Monday, May 10, 2021

Winter Storm Review Task Force Seeks Public Comment for Upcoming Meetings


Winter Storm Review Task Force Seeks Public Comment for Upcoming Meetings  

Effort Aimed at Preparing Austin for Future Disasters 

Austin, Texas – Following the severe weather events of Winter Storm Uri that impacted residents in February 2021, the City of Austin established a Winter Storm Review Task Force to identify strategies for building a more resilient, better-prepared city and community response for future disasters.  

The Task Force is holding listening sessions in which individuals and organizational representatives can share their experiences, and recommendations related to the winter storm. The Task Force will summarize the testimony received into a final report for the Austin City Council.  

The public can also provide feedback, suggestions, and ideas on SpeakUp Austin. The website is translated into Spanish, Vietnamese, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Korean, Burmese, Urdu, and Arabic.

The Task Force is seeking public comment from impacted residents and businesses. The upcoming meetings will be held on the following dates: 

  • May 14, 2021 (6-8PM) - 2 of 5 

  • May 28, 2021 (6-8PM) - 3 of 5 

  • June 11, 2021 (6-8PM) - 4 of 5 

  • June 23, 2021 (6-8:30P) - 5 of 5 

Agendas for the meetings will be posted no later than 72 hours prior to the scheduled date.  

To speak remotely at the Winter Storm Review Task Force meetings, members of the public must:   

  • Call or email the board liaison at (512) 974-6339 or WinterStormTaskForce@austintexas.gov no later than noon the day prior. The following information is required:   

    • Speaker name   

    • Item number(s) they wish to speak on  

    • Whether they are for/against/neutral  

    • Email address and telephone number (must be the same number that will be used to call into the meeting)  

    • If interpretation for any languages are need other than Spanish  

  • Once a request to speak has been made to the board liaison, the information to call on the day of the scheduled meeting will be provided either by email or phone call.  

  • Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start time in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak.  

  • Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak.   

  • Handouts or other information may be emailed to WinterStormTaskForce@austintexas.gov by noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting.  

The meeting is scheduled to be broadcast live on ATXN here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live.  

For more information visit: https://www.austintexas.gov/content/winter-storm-review-task-force