What’s the difference between the city of Austin’s Planning Commission and Zoning and Platting Commission? The range of issues local government leaders grapple with from day to day is broad, and in an ever-evolving city such as Austin, land-use matters are often at the top of the list. That’s in addition to the comprehensive revision of the city’s land-development code—an effort dubbed CodeNEXT. Austin City Council appoints local citizens to governing bodies that make recommendations on these matters, but what exactly are each of them tasked with? First, one must understand the importance of Austin’s neighborhood plans. The city’s 30 neighborhood plans provide a blueprint for future land use in those areas. If a land-use matter is in one of the 30 neighborhood planning areas the case is mostly likely to be heard by the planning commission. If the zoning case is outside of a planning area, it is heard by the zoning and platting commission. Both can only issue recommendations to City Council, but often recommended items are placed on the council’s consent agenda—items that are up for automatic approval unless a council member poses a question or asks for clarification on the item.