PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING January 24, 2022 @ 3:30PM City Council Chambers at City Hall 301 W 2nd Street, Austin Texas Some members of the PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live AGENDA Amanda Lewis Rocky Lane Michael Sierra-Arevalo Rebecca Bernhardt Cory Hall-Martin CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Rebecca Gonzales, Chair Nelly Paulina Ramirez, Vice Chair Rebecca Webber Kathleen Hausenfluck Queen Enyioha John T. Kiracofe CALL TO ORDER 4:00-4:05pm Citizen Communications 4:05-4:20pm (from speakers signed up to speak) CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 10 speakers who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. There will also be a sign up sheet at the meeting location for those wishing to sign up to speak in-person 15miniutes prior to the start of the meeting. Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely by telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation. To register please call (512) 924-9947 before noon on 1-23-2022 or email Janet.jackson@austintexas.gov Items for Presentation, Discussion and Possible Action: 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – Dec. 6, 2021 4:20pm-4:25pm 2. OLD BUSINESS a. Legislative update on SB69 (sponsors: Commissioner Ramirez and Gonzales) 4:25pm- 4:35pm Speaker(s): -Anni-Michelle Evans, Policy Compliance Consultant, Office of Police Oversight b. Recommendation for Council Action regarding The Marshal Report – 4:35-4:40pm Sponsored by Commissioner Bernhardt and Webber 3. NEW BUSINESS a. Public Safety Organizations Quarterly Report – Austin Fire Department (sponsors: Commissioner Hausenfluck and Gonzales) 4:40pm-4:50pm Speaker(s): -Chief Rob Vires, Austin Fire Department b. Winter Readiness (sponsors: Commissioner Lane & Ramirez) 4:50pm-5:10pm Speaker(s): - Teresa Gardner, Assistant Chief, ATCEMS (Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Service) - Rob Vires, Chief of Staff, Austin Fire Department -Brandon Wade, Assistant Chief, Austin Fire Department - Catherine Johnson, Assistant Chief, Austin Police Department - Everett Beldin, Officer, Austin Police Department c. Status of Labor Negotiations with APD and EMS (sponsors: Commissioner Webber and Bernhardt) 5:10pm -5:55pm Speaker(s): -Lee Crawford, Law Department, City of Austin -Ken Casady, Austin Police Association -Selena Xie, Austin EMS Association -Chris Harris, Austin Justice Coalition 4. Future Agenda Items 5:55-6:00pm Adjourn @ 6pm The City …
The City of Austin Public Safety Commission The Labor Contract Bargaining Process – Briefing – January 24, 2022 Background associations 1. State law authorizes labor contracts with public safety employee 2. Two types of labor contract bargaining: • Meet and confer – sworn Police and EMS employees • Collective bargaining – sworn Fire employees • City’s bargaining process historically the same for both types 3. Current labor contracts all expire on 09/30/2022 • APD: agreement extends automatically to 03/31/23 • AFD and EMS: parties can extend past 09/30/22 by agreement in 30-day increments if actively negotiating (max. extension = 6 months) -1- The Bargaining Process 1. Request for bargaining – notice given by Association ~ 9-12 mos. before current agreement expires 2. Preparation for bargaining – parties review issues arising during current contract and evaluate wage/benefit issues for next contract 3. Bargaining sessions – negotiating teams conduct contract negotiations in public sessions 4. Tentative agreement – if negotiating teams reach agreement on all topics: • Tentative agreement must be approved by Association and City Council • Agreement becomes effective upon approval by both -2- End of Briefing Questions -3-
M E M O R A N D U M Mayor and Council Members TO: FROM: Rey Arellano, Assistant City Manager DATE: SUBJECT: Update on Disaster Preparations and Winter Storm Uri After Action Tasks January 19, 2022 The purpose of this memo is to provide an update on actions taken to prepare the City for complex, cascading disasters and the strategy to continue addressing Winter Storm Uri-related after action tasks. The Winter Storm Uri After Action Corrective Action list identifies a myriad of tasks stemming from a large-scale natural disaster layered on top of a year-long global public health crisis. Winter Storm Uri occurring at the same time as the COVID pandemic served as a catalyst for new tasks and a renewed, holistic disaster preparedness approach to serve our quickly growing community. City-wide Approach Continuous improvement, especially around disaster and emergency response, is a regular practice by City staff, and most certainly by emergency management staff. After an emergency, all involved departments undergo their own internal departmental review and participate in a cross-departmental After Action review led by the Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) Department. An After Action Report (AAR) is prepared and shared with all departments to prioritize specific tasks using an “all-hazards” lens. To oversee citywide implementation of AAR tasks, the City Manager established a core team of executive leaders from: • City Manager’s Office o Strategic Outcome: Safety o Strategic Outcome: Health & Environment, and Culture & Lifelong Learning • City Departments o Austin Energy (AE) o Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) o Austin Water (AW) o Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) o Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) • City Offices o Communications & Public Information Office (CPIO) o Equity Office o Resilience Office (once established) o Sustainability Office The Core Team considers the following information in its decision-making process: • City of Austin After Action Report • Austin Energy After Action Report • Austin Water After Action Report • Questions Raised during After Action Report Presentations to Council • Status of previous After Action Reports • Auditor’s Report • Winter Storm Uri Review Task Force Report • Pandemic Equity Committee Report • FY22 Budget Riders • Resolutions since 2019 related to Resiliency Hubs Priority initiatives have been identified and the Core Team is in the process of designating lead staff to address each initiative. The Core Team is also focusing on clearly defining essential City- …
AUSTIN FIRE Public Safety Commission Meeting FY21 Q4 Chief of Staff Rob Vires 1 D a t a T r e n d s F i s c a l Y e a r s 2 0 1 9 , 2 0 2 0 , 2 0 2 1 Requests for Service (All incidents & priority levels) FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 92,465 89,833 103,626 90th Percentile Response Time (Emergency Incidents) 9:32 9:58 10:28 • Due to COVID-19, overall call volume and emergency incident response times were impacted in FY 2020 and FY 2021. • Winter Storm Uri caused call volume in FY 2021 Q2 to increase by approximately 24% compared to FY 2020 Q2. 2 Ruben M. Espinoza #6108 Senior Police Officer – Region II District Representatives Austin Police Department 512.974.4289 | ruben.espinoza@austintexas.gov REQUEST FOR SERVICE Q4 COMPARISON FY2020 Q4 FY2021 Q4 3,219 3,196 2,896 2,648 2,760 2,500 2,443 2,306 2,298 3,461 2,879 2,441 2,469 1,435 1,024 1,614 1,392 2,360 1,920 1,760 1,519 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0 3 District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 District 6 District 7 District 8 District 9 District 10 *Requests for Service are all INCIDENTS, regardless of priority. REQUEST FOR SERVICE FY20 & FY21 COMPARISON 14,000 FY 2020 FY 2021 12,000 11,848 11,762 10,248 10,000 10,564 10,598 9,237 9,248 9,319 9,979 9,116 7,925 12,573 10,974 10,628 6,935 5,599 6,748 5,603 5,225 4,571 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 *Requests for Service are all INCIDENTS, regardless of priority. 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 4 R E Q U E S T F O R S E R V I C E Q 4 C o m p a r i s o n 1,188 1,262 4,678 472 155 5,583 490 180 13,967 18,065 Fire Medical Rescue Hazmat Other Fire Medical Rescue Hazmat Other FY 2020 Q4 FY 2021 Q4 5 *Requests for service are all incidents, regardless of priority. *”Other” (e.g., smoke investigations, fire alarms in buildings, unlocking buildings, etc.) R E Q U E S T F O R S E R V I C E F Y 2 0 & F Y 2 1 C o m p a r i s o n 5,654 4,587 18,726 1,747 548 57,236 23,873 2,050 582 Fire Medical Rescue Hazmat Other Fire Medical Rescue Hazmat Other FY 2020 FY 2021 6 *Requests for …
` PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Monday, December 6, 2021 Queen Austin Michael Sierra-Arevalo Rebecca Webber Amanda Lewis Rebecca Bernhardt The Public Safety Commission convened a hybrid in person and videoconferencing meeting Monday, December 6, 2021 at City Hall 301 W. 2nd Street in Austin, Texas. Commissioner Nelly Ramirez called the Board Meeting to order at 4:06 p.m., standing in for Chair Gonzales. Board Members in Attendance: Kathleen Hausenfluck Nelly Ramirez John Kiracofe Rocky Lane Cory Hall-Martin Board Members Absent: Chair Rebecca Gonzales Staff in Attendance: Joseph Chacon, Chief, Austin Police Department Robin Henderson, Assistant Chief, Austin Police Department Teresa Gardner, Assistant Chief, Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services Rob Vires, Chief of Staff, Austin Fire Department Citizen Communications - Citizens signed up to speak: none 1. Approval of Minutes – Commissioner Ramirez called for approval of the minutes by asking for any edits/changes, questions concerning the draft minutes of the November 1, 2021 meeting. Hearing no edits from the board, she deemed the minutes approved. 2. NEW BUSINESS a. Public Safety Organizations Quarterly Report – Austin/Travis County EMS (sponsors: Commissioner Hausenfluck and Gonzales) 4:08-4:16 1 Vice Chair Ramirez welcomed Teresa Gardner, Assistant Chief, Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services to the meeting and invited her to begin the EMS quarterly stats presentation. She stated it had been a long time since she’d presented and was happy to see everyone. She began with presenting the response performance by month, with districts and response times for Priority 1 incidents. She acknowledged they had already been presented with this information and offered to answer any questions the Commissioners may have had. One questions was asked: What makes Priority 1 in compliance, what’s the timeframe? Asst. Chief Gardner responded that the time frame was 9:59 for their highest priority incidents, such as cardiac arrest. There were no further questions on this topic. Asst. Chief Gardner presented an update on staffing. She elaborated on current staffing levels, vacancies, and projections for incoming staff, including promotions and academy cadets. There were Q & As from commissioners regarding filling those vacancies and onboarding new staff, and what obstacles to filling those positions may exist. Asst. Gardner responded that there were currently 14 cadets, that academy levels may fluctuate due to the holidays, and that they were reviewing applications to be able to move forward with more candidates after the holidays. Commissioner Lane asked how EMS was preparing …
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION NO. 20220124-02b January 24, 2022 WHEREAS, the City of Austin is committed to the Reimagine Public Safety Initiative, WHEREAS, the City of Austin operates the Austin Police Department, which currently Proposal that the Austin City Council create an Austin Municipal Court Marshal Office Date: Subject: Motioned by: Rebecca Bernhardt Seconded by: Rebecca Webber Recommendation: The Public Safety Commission recommends that the City Council reject the proposal to create a Marshal Office within the Austin Municipal Court and Downtown Austin Community Court. provides security to the Austin Municipal Court and Downtown Austin Community Court; which is a holistic approach to assessing and evolving public safety systems. Reimagine Public Safety is supposed to go beyond the scope of law enforcement, to design community centered interventions to reduce harm and address the root cause of systemic inequities which often lead to crime; for decades and continues to need reform to stop deepening poverty for Austin’s low-income residents; Court and Downtown Austin Community Court, will worsen inequities, increase criminalization and undermine the progress that has been made in reforming the Austin Municipal Court; be approved and finalized in advance of the creating a new Marshall Office. reimagining of the Austin Police Academy to create a pool of law enforcement officers to align with Reimagining Public Safety efforts. WHEREAS, creating a new police force, a Marshal Office within the Austin Municipal WHEREAS, the City of Austin and Austin Police Department are undergoing a WHEREAS, the Austin Municipal Court has been a driver of inequity for the City of Austin WHEREAS, processes around training, accountability, oversight and operations could not WHEREAS, the Austin Police Department has the tools and capacity to provide for the security needs of the Austin Municipal Court and Downtown Community Court and creating a new police force for the courts is unnecessary; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RECOMMENDED BY THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT: • the proposal that the City create a Marshal Office within the Austin Municipal Court and Downtown Austin Community Court be rejected; and • The City of Austin continue to provide for the security of the Austin Municipal Court and Downtown Austin Community Court with Austin Police Officers. Vote: Unanimous For: 11 (Commissioners Gonzales, Ramirez, Husenfluck, Austin, Kiracofe, Lewis, Lane, Sierra- Arevalo, Hall-Martin, Webber, Lewis) Against: 0 Abstain: 0 Absent: 0 Attest: [Staff or board member can sign] __________________________________ ,PSC …
` PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION SPECIAL CALLED MEETING MINUTES January 24, 2022 Rebecca Bernhardt Queen Austin Michael Sierra-Arevalo John Kiracofe Rebecca Webber The Public Safety Commission convened a hybrid in person and videoconferencing meeting Monday, January 24, 2022 at City Hall 301 W. 2nd Street in Austin, Texas. Commissioner Rebecca Gonzalez called the Board Meeting to order at 3:32 p.m. Board Members in Attendance: Kathleen Hausenfluck Nelly Ramirez Amanda Lewis Rocky Lane Cory Hall-Martin Board Members Absent: none Staff in Attendance: Robin Henderson, Assistant Chief, Austin Police Department Teresa Gardner, Assistant Chief, Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services Rob Vires, Chief of Staff, Austin Fire Department Citizen Communications - Citizens signed up to speak: Cathy Mitchell 1. Approval of Minutes – Chair Gonzales called for approval of the minutes by asking for any edits/changes, questions concerning the draft minutes of the December 6, 2021 meeting. Hearing no edits from the board, she deemed the minutes approved. 2. OLD BUSINESS a. Legislative update on SB69 (sponsors: Commissioner Ramirez and Gonzales) 4:00 pm-4:17pm Speaker(s): -Anni-Michelle Evans, Policy Compliance Consultant, Office of Police Oversight 1 As OPO was not online, Chair Gonzales moved on to the next item. This was picked back up at 4:00. Ms. Evans reported she was pleased to hear APD plans to revise the policy, but has not seen that language yet. She would like to highlight three points relating to duty to intervene: 1) proactive vs reactive language. APD seems to create a policy that is purely reactive. It needs to include proactive language. 2) Subjective vs. objective. APD needs to be revised to include objective (should know). 3). Reporting requirements. APD needs to be revised to mirror specifics of the bill, such as a making a written report. OPO also recommends more clarity on what should be included in report and timeline for report. Regarding neck restraints, APD should revise policy to reflect legislative intent to prevent all forms of prohibiting blood flow or air intake. Commissioner Webber wanted to know what the remedies for not intervening, which OPO stated was still up for debate. Ms. Evans stated she wasn’t aware of any changes yet. Commissioner Bernhardt was concerned that officers in Texas put knees in people’s backs. She wanted APD to ban that, which OPO agrees with and would support changes that reflect that. Commissioner Arevalo had a question on anticipated vs known excessive force – what kind …
