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RESOLUTION NO. ______________________

WHEREAS, U.S. oil and natural gas production has peaked and is now in decline, increasing pressure toward continued and growing dependence on imported sources of oil and natural gas; and

WHEREAS, a growing body of energy-industry experts has concluded that we are now experiencing, or will soon experience, the peak of global oil and natural gas production; and

WHEREAS, following the global peak of oil and natural gas production, the interaction of decreasing supply and increasing demand will cause the price of oil and natural gas to become more volatile; and

WHEREAS, volatile price signals of petroleum scarcity may not allow for smooth market adjustments and effective mitigation efforts in the private sector; and

WHEREAS, the City of Austin and its citizens and businesses depend on oil and natural gas for their economic welfare and vital activities, including transportation and food supply; and

WHEREAS, many Austin residents and businesses are not currently aware of the issues and challenges surrounding the decline of U.S. and global oil and natural gas production and would benefit from an objective source of information on this topic; NOW THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT:

1. the Austin City Council supports the undertaking of a City-wide assessment study to inventory city activities and their corollary resource requirements, and to evaluate the impact of a decline in petroleum and natural gas availability in each area, with the aim of developing a comprehensive energy depletion risk assessment and action plan;

2. the City Manager is directed to create an Energy Depletion Risks Task Force to assess the City’s exposure to diminishing supplies of oil and natural gas and to make recommendations to address any vulnerabilities that may result;

3. the Task Force shall be composed of representatives of those City departments affected by oil and gas depletion as well as community and business leaders, and the City Manager shall report the makeup of the Task Force to City Council within eight weeks;

4. the Task Force’s charge shall be to:

a. acquire and study current and credible data and information on the issues of oil and natural gas production and depletion and the related economic and societal implications;

b. seek community and business input on the proposed planning and response measures;

c. coordinate with appropriate county, state, and federal agencies;

d. develop recommendations for the City Council to include in the City’s long term strategic planning with respect to strategies the City can take to mitigate the impacts of declining energy supplies in areas including, but not limited to, transportation, business and home energy use, water, food security, health care, communications, land use planning, and wastewater treatment; and

e. propose methods for educating the public about this issue in order to create proactive behavior change among businesses and residents and reduce dependence on fossil fuels;

f. issue its final report to City Council on these matters within nine months of the date of this resolution;

5. the City Manager shall, after issuance of the Task Force’s report, make recommendations to the City Council regarding the necessary funding and direction to City departments for the development of a contingency plan for dealing with any crisis stemming from oil and natural gas shortages; and

6. the Task Force’s charge shall expire after issuance of its final report to City Council.

ADOPTED: June___, 2007 ATTEST:_____________________

Shirley A. Gentry

City Clerk