SAN ANTONIO — For the first time on Friday, a new city committee will address the local response to last month's winter storm that left several thousands in the cold and dark for days.
District 8 City Councilman Manny Pelaez, one of the members of that committee recently formed by Mayor Ron Nirenberg, is heated.
"I hear you loud and clear," Pelaez said, addressing constituents. "You are mad. You are frustrated. You've got a lot of questions. I was terrified during that week."
At least a few dozen people across Texas died amid the storm's historic cold and ensuing blackouts. The Bexar County Sheriff's Office has formed a special unit of its own to investigate a dozen potential cold weather-related deaths in our area.
Pelaez is one of four city council members and three community leaders on the new select committee tackling the winter storm preparedness and response.
"We are all gathering to start asking hard questions," he said.
The first meeting will be Friday at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. He said they will be asking questions to leaders of CPS Energy and SAWS, including what they knew, when they knew it, what they did and what they should have done instead.
Pelaez said he wants to understand the interplay between the two utilities.
"If that cold week proved anything, they are symbiotic," he said. "Both rely on water, and both rely on energy."
The city leader also wants to know what needs to be done to be better prepared in the future. Pelaez promises action.
"We are going to be holding feet to the fire, and we are going to be asking some uncomfortable questions," the councilman said. "I told the utilities they better get comfortable very quickly with the discomfort of some of the poignant questions we will be asking."
San Antonio is also facing damages from the winter storm. The city manager said the storm is costing the city about $11 million, and about $6 million of that is for damages along. Pelaez said more than 200 city facilities were damaged.
The city plans to get help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Friday's meeting will be held in Room 206 of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, 900 E. Market, San Antonio, Texas 78205. It will also be broadcast on TVSA, www.sanantonio.gov/TVSA, AT&T channel 99, Grande channel 20, Spectrum channel 21, digital antenna 16.1 or by dialing (210) 207-5555.