Recently, the City’s CodeNEXT team released the second draft code and map for public review. CodeNEXT is the City of Austin initiative to revise the Land Development Code, which determines how land can be used throughout the city—including what, where, and how much can be built. Below you will find links to the draft code and the CodeNEXT comparison map, which allows you to compare existing zoning with the proposed zoning.

CodeNEXT code text
CodeNEXT comparison map

The City of Austin Planning and Zoning staff have organized open houses to discuss CodeNEXT and to answer questions. These meetings are not organized by the District 10 office, though District 10 staff will be in attendance for the meeting at Anderson High School on Monday, October 23rd from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 

Another open house close to District 10 will take place on October 16 at Austin High School, 1715 Cesar Chavez St. A full list of CodeNEXT open houses can be found here. Please note that some of these citywide open house meeting dates have changed since they were first released.

District 10 CodeNEXT Office Hours
District 10 staff will be holding office hours over the next few weeks throughout the district so that we can answer questions and hear you concerns. If you would like to attend office hours, please RSVP to kurt.cadena-mitchell@austintexas.gov. Be sure to include your neighborhood when you RSVP.

Wednesday, October 4th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Russell’s Bakery — 3339 Hancock Dr.

Friday, October 13th from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Waterloo Ice House — 6203 N Capital of Texas Hwy

These meetings are organized by individual neighborhoods and District 10 staff will be attending to provide information and to answer questions about CodeNEXT. District 10 staff is also available to attend your neighborhood association meetings and share information. If you would like a presentation in your neighborhood, have your neighborhood or HOA contact us, or let us know if you would like to organize a meeting for your area.

Tuesday, October 10th from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Rosedale School — 2117 W. 49th St.

Wednesday, October 25th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church — 8134 Mesa Drive

Part of the mobility bond approved by voters last year is an upgrade to Spicewood Springs Road, between Mesa and Loop 360. Even if you weren’t able to make it to the September 26th meeting about the project, you can still be involved. The final product will be better if you take the time to share your thoughts.

First, let’s get you caught up from the meeting:
Overview handout
Detailed presentation

Now let’s get you involved:
Make comments on the online map.
Email your questions to Cheyenne.Krause@AustinTexas.gov.
Schedule a small-group presentation for your Neighborhood Association, book club, church group, etc by emailing Cheyenne.Krause@AustinTexas.gov.

Finally, you can sign up for future updates from the Austin Transportation Department.

For more information, visit the project website. 

The Austin Transportation Department, like most other transportation agencies, deploys traffic counting devices to collect data to use for a variety of transportation-related purposes. There are a variety of different devices and techniques in use, and a whole multitude of things the collected data can be used for.

For example, ATD deploys street tube counters, also known as Pneumatic Tubes, to count vehicles to determine if a new stop sign is warranted or adjust traffic signal timing. They are used to determine if a school zone is effective, adjust speed limits, plan for street closures during road work/maintenance, and more.

ATD has different techniques to count people walking or riding bikes, which helps us determine where we should put crosswalks, pedestrian signals, bike infrastructure and more. The data is often stored after the original need is completed in the event the City needs to reuse data for another project in the future.

Tampering with or intentionally damaging City-owned property is a crime. In fact, intentionally damaging the expensive computer systems attached to traffic counters could be a felony offense. In addition to being a crime, damaging traffic counters can delay much-needed safety projects such as school zones or stop signs because more staff time is spent revisiting the same street.

If you see a traffic counter and are curious what it is being used for, please call Austin 3-1-1.

Next month, voters will be asked to decide upon the 2017 Austin Independent School District bond and the 2017 Travis County bond. 

Learn about the AISD bond at the overview site. Visit the detailed project page to take a look at all of the projects that are part of the bond. AISD will be hosting several meetings in October at schools around the district. Visit the meeting page to choose the one most convenient for you.

Travis County’s bond information can be found here. To learn more, read the full list of projects. The County is seeking comments and feedback via email at CBAC2017@traviscountytx.gov.

Some dates to keep in mind:
October 10: The final day of voter registration for the election. Register here.
October 14: A panel discussion on the AISD bond co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters and Common Ground for Texans. The event is open to the public and will be held at ACC Highland Business Center (5790 Middle Fiskville Road) Room 201, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
October 23: Early voting begins
November 7: Election day

Would you like to help older adults in your neighborhood remain independent and living in their own homes for as long as possible? Would you like to hear stories from the past and make friends with your neighbors?

Drive A Senior–West Austin has been providing transportation to people over the age of 60 since it began in 1985. DAS-WA volunteers take people to medical appointments, grocery stores, and quality of life destinations. All services are free to the clients. In addition, DAS-WA volunteers do some home repair, yard work, friendly visiting, and computer assistance.

Volunteer opportunities are very flexible. DAS-WA volunteers go to an online calendar and choose a drive that conveniently fits into their schedules. Many seniors love children, and welcome the volunteers bringing their children along for the ride.

As one client stated, “After I stopped driving, I felt like such a burden to my family and friends. Thank God for Drive A Senior. You saved my life. You are my angels.”

 
To join the volunteer team, call 512-472-6339 or email westaustin@driveasenior.org to get started volunteering with Drive A Senior–West Austin.

* No long-term commitment required, but they sure are appreciated!
* Quick, 45-minute orientation at Tarrytown Methodist Church, 2601 Exposition Blvd
* Volunteer twice a week, once a month or when it works for you
* Drive one-way or round trip- Most trips take just 1.5 to 3 hours
* Volunteers needed 7 days a week, morning to early evening
* Service Learning Credit for HS Students willing to utilize social media
and their awesome powers of persuasion to help recruit volunteers or as
Friendly Visitors.

Visit the Drive a Senior website today.

The City of Austin Office of Sustainability program provides funding for school-based sustainability projects up to $3,000. Examples of some past projects include composting systems, rainwater harvesting, organic gardens, and more. Not only do the grant winners get to do something for their local environment, but the kids learn teamwork, leadership, and sustainability techniques. To see the impact that kids across the city have had, take a look at the full report of the previous school year’s winners. 

To learn more about the grant program and to apply, visit the Bright Green Future website. Don't miss the October 15 deadline! 

This summer has been another reminder that anyone can be impacted by sudden and dangerous weather events. In an emergency, the best person to keep you safe is yourself. WarnCentralTexas.org is a critical resource that provides an alert system and tips for preparation. 

Make sure you are on the alert list.

Review the preparation information available. 

Don’t wait until a storm is on the horizon to start thinking ahead.

City Council meetings have their ups and downs, but every night at 5:30, we take a break to enjoy a respite of live music. A fitting tradition for the Live Music Capital of the World and now on YouTube for all to enjoy. Starting with Austin’s own Bidi Bidi Banda—a Selena tribute band made up of several City of Austin employees—each week’s performance will be posted online alongside an interview with the artist. 

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