City of Austin  Comprehensive Plan Consultant Finalists - Comment Card  Which consultant(s) are you commenting on? (circle as appropriate)  ACP Visioning+Planning Your name: Steve Beers  HNTB  WRT  (anonymous comments will not be accepted)  Please print legibly. This page willl be scanned and provided electronically to City Council, the Mayor, and the public.  Your comment about the consultant finalists:  Nene ef them Shoul be Seledled unlil more infexmation abawt Huplamgpres. IS  disemisated.  We need Anassessmt. of die  naster  panmigr  hregtho&  1  Ouikwe haveasessed whatis goodkbad  doout fhe Cast 30 taenuse Lan Maue  CAusfi Toxorpevy on fhenepf  41  jdevafien.  Other comments:  Comments can also be submitted by email through the end of the day on Tuesday, February 17. Send your thoughts to: MarVAle@dautnses  Please include the name Or names of the consultants you are commenting on in the subject line.    City of Austin  Comprehensive Plan Consultant Finalists - Comment Card  Which consultant(s) are you commenting on? (circle as appropriate)  ACP Visioning+Planning Your name: CHESJACEON  HNTB  WRT  (anonymous comments will not be accepted)  Pledse print legibly. This page will be scanned and provided electronically. to City Council, the Mayor, and the public.  Your comment about the consultant finalists:  THE AcP 1EAM LosTO HAIE THE MoST ThpovER EMPLAMTIN) FoR, PAN 4 - ESEACH,FURIG WAJEMEN  EKSTN6 COMDITAS,ANALGIS et.  THIS FOUNDATDN /S NEGESARY.. AAs THE DFVATAN) OFf fusw) 5 EIREMELY PAEEIAIE Sb EDGAED Two QWALITES H6T CANL BETHE PBWwG fapct OF A GUALITY CAy  6POFA PLAN,  Other comments:  Comments can also be submitted by email through the end of the day on Tuesday, February 17. Send your thoughts to: MarkVAlen@dautncns  Please include the name Or names of the consultants you are commenting On in the subject line.    City of Austin  Comprehensive Plan Consultant Finalists - - Comment Card  Which consultant(s) are you commenting on? (circle as appropriate)  ACP VisioningtPanning Your name: WAH ADVER  HNTB  WRT  (anonymous comments will not. be accepted)  Please print legibly. This page will be scanned and provided electronically to City Council, the Mayor, and the public.  Your comment about the consultant finalists:  HGEST PRORIT- TAPRETIAPSPETATeN LEAH AI7 HE RUA MGT INCWDE PPAARE/ACGDAITION OF KEw -THERLAN MUST RBORITIZG THE GPVIROPHGNT $ DISLOUPALES Ew DGVELOPMEPT ON THE PECHAPGE 7OE ARUIFER THE PLAN SHouLD PORCCT NEKHBFhocp & ELIHBOEtCOP THE PVAN BtaLD GHPHASIZE DENSITY OC IM CERTEINL KEEAS/or ERAVEAGE4PMATE WITHI T#E WATERIROPT OVEEKen THEAAMEREEIN ZESPENTIAL HERR THE CITIZENS FIRST BNSISS-2AD  HE PUAMMUST AWDE RAPID TPAST/LIGNT PAIL.  PARK LAND5 GREEH SPACE  RLANb THAT K76 801K PpAb KIN PRoLERZ.  HEMoEktooD ZoNes  Other comments:  Comments can also be submitted by email through the end of the day on Tuesday, February 17. Send your thoughts to: MarVAlen@dautnss  Please include the name Or names of the consultants you are commenting on in the subject line.    City of Austin  Comprehensive Plan Consultant Finalists - Comment Card  Which consultant(s) are you commenting on? (circle as appropriate)  ACP Your name:  HNTB  WRT  (anonymous comments will not be accepted)  Please print legibly. This willl be scanned and Wour comment/abdut the constitant  Benn  page  provided electronically to City Council, the Mayor, gndt the public.  apwztver o de "AcP Uisietiny Paus Bany DAE atoitt f Cemdess TastOoaded Docgast ETCD) Ws tua sofie Pett  welt  te  MotEs6.  A  duus  Gp  Other comments:  Comments can also be submitted by email through the end of the day On Tuesday, February 17. Send your thoughts to: MaVAle@dautnces  Please include the name Or names of the consultants you are commenting On in the subject line.    Page 1 of1  Walters, Mark From: David Kobierowski  Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2009 10:51 PM Subject: Feedback on Comprehnensive Plan Consultants  To: Hello,  Walters, Mark  Overall, none. of the applicants hit al home-run with what I was looking for. But after hearing the three consultants present today regarding their strategies for the Comprehensive Plan RFP, it was clear that ACP clearly was most in touch with the' 'inclusively" community layer, which is arguably the most challenging, most critical, and most beneficial element of this overall exercise in front of them. Iwas also impressed that ACP has worked with cities similar to Austin recently, notably Columbus, OH, which: is similar to. Austin inj population and is also a large college town like Austin. ACP also worked ACP also seemed most qualified to answer questions without adding a ton of' "consultant-speak" like The only infoIH have to base my decision is watching these three presentations today. Idon't know any of these groups and don't have any previous knowledge of their work beyond the content presented  ACP Visionary and Planning group was the best of the three.  on aj project in Amhurst, MA: recently, another college town.  HNTB did. Iwould steer very far from HNTB based on what I saw today.  today. Best, David Kobierowski  2/17/2009    Page 1 of1  Walters, Mark From: To:  Sent: Friday, February 13, 20095:09PM  Walters, Mark  Subject: City of Austin Comprehensive Plan Consultant Finalists  After hearing last evenings presentations and comments and reading each of their websites regarding the projects they have completed, Thave come to the conclusion that the ACP VisioningePlanning Team is the most qualified. Their experience and qualifications touch every areai from planning to environmental sustainability and having chosen Clarion and TBG,lam confident they will be successful in working together for thet future of Austin's growth while maintaining Austin's outstanding quality of life and retaining the assets that make. Austin special. lalso appreciate that ACP welcomes and involves public participation as well....  Helene Mandras  Nothing says love you like flowers! Find a florist near you now.  2/17/2009    Page 10 of1  Walters, Mark From: Patricia Buchholtz;  Sent: Monday, February 16, 20099:49AM Walters, Mark Subject: Comprehensive Plan  To: Dear Mark,  Let me first start by saying that lapplaud. Austin for taking the initiative to pull together a team to create a new comprehensive plan for the city. Ihave been long disappointed in smaller towns that at one time had been charming, interesting, walkable places, and through the years have only shown sprawl, car-oriented, and hodge- podge development. Fredricksburg is one example = there is a heart to the town, but its sO very obvious where thel heart stops and where folks stopped caring about how the town grew. Austin is an interesting city- with districts blooming. This isn't such a bad thing, as long as each district is celebrated. Paris has a similar layout via the arrondissements. Each one seems to have a unique personality and identity, but all of them have charm, are walkable, are connected - all of the important factors when creating a world-class city. Our districts seem to grow al bit more organically - East Austin, Downtown, South Austin, UT, and even the neighborhoods within them- - Clarksville, Rosedale, Great Hills, Arboretum. Each very unique in their offerings, but also beautiful. There are areas of Austin that need some attention such as Burnet and Lamar - particularly in North Austin. The traffic is terrible; there is virtually no connectivity to the neighborhoods adjacent to these retail-busy areas. Acomprehensive plan should work on alll levels to address how the city will interact as a whole, how each district will develop within its own area and then how traffic patterns, transportation, and place-making will occur ongoing. My team preference to the comprehensive plan is ACP. They have as strong "outside of Austin" visioning team with a strong "inside of Austin" visioning team. Having grown upi in Austin, but with an International Business background, appreciate Austin's strengths = and love them - and realize that if we plan with only Austin eyes, we will get only Austin results - this could be limiting. Austin is quickly becoming a world-class city; however, its heart is local and small town in feel. A team thati integrates with. Austin's community, its current leaders (and not just city council leaders = but also area business, neighborhood, and simple strong voices) will be critical in building a comprehensive plan that Austin can get behind. Ai team that also pulls experience from other cities will be key in utilizing that experience to take the best of the successes and mitigate the areas that didn't work. ACP  has the components to build bridges while developing the comprehensive plan.  patricia buchholtz partner/marketing strategist lookthinkmake, lc dir. 512.740.4156 fax. 512.672.6112  2/17/2009    Page 1 of1  Walters, Mark From: William Mandras.  Sent: Monday, February 16, 20094:29PM  To:  Walters, Mark  Subject: City of Austin Comprehensive Plan Consultant Finalists the Austin project. I base this recommendation upon the following:  Iwould respectfully like to recommend the appointment of The ACP Visioning+Planning Team for 1.F Having attended and then recorded the entire meeting, it is my opinion that ACP directly answered every question posed by the City Council. Representatives from the other two firms at times were 2. Before the meeting, Iv walked up to each of the group's tables in the Lobby and read their poster board displays. The ACP Team was the only group that came up to me and asked me ifIhad any questions. At the WRT booth I had to approach them and at the HNTB booth, I was totally ignored. One oft the key points in a successful plan is going to be the input from the diverse populous of Austin's citizens. If the actions of the three teams are a precurser as to how they relate toj people, my money would be on 3.) Having visited the websites of all three groups, I do not feel that HNTB is really qualified for the Austin project based upon the size and scope of the success stories outlined on their website. At both their presentation and information from their website, WRT touts the Baltimore inner harbor project as being one of their best: Before moving to Austin my job took me to calling on a number of customers in and around the! Baltimore area. The inner harbor is a great tourist attraction, however, if you travel two to three blocks in just about any direction you would experience a blighted and  rambling in their answers and did not directly address the questions.  ACP.  unfriendly City.  Having lived in the New York area for most of my 62 years, the ACP success at the World Trade Center site speaks volumes of their ability to communicate and include al large and diverse variety of groups in  its final solution. Respecfully, William A. Mandras  2/17/2009    Page 1 of1  Walters, Mark From: Mindy Cooper  Sent: Monday, February 16, 2009 4:40 PM Subject: Austin Comprehensive Plan ACP team  To: Hil Mark,  Walters, Mark  Ifinally had the opportunity to see the video of the Austin Comprehensive Plan finalists presenting and Of the 3 teams interviewing, ACP seemed tol be most aligned with the kind of public involvement that Austinites want and need to have their voices heard. Iliked that they had plenty of national experience but clearly had plenty of local experience as well. They also seemed to understand our need for help developing zoning code that compliments the comp plan, and I appreciated the fact that they said rather thanj just giving us a big comprehensive plan at the end of their project and saying, "Good luck, here you go"... they'll be developing the zoning code with us SO that Austin will have an enforceable set of codes ACP stood out to me as the clear choice for developing Austin's comprehensive plan. I'm looking  wanted to send a few of my thoughts your direction in support of the ACP team.  to put the plan into practice.  forward to hearing which team is chosen by Council.  Thanks for allowing our input!  Mindy  "Only those who risk going too far can possibly know how far they can really go." T.S. Eliot "Listen to your. heart. Because, wherever your heart is, that is where you'll find your treasure." Paulo "Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do "Twenty years from now you will be more. disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off thel bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your.  Coelho  that. Because what the world needs is people whol have come alive.' " Harold Whitman  sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain ntipl/cooperella.wordpress.com  2/17/2009    Page 1 of1  Walters, Mark From: Robert Pilgrim To: Walters, Mark Subject: Comp Plan Mark:  Sent: Monday, February 16, 20094:58PM  thought the presentations were. very good! by all teams. However, the ACP team stood out above the other two. What sent The ACP Visioning+Planning: Team over the edge for me were the answers to Mike Martinez about the Code Re-write after the Comp Plan is finished. There is a stong need and desire after the Comp Plan is finished to have a code re-write and this should be al big push item fort the city during the days ahead. Ithink that the development community and hopefully our elected officials understand that a code re-write is inevitable.  Thanks Robert  2/17/2009    Page 10 of 1  Walters, Mark From: Elliott Doerle  Sent: Monday, February 16, 20099:28PM  To:  Walters, Mark Subject: Austin Comp Plan Dear Mr. Walters,  Upon watching all three presentations and the Q and A session that followed, If felt the ACP Visioning Team was the most qualified candidate. to create the framework for Austin's Comprehensive Plan. Ini my opinion they were the most qualified having successfully completed several comp plans for very similar cities and they also seemed to have a good balance of national experience coupled with local knowledge. Ifelt that the Q and A session gave us a good preview of how the candidates would react under the pressure of the public forum and again I was most impressed with this team.  Sincerely, David  2/17/2009    Page 1of1  Walters, Mark From: juli ott To:  Sent: Monday, February 16, 2009 10:20PM  Walters, Mark Subject: austin comp plan Mr. Walters,  ljust wanted to write and express comments regarding the Austin Comp Plan presentations from last week. All oft thei finalists were well qualified and the city should be commended for their work to bring this level of Having watched all three finalists present, Iwanted to go on record for recommending the team of ACP Vision + Planning. Ifeel that their balance ofl local experts along with national experts make them the best qualified Having lived here most of my life, I know that the public process, and inclusion oft the community is one oft the most difficult and but most rewarding tasks that design teams face, and I believe this is the team that can Ina addition, If felt they understand best what it will take to not only craft the vision of the plan, but also understand the steps iti takes to implement this into strategies that the City can take forward and make zoning,  talent to such an complex project.  team to work through this difficult process.  accomplish it best.  code and financial decisions.  Thanks again for allowing public participation int this exciting step in Austin's future.  Julic Ott  No virus found in this outgoing message.  Checked by AVG.  Version: 7.5.552/Virus: Database: 270.10.25/1955 Release Date: 2/16/2009 6:55. AM  2/17/2009    Page 1of1  Walters, Mark From: samueltperkins  Sent: Monday, February 16, 2009 11:51 PM  To:  Walters, Mark Subject: comprehensive plan  Iapplaud the city for this breathtaking, needed and effrort. Iam however taken aback by the size and the complexity of the teams.  Ihave real concerns about their complexity given Austin's dynamicism and complexity. AndIhave: real concerns that the people who do the presentations are the ones doing the sale, but the people who will be outsourced to work on this for the city may in fact be students (as in the case  of  Johnathan Barnett) or new hires or people simply collecting frequent flyer miles. You all need to realize that Austin's planning history is layer upon layer of patch work.  Ithink only the most committed people will truly address this issue.  Iti may be in fact why in a time where the profession is reeling from the loss of work that you all  shockingly  only received 5 qualified RFPS.  Iwould suggest reformatting the RFP, maintaining an organizational oversight (after all it will be staff;s  plan)  and soliticiing the best for the sustainability, transit and mobility and energy issues. The invisible grunt work is best done by those on staff who are committed.  Thanks  Looking for work? Get job alerts, employment information, career advice and job-seeking tools at AOL Find a Job.  2/17/2009    Page 1 of1  Walters, Mark From: sara partridge!  Sent: Tuesday, February 17,20099:03AM  To:  Walters, Mark Subject: Austin Comp Plan,  Ijust wanted to weigh in on which team I believe brings the best national talent while also best represents Austin's interests and attitudes. WRT has proven talent as seen inj projects throughout the country, however the most important value expressed was that of sustainability. This is something that cannot be overlooked and IH know the other two firms have very little experience. As an Austinite I want to be known for living in a city that is as sustainable as  possible and I feel that WRT is the right choice.  Good luck!  2/17/2009,    Page 1of1  Walters, Mark From: Ryan Parr To:  Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 10:15AM Walters, Mark Subject: ACP Visioning + Planning.  Dear Mr. Walters,  As a citizen of the City of Austin who cares greatly about our collective future, I am using this valuable opportunity to submit my thoughts for consideration by the City Council with regard to selecting a team The development of a far-sighted and enduring Comprehensive Plan is critical to the smart growth of the greater Austin metro area. Accordingly, the team charged with developing such aj plan ought to be well in tune with the local culture and politics while simultaneously having the experience and wherewithal The ACP Visioning + Planning team uniquely meets these qualities through its fusion of national experience and local knowicage/nvesmen. Moreover, the assembled ACP team has demonstrated, through its presentation to the Council, a sagacious approach that considers not merely planning for the future, but establishing a vision through public input, which represents a critical component of any The ACP team has distinguished itself from its very worthy and illustrious competition, and iti is my hope that the Council will have the keen judgment to select the team that best represents the City of  to work with the community to create a new Comprehensive Plan.  of a preeminent national entity.  comprehensive municipal plan of merit.  Austin's future - and that team is ACP Visioning + Planning.  Sincerely, David Parr  2/17/2009    Page 1 of1  Walters, Mark From: Tyler Anthony  Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 10:58 AM, Subject: Austin Comprehensive Plan team comments  To: Mr. Walters, presentation.  Walters, Mark  wanted to offer some quick comments regarding what Isaw during last Thursday's comprehensive plan While all 31 firms vying for the COA comprehensive plan appear to have the necessary background and appropriate credentials, Thursday night's public vetting process began to highlight ACP staff qualifications and their extremely approachable demeanor. Ita appeared: quite clear that they made the strongest connection with the audience on a number of occasions. Given the large stake that the public will no doubt play in this process, Ifeel One of the speakers for ACP, Mr. Longo (don't know ifl have the spelling correct) provided an excellent first hand account of a similar planning process conducted for Chattanooga, TN. His description of the positive change from pre-plan to post-plan and! his specific example of an excited taxi driver as the new tour guide in a revitalized  that this helps me distinguish ACP from HNTB or WRT.  community really stood out among the other stories Iheard.  Good luck with the final decision!  Best regards, Tyler Anthony  2/17/2009    Page 1 of1  Walters, Mark From: Ron Thrower To: Walters, Mark Subject: Comp Plan Mark,  Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 12:58 PM  Istayed for most of the presentations to council and the subsequent Q/A from the 31 finalists about the Comp Plan. All three were good and informative. After talking with alli three companies and re-watching the presentation I believe that one team stands out more than any others. Obviously, this is my opinion and the city has far more data than what is being made public. None the less, the team that would prefer is ACP Visioning & Planning Team. They seem to have the better aptitude, skill sets, and team members to pursue this daunting task. They also seem. better fit to carry us to the next step withi the eventual outcome of the Comp Plan being the code re- You and Iboth know thati the existing code is archaic and anti-new urbanism. The outcome of the Comp Plan is inevitable to support sustainable development for Austin. Therefore, the code re-write is inevitable. I'm deeply interested in the Comp Plan and the code re-write andi it would seem fitting that a single team ultimately be responsible for making both of these happen. understand that the current proposal is solely for the Comp Plan but if the chosen team went forward withi the single biggest outcome of the Comp Plan being the code re-write, Thanks for the opportunity to express my opinion about the choice for the team to be awarded with the contract  write.  then al lot of discussion can be formulated to thate end.  for the Comp Plan. Ron Thrower Thrower Design 4608-A South Lamar Blvd. Austin, Texas 78745 512/476-4456 512/476-4454 fax  CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This communication isi intended only fort the use oft thei individual or entityt to whichi itisa addressed: and may contain information1 thati is privileged, confidential, ande exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you arer not thei intended recipient, you are notified that any use, dissemination, distribution, or copying oft this communication ora any attachment is strictly prohibited. Ins such event, please contact the sender  immediately and delete all copies oft this communication: and any attachment.  2/17/2009    Page 1of1  Walters, Mark From: Carrie Schnoor  Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 3:02 PM Walters, Mark Subject: ACP Visioning + Planning  To:  Dear Mr. Walters, Carrie Schnoor  Iwould like to see the city council choose ACP Visioning + Planning team as the group hired to help the City of  Austin with their new comprehensive growth plan.  2/17/2009    aia austn  american institute of architects  February 17th, 2009  City of Austin Council Members and Staff,  On behalf of the nearly 800 members of AIA. Austin (American Institute of Architects- Austin Chapter) and the design community that it serves, lapplaud Council for the range and depth of questions directed to the three very qualified planning teams who presented last week as part of the Comprehensive Plan RFQ. AIA. Austin has been and will confinue to be an interested stakeholder in the development of the new Comprehensive Plan. We look forward to being able to participate and provide valuable resources to the team ultimately selected. In watching HNTB, ACP and WRT present their qualifications and values, it was apparent that all three teams support the impact of mixed-use urban infill development, measures for sustainability: - both environmental and economic, and growth management. Council Members, Staff and other stakeholders have stated in the past that they too share in these values which are also supported by the stated policies of Itwill be critical in moving into the planning process that we understand the importance. of Council Member Martinez's comments regarding the alignment between vision, policies, and codes as a key instrument int the early stages. In order to meet our goals, it is vital that we keep the vision and the codes aligned and properly All three presentations were impressive in scope and quality and obviously there will be difficult decisions to be made ini the upcoming weeks. In making such a decision, believe iti is important, when the teams are sO close in skill sets, that we consider two  the AIA membership.  tuned together.  important issues:  iaifsrecommenaton. particularly in how we can best work with the culture During these difficult economic times, we consider how key! local firms are involved. in the process and utilize the teams who are best at bringing to the  of the team to maximize. efficiency of the process  table local talent. Comprehensive Plan. 3  Thank you for your time and. AIA. Austin welcomes the beginning of a new  Steppbén Oliver, AIA I LEED AP AIA Austin President 2009 OPAI Design Studio I Principal  Austin Center for Architecture 801 W. 12th Street Austin, Texas 78701  512.452.4332  512.452.2284 fax  www.aiaaustin.org    Page 1of1  Walters, Mark From: Jack Williams  Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 20095 5:22 PM Subject: Gianni Longo & ACP Visioning and Planning  To: Mark,  Walters, Mark  Inr regards to last Thursday's presentation of the Austin Comprehensive Plan, it appears that ACP Visioning is the right fit for this endeavor. Their background. and past projects, both nationally and locally, show that Mr. Longo Their team also has a local influence and understands the spirit of what Austin is and what its future should hold.  and his team are suitable and worthy of this undertaking.  Ihope the City of Austin makes the right choice when selecting a team. Thank you.  Sincerely, Jack' Williams  No virus found in this outgoing message.  Checked by AVG.  Version: 7.5.552/Virus Database: 270.10.23/1952 - Release Date: 2132009629PM  2/18/2009    Comments on Comprehensive Plan Finalists/Process:  Page 1 of2  Walters, Mark From: Susan Moffat  Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 10:32 PM  To:  Walters, Mark  Subject: Comments on Comprenensive Plan Finalists/Process  Dear Mr. Walters,  Istrongly support the effort to produce a new Comprehensive Plan for Austin, but have a several reservations about the timing and process regarding the selection of a team tol lead For a comprehensive plan to be successful, several critical factors must be in place, including (1) a top-tier planning team who can approach the project without bias or conflicts of interest; (2) sufficient funds to implement the plan in a timely. fashion; (3) full public buy-in for the plan.  this effort.  These factors do not seem to be in place at this time.  CONCERNS ABOUT FINALISTS  Regarding the three finalists, I have several questions/concerns:  1. Austin is a popular city and many top-flight teams have worked here or have connections here yet none of them applied to do the Comprehensive Plan. Why did we have sO few applicants? Did we offer too little? Did they not think the plan would be implemented? Was the RFP drafted in a way that might have inadvertently discouraged them? Were there other concerns? At this point, I'd say WRT is best bet, but I'm frankly surprised and a bit dismayed 2. The public has had only five days (two of which fell over the weekend) to vet the finalists and give input. For a project that requires substantial public buy-in to succeed, this does not seem like an auspicious start. Even two weeks would have been better than five days. 3. Some of the finalist teams seem to have acquired local members who may bring their own biases to the plan or who may be involved in subsequent projects that could benefit from aspects of the plan. Though I'm normally a huge fan of buying locally, conflicts of interest are much more apt to arise when you have local players crafting rules for areas in which they may  that we don't have a better crop of finalists from which to choose.  later have financial interests. FUNDING CONCERNS  1. Absent funds for timely implementation, any new comprehensive plan is likely to wind up in the same cycle as its predecessors - being shelved until it has become obsolete, at which time ar new plan is then commissioned. Do we really. want to spend $1+ million for another plan that 2. As currently proposed, this project will require over $1 million just to craft, at a time when the City is facing budget cuts in essential services due to the most severe economic crisis of that  sits on a shelf?  2/18/2009    Comments on Comprehensive Plan Finalists/Process:  Page 2of2  last seventy years. Under the circumstances, I believe it would be prudent to defer any spending for this project at least until after the fall budget cycle. By then, the full extent of this year's budget cuts will known and we may have more clarity regarding the nation's economic outlook. We can re-evaluate at that time. - ideally, with some new outreach to a few of the top  flight teams. PUBLIC BUY-IN  As noted above, public buy-in would be enhanced by: providing adequate time to vet prospective teams; an explanation as to why better teams did not apply and/or effort to recruit better teams; deferring this expenditure to be reevaluated after the fall budgetcycle. Please note that this does not mean we can't move forward in the meantime. Austin knows how to do public process. A well-designed task force comprising members of the Planning Commission, city staff and community leaders could begin public outreach to build consensus for the community's visions and goals. This could be accomplished without the expense of hiring an outside firm and we would have an important piece of the process already in place In short, this project is too important to risk doing poorly. Many thanks for your consideration of  when and if the budget picture is brighter.  these suggestions. Best, Susan Moffat 4112 Speedway Austin TX 78751 Darbaro@bga.com  Treally think this effort is too important to risk doing poorly. Again, lurge the city to defer any  decisions or expenses and reevaluate after the fall budget cycle.  2/18/2009