Item #76 78702

[Natasha Harper-Madison]

Council Member Qadri, thanks for getting us started on presenting items. I appreciate the opportunity to co-sponsor your item #77 as you have my item #76, to approve a resolution directing the City Manager to develop recommendations for the coordinated and holistic planning, development, preservation, and activation of public and private assets in and around the 78702-zip code.

Colleagues,

I welcome you to join me and Council Members, Velasquez, Vela and Qadri in an important effort focused on preservation, investment and support for communities residing in the 78702 area. As a consistent source of community pride, we can say that the zip code 78702 is home to some of Austin’s most diverse and historic neighborhoods. In the face of continued and ever-expanding development pressure we must possess a ferocious commitment to reconcile historic, systemic, and institutional neglect of communities and pragmatically manage continued and expanding development pressures.

Communities are self-sufficient and organically resilient when set up to be so; with appropriate investments, care and protections for rich cultural intersections, traditions, and community networks that make places so special. That is why I am sponsoring a resolution aimed at developing a comprehensive approach to the planning, preservation, and celebrating the value of the assets of the 78702 area. We plan for additional assets to be included with the draft resolution between now and Thursday and welcome suggestions from colleagues and community. If all goes to plan the process should be fluid enough to adjust according to new information and to accommodate a living history.

To that important consideration this resolution places deliberate emphasis on collaboration with community initiatives, efforts and organizations, city and private agencies, and regional partners to address:

• housing affordability and attainability
• economic opportunity
• integrated workforce development
• programs designed to transcend cycles of generational poverty while addressing economic segregation in city planning
• calculated historic preservation efforts matched with nimble- future facing preparation.
• community inspired, considerate, amenities rich development

Your support on the dais and co-sponsorship of this item for consideration are appreciated in our pursuits of positive community impacts.
Kindly,
NHM

[Alison Alter]

Thank you, Council Member Harper-Madison, for your work on this item. I believe this type of collaboration and area planning effort is valuable and needed. Thank you for the invitation, I would like to be included as a co-sponsor.

Regards,
Alison Alter