Our session on the evening of November 9th continued to give us new insights into city operations. We first heard from staff members in the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department. Most of us do not think about disease prevention. City government takes disease prevention quite seriously and approaches containing disease from many angles: inoculation programs for children and families (shots for tots, flu vaccine inoculation events), animal control, wellness clinics, food inspection services, rodent and mosquito control, enforcing the smoking ordinances, and public pool inspections. The department also manages the office of vital records, recording all county-wide births, deaths and fetal deaths. This department also helps us gain statistical information about birth, death and disease in our city.
The department often works with other city departments on emergency preparedness. Their largest recent challenge was the response to disease prevention and control during hurricane Katrina where thousands of residents were housed in our convention center and other locations throughout Austin.
The second part of the evening was spent learning about solid waste operations. Austin has a goal of eventually becoming a zero waste city. Right now we are at about 35% of our garbage being recycled. Soon apartments and condominiums will be part of the Austin recycling program. If you find your large grey garbage can is staying emptier and emptier, you can call 3-1-1 to ask for a smaller green garbage can. The city will come out an change your cans for you - AND - your monthly fee for garbage pick up will be reduced.
Later we walked over to the hazardous waste recycling facility to see how operations there take place. The manager is an enthusiastic proponent of this service. The city recycles most of the materials brought to the center. Interestingly, the city has a pilot program to recycle latex paint. The two colors coming out of this effort are a limestone white and balcones brown. Both paints are available for free to citizens who want to pick it up at the hazardous waste facility (4108 Todd Lane, off of Ben White, a couple of blocks past I35).
An addendum: City Manager Mark Ott spent 24 hours last spring as a homeless person. You can view a video where Mr. Ott talks about his experience. shows, in my opinion, I think he shows that he is a thoughtful and unusual city manager. The video can be found at statesman.com/opinion
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