RESOLUTION NO. WHEREAS, the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Departments, in partnership with leaders of the community, worked together to initiate the comprehensive community health planning effort that has resulted in a Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), the first for our community; and WHEREAS, the CHIP identified four priorities that included associated goals, objectives, strategies, and partners; and WHEREAS, the CHIP identifies as one of four priorities the Built Environment with a focus on Access to Healthy Foods and states as an objective “[b]y June 2016, all local municipalities will establish a healthy food zone ordinance around schools, municipal parks, child care centers, libraries and recreation centers”; and WHEREAS, a Model Healthy Food Zone ordinance has been developed by the National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN) to restrict fast food restaurants from locating near areas that children frequent, limiting children’s access to the kinds of foods likely to contribute to childhood obesity as depicted in the attached and incorporated EXHIBIT A; and WHEREAS, public health studies have indicated students with fast food restaurants within a half-mile of their school are more likely to be overweight than students whose schools are not near fast food restaurants1; and Davis B, Carpenter C “Proximity of Fast-Food Restaurants to Schools and Adolescent Obesity”, American Journal of Public Health, 99 (3): 505-510, 2009 1 WHEREAS, the Model Healthy Food Zone ordinance does not restrict convenience stores, as these businesses may be the only places where groceries are sold in a neighborhood, however incentivizing store owners to stock more healthy foods on convenience store shelves could also contribute to improved access to healthy foods; and WHEREAS, development of a Healthy Food Zone ordinance would need to be based on relevant data and broad community engagement; and WHEREAS, the CHIP lays out a framework for considering a Healthy Food Zone ordinance and recommends a data gathering effort to initiate the discussion; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN: The City Council directs the City Manager to:  work with partners including all independent school districts within Travis County to gather and prepare data that identifies locations of fast food restaurants and neighborhood corner and convenience stores that are located in proximity to schools, parks, child care centers, libraries, and recreation centers in Travis County; and  report the data to the Planning Commission, Zoning and Platting Commission, Sustainable Food Policy Board, relevant agencies and interested stakeholders including fast food and convenience store owners; and  solicit recommendations on how to increase access to healthy food choices at convenience stores through development of an incentive program and solicit recommendation on whether a restrictive ordinance would be beneficial in Austin, and if so, what buffer distance may be most appropriate; and  after data gathering and outreach, bring staff recommendations to the Public Health and Human Services Council Committee prior to final consideration by Council; and  report to Council by December 31, 2013 with a timeline for completing the above efforts which will allow the City to meet the CHIP goal to establish a Healthy Food Zone ordinance by June 2016. ADOPTED: _______________, 2013 ATTEST:______________________ Jannette S. Goodall City Clerk