* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:11] WHEN WE'RE READY TO GO, WE'LL GO. Y'ALL READY? WELL COME ON UP HERE. THAT'S GREAT. [Certificate of Completion – The Business Skills Certification Graduates – To be presented by Mayor Kirk Watson and to be accepted by Susana Carbajal, Economic Development Department Deputy Director] WELL, GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY. GOOD MORNING. MORNING. I'M, UH, PLEASED AND EXCITED THAT I GET TO START THE DAY TODAY BY PRESENTING A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION, UH, TO THE BUSINESS SKILLS CERTIFICATION GRADUATES, UH, A PROGRAM THAT WE'RE ALL VERY, VERY PROUD OF. AND LET ME READ THIS CERTIFICATE. IT'S FOR SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING THE SIX QUALIFYING CLASSES TO RECEIVE THEIR BUSINESS SKILLS CERTIFICATION FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENTS SMALL VI BUSINESS DIVISION THROUGH A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, A CITYWIDE SHUTDOWN WINTER STORM URI, AND SPENDING ENDLESS HOURS ON ZOOM. THESE GRADUATES WERE DETERMINED TO CONTINUE THEIR BUSINESS TRAINING. THEY SHOWED TRUE RESILIENCE, DEDICATION, AND AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO BEING A BETTER SMALL BUSINESS OWNER. THEY ARE NOW A PART OF A GROWING NUMBER OF LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND ENTREPRENEURS WHO HAVE RECEIVED THIS WONDERFUL CERTIFICATION. AND IT'S DONE ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL OF AUSTIN. AND I'M PROUD AS MAYOR OF AUSTIN TO SIGN IT. AND I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT MS. CARBO HALL TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. I'M SUSAN KAHA, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. FIRST, WANNA THANK YOU MAYOR KIRK WATSON FOR BEING HERE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT REPRESENT ALL 10 DISTRICTS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, SUNO HO ROB, INTERIM CITY MANAGER, JESUS GARZA, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER V FOR ALL YOUR LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT IN WORKING WITH US TOGETHER TO DILIGENT, PROVIDE SMALL BUSINESSES, THE SERVICES, THE COURSES, UH, ALL THE RESOURCES THAT YOU ALL NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL. I WANNA CONGRATULATE ALL 86 GRADUATES WHO COMPLETED MORE THAN SIX REQUIRED CLASSES TO RECEIVE THEIR BUSINESS SKILLS CERTIFICATION. AND MANY OF YOU ARE HERE TODAY, SO CONGRATULATIONS. EACH OF YOU DEMONSTRATED DEDICATION AND PERSISTENCE TO COMPLETE NEARLY 50 HOURS OF TRAINING, WHICH IS REMARKABLE. COMPLETING THIS PROGRAM IS A TESTAMENT TO THE IMPORTANCE OF INVESTING IN YOURSELF AND IN YOUR SMALL BUSINESS. YOUR BUSINESS SKILL CERT CERTIFICATION DEMONSTRATES YOUR DEDICATION AND HARD WORK, AND IT WILL CERTAINLY ACHIEVE YOUR SMALL BUSINESS GOALS. WE ARE SO PROUD. WE ARE, I AM SO PROUD OF YOU ALL. YOU GUYS SHOULD BE SO PROUD OF YOURSELVES, BUT WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND WISH YOU A CONTINUED SUCCESS. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE LEARNING AND GROWING AS AN ENTREPRENEUR. AND PLEASE KNOW THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS HERE TO SUPPORT YOU. FINALLY, THANK YOU TO OUR INSTRUCTORS AND OUR STAFF WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WHO HAVE WORKED TO ENSURE THAT THIS PROGRAM CONTINUES AND SUC AND SUCCEEDS, YOU KNOW, EVEN THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND ON. SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. AND I ALSO WANNA SAY THANKS TO THE, THE CITY STAFF THAT DOES SUCH A PROFESSIONAL, OUTSTANDING JOB OF MAKING THINGS LIKE THIS HAPPEN AND WORK. AND I, I, I'M, I'M DEEPLY APPRECIATIVE. UM, I'LL SAY ONE LAST THING AND THEN I WANNA TAKE, I WANNA TAKE SOME PICTURES, BUT I, I, I WANT TO ECHO HOW PROUD WE ARE, BUT I ALSO WANT TO ADD ONE THING TO THAT WE NEED YOU, THE CITY OF AUSTIN NEEDS YOU, UH, TO, TO HAVE DONE WHAT YOU'VE DONE AND NOW CONTINUE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. AND WHY DON'T THE GRADUATES AND, AND TRAINERS AND EVERYBODY COME UP HERE AND LET'S GET A PICTURE IN FRONT OF THESE FLAGS. SO NAVIA [00:05:49] OH, MY PLEASURE. THANK YOU JACKIE. GOOD TO SEE YOU. HOW ARE YOU MAN? GOOD. YOU. HOW ARE YOU? I'M DOING GREAT. GREAT. THANK YOU. YEAH, WELL, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I DO IT RIGHT. [Proclamation – Building Safety Month – To be presented by Mayor Kirk Watson and to be accepted by José Roig, Interim Director of Development Services Department] IT'S ALSO MY PLEASURE TO MAKE A PRESENTATION AND A PROCLAMATION, CAUSE THIS IS BUILDING SAFETY MONTH. AND SO LET ME READ THIS PROCLAMATION, BE IT KNOWN THAT WHEREAS OUR CITY IS COMMITTED TO RECOGNIZING THAT OUR GROWTH AND STRENGTH DEPENDS ON THE SAFETY AND ESSENTIAL ROLE, OUR HOMES, BUILDINGS, AND INFRASTRUCTURE PLAY, BOTH IN EVERYDAY LIFE AND WHEN DISASTERS STRIKE. AND WHEREAS OUR CONFIDENCE IN THE RESILIENCE OF THESE BUILDINGS THAT MAKE UP OUR COMMUNITY IS ACHIEVED THROUGH THE DEVOTION OF VIGILANT GUARDIANS, BUILDING SAFETY AND FIRE PREVENTION OFFICIALS, ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS, BUILDERS, TRADESPEOPLE, DESIGN PROFESSIONALS, LABORERS, PLUMBERS, AND OTHERS IN THE INDUSTRY WHO WORK YEAR ROUND TO ENSURE THE SAFE CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF BUILDINGS. AND WHEREAS EACH YEAR IN OBSERVANCE OF BUILDING SAFETY MONTH, PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD ARE ASKED TO CONSIDER THE COMMITMENT TO IMPROVE BUILDING SAFETY, RESILIENCE, AND ECONOMIC INVESTMENT AT HOME AND IN THE COMMUNITY. AND TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ESSENTIAL SERVICE PROVIDED TO ALL OF US BY LOCAL AND STATE BUILDING DEPARTMENTS, FIRE PREVENTION BUREAUS, AND FEDERAL AGENCIES IN PROTECTING LIVES AND PROPERTY. NOW, THEREFORE, I, KIRK WATSON, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY, 2023 AS BUILDING SAFETY MONTH IN AUSTIN. AND THE PROCLAMATION IS SIGNED BY ME AS MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN. AND IT'S TO BE ACCEPTED TODAY BY JOSE ROIG, OUR DIRECT INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE, THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT. MR. ROY, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT. UH, MY NAME IS ROY, I'M THE INTERIM DIRECTOR FOR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, AND NOW WITH THE RECENT MERGER OF THE AUSTIN CO DEPARTMENT, I HAVE THE OWNER TO REPRESENT OVER 650 EMPLOYEES THAT ARE COMMITTED AND DEDICATED TO THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITIES. SO WHAT IS BUILDING SAFETY MONTH IS A, IT IS A, IT IS AN INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN THAT IS CELEBRATED BY THE INTERNATIONAL COLD COUNCIL, AND IT'S ACTUALLY RECOGNIZED BY US PRESIDENTS, GOVERNORS LOCAL, UH, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. SO THANK YOU MAYOR WATSON FOR DOING THIS. WE REALLY RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING SAFETY EVERY DAY IN OUR LIVES. THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR IS IT STARTS WITH YOU, IT'S A PERSONAL MATTER, RIGHT? WE TALK ABOUT DESIGNERS, UH, CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, EMPLOYEES, UH, REVIEWERS, INSPECTORS THAT ARE WORKING EVERY DAY TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE BUILDINGS THAT WE CAN ENJOY, THAT WE CAN BE THERE SAFELY, AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE HERE FOR YOU. UH, ONE THING THAT I WILL SAY, UH, FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA. WE'RE GONNA BE SHARING A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT BUILDING SAFETY THROUGHOUT THE MONTH. AND IT'S A YEAR, UH, IT'S A YEAR ROUND SITUATION, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO BE AWARE OF SAFETY ALL YEAR ROUND. BUT THIS MONTH WE HAVE MANY, UH, IMPORTANT, UH, MESSAGES THAT WE'RE GONNA SHARE. THE FIRST WEEK, THE TOPIC WAS BUILDING SAFETY STARTS AT HOME. SO WE SHARE MESSAGES ON THAT ONE, HOW WE CAN MAKE, UH, SAFE AT HOME AND OUR KIDS KNOWING, UNDERSTANDING THAT BUILDING SAFETY PROFESSIONALS AND YOU, UH, FOR WEEKS FOR THE SECOND WEEK, THE THIRD WEEK THIS WEEK IS PREPARE YOUR COMMUNITY. WE ARE ADVOCATING FOR THE COMMUNITY AND SOLVING CHALLENGES TOGETHER. SO IT'S A PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND I'M, I'M GLAD I'M HONORED TO RECEIVE THIS PROCLAMATION TODAY. THANK YOU. OH, THANK. [00:12:09] SO WE'LL BE LIKE HERE AND THEN WE CAN TAKE PICTURES WHILE WE'RE DOING THE PRESENTATION, BUT THEN WE'LL REMEMBER WE'RE GOING TO, BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE SUCH A LARGE GROUP, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A PICTURE. IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND WAITING. WE'RE GONNA, I DUNNO IF YOU CAN JOIN BY THE . YEAH, WELL, WE CAN DO THEM IN FRONT OF CITY HALL. THEY MAY NOT, MAY OR MAY NOT WANT EM S MAY NOT WANT SMOKEY AIR, BUT THAT'S THE FIRE PEOPLE. SORRY. BUT, UM, BUT, BUT I THINK WE WOULD LIKE ONE, IF IF PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO STAY, WE CAN DO ONE IN FRONT AND WE CAN DO IT. THAT'S PERFECT. OKAY. SO I THINK YOU'RE CAN HAVE SOME MORE OVER HERE. YOU YEAH, I MEAN, YOU'RE WELCOME TO. I JUST WANT . ALL RIGHT. I KNOW. [Proclamation – Emergency Medical Services Week – To be presented by Council Member Alison Alter and to be accepted by EMS Chief Robert Luckritz] GOOD MORNING. I'M COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON AL ALTER, AND IT'S MY HONOR TO REPRESENT DISTRICT 10 CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST AUSTIN ON THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL. I'M JOINED TODAY BY CHIEF ROBERT LUZ FOR E EMS, E EM S A PRESIDENT SALINA, SHE AND OTHER DEDICATED MEMBERS OF THE AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, AND AUSTIN E EMS A. WE ARE HERE TO CELEBRATE EMS WEEK 2023, WHICH KICKS OFF THIS SUNDAY. EMS WEEK IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE THE LIFESAVING WORK OF OUR E M S MEDICS, LEADERS, UNION ADVOCATES AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF HERE IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY AND AROUND THE US. THE THEME OF E M S WEEK 2023 IS WHERE EMERGENCY CARE BEGINS. AND THIS IS A FITTING REMINDER OF HOW HEAVILY OUR COMMUNITY DEPENDS ON EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES. OUR EMS WORKERS WERE NOT JUST ON THE FRONT LINES. DURING THE WORST OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC EVERY DAY, THEY PROVIDE LIFESAVING CARE TO EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF LOCATION, INSURANCE STATUS, OR FINANCIAL ABILITY. AS AN ELECTED LEADER, I HAVE WORKED TO BE AN EMS ADVOCATE AND ALLY AND SO HAVE MY COLLEAGUES ON COUNCIL. I'M PROUD OF WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED TOGETHER WITH THE E EMS AND EM S A LEADERSHIP, WE'VE ADDED NEW FIRE EMS STATIONS, ADDED MORE AMBULANCES AND FUNDED DOZENS OF SWORN PERSONNEL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND LEADERSHIP POSITIONS. WE CHANGED HOW OUR, WE STAFF OUR SHIFTS. WE'VE INCREASED PAY AND ADDED PHYSICIANS TO ENHANCE TRAINING AND DEPLOY TELEMEDICINE. WE LAUNCHED THE COLLABORATIVE CARE COMMUNICATION CENTER C4 HOTLINE TO HELP TREAT MORE PATIENTS WHERE THEY ARE AND REDUCE THE BURDEN ON OUR AMBULANCE SYSTEM. WE CREATED THE PARAMEDIC PRACTITIONER PROGRAM, ADDED A WHOLE BLOOD PILOT PROGRAM, INVESTED IN EMS SIMULATION TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, AND STATIONED MEDICS AT THE AUSTIN AIRPORT. WE ALSO ARE [00:15:01] IMPROVING THE EMS REVENUE SYSTEM TO FUND ALL OF THESE INNOVATIONS. WE HAVE MORE WORK TO DO TO EXPAND ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE IN AUSTIN AND TO ENSURE THAT OUR EMS STAFF, BOTH THOSE ON THE FRONT LINES AND THOSE WHO KEEP THE ORGANIZATION RUNNING, ARE FAIRLY COMPENSATED FOR THE CHALLENGING WORK THAT THEY DO TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE EVERY SINGLE DAY. HOWEVER, I'M PROUD OF THE COLLABORATION, RESILIENCE, DEDICATION, AND SERVICE I'VE SEEN FROM AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, ESPECIALLY OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS WITH COVID. I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MY CONSTITUENTS, MY COLLEAGUES ON THE CITY COUNCIL AND ALL OF AUSTIN. WHEN I SAY THANK YOU, AUSTIN, TEXAS COUNTY, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, I WILL NOW READ A PROCLAMATION AND CHIEF LEER WILL ACCEPT AND SAY A FEW WORDS. CHIEF LEER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN ME? I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THIS CUZ I CAN'T READ IT THAT WAY. ANYWAY, PROCLAMATION BE IT THAT WHEREAS EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES IS A VITAL PUBLIC SERVICE AND PROVIDES LIFESAVING CARE TO THOSE IN NEED 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 365 DAYS A YEAR. AND WHEREAS THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES SYSTEM CONSISTS OF PARAMEDICS, EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS, EMERGENCY PHYSICIANS, EMERGENCY NURSES, FIRST RESPONDERS, EDUCATORS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND OTHERS WHO HAVE DEDICATED THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE OF OTHERS. AND WHEREAS IT IS APPROPRIATE TO RECOGNIZE THE VALUE AND THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PROVIDERS IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY BY DESIGNATING EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WEEK. NOW, THEREFORE, I, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTAR ON BEHALF OF KIRK WATSON, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THE WEEK OF MAY 21ST TO 27TH, 2023 AS EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WEEK IN AUSTIN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER, UM, I CAN'T TELL YOU, UH, HOW PROUD I AM TO BE STANDING UP HERE WITH YOU TODAY. UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, SO PROUD OF THE STAFF, THE MEN, THE WOMEN, UM, AND ALL THE EMTS, PARAMEDICS AND SPORTS STAFF WE HAVE. BUT AS I THINK FORWARD ABOUT WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY TODAY, I HAVE TO SAY THAT I'M ALSO EXTRAORDINARILY PROUD TO HAVE A CITY COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBERS LIKE YOURSELF, UH, CITY LEADERSHIP THAT IS ABLE TO ARTICULATE MUCH BETTER THAN I CAN ALL OF THE GREAT WORK THAT EVERYONE UP HERE IN THIS ROOM IS DOING. SO, WITH THAT, AGAIN, I, I CAN'T SAY THANK YOU ENOUGH. UM, YOUR RECOGNITION THAT EMS IS AS THE, UH, THE, THE SLOGAN FOR THIS YEAR SAYS, WHERE EMERGENCY CARE BEGINS. AND EMS IS SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST AMBULANCE TRANSPORT. IT IS ABOUT PROVIDING THE RIGHT PATIENT CARE TO THE RIGHT INDIVIDUALS AT THE RIGHT LOCATION. AND YOUR RECOGNITION AND UNDERSTANDING THAT IS ABSOLUTELY WHAT IS HELPING US MOVE THIS, UH, ORGANIZATION FORWARD. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA TAKE A AND MOVE OVER HERE. I'M GONNA STAY UP HERE AND INVITE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT IS CELEBRATING WILDFIRE TO JOIN ME. YES. EVERYONE COMING IN? YES, SIR. WE GOT EVERYONE COMING IN. YES. [00:20:33] WISHED YOU LET EVERYONE DID SHERRY. COOL. WAS ANY OF THE, WERE ANY OF THE WATER PEOPLE, DID THEY WANNA COME? YES. YOU GUYS CAN COME CLOSER. WE, WE HAVE SOME OTHER DEPARTMENTS WHO ARE HERE WHO ARE INVOLVED. I DUNNO IF THEY WANTED TO. WHAT ELSE? MY EXTRA ROOM OVER HERE. YOU CAN BALANCE IT ALL FOR A WATER PERSON ON EITHER SIDE. WE NEED WATER FOR FIRE. FIRE, FIRE. UM, OKAY. ARE YOU READY? [Proclamation – Wildfire Awareness Month – To be presented by Council Member Alison Alter and to be accepted by Austin Fire Department staff] GOOD MORNING. I'M ALLISON AL ALTA AND IT'S MY HONOR TO REPRESENT DISTRICT 10 ON THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL. WE ARE GATHERED THIS MORNING TO DECLARE MAY AS WILDFIRE AWARENESS MONTH IN AUSTIN AND TO INVITE LOCAL LEADERS, THE MEDIA AND OUR COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR WILDFIRE READINESS AND PREVENTION EFFORTS. I'M JOINED TODAY BY CHIEF BAKER, CHIEF DEZA AND OTHER LEADERS FROM THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, AUSTIN FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION AND AUSTIN WATER. AND OF COURSE WE HAVE A VERY, VERY SPECIAL GUEST, SMOKEY BEAR, WHO'S JOINED US TODAY. AND BY THE WAY, IT IS SMOKEY BEAR AND NOT SMOKEY THE BEAR UNLESS YOU'RE SINGING THE SONG. UM, BUT SMOKEY IS HERE TO HELP US TO, UM, RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE WILDFIRE RISK HERE IN AUSTIN. I WOULD LIKE TO START FIRST BY RECOGNIZING A F D, THE AUSTIN FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION, THE WILDFIRE DIVISION, AND ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND CITY DEPARTMENTS WHO ARE WORKING TO RESPOND TO THE WILDFIRE THREAT. WILDFIRE AWARENESS MONTH IS OF SPECIAL IMPORTANCE TO ME BECAUSE MUCH OF MY DISTRICT LOCATED IN CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST AUSTIN IS IN THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE. THAT'S THE SPACE WHERE THE WILDLAND MEETS STRUCTURES WITHIN THE URBAN AREA, AND THAT MEANS THAT DISTRICT 10 IS AT HIGH RISK FOR WILDFIRE. WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW THOUGH, IS THAT THE HIGH WILDFIRE RISK RUNS A RING AROUND THE WHOLE CITY AND EMBERS CAN SPREAD FLAME QUICKLY, EVEN TOWARDS THE CENTER UNDER THE RIGHT CONDITIONS AS A WHOLE. AUSTIN IS STRUCTURALLY THE FIFTH MOST AT RISK CITY IN THE US FOR WILDFIRE. WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS MUST BE A PRIORITY FOR ALL AUSTINITES. WE NEED OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER TO BE INFORMED AND TO TAKE ACTION. THAT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER. AS WE HEAD INTO THE SUMMER MONTHS, LOW HUMIDITY, HIGH TEMPERATURES AND HIGH WINDS ARE PRIME CONDITIONS FOR A WILDFIRE EVENT. AND IT IS A MATTER OF WHEN NOT. IF WE WILL SEE MORE WILDFIRES HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS, IT IS CRITICAL THAT OUR CITY PRIORITIZES WILDFIRE AT THE LEVEL OF ITS THREAT. AS THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR A DISTRICT AT HIGH RISK, I HAVE CHAMPIONED THE WILDFIRE DIVISION'S EFFORTS TO PREVENT AND MITIGATE WILDFIRE RISK TO GATHER WITH THE COUNCIL, WE HAVE SECURED FUNDING FOR A SITUATIONAL AWARENESS TOOL TO AID EVACUATION FOR OPERATIONAL READINESS TRAINING FOR A F D AND CONSTRUCTION OF JOINT FIRE EMS STATIONS IN THE WWI, ONE OF WHICH JUST OPENED IN MY DISTRICT LAST MONTH. WE'VE ALSO BROUGHT FOLKS TO ACROSS THE CITY TOGETHER, THE COUNTY, THE REGION AND NEIGHBORHOODS. WILDFIRE IS NO LONGER JUST THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S FIGHT. WE'VE WORKED WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND ADOPTED BUILDING CODES TO HARDEN NEW STRUCTURES BUILT IN THE WWI. WE'VE ACCELERATED VEGETATION MANAGEMENT OF HIGH WILDFIRE LOW RELIABILITY CIRCUITS. WE ARE PLANNING TO KEEP OUR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE SECURE AND TO CARE FOR OUR PARKS AND PRESERVES IN WAYS THAT MITIGATE THE WILDFIRE RISK. AND THAT IS JUST TO NAME A FEW OF THE WAYS THAT THIS EFFORT ENGAGES DEPARTMENTS BEYOND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. AS SMOKEY BEAR REMINDS US, EACH OF US IN AUSTIN, INCLUDING YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES, ALSO HAVE TO PICK, HAVE A PART TO PLAY IN PREVENTION. [00:25:01] WE ARE HERE TODAY BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE BEST TIME TO PREPARE IS BEFORE A WILDFIRE EVENT OCCURS. AFTER THE PROCLAMATION, I'M GONNA INVITE DIVISION CHIEF CARRIE STEWART UP AND SHE'S GONNA HAVE SOME INFORMATION FOR YOU. BUT I DO WANNA SHARE A FEW STEPS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY CAN TAKE TO HELP KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFER. FIRST, YOU CAN VISIT THE AUSTIN AREA WILDFIRE HUB ONLINE TO REGULARLY MONITOR WILDFIRE CONDITIONS AND ASSESS RISK. THAT'S AT ATX WILDFIRE.COM. YOU CAN CREATE A WILDFIRE ACTION PLAN FOR YOUR FAMILY USING THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY WILDFIRE COALITIONS READY, SET GO GUIDE. WE HAVE SOME COPIES HERE TO SHARE. IF ANYONE'S INTERESTED, YOU CAN LEARN ALL THE POSSIBLE EVACUATION ROUTES IN YOUR AREA, BOTH WHERE YOU LIVE AND WORK. PLEASE SIGN UP FOR EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS@WARRENCENTRALTEXAS.ORG AND CONNECT WITH YOUR LOCAL FIREWISE COMMUNITY. I'M SO PROUD OF THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE, BUT WE MUST CONTINUE TO FORTIFY OUR COMMUNITY FROM THE DANGERS OF WILDFIRE. AS THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY WILDFIRE COALITION SAYS WILDFIRES, EVERYONE'S FIGHT WOULD, EVERYONE DOES THEIR PART. WE ARE ALL SAFER. AND AS YOU KNOW, THAT IS THE MESSAGE THAT SMOKEY BEAR ALWAYS SHARES WITH YOU. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND TAKING THE WILDFIRE THREAT IN AUSTIN. SERIOUSLY, I HOPE TO SEE OUR CITY'S WILDFIRE AWARENESS EFFORTS CONTINUE TO GROW. AND I HOPE THAT EACH OF YOU WILL FIND AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION. I WILL NOW READ THE PROCLAMATION AND CHIEF BAKER. WOULD YOU LIKE TO YES. HOLD THAT. BE IT KNOWN THAT WHEREAS WILDFIRE CONTINUES TO BE AN ONGOING AND PERSISTENT THREAT IN THE AUSTIN AREA, IT IS NOT A MATTER OF IF BUT WHEN A WILDFIRE WILL OCCUR. AND WHEREAS THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION HAS DECLARED MAY 6TH, 2023 AS NATIONAL WILDFIRE COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS DAY. AND WHEREAS WE CALL ON ALL RESIDENTS AND COOPERATORS TO MAKE AUSTIN A FIRE ADOPTED COMMUNITY THROUGH AWARENESS AND ACTIONS THAT MITIGATE DANGERS TO THEMSELVES AND THEIR PROPERTY. NOW THEREFORE, I COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON TER ON BEHALF OF KIRK WATSON, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY, 2023 AS WILDFIRE AWARENESS MONTH IN AUSTIN. THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO NOW INVITE DIVISION CHIEF CARRIE STEWART UP TO SPEAK. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER AL ALTER. THANK YOU ALSO TO OUR OTHER CITY LEADERSHIP WHO IS HERE, OUR CITY PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERS AND OUR CITY DEPARTMENT PARTNERS WHO ARE HERE FOR OUR PROCLAMATION AS WELL. AND AS WE EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS, WE DISCUSS HOW WILDFIRE IS EVERYONE'S FIGHT. AS COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER HAS MENTIONED WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE NATIONAL COHESIVE STRATEGY, OUTLINING EFFORTS TOWARDS FIRE RESILIENT LANDSCAPES, FIRE ADAPTED COMMUNITIES, AND EFFECTIVE FIRE RESPONSE REGARDING RESILIENT LANDSCAPES. WE HAVE FANTASTIC PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN CITY DEPARTMENTS TO MANAGE OUR PUBLIC LANDS CONSIDERING WILDFIRE RISK AND THE IMPACT OF OUR EFFORTS ON PUBLIC SAFETY REGARDING EFFECTIVE FIREFIGHTING, A F D AND OUR COUNTY PARTNERS ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO TRAIN ON WILDFIRE AND WILD AND URBAN INTERFACE BEST PRACTICES AND HOW TO BEST EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITY TO BE PREPARED FOR A WILDFIRE EVENT. WE ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY ON EVACUATION PLANNING FOR WILDFIRE AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS SO THAT WE AND THE PUBLIC CAN OPERATE COHESIVELY WHEN CALLED INTO ACTION. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT EFFORT THAT WE CAN MAKE IS TO GUIDE OUR COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS TO BE FIRE ADAPTED. THIS MEANS LEARNING ABOUT AND TAKING STEPS TOWARDS BEING A FIREWISE COMMUNITY. THIS MEANS KNOWING WHAT YOU CAN DO IMMEDIATELY AROUND YOUR HOME TO MAKE IT MORE DEFENSIBLE AGAINST WILDFIRE. SIMPLE ACTIONS LIKE REDUCING FLAMMABLE MATERIAL WITHIN FIVE FEET OF YOUR HOME, MAKING SURE YOUR GUTTERS ARE CLEAN AND HAVING A FAMILY PLAN FOR ANY EMERGENCY ARE STEPS THAT YOU CAN TAKE TODAY. YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO BE FIRE ADOPTED AND REQUEST RESOURCES FROM OUR WILDFIRE DIVISION@ATXWILDFIRE.COM OR BY VISITING OUR AUSTIN AREA WILDFIRE HUB. THANK YOU FOR CELEBRATING WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS MONTH WITH US AND PLEASE KNOW THAT WE ARE ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO HELP ASSIST WITH YOUR PREPARING. THANK YOU. [00:31:54] GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY. YOU WANT US WHEREVER YOU WANNA BE. OKAY. JUST COME ON AND JUST GROUP AROUND. [Proclamation – Chris Chen Fountain Dedication – To be presented by Council Member Leslie Pool and to be accepted by The Family of Chris Chen] I'M LESLIE POOLE. I REPRESENT DISTRICT SEVEN, UM, FOR ON THE CITY COUNCIL AND I'M HERE TODAY, UM, WITH YOU ALL TO HONOR CHRIS CHEN, HIS WORK AT AUSTIN WATER AND HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR COMMUNITY. WE'RE JOINED BY CHRIS'S FAMILY MEMBERS AND COLLEAGUES WHO STILL GRIEVE THE SUDDEN LOSS OF CHRIS IN 2019. KRIS'S WIFE AMY IS WITH US, HIS SON'S, JUSTIN AND BRIAN AND JUSTIN'S WIFE. MAGGIE, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY TO JOIN US AS WE CELEBRATE CHRIS CHEN. CHRIS WAS THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING SERVICES AT AUSTIN WATER. HE WAS REVERED BY CITY EMPLOYEES FOR HIS KINDNESS AND COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT AS A MENTOR TO SO MANY CITY EMPLOYEES. HE WAS ADMIRED. HE WAS ADMIRED AS MUCH FOR HIS PEOPLE SKILLS AS HE WAS HIS TECHNICAL SKILLS. CHRIS WAS DEDICATED TO THE GOALS OF THE CITY AND WAS A KEY CHAMPION OF THE INSTALLATION OF PUBLIC DRINKING FOUNTAINS IN AREAS OF DOWNTOWN. WE ARE SO SORRY. WE LOST KRIS BEFORE THE PROJECT WAS FULLY REALIZED, BUT TODAY WE WILL BE DEDICATING A DRINKING FOUNTAIN IN KRIS'S MEMORY. I INVITE EVERYONE HERE TO JOIN US FOR THE DEDICATION. IT WILL BE AT NOON, THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF CONGRESS AND CESAR CHAVEZ, WHICH IS ABOUT A FIVE MINUTE WALK FROM HERE. AND NOW I WILL READ PROCLAMATION. PROCLAMATION BE IT KNOWN THAT WHEREAS ACCESS TO CLEAN DRINKING WATER IS VITALLY IMPORTANT FOR VISITORS, DOWNTOWN WORKERS, BICYCLE RIDERS, AND PEDESTRIANS AND INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, ESPECIALLY DURING OUR HOT TEXAS SUMMERS. AND WHEREAS DRINKING FOUNTAINS CONTRIBUTE TO VITAL DOWNTOWN AREAS AND OPEN SPACES FOR ALL AGES TO ENJOY. AND WHEREAS 10 FOUNTAINS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN AUSTIN TO PROVIDE CLEAN, SAFE DRINKING WATER FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS AUSTIN WATER'S FORMER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING, CHRIS CHEN, CHAMPIONED THESE FOUNTAINS TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY IN KEEPING WITH HIS STRONG COMMITMENT TO ENHANCING AUSTIN'S QUALITY OF LIFE. AND WHEREAS CHRIS CHEN WAS A LEADER IN THE WATER UTILITY INDUSTRY, A MENTOR TO AUSTIN WATER EMPLOYEES AND A DEDICATED VOLUNTEER IN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. NOW, THEREFORE, I LESLIE POOL COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT SEVEN ON BEHALF OF MAYOR KIRK WATSON AND THE ENTIRE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL DO HEREBY PROCLAIM [00:35:01] THE FOUNTAIN LOCATED AT CONGRESS AVENUE AND CESAR CHAVEZ. BE DEDICATED IN MEMORY OF CHRIS CHEN TO HONOR HIS SERVICE AND DEDICATION TO AUSTIN WATER AND OUR CITY IN AUSTIN IN WITNESS THEREOF ON THIS DAY, THE 18TH DAY OF MAY, IN THE YEAR 2023. THANK YOU ALL. DID ANYBODY WANT TO SEND ANYTHING? SOME PICTURES? DID ANYBODY HAVE ANY, MAKE ANY COMMENTS? NO. VERY GOOD. WELL, LET'S COME OVER HERE BY UP ALL RIGHT. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.