Spring 2017 Message from the MNA Steering Committee Chair

Hello Neighbors,

My name is Lila Valencia, and I have the pleasure of serving as your Mueller Neighborhood Association (MNA) chair for 2017. I served on the steering committee last year and on the City of Austin Mueller Commission (PIAC) starting in July of 2015. I have been a resident of Austin for over 20 years. My family’s dream of Mueller began with walks in Lake Park and visits to the Thinkery. This dream became a reality for us 2.5 years ago, and we could not be more thrilled to be here.

Thanks to the solid infrastructure laid out by previous leadership, including last year’s steering committee led by Nhat Ho, and the feedback we gathered from you at the MNA Directions meeting in February, we are well equipped to move our neighborhood forward and are well underway to finalizing and implementing our goals for 2017.

This year our focus is on growth and transition. Much has changed since the first residents moved to the neighborhood 10 years ago. We are now approaching 50% of build out and construction along Berkman Drive keeps progressing. More and more residents and families are added each day. We now have a wide age distribution among the children of Mueller, fueling major decisions regarding current and potentially new AISD facilities. Multi-family projects targeting young professionals and retiring Boomers are also underway.

Our neighborhood is growing, and we must ensure the MNA grows alongside it by reaching out to all the neighbors who have been here for years as well as to all those just moving in. We must also aim for growth that is representative and inclusive of all the different faces, ages, and cultures of its residents. Our new digital efforts via the Front Porch Flyer and the MNA e-newsletter will help greatly with these efforts.

We are also looking to the future and trying to imagine what our neighborhood will be like at 100% build out, internally and beyond. This will require thoughtful and deliberate planning with active participation in Mobility 35, CodeNext, AISD, and future Mueller governing discussions.

As you can see, our goals are broad and far-reaching. For 2017 to be truly successful, we will need your help. I would like to encourage you to attend our monthly meetings where you’ll meet neighbors, learn about pressing issues facing our community, and maybe even join a committee that fits your interests.

Gratefully,