Hello,
Passing along Ann Kitchen’s newsletter and reminding everyone of the Winter
Storm Listening Sessions that are currently taking place. Our neighborhood was
hit pretty hard and also has some success stories to tell and I encourage
anyone from either side of that equation to please send in some feedback
- nelly
WINTER STORM URI FEEDBACK OPPORTUNITIES
The public can provide feedback, suggestions, and ideas on SpeakUp Austin
<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.speakupaustin.org%2Fwinter-storm-uri-community-feedback&data=04%7C01%7CStephanie.Hall%40austintexas.gov%7Ce1a76e1665034bb53ea308d914ae158a%7C5c5e19f6a6ab4b45b1d0be4608a9a67f%7C0%7C0%7C637563560173179668%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=wOF9GTStxkwZEaXu5LaVESGt6unP9yFreFWd9UC73ek%3D&reserved=0>.
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 (6-8:30PM) - 5 of 5
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@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:WinterStormTaskForce@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 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@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:WinterStormTaskForce@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 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 ;
<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.austintexas.gov%2Fpage%2Fwatch-atxn-live&data=04%7C01%7CStephanie.Hall%40austintexas.gov%7Ce1a76e1665034bb53ea308d914ae158a%7C5c5e19f6a6ab4b45b1d0be4608a9a67f%7C0%7C0%7C637563560173179668%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=Bi0z5JYb%2FJdMW6lgm%2BWirTmDRVNuUCEApUqjfjFjnsA%3D&reserved=0>.
For more information visit:
https://www.austintexas.gov/content/winter-storm-review-task-force ;
<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.austintexas.gov%2Fcontent%2Fwinter-storm-review-task-force&data=04%7C01%7CStephanie.Hall%40austintexas.gov%7Ce1a76e1665034bb53ea308d914ae158a%7C5c5e19f6a6ab4b45b1d0be4608a9a67f%7C0%7C0%7C637563560173189622%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=C6wvzvOsuIc1mF2dmdfDK1f5cMzYy0JONyc8VYxZTB0%3D&reserved=0>.
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Ann Kitchen, District 5" <district5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Weekend Storms and Power Outages
Date: June 2, 2021 at 11:44:18 AM CDT
To: nelly.ramirez@xxxxxx
Reply-To: district5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Council Member Ann Kitchen
District 5, Austin, Texas
June 2, 2021
View as Webpage
<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001IRh0bJg8G80_OsI3cM83hMIGLra71RCIGjodISJFYx9LJe7iI37rD29hGC2zdAP0rJ1ZtUBXklGTTnAl92IVYe3wbOHtrlKsBKqIcN1pZVS6EUaUV4wh16CFrtCcFZnbDrNRhmuVFDwPwyCJ9Na66Q==&c=l6stYrYFvq3ttF0d7hM5upV5Ia0Y5S4H2XCyWxw-BMb0d6q44Kwvog==&ch=qHrxAUGTtCpGDrUdx5I9jrGIyNQfFTtoNYU1mBp8o836vf6iCUXuCA==>
<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001IRh0bJg8G80_OsI3cM83hMIGLra71RCIGjodISJFYx9LJe7iI37rD29hGC2zdAP0QlzCOe3l_oFn-mmKwkEHfSrliWh7nRf7d9cGuJreGa9ktwR_tft8_MnMgW0VxEHPS2kkMLqtUDN66FsWe-fvC2I7RtoEjqfWJrn-WEp98oUTgxEQPazftJQb-fS4XOXn0XH9ijCmusIPBXh8FQ613B993Vw3xRaz&c=l6stYrYFvq3ttF0d7hM5upV5Ia0Y5S4H2XCyWxw-BMb0d6q44Kwvog==&ch=qHrxAUGTtCpGDrUdx5I9jrGIyNQfFTtoNYU1mBp8o836vf6iCUXuCA==>
<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001IRh0bJg8G80_OsI3cM83hMIGLra71RCIGjodISJFYx9LJe7iI37rD29hGC2zdAP0u7IUcz7udwz06ElrhyHHJKXh12QcNAXHoCRL7ACTMuBYCgJtUXtBx94lOmoP49TtCk4wghSXl_MJNL1ZvZS3b5BQMi9ux_3AJc39hH8QMNlvopzKct_FvVs3mB7oPgopERKsVkbGIfSniXmKQCJzkxX1l_ajGqVGL5u3oQswpYT15pR8-VibbzjyyUNCpF4IwrVnIabYzl9T1SQ1bERW4gzoN-MC1ssF&c=l6stYrYFvq3ttF0d7hM5upV5Ia0Y5S4H2XCyWxw-BMb0d6q44Kwvog==&ch=qHrxAUGTtCpGDrUdx5I9jrGIyNQfFTtoNYU1mBp8o836vf6iCUXuCA==>
Weekend Storms and Power Outages
Dear Neighbors,
Friday nights thunderstorms produced wide-spread high-winds which caused
power outages throughout the city. The winds downed trees and limbs which
subsequently, along with lightning strikes, downed power lines to residences
affecting about 30,000 customers.
In 2019, Austin Energy (AE) increased line clearances to prune trees farther
back from power lines. AE continues the work to prune overhanging trees from
power lines year-round. In January, the City Council approved the hiring of
additional crews and added another pruning contract company, nearly doubling
our capacity. You can see AE's latestVegetation Management Update
presentation
<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001IRh0bJg8G80_OsI3cM83hMIGLra71RCIGjodISJFYx9LJe7iI37rD29hGC2zdAP0j18R5nMqanDrduhVjVG5qrEOBsAVqG8f0b51xHxYRSV-fvSnVg9nE1h2s3NttFgALPq50asRZlPOktpfW_GgUoTruOpt1UcPhffWP5tfRLLObcE4PcuburezQrfPDudg&c=l6stYrYFvq3ttF0d7hM5upV5Ia0Y5S4H2XCyWxw-BMb0d6q44Kwvog==&ch=qHrxAUGTtCpGDrUdx5I9jrGIyNQfFTtoNYU1mBp8o836vf6iCUXuCA==>
from May 17 or watch the full meeting here
<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001IRh0bJg8G80_OsI3cM83hMIGLra71RCIGjodISJFYx9LJe7iI37rD29hGC2zdAP0pyYnfHcHzcDi9VXQaPq44h6y9pyePoAKnnFWN5fJExC3qiTkjiLeOdxRkJs74CtHUUWjV0sRQOFuD3La1_NcEf9j-CurFIGKrj0mQr1yseEwf4QH25ShlQ==&c=l6stYrYFvq3ttF0d7hM5upV5Ia0Y5S4H2XCyWxw-BMb0d6q44Kwvog==&ch=qHrxAUGTtCpGDrUdx5I9jrGIyNQfFTtoNYU1mBp8o836vf6iCUXuCA==>.
Unfortunately, storm events will always have a negative impact on power
lines.
I understand how frustrating it can be to go without power for extended
periods of time, especially when several of you have already recently had to
deal with outages. I have reached out to Austin Energy to determine
challenges and potential solutions that may exist for circuits in specific
neighborhoods (such as Southwood, Zilker, and Barton Hills) and will be
sharing that information as I learn more. Please let us know if your feel
your neighborhood is experiencing frequent outages.
Please also do what you can to identify tree and vegetation issues in your
neighborhoods. Austin Energy focuses their efforts on the public right of
way. At our Council meeting yesterday I asked Austin Energy to help by
providing information about how customers can obtain assistance with tree
trimming services, as well as how to report issues customers identify in
their neighborhoods.
This past weekend, service repair crews worked continuously to restore
services, and preparation or planning could not have prevented much of the
havoc that this past weekend's storm caused. I want to thank the tireless
efforts of our work crews who spent their weekend making repairs. Our line
workers are heroes and that’s never more obvious than during a storm.
During a major storm, it’s not uncommon to have several hundred repair
locations spread throughout the city, so there are no specific locations to
target response efforts to maximize effect and work crews must drive to each
repair location. Several of the longer-lasting outages were the results of
tree limbs downing power lines from the poles to residences which means that
each outage has to be addressed independently. This is dangerous work under
ideal circumstances, and even more so in the dark and in the rain. The safety
of work crews and customers is our highest priority. You can learn more about
how the crews restore power here:
https://austinenergy.com/ae/outages/during-an-outage/how-we-restore-power ;
<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001IRh0bJg8G80_OsI3cM83hMIGLra71RCIGjodISJFYx9LJe7iI37rD29hGC2zdAP0w9KzMZTbkAHGSLyuywvojMnUV3yQaegmvWBnJtvi4vQex28iH-wHbmxEu3ZzesYK27yIATnfhhLb2GnbeyFpj7Gk1785NCPRvrCOjvyftdKwDTQ4gtqjVg_FuA2DHp8yJwnh7j87jTJK9WVIJr8dJMcu8psjgy0v&c=l6stYrYFvq3ttF0d7hM5upV5Ia0Y5S4H2XCyWxw-BMb0d6q44Kwvog==&ch=qHrxAUGTtCpGDrUdx5I9jrGIyNQfFTtoNYU1mBp8o836vf6iCUXuCA==>.
Austin Energy also has lots of useful information on their Power Outages
webpage
<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001IRh0bJg8G80_OsI3cM83hMIGLra71RCIGjodISJFYx9LJe7iI37rD2-TdxTbnQkvvYto40_QT849WNPV47kKKwTEuHV91uO3WYd5OepZcbRoOEzmJthz_wVJgHHWJOnTnuUhpvhvZ60bKgD6TmPlw-MxETbDtSV9&c=l6stYrYFvq3ttF0d7hM5upV5Ia0Y5S4H2XCyWxw-BMb0d6q44Kwvog==&ch=qHrxAUGTtCpGDrUdx5I9jrGIyNQfFTtoNYU1mBp8o836vf6iCUXuCA==>,
including how to prepare for an outage, how to report an outage, and how to
get alerts and stay safe during an outage.
I know that at least one of our D5 neighborhoods experienced a delay in
updating the service outages map, which caused concern and confusion on
whether reports had been received and responded to. Austin Energy
acknowledged the delay due to use of an outside vendor and we have asked for
details on addressing this problem.
I'll also add that there were 2 Winter Storm Related bills that passed in the
87th Legislature. One was an Omnibus Storm Response bill (SB 3
<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001IRh0bJg8G80_OsI3cM83hMIGLra71RCIGjodISJFYx9LJe7iI37rD29hGC2zdAP0X2fWry3hQ55pwbM-t6Hk-winYST1rQxkasBthYu4CoLBYssxcdMpxEjjK6jE6thsaSE8w2-ZdQIjlMOK61iwJLd6nZxsltgXSA5t6-qfYIQ2eCAolehzGw==&c=l6stYrYFvq3ttF0d7hM5upV5Ia0Y5S4H2XCyWxw-BMb0d6q44Kwvog==&ch=qHrxAUGTtCpGDrUdx5I9jrGIyNQfFTtoNYU1mBp8o836vf6iCUXuCA==>)
that included a statewide power outage alert system as well as other
standards of emergency operations. A second bill (SB 2
<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001IRh0bJg8G80_OsI3cM83hMIGLra71RCIGjodISJFYx9LJe7iI37rD29hGC2zdAP0a9ZfKskr4qW3HX4VqSXXa7f3uZOQ4qf83mlspvutOymvldNwZ9Dp0IKBX3wZ6IBWzQZ-qy5Ruh9Nhydv6233lbbGkXiNaurB3QDFMPgw1I8=&c=l6stYrYFvq3ttF0d7hM5upV5Ia0Y5S4H2XCyWxw-BMb0d6q44Kwvog==&ch=qHrxAUGTtCpGDrUdx5I9jrGIyNQfFTtoNYU1mBp8o836vf6iCUXuCA==>)
makes changes to the composition of the Energy Reliability Council of Texas
(ERCOT) board and the Public Utility Commission.
We heard from several of you during the recent storm and we appreciated your
communication and patience. We will continue to be a resource for you all and
are here to assist with any questions or issues you have. You can call our
office at 512-978-2105 or email us at District5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:District5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>.
Best Regards,
Ann Kitchen
City Council, District 5
CONTACT US
512-978-2105
City Council Member Ann Kitchen - District5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:District5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Constituent Liaison - Dora.Anguiano@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:Dora.Anguiano@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Policy Advisor - Jason.Lopez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:Jason.Lopez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sr Policy Advisor - Ken.Craig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:Ken.Craig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Chief of Staff - Donna.Tiemann@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:Donna.Tiemann@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Visit our Website
<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001IRh0bJg8G80_OsI3cM83hMIGLra71RCIGjodISJFYx9LJe7iI37rDwhs5fSC-hHUWo10-DepMhvI0BS__3_ZPThCWNYRZiennowBLOsZD3Z2EgRB-wNV_jJfl7wXut3V9IRSsuT3zC3vVloLDXYwRt5L0cBMsFORwLe7MzsrOGcQVkRUkYSI3g==&c=l6stYrYFvq3ttF0d7hM5upV5Ia0Y5S4H2XCyWxw-BMb0d6q44Kwvog==&ch=qHrxAUGTtCpGDrUdx5I9jrGIyNQfFTtoNYU1mBp8o836vf6iCUXuCA==>
STAY CONNECTED
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City of Austin, District 5 | 301 West 2nd Street, Austin, TX 78701
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