Renovations Abound

Summer is a busy time in the world of development and construction. Here at the Development Services Department, we continue working to renovate our organizational structure and services as needed to serve you better. We appreciate your feedback, which is vital to our efforts to continually improve. If you are reading Building Connections for the first time, we also hope you will take a moment to subscribe. That way, you can stay up to date on our renovations as they occur.

DSD Announces Executive Team Updates

Angela Means, formerly DSD’s Assistant Director for Customer and Employee Experience, has been promoted to Deputy Director. She will continue to oversee the department’s Finance, Human Resources, Stakeholder and Community Engagement, Information Technology and Customer Experience functions, and her new role will add leadership over the department’s strategic objectives and projects. Deputy Director Means brings more than 25 years of public administration and management experience, including previous leadership roles at the City of Austin Code and Parks and Recreation departments and with the City of San Diego, California.

Jennifer Verhulst, who has served as Acting Assistant Director for Land Development Review since July 2021, has been named Assistant Director. She has been with DSD since 2014, serving as Chief Plans Examiner since December 2018. Assistant Director Verhulst is a licensed Professional Engineer and serves on the board of the Structural Engineers Association of Texas Austin Chapter. In her current DSD role, she oversees Land Use Review, Regulatory Administration Policy, Community Tree Preservation, and the Development Assistance Center, which now has a new name as well.

Former DAC Team Gets New Structure and Name

In other organizational news, the Development Assistance Center has been renamed “Land Development Information Services” to better reflect the team’s role in the development process.

This team provides land use consultations, zoning reviews, and site plan exemptions and corrections for the Land Development Review process. Due to the level of expertise among team members, they also provide consultation services for technical disciplines in Plan Review, including Drainage and Water Quality, Community Trees, and Environmental. This team recently reorganized to position team members to provide the best possible service within their respective specializations while also supporting needed land use consultations and related services for the community.

Permitting System Upgrade Coming August 1

The Communication and Technology Department is preparing to launch an upgrade to the City's permitting database (AMANDA), which will make the Austin Build + Connect (AB+C) portal unavailable beginning at 7 p.m. Central on Thursday, July 28. The system is scheduled to return to service at 8 a.m. on Monday, August 1.

During the transition, DSD operations will be limited on Friday, July 29. Staff remains available for customer appointments, phone and email support. Responses to inquiries related to specific projects, permit history, or other property- or account-specific details requiring access to these systems will be provided on Monday, August 1. 

Please be aware of the following temporary adjustments to our operations while this transition is underway:

• The AB+C Portal will not be available for the duration of the upgrade.
• Deadlines for processes and related materials due on July 29 will be adjusted by one business day.
• Building inspections will be limited to emergencies. For emergency inspections on Friday, July 29, please contact the assigned inspector for your region or email building.inspections@austintexas.gov.
• Environmental Inspections will be available on a limited basis. Find your inspector here.
• Emergency repairs may occur during the outage. Learn more about permitting options here.

Customers who need to work in the AB+C portal or submit a special events application are encouraged to complete their activities by 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 28, or wait until the upgraded system launches on Aug. 1.

Applications to Host Roots & Wings Events Due Aug. 5

The Urban Forest Program invites area nonprofits, City partners and other community groups to participate in the 5th Annual Roots & Wings Festival, the City of Austin’s combined celebration of Arbor Day and Monarch Appreciation Day. This year's Roots & Wings Festival will focus on amplifying the efforts of the diverse organizations that help connect the Austin community with nature.

Area nature enthusiasts and community groups are encouraged to apply to host a Roots & Wings community event. Funding is available to help support community-led programming. Additional resources, such as marketing and programmatic support, are available to all accepted applicants. Completed applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 5. Learn more about applying to host an event here. For more information, see the July 13 news release.

Rest Break Reminder for Construction Sites

The City's Rest Break Ordinance offers guidelines on keeping workers safe in the Texas heat. All employees performing construction activities at a construction site are entitled to a rest break of no less than 10 minutes for every four hours worked. Get details on heat safety and cooling centers at www.austintexas.gov/alerts.    

Leafing Through Tree Smart Plans 

The Development Services Department has enjoyed an overwhelming response from you to the monthly Tree Smart Lunch and Learn series happening now through October. Registration for all scheduled sessions is currently full. However, we expect to offer additional engagements beyond October. If you want to learn more about Austin’s tree ordinance and would like to be added to the mailing list to learn about future Tree Smart opportunities, please email dsdcommunications@austintexas.gov. Please note that we request participants pre-register for these events to ensure that we provide an appropriate number of lunches. 

Upcoming Key Dates

Aug.11: Tree Smart training/lunch at PDC

Aug. 17-19: Council Meeting Scheduled for FY 2022-2023 Budget

Sept. 5: Labor Day Holiday (City Offices Closed)

Sept. 8: Tree Smart training/lunch at PDC

Oct. 1: FY 2023 Begins

Oct.13: Tree Smart training/lunch at PDC

Oct. 22 - Nov. 5: Roots and Wings Festival