Consider and take appropriate action on the following related to the Northeast District Plan:

Staff Report & Agenda Item Details

On June 1, 2023, EDSI briefed the Commissioners Court on the idea of creating a Marshall Plan for eastern Travis County. A Marshall Plan identifies quality public investments and funding mechanisms to support communities in East Travis County that have faced displacement and systemic racism that has left people of color falling further behind economically; made them more likely to be in a generational cycle of poverty; and less resilient to natural disasters, weather events, and national or personal economic or health crises.<br><br>Working with community partners, consultants, and stakeholders, EDSI staff will work on the following key tasks needed to develop a fiscally sound program that can provide meaningful community benefits in a timely manner. Initial work will include identifying the geographic area, establishing the baseline value, modeling potential revenue/funding scenarios, identifying potential federal funding, addressing any legal issues that may arise and establishing a project and finance plan that is both data-driven and community informed by a meaningful public engagement strategy.<br><br>During the summer of 2023, PBO staff, Commissioner Travillion's Office and City of Austin leaders met to discuss the possibility of collaborating on a community-led Collaborative Northeast District Plan. The Austin City Council has previously directed the City Manager to coordinate, to the greatest extent possible, with the County on the Northeast Austin District Plan to ensure synergy between the Northeast Austin District Plan and the County's long-range planning efforts. Specifically, for the areas of the Northeast Austin District within the ETJ, the City Manager has been directed to ensure compatibility with relevant County policies. The objective of the Northeast Austin District Plan is to review past and present inequities as well as disinvestments in services and infrastructure within the District, address them, and provide guidance for: retaining existing residents and businesses, creating and maintaining great neighborhoods, spurring economic development, creating and retaining stable jobs that pay a living wage, improving connectivity, provide high-quality public spaces, and meeting community needs.<br><br>On August 29, 2023, the Commissioners Court approved a resolution directing staff to do the following:<ol style="list-style-type: decimal;"><li>Interlocal Agreement. Negotiate and bring forward to the Commissioners Court, an interlocal agreement further identifying collaborative work, deliverables, performance metrics and shared funding with the City for a Collaborative Northeast District Plan.</li><li>Collaborative Governance. Co-create a collaborative area planning effort between the City, the County, and other interested local governments and entities in northeastern Travis County as a pilot project of the Marshall Plan in partnership with the existing Northeast Austin District Plan in order to establish a Collaborative Northeast