The Austin City Council is preparing for a flood of interest in a new way to honor city natives.

The council furthered its plans Tuesday to create a committee to recognize Austin’s most worthy residents through plaques on one of 76 flood wall pillars built during the North Main Flood Control project.

“This is a real opportunity to sell Austin,” said Mayor Tom Stiehm, who is one of the biggest proponents of the flood wall plaque committee.

Though few details have been finalized, the council hopes to have a nine-person committee come together each year to choose residents who have been nominated for the award. The award winners may also get a vote in choosing future winners as well.

Anyone will be able to nominate a current or former resident, but not everyone will be able to serve on the committee. Several council members argued the group should serve more as a mayor’s task force rather than a city committee given how important and special the council hopes the plaques will become.

“This is too high of a level to allow anyone to serve,” Council Member Steve King said.

Stiehm and a city staffer are expected to attend committee meetings, though Stiehm said he would prefer not to vote as part of the committee.

Council members will submit ideas for residents they feel should serve on the group to Stiehm, who will ask people to serve later this week. Jeff Anderson of Anderson Memorials will also be invited to a future council meeting to discuss what kinds of plaques the city can use to honor residents, which could include digital codes with a description of accomplishments.

Stiehm also said he hopes the committee would honor four or five residents the first year to jump-start the program.