Austin — Commissioners discussed the roles, responsibilities and potential consolidation of the Zoning and Planning Commission and the Planning Commission during the Oct. 21 meeting.

A commissioner reported they had spoken with the District 4 council office and said Council staffer Sam Vela "has been pretty outspoken on wanting to merge both the planning and zoning and planning commissions into one commission." The commissioner said the council office will consider a framework if both bodies can agree to it.

Why it matters: Merging the two advisory bodies would change how zoning and planning recommendations are developed and delivered to City Council and could affect the timing and content of land‑use decisions.

The same commissioner said they will be out of town for work and scheduled for surgery; in their absence Commissioners Taylor Major, Luis Oster Lugo and Alejandra Flores will carry items forward and meet with leaders of the Planning Commission. The transcript records no formal motion on consolidation; the report was presented as an update and no vote was taken.

The commission identified next procedural steps: meetings between commission leadership and a subset of Planning Commission leaders to develop a shared framework, and further consideration by the City Council office if both bodies agree.

Meeting context: Item 6 was presented as a discussion item; commissioners did not vote to alter the commissions’ status during this meeting. The exchange primarily recorded the outreach to District 4 and short, practical arrangements for coverage of commission duties during the reporting commissioner’s absence.