THE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS, IT'S LOOKING AT IT IN TERMS OF HOW CAN THEY HELP US IDENTIFY WHERE WE NEED TO GET RESOURCES.
BUT I THINK THE REAL TAKEAWAY FROM EIGHT YEARS IN THAT ROOM IS THAT WHEN THE SCALE OF THE CHALLENGES GETS REALLY BIG, IT'S NO LONGER A QUESTION OF US LEARNING WHERE TO GET RESOURCES TO IT'S, IT'S EMPOWERING AND ENABLING THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO GET RESOURCES WHERE THEY NEED TO GET TO, BECAUSE THERE'S JUST SO MUCH HAPPENING IN THE CITIES BEING ASKED TO RESPOND TO, TO, TO MACRO ISSUES.
UH, AND, AND WHERE WE SEEM TO HAVE THE MOST DIFFICULTY IS WHEN WE HAVE TO START REACHING DOWN AS A CITY AND DEALING WITH THE, WITH THE MICRO ISSUES, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO IT TO REALLY KNOW, AND WE'RE FEELS LIKE WE'RE PLAYING CATCH UP.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE DEMANDS ARE COMING IN FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, FROM THE ORGANIZATIONS.
SO THE CONCEPT OF FIGURING OUT HOW IT IS, WE INSTITUTIONALIZE THAT GRASS ROOTS RESPONSE SO THAT IT GOES INTO PLAY AS A FORCE MULTIPLIER, NOT JUST TO HELP US GET INFORMATION, BUT TO RECOGNIZE THAT IN AN EMERGENCY LIKE THAT, THE CITY CAN'T DO IT ALL.
SO WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN IS SOMETHING THAT I'M STILL REAL EAGER IN.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S IDENTIFYING AND UPDATING 250 PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WOULD SERVE AS A POINT PEOPLE AND HAVING ONE DAY, A YEAR, A HALF DAY TABLETOP EXERCISE WITH THESE 250 PEOPLE.
AND EVERY YEAR OR TWO YEARS, YOU, YOU UPDATE THAT LIST OF 250 PEOPLE.
AND IT'S PEOPLE THAT WE KNOW ARE JUST EMBEDDED IN THE COMMUNITY AND, AND, AND WILL BE DOING WORK.
AND IT'S THE PEOPLE THAT KNOW THAT IF WE'RE DEALING WITH THE SCALE OF THE ISSUE, THEY'RE GOING TO BE LEFT ON THEIR OWN A LOT.
AND, AND FROM A CITY'S PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE GOING TO TRY OUR BEST TO MAKE RESOURCES AVAILABLE.
AND THIS IS THE KIND OF HOW THE REPORTING HAPPENS, WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO KNOW OR NOT KNOW, BUT IT'S ALL HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF THE CITY'S MACRO RESPONSE.
UH, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'VE ADVANCED THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED THAT AND TALKED ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT'S THE HARDEST THING TO DO BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S THE ONE ELEMENT THAT IS CONCEPTUALLY FOREIGN FROM HOW WE ORDINARILY APPROACH MASS DISASTERS LIKE THAT.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT, THAT EFFORT MAYER THAT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, A REALLY GOOD DESCRIPTION OF A ONE WHERE YOU START TALKING ABOUT A CATASTROPHIC EVENT.
IT IS NOT JUST THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, BUT IT'S REALLY A COMMUNITY EFFORT LEVEL OF RESPONSE, INCLUDING OUR PRIVATE SECTOR, INCLUDING OTHER DISTRICTS THAT ARE, UH, THAT EXIST IN OUR COMMUNITY.
OTHER AUTHORITIES THAT EXISTED IN OUR COMMUNITY, ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER TO LOOK AT WHAT IS NEEDED FOR THE COMMUNITY IN
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ORDER TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND.UH, THERE IS A SAYING IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT THAT WE DON'T WANT TO BE EXCHANGING BUSINESS CARDS IN THE DAY OF THE DISASTER, IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH THAT COLLABORATION, WE NEED TO BE ENGAGING WITH EVERYBODY AND ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO ENGAGE ON A NICE, CLEAR SUMMER DAY IN ORDER TO BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP.
UH, AND, AND KNOW WHAT WE CAN COUNT ON FROM, FROM A COMMUNITY STANDPOINT AND FROM A PRIVATE SECTOR STANDPOINT, AND FROM A GOVERNMENTAL STANDPOINT, IN ORDER TO KNOW WHAT TO CALL UPON IN THE MIDDLE OF A DISASTER RESPONSE, OUR ROLE IS TO GUIDE THOSE EFFORTS.
BUT IF THE COMMUNITY IS WORKING ON A SOLUTION, THAT MAKES SENSE OUR JOB IS TO ASSIST THEM IN THAT LEVEL OF RESPONSE.
BUILDING THAT TRUST IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO BE WORKING ON.
I HAD A TAUGHT AND IN AND ENGAGING AT ALL LEVELS WITH THAT COMMON SET IN MIND, IT'S NOT US VERSUS THEM AS US.
I THINK THAT THAT WAS VERY EVIDENT AS A RESULT OF WINTER STORM ERIE AND HOW, UM, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE ENGAGE.
I HAD A TIME TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND CLEAR UP ANY MISUNDERSTANDINGS AHEAD OF HOW THINGS NEED TO BE DONE, BUT FACILITATE HOW TO EXPEDITE THAT LEVEL OF COMMUNITY LEVEL RESPONSE, UH, AS, AS BEST AS WE CAN.
AND THERE'S A NEED FOR A LEVEL OF AWARENESS WITHIN US, THE CITY ORGANIZATION, AND ALSO A LEVEL OF AWARENESS, UH, FROM THE COMMUNITY ITSELF.
I THINK THERE WERE SOME THINGS IN THAT RESPONSE.
I WENT TO SEMINARY THAT I, I WISH I CAN GO BACK AND DO A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, RIGHT.
BUT THEN THERE'S SOME THINGS IN THERE THAT I THOUGHT WE, MAN, I'M VERY PROUD OF.
UM, BEING ABLE TO SET UP A CONFERENCE CALL WITH ALL THE GROCERY STORES, AS MANY AS WE COULD TO, TO TALK ABOUT HOW CAN WE HELP YOU OPEN UP YOUR STORES A LOT FASTER, ENGAGING WITH SOME OF THOSE SPEND PITEOUS ORGANIZATIONS THAT POPPED UP AND SAID, OKAY, I WILL KNOW YOU, BUT LET ME WORK WITH YOU TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO HELP YOU HELP THE COMMUNITY.
THOSE ARE WERE GREAT EXPERIENCES THAT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CAPTURE THAT AND BRING IT BACK.
I THINK THAT PART OF THAT IS ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY LEVEL ON A PERIODIC BASIS WITH WORKSHOPS TO WALK THROUGH THE PROCESS, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, BUT ON A GRANDER SCALE AND IN HAVING THE COMMUNITY ALSO LEAD AND TAKE PART OF THAT DISCUSSION, HAVING THEM TAKE OWNERSHIP OF SOME OF THAT LEVEL OF DISCUSSION AND RESPONSE, IT IS CRUCIAL FOR A MORE RESILIENT, PREPARED, SAFE COMMUNITY.
SO, SO TO THAT END, CAUSE I AGREE WITH ALL OF THAT.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S POSSIBLE OVER THE COMING MONTHS, CERTAINLY BEFORE THE CALENDAR YEAR IS OVER TO HAVE THAT FIRST MEETING OF THE 250 PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM ABOUT WHAT IS IT THAT IS REASONABLE FOR THE CITY TO EXPECT THIS GRASSROOTS NETWORK TO BE ABLE TO DO.
AND WHAT RESOURCES WOULD THAT GRASSROOTS NETWORK NEED IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO MEET THAT, THAT EXPECTATION JUST TO ANSWERING THOSE TWO QUESTIONS COLLECTIVELY, I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE IN THE YOSI, WE'RE TRYING TO GENERATE THOSE TWO LISTS EACH NIGHT, YOU KNOW, AS IT'S BEGINNING TO KIND OF PROGRESS THROUGH AND IT IS IT'S COMING TOGETHER.
BUT IF THERE WAS A NETWORK OF 250 PEOPLE THAT THE CITY MET WITH ONCE A YEAR, JUST TO, TO, TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS AGAIN, WHAT IS IT IT'S REASONABLE FOR THE CITY AND THE SYSTEM TO EXPECT, AND WHAT RESOURCES WOULD, WOULD YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO IT? UH, I THINK WOULD, I THINK WOULD HELP A WHEN, WHEN WE DID WINTER STORM URI AND THERE WAS SO MUCH COMMUNITY AND GRASSROOTS ENGAGEMENT, SOME PEOPLE LOOKED AT THAT AS A FAILURE ON THE CITY AND ON THE COUNTY AND ON THE SYSTEMS WE NEEDED TO STEP IN BECAUSE THE CITY WASN'T ABLE TO DO IT.
[00:30:01]
NEEDED TO STEP IN.AND I THINK MY PERSPECTIVE ON THAT HAS CHANGED OVER THE EIGHT YEARS WHERE I SAY, OF COURSE YOU DID, AT THAT SCALE, YOU WILL ALWAYS NEED TO STEP IN, AND THAT'S NOT A FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM.
THAT'S AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF IT, BUT IF THAT'S TRUE AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF IT, THEN WE NEED TO DO EXACTLY THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND WE'VE HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS I'D LIKE AT, AT A, AT A THEORETICAL LEVEL, BUT I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE WHAT THE ACTION PLAN IS FOR THIS ELEMENT OF OUR RESPONSE.
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO BE DOING BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE YEAR TO, TO SET UP THAT PART OF OUR RESPONSE? SO IT COULD BE SUCCESSFUL AND WHAT GATHERINGS OR MEETINGS OR BRAINSTORMING, WHATEVER IT IS, HOW DO WE ACTUALIZE THAT COMPONENT IS SOMETHING THAT I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE SOMETIME THIS CALENDAR YEAR, AS WE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE NEXT GENERATION OF OUR RESPONSE PLAN.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO DO IT DOES MATTER AND ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN ENGAGING WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ON A DISCUSSION OF, OF A OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH THE PUBLIC SPECIFICALLY FROM A WILDLAND FIRE HAZARD PERSPECTIVE? UM, I THINK IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UH, AND, AND I CAN SEE US DOING THIS ON SPECIFIC HAZARDS SEASONALLY, RIGHT? UH, A DISCUSSION ON HOW ARE WE ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY FROM A FIRE THREAT PERSPECTIVE AND HAVING THAT ENGAGEMENT AGAIN IN THE FALL AS WE PREPARE FOR WINTER WEATHER.
AND, AND THEN FOLLOWING IT UP AGAIN, AS WE PREPARE FOR FLOODING SITUATIONS, LOOKING AT OUR, AT OUR MOST PROMINENT, USING OUR MOST, UM, UM, UH, HIGH HAZARD CONDITIONS TO ENGAGE WITH OUR COMMUNITY IN THAT DISCUSSION SO THAT WE CAN BUILD THAT, THAT COMMONALITY, THAT TRUST, AND YOU COULD BUILD IT AROUND AN EVENT LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, I'M NOT TRYING TO PRESCRIBE THAT, BUT JUST TO INSTITUTIONALIZE, WE KNEW WE HAD ELDERLY PEOPLE THAT COULD BE ALONE IN THEIR ROOMS. WE SPENT SEVERAL DAYS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO REACH THEM, BUT THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW THEM AND KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND MEALS ON WHEELS AS EYES IN SO MANY DIFFERENT PLACES.
AND THERE ARE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT ARE DEALING WITH, UH, COMMUNITIES ALL THE TIME THAT, THAT, THAT DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH.
UH, IT MIGHT BE HARDER TO PUT THEY'RE THERE.
THEY ARE THE TRUSTED AGENTS AND AGENCIES FOR THEM.
AND IF THEY WERE PART OF OUR EMERGENCY PLANNING, IF ONCE A YEAR, THEY WERE ALL GATHERED AND SAY, IF, IF SOMETHING HORRIBLE HAPPENED, IF A BOMB FELL OR WE LOST POWER AND WATER AGAIN, HOW DO WE, HOW HAVE WE ALREADY SET IT UP SO THAT THE CALL GOES OUT AND THERE ARE 250 PEOPLE, OR 250 ORGANIZATIONS THAT KNOW THAT NOW IS THEIR TIME TO STEP FORWARD.
THEY KNOW WHAT KIND OF RESOURCES IT'S REASONABLE FOR THEM TO EXPECT TO GET WHAT KIND OF RESOURCES IT'S NOT REASONABLE FOR THEM TO EXPECT HOW THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GET INFORMATION, UH, SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT AHEAD OF TIME.
SO THEY'RE NOT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THEN HOW IT IS THAT THEY THINK THEY ALREADY KNOW.
YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A PIECE OF PAPER SAYS WHEN THE CALL GOES OUT, THIS IS BY RESPONSIBILITY, MY ORGANIZATION, IF WE SET THAT UP AND TO TRY TO ACTUALIZE THAT AGAIN, THAT'S THE HARDEST COMPONENT OF THIS BECAUSE THERE IS NO THAT YET, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE THINGS.
AND I'D LOVE TO SEE US STARTING TO ACTUALLY ACTUALIZE IT THIS CALENDAR HERE.
THANK YOU, MAYOR APPRECIATED IT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME AND THANK OUR COLLEAGUES FOR JOINING US.
THE COUNCIL MEMBER OR MAYOR PRO TEM ALTAR IS HERE WITH US.
AND I SEE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO IS WITH US VIRTUALLY, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, CHAIR AND THIS REALLY LINKS, UH, JUST TO WHERE AND I WAS WATCHING YOU GUYS, SORRY.
I, I DIDN'T HAVE A LINK FOR THE MEETING FOR A BIT, BUT I WAS WATCHING A LITTLE BIT OF THE CONVERSATION BEFORE I JOINED, BUT MAY I HAVE YOUR, YOUR QUESTIONS I THINK ARE VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH MINE.
AND WE DID HAVE A PRETTY SUCCESSFUL AND SUCCESSFULLY SUBSCRIBED FOR AWHILE PROGRAM CALLED CERT AND I'VE FORGOTTEN WHAT THAT STANDARD FOR, BUT I THINK THAT MAY BE A STRUCTURE THAT WOULD WORK FOR WHAT THE MAYOR'S DESCRIBING, BECAUSE THEY WERE INDIVIDUALS THAT, THAT SIGNED UP THAT VOLUNTEERED PRETTY IDENTIFIED TO BE PART OF OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THEY GOT SOME LEVEL OF EQUIPMENT AND SOME LEVEL OF TRAINING, AND THEN THE CITY HAD, YOU KNOW, A COORDINATED WAY OF REACHING OUT TO THEM.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
I KNOW IT, I DON'T THINK IT'S BEEN, I REMEMBER IT FROM BEFORE I GOT ON COUNCIL.
SO IT'S BEEN THAT LONG SINCE I'VE HEARD ABOUT IT.
[00:35:01]
QUESTION DURING OUR, OUR DEBRIEFING AFTER THE STORM LAST YEAR, I THINK I WAS TOLD, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE IS CERT AND WENT TO THE PAGE AND IT IT'S VERY CLEAR.IT'S NOT AS ACTIVE AS IT ONCE DID.
I MEAN, I KNEW PEOPLE WHO HAD LIKE GLOVES AND BUCKETS AND OTHER KINDS OF THINGS, AND HAD GONE THROUGH THE TRAINING IN DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, BECAUSE CERTAINLY PARTNERED, I THINK AT THAT TIME WITH THE AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOODS COUNCIL TO KIND OF GET THAT WORK GOING.
BUT I THINK, UM, ANYWAY, SO I WOULD ASK AND MAYBE A VERY DIRECTIVE WAY MAYOR, IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO GET OUR, UH, CITY MANAGER LOOKING AT CERT AS PART AS, UH, OR TO SERVE THE PURPOSES THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING OF REALLY REACHING OUT TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO PRE IDENTIFY THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
AND I THINK THAT COULD PROVIDE A STRUCTURE FOR THIS SORT OF RESPONSE.
UM, I GUESS MY OTHER QUESTION REALLY LEADS BACK, LEADS US BACK TO GROCERY STORES.
I KNOW SEVERAL OF US REACHED OUT TO AISD AND GOT AISD IN TOUCH WITH, WITH YOU ALL AT VARIOUS POINTS.
UM, I'M INTERESTED IN SEEING THE ACTION PLAN WITH REGARD TO OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL.
LIKE WHAT ARE THE, ESPECIALLY WITH AISD, WHICH USES A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, HAS THE ABILITY AS WE LEARNED TO GET RESOURCES INTO THE COMMUNITY PRETTY QUICKLY, THEY HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH DISTRIBUTORS THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE ONES THAT THE CITY UTILIZES.
THEY WERE ABLE TO GET US WATER UP THROUGH THEIR RESOURCES PRETTY QUICKLY.
ONCE, ONCE I HOOKED UP, UM, ONE OF THE AISD PEOPLE TO OUR CITY STAFF MEMBER, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE AN ACTION PLAN FOR THOSE GROCERY STORES.
AND SO I WONDER IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO THAT, THAT PIECE OF IT, UM, DIRECTOR, IS THERE, DO YOU HAVE NOW LIKE A LIST OF THE GROCERY STORES AND SOME MECHANIZED COORDINATED WAY OF COMMUNICATING WITH THEM AND A STAFF MEMBER TASKED WITH THAT PIECE OF THE RESPONSE? I KNOW SEVERAL OF US HEARD EARLIER DURING WINTER STORM THAT COSTCO, YOU KNOW, THAT PEOPLE WERE SHOWING UP AT A SAM'S CLUB OR COSTCO.
I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH, BUT STAFF MEMBERS CAME OUT AND SAID, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO OPEN BECAUSE THE CITY TOLD US TO STAY CLOSED AND YOU KNOW, IT, AND WITH A WORK OF A COUPLE OF OUR COUNCIL OFFICES, MINE, AND I THINK SOMEBODY ELSE'S, WE WERE ABLE TO CONNECT THEM UP AND, AND, AND GET THAT RESOLVED.
BUT WHAT IS THE PLAN MOVING FORWARD? I KNOW YOU SPOKE TO MAKING SURE THAT THOSE RELATIONSHIPS EXIST.
IS THERE SOME KIND OF MASTER LIST? NOPE, SORRY.
COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF THOSE KINDS OF STORES THAT YOU CAN REACH OUT TO AND A COORDINATED WAY.
AND A STAFF MEMBER TASKED WITH COMMUNICATING IN THE TIME OF EMERGENCY, UH, DIRECTOR ROTC BEFORE YOU ANSWER COUNCIL MEMBER TABLEAU.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WERE ON THE LINE WITH US WHEN HE DESCRIBED IT.
UM, DOCTORAL THESIS, IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT A PILOT THAT YOU ALL ARE WORKING ON WITH GABA, FOR COMMUNITY CERT TRAININGS.
UM, IF YOU COULD GO BACK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT WHERE YOU HEAR TALK TO IT, I MISS THAT.
SO IF YOU'VE ALREADY GOT, I THINK IT'S WORTH REPEATING BECAUSE I ACTUALLY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SPECIFIC DETAILS.
SO I THINK IT'S WORTH HIM, HIM REPEATING.
SO YOU, UM, UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PLAN IS FOR THEM WITH THIS PILOT, UM, INCLUDING SOME OF THE QUESTIONS WHILE YOU'RE ANSWERING HER QUESTION ABOUT THE CERT PILOT, IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO, I KNOW YOU SAID YOU DON'T HAVE SOMEBODY TO DIRECT THE EFFORT YET, BUT IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO WHAT QUALIFICATIONS THAT PERSON HAS, LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN A PERSON TO LEAD THAT EFFORT? UM, WHEN WE GET EXPECTED FOR THE PILOT TO ROLL OUT AND HOW LONG WE EXPECT FOR THE PILOT TO LESS.
SO LET ME BACK MACK UP A LITTLE BIT.
THE PRODUCT TO MY RIVAL, THE CITY HAD A ONE CERT TEAM APPROACH STRATEGY.
THE CHALLENGE WAS THAT YOU HAD A LARGE MEMBERSHIP LOOKING FOR DIRECTIONS, BUT THOSE WERE INDIVIDUALS FALL INTO A LARGER POOL.
AND THE CERT PROGRAM REALLY IS DESIGNED US AS THE NAME IMPLIES COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM CENTER AROUND A SMALLER GEOGRAPHIC AREA.
SO THEY CAN WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM AND BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THOSE SITUATIONS AROUND THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY'RE NOT REPLACED FIRE POLICE OR EMS OR ANY OF THE OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS, BUT DURING THE INTENT IS FOR THEM TO BE THERE AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL TO HELP THE COMMUNITY WHERE THEY LIVE IN, BE ABLE TO, UH, UH, RESPOND AND, AND BE IN AND BE SAFE FROM, UH, FROM ANY FUTURE EMERGENCY DISASTER.
WHAT WE STARTED DOING SEVERAL YEARS AGO AS ENGAGED WITH, UH, GO AUSTIN, MAMAS, AUSTIN, AND TAKE THAT CERT PROGRAM AND, AND, AND THOSE THAT MATERIAL AND BRING IT DOWN INTO A, A TEACHABLE MODEL THAT CAN BE, UH, THE, THE SEMINATED TO DELIVERED AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL.
[00:40:01]
THIS, ENGAGING WITH THEM, UH, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, UM, MY PUBLIC INFORMATION AND MARKETING OFFICER MOVED ON AND WE'RE ABOUT TO MAKE A NEW SELECTION FUNDING PERSON, BUT THAT PERSON WILL THEN ALLOW US TO ENGAGE NOT ONLY WITH GABA, BUT WITH THE OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND BEGIN THAT WORK THAT HAS NECESSARILY NECESSARY TO REPLICATE THAT TRAINING MECHANISM AND SPREAD IT AROUND TO OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD LEVELS.THERE IS A NEED FOR A CONSTANT, UM, UM, ENGAGEMENT WITH THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.
AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS, UH, AS PART OF OUR DISASTER RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC, WE BROUGHT IN A LOT OF RETIRED FIREFIGHTERS AND PARAMEDICS.
WE THAT HAVE SOME OF THAT LEVEL OF TRAINING AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
WE'RE HOPING THAT WE HAVE THE FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO USE THAT DISASTER RESERVISTS TEAM, TO ENGAGE WITH THE, WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND PROVIDE SPECIFIC CERT TRAINING WITH THE PULPS OF NOT HAVING ONE CITY-WIDE TEAM, BUT HAVING A HUNDRED NEIGHBORHOOD BASE TEAMS THAT CAN BE CENTERED AROUND A, A NEIGHBORHOOD AND APARTMENT COMPLEX, A, UH, HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION, DEPENDING ON WHERE THE NEED IS.
WE NEED TO EMPOWER THE, OUR RESIDENTS TO HELP TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES.
AND IT IS A WAY OF LEVERAGING THOSE EFFORTS.
AND THOSE WERE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE SAW HAPPENING AUTOMATICALLY, UH, AS PART OF THE WINTER STORM RESPONSE, APARTMENT COMPLEXES, YOU HAD RESIDENTS THERE.
LET ME HELP COORDINATE, BRING THE DIFFERENT RESORTS TOGETHER.
AND THEY WERE TAKING CARE OF THEMSELVES AS BEST AS THEY COULD.
WE NEED TO COME IN AND HELP THEM WITH ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, GIVE THEM SOME TRAINING, GIVE THEM SOME, SOME TOOLS AND CAPABILITIES SO THAT THEY CAN BE, UH, EMPOWERED TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES.
THE EFFORT THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH GWAS AND VAMOS AUSTIN, UM, IS BEING ROLLED OUT AS WE SPEAK.
AND I THINK WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO TAKING THAT MODEL AND START REPLICATING IN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER PLACES OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT REALLY WHAT IT IS, IS TAKING THAT CERT TRAINING AND PUTTING IT AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL.
I BELIEVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO HAD OTHER QUESTIONS.
DO YOU, WOULD YOU LIKE TO REPEAT YOUR QUESTION FOR DIRECTORY ORDER DC? YEAH.
AND, UM, I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE GABA WORK.
UM, AND I, I WOULD JUST EMPHASIZE SOMETHING THE MAYOR SAID, WHICH IS IT'S ALSO, I APPRECIATE THAT IT SHOULD BE LOCAL AND NEIGHBORHOOD FOCUSED, AND I AGREE, BUT I THINK THERE IS A NEED FOR MORE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION FOCUS TO REACH SOME OF THOSE POPULATIONS, UM, THAT WILL, THAT WILL NEED THOSE TRUSTED LEADERS WHO MAY OR MAY NOT RESIDE WITHIN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEN THE OTHER QUESTION WAS ABOUT AND APOLOGIES.
AND PLEASE, UM, DON'T JUST DIRECT ME BACK TO THE TAPE.
IF, IF YOU'VE ALREADY COVERED THIS TOO, I HEARD YOU TALK ABOUT WANTING TO DEVELOP THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH GROCERY STORES.
IS THERE SOME KIND OF COMPREHENSIVE LIST THAT YOU HAVE AN A, AN, A COMMUNICATION MECHANISM AND A REGULAR CHECK-IN WITH THEM AS LARGE DISTRIBUTORS, UM, OR LARGE, LARGE GROCERY STORES.
AND DO YOU HAVE A STAFF PERSON TASKED WITH THAT, WITH THAT RESPONSIBILITY? UM, WE HAVE, UH, IDENTIFIED, UH, THE LARGER DISTRIBUTORS, THE WALMARTS AND THE HBS THAT HAVE, UH, A, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COMPONENT WITHIN THEIR ORGANIZATIONS.
AND SO WE HAVE, UM, UH, ENGAGED WITH THEM AND WE ENGAGED WITH THEM WHENEVER WE HAVE THOSE EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, UH, CONDITION.
SO, UM, IT WAS, UH, IT WAS VERY HELPFUL, UH, TO BRING THE, BRING THEM IN, UH, DURING WINTER STORM URI.
UH, IT'S NOT ALL COMPREHENSIVE THERE, YOU HAVE A LOT OF SMALLER, UH, GROCERY STORES, NEIGHBORHOOD, GROCERY STORES, WHEREAS IS A, IS MORE OF A CHALLENGE.
SO IDENTIFY, UM, A REPRESENTATIVE FOR ALL OF THEM.
WE'RE HOPING THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE'LL BE UTILIZING THE DIFFERENT CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE TO HELP US ENGAGE WITH THEM.
I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC PERSON IDENTIFIED WHERE THAT, UH, TO, TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT WE'RE HOPING THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE'LL GET ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO, UH, TO CARRY THAT MISSION OUT.
UH, RON NOW, WHERE LEVERAGING THAT RESPONSIBILITY WITH OUR, OUR PLANNING GROUP TO ENGAGE WITH THEM PERIODICALLY, UH, AND TRY TO, UH, UH, BUILD THAT RAPPORT AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND ENGAGE THEM IN, IN TRAINING OR AN EXERCISES, UH, AS BEST AS WE CAN, BUT THERE IS A NEED FOR A BROADER,
[00:45:01]
UH, ENGAGEMENT THAT, UM, UH, THAT IS NECESSARY TO REACH THE LEVEL OF COLLABORATION THAT WE HOPE TO, TO DEVELOP AS WE MOVE FORWARD.IS THAT SUFFICIENT COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, DID ANYBODY COUNCILMEMBER ALTER, THANK YOU, TARA.
UM, MR. ORTIZ, UM, I WANTED TO JUST CONFIRM FOR TOMORROWS FOR TOMORROW'S SESSION WAS MY UNDERSTAND THAT WAS JUST COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SHOULD WE BE BRINGING STAFF TO THAT? UM, WE LIMITED TO COUNCIL MEMBERS AND IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT LEVEL OF, OF, UH, UH, POLICY LEVELS, NOT ONLY FROM THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUT THEN REPRESENTATION TO THE OTHER, UH, CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT WOULD BE NECESSARY IN ORDER TO HAVE THAT ENGAGEMENT, UH, AS WELL.
BUT SHOULD OUR STAFF BE THERE TO WATCH IT? I KNOW THEY'RE NOT PARTICIPATING.
I JUST SOUNDS LIKE FOR SOME OF THAT STUFF, THEY WOULD BE THE ONES EXECUTING CERTAIN PIECES OF IT.
SO IT MIGHT WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES TOMORROW, BUT IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING AS A, AS A FOLLOW ON TO MAKE SURE THAT SOME OF OUR STAFF HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE UNDERSTANDING THE ROLES IN, IN THAT PROCESS IN A FUTURE ITERATION OF THAT.
UM, I WANTED TO CONTINUE, IF I CAN ADD WHAT WE CAN DO IS, IS, UM, UH, SCHEDULE ON ANOTHER SESSION OF THAT COURSE, A LATER TIME THAT IS DESIGNED MORE FOR THE, UH, YOUR STAFF AND OTHER, UH, OTHER LEVELS OF MANAGEMENT AS WELL TO ATTEND.
UM, WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES TOMORROW, BUT I THINK THAT A GOOD IDEA.
UM, I WANTED TO ASK, UM, WE'VE BEEN HAVING A LOT MORE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT EVACUATION, UM, IN FACE OF A WILDFIRE.
UM, CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME, WHAT IS THE ROLE OF, UM, IN COORDINATING AND LEADING, UM, THE EVACUATION PORTION OF WILDFIRE EVENT? SO THE ROLE OF HAYSOM, UM, PRIMARILY IS TO ENSURE THAT WE, UM, ARE COORDINATED WITH MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS.
WHENEVER THERE'S AN INCIDENT REQUIRES MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS.
WE RESPONDED IN A WALL AND FIRE WHERE THERE ARE COMMUNITY-WIDE EVACUATIONS.
UM, WE WILL BE ACTIVATING THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, BRING IN REPRESENTATION FROM THE DIFFERENT CITY AND COMMUNITY DEPARTMENTS, AS WELL AS THE COUNTY AND BE COORDINATING THOSE EVACUATION EFFORTS.
AND, UH, AND, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE, UH, ALSO GETTING THE, ANY ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT MAY BE REQUIRED TO ASSIST IN THOSE EVACUATIONS, WHETHER THERE'LL BE BUSES FROM CAPITOL METRO OR A SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, COORDINATING THE, THE, ANY ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT MAY REQUIRE THEM TO COME FROM THE STATE, WHETHER THEY'RE FROM TEXAS FORESTRY SERVERS OR FROM, UH, DPS, IF WE ARE FROM THE NATIONAL GUARD, IF WE NEED, UH, REESE AIR ASSETS TO HELP PUT OUT THE FIRE AT A HIGH LEVEL, THE EVACUATION DECISION, ONCE IT'S MADE FROM THE INCIDENT COMMAND POST, IT WILL BE COMMUNICATED TO US, UH, AND EOC, AS WELL AS OTHER, UH, KEY PLAYERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE WILL BE COMMUNICATING THAT, UH, WE'LL BE UTILIZING OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION TEAM TO COMMUNICATE THAT TO THE COMMUNITY AND, AND, AND, AND BE GIVEN GUIDANCE AND PROTECTIVE ACTIONS FOR THOSE THAT ARE IMPACTED OR WHAT THEY CAN DO TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND TO, AND HOW TO EVACUATE AS WELL AS, UH, THOSE THAT ARE NOT IMPACTED GIVING THEM RECOMMENDATIONS OR A REQUEST FOR THEM TO STAY OUT OF THE AREA.
WE WILL BE ESTABLISHING A COMMUNITY REFUGE POINTS, AND WE WILL BE SENDING REPRESENTATIVES AT THOSE COMMUNITY REFERENCE POINTS, UH, TO ASSESS THE, UH, THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS THAT HAVE EVACUATED AND ADD THOSE TO THOSE POINTS, AND THEN BE COMMUNICATING WITH THOSE RESIDENTS WHERE PERMANENT A, UH, SHELTER IS ESTABLISHED TO GUIDE THEM OUT OF THE AREA AND BE ABLE TO TAKE BEGIN TO ASSESS THEIR NEEDS AND BE ABLE TO, UM, UH, COORDINATE WITH THEM.
SO IT'S THAT COORDINATION THAT TAKES PLACE BETWEEN THE FIRE POLICE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, UH, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, OUR CODE DEPARTMENT, OUR WATER DEPARTMENT, AUSTIN ENERGY, ALL THOSE MAJOR DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY IN THE RESPONSE TO, UH, TO THE FIRE, BUT THEN ALSO ALL OF THE OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS
[00:50:01]
LIKE, UH, RED CROSS AUSTIN DISASTER RELIEF NETWORK, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO LOOK AT THE CONSEQUENCE MANAGEMENT OF THE IMPACT OF THE DISASTER, AND BEGIN TO ADDRESS THAT COMMUNITY LEVEL RESPONSE, UH, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE REFERENCE LOCATIONS FOR THE PEOPLE TO GO TO AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SHELTERS BEGIN BEGINNING TO OPEN SO THAT WE CAN GET THEM OUT OF THOSE REFERENCE LOCATIONS, INTO A SAFER LOCATION AND BE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM AND DETERMINE WHETHER THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK QUICKLY OR WHETHER THEY'RE GOING TO NEED TO STAY OUT FOR A MUCH LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.IF IT'S A LEVEL OF A FIRE THAT WILL REQUIRE COMMUNITY EVACUATIONS TO UP TO THAT POINT, WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE DEALING WITH THE, UH, THE DISASTER RECOVERY ASPECTS, BRINGING IN THE CODE, UH, AND BUILDING OFFICIALS TO COME IN AND ASSESS THE DAMAGE AND DETERMINE, UH, WHAT AREAS WILL BE NEED TO BE, UH, ALLOW BACK IN.
AND HOW DO YOU DO THAT? THAT MAY BE A DAY OR TWO, OR EVEN SEVERAL DAYS DOWN THE LINE.
UH, IN THE MEANTIME, WE HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF COMMUNICATING WITH THOSE FOLKS THAT HAD TO EVACUATE AND BE TAKING CARE OF THEM AS BEST AS WE CAN.
THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO STAY AT THE SHELTER.
THEY CAN GO TO THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS OR MAKE THEIR OWN ARRANGEMENTS, BUT THOSE THAT NEED A SHELTER, WE WILL BE MEETING THOSE NEEDS.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT IS THIS PERCEPTION THAT WE HAVE AN EVACUATION PLAN AND NOBODY KNOWS WHAT IT SAYS, AND NOBODY KNOWS WHAT TO DO.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S A REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT ROLE, UM, FOR HAYSOM IN CHANGING THAT AND LEADING THE EFFORTS WITH RESPECT TO VARIOUS, UM, DEPARTMENTS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I, WHEN I START ASKING QUESTIONS LIKE, OKAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, WHO, WHO KNOWS HOW TO REVERSE FLOW TRAFFIC ON 22, 22? SO YOU CAN GET PEOPLE OUT OF THE WAY OF A WILDFIRE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S NOT CLEAR THAT THOSE DOTS ARE BEING CONNECTED.
AND, AND SO I'D LOVE TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION OUTSIDE OF THIS FORUM, PERHAPS, BUT, UM, I REALLY THINK THAT THERE'S AN IMPORTANT ROLE AND IT REQUIRES A LOT OF ADVANCED PREPARATION.
AND, AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PIECES THAT YOU'RE DOING FOR, FOR OTHER DISASTERS, BUT I THINK THERE'S SOME VERY SPECIFIC ONES, UM, FOR THIS, THAT I, THAT I, THAT I'M CONCERNED.
UM, IT WOULDN'T FEEL MUCH BETTER KNOWING THAT YOU'RE ON TOP OF, SO I WOULD APPRECIATE BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AT A DEEPER LEVEL, IF I CAN.
UM, YOU MENTIONED, UM, UH, CONTRAFLOW, UM, RE UH, THAT IS, UM, EVEN IN A HURRICANE SCENARIO, HAVING EXPERIENCED BEING IN A COMMUNITY WHERE WE HAD TO EVACUATE FOR A HURRICANE, AND WE CAN SEE THE HURRICANE COMING IN FOR MULTIPLE DAYS.
UH, IT WAS A VERY DAUNTING TASK FOR THE STATE TO BE ABLE TO DO A CONTRAFLOW.
UH, I THINK THAT WHAT IS GOING TO BE KEY IN OUR COMMUNITY TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL EVACUATION IS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE ENGAGING WITH THE PUBLIC EARLY, WHEN THERE ARE THE FIRE DANGER HAZARDS ARE PRESENT AND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE FROM REFAMILIARIZING WITH THEIR PLANS ON WHAT THEY ARE GOING, OR HOW THEY'RE GOING AND WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE WITH YOU, BECAUSE IF THERE IS AN EVACUATION THEN IS MADE IS THEN THAT EVACUATION NEEDS TO BE TAKEN.
UH, PEOPLE NEED TO TAKE ACTION VERY QUICKLY.
AND IF YOUR DATA'S NOT, THAT IS A WORST TIME TO START THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE, BECAUSE YOU'RE MAKING THAT BE, HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF IMPORTANCE AS YOUR OWN LIFE OR YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS LIVES.
AND SO GOING BACK TO THOSE PILLARS OF PREPAREDNESS THAT I TALKED ABOUT MAKING A PLAN, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MAKING A PLAN IS MAKING A PLAN BASED ON WHERE YOU LIVE, WHAT YOUR HAZARDS ARE.
AND IF YOU LIVE IN A PART OF THE CITY WHERE WALLEN FIRE IS A DANGER, THEN YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS IT THAT YOU NEED TO DO TO PREPARE YOURSELF IN ORDER TO EVACUATE.
UH, AND, AND, UH, WHEN THAT ORDER IS GIVEN AND COMMUNICATE THAT WITH YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR NEIGHBORS, BECAUSE, UM, YOUR NEIGHBORS CAN BE ALSO PART OF THE, UH, THE, THE KEY TO SUCCESS.
IF THEY ARE CLOGGING UP THE ARTERIES OR EVACUATION, THEN WE WILL PUT A LOT MORE PEOPLE ARE IN DANGER.
SO I, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU ON ALL THAT.
AND, AND THOUGH I DO NOT BELIEVE WE ARE YET SET WITH OUR EVACUATION PREPAREDNESS, UM, YOU KNOW, TO DO THE THINGS SO THAT WE'RE NOT DOING THOSE AT THE LAST MINUTE, SO WE'RE PREPARED, UM, AND YOU MAY BE PREPARED, BUT I STILL THINK THERE'S AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK TO BE DONE FOR OUR
[00:55:01]
BATTALION CHIEFS FOR, FOR OUR POLICE OFFICERS TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO FOR ATD, TO KNOW WHERE THEY'RE STEPPING IN, IN THE EVENT OF, OF THE WILDFIRE, WHICH HAPPENS TO JUST BE THE DISASTER THAT I KNOW MOST ABOUT.NOT THAT THE OTHER ONES WON'T HAPPEN OR AREN'T IMPORTANT.
SO I WANT TO CONTINUE THAT CONVERSATION.
MY LAST QUESTION, HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE BRIEF.
WE HAD ASKED WHEN WE GOT THE AFTER ACTION REPORTS FROM STURM YURI, UM, TO HAVE A MID-YEAR BUDGET AMENDMENT.
SO WE WERE NOT WAITING UNTIL THE NEXT BUDGET, UM, TO GET YOU ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THAT BUDGET AMENDMENT? BECAUSE I IMAGINE YOU NEED MORE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO PLAN AT THE LEVEL THAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO PLAN THE SHORT ANSWER.
YES, WE DO NEED MORE RESOURCES, AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE ON, UH, THE BEST WAY TO, UH, UM, TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL WITH, UH, UH, ADDRESSING SOME OF THOSE NEEDS.
BUT I WOULD SAY I WOULD, I NEED TO LET THE, UH, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE ANSWER THAT QUESTION A BIT BETTER THAN, THAN I CAN.
I KNOW THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM, UH, SPECIFICALLY ON, ON TRYING TO ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS AS BEST AS WE CAN AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE BEING DIPLOMATIC AND, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, BUT IF MR. ARIANO OR I THINK HE'S ON VACATION, BUT I'M NOT SURE WHO'S STEPPING IN FOR HIM, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST WANT TO REITERATE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ALL IDENTITIES, ALL IDENTIFIED, BEING PREPARED FOR DISASTERS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, COLLECTIVELY AS A COUNCIL, WE STATED THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE ADDRESSING THESE NEEDS MID-YEAR AND NOT WAITING UNTIL THE END.
UM, I'VE EXPRESSED ALL THIS TO CITY MANAGER BEFORE, BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT, UM, FOR US TO REITERATE THIS AS A PRIORITY.
AND IF WE WANT OUR, OUR UNITS TO BE PREPARED, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU THE RESOURCES TO DO THAT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COLLEAGUES? I HAVE SEVERAL OF MY OWN, BUT, UM, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I'M LOOKING AT THE TIME IT'S THREE AND THREE, AND WE STILL HAVE SEVERAL OTHER PRESENTATIONS, I THINK, AS OPPOSED TO, I'M GOING TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS AND THEN WHAT I'LL ALSO DO IS MAKE SOME STATEMENTS JUST TO SORT OF PREPARE YOU FOR THE KINDS OF QUESTIONS THAT MY OFFICE WILL BE SENDING.
UM, AND TH THE THINGS THAT WE'RE THINKING.
UM, SO I THINK MOST OF, UH, WHAT I'D LIKE TO ASK HAS TO, AT LEAST TO SOME DEGREE BEEN ADDRESSED, UM, BY MY COLLEAGUES QUESTIONS, WHICH IS GREAT, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, THE FOLLOWUP ON MAYOR PRO TEM ALTERS POINT ABOUT WHEN WE PREPARE, UM, IT, IT, IT, THIS IS THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW WHERE IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE PREPARING AT THE LAST MINUTE, UM, AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE SHOULD BE PREPARING FOR SUMMER AND THE FALL, YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS SUMMER ENDS.
UM, SO THAT'S IT, I, I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT WHEN WE PREPARE, UM, TO MAYOR ADLER'S POINT ABOUT SORT OF COMPREHENSIVE, UM, UNILATERAL EXPECTATIONS COUNCIL EXPECTS THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, EXPECTS COMMUNITY LEADERS EXPECT JUST HAVING SOMETHING IN THE WAY OF PROTOCOL, I THINK WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
UM, YOU PROBABLY RECALL THAT DURING THE COURSE OF WINTER STORM YURI, WHICH IN A LOT OF WAYS, THERE WERE SO MANY EMERGENCIES THAT PRESENTED THEMSELVES, BUT THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH THEM TRYING TO COORDINATE WITH HESSAM WITH THE CITY, WITH, I MEAN, IT WAS A TRUE DISASTER, JUST SORT OF WATCHING ALL THOSE SYSTEMS COLLIDE INTO ONE ANOTHER, INCLUDING, AND THIS IS PRETTY GRANULAR, BUT IT WAS, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I, YOU KNOW, YOU AND I BOTH KNOW WE WERE DEALING WITH FOR MONTHS AFTER WE ADDRESSED SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS.
THERE WERE FOLKS WHO JUMPED IN WITH THE PROMISE TO BE PAID, UM, BUT NOT HAVING BEEN CERTIFIED VENDORS WITH THE CITY HELD UP THERE, BEING PAID.
UM, TH THAT I WON'T GO INTO ALL THE THINGS, BUT THERE WERE MULTIPLE THINGS THAT MADE IT, SO THAT THESE ORGANIZATIONS THEY GAVE THE TIME THEY GAVE THE HOURS, THEY USE THEIR RESOURCES.
UM, BUT DIDN'T GET PAID FOR MONTHS, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT'S, UH, SOMETHING WE NEED TO ADDRESS IMMEDIATELY.
I MEAN, EVEN IF THE ONLY THING WE DO IS LEVEL SET AND MAKE SURE EVERYBODY IS COMING TO THE TABLE WITH THE SAME EXPECTATIONS ABOUT HOW THE PROCESS WILL WORK.
I THINK TO SOME DEGREE WE WERE REACTING SO MUCH THAT WE SET PEOPLE UP FOR FAILURE, AND I WOULD REALLY RATHER NOT, YOU KNOW, GET MONTHS WORTH OF, I MEAN, I REALLY AM.
I'M ABOUT TO GET MY CAR REPOED CAUSE I GAVE THE CITY ALL OF MY TIME AND MY MONEY AND YOU GUYS HAVEN'T PAID ME BACK YET.
THAT WAS, IT WAS HEART-WRENCHING.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING I WANTED TO ADDRESS.
I HAVE SEVERAL OTHER, UM, DID IT UP.
UM, I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY'S QUESTIONS ABOUT COOLING CENTERS WHILE I CAN APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, GROCERY STORES ARE AN OPTION.
IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THE CITY'S OPTION.
AND, UM, I MUCH LIKE MY COLLEAGUES I'D LIKE VERY MUCH, I THINK IT WAS COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO WHO SAID, YOU KNOW, A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF RESOURCES AND, UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR COMMUNITY, UH, COMPREHENSIVE AND ACCESSIBLE.
UM, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS'S POINT ABOUT WATER DISTRIBUTION.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT ABOUT WAS JUST HOW MANY PLASTIC BOTTLES OF WATER WE DISTRIBUTED DURING THE COURSE OF, YOU KNOW, RESPONDING TO THE EMERGENCY.
[01:00:01]
IT SEEMS SUPERFICIAL, BUT I WONDER IF THERE'S A WAY FOR US TO ADDRESS THE NEED FOR WATER DISTRIBUTION AND NOT PRODUCE A BILLION, TONS OF PLASTIC WASTE.UM, I'D LIKE FOR US TO AT LEAST BE, UH, TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE DO, YOU KNOW, OUR, UM, PREPARATION AND, AND, YOU KNOW, PREEMPTIVELY AND NOT, UM, AS A RESPONSE TO THE EMERGENCY, UM, BUBBA, UM, ROLLING BLACKOUTS.
I'VE HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT ALREADY, UM, FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS, THEY'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT, UM, WHICH LEADS ME TO WONDER, UM, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US MAYOR.
UM, WHICH LEADS ME TO WONDER, IS THERE A PLACE WHERE OUR CONSTITUENTS CAN GO FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ABOUT WHEN, WHERE, WHY, HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW IS ERCOT PERFORMING? WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT FROM THEM? YOU KNOW, JUST AS A PART OF THAT PREPAREDNESS FOR THEM.
UM, UH, IN ADDITION TO THE, YOU KNOW, THAT LIST OF RESOURCES FOR LOCATIONS, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU MENTIONED MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS ARE DOING A FAN DRIVE.
SO DISTRICT ONE, FOR EXAMPLE, PROBABLY SOME OF MY OTHER COLLEAGUES ARE DOING THIS FOR THEIR DISTRICTS AS WELL.
WE WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE FAN DRIVES AT OUR CHURCHES AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ARE HOSTING.
UM, BUT THAT SEEMS REALLY KIND OF SMALL POTATOES.
SO I JUST, I WONDER IF THERE'S A COMPREHENSIVE LIST THAT WE CAN, UM, IN A LOT OF WAYS, OUR CONSTITUENTS WERE SHARING WITH US THAT OUR NEWSLETTERS, UM, DURING THE COURSE OF, ESPECIALLY THAT FIRST COUPLE MONTHS OF COVID, IT WAS HOW THEY RECEIVED INFORMATION.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, COLLECTIVELY WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACH A LARGE PORTION OF THE CITY, UM, BY WAY OF US COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS.
SO THE MORE UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH THEM, YOU KNOW, THE MORE WE CAN DISSEMINATE THAT INFORMATION, I THINK IT'LL HELP TO, YOU KNOW, COMPREHENSIVELY ADDRESS THEIR QUESTIONS, UM, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
UM, UH, UH, I ALREADY SAID THE THING ABOUT PREPARING, YOU KNOW, IT'S SORTA LIKE WHEN FOLKS ARE PREPARING FOR 4TH OF JULY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT WAITING UNTIL JANUARY.
IT'S LIKE THE 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION HAPPENS AT THAT NIGHT.
THEY'RE STARTING PREPARATION FOR THE NEXT ONE.
UM, SO I'D REALLY LIKE FOR US TO JUST GET IN FRONT OF IT, UM, WAY FASTER.
UM, I'D LIKE FOR THERE TO BE, UM, MORE EMPHASIS ON, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE I THINK ARE SO RESILIENT THAT THEY'RE RESILIENT TO THEIR DETRIMENT SOMETIMES.
AND THEY THINK, YOU KNOW, I'VE LIVED IN TEXAS ALL MY LIFE.
AND BEFORE, YOU KNOW, IT, THEY'RE DROPPING FROM HEAT EXHAUSTION, MORE EMPHASIS ON NET, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW WHAT SYMPTOMS THEY NEED TO BE WATCHING FOR AND, AND WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS ARE OF, YOU KNOW, WAITING UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE TO RESPOND TO YOUR BODY, TELLING YOU THAT YOU ARE IN FACT, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCING HEAT EXHAUSTION AND NEED TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION.
UM,
I'D LIKE VERY MUCH FOR THERE TO BE MORE CITY ASSETS ON THAT LIST OF RESOURCES.
THAT WAY WE KNOW THERE'S NO GUARANTEES AROUND PRIVATE RETAILERS AND WHAT IT IS, UM, WHAT THEIR RULES ARE ABOUT YOU TAKING SHELTER IN THEIR SPACES AND NOT PURCHASING THINGS.
I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE PLACES THAT ARE COOL IN THE SUMMER, BUT YOU CAN'T SIT IN THERE UNLESS YOU'RE MAKING A PURCHASE.
AND SO I, I ALSO DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT TO SET THE RETAILERS UP FOR FAILURE NOR DO I WANT TO SET OUR CONSTITUENTS UP FOR FAILURE.
SO I'D LIKE VERY MUCH FOR US TO DELINEATE.
THESE ARE A LIST OF CITY RESOURCES THAT LIKE, YOU KNOW, I TELL PEOPLE, THIS IS CITY HALL, THIS IS YOUR BUILDING.
THAT FLOOR IS YOURS, THIS IS YOURS.
SO I WANT THEM TO KNOW WHEN THEY WALK INTO THAT BUILDING, THIS IS YOURS.
YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THEY CAN'T DO THAT IN HEB OR COSTCO OR NAMAN OR WHEREVER ELSE THEY MAY GO.
AND I WANT US TO CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEM RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRIVATELY HELD LOCATIONS.
AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY SAY OVER, UM, WHO THEY LET COME IN THEIR DOORS.
UH, UH, OH, UM, SO CITY RESOURCES CONTRIBUTED TO THE LOCATIONS WHERE WE'RE SENDING PEOPLE, UM, YOU AND I, I MEAN, AND PROBABLY ALL OF US, WE TALKED SO MUCH DURING THE COURSE OF THE WINTER STORM AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ENDED UP LAST MINUTE, TRYING TO FIND WORK COTS AND BLANKETS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, I HOPE THAT THERE'S A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF, UM, LIKE EVEN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE RAN INTO WAS WAREHOUSE LOCATIONS, RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A NEED, UM, I THINK IT WAS DESIREE CAMERON AND SOMEBODY DROVE FAR NORTHWEST OR SOUTHWEST.
I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH DIRECTION, BUT THEN IT TURNS OUT THERE WAS A DISTRIBUTION CENTER RIGHT THERE AT RUTHERFORD, YOU KNOW? SO I JUST, I WONDER IF THERE'S FROM A LOGISTICAL PERSPECTIVE, IF THERE'S A WAY FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE UTILIZING OUR RESOURCES, UM, THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY POSSIBLE, UH, INCLUDING WHERE ARE THOSE DISTRIBUTION CENTERS.
AND I WONDER IF, YOU KNOW, MAYBE EVEN HAVING EACH COUNCIL MEMBER KNOW WHERE THE DISTRIBUTION CENTERS AND THE COMMUNITY DISTRIBUTION OPERATIONS IN THEIR DISTRICTS ARE.
SO WE, YOU KNOW, ONE DON'T STEP ON ONE ANOTHER'S TOES, BUT ALSO DON'T GET IN YOUR WAY.
YOU KNOW, I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW MANY CALLS YOU GOT THAT GUMMED UP THE SYSTEM, BECAUSE WE JUST
[01:05:01]
DIDN'T KNOW WHO TO CALL AND WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION ON THE FRONT END.UM, I'D LIKE TO SAY, I RECOGNIZE HOW HARD YOU AND YOUR STAFF WORK.
SO THIS IS NOT CRITICISM SO MUCH AS, YOU KNOW, CONCERN I'M EXPRESSING LIKE COLLECTIVELY.
I THINK WE ALL SHOULD BE CONCERNED BECAUSE IT DOES FEEL LIKE, UM, IF WE'RE HAVING THIS CON I MEAN, IT WAS 92 DEGREES THE OTHER DAY.
IF WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW AND IT'S ALREADY HOT, IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL.
UM, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF DISTRICT, ONE DISTRICT, FOUR DISTRICT, TWO CONSTITUENTS, THEY ALREADY STRUGGLED TO PAY THOSE LIGHT BILLS.
SO WHEN THEY START COSTING 400, $500 IN THE SUMMER, THEY'RE GOING TO GO WITHOUT.
AND SO HAVING THEM BE PREPARED AND REALLY HAVING SOME SORT OF COMPREHENSIVE RELATIONSHIP AND RESOURCES WITH OUR UTILITY.
UM, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE A MORATORIUM OF SORTS ON DISCONNECTIONS, YOU KNOW, DO WE, ARE WE CUT PEOPLE'S UTILITIES OFF WHEN IT'S 114 DEGREES, YOU KNOW, FOR FOUR CONSECUTIVE DAYS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROTOCOL IS.
AND I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, I ASKED ABOUT THE GABA PILOT.
UM, I TALKED ABOUT THE ENGAGING WITH LOCAL AND GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS, LIKE LETTING THEM KNOW RIGHT NOW, IF AN AUGUST, THEY'RE GOING TO NEED TO BE A VENDOR WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT THAT'S A SIX OR AN EIGHT WEEK PROCESS.
THEY SHOULD PROBABLY DO IT NOW.
UM, I JUST, I WANT TO GET AHEAD OF THOSE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACED.
UM, UH, I THINK YOU SPOKE TO ALREADY OUR JOINT COORDINATION WITH THE COUNTY.
I DID WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR, UM, UM, ETJ FOLKS, YOU KNOW, WHO AREN'T, WHO AREN'T CITY OF AUSTIN RESIDENTS, UM, PER SE, I, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SOME CONSIDERATIONS FOR THEM, ESPECIALLY FOLKS THAT ARE IN FOOD DESERTS AND, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE MORE FAR REMOVED FROM RESOURCES.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR PLAN IS THERE.
AND IF WE HAVE SORT OF A, A REGIONAL PLAN WITH OUR PARTNERS IN PFLUGERVILLE AND ROUND ROCK AND BUDA AND KYLE AND BASTROP COUNTY, I WONDER WHAT THAT, YOU KNOW, COMPREHENSIVE COLLECTIVE PLAN LOOKS LIKE FOR ADDRESSING NEED.
UM, AND I THINK A LOT OF THIS, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO, EVEN IF YOU SIT HERE AND TALK TO US FOR THREE HOURS, YOU CAN ANSWER ALL THESE QUESTIONS ON THE SPOT.
I THINK A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION WE REALLY SHOULD HAVE HAD, UM, AND I HATE THAT WE JUST LOST COUNCIL MEMBER OR MAY HAVE PRETEND ALTAR BECAUSE I THINK WE MAYBE SHOULD HAVE HAD MORE OF A COMPREHENSIVE PRESENTATION.
AND I ALSO WONDER IF IT WOULD BE PRUDENT FOR US TO HAVE, UM, MULTIPLE COMMITTEES MEET, LIKE JOIN, LIKE, CAUSE THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THE AUDITING COMMITTEE, THIS IS PUBLIC SAFETY.
I WONDER IF WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING HAVING A JOINT, UM, COMMITTEE MEETING THAT WAY WE CAN HAVE IT BE MORE SUBSTANTIVE AND NOT, YOU KNOW, UM, RISK, NOT GETTING ALL THE INFORMATION FROM THE OTHER IMPORTANT PRESENTATIONS WE HAVE TODAY, BECAUSE THIS IS SO IMPORTANT.
I MEAN, THIS, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A WHOLE PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING ON ITS OWN, FRANKLY.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S ONLY TWO MORE THINGS THAT I HAVE IT.
AND AGAIN, I'M, I'M, I'M JUST SORT OF POSING.
THESE ARE STATEMENTS AND NOT QUESTIONS CAUSE WE'LL, WE WILL FOLLOW UP.
I HAVE TWO MORE PAGES OF STUFF.
UM, DAH, DAH, DAH, THE RED CROSS, LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THEIR ROLE IS AND HOW WE INTERRUPT BLESS YOU AND HOW WE INTERACT WITH THEM.
UM, SO IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT THERE IS SOME SORT OF LEGAL REQUIREMENT ABOUT HAVING AN ANNUAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MEETING.
UM, IF THAT'S THE CASE, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE.
UM, AND JUST GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHO'S REQUIRING THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S BY LAW BY WAY OF WHOM IS THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS, IS THAT A FEDERAL REQUIREMENT? UM, AND AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE.
UM, I STILL HAVE THE QUESTION ABOUT WHAT QUALIFICATIONS WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN THAT COORDINATOR FOR THE, UM, FOR THE GABA PILOT.
UM, I WONDER IF WE ARE RECOGNIZING THAT SO FREQUENTLY PEOPLE'S SKILLS CAN TRANSFER TO ANOTHER POSITION, YOU KNOW, SO FOR EXAMPLE, A LOT OF THE FOLKS THAT ENDED UP BEING THE MOST BENEFICIAL TO US AND OUR TIME OF NEED WERE, UM, WEDDING PLANNERS AND EVENT PLANNERS, YOU KNOW, THEM, YOU KNOW, REALLY HAVING A MASTERFUL UNDERSTANDING OF LOGISTICS CAME IN SO HANDY.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE ARE UTILIZING ALL THE TIME, TALENT AND TREASURE THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITIES ARE READY.
SO NO ONE SPECIFICALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN TERMS OF SKILLSET, I THINK WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL AS WELL.
AND THEN LASTLY,
[01:10:01]
PERCENTAGE OF OUR POPULATION WE COULD SHELTER, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO CONVEY TO FOLKS, WHICH I THINK REALLY SEEPS IN, AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT DOESN'T CONCERN YOU, YOU AREN'T CONCERNED, BUT WINTER STORM, YOU, HE DIDN'T SPARE ANYBODY ALL OVER THE CITY, REGARDLESS OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, PEOPLE WERE SUFFERING AND COLD.UM, SO I WANT TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, JUST WHAT PERCENTAGE OF OUR POPULATION WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ASSIST.
UM, I KNOW THAT PEOPLE WITH MEANS ARE GENERALLY SPEAKING.
AREN'T THE FOLKS THAT ARE SUFFERING, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE HOUSE IS HOT, I KNOW YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT COOLING CENTERS WHEN, YOU KNOW, DURING THE DAY, BUT, YOU KNOW, I CAN TELL YOU FOR A FACT, THERE ARE SOME FOLKS WHO ARE SITTING IN THEIR HOUSE WITH BOX FANS, YOU KNOW, WITH IT BEING 92 DEGREES AT MIDNIGHT, YOU KNOW, IT'S STILL HOT AT NIGHT IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION EVEN WHEN THE SUN'S NOT, YOU KNOW, BLAZING, HOT OUTSIDE, IT'S STILL HOT.
UM, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE MEDICAL CONDITIONS.
I, FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE LUPUS IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT FOR SOME FOLKS WITH AUTO-IMMUNE DISORDERS TO REGULATE BODY TEMPERATURE.
I CAN'T GET TOO COLD AND GETTING TOO HOT.
DOESN'T MEAN THAT I'M UNCOMFORTABLE.
IT MEANS THAT I MAY NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE MY BODY TEMPERATURE, I JUST CAN'T MY CORE.
AND SO RECOGNIZING THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS AND, UM, COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE LESS ACCESS TO PREVENTATIVE CARE AND RESOURCES THAT YOU KNOW, ARE REALLY GOING TO STRUGGLE THIS SUMMER, UM, UH, OUR EMS AND OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS, UM, I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW DO WE PREEMPT THEIR SERVICE PROVISION AND HOW THEY FUNCTION IN THE, IN THE INSTANCE OF, UH, OF A LOSS OF POWER, LIKE AT SOME MASSIVE SORT OF, UH, CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF, OF POWER.
I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE PLAN IS.
AND I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM ALTAR SAID, IT KEEPS HER UP AT NIGHT, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK ABOUT IT.
SO MULTI-TIERED, I THINK ABOUT ALL THE LAYERS AND LEVELS AND POTENTIAL FOR HARM.
UM, AND I, AT THE RISK OF MAKING IT SOUND AS THOUGH I DON'T BELIEVE THE CITY IS PREPARED.
UM, I DON'T FEEL CONFIDENT TELLING OUR CONSTITUENTS, WE HAVE IT ALL FIGURED OUT AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S APPROPRIATE.
UM, AND SO I'D LIKE VERY MUCH TO FEEL MORE CONFIDENT TALKING TO DISTRICT ONE AND OTHER, UM, RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, SPEAKING TO THEM SUBSTANTIVELY ABOUT HOW WE WILL RESPOND IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
UM, AND THEN, UH, UM, I BELIEVE, OH, UH, AND THEN LASTLY, UH, UH, THE EMERGENCY PLAN AND HOW WE WERE ABLE TO RELEASE INFORMATION.
I REMEMBER THERE WAS A BIG STRUGGLE FOR WHEN WE WOULD RELEASE MASS TEXTS WHEN WE WOULD DO ROBOCALLS, WHEN AISD WOULD BE DEPLOYED AS A RESOURCE, I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE AND, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN TRIGGERS THAT WILL NOTIFY US WHEN WE NEED TO DO A MASS TEXT WHEN WE NEED TO COMMUNICATION.
ESSENTIALLY, I JUST WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE HAVE CLEAR, COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY AROUND HOW WE COMMUNICATE DURING THE COURSE OF EMERGENCIES AND PREEMPTING EMERGENCIES.
IF WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE 31 DAYS CONSECUTIVELY OF TRIPLE DIGITS, WE REALLY NEED TO BE TELLING PEOPLE HOW TO PREPARE WHAT TO DO, WHAT NOT TO DO, FRANKLY.
I THINK, UM, I, I THINK MORE PEOPLE THAN WE BELIEVE DON'T ACCESS INFORMATION, THE WAY THAT WE DISTRIBUTE IT.
UM, AND SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS ARE GETTING THE COMMUNICATIONS THAT THEY NEED.
SO I GUESS NONE OF THOSE WERE QUESTIONS NECESSARILY THAT I'M ASKING YOU TO ANSWER TODAY.
THOSE ARE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE AND STATEMENTS THAT I'M MAKING ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE OF CONCERN TO ME.
UM, AND I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
AND WE'LL JUST, WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR OFFICE.
AND SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, MY DEPARTMENT CAN, CAN ANSWER AND SOME OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THOSE DEPARTMENTS SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE A, UH, A LEAD IN, IN THOSE SPECIFIC AREAS, YOU'RE ASKED SOME SPECIFIC QUESTIONS RELATING TO AUSTIN ENERGY, AUSTIN, WATER, AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND AN AWESOME FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THEM TO, TO, UH, TO ANSWER ALL THOSE QUESTIONS AND THAT EVERYBODY HAS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UH, TRANSPARENT AND, AND, AND GIVE THE COMMUNITY THE, THE ANSWERS THAT, UH, THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE PRESENTED AS WELL AS THE DEMONSTRATING, HOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHAT THE GAPS ARE AND WHAT ELSE NEEDS TO BE DONE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UH, THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE.
AND, AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS GOING TO MENTION, UH, IS THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR US TO LOOK AT OUR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND PURSUE, UH, FUNDING THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE THERE.
WE'RE WORKING WITH SOME DEPARTMENTS TO PURSUE HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT FUNDING THAT WAS ASSOCIATED TO THE PANDEMIC, UH, AND THAT WILL FACILITATE
[01:15:01]
THE, UH, IF WE GET SELECTED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UH, FUNDING TO ADDRESS, UH, BACKUP POWER GENERATION, UH, CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, WHETHER IT BE A COMMUNITY CENTER OR ANOTHER AREA, OR OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE, UM, UM, MITIGATING THE DISASTER IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY.THERE'S LOTS OF FUNDING OUT THERE, BUT THERE'S A DEADLINE THAT IS COMING UP HERE AT THE END OF JUNE.
SO WE'LL BE, UH, WORKING TO, UH, HAVE HAVING AN APPLICATION SUBMITTED IN A LOT OF THOSE AREAS.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT I'M WORKING WITH DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO, UH, TO LOOK AT WHAT OPTIONS WE CAN PURSUE.
ONE OF THEM BEING TORNADO SAFE ROOMS, UH, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE TORNADOES THAT WERE EXPERIENCED IN THE REGION.
I THINK THAT'S AN AREA WHERE IF WE GET SELECTED, WE CAN, UH, PROVIDE FUNDING TO REIMBURSE UP TO 50%, UH, OR ANYBODY INTERESTED IN BUILDING A SAFE ROOM IN THEIR, IN THEIR HOME.
UH, AND THERE MAY BE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE WHERE WE CAN, UH, BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE ACQUISITION OF A GENERATOR TO ENSURE THAT THAT COMMUNITY CENTER IS GOING TO HAVE POWER, WHETHER IT'S A WINTER STORM OR A, A ROLLING, UH, ROTATED POWER OUTAGE DUE TO HEAT.
UM, WE HAVE FACILITIES, BUT, BUT NOW WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE UP AND RUNNING, UH, WHEN WE NEED THEM.
AND IT ACTUALLY INSPIRED TWO MORE QUESTIONS, UM, OR CONCERNS THAT I HAVE, UM, SUMMER CAMPS AND SUMMER ATHLETICS.
UM, I WONDER WHAT OUR RELATIONSHIP IS WITH BOTH PRIVATE PROPRIETORS OF SUMMER CAMPS THAT HAVE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AND CITY, SUMMER CAMPS THAT HAVE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE CERTAIN THAT THEY HAVE APPROPRIATE PROTOCOL IN PLACE ABOUT BREAKS IN AND TIME OUT OF THE SUN AND, AND HYDRATION, ET CETERA.
AND, UM, WITH AISD, I'D LIKE VERY MUCH FOR US TO HAVE CLEAR AND OPEN COMMUNICATION ABOUT HOW OUR, UM, HOW OUR ATHLETES ARE BEING PREPARED FOR THE SUMMER HEAT.
UM, AND WHAT PLANS DO THEY HAVE IN PLACE TO HELP MITIGATE HEAT EXHAUSTION IN THOSE ATHLETES THAT ARE DOING TWO-A-DAYS WHEN IT'S HOT, SUPER HOT IN THE SUMMER.
UM, THEN LASTLY, THAT BRINGS ABOUT, FOR ME A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, WELL, YOU KNOW, WHAT, UH, IT'S ANOTHER THING THAT I'LL ADD TO THE LIST OF STUFF I WOULD LIKE TO CLOSE BY QUESTIONS BY SAYING, WHEN DO YOU THINK MY COLLEAGUES AND I SHOULD EXPECT TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION, IF YOU COULD GIVE US A SOFT DATE THAT WE, WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL SO THAT WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, FALL BEHIND IN TERMS OF, UH, DELIVERY.
UM, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY AT LEAST 30 DAYS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE GOT TO GO BACK AND CAPTURE ALL THE QUESTIONS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE SEND THEM OUT TO THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS AND, UH, AND BE ABLE TO BE, UM, COLLECT THE RESPONSES AND, AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THEM TO YOU.
I THINK WITHIN 30 DAYS, WE APPROPRIATE, UM, MAY NOT BE A FULLY COMPLETE ANSWER, BUT WE'LL DEFINITELY GET TO, UH, UNANSWERED.
THERE MIGHT BE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE FROM THOSE RESPONSES THAT WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL WORK, BUT AT LEAST NOW YOU WILL HAVE A POINT OF CONTACT FOR THAT DEPARTMENT THAT WILL TAKE THE LEAD IN FOLLOWING UP THOSE QUESTIONS.
SO AT THE VERY LEAST WHAT I'M THINKING IS, WELL, WE'LL TAKE THIS ITEM UP AGAIN FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING.
UM, IF, EVEN IF WE NEED TO DO A SPECIAL CALLED FOR JUNE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO PUSH SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES FOR US TO HAVE, UH, SOME JOINT MEETINGS WITH OTHER COMMITTEES.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
UM, AND I'LL STOP THERE, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY HAS A QUESTION, UH, YES, CHERRY, YOU AND I MUST BE ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH BECAUSE WHAT I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST WAS IN ADDITION TO GETTING THOSE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS BACK IN A THOROUGH FORMAT, THAT WE ALSO HAVE A MORE FORMAL PRESENTATION ON THIS TOPIC SINCE WE ARE KIND OF ALL OVER THE PLACE.
AND WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO CO-SPONSOR A SPECIAL CALLED MEETINGS SO THAT OUR COLLEAGUES WOULD HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO MAKE MORE INFORMED DECISIONS HERE ON COUNCIL.
MAY I PRETEND, UM, I NEED TO DOUBLE CHECK, BUT I THINK WE HAD, WE HAD BEEN SCHEDULED THIS WEEK TO HAVE AN AFTER ACTION, UM, REPORT IN AUDIT AND FINANCE AND AT THE REQUEST OF MR. ARIANNA, WHO WAS OUT OF TOWN THIS WEEK, WE MOVED THAT, UM, TO JUNE MEETING, I THINK IT'S JUNE 15TH.
UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS SUFFICIENTLY LONG ENOUGH IF EVERYONE'S GOING TO COME WITH QUESTIONS, BUT THAT WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION IF MY MEMORY'S SERVING ME WELL, I AGREE.
AND I WONDER, YOU KNOW, JUST SORT OF LOOSELY, IF THAT'S SOME, IF THAT JOINT MEETING MIGHT BE SOMETHING YOU'D BE INTERESTED IN AND WE CAN TALK TO COUNCIL MEMBER, TOVO ALSO FOR PUBLIC, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE.
I JUST, I MEAN, CAUSE IT'S APPLICABLE FOR ALL OF OUR COMMITTEES.
SO I WONDER IF WE COULD DEDICATE SOME, A COMPREHENSIVE AMOUNT OF TIME TO REALLY GET A FULL REPORT.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT ANY OF US WOULD OBJECT TO, IF WE COULD FIND A DATE AND TIME FOR IT FOR A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, BUT I THINK RATHER THAN DO LIKE THREE
[01:20:01]
COMMITTEES TOGETHER, IT MIGHT MAKE MORE SENSE JUST TO DO A SPECIAL CALL, BUT, UM, I'LL LEAVE THAT TO YOU GUYS TO, I APPRECIATE IT.OH, AND ALSO BEFORE I FORGET, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY FOR LETTING US KNOW THAT IT WAS BLAZING HOT IN HERE AND GIVING US SOME TIME FOR THEM TO TURN THE AIR CONDITIONER ON BEFORE WE CAME DOWN, WE ALL OWE HER A DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR IT NOT BEING A STEAMY IN HERE.
WHEN WE, WHEN WE CAME FOR THE MEETING, I DIDN'T SAY ARIANA, GO UP AND WATCH THE NEXT PART UPSTAIRS.
OH, UM, DID I SEE YOUR HAND COUNCIL MEMBER? TOVO GOT IT COVERED IT.
I WAS JUST, UM, WANTING TO POINT OUT WHAT MAY APPROACH HIM DID, WHICH IS, UH, WE HAD KIND OF TASKED THE AUDIT AND FINANCE WITH BEING THE BODY TO KIND OF KEEP FOLLOWING UP ON, ON THE WINTER STORM AUDIT AND THE WINTER STORM REPORT, WHICH THIS RELATES TO.
I AGREE THAT WE PROBABLY NEED MORE TIME.
WE PROBABLY DO NEED MORE TIME.
UM, AND BY THE TIME YOU GET AUDIT AND FINANCE PUBLIC HEALTH AND PUBLIC SAFETY, I THINK WE HAVE ALMOST THE WHOLE COUNCIL.
SO IT MAY MAKE SENSE TO US TO DO, JUST TO DO IT AT THE SPECIAL CALL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COLLEAGUES.
HEY, SO
SO WITH OUR BRIEFINGS, I'M SORRY.
[Public Communication: General ]
HEAR YOU.WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION SPEAKER IS NOW ONLINE.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THAT PERSON, THEY'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES AND IT'S JUST ONE PERSON.
THANK YOU, MR. JOHNSON, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES MR. JOHNSON.
WHAT'D YOU LIKE TO KEEP MOVING IN IF AN AREA IS, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, SIR.
THERE'S THERE'S A LAG BETWEEN THE ONLINE AND THE ATX N MY NAME IS SCOTT JOHNSON.
I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT ITEM FIVE.
THE ISSUE OF, YES, I'M SPEAKING NOW.
UM, SPEAKING OUT, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU SPELL.
REGARDING ITEM FIVE, ABOUT CRASHES RELATED TO CITY OF BOSTON EMPLOYEES.
I DON'T HAVE THE REPORT IN FRONT OF ME AND THE INFORMATION, BUT ONE AREA OF CONCERN THAT I'VE HAD AS I'VE WITNESSED MANY CITY EMPLOYEES USING I'LL CONTINUE SPEAKING.
THERE'S A LAG SITE, BUT THAT, AND ONE ISSUE THAT PREDOMINANT WITHIN THE ISSUE OF CORRECT, BUT MR. JOHNSON, WE'RE ONLY HEARING A PORTION OF WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE PRESENTING TODAY.
SO I'LL ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO AHEAD, BUT I WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO SEND, UM, YOUR REMARKS TO, TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE SO THAT WE CAN, SO WE CAN ADDRESS ALL YOUR CONCERNS BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY HERE IN SORT OF EVERY OTHER WORD.
THERE'S QUITE A LAG BETWEEN THE ONLINE AND THIS DISTRACTED DRIVING IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT I'VE WORKED ON PROFESSIONALLY WITH THE CITY WITH A CITIZEN LED EFFORT.
AND WHETHER OR NOT SOME OF THESE CRASHES RELATE, HELLO, JONATHAN, THIS IS CITY HALL.
YES, BUT THERE'S A TREMENDOUS LAG AS I WAS WITNESSING.
UM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO HANG UP AND TRY CALLING IN AGAIN AND MAYBE SEE IF YOU CAN GET A BETTER CONNECTION? YEAH, I THINK WE SHOULD ENCOURAGE HIM TO MUTE HIS TELEVISION.
I CAN HEAR THAT IN THAT BACKGROUND.
I WONDER IF THAT MIGHT BE A PUBLIC POWER PROBLEM, AS WELL AS THEIR TELEVISION ON IN THE BACKGROUND.
IS YOUR TELEVISION ON, IN THE BACKGROUND, YOUR WATCH YOUR TELEVISION IS ON.
IT WAS, IT'S NOT THAT I NEEDED IT.
UM, WE'RE NOT GETTING A REALLY STRONG CONNECTION FROM YOU, SO WE CAN'T ENTIRELY HEAR EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE TO SAY TO US.
[01:25:01]
I'M SPEAKING SOFTLY BECAUSE I'M SICK.DO YOU HAVE THE PHONE TO YOUR EAR? YES.
AND THAT'S NOT IN HERE REGARDING ITEM FIVE ON YOUR AGENDA WHILE I DON'T HAVE THE, THE REPORT IN FRONT OF ME, THERE, THERE IS A LARGE MINORITY OF CRASHES THAT HAPPENED IN THE COMMUNITY RELATED TO DISTRACTED DRIVING AND SOMETHING THAT I'VE TALKED TO SOME IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE OVER TIME, INCLUDING THE FORMER CITY MANAGER, MARK COCK WAS TO CODIFY THROUGH AN ADMINISTRATIVE BULLETIN THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THEIR MOBILE PHONE OR BE TOUCHING IT WHILE THEIR VEHICLE IS IN MOTION.
THAT'S THE CITY ORDINANCE THAT PASSED IN AUGUST OF 2014 AND STARTED IN JANUARY OF 2015.
AND I WAS DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH THAT.
AND THIS CAN BE HELPFUL BECAUSE THERE ARE THINGS THAT HAPPEN WHERE EMPLOYEES MAY KNOW, OR THEY SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE OR ENGINE IDLING OR WHATEVER IS AGAINST CITY RULES AND REGULATIONS, BUT IT'S NOT BEING FOLLOWED A HUNDRED PERCENT.
AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE CITY COUNCIL HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHATEVER LAWS AND RULES ARE IN EFFECT.
AND THIS IS AN ORDINANCE THAT THE CITY PASSED THAT MIGHT HELP THIS SITUATION.
DISTRACTED DRIVING IS AN MAJOR ISSUE NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY.
AND THIS COULD BE A WAY THROUGH AN ADMINISTRATIVE BULLETIN.
THAT'S PART OF THE RESOLUTION THAT THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED TO MAKE SURE EVERY CITY EMPLOYEE KNOWS WHEN THEY'RE HIRED AND IS TRAINED AND IS REMINDED THAT THEY CAN'T TOUCH THEIR PHONE IN ANY WAY WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION.
I AM HEARING FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ALTERED THAT SHE NEEDS TO BE MOVED OVER TO THE PANEL.
I THINK SHE STUCK IN ONE OF THOSE LIMBO ROOMS. THANK YOU.
[3. Receive final update regarding the independent report on the Austin Police Department Training Academy. Sponsors: Council Member Mackenzie Kelly, and Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison ]
OKAY.SO AT THIS TIME, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR NEXT PRESENTATION.
WE'RE GOING TO BRING THE CRO FOLKS ONLINE.
I BELIEVE THEY'RE JOINING US VIRTUALLY TO OFFER US AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR THE FINAL UPDATE REGARDING THE INDEPENDENT REPORT ON THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT TRAINING ACADEMY.
THANK YOU FOR INVITING US TO, TO SPEAK WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE TODAY.
UM, WITH ME TODAY IS RICK BROWN.
I THINK YOU CAN SEE HIM ON THE SCREEN AND, UH, DAN LINSKEY.
UM, SO WE'VE, I KNOW WE'VE, UH, HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH ALL OF YOU BEFORE, AND IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE IN FRONT OF YOU.
I WANT TO, UM, OFFER YOU JUST REAL QUICK.
UM, WE ARE SORT OF RUNNING BEHIND TODAY.
I DON'T WANT TO, UM, TAKE AWAY ANY OF THE SUBSTANCE, BUT I WOULD LIKE VERY MUCH.
I KNOW YOU'RE ALL DYNAMIC ELOQUENT SPEAKERS, BUT I'D LIKE VERY MUCH TO, TO, TO, FOR THE PRESENTATION TO BE SUCCINCT AND REALLY GET THE KEY INFORMATION THAT WE NEED FROM THE PRESENTATION WHILE WE HAVE YOU.
I MEAN, I HAVE A, ABOUT A 15 MINUTE, UH, OVERVIEW OF OUR, OF OUR REPORT FROM FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, UM, WHICH I CAN GO THROUGH, OR IF YOU WANT US TO JUST OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS, WE CAN DO THAT TOO.
WHATEVER, WHATEVER YOUR PREFERENCE IS, I'LL CHECK IN WITH MY COLLEAGUES, BUT FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION.
SO I WONDER IF, UH, COLLEAGUES IS ANYBODY OPPOSED TO US, UM, JUST JUMPING RIGHT INTO OUR QUESTIONS AND REALLY UTILIZING THE 15 MINUTES TO BE ABLE TO INTERACT DIRECTLY.
UM, AND THEN WE CAN FOLLOW UP, UH, FURTHER FOR THE, UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I'LL JUST SORT OF SHOW A HANDS.
IT, ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH US MOVING FORWARD WITH QUESTIONS? COUNCILMEMBER KELLY, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO AND MAYOR PRO TEM ALTAR MAY REPORT TO MONITOR.
I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE THEM TO GO OVER THE IMPLEMENTATION SLIDES, UM, WITH RESPECT TO THE PIECES THAT ARE NOT DONE YET FOR THE PART THAT WAS RECOMMENDED AT THE END OF THEIR REPORT, BUT HAD NOT YET BEEN IMPLEMENTED.
AND SO THAT SOUNDS LIKE, UM, WE'LL GO OVER THE IMPLEMENTATION COMPONENT AND THEN MOVE INTO QUESTIONS.
AND IF WE WANT TO ADJUST ANY MORE, PLEASE JUST FEEL FREE TO RAISE YOUR HAND COLLEAGUES.
I'M GOING TO, UM, JUST SHARE MY SLIDES, UM, FOR, AND I'LL JUMP TO THE, UM, TO THE PORTION THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR MERRICK PROTON WALTER HAD ASKED FOR.
UM, AND JUST AS I'M DOING THAT,
[01:30:01]
AND LET ME JUST, UH, SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST BY WAY OF REMINDER, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE, UH, ASSESSMENT OF THE ACADEMY THAT WE DID BACK IN, UM, APRIL OF 2021, WHERE WE HAD A NUMBER OF SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, AND FOR PURPOSES OF BEING AN INDEPENDENT EVALUATOR, WHICH WITH COUNCIL'S BLESSING, WE WERE APPOINTED ON MAY 7TH.UM, OUR JOB REALLY WAS TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY APDS IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FULL RECOMMENDATIONS AND TO ASSESS HOW EFFECTIVELY, UH, THE ACADEMY CONSIDERS RACIAL AND GENDER EQUITY EMPHASIZES DEESCALATION INCORPORATES COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES AND TRAINS, RESILIENT OFFICERS THROUGH ADULT LEARNING INSTRUCTION.
UM, SO THE SLIDES THAT YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, ARE KIND OF HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MAJOR FINDINGS AND OBSERVATIONS, UM, FROM OUR REPORT.
BUT, UM, AS WE GET TO SLIDE 24, WHERE I'M AT NOW, UM, THIS WAS IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CRUEL SHORT-TERM RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO, UM, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE, OF THE SHORT REALLY ALMOST ALL OF THE SHORT-TERM RECOMMENDATIONS WERE COMPLETED.
UM, AND, UH, THE, UM, THE ONLY EXCEPTIONS REALLY WERE, UH, INCREASE USE OF EXTERNAL SUBJECT MATTER OR CONTENT EXPERTS.
SO THERE WERE A NUMBER OF, UH, UH, COURSES IN THE 140 FOURTH CADET CLASS WHERE THEY DID USE, UM, EXTERNAL SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS TO EITHER TEACH OR CO-TEACH THE CLASSES.
SO, ONE EXAMPLE FOR EXAMPLE, WAS THE, THE NEW COURSE ON THE HISTORY OF, UH, POLICE AND RACE IN AMERICA, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY TAUGHT BY, UH, DR.
KEVIN FOSTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
UM, AND SHE, HE WAS ASSISTED BY FELICIA WILLIAMS, UH, WHO WAS ALSO A PROFESSOR AND A FORMER POLICE OFFICER.
UM, THERE WERE OTHER COURSES AS, UH, LGBTQ AND TRANSGENDER, WHICH WERE TAUGHT BY NOT BY EXTERNAL SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, BUT BY ESSENTIALLY INTERNAL, UH, OFFICERS WITH, WITH SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE IN THAT, IN THOSE AREAS.
AND THEN THERE WERE A NUMBER OF OTHER COURSES, UH, THAT INCLUDED HELP FROM VICTIM SERVICES AND, AND SOME OTHER AREAS AS WELL.
HOWEVER, UH, WE'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT THERE'S A NEED TO HAVE MORE, UM, CONTENT EXPERTS.
AND, UH, SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE APD LEADERSHIP AND, AND THE ACADEMY STAFF HAD AGREED TO DO.
UM, THERE HAS BEEN SOME RELUCTANCE ON THE PART OF STAFF TO KIND OF BUY INTO THAT CONCEPT.
ALTHOUGH I KNOW THE DIVISION MANAGER AND COMMANDER ARE WORKING, UM, CURRENTLY TO ADD TO THE CONTENT EXPERTS IN THE 140 FIFTH CADET CLASS, THE OTHER SHORT TERM RECOMMENDATION, THAT'S STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS IS DEVELOPING AND EXPANDING, UH, MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS. UM, IT CLEARLY HAD NOT BEEN REALLY ROBUSTLY, UH, EXPANDED IN THE LAST CADET CLASS THAT DID HAVE A GOOD MENTORSHIP FOR, UM, WOMEN CADETS.
UH, THEY HAD A, UH, A MENTORSHIP PROGRAM TO SOME EXTENT WITH THE TEXAS PEACE OFFICER'S ASSOCIATION FOR CADETS OF COLOR.
UM, BUT IT WAS UNCLEAR HOW, AGAIN, HOW, UM, MEANINGFUL THAT PROGRAM WAS AND, AND OTHER WAYS TO EXPAND IT REALLY, UH, ESSENTIALLY TO ALL CADETS WOULD BE SOMETHING I THINK THEY NEED TO WORK TOWARDS.
SO THAT, UH, THAT WAS THE OTHER AREA, BUT ALL OF THE OTHER SHORT TERM RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE IN OUR REPORT, AND THIS IS ALL OUTLINED IN SECTION THREE OF OUR REPORT, UM, HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AS FAR AS THE LONG-TERM RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, THE MAJORITY OF THESE HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.
UH, HOWEVER, THERE'S, THERE'S STILL A NUMBER OF THEM THAT ARE WORK IN PROGRESS.
UH, ACADEMY STAFF HAS, OR LEADERSHIP HAS, UH, COMMITTED TO, UM, COMPLETING AND IMPLEMENTING THE LONG-TERM RECOMMENDATIONS AT SOME TIME DURING THE 140 FIFTH CADET CLASS OR FISCAL YEAR 2022.
UM, ONE AREA IS A WORK IN PROGRESS THAT'S ACTUALLY PROBABLY GONE A LITTLE BIT BACKWARDS IS THE INCREASED DIVERSITY OF ACADEMY STAFF.
THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF, UH, YOU KNOW, SUPPOSED TO DEVELOP A LONG-TERM PLAN TO INCREASE DIVERSITY AMONG STAFF, AT LEAST AT THE LEADER AT THE SUPERVISORY RANKS, UM, UH, ACADEMIES SUPERVISION HAS, UM, BECOME LESS DIVERSE.
THERE'S ACTUALLY BEEN A LOT OF TURNOVER SINCE THE 140 FOURTH.
AND WHILE I HAVE SOME VERY GOOD PEOPLE, UM, IN THOSE POSITIONS, UH, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY'VE ACTUALLY LOST A LITTLE BIT OF DIVERSITY AT THE SUPERVISORY RANKS AT THE ACADEMY, UM, AS FAR AS DEVELOPING AND INCORPORATING ADDITIONAL CONTENT ON PROCEDURAL JUSTICE AND, UH, ADOPTING AN EFFECTIVE PEER INTERVENTION TRAINING
[01:35:01]
PROGRAM.UM, THEY, THEY, I KNOW WHERE THEY, THEY ARE WORKING ON THAT AND, UM, ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING THAT FOR THE 140 FIFTH, UM, AND HAVE COMMITTED TO DOING SO.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I COULDN'T TELL YOU WHERE THEY ARE AT THIS PRESENT TIME, BUT AS A FEBRUARY, UH, THEY HAD NOT YET COMPLETED THOSE.
AND, UM, ADDITIONALLY RESEARCHING WAYS TO INCORPORATE MORE TRAINING ON COGNITIVE DECISION-MAKING AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE SKILLS, AS WELL AS COMPLYING WITH OUR, UH, WE HAD ABOUT FOUR ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS IN, IN THE FIELD TRAINING OFFICER PROGRAM, UH, THAT HAD NOT BEEN COMPLETED AT THE TIME OF OUR REPORT IN FEBRUARY.
AND SO THOSE ARE ALSO MARKED AS, AS IN PROGRESS.
WE ALSO HAD A NUMBER OF, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS IN OUR INTERIM REPORT IN OCTOBER.
UM, AND WE HAVE ALL, BUT TWO OF THOSE AS, AS COMPLETED, I WOULD SAY THE ONE, UM, THAT'S COMPLETED WITH QUALIFICATIONS, WHICH WAS THE ADJUSTING, THE TIMING AND SCHEDULING OF COMMUNITY CONNECT, WHICH IS THE, THEY HAD THE TWO WEEK COMMUNITY ORIENTATION PROGRAM AT THE START OF THE 140 FIFTH, FOURTH CADET CLASS.
UM, IT WAS, UH, VERY WELL, UH, UH, DONE PROGRAM.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY HAD EVER DONE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THEY'VE AGREED, THEY'VE INCLUDED IT IN THE SCHEDULING OF THE HUNDRED 45TH.
THE ONLY THING THEY'VE DONE, HOWEVER, UH, PARTLY AT OUR RECOMMENDATION BASED ON CADET AND, AND STAFF FEEDBACK WAS TO ADJUST THE TIMING OF SOME OF THAT TO WORK IT INTO LATER IN THE ACADEMY SCHEDULE, UM, BECAUSE THE FEELING WAS THAT, UH, IT WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE, UH, TO HAVE SOME OF THOSE COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AFTER THE CADETS HAD ORIENTED INTO THE EXPECTATIONS OF BEING A CADET AND HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE INSIGHT INTO WHAT BEING A POLICE OFFICER IS ALL ABOUT SO THAT THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THOSE PROGRAMS WOULD BE MORE MEANINGFUL.
AND I THINK SO THAT'S BEEN DONE AS FAR AS ADJUSTING THE TIMING.
UH, THE ONLY CAVEAT WE WOULD NOTE IS THAT THEY'VE ACTUALLY REDUCED THE AMOUNT OF COMMUNITY CONNECT, UM, IN THE 140 FIFTH.
SO IT HAD BEEN A TWO WEEK PROGRAM.
NOW IT'S ESSENTIALLY A FIVE DAY PROGRAM.
UM, HOWEVER, THEY ALSO HAVE THE TWO DAYS OF GROUNDWATER ANALYSIS, RACIAL EQUITY TRAINING IN ADDITION TO THE FIVE DAYS, AND THEY'VE ADDED SOME, UH, CADET RIDEOUT PROGRAMS. UM, THE, UH, OTHER TWO, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE INTERIM REPORT THAT HAVEN'T BEEN FULLY ADDRESSED IS THE STAFFING NEEDS OF THE LEARN SKILLS UNIT, UM, AND THE IMPROVEMENTS TO ACADEMY FACILITIES.
UM, WE UNDERSTAND THOSE, OR AT LEAST THE IMPROVEMENTS OF FACILITIES IS, IS MORE OF A LONG-TERM, UM, UH, PROSPECT.
AND THAT'S GONNA REQUIRE, UH, CITY APPROVAL AND INVOLVEMENT AS, AND BUDGETARY, UH, CONSIDERATIONS.
AND FINALLY, UM, WE DID HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS AND FURTHER ADJUSTMENTS, UM, THAT WE'VE RECOMMENDED IN OUR FINAL REPORT, INCLUDING, UH, DEVELOPING AND EXPANDING THE INTERNAL VIDEO LIBRARY, UM, ADDING CADET SURVEY QUESTIONS, UH, AT THE END OF THE ACADEMY CLASS ON, ON DEESCALATION PRINCIPLES TO ENSURE THAT, THAT, UH, THOSE PRINCIPLES HAVE BEEN, UH, REINFORCED PROPERLY AND, AND EMPHASIZE TO THE RIGHT EXTENT.
WE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT ADDITIONAL CRITERIA SHOULD BE ADDED TO FIELD TRAINING OFFICER SELECTION, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE A COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY POLICING AND BUILDING COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAD SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE PHYSICAL TRAINING PROGRAM AND, UH, AND TIME MANAGEMENT.
UM, THE ONLY OTHER THING I WOULD ADD IS WE, WE DID SUBMIT AND HOPEFULLY YOU'VE ALL RECEIVED A COPY OF THE AUDIT, UH, PROTOCOL GUIDELINES THAT WE HELPED DEVELOP, UH, SUBSEQUENT TO THE FINAL REPORT.
UM, WE WORKED WITH THE DIVISION MANAGER ON THAT, AND, UH, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT, UH, COMPONENT, I THINK, TO ADDRESS THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF, OF THE REFORM MEASURES AND THE, AND THE IMPLEMENTED RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, NOW CRAWL, OR NO ONE ELSE IS ON FROM THE OUTSIDE IS, IS THERE AS, AS AN EVALUATOR OR DOING ANY KIND OF INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT OF THE 140 FIFTH.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT APD INTERNALLY HAVE A PROCEDURE IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE COMPLYING WITH AND CONTINUING TO IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVELY THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND SO WE WORK WITH THE DIVISION MANAGER TO DEVELOP THOSE PROTOCOLS.
I KNOW SHE HAS AGREED AND IS WORKING ON, UM, COMPLYING WITH THEM, BUT IT WILL BE IMPORTANT, I THINK FOR COUNCIL OR FOR THIS COMMITTEE AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO HOLD THE DEPARTMENT ACCOUNTABLE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE GUIDELINES, UM, AND REPORTING BACK TO YOU, WE'LL HELP FOR, UH,
[01:40:01]
TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'VE COMPLIED WITH THEM.UM, SO THAT'S A QUICK RUN THROUGH, I DON'T, I PROBABLY BETTER TO JUST OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT.
AND, UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
IT IS YOUR HAND RAISED CAUSE WE'RE COUNCILMAN FOR KELLY AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY AND MAYOR PRO TEM ALTAR.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE DIDN'T REVIEW SIDE NUMBER THREE, BUT I DO KNOW THAT YOU MENTIONED BUY-IN LACKING AMONG STAFF.
COULD YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS AND POSSIBLY PROVIDE SOME EXAMPLES? SURE.
UM, SO WHAT WE, WHAT WE HAD NOTED WAS, UM, UH, THERE, YOU KNOW, THE IMPLEMENTED THE, THE, THE REFORMS AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAD, UH, MADE, UM, WERE, WERE IMPLEMENTED IN, IN GOOD FAITH WITH THE, WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS, WE JUST WENT OVER.
I MEAN, ALL OF IT WAS DONE IN GOOD FAITH, BUT THE NOT ALL OF THEM WERE COMPLETED, BUT, UH, CERTAINLY APD LEADERSHIP WAS COMMITTED TO AND HAD AGREED TO ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND, UH, AND WE'RE WORKING IN GOOD FAITH TO COMPLY WITH THEM.
UH, HOWEVER, WE NOTED IN A NOTE IN OUR REPORT THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, A MILITARY STYLE CULTURE STILL ESSENTIALLY PREDOMINATES AT THE ACADEMY.
AND, UH, AND THAT WE DID NOTICE A LACK OF BUY-IN BY SOME ACADEMY STAFF TO SOME OF THE CHANGES.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN, IN, UH, UH, MIDWAY THROUGH THE ACADEMY, THERE HAD BEEN A CADET SURVEY AND IT INDICATED THAT THERE HAD BEEN SOME COMMENTS MADE BY ACADEMY STAFF, UH, THAT MOCKED THE RE-IMAGINING POLICING, UM, CONCEPT THAT, YOU KNOW, AND SOME OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ASPECTS OF THE ACADEMY, THERE WAS, UH, THE NOTION OR KIND OF THE, THE STATEMENTS THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WERE NOT, YOU KNOW, QUOTE UNQUOTE ACTUAL POLICING, UH, TRAINING, ACTUAL POLICE TRAINING, OR DETRACTED FROM POLICE TRAINING.
UM, THERE WERE S THERE WERE MANY CADETS WHO I THINK CAME ACROSS AND, AND I CAN ONLY BELIEVE THAT IT CAME TO SOME EXTENT FROM, FROM STAFF COMMENTS CAME ACROSS, WAS THE BELIEF THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE ADDED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMMING, AND SOME OF THE FURTHER EMPHASIS ON DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION, WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, QUOTE UNQUOTE ACTUAL POLICE TRAINING OR DETRACTED FROM POLICE TRAINING.
UH, WHEN IN FACT THEY ACTUALLY HAD MORE TRAINING, UH, THAN ANY PRIOR CADET CLASS, UH, OVERALL IN THE SENSE THAT ALL OF THE PRIOR, YOU KNOW, TACTICAL MENTAL TRAINING, THIS CADET CLASS RECEIVED, BUT ON TOP OF THAT, THEY RECEIVED ENHANCED, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OTHER, UM, IMPORTANT, UH, PROGRAMMING.
SO THE LACK OF BUY-IN WAS NOT, IT'S NOT SO MUCH, UH, THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, ANY STRONG RESISTANCE TO IT, BUT JUST SOME THINGS THAT WE HAD HAD HEARD AND SOME FEEDBACK WE GOT BOTH FROM STAFF AND FROM CADETS, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL SOME WORK TO BE DONE, I THINK FOR, UH, UH, FOR SOME OF THE RANK AND FILE STAFF MEMBERS TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, BUY INTO CHANGE.
I'M SURE MR. LINSKY AND MR. BROWN CAN TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF, OF POLICE POLICING.
UM, BUT I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT UNLESS THERE'S, WELL, I, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, AND I SEE THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM.
I'M WONDERING IF IN YOUR EXPERT OPINIONS IS THE CONSULTANTS THAT WE'VE HIRED TO OVERSEE THIS INDEPENDENT REVIEW.
IF YOU MIGHT HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ON HOW WE MAY TURN THIS INTO SOMETHING MORE POSITIVE AND, AND HELP OUR, UM, OUR STAFF OVER THERE BUY MORE INTO THE PROCESS.
SO I THINK AS MARK MENTIONED, THAT'S A, THAT'S A PROCESS THAT TAKES TIME.
SO POLICE OFFICERS, HEY, TWO THINGS, BUT HEY, ANY CHANGE.
AND OF COURSE THEY HATE THE WAY THINGS ARE, UM, WHATEVER, ONCE THEY GET INTO IT.
AND THAT'S KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CULTURE HAS CHANGED AND THE SUPERVISION AND DIRECTION, AND, UH, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY REALIZE THAT IT'S NOT AS BAD AS THEY THOUGHT THEY GET WITH THE PROGRAM.
AND I THINK WE SAW THAT HERE, UM, SOME OF THE STAFF WHO WERE MORE RESISTANT TO SAYING THE, UH, THE THOUGHT OF A CIVILIAN DIRECTOR, YOU KNOW, ASKING INFORMATION AND GIVING REQUESTS FOR, UH, THINGS TO BE DONE AND, YOU KNOW, UM, PUSHBACK AND I THINK SOME HAVE SELF-SELECTED AND HAVE GONE TO NEW ASSIGNMENTS WITH THE UPD.
UM, AND IN SOME MIGHT'VE BEEN TRANSFERRED BY SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL AS WELL.
SO I, I THINK THE MAIN POINT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE FLAGGED THAT, UH, AND THAT THE SUPERVISION OF THE ACADEMY, UH, AND THE DEPARTMENT ARE FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THEY MAINTAIN THE CHANGES AND, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT THOSE WHO WANT TO BE CREATIVE AND HELP RE-IMAGINE THE POLICING EXPERIENCE OUT THERE AND DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH THOSE WHO DON'T WISH TO GET ON THE PROGRAM.
[01:45:01]
HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION CHAIR.UM, I MEAN, I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT I'M JUST GOING TO PARSE IT DOWN TO THESE IN THE INTEREST OF TIME.
SO ON SITES, 20 AND 21 OF YOUR PRESENTATION, UH, THE TOPIC OF SEPARATIONS DURING THE CA CADET ACADEMY WAS ADDRESSED AND OF THE REASONS FOR SEPARATION COVID-19 WAS MENTIONED, IT LOOKS LIKE WE LOST ABOUT FIVE KIDS BECAUSE OF COVID WHO OTHERWISE WENT THROUGH A VERY RIGOROUS PROCESS TO BE ACCEPTED INTO THIS PROGRAM.
SO I'M WONDERING IF YOU KNOW, WHAT APD HAS DONE TO ADAPT TO THE PANDEMIC AND TO ALLOW CADETS TO CONTINUE AFTER EXPOSURE AND QUARANTINE FROM COVID-19.
WELL, I THINK THEY, UM, THE, THE, THE ACADEMY STAFF, UH, ACTUALLY DID A GOOD JOB LATER IN THE ACADEMY, UM, WITH DEALING WITH COVID-19.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, 18 CADETS, UH, TESTED POSITIVE IN LATE DECEMBER, EARLY JANUARY FOR COVID AS DID A NUMBER OF, UH, UH, STAFF MEMBERS AND INSTRUCTORS.
UM, SO THE FIVE CADETS WHO I THINK HAD TO ULTIMATELY, UH, BE SEPARATED BECAUSE OF LOST TIME TO COVID-19 QUARANTINE PROTOCOLS THAT ALL HAPPENED IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE ACADEMY.
WHEN I THINK EVERYBODY'S REALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THIS? AND, AND, UM, BY THE END OF THE ACADEMY, THEY HAD ONE HAD BETTER PROTOCOLS IN PLACE.
THEY HAD, YOU KNOW, MADE SURE EVERYBODY WAS MASKING PROPERLY WITH K 95 MASKS AND SO FORTH.
UM, AT LEAST WHEN THEY WERE IN THE CLASSROOM AND THEY, THEY WERE, UH, HAD ADOPTED SOME PROCEDURES AND PROTOCOLS TO GIVE A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY.
I KNOW THEY HAD TO SHIFT SOME OF THE, UM, SOME OF THE DEFENSIVE TACTICS TRAINING AT THE END.
THEY, THEY DELAYED IT BY THREE WEEKS SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE THAT HAD COVID WOULDN'T MISS THAT AND WOULD BE ABLE TO, TO TAKE THOSE TESTS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY COULDN'T, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GRADUATE.
SO I THINK THEY DID ADDRESS IT.
AND I SUSPECT GOING INTO THE 140 FIFTH THAT THEY, UH, ARE PREPARED TO, TO DEAL WITH IN A MORE FLEXIBLE WAY WITH, UH, CADETS WHO, IF ANY, DO GET COVID, UM, IN THIS NEW CADET CLASS, THERE'LL BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH IT MORE EFFECTIVELY.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EXPLAINING THAT.
I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT YOU ALL PROVIDED A FINAL REPORT AND REPORT LENGTH TO THE COUNCIL.
AND WHEN THE CADETS VISITED ME HERE AT CITY HALL, AND YOU ALL WROTE ABOUT THAT IN YOUR REPORT, YOU DID MISSPELLED MY NAME.
SO I JUST WANTED TO FLAG THAT FOR YOU ALL.
UM, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE PAGE NUMBER IT'S ON, BUT THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING IT.
IT WAS A VERY, UM, INTERESTING DISCUSSION THAT I HAD WITH THEM, LETTING THEM KNOW WHAT WE DO AT CITY HALL HERE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THAT THE WORK THAT WE DO HELP SUPPORT THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL LET SOMEONE ELSE TO ANSWER, ASK QUESTIONS.
UM, SO I APPRECIATE, UM, ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, UH, GENTLEMEN, AND YOUR WHOLE KROLL TEAM, UM, THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS THAT WE SET IN MOTION, I THINK, UM, THE, THE VERY PRECISE NATURE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE LOGIC AND THE SENSE BEHIND THEM, AND THE CLEAR ARTICULATION HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL AS WE TRY, UM, TO MAKE SOME REAL TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGES.
AND I, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE NOW HAVE LEADERSHIP IN PLACE THAT'S LEANING INTO IT.
UM, AND THE ROADMAP AND THE GUIDANCE HAS BEEN, UM, REALLY IMPORTANT.
IT IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS.
UM, I ONLY SAW THE AUDIT PROTOCOL GUIDELINES A FEW MINUTES BEFORE THIS MEETING.
SO I'VE ONLY LOOKED AT THEM A LITTLE BIT AND YOU AND I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY OR SEVERAL OF YOU.
AND I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET, UH, AT LENGTH ABOUT THE, THE, THE MORE DETAILED REPORT.
UM, I GOT ALL MY, ONE OF MY QUESTIONS ANSWERED THERE, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE KEPT COMING BACK TO WAS HOW ARE WE GOING TO KEEP HOLDING, UM, THE TRAINING ACADEMY, ACCOUNTABILITY, ACCOUNTABLE, HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAKE SURE WE AS COUNCIL HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED? UM, AND SO I THINK THIS PROTOCOL, YOU KNOW, YOU TOUCH ON EACH OF THE POINTS, YOU ASKED, VERY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, AND I THINK IT'S ABOUT AS A GOOD, UH, UH, SETUP AS WE COULD HAVE GOING INTO THIS NEXT PHASE WHILE YOU'RE WHERE YOU WON'T BE THERE TO LOOK AT IT SPECIFICALLY.
UM, WE MAY HAVE TO ITERATE AFTER THAT.
I, YOU KNOW, AS WE SEE WHAT, WHAT COMES BACK, I DID WANT TO UNDERSTAND BETTER THE REPORTING PROCESS FOR THE PART THAT'S GOING TO COME TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE OR TO CO COMMISSION OR TO COUNSEL, UM, WHAT FORMAT THAT'S IN.
IS THAT A, IS THAT A COMBINATION OF AN ORAL AND WRITTEN REPORT, OR IS IT JUST AN ORAL REPORT OR IS THAT SORT OF, LET'S DO AUDIT AND FIGURE THAT OUT AS WE GET THERE TO SEE WHAT MAKES SENSE.
UM, SO IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO THAT, PLEASE.
UH, I THINK WE WERE PROBABLY, AND THIS, THIS MAY HAVE BEEN IN, IN OUR INTERACTION WITH, UH, THE DIVISION
[01:50:01]
MANAGER, UM, DIDN'T SPECIFY PRECISELY WHAT FORMAT THAT REPORTING SHOULD TAKE PLACE IN.I THINK THAT'S REALLY BETWEEN, UH, COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND, UH, AND ACADEMY LEADERSHIP.
UH, I THINK IT COULD BE ANY WHATEVER FORMAT, UH, AND LEVEL OF REPORTING YOU WOULD PREFER, I THINK WOULD, WOULD BE SOMETHING YOU COULD REQUEST.
I THINK THAT WE, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROTOCOLS HAD A REPORTING COMPONENT IN IT, WHICH WAS SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS THE ACCOUNTABILITY PROCESS SO THAT THEY WOULD BE REPORTING TO COUNCIL AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AT THE END OF EACH ACADEMY CLASS AND THAT THEY HAD TO DO SO WITHIN 30 DAYS.
BUT WHAT FORMAT THAT REPORTING TAKES, I THINK IS REALLY UP TO, UH, TO YOU AND THE COMMITTEE AND BPD.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, IT'S THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION, WHICH IS NOT, THIS IS THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
THE COMMISSION IS, IS, IS FOLKS THAT WE'VE APPOINTED, UM, TO SERVE AS AN ADVISOR.
YOU SAY, YOU SAID IT IN HERE HAS THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION, WHICH I THINK IS THE RIGHT, IS THE RIGHT PLACE TO HAVE ANOTHER, AND THEN TO COUNCIL, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT COME THROUGH THIS, THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, BUT THAT, THAT'S JUST BEING, UM, SPECIFIC ON THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, I WOULD ERR ON THE SIDE OF, ESPECIALLY FOR THIS NEXT CLASS AND THE COMPLETION OF THE ONE 45TH TO BE, YOU KNOW, UM, PARTICULARLY MORE THOROUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST RELATE TO MY COLLEAGUES.
THERE'S STILL MORE WORK TO BE DONE.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, PART OF HOW WE KEEP THE MOMENTUM THAT WE HAVE IS, UM, US KEEPING OUR EYE ON THE BALL AND US FOCUSING IN AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING, UM, THESE KINDS OF DETAILS AND THAT WILL BE HARDER WITHOUT SORT OF THE VERY SPECIFIC REPORT.
SO I THINK, UM, WHEN IT DOES COME BACK, UM, HOPEFULLY IT WILL COME BACK TO THE WHOLE COUNCIL, BUT IF IT, IF IT DOESN'T, AND IT IS THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, THAT WE ARE REALLY INVITING OUR COLLEAGUES TO COME AND THAT WE ARE, UM, REALLY DIVING INTO THOSE DETAILS AT THAT POINT, UM, BECAUSE WE'VE INVESTED A LOT.
UM, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF, LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE REALLY LEANED IN.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT AS A COUNCIL, WE, WE TAKE THESE NEXT STEPS TO MAKE SURE, UM, THAT WE CAN CONTINUE THE MOMENTUM.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT WHERE THE CONVERSATION LIES WITH EXPANSION OR POTENTIAL EXPANSION OF FACILITIES.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION AROUND NOT JUST THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINEES NEEDING ACCESS TO EITHER IMPROVED FACILITIES OR POTENTIALLY MORE BUILDINGS OR PORTABLES TO BE ABLE TO, TO HAVE THEIR LESSONS COMPLETED.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE THAT CONVERSATION IS RIGHT NOW? I THINK IT'S OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE, THERE WAS A PROPOSAL THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS, UM, FOR NEW FACILITIES, ENHANCED FACILITIES, POLICE, FIRE, AND EMS, UM, AND THAT LIGHT BE SITTING AT THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE WITH, UM, YOUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT PROGRAM, WHERE THERE MIGHT BE THAT THAT WAS OUR LAST UNDERSTANDING OF THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.
IF I COULD JUST CUT IN REAL QUICK, WE DID GET THE RESULTS BACK FROM THE RESOLUTION THAT I SPONSORED IN FEBRUARY RELATED TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY VACANCY STAFFING PLAN.
AND IT DOES A PAGE REPORT, SOME OF THE NEEDS THAT CITY STAFF HAS IDENTIFIED FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING.
SO IT'S A PRETTY LENGTHY REPORT, TOOK SOME TIME TO GET THROUGH OVER THE WEEKEND, BUT IT DOES ADDRESS THAT.
AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CO-SPONSOR THAT WITH YOU.
SO I'M GLAD THAT, UH, YOU WERE TAKING THE LEAD ON THAT.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHERING THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT, IS THAT COMING AS A CIP RECOMMENDATION? DOES IT NEED ANY COUNCIL APPROVAL JUST SO WE CAN HELP MAKE SURE THAT IF, IF THAT'S TRULY THE ISSUE, UH, WITH HELPING TO MAKE SURE OUR FOLKS CAN HAVE THE LESSONS AND TRAINING THAT THEY NEED, THAT, THAT WE APPROPRIATELY TAKE ACTION ON THAT.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COLLEAGUES? UM, SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO BE PRETTY BROAD, I'D LIKE TO KNOW, UM, ASIDE FROM THE INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN PRODUCED IN THE REPORT, I THINK ULTIMATELY YOU WERE RESPONDING TO, TO INFORMATION THAT WE REQUESTED.
IS THERE ANY INFORMATION THAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE REPORT THAT YOU THINK WE SHOULD BE TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE MOVE FORWARD? UH, I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICALLY.
I THINK WE TRIED TO BE AS COMPREHENSIVE AS WE COULD, UM, EVERY FRANKLY IN ALL OUR, ALL OF OUR REPORTS.
UM, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT, AND THIS WAS A FOLLOW ON, UH, OF OUR CRAWL OF THE ASSESSMENT REPORT BACK IN APRIL, RIGHT.
AND THE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE IN THERE AND,
[01:55:01]
AND WHAT OUR SCOPE OF WORK WAS AS INDEPENDENT EVALUATOR.SO IT'S BASED ON OUR, YOU KNOW, 300 PLUS HOURS OF, OF, UH, CLASSROOM AND INSTRUCTIONAL, UH, OBSERVATIONS, BOTH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUALLY IN CASE OF SOME OF THE CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION, AS WELL AS, UM, YOU KNOW, TALKING WITH, UH, COMMUNITY PARTICIPANTS, CITY PEOPLE, STAFF, CADETS, UM, REVIEWING WEEKLY STAFF REPORTS AND OTHER DOCUMENTATION LESSON PLANS.
SO IT'S BASED ON ALL OF THAT INFORMATION, OUR, IN OUR KIND OF INDEPENDENT, UH, ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION OF HOW THE ACADEMY PROCEEDED OVER THAT EIGHT MONTH TIME.
SO WE TRIED TO BE, BE, UH, I'M SURE THERE ARE, IF THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE DIDN'T ADDRESS, UH, WOULD APOLOGIZE FOR THAT, BUT I THINK WE TRIED TO BE AS COMPREHENSIVE AS WE COULD, UM, AND CERTAINLY HIT ALL OF THE AREAS THAT WE HAD.
WE HAD DISCUSSED IN OUR ORIGINAL ASSESSMENT, IF I CAN CHIME IN ON THAT.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, UH, WITH ALL THESE REPORTS THAT WE DID KEEP IN MIND WITH OUR PHASE B REPORT, UM, WE, UH, ADDED SOME ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS INVOLVING TRAIN, UH, AND SOME OF THAT DIRECTLY RELATES TO SOME OF THE ENCOUNTERS WE SAW IN THE USE OF FORCE, YOU KNOW, TO STOP AND FRISK REASONABLE SUSPICION, THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS IN COFA.
SO THIS TIES RIGHT INTO CO-FACILITATING OF INSTRUCTING THE CADETS, BUT ALSO INSTRUCTING THE SUPERVISORS BECAUSE I'VE ACTUALLY SEEN DOCUMENTATION WHERE A SUPERVISOR HAS MISAPPLIED, BUT THE CONSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS ARE, AND IT WENT STRAIGHT UP THE CHAIN OF COMMAND AND IT WASN'T ADDRESSED.
SO THERE'S A TRAINING, THERE'S SOME TRAINING COMPONENTS IN OUR PHASE B REPORT THAT LINKED BACK TO THE ACADEMY, NOT ONLY TO THE CADET INSTRUCTION, BUT ALSO TO FIELD TRAINING INSTRUCTION AND IN SERVICE INSTRUCTION, THAT WILL BE HELPFUL TO REDUCE SOME OF THOSE ENCOUNTERS.
AND I GET SORT OF TOUCHES ON ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS HOPING TO HEAR YOU ALL SAY IN, IN TERMS OF THE GAPS, RIGHT? BECAUSE I THINK SOMETIMES WE THINK ABOUT IT AS AN ANCILLARY CONSIDERATION, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, I THINK SEVERAL OF MY COLLEAGUES AND I BROUGHT UP DURING THE COURSE OF THE CONVERSATION WAS LEADERSHIP TRAINING.
UM, AND I'M NOT SEEING THE SUBSTANCE THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR AROUND A REAL COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO DEVELOPING LEADERS WHO ULTIMATELY BECOME THOSE MENTORS.
YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT BY WAY OF TPA AND THE EFFORTS AROUND MENTORSHIP FOR, UM, WOMEN, UM, WHO ARE APPROACHING EMPLOYMENT IN THE SERVICE.
BUT I, I GUESS I'M, I'M JUST NOT SEEING AS MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AROUND DEVELOPING STRONG, CAPABLE, COMPETENT LEADERS WHO SUBSEQUENTLY, YOU KNOW, UH, PASS THOSE SKILLS ALONG AND REALLY DO THE CAPACITY BUILDING THAT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO ADDRESS, UM, THE FOLKS NOT LIKING IT LIKE IT IS AND NOT LIKING CHANGE.
UM, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO, IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THAT PART OF THE CULTURE, I DO BELIEVE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE GOING TO TRAIN AWAY.
UM, AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT SEEING THAT, THAT REAL STRONG LEADERSHIP COMPONENT.
THAT WAS A STATEMENT, BUT I'M, I'M HAPPY TO RECEIVE ANY, UH, ANY RESPONSE THAT YOU MAY HAVE AS A RESULT OF THE STATEMENT.
JUST, JUST INITIALLY MY RESPONSE FROM LOOKING AT HUNDREDS OF FORCE CASES AND INVESTIGATING, UH, THE ISSUES WE WERE LOOKING AT IN PHASE B, I SEE A VOID AND I HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.
I SEE A, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP YOUR MID-LEVEL LEADERS, YOUR SERGEANTS, YOUR COMMANDERS, YOUR TENANTS, UH, BECAUSE I FELT AS THOUGH IN SOME OF THE AREAS THAT ARE CLOSEST TO THE, THE OFFICERS IN THE FIELD, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE TO TAKE THE STEPS TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO CORRECT BEHAVIOR IF THEY'RE MISSING IT.
THEY'RE A LOT OF TIMES WHEN IT GETS UP TO THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL, THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL REALIZE A LOT WHEN THOSE MID-LEVEL COMMANDERS TO HANDLE THESE THINGS.
SO, UH, CERTAINLY IF, IF MID-LEVEL LEADERSHIP IS ADDRESSED, THE ACCOUNTABILITY PROCESSES, TRACK THE TRAINING GAPS, WE'VE IDENTIFIED, THAT'S GOING TO ALSO HELP BUILD COMPETENT LEADERS AT THE SERGEANT AND KIND OF COMMANDERS LAB THAT ENHANCED HER ABILITIES TO MOVE UP THE RANKS AND HAVE THAT KNOWLEDGE THEY NEED WHEN IT COMES TO ENFORCING POLICY AND HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE, YOU ARTICULATED THAT MORE ELOQUENTLY THAN I DID.
UM, AND IN WHICH CASE, I'D, I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO EXPAND ON IT AND TELL US WHAT RECOMMENDATION YOU HAVE FOR US TO DEVELOP, UM, APPROPRIATE EXPECTATIONS AND PROTOCOL AROUND DEVELOPING THOSE MID-LEVEL LEADERS.
CAUSE I, I, WITHOUT BEING, YOU KNOW, A PART OF THIS PARTICULAR, EXCUSE ME, A PART OF THIS PARTICULAR FIELD, I THINK THAT'S APPLICABLE TO MULTIPLE FIELDS.
I, I THINK, I THINK THE FIRST, THE BIGGEST GAP THAT, THAT CONCERNED ME
[02:00:01]
WAS IN THE AMOUNT OF CASES, WE LOOKED AT THE, THE MISSES OF SUPERVISION TO ADDRESS CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES WHEN IT CAME TO IS, UH, AN ACTUAL SEIZURE, BECAUSE A FRISK IS A SEIZURE THAT LEADS TO, UH, A PAT DOWN SEARCH, WHICH IS A SEARCH, EVEN THOUGH IT'S FOR WEAPONS AND NOT EVIDENCE, IT COULD LEAD TO THAT, DEPENDING ON WHAT'S FOUNTAIN HAD DENT.THAT'S A CON THAT THAT'S AN EDUCATIONAL GAP.
AND I THINK ONCE SUPERVISORS, UH, UM, THE SERGEANTS AND LIEUTENANTS THAT ARE LOOKING AT THESE TYPES OF CASES ARE, UH, WE, TH THOSE GAPS ARE, ARE, ARE, ARE, UH, IT'S DONE AWAY WITH, AND THAT TRAINING VOID HAS BEEN FULFILLED.
THEN THEY BECOME MORE OF AN ACTIVE SUPERVISOR AND MONITORING THEIR SUPPORT IS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING AND CORRECTING THE BEHAVIOR TO ENSURE THAT THE CITIZENS ARE GETTING THE SERVICES THAT ARE EXPECTED TO CONSTITUTIONAL POLICING FAIR AND IMPARTIAL POLICING, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
I THINK ONCE SUPERVISORS HAVE THE TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO BE COMPETENT SUPERVISORS, TO ADD TO THEIR TOOLBOX, UM, THEY WILL BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE AS THEY MOVE UP THE CHAIN, BECAUSE THEN THERE'S, IF YOU HAVE A, IF YOU HAVE A SERGEANT THAT DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO ASSESS AN ENCOUNTER, WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, UH, SIR, UH, DETENTION SEARCH, THAT PERSON BECOMES A LIEUTENANT, THEY STILL DON'T GOT, BUT IF YOU, IF IT'S CORRECTED EARLY ON, AND THOSE, THOSE FOLKS LEARN HOW TO HOLD THE OFFICERS ACCOUNTABLE, UH, FOR THESE, THESE TYPES OF THINGS AND EXPAND ALL THIS IS LINKED TO OTHER THINGS, UH, OPERATIONAL THINGS IN THE FIELD THAT WILL HELP DEVELOP THE COMPETENCY.
AND ALSO THE, UH, THE CONFIDENCE OF THOSE OFFICERS TO, TO BE THE, BE A SUPERVISOR.
I, THAT, I THINK SOME OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS I HAVE, I COULD, I COULD PROBABLY SEND OVER, UH, CAUSE THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIFIC THAT I'M TRYING TO ASK AND I HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT EXACTLY HOW TO ARTICULATE IT.
I THINK YOU'RE GETTING CLOSE TO WHAT IT IS THAT I'M TRYING TO ASK YOU.
I THINK I MIGHT BE ASKING FOR A SOLUTION THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY EXIST YET, IN WHICH CASE MAYBE WHAT I'M ASKING YOU IS HOW DO WE AS A CITY THAT PRIDES ITSELF ON BEING INNOVATIVE AND FORWARD THINKING, UM, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF CALLS THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM OTHER CITIES, UH, YOU KNOW, REALLY WANTING IT EMULATE WHAT IT IS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PRODUCE THUS FAR.
YOU KNOW, IT, IT TELLS ME THAT WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO GO EVEN FARTHER.
UM, BUT I'M STILL NOT QUITE SURE HOW WE GET THAT PIECE.
SO TO THE POINT THAT YOU MADE EARLIER ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE, UH, HESITANCE TO ACCEPT THIS PATH, MOVING FORWARD, THAT THE CHANGE, RIGHT.
UM, I THINK THAT CARRIES OVER INTO THAT VOID OF LEADERSHIP THAT MID-LEVEL LEADERSHIP, BECAUSE THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS I THINK, UM, THAT'S THE SPACE WHERE I THINK YOU GUYS CALL IT, SETTING THE TONE AND THE REPORT.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE YOU SET THE TONE.
UM, AND REALLY INDICATING THAT, UM, I THINK WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS I THINK THAT THE HESITATION TO ACCEPT THE CHANGE INHERENTLY PUTS US IN A POSITION TO WHERE THE CITY AND THE DEPARTMENT AREN'T ALLIES FROM THE START.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED, ACCEPTED AND, UM, PRESENTED TO CADETS COMING IN AND, AND RECOGNIZING THAT A PART OF THE CULTURE THAT NEEDS TO, YOU KNOW, SORT OF JUST GO AWAY LIKE SMOKING ON AIRPLANES, UM, IS THAT INHERENT OTHERING THAT WE DO BETWEEN POLICY MAKERS AND THE FOLKS, YOU KNOW, THE RANK AND FILE.
AND SO AT THAT LEADERSHIP VOID FOR ME, I THINK A PART OF THAT IS THAT PART WHERE WE REALLY, YOU KNOW, ON THAT MY BROTHER, WHEN THEY PLAYED BASKETBALL, YOU HEAR THE COACH HOLLER AT THE SAME TEAM, YOU KNOW, AND I, I THINK IF WE COULD DO THAT FOR OUR CADETS AND REALLY GET THEM TO RECOGNIZE SAME TEAM GUYS, WE'RE ALL MOVING TOWARDS THE SAME GOAL.
THERE'S NOT, YOU KNOW, SOME BOOGEYMAN AT CITY HALL, WHO'S TRYING TO INHIBIT YOUR ABILITY TO DO YOUR JOB WELL.
UM, THERE'S, UH, PEOPLE AT CITY HALL WHO HAVE TO CREATE POLICIES AND RESPOND WHEN, UH, ARE THE CITIZENS, THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ASK US QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THE SERVICE IS BEING PROVIDED.
AND I'D LIKE VERY MUCH FOR US TO HAVE MORE, UM, CLEAR, OPEN UP VENTEK CONVERSATION AND RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE ENTITIES AND IT WON'T HAPPEN WITHOUT THAT MISSING PART.
AND I, AGAIN, I THINK I'LL FIGURE OUT A BETTER WAY TO REALLY ASK THE QUESTION I'M TRYING TO ASK, WELL, LET ME JUST THROW THIS OUT AS A LAST THOUGHT, THERE IS A TRAINING AVAILABLE FOR MID-LEVEL SUPERVISORS, UH, OUT THERE.
UH, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES POLICE OFFICERS ONLY KNOW WHAT THEY KNOW FROM WHAT'S ASIDE INSIDE THEIR OWN AGENCY, BUT ONCE YOU GET EXPOSED, I THINK ABOUT MY CAREER PATH, I WENT TO THE FBI NATIONAL ACADEMY, UH, AS A CAPTAIN, UH, THERE, YOU COULD GO THERE AT SOME DEPARTMENT, SENT THEIR SERGEANTS AND LIEUTENANTS THERE, AND THEY GET TO INTERACT WITH OTHER LEADERS
[02:05:01]
ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND LEARN A GOOD, YOU KNOW, THEY GET TO LEARN THERE'S OTHER WAYS TO DO THINGS AND BROADEN THEIR HORIZONS OUT.SO THERE IS, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY THE ACADEMY WILL LOOK AT THAT, THAT THERE IS SOME TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE AVAILABLE FOR MID-LEVEL SUPERVISORS.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, DOES YOUR HAND, YOU DID, AND THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION.
I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THERE'S DEFINITELY A DISCONNECT, ESPECIALLY IN PUBLIC SAFETY WITH THE WORK THAT WE DO AS POLICY MAKERS AND, AND THEN IT ACTUALLY BEING IMPLEMENTED.
BUT I ALSO THINK THAT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US AS POLICY MAKERS, TO HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IMPACTED BY THE ACTIONS THAT WE'RE TAKING HERE ON COUNCIL.
UM, I KNOW THAT IT'LL CREATE A LOT MORE TRANSPARENCY AND JUST THE INVITATION TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT SOMETHING THAT MAYBE WE DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT.
AND, AND JUST TO RELATE TO THEM AND UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM I'VE FOUND IS REALLY HELPFUL.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT UP AND RAISING IT AS A POINT.
I LOOK FORWARD TO US HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH THOSE GROUPS.
AND I THINK WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY ULTIMATELY, IS I WANT LEADERSHIP TO ENCOURAGE THAT.
UM, BECAUSE AS IT STANDS, I THINK THERE WOULD BE AN INHERENT MISTRUST OR HESITATION, RIGHT? AND I THINK HAVING PEOPLE THAT YOU TRUST, ENCOURAGE THAT, UM, WILL GET US CLOSE TO.
AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I'VE HEARD FROM, UM, OFFICERS OR EVEN EMS WORKERS IN PARTICULAR.
THEY DON'T WANT TO TALK TO US BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN TOLD THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO, RIGHT.
I MEAN, WE'RE HERE SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND THOSE PARTICULARS, THAT THEY GO THROUGH EVERY DAY AT THEIR JOB AND TO HELP MAKE THEIR JOBS AND THE LIVES EASIER AND MAKE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE BETTER.
AND I FEEL LIKE ALL CITY STAFF SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME TO US WITH THEIR PROBLEMS OR EVEN SOME OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT HAPPEN SO WE CAN CELEBRATE THOSE MOMENTS TOGETHER.
SO THANK YOU HAVE DISAGREE THOUGH.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE RIGHT.
IT'S ALSO A
AND, UM, OFTENTIMES AS THE CHIEF, I WOULD COME UP WITH POLICY AND I WOULD TELL PEOPLE WHAT THE POLICY IS.
AND THEN I WOULD REQUEST SUPERVISORS, ENFORCE MY POLICY.
UH, AND SOMETIMES I WOUND UP IN SITUATIONS WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE SUPERVISORS WOULD PUSH BACK ON THE, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD ENFORCE THE POLICY AND THEY WOULDN'T ENFORCE THE POLICY.
AND THEN WHEN I GOT ON THE SUPERVISOR, THEY WOULD ENFORCE IT.
BUT THAT ALSO ACTUALLY RESULTED IN RESENTMENT IN MISUNDERSTANDING.
ONE OF THE PROGRAMS I DID IN BOSTON WAS CALLED A CODE 19.
AND I ASKED MY CROPS EVERY DAY, IF YOU CAN PARK YOUR POLICE CAR, GET OUT OF YOUR POLICE CAR AND JUST WALKED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR AN HOUR, ENGAGE PEOPLE, TALK WITH THEM, FIND OUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING, FIND OUT WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AND JUST GET OUT AND MEET THE COMMUNITY.
WE TEACH YOU SO WELL, HOW TO DEAL WITH NO BAD GUY.
SO TO SPEAK, WHERE WE TEACH, HOW TO SPEAK AND BLADE YOURSELF AND BE DEFENSIVE.
WE NEVER TAUGHT OUR COPS HOW TO ENGAGE EFFECTIVELY WITH GOOD CITIZENS AND, AND NOT IN, IN ADVERSARIAL RELATIONSHIPS.
SO THAT WAS A PROGRAM I TRIED TO PUT IN PLACE.
AND I MENTIONED IT EACH WEEK AT COMSTAT.
UM, WELL THAT TURNED OUT TO WALK AND TALK TURNED OUT TO, I WOULD HEAR COPS GO OFF ON THE WALK AND TALK AND I WOULD GO, THAT'S GREAT.
AND I PULL MY CAR OVER AND FIND THEM PARKED IN THE CAR, BUT NOT GETTING OUT OF THE CAR.
SO THEY WERE CHECKING A BOX SO THAT THEY CAN COUNT IT AND SAY, WELL, THEY, THEY WANT US TO DO THIS THING, BUT THERE'S NO REAL SUPERVISION.
SO THEN I WOULD SAY TO THE SERGEANTS, WHY WOULD, WHY WOULD ONE OF YOUR OFFICERS THINK THAT THEY CAN POSSIBLY DO THAT, THAT YOU MUSTN'T BE A GOOD SUPERVISOR? HE MUST DON'T HAVE A RELATION WITH THEM.
IF THEY THINK THEY CAN DO THAT ON YOUR WATCH.
LIKE THEY EMBARRASS YOU SERGEANT TO THINK THEY DID THAT.
AND SO THEN THE SERGEANTS WERE LIKE, OKAY, YOU CAN'T DO THAT ANYMORE.
YOU GUYS CAN GET OUT OF THE CAR AND DO YOUR WALK AND TALKS AND WE'RE GONNA HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE.
AND THEN I WAS DOING A RIDE ALONG WITH A YOUNG PATROLMAN.
HE GOES, LOOK, I GET TO WALK AND TALK.
SO I AGREE WITH IT, BUT WHY AM I OUT AT 4:00 AM IN FEBRUARY, IN WEST ROXBURY WHEN THERE'S NO CITIZENS OUT? AND YOU KNOW, WHY AM I JUST WALKING A STREET FOR CHECKING A BOX? AND I SAID, NO, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? THAT MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL.
HE SAID, WELL, THAT'S CAUSE THEY SAY YUKON I'M CHIEF.
AND IF WE START IN OUR CAR, THEY CAN YELL AT US.
AND I HAD TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE SERGEANT.
SEE, I BROUGHT THEM ALL INTO THE HEADQUARTERS AND HAD A CONVERSATION, SAY, LOOK, DO YOU REALIZE THE GOAL OF THIS? WE WANT TO ACTUALLY MAKE OUR TOP TO HAVE A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY.
YOU ALWAYS SITTING ON JURIES WHO ARE WITNESSES IN CRIMES, WHO WOULD BE MORE LIKELY TO COME FORWARD AND GIVE US INFORMATION.
AND HERE'S ONE OF THE WAYS I THINK WE'RE GOING TO DO IT AND DON'T JUST CHECK THE BOX.
AND THEY, LIKE, I GAVE THEM THE EXAMPLE OF THE FOUR O'CLOCK.
WHY WOULD WE WASTE THAT OFFICE IS TIME AND ENERGY AND PUT THEM THROUGH A MISERABLE EXPERIENCE WHEN WE COULD HAVE THEM OUT AT SIX O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING WHEN THE COMMUTERS ARE GOING TO AND FROM THE COMMUTER STATION AND KIDS NEED TO BE CROSSED ACROSS THE STREET AND PEOPLE OUT AND ABOUT DURING THOSE TIMES.
AND YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO JUST DO IT FOR THE SAKE OF CHECKING A BOX.
BUT I FOUND WHERE I FAILED SOMETIMES IS COMING UP WITH A GOOD POLICY AND PROGRAM AND NOT EXPLAINING THE WHY TO THE SUPERVISOR'S RESPONSIBLE FOR IT.
WHEN I HAVE WORKED WITH SUPERVISORS AND THEY HAVE HAD THEIR ABILITY TO PUT THEIR INPUT IN BECAUSE OFTENTIMES MY POLICIES ARE FLAWED.
UH, AND THEY CAN THINK OF WAYS THAT MORE EFFECTIVELY CAN WORK
[02:10:01]
ON THE STREET WHEN THEY BUY INTO THE WHY THEY WILL CHANGE THAT CULTURE AND DO THE RESULT.AND WE WILL NO LONGER HAVE SMOKING ON AIRLINES JUST AS YOU SAID, BECAUSE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IT, THEY EXPLAIN IT, THEY FEEL LIKE THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD AND THERE'S A REASON FOR IT.
SO I THINK A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS OF EXACTLY WHAT THE POLICIES OR PROCEDURES YOU'RE TRYING TO DO AND ENGAGING THE SUPERVISORS IN THE WHY YOU'RE DOING THEM AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO DO THEM WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ANY POLICE DEPARTMENT IN AMERICA TODAY THAT TRYING TO MAKE CULTURE CHANGE.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT REPORT OR BRIEFING? I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
THANK YOU FOR COMING BACK IN AND OFFERING US AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO THROUGH THIS FINAL REPORT.
WE'VE APPRECIATED OUR INTERACTION WITH YOU ALONG THE WAY, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ALL AS NEEDED.
IT WAS A PLEASURE TO BE HERE AS ALWAYS.
HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR DAY.
[4. Receive report on license plate readers. Sponsors: Council Member Mackenzie Kelly, and Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison ]
THANKS.SO IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, WE ARE MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR IN OUR AGENDA FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO RECEIVE A REPORT ON LICENSE PLATE READERS.
UM, UH, AND THEN WE HAVE ONE OTHER REPORT.
AND JUST AS A, UH, A MATTER OF OBSERVATION IS FOUR 17.
I KNOW THAT, UH, UH, THAT YOU ALL HAVE OTHER THINGS TO DO THIS AFTERNOON.
BOTH OF THESE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT, BUT, UM, GIVEN THAT I TEND TO BE LONG-WINDED PERSONALLY, I'M GOING TO NOT ASK ANY QUESTIONS I'LL ASK AFTER THE PRESENTATIONS.
UM, AND I ENCOURAGE OUR PRESENTERS AND, UH, MY COLLEAGUES TO, UM, TO BE OBSERVANT AT THE TIME.
IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR PRESENTATION IS ALL LOADED UP.
SO THE FLOOR IS YOURS FACELESS REPRESENTATIVE FOR US AND POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THIS IS ASSISTANT CHIEF JERRY BOWS ON UNFORTUNATELY, UH, I THINK THERE IS A TROUBLE WITH THE, UH, THE LINK.
UM, I BROUGHT WITH ME COMMANDER JEFF GREENWALD, AND WE ARE HERE TO DISCUSS, UH, THE ALP.
SO THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THAT OPPORTUNITY AND TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
SO, UH, RIGHT NOW FOR A TIME SAKE, I'LL HAND IT OFF TO COMMANDER GREENWALL AND ACTUALLY CHAIR REAL QUICK.
I KNOW THAT THIS BACKUP IS AVAILABLE ONLINE CURRENTLY IN THE FORM OF A PRESENTATION.
SO IF WE COULD MAKE SURE THAT THAT GETS PUT UP BY THE END OF THE DAY SO THAT THE COMMUNITY COULD SEE IT.
AND FOR TRANSPARENCY PURPOSES, THAT MIGHT BE, BE HELPFUL.
YOU BET I'VE BEEN ASSURED THAT IT'S GOING TO BE THERE BY THE TIME THAT WE'RE AWESOME.
ARE YOU THERE COMMANDER? UM, THE PRESENTATION HAS DISAPPEARED.
CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? CAN HEAR YOU, BUT WE DON'T SEE THE PRESENTATION ANY LONGER.
DO YOU NOT NEED IT? I DON'T NEED IT TO SPEAK.
I CAN FOLLOW ALONG WITH MY NOTES AND I, MY UNDERSTANDING IS YOU GUYS WILL GET IT AT A LATER DATE.
SO IT'S NOTHING COMPLICATED OR EARTH SHATTERING.
IT IS MORE OF AN OUTLINE FOR MY POINT.
SO I WILL GO THROUGH THE HIGHLIGHTS AND PLEASE SLOW ME DOWN.
IF YOU GUYS HAVE QUESTIONS, OR I WOULD LIKE ME TO ELABORATE ON ANYTHING, THE DEPARTMENT'S, UH, LICENSE PLATE READER SYSTEM PROGRAM THAT WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM US IN 2021 IS WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THAT DATA.
AGAIN, THE PURPOSE OF THAT PROGRAM IS TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE BY SOLVING CRIMES QUICKER AND LOCATING AND IDENTIFYING VIOLENT OFFENDERS MORE QUICKLY.
WE FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL IN TURN, PREVENT FURTHER VIOLENCE BY APPREHENDING THEM BEFORE THEY CAN RE-OFFEND.
AND, AND A LOT OF TIMES, UH, HELP TO SEIZE THE GUNS THAT THEY USED IN THOSE OFFENSES BY CATCHING ON QUICKLY, IN ADDITION TO THE VIOLENT CRIME FOCUS, WE ALSO UTILIZE THESE LICENSE PLATE READERS, OR LPRS FOR SHORT TO LOCATE MISSING OR ENDANGERED PERSONS THAT ARE IN THE AMBER ALERTS OR SILVER ALERTS OR KIDNAPPINGS THEY'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THE PAST.
JUST TO KIND OF ELABORATE ON THE TYPES OF CASES, UM, THERE'S DOZENS AND DOZENS OF CASES WE COULD TALK ABOUT, BUT JUST AT A HIGH LEVEL, I WANT YOU GUYS TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE UTILIZE THEM TO SOLVE CRIMES AT APD IN 2016, A LOCAL TEACHER BEFRIENDED, AND, UH, UNFORTUNATELY SEXUALLY ASSAULTED A 16 YEAR OLD STUDENT HERE IN AUSTIN AFTER HIS ARREST.
HE BONDED OUT OF JAIL AND MOVED TO LUBBOCK AND STARTED HARASSING THE VICTIM ONLINE AND THREATENED TO KILL HER.
AFTER THE ONLINE THREAT, HE TRAVELED FROM LUBBOCK TO AUSTIN TO CARRY OUT THIS MURDER, BUT WE WERE UNABLE TO FIND HIM THROUGH TRADITIONAL INVESTIGATIVE METHODS.
FORTUNATELY, THE LPR SYSTEM WAS ABLE TO LOCATE HIS VEHICLE AT A LOCAL HOTEL.
AND AFTER WE TOOK HIM INTO CUSTODY, WE FOUND, FOUNDED A LOADED REVOLVER, ZIP TIES, NUMEROUS KNIVES AND DUCT TAPE IN HIS VEHICLE.
THERE'S NO DOUBT HE WAS HERE TO CARRY OUT HIS THREAT, BUT THE LE THE LICENSE PLATE READER
[02:15:01]
SYSTEM HELPED US DEFINE HIM BEFORE HE WAS ABLE TO DO SO.IN 2017 OFFICERS WERE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY LOCATE A KIDNAPPED TWO YEAR OLD CHILD WHO HAD BEEN TAKEN FROM SAN ANTONIO AND THE LICENSE PLATE READER PROGRAM ON OUR HIGHWAY, ALERTED US TO THEIR PRESENCE HERE IN OUR CITY.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO RETURN THE TWO YEAR OLD BACK HOME SAFELY IN 2019 TWO SUSPECTS KIDNAPPED THE CHILD FROM A SCHOOL BUS STOP.
THEY ACTUALLY ATTEMPTED TO KIDNAP A PREVIOUS, UH, JUVENILE, BUT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL.
SO THEY WENT ON TO KIDNAP THIS ONE.
THEIR INTENT WAS TO SEXUALLY ASSAULT.
THE CHILD THAT SHE ESCAPED BEFORE THEY WERE ABLE TO FOLLOW THROUGH INVESTIGATIVE LEADS, LED US TO A SUSPECT THE VEHICLE LICENSE PLATE, BUT WE WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHERE THAT VEHICLE WAS STAYING OR WHERE IT WAS CURRENTLY REGISTERED.
HOWEVER, THE LICENSE PLATE READER SYSTEM TOOK US DIRECTLY TO ITS CURRENT LOCATION.
AND WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE ONE OF THE SUSPECTS IN CUSTODY AND GET A FULL CONFESSION, WHICH IS HOW WE KNEW WHAT THEIR INTENTIONS WERE GOING TO BE IN PLACE.
BOTH OF THEM INTO CUSTODY BEFORE THEY WERE ABLE TO, UH, PUT ANY MORE JUVENILES INTO HARM'S WAY.
IN 2020, THERE WAS A VIOLENT SERIAL SHOOTING SPREE THAT SPANS SEVERAL MONTHS IN SOUTH AUSTIN.
MOST NOTABLY AROUND THE RIVERSIDE AREA, THE SUSPECT WHO DROVE A STOLEN WHITE HONDA FOUR-DOOR SHOT AT NUMEROUS VEHICLES DURING DIFFERENT ROAD RAGE INCIDENTS, MANY, MANY INNOCENT PEOPLE WERE SHOT, SOME SUFFERED, SERIOUS INJURIES.
AND ONE ACTUALLY DIED FROM HER INJURIES.
THE LPR SYSTEM WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN LOCATING AND IDENTIFYING THE VEHICLE AND EVENTUALLY LED US TO THE SUSPECT'S LOCATION AND HIS ARREST.
UM, THOSE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF SUCCESS STORIES, BUT I ALSO WANT TO TOUCH ON THE CONCERNS THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS HAD IN THE PAST IN REGARDS TO PRIVACY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE UTILIZING THEIR DATA APPROPRIATELY.
UH, WE DO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS CONCERNS ABOUT, AND WE HAVE A VERY STRICT PRIVACY POLICY, UM, WITH AN AUDITING AND, UM, UH, LOG LOGIN, AUDIT PROCESS.
THE AOPR SYSTEM DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY PII OR PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION.
FIRST OF ALL, WE WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHAT IT DOES AND WHAT IT DOESN'T CONTAIN IS JUST THE LICENSE PLATE INFORMATION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE VEHICLE AND LOCATION, WHERE IT WAS LOGGED EACH LOG ON THAT OUR USERS DO.
AND EVERY TRANSACTION THAT THEY TAKE WITHIN THE SYSTEM ARE LOGGED.
SO EVERYTHING THAT'S DONE IS TRACKED, AND WE KNOW WHO IS PERFORMING EACH SEARCH IN EACH SEARCH THAT THEY DO HAS TO HAVE A CORRESPONDING CASE NUMBER.
SO WE KNOW THAT IT'S BEING CONDUCTED FOR A LEGITIMATE LAW ENFORCEMENT PURPOSE.
UH, WE DO NOT, UM, SELL THE DATA TO ANY THIRD PARTY PERSONS.
AND WE DO NOT USE THE DATA FOR ANY SORT OF WARRANT ROUNDUPS OR COLLECTION OF PASSENGERS OR FINES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
ALL OF THE SYSTEM, UH, ALL OF THE DATA IN OUR SYSTEM IS ALSO PURGED AFTER 365 DAYS.
SO ONE YEAR IN, UH, THE, THE DATA IS GONE.
UH, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THIS IS AN INVESTIGATIVE TOOL THAT HAS SOLD MANY, MANY CASES, AND IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE ABLE TO UTILIZE THE SYSTEM MOVING FORWARD AND HAPPY TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IF YOU GUYS NEED IT AND TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS MIGHT HAVE.
UM, SO I THINK, UH, BECAUSE OF THE LATE HOURS, SOME OF OUR COLLEAGUES HAVE HAD TO STEP OFF IT'S IT'S ME.
AND, UM, AND THE, OUR CO-CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER, KELLY, I BELIEVE COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS IS WATCHING FROM UPSTAIRS AND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALL, OR MAY HAVE PRETEND ALTER, HAD TO STEP AWAY.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO STEPPED AWAY.
SO IT'S JUST THE TWO OF US, TWO OF US I'M STILL HERE.
I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN LISTENING.
I HAD MY CAMERA FOR A WHILE, CAUSE I WAS HITTING.
DO YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR COMMANDER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CO-CHAIR KELLY, THANK YOU.
I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE BIG DISCUSSIONS IN THE COMMUNITY IS THE CONCERN THAT LICENSE PLATE READERS CAN BE A LOT LIKE BIG BROTHER AND THAT THEY COLLECT INFORMATION ABOUT THE DRIVER THEMSELVES.
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT LICENSE PLATE READERS GATHER OBJECTIVE AND UNBIASED FACTS ABOUT VEHICLES.
THEY SUPPORT INTELLIGENCE LED POLICING INITIATIVES, AND THE READER TECHNOLOGY ITSELF FOCUSES WHOLLY ON EXTRACTING EMPIRICAL DATA, PRIMARILY THE LICENSE PLATE NUMBERS IN WHICH TEXAS STATE LAW REQUIRES TO BE A FIXED TO EVERY VEHICLE.
SO MY QUESTION HERE, BECAUSE THIS SEEMS TO COME UP OFTEN IN THIS DISCUSSION IS, UM, WHAT PROTECTIONS ARE IN PLACE TO KEEP LICENSE PLATE READERS FROM BEING USED IN A WAY THAT HAS A DISPARATE RACIAL OR SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACT.
AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
I ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT THE WAY TO SOLVE THE MISCONCEPTIONS THAT THE COMMUNITY MIGHT HAVE IS BY SHARING INFORMATION.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT APDS PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS DIVISION OR RISK MANAGEMENT UNIT CONDUCTED QUARTERLY AUDITS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE TRANSACTION THAT WE DO WITHIN THE SYSTEM IS RELATED TO A LAW ENFORCEMENT PURPOSE.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO LOG ONTO THE SYSTEM TO TARGET, YOU KNOW, QUOTE
[02:20:01]
UNQUOTE, UM, A POOR AREA OF TOWN OR AN AREA OF TOWN THAT HAS A HIGH REPRESENTATION OF MINORITIES.WE HAVE TO ALREADY HAVE BEEN CONDUCTING A LAW ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATION.
SO WE'RE ONLY GOING TO BE USING THAT OPR SYSTEM IN A DIRECT RESPONSE OR AS A DIRECT RESULT OF A CASE NUMBER THAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
OUR INVESTIGATION HAS ALREADY BEEN TAKING PLACE.
AND THEN I'VE SEEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UM, STANDARDS RELATED TO ALP LPR DATA AND INFORMATION, UM, USUALLY THERE'S A POLICY THAT THIS CITY AGENCY THAT USES THAT TECHNOLOGY FOLLOWS, BUT I'M WONDERING IF IT'S PUBLICLY AVAILABLE IF THE POLICY IS, AND IF NOT, IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN TO US WHAT THE POLICY WAS PRIOR TO THE REMOVAL OF THAT, UM, THAT USE OF TECHNOLOGY.
ALL OF OUR POLICIES ARE PUBLIC AND WE'RE HAPPY TO SUPPLY THAT TO YOU.
BUT IS IT PUBLICLY AVAILABLE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO REVIEW PERHAPS ON OUR WEBSITE SOMEWHERE, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN, UM, EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT THE USE END INTENT IS, AND THEN ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY ON BEHALF OF THE OFFICERS WHO UTILIZE THAT TECHNOLOGY.
WE CAN ABSOLUTELY GIVE YOU WHAT OUR POLICY IS ON THE TOPIC AND IT GOES OVER THE PRIVACY POLICY AND THE AUDITS AND ALL OF THAT INFORMATION.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AND THAT'S IT FOR NOW, IF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, I HAVE ONE FINAL THOUGHT I MIGHT BRING UP AT THE END.
UM, CAN YOU GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT THE BUDGET, WHAT, WHAT IT WOULD COST TO, UM, USE THIS TECHNOLOGY AGAIN AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN? I KNOW YOU HAVE SUPPLIED SOME OF OUR OFFICES WITH THAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
AND I APOLOGIZE IF IT'S IN THE PRESENTATION, WHICH I DON'T HAVE A COPY OF.
IT IS NOT IN THE PRESENTATION AS A DOLLAR AMOUNT.
I CAN SAY THAT THE TECHNOLOGY IS ALREADY IN PLACE.
ALL WE NEED TO DO IS REACTIVATE IT.
AND I KNOW THAT APD HAS IDENTIFIED THE FUNDING FOR IT.
UM, WE JUST NEED TO QUOTE UNQUOTE, TURN IT ON.
I DON'T HAVE A DOLLAR AMOUNT, BUT I CAN FIND OUT WHAT THAT IS AND, AND CIRCLE BACK WITH YOU ON THAT.
AND I, I KNOW THAT, UH, THAT YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE PROVIDED THAT INFORMATION.
SO I LIKELY HAVE SOME OF THAT, UH, INFORMATION THAT MAY BE DATED AT THIS POINT, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND THE SPECIFIC SAY THE SPECIFIC ANECDOTES, I THINK, WERE VERY USEFUL IN UNDERSTANDING KIND OF HOW IT'S, HOW IT REALLY DOES LEVERAGE THE, UM, LEVERAGE THE HELP.
WHAT AM I LOOKING FOR COLLEAGUES, UM, HELP, YOU KNOW, EXPAND THE, THE ABILITIES OF OUR OFFICERS TO BRING.
AND I THINK THAT THAT COMMUNICATION IS IMPORTANT.
I THINK, TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND HOW WE UTILIZE IT, TO MAKE SURE THEY KNOW WHY WE HAVE IT.
SO BECAUSE THE TECHNOLOGY STILL EXISTS ON THE VEHICLES THAT APD OFFICERS USE THE SUBSCRIPTION ITSELF ON A YEARLY BASIS IS $114,000, 775 CENTS.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.
DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I DO NOT.
AND I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
I ALSO APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE ONE THING I WOULD SAY, WELL, TWO THINGS I'VE TAKEN AWAY.
ONE I'M I HAVE, UH, A MUCH BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE USE OF THE TECHNOLOGY.
UM, BUT COMMANDER, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR OUR PREVIOUS CONVERSATION WHERE I TALKED ABOUT US, I'LL BE ON THE SAME TEAM.
UM, I, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE THAT.
WE ALL BE CAREFUL WITH THE LANGUAGE YOU USE.
YOU SAID WHEN IT GOT TAKEN AWAY FROM US.
UM, AND I THINK SOMETIMES WHEN, UH, WHEN THE COMMUNITY HEARS THE OFFICERS THAT THEY REVERE AND RESPECT AND SUPPORT SO MUCH SAY THINGS GOT TAKEN AWAY, SOMEBODY HAD TO TAKE IT AND THAT'S US.
AND SO I JUST, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SAY THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT ENCOURAGED THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT AT SOME POINT SOMEWHERE, WE DECIDED THAT WE DIDN'T NEED TO UTILIZE THAT TECHNOLOGY, OR WE COULDN'T AFFORD THAT TECHNOLOGY, BUT NOT, YOU KNOW, SORT OF INADVERTENTLY MAKE IT APPEAR AS THOUGH THE COUNCIL, UM, TOOK ANY OPPORTUNITY TO, TO MAKE A VERY DIFFICULT JOB, ANY MORE DIFFICULT.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
[5. Receive report on crashes involving City-owned vehicles. Sponsors: Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison, and Council Member Mackenzie Kelly ]
UM, AND I THINK WE CAN MOVE ON TO OUR LAST PRESENTATION.SO, UH, ITEM NUMBER FIVE, WE'RE GOING TO RECEIVE A REPORT ON CRASHES INVOLVING CITY-OWNED VEHICLES AND SHARE WHILE THAT PRESENTATION IS LOADING.
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, I DO HAVE A 4 45, SO, UM, I WOULDN'T JUST STEP AWAY AT THAT POINT.
[02:25:01]
UNDERSTAND.THANK YOU FOR, UM, FOR BEING HERE AS LONG AS YOU CAN.
YOU MIGHT, YOU MIGHT'VE HEARD ME PREFACE SOME OF THE OTHER PRESENTATIONS WITH THE, WITH THE, UH, CONSIDERATION AROUND THE TIME.
MY NAME IS KEITH SOLACE AND I WAS THE AUDIT MANAGER OVERSEEING THE SPECIAL REQUESTS ON CRASHES INVOLVING CITY OWNED VEHICLES.
SO BEFORE I REALLY DIG INTO THE MEAT OF OUR AUDITS, I JUST WANT TO TAKE A SECOND TO, UH, DISTINGUISH BETWEEN AN AUDIT AND A SPECIAL REQUEST.
SO OUR AUDITS TEND TO BE VERY LARGE PROJECTS THAT ARE ABROAD.
THEY'RE ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EFFICIENCY AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CITY OPERATIONS AND PROGRAMS. AND IN CONTRAST, OUR SPECIAL REQUESTS ARE MUCH SMALLER PROJECTS THAT JUST SEEK THE AIM, UH, TO ANSWER SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ASKED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, THIS WASN'T A SPECIAL REQUEST, SO THERE IS NO, UM, FINDINGS OR CONCLUSIONS THAT WE NORMALLY HAVE.
WE DON'T HAVE A FORMAL WRITTEN RESPONSE FOR MANAGEMENT.
ALTHOUGH OF COURSE, WE DO CONSULT WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ON THE RIGHT PAGE AND ALL THAT STUFF.
SO I HAVE TO ANSWER FIVE QUESTIONS ASKED BY COUNSEL.
THE FIRST ONE WAS, HOW FREQUENTLY DOES EACH DEPARTMENT HAVE CRASHES RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE? THE NEXT WAS WHAT IS THE ESTIMATED COSTS AND DAMAGES, INCLUDING REPAIRS AND LIABILITIES.
WHEN DETERMINED THAT THE CITY WAS AT FAULT, THE THIRD WAS HOW OFTEN OUR CITY VEHICLES IT REPAIRABLE OR TOTALED AS A RESULT OF A CRASH.
AND WHAT ARE THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS? NEXT? WE WERE ASKED WHAT THE CITY'S PROTOCOL WAS FOR EMPLOYEES, UH, SEATBELT USAGE.
AND FINALLY, WE WERE ASKED HOW OFTEN CITY DRIVERS ARE INVOLVED IN CRASHES, WHERE THEY AREN'T WEARING A SEATBELT SLASH HOW OFTEN IS THERE AN INJURY OR DEATH AS A RESULT OF A CITY DRIVER WHO IS NOT WEARING A SEATBELT IN ORDER TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS.
WE WORK WITH STAFF IN THE FLEET MOBILITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT, THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, AND THE LAW DEPARTMENT FLEET MOBILITY SERVICES PROVIDED US DATA ON THE ACTUAL REPAIR COSTS AND REPLACEMENT COSTS FOR VEHICLES ARE INVOLVED IN CRASHES.
THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT MANAGES OUR CITY'S DRIVER'S SAFETY PROGRAM AND THE LAW DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR INVESTIGATING AND PROCESSING LIABILITY CLAIMS WHEN THERE IS AN ACCIDENT.
ALL RIGHT, SO TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS, THE FIRST ONE, HOW FREQUENTLY DOES EACH DEPARTMENT HAVE CRASHES RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE? WE FOUND THAT FROM FISCAL YEARS, 2019 THROUGH 2021 THROUGH A 1,855 CRASHES IN THIS TABLE, WE HAVE THE SIX DEPARTMENTS THAT EACH HAD OVER 100 CRASHES DURING THAT TIMEFRAME.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT HAD THE MOST AT 882 CRASHES.
DURING THOSE THREE YEARS, THE NEXT QUESTION WAS ASKING ABOUT THE COSTS AND DAMAGES.
WHEN THE CITY WAS AT FAULT, WE FOUND THAT OF THOSE 1,855 ACCIDENTS, 871 OF THEM WERE THE RESULT OF ACTIONS OF CITY DRIVERS.
THE VALUE OR THE COST OF THOSE ACCIDENTS WAS APPROXIMATELY $4.7 MILLION.
I'LL JUST LEAVE THIS UP HERE FOR A SECOND.
THE THIRD QUESTION WAS HOW OFTEN OUR VEHICLES TOTALED AS A RESULT OF A CRASH AND WHAT WERE THOSE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS? AND WE FOUND THAT APPROXIMATELY 6% OF THE CITY'S CRASHES DURING OUR TIMEFRAME TOTAL, THE CITY VEHICLE.
SO THAT WAS 116 OF OUR VEHICLES WERE TOTAL.
DURING THOSE YEARS AT A REPLACEMENT COST OF ROUGHLY $4.8 MILLION, THREE QUARTERS OF THOSE VEHICLES WERE OWNED BY THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
MOVING ON QUESTION FOUR IS ASKING WHAT THE CITY'S PROTOCOL FOR EMPLOYEE SEATBELT USAGE WAS.
WE FOUND THAT THE CITY HAS GUIDANCE AND TRAINING RELATED TO DRIVER'S SAFETY, BUT DOESN'T EXPLICITLY TALK ABOUT SEATBELTS.
SO CITY DRIVERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FOLLOWING ALL FEDERAL STATE AND LOCAL TRAFFIC LAWS.
AND OF COURSE THAT MEANS THAT CITY DRIVERS ARE EXPECTED TO WEAR SEATBELTS.
HOWEVER, WE ONLY FOUND VERY LIMITED INFORMATION ON WHAT HAPPENS IF A CITY DRIVER IS FOUND NOT TO BE WEARING A SEATBELT.
UM, I DO WANT TO ADD THAT THE MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE RULES SPECIFICALLY ALLOW FOR THE CITY TO DISCIPLINE DRIVERS WHO ARE NOT, UM, FOLLOWING DRIVERS SAFETY STANDARDS OR VIOLATING TRAFFIC LAWS.
HOWEVER, CERTAIN GROUPS LIKE THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND SWORN FIREFIGHTERS ARE UNCOVERED BY MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE RULES.
THEY OF COURSE HAVE OTHER GUIDELINES THAT THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW.
AND THEN LASTLY, WE WERE ASKED HOW OFTEN THERE WERE CRASHES WHERE A CITY EMPLOYEE WASN'T WEARING A SEATBELT.
WE DID NOT EXPLICITLY ANSWER THIS QUESTION.
THE REASON WHY IS THAT OUR CURRENT GUIDELINES REQUIRE CITY DRIVERS AFTER THEY'D BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT TO SELF-REPORT WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE WEARING A SEATBELT, UM, RATHER THAN GO THROUGH
[02:30:01]
ALL THOSE ACCIDENTS, TRYING TO FIND OUT HOW MANY PEOPLE HAD SELF-REPORTED THIS.UM, I JUST WANT TO FOCUS OUR ATTENTION ON A NEW VEHICLE MONITORING SYSTEM THAT THE FLEET MOBILITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT IS CURRENTLY INSTALLING AND ALL CITY VEHICLES.
THIS SYSTEM IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A WEALTH OF INFORMATION ABOUT ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE VEHICLE AND ITS USAGE, INCLUDING WHETHER OR NOT DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS ARE WEARING SEATBELTS.
UM, ONCE THOSE ARE FULLY INSTALLED AND THE CURRENT TIMELINE ESTIMATES THAT TO BE DONE AROUND THE END OF THE YEAR.
UM, THEN I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO PULL BY MUCH BETTER DATA ON, ON EMPLOYEE SEATBELT USAGE.
I KNOW I SPED THROUGH THAT, BUT, UH, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR GO BACK TO ANY SLIDES, EMAIL.
I CAN'T REMEMBER KELLY, AND IF YOU WOULD MIND TAKING DOWN THE PRESENTATION SO I COULD SEE OUR OTHER COLLEAGUES, THERE WE GO.
OH, YOU KNOW WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, WOULD YOU MIND IF I WERE TO DEFER TO COUNCIL MEMBER ELLISON, SHE'S GOT A 4 45.
DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
I DON'T HAVE ANY AT THIS TIME.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE INFORMATION FURTHER, TO BE ABLE TO CIRCLE BACK WITH YOU, IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, IT'S KIND OF SURPRISING TO SEE HOW MANY ACCIDENTS ARE, OR CRASHES ARE HAPPENING RATHER.
UM, BUT IT WOULD LIKE A LITTLE MORE TIME TO REVIEW THE INFORMATION TO BE ABLE TO, UM, CIRCLE BACK ON QUESTIONS, COUNSELOR KELLY.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO SEE THIS COME FORWARD.
I THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT, UM, SPECIAL REQUEST AUDIT.
AND WHEN IT WAS BROUGHT FORWARD, I KNOW OF THE 1,855 CRASHES FROM 2019 TO 2021, OVER 882 OF THOSE WERE ATTRIBUTED TO THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I WAS HOPING MAYBE APD COULD OUTLINE WHAT THEIR CURRENT POLICY IS, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT HERE.
SO THAT SAID, UM, DRIVER'S SAFETY OVERALL AMONG OUR EMPLOYEES IS SOMETHING THAT I REALLY HOLD IN HIGH REGARD.
UM, FROM WHAT I KNOW WHEN IT COMES TO THIS SUBJECT IN PARTICULAR, IF, UM, I, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ACTIONS ARE BEING TAKEN TO ACTIVELY REDUCE CRASHES IN CITY VEHICLES.
UM, AND WHEN IT COMES TO THIS AGAIN, IN PARTICULAR, IF THERE'S A PROGRAM THAT EXISTS THAT SHOULD POSSIBLY WORK TO CHANGE DRIVER ATTITUDES, IMPROVE BEHAVIOR AND INCREASED SKILLS TO BE, UM, SAFER DRIVERS.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME DEPARTMENTS THAT GET SPECIFIC TRAINING ON THIS, BUT I WONDER WHAT OTHER SAFE DRIVING PRACTICES AND, UM, IF WE EVEN REWARD SAFETY, CONSCIOUS BEHAVIOR, IF THAT'S SOMETHING FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WE DO, UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT EXISTS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE MY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE HERE NOW, MAYBE TO JOIN ME IN DEVELOPING A RESOLUTION THAT MIGHT DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO COME UP WITH SUCH PROGRAM, IF IT DOESN'T EXIST.
BECAUSE AGAIN, WE NEED TO NOT JUST FOLLOW VISION ZERO HERE, BUT WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR EMPLOYEES AS WELL.
I KNOW THAT WAS A LOT OF TALKING.
AND I WOULD ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT THAT.
IN FACT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS JOTTING DOWN REAL QUICK IS I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO HAVE A FOLLOW-UP TO THIS CONVERSATION.
UM, SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I WROTE DOWN AS YOU WERE SPEAKING TO COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, I'D LIKE TO KNOW, UM, SORT OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE CRASHES.
AND IF IT'S HELPFUL, ONE OF THE REASONS I WANTED TO SEE THIS INFORMATION WHEN, UM, I APPROACHED MY COLLEAGUES TO BRING IT FORWARD.
UM, SO MY HUSBAND IS A FIREFIGHTER AND THERE'S SO MUCH IN THE WAY OF DISCIPLINE WHEN, UM, A DRIVER, THAT'S WHAT THEY CALL THE PERSON, DRIVING THE ENGINE, CRASHES, THE VEHICLE.
I MEAN, YOU REALLY GET IN TROUBLE FOR LOSING EQUIPMENT BREAKING THINGS OR CRASHING THE VEHICLE.
UM, AND SO IT DIDN'T SURPRISE ME TO SEE COMPARATIVELY HOW FEW THERE ARE.
AND THAT MADE ME THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S BECAUSE THERE ARE LIKE, THERE'S THE STIGMA, THERE'S THE FACT THAT YOU WILL, YOU KNOW, BE REPRIMANDED AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME SORT OF, YOU KNOW, I GUESS DEPARTMENT CULTURE SAYS IF YOU CRASH THE VEHICLE, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR COLLEAGUES, YOUR PEERS, UM, WILL DEFINITELY GIVE YOU A HARD TIME.
AND SO I JUST, IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT IF THERE WAS A LARGE DISPARITY TO COUNCIL MEMBER, KELLY'S POINT, MAYBE THERE ISN'T THE SAME LEVEL OF EXPECTATION AROUND HOW OUR EMPLOYEES IN THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT TREAT THEIR SQUAD CARS.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S SOME LEVEL OF CONSISTENCY.
UM, THERE'S THAT THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES.
UM, AND, AND THOSE BOTH BE IN BY WAY OF POLICY AND WHAT YOUR PEERS EXPECT FROM YOU.
I THINK, UM, I THINK PEER EXPECTATIONS ARE A GOOD MOTIVATOR, UM, FOR, UH, BEHAVIOR.
UM, SO THAT SAID, I, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW UP WITH.
I REALLY LIKED THE IDEA OF KNOWING WHAT PROGRAMS ARE.
YOU KNOW, IT CAN'T BE A DISCIPLINE.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE, UM, TO REWARD SAFE DRIVERS.
UM, I'D REALLY LIKE TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SEATBELT USAGE, THE FACT THAT YOU ALL WEREN'T ABLE TO, IT SOUNDED TO ME, AND DON'T LET ME PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH.
[02:35:01]
LOVE FOR YOU TO CORRECT ME IF I DON'T ARTICULATE THIS CORRECTLY, BUT IT SOUNDED TO ME LIKE YOU HAD A HARD TIME FINDING THAT INFORMATION.UM, AND I KNOW THAT FLEET HAS SOME NEW MECHANISMS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO DEPLOY.
UH, MAYBE IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO THAT BRIEFLY, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR AND TELL ME WHETHER OR NOT THAT'LL HELP TO CAPTURE THAT DATA AROUND SEATBELT USAGE.
AND I'LL TELL YOU, ONE OF THE REASONS I'M ESPECIALLY CURIOUS IS, YOU KNOW, WE SORT OF THINK THROUGH AS WE'VE BEEN HAVING IT AS A MUNICIPALITY, HAVING TO HAVE REALLY DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS AROUND LIABILITY EXPENSES, UM, I WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT AS THE BUDGET GETS TIGHTER AND TIGHTER, YOU KNOW, IT COVID, AND ALL THE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS, INFLATION AFFORDABILITY, I THINK JUST IN GENERAL AS A MUNICIPALITY, IF WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE OUR VERY, UM, ROBUST AND POSITIVE CREDIT RATING, UM, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REALLY BE TIGHT WITH HOW WE ALLOCATE THE USE OF OUR FUNDS.
I MEAN, THE DOLLARS ARE FINITE, UM, SO ON.
AND I WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, THAT THERE AREN'T ANY GAPS FOR WHERE OUR DOLLARS ARE GOING AND, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THIS AMOUNT OF CRASHES, I MEAN, IT'S OBVIOUSLY BEEN GRAPH IS REALLY JARRING.
UM, AND RECOGNIZING THAT, THAT GIANT GRAPH, IT TRANSLATES INTO DOLLARS REAL DOLLARS, UM, THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND OUR RESIDENTS NEED.
AND THEN I THINK THROUGH SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS AROUND, UM, PAYOUTS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, UM, WORKMAN'S COMP FOR EXAMPLE, UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CONSIDERATIONS FOR, YOU KNOW, GOD FORBID SOMEBODY SHOULD LOSE THEIR LIFE, UM, IN AN ACCIDENT.
UM, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CONSIDERATIONS FOR PD AND FOR, UM, FIRE, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE THE SAME CONSIDERATIONS FOR EMS, BUT, YOU KNOW, ON THE JOB INJURY, I MEAN, THAT'S A LONG-TERM FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, UM, BY WAY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT IF WE DO, AND WE SHOULD HAVE THOSE COMMITMENTS TO FOLKS WHO, LIKE I SAID, GOD FORBID LOSE THEIR LIFE.
UM, AND THE LINE OF DUTY, YOU KNOW, UH, IN SERVICE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, I WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, YOU KNOW, SO FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU SHOULD GET LUNG CANCER AND IT'S THE DIRECT RESULT OF A 45 YEAR SMOKING HABIT, THERE ARE SOME IMPLICATIONS AROUND WHAT YOUR INSURANCE WOULD COVER.
UM, AND AS CRASS AS IT MAY SOUND, I'D LIKE VERY MUCH TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN WE, WHEN WE DO, UM, FORMULATE THOSE PAYOUTS.
AND WHEN WE DO MAKE THE DETERMINATION OF WHAT IS CONSIDERED AN ON THE JOB INJURY ACCIDENT, UM, LINE OF DEATH DUTY AND THAT SUBSEQUENT, I MEAN, IT'S SUBSTANTIAL RATHER, BUT IT'S SUBSTANTIAL.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A LIFELONG PAYOUT THAT THE FAMILY RECEIVES AND THOSE ARE REAL DOLLARS.
SO IF, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY THAT EMPLOYEE SHOULD BE, UM, OUT OF COMPLIANCE BY WAY OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE EXPECT FROM THEM FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE.
I WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE MAKING FAIR DECISIONS AROUND WHO'S ELIGIBLE FOR THOSE, UM, LONG-TERM PAYOUTS BY WAY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND OUR CITIZENS.
SO THAT'S, THOSE ARE JUST KIND OF THE THINGS THAT I'M THINKING OF.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO FOLLOW UP ON THIS CONVERSATION WHEN YOU DO FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE MORE SUBSTANTIVE DATA.
UM, AND THEN ONE OF THE, UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY TOUCHED ON IT, BUT I'D REALLY LOVE TO SEE THAT SORT OF OVERVIEW OF RULES.
AND, AND LIKE YOU, I WISH THERE WAS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM APD HERE TO REALLY TALK US THROUGH WHAT IS IT THAT THEIR EMPLOYEES EXPECT TO HAVE HAPPENED WHEN THEY DO HAVE IT ACCIDENT? IS IT NOTHING? IS IT, YOU KNOW, IS IT, YOU GET SHAMED BY YOUR PARENTS? IS IT, YEAH, I'D LIKE VERY MUCH TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, SORT OF WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT PROCESS LOOKS LIKE.
UM, AND I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT I LIKE AS A PART OF THE FOLLOW-UP.
DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING, ADDITIONALLY, OUTSIDE OF THE CONSIDERATION YOU HAD ABOUT THE PRODUCTION OF AN IFC, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE COULD EXTRACT BY WAY OF HAVING A CONFERENCE AND A FOLLOW-UP CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMITTEE? WELL, I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE WILLING TO WORK ON THAT WITH ME.
I KNOW THAT WE'LL PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER AND WE'LL COME UP WITH SOMETHING REALLY GREAT FOR THE CITY, BUT I'M NOT SURE THERE'S MUCH MORE THAT WE'LL GET THAT SUBSTANTIAL OUT OF THIS, BECAUSE IT IS JUST A SPECIAL REQUEST ON IT.
AND SO I WONDER IF WE COULD CALL IN THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THOSE MAJOR AMOUNTS OF RECS TO REALLY TALK TO THEM ABOUT WHAT THEIR POLICIES ARE AND COME UP WITH SOME SOLUTIONS AFTER WE LISTENED TO THEM.
I THINK THOSE WOULD BE THE NEXT STEPS TO TAKE.
AND FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC WATCHING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, OR LISTEN TO ME, TRYING TO EXPLAIN YOUR JOB, YOU DO IT.
CAN YOU TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SPECIAL REQUEST AND AN ACTUAL AUDIT? UM, AND THE REASON WHY, YOU KNOW, THERE AREN'T ANY, UM, EXPECTATIONS OR YOU GUYS AREN'T GIVING US ANY RECOMMENDATIONS AS THE DIRECT RESULT OF THE ESPECIALLY.
AND THANK YOU FOR DOING IT A SECOND TIME, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU DID IT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION AS WELL.
[02:40:01]
OUR SPECIAL REQUESTS ARE VERY LIMITED IN SCOPE, AND I JUST WANTED TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD IN THAT BECAUSE OF HOW LIMITED IT WAS, BECAUSE WE WERE SPECIFICALLY ANSWERING THOSE FIVE QUESTIONS THAT, UM, WE LAID OUT AT THE BEGINNING.WE DIDN'T ACTUALLY GO IN AND SPEAK WITH APD.
WE WEREN'T TRYING TO DETERMINE WHAT THEIR CULTURE WAS LIKE, OR, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY OPERATE IN THAT REGARD.
WE WERE SPECIFICALLY TRYING TO ANSWER HOW MANY ACCIDENTS THERE WERE, WHAT WAS THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, THOSE TYPES OF QUESTIONS.
THAT'S WHY WE WORKED WITH, UM, FLEET MOBILITY SERVICES, THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS.
AND WE DIDN'T GO INTO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR POLICE DEPARTMENT OR ALL THESE OTHER ONES.
UM, SO JUST VERY BROADLY SPEAKING, OUR AUDITS ARE LARGER PROJECTS THAT HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THEY HAVE FINDINGS, THEY'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, HELP THE CITY MANAGEMENT, DETERMINE WHERE TO GO NEXT.
OUR, UM, SPECIAL REQUESTS ARE VERY DIRECTED WHERE WE GET QUESTIONED, AND WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION AND PROVIDE JUST THAT ANSWER.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM OUR COLLEAGUES? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I DO BELIEVE BITTY, BITTY, BITTY, THAT'S ALL FOLKS THAT YOUR ITEMS HE IS, AND THAT WAS THE LAST OF OUR PRESENTATIONS.
[Future Items ]
UM, AND SO IF THERE ARE ANY FUTURE ITEMS THAT ARE COLLEAGUES, I'M PRETTY SURE COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS HAD TO TAKE HER LEAVE.UM, BUT, UH, IF COUNCIL MEMBER TOLD, WELL, IF YOU'RE STILL HERE AND THERE ANY FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS YOU'D LIKE TO PRESENT AND COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.
SO THE FIRST ONE I KNOW, COUNCIL JUST RECEIVED THE RESULTS OF THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS PASSED IN FEBRUARY RELATED TO THE ATX PUBLIC SAFETY VACANCY STAFFING PLAN.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING GOOD FOR US TO GET BRIEFED ON.
AND THEN ALSO KNOWING THAT WE'RE MOVING INTO THE SUMMER MONTHS, I'VE COME TO REALIZE THAT THE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE IN CERTAIN PARTS OF OUR CITY HAVE DURING THAT TIME ARE A REAL PROBLEM.
AND FOR EVERY LIFE THAT WE LOSE HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, PART OF THE CITY'S LOST TOO.
AND SO, UM, WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS THAT I KNOW WE CAN'T PREDICT THOSE TRAGEDIES, BUT THERE ARE OTHER STEPS THAT COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE TAKEN TO ENSURE SAFETY IN HIGH CRIME AREAS.
AND SO I'M INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE VIOLENT CRIME REDUCTION PLAN OR IF THE CITY HAS A VIOLENT CRIME REDUCTION PLAN.
AND WHAT APD IS DOING TO ADDRESS THAT AS A FUTURE COMMITTEE ITEM, WOULD YOU SAY IT'S ACCURATE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, IF I PUT LIKE A SORT OF A SUB BULLET HEAT RELATED, UH, INCREASES IN VIOLENT CRIME, OR HOW WOULD, HOW WOULD YOU W I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS GOOD, BUT THEN ALSO KIND OF AS A WHOLE, LIKE, IMMEDIATELY COMMIT WHETHER, OR HOW WOULD, HOW WOULD YOU SAY THAT IF I PUT IT, IF I DO A BULLET VIOLENT CRIME REDUCTION PLAN FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THANK YOU.
OR IF IT EXISTS, I DON'T KNOW IF IT EXISTS OR NOT.
I'M JUST THINKING ALSO MAKE FUNNY FACES.
AND THEN THE PUBLIC SAFETY VACANCY REPORT, AND THEN, UM, I HAVE ONE THAT WAS ON AND THEN SORT OF FELL OFF AND I DON'T KNOW THAT IT EVER CAME BACK IN A WAY THAT WAS SUBSTANTIVE AND IT WAS AROUND, UM, UNIFORMS FOR OUR, UM, CODE ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONALS.
UM, UH, DON'T KNOW THAT WE EVER GOT SOME OF THE RESPONSES THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR OUT OF THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, AND THEN THERE ONE THAT OCCURRED TO ME JUST THIS MORNING AND YOU KNOW, IT, OH, NO, IT DIDN'T SLIP MY MIND ENTIRELY.
AND SO, UM, DURING THE COURSE OF THESE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT PEOPLE READYING THEMSELVES AND PREPARE THEMSELVES AROUND INCLEMENT WEATHER, I KNOW THAT, UM, ESPECIALLY AT THE ONSET OF COVID THAT OUR EMS PROFESSIONALS WERE, YOU KNOW, REALLY STRUGGLING WITH WEARING ALL THE PPE, UM, AND THE WEATHER.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE RIGHT AT THE END OF MARCH AND MOVING INTO APRIL AND MAY, AND, UM, THAT WAS DIFFICULT FOR THEM.
AND SO THEY HAD TO, YOU KNOW, LIKE, I THINK THEY CALL IT REHAB WHEN THEY GO AND COOL OFF.
UM, I JUST, I LIKE TO HAVE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT HOW OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES PERSONNEL, UM, WHAT OUR PROTOCOL IS FOR THEM TO, TO MAINTAIN, UM, THEIR HEALTH AND WELLNESS, UM, WHEN THEY'RE HAVING TO BE EXPOSED TO THE INCLEMENT WEATHER AS WELL.
UM, CATHERINE, YEAH, ONE LAST THING THAT I JUST THOUGHT ABOUT, UH, I KNOW THAT IN THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE MEETING, YOU WERE CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, VEHICLES WITH EXPIRED REGISTRATIONS AND WHEN, UM, OH, TWO SENSORS GO OUT AND THAT SORT OF THING, I'M WONDERING IF MAYBE WE COULD GET A BRIEFING ON FINES AND FEES FOR, UM, TICKETS THAT PEOPLE MIGHT GET FOR THOSE SUCH THINGS HERE AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A, SOMETHING THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE ACTION ON IN ORDER TO MAYBE HAVE A SLIDING SCALE OR SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR TO THAT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE OF A LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, SO THAT MAYBE IT DOESN'T HURT THEM AS MUCH, UM, IN THEIR WALLET WHEN THEY DO EXPERIENCE THOSE TYPES OF SITUATIONS.
AND THAT IS A CONVERSATION WE'VE HAD ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS.
I THINK I MIGHT'VE BEEN QUOTED FOR SAYING RIDING DIRTY IN THE NEWSPAPER BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT PEOPLE END UP DOING.
AND SO, YEAH, I SECOND, UM, CONTINUING THAT CONVERSATION AND COMING UP WITH, UH, WITH, UH, SOME SOMETHING SUBSTANTIVE THAT HELPS OUR RESIDENTS.
I WONDER IF THAT MIGHT ALSO BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A JOINT CONVERSATION BETWEEN MOBILITY AND, AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
[02:45:01]
UM, I BELIEVE THAT MIGHT BE UP.UM, IF WITHOUT ANY OBJECTIONS, I WOULD SAY THAT WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 4:51 PM.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY HAVE A GREAT DAY.