[00:00:01]
[CALL TO ORDER]
THIS IS THE MEANING OF THE PERSON, UH, RECREATION BOARD.WE ARE, I THINK IT'S BEEN A YEAR SINCE WE'VE BEEN MEETING VIA THE WEBEX.
SO WE'LL SEE HOW LONG THAT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN.
SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND JUST SEE WHO IS HERE.
LET'S SEE, UH, VICE-CHAIR FOR OUR SET.
AND IF YOU COULD JUST SAY, I CAN'T SEE EVERYBODY.
SO IF YOU COULD JUST SAY HERE, WHATEVER, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UH, UH, BOARD MEMBER, BUT DIPLOMA HERE, BOARD MEMBER RINALDI HERE, BOARD MEMBER DECARLO HERE, BOARD MEMBER.
OR MEMBER FAUST, IR BOARD MEMBER.
UM, MORGAN OR MEMBER LUCA HERE, BOVINE RETAILER HERE AND BOARD MEMBER COTTONS.
SO DID YOU GET THAT? SEND ME, I THINK WE'RE MISSING, UM, VICE CHAIR FOR ASSAULT AND, UH, BOARD MEMBER MORGAN.
[CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
SO DO WE HAVE SOME CITIZEN COMMUNICATION? WE DO CHAIR LEWIS.WE HAVE ADAMS SPARKS ON THE LINE TO ADDRESS YOU IN GENERAL CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.
ADAM, IF YOU WANT TO UNMUTE YOURSELF, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR TAKING MY CALL TODAY.
I'M WITH THE HANCOCK CONSERVANCY.
WE'RE THE GROUP THAT'S ADVOCATING FOR A FUTURE USE OF HANCOCK GOLF COURSE AS A GREEN SPACE AND PASSIVE PARK.
UH, NOW WHEN THIS PROCESS BEGAN A YEAR AGO, WE THOUGHT WE COULD TAKE WHAT'S THE LEAST UTILIZED GOLF COURSE OF A GOLF COURSE IN AUSTIN AND MAKE IT THE CROWN JEWEL OF AUSTIN PARKS, A 45 ACRE GREEN SPACE FOCUSED ON NATURE, UH, PLACES FOR TRAILS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, UNPLANNED PLAY A WALNUT CREEK RUNS RIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF IT.
SO WE'VE BEEN SPENDING A YEAR ADVOCATING FOR THAT AND, AND WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF, UH, INTEREST FROM THE COMMUNITY.
WHEN WE THOUGHT THAT TODD WAS GOING TO BE PRESENTING, IT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S GOING TO COME UP IN JUNE, BUT I JUST THOUGHT, I'D TAKE A MOMENT HERE TO FILL YOU IN ON WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UH, WE'VE HAD THREE AND A HALF THOUSAND FOLKS SIGN OUR PETITION, UH, INTERESTED IN TURNING HANCOCK INTO A PARK.
AND WHILE WE KNOW THAT THAT KIND OF FUTURE TRANSITIONAL YOUTH, UH, REQUIRES A, A BIG CHANGE AND WE WANT TO BE THERE AS THE COMMUNITY, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO FUNDRAISE ON BEHALF OF THAT.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE TRYING TO THINK ABOUT WAYS THAT WE CAN INCREASE THE ECOLOGICAL BENEFIT OF HANCOCK AND PASSIVE PARK USES FOR MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO DON'T PLAY GOLF.
SO ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW, OR REALLY EXCITED IS LOOKING AT WALNUT CREEK.
UH, NOW WE'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH WATERSHED AND THE WATERLOO GREENWAY, AND THEY'RE BOTH EXCITED.
AND, UH, THE IDEA OF LETTING WATER CREEK THROUGH HANCOCK BECOME A GROWTH ZONE.
ACCORDING TO WATERSHED PROTECTION, CREEKSIDE RESTORATION PROGRAM.
THIS IS AS MANY OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW A FULLY FUNDED PROGRAM THROUGH KEEP AUSTIN BEAUTIFUL WHERE LOCAL COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS, SUCH AS OURSELVES CAN HELP, UH, INCREASE THE CREEK SIDE, UH, AREAS ON EITHER SIDE OF WALLET.
WE THINK THIS CAN GO INTO THE CURRENT GOLF COURSE WITHOUT DISRUPTING GOLF PLAY.
IT WILL HAVE LESS MOWING AND WE'LL HAVE NUMEROUS ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS.
AND EVENTUALLY IF THIS LAND DOES BECOME A PARK, THEN YOU COULD PUT A BEAUTIFUL TRAIL ON EITHER SIDE OF WALNUT CREEK AND ALREADY HAVE HAD FIVE, 10 YEARS OF GROWTH OF NATIVE PLANTS.
SO, UH, WE HOPE TO PRESENT BEFORE YOU AGAIN, UH, IN JUNE WHEN PART PRESENTS THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY, BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WHILE WE ARE ADVOCATING FOR A FUTURE USE AS A NEW, AMAZING PARK IN THE CENTER OF BOSTON, WE ALSO WANT TO PROVE OUR PARTNERSHIP TO THE CITY, UH, AS GOOD STEWARDS OF THIS LAND BY TRYING TO IMPROVE THESE, THE GREEN ASPECTS OF THE LAND AND INCREASE ITS USAGE FOR EVERYONE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN.
UH, WITH ME AGAIN, OUR WEBSITE IS IMAGINE HANCOCK PARK.ORG.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YOU CAN EMAIL ME@ADAMEASTBARKSATGMAIL.COM.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO YOU.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO.
THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO, TO, UM, COMMUNICATE WITH US.
ANY MORE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION SAMMY? NO CHAIR LEWIS.
[A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES AND HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY HAD TIME TO LOOK AT THE MINUTES AND SEE IF THERE WERE ANY CHANGES AND IF NOT, IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO MOVE TO APPROVE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.[00:05:01]
IS TO APPROVE.DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND AND BOLINGBROOK.
CAN YOU JUST SAY, I KNOW SAM GOT TO HAVE AN OFFICIAL COUNT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY AUDIO OUT OF KATE MURPHY.
CAN YOU, DO YOU HAVE SOME ODD, CAN YOU FIX YOUR SPEAKER? I THINK THEY CAN HEAR YOU.
UH THEY'RE THERE YOU WERE THERE FOR JUST A SEC.
[B.1. Discussion and possible action regarding the Parks and Recreation Department Fiscal Year 2021-2022 budget.]
MOVING ON TO NEW BUSINESS, WE HAVE TWO ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.ONE IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, FISCAL YEAR, 2021 THROUGH 22 BUDGET.
AND THE OTHER ONE IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THE NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF A PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY FOR THE OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE, AND PROGRAMMING FOR KINGSBURY COMMONS WITHIN PEACE DISTRICT PART.
DOES ANYBODY WANT TO PULL EITHER ONE OF THESE ITEMS? YES.
I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HAVING A BRIEF DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY PARTNERSHIP, BECAUSE I WASN'T PRIVY TO THAT DISCUSSION, BUT IT'S IN MY DISTRICT.
AND AS FAR AS, UM, ITEM ONE, DOES ANYBODY WANT TO PULL THAT FOR DISCUSSION OR SHOULD WE GO AHEAD AND VOTE? ALL RIGHT.
WE CAN GO AHEAD AND, UM, VOTE ON THAT ONE THEN.
DO YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING BEFORE WE VOTED JUST A BRIEF, ANYTHING ABOUT HOW THE FINANCE COMMITTEE CAME TO THIS DECISION? I CAN'T, I CAN'T HEAR YOU.
THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, MATT, WITH THE, UM, WITH THE STAFF AND WE'RE ABLE TO VOTE TO RECOMMEND THE FISCAL YEAR OPERATING BUDGET.
AND WE, THEY ALSO RECOMMENDED, UM, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL MAKE ADDITIONAL ALLOCATIONS AND THE OTHER ARE LISTED AS UNDER RESOURCED NEEDS.
UM, AND, AND THE PACKETS, THERE'S, UH, A RECOMMENDATION THAT LISTS SOME OF THE STRATEGIC DIRECTION INITIATIVES THAT ARE BOTH HOLDING THE BUDGET OR THE GOALS OF THE OPERATING BUDGET.
AND IT ALSO ATTACHES THE, UM, JUSTIFICATIONS FOR THE UNDER RESOURCE NEEDS.
AND, UM, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WAS ABLE TO WORK WITH THAT LANGUAGE A LITTLE BIT AND TO MAKE A PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL, RIGHT.
SO THAT THIS IS THEIR MO MO GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND SINCE NOBODY PULLED IT, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND HAVE A VOTE ON THAT ONE.
YEAH, I DO NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND.
I WAS JUST THINKING, I THINK I NEED A MOTION.
SO DO, UM, I'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO, UM, FOR THE RECOMMENDATION.
AND CAN I HAVE A SECOND I ONE SECOND.
SO WE HAVE TWO SECONDS, SO ALL IN FAVOR AND IT IS UNANIMOUS.
[B.2. Discussion and possible action regarding a recommendation to the City Council for the negotiation and execution of a partnership agreement with Pease Park Conservancy for the operations, maintenance and programming for Kingsbury Commons within Pease District Park.]
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO THE PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY.AND YOU REMEMBER COTTON? I KNOW.
UM, DID YOU WANT TO HAVE ANY THE PRESENTATION OR DID YOU JUST WANT TO ASK QUESTIONS OR WHAT WAS, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BEGIN? I'M WONDERING IF SOMEONE COULD JUST GIVE ME A BRIEF RUNDOWN OF SOME OF THE KEY POINTS THAT WERE DISCUSSED IN THE SUBCOMMITTEE FOR THAT TOO.
WE HAVE, UM, CHRIS, COULD CHRISTINE DO THAT FOR US? YES.
UH, HI, I'M CHRISTINE TO CANOLA AND I AM WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
I'M THE PARTNERSHIP MANAGER AND I AM IN, IN THE PLANNING DIVISION OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE HERE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
WE HAVE A HEATH RIDDLES, UH, WITH THE PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY AS WELL.
SO, UM, SOUNDS LIKE YOU WANTED SOME, SOME, DID YOU WANT TO JUST KIND OF GO OVER SOME HIGH LEVEL OF THE AGREEMENT OR DO HA DID YOU HAVE SOME PARTICULAR QUESTIONS YOU'D LIKE ME TO ANSWER? I DON'T WANT TO MAKE THIS DRAWN OUT OR ANYTHING, BUT I JUST WONDERED IF THERE WAS ANY DISCUSSION THAT WE SHOULD MAYBE I'LL BE
[00:10:01]
PRIVY TO.AND THEN I DID HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, BUT I KIND OF WANTED TO LET OTHER PEOPLE TALK FIRST BEFORE I ASK THIS QUESTION.
WELL, LET ME, I CAN GO OVER SOME OF THE, UH, KIND OF HIGH-LEVEL PIECES OF THE AGREEMENT AND SOME OF THE DISCUSSION POINTS THAT WITH THIS WE HAD AT THE COMMITTEE, UM, THE AGREEMENT IS, UH, PART OF THE PARTNERSHIP CONFIGURATION, WHICH, UH, DIRECTOR MCNEELY AND I PRESENTED ON A FEW MONTHS BACK.
SO THIS IS THE PARTNERSHIP PIECE PART CONSERVANCY HAS MET THE CRITERIA FOR PARTNERSHIP A AND THEN YOUR BACKUP.
YOU DID SEE KIND OF THE BASE TERMS FOR A PARTNERSHIP, A ORGANIZATION.
UM, SO THE AGREEMENT IS BASED ON THOSE KINDS OF THAT CRITERIA AND THOSE BASE TERMS. AND SO FOR HE'S PARKED CONSERVANCY WILL BE OPERATING AND MAINTAINING AND PROGRAMMING THE PARK, UH, PART WE'LL BE PROVIDING TRAIL MAINTENANCE AND, AND WASTE HAULING AS A PART OF THE AGREEMENT AS IT IS CURRENTLY DRAFTED.
UM, AS A PART OF THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES, PEACE PARK WILL BE, UH, PROVIDING ANNUAL PLANS TO THE PAR DIRECTOR FOR BOTH THE PROGRAMMING, AS WELL AS THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF THE PARK.
THOSE PLANS WILL BE PROVIDED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS FOR PART APPROVAL.
THERE WILL BE AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE MADE UP OF BOTH PARD STAFF, AS WELL AS PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY STAFF THAT WILL MEET QUARTERLY TO DISCUSS THE PLANS AND IMPLEMENTATION AS WELL AS THE, UH, THE NEXT YEAR'S PLAN BEGIN DRAFTING THE NEXT YEAR'S PLAN.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF COLLABORATION AND ALSO FORMALIZING THAT PARTNERSHIP THROUGH THE AGREEMENT, UH, THROUGH THE PEACE PARKS RESPONSIBILITY WILL BE, AS I MENTIONED TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN THE PARK, THEY WILL PROGRAM THE PARK PROVIDING FREE AND LOW COST AND EVENTS, UH, WITH A NATURE BASED PROGRAMMING, AS WELL AS COLLABORATING WITH COLLABORATING WITH UT AND AISD ON SOME LONG-TERM PROGRAMMING OPPORTUNITIES AT THE PARK, THEY WILL MANAGE RENTALS AND PER THE AGREEMENT, ALL REVENUE EARNED UTILIZING THE PARK SPACE WILL GO TOWARDS DIRECTLY TO THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF THE PARK.
UM, THEY WILL ALSO MANAGE THE VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT, DID THE DAILY SERVICING OF THE PARK.
SO THAT'S OUR TRASH AND BATHROOMS. UM, THERE IS ANNUAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS, AS WELL AS THE ANNUAL CONTRACT DESK REVIEW THAT WILL BE REQUIREMENT PER THE AGREEMENT.
UM, AND I MENTIONED ALREADY, THEY WILL ALSO BE MEMBERS OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UM, ANY, CAN I, ANY MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, SO THERE IS A QUARTERLY ADVISOR COMMITTEE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT WHO WAS OVERSEEING IF THERE DECISIONS MADE ON AN ONGOING BASIS.
UM, MY OTHER QUESTION IS SORT OF MORE GENERAL.
UM, I HAVE A LITTLE CONCERN WITH THESE PARTNERSHIPS.
UM, I KNOW THAT WHEN WE WERE WORKING ON THE POOL, THERE WAS SORT OF A PUSHBACK FROM PARD BECAUSE IF WE HAD HELP FOR ONE POOL THAT OTHER POOLS DIDN'T GET HELP, IT WAS VERY INEQUITABLE.
AND SO I'M WONDERING AS WE DO THESE PARTNERSHIPS, THESE PARTNERSHIPS, HOW, UH, PEACE PARK, WHICH IS IN A, IN A, YOU KNOW, UPPER ECONOMIC AREA OF TOWN, HOW THAT'S GONNA TRANSLATE WHEN WE HAVE THESE OTHER PARKS THAT NEED SOME OF THESE SAME AMENITIES, BUT THAT ONE'S GETTING A LOT OF ATTENTION.
SO I GUESS THAT'S ONE OF MY QUESTIONS THROUGH THESE, UH, THROUGH PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, THIS ALLOWS FOR PARK CITY FUNDING THEN TO BE ALLOCATED TO PARKS OTHER PARKS.
SO, UH, PARD WOULD NORMALLY BE PROVIDING FUNDING TOWARDS, FOR EXAMPLE, A BRAID, A PLAYSCAPE REPLACEMENT AT PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY, OTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE VISION PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL IN 2014.
AND BECAUSE OF THE FUNDRAISING ON BEHALF OF THE PARK BY PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY, PARDON FUNDING, CITY FUNDING IS ABLE THEN TO BE ALLOCATED TO PARKS, DO NOT HAVE A SITE SPECIFIC NONPROFIT RAISING FUNDS ON BEHALF OF THAT PARK.
SO IF I COULD ALSO, UM, IF I COULD ALSO ADD TO WHAT CHRISTINA SAID, AS I RECALL THE PROPOSAL THAT WAS BROUGHT FORWARD BY THE, UM, UH, BOB AUSTIN POOLS, I THINK WAS THE NAME OF THE GROUP.
AND I APOLOGIZE IF I'VE, IF I'VE GOTTEN THAT NAME WRONG, THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY TO KEEP CERTAIN COOLS OPEN FOR CERTAIN AMOUNTS OF TIME.
AND IT WAS SPECIFIC TO SOME CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND SO THE CONCERN THAT THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID, THIS IS A DISTRICT PARK, WHICH THEN HAS A DIFFERENT RADIUS, RIGHT? IT HAS A DIFFERENT SERVICE AREA.
IT IS A, IT SERVES MORE INDIVIDUALS.
AND JUST LIKE, UM, JUST LIKE CHRISTINE, IT ALLOWS US TO REALLOCATE.
THERE WAS NO OTHER FUNDS THAT WE COULD HAVE REALLOCATED FOR THE SWIMMING POOLS.
THE PROPOSAL WAS SIMPLY LET US RAISE FUNDS FOR THIS POOL.
[00:15:01]
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD POOL OPEN LONGER THAN EVERY OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD POOL.AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT WAS THE PROPOSAL THAT THE DEPARTMENT PUSHED BACK ON.
THAT WAS NOT PART OF LABASA POOL OF LOVE.
AUSTIN POOLS WAS ABOUT KEEPING ALL THE POOLS OPEN WHEN THERE WAS A, UH, UH, CONSULTANCY THAT CAME IN TO TRY TO CLOSE DOWN 14 OF THE POOLS DIRECTOR.
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THERE WERE SOME FRIENDS OF POOLS THAT CAME UP AND THAT, THAT WAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT, BUT THIS WAS EVEN WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT RAISING MONEY, THAT WOULD BE EQUITABLY EXCHANGED.
SO I, I WAS JUST WONDERING HOW THAT'S DIFFERENT WITH THESE PARTNERSHIPS AND HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THIS, YOU KNOW, WELL-LOVED PARK PIECE GETS ITS FUNDING, BUT I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ATTENTION IS SHARED WITH SOME OF THE LESSER KNOWN, YOU KNOW, PARKS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY THAT NEED ATTENTION.
SO IF WE GO BACK TO YOUR PROPOSAL ABOUT SWIMMING POOLS, I JUST WANT TO GO ON RECORD AS SAYING IF THAT'S A PROPOSAL THAT THE, UM, THAT A POOL, UH, ENTITY WANTS TO BRING FORWARD, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE ABILITY TO KEEP POOLS OPEN ACROSS THE CITY LONGER.
AND SECONDLY, UM, AGAIN, THIS, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO NOW REALLOCATE FUNDS THAT WE USE TO INVEST IN PEACE PARKING TO OTHER LOCATIONS.
AND SO BY WAY OF EXAMPLE, BECAUSE OF THE INVESTMENT THAT HAPPENED HERE AT PEASE PARK, AS FAR AS BOND MONEY GOES, WE WERE ABLE TO REINVEST MONEY IN OTHER LOCATIONS THAT ARE ALSO JUST PARKS THAT ARE NOT IN THIS, THAT ARE NOT, UM, WEST ALIVE, 35, BUT INSTEAD ARE EAST OF
AND, UM, SO, SO THE, THAT THE VERY SPECIFIC MISSION OF PEACE PARK, RIGHT, IS FOR PEACE PARK, WHICH IS A DISTRICT PARK.
AND AGAIN, IT HAS A SERVICE AREA THAT IS NOT JUST A NEIGHBORHOOD SPECIFIC, BUT AS IS, UH, SPANS MUCH DIFFERENT.
SO, UM, IT ALLOWS US AN OPPORTUNITY TO REINVEST, BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT FOR THESE PARKS MISSION TO, TO FUND OTHER PARKS.
ALTHOUGH I THINK THAT THERE, AT LEAST IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY, THEY'RE OPEN TO THOSE SORTS OF CONSIDERATIONS.
I CAN LET FRANKLY I SHOULD PROBABLY LET, UM, PEACE PARK TO SPEAK TO THAT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT MY UNDERSTANDING OF THAT THERE, UM, VISION MUNITIONS.
CAN I, CAN I JUST JUMP IN FIRST BEFORE WE HEAR FROM A PEACE PARK? IS THAT POSSIBLE CHAIR? ABSOLUTELY.
I WAS LIKE NOW, UM, YEAH, I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION RELATING TO EQUITY, UH, AT SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN REALLY FOLLOWING.
AND I WAS WONDERING WITH, UH, BOARD MATT BOARDMAN OR IN MEMBER COTTON CYBIL, IF THERE'S A FRAMEWORK THAT YOU CURRENTLY ARE FAVORING, LIKE IF IT'S IN RPAS FRAMEWORK OR TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND, ANY OF THE EQUITY FRAMEWORKS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT OUT THERE THAT YOU'VE REVIEWED AND THAT YOU THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT? NO, IT WAS MORE OF A GENERAL QUESTION.
I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT THAT.
THERE'S A LOT OF FOCUS ON THIS AND I SEE A LOT OF REALLY NEAT STUFF GOING ON, BUT IT JUST MAKES ME SAD THAT THERE'S NOT SOME OF THAT STUFF GOING ON AT THE OTHER PARKS.
SO THAT'S WHAT MY QUESTION WAS REGARDING.
OTHER THAN THERE ARE SOME FRAMEWORKS THAT ARE OUT THERE, BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH ANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS ON BRINGING THOSE FORWARD.
BUT THESE HAVE BEEN VETTED IN HOW WE LOOK AT EQUITY ACROSS THE BOARD, UH, TAKING CONSIDERATION IN, IN OUR CASES, DISTRICT AND METRO, BUT THEN ALSO WE'RE LOOKING INWARDS AS WELL ON, ON HOW WE PROGRAM SPACES, WHICH GROUPS WE REACH OUT TO WHEN WE PROGRAM SPACES AND DO OUR SERVICES AND ENGAGE.
AND, AND THIS ALL IS TO BRING MORE FOLKS OF COLOR INTO OUR PARK SYSTEM.
UM, THAT THERE'S A FANTASTIC EXPERT.
I BELIEVE THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, UM, WHO HAS BEEN WORKING IN THIS AREA FOR OVER, I THINK SINCE 1967.
HERE'S WHAT I AM IMPRESSED WITH WHEN TALKING ABOUT PEACE PARK.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THE, THE CHALLENGES AND THE CONCERNS, BECAUSE, BECAUSE OF JUST WHERE IT IS LOCATED, I MEAN, HECK YOU GOT THE STATE REP ONE OF THE STATE REPRESENTATIVES HOUSE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.
UM, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PROGRAMMING AND THE MESSAGING AND THE INTENT IT'S OUTWARD FACING, IT'S NOT INWARD FACING.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND FRANKLY I'VE HAD EXPRESSED, UM, THOSE CONCERNS AND HAVE BEEN MET CONSISTENTLY WITH SUPPORT FROM BOTH THE BOARD AND THE LEADERSHIP, UM, OVER THE YEARS, UH, REALLY SINCE MY COMING ON THE BOARD BACK IN 2015.
[00:20:01]
FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS, UM, YOU KNOW, AND I JUST QUICKLY JUST STARTED A COPY COPYING AND PASTING, YOU KNOW, HILL COUNTRY RIDE FOR AIDS IN APRIL, UH, ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL SIDE, UH, ABOUT TEXAS SKIES AND INFORMED ME FOLKS ON THAT OFFSETTING COSTS RELATING WITH AUSTIN TREE EXPERTS COMING IN, REMOVING DEAD TREES, WORKING WITH THE OTHER ONES FOUNDATION TO HELP DOING CLEAN UP AND DEBRIS, UM, WORKING WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WHILE I'M GONNA GET BACK TO THIS ONE, HAVING THE, YOU KNOW, STARTING THE CONVERSATION LAST SUMMER RELATING TO THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR CONSERVANCY'S MISSION TO RESTORE, ENHANCE, MAINTAIN THIS PUBLIC SPACE FOR SUITABLE USE AND ENJOYMENT OF ALL, AND CANNOT BE TRULY COMPLETE UNTIL RACISM IS ARREST AND ALL PEOPLE OF COLOR FEEL SAFE OUTSIDE.THESE ARE THINGS I JUST, I HAVEN'T JUST, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN WORDS.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THE ECOLOGY LIKE PEACH PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM, BUT THEN NOT RUNNING AWAY.
AND I THINK THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, NOT RUNNING AWAY FROM THE, THE PATH OF PEACE PARK, THE PAST OF GOVERNOR PEACE AND, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORY.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, BACK IN JULY OF LAST YEAR QUESTION, DO YOU KNOW THAT CULTURAL HISTORY OF PEACE PARK INCLUDES SLAVERY, RIGHT? THE SEGREGATION AND EXCLUSION EAST PARK CONSERVANCY AND AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT HAVE WORKED TO DEVELOP AN INTERPRETIVE KEVIN TURBOT A PLAN TO ACKNOWLEDGE ITS HISTORY AS IMPORTANT TO CREATE A PUBLIC SPACE AS WELCOMING ACCESSIBLE AT ALL.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE NOT AS A DEPARTMENT ADDRESSING FULLY.
AND I, AND YOU KNOW, I GOT A QUESTION WHERE THE, SOME OF OUR OTHER PARTNERS ARE AND ADDRESSING THESE REALLY TOUGH CHALLENGES.
SO I DO APPLY THAT THE WORK THAT PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY IS DOING THE LEADERSHIP AND THIS ISN'T, I MEAN, THIS IS JUST, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THEM IN THIS STAGE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
IT'S MEANINGFUL FOR ME, UM, THAT THEY HAVEN'T RUN FROM THESE CHALLENGES AND THESE CONVERSATIONS THEY'VE RUN TO THEM.
SO ANYWAYS, I APPRECIATE THE TIME AND I MAKE A, I'M AN OWN THIS POINT PLACE.
I THINK THAT'S ALL VERY HELPFUL.
AND, UM, I THINK PROBABLY, I, I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR BERLIN WERE COTTON.
CYBELE, I'LL SPEAK FOR MYSELF.
I THINK WHAT, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST, UM, NOT ONE OF THE FIRST, BUT THIS IS VERY SIGNIFICANT PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS.
THAT PART IS ENTERING AND WE HAVE THE COUNCIL DIRECTION TO PURSUE THESE PARTNERSHIPS.
AND SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY, UM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THERE'S NO INDICATION THAT PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY ISN'T, YOU KNOW, DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB AND I APPLAUD THEM AS WELL FOR ALL OF THE EFFORTS THAT YOU'VE MENTIONED.
I THINK WHAT, WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE, WHAT I'M INTERESTED IN.
AND, AND THIS IS WHAT YOUR COMMENT BOARD MEMBER DEPALMA WAS IN THE BEGINNING WAS IN MODELS WHERE AS WE MOVE INTO THESE SIGNIFICANT PARTNERSHIPS, WE CAN LOOK AT, UM, SHARING THE WEALTH, SO TO SPEAK AT HOW THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE SO ADEPT AT FUNDRAISING.
AND SO ADEPT AT EXPLAINING HOW OUR PARKS CAN BE BETTER UTILIZED AND DEVELOPED AND, AND THE PROGRAMMING, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN GET THEM TO DO SOME CAPACITY BUILDING OR GET THEM TO DO SOME, SOME FUNDRAISING FOR OTHER PLACES.
I THINK, I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD.
I THINK FOR ME TO SAY OUTRIGHT, ALL OF THE MONEY THAT IS RAISED TO DEVELOP THIS PART UNDER THIS VISION PLAN IS MONEY THAT IS NOW SAVED IN THE PART BUDGET AND CAN BE SPENT ON OTHER PARKS.
IT IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL ELABORATE SPACE.
UM, IT'S GOT A LOT OF VERY COOL ELEMENTS TO IT, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH JUST CITY MONEY.
AND SO I THINK WHAT WE'RE GETTING AT IS LIKE, I JUST, I DON'T QUITE BUY THAT IT'S IT'S DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR MONEY SAVED.
THAT'S IN THE, IN THE PARK SYSTEM FOR ANOTHER PART, IT'S DEFINITELY MONEY SAVED ON OPERATIONS.
IT'S DEFINITELY MONEY SAVED ON REPLACING THE PLAYGROUND AND, UM, OTHER STRUCTURES AND, AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE WITH THE TUTOR COTTAGE.
WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR ALL OF THAT AND BOND MONEY.
BUT I, I THINK THERE'S JUST AN ELEMENT OF LIKE, AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS SYSTEM, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST LET'S, LET'S START THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN USE THE SYSTEM WE'RE ENGAGING IN TO BENEFIT, UM, PARKS CITY-WIDE.
AND IT DOES JUST SO HAPPEN THAT WE'RE LIKE LOOKING AT THIS PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT, WE'RE GETTING INTO THE FINISHING UP OF THE WATERLOO PARK, WHICH IS A DIFFERENT STRUCTURE, BUT IT'S ALSO A REALLY ELABORATE
[00:25:01]
SYSTEM.THAT'S A MILE AND A HALF FROM THIS ONE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHERE I'M COMING FROM.
I WAS GOING TO RAISE THE SAME POINT.
I'M HOPE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW AS MUCH ABOUT PARTNERSHIP STRUCTURES AND MODELS AND OTHER CITIES.
I WOULD LOVE TO LEARN ABOUT THEM.
I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC STRUCTURE I CAN RECOMMEND TONIGHT, BUT I DO WANT TO RAISE IT WITH THE DEPARTMENT AND THE REST OF THE BOARD AS WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THESE.
I MEAN, WHERE I'M GOING IS TRYING TO GET MORE INFORMATION AS TO IF THERE WAS SOMETHING VERSUS, I MEAN, I THINK THAT THE QUESTION RELATING TO EQUITY HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP A FEW MONTHS NOW.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF JUST HAVING THE CHALLENGE AND THEN GIVING IT TO SO FIGURE IT OUT OR, YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS AN EXTREME SITUATION, LIKE LET'S NOT DO ANYTHING.
AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT IT NOBODY'S SAYING, NOBODY'S SAYING LET'S NOT DO ANYTHING.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUT YOU KNOW, IF THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT WOULD BE THE EXTREME SITUATION.
SO THAT'S WHERE I'M GOING TO SAY, LET'S WORK TOGETHER.
I MEAN, WE CAN BE HAPPY TO WORK PART OF THIS THING.
UM, IF FOR ALL OUR PARTNERS, NOT JUST PEACE, BUT YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S SHOAL CREEK WATERLOO, UM, AND THEN JUST EVEN THE SPEND THAT MAYBE THE PARKS FOUNDATION DOES AND MAKING SURE THAT DECISIONS ON WHERE THAT MONEY GOES AS AN EQUITABLE LENS TO IT.
I THINK HE WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING.
SO I'M GONNA LET HIM SAY SOMETHING REALLY QUICKLY.
AFTER HE'S DONE A BOARD CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO JUST, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT THE NUMBER OF FILES AND BOARD MEMBER COTTON CYBIL SAID.
ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY TAKE TOO MUCH TIME.
I, I JUST WANT YOU TO, JUST TO FURTHER ARTICULATE THE CONSERVANCY, OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND DIVERSITY IN THIS SPACE, I WILL JUST SAY WHAT I'VE SAID MANY TIMES BEFORE THAT NOT A SINGLE DECISION IS MADE AT PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY THAT DOES NOT HAVE THIS LENS LAID OVER IT.
HOW IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING HERE, GOING TO MAKE THIS SPACE MORE SAFE, MORE WELCOMING, MORE ACCESSIBLE TO MORE PEOPLE.
HOW IS THE DECISION WE ARE ABOUT TO MAKE GOING TO EXTEND THE SERVICES THAT PART IN THE CITY PROVIDE AND BRING MORE PEOPLE INTO THE SYSTEM AND IT DOESN'T ACCOMPLISH THOSE THINGS.
AND, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARDS TO FUNDRAISING AND HOW SORT OF, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS CONCEPT OF HOW CAN THE RISING TIDE LIFTS ALL THE BOATS IN THE HARBOR.
IT'S ANOTHER, UH, UH, THING THAT WE ARE ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO.
AND I THINK A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THINGS LIKE, WELL, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PARK SPACE INITIATIVE, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN DESIGNERS CAME TO US AND WANTED TO DO PARK SPACE WITH THE LITTLE, YOU KNOW, THE BEAUTIFUL LITTLE SPRAY PAINTED, UH, GEOMETRIC DESIGNS THAT WERE COVID FRIENDLY, UH, OUR INSISTENCE THAT, UH, OTHER PARKS THAT, THAT AN EAST SIDE PARK, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, BE BROUGHT INTO THAT PLAN IS WHAT LED TO ROID RURAL PARK, UH, BEING INVOLVED AND OUR INVESTMENT IN THAT PROJECT, OUR INVESTMENT OF RESOURCES IS WHAT ALLOWED THAT TO HAPPEN.
I THINK THINKING EVEN MORE BROADLY IN THE FUTURE, THE CONSERVANCY IN, IN OUR SCALING UP TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, AND THESE PARKS ARE DEVELOPING THINGS LIKE LAND STEWARDSHIP PLANS, RIGHT? TEMPLATES FOR HOW THESE GREEN SPACES CAN BE MANAGED MORE EFFICIENTLY IN THE FUTURE, THAT WE WILL THEN BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH OTHER PARKS WHO DON'T HAVE CONSERVANCIES WITH FRIENDS, GROUPS, AND SMALLER PARKS, UH, WHO MAY BE STRUGGLING, WHO DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THESE TYPES OF RESOURCES.
THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE WILL BE ABLE TO BE PASSED ON IN A WAY THAT WILL BE OF GREAT, GREAT BENEFIT TO THE ENTIRE SYSTEM AND TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
SO IF I COULD ADD TO WHAT, WHAT, UM, WHAT HE HAS SAID, AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, WE'RE NEVER CAUGHT IN THE SEIBEL ON BOARD MEMBER FILES.
I TOOK YOUR QUESTION VERY NARROWLY.
AND, UM, WITH THE, UH, WITH THE WAY THAT BOARD MEMBER FAST WAS ABLE TO EXPAND UPON IT.
I THINK I UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT A SINGLE LOCATION AND EQUITY IN A SINGLE LOCATION, BUT IT'S LOOKING AT IT SYSTEM WIDE.
SO I CAN APPRECIATE WHAT IT IS THAT YOU SAID AND WANT TO ADD TO THE COMMENTS IN THAT THE PERSON RECREATION DEPARTMENT RECOGNIZES THAT THERE'S MUCH CAPACITY BUILDING TO, UM, TO HAVE THROUGHOUT OUR SYSTEM, RIGHT? WE HAVE, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL THAT PARTNERSHIP PATHWAYS, RIGHT? CAUSE WE HAVE SOME SMALL, SMALLER ENTITIES OR SOME LESS, UM, ENTITIES THAT KNOW HAVE LESS KNOWLEDGE ABOUT, UH, HOW CONSERVANCIES OR HARD PARTNERSHIPS WORK THAT NEED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HELP THEM BUILD CAPACITY AND ALSO PROBABLY NEED SOURCES FOR FUNDING.
AND SO WE HAVE MULTIPLE PROGRAMS WITHIN THE PARK SYSTEM AND WITHIN THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO HELP GET PEOPLE GOING.
SO WE HAVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERING PROGRAM.
WE WORK WITH THE AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION THROUGH, UM, COMMUNITY ACTIVATED PROJECTS THAT ALLOW PEOPLE TO GET A TASTE OF WHAT IT'S LIKE TO FUNDRAISE.
HOW DO YOU MOVE THROUGH A PROJECT? HOW DO YOU DO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT? AND WE BEGIN TO SLOWLY WITH, REMEMBER WE HAVE JUST CHRISTINE, BUT BEGAN TO SLOWLY HELP BE ABLE TO BUILD CAPACITY SO THAT SMALLER GROUPS CAN BECOME STRONGER AND STRONGER AT
[00:30:01]
A TIME WHEN WE WERE NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF COVID.WE HAD QUARTERLY MEETINGS THAT, UM, WE'LL BE ABLE TO, WE WERE ABLE TO MEET WITH ALL PARTNERS.
WE BROUGHT TOGETHER PROGRAM PARTNERS.
WE BROUGHT TOGETHER BUILT ENVIRONMENT PARTNERS, BIG AND SMALL.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT SUBJECT MATTERS TO HELP AGAIN, BUILD CAPACITY AMONG THOSE PARTNERS.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT ABSOLUTELY CHRISTINE AND I WANT TO BEGIN AGAIN, ONCE COVID IS OVER AND SHARING RESOURCES.
WE THINK THAT SOME OF OUR LARGER PARTNERS JUST LIKE PEACEFUL, JUST LIKE HEATH DESCRIBED WITH PEACE PARK, HAVE MUCH TO OFFER IN THEIR, UM, THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND THEIR SKILL SETS TO BE ABLE TO GUIDE, UM, OUR SMALLER PARTNERSHIPS THROUGH THIS CAPACITY BUILDING.
SO I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY IS, BOY, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SPREAD THE WEALTH.
AND ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE CAN DO THAT IS TO HELP SMALLER ENTITIES THAT HAVE GREAT VISION AND BE ABLE TO BUILD THEMSELVES INTO SOMETHING LIKE PEACE PARK USING FACEBOOK, PERHAPS AS I KEEP SAYING THAT OUT LOUD, BUT REMEMBER EVERYONE REMEMBERS WAY BACK WHEN THEY STARTED AS PEAS TREES, RIGHT.
AND THEN BUILD THEMSELVES INTO PIECE PARKS.
SO THEY HAD, THEY HAD A MENTOR OR A CAPACITY BUILDING OPPORTUNITY, AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT FOR OTHER ENTITIES.
SO I SEE THE BROADER PICTURE AND I WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY PERHAPS IN THE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO TALK ABOUT THOSE KINDS OF STRUCTURES AND HOW WE CAN STRENGTHEN THEM FOR THE ENTIRE PARK SYSTEM.
AND I DO APPRECIATE BOTH OF YOUR QUESTIONS AND THE FACT THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO EXPAND UPON THEM TO ALLOW ME TO BETTER UNDERSTAND IT.
WASN'T JUST ABOUT A SINGLE SPACE, BUT ABOUT THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.
SO I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND APPRECIATE IT.
CAN I, CAN I ALSO, UH, ONE, ONE ITEM THAT WE'RE ALSO DOING AT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS MEETING WITH FUNDING ENTITIES.
SO MEETING WITH FOUNDATIONS, UM, AS WELL AS TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT, THAT ALSO HAS A DIFFERENT FUNDING MECHANISMS TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF OUR PARTNERSHIP MODEL AND THE DIFFERENT STRUCTURES AND HOW WE PARTNER WITH, YOU KNOW, SMALLER COMMUNITY GROUPS TO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, TO NEWER NON-PROFIT, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY SHOW THAT, TO GIVE THEM A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN HOW THEY'RE FUNDING, UM, BECAUSE A LOT OF THAT IS THE FUNDERS WHO ARE MAKING THESE DECISIONS ON WHO TO FUND.
SO WE FELT LIKE HAVING THOSE MEETINGS TO REALLY BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW THE, HOW PART IS WORKING WITH THESE GROUPS AND, UM, HAVING A FEASIBILITY REVIEW AND WORKING THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS FOR COMPLEX PRO PROJECTS, UM, HAS REALLY HELPED TO BRING AWARENESS OF OUR PARTNERS AND THE DIFFERENT MODELS WE HAVE.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO ADD ANY COMMENTS? I JUST WANT TO, UM, UM, OH, SORRY.
SARAH, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, IS IT, IS IT ON THIS ISSUE? I HAD SOME SEPARATE QUESTIONS, SO I WASN'T SURE IF WE WERE RIGHT.
I, I MEAN, I, LET ME JUST SAY, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID ON THIS WITH EQUITY AND, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
I THINK THAT'S, BUT I, I WOULD LIKE TO KIND OF MOVE PAST IT.
I THINK WE'VE MADE THAT POINT AND MOVE ON.
SO, BUT GO AHEAD FOR NUMBER, UM, RINALDI.
YEAH, NO, I, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I REALLY APPRECIATED, UM, ALL OF THE REALLY GREAT DETAILED QUESTIONS THAT BOARD MEMBER FAUST SENT OVER EMAIL.
I THINK IT'S ALL, THIS IS ALL REALLY GREAT STUFF FOR US TO BE TALKING ABOUT AND HELP TO HELP US UNDERSTAND, UM, HOW THIS WORKS AND WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE, UM, AND IMPLEMENTATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, I WANT TO JUST SAY THAT, I THINK NOW IS THE TIME TO REALLY BE LEANING INTO THESE, UM, THESE STRUCTURES THAT ALLOW US TO LEVERAGE RESOURCES THAT ARE EXTERNAL TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ITSELF.
UM, AND KEEP HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE CAN DO IT IN A WAY THAT BENEFITS THE ENTIRE PARK SYSTEM.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE, I THINK SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT IS HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO GET THE RESOURCES JUST TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE CITY IN TERMS OF ACCESSING PARKS.
AND I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, SEE HOW THEY WORK AND KEEP LEARNING FROM THAT.
SO I THINK NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO BE DOING THAT.
THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBER FELLS, DID YOU HAVE SOME, SOME QUESTIONS OUTSIDE OF THAT? YES.
AND I SUBMITTED SOME IN WRITING AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO THE STAFF AND I'M SURE THE CONSERVANCY STAFF ALSO FOR PROVIDING THOSE WRITTEN RESPONSES SO QUICKLY IS VERY HELPFUL.
I DID JUST WANT TO TRY TO GET A LITTLE BIT, UM, FURTHER CLARIFICATION ON EVENTS AND CLOSURES.
UM, IT'S, I'M JUST, I'M TRYING TO, TO, TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES WILL BE AS TO HOW FREQUENTLY
[00:35:01]
IT CAN BE CLOSE TO HER EVENTS, WHAT THE RENTAL POLICIES WILL BE AND WHAT BASICALLY I'M TRYING TO SORT OF ON A BIGGER PICTURE, UNDERSTAND, IS THAT PART OF THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT THAT'S GOING TO BE EXECUTED OR IS IT SOMETHING, I MEAN, WILL THERE BE LIKE MAXIMUM NUMBERS OF DAYS THAT THINGS CAN BE CLOSED OR USED FOR EVENTS OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT'S JUST REVIEWED AS PART OF THE QUARTERLY COMMITTEE AND JUST AT THE DISCRETION OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT? UM, I'LL JUST GO OUT AND SAY THERE WAS SOME LANGUAGE YOU GUYS PROVIDED THIS REALLY, UM, I KNOW, I UNDERSTAND IT'S A DRAFT OPERATIONS OR PROGRAMMING DOCUMENT, AND THERE'S LIKE A NARRATIVE PAGE TALKING ABOUT CLOSURES, WHICH I DID READ PRETTY CLOSELY.AND UNFORTUNATELY I STILL DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND, UM, BECAUSE IT DOES SAY IN OUR PILOT YEAR, FEWER THAN HALF OF THE DAYS WILL ANY TYPE OF CLOSURE IN KINGS, VERY COMMONS AT ALL.
IT'S PROBABLY MOST TO SAY A CRADLE.
AND THEN IT ALSO SAYS THAT, UM, EACH FEATURE OR AREA IS 100% FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, ROUGHLY 330 DAYS OUT OF THE YEAR WITH A PORTION OF THOSE DAYS DEVOTED TO PROGRAMMING BY PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY TRUST IN OUR PARTNERS, THAT'S FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
SO I GUESS THAT MEANS THERE'S 35 DAYS A YEAR THAT IT'LL BE CLOSED OR VENTED.
AND I WANTED TO KNOW LIKE ARE THE 35 DAYS ALL ON WEEKENDS.
UM, AND IT'S, I DON'T KNOW, THERE'S JUST KIND OF A NARRATIVE HERE ABOUT CLOSURES, BUT I WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY LIKE SPECIFICS THAT'LL BE NEGOTIATED IN AGREEMENT.
UM, I THINK WE MENTIONED THIS IN THE ANSWERS, SO THAT WAS ANOTHER QUESTION.
SO YOU REFERRED A COUPLE OF TIMES TO BE AGREEMENT.
OH, WE, WHERE WE PROVIDED THE AGREEMENT IN THE BACKUP.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE DID AGREEMENT IS CURRENTLY UNDER DRAFT AND IT'S BEING NEGOTIATED.
THAT'S WHAT I THINK, UM, IN THE AGREEMENT THERE, IF VERO FORECLOSURES OF THE PARK OF KINGSBURY COMMENTS, UM, AND THEN THERE IS GOING TO BE FIVE MINIMALLY OPEN, AND I DON'T HAVE THE DEFINITION IN FRONT OF ME, BUT WE DID PROVIDE IT IN THE, THE, UM, IT SAYS MINIMALLY OPEN IS MORE THAN 50% OF THE PARK CLOSE TO THE PUBLIC ONLY AVAILABLE TO TICKETED PATRONS.
SO MINIMALLY OPEN IF I CAN JUMP IN IS LIKE THE NEXT, MOST SEVERE TO LIKE A CLOSURE, RIGHT.
SO WE'LL NEVER HAVE IT COMPLETELY CLOSED.
AND WE'LL ONLY HAVE IT CLOSED AT THE LEVEL BELOW THAT A MAXIMUM OF FIVE TIMES, THOSE SORT OF 30 TIMES THAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THERE, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE ARE, I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NEXT TO BEING A HUNDRED PERCENT OPEN.
IT'S BASICALLY WHERE WE MAY HAVE A FEATURE WHERE WE ARE CONDUCTING SOME SORT OF A SEMINAR OR A CLASS, OR PERHAPS IT MAY BE RENTED, BUT IT WOULD STILL BE OPEN AND AVAILABLE TO OTHER PEOPLE TO USE AT THE SAME TIME.
SO THERE WOULD BE NO REAL CLOSURE OR, UH, INTERRUPTION IS, WILL THE FACILITIES BE AVAILABLE FOR RENTAL, FOR EVENTS OR JUST FOR PROGRAMMING WHERE IT'S SOME KIND OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY OR A CLASS, BOTH.
I THINK MOST OF THE TIMES WHERE IT'S PROGRAMMING THAT WILL BE OX RIGHT, OR HAR, UM, YOU KNOW, TH THE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC EVENTS OR PROGRAMMING WOULD BE THINGS THAT ARE CONDUCTED BY US, BUT THERE WILL BE A LIMITED NUMBER OF TIMES WHERE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE TUTOR COTTAGE, WHICH IS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, IT'S CLOSED MOST OF THE TIME ANYWAY, WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR RENT FOR A PRIVATE EVENT.
AND THAT IS PART OF THE FIVE DAYS THAT IT WOULD BE MINIMALLY OPEN OR PART OF THE 30 TIMES IT WOULD BE HARD.
WELL, SO THAT PARTICULAR FEATURE WOULD, IF IT WERE LIKE, THAT'S NOT CONSIDERED A FULL CLOSURE, IF THAT PARTICULAR FEATURE IS NOT AVAILABLE, FOR EXAMPLE, BECAUSE THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE BARK IS STILL OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE.
AND I DO WANT TO POINT OUT BECAUSE IT WASN'T REALIZED WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT.
UH, TODAY, UH, PEACE DISTRICT PARK IS 84 ACRES.
UH, THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT, AND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IS FOR THE SEVEN ACRES OF KINGSBURY COMMENTS.
UM, AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE, UH, MINIMALLY OPEN FIVE MINUTES LATE, MINIMALLY OPEN, WE'RE ALSO ONLY TALKING ABOUT A COMMENTS.
SO THERE WOULD ONLY BE FIVE TIMES I CAN KEEP THIS VERY COMMONS
[00:40:01]
WOULD BE MINIMALLY OPEN, RIGHT.SO IF I RENTED THE THEATER COTTAGE AND LIKE THE PATIO AREA, THAT'S NEXT TO IT, AND I WANT IT TO HAVE A PARTY THERE.
DOES THAT INCLUDE THE PICNIC TABLES? NO.
BUT NOT NECESSARILY, YOU WOULD BE AVAIL LIKE YOU WOULD HAVE THE COTTAGE ITSELF AVAILABLE.
YOU WOULD HAVE THE COTTAGE AND THE TERRACE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANTED TO RENT, UH, BOTH OF THEM, MOST OF THE AVAILABILITY FOR PRIVATE RENTALS ON THOSE WOULD BE ON WEEKENDS.
AND ALSO IT'S WHAT IF YOU JUST WANT TO HAVE YOUR BIRTHDAY PARTY AT THE PICNIC TABLES, CAN YOU JUST TURN UP OR DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE A RESERVATION THAT FORMAT WOULD BE INLINE WITH WHAT THE SEE CURRENTLY, RIGHT.
THEY ARE RESERVABLE, THEY WERE OBSERVABLE.
UM, WELL, I, YEAH, I GUESS, I MEAN, I WAS, UM, ABLE TO SORT OF OBSERVE THE CONSTRUCTION SITE TODAY AND IT LOOKS, IT LOOKS, IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY NICE FOR SURE.
AND I CAN SEE WHERE IT WOULD BE A NICE EVENT SPACE.
UM, AS YOU CAN TELL, I JUST HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT PUBLIC PARKS BEING USED FOR EVENTS.
IT'S JUST THE TUTOR COTTAGE, BUT IT'S PRETTY CLOSE TO THE PLAY AREA.
AND IT JUST, I HOPE THAT IN PILOT YEAR, WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT HOW MUCH CLOSURE THERE IS AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, THE PUBLIC SPACE IS ACCESSIBLE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.
IT'S A BIG PARK, BUT ALL OF THE PLAY STRUCTURES ARE IN THIS ONE AREA.
UM, I MEAN, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL NATURE OF SPACE AND THE REST OF THE PARK.
THAT'S ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL TO VISIT TOO.
YOU KNOW, CONCERNS MY CONCERNS AS THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ENOUGH EVENTS TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS.
SO MINE'S, MINE'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
I MEAN, THIS IN ORDER TO DO EVERYTHING, THE PROGRAMMING AND THE MAINTENANCE AND THE OPERATIONS AND THE OPERATIONS, IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE SOME SORT OF PROFORMA.
AND SO I'M, THAT'S MY CONCERN.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN THE BOARD REVIEWS IT IN A YEAR, I HOPE THAT THEY REMEMBER, REMEMBER THAT LENS AS WELL.
AND OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PARK IS AVAILABLE TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS MUCH OF THE TIME AS POSSIBLE.
WE ARE NOT DEPENDING HEAVILY IN OUR INITIAL PILOT YEAR ON ANY SORT OF EARNED REVENUE TO GO, YOU KNOW, TO GENERATE REVENUE, TO, TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN THE PARK.
THAT IS MONEY THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE EARNING.
WE DO HAVE A MODEST, UH, LINE ITEM IN OUR PILOT YEAR, UH, FOR EARNED REVENUE.
THAT WILL BE A RESULT OF THESE.
AGAIN, IT IS OUR INTENTION FIRST AND FOREMOST, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PARK IS AVAILABLE TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS MUCH OF THE TIME AS POSSIBLE.
I MEAN, ONE OF THE THINGS I NOTICED AT THESE EVENTS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SQUARE FOOTAGE USAGE FOR AN EVENT, YOU GET A HIGHER USAGE OF AUSTINITES THAN YOU DO OTHERWISE.
BUT, UM, BUT THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST MY, MY THOUGHT THEN.
AND MANY OF THE EVENTS THAT YOU SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CONSERVANCY WILL LIKELY HAVE AN ANNUAL SORT OF FAMILY FRIENDLY, FREE, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, UH, COMMUNITY EVENT IN THE SPRING.
SO A LOT OF THOSE, UH, SORT OF PARTIAL CLOSURES AND BE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, AND WE'LL BE EXTENDING SERVICES THAT ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE.
WELL, I, I DON'T WANT TO PROLONG THIS DISCUSSION TOO MUCH LONGER.
I JUST WANT TO JUST BRING UP ONE, JUST ONE THING THAT I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS, AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, YOU DID GET CONCERNED FROM THE PUBLIC.
THE PUBLIC HAS A LEGITIMATE FEAR THAT OUR PUBLIC PARKS ARE GOING TO BE PRIVATIZED.
AND, AND, AND SO I THINK THAT'S, IT IS A FINE LINE THAT YOU HAVE TO WALK TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS YOU'RE LISTENING TO THEM BECAUSE THEY REALLY ARE THE PEOPLE THAT COME AND USE THE PARK ARE THE ONES THAT WE REALLY HAVE TO THINK ABOUT.
AND SO WITH THAT, WITH THE, I KNOW YOU HAVE AN ADVISORY GROUP, BUT I WOULD HOPE THAT THAT WOULD CONSIST OF PEOPLE FROM NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER PEOPLE THAT REALLY ARE VESTED IN, UM, IT'S PARKS AND CARE ABOUT THESE PARKS AND WANT TO BE ABLE TO USE THOSE PARKS AND ALL CLASSIC CAPACITY, BECAUSE, I MEAN, I'M GOING TO BE HONEST.
UM, KEITH, WHEN YOU GUYS WITH YOUR BLUE TREES, UM, WHEN Y'ALL WERE GOING TO DO YOUR BLUE TREE, UM, EVENT, YOU WOULD HEAR FROM PEOPLE THAT WERE UNHAPPY ABOUT THAT, AND THEY DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THEY HAD A VOICE AT THE TABLE TO EXPRESS ANY OF THOSE CONCERNS.
AND I KNOW COMMUNITY OUTREACH IS, CAN BE CHALLENGING SOMETIMES,
[00:45:01]
ESPECIALLY IN THE AGE OF COVID, IT WAS ESPECIALLY CHALLENGING, BUT I DO THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO NOT JUST DO THE OUTREACH, BUT TO ENGAGE THESE PEOPLE.AND SO THAT YOU ARE, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE RESENTFUL AND FEEL LIKE THE PARK'S BEING TAKEN OVER BY THE CONSERVANCY.
AND, AND THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO USE IT IN THE CAPACITY.
THEY WANT TO HAVING SAID ALL THAT.
I I'M, I WANT TO JUST BACK UP AND SAY HOW GRATEFUL I AM FOR ALL WHAT YOU'VE DONE AND WHAT YOU'VE PROVIDED FOR THE PARK AND YOUR INVESTMENT IN IT, AND THE WORK THAT EVERYONE ON YOUR STAFF HAS PUT INTO IT.
I DO APPRECIATE THAT, BUT I DO THINK IT, UM, IT JUST BEARS CONSIDERATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IT'S A VERY INCLUSIVE, UM, ADVISORY GROUP.
SO YOU'RE LISTENING TO AS MANY VOICES AS POSSIBLE.
WELL, I'LL JUST SAY WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.
AND WE TAKE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT VERY SERIOUSLY.
AND EVEN, EVEN ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES, PROGRAMMING AND EVENTS THAT YOU SEE LISTED IN THE CURRENT PROGRAMMING PLAN FOR OUR PILOT YEAR ARE BASED ON EXTENSIVE CONVERSATIONS, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
I MEAN, WE, WE NEVER EVEN TOOK PEN TO PAPER TO BEGIN TO DESIGN A KINGSBURY COMMENTS WITHOUT EXTENSIVE ROUNDS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERPRETIVE PLAN, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROGRAMMING PLAN AND TO THE POINT THAT WAS MADE EARLIER AFTER THIS PILOT YEAR, WE WILL CERTAINLY GO BACK TO THE PUBLIC AND ASK AGAIN, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN DO THAT ENOUGH.
AND IT'S OUR INTENTION TO SET THE HIGHEST BAR, UH, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND TRYING TO BRING AS MANY PEOPLE TO THE POP-UP, TO THE TABLE AS POSSIBLE TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT THE, UH, PUBLIC NEEDS ARE IN THE SPACE AND HOW WE CAN BEST ADDRESS THEM.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO, UM, MAKE ANY COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT.
SO WE WANT TO, DO I HAVE A MOTION ON, DO WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION? OKAY.
I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO, UM, RECOMMEND TO CITY COUNCIL FOR THE NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF A PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY FOR THE OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE AND PROGRAMMING OF KINGSBURY COMMENTS WITHIN PEACE, UH, DISTRICT PARK.
UH, AND DO, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND, SECOND.
AND BY BOARD MEMBER DICARLO AND ALL RIGHT, THEN, THEN WE, UM, WE HAVE A MOTION.
WE CAN GO AHEAD AND VOTE ALL IN FAVOR.
Y'ALL DO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
[B.3. Discussion and possible action regarding election of Parks and Recreation Board Chair and Vice Chair.]
MOVING ON TO THE NON-CONSENT AND DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE ELECTION OF PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD CHAIR, AND VICE-CHAIR IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR WHERE WE HAVE TO, UM, GET OUR OFFICERS IN PLACE.SO, UM, I WILL, I LIKE TO MAKE A NOMINATION.
I LIKE TO NOMINATE DON LEWIS AS OUR, OUR CHAIR.
WELL, WE HAVE THAT COMBINATION AND, UH, ANNA, AS I, UM, I'M REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, BUT LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE AND SEE WHETHER, AND THEN I'LL MAKE MY COMMENTS.
WHAT ABOUT FOR MYSELF? OPPOSED? THANK YOU.
I DO WANT TO SAY, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
I, THIS IS SUCH A WONDERFUL BOARD AND I OBVIOUSLY I'M VERY MUCH A, BUT WE ARE A TEAM AND EVERYBODY PULLS THEIR WAY HERE AT NIGHT.
I AM INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR IT.
AS I SAID BEFORE, THIS IS NOT MY, UM, MY LIFE DREAM TO DO THIS FOREVER AND EVER.
SO I DO WANT PEOPLE TO REALLY START THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED AT SOME POINT TO, UM, TAKE THE REINS, BUT IN THE MEANTIME WE DO NEED, AND YOU HAVE A VICE CHAIR.
AND SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ELECT OUR, UM, UH, VICE CHAIR BOARD MEMBER? TAYLOR, CAN I, CAN I MAKE ANOTHER NOMINATION? OH, DO YOU NEED THE MOTION TO ELECT FIRST? WHICH DEAN? SO, OKAY.
I'D LIKE TO NOMINATE, UM, A BOARD MEMBER OF DIPLOMA TO BE A SURE.
WE HAVE A SECOND WITH BOARD MEMBER, UM, COUNTING SEIBEL ALL IN FAVOR.
[00:50:01]
WHERE MAYBE DIPLOMA, I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE ASKED YOU IF YOU WANTED TO ACCEPT, BUT I, MY ASSUMPTION WAS YES, BUT HOPEFULLY I'M NOT WRONG.OKAY, WELL THAT WAS YOU FOR THE BOARD MEMBER, THE BOARD MEMBERS WHO NOMINATED AND SECONDED.
NOW OF COURSE, LET ME JUST, WE ARE MOVING ON.
AND I ACTUALLY, MY, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW I ALWAYS TEND TO HAVE THESE TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES.
GUESS WHAT I HAVE MY, UM, AGENDA IS NOT MOVING DOWN, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE I LOOKED AT THIS.
I'M PRETTY SURE THE NEXT THING ON THE AGENDA WAS ITEMS FROM BOARD MEMBERS UNDERWEIGHT.
SO I'M GOING TO NEED SOMEBODY TO HELP ME
[B.4. Presentation, discussion and possible action regarding a recommendation to the City Council for the adoption of the George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural & Genealogy Center Facility Expansion Plan.]
UNTIL I CAN CHAIR.THE NEXT ITEM IS AGENDA NUMBER FOUR IT'S BEFORE PRESENTATION DISCUSSION POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL OR THE ADOPTION OF THE GEORGE WASHINGTON, CARVER WASHINGTON.
YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB SO FAR AS VICE CHAIR.
SO, SO BOARD MEMBERS, WELL, SAMMY WORKS TO BRING OVER THE CONSULTANT TEAM AND THE PLANNING TEAM.
UH, I'M JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UM, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH, UM, THE COMMUNITY, WHICH WILL BE OUTLINED IN THIS PARTICULAR PRESENTATION TO BE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT, UM, THIS VISION PLAN IS REFLECTIVE OF, OF, UH, WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY, BOTH CULTURALLY AND HISTORICALLY.
AND I'M VERY PLEASED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UM, GREG
AND I'M ALSO PLEASED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT LAURA, AS FAR AS, UH, ALLOW THEM TO INTRODUCE THE, THE CONSULTANTS, BUT LAURA ESPARZA, WHO IS THE, UM, DIVISION MANAGER FOR PROGRAMS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR CULTURAL CENTERS IS, IS ALSO, UH, ON THE LINE IN CASE THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PLAYER OR PROGRAMMING AT THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL HAND IT OVER TO GREG AND LAURA AND THE CONSULTANT TEAM.
THANK YOU, KIMBERLY GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS AND, UH, GREGORY MONTH IS, IS, UH, KIM MENTIONED, UM, I'M WITH THE PERSON REC MINING DIVISION PROJECT MANAGER ON THE CARVER, UH, MUSEUM FACILITY EXPANSION PLAN, UH, AS KIMBERLY POINTED OUT, UH, WE'RE JOINED BY, UH, OTHER STAFF MEMBERS FROM THE PARKS DEPARTMENT OF OUR SPARSER FROM, UH, THE CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION, UH, KERRY ADAMS CURATOR AT THE MUSEUM AND MEGAN ECKARD, WHO IS FROM THE PLANNING DIVISION, ALL WORKED VERY HARD ON THIS PROJECT, UM, AND CONTRIBUTED A LOT TO THIS PROJECT.
UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO, UH, INTRODUCE OUR, UH, CONSULTANT TEAM, UM, THAT WERE HIRED TO ASSIST WITH THIS PROJECT SPOKEN COMPANY, ARCHITECTS FROM HOUSTON, UM, WERE LED BY TERRY SMITH.
HE'S THE LEAD ARCHITECT ON THIS PROJECT, AS WELL, AS FAR AS WHITE WILLIAM SMITH AND COMPANY WHO SERVE AS THE PROJECT MANAGER ON THIS PROJECT.
WE ALSO HAVE, UH, STEPHEN COLSTON FROM, UH, PERKINSON WELL DESIGN AND PLANNING FIRM, UH, WHO SERVED AS A SUB CONSULTANT ON THIS PROJECT.
UM, CURRENTLY, UH, THIS PROJECTS GOING THROUGH THE APPROVAL PROCESS, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE BEFORE, UH, ALL OF YOU TONIGHT.
UM, AS FAR WE'VE PRESENTED TO A VARIETY OF COMMISSIONS, WE'VE GONE BEFORE THE AFRICAN AMERICAN RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION LIBRARY COMMISSION DESIGN COMMISSION.
WE ALSO PRESENTED TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND PRESENTED TO THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR OF ROOSEVELT WEEKS ON HIS EXECUTIVE TEAM.
WE DO PLAN TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL NEXT MONTH FOR FINAL APPROVAL.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THE PROJECT, UH, HAS BEEN WELL RECEIVED THUS FAR.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO PRESENTING THE PROJECT TO ALL OF YOU TONIGHT WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO HAND IT OVER TO TERRY SMITH AND KNOW THAT, UH, WE ARE AVAILABLE, UH, AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PRESENTATION.
SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, TERRY? THANK YOU, GREG.
I'M VERY HONORED TO BE HERE AND TO BE WORKING WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN ON THE GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER EXPANSION, AS GREG SAID, MY NAME IS TERRY SMITH.
I'M WITH SMITH AND COMPANY ARCHITECTS.
AND, UH, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CONCLUSION OF THIS PROCESS AND ON TO THE NEXT PHASE, WORKING WITH THE CITY, UH, I'LL GO THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION RATHER BRISKLY AS I'VE DONE SEVERAL OTHER TIMES, AS GREG MENTIONED, UH, I TEND TO WANT TO HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS
[00:55:01]
AND GIVE EVERYONE TIME TO ASK QUESTIONS IF WE WANT TO GET INTO FURTHER DETAIL.SO WITH THAT, LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
AS GREG SAID, UH, THIS HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL PROCESS WORKING WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, UM, AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT WITH SEAT OF AUSTIN FOR ALMOST A YEAR.
NOW, UH, THIS ENTIRE PROCESS HAS BEEN VIRTUAL.
UH, WE'VE NOT HAD ONE IN-PERSON MEETING, WHICH HAS BEEN A VERY, UH, UNIQUE PROCESS FOR ALL OF US, UH, AND A UNIQUE CHALLENGE, BUT WE THINK WE'VE MET AND EXCEEDED THAT CHALLENGE.
UM, WE STARTED ALMOST A YEAR AGO, A LITTLE OVER YOU GO, UH, BY DOING A NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF THE EXISTING CARVER BUILDING.
WE HAD SEVERAL SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS, UH, AND THEN WE MOVED ON TO PUT TOGETHER SOME PLANNING CONCEPTS.
WE HAD THREE, UH, PRIMARY COMMUNITY MEETINGS THAT YOU CAN SEE THERE AT THE BOTTOM.
AGAIN, THEY WERE ALL VIRTUAL, UH, BUT, UH, WE DID A VERY GOOD JOB AT SOLICITING COMMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY IN EACH ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS.
UM, WE JUST, UH, MAYBE, UM, A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO DRAFTED A REPORT WITH PLAN.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE BRINGING FORTH TO YOU ALL TODAY, AS WELL AS TO THE OTHER COMMISSIONS THAT GREG MENTIONED, WE HOPE TO WRAP THIS UP NEXT MONTH WITH A FINAL PRESENTATION TO CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL PUT A BOW ON THIS PLAN AND MOVE FORWARD.
AS I SAID EARLIER, WE'VE HAD A VERY ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS ON THIS CARVER EXPANSION PLAN.
WE HAD THREE COMMUNITY MEETINGS OR GROUP DISCUSSIONS.
UH, YOU CAN SEE ALL THE SMALL GROUPS THAT WERE, UH, INVOLVED, LISTED THERE ON THE RIGHT.
UM, WE ALSO HAD A TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP THAT CONSISTED OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, UM, FROM THE CITY FROM LIBRARIES, UM, AND OTHERS.
UH, WE'VE MET THREE TIMES WITH THAT GROUP AS WELL.
SO WE'VE HAD A LOT OF MEETINGS SOLICITED, A LOT OF INPUT, UH, ON THIS PRESENTATION THAT YOU'LL SEE TODAY.
NEXT SLIDE FOR THOSE OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE CARVER SITE AND IT'S, UH, SURROUNDINGS HERE AT SOME OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT NEIGHBORS, UM, AROUND CARVER.
UH, THIS IS A DOCUMENT THAT'LL BE VERY IMPORTANT IN THE FINAL SUBMITTAL, UH, BECAUSE WE HOPE TO SEND THAT SUBMITTAL OUT TO THOSE WHO ARE WELL BEYOND THE, UH, GENERAL AREA OF CARSON WHO MAY NOT BE AS FAMILIAR WITH THE GENERAL AREA OF CARVERS.
SO THIS WILL BE A VERY IMPORTANT DOCUMENT IN THE FINAL SUBMITTAL, MAKE SLIME.
AS SOON AS WE GOT STARTED, WE PUT TOGETHER FIVE MAJOR GOALS AND PRINCIPLES FOR THIS EXPANSION PLAN RANGING FROM RECOGNIZING THE HISTORY AND CULTURE TO HERITAGE OF CARVER AND ADVANCING THE VISION AND MISSION OF THE CARVER MUSEUM, UH, OUTDOOR AMENITIES, WHICH YOU'LL SEE HERE IN A MINUTE WERE VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE STRENGTHEN THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE DIVERSE AND INTERGENERATIONAL, UH, COMMUNITY, WHICH CARVER EXISTS.
AND THEN WE WANTED THIS PLAN TO BE FLEXIBLE, UNDERSTANDING THAT IT MAY TAKE SOME TIME TO COMPLETE.
UM, NEXT LOT WE HAVE FIVE KEY PLANNING THEMES.
UM, THE FIRST WAS WE WANTED TO, AGAIN, STRENGTHEN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND CARVER.
UM, CARVER, OBVIOUSLY ISN'T IN A VERY GENTRIFYING EXCEEDINGLY GENTRIFYING COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE SEE THIS EXPANSION PLAN, UH, AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT THE COMMUNITY WITH THE, UH, PROGRAMS THAT IT'S OFFERED THAT ARE OFFERED IN THE, IN THE CENTER.
UH, WE ALSO WANTED TO LOOK AT HOW PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING CARVER AS THEY VISIT, WHETHER THAT AS THEY VISIT, WHETHER THAT BE FOR THE FIRST TIME OR, UH, AS THEY COME, UM, FOR THE SECOND OR THIRD TIME, THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE OFFERED AT CARVER, WE DID LOOK AT THAT, UH, IN TERMS OF THE PHYSICAL RELATIONSHIP IN PROGRAMS IN THE BUILDING, UH, WE LOOKED AT HOW THE EXISTING BUILDING IN THE INDOOR SPACES WERE BEING UTILIZED.
AND THEN LASTLY, UH, WE TOOK A VERY CLOSE LOOK AT THE OUTDOOR SPACES AND HOW THOSE ARE USED AS WELL.
THIS IS A VERY INFORMATIVE SLIDE, A LOT OF NUMBERS, UM, BUT I WILL DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE TWO RED BOXES AT THE BOTTOM, WHICH
[01:00:01]
ARE THE REALLY THE BOTTOM LINE OF THE SLIDE.CURRENT, UH, SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE CARVER BUILDING IS ABOUT 30,000 LITTLE LESS THAN 30,000 SQUARE FEET.
TODAY AT THE END OF THIS EXPANSION PLAN, CARVER WOULD BE INCREASED ALMOST TRIPLE TO ABOUT 90,000 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, AT THE CONCLUSION OF THIS PLAN, WE'D HAVE OVER 70,000 SQUARE FEET OF OUTDOOR SPACES, AND WE'LL GO OVER SOME OF THOSE HERE IN JUST A MINUTE.
ON THE LEFT, YOU SEE A PERSPECTIVE AERIAL VIEW OF THE EXISTING CARVER ON THE CORNER OF ROSEWOOD AND ANGELINA.
AND YOU SEE CARVER'S NEIGHBORS, THE GENIE LA GENEALOGY CENTER AND EXISTING CARVER LIBRARY, AND ENDED UP TO THE NORTH THERE'S KEATON MIDDLE SCHOOL, UM, TO THE RIGHT IS WHAT CARVER WOULD LOOK LIKE AT THE END OF THE EXPANSION PLAN.
SO YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE COLORED AREAS, THERE ARE THE ADDITIONS TO THE BUILDING, AND YOU ALSO SEE ON THE RIGHT SIDE, A NEW PARKING GARAGE, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT HERE IN JUST A SECOND NEXT LAR, SO THAT THE KEY ADDITIONS TO THE FACILITY ITSELF INCLUDE A NEW LARGE EVENT IN BALLROOM SPACE, UM, UH, ADDITIONAL CLASSROOMS, INCLUDING DANCE STUDIOS AND ACADEMIC CLASSROOMS, ALONG WITH, UH, UH, OTHER EDUCATION-RELATED SPACES, UH, WE'RE PLANNING TO TRIPLE THE EXISTING ART GALLERY IN SIZE, UH, SO HAVE EXPANDED ART GALLERIES.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO PROPOSE TO ADD A NEW 500 SEAT FRESENIUS THEATER.
IN ADDITION TO THE THEATER THAT IS THERE TODAY, UM, IN ORDER TO HOUSE ALL OF THESE NEW OCCUPANTS ON THIS SIDE, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO ADD ADDITIONAL PARKING.
SO YOU CAN SEE AT THE BOTTOM THERE AGAIN, WE'VE GOT A PARK, A NEW PROPOSAL, NEW PARKING STRUCTURE, UH, OF APPROXIMATELY AROUND 300 SPACES.
UM, AND SO THAT WOULD HANDLE THE NEW OCCUPANTS, UH, THAT, UH, WOULD LEAD THE PARK ON SITE.
SOME OF THE OUTDOOR SPACES THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, I'M CURRENTLY ON THE CORNER OF ANGELINA AND ROSEWOOD IS THE SURFACE PARKING LOT THAT PRIMARILY SERVES THE LIBRARY CAN CARVER, AS PART OF THIS PLAN, WE'RE PLANNING TO REMOVE THAT PARKING LOT.
THOSE PARTS, THOSE PARKERS WOULD NOW PARK IN THAT NEW PARKING GARAGE.
AND WE WOULD ANCHOR THE ENTIRE SITE WITH A NEW OUTDOOR PLAZA ON THE CORNER OF ANGELINA AND ROSEWOOD.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE WOULD INCORPORATE A NEW EVENT LAWN, A LARGE EVENT LAWN WITH A NEW PAVILION FOR CONCERTS AND PERFORMANCES.
UH, WE'D ALSO, WE'RE ALSO PROPOSING TO ADD A NEW COMMUNITY GARDENS AS WELL AS OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS, UH, AND AN ENHANCED RESTROOM FACILITY AS WELL FOR THOSE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.
THERE IS A CONNECTION THAT WE'RE PLANNING TO ADD THAT WOULD ALLOW YOU TO GET FROM THE, UH, FRONT OF THE CARVER CENTER ALONG ANGELINA AND WALK THROUGH THE BUILDING INTO THE EXISTING COURTYARD AND INTO THE EVENT LINE.
CURRENTLY IN THAT COURTYARD, AS THOSE OF YOU MIGHT BE FAMILIAR WITH CARVER, THERE ARE SEVERAL, UH, STATUES, UH, IN THAT COURTYARD, WE HAVE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT POTENTIAL, UH, OPPORTUNITIES TO RELOCATE THOSE STATUES AS WELL.
NEXT SLIDE, HOW MUCH IS ALL THIS GOING TO COST THE END OF THE DAY? WE'VE ESTIMATED A LITTLE LESS THAN $60 MILLION FOR THE ENTIRE PROGRAM.
UH, WE INCLUDED A ESCALATION IN INFLATION, UH, IN THAT NUMBER OF ABOUT $13 MILLION THAT'S, UH, UH, PROJECTED TO BE OVER A NINE YEAR SPAN.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING TO PHASE THIS IF NEED BE MOST LIKELY, UM, RANGING FROM, UH, RELOCATING THE ADMIN ADMINISTRATION IN CARVER, UM, IT'S ROOF WORK, ELEVATOR WORK, UH, RELOCATING THOSE STATUTES, I JUST MENTIONED.
UH, AND THEN GOING ON TO ADDING SOME OF THE OUTDOOR SPACES I TALKED ABOUT, UM, THERE'S PLENTY OF UNDERGROUND UTILITIES THAT ARE GOING TO NEED TO BE REROUTED AND ARE TO, UH, BUILD THE NEW ADDITIONS.
AND THEN THE LAST THREE PHASES WOULD BE THE ADDITION OF THE GALLERIES EDUCATION SPACE, THE EVENTS, UH, EVENT ROOM BALLROOM, AND THEN THE, UH, THE NEW THEATER AND THE PARKING GARAGE.
HOW'S ALL THIS GOING TO GET PAID FOR.
UH, YOU CAN SEE A LIST OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUNDING TO THE LEFT RANGING FROM GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS,
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UH, CITY COUNCIL ALLOCATION, CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS, PRIVATE DONORS, GRANTS, AND PARKLAND DEDICATED FUNDS.THIS IS A COMPLETED SITE PLAN FOR THE PROPOSED EXPANSION.
AFTER THIS FULLY COMPLETED THE, UH, AT THE BOTTOM, YOU COULD SEE THE GARAGE ALONG AND TO AROUND ROSEWOOD.
YOU COULD SEE THE, UH, NEW PARK AT THE CORNER, THE INTERSECTION, THE LIGHTER PEACH COLORS, THE EXISTING BUILDINGS TODAY, EXISTING CARVER, ALONG WITH THE EXISTING LIBRARY, AND THEN THE, THE, UH, DARKER PEACH COLOR OR PINK COLOR IS THE ADDITIONS TO THE BUILDING.
AND IN IMMEDIATELY TO THE EAST OF THAT, YOU CAN SEE THE, UM, GARDEN COMMUNITY, GARDEN, OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS, THE EVENT LAWN, AND THE PAVILION.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE MIDDLE SCHOOL THERE TO THE EAST.
UM, IF WE CAN SKIP ON ABOUT THREE OR FOUR SLIDES, I WILL SHOW A COUPLE OF RENDERINGS THAT WE'VE DONE.
UM, SO THIS RENDERING, UH, THESE GREAT READINGS WERE DONE BY PERKINS AND WILL.
UM, THIS RENDERING IS A IN THE LOBBY EXISTING LOBBY AND EXISTING DRUM CLEARSTORY DRAMA AT THE TOP, YOU CAN SEE THE EXPANDED, UH, AREA GOING TO THE GALLERIES TO THE LEFT, THE ART GALLERIES AND INTO THE RIGHT, WOULD YOU WOULD BE HEADING PAST THE, UH, EXISTING, UH, CLASSROOMS AND DANCE STUDIOS ON TO THE EXISTING THEATER AND THEN AROUND TO THE NEW THEATER NEXT LINE, THIS IS AN IMAGE OF THE, UH, UH, LOBBY TO THE NEW THEATER UPSTAIRS, UH, AS YOU ENTER AND EXIT THE NEW THEATER, AND YOU CAN SEE, UH, OUTSIDE THAT IS THE NEW WING WHERE THE ADMINISTRATION WILL BE ON THE THIRD FLOOR, THE GALLERIES ON THE SECOND FLOOR, IN THE, UH, EDUCATIONAL SPACES ON THE GROUND LEVEL, NEXT SLIDE.
AND THEN THE LAST RENDERING, THIS IS THE NEW PAVILION AND EVENT LAWN.
YOU CAN SEE IN THE BACKGROUND THERE, THE NEW ADDITION THAT WE JUST SAW IN LAST LOT.
UM, AND THEN IN THE, UH, FURTHER IN THE BACKGROUND, ALL THOSE COMMUNITY GARDENS AND OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS, UH, FURTHER IN THE BACK THERE, I BELIEVE THAT'S THE LAST RENDERING.
UM, AT THIS POINT WE CAN OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT ANYONE HAS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE, UM, PRESENTATION CARRIE.
SO I WILL JUST GO AROUND AND JUST, UM, SEE IF ANY BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, AND I'LL START OUT WITH ACTUALLY A BOARD MEMBER DIPLOMA, OUR VICE CHAIR.
APPRECIATE IT, MR. SMITH, THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL PRESENTATION AND THAT A SLIDE DECK IS SPOT ON.
UM, SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
SOME FOR YOU, SOME FOR STAFF, ONE IS FOR YOU, I BELIEVE THIS HAS TAKEN ON SOMEWHERE WHERE THE KEELING POOL WAS.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND I FAILED TO MENTION THAT THAT KEELING POOL WILL BE TAKEN UP AND THAT'S IN THE GENERAL VICINITY OF WHERE THOSE OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS AND THE GARDEN ARE GOING TO BE PROPOSED.
AND IS THERE ANY SORT OF, UH, LIKE TREATMENT AS FAR AS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT, WHAT WAS IT IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY AS FAR AS LIKE RECOGNIZING IT MEMORIALIZED DATE WERE MORALIZING OR WAS IT NOT SOMETHING THAT CAME UP? WE DIDN'T HEAR THAT.
WE DIDN'T HEAR ANY, UM, ANY, ANY CONCERNS OR COMMENTS ABOUT, UH, MEMORIALIZING THE POOL? UH, THERE ARE OTHER ASPECTS THAT WE ARE IN A LOT ABOUT, UH, BUT NOT THE POOL.
AND THEN, UM, I WOULD, WELL, I'D LIKE TO HEAR SOME OF THOSE OTHER ASPECTS THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING, LIKE ANYTHING THAT, LIKE THE TOP ONES THAT COME TO MIND.
UM, THE ONE THAT COMES TO MIND FIRST IS THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE THIS BILL, UM, UH, THAT THAT'S REALLY THE MOST EMOTIONAL COMMENT THAT I THINK WE RECEIVED CONSISTENTLY IS, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE AROUND WHEN THE ORIGINAL MASTER PLAN WAS DONE AND THEY WERE PART OF THAT PROCESS.
SO I THINK, I THINK IT'S BEEN ALMOST 20 YEARS AND, AND THEY'RE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, RAISING THEIR HAND SAYING, HEY, I'VE ALREADY DONE THIS ONCE.
UM, AND, AND NOT MUCH HAPPENED OTHER THAN THE ORIGINAL BUILDING.
SO THAT, THAT'S PROBABLY THE THING THAT STANDS OUT THE MOST, UM, UH, PART THE PARKING AND THE PARKING GARAGE, UH, WAS, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION AROUND THAT.
AND, UM, OBVIOUSLY BEING ON ROSEWOOD OF MAJOR THOROUGHFARE THROUGH THIS COMMUNITY, UH, THERE WAS SOME CONCERNS ABOUT,
[01:10:01]
UH, HOW THAT MIGHT IMPACT, UM, THE AESTHETIC VALUE OF CARVER.BUT, UM, UM, I THINK WE'VE ANSWERED THOSE CONCERNS BY, UH, UH, EXPLAINING THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY AN ARTISTIC OPPORTUNITY.
IF WE INCORPORATE ART INTO THAT GARAGE, IT ACTUALLY COULD BE A BENEFIT, UH, TO MEMORIALIZING THE CULTURE OF THE SITE.
SO I THINK WE WERE GOING TO INCLUDE THAT IN OUR FINAL, UH, MIDDLE TO MAKE SURE THAT PASSED ON TO THE DESIGN TEAM.
UH, GREG, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WANT TO MENTION THAT THE COMMUNITY, UH, UH, THAT STUCK OUT? YEAH, NO.
I THINK THAT YOU, YOU SUMMED IT UP PRETTY WELL.
I WILL MENTION THAT WHEN WE WENT TO THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION, THE COMMISSION ELECTED TO, UH, CRAFT A MEMO THAT THEY'RE GOING TO SEND DIRECTLY TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF FUNDING THIS PROJECT.
UM, AS, AS, AS TERRY MENTIONED, UH, PER MEMBER, UM, BACK IN 2000, THERE WAS A FEASIBILITY STUDY.
YOU MIGHT BE FAMILIAR WITH THAT STUDY.
UM, THERE WERE THREE PHASES TO THAT FEASIBILITY STUDY.
THE FIRST PHASE WAS, UM, ACTUALLY, UH, REALIZED BECAUSE IT, IT RESULTED IN THE CARVER MUSEUM AS WE SEE IT TODAY.
UM, SO PHASES TWO AND THREE, UH, NEVER GOT BUILT.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT TERRY WAS REFERRING TO EARLIER.
THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WERE ACTIVE IN THAT PROCESS AND PARTICIPATED IN THAT PROCESS REALIZE THAT.
SO WHEN THEY SEE OUR DEPARTMENT COME BACK ANOTHER 20 YEARS TO REVISIT THIS PLAN, THEY, THEY QUESTION AND SAY, WELL, UH, WHEN IS, WHAT IS THE OTHER TWO PHASES GOING TO BE BUILT IN THAT THAT WAS A BIG CON UH, CONVERSATION POINT EARLY ON, BUT, UM, BUT A LOT OF THOSE FOLKS, AND THIS WAS GOOD TO SEE A LOT OF THOSE FOLKS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS 20 YEARS AGO, PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROCESS TODAY.
AND SO FALLING BACK AROUND REAL QUICK THEN, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO THAT A LOT OF OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, BUT, UH, APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION ON, ON THE POOL.
WAS THERE A DISCUSSION ABOUT USING THE UPPER DECK OF THE PARKING STRUCTURE FOR ADDITIONAL PARKLAND OR EVENT SPACE? UM, LIKE IF IT WAS AN ADDITIONAL DECK ON PARKING AND HAVING THAT FLEXIBILITY, AND THEN THIS GOES BACK TO YOU, GREG, IF THAT QUESTION IS FOR YOU, MR. SMITH, AND, UM, MS. MONICA HAS THE, THE QUESTION RELATING TO FUNDING.
I KNOW WE HAVE CIP FOR THE 2018 POND FOR SOME OF THIS, AND IT WASN'T CLEAR.
AND I WAS TRYING TO LOOK FOR THE BREAKDOWN AND UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, ALL THE, THE BOND PUBLICATION WAS VERY BROAD AND, YOU KNOW, I GAVE YOU THE WHOLE PROP WITH, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THERE, BUT I KNOW THERE IS A BREAKDOWN SOMEWHERE.
I'VE SEEN IT IN THE PAST, AND UNFORTUNATELY IT JUST WASN'T LABELED CORRECTLY IN MY, MY DOCUMENTS, UM, IN MY PERSONAL DOCUMENTS.
SO DO WE HAVE, HOW MUCH IS RIGHT NOW ALLOCATED FROM THE 2018 BOND? HAVE WE IDENTIFIED PARKLAND DEDICATION FUNDING, UM, FROM, YOU KNOW, THE CONSTRUCTION IN THE AREA AND KNOWING WHAT A GAP WOULD BE RIGHT NOW? OH, GO AHEAD.
THIS IS LEANNA COLLIBRA CAN, AND MAYBE I CAN ADDRESS PART OF THAT QUESTION.
UH, FROM THE 2018 BOND, WE DID RECEIVE SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION FOR, UM, THE CARVER MUSEUM.
AND THAT WAS TO ADDRESS BOTH SOME IMMEDIATE RENOVATION ASPECTS THAT WERE NEEDED AND, UH, ALSO TO HAVE, UM, STARTING MONEY THAT FUNDING THAT COULD BE ALLOCATED TO THE IMPROVEMENT TO, TO THE, UM, FACILITY EXPANSION PLAN PHASING.
SO OUT OF THIS, WE HAD, UM, THE FIRST PART OF THE, UH, SHORT-TERM RENOVATIONS, WHICH WAS CLOSE TO 2 MILLION AND THAT WORK IS, UH, CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS AND IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED SOMETIME THIS SUMMER.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE THE NEXT PHASE OF IMPROVEMENTS, UH, PLANT, WHICH WE'LL ADDRESS OUR THEATER UPGRADES AND, UH, ADA COMPLIANCE ISSUES.
AND THAT IS, UM, ABOUT A MILLION AND A HALF.
SO THERE IS A REMAINING BALANCE OF A LITTLE OVER 4 MILLION THAT WILL BE, UM, ALLOCATED TO THE FIRST PHASE OF IMPROVEMENTS, UM, COMING OUT OF THE FACILITY EXPANSION PLAN.
UM, WE CAN, UM, AFTER THIS IS APPROVED BY COUNCIL, WE CAN ALSO LOOK FURTHER FOR ANY AVAILABLE POD, UH, UH, FUNDING AND ANY OTHER FUNDING SOURCES.
AND I WOULD ALSO MENTION THAT THE FACT THAT WE NOW HAVE A MASTER PLAN, THAT FACILITY EXPANSION PLAN THAT HOPEFULLY WILL BE APPROVED BY COUNCIL.
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THE FOUNDATION FOR, UH, POTENTIALLY ASKING FOR MORE FUNDING DURING THE NEXT BOND, UH, PACKAGE.AND I CAN APPRECIATE THE NEXT BOND PACKAGE, FILLING FEELING, HOPEFULLY WHATEVER'S LEFT, BUT I ALSO FEEL THE, AND, AND DESIRE TO GET IT MOVING.
SO I'M JUST, IF ANYBODY'S LISTENING FROM, FROM, FROM, UH, UH, THE, THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN ADVISORY COMMISSION OR ANY OF THE OTHER STAKEHOLDERS THAT WERE INVOLVED, UH, YOU KNOW, COUNT ME AS AN ALLY LET'S LET'S, LET'S GET ON IT.
SO LET ME ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE GARAGE REAL QUICK.
THE SHORT, THE SHORT ANSWER IS NO, WE DIDN'T THINK ABOUT THAT.
WE WOULDN'T, I DON'T THINK IT WAS BROUGHT UP THE GARAGE WAS REALLY JUST AT THIS TIME, UH, UH, AN ANSWER TO RESOLVE THE PARKING, UH, ISSUES, BUT I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA AND I THINK IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DISCUSSED IN THE NEXT PHASE.
UM, BOARD MEMBER, UM, DECARLO, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YES, I HAVE A FEW.
UM, THANK YOU, MR. SMITH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, EVERYTHING LOOKS, LOOKS REALLY GREAT.
UM, I DID HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SITE.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S ALREADY A SMALL PARKING LOT, LIKE TO THE NORTH OF THE MUSEUM.
UH, WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THAT? THAT'S GOING TO REMAIN, UH, THAT PARKING LOTS, UH, UH, IS THE PRIMARY APPLE CAR, BUT TODAY IT'S ALSO SHARED WITH THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND SO IT, AND WE'VE FOUND A WAY TO, TO KEEP THAT, UH, IN ITS CURRENT STATE.
AND THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGER DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THIS MASTER PLAN AND A MASTER PLAN FOR 20 YEARS AGO.
UH, THE MATH PUT IN 20 YEARS AGO DID HAVE SOME, UH, IMPACT TO THAT EXISTING LOT, BUT IN THE MASTER PLAN AND THIS PLAN, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP IT INTACT.
UM, AND THEN I KNOW YOU SAID THE POOL WAS BEING REMOVED.
WHAT ABOUT THE LITTLE KEY, THE PLAYGROUND THAT KEELAN HAS RIGHT THERE? WOULD THAT BE GOING AWAY AS WELL? I BELIEVE THE KEELAN PREY PLAYGROUND IS STAYING CURRENT IN ITS CURRENT FORM.
UM, AND THEN, UM, AS FAR AS THE OPEN PLAZA SPACE THAT THAT'S ALONG ROSEWOOD, UM, THE, KIND OF THE BARRIER BETWEEN THE STREET AND THE PLAZA IS THAT, UM, JUST A SIDEWALK SPACE OR IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT AREA HAS NOW JUST BEEN DESIGNATED AS A POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR PARKS.
WE, I THINK WE PURPOSELY DIDN'T GET INTO A LOT OF DETAIL ON WHAT THAT COULD BE OR HOW THAT WOULD LOOK.
WE ACTUALLY DISCUSSED THAT WITH THE LIBRARY AS WELL.
UM, I THINK THAT IT'S GOING TO DESERVE FURTHER STUDY DURING THE NEXT DESIGN PHASE TO REALLY SEE HOW THAT WORKS, BECAUSE IT IS ON A VERY BUSY CORNER.
THERE'S A BUS STOP RIGHT THERE AS WELL.
AND SO, SO IT WILL TAKE SOME THOUGHT TO, TO REALLY MAKE, BRING THAT TO FRUITION.
UM, AND THEN JUST ONE LAST QUESTION ABOUT THE FUNDING AS WELL.
I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT PARKLAND DEDICATION FUNDS COULD BE USED.
ARE THERE CURRENTLY PARKLAND DEDICATIONS FUNDS OR IS RESERVED FOR THAT AREA TO BE USED? WE DON'T HAVE BEEN A PSYCHO.
WE DON'T HAVE GUIDELINES OR ANYTHING ASSIGNED TO IT, BUT, UM, UM, AS SOON AS THIS MOVES FORWARD, THIS WOULD BE THE NEXT PHASE FOR US TO, UH, EVALUATE.
I'VE ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE RIGHT NOW.
UM, MR. MURPHY, CAN YOU HEAR ME? MY SPEAKER, MY HEADPHONES.
I'M GOING TO TRY, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I JUST SPENT, UM, TIME READING ALL OF THE HISTORICAL MARKERS ON SATURDAY WITH MY FAMILY.
COULD YOU SPEAK JUST A LITTLE BIT LOUDER? IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD.
I CAN HEAR YOU, BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT, UM, THOUGHTFUL.
I'M GONNA TURN MY VIDEO OFF AND HOLD MY PHONE.
HOW'S THAT? CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, YES, YES.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
I JUST SPENT A SATURDAY WITH MY HUSBAND AND TWO BOYS ON BICYCLE PING ALL OF THOSE HISTORICAL MARKERS AROUND THE CARVER.
AND, UM, HAVING, YOU KNOW, I'M ALSO VERY INVOLVED IN AISD AND SCHOOLS.
SO I WAS READING ABOUT ANDERSON YELLOW JACKETS AND JUST HOW THIS COMMUNITY LOST THEIR SPACE.
THEY LOST THEIR GATHERING SPACE AND IT'S BEEN OVER TIME.
AND I REALLY SEE THIS AS FILLING THAT VOID THAT WAS
[01:20:01]
LEFT AND, UH, HOW IT FIT IN NICELY IN THAT WHOLE SECTION OF TOWN AND NEXT DAY DECENT.AND I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE AND 20 YEARS LATER, IT'S STILL NOT FULFILLED.
SO I'M ALSO YOUR PARTNER IN THIS.
UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS I DIDN'T SEE, UM, THAT I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO MENTION BICYCLE PARKING AND BICYCLE FACILITIES.
I DIDN'T SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, ANY OF THAT.
AND I ALSO DIDN'T KNOW, UM, IF THERE WERE ANY, WAS ANY CONCERN TO OTHER THAN THE 400 SQUARE FOOT OF COMMUNITY GARDEN ANYMORE, UM, THOUGHT TO NATURAL ELEMENTS AND, UM, BIODIVERSITY, AND THAT'S ALL I HAD.
UM, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, UM, WE PRESENTED TO THE DESIGN, THE DESIGN COMMISSION JUST YESTERDAY AND A LARGE PART OF THAT CONVERSATION WAS CENTERED AROUND, UM, UM, PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE CONNECTIVITY, UM, TO THE ADJOINING NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SO THAT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE'VE, UH, WE'RE GONNA TAKE AND WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW MUCH WE CAN INCORPORATE THAT INTO THE FINAL PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, BOTH PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE, AS WELL AS TRANSMIT, UH, CONNECTIVITY IS INCORPORATED INTO THE PLAN, UM, NATURAL, NATURAL ELEMENTS AND AMENITIES.
UH, I DID NOT MENTION, BUT THERE IS A CURRENTLY A DETENTION POND ON THE SOUTH OF THE SITE TO SOMEWHAT TO WITHDRAW UPON.
UH, THERE HAS BEEN TALKS ABOUT ENHANCING THAT, UM, AND MAKING IT A NATURAL ELEMENT.
UM, THAT IS THAT, THAT IS CURRENTLY A PART OF THE PLAN.
UM, THAT'S, UH, OUTSIDE OF THAT AND THE OUTDOOR GARDENS, THAT'S PROBABLY THE EXTENT OF THE NATURAL, UH, BUT WE D WE WILL HAVE AN ENTIRE SECTION ON THE ENTIRE POTENTIAL LANDSCAPING OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, OBVIOUSLY I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO GET INTO A LOT OF THE DETAILS OF THAT, BUT, UH, UH, YOU WILL SEE THAT IN THE FINAL POINT.
UH, BOARD MEMBER RINALDO, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND, UM, I LOVED THE RENDERINGS.
THEY REALLY HELPED BRING THIS CONCEPT TO LIFE.
UM, I THINK ALL OF MY QUESTIONS HAVE REALLY BEEN COVERED BY THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TRANSIT STOPS, UM, THE BUS STOP THAT'S THAT'S RIGHT BY THE PLAZA, UM, ON ROSEWOOD.
I MEAN, I WOULD JUST FLAG AGAIN, THAT THAT'S REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY RATHER THAN A CONFLICT, YOU KNOW, TO BRING IN, UM, TO HAVE A TRANSIT CONNECTION RIGHT THERE, AND REALLY ENHANCED, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, BRING SOME JOY TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WAITING AT THE BUS STOP AND, YOU KNOW, FLAG THIS DESTINATION FOR THEM, AND, UM, REALLY HAVE SOME INTERACTION BETWEEN THE STREET AND, UM, BUS RIDERS AND FOLKS THAT ARE THINKING OUT ON IN THAT PLAZA AND GOING TO THE SPACE.
I THINK THAT'S A REALLY COOL POTENTIAL.
SO, UM, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PLAN AND REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO IT.
MOST OF MY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED.
I WAS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE PARKING STRUCTURE ON ROSEWOOD, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION AND SOME THOUGHTFUL RESOLUTION I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO, UM, TO SEE IF I DON'T KNOW IF THE MEMO FROM THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN ADVISORY COMMISSION IS FINISHED, BUT I WOULD BE INTERESTED WHEN IT IS DONE.
IF WE COULD GET A COPY OF IT FROM THE PART'S STAFF AND DETERMINE IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE AS A BOARD WOULD WANT TO SUPPORT AND SIGN ON TO.
I THINK ONCE THE STAFF STAYS ON FOR THAT COMMISSION, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, HAS COLLECTED THAT FROM THAT COMMISSION.
WE CAN CERTAINLY SHARE IT TOO WITH YOU GUYS, SO WE CAN SHARE THAT WITH SAMMY SO SHE CAN SEND IT OFF TO YOU ALL.
BUT, UH, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, IT HASN'T BEEN FINISHED YET.
I KNOW THE CHAIR OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND WE CAN, SORRY.
UM, BOARD MEMBER, CUT-IN SEIBEL.
I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL.
I LOVE ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE THOUGHT OF, AND I LOVE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PRESENTATION.
LET US KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO AS A BOARD TO HELP SUPPORT YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
I CAN NOT BE MORE EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
[01:25:01]
AND, UM, JUST KIND OF SEND IF YOU COUNT ME IN, IF YOU NEED ANY SUPPORT.UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND, UH, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE SAID LONG OVERDUE.
I THINK THIS IS A LOVELY PROJECT THAT, UM, JUST BEGS TO GET, UH, GRANTS AND SPONSORSHIPS AND SOME CORPORATE MONEY BEHIND IT, BECAUSE IT IS VERY STUNNING.
I WILL JUST GO AHEAD AND CONCLUDE BY JUST REALLY ECHOING WHAT EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD SAYS.
I'VE ACTUALLY SPENT A LOT OF TIMES OVER THERE IN THE MORE IN THE LIBRARY.
MY KIDS WENT TO KAYLEEN AND THEN I'VE BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY ROOM NUMEROUS TIMES.
SO, AND IT'S A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL AREA.
AND BOTH THE MUSEUM AND THE LIBRARY HAS SO MUCH RICH HISTORY, AND I'M REALLY GLAD THAT YOU'RE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN AND UNDERSTAND THAT, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SO MANY CHANGES IN THAT COMMUNITY, AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO PRESERVE THE HISTORY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED OVER TIME.
Y'ALL HAVE DONE A LOT OF REALLY GREAT WORK AND YOUR PRESENTATION WAS VERY GOOD.
AND I, UM, I ALWAYS HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT FUNDING, BUT HOPEFULLY AS WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT GETS RESOLVED OVER TIME.
SO, UM, DO WE WANT TO, UM, ANYBODY WANT TO MAKE A MOTION ON THIS? OR WE JUST WANT TO JUST SAY THIS WAS, WE'RE ALL VERY, UM, I'M HAPPY TO MAKE A MOTION FOR I'M HAPPY TO SECOND.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO RECOMMEND AND I'M SECONDED ALL IN FAVOR.
[B.5. Discussion and possible action regarding selection of the Chair of the Contracts and Concessions Committee and representative to the South Central Waterfront Advisory Board.]
CAN MOVE ON TO THE SELECTION OF THE CHAIR OF THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE AND AS WELL AS A NEW REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD.SO, UM, AND THESE WERE BOTH POSITIONS HELD BY BOARD MEMBER, LUCA, WHO, UM, WE ARE GOING TO MISS, AND THIS REALLY IS, AS SHE SAID, HER FINAL MEETING.
SO WE'LL, UM, WE'RE ALWAYS GLAD TO SEE YOU AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND, AND BEING HERE FOR THIS LAST MEETING TOO, I KNOW IT WOULD BE EASIER TO NOT HAVE TO DO THAT, AND WE REALLY ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT AND YOUR, UM, AND YOUR TIME AND, AND FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE SINCE YOU'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, BUT I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND JUST, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE A BOARD MEMBER, UH, DECARLO AS THE CHAIR OF THE CONTRACTING CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE TO, UH, TAKE OVER, UH, FOR THAT POSITION.
SO I WANT TO MAKE THAT NOMINATION.
CAN I HAVE A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER D I MEAN, VICE CHAIR, BUT DIPLOMA.
AND, UH, JUST TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE, YOU'RE GOOD WITH THAT RIGHT.
SO THE BEST, GO AHEAD AND VOTE ALL IN FAVOR AND HAVE, UM, ANYBODY OPPOSED? NO.
YOU ENDED UP FISCALLY THE CHAIR OF THE CONTRACTS AND CONSISTENCE COMMITTEE.
AND THANK YOU BOARD MEMBER, LUCA FOR LEADING BY EXAMPLE.
THE OTHER POSITION THAT WE NEED TO FILL THAT, UM, LET'S HELD BY BOARD MEMBER, LUCA IS, AS I SAID, THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATER ADVISORY BOARD.
SO I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND NOMINATE THE BOARD MEMBER COTTON SEIBEL FOR THAT POSITION.
SO, UM, DO I HAVE A SECOND FOR THAT? I'LL TO BOARD MEMBER MASON MURPHY.
AND, UM, AND I ASSUMING ONCE AGAIN, THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO DO THIS RIGHT BOARD MEMBER COTTON CYBIL YES.
OKAY, THEN LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE EVERYBODY IN FAVOR, OPPOSED IT'S UNANIMOUS.
NOW YOU'D BE, ARE THE OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVE PARKS REPRESENTATIVE ON THAT? THANK YOU.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK BOARD MEMBER TO LOOK FOR SOME TIME
[01:30:01]
THAT SHE GAVE ME THIS WEEKEND, GIVING ME A DEEP DIVE ON THE HISTORY.SO I APPRECIATE THAT INTRODUCTION.
WELL, GOOD LUCK TO BOTH OF YOU AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY.
I'M VERY COGNIZANT THAT EVERYBODY ON THIS BOARD IS A VOLUNTEER AND, AND HAS A LIFE OUTSIDE OF PARKS SPORTS.
SO I'M, I'M VERY, VERY GRATEFUL.
[C.1. Discussion regarding COVID-19 modified 2021 Summer Camp logistical operations. (Rinaldi, Lewis)]
SO WE CAN MOVE ON NOW TO ITEMS FROM BOARD MEMBERS.AND THE FIRST ONE IS DISCUSSION REGARDING COVID 19 MODIFIED 2021 SUMMER CAMPS, LOGISTICAL OPERATIONS.
I, UM, BOARD MEMBER RINALDI BROUGHT THIS TO ME.
AND, UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE GOT A MEMO ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THE SUMMER CAMPS, UM, THIS SUMMER.
AND, UH, SHE HAD SOME CONCERNS AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT EVERYBODY ON THE PARKS BOARD HAVE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE I, I HAVE NO DOUBT.
WE'RE GOING TO GET QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO I'LL LET YOU GO AHEAD AND ADD TO THAT, UH, BOARD MEMBER RINALDI, BECAUSE THIS IS ONE THAT YOU REQUESTED, BUT I, UM, JUST WANTED TO, TO INCLUDE THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, UH, AN ISSUE THAT I'VE BEEN HEARING A LOT ABOUT, UM, FROM FOLKS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, REALLY EAGER TO GET THEIR KIDS INTO THE SUMMER CAMPS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD, UM, REALLY RAVE REVIEWS OF THE QUALITY OF THE SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMMING THAT SART OFFERS AND, UM, WHAT A GREAT EXPERIENCE IT IS FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES.
UM, AND SO I KNOW THAT THAT'S JUST AS IMPORTANT IF NOT MORE IMPORTANT THIS YEAR THAN EVER.
UM, AND IN THIS, UM, THIS MEMO THAT WE WERE SENT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SUMMER CAMP CAPACITY, IT LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PLANS FOR VIRTUAL SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMMING, AND THEN IN-PERSON SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMMING AND THE IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING IS GOING TO BE SERVING, UM, ABOUT 40 TO 50% OF THE, THE NUMBER OF YOUTH THAT IT'S BEEN ABLE TO SERVE, UM, PRE COVID YEARS.
UM, AND, UH, UH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MASSEY HAD EXPRESSED IN THIS, UM, AN ANSWERING MY QUESTION ABOUT THIS, THAT THE LIMITING FACTOR ON BEING ABLE TO SERVE MORE KIDS, UM, IS REALLY THE LIMITED SPACE THAT IS AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, KEEP THE KIDS IN THESE SMALLER PODS AND KEEP THEM SPACED OUT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO FIND OUT IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO AS A BOARD TO REALLY, UM, LIKE HELP, HELP EXPAND OPTIONS FOR GETTING MORE SPACE, UM, FOR THE SUMMER CAMPS, WHETHER IT'S PARTNERING WITH, WITH AISD OR WITH CHURCHES, FAITH COMMUNITIES, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT MIGHT HAVE SPACE THAT WE CAN USE FOR SUMMER CAMPS, BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT, UM, RESOURCE AND SERVICE THAT, UM, THAT FAMILIES RELY ON TO HAVE THEIR KIDS, UM, YOU KNOW, BE IN A SAFE, UM, BE IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT, UM, WHILE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLKS ARE AT WORK OVER THE SUMMER.
SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S REALLY CRITICAL AND I'D LIKE TO, YEAH, JUST GET A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT AND KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO AS A BOARD TO RE YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR EXPAND THE NUMBER OF KIDS THAT ARE SERVED IN PERSON.
SO DO WE HAVE, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT WAS A DRINK TO MCNEELY OR SOMEBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO, I DON'T REMEMBER, UH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MASSEY HERE, UM, UH, BOARD MEMBER RINALDI IS CORRECT.
UH, I DO HAVE A BIT OF A CAVEAT TO ADD THERE AND THAT, UM, OUTSIDE OF OUR OLD FACILITIES, EXPANDING INTO OTHER AREAS OR OTHER FACILITIES, UH, STAFFING WOULD ALSO BECOME A LIMITATION.
SO WE ARE RUNNING VERY CLOSE TO, UH, SIMILAR STAFFING LEVELS AS WE HAVE IN YEARS PAST.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL PROTOCOLS WE HAVE CHECK IN AND CHECK OUT CHILDREN AS THEY, AS THEY ARRIVE, UH, ADDS A LITTLE BIT OF A WORKLOAD.
AND WE ARE ALSO MAINTAINING TWO, TWO COUNSELORS PER GROUP.
UM, IN THE PAST THAT RATIO HAS BEEN, UH, TWO COUNSELORS FOR EVERY 24 KIDS IN THIS, THIS YEAR.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S GOING TO BE TWO COUNSELORS FOR EVERY EIGHT KIDS OR SO, UH, BASED ON GUIDELINES FOR SHARED BY THE CDC AND STATE AND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
IF YOU DON'T MIND ME JUMPING IN ANYTHING, COME IN OUT OF THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BARBARA OF AMERICA AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN RELATING TO COVID
[01:35:01]
CON FACILITIES AND SUCH, I MEAN, I'LL TAKE A LOOK AT, BUT I WOULD LIKE IT IF WE DID TAKE A LOOK AT IT.AND WHEN COUNCILS, WHEN IT FINALLY, THE, THE FIRST TRAUNCH DOES COME THROUGH OF MONEY, WHICH I BELIEVE IT'S ANY DAY OR NO, IT'S EARLY IN MAY THEN, UM, HAVE THEM HAVE THAT AS A CONSIDERATION FOR ADDITIONAL STAFFING.
AND JUST TO BE ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
SO I, THIS IS SOUNDS LIKE HOMEWORK THAT I'M HAPPY TO WORK WITH.
YOU WERE A BOARD MEMBER RINALDI, BUT THEN ALSO PUT STAFF, YOU KNOW, PUT IT ON STAFF'S RADAR THAT THE BOARD, AT LEAST TWO BOARD MEMBERS, IF NOT MORE HAVE SAID THAT, UM, WE, WE REALLY ENCOURAGE THE INVESTIGATION OF WHETHER WE COULD USE, UM, EITHER CARES TO, OR THE, THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THIS PROGRAMMING SINCE IT'S DIRECTLY RELATING TO COVID.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN INTENTIONS OF THE, OF THAT FEDERAL FUNDING.
THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBER TO CALL MY WIDE.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU, UM, BRINGING THAT UP AND I'D LOVE TO WORK ON THAT, RIGHT.
WELL, IT DEFINITELY SEEMS LIKE THAT WOULD FALL UNDER THE PARAMETERS OF THE FUNDING, BECAUSE THIS IS AN OFFSET OF COVID.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HIT REALLY FINANCIALLY HARD THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THIS PANDEMIC AND REALLY ARE IN NEED OF PLACES FOR THEIR KIDS TO BE THIS SUMMER.
AND THE CITY HAS ALWAYS SAID, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THEIR TOP CHOICES.
SO I, I WOULD THINK, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA, BUT I GUESS IT DOES NEED FURTHER, FURTHER RESEARCH.
AND I'VE DONE THE RESEARCH IN OTHER AREAS, SO IT'S NOT GOING TO TAKE A LONG, BUT A BOARD MEMBER IN ALDI, IF YOU WANT TO SCHEDULE SOME TIME THIS LIKE SATURDAY FOR A CALL OR COFFEE.
AND THANK YOU, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MASSEY AS WELL.
UM, THIS IS, UM, I JUST KNOW THIS IS TOP OF MIND FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND I'M, YOU KNOW, UM, I THINK EVEN MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT EVEN IN NORMAL YEARS, WE CAN'T MEET THE DEMAND FOR, UM, PART, SUMMER CAMPS.
UM, AND SO I CAN IMAGINE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR WE, UM, WE NEED IT MORE THAN EVER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FAMILIES HAVE BEEN COOPED UP INSIDE AND, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO SCRAMBLE FOR CHILDCARE AND, YOU KNOW, AS THEY GO BACK TO WORK, THE SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED AND THAT KIND OF THING.
SO, UM, I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO TO GET, UM, YOU KNOW, THE RESOURCES TO MAKE AVAILABLE THE RESOURCES THAT PARK NEEDS TO SERVE MORE KIDS THIS SUMMER.
AND DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING MORE IN THOSE PAST? OH, I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT.
UM, ALTHOUGH THIS ISN'T HELPFUL FOR THIS COMING SUMMER AND THE, THE RECOMMENDATION ON THE BUDGET THAT WE APPROVED EARLIER, THERE WAS ADDITIONAL A REQUEST FOR AN ADDITIONAL ALLOCATION OF, I BELIEVE 1.2 MILLION FOR THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR TO EXPAND THE SUMMER CAMP AND, UM, PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY.
AND THAT'S REALLY A GOOD THING.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS ABOUT THAT OR DISCUSSION? YES.
UM, UM, YEAH, I JUST WANT TO SAY A BOARD MEMBER OF AN ALDI THAT I SHARE IN YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT THE SUMMER CAMPS.
UM, TRYING TO FIND SUMMER CAMPS FROM, FOR MY OWN KIDS THIS SUMMER, AND THE OPTIONS ARE JUST OBVIOUSLY VERY LIMITED.
SO I'M JUST GOING TO OFFER MY HELP SYSTEMS IF, IF IT'S NEEDED ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MASSEY.
DID SHE WANT TO ADD SOMETHING? UH, ONE MORE, ONE MORE PLUG.
WE ARE, WE ARE HIRING, UM, TEMPORARY STAFF MEMBERS FOR THE SUMMER.
UM, IT STARTING AT $15 AN HOUR.
I JUST WANTED TO PUSH THAT OUT IF POSSIBLE.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR, UM, FOR COMING IN AND HELPING US, UM, DEVELOP A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO VICE-CHAIR, UH, DIPLOMA, AND REMEMBER NOW THEY WILL LET US KNOW WHAT YOU'VE, UM, YOU KNOW, AFTER Y'ALL MEET WHAT YOU CAME UP WITH.
[C.2. Update from joint working group with the Environmental Commission. (Lewis, Cottam Sajbel, Mason Murphy)]
MOVING ON ON THE NEXT ITEM IS UPDATE FROM THE JOINT WORKING GROUP WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.UM, WE, WE HAVE NOT MET FOR A LONG TIME.
I'M NOT EVEN SURE WHEN THE LAST MEETING WAS, SO THERE'S NOT REALLY, I DON'T EVEN THINK THE NEW MEMBERS HAVE ACTUALLY PARTICIPATED IN THE MEETING YET.
HAVE YOU BOARD MEMBER COTTON SEIBEL OR LOUIS? I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT.
THIS IS IN RELATIONS TO THE GROUP THAT YOU PUT TOGETHER LAST MONTH.
I JUST SAW ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND OF COURSE I WAS LIKE, OH, THINKING OF BARTON SPRINGS.
NO, I'M GOING TO LET, UM, OUR NEW, UM, I'M GOING TO LET BOARD MEMBER, UM,
[01:40:02]
CYBIL ADDRESS THIS CAUSE WE, UM, SHE WAS, WE HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF MEETINGS AND, AND SHE IS NOW OUR PERSON ON THE BOARD.THAT'S KIND OF OUR LEAD ON THIS.
SO IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND JUST GIVE US AN UPDATE.
I THINK THAT WHAT I HAVE TO SAY IS JUST THAT WE GOT SORT OF AN OVERVIEW.
WE DID A LITTLE WALKTHROUGH ON SATURDAY OF THE SITE AT THE STATESMAN AND ARE BECOMING AWARE OF A POTENTIAL PUD THERE, AND SOME ISSUES SURROUNDING SOMETHING CALLED A TIFF THAT RAISES MONEY FOR UNDERDEVELOPED AREAS THAT WOULD GIVE THE CITY SOME MONEY, UM, JUMP RIGHT IN A BOARD MEMBER.
MASON, MURPHY, IF THERE'S SOMETHING TO THAT YOU WANT TO SAY, BUT I THINK THAT WE GOT A REALLY INTERESTING, UM, UH, OVERVIEW OF THIS FROM THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, UM, THEMSELVES, UH, SCOTT GRANTHAM, I THINK, UH, WAS ON THAT AND LIZ JOHNSTON, AM I RIGHT ON THAT NAME? AND, UM, MR. LESNIK AND SOME OTHER PEOPLE ALL HAD SOME THINGS TO SAY THERE WERE, THERE WERE PEOPLE ABOUT TREES.
THERE WERE PEOPLE ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, UM, TRANSIT SYSTEM.
SO WE'RE SORT OF GETTING AN OVERVIEW ABOUT WHAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IS IN THAT AREA.
SO, UM, WHEN MASON, MASON MURPHY, UH, BOARD MEMBER, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD TO THAT? HAVE I LEFT SOMETHING OFF? IT WAS A GOOD SUMMARY.
UM, I THINK THAT WHEN WE TALK, WHEN WE, UM, ARE YOU GOING TO BRING THAT UP FOR NEW BUSINESS OR NEW NEW, I WAS GOING TO BRING UP FOR NEW BUSINESS THAT I THINK THAT THE BOARD, THIS IS AN ISSUE.
I THINK WE, UH, REGARDING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PARKLAND THERE, THAT I, I'M GOING TO ASK AT THE END OF THE MEETING, THAT WE HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THAT THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT.
UM, I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF PIECES OF THIS PUZZLE AND, UM, WE DID GET A WALK THROUGH WITH, UH, ALLEN HALL TO IMAGINE AUSTIN, UM, AND WITH, UH, LINDA BORRERO AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, WE DID THAT LAST WEEK AND IT WAS, WE SAW THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE.
AND I THINK THAT BEFORE WE, IT COMES BEFORE US AND WE'RE LOOKING AT IT JUST FROM PARKS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE.
SO, UM, I THINK NEXT MONTH WILL BE A GOOD TIME TO DO THAT.
DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? NO, I THINK THIS, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE UPDATE AND I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY BENEFICIAL TO THE BOARD FOR US TO GET CONTINUALLY HEAR ABOUT IT, BECAUSE THIS IS A REALLY, UM, IT'S A BIG PROJECT AND IT'S GOING TO HAVE A HUGE IMPACT.
AND A LOT OF THE, OUR COMMUNITY IS REALLY GOING TO BE INTERESTED IN THIS AND, AND IT'S GOING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF CHANGE THE, THE SHORELINE TO A CERTAIN EXTENT IN THAT ONE PARTICULAR SEGMENT.
SO I REALLY, AND ANYWAYS, I APPRECIATE YOU SERVING ON THE BOARD AND, UM, KEEPING US ABREAST AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO, TO DO WHAT WE CAN AND KEEP EVERYBODY UPDATED WITH THIS WORKING GROUP.
[C.3. Update from joint working group with the Animal Advisory Commission. (Lewis, Faust)]
THE NEXT ONE IS THE, UM, JOINT WORKING GROUP WITH THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION AND THAT'S MYSELF AND, UM, BOARD MEMBER FAUST.AND WE'RE FORTUNATE BECAUSE ALSO WE ADD RECOMMEND NEELY IS MUSCLE PROVIDING, UM, SUPPORT AND INPUT FOR THAT WORKING GROUP.
IT'S KIND OF A IT'S WITHIN ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION.
AND WHAT IT REALLY IS TRYING TO DO IS ADDRESS THE ISSUES WITH OFF-LEASH DOGS AND CHRIS, THE PEOPLE FOR THE, UM, THE ANA IN THE ANIMALS ADVISORY GROUP, THEIR MO THEIR SCOPE IS BROADER.
WE'RE MORE FOCUSED ON OFF POLICE DOGS AND PARKS, AND THERE IS A COURSE OR JUST IN NEIGHBORHOODS AND EVERYWHERE ELSE.
SO WE WERE LIKE, THIS IS, AS EVERYBODY IS AWARE, HAS GOTTEN TO BE A PROBLEM, AND WE HEAR A LOT OF IT ON THE PARKS BOARD.
AND SO I THINK WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS JUST KIND OF DIVE INTO THE METRICS AND THEN TRY TO FIGURE OUT, UM, POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS OF WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT, BECAUSE IT'S NOT REALLY SOMETHING THAT IS VERY EASY TO RESOLVE.
AND WE REALLY HAVE TALKED ABOUT SEVERAL OPTIONS SUCH AS, UM, ENFORCEMENT.
AND THAT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE DIFFICULT.
WE DON'T OBVIOUSLY DON'T HAVE NEAR ENOUGH PARK RANGERS TO GO DOWN THAT ROAD.
AND, UM, SO WE REALLY HAVE DECIDED THAT EDUCATION IS PROBABLY OUR BIGGEST TOOL THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY USE.
AND WE SPENT A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THAT AND HOW THAT WOULD WORK WITH OTHER THERE'S LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, PSA'S PUPPET POP-UP EVENTS, UM, MATERIALS TRYING TO JUST REALLY DO WHAT WE CAN BECAUSE, OR COME UP WITH SOME KIND OF CATCHY SLOGAN THAT WOULD REALLY GET PEOPLE'S ATTENTION TO TRY TO JUST DRIVE HOME THE FACT THAT EVEN IF YOU HAVE THE WORLD'S MOST WONDERFUL
[01:45:01]
DOG THAT BEHAVES PERFECT ALL THE TIME, AND THAT'S NOT, NOT NECESSARILY, IF YOU'RE IN AN AREA THAT WHERE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ONLY SHE NEEDS TO BE ON LEASH.AND SO, UM, SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THOSE KINDS OF SOLUTIONS AND THEN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TRYING TO MAYBE EXPAND, UM, AREAS FOR DOGS IN THE PARKS FOR DOGS COULD BE OFF-LEASH AND LOOK AT THAT AND SEE IF THAT WOULD HELP ADDRESS THE PROBLEM TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.
AND I, THAT WAS PRIMARILY WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT IS, UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, USING SOCIAL MEDIA IN ALL CAPACITIES AS THE THINGS THAT I REMEMBER FROM, UM, AND SO I'M SURE IF DIRECTOR MCNEELY OR BOARD MEMBER FOSS WANTS TO ADD ANYTHING TO WHAT, UM, WE'VE DONE SO FAR, WE HAVEN'T COME UP WITH ANY BRILLIANT RESOLUTIONS YET, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON IT.
SO DO YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING EITHER ONE OF YOU DIRECTED MCNEELY? YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? I THINK YOU COVERED IT.
WE ARE, OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE KEY TO, UH, AN ACTION PLAN.
[C.4. Update from Downtown Commission. (Taylor)]
AND THEN OUR FINAL UPDATE IS WITH, FROM BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR AND THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO REPORT OTHER THAN, UM, THE FACT THAT, UH, THEY DID VOTE, UH, TO THE COMMISSION, VOTED TO OPPOSE HOUSE BILL THREE EIGHT, EXCUSE ME, 38 13.
UM, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW WHAT HOUSE BILL 38 13, IT IS THE ONE, UM, THE BILL WILL PREEMPT ANY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S CURRENT AMPLIFIED SOUND ORDINANCE, UM, AND, UH, W WHERE THOSE, YOU MAY OR MAY NOT, YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW THIS CAUSE IT'S BEEN ON THE NEWS A LOT.
UM, THE CURRENT ORDINANCE, UM, ALLOWS AMPLIFIED SOUND WITH UP TO EDIT 85 DECIBELS, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE EQUIVALENT OF A MOTORCYCLE, A LARGE BOARD OF THE CYCLE.
UM, AND CURRENTLY YOU CAN DO THAT TILL 2:00 AM ON THE WEEKENDS.
AND I BELIEVE THURSDAYS 11:00 PM AND WEEKDAYS 10 30.
UM, ESSENTIALLY THIS IS A, THE SPILL IS OFFERED BY REPRESENTATIVE, UH, HARRIS, UM, OUT OF PALESTINE, TEXAS, AND THE ONLY CITY IT ACTUALLY IMPACTS IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO, UM, THE COMMISSION JUST VOTED TO OPPOSE THAT, UM, ALONG IN, IN CONCURRENCE WITH THE, UM, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
SO THAT IS ALL I REALLY HAVE TO APPOINT THAT DA DA DID A PRESENTATION, UM, AND THEY CANCELED THE MEETING EARLIER IN THE MONTH.
AND I KNOW THAT BILL'S GOTTEN A LOT OF, UM, PUBLICITY IS KIND OF LIKE THEY TOOK THE SPECIFIC POPULATION THAT AUSTIN HAS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER BIG METROPOLIS WERE EXCLUDED IN AUSTIN.
JUST, I GUESS THEY WANT TO BE OUT VOTING WHILE THEY'RE IN SESSION.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR? ALL RIGHT.
[D. DIRECTOR’S REPORT ON PROGRAM AND PROJECT UPDATES AND EVENTS]
SO MOVING ON, UH, DIRECTOR'S REPORT, THAT'S YOU DIRECTOR MCNEELY.SO I, UM, IN REVEALING THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT, MANY OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, THAT WE SHARED WITH YOU LAST MONTH HAVE NOT NECESSARILY CHANGED TREMENDOUSLY FROM THE LAST MONTH AS WE START TO ENGAGE, BEGIN OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS ABOUT COLONY DISTRICT PARK POOL AND GIVENS POOL.
SO THE FIRST ROUND OF THAT ENGAGEMENT DID HAPPEN.
UM, OBVIOUSLY YOU SAW THE MASK THAT I'M SORRY, THE VISION PLAN, THE FACILITY EXPANSION PLAN, WHERE WE CHANGED THOSE NAMES A LONG TIME AGO, AND WE'RE STILL ALL STUMBLING OVER THEM.
BUT ANYWAY, THE FACILITY EXPANSION PLAN, YOU WERE ABLE TO SEE RELATED TO THE CARVER.
UM, WE ARE STARTING SOME ENGAGEMENT AS IT RELATES TO THE NORTHWEST DISTRICT PARK.
SO MUCH OF THIS IS, IS, UM, VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU SAW LAST WEEK WITH JUST SOME MINOR UPDATES.
UM, I DO WANT TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT THERE IS SOME, UM, PROGRAMMING UPDATES WITH SOME OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING THAT THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO OFFER, UH, THAT, UH, IS, YOU KNOW, A STEP IN THE DIRECTION OF PERHAPS A QUOTE UNQUOTE, SOME NORMALCY.
BUT I DO WANT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE COMFORT IN KNOWING THAT, UM, COVID PROTOCOLS, UH, THAT ARE SUGGESTED BY THE CDC BY OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT ARE, UM, ARE FOLLOWED WHEN WE DO OFFER THOSE, THOSE SORTS OF PROGRAMMING THAT'S OUTDOORS.
UM, I DO, IT IS WORTH MENTIONING TO YOU THAT
[01:50:01]
THE PARKS RING, THE PARK RANGERS STILL CONTINUE TO ADDRESS, UH, THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AND, AND OUR PARK SYSTEM.AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TIME SPENT IN ZIPPER, UH, PARK BECAUSE OF, UM, JUST SOME MAJOR USES THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING OVER THESE BEAUTIFUL WEEKENDS.
AND SO, UH, THAT, THAT CONTINUES TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF A STRUGGLE FOR US ARE A LITTLE BIT OF A CHALLENGE FOR US.
UM, WE ARE AT THE DIRECTION OF THE CITY MANAGER, BEGINNING TO REINTEGRATE BACK INTO THE OFFICE, WHICH MEANS THAT THE, THE MAIN OFFICE WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
UH, WE'RE WORKING ON FIVE DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT NOW, WE'RE OPEN MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, BUT WE'LL EVENTUALLY GET TO FIVE DAYS.
WE WILL BE REINTEGRATING INDIVIDUALS BACK INTO THE OFFICE SPACE CLEAR THROUGH TO THE MIDDLE OF JUNE.
AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE TAKING A LOOK AT, UH, WHAT THOSE NUMBERS SHOULD LOOK LIKE, BUT WE'RE TO BE, WE'RE DOING THIS REINTEGRATION ALSO IN COORDINATION WITH, UM, CONTINUING TELEWORKING.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO BE AS, UM, SAFE AND APPROPRIATE AS POSSIBLE FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR PATRONS AND ALSO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS.
THERE IS A REMINDER ABOUT THE, UM, THE BUDGET, UH, APPROVAL PROCESS, JUST SO THAT IT'S ON YOUR RADAR, WHICH MEANS THAT WE'LL BE SENDING OVER A RECOMMENDATION TO THE BUDGET OFFICE, UH, ASAP, BUT THE NEXT SET OF IDEAS ARE THE NEXT SET.
THE NEXT MILESTONE IN THIS PROCESS IS MAY 7TH, WHERE ALL OF THE PROPOSED BUDGETS ARE DUE TO THE, UH, TO THE BUDGET OFFICE FROM EVERY DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN IT OUTLINES ALL THE DIFFERENT, UM, THINGS THAT WILL BE HAPPENING WITH THE BUDGET.
UM, I THINK THAT'S REALLY ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE, UH, THAT I COULD HIGHLIGHT IN THIS REPORT.
I DO WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT IN THE, IN THE NEXT REPORT, UH, SOMETHING THAT I DO WANT TO SHARE WITH THE DEPARTMENT, OR I'M SORRY WITH THE BOARD MEMBERS IS ABOUT OUR TEMPORARY CONCESSIONS.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REMEMBER THE BOARD, UM, TALKING TO THE DEPARTMENT ABOUT IS, UM, CONCESSIONS AS AN ENHANCEMENT TO DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION, UH, SYSTEM.
AND SO, UH, I WOULD WANT TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT WAS GOING ON IN 2019, OBVIOUSLY 2020 IS A BIT OF A WASH BECAUSE OF COVID, BUT HOW WE'RE, UM, BUILDING BACK OR COMING BACK AND COMING OUT OF THAT, WHAT WE CAN EXPECT TO BE IN OUR PARKS SYSTEM OVER THE CENTER, AS, UM, AS WE'RE ABLE TO FOLLOW COVID, UH, PULL THE PROTOCOLS, BUT STILL BE ABLE TO ACTIVATE SOME OF OUR PARKS THROUGH THE CONCESSIONS.
AND I'LL BE SHARING WITH YOU WITH YOU NEXT MONTH.
AND THEN ON THAT, I THINK THAT YOU CAN READ THE THIRD REPORT, THE 12 PAGE REPORT AT LOOT AT YOUR LEISURE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH DIRECTOR MCNEELY, AND THANKS EVERYBODY ON YOUR STAFF FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT THEY'RE, UM, THEY'RE DOING TO GET OUT ALL THOSE THINGS, MAKE ALL THOSE THINGS HAPPEN.
[E. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
SO MOVING ON TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, HERE WE GO.DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? I DON'T.
UH, REMEMBER LUCA, I GUESS YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE HERE, BUT YOU'RE WELCOME TO PUT SOMETHING ON THERE IF YOU, IF YOU SO CHOOSE.
I'LL LEAVE THAT TO MY SUCCESSOR.
UM, NANCY, I DID MEET WITH HER AND GAVE HER A LITTLE TOUR OF SOME OF THE PARKS AND A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY.
SO, UM, SHE'S LOOKING FORWARD TO JOINING AND I'M SURE SHE'S GOING TO BE GREAT.
I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT, UM, TO THANK YOU AND ALL OF, UH, THE BOARD FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION AND YOUR SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO SERVE WITH YOU, AND I'VE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM ALL OF YOU AND YOUR ADVOCACY FOR, FOR THE PARKS SYSTEM AND OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I'D ALSO LIKE THE BANK, UH, DIRECTOR MCNEELY AND ALL THE PARKS STAFF, UH, FOR THEIR PROFESSIONALISM AND DEDICATION TO OUR PARKS SYSTEM, UM, AND TO THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN.
UM, AND I'D LIKE TO KIND OF MAKE A SHOUT OUT TO ANYBODY OUT THERE THAT MIGHT BE WATCHING, UM, TO URGE THEM TO GET INVOLVED AND TO SUPPORT OUR PARKS AND OUR COMMUNITIES, AND TO REACH OUT TO Y'ALL AS THE COMMUNITY LEADERS, UM, AND HELP YOU ALL TO PROTECT AND ENHANCE OUR PARKS AND GREEN SPACES.
WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN, RIGHT BACK AT YOU.
WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE ALL YOUR TIME, YOUR COMMITMENT, YOUR DEDICATION, AND YOUR EFFORT ON THE BOARD.
AND WE WILL MISS YOU, BUT WE ARE, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO HAVE NANCY ON BOARD TOO.
THE BOND COMMITTEE IS LUCKY TO HAVE YOU BOARD MEMBER DELUCA, SO THANK YOU.
[01:55:03]
OKAY.UM, SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE HAVING THE PRESENTATION IN TO PARKS BOARD FOR THE CENTRAL WILLIAMSON CREEK GREENWAY IN MAY.
I WANTED TO LET HIM KNOW THAT THE FINAL ZOOM MEETING THAT WAS SCHEDULED FOR THE 29TH HAS BEEN CANCELED.
I JUST RECEIVED AN EMAIL ABOUT THAT IF ANYONE WAS PLANNING ON ATTENDING THERE.
UM, AND THEN MY QUESTION, IF WE'RE GETTING THIS PRESENTATION, IS THIS A STAFF PRESENTATION OR IS IT COMING FROM THE WORKING GROUP? UM, THAT WAS ONE.
AND THEN UP TO IT IS SINCE THE MAJORITY OF THIS LAND THAT IS, UM, BEING DISCUSSED IN THIS PLAN IS OWNED AND MANAGED BY WATERSHED.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE FOR WATERSHED TO, UM, PRESENT THEIR LAND MANAGEMENT OR THIS AREA FROM CONGRESS TO THE CHOCOLATE, SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH FROM A PARKS PERSPECTIVE AND A WATERSHED PLAN.
SO YOU SAID YOU WANT A JOINT PRESENTATION WITH, FROM BOTH WATERSHED AND PARKS REGARDING THIS IT'S NOT SCHEDULED, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE, UM, IN THE MAY PARKS BOARD MEETING AT CENTRAL WILLIAMSON CREEK GREENWAY.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WATERSHED AND THEIR WATERSHED MANAGEMENT LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN WAS ALSO HERE AND BEING REPRESENTED SINCE IT ACCOUNTS FOR AT LEAST 50% OF THE LAND IN THIS POINT.
AND THAT'S ALL, IT WAS JUST THE TRUTH.
SO, UM, MAYBE ON TO BOARD MEMBER AND SEIBEL.
I WENT TO MY COMMENTS ABOUT HOW WE'D HAD AN UPDATE FROM THE WORKING GROUP.
THAT'S LOOKING AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES SURROUNDING THE SOUTH CENTRAL, UM, WATER FRONT DEVELOPMENT.
I WOULD REALLY LIKE FOR THE WHOLE BOARD TO HEAR A PRESENTATION FROM THE PARKS MEMBERS.
I MEAN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WHO ARE WORKING ON THAT PLAN, UM, I WOULD LIKE THEM TO EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PUD AND THE TIFF TO OUR BOARD.
AND ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE, UM, THE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL STAFF, IF WE COULD, TO, TO EITHER LIZ JOHNSTON OR MR. LESNIK AND PERHAPS EVEN, UM, SOMEONE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN GET SOMEBODY TO COME FROM THE, UH, WHAT'S THE RAIL LINE.
UH, IT'S IT'S PART OF THE METRIC PODCAST.
METRO, DO WE NEED TO, TO HAVE THEM COME TO MANY OR DO WE JUST NEED TO HAVE THIS? I THINK WE'LL JUST DO THIS.
AND THEN ON THE RECORD, UM, SECOND PRESENTATION.
AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE WITH THIS, WITH THIS PRESENTATION, UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SOME STAFF NOTES THAT MIGHT BE GERMANE TO THIS ISSUE.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN HEAR THOSE NOTES AS WELL.
SO I MISSED, I HEARD YOU SAY PRIDE AND TIF INFORMATION.
I HEARD YOU SAY ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION, AND THEN YOU, YOU ASKED FOR SOMETHING SPECIFIC RIGHT AFTER THAT.
OH, I WAS ASKING, I WAS ASKING, THERE'S ALSO A PIECE THAT BELONGS TO THE NEW RAIL LINE.
THAT'S A METRO, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT MAY BE TOO MUCH AT ONCE.
AND SO MAYBE WHAT WE NEED JUST AS IN THIS INITIAL INTRODUCTION, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE BOARD TO JUST UNDERSTAND WHAT'S IN PLACE AND WHAT'S POTENTIAL AND HOW, HOW THIS HAS CHANGED SINCE 2016 TO 2020, BECAUSE WHAT IT REALLY AFFECTS THE CHANGE THAT I SEEN IN THE 2020 AND THE 2016 VERSION AND THE 2020 IS TAKING AWAY A LOT OF THE PARKLAND.
AND THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT PARK THAT SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC LANDS AND A SIGNIFICANT PIECE OF THE PROJECT.
AND SO I'M CONCERNED THAT IF WE'RE NOT ON TOP OF THIS, WE'RE GOING TO MISS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESERVE PARKLAND ALONG THE RIVER.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN AS WELL THAT I HAVE, UH, WITH THE BATS BEING THERE.
SO, SO THE ONE, THE ONE THING THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO DO AS A, AS A TEAM IS THAT OUR MAY AGENDA SUPER PACKED AND OUR JUNE'S AGENDA IS SUPER PACKED.
AND SO I DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE TO DECIDE THIS TONIGHT, BUT MAYBE IT'S A CONVERSATION THAT WE SHOULD HAVE IF WE NEED TO HAVE A SPECIAL CALL MEETING AT SOME POINT IN TIME.
AND I KNOW THAT I KNOW WHAT I'M ASKING.
I KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING OUT LOUD, BUT IF, IF WE DECIDE NOT TO DO A SPECIAL CALL MEETING, THEN I DON'T, WE'LL HAVE TO EITHER PUSH SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S ON A MAY OR JUNE AGENDA BACK THAT HAD BEEN REQUESTED, UM, OR, OR WE'D HAVE TO PUSH THIS UNTIL AUGUST.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT ON THE TABLE JUST BASED UPON OUR PACKED
[02:00:01]
AGENDAS OF THINGS THAT NEED TO GO THROUGH, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT TONIGHT.I JUST THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE PRIORITIES FOR THE BOARD SO THAT WE CAN GET YOU THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED IN THE TIMEFRAME THAT YOU NEED IT.
AND YEAH, I THINK THAT THE ONLY THING I WOULD HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT IS THIS SEEMS TO BE PRETTY PRESSING, AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S GETTING MOVED ON VERY QUICKLY, RIGHT? UH, YES, DON, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
UM, I, I AGREE WITH, UH, BOARD MEMBER COTTON SEIBEL, THAT IT IS URGENT THAT THE BOARD HAS A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THIS PRIOR TO IT BE, UH, GOING TO THE ROUND OF BOARDS BECAUSE THE, UM, IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, THEY WILL SOON BECOMING TO BOARDS AND, AND, UH, COMMITTEES, UH, WITH THEIR POD.
AND SO IF THE FIRST TIME YOU SEE THIS IS AT THAT PRESENTATION IS PRETTY LATE IN THE GAME.
SO IF WE CAN GET A PRELIMINARY, UM, PRESENTATION ON IT BEFORE THEY START THAT PROCESS, I THINK THE BOARD WILL BE MUCH HAPPIER WITH THE RESULTS.
WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE EITHER NEED TO JUST LEAN ON, LOOK AT THE MAY AGENDA AND SEE WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT.
AND IF NECESSARY, IF EVERYBODY WOULD BE WILLING, WE COULD CALL A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THIS.
EVERYBODY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THIS, AND SO WE CAN DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO PRESERVE THE PARK.
SO LET'S JUST THINK ABOUT THAT AND THEN WE CAN AND MOVE ON THAT DECISION A LITTLE BIT LATER.
ANYTHING ELSE? FORMER BOARD MEMBER COTTON CYBIL I THINK I'VE ASKED FOR ENOUGH FOR MEMORY TAYLOR.
AND, UH, FOR VICE-CHAIR A DIPLOMA FOR SERVING.
THANK YOU FOR NOMINATING US BOARD MEMBER.
UM, LET'S SEE, UH, VICE CHAIR DIPLOMA.
UM, FIRST THANK YOU BOARD MEMBER FOR TAYLOR FOR, FOR NOMINATING ME, BUT I REALLY WANNA THANK, UM, BOARD MEMBER LUCA.
I MEAN, YOU'VE BEEN SO FANTASTIC TO WORK WITH AND SO COLLABORATIVE, UH, YOU ARE A STEADY VOICE AND A VOICE OF REASON, NOT THAT WORD ALL AREN'T, BUT, UM, BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION, BUT IT IT'S NICE, BUT WHETHER IT'S IN CONTRACTS, CONCESSIONS, OR ON THE FULL BOARD TO GET YOUR VOICE AND PERSPECTIVE, IT'S ONE THAT I KNOW I REALLY VALUE.
AND I THANK YOU FOR DOING SUCH A FANTASTIC JOB FOR THE STEWARDSHIP OF OUR PARKS, AND THEN OF COURSE, REPRESENTING YOUR OWN COMMUNITY, BUT SERVING AUSTIN AS A WHOLE.
UH, YOU WILL BE DEFINITELY A GOOD MISSING THE, UM, THE QUESTIONS I HAVE BEFORE I GET TEARY ARE, UH, RELATING, AND THIS COULD BE A CALL, OR IT COULD BE AN EMAIL, UM, WANTING TO GET A STATUS UPDATE ON NORWOOD, WHERE THEY'RE AT, WHAT'S THE FUNDING.
IT, I KIND OF GOT A SENSE THAT IT'S BEING STALLED OUT A LITTLE BIT.
AND SO I WANTED TO SEE IF THAT'S THE CASE AND HOW CAN WE HELP THE OTHER ONE IS, UH, HOLLY SHORES AT THE MASTER PLAN.
I CAN GO AHEAD AND LOOK AND SURE GOING THROUGH OLD COUNCIL MEETINGS TO FIND IT, THE SITE FOR THE, THE HOLLY SHORES PLAN IS ON THERE, BUT THERE IS A FALL I HAD FROM SOMEBODY SAYING THAT THEY HAD HEARD THAT THE TH OUR, THE, THE PAVILIONS WERE BEING REMOVED AND WHICH WERE NAMED AFTER INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEY THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS, THOSE WERE STILL IN THE MASTER PLAN, UM, FOR WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
SO I CAN GET AN UPDATE ON THAT SO I CAN GET BACK TO THE CONSTITUENT.
THE OTHER ONE IS ON, UH, THE CREEK DELTA PROJECT.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS LOOKING AT THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE ON THE MAC AS REFERENCED IN THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT, WENT TO THE WEBSITE.
AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, NOTICE, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT PHASE, UH, WELL RELATING TO WATERLOO, WHICH IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, A DELTA PROBABLY CREEK DELTA PROJECT.
AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS OURS, IF WE'RE LETTING THAT OUT FOR BID, OR IF IT IS ACTUALLY WATERLOO CONSERVANCY, IF IT AS PART, IT FELT LIKE IT WAS WORTH LOOKING INTO, IF IT CAN BE PART OF THE MAC PROJECT, IF WE'RE GOING TO GET SOME ECONOMIES OF SCALE, BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT THERE AT THE SAME SITE.
AND IT JUST KIND OF MAKES SENSE BOTH IN TERMS OF PHASING ON THE CONSTRUCTION, HAVING RESOURCES OUT THERE TO BE ABLE TO CARRY THAT WORK FORWARD.
SO JUST, IT WAS A SUGGESTION, SOMETHING TO LOOK AT AND GET SOME MORE INFORMATION ON.
UM, AND I THINK THOSE ARE CLICKED.
THERE WAS ONE OTHER ITEM THAT I, I DON'T HAVE, BUT SO EITHER,
[02:05:01]
EITHER WRITTEN FORM PHONE CALL, SMOKE SIGNALS, WHATEVER THE CASE TO CONVEY THE INFORMATION, I WILL NOT TAKE UP SOME MORE AGENDA TIME ON A FUTURE BOARD MEETING.I WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PLANS ARE FOR SUMMER.
UM, REGARDING CYANOBACTERIA ALSO KNOWN AS TOXIC ALGAE.
WE'VE SEEN SOME ABERRATIONS AND WHAT, UM, WATERSHED PROTECTED WATERSHED PROTECTION AND DR.
RENT BALLENGER BELIEVED, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD COME UP WITH THE PATTERN AND IDENTIFIED THE HOTSPOTS.
AND NOW WE'VE SEEN SOME, SOME DIFFERENT BEHAVIOR OF THE BACTERIA IN, IN LAKE AUSTIN AND IN LADY BIRD LAKE.
UM, I'M CONCERNED FOR THIS SUMMER, THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE NOW USING THOSE CONCESSIONS AND THE PADDLE BOARDS AND THE KAYAKS, AND BRINGING THEIR OWN FLOATING DEVICES TO LADY BIRD LAKE.
AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH THOSE ARE ALL FLOATING DEVICES, I SEE PEOPLE IN THE WATER.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING FROM WATCHING SEVERAL PRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE CYANOBACTERIA IS THAT THE SITUATION CHANGES REALLY RAPIDLY AS TO HOW MUCH ALGAE IS THERE AND HOW MUCH IS NOT.
AND THAT IT'S ALSO REALLY HARD TO IDENTIFY IT VISUALLY.
SO I WAS JUST WANTING TO KNOW SORT OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE PLANS ARE PER SUMMER.
UM, IF WE EXPECT TO SEE IT INCREASE, UM, THE FREQUENCY AND I THINK, UH, VOLUMES, NOT THE RIGHT WORD, BUT LOCATIONS, MAYBE BEYOND THE NORMAL HOTSPOTS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE PROCESS WITHIN PART, AND YOU DON'T NEED TO GIVE A PRESENTATION ON THIS, BUT RIGHT NOW, BUT AT SOME POINT WE SHOULD PROBABLY GET ONE ABOUT WHEN WE DECIDE THAT IT'S APPROPRIATE TO PUT UP NO SWIMMING SIGNS.
WE GENERALLY THINK OF THIS AS ONLY AFFECTING DOGS, BUT IT IS AN EXPOSURE ISSUE.
UM, AND IT, IT CAN HAVE SIGNIFICANT HUMAN SYMPTOMS. UM, LAST SUMMER WE SAW A LOT OF PEOPLE SWIMMING IN THE LAKE.
I THINK THAT WAS MOSTLY RELATED TO POOLS BEING CLOSED, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST MORE AND MORE PEOPLE USING THAT AS A, UH, RECREATIONAL, UM, RESOURCE.
THE OTHER THING THAT I WAS HOPING TO GET SOME INFORMATION ON IS THE BRODY OAKS PUD.
UM, IT'S ALREADY BEEN THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT PROCESS AND THERE WAS NO PRESENTATION TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, BUT IT'S THOUSANDS OF APARTMENTS AND A HOTEL AND A LARGE SHOPPING CENTER.
THAT'S GOING TO BE ADJACENT TO THE GREEN BELT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PLANS ARE TO DIRECT PEOPLE TO THE GREENBELTS AND POS TO THE BARTON CREEK GREENBELT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY ADD AN EXTRA ENTRANCE.
SO I WAS HOPING TO GET AN UPDATE FROM STUFF ON WHAT'S GOING ON REGARDING COORDINATION, UM, WITH THE PUD AND THE EXPECTED INCREASED VISITORS AND USE OF THE GREEN BELT AND ANY KIND OF TERMS THAT ARE BEING DISCUSSED AS PART OF THE PART THERE'S ALSO, I ASSUME SOME KIND OF PARKLAND DEDICATION.
UM, THIS CAN JUST BE A EMAIL OR A MEMO, UM, BUT I'M CURIOUS WHAT THE PLAN IS FOR ACL THIS YEAR.
UM, I'M SURE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, FELT AN IMPACT FISCALLY FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM THE, THE LACK OF ACL IN 2020.
UM, SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, WHAT'S THE STATUS ON THAT? UM, IS IT GOING TO BE MODIFIED IN SOME WAY? UM, SOCIAL DISTANCING, I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW THAT'S GOING.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? I HAD A COUPLE OF THINGS, BUT GUESS WHAT? I THINK I'M JUST GONNA HOLD OFF BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE AN AWFUL LOT THAT WE'VE ASKED FOR THIS TIME.
SO I DON'T WANNA, UM, I DON'T WANT STUFF TO JUST WANT TO RING MY NECK, SO I'LL ALL HOLD UP.
BUT ANYWAYS, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH AGAIN, WE'LL MISS YOU BOARD MEMBER LUCA, BUT WE INVEST A LACK ON, AND I KNOW WE'LL STAY IN TOUCH, BUT YOU GUYS, EVERYBODY TAKE CARE HOPEFULLY ONE OF THESE DAYS, AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT, WHAT WILL HAPPEN, BUT WE'LL, UM, WE'LL GET BACK TO ME, YOU KNOW, FACE TO FACE.
AND I KNOW WE'RE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
IT'S WONDERFUL SENIOR FACES, BUT IT'S JUST NOT QUITE THE SAME.
[02:10:02]
DID.