City council was scheduled to begin holding public meetings on Tuesday, March 24, to discuss further proposed changes to proposed rewrite of the land code, which governs what can be built in the city and where. However, that meeting and the three following meetings leading up to the April 2 vote have all been postponed until further notice.
“These are extraordinary times and public health is paramount. In response to the increasing concerns and fluidity of COVID-19 situation, the City of Austin has decided to postpone meetings and action related to [rewrite],” a March 16 press release read. “We are continuing to discuss options for how to move the Land Development Code Revision process forward. We appreciate your patience as we work through adapting City operations.”
On March 16, the city announced that most city employees would be transitioning to working from home, with the exception of public safety, first responders, public works and emergency management operations. Boards and commission meetings this week have all been canceled and the city is considering canceling next week’s meetings as well, which would include a City Council regular meeting.
Over the weekend, the city began prohibiting gatherings of 250 people or more in an effort to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. On March 16, the federal government recommended against gatherings of more than 10 people. Historically, public hearings regarding Austin’s land development code rewrite have brought hundreds of people to Austin City Hall.
