The Comprehensive Planning process should and will involve people from all walks of life - regular folks, organized advocates, and people from nearby and overlapping jurisdictions will all play a part in the process over the next two years.

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Partners in the process

The City will recruit partners from the public and private sectors who can:

• Help extend the reach of the public participation process
• Provide valuable outreach and input opportunities to the public
• Provide venues, food, and/or entertainment for community events
• Provide educational opportunities regarding alternative futures for Austin.

Community Leaders

Members of the public who hold leadership roles in the community will be recruited to encourage broad public participation in the planning effort. Community leaders may also be institutions like churches, neighborhood associations, and professional organizations.

Volunteers

Citizens, organizations, and businesses without any formal leadership role who nonetheless are willing to go beyond the role of participating and take on an organizing role. In addition to individuals, volunteers may also be places where Austin's communities gather, such as restaurants, cafés, and beauty shops.

Institutional partners

Organizations-such as the independent school districts, Capital Metro, the State of Texas, the University of Texas, or the Lower Colorado River Authority-in Austin and the region that have authority over something related to the Comprehensive Plan will be engaged as partners throughout the process. These partnerships could include providing outreach and in-kind assistance through participation on technical committees.

Comprehensive Plan Citizen Advisory Task Force

Members of the Task Force will serve as:

• Champions of the Comprehensive Plan,
• Ambassadors to Austin's many communities,
• Guides to help the consultant and staff understand public input.

The Task Force will be a forum for the discussion of ideas and issues and help to guide the consultant team and staff in synthesizing public input. Click here for more information on the Task Force, including meetings.

Technical working groups

Later in the process, the public and key stakeholders will be invited to form technical working groups, which will develop recommendations to the Task Force regarding how the Vision Statement and Plan Framework policy directions can be translated into specific strategies and actions. A process will be developed to ensure that the working group's recommendations are coordinated and integrated.

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