I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED
[00:00:01]
SO WE CAN, WE CAN GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE A MEMBER FAILS TO MAKE A PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF THE MEAT.SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED SO WE CAN, WE CAN GET OUT OF HERE.
SO, UM, ALL RIGHT, HERE WE ARE.
UM, THIS IS A MEETING OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD.
IT'S UM, NOVEMBER 30TH, 2021 AT 6:05 PM.
AND I WILL GO AHEAD AND CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AND DO ROLL CALL.
LET'S SEE, UH, VICE DE PALMA VICE-CHAIR DIPLOMA IS HERE.
UH, BOARD MEMBER, RINALDI, BOARD MEMBER.
D CARLA, IS SHE HERE? ONLINE? ANNA.
OH, AND THEN DAISY, UM, UH, BOARD MEMBER MORE GREAT FOR MEMBER FAUST BOARD MEMBER BOARD MEMBER.
BERNARD IS NOT HERE FOR MEMBER.
TAYLOR'S NOT HERE IN BOARD MEMBER, COTTON SEIBEL.
YOU MUTED, BUT YOU'RE YOU'RE PRESENT, RIGHT? OKAY.
ARE YOU STILL MUTED BOARD MEMBER CUT.
SHE'S HAVING CONNECTION TROUBLE.
AND FIRST OF ALL, WE ALL ARE REALLY HAPPY THAT YOU'RE YOU SURVIVED YOUR SURGERY.
SO I CAN'T, I THINK SHE'S HAS INTERNET PROBLEMS. OKAY.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED BEFORE WE DO.
I DO WANT TO, UM, TO WELCOME OUR NEWEST BOARD MEMBER.
WE'RE REALLY HAPPY THAT YOU'RE HERE.
AND YOU COULD JUST TAKE A MINUTE JUST TO TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF REAL QUICK.
HI, THANKS FOR HAVING ME PATRICK MOORE DISTRICT THREE.
UM, I, I TELL HIM ABOUT MYSELF FOR A MINUTE.
ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE NONE.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIVE US YOUR WHOLE LIFE STORY, BUT JUST TO LIKE A BRIEF COUPLE OF, OKAY, I WAS BORN IN PASADENA.
NO, NO, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE.
UH, DISTRICT THREE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.
I'VE LIVED THERE FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS.
I'M REALLY HONORED THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN RENTERIA, UH, APPOINTED ME TO THIS ROLE, UM, BEEN, UH, IN PUBLIC SERVICE FOR THE LAST 12 YEARS OR SO THROUGH, UH, MAINLY STATE GOVERNMENT THROUGH, UH, LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD.
AND NOW FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WITH TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE, WHERE I DO A VARIETY OF, UH, PROGRAM EVALUATION, PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND DATA ANALYSIS FOR THE STATE, UM, TRYING TO HELP GIVE DECISION MAKERS THE TYPE OF INFORMATION THEY NEED TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION, HOPE TO SERVE IN A SIMILAR CAPACITY HERE, ASSISTING THE REST OF THIS BODY RECOMMENDING, UH, ITEMS TO THE FULL COUNCIL.
SO THANKS FOR HAVING WELL, WONDERFUL.
SO I'M GOING TO, BEFORE WE DO CITIZEN COMMUNICATION, THERE'S JUST TWO THINGS I WANT TO MENTION REAL QUICK BEFORE WE GET STARTED, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE END OF OUR MEETINGS WE GET, WE HAVE TO RACE OUT OF HERE.
ONE IS I WANTED TO JUST, UM, EXTEND A THANK YOU TO SAMMY FOR, UM, FOR ALL SHE'S DONE WHILE SHE'S, UM, BEEN OUR LIAISON AND SHE'S BEEN WONDERFUL AND WE WILL MISS YOU.
SO THANK YOU FOR, UM, AND THANK YOU FOR COMING TONIGHT.
I KNOW YOU'VE KIND OF MOVED ON, SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS, CAN YOU, DO YOU HAVE ANY NEWS ABOUT WHETHER WE WILL STILL BE MEETING HERE OR WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO BE MOVING OVER TO, UM, HIGHLAND, THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS? GOOD EVENING CHAIR.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT OURS WAS ON THE LIST FOR HIGHLAND.
I THINK THAT WAS THE DEVELOPMENT MORE DEVELOPMENT FOCUSED ONE.
[CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
IN THAT CASE, LET'S, UM, MOVE ON TO CITIZEN COMMUNICATION, VICE CHAIR, THE DIPLOMA.UH, WE HAVE FIVE CITIZENS FOR ASSISTANCE COMMUNICATION FOR THE FIBER GENERAL SYSTEMS COMMUNICATION, AND THEN WE HAVE ONE PERSON FOR A CONSENT ITEM, NUMBER EIGHT.
SO ON GENESIS CITIZENS COMMUNICATION.
THE FIRST INDIVIDUAL WE HAVE IS KEVIN REYNA'S AND MR. ANNECY, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
IT'S NICE TO SPEAK WITH YOU AGAIN ON THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN ROWING CLUB.
AND SINCE WE'RE STILL IN NOVEMBER, I CAN SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
AND, UH, BEING HERE ON THE BOARD WITH ME TODAY IS AUBREY RUDDER.
SHE IS OUR MANAGER OF RENTAL OPERATIONS
[00:05:01]
AT THE BOATHOUSE AND HAS BEEN A PART OF OUR TEAM FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.AND WE JUST MOVED HER INTO THAT NEW POSITION.
AND I'M THRILLED TO HAVE HER ON THE TEAM.
I MENTIONED LAST MONTH THAT WE HAD, WE HAD HELD THE 37TH ANNUAL HEAD OF THE COLORADO REGATA AT FESTIVAL BEACH.
REGATTA WENT OFF WITH A HITCH.
WE HAD 26 ROWING ORGANIZATIONS PARTICIPATING ACROSS 52 EVENTS, 440 ENTRIES.
AND I THINK MR. NICHOLSON MAY HAVE BEEN ONE OF THOSE ENTRIES REPRESENTING APPROXIMATELY 800 ATHLETES ACROSS YOUTH MASTERS AND COLLEGIATE TEAMS. AND WHAT'S ALWAYS FUN WITH THESE EVENTS IS WE DRAW ROWING TEAMS FROM ACROSS TEXAS, LOUISIANA, COLORADO, AND OKLAHOMA.
IN CASE YOU MISSED THE, THE REGATTA IN THE FALL.
WE HAVE OUR SPRING ONE ALSO OFF A FESTIVAL BEACH CALLED THE HEART OF TEXAS.
I THAT'LL BE ALSO LIKE OUR 37TH YEAR HOLDING THAT REGATTA.
AND THAT'S AT THE END OF FEBRUARY 26TH AND 27TH.
I'VE MENTIONED BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB BEFORE WE WRAPPED UP OUR FALL PROGRAMMING WITH THEM.
AND IN THE SPRING, WE'RE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE'LL BE LAUNCHING AN INDOOR ROWING PROGRAM WITH BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AT THEIR HOME CLUB, AS IT'S CALLED OFF OF 180 3 IS PART OF OUR ROWING AND SCHOOLS EXPERIENCE PROGRAM.
AND THEN LASTLY, BUT NOT LEAST, I'D LIKE TO THANK DIRECTOR MCNEELY WHO HAS BEEN WORKING WITH US CAT, METRO AND ATP TO FIND A WAY FORWARD FOR CONTINUITY OF THE SERVICES AND PUBLIC BENEFIT.
AUSTIN ROMAN CLUB PROVIDES THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY AT THE WALNUT CREEK BOATHOUSE, UH, WHICH WILL BE DESTROYED AS PART OF PROJECT CONNECT AS Y'ALL KNOW.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT EFFORT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BILL BUNCH SOS ALLIANCE, MR. BUNCHY OF THREE MINUTES.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY ON THIS IMPORTANT BOARD.
UM, BILL BUNCH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WITH SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE.
UM, I'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH SOS, BUT ALSO WITH THE ZILKER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND THE, UM, A COUPLE OF OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS, BARTON HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, BOLDEN CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION ON A NUMBER OF PARTS ISSUES, BUT ESPECIALLY ON THE ZILKER PARK VISION PLAN.
UM, I'M GOING TO BE SPEAKING TO SOME OF THE SUBSEQUENT ITEMS, BUT JUST VERY QUICKLY RIGHT NOW, I WANTED TO, UH, INTRODUCE YOU TO A REWILDING PROPOSAL THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED A PARK PLANNER AND A LANDSCAPE RESTORATION ECOLOGIST, ELIZABETH MCGREEVEY.
AND, UM, THIS IS THE MAP FOR IT.
UM, THIS IS, UH, CALLING FOR A MAJOR, UH, REFORESTATION OF LARGE PARTS OF THE PARK, UH, TO RETURN IT TO MORE OF A NATURAL STATE FOR HUMAN HEALTH BENEFITS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION, UH, AND FOR ADDRESSING URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECTS AND A RANGE OF OTHER ISSUES.
WE'RE GOING TO BE LEADING SOME GUIDED WALKS OF THE PARK TO THINK, TALK ABOUT ALL THE ISSUES, BUT ALSO THE BOARD EXPLAINING THIS.
WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU ALL JOIN US AT SOME POINT.
UH, SOON MY REQUEST TO YOU RIGHT NOW, THOUGH, IS THAT YOU PUT THE ZILKER PARK PLANNING PROCESS ON YOUR AGENDA FOR A REPORT FROM THE CONSULTANTS AND FOR PUBLIC INPUT.
WE'RE VERY CONCERNED THAT THERE'S NOT A STAKEHOLDER PROCESS THAT THIS LAST ROUND OF INPUT, UM, WAS LESS THAN DESIRABLE.
THERE'S EXTREMELY LENGTHY SURVEY IS VERY JUMBLED.
UM, I DUNNO IF ANY OF YOU TRIED TO TAKE IT, BUT IT'S A RATHER DAUNTING, UH, WE WERE EXPECTING THAT REAL PROPOSAL AND SCENARIOS FOR THE PARK WOULD BE LAID OUT.
SO, UH, AND THE WHOLE THING IS SUPPOSED TO WRAP UP, UH, IN THE SPRING.
SO WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROCESS AS WELL AS THE SUBSTANCE AT THIS POINT.
SO PLEASE CONSIDER THAT REQUEST.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MS. SHARON BLIGHT.
UH, I'M A ROSTON RAMP, WHICH STANDS FOR RESCUE AUSTIN MEMORIAL
[00:10:01]
PARK.WE'VE BEEN EXISTED SINCE 1991 FOR THE, UH, TO OBJECT TO THE FIRST ENCROACHMENT, UH, ATTEMPT TO TAKE OVER AUSTIN MEMORIAL PARK.
UM, WE DO THIS FOR THE ELDERS OF AUSTIN, AS WELL AS PEOPLE THAT HAVE LOST YOUNG, YOUNG CHILDREN TO UNTIMELY DEATHS.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE REALLY ARE ARE ABOUT.
UM, WE, WE DO NOT WANT TO SEE ANY TAKEOVER ENCROACHMENT OF ANY PART OF THAT CEMETERY, BUT LATELY I PUT THIS HERE ON YOUR, UH, PASS THIS OUT, IT'S CALLED A PRAIRIE RESTORATION AND IT NEAR AS I CAN FIND OUT THAT JUST THREE PEOPLE FROM ALLENDALE HAD PROPOSED FOR THE PARKS DIRECTOR THAT THEY TAKE OVER PART OF THE CEMETERY AND MAKE IT INTO A, UM, THIS ISN'T WORKING.
THEY, UM, SO THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT I'VE LAID ON YOUR DESK.
THERE ISN'T PRAIRIE PRESERVATION DEAL.
I GUESS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO JUST LET YOU, UM, AND IT SAID A GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS.
WELL, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHO DEFINED THE STAKEHOLDERS OF THE THREE PEOPLE IN ALLENDALE.
ARE THEY PRO PLOT OWNERS OR NOT? UH, AND THIS IDEA IS NOT TEMPORARY.
UH, IT IS FOR 50 OR A HUNDRED YEARS.
THE ENTIRE AREA OF THE CEMETERY IS DEDICATED CEMETERY AND CANNOT BE USED FOR OTHER PURPOSES LIKE PRAIRIE RESTORATION PER STATE LAW.
UH, THERE'S BEEN NO ENCROACHMENT.
THERE WAS NO ENCROACHMENT FROM 1927 TO 1991, THE 64 YEARS.
BUT SINCE 91, THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL ENCROACHMENT ATTEMPTS BY DEVELOPERS, AS WELL AS INDIVIDUAL GROUPS IN ALLENDALE THAT WANT TO TAKE OVER THE CEMETERY.
UM, WHAT HAPPENED PART OUTSOURCED THE CARE OF THE CEMETERIES.
SO TH THIS ALLOW THESE PEOPLE TO COME IN AND TRY TO TAKE IT OVER NEXT SLIDE.
THE VISION PLAN OF THE CEMETERY HAS NO PRAIRIE PRESERVE RESTORATION IDEA IN IT AT ALL.
DIVISION PET PLAN COSTS $3 MILLION, UH, BACK IN 2015, AND IT OUTLINES WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR THE CEMETERY.
THERE IS NO PRAYER RESTORATION IN THAT PLAN.
WHY THROW THE VISION PLAN IN THE TRASH WHEN WE SPENT TWO YEARS TRYING TO MAKE IT A GOOD PLAN.
UM, AUSTIN MEMORIAL PARK CEMETERY IS DETERIORATING PARK PARKS SHOULD FOCUS ON IMPROVEMENTS OUTLINED IN THE VISION PLAN.
PLEASE DO NOT SIDELINE MY, THIS PROPOSAL LIKE THE PRAIRIE REZ RESTORATION, WHERE THERE IS NO NEED FOR THIS.
ANYONE CAN WALK THE WALK, THE CEMETERY.
THERE'S NO REASON FOR PEOPLE TO MOVE IN THERE AND TRY TO TAKE OVER IT.
WHEN IT'S ALREADY THERE, IT'S ALREADY TO BE USED FOR THE VISION PLAN.
NEXT NEXT SLIDE, STAY LAW MANDATES AND HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE OF SEVEN 13.011, THESE POINTS, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO FURNISH MY ENTIRE PRESENTATION, BUT I'M ASKING THE PARKS DIRECTOR TO PLEASE DO NOT ACCEPT THIS PROPOSAL FROM THESE FEW PEOPLE IN ALLENDALE, BECAUSE IT'S FOR THE ELDERS AND THE FAMILIES, NOT, NOT THE CITIZENS OF ELLENDALE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR TIME.
ALL RIGHT, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS STILL ON GENERAL ASSISTANCE.
COMMUNICATION IS KIMERY, UH, DUDA WITH EXPEDITION SCHOOL.
I JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE MYSELF AND SAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
I WANTED TO THANK MS. MCNEELY DIRECTOR AND THE PARKS BOARD FOR, FOR ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS.
I WOULDN'T BE THE PERSON I AM TODAY WITHOUT THE ACCESS TO THE PARKLANDS AND THE MENTORS AND THE EDUCATORS.
I AM THE FOUNDER OF THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL, AND I FOUNDED THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL IN 2006, BASED ON THE TRANSFORMATIONS I WITNESSED IN THE FIELD, BOTH AS A CLASSROOM EDUCATOR AND AS A PROFESSIONAL GUIDE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, IT WAS A BIG HONOR TO BRING IT TO AUSTIN.
AND SINCE WE OPENED OUR DOORS, WE HAVE BEEN SERVING THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS AND SUCH THAT WE TEACH PADDLING AND WE TEACH SAFETY COURSES AND WE HAVE HAD OVER 120 LIVES SAVED BY THE STUDENTS WHO HAVE TAKEN OUR COURSES.
WE ARE THE YOUNGEST CONCESSIONAIRE ON THE WATER AND A PRIVILEGE TO BE.
SO, AND WHEN YOU SEE THE CONCESSION REPORT TONIGHT, YOU'LL SEE US, UM, UP THERE REPRESENTED, WHICH IS A BIG HONOR TO SEE US UP THERE.
I'M HERE TO ALSO INTRODUCE JORDAN MAINE.
UH, JORDAN IS ONE OF OUR BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS WHO HAS DIRECTLY BENEFITED FROM OUR PROGRAM.
WE ARE ALSO A 5 0 1 C3 NON-PROFIT
[00:15:01]
THAT PROVIDES FREE OUTDOOR EDUCATION AND TO BLIND VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS IN SEVERE COGNITIVE DISABLED.AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO NOT ONLY SEE JORDAN FLOURISH THROUGH OUR PROGRAM, BUT HE NOW IS A GUIDE FOR THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL.
WE'RE COMMITTED TO OUR PUBLIC SERVICE AND THE PUBLIC BENEFITS THAT OUR CONCESSION IS PROVIDING TO THE COMMUNITY DOES NOT REFLECT THE NUMBERS THAT YOU'LL SEE TONIGHT OF WHAT WE EARNED IN 2021.
SO IT'S A BIG HONOR, UM, AGAIN, TO WORK WITH THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY AT THIS LEVEL.
AND IT'S A BIG HONOR TO ACTUALLY SEE JORDAN, UH, HERE TONIGHT.
AND ACTUALLY HE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE HERE.
WE JUST SAW HIM, UH, HE JUST FINISHED A GUIDE SHIFT FOR US TODAY AND HE WAS SO EXCITED.
HE TOOK THE TIME OUT TO TALK TO YOU ALL TONIGHT.
SO OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MR. JORDAN MAINE.
AND JUST SO THAT THE AUDIENCE AND EVERYBODY WHO'S WATCHING ONLINE IS CLEAR THAT DURING SYSTEMS COMMUNICATION, WE DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY UNLESS IT'S SUPPOSED TO AGENDA ITEM TO TALK BACK AND FORTH.
AND SO AS MUCH AS WE'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE AND ASK QUESTIONS, BUT THAT'S NOT LEFT UP TO US.
NOW I CAN HEAR MY VOICE ECHOED.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND KEEPING THE PARKS LAND AVAILABLE TO ALL OF US.
UM, JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME.
UH, MY NAME IS JORDAN MANN AND I AM VISUALLY IMPAIRED.
UH, I HAVE WHAT WE CALL A RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA, RP FOR SHORT, AND, UH, IT AFFECTS MY VISUAL FIELD.
SO, UH, MY SHORT VERSION, WHAT I LOVE TO TELL PEOPLE IS IF YOU TAKE A STRAW, YOU LOOK THROUGH IT AND MADE THE, AND A LITTLE BIT BLURRY.
IT'S KIND OF A GENERAL IDEA OF HOW I SEE.
UM, AND JUST AS A ONE QUICK EXAMPLE, IF I AM LOOKING AT MY FINGER, NOW I CAN SEE IT, BUT IF I'M MOVING IT AND I DON'T MOVE MY EYE, NOW I CANNOT SEE IT.
UM, I GREW UP IN THAILAND AND I HAD ALWAYS HAD A SPECIAL LOVE FOR THE OUTDOORS, BUT HAS NEVER REALLY HAD PROPER ACCESS.
I WOULD SAY UNTIL I MOVED, UM, IN 2011, WHEN I WAS 12 YEAR OLD TO, UM, AUSTIN, TEXAS, WHERE I GOT TO MEET A BUNCH OF COOL INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING KIMMY, UH, AND THEY WERE SUPER, UH, THEY HAD SOME AMAZING PROGRAMS HERE THAT INTRODUCED ME TO, YOU KNOW, KAYAKING, TO HIKING, TO THE SIMPLE THINGS AND BE ABLE TO JUST WALK OUTSIDE CONFIDENTLY AND TO, UH, UH, ENJOY THE OUTDOORS.
AND, UM, TODAY AFTER ABOUT EIGHT, NINE YEARS OF BEING A PARTICIPANT, UH, AFTER MY FIRST, ALMOST FULL YEAR OF BEING A GUIDE WITH THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL, I HAD MY, I'VE HAD A FEW TIMES WHERE I'VE WORKED WITH, UM, UH, UM, PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, BUT TODAY WAS SUPER SPECIAL FOR ME BECAUSE, UH, EVERY DAY I GET TO GO OUT WITH THEM, LIKE I SEE THE TRANSFORMATION, I FEEL THE ENERGY, THE POSITIVE, UH, JOY THAT COMES OFF OF THEM EVERY TIME.
AND WHEN WE GET OFF THE WATER, USUALLY, YOU KNOW, I FEEL A SENSE OF DISAPPOINTMENT OR THE GROUP I'M WITH FEELS DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, JUST GOT OFF THE WATER AND THEY'D LOVE BEING ON THE WATER AND PADDLING, BUT EVERY TIME I GET OFF THE WATER WITH THESE GROUPS, I JUST FEEL HAPPINESS BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THEY FEEL LIKE THEY THEY'RE EXCITED THAT THEY'RE OUT THERE.
THEY DID IT, THEY CAME BACK AND THEY'RE READY TO DO IT AGAIN.
AND THEY'RE HAPPY THAT THEY GOT THE TIME THAT THEY HAD.
AND, UM, THAT TO ME IS SUCH A SIMPLE BUT DEEP, AMAZING IMPACT THAT THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL HAS HAD FIRST ON ME AND ON THE COMMUNITY AROUND ME.
AND NOW THAT I GET TO BE A PART OF IT AND, UM, FACILITATE THAT AND, UH, MAKE THAT POSSIBLE FOR OTHERS, UH, IS JUST A PRIVILEGE.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR STORY.
AND NOW WE'RE MOVING OVER TO THE CONSENT ITEMS. UM, ACTUALLY, NO, HE'S STILL GOT GENERAL SYSTEM COMMUNICATION.
[00:20:05]
UH, YEAH.UM, IS CONSENTED OR NON-CONSENT ITEMS, SORRY.
ALL RIGHT, MR. CANADY, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
I'M THE BOARD CHAIR WITH THE BARTON SPRINGS CONSERVANCY, BUT I'M ACTUALLY HERE IN MY PERSONAL CAPACITY TO COMMEND THE PARKS BOARD.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IN GETTING THE PEACE PARK DISTRICTS REHABILITATION PROCESS.
I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU TWO ANECDOTES, PERSONAL ANECDOTES THAT I HOPE YOU GUYS FEEL APPRECIATED.
UM, ONE WAS, I TOOK MY MOM DOWN THERE THIS SUMMER AND, UH, MOTHER'S KAREN CANADY.
SHE'S VERY INVOLVED WITH MAYFIELD PARK AND WE WERE BOTH JUST OVERWHELMED WITH REALLY THE BEAUTY OF THE SETUP THERE.
THERE WAS SO MANY YOUNG FAMILIES AND NANNIES AND KIDS DURING A LUNCH HOUR, JUST A VERY VIBRANT PLACE.
AND IT WAS SO FUN TO WALK AROUND THERE AND SEE THE BIG, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TREE COURT, THE BIG SPHERES CALLED THAT.
I'M SURE YOU GUYS GET SOME CREDIT FOR GETTING THIS PASSED ALONG WITH THE MOODY FOUNDATION AND THE PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY.
BUT, UM, WE WERE SO INSPIRED BY THAT EXPERIENCE.
I ACTUALLY GOT MY HIGH SCHOOL CLASS REUNION TO HOLD THEIR 40TH REUNION PICNIC ON THE SATURDAY DOWN THERE.
AND AGAIN, IT WAS A REALLY GOOD EXPERIENCE.
WE WERE ABLE TO RESERVE THE PICNIC TABLES.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS A SENSE THAT THIS HAS BEEN A BIG PLUS FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND FOR THE FOLKS.
UM, AND THEN I, I DID WANT TO ACTUALLY JOIN, I THINK MR. PUNCH MADE A SUGGESTION THAT Y'ALL GET UPDATED ON THE ZILKER PARK VISION PLANNING PROCESS.
I DO THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR YOU TO BE INVOLVED IN THE FRONT END AND NOT JUST THE VERY END.
I THINK THERE MAY BE YOU HAVE A COMMITTEE THAT'S FOCUSING ON THIS, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU ENGAGE WITH THAT, BUT I DO THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HEAR IT'S A COMPLICATED PROBLEM, UH, WITH A LOT OF EFFORT THAT THE CITY IS UNDERTAKING.
UM, AND WE'LL SAY THAT THERE REALLY HAS BEEN EXTENSIVE STAKEHOLDER INPUT.
AND IF YOU GO TO THE CITY'S WEBSITE FOR THE ZILKER PARK VISION PLAN, YOU WILL SEE LOTS OF STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED AND VIDEOED.
AND I WILL CONCLUDE WITH THAT.
I DID JUST NOTICE THAT YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM THE TOURISM COMMISSION THAT I GUESS YOU'RE ADOPTING AND MR. BUNCH.
AND I ACTUALLY WORKED TOGETHER ON THAT TO GET THAT PASS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN HELP ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE WHEN IT COMES UP, BUT I HOPE YOU APPROVE THAT, WHATEVER THAT IS.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE MOVING BACK ARE NOW MOVING TO THE CONSENT ITEMS AND NON-CONSENTING IN ONE INSTANCE, I GUESS, UM, THE FIRST IS MR. BUNCH BILL BUNCH AND HE IS HERE TO DISCUSS ITEMS 4, 8, 9, AND 10, AND, UH, VICE CHAIR DIPLOMA.
WE USUALLY ARE BACK TO TAKING CITIZEN COMMUNICATION WITH THE ITEMS. OH, WE ARE.
SO I DON'T HAVE A SUPER, SUPER LOUD VOICE.
[A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
APPROVAL OF MINUTES IS THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.SO HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE MINUTES AND SEE IF THEY HAD ANY, UM, MODIFICATIONS OR CHANGES, OR IF THEY, ANYBODY WANTS TO MOVE TO APPROVE.
I'M NOT SURE IF ANYBODY HAD ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT BOARD MEMBER COTTON CYBELE I THINK WAS THE ONE WHO BROUGHT THAT UP AND SHE DID, AS YOU, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN IN THE EMAIL, SHE DID CHANGE THAT.
SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED.
SO MOVED BY VICE CHAIR DEPARTMENT AND SECOND, AND BY BOARD MEMBER HUFFMAN, UM, ALL IN FAVOR.
AND I THINK, DID YOU GET THE ONES THAT PEOPLE ONLINE? YOU'RE GOOD.
[CONSENT]
SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA AND WE HAVE THREE ITEMS THAT WENT THROUGH CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS, AND ONE THAT WENT THROUGH, UH, FINANCE.SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND JUST READ THOSE OUT LOUD OF SOMEBODY AFTER I DO THAT, IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO PULL ANY OF THEM, THEN, UM, LET ME KNOW.
FIRST ONE IS, UM, A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO AUTHORIZE THE NEGOTIATION
[00:25:01]
AND EXECUTION OF AN AGREEMENT WITH THE SUCCESSFUL PROPOSER ECOSYSTEM DESIGN GROUP FOR LAND MANAGEMENT PLANNING FOR DEPARTMENT NATURAL AREAS.ALSO, WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO AUTHORIZE THE NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF AN INTER LOCAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT WITH THE AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AND FOR THE USE OF ATHLETIC FIELDS THAT DOLORES DUFFY, AND PARQUETS A LOT OF GOALS.
THEN WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO AUTHORIZE THE NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF AN INTER LOCAL COOPERATES COOPERATION AGREEMENT WITH THE AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THE LITERACY FIRST PROGRAM.
AND FINALLY WE HAVE, AND FROM FINANCE, WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL THAT ALL ELIGIBLE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES BE UTILIZED AS DESCRIBED IN THIS RECOMMENDATION AND THE TOURISM COMMISSION, PARKS AND ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENT WORKING GROUP MEMO, WHICH IS A RECOMMENDATION FROM, UM, CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE, UM, FAST AND WAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED BY THE, THE MEMBERS THERE.
ANYBODY HERE? WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A CITIZEN COMMUNICATION ON CONSENT ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
OKAY, THEN PLEASE, MR. BILL BUNCH.
UM, THANK YOU AGAIN, BILL BUNCH.
UH, AS MR. KENNEDY NOTED, I'VE BEEN SERVING AROUND THE TOURISM COMMISSION WITH HIM.
UH, I'M ALSO A LAWYER AND I'VE STUDIED THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX STATUTE.
QUITE A, I JUST WANT TO MAKE ONE NOTE ON THE, UH, PROVISION THAT'S REFERENCES USING THE HOTEL EMBASSY TAX FOR TRANSPORTATION THAT SERVES TOURISTS.
UM, THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE STATUTE'S VERY CLEAR THAT, UH, A SYSTEM THAT SERVING TOURISTS CAN ALSO BENEFIT THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT WE HAD IN MIND IDEALLY, IS SOMETHING LIKE THE OLD DILLO BUS Y'ALL MAY HAVE REMEMBERED.
THAT WAS A SORT OF A CIRCULATOR THAT WAS FREE, JUST JUMP ON AND OFF OF.
AND THIS COULD REALLY HELP FACILITATE, UH, MOVING PEOPLE IN AND OUT OF ZILKER PARK IN PARTICULAR TO, AND FROM BARTON SPRINGS, OTHER PARKS THAT ARE TOURIST DESTINATIONS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC CAN USE IT AND JUMP IT ON.
SO THIS IS A GREAT SOURCE OF REVENUE, UM, AND WE DESPERATELY NEED GETTING SHIFTING FROM STORING CARS ON PARK, PRECIOUS, LIMITED PARKLAND, AND HAVING PEOPLE ACCESS OUR PARKS DIFFERENTLY WOULD THAT DOESN'T CUT REQUIRE, UH, PAVEMENT AND PARK STORAGE WHILE THEY'RE AT THE PARK.
THAT'S IT FOR THE CONSENT? YES.
SORRY, CHAIR UM, CHAIR AND MOVE THAT WE APPROVE FOR THE CONSENT ITEMS. B ONE B2 B3, BEFORE AS WRITTEN ALL IN FAVOR, YOU CAN GET PEOPLE BEHIND BOARD MEMBER DECARLO.
ARE YOU ABLE TO VOTE OR DO YOU NEED TO BE OFF THE DIETS? UH,
[B.5. Discussion and possible action regarding appointment of Patrick Moore to the Financial Committee.]
DISCUSSING AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING APPOINTMENT OF CHADRICK MOWER TO THE FINANCIAL COMMITTEE.SO AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR TWO COMMITTEES AND I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE, UM, OUR NEWEST MEMBER, PATRICK MOORE TO THE FINANCIAL COMMITTEE.
DO I HAVE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND, TWO SECONDS FOR THE COMMITTEE CHAIR.
YOU'RE ON THE FINANCIAL COMMITTEE.
SO THAT WAS AGAIN, EASY ENOUGH.
[B.6. Discussion and possible action on the 2022 Parks and Recreation Board meeting schedule.]
THE NEXT ITEM IS THE DISCUSSION AND ACCIDENT ON THE 2022 PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE.SO, UM, SAMMY, DID YOU WANT TO DISCUSS THAT REAL QUICK? SURE.
BOARD MEMBERS, SAMMY CARELESS.
UM, YOU HAD AS BACKUP THE PROPOSED 20, 20, 20 22 SCHEDULE FOR
[00:30:01]
THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD.UM, I HAVE IT SET TO CONTINUE FOR THE FOURTH, THIRD, FOURTH, TUESDAY, AS WE HAVE BEEN MEETING OVER THE PAST NUMBER OF YEARS.
UM, I DID ADD A JULY MEETING IN THIS YEAR JUST BECAUSE WE HAD TO, YOU KNOW, WE NEEDED SOME TIME DURING THE MONTH OF JULY THAT WE TRADITIONALLY TAKE OFF TO TRY AND SQUEEZE IN SOME MORE TIME.
SO I PUT THAT IN AND, UM, WE'LL DO THE FIFTH TUESDAY IN NOVEMBER AGAIN, AND THEN NOT HAVE A MEETING IN DECEMBER AS WE TRADITIONALLY HAVE.
SO THE SCHEDULE IS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME FOURTH, TUESDAY, SIX O'CLOCK.
UM, IT WILL BE HERE, SHOULD BE HERE AT CITY HALL.
UM, THERE WILL BE SOME CHANGES TO THE HYBRID MEETING PROCESS THAT WILL COME AFTER THE START OF THE NEW YEAR, BUT OUR DATES SHOULD REMAIN RELATIVELY THE SAME.
UNLESS SOMEBODY HAS A CONCERN OR WANTS TO CHANGE THAT.
I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THAT SCHEDULE.
THANK YOU ALL IN FAVOR OPPOSED? I THINK WE'RE GOOD.
HOPEFULLY WE WON'T BE HERE UNTIL 10 O'CLOCK RIGHT.
[B.7. Presentation, discussion and possible action regarding a recommendation to the City Council to authorize the negotiation and execution of a qualified management contract with the successful proposer, Touchstone Golf, LLC to provide management and operational services for the golf and tennis operations and related facilities.]
ITEM IS THE, UM, PRESENTATION DISCUSSING IMPOSSIBLE ACCIDENT REGARDING A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO AUTHORIZE THE NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF A QUALIFIED MANAGEMENT CONTRACT WITH THE SUCCESSFUL PROPOSER TOUCHSTONE GOLF LLC, TO PROVIDE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONAL SERVICES FOR THE GOLF AND TENNIS OPERATIONS AND RELATED FACILITIES.AND WE HAVE, UM, KEVIN CHAMELEON.
HELLO, KEVIN CHAMELEON DIVISION MANAGER FOR THE GOLF OPERATIONS.
UM, I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU SOME DETAILS AND BACKGROUND ON THE GRAY ROCK, UM, PROPOSAL AND, UH, THE GOLF OPERATIONS FOR GRAY ROCK GOLF AND TENNIS CLUB.
UM, SHORT VERSION IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN PURCHASE THE GRAY ROCK GOLF COURSE.
UM, UH, IN 2014, THE MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT WITH TOUCHSTONE, UH, WAS ASSUMED, UM, AS PART OF THE PURCHASE OF THE FACILITY.
UM, THAT AGREEMENT YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, THE AGREEMENT, UM, DOES EXPIRE DECEMBER, 2021, WHICH LEAVES US WITH, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF A SHORT TIMELINE.
UM, NOT A LOT OF BACKGROUND, UH, AS FAR AS REVENUES.
UH, THE INTERESTING PART OF WHAT THIS AGREEMENT IS THAT IT'S NOT REALLY FUNDED.
UM, THE OPERATING SIDE OF THIS IS, IS FUNDED THROUGH, UM, REVENUE GENERATION.
AND SO THE GOLF COURSE ITSELF, UM, COVERS ITS COST OF OPERATIONS.
AND IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO TRANSFER ABOUT ONE AND A HALF OR $1.8 MILLION OVER THAT TERM, UH, TO THE GOLF FUND, TO OFFSET ADDITIONAL EXPENSES FOR THE GOLF FUND.
UM, THERE'S NOT EXTENSIONS AVAILABLE ON THIS AGREEMENT BECAUSE IT WAS A TRANSFERRED AGREEMENT.
IT WASN'T COMPETITIVELY SOLICITED WHEN WE PURCHASED THE GOLF COURSE.
UM, IT REQUIRES A QUALIFIED MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN A LOT OF THE CONCESSION AGREEMENTS THAT TAKE PLACE IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
UM, QUALIFIED MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT, UM, HAS IRS IMPLICATIONS BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE BONDS WERE RETIRED, UM, FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE FACILITY.
UM, AND SO IT DID, IT REQUIRED SOME OUTSIDE LEGAL COUNSEL ON HOW TO DIRECT US TO DO THIS AND IN ORDER TO, UH, MOVE IT FORWARD WITH A NEW, UH, SOLICITATION AGREEMENT.
I MEAN, NEXT SLIDE, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE BACKGROUND, IT'S A 292 ACRE FACILITY.
UH, IT'S AN EIGHT INCLUDES AN 18 HOLE GOLF COURSE.
IT HAS EIGHT LIGHTED TENNIS COURTS.
UM, IT COMES WITH A RESTAURANT, A CLUBHOUSE, UM, THE VENUES, UM, THAT ARE ALSO, UM, WE, WE ENGAGE IN OUT THERE AS WE DO SOME LIMITED WEDDINGS, LOTS OF RECEPTIONS.
UM, THERE ARE CEREMONIES THAT TAKE PLACE ON THE LAWN AND THE ROSE GARDEN AREA UNDERNEATH THE PAVILION.
THEY DO LIVE MUSIC, UM, ONCE A MONTH ON FRIDAYS DURING KIND OF THE NON WINTER MONTHS.
UM, THERE'S A BEER GARDEN THERE, THERE'S A GRILL.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVE A TABC LICENSING, UM, RELATED TO ALCOHOL.
UM, AND SO, UM, THE EXCELLENT FACILITY, UM, JUST AS KIND OF AN OVERVIEW, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN OUT TO THE FACILITY, IT'S, IT'S REALLY A REALLY PRETTY, UM, FACILITY AND IT'S GOT, UM, A LOT OF AREA OF THE GOLF COURSE.
THAT'S ACTUALLY UNDER UTILIZED AS FAR AS NATIVE AREAS.
IT'S ONE OF THE UNIQUE PROPERTIES THAT IT DOES HAVE SOME HOUSES THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN THE SUBDIVISION, BUT A LOT OF THAT PROPERTY, UM, IS OF, OF THE 292 ACRES REALLY ONLY ABOUT 140 ACRES OF THAT IS ACTUAL GOLF COURSE.
THE REST OF IT IS, IS REALLY CONSIDERED NATIVE AREAS AND GOOD NEXT SLIDE.
UM, THE SOLICITATION INCLUDED, UM, FOCUS ON CONTINUING TO MANAGE
[00:35:01]
THE GOLF AND TENNIS, UH, PROGRAMS, PROVIDE CLASSES AND PROGRAMS FOR THOSE CLASSES, HOST SPECIAL EVENTS, UM, PROVIDE FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICES.UM, OBVIOUSLY THEY NEED TO MAINTAIN THE GOLF COURSE, THE GROUNDS, THE CLUBHOUSE, ALL THE DIFFERENT STRUCTURES WITHIN THE FACILITY.
UM, IT IS A LONG-TERM AGREEMENT.
IT'S A TEN-YEAR AGREEMENT WITH, FOR YOUR, UM, WITH, WITH TWO, FOUR YEAR EXTENSIONS, THAT WOULD BE A TOTAL OF 18 YEARS.
UM, WE HAVE SIMILAR AGREEMENTS IN BUTLER PITCH AND PUTT IS KIND OF ONE OF THOSE THAT WE'VE DONE RECENTLY.
THAT'S ON A SIMILAR TIMELINE AND IN A LOT OF IT LARGELY THAT'S DUE TO THE TURNOVER AND THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU FACE, UM, WITH FINDING OPERATORS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED IN THIS SORT OF, UM, AREA, UH, NEXT SLIDE, UM, BACKGROUND ON THE, ON THE SOLICITATION ITSELF, THERE WAS, THERE WAS, UH, A FAIRLY LONG, UM, ADVERTISING PROCESS FOR THIS.
I THINK IT WAS OUT FOR 60 TO ALMOST 60 DAYS.
AND, UM, WE ENDED UP THE RESULT WAS THREE, THREE VENDORS THAT, UM, PROVIDED, UM, UH, THAT PROVIDED PROPOSALS.
UM, IT WAS NOT REALLY CLOSE AS FAR AS THE PROPOSALS WENT.
UM, TOUCHSTONE GOLF LLC WAS SELECTED BY THE COMMITTEE.
UM, IT WAS, IT WAS, UM, A FAIRLY SIZABLE MARGIN BETWEEN THOSE, UH, NEXT SLIDE.
UM, NEXT STEPS THAT WE MOVE FORWARD IS, UH, W WE'RE WE'RE HERE TODAY ON NOVEMBER THE 13TH, THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE STEPS THAT WE'VE, WE'VE TOUCHED UP TO THIS POINT.
UM, WE ARE HOPING TO GO TO COUNCIL, UH, ON NOVEMBER, ON DECEMBER THE NINTH AND, UM, HOPEFULLY HAVE THAT CONTRACT IN PLACE SO THAT WE COVER THAT, UM, THE TIMELINE OF, OF THE EXPIRATION OF DECEMBER 31ST.
AND WITH THAT, I'M TRYING TO BE QUICK.
SO, UM, LET'S SEE IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS.
SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND START WITH YOU BOARD MEMBER RENALDI.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NO.
FOUR MEMBER MORE REMEMBER FAST.
UM, I'M SO HAPPY WITH THIS PARTICULAR VENDOR I'M IN THIS CONCESSIONAIRE.
THIS IS, UH, AN ASSET THAT'S CLOSE TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
I'VE NEVER PLAYED IT, BUT I'VE EATEN LUNCH THERE PLENTY OF TIMES.
AND THE, IF OUR OTHER CLUBHOUSES LOOKED LIKE THIS, WE WOULD, IT'D BE A DIFFERENT SCENARIO.
I MEAN, THIS IS DEFINITELY THE BEST SHAPE OF ANY OF OUR CLUBHOUSES, ANY OF OUR, OF OUR GOLF COURSES.
UM, THE ONLY THING I HEAR IS LIKE NEEDING A BANQUET CENTER, UM, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS WHERE THE NEIGHBORHOOD GOES, CAUSE THERE'S NOT A BIG ENOUGH SPACE IN SOUTHWEST AUSTIN.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF IT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN THE TENNIS COURTS, THE LOOK, THE FOOD, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF PEOPLE IN SOUTHWEST AUSTIN GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE LAKE DURING 4TH OF JULY, THEY GO TO GRAY ROCK TO WATCH THE, UH, THE FIREWORKS THERE.
SO IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LIVABLE NEIGHBORHOODS AND HAVING ASSETS THAT KEEP PEOPLE OFF THE ROADS AND GOING USING OTHER ASSETS, THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.
SO IN THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, WE APPRECIATE IT.
SO, AND THAT IS, I KNOW, FROM WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WAY BACK, THAT THERE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT FLOODING ON THIS GOLF COURSE, BECAUSE THERE IS, SEEMS LIKE WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN WE GET A LOT OF RAIN, WHICH WE MET, YOU KNOW, AS WE KNOW THE WEATHER IS CHANGING AND WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO SEE MORE OF THAT AND THAT IT JUST, IT FLOODS ENOUGH OVER THERE THAT IT MAKES PARTS OF THE GOLF COURTS AND ASSESSABLE.
SO, I MEAN, IS THERE ANYTHING IN THIS CONTRACT THAT WE ADDRESS IS THAT SO YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY SPOT ON IT.
THE BEAUTY OF ALL OF OUR GOLF COURSES IS WE, WE UTILIZE THOSE GOLF COURSES FOR, FOR, TO, TO, UM, TO ALLOW THAT, THAT RAIN AND OVERFLOW TO FLOW ONTO THE GOLF COURSE.
SO IT'S NOT IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, AND THAT HAPPENS REGULARLY.
AND SO THE GOOD THING ABOUT VERY ROCK IS IT DOES FLOOD.
IT TENDS TO FILTER THAT THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM AND IT, YOU KNOW, USUALLY 24 HOURS.
UM, BUT SOMETIMES THAT DOES HAPPEN AS FAR AS THE MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT TAKING ON ANY RESPONSIBILITY TO CORRECT OR IMPROVE THAT THAT WOULD REALLY BE ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
IT'S A, IT'S A QUALIFIED MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT.
SO THEY'RE REALLY MANAGING OUR MONEY.
THEY'RE MANAGING BOTH THE EXPENSES AND THE REVENUE SIDE.
IT'S REALLY NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE ON CAPITAL EXPENSES THAT WOULD STILL BE THROUGH A BOND ISSUANCE OF SORTS, UM, OR UTILIZING THE, THE GOLF ENTERPRISE FUNDS, UH, SURCHARGE ACCOUNT OR THE REVENUE FUND FOR THAT.
SO THOSE, THOSE WOULDN'T REALLY BE ON THE BACK OF, OF TOUCHSTONE OR THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY.
IT WOULD BE THROUGH THE CITY, OH, THEY'RE JUST GOING TO BE JUST MANAGING THE MONEY, MAKING SURE THE FACILITIES CAN HANDLE ALL THAT SPECIAL EVENTS AND SO FORTH.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY PART OF THAT.
THAT ALL FALLS ON THE, UM, THEY ALSO EMPLOY
[00:40:01]
THE STAFF THAT'S THERE.THEY, ALL OF THAT IS COVERED THROUGH THE EXPENSES THAT'S GENERATED THROUGH THE REVENUES FROM THE FACILITY.
SO IT REALLY IS A STANDALONE FACILITY AND IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO BUTLER PITCHING, BUT, UM, IT'S, IT'S THE DIFFERENCE BEING IS THAT IT'S ALL OURS AT GRAY ROCK, WHETHER IT'S AN EXPENSE OR REVENUE, THEY JUST ADMINISTER THAT.
AND HOW MUCH, AND HOW MUCH DID THEY USUALLY BRING IN? GENERALLY REVENUES WERE IN THE THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLAR RANGE, UM, FOR FACILITY.
AND LIKE I SAID, THEY, THEY GENERATE, WE, WE TRANSFER EVERY YEAR OF SET AMOUNT BASED ON PERFORMANCE.
AND SO WE'VE, WE USUALLY BALLPARK THAT AT $250,000 TO TRANSFER.
AND THIS YEAR THEY TRANSFERRED $600,000.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, ALL THE GOLF COURSES HAVE HAD SIGNIFICANT SUCCESS OVER THE LAST 24 MONTHS.
UM, NO OFFENSE TO THE FOLKS IN THE WORLD OF THE PANDEMIC, BUT IT'S BEEN GREAT FOR GOLF.
PEOPLE WANT TO GET OUTSIDE AND THEY WANT TO ENJOY THE OUTDOORS.
AND SO WE'VE, UM, WE'VE SEEN REALLY, UM, AMAZING SUCCESS OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS AT THE HIGHEST WE'VE HAD EVER THAT'S THEIR HIGHEST TRANSFER IN, IN FUNDS, BUT TH THE GOLF FUND, UM, AS, AS, UH, GENERATED ABOUT 2 MILLION MORE DOLLARS THAN IT EVER HAS, UM, HISTORICALLY THE S THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR.
ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY.
DO WE WANT TO ANYBODY, UM, WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION? YOU LET SOMEBODY ELSE DO IT, BUT, UH, SO I GO AHEAD AND MOVE THAT MAKE RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL TO AUTHORIZE THE NEGOTIATION EXECUTION OF A QUALIFIED MANAGEMENT CONTRACT WITH THE SUCCESSOR PROPOSER TOUCHSTONE GOLF, LLC, TO PROVIDE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONAL SERVICES FOR THE GOLF AND TENNIS OPERATIONS AND RELATED FACILITIES.
DO I HAVE A SECOND, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER RENALDI ALL IN FAVOR? UH, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY OPPOSITION, SO THANK YOU.
[B.8. Presentation, discussion and possible action regarding a recommendation regarding creation, continuation, termination or status of a concession including issuance of a Request for Proposal for a concession in Town Lake Metropolitan Park for inclusion in the joint report between the Parks and Recreation Board and the Environmental Commission that is provided to the City Council annually.]
MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT AND SHARE WHEN YOU'RE READY.WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND, UM, LET'S SEE THIS ISN'T OKAY.
AND SO I'LL TAKE THE FIRST, FIRST SPEAKER IS MATTHEW CLIFTON, TEXAS ROWING CENTER.
I SHOULD TOTALLY KNOW YOUR NAME.
AND THEN YOU WERE ALSO DONATED ADDITIONAL TIME FROM, UH, ALVIN CANTU.
AND I UNDERSTAND MR. CANTY IS HERE.
PARKS, BOARD MEMBERS AND DIRECTOR MCNEALY AND STAFF.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK THAT YOU PUT FORWARD TO KEEP OUR PARKS AMAZING.
MY NAME IS MATT NIFFIN AND I'VE OWNED TEXAS ROWING CENTER SINCE 1999.
I'M JOINED TONIGHT BY ALVIN CANTU.
WHO'S BEEN MY GENERAL MANAGER.
TRC IS LOCATED ON THE TRAIL BEHIND AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL.
I'M HERE TO REPORT THAT WE FINALLY COMPLETED OUR FLOATING BOATHOUSE PROJECT BY WAY OF BACKGROUND.
THIS PROJECT ORIGINATED ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO WHEN PAR DIRECTOR, SARAH HENSLEY VOICED CONCERNS ABOUT THE TRAFFIC ACROSS THE TRAIL CAUSED BY BOATS AND PEOPLE COMING OUT OF TRC.
AFTER SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH DIRECTOR HENSLEY AND HER STAFF, WE DEVELOPED A PLAN FOR BUILDING A FLOATING BOATHOUSE FACILITY TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
THESE PLANS WERE PRESENTED TO THE PARKS BOARD ON JUNE 23RD, 2015, AND UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED TRC AND PARK THEN APPLIED AS CO APPLICANTS FOR THE NECESSARY PERMITS FROM THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
AS PART OF OUR APPLICATION TO PERMIT THE FACILITY, CO APPLICANTS, TRC AND PARD WERE REQUIRED TO SEEK A VARIANCE FROM THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT IN HER MEMO OF SUPPORT, DIRECTED TO THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT DIRECTOR HENSLEY WROTE, AND I QUOTE THIS PROJECT IS A PRIORITY LIFE SAFETY ISSUE FOR PART IN DECEMBER, 2015, THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT UNANIMOUSLY GRANTED US A VARIANCE FROM ALL ORDINANCES THAT WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE PROHIBITED THE PROJECT.
WE SAW IT RECEIVE BROAD COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT, INCLUDING SUPPORT FROM AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, OLD WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, AND THE TRAIL FOUNDATION.
AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF WORKING THROUGH THE TECHNICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES WITH CITY STAFF, THE PROJECT WAS FINALLY APPROVED AND PERMITTED ON NOVEMBER 7TH, 2019.
CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN JANUARY, 2020 AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETED EARLIER THIS YEAR.
THIS PROJECT IS AN ENGINEERING MARVEL, UNLIKE ANY ROWING BOATHOUSE IN THE COUNTRY.
FIRST IT'S BUILT ENTIRELY OF LIGHTWEIGHT ALUMINUM AND STAINLESS STEEL AND IS ANCHORED TO THE SHORE BY TWO 40 TON CONCRETE PIERS DRILLED 30 FEET IN THE GROUND.
THE TWO BUILDINGS ARE APPROXIMATELY 3000 SQUARE FEET EACH AND REST ENTIRELY
[00:45:01]
ON A 7,000 SQUARE FOOT ALUMINUM FRAME SUBSTRUCTURE THAT FLOATS ENTIRELY IN EIGHT TO 14 FEET OF WATER.SO THAT THERE'S NO GOOD NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT LAWS OR ALUMINUM MESH TO ALLOW LIGHT TO FLOW THROUGH THE BUILDING TO MINIMIZE OBSTRUCTION OF THE RIVER VIEW FROM THE TRAIL IS $1.2 MILLION FLOATING COMMUNITY CENTER COSTS THE CITY, $0, ALL EXPENSES, INCLUDING ALL ARCHITECTURAL PERMITTING AND ENGINEERING COSTS WERE PAID FOR BY TEXAS ROWING CENTER.
THE ENTIRE FACILITY, INCLUDING THE TWO BUILDINGS IS 275 FEET LONG, BUT THAT SPACE PROVIDES AMAZING RETURNS TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
HERE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND OUR PARKS PATRONS.
THE NEW BUILDING HAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED TRAFFIC ACROSS THE TRAIL.
NOW ALMOST ALL BOATS, INCLUDING ALL STAND-UP PADDLEBOARDS, KAYAKS, AND MOST ROWING SHELLS ARE STORED ON THE DOCK.
IN 2021, ALL OFFICE POINT OF SALES ACTIVITIES WERE MOVED TO THE FLOATING BOAT HOUSE, THEREBY ELIMINATING CUSTOMER LINES AND BOAT TRAFFIC ACROSS THE TRAIL.
WE'LL START MY NEXT THREE MINUTES.
THANK YOU SO FAR IN 2021, TEXAS ROWING CENTERS PROVIDED OVER 150,000 RENTALS, INCLUDING MORE THAN 75,000 SUP RENTALS.
THESE CUSTOMERS ARE PRIMARILY YOUNG AND VERY DIVERSE, AND I'D ENCOURAGE THIS BOARD TO REMEMBER THAT PARK PATRONS DON'T JUST WEAR SNEAKERS AND RUNNING SHORTS.
THEY NOW WHERE IT BECAME THESE BATHING SUITS AND SUNSCREEN WITH MORE THAN 800 GROWERS, TRC IS BY FAR THE LARGEST ROWING CLUB IN, IN TEXAS.
AND ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE UNITED STATES.
WE'RE ALSO ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE ROWING CLUBS IN AMERICA AND HAVE A FULL BLOWN DIVERSITY INCLUSION PROGRAM.
WE PROVIDE AFTERSCHOOL ROWING FOR MORE THAN 200 YOUNG PEOPLE EACH SEMESTER FROM ALL OVER AUSTIN.
BY FAR THE LARGEST YOUTH PROGRAM IN TEXAS, ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY AS PART OF OUR DIVERSITY PROGRAM, WE PARTNERED WITH AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL AND DEL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL TO PROVIDE ROWING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED KIDS THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS AND DISCOUNTED TUITION RATES.
EVERY YEAR, TEXAS ROWING CENTER HOSTS MORE THAN 500 SUMMER CAMPERS FROM AGE EIGHT TO 18.
WE PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR KIDS WHO CANNOT AFFORD OUR REGULAR RATES.
WE PROVIDED SUMMER CAMP EXPERIENCES FOR MORE THAN 75 KIDS WITH SENSORY, INTELLECTUAL AND PHYSICAL DISABILITIES THROUGH OUR NONPROFIT PARTNER, TEXAS ROWING FOR ALL WHICH WE CREATED IN 2010, IN 2021, WE ESTABLISHED A NEW NONPROFIT TRC HIGH-PERFORMANCE TO SUPPORT ELITE ATHLETES TRAINING FOR THE 2024 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES.
NOT ONLY ARE THESE FACILITIES AND PUBLIC SERVICES PROVIDED AT NO COST.
THE CITY, THE CITY ACTUALLY RECEIVES SIGNIFICANT REVENUE FROM US AS WELL.
IT IS NOTEWORTHY THAT WHILE TEA TRAIL USERS NOT PLAY A DIRECT FEE TO THE CITY FOR USE OF THE TRAIL TRC CONCESSION USERS PAY APPROXIMATELY 14 CENTS TO THE CITY FOR EVERY DOLLAR THEY SPEND AT TRC.
SO THEY PAY THE CITY FOR THE USE OF THE RIVER RESOURCE.
UNDER THE TERMS OF OUR NEW CONTRACT WITH THE CITY TRC WILL PAY JUST OVER 450,000 IN CONCESSION REVENUES TO THE CITY IN CALENDAR YEAR 2021.
IN FACT, IN THE LAST WEEK, I'VE WRITTEN CHECKS EXCEEDING $400,000 TO THE CITY OF BOSTON.
SO BY FAR THE MOST OF ANY CONCESSION ON LADY BIRD LAKE, IN FACT, THAT AMOUNT IS MORE THAN TRIPLE THE NEXT HIGHEST CONCESSION ROWING DOCK AND ALMOST THE SAME AMOUNT AS THE OTHER SEVEN CONCESSIONS PAID AND FISCAL YEAR 2021, WHICH WAS JUST OVER 500,450,000 BY THE US 500,000 BY THE OTHER SEVEN CONCESSIONS.
ALMOST ALL THIS REVENUE WAS PAID TO THE CITY AFTER SEPTEMBER 30TH.
SO IT'S NOT REFLECTED IN THIS EVENING'S CONCESSION REPORT.
TRC HAS PROVIDED THE GREATEST REVENUE RETURN TO THE CITY OF CON OF ANY CONCESSION FOR EVERY YEAR, SINCE 2002.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
ALL RIGHT, OUR NEXT SPEAKER, MR. BILL BUNCH.
UH, BILL BUNCH WITH SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE.
UM, I, UM, WANTED TO ASK Y'ALL TO, UH, DO WHAT YOU'RE INVITED TO DO WITH THIS REPORT, WHICH IS AS THE POSTING SAYS, AND AS THE ORDINANCE SAYS TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL FOR ACTIONS CONCERNING THE, UH, CONCESSIONS ON TOWN LAKE AND ELSEWHERE, AND, UH, SPECIFICALLY ON THE ZILKER BOAT RENTAL, UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UH, THAT WAS UP FOR BEING PUT OUT FOR AN RFP LAST YEAR, AND THEN IT WAS GOING TO BE JUNE AND THEN IT WAS AUGUST AND THEN SEPTEMBER AND THEN OCTOBER.
AND NOW I GUESS Y'ALL WERE TOLD LAST YEAR, WEEK, LAST MONTH THAT IT'S GOING TO BE NEXT YEAR, UH, AFTER THE ZILKER VISION PLAN PROCESS, UM, HOWEVER, THE ROWING DOCK ONES GOING FORWARD, YOU HAVE AN ITEM
[00:50:01]
DOWN THE MAX NUMBER 10 THAT REALLY SHOULD BE POSTPONED UNTIL AFTER THE VISION PLAN.UH, AND IT'S NOT BEING UNFORTUNATELY, UM, THIS ONE NEEDS TO GO OUT FOR AN RFP.
IT'S ALREADY BEEN GIVEN ONE YEAR EXTENSION.
UH, NOW THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT A SECOND ONE.
UM, THIS LOCATION IS PARTICULARLY ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE.
THERE'S BEEN AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF DAMAGE TO THE RIPARIAN HABITAT AND THE AQUATIC HABITAT AND SOS HAS BEEN WORKING AND TALKING TO AT LEAST TWO POTENTIAL BIDDERS WHO WOULD REALLY FOCUS ON RESTORING THAT LOCATION, WHICH IS DESPERATELY NEEDED IN THE SHORT TERM.
UM, SO THAT'S MY SPECIFIC REQUEST.
THE ORDINANCE SAYS THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GIVE YOU THIS REPORT IN OCTOBER AND YOU HAVE 30 DAYS TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
SO YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO TAKE ACTION TONIGHT.
UH, IF YOU'RE NOT MEETING IN DECEMBER SINCE THEY DIDN'T BRING IT TO YOU IN OCTOBER, AND YOU'RE NOT MEETING IN DECEMBER, I WOULD THINK IF YOU'RE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN 30 DAYS, THAT SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM AND YOU COULD TAKE ACTION IN JANUARY.
UH, SO THAT'S MY REQUEST THAT YOU MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT, THAT RFP GO OUT RIGHT AWAY AND IT'D BE LINED UP WITH MAXIMIZING PUBLIC BENEFITS.
AND THAT'S MY MAIN CONCERN WITH THE REPORT THAT YOU'RE GETTING THAT IT SAYS MAXIMIZE, OR IT DOESN'T SAY MAXIMIZES INCREASE CONCESSIONS.
WE SHOULD NOT BE TRYING TO KEEP INCREASE CONCESSIONS.
WE SHOULD BE TRYING TO INCREASE PUBLIC BENEFITS FROM THE CONCESSIONS.
AND THAT INCLUDES NON-MONETARY BENEFITS OF OUTDOOR EDUCATION, PROGRAMMING PARK, RESTORATION, AND STEWARDSHIP.
AND WHAT YOU SEE HERE IN THIS REPORT, YOU'VE GOT A ONE-PAGER AND IT'S ALL EXTREMELY QUALITATIVE.
THERE'S NO WAY TO SEE BETWEEN THESE DIFFERENT CONCESSIONERS HOW MUCH PUBLIC BENEFIT ARE THEY REALLY PROVIDING? I MEAN, ONE OUTFIT MIGHT BE PROVIDING HUNDREDS OF FREE BOATS TO NONPROFITS AND LOW INCOME UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
AND SOMEBODY ELSE IS JUST PROVIDING A HANDFUL, BUT WE NEED SOME REAL QUANTIFICATION THERE AND A FOCUS ON PUBLIC BENEFITS.
SO THOSE ARE MY REQUESTS THAT YOU THANK YOU.
THAT'S IT FOR THIS AGENDA ITEM.
SO LET'S SEE WITH THIS SUPPORT, DO WE HAVE, UM, MARGARET STONES AND PAT, I RECOGNIZE YOU'VE HAD AT THIS TIME YOU RECOGNIZE IT.
WE HAVE A, UM, ONE MORE INDIVIDUAL.
WHO'S JUST FINISHING, SIGNING HIS NAME FOR SPEAKING ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM.
MR. WHALEY, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.
WE WE'VE BEEN WAITING ANXIOUSLY FOR YOU.
AND I'M SORRY, I GOT HANG HERE LATE AND ILL PREPARED.
UM, BUT I DID HEAR, UH, BROTHER BILL'S REMARKS.
AND SO THE SIMPLEST THING FOR ME TO DO IS JUST SAY DITTO.
I'M ON THE CONSERVATION COMMITTEE FOR THE AUSTIN REGIONAL GROUP OF THE SIERRA CLUB.
AND SO THAT'S OUR, UH, OUR STATEMENT FROM THE SIERRA CLUB.
DO I NEED TO SPELL THAT VERY MUCH? APPRECIATE IT.
OKAY, SO, UM, MARGARET AND CAT, THANK YOU.
CHAIR LEWIS AND BOARD MEMBERS.
I'M THE SUPERVISOR FOR THE CONTRACTS UNIT.
AND MAGGIE IS HERE WITH ME TODAY.
AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE ANNUAL CONCESSION REPORT, AND WE'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AT THE END.
SO AS YOU KNOW, PER AUSTIN CITY CODE, THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT IS REQUIRED TO PRESENT AN ANNUAL REPORT TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION REGARDING THE CONCESSIONS IN TOWN LAKE PARK, ALSO KNOWN AS LADY BIRD, LAKE PARK.
[00:55:01]
THE NAMES AND LOCATIONS OF THE CONCESSIONS, THE INCOME AND EXPENDITURES FOR EACH CONCESSION FOR THE PAST FISCAL YEAR.THE NUMBER OF BOATS RENTED ON LADY BIRD, LAKE, AND ANY ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS CAUSED BY CONCESSIONS.
SO HERE'S A MAP REPRESENTING THE CURRENT CONCESSIONS AROUND LADY BIRD LAKE.
THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE ALL THE EXISTING CONCESSIONS FOUND THROUGHOUT THE PARK SYSTEM.
LET ME SKIP TO ONE, GO TO THE NEXT ONE.
THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE A SLIDE ON CONTRACT TERMS, WHICH IS NOT SOMEHOW IN THE SLIDE DECK.
UM, WE HAVE, THIS SLIDE IS DEPICTING A FY 21 GROSS SALES EXPENDITURES AND PAYMENTS TO THE CITY.
SO THIS IS JUST A GRAPH, JUST ENCAPSULATING ALL THE DATA THAT WE'RE REPORTING.
SO THE BLUE BAR IS GROSS SALES.
THE ORANGE BAR IS REPORTED EXPENDITURES AND THE GRAY BAR IS, UM, CONCESSION PAYMENTS TO THE CITY, INCLUDING MONTHLY FLAT FEES AND REVENUE SHARE REVENUE SHARE.
SO THAT'S FOR EACH CONCESSION.
SO JUST A QUICK ANALYSIS, TEXAS ROWING CENTER HAS BEEN THE HIGHEST EARNER.
SINCE, AS MATT SAID, 2002 THIS YEAR, THEY REPORTED 3.7 MILLION IN SALES.
UM, NEXT WE HAVE ROWING DOCK WITH 3.2 MILLION IN AUSTIN ROWING CLUB WITH 2.3 MILLION.
AND WE ALSO HAVE BUTLER PITCH AND PUTT ON THIS LIST WHO ENDED THE YEAR WITH 1.2 MILLION IN SALES, WHICH IS OUTSTANDING GIVEN THE FACT THAT IT WAS ONLY OPEN FOR SIX MONTHS THIS PAST YEAR.
AND IN TOTAL, THE CONCESSION GROSS SALES IN EXCEEDED 11 MILLION, WHICH IS 3 MILLION HIGHER THAN 2018, WHICH IS THE PREVIOUS BEST YEAR.
AND JUST A FEW ITEMS OF NOTE OF EPIC SUBS, TOTAL PAYMENTS, 49,000 WENT TO THE TRAIL FOUNDATION AND JUST OVER 4,000 WENT TO THE CITY.
UM, AND THIS SLIDE, THIS SHOWS THE TOTAL CONCESSION GROSS SALES OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, THERE WAS A DIP IN 2020 DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, BUT, UM, THIS SHOWS THAT 2021 HAS BY FAR BEEN THE BEST YEAR EVER FOR PART CONCESSIONS.
THIS IS, UM, JUST A SUMMARY OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS MADE IN FY 21.
THE MAIN STORES THIS YEAR ARE THE RENOVATIONS AT BUTLER, PIGEON PUTT AND TEXAS ROWING CENTER.
YOU ALREADY HEARD ABOUT TEXAS ROWING CENTER FROM MATT, BUT AT BUTLER THE CITY CONTRACTED WITH THE NEW OPERATOR IN 2019, THE FACILITY WAS CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS FROM JULY, 2020 THROUGH MARCH, 2021 WITH THE GRAND REOPENING ON APRIL 9TH, THE RENOVATIONS TOUCHED EVERY ASPECT OF THE FACILITY FROM THE GREENS, IRRIGATION, LANDSCAPING, AND HARDSCAPING TO NEW BUILDINGS AND REPAIRS OR RENOVATIONS OF THE BUILDINGS, ELECTRICAL MECHANICAL AND PLUMBING SYSTEMS. THE PUBLIC HAS GREATLY ENJOYED THESE LONG OVERDUE RENOVATIONS AS DEMONSTRATED BY THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE, FLOCKING TO PITCH AND PUTT THIS YEAR.
SOME OF OUR SLIDES GOT MIXED UP SOMEHOW.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT HAPPENED.
WELL, THIS IS THE BOAT INVENTORY.
EVERY YEAR WE ASK EACH CONCESSION TO JUST RECORD THE NUMBER OF EACH TYPE OF ROW OF BOAT THAT THEY HAVE FOR RENTALS.
SO THIS JUST LISTS HOW MANY BOATS IN THE INVENTORY FOR EACH CONCESSION AND THE NEW ONE THIS YEAR IS ELECTRIC BOATS.
YOU'LL SEE THAT ON THE BOTTOM.
THOSE ARE ELECTRIC BOATS THAT WERE ADDED TO THE FLEET AT AUSTIN AT WALNUT CREEK BOAT HOUSE BY THE SUBCONTRACTOR RETRO BOAT RENTALS.
THERE'S THE CONTRACT TERMS. SO FOR THE CONTRACT TERMS, I JUST WANTED TO PUT THIS UP HERE JUST SO EVERYBODY COULD SEE ALL THE CONCESSIONS AND WHAT THE TERMS ARE FOR THE CONTRACTS.
SO A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS FOR THIS YEAR, THE OLDEST CONTRACT IS ROWING DOCK AND
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THEY WILL, THEIR CONTRACT WILL EXPIRE IN APRIL, 2022.AND THE SOLICITATION PROCESS IS PENDING ZILKER PARK BOAT RENTALS CONTRACT EXPIRED IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR.
UM, AND THERE'S A ONE-YEAR HOLDOVER THAT WAS GIVEN BY CORPORATE PURCHASING TO AVOID GOING OUT FOR SOLICITATION IN SUMMER 2020 AT THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC.
ANOTHER ONE YOUR HOLDOVER IS BEING CONSIDERED SO THAT THE SOLICITATION COULD BE RELEASED AFTER THE ZILKER PARK VISION PLAN HAS BEEN FINALIZED WITH EPIC SUB THIS YEAR.
THEY PREVIOUSLY OPERATED AS A SUBCONTRACTOR OF HOSTELING INTERNATIONAL FROM 2013 TO 2020, AND PAID REVENUE SHARE TO THE CITY WHEN THE HOSTEL CLOSED IN 2020 DUE TO COVID.
THE BUSINESS TERMINATED THE CONTRACT WITH THE CITY, AS WELL AS THE SUBCONTRACT WITH EPICS UP AFTER THIS, A COUNCIL RESOLUTION DIRECTED PART TO AUTHORIZE EPICS UP TO OPERATE AS A TEMPORARY CONCESSION FOR SIX MONTHS.
THEN AS A CONCESSION UNDER CONTRACT BY THE TRAIL FOUNDATION, THE CURRENT AGREEMENT WITH THE TRAIL FOUNDATION ENDS DECEMBER 31ST, 2022 PAYMENTS RECEIVED UNDER THE TRAIL FOUNDATION CONTRACT WILL GO TO THE TRAIL FOUNDATION.
ALSO, UM, ZILKER CAFE WILL BE OPENING AFTER THE EXISTING AGREEMENT IS AMENDED TO REFLECT ANY CHANGES RESULTING FROM THE LACK OF SUPPORT FOR THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
AND THEN WE HEARD FROM KIMERY ABOUT THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL.
THERE ARE NEW CONCESSION AS OF DECEMBER, 2020.
THIS CONCESSION WAS CREATED AS A RESULT OF A COUNCIL RESOLUTION THAT THE DIRECTED THE CITY MANAGER TO PROVIDE A SITE FOR THIS VENDOR.
AND THEN THE ZILKER TRAIN IS THE LAST ONE.
CURRENTLY, THE PLAN IS FOR AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION TO CONTRACT WITH THE VENDOR TO BUILD NEW TRACKS AND OPERATE THE TRAIN WITH AN ANTICIPATED OPENING DATE IN JANUARY, 2022.
SO, UM, LET'S GO BACK TO THIS ONE.
THIS IS JUST A LIST OF THE, UM, RECLAMATION RECOMMENDATIONS THAT STAFF RECEIVED FROM THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE LAST YEAR IN 20 REGARDING CONCESSION DEVELOPMENT AND CONCESSION REPORTING.
THE NEXT THREE SLIDES ADDRESS STAFF'S RESPONSE TO THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO HERE'S A SLIDE SHOWING THE CONCESSIONS OUTSIDE OF LADY BIRD LAKE ASIDE FROM LONG-TERM CONCESSIONS AT THREE GOLF COURSES, THE CONCESSIONS OUTSIDE OF LADY BIRD LAKE ARE ALL ON SHORT TERM PERMITS.
THE PERMIT PROCESS FOR TEMPORARY CONCESSIONS IS OVERSEEN BY THE SPECIAL EVENTS OFFICE PERMIT TYPES ARE SIX MONTH PERMITS AND SINGLE DAY PERMITS.
AND THEY'RE ISSUED FOR COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS VENDING OR MERCHANDISE SALES, FITNESS TRAINERS, AND PERFORMING ARTISTS.
THE TABLE LISTS THE COST PER PERMIT.
THE NUMBER OF PERMITS ISSUED FOR FY 21 AND THE TOTAL REVENUE FROM EACH PERMIT TYPE.
THERE WILL BE MORE INFORMATION ON TEMPORARY CONCESSIONS IN THE WRITTEN REPORT.
AND, UM, IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, THE PARKS BOARD HAS ASKED US TO COMMENT ON PARDES STRATEGIC PLANS TO INCREASE PARKS CONCESSIONS.
THIS SLIDE LISTS THE ELEMENTS OF THESE ONGOING EFFORTS.
UM, JUST A FEW OF THEM, UM, TO INTEGRATE CONCESSION PLANNING INTO THE VISION PLANNING PROCESS FOR INDIVIDUAL PARKS, UM, UTILIZE COLLECTED DATA, REFLECTING COMMUNITY NEEDS AND WANTS FOR DIVERSE SYSTEM-WIDE CONCESSIONS, ET CETERA.
SO THIS IS A LIST OF OUR, UM, THE THINGS THAT WE DO NEXT SLIDE.
AND THEN HERE'S A TABLE SHOWING SOME OF THE PARKS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN DIVISION PLANNING PROCESS.
AND IF THERE HAS BEEN ANY CONCESSION POTENTIAL IDENTIFIED FOR EACH OF THESE PARKS, AS YOU CAN SEE, PART OF PLANNING STAFF HAVE IDENTIFIED A POTENTIAL FOR BOATING AND PADDLING CONCESSIONS AT WALTER ILAN AND JOHN TREVINO, AND SEVERAL ADDITIONAL SITES WHERE FOOD AND BEVERAGE CONCESSIONS MAY BE A POSSIBILITY, BUT ANY IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE CONCESSIONS AS IS STILL A FEW YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, NEXT SLIDE.
THIS SLIDE ADDRESSES RECOMMENDATIONS PARRED RECEIVED FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS REGARDING MARINE WASTE, DISPOSAL, LAKE SAFETY, AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS.
WE HAVE FOLLOWED THESE RECOMMENDATIONS IN OUR COMPLIANCE EFFORTS.
THE PRESENTATION TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IS SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW.
DECEMBER 1ST, ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS YEAR'S MEETING WILL PRE WILL BE PROVIDED IN THE FINAL REPORT.
NEXT SLIDE, THIS SLIDE JUST SHOWS THE CONSIDERATIONS ON MARINE WASTE DISPOSAL THAT WERE RECOMMENDED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PENDANTS COMMISSION SLIDE.
AND, UM, THIS SLIDE ADDRESSES CONCERNS FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL
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COMMISSION OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS REGARDING LAKE CAPACITY FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS PART HAS ASKED THE CONCESSIONS TO RECORD THE NUMBER OF RENTALS EACH DAY DURING DESIGNATED PEAK PERIODS.THE TABLE SHOWS THE TOTALS FOR EACH EIGHT DAY PERIOD.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THESE NUMBERS DO NOT REFLECT THE NUMBER OF BOATS ON THE LAKE AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
ONLY THE TOTAL NUMBER OF RENTALS BY PARD CONCESSIONS.
THE DATA SHOW THAT THE NUMBER OF BOATS RENTED HAS INCREASED EACH YEAR CORRESPONDING WITH AN INCREASE IN THE TOTAL RENTAL INVENTORY, WHICH WAS SHOWN ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.
WE KNOW ANECDOTALLY THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY MORE BOATS ON THE LAKE, THE PAST TWO SUMMERS WHEN THOUSANDS OF AUSTINITES TOOK TO THE WATER IN SEARCH OF SAFE, OUTDOOR RECREATION OPTIONS DURING COVID.
BUT EVEN BEFORE COVID BOATING ON LADY BIRD LAKE WAS ONE OF THE MORE POPULAR ACTIVITIES IN AUSTIN FOR RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS, NEXT SLIDE.
AND ALL IT IS ONE OF THE MOST MASSIVE STORIES WE'VE SEEN THIS SLIDE ADDRESSES STAFF RESPONSES TO OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE PARKS BOARD AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION FOR THE, IN THE PAST FEW YEARS.
PART INCLUDES ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS IN EACH RFP AS RECOMMENDED.
AND WE ADDITIONALLY WORK WITH CORPORATE PURCHASING TO SOLICIT REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS AND STAFF HAVE PUT IN PLACE STANDARD SCOPES OF WORK AND CONTRACT COMPONENTS, WHICH ARE USED FOR EACH NEW SOLICITATION AND CONTRACT.
NEXT SLIDE, AS WE CONCLUDE THIS PRESENTATION OF THE ANNUAL CONCESSIONS REPORT, WE WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH A SUMMARY OF THE CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES OF THE CONCESSIONAIRES AS PART OF THEIR AGREEMENT TO MANAGE THE WALLER CREEK BOATHOUSE.
AUSTIN ROWING CLUB IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND FREE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND FREE PROGRAMMING TO UNDERSERVE YOUTH, INCLUDING SCHOLARSHIPS, TO COVER ROWING FEES AND PREBUILT RENTALS FOR PARDES SUMMER CAMPS AND OTHER YOUTH GROUPS, WHILE NOT REPORT REQUIRED BY CONTRACT TO OTHER VENDORS.
ALSO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY IN NUMEROUS WAYS, INCLUDING HOSTING OR PARTICIPATING IN FUNDRAISING AND LAKE CLEANUP EVENTS, DONATING SERVICES AND GIFT CARDS, AND OFFERING DISCOUNTED RATES TO STUDENTS AND OTHER GROUPS PARTICIPATION IN LAKE CLEANUP AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION EFFORTS IS REQUIRED IN ALL NEW WATERCRAFT RENTAL CONTRACTS.
AND THIS IS JUST A SUMMARY OF THE MANY THINGS THAT THE CONCESSIONS DO NEXT SLIDE.
SO THE NEXT STEPS ARE AFTER TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION, WE WILL MAKE A PRESENTATION TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TOMORROW, DECEMBER 1ST, OUR REQUESTED ACTION TODAY IS TO MAKE A JOINT FOR THE PARKS BOARD TO MAKE A JOINT RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL REGARDING CREATION, CONTINUATION, TERMINATION, OR STATUS OF A CONCESSION, INCLUDING ISSUANCE OF A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR A CONCESSION IN TOWN LAKE METROPOLITAN PARK FOR INCLUSION IN THE JOINT REPORT BETWEEN THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION THAT IS PROVIDED TO THE CITY COUNCIL ANNUALLY.
THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR ALLOWING US TO PRESENT OUR ANNUAL CONCESSION REPORT, AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SO I WILL, UM, GO SEE IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
I'LL START WITH YOU BOARD MEMBERS PAST.
I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, I GUESS I WOULD LIKE TO START JUST WITH THE AGENDA POSTING.
SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE I CAN READ, BUT I CAN'T ALWAYS UNDERSTAND.
SO THE PHRASES THAT ARE CONFUSING ME AS EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON AND WHAT WE'RE BEING ASKED TO VOTE ON BECAUSE, UM, IT'S A RECOMMENDATION REGARDING CREATION, CONTINUATION, TERMINATION, OR STATUS OF A CONCESSION, INCLUDING ISSUANCE OF A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR A CONCESSION IN TOWN LAKE METROPOLITAN PARK.
SO DID WE GET A RECOMMENDATION FOR CREATION OR TERMINATION OF A CONCESSION? I JUST HEARD A RECOMMENDATION, I THINK FOR CONTINUATION OF EXISTING CONCESSIONS, THAT RECOMMENDATION WOULD COME FROM THE BOARD.
IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT THE CODE SAID THAT YOU PROVIDE US YOUR INPUT REGARDING IF YOU WANTED TO SEE A CREATION OF A NEW CONCESSION, IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE WITH ALL THE CONCESSIONS AS THEY ARE RIGHT NOW, ARE, DO YOU RECOMMEND A TERMINATION OF ONE OF THE CONCESSIONS AND THEN THE STATUS
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OF EACH CONCESSION? SO WHEN WE PUT THE REPORT TOGETHER, WE HAVE A LONG WRITTEN REPORT THAT WE PUT TOGETHER.IN ADDITION TO THIS, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE STATUS OF EACH CONCESSION.
SO YOU COULD GIVE THAT TO, SO YOU'RE GIVING US THE STATUS, BUT NOT A STAFF RECOMMENDATION ABOUT, OKAY.
THAT IS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT COMES FROM THE BOARD TONIGHT.
THEN WE'VE GOT INCLUDING ISSUANCE OF A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, FOR A CONCESSION UNTIL LIKE METROPOLITAN PART.
THIS IS ALSO LANGUAGE FROM THE ORDINANCE.
YOU'RE NOT, THERE IS NO SPECIFIC RFP THAT DOES NOT, UNLESS YOU SAY THAT THERE SHOULD BE ANOTHER CONCESSION ON TOWN LAKE PARK AND WE SHOULD RELEASE AN RFP AT A DISCLOSED LOCATION.
OR WE MIGHT SAY THAT THERE'S AN EXISTING ONE.
THAT'S BEING POSTPONED THAT SHOULD BE RELEASED OR RELEASED AT THE STANDARD TERM.
FOR INCLUSION IN THE JOINT REPORT.
I JUST FOUND THE, UM, THE POSTING AND THEN ALSO THE FINAL SLIDE LANGUAGE TO BE A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING.
SO IN REGARD TO THE PRESENTATION, UM, COULD YOU PLEASE REMIND ME THE ORIGIN OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN TO INCREASE CONCESSIONS? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT CAME FROM THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE CITY COUNCIL? ACTUALLY, WE HAD A BIG PUSH FROM THE, UH, PREVIOUS CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE AND PARKS BOARD MEMBERS.
SO THAT'S WHERE THAT ORIGINAL.
SO THEY WROTE THE PLAN WHO WROTE THE PLAN.
THEY JUST ASK US TO CHOOSE TO CLI TRY TO INCREASE THE CONCESSIONS IN THE PARK TO PROVIDE MORE AMENITIES TO THE PUBLIC AS THEY'RE USING THE PARK.
THIS, WHEN YOU SAID THE PARK, IS IT THE PACIFIC PARKS IN GENERAL? THE HARBOR.
SO THIS HAS A LONG HISTORY, I'D SAY EIGHT OR NINE YEARS.
I KNOW SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE AT, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION, UH, BOARD MEMBER FAUST, IF I COULD ADD TO THAT.
SO KIMBERLY MCNEALY SERVING AS THE DIRECTOR FOR THE DEPARTMENT AT THE REQUEST OF THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE AND THE BOARD REQUEST PREVIOUS BOARD, UM, THERE HAD BEEN, UH, THE DEDICATION OF A PARTICULAR POSITION THAT WAS EXISTING, THAT WE, UM, TOOK THAT PARTICULAR JOB DESCRIPTION.
AND WE, I, AND, UM, AND SUZANNE HELPED ME, UH, WE PUT TOGETHER, UH, A WORK PLAN FOR A PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL TO BE ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT CONCESSION SYSTEM-WIDE.
SO TO BE ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS MORE COMPREHENSIVELY AND TO ACTUALLY PUT TOGETHER, UH, SOME RESEARCH AND BE ABLE TO REPORT BACK TO THE BOARD THAT WOULD PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE SHOULD CONTRACT, WHERE SHOULD ADDITIONAL CONCESSIONS BE, WHERE WOULD THEY BE ENHANCEMENTS AND ALSO TO PROVIDE SOME COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES? BECAUSE WHILE WE, AS INDIVIDUALS LOOKING AT OUR PARK SYSTEM MIGHT BELIEVE THAT A CONCESSION LOOKS REALLY GOOD IN A PARTICULAR LOCATION THROUGHOUT THE PARK SYSTEM AT THAT PARTICULAR COMMUNITY OR THE PEOPLE WHO, UM, SUPPORT THAT PARTICULAR PARK ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THE CONCESSION.
IT CAUSED IT MAY CAUSE, UM, UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
SO THAT IDEA, AND THAT POSITION WAS CREATED IN LATE 2019.
AND THAT PERSON HAD SOME OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES, INCLUDING ACCREDITATION, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, UH, COVID HIT.
AND THAT INDIVIDUAL WAS REASSIGNED TO EMERGENCY OPERATIONS AND ACTUALLY WORK THE ISO FACT, UM, WHICH WAS THE ISOLATION FACILITIES FOR, FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR ABOUT NINE MONTHS RETURNED TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN WORKING ON OUR ACCREDITATION.
AND SO THE FULFILLMENT OF THE DESIGN AND THE IDEA OF WHAT THE PREVIOUS BOARD HAD BASICALLY ASKED US TO DO JUST HAS NEVER COME TO FRUITION.
HOWEVER, THAT INDIVIDUAL HAS, UH, THAT INDIVIDUAL ALSO, UH, TOOK A DIFFERENT POSITION WITH THE DOE WITH ANOTHER DEPARTMENT AND IS NO LONGER WITH US.
AND SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS NOW OF RE RE UM, UH, REHIRING IN THAT POSITION.
AND THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET BACK ON TRACK WITH TAKING A LOOK AT SOMETHING MORE STRATEGICALLY INSTEAD GUESSING, RIGHT.
INSTEAD OF PUTTING TOGETHER SOME BASIC RESEARCH, BEING ABLE TO DO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UNDERSTANDING WHAT PARKS MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO, UM, TO HAVE AS A CONCESSION AND WHAT, WHAT WE THINK THAT THE COMMUNITY IS TELLING US THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE AND, UM, BOARD MEMBER DIPLOMA, I MEAN, VICE-CHAIR DIPLOMA, I'M NOT PUTTING YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT YOU MAY HAVE SOME HISTORY TO THAT.
AND I FEEL LIKE THAT WAS A GOOD BACKGROUND.
I MEAN, IF YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING, THAT'S FINE, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
NO, I MEAN, I GUESS THE ONLY ONE THING I WOULD ADD, IT GOES BACK TO A COMMENT THAT WAS MADE BY ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS AT, WHICH WAS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING TO IMPROVE IT.
WHAT WAS THE RECREATIONAL EXPERIENCE? AND, AND SO THE QUICK NOTE I PUT TO LOOK AT CONCESSIONS THAT ADD TO THE PASSIVE AND ACTIVE RECREATION ENJOYMENT OF OUR PARK SYSTEM.
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THE GOAL.IT WASN'T LIKE THE FEE THERE'S ALWAYS GET THIS CONFUSION.
WE ALWAYS BEEN TRYING TO BE CREATIVE WHERE THE FEE ACTUALLY GOES BACK INTO THE SYSTEM.
SO RIGHT NOW IT GOES BACK INTO GENERAL REVENUE, UNLESS IT'S AN ENTERPRISE WE'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TRIED TO MAKE IT.
SO THE CONTRACTS ENCOURAGE ACTIVE PROGRAMMING AND SPEND WITHIN LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC COMMUNITIES.
THAT'S WHAT IT WAS PRIOR TO ME LEAVING THAT CONTRACTS, CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE, IT FEELS LIKE, UM, STRATEGIC PLAN TO INCREASE PARK CONCESSIONS IS MAYBE, UM, THE TITLE DOESN'T QUITE CAPTURE THE INTENT.
LIKE THE TITLE SEEMS A LITTLE, WELL, I MEAN, I THINK THERE IS A STRATEGIC PLAN BECAUSE IT IS AN ANALYSIS AS TO WHAT MAKES SENSE AND WHERE, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF IT IN MY VIEW.
AND AT THE VIEW, I THINK OF THE CONTRACTS CONCESSION COMMITTEE MEMBERS AT THAT MOMENT IN TIME WAS THAT WE WERE REALLY DEFICIENT AND IN HAVING VARIOUS CONCESSIONS.
AND WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE CONCESSION, IT COULD BE AS EASY AS A FOOD TRUCK OVER AT DICK NICHOLS PARK ON A FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT OR A SATURDAY OR A SATURDAY DURING THE DAY.
I CAN, IF I CAN ADD TO THIS, I, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, I MEAN, YEAH.
WHERE THIS CAME FROM, I THINK, UM, YEAH, IT'S NOT SO MUCH THAT THERE'S LIKE A WHOLE STRATEGIC PLAN DOCUMENT THAT YOU CAN GO FIND.
I THINK IT'S JUST A REFERENCE TO THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'D HAD PREVIOUSLY ON THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE, UM, ABOUT, YEAH.
WHAT, HOW CAN WE BE STRATEGIC ABOUT ADDING TO THE CONCESSIONS THAT WE HAVE TO, UM, SERVE THE PUBLIC AND ENHANCE THE PARK EXPERIENCE? SO I THINK IT'S, IT'S, UM, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S LESS THAN THERE'S SOME DOCUMENT SOMEWHERE AND IT'S, IT'S, MAYBE IT'S JUST A REFERENCE TO THE, YOU KNOW, PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS.
OH, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION NOW? I MEAN, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S 11 BULLET POINTS, THAT'S THE PLAN AND THAT THEY'RE INCORPORATING IT INTO THIS RECOMMENDATION.
UM, SO IT DOES SEEM LIKE THERE'S A STRATEGIC PLAN MORE THAN JUST A CONVERSATION, AT LEAST STUFF THINKS THAT, SO I HOPE YOU ALL FEEL THAT THIS IS REFLECTIVE OF WHAT THE INTENT OF THE CON I WASN'T ON THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE AT THAT TIME.
SO I DON'T KNOW, I COULD MOVE PAST MAYBE THIS CONFUSION OVER WHAT'S IN THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION AND TALK ABOUT THE SUBSTANCE OF WHAT WE WANNA DO WITH OUR ACTION TONIGHT.
WELL, WELL, I FEEL COMFORTABLE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE STRATEGIC PLAN TO INCREASE CONCESSIONS IS BECAUSE IT WAS SPECIFICALLY REFERENCED BY STAFF AND DESCRIBED.
I HOPE THAT IN MY EXPLANATION, I HELPED YOU UNDERSTAND THE INTENT.
AND I THINK THAT BY THE, UH, THE INTENT WAS THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE MORE STRATEGIC AND, AND THAT, THAT DIDN'T OCCUR.
AND SO THE BEST THAT WE CAN DO IS TAKE THE PAST DIRECTION THAT WE RECEIVED FROM BOARD AND FROM, AND FROM CONCESSIONS.
AND SO THIS MIGHT BE A SEMANTICS.
AND SO WHILE I REGRET THAT THERE'S SOME CONFUSION, I THINK THEY INTENT.
I THINK I TRIED TO EXPLAIN THE INTENT.
AND SO IF IT'S NOT CLEAR, I'M HAPPY TO DO MORE OF THAT EXPLANATION OR CALL ON MY FELLOW BOARD.
WHAT WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL IS IF THERE'S A SPECIFIC ACTION THAT WAS TAKEN BY THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE, WHERE THEY VOTED ON A RECOMMENDATION TO ASK STAFF TO DO CERTAIN THINGS, THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT TOOK PLACE.
UM, AND IF THAT EXISTS AND YOU GUYS CAN SEND IT TO ME, THAT WOULD PROBABLY LIKE GIVE ME THE BEST IDEA OF EXACTLY WHAT CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE WAS TRYING TO ACHIEVE AND WHAT THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS AND WHETHER OR NOT IT'S BEING IMPLEMENTED WITH THE INTENT WE'LL WORK ON THAT.
SO, YEAH, IF THERE WAS A, UM, ANYTHING ADOPTED THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, I JUST HAVE NOT COME ACROSS IT BEFORE.
SO IT WAS CURIOUS WHAT THE ORIGIN WAS.
UM, MY OTHER, UM, QUESTION, I'M ASSUMING THAT SINCE THE AGENDA ITEM TALKS ABOUT ISSUANCE OF A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR A CONCESSION, THEN WE CAN INCLUDE IN THIS ITEM, UM, RECOMMENDING AS REQUESTED BY SOME MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT THE, UH, MODIFICATIONS TO THE ZILKER BOAT.
I CAN'T REMEMBER IT'S CALLED THE ZILKER BOAT CONCESSION, UM, THE BARTON CREEK ONE THAT, THAT BE ISSUED PROMPTLY RATHER THAN EXTENDED.
SO YEAH, AND OBVIOUSLY THE BOARD WOULD HAVE TO DISCUSS THAT, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO CONFIRM NOW WHETHER OR NOT THAT WOULD BE WITHIN THE POSTING TO RECOMMEND THAT WE USE, YOU CAN CERTAINLY ADVISE US OR PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION TO US.
AND WE CAN TAKE THAT UNDER CONSIDERATION.
I BELIEVE THAT WE'VE MADE AS A, AS A S AS A DEPARTMENT WE'VE MADE, UM, SOME, OR WE'VE SET FORWARD SOME ADVICE AS TO HOW WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD, OR THE WAY THAT WE THINK IS THE BEST WAY TO MOVE FORWARD, BASED UPON
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MULTIPLE CONSIDERATIONS, INCLUSIVE OF THE ZILKER VISION PLAN AND INCLUSIVE OF, UM, SOME ENVIRONMENTAL THINGS THAT WE'VE HEARD NEED TO BE TAKEN A LOOK AT MORE COMPREHENSIVELY.AND SO CERTAINLY WE'RE WILLING TO TAKE YOUR ADVICE AND YOUR RECOMMENDATION UNDER CONSIDERATION AS WE DETERMINE HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE, EITHER THE EXTENSION OF EXISTING CONTRACTS OR THE IMMEDIATE SOLICITATION.
AND I'LL JUST SAY TO THE WORD, I THINK IT'S MORE APPROPRIATE FOR DISCUSSION ON EMOTION.
UM, BUT I DO THINK BECAUSE OF MY PAST SERVICE ON THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE AND THAT ONE OF THE, WHEN I WAS APPOINTED TO THE BOARD, ONE OF THE VERY FIRST THINGS THAT PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT CAME TO TALK TO ME ABOUT WAS THAT PARTICULAR CONCESSION THERE'S A LOT OF EROSION CAUSED BY THE BOAT USE.
IT'S NOT PROPERLY, UM, SORT OF MAINTAINED IN SOME PEOPLE'S VIEW BY THAT PARTICULAR CONCESSIONAIRE.
AND IT ACTUALLY DOES NOT, UM, TRACK WITH ME WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH THAT ONE, BECAUSE THE WAY I SAW IT, WE DID THE TEXAS ROWING CENTER CONCESSION DURING COVID THE ZILKER BOAT RENTAL WAS THE NEXT ONE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO UP.
THEN IT WAS POSTPONED BECAUSE IT WAS COVID.
NOW IT'S POSTPONED BECAUSE IT'S STILL REVISION PLAN YET THE ROWING CENTER CAN GO, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S ALSO ZILKER PARK.
SO I SEE A LOT OF INCONSISTENCIES IN THE WAY THIS IS BEING MANAGED.
AND MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT WE GO AHEAD AND ISSUE A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR THE, I DO BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE MISINFORMED IN THAT WE ARE NOT ISSUING A SOLICITATION FOR EITHER OF THE, THE ROLLING EITHER OF THE ENTITIES THAT ARE PART OF THE ZILKER VISION PLAN BOUNDARIES, AND EITHER OF THEM OR B, BUT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE.
THE ROWING DOCK IS BEING EXTENDED FOR LIKE THREE YEARS.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE SPECIFICS OF THAT, BUT NEITHER OF THEM ARE BEING SOLICITED.
SO HOW ABOUT THIS? ABSOLUTELY TAKE UNDER ADVISEMENT, WHATEVER ADVICE YOU WOULD LIKE TO GIVE US, WHATEVER RECOMMENDATION THIS BOARD WOULD LIKE TO GIVE US.
WE'LL DEFINITELY TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH SOLICITATION DECISIONS.
I JUST HONESTLY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND QUITE WHAT THE POSTING LANGUAGE WAS TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
AND YOU WERE ENTITLED TO MAKE SURE YOU GET EVERYTHING CLARIFIED SO THAT THAT'S, THAT'S FINE.
SO DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER, NO, I THINK I'M GOOD.
UM, BOARD MEMBER, UH, NOVA BOARD MEMBER, UM, WHO ARE YOU OKAY.
IS IT ON OUR END THAT SHE CAN'T? IS THAT YOU? CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY.
NOW I WAS PERMANENTLY TURNED OFF.
SO YES, I HAVE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS.
UM, I FEEL, I UNDERSTAND WHY BOARD MEMBER FAUST IS QUESTIONING THIS BECAUSE IT'S VERY CONFUSING THE WAY IT'S BEEN PRESENTED.
I THINK IN, IN THAT IT DOESN'T REALLY GIVE US DISCUSSION POINTS HERE.
AND SO I'M JUST GOING TO BRING UP FOR DISCUSSION THE FACT THAT IN THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS, ONE OF THE THINGS, THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WERE CONCERNING AND ONE OF THEM, UM, MR. KNIFFEN HAS ADDRESSED.
I STILL DO HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT THE LENGTH OF THAT DOC.
I KNOW THERE HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, 10 YEARS OF WORK GOING INTO IT AND PRIVATE MONEY.
I AM VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE THERE ARE BACKS ON SOME OF THE DOCK SO THAT WHEN YOU'RE ON THE TRAIL, YOU CANNOT SEE THE LAKE AND IT FEELS LIKE A TUNNEL.
SO I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THAT.
I HAVE ALSO SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF BOATS THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE LAKE.
UM, I KNOW THAT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR PEOPLE BUMPING INTO EACH OTHER.
I KNOW IT IS A CONCERN FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, I SAW SOMEWHERE THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS HAVING TO PAY CLOSER ATTENTION BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY BOATS.
AND THEN WE WENT REALLY QUICKLY OVER THE SLIDE ABOUT HOW MANY BOATS ARE THERE.
BUT I WONDER IF WE SHOULDN'T CONSIDER CAPPING AT SOME POINT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AND FOR SAFETY REASONS, UM, THE NUMBER OF BOATS AVAILABLE AT THAT POINT IN THE LAKE.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE HAVE NOT ONLY TRC AND THE ROWING DOCK, AND THEN WE HAVE THE, UM, THE ZILKER BOAT RENTALS.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT IT'S CALLED.
IT'S ON THE CREEK THERE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT THEN IF YOU LOOK, WE'RE TAKING
[01:25:01]
OUT, AND THIS IS ANOTHER ISSUE I HAVE THAT PROJECT CONNECT IS JUST SORT OF ACCEPTED.I THINK THAT WE'RE KNOCKING DOWN THIS BOATHOUSE THAT WAS BUILT IN 2011 FOR PROJECT CONNECT.
AND WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN THAT AREA FOR PEOPLE.
WHY CAN'T WE SPREAD OUT SOME OF THESE CONCESSIONS? BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURE, IF YOU GO BACK TO THE SLIDE WHERE IT SHOWS THE CONCESSIONS, ALL OF THEM ARE CONCENTRATED ON THE WEST.
THERE IS AN EPIC SUB THAT IS ON THE EAST.
THERE IS ANOTHER ONE THAT I DON'T SEE LISTED AS A CONTRACTS WITH THE CITY, BUT IT'S CALLED LIVE LOVE PADDLE.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A PRIVATE ENTITY.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT HAS, IT'S SUPPOSED TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE LAKE, BUT THEY ARE JUST TO THE EAST OF I 35.
UM, AND THEN, UH, EXPEDITION SCHOOL IS STILL VERY SMALL AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT SEEMS WHAT I'VE HEARD IS A TEMPORARY SPACE RIGHT NOW, BUT THERE'S NOT A LOT OF STUFF ON THE EAST SIDE.
AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE COULD ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE TROUBLE OF SAFETY ISSUES AND PARKING ISSUES AND BOAT RENTALS.
IF WE FIGURED OUT A WAY TO SPREAD OUT THAT NUMBER OF BOATS DOWN THE LAKE AND GAVE MORE ACCESS ALL AROUND THE LAKE TO PEOPLE THAT SEEMS MORE EQUITABLE TO ME THAN CONCENTRATING SO MANY PEOPLE RIGHT THERE BY THE BARTON SPRINGS OVER PARK AREA.
I, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WAS A QUESTION.
SO I GUESS, I GUESS LET'S START WITH THE NUMBER OF BOATS.
IS THERE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT MONITORING THE NUMBER OF BOATS SO THAT IT IS STILL A PLEASURABLE EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE? AND WE ARE RESPECTING THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.
NOT ONLY WATERSHED HAS BROUGHT UP, BUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION HAS BROUGHT UP.
SO, UM, BOARD MEMBERS, UH, IN THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU SUBMITTED TO US AND THAT OUR STAFF ANSWERED, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS THAT WE WERE PARTNERING WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION TO CONDUCT SUCH A STUDY, UH, THE, UH, WATERSHED PROTECTION DIRECTOR, JORGE MIRALIS.
AND I HAVE HAD A VERY PRELIMINARY CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT A STUDY MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
WHAT ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, TRASH IMPACTS, THOSE KINDS OF EROSION IMPACTS AND HELP.
AND HAVING THEM HELP US PERHAPS PUT TOGETHER A, UM, A STUDY THAT WOULD HELP, BUT HELP UNDERSTAND THE ENTIRE IMPACTS TO THE, TO THE LAKE SO THAT WE COULD MAKE MORE STRATEGIC DECISIONS.
AND SO THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS, YES, WE HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR, AND WE, UH, WE APPRECIATE THAT RECOMMENDATION AND WE'LL BE WORKING ON IT.
I'LL JUST NEED A LITTLE MORE TIME TO PROVIDE YOU ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THAT STUDY WILL LOOK LIKE AND HOW MUCH TIME IT WILL TAKE.
BUT I GUESS THAT I'M LOOKING AT, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO MAKE A DECISION ON THIS IN 30 DAYS.
IS THAT WHAT I UNDERSTAND? SO WE NEED TO NET SOMETHING FOR A RECOMMENDATION TO FIND, WE CAN EXTEND THAT, CORRECT.
WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT IN 30 MINUTES.
THIS IS OUR FEMALE REPORT, RIGHT.
BUT WE, AS FAR AS, SO WE ARE ACCEPTING YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS TONIGHT SO THAT WE CAN PUT THOSE IN A REPORT SO THAT IT BECOMES PART OF PUBLIC INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN THEN CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT BOTH THIS BOARD PROVIDES US AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION PROVIDES US.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS TONIGHT, AND THIS SOUNDS LIKE ONE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE, AND I'M SURE THERE'S OTHERS THAT BOARD MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
AND I, I DO WANT TO JUST TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU.
UM, I, I DO WANT TO TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU ABOUT THAT.
I THINK AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE MOVE TO AUSTIN AND WE'VE GOT TO PROTECT THIS LAKE AND WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S SAFE.
AND I THINK LOOKING AT THOSE NUMBERS AND MAKING WHAT WE CAN DO TO, TO CAP, THIS IS SOMETHING WE REALLY NEED TO THINK IF I MIGHT BE SO BOLD AS TO SUGGEST, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THIS SUGGESTION, BUT BOARD MEMBER RENALDI FORWARDED A PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT SOUND LIKE YOU MIGHT WANT TO ADD TO THEM.
AND WE PUT THEM ON A FLASH DRIVE THAT COULD BE SHOWN, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO INTERRUPT YOU BOARD MEMBER COTTON SIDEBAR OFF.
CERTAINLY I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO FINISH YOUR QUESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET THE REST OF THE BOARD KNOW THAT THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE PERHAPS AS A VISUAL TO HELP GUIDE.
I HAD A CONVERSATION THAT HE HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THIS.
SHE HAD DONE THAT BECAUSE YOU DID FORWARD THAT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE WE'RE WAITING UNTIL THE END FOR BOARD MEMBER RINALDI TO SPEAK.
BUT, UM, BUT I DID WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAD IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF BOARD MEMBER COTTON CIBO WAS ABLE TO FINISH HER ARE LISTED.
SO IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE, THERE IS ONE OTHER CONCERN.
I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE DOCK AND I DO WANT TO FIND OUT, I UNDERSTAND THAT HE SAID, I LISTENED TO WHAT MR KNIFFEN SAID, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF THE ORDINANCES MAYBE WERE WAIVED, BUT I HAVE A BIG CONCERN ABOUT WAIVING, AN ORDINANCE WHERE THE PEOPLE TRYING TO USE THE TRAIL ARE NOT ABLE TO SEE THE LAKE FOR 275 FEET.
AND SO I'M WONDERING BECAUSE OF THIS OR A LOT OF IT IS NOT.
I'M WONDERING IF THERE IS A WAY TO
[01:30:01]
CONSIDER HOW TO FIX THAT, HOW TO, IF THERE'S A REMEDY TO THAT.UM, WHAT, OKAY, WELL, MATT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO FIRST? I'M HAPPY TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONCERN.
AND, UH, HERE'S WHAT I WILL SAY.
I'M ALWAYS OPEN TO MEET WITH ANY, OR ALL OF YOU AT THE ROWING CENTER TO ADDRESS ANY OF YOUR CONCERNS IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN.
UH, THE ROWING CENTER BUILDINGS CANNOT BE MOVED.
THEY WERE BUILT WITH MESH WALLS AS WAS PERMITTED.
AND SO THOSE ARE COMPLETELY THERE.
THOSE ARE FINISHED BUILDINGS, UM, AND THERE'S BUILT THERE'S BOATS INSIDE OF THEM, WHICH WALLS ALSO INEVITABLY OBSTRUCT SOME OF THE VIEW FROM THE TRAIL.
THERE IS A SPACE IN BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS WHERE WE, WE KEEP THE SUPPORTS AND, UH, DURING THE OFF WINTER WEATHER, THE WINTER MONTHS, PRIMARILY FROM SAY SEPTEMBER LABOR DAY UNTIL MEMORIAL DAY, WE TRY AND MAINTAIN THE SUB BOARDS SO THAT WE KEEP AN OPEN SPACE AS MUCH OPEN SPACE BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE CAN RENEW THE VIEW FROM THE TRAIL.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD FAITH EFFORT ON OUR PART TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO MAINTAIN THE VIEW FROM THE TRAIL TO THE RIVER.
AND AGAIN, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN.
MY RETORT WOULD BE WE HAVE 275 FEET TO PROVIDE ALL OF THIS SERVICE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING TO THE CITY.
I THINK THERE'S MANY MILES OF TRAIL.
WE HAVE ONE SPEC WAS SPECIFIC AREA 275 FEET WHERE WE'RE BLOCKING THE VIEW.
I THINK YOU'VE GOT TO WEIGH YOUR CONCERNS AND THE CONCERNS PERHAPS OF SOME OTHERS AGAINST ALL OF THE BENEFITS THAT YOU GET FROM THAT SPACE ON THE PARK PROPERTY, WHICH I WENT THROUGH.
IF I MIGHT ALSO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THE IDEA OF RESTRICTING YOUTH, UH, NUMBERS, UH, FROM CONCESSIONS.
HERE'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DO THAT? AND I JUST WANT YOU TO HAVE THE FULL PICTURE.
IF YOU RESTRICT THE NUMBER OF BOATS THAT CAN BE USED, YOU GET LONG LINES AT THE CONCESSIONS, WE TRY AND ELIMINATE ALL LINES BY PROVIDING EQUIPMENT FOR OUR VERY BUSIEST DAYS.
IF YOU RESTRICT THE NUMBER OF BOATS AND SAY, WELL, YOU CAN'T HAVE MORE THAN THIS NUMBER.
YOU WILL HAVE LONG LINES ON THE, ON THE DOCKS, WHICH I KNOW DURING A PERIOD OF PANDEMIC, WE DON'T WANT, YOU WILL HAVE LINES PERHAPS EVEN EXTENDING INTO THE TRAIL, WHICH I KNOW THAT WE DON'T WANT, MANY OF THOSE CUSTOMERS WILL GET FRUSTRATED.
THEY WILL BUY THEIR OWN EQUIPMENT AND THEY WILL ENTER THE DOCK, THE RIVER ON MANY OF THE ACCESS POINTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM USING THEIR OWN EQUIPMENT WITH NO SAFETY GEAR AND WITHOUT PAYING A FEE TO THE CITY, WHICH IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY RENT FROM ONE OF THE CONCESSIONS.
THAT MONEY IS NOT ONLY ARE THEY PROVIDED SAFETY EQUIPMENT AND TOLD THAT THEY MUST USE IT AND PROVIDED AN EXPLANATION UNDER STATE LAW.
THEY'RE ALSO PAYING FEES THAT THEIR BOY NOT ONLY GO TO THE CONCESSIONS, BUT ALSO GO TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON THE RIVER.
THE S THE, THE CABS OUT OF THE BAG ON THAT PEOPLE WANT TO BE ON THE RIVER, YOUR PARKS USERS, YOUR PATRONS WANT ACCESS TO THE RIVER.
AND I THINK YOU'VE GOT TO LISTEN TO THAT AND FIGURE OUT, OKAY, HOW DO WE KEEP IT SAFE? WELL, I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UH, I'VE BEEN A CONCESSIONAIRE FOR 23 YEARS.
I HAVE A PERFECT SAFETY RECORD DURING THAT PERIOD.
I HAVE HAD ZERO PEOPLE DROWN ON THE RIVER, ALTHOUGH I HAVE PROBABLY DONE MORE THAN A MILLION RENTALS.
UH, THE REASON IS BECAUSE WE'RE VERY SAFETY CONSCIOUS, AND WE FOLLOW STATE LAW.
IF YOU PUT A RESTRICTION ON THE AMOUNT OF BOATS THAT WE CAN PROVIDE, YOU'LL END UP WITH LONG LINES, UNHAPPY CUSTOMERS, PEOPLE BUYING THEIR OWN EQUIPMENT ENTERING ON THEIR OWN ACCORD.
THERE WON'T BE ANYBODY CHECKING FOR ALCOHOL IN THEIR, THEIR, UH, THEIR CONTAINERS.
THEY'RE, WON'T PERHAPS BE WEARING THEIR LIFE VESTS, WHICH WE CHECK AND REQUIRE THEM TO USE.
UM, THEY WON'T BE, UH, THERE WOULD BE A NUMBER THERE THERE'S NO REAL RESTRICTIONS ON THEM AT THAT POINT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE CITY DOESN'T GET PAID FOR THEIR USAGE.
SO CONSIDER THESE THINGS WHEN YOU'RE CONSIDERING THE IDEA OF PUTTING A RESTRICTION ON IT.
UM, I THINK YOU ULTIMATELY, THE BEST WAY TO DO THIS IS TO ALLOW THE CONCESSIONAIRES TO DO WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
AND THAT IS TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN AND THEIR GROWING DESIRE TO BE ON THE RIVER.
AS FAR AS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, I'VE YET TO SEE ANY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS THAT COME EVERY YEAR, KEEP AUSTIN BEAUTIFUL.
WE LOAN BOATS TO THEM FOR THIS PURPOSE, CLEANING THE RIVER.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF GROUPS, LOTS OF GROUPS THAT WILL COME IN.
WE DON'T CHARGE THEM FOR USE OF CLEANING THE RIVER.
OTHERWISE I CAN'T SEE AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT TO THE WATER OF HAVING PEOPLE ON KAYAKS ON TOP OF THE RIVER.
UM, I'D LIKE TO RECLAIM MY TIME, CAUSE I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE TO
[01:35:01]
ADDRESS THAT POINT.SO IF, IF YOU CAN, EXCUSE ME BACK TO THE DICE, UM, I GUESS WHAT I'M LOOKING AT IS I UNDERSTAND THE POINTS THAT HE'S MAKING.
I STILL THINK IT IS, IT IS MAYBE SOMETHING WE NEED TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER AS PART OF OUR RECOMMENDATION TO SPREAD OUT THE NUMBER OF CONCESSIONS THAT HAVE BOATS IN THAT CONCENTRATED AREA.
MAYBE LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE OF THE RIVER, HOW WE CAN MOVE ONE OR TWO OF THOSE CONCESSIONAIRES SO THAT THEY'RE NOT ALL IN A CO IN CONFLUENCE, THEY'RE PUTTING ALL THAT HEAVY USE IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA.
SO I CAN SAY TO THE NEXT PERSON, OKAY, CAN I JUST ASK YOU SOMETHING REALLY QUICKLY? WHEN AM I ON? YEAH.
WITH WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE IN LINE, DO YOU HAVE PEOPLE MAKE, UM, CAUSE I DO NOT HAVE NOT USED YOUR FACILITY YET.
DO YOU HAVE RESERVATIONS FOR PEOPLE? SO PEOPLE KNOW WHEN TO COME.
WE DON'T BECAUSE OF THE SHEER NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT VISIT THE ROWING CENTER.
AS I MENTIONED, 150,000 RENTALS IN THE PAST YEAR, WE DON'T DO A RESERVATION SYSTEM.
AND SO WHAT WE DO IT'S FIRST COME FIRST SERVE.
WE HAVE THE SHORTEST LINES ON THE RIVER BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THE MOST EQUIPMENT.
AND WE DO THAT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING EQUIPMENT.
I DON'T LIKE MY CUSTOMERS TO HAVE TO WAIT TO GET ON THE ROAD.
I DON'T WAIT AN HOUR TO GET ON THE RIVER FOR AN HOUR.
SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE RE IF YOU LOOK AT OUR INVESTMENT NUMBERS, TEXAS ROWING CENTER SPILL IS BY FAR MORE BACK INTO OUR CONCESSION THAN ANY OTHER CONCESSION.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE MORE EQUIPMENT.
AND PERHAPS THAT'S WHY WE GOT, I'VE JUST SEEN NORTH CAROLINA, DON'T HAVE ONE RIGHT IN NORTH CAROLINA, THE RESERVATION SYSTEM WHERE IT'S JUST FINE AND PEOPLE ARE PERFECTLY HAPPY.
SO I, I DO THINK YOU CAN MAKE IT WORK IF, IF YOU PUT SOME EFFORT INTO IT, BUT THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MEMBER COUNT IN CYBIL OKAY.
NO, LET SOMEBODY ELSE TAKE A TURN.
UH, APPRECIATE THIS DISCUSSION AND I FORGOT WHERE WE'RE, WHERE WE'RE OFF ON THIS WHOLE THING, WHETHER IT'S THE ANNUAL REPORT MAKING RECOMMENDATION.
AND IF, IF THAT'S WHERE WE'RE FOCUSED ON RIGHT NOW, THEN I DON'T SEE ANY HARM MAKING A RECOMMENDATION ON DOING AN ANALYSIS AS FAR AS THE USAGE ON THE LAKE.
UM, I LIKE THE EFFORTS THAT THE DEPARTMENT'S CURRENTLY UNDERTAKING AND WORKING WITH SOME OF OUR CONCESSIONAIRES ON TRYING TO DO THAT DISTRIBUTION ALREADY.
AND PARTICULARLY WE'VE ALL BEEN COGNIZANT FOR A LONG TIME, THE AMOUNT OF ACTIVITY AND CONCESSIONS.
WE HAVE IMMEDIATE RIGHT IN FRONT OF DOWNTOWN AND TRYING TO MOVE INTO OVER TO EAST AUSTIN AND BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE THE OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE AT WALL THREE, LAUNCH ENTREPRENEURIAL ON TREVINO, AND THEN MAYBE A BOMB ROAD, DISTRICT PARK.
AND NOW, UM, IT LOOKS LIKE WE MAY HAVE SOME OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, UM, ON THE EAST SIDE.
SO I LIKE THE DIRECTION WHETHER WE NEED TO CODIFY THAT IS AS IT WERE IN THE RECOMMENDATION.
I'M, I'M TOTALLY FINE WITH THAT.
I WILL SAY, AS FAR AS TEXAS ROWING CENTER, UM, I HAVE USED THAT, THAT, THAT ASSET AND IT'S, IT'S BEEN GREAT.
AND, UH, UNFORTUNATELY THE, THE TIME I USE IT, IT'S ACTUALLY TO TAKE MY VOICE AND DO SOME TRASH CLEANUP ON A NON TRASH CLEANUP DAY.
AND I'VE, WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN COMPED BECAUSE WE'RE PICKING UP TRASH.
SO I DON'T, I, I DON'T KNOW YOU AND, UH, SORRY ABOUT THAT.
SO, SORRY, I GOT YOUR NAME WRONG, BUT IT'S, IT'S A BIG FACILITY.
IT IS, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT.
UM, I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING CARE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAD SAW AS A BOARD OR A FEW OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS, PARTICULARLY AS THE CONSTRUCTION WAS HAPPENING.
SO OUTSIDE OF THAT, UM, I'M GOOD.
BOARD MEMBER, THE CARLA, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
I'M NOT SO MUCH QUESTIONS, BUT JUST, UH, COMMENTS.
UM, YEAH, I JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FULL BOARD IS AWARE THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE, UM, UH, WELL FIRST WE DID HEAR THE REPORT A FEW WEEKS AGO AT OUR MEETING AND DID DECIDE TO BRING IT TO THE FULL BOARD AS WE ASSUMED IT WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO THE FULL BOARD.
UM, WE WEREN'T REALLY DIDN'T HAVE TIME THAT OUR MEETING TO FULLY DISCUSS IT THERE.
UM, AND SO IN THE PREVIOUS WEEKS, WE'VE EACH KIND OF BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH OUR STAFF, GETTING QUESTIONS ANSWERED, AND THEY HAVE PROVIDED MANY DETAILED RESPONSES TO OUR CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS.
UM, SO MOST OF MY QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED THERE.
AND, AND THEN, YEAH, LIKE, UM, CHEER LEWIS, UM, AND THE DIRECTOR AND FEELING HAD MENTIONED BOARD MEMBER RINALDI HAS GRACIOUSLY KIND OF COME UP WITH JUST LIKE A FIRST DRAFT, UM, FOR A RESOLUTION FOR A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE CAN PROPOSE THAT DOES ADDRESS, UM, ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE'S CONCERNS SO FAR.
UM, AND I, I THINK SOMETHING THAT SHE INCLUDED IN THERE THAT I, THAT SEEMS TO MEET A LOT OF THE CONCERNS IS KIND OF PROVIDING LIKE A
[01:40:01]
BALANCE, UM, UH, VENDORS ALONG THE LAKE AND KIND OF, UM, BALANCE EAST TO WEST.UM, AND SO I THINK SOME OF THAT CAN PROBABLY BE MORE DETAILED IN, IN, IN THE RESOLUTION, BUT I THINK IT'S A REALLY GOOD STARTING POINT JUST TO ADDRESSING THESE, THESE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
UM, I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR Y'ALL AT THIS POINT.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE THOROUGH RESPONSES TO THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE QUESTIONS THAT WE GOT FROM, UH, DIRECTOR MCNEELY AND THE STAFF.
SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SHARE ALL THAT INFORMATION, UM, IN ADVANCE.
UM, AND YEAH, LIKE, UH, LIKE BOARD MEMBER TO CARLA MENTIONED, UM, THIS, UH, DURING THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND DURING OTHER, UM, MEETINGS OF THE PARKS BOARD, UM, WE'VE HAD, UM, SEVERAL DIFFERENT BOARD MEMBERS RAISE VARIOUS CONCERNS, UM, AND OR ISSUES WITH THE, THE CONCESSIONS AROUND, UM, IT CONCESSIONS IN GENERAL, UM, AS WELL AS AROUND A TOWN LAKE METROPOLITAN PARK.
AND, UM, SO I PUT TOGETHER A DRAFT, UM, RECOMMENDATION, UM, AND AN EFFORT TO KIND OF CAPTURE, UM, WAYS THAT WE COULD ADDRESS AS A BOARD AND OUR RECOMMENDATION.
UM, SOME OF THE MAJOR THEMES THAT ARE OF CONCERN TO THE PARKS BOARD MEMBERS.
AND I DO NOT MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT I DID WANT TO THROW OUT ONE THING BEFORE WE GOT TO THE RESOLUTION, IF THAT'S OKAY.
YOUR RECOMMENDATION, IF THAT'S OKAY.
AND I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS CONCESSION ITEM QUITE A BIT FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS, BUT I KNOW SINCE 2016, THE ZILKER CAFE HAS BEEN CLOSED AND WE HAVE OVER A MILLION VISITORS TO BARTON SPRINGS EVERY YEAR.
AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE, RECOMMEND THAT WE TRY TO GET THAT OPEN.
WE'RE WORKING TOWARD THAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARD THAT BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN, I MEAN, I, YOU KNOW, IT IS, UH, OBVIOUSLY IT GENERATES SIGNIFICANT REVENUES AND IT, WE, UM, IT'S BEEN SIX YEARS.
AND I KNOW WHEN I FIRST JOINED THE BOARD AND I KNOW, UM, LIKE MIKE CACIA, REMEMBER WE, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN 2017 AND IT IS JUST FRUSTRATING THAT IT'S STILL IT'S STILL CLOSED.
SO I WOULD, AS FAR AS OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS REPORT, THAT IS SOMETHING I WANT TO INCLUDE IN THERE AS SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN.
BOARD MEMBER RENALDI, ANOTHER ITEM THAT YOU ALL MIGHT CONSIDER.
SO I'M OFFERING THIS UP FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IS THAT BOARD MEMBER OF FAUST DID POINT OUT THAT THE CODE LANGUAGE IS A BIT CONFUSING AND PERHAPS DOES NOT PROVIDE APPROPRIATE UNDERSTANDING OR DOESN'T HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THIS IS.
SO MAYBE PART OF THE RESOLUTION IS ALSO TO, UH, WORK TOWARDS CLARIFICATION WITHIN THE CODE.
AND CERTAINLY THIS BOARD COULD DO THAT.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE STAFF COULD HELP SUPPORT THAT, BUT IT'S JUST SOMETHING FOR CONSIDERATION.
CAUSE I DID HEAR THE BOARD MEMBER, YOU KNOW, EXPLAIN OR HELP US UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WAS A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING.
AND IF I DO RECALL THIS MIGHT'VE BEEN SOMETHING THAT WAS ALSO COMMUNICATED TO US IN THE PAST.
AND SO MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER ADDING TO YOUR RESOLUTION, BUT THAT'S COMPLETELY, I DON'T KNOW THAT THE CODE IS CONFUSING, CAUSE I WOULD HAVE TO SIT DOWN AND READ THE CODE.
I MEAN, I WOULDN'T WANT TO RECOMMEND ANY CHANGES THE CODE WITHOUT READING IT IN CONTEXT.
I THOUGHT THAT POSTING WAS CONFUSING AND I GET THAT IT'S TAKEN STRAIGHT OUT OF CODE, BUT MAYBE THE POSTING COULD BE WRITTEN DIFFERENTLY.
ALSO IT COULD BE PART OF YOUR RECOMMENDATION, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ABOUT, UM, MORE CLARITY IN THE POSTING AS IT RELATES TO THE CODE FOR THIS.
THAT'S ALL, I'M JUST TRYING TO GIVE YOU WAYS TO REMEDY SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU BROUGHT FORWARD TO US.
WELL, I THINK WE HAVE A, A COPY OF THE MOTION.
IF I CAN MOTION TO PUT THIS ON THE TABLE FOR DISCUSSION, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY FOR US TO PUT IT UP ON THE SCREEN.
IT SAYS, IT'S THE WORD DOCUMENT, THE WORD DOCUMENT THAT YOU TOOK FROM THE
[01:45:10]
SO THE ADDITIONS IN RED OR CORRECTIONS THAT I MADE JUST NOW, UM, EARLIER IN THE DISCUSSION AND THEN ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS SHOULD HAVE A, A COPY OF THIS IN YOUR EMAIL.THE RED WORDS ARE THE, JUST THE ONES THAT I ADDED.
SO ON BOARD MEMBER FAUST HAD THE GREAT RECOMMENDATION TO, UM, ADD IN, UM, WATER QUALITY IN REGARDS TO STUDIES THAT, UM, WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT AND, UM, PARD COULD PURSUE TOGETHER AROUND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ON, DOES THAT CAPTURE WHAT YOU WERE, WHAT YOU WERE THINKING? UM, ACTUALLY, NO, IT DOESN'T.
I THINK WHAT I WAS SPEAKING ABOUT, UM, THAT'S I THOUGHT IT COULD FIT IN THERE, BUT NOW THAT I READ IT CLOSER, MAYBE IT DOESN'T.
WHAT I WAS SUGGESTING WAS THAT, UM, PARD WORK WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION TO ENSURE SAFETY OF, UM, THE BOAT USERS, GIVEN THE WATER QUALITY ISSUES WE'RE HAVING WITH CYANOBACTERIA.
AND OTHER POTENTIAL WATER QUALITY PROBLEMS WHERE YOU'RE REALLY NOT SUPPOSED TO BE SWIMMING IN THAT WATER YET.
WE SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE OFF OF THEIR RENTAL BOATS AND BOARDS IN THE WATER.
SO JUST, YOU KNOW, MONITORING THAT AND MAKING EVERYBODY OF THE STATUS.
SO MAYBE, MAYBE ADD A BULLET THAT SAYS, UM, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS, UM, AROUND SAFETY ISSUES RELATED TO WATER QUALITY AND WORK TO WATER WORK WITH WATERSHED PRODUCTION TO UNDERSTAND IT.
ALONG THE LINES OF SAFETY, UM, THE MASSIVE BLOBS OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WHEN I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO CALL IT OTHER THAN I WITNESSED IT THIS PAST SPRING FOR THE FIRST TIME FROM THE CREEK AREA.
AND IT LOOKED LIKE PROBABLY 300 PEOPLE THAT HAD ALL TIED THEMSELVES TOGETHER.
UM, THAT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH COOLERS AND DOGS AND THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE THING.
SO IT SURE IT LOOKS LIKE FUN, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT, AS LONG AS WE'RE LOOKING AT SAFETY, IF THAT NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING CONSIDERED.
SO IS THERE A SPECIFIC CRITERIA, DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M REFERRING TO? HAVE YOU SEEN THE BIG BLOB? I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT OVERALL IT'S CALLED A RAFT UP OR WRAPPED UP.
WHAT DID YOU CALL IT AND WRAP WRAPPED UP WHILE YOUR BOOKS.
SO I GUESS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WANT AND HOW YOU WANT IT TO INCORPORATE IT JUST UNDER SAFETY.
OR DID YOU WANT TO ADD SOMETHING AS A SAFETY ON THE WATER IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OVERALL? AND THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF HE WANTED TO CALL UP AND YOU CAN CALL IT THE EXAMPLE, BUT YOU CAN ALSO JUST LOOKING AT OVERALL SAFETY ISSUES.
I THINK, I THINK IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO ADD ANOTHER BULLET SAYING, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO, UM, ASSESS AND ADDRESS SAFETY ON THE WATER WITH, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT WATERSHED PROTECTION.
AND, AND I REALLY LIKED LAURA'S SUGGESTION OF CONSIDERING SPREADING OUT.
SO, UM, YEAH, THAT'S JUST IN GENERAL TERMS, IF WE HAVE TO LOOK FOR A NEW LOCATION, UM, YOU KNOW, LET'S MAKE SURE THEY'RE SPREAD OUT.
I THINK, YEAH, DEFINITELY EXAMINING OPPORTUNITIES TO EQUITABLY LOCATE THE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE, THOSE WATERFRONT CONCESSIONS.
CAN I MAKE A POINT THAT ON THE BULLET NUMBER THREE, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE TO CLARIFY THAT.
I THINK IT'S REALLY EASY TO TALK THE, THE RACIAL EQUITY JUSTICE KIND OF WORDS.
BUT I THINK PUTTING VERY SPECIFICALLY IN THAT BULLET, THAT SPREADING OUT SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE CONCESSIONS SO THAT PEOPLE HAVE EQUAL ACCESS AROUND THE ENTIRE LAKE.
UM, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUT AT ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU COULD GET A COUNTERPOINT ON THAT, I AGREE ON THE ACCESS AND EQUITY, BUT EQUITY
[01:50:01]
IS ALSO ACCESS TO OTHER PARTS OF THE LAKE.AND THE, YOU ALSO HAVE A LOT OF MULTIFAMILY OVER OFF OF RIVERSIDE.
IT COULD BE COMING UP, THAT'S GOING TO BE USING IT.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, UH, LATINO OR AFRICAN-AMERICAN FOLKS WHO PEOPLE MAY BE THINKING ON THE EQUITY ISSUE.
IT REALLY IS OVERALL ACCESS TO THE SYSTEM FOR EVERYBODY.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PROGRAMMING COMPONENT, THE PROGRAMMING IS WHERE YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY, WHERE YOU PAY YOUR ATTENTION, WHERE DO SCHOLARSHIPS DO YOU PROVIDE? WHAT SORT OF ACCESS YOU GIVE AND, YOU KNOW, GETTING TO THE, GETTING TO THE LIGHT, GETTING INTO THE, YOU KNOW, THE RIVER.
SO IF YOU CAN KIND OF KEEP THAT MORE OPEN, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, CAUSE I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE SAYING, OKAY, WE WANT EQUITY.
AND SO THIS IS YOUR SIDE OF THE LAKE, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THIS IS OUR SIDE OF THE LAKE, BUT WE GAVE YOU EQUAL ACCESS TO SIMILAR FACILITIES.
I DON'T THINK I WAS TRYING TO SAY, YOU'RE SAYING, I DON'T WANT IT TO BE PERCEIVED THAT WAY.
I THINK WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT A PICTURE WHERE THE CONCESSIONS ARE, IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT THERE IS A DEARTH OF CONCESSIONS TOWARD THE EAST SIDE OF THE LAKE.
AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO MAKE CLEAR THAT IT'S WE, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT.
WE'RE MEN, UH, WE'RE WE'RE MEMBER COTTON SEIBEL.
I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH MAKING SURE WE MOVE CONCESSIONS THROUGHOUT THE LAKE.
AND I JUST DON'T THINK YOU TIE IT TO EQUITY.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING JUST NEEDS TO BE DONE BECAUSE THAT'S SMART PARK PROGRAMMING AND HOW WE USE OUR SPACES AND, AND, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE GIVE EVERYBODY EVERY AUSTIN I HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET ON THE RIVER.
UM, MAYBE MAKE A FOURTH BULLET.
YEAH, I THINK, I THINK IT COULD WORK AS A SEPARATE BULLET, LIKE YEAH.
CONTINUE TO EXAMINE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO EQUITABLY LOCATE THE ROWING PADDLING, UM, BOATING CONCESSIONS, ALL ALL AROUND LADY BIRD LAKE.
SO I'M I HAVE ONE MORE SUGGESTION.
I THINK, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO INCLUDE? DAWN'S POINT ABOUT OPENING THE ZILKER CAFE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
DID YOU WANT IT IN THIS EYE, IN THIS RESOLUTION OR? WELL, WE COULD DO IT.
I MEAN, I KNOW I'M GOING TO DEFINITELY MAKE SURE IT WAS A RECOMMENDATION TO THE, UM, AS WE'RE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE STAFF, BUT WE CAN INCLUDE IT.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S BEEN TWO X YEAR OPENING OF THE ZILKER CAFE.
I MEAN, I THINK IT'S GREAT TO HAVE, AND GOD KNOWS I'VE LOST MY COOL, I THINK IN THE PAST, OVER ZILKER CAFE, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT IT'S A THOUSAND DOLLARS A SQUARE FOOT TO ACTUALLY BUILD IT.
AND IT TOOK SO LONG WHERE WE BUILD NEW SCHOOLS, BUT HAVING GONE THROUGH ALL THAT AND THEN WHERE WE HAVE A VENDOR AND GRANTED, THE BOARD HAD SAID, WE DON'T WANT, WE DIDN'T WANT THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE TEMPORARY LICENSE OR WHATEVER, GOT WHAT WHAT'S CALLED.
AND SO, I MEAN, I WOULD THINK THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS WORKING WITH THE VENDOR IN TRYING TO NEGOTIATE TO SEE HOW, HOW THE FINANCES WORK.
I MEAN, THERE WAS A CHOSEN VENDOR.
WE JUST, IT WAS JUST, WE HAD ZONING ISSUE.
HE WAS, I DON'T WANT TO REHAB THAT WHOLE.
I JUST, I MEAN, I'M THINKING LIKE AUSTIN PARKS BOARD SAYS, WHERE IS ZILKER CAFE THEN WITH THE COMMENTARY OF, WELL, THEY CANCEL OR THEY DIDN'T APPROVE THAT PARTICULAR CONTRACT.
THE CONTRACT WAS NOT THE CONTRACT.
THE, THE CONSENT WE, WE CHALLENGED.
SO WE, WE MADE IT CHALLENGING FOR THEM.
UH I'M I'M GUESSING WE MADE IT CHALLENGING FOR THEM, FOR THE FINANCIALS AND THAT THEIR NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE DEPARTMENT AND ARGUE THAT THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED ANYWAYS.
'CAUSE SO IT'S, IT'S I, AS I SAID, BOARD MEMBERS, AS, AS WE STATED, THE DEPARTMENT IS WORKING EXPEDITIOUSLY TO WE, WE HEARD YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.
WE AGREE WITH YOU OR WORKING US, BUT EXPEDITIOUSLY DETERMINE HOW WE CAN GET TO YOUR CAFE.
SO I THINK YOU SHOULD PUT IT IN YOUR RESOLUTION ALSO, BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW WE HEARD YA.
SO I HAVE, UM, SO WHAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW IS THE EXISTING RESOLUTION THAT YOU HAVE ON THE BOARD, PLUS THREE ADDITIONAL BULLETS, UM, CONTINUE TO EXAMINE OPPORTUNITIES.
DO YOU ACCURATELY EQUITABLY LOCATE ROWING AND PADDLING CONCESSIONS, ALL AROUND LADY BIRD LAKE CONTINUE TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS AROUND WATER QUALITY AND SAFETY ISSUES STEMMING FROM CYANOBACTERIA AND CONTINUE TO WORK WITH PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES TO PROMOTE SAFE BEHAVIOR ON THE WATER.
AND THEN I HAVE ONE MORE POINT I WANTED TO ASK THE BOARD ABOUT, AND THAT IS, UM, ISSUANCE OF THE RFP FOR THE ZILKER BOAT RENTALS.
I DON'T, I HAVE MADE THE ARGUMENT AND I WILL MAKE IT LATER AGAIN IN THIS MEETING THAT THINGS SHOULD WAIT FOR THE ZILKER
[01:55:01]
PARK VISION PLAN.BUT I GUESS MY QUESTION THERE IS I HAVEN'T, I PARTICIPATED IN ALL OF THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, I'VE TAKEN ALL OF THE SURVEYS AND I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT SPECIFICALLY COME UP.
I HAVEN'T HEARD, SEEN THAT AS A POINT IN ANY OF THE PLANNING.
SHOULD THERE BE BOATS HERE OR NOT? I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT EROSION AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE CONSULTANTS HAS PROPOSED LIKE WAYS TO STOP EROSION AND BY DIRECTING PEOPLE TO SPECIFIC PLACES TO LAUNCH THEIR OWN FLOATING DEVICES.
BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE, UM, THE REASONING BEHIND AGAIN, I WAS GOING TO PROPOSE THAT THIS THING SAY THAT WE DIRECT THE, AND LET'S DO YOU HAVE ANY STUFF NOT TO DO THE EXTENSION TO HER? UM, ARE THERE OTHER ACTIVITIES, JEEZ, IN ADDITION TO THE VISION PLAN, UH, THAT PARKS, I SENT YOU GUYS AN ANSWER, I THINK A FEW WEEKS AGO ON, IN AN EMAIL THAT TALKED ABOUT WHY WE HAD POSTPONED THE, IT WAS POSTPONED BECAUSE OF THE VISION PLAN.
THAT'S ALL I REMEMBER GETTING.
AND WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT, I THINK I ALSO PUT AN ARROW THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT TO SEE THE VIABILITY OF THE SITE AS A CONCESSION TO CONTINUE AS A CONCESSION.
I DON'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS, YEAH.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHERE I THOUGHT WE WERE AT.
I THOUGHT WHERE ARE HOLDING OFF UNTIL WE GET THROUGH THE VISION PLAN BECAUSE OF THE REPAIRING RESTORATION THAT MAYBE WATERSHED, IF MAYBE IN PARKS, I'VE HEARD ABOUT IT FROM OUR, OUR NATURAL SPACE FOLKS.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHERE MY UNDERSTANDING, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE VIABILITY OF THAT SITE AS A, AS A CONCESSION.
WE'RE LOOKING AT IT CAREFULLY.
WELL, IT'S, IT'S A VIABLE SITE CAUSE IT'S A CURRENT GOING CONCERN, I GUESS.
YOU'RE NOT SAYING THAT IT'S NOT, IT CAN'T BE A PROFITABLE SITE, BUT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THE WATERSHED AND THE RIPARIAN RESTORATION AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AROUND THAT, THE EDGE RIGHT THERE AND WHETHER OR NOT IT SHOULD BE A CONCESSION.
AND THEY WERE WAITING THROUGH MY UNDERSTANDING FROM THE ALL CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN WAITING THROUGH THE VISION PLAN TO SEE WHERE WE ARE WITH THIS ECOLOGICAL UPLIFT, WHICH GOES DOWN THE ROAD, RIGHT.
BECAUSE THE PLANNING PROCESS STARTS AT 40,000 LEVEL AND IT KEEPS GOING AND GOING DOWN.
SO I THINK SOON WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO START SEEING MORE SPECIFIC PROGRAMMING AND ELEMENTS OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
UM, THAT'S HOW I KIND OF HOW I VIEWED IT FOR THE TIMEFRAME THAT THEY LAID OUT IN THIS LAST VISION, UH, COMMUNITY VISION PLAN MEETING.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY ON THE VIABILITY IS BASED ON ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS, NOT ON ECONOMIC CONCERNS ON ECONOMIC CONCERNS RATHER THAN YEAH.
I THINK THAT, THAT YOU CAN, YOU CAN LOOK AT VIABILITY THROUGH BOTH LENSES, RIGHT.
SO I THINK THAT THERE IS AN ECONOMIC LENS AND THEN THERE'S ALSO AN ENVIRONMENTAL LENS.
AND I THINK LOOKING AT BOTH OF THEM, I BELIEVE THAT WE HEARD FROM THIS BOARD AND FROM EVEN OTHER INDIVIDUALS OUTSIDE OF THIS BOARD, THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO LOOK AT IT BOTH IN BOTH WAYS.
AND I, I THERE'S ANOTHER, THE VIABILITY ALSO MIGHT BE THE PUBLIC BENEFIT.
IT MIGHT BE THE ENHANCED AMENITIES.
SO THERE'S MULTIPLE LENSES THAT WE NEED TO, TO, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY YOU WERE LOOKING AT THE VIABILITY.
AND SO, SO THAT'S INTERESTING.
AND WHEN, OH, SORRY, I WAS JUST CURIOUS.
AND WHEN DO WE EXPECT A RECOMMENDATION FROM WHOEVER'S LOOKING AT THE VIABILITY? UM, I THINK IT'S INTERESTING THAT I'M JUST NOW HEARING.
WE MIGHT, UM, NOT TO SAY THERE MIGHT BE MERIT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, BUT IT IS INTERESTING TO THINK ABOUT LIKE THE ORIGINAL ZILKER CANOE, THE METAL AND THIS ICONIC LOCATION, NOT HAVING, UM, BOTH FACILITIES.
SO WHEN WOULD WE HEAR A RECOMMENDATION ON THAT MEMBERS? THAT WAS THE REPORT THAT I, I SUGGESTED TO YOU EARLIER, THAT I WAS IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT ABOUT DOING A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY.
SO WE WERE WORKING WITH I'M WORKING SPECIFICALLY WITH THE WATERSHED DEPARTMENT TO DETERMINE WHAT WOULD BE THE ELEMENTS OF A STUDY.
HOW WOULD WE PUT TOGETHER A REPORT? WHAT WOULD BE THE, OR WHAT, W WHAT WOULD WE STUDY? EROSION LITTER, ABATEMENT, ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS, WATER QUALITY IMPACTS ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO I, I EARLIER SAID, I NEED A LITTLE MORE TIME TO BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU SOME TIMELINE FOR THAT, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
THAT'S PART OF THE VISION PLAN.
NO, THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THAT'S BASED UPON FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING.
I DON'T WANT TO, WE'VE BEEN HEARING THAT WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
I THINK A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE EVEN SAID TODAY, THE NUMBER OF BOATS THAT ARE ON THERE, WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS? THERE'S A ROJAN, WE'RE HEARING YOU SAY THAT WE'RE HEARING YOU SAY THAT IN CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS, YOU'VE SENT US QUESTIONS THAT ARE HINTING TO THAT WHERE WE'RE SAYING, OH, WE'RE, WE'RE HEARING THAT THIS IS REALLY A CONCERN.
WE KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD NUMEROUS, UM, OBSERVATIONS LIKE BOARD MEMBER HAGMAN, UH, HAS TOLD US THE SUMMER ABOUT THE NUMBER OF VOTES WERE THERE.
SO THERE'S LOTS OF CUES OUT THERE THAT GIVE US DIRECTION.
[02:00:01]
AND, AND WE TOOK THOSE CUES AND SAID, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR PARTNERS TO SEE HOW WE CAN ADDRESS THIS COMPREHENSIVELY AND STRATEGICALLY.SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A SPECIFIC STUDY ABOUT THE ZILKER BOAT RENTAL SITE.
NO, MA'AM, I'M TALKING ABOUT, YEAH.
I'M TALKING ABOUT A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT THE LAKE ITSELF.
I WAS ASKING ABOUT THE SPECIFIC CONCESSION, RIGHT? WELL, THIS CONCESSION WILL BE A PART OF THAT CONSIDERATION, RIGHT? IT'S GOING TO GO OUT ONTO THE LAKE.
IT HAS, IT HAS, IT HAS WATER QUALITY.
IF WE'RE WORKING WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE LAKE COMPREHENSIVELY, THIS WILL BE PART OF THAT STUDY.
SO THAT EARLIER IN THIS CONVERSATION, I TRIED TO EXPRESS THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THIS DEPARTMENT WANTED TO DO IN THE QUESTIONS THAT WE ANSWERED.
I TRIED TO EXPRESS THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE DEPARTMENT WOULD WANT TO DO.
SO IN REGARD TO EXW, I'M SORRY, I'M TRYING TO FOLLOW THE CONTRACT EXTENSION FOR THE ZILKER BOAT RENTAL.
YOU DON'T, YOU WANT TO KEEP, YOU WANT TO DO AN EXTENSION AND NOT GO AHEAD AND ISSUE OUR FEE BECAUSE YOU'RE NOW TALKING ABOUT A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF ALL BOAT CONCESSIONS AND THE IMPACTS.
WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT THAT OR THINKING ABOUT THE VISION PLAN THERE.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND BEFORE WE CAN DETERMINE HOW WE WOULD WANT TO MOVE FORWARD COMPREHENSIVELY WITH CONCESSIONS ON.
AND THAT, AND SO SINCE WE'RE WAITING TO SEE HOW WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD COMPREHENSIVELY, WE CAN'T MOVE FORWARD ON THIS ONE.
WE'RE NOT MOVING FORWARD ON THE CONCESSIONS THAT ARE, WE'RE NOT MOVING ON MORE THAN ONE CONCESSION THAT'S ON THE LAKE, RIGHT? IT'S NOT JUST ONE CONCESSION.
THERE'S ANOTHER CONCESSION THAT WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE AN RFP.
AND WE'RE NOT MOVING FORWARD WITH EITHER OF THEM.
WE'RE GOING TO SEEK EXTENSIONS FOR BOTH OF THEM.
I'LL HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT MY NOTES.
DOES ANYBODY KNOW WELL, I HOPE TO GET, I'LL EMAIL YOU THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION.
I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
UM, I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING THIS.
SO FIRST IT WAS COVID THEN IT WAS A GROUP VISION PLAN.
NOW IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY.
THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT REASONS WHY WE HAVE EXTENDED THIS CONTRACT THAT I'M TRACKING, I WOULD SAY, YES, THERE'S MULTIPLE CONSIDERATIONS FOR US TO BE RESPONSIBLE AS, AS PARKLAND, AS STEWARDS OF PARKLAND.
THERE'S MULTIPLE CONSIDERATIONS THAT THIS DEPARTMENT REVIEWS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS THAT ARE APPROPRIATE ENVIRONMENTALLY APPROPRIATELY FOR PUBLIC BENEFIT AND APPROPRIATE TO, UM, WHAT IT IS THAT THE CUES THAT WE'RE RECEIVING FROM THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GET FROM MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS, I CAN APPRECIATE THAT YOU ARE TAKING A CONSIDERED APPROACH.
I THINK AT SOME POINT IT HAS RESULTED IN SEVERAL YEARS OF CONTRACT EXTENSIONS.
EITHER VENDOR OUT HERE, YOU KNOW, THE MOST THAT PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO SEE NEW OPPORTUNITIES GIVEN AT THAT LOCATION, BUT OKAY.
I THINK, I MEAN, I THINK NO, I MEAN, I, YEAH, I THINK THANK YOU FOR REINFORCING THAT, THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING THOSE COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESSES, BECAUSE THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE ON, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITIES ON PUBLIC LAND.
IT'S A BIG RESPONSIBILITY TO BE A CONCESSIONAIRE, UM, IN THIS PARK.
UM, BUT I CAN, I ALSO CAN SEE HOW, IF WE'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT WANT TO BE RELOCATING SOME PADDLING CONCESSIONS, UM, BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN CONCERNS ABOUT EROSION OR OTHER, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE WERE, WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT OR RE SITUATING.
SOME OF THEM, YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO PUT A CONCESSION OUT FOR BID TO SAY, HEY, COME BE THIS CONCESSIONAIRE AND SPEND A BUNCH OF MONEY MAKING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, ONE YEAR WHEN IT, THAT MIGHT CHANGE.
SO I CAN, I CAN SEE HOW, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I DEFINITELY CAN APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, IT'S, I'M REALLY GLAD THAT YOU'RE REINFORCING THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT COMPETITIVE PROCESS, BUT I THINK THIS IS ALSO A VERY SPECIAL SITUATION WHERE I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT IT DOESN'T, IT MAY NOT MAKE SENSE TO INVITE FOLKS TO BID ON SOMETHING THAT COULD JUST BE, YOU KNOW, TEMPORARY, I THINK IN THE, THE, UM, ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL PROVIDED, UM, THE STAFF PROVIDED, UM, AFTER THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STAFF BROUGHT WAS THAT, ESPECIALLY FOR THE, THESE PADDLING CONCESSIONS, UM, BECAUSE OF THE SCALE OF THE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS AND, UM, THE, JUST THE, THE REVENUE CYCLES THAT, UM, THEY PREFER TO HAVE THESE LONGER CONCESSIONS SO THAT THE CONCESSIONAIRES HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECOUP THE COSTS THAT THEY PUT IN.
SO THERE'S, THERE ARE, YEAH, THERE ARE A LOT OF CONSIDERATIONS HERE, SO I,
[02:05:01]
I CAN APPRECIATE ALL THE POINTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE.SO BOARD MEMBER FILES, THE, UM, CORPORATE, UH, PURCHASING TYPICALLY FOR THESE TYPE OF CONTRACT EXTENSIONS WOULD BE ONE, BUT UP TO TWO YEARS FOR THE CONTRACT EXTENSION.
BUT I WAS ASKING SPECIFICALLY WHAT THE, THE TWO THAT ARE UP, I THINK, ARE THE ZILKER BOAT RENTAL AND THE ROWING DOCK.
IF THEY WERE BOTH BEING DONE FOR ONE YEAR FOR ZILKER BOAT RENTAL OF ONE UP ONE YEAR, OR UP TO TWO YEARS, IT'S STILL IN NEGOTIATIONS.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? NO.
I THINK ANYBODY THAT JUST GOT A NEW CONTRACT WITHIN THE PAST TWO YEARS GOT REALLY LUCKY APPARENTLY THAT THEY DIDN'T GET WELL, I MEAN, SOAKER PARK.
SO YOU HAVE THE CAFE AND YOU HAVE THE TRUST, THE BOATING, I MEAN, WE DID THE ROWING DOCK IN 2020, NOT IN SOAKER, I'M SORRY.
THE ROWING CENTER, THE TEXAS RANKED CENTER WAS IN 2020, BUT SHE SAID, THIS IS ABOUT ALL VOTING CONCESSIONS.
I MEAN, THAT CONTRACT WAS ABOUT ALL BOATING ALONG LADY WE'RE LAKE.
SO BOARD MEMBER FILES, THAT CONTRACT WAS APPROVED PRIOR TO RECEIVING FEEDBACK AND CUES RIGHT PRIOR TO THAT'S IT.
GET THAT AND NOT GET, I JUST WANTED YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE WAS NO INTENT HERE TO MISTREAT SOME CONTRACTORS AND PREFER OTHER CONTRACTORS AS WE RECEIVE FEEDBACK AND GET CUES, WE MAKE DECISIONS.
AND SO THAT FEEDBACK AND THOSE CUES WERE RECEIVED OVER THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF, WHICH THEN GIVES US SOME IDEA OF HOW WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD.
BUT THERE WAS NO INTENTION TO JUDAISM.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR.
WELL, LET'S, UM, GET BACK TO YOUR, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT I DID HAVE ONE MORE THING, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR IT.
AND THAT WAS ABOUT THE PUBLIC BENEFIT, YOU KNOW, ON THE SLIDE.
I THINK I ASKED FOR THIS AT CONTEXTS AND CONCESSIONS IS THAT I STILL AM.
I'D LIKE TO REALLY KNOW WHAT KIND OF SPECIFICALLY WHAT THE PUBLIC BENEFITS ARE, WHETHER IT'S HOW MANY SENIORS WE'RE IMPACTING, HOW MANY WE'LL PUT THAT INTO THE WRITTEN REPORT.
THE WRITTEN REPORT, IF YOU LOOK AT IT, IT HAS ALL OF THE DETAILS WE INCLUDE THIS, BUT HIS, BUT WE BREAK IT DOWN EVEN, EVEN MORE IN THE WRITTEN REPORT.
I JUST, I THINK I JUST ASKED FOR THAT BECAUSE, AND I JUST WAS CURIOUS BECAUSE IT IS, WE HAVEN'T PUT THE WRITTEN REPORT TOGETHER AT THIS POINT.
CAUSE WE'RE GETTING YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE STILL HAVE TO GO TO THE HIGH END, OUR MILITARY.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU DIDN'T FORGET.
LET'S GO WITH YOUR RECOMMENDATION AGAIN.
SO YOU'VE MADE SOME, UM, MODIFICATE AMENDMENTS OR SO THE THREE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE, UH, UH, BEEN ADDED AS BULLET POINTS ONTO THE TEXT OF THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN HERE ARE CONTINUED TO EXAMINE OPPORTUNITIES TO EQUITABLY LOCATE BROKING AND FILING CONCESSIONS ALL AROUND LEE, BERKELEY.
SO IN ADDITION TO THE LANGUAGE OF THE RESOLUTION THAT IS HERE ON SCREEN, UM, WE HAVE ADDED, OR I HAVE ADDED THREE BULLET POINTS AS AMENDMENTS.
SO TO THE END OF THIS LIST, UM, NUMBER ONE, CONTINUE TO EXAMINE OPPORTUNITIES TO EQUITABLY LOCATE ROWING AND PADDLING CONCESSIONS, ALL AROUND LADY BIRD, LAKE NUMBER TWO, CONTINUE TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS AROUND WATER QUALITY AND SAFETY ISSUES STEMMING FROM CYANOBACTERIA AND NUMBER THREE, CONTINUE TO WORK WITH PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES TO PROMOTE SAFE BEHAVIOR ON THE WATER.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO ADD ABOUT THIS OF, FOR FE ENCOURAGED.
SO CONTINUE TO NUMBER FOUR WOULD BE CONTINUED TO, UM, UH, WORK EXPEDITIOUSLY TO BRING THE ZILKER CAFE ONLINE AS A CONCESSION.
SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY, UM, OTHER THINGS THEY WANT TO ADD TO HER RESOLUTION OR RECOMMENDATION? SO CAN WE GO AHEAD AND VOTE ON IT AS AMENDED? OKAY.
SO I DO I MOVE TO, OR IT'S ALREADY BEEN AMENDED.
[02:10:01]
RIGHT, RIGHT.SO WE DIDN'T REALLY DO, DID WE NEED TO MOVE ON THE AMENDMENTS OR WE, UM, SHE ORIGINALLY DID THE MOTION.
BUT WE DIDN'T VOTE ON IT THAT, SO THAT'S WHY, SO I, SO I MOVED TO, UM, PUT THE MOTION BACK ON THE TABLE AS AMENDED WITH THE FOUR BULLET POINTS OF THAT.
I JUST READ THAT SECOND AND HE'S SECOND.
SO, UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, ANY OPPOSED? SO NOW WE MOVE TO PUT IT BACK ON THE TABLE.
BOARDMAN AND BOARD MEMBER RENALDI.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON THAT.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT, YOU KNOW, SHARED THEIR THOUGHTS.
I KNOW THAT THIS IS A REALLY, UM, POPULAR AND, UM, WONDERFUL AND COMPLICATED AREA.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT USES.
UM, IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, ATTRACTS A VERY DIVERSE CROWD THAT WANTS TO DO, UH, YOU KNOW, A WIDE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES.
SO, UM, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON HERE AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, VOICING ALL THE CONCERNS THAT YOU DID OVER THE, YOU KNOW, THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE CONCESSIONS ON LADY BIRD LAKE.
UM, AND THANK YOU TO, TO THE CONCESSIONAIRES.
I KNOW THAT A LOT OF Y'ALL ARE WITH US TONIGHT.
UM, LIKE I SAID, IT'S A BIG RESPONSIBILITY TO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE THESE SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC ON LADY BIRD LAKE, AND, YOU KNOW, IT PROVIDES FOLKS, UH, A NEW WAY TO GET TO KNOW THE ENVIRONMENT, GET TO KNOW NATURE, GET TO KNOW THE PARK.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT AS WELL.
UM, I'M WONDERING, I'M NOT SURE.
UM, I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE TAKE A FIVE MINUTE FIVE, A FIVE MINUTE BREAK.
SO IF WE CAN START AGAIN JUST TO, I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE ALL NIGHT, LIKE WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, SO IT'S EIGHT 16.
IF EVERYBODY COULD BE BACK, I MEAN IT'S 8, 17, 8.
IT'S EIGHT 17 THAT CLOCK DOWN.
SO WE ARE RE WE'RE RECONVENING
[B.9. Presentation, discussion and possible action regarding a recommendation to the City Council to approve the Pease Park Conservancy’s Annual Programming Plan for Kingsbury Commons within Pease District Park.]
AND WE, UM, MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER NINE, WHICH IS THE PRESENTATION DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY'S ANNUAL PROGRAMMING PLAN FOR KINGSBURY COMMONS WITHIN THE PEACE DISTRICT PARK.SO WE HAVE, UM, CHRISTINE, IS SHE ONLINE OR IS THERE OKAY.
WE HAVE CITIZENS COMMUNICATION.
SO OUR FIRST SPEAKER, WE HAVE TWO SPEAKERS ON THIS AGENDA ITEM FOR SPEAKER, BILL BUNCH WITH SOS ALLIANCE, MR. BENCH.
UM, I'M HERE TO ADDRESS A COUPLE ISSUES ABOUT THIS ITEM THAT RELATE NOT JUST TO PEACE PARK, BUT TO THE OTHER CONCESSIONS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED OR IN THE PROCESS OF BEING IMPROVED.
UM, AND TO URGE YOU TO DEMAND THAT YOU HAVE THE PROPER ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN WHICH TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS PROGRAMMING PLAN MIGHT MEAN.
UM, WHEN THE TRAIL FOUNDATION WAS UP FOR ITS, UH, INITIAL AGREEMENT, THEY CAME BEFORE, Y'ALL THE ISSUE WASN'T PAINTED VERY CHRIS' CLEARLY OR SHARPLY AS TO HAVING THAT AGREEMENT ULTIMATELY BE APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL OR SENT TO STAFF FOR NEGOTIATION AND, AND EXECUTION.
AND THERE WAS CAUGHT A DISPUTE ABOUT THIS AT CITY COUNCIL.
AND THERE WAS ARGUMENT MADE BY THE PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY PEOPLE THAT IT WOULD BE UNFAIR, AND IT WOULD ACTUALLY THREATEN THEIR AGREEMENT IF THE TRAIL FOUNDATION AGREEMENT FOR A 10 MILE TRAIL AROUND LADY BIRD LAKE, THAT INVOLVES HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS.
IF NOT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE EVERY YEAR WAS TREATED DIFFERENTLY THAN THEIR AGREEMENT FOR THIS,
[02:15:01]
YOU KNOW, SEVEN ACRES OF, OF KINGSBURY COMMONS, UH, WHAT'S A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK, UM, AND THAT IT HAD TO BE CONSISTENT.SO IF THIS IS NOW THE MODEL FOR CONSISTENCY, THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT OTHER PARKS TOO, WE NEED TO REALLY LOOK AT IT.
AND WHAT I THINK IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO EVEN JUDGE THIS PROGRAMMING PLAN.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE AGREEMENT THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE MATCHING TO.
AND I, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S EVER BEEN SHOWN TO Y'ALL OR TO ANYBODY.
UM, SO, AND THERE'S NOTHING IN YOUR BACKUP FROM STAFF SAYING THIS COMPLIES WITH THE AGREEMENT.
THERE'S NOTHING IN THERE THAT REALLY SPELLS OUT THIS MANY DAYS CAN BE, ARE ALLOWED FOR PRIVATE, CLOSER FOR PRIVATE EVENTS AND WHERE THEY'RE STAYING UNDER THAT.
I DON'T SEE THAT THERE, UM, I BELIEVE, AND WHEN COUNCIL APPROVED THIS, THEY DID FOR EXECUTION.
THEY DID SAY, WE WANT YOU TO COME BACK THE FIRST TWO YEARS SO WE CAN SEE HOW IT'S GOING.
I THINK THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR.
THIS MIGHT BE JUST THE FIRST ONE, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT MATCHING IT TO THE AGREEMENT, AND YOU'RE ALSO, IF THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR, AND IT'S NOT CLEAR, HOW IS IT CHANGING FROM THE FIRST YEAR? AND, AND COMPARING, YOU KNOW, THAT TRACK RECORD FROM THE FIRST YEAR, THEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S NO BENCHMARK, THERE'S NO RHYME OR REASON TO THE WHOLE PROCESS.
AND ALL OF THAT IS ABOUT, AND NONE OF THAT IS TO CAST DISPERSIONS ON WHAT THEY'VE DONE.
MY SENSE IS THE COMMUNITY REALLY LIKES IT PERSONALLY.
I HOPE THEY DON'T BUILD ANYTHING MORE.
IT'S FANTASTIC WHAT THEY'VE DONE, BUT YOU HAVE THIS FINANCIAL IMPERATIVE NOW TO JUST KEEP BUILDING MORE STUFF AND THE REVENUE MODEL, AND THAT'S THE TERM IN THE, IN THIS REPORT THAT IS DRIVING THE NONPROFIT.
WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THAT'S INTENTION WITH THE PUBLIC BENEFIT AND THE LONG RANGE PLAN EMPHASIZING THAT THE PARKS SHOULD BE MORE NATURAL.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT, WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT.
THE PUBLIC IS NOT THE SAME AS WHAT BIG DONORS WANT TO DO QUITE OFTEN.
AND SO IT'S REALLY YOUR JOB TO MANAGE THAT STEWARDSHIP AND PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE CONFLICTS.
AND AGAIN, IF THIS IS THE MODEL AND WE HAVE TO BE CONSISTENT, EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK AND IT'S OUR DISTRICT PARK IS A TERM, BUT IT SAYS A TWO MILE NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S NOW SETTING THE STANDARD FOR WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IN ZILKER PARK OR ROY GUERRERO OR THE ENTIRE, YOU KNOW, TOWN LIKE METROPOLITAN PARK, LIKE THE TRAIL.
THEN Y'ALL GOT TO PAY ATTENTION AND YOU GOTTA DEMAND THAT YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION, SO YOU CAN DO YOUR OVERSIGHT JOB.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ROY WHALEY WITH AUSTIN SIERRA CLUB.
SO NOW WE HAVE, UM, LET'S SEE, CHRISTINE.
MY NAME IS CHRISTINE AND I AM THE PROGRAM MANAGER AT, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
I MANAGE THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM.
THE CITY, UH, WITH ME TODAY IS HEATH RYDELL SANCHEZ, WHO IS THE CEO OF PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY.
AND TODAY WE'LL BE PRESENTING THE PEACE PARKS, CONSERVANCIES, ANNUAL PROGRAMMING PROGRAMMING PLAN, AND REQUESTING, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE ANNUAL PROGRAMMING PLAN FOR KINGSBURY COMMENTS.
SO, UM, JUST TO REFERENCE BACK TO MARCH, LET'S SEE MARCH 20, 20 COUNCIL DIRECTED CITY STAFF TO WORK WITH NONPROFIT PARTNERS AND CREATE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS THAT BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY AND OUTLINE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES BETWEEN PARTNERS AND PART AT THIS POINT, HARD DEVELOPED THE PARTNERSHIP CONFIGURATIONS, A B, C, AND D, WHICH WE HAVE PRESENTED TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD PRIOR TO TODAY AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF EACH OF THESE PARTNERSHIP, CONFIGURATIONS
[02:20:02]
PARTS PARTNERSHIP, A WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY INCLUDES PROGRAMMING OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES AT A DETERMINED SITE.SO MAY, 2021 CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZED THE NEGOTIATION EXECUTION OF A PARK OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT WITH PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY FOR THE OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE AND PROGRAMMING FOR CERTAIN PORTIONS OF PEACE DISTRICT PARK COUNCIL PROVIDED DIRECTION TO RETURN THE ANNUAL PROGRAMMING PLAN, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE BRINGING FORWARD TODAY, UH, TO CITY COUNCIL FOR REVIEW AND DIRECTION FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF THE GREEN OF THE AGREEMENT, AS YOU WILL RECALL IN APRIL PRIOR TO GOING TO COUNCIL, WE BROUGHT FORWARD THE, WHAT WE OFTEN CALL THE POMA, WHICH IS THE PARK, THE, UH, PROGRAMMING OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE PLAN, UM, TO CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS, AS WELL AS PARKS BOARD FOR REVIEW AND DIRECTION, AND, UH, AND SUPPORT FOR COUNCIL TO GO TO COUNCIL, UH, JUST TO EXPLAIN EXACTLY WHAT A PROGRAMMING PLAN IS.
SO A PROGRAMMING PLAN IS REQUIRED, UH, IN PER THE POMA AND IT IS TO PROVIDE THE DIRECTOR ANNUALLY FOR HIS OR HER REVIEW AND APPROVAL.
AND FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS, AS WE MENTIONED PER COUNCIL DIRECTION, TO BRING IT FORWARD TO COUNCIL FOR THEIR APPROVAL AND ANNUAL PLAN INCLUDES THE PROGRAMS, THE ACTIVITIES, THE RENTAL FEES, AND ANY POTENTIAL TEMPORARY CONCESSIONS PER THE PEAS PARK CONSERVANCY, PALOMA THE SITE WILL NEVER BE FULLY CLOSED FOR A SPECIAL EVENT.
THE TRAIL WILL NEVER BE CLOSED.
PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY IS PERMITTED TO HAVE FIVE MINIMALLY OPEN DAYS PER YEAR, WHICH MEANS MORE THAN 50% OF KINGSBURG BARRY COMMONS IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO TICKETED PATRONS IN THE PROGRAMMING PLAN, WHICH IS IN YOUR BACKUP FOR THE YEAR AT 2022.
PEACE PARK IS ONLY PROPOSING ONE DAY IN THE PLAN.
I'M SORRY, GO BACK TO THE LAST SLIDE.
I DID JUST WANT TO POINT OUT NOPE.
UH, JUST TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW FOR SOME, UM, MEMBERS WHO MAY HAVE NOT BEEN HERE WHEN THE, BOTH THE, UH, THE, WE PARTNERED WITH PART PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY PARTNER WITH PART ON THE VISION PLAN FOR PEACE DISTRICT PARK IN 2014, COUNCIL ADOPTED THE VISION PLAN.
PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY AWARDED WAS AWARDED $9.7 MILLION FROM THE MOODY FOUNDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF WITHIN THE VISION PLAN.
IN 2019, WE EXECUTED THE PARKLAND IMPROVEMENT AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT FOR KINGSBURY COMMINS DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION, WHICH WAS A HUNDRED PERCENT PARTNER FUNDED.
UM, AND THEN AS I MENTIONED, UH, IN MAY 20 COUNCIL APPROVED AND NEGOTIATES NEGOTIATION EXECUTION, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT, SORRY, CHRISTINE, THE CONSERVANCY RAISED AN ADDITIONAL $5 MILLION IN ADDITION TO THE 9.7 THAT WAS RAISED BY THE MOODY FOUNDATION THAT WOULD BE DESIGNATED FOR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF THE SPACE IN THE FUTURE.
SO HERE'S AN OVERVIEW OF THE KEY TERMS OF THE, THE POMA AGREEMENT, UH, AS IT RELATES TO THE PROGRAMMING PLAN, THE PARTNERSHIP, A CONFIGURATION KEY TERMS, WHICH WE HAVE PROVIDED TO A PARK IN THE PAST, UM, IS WHAT IS THE REALLY THE GROUND WORK FOR ALL OF THE TERMS THAT YOU'RE SEEING TODAY, THE CONCURRENT PROPOSED ANNUAL PROGRAM PLAN, WHICH IS A COMPONENT OF THE POMA AND IS PROVIDED ANNUALLY TO THE DIRECTOR FOR APPROVAL.
AND AS I MENTIONED, THE FIRST TWO YEARS TO COUNCIL, THE PEAS PARKING SURVEY IS PERMITTED TO HAVE FIVE MINIMALLY OPEN DAYS PER YEAR, WHICH DID AS DEFINED BY THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL EVENTS.
TO ME, MORE THAN 50% OF KINGSBURY COMMONS IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO, TO GET PATRONS.
PEASE PARK IS ONLY PROPOSING UTILIZING ONE MINIMALLY OPEN.
AND THE 20 TO 22 YEAR OF THE ANNUAL PROGRAM PLAN, THE ANNUAL PROGRAM PLAN SHALL BE REQUIRED TO BE APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS, THE ANNUAL PROGRAMMING PLAN MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE PAR DIRECTORS APPROVAL AT LEAST 60 DAYS PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF EACH CALENDAR YEAR, THE PAR DIRECTOR IS DIRECTED TO OBTAIN COUNCIL APPROVAL.
IF THE ANNUAL PROGRAM PLAN REQUESTS EXCEEDS FIVE MINIMALLY OPEN DAYS OF THE SITE AND CONSISTENCY WITH THE PARTNERSHIP, A TERMS ALL GROSS REVENUE GENERATED AT THE SITE MUST BE DEPOSITED
[02:25:01]
INTO A PARK OPERATIONS FUND AND USED TO PAY OPERATING EXPENSES, ALL SPECIAL EVENTS, WHICH IS WHAT A SPECIAL EVENT IS, IS A EVENT THAT IS REQUESTING A THOUSAND PLUS PEOPLE TENTS AT THE SITE AND OR ALCOHOL CELLS ARE TO APPLY AND BE PERMITTED THROUGH THE AUSTIN SPECIAL EVENTS OFFICE.AND THEN I'M GOING TO HAVE HEATH TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE ACTUAL PROGRAMMING PLANNED IN THE NEXT YEAR.
AGAIN, YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ON PAGE SIX AND SEVEN IN THE BACKUP.
SO GOOD EVENING, UH, CHAIR LEWIS, VICE-CHAIR DIPLOMA AND BOARD MEMBERS.
IT'S SUCH A PLEASURE TO BE BACK WITH YOU TONIGHT.
I AM CALM AND JOY AND GRATITUDE AND BRING GOOD TIDINGS.
UH, I THINK THE VISION AND SUPPORT OF THIS BODY HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO, TO THE SUCCESS THAT WE SEE AT KINGSBURY, UH, COMMENTS WE OPENED JULY OF THIS YEAR.
WE HAD SEEN AN EXPONENTIAL AS I THINK WE HAVE HEARD HERE AN EXPONENTIAL GROWTH ALREADY, RIGHT IN PARK USAGE, UH, DURING COVID.
AND THAT HAS GROWN A LOT SINCE WE REOPENED THE PARK.
THE CONSERVANCY IS INVESTED IN BECOMING MORE SOPHISTICATED IN HOW WE QUANTIFY AND QUALIFY SO THAT I CAN SAY MORE THAN JUST A LOT.
UH, AND, AND WE WILL, UH, BE ABLE TO GATHER, I THINK, MORE SPECIFIC DATA AND TALK ABOUT IT IN MORE SOPHISTICATED TERMS, BUT ANECDOTALLY IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE THAN THERE HAVE EVER BEEN BEFORE, UH, ENJOYING PEACE PARK AT KINGSBURY COMMONS.
AND IT IS AN INCREDIBLY DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM ALL OVER, UH, UH, THE CITY TO ENJOY THIS PARK.
WE TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY FROM A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, BUT THERE ARE DIFFERENTLY ABLED PEOPLE, GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY, THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY.
IT IS TRULY A DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE USING THIS.
WE HAVE HAD A SERIES OF COMMUNITY EVENTS, UH, ALREADY, SINCE, UH, WE OPENED AND IN THE COMING YEAR, WE'RE LOOKING AT HAVING, UH, MANY MORE AND THEY'RE LISTED HERE.
I WON'T NECESSARILY WALK YOU THROUGH ALL OF THEM, BUT, UH, I THINK WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS JUST ANOTHER, A GREAT REPRESENTATION OF THE DIVERSITY OF THE TYPES OF, UH, DIFFERENT FOLKS IN ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE GOING TO BENEFIT FROM HAVING ACCESS TO PEACE PARK.
I DO THINK IT'S COOL TO POINT OUT THAT WE'VE EVEN, WE EVEN LIKE ARE OUR ACTIVE AT NIGHT.
WE HAVE CREATED A SERIES OF PROGRAMMING CALLED PEACE PARK AFTER DARK, THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE BEAUTIFUL LIGHTING, THE NIGHTTIME BACE AND BASKETBALL COURTS, UH, ANY GIVEN NIGHT AT PEACE PARK.
NOW WE ARE SEEING SOMETIMES TWO, 300 PEOPLE COME OUT TO THOSE BASKETBALL COURTS AT NIGHT AND PLAY PICKUP BASKETBALL, UH, AT PEACE PARK.
AND AGAIN, THESE ARE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, SO JUST SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM, UH, I'M ON THE RIGHT PAGE.
SO AS CHRISTINE POINTED OUT, PEACE PARK WILL NEVER BE CLOSED.
KINGSBURY COMMONS WILL NEVER BE CLOSED AS A RESULT OF PROGRAMMING PLANS, UH, THAT THE CONSERVANCY, UH, WE'LL HAVE IN PLACE.
I CAN COMMIT THAT TO YOU TONIGHT.
W W THERE WILL NOT BE A CLOSED DESIGNATION AT KINGSBURY COMMENTS WE HAVE IN THE PROGRAMMING PLAN THAT WE HAVE PROPOSED.
WE'RE ASKING FOR FIVE, I THINK, UH, MINIMALLY OPEN DESIGNATIONS.
AND WE ONLY HAVE ONE OF THOSE IN THE NEXT YEAR.
AND W THAT IS OUR FUNDRAISING EVENT, RIGHT? THAT IS THE FUNDRAISING EVENT FOR THE CONSERVANCY.
100% OF THE REVENUE GENERATED FROM THAT EVENT WILL GO BACK INTO THE ACCOUNT THAT CHRISTINE MENTIONED, AND WE'LL BE ALWAYS A HUNDRED PERCENT RESTRICTED FOR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AT KINGSBURY COMMENTS.
UH, JUST TO NOTE ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, HIGHLIGHTS THERE, THE TUTOR COTTAGE REVENUE EARNED FROM RENTAL SITE WILL BE EARMARKED.
ALL, ALL OF THE REVENUE THAT IS GENERATED IN KINGSBURY COMMENTS WILL BE EARMARKED FOR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE MAINTENANCE.
THAT IS AN ASPIRATIONAL DOLLAR FIGURE THERE.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK TO ACHIEVE PROBABLY WITHIN FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS.
OUR EARNED REVENUE GOAL FOR THE FIRST YEAR WAS MORE LIKE AROUND $20,000, WHICH IS ABOUT A TWO OR 3% OF THE OVERALL EXPENDITURE THAT THE CONSERVANCY IS PUTTING FORWARD FOR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AND KINGSBURY COMMENTS.
SO THE MONEY THAT THE CONSERVANCY IS GENERATING THROUGH THESE VERY LIMITED, UH, UH, CLOSURES ARE A HUNDRED PERCENT GOING BACK INTO, UH, UH, OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.
AND THERE'S STILL A HUGE GAP, RIGHT? THAT'S A CONSERVANCY WE'LL GO OUT AND FIND THE FUNDS TO CLOSE THAT GAP FOR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.
[02:30:01]
TO SURVEY PARK USERS FOR FUTURE ACTIVATIONS AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING.WE DID EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ON THE FRONT END OF DEVELOPING THESE PROGRAMS, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO SPEAK WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, IN AN ONGOING WAY.
UH, AS I MENTIONED, LOOKING AT BUILDING DATA, WE'LL BE DOING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOR THE INTERPRETIVE PLAN AROUND OUR CONTEMPLATIVE SPACE.
AND THAT IS A, UH, A DOCUMENT THAT WILL GUIDE US INTO THE FUTURE FOR HOW WE WILL PROGRAM IN THE PARK, THE INTERPRETIVE PLAN THAT I THINK MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH.
UM, SO WE WILL ALSO BE LOOKING AT, UH, SURVEYING FOLKS WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, PROVIDING WE'RE LOOKING AT CREATING A DEAL WITH, UH, H AND T WHERE WE COULD PROVIDE FREE WIFI AND THE PARK WHERE FOLKS WOULD HAVE TO PERHAPS GIVE LIKE A ZIP CODE OR AN EMAIL TO GET ON THE FREE WIFI.
THAT WOULD BE AGAIN, TO BE ABLE TO BUILD MORE DATA AS WE MOVE ON.
UM, SO AS OF JULY, WHEN WE REOPENED THE PARK, WE HAVE HAD 124, UH, EVENTS THAT WERE NO COST.
UM, SO-SO 124 USES OF SPACE IN THE PARK TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE FREE OR NO COST.
WE HAD 75 COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT WERE, THAT ARE, UH, EVENTS ORGANIZED BY PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY, AND THAT COMPARES TO AROUND 50 RENTALS.
SO WE'VE HAD NEARLY 200 FREE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, INSTANCES OF PEOPLE USING THE PARK FOR FREE OR COMMUNITY EVENTS AGAINST, UH, 50 OR SO RENTALS.
SO JUST ONE OF THE, I THINK GREAT HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS PROJECT IS THE TUTOR COTTAGE, AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE REALLY, W I'M I'M SO PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE BROUGHT LIFE BACK TO THIS STRUCTURE THAT WAS FOR MANY YEARS, AS YOU KNOW, CLOSED, ABSOLUTELY CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC.
UH, PART OF THE PROJECT AT KINGSBURY COMMONS WAS TO, UM, RE RE ENVISION THIS SPACE AND BRING LIFE BACK TO IT.
IT'S NOT OPEN EVERY DAY TO THE PUBLIC, BUT, UH, IT IS A SPACE WHERE WE ARE TRYING TO DO AS MUCH STAGING FOR OUR FREE COMMUNITY EVENTS AND PROGRAMMING AUTO.
SO WE ARE TRYING TO GIVE AS MANY PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC, THE OPPORTUNITY OF HAVING ACCESS TO THAT SPACE ON A DAILY BASIS AS POSSIBLE, EVEN THOUGH, UH, IT IS NOT JUST, JUST COMPLETELY OPEN ALL DAY, BUT IT IS A SPACE THAT WE ARE NOW USING AND HAVE BROUGHT LIFE BACK INTO AS A RESULT OF THIS PROJECT.
UH, IT IS A WINNER OF THE PRESERVATION AUSTIN MERIT AWARDS.
UH, JUST RECENTLY WITHIN THE LAST WEEK, WE HELD A NATIONAL BOARD MEETING FOR THE CHILDREN IN NATURE ORGANIZATION.
UH, ALSO THIS WEEK, IT WILL BE THE SITE OF A PRESENTATION CEREMONY FOR OUR SITES GOLD CERTIFICATION.
SO THE KINGSBURY COMMONS PROJECT WAS, UH, RECOGNIZED AS A SITES, UH, AT THE, AT THE GOLD LEVEL.
AND I THINK IT'S THE FIRST PUBLIC PARK IN THE PARK PORTFOLIO TO ACHIEVE GOLD CERTIFICATION.
AND IT'S ONE OF ONLY 19 IN THE WORLD TO HAVE A GOLD SITES CERTIFICATION CERTIFICATION.
SO WE HAVING THAT CEREMONY THERE THIS WEEK AS WELL, UH, NEXT SLIDE, TEMPORARY CONCESSIONS, UM, KINGSBURY COMMENTS IS DESIGNED.
AND THIS ACTUALLY W UH, I WANTED TO POINT OUT AND WHEN THIS, THE, IN 2019, WHEN THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT, UH, AGREEMENT CAME FORWARD TO THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS AND PARKS BOARD, UM, THAT WAS PARTICULARLY A POINT OF INTEREST WHERE THEY ASKED THAT TO ENSURE THAT THERE, THE DESIGN DID ALLOW FOR TEMPORARY CONCESSIONS AT THE SITE.
UH, FOOD TRUCKS WAS WHAT WAS ACTUALLY, UH, POINTED OUT AT THAT TIME.
UM, KINGSBURY COMMONS IS, UH, SEEKING TO DO TEMPORARY CONCESSIONS, WHICH IS ONE DAY AND NO MORE THAN SIX MONTHS CONCESSIONS AS A TEMPORARY CONCESSION, UH, PUSHCART CONCESSIONS IS UNDER CONSIDERATION.
AND THIS WOULD BE PILOTED IN THE SUMMER OF 2022 SLIGHT.
SO, UH, COMMUNITY BENEFIT, EVERYTHING WE DID, EVERYTHING WE DID AT KINGSBURY COMMONS WAS DESIGNED TO BE A RESPONSE TO INDICATED COMMUNITY BENEFIT EITHER THROUGH OUR, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OR IN ALIGNMENT WITH A PARTS LONG RANGE PLAN.
SO, UH, THE PICNIC TABLES ARE NOW LOW COST OR RENTAL, UH, LOW COST RENTAL FEE.
THEY WERE $65, I THINK, UH, BACK BEFORE NOW THEY'RE AVAILABLE FOR IT FOR $40.
[02:35:01]
SO WE'VE MADE THOSE CHEAPER, OR I THINK $15 OR SO CHEAPER THAN THE SYSTEM STANDARD.UH, AND WE HAVE FREE AND TICKETED, UH, COMMUNITY EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE PARK, AS I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED, NATURE, PLAY AND PROGRAMMING.
SO WE HAVE A WHOLE, UH, SPACE THAT IS DEDICATED TO THIS IDEA OF WHAT HAPPENS IN YOUNG MINDS WHEN THERE IS THAT TACTAL EXPERIENCE OF INTERACTING DIRECTLY WITH NATURE, OTHER SPACE FOR FAMILY AND COMMUNITY GATHERINGS, AS WELL AS OF COURSE, THE TREEHOUSE OBSERVATION POD, UH, THE WATER FEATURE AND THE BASKETBALL COURT, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY BENEFIT, UH, THEY, PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY OFFERS A NON-PROFIT RATE AS WELL AS, UH, PARTNERSHIPS TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THE SPACE FOR A LOW COST OR FREE, UH, PER THE POMA.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS 20 NO-COST USES OF THE EVENT SPACE.
UM, AND, UH, EVERY YEAR IT WAS MENTIONED PIECE PART PER THE POMA.
THERE WILL BE A NOT ONLY A ANNUAL PLAN, BUT THERE'LL ALSO BE A REPORT ON THE PAST YEAR'S ACTIVITIES.
SO IT WILL BE ABLE TO COMPARE YEAR TO YEAR THE ACTIVITIES, THE REVENUE, UM, EVERY, ALL OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE WITHIN THE PROGRAMMING PLAN WILL BE, UH, THERE WILL BE DELIVERABLES THAT WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT THAT IS REQUIRED PER THE AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY.
SO TODAY WE'RE ASKING, UM, THAT THE PARKS BOARD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY'S ANNUAL PROGRAMMING PLAN FOR KINGSBURY COMMENTS WITHIN THE DISTRICT PARK.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SO LET'S GO AROUND AND SEE IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR, UM, OR COMMENTS AND I'LL, UM, START WITH THE BOARD MEMBER SEGMENT.
NO, CHRIS HAS FREE BOARD MEMBER RINALDI, NO QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
BOARD MEMBER, CARLA, NO QUESTIONS.
UM, BUT I DO WANT TO SAY SINCE THE PARK IS OPENED, UM, MY, MY SON'S SPEAKING IN HERE AND I HAVE HAD SEVERAL, UM, GREAT GREAT DAYS AT, AT, UM, KINGSBURY COMMON AT EAST PARK AND IT REALLY ENJOYED IT.
WELL REMEMBER MORE, NO QUESTIONS.
YEAH, JUST, UM, ONE QUESTION, AND THEN I'LL START OFF WITH THE POSITIVE AND THE POSITIVE, SIMILAR TO BOARD MEMBER TO CARLYLE TAKING MY, MY YOUNGEST KIDDO THERE.
AND IT'S NOW I THINK THE FAVORITE PARK AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S AN INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLE ASSET, INCREDIBLE GIFT OF THE CITY, UM, YOURS BIRTHDAY PARTY, WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
SO PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY IS COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE, IN FACT, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, WE INCORPORATED, UH, MAKING AN ACCOMMODATING SPACE AT KINGSBURY COMMENTS FOR IGOR'S BIRTHDAY INTO THE DESIGN FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
SO WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH FRIENDS OF THE FOREST TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, KINGSBURY COMMONS AS A HOSPITABLE HOME, UH, FOR YEARS BIRTHDAY, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO HOSTING, UH, THAT EVENT IN KINGSBURY COMMONS, AS LONG AS WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, HAVE A LEAVE.
THERE WAS SOME CONCERN, UH, LAST YEAR.
WELL, I MEAN, WE, WEREN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO DO IT, UH, DURING THE CONSTRUCTION YEAR, BUT THEN COVID SORT OF RENDERED THAT MOOT.
AND SO I BELIEVE THAT, UH, FRIENDS OF THE FOREST IS CURRENTLY WORKING WITH THE CITY TO DETERMINE WHAT THE BEST SPECIFIC LOCATION IS FOR YOURS.
I MEAN, WHAT I REMEMBER HEARING ONE OF THE, THE, THE, THE CRITICISMS, UM, BACK IN THE TIME, WHICH I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT EVEN TELLING YOU BEFORE, AND I KNOW WE'VE HAD A CONVERSATION, UM, IN THE PAST, BUT IT WAS THAT THERE WAS PLANTINGS DONE WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE MOVING TO, LIKE, THERE'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, REFORESTATION ON THE SPOT THAT THEY THOUGHT THAT WAS DESIGNATED FROM THEM.
AND SO, I MEAN, IS THERE A RESOLUTION, IS THERE AGREEMENT AND RIGHT NOW, OR IS IT JUST LIKE, THIS IS THE SPOT, IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, THAT WOULD NEVER BE OUR STANCE, UH, AT ALL.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE TAKE THE RIPARIAN RESTORATION ALONG SHOAL CREEK EXTREMELY SERIOUSLY.
I THINK EROSION AT PEACE PARK IS WHAT LED TO THE ECOLOGICAL DEGRADATION THAT, THAT REALLY SPURRED THE CREATION OF THE CONSERVANCY 15 YEARS AGO.
SO, UH, YES, REPAIRING RESTORATION ALONG SHOAL CREEK, UH,
[02:40:01]
IN, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTION, PUBLIC WORKS AND, UH, FRIENDS OF THE FOREST WERE INVITED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS TO HAVE INPUT, UH, WITH REGARD TO REGARD TO THOSE PLANTINGS.AND, UH, THERE WERE, THERE, THERE WERE MULTIPLE, UH, MEETINGS WHERE WE SHARED THAT INFORMATION.
I'M NOT SURE FRANKLY, HOW, UH, UH, NOW IT SEEMS THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME MISCOMMUNICATION ABOUT THOSE SPECIFIC PLANTINGS, BUT THE CONSERVANCY REMAINS COMMITTED.
I WILL JUST SAY, I BELIEVE THAT, THAT THERE IS NO BARRIER THAT CAN'T BE SOLVED IF WE COME TOGETHER IN GOOD FAITH WITH THE INTENTION OF FIGURING OUT HOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL YOURS BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION IN KINGSBURY COMMENTS THAT CAN'T BE OVERCOME WITH SOME, UH, GOOD FAITH, UH, CREATIVE THOUGHT, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT WE LITERALLY DESIGNED THE SPACE TO ACCOMMODATE, UH, YOURS BIRTHDAY.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU THAT INTENTIONALITY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN COME TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT.
THE OTHER QUESTION IS ON THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION SIDE, AND ANOTHER CONCERN THAT'S COME OUT IN THE COMMUNITY IS REGARDING THE PLANTINGS, WHICH ARE FANTASTIC.
UM, YOU CAN SEE HOW THEY'RE GOING TO GROW IN AND REALLY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS, BUT THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION AS FAR AS LIKE THE WILD FLOWERS OR, YOU KNOW, THE INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL.
WELL, YOU KNOW, IT, THAT IT'S WHETHER IT'S HAPPENING OVER AT PEACE PARK OR NOT, AND I'M NOT EVEN SURE IF IT'S PART LIKE THE MAIN AREA.
I, I DON'T, AND I SHOULDN'T EVEN BROUGHT THIS UP CAUSE I'M NOT EVEN SURE EXACTLY WHERE THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, THE, AND IT'S BEEN COMMENTS THAT I'VE SEEN ONLINE.
IT'S NOBODY I'VE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH, LIKE, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT SPECIFICALLY, UM, JUST THE INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL.
WELL, SO I CAN'T NECESSARILY SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS THAT, GIVEN THAT I'M NOT REALLY SURE EXACTLY WHAT THE CONCERN IS THAT WAS RAISED.
WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE REMOVAL OF INVASIVES AND THE INTRODUCTION OF NATIVE NONINVASIVE SPECIES, THAT'S AT THE HEART AND SOUL OF WHAT WE DO.
WE HAVE A VOLUNTEER DATABASE OF NEARLY A THOUSAND PEOPLE, UH, WHO ARE COMMITTED TO THAT ON A REGULAR BASIS.
WE HAVE WEEKLY VOLUNTEER EVENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, AT THE CORE OF THOSE EFFORTS IS THE REMOVAL OF INVASIVE SPECIES AND THE, AND THE ONGOING INTRODUCTION OF NON, UH, OF NATIVE NONINVASIVE SPECIES.
SO, UH, I DID WANT TO JUST ADD TO THAT.
UH, THERE IS ALSO AN ANNUAL OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE PLAN THAT PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY, UH, PROVIDES TO THE DEPARTMENT.
THE DEPARTMENT REVIEWS THIS AS WELL WITH, AS WELL AS WITH, UH, STAFF, UH, THAT HAS EXPERTISE IN THESE AREAS AS WELL AS WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT FORESTRY DIVISION.
SO, UH, NONE OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT PIECE PARKED, UH, DOES DO WITH, THROUGH THEIR VOLUNTEER OR ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP ARE DONE WITHOUT, UM, THE CITY'S APPROVAL AND THERE THROUGHOUT THE 84 ACRES, THESE EFFORTS ARE NOT JUST CONFINED TO THE SEVEN ACRES OF KINGSBURY COMMENTS.
AND THEN I GUESS ONE LAST QUESTION, AND IT'S ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION STILL, AND SPECIFICALLY THERE WAS SOME FLOODING ON ADJACENT STREET OR RIGHT OUTSIDE.
AND, AND I KNOW THAT WAS A PROBLEM FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WERE YOU ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT WITHIN THE DESIGN OR, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S RIGHT.
IT'S RIGHT BY THE GATES, THERE WAS LIKE, WHEN YOU GO UP THE HILL, THERE WAS LIKE THIS REPEATED AS WATER CAME THROUGH.
I THINK CERTAINLY FLOODING, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T SAID ATTRIBUTED TO IT, WASN'T ATTRIBUTED TO THE PARK, BUT IT SEEMED AS IF THE PARK WAS ABLE TO, UH, BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUE.
WHAT YOU'RE REFERENCING IS THIS, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE HUNDREDS AT LEAST OF NATURAL SEEPS AND SPRINGS THROUGHOUT THESE PARKS, PARTICULARLY ALONG THAT HILLSIDE, ADJACENT TO THE TUTOR COTTAGE.
AND ONE OF THEM IS ACTUALLY UNDER, ACROSS THE STREET ON THE VERY EDGE OF ONE OF THOSE PROPERTIES.
AND IT WAS CREATING SORT OF A WET, YOU KNOW, IT WAS THE ONE I'M TALKING TO RAINING DOWN THE SIDE OF THAT STREET.
UH, REALLY, EVEN IN OUR TIMES OF MOST INTENSE DROUGHT, PRETTY MUCH 365 DAYS A YEAR, THERE WAS MOISTURE TRIPLING DOWN THAT SIDE OF THE STREET.
AND WE WERE ABLE, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE REFERENCING TO, TO GO UNDER AND DIVER THAT SPRING.
AND THIS IS PART OF WHY, HOW WE QUALIFIED FOR OUR SITES CERTIFICATION IS THINKING LIKE THIS, RIGHT.
WE DIVERTED THAT SPRING THAT WAS JUST GOING INTO, YOU KNOW, DRAINAGE INTO THE PARK AND IT'S NOW IRRIGATING, YOU KNOW, HALF OF THE HILLSIDE FOR US, SO.
[02:45:01]
YOU, CHAIR.THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBER, UH, FAUST.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ALSO FOR PROVIDING THE DOCUMENT WHOSE TITLE I'M NOT AWARE OF RIGHT NOW, BUT IT WAS IN THE BACKUP.
UM, I THINK FOR ME, THE I'M INTERESTED IN THE TYPES AND VARIETY OF PROGRAMMING AND WHO'S BEING SERVED BY THAT.
I'M ALSO VERY INTERESTED IN, UM, THE NUMBER OF EVENTS AND PROGRAMS AND OF COURSE THE CLOSURES FOR PRIVATE EVENTS.
I THINK, UM, THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT YOU'RE GIVING THIS REPORT SINCE THE THING WAS JUST FINALIZED IN MAY.
I'M ALSO, I GUESS, WONDERING WHY WE'RE GETTING THE REPORT NOW, SIX MONTHS LATER INSTEAD OF A YEAR FROM WHEN IT WAS FINALIZED THAT MIGHT'VE BEEN DESIGNATED IN THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION PLAN IS THAT WE WILL, UH, PRIOR TO THE YEAR WE WILL SUBMIT THE PROGRAMMING PLAN FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR CALENDAR YEAR FOR THE UPCOMING COUNTY.
SO IT'S A CALENDAR YEAR BASIS.
I THINK IN THE FUTURE, UM, WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR NEXT YEAR, BECAUSE YOU'LL BE REPORTING AGAIN, I ASSUME WOULD BE TO SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, SORT OF A TABLE, THESE NUMBERS WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU SORT OF READ THEM OUT.
HERE'S HOW MANY EVENTS WE'VE HAD.
WE'VE HAD, I THINK YOU SAID 200 EVENTS AND 50 RENTALS POSSIBLY, BUT YOU KNOW, AN ACTUAL TABLE SHOWING HOW MANY DAYS VARIOUS THINGS ARE CLOSED, HOW MANY RENTALS THERE ARE WHEN, YOU KNOW, WITH THOSE NUMBERS SO THAT WE CAN SEE IT IN YOUR, I THINK IT WOULD BE SUPER HELPFUL FOR US TO PROVIDE SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN, AFTER WE'VE DONE IT FOR A YEAR, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WHAT I WAS SORT OF WHEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE NUMBERS THAT WAS SINCE OPENING.
AND IT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE NUMBER OF DAYS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR YEAH.
BUT I THINK OF IT AS, UM, I KNOW YOU'RE PRESENTING YOUR PROGRAMMING PLAN FOR THE NEXT YEAR, BUT I, I UNDERSTOOD THAT IT WAS GOING TO INCLUDE A COMPONENT, YOU KNOW, SORT OF A REPORT ON WHAT HAD, WHAT HAD OCCURRED BECAUSE A PLAN VERSUS WHAT A, WHAT OCCURS IS WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO SEE.
AND THERE WILL BE A REPORT THAT YOU'LL SEE.
AND I ALSO JUST WANTED TO, UM, TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO NOTE FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
I THINK AS WE ARE GETTING INTO ALL OF THESE PARTNERSHIPS, WHICH ARE, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY RESULTING IN MORE AND MORE EVENTS, SPECIAL EVENTS AND RENTALS IN THE FACILITIES, WHAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO ME IS TO EVALUATE WHEN THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT CLOSURES IN OUR PARKS AS A WHOLE, LIKE, SO I CAN LOOK AT THE PEACE PARK PLAN AND KNOW THAT IT'S CLOSED FOR A WEEKEND IN OCTOBER FOR YOUR FUNDRAISER.
BUT WHAT I, THE WAY I WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT IS THE FACT THAT WE ALSO CLOSED ZILKER PARK FOR TWO WEEKS IN OCTOBER.
WE ALSO CLOSED THE WATERLOO GREENWAY FOR THE CREEK SHOW IN NOVEMBER.
AND SO IF WE COULD SEE AT SOME POINT, AND THIS ISN'T NECESSARILY FOR THE CONSERVANCY, BUT MORE FOR THE DEPARTMENT, IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO KNOW KIND OF AS A WHOLE, WHAT ARE WE, WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH ALL OF THESE PARKS THAT ARE REAL CLOSE TOGETHER? AND SO, YOU KNOW, IN MY MIND, A PEACE PARK IS CLOSED.
I'M MAYBE GOING TO GO TO THE WATERLOO GREENWAY OR GO TO IF I'M LOOKING FOR A BIGGER PARK OR GO TO ZILKER.
SO I DON'T WANT TO BE STACKING ALL THESE CLOSURES AND RENTALS ON TOP OF EACH OTHER.
AND FORTUNATELY, LIKE IN OCTOBER, WHEN WE ALL KNOW IT'S ALSO THE BEST WEATHER TO ENJOY A LOT OF OUR OUTDOOR PARKS.
SO THAT WAS JUST AS I WAS READING THIS AND THINKING ABOUT IT, THAT OCCURRED TO ME THAT WE REALLY NEED TO BE LOOKING AT IT HOLISTICALLY WITH ALL OF THESE, UM, BIG FACILITIES, SOME SPECIFIC QUESTIONS I HAD.
AND THE, UM, THE REPORT, YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS, ISN'T A QUESTION, IT'S A CONCERN.
YOU TALKED ABOUT RENTING THE GREAT LAWN, I THINK IS WHAT YOU CALL IT.
DO YOU CALL IT THE GREAT LAWN OR THE BIG FIELD? THE GREAT LAWN.
I THINK ON YOUR WEBSITE, IT MIGHT SAY THE BIG FIELD.
UM, BUT WE ALSO CALL IT THE GREAT LAWN AT ZILKER.
I FEEL VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE CONCEPT OF THAT BEING RENTED BY A CORPORATION DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AND NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IS SPRING BREAK AND THE CHILDREN ARE OUT OF SCHOOL AND,
[02:50:01]
YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO BE ENCOURAGING THEM TO BE IN OUR PARKS AND USING THOSE NATURE SPACES.UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD JUST BE TO ME VERY DISAPPOINTING IF, AND I KNOW IT'S QUITE A HIGH RENTAL FEE, BUT IT STATES CLEARLY IN YOUR PLAN THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT IS REFLECTIVE OF CORPORATIONS WANTING TO RENT THAT AREA DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD BE VERY DISCOURAGED TO SEE THAT NOT AVAILABLE AS JUST AN OPEN AREA.
IT IS A PUBLIC PARK AND IT, WHEN THE KIDS ARE OUT OF SCHOOL, I THINK WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP THE PARKS OPEN AND AVAILABLE.
UM, I ALSO WASN'T CLEAR LIKE IF, UM, CAUSE BOARD MEMBER DEPALMA BROUGHT UP, BROUGHT UP YOURS, WOULD THEY HAVE TO PAY THE $10,000 OR THERE'S A NONPROFIT RATE? OR, I MEAN, HOW IS IT THERE IS A NONPROFIT RATE.
AND I, AND I THINK THE PLAN IS THAT WE WOULD NEGOTIATE WITH YOURS DIRECTLY AND TRY TO COME UP WITH WHAT STEALS FAIR.
IT'S INTERESTING TO ME, I, THAT IN THE PLAN, IT TALKS ABOUT YOURS BEING THE, KIND OF THE ONLY FULL CLOSURE EVENT, BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY A FREE AND OPEN.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT AS A CLOSURE, IT'S SOMETHING IN HERE ABOUT THAT.
THAT'S THE BIGGEST EVENT THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, AT LEAST AS WE CAN ENVISION.
SO ON THE FUNDRAISER THAT Y'ALL HAVE IN OCTOBER, UM, WHAT WEEKEND WAS THAT? EXACTLY? OH MY GOSH.
I THOUGHT, SO YOU MIGHT JUST WANT TO WORK MORE CLOSELY WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
UM, I MEAN, SO DOES THAT CLOSE THE WHOLE PARK? NO, IT WAS WHAT WE WOULD CALL A PARTIALLY CLOSED, I THINK DESIGNATION.
SO THE ENTIRE PARK WAS NOT CLOSED THE BASKETBALL COURTS, THE GREAT LAWN, UH, SEVERAL OF THE FEATURES OF THE BIG, MAIN FEATURES DID REMAIN OPEN.
THE PART THAT WE CLOSED WAS JUST CLOSED FOR ONE DAY.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO MENTION WORK MORE CLOSELY WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
THERE WAS A SOCIAL MEDIA POST.
I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE IT, BUT IT SAID PEACE PARK IS CLOSED.
SO PLEASE WORK ON THAT MESSAGING.
I DID HEAR ABOUT THAT AND, YOU KNOW, WE SORT OF PLED, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE NEW, WE'RE DOING THE BEST THAT WE CAN.
AND WE CERTAINLY RECOGNIZE THAT ERROR AND WE CHANGED IT AS QUICKLY AS WE COULD AND GOT THE WORD OUT AND, AND MADE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTOOD THE RIGHT VERBIAGE AROUND THAT AND HOW TO NOT MAKE THAT MISTAKE.
WELL, I MEAN, AGAIN, KEEP IN MIND, IT'S LIKE WE'VE GOT ZILKER PARK CLOSED RIGHT THEN AND YEAH.
I MEAN, PEOPLE DON'T NEED TO GO SOMEWHERE AND THEN IT'S LIKE, WHAT'S GOING ON? UM, SO I'M GLAD YOU KNEW ABOUT THAT.
I WANTED TO MENTION, AGAIN, KIND OF JUST A COMMENT WITH THE TUTOR COTTAGE.
IT IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S A NICE FACILITY.
I THINK THE IDEA OF HAVING MEETINGS THERE, I EXPECT, I MEAN, ARE PEOPLE ABLE, I FORGET WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT SERVING ALCOHOL, HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE A PERMIT, BUT ARE PEOPLE GOING TO BE HAVING WEDDINGS THERE? YES.
AND SO I EXPECT YOU'LL DO A LOT OF WEDDING BUSINESS THERE.
WELL, UH, IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THAT PLAYS OUT DURING THE DESIGN PHASE.
WE DID NOT ANTICIPATE HAVING A BIG WEDDING BUSINESS BECAUSE THERE'S NO PLACE FOR A BRIDE TO, TO GET READY.
THAT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, UNHEARD OF, I GUESS, FOR WEDDING VENUES, BUT IT IS A CHALLENGE I THINK.
AND IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT WE THOUGHT MIGHT BE A BARRIER.
IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE IS SOME INTEREST IN HAVING WEDDINGS AT THE TIME.
ALL I WANTED YOU GUYS TO THINK ABOUT WAS, UM, I THINK YOU WILL GET THEM.
I THINK YOU CAN GET AN AIRBNB IN CLARKSVILLE AND GET DOWN THERE FOR YOUR WEDDING.
BUT, UM, I JUST DON'T WANT THERE TO BE WEDDING IT'S SO CLOSE TO THE PLAYGROUND, TO THE NATURE PLAY AREA AND THE SPLASH PAD.
I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL DISCOURAGED TO USE THOSE FACILITIES WHILE THERE'S AN EVENT.
I WAS AT THE DALLAS ARBORETUM RECENTLY, WHICH IS A LIKE TICKETED PLACE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A PARK, IT'S A, YOU PAY TO GET IN, BUT IT'S A BEAUTIFUL, UM, BOTANICAL GARDEN.
THEY WERE HAVING ALL THESE WEDDINGS THERE AND PEOPLE WERE JUST WALKING IN.
PEOPLE FELT VERY COMFORTABLE, STILL ENJOYING THE GARDENS AND THE PEOPLE HAVING THEIR WEDDING SEEMED TO BE FINE WITH US, YOU KNOW, WALKING BY AND PEOPLE ARE RESPECTFUL, BUT LIKE, I WAS JUST THINKING, HOWEVER, YOUR EVENT PLANNING PEOPLE ARE WORKING WITH THEM.
IF YOU CAN SORT OF MAKE SURE THAT IT, IT DOES NOT MAKE PARK USERS FEEL THAT THEY CAN'T BE IN THAT AREA AT THAT TIME.
I THINK BECAUSE I AGREE THOSE FACILITIES ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
[02:55:12]
OH, AND THEN I ALSO WANTED TO ASK THE PARK STAFF, I THINK THAT WE SAW A DRAFT OF THE AGREEMENT, THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BEFORE IT WAS FINALIZED, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER HAD SEEN A FINAL COPY OF THE AGREEMENT.THE NEXT, WHAT I MEANT TO SAY AS WELL AS THE NEXT STEP AFTER PARK'S BOARD SUPPORT AND OR RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, WE WILL GO TO COUNCIL AND JANUARY 27TH FOR THE APPROVAL OF THIS PROGRAMMING PLAN AS PER COUNCIL DIRECTION, THEY WANTED TO REVIEW AND APPROVE PRIOR TO EXECUTION.
I THINK THE, I CAN'T GET THE TREE HOUSE, THE TREE HOUSE, OBSERVATION POD, THE TREE HOUSE, OBSERVATION POD.
IT DOES GET CLOSED FROM MAINTENANCE QUITE REGULARLY.
UH, NOT, UH, NOT AS A REGULAR, UH, MATTER.
NO, IT HAS BEEN CLOSED A COUPLE OF TIMES WHEN, WHEN MAINTENANCE ISSUES HAVE COME UP, PARTICULARLY IN THE FIRST SIX WEEKS OR SO AFTER, THERE'S NOT A, THERE'S NOT A, A REGULAR SCHEDULE WHEN IT'S CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE.
IT'S JUST, NO, NOT, NOT WORTH NOTING.
IT'S NOT LIKE WEEKLY, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE NET EVERY YEAR OR SO, BUT, UH, WE DID HAVE TO TAKE THE NET IN, IT WAS SAGGING A LITTLE BIT, UH, WHEN WE FIRST OPENED AND SO WE HAD TO CLOSE IT TO, YEAH.
SO THERE WAS THE GOSSIP WAS THAT THERE WA IT WAS CLOSED LIKE A CERTAIN, JUST FOR MAINTENANCE THOUGH, BUT LIKE, PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SAY, OH, DON'T GO BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE CLOSED.
I CAN'T REALLY, I MEAN, IT WAS, THEY DIDN'T WORK WITH US.
IT WAS A NUMBER OF SAFETY ISSUE.
IT WAS CLOSED, BUT IT'S NOT PLANNED TO BE REGULARLY BECAUSE I WAS JUST THINKING IF WE'RE GONNA RUN IT, WE NEED TO KNOW HOW MANY DAYS IT'S ALSO REMAINING FROM THAT SAFETY PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, WE DO DO IT, I'LL GET THE WORD OUT.
THERE'S NOT REGULAR CLOSURES BECAUSE THE MOMS AT MY SCHOOL ARE LIKE DOWN, UH, CROWD AFTER US OR CLOSED REGULARLY.
THAT IS SUCH A POPULAR FEATURE.
AND THE TIMES WE HAVE HAD TO CLOSE IT, WE HAVE DEFINITELY FELT THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF OUR, YEAH.
I THINK JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, WHENEVER YOU'LL COME BACK AGAIN, IF WE CAN GET LIKE A REALLY JUST PRECISE NUMBERS OF RENTALS, CLOSURES, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT HAPPENS UNDER THE PLAN AND A LITTLE EASIER TO UNDERSTAND THEN THE BIG ONE DOCTOR.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH Y'ALL TO MAKE IT AS SORT OF DIGESTIBLE AS POSSIBLE.
I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARDER JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT FEATURES, BUT, UH, WE WILL DEFINITELY CONTINUE TO HELP YOU WITH THAT.
I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS.
I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE UP MUCH TIME, BUT I DID.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND, UH, AND YOU HAVE DONE SOME WONDERFUL THINGS AT PEACE PARK.
I REALLY, I KNOW LOTS OF PEOPLE THAT REALLY, UM, ENJOY IT.
I WISH, UM, I HAD YOUNG KIDS, BUT THOSE DAYS ARE LONG GONE, BUT, BUT, UM, I DID WANT TO ASK YOU A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED.
ONE WAS THAT YOU, YOU DID SAY, OH, WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER AND YOU MENTIONED L L B UM, SHE T AND ARE YOU TRACKING THAT? I MEAN, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU KNOW? I KNOW THAT I TALKED TO SOMEBODY ELSE WHO WAS CHECKING PEOPLE'S ZIP CODES.
HOW, HOW ARE YOU DOCUMENTING THAT YOU HAD? YEAH, SO, UH, AS I SAID, WE ARE ONE OF OUR MAIN SORT OF STRATEGIC STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AT THE CONSERVANCY IS TO BECOME MORE SOPHISTICATED IN OUR COLLECTION OF DATA.
AND TO BE ABLE TO SAY WITH GREATER SPECIFICITY, WHO'S COMING, WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I THINK WE CAN BEGIN TO MAKE A REALLY STRONG ARGUMENT FOR THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE LOCAL ECONOMY, UH, OR HAVING, BUT, UH, WE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO TAKE THOSE MEASUREMENTS IN A MORE SOPHISTICATED WAY RIGHT NOW WE LITERALLY HAVE PEOPLE OUT WITH CLICKERS, COUNTING PEOPLE.
WE HAVE PEOPLE OUT WITH SURVEYS ASKING PEOPLE, UH, BUT, UH, I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE BETTER WAYS AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING INTO THE, SO IT'S REALLY JUST CLICKER AS IN YOU'RE EYEBALLING PEOPLE AND SAY, AND THAT'S HOW YOUR, AND, AND SURVEYS SPEAKING WITH PEOPLE.
SO, AND WITH THAT, WITH, UM, WITH SURVEYS, SO WHEN YOU DID DEVELOP THIS PROGRAMMING PLAN, YOU DID, YOU DID IT WITH, WHAT DO YOU HAVE A COMMITTEE, AND THEN YOU DID THE SURVEYS AND, AND WAS PARKS INVOLVED WITH IT OR IN HOW IS THAT HOW IT ALL CAME TOGETHER? TH THAT'S HOW OUR YES, THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS HOW WE DEVELOPED, UH, STRATEGIES FOR, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THESE
[03:00:01]
PROGRAMS INTO PLACE.AND ALSO WE LOOKED TO ALIGN WITH THE PARD LONG RANGE PLAN.
SO YOU LOOK FOR, UM, WHEN YOU LOOK FOR THAT TOO, AND THEN I, I DID WANT TO, UM, JUST REITERATE WHAT SAYS ABOUT JUST TRYING TO BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THESE PARK CLOSERS, BECAUSE THIS IS, THESE DO BELONG TO YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB.
THESE TWO BELONG TO THE PUBLIC.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE HAVE ASSETS TO OUR PRODUCTS, AS EVERYBODY HAS DOCUMENTED.
UH, EVERYTHING WE DO IS THROUGH THE LENS OF HOW DO WE INCREASE ACCESS TO THIS SPACE? EVERY DECISION WE MAKE HAS THAT LENS LAID OVER, HOW DO WE MAKE THIS SPACE MORE, FEEL MORE WELCOMING, SAFE, AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL PEOPLE IN AUSTIN, NOT JUST THE PEOPLE WITHIN A TWO MILE RADIUS, BUT EVERYONE.
SO WE, WE ARE SO AWARE OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY WITH REGARD TO ACCESS, RIGHT.
I, I ALSO WISH THAT YOU WOULD, UM, HAVE SOME KIND OF EDUCATION OR, AND I'M TRYING TO THINK EXACTLY HOW I WANT TO SAY THIS, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE, UH, UM, MOST OF THESE CONSERVANCIES ARE BASED ON THE WEST SIDE OF AUSTIN.
I'D LIKE TO, TO SEE, AND THERE'S LOTS OF PARTS ON THE OTHER SIDE THAT DEFINITELY COULD BENEFIT FROM AMENITIES AND NEW PROGRAMMING THERE.
I KNOW THAT, UM, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS, UM, BOARD MEMBER, UM, MORE GOT ON THE BOARD IS BECAUSE WITH THE AREA WHERE HE LIVES IN, THERE'S THAT KIND OF DEARTH OF, UM, AND I JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT, UM, DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THAT, WHICH IS WHY WE CREATED THE PARD PATH, THE PATHWAY TO PARTNERING WITH PART, WHICH IS THE PARTNERSHIP CONFIGURATIONS, ABC, AND D.
UM, AND WITH THE, WITH THE DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS, WE WORK ON TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON, UM, PROVIDING, UH, POTENTIAL, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR NETWORKING EVENTS AMONGST OUR PARTNERS.
SO WE HAVE QUARTERLY PARD PARTNER NETWORKING EVENTS, WHERE ALL PARTNERS ARE INVITED, UM, PEAS PARK ACTUALLY HOSTED THE LAST ONE AT THEIR SITE.
SO, UM, THAT'S NOT SPECIFIC TO ONE TYPE OF PARTNER.
AND WE ALSO HAVE PROGRAMMING PARTNERS.
WE HAVE SOME OF OUR, UH, AISD PARTNERS.
AND SO WE ALL KIND OF HAVE A NETWORKING EVENT.
SO IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, BOTH TO MEET AND TO LEARN, BUT ALSO TO FIND OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE CAN PARTNER TOGETHER.
UM, AS WELL AS I WOULD LIKE, JUST TO POINT OUT, UH, WITHIN THE GOALS OF THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM, WHICH I MANAGE, ONE OF THOSE GOALS IS TO CREATE A MENTORSHIP PROGRAM AMONGST OUR PARTNERSHIPS, UH, SO THAT A PARTNER OF A DIFFERENT CONFIGURATION WHO IS INTERESTED IN LEARNING POTENTIALLY ABOUT MAYBE AS, UH, DEVELOPMENT, UH, FUND DEVELOPMENT OR, UH, PROGRAMMING, UH, CAN DO THAT.
AND, UH, PARKS PHARMA WILL HELP TO, TO KIND OF PROVIDE THAT NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY AMONGST OUR PARTNERS.
AND BOARD MEMBER, IF I COULD JUST ADD RIGHT NOW, CHRISTINE IS ALL THINGS PARTNERSHIPS.
SO I MEAN, ALL OF THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE ARE CURRENTLY MANAGED UNDER CHRISTINE, BUT WE JUST ADDED A BRAND NEW POSITION THIS YEAR, WHICH WE'LL BE ABLE TO HIRE IN THE NEW YEAR BASED UPON HOW THE FISCAL, HOW THE MONEY COMES IN, WE'LL BE ABLE TO HIRE IN THE NEW YEAR, WHICH WILL HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE HER SOME SUPPORT SO THAT SHE CAN ALSO BEGIN.
WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT CULTIVATING NEW RELATIONSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIPS FOR AREAS THAT WE ALSO HAVE IDENTIFIED AS CURRENTLY BEING UNDERSERVED AS FAR AS CONSERVANCIES GO.
SO WE'LL HOPE TO GIVE YOU SOME REALLY GOOD INFORMATION IN THE NEAR FUTURE ABOUT, UM, HOW WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PROGRESS DOWN THAT PATH WITH A LITTLE BIT OF ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
AND THEN MY LAST THING, AND THIS IS THE LAST POINT.
SO WITH, AS FAR AS CAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE DONE, UM, I LIKE THESE PROGRAMMING IDEAS, AND I THINK YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB, BUT I, I STILL IS, AS I SAID BEFORE, THIS IS KIND OF THE PEOPLE'S PARK.
AND I WANT TO IS PART OVERSIGHT.
IF SOMETHING IS VIOLATED, IF LET'S SAY WE HAVE MORE, AND I'M NOT SAYING YOU'RE GOING TO DO THIS, BUT IF, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU HAVE MORE CLOSURE DAYS THAN IT STATED IN THE CONTRACT, THEN WHAT, WHAT CA WHAT HAPPENS? UM, THEY WOULD BE IN DEFAULT AND THEN PER THE AGREEMENT, UH, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO THEN, UH, TERMINATE IF THEY WENT INTO DEFAULT.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO JUST BECAUSE IT'S A PARTNERSHIP, THERE IS CONSTANT COMMUNICATION.
UH, NOT ONLY IS THERE MANDATORY QUARTERLY MEETINGS AMONGST SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY, AS WELL AS A CONSERVANCY, AS WELL AS A COMMITTEE OF DEPARTMENTS, AS WELL AS A PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY THAT MANAGES THE PROGRAMMING PLAN TO ENSURE SO THAT WE'LL MEET QUARTERLY TO ENSURE THAT BOTH THE PROGRAMMING PLAN, BUT, AND AS I MENTIONED, THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE PLAN IS BEING ADHERED TO, UM, AS WELL AS JUST SO YOU'RE AWARE, I HAVE WEEKLY MEETINGS WITH PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY TO GO OVER
[03:05:01]
JUST KIND OF THE WEEKLY ACTIVITIES, AS WELL AS ANY MAINTENANCE ISSUES AND JUST ANY GENERAL QUESTIONS, AS WELL AS ANY FUTURE PLANS, UM, AT THE SITE.SO THERE IS JUST A, UH, JUST MAKE YOU AWARE.
THERE'S CONSTANT COMMUNICATION.
THERE'S ALSO, I BELIEVE THE, UH, THE DIRECTOR AND THE DIRECTOR OF PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY MEET REGULARLY AS WELL.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR, I MEAN, NOT A QUESTION, BUT I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT PEOPLE TO REMEMBER IS THAT THIS ALL STARTED JUST WITH TREES FOR PEACE, RIGHT, RIGHT.
IN 2008, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PARK AND, YOU KNOW, ST 2007, AND IT DIDN'T HAVE THESE FANTASTIC ASSETS, THE COTTAGE WAS NOT IN THE CONDITION.
IT IS NOW, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BASKETBALL COURTS, I MEAN THE WHOLE BED.
AND SO IT'S A GREAT TEMPLATE OR PATHWAY FOR OTHER FOLKS TO FOLLOW.
AND IT HELPED HAVING MOODY MONEY.
I'M NOT GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA SAY IT DOESN'T, BUT I MEAN, I THINK THE SAME THING, YOU KNOW, CAN BE DONE ON A PARK OR, YOU KNOW, ANYWHERE, REALLY IN THE CITY, YOU KNOW, AND IT REALLY IS BRINGING, THEY HAD IT, HE'S PARKED, BENEFITED FROM RICHARD CRAIG WHO CAN CARRY A MOUNTAIN ON HIS BACK.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW RICHARD IS HAPPY TO MEET WITH OTHER PARK STAKEHOLDERS AND SAY HOW HE DID IT.
AND, UM, I THINK IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE.
WE LOOK AT PEASE PARK TODAY AND SEE WHAT WE SEE WE THINK WHILE I RAISED ENTITLED.
AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS REALLY A FLUENT, BUT WE FORGET SO QUICKLY WHAT IT JUST WAS 13 YEARS AGO.
I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER GREAT PART OF THE ANSWER TO CHAIR LEWIS'S QUESTION AS WELL, JUST IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE, THE, THE EVOLUTION OF, OF PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY HAS ACTUALLY BEEN QUITE TEXTBOOK.
AND IT IS LESSON IN HOW TO GO FROM A SMALL CONCERN GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT A PARK TO SOMETHING LIKE WHAT WE HAVE TODAY, AND THAT CAN BE REPLICATED, UH, AT, UH, IN EAST AUSTIN.
IT CAN BE REPLICATED ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY.
AND EVERY PLAN THAT WE PUT TOGETHER IS MEANT TO BE SCALABLE IN THAT WAY SO THAT WE COULD TEACH IT AND TAKE IT TO OTHER FOLKS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN DOING GOOD WORK IN PARKS WITHIN OUR CITY AND BEYOND.
AND PEOPLE THINK IT'S SO MUCH OF JUST THE CAPITAL ASSET, WHERE I THINK IF SO MUCH OF THE PROGRAMMING, RIGHT, THIS IS PROGRAMMING THAT WE COULD NOT DO AS A PARKS DEPARTMENT.
THESE ARE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE PROBABLY COULD NOT DO.
AND IF WE DID IT, IT WAS GOING TO BE, IT'S GOING TO BE COMPETING IN ALL THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
AND SO I THINK W WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THAT ROADMAP, AND I LOVE BOARD MEMBER FAUST, AS FAR AS WE'RE COMING BACK AND SEEING THIS IS THE, THIS IS WHO'S BEEN HERE FOR THESE EVENTS AND KIND OF ID YET.
AND BECAUSE THESE ARE, AUSTINITES THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE HALF ON SOUTH BY, BUT EVERYBODY ELSE, THESE ARE STILL AUSTINITES USING THAT PARK.
AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SEE YEAH, HOW WE USE PARK SPACES DIFFERENTLY.
WE USE SOME PARK SPACES FOR THAT, YOU KNOW, BEING IN NATURE.
AND THEN WE USE OTHER TIMES FOR HAVING ACTIVE, PASSIVE RECREATION, YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.
SO WE, UM, UNLESS THERE'S ANY MORE QUESTIONS, IT CAN MAKE THE MOTION, UNLESS YOU WOULD LIKE TO IS YOUR DISTRICT, THEN YOU TOO.
SO I WILL MAKE THAT MOTION AND IT IS, UH, WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY'S ANNUAL PROGRAMMING PLAN FOR KINGSBURY COMMONS WITHIN PEACE DISTRICT PARK.
SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR, OPPOSED.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME WITH ALL YOUR WORK ON THE CAR.
[B.10. Presentation and discussion of the proposed pedestrian safety improvements at Zilker Metropolitan Park and the maintenance project at the Butler Landfill.]
TO, UM, I DON'T HAVE NUMBER 10, THE , I CAN'T EVEN TALK PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF THE PROPOSED PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AT SILVER METROPOLITAN PARK AND THE MAINTENANCE PROJECT AT THE BUTLER LANDFILL.I THINK THIS IS A REALLY COMPLICATED, UM, ITEM, AND I AM GONNA MOVE THAT.
WE, UM, PULL THAT FOR, UM, THE NEXT MEETING OR A LATER DATE SECOND AND BY BOARD MEMBER DIPLOMA.
AND SO WE, UM, BOARD MEMBERS, I MEAN, GOODNESS,
[B.11. Presentation, discussion and possible action regarding a recommendation to the City Council for renewal of the Local Standards of Care for the City Parks and Recreation Department's Youth Recreation Programs (20210204-053) to be discussed via public hearing as required for State of Texas' Child Care Licensing exemption for youth programs operated by a municipality (public facilities) - Code Chapter 42.State of Texas' child care licensing exemption; Public Hearing request date for February 17, 2022 Council Meeting.]
I AM NUMBER 11, PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR RENEWAL OF THE LOCAL STANDARDS OF CARE TO THE CITY PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENTS, YOUTH RECREATION PROGRAMS TO BE DISCUSSED VIA PUBLIC[03:10:01]
HEARING IS REQUIRED FOR STATE OF TEXAS CHILDCARE LICENSING EXEMPTIONS FOR YOUTH PROGRAMS OPERATED BY A MUNICIPALITY.AND WE HAVE, UM, DEVIN JOINERS.
YOU ARTISTS PAY EVERYONE, UH, DAVIN, UH, I'M A RECREATION PROGRAM MANAGER WITH THE, UH, AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
I'M HERE TO PRESENT ON OUR LOCAL STANDARDS OF CARE.
UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE FAMILIAR, THIS IS A PROCESS.
WE GO THROUGH ANNUALLY TO ADOPT OUR MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR OUR YOUTH RECREATION PROGRAMS. UM, OUR FACILITIES AND PROGRAMS ARE NOT LICENSED CHILDCARE FACILITIES LICENSED BY THE STATE.
AND SO WE ARE REQUIRED PER THE STATE TO ADOPT OUR OWN STANDARDS.
UM, AND SO IT COVERS EVERYTHING FROM OUR, UM, STAFFING RATIOS TO OUR STAFFING REQUIREMENTS, TO OUR FACILITY, HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS, UM, HOW WE ADDRESS, UM, UM, SICK KIDDOS, MEDICATION STANDARDS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND SO, UM, WE ARE REQUIRED TO RENEW ANNUALLY, UM, AND THAT, UH, INVOLVES PUBLIC INPUT.
AND SO THE REQUEST IS TO, UM, HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS, UM, TO ALLOW FOR PUBLIC INPUT, UM, HAVING TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE DOCUMENT.
UM, OTHERWISE, UH, THIS MIGHT BE THE SHORTEST AND SWEETEST ITEM ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, GIVEN HOW LONG THIS HAS GONE.
I'M SURE WE ALL APPRECIATE THAT.
SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I DON'T THINK WE DO.
SO I'M GOING TO, UM, I'M GOING TO MOVE THAT WE WERE NEW.
DO I HAVE A SECOND, SECOND? ALL IN FAVOR.
IT PROBABLY WAS WILLING TO SORT OF SIGN THEM.
SO I REMEMBER EVER IN SIX AND A HALF YEARS WRAP UP THE NIGHT QUICKLY.
WE ACTUALLY DID IT AND IT'S NOT 10 O'CLOCK YET.
SO, UH, SO REALLY QUICKLY, UM, THE ITEMS THAT WE HAVE LEFT ARE UPDATE FROM THE ZILKER PARK VISION GROUP WORKING GROUP.
HAVE WE HAVEN'T REALLY MET, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE GETTING RID OF A MEETING THAT WAS CANCELED AND READY TO MEET AGAIN.
SO WE'RE GOING TO MEET AGAIN, RIGHT? DEANNA.
SO WE HAVEN'T MET, I DON'T REMEMBER FOR A WHILE, SO WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A REPORT ON THAT.
[C.2. Update from Joint Working Group with the Animal Advisory Commission]
ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION, WE, UM, WE ACTUALLY HAVE MADE SOME PROGRESS WITH THAT.WE, UM, YOU, AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE READING WITH THE ANIMAL ADVISORY COMMISSION AND WE HAVE, UM, THE MOST EXCITING PART IS WE ACTUALLY HAVE COME UP WITH A, GOTTEN SOMEBODY TO COME UP WITH SOME JINGLE IT, AND IT'S REALLY PRETTY GOOD.
I THINK I'M ACTUALLY PRETTY IMPRESSED WITH IT.
SO WE'VE WORKED AT A CATCHY JINGLE.
WE HAVE, UM, WE ARE PULLING TOGETHER A FOCUS GROUP SO WE CAN GET COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO COME AND PRODUCT, PROVIDE THEIR INPUT OF WHAT WE CAN DO TO ON THE ISSUE OF OFF-LEASH DOGS.
WE, UM, ARE LOOKING AT INCREASING THE NUMBER OF AWFULLY STARRED PARKS.
THAT'S ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND I'M FORGETTING WHAT ELSE? UM, DIRECTOR MCNEILLY, AM I FORGETTING? I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT'S IT.
I THINK YOU DID A GOOD, UM, WE JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT THE THERE'S TWO ARTISTS THAT, UM, BOARD MEMBER BERNARD HELPED CONNECT US TO LONDON'S NAMES, ANDREA MCGEE.
THE OTHER ONE IS, UH, KEVIN RUSSELL OF SHINY RIBS.
AND, UM, THE, OUR PARTNERS WERE GENEROUSLY HELPED TO COMPENSATE THEM FOR THEIR TIME.
ALTHOUGH THEY WERE WILLING TO VOLUNTEER.
THEY, THEY VOLUNTEERED A LOT OF THEIR TIME AND, AND, BUT OUR PARTNERS WERE, WERE WILLING TO, UM, PROVIDE THEM WITH A STIPEND.
SO, UH, WE'RE HOPING THAT IN JANUARY WE'LL BE ABLE TO LAUNCH THAT CAMPAIGN THAT JUST REMINDS PEOPLE TO KEEP THEIR DOG ON ALICIA AND IT'LL BE INCLUSIVE OF A JINGLE AND A, UM, AND ALSO, UM, A SMALL VIDEO THAT YOU COULD PERHAPS PLAY ON YOUTUBE.
UM, AND, UH, YEAH, I'LL LEAVE THE REST TO BOARD MEMBER, LOUIS SWAN OR CHAIR LEWIS WHEN IT COMES OUT.
SHE CAN, UM, UM, IT ACTUALLY HAS BEEN A REALLY GOOD GROUP AND IT'S, AND THIS ISSUE IS ONE OF THOSE POLARIZING ISSUES.
YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE DOG OWNERS AND THE PEOPLE WHO RESENT THE AWFULLY STALKS ARE DON'T GET ALONG.
I'M SURE YOU GUYS SEE IT ON YOUR LIST SERVES.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S ALL OVER THE PLACE, BUT ANYWAY, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT A JINGLE, THE JINGLE AND THIS ONE, IT WAS LIKE THAT COCA-COLA JINGLE ABOUT THE WORLD IN HARMONY.
WE'RE GOING TO GET OVER ALL SLEEP.
IF WE DO THIS, KEVIN, I MEAN, IT'S REALLY, IT'S REALLY, I REALLY THINK IT'S GREAT.
[03:15:01]
IT'S VERY CREATIVE AND, AND YOU GUYS WILL LIKE IT.SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN, WE CAN HIGHLIGHT IT NEXT TIME.
DOWNTOWN COMMISSION BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR IS NOT HERE, SOUTH SUMTER, WATERFRONT COTTON CYBIL AND JOINT SUSTAINABILITY.
DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANYTHING? OH, WE HAVE OUR MEETING NEXT WEEK.
[D. DIRECTOR’S REPORT ON PROGRAM AND PROJECT UPDATES AND EVENTS]
WANT TO, UM, GIVE US THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DIRECTOR SUPPORT, UH, DIRECTOR MCNEELY.UM, ONE THING THAT IS NOT IN THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT, THE, BUT I THINK WE JUST SENT TO YOU AN INVITATION TO THE CELEBRATION FOR THE DECOMMISSIONING OF THE HOLLY SHORES POWER PLANT, WHICH WILL HAPPEN ON SATURDAY.
UH, DECEMBER 4TH, I BELIEVE THE TIME IS 11 O'CLOCK, BUT I WOULD HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK, BUT IT WAS A COMMITTEE THAT WAS LISTED IN THERE THAT HOLLY SHORES, THE COMMISSIONING COMMITTEE WAS COMPRISED MUCH OF, UM, MUCH OF THE EAST TOWN LAKE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
I THINK THERE'S ALSO REPRESENTATIVES FROM, UH, H E N N FROM THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
UM, I HAVE TO LOOK AND I CAN PROVIDE YOU MORE INFORMATION ON, PLEASE KNOW THAT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOR HANCOCK GOLF COURSE WILL BE TAKING PLACE ON DECEMBER 2ND AND LUCAS MASSEY, OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE TO, UM, TO HELP GUIDE THAT PROCESS.
UM, YESTERDAY THE REINTERMENT AT OAKWOOD CEMETERY OCCURRED AND WE WERE ABLE TO REENTER 36 INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD BEEN UNFORTUNATELY BURIED UNDERNEATH THE CHAPEL.
AND WHEN WE DID CHAPEL RESTORATION IN 2018, I THINK IT WAS 18 THAT'S WHEN WE REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A, THERE WERE SOME REAL CONCERNS.
UH, WE HAD A PARTNERSHIP WITH TEXAS STATE WHO WERE ABLE TO HELP US WITH SOME ARCHAEOLOGICAL, UM, ASPECTS OF THIS.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO REENTER THEM YESTERDAY WITH A VERY SMALL CEREMONY THAT WAS ATTENDED BY, UM, SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UM, PLEASE KNOW THAT CONNECTING THE CITY'S CONNECTING CHILDREN TO NATURE BOARD HAD THEIR RETREAT RIGHT HERE IN AUSTIN.
I STARTED YESTERDAY, IT'LL GO UNTIL TOMORROW.
AND THE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, ALL THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE AS ONE OF THE INITIAL CITIES TO ADOPT POLICY PROGRAMMING, UM, STANDARDS, AND TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT WITH OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM, UM, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT SOME THINGS, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT LAND USE ISSUES AND LAND ITEMS, BUT I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT THE OTHER PART OF OUR, UM, OF OUR OPERATION IS REALLY BEGINNING TO RAMP ITSELF UP.
AND SO T CTA, WHICH IS TOTALLY COOL, TOTALLY ARTS IS BEGINNING OF THEIR OUTREACH PROGRAMMING AT MULTIPLE RECREATION CENTERS AND THAT SPECIFICALLY TO ENGAGE TEENS AND IT'S SPECIFICALLY TO ENGAGE THEM IN THE, UM, EVENING TIMES WHEN MAYBE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY MIGHT TEND TO TAKE THEM TO MAKE OTHER CHOICES, BUT THIS IS A REALLY POSITIVE CHOICE AND THEY CAN LEARN A NEW, UM, A NEW SKILL AND ART SKILL.
UM, SEVERAL OF OUR RECREATION CENTERS, UH, PARTNERED WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS TO PROVIDE THANKSGIVING DINNERS.
THAT'S ON PAGE SEVEN ON PAGE EIGHT, IF YOU'D LIKE TO READ ABOUT IT, THE, UH, ESPERANTO'S MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER RECEIVED, UM, AN OUTSTANDING ARTS AND HUMANITIES AWARD FROM THE TEXAS RECREATION AND PARKS ASSOCIATION FOR THEIR CAMINOS TEEN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.
PLEASE KNOW THIS SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE, UM, HAS CHOSEN, UH, THE ELIZABETH NAME MUSEUM TO HELP, UM, UH, SPONSOR WHAT THEY'RE CALLING THE NATIONAL YOUTH SUMMIT.
AND THE TOPIC THIS YEAR IS GENDER EQUITY.
UM, THE COLONY DISTRICT PARK THAT'S ON PAGE NINE, THE COLONY DISTRICT PARK PROJECT RECEIVED THE 2021 AUSTIN OR GREEN AWARDS.
UM, THERE ARE RECIPIENTS AND THAT'S ON PAGE 11 AND I'LL JUST LEAVE YOU WITH THOSE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE, OF THE REPORT.
I THINK THERE'S 11 PAGES THIS TIME THEN HOPEFULLY YOU'LL FIND OTHER INTERESTING FACTS IN THERE.
UM, ALL RIGHT, SO WE, UM, LET'S GET A FUTURE
[E. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
AGENDA ITEMS, BOARD MEMBER DECARLO.DO YOU HAVE ANY ITEMS FOR THE NEXT MEETING? I DO.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST A PRESENTATION ON THE STATUS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF ONION CREEK METRO PARK.
AND I'M, I WILL SECOND THAT FOR HER AND COUNCIL MEMBER, I MEAN, BOARD MEMBERS, JUST SO YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL WILL ALSO TAKE UP, UH, AN ITEM FROM COUNCIL TOMORROW, UH, RELATED TO THIS ITEM OR RELATED TO BOARD MEMBER TO CARLOS REQUEST.
AND SO WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE INTEGRATE, UH, WHATEVER IS DISCUSSED IN THAT PARTICULAR IFC INTO THIS PRESENTATION, SO THAT YOU'RE FULLY INFORMED, FULLY INFORMED AS TO HOW THINGS ARE PROGRESSING.
BOARD MEMBER RINALDI, NO ITEMS AT THIS TIME.
THANK YOU FOR REMEMBER MORE ABOUT THIS TIME
[03:20:01]
BOARD MEMBER FAST.I HAVE, UM, TWO ITEMS. ONE IS, UM, TO PUT ON THE AGENDA DISCUSSION OF THE ZILKER PARK VISION PLAN.
I KNOW THAT WE HAD IT ON OUR AGENDA.
I FEEL LIKE IN JUNE WE HAD AN UPDATE FROM THE CONTRACTOR, SO THERE MIGHT BE ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE COMING UP, BUT WE HAD TWO PUBLIC SPEAKERS TONIGHT THAT HAD TWO VERY DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON THE STAKEHOLDER PROCESS.
AND I FEEL LIKE I WOULD RATHER HAVE THOSE ISSUES DISCUSSED DURING THE PROCESS THEN AT THE END, SO THAT WE'RE NOT ARGUING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED, BUT WE'RE DISCUSSING, ARE THERE THINGS WE CAN DO NOW TO, UH, TO LOOK OUT, YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANY SORT OF VALID CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE TO THE PROCESS? THE SECOND ITEM, UM, I WOULD LIKE IS A PRESENTATION FROM THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE ON STANDARDS FOR COMMUNITY SURVEYS.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S DIFFERENT TYPES OF SURVEYS.
WE DO SPEAK UP AUSTIN AND THEY ALSO DO THE ONES WHERE THEY, UM, DO THEY EMAIL TO AUSTIN ENERGY CUSTOMERS WITH THE LINK TO RESPOND TO A SURVEY THERE'S DIFFERENT KINDS.
SO THAT'S KINDA WHAT I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF COMMUNITY SURVEYS WE DO? WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS FOR EVALUATING THE INPUT AND WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS FOR PRESENTATION TO BOARDS ON THE RESULTS OF A SURVEY? OKAY.
DO WE NEED SECONDS FOR PRESENTATIONS? OKAY.
UH, I LOOK AT YOU LIKE, WHO ARE YOU HUDDLING? YES, NO ITEMS. OKAY.
THIS COULD BE A PRESENTATION OR A DOCUMENT.
UM, BUT IT'D BE A HEAT MAP OF OUR PARKS, UH, AND OUR TREE CANOPY.
WELL, SOMEBODY CAN SECOND I'LL SECOND.
AND THAT'S ANYTHING ELSE I'M ON ONE OF THOSE PAGES THAT TALKS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF TREES WE JUST PLANTED JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION.
I KNOW, BUT I WANT TO SEE HOW I'M AWARE OF WE NEED TO BE PLANTING.
WELL, AND THE OTHER, THE OTHER QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, I REALLY LIKE TO DIVE INTO WHAT WE'RE DOING TO ADDRESS EQUITY ISSUES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
AND WE REALLY HAVEN'T TOUCHED ON EQUITY AT ALL FOR A LONG TIME.
AND I THINK WE HAVE A NEW, YEAH, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PART OF MY DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
SO I APPRECIATE THE GENTLE REMINDER, THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT HIRED AN EQUITY AND INCLUSION, UM, PROGRAM MANAGER.
UM, THAT'S, AFTER A LONG TIME OF HAVING AN EQUITY, UH, UH, COMMITTEE THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN, UM, HOSTING ON, UH, ON A MONTHLY BASIS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD PARTICIPATED IN A PARTICULAR TRAINING CALLED UNDOING RACISM.
ANYWAY, LONG STORY SHORT, I ABSOLUTELY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE HER PERHAPS MEET EACH OF YOU IN, UM, MULLER SMALL GROUP SETTINGS, TO UNDERSTAND, UH, YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON EQUITY HERE IN AUSTIN AND UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MIGHT BELIEVE, LIKE WHAT WOULD BE YOUR GOAL FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
SO WE CAN INCORPORATE THAT INTO, UH, HOW WE ARE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO I CAN ABSOLUTELY HAVE HER ATTEND EITHER VIRTUALLY OR HERE.
SO FOR AN INTRODUCTION, BUT I'M HOPING THAT IN THE NEW YEAR, YOU'D BE WILLING TO, TO HAVE A SMALL GROUP SESSION WITH US.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT REMINDER.
AND I, UM, I DON'T HAVE A REQUEST FOR ANY PRESENTATIONS, BUT I DO HAVE JUST FOR A REPORT, I, I HAD, I KEENLY NEW MEMBER THAT ASKED ME ABOUT THE, UM, THE RESTORATION, OR I'M NOT SURE THE REPAIR OF THE FAR TENNIS COURTS THAT THEY SAID THEY'D BEEN, IT HAD BEEN A LONG TIME AND THEY, IT WAS A SLOW PROCESS.
AND SO I JUST, IF I CAN JUST GET LIKE AN UPDATE AND THEN I JUST THOUGHT, I THINK DURING MY ENTIRE TENURE ON THE BOARD, WE'VE NEVER TALKED ABOUT TENNIS COURTS AND I JUST WAS HOPING I COULD JUST KIND OF GET STATUS AND SEE WHERE WE WERE WITH THOSE.
AND IT'S NOT URGENT, BUT I JUST, UM, THAT'S TRUE.
AND ALSO, UH, UH, VICE-CHAIR DIPLOMA FOR EQUITY IS THAT, CAN I P EVEN THOUGH I JUST TOLD YOU THOUGH, I'D LIKE TO HAVE SMALL GROUP MEETINGS, I'D LIKE TO ALSO PROVIDE
[03:25:01]
YOU A MEMO WITH KIND OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS IS THAT , I, I JUST WANT TO PUT IT OUT THE EQUITY ON THE RADAR.IT'D BE GREAT TO HAVE IT DONE BY, FOR END OF FIRST QUARTER.
GUESS WHAT? I THINK WE DID IT AND IT'S NOT SHOCK.
AND EVERYBODY HAVE ENJOY YOUR, UM, WE'LL HAVE ALMOST TWO MONTHS AND ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAYS.
I HOPE EVERYBODY HAS A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY.
THANK YOU TO STAFF FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE AND YELLED AT EVERYBODY ENJOYED THEIR HOLIDAYS.
ARE YOU A JOURNEY? I'M A JOURNEY.