- REGULAR MEETING OF THE AUSTIN-TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD POLICY BOARD MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2026, AT 5:00 P.M. PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER, ROOM 1406 6310 WILHELMINO DELCO DRIVE, AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board may be participating by videoconference. Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, contact Amanda Rohlich, (512) 974-1364, Amanda.Rohlich@austintexas.gov. CURRENT AUSTIN-TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD POLICY BOARD MEMBERS: Joi Chevalier, Chair Lisa Barden, Vice-Chair Andrea Abel Marissa Bell Beth Corbett Nitza Cuevas Kacey Hanson Seanna Marceaux Melody McClary Erin McDonald Natalie Poulos Andrew Smith AGENDA CALL TO ORDER Board Member roll call and introduction of new and existing board members. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 10 speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three- minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board Special Called Meeting on Monday, March 23, 2026. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. Staff briefing regarding Austin-Travis County Food Plan Implementation. Presentation by Edwin Marty, Food Policy Manager, Austin Climate Action & Resilience and Yaira Robinson, Assistant Director of Environmental Programs, Travis County. DISCUSSION ITEMS 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Presentation and discussion regarding Agricultural Evaluations, Nickolas Fritz, Land & Special Valuation Manager, Travis County Appraisal District. Report from Joint Sustainability Committee on March 25, 2026. Presentation and discussion regarding the working group to expand access to nutritious foods through improvement to existing materials and resources and explore alternate or expanded hours for existing resources. Presentation and discussion regarding the working group to participate in the USDA Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) application for funding for conservation easements as a regional partnership. Presentation and discussion regarding the working group to explore revenue generators such as sugar sweetened beverage tax, a surplus food donation requirement for events, and/or a percent conservation fund from all land purchases or new developments. Review Board Member Assignments. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Discuss and take possible action on the Joint Sustainability Committee liaison appointment. Discuss …
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board Recommendation Number: XXXXXXXX-XXX: Supporting Food Plan Implementation through Urban Agriculture Coordination and Festival Beach Restoration WHEREAS, the Festival Beach Food Forest is a volunteer-led permaculture food forest developed in partnership with the Austin Parks and Recreation Department beginning in 2014, sponsored by 501(c)3 nonprofit organization Fruitful Commons; and WHEREAS, in 2021 the Austin City Council approved expansion of the Festival Beach Food Forest to approximately three acres to support community food production, ecological restoration, and climate resilience on public parkland; and WHEREAS, a wastewater pipeline relocation associated with the Texas Department of Transportation Interstate 35 Capital Express Project has impacted the approved Phase 2 expansion area of the Festival Beach Food Forest, resulting in the removal of 92 trees and shrubs and the loss of approximately $550,000 in public and community investment, including $375,000 in volunteer labor; and WHEREAS, despite quarterly coordination meetings over 18 months, community stewards were notified of the wastewater pipeline relocation only two weeks before construction was scheduled to begin, highlighting gaps in communication and coordination between City departments, infrastructure projects, and community partners stewarding food-producing landscapes on public land; and WHEREAS, the Festival Beach Food Forest and adjacent Festival Beach Community Garden are also expected to be impacted by a proposed Austin Energy transmission line relocation associated with the Interstate 35 Capital Express Project, for which Austin Energy has agreed to provide $2,414,240 in parkland mitigation funding for permanent use of parkland, pending approval by the Austin City Council on April 23, 2026; and WHEREAS, the combined impacts of the wastewater pipeline relocation and the proposed Austin Energy transmission line relocation represent cumulative disruptions to the Festival Beach Food Forest and adjacent community food production spaces, compounding the loss of established plantings, volunteer investment, and community use of public land; and WHEREAS, community-scale food production projects such as the Festival Beach Food Forest advance goals of the Austin/Travis County Food Plan by increasing local food production, climate resilience, and community stewardship of public land; and WHEREAS, in 2025 the Austin Travis County Food Policy Board adopted Recommendation 20250210-003 urging the City to establish an interdepartmental coordination mechanism, including a dedicated staff role, to support urban agriculture and implementation of the Food Plan across departments; and WHEREAS, the Austin Climate and Resilience Office previously proposed a budget enhancement to create an Urban Agriculture Program Manager position to coordinate Food …
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board Recommendation Number: XXXXXXXX-XXX: Support for Del Valle Food Co-Op Rezoning and Fee Relief WHEREAS, the Austin‑Travis County Food Plan, adopted by Austin City Council in October 2024, calls for expanding access to nutritious and affordable food for all residents, prioritizes community‑led solutions, and emphasizes strengthening food markets and retail outlets in underserved areas; and WHEREAS, the Del Valle Food Co‑Op is a community‑driven initiative launched in 2023 to establish a neighborhood grocery store in East Austin — a location with limited retail access to healthy foods — with the goal of improving food accessibility, reducing transportation barriers, and providing a walkable, community‑centered food retail option; and WHEREAS, the project received a $500,000 allocation from the City of Austin through the American Rescue Plan Act, representing a public investment in equitable food access and local economic development; and WHEREAS, the co‑op has been developed through strong, ongoing collaboration with community partners including Go Austin Vamos Austin (GAVA) and Austin Cooperative Business Association (ACBA), with community organizing and outreach central to designing a store that reflects local needs, priorities, and lived experience; and WHEREAS, Phase I activities have been completed, including business planning, creating a market study, cooperative incorporation, governance development, and hiring operational leadership, demonstrating readiness for next-phase site planning and implementation; and WHEREAS, the Del Valle Food Co‑Op has established over 40 paid member‑owners and has secured additional membership pledges, reflecting sustained local support and community engagement; and WHEREAS, the Del Valle Food Co-Op has identified a development site at 5807 Ross Road to serve East Austin residents; and WHEREAS, the selected site is within an area identified in a 2023 market feasibility study as having strong potential to support a neighborhood grocery store; and WHEREAS, the selected site also meets key feasibility criteria, including access to utilities, location outside of the floodplain, proximity to public transportation, and accessibility to surrounding neighborhoods; and WHEREAS, the site must be rezoned from SF-6 (Townhouse & Condominium Residence) to LR (Neighborhood Commercial) or an equivalent commercial designation that permits a neighborhood- scale grocery store to proceed; and WHEREAS, the Del Valle Food Co-Op has secured site control through a lease agreement with the property owner, including authorization to pursue rezoning and an option to purchase the property; and WHEREAS, the standard rezoning process is estimated to cost $10,000 or more, including application fees, planning or legal …
Nickolas Fritz, Land & Special Valuation Manager To qualify for agricultural evaluation, a property must show: • Agricultural use for 5 of the preceding 7 years • Agriculture is the land's primary use • Degree of intensity generally accepted in the area • Current intensity guidelines are generally designed around larger traditional operations. However, the law does not allow TCAD to deny a qualifying use solely on the basis of acreage. A small, intensive commercial operation that meets the degree-of-intensity test can qualify, regardless of size. • Commercial intent — production for sale, not hobby or personal use Application deadline: April 30 annually (Form 50-129) Land Inside Austin City Limits • Standard 5-of-7 year history becomes a continuous 5-year requirement — no gaps allowed • One missed year inside city limits can break the qualification, whereas it would not outside the city limits • Alternate path: land that does not receive city services comparable to surrounding properties may qualify. This is rarely applicable in Austin proper. • Consistency of documented use is critical — off-season gaps in visible activity matter more inside city limits Both mixed produce and cover cropping are recognized agricultural activities under Texas Tax Code §23.51. Mixed Produce Farms • Qualifies under irrigated or dry cropland categories • Must demonstrate commercial sales — receipts, Schedule F, and buyer documentation are key Both mixed produce and cover cropping are recognized agricultural activities under Texas Tax Code §23.51. Cover Cropping • Explicitly listed as a qualifying activity in Tax Code §23.51 when part of a normal commercial crop rotation • Cannot stand alone as the primary qualifying use — must support an active commercial operation TCAD currently has no formal mixed produce intensity classification — but the legal framework fully supports creating one. • The Chief Appraiser has full statutory authority to establish intensity standards for any agricultural use type. • The Comptroller's framework explicitly supports small intensive operations and does not allow acreage alone to be disqualifying. • TCAD has discussed a mixed produce class for several years — limited demand has slowed formal development. • Engagement from Austin's food community is exactly the kind of input that moves this forward through the Ag Advisory Board. A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement — permanently recorded in the deed — that restricts development or commercial use of land for conservation purposes. It is governed in Texas by …
RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board Recommendation Number20260413-011: Supporting Food Plan Implementation through Urban Agriculture Coordination and Festival Beach Restoration WHEREAS, the Festival Beach Food Forest is a volunteer-led permaculture food forest developed in partnership with the Austin Parks and Recreation Department beginning in 2014, sponsored by 501(c)3 nonprofit organization Fruitful Commons; and WHEREAS, in 2021 the Austin City Council approved expansion of the Festival Beach Food Forest to approximately three acres to support community food production, ecological restoration, and climate resilience on public parkland; and WHEREAS, a wastewater pipeline relocation associated with the Texas Department of Transportation Interstate 35 Capital Express Project has impacted the approved Phase 2 expansion area of the Festival Beach Food Forest, resulting in the removal of 92 trees and shrubs and the loss of approximately $550,000 in public and community investment, including $375,000 in volunteer labor; and WHEREAS, despite quarterly coordination meetings over 18 months, community stewards were notified of the wastewater pipeline relocation only two weeks before construction was scheduled to begin, highlighting gaps in communication and coordination between City departments, infrastructure projects, and community partners stewarding food-producing landscapes on public land; and WHEREAS, the Festival Beach Food Forest and adjacent Festival Beach Community Garden are also expected to be impacted by a proposed Austin Energy transmission line relocation associated with the Interstate 35 Capital Express Project, for which Austin Energy has agreed to provide $2,414,240 in parkland mitigation funding for permanent use of parkland, pending approval by the Austin City Council on April 23, 2026; and WHEREAS, the combined impacts of the wastewater pipeline relocation and the proposed Austin Energy transmission line relocation represent cumulative disruptions to the Festival Beach Food Forest and adjacent community food production spaces, compounding the loss of established plantings, volunteer investment, and community use of public land; and WHEREAS, community-scale food production projects such as the Festival Beach Food Forest advance key goals of the Austin/Travis County Food Plan, including expanding access to land for community-based food production (Goal 1), increasing equitable access to nutritious and culturally relevant food (Goal 6), and strengthening community leadership, participation, and decision-making in the food system (Goal 9); and WHEREAS, the Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board has consistently advanced this priority, adopting Recommendations 20240318-007 in 2024 and 20250210-003 in 2025, both of which urge the City to establish an interdepartmental coordination mechanism, including a dedicated staff role, to support …
RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board Recommendation Number: 20260414-012: Support for Del Valle Food Co-Op Rezoning and Fee Relief WHEREAS, the Austin‑Travis County Food Plan, adopted by Austin City Council in October 2024, calls for expanding access to nutritious and affordable food for all residents (Goal 6), prioritizes community‑led solutions, and emphasizes strengthening food markets and retail outlets in underserved areas; and WHEREAS, the Del Valle Food Co‑Op is a community‑driven initiative launched in 2023 to establish a neighborhood grocery store in East Austin — a location with limited retail access to healthy foods — with the goal of improving food accessibility, reducing transportation barriers, and providing a walkable, community‑centered food retail option; and WHEREAS, the project received a $500,000 allocation from the City of Austin through the American Rescue Plan Act, representing a public investment in equitable food access and local economic development; and WHEREAS, the co‑op has been developed through strong, ongoing collaboration with community partners including Go Austin Vamos Austin (GAVA) and Austin Cooperative Business Association (ACBA), with community organizing and outreach central to designing a store that reflects local needs, priorities, and lived experience; and WHEREAS, Phase I activities have been completed, including business planning, creating a market study, cooperative incorporation, governance development, and hiring operational leadership, demonstrating readiness for next-phase site planning and implementation; and WHEREAS, the Del Valle Food Co‑Op has established over 40 paid member‑owners and has secured additional membership pledges, reflecting sustained local support and community engagement; and WHEREAS, the Del Valle Food Co-Op has identified a development site at 5807 Ross Road to serve East Austin residents; and WHEREAS, the selected site is within an area identified in a 2023 market feasibility study as having strong potential to support a neighborhood grocery store; and WHEREAS, the selected site also meets key feasibility criteria, including access to utilities, location outside of the floodplain, proximity to public transportation, and accessibility to surrounding neighborhoods; and WHEREAS, the Del Valle Food Cooperative Property is currently zoned townhouse and condominium residence (SF-6) district, a zoning designation which does not allow the use of this property as a grocery store; and WHEREAS, the Del Valle Food Co-Op has secured site control through a lease agreement with the property owner, including authorization to pursue rezoning and an option to purchase the property; and WHEREAS, the standard rezoning process is estimated to cost $10,000 or more, including …
April 13, 2026 Food Policy Board Presentation Founded 2019MissionWe support neighborhood leaders and organizations to grow food,strengthen communities, and foster stewardship of the natural commonsVisionEvery neighborhood has green spaces that reconnect people to food,nature, and each other AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY FOOD PLAN Fruitful Commons supports Food Plan Strategies: Currently engaged as “Network Weaver” for Food Plan Implemenation Collaborative Expand access to nutritious andculturally relevant food in fooddistribution programs and foodretail locations for residents ofAustin-Travis County experiencingfood insecurity or facing barriers tofood access...GOAL 6: ACCESSExpand community food production,preserve agricultural lands, andincrease the amount of farmlanddedicated to regenerative foodproduction long-term in Austin-Travis County.GOAL 1: LANDDevelop community education,empowerment, and infrastructure tosupport effective implementation ofthe food plan as measured byincreased funding, data collection,partnerships, and communityparticipation in a local food systemnetwork.GOAL 9: EMPOWER FISCALLY SPONSORED PROJECTS Onion Creek Park Neighborhoods Alliance Memorial Garden Orchard Project TREE CARE MINI GRANT PROJECTS UT Microfarm WorkdayInstalling IrrigationSDF Garden Tree PlantingSt. John OrchardExpandedLabyrinth CommunityGardenPEASEl Buen SamaritanoCenter for MaximumPotential BuildingSystems Food ForestAlamo CommunityGardenKealing Middle SchoolAustin DiscoverySchoolSalvation ArmyFestival BeachCommunity GardenFestival BeachFood Forest 2025 MINI GRANT RECIPIENTS Fifth Annual Cohort of Urban Canopy Champions! Applications for the 2026-2027 cohort will be open July 15-August 31. Festival Beach Community GardenFestival Beach Food ForestFriends of Grand MeadowIslamic Center of Greater AustinJollyville ElementaryKalpulli Texas QuetzalcoatlOdom ElementaryOnion Creek Park Neighborhoods AlliancePartners for Education Agriculture andSustainability (PEAS)Rebuilding Broken CommunitiesThe Salvation Army AustinUrban Roots Festival Beach Food forest FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD FOREST FBFF expanded from 3/4 acre to 3 acres in 2022-2024 and will continue to grow in 2026 TXDOT CAPITAL EXPRESS PROJECT FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT SURVEY “Festival Beach Community Garden and Festival Beach Food Forest onWaller Street, between Clermont and Flores Streets, were added as Section4(f) resources for constructive use analysis, as they would be directlyacross from temporary construction staging areas. No direct impactswould occur at these Edward Rendon Sr. Metro Park facilities.“ WASTEWATER PIPELINE UTILITY RELOCATION Approved by Parks Board, Nov. 2024 - Board was misinformed that pipeline “would not” directly impact food forest; no public comments given Approved by Austin City Council, Jan. 2025; no public comments given First notification to FBFF & Fruitful Commons - January 6, 2026 - via Rifeline, TxDOT Community Liaison contractors Estimated $550K loss, including city-funded plantings & $375K in-kind community labor COMMUNITY RAPID RESPONSE COMMUNICATION AT AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, BOARD & COMMISSION MEETINGS: Water & Wastewater Commission - 1/14/26 Parks & Recreation Board - 2/2/26, 2/23/26, 3/23/36 Environmental Commission …
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board Recommendation Number: XXXXXXXX-XXX: Supporting Food Plan Implementation through Urban Agriculture Coordination and Festival Beach Restoration WHEREAS, the Festival Beach Food Forest is a volunteer-led permaculture food forest developed in partnership with the Austin Parks and Recreation Department beginning in 2014, sponsored by 501(c)3 nonprofit organization Fruitful Commons; and WHEREAS, in 2021 the Austin City Council approved expansion of the Festival Beach Food Forest to approximately three acres to support community food production, ecological restoration, and climate resilience on public parkland; and WHEREAS, a wastewater pipeline relocation associated with the Texas Department of Transportation Interstate 35 Capital Express Project has impacted the approved Phase 2 expansion area of the Festival Beach Food Forest, resulting in the removal of 92 trees and shrubs and the loss of approximately $550,000 in public and community investment, including $375,000 in volunteer labor; and WHEREAS, despite quarterly coordination meetings over 18 months, community stewards were notified of the wastewater pipeline relocation only two weeks before construction was scheduled to begin, highlighting gaps in communication and coordination between City departments, infrastructure projects, and community partners stewarding food-producing landscapes on public land; and WHEREAS, the Festival Beach Food Forest and adjacent Festival Beach Community Garden are also expected to be impacted by a proposed Austin Energy transmission line relocation associated with the Interstate 35 Capital Express Project, for which Austin Energy has agreed to provide $2,414,240 in parkland mitigation funding for permanent use of parkland, pending approval by the Austin City Council on April 23, 2026; and WHEREAS, the combined impacts of the wastewater pipeline relocation and the proposed Austin Energy transmission line relocation represent cumulative disruptions to the Festival Beach Food Forest and adjacent community food production spaces, compounding the loss of established plantings, volunteer investment, and community use of public land; and WHEREAS, community-scale food production projects such as the Festival Beach Food Forest advance goals of the Austin/Travis County Food Plan by increasing local food production, climate resilience, and community stewardship of public land; and WHEREAS, in 2025 the Austin Travis County Food Policy Board adopted Recommendation 20250210-003 urging the City to establish an interdepartmental coordination mechanism, including a dedicated staff role, to support urban agriculture and implementation of the Food Plan across departments; and WHEREAS, the Austin Climate and Resilience Office previously proposed a budget enhancement to create an Urban Agriculture Program Manager position to coordinate Food …
Austin-Travis County Food Plan ATCFPB April 2026 – Staff Update City of Austin Food Plan Updates City Staff Updates ● City staff will provide City Council with a Memo in April 2026 ● City staff have started updating the Food Plan Dashboard, to be completed April 2026 ● Travis County Commissioners Court proclamation about the Milan Pact Award tentatively scheduled for April 28th ● Funding from the MUFPP Award will be released via a RFA in fall 2026 Food Plan Implementation Convening ● The Implementation Collaborative is being led by WNT ● Public launch for the Collaborative is scheduled for June 2026 ○ Action: ■ Take the Survey and get on the listserve ■ Consider how the Collaboratives priorities could relate to the Food Policy Board’s Working Groups City of Austin 2026 Bond ● Results from Phase 3 Community Engagement: ○ Housing and transportation remain top priorities. ○ ○ ○ ■ Across all engagement methods, these categories emerged as the most consistent and widely supported, with additional support for quality-of-life investments such as parks, recreation, and community facilities. Community members support bond outcomes, with concerns about cost and implementation. ■ While most respondents indicate support for the bond and its potential benefits, there are notable concerns regarding overall financial impact and the City’s ability to deliver projects effectively. Preference for improving existing infrastructure. ■ Respondents consistently favor reinvestment in existing facilities and systems over new construction, particularly for core services. Different engagement methods surface different types of input. ■ Survey and voting activities highlight broad priorities, while written comments emphasize areas of concern, including transparency, process, and alignment with community needs. City of Austin 2026 Bond - Summary City of Austin 2026 Bond - Next Steps ● March – April 2026: Working Groups present and discuss initial recommendations with full BEATF ● May 4, 2026: BEATF finalizes recommendations to the Mayor and City Council ● May 8, 2026: City staff provides recommendations, integrating feasibility and funding considerations ● May 19, 2026: City Council work session to discuss proposed bond package ● August 6, 2026: City Council Meeting – consideration of an ordinance to call for a bond election and set ballot language ● November 3, 2026: Bond election Travis County Food Plan Updates (No updates) Thank You! www.austintexas.gov/food /austinsustainability
