Austin Energy governance will remain with Austin City Council after council postponed indefinitely May 23 the ordinance that could have made the switch to the utility being governed independently. Council also approved an ordinance to form a council subcommittee to provide oversight and policy recommendations on the utility.
Councilman Chris Riley said he believes the subcommittee will provide a forum for the council to focus on the many issues pertaining to the municipally owned utility.
"There are so many issues, and many of them are very difficult issues. We are going to need some help in dealing with those issues," Riley said. "The council has a few other things on its plate, and we generally don't do much of anything on our own. Most of everything the council does, we have some committee that helps us."
The ordinance allows any council member to who is interested to serve on the City Council Committee on Austin Energy, and the committee is subject to regulations and stipulations of the Open Meetings Act, which ensures meetings and information are accessible to the public. Some of the issues the committee can take up include the mission, scope and responsibility of relevant committees, major purchases, financial policies and programs for low-income customers. The original ordinance highlighted governance as an issue the committee could address, and Mayor Lee Leffingwell said that topic is still under the purview of the committee.
