CITY& COUNTY
News from Austin & Travis & Williamson counties
CITY HIGHLIGHTS AUSTIN Following the discharge of several million gallons of industrial wastewater between late 2021 and early 2022 from Samsung Austin Semiconductor’s Northwest Austin manufacturing plant, city o cials asked how Austin can monitor and prevent future industrial mishaps in a Public Safety Committee meeting March 28. In the wake of the spills, Samsung is in the process of rolling out new controls at the chip plant aimed at preventing similar events. WILLIAMSON COUNTY Commissioners unanimously instated an o cial burn ban April 5 prohibiting outdoor burning in all unincorporated areas of Williamson County as well as smoking in county parks, preserves and trails. The burn ban is e ective for 90 days, but can be lifted by County Judge Bill Gravell if wild re conditions improve. TRAVIS COUNTY Rising costs and construction delays may begin to a ect projects funded through Travis County’s 2017 bond, which includes $184.9 million for parks and road projects. Of the 58 projects funded by the bond, 19 have been completed, 37 are active and two are not active. Austin City Council meets May 5 and May 19 at 10 a.m. at Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second St., Austin. 512-974-2250. www.austintexas.gov/department/ city-council Travis County Commissioners Court meets April 26, May 3, May 10 and May 17 at 9 a.m. at the Travis County Administration Building, 700LavacaSt.,Austin.512-854-4722. www.traviscountytx.gov Williamson County Commissioners Court meets April 26, May 3, May 10 and May 17 at 9:30 a.m. at the Williamson County Courthouse, 710 Main St., Georgetown. 512-943-1100. www.wilco.org MEETINGSWE COVER
Investigation nds AustinWater employees at fault
BY BEN THOMPSON
Meszaros tendered his resignation in February following the incident and was set to depart Austin Water in April. Former Assistant City Manager Robert Goode was announced as Meszaros’ temporary replacement in late March and will formally step in as interim director April 11. According to Austin Water, mem- bers of the three-person shift—the Orange Team—on duty Feb. 4-5 at Ullrich Water Treatment Plant did not properly address “deteriorating plant conditions” or alert their supervisors of the mounting issues at the plant. The failures occurred as one of the plant’s treatment basins was brought online, a process that involves “seeding” untreated water with solids to remove unwanted particles.
“This in-depth investigatory pro- cess has con rmed our preliminary ndings that there were failures in sta ’s response to deteriorating plant conditions and communications up the chain of command,” said Greg Meszaros, the outgoing director of Austin Water, in a statement.
AUSTIN The city’s civic utility’s investigation of the multiday early February boil-water notice released March 29 veri ed the utility’s initial assessment that employee error directly led to the citywide water quality breakdown.
EMPLOYEE ERROR
An investigation from Austin Water identi ed the responsibility of three people on Ullrich Water Treatment Plant’s Orange Team for the citywide boil-water notice in February. The probe found they failed to follow protocols and request help from supervisors during the incident. Those ndings prove violations of city policy, investigators said. They remain on administrative leave.
The FEB. 5 incident overwhelmed the treatment system and caused cloudy water to spill into Austin’s drinking water supply. The University of Texas will conduct an external audit of Austin Water which will cost between $250,000AND $1 MILLION.
East Austin jet fuel storagemoves forward
Countywaits for federal damage tally
BY BEN THOMPSON
struggles and 80-plus ights could be forced to bring extra fuel into town every day. With a 5-5 vote, City Council shot down a measure from District 2 Council Member Vanessa Fuentes that would have halted the airport’s plans for an expanded fuel storage complex and started a new search for alternative sites.
AUSTIN An e ort to pause progress on a jet fuel facility at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport failed April 7, clearing the way for the development of a site o US 183 to proceed. Airport o cials say the planned facility, which became a conten- tious issue in the community in recent months, is necessary to keep pace with travel demand. Aviation CEO Jacqueline Yaft said the airport keeps just one to three days of fuel on hand, well below an industry standard of ve to seven days. If storage capacity is not expanded as planned, Yaft said, airlines could face logistical
BY CLAIRE SHOOP
WILLIAMSON COUNTY Following the March 21 tornadoes that caused structural damage to more than 1,700 Williamson County homes and businesses, o cials are waiting for federal assessments to conclude to see if further aid will be available. During a March 30 press confer- ence, Ben Akers, a representative for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Region 6, said he spent the day going door to door to take photos and speak with residents. A declaration signaling FEMA aid is typically made within the rst 30-60 days following a disaster, Akers said.
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Current jet fuel facility
Proposed jet fuel facility
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NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • APRIL 2022
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