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[CALL TO ORDER]
ARE GONNA GET THIS REGULAR MEETING OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD STARTED FOR JULY THE 24TH.IT IS NOW 6:03 PM AND I WILL CALL TO ORDER.
FIRST, UH, ORDER OF BUSINESS IS A ROLL CALL PAID.
HOLLY REED PRESENT AND LAND BACKER PRESENT.
I FIND THAT THERE'S A QUORUM PRESENT.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
UM, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION GENERAL COUNCIL CHAMBERS ONE, TWO.UH, WE DO HAVE A GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS TONIGHT.
UH, BEFORE I GO INTO THAT, I JUST WANNA REMIND THE, THE BOARD THAT FOR ANY BOARD MEMBERS PARTICIPATING VIA WEBEX, THEY WILL HAVE TO APPEAR ON CAMERA DURING ANY VOTES.
SO ANY RECORDED VOTE HAS TO HAPPEN WITH THE FACES ON CAMERA.
UH, BEGINNING, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER WILL BE CHRIS FLORES.
AFTER CHRIS WILL BE DOROTHY LOPEZ BARNETT AND THEN AUBREY RUDDER.
AND IF YOU COULD JUST STEP TO THE PODIUM AT THE FRONT.
YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES WHEN YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.
GOOD EVENING, UM, PARKS BOARD.
I'M HERE, UM, TO SPEAK ABOUT A NOTE THAT WE SENT FROM ON BEHALF OF FRIENDS OF DEEP EDDIE LAST WEEK.
UM, OUR PARK AND OUR POOL NEEDS YOUR HELP AND WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SOME ATTENTION TO IT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE DOROTHY LOPEZ BARNETT, FOLLOWED BY AUBREY RUDDER AND THEN PAUL BLOOM.
UH, MY NAME IS DOROTHY LOPEZ BARNETT.
I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE, AND I'M HERE TONIGHT TO THANK THE BOARD FOR YOUR ACTION ON MAY 22ND, IN THE BOARD MEETING, WHICH I ATTENDED, AND WHERE I SPOKE MUCH WAS SAID PRO AND CON ABOUT THE ZILKER VISION PLAN THAT NIGHT.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU HAD A VERY HARD DECISION TO MAKE.
SOMETIMES WE THE CITIZENS FORGET THAT YOU ARE AN ALL VOLUNTEER BOARD.
I WENT HOME AT A, AT THE VERY END OF THE MEETING BEFORE THE VOTE BOARD VOTED TO ACCEPT AND SEND THE VISION PLAN TO CITY COUNCIL.
I WAS DISHEARTENED BECAUSE AFTER LISTENING TO BOARD DISCUSSION, I WAS SURE THE VOTE WOULD BE TO ACCEPT THE VISION PLAN AS IS.
I DIDN'T FEEL HEARD LAST NIGHT, AND I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE MOST OF THE, THE PEOPLE THAT TESTIFIED THAT NIGHT OR SPOKE WERE BEING HEARD.
BUT LATER, AS I WAS FALLING TO SLEEP, MY DAUGHTER CALLED AND TOLD ME THAT SHE HAD FOLLOWED TO THE END OF THE MEETING ON THE INTERNET.
SO, I AM HERE TONIGHT TO THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND UNDERSTANDING THAT SILK OR PARK HAS A HISTORY THAT SHOULD BE HONORED AND THAT THERE WERE THREE HISTORIC BUSINESSES TO PRESERVE AND HONOR THE ZILKER CONCESSION STAND, THE, EXCUSE ME, THE ZILKER TRAIN AND ZILKER PARK BOATS.
THANK YOU FOR THE MAY 22ND, 2023, RESOLUTION NUMBER 11, WHICH RECOMMENDS AND I QUOTE, RETAINING THE HISTORIC CONCESSIONS IN ZILKER PARK, ZILKER PARK BOAT, RANDALL ZILKER, EAGLE TRAIN, AND ZILKER CAFE, AS THEY ARE PART OF THE HISTORY CULTURE OF AUSTIN.
NUMBER 12 AFFIRMS THAT THIS RECOMMENDATION SHALL SUPERSEDE AND REPLACE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS 2 0 2 3 0 2 2 7 DASH FIVE.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID IN MAY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE AUBREY RUDDER, FOLLOWED BY PAUL BLOOM.
HELLO, MY NAME IS AUBREY RUDDER.
I AM THE SENIOR MANAGER AT THE AUSTIN ROWING CLUB.
I WANTED TO COME UP AND TELL YOU GUYS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO THIS PAST MONTH.
UM, 40 OF OUR ADULT ATHLETES RECENTLY ATTENDED THE US ROWING MASTERS NATIONALS IN INDIANAPOLIS.
THEY HAD FOUR DAYS OF GREAT RACING AND CAME BACK WITH SOME REALLY GREAT RESULTS.
WE ALSO FINISHED HOSTING THE ERG CHALLENGE EVENTS FOR THE DWARF NATIONAL GAMES WHERE 17 WORLD RECORDS WERE
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SET.ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO PARTNER UP WITH THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER AND THEIR HOLISTIC WELLNESS PROGRAM TO HOST LEARN TO PADDLE CLASSES.
A R C HAS CONTINUED TO HOST TRASH CLEANUPS AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH KEEP AUSTIN BEAUTIFUL.
THIS PAST MONTH WE HOSTED THREE CLEANUPS AND WERE ABLE TO PICK UP OVER 200 BAGS OF TRASH AND RECYCLING FROM LADY BIRD LAKE AS WELL AS THE TRAIL.
UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO HOST THESE TRASH CLEANUPS AS FREQUENTLY AS POSSIBLE.
OUR NEXT ONE IS GOING TO BE JULY 26TH.
LASTLY, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR OUR PARKS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE PAUL BLOOM.
AFTER PAUL WILL BE MARY PHARAOH.
GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, I'M A BOARD MEMBER OF THE AUSTIN ROWING CLUB.
I'VE BEEN AN AUSTIN RESIDENT FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS, AND I WANTED TO SPEAK TO SOME OF THE BUSINESS IMPACT THAT WE'VE BEEN ENCOUNTERING WITH THE GROWTH OF VEGETATION, SPECIFICALLY CO BAMBA ON THE LAKE.
UM, I DON'T DUNNO IF YOU'VE BEEN DOWN RECENTLY OR WALKED THE TRAIL NEAR THE LAKE RECENTLY, BUT, UM, THE CO BAMBA WEEDED IS, IS GROWING FAST AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE FEEL HAS AN IMPACT TO OUR BOTTOM LINE.
UM, AND ALL THE OTHER VENDORS, ALL THE OTHER CONCESSIONS ON THE LAKE.
UM, LET'S SEE IF I CAN, HERE WE GO.
THE HISTORY OF KA BAMBA, IF YOU'RE UNAWARE, IS IT WAS ONLY DETECTED IN LADY BIRD LAKE IN 2011.
IT IS NOT USUALLY FOUND IN LADY BIRD LAKE UNTIL AFTER CLEANUPS OF BARTON SPRINGS SEND THE WEEDED INTO THE LAKE.
UM, PRIOR TO 2011 VEGETATIVE COVERAGE ON THE SURFACE OF THE LAKE WAS LESS THAN 10%.
UM, AND ANOTHER THING THAT I JUST WANNA POINT OUT IS THAT PRIOR TO 2011, THE AUSTIN ROWING CLUB HAD NEVER HAD TO CANCEL, UH, AN EVENT DUE TO VEGETATIVE COVERAGE ON THE LAKE.
IF YOU GO TO THE LAKE NOW, COVERAGE IS MUCH GREATER THAN 20%.
IN FACT, I WOULD ESTIMATE BETWEEN 30 AND 35% OF THE LAKE IS COVERED IN RELATIVELY THICK MATS OF CO BAMBA WEEDED.
UM, THE IMPACT OF THIS COVERAGE IS FELT BY ALL OF THE VENDORS AND OCCUPANTS OF THE WATER CREEK BOATHOUSE, NOT JUST THE AUSTIN ROWING CLUB.
UM, THE AUSTIN COOLERS, THE DRAGON BOAT TEAM THERE ARE LIMITED IN THEIR ABILITY TO ACCESS THE LAKE BECAUSE OF THE THICKNESS OF THE FAN WART OF THE KA BAMBA.
SAME WITH THE AUSTIN OUTRIGGER CANOE CLUB, UM, AS WELL AS RETRO BOATS AND THE KAYAK AND, UH, SUB RENTAL BUSINESS THERE.
UM, THIS DOES LEAD TO NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON OUR REVENUE AND PROFITABILITY.
UH, AND THIS IS AN IMPACT THAT'S SHARED ACROSS ALL OF THE CONCESSIONAIRES ON THE LAKE.
UM, NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE DAMAGE TO EQUIPMENT BECAUSE OF, UH, EQUIPMENT BEING TANGLED OR STUCK IN THE FAN WART, UM, WE HAVE TO SPEND AT LEAST 10 MAN HOURS A DAY CLEANING UP THE FAN WART.
UH, OFTENTIMES PICKING OUT TRASH SHARPS, OTHER TYPES OF DANGEROUS OBJECTS THAT GET TRAPPED IN THESE THICK MATS.
IT'S ALSO UNAPPEALING TO THE VISITORS THAT COME TO THE LAKE, RIGHT? PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS AND SAY THE BLUE-GREEN ALGAE.
THEY THINK THERE'S SIGNIFICANT HEALTH RISK BECAUSE THEY SEE THIS, UH, MATTING, WEEDED COVERING THE SURFACE OF THE LAKE.
UM, JUST TO UNDERSCORE, THE REVENUE IMPACT RETRO BOATS, ONE OF THE MORE SUBSTANTIAL, UH, REVENUE GENERATING OPERATIONS OUT OF THE WALL CREEK BOATHOUSE HAS RECENTLY FOR BEEN FORCED TO CANCEL ALL OUTINGS AFTER THREE O'CLOCK, UH, IN THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS BECAUSE OF HOW THICK THE WEEDS GET AND THEIR PATRONS EITHER GET STUCK OR CAN'T LEAVE THE DOCK WITH THEIR RENTAL EQUIPMENT.
I DON'T EXPECT US TO FIX THIS, ESPECIALLY NOT BECAUSE THIS REQUIRES PARTNERSHIP WITH WATERSHED.
UM, WE JUST WANT YOU TO RAISE AWARENESS THAT IT'S NOT JUST US THAT ARE DEALING WITH THIS.
THE OTHER CONCESSIONAIRES IN THE LAKE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.
UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN EXTENDED DIALOGUE WITH Y'ALL AND DIRECTOR MCNEELY IN THE COMING DAYS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE CAN DO TOGETHER AND POTENTIALLY WITH, UH, WATERSHED TO IMPROVE THIS.
WHETHER THAT'S ADDRESSING OUR REVENUE IMPACTS OR FIGURING OUT LONG-TERM WHAT'S THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN LADY BIRD LAKE BEING A RECREATIONAL DESTINATION, UM, AND EFFECTIVELY STEWARDED, YOU KNOW, ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE OF OUR CITY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE MARY FARROW, FOLLOWED BY KAYLA REESE.
I SERVE ON THE, UH, BOARD OF THE ALLENDALE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND CHAIR, THE PARKS COMMITTEE FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK WITH YOU TONIGHT ABOUT SHEFFIELD NORTHWEST PARK, WHICH IS THE LOVELY 31 ACRE PARK, UH, BETWEEN BURNETT ROAD AND SHOUL CREEK BOULEVARD, JUST ABOUT A MILE SOUTH OF, UH, ANDERSON LANE.
UM, FIRST I WANNA THANK THE DEPARTMENT FOR COORDINATING WITH A P D TO INSTALL A SURVEILLANCE CAMERA AT THE PARK.
UM, WE HAD HAD A, A PRETTY SERIOUS, UH, SMASH AND GRAB PROBLEM, UH, WITH VEHICLE BREAK-INS OVER THE PAST YEAR.
A SURVEILLANCE CAMERA WAS INSTALLED
[00:10:01]
NEAR THE POOL ENTRANCE, AND THAT DOES SEEM TO HAVE REDUCED THE INCIDENTS OF THOSE, UH, VEHICLE BREAK-INS, ALTHOUGH THEY, THEY DO STILL HAPPEN SOMEWHAT.UM, AND, UH, LIKEWISE, WE APPRECIATE THE REPLACEMENT OF MOST OF THE TRASH AND, UH, RECYCLING BINS THAT WERE, UH, TORCHED AND BURNED TO THE GROUND.
UH, ALL OF THEM IN THE PARK ON THE NIGHT OF, UH, MARCH 31ST.
UM, IN THAT REGARD, UM, YOU KNOW, THE NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN CONCERNED SINCE THEN ABOUT ARSON, AND THERE STILL IS A FAIRLY LARGE DEBRIS FIELD ON, UH, THE CLIFF THAT BORDERS THE SOUTHERN RIM OF THE PARK WITH HOUSES JUST ABOVE THAT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I DON'T KNOW IF AT SOME POINT, UH, THE CITY WILL HAVE RESOURCES TO DEAL WITH.
I'VE DEALT WITH, I'VE TALKED WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PARD, UH, WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT, AND, UM, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA JUST HOPE THAT SOMETHING MOVES IN THE FUTURE.
BUT, UM, SO UNFORTUNATELY THERE ARE SOME LATE NIGHT ACTIVITIES AND VANDALISMS THAT, UM, CONTINUE AROUND THE POND AREA OF THE PARK.
AND, UH, MORE RECENTLY, I GUESS AROUND CLOSE TO JULY 4TH, A TOILET WAS EXPLODED, UH, IN THE MEN'S RESTROOM AT THE PLAYGROUND WITH FIREWORKS.
SO THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT CONTINUE TO GO ON.
UM, I'M VERY PLEASED TO NOTE THAT A POND MAINTENANCE CONTRACT HAS BEEN BEGUN.
UH, THE BOARD APPROVED $16,000 FOR THAT LA IN THIS CURRENT BUDGET, AND THAT WORK HAS BEGUN TO REMOVE INVASIVES FROM THE LITTLE POND THAT'S THERE.
AND MY, OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT A SIMILAR, UH, PROVISION WILL BE IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET TO HELP PRESERVE AND ENHANCE THE POND THAT LIES AT THE CENTER OF THE PARK, UH, IN SEEKING WAYS TO ENSURE THE, THE FUTURE WATER SOURCE FOR THE POND.
UH, WE LEARNED THAT A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE OF ABOUT A HALF MILLION GALLONS OF GROUNDWATER A YEAR HAS BEEN LEAKING INTO THE PUMP ROOM OF THE POOL, WHICH IS GOING TO BE REPLACED.
AND ONCE THAT THE POOL DRAINS INTO THE POND AS IT WAS DESIGNED IN THE 1950S, BUT ONCE THE NEW POOL IS IN PLACE, THAT WATER WILL NO LONGER DRAIN INTO THE POND.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THERE IS STILL A POSSIBILITY THAT THAT HALF MILLION, UH, GALLONS OF GROUNDWATER COULD BE CAPTURED TO FEED THE POND RATHER THAN LETTING IT GO DOWN CITY DRAINS.
UM, AS FAR AS OUR VISION PLAN THAT WAS APPROVED IN JANUARY, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS PENDING ON THAT, AND WE ARE HOPING THAT THE BOARD WILL BE GETTING SOME REGULAR UPDATES AND THAT WE MIGHT GET A TIMELINE AS TO WHEN TO EXPECT SOME OF THESE THINGS TO OCCUR.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KAYLA REESE, FOLLOWED BY JACQUELINE DAVID.
I'M THE ADVOCACY MANAGER WITH, UM, AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION, AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE AN UPDATE ABOUT, UM, OUR ADVOCACY FOR THE BUDGET FOR THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT THIS YEAR.
UM, OUR ASK THIS YEAR FOCUS ON MAINTENANCE AND LAND MANAGEMENT FOR PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN PRESENTATION THAT YOU'LL BE SEEING TODAY.
UM, WE'RE ASKING FOR THE PARK BOARD TO SUPPORT A 3.3 MILLION INCREASE TO PARS BUDGET TO FUND THE CONTINUED LEVEL OF MAINTENANCE OF PARK SERVICES AND EXPAND THE LAND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
GIVEN THE LARGE INVESTMENT FROM 2018 BONDS AND PARKLAND DEDICATION FEES SUCH AS THE NEW COLONY PARK AQUATIC CENTER, OR THE BULL CREEK DISTRICT PARK RESTROOM RENOVATION, PARD HAS MORE ASSETS THAN EVER BEFORE.
BETWEEN 2022 AND 2024, PARD WILL HAVE ACQUIRED AND THEREFORE BE MAINTAINING NEARLY 470 ADDITIONAL ACRES OF PARKLAND AND EASEMENTS.
WHILE MUCH OF THIS LAND WILL REMAIN UNDEVELOPED FOR THE TIME BEING, PARD WILL NEED TO MOW, PROVIDE ROUTINE SERVICING SUCH AS LITTER PICKUP, SECURE THE SITE AND ENSURE RIGHT AWAY VEGETATION IS MAINTAINED.
ADEQUATE STAFFING FOR OUR PARKS, RECREATION, AND CULTURAL CENTERS AND POOLS IS THE DUTY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THE LACK OF SUFFICIENT STAFF FOR MOWING, TRASH PICKUP AND GENERAL CARE FOR OUR PARKS WILL BE FELT ACROSS THE CITY.
AUSTINITES EXPECT THAT THE CITY WILL MAINTAIN FACILITIES AND PROGRAMS. ADDITIONALLY, MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT SUCH AS TRUCKS, MOWERS, TRAILERS, AND TRAILERS ARE REQUIRED FOR GROUNDS MAINTENANCE.
WE ALSO ASK THAT YOU'LL SUPPORT, UM, AND ASK FOR FULL-TIME STAFF POSITIONS TO THE LAND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH IS CRUCIAL FOR WILDLIFE MITIGATE WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND CLIMATE RESILIENCY.
LAND MANAGEMENT NEEDS TO BE DONE BY QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS AND TEMPORARY POSITIONS WILL NOT BRING THE EXPERTISE REQUIRED.
ADDITIONAL FULL-TIME POSITIONS ON, UM, INLAND MANAGEMENT WILL ENSURE SAFETY OF OUR NATURAL AREAS WHILE PRESERVING THE BENEFIT OF NATURAL SPACE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
IN THE BUDGET PROPOSED BY THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THERE'S ABOUT 500 K FOR LAND MANAGEMENT, BUT THAT MONEY'S NOT AS HELPFUL WITHOUT STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE NEEDED TO EXECUTE IT.
LAND MANAGEMENT NEEDS ADDITIONAL FULL-TIME STAFF.
ADDITIONALLY, WE ASK THAT THE PARKS BOARD SUPPORT THE LAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND CLIMATE VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS FOR AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT IN THE NASHVILLE AREAS.
PLAN, UM, BY RECOMMENDING THATS CITY COUN, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVES IT.
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FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO OUR COMMUNITY.OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE JACQUELINE DAVID, FOLLOWED BY ROBERT CORBIN.
GOOD AFTERNOON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
UH, MY NAME IS JACQUELINE DAVID.
MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, I TRAVEL FROM, UH, NORTH AUSTIN IN THE PIONEER FARMS AREA AND IS DRAWN BY THE, UH, BY ZILKER PARK'S, PRISTINE BEAUTY BY OLD FRIENDS THAT I MEET THERE AND ALL THE NEW ONES I MEET WITH.
EVERY VISIT I COME TO SWIM AND IT'S REFRESHING BARTON SPRINGS TO WALK AND TO BIKE, ENJOYING THE BEAUTY OF ITS MAJESTIC TREES AMID ITS SPRAWLING GREEN LAWNS WHERE IT'S MAINTAINED.
ALL THAT, UH, MENTIONED ABOVE, I BELIEVE, SUPPORTS AND NURTURES OVERALL HEALTH, PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND EMOTIONAL, EVEN POSSIBLY EXTENDING LONGER, HEALTHIER LIFE.
WALKING ACROSS THE POLO FIELD RECENTLY WHERE CARS WERE NOT PARKED REVEALED THE EXTRAORDINARY LOSS OF THE NATURALISTS OF THIS GARDEN PARK.
I SUPPORT THE GREEN RESTORATION OF THIS AREA FOR RECREATIONAL USE FOR THE ENJOYMENT OF ALL OF THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN, AS WELL AS FOR THE VISITORS TO THE PARK.
TO GREEN THIS FIELD, AGAIN, I WOULD GLADLY PARK ACROSS THE STREET AT THE GRAVEL LOT AND, UH, USE THE SHUTTLE TO GET TO THE POOL.
I'M SURE THIS IDEA WILL RECEIVE OVERWHELMING SUPPORT IF PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY ARE HELPING TO GREEN THE PARK.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE ROBERT CORBIN, FOLLOWED BY BILL BUNCH.
ROBERT, DO YOU WANNA TAKE, UH, ALL SIX MINUTES NOW OR DO YOU WANNA COME BACK DURING ITEM SPECIFIC COMMENT? I AM SORRY, MR. CORBIN, DO YOU WANNA TAKE ALL SIX MINUTES NOW OR DO YOU WANNA COME BACK FOR, UH, I'LL DO IT ON THREE, I THINK.
YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
UH, THERE'S SEVERAL ISSUES WITH OUR PARKS AND NATURE PRESERVES I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS CITY OFTEN IS THINGS, THINGS START SMALL AND THEN THEY GET COMPLETELY OUT OF HAND.
IT'S HAPPENED WITH CONCESSIONS.
AND I'LL GO INTO THAT LATER ANYWAY, ON THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL AROUND THE LAKE BIKES ARE ALLOWED.
NOW, THE CITY ALLOWED ELECTRIC BIKES OUT THERE.
WELL, THE ELECTRIC BIKES USED TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, REGULAR BICYCLE TIRES.
NOW THEY'VE GOT TIRES THAT ARE LIKE HARLEY'S.
IN FACT, THEY LOOK LIKE HARLEY'S AND WEIGH LIKE HARLEY'S.
AND YOU ADD THE WEIGHT OF THE, THE BIKE WITH THE PERSON THAT'S ON IT.
YOU'RE TALKING MAYBE 300 POUNDS OR SO.
THERE'S GONNA BE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.
YOU SHOULD ELIMINATE ELECTRIC BIKES FROM THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL AND BARTON CREEK GREENBELT ALSO, THE OTHER THING IS GOATS SOUND GREAT, RIGHT? I SAW 'EM THE OTHER DAY.
EVERYBODY LAUGHS WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE GOATS.
I THINK IT'S A TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY.
I DON'T THINK IT'S DOING ANY GOOD.
I THINK IT'S DOING MORE HARM THAN GOOD.
ON ONE HAND, YOU HAVE THE CITY SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY TO DUMP CHEMICALS INTO THE LAKE, TO, TO SUPPRESS THE ALGAE.
ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU HAVE GOATS THAT ARE POOPING ALL ALONG THE SHORE, THAT THEIR POOPS HIGH IN PHOSPHORUS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ELIMINATE FROM THE LAKE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE GOATS, 'CAUSE I WENT AND LOOKED FOR MYSELF, THEY'RE TEARING UP THE RIPARIAN AREAS.
YOU GET A RAIN RIGHT NOW, ALL THE TOPSOIL AND THE POOP GONNA GO RIGHT INTO THE LAKE.
SOUNDS GOOD, BUT A BAD IDEA, MY OPINION.
NOW, I KNOW THERE MAY BE PEOPLE THAT WOULD, THAT ARE HERE THAT KNOW MORE ABOUT IT THAN ME, AND IF THEY WANNA REFUTE ME, I'D BE GLAD TO LISTEN.
THE OTHER THING IS STILL HOUSE HOLLOW NATURE PRESERVE VANDALS TORE DOWN A FENCE TO MAKE A SECOND ENTRY INTO THE PRESERVE TO DO SERIOUS DAMAGE AND CONTINUING DAMAGE INTO THE PRESERVE.
AND NOBODY FIXES THE FENCE, PUTS UP A NEW GOOD STRONG FENCE.
COLORADO RIVER NATURE PRESERVE.
RIGHT NOW, MAYBE AS WE SPEAK, THERE'S OFF-ROAD VEHICLES MOTORIZED IN GROUPS, TRASH IN THE PRESERVE OUT GOING DOWN INTO THE SENSITIVE WETLANDS.
AND THE CITY'S KNOWN ABOUT IT FOR THREE OR FOUR MONTHS, RIPPING THE WETLANDS APART.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THEY'RE DRIVING ACROSS THE RIVER INTO ROY GUERRERO PARK IN THE WETLANDS ALONG THE RIVER, AND RIPPING 'EM APART.
THEY'RE MAKING NEW TRAILS WHERE THERE WEREN'T EVEN TRAILS BEFORE.
AND ALSO IN THAT PRESERVE ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, I'VE SEEN HUNTERS
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WITH RIFLES.I SUSPECT THERE'RE BB GUNS AND THEY WERE OBVIOUSLY ON A HUNT.
AND, UH, THE CONCESSIONS ISSUE.
DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY WHAT I SAID? NO, THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE BILL BUNCH, FOLLOWED BY BERTHA DELGADO.
THANK YOU CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE PARKS BOARD.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
UH, BILL BUNCH WITH SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE.
I'D JUST LIKE TO, UH, SECOND, UH, ONE POINT THAT MR. CORBIN JUST MADE ABOUT THE GOATS.
GOATS ARE NOTORIOUS FOR EATING LITERALLY EVERYTHING DOWN TO THE NUB.
UM, AND IT'S GREAT THAT THEY EAT POISON IVY, BUT IF THEY'RE NOT REALLY CAREFULLY MANAGED, THEY WILL DO FAR MORE HARM THAN GOOD TO OUR RIPARIAN HABITATS.
AND I HAVEN'T GONE OUT AND LOOKED AT 'EM, BUT, UM, IT'S A HUGE CONCERN.
AND Y'ALL NEED TO PUT THAT ON YOUR AGENDA, PLEASE, TO FIND OUT EXACTLY HOW THAT'S BEING MONITORED DAY TO DAY AND NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE DAMAGE IS DONE.
UM, I THINK I'VE RECOMMENDED IT BEFORE CHANGING SUBJECTS, BUT I WANNA RECOMMEND AGAIN, UH, PROFESSOR KEVIN REIN'S BOOK, UH, PARKS FOR PROFIT SELLING NATURE IN THE CITY.
UH, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE SEEING AND WHAT Y'ALL WILL BE INCREASINGLY CALLED ON TO DEAL WITH IS A NATIONAL PHENOMENON.
IT'S NOT JUST HERE, BUT IT'S A COMMON TRAJECTORY THAT IN LOTS OF CITIES WHERE WE HAVE NEGLECTED THE MANAGEMENT AND FUNDING OF OUR PARKS THAT WE INVITE IN CONSERVANCIES, NONPROFITS TO HELP.
AND THEY DO GREAT WORK ON THE FRONT END, BUT THEN THEY CREATE A WHOLE BUREAUCRACY OF STAFF THAT HAS TO BE FUNDED.
AND THEN THEIR HIGH DOLLAR DONORS, UH, AGENDA TO BUILD MONUMENTS TO PUT THEIR NAMES ON, TO BUILD AMPHITHEATERS, RAPIDLY DIVERGES FROM WHAT THEY'RE SELLING AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS, WHICH IS NATURE IN THE CITY.
CONCRETE BUILDING CONCRETE, UH, AMPHITHEATERS IS NOT NATURE.
IT'S NOT ENGAGING CHILDREN WITH NATURE, WHICH WE CLAIM THAT WE'RE DOING.
IT'S, UH, A VERY IMPORTANT BOOK AND, UH, I THINK IT'S ESSENTIAL FOR YOU TO EFFECTIVELY SERVE, UH, OUR COMMUNITY IN YOUR ROLE ON THE PARKS BOARD.
UH, ALONG WITH THAT, I'D ASK THAT YOU PUT BACK ON YOUR AGENDA SOME UPDATE ON WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE WATERLOO GREENWAY CONSERVANCY AND THE 34 ACRES OF PARKLAND ALONG THERE, BECAUSE THAT IS OUR CLASSIC EXAMPLE WHERE THE PRIVATE, UH, WEALTHY FOLKS FROM DOWNTOWN CAME IN AND PROMISED THEY WOULD BRING PRIVATE DOLLARS TO THE TABLE TO FUND AND TAKE CARE OF THE PARK.
AND THEY'VE BROUGHT IN A TON OF MONEY, BUT NOW THEY'VE DIVERTED OVER $250 MILLION OF TAX TAXPAYER DOLLARS, UH, THAT ARE DEDICATED TO THAT PARK AND PARK ALONE WHILE THE PARKS AND Y'ALL ARE CUT OUT OF ANY OF THOSE MANAGEMENT DECISIONS AT THIS POINT, UM, WHICH IS PROBABLY WHY YOU DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT IT.
UM, MEANWHILE, OUR OTHER PARKS GO NEGLECTED, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO PLEASE, UM, PLEASE, UH, PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA FOR, UH, BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION.
OUR LAST SPEAKER DURING GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT IS BERTHA RONDON DELGADO.
AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM SPECIFIC COMMENT.
MY NAME IS BERTHA RANDON DELGADO.
IT'S MY FIRST TIME, UH, MEETING ALL OF YOU HERE IN THE DAAS.
I HAVEN'T BEEN IN A WHILE, SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING OATH TO SERVE AS A, A COMMISSIONER HERE ON THE PARKS BOARD.
UM, I AM THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF EDWARD RENDON PARK AT FESTIVAL BEACH.
I AM REQUESTING, UH, TO PUT OUR MASTER PLAN, THE EDWARD RENDON HOLLY SCHWARTZ MASTER PLAN THAT OVERSEES 90 ACRES OF PARKLAND, EAST OF 35, AND A NEIGHBORHOOD AREA THAT I LIVE IN.
I'M ALSO CITY OF AUSTIN HOUSING COMMISSIONER, AS WELL AS THE PRESIDENT OF EAST TOWN LAKE CITIZENS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
I'M ALSO THE CHAIR OF THE PARK TASK FORCE.
WE'VE HAD AN AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS THROUGHOUT THE TWO YEARS OF, UM, OF SO MANY.
UH, KIMBERLY CAN TELL YOU FROM VANDALISM TO GUN SHOOTINGS TO ASSAULTS, TO ROBBERIES, TO SEXUAL ASSAULTS.
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UH, A LOT FOR THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THE TAXPAYERS THAT LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.I LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, I'VE LIVED THERE FOR 44 YEARS, AND I'VE SEEN A LOT OF CHANGE AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT PARTNERSHIPS AND A LOT OF GROUPS COMING IN.
ONE OF 'EM IS IRAQ, A PROPOSAL THAT'S BEING PROPOSED TO TAKE PARKLAND AWAY FROM US AND BRING IN CORPORATE, UM, CORPORATIONS AND OTHER ENTITIES THAT DON'T BELONG ON PARKLAND, WATERFRONT PARKLAND, VERY, VERY DESIRABLE PARKLAND.
A BUILDING THAT THE VAIO AND THE COMMUNITY WORKED HARD TO PRESERVE A LAND THAT MY GRANDFATHER, MY FATHER, AND MANY FAMILY MEMBERS OF EAST AUSTIN FOUGHT TO PRESERVE.
WHAT YOU SEE THERE TODAY IS OUR HARD WORK.
OUR GRANDPARENTS, OUR AUNT, OUR UNCLES, OUR PEOPLE.
AND SO WE ARE IN THE BUSINESS, A PRESERVATION AND NOT TRADING OUR LAND TO CORPORATIONS OR NONPROFITS OR ANY TYPE OF PROFIT THAT WANTS TO MAKE MONEY ON OUR PARK LAND.
THERE IS TITLES AND CHAPTERS THAT YOU MUST FOLLOW UNDER THE STATE OF TEXAS LAW.
AND AS THE GENTLEMAN SAID BEFORE, YOU ARE NOT IN THE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING OUT THERE AS LOBBYISTS ARE LOBBYING TO TAKE OUR LANDS AWAY, HOW THE LEADERSHIP OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS NOT LISTENING TO THE CONSTITUENTS AND THE CITIZENS OF THIS CITY, THE NATIVES OF AUSTIN THAT HAVE BUILT THE CITY.
SO WE WELCOME ALL YOU NEWCOMERS, BUT DON'T TAKE OUR PARKLAND AWAY.
DON'T CHANGE OUR VISION PLAN THAT WE'VE ALREADY IN PLACE FOR 50 YEARS.
AND I SEE A CONCERN AS A SIXTH GENERATION NATIVE OF EAST AUSTIN.
WE WILL FIGHT FOR OUR PARKLAND IN EAST AUSTIN AS OUR POOLS HAVE BEEN THREATENED TO BE SHUT DOWN.
AS OUR LAND IS BEING TRADED FOR PROFIT, WE WILL MAKE SURE TO PRESERVE WHAT BELONGS TO US.
MOVING ON TO, UH, ITEM SPECIFIC PUBLIC COMMENT, BEGINNING WITH ITEM THREE.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER WILL BE ROBERT CORBIN.
WE'RE TAKING ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING SO IT, IT KIND OF FOLLOWS EXACTLY WHAT BILL BUNCH WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER ABOUT CONCESSIONS.
WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH CONCESSIONS IN THIS CITY.
LIKE A LOT OF THINGS, THEY START NICE AND COOL AND GROOVY AND PEOPLE WANNA USE THEM AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY TURN INTO THESE MONSTERS KIND OF LIKE CANCEROUS IN A WAY.
ALL YOU HAVE TO LOOK, LOOK AT THE, NOT THE ROWING, THE ROWING DOCK TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.
AND, AND THE BARTON CREEK CANOE RENTALS TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.
BUT THE, THE ONE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RIVER, I THINK IT'S CALLED, I DON'T KNOW, TEXAS ROWING CENTER.
THAT THING GO ON OPPOSITE AND LOOK ACROSS THE RIVER AND SEE WHAT YOU SEE.
IT LOOKS LIKE AN INDUSTRIAL ZONE.
THERE ARE WAREHOUSES THERE AND THEY'RE WAREHOUSING BIG EXPENSIVE BOATS THAT RICH PEOPLE HAVE THE MONEY TO BUY AND TO STORE THERE.
AND THESE CONCESSIONS, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF 'EM IN THE CITY, THEY START OFF NICE AND THEY MUST TASK THE SIZE INTO SOMETHING TOTALLY UNRELENTING.
AND SO I THINK WHAT HAPPENED SHOULD HAPPEN WITH ALL THESE BOAT RENTALS.
THEY SHOULD ALL BE CUT DOWN TO ABOUT HALF THE SIZE OR LESS, AND THEY CAN STILL MAKE GOOD MONEY.
IN FACT, BARTON CREEK CANOE RENTALS, THEY WERE MAKING PLENTY OF MONEY WHEN THEY ONLY HAD 20 CANOES WHEN THEY STARTED.
NOW THEY'VE GOT 200 AND THEY JUST KEEP, THEY ALL JUST KEEP LIKE DOUBLING AND DOUBLING AGAIN AND THEN DOUBLING AGAIN.
SO YOU GUYS NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT EVERY CONCESSION IN THIS CITY AND NOT JUST GIVE 'EM A BLANK CHECK FREE REIGN TO EXPAND AND TAKE OVER MORE AND MORE PARK LAND AND SUCK MORE MONEY OUT OF THE PEOPLE.
AND ALSO, ONE OF THE LAST THINGS SINCE I GOT A LITTLE TIME IS ENFORCEMENT.
THERE'S ALMOST ZERO ENFORCEMENT OF ANYTHING PEOPLE TOLD YOU THAT BESIDES ME HERE TONIGHT.
YOU GO TO PARKS, A LOT OF TIMES THERE'S JUST LAWLESSNESS HAPPENING RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES THERE.
AND THE CITY'S GOTTA DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND START PROTECTING BOTH OUR PARKS AND THE PEOPLE IN OUR PARKS.
SPEAKING ON ITEM FOUR, WE HAVE BILL BUNCH.
[00:30:04]
THANK YOU MR. CHAIR.COULD I CALL, UH, OR, UH, ASK ABOUT A POINT OF ORDER HERE? I DON'T HAVE YOUR RULES IN FRONT OF ME, BUT STANDARD PROCEDURE FOR DECADES HAS BEEN THAT YOU SPEAK WHEN THE ITEM COMES UP, UM, AND THAT YOU SPEAK AFTER THE STAFF MAKES THEIR PRESENTATION.
SO THAT WHAT YOU'RE HEARING FROM THE, THE COMMUNITY IS INFORMED BY THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, AND SO IT'S MORE WELL-INFORMED COMMUNICATION.
UM, WE WERE DOING IT DIFFERENTLY DURING THE PANDEMIC AT LAST THURSDAY'S COUNCIL MEETING, MAYOR WATSON SHIFTED BACK WHERE HE GAVE PEOPLE THE OPTION TO SPEAK AT THE DESIGNATED TIME LIKE YOU'RE OFFERING HERE.
THAT'S A GREAT OPTION IF PEOPLE NEED TO LEAVE, BUT WE SHOULD HAVE THE OPTION TO SPEAK TO YOU AT THE TIME THE MATTER COMES UP AND AFTER THE STAFF MAKES THE PRESENTATION SO THAT YOU'RE HEARING IT AT THE TIME YOU'RE DEBATING IT OR ABOUT TO DEBATE IT AND TAKE ACTION.
SO IF I DON'T HAVE YOUR RULES IN FRONT OF YOU, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT'S WHAT YOUR RULES CALL FOR, JUST LIKE THE COUNCIL RULES AND IT'S NOT THE PANDEMIC ANYMORE.
SO THAT WOULD BE MY REQUEST THAT I'D BE ABLE TO SPEAK WHEN THESE ITEMS COME UP AFTER THE STAFF MAKES THE PRESENTATION ON EACH ITEM.
OKAY? UM, I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK THAT UP.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS, IS THAT THE BOARD CAN SET THE AGENDA AS HOWEVER THEY WANT, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THIS CASE.
SO, SO YOU'RE SAYING I NEED TO SPEAK NOW OR I DON'T GET TO SPEAK AT ALL DESPITE IT'S YOUR CHOICE.
YOU CAN CHOOSE TO SPEAK NOW OR YOU CAN CHOOSE NOT TO SPEAK.
AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA CONSULT YOUR, UH, COLLEAGUES ON THAT DECISION.
YOU'RE, THAT'S JUST, UH, YOU'RE HANDING DOWN THAT YOURSELF.
WELL, I'M NOT GONNA HAVE A DEBATE WITH YOU.
SO YOU CAN CHOOSE TO SPEAK NOW OR YOU CAN CHOOSE NOT TO SPEAK.
OKAY? UM, I, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S INCREDIBLY UNFORTUNATE.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE WANTING LESS INFORMED, UH, HEALTHY ENGAGEMENT FOR YOUR ENTIRE BOARD.
OKAY, ON FOUR, JUST TO BE CLEAR, THERE'S NOTHING IN OUR BYLAWS THAT PREVENT HIM FROM DOING THAT.
PARDON? OUR BYLAWS SAY HE CAN TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING OR ANY TIME.
I, YEAH, HE SAID HE WOULD HAVE TO REFERENCE IT.
BUT THERE'S ALSO NOTHING IN YOUR BYLAWS THAT PREVENT YOU FROM DOING IT IN A WAY THAT PROVIDES MAXIMUM BENEFIT TO YOU, TO ALL OF YOU.
WE WILL TAKE THAT INTO, IT DOESN'T ADD A SINGLE MINUTE OF YOUR TIME.
WE'LL TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
UH, IF YOU WANNA BEGIN NOW, WE'RE NOT HERE TO DEBATE WITH, UH, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
OKAY? ON UH, NUMBER FOUR, THE LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN.
I ASK THAT YOU NOT TAKE ANY ACTION TONIGHT AND THAT YOU ASK THAT THE STAFF ACTUALLY GIVE YOU THE LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN TO REVIEW BETWEEN NOW AND YOUR NEXT, UH, MEETING BEFORE YOU MAKE ANY SORT OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, THAT'S NOT POSTED IN THE BACKUP.
ALL YOU HAVE IS AN INCREDIBLY VAGUE, UH, POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, WHICH I PRINTED OUT HERE.
UH, I'M PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS, THE PRIORITIES OF THE STAFF, UH, AT LEAST SENIOR STAFF, UH, ON SOME ISSUES THAT ARE VERY HOTLY DEBATED AND WHICH MANY KEY EXPERT STAFF, PHDS AND MASTERS PEOPLE ON STAFF WHO SEE THAT THERE IS THIS EXCESSIVE FOCUS ON TRYING TO USE CONTROLLED BURNS AND THINNING OF TREES EXCESSIVELY.
UM, AND THOSE ARE BARELY MENTIONED, UH, ON, UH, TOWARDS THE END BOTH.
UH, AND SELECTIVE THINNING PRESCRIBED FIRE.
WE NEED TO BE SAVING ALMOST EVERY POSSIBLE TREE WE CAN SAVE FOR COMBATING THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND AND FOR, UH, AS CARBON SINK.
I MEAN, WE'RE IN A GLOBAL CRISIS RIGHT NOW.
PEOPLE, WE NEED TO SAVE EVERY TREE.
AN IDEA THAT WE'RE GONNA BE BURNING TREES, UH, SHOULD NOT HAPPEN.
AND WE SHOULD ONLY BE THINNING TREES.
AND IT SUGGESTS THINNING MOSTLY NEAR STRUCTURE.
SO TO, YOU KNOW, FIRE BREAK THAT'S APPROPRIATE.
UM, INVASIVES, YOU KNOW, THAT'S APPROPRIATE.
BUT THERE'S A BUNCH OF FOLKS ON STAFF WHO THINK WE HAVE SAVANNAHS ON THE WEST SIDE WHO THINK WE HAVE SAVANNAHS IN RIPARIAN FLOOD ZONES.
[00:35:01]
PARK IS A REP RIPARIAN FLOOD ZONE THAT WAS RIPARIAN FORCE FOREST.NOW THIS DOESN'T APPLY TO ZILKER, IT'S TALKING ABOUT THE NATURAL AREAS, BUT WE NEED TO PUT A MORATORIUM ON BURNING.
OKAY? UH, THAT'S MY THREE MINUTES ON FOUR, I GUESS.
IS THAT RIGHT? UH, THAT'S YOUR THREE MINUTES ON FOUR.
DID YOU ALSO WANNA TAKE YOUR MINUTES ON FIVE? WELL, I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE IS WHAT I UNDERSTAND.
YOU CAN TAKE YOUR THREE MINUTES.
YOU HAVE OTHER PEOPLE SPEAKING ON FOUR.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE ELSE SPEAKING ON FOUR.
WE DO HAVE PEOPLE THAT SIGNED UP FOR FIVE BEFORE YOU, BUT YOU'RE FREE TO TAKE.
I WOULD LOVE FOR THEM TO GO AHEAD OF ME ON FIVE AND I'LL COME BACK.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GONNA BE SCOTT COBB ON ITEM FIVE.
CAN I SPEAK ON FOUR? SURE, YOU CAN COME UP.
DID HE SPEAK ON FOUR? WHAT DID HE SPEAK ON BEFORE? ACTUALLY, I JUST LEARNED ABOUT FOUR BEFORE I LEFT MY HOUSE AND ABOUT LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN.
AND, AND I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
I JUST HEARD WHAT BILL SAID, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THIS, IN OUR NATURAL AREAS, THEY ARE OVERRUN BY INVASIVES.
I MEAN, THERE, THERE'S FOREST OF INVASIVES.
YOU GO ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER AND THERE, IT'S UNBELIEVABLE HOW MANY INVASIVES THERE ARE.
BARTON CREEK, ALL OUR RIPARIAN AREAS ARE TAKEN OVER OFTEN BY INVASIVES AND THE CITY ALMOST DOES NOTHING ABOUT IT.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT'D BE EASY TO GET MAYBE THE HOMELESS PEOPLE GIVE 'EM A JOB TAKEN OUT.
YOU GOT CHINESE, JAPANESE, LEGUM, CHINESE, OSH, UH, WHAT ELSE? THERE'S A COUPLE OTHERS.
ANYWAY, I, I WOULD LIKE, BILL WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME REAL DETAILED PLAN ABOUT WHAT YOU'D GONNA DO WITH THE NATURAL AREAS.
AND RIGHT NOW YOU'VE GOT FENCES TAKEN DOWN OFF-ROAD VEHICLES.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MONTHS IT'S GONNA TAKE, UM, TO GET ALONG TO AROUND TO DOING THAT BECAUSE NOTHING SEEMS TO HAPPEN MUCH TO ACTUALLY PROTECT OUR NATURE IN THIS CITY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GONNA BE, UH, SCOTT COBB SPEAKING ON ITEM FIVE.
SCOTT, YOU SIGNED UP FOR ITEM EIGHT AS WELL.
YOU WANNA TAKE ALL SIX MINUTES OR DO YOU WANNA COME BACK UP? NO, I WANT TO COME BACK UP.
SO ON ITEM FIVE, I WANNA THANK HOLLY REED AND THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO DRAFTING THIS RESOLUTION.
UM, THROUGH CLOSE THE POLO FIELDS.
I AM TOTALLY SUPPORT CLOSING THE POLO FIELDS.
I, EVEN THOUGH I'M, I HAVE PARKED ON THAT MORE THAN A LOT OF PEOPLE.
UH, BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN IT'S USED AS FOR PEOPLE TO GO OUT THERE AND, UH, DO WHAT PEOPLE DO IN PARKS TO THROW FRISBEES AND PLAY SOCCER, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, I ALWAYS FEEL GUILTY WHEN I'M PARKING THERE ON THE POLO FIELD AND I SEE ALL THESE CARS OUT THERE AND I KNOW THEY'RE ALL DRIPPING VARIOUS FLUIDS ONTO THE, THE GRASS BENEATH THEM.
SO IT'S KIND OF GROSS FOR PEOPLE, EVEN WHEN IT'S NOT OPEN FOR PARKING, UH, FOR PEOPLE TO GO OUT THERE, THEY DON'T WANNA PLAY OUT THERE, THERE THE GROUND IS HARD.
IT NEEDS TO BE REVITALIZED AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GAS AND WHATEVER ON THERE.
TWO THINGS I WOULD ASK ABOUT THE RESOLUTION.
I DON'T THINK POLO FIELD PARKING SHOULD BE ALLOWED FOR SPECIAL EVENTS.
WHO WANTS TO GO PLAY SOCCER ON A PLACE WHERE TWO WEEKS BEFORE THERE WAS A SPECIAL EVENT WHERE WE'RE PARKING ON THERE DRIPPING ALL THEIR FLUIDS ON THE GRASS? I THINK WE NEED TO RESTORE IT AND THEN USE IT.
NOT EVER FOR PARKING FOR ANY EVENTS.
THERE'S A GREAT SOLUTION TO SHUTTLE TO THE BUTLER, UM, GRAVEL FIELD TO BRING PEOPLE TO WHATEVER SPECIAL EVENT THEY'RE GOING THAT COULD PARTICULARLY LIKE THE TRAIL OF LIGHTS LATER THIS YEAR.
I DON'T THINK THERE SHOULD BE ANY PARKING ON THE POLO FIELD.
I DO THINK THAT FOR NEXT YEAR WE ARE PROBABLY GONNA NEED MORE THAN 22 STAFF SPOTS WHEN THEY HOLD MAIN SIDE IS CLOSED FOR THE RENOVATION.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE, I'VE BEEN ASKED TO ESCORT PEOPLE TO THEIR PARKING WHEN THEY HAVE TO PARK IN THE POLO FIELD BECAUSE IT FEELS DANGEROUS.
AND SO IF THERE'S NO PARKING ON THE MAIN SPOT, MAIN PARKING LOT NEXT YEAR, UM, THERE NEEDS TO BE A SAFE SOLUTION FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T FEEL SAFE WALKING LONG DISTANCES TO THEIR STAFF PARKING SPOTS.
UH, SOME OF THOSE COULD BE ON THE SECOND ON THE PARKING LOT BETWEEN THE MAIN AND THE POLO FIELD.
I'M FINE WALKING THERE, BUT OTHER PEOPLE DON'T FEEL SAFE
[00:40:01]
'CAUSE IT GETS DARK WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THAT LITTLE WOODED AREA.UH, SO YOU NEED TO FIND A SOLUTION TO THAT.
IT NEEDS TO BE IMMEDIATELY DONE.
EVERY TIME I EVERY DAY I LOOK AT THE LIFEGUARD CHAT AND PEOPLE ARE SAYING, NO SPOTS LEFT ON MAINE, TWO SPOTS ON SOUTH.
THERE'S ONLY 12 TOTAL SEVEN AND FIVE.
SO THEY'RE TELLING EACH OTHER, YOU CAN'T PARK HERE.
SO WE NEED ENOUGH SPOTS THAT WE CAN GET TO WORK ON TIME.
NOW, COULD BE DONE NEXT WEEK I DO IS PUT OUT SOME BARRIERS AND CONES AND YOU HAVE MORE ADDITIONAL PARKING.
SO IT NEEDS TO BE DONE, UH, IMMEDIATELY.
IT'S VERY HOT WALKING TO WORK AND THEN HAVING TO WALK IN THE PILLOW FIELD.
UH, OUR NEXT SPEAKER SPEAKING ON ITEM FIVE WILL BE BILL BUNCH.
AND THEN AFTER BILL WILL BE MIKE TI BILL BUNCH, UH, SAVE SPRINGS ALLIANCE.
UM, I DID NOT FOLLOW Y'ALL'S DISCUSSION ON THIS SUBJECT AT YOUR LAST MEETING AND, UH, HAVEN'T STUDIED THE CURRENT STATUS OF THIS DISCUSSION.
I WOULD POINT OUT A COUPLE OF POINTS THOUGH THAT I HOPE YOU'LL KEEP IN MIND.
UM, FLEX PARKING ON THE POLO FIELD IS FAR FROM IDEAL AND, UM, WE SHOULD BE MOVING TO GET RID OF IT.
OR AS AN INTERIM STEP DIMINISHING IT, NO DOUBT.
BUT FLEX PARKING IS WAY BETTER THAN PERMANENT PAVEMENT OR PER EVEN PERMANENT GRAVEL, UH, ESPECIALLY ON LADY BIRD LAKEFRONT.
THE BUTLER PARKING LOT IS AN ILLEGAL PARKING LOT.
THE CITY'S ADMITTED IT THAT, YOU KNOW, A C L PUT IT THERE WHEN DURING A WET YEAR THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO RESTORE IT.
AND THE CITY'S LET IT CONTINUE, AND NOW THEY'VE EVEN ENHANCED IT EVEN THOUGH IT'S IN TOTAL VIOLATION OF OUR CITY, CITY, UH, WATERSHED ORDINANCES.
UM, SH THE SHUTTLE NEEDS TO BE REALLY FUNDED AND EMBRACED AND, UM, AND EXPANDED, BUT HOPEFULLY MOST OF THAT SHUTTLING WOULD BE TO OUTSIDE THE PARK WHERE THERE IS PARKING.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT BASICALLY DOESN'T HAVE FUNDING FOR PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY USE THE CURRENT SHUTTLE.
THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE HOPING IT FAILS BASICALLY, AS BEST I UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO PAY CAPTAIN METRO OR WHOEVER, YOU KNOW, PER PERSON TO USE IT.
UM, THE CLOSER PARKING ON THE POLO FIELD DOES SERVE THE HILLSIDE THEATER.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LITTLE KIDS LATE AT NIGHT TRYING TO SCHLEP THEM ALL THE WAY OVER TO THE BUTLER LANDFILL IS A CHALLENGE.
UH, IF YOU'RE GONNA BE DOING THAT, THEY DO NEED, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED BUSES.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YOU COULD STACK UP WHEN YOU HAVE THIS HUGE RUSH IF EVERYBODY TRYING TO LEAVE RIGHT WHEN THE PLAYS OVER.
UM, SO, UH, YES, LET'S MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT LET'S RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE SOME CHALLENGING CIRCUMSTANCES RIGHT NOW.
UM, I'D LOVE TO SEE NO MORE PARKING WHATSOEVER ON THE POLO FIELD, BUT ALSO I UNDER UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S, UM, IT IS IMPORTANT OR AT LEAST PART OF IT IS IMPORTANT TO THE, THE HILLSIDE THEATER FOR THAT COUPLE OF MONTHS THAT THEY'RE DOING THE SUMMER MUSICALS OR MONTH OR SO.
SPEAKING ON ITEM FIVE, WE HAVE MIKE TI MIKE, YOU'RE ALSO SPEAKING ON ITEM EIGHT, WHICH IS NEXT.
SO DO YOU JUST WANNA TAKE YOUR FULL SIX MINUTES NOW? I'LL KEEP IT UNDER SIX.
UH, GREETINGS CHAIR, PARTS BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, I'M HERE ON ITEM FIVE IN MY INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND, UH, THAT'S THE CHAIR OF THE POLO FIELD SUBGROUP THAT WAS PART OF THE ZUKO WORKING GROUP.
AND NOT ON BEHALF OF ANY OTHER OF THE NONPROFITS I'M INVOLVED WITH.
UM, AS Y'ALL CONSIDER THE PROPOSAL TO REMOVE ZILKER PARKING FROM THE POLO FIELD, I WANT YOU TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE CLEAR GUIDANCE FROM THE WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THAT SHOULD BE PHASED REMOVAL OVER TIME.
THAT WAS ACTUALLY A UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED PART OF THE WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATION FOR THREE REASONS.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE Y'ALL UNDERSTAND THEM FIRST, THERE WAS AN EDUCATIONAL BENEFIT.
PEOPLE COULD SEE IT PHASED OVER TIME.
THEY COULD LEARN TO ADJUST THEIR BEHAVIOR OVER TIME AND MAKE IT EASIER FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
THERE WAS AN OPERATIONAL BENEFIT OF, UH, LETTING THE VISITING PUBLIC AND THE EVENTS ALSO SORT OF LEARN AND PLAN FOR THE CHANGES IN THE FUTURE.
AND THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT, THAT WOULD BE PROVIDED WITH A PHASED REMOVAL.
[00:45:01]
AND THERE WAS ALSO AN ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT BECAUSE I RECALL THE, THE REDUCTION OF PARKING WOULD ACTUALLY SHRINK THE AMOUNT OF PARKING AND THEN THERE WOULD BE, UH, ECOLOGICAL REMEDIATION AS THAT SHRUNK IN TIME.UM, THE RESOLUTION YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU IS ACTUALLY A BIG IMPROVEMENT OVER.
THE ONE THAT I AT LEAST UNDERSTOOD WAS BEFORE Y'ALL AT THE LAST MEETING, UM, IS I LOOK AT IT, I'M NOT SEEING A LOT OF DAYLIGHT BETWEEN THE RECOMMENDATION YOU HAVE AND WHAT THE, UH, PARKS DEPARTMENT'S PLAN IS.
AS Y'ALL KNOW, THEY HAVE BEEN PHASING DOWN THE PARKING OVER THE POLO FIELD.
THEY HAVE ALSO PHASED BACK THE PARKING OVER THE LANDFILL.
THOSE ARE THINGS WE OUGHT TO BE AIMING FOR.
UM, SO I JUST WANT TO COMMEND THE PARK DEPARTMENT FOR REALLY DOING A GOOD JOB WITH THAT EFFORT.
UM, THEY'VE MADE REAL PROGRESS TOWARDS ADVANCING THE WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS TO REDUCE THE PARKING OVER THE INFORMAL AREAS, AND I HOPE YOU'LL LET THEM CONTINUE THEIR GOOD WORK AS THEY THOUGHTFULLY SEEK TO BALANCE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE HEARD HEARING ABOUT, ABOUT DIFFERENT PARK USERS, EVENTS, UH, AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
SHOULD I DO NUMBER, WHAT'S THE NEXT ONE? I'M SORRY.
ITEM EIGHT, THE WORKING GROUP, UH, TO NAME THE DEPARTMENT OF SPRINGS BATHHOUSE.
UM, I, I DID WANT TO, UH, LET Y'ALL KNOW AND YOU GOT A PRESENTATION FROM THE, I GUESS THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE BATHHOUSE REHABILITATION PROJECT.
AND WHILE I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF WHAT YOU'RE GONNA BE DISCUSSING HERE, I DID WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THERE IS A WHOLE SET OF EXHIBITS THAT ARE BEING PLANNED AS PART OF WHAT THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT AT THE BATHHOUSE WOULD BE.
THOSE EXHIBITS INCLUDE VERY IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL EXHIBITS, CULTURAL EXHIBITS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF AUSTIN AND ALSO THE, THE HISTORY OF RACIAL INTEGRATION AND ALSO THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.
AND THE S O S MOVEMENT ALL IS ACTUALLY IN THE DESIGN THAT, THAT IS GOING OUT NOW FOR, YOU KNOW, THE PERMITTING.
I THINK RIGHT NOW THERE'S ACTUALLY A BID FOR A, A REQUEST FOR CONSTRUCTION BIDS THAT'S PENDING.
SO IF Y'ALL FORM A WORKING GROUP IN THIS SPACE, THERE'S INFORMATION AVAILABLE ONLINE THAT I COULD GET YOU TO SHOW YOU WHAT THOSE EXHIBITS LOOK LIKE, THAT TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF RACIAL INTEGRATION IN THE POOL.
IT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN IMPORTANT, UH, IN, IN THE WORK THEY'VE DONE IN THAT.
UM, AND MY ONLY REQUEST TO Y'ALL IS KEEPING IN MIND THIS PROJECT IS IN THE CONSTRUCTION BID PHASE.
LET'S TRY NOT TO DISRUPT THE PROJECT WITH ANY VIOLENT CHANGES THAT I WANT TO ASSURE YOU THERE HAVE BEEN EFFORTS TO ADDRESS THAT TOPIC, AT LEAST GENERALLY.
UH, AND I WOULDN'T WANNA SEE THE, THE PROJECT BE DELAYED FOR ANOTHER YEAR.
SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING I CAN DO TO SHED ADDITIONAL LIGHT OR MAYBE POINT YOU PEOPLE POINT THE WORKING GROUP TO SOME RESOURCES AT THE CITY TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE HISTORY OF RACIAL INTEGRATION IS BEING ADDRESSED IN THE NEW EXHIBITS, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD OFFER TO DO.
OUR LAST SPEAKER SPEAKING ON ITEM EIGHT WILL BE SCOTT COBB.
SO ON ITEM EIGHT ABOUT RENAMING OR HAVING A COMMITTEE, WORKING GROUP ON, UH, BETH HOUSE, WHICH ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO WOULD TALK ABOUT WHETHER IT SHOULD BE RENAMED OR NAMED.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT HAS A NAME RIGHT NOW, BUT, UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
AND I SUPPORT HAVING THAT WORKING GROUP GOING ON.
UM, OCTOBER 21, AFTER JOAN MEANS CABBEL PASSED AWAY, I SUGGEST THAT THEY HAVE A JOAN MEANS CABBEL DAY TO CELEBRATE HER LIFE AND HER EFFORTS TO INTEGRATE, UH, AND DESEGREGATE BARTON SPRINGS.
SO I WOULD SUPPORT NAMING, UH, THE BATHHOUSE AFTER JOAN OR SOMEONE WHO WAS CONNECTED WITH THAT.
SHE WENT TO, SHE DID SWIM INS DURING THE EARLY SIXTIES, BUT I SERIOUSLY DOUBT IF SHE EVER HAD ACCESS TO THE BATHHOUSE BACK THEN, WE WERE TOTALLY CLOSED OFF.
SO I THINK IT'S A BEAUTIFUL CIRCLE OF LIFE THAT WOULD BE NAMED AFTER HER, BUT ALSO IN GENERAL, I THINK YOU SHOULD ALSO AT SOME POINT TAKE UP A, IT COULD BE IN THAT COMMITTEE, IT COULD BE ANOTHER COMMITTEE TO RENAME THE ENTIRE BARTON SPRINGS TO SOMETHING ELSE.
WILLIAM BARTON LIVED ON THAT PROPERTY, THAT LAND FOR THREE YEARS.
HE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE CLEAR CLAIM TO IT.
IT WAS SOMEBODY ELSE WHO HAD CLAIM TO IT.
THEY JUST NAMED IT THERE BECAUSE, OH, THAT'S WHERE BARTON LIVES.
HE DIDN'T EVEN LIVE THERE VERY LONG.
AND WHETHER OR NOT HE WAS THERE, LEGAL OR NOT IS IN DISPUTE.
HE ALSO BROUGHT BETWEEN FIVE AND 25 SLAVES WITH HIM.
AND ACCORDING TO SARAH MARSHALL, UH, WHO WORKS FOR THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND TOURISM PROGRAM FOR THE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, SARAH SAYS WILLIAM BARTON WAS KNOWN AS SOMEONE WHO WANTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE EXTINCTION OF NATIVE AMERICANS AND THE FACT THAT HE ENSLAVED PEOPLE.
WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S KNOWN AS
[00:50:01]
WELL.WELL, WHENEVER SAID ANYBODY SAYS THEY WANT TO GO TO BARTON SPRINGS, THEY WANNA GO TO THE PLACE WHERE WILLIAM BARTON HAD, DAMMIT, I THINK IT SHOULD BE NAMED AFTER, UH, A LANGUAGE, A, A WORD, A PHRASE IN AN INDIGENOUS, UH, LANGUAGE.
THEY LIVED HERE FOR TENS, THOUSANDS OF YEARS.
EUROPEAN COLONIZATION OCCURRED IN THE MID 19TH CENTURY.
IT'S NOT OUR LAND BELONGS TO OTHER PEOPLE.
AND THAT IS THE END OF PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, WE'RE NOW GOING TO APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
Y'ALL HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL AND A PAPER COPY OF THE MINUTES FROM THE REGULAR MEETING FROM JUNE 26TH, 2013 OR 2023.UM, I'LL GIVE YOU ALL A FEW MOMENTS JUST TO GET A FINAL LOOK OVER THOSE AND THEN I'LL ASK IF ANYBODY HAS ANY CHANGES.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY CHANGES TO THE MIN MINUTE MINUTES FROM THE JUNE 26TH, 2023 MEETING BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN? YES, I GUESS I WASN'T CLEAR FROM THE EMAIL THAT WAS SENT OUT BY STAFF CLARIFYING PREVIOUSLY I WAS SIGNED IN REMOTELY TO THE MEETING.
HOWEVER, I DIDN'T HAVE THE ATTENDANCE SHEET, SO I DON'T KNOW IF I GUESS MY NAME WOULD NEED TO BE REMOVED FROM THE MINUTES.
UM, BUT OTHERWISE, NO COMMENT.
AND DID WE DO WELL? OH, UM, ALRIGHT.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY OTHER CHANGES? ALRIGHT, SEE YOU.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE REGULAR MEETING OF JUNE 26TH, 2013, 2023? I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER MERIT.
THERE'S A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER REED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
ALRIGHT, IT'S A UNANIMOUS VOTE.
ALRIGHT, THE NEXT, UH, NOW WE'RE MOVING TO THIS, UH, AT THIS TIME I'M GONNA REQUEST THAT WE MOVE AND, UH, PRESENTLY START DISCUSSION ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE, DISCUSSION
[5. Discussion and possible action regarding a recommendation to Austin City Council to eliminate parking on the Zilker Park Polo Field and expand the Zilker Park Shuttle. (Sponsors: Reed, Hugman)]
AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING A RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO ELIMINATE PARKING ON THE ZILKER PARK POLO FIELD AND EXPAND THE ZILKER PARK SHUTTLE.UM, IS THERE ANYONE OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT.
SO NO ONE OPPOSED TO MOVING THAT AGENDA IS THERE, THERE OR DOESN'T NEED TO BE A VOTE ON THAT, RIGHT? NO.
SO NOW AT THIS POINT, UH, AT THIS TIME WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE, CHAIR AS, UM, THE CO-SPONSOR OF THIS RECOMMENDATION, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION TO ELIMINATE PARKING ON THE ZILKER PARK POLO FIELD.
AND, UM, CAN YOU JUST, CAN I, I CAN READ THE RECOMMENDATION IF NEEDED.
YOU CAN READ IT, YOU CAN READ IT OR YOU COULD JUST SAY AS POSTED.
CAN YOU MAKE THAT MOTION AGAIN? SO WE, JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR.
AS CO-SPONSOR OF THE RECOMMENDATION TO ELIMINATE PARKING ON THE ZILKER PARK POLO FIELD, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION TO ELIMINATE PARKING ON THE KER PARK POLO FIELD AS POSTED.
THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
THERE'S A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER HAGMAN.
UM, ALRIGHT, WE'LL MOVE INTO DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME.
UM, AND IF YOU JUST WANT TO LAY OUT, UH, YOUR RECOMMENDATION BOARD MEMBER REED SURE.
AND, UM, I CAN READ ALL OF IT IF YOU'D LIKE, OR JUST THE RECOMMENDATION.
SO, OR YOUR RATIONALE OR KIND OF HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT.
SO, UM, LAST WEEK WE HAD A RECOMMENDATION TO TRY AND HELP THE PARKS
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AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT WITH THEIR ALREADY, UM, A GOAL THAT'S IN PROCESS RIGHT NOW TO REDUCE THE PARKING ON THE POLO FIELD TO ONLY EVENTS, LARGE EVENTS, UM, FOR PARKING DURING LARGE EVENTS.AND AT, AT THIS POINT, THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT IS ONLY ALLOWING PARKING ON THE POLO FIELD ON WEEKENDS BETWEEN THE END OF MAY AND THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER.
NOT ON WEEKDAYS, BUT JUST ON WEEKENDS.
UM, AND THIS RECOMMENDATION IS, UM, SEEKING TO HELP WITH THE PROCESS WHICH WAS INITIATED IN 2019 WITH A GOAL OF ELIMINATING, ELIMINATING ALL PARKING ON THE POLO FIELD BY MAY OF 2022.
SO, UM, WE'RE HERE AT, IN JULY OF 2023 AND SOME PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN THIS EFFORT WITH THE ONLY 50% BEING ALLOWED.
HOWEVER, UM, THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT WANTS TO ELIMINATE THIS PARKING BECAUSE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE TO THE PARK LAND.
AND AS ONE OF OUR CITIZENS COMMENTED, THE PARKLAND CANNOT BE USED AS PARKLAND WHEN THERE ARE CARS PARKED ON IT DURING THE WEEKENDS.
UM, AND THERE HAVE BEEN PARKING ENFORCEMENT AND SAFETY ISSUES.
UM, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS TRYING TO FIND ALTERNATIVE, CONVENIENT, AFFORDABLE PARKING TO REPLACE THE OVERFLOW VISITOR PARKING ON THE POLO FIELD.
AND THE BUTLER GRAVEL LOT ON STRATFORD DRIVE HAS 750 AVAILABLE PARKING SPOTS.
BUT BECAUSE OF ITS SLIGHTLY GREATER DISTANCE FROM BARTON SPRINGS POOL, IT IS ALMOST VACANT AND NOT USED DURING BUSY SUMMER WEEKENDS.
I HAVE SOME, SOME SLIDES I CAN SHOW IF, UM, IF YOU WANNA PULL THOSE UP AND THESE ARE SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, I MIGHT COMMENT.
SO WHAT THIS WILL SHOW IS THE, UH, A LOT OF PARKING ON THE POLO FIELD.
IN FACT, SOMETIMES MORE THAN 50%, PARTICULARLY DURING, DURING THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND BETWEEN JULY 2ND AND JULY 4TH.
THERE WAS A FOUR DAY HOLIDAY WEEKEND.
SO THESE PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW THE POLO FIELD, UM, AT A TIME, I BELIEVE ON JULY 2ND THERE WERE OVER 500 CARS PARKED OUT THERE.
AND IF YOU CAN SCROLL THROUGH THAT, PLEASE ALL THE WAY DOWN, AND YOU'LL SEE THE, AT THE BOTTOM, THE BUTLER GRAVEL LOT ON THE SAME DAY AT THE SAME TIME IS ALMOST EMPTY.
THERE WERE MAYBE 40 CARS PARKED OUT THERE.
AND SO, UM, A GROUP OF CITIZENS HAS BEEN DOING SOME CAR COUNTING AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK CITIZEN DIANA PROCTOR FOR HER WORK ON, ON WATCHING THIS SITUATION.
SO IF YOU COULD SHOW THE SLIDE NUMBER THREE, WHICH ALSO WILL DEMONSTRATE THAT THERE'S AN IMBALANCE IN PARKING.
ALMOST EVERYONE IS TRYING TO PARK ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF ZILKER PARK DURING BUSY SUMMER WEEKENDS.
AND THE GRAVEL LOT, WHICH HAS 750 AVAILABLE SPOTS IS NOT BEING PARKED ON IF YOU CAN'T GET IT TO COME UP.
SO AGAIN, IF YOU SCROLL THROUGH HERE, YOU CAN SHOW OUR BOARD THAT THERE'S THE GRAVEL LOT.
SAME DAY AS THE POLO FIELD WAS PRETTY MUCH MAXED OUT, IT WAS MAXED OUT.
AND SO THE REASON, UM, THAT POLO FIELD VERSUS BUTLER LOT, BUTLER LOT IS FURTHER AWAY FROM THE SWIMMING POOL.
THE POLO FIELD ALSO IS SUFFERING FROM SOME ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE AND IS, IS WRITTEN IN THE RECOMMENDATION.
UM, THE POLO FIELD IS OVER THE LADY BIRD LAKE RECHARGE ZONE.
THE POLO FIELD IS IN THE BARTON CREEK WATERSHED AND IN THE LADY BIRD LAKE WATERSHED IN E'S WATERSHED, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE DONE BY PARKING CARS THERE IN THIS AREA.
AND THE BUTLER GRAVEL LOT, WHICH USED TO BE A LANDFILL, I'VE CHOSEN TO CALL IT THE GRAVEL LOT
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BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE PARKING IN A DUMP IF WE CALL IT THE LANDFILL.BUT IT HAS BEEN REMEDIATED PER, PER THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY MAINTENANCE PLANS.
AND SO THESE 750 AVAILABLE PARKING PLACES ARE THERE.
THIS IS A SHORT-TERM TRAFFIC SOLUTION BEING SUGGESTED IN OUR RECOMMENDATION.
UM, THIS IS NOT FOREVER AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE GOAL IS TO, UH, RESTORE THE, BOTH THE POLO FIELD AND THE GRAVEL LOT TO BEING PARKLAND.
IT'S USABLE BY PEOPLE AND NOT NECESSARILY CARS.
HOWEVER, AUSTIN CITY LIMITS WILL CONTINUE TO STAGE AT THE GRAVEL LOT UNTIL, WELL FOR THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS AT LEAST.
AND SO THE GRAVEL LOT CANNOT BE RESTORED TO NATURAL PARK LAND DURING THAT TIME.
UM, CAN I READ, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO READ THE RECOMMENDATION AS WRITTEN AT THE END? UM, NO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ IT AS LONG AS NOW THAT WE KNOW THAT IT'S AS POSTED, UM, WE'RE GOOD ON THAT FRONT.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO LET THE BOARD KNOW THAT, UM, IF THERE WERE CONTINUOUS SHUTTLES RUNNING BETWEEN THE BUTLER GRAVEL LOT AND A DROP OFF POINT NEAR SO BARTON SPRINGS POOL, THEN VISITORS COULD USE THE BUTLER LOT INSTEAD OF THE POLO FIELD FOR PARKING ON BUSY WEEKENDS.
AND THIS WOULD HELP THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WITH THEIR GOAL TO REMOVE PARKING AND ELIMINATE PARKING ON THE POLO FIELD.
AND IT WOULD ALSO ALLEVIATE TRAFFIC CONGESTION ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF ZILKER PARK NEAR THE BARTON SPRINGS POOL.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF MAPS THAT I HAD IN THE SLIDES, TIM, IF YOU CAN BRING THOSE UP AND I THINK YOU ALL HAVE MY BOARD BOARD MEMBERS HAVE THE MAPS TO SHOW HOW THAT WOULD WORK.
SO THIS IS A MAP SHOWING, UM, SHOWING ALL OF THE PARKING LOTS AND THEIR CAPACITIES.
AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
NUMBER SIX IS WHAT IT IS, I THINK.
SO THIS IS A POSSIBLE VISITOR ROUTE TO GET TO THE, THE BUTLER GRAVEL LOT.
YOU CAN COME FROM THE EAST OR FROM THE WEST AND TURN OFF.
AND SO TRAFFIC WOULD BE DIVIDED UP BETTER IN A MORE, IN, IN A MORE EQUAL WAY ON BOTH THE SOUTH SIDE AND THE NORTH SIDE OF, OF THE PARK.
SO WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT, UM, THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL DIRECT THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT TO ELIMINATE OVERFLOW PARKING ON THE P OF FIELD, BEGINNING MAY OF 2024.
AND TO ALLOCATE FUNDING FOR THE PURCHASE OR LEASE OF SHUTTLES FOR INTERNAL USE IN ZILKER PARK.
THAT CAN GO FROM THE BUTLER GRAVEL LOT UP TO BARTON SPRINGS POOL AND THE OTHER AREA ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF BARTON SPRINGS ROAD.
I HAVE, UM, SOME QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO 4, 5, 8 AND 11, UM, BUT PERHAPS STARTING WITH 11, IF THAT'S OKAY REGARDING THE, UM, COST OF PARKING AND THEIR TIERED PARKING.
UM, MY CONCERN IS THAT I AM SEEING THAT WE POTENTIALLY ARE CREATING A FORM OF A V I P PARKING, UM, WITH THE PREMIUM PARKING LOT SECTION.
UM, SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO RECOMMEND, UH, PROGRESSIVE PRICING RATHER THAN THE STATED FORM OF TIERED PARKING.
AND SO I KNOW WE'VE SEEN THIS WHERE, UM, THE PARKING FOR THE FIRST TWO HOURS OR A CERTAIN RATE, UM, AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL TIME THE INCREASED COST, UM, IS, UH, STRUCTURED SO THAT IT ENCOURAGES TURNOVER SO THAT PEOPLE AREN'T JUST PARKED SOMEWHERE ALL DAY.
UM, THAT POTENTIALLY COUPLED WITH THE FREE OPTION OF THE, UM, BUTLER PARKING LOT WOULD ALLOW, I GUESS TIER, BUT IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T CREATE THAT PREMIUM PARKING SECTION.
I DON'T KNOW, THOUGHTS ON, ON THAT.
AND THEN WE'D HAVE TO ALSO LOOK AT PEAK PARKING POTENTIALLY.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED, I WAS ACTUALLY THINKING ABOUT WAS HAVING LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE APPROPRIATE WORDS ARE, BUT DYNAMIC PARKING, UH, PRICES WHERE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS KIND OF GOING TO YOUR SECOND POINT IS, IS ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT LIKE CHARGING MORE ON THOSE HIGH DEMAND WEEKENDS AS OPPOSED TO, OR THOSE HIGH PEAK USAGE TIMES AS OPPOSED TO THE LOW, LOW PEAK USAGE TIMES? YEAH, SO IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY A COMBINATION
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OF BOTH.AND I WOULD OBVIOUSLY LOOK TO EXPERTS TO, TO SORT THE PARKING SITUATION.
BUT THE FIRST UH, PART WOULD BE THE PROGRESSIVE PRICING.
SO IF YOU'RE THERE FOR TWO HOURS, THEN IT'S $2 PER HOUR FOR THE NEXT TWO HOURS, THEN IT'S $3 PER HOUR SO THAT IT ENCOURAGES YOU TO PARK SOMEWHERE ELSE.
IF YOU'RE GONNA BE THERE ALL DAY, YOU PROBABLY WANNA CHOOSE THE FREE PARKING RATHER THAN PROGRESSIVELY INCREASE THE RATE.
UM, BUT THEN PAIRED WITH THAT, WE MAY HAVE TO ALSO LOOK AT PEAK PARKING, WHICH WOULD BE THE, THE DYNAMIC PARKING THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE ON, YOU KNOW, A HOLIDAY WEEKEND OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, SO THIS WOULD ALLOW A TIERED PARKING AND THEN OPTIONS FOR FREE PARKING OR VERY, A MORE AFFORDABLE PARKING, UM, VERSUS MAKING A CERTAIN LOT, THE MOST EXPENSIVE LOT, WHICH TO ME THEN MAKES IT FEEL LIKE SOMEBODY CAN GET VI I'M SAYING V I P PARKING.
'CAUSE WE CAN KIND OF THINK IN THOSE TERMS OF LIKE, IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT, YOU CAN PAY AS, YOU KNOW, PAY TO GET AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT I WANNA AVOID IS, UH, YOU KNOW, I STILL WANNA MAKE IT AS EQUITABLE AS POSSIBLE WITH, WITH THE OPTIONS.
SO, SO I GUESS TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, SO WOULD IT, WOULD IT KIND, KIND, ARE YOU LOOKING AT SAYING HIS RECOMMENDS THAT PART IMPLEMENT A TIERED HYEN PROGRESSIVE? YEAH.
THAT PART IMPLEMENT A TIERED PARKING PAYMENT STRUCTURE IN WHICH PAYMENT FOR PARKING, UH, CLOSER TO THE SPRINGS.
UM, OH, MAY, MAYBE THAT DOESN'T WORK.
WHERE WE OFFER DYNAMIC PARKING AS WELL AS FREE PARKING IN A CERTAIN LOT.
SOMETHING LIKE, AND BOARD MEMBER BAAN.
UM, I THINK SOMETIMES THINKING ABOUT USAGE, LIKE WHEN FOLKS GO TO BARTON SPRINGS, THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA STAY THERE THE ENTIRE DAY.
I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE, BUT SOME PEOPLE MAY STAY THERE ALL DAY, BUT THEY'RE PEOPLE USING WHO ARE GOING TO THE PICNIC AREAS MAYBE WOULD STAY LONGER THAN THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BARTON SPRINGS.
AND I DON'T HAVE THE DATA ON THE AVERAGE TIME THAT PEOPLE SPEND AT BARTON SPRINGS OR PEOPLE GOING TO THE PLAYGROUND.
YOU WOULD THINK DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, OF COURSE, THIS SUMMER HAS BEEN EXCEPTIONALLY HOT, BUT THAT WOULD BE A SHORTER VISIT.
SO IT WOULD BE LESS EXPENSIVE.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING LIKE, IF THAT PARKING LOT, LET'S SAY ANOTHER PLAYGROUND IS THE, IS THE V I P MOST EXPENSIVE PARKING LOT, THEN ME TAKING MY CHILD TO THE PLAYGROUND IS GONNA COST ME MORE MONEY.
UM, VERSUS PAYING THE $2 PER HOUR FOR THE HOUR AND A HALF, YOU KNOW, THAT I'M AT THE PLAYGROUND.
AND THEN IT ENCOURAGES THE TURNOVER, LIKE I SAID, 'CAUSE UM, SURE.
AND THEN SOMEBODY WHO IS GONNA STAY LONGER WOULD POTENTIALLY, IT WOULD CHANGE THE, THE NATURE OF HOW WE USE THE PARKING.
IF I'M STAYING LONGER, I'M LIKELY GONNA TAKE UP THE FREE OPTION TO BE AT THE PARK ALL DAY.
SO RIGHT NOW, UM, AND THE STAFF MAYBE CAN HELP US WITH THIS.
THE, THE PARKING IS $7 ACROSS THE BOARD IN THE PARK.
SO THAT'S AN, THAT, THAT'S ANOTHER OPTION.
WE CAN MAKE IT $7 NO MATTER WHERE YOU PARK, BUT POLO FIELD GETS CLOSED.
AND IF YOU, OR YOU KNOW, FREE AT THE BUTLER LOT AND THEN $7 EVERYWHERE ELSE.
AND THEN BOARD MEMBERS, IF I MIGHT JUST ADD TO THE CONVERSATION FOR CONSIDERATION, UH, VIA COUNCIL DIRECTION, I BELIEVE THAT THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT IS TAKING A LOOK AT PARKING AND PARKING FEES AND PARKING METERS ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY, OF WHICH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, METERED AREAS WILL ALSO BE CONSIDERED AND THEY'LL BE BRINGING A RECOMMENDATION FORWARD IN THE FUTURE.
I, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO CHANGE WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING TONIGHT.
I JUST THOUGHT AS YOU'RE THINKING THROUGH WHAT YOUR RECOMMENDATION WILL BE, THAT THAT MIGHT BE INFORMATION YOU, YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW.
WELL, I WAS GONNA SAY, SOMETHING I MIGHT ADD IS WE COULD JUST SAY WE RECOMMEND THAT PARKS CONSULT WITH AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT TO IMPLEMENT PARKING THAT DOES THESE THINGS.
SO INSTEAD OF US TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST OPTION, WE COULD JUST SAY WE WANT TO SORT OF THE TWO POINTS YOU WERE MAKING, WHICH IS WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE TURNOVER OF VEHICLES AND WE WANT TO, UH, ENCOURAGE, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY THIS, BUT WHEN THERE'S HIGHER DEMAND, THERE MIGHT BE HIGHER SORT OF PRICING FOR PARKING OR ENCOURAGE USAGE OF THE SHUTTLE PARKING A LITTLE BIT FURTHER AWAY AND USING THE SHUTTLE AS OPPOSED TO TRYING TO FIND THE CLOSEST PARKING PLACE YOU CAN POSSIBLY GET.
SO THAT WAS KIND OF THE MOTIVE, I THINK, BEHIND HAVING THE, THE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT PARKING STRATEGY.
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IF AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION IS GOING TO BE WORKING ON THIS, THEN WE CHANGE NUMBER 11 TO READ SOMETHING.ARE YOU ALL IN AGREEMENT WITH THIS, UM, THAT, THAT PAR UM, CONSULT WORK WITH AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT? IS IT THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT ONLY OR IS IT NO, WELL, THEY'RE ONE DEPARTMENT.
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS TRANSPORTATION.
AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
SO THIS IS KIND OF WHAT I'VE HAD SO FAR, SAYS, RECOMMENDS THAT PAR CONSULT WITH THE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO IMPLEMENT A TIERED PROGRESSIVE AND DYNAMIC PARKING PAYMENT STRUCTURE IN WILKER PARK THAT ENCOURAGES PARKING AT THE BUTLER GRAVEL LOT.
DOES THAT KIND OF GET TO WHAT YOU WERE SPEAKING TO BOARD MEMBER BOON? I, YEAH.
I STILL DON'T, I I STILL DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA ENCOURAGE PARKING.
LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA CHANGE PEOPLE'S BEHAVIOR.
'CAUSE IF SOMEBODY HAS, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF MONEY TO SPEND, THEY MAY STILL CIRCLE FOR THAT PARKING.
LET ME JUST, ARE WE HERE? YEAH, YEAH.
BUT THAT WON'T NECESSARILY ENCOURAGE THIS.
SO
ENCOURAGE PARKING AT THE GROUND.
IN ORDER TO, UM, PURPOSE, I'M GONNA SAY THIS CORRECT, WITH PURPOSE TO LIKE SPREAD OUT PARKING, INCLUDING THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? YEAH.
BECAUSE LIKE PEOPLE ARE STILL GONNA PARK IN THIS OTHER LOT.
SO IN, OR YOU COULD SAY IN ORDER TO INCENTIVIZE PARKING AT THE BUT BUTLER GRAVEL LOT.
OR MAYBE WE JUST TAKE OUT THE PART ABOUT PARKING FOR CLO CLOSER TO BARTON SPRINGS IS THE HIGHEST.
AND JUST SAY PAYMENT FOR PARKING AT THE BUTLER GRAVEL LOT IS THE LOWEST.
IT'D BE NICE IF IT WAS FREE, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A WOULD YOU CHANGE IT TO VIABLE OPTION? YEAH.
IS THE PARKING, IS THAT SET BY THE CITY OR DO YOU HAVE CONTROL OVER THAT? LIKE AS THE PARKS DEPARTMENT? YEAH, SO AT THIS TIME, THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT GOES THROUGH THE PROCESS EVERY YEAR AND SETS THE FEES FOR PARKING.
BUT THE IDEA OF HAVING THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT LOOK AT THE CITY HOLISTICALLY WOULD MEAN THAT THEY WOULD BE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION FOR MORE CONSISTENT FEES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY.
NOT SO THAT WE'RE NOT INDEPENDENTLY, UM, OR INADVERTENTLY CREATING A, A SITUATION WHERE IT'S CHEAPER TO PARK IN ONE LOCATION AND THERE'S NOT CONSISTENCY THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE SETTING THE FEES, BUT WE'RE HOPING TO SEE WHAT THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT BRINGS FORWARD, AND THEN CONSIDER THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS AS PART OF OUR FEE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
I THINK THAT'S, I THINK IT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE PARKING PRICE POINTS.
SO WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN DOWN, SO IS RECOMMENDS THAT PAR CONSULT WITH THE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO IMPLEMENT A TIERED PROGRESSIVE AND DYNAMIC PARKING PAYMENT STRUCTURE IN ZILKER PARK WITH THE PURPOSE OF INCENTIVIZING PARKING AT THE BUTLER GRAVEL LOT.
I WAS GOING TO ADD, I FEEL LIKE ADDING SOME LANGUAGE ABOUT THE GOAL OF ENCOURAGING TURNOVER OR, YOU KNOW, PRICING ADJUSTMENTS DUE TO HIGHER DEMAND MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
I FEEL LIKE THE LANGUAGE OR TIERED, UM, PROGRESSIVE AND DYNAMIC MAY BE UNCLEAR TO SOMEONE WHO WASN'T PRESENT AT THE MEETING.
I THINK IF WE TAKE THAT OUT AND INSTEAD MAKE IT CLEAR WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ENCOURAGE, THEN, THEN I FEEL LIKE IT'S CLEARER TO US TO THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT WHAT WE'RE ASKING.
WHAT ENCOURAGE TURNOVER? I ORIGINALLY HAD, SORRY,
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I HAD ORIGINALLY PUT IMPLEMENT THE PARKING STRUCTURE, UM, TO ENCOURAGE TURN TURNOVER.SO I THINK THAT CAN PROBABLY ANY BOARD MEMBERS JUST A REMINDER OR TO SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONES SO THAT YOUR COLLEAGUES ON WEBEX CAN HEAR YOU.
SO IT'S HERE TO IMPLEMENT A PARKING PAYMENT STRUCTURE AND ER PARK TO WAIT HOW PAGE TO, TO ENCOURAGE TURNOVER.
CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION? UM, WHY WOULD WE ENCOURAGE TURNOVER? BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO LEAVE THE PARK.
ENCOURAGING THEM TO PARK IN A VARIETY OF PLACES MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO ME.
BUT I'M NOT SURE WHY WE WOULD WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO NOT SPEND ALL DAY AT THE PARK IF THEY WANTED TO.
SO, I, I HAVE A CLARIFYING QUESTION RELATED TO THAT.
IF I GO NOW, AND I APOLOGIZE THAT I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION, AND THERE'S A VARIETY OF REASONS THAT I DON'T, BUT IF I SHOWED UP TODAY AT ZILKER AND I PAID $7, HOW LONG CAN MY CAR SIT THERE ALL DAY LONG? ALL DAY.
SO 24 HOURS, IT HAS TO BE GONE BY THE 20, OR IF I WANTED TO PARK MY CAMPER THERE FOR THE PRICE OF $7? NO, WITHIN THE CURFEW.
SO YOU COULD GET, YOU COULD, UM, I THINK THE CHARGING STARTS AT EIGHT O'CLOCK.
SO YOU COULD PARK FROM FIVE TO EIGHT, UH, FOR FREE AND THEN YOU CAN, YOU WOULD PAY UNTIL YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO PARK FOR $7 UNTIL 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.
SO I GUESS MY RESPONSE TO WHY WE WOULD ENCOURAGE TURNOVER WOULD BE THAT OTHERWISE THE PEOPLE WHO CAN ARRIVE AT THE PARK AT THE EARLIEST HOUR OF THE DAY COULD THEN THEORETICALLY BE PARKED THERE ALL DAY LONG PREVENTING SOMEONE ELSE FROM ACCESSING THE PARK.
IS THAT A FAIR STATEMENT IN TERMS OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN? IF I CAN ARRIVE AT 8:00 AM THE PARK COULD FILL UP WITH CARS AND IF WE NEVER LEAVE, THEN THERE'S NOWHERE TO PARK THE, THEORETICALLY THAT IS TRUE.
HOWEVER, UM, IN LOOKING AT CAR COUNTS BETWEEN APRIL AND JULY, UM, THE PARK, ALL THE PARKING HAS NOT BEEN FULL THIS YEAR.
SO BOARD MEMBERS, I WAS REMINDED THAT WE ONLY CHARGE ON THE WEEKENDS.
AND SO THERE'S NO CHARGING DURING THE WEEK, WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT, UM, EVERYONE PARKS FOR FREE FROM 5:00 AM TILL 10:00 PM SORRY ABOUT THAT.
I WAS BEGINNING TO WONDER IF I'D LOST MY MIND 'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN THERE DURING THE WEEKEND, NEVER PAID FOR PARKING, AND I WAS STARTING TO THINK MAYBE I'D STOLEN MONEY FROM THE CITY.
I WAS TRYING TO REMEMBER, 'CAUSE I WAS THERE ON A FRIDAY AND I COULDN'T REMEMBER WHAT I, WHAT I DID.
YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THAT, UM, THERE HAS NOT, THE, THE PARKING HAS NOT REACHED CAPACITY THE SUMMER, EVEN ON THE BUSIEST DAYS BECAUSE THE BUTLER GRAVEL LOT IS UNDERUTILIZED BY APPROXIMATELY 600 CAR SPACES.
SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY TO TRY AND INS, MAYBE COME UP WITH A STATEMENT ABOUT PARKING THAT WOULD INCENTIVIZE USING THE BUTLER GRA GRAVEL LOT AND THE SHUTTLE.
AND IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW LONG YOU STAY THERE, IT'S JUST, UM, IF YOU GO AND PARK THERE, UM, IF IT IS FREE OR IF IT'S $7 OR WHATEVER AND IT'S MORE SOMEWHERE ELSE, I DON'T KNOW, BUT, OR WE CAN LEAVE IT UP TO, UM, AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK
I THINK OUR ORIGINAL GOAL WAS TO, UH, BRING ABOUT THE, THE WORKING GROUP PLAN.
UH, THE DESIRE TO REMOVE CARS FROM POLO AND, UM, AND HAVE CARS PARK AT BUTLER AND BE SHUTTLED OVER.
SO I THINK WE COULD GET REALLY CAUGHT IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF TIERED PARKING AND DIFFERENT RATE STRUCTURES.
IF WE WANNA KEEP THIS SIMPLE AND HAVE THIS ENACTED FOR NEXT MAY, WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD TONIGHT ON THIS SO THAT COUNSEL CAN HEAR IT AND, YOU KNOW, TAKE CARE OF WHAT THEY TAKE CARE OF AS FAR AS BUDGET FOR SHUTTLE BUSES AND ALL THAT.
UM, I KIND OF LIKE WHAT KIMBERLY IS SAYING, DIRECTOR MCNEELY, UH, LET'S LET TRANSPORTATION DO THE STUDIES.
THEY ARE EXPERTS ON, UH, CHANGING PUBLIC BEHAVIORS WITH PARKING STRUCTURES.
SO THAT'S JUST MY 2 CENTS THERE.
AND SORRY I'VE BEEN, IT'S HARD FROM TERMS, I FORGET ABOUT LOOKING AT MY SCREEN.
DOES ANYONE ELSE ON THE SCREEN HAD ANY, DID ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD VIA WEBEX? OKAY.
YEAH, I THINK THAT LOOKS GOOD.
SO I'M GONNA, AT THIS TIME MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND, UH, RECOMMENDATION NUMBER 11.
UM, TO NOW READ, RECOMMENDS THAT PARK CONSULT WITH THE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO IMPLEMENT A PARKING PAYMENT STRUCTURE IN ZILKER PARK WITH THE PURPOSE OF INCENTIVIZING PARKING AT THE BUTLER GRAVEL LOT TO ENCOURAGE TURNOVER AND TAKE INTO
[01:20:01]
CONSIDERATION AND TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION HIGH PEAK USAGE DAYS.IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
THERE'S A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER BAAN.
I'LL SECOND, OR NOW THERE'S A SECOND.
UM, AND I GUESS I SHOULD ASK, UH, BOARD MEMBER REED, DO YOU NOW ACCEPT THIS AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT OR DO YOU WANT IT, SHOULD WE VOTE ON IT? I CAN ACCEPT IT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
AND THEN, UM, I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, BOARD MEMBER BAZAN MENTIONED WAS RECOMMENDATION FOUR AND FIVE.
UM, I HAD PREVIOUSLY, UH, HAD ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATION WITH BOARD MEMBER REED ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, THE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS PUT FORTH BY THE ZILKER PARK WORKING GROUP, WHICH IS DISTINCT FROM THE ANY VISION PLAN.
UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR.
UM, AND FOR RECOMMENDATION FOUR AND FIVE WERE PART OF SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY HAD, UH, INCLUDED, UH, I THINK FOR US TO DO.
SO THAT WAS KIND OF THE IMPETUS OF INCLUDING THOSE FOUR AND FIVE INTO THIS RECOMMENDATION.
HOWEVER, I THINK THAT IN ORDER TO KEEP THIS, UH, AS CLEAN AND SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE, AND I DO THINK THAT THERE ARE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN ADDRESSING WHAT FOUR AND FIVE ARE TRYING TO GET TO, BUT IN A DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATION ON A DIFFERENT DAY, UM, I THINK IT PROBABLY WOULD BE BEST FOR US TO, UH, ELIMINATE FOUR AND FIVE FROM THIS RESOLUTION.
NOT BECAUSE WE DON'T THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT AND IT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT DESERVES OUR ATTENTION, BUT RATHER BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS, IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT IT PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED ON ITS OWN AS, AS OPPOSED TO JUST BEING TACKED ON AS, UM, UH, AFTERTHOUGHT ON THIS RESOLUTION.
SO AT THIS, I DON'T DUNNO IF ANYONE HAS ANY COMMENT ON THAT.
'CAUSE I'M, BECAUSE IF NO, NOT, I'M GONNA, MY NEXT STEP IS GONNA BE AFTER TO ASK BOARD MEMBER REED IF SHE WOULD BE WILLING TO AMEND THE RE RECOMMENDATION TO REMOVE FOUR AND FIVE.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO ADD, IT WAS ALONG THOSE LINES.
UM, I WAS GONNA ASK TO ELIMINATE FOUR AND FIVE.
UM, SO I APPRECIATE THAT FOR THOSE VERY REASONS.
AND I, I DO FEEL LIKE WE CAN BE, UM, MORE DIRECT WITH A FUTURE RECOMMENDATION OR RECOMMENDATIONS AND GET MORE FROM THAT, UM, VERSUS, VERSUS PUTTING IT IN HERE.
I'D, I'D ALSO LIKE TO THROW IN THAT I'M VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF REMOVING FOUR AND FIVE FOR EXACTLY THOSE REASONS.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT FORWARD, UH, FORWARD CHAIR.
ANY OTHER COMMENT? SO I'M GONNA MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
UH, I'M GONNA, UH, MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THE RECOMMENDATION TO ELIMINATE FOUR AND FIVE.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
THERE'S A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER BAAN AND BOARD MEMBER.
DO YOU ACCEPT THAT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? I ACCEPT IT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
UM, AND THEN I'LL THROW IT BACK TO BOARD MEMBER BAAN.
THE LAST ONE I WANTED TO HAVE CONVERSATION ON WAS, UM, NUMBER EIGHT, UM, AND THE LIFEGUARD SPOTS, UM, AND I'LL JUST OPEN THIS UP, BUT, UM, ONE OF MY QUESTIONS WOULD WAS WOULD THIS BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, US TO ADD SOME OF THOSE ADDITIONAL PARKING SPOTS, UM, AT BUTLER SINCE WE'RE, UM, TALKING ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF SPOTS THERE AND THE NON-USE.
UM, THAT'S NOT TO SAY TAKE AWAY SOME OF THE SPOTS CLOSER, BUT THIS COULD HELP US GET UP TO THE NUMBER THAT WE, THAT WE NEED TO GET TO.
SO I JUST WANTED TO OPEN IT UP THAT FOR CONVERSATION.
I DON'T HAVE A FINAL HERE, SO, UM, MAY I COMMENT ON, UM, THE 22 STAFF PARKING PLACES WAS A, WAS FROM A LETTER, UH, CORRESPONDENCE THAT I HAD WITH, UM, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR LUCAS MASSEY ABOUT THE, UM, PROPOSED LIFEGUARD PARKING SPACES THAT WOULD BE NEEDED.
UM, ADDING 10 MORE BECAUSE THEY HAD 12 NOW, SEVEN, I BELIEVE, AND ON ONE SIDE OF THE PARK AND FIVE ON THE OTHER.
AND HE SAID, WE ARE LOOKING TO ADD 10 MORE.
HOWEVER, UM, HEARING FROM THE LIFEGUARDS AND FROM SCOTT COBB, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO, TO DESIGNATE MORE BECAUSE OF THE TWO SHIFTS.
NOW, THE LOCATION OF THAT, UM, I THINK THE LIFEGUARDS HAD INDICATED HAVING THE PARKING, THE STAFF PARKING AS CLOSE TO THE POOL AS POSSIBLE, WHETHER IT'S ON THE, ON THE SOUTH, THE SOUTH SIDE OF BARTON SPRINGS POOL, THE, A MORTON AREA THAT, THAT OFF OF THAT SIDE, MAYBE HALF OF THEM THERE OR, AND THEN, AND THEN MORE IN THE NORTH POOL PARKING LOT, WHICH I BELIEVE IS CALLED THE ROCK GARDEN PICNIC AREA PARKING LOT THAT'S OVER JUST A LITTLE BIT NORTH OF THE BARTON SPRINGS POOL PARKING LOT.
SO I THINK THE LIFEGUARDS FELT THAT THOSE WOULD BE THE BEST PLACES TO HAVE THE STAFF PARKING PLACES DESIGNATED.
[01:25:01]
OR WE COULD ASK THAT PART, WORK WITH STAFF AND LIFEGUARDS IS, IS, UM, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MASSEY HERE OR ANYONE FROM AQUATICS? UM, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR LUCAS MASSEY IS AVAILABLE, UH, VIRTUALLY, SO I'M SURE ANDREW CAN HELP US.HUH? APPARENTLY HE IS NOT ONLINE.
HE HAS BEEN COMMUNICATING VIA, UM, VIA TEAM.
UH, JODY SAYS SHE THINKS SHE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A ANSWER IF YOU JUST REPEAT THE QUESTION, PLEASE.
SO THIS IS FOR, UM, WEEKENDS LIFEGUARDS AT BARTON SPRINGS POOL.
THERE'S A MORNING SHIFT AND AN AFTERNOON CHEF.
THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 40 LIFEGUARDS TOTAL.
SO 20 IN THE MORNING AND 20 IN THE AFTERNOON.
SO, UM, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MASSEY HAD SAID THAT HE THOUGHT 22 WOULD BE, UH, THE CORRECT AMOUNT, THE BEST AMOUNT TO HAVE DESIGNATED PARKING SPACES.
UM, BUT THE LIFEGUARDS WERE SAYING THAT IT PROBABLY SHOULD BE MORE FOR NEXT YEAR.
WELL, JODY J, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, UM, AND PREVIOUSLY DIVISION MANAGER OF AQUATICS.
SO, UH, I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE MORNING SHIFT, UM, COMES IN QUITE EARLY BEFORE THE PARK, UM, GETS FILLED.
SO THE MORNING SHIFT TYPICALLY DOES NOT PARK IN THOSE ASSIGNED ASSIGN, UH, SHIFTS OR SPOTS SO THAT THE LIFEGUARDS HAVE, UH, ACCESS TO THAT PARKING WHEN THEY SHOW UP IN THE AFTERNOON SHIFT, RIGHT? SO IF, IF THE LIFEGUARDS COME IN BETWEEN NOON AND THREE, THEY PARK IN THOSE ASSIGNED SITE SPOTS, BUT LIFEGUARDS THAT COME IN, YOU KNOW, AT SEVEN OR NINE IN THE MORNING JUST PARK IN REGULAR SPOTS.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO THERE WERE TWO THINGS THAT WE WERE CONSIDERING.
ONE THAT, THAT THE BARTON SPRINGS POOL PARKING LOT WILL BE CLOSED, UM, BEGINNING IN JANUARY, RIGHT, 2024.
AND THEN ALSO THE POLO FIELD CLOSING IN MAY TO OVERFLOW PARKING AS THIS RECOMMENDATION PROPOSES, HOW WILL THAT IMPACT STAFF PARKING FOR THE LIFEGUARDS? AND WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM THE LIFEGUARDS IS THAT THE CLOSEST TO THE POOL PARKING WOULD BE THE NORTH POOL LOT.
AND SO, UH, WE WERE TRYING TO COME UP WITH IT WITH AN ADEQUATE NUMBER OF, OF PARKING PLACES.
YEAH, 2022 WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
I THINK WE MAY WANT TO RECOMMEND MORE.
SO IF I CAN ASK HERE, I GUESS THE RECOMMENDATION NUMBER EIGHT OR ITEM NUMBER EIGHT WOULD BE TO COORDINATE WITH THE CONTRACTOR AS WELL TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE SPACES REMAIN OPEN DURING CONSTRUCTION OF THE BATHHOUSE OR REHABILITATION ITEM.
I DON'T THINK ANYTHING CAN BE OPEN IN THE PARKING LOT DURING THE BATHHOUSE RESTORATION BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES.
SO I THINK ALL PARKING IS THIS CORRECT? ALL PARKING WILL HAVE TO BE RE-DESIGNATED TO THE CLOSEST PARKING LOTS? THAT'S CORRECT.
THEY, UH, IN THE PRESENTATION ON THE BATHHOUSE LAST MONTH, THEY TOLD US, UM, THE CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES WOULD TAKE ALL OF THE PARKING SPACES AT THE BATHHOUSE.
SO THE NEXT CLOSEST LOT IS, UH, THE NORTH POOL PARKING LOT.
AND I THINK OUR, WE'RE JUST, WHAT OUR CONCERN IS HERE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE ENOUGH, SO THE RECOMMENDATION NOW SAYS AT LEAST 22 STAFF PARKING PLACES.
SO MAYBE WE PUT IN A CLAUSE THAT SAYS, UM, AND POSSIBLY MORE AFTER CONSULTING WITH THE LIFEGUARD, THE STAFF AND LIFEGUARDS AT BARTON SPRINGS POOL, OR RECOMMENDS THAT PART WORK WITH THE STAFF AND LIFEGUARDS IN ORDER TO DESIGNATE AN APPROPRIATE NUMBER OF PARKING PLACES NEAR BARTON SPRINGS POOL.
YEAH, SO I MEAN, UH, THIS GOES BACK NOW WAYS HAVING THIS CONVERSATION, BUT HAVING SEEN THAT EMAIL CHAIN WITH LUCAS, MY THOUGHT PROCESS WAS THAT'S WHAT HE SPECIFICALLY SAID WAS NEEDED WAS 22 SPACES.
SO I THINK TO ME THAT THIS WAS AS A WAY OF US SAYING, YES, WE WOULD LIKE TO HOLD YOU TO 22 SPACES IF WE THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE.
I GUESS THE ONLY THING I'M WORRIED ABOUT IS DILUTING SORT OF THE STRENGTH OF IT WITH OH, CONSULT WITH THE LIFEGUARDS AND COME UP WITH WHAT YOU COME UP WITH.
[01:30:01]
TO SAY THAT I DON'T THINK PAR WILL DO DUE DILIGENCE THERE, BUT JUST THAT I THINK IT'S HELPFUL FOR US TO SUPPORT WHAT THEY THINK IS NEEDED.SO IT WAS JUST MY UNDERSTANDING FROM HIM THAT THAT'S WHAT THEY DESIRED, BUT SURE.
I'M, I'M NOT AGAINST IF WE WANT TO PAD IT OR CHANGE IT IN SOME WAY.
AND I CAN READ HIS, WHAT HE, HIS ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION WAS IF, JUST TO BE SURE.
SO HE SAID WE CURRENTLY HAVE 12 SPOTS FOR STAFF PARKING SEVEN NORTH SIDE FIVE SOUTH SIDE.
WE ARE LOOKING AT ADDING ROUGHLY 10 MORE FOR THE SUMMER SEASON AS A REFERENCE.
ARE OPENING AND CLOSING SHIFTS TYPICALLY HAVE 20 INDIVIDUALS SCHEDULED.
THERE IS A POINT WHERE THE SHIFTS OVERLAP, BUT 40 TOTAL RESERVE PLACES WOULD BE IN EXCESS.
ALSO, IN THE OFF SEASON, PARKING IS LESS OF AN ISSUE AND WE FEEL 12 TO 15 IS APPROPRIATE.
I HAVE REACHED OUT TO PAR STAFF AND TO AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION TO BEGIN WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF OFFICIALLY DESIGNATING MORE SPACES FOR STAFF BOARD MEMBERS.
LUCAS MASSEY, OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, LUCAS MASSEY, IS FIGURED OUT HIS WEBEX AND IS NOW AVAILABLE IF YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC QUESTION FOR HIM.
CAME, I, THIS MAY HAVE BEEN AN EMAIL, I DON'T REMEMBER.
WHAT IS, WHAT IS CONSIDERED STAFF? IS THAT JUST LIFEGUARD OR WHAT IS STAFF? SO THE PEOPLE THAT WORK AT BARTON SPRINGS AS WELL, YOU KNOW, TAKING TICKETS, TICKETS AND SO FORTH.
I THINK TAKING INTO EVERYTHING INTO CONSIDERATION, PROBABLY MAYBE IF THE RECOMMENDATION WERE TO READ SOMETHING LIKE RECOMMENDS HARD CONSULT WITH BARTON SPRINGS STAFF TO, TO DESIGNATE NO LESS THAN 22 STAFF PARKING SPACES NEAR BARTON SPRINGS POOL FOR STAFF.
AND MAYBE JUST HAVE THE WORD LIFEGUARDS IN THERE AS WELL.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW THAT WE CARE ABOUT LIFEGUARDS VERY MUCH AND WE ALSO CARE ABOUT ALL THE OTHER STAFF PEOPLE WHO HELP TO MAKE BARTON SPRINGS RUN EFFECTIVELY.
SO LIFEGUARDS IS A SUBSET OF STAFF.
SO I THINK WE SHOULD NEED KEEP IT AT STAFF THEN.
SO I'M GONNA MAKE A, I'M, I MOVED TO A, UH, WELL WE, I DON'T EVEN THINK I NEED TO DO A SECOND.
I'M LIKE, I JUST GOT INTO TOWN LIKE A FEW HOURS AGO.
SO, UH, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO TAKE AS A FRIENDLY REC AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT FOR NUMBER EIGHT TO READ, RECOMMENDS PARD CONSULT WITH BARTON SPRINGS STAFF TO DESIGNATE NO LESS THAN 22 STAFF PARKING SPACES NEAR BARTON SPRINGS POOL, NEAR BARTON SPRINGS POOL? THAT SOUNDS FINE.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION BOARD MEMBERS ON ANY OTHER REC UH, ON THE RECOMMENDATION ON ITEM NUMBER 12? I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, I DON'T BELIEVE SCOOTER ACCESS THROUGH THE PARK IS PERMITTED.
SO, UM, I THINK ENCOURAGING MULTIMODAL FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION IS CERTAINLY, UM, ADVANTAGEOUS.
BUT WONDERING IF WE SHOULD, UM, REVISE THAT LANGUAGE, UM, TO REMOVE SCOOTERS,
SO, UH, BOARD MEMBER READ, WOULD YOU, RECOM, WOULD YOU TAKE AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT RECOMMENDS, UH, NUMBER FOR NUMBER 12 TO REED RECOMMENDS THAT PAR ENCOURAGE MULTIMODAL FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION TO ACCESS ZILKER PARK? YES, I'LL ACCEPT THAT.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY OTHER, ANYONE ON THE, ON WEBEX? OKAY.
THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT I HAD WAS ADDING WAREHOUSE CLAUSE THAT KIND OF CONTEXTUALIZES THIS RECOMMENDATION.
UM, AND IT WOULD JUST, SO BASICALLY WE WOULD, UH, THE LAST WHEREAS CLAUSE WOULD READ, WHEREAS THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD RECOGNIZES THAT PARKING AT ZILKER PARK NEEDS
[01:35:01]
A LONG-TERM PARKING SOLUTION TO APPROPRIATELY ADDRESS THE ISSUE AND RECOGNIZES THAT THIS RECOMMENDATION IS NOT A LONG-TERM PARKING SOLUTION.AND THE REASON I'M, I'M INCLUDING THAT IS BECAUSE I DO, WHILE I THINK THIS IS A VERY, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT AS A BOARD I THINK WE SHOULD SUPPORT AND PASS.
UH, TONIGHT, I DO THINK THAT THE BUTLER GRAVEL LOT IS NOT SUSTAINABLE LONG TERM.
UM, I DO THINK THAT THAT PARKING, UH, SOLUTION, UH, IS CANNOT, IS NOT SUSTAINABLE AND THAT WE NEED TO BE, UH, WORKING TOWARDS A MORE LONG-TERM SOLUTION.
AND WHETHER THAT'S WHAT'S CONTAINED IN THE ZILKER VISION PLAN OR NOT, OR WHETHER THAT'S CONTAINED IN SOME OTHER LONG-TERM VISION PLAN, UM, I'M NOT HERE TO COMMENT ON THAT TODAY, BUT IT, IT, THIS, THIS IS NOT A LONG-TERM SOLUTION AND IT MAY BE A MIDTERM SOLUTION AT BEST, UH, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED, UH, TODAY.
UM, AND, UH, IN ORDER FOR US TO GET, START GETTING MOVEMENT ON, UH, MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO THE PARK AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO RESTORE SOME OF THE AREAS OF THE PARK AS WELL.
CAN, CAN YOU PLEASE READ THAT CLAUSE AGAIN? WHEREAS THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, SO, SO YEAH, WHEREAS THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD RECOGNIZES THAT PARKING AT ZILKER PARK NEEDS A LONG-TERM PARKING SOLUTION TO APPROPRIATELY ADDRESS THE ISSUE AND RECOGNIZES THAT THIS RECOMMENDATION IS NOT A LONG-TERM SOLUTION, OR WE COULD SAY A SHORT TERM, THIS IS A SHORT-TERM SOLUTION THAT THIS RECOMMENDATION.
AND YEAH, JUST A, A COMMENT ON THAT, UM, AGAIN, UH, IN, IN SPEAKING WITH ONE OF THE PLANNERS, CLAIRE HEMPHILL HAD TOLD ME THAT I ASKED WHEN WOULD BUTLER GRAVEL LOT IN THE PLAN AS IT'S WRITTEN TODAY, BE, UM, ECOLOGICALLY UPLIFTED OR WHATEVER, AND SHE SAID, SEVEN TO 10 YEARS.
SO THAT'S THE MIDTERM PLANNING FOR THE, FOR THE PLAN.
AND THEN OF COURSE, AUSTIN CITY LIMITS AND TRAIL OF LIGHTS ARE CONTINUING TO STAGE THERE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
BUT I AGREE WITH YOU, THIS IS A SHORT TERM SOLUTION AND A BETTER TRANSPORTATION PLAN NEEDS TO BE PUT INTO EFFECT.
AND ALSO, IT'S NOT WRITTEN IN THIS RECOMMENDATION, BUT I ASSUME THAT PARK IS GOING TO CONTINUE THEIR SHUTTLE PROGRAM FROM OUTSIDE THE PARK, IN ADDITION, HOPEFULLY, TO BEING ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THIS INTERNAL SHUTTLE WITHIN THE PARK.
SO THAT WILL, THAT WILL HELP WITH BOTH PROBLEMS. THANK YOU.
SO I WANNA, WILL YOU ACCEPT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT THAT WE STRIKE THE AND OR THE WORD AND FROM THE WHAT'S CURRENTLY THE SECOND TO LAST, WHEREAS CLAUSE ADD AND TO WHAT'S CURRENTLY THE LAST WHEREAS CLAUSE AND THEN ADD WHAT IS NOW GONNA BE THE FINAL, WHEREAS CLAUSE TO READ, WHEREAS THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD RECOGNIZES THAT PARKING AT ZILKER PARK NEEDS A LONG-TERM PARKING SOLUTION TO APPROPRIATELY, APPROPRIATELY ADDRESS THE ISSUE AND RECOGNIZES THAT THIS RECOMMENDATION IS A SHORT-TERM SOLUTION, I WILL ACCEPT IT.
DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD? ALRIGHT, UM, I GUESS WE'RE GONNA GO, WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE QUESTION.
THE QUESTION, UH, BEFORE US IS, UH, TO, UH, RECOMMEND THE ELIMINATION, THE COMMEND TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION TO ELIMINATE PARKING ON THE ZILKER PARK HO FIELD AS POSTED WITH THE AMENDMENTS DISCUSSED AT THIS MEETING.
UM, THERE WAS A SECOND ON THAT BY BOARD MEMBER HAMAN.
SO AT THIS TIME, I'M GONNA TAKE A VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
PASSES UNANIMOUSLY 10 TO ZERO.
AND, UM, I KNOW SOME, I KNOW BOARD, UH, SOME BOARD MEMBERS HAVE TO, UH, ATTEND TO OTHER BUSINESS.
SO, UH, THANK Y'ALL FOR WHOEVER, IF YOU HAVE TO LOG OFF.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR STAYING ON THIS LONG.
UM, ALRIGHT, SO STAFF BRIEFING.
WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO,
[2. Staff briefing on Parks and Recreation Department community engagement events, planning updates, development updates, maintenance updates, program updates and administrative updates.]
STAFF BRIEFING TO PARKS BOARD MEMBERS.SOMETHING THAT'S NOT IN THE BACKUP BUT THAT WE'VE SENT TO YOU VIA, UM, EMAIL TODAY WAS JUST A REMINDER THAT THE PARKS AND RECREATION
[01:40:01]
DEPARTMENT HAS IMPLEMENTED THE BURNING RESTRICTION IN RESPONSE TO THE, UH, VERY EXTREME HEAT AND, UH, THE DROUGHT CONDITIONS.AND SO PLEASE NOTE THAT THAT INFORMATION HAS BEEN SENT THROUGHOUT THE PARK SYSTEM TO ALL PART EMPLOYEES.
AND THERE'LL BE SIGNAGE THAT IS, UM, PLACED TEMPORARILY IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS AND ENFORCEMENT, UM, BY VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE TO HELP INDIVIDUALS, UH, UNDERSTAND THE, UH, THE SEVERE, SORT OF THE SEVERE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING ALL THAT WE CAN TO PREVENT ANY SORT OF, UM, OF WILDFIRES.
UM, ALSO SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THAT IS NOT IN YOUR BACKUP IS THAT I KNOW THAT YOU HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, UM, MUSICIAN, UM, PAY DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AND OTHER MUSICAL EVENTS, AND I JUST WANTED TO POINT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA, UH, FROM JULY 20TH, WHERE THEY DID PASS A RESOLUTION, UH, THAT TALKED ABOUT THE MINIMUM PAY FOR MUSICIANS.
AND I'M NOT SURE THAT YOU ALL, I CANNOT RECALL WHETHER YOU WERE ABLE TO ACTUALLY TAKE ACTION ON THAT, BUT I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT, UH, THERE WAS ACTION TAKEN BY THE COUNCIL IN CASE YOU WANTED TO, TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
WITH ALL THAT BEING SAID, ON PAGE ONE, THERE'S SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE VIOLET CROWN TRAIL, UH, AND A DEDICATION THAT WILL HAPPEN THIS SATURDAY AT NINE O'CLOCK.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO JOIN IN THE CELEBRATION, PLEASE KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HAPPENING AT ROSEWOOD PARK.
IT'S A LISTENING SESSION ON AUGUST 5TH, UM, TO HEAR SOME COMMUNITY INPUT ABOUT THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND TOURISM PROGRAM, UH, AT THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION, THE MILLENNIUM YOUTH ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX.
UM, THERE WILL BE A CONVERSATION ON THURSDAY, UH, JULY 27TH AT 6:00 PM TO TALK ABOUT, UM, HOW THAT SPACE, UH, IS, COULD BE ENJOYED BY THE COMMUNITY OR HOW IT CAN CONTINUE TO BE ENJOYED BY THE COMMUNITY.
YOU MAY HAVE RECALLED THAT YOU DID VOTE ON THE BRODY OAKS PUD, AND THAT PARTICULAR PUD HAS BEEN GOING THROUGH THE COUNCIL PROCESS.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO BE TAKEN UP ON THIRD READING ON THURSDAY.
HOWEVER, I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT IT HAS BEEN POSTPONED AND COUNSEL IS STILL CONSIDERING HOW, UH, THEY WILL, WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS THEY WILL MAKE, UH, FOR THAT PUD.
BUT I KNOW THAT YOU VOTED ON IT AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE OF WHERE IT WAS IN THE PROCESS.
IF I'M SKIPPING OVER TO PAGE FIVE, PLEASE KNOW THAT THE AUSTIN MEMORIAL PARK CEMETERY RESTROOMS, WHICH I KNOW YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT, THE RENOVATIONS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND THEY WERE COMPLETE AS TILL JULY 21ST.
JUST AS A REMINDER, THAT PARTICULAR SPACE WAS A HISTORIC SPACE, AND SO IT REQUIRED A LITTLE EXTRA TIME AND ATTENTION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE RESTORING IT, UH, IN A WAY THAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
ON PAGE SIX, THERE'S A A BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE BARTON SPRINGS BATHHOUSE AND THE PROCESS THAT IT IS, UM, THE APPROVAL PROCESS THAT IS GOING THROUGH IN ORDER FOR CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN.
THIS WILL BE AN ITEM THAT IS REVIEWED BY THE CITY COUNCIL FOR AN S O S, UH, AMENDMENT, AND S O S VARIANCE ON SEPTEMBER 14TH.
IF YOU FLIP OVER TO PAGE, OH, I'M GOING WAY, WAY BACK NOW.
THERE'S LOTS OF GOOD STUFF IN BETWEEN ALL OF THESE PAGES, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR YOU.
UM, I KNOW YOU JUST FINISHED TALKING ABOUT THE ZILKER SHUTTLE, BUT ON PAGE 24 IT TALKS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE WEEKEND SHUTTLE AND THE FACT THAT WE'VE HAD 1,776 INDIVIDUALS UTILIZE THE SHUTTLE.
PLEASE KNOW THAT PREVI PRE, PRIOR TO COVID OR AT SOME POINT IN TIME, UH, EARLIER IN, UH, MY TENURE, WE, WE CONSISTENTLY HAD AN IN THE PARKS VIDEO SERIES AND I THINK IT WAS JUST TEMPORARILY DISCONTINUED, BUT WE ARE RESTARTING THAT AS A, UH, MARKETING AND PROMOTION OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE GOOD THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE PARK SYSTEM.
AND THERE'S A, UM, A LINK THAT YOU CAN CLICK ON PAST VIDEOS AND SOON YOU'LL SEE SOME BRAND NEW ONES.
IF YOU TURN OVER TO PAGE 29, WHICH IS THE LAST PAGE OF THIS, YOU'LL, IT TALKS A LITTLE BIT HERE ABOUT THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
AND SO ON JULY 19TH, YOU MAY HAVE KNOWN THAT THE CITY MANAGER PRESENTED HIS BUDGET TO, UH, TO THE COUNCIL.
UH, THE COUNCIL THEN HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS AND ASKED SOME QUESTIONS.
THIS COMING WEDNESDAY, JULY 26TH, WILL BE A BUDGET HEARING AND ALSO ADDITIONAL PRESENTATIONS WHERE IT IS EXPECTED THAT, UH, THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT WILL BE ASKED SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CURRENT BUDGET IN THE PROPOSED, UM, CITY BUDGET.
SO, UH, STAFF WILL BE PRESENT TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.
I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WHEN WE ARE TAKING A LOOK AT OUR OPERATING BUDGET, WHICH IS THE NEXT ITEM ON THIS PAGE, THE NEXT TO LAST ITEM ON THIS PAGE, IT TALKS ABOUT, OF OUR $119 MILLION GENERAL FUND BUDGET, 73.9%, 74% HAS BEEN SPENT.
AND SO WE'RE EXPECTED TO BE SPENDING ALL OF THE MONEY THAT, UM, THAT WE'RE, WE WERE GRANTED THIS YEAR WITH, YOU KNOW,
[01:45:01]
VERY LITTLE THAT WILL BE LEFT ON THE TABLE, BUT I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT MUCH OF THAT CAME FROM VACANCY SAVINGS.AND SO YOU MIGHT HEAR, WELL, I THOUGHT YOU HAD SOME VACANCIES, DID YOU HAVE SOME SAVINGS? AND I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT THAT IS HOW WE PAID FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY MEASURES THAT YEAR.
THAT IS HOW WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE MULTIPLE AIR CONDITIONING REPAIRS.
THAT IS HOW WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, DO SOME ROAD REPAIRS.
THAT IS HOW WE PROVIDED A BONUS TO, UM, OUR, UH, SUMMER TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES.
AND THAT IS ALSO HOW WE FUNDED WINTER STORM MARA.
SO THAT WAS THROUGH VACANCY SAVINGS.
WE DON'T EXPECT TO HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF VACANCY SAVINGS.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE AT ABOUT A 13% VACANCY LEVEL AND WE'LL BE REDUCING THAT, UH, SYSTEMATICALLY AND GETTING DOWN TO HOPEFULLY WHAT WAS A MORE COMMON OR A STANDARD VACANCY, WHICH IS USUALLY AROUND 7%.
AND SO I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW HOW WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, FUND MUCH NEEDED PROJECTS AND MUCH NEEDED, UM, ITEMS WITHIN THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET YEAR.
BUT NOT ALL OF THAT FUNDING WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO, JUST, JUST A LITTLE, A LITTLE INFORMATION FOR YOU TO CONSIDER, UH, WHEN WE KNOW WE HAVE SO MANY NEEDS AND JUST A CERTAIN NUMBER OF RESOURCES.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT UPDATE, HAPPY TO, UM, ANSWER THEM VIA EMAIL OR IN SOME OTHER FORM AND THAT WILL COMPLETE THE REPORT.
ANY QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE,
[3. Discussion and possible action regarding a recommendation to Austin City Council to authorize the negotiation and execution of a contract extension with Rowing Dock Inc. to provide watercraft rentals on Lady Bird Lake. ]
DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING A RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO AUTHORIZE THE NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF A CONTRACT SECTION WITH ROWING DOCK INCORPORATED TO PROVIDE WATERCRAFT RENTALS ON LADY BIRD LAKE.SO CHAIR, THE CONTRACTS TO CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE HAD REFERRED A RECOMMENDATION ON THIS ITEM TO THE BOARD AND STAFF IS INTERESTED IN KNOWING IF THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO ORIGINALLY GO ON A CONSENT AGENDA ITEM, BUT THERE'S BEEN SOME BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN MYSELF AND THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE IN REGARDS TO CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. UM, LANE, WAS THIS, THIS LAST TIME AROUND THAT THIS HAPPENED? YES, THAT'S CORRECT.
IT WAS LAST WEEK, LAST FRIDAY.
LANE, DO YOU WANT I WAS NOT THERE.
DO YOU WANT, JUST WANT TO JUDGE BRIEFLY ON THIS AND THEN MAKE A MOTION.
MOTION? UM, YES, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT.
UH, SO BRIEFLY, THE PROCESS HAD ORIGINALLY BEEN STARTED TO, UM, TO SOLICIT A NEW, UH, OR TO SOLICIT A NEW, A CONTRACT FOR THE SPACE CURRENTLY OCCUPIED BY THE ROWING DOCK.
UM, THERE WAS A NEW VENDOR SELECTED, UH, THEN THERE WAS A PROTEST LODGED BY THE ROWING DOCK, THE PRO THE PROTEST WAS ACCEPTED.
UM, AND SO NOW THE PROCESS HAS TO BEGIN AGAIN.
SO, UM, MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THAT PROCESS.
ALRIGHT, THERE'S BEEN A MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER BECKER, A SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER REED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, UH, RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE ARE NOW MOVING TO, UH, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR,
[4. Presentation, discussion and possible action regarding a recommendation to Austin City Council to approve the Land Management Strategies and Climate Vulnerability Analysis for Austin Parks and Recreation Department natural areas.]
PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION REGARDING A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE LAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND CLIMATE VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS FOR AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, NATURAL AREAS.UH, YOU HEAR ME? THERE WE GO NOW.
UH, SORRY, JUST BEFORE WE GET TOO FAR INTO IT, SOME OF THE WEBEX, UM, BOARD MEMBERS HAD SAID THAT THAT MICROPHONE WAS MAYBE A LITTLE BIT HARD TO HEAR EARLIER.
COULD, UH, BOARD MEMBER BECKER JUST CHIME IN AND MAKE SURE THAT HE CAN HEAR EVERYTHING? OKAY.
UH, I'M THE, I LEAD THE PARKS AND RECREATION LAND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
UH, IT'S A FAIRLY NEW PROGRAM, ABOUT THREE AND A HALF YEARS OLD, AND I'M PLEASED TO, UH, COME BACK TO THIS GROUP AND PRESENT TO YOU ABOUT THE, UH, QUITE A LONG NAME, UH, IN HOUSE.
WE'RE CALLING IT THE LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN.
UM, A LITTLE BACKGROUND, WE, I WAS ABLE TO PRESENT TO PARKS BOARD IN 2020, AND THEN AGAIN IN 2022, UH, WITH A BRIEFING.
WE FINALLY, UH, HAVE A FINAL DRAFT, UH, THAT WE'RE HAPPY TO PRESENT TO YOU.
SO, JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A NATURAL AREA, UH, IT'S A VERY GENERAL TERM.
[01:50:01]
IT'S JUST AN AREA WITH A NAT WITH SOME NATURAL CHARACTER, TYPICALLY DOMINATED BY NATIVE PLANTS AND ANIMALS.UH, THE MAJORITY ACTUALLY OF PARKLAND ACRES ARE DESIGNATED AS NATURAL AREAS IN SOME FORM, AS NATURAL AS, UH, NATURE PRESERVES AS GREEN BELTS OR IN MANY OTHER PARK TYPES.
UH, IT'S ACTUALLY ABOUT 12,500 ACRES OUT OF OUR TOTAL 17.
IT'S ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF OUR, OF ALL OF OUR PARKLAND OR NATURAL AREA OF SOME TYPE.
AND, UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THEY PROVIDE CRITICAL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES.
UH, PRIMARY FOR PARKS IS HUMAN HEALTH AND WELLBEING.
SO THAT'S PHYSICAL HEALTH, UH, MENTAL HEALTH, UH, SOCIAL STABILITY, UH, COMMUNITY WELLBEING, ALSO CLIMATE REGULATION, A LOT OF OTHER IMPORTANT SERVICES.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, NOT JUST IN AUSTIN, ACROSS THE COUNTRY, MANY OF OUR IMPORTANT NATURAL AREAS ARE DEGRADED.
UM, IN AUSTIN, MOST OF OUR PARKLAND NATURAL AREAS HAVE NOT BEEN ACTIVELY MANAGED FOR ECOSYSTEM HEALTH.
UH, THIS MEANS THAT DEGRADATION LEADS TO VULNERABILITY TO EXTREME HEAT, DROUGHT, DISEASE, INTENSE WILDFIRE, AND THEY PRESENT CERTAIN RISKS, UH, TO ALL PARK USERS AND TO, UH, THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
THE PIE GRAPHS, AS I MENTIONED, ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF ALL PARK LAND IS NATURAL AREA OF SOME TYPE.
HOWEVER, UH, THE BUDGET FOR ACTIVE MANAGEMENT OF THAT LAND IS ALMOST, IS FAIRLY NEGLIGIBLE, WHICH MEANS WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO MANAGE THEM ACTIVELY, WHICH LEADS TO THAT DEGRADATION.
I MENTIONED THIS, UH, PROBLEM WAS RECOGNIZED.
IT'S BEEN, UH, LONG RECOGNIZED BY THE COMMUNITY.
UM, IT WAS HIGHLIGHTED FROM A PUBLIC SAFETY STANDPOINT BY THE WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS AUDIT IN 2019.
THAT AUDIT FOUND THAT JUST WHAT I'VE SAID, BASICALLY, THAT PAR DOES NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO MANAGE ITS NATURAL AREAS, AND AS A RESULT, UM, IT PRESENTS CERTAIN RISKS THAT AUDIT RECOMMENDED THAT PARD CREATE AND IMPLEMENT, UH, LAND MANAGEMENT PLANS WITH A PRIORITY ON HIGH RISK PROPERTIES.
WHAT IT, IT CALLED HIGH RISK PROPERTIES.
SO, IN RESPONSE, UH, WE, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE DONE.
UM, SO WE'VE HAVE, WE'VE ESTABLISHED THE BEGINNINGS OF A LAND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, UH, AND WE HAVE, RATHER THAN CREATING MULTIPLE PIECEMEAL PLANS, WE'VE CREATED, UH, A SINGLE GUIDING DOCUMENT, UH, TO HELP US, UH, TO BEGIN ACTIVELY MANAGING, UH, NATURAL AREAS ACROSS THE PARK SYSTEM.
THAT'S THE PLAN, UH, I'M TALKING ABOUT HERE TONIGHT.
ALSO, OF NOTE, UH, THIS INITIATIVE, AS I MENTIONED, IT'S BEEN LONG RECOGNIZED, THE NEED FOR THIS TYPE OF THING.
I'LL CALL OUT SEVERAL OTHER PROMINENT, UH, PLANS OR ANALYSES OR DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN DIRECTING US TO DO THIS SORT OF THING.
THE, UH, COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PREVENTION PLAN.
NINE PARKS VISION PLANS ACTUALLY HAVE CONSERVATION GOALS, UH, WITH ACTIVE LAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES RECOMMENDED ARE PART LONG RANGE PLAN FOR 2020 TO 2030, THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, UH, THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, STRENGTHS AND GAPS ANALYSIS AND, UH, THE, UH, PARKS FOUNDATION'S HEALTHY PARKS PLAN.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ACTUAL SCOPE.
UH, THE FIRST CHALLENGE FOR US WAS TO DECIDE WHICH LANDS ARE IN AND WHICH LANDS ARE NOT.
UM, THE TOTAL SCOPE IS ABOUT 10,000 PLUS ACRES.
IT'S ROUGHLY 60% OF ALL PARK LAND, ALL NATURE PRESERVES AND ALL PAR PORTIONS OF THE BALCONES CANYONLANDS PRESERVES ARE IN.
WE ALSO LOOKED FOR LARGE CONTIGUOUS NATURAL AREAS OF ABOUT 75 TO A HUNDRED ACRES OR SO.
THOSE ARE AREAS THAT ARE, UH, ALLOW FOR EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT, HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT OF AT A SYSTEM SCALE.
UM, SMALL FRAGMENTED DISJUNCT, UH, AREAS WERE LARGELY EXCLUDED BECAUSE THAT TYPE OF MANAGEMENT BECOMES LESS EFFICIENT, BECOMES MORE EXPENSIVE.
UH, THIS ALSO ALLOWED US TO CREATE LARGE MANAGEMENT COMPLEXES.
THIS HAS NOT CHANGED PARKLAND DESIGNATION AT ALL.
IT JUST ALLOWS US FROM A, A MANAGEMENT OPERATIONAL PERSPECTIVE TO WORK ACROSS PARK BOUNDARIES, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO WHERE WE HAVE A GREEN BELT NEXT TO A NATURE PRESERVE, NEXT TO, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, A, A NATURAL PART OF A METRO PARK, WE CAN MANAGE THAT AS A ONE NATURAL SYSTEM WITHOUT REGARD FOR ARTIFICIAL BOUNDARIES ACROSS THOSE PARK TYPES.
THE BASIC COMPONENTS, UH, OF THE LAND MANAGEMENT GUIDE, FIVE BIG COMPONENTS.
UM, SITE ANALYSIS, CLIMATE VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS, MANAGEMENT GOALS, RESTORATION STRATEGIES, MONITORING ERECTION.
BASICALLY THAT IS SITE ANALYSIS IS WHAT WE HAVE NOW AND OUR CURRENT CHALLENGES.
CLIMATE VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS IS WHAT ARE OUR FUTURE CHALLENGES, WHICH ARE ACTUALLY TURNING INTO OUR PRESENT CHALLENGES.
[01:55:01]
WHAT OUR GOALS ARE, WHAT ARE THE VEGETATION TYPES EXPECTED TO BE MOST RESILIENT THROUGHOUT THE, THE REST OF THE CENTURY.RESTORATION STRATEGIES IS HOW WE'RE GONNA ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS.
AND THEN MONITORING DIRECTION IS HOW WE, UH, ARE, UH, MONITOR PROGRESS.
I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CLIMATE VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS JUST FOR A BIT.
UH, THERE ARE SEVERAL FIRSTS OR INNOVATIVE, UH, ELEMENTS OF THIS PLAN, AND THIS IS ONE OF THEM.
SO, AS, UH, AS A SCIENTIST, I'M, MY TRAINING IS IN LAND MANAGEMENT AND BIOLOGY ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION.
WHEN I DIG INTO THE CLIMATE SCIENCE, AND I'VE ACTUALLY PUBLISHED A LITTLE BIT ON CLIMATE SCIENCE, WHEN I DIG INTO IT, UH, UH, JUST LIKE ANY SCIENCE, IT'S FAIRLY ABSTRACT AND IT'S VERY HARD TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED OFF OF PRIMARY SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE.
IF WE KNOW WE NEED TO INCREASE ECOSYSTEM RESILIENCE AND, UM, UH, MOVE AWAY FROM VULNERABILITY FIRST, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DEFINE THAT, AND THEN WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MAP THAT.
AND THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT DONE FOR US IN THE PRIMARY SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE.
AND SO WHAT WE ACTUALLY DID, WE CREATED, UH, A COUPLE OF, UM, VULNERABLE CUSTOM VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS FOR THE LANDS IN THIS PLAN.
SO WE IDENTIFIED THE PHYSICAL COMPONENTS, THE PHYSICAL ECO, PHYSICAL COMPONENTS OF ECOSYSTEMS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO CLIMATE VULNERABILITY OR RESILIENCE.
WE MAPPED THOSE AND WE IDENTIFIED STRATEGIES TO ALLOW US TO MANAGE TOWARD RESILIENCE.
AND SO NOW WHAT WE HAVE IS WE'VE, WE'VE EFFECTIVELY BEEN ABLE TO CALCULATE AND MAP VULNERABILITY AND RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE STRESSORS, AND WE CAN TRACK OUR PROGRESS THAT WAY OVER TIME IN A GEOSPATIAL WAY, UH, TO OUR KNOWLEDGE THAT'S NOT BEEN DONE ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY.
AND SO IT'S BEEN REALLY FUN TO POSITION PAR THAT WAY.
SOME OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
SO AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE A LOT OF INITIATIVES THAT HAVE BEEN PUSHING US TO DO THIS.
AND SO WE HAD A LOT OF EXISTING, UM, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, UM, AND, AND PUBLIC SENTIMENT TO WORK OFF OF.
SO PARK VISION PLANS OUR LONG RANGE PLAN, THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
UM, THIS WAS REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY TO DELIVER ON EXISTING PUBLIC COMMENT AND STRONG PUBLIC NEED.
WE ALSO, UM, ENGAGED WITH A GROUP OF ABOUT 50 OR SO STAKEHOLDER GROUPS ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE PRESENTED, WE'VE BEEN PRESENTING TO THEM ON AN OFFER ABOUT A YEAR.
UM, I WOULD SAY THE, THE RESPONSE IS UNIVERSALLY POSITIVE.
THE, THE ONE COMMENT THAT WOULD SUM IT ALL UP, I WOULD SAY IS IT'S ABOUT TIME.
AND THE SECOND ONE IS, HOW CAN WE HELP? WE HAVE AN ARMY OF VOLUNTEERS READY TO, THAT ARE STANDING BY READY TO HELP.
UH, AS SOON AS WE'RE ABLE TO ORGANIZE THEM AND PUT 'EM TO WORK, UM, STAFFERS FROM MANY DEPARTMENTS ALSO WERE ABLE, COULD CONTRIBUTE TO THIS DRAFT.
UM, AND THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WILL CONTINUE.
SO THIS A LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN LIKE THIS DOESN'T TELL US EXACTLY WHAT TO DO WHEN AND WHERE.
IT'S A SUMMARY OF THE SCIENCE AND PRACTICE.
IT'S A, IT'S A REFERENCE AND IT'S A GUIDE, BUT IT DOESN'T TELL US EXACTLY WHAT TO DO.
THAT LEVEL OF PLANNING AND DETAIL COMES OUT IN WORK PLANS, WHICH ARE VERY SITE SPECIFIC, DETAILED, UH, TIGHT PRESCRIPTIONS AS TO WHAT HAPPENS AND WHAT DOESN'T HAPPEN ON ANY PIECE OF LAND.
UM, SO THE, THE COMMUNITY WHERE WE HAVE, UH, ACTIVE STAKEHOLDER GROUPS WILL WORK WITH THEM WHEN WE'RE DEVELOPING WORK PLANS FOR INDIVIDUAL PIECES OF PARKS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY'S ENGAGED.
WE HAVE THEIR SUPPORT AND THEY'RE ABLE TO, TO WORK WITH US HOWEVER THEY WANT.
UM, WE'VE ACTUALLY ALREADY BEEN ABLE TO DRAFT, UH, A, A WORK PLAN FOR ONE OF THE NATURE PRESERVES, UM, BLU CREEK NATURE PRESERVE.
WE WORKED WITH, UH, THE BLU CREEK PARTNERSHIP THERE.
UH, WE CO-DEVELOPED A WORK PLAN.
UH, WE'RE CALLING THAT MODEL, UH, CO-MANAGEMENT.
UH, IT SORT OF COMES OUT OF I C S MODELS, BUT IT, IT ALLOWS, IT ALLOWS A COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER TO EFFECTIVELY BE AN EXTENSION OF MY OPERATIONS.
AND IT ALLOWS CITY STAFF TO BE AN EXTENSION OF THEIR OPERATIONS IN THAT WAY.
SO HERE ARE SOME OF THE MAJOR FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATION.
UH, FIRST OFF, THIS IS SORT OF THE BIO GEOGRAPHY OF AUSTIN'S NATURAL AREAS.
ALMOST 90% OF AUSTIN'S PUBLIC NATURAL AREAS ARE WEST OF 35.
ALMOST 99% OF ALL LANDS THAT HAVE RECEIVED ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION ACTIVITIES TO DATE ARE WEST OF 35.
THE SOCIALLY VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES THAT DEPEND HEAVILY ON HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS ARE PRIMARILY LOCATED EAST
[02:00:01]
OF 35.NOW THAT, I DON'T MEAN FOR THOSE STATEMENTS TO BE WORDED, THAT'S JUST WHAT THE MAP IS.
AND, AND THAT DISTRIBUTION CAME ABOUT THROUGH THAT DISTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC LANDS CAME ABOUT THROUGH LEGITIMATE PROCESSES, UM, DATING BACK TO THE NINETIES THAT ALLOWED US TO PROTECT WATER QUALITY AND WATER QUANTITY AND ENDANGERED SPECIES.
BUT THAT'S THE MAP AS IT IS TODAY.
UM, SOME OF OUR OTHER CURRENT CHALLENGES, ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF OUR PARKLAND NATURAL AREAS ARE MODERATE TO VERY POOR AND ECOLOGICAL, ECOLOGICAL CONDITION DUE MAINLY TO INVASIVE SPECIES.
AS WE HEARD ABOUT EARLIER, LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY, HAZARDOUS WILDFIRE, FUEL CONDITIONS.
ECOLOGICAL CONDITION IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S CORRELATED VERY STRONGLY TO VULNERABILITY, UH, TO CLIMATE STRESSORS LIKE HEAT DISEASE, UH, DROUGHT, WILDFIRE.
SO IN ORDER TO PREPARE OUR NATURAL AREAS FOR THOSE STRESSORS THAT ARE ALREADY HERE AND ARE GONNA BE EXACERBATED, UH, IMPROVING ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
PORT AREAS OF, YOU COULD CALL THIS FIRE RISK, UH, BUT I'M KIND OF A NERD, SO I'LL SAY ELEVATED PROBABILITY OF INTENSE WILDFIRE ARE DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE PARK SYSTEM.
UH, AS A STAFFER, I TEND TO HEAR FROM ONE PART OF TOWN ABOUT WILDFIRE CONCERNS, BUT THE REALITY IS THAT THEY'RE DISTRIBUTED, UH, PRETTY WELL THROUGHOUT THE PARK SYSTEM.
UM, AREAS OF HIGHEST CLIMATE VULNERABILITY INDEX, THAT'S ONE OF THE CUSTOM VULNERABILITY INDEXES WE CREATED AS PART OF THIS INITIATIVE.
AREAS OF HIGHEST CLIMATE VULNERABILITY ARE DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE PARK SYSTEM, BUT TEND TO BE CONCENTRATED EAST OF MOPAC.
UM, THAT IS PRIMARILY DUE TO, UM, SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX.
WE ACTUALLY INCLUDED SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX AS PART OF OUR, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL RISK, OUR CLIMATE VULNERABILITY RISK CALCULATION THAT ALLOWED US TO ESSENTIALLY ASSESS THE COMMUNITY'S CAPACITY TO PREPARE FOR AND RESPOND TO CLIMATE DRIVEN EVENTS.
WE, WE WERE ALLOWED TO CONSIDER THAT IN OUR CALCULATION OF RISK.
THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S VERY INNOVATIVE THAT THIS PLAN IS DOING THAT I'M REALLY PROUD OF.
UM, CLIMATE VULNERABILITY INDEX IS CREATED BY THE C D C, UH, TO ASSESS, AS I SAID, COMMUNITY'S CAPACITY TO PREPARE FOR AND RECOVER FROM DISASTERS.
AND GIVEN THAT THIS PLAN WAS MOTIVATED BY, UH, AMONG OTHER THINGS CONCERNS ABOUT WILDFIRE RISK, THAT'S HOW WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, ACCOUNT FOR THAT.
UM, FUTURE CHALLENGES, CLIMATE CHANGE WILL, UH, AND ALREADY IS, I WOULD SAY, INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF WIDESPREAD TREE MORTALITY AND INTENSE WILDFIRE.
UH, THE, SO THE TEMPERATURE CON 2011, UH, WAS THE LAST, WAS IS THE NEW DROUGHT OF RECORD, THE 2011 WILDFIRE SEASON.
UH, THAT'S WHEN BASTROP, THE BASTROP COMPLEX FIRE HAPPENED.
UM, ALSO THAT YEAR, UH, THERE WAS A MAJOR WILDFIRE IN OAK HILL, SPICEWOOD PERTON, ALICE STEINER RANCH.
UH, THERE WERE, IT WAS A PRETTY, IT WAS OUR MOST DAMAGING WILDFIRE SEASON IN TEXAS.
THIS HISTORY, THE TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS IN 2011 ARE PROJECTED TO BE THE AVERAGE AS SOON AS 2040.
SO WE HAVE AS FEW AS 17 YEARS, UH, TO PREPARE OUR NATURAL AREAS FOR THE, FOR THAT LEVEL OF CLIMATE STRESS.
THESE STRATEGIES THAT I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT ARE, UH, WELL SUPPORTED BY THE SCIENCE AND HELPING US PREPARE NATURAL AREAS FOR THAT TYPE OF CLIMATE STRESS.
SO THE LONG-TERM STRATEGY, THE PROGRAM STRATEGY THAT'S EVOLVED OUT OF THIS IS LONG-TERM HOLISTIC RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT TO MITIGATE RISK, IMPROVE RESILIENCE, AND SECURE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES FOR THE COMMUNITY.
ROUND NUMBER IS WE NEED A THOUSAND ACRES OF RESTORATION TREATMENT A YEAR FOR THE NEXT TWO DECADES.
THE TYPES OF RECREATION, THE RESTORATION ACTIVITIES, SELECTIVE THINNING, WE HEARD ABOUT THAT EARLIER.
SELECTIVE THINNING IS, UH, I WOULD SAY STRONGLY SUPPORTED BY SCIENCE AND PRACTICE.
UH, IT IS, UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S DONE BY AND RECOMMENDED BY ALMOST EVERY PROFESSIONAL FORESTER IN THE COUNTRY.
UM, FUEL REDUCTION IS A TYPE OF SELECTIVE THINNING.
IT JUST TENDS TO BE MORE INTENSIVE AND IT TENDS TO BE FOCUSED MORE AROUND STRUCTURES.
UH, PRESCRIBED FIRE AGAIN, UH, PRESCRIBED FIRE IS NOW RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE MOST, UH, IMPORTANT AND BENEFICIAL MANAGEMENT TOOLS IN THE COUNTRY.
I REALIZE THAT WHEN, WHEN YOU HEAR ABOUT SELECTIVE THINNING AND PRESCRIBED FIRE, YOU MIGHT IMAGINE SLASH AND BURN TYPE SCENARIOS.
BUT THESE ARE REALLY VERY WELL SUPPORTED BY THE SCIENCE.
[02:05:01]
UH, AND THEY ARE ADVOCATED FOR BY ESSENTIALLY ALL PROFESSIONAL LAND MANAGERS, INCLUDING FORESTERS WHO DEDICATE THEIR LIVES AND CAREERS TO PROTECTING FORESTS AND WOODLANDS.INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL IS GONNA BE IMPORTANT.
PLANTING AND SEEDING IS ALSO GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, WE, WE STILL DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT THIS, THIS TYPE OF THING.
UH, BROADLY, UH, WE ARE GONNA NEED SOME ADDITIONAL STAFF EQUIPMENT, OPERATING FUNDS, WORKSPACE.
THANKFULLY THIS TYPE OF WORK TENDS TO BE ECONOMICAL ON A PER ACRE BASIS.
UM, JUST DOING, UH, INTERNAL COST ANALYSIS AND COMPARISONS WITH OTHER SIMILAR PROGRAMS IN THE REGION.
IT'S ABOUT $200 PER ACRE PER YEAR FOR ACRES IN A PORTFOLIO.
SO THIS IS A 10,000 ACRE PLAN TIMES 200.
THAT'S OUR BALLPARK LONG-TERM SORT OF COST ESTIMATE FOR WHAT MIGHT BE NEEDED THAT WOULD BE SPLIT BETWEEN STAFF AND, AND OTHER OPERATING FUNDS.
UM, NEXT STEPS, WE'RE TALKING TO THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE ON WEDNESDAY, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION EARLY AUGUST.
AND WE'RE, UH, ASKING FOR A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THIS PLAN.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, I JUST HAD A CLARIFYING QUESTION.
WE HAD A GENTLEMAN EARLIER, UM, WHO ASKED FOR NO ACTION BECAUSE TREES NEED TO BE SAVED.
UM, AND I'M HEARING THAT TARGETED REMOVAL OF SMALL TREES, UM, AND SOME, SOME OF THESE OTHER RESTORATIVE ACTIVITIES ARE USED FREQUENTLY.
UM, CAN YOU JUST, UH, SPEAK MORE TO THAT AND HOW THEY IMPROVE THE FOREST HEALTH? I, I UNDERSTAND.
I JUST WANT, FOR THE RECORD, THANK YOU.
TO REPEAT THAT AND WHY WE ARE ELIMINATING SOME TREES IN ORDER TO SAVE.
SO THE, THE, I'M TRYING TO DO THIS
UM, UH, SO, UH, LET'S SAY PRE-SETTLEMENT, UM, ALL N N NATIVE, ALL ECOSYSTEMS ON THE CONTINENT ESSENTIALLY WOULD'VE BEEN DISTURBED BY VARIOUS PROCESSES, DISEASE, WIND, FIRE, UH, ET CETERA.
UM, POST-SETTLEMENT, AS WE COLONIZE THE THE CONTINENT, MOST OF THOSE PROCESSES HAVE BEEN STOPPED OR DRAMATICALLY CURTAILED.
SO WILDFIRES TYPICALLY DON'T, UH, BURN THE WAY THEY USED TO.
UH, AND SO WOODLANDS AND FORESTS NOW TEND TO BE OVERSTOCKED RATHER THAN UNDER STOCKED.
THAT MEANS THAT TREE DENSITY TREE, UH, TREES THEMSELVES ARE HIGHLY, HIGHLY DENSE.
UH, IF YOU TAKE A WALK IN JUST ABOUT ANY ONE OF OUR NATURAL AREAS, YOU'LL NOTICE YOU CAN'T SEE VERY FAR.
IT'S BECAUSE THE, THE TREE DENSITY IS VERY HIGH.
FUEL LOADING IS A VERY HIGH ECOLOGICALLY COMPETITION BETWEEN TREES IS VERY HIGH.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S ONLY A FINITE AMOUNT OF LIGHT WATER AND NUTRIENTS.
AND SO THE MORE TREES YOU HAVE, THE MORE THEY COMPETE FOR THOSE NEW, THOSE RESOURCES, WHICH MEANS THAT THERE'S LESS TO GO AROUND.
SO WHEN THOSE RESOURCES BECOME LIMITED, SUCH AS RIGHT NOW WHEN IT'S HOT AND IT DOESN'T RAIN, UM, TREES START TO SUFFER, THEY BECOME DROUGHT STRESSED, AND ULTIMATELY MORTALITY RATES TEND TO GO UP.
UM, SO YOU CAN, YOU CAN SEE TWO THINGS.
YOU CAN SEE BASE MORTALITY RATES START TO CLIMB OVER TIME.
I WOULD EXPECT SOME OF THAT IN THE COMING DECADES.
UH, IN INTENSE HEAT OR DROUGHT PERIODS, YOU CAN SEE VERY LOCALIZED WIDESPREAD MORTALITY EVENTS.
UM, IF THE, HYPOTHETICALLY, IF THE CURRENT WEATHER PATTERNS HOLD FOR ANOTHER MONTH OR TWO, I WOULD EXPECT TO SEE THAT AGAIN.
AND SO THAT'S THE SORT OF THING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID THERE.
UM, THE GOAL IS TO IS TO NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THE FOREST FOR THE TREES, REALLY.
AND SO, MR. BUNCH, I KNOW HE IS DONE A LOT OF WORK IN THIS TOWN AND I REALLY RESPECT WHAT HE'S DONE, BUT THE, THE APPROACH TO OF SAVE ALL TREES AT ALL COSTS EVERYWHERE IS JUST NOT SUPPORTED BY THE SCIENCE.
IT'S REALLY, UM, THE, I WOULD SAY THAT THE MANAGEMENT GOALS FOR 80 TO 90% OF THE LANDS IN THIS PLANT IS SOME FORM OF WOODLAND OR FOREST.
SO OAK, JUNIPER, WOODLAND, MIXED, UH, HARDWOOD, RIPARIAN, GALLERY FOREST.
WE HAVE A FEW PLACES WHERE SAVANNAH OR GRASSLAND IS APPROPRIATE, BUT MOSTLY WE'RE LOOKING AT MANAGE AND SUSTAINABLE WOODLANDS AND FORESTS SO THAT THEY CAN BE READY FOR AND SURVIVE THE MIDDLE PART OF THIS CENTURY.
UM, BASED ON SOME CONCERN I HEARD FROM A CONSTITUENT, COULD YOU EXPLAIN
[02:10:01]
TO ME, UH, WHAT YOUR CHOICE, UH, WAS FOR I 35 IS SORT OF THIS DEMARCATING BOUNDARY, THE CONCERN BEING, AND, UM, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT EAST OF I 35, HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED, UM, I HAVE CONCERNS FROM DISTRICT FOUR THAT THERE'S PORTIONS, UM, OF COMMUNITIES THAT ARE STILL SHOWING AS VERY HIGH NEED, BUT THAT ARE WEST OF 35 AND, UM, THAT THEY FELT THAT THIS LEAVES THEM OUT OR PUTS THEM IN THE WRONG CATEGORY WITH THE LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN BEING CATEGORIZED AS WEST OF 35.SO COULD, IF YOU COULD GIVE ME A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS THERE.
YEAH, SO THE, THE EAST WEST 35, THAT WAS, UH, IT, IT DOESN'T HAVE 35, THE LO 35, UM, LEMME SAY LOCATION IN PARKLAND WITH RESPECT TO LARRY FIVE I 35 DOESN'T HAVE ANY PLACE IN OUR DECISION MAKING.
UH, IT, IT IS JUST A HANDY AND ALSO HISTORICALLY APPROPRIATE WAY TO, TO TALK ABOUT, UM, THE DISTRIBUTION OF PARKLAND.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE MAP, IT'S, IT'S STARK.
AND SO IT, UH, WE, YOU, THAT'S ALL IT IS THERE.
UM, I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UH, LOCATION OF DISADVANTAGE, THE, THE LOCATION OF PARKLAND WITH RESPECT TO DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES OR SOCIALLY VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES IS A, A STRONG PART OF OUR DECISION MAKING.
WE ACTUALLY, PART OF A GRANT RECENTLY THAT WAS LIMITED TO DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES AND SOCIAL VULNERABILITY IS IN OUR RISK CALCULATION.
IT'S ALSO GONNA BE HIGH ON OUR LIST OF HOW WE GO ABOUT PRIORITIZING DEDICATION OF LIMITED PUBLIC RESOURCES.
BUT, BUT YEAH, MY INVOCATION OF 35 IS REALLY JUST, IT'S, IT'S GEOGRAPHICALLY HANDY AND ALSO HISTORICALLY APPROPRIATE.
SO IF I COULD JUST SUMMARIZE, UH, THE KIND OF VULNERABILITY INDEX IS SOMETHING YOU ARE USING, BUT THE ACTUAL DEMARCATION OF 35 IS JUST A STORYTELLING COMPONENT, NOT SOMETHING THAT'S YOU'RE USING TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT WHO MIGHT RECEIVE RESOURCES.
AND I WOULD ALSO ADD A LITTLE BIT THAT SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX IS, IS IN THE COCKTAIL OF THINGS THAT WE NEEDED TO SEE.
BUT IT'S NOT GONNA LIMIT OR DICTATE WHERE WE WORK NECESSARILY.
AND IF I COULD ASK ONE OTHER QUESTION SURE.
RELATED IN TERMS OF THE CONCERN THAT IT CAME FROM, BUT NOT IN TOPIC.
UH, SO I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE IDEA OF LARGE PARCELS ARE OBVIOUSLY MUCH EASIER TO EXECUTE A LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN ON.
UM, YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANY FUTURE PLAN, UH, TO LOOK AT SORT OF MORE FRAGMENTED PARCELS? UH, BECAUSE THERE ARE SEVERAL THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO ME AS A CONCERN WITHIN DISTRICT FOUR, BUT THEY ARE QUITE FRAGMENTED, AND SO COMPLETELY APPRECIATE THE CHALLENGES THERE.
BUT CURIOUS WHAT THE LONG-TERM, UH, HOPE WOULD BE? I'LL ANSWER THAT TWO WAYS.
SO, UM, YES, UH, I THINK THE GENERAL INTENT IS TO WRAP IN OTHER PARCELS, UM, KIND OF TONGUE IN CHEEK.
I SAY WHEN WE'VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS FIRST 10,000 ACRES, THEN LET'S SEE ABOUT THE OTHER TWO THAT ARE, WE'VE GOT 2000 THAT ARE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO WORK ON.
AND SO WE'VE REALLY GOT 10,000 ACRES OF LOW HANGING FRUIT.
THAT'S MY FIRST, UM, WAY I WOULD ANSWER IT.
THE SECOND WAY IS WE CURRENTLY STILL DO HAVE RESOURCES THAT WE CAN TRY AND DEDICATE TO, TO THOSE OTHER MORE FRAGMENTED PIECES.
UM, SOME OF THAT MIGHT BE WORKING WITH, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WITH SOME OF THE FUNDING THEY HAVE THERE.
UM, OR MAYBE OTHER, UM, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR OTHER WORKING GROUPS, BUT, BUT THEY'RE NOT TOTALLY BEING IGNORED, BUT WE'RE JUST RECOGNIZING THAT, UM, L LARGE CONTIGUOUS PARCELS ARE MORE ECONOMICAL AND EFFICIENT TO WORK ON.
AND, AND WE GOTTA START SOMEWHERE.
AND SO THAT'S JUST WHERE WE CHOSE TO START.
ANY FURTHER? JUST, OH, BOARD MEMBER REED, JUST ONE MORE QUESTION.
I HAVE AN IMPLEMENTATION QUESTION.
UM, UH, ONCE A STRATEGY IS, IS, UH, DESIGNATED AND APPROVED, UM, HOW WILL YOU GO ABOUT DOING THIS? AND WILL, WILL THERE BE, UM, UH, OP UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INPUT FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE AROUND THESE AREAS? YEAH, SURE.
I WOULD, I WOULD, UH, I WOULD TAKE YOU BACK TO THE, THE SLIDE ON THE PUBLIC, UH, ENGAGEMENT.
I'LL, I'LL U CAN I USE, UH, BLUNT CREEK NATURE PRESERVE AS AN EXAMPLE.
SO, BLU CREEK PARTNERSHIP HAS BEEN AN ENGAGED STAKEHOLDER FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
AND SO WE ALREADY HAVE THEM IN PLACE.
WE HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH 'EM.
UM, WHEN IT CAME TIME TO DESIGN WORK PLANS, WE DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION PLANS, AND THOSE ARE JUST LIVING DOCUMENTS.
THEY GET UPDATED EVERY SIX MONTHS OR A YEAR.
UH, AND THEY'RE EXTREMELY DETAILED, UH, AS TO EXACTLY WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AND WHEN, AND WHAT THE SCHEDULE IS GONNA LOOK LIKE.
SO WE, WE WORKED WITH THE BLO CREEK, THE FOLKS OF THE BLO CREEK PARTNERSHIP TO DRAFT UP A WORK PLAN.
[02:15:01]
MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, IT GET DOWN TO SPECIFICATIONS, HOW HIGH OFF THE GROUND A STUMP CAN BE LEFT, UM, EXACTLY WHERE BRUSH IS GONNA BE PUT, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH A BRUSH WHEN IT'S DONE, UH, WHAT TARGET SPECIES, WHAT, WHAT'S THE SEEDING MIX GONNA LOOK LIKE? EXTREMELY DETAILED.SO I WOULD SAY THAT THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THE, THE, THE PHASE WHERE THE COMMUNITY, IF WE IS, IS INVOLVED IN DETERMINING WHAT THEIR GOALS ARE.
WHAT ARE THEY COMFORTABLE WITH, WHAT ARE THEY NOT COMFORTABLE WITH, WHAT CAN THEY LIVE WITH? UM, ARE TRAIL CLOSURES ACCEPTABLE? ARE THEY NOT ACCEPTABLE? SO ONCE I HAVE MY BOUNDARIES, I KNOW WHAT CAN THEY DO, WHAT CAN WE DO, WHAT CAN OTHER VOLUNTEERS DO? AND HOW CAN WE DO THIS IN A UNIFIED WAY TO, TO SORT OF GET ALIGNED AND, AND DO IT ALL AS, AS ONE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT GOATS,
I WAS JUST ASKING WHAT YOUR OPINION OF HAVING THE GOATS CLEARING AREAS WAS THAT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER.
I WOULD HATE TO SPEAK FOR ONE OF OUR PARTNERS.
NO, I, I KNOW THAT IN GENERAL, GOATS CAN BE AN IMPORTANT TOOL, BUT THEY HAVE TO BE, AS THE CONSTITUENT MENTIONED, UH, AS WITH ANY MANAGEMENT STRATEGY, YOU JUST IN GENERAL, UH, DONE RIGHT.
UM, I, I DO BELIEVE THAT, THAT THEY'RE BEING WATCHED ALMOST CONSTANTLY.
A QUICK QUESTION ON, UM, I GUESS THE TIMELINE FOR THE LAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY, SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY ACRES, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S BEEN, UM, SEPARATED INTO THESE SECTIONS, YOU KNOW, GREATER THAN 75 ACRES TO START WITH, UH, I GUESS, AND BLU BEING THE FIRST ONE.
HOW WILL THESE OTHER AREAS BE APPROACHED IN TERMS OF LIKE, WHICH AREAS ARE DONE FIRST? MAYBE COULD YOU STATE THE QUESTION AGAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE LOUDLY IN TERMS OF ALL THE ACREAGE THAT WILL BE INCLUDED AS A PART OF THIS LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN? HOW WILL AREAS BE IDENTIFIED AS PRIORITY? THE FIRST ONES TO BE HANDLED, THERE'S A SECTION IN THE PLAN CALLED, UH, PRIORITIZING IMPLEMENTATION.
UH, AND I WOULD SAY THIS IS, UM, THIS IS WHERE THE DIFFICULT WORK HAPPENS.
AND SO WE, WE LOOK AT SOME OF OUR, UM, VULNERABILITY METRICS.
UH, WE LOOK AT THE ANALYTICAL INFORMATION LIKE RISK RATINGS AND SUCH, BUT THEN WE LOOK AT ALL OF THE OTHER, THIS IS REALLY WHERE THE PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS COME IN.
UM, WHAT KIND OF STAKEHOLDERS DO WE HAVE? HOW ACTIVE ARE THEY? DO WE HAVE A VOLUNTEER BASE? UH, ARE OUR FUNDING SOURCES RESTRICTED OR UNLIMITED? UM, WHAT'S THE ECOLOGICAL POTENTIAL? WHAT'S THE EQUIPMENT ACCESS LOOK LIKE? UM, HAS, IS THERE, HAS THERE ALREADY BEEN WORK THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE? DO WE HAVE AN INVESTMENT THAT NEEDS TO BE MAINTAINED? THERE'S A WHOLE COCKTAIL OF DECISION MAKING THAT, OF FACTORS THAT GO INTO DECIDING JUST WHAT MAKES SENSE TO, TO DO WHEN AND, AND AT AT THEN AT THAT POINT, WE HAVE, HOW WOULD I EXPLAIN IT? UM, MANY CONCURRENT TREATMENTS HAPPENING EVERY YEAR ON DIFFERENT PLACES.
AND SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT SEQUENCING.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN ONLY IMPLEMENT SO MANY PRESCRIBED BURNS A YEAR.
WE CAN ONLY, WE HAVE LIMITED CONTRACTOR AVAILABILITY.
A CONTRACTOR CAN ONLY DO SO MANY ACRES A YEAR.
AND SO THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT SEQUENCING OF RESTORATION TREATMENT SO THAT WE KEEP SORT OF ALL OF OUR MANAGEMENT UNITS MOVING FORWARD AND WE'RE NOT LOSING INVESTMENT.
IT'S A REALLY HARD QUESTION TO ANSWER.
IS THIS ALL GOING? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS.
IS THERE ANY MOTION FROM ANY BOARD MEMBERS I MOVE TO RECOMMEND, UM, TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, CLIMATE VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDED MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES? THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY STEP BOARD MEMBER BAZAN.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
THERE'S A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER BECKER, UM, AT THIS TIME.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
ALRIGHT, THAT PASSES UNANIMOUS EIGHT ZERO.
[02:20:01]
THEN, UH, I WAS THINKING ABOUT, UH, THIS A LITTLE BIT TOO.I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO QUICKLY REDO THE VOTE ON FOR, UH, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE.
UH, SO I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION THAT, UH, WE, THAT THE PARKS, PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD RECOMMEND TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO AUTHORIZE THE NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF A CONTRACT EXTENSION WITH ROWING DOCK INCORPORATED TO PROVIDE WATERCRAFT RENTALS ON LADY BIRD LAKE.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU BECAUSE I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING.
SO THERE'S A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER BECKER.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
ALRIGHT, NOW WE'RE GONNA GO TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX, DISCUSSION AND
[6. Discussion and possible action regarding the approval of the Parks and Recreation Board 2023 Annual Internal Review and Report.]
POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE APPROVAL OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD 2023, AN ANNUAL INTERNAL REVIEW REPORT.UM, THIS IS A REPORT THAT WE HAVE TO DO EVERY YEAR.
UM, UH, ALL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS HAVE TO DO THIS.
UM, IF JUST KIND OF GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND SO YOU KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS.
IT BASICALLY IS A WAY FOR US TO, UH, DEMONSTRATE HOW WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THE MISSION OF THIS BOARD.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE THREE A, B, C, D, UM, THE, THE THREE, TECHNICALLY FOUR, BUT THREE MAIN, UH, MISSION STATEMENTS, UH, THAT WE HAVE AS A BOARD.
UM, AND THEN WHAT I ENDED UP DOING, UH, PER INSTRUCTIONS, UH, FROM THE TEMPLATE FORM IS I TOOK ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND LISTED THEM UNDER THE APPROPRIATE, UM, MISSION STATEMENT THAT I FELT IT APPROPRIATELY FELL UNDER SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS COULD HAVE FALLEN INTO TWO OR THREE OF OUR, UH, MISSIONS.
UH, BUT I WROTE IT UNDER THE ONE, I PLACED IT UNDER THE ONE THAT WAS THE MOST APPROPRIATE.
I DIVIDED IT BY THE DATE THAT WE TOOK THE ACTION.
UM, SO WE DID THAT FOR RECOMMENDATION.
AND WE ALSO, I ALSO DID THE SAME THING FOR, UH, MOTIONS AS WELL.
UM, 'CAUSE MOTIONS, I THINK, UH, UH, SUCH AS LIKE APPOINTING BOARD MEMBER BOON TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION AS OUR PRIMARY REPRESENTATIVE TO THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMUNITY BECAUSE I THINK THAT FURTHERS THE MISSION OF THE BOARD.
SO IF YOU GO THROUGH, UM, THE ANNUAL INTERNAL REVIEW, YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT'S KIND OF, UM, HOW THIS IS ORGANIZED AND HOW WE DID THIS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS.
IT'S VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD, LITERALLY JUST COPIED AND PASTED EVERYTHING GOING THROUGH EVERY RECOMMENDATION, EVERY APPROVED MINUTE SINCE JULY OF LAST YEAR.
SO CHAIR, I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
ON THE SECTION ABOUT THE, WHEN WE CONSIDERED THE ZILKER PARK VISION PLAN, I THINK IT SAID APRIL 22ND INSTEAD OF MAY 22ND.
WHAT PAGE ARE YOU LOOKING AT? UH, IT'S AT THE TOP.
UH, YEAH, SO THAT ONE IS MAY CORRECT.
SO I WILL, WE NEED AMEND THAT.
I WILL AMEND THAT TO READ MAY 22ND, 2023.
AND ONE OTHER THING OR COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS, APPOINTMENTS TO THE, UH, CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE.
WOULD THAT FALL UNDER ANY OF THE CATEGORIES OR NOT? I O YES AND NO.
I, NO, I DIDN'T AND NO, I GUESS MORE SO WHY I DIDN'T INCLUDE THEM IS 'CAUSE THEY WERE AN INTERNAL, UH, INTERNAL COMMITTEE.
I DID MORE STUFF THAT IS JOINT COMMITTEES WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, UH, OR OTHER, UH, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
SO THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T INCLUDE THAT.
BUT I DID INCLUDE SOME OF THE WORK THAT EVENTUALLY TRICKLED UP TO THE WHOLE BOARD FROM THE CONTRACT AND CONCESSION COMMITTEE.
UM, UH, LIST THE BOARD'S GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE NEW CALENDAR YEAR.
UM, HOW, WHAT IS THAT BASED ON? THIS IS BASED OFF OF THE, UH, OFF OF WHAT THE BOARD ENLISTED LAST YEAR.
I THINK THESE ARE VERY, UM, BROAD IN NATURE AND, UM, HELP, REALLY HELP KIND OF, UH, PUT INTO FOCUS WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING NEXT YEAR WITHOUT PIGEONHOLING US TO A SPECIFIC ACTIVITY OR SETS OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND SO SOME OF THESE OF COURSE, WERE POSSIBLY BEFORE SOME OF US WERE APPOINTED, I GUESS? CORRECT.
AND I TRY TO, I TRY TO MAKE SURE, DOUBLE CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LANGUAGE IS AS, UH, BROUGHT AS POSSIBLE.
[02:25:01]
QUESTIONS OR REMARKS? ALRIGHT, SO AT THIS TIME I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE ANNUAL INTERNAL REVIEW AS POSTED WITH THE AMENDMENT ON PAGE FIVE TO READ APRIL THE 22ND.I MEAN, INSTEAD OF IT READING APRIL 22ND TO READ MAY 22ND.
UM, IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
THERE'S A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER REED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE'RE MOVING TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER
[7. Discussion and possible action regarding the creation of a Zilker Shuttle working group. (Sponsors: Reed, Villalobos)]
SEVEN, DISCUSSING IMPOSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE CREATION OF A ZILKER SHUTTLE WORKING GROUP.SO I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION IS, DO WE STILL THINK THAT THIS IS NECESSARY GIVEN THE RELU RECOMMENDATION WE PASSED TONIGHT? I THINK, DOES ANYONE SEE A NEED FOR THIS? I KNOW BOARD MEMBER BECKER, YOU, WE WERE, I THINK YOU WERE OUR DISCUSSION FROM LAST TIME.
YEAH, I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THIS.
I WOULD ACTUALLY BE INTERESTED TO HEAR FROM A BOARD MEMBER REED WHO PUT IT FORWARD, JUST HER THINKING ABOUT THE RATIONALE FOR IT.
I THINK IT COULD BE VERY USEFUL AS A SHORT TERM, UM, WORKING GROUP TO DO SOME RESEARCH, UM, IN ASSISTING THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT WITH, UM, SOME OF THE, THE ROOTS FOR THE SHUTTLE, FOR EXAMPLE, AND POSSIBLY ENGAGING AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND ASSISTING WITH THAT IDEA SINCE THIS RECOMMENDATION, IT'S RECOMMENDED TO TAKE PLACE OR, OR TO TAKE EFFECT IN MAY OF NEXT YEAR.
AND SO IN THE INTERIM, UM, AND GETTING POSSIBLY RECOMMENDING TYPES OF SHUTTLES, UH, ALSO DROP OFF POINTS, UM, STOPS AND SO FORTH LIKE THAT, UH, I THINK IT WOULD BE A VERY USEFUL WORKING GROUP AND HAVE, HAVE SOME PEOPLE IN MIND THAT I KNOW WOULD BE FROM THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD BE WILLING TO HELP WITH THIS.
AND I KNOW JUST, JUST KIND OF PIGGYBACKING OFF OF THAT, WE SHOULD HAVE ALL GONE IN A DOCUMENT FROM, UH, TIM BECK ON THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COMMITTEES AND WORKING GROUPS.
SO, UM, HOPEFULLY Y'ALL HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THAT.
UM, DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? BOARD MEMBER BECKER? IT DOES, YES.
AND IF I, IF I CAN JUST SORT OF REPEAT BACK MY UNDERSTANDING FROM BOARD MEMBER REED IS THAT IT'S, IT'S REALLY ABOUT SORT OF THE RECOMMENDATION IS ONE THING, BUT RECOGNIZING THAT THERE'S TIME BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT MAY, UH, BE AN OPPORTUNITY BOTH TO, UM, SORT OF DO SOME RESEARCH AND CLARIFY SOME IDEAS, CONCEPTS AROUND HOW THE TRANSIT MIGHT PLAY OUT, UH, AND ALSO IT SOUNDS LIKE TO ENGAGE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN THAT CONVERSATION AS WELL.
DID I GET THAT RIGHT? YES, DEFINITELY.
IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SERVING ON THIS WORKING GROUP SPEAK NOW? I KNOW THEY'RE NOT PRESENT, BUT I THINK, UM, UH, BOARD MEMBER HUG MIGHT BE INTERESTED AND, AND IN SPEAKING WITH HER AND SERVING ON THE GROUP AND IN THE WORKING GROUP AND CHAIR, YOU'RE THE CO-SPONSOR
UM, I'D BE, I'D BE OPEN TO PARTICIPATING IN THE WORKING GROUP.
SO IT'D BE, DO WE NEED THREE? NO, WE, IT, IT JUST NEEDS TO BE FIVE OR LESS.
BUT UP TO FIVE, WE DON'T HAVE TO FILL UP ALL THE FIVE, SO.
UM, DON'T, YEAH, SO I THINK, AND WE CAN ALWAYS ADD PEOPLE, SWITCH 'EM OUT.
ALRIGHT, SO I GUESS THERE'S, UM, MOTION TO CREATE AKER PARK, A ZILKER SHUTTLE WORKING GROUP.
UM, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO CREATE A ZILKER PARK SHUTTLE WORKING GROUP.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE'RE NOW GONNA MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER
[8. Discussion and possible action regarding the creation of a Barton Springs Bathhouse working group. The purpose of this working group is to create a recommendation for the naming of the Barton Springs Bathhouse and to make recommendations on how to incorporate educational installations which place the racial history of Barton Springs in an appropriate context. (Sponsors: Villalobos, Bazan)]
EIGHT, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE CREATION OF BARTON SPRINGS BATHHOUSE WORKING GROUP.UM, I'LL MAKE THIS VERY QUICK.
THE REASON THAT I, THE REASON THAT I AM ADDING THIS, UH, TO THE, THAT WE ADDED THIS TO THE AGENDA, UH, BOARD MEMBER BAZAN AND I IS BECAUSE, UH, I THINK AT THE LAST MEETING WE HAD SOME DISCUSSION AS TO THE, UH, BATHHOUSE AND THE REVITALIZATION OF IT, THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF IT.
UM, THERE WAS SOME THINGS THAT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT IN REGARDS TO THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT, PUTTING IT INTO HISTORICAL CONTEXT, THE PUT INTO CONTEXT THE HISTORY OF THE BATHHOUSE, UM, AND OF RACE RELATIONS AFTER DOING SOME SORT OF RESEARCH.
[02:30:01]
YOU KNOW, I THINK BOB RAMON HAD THE SAME CONCERNS.UH, WE DIDN'T SEE THAT THERE WAS A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF IT, IT DIDN'T APPEAR TO US THAT THERE WAS A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF TIME, ENERGY, AND THOUGHT GIVEN TO THAT PARTICULAR ASPECT OF THE, WHAT'S THE, WHAT WORD AM I LOOKING FOR? THE REINVIGORATING, THE BATHHOUSE.
UM, SO I THINK THAT ONE, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO, UH, FIGURE OUT HOW TO INCORPORATE EDUCATIONAL INSTALLATIONS, WHICH ARE GONNA PUT THE HISTORY IN A CONTEXT.
UM, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I ALSO THINK THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US AS WELL TO RECOMMEND NAMING THE BATHHOUSE AFTER SOMEBODY WHO HAD, WHO HAS MADE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN REGARDS TO HOPE.
MY, MY MY IDEA IS SOMEONE WHO DE HELPED DESEGREGATE THE POOL, BUT OBVIOUSLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE WORK OF THE WORKING, WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE WORKING GROUP, WE MAY COME UP WITH, UH, A NAME AS WELL, UM, THAT FIT THE BILL OF SOMEONE WHO'S HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE BATHHOUSE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF FLORIDA
THE ONLY OTHER THING I WAS GONNA SAY IS WE WILL KEEP IN MIND MR. KATY'S, UM, RECOMMENDATION, UH, TO GET SOME OF THE INFORMATION FROM THE PAST WORKING GROUP.
AND I DON'T WANT TO DELAY THE PROJECT EITHER, BUT I DON'T THINK, THINK THAT'S A REASON TO NOT MOVE FORWARD IN, IN, UM, IN THIS WORKING GROUP.
AND I, I DEFINITELY AGREE WITH THAT.
AND I WILL SAY MY, YEAH, THE GOAL OF THIS IS TO NOT DELAY IT, IS TO TRY TO FIT IT IN, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UM, I THINK THAT THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO TAKE INTO FOR, FOR, FOR THE WORKING GROUP AND THEN FOR THE BOARD TO TAKE AN ACTION ON, EVEN IF IT MEANS PUMPING THE BRAKES A LITTLE BIT.
BECAUSE IF Y'ALL GO LOOK AT THE DATA FROM THE WORKING, FROM THE BATHHOUSE, UH, THE, THE SURVEYS AND EVERYTHING THAT WAS DONE, UH, THE, UH, ON THE, ON THE STUFF THAT WE HAVE DATA FROM 80% OF THE RISK OF PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE COMMUNITY SURVEYS WERE CAUCASIAN, WHICH IN ITSELF IS CONCERNING TO ME AND IS CLEARLY NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO, WHILE I'M NOT WANTING TO FULL PRESS THE BREAKS ON THIS, I'M ALSO NOT AFRAID TO PUMP THE BRAKES A LITTLE BIT JUST TO KIND OF GET A HOLISTIC AND WELL THOUGHT OUT APPROACH TO THE EDUCATIONAL SPACE OF, OF, OF, OF THE BATHHOUSE.
UM, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD? UM, WHAT TRIVIA, LEWIS? YES.
I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE PROCESS FOR NAMING, UM, AND HOW THE WORKING GROUP FITS INTO THAT.
YEAH, THAT'S A WHOLE, WHOLE, THE WHOLE THING.
UM, SO THE WAY THAT THE NA NAMING OF FACILITIES, IF THERE'S THIS PROVISION IN CITY ORDINANCE THAT DETAILS IT, BUT, UH, FOR ME, JUST FOR ME TO EXPLAIN IT WITHOUT YOU HAVING TO GO READ THIS CONVOLUTED CITY CODE, IS THIS, BASICALLY THERE IS A PERSON WHO SUBMITS AN APPLICATION TO THE DIRECTOR.
UH, IN THIS CASE IT'D BE DIRECTOR MCNEELY.
UM, DIRECTOR MULLIN WOULD THEN ACCEPT THE APPLICATION.
THEN THERE WOULD BE A 90 DAY COMMUNITY SURVEY, COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, COMMUNITY INPUT PERIOD DURING WHICH, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY IS GONNA GIVE THEIR INPUT.
AFTER THAT IS COMPLETED, A REPORT'S GONNA BE COMPILED.
UM, THAT REPORT IS GONNA THEN BE PRESENTED TO THE WHOLE BOARD.
THE WHOLE BOARD THEN AT THAT POINT IS GONNA MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL.
CITY COUNCIL IS THEN GONNA TAKE UP THE RECOMMENDATION AND IS EITHER GONNA VOTE UP AND DOWN ON THAT RECOMMENDATION.
UM, THERE IS A FASTER PROCESS IN WHICH WE GO DIRECTLY TO A CITY COUNCIL PERSON TO RECOMMEND THAT THE FACILITY BE NAMED AFTER SOMEBODY.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE CAN LOOK INTO.
UM, HOWEVER, THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID ABOUT COMMUNITY INPUT AND BEING AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE.
UM, IN REGARDS TO WHO SUBMITS THE APPLICATION IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, UM, I THINK ONCE THE WORKING GROUP SUBMITS, ONCE THE WORKING GROUP, UH, COMES UP WITH A NAME, EITHER THE WORKING GROUP OR SOMEBODY ON THE WORKING GROUP, BUT THEN SUBMIT THE APPLICATION TO THE, TO TO DIRECTOR MCNEELY, UM, AND THEN WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, IN THAT MANNER.
SO CHAIR VILLALOBOS, DO YOU HAVE KIND OF A TIMELINE IN MIND? I MEAN, CAN YOU, WHAT, WHAT IS THEIR TIME? WHAT, RIGHT NOW AT THIS POINT, WHAT'S THE TIMELINE FOR NAMING OR IS THERE ONE, UH, IN THE INFORMAL TIMELINE THAT I FORESEE? AND OBVIOUSLY I THINK IT'S GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT TO GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE WORKING GROUP, BUT IT'S GONNA BE TWO, UH, HOPEFULLY GET A RECOMMENDATION WITHIN, UH, A NAME WITHIN 30 DAYS.
UM, ONE OF THE BOARD, ONE OF THE WORKING GROUP MEMBERS THAT I'M VERY EXCITED TO HAVE ACCEPTED JOINING IS, UH, DR.
EDMUND GORDON, WHO IS THE ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, AFRICAN AND AFRICAN DIASPORA STUDIES, AND IS ALSO THE
[02:35:01]
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CONTEXTUALIZATION AND COMMEMORATION INITIATIVE AT, AT UT.UM, AND HE HAS A NICE, HE HAS, HE'S ACTUALLY CO-WRITTEN AN ARTICLE ABOUT MARTIN SPRINGS, UM, AND HAS PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO IT.
SO I'M HOPING THAT ALTHOUGH A 30 DAY TIMELINE SEEMS KIND OF A QUICK TURNAROUND JUST TO TRY TO COME UP WITH A NAME, UM, I THINK THAT IT, I, I DON'T THINK, I THINK IT'S DOABLE, BUT THAT CAN CHANGE.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I DO THINK THAT WE SHOULD ALSO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THERE WILL BE A 90 DAY COMMUNITY FEEDBACK PERIOD THAT IS, UH, LED BY DIRECTOR MCNEELY AND HER STAFF AND THE DEPARTMENT.
SO IF I COULD, I, I REALIZED LOOKING AROUND THAT NOBODY ELSE HAS BEEN HERE FOR A NAMING VOTE, WHICH IT'S KIND OF CRAZY TO ME.
UM, BUT, UH, SO WE HAVE CERTAINLY TAKEN THIS UP AT PARKS BEFORE FOR NAMING OTHER FACILITIES WHERE SOMEONE HAS SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION.
AND THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY IS FOR US ALL TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THEY TEND TO GENERATE A LOT OF PUBLIC INTEREST AND PEOPLE HAVE VERY STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT WHAT THINGS ARE NAMED.
UM, AND THAT'S, I MEAN, IT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROCESS AND IT CAN DELAY.
THERE WILL BE A 90 DAY PERIOD OF FEEDBACK, BUT THEN WHEN IT COMES BEFORE THE BOARD, WE MAY NOT TAKE ACTION THE FIRST MEETING.
UM, AND SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND FOR HOW WE THINK ABOUT THE TIMELINE.
I THINK THE QUICKEST THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE THIS UP IS AT THE JANUARY MEETING, BUT THAT'S, IF EVERYTHING GOES PERFECTLY AS PLANNED AND THERE AT THE TIMELINE JUST FITS, YOU KNOW, THE UNI ALL THE STARS ALIGN, BUT SURE.
AND THE, AND THAT'S RIGHT ABOUT THE TIME THAT THE BATHHOUSE RESTORATION CONSTRUCTION IS STARTING.
SO BATHHOUSE IS NOT, WAS IT 14 MONTHS OR 18 MONTHS OF IT'S LONG.
SO THERE'S A LONG TIME BEFORE ONE WOULD THINK THAT THERE WOULD BE A, A NAMING A, A CEREMONY OR A RIBBON CUTTING OR WHATEVER IT WOULD BE.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE 14 TO 18 MONTHS, I THINK IS ABOUT THE TIMELINE THEY HAVE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK? ALRIGHT, SO AT THIS TIME I MOVE THE, FOR US TO CREATE A BARTON SPRINGS BATHHOUSE WORKING GROUP.
IS THERE A SECOND? THERE'S A, A SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
AND WE'RE NOW MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER NINE,
[9. Discussion and possible action regarding an appointment to the Parks and Recreation Board Contracts and Concessions Committee (one vacancy). ]
DISCUSSION CHAIR.JUST IN CASE I MISSED IT, COULD YOU SAY THE NAMES OF THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE ON THAT WORKING GROUP? OH, YEAH, SORRY.
IT'S GONNA BE, AS OF RIGHT NOW, IT'S A BOARD MEMBER, UH, MYSELF AND BOARD MEMBER
DO YOU NEED KNOW THE NAMES OF THE OTHER PEOPLE? JUST THE BOARD MEMBERS.
UH, DISCUSSION, POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING APPOINTMENT TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION CONTRACTS AND CONCESSION COMMITTEE.
WE HAVE ONE VACANCY CURRENTLY SERVING ON, IT IS MYSELF, UH, BOARD MEMBER, BECKER BOARD MEMBER, REED BOARD MEMBER, UH, TAYLOR.
UM, SO WE HAVE A ROOM FOR A FIFTH PERSON, UM, IS JUST SOME BACKGROUND.
UM, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, BUT BASICALLY THE CONTRACT CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE, SELF-EXPLANATORY.
WE LOOK AT ANY CONTRACTS ASSOCIATED WITH ANY VENDOR OR CONCESSIONER AT ANY PARK FACILITY.
UM, AND, UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK WE'VE ALL BEEN HERE FOR THE, UM, IN OUR LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN A I S D AND AQUATICS FOR LIFE, THE LIFEGUARD PROGRAM.
UM, WE TOOK AN ITEM OF TODAY AS WELL.
UM, UH, SO THOSE ARE THE TYPE OF ISSUES AND TOPICS THAT WE DISCUSSED.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S, AND WE ONLY MEET ONCE EVERY TWO MONTHS.
THE FRIDAY BEFORE THE FRIDAY BEFORE THE THIS MEETING.
WE MEET EVERY OTHER MONTH AND OUR MEETINGS ONLY AND, AND THEIR MEETINGS START AT 12 AND USUALLY DON'T LAST.
LIKE THEY THE ROUGHLY AN HOUR AND A HALF.
AND ARE THEY AT THE SAME LOCATION? GIBBS? WHAT? WHICH, WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE PARK? IT'S, UH, ROSEWOOD.
SO IT'S REALLY CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN.
IF YOU WORK TO DOWNTOWN, IT COULD PROBABLY TAKE YOU FIVE MINUTES TO GET THERE.
SO,
IS THERE ANYONE THAT PERSON, UNLESS SOMEONE ELSE IS ABOUT TO SAY IT, THAT'S FINE TOO.
WHO, WHO, WHO WANTS IT MORE?
UM, BUT IT'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY INTERESTING, THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY INTERESTING CONTRACTS COMING UP IN THE COMING MONTHS.
I'M INTERESTED IN IT, BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO HERE.
WELL, I'LL, I WILL POLITELY DECLINE.
AND, ALRIGHT, SO I'M, I MOVED TO A, UH, APPOINT,
[02:40:01]
UH, BOARD MEMBER NICOLE MERRI TO THE, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION CONTRACT AND CONCESSION COMMITTEE.ALL THOSE A ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
[10. Discussion and possible action regarding appointments to the Joint Environmental/Parks Board Committee (four vacancies). ]
AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING APPOINTMENT TO THE JOINT ENVIRONMENTAL PARKS BOARD COMMITTEE.SO THIS COMMITTEE IS, AGAIN, AS THE TITLE SAYS, IT'S A JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND THE PARKS BOARD COMMITTEE.
UM, I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THIS AND THE LAST TIME THEY MET WAS BACK IN 2020.
UM, AND THE REASON THAT THEY MET WERE, WAS BECAUSE, UH, THE LAST MEETINGS WERE REGARDING THE ZILKER PARK VISION PLAN.
UM, SO WE, THEY HAVE NOT MET SINCE 2020.
UM, I'M TRYING TO LOOK UP WHAT THE ACTUAL DIRECTOR MCNEIL TAKING THE MIC, WHO IS DIRECTOR MCNEIL.
SO, AND I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT THE, THIS JOINT COMMITTEE, THIS JOINT ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD AND THE PARKS BOARD IS, IS ESTABLISHED BY RESOLUTION, BY COUNCIL RESOLUTION, AND IT'S SPECIFICALLY TO, TO DISCUSS ITEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BARTON SPRINGS VISION PLAN, FORMERLY CALLED THE BARTON SPRINGS MASTER PLAN, BO BOTH SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM PROJECTS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, I THINK WE PUT A, A MEMO IN THE BACKUP TO HELP MM-HMM.
AND IF I RECALL CORRECTLY FROM LAST MONTH, THE THINKING WAS THAT, UM, AS THE VISION PLAN IS MOVING FORWARD, UM, POSSIBLY BEING RECOMMENDED BY COUNCIL, THAT WE SHOULD GET SOME FOLKS BACK ON THIS.
UM, AND THIS COMMITTEE IS WORKING, UH, EXCUSE ME, COMMITTEE IN ADVANCE OF THAT.
THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING AS WELL.
AND THE REASON I WAS MENTIONING THE TIMELINE IS 'CAUSE I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THIS GROUP MEETS A LOT, UM, IF THEY LAST MET FEBRUARY OF 2020.
UM, SO I'M HOPING THAT THERE'S PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO JUMP ON, UM, I KNOW THAT I HAVE REACHED OUT TO Y'ALL INDIVIDUALLY AS ONE-ON-ONE TO SIT ON THIS, SO YEAH.
I'M HAPPY TO SERVE ON THE COMMITTEE THAT HASN'T MET IN THREE AND A HALF YEARS.
SO, AND IF IT, UH, BECOMES TOO MUCH, I'LL LET Y'ALL KNOW.
DOES THE, DID THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION HAVE, HAVE THEY FELT THESE VACANCIES ON THEIR END? YEAH.
AND THAT SIMPLY IS PUT YES, THEY DO.
I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AND SEE WHO, WHO'S WHO, WHO IS LI I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD WHO IS LISTED, BUT THEY HAVE THEIR, THEY HAVE A, UM, THE RESPONSIBILITY TO, TO ALSO APPOINT TO THIS GROUP TO YEAH, I'LL DO IT.
AND I'D BE WILLING TO SERVE ON IT AS WELL.
I'D ALSO BE INTERESTED IF, I'M HAPPY TO LET SOMEONE ELSE DO IT AS WELL THOUGH.
AND I'LL THROW, UH, I'LL, I'LL, I CAN DO IT TOO.
UM, I THINK THAT'S FIVE OF US.
UM, ALRIGHT, SO BOARD MEMBER BECKER.
BOARD MEMBER MERIT BOARD MEMBER FLOWERS AND BOARD MEMBER REED.
I MAKE A MOTION TO APPOINT THOSE FOUR, UH, BOARD THOSE FOUR BOARD MEMBERS TO THE JOINT ENVIRONMENTAL PARKS BOARD COMMITTEE.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN, WAIT, WAS THAT, SORRY, WAS THAT FOUR OR FIVE? FOUR.
BOARD MEMBER REED BOARD MEMBER MERIT AND BOARD MEMBER FLOWERS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
UM, UPDATE FROM THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD.
JUST STARTED YESTERDAY, SO NOTHING OKAY.
UPDATE FROM THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
THE APPOINTMENT WAS ALSO JUST CONFIRMED.
[13. Update from Joint Sustainability Committee. (Bazan, Becker)]
FROM THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.UM, JUST, JUST FOR REFERENCE FOR EVERYONE, UH, SINCE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE UPDATED ABOUT IT, UH, WITH THIS GROUP, THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY, UM, UH, QUESTION IS, UH, IS A, FROM A VARIETY OF OTHER BOARDS AND THE GOAL IS TO SUPPORT THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY CLIMATE PLAN.
SO IT LOOKS AT COMM FROM 2015, ALTHOUGH IT'S CURRENTLY BEING UPDATED.
SO IT LOOKS AT, UM, CLIMATE FOCUSED, UH, ACTIVITIES AND ACTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND THE CITY.
LAST MONTH WE UM, PUT FORWARD TWO RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH I THINK ARE OF INTEREST TO THIS GROUP.
THE FIRST IS, UM, A RECOMMENDATION, UH, TO COUNCIL THAT THEY DIRECT THE TERM CITY MANAGER TO, UM,
[02:45:01]
CONDUCT AN EVIDENCE-BASED ASSESSMENT, UH, REGARDING THE REQUIREMENT FOR IN-PERSON, UH, FOR STAFF TO COME BACK IN PERSON.SO THE THINKING WAS THAT THERE WERE CLIMATE IMPLICATIONS TO REQUIRING STAFF TO COME BACK IN PERSON RATHER THAN CONTINUING TO ALLOW REMOTE WORK AND TELEWORK.
AND SO THIS WAS A RECOMMENDATION THAT COUNCIL UNDERSTAND THOSE IMPACTS FURTHER BEFORE CONTINUING TO, UM, ADVANCE THE IDEAS AROUND BRINGING STAFF, UH, OR REQUIRING STAFF TO COME BACK.
UH, AND THAT, THAT WAS THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION.
THE SECOND RECOMMENDATION, UM, WAS AN ENDORSEMENT OF THE, UM, FISCAL YEAR 2324 COMMUNITY INVESTMENT BUDGET THAT WAS PUT FORWARD.
UM, UH, THAT WAS PUT FORWARD BY, UH,
I ALWAYS GET THAT MIXED UP, UH, BY EQUITY ACTION, WHICH IS, UH, SORT OF A, UM, WAS SORT OF AN UMBRELLA OVER A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT NONPROFITS SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT BUDGET.
UM, SO IT WAS A RECOMMENDATION IN FAVOR OF THAT BECAUSE IT SUPPORTS A, A NUMBER OF CLIMATE FOCUSED ACTIONS THAT THE COUNCIL COULD TAKE.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY UPDATE FROM THE Z PARK VISION PLAN WORKING GROUP.
UM, I KNOW A BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR HAD TO GET OFF, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ADD THIS AS THE NEXT, UH, BASICALLY I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THIS WORKING GROUP IS NECESSARY SINCE THAT SHIP HAS SAILED.
NOT IS IT THE LARGER, I DON'T THINK IT'S THE LARGE.
WELL THAT'S PART OF THE DISCUSSION.
I DON'T THINK IT IS, BUT ANYWAYS.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL STOP DISCUSSING NEXT, NEXT TIME.
ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS FROM ANY BOARD MEMBER? ALRIGHT, SCENE NONE.
WE'RE NOW GONNA MOVE TO ADJOURNMENT.
I MOVED TO, I'M ADURING THIS MEETING AT SIX 8:50 PM THANK YOU ALL.