Troxclair will look for water answers … in two weeks

A push for answers about Austin’s recent water crisis is still on, though it will be delayed slightly. A resolution out of Council Member Ellen Troxclair’s office that aims to increase transparency around the crisis received some fast support on the City Council Message Board, but the idea of putting it on this week’s agenda did not. Council members Pio Renteria, Ann Kitchen and Jimmy Flannigan all expressed concern that prioritizing the resolution could draw staff time away from actually working on the ongoing water situation. (Flannigan added general concerns to the timing concerns, noting, “I appreciate the effort, and clearly hard questions will be asked and staff will be expected to answer them. However, I don’t see what this resolution accomplishes that the Manager’s office will not already be planning to do.”) In the end, co-sponsor Council Member Leslie Pool announced the new plan on the board: “I understand the resolution will now be posted on the November 15 agenda. I support the delay as it will give staff time to recuperate and more fully assess the water situation with a focus on future needs as we move toward implementing the Water Forward plan. I would also like us to address how we respond to dramatic weather events in the future, with a roadmap to resilience.”