CITY OF AUSTIN. TEXAS MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS Special Called Council Meeting July 14, 1980 7:00 Ρ.Μ. Council Chambers 301 West Second Street The meeting was called to order with Mayor McClellan presiding. Roll Call: Present: Mayor McClellan, Councilmembers Cooke, Goodman, Himmelblau, Trevino Absent: Councilmembers Mullen, Snell Mayor McClellan announced that this was a Special Called Meeting of the City Council for the purpose of the presentation of the Austin Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan. Mayor McClellan stated, "I want to point out what you are very well aware of, that the Austin Tomorrow Development Plan from conception to publication took several years and involved many members of City Council and Planning Commission and certainly a lot of our good, civic minded citizens. The Goals Assembly, with approximately 200 citizens, really were the background of the Goals Program which is the basis for the Master Plan. The Butler Council authorized the Austin Tomorrow Goals Program in 1973. The Friedman Council adopted the first three chapters of the plan in 1977 and this current Council completed adoption in 1979 with the adoption of Chapter 4. We will have a brief presentation this evening and I know you will be as pleased as we are with the product, which is only the beginning. I want to introduce a few special people: former Councilmember Dr. Emma Lou Linn; the president of the Goals Assembly, Joan Bartz; vice-president Goals Assembly, Allen McCree; Jim Wells, On-Going Goals Committee Chairman; former Planning Commission Chairman, C.W. Hetherly; Mike Guerrero, current Planning Commission Chairman; and other Planning Commission members Ed Wendler Jr., Gary Bradley, Mary Ethel Schechter, Sally Shipman and David Bodenman. We are all pleased to have you with us." CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS July 14, 1980 Mr. Dan Davidson, City Manager, spoke as follows: "In 1980 I'm sure that most of you who worked so hard and laboriously on this plan would hate to think of beginning the process today and shooting for its completion in 1987. Tonight does mark the completion of a seven year effort on behalf of Austin citizens, Austin elected officials and members of the Planning Commission to provide something that's truly unique. We don't know of another plan, certainly in Texas, and we're not aware of one throughout the nation that had the type of citizen participation that ours has to begin with. A lot of goals programs exist, but none that really arrive or result in a new Master Plan for the city. So this is the first plan that we know of that has citizen participation as its foundation. This City Council completed the adoption last year of Chapter 4, which was another landmark. The previous plans for the City of Austin were drawn up by consultants. One in 1927 and another in 1955. So we can say there is no other plan like this which has even been considered before in our outstanding city. This plan is extremely important for the future and all of us feel it that are on the staff. We watched the current City Council adopt the special of goals and objectives in accordance with the plan and we are looking forward to working with all of you and with the City Council in the implementation of the plan." Mr. Dick Lillie, Director of Planning addressed Council and members of the Chamber audience as follows: "This document is intended to be a guide for public and private decisions. It is not an ordinance, it is not a document that is locked in stone, but rather a document that should be used every day. Historically and traditionally across the country, comprehensive plans are undertaken for a period of time that might span 20-25 years into the future. Most of those comprehensive plans I am sure you will find that those in the community, once they have it, do not have a road map to use to achieve the goals that are identified. The intent of this document is that it provides a set of community goals and objectives outlined by a broad based citizen effort and that those goals and objectives are measurable in terms of policy statements that could be adopted by this Council; by any board or commission; by any city department; by any public, private, social, civic, professional organization, neighborhood associations throughout the city, as they look to undertake their own projects. There are nine sections to Chapter 2 that I think you will find provide the real meat to this document in the form of goals, objectives and policies. They deal with urban design, what a community should look like as perceived by the citizens who participated in those discussions; objectives on ecomomic development and on environment management; recommendations on government and utility service and on housing and neighborhood preservation; recommendations on parks, open space and liesure facilities; and very important recommendations on transportation systems and how we deal with our transportation problems in the future. And finally, some suggestions on health and human services as we move forward in our budgeting to meet those needs. CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS July 14, 1980. "These are ideas that were generated by some 3500 citizens and converted into a comprehensive planning document by the On Going Goals Assembly Committee, the Planning Commission and the City Council over the past two years. The plan will help to guide growth according to community values specifically as they relate to annexation activities that, because of annexation, Councils must consider the Capital Improvements Program and services that would have to be extended because of annexation. The document is presently guiding the revision of the subdivision and zoning ordinances that the Council had already initiated. It will be the framework for the development of the Water and Wastewater Comprehensive Plan; it provides the base for the city's committment to neighborhood integrity, environmental protection to downtown, and to economic stability. The staff has completed its work. The community has completed its work in the creation of the document and the harder job lies before us, and that is the implementation." Mr. Lillie then introduced members of his staff present in the Council Chamber who have participated in the document as follows: Supervisor of Advanced Planning, Luther Polnau, Josh Farley, Greg Bell, Jennifer Ablanedo, Lynn Howe and Jodie Jamail. Mr. Davidson commented, "We are anxious to implement this plan." Mayor McClellan introduced Mr. Lillie's wife, daughters and mother-in-law to the audience. The Mayor commented on the importance of the plan in the organization of the growth system and has been given national attention. Mr. Jim Wells, Chairman, On Going Goals Committee, introduced other committee members to the Chamber audience. Mr. Wells then summarized the planning stages which culminated in the Austin Tommorrow Comprehensive Plan for the past seven years and also summarized chapter contents. He stated the document has been printed for distribution to the public, with copies available in the Planning Department. However, he pointed out, this is just the beginning. Continued public input is expected so they know the plan is being carried out. In the future, Council, boards and commissions and department heads will have to make difficult decisions, but the plan has the quidelines. Mike Guerrero told Council that the publication of the document is a major step but not the final one. Citizen input will still be needed and he is sure there will be changes in the plan from time to time. Because of the Austin Tommorrow Comprehensive Plan, Austin will grow in an orderly manner. Mayor McClellan stated the plan will be distributed to libraries and schools. There will be copies available, at no charge to the public, in the Planning Department. She also said continued citizen participation is necessary. Councilmember Himmelblau stated she echoes what has been said about the Austin Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan, that she has been with it since its inception and considers it a great document. Councilmember Goodman cited the Councils which have worked so hard to implement the plan. • ATTEST: CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS July 14, 1980 ADJOURNMENT Council adjourned its Special Called Meeting at 7:37 p.m. Grace Mousse City Clerk APPROVED Mayor