News from the City of Austin, Texas

Council Takes Action in Support of Families Impacted by Winter Storm

Feb 09, 2023 03:58 pm

Austin City Council approved a number of resolutions and ordinances Thursday to provide additional support to households impacted by the recent winter storm.

They included two ordinances initiated by the Development Services Department to help residents make needed repairs safely and quickly.

The ordinances, in effect through March 31, 2023, waive permitting and development fees, as well as some permitting and registration requirements, for work on single- and multi-family homes that were damaged as a result of winter weather from Jan. 31 through Feb. 2. 

They also waive late-payment fees for City of Austin utility bills with due dates between Jan. 31 - Feb. 17, 2023, to help residents affected by outages, storm cleanup and postal delays.

"Our priority is to ensure our community can recover safely and quickly from this winter storm," said Development Services Interim Director José Roig. "We want the community to know we're here to help through the recovery and thank the City Manager and the City Council for taking quick action to support Austinites in need."   

The first ordinance waives permitting and development fees for structural repairs and tree removal associated with the winter storm. The waiver applies to plan reviews, inspections, demolitions and variances, but not to re-inspections when repairs do not comply with Code requirements and fail initial inspections. The ordinance also waives late fees for City of Austin utility bills with due dates between Jan. 31 and Feb. 17. 

The second ordinance allows the Building Official to exempt some electrical work from permit requirements, extends the deadline for some permit applications, and waives a City of Austin registration requirement for electricians who are licensed to work in Texas. 

The City’s Electrical Code typically requires an individual to obtain a permit to install, alter, repair, replace, or remodel an electrical system. Following the recent winter storm, the City Building Official expects many small-scale electric repairs. By temporarily waiving those permit requirements, this ordinance enables faster completion of repairs to support public health and safety and prevent further damage to structures. While the ordinance authorizes the City’s Building Official to waive the permit requirement, work must still follow all federal, state, and local requirements.  

For other structural repairs that relate to the winter storm, the deadline to apply for a retroactive permit has been extended to five days after work begins. When seeking a permit after work begins, applicants should note “2023 Winter Weather Event” on the application.  

As part of recovery efforts, inspectors are available for electrical and plumbing emergency repairs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Residents should call 512-974-2030 for electrical inspections and 512-974-1250 for plumbing inspections. Please leave a message if the inspector does not respond immediately. As a reminder, all plumbing and electrical work must still be performed by licensed contractors. 

The Development Services Department’s (DSD) Permits for Emergency Repairs webpage offers additional information about emergency repairs and permitting. Austinites who have questions about emergency repairs can contact Austin 3-1-1 anytime, DSD’s emergency repairs hotline at 512-974-1500, Monday – Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., visit the Permitting and Development Center (6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr.) or utilize the chat feature at DevelopmentATX.com. 

Austin City Council also extended the recently signed local disaster declaration for up to 30 days. A resolution noted that the City was taking “extraordinary measures” to protect and shelter people from the impact of prolonged freezing temperatures, freezing rain, and ice accumulation.

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City of Austin and Austin Police Association Reach Four-Year Agreement in Principle

Feb 09, 2023 12:12 pm

Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk today announced an agreement in principle between the City of Austin and the Austin Police Association for a four-year contract following almost a year of negotiations. 

The contract incorporates the goals of attaining a stable environment for Austin Police officers, aggressive recruitment and retention strategies, and a progressive police oversight provision. The agreement is subject to City Council approval. 

The draft agreement in principle can be viewed HERE. 

“Keeping our city safe is the most important priority for local governments. And having a strong, well-staffed police department is critical in achieving that goal,” said City Manager Cronk. “We already have a best-in-class police department and I want to thank all the men and women who serve every day for our community.  

“But having a solid agreement with our Police Association is another critical step in keeping our department reliable for years to come. This agreement incorporates the goals of attaining a stable environment for Austin police officers, attractive recruitment and retention strategies, and progressive police oversight provisions that are likely to become a model across Texas and the nation.” 

Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon said he was excited about reaching an agreement that will have such a positive impact on the department and the City.   

“We find ourselves with an agreement that, once approved, will both provide significant enhancements to the pay and benefits of the police officers as well as powerful improvements to the police department operations,” Chacon said. “Officer retention is an issue for every police department right now, and this agreement will lock in officer rights and benefits for the next four years, providing the stability and assurance that officers require to be able to effectively do their jobs, and providing the greatest opportunity for the City of Austin to not only retain the high-quality officers it has but also to recruit the best and brightest talent for the future.” 

The agreement also includes provisions that allow the City’s Office of Police Oversight (OPO) to investigate complaints against police officers during both the preliminary and formal investigative process. It will allow OPO to be in the room, asking questions and getting answers from the officers. 

“The Austin Police Association is not afraid of oversight,” said Austin Police Association President Thomas Villarreal. “We believe very strongly that the citizens of Austin, the City of Austin itself, the department, and our members are all better off under contract. We’ve worked for almost a year to negotiate a fair deal for our people, and a deal that’s fair for the City. And I think that we got there.” 

Across-the-Board Pay Increases for Officers 
 
The agreement represents a 14% increase for Austin Police Officers over four years with a total value of $64.7 million. To improve recruitment and retention, “we have utilized a creative approach that puts our money where our mouth is and gives further across-the-board increases of 1.5% to officers each year respectively if the City is not able to meet its hiring goals,” said the City’s Interim Labor Relations Officer Sarah Griffin.  

The City’s goal would be to hire 200 officers by year end of 2024 and an additional 200 officers the following year ending 2025, Griffin said. Additionally, to retain officers, the agreement creates an additional step pay increase to officers who have reached 23 years of service with the department as an incentive for those officers to stay. The agreement also includes a groundbreaking pilot program for promotions that includes a probationary component. 

The overall three-part solution is made up of a City Council Ordinance exercising the Manager’s authority in conjunction with the City Charter and State law, the contract itself, and changes in policy by the Police Chief. All will work together to mirror the Equity Action petition goals as closely as possible in the context of collective bargaining. 

The parties will meet again to finalize the language of this agreement in principle. The agreement will then be considered by the City Council, which has been briefed regularly on the City’s timelines and goals as the negotiations progressed over the last year. The Austin Police Association members will also take a vote to approve the agreement.    

Four-Year Contract Critical to Achieving Goals 

Last week, the City Manager raised concerns about an alternative proposal for a one-year rather than a longer-term four-year contract. In a memo to Mayor and Council, Cronk wrote that a one-year contract “may actually weaken our civilian oversight program in the long run and undo the very significant gains that the City and our community stakeholders have worked to achieve over the past 20 years”.  

He added that, after speaking with Chief Chacon, he was concerned that a short-term contract, providing potential recruits with the appearance of unstable labor/management relations, would “do damage” to APD’s recruiting and retention efforts.  

“We look forward to talking to our Council, our community and the members of the Association regarding this agreement, and look forward for their support,” Cronk added.

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City of Austin Waives Permitting Fees and Electrical Permitting Requirements for Storm Recovery

Feb 09, 2023 11:01 am

Ordinances temporarily waive fees and requirements while ensuring repairs are completed safely 

AUSTIN, TX – Austin City Council passed two ordinances today to help area residents make needed repairs safely and quickly following the recent winter storm. The ordinances, in effect through March 31, 2023, waive permitting and development fees, as well as some permitting and registration requirements, for work on single- and multi-family homes that were damaged as a result of winter weather from Jan. 31 through Feb. 2. 

"Our priority is to ensure our community can recover safely and quickly from this winter storm," said Development Services Interim Director Jose Roig. "We want the community to know we're here to help through the recovery and thank the City Manager and the City Council for taking quick action to support Austinites in need."   

The first ordinance waives permitting and development fees for structural repairs and tree removal associated with the winter storm. The waiver applies to plan reviews, inspections, demolitions and variances, but not to re-inspections when repairs do not comply with Code requirements and fail initial inspections. The ordinance also waives late fees for City of Austin utility bills with due dates between Jan. 31 and Feb. 17. 

The second ordinance allows the Building Official to exempt some electrical work from permit requirements, extends the deadline for some permit applications, and waives a City of Austin registration requirement for electricians who are licensed to work in Texas. 

The City’s Electrical Code typically requires an individual to obtain a permit to install, alter, repair, replace, or remodel an electrical system. Following the recent winter storm, the City Building Official expects many small-scale electric repairs. By temporarily waiving those permit requirements, this ordinance enables faster completion of repairs to support public health and safety and prevent further damage to structures. While the ordinance authorizes the City’s Building Official to waive the permit requirement, work must still follow all federal, state, and local requirements.  

For other structural repairs that relate to the winter storm, the deadline to apply for a retroactive permit has been extended to five days after work begins. When seeking a permit after work begins, applicants should note “2023 Winter Weather Event” on the application.  

As part of recovery efforts, inspectors are available for electrical and plumbing emergency repairs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Residents should call 512-974-2030 for electrical inspections and 512-974-1250 for plumbing inspections. Please leave a message if the inspector does not respond immediately. As a reminder, all plumbing and electrical work must still be performed by licensed contractors. 

The Development Services Department’s (DSD) Permits for Emergency Repairs webpage offers additional information about emergency repairs and permitting. Austinites who have questions about emergency repairs can contact Austin 3-1-1 anytime, DSD’s emergency repairs hotline at 512-974-1500, Monday – Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., visit the Permitting and Development Center (6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr.) or utilize the chat feature at DevelopmentATX.com. 

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City of Austin Winter Weather Morning Status Update - Feb. 9
Feb 09, 2023 07:51 am

Power Restoration 
As of Thursday morning, 99.9% of Austin Energy customers had power. Since the beginning of the ice storm, Austin Energy has restored more than 360,000 customers. Based on current assessments of the system, Austin Energy still expects to restore power to nearly all remaining customers who are able to receive power by Sunday, Feb. 12. It expects many of the remaining affected customers to have electricity before Sunday. Those who require electrical repairs to customer-owned or maintained equipment may be without power longer. Crews continue to work 24/7 through the remaining outages. 

On Your MARCs 
As the community enters recovery, the City offered its first of several Multi-Agency Resource Centers (MARCs) at Montopolis Recreation and Community Center in Southeast Austin on Wednesday, Feb. 8, providing Austin-Travis County families impacted by the winter storm with a variety of complimentary essential resources, such as charging centers, debris and damage information, mental health support, hot food, laundry facilities, showers, and more.? 

On Thursday, Feb. 9, a Center will open at North YMCA: 1000 W Rundberg Ln, Austin, TX 78758, from 3:00 pm-8:00pm. 

Other planned MARC events include: 

Date: Friday, February 10  
Times:?9:00 am – 7:00 pm  
Location: Austin Convention Center,?500 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78701  

Date: Saturday, February 11  
Times:?10:00 am – 4:00 pm  
Location: Austin Community College Riverside Campus,?1020 Grove Blvd, Austin, TX 78741

In addition, the?City has created a “virtual” resource center, which can be accessed online 24/7. More information about the in-person and virtual MARCs at AustinTexas.gov/Recovery.   
 
Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk 
“This ice storm led to historic-level damage all across our city. 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 City Manager Spencer Cronk told a news conference Wednesday. “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. 
 
“Again as we navigate all of these challenges brought on by the storm, it is so heartening and unsurprising to see our community organizations stepping up to help our neighbors, as the City continues to work to reestablish city infrastructure and services.  
 
“With our Resource Centers, we’re coming to you, no matter what part of the city you are in, to ensure that you have what you need to be able to weather this historic event. 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.” 
 
Clearance of Debris on Private Property 
Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) has increased the help it is getting from contractors to speed up storm debris collection efforts. Currently, there are nearly 70 crews at work collecting large branches and tree limbs from ARR customers and this number will increase by the end of the week. So far, over 21,000 cubic yards of storm debris have been collected in 430 loads. ARR customers can request a collection of large storm debris by calling 3-1-1 (or 512-974-2000) or submitting a storm debris collection request through the Austin 3-1-1 mobile app or at Austin311.org. Limbs should be at the curb ready for collection. Customers can drop off tree limbs and branches for no charge at Austin Water’s Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant, 2210 FM 973, Austin, from 8 a.m.– 4:30 p.m., Sunday–Saturday.  

Clearance of Debris in the Right of Way 
Austin Public Works has approximately 180 field staff working to clear the right of way of downed trees and debris. Crews are using a grid system approach to methodically confirm that debris has been cleared from public streets and sidewalks across the city. To date, they've assessed approximately 70% of the grid system map and cleared debris from over 1,250 sites. The effort to clear the full City’s rights-of-way may take another week or more. Residents should continue to use caution while traveling and slow down around work sites. 

Trash, Recycling and Composting 
Regular curbside collections of trash, recycling and composting resumed this week. Due to the large amount of material we are collecting, some composting collections may run behind. Residents should leave composting out while crews get caught up. Wherever space allows, set out carts in front of or beside storm debris piles so our crews can see them; this makes collections faster and easier for our staff. Remember to also keep carts out of the street and off the sidewalks. We understand that space is limited and appreciate everything our community has done and continues to do to aid recovery efforts. Learn more at www.AustinRecycles.com. 

Traffic Signals 
Austin Transportation Department has confirmed that all traffic signals are now functional, improving safety and the free flow of traffic. 

Emergency Shelter 
For individuals and families who remain without power or can no longer afford to stay in a hotel and need a place to shower or sleep, call 3-1-1 or 512-974-2000 to request overnight stays through Austin 3-1-1. Sleeping cots, shower facilities, food + water, pet sheltering, and charging stations are all accessible at an emergency shelter. The City of Austin is working with community partners and volunteers to meet requests. Once a shelter request is made with Austin 3-1-1, residents will receive a callback from City of Austin personnel between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. with information on next steps. 

Public Information Request Processing Affected by Severe Weather Event 
The City of Austin has submitted a catastrophe notice to the Texas Office of the Attorney General to suspend certain deadlines under the Texas Public Information Act for seven calendar days. This notice and the suspension will allow City departments involved in the response to last week's winter weather to have time to respond to Public Information Requests (PIR) received during that time. 

The City submitted the notice on February 6, 2023, in accordance with section 552.233 of the Texas Government Code. This provision authorizes a governmental body to suspend the applicability of the requirements of the Public Information Act if the governmental body is affected by a catastrophe. This notice will expire on February 12, 2023. 

Any pending public information requests that have been received will be paused for seven calendar days and new public information requests that are received over the next seven calendar days will be deemed received on February 13, 2023. 

Departments whose operations were not affected by the winter weather should continue to respond to public information requests under normal procedures. These notice provisions were passed by the Texas Legislature in 2019 in response to Hurricane Harvey.

- For emergency updates visit Austintexas.gov/alerts.

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More to read:
City of Austin Winter Weather Morning Status Update - Feb. 8
City of Austin Relaunches Warrant Amnesty Program
City Manager Apologizes for Shortcomings in Ice Storm Response
Information and Multi-Agency Resource Centers Launching to help Community Recover from the Recent Storm
Severe Winds Pose New Threats to Power Lines

For more City of Austin news releases, visit AustinTexas.gov.