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ALL RIGHT, WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON
[Winter Weather News Conference]
EVERYONE.I'M SPENCER CRONK, THE AUSTIN CITY MANAGER, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US HERE TO REALLY SHARE THIS SPACE WITH ALL OF YOU.
TO KNOW THAT WE ARE PROVIDING COMMUNITY RESOURCES.
NO MATTER WHAT PART OF THE CITY YOU ARE, WE'RE GOING TO YOU TO ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO, WHETHER THERE'S HISTORIC EVENTS.
TODAY'S FOCUS IS ON PROVIDING THE RESOURCES TO THE COMMUNITY.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO BRIEFLY PROVIDE SOME OPERATIONAL UPDATES FROM EACH OF OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH ME.
AND SO I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THE LATEST INFORMATION.
OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IS MAKING GREAT PROGRESS AND REMOVING STORM DEBRIS RECONFIGURING THEIR OPERATIONAL STAFF TO PRIORITIZE STORM DEBRIS REMOVAL.
TODAY, 182 EMPLOYEES SPREAD ACROSS 39 CREWS ARE WORKING THROUGHOUT AUSTIN TO CLEAR THE PUBLIC RIGHT AWAY OF DOWN TREES AND DEBRIS.
OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS, CREWS HAVE RESPONDED TO OVER 110 REQUESTS TO REMOVE DEBRIS FROM PUBLIC SPACES.
AND SINCE THE RESPONSE EFFORTS HAVE BEGAN LAST WEEK, MORE THAN 1090 DEBRIS REMOVAL REQUESTS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED.
AGAIN, RESIDENTS SHOULD CONTINUE TO REPORT DOWN TREES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY BY CALLING AUSTIN 3 1 1 OR 5 1 2 9 7 4 2000.
OR YOU CAN ALSO USE THE AUSTIN THREE 11 WEBSITE OR MOBILE APP.
THAT REQUEST WILL BE ROUTED AND ASSIGNED TO THE SECTOR CREW TO HELP WITH OUR ONGOING EFFORTS.
OUR WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT IS ALSO HAVING OPERATIONAL CREWS TO HELP, UH, DEBRIS CLEAN UP.
SO WE WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE NOT TO BLOCK STORM DRAINS AS THEY MIND CONTRIBUTE TO ADDITIONAL FLOODING.
AS WE'VE SEEN FROM THE RAIN EVENTS OVER THE LAST 12 HOURS, I'M HAPPY TO, UH, ANNOUNCE THAT OUR AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT REPORTS THAT ALL TRAFFIC SIGNALS ARE NOW FUNCTIONAL.
SO THAT'S GREAT NEWS FOR BOTH OUR SAFETY AND THE FREE FLOW OF TRAFFIC.
AND THEN FINALLY, AUSTIN ENERGY WILL CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THE NIGHT, DESPITE THE RAIN, AND I'M HAPPY TO RECORD THAT MORE THAN 99.5% OF CUSTOMERS NOW HAVE POWER WITH JUST OVER 2000 CUSTOMERS STILL AFFECTED.
I KNOW IT'S AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT SITUATION FOR THOSE STILL WITHOUT POWER, AND I'M TRULY SORRY FOR WHAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH.
AUSTIN ENERGY CONTINUES TO WORK AROUND THE CLOCK WITH HELP FROM PARTNER UTILITIES FROM ACROSS SEVERAL STATES TO RESTORE POWER TO EVERYONE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
AS AUSTIN ENERGY GENERAL MANAGER JACKIE SERGEANT HAS EXPLAINED, MANY OF THE REMAINING OUTAGES ARE DUE TO VERY COMPLEX CIRCUMSTANCES THAT TAKE TIME TO REPAIR.
IN SOME CASES, BROKEN EQUIPMENT IS UNDER PILES OF DEBRIS, AND WE'VE HAD POLES THAT SNAP FROM THE WEIGHT OF ICE OR THE FORCE OF A FALLING TREE, AND THOSE PROJECTS CAN TAKE AN ENTIRE CREW A FULL DAY TO REPAIR SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE ICE STORM THAT LED TO THE HISTORIC LEVEL DAMAGE ALL ACROSS THE CITY.
AUSTIN ENERGY HAS RESTORED ABOUT 359 THOUSANDS CUSTOMERS POWER.
AGAIN, AS WE NAVIGATE ALL OF THESE CHALLENGES BROUGHT ON BY THE STORM, IT IS SO HEARTENING AND NOT SURPRISING TO SEE OUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS STEPPING UP TO HELP NEIGHBORS, HELPING NEIGHBORS.
AS WE THE CITY CONTINUE TO WORK TO REESTABLISH CITY INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES, WE ALSO WANNA CELEBRATE THOSE EFFORTS FROM THESE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTED HERE.
WE ARE THRILLED TO BE A PART OF THESE EFFORTS AND EMBRACE THE LEARNINGS FROM PREVIOUS STORMS AND EMERGENCIES TO COME TOGETHER AND ENSURE THAT AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY FAMILIES GET THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED.
I'LL NOW I'LL TURN IT OVER TO AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR ADRIAN STIR FOR AN UPDATE.
THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER, CRONK, AND GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
I AM SO PLEASED THAT YOU ARE HERE WITH US TODAY AT OUR MARK, WHICH IS OUR MULTI-AGENCY RESOURCE CENTER.
THESE RESOURCE CENTERS ARE DESIGNED TO BE A SHOP TO HELP PEOPLE GET ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL RESOURCES LIKE FOOD, WATER, SHELTER.
WE HAVE OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS HERE TO HELP YOU FIGURE OUT HOW YOU CAN GET YOUR HOUSE BACK IN ORDER.
UM, THIS IS A REFLECTION OF ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LOVE ABOUT THE CITY.
WE USUALLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH COMMUNITY ON A REGULAR BASIS.
WE ARE A BETTER ORGANIZATION FOR ALL OF THE, ALL OF THE INPUT THAT OUR COMMUNITY GIVES US.
AND IN THIS INSTANCE, WHEN OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS US, WE'RE RIGHT ALONGSIDE THEM TO PROVIDE SUPPORT, NOT TO THEM, BUT WITH THEM AS EVIDENCE BY THE AGENCIES THAT ARE HERE TODAY.
AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH HAS A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT ARE IN THIS SPACE.
AND IT WAS NOTHING FOR US TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND GET THEM TO COME TO A LOCATION SO THAT WE COULD DO THIS WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY IS FEELING THE EFFECTS OF THIS DISASTER, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT
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NATIONAL DATA SHOWS THAT OUR BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES WHO ARE OFTEN LESS RESILIENT FEEL THE EFFECTS OF THESE DISASTERS LONG AFTER THE REST OF US HAVE OUR LIVES BACK ON AND HAVE RETURNED TO OUR DAY-TO-DAY.AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO OUR COMMUNITIES.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE IN THIS ONTOP, THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE HAVE THE DATA THAT SHOWS THAT THERE IS GREATER NEED HERE, AND SO WE WILL BE IN THIS LOCATION AND OTHER LOCATIONS THAT REFLECT THAT NEED AND THAT DATA.
I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF LOCAL BUSINESSES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN PLANNING THIS SINCE THE WEEKEND.
THIS HAS BEEN A HERCULEAN EFFORT OF PEOPLE ON THE PHONE FOR HOURS, MAKING CALLS AND BRINGING DOWN RESOURCES SO THAT WE COULD GET THIS DONE.
THIS LIST IS NOT AT ALL EXHAUSTIVE, BUT CATHOLIC CHARITIES, UM, HUNGRY HILL FOUNDATION, WALKING BY FAITH PRISON MIS MINISTRY COMMUNICATION SERVICE FOR THE DEAF INTEGRAL CARE, AUSTIN MUTUAL AID, TEXAS, RIO GRANDE LEGAL AID, TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE, AUSTIN ENERGY, AUSTIN DISASTER RELIEF NETWORK.
UM, OUR COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS FROM AUSTIN ENERGY, PROGRESSIVE IMPACT CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK, TOGETHER AUSTIN GO, AUSTIN, BAOS AUSTIN, AND AUSTIN THREE 11.
THE GENEROSITY AND COMMITMENT AND OUTPOURING SUPPORT FOR OUR COMMUNITY IS WHAT HAS MADE THIS POSSIBLE.
I AM PROUD OF THESE EFFORTS AND I HOPE THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO HELP TOWARDS THIS RECOVERY.
AND WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE MARISSA MALLEK FROM INTEGRAL CARE.
I AM THE PRACTICE ADMINISTRATOR OVER CRISIS SERVICES AT INTEGRAL CARE.
INTEGRAL CARE IS THE LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY OF TRAVIS COUNTY.
INTEGRAL CARE SERVES INDIVIDUALS WITH, UH, MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE USE, AND INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS, UH, SERVING ADULTS, CHILDREN, AND FAMILIES IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
THIS HAS BEEN A DIFFICULT TIME EMOTIONALLY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED STRESS, ANXIETY, AND THE UNCERTAINTY HAS ALSO BROUGHT ALONG THE TRAUMA OF THE STORM URI THAT HAPPENED TWO YEARS AGO.
WHEN WE'RE STRUGGLING EMOTIONALLY, IT'S IMPORTANT TO REACH OUT FOR HELP.
OUR EMOTIONAL HELP IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS OUR PHYSICAL HELP.
SO INTEGRAL CARE WILL BE HERE AT THE MARK, UM, SUPPORTING INDIVIDUALS, PROVIDING RESOURCES AND INFORMATION ABOUT SERVICES THAT OUR AGENCY OFFERS, AS WELL AS PROVIDING ANY TYPE OF EMOTIONAL SUPPORT THAT PEOPLE MIGHT NEED.
UM, AS THEY ARE COMING INTO THE MARK, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT FOR HELP.
UH, AS I SAID, WE WILL BE HERE AT THE MARK COLLABORATING WITH OTHER AGENCIES THAT WE WORK WITH ON A REGULAR BASIS.
YOU CAN ALSO REACH OUT TO OUR 24 7 CRISIS HELPLINE AT 5 12 4 7 2 HELP, OR 5 1 2 4 7 2 4 3 5 7.
I'M THE DIRECTOR FOR HOMELESS SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND I'M HERE JUST TO, UH, UH, THIS KIND OF WRAPS UP OUR PREPARED, UH, COMMENTS AND STATEMENTS AND WE'RE MOVING INTO THE QUESTION AND AN ANSWER PHASE.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS QUESTION OVER HERE? WELL, UM, I'M GONNA ASK, UH, UH, THE REST OF THE TEAM TO KIND OF, UH, UH, EXPAND ON THE ANSWER.
WELL, PART OF IT, WE WANNA GET, UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ESTABLISH THE MULTI-AGENCY RESEARCH CENTER AT THE CORRECT PHASE.
ONCE, ONCE WE GET PAST, UH, THE EM, UH, THE EMERGENCY PHASE OF A DISASTER.
UH, YOU KNOW, AS YOU CAN TELL, WE WERE HAVING TO WAIT FOR, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THE ROADS WERE CLEAR, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THE DEBRIS WAS NOT GOING TO GET IN THE WAY.
MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS NOT A HAZARDOUS CONDITION FOR OUR CITIZENS TO COME TO A MULTI-AGENCY RESOURCE CENTER.
UH, AND, AND AGAIN, WE'RE TAKING AN APPROACH, SO WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING MULTIPLE WANTS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY SO THAT WE CAN GET THESE, UH, MARKS AS CLOSE AS WE CAN TO EVERYBODY IN THE CITY.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS YOU DID BEFORE, LIKE LESSONS LEARNED, WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE IMPLEMENTED LESSONS LEARNED FROM PREVIOUS STORMS. AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE FROM HOW WE HAVE LOOKED AT THE AFTER ACTION REPORT FROM WINTER STORM ERIE, AND HOW AUSTIN
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ENERGY IN PARTICULAR HAS REALLY ADOPTED AND IMPLEMENTED, UH, MANY OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, IF NOT ALL.AND SO THROUGH OUR PROCESS OF EVALUATING OUR RESPONSE TO THIS STORM, WE'LL BE ABLE TO LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED AT THE LAST STORM AND HOW WE WERE EFFECTIVE IN IMPLEMENTING THOSE MEASURES.
UH, BUT KNOWING THAT EACH SITUATION IS UNIQUE, AND WE'RE GONNA LEARN SOME LESSONS FROM THIS STORM AS WELL.
YEAH, I'M GONNA DEFER TO AUSTIN ENERGY ON THAT.
AND SO WE'LL TAKE THAT QUESTION AND GET BACK TO YOU.
I'M GONNA ASK A, UH, DIRECTOR STIRK TO JUST TALK ABOUT THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO WORK WITH ORGANIZATIONS.
AGAIN, AS, UH, DIRECTOR ORTIZ SAID, WE DEAL WITH THE IMMEDIATE IMPACTS OF A EMERGENCY FIRST, AND THEN WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESOURCES ARE THERE FOR OUR COMMUNITY IN THE LONG RUN.
SO I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT LAST WEEK DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE STORM, ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN, IN THIS ROOM AND REPRESENTED FROM THE CITY, WORKED TOGETHER TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY SHELTER FOR 1,890.
SO, UH, OF OUR RESIDENTS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING UN UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS AND THEIR PETS, I THINK WE HAD ABOUT 20 SOMETHING PETS.
AND SO WHEN WE MOVED FROM THAT STAGE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE PROTECTING LIFE, UM, FOR THOSE MOST VULNERABLE, WE MOVED INTO THE WIDER RECOVERY FOR OUR OTHER CITIZENS WHO WERE EXPERIENCING POWER LOSS AND THE ASSOCIATE AND EFFECTS WITH THAT, EXCUSE ME, ON TUESDAY, WE SENT OUT A VARIETY OF FOOT TEAMS TO NEIGHBORHOODS IDENTIFIED BY AUSTIN ENERGY OF HAVING EXTENDED POWER OUTAGES AND ACTUALLY DID DOOR KNOCKING TO SEE WHAT IT WAS THAT THEY NEEDED.
IT WOULD BE, UM, FOOLISH OF US TO SET UP A RESOURCE CENTER AND ASSUME THAT WE, WE KNEW WHAT THOSE NEEDS WERE.
AND SO THE INFORMATION THAT WE GAINED FROM THOSE FOOT TEAMS HELPED TO INFORM THE, THE PARTNERS THAT WE ASKED TO COME TO THIS EVENT TODAY, AS WELL AS THE LOCATIONS THAT NEEDED THE SUPPORT.
SO, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS COMMITTED TO, UH, LANGUAGE ACCESS.
IT, IT TIES IN WITH EQUITY BEING ONE OF OUR CORE VALUES.
AND SO WE DO HAVE A TEAM TO SUPPORT, UM, THE LANGUAGES THAT ARE MOST PREVALENT IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND THAT WOULD BE SPANISH.
AS WE MOVE TO OTHER COMMUNITIES, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE INTERPRETER SERVICES ON HAND TO PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT.
AND SO NOT ONLY WILL WE HAVE IN-PERSON SERVICES, THE CITY HAS A CONTRACT WITH A VENDOR TO PROVIDE, UH, TELEPHONE TRANSLATION AS WELL AS VIDEO TRANSLATION SERVICES.
SO WE ARE, AND WE ALSO HAVE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE SUPPORT.
SURELY, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S KINDA LIKE MY, WHEN MY SON SAYS TO ME, MOM, CAN WE GO TO PARIS FOR THREE WEEKS? IF I HAD IT, WE SURE COULD.
UM, WE WANNA BE RESPECTFUL OF THE FINITE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL, AND ALSO OF THE COMMITMENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHILE MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS AN EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF RESOURCES.
AND SO WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE PAST IS THAT HAVING ONE STATIC LOCATION DOES NOT MEET EVERY COMMUNITY'S NEED.
AND SO THAT IS THE REASON FOR US HAVING THIS KIND OF MOBILE MARK APPROACH TO PROVIDING SERVICES.
YEAH, ME EITHER
AND OF COURSE, I, I, I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO MENTION OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AS I SAID, YOU KNOW, THEY GIVE US SO MUCH AND HELP US BE BETTER.
AND SO WE HAVE A NETWORK OF AGENCIES THAT ARE BOOTS ON THE GROUND THAT WE ARE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH DAILY, AND THEY'RE HELPING PROVIDE THAT ADDITIONAL
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DATA THAT'S GOING TO INFORM THESE RESOURCES.SO WE WILL BE HERE AS LONG AS WE NEED TO BE HERE.
MOST CERTAINLY, UM, AFTER EVERY HURRICANE EVENT, UM, AFTER EVERY FLOODING EVENT, THERE HAS BEEN WHAT WE CALL A MARK TO HELP PEOPLE GET BACK ON THEIR FEET.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE DOING THIS, UH, DIVERSIFIED APPROACH.
CAUSE WE'VE LEARNED FROM THE, THE, THE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE, WE RECEIVED DURING THOSE EXPERIENCES WHERE DIRECTOR SERVE INDICATED WE ONLY HAD ONE LOCATION, MAKES IT REALLY HARD FOR EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE ACCESS TO THEM.
THIS APPROACH, I THINK, REALLY IS GONNA ALLOW US TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS ACCESS TO THESE RESOURCES.
AND LIKE, UH, IT WAS INDICATED, WE'RE GONNA BE EVALUATED.
AND, AND IF THERE'S A NEED, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO, TO OFFER THESE IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
UH, I'LL BE DOING, I'LL BE AVAILABLE TO DO SPANISH WITH YOU ALL.
THEY CONTINUE TO DO THEIR ASSESSMENT.
OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK, BUT US IN ENERGY, IF THEY DO HAVE AN UPDATED TIMEFRAME, THEY WILL BE PUSHING THAT OUT THROUGH OTHER COMMUNICATIONS.
UH, SO WE'RE, WE'RE ON THE PHONE CONSTANTLY.
I'LL BE OVER HERE FOR, FOR SPANISH.