[00:00:01]
YOU HARVARD.AND IF YOU COULD TELL THAT THE SPEAKERS ARE WE'RE READY FOR SPEAKERS.
[Call to Order]
GOOD AFTERNOON BOARD.WE HAVE A COUPLE OF SPEAKERS THAT HAVE NOT DIALED IN YET, AND WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE THAT INDICATED HE'S, UH, GOT TO DIAL IN LATE, BUT WE CAN GET STARTED WITH THE SPEAKERS.
UM, AND YOU'VE CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER, IS THAT CORRECT? SORRY, I HAVEN'T, I HAVEN'T DONE THAT YET.
I WAS WAITING TO GET THE GO-AHEAD FROM YOU.
SO THE SPEAKERS, ARE THEY CITIZEN COMMUNICATION OR ARE THEY SPEAKERS WERE PRESENTERS OUR SPEAKERS ON AGENDA ITEMS. WE HAD NO GENERAL SICK SITCOM, BUT WE ARE STILL TAKING ALL OF THE SPEAKERS AT THE START OF THE MEETING JUST TO ENSURE THEY DON'T HAVE TO STAY ON THE PHONE FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
SO I'LL THEN I GUESS LET'S JUST GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED SINCE IT'S ONE OH FOUR.
SO WE CAN GET KIND OF GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD AND NOT TAKE UP ALL OF EVERYBODY'S FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
SO THIS IS A MEETING OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD IS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4TH.
ONCE AGAIN, WE ARE MEETING VIA VIDEO CONFERENCE AND I'M CALLING THE MEETING TO ORDER.
AND FIRST I WANT TO TAKE ROLE.
I, I GUESS I'M NOT SEEING, I CAN'T SEE EVERYBODY, BUT I DON'T S I DON'T THINK YOU TEAR RIGHT.
OR MEMBER DIPLOMA FOR ALL THE BOARD MEMBER, UH, DECARLO HERE, BOARD MEMBER, MASON MURPHY, UH, BOARD MEMBER FAST HERE, BOARD MEMBER, MORGAN BOARD MEMBER LUCA HERE, BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR AND BOARD MEMBER COTTON.
SO SAME IN, DID YOU GET THAT? WHO WAS MISSING? YES.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR AND LET, UH, OTHER BOARD MEMBERS IN AS WE SEE THEM POP UP ON THE ADMITTANCE SCREEN.
[CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL (Part 1 of 2)]
WELL LET'S JUST GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH THE, THE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION WHERE WE HAVE SOME SPEAKERS.I SAID, WHO, WHO ARE GOING TO HAVE THREE MINUTES EACH, CORRECT? YES.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED? YEAH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
UH, THE FIRST SPEAKER IS ADAM SPARKS AND MR. SPARKS REQUESTED TO PROVIDE A PRESENTATION TO YOU.
SO GIVE US JUST A SECOND WHILE WE GET IT PULLED UP.
AND THEN MR. SPARKS TIME, WE'LL BEGIN.
YOUR TIME BEGINS RIGHT NOW AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO LOOK AT THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE.
I'M THE HEAD OF THE HANCOCK CONSERVANCY, AND WE BELIEVE THAT HANCOCK GOLF COURSE SHOULD BE TRANSFORMED INTO A GREEN SPACE AND PUBLIC PARK ACCESSIBLE TO ALL.
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF THE NORTH.
WE'VE BEEN CHERRYWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD SINCE 2011.
I CARED ABOUT HANCOCK GOLF COURSE FOR OVER A DECADE.
AND WHILE I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN OTHER CIVIC EFFORTS ACROSS THE CITY, I'VE NEVER BEEN PART OF AN EFFORT THAT IS RIDING A WAVE OF PUBLIC SUPPORT, LIKE THE HANCOCK CONSERVANCY.
SINCE LAUNCHING IN OCTOBER, WE NOW HAVE A 14 MEMBER BOARD.
WE RECEIVED OVER 1,700 SIGNATURES TO OUR PETITION.
YOU CAN GO TO THE SECOND SLIDE THERE.
OUR IDEA BEGINS WITH A SIMPLE PREMISE AT 45 ACRES OF OPEN GREEN SPACE WITH A CREEK RUNNING THROUGH IT.
MAGICALLY APPEARED IN THE HEART OF OUR EVER-GROWING CITY.
HOW WOULD WE USE IT? UH, WE THINK THAT SHOULD BE A PARK ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE IN THE CITY.
AND IT GOES WITH PARTS LONG-TERM PLANS AND ENSURING PARTS ACT AS RELIEF FROM URBAN LIGHT AND EXPANDING AND IMPROVING PARKS ACCESS.
WE BELIEVE THAT A HANDCUFFED PART COULD BE A NEW CROWN JUUL IN THE AUSTIN PARK SYSTEM.
OUR VISION IS FOR A NATURAL OASIS OPEN TO ALL CENTERED AROUND THE RIGHT PERIOD RESTORATION OF WALNUT CREEK WITH NEW TRAILS AND TREE CANOPY FOR PEOPLE TO WALK THROUGH PICNIC AND ENJOY.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR CONCEPT MAP, WHICH IS ALSO INCLUDED ON THE HANDOUT, YOU'LL BE PROVIDED, YOU'LL SEE WE'RE REQUESTING A LOT LESS THAN THE SPACE TO BE MOST THAT IT CAN BE RESTORED TO A MORE NATURAL HABITAT.
IF YOU GO TO SLIDE THREE, ESSENTIALLY, WE WANT LESS OF THIS.
[00:05:01]
AND MORE OF THIS.OUR MODEL IS WILLOWBROOK REACHING THE CHERRYWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE RIPARIAN RESTORATION HAS RESTORED THAT LAND AND MADE A NATURAL OASIS THAT COSTS NOTHING TO MAINTAIN EVERY YEAR BECAUSE IT'S WILD.
WHEN I ATTENDED THE PART MEETING BACK IN FEBRUARY ON THE FUTURE OF HANCOCK, THERE WAS NO ENGAGEMENT ON THE FIRST OF THE THREE FUTURE USE SCENARIOS PRESENTED BY THE NATIONAL GOLF FOUNDATION REPORT, NAMELY THE HANCOCK TO COME WITH PARK.
SO I ASKED THE ROOM WHO HERE SUPPORTED THE PARK AND OVER HALF THE HANDS IN THE ROOM, GRACE THAT'S WHEN I KNEW THAT WE WERE ONTO SOMETHING.
SO I DECIDED, BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK THAT PART WAS ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY.
UH, ART SURVEY, THE RESULTS OF OVER 700 PEOPLE ANSWERED IN LESS THAN THREE WEEKS.
DO YOU SUPPORT YOUR CONVERTING TO LANDFILL PUBLIC PARK, 79% WERE FOR IT? HOW DO YOU CURRENTLY USE THE LAND? 67% AS AN ENSEMBLE PARK, YOU GO TO SLIDE FIVE.
DO YOU SUPPORT ALLOWING A PRIVATE ENTITY TO REDEVELOP THE SITE INTO A MODERN GOLF LEARNING CENTER? THESE WERE THE WORDS TAKEN FROM THE NGF REPORT, 84% AGAINST IT.
DO YOU SUPPORT ADDING A DRIVING RANGE? 79% ARE AGAINST IT? IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, OUR DID DO A SURVEY, BUT WE NEED A CLEARER SURVEY.
UH, WE CAN COMPARE THIS WITH PARTS SURVEY, WHICH ASKS OPEN ENDED VAGUE QUESTIONS, SUCH AS WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HONOR THE HISTORY OF GOLF ON THE SITE.
THE ANSWERS TO THAT QUESTION WERE INCLUDED AS PRO GOLF RESPONSES.
WE JUST, HOW THEY'RE ABLE TO DECLARE PRO GOLF WOULD BE THE MAIN RESULT, BUT WE HAVE ANNOTATED ALL OF THE RESPONSES TO THEIR SURVEY.
AND THE MAIN QUESTION, WHICH IS WHAT ARE YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT THE FUTURE USE OF THE SPACE? AND IF YOU SEE THEIR RESPONSES ARE 40 PEOPLE PRO PUBLIC PARKING GREEN SPACE, NEXT ANSWER WAS ANTI PRIVATIZATION, PROFIT GENERATING, UH, PRO MODERN GOLF FACILITY.
SO I WILL BE EMAILING ALL OF YOU WITH OUR ANNOTATOR RESULTS.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, OUR GOAL HAS BEEN TO ENSURE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS BEING CLEARLY HEARD, AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR DIRECTING PARTS OF SLOWED DOWN WITH THEIR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO ASK PART ENCOURAGED PART TO ASK SIMPLE, CLEAR, AND QUANTITATIVE QUESTIONS AND THEIR UPCOMING SURVEY QUESTIONS SUCH AS DO YOU SUPPORT THE TRANSFORMATION OF HANCOCK INTO A PUBLIC PARK AND OR NATURAL GREEN SPACE USE SUPPORT THIS BOX? YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
AND THAT THAT'S ALL IN THE HANDOUT IS THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, MR. SPARKS, WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING OR CALLING IN, UM, JUST REAL QUICK, SEMI A BOARD MEMBER, MASON, I MEAN, UM, KNOW MASON MURPHY.
SHE HAD TO CALL IN, SO SHE'S HERE, BUT SHE CAN'T, UM, GET IN SO SHE CAN PARTICIPATE.
SHE'S ON THE SCREEN CHAIR NOW.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER, UM, SPEAKERS? YES, CHAIR, UH, ROBIN ROSS WILL BE NEXT.
UM, YOUR THREE MINUTES CAN START RIGHT NOW.
THANKS SO MUCH PARK THEN BART BOARD MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS ROBIN ROSS, AND I'M SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, THE HANCOCK GOLF COURSE.
SO I'VE LIVED IN AUSTIN FOR 21 YEARS AND THE HANCOCK NEIGHBORHOOD FOR SEVEN.
I RUN ON THE TRAIL AT THE HANCOCK GOLF COURSE ABOUT THREE TIMES A WEEK.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE HANCOCK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND THE HANCOCK CONSERVANCY.
AND ON THE SUBJECT OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TO DO TWO THINGS FIRST.
AND YOUR NEXT SURVEY ASK PEOPLE TO CHOOSE AMONG THE THREE OPTIONS THE CITY IS CONSIDERING FOR THE FUTURE OF HANCOCK.
THOSE BEING THE RFP FOR A MODERN GOLF LEARNING CENTER, THE CITY RUNNING A MODERN GOLF LEARNING CENTER OR CONVERSION TO A PASSIVE PARK.
SO HAVE PEOPLE PICK ONE OR ASK THEM TO RANK THEM ONE, TWO AND THREE, AND I'M MAKING THIS SUGGESTION BASED ON MY OWN EXPERIENCE, TALKING WITH PEOPLE ABOUT THE GOLF COURSE AND THE PAST MONTH HANCOCK CONSERVANCY, VOLUNTEERS WHO LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAVE KNOCKED ON 116 DOORS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO JOIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND ASK THEM WHAT THEY WANTED TO SEE AT THE GOLF COURSE.
I PERSONALLY KNOCKED ON 26 DOORS AND I HAD 13 CONVERSATIONS WITH NEIGHBORS THAT I WOULD SAY WERE MEANINGFUL.
AND WHAT I'VE LEARNED IS THAT WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT THIS, MOST PEOPLE SAY, OH, BUT I LIKED THE WAY IT IS.
WHY CAN'T THEY LEAVE IT LIKE IT IS.
AND SO THEN YOU EXPLAIN THE FINANCIAL REALITIES THAT THE CITY IS FACING AND THE NGF REPORT.
AND THEN MOST PEOPLE SAY, WELL, I GUESS IF IT CAN'T STAY HOW IT IS, THEN I'D RATHER TURN IT INTO A PARK BECAUSE I DON'T GOLF.
AND IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE A PARK THAT EVERYONE COULD USE.
THREE OF THE PEOPLE THAT I TALKED TO LIVE IN HANCOCK AND ALSO IDENTIFIED AS GOLFERS.
AND THEY ALL SAID, WELL, I REALLY WISH THE CITY WOULD KEEP IT AS IT IS NOW, BUT IF THEY'RE GOING TO CHANGE IT, I'D RATHER HAVE A PARK.
I DON'T WANT ANYTHING FANCY OR A DRIVING RANGE OR BARRIER NETTING OR LIGHTS.
SO WHEN YOU TELL PEOPLE IT CAN'T STAY THE SAME, DO YOU WANT OPTION A, B OR C? EVEN THESE GOLFERS DID NOT WANT A MODERN GOLF LEARNING CENTER.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING THAT THE NEXT SURVEY NEEDS TO CLEARLY EXPLAIN WHY JUST KEEPING THE COURSE THE WAY IT IS, IS NOT AN OPTION.
AND THEN FORCE PEOPLE TO CHOOSE AMONG THE THREE OPTIONS THE CITY IS
[00:10:01]
CONSIDERING BECAUSE GIVEN OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS, PEOPLE WILL SAY, I LIKE GREEN SPACE, OR I LIKE HAVING GOLF THERE.WHEN WHAT THEY REALLY MEAN IS I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO CHANGE.
SO YOU HAVE TO PUSH PEOPLE TO CONSIDER THESE FUTURE VISIONS.
AND THE WAY TO DO THAT IS TO ASK THEM TO CHOOSE A, B OR C.
MY SECOND REQUEST IS THAT AS YOU CONSIDER WHO THE STAKEHOLDERS ARE FOR THIS SPACE, TO JUST REALIZE THAT FOR MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THIS AREA, HANCOCK FUNCTIONS AS A DEFACTO NEIGHBORHOOD PARK, EVEN THOUGH WE CAN ONLY USE THE TRAIL AROUND THE PERIMETER FOR MOST OF THE DAY.
SO I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF MUNICIPAL GOLF, BUT THIS IS ALSO THE ONLY PUBLIC GREEN SPACE THAT MOST FAMILIES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD CAN WALK TO IN 10 MINUTES.
SO I ASK THAT AS YOU CREATE YOUR NEXT ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY, YOU REALLY GIVE SOME WEIGHT TO WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS WANT.
SINCE THIS IS THE CLOSEST THING THAT WE'VE GOT TO A PARK.
UM, SO WE, DO WE HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKER? YES.
MA'AM PAUL AND SARAH PAUL, YOUR TIME, WE'LL START ONCE WE UNMUTE YOU MA'AM, I'M SUPPOSED TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE VIETNAM MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION.
IS THAT CORRECT? MA'AM YES, SIR.
WE'RE TAKING ALL OF THE SPEAKERS AT THE START OF THE MEETING.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BEFORE YOU ATC VNA RELIEVES THAT THOSE THAT GAVE THEM IN THOSE THAT GAVE ALL FROM TRAVIS COUNTY OR NOT BEING HONORABLY, UH, HONORED AT ST.
JUDE B A D A T CVM ATCM WENT ON, ARE ALL SONS AND DAUGHTERS FROM CABBIES COUNTY THAT SERVED IN ALL THE WARDS.
IT WOULD HONOR GOLD STAR MOTHERS.
AND, UH, I'M SURE EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT GOES ON.
FIRST LIEUTENANT RICHARD SIGNED THEM, UH, THE ONLY CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR WINNER BOARD IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THIS.
I'LL GIVE HIM AND HE'S HE'S YOU RESPECT YOU AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY AND VIETNAM MEMORIAL WILL BRING MANY VISITORS TO GET THINGS, RESPECT YOU ALL, UH, KEVIN'S COUNTY VETERANS, THANK YOU AND HELP YOU HELP, RIGHT.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND SPEAKER, COULD YOU MAKE SURE THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL STAYS ON THE CALL JUST IN CASE THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS WENT INTO THE AGENDA ITEM IS PRESENTED.
BOARD MEMBER? IT WAS MY INTENTION TO HAVE ALL OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE SPOKE, SPEAKING ABOUT THE VETERAN'S MEMORIAL TO REMAIN ON THE LINE.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE, RIGHT, TIMMY? YES, WE DO.
JULIO TREVIÑO IS ALSO HERE WITH THE VETERANS GROUP.
UM, MR. TREVINO, ONCE WE UNMUTE YOU YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE, UH, ASSOCIATION THAT WE WERE WORKING ON.
MY NAME IS, UH, AGAIN, HULA ATTRIBUTING YOU, UM, ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE, UH, FUNDS FOR VETERANS ASSISTANCE IN HERE IN AUSTIN.
UH, MY WIFE AND I VOLUNTEERED THREE YEARS TO, TO GET THIS, UH, GOING MY WIFE AND I WERE THE FIRST ONES TO GIVE A THOUSAND DOLLARS SO THAT THEY COULD OPEN AN ACCOUNT.
UH, THERE WAS, UH, 15 OF US THAT WERE VOLUNTEERS FOR THE TEXAS VETERANS ASSISTANCE.
AND NOW THEY HAVE OVER 125 EMPLOYEES IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, THEY GAVE $23.5 MILLION TO THE, TO HELP THE VETERANS, UH, THAT ARE IN NEED AND MYSELF.
UH, AND MY WIFE, NO DREW BREE, UH, THE QUARTERBACK FOR THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS.
WE BROUGHT HIM OVER SO HE COULD HELP, UH, UH, GROW THIS, UH, FOUNDATION THAT WE STARTED.
AND THIS IS HOW WE PLAN ON DOING, UH, THIS ASSOCIATION THE SAME WAY
[00:15:01]
IS BY, UH, UH, GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET US A LOCATION.AND, UM, THEN WE CAN START FROM THERE.
WE HAVE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ANXIOUS TO START.
WE HAVE VOLUNTEERS THAT WANT TO DONATE, BUT UNTIL WE GET A PLACE, UH, THEY'RE HOLDING OFF.
AND SO ARE WE, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
AND MY, AND I AM A VETERAN AND I'M A HIGHLY DECORATED VETERAN AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE.
UM, TELL ME, ARE WE, DO WE HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE CHAIR, THOSE ARE ALL THOSE SPEAKERS THAT WE HAVE, BUT I HAD THREE MORE THAT HAD REGISTERED THAT HAVE NOT YET COME ON THE LINE.
I KNOW SOMETIMES THERE ARE SOME ISSUES GETTING IN.
IF WE SEE THEM POP UP, UM, WE CAN INTERRUPT THE MEETING IF YOU WANT AND HAVE THAT'S FINE.
AS LONG AS IT HAPPENS FAIRLY SOON BEFORE WE REALLY GET INVOLVED IN OUR DISCUSSIONS.
SOMETIMES TRYING TO DO WEBEX IS A CHALLENGE.
AND I THINK EVERYBODY GOES THROUGH THAT.
AND THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO'S SPOKEN AND THANK YOU FOR OUR, UM, OUR, OUR VETERANS AND FOR THE S YOUR SERVICE.
[A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
LET'S MOVE ON TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.SO Y'ALL HAVE THE MINUTES, AND HOPEFULLY YOU HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THIS, AND IF ANYBODY WANTS TO LISTEN TO THANK YOU QUICK.
I HAVE A QUICK POINT ON THE, WHEN I ASKED FOR, UM, AN UPDATE ON THE POOLS, I WAS ASKING FOR THE BOND MONEY, THAT WHAT WE HAD SPENT ON MONEY, UPDATING THE POOLS, INSTEAD OF JUST BUDGETING BOARD MEMBERS.
WE DID SEND A MEMO THAT PROVIDED INFORMATION ABOUT MONEY AND THEN ALL OTHER EXPENDITURES.
DID YOU RECEIVE THAT MEMO? AND IT WAS THAT NOT MEETING? NO, THAT'S FINE.
I'M JUST SAYING FOR A CORRECTION IN THE MINUTES.
SO DO WE WANT TO, UM, MAKE THE CORRECTION AND THEN MOVE WITH THE CORRECTED VERSION? I'M SORRY.
YOU'RE GETTING RAYBURN BACK OR SOMETHING.
WE, WE, UH, PASS THE MINUTES AS AMENDED IN A SECOND.
SO WHAT WERE DIPLOMA MOVES TO PASS THEM IN THE MINUTES AS AMENDED AND SECOND, AND BY BOARD MEMBER COTTON.
AND AGAIN, IF I CAN'T SEE YOU, I NEED FOR YOU TO, TO SAY YES, BECAUSE SAMMY NEEDS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S RECORDED THAT WAY.
AND I CAN SEE EVERYBODY EXCEPT FOR POOR MEMBER FILES.
SO THERE WE GO AND SEND ME, WE PASS UNANIMOUSLY.
[CONSENT]
SO WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR AND I BELIEVE THAT BOARD MEMBER DIPLOMA WANTED TO PULL, UM, ITEM ONE, IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH.I WAS LOOKING FOR MY MUTE BUTTON.
AND JUST TO REITERATE, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK I CAN REITERATE IT ENOUGH.
CAUSE I HAVE ANY CONCERNS RELATING TO THE PROJECT, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS ELEVATED AND IT GETS ITS ATTENTION.
UM, PARTICULARLY AS THEY GO THROUGH, ASSUMING THAT IT PASSES AND IT GOES THROUGH A CAPITAL CAMPAIGN, ANY SORT OF PRESS THAT, THAT WE CAN HELP GET OUT OF IT BEING PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC.
SO IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE ON MY CONSENT CALENDAR THAT ANYBODY WANTS TO PULL? ARE WE GOOD? OKAY.
SO, SO WE GO AHEAD AND TALK ABOUT ITEM ONE FIRST.
WE NEED TO APPROVE THE CALENDAR FOR A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY ORDER TO IT? YEAH, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE BETTER JUST TO DO ALL OF THE OTHER ITEMS AND THEN COME BACK AND DO ITEM ONE.
SO IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A MOTION ON THE REST OF THE CONSENT AND THEN HANDLE ONE AFTER THAT.
SO DO WE WANT TO DO I, CAN I GET A MOTION FOR THAT? I'LL MOVE THAT WE APPROVE ITEMS SECOND.
[00:20:03]
OKAY.[B1. Make a recommendation to the Parks and Recreation Director regarding support for a Parkland Improvement and Maintenance Agreement with Austin Travis County Vietnam Memorial Association and others for the placement of a Vietnam Veterans Memorial adjacent to the Nash Hernandez Building at Holly Shores/Edward Rendon Sr. Park at Festival Beach to recognize the men and women who honorably served from all of Travis County and in particular from East Austin. (PARD Long Range Plan Strategies – Urban Public Spaces; SD23 Outcomes – Culture & Lifelong Learning)]
OKAY.SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO, UM, ITEM ONE AND BOARD MEMBER DEPALMA.
DID YOU WANT, I KNOW YOU BROUGHT UP A COUPLE OF THINGS, BUT DID YOU WANT TO ADDRESS THAT ANYMORE? UM, AGAIN, I MEAN, I COULD, I COULD DO IT ON THE FRONT END OR THE BACKEND ONE IS MORE OF THE, I'LL PROBABLY GET EMOTIONAL ACTUALLY JUST, YEAH.
WELL, THE ITEMS TO MAKE YOUR RECOMMENDATION TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR REGARDING SUPPORT FOR A PARKLAND IMPROVEMENT AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT WITH AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, VIETNAM MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION, AND OTHERS FOR THE PLACEMENT, A VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL ADJACENT TO THE NASH.
AND ANDIS BUILDING AT, EXCUSE ME, AT HOLLY SHORES, EDWARD BRENDAN, SENIOR PARK OF FESTIVAL BEADS TO RECOGNIZE THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HONORABLY SERVED FROM ALL OF TRAVIS COUNTY AND IN PARTICULAR FROM EAST AUSTIN.
AND I KNOW THIS, UM, MEANS A LOT TO ALL OF US, BUT ESPECIALLY I KNOW THAT BOARD MEMBER DIPLOMA'S FATHER SERVED IN VIETNAM AS WELL.
SO, UM, WITH THIS, DO WE HAVE ANY, I MEAN, DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK ON IT OR ASK ANY QUESTIONS? ACTUALLY, IF STAFF HAS A PRIVATE PATIENT JUST TO KIND OF TAKE THEM, BASICALLY, I'D LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT IT AND HOW IT CAME ABOUT, AND WHAT'S MY AD FOR IT TO BE DEVELOPED.
UM, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU APPROVE THIS AND WHAT DO WE SEE THE TICKER STAGES AT, WHO'S THE CONS THE POINT OF CONTACT AND THEN HOPEFULLY OUR FRIENDS WITH, YOU KNOW, THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN AND THE OFFSET MONITOR, UM, WE'LL WRITE A LOVELY PIECE ABOUT IT THAT, THAT PROVIDES THAT DETAIL TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
UM, AND THAT'S LIKE MY PURPOSE.
AND OF COURSE I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO, TO HELP SUPPORT IT AS WELL.
UM KNOW, SO MY DAD WAS A, HE HAS SINCE PASSED THAT WE'RE COMING UP ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF HIS DEATH.
SO IT'S A LITTLE MORE EMOTIONAL THAN THE NORMAL PART A YEAR, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, VIETNAM VETERAN WHO LOST AN ARM AND KIDNEY INTESTINES IN VIETNAM AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY HIS LIFE, LIKE SO MANY OF OUR BAD FRIENDS, EITHER, WHETHER IT'S FROM AGENT ORANGE OR FOR THE INJURIES THAT THEY SUSTAINED WHILE SERVING OUR COUNTRY, UM, PASTOR ASKED YOU UNDER THAT HE SHOULD HAVE.
AND SO, UH, HE IS HONORED AND HE'S A NATIVE OF WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS, WHICH IS WHERE HE'S BURIED.
AND, UH, HE DOES HAVE THAT RECOGNITION THERE.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT OUR, UH, WOMEN AND MEN, UH, SERVICES HERE AT AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY ARE RECOGNIZED AS WELL.
WE, WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT.
SO DO WE HAVE A PRESENTATION SAMMY? YES.
AND RICARDO SOLIZ AND DAVID CARROLL WILL COME OVER TO THE SCREEN.
JUST GIVE US A SECOND TO GET THEM MOVED OVER AND GET THE PRESENTATION PULLED UP.
THANK YOU, CHAIR, LOUIS, RICARDO AND DAVID CARROLL SHOULD BE ON.
SO RICARDO, IF YOU WANT TO GET STARTED, WE'RE HAVING TECHNICAL ISSUES WITH ADOBE TODAY IN THE SCREEN IS UNFORTUNATELY NOT MOVING INTO FULL SCREEN MODE.
UM, THE CARD OF THIS IS RICARDO SELISE.
UH, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON BOARD MEMBERS FOR CARLOS POLICE FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
AND I WANTED TO, UH, JUST GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND, UM, HOW THIS GROUP CAME TO US AND, UH, THE AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, VIETNAM MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION CONTACTED OUR DEPARTMENT AND REALLY WANTED TO SEE, DISCUSS WITH US WHERE AS A MONUMENT COULD BE LOCATED ON PARKLAND AND PARTICULARLY AND UP ON THE EAST, UH, ON THE EAST SIDE.
SO, UM, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE SITES THAT, THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS THE, IS, UH, AROUND THE NATIONAL LANDIS BUILDING SITE.
UM, UH, FOR SEVERAL REASONS, ONE IS THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, PART PLANS TO RENOVATE THAT FACILITY, UM, IN THE, IN THE FUTURE, WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING AT THIS POINT, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CERTAINLY NEED TO ADDRESS.
AND, UM, UM, SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS A LOCATION
[00:25:01]
THAT WE HAD RECOMMENDED TO, TO HAVE THIS, THIS MONUMENT RECOGNITION ASSOCIATED WITH THAT BUILDING.IT WOULD BRING MORE MOMENTUM FOR US TO, TO GET, UM, THAT GOING, UH, SOME EXCITEMENT BEHIND THAT PROJECT.
AND, UH, ANOTHER REASON FOR THAT WAS THE FACT THAT WE HAVE PARKING THAT'S AVAILABLE THERE THAT COULD BE EASILY, UM, CONNECTED TO THE MONUMENT SITE.
AND SO, UM, THE, THE SITE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS JUST WEST OF THE BUILDING THAT YOU CAN SEE THE, THE, UH, THE IMAGERY THERE, THE SITE PLAN THAT SHOWS THE NATIONAL AND THIS BUILDING, AND, UM, THE PROPOSED SITE THAT WOULD LOCATE THE, UM, THE MONUMENT.
ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE LOCATED IT, THERE WAS DUE TO, UM, AVOIDING EXISTING UTILITY EASEMENTS THAT WE HAVE, AND, AND, AND, UH, UH, NOT TO REMOVE ANY TREES, BEAUTIFUL TREES, UH, THAT ARE ON THE, ON THE PROPERTY.
IT WAS, UM, AND WAS CLOSE TO THE FACILITY WHERE WE COULD HAVE A SIDEWALK THAT WOULD CONNECT TO, UM, TO THE PARK OF NATIONAL, THIS BUILDING.
UM, UH, THE ASSOCIATION GROUP MET WITH COUNCIL MEMBER RENTERIA, I BELIEVE IN AUGUST.
AND HE WAS ALSO VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS, ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL, UM, AND ALSO WANTING EXCITED TO THE FACT THAT, UH, THE MONUMENT, BUT ALSO TO BRING SOME MOMENTUM AND, AND, AND, UM, SYNERGY TO THE, UH, NATIONAL NDIS BUILDING TOO, UM, AS WELL, UM, SO THAT THEY MET WITH, WITH, UM, THE COUNCIL MEMBER IN AUGUST, AFTER THAT HE RECOMMENDED FOR US TO GO TO THE VIETNAM COMMISSION.
UM, I'M SORRY TO THE VETERANS COMMISSION IN SEPTEMBER, WHICH THE GROUP DID, THEY UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORTED THE, THE CONCEPT AND PLAN.
UM, SO, UM, SO YES, THAT THIS IS WHERE WE ARE AT THIS POINT WHERE WE'RE ON YOUR AGENDA.
THE, UH, UH, IT WOULD, IT WOULD INCLUDE A, UM, WHAT THIS WOULD MEAN IS FOR US TO ENTER INTO A PARKLAND IMPROVEMENT AGREEMENT AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT WITH THIS, WITH THIS ASSOCIATION.
UM, SO THEY WOULD PUT THIS ENHANCEMENT TO OUR, UM, AND BUILD THIS ENHANCEMENT AND, UH, AS WELL AS MAINTAIN THIS, UH, MONUMENT WHEN THAT DOES HAPPEN.
UM, IN THE MEANTIME, WE ARE MEETING WITH THE, UH, SOME LOCAL COMMUNITY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS EAST TOWN LAKE FOR INSTANCE, WAS ONE, WE HAD A DISCUSSION LAST MONTH, UM, ABOUT THIS, AND THEY'RE FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.
UH, WE HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM WITH EAST SCISSOR, TRAVIS IN JANUARY TO DISCUSS THIS AS WELL.
THEY'VE, UM, THEY'VE GIVEN PRETTY MUCH THEIR SUPPORT VERBALLY, UH, WITH THIS IMPROVEMENT.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, UM, I THINK, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
UM, UM, THE W IF, IF THIS IS APPROVED BY THE BOARD, THE COUNCIL MEMBER WAS WANTING TO, TO HEAR FROM THE VETERANS COMMISSION AND THE PARKS BOARD IN ORDER, AND, UH, THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS IN ORDER FOR HIM TO, TO LOOK AT, UM, UH, RECOMMENDING TO THE COUNCIL FOR US TO AMEND THE HOLLY EDWARD RENDON, UH, VISION PLAN TO INCLUDE THIS COMPONENT IN THE PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED, UH, BY COUNCIL IN 2014, I BELIEVE.
UM, WITH THAT, I HAVE DAVID CARROLL WITH ME WHO IS PART OF THE ASSOCIATION GROUP, AND HE'S, UH, HE'S A CIVIL ENGINEER HELPING THE, THE, UH, ASSOCIATION WITH JUST PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING AND SITE PLAN THAT YOU SEE HERE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, I'M A STRONG SUPPORTER OF THIS PROJECT AND HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE ASSOCIATION FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW ON A PRO BONO BASIS TO GET THIS DEVELOPED CONCEPTUALLY AND WITH THE PRELIMINARY LAYOUT.
AND WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING WITH, UM, THE PARD, UH, AND, AND, UH, RICARDO'S, UH, DEPARTMENT IN BEDDING OUT A SITE THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE AND AMENABLE FOR THIS TYPE OF USE.
UH, AS RICARDO MENTIONED, UH, PROPOSAL LOCATION IS CLEAR, UH, UTILITY EASEMENTS IT'S, UH, EASILY ACCESSIBLE, UH, FROM SEVERAL DIRECTIONS, UH, AND IS IN A VERY LEVEL AREA.
UH, THERE'S REALLY MINIMUM GRADING.
IT'S A COMPACT SITE, IT'S A, WE'VE TAKEN CARE OF TO
[00:30:01]
STAY OUTSIDE OF THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONES IN ORDER TO NOT IMPACT THE TREES IN THE AREA.AND IT, THE LAYOUT IS BASICALLY A CIRCLE WITHIN A CIRCLE.
UH, YOU HAVE, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN ZOOM IN, BUT, UH, THE SIDEWALKS ARE ABOUT SIX FOOT WIDE AND YOU HAVE A CIRCLE.
UH, AND THEN WITHIN THAT CIRCLE, THERE'S AN INNER CIRCLE THAT WILL HAVE A, UH, PROBABLY A GRANITE BASE, UH, THAT WILL THEN HAVE A STATUE ON IT, UM, THAT WOULD REPRESENT THE, THOSE WHO SERVED AND THE FALLEN IN THE VIETNAM WAR AND THERE TO THE RIGHT, UH, SORRY TO THE LEFT OF THAT.
AND IN THAT AREA, WHAT IS CURRENTLY CONCEPTUALLY PROPOSED IS A STATUTE STATUTE FOR THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR WINNER THAT WAS MENTIONED BY MR. ENSIDA EARLIER.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN MAKE OUT A COUPLE OF DARK LINES ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE CIRCLE.
THERE'S TWO SEPARATE DARK LINES.
THOSE ARE PROPOSED WALLS ON WHICH THE NAMES OF, UH, DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS WOULD BE EITHER ENGRAVED INTO THE WALL TO A STONE OR A, IT MAY BE A PLAQUE THAT IS APPLIED TO THAT WALL.
OH, THAT'LL HAVE THE NAMES OF THE INDIVIDUALS OR THAT THEY SERVED IN, UH, YOU KNOW, WHICH, WHICH, UH, SERVICES THEY WERE WITH, UH, ET CETERA.
UM, AGAIN, IT'S A VERY COMPACT SITE, UH, TRYING TO MAKE IT AS SUSTAINABLE AS POSSIBLE AND, AND KEEP CLEAR OF THE TREES AND PROVIDE ACCESS FROM, FROM THREE DIRECTIONS.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S ABOUT IT AS FAR AS THE LAYOUT GOES.
SO DO WE HAVE, UM, AND THAT'S, UH, THERE WE GO.
COULD YOU, COULD YOU GO BACK TO THE, AND COULD YOU SAY THE STATUE TOO, PLEASE? UH, BOARD MEMBERS, UH, AND DAVID, IF YOU ALLOW ME, THE, THESE WERE JUST EXAMPLES OF THE DESIGN HAS NOT FULLY BEEN, UH, BAKED YET OR DONE YET.
SO THIS WAS JUST TO GIVE THE, THE BOARD, UH, JUST AN EXAMPLE OF, OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT NOT THAT, THAT IS THE SPECIFIC DESIGN.
SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY, UM, QUESTIONS, THE DIPLOMA? YEAH.
UM, SO DO WE HAVE, I GUESS THERE'S TWO QUESTIONS.
ONE IS, IS GOING TO BE GEARED TO THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIFE IN SERVICE, OR WILL IT ALSO BE ADDRESSING THOSE WHO HAD TO HAVE SERVED, BUT HAS SINCE PASSED.
AND THEN THE SECOND ONE, WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE LIKE THE SIZE OF THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN? LIKE HOW MUCH IS GOING TO BE, NEED TO BE RAISED? WOULD YOU LIKE ME OR TAKE THAT? THAT'D BE GREAT.
UH, FIRST QUESTION IS THE, UM, THE CENTERPIECE IT'S A SIX SIDED, UH, UH, HAS A SOCRATIC BASE IN THE CENTERPIECE WILL BE, UH, THE CHARACTERS WILL BE FOUR FOOT HIGH AND ON THE BASE ON THE SIDE OF THE, UH, UH, OF THE SIDE, WHICH SHOULD BE HOPEFULLY, UH, BLACK GRANITE, UH, THE, UH, THE, UH, UH, NAMES WILL BE ABOVE THAT THE KIA'S WERE BEING ENGRAVED AND, UH, EACH ONE OF THOSE SLATS, FOR EXAMPLE, ONCE ONE SIDE WILL HAVE ALL VIETNAM.
ONE SIDE WILL HAVE ALL, UH, UH, UH, KOREA, ANOTHER SIDE WE'LL HAVE, UH, ALL, UH, UH, WORLD WAR TWO.
NOW, THE VETERANS THAT HAVE SERVED, OKAY, THOSE WERE THE ONES THAT GAVE ALL OKAY.
AND THOSE THAT GAVE SOME ARE GOING TO GO ON THE WALL OR THE FOOD WALL.
SO I BELIEVE THERE ARE SIX BY TWENTIES.
SO WE HAVE ANOTHER SPACE THERE.
I PUT ABOUT 800 NAMES AT 800, 800, UH, EIGHT BY 10 CLACKS ON THERE.
UH, SO, AND, UH, SO THAT, I BELIEVE IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE ASKING, SIR? UH, THAT IS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
AND I FIGURED IT WAS GOING TO BE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO GET THE CLARIFICATION.
AND THEN REAL QUICK, WHILE I, WHILE I HAVE YOU ON THE PHONE, WHAT DO YOU THINK
[00:35:01]
THE, THE CAPITAL COSTS HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY ESTIMATES AS FAR AS HOW MUCH YOU ALL WILL NEED TO RAISE? I THINK I WILL LEAVE THAT UP TO YOU, UH, TO, UH, EITHER, UH, UH, JULIO, DAVID, JULIO, DAVID, I BELIEVE I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION.IT'S, IT'S, IT'S KINDA EARLY TO FIGURE OUT THE, THE BOTTOM DOLLAR, BUT WE'RE ESTIMATING THAT IT IT'LL RUN BETWEEN A ONE AND ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
AND, UH, AND WE PLAN ON RAISING THAT MONEY AND WE FEEL THAT WE CAN DO IT IN A FAST WAY.
ONCE WE GET OUR, THE ADDRESS AND THE LAND GIVEN TO US, WE HAVE, UM, UH, I'M A LIFETIME MEMBER OF THE DAV AM.
I LIKE TO MEMBER OF THE VFW, I'M A LIFETIME MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN LEGION, AND I'VE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL OF THOSE MEMBERS AND THEY'RE ALL AGREEING.
AND ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE WANT TO HELP CREATE THIS MONUMENT.
SO, UH, I HAVE, UH, I HAVE OTHER, UH, INDIVIDUALS, IT, THEY WILL COME IN AND HELP US, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, I MEAN, UH, UH, DREW BREES, THE QUARTERBACK TO THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS.
I'VE KNOWN HIM SINCE HE WAS A BABY AND HE WAS WILLING TO COME OVER AND HELP US WITH COMMERCIALS.
SO, UH, THE MONEY, I FEEL IT WILL COMING SOON AND FAST.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK AND, AND, UH, MAKING SURE EVERYBODY IS HONORED AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
WELL, I THINK IT'S, UM, DEFINITELY A VERY WORTHY PROJECT AND LONG OVERDUE.
SO I'M, I'M REALLY PLEASED TO SEE THIS AS THIS WILL BE HAPPENING.
DO WE HAVE A, UM, MOTION TO RECOMMEND? I WOULD BE HONORED TO MAKE THE MOTION RECOMPOSED MYSELF.
SO WE DO THE MOTION FOR THE RECOMMENDATION.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND MORGAN.
OKAY, SO WE ARE WHIZZING THROUGH OUR AGENDA.
[CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL (Part 2 of 2)]
CHAIR.ONE OF THE RESIDENTS THAT WAS HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING ON.
DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THEM NOW? IS IT JUST, YES.
THIS IS GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT, UM, HANCOCK.
WELL, THEY WENT TO ALL THE TROUBLE TO COME THEN.
JUST GO AHEAD AND LET THEM, UM, W W WE'LL BE GLAD TO LISTEN.
UM, YOU SHOULD BE ON THE CALL.
UM, I GREW UP IN THE HANCOCK NEIGHBORHOOD AND HELPED START THE HANCOCK CONSERVANCY OVER THE SUMMER WITH THE HOPE OF MAKING HANCOCK OPEN THROUGH ALL WHO WANT TO ENJOY IT.
UM, SO I'D LIKE TO START MY COMMENT WITH AN, FROM A 1964 CITY COUNCIL MEETING, UH, WHICH DISCUSSED, WHICH WAS DISCUSSING, UH, THIS VERY PROBLEM, THE FUTURE OF HANCOCK GOLF COURSE.
UM, AND SO IN THIS MEETING, COUNCILMAN EMMA LONG HAD PROPOSED THAT A STUDY OF HANCOCK SHOULD BE MADE TO SEE IF IT SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE USED AS A GOLF COURSE OR, UH, FOR GENERAL RECREATION, AS MANY OTHER PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO USE IT FOR GENERAL RECREATION PURPOSES.
AND, UM, THE CITY MANAGER RESPONDED TO THIS AND I QUOTE, UM, THE GOLF COURSE WOULD BE EVENT, UH, ABANDONED EVENTUALLY AS THE NINE HOLE GOLF COURSE IS NOT ECONOMICAL.
IT DEFINITELY WOULD BE ELIMINATED IF ANOTHER GOLF COURSE IS CONSTRUCTED.
AND SO DESPITE THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEVERAL, UM, GOLF COURSES SINCE, AND HANCOCK'S CONTINUED CONTINUING BUDGET DEFICIT, NO PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN THIS DIRECTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, I HAD HOPE, UM, IN PARDES LONG RANGE PLAN, BECAUSE IT SUGGESTED THAT THEY WOULD STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF GOLF AND OTHER RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT CAN ENHANCE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF HANCOCK.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO THIS W HAD LED ME TO IMAGINE THAT, UH, THE POSSIBILITY OF HANCOCK PARK WOULD BE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED, HOWEVER, THE NGF REPORT AND PART'S CURRENT DIRECTION ON THIS ISSUE, ALL BUT DISMISSED, MAKING HANCOCK AT PASSIVE PARK.
[00:40:01]
I'D ASK, YOU KNOW, THE PARKS BOARD TO, UM, REQUEST THE SERIOUS EVALUATION OF MAKING ALL OF HANCOCK, A PASSIVE PARK, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY, UH, YEAH, CONDUCT A STUDY BECAUSE I KNOW FROM THE WORK I'VE DONE REACHING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY OVER THE SUMMER, UM, AND YOU KNOW, JUST MY EXPERIENCE LIVING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO SEE HANCOCK BE A PARK, UM, IF NOT A OVERWHELMING MAJORITY.UM, YEAH, SO I JUST, UM, I GUESS I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, TAKING THIS COMMENT AND, UH, HOPEFULLY, UM, THIS CAN BE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED.
[B6. Make a recommendation to the City Council regarding modifications to Austin City Code for naming or renaming a park facility or feature. Presenters: Board Members Anna DiCarlo and Francoise Luca]
OKAY.SO WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE, THE NON-CONSENT AGENDA.
THE FIRST ITEM IS TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL REGARDING THE MODIFICATIONS TO AUSTIN CITY CODE FOR NAMING OR RENAMING A PARK FACILITY OR FEATURE.
AND WE HAVE TO HAVE OUR OWN BOARD MEMBERS, UM, THE CARLO AND LUCA WHO ARE GOING TO PRESENT ON THIS.
AND THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPANT IN THE WORKING GROUP ON THIS TOO.
UM, IF WE COULD GET OUR PRESENTATION UP, I'LL GET STARTED ON THAT.
YOUR PRESENTATION WILL BE UP IN JUST A SECOND.
DECARLO'S JUST, YOU TWO ARE THE ONLY ONES IN THIS GROUP, RIGHT? UH, YES, WE DID BEGIN THE WORK GROUP, UH, WITH, UM, ROM TEAM WAS IN OUR WORK GROUP AS WELL.
HE UNFORTUNATELY HAD TO DROP OUT, UM, BUT A FEW MONTHS IN, SO IT'S MAINLY BEEN BOARD MEMBER, LUCA AND I FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
WE WILL, AGAIN, WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS TAKING THE TIME TO DO THIS, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU IF IT'S, IF IT'S GONNA WORK.
I FORGOT TO DROP IT IN THE FOLDER WHEN I GOT IT YESTERDAY.
IS IT, I DON'T WANT TO GET OUT OF THE APPROPRIATE ORDER OF THINGS.
SO I READ THROUGH THE RED LINE OF THE ORDINANCE AND THE RESOLUTION, AND, UH, THERE'S SEVERAL CHANGES IS THE, THIS IS THE BOTTOM LINE, LIKE THE MAIN CHANGES THAT YOU COULDN'T NAME A PARK AFTER A PERSON THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN CHANGES.
UM, I WOULD SAY OUR OTHER MAIN CHANGES ARE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CHANGES, AS WELL AS JUST MAKING THE PROCESS CLEAR FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.
AND ASIDE FROM THIS WORKING GROUP, HAS THAT PROPOSAL TO NOT USE PERSONS NAMES FOR PARKS THEN DISCUSSED IN ANY OTHER FORUMS THAT YOU KNOW OF? YES, IT HAS.
UH, YES, WE DISCUSSED IT AS A BOARD MANY TIMES.
UM, AND THIS WOULD INCLUDE NOT ONLY PARKS, BUT PARKS FACILITIES, AND THE, THERE ARE SEVERAL CONCERNS.
AND IF YOU ALLOW US TO READ THROUGH THIS SHORT PRESENTATION, I THINK WE'LL ASK FOR MOST OF THESE QUESTIONS.
SO FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, A BOARD MEMBER, LUCA AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON EVALUATING THE NAMING AND RENAMING ORDINANCE AND DISCUSSING HOW IT COULD BE IMPROVED.
AND SO TODAY WE'RE BRINGING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE REST OF THE BOARD.
SO YOU MAY BE WONDERING HOW AND WHY THIS ALL CAME ABOUT.
UM, SO THROUGH PREVIOUS RENAMINGS OF OUR PARKS AND PARKS FACILITIES HAVE COME TO THE PARKS BOARD.
[00:45:01]
WE SAW THAT THE CURRENT PROCESS AND TIMELINE HAD CAUSED MUCH CONFUSION AMONG APPLICANTS, AS WELL AS AMONG COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WERE INTERESTED IN PROVIDING FEEDBACK ON A PROPOSED NAME OR NAME CHANGE.UM, AND SO WE'VE ALSO LEARNED THAT NAMINGS OF PARKS CAN BE A COST IN STAFFING BURDEN TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE NAMING OR RENAMING ARE INITIALLY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE APPLICANT.
HOWEVER, CITY COUNCIL HAS WAIVED THOSE FEES MANY TIMES.
AND SO THAT MEANS THAT HARD IS SHOULDERING.
UH, WE'VE LEARNED THAT, UH, NAMING OR RENAMING CAN COST ANYWHERE BETWEEN 1000 AND $10,000.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, WE'VE ALSO SEEN THAT WITH SOME NAMINGS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE THE BOARD, THAT MUCH OF THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN UNAWARE OF A PROPOSED NAME, AND THEREFORE HASN'T HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE INPUT IN A TIMELY MANNER.
SO THIS SLIDE PROVIDES A HIGHLIGHT OF OUR RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE.
UM, HOPEFULLY YOU'VE ALL HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW OUR EXACT LANGUAGE SUGGESTIONS IN THAT RED LINE DOCUMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND MOVING FORWARD, THE LANGUAGE MAY NOT BE EXACTLY AS WE HAVE WRITTEN IT AS IT WOULD ALSO NEED TO BE REVIEWED BY THE PARD LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
UM, BUT WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE BETTER TO SUGGEST ACTUAL LANGUAGE AS OPPOSED TO JUST IDEAS OF HOW IT COULD BE CHANGED.
UM, SO DO THE DUE TO THE REASONS I PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, WE HAVE ADDED MORE REQUIREMENTS TO THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC IS AWARE OF AND HAS AMPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO THE BEST OF STAFF ABILITY.
UH, WE HAVE REMOVED THAT PARKS AND PARKS FACILITIES MAY BE NAMED AFTER ANY INDIVIDUAL DEAD OR ALIVE AND ARE INSTEAD ENCOURAGING THAT PARKS AND PARKS FACILITIES, UM, BE NAMED AFTER, UH, GEOGRAPHICAL HISTORICAL OR CURRENT CULTURAL SURROUNDINGS, UM, NEAR THAT PARK OR PARK FACILITY TO BE NAMED.
UH, WE ARE STILL ALLOWING, OR WE'RE STILL IN FAVOR OF HAVING PARK FEATURES NAMED IN HONOR OF INDIVIDUALS.
AND THAT WOULD FOLLOW THE SAME PROCESS THAT IS CURRENTLY IN PLACE.
UM, AND A PART FEATURE COULD INCLUDE ANYTHING LIKE A SWIMMING POOL, A BASEBALL FIELD, A PAVILION THAT IS WITHIN A PARK.
AND AS YOU MAY HAVE SEEN IN OUR NAMING TIMELINE DOCUMENT, WE HAVE REALLY TRIED TO PROVIDE ALL THE DETAILS ANYONE WOULD EVER WANT AND NEED IF SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION FOR RENAMING, OR IF YOU'RE REVIEWING AN APPLICATION OR JUST FOLLOWING AN APPLICATION ALONG TO THE ACTUAL TIME THAT THE NAME WOULD BE CHANGED, WE HAVE PROVIDED SET DAYS OR SUGGESTED SET DAYS FOR HOW LONG THINGS SHOULD TAKE WHAT IS TO BE EXPECTED.
I, WHICH WE'RE REALLY HOPING WILL CLEAR THINGS UP A LOT FOR, FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.
AND THEN LASTLY, WE ARE ASKING THAT COST BE KNOWN TO APPLICANTS UPFRONT SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE A PLAN TO COVER THOSE COSTS AND PROTECT THOSE COSTS FROM BEING TAKEN OUT OF THE PART BUDGET.
AND SO NOW, UM, PASS IT OVER TO BOARD MEMBER LUCA TO PRESENT OUR PROPOSED RECOMMENDATION.
SO WE WOULD, UH, BEFORE I ASKED FOR THE, UM, FOR THE MOTION, I'D LIKE TO DESCRIBE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR PROCESS.
SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE STARTED AT THE BEGINNING WITH WHAT THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE, UM, OF THE ORDINANCE, UM, WAS, AND WE COMPARED THE NAMING CRITERIA AND GUIDELINES, UM, ACROSS ALL CITY, UM, AND THE SPECIAL SITUATIONS.
AND IF YOU READ THE DOCUMENTS, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE ARE PROTOCOLS FOR THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUILDINGS WITHIN THE CITY'S, UM, BUILDING PORTFOLIO.
AND, UH, AND WE TRIED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE LANGUAGE ALIGNED WITH WHAT, UM, OTHER FACILITIES WOULD, UM, POTENTIALLY USE AS WELL.
AND SO, UH, AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION AND MANY MONTHS OF WORK, WE, UH, DEVELOP THE RED LINE THAT YOU SAW, UM,
[00:50:01]
IN YOUR RECORDS.AND WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT THE PARKS BOARD, UM, RECOMMEND TO THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO INCORPORATE THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE IN ORDER TO MAKE THE NAMING AND RENAMING PROCESS MORE TRANSPARENT, MORE EFFICIENT, AND LESS COSTLY TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
ANY QUESTIONS I DO HAVE A QUICK, I'M NOT SURE I'M CLEAR ON IT, BUT, UH, NUMBER THREE, THERE WAS, UH, IT SEEMED TO BE, THERE WOULD BE, UH, AN ALLOWANCE FOR MEANING AFTER PEOPLE WHO WERE DONATORS OF A BUILDING OR A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO A PARK FACILITY, IS THAT CORRECT? YES.
AND WHAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WAS THAT, UH, THOSE COSTS WERE, UM, REVIEWED AND IN, I THINK OUR RECOMMENDATION WAS THAT, UH, THEY TAKE ON A HIGHER, UM, LEVEL OF RESPONSE, FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR DONATION.
I HAVE A CONCERN IF WE'RE NOT NAMING AFTER INDIVIDUALS, BUT EXCEPT FOR THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WEALTHY ENOUGH TO MAKE THOSE KIND OF CONTRIBUTIONS, THAT IT SEEMS TO ME, IT WOULD, IT SORT OF PERPETUATES SYSTEMIC ECONOMIC INEQUALITY OF WHO GETS A PARK NAMED AFTER THEM OR A PARK FACILITY.
SO OF BUILDINGS AND OTHER THINGS FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST MAKING CONTRIBUTIONS VALUABLE TO THEIR COMMUNITY.
I RECOMMEND MAYBE RECONSIDER, UM, NAMING AFTER PEOPLE WHO ARE DONATING.
MAYBE WE FIND ANOTHER WAY TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR GIFTS.
I JUST STRUCK ME AS A INCONSISTENCY THERE.
I CAN'T HEAR YOU PROFESSOR BOARD MEMBER LUCA.
UM, I WANTED TO SUGGEST THAT WE GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE DEFINITION OF PARK, THE PARK FACILITIES AND PARKS FEATURES.
UM, WE ALSO HAD TO ALLOW SUFFICIENT ROOM FOR THE CONSERVANCIES AND THE OTHER EXISTING ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT HAVE BEEN PARTNERS WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHY WE WERE VERY CAREFUL IN THE RECOMMENDATION IN THE LANGUAGE RECOMMENDATION.
THE CONCERN THAT WE WERE TRYING TO ADDRESS WAS THAT, UM, THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH DISCUSSION IN THE LAST FEW YEARS ABOUT HOW TO RECOGNIZE, UM, PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR THEIR SERVICE.
AND, UM, WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS THAT SOME OF THE, UM, PREVIOUS NAMES, UM, HAVE, UM, OR FACILITIES HAVE HAD REQUESTS FOR RENAMING BECAUSE OF A PAST HISTORY OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
AND SO AS YOU PROBABLY HAVE READ IN THE NEWS, THERE WERE ALL SORTS OF SCHOOLS THAT WERE RENAMED AND ALL SORTS OF OTHER FACILITIES.
SO WHAT WE WERE SUGGESTING IS THAT FROM A POINT IN TIME, WE MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD, TO, UM, ALLOW VERY LARGE FACILITIES, TO BE NAMED FOR GEOGRAPHIC HISTORICAL CULTURAL, UH, LANDMARKS, SO TO SPEAK, AND THEN USE OUR PARK FEATURES ARE, UH, UH, PERHAPS A BASKETBALL COURT OR A SPECIFIC, UM, WE, OR A SPECIFIC FEATURE WITHIN OUR PARKS FOR FOLIO TO USE THOSE THINGS, TO RECOGNIZE, UM, FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT DESERVE THAT RECOGNITION.
SO I, I UNDERSTAND YOUR, YOUR FINANCIAL CONCERN.
UM, BUT, UH, WE ALSO HAVE THE SITUATION THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT, UM, WE PROPOSE, UM, THERE'S STILL DISCRETION AT COUNCIL LEVEL TO WAIVE ANY, UM, FEES, UH, FOR THE COST OF IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THESE NAMES.
UM, WELL, I MEAN, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK.
I KNOW THAT YOU'VE DONE ON THIS, AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS AND YOU USED YOUR EXPERIENCE ON DIFFERENT RENAMING PROPOSALS THAT HAVE COME THROUGH.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU OBVIOUSLY DID AN EXTENSIVE RESEARCH AND WORKING ON THE RED LINE.
[00:55:01]
ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER.I DO ECHO BOARD MEMBER, COTTON SEIBEL'S, UM, COMMENT, AND THAT WHEN I READ THIS AND NOTED THAT YOU COULD NAME A PARK FACILITY FOR AN INDIVIDUAL THAT DEEDS LAND TO THE CITY FOR A FACILITY OR CONTRIBUTES SOME LARGE AMOUNT OF THE COST, AND THAT'S THE ONLY PERSON THAT CAN HAVE A PARK OR PARK FACILITY NAMED THEM.
I DO THINK THAT'S, UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT DOESN'T QUITE READ RIGHT TO ME, SORT OF, UM, UH, THE EXAMPLE, LET ME JUST, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN IT, BUT IT FEELS A LITTLE INSENSITIVE.
THE EXAMPLE THAT IMMEDIATELY CAME TO MIND FOR ME WAS JUST TO USE AN EXISTING ONE, WAS, UM, THE MARY FRANCIS BAYLOR POCKET PARK IN CLARKSVILLE.
I MEAN, TO ME, THE NAME OF THAT PARK IS JUST, UH, MAKES AN IM IS AN IMPORTANT RECOGNITION OF THAT.
A LOT OF THE HISTORY IN THAT COMMUNITY AND OF HER CONTRIBUTIONS AND, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK, UM, FOR GENERATIONS, THE, JUST THE, KIND OF THE FIBER OF THAT COMMUNITY AND TO HAVE THE NAME OF THAT PARK, I THINK THERE IS, IS IMPORTANT AND RECOGNIZES A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT CLARKSVILLE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE WHERE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IT'S NAMED DR.
A PERSON AND NOT A PERSON THAT DONATED LAND.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S A FEW OTHER EXAMPLES, UM, I COULD THINK OF.
AND SO I WOULD BE HESITANT TO NOT, NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO RECOGNIZE PEOPLE LIKE THAT MOVING FORWARDS.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE SAME, IF YOU CAN JUST NAME A, YOU KNOW, A SPLASH PAD OR A BASKETBALL COURT COURT AFTER THEM, IF IT, IF IT HAS THE SAME LEVEL OF RECOGNITION, I ALSO AM.
I, I WILL SAY I REALLY LIKE, UM, INCLUDING THE IDEA OF USING GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES AND NATURE-BASED THING, IT FEELS LIKE SOMETIMES WE USE LIKE THE NATURE BASED ELEMENTS GET, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT NAME GETS USED FOR LIKE THE NAME OF THE MALL, BUT NOT THE ACTUAL PARK OR THE FUTURE.
SO I THINK THAT THAT COULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
UM, BUT, AND THEN MY OTHER, SO THEN KIND OF BACK TO USING THE PERSON'S NAMES, I'M NOT QUITE SURE I UNDERSTAND, LIKE THE DIFFERENCE, EVEN LOOKING AT THE DEFINITIONS, AND I KNOW YOU GUYS DIDN'T CHANGE THE DEFINITIONS, BUT SO TO USE ANOTHER EXAMPLE, LIKE I THINK A FEW YEARS AGO, THEY NAMED THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AFTER ROBERTA CRENSHAW.
UM, AND I WAS WONDERING LIKE HOW THAT TYPE OF NAMING WOULD FIT IN TO THIS NEW STRUCTURE, IF THAT'S A PARK FACILITY OR A PARK FEATURE.
UM, DO YOU GUYS KNOW THAT? I MEAN, I'M, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF LIKE EXISTING EXAMPLES AND HOW IT WOULD WORK MOVING FORWARDS IF WE'D HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THOSE THINGS.
SO YOU BRING UP A LOT OF GOOD POINTS.
UM, UH, WE, WE'RE NOT SUGGESTING TO GO BACK AND I SAY THAT'S ALREADY, UM, BUT JUST WE'VE HAD SITUATIONS WHERE THINGS WERE, UH, ASKED TO BE RENAMED, UH, BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS, UM, HONOREE WAS DISFAVORED FOR WHATEVER REASON, BUT THEN A WHOLE BUNCH OF, UH, OTHER ALTERNATIVE NAMES COME UP.
UM, WE WERE ALSO VERY CONCERNED ABOUT NOT, UH, DISCOURAGING GIFTS TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
AND, UM, IF WE DO NOT RECOGNIZE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO DONATE, UM, LARGE TRACKS OF LAND, ALL RIGHT, AT THIS POINT, ANY TRACKS OF LAND, UM, THEN WE'RE, WE'RE DOING A DISSERVICE TO THE PARKS SYSTEM.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE LEFT THAT WINDOW OPEN, THAT OPPORTUNITY OPENS TO, UH, ENCOURAGE DONATIONS OF LAND.
UM, AND, BUT I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN ABOUT HOW DO WE RECOGNIZE, UM, PEOPLE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY THAT HAVE DONE SO MUCH FOR THE COMMUNITY, OR SPECIFICALLY, SPECIFICALLY FOR PARKS.
AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THAT THAT WAS THE MOTIVATION BEHIND THE NAMING OF CERTAIN FACILITIES AND THAT, UM, THAT MOTIVATION STAY AS PURE AS POSSIBLE.
AND I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GO BACK.
I WAS TRYING TO USE AN EXAMPLE OF, YOU KNOW, TO SAY A NAMING THAT I THINK WAS DEFINITELY WELL AND, AND APPROPRIATELY, AND THAT, THAT WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE IF THERE WAS A SIMILAR SITUATION.
AND, AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAW THE, UM, IN THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT, THERE'S QUITE A FEW ACQUISITIONS WHERE PLACES THAT ARE GOING TO NEED NAMES.
[01:00:01]
SO THIS WOULD APPLY TO THOSE MOVING FORWARDS.IS THERE ANY, DO YOU ALL KNOW THE ANSWER ABOUT SORT OF LIKE THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AND OTHER KINDS OF TYPES OF THINGS, HOW THEY FIT INTO THIS? I BELIEVE THAT PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE IS NOT A RECREATION DEPARTMENT ASSET AND THE ORDINANCE, THERE IS A SPECIFIC, THERE ARE SPECIFIC NAMING REGULATIONS FOR NON-HARD SPACES.
UM, I'LL DOUBLE CHECK ON THAT PART.
I'M PRETTY SURE THAT THAT PART OF YOU MAY BE ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT, BUT I'LL CONFIRM THAT FOR YOU ASSETS NON-POWERED ASSETS HAVE THEIR OWN, HAVE THEIR OWN REGULATE, HAVE THEIR OWN RULES OR CRITERIA.
UM, FOR MEMBER DIPLOMA, I MEAN, IT, WASN'T A QUESTION BY, CAN I GO AHEAD? I MEAN, LIKE A COMMENT OR MY THOUGHTS ONE, THANK YOU BOTH FOR, FOR PUTTING SO MUCH TIME INTO IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE FRUSTRATIONS AND CHALLENGES THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS.
AND FRANKLY, I AGREE WITH FOUR OF THE FIVE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS ROBUST AND TRANSPARENT COMMITTEE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND INCLUDING ENCOURAGING THE NAMES OF FACILITIES FOR, YOU KNOW, GEOGRAPHIC, HISTORICAL CULTURAL, YOU KNOW, HAVING THE, THE TIMELINE AND MAKING SURE THAT THE COSTS ARE COVERED AND NOT COMING OUT OF PART A BUDGET, BUT I HAVE REAL EQUITY ISSUES WITH, YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY I WAS KIND OF HOPING, YOU KNOW, AND I APPRECIATE MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, FAUST AND COTTON.
CYBIL BRINGING THESE SORT OF QUESTIONS UP BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WHAT I SEE IS KIND OF A, GOING BACK TO AN OLD AUSTIN WHERE YOU HAD TO BE THE, YOU KNOW, GOVERNOR PIECE OR, YOU KNOW, UH, ZILKER, ANDREW
TO MAKING THE LAND DONATION, OR DO YOU HAVE YOUR NAME AND WHERE, YOU KNOW, REFLECTING, WHY DO WE RENAME PARTS, OR WHY DID WE NAME PARKS AND ASSETS? YOU KNOW, ONE IS TO HONOR INSPIRE THEIR LIFE'S WORK IN CONTRIBUTION THAT'S MADE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THE REALITY IS EVERY GENERATION OF AUSTINITES CAN POINT TO FOLKS THAT MADE A CONTRIBUTION TO THEIR, THEIR ERA.
AND WE SEE THIS GOING BACK, YOU KNOW, FROM GOVERNOR PEACE'S ORIGINAL DONATION OF PEACE PARK, UM, ALL THE WAY THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, REALLY IN MOST RECENT GENERATION, WHEN YOU FINALLY STARTED TO SEE THAT IT KIND OF FEELS LIKE IT WAS STARTING AROUND THE EIGHTIES.
SO MORE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FOR THE OTHER PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY, THE HISPANIC AND AFRICAN AMERICAN PORTIONS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT HAD BEEN LEFT OUT OF THESE, YOU KNOW, THESE HONORS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND YEAH, WITHIN THAT, YOU KNOW, JOHN TREVINO GHETTO, YOU KNOW, UH, AND I'VE GOT EMMA LONG, DR.
EVERETT, YOU KNOW, GIBBONS, DOTTIE JORDAN, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLKS IN CHARLES PAGE, WILLIAM CASWELL, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT FOLKS.
SO THAT'S NUMBER ONE TO HONOR AND FIRE NUMBER TWO, TO RECOGNIZE THE SINGLISH PARK EMPLOYEES FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR SERVICE TO OUR PARKS.
SO BEVERLY SHEFFIELD, YOU KNOW, PARK GARRISON, YOU KNOW, GARRISON DISTRICT PARK, UH, ROY AGAIN, ROY GHETTO PARK, YOU KNOW, THESE WERE ALL PAST, UH, KNOW SUPERINTENDENTS OF OUR PARK.
AND THEN MORE RECENTLY, YOU KNOW, WE HAD IN JULY, 2019, LOUIS, YOU KNOW, RENEE BARRERA, INDIAN GRASS, WILDLIFE SANCTUARY THAT CAME TO US FROM THE PARKS STAFF, JUNE 20, 20 RENAMING, A METS RECREATION CENTER TO RUDOLFO RUDY MENDEZ RECREATION CENTER, AGAIN, ANOTHER PARKS EMPLOYEE.
AND THEN WE, THEN WE SEE, LIKE, WE RECOGNIZE THE OTHER REC THE DONATION OF PARKLAND AND TALK ABOUT MARY MORRISSEY, RIGHT.
AND, YOU KNOW, ANDREW ZILKER AND, AND SUCH.
AND THEN, THEN WE HAVE LIKE A FOURTH ONE, YOU KNOW, TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO THE HISTORY OF THE LAND.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, DITMAR PARK IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE WAS ONCE OWNED, UH, WHAT WAS ONCE A LARGE DAIRY FARM OWNED BY EIGHT OFF BARNHART.
AND THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE CONNECTING THE PEOPLE TO PLACE, UM, WHERE IT'S CONNECTING THE PEOPLE TO THE LAND ITSELF WITH ONION CREEK METROPOLITAN PARK, WHICH IS WHAT YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE WANTING TO HAVE TO HEAVILY GO INTO THAT DIRECTION, BUT THEN WE'RE ALSO MISSING, LIKE IT'S SIX AND EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT IN THE HEEL.
SO SOME OF IT, WHEN WE LOOK AT LIKE GIBBONS PARK, UM, AFTER DR.
GIBBONS OR, YOU KNOW, OTHER, UH, UM,
GIBBONS AGAINST EXTRAORDINARILY CIRCUMSTANCES, YOU KNOW,
[01:05:01]
AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY TRYING TO GET A VOICE IN OFTEN, BUT THEN YOU HAVE THE THINGS WHERE YOU HEALING, WHERE THE COMMUNITY IS JUST SO IMPACTED BY A TRAGEDY.SO, YOU KNOW, THINKING OF KENDRA PAGE, NEIGHBORHOOD PARK, WHERE THE YOUNG GAL WHO WOULD BE ALMOST MY AGE WAS KILLED TRAGICALLY, UM, YEAH.
BY A MONSTROUS INDIVIDUAL AND, YOU KNOW, AT THE AGE OF EIGHT YEARS OLD.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN THAT PARK WAS ULTIMATELY NAMED AFTER HER 12 YEARS OLD, 12 YEARS LATER, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, TO BRING SOME OF THAT HEALING THAT'S STILL NEEDED TO HAPPEN WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE ON THE NAMING SIDE.
I THINK WHAT WILL, WHAT IT GENERATES IS THE FUTURE WHERE WE HAVE MORE AND GOD, GOD HOPES, I HOPE WE, WE GET RID OF ECONOMIC DISPARITY, PARTICULARLY SOCIOECONOMIC, AND THAT YOU CAN BE LATINO AND YOU CAN BE ASIAN.
YOU CAN BE AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND HAVE THESE LARGE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT WE'RE GETTING CLOSER.
YOU'RE CLOSE TO EVERYDAY, BUT WE'RE FAR FROM IT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS 20 YEARS FROM NOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE NAMES OF THESE PARKS THAT WE'VE BROUGHT FORWARD, YOU KNOW, ARE THEY REFLECTIVE OUR COMMUNITY AND WHO ARE WE LEAVING OUT? SO, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT REASON, I, I, I CAN'T BE SUPPORTIVE OF ELIMINATING THE NAMING ONE.
UM, BUT YEAH, IT'S DEFINITELY, I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME IMPACTS AND TRYING TO SEE IF WE, IF IT'S REALLY ADDRESSING A NEED THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, I, I LOOKED BACK AND FROM NOVEMBER, 2015 TO FEBRUARY, 2019, WE HADN'T RENAMED ANY OF THAT.
WE HAD A NAME, ANYTHING AS FAR AS THE BOARD CUFFS.
AND SO IT WAS, YOU KNOW, MARCH, 2019, UH, THE GYMNASIUM AT VIRGINIA BROWN REC CENTER, JULY, 2019, LUIS RENEE BARRERA, ANDEAN, GRUFF WILDFLOWER, SEPTEMBER, 2019, OR OUR VERY OWN TOM DONOVAN, YOU KNOW, BOARD MEMBER, YOU HAVE A CENTRAL CENTRAL WILLIAMSON CREEK NATURE TRAIL FOR TALKING.
IT, UH, IS NAMED IN HONOR OF TOM DONOVAN.
AND THEN YOU HAVE TO DECEMBER, 2019, YOU KNOW, THE GEORGE MORALES DOVE SPRINGS, AND THEN EIGHT, JUNE, 2020 RENAMING OF MES RECREATION CENTER TO THE RUDOLFO RUDY MENDEZ RECREATION CENTER.
SO, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF THAT WE'RE SAYING ONE OR PAST DECISIONS OR A, THAT THE PROCESS DID NOT ALLOW US TO SAY, NO, I FELT COMFORTABLE VOTING NO ON ANY OF THESE, THESE APPLICATIONS, IF THEY, IF I DIDN'T AGREE WITH IT.
UM, AND SO I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING ELSE.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALWAYS IMPROVE BEING ROBUST AND TRANSPARENT ON THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND, UM, I AGREE WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, NOT EATING THE COST, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT'S DICTATED BY COUNCIL.
UM, AND MAYBE IF IT'S NOT INITIATED BY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
SO THESE ARE THE THINGS I'M HOPING WE CAN COME UP WITH WITH SOME REVISIONS.
THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBER DIPLOMA.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES.
I APPRECIATE, I DON'T, I DIDN'T SAY THIS UP FRONT BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO REMEMBER WHAT I WANTED TO SAY, BUT I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT BOARD MEMBER DELUCA AND BOARD MEMBER TO CARLA HAVE PUT INTO THIS BECAUSE I COULD SEE HOW IT'S A MINEFIELD.
AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU GUYS TOOK THAT TOUR ON, UM, I HAD ONE THOUGHT AND THAT IS I, I WAS LISTENING TO WHAT THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS ARE SAYING.
AND, UM, AND, AND I DO SEE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE INCLUDED IN THE, IN THE, UM, IN THE POTENTIAL REVISIONS THAT WE COULD USE PLAQUES INSTEAD.
AND I THINK THAT MIGHT'VE RESOLVED SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE WORRIED ABOUT HIM, THIS WHOLE THING STARTED.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAY HELP WITH THE NAMING IS WITH PERHAPS COULD PUT IN A CLAUSE THAT I THINK ONE OF THE CONCERNS WAS HAVING SOMEONE WHO WAS IN ELECTED POSITION THAT WAS CURRENTLY STILL IN ELECTED POSITION, BECAUSE THERE COULD BE SOME SORT OF, UM, MISUNDERSTANDINGS OR ANYTHING ON THIS.
I WONDER IF MAYBE ADDING LANGUAGE TO THAT EFFECT WOULD SORT OF RESOLVE ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT I, THAT, THAT WE SEE IN THE NAMING OF, UM, WITH INDIVIDUALS.
AND JUST, JUST TO SPEAK THAT, SPEAK TO THAT, THOSE WERE DEFINITELY, UM, THAT WAS DEFINITELY AN IDEA THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED.
UM, BUT IT JUST, ONCE YOU GOT DOWN TO IT, THERE WERE SO MANY KIND OF REQUIREMENTS, LIKE NOT AN ELECTED OFFICIAL OR RETIRED OR NOT RETIRED DEAD OR ALIVE, YOU KNOW, JUST SO MANY LITTLE, LITTLE KIND OF NITPICKY THINGS.
AND SO IT SEEMED TO BE MORE FAIR JUST TO COMPLETELY ELIMINATE ANY INDIVIDUALS FROM, UM, HAVING THAT NAMING OF A DEPART
[01:10:01]
FACILITY AFTER THEM.UM, SO YEAH, I I'M, YOU KNOW, I THINK BOARD MEMBER, LUCA AND I HAVE BEEN OPEN TO, UH, MODIFICATIONS LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT JUST EXPLAINING THE REASON WHY WE DID ALL INDIVIDUALS.
I, UH, I JUST LIKE TO, UH, IMPORT, UH, RICH, UH, COMMENTS BECAUSE I, UH, UH, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN FOUR CHURCH BUILDING PROJECTS AND MY 40 YEARS, AND I UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE OF NAVY AND I UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGE OF HOW DO YOU NOT NAME THINGS FOR PEOPLE? UM, I THINK THAT EQUITY IS AN ISSUE, AND I DO THINK THAT, UH, THE WEAK AND DISPARITY IS, UH, AUSTIN'S LIVE WITH WAY TOO LONG.
I THINK I UNDERSTAND, I DO REMEMBER HOW I DO THINK HOW WE GOT INTO THIS DISCUSSION TO START WITH, UH, OVER, UH, RENAMING OF A RECREATION CENTER.
UM, BUT I, I APPRECIATE, UH, THE WORK THAT, UH, BOTH MORE MEMBERS HAVE DONE.
UH, AND I, AND I APPRECIATE SOME OF THE CHANGES, BUT I ALSO HAVE SOME RESERVATIONS ABOUT JUST NOT NAMING IT FOR INDIVIDUALS, EXCEPT PERHAPS IF YOU'VE MADE A LARGE, SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION INTO THE COMMUNITY.
I APPRECIATE ALL THE OTHER STEPS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE.
I JUST HAVE SOME, SOME RESERVATIONS ABOUT REMOVING THE POSSIBILITY OF AN INDIVIDUAL BEING NAMED, UH, FOR APART.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES.
UM, OH, DIRECTLY MCNEELY AND PALMA.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A CORRECTION FOR BOARD MEMBER FAST.
AND HER QUESTION SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE, UM, EVERYTHING THAT I SAID ABOUT NON-HARD ASSETS IS STILL TRUE, BUT I WASN'T WRONG.
I THOUGHT THAT THAT CRENSHAW BRIDGE, BECAUSE IT WAS A PEDESTRIAN, I THOUGHT IT WAS A TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY CONSIDERED A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE.
IT IS A PART ASSET, BUT THE WAY THAT IT WAS NAMED WAS THROUGH AN ORDINANCE DIRECTIVE FROM CITY COUNCIL.
SO CITY COUNCIL, UM, UH, DIRECTED THE NAMING OF THAT AS I UNDERSTAND IT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CORRECTION SO THAT YOU ALL DIDN'T GO AWAY WITH, WITH THE WRONG INFORMATION.
DID YOU WANT TO ADD SOMETHING? YEAH, I DID.
UM, AND IT WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, EVERYTHING I KNOW, I THINK THE, THE TWO BOARD MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR WORKING ON THIS, AND I WANT TO REITERATE THAT, THANKS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THROW OUT WORDS OF EQUITY, YOU KNOW, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS LIKE A PURPOSEFUL, YOU KNOW, SORT OF DEAL.
AND I, I DON'T MEAN THAT AT ALL, BUT I THINK THAT IS OFTEN THROUGH MY LENS AS A LATINO MALE, THAT THAT'S THE LENS I'M SEEING.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS, YOU KNOW, IF I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS, WHERE THIS GOES TODAY, BUT IF IT GOES TO A PORT WHERE W WE'RE STILL WORKING ON IT, THEN I WOULD ASK YOU TO STILL CONSIDER HAVING FOLKS WHO'D BE ABLE TO DEDICATE FOLKS WHO ARE ALIVE.
YOU KNOW, I COULD EASILY SUPPORT HAVING BEEN RETIRED AS BEING A COMPONENT OF.
UM, BUT WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT LIVE, I THINK, UH, LIKE JOHN TREVINO, HE WAS ABLE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, HIM BEING SENTENCED, HE WASN'T BEING HONORED, UM, AND HAD THE MAYORS, YOU KNOW, THE, ALL THE LIVING MAYORS BE THERE FOR HIM FOR THAT EVENT, FOR THAT PARK, UH, FOR THE UNVEILING, AND THEN MEET WITH 10 YEARS PRIOR TO THAT, FOR THE NAMING.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAVE SO MANY FOLKS WHEN I GO THROUGH THE HISTORY COMPONENT, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UH, JACK ROBINSON, UH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, AGAIN, A FORMER SUPERINTENDENT WAS ALIVE FOR HIS, FOR THE RENAMING.
AND YOU HAVE A, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF INSTANCES WHERE SOMEBODY IS ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO GOT TO ENJOY THE FRUITS OF THEIR WORK WHEN THEY'RE NOT HAVE INFLUENCE ANYMORE.
SO JUST TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AND THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO ADD.
AND FOR MEMBER MASON MURPHY, DID YOU HAVE IT OKAY? YES.
UM, I WANTED TO ALSO THANK YOU ALL AND ECHO, UM, RICH'S COMMENTS.
UM, HIS, MY FIRST REACTION WAS TOM DONOVAN, NATURE TRAIL, HARD PROPERTY AT NATURE TRAIL.
[01:15:01]
A NATURE TRAIL.WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THE VISION WITHOUT TOM AND, UM, AND HE WAS ALIVE.
AND HIS PROCLAMATION AT CITY HALL, UM, WAS HIS LAST OUTING BEFORE HE DIED.
AND HE DID GET TO SEE IT, AND HE HAD 20 SOMETHING, PEOPLE THERE TO CELEBRATE AND HONOR HIM BEFORE HE DIED.
AND I REALLY THINK THAT, UM, REMOVING THAT TAKES AWAY FROM PEOPLE WHO WERE, UH, CONTRIBUTION, NOT FINANCIAL IN OTHER WAYS IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
AND SO THAT PART, UM, AND RENEE BERRERA, I MEAN, DEDICATED PARK STAFF, LOVER OF THE INDIAN, UM, GRASSLANDS AND PRESERVES.
AND, UM, I THINK THEY SHOULD BE HONORED FOR THEIR SERVICE, NOT FOR THEIR LAND DONATION.
THAT'S ALL, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE I THINK IS GREAT.
AND I SEE WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO, AND I APPRECIATE THE MINEFIELD THAT YOU NAVIGATED FOR THAT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? WELL, BOARD MEMBERS, UM, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE BLOOMBERG DELUCA AND BOARD MEMBER TO DECARLO ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DID.
I NOW, UM, YOUR VOLUNTEERS, AND IT ALWAYS TAKES A LOT OF EXTRA TIME TO GO OUT AND ACTUALLY DO THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO COME UP WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND, AND I THINK THAT THIS IS A GREAT DISCUSSION.
I THINK PEOPLE BROUGHT UP SOME EXCELLENT POINTS.
I REALLY DO THINK THAT OBVIOUSLY ARE A LOT OF CONCERNS ON THE BOARD ABOUT THE NAMING PIECE A BIT.
I MEAN, I, YOU KNOW, EQUITY IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON AND THEN TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE KIND OF INTERPRETIVE STANDS AND RECOGNITION, CLARK'S SORTA GOING RECOGNIZE THE MINORITIES THAT HAVE LONG BEEN LEFT OUT.
AND YOU, DO YOU THINK ABOUT HOW THEY HAVE THESE VERY ROBUST CONSERVANCIES AND FRIENDS OF THE PARK ORGANIZATIONS ON THE, THE WEST AND MORE INFLUENT PARTS OF AUSTIN, AND THEN THE PEOPLE ON THE OTHER SIDE DON'T HAVE THOSE KINDS OF VOICES SPEAKING UP FOR THEM OR MONEY BEING RAISED.
SO I KNOW IT BRINGS UP ALL THOSE KINDS OF ISSUES.
AND SO THAT MAYBE WE DO NEED TO SPEND SOME MORE TIME ABOUT THAT, THAT PART OF IT, SOMETHING MASTER HOW YOU GUYS WANT TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND I, I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO SAY, I STILL HAVE ISSUES WITH MAYBE PARKS AFTER PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL LIVING, JUST BECAUSE OF, I HAVE SAID THIS BEFORE THEY COULD DO SOMETHING HORRIBLY NEFARIOUS AND THEN THEIR NAME WOULD BE UP THERE.
AND IN THE KITCHEN, IT STILL SAYS, IF YOU NAME A FACILITY AFTER A LIVING PERSON, YOU CAN'T RENAME IT.
BUT ANYWAYS, I DO WANT TO THROW IT BACK TO, UM, REMEMBER DECARLO AND LUCA AND SEE IF Y'ALL WANNA MAKE ANY CHANGES OR IF YOU WANT TO MOVE FORWARD AND TO GET THIS RECOMMENDATION, UM, OFTEN GOING, UH, THANK YOU.
AND I THINK, UM, YOU MAKE A VERY WISE COMMENT IN THAT MAYBE WE DO NEED TO SPEND SOME MORE TIME BECAUSE OUR COMMITTEE, UM, ABBREVIATED, UM, WE DID SOME NUMBER EARLY ON, UM, AND WE ALWAYS USE MORE VOICES IN THE CONVERSATION.
I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD TO EXPAND THE COMMITTEE TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF INPUT.
AND IT WOULD ALSO PROBABLY BE GOOD IF WE COULD ADD, UM, MAYBE SOMEONE WITH LEGAL EXPERTISE FROM THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TO HELP GUIDE US ON SOME OF THE NUANCES, UM, WITHIN THE ORDINANCE AND WITHIN OTHER STATUTE.
SO IF, UH, IT'S ALL RIGHT WITH, UH, MY CO UM, BOARD MEMBER, UH, THE CARLA AND THE REST OF THE BOARD, I, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, UH, WITHDRAW THIS CONGRESS, THIS A MOTION AT THIS TIME AND ASK FOR VOLUNTEERS TO JOIN US AND, UM, DOING ANOTHER PASS AT THIS, UH, RENAMING.
I WOULD BE HAPPY TO, TO JOIN YOU AND NOT TO TAKE AWAY FROM BOARD MEMBER TO CARLOS' RESPONSE.
I SHOULD TELL ME, PUSH BACK REAL QUICK.
UM, BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO JOIN IF WE CAN PARTICULARLY MAKE A, DURING THE CHRISTMAS BREAK FOR THE FIRST STUDENTS, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL AS FAR AS MY, MY OWN CALENDAR.
AND THEN I AGREE ON, ON STAFF.
ONE OF THE THINGS WHEN GREG HAS BROUGHT THIS WORK AND WORKING WITH THE WORK GROUP BACK IN 2015, TO COME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION THAT COMMITTEE HAD HAD THE USE OF DEPARTMENT LEGAL OR CITY ILLEGAL.
AND SO THAT ABSOLUTELY WE NEED THAT RESOURCE.
I GUESS THE OTHER QUESTION FOR
[01:20:01]
THE BOARD IS HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN SERVE ON THIS COMMITTEE.I THINK IT'S JUST LESS THAN A QUORUM, SO, BUT LET ME JUST CHECK WITH SAMMY.
SO IF IT IS LESS THAN FIVE A WEEK, OTHER MEMBERS, IF ANYONE ELSE IS INTERESTED, I'D BE HAPPY TO HELP.
SO OUR MEMBERS ALSO, UM, WITH REGARDS TO HAVING SOME CITY LEGAL COUNSEL, I WILL WORK ON THAT.
AND IF I'D LIKE TO SHARE, AND I WILL SHARE THINGS THAT HAVE RECENTLY OCCURRED WITH REGARDS TO THE RESUME AND POTTERY, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION AS YOU CONSIDER, I'LL MAKE SURE I REMAIN AS YOUR RESOURCE.
THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH BOARD MEMBERS.
[B7. Hancock Golf Course community engagement plan update. Presenters: Anthony Segura, Assistant Director and Kevin Gomillion, Golf Services Division Manager, Parks and Recreation Department (PARD Long Range Plan Strategies – Program Alignment; SD23 Outcomes – Health & Environment)]
LET'S GETTING ON TO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH IS THE HANCOCK GOLF COURSE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN UPDATE, AND JUST, UM, AND WE HAD COURT ANTHONY CIGAR AND KEVIN CHAMELEON.AND JUST, THIS IS JUST ABOUT, BECAUSE THIS ISSUE IS QUITE AN ISSUE THAT'S BEEN, UM, ALREADY GENERATED A LOT OF DISCUSSION IN PUBLIC.
THIS IS JUST TALKING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN.
THAT'S ALL WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT TODAY.
ARE THEY ANTHONY? ARE YOU HERE BOARD MEMBERS? GOOD AFTERNOON, ANTHONY SICKER CORPORATES.
I'M JOINED TODAY WITH MR. KEVIN GOMILLION, UH, WHO HELPED ME WITH THIS PRESENTATION THIS AFTERNOON.
AND SO WITHOUT WE WILL PROVIDE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN PLENTY OF, UH, BACK AND FORTH EMAILS, AS WELL AS, UH, CITIZENS THAT HAVE PROVIDED COMMENTS.
AND SO I'M PLEASED TO CONTINUALLY HEAR, UH, PEOPLE'S, UH, UM, UH, REQUESTED, UH, UM, REQUESTS FOR WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE GOING FORWARD.
BUT BEFORE THAT, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE, UH, THE GOLF COURSE AND WHERE WE'RE AT IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUR FUTURE PLANS.
AND WITH THAT, WE'LL HAVE MR. GOMILLION START OFF THE PRESENTATION.
YEAH, JUST, UH, KEVIN GOLDMAN DIVISION MANAGER FOR GOLF OPERATIONS.
AND, UH, GIVEN YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND ON WHERE WE'VE BEEN, UM, OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, THIS, THIS ENGAGEMENT AND PROCESS REALLY DATES BACK TO 2012, 12, AND SOME DISCUSSIONS WE'VE HAD, AND WE'VE MOVED FORWARD WITH THAT AND, AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, STARTED IN A PROCESS OF REALLY TRYING TO DETERMINE WHAT NEEDED TO HAPPEN WITH GOLF OPERATIONS FOR THIS VIDEO OF, AND, UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THE, THE NATIONAL GOLF FOUNDATION STUDY THAT RELATED JUST TO HANCOCK, BUT REALLY IT WAS AS MOST OF, YOU KNOW, WAS A MUCH BIGGER, UM, A MUCH BIGGER, UH, RESEARCH PROJECT THAT REALLY INVOLVED ALL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN GOLF COURSES, WHICH WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR A WHILE.
AND PART OF THAT IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT GOLF HAS BEEN ON A CYCLICAL SORT OF, UM, TREND DOWNWARDS AND NOW BACK UPWARDS AND SORT OF LEVELED OFF AND BACK UP AGAIN.
AND SO WE BROUGHT THE NATIONAL GOLF FOUNDATION IN, UH, THROUGH THE PARKS DEPARTMENTS, UH, FOUND SOME FUNDS FOR US TO UTILIZE, TO KIND OF JUST STUDY OUR OPERATIONS.
AND WE GOT SOME, SOME REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK ON LOTS OF OUR DIFFERENT OPERATIONS.
AND SOME OF THOSE ARE COMMON THINGS THAT MOST OF YOU ALL KNOW OR HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH.
ONE OF WHICH WAS THE LIONS OF THAT AS A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE SPEND.
UM, AND IT'S, IT'S IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.
AND SO, UM, THERE WERE CERTAIN THINGS THAT THEY IDENTIFIED AT EACH GOLF COURSE TO WORK ON.
AND SO HERE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HANCOCK.
SO I THINK FOLKS HAVE GOTTEN A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, UH, CONCEPTION THAT WE JUST WENT OUT FOR A GOLF STUDY RELATED TO HANCOCK, BUT IT REALLY WAS TRULY ABOUT THE GOLF ENTERPRISE FUND.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT WE ARE THE ONLY ENTERPRISE FUND WITHIN THE PARKS SYSTEM.
UM, GOLF IS DIFFERENT THAN, THAN THE OTHER PARTS OF TENNIS AND ATHLETIC FIELDS AND LOTS OF OTHER OPERATIONS IN THAT REALLY THE SIMPLEST WAY FOR ME TO EXPLAIN THAT TO MOST PEOPLE IS TO SAY WE WERE SUPPOSED TO COVER THE COST OF OUR OPERATIONS, UH, WITH REVENUE GENERATION.
AND SO WHEN WE WENT TO THE NATIONAL GOLF FOUNDATION AND ASKED FOR THEIR HELP AND LOOKING HOW WE COULD BECOME MORE EFFICIENT, THEY DID COME UP WITH IDEAS FOR HANCOCK SPECIFICALLY.
AND MOST OF YOU KNOW, THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR AWHILE.
SO, UM, WELL, THE THINGS THAT, UH, THAT THEY DID DISCUSS IS HERE'S THE THREE OPTIONS THAT WE CONSIDER THE NATIONAL GOLF FOUNDATION CAME UP WITH.
AND ONE OF THOSE NOT, NOT IN THE ORDER OF, OF WHICH ONE THEY PREFERRED OR WHICH ONE THEY RECOMMENDED, BUT ONE OF THOSE WAS CONSIDERING AREAS FOR PASSIVE PARK, UM, POTENTIALLY MODIFYING THE OPERATION AS IT, AS IT SITS TODAY AND, OR TURNING OVER THE OPERATIONS, UM, TO A THIRD PARTY GROUP.
[01:25:01]
AND THE THIRD PARTY CONCESSIONARY OPERATIONS SCARES SOME FOLKS BECAUSE I THINK THAT MEANS PRIVATIZATION, BUT IN REALITY, WE HAVE CONCESSIONS AND, AND THE AUTH OPERATIONS THROUGHOUT THE OPERATIONS.AND, UM, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT, IN ONE OF OUR GOLF COURSES, THE GRAY ROCK GOLF COURSE IS OPERATED THROUGH A CONCESSIONARY AGREEMENT.
AND SO HIS BUTLER PITCHING, BUT SO THESE ARE NOT, THEY'RE NOT UNIQUE OR DIFFERENT.
UM, IN FACT, HANCOCK WAS ACTUALLY THE PRO SHOP SIDE OF THE OPERATION WAS OPERATED THROUGH, UH, A CONCESSIONARY AGREEMENT.
AND THAT CHANGED, UM, IT CHANGED LARGELY BECAUSE WE HAD, UH, A RETIREMENT OF, OF THE, ONE OF THE, UH, PEOPLE THAT WAS THE CONTRACTOR AT THE TIME, MOVING IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
AND WE HAD CLOSED MORE SLAMS GOLF COURSE AND MADE IT TO RELOCATE CITY OF AUSTIN STAFF.
AND SO WE MADE SOME MODIFICATIONS TO BOTH LIONS AND HANCOCK AT THAT TIME, UH, TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.
UM, SO, WELL, I, I THINK THE KEY TO THAT CONCESSIONARY AGREEMENT DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE BEEN MOVING FORWARD AND KIND OF BACKWARDS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT DIRECTION TO MOVE NEXT IS THAT WE HAVE LOTS OF THESE.
AND I THINK WE'RE JUST STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, UM, WHAT THAT, IF WE DO GO OUT FOR A CONCESSION AGREEMENT, WHAT THAT SHOULD LOOK LIKE, UM, AND WHILE THE, THE NATIONAL GOLF FOUNDATION, HIS RECOMMENDATION WAS THE MOST PROFITABLE AND, OR THE MOST, UM, ADVANCED TYPE SITE FOR THE GOLF COURSE BECAUSE OF ITS GIVEN SIZE OF 48 FIVE ACRES, WHICH IS FAIRLY SMALL, WOULD BE FOR A LEARNING CENTER, WHICH WOULD THEN POTENTIALLY HAVE A DRIVING.
UM, BUT OTHER THINGS AS WELL, EIGHT, THE WHOLE PUTTING COURSES AND THINGS THAT ARE MORE COMMON TODAY IN THOSE TYPES OF FACILITIES.
SO THEY'RE JUST IDEAS, THEY'RE JUST CONCEPTS.
WE HAVEN'T GONE OUT IN ANY DIRECTION, BUT THAT'S WHY WE'RE CONTINUING TO GO THROUGH THIS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
THAT FIRST MEETING THAT TOOK PLACE ON FEBRUARY 29TH WAS, UM, VERY PRODUCTIVE.
I THINK WE WERE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND THEN OF COURSE, AS, AS WOULD MOST OF OUR PROJECTS, UH, COVID SLOWED THINGS DOWN AND HERE WE ARE TRYING TO GET BACK TOGETHER.
WE DID HAVE A, AN ENGAGEMENT SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER THAT, UM, WE HAD A HUGE, UM, SIGN UP FOR, FOR, UM, ENGAGEMENT.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE DECIDED AT THAT POINT THAT WE NEEDED TO TAKE JUST IN SMALLER, SMALLER DOSES SO THAT EVERYBODY HAD A VOICE.
AND SO WE DID, WE STARTED, UH, SOME DOING SOME ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OVER THE LAST MONTH.
WE'VE HAD TWO CONSERVANCY GROUPS KIND OF POP UP BETWEEN THAT TIME.
UM, WE'VE MET WITH BOTH OF THEM.
WE'VE MET WITH, UH, SEVEN DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS, UH, THROUGH ONE ENGAGEMENT.
UH, WE'VE MET WITH THE GOLF ADVISORY.
SO WE'VE HAD LOTS OF, UM, ENGAGEMENTS MOVING FORWARD.
AND SO HERE WE ARE TODAY, UM, TALKING ABOUT KIND OF OUR PLAN MOVING FORWARD.
SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE EVERYBODY A LITTLE BIT OF A RECAP.
UM, ONE OF THE, UM, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH ONE IT WAS ACTUALLY, I'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT, BROUGHT UP THE FACT THAT THE GOLF COURSE HAS STRUGGLED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, AND THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
UM, I THINK I I'VE BEEN IN THIS POSITION FOR WAY TOO LONG.
UM, I THINK 17 YEARS, WE HAVE NOT ACTUALLY HAD A, AN A PROFIT YEAR THAT WE GENERATED MORE THAN WE SPENT, UM, DURING MOST OF THAT WINDOW.
AND WE'VE MADE GOOD STRIDES TOWARDS CORRECTING THAT.
UM, BUT, BUT WE'RE STILL A LITTLE BIT SHORT AND, AND WHILE MANY WOULD ARGUE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IS JUST NOT THAT MUCH MONEY, UM, FOR A FACILITY THAT GOES BACK TO THE METHODOLOGY OR THE, THE MINDSET OF THE GOLF ENTERPRISE FUND IS THOSE SITES SHOULD COVER THEIR OPERATIONS.
AND WHILE WE KNOW SOME MAY NOT MAKE AS MUCH AS OTHERS, WE DON'T, WHENEVER SOMEONE'S SITE DOESN'T MAKE ENOUGH TO COVER IT, THAT MEANS SOMEONE ELSE IS COVERING THAT, THAT RESPONSIBILITY.
SO WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO CURB OUR EXPENSES.
WE INSTALLED THE PAY STATION OPERATION THERE, AND WE'RE CURRENTLY OPERATING THAT SEVEN DAYS A WEEK THAT HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY, UM, IMPROVING OUR OVERALL DEFICIT, BUT WE STILL GOT A LITTLE BIT OF ROOM TO GO.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT, HEY, WHAT SHOULD WE DO ON THIS AND HOW, WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST PATH TO MOVE FORWARD? I NEED TO, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THAT NEGATIVE $118,000 IS ALSO INCLUDING SOME DEBT THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH EQUIPMENT.
AND, UH, AND WE HAVE EQUIPMENT THAT'S EXTREMELY OLD AT THAT SITE THAT WE HAVEN'T REPLACED LARGELY BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THE UNKNOWN, UM, THE UNKNOWN SITUATION OF WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE.
UM, WE WANT, WE DIDN'T WANT TO SPEND A WHOLE BUNCH OF MONEY ON EQUIPMENT WHEN, UH, THE GOLF COURSE MIGHT BE TURNED OVER TO A CONCESSION OPERATION, OR WE WERE UTILIZING IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY BECAUSE MOWING EQUIPMENT, A FAIRWAY UNIT OR A ROUGH UNIT IS OVER $75,000 EACH.
SO, UM, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, WE'RE STILL WORKING TO IDENTIFY AND KNOW HOW TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, AND THEN, UM, THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONCESSION AGREEMENTS, POTENTIALLY IF WE MOVED INTO A CONCESSION AGREEMENT, THAT COST WOULD ACTUALLY BE POTENTIALLY INCURRED BY THE CONCESSION OPERATOR, NOT, NOT THE CITY OF AUSTIN GOLF, UH, DIVISION NEXT SLIDE.
SO I COMING BACK TO TALK ABOUT THE GOALS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO FOCUS ON INCREASING THE FINANCIAL
[01:30:01]
RESPONSIBILITY.IT'S ALL ABOUT THE FISCAL OUTLOOK OF, OF HOW WE GENERATE REVENUE.
I CAN TELL YOU WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROCESS, AS YOU SAW FROM THAT LAST PAGE, WE WE'VE HAD YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR OF, OF, UM, UH, BLOCKS THIS YEAR IN OCTOBER, WE HAD RECORD GROUNDS, UH, AT EVERY SINGLE GOLF COURSE AND INCLUDING HANCOCK NOVEMBER, SAME STORY, WE'RE UP OVER 200% IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER, DECEMBER, WE'VE HAD SOME COOLER WEATHER, BUT WE'RE OFTEN TO A REALLY, REALLY GREAT START WILL THAT CONTINUE WITH COVID AND FOLKS LOOKING FOR A NEW OUTDOOR ACTIVITY I'VE ASKED THE DIRECTOR AND EVERYBODY ELSE I CAN TALK TO, IF YOU COULD JUST KEEP SOFTBALL, SOFTBALL, CLOTHES, SWIMMING CLUB, AND TENNIS CLOTHES GOLF IS GOING TO BE PERFECT FOR THE FOREVER, BECAUSE WE WERE ONE OF THE FEW OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES WHERE YOU'VE GOT A COUPLE OF HUNDRED ACRES TO GO ENJOY.
AND I THINK, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT'S PARTIALLY COVID OR WHETHER IT'S PARTIALLY THE FACT THAT GOLF BEING A CYCLICAL ACTIVITY.
THEY COME BACK TO IT AFTER A WHILE, AND WE'RE HAVING WONDERFUL SUCCESS RIGHT NOW.
AND WE'VE HAD A VERY MILD FOR THE MOST PART, A DRY DRY FALL.
AND SO WE HOPE THAT THAT CONTINUES AND THE GOLF COURSES CONTINUE TO PERFORM WELL.
AND AT THAT POINT WE COULD BE SIX OR SEVEN MONTHS FROM NOW WITH NUMBERS GOING IN THAT POSITIVE DIRECTION TO SAY, HEY, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO EITHER A BACK OFF OF THIS, OR BE THE CONCESSION AGREEMENT WE MAY CONSIDER NEEDS TO LOOK DIFFERENT.
AND THAT'S WHY THIS IS SO IMPORTANT.
I THINK, TO GET ALL THAT INPUT AT THIS POINT TO KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, BUT I THINK THE OTHER GOAL OF THIS IS THAT THERE IS THIS HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE TO HANCOCK IT'S, IT'S ARGUABLY THE OLDEST GOLF COURSE CONTINUALLY OPERATING WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
AND SO WHILE THIS GOLF COURSE HAS GONE THROUGH SOME MAJOR CHANGES, IT IS STILL SIGNIFICANT AND IT'S HISTORICAL.
UM, AND I THINK WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO CONTINUE THAT.
IT'S JUST, HOW, HOW DO WE DO THAT FOR THE BEST, FOR THE BEST METHOD FOR EVERYBODY.
AND I, I THINK IT'S BEEN REALLY ENCOURAGING TO HEAR BOTH COMMUNITY GROUPS, UH, OR CONSERVANCY GROUPS, ONE BEING MORE FOCUSED ON PARK AREA, AND ONE BEING MORE FOCUSED ON MAINTAINING THE GOLF COURSE IN SOME METHOD, BECAUSE WE'VE COME, WE'VE HEARD SOME REALLY ENCOURAGING THINGS, BUT ALSO IDEAS ABOUT IF THE GOLF COURSE IS TO STAY, WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE AND HOW IT MIGHT BETTER PERFORM IN CERTAIN WAYS.
AND I THINK WE'RE, UM, AS WE GET THROUGH THIS ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE AWAY FROM THAT A WHOLE LOT TO DETERMINE WHETHER AN RFP IS NECESSARY AND IF IT IS NECESSARY, WHAT IT WOULD BE STRUCTURED LIKE.
SO I, I, IT TALKS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, KEEPING THE GOLF IN LINE WHERE THE COMMUNITY INPUT.
AND I THINK, UM, MY HOPE AS THE GOLF OPERATOR IS TO SAY WE'VE HAD GOLF THERE A LONG TIME.
WE'VE MADE STRIDES IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION, AND I THINK WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO THAT, BUT I DO THINK THE CHANGES WILL BE NECESSARY NEXT SIDE, UM, WITH THAT IN MIND COUNTY, UH, BOARD MEMBERS, AS WE MOVED FORWARD WITH THE DIRECTION, AND THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO OUTLINE WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED RECENTLY, AND TO PROVIDE YOU ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND ADDITIONAL CONTEXT IN TERMS OF THE DIRECTION, ABSOLUTELY PART, IT WE'LL CONTINUE WORKING WITH, UH, WITH THE COMMUNITY GROUPS TO CONTINUE WITH PARTICIPATION.
UH, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE TO STRIVE AND, AND MEET THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND REPRESENTATIVES, BUT ALSO TO REALIZE THAT IT IS BIGGER THAN JUST THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
THIS IS A MUNICIPAL CARPET SERVICES, MANY PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF JUST THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO, UH, REACH, UH, ADVOCATES THAT ARE GOLF ADVOCATES AS WELL, UH, TO GET THEIR OPINION AS WELL.
THEY HAVE MAYBE NOT HAVE PARTICIPATED AS, AS MUCH AS WE WOULD HAVE LIKED ORIGINALLY, BUT THEY'RE, UH, RECORD IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF ALL FROWNS THAT THEY'VE DONE OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS SPEAKS VOLUMES TO HOW THE POPULARITY CONTINUES FOR HANCOCK GOLF.
I MEAN, WE LOOK AT IT IN 2019, ALMOST 19,000 ROUNDS JUST PLAYED IN 2020, WHICH JUST ENDED IN, IN, UH, SEPTEMBER OVER 20,000 ROUNDS.
SO HANCOCK CONTINUES TO BE, UH, A GOLF COURSE THAT IS UTILIZED.
IF THIS WAS SOMETHING WHERE IT WAS DIMINISHED IN MINOR RETURNS AND HARDLY USED IN THERE, THE CONVERSATION WOULD BE DIFFERENT, BUT IT IS STILL ROUTINELY USED ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND SO IT DOES MATCH ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT THE LONG RANGE PLAN IS FOR, FOR HANCOCK.
DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD WITH GOLF IS STILL WHAT WE'RE STRIVING FOR TO CONTINUE FORWARD.
WE HAVE NOT BEEN DIRECTED BY COUNCIL TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF THIS.
AND SO HENCEFORTH, WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD TO BE RESPONSIBLE STEWARDS.
NOW, DURING THE BUDGET PRESENTATIONS THAT WERE IN AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, UM, COUNCIL DID BRING UP THE NOTION THAT, UH, BECAUSE THE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES A MILLION DOLLAR TRANSFER FOR THE GENERAL FUND TO STAY, UH, TO COVER THE EXPENDITURES THAT WE WERE LACKING IN THE GAP, UH, WE NEED TO FIND WAYS TO BE MORE RESPONSIBLE AND TO COVER THAT GAP AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
[01:35:01]
NOTION OF OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT AND VISITING HANCOCK, REGARDLESS OF THE FACT THAT IT WAS $150,000 SHORT-TERM EXPENDITURES.IT STILL PROVIDES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT HOW CAN WE REIMAGINE AND CHANGE THE TRAJECTION OF WHAT THE FINANCIALS ARE CURRENTLY FOR HANCOCK AND HENCEFORTH, WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING AND TALKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT NOW AS WHILE YOU CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
THE DEPARTMENT IS INTERESTED IN CONTINUALLY WORKING WITH, WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, WITH COMMUNITY AND CITIZEN GROUPS AS WELL.
WE ARE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT IN A POTENTIAL HYBRID MODEL, WHICH CONTINUES TO HAVE GOLF AND PARK ELEMENTS.
WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO SAY, WE'D LIKE TO REMOVE THE TRAILHEADS.
WE'D LIKE TO TAKE ALL THE LANDOWNER FOR GOLF.
IF ANYTHING, WE WANT TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THOSE AREAS FOR THOSE NEIGHBORS THAT ENJOYED ON A REGULAR BASIS.
BUT SO WE HAVE ALSO HEARD OTHER, UH, INFORMATION AND CONCERNS FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT I ALSO WANT TO, UH, BRING TO THE FOREFRONT AND TO CLARIFY, UH, WITH EVERYBODY NOW, IN TERMS OF THE DIFFERENCES OF IMPROVEMENTS VERSUS DEVELOPMENT, WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO SELL THIS LAND TO A DEVELOPER TO COME IN AND BUILD CONDOS.
WE'VE HEARD ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING FROM THAT TO, WE'RE GOING TO, UM, TO PUT UP, UH, THIS LIGHTING AND FENCING.
EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HAS SIMPLY BEEN AREAS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONSIDERATION.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S FINALIZED SAYING THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO THIS AND THAT ROUTE.
WE'RE INTERESTED IN THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CONCESSIONARY AGREEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM, BECAUSE WE, WE USE IT AND WORKS.
IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY TAX PAYER FUNDING FOR IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO US BECAUSE AS KEVIN MENTIONED, THERE ARE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED AT HANCOCK, INCLUDING IRRIGATION REPAIRS, INCLUDING EQUIPMENT REPAIRS THAT WE DO NOT UNFORTUNATELY HAVE THE FUNDING TO DO AT THIS TIME.
SO CONCESSIONARY AGREEMENT IS AT THE AREA THAT BEST SUITS THE DEPARTMENT AND WHY WE WERE HEADING TOWARDS THIS AREA HERE.
NOW, OTHER AREAS THAT HAVE MISINFORMATION HAS BEEN OUT THERE IS THE HANCOCK CENTER.
THE RECREATION CENTER IS GOING TO REMAIN IN PLACE.
IT'S NOT A PACKAGE DEAL FOR WHATEVER HAPPENS.
IF THINGS CHANGE THAT WILL REMAIN SEPARATE IS NOT INCLUDED IN ANYTHING WE'RE PROPOSING TO UNFOLD.
SO I NEED TO PUT THAT IN PLACE.
THE HISTORIC DESIGNATION WILL CURRENTLY REMAIN IN PLACE AND WE DO STRIVE TO CONTINUE WITH IT, MAINTAINING THE GREEN FEEL THAT WE HAVE NOW.
AND WE ABSOLUTELY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING WE HAVE.
SO WE'RE NOT TRYING TO DESTROY ANYTHING.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO COMMERCIALIZE IT AND BRING IN BIG VENDORS AND SOMEBODY TO COME INTO TO CHANGE THE SCOPE OF IT.
WE RECOGNIZE AND UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR EVOLVE.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE WITH THE FORMAT AS WELL.
SO WHAT HAVE WE ACCOMPLISHED RECENTLY, AS KEVIN MENTIONED, WE HAD TWO MAIN MEETINGS ORIGINALLY SET UP FOR SITTING ENGAGEMENTS THAT WERE SCHEDULED FOR THE 29TH, 26 AND 29TH OF OCTOBER.
WE GOT 185 PEOPLE SIGNED UP, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN A LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE TO HAVE PEOPLE TRY TO SPEAK ON, ON THE PRESENTATION THAT WE WERE TRYING TO SHOW PEOPLE, WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH ALMOST WHAT YOU'RE SEEING.
WE WOULD'VE WANTED TO HEAR EVERYBODY'S OPINION.
AND SO HENCEFORTH, WE DECIDED IT WOULDN'T BE PRODUCTIVE TO HAVE THAT MANY PEOPLE TRYING TO PROVIDE THEIR OPINIONS AND HENCEFORTH, LET'S TRY TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT WHERE LET'S MEET WITH REPRESENTATIVE FIRST, AND THEN WE CAN START WORKING ON MEETINGS WITH THE COMMUNITY, WHICH I WILL PROVIDE TO YOU IN A SECOND.
SO IN THE MEANTIME, WHAT WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED IS MEETING WITH NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATES OR REPRESENTATIVES, UH, INCLUDING THOSE LISTED BELOW ARE FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.
LIKE YOU MENTIONED, THE CONSERVANCY REPRESENTATIVES COMING IN THE HANCOCK GOLF COURSE CONSERVANCY AND THE HANCOCK CONCERNS DURING THOSE CONSERVATIVE MEETINGS.
I DO WANT TO NOTATE YOU GUYS THAT WE DID HAVE, UH, CHRISTINE, CHRISTINA CANOLA, WHO DOES THE PARTNERSHIPS, SO THAT COULD PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING NEXT STEPS FOR CONSERVANCIES ON PARTNERSHIPS, WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN REQUIREMENTS THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO DO WHAT KIND OF, UH, INFORMATION THEY NEED TO PROVIDE AND HOW IT WORKS.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAD ALL THE INFORMATION PRIOR TO OUR, OUR MEETINGS WITH THEM TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITIES, IF THEY SO CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ACTUALLY REPRESENTING AN ACTUAL CONSERVANCY, WHAT HAS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND THEN LASTLY, UH, KEVIN DID MEET AND DO THE PRESENTATION WITH THE COUGH ADVISOR AS WELL.
SO THE THREE MAIN CONCEPTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR, AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH VERSUS ENGAGEMENT WILL BE THE THREE THAT WE HAVE HEARD THE MOST FIRST AND FOREMOST ARE OUR INTEREST IN DOING A CONCESSIONARY AGREEMENT, WHICH WILL REQUIRE A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL.
UH, WE DID HAVE A CONCEPT MAP THAT WAS SHOWN IN THE FEBRUARY MEETING.
UNFORTUNATELY, PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS GOING TO BE THE FINAL DRAWING.
AND, UH, AND, AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS GOING TO BE A DONE DEAL.
[01:40:01]
NOT THE CASE.WE SIMPLY WANTED TO SHOW A VISUAL OF WHAT IT COULD POTENTIALLY LOOK LIKE, BUT NOTHING WAS EVER FINALIZED, NOTHING WAS EVER AGREED UPON.
AND SO AN RFP WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO WORK WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND REPRESENTATIVES TO ASK THEM, WHAT IS IT THAT IF WE MOVE THIS, IF WE DEEM THAT THIS IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE METHOD FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD, WHAT WOULD WE WANT TO SEE AND NOT WANT TO SEE, DO NOT WANT TO SEE FENCING.
YOU'RE NOT WANT TO SEE LIGHTING.
OH, I WANT TO SEE X AMOUNT OF ACRES.
THIS PROVIDES US WHEN WE WORK ON A SCOPE TO PROVIDE A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL OUT THERE FOR THOSE COMPANIES THAT ARE INTERESTED, THIS IS THE PARAMETERS OF WHAT DO YOU WANT BEFORE YOU DEVELOP YOUR CONCEPT.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, REGARDLESS OF THE OUTCOME, IF THEY PRODUCE IT AND THE DEPARTMENT DEEMS THAT ONE OF THEM IS, IS MORE PREFERENTIAL.
WE STILL HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH PRESENTING TO YOU GUYS IN THE FUTURE, AS WELL AS GET FINAL APPROVAL WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO THIS PROVIDES ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO VOICE THEIR OPINION, IF THIS WAS THE RIGHT WAY OR NOT, RIGHT WAY FOR THEM AND THEIR MINDS.
AND SO THE CONTINUATION IS WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE TRANSPARENT AND FURTHER DISCUSS WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE GOING FORWARD.
SO THOSE ARE IMPORTANT THINGS TO, TO, TO NOTATE AS WELL.
AS, AS WE, AS HE'S MENTIONED, CONCESSIONARY AGREEMENTS EXIST CURRENTLY WITH BUTLER PITCH AND PUTT ZILKHA TRAIN, THEY WORK, THEY HAVE BEEN PROVEN TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
THEY ARE TAXPAYERS, UH, WHEN I HAVE TO PAY ANY KIND OF EXPENSES FOR ANY OF THOSE REPAIRS LONG-TERM AGREEMENT, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEY'RE OVER SUB AND RAN BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE DON'T GIVE TOTAL AUTONOMY TO, UH, SOME SORT OF VENDOR OUT THERE TO DO AS THEY PLEASE, THEY HAVE TO WORK IN, COLLABORATE WITH US ON EVERYTHING.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE CONTINUALLY STRIVING TO PUSH SO THAT PEOPLE ARE AWARE, THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE WHERE YOU HAVE A DEVELOPMENT COME IN AND MAKE ALL THESE CHANGES.
AND THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS.
THAT IS NOT AT ALL THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
SECOND CONCEPT WE'VE HEARD IS FROM PEOPLE, INCLUDING EMAILS RECEIVED RECENTLY IS LEAVE IT ALONE.
DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING THAT THE GAP IS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
NOW IT COULD VERY WELL BE THAT IT IS, UH, ABSORBED THIS YEAR.
WE DID DO COST INCREASES ACROSS THE BOARD AT OTHER GOLF COURSES, AND THAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO STRESS, TO CONTINUE REVIEWING AS WELL.
IT ALL DEPENDS UPON HOW WE MOVE FORWARD WITH COVID.
UH, AND IF GOLF CONTINUES TO BE AS EXPLOSIVE AS IT IS, UH, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING FOR US TO CONSIDER.
HOWEVER, IT STILL PUTS US IN A SITUATION WHERE WE STILL HAVE OUTDATED EQUIPMENT AND OF COURSE, RENOVATIONS THAT REQUIRE NEEDS.
AND SO THERE'S A FINANCIALS THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO BE ABLE TO INVEST AT THIS TIME.
UH, BUT DEFINITELY SOMETHING FOR US TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION AS WELL AS THE LAST ONE, BEING AN ALL POT PASSIVE PARK, WHICH WE'VE HEARD NOW, AS WE STRESS TO THE OTHER CONSERVANCIES, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD COME TO PLAY, THEN IT WOULD REQUIRE A POLICY SHIFT GUIDED BY CITY COUNCIL.
IF THAT IS WHAT THEY DEEMED IS THE BEST RESPONSE FOR THE DEPARTMENT TO MOVE FORWARD.
WE HAVE NOT HEARD THAT WE'RE NOT PLANNING ON MOVING AT THAT ROUTE AT THIS TIME.
AND SO, AS I MOVED FORWARD WITH THE, WITH CITIZEN ENGAGEMENTS, WE'LL PUT THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE, BUT UNLESS WE'RE DIRECTED, OTHERWISE OUR INTENT IS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH GOLF.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT I WANT TO PROPOSE ON HERE FOR THE TIMELINE AND NEXT STEPS IS THERE'S NOWHERE ON THIS TIMELINE THAT YOU WILL SEE THE WORD RFP AND PROPOSALS SENT.
WE INTEND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO AS MUCH DUE DILIGENCE TO WORK WITH CITIZENS.
AS I MENTIONED, WE'VE MET, WE PREVIOUSLY MET WITH NEIGHBORHOOD AND CONSERVANCY GROUPS.
WE'VE MET WITH THE GOLF ADVISORY GROUP.
UH, WE'RE DOING THIS BRIEFING WITH YOU GUYS TODAY AND MOVING FORWARD, UH, WE PLAN IT STARTING COMMUNITY SURVEY AND ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS STARTING IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY, 2021.
WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK AFTER WE'VE COMPILED AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN DO.
AND AS, AS HEARD AS MANY, A DIFFERENT OPINIONS AS WE CAN TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO YOU SOMETIME IN APRIL OF 2021, AND FINALLY A MEMORANDUM TO COUNSEL AND PROJECT SUMMARY OF NEXT STEPS TO COUNCIL AND MAY OF 2021.
AND THAT MAY SAY THAT WE'VE CONCLUDED THAT THE BEST SCENARIO IS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AN RFP, OR IT MAY SAY WE'RE DOING NOTHING AND WE'RE GOING TO LET IT UP.
I CAN'T SAY THAT UNTIL I HAVE ALL THE DATA THAT WE'VE ACCUMULATED UP UNTIL THAT POINT, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT IS OUR INTENT TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE CITIZENS AND TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
AND SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I'LL OPEN UP TO QUESTIONS FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS TO PROVIDE US IF I MAY.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH BOTH TO MR. SECURA AND MR.
I HAD HEARD, BECAUSE THIS IS IN MY DISTRICT, I HAD HEARD A LOT OF FEEDBACK JUST POURING INTO MY MAALOX.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT THE PROBLEMS WERE, HAVE BEEN RECTIFIED HERE WITH MORE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
[01:45:01]
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORT YOU'VE PUT IN TO MAKING THAT PROCESS NOT SO RUSHED AS THEY FELT IT WAS AT THE BEGINNING AND GOING ON AND TAKING TIME TO MEET WITH ALL THOSE DIFFERENT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT IS A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK FOR SIX NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS IN MY UNDERSTANDING.AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE, I KNOW, I KNOW WHAT THE TIME CONSUMING THING THAT IS, AND I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT TO REMEMBER ON YOUR, ON MUTE.
THIS IS TO TALK ABOUT THE HANDCUFF GOLF COURSE, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN UPDATE.
AND I THOUGHT THAT THAT ANTHONY AND, AND KEVIN GAVE A GREAT TALK GIVING US BACKGROUND ON THAT, BUT THIS IS GOING TO COME BACK BEFORE THE BOARD AND WE'RE ALL GOING TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION WHEN IT COMES BACK.
AND SO I I'D LIKE US JUST TO FOCUS ON THE, UM, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PIECE, CAUSE WE'LL HAVE LOTS OF TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE REST OF IT.
SO, BECAUSE I'M NOT THAT THAT COULD TAKE A LONG TIME FOR LIMIT DEPALMA.
AND SO I'LL SPEAK TO THE SPECIFICALLY THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND, UM, ONE, BUT THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS THAT I'VE RECEIVED SO FAR AND, AND I, I CAN'T IMAGINE LIGHTS OR NETS BEING A GO FOR ANYBODY.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE CLEAR AND, AND CONSIDER IN TAKE AN IMPACT, WHETHER IT'S A SURVEY INSTRUMENT OR WHAT'S GOING FORWARD.
UM, AND THAT'S, REGARDLESS OF IT'S A, IT'S NOT A PARK OR A GOLF CONCESSION, SO I'D LIKE THAT TO BE THOUGHT OF WITHIN THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT AND THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE LIKE WHERE THE PERSON WHO'S RESPONDING FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THAT'S CAPTURED.
UM, SO I THINK GET A REFLECTION ON WHERE THE COMMUNITY THAT'S BEEN PROVIDING THAT INPUT AND THEN HAVING THE VARIOUS PREFERENCES.
AND SO, YEAH, WHERE IT'S THIS OR THAT, AND IF IT'S THIS, WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE? AND SO WE CAN DO A CROSS TABULATION TO REALLY ACCURATELY REFLECT WHAT, WHAT THE CONCERNS ARE AND WHERE THE, WHERE EVERYBODY'S WERE WILLING TO GO.
UM, AND THEN I THINK WITH HOW WE HELP INFORM FOLKS ON THE, IN ORDER TO FILL OUT THAT SURVEY CORRECTLY, WE REALLY HAVE TO HAVE A MORE THOROUGH PICTURE OF THE HISTORY OF HANCOCK.
AND THAT GOES FROM, YOU KNOW, MEETING AT THE DRISCOLL HOTEL, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, OF LOUIS HANCOCK AND THE REST OF THEM ACTUALLY, EVEN BEFORE THOSE HANCOCK, I THINK, BUT, BUT, UH, HE WASN'T THE ORIGINAL CHAIRMAN.
HE WAS ELECTED CHAIR ONCE THE BYLAWS WERE PASSED, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, THE GROUP OF FOLKS WHO STARTED HIS HOUSE, LIKE SPLIT IT 75 AND THEN GOING ALL THE WAY TO WHEN IT WAS PURCHASED BY THE CITY IN 46, AND THEN ULTIMATELY, UH, YOU KNOW, GETTING CONTROL IN 50 50, ONE 51, SPLITTING THE PARCEL WITH HANCOCK SHOPPING AND THE CONVERSATIONS SURROUNDING THAT.
AND THEN THE, THE, EVERY DECADE, THE CONVERSATION, AND IT HAS BEEN EVERY DECADE FOR LETTING THE PROFITABILITY.
AND THAT WAS EVEN FROM WHEN, YOU KNOW, GOING TO 46, WHEN THE, I THINK IT WAS TOM MILLER THAT SAID, THIS WILL BE, WE'LL BE PROFITABLE.
THIS IS GOING TO BE A, YEAH, THIS, THIS WILL BE SUSTAINABLE.
UM, I THINK IT HAS A BEAUTIFUL HISTORY.
UH, MAYBE IT WOULDN'T HAVE INCLUDED ME PART OF THAT HISTORY BACK WHEN IT OPENED, BUT NONETHELESS, UM, THERE, THERE IS SOME INTERESTING THINGS I THINK AT THAT WHOLE THING.
SO EVERYBODY, THE WHOLE BOARD, ONCE IT GETS BACK TO US, THAT SURVEY INSTRUMENT AND WHEN THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT IS IN, IS INFORMED WITH THE HISTORY AND THEN, YOU KNOW, GOOD AND BAD.
AND THEN THE WHOLE BOARD IS ABLE TO GET EDUCATED ON THAT HISTORY OF HANCOCK PARK GOLF COURSE AND REC CENTER.
AND SO WHEN THEY CAN FEEL LIKE THEY CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION OR RECOMMENDATION WHEN THAT TIME COMES, SO I CAN PROVIDE YOU SOME OF THE RESEARCH THAT I HAVE, BUT I DON'T WANT TO DO, I DON'T WANT TO BE IN THE BUSINESS OF COMPILING.
UM, AND SO IF THAT'S SOMEBODY THAT, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT CAN DO INPUT UP, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE BOARD AND JUST THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO HAVE SOME FAIR SHARE, UM, AS FAR AS COVERING CAPTURING THIS.
THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE EXCELLENT POINTS.
I THINK THAT HISTORY'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, THANKS FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
ALSO, I WANTED TO SAY YOU TO THE MANY PEOPLE THAT SENT EMAILS TO THE BOARD MEMBERS, UM, GIVING US THEIR PERSPECTIVE SPECIFICALLY ON THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN.
[01:50:01]
OF, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THAT YOU HAD MET WITH.I WANTED TO RECOMMEND THAT YOU, UM, OPEN IT UP A LITTLE BIT MORE IN, LIKE, I THINK I SAW, YOU KNOW, EASTWOOD'S NEIGHBORHOOD WAS ON THEIR HYDE PARK, UM, NORTH UNIVERSITY, I DON'T REMEMBER THE WHOLE LIST, BUT, AND THOSE TO ME ARE SORT OF NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ALSO HAVE THEIR OWN PARKS ALREADY, YOU KNOW, HYDE PARK HAS, SHIPE OBVIOUSLY THERE'S EASTWOODS PARK RIGHT THERE.
UM, I THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME COMMUNITIES THAT SORT OF USE THIS AS AN INFORMAL PARK, INCLUDING LIKE RIDGE TOP THE HOUSES AROUND THE RIDGE TOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
UM, EVEN, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT FURTHER NORTH ON AIRPORT GOING TO LAMAR.
UM, I DID SEE THAT YOU HAD THE NORTH LOOP NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION ON THERE, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT LIVE IN THAT AREA THAT DON'T HAVE A, UM, JUST A REGULAR LITTLE NEIGHBORHOOD PARK THEY CAN WALK TO.
AND I THINK THAT THE SORT OF INFORMAL TRAIL USE OF HANCOCK IS SERVED BY A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE USE THAT SPACE.
SO I THINK REACHING OUT TO THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, TO THE EXTENT YOU CAN, WOULD BE GOOD FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, AND THEN MY OTHER, UH, ISSUE IS KIND OF LIKE WHAT, UM, BOARD MEMBER DIPLOMAS THAT I APPRECIATE THAT LIKE EXPLAINING THAT THE BOARD AND TO THE COMMUNITY YOU'RE SEEKING ENGAGEMENT FROM THE HISTORY OF THE PARK.
AND I THINK THERE'S TWO PARTS OF THAT.
IT'S LIKE LOOKING BACKWARDS, BUT ALSO BEING FORWARDS.
UM, BECAUSE I'M THINKING THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF CHANGE IN THIS AREA IN REGARDS TO DENSITY.
IF YOU LOOK AT, UM, WHAT'S PLANNED FOR AIRPORT BOULEVARD, IF YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S COMPLICATED RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE STATUS OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REVISIONS, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS PROPOSED FOR LIKE DUVALL AND SOME OF THE, THE THOROUGHFARES, I'M NOT SURE WHAT RED RIVER NEAR THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, PRETTY INTENSE INCREASES IN DENSITY.
UM, I ALSO, YOU KNOW, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT HANCOCK SHOCKINGLY CENTER IS RIPE FOR REDEVELOPMENT AND I'M SURE CONDOMINIUMS AND MIXED USE.
SO I'M THINKING THAT LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANY WAY TO SORT OF INCORPORATE WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST USE OF THIS WONDERFUL GREEN SPACE, IF THERE WERE ALSO THOUSANDS OF MORE PEOPLE LIVING IN THIS AREA? YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE WILL BE BEFORE TOO LONG BECAUSE IT JUST SEEMS THAT I DON'T KNOW.
I JUST, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW PEOPLE'S OPINION, IF YOU KIND OF OVERLAID SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S WAS PLANNED UNDER THE CODE NEXT AND THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REVISIONS, UM, I MEAN THE UPS ZONING, SOME OF THAT DENSITY ON, AND IS IT, DOES IT STILL SEEM APPROPRIATE TO HAVE GOLF TAKING UP SO MUCH GREEN SPACE IN A MUCH MORE DENSE AREA? I'M NOT, I'M SORRY, I DON'T HAVE A MORE CONCRETE IDEA OF HOW YOU CAN INCORPORATE THAT INTO A SPECIFIC QUESTION, BUT I DO THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.
CAUSE WE'RE SORT OF PLANNING ON, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT 20 OR 30 YEARS I ASSUME OF THIS PARK, I'M GOING TO SEE A LOT OF CHANGES.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR, TO INFORM PEOPLE ON HOW THEY VIEW THE SURVEY.
SO I THINK IT'S PART OF THAT HISTORICAL AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LOOK AT WHILE THEY'RE RESPONDING.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S HOW YOU KIND OF, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE CAPTURED IT AND YOU TIE IT IN.
YEAH, NO, THAT'S UM, THAT'S FINE.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M GETTING AT, I THINK.
AND, AND ALSO, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOU'RE GOING TO FRAME THE QUESTIONS LIKE, OH, WELL, I DIDN'T WANT TO SAY, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWERS EITHER, BUT IT'S, TO ME IT'S A LITTLE BIT CIRCULAR THAT WE'RE GOING TO SAY WE'RE, UM, YOU KNOW, UNTIL CITY COUNCIL GIVES US A PAUL A, A DIRECTION TO LOOK AT SOMETHING OTHER THAN GOLF, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH.
BUT IF IT'S, HOW CAN CITY COUNCIL GIVE YOU THAT DIRECTION? IF THEY KNOW YOU'RE ENGAGED IN A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, AND THEY'RE WAITING TO HEAR WHAT THAT SAYS.
SO I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS LOOK AT DIFFERENT SCENARIOS, SO THAT COUNTS.
SO THE BOARD AND COUNCIL HAS THAT HAS THAT INFORMATION OTHERWISE.
UM, WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE A FAIT ACCOMPLI, HOW THE ENGAGEMENT COMES OUT.
THAT IF THAT MAKES SENSE, IF NOT ASK ME A QUESTION.
[01:55:01]
YOU FOR REMEMBER FAUST.DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NO.
WELL, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S CHALLENGING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN THE AGE OF COVID AND I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE DONE, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK ALL THE MEETINGS THAT YOU'VE HAD HAS BEEN, HAVE BEEN REALLY HELPFUL.
LIKE I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO TRY TO, TO DO WHAT, UM, BOARD MEMBER DIPLOMA.
AND FAST-FORWARD ALLUDING TO JUST MAKING SURE THAT YOU MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S REALLY EDUCATED ABOUT THE PARK AND UNDERSTANDS THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND, AND GIVE THEM JUST AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO HAVE A VOICE.
I MEAN, ONE OF THE, AS A BOARD MEMBER, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE I'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, AS I, I DIDN'T KNOW THEY WERE ASKING ABOUT THIS.
I DIDN'T, I WOULD HAVE BEEN THERE.
SO, AND I KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT TO DO THAT KIND OF BROAD OUTREACH, BUT I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY TRACK, YOU KNOW, THE ZIP CODES OF PEOPLE THAT COME INTO WHETHER THE, THE RECREATION CENTER OR WHETHER IT'S, UM, THE GOLF, BUT TO JUST TO LOOK OUT AND SEE WHO'S OUT THERE.
BUT JUST TO MAKE SURE, I MEAN, AS THE GUEST, AS ONE OF THE GENTLEMAN ALLUDED TO THAT, THE QUESTIONS SEEM FAIR AND BALANCED FOR EVERYBODY THAT THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY'RE WEIGHTED IN ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER.
I'M SURE YOU DO THAT, BUT I'M JUST POINTING OUT.
THAT'S JUST SOMETHING TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT.
I DID HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION.
AND THIS IS IF, IF, UH, THAT YOU COULD PUT OR GIVE US SOME INFO, LIKE REALLY THIS PART, THIS SURVEY INSTRUMENT GOING TO HELP INFORM, WE ALWAYS SEE THIS DELTA RIGHT AT THE MOMENT, WHICH YOU PRESENTED AS FAR AS HOW, HOW, UH, HANCOCK SPECIFICALLY, AND SOMETIMES OTHER GOLF COURSES ARE OFFERED AREN'T SELF-SUSTAINING.
AND THE QUESTION ALWAYS GOES THROUGH MY MIND, WELL, IS TENNIS SELF-SUSTAINING HOW DO WE SUPPLEMENT TENANTS? WHAT ARE THE ONES THAT WE SUPPLEMENT IN BY WHICH DEGREE? BECAUSE IF ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE MAKING ONE SPORT, THEN I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE LONG NEEDED TO ADDRESS.
AND I HAVEN'T SEEN IT IN THE RECORD AT ALL SINCE, YOU KNOW, SINCE 51.
AND YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T BECOME ALL OF A SUDDEN, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU INVEST, WE KEEP THE ENTERPRISE FINE BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO GET, WE DON'T WANT TO RUIN OUR ACCESS TO THE CIP MONEY THAT COMES FROM THAT AND HAVING TO GO THROUGH A BOND PROCESS.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IS IT, WE SET THE EXPECTATION GOING FORWARD THAT YET YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE TO SUBSIDIZE, I MEAN, WE SUBSIDIZE OTHER SPORTS.
AND SO YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT'S CALLED WOULD GOLF DIVISION ALTOGETHER.
I DON'T KNOW AGAIN WHERE I'M GOING TO BE WHEN, IF, YOU KNOW, IF I'M ON THE BOARD, WHEN THIS COMES UP FOR A VOTE, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT'S PART OF THE INFORMATION I WOULD WANT, I WANT TO KNOW.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE INFORMATION I THINK I WOULD WANT TO KNOW IF I'M GETTING READY TO FILL OUT A SURVEY.
I HAVE, I HAVE ONE OTHER THING TO ADD A PLACE.
UM, I WOULD, UH, ALSO LIKE TO KNOW A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE DEMOGRAPHICS, BECAUSE I DO KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S COME TO MY ATTENTION IS THAT PEOPLE ON THE, UM, ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY ARE ALSO COMING OVER.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW, IF THERE'S A WAY TO TRACK, UM, YOU KNOW, ECONOMICS AND RACE AND DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS.
LIKE I THINK SOMEBODY DID SAY ZIP CODES, BUT I THINK FINDING THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF WHO'S ACTUALLY ABLE TO USE THE PARK IS SORT OF AN IMPORTANT FACTOR.
ONE COMMENT I'D MAKE, UM, RELATED TO THAT WE DO CURRENTLY HAVE, BECAUSE WE'RE OPERATING A PLAYSTATION OPERATION.
SO WE DO HAVE VERY LIMITED STAFF ON HAND TO CONDUCT SURVEY AND USE SURVEY.
AND YOU REALLY HAVE TO, IN ORDER TO DO A DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY, I CAN'T ASK, OR I CAN'T, UM, I CAN'T REALLY DETERMINE, I HAVE TO PUT THAT ON A SURVEY THAT ALLOWS THEM TO FILL THAT SURVEY OUT.
SO IT WOULD NEED TO BE COORDINATED IN AN EFFORT THAT WOULD, UM, TAKE A VERY BROAD APPROACH TO THAT.
AND THAT'S DIFFICULT ON A PAY STATION OPERATION TYPE TYPE SITE, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE ABSOLUTELY CAN TRY TO WORK TO CONSIDER, TO TRY TO GET SOME NUMBERS.
UM, SAME SIMILAR SITUATION ON THE TRAIL.
THE TRAIL IS UTILIZED BY SUCH A WIDE IT'S.
IT'S AMAZING, QUITE HONESTLY, HOW MANY DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF FOLKS THAT USE THAT TRAIL FROM, UM, FROM PARENTS PUSHING STROLLERS TO, UM, SPEED RUNNERS, UM, SPEED JOGGERS.
AND SO, UM, THE, THE OTHER THING I THINK THAT WAS IMPORTANT, UM, UH, WAS MENTIONED, THIS IS RELATED TO ENHANCING WHAT'S THERE, BUT CONTINUING THE HISTORICAL COMPONENT.
I THINK WHAT ANTHONY ALLUDED TO WAS THAT THERE ARE AREAS OF THE PARK THAT REALLY ARE NOT WELL-SUITED FOR GOLF.
I MEAN, THEY, THEY ARE, THEY'RE ALL ALONG RED RIVER THERE A LONG PECK, THEY GOLFERS, AND IT'S NO OFFENSE TO THE GOLFERS OF, OF HANCOCK, BUT WE ALL SUCK.
I DON'T CARE WHAT GOLF COURSE YOU'RE PLAYING AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER.
YOU ARE NOT GOOD IF YOU PLAY GOLF AND YOU HAVE GOLF BALLS
[02:00:01]
THAT FLY INTO PLACES THAT ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE FLYING TO.UM, IT'S JUST THE NATURE OF, UH, OF AN OUTDOOR SPORT.
SO WE COULD STILL, IF WE HAD FUNDS, WE COULD PROBABLY, WE COULD PROBABLY MEET IN THE MIDDLE OF A LOT OF THESE GOALS IS TO MAKE THE GOLF COURSE SAFER BY, BY MODIFYING THE GOLF COURSE IN CERTAIN PLACES.
UM, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD RESULT IN LESS OPPORTUNITY FOR GOLF BALLS TO GO INTO PLACES THEY SHOULDN'T GO OR, OR, OR MORE APPROPRIATELY IN THE STREETS, BUT ALSO HAVE OPEN SPACE INDOOR, UM, ENHANCED PARKING OPPORTUNITIES ALONG CERTAIN PORTIONS OF THE PARK.
AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S, THAT'S, I THINK WHAT WE WILL BE ASKING AND LOOKING FOR.
UM, AND I, AND I DO HEAR YOU ON THE SURVEY, BUT I WONDER TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT DEMOGRAPHICS, CAUSE THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE A CHALLENGE FOR US, ESPECIALLY IN THE SITUATION ROOM.
DO WE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR INPUT? YES.
BOARD MEMBERS ARE GOING TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR FEEDBACK.
I THINK THAT IT'S GOING TO BE VALUABLE AND I THINK THAT IT WILL BE HELPFUL.
DO YOU WANT TO, UM, JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THE BOARD WITH, UM, SORT OF A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT AS TO, UM, THE DIRECTION THAT WE TAKE, RIGHT.
AND SO JUST RECENTLY WE HAVE BEEN REMINDED BY OUR COUNCIL THAT, UM, THIS IS AN ENTERPRISE FUND AND WE RAISED IS IN THE GOLF AREA IS BECAUSE AS AN ENTERPRISE FUND, I FEEL LIKE, UM, I FEEL LIKE THE DECISION TO RAISE FEES AS PART OF THE ENTERPRISE FUND WAS ALSO, UM, A, A DIRECTION MAYBE NOT EXPLICIT, BUT A ATTRACTION FROM KEN.
SO THAT SAYS HAVING GOLF, BEING MAINTAINED AS AN ENTERPRISE FUND IS SOMETHING THAT IS SUPPORTED AND SUPPORTED SUCH THAT WE ALSO WANT YOU TO RAISE FEES.
SO ANY KIND OF FUNDING THAT HAS BEEN USED TO SUPPLEMENT GOLF BOOK AND THEN BE USED IN ROUTINE PROGRAMS. AND SO THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO THINK ABOUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THIS PARTICULAR SPACES.
UM, EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER ABSOLUTELY IS ABOUT THAT, BUT HALF OF THEM WHO VOTED FOR THE BUDGET AND COMMENTED, CERTAINLY BELIEVED THAT IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO RAISE FEES FOR ADDITIONAL FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.
AND SECOND, WE'RE VERY COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT THERE'S GOING TO SCAFFOLD THE TAX CAP IS 3.5%.
AND WHILE, UM, ABILITY TO PREDICT WHAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE ALLOCATED TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
I THINK AT GENERAL, COUNCIL THAT WOULD HAVE RECEIVED FROM, UM, OUR BUDGET OFFICES IS THAT WE NEED TO BE VERY MINDFUL THAT THE LIKELIHOOD OF MAJOR INCREASES TO A BUDGET, UM, WILL NOT LIKELY NOT HAPPEN.
WE WILL NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT CURRENT RESOURCES AND REALLOCATE THEM APPROPRIATE FOR THE THINGS THAT ARE NEEDED.
AND SO I SAY THAT BECAUSE EVEN THINKING ABOUT KEEPING THIS GOLF COURSE, VERY SIMILAR TO THE WAY THAT IT IS, WHICH IS WHAT WE HEARD, SOME PEOPLE SAY, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS NOT AT ALL COMPLETE, BUT THAT, OR TRANSITIONING IT TO NOT HAVING A COMPONENT OF REVENUE BASED COMPONENT MEANS THAT WE WILL HAVE TO HAVE MONEY INFUSED INTO OUR BUDGET.
AND AT THE IN TIME, I DON'T, I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE OF THE CAPACITY OR THE WILLINGNESS FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
AND SO ABSORBING AN OPERATION AND NOT ABLE TO GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR IT, UM, IS A DIFFERENT, A LITTLE BIT A CHALLENGING SCENARIO BECAUSE THAT MEANS SOMETHING ELSE WITHIN THE PROXY SYSTEM DOESN'T HAPPEN.
AND I'M TELLING YOU THAT TO SCARE YOU.
BUT I JUST TELL YOU THAT IS, AS THOSE ARE A COUPLE OF CONSIDERATIONS THAT WERE HAPPENING TO, UM, TO LOOK AT AS WE CONSIDER WHAT THE COMMUNITY SAYS, THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THEM, BUT ALSO BE MINDFUL THAT, UM, THE BUDGET MAY OR MAY NOT EXACTLY THE WAY THAT IT IS AND, AND THE RULES SURROUNDING HOW WE NEED TO TAKE OUR ASSETS MIGHT NOT ALWAYS MEAN THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET MORE MONEY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND YOU'VE ALSO BEEN GIVEN, LIKE I SAID, NOT AN EXPLICIT DIRECTION, BUT CERTAINLY THERE'S BEEN THIS THOUGHT OF, OR AT LEAST A ACTION THAT SAYS, UM, HAVING AN ENTERPRISE FUND IS SOMETHING THAT IS OKAY.
SO I SAY ALL THAT, JUST TO SAY, THOSE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WERE CONSIDERED NETWORK WEREN'T PARTICULARLY SPECIFICALLY, OTHER THAN I WANTED TO MENTION IS THAT THE LAST SPEAKER WHO TALKED ABOUT WHAT WAS SAID IN 1964, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UM, IN MY PREVIOUS POSITION AS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, I WAS ABLE TO ACCOMPANY KEVIN GOMILLION AND A NUMBER OF ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS, UH, IN, UH, AND I KNOW TIMES CHANGE, BUT I JUST WANT TO
[02:05:01]
LET YOU KNOW THAT A NUMBER OF LEADING ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS IN LIKE 2012 AND 2013, AND THE ACTUAL RESPONSE THAT WE RECEIVED THERE WAS, HEY, UM, HEY PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT DO A BETTER JOB OF MANAGING GOLF.THIS IS ABSOLUTELY AN ASSET THAT IS NEEDED HERE.
UH, AND EVEN THE THOUGHT OF, AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME, THE THOUGHT OF CHANGING IT INTO SOMETHING OTHER THAN GOLF WAS NOT VERY SUPPORTED.
AND SO I GUESS, UH, WHAT A DIFFERENCE, UM, SOMETIME IT'S RIGHT, A LITTLE BIT, A FEW YEARS AND A LITTLE BIT OF DEVELOPMENT AND THINGS, THE THOUGHT PROCESS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT TO THE CONVERSATION, BECAUSE I THINK KEVIN ALLUDED TO THE FACT THAT THINGS EBB AND FLOW, AND THAT'S JUST ANOTHER, ANOTHER WAY THAT, UM, THE COMMUNITY THOUGHTS, THE COLLECTIVE SIDE HAS EVEN EVER BEEN FLOATED.
SO THAT'S ALL, I, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR FEEDBACK, CAUSE I THINK IT WILL HELP MAKE OUR PROCESS BETTER.
IF I COULD SHOW HIM ONE QUICK THING TO SAY, AND THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE HEARD, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WENT TO EVERYBODY OR IF THEY JUST WENT TO ME, BUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED BY NEIGHBORS ALSO INCLUDE WAYS TO RAISE FUNDS.
ONE OF THEM SUGGESTED CLOSING THE GOLF COURSE FOR ONE DAY A WEEK AND ALLOWING OTHER THINGS TO TAKE PLACE AND SOMEBODY, BUT MORE SPECIFICALLY TO WHAT DR.
KNEELING WAS TALKING ABOUT, SEVERAL OF THEM HAVE MENTIONED HAVING THE GOLF COURSE CLOSED LONG ENOUGH TO HAVE MAYBE AN ANNUAL FESTIVAL THAT MIGHT RAISE MONEY FOR THE PARK.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO, UM, ADD THAT TO THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PIECE THAT MAY NEED TO HAVE SOME RIGHT IN IDEAS, ANY SORT OF SURVEY THAT WOULD GIVE, BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN, I'VE SEEN SOME REALLY PRETTY, PRETTY INTERESTING, UM, OPTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE THROWN OUT THERE, IDEAS TO RAISE MONEY.
SO DON'T SPEAK TO THE, THE SHORTFALL.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? THANK YOU, CHAIR.
I'M GOING TO PULL IT BACK JUST FOR SUPPORT ON THE FORMAT.
AND YOU MENTIONED WHAT'S KIND OF BEEN FRUSTRATING AND I'D LIKE TO SEE HOW, IF WE CAN GET SOME OF THE FUNDRAISING IDEAS AND THEN HOW THEY GO THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION.
SO IF IT'S CAPTURED IN THE SURVEY, YOU GUYS JUST LOOKING AT THE LITERATURE.
THE HITMAN HISTORICAL, YOU KNOW, FUNDRAISING WAS OFFERED IN THE SEVENTIES AND IT WAS AWKWARD AS EARLY AS 2013.
UM, AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, WE CAN DO IT AND WE CAN FUNDRAISE.
AND SO, SO THERE'S BEEN A DISCONNECT AND I THINK THERE HAS NO FUNDRAISING, BUT YEAH, IT WAS SOMEWHERE FROM 77.
SO HOW DO WE MAKE IT HAPPEN THIS TIME? THANK YOU.
ANYBODY ELSE ON THIS TOPIC? OKAY.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, ANTHONY AND KEVIN, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO, AND THERE IS ONE THING I DO WANT TO SAY ABOUT THAT TOO.
IF YOU COULD KIND OF LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN CASE WE WERE ABLE TO KIND OF SIT IN AND LISTEN TO SOMETIMES TO HEAR WHAT WE, THE COMMUNITY HAS TO SAY.
THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO INVITE EVERYBODY.
[C1. Update on modifications to the bylaws of the Parks and Recreation Board (Faust).]
ON THE AGENDA.UM, AS YOU GUYS REMEMBER, LAST TIME WE VOTED ON THE COMMITTEE, CHANGES AND BOARD MEMBER FAUST IS GOING TO GIVE US AN UPDATE, I THINK.
UM, SO THE CA THE, THE BYLAW CHANGES THAT CREATED THE FINANCIAL COMMITTEE, UM, WERE APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.
AND I'M NOT CLEAR IF IT'S BEEN SET ON THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA.
I THINK SAMMY'S MONITORING THAT.
SO I GUESS IT HAS TO BE APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL.
UM, I THINK FOR OUR PURPOSES, THE, OUR STEPS MOVING FORWARD IS THAT HOPEFULLY IN OUR JANUARY MEETING, WE WILL HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM WHERE WE CAN, UM, TALK ABOUT MAKEUP OF THE COMMITTEES.
SO I THINK, UM, IF YOU GUYS WANT TO BE TAKING THAT UNDER CONSIDERATION, IF YOU WANT TO BE ON CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS OR THE FINANCIAL COMMITTEE, HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE READY TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION IN JANUARY, BUT, UM, DON OR SAMMY, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD, NO, I THINK WE'LL JUST WAIT, I THINK, AND SEE ME.
I HAVEN'T SEEN IT ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA, BUT MAYBE YOU HAVE CHAIR LEWIS.
I'M ACTUALLY WAITING THE DECEMBER 10TH COUNCIL AGENDA SHOULD BE POSTED, UH, THIS AFTERNOON.
AND SO THAT'LL LET US KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO BE ON THERE FOR THE DECEMBER MEETING OR THE JANUARY MEETING.
AND THEN WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT AND THANK YOU, UM, BOARD MEMBER FAUST AND THE PAMA FOR YOUR WORK ON THAT.
[D. DIRECTOR’S REPORT ON PROGRAM AND PROJECT UPDATES AND EVENTS]
[02:10:01]
ONTO DIRECTOR'S REPORT DIRECTOR MCNEELY.SO I JUST WANTED TO, ON PAGE ONE, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A VERY SPECIFIC QUESTION RELATED TO ORGY GUERRERA AND THE RIGHT OF WAY, AND THE FIRST HEART ON PAGE ONE, THE FIRST PART OF THAT DIRECTOR'S REPORT IS DEDICATED TO THOSE, TO THAT PARTICULAR RESPONSE.
PLEASE HELP US KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS YOU CAN JUST EMAIL ME DIRECTLY AND WE'LL BE SURE TO FURTHER ANSWER OR PROVIDE ADDITIONAL IF THE BOARD IS INTERESTED.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I DRAW, I DREW YOUR ATTENTION TO PAGE TWO AND PAGE THREE, THOSE ARE ALL THE RECENT PARKLAND ACQUISITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, HAVE, HAVE GONE THROUGH AND BEEN APPROVED BY COUNCIL.
AND, UH, THEY ARE, UM, ALLOWING US TO SPEND BOTH PARKLAND, DEDICATION AND FUNDING WITH PARKLAND, DEDICATION FUNDS BEING OUR FIRST CHOICE OF EXPENDITURE, AND THEN BOND FUNDS OUR SECOND CHOICE OF EXPENDITURE.
BUT YOU CAN SEE BY THAT INDUSTRIAL FOUR, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR LEAST, UM, ONE OF THE AREAS WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF PARKLAND, THERE'S BEEN SOME, UM, SOME MOVEMENT ON BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR, UH, ADDITIONAL PARKLAND IN THAT PARTICULAR DISTRICT.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE WAS A NUMBER OF PARKS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, AND I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT JUST DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO SPECIFICALLY VETERANS PACKET PARK, WHICH IS ON PAGE SIX OF 17.
AND I ONLY DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THAT BECAUSE THIS IS A POCKET PARK THAT IS, UM, RIGHT NEAR, UM, THE BETTY EILERS PARK.
UM, IT'S, IT'S A CELEBRATION OF VETERANS.
AND SO IT WILL BE IT'S ONE THAT PEOPLE CAN VISIT NOW, BUT IT WILL ALSO BE VERY NICE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A VETERANS MEMORIAL IN A, IN A EAST SIDE LOCATION THAT WILL ALSO BE AN HONORING THE VETERANS.
I JUST THOUGHT THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO YOU.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE PICTURES OF THAT.
AND THEN LASTLY, THE DOHERTY ART CENTER, BECAUSE I KNOW WE ALL MAY BE INTERESTED IN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AT THE DOHERTY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS.
YOU'LL SEE, ON PAGE NINE OF 17, THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ENGAGEMENTS THAT ARE SCHEDULED IN A NUMBER OF AMOUNT OF WORK THAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE GUARDS TO THE DOOR, THE ART CENTER, AND TO BE ABLE TO GET MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN HOP ON OUR WEBSITE WITH REGARDS TO THAT.
UM, PLEASE KNOW THAT, UH, TO MAINTENANCE THING THAT I THINK ARE OF INTEREST TO YOU, AND YOU MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE RECEIVED TO CONCERNS ABOUT FIELD LIGHTING, THAT WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF ISSUES THAT I THINK, UM, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO NOT SUCCESSFULLY BEGIN ADDRESSING ARE RELATED TO BALL FILL LIGHTING, WHICH WILL ALLOW, UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROGRAMMING TO OCCUR AFTER DARK, RIGHT, NOT, NOT DURING THE, UM, THE NIGHTTIME HOURS WHEN THERE'S NO SUN.
AND I DON'T MEAN LIKE, WAIT AT NIGHT, I NEED, YOU KNOW, THIS TIME OF UTERUS, OBVIOUSLY THINGS ARE, ARE, UM, GET DARK EARLIER.
AND THOSE ARE HAPPENING OVER AT OUR
HOWEVER, I DO WANT TO MENTION TO YOU THAT SOUTH AUSTIN IT'S LOCATION ACTUALLY IS RIGHT ACROSS FROM, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO IT WILL ALSO GIVE, UH, COMMUNITIES THAT MAYBE DON'T HAVE ALL OF THE, UH, THE SAME, UH, AND IT IS THAT SOME OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE IT, OR WE'LL GIVE THEM A NEW OPPORTUNITY, UM, AT THEIR, AT THEIR PARK AND ALSO EVERGREEN CEMETERY.
THAT IS WHERE THE GRAFFITI HAPPENED MOST RECENTLY.
AND WE'RE JUST TRYING TO DEMONSTRATE TO YOU HOW WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO RESTORE THOSE GRAFFITI, UM, GRAVESTONES.
UH, IF YOU ARE TO MOVE DOWN THE DOWN THE DOCUMENT OR THE COURT, PLEASE NOTE ON 12 OF 17 THERE'S INFORMATION THAT WILL TELL YOU MORE ABOUT THE TRAIL OF LIGHTS AND THE FACT THAT YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND RESERVE A TIME TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE THROUGH THE TRAIL OF LIGHTS WITH OUR NON-PROFIT PARTNER, THAT HOSTS THAT.
AND IF YOU DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO SEE THE ZILKER TREE LIGHTING, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO VIEW THAT.
UM, AND IF YOU DON'T THIS LINK FOR WHATEVER REASON DOESN'T WORK FOR YOU, YOU CAN JUST GOOGLE ZOCOR TREE LIGHTING.
AND THERE'S ABOUT A 25 MINUTE VIDEO FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
JUST JUST KNOW THAT WE ARE STILL HELPING WITH, UM, DISTRIBUTING FOOD, PLEASE KNOW THAT WE ARE STILL HELPING WITH, UM, PROVIDING CARE FOR INDIVIDUAL, FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS, UM, SENDING OF AUSTIN, UH, PARENTS WHO HAVE CHILDREN THAT ARE IN SCHOOL AND NEED AFTERCARE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO PLEASE KNOW THAT IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE VERY LAST PAGE OF OUR, UM, OF OUR, UM, I'M SORRY, NOT THE LAST PAGE, THE SECOND TO LAST PAGE, PAGE 16, JUST WANTED TO DRAW TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT WE DID YOU SEE THAT ROBERT WOODS JOHNSON FOUNDATION GRANT
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AND THAT PARTICULAR GRANT IS STUDY ON THE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH EFFECTS OF HEAT DURING, UM, AS PART OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE AND TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHERE, UH, WHO, WHO WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY IS, IS, UM, EXPERIENCING SOME OF THOSE STRESSORS.AND THEN YOU'LL BE ABLE TO USE THAT INFORMATION TO MAKE PARK IMPROVEMENTS OR DETERMINE PROGRAMMING OPPORTUNITIES, OR ALSO TO MAKE A CASE AS TO WHY IT MIGHT BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAKE CHANGES IN OUR, IN THE WAY THAT WE ALLOCATE FUNDS OR, UM, CHANGE OUR POLICIES.
UM, LAST PAGE, JUST FOR YOU TO KNOW THAT WE DID HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH AISD WHO, UH, AT ONE OF THEM SHARED PARTNER SCHOOLS THAT WE HAVE, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO INSTALL.
IT WAS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO INSTALL THANKS TO, UM, THE A BEFORE ATX FOUNDATION, UH, ANOTHER FOOT SOCK COURT.
AND IT ALLOWS FOR, AGAIN, IT IS LIGHTED.
SO IT'S GONNA ALLOW FOR AFTER HOURS, UM, UH, ENGAGEMENT OF THE STUDENTS IN THAT AREA.
AND THEN ALSO, OBVIOUSLY THE SCHOOL WILL BE ABLE TO USE IT OR FOR THEIR USE DURING THE SCHOOL, THE SCHOOL DAY, THAT'S IT, THAT'S ALL OF THE, UM, THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT I HAVE FOR YOU.
AND, UM, JUST WISHING YOU A HAPPY HOLIDAY.
AND OF COURSE, IF YOU HAVE ANY FOLLOWUPS, WRITE THEM DOWN SO WE CAN GET YOU THE INFORMATION THAT YOU DESIRE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, DIRECTOR MCNEELY.
I HAVEN'T QUIT THE STUDY ON PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL EFFECTS OF HEAT ON FROM CLIMATE CHANGE.
WHEN IS THAT GOING TO BE COMPLETED? UM, I THINK THAT WE, IT WILL NOT BE COMPLETED UNTIL AT LEAST MID YEAR, NEXT YEAR, BUT I'LL DOUBLE CHECK FOR YOU BOARD MEMBER.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS ALSO, UM, THE BOARD MEMBER, UH, MASON MURPHY, SHE, UH, HAD SOME REAL CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, UH, CREEKS AND WATERWAYS AND TRAILS AND LONG NECK.
AND, AND THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT I NEEDED TO FOLLOW UP WITH.
HE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT BOARD MEMBERS THAT I HAVE THE MEETING ON SATURDAY, UH, WITH, UH, WITH THE DIRECTOR, UH, UM, BE, THEN BE ABLE TO FOLLOW UP SPECIFICALLY TO A BOARD MEMBER OF SOME THINGS THAT WE DISCUSSED.
AND THEN, UH, FOR BOARD MEMBERS WHO ASKED US ABOUT, UM, A REVIEW OF WALLER CREEK AS PART OF YOUR TALK, I'M GOING TO TRY TO GET AN UPDATE AS TO WHAT, THE TIME FOR THAT, UM, FOR THE WATERSHED PROTECTION TO PROVIDE THAT FOR US.
SO THOSE WERE TWO THINGS THAT WERE FOLLOW-UPS THAT IN THE REPORT, BUT I THINK THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO KNOW.
SO WE ARE ALMOST SUFFICIENTLY DONE.
[E. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
WE'RE AT THE PART WHERE WE CAN, UM, IF WE HAVE ANY ITEMS THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE ON THE, UM, AT NEXT, UH, THE NEXT PARK BOARD MEETINGS.SO I WANT TO START WITH YOU OR MEMBER.
CARLA, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? NO, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING.
I WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT WE DID GET A LETTER.
ALL OF US GOT A LETTER ABOUT A CONCERN ABOUT, I THINK IT WAS AUSTIN MEMORIAL PARK, AND I WONDERED IF WE COULD HAVE A REPORT, UH, WHERE THINGS STAND WITH THE CITY AND ENFORCING, UM, THE REGULATIONS AND, AND FOLLOW UP ON THAT LETTER.
SO MAYBE IF WE COULD GET A REPORT ON THAT, AND THEN YOU HAVE A QUESTION AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO BRING THIS UP, OR IF I SHOULD JUST ASK SOMEONE IN PARTICULAR OR IF IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO DISCUSS, BUT I HAVE NOTICED, UM, I'M ON THE BOARDWALK A LOT AND I NOTICED SOME SIGNS.
UM, AND AT FIRST I THOUGHT, OH MY GOSH, SOMEBODY IS POSTING ALL THIS STUFF.
IT'S ADVERTISING, BUT THE BOTTOM, IT HAS THE TRAIL FOUNDATION STAFF.
AND I DON'T KNOW, I'M CONCERNED THAT THAT IS SETTING A BAD PRECEDENT BECAUSE IT'S ADVERTISEMENTS FOR SOMEONE WHO'S OBVIOUSLY DONATING TO THE TRAIL FOUNDATION.
IT'S, UM, BUBBLE THERE, UH, ALL OVER, LIKE THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TIED TO THE RAILINGS AND STUFF ALL OVER THE EAST SIDE OF THE BOARDWALK.
AND ALSO THERE'S A EXCLUSIVE LAKE ACCESS THAT THEY'VE MARKED OFF.
UM, WE'VE GOT A LOCKED GATE GOING TO THE LAKE ON THEIR APARTMENTS.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING I, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN ON THIS ONE.
RIGHT? SO THIS, THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO BRING UP AND DISCUSS, OR IF YOU GUYS CAN TELL ME WHO I HAVE TO ASK ABOUT THOSE QUESTIONS.
SO I CAN TAKE CARE OF GETTING YOU SOME ANSWERS FOR THIS QUESTION.
I WOULD, UM, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE ACCESS THAT IS NEXT TO THE APARTMENTS, NOT ALL OF THE TRAIL IS LIKE, WE MIGHT HAVE AN EASEMENT FOR THE CHILD, BUT THE OTHER LAND ON EITHER SIDE IS NOT ALL OWNED BY THE PARKS AND REC.
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THEY'VE GOT A BOAT DOCK.THEY HAVE PUT IN A BOAT DOCK, BUT THEN IT'S PRIVATE ACCESS.
AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RULES ARE AROUND TOWN FOR PRIVATE TO THE LAKE.
AGAIN, IT'S, IF IT'S PRIVATELY OWNED LAND, UM, I I'LL FIND OUT WHAT THE RULES ARE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU THAT IF, OH, WHERE ARE YOU? OKAY, THANKS.
AND THEN ALSO ON THE TRAIL, FOUNDATION'S DO I NEED TO CALL THEM? I'LL DO BOTH.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? MY WIFE JUST WALKED IN THE DOOR, SO I, UH, NO, I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING RIGHT NOW.
AND BOARD MEMBER, MAY MR. MURPHY, YOU YOU'RE BACK AND YOU COME BACK.
UM, THE ONLY THING, UH, WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE HEAT EFFECTS FROM THE CLIMATE, ONE THING THAT, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE LOOKED AT OR CONSIDERED IS OFTENTIMES NEWLY BLACK PAVED ROADS ARE HEAVY CONTRIBUTORS.
SO IF ARCHITECTS DO ASPHALT, IT MIGHT MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE STUDY.
DID SHE MEET YOUR, A LITTLE BIT LOW TO HEAR, BUT COULDN'T HEAR ME, MY BATTERIES AND, UH, THEN AND EVERYTHING ELSE WAS GOOD.
AND LET'S SEE BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR.
AND BOARD MEMBER FILES TO YOU.
I DON'T THINK YOU HAD ANYTHING, BUT I'LL JUST DOUBLE CHECK.
AND DID BOARD MEMBER LUCA, I GUESS SHE LEFT, MAYBE I DON'T SEE HER, SO, OKAY.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY PAIN EITHER.
SO I THINK BOARD MEMBER, LOUIS, MAY I ASK FOR A CLARIFICATION? AND I APOLOGIZE WHEN YOU ASKED YOUR QUESTION, WERE YOU ASKING IT SPECIFIC WHEN YOU ASKED ME WHEN THE REPORT WILL BE, WILL YOU ASKING ME SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON? YES.
THAT WAS THE ONE THAT WAS INTERESTED IN WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WASN'T THE CLIMATE.
CAUSE THERE'S ALSO A SIMULTANEOUSLY OUR OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY OR LEADING A CLIMATE OR EQUITY PLAN.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS, I GOT THEM.
NO, IT WAS, THAT WAS THE ONE I WAS INTERESTED IN.
WE ACTUALLY, UM, PUT MOST OF OUR YEAR ONLINE.
I DON'T, AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'LL GO BACK TO NORMAL AS YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY KNOWS IT'S BEEN A REALLY INTERESTING YEAR, SO WE'LL SEE.
BUT I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S PATIENCE.
AND I, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, INITIALLY WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE FINALLY MOVED OUR MEETINGS TO A REGULAR TIME AND THEN THE EVENING, AND THEN HERE WE ARE ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND YOU GUYS HAVE ALL BEEN VERY FLEXIBLE AND PATIENT.
I KNOW THAT SAMMY'S DONE HER BEST WITH ALL THAT AS WELL.
SO, AND I'VE BEEN MEANING TO TELL YOU, THIS IS NOT BECAUSE I'M JUST LIKE THIS BIG GIANT PICKUP PERSON, BUT I WANTED TO JUST SHOW YOU, THIS IS, THIS IS MAYFIELD PARK IN MY DISTRICT.
AND IT'S GOT THESE GREAT PEACOCKS THAT ARE REALLY, REALLY FUN TO WATCH.
BUT ANYWAYS, I HOPE YOU GUYS HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON AND ENJOY YOURSELF AND, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE REFRESHED.
AND I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT 2020, ONE'S GOING TO BE ABOUT A YEAR AND HOPEFULLY THE PARKS BOARD WE'LL BE BACK IN PERSON AT SOME POINT.
SO EVERYBODY TAKE CARE AND WE WILL SEE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY AND WE'LL SEE YOU SOON.