2. Presentation, discussion and possible action on the history of Waller Creek as it pertains to upcoming naming opportunities. (Cottam Sajbel)

* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.

[CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:05]

I HAD A FEW ITEMS ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT.

I'M LAURA SCHEIBEL I'M CHAIR OF THE PARKS BOARD.

UM, I'M GOING TO CALL ROLL, UH, VICE-CHAIR FAUST, PRESENT BOARD MEMBER, RINALDI BOARD MEMBER TO CARLO PRESENT BOARD MEMBER, MORE BOARD MEMBER FLOWERS, PRESENT BOARD MEMBER HUDMAN PRESENT BOARD MEMBER BENARD, OO, BOARD MEMBER PRESENT, UH, BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR.

I FOLLOW SHE'S ONLINE.

IS SHE ONLINE YET? OKAY.

SHE'S NOT HERE YET AS BOARD MEMBER LOUIS, PRESENT BOARD MEMBER DEPALMA.

THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

UM,

[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]

FIRST THING WE'RE GOING TO DO IS HAVE, UH, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.

AND SO, UM, I BELIEVE THAT VICE-CHAIR FAST HAS THAT LIST AND WE'LL GIVE EVERYBODY THREE MINUTES.

THANK YOU.

I JUST WANT TO REMIND THE SPEAKERS.

YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE THE ENTIRE TIME.

WE HAVE 10 SPEAKERS FOR GENERAL COMMENT.

AND THE FIRST ONE IS JOINING US ONLINE.

ERIC PAULUS.

ERIC, ARE YOU AVAILABLE TO GIVE YOUR COMMENTS? THE SECOND SPEAKER IS ON A GOOD DAY.

ANA, ARE YOU AVAILABLE? YES, I AM.

PLEASE PROCEED.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

UM, THE AFTERNOON I CHEER AND BOARD MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS SANDRA .

I CURRENTLY SERVE ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOODS COUNCIL, BUT I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR OR ON THE BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION OR THE COUNCIL.

I AM ALSO THE BOARD PRESIDENT OF GLOSS AND BUMBLE SOFTEN.

AND THE IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR AT THE SOUTH IS COMBINED NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN, CONTACT TEAM.

I AM SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF ITEM THREE.

I SUBMITTED A LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM THE CONTACT TEAM TO THE BOARD EARLIER TODAY.

I DON'T WANT TO TAKE TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME, BUT JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT THE CONTACT TEAM VOTED UNANIMOUSLY IN SUPPORTIVE OF THE WILLIAMSON CREEK PROJECT, WHICH IS ITEM THREE ON YOUR AGENDA.

AND IT IS PEDAL FOR THE WATER RENT .

WE HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING THIS INITIATIVE FROM THE VERY START IN.

SOME OF US HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS.

PLEASE KNOW THAT THIS PROJECT EXEMPLIFIES A TRUE DEMONSTRATION OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THE U2 STAFF AND STUDENTS AND CD STAFF DEDICATED TIME TO SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH THE RESIDENTS.

ALTHOUGH THE IN-PERSON GATHERINGS WERE CHALLENGING, CONSIDERING ALL OF THIS OCCURRED DURING THE COVID 19 OUTBREAK, EVERYONE STEPPED UP TO THE OCCASION AND MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

A SPECIAL THANKS TO BRANCHES FOR HER LEADERSHIP AND RESIDENTS, STUDENT RECRUITMENT, JORDAN SLID, AND THE UT STUDENTS WERE DEMONSTRATING A TRUE PARTNERSHIP IN SYDNEY CORBIN WITH URBAN ROOTS.

WE'RE PULLING IN THE RESIDENTS, STUDENT WORKERS, AND OF COURSE, AS HUGE, THANKS TO THE STAFF THAT SUPPORTED US AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS WAS A TRULY A CORE COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY EFFORT, ENGAGING THE RESIDENTS ALONGSIDE WITH THE EXPERT COMMUNITY, WHICH ARE THE CITY STAFF IN THE COMMUNITY EDUCATION COMMUNITY, WHICH HAS A PURPOSE, HERS PROFESSOR AND STUDENTS WHO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY THEIR SKILLS IN A REAL WORLD SETTING.

I HOPE WE HAVE THE BOARD SUPPORT ON THIS PROJECT AND WE WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK AND GUIDANCE TO PROVIDE AN EVEN BETTER OUTCOME FOR OUR SOUTHEAST AUSTIN RESIDENTS.

AS YOU KNOW, WILLIAMSON CREEK BEATS INTO ONION CREEK IN BOTH OF THESE CREEKS FLOOD AND HAVE RESULTED IN CATASTROPHIC FLOODING EVENTS.

AND OF COURSE THIS WOULD GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A SAFE ACCESS FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY, AND ENJOY A ACCESS TO A WALKING TRAIL THAT IS SAFE FOR EVERYONE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION AND SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.

AND ALSO WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BLANCA ORTIZ.

I DON'T THINK THEY CAN HEAR YOU.

THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER I THOUGHT IT WAS AT SEVEN 30, OUR PRESENTATION WE'LL AFTERNOON.

MY NAME IS BLANCA ORTIZ.

I AM ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN SUPPORTING THE CREEK AND IT'S A PREDICTABLE IN THIS PROJECT.

WE HAVE BEEN UNITED FOR

[00:05:01]

MORE THAN ONE A YEAR.

THE STUDENTS OF UT WOULD HAVE BEEN ROUTES OR RUN ROUTES, RANCHERS DEPART RANGERS, THE TEXAS RANGERS PARK THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ACTIVELY AND IN ALL THIS PROCESS OF THE PANDEMIC, WE WENT TO TALK TO THE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZED AND TALKS CONVERSATIONS.

I SAID ABOUT THAT, THEIR OPINIONS ABOUT THE CREEK PROJECT UH, SOME OF THE NEIGHBORS WE GATHER IN THE CREEK TALKING ABOUT THEIR OPINIONS AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY WILL LIKE TO SEE IN THIS GREEN AREA COMING AT AN EL WHO GOT VOLLEYBALL, FOR EXAMPLE, TO WORK, UH, ON THE CRE UH, ON THE TRAIL OR PERHAPS AN AREA TO PLAY VOLLEYBALL.

OH, I SAID, WHY IT IS CANCELED OR DO GARDENING OR RELAX AREA X EXPERIENCE.

THIS EXPERIENCE WAS GRATIFYING.

PERSONAS WHEN WE TO SPEND TIME WITH EACH OF THESE PEOPLE, IT WAS VERY, UH, ENRICHED US.

WE WERE VERY DIFFERENT, BUT WITH, UH, WITH ONE GOAL IN COMMON, THE CREEK PROJECT, THE, UH, THE PEOPLE, THE SPONSORS OF THE CREEK.

WE WERE, UH, PUTTING OUT, UH, IDEAS, UH, OUR FEELINGS AND OUR CULTURE AND THE STUDENTS WE'RE TRANSFORMING ALL THOSE WORDS, ALL THOSE DIALOGUES, ALL THOSE IDEAS, UH, INTO A MORE SIMPLE, UH, IDEAS THAT THE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD COULD UNDERSTAND.

IT'S THE EXPERIENCE.

YEAH, , , URBAN ROOTS.

THESE EXPERIENCE FEEL ME UP WITH A LOT OF, UH, LOVE AND PLEASURE KNOWING, AND SEEING THESE STUDENTS THAT WERE DOING THEIR BEST IN THEIR WORK THEY WERE MORE MOTIVATING US TO BE THERE EVERY SATURDAY IN THE MORNING, REGARDLESS IF IT WAS CAUGHT OR IT WAS RAINING.

PERSONAS CARLOS SCENARIOS.

IN A STYRIA FAMILIAR, , UH, WORKING THROUGH THE CREEK, UH, WITH THESE, UH, WITH THESE PEOPLE WERE WORKING WITH THIS IDEA.

WE WERE DREAMING ABOUT WHAT WE WERE DOING.

THIS WORKS ABOUT CONVERTING OR TURN IN THIS IDEA FOR, FOR THE FAMILIES AND PEOPLE WHO DO, UH, WHO CAN GET, AND THAT WILL BE OUR DREAM COME TRUE.

AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO KEEP WORKING FOR THAT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BLANCA OR TEAS.

THAT WAS YOUR, OH, I'M SORRY.

UM, LIKE A CHECK MARK.

THE NEXT SPEAKER IS ELENA RODRIGUEZ.

HI, MY NAME IS ELENA RODRIGUEZ AND INDIA IN DOUBLE SPRINGS.

WELL, NOT BEST IN THAT MOOD, COMFORTABLY, VERY COMFORTABLE NEIGHBORHOODS.

WHERE PEOPLE

[00:10:02]

MUTUALLY IT IS DIFFICULT TO WORK, UH, TO GO WALK IN THE PARK.

BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF TRAFFIC IN THE MORNING AND IN THE AFTERNOONS, EH, E AND THE SIDEWALKS ARE VERY NARROW AND WE ARE AFRAID THAT THEY CAN, UH, HIT A KID THIS AREA OF THE CREEK WILL BE VERY ACCESSIBLE TO WORK ON UNDER THE SHADE OF THE TREES.

WITHOUT FEAR THAT A, A CHILD MIGHT GET INTO AN ACCIDENT OR BE HIT BY A CAR AND IT'S ALSO A VERY SAFE SEWN, BUT, UH, OH NO.

FOR, UH, FOR US TO BE, TO GET DESTRUCTIVE TO REST, I'M SORRY TO RISK AND FOR THE KIDS TO EXPLORE AND PLAY LESS PERSONAS FOR THE BENEFIT , UH, THEN, UH, THE NEIGHBORS CAME WILL, CAN BENEFIT, UH, PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY MO .

UH, PRESENTLY IS A VERY, UH, DENSE, UH, AREA WITH TREES.

WELL, YOU CANNOT PLAY WALK OR A RUN.

LEMTRADA IS MOOD .

THE ENTRANCE IS NON DESCRIPTIVE.

IT'S NOT, UH, IT'S NOT, UH, IT DOESN'T SHOW ANY INTEREST OR PEOPLE TO COME TO WALK INTO THE CREEK.

THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS AN EDINA SANCHEZ AND WHEN I STARTED THIS SANCHEZ, MY NAME IS DINA SANCHEZ.

SPRING AREA, EH, FRANCIS , UH, FRANCIS AND MY OTHER CO UH, FRIENDS THAT HAVE TALK, UH, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE YOUTH, UH, WORKERS FROM URBAN ROOTS.

UH, ALSO THE UT PROFESSOR OF GERMAN IS LETTER AND ALSO HE'S, UH, POST GRAY, UH, COMMUNICATION, YOU KNOW, REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS THEY COLLABORATED TAKING PICTURES FOR SIGNING MAPS AND, UM, AND ALSO THE DRAWINGS THAT WE, UH, ME AND THE, AND THE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WE WILL LOVE TO SEE AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE PLACE.

UH, AS WELL AS IN THE FLOORING WORLD, UH, EAST WILLIAMSON CREEK, AND ALSO THE RESIDENTS OF THERE EASILY HAVE SOME CREEK ARE WORKING ON THIS AND, UH, RANGER, THE TEXAS RANGERS PARK, THE PARK, TEXAS RANGERS UH, ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN WORKING TO OVERSEE THE NEXT STEPS.

ALSO THE PROJECT.

THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MALCOLM YATES.

THANK YOU.

MY NAME IS MALCOLM YATES.

I AM THE CHAIR OF THE IRAQ CONTACT TEAM THAT REPRESENTS THE RESIDENTS OF THE EAST RIVERSIDE AREA.

I AM HERE TONIGHT TO ASK THE PARKS BOARD TO SUPPORT A COMMUNITY CENTER FOR THE EAST RIVERSIDE AREA.

THE EAST

[00:15:01]

RIVERSIDE AREA IS ALREADY MOSTLY PARKLAND EFFICIENT.

ACCORDING TO THE PARD WEBPAGE SHOWING HERE, THIS AREA HAS NO RECREATION CENTER OR COMMUNITY CENTER FOR YEARS.

THEY WERE EAST RIVERSIDE RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN DEPENDENT ON CHURCHES FOR COMMUNITY MEETINGS, BUT THESE CHURCHES HAVE NOW CLOSED.

THE MAP ON THE PARK WEBSITE IS MISLEADING.

HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE CITY HAS SOLD PARKLAND IN THE EAST RIVERSIDE AREA TO PRIVATE INTERESTS, THE PART MAINTENANCE FACILITY AT SOUTH PLEASANT VALLEY ROAD IN LAKE SHORE, WHICH IS CONSIDERED PARKLAND BY PARD WAS TRADED TO ORACLE.

THIS LAND IS NOT A PARK AND THE AREA AROUND IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED PARKLAND EFFICIENT.

THIS LAND COULD HAVE BEEN USED AS A BADLY NEEDED COMMUNITY CENTER.

THE RESIDENTS OF THE EAST RIVERSIDE AREA.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF AN AREA THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED PARKLAND DEFICIENT IS THE AREA AROUND THE WOODLAND POCKET PARK.

THE WOODLAND PARK PARK IS 14,000 SQUARE FEET OF LAND.

THIS TINY PATCH OF LAND IS NOT ADEQUATE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE THOUSANDS OF LOW INCOME RESIDENTS OF THE MANY APARTMENT COMPLEXES BETWEEN PARKER LANE AND WICKERSHAM.

THIS GRAPH SHOWS THE POVERTY LEVEL OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE APARTMENTS IN THE EASTER RECITE AREA.

THIS GRAPH IS FROM THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN DEMOGRAPHICS.

WEBPAGE.

THIS MAP SHOWS THE PERCENTAGE OF FOREIGN RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA.

THIS IS THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION AVAILABLE FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN DEMOGRAPHICS WEBPAGE.

THE FOREIGN POPULATION OF THIS AREA HAS ACTUALLY INCREASED SINCE 2011.

THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS NOW CONSIDERING LEASING THE FORMER YOUTH HOSTEL ON LAKE SHORE TO THE AUSTIN ROWING CLUB.

AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE DEMOGRAPHICS ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDES, A ROWING CLUB WOULD NOT BENEFIT MOST OF THE RESIDENTS OF THIS AREA.

THE FORMER YOUTH HOSTEL BUILDING SHOULD BE USED AS AN EAST RIVERSIDE AREA COMMUNITY CENTER.

INSTEAD, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE AN UNDERSERVED POPULATION, THE COMMUNITY CENTER, THE RESIDENTS NEED PLEASE SUPPORT THE USE OF THE FORMER YOUTH HOSTEL AS A COMMUNITY CENTER.

THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SCOTT COB.

GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS COP THAT'LL HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS AND SOME BAD NEWS.

AND I ALSO WANT TO ASK YOU FOR YOUR HELP ONCE AGAIN, UH, LET'S START WITH THE BAD NEWS.

I THINK YOU'VE SEEN THE BUDGET AND A CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDED DESPITE YOUR OWN RECOMMENDATION FOR A $22 AN HOUR.

LIVING WAGE RECOMMENDATION WAS FOR $18 AN HOUR.

AND IF THAT STAYS AT 18, WELL THEN LIKELY WE WILL HAVE A LIFEGUARD SHORTAGE AGAIN.

NEXT SUMMER, THE BUDGET ALSO RECOMMENDS FOR PERMANENT REGULAR LIFEGUARDS.

IF IT STAYS AT FOUR, WE WILL LIKELY ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO A LIFEGUARD SHORTAGE.

THOSE NUMBERS NEED TO RAISE, AND WE HAVE BEEN TALKING TO CITY COUNCIL RIGHT NOW.

I'M ABOUT A 90% SURE THAT CITY COUNCIL IS GOING TO RAISE THAT FROM 18 TO SOMETHING ELSE.

WHAT THAT SOMETHING ELSE WILL END UP BEING DEPENDS ON WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO CONVEY TO THE CITY COUNCIL WITH A BUNCH OF TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND THE BUDGET IMPORTANT MEETINGS.

AND WHAT I ASK EACH OF YOU TO CONTACT HER OWN CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND ASK THEM, REMIND THEM THAT YOU VOTED FOR 22.

THEY VOTED FOR 22 AND IT NEEDS TO BE HIGHER THAN 18.

AND I'M PRETTY SURE THAT IT WILL BE, BUT WE ARE CONTINUING TO MEET WITH CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS NEXT WEEK, AND WE HOPE IT IS GOING TO GO HIGHER.

WE'LL SEE I'M THINKING ABOUT IT.

I SEE YOU HAVE SOME WORKING COMMITTEES THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET REPORTS ON.

MY SUGGESTION IS THAT YOU ESTABLISH A WORKING COMMITTEE ON THE AQUATICS DEPARTMENT FOR NEXT YEAR, SO THAT THERE IS NOT ANOTHER LIFEGUARD SHORTAGE NEXT YEAR.

IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT PAY IT'S ABOUT OPERATIONS, AND YOU CAN ESTABLISH THAT YOU CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WASN'T DONE LAST YEAR.

AND WE HAVE A LIFEGUARD SHORTAGE

[00:20:01]

AND POOLS ARE STILL CLOSED.

ONLY 39% OF THE POLLS ARE OPEN 13, REMAINED, CLOSED, CLEAN PARQUET, BUT SARAH KHOSA METS 11 OTHERS.

THOSE ARE IMPACTING QUALITY OF LIFE IN AUSTIN.

COUNCIL MEMBER HAS SUBMITTED SOME QUESTIONS THAT WILL, IF THEY'RE ANSWERED AND IMPLEMENT, IT WILL HELP WITH THE SHORTAGE.

SHE'S ASKED ABOUT HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO PROVIDE HOLIDAY PAY AND ACCRUED TIME OFF.

SHE'S ASKED ABOUT ANOTHER BONUS FOR NEXT YEAR, 500 OR FOR THE BEGINNING 500 AT THE END TWO 50 FOR OPEN WATER.

SHE'S ASKED ABOUT BILINGUAL PAY STIPENDS BECAUSE I OFTEN RUN INTO PEOPLE I CANNOT COMMUNICATE WITH, BUT I RELY ON MY COWORKERS AND THOSE COWORKERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET MORE PAY.

IT IS A I'D MAKE A RESCUE.

AND I LITERALLY CAN'T COMMUNICATE WITH THE PERSON I JUST RESCUED, BUT SOMEONE ELSE CAN COME ALONG.

THE MIDDLE LIFE CARD CAN FREE EQUIPMENT UNIFORMS FOR NEXT YEAR.

IT NEEDS TO BE ON THE AGENDA.

UM, HEALTHCARE REMAINS A PROBLEM AFFORDABLE.

IT'S NOT AFFORDABLE WHEN PEOPLE WORK LESS THAN 30 HOURS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

APPRECIATE YOUR HELP.

THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANTHONY MCGREGOR DAY HEY COUNSEL.

UH, SO MY NAME'S ANTHONY MCGREGOR DAY WITH THE SPRINGDALE PARK NEIGHBORS, UM, ADMISSIONS TO HELP REHABILITATE EMPOWER AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE LONGTERM UNHOUSED RESIDENTS OF EAST AUSTIN.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UH, WE WERE HERE ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO AND WE'VE HAD SOME GREAT MEETINGS SINCE THEN.

KIMBERLY MCNEILLY'S REACHED OUT TO US AND LISA, UH, EVEN REACHED OUT TO US TO SEE, UH, HOW THEY CAN HELP.

UM, THERE'S SOME GOOD DISCUSSIONS GOING ON AT THE MOMENT.

UM, IN PARTICULAR, WE SEE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO ACTIVATE, UH, SERVICES FOR UNHOUSED RESIDENTS WITHIN THE PARKS.

ONE DISCUSSION WE'RE HAVING IS AROUND THE COMMISSION STANDS WITHIN THE DIFFERENT PARKS AND POTENTIALLY, UH, HAVING, UM, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE AS RUN THOSE, NOT JUST AS REGULAR COMMISSION STANDS, WHERE YOU CAN BUY, YOU KNOW, UH, A COLD DRINK OR SOMETHING, BUT ALSO POTENTIALLY SERVICES FOR THE PEOPLE THAT MIGHT BE IN THE PARK.

WE DEFINITELY LIKED THAT IDEA.

UM, THERE'S OTHER DISCUSSIONS WE'RE HAVING AROUND WORKING WITHIN ZILKER PARK, UM, AND DOING SOME OF THE PARK MAINTENANCE WITH AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION.

THESE ARE ALL JUST IDEAS RIGHT NOW.

THERE'S NOTHING FORMAL.

UM, BUT I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION FOR REACHING OUT TO US AND IN STARTING TO, UH, HAVE SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS.

UM, ONE THING I DO WANT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT IS JUST THE HEAT.

UM, WE'VE HAD THREE OF OUR, UH, RESIDENTS HAVE HEAT STROKE IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS TO A MONTH.

UM, ONE IN PARTICULAR ENDED UP ON LIFE SUPPORT.

UM, WE THINK THAT THERE MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PARKS TO LOOK AT OPENING UP SOME TEMPORARY SHELTERS WITHIN THE PARKS, POTENTIALLY, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NEED SOME SORT OF AIR CONDITIONING.

WE HAVE A TENT FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WE HAD TO SET UP IN THE PAST THAT WE PLUG A PORTABLE GENERATOR INTO.

AND IT, IT, UH, IT WORKS PRETTY WELL.

UM, PRETTY LOW COST AS WELL.

I THINK UNDER A THOUSAND DOLLARS A UNIT, EVEN SOMETHING LIKE THAT MIGHT BE ENOUGH TO, UM, TO HELP ALLEVIATE THE HEAT DURING THE DAY.

THESE COULD BE CONSIDERED TEMPORARY STANDS.

THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE, UM, VIOLATION OF THE CAMPING BANDS, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.

UM, BUT I'D CERTAINLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT THAT AS WELL.

AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO SUPPORT, UH, THAT THE WORK WE DO.

THANKS.

THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BILL BUNCH.

THANK YOU.

A BOARD CHAIR, COTTAM SEIBEL BOARD MEMBERS FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.

I'M BILL BUNCHE, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE.

UH, FIRST JUST WANTED TO THANK, UM, THE CHAIR AND FORMER CHAIR LEWIS FOR YOUR EFFORTS TO LOOK INTO THE, UH, THREATS TO THE FOX FAMILY OVER AT FESTIVAL BEACH, AND PERHAPS SOME OF THE REST OF Y'ALL HAVE GOTTEN INVOLVED THERE.

I SURE HOPE THAT Y'ALL NOT LET THAT GO.

IT SEEMS LIKE WE NEED TO HOLD ONTO THESE LITTLE POCKETS OF NATURE IN THE CENTRAL CITY, UH, RATHER THAN JUST HAVE THEM SORT OF WILLY NILLY CONVERTED TO CONSTRUCTED, UM, PARKLAND THAT'S, UH, IN CONFLICT WITH WHAT OUR, UH, RESIDENTS SAY THEY WANT, WHICH IS MORE NATURE IN THE CENTRAL CITY.

CERTAINLY WHAT WE NEED.

UH, I WANTED TO SPEAK PRIMARILY ON WHAT'S RELATED TO YOUR ITEM 12, THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT AND THE STATESMEN PUD PARKS RECOMMENDATION THAT I BELIEVE Y'ALL MADE BACK IN DECEMBER.

THERE'S BEEN MORE INFORMATION SINCE THEN.

AND I WANT TO ASK YOU TO CONSIDER EITHER AS A GROUP OR INDIVIDUALLY ASKING THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO HOLD OFF ON TAKING ACTION THIS WEEK, IT'S POSTED ON THEIR AGENDA FOR THURSDAY, BUT THERE IS A PENDING

[00:25:01]

REQUEST FOR POSTPONEMENT AND PERHAPS HAVE Y'ALL REVISIT THAT MATTER, UH, TO CLARIFY AND UPDATE YOUR POSITION, UH, AT YOUR NEXT MONTH'S MEETING.

UM, UH, ON A COUPLE OF FRONTS, ONE IS THAT IT'S SORT OF INDIRECT THE DEVELOPERS NOW ASKING 70 FOR THE US TAXPAYERS TO FUND $71 MILLION TO BUILD THEM AN UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE SYSTEM.

UM, AND THEY WANT BETWEEN 14,000,080 4 MILLION TO HELP BUILD THEIR STREETS.

I MEAN, THIS IS RATHER DISGUSTING AND OFFENSIVE.

I MEAN, THIS IS THE MOST LUXURY RICH WEALTHY DEVELOPMENT IN THE WHOLE CITY, PERHAPS THE WHOLE STATE.

AND YET THEY'RE ASKING FOR TAXPAYER HANDOUTS THAT, AND THAT'S MONEY THAT COULD GO DIRECTLY INTO A PARKS BUDGET THAT WOULD BE ADEQUATE TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY TO A RANGE OF, UH, CITY, UM, PRIORITIES.

UH, NEXT IS ON THE PARKLAND DEDICATION.

I PASSED OUT THIS THING.

THERE'S A CHART ONCE MARKED OLD ONCE MARK NEW, THE NEW ONE IS IN YOUR ACTUAL BACKUP THAT PERHAPS YOU'LL BE DISCUSSING WITH 12.

I HAVE TO LEAVE FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING.

SO I CAN'T STAY FOR THAT.

BUT WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS IF YOU START WITH THE OLD, THERE'S A LINE THERE, KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE THAT THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT PLAN FROM 2016 CALLED FOR 9.6 ACRE PARK AT THIS SITE, UM, WHAT WE'RE DOWN TO NOW IS 3.5 ACRES, AND THAT'S EVEN COUNTING, UH, PARKLAND THAT'S, UH, GOING TO BE TAKEN UP WITH WATER.

QUALITY CONTROLS IS IN THE CRITICAL WATER CALL.

THE ZONE 5% OF IT COULD BE PAID FOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.

UM, THE NEW INFORMATION IS TAKING THIS IN A WRONG WAY.

THERE'S NO WAY THIS CAN BE VIEWED AS SUPERIOR.

AND JUST TO CONCLUDE THE STAFF, I THINK Y'ALL GAVE SOME DIRECTION TO STAFF TO NEGOTIATE, BUT I THINK IT MEANT TO BE AN, I DON'T WANT TO PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, BUT TO NEGOTIATE, TO GET YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND INSTEAD THE STAFF MEMO THAT'S IN THE BACKUP WAS NEGOTIATING A WAY FROM AND GETTING EVEN LESS.

RIGHT.

SO PLEASE HAVE THAT CLARIFY.

THANK YOU.

OUR FINAL SPEAKER IS KEVIN RAINA'S WELL, I'M KEVIN.

RAINA'S A NICE TO SEE YOU ALL.

AGAIN.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN ROWING CLUB.

MY COMMENTS WILL BE BRIEF AS I JUST WANT TO THANK THE BOARD AND PART LEADERSHIP FOR SUPPORT OF ONGOING EFFORTS TO CONTINUE THE PUBLIC BENEFIT AND SERVICES THAT AUSTIN ROWING CLUB IS A 5 0 1 C3.

NONPROFIT HAS BEEN PROVIDING THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY FOR 40 YEARS, AND WE CONTINUE TO EXTEND OUR PROGRAMMING ACROSS 40 NON-PROFIT PARTNERS.

MANY OF THEM SERVING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, SOCIOECONOMIC DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES, THE VETERANS ASSOCIATION, AND MANY, MANY MORE.

SO THAT WAS IT.

I MISSED THE LAST MEETING I WAS OUT OF TOWN.

I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AND FOR THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU BROUGHT FORWARD IN MARCH, AND THAT'S GOING TO GO A LONG WAY TO SEE THOSE SERVICES CONTINUE TO BE PROVIDED TO ALL IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

THANK YOU.

WE'VE GOT ONE MORE SPEAKER FOR GENERAL COMMUNICATION.

KERMIT MAXWELL.

HELLO.

MY NAME IS KERMIT MAXWELL AND I, I LIKE TO SAY HOW YOU D HOW YOU GUYS DOING THIS EVENING.

YEAH, THIS IS MY GRANDSON.

I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE HIM TO EASE ALSO LOOK HER.

WE THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD TAKE THE TIME TO GET UP AND SAY, I'D SAY A FEW WORDS SHE GOT, BECAUSE WE WERE A PART OF, MOST OF THAT, THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT IN THE, IN THE, IN THE, THE LITTLE CUP, LITTLE PART OF A BLOB OF OUR HUMANITY YOU'RE THEN, UH, I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN THROUGH ALL THE, ALL OF THE ABOVE.

YOU KNOW, I WAS A BAD CHILD, BUT I HAD THESE POINTS RIGHT NOW WHERE I'M TRYING TO REENTER THIS REENTER LIFE.

AND I ASKED, I ASKED, I ASKED, UH, MY, MY, UH, MY EMPLOYEE OVER THERE, MR. MR. GREGORY DAY THAT, BECAUSE HE'S BEGINNING THIS, THIS, THIS PROGRAM OUT HERE BY THE SHACK.

[00:30:01]

AND, UH, IT'S NOT ONLY JUST FOR THAT, IF WE SPEAK A WHOLE LOT OF THAT AREA, BUT WE TRY TO SEE WHAT CAN WE DO FOR SOMEBODY LIKE ME? YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? I'M ACTUALLY THE ONE THAT Y'ALL CAN SEE THAT, THAT, THAT IS IN THIS IS IN THIS POVERTY THING.

SO IF YOU, EACH ONE OF Y'ALL WOULD HAVE SOMETHING TO DO.

HE DON'T LIKE THE GUY WON'T COME UP AND SAY, I NEED SOME HELP.

YOU KNOW? SO WHAT WOULD YOU DO RIGHT NOW IF I TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THAT I NEED SOME HELP, YOU KNOW? AND I, AND I REALLY DO, YOU KNOW, IT AIN'T THAT I'M, I'M SO CAUGHT UP IN THE DRUGS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT I'M REALLY CAUGHT UP IN THE JUST CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET OUT OF THIS WHOLE.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY HARD WHEN YOU HAVE A HEART AND YOU HAVE GRANDSONS, YOU KNOW, LIKE I GOT MY GRANDSON RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, AND HE REALLY, HE REALLY GAVE ME THE COURAGE TO BE UP HERE TO SAY SOMETHING TO YOU GUYS RIGHT NOW, TODAY, BECAUSE I, IN MY PART, IF I CAN'T DO NOTHING TO SHIP ANYTHING ELSE, HOW I'M GOING TO HAVE LEADERSHIP FOR MY GRANDSON, I HAVE TO HAVE ME A JOB, OR I HAVE SOME TO HAVE SOME KIND OF INCOME.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? RIGHT NOW I WAS ACTUALLY HOMELESS.

I WAS STAYING IN, IN A LITTLE HOTEL UP THERE AND THAT'S AS A BLESSING, I THINK, I THINK YOU ALL, FOR AT LEAST STARTING THAT TYPE OF PROGRAM, I KNOW WE USED TO HAVE OTHER PROGRAMS IN THE PAST, LIKE URBAN LEAGUE AND THEN THE DIFFERENT BOYS CLUB.

YOU ALREADY PARTY SEE BOYS CLUB RIGHT THERE.

YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO JUST RATTLE ON TO YOU WHAT YOU GOT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SEE WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO ACTUALLY SAFE AS SEE WHAT DID, WHAT WAS ACTUALLY GOING ON IN OUR CITY.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE, NOT THE BUS DO NOT KNOW WHAT THIS YEAR, THIS IS GOING ON.

YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, SOME PEOPLE NEED TO TELL TO TELL THEM THE PROGRAM THAT Y'ALL, THAT Y'ALL HERE, THEY'RE TALKING FOR US, YOU KNOW, BUT HOW DO WE BE ABLE TO SPEAK FOR OURSELVES? A LOT OF WILL TAKE UP ALL YOUR TIME, BACK TO WHAT IS GETTING 50 INTRODUCED TO YOU GUYS.

I SEE THE FEELING OF PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY HELPING SOMEBODY.

AND I HOPE THAT WE OUT THERE, WE CAN GET SOMETHING GOING ON WITH MR. GRIBBIN, BIG MAC GRADED OVER THERE, AND WE CAN HELP.

I CAN START BEGINNING MYSELF.

CAUSE I BELIEVE I CAN TELL SOMEBODY TRULY WHAT'S HAPPENING.

YOU KNOW, I CAN TELL YOU THAT TRULY AT ODIN BACK STREETS UP THERE THERE'S DARKNESS, YOU KNOW? RIGHT.

IT'S TRULY THAT THERE'S BACK STREETS OVER THERE THAT SOME PEOPLE NEVER SEE THE LIGHT, YOU KNOW, AND THEY COULD TELL YOU ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD, BUT THEY'RE NOT PART OF THE WORLD.

I BELIEVE THAT CONCLUDES OUR GENERAL COMMUNICATION.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

UM, OUR FIRST ORDER

[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

OF BUSINESS THEN IS THE MEETING MINUTES.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THE MEETING MINUTES OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? I'LL MOVE APPROVAL? UM, SO MOVED.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? OKAY.

ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES, ANYBODY OPPOSED? IS THERE AN OPPOSITION? OH, YOU WERE ABSTAINING.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

THEN I BELIEVE THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.

ALL RIGHT.

AND OUR FIRST, OUR, UM, THE NEXT

[2. Presentation, discussion and possible action on the history of Waller Creek as it pertains to upcoming naming opportunities. (Cottam Sajbel) ]

STEP, I HAVE A SPEAKER DR.

CATHERINE PACE THAT I'VE INVITED AND I BELIEVE WE'VE ALSO INVITED DR.

TED GORDON WHO MAY NOT BE HERE YET.

OH, HE IS WELCOME DR.

GORDON.

UM, SO IF YOU WOULD GO AHEAD AND, OKAY.

YES.

SO THE AGENDA ITEM IS NUMBER TWO WHILE THEY'RE COMING UP, UH, PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE HISTORY OF WALLER CREEK, AS IT PERTAINS TO UPCOMING NAMING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WATERLOO, UM, GREENWAY SPACE AND DR.

KATHERINE PACE IS AN URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORIAN.

DR.

TED GORDON IS A FOUNDING CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AFRICAN AND AFRICAN DIASPORA STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AS WELL AS AN AWARD WINNER, UM, FOR BOTH THE PRESENTATION PRESIDENTIAL CITATION AND A PRO BENNET MERITUS AWARD.

SO THANK YOU BOTH FOR COMING TONIGHT.

I APPRECIATE IT.

OKAY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US, UM, I'M GOING TO LAUNCH STRAIGHT IN, CAUSE IT'S A LOT TO TALK ABOUT IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.

UM, JUST VERY BRIEFLY, UM, AS YOU'RE WELL AWARE, CENTRAL AUSTIN, CENTRAL TEXAS HAS A FLASHLIGHT ECOLOGY.

IT'S ONE OF THE MOST FLASH FLOOD PRONE PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, IF NOT ALL OF NORTH AMERICA IN THE WORLD.

AND, UM, THIS IS RELEVANT BECAUSE, UM, DUE TO RACISM THROUGHOUT AUSTIN'S HISTORY, UM, SOCIAL FORCES HAVE DRIVEN BLACK PEOPLE INTO FLOOD PUMP, UH, FLOOD PLANES INTO URBAN FLOODPLAINS.

SO THAT'S WHY I START THIS PRESENTATION WITH AN IMAGE OF THE 1915 FLOOD ALONG WALLER CREEK.

UM, AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, BLACK PEOPLE MIGRATED TO CITIES, INCLUDING AUSTIN, MANY HOPE TO BUY LAND AS A RURAL WHITE PEOPLE SOLD BLACK PEOPLE, ONLY THE POOREST LAND,

[00:35:01]

THIS LAND THAT WAS STEEP AND THEREFORE DIFFICULT TO BUILD ON LAND THAT WAS NEAR INDUSTRY OR MOST OFTEN LOW LANDS THAT WERE PRONE TO DRAIN DRAIN POOR DRAINAGE AND FLOODING GIVEN NO OTHER OPTION, BLACK PEOPLE PURCHASE PROPERTY IN THESE AREAS.

OTHER BLACK PEOPLE RENTED NEARBY TOGETHER.

THEY FORMED FREEDOM COMMUNITIES.

THESE WERE CLOSE KNIT ENCLAVES WHERE RESIDENTS ENGAGED IN MUTUAL AID, POOLING THEIR RESOURCES AND SHARING THEIR LABOR TO HELP ONE ANOTHER WEATHER AND THE RACISM TO WHICH BLACK PEOPLE WERE DAILY SUBJECTED.

AND TO THRIVE.

THIS MAP HERE SHOWS HOW SUCH RACIAL DISCRIMINATION PLAYED OUT IN AUSTIN.

IT WAS CREATED BY IMPOSING DATA TAKEN FROM A CITY OF AUSTIN DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY ONTO AN 1872 MAP DEPICTING THE HISTORIC PATHS OF CENTRAL AUSTIN STREAMS. YOU CAN SEE THAT SOCIAL FORCES PUSHED BLACK PEOPLE INTO AUSTIN'S RIPARIAN ZONES.

UH, IN PARTICULAR, AUSTIN, UH, BLACK PEOPLE WERE PUSHED INTO LOWER WALLER CREEK, WHICH WAS THE EPICENTER OF BLACK SETTLEMENT IN AUSTIN.

IN THE 19TH CENTURY.

I'M HERE.

I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT A RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL FREEDOM COLONY THAT TOOK SHAPE ALONG THE MAIN BRANCH OF LOWER LA WALLER CREEK.

THE DOWNTOWN STRETCH.

THIS COMMUNITY HAS BEEN CALLED, NAMED THE RED RIVER COMMUNITY BECAUSE MANY BLACK BUSINESSES CLUSTERED ALONG RED RIVER STREET.

IN FACT, IT WAS A RIPARIAN FLOODPLAIN COMMUNITY, ITS BEGINNINGS DATE TO JULY, 1869.

WHEN A RECORD FLOOD IS SWEPT DOWN THE COLORADO RIVER CAUSING THE TRIBUTARIES OF THE COLORADO RIVER TO BACK UP AND ALSO FLOOD SHORTLY AFTER THIS FLOOD, WHITE LANDOWNERS ALONG RED RIVER STREET BEGAN SELLING FLOOD-PRONE PROPERTIES TO BLACK PEOPLE.

AS EARLY AS 1871, A BLACK COMMUNITY HAD FORMED ALONG THE DOWNTOWN BRANCH OF LOWER WALLS OF WALLER CREEK.

THE COMMUNITY WAS HOME TO BLACK BUSINESSES, HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS, AND BY DECADES END TO A BLACK CHURCH AND SCHOOL, ALMOST ALL BLACK RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES AND CIVIL SOCIETY INSTITUTIONS WERE LOCATED SQUARELY WITHIN WALNUT CREEK'S FLOODPLAINS.

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE RIGHT HERE IN AN ACT OF SOLIDARITY.

BLACK LAND OWNERS OFTEN SUBDIVIDED THEIR HOLDINGS AND SOLD TO OTHER BLACK PEOPLE IN NIGHT IN 1871, THE BLACK OWNER OF LAND AT RED RIVER AND 11TH STREET SOLD TO JEREMIAH HAMILTON, A BLACK CARPENTER FROM BASS JOB, TEXAS, AND A MEMBER OF THE 12TH, TEXAS LEGISLATOR, AND A TESTAMENT TO HAMILTON'S FINANCIAL SUCCESS.

HE AND HIS FAMILY WERE ABLE TO BUILD A TWO-STORY STONE STRUCTURE ON THE LOT.

THEY LIVED ON THE SECOND FLOOR AND OUT OF THE FIRST THEY RAN A GROCERY.

THIS IS A PICTURE OF THE HOUSE THAT THEY BUILT THE JEREMIAH HAMILTON HOUSE, WHICH IS CURRENTLY LOCATED IN SYMPHONY SQUARE.

IF YOU'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE THAT IT OVERLOOKS WALLER CREEK A HOME TO SUCCESSFUL BLACK BUSINESSES, AS WELL AS RELATIVELY AFFLUENT BLACK RESIDENTS.

THE RED RIVER COMMUNITY WAS ALSO HOME TO BLOW POOR BLACK PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN FLOOD-PRONE TENEMENTS WHILE THEIR CREEPS, WHILE THEIR CREEK STEEP.

AND PARTICULARLY FLOOD-PRONE BRAIN BANKS WERE HOME TO SHANTY TOWNS WHERE BLACK PEOPLE LIVED IN CROWDED AND UNSANITARY CONDITIONS HERE ON THE SLIDE.

THERE'S A QUOTE THAT SPEAKS TO THESE CONDITIONS.

IT'S TAKEN FROM A SANITATION SURVEY OF AUSTIN IN 1913, ITS AUTHOR WROTE PEOPLE ARE CROWDED TOGETHER IN SMALL HUTS.

ONE IN TWO FAMILIES IN A ONE-ROOM SHANTI AND LITTLE CHILDREN ARE FORCED TO PLAY OUT IN THE DUSTY STREET ON THE FILTHY DIRTY CREEK OR RIVER BANK WHERE THEIR HOMES ARE LOCATED.

UM, YOU'RE ALL VERY FAMILIAR.

I'M SURE WITH THE 1928 CITY PLAN, WHICH INSTITUTIONALIZED RESIDENTIAL SEGREGATION AND RACIST POLICIES AND AUSTIN FUNDAMENTAL TO THE WORKING OF US REAL ESTATE CAPITALISM AND CITY PLANNING IS THE IDEA THAT BLACK PEOPLE ARE HAZARDOUS TO WHITE PEOPLE'S PROPERTY VALUES.

WE SEE THIS IDEA PLAY OUT IN AUSTIN'S 1928 CITY PLAN.

IN ADDITION TO INSTITUTIONALIZING SEGREGATION, THE PLAN PROPOSED THAT THE CITY USED PARKS TO RACIALLY LANDSCAPE ITS LOW LANDS AND FLOODPLAINS, THEREBY PROTECTING AND INCREASING NEARBY WHITE PROPERTY VALUES.

THE AUTHORS OF THE PLAN WERE AWARE OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL AND TOPOGRAPHIC GRADIENTS IN AMERICAN CITIES.

THEY KNEW THAT POOR PEOPLE AND PARTICULARLY POOR BLACK PEOPLE WHO OCCUPIED THE LOWEST RUNGS OF THE SOCIAL HIERARCHY TENDED TO SETTLE IN TOPOGRAPHICALLY, LOW PLACES.

THEY PROPOSE THE CITY USE PARKS TO RUPTURE THIS RELATIONSHIP.

UM, THESE ARE SOME EXAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE 1928 PLAN, UH, THAT SPEAK TO THIS.

WE ARE RECOMMENDING THE ULTIMATE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK IN THE VICINITY OF 11TH AND 12TH STREETS, JUST EAST OF THE ING ING N RAILROAD, EXCUSE ME, IT'S A TYPO.

THE TOPOGRAPHY IS VERY ROUGH AND IS IT PRESENT OCCUPIED BY THE CHEAPEST TYPE OF NEGRO SHACKS? WHEREAS THE PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY ADJOINING IS MORE VALUABLE AND CAN EVENTUALLY BE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OF THE HIGHEST ORDER, THE ACQUISITION OF THIS PROPERTY FOR PARK PURPOSES.

AND THE REMOVAL OF THE PRESENT TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT WILL INCREASE THE VALUE OF THE SURROUNDING PROPERTY.

MANY TIMES THE COST OF THE ACQUISITION THEREOF.

[00:40:02]

UM, THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE, UH, THAT SPEAKS TO WALLER CREEK.

THE PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY NORTH OF PALM SCHOOL, UNACCOUNTED BEING ISOLATED AND CUT UP BY WALLER CREEK IS VERY CHEAP PROPERTY.

AND IN A NEGLECT STATE, THE BLOCK TO THE WEST OF PALM SCHOOL IS ALSO VERY CHEAP PROPERTY AND WE REMAIN SO AS LONG AS WALLER CREEK IS PERMITTED TO CONTINUE IN ITS PRESENT CONDITION.

IT IS OUR RECOMMENDATION THAT THESE TRACKS OF LAND BE ACQUIRED BY THE CITY AND THAT THE COURSE OF WALNUT CREEK BE STRAIGHTENED THIS ENTIRE TRACK CONVERTED INTO A VERY DESIRABLE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYGROUND.

THIS HERE IS THE HISTORY OF PALM PARK.

IT WAS DESIGNED EXPLICITLY TO DISPLACE BLACK PEOPLE ALSO ALONG SHOAL CREEK, UM, PLANNERS, THE AUTHORS OF THE 1928 MASTER PLAN PROPOSED PARKING SHOW CREEK TO CONTROL THE NATURE OF FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS.

AT THE TIME, THERE WERE NO BLACK PEOPLE LIVING ALONG THE MAIN BRANCH OF SHOW CREEK PLANNERS WANTED TO ENSURE THAT THAT REMAINED THE CASE.

THEY WROTE THE SHOAL CREEK VALLEYS FLAMED ON EITHER SIDE BY HIGH BLUFFS AND VERY DESIRABLE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY BETWEEN THE BLUFFS ARE CONSIDERABLE LOWLANDS, WHICH ARE NOT PARTICULARLY SUITABLE FOR RESIDENTIAL USE.

WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT THE LOWLANDS OF THIS VALLEY BE ACQUIRED FOR A LARGE PARK TO CONTROL THE NATURE OF DEVELOPMENT ALONG WALLER CREEK.

THE CITY PROPOSED BUILDING A WALLER CREEK PARKWAY, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN, UH, UH, WIDE PAVED ROAD SUITED TO AUTOMOBILES.

AND THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN CUT-OFFS FROM THAT ROAD, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN ALONG EAST AVENUE.

THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN CUTOFFS FROM THAT ROAD TO PARKS.

IT CHANGED THE PARKS ALONG WALLER CREEK TO JUSTIFY CONSTRUCTION OF THE WALNUT CREEK PARKWAY.

UH, THE CITY PLAN STATED THE COMPLETION OF THIS DRIVE WILL UNTIL THE ACQUISITION OF CERTAIN CHEAP PROPERTY ALONG THE BANKS OF WALLER CREEK.

MOST OF THE PROPERTY WHICH WILL BE NEEDED IS AT PRESENT OCCUPIED BY VERY UNSIGHTLY, AN UNSANITARY SHACKS, AND HABITED BY NEGROES WITH THESE BUILDINGS REMOVED REMAINING PROPERTY WILL BE OF A SUBSTANTIAL AND ONE MORE DESIRABLE TYPE.

SO IN SHORT, THE BLUEPRINT FOR AUSTIN'S FIRST MODERN PARK SYSTEM WAS A BLUEPRINT GROUNDED IN RACISM AND THE DESIRE TO DISPLACE BLACK PEOPLE FACED WITH BUDGETARY RESTRICTIONS.

THE CITY LIMITED ITS PARK PLANS FOCUSING INSTEAD ON ACQUIRING LAND IN NORTH AND WEST AUSTIN, WHERE IT BUILT A SCALED DOWN VERSION OF THE SHOAL CREEK PARKWAY, IT DID INDEED STRAIGHTEN THE BEND AND WALLER CREEK AT THIRD STREET, AND IT BUILT A PARK NEXT TO THE PALM ELEMENTARY, WHICH WAS AT THE TIME A WHITE SCHOOL, UM, THROUGHOUT JIM CROW.

THESE WERE THE ONLY MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS ALONG LOWER WALNUT CREEK.

AND THE RED RIVER COMMUNITY REMAINED IN PLACE.

CRUCIALLY AS BLACK PEOPLE WERE PUSHED AND PULLED INTO EAST AUSTIN WALLER CREEK AND NOT EAST AVENUE DEVELOPED INTO THE CITY'S COLOR LINE.

YOU CAN SEE THAT HERE, IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY EAST AUSTIN AS A CONTIGUOUS SPACE WAS CLEARLY NOT BOARDED BY EAST AVENUE.

IT WAS BORDERED BY WALNUT CREEK AND ITS FLOODPLAINS.

NOTABLY, YOU CAN SEE THIS HERE, THE RED, THE BLACK DOTS ARE BLACK HOUSEHOLDS.

THE RED DOTS ARE MEXICAN HOUSEHOLDS IN THE 1920S AFTER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAIVED IMMIGRATION RESTRICTIONS ON CONTRACTED MEXICAN WORKERS, UM, TRIGGERING MASS MIGRATION FROM MEXICO TO THE U S AUSTIN'S HISPANIC POPULATION INCREASED VERY QUICKLY.

AND MEXICANS WHO FACED A LOT OF THE SAME RACISM, THE BLACK PEOPLE FACED WERE ALSO PUSHED INTO WALNUT CREEK'S FLOODPLAINS.

UM, THEY TOO OCCUPIED THE SHANTY DISTRICTS ALONG LOWER WALNUT CREEK AND SOME STRETCHES BECOMING THE MAJORITY.

UM, WHILE THE RED RIVER COMMUNITY WAS THROUGHOUT JIM CROW HOME TO SHANI TOWNS, IT WAS ALSO HOME TO A NUMBER OF VERY SUCCESSFUL BLACK BUSINESSES.

UM, ONE OF THE, SOME OF THE OWNERS OF THE MOST FAMOUS OF THESE BUSINESSES ARE DEPICTED HERE ON THE FAR END IS SIMON SEIDEL.

HE WAS A HORSE TRAINER AND TRADER FROM PLU, PFLUGERVILLE, TEXAS.

HE OPENED AN ANTIQUE SHOP IN 1918 AT RED RIVER AND EAST EIGHTH STREETS.

HE TAUGHT HIS DAUGHTER THERESA, THE TRICKS OF THE TRADE AND IN THE MID 1940S, SHE AND HER HUSBAND TANNY WHO WERE DEPICTED IN THE MIDDLE PICTURE.

SHE'S ALSO DEPICTED ON THE FA ON THE OTHER SIDE, THEY OPENED AN ANTIQUE STORE AT RED RIVER AND EAST 12TH.

THEY WERE SOON JOINED BY OTHER SECOND-HAND DEALERS, BLACK AND WHITE TURNING RED RIVER INTO STREET INTO A BUSTLING SECONDHAND DISTRICT.

IT REMAINED A THRIVING DISTRICT UNTIL THE EARLY 1970S, EVEN AS WHITE FLIGHT TO THE SUBURBS, WRECKED HAVOC ON THE REST OF DOWNTOWN BY VIRTUE OF ITS LOCATION, A PARTICULAR SHANTI NEIGHBORHOOD LOCATED JUST EAST OF CAPITOL HILL IN A, IN A PARTICULARLY FLOOD PRONE, RIPARIAN BOTTOM LAND ATTRACTED LARGE AMOUNTS OF ATTENTION OVER THE YEARS.

UM, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THE TEXAS OBSERVER, THEY PUBLISHED A PIECE DECRYING THE STATE OF AUSTIN SLUMS. THEY HIGHLIGHTED A PARTICULAR SLUM WITHIN A TWO MINUTE WALK OF THE SPREADING LAWNS OF THE CAPITOL GROUNDS.

EIGHT PEOPLE LIVE IN THREE ROOMS WITH WOOD, FOR HEAT AND NO GLASS IN THE WINDOWS UP ON THE SAME STREET, A MA A MEXICAN MOTHER KEEPS HER

[00:45:01]

FOUR CHILDREN INTO ROOMS WITH WIDE CRACKS BETWEEN THE FLOORBOARDS.

THE AUTHOR HERE WAS SPEAKING OF THIS, THIS SLUM ALONG WA WATER WATER WALLER CREEK IN WHAT IS NOW WATERLOO PARK.

UM, RIGHT HERE, THIS IS TAKEN FROM A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE IN 1961, ENTITLED THE SHAME OF AUSTIN.

THESE ARE PICTURES OF THE SHANTY, THE SHANTY NEIGHBORHOOD LOCATED IN THIS RIGHT PERIOD.

BOTTOM LAND AT THE EASTERN FOOT OF THE CAPITOL HILL.

THE ORIGINAL PICTURE IS THE CLEARER ONE, THE LARGER ONE ON MY LEFT, I GUESS YOUR LEFT AS WELL.

YOU CAN SEE THAT THE NEWSPAPER ACTUALLY REMOVED KIND OF PHOTOSHOP THE PICTURE REMOVED.

SOME OF THE TREES INSERTED THE CAPITOL DOME WITH AN ARROW TO HIGHLIGHT HOW TERRIBLE IT WAS THAT POOR BLACK PEOPLE WERE LIVING IN SUCH CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE CAPITOL.

SLATED FOR REMOVAL IN THE 1928 MASTER PLAN.

THIS COMMUNITY WAS AGAIN SLATED FOR REMOVAL BY AUSTIN'S URBAN RENEWAL AGENCY.

THE BRACKENRIDGE URBAN RENEWAL PROJECT DISPLACED THE SHANDIES EAST OF CAPITOL HILL, ALONG WITH HUNDREDS OF BUSINESSES AND RESIDENCES LOCATED IN THE PROJECT AREA AND IN THE BOTTOM LAND WHERE THE SHANDY'S HAD BEEN THE AGENCY BUILT WATERLOO PARK HERE, YOU CAN SEE THE AGENCY WROTE TO ENHANCE THE PROJECT AREAS AS A FRONT DOOR TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE STATE CAPITOL GROUNDS, A PUBLIC PARKWAY ALONG WALLER CREEK HAS PROPOSED, WHICH WILL IN TURN ENHANCE THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF THOSE PRIVATE REDEVELOPMENT PARCELS.

ADJACENT THERE TO THIS SPACE WILL ALSO SERVE AS A DRAINAGE AREAS SINCE MOST OF THE PROPOSED DEDICATED PARKING IS SUBJECT TO FLOODING BY WALLER CREEK.

NOTABLY, THIS IS THE ONLY REFERENCE THAT I COULD FIND IN ALL OF THE BRACKENRIDGE PROJECT DOCUMENTS THAT MENTIONED FLOODS.

THE PARK WAS NOT PLANNED AS A FLOOD MITIGATION MEASURE.

THE PARK WAS PLANNED TO DISPLACE BLACK PEOPLE AND BOOST NEARBY PROPERTY VALUES, NOTABLY OR CRUCIALLY URBAN RENEWAL GAVE NO CONSIDERATION OF THE SOCIAL CAUSES OF POVERTY OR TO THE SOCIAL BONDS THAT POOR BLACK COMMUNITIES HAD FORMED.

AND THE SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS THAT THEY PROVIDED.

ONE ANOTHER IN SOME WHILE THEIR CREEK'S HISTORY SPEAKS TO THE PERVASIVE SYSTEMIC NATURE OF RACE IN THE U S IN AUSTIN AND IN AUSTIN, THE URBAN SPACES WE LIVE, WORK AND PLAY IN EVEN THE MOST SEEMINGLY BENIGN URBAN SPACES LIKE OUR PARKS ARE THE PRODUCTS OF RACIST CITY PLANNING AND RACIST REAL ESTATE CAPITALISM.

AS TONI MORRISON WROTE, WE LIVE IN A WHOLLY RACIALIZED WORLD ALONGSIDE THIS HISTORY OF RACISM.

THERE IS A RICH HISTORY OF BLACK COMMUNITY BUILDING DETERMINATION AND RESILIENCE ALONG LOWER WALLER CREEK, A HISTORY THAT CAN AND SHOULD BE TOLD THANKS TO MY WORK AND THE WORK OF OTHER SCHOLARS, INCLUDING A TEAM OF RESEARCHERS THAT DR.

GORDON IS SUPERVISING.

WE HAVE THE NAMES OF THE BLACK PEOPLE WHO OWN LAND MANAGED BUSINESSES AND BUILT COMMUNITY ALONG LOWER WALLER CREEK.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE PARKS BOARD, THE WATERLOO GREENWAY GREENWAY, AND OTHER CITY WORKERS TO ENGAGE WITH THIS MATERIAL TO INVEST RESOURCES IN PUTTING TOGETHER MORE DETAILED BIOGRAPHIES OF THE BLACK PEOPLE WHO LIVED AND WORKED ALONG WALLER CREEK.

AND TO HIGHLIGHT THIS HISTORY IN BOTH WATERLOO PARK AND ALONG THE WALLER CREEK GREENBELT.

THANK YOU.

I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO DR.

GORDON OH, THANK YOU, KATIE.

THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME TO COME AND SPEAK YOU.

I'VE BEEN ASKED TO JUST SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY AND RELATIONSHIP TO, UM, I GUESS, TO PARKS, BUT IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN GENERAL, AND I'LL BE, UH, RELATIVELY BRIEF AND, UH, VERY GENERAL FIRST AND FOREMOST, LET'S THINK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF AUSTIN AT THE TIME OF THE UNDER CIVIL WAR, 1865 CITY OF AUSTIN HAD A BLACK POPULATION, WHICH WAS ABOUT 30% OF THAT POPULATION.

WE'RE DOWN TO EIGHT, 7%.

SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

BLACK FOLKS ARE DISAPPEARING FROM THE SPACE THAT WE CALL AUSTIN SPACE AND RACE AND HISTORY ARE IMPORTANT TO TRACK.

THEY'RE IMPORTANT TO TRACK BECAUSE HISTORY SHOWS US THAT NEXUS OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RACE AND SPACE ACCUMULATION THROUGH DISPOSSESSION IS A KEY ASPECT OF HOW IT IS THAT RACE OPERATES IN THIS COUNTRY AND HAS OPERATED HERE IN AUSTIN.

IF YOU THINK ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS, AND YOU THINK ABOUT, UH, OTHER ASPECTS OF HOW COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN DISPLACED SO THAT OTHERS COULD ACCUMULATE YOU GET

[00:50:01]

THE PICTURE.

THIS HAS BEEN THE CASE IN AUSTIN FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, BLACK FOLKS WERE CONFINED TO SPECIFIC KIND OF SPACES OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN BEFORE 1865, WHEN 1865 HIT.

AND WE COULD FINALLY MOVE.

WE MOVED TO SPACES AS KATIE WAS POINTING OUT THAT WERE AVAILABLE TO US, BUT WHICH WERE THE WORST THAN THE MOST DANGEROUS SPACES IN AUSTIN.

WHEN THOSE SPACES BECAME VALUABLE TO OTHERS, WE PROBABLY GATED A CITY POLICY, WHICH HAD FOLKS MOVE FROM THOSE MORE VALUABLE SPACES TO SPACES, WHICH WERE RESERVED FOR US WHEN WE WERE ABLE THROUGH AND OVER TIME TO BEGIN TO BUILD CAPITAL, TO BUILD COMMUNITY IN THE SPACE THAT WAS ALLOCATED TO US, INTEGRATION HAPPENED IN A WAY WHICH UNDERMINE THOSE COMMUNITIES OR THAT COMMUNITIES THAT WERE CREATED.

I'M TALKING ABOUT EAST DOS NOW, AND THE BLACK MIDDLE-CLASS MOVED OUT.

THAT SPACE BECAME DEVALUED.

AND OVER TIME, THE LARGER WHITE COMMUNITY SEEING ONCE AGAIN, THE POSSIBILITY OF ACCUMULATION ACCUMULATION THROUGH DISPOSSESSION MOVED INTO EAST AUSTIN.

AND WE NOW HAVE THE SITUATION OF GENTRIFICATION.

HISTORY IS IMPORTANT, BUT PARTICULARLY HISTORY HERE IN AUSTIN IS, OR THE RACIAL HISTORY OF HERE AT OFF OF HERE IN AUSTIN IS CRUCIALLY RELATED BETWEEN SPACE AND RACE REDRESSING.

THAT HISTORY IS A DIFFICULT THING TO DO.

UH, YOU'RE A PARKS BOARD.

UH, I IN KATIE'S MADE SOME SUGGESTIONS HERE, BUT ONE OF THE KEY ASPECTS OF REDRESS IS RECKONING WITH THE TRUTH OF THE PAST.

THE TRUTH OF THE PAST, AND AUSTIN IS A TRUTH OF DISPOSSESSION OF RACIAL MIGRATION OF THE ACCUMULATION OF VALUE.

AND THEN THE DISPOSSESSION OF THAT VALUE ACCUMULATION OF VALUE IN SPACE.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE IS ONE THAT FOLKS HAVE BEEN DISPLACED.

UM, PART OF THE PROBLEM IN TERMS OF RECOGNIZING THAT IS A RATIO, THE RATIO OF SOCIAL MEMORY.

IF WE THINK ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, WE FEEL THERE'S ONLY ONE BUILDING LEFT IN WEAVERVILLE THAT, UH, WAS THE ONE BUILDING LEFT FROM A THRIVING BLACK COMMUNITY.

THAT COMMUNITY HAS BEEN BASICALLY ERASED.

AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF LOSING EVEN THAT ONE BUILDING, WHICH IS A SIGN OF THE COMMUNITY, THE THRIVING COMMUNITY THAT USED TO EXIST THERE.

ON THE OTHER HAND, JUST DOWN THE STREET, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, COCHRAN HOUSE, WHICH SHOWS HOW IT IS THAT CERTAIN KINDS OF SPACES CAN BE PRESERVED AS A MEANS OF MAINTAINING A SOCIAL MEMORY OF A PARTICULAR KIND OF COMMUNITY.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HISTORY NEEDS TO DO ONCE AGAIN, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT SOCIAL MEMORY LIVES, THAT COMMUNITIES WHICH ARE, OR THOSE PATHS, WHICH ARE FACED WITH A RATIO ARE MAINTAINED.

AND ONLY THROUGH DOING THAT THROUGH RECKONING WITH THE HISTORY, THROUGH MAKING IT OR ENGAGING IN THE PROCESSES OF, UH, OF REMEMBERING WHAT HAPPENED IN THESE SPACES.

DO WE BOTH BEGIN TO READDRESS THAT, BUT ALSO BEGIN TO TRY TO AVOID THE PROCESSES, THE SOCIAL POLITICAL, AND ECONOMIC PROCESSES THAT CONTINUE TO ERASE FOLKS TO DISPOSSESS FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

THANKS.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

AND, UM, I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU DID TO DO THIS.

I KNOW IT WAS JUST ON YOUR OWN ON YOUR OWN TIME, AND I APPRECIATE YOU ENLIGHTENING THE BOARD.

UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WE SHOULD KEEP IN MIND, UM, WE FOCUSED ON EQUITY AND, AND SOME OTHER THINGS IN THE PARKS.

UM, I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN MAYBE TALK TO WATERLOO, GREENWAY CONSERVANCY ABOUT A HISTORY WALK AND ALSO ABOUT MORE APPROPRIATE NAMING GOING FORWARD.

SO THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO BRING IN THESE EXPERTS.

AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

ANY QUESTIONS? ANYBODY? THANK YOU, CHAIR.

UH, APPRECIATE IT, DR.

GORDON.

IT'S GOOD SEEING YOU AGAIN AND DR.

PACE, CORRECT? DR.

PACE.

YES.

WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT INFORMATION.

AND THERE'S SO MANY IMPACTFUL WHEN YOU HAVE A LOT OF, IT'S JUST KNOWING THE LANGUAGE AND HEARING THE LANGUAGE, HOW TO ARTICULATE WHAT YOU SEE, WHAT YOU FEEL AND WHAT YOU'RE EXPERIENCING IN.

LIKE, IT'S NOT JUST THE HISTORY, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE THE PRESENT.

HOW DO WE MAKE THOSE DECISIONS, BUT IMPACT, DO WE SEE, PARTICULARLY WITH WATERLOO, WHAT WAS THE RATIONALE FOR DOING IT? THAT INTENTIONALITY, YOU KNOW, IT, IT BRINGS UP A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT IT BRINGS A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON HOW MONEY IS SPENT AND DECISIONS ARE MADE AND THE INDIVIDUALS WHO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.

AND SO, UM, I LIKE,

[00:55:01]

I LOVE IT.

I, YOU KNOW, I WROTE DOWN RECKONING, YOU KNOW, WITH THE TRUTH OF THE PAST, MAINTAINING A SOCIAL MEMORY OF A TYPE OF COMMUNITY.

AND ACTUALLY THAT'S WHERE MY QUESTION IS GOING TO.

SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE, I AGREE, I REALLY FOUND OUT WHAT THE NEW CROCK CROCKERY IN HOUSE, THAT WAS A REALLY GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW COMMUNITY, LIKE THE LARGER, WE'LL SAY AUSTIN COMMUNITY.

AND I REALLY DO USE THAT IN QUOTES.

YEAH.

WE'LL SAY THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HOLD THIS UP, WE'VE GOT PROTECT IT, BUT THEN YES, SOME OF THE OTHER BUILDINGS WITH, THERE'S NOT THAT DIRECT CONNECTION, IT'S NOT OURS, IT'S NOT ONE OF OUR BUILDINGS.

HOW DO WE, WHAT WOULD YOUR RECOMMENDATION WHEN WE SEE SO MANY PEOPLE IN POWER AND AUTHORITY THAT YOU MAKE THOSE DECISIONS? LIKE, HOW DO YOU, I MEAN, I'M KIND OF MISSING, LIKE, HOW DO WE BRIDGE? HOW DO WE DO THAT IN FOR THAT INFORMING? AND THEN ONCE WE DO THE INFORMING, WHAT'S THE ASK, IS IT THE, YOU KNOW, IMAGINE ON THE WEEDS FILL HOUSE, IT'S THE PRESERVATION OF THE WEEDS FULL HOUSE, THAT STORYTELLING, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE MAKING SURE WE'RE DOING IT, BUT WHERE ELSE CAN WE DO THAT? AND WHAT IS IT WHEN HAVE YOU THOUGHT ON LIKE HOW WE SHOULD BE AS PARTICULARLY IN A PARKS DEPARTMENT.

AND I'M ALSO THINKING ABOUT, UM, SHOAL CREEK.

YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT SHOAL, WE'VE BEEN, WE PAID A TON OF MONEY FOR A SMALL LITTLE SLIVER AROUND SHOAL CREEK.

PART OF IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE STORYTELLING WITH THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND MAYBE THE MEXICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY MATURE, BUT HOW DO WE DO IT? RIGHT? THAT'S THE QUESTION? UH, I'M NOT SURE I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS TO ANYTHING, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN LOOK TO IS HOW HAS IT BEEN DONE FOR OTHERS? SO LET'S TAKE NEIL COCHRAN HOUSE, YOU COCHRAN HOUSE.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE BEEN BY THERE RECENTLY OR NOT.

IT'S BEAUTIFULLY PRESERVED.

THEY'VE DONE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO KEEP, UH, THE KIND OF PERIOD PIECES, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.

THEY HAVE CONTINUAL, UH, PROGRAMMING THERE.

YOU CAN READ A, UH, UH, A BROCHURE WHICH TALKS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE FAMILIES THAT WERE THERE AND WHAT SURROUNDED IT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY WENT THROUGH, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.

THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY WHAT YOU HAD TO DO IN YOUR PARK, BUT IT'S NOT THAT HARD TO DO THE RESEARCH NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND WHY IT IS THAT A PLACE LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE PARK THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, UM, UH, W WHAT HIS HISTORY WAS, WHAT HIS HISTORY AND HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR COMMUNITIES WERE.

AND TO TELL THAT STORY, TO TELL THAT STORY THROUGH PROJECTS, CONTEXTUALIZATION, OR COMMEMORATION, TO TELL THAT STORY THROUGH HAVING FOLKS GO TO SCHOOLS AND, AND TELL THESE STORIES, ET CETERA, UM, IT CAN BE DONE IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF WAYS.

WHAT'S IMPORTANT, I THINK IS THE EFFORT TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT WHAT YOU SEE HAS A HISTORY TO IT, AND TO TELL IT IN VARIOUS KINDS OF WAYS, UH, AND THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF WAYS THAT THAT CAN BE DONE.

UH, WE PARTICIPATED IN ACTUALLY IN A, UH, A PROGRAM AT, AT SHOAL CREEK IN WHICH WE, UH, WENT THROUGH AND HAVE VARIOUS OF US TALKING ABOUT VARIOUS ASPECTS OF SHOAL CREEK AND THE HISTORY OF BLACK AND OTHER COMMUNITIES IN RELATIONSHIP TO, UH, TO THAT SPACE.

THAT WAS A ONE DAY EVENT, BUT IT WAS AN EVENT THAT A HUNDRED OR SO PEOPLE CAME TO, AND I THINK IT HAS SOME KIND OF IMPACT, IT AT LEAST WAS AN EFFORT TO TRY TO HAVE THAT STORY BE, BE TOLD AND BE UNDERSTOOD.

SO PRESERVATION, BUT ALSO THINK ABOUT THESE OPPORTUNITIES AS PEDAGOGICAL OPPORTUNITIES.

IT'S, IT'S NOT SHAMEFUL TO BE EDUCATED ON IN OTHER WORDS.

AND I THINK WHAT WE SHOULD BE TRYING TO DO IS, YOU KNOW, A KEY ASPECT BORDER PARKS SHOULD BE ABOUT BESIDE RECREATION IS EDUCATION, AND WE CAN DO THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.

I DON'T KNOW KATIE, IF YOU HAD SOME OF THIS.

UM, YEAH.

THANK YOU.

UM, YEAH, JUST IN TERMS OF WHAT DR.

GORDON SAID ABOUT THE NEIL COCHRAN, MY HAMILTON HOUSE HAS A LITTLE PLAQUE, THAT'S IT? YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO, FOR SURE, THERE'S NO ONGOING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING THAT GROUNDS THAT HOUSE IN THE LARGER HISTORY HISTORY OF THE WATERWAY.

I THINK ALSO ABOUT, UM, PROJECTS THAT I'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO THINGS TOO, WORKING WITH DR.

GORDON UNIVERSITY COMMEMORATION PROJECTS, WHERE THEY HAVE, UM, UM, COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUES GOING INTO THE HISTORY AT, AT VARIOUS POINTS POINTS ON CAMPUS, UM, YOU KNOW, LOCATED IN STRATEGIC PLACES SO THAT PEOPLE WERE REALLY ENGAGED WITH THIS.

I MEAN, SCULPTURE WORK ART, RIGHT? ART IS A VERY OBVIOUS PLACE, ARE COMMISSIONED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR WHO LIVE IN AUSTIN.

UM, SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF DIRECTIONS THAT, THAT, THAT YOU CAN GO IN AND ALSO JUST GETTING HISTORY, RIGHT.

BECAUSE AS IT'S TOLD RIGHT NOW IN WATERLOO PARK, THE HISTORY IS NOT CORRECT.

[01:00:02]

UM, SO THAT WOULD BE A REALLY LOW HANGING FRUIT IN TERMS OF A PLACE TO START.

AND I, SORRY, WASN'T JUST ONE FOLLOW-UP IF YOU DON'T MIND SHARE JUST REAL QUICK.

UH, AND SO DO YOU THINK GOING AT ALL THIS AND NOT HAVING, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORICAL OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY, AND THERE'S A PSYCH PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT THAT MANIFESTS ITSELF IN HOW PEOPLE LIVE IN AUSTIN? WELL, I THINK THERE'S A CLEAR, PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT ON THE BLACK COMMUNITY.

I THINK THE BLACK COMMUNITY HERE IN AUSTIN DOESN'T FEEL LIKE IT'S REALLY ANY LONGER PART OF US.

I THINK IT UNDERSTANDS THAT WE HAVE A HISTORY HERE, BUT, UM, I THINK MOST OF US FEEL LIKE THAT WE'RE DISAPPEARING FROM THE SPACE, AND THAT HAS A VERY CLEAR PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECT ON FOLDS.

UM, THERE'S A LOT OF LITERATURE THAT'S BEEN DONE ON GENTRIFICATION AND THE DESTRUCTION OF COMMUNITIES AND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, IS, IS, YOU KNOW, THOSE THINGS ARE VERY REAL, BUT I THINK THIS IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT'S BEGINNING TO HAPPEN WITH MEXICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES HERE AS THE COST OF LIVING BECOMES MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD PEOPLE ARE LEAVING TOWN.

MEXICAN AMERICANS HAVE A VERY CLEAR HERITAGE IN THIS PLACE, BUT WE DON'T NECESSARILY RECOGNIZE IT EVEN LESS SO THAN IN SOME SENSE IN BLACK FOLKS, RIGHT? THE SPACES, UH, DON'T HAVE THAT DEPTH OF HISTORY THAT SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE BLACK SPACES DO.

UM, BUT AS PEOPLE LEAVE AND THEY GET ERASED, SOCIAL MEMORY OF THEM ARE RAISED IN THAT HAS TO HAVE A PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT ON FOLKS.

YOU FEEL LESS THAN YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S NOT YOUR PLACE IT PLACE IS FOR SOMEBODY ELSE.

THAT'S ALSO VERY CLEAR IN TERMS OF HOW BLACK PEOPLE OPERATE IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE COLOR LINE IN AUSTIN.

AND WHAT USED TO BE THE COAL LINE IN AUSTIN, WHICH WAS A WALNUT CREEK OR EAST AVENUE, AND THEN 35, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.

WE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE EAST SIDE WAS OUR SIDE.

WELL, IT'S NO LONGER OUR SIDE ANYMORE, BUT THERE'S A WHOLE PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUE.

WHEN I FIRST MOVED TO AUSTIN AND MOVED TO THE EAST SIDE, THERE WERE PEOPLE IN MY DEPARTMENT AT UT, WHICH IS THEY HAD THE POLICY DEPARTMENTS WOULD BE LIBERAL AND AVID AND ADVENTUROUS WHO HAD NEVER BEEN ACROSS TO THE SIDE AND WONDERED HOW I LIVED ON THE EAST SIDE.

NOW, YOU KNOW, I'M A WELL-EDUCATED AND VERY SECURE PERSON, BUT PSYCHOLOGICALLY, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO ME? I LIVE IN A SPACE WHERE OTHERS REFUSE TO GO, WHERE TEACHERS WHO TAUGHT IT ANDREWS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH IS RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM ME, ROLL UP THEIR WINDOW WHEN THEY GOT INTO OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH IS BASICALLY A MIDDLE-CLASS COMMUNITY IN EAST AUSTIN THAT HAS A PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECT ON EVERYBODY.

BUT THANK YOU, DR.

GORDON I'LL HAVE OUR QUESTIONS.

IT WAS GOOD TO SEE YOU ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS BOARD.

ALL RIGHT.

AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

I THINK THIS WAS EXCELLENT EDUCATION, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS ON THE MATH.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

UM,

[3. Presentation, discussion and possible action regarding the Where The Water Runs/Donde Corre El Agua community activated park project proposal for East Williamson Creek trailhead and greenbelt with the Dove Spring Community.]