The Neighborhood Assistance Center (NAC) provides educational resources and information about the City of Austin’s operations and services. The center facilitates and assists effective communication between neighborhood stakeholders and the City of Austin.
The following provides detailed information about the Neighborhood Assistance Center and its services:
Organizing your neighborhood group
Stakeholders can get involved in shaping their neighborhoods by participating in active neighborhood associations, homeowners associations, and other self-defined community organizations. The NAC can provide useful advice to groups and individuals who are looking to organize a neighborhood group, and can provide information about using key City of Austin involvement tools, including the Community Registry
Working with the City of Austin
The Neighborhood Assistance Center was created in 2009 to support and assists neighborhood-based groups in identifying city services. The NAC provides training to neighborhood-based groups and individuals who are interested in getting more involved with development activities at the neighborhood level. Neighborhood Advisors are available to discuss concerns and answer questions by both phone and email.
Getting information about private development
The NAC can assist with understanding land-use procedures, programs, and projects, as well as how to use various online tools & resources to locate case-specific information. These online resources can include Code regulations, the order in which land development processes occur, navigating the public hearings process, how to contact commissioners and council members, numerous interactive and ready-made maps, and more.
Resources
CITY COUNCIL
- Austin City Council
Council’s public “Message Board”: observe their discussion between meetings; meeting agendas & minutes; contact information
- Citizen Participation at Council Meetings
- Maps & Demographic Profiles of Council Districts
Plus links to other demographics maps, reports, presentations, and Texas data
CITY MANAGEMENT
- City of Austin Organizational & Department Chart
One-page visual of the six ‘priority outcomes’ of the Austin Strategic Plan
- City Management
- Biographies of the City Manager and Assistant City Managers (ACM)
- About ACM responsibilities, departments
- Automated Citizen Assistance Program (a.k.a. Citizen Assistance Form or “CAF”)
- Biographies of the City Manager and Assistant City Managers (ACM)
CITY CLERK
- Public Records Search
Search for any official records; Council Resolutions and Ordinances; meeting agendas and items by meeting date, case number, keywords
- Boards & Commissions
Council-members appoint members of each Commission or Board; Bylaws and/or Rules & Procedures, Meeting schedules, agendas with backup materials, minutes and videos of past meetings
- Elections
Council campaigns & Political Action Committees, voting information, election results, lobbyists
CODE DEPARTMENT
- Citizen Connect
Interactive map of code complaints
- Code Connect
“Hotline” staffed by experienced code inspectors to help with general code questions, provide resource guidance, escalate issues, and give updates on existing cases (phone & email)
COMMUNICATIONS
- Official City Memos
Official Distribution memos provide updates and status reports on City issues and programs to the Mayor, Council and City staff
- ATXN Video (City of Austin TV Channel 6)
Video (or audio) recordings of Council & Commission meetings online (live and archived), News Conferences, “CityView”, “Notes in Time”, other videos. (some Board & Commission meetings are not video-recorded)
- Public Information Requests
Regardless of what information/records you are seeking, start on this page, and it will be routed to the proper department(s)
- Austin Notes
Sign up to receive regular email alerts from various departments/programs
- CityWorks Academy
Inside look at the workings of Austin’s city government and operations for adult residents of Austin
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
- Online Tools
Easy-to-use list of links to various online resources for understanding development in Austin
- Notifications & Interested Parties
Types of development cases that require the City to send notices to residents and registered organizations
- Austin Codes & Regulations
Links to all the Austin codes, regulations, rule postings, criteria manuals
- Development Process Flowcharts
Flowcharts to better understand the development and permitting process
- Growth Watch
Various analyses of historical development data in Austin, Emerging Projects, and more
HOUSING & PLANNING
- Zoning
- Permitted Use Chart
What uses are allowed in each zoning district
- Site Development Regulations
a.k.a. Compatibility Standards
- Graphics of Compatibility Height & Setback
from SF-5 or more restrictive zoning
- Permitted Use Chart
- Standard Land Use & Map Designations
Chart showing what Zoning District falls under which Land Use Category, and what color represents each zoning district on the maps
- Design Standards & Mixed Use (MU)
Standards for site development and building design of commercial property development
- LDC Chapter 25-2, Subchapter E
View the language of the ordinance in the Land Development Code
- Vertical Mixed Use (VMU)
Overview of the 2006 optional Vertical Mixed Use overlay ordinance and the requirements/entitlements, if used by applicant
- LDC Chapter 25-2, Subchapter E
- Residential Design & Compatibility Standards
a.k.a. “McMansion Ordinance”
- LDC Chapter 25-2, Subchapter F
View the language of the ordinance in the Land Development Code
- LDC Chapter 25-2, Subchapter F
- Long Range Planning
- Neighborhood Planning Program
Neighborhood Plans were implemented from the late 1990s through 2015, in the urban core and Oak Hill.
- Contact Teams
A neighborhood plan contact team (NPCT) is a group of individuals designated to be the stewards or advocates of their adopted neighborhood plan.
- Contact Teams
- Implementation Program
Managed by the Long Range Planning division of the Housing & Planning Department, tracking the goals and accomplishments of the various neighborhood plans and Capital Improvement Projects
- Neighborhood Planning Program
- Housing affordability and income eligibility
This information is maintained by the Housing & Planning Department, and includes Federal and State median family income (MFI) eligibility limits for receiving affordable housing assistance
- Affordability Unlocked Development Bonus Program
Understand how the 2018 Affordable Housing Bonds will provide developers extensive waivers/modifications if at least half their units will be “affordable”
- Affordability Unlocked Development Bonus Program
OTHER
- City of Austin Plans
Central location of all City planning documents such as Imagine Austin (& annual reports), Neighborhood Plans, Small Area Plans, Strategic Housing Blueprint, Parks Long Range Plan, Capitol Complex Plan, Transportation Plans, Strategic Direction 2023, etc.
- Maps & GIS Data
Pre-made maps, GIS data for download, links to all COA interactive maps (FloodPro, Property Profile, Parks, Traffic, Crime, etc.)
- Austin Police Department (APD) District Representatives
Learn what services they can provide, what APD District are you in, and who is your “DR”
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
- Austin Dispute Resolution
Non-profit community mediation & facilitation services
For further assistance, please email the Neighborhood Assistance Center at NeighborhoodAssistanceCenter@austintexas.gov. Or contact Carol Gibbs at 512-974-7219 or Mary Helen McCarthy at 512-974-7117.