22, 23 and 25 ANA Resolution calling for LDC Public Hearing Postponement.pdf — original pdf

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From: To: Cc: Subject: Date: Nathalie Frensley Azhar, Awais - BC; Llanes, Carmen - BC; Hempel, Claire - BC; Shieh, James - BC; Thompson, Jeffrey - BC; Schneider, Robert - BC; Shaw, Todd - BC; Mushtaler, Jennifer - BC; Howard, Patrick - BC; Cox, Grayson - BC; Flores, Yvette - BC; Anderson, Greg - BC; Singh, Arati - BC; Adler, Steve; Alter, Alison; Harper-Madison, Natasha; Fuentes, Vanessa; Renteria, Sabino; Vela, Jose "Chito"; Kitchen, Ann; Kelly, Mackenzie; Pool, Leslie; Ellis, Paige; Tovo, Kathie; Ramirez, Nadia - BC; Kiolbassa, Jolene - BC; King, David - BC; Smith, Hank - BC; Stern, Lonny - BC; Boone, Scott - BC; Woody, Roy - BC; Thompson, Carrie - BC; Denkler, Ann - BC; Acosta, Cesar - BC; Greenberg, Betsy - BC Rivera, Andrew; Cronk, Spencer Resolution calling for LDC Public Hearing Postponement until after Run-off Elections Monday, November 7, 2022 11:58:27 AM *** External Email - Exercise Caution *** Mr. Rivera - Could you please add this to Citizen Comment? Thank you. Dear Commissioners and Council Members, As thousands of Austinites are civically engaged in get-out-the-vote activities, making their vote plans, and working to uphold the administration and integrity of Tuesday’s elections, the Planning Commission has scheduled public hearings starting at 6:00 pm on Election night on several high public interest land development code (LDC) items. This unfairly pits participating in public hearings against participating in Election Day activities. The remedy is to postpone hearing LDC items until after the results of Council elections, including run-offs, are decided. The Planning Commission creates a real, structural impediment to full civic participation in Austin by scheduling LDC items for its Election Day meeting. It effectively forces many Austinites who · are involved in election administration, poll watching, and other activities supporting election integrity to forfeit their right to participate in these public hearings. · made their election plan to vote on Election Day afternoon and evening to have to choose between electoral civic participation and public hearing civic participation. · as community volunteers assist elderly and handicapped voters with transportation to the polls to have to choose between electoral and public hearing participation. Unofficial, unrecorded “Listening Sessions” are no substitute for Austinites to exercise their right to attend a public hearing. Furthermore, run-off elections are likely, which will create more opportunities for the City of Austin to pit our electoral against our public hearing participation. Meetings planned by the City Council to hear these high public interest land development code issues during November and December will coincide with run-off campaign activities and pose just as much of an impediment for full civic participation as the Planning Commission has created for Tuesday. After hearing from Allandale neighbors, other neighborhoods, and community groups, the Allandale Neighborhood Association Board voted yesterday to pass a resolution to “Promote Good Governance Practices for City of Austin Public Hearings Before, During, and After Election Day 2022” (attached). In addition to calling on City Council, boards, and commissions to: (1) postpone hearing proposed ordinance changes to the Land Development Code until after the results of Council elections, including run-offs, are decided, the Resolution also calls for (2) making documents that contain the fixed language of proposed ordinance amendments available to the public at least 5 days before the public hearing on the proposed ordinance changes. Austinites and Allandale deserve better governance practices from the City of Austin. Respectfully, Nathalie Frensley, Board Member On behalf of the Allandale Neighborhood Association -- Nathalie J. Frensley, Ph.D. CAUTION: This email was received at the City of Austin, from an EXTERNAL source. Please use caution when clicking links or opening attachments. If you believe this to be a malicious and/or phishing email, please forward this email to cybersecurity@austintexas.gov.