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Travis County and City of Austin give quarterly update on collaborative Northeast District Plan; county may request portion of $1 million
Summary
Travis County staff provided a quarterly briefing on the collaborative Northeast District Plan, reporting a 14-member working group, an expected recommendation on project boundaries by the end of January, a summary report targeted for June and potential county requests to access up to $1,000,000 before the next quarterly update.
Travis County staff on Tuesday updated the Commissioners Court on the collaborative Northeast District Plan, a joint planning effort with the City of Austin to guide development and investment in the county’s northeast area.
Kristi Moffett, director of the Economic Development and Capital (EDC) in the county’s planning and budget office, told the court the project has a 14-member working group—seven representatives each from the city and the county—and that staff “launched websites for the collaborative Northeast District Plan” and finalized a group charter on Oct. 16 that emphasizes equity. She said the county is reviewing the city’s consultant statement of work, finalizing a recommended project boundary by the end of January, and expects a summary report of existing conditions and plans for approval in June.
The update matters because the area was described by county officials as historically underserved and likely to need coordinated investment in roads, water, clinics, transit and other infrastructure. Commissioner Gerald Trevillian said the planning effort should be proactive to avoid displacement, briefing the court that the Decker Lake area “has been placed behind barbed wire since it was taken by eminent domain in 1975” and that the county should “plan before gentrification.”
Moffett said the county portion of the working group is conducting mapping and information collection to determine whether to expand the city’s initial geographic boundary. She said the working group completed a work plan on Dec. 4 that targets a June delivery of a summary report describing current plans, assets and the project area. “We anticipate that that project boundary, at least the recommendation for it, will be ready by the end of this month,” she said.
City representative John Lawler told the court the city recently approved a next-generation plan for Austin Energy that includes a commitment to “direct investments and programs for sustainable infrastructure in the northeast planning district.” Lawler also said the City of Austin’s bond election advisory task force initiation resolution specifically highlighted the northeast planning district as a priority for potential bond action in 2025 or 2026.
Moffett told the court the county will likely come back before the next quarterly update to request access to “the $1,000,000 that we or a portion of it” to support early work; she said county staff expect to appear for that request before the March/April quarterly briefing. Commissioners emphasized the plan should produce a roadmap for budget requests, investments and policies informed by community input.
The county will continue work on the summary report, finalize the recommended project boundaries and begin implementing a work plan for creation of a Northeast Advisory Committee. County staff said the next court briefing will be in late March or early April, and that the project team may return earlier to request funds.
