This is a volunteer-run community organization and one of the 18 Citizens Advisory Councils (CAC) located throughout Raleigh.

The CACs are the only advisory bodies of the City Council whose members are not appointed by the City Council and where your membership is strictly voluntary. The CACs provide the means for citizens to be involved in the planning for the future of their community and its CAC gives the City another method to communicate with the community.

The chairpersons and other officers are elected from among the members of each CAC. In addition to facilitating zoning- requests presentations and the Q&A session that follow, the CAC may have other information of interest to the neighborhoods — including news from the Raleigh Citizens Advisory Council (leaders from all the CACs). A police officer assigned as your CAC's liaison attends the meeting. It's your chance to ask questions and learn of police activities and concerns in your CAC district.

The CACs also participate in selecting award candidates for the City of Raleigh's annual Neighborhood Appearance Award for new or renovated private and business properties that have contributed to and enhanced the enjoyment of the neighborhood.

Zoning-change presentations and voting at the monthly meetings.

If you have property (or live) adjacent to the property where the rezoning is being requested, you will receive a written notice from the City of Raleigh. But for others, the CAC's monthly newsletter often provides the first alert of impending zoning changes. The CAC members' vote results are presented at the Raleigh City Council meeting when the zoning case is presented for a council vote.

 Presenting the impending zoning change:

Developers or property owners give a brief presentation of the zoning change they will be bringing before the City's Planning Commission and eventually before the City Council for a vote. The zoning requester (often represented by a third party) typically brings poster-mounted illustrations of the property area and provides a brief overview of the zoning changes. After the presentation, attendees can ask questions, make statements or request clarifying information.

Voting your approval or rejection of the zoning change:

CAC members who live the Southwest geographical boundaries and are attending the meeting can vote their approval or rejection of the previous month's zoning requests. Later in the voting month, the Planning Commission makes its recommendation to approve or deny the zoning request before the City Council. At that meeting, the CAC delivers the vote of its members and any petitions they have received from the members. Of course, citizens can also individually attend the City Council meeting and voice their opinions - both in favor or opposition to the zoning request.