Councilwoman Dr. Adriana Rocha Garcia Calls For Annual Review Of Contingency Plans In City Of San Antonio

Press release from the City of San Antonio:

June 24, 2021

SAN ANTONIO – The following is a statement from Councilwoman Dr. Adriana Rocha Garcia regarding the City Council Consideration Request she filed to ensure the recommendations of the Committee of Emergency Preparedness Plan are implemented in a timely manner along with the need for annual reviews and discussions of other plans adopted by the City Council:

“The City Council Consideration Request I filed is intended to ensure we follow through with the recommendations as outlined in the final report submitted by the Committee on Emergency Preparedness as well as other contingency plans. I want to thank my colleagues Councilmember Mario Bravo, Councilmember Teri Castillo, Councilmember Manny Pelaez and Councilmember Clayton Perry for signing on in support of this CCR.

We cannot wait for the next crisis to be at our doorstep in order to act when we have spent the past few months thoroughly reviewing and analyzing how our coordinated response with our utility companies and regional partners could have been better.

City staff and community partners have worked tirelessly on plans we adopt as a City Council so we need to ensure that these plans don’t just collect dust on a shelf. If we intend to honor the commitment we make when we vote in favor of their adoption then we need to follow through with the recommendations as proposed. It serves no one if we don’t actively review and discuss the progress we make so that is why I propose we have an executive in charge of overseeing all the city-wide plans we have adopted.

Forming a subcommittee is another method we can utilize as we continue to track the progress we make. Organizations like SA2020 publish their annual impact report and can serve as a model which incorporates meaningful community engagement. I look forward to ongoing discussions that emphasize the need for annual reviews and community participation.”

This press release was produced by the City of San Antonio. The views expressed here are the author’s own.