City of Austin
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASERelease Date:
Contact: Communications and Public Information Office
All essential employees will continue responding to the winter weather event
The suspension of regular non-essential City of Austin operations is being extended through the end of Thursday, Feb. 2, due to the ongoing impact of winter weather. During this time, all essential public safety services and essential employees will continue responding to the winter weather event.
The National Weather Service expects to lift its Winter Storm Warning tomorrow at approximately 6 a.m. Hazardous ice conditions continue to affect our community and are expected to remain through today and this evening. While conditions are expected to improve starting tomorrow morning, a significant portion of our community, including employees, have been and will continue to be impacted by the loss of power, downed trees, and the expected continued closure of area schools.
The City will remain under Level 2: Limited Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activation to continue to closely monitor weather conditions and provide updates as appropriate.
For updates on emergency information and City operations visit austintexas.gov/alerts or call 3-1-1.
Thursday morning commuters should avoid traveling unless absolutely necessary and be alert for crews and service trucks performing work on area roads. Residents should expect slick conditions on hard surfaces, such as porches, driveways and sidewalks.
Austin Resource Recovery Trash, Recycling, Composting and Facilities Schedules
Curbside collections will resume on Thursday, but not at full capacity. Delays should be expected due to continued winter weather conditions. Carts, bulk and brush items should be left at the curb so staff can collect material once road conditions improve. Collections will continue into the weekend.
The Recycle and Reuse Drop-off Center and public brush drop-off at the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant will be closed on Thursday, February 2. Customers can get updates about changes to their services by downloading the Austin Recycles app or by signing up for reminders at austintexas.gov/myschedule.
Storm Debris Removal
ARR customers can call 3-1-1 to request a collection of down tree limbs due to the severe winter weather. ARR crews will assess and collect them as soon as possible. Please have the limbs at the curb ready for collection.
Small branches and yard trimmings can be placed in the green composting cart, lawn and leaf bags or a reusable container and set out on the next scheduled collection day. Small branches (no longer than five feet and no thicker than three inches in diameter) that do not fit into the green cart with the lid closed should be stacked into manageable bundles no heavier than 30 pounds. Typically, ARR will collect the contents of your green cart and up to 15 extra items placed beside the cart, but item limits will be temporarily waived for storm debris collection.
City of Austin Utilities
All Utility Customer Service Centers will be closed through Thursday, Feb. 2. Customers can make utility payments at http://coautilities.com or by calling 1-833-375-4919 for Quick Payment. Additional payment options: http://coautilities.com/go/paymentoptions.
Courts
Austin Municipal Court and Downtown Austin Community Court services will remain closed except for the Violet KeepSafe Storage (VKS) program. The VKS program will remain operational from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. throughout this time period as an essential service for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Parks and Recreation
For information about park closures, visit: http://AustinTexas.gov/ParkClosures
Austin Public Library
All Austin Public Library locations will be closed, except for a few locations used as warming centers. The Central Library, Terrazas and Little Walnut Creek Library branches will be available as warming centers from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
AUS
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport may be experiencing delays. All air travelers should check their flight status at www.austintexas.gov/airport.
The City of Austin will continue to monitor conditions and will provide updates as they become available. For the most up-to-date information about City of Austin operations, monitor City social media on Twitter or Facebook (@austintexasgov).
Additionally, updates will be posted on the City’s website at www.austintexas.gov/alerts. Information also will be available by calling 3-1-1.
For information on school delays and closures as well as other governmental offices, monitor local media and communication channels for those organizations.
Decisions about City of Austin delays and closures are made based on the best available information that officials have at the time and subject to change based on the latest weather forecasts and road conditions.