MEMORANDUM

TO: Mayor and Council

THRU: Chris Shorter, Assistant City Manager

FROM: Lucia Athens, Chief Sustainability Officer

DATE: August 26, 2019

SUBJECT: Response to Climate Resilience Resolution 20190509-019

Background
On May 9, 2019, City Council passed Resolution 20190509-019, which directed the Office of Sustainability
to 1) perform a literature review of climate resilience plans of peer cities, 2) explore available, potential
partnerships and funding options for resilience planning, and 3) provide recommendations for creating a
comprehensive, community-wide climate resilience plan that is fair, just, and equitable, including
recommendations for funding a Chief Resilience Officer. The Resolution clearly identified resilience to
climate change and extreme weather impacts as the focus of the desired response.

Staff Response
The Office of Sustainability reviewed climate resilience plans for Dallas, San Antonio, Boston,
Indianapolis, Denver, and Washington, DC. We selected these cities based on the following criteria:

1. Cities having a population size similar to Austin (between 600,000 and 1.5 million residents)
2. Cities selected to participate in the 100 Resilient Cities program
3. Cities having plans identified as exemplary according to the Urban Sustainability Directors Network
4. Cities in Texas
5. Cities not directly impacted by sea-level rise with risks similar to Austin

A summary of best practices and lessons learned from these plans is provided in Appendix A of this
document. While the 100 Resilient Cities program has dissolved and is no longer available as a funding
source, the Office of Sustainability is continuing to research external funding opportunities to fund a Chief
Resilience Officer position. A list of potential funding partners is provided in Appendix B.

Much work to increase resilience has been underway across multiple City Departments for some time.
The Office of Sustainability has worked with Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Austin
Public Health, the Austin Fire Department, the Economic Development Department, and the Equity Office,

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 among others, to build on plans to enhance emergency preparedness and resident safety. These efforts
have focused on specific threats – flooding, drought, extreme heat, and wildfires – as well as the
populations most vulnerable to these specific threats. Many additional opportunities exist for city staff and
the community to work together to comprehensively address extreme weather impacts and increase
Austin’s climate resilience.

Staff is asking for an extension to October 31, 2019 to provide additional recommendations for creating a
comprehensive, community-wide climate resilience plan that is fair, just, and equitable. In the meantime,
a summary of initial Phase 1 recommendations is provided via this memo.

Summary of Phase One

Recommended Community-Wide Climate Resilience Actions

Potential Funding
Recommendation Lead Department Staffing / Budget Impact Timeframe Partners /
Collaborators

1) Hire a Chief Climate Human Resources New Executive-level position Once budget The Rockefeller
Resilience Officer with Office of $100-$150K base salary identified, 6 Foundation funded
Sustainability ($140-$203K with benefits) months for Chief Resilience
and/or Homeland recruitment Officers during a
Security Emergency and hiring three year grant
OR period, but that
Management
OR funding is no longer
Reclassify existing vacant position for available. Staff is
mid-management level Climate continuing to search
Resiliency Manager 3 months for
for other potential
Reclass and
Cost impact TBD external funding
hiring
partners.
process

2) Gap analysis of Office of None 6-8 months

existing plans, Sustainability with (to be completed with existing staff /
programs and policies multiple budget resources)
departments

3) GIS mapping to Office of None 6-8 months

identify most vulnerable Sustainability, CTM, (to be completed with existing staff /
locations and Homeland Security, budget resources)
populations and Public Health

Phase One Recommendation Resource Impact Summary

TOTAL STAFF IMPACTS: 1 new FTE –OR- reclass of existing vacant position

TOTAL ANNUAL BUDGET IMPACTS: $50,000 - $203,000

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Blueprint for a Community-wide Climate Resilience Plan

Defining Resilience
Following the framework and vision of Austin’s Strategic Direction 2023, we are using the following
definition for climate resilience:

Climate resiliency is the capacity of individuals, communities, institutions, and businesses systems
to survive, adapt, and grow in a changing climate.

Climate Impacts
In the past decade, Austin has experienced climate change in the form of record-breaking heat, droughts,
historic floods, and devastating wildfires that have taken lives, displaced citizens, and stressed
infrastructure. Shocks and stressor associated with each of these threats are summarized below:

In 2014, the Office of Sustainability hired ATMOS Research, led by Dr. Katharine Hayhoe of Texas Tech
University, to develop climate projections through 2100 for Central Texas. These projections have been
utilized for various mapping efforts to assess vulnerability and plan for climate-related impacts. In
addition, Austin Water Utility had Dr. Hayhoe perform additional projections including stream flow
modeling to inform the creation of the Water Forward Plan. City planning efforts to increase climate
resilience have included the following short and long-term topic areas aligned with each extreme weather
risk:

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In 2018, a Climate Resilience Action Plan for City of Austin Assets and Operations was prepared with
collaborative input from multiple City departments. Based on strategies identified in the action plan,
efforts are underway to strengthen emergency response, expand City staff safety plans, evaluate and
upgrade existing facilities and infrastructure, and future-proof new facilities and infrastructure to climate
threats.

The following Phase One recommendations build on the previous planning efforts above. Emphasis will be
placed on defining vulnerable populations in Austin who are likely to be impacted first, suffer the most
negative consequences, and have the hardest time bouncing back from extreme weather events.

1. Hire a Chief Climate Resilience Officer to lead community-wide climate resilience

planning and strategy implementation, coordinate interdepartmental efforts, and serve
as the primary point of contact for community outreach and engagement.

Recommendation
Based on our review of the role of a Chief Resilience Officer in other cities, this position provides
executive-level leadership and coordinates interdepartmental resiliency efforts. A Chief Climate
Resilience Officer for Austin could lead efforts to establish a community-wide climate resilience plan
for Austin and implement strategic initiatives from the plan. This would include collaboration with City
departments to align activities and identify synergies for efficient resource utilization, as well as
providing regular updates to community groups on implementation progress. In general, candidates
for an executive-level Chief Resilience Officer role would have leadership experience in public
administration, project management, and policy development and analysis. The ideal candidate for
Chief Climate Resilience Officer would be uniquely qualified to address Austin’s specific risks, threats,
and challenges: flooding, drought, extreme heat, and wildfire. Ideal candidates for Austin would also
offer extensive experience in addressing long-term stressors like equity and socio-economic
development.

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 A second lower-cost option exists to fulfill desired Council objectives. In this scenario, an existing
vacant position could be identified and re-classified to serve as a citywide Climate Resilience
Manager, a mid-management level position similar to the Climate Program Manager position currently
located in the Office of Sustainability. This option may be more desirable from the standpoint of a
lower salary plus overhead cost for the position, as well as the opportunity to achieve economies of
scale by locating the position within an existing Department or Office that already includes
administrative support.

Budget Impact
According to the 100 Resilient Cities network and job postings from Minneapolis, MN and Santa Monica,
CA, the base salary range for a Chief Resilience Officer is estimated to be $100,000 - $150,000,
or $140,000 - $203,000 with benefits.
For the second option of a Climate Resilience Manager, a vacant position has not yet been identified for
re-classification. Further work could be undertaken to identify a vacant position, develop an appropriate
new job description, conduct a position re-class process, analyze the funding shortfall, and attempt to
identify existing internal or external resources that might be utilized to fund the position.

Potential Partnerships
No funding partnerships were identified. The Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities, the most
notable organization known for funding Chief Resilience Officers at various municipalities, has now
dissolved. Staff will continue to look for internal and external resources to fund such a position.

2. Assess existing programs and policies to identify gaps in preparedness.

Recommendation
Many City and regional efforts are already underway to increase community-wide climate resilience.
An assessment of existing plans and policies would promote inter-departmental and inter-agency
coordination and ensure an aligned approach to the threats of climate change. The assessment
would also identify where planning gaps fail to address community needs. Some of the climate-
related emergency preparedness plans to be reviewed include:

● Austin Fire Department: Austin/Travis County Community Wildfire Protection Plan

● Austin Public Health: Community Health Improvement Plan
● Austin Water: Water Forward - 100 Year Water Plan and Drought Contingency Plan
● Development Service Department Forestry Division: Urban Forest Plan
● Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management: Austin Hazard Mitigation Plan
● Office of Sustainability: Community Climate Plan and Climate Resilience Action Plan for City of
Austin Assets and Operations
● Watershed Protection Department: Watershed Protection Master Plan and Atlas 14 Update

Department Lead
The Office of Sustainability can complete this assessment in 6-8 months with existing staff. The work
would involve coordination with staff from the Austin Fire Department, Austin Energy, Homeland
Security and Emergency Management, Austin Public Health, Austin Water, and Watershed Protection.

Budget Impact

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 There is no anticipated budget impact for this analysis.

3. GIS mapping to identify most vulnerable locations and populations.

Recommendation
Every community must prepare for and respond to climate hazards, whether a shock event such as
flood or wildfire, or stressors such as heatwaves or bad air quality days. A number of factors,
including poverty, lack of access to transportation, and housing conditions may weaken a
community’s ability to prevent human suffering and financial loss in a disaster. Mapping social
vulnerability data that includes socioeconomic conditions; household composition; disabilities, race,
and ethnicity; languages used; and transportation options would identify the populations at most risk
to climate-related threats. This information would be used to inform outreach, engagement, and
planning efforts.

Department Lead
The Office of Sustainability can complete this assessment in 6-8 months with existing staff and a City
GIS specialist. The work would involve coordination with staff from the Austin Fire Department,
Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Austin Public Health, Austin Water, Economic
Development, Planning & Zoning, Neighborhood Housing & Community Development, and Watershed
Protection.

Budget Impact
There is no anticipated budget impact for this analysis.

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Appendix A: Literature Review of Peer City Climate Resilience Plans

City-based climate planning favors a systems-based approach, where the interconnectedness of climate
stressors are evaluated in the context of urban issues like equity and aging infrastructure. This approach
moves away from silos and embraces a collaborative approach that acknowledges how varying policies
and departments should contribute to planning for a resilient future. The strength of a resilience plan is
contingent on the following:
 a clear vision for desired future outcomes
 facts-based guidance of community issues and needs
 the development of appropriate strategies to meet identified goals
 incorporation of public participation in decision-making
 collaboration across departments and organization
 a detailed plan for implementation and monitoring
Resilience plans must also address the inherent uncertainty of climate events and their consequences.

While many plans focus on shocks or extreme events like wildfires and floods, identifying long-term
stressors and ways to alleviate them is of equal importance for resilience planning. While many residents
within a city may experience the same shock, the ability to respond may largely rely on the particular
stressors already present that make some populations more vulnerable to climate impacts.

Case Studies
City plans were chosen for review based on the following criteria:
1. Cities having a population size similar to Austin (between 600,000 and 1.5 million residents)
2. Cities selected to participate in the 100 Resilient Cities program
3. Cities having plans identified as exemplary according to the Urban Sustainability Directors Network
4. Cities in Texas
5. Cities not directly impacted by sea-level rise with risks similar to Austin

Based on these criteria, six cities were identified: Dallas, San Antonio, Denver, Boston, Indianapolis, and
Washington, DC.

Plan characteristics

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Interview questions for resilience planning leaders in each city
1. Process: Did you hire a consultant to help? Or was it completed mostly in-house? How were
goals and actions created? How did you address uncertainty?
2. Time: How long did it take to create your Resilience Plan? What is the timeframe of your plan?
3. Engagement: About how many stakeholders did you engage? What is the breadth of internal
departmental engagement and external community engagement? Did you differentiate between
internal and external stakeholder engagement? How did you make it “community wide”?
4. Equity: Was equity incorporated as part of your plan?
5. Funding: How much did it cost to create the plan? How was the plan funded?
6. Implementation: Did you incorporate actions into existing programs? If so, how do you
monitor outcomes?

Interview notes

CRO in place?
Equity & Engagement Implementation
City Process Funding Departments
Efforts status
involved?

San Antonio Led by commitment Created an Equity $400K Working on No Resilience Officer.
to the Paris working group that met CPS Energy defining who is
Led by Office of
Agreement. quarterly. & City budget responsible for Sustainability, which
Hired a consultant Reached 10,000 implementing reports directly to the
to complete the residents through what within the City Manager's office.
plan. meetings, surveys and city.

Process took almost events

2 years.

Indianapolis Hired a consultant Conducted social $500K Some actions No Resilience Officer
that brought on vulnerability analysis Combo of underway.
Led by Office of
about a dozen looking at twelve City dept. Sustainability, which is
subconsultants. socioeconomic factors. budgets, part of the Mayor's
Connected Hired community with local office.
resilience plan with organizers and used foundation &
corporate
Hazard Mitigation Mayor's Youth
funding.
Plan update. Empowerment Program
Process took about to conduct surveying
1 year. and outreach events.
Reached 25,000
residents via social
media engagement and
community and
neighborhood groups.

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 CRO in place?
Equity & Engagement Implementation
City Process Funding Departments
Efforts status
involved?

Washington DC Hired team of Conducted a social $200K Implementation Resilience Officer in

consultants to vulnerability analysis, Innovation lacks funding, no place.
identify projects, but did not explicitly Grant for specific metrics or
Urban Sustainability
conduct address equity in the Adaptation indicators
Administration within the
vulnerability plan. identified to Department of Energy
assessments, and Utilized a consultant to measure progress. and Environment
create an action create a list of
plan. stakeholders, form an
Process took 2 advisory group, and
years to complete. release the draft plan for
public comment.

Boston Released two Created the Office of Combo of Implementation Resilience Officer in
resilience plans; Resilience & Racial city budget, has begun using place.
Resilient Boston Equity focused on low- state grants, FEMA pre-disaster
Led by the Office of
(social equity focus) income, communities of Barr mitigation grant.
Environment, Energy
with the support of color, children, elderly, Foundation
and Open Space with
100 Resilient Cities, low English proficiency, grant, and
the Office of Resilience
and Resilient mental/physical corporate and Racial Equity, both
Harbor disabilities. funding of which report to
(neighborhood Utilized a consultant to through the Mayor.
ecological focus) create a list of Boston Green
with the help of Ribbon
stakeholders and
additional Commission.
partnered with local
consultants.
community groups to
The process took convene open houses for
about 2 years. community feedback.

Dallas 100 Resilient Cities Integrated resilience $500K Many strategies Resilience Officer in
acted as consultant, planning efforts with the Some funds from Goal 6 place (dual position with
and hired additional Office of Equity & from (neighborhood Assistant City Manager).
firm to help with Human Rights and Fair Rockefeller infrastructure)
Led by Office of
plan organization. Housing Office. Foundation, and Goal 7
Resilience.
with the (environmental
Process took 2 Used a community
years. advisory committee. remainder sustainability)
from the underway;
Worked with general funds ongoing transit
neighborhood activists, budget. and equity-based
nonprofits, and activities.
chambers of commerce.

Denver Worked with an Worked with community $40K-$60K Many city No Resilience Officer.
adaptation groups to develop health Funded by operations-based Led by Dept. of Public
nonprofit and hired indicators to identify the Env. Health actions been Health & Environment,
a consultant to most vulnerable groups. Department. implemented. Environmental Quality
develop and draft Had some community Now looking to Division.
the plan. engagement to get implement more
community-
Process took 1 feedback on the draft
focused strategies.
year. plan.

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Lessons Learned
 Since resilience planning is a complex process, significant resources are required. For many cities,
funding is a continuous challenge due to short-term budget cycles and long-term implementation
efforts.

 It is important to consider consulting services for technical expertise, community engagement,

and reporting.

 Equity and social stressors should be kept front and center during the planning process, and
community input should be incorporated throughout. Mapping can illustrate where climate
hazards are likely to disproportionately affect communities.

 Because climate change can be politically contentious in certain organizations, using terms like
“natural hazards” can be helpful in acquiring buy-in from various stakeholders.

 There are vast opportunities for public and private partnerships that range from workforce
development strategies, to building resilience hubs in select facilities.

 For implementation, it is important that strategies are actionable and ensure an equitable
distribution of resources. Before implementing strategies, it is important to define metrics for
success and have a clear vision for the desired outcome.

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Appendix B: Funding Considerations and Potential Partners

100 Resilient Cities

One of the most prominent initiatives to come from the rise of resilience-based planning was the 100
Resilient Cities initiative, which was founded by the Rockefeller Foundation in 2013. The Office of
Sustainability applied to participate in the program in 2013, 2014, and 2015, but was not selected. The
Rockefeller Foundation discontinued the program as of July 2019.

A midterm report published on December 2018 by the Urban Institute evaluated the effectiveness of 100
Resilient Cities in context of its core goals. In general, the program showed success in contributing to an
increase in discussion around resilience, with focused offices, staff, budgets, plans and commitments
taking place. However, few changes were seen in evidence-based planning, community participation and
consistency with state and national government initiatives. When evaluating equity in the context of
vulnerable populations, findings showed that many of the cities sampled in the network did not
incorporate demographic data or have explicit recommendations for these communities. A final outcome
evaluation report is scheduled to be completed in 2022.

Chief Resilience Officer

The creation of a Chief Resilience Officer (CRO) across urban governments was a primary goal and
flagship accomplishment of the 100 Resilient Cities network. The role of the CRO is in many ways
dependent on the specific needs of the city. However, a main goal of the position was to help bridge
departmental gaps in communication and collaboration. The CRO can identify where synergies can occur,
particularly in how multiple resilience strategies can be addressed within a single project. The same
collaborative focus is envisioned for community engagement, where the CRO maintains contact with local
non-profits, private sector partners, and any pertinent community representatives.

The ideal candidate for this type of position is based on a city’s specific challenges and goals. In San
Francisco, CRO Patrick Otellini had served as the former Earthquake Safety Director. In the coastal
community of Norfolk, VA, Christine Morris’ experience with community development projects was
instrumental in forming partnerships with local port-based and infrastructure companies for resilience
collaboration. As a former Executive Director of the Black Caucus at the State House, Boston current
CRO, Lori Nelson, exemplifies the city’s commitment to equity as the cornerstone of resilience.

The salary for a Chief Resilience Officer will vary depending on the cost of living and city budget.
Reviewing recent job postings from Minneapolis and Santa Monica, the salary range for a Chief Resilience
Officer in Austin is estimated to be between $100,000-$150,000, plus benefits.

Benefit-cost Considerations
The Natural Hazard Mitigation 2018 Interim Report from the National Institute of Building Sciences
provides evidence that investing in hazard mitigation before disasters bears a benefit-cost ratio of 4:1
when projects exceed select requirements from the 2015 International Residential Code (IRC) and the
International Building Code (IBC). The benefit-cost ratio is significantly more favorable when adopting the
2018 IRC & IBC code, at 11:1. In short, investment in building quality upfront means that less will be
paid in the aftermath of a disaster.

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Potential Funding Partners
There are limited grants available for pre-disaster projects, and many funding opportunities do not cover
costs for planning or new positions. However, various City departments, local and national non-profits,
and federal agencies offer funding to cover adaptation, preparedness, and capacity-building projects, as
well as disaster relief. The list of potential funding below is meant to serve as an overview of
opportunities available and may not be fully inclusive. None of this potential funding has been secured,
and depending on grant award cycles, may not be available in a timely manner for planning purposes or
program implementation.

● City Departments:
○ Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Community Preparedness
○ Austin Public Health, Neighborhood Social Services

● Local non-profits:
o St. David’s Foundation
o Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
o Austin Community Foundation
○ The Cynthia & George Mitchell Foundation, Clean Energy Program
○ University of Texas Austin, Planet Texas 2050

● National non-profits:
○ The Kresge Foundation, Environment and/or American Cities Program
○ Urban Sustainability Directors Network, Funders’ Network - Partners for Places Program
○ MacArthur Foundation, Climate Solutions Grant
○ National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Resilient Communities Program
○ National League of Cities, Leadership in Community Resilience
○ Institute for Sustainable Communities, Partnership for Resilient Communities
○ The Rockefeller Foundation, Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center
○ Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Healthy Communities Program
○ Bloomberg Philanthropies, Environment and/or Public Health Program
○ Green Latinos, Climate Related Flooding Community Grants

● Federal Agencies:
● Federal Emergency Management Agency
○ Preparedness Grant Program, Transit Security and Emergency Management
Performance Grant Programs
○ Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program
○ Flood Mitigation Assistance Program
○ Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
● Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Justice and Smart Growth Grants Programs
● Housing and Urban Development, Community Block Development Grant
● National Science Foundation, Critical Resilient Interdependent Infrastructure Systems and
Processes
● Department of Energy, Advanced Systems Integration for Solar Technologies: Situational
Awareness and Resilient Solutions for Critical Infrastructure
● Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration, Emergency Relief Program

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