[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:03]
CHAIR FLOWERS ACTING FOR CHAIR VILLALOBOS, WHO'S UNFORTUNATELY UNABLE TO JOIN US TONIGHT.
UH, SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, TIM, IF YOU COULD CALL OUR FIRST SPEAKER.
UH, WOULD THE BOARD LIKE TO DO A ROLL CALL? YES.
UM, SO I'LL QUICKLY DO A ROLL CALL.
ABSENT VICE FLOWERS PRESENT BOARD MEMBER ORIE.
UH, PRESENT BOARD MEMBER MERIT PRESENT BOARD MEMBER BISON PRESENT BOARD MEMBER EDIE PRESENT BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR.
PRESENT BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN PRESENT BOARD MEMBER REED PRESENT AND BOARD MEMBER BECKER PRESENT.
TIM, IF WE COULD GO AHEAD AND DO THAT GENERAL PUBLIC
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
COMMUNICATION.OUR FIRST SPEAKER FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT WILL BE DIANA PROCTOR, FOLLOWED BY LIZ IDE AND THEN LAURA ESPARZA.
MS. PROCTOR, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.
ON OCTOBER 21ST, 2021, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN BROUGHT A MOTION SHEET TO COUNCIL WITH RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE THE TRAIL FOUNDATION POMA.
I'M HERE BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT COUNCIL'S FINAL DIRECTION TO PAR WAS OMITTED BY PARD FROM THE TRAIL FOUNDATION.
I AM IN CONVERSATION WITH A CM HAYDEN HOWARD ABOUT THIS.
COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN WAS CONCERNED ABOUT EXCESSIVE NEW CONCESSIONS AND SPECIAL EVENTS.
SHE GAVE AN EXAMPLE OF MAJOR COMMERCIAL DECISIONS MADE BY PAR WITHOUT PUBLIC INPUT AND WITHOUT COUNCIL INPUT.
SHE SAID THERE HAVE BEEN ADDITIONS TO ACL INCLUDING ADDING A SECOND WEEKEND.
THE LOCATION OF ACL HAS EXPANDED INTO SURROUNDING AREAS, ALL JUST THE DECISION OF STAFF WITHOUT PUBLIC INPUT AND WITHOUT COUNCIL INPUT.
COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN PREFERRED THAT THE PMA BE READ BY COUNCIL PRIOR TO PART EXECUTION.
THIS WOULD HAVE NOTIFIED THE PUBLIC ENSURED THAT COUNCIL DIRECTION WAS INCLUDED AND IMPROVED TRANSPARENCY OF THE FINAL AGREEMENT.
AND SHE WANTED THE PMA MODIFIED TO REQUIRE BOTH COUNCIL NOTIFICATION AND APPROVAL PRIOR TO ANY PART ACTION FOR NEW CONCESSIONS AND NEW SPECIAL EVENTS.
HOWEVER, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS D EIGHT AND POOL D SEVEN DID NOT SUPPORT TRANSPARENCY OR MODIFYING THE POMA.
THE FINAL COUNCIL DIRECTION WAS SOFTENED, BUT STILL SIGNIFICANT.
THE TRAIL FOUNDATION POMA WAS TO QUOTE, INCLUDE LANGUAGE IN THE FINAL NEGOTIATION AGREEMENT THAT PROVIDES FOR ANNUAL COUNCIL NOTIFICATION PRIOR TO ACTION IF THERE ARE ADDITIONS OF MORE CONCESSIONS OR PLANNED SPECIAL EVENTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN'S DESIRE FOR A PROCESS INVOLVING PUBLIC INPUT AND FINAL COUNCIL APPROVAL WAS SUPPORTED BY TITLE THREE, CHAPTER 26 OF THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE CODE TITLED PROTECTION OF PUBLIC PARKS AND RECREATIONAL LANDS, WHICH REQUIRES A SPECIFIC PUBLIC AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS FOR ANY USE OR TAKING OF A PUBLIC PARK BY TEXAS CODE NON RECREATIONAL USE OR TAKING REQUIRES A FINDING WHETHER AN ALTERNATE LOCATION EXISTS, A PUBLIC NOTICE AND FORUM, AND MUST BE APPROVED BY THE DULY AUTHORIZED GOVERNING BODY, WHICH IS COUNCIL AND MAYOR.
THE GOVERNING BODY COUNCIL APPEARS TO BE NEGLECTING ITS STATE REQUIRED ROLE TO APPROVE COMMERCIAL USES OF PARKS PRIOR TO PART, UH, ACTION.
I SUGGEST THAT EVERY PARK PARK AGREEMENT RECEIVE A FISCAL YEAR 25 ADDENDUM TO ADDRESS CLARIFICATION OF THIS ISSUE.
IT SHOULD DEFINE THAT NEW CONCESSIONS AND NEW SPECIAL EVENTS ARE USES AND TAKING OF PUBLIC LAND AND EXPLAIN HOW THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WILL ACT TO FULLY COMPLY WITH THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE CODE AND INCORPORATE COUNCIL'S 2021 DIRECTION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE LIZ BARITE, FOLLOWED BY LAURA ESPARZA.
I'M LIZ BARITE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN ROWING CLUB, AND I JUST WANTED TO UPDATE YOU ON SOME OF OUR RETURNING FALL PROGRAMMING.
OUR WEEKLY ROWING CLASS WITH THE MACBETH RECREATION CENTER HAS STARTED THEIR FALL SEASON.
THEY BRING 10 PARTICIPANTS EVERY WEEK, UH, AND THEY, UH, GO OUT ON OUR TRAINING BARGE.
WE ARE ALSO PARTNERING WITH THE DOTTIE JORDAN RECREATION CENTER TO BRING TEENS TO THE BOATHOUSE FOR REGULAR KAYAK PADDLING.
ON OCTOBER 6TH, WE'LL BE PARTNERING WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS WOMEN'S ROWING TEAM TO SUPPORT A WELLNESS EVENT
[00:05:01]
FOR BREAST CANCER PATIENTS, UH, THAT WILL BE HOSTED BY AUSTIN ROWING CLUB AND THE RED BUDS SURGERY CENTER.AND THEN, UM, ON OCTOBER 26TH, SATURDAY, WHICH YOU'RE WELCOME TO JOIN US, UH, IS THE HEAD OF THE COLORADO REGATTA, AKA, WE CALL IT PUMPKIN HEAD.
UM, THIS IS OUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF HOLDING THIS EVENT ON LADY BIRD LAKE.
THE REGATTA IS OPEN TO JUNIORS, UH, ADULTS, COLLEGIATE AND ADAPTIVE ROWERS.
UH, THIS YEAR WILL BE OUR FIRST TIME THAT WE HAVE AN ENTRY FROM THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER'S WELLNESS PROGRAM.
THEY HAVE BEEN PRACTICING WITH US FOR TWO TO THREE TIMES A WEEK SINCE JUNE.
THE THREE K COURSE IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FROM CLUBS AROUND TEXAS TO COME TO AUSTIN AND ENJOY THE LAKE.
AND THEN A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO PART SPECIAL EVENT STAFF WHO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH FOR MANY YEARS ON THIS EVENT.
SO THANK YOU BOARD MEMBERS FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR SERVICE.
UH, OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE LAURA ESPARZA.
I'M EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF A THREE ART ALLIANCE AUSTIN.
FOR 17 YEARS, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING THE DIVISION MANAGER OF MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL PROGRAMS FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
I RETIRED IN MARCH BECAUSE I FELT THAT I WOULD BE OF BETTER USE IF I WAS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY RAISING MONEY TO SUPPORT ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, AND PERFORMERS WHO PERFORM ON PARKLAND.
AND SO I, UH, TOOK AN OLD NONPROFIT ART ALLIANCE, AUSTIN AND V PIVOTED IT TO A THREE, A FOUNDATION, LOCAL ARTS AGENCY TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE ARTISTS THAT NEED THEIR GIGS ON PARK IN OUR PARKS, FACILITIES AND ON PARKLAND.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UH, BECAUSE OF CHANGING CRITERIA, UH, IN THE, UH, CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UM, THE SUMMER MUSICAL, UM, PRODUCER, ZILKER THEATER PRODUCTIONS HAS BEEN DEFUNDED.
THEIR, UH, ABILITY TO PRODUCE ANOTHER SUMMER MUSICAL IS VERY UNCERTAIN AT THIS POINT BECAUSE THEY ARE NO LONGER RECEIVING CITY FUNDING.
AND SO THAT IS ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT I'M RAISING MONEY FOR.
I DON'T THINK THAT THE CITY SHOULD BE WITHOUT, UH, A SUMMER MUSICAL OR SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK.
AND SO I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO START THIS NONPROFIT, UH, TO FUNDRAISE, UH, TO SUPPORT OUR ARTISTS DIRECTLY WHO PERFORM, UH, MANY TIMES, UH, OFFERING WHAT THEY, UH, CREATE FOR FREE TO THE PUBLIC.
I'M ALSO HERE TO INVITE YOU TO A FUNDRAISER, UH, THAT I'M HAVING ON THURSDAY, UH, SUPPORTING THREE ARTISTS, BAILEY LOU, VIRGINIA, L MONTGOMERY, AND TAMMY RUBIN, WHO WILL BE PUTTING TOGETHER AN EXHIBIT AT THE ELIZABETH MAY MUSEUM AND A, AN ARTS EDUCATION PROG PROJECT CALLED BREAKING THE MOLD.
THE FUNDRAISER IS SEPTEMBER THE 26TH FROM SEVEN TO NINE AT IVESTER CONTEMPORARY GALLERY AT THE CANOPY COMPLEX AT NINE 16 SPRINGDALE ROAD.
AND SO I WILL DISTRIBUTE THESE, UH, INVITATIONS AND YOU'RE GONNA HEAR MORE FROM ME BECAUSE I AM ALSO SUPPORTING TONES.
THE ONLY PLACE IN AUSTIN WHERE YOU CAN HEAR ASIAN MUSIC AT THE ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER.
I'M TRYING TO RESTORE THE, THAT, UH, SERIES AS WELL AS MANY OTHER PROGRAMS ACROSS, UM, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
UM, THESE ARTISTS NEED US, THEY NEED WORK IN ORDER TO CONTINUE CREATING IN AUSTIN AND MAKING AUSTIN A VIBRANT CITY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE PHILIP.
MAY I ASK MS, UH, MAY I ASK A QUESTION? SURE.
BOARD MEMBER REED, THANK YOU, UM, TO MS. ESPARZA, UM, IS, UH, ARE, ARE YOU AWARE THAT THERE'S THE ZILKER THEATER PRODUCTIONS, WHICH IS A NONPROFIT THAT SU SUPPORTS THE ZILKER HILLSIDE THEATER, AND I BELIEVE THAT IS STILL SUPPORTING AND WORKING WITH THE ZILKER HILLSIDE THEATER? THAT'S WHO I'M TALKING ABOUT.
ZILKER THEATER PRODUCTIONS WAS DEFUNDED BY THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CULTURAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT.
THAT'S NOT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
AND I ASSUME THAT THERE'S SOMEWHERE THAT WE CAN FIND OUT WHAT, HOW MUCH THEY WERE NOT GIVEN?
[00:10:01]
YEAH, I THINK BOARD MEMBER REEB, WE CERTAINLY COULD ASK A FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO FIND OUT WHAT THE FUNDING WAS FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE PHILIP THOMAS, FOLLOWED BY BERTHA RENDON DELGADO.
MR. THOMAS, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.
GOOD EVENING PARKS BOARD, UH, MEMBERS, VICE CHAIR.
I LIVE AT 68 MILDRED STREET IN DISTRICT THREE WITHIN THE HISTORIC BOUNDARIES OF THE EAST TOWN LAKE CITIZENS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO IMPLORE, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY THE, UM, INTERIM PARKS DIRECTOR TO EXPOUND DURING HER REPORT ON THE, UH, THE STATUS OF THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL DOCK PROJECT.
UH, IS THAT PROJECT ONGOING? IS THAT PROJECT ON HOLD FOR ANY REASON OR IS THAT PROJECT OVER? UH, WE'VE NOTICED DURING THE, UM, THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT THAT THERE ISN'T ANY MENTION OF THE STATUS OF THAT PROJECT.
THERE'S A LOT IN THAT REPORT AND WE COMMEND HER FOR THAT.
SHE'S A BUSY LADY, BUT WE WOULD LIKE HER TO EXPOUND ON THE STATUS OF THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL DOC PROJECT.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THIS EVENING.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE BERTHA RENDON DELGADO.
UM, BEFORE I START, UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU ALL FOR, UM, BEING HERE TONIGHT AND SERVING ON THE PARKS BOARD.
I WANNA GIVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE AS, UM, MY GRANDFATHER, EDWARD RENDON SENIOR.
MY FAMILY HAS HAD A TRAGEDY, UH, IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS AND WE LOST ONE OF OUR FAMILY MEMBERS, MR. JAMES RENDON.
SO I JUST WANNA GIVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE, UM, AS I COME UP HERE TO SPEAK.
I ALSO AM HERE TODAY TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE MEETING THAT TOOK PLACE ON SEPTEMBER THE FIFTH AT CITY COUNCIL MEMBER HILLS VELASQUEZ'S OFFICE, UH, WITH OUR PARKS BOARD.
I MEAN OUR PARKS DIRECTOR AND, UH, TWO ADDITIONAL GROUPS BESIDES EAST TOWN LAKE ATTENDED THAT MEETING ALA AS WELL AS RAZA ROUND TABLE.
IN THAT MEETING, WE WERE TOLD BY OUR PARKS DIRECTOR THAT THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL HAS BEEN PUT ON HOLD.
UM, IN THE MEMO THAT WAS PUT OUT ON SEPTEMBER 19TH, THE LANGUAGE DOES NOT, UM, SPECIFY THAT THE PROJECT IS PUT ON HOLD AND THAT IT'S BEEN CURRENTLY STOPPED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
I WOULD LIKE THE MEMO TO REFLECT ON THE EXACT LANGUAGE THAT THE PARKS DIRECTOR STATED AS WELL AS HER ATTENDING OUR COMMUNITY MEETING.
UH, OUR TOWN HALL MEETING LAST WEEK.
UH, WE SPECIFIED TO HER ON SEPTEMBER 18TH HOW IMPORTANT THIS WAS, THAT THE PROJECT BE PUT ON HOLD BECAUSE THE WRITING DOES NOT STATE THAT THE PROJECT HAS BEEN PUT ON HOLD.
I WOULD LIKE THIS PARKS BOARD TO, UM, ADDRESS THE PARKS DIRECTOR.
INTERIM ANGELA MEANS TO ASK WHY THE LANGUAGE DOESN'T STATE THAT ON THE MEMO THAT'S BEEN PUT OUT TO US AS WELL AS IN THE MEMO, IT DOES STATE THAT IF THEY DO NOT FIND AN ALTERNATE LOCATION, UH, IT DOESN'T SPECIFY WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE.
UH, THEY HAVE GIVEN US TWO MONTHS TO DO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT IN WRITING PRIOR TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BEING PUT OUT.
IF NOT, WE CAN CONTINUE OUR PROTESTING AND OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS WE PUT THINGS ON HOLD AS WELL.
I DO NOT WANT US TO PAUSE ON THIS AND THEN, UM, NOTHING GET DONE APPROPRIATELY AS WELL AS WE NEED AN UPDATE FROM THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT TO REVIEW.
UM, THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL'S CONCESSION, AS I SEE THAT THEY'RE ON, UH, ONE OF THESE BACKUPS OF A CONCESSION THAT'S GONNA BE EXTENDED TO 2026.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, AS WELL AS OTHER COMMISSIONS DO HAVE GREAT CONCERN ON THE BAD ACTORS OF THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL AND US WANTING THEM TO RELOCATE OUT OF THE EDWARD RENDON, HOLLY HORS MASTER PLAN.
NONE OF THAT LANGUAGE IS BEING STATED OR CONVEYED IN WRITING.
AND I WOULD LIKE THIS BOARD TO ADDRESS OUR DIRECTOR AND THE STAFF DEPARTMENT TO GIVE AN UPDATE ADDRESSING EXACTLY WHAT THEY STATED TO THE COMMUNITY IN THAT MEETING, WHICH NO MINUTES WERE TAKEN AT THAT MEETING AT JOSE VELASQUEZ'S OFFICE.
I HAVE ASKED FOR THE MINUTES FROM HIS OFFICE AS WELL AS FROM STAFF.
NOBODY HAS PROVIDED ME WITH MINUTES.
JUST A SMALL UPDATE, NOT CONVEYING THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS STATED.
IS THERE FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENT? IS THERE ANYONE ELSE PRESENT THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE PARKS BOARD DURING GENERAL
[00:15:01]
PUBLIC COMMENT? THAT IS THE END OF GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
MOVE FORWARD WITH THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.UH, EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF THOSE.
IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE TO REVIEW IT.
LET ME KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY EDITS TO THEM.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY EDITS THEY OR ERRORS THEY WOULD LIKE TO CORRECT? IF NOT, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
[Additional Item 1]
MOVE NOW IN DISCU INTO DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. UM, AND I THINK THERE IS A STAFF REQUEST THAT WE WOULD BRING ITEM NUMBER SIX, UH, WHICH IS A REFERRAL FROM THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE FORWARD FIRST.IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OBJECTION TO THAT? IT SHOULD BE A RELATIVELY QUICK ITEM SINCE OUR OWN CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE DID REVIEW IT ALREADY.
THEN I THINK WE'LL TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER SIX.
I'M NOT ON THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE, SO PERHAPS SOMEONE WHO IS, MIGHT, UH, GIVE US A LITTLE BACKGROUND.
IS THERE A STAFF PRESENTATION I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THAT FIRST STAFF IS HERE TO PRESENT.
UH, IF THE PARKS BOARD WOULD LIKE, HOWEVER, IF THE, THE BOARD WOULD LIKE JUST TO SHARE THE, THE INFORMATION THAT THEY RECEIVED ON, ON FRIDAY AND THEN TAKE A VOTE THAT WOULD BE AMENABLE AS WELL.
I'LL DEFER TO THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE AND THE REST OF THE BOARD.
I DID LOOK AT THE PRESENTATION BEFORE, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE WHOLE THING OR WE WANT TO HEAR FROM THOSE WHO HEARD THE PRESENTATION ALREADY.
UM, AND IF ANY OF THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS THAT WERE ATTENDING WOULD LIKE TO JOIN IN FEEL FREE, UM, THIS IS JUST A, UH, TO SUPPORT AN EXCELLENT PROGRAM THAT, UM, THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN MAINTAINS WITH A ISD AND A LOCAL NONPROFIT, UH, TO SUPPORT CULTURAL LANGUAGE REVITALIZATION PROGRAMS. AS IT SAYS, AN EXCELLENT SET OF PROGRAMS, IT'S A SHORT TERM CONTRACT, UH, UH, OR SHORT, EXCUSE ME, A SHORT TERM AGREEMENT FOR JUST A YEAR.
UH, SUPPORTS AN EXCELLENT PROGRAM AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT WE PASS IT THROUGH.
DOES ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS? WOULD THEY, WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO SEE THE PRESENTATION? AND WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANNA STOP ANYBODY FROM SEEING IT IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT OR IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS.
UM, I SHOULD SAY THAT THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE PASSED UNANIMOUSLY AND TO REFER IT TO US.
BOARD MEMBER, REBECCA BOARD, IF NOBODY HAS ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS OR, I MEAN, I'LL ALSO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE IT AS POSTED.
I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE IT AS POSTED.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OR IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND, SAY AYE.
THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
APPRECIATE EVERYBODY WHO ATTENDED THAT COMMITTEE AND BROUGHT THAT FORWARD.
[2. Presentation, discussion and approve letters of support for the PARD Youth Development Program, including Totally Cool Totally ART, Roving Leaders Youth Outreach, and Teens in Leadership Training. (Sponsors: Villalobos, Flowers). (PARD Long Range Strategies: Relief from Urban Life, Park Access for All).]
ON TRACK NOW, STARTING WITH ITEM NUMBER TWO, PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION AND APPROVED LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR THE PARD YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, INCLUDING TOTALLY COOL, TOTALLY ART, ROVING LEADERS, YOUTH OUTREACH AND TEAMS IN LEADERSHIP TRAINING.AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE SOME REPRESENTATIVES HERE TO GIVE A SHORT PRESENTATION.
[00:20:01]
BE HERE.UH, I'M EXCITED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE AMAZING WORK OUR TEAM IS DOING.
UH, MY NAME IS DAVIN AND I HAVE BOTH THE HONOR AND THE PRIVILEGE TO WORK, UH, ALONGSIDE THIS AMAZING CREW OF, UH, UH, INCREDIBLY, INCREDIBLY TALENTED, PASSIONATE AND CREATIVE INDIVIDUALS.
UM, SO WITH ME THIS EVENING, I HAVE OUR YOUTH AND TEEN OUTREACH DIVISION, UH, BORN OUT OF THE CITY'S SOCIAL FABRIC INITIATIVE, UH, IN THE LATE NINETIES.
UM, TO ADDRESS SOME OF OUR GROWING ISSUES, UH, WITH TEENS ACROSS THE CITY.
UM, OUR UNIT SEEKS TO PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY PROGRAMS DURING SUSCEPTIBLE OUT OF SCHOOL TIME HOURS WHEN YOUTH AND TEENS ARE STATISTICALLY MOST AT RISK, UH, CENTERED ON PILLARS LIKE TRUST AND RESPECT AND MENTORSHIP.
OUR PROGRAMS FOSTER CREATIVITY, SELF-EXPRESSION, CAREER EXPLORATION, UM, AND A SENSE OF BELONGING ALL IN SAFE PLACES.
UM, WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT OUR WORK UNIT IS THAT WE ARE NOT TIED TO ONE PARTICULAR FACILITY PARK, UM, OR AREA.
UM, WE'RE SPREAD OUT ALL ACROSS AUSTIN, UM, DOING OUTREACH, UM, TO ALL THE COMMUNITIES HERE.
UM, AND THE BEST PART ABOUT ALL OF ALL OF THIS IS THAT OUR PROGRAMS, UH, REMAIN FREE, UM, WHICH IS INCREDIBLE, UM, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERED HOW AWESOME THEY ARE.
UH, SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'D LIKE TO PASS THE MIC OVER TO THE TEAM AS THEY HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE AMAZING WORK THEY DID THIS PAST SUMMER, UH, CENTERED ON YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND TEEN LEADERSHIP AND, UH, SHARE SOME OF THE, UH, AMAZING POSITIVE IMPACTS, UH, THEY'RE MAKING, UH, WITH OUR, OUR YOUNG LEADERS.
HELLO, I'M KELLY CASSANDRAS, AND I'M ONE OF THE CO-COORDINATORS OF TOTALLY COOL, TOTALLY ART, UH, FREE OUTREACH ART PROGRAM THAT SPECIALIZES IN HIRING EMERGING ARTISTS IN AUSTIN.
UM, THAT, THAT, UH, SPECIALIZE IN SPECIFIC MEDIUMS SUCH AS PAINTING, SCULPTURE, METALSMITHING, SEWING, FILMMAKING, COOKING, THE LIST GOES ON.
UM, WE HIRE, LIKE I SAID, WE HIRE ARTISTS TO GO INTO THE REC CENTERS OF THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT AND LEAD THEIR MEDIUMS, UM, AND MENTOR YOUNG TEENS TO, OR TEENS TO, UM, LEARN THESE SKILL SETS.
UH, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF GALLERY SHOWS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
ONE AT THE DOHERTY ART CENTER AND ANOTHER AT THE MEX MEXICAN MUSEUM, WHICH IS REALLY COOL.
THEY GET TO SHOW THEIR ART IN A PROFESSIONAL SETTING.
THE PICTURES HERE ARE FROM THIS SUMMER, WHICH IS MY PRIDE AND JOY.
IT'S OUR SUMMER THEATER CAMP PROGRAM, UM, WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO HIRE 16 TEENS THAT WERE 16 TO 19 YEAR OLDS THAT, UM, MADE A PLAY FROM SCRATCH, FROM START TO FINISH.
SO THEY, UH, ALL THEY REALLY HAD TO DO WAS MAKE A PLAY FOR KIDS, FOR YOUTH THAT, UM, CENTERED AROUND ENVIRONMENTALISM.
WE'RE THE, WE'RE THE PARKS AND REC.
WE WANNA, YOU KNOW, FOSTER AND PROVIDE A LOVE OF NATURE.
SO, UH, THESE TEENS MADE THIS PLAY, UM, AND IT'S, UH, KIND OF AN ADVENTURE.
UH, AND WE TOOK IT AROUND AND, AND PERFORMED IN THE PARKS.
UM, AND, UH, IN THE CARVER, THAT'S THE CARVER MUSEUM RIGHT THERE THAT YOU CAN SEE THE, THEY HOUSED US, GENEROUSLY HOUSED US.
SO THEY CAN EVEN ADD PROFESSIONAL, UH, THEATER MAKER ON THEIR RESUME, WHETHER THEY'RE GOING TO COLLEGE OR, UM, PURSUING THEATER MAKING AS THEIR CAREER.
THEY, UM, IT'S, IT'S A REALLY SPECIAL, SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THEM THAT WE CAN REMOVE GATEKEEPERS IN THE ARTS.
UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE HIRED BY A PROFESSIONAL COMPANY TO BE A PROFESSIONAL THEATER MAKER OR ARTIST.
YOU JUST NEED A GROUP OF FRIENDS AND A GOOD IDEA AND A PLACE TO GO AND YOU CAN MAKE REALLY COOL WORK AND GET STARTED RIGHT NOW AS A, AS A, AS A KID AND DO IT ALL THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
I'M OVER THE ROGAN LEADERS DEPARTMENT OR RO LEADERS PROGRAM, UM, PART TOO AFTERWARDS.
UM, SO THE ROGAN LEADERS PROGRAM, UM, IS, I WANT TO GIVE A FIRST SHOUT OUT TO JUST KRISTA, 'CAUSE SHE HELPED US, LIKE, GET ON BOARD WHERE WE'RE GOING.
UM, SO TOGETHER, DAB AND MIKE AND I DECIDED TO TACKLE D FOUR, UM, IN THE LONG RANGE PLAN STRATEGIES, D 4.2.
UM, AND SO THAT'S TO EXPAND THE LOW CROSS PROGRAMMING THAT WE DO OFFER FOR FREE.
AND SO TO DO THAT, UM, WE WANTED TO CUSTOMIZE THE EXPERIENCE FOR EACH OF OUR STUDENTS COMING IN, UM, GIVING THEM A CHANCE TO DEVELOP THEMSELVES AND, UM, AND EVERYTHING THEY MIGHT NEED FROM
[00:25:01]
MIDDLE SCHOOL TO COLLEGE AND JUST GETTING THEM PREPARED FOR LIFE.UM, SO WHETHER THAT'S COOKING, FINANCIAL SKILLS, UM, WE, UM, THIS YEAR WE HAD A, A UNIQUE, WE HAD A MISSION TO GO AHEAD AND ACTUALLY HELP KIDS GET INTO JOBS, WHICH IS WHAT DEMETRIUS WILL BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT LATER ON.
BUT, UM, I WAS REALLY, UM, INSTRUMENTAL IN JUST HELPING THEM GET READY, LIKE THEIR FIRST PAYCHECK.
UM, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO ACTUALLY COME LIKE, TO, TO JUST BE UP AT WORK AND BE YOUR TRUE SELF? AND THAT'S WHAT MY, MY GOAL WAS THIS SUMMER.
SO, UM, STARTING FROM 13 TO 15, WE GIVE 'EM A CHANCE TO JUST ADVENTURE AUSTIN, GO EXPLORE, GO SEE WHAT'S OUT THERE.
MOST OF MY KIDS GROW UP IN AUSTIN.
UM, SOME OF THEM 16, 17 HAVE NEVER BEEN TO ZILKER IN THEIR LIVES.
UM, AND THAT'S SHOCKING TO ME 'CAUSE I'M FROM HOUSTON ORIGINALLY, SO TEXAS STATE, I, I, THAT'S WHERE WE GO, YOU KNOW.
SO, UM, WE PARTNER WITH, UH, THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THIS IS ACTUALLY AT GIVENS.
TOMORROW'S PROMISE IS A NONPROFIT.
THEY HOSTED A KICKBALL TOURNAMENT.
UM, AND SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE STUDENTS, UM, THAT WE HAD THIS SUMMER OR THAT WE HAD THIS FALL, SPRING.
AND NOW THIS IS GOING INTO THE SUMMER WHERE THEY WERE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH TILT.
UM, AND THEN THEY GOT A CHANCE TO BE, BE ADULTS AND MAKE THE MONEY THAT THEY WANTED TO MAKE, BUT THEN THEY ALSO GOT A CHANCE ON THE WEEKENDS TO COME STILL BE KIDS.
AND SO THIS WAS US LEV LEVERAGING OUR PARTNERSHIPS IN THE CITY, UM, ALONG WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THIS IS, UM, PARK RANGERS, UM, AS WELL AS, UM, AQUATICS TO HELP GET THEM JOBS.
SO WE WANTED THEM, AGAIN, MY TAGLINE, WE WANTED THEM TO, WE, WELL, OUR TAGLINE IS WE CREATE COMMUNITY, BUT WE WANTED THESE KIDS TO GET A CHANCE TO ACTUALLY, UH, EXPERIENCE WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS LIKE BY BEING INVOLVED, ALSO GETTING A JOB AND HELPING OUT AT HOME.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY JUST GETTING A CHANCE TO BE KIDS AT THE END OF THE SUMMER AND ENJOY THEMSELVES.
UM, AND SO THAT'S MY PRESENTATION FOR YOU GUYS UP FOR ME.
UH, MY NAME'S DMITRI PERRY AND I OVERSEE, UH, THE TEENS IN LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM, UM, ALSO KNOWN AS TILT.
AND SO, UH, WHAT WE DO IS WE WORK WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UM, HERE LOCALLY TO GET THE YOUTH INVOLVED, UM, IN WORKING WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN OR PARKS AND CREATION DEPARTMENT SPECIFICALLY, UH, BEFORE THEY'RE 18.
UM, AS BROLIN SAID, THEY ARE IN OUR OTHER PROGRAMS. THEY'RE IN ROVING LEADERS OR THEY'RE IN TCTA BEFORE THEY COME TO TILT.
AND SO AT THIS POINT, WE'VE HAD THEM FOR A FEW YEARS PRIOR TO THEM BECOMING ADULTS.
AND SO WE HAD THE CHANCE TO DEVELOP THEM, TEACH THEM, UM, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, RESUME INTERVIEWING SKILLS, HELP THEM ATTEMPT TO GET INTO COLLEGE.
UM, AND THIS SUMMER WAS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST CLASSES.
WE ACTUALLY GRADUATED, UM, 39 STUDENTS, UM, IN THE FALL AND THE SPRING, AND YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT, THIS IS ONE OF THE PHOTOS FROM THE SPRING.
UM, THEY PARTICIPATE IN EITHER SIX TO 10 WEEK PROGRAM.
UM, AND WE TAKE THEM SHOPPING TO GET THEM READY FOR INTERVIEWING SKILLS, UM, HELP THEM GET THE CLOTHING, UH, LEARN HOW TO WRITE THE RESUME, FILL OUT THE APPLICATION, AND THEN KIND OF HELP THEM COORDINATE, UM, WORK LIFE BALANCE.
UM, BECAUSE THEY STILL ARE IN SCHOOL AND WE WANT THEM TO WORK WITH, UH, PARKS AND REC, THE GOAL IS TO GET THEM ON PAYROLL, TO GET THEM, UM, ADAPTED TO THE WORKFORCE AND THEN EVENTUALLY WHEN THEY BECOME OF AGE, THEY CAN WORK WITH PARKS REC DEPARTMENT.
SO THEY'VE BEEN WITH US OVER TIME, AND SO THIS YEAR WE'VE WORKED WITH, UH, WE'VE EXPANDED AND WE'RE NOT, NOT ONLY WITH A ISD, BUT WE'RE WITH DELL VALLEY, UM, AUSTIN ACHIEVE, UM, KIPP AND I THINK IDEA.
UM, AND SO THIS PROGRAM IS ONE THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
UM, AND THEY ACTUALLY GET TO GO AND WORK WITH THE YOUTH WITH THE SUMMER PLAYGROUNDS PROGRAM.
ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS KIND OF COORDINATE AND OVERLAP.
UM, AND THE GREAT THING ABOUT IT IS IT'S FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THEY GET TO WORK IN THE COMMUNITY AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO LOOK FOR TRANSPORTATION TO GO TO WORK.
UM, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE KIND OF DEVELOPED.
UM, AND LISTEN TO US, I KNOW WE'RE KIND OF LONG-WINDED.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING.
UM, BOARD MEMBERS, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE TEAM? JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO.
I, I DO HAVE JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION, SORRY, Y'ALL,
WELL, SOMETIMES FUNDING CAN BE CAN WE, YOU WANT ME? I WAS REALLY GONNA ANSWER NO, GO.
YEAH, SO BECAUSE WE ARE FREE PROGRAM FUNDING SOMETIMES IS LIMITED AND SO, UM, WE CAN'T REACH AS MANY KIDS AS WE'D LIKE.
UM, HOWEVER, IT'S ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENDORSE OUR PROGRAMS, UM, BECAUSE WE WOULD LIKE TO SPREAD OUT AND GET MORE KIDS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD? YEAH, I'LL SAY ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS GOING BACK TO THE BEGINNING WAS, UM, WE'RE NOT TIED TO FACILITY.
SO WE'RE AN OUTREACH TEAM, SO WE OPERATE
[00:30:01]
OUT OF A, UH, A SMALL, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OVER ON THE EAST SIDE.AND, UH, WE UTILIZE, UH, VEHICLES, VANS, WE RELY ON SPACE AT OTHER PART FACILITIES, WHICH THEY ARE GENEROUS TO GIVE US.
AND THEN, UH, LIKE WHAT RO UH, ROVING LEADERS DOES IS DEVELOP A LOT OF PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT MAYBE HAVE MORE SPACE CAPACITY IS ALWAYS AN ISSUE.
UH, THOSE SORTS OF RESOURCES, FUNDING OF COURSE.
UM, BUT YEAH, I THINK, UH, ANYTHING ELSE? THAT'S IT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANKS DANIELLE.
IF NO OTHER QUESTIONS, UM, I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ THE LETTER, UH, THAT WE PREPARED, UM, AND THEN WE CAN TAKE A VOTE ON IT.
SO THIS WAS POSTED IN BACKUP, BUT I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ IT HERE TOO.
SO, DEAR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM STAFF WE'RE WRITING TO EXTEND OUR DEEPEST GRATITUDE AND RECOGNITION FOR YOUR EFFORTS THIS SUMMER, WHICH CULMINATED IN OVER 640 HIGH QUALITY FREE PROGRAMMING HOURS BEING OFFERED FOR YOUTH AND TEENS ACROSS AUSTIN.
YOUR DEDICATION, HARD WORK, AND UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY'S YOUTH RESULTED IN AN INCREDIBLE SET OF ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE AREAS OF TEEN LEADERSHIP AND CREATIVE EXPRESSION AMONG OTHERS.
YOUR TEAM WAS ABLE TO SERVE 598 YOUTH THIS SUMMER, 112 OF WHICH WERE TEENS IN THE TEEN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM.
45 OF THOSE TEENS WERE EMPLOYED AS JUNIOR ACTIVITY SPECIALISTS IN THE SUMMER PLAYGROUNDS PROGRAM, GIVING THEM VALUABLE MENTORSHIP AND LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCES.
YOUR IMPACT ON THE YOUTH OF OUR COMMUNITY IS A TESTAMENT TO THE IMPORTANCE OF INVESTING IN YOUNG PEOPLE.
ACCOMPLISHING SUMMER PROGRAMMING IS NO SMALL FEAT, AND EACH OF YOU HAVE CONTRIBUTED IN MEANINGFUL WAYS.
YOUR EFFORTS HAVE RESULTED IN THE DIRECT MENTORSHIP AND ENRICHMENT OF ALMOST 600 YOUNG PEOPLE THIS SUMMER ALONE.
THERE IS NO LIMIT TO THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT A COMMUNITY RECEIVES WHEN THEY BELIEVE IN AND LIFT UP THEIR YOUNGEST MEMBERS.
YOU ARE A KEY PART OF THAT ADMIRABLE AND IMPORTANT WORK.
IN ADDITION TO THIS SUMMER'S PROGRAMMING, YOU WORK BEHIND THE SCENES ALL YEAR TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, AND WIDER COMMUNITY TO ENSURE EVERYONE HAS A CHANCE TO OVERCOME ANY BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION.
THE SUCCESS OF THIS SUMMER IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH DEDICATION AND COLLABORATION WITH THE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY'S YOUNG PEOPLE WHOSE FUTURES CONTINUE TO GET BRIGHTER BECAUSE OF YOUR WORK.
KINDEST REGARDS, ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND THE CHAIR AND THE ENTIRE BOARD, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING.
IT'S REALLY, I THINK AMAZING, UM, AND A LABOR OF LOVE FOR SURE.
THAT'S A LOT OF INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE THAT WERE AFFECTED BY Y'ALL'S WORK THIS SUMMER, SO THANK YOU.
UM, DOES ANYONE WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE LETTER AS WRITTEN? I MOVE, SO.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
BOARD MEMBER? FRANKLIN, ARE YOU PRESENT? YEAH.
UH, MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
[3. Presentation, discussion and approve a recommendation to Austin City Council to approve adoption of the UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum Historic, Preservation, Expansion, and Unification Plan. (Sponsors: Villalobos, Flowers) (PARD Long Range Strategies: Urban Public Spaces, Program Alignment).]
GONNA MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE.ARE THERE ANY, IS THERE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? YES, CHAIR.
WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.
UH, OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS RICHARD WEISS, AND THEN AFTER WILL BE JENNY BRANCH.
YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.
I'M RICHARD WEISS AND IT'S MY GREAT HONOR TO BE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UMOFF SCULPTURE GARDEN BOARD, UH, WHICH HAS BEEN A TREASURE TO URBAN OASIS, UH, SINCE I MOVED TO AUSTIN OVER 30 YEARS AGO.
WHEN I JOINED THE UMOFF BOARD IN 2018, THE MAJOR ITEM WE WERE LACKING TO SATISFY OUR CHARTER WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND REALIZED OUR FUTURE GOALS WAS A CLEAR VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF UMLA.
OVER THE PAST, UH, YEAR, WE WORKED WITH PAIGE AND THEIR INCREDIBLE TEAM, UH, OF CONSULTANTS TO CREATE A PLAN THAT WILL ALLOW UMLA TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY WITH MORE EXHIBITION SPACE AND EVENT SPACE.
UH, PRESERVE CHARLES, UM, LA'S HOUSE AND STUDIO, MAKE SUSTAINABLE, UH, IMPROVEMENTS TO THE GARDEN AND UNIFY THE ALMOST EIGHT ACRE CAMPUS SO THAT IT'S ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.
I COULDN'T BE MORE HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND, UH, THE UMOFF NONPROFIT.
NOW THAT WE'VE ARTICULATED OUR VISION, IT'S TIME TO BUILD THE RESOURCES TO REALIZE THIS PLAN AND IMPROVE, EXPAND, AND UNIFY THE UMLA PROPERTY.
I HOPE THE COMMISSION WILL PROVIDE A MOTION OF SUPPORT FOR OUR HPU PLAN SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH, UM, LA'S FUTURE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JENNY BRANCH.
I'M THE IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD AND, UM, I HOPE I HAVE IT IN ME TONIGHT TO JUST SPEAK OFF THE CUFF AND FROM THE HEART BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE MY LETTER WITH ME THAT I WROTE PREVIOUSLY.
BUT, UM, EXCUSE ME, I, UM, AM ECHOING SOME
[00:35:01]
OF RICHARD'S WORDS IN THAT WE HAVE BEEN JUST EXTRAORDINARILY PLEASED TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WORK SO CLOSELY WITH PAIGE.THEY'VE REALLY GIVEN OUR HPU PLAN SOME SERIOUS LEGS, AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO MAKE GREAT STRIDES ON THAT WITH OUTREACH, EITHER THROUGH, UM, OUR MEETINGS HERE AT THE CITY AND WITH VARIOUS OTHERS, UH, THAT WE'VE BEEN PRESENTING TO AND A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS.
SO, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE CITY TO, AS THEY HAVE IN EACH OF THESE MEETINGS, CONTINUE, UM, WITH, WITH GREAT, UM, ENERGY TO SUPPORT OUR MISSION AND THE WAY THAT WE'RE HOPING, UH, FOR ALL OF THE PHASES TO MOVE FORWARD, UH, LEADING US INTO A CAPITAL CAMPAIGN SO THAT WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THIS, UM, WONDERFUL GIFT THAT THE UMOFF IS TO THE CITY, EXPAND ITS RESOURCES AND BE ABLE TO REACH MORE PEOPLE.
WE'RE CONSTANTLY SURPRISED THAT, YOU KNOW, IN OUR, UH, WEDDING PLANNING AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WHEN WE SPEAK WITH PEOPLE, THAT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT AWARE OF US.
AND SO US BEING ABLE TO, UM, IN, UH, OFFER ADDITIONAL ENRICHMENT AND OUTREACH AND ALL OF THAT, UH, WE ARE REALLY HOPING TO REACH FAR MORE PEOPLE.
WE'LL TAKE THE PRESENTATIONS, MY ISAN, RIGHT? OKAY.
GOOD, GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME IS KIM MCKNIGHT AND I SERVE AS THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND TOURISM, UH, FOR THE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
THE DEPARTMENT IS EXCITED TO JOIN OUR PARTNERS AT THE UMLA SCULPTURE GARDEN AND MUSEUM FOR THE PRESENTATION OF THE VISION PLAN, WHICH HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
THIS PLAN GUIDES THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION, EXPANSION, AND UNIFICATION OF THIS LONG TIME BELOVED ARTS FACILITY, THE GIFT OF THE HOME AND STUDIO, ALONG WITH THE ART COLLECTION DATES TO 1985, NEARLY 40 YEARS AGO.
THE MUSEUM WAS OPENED IN 1991 AND FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS, THE CITY'S PARTNERSHIP WITH UMOFF SERVES AN IMPORTANT PUBLIC PURPOSE AND PROVIDES OUR CITY WITH ACCESSIBLE ARTS, PROGRAMMING, ARTS, EDUCATION, AND EXHIBITIONS FOR RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS.
THIS FACILITY IS ONE OF SEVERAL TREASURED CITY FACILITIES THAT PROVIDE ARTS, CULTURE, AND HISTORY PROGRAMMING.
OTHER SITES INCLUDE OUR MUSEUMS LIKE THE OAKWOOD CHAPEL VISITORS CENTER, ELIZABETH NAME, MUSEUM, BRUSH SQUARE MUSEUMS, AND THE OLD BAKERY, AS WELL AS OUR CULTURAL CENTERS.
THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORTS THIS PLAN AND GREATLY APPRECIATES THE EFFORTS OF OUR PARTNERS AND THE DESIGN TEAM FOR THEIR TIME AND EFFORT IN DEVELOPING THIS COMMUNITY-BASED PLAN, AS YOU WILL HEAR THIS EVENING, THE PLAN PROVIDES A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO SUSTAINABILITY, RESILIENCY, HISTORIC PRESERVATION, AND INCREASED SPACE FOR SPACE FOR ARTS AND EDUCATION.
WE ARE SEEKING THE SUPPORT OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE PARK, UH, THE BOARD COMMISSION AND COUNCIL PROCESS FOR VISION PLAN ADOPTION.
WE HAVE PRESENTED TO THE ARTS COMMISSION THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, AND THE DESIGN COMMISSION, AND HAVE RECEIVED SUPPORT FROM ALL OF THE ADVISORY BODIES.
TO DATE, I'M PLEASED TO INTRODUCE KATIE ROBINSON EDWARDS, WHO'S THE CURATOR AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AND AMANDA RACK, WHO OVERSEES, UH, OPERATIONS AND ADMINISTRATION FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND GOOD EVENING TO THE ENTIRE PARKS BOARD.
AS YOU HAVE HEARD, THE UM, LAW'S HISTORIC PRESERVATION, EXPANSION AND UNIFICATION PLAN WAS CREATED BY PAGE ARCHITECTURE FIRM AND THE UMOFF WITH GUIDANCE FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
THE FULL PLAN IS AVAILABLE IN OUR SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS THAT WERE PROVIDED TO YOU.
THE MOF IS NESTLED WITHIN AUSTIN CENTRAL GREEN NETWORK, ALONGSIDE BARTON SPRINGS, ZILKER PARK, AND LADY BIRD LAKE.
WE ARE A BELOVED 33-YEAR-OLD GARDEN AND MUSEUM WITH A MISSION TO CULTIVATE COMMUNITY CURIOSITY AND CONNECTION THROUGH NATURE CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS AND THE WORK OF CHARLES MOF.
WE WELCOME OVER 35,000 VISITORS EACH YEAR AND HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF PROGRAMS FOR ALL AGES.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CHARLES ZULO, HE STUDIED AND MADE HIS CAREER IN CHICAGO WHERE HE MARRIED A FELLOW ARTIST, ANGIE ALLEN.
FOR 40 YEARS, HE WAS A LIFE DRAWING AND SCULPTURE PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN.
THE COLOR PHOTO, UH, IN THE TOP CENTER SHOWS MOF WITH HIS MOST FAMOUS STUDENT,
[00:40:01]
FARRAH FAUCET IN CHARLES MOF STUDIO ON BARTON BOULEVARD.UMOFF HAS MORE SCULPTURE ON PUBLIC VIEW IN TEXAS THAN ANY OTHER ARTIST AND IS IN THE PERMANENT COLLECTIONS IN CHICAGO.
THE MET THE SMITHSONIAN, THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON, AND VIRTUALLY EVERY OTHER MAJOR MUSEUM IN TEXAS, WE BELIEVE HE IS ONE OF THE MOST PROLIFIC AMERICAN ARTISTS.
IN 1985, CHARLES AND ANGIE UMOFF MADE A MAJOR GIFT TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT INCLUDED THEIR HOME, HIS STUDIO, THEIR PROPERTY, AND HUNDREDS OF SCULPTURES.
THE YELLOW SECTION ON THE MAP, WHICH IS IN THE CENTER, SHOWS WHERE THE MUSEUM AND SCULPTURE GARDENS SIT TODAY, THE CITY OWNED LAND AND BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY MANAGED BY THE YUM LAW FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS THROUGH A COUNCIL SUPPORTED AGREEMENT.
HOWEVER, THAT ORIGINAL GIFT OF THE HISTORIC HOME AND STUDIO SEEN IN THE BROWN SECTION AT THE UPPER RIGHT IS NOT YET OPEN TO THE PUBLIC DUE TO INACCESSIBILITY CODE, COMPLIANCE AND NECESSARY RESTORATION.
THE HISTORIC SITE FIT SITS 50 FEET ABOVE THE GARDEN, MAKING IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO GET FROM THE CURRENT GROUNDS TO THE HOMESTEAD.
THE GREEN SECTION AT LOWER LEFT SHOWS THE TWO ACRES OF GREEN SPACE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE PROPERTY THAT IS NOT AT ALL ACCESSIBLE.
A REVISED 2014 CITY OPERATING AGREEMENT STIPULATED THAT THE UMOFF MUST PRESENT TO THE CITY A LONG-TERM PLAN TO UNIFY THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINE THE FUTURE OF THE MUSEUM, WHICH IS WHAT WE ARE DOING.
BUT BEFORE DESIGNING THE PLAN, THE UML AND PAGE COMPLETED A ROBUST COMPUTE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS FROM THAT MONTHS LONG PROCESS, THE PUBLIC IDENTIFIED THE SIX CATEGORIES OF PRIORITIES LISTED HERE ON THE TOP LEFT THAT GUIDED THE STRATEGIES OUTLINED IN THE HPEU PLAN.
IN ADDITION, THREE ESSENTIAL DESIGN GUIDELINES HERE IN THE TOP RIGHT DETERMINE THE SHAPE OF THE PLAN.
WE REFER TO OUR VISION PLAN AS A HISTORIC PRESERVATION, EXPANSION, AND UNIFICATION PLAN.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION IS IN REFERENCE TO PRESERVING THE HISTORIC STUDIO AND HOME AND OPENING THE PROPERTY TO THE PUBLIC.
AND YOU SEE THE STUDIO ON THE LEFT, THE HOME ON THE RIGHT.
THIS YEAR, THESE TWO ACRES RECEIVED A NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES DESIGNATION.
PRESERVATION OF THE STUDIO AND HOME WILL ALLOW AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT PEOPLE BACK IN THESE ROOMS JUST AS CHARLES AND ANGIE UMOFF USE THEM.
IT IS INCREDIBLY RARE TO HAVE AN ARTIST STUDIO HOME AND MUSEUM DE DEDICATED TO THEIR WORK ON A SINGLE SITE ANYWHERE, BUT WE ARE COMPETING WITH OURSELVES FOR PROGRAMMING, EXHIBITION AND RENTAL SPACE.
THE EXPANSION PIECE OF THE PLAN IS IN REFERENCE TO BOTH THE NEED FOR MORE PHYSICAL SPACE AND THE EXPANSION OF THE MANY PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER TO THE PUBLIC.
IN ADDITION TO EXHIBITING THE WORK OF CHARLES MOFT, WE ALSO SHOW WORK FROM CONTEMPORARY AND EMERGING ARTISTS AS SEEN IN THIS SLIDE.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE, UM, LAURA ESPARZA IS HAVING TAMMY RUBIN AT A FUNDRAISER AT IVESTER GALLERY ON THE 26TH.
WE'RE VERY PROUD TO BE WORKING WITH TAMMY, AS WELL AS AS ALL THESE OTHER ARTISTS THAT WE HAVE AND WILL WORK WITH.
NUMEROUS CITY OWNED MOFT SCULPTURES ARE ALSO NOW IN STORAGE.
SO AN EXPANDED UMOFF WOULD ALLOW US TO SHARE THESE OBJECTS WHILE ALSO EXHIBITING OTHER ARTISTS.
WE HAVE MENTIONED THE, HIS, UH, PRESERVATION AND EXPANSION.
THE OTHER MAJOR ENDEAVOR IS UNIFICATION.
THIS SLIDE ILLUSTRATES WHAT A FULLY UNIFIED AND EXPANDED UMOFF COULD LOOK LIKE.
THE HPEU PLAN CONNECTS THE CURRENTLY UNREACHABLE AREAS FOR A SEAMLESS AND ACCESSIBLE SITE-WIDE USER EXPERIENCE.
AND NOW AMANDA ALBRECHT WILL WALK YOU THROUGH THE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE HPEU PLAN MAKES FOR THE SITE.
THE PLAN DIVIDES THE UMLA INTO FOUR ZONES.
THE FIRST ZONE THE NATURAL ZONES SEEN HERE IS COMPRISED OF TWO ACRES OF LAND ON THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE SITE.
THE LAND IS OVERGROWN AND NOT ACCESSIBLE.
THE PLAN RECOMMENDS OPENING THESE TWO ACRES TO PROVIDE NATURAL SPACE, A TRAIL AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
THIS AREA WOULD BE FREE FOR THE PUBLIC TO ACCESS AND GIVE TWO ACRES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
THIS IS WHAT THE NATURAL ZONE LOOKS LIKE TODAY.
JUST NORTH OF THE NATURAL ZONE IS THE WELCOME ZONE WHERE VISITORS ENTER THE PROPERTY.
IMPROVEMENTS TO THIS AREA INCLUDE UPDATES AND RELOCATION OF THE CROSSWALK TO IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS AND SAFETY.
REDESIGNING THE PARKING LOT TO ENSURE A DA ACCESSIBILITY AND THE ADDITION OF A NEW BUILDING CALLED THE GATEWAY SEEN HERE ON THE FAR UPPER RIGHT.
THE NEXT FEW SLIDES SHOW CONCEPTUAL RENDERINGS OF
[00:45:01]
HOW THE GATEWAY COULD LOOK.CURRENTLY MUSEUM ADMISSION AND THE GIFT SHOP ARE LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ONLY ART GALLERY.
THE GATEWAY WOULD PROVIDE A FUNCTIONAL AND SA SAFE TICKET KIOSK AND WELCOME LOBBY ACCESSED BY THE GLASS DOORS TO THE RIGHT OF THE TICKET WINDOW.
HERE, VISITORS PURCH PURCHASE ADMISSION, HAVE CONVERSATION WITH STAFF AND PERUSE THE GIFT SHOP.
RELOCATING THESE NEW AND ESSENTIAL FUN FUNCTIONS TO THE GATEWAY ALLOWS THE EXISTING PRIMARY EXHIBIT SPACE TO BE FULLY USED AS A GALLERY SPACE.
THE UMOFF CURRENTLY HAS 411 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE AVAILABLE FOR INDOOR PROGRAMS, MEETINGS, AND RENTALS FACING THE INTERIOR OF THE GARDEN.
THE GATEWAY PROVIDES INDOOR OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS THAT WOULD ALLOW MU THE MUSEUM TO OFFER MORE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES TO CHILDREN.
THESE CLASSROOM SPACES COULD ALSO BE RENTED OUT, AN IMPORTANT REVENUE GENERATOR SUPPORTING THE ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY OF THE MUSEUM.
THE NEW STRUCTURE PROVIDES ACCESSIBLE RESTROOMS AND ROUTES CURRENTLY MISSING FROM OUR FACILITIES.
TODAY, THE PUBLIC ONLY HAS ACCESS TO THE CENTRAL AREA, WHICH IS THE GARDEN AND MUSEUM SHOWN HERE.
THE PLAN RECOMMENDS IMPROVEMENTS TO ACCESSIBILITY, WATER MANAGEMENT, AND SUSTAINABILITY THROUGHOUT THE GROUNDS.
ENHANCEMENT TO THE BORDERS OF THE SCULPTURE GARDEN WILL ALLOW FOR VISUAL CONNECTIONS FROM THE ROADWAY AS WELL.
HERE IS A GLIMPSE OF WHAT THE SCULPTURE GARDEN LOOKS LIKE TODAY.
THE LANDSCAPE CHARACTER OF THE UMLA IS TIGHTLY LINKED TO A CANOPY OF MATURE TREES, PROVIDING ESSENTIAL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES TO VISITORS AND THE DIVERSE ARRAY OF SPECIES.
YEAR ROUND, HOWEVER, THERE IS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT IN THE EXISTING LANDSCAPE, SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL HIERARCHY.
INTRODUCING MID-LEVEL PLANTING WOULD ADD TEXTURE AND COLOR AT THE EYE LEVEL AND PROVIDE BACKGROUNDS FOR SCULPTURES.
THESE PLANTS ALSO CAPTURE WATER AND PROVIDE SHELTER AND FOOD FOR WILDLIFE.
NEW GROUND COVER WOULD CREATE A GREEN MULCH AND PROTECTS ROOTS THROUGH EXTREME TEMPERATURES.
INTERCEPTS OR SLOWS RAIN FROM FALLING ON SOIL, CAPTURES WATER IN THE ROOT SYSTEM TO BE RELEASED THROUGH EVAPOTRANSPIRATION FILTERS, NUTRIENTS AND TOXINS TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY, AND ALSO PROVIDES FOOD AND NESTING MATERIALS FOR WILDLIFE LIFE.
IF YOU COULD PLAY THE VIDEO, PLEASE.
STEEP SLOPES SURROUND THE GARDEN.
RAINFALL IS INTERCEPTED BY THE EXTENDED TREE CANOPY, BUT THE SHEER VOLUME OF WATER FLOWING ONTO THE SITE ERODES SOILS, DAMAGES EXISTING WALKWAYS AND FLOODS THE SCULPTURES BELOW.
AS YOU CAN SEE HERE IN THIS VIDEO, THE RUNOFF WE RECEIVE MOSTLY FLOWS DOWN FROM BARTON BOULEVARD AS SHOWN HERE, WHICH IS THE ROAD THAT RUNS ALONG THE HIGHEST POINT OF THE UMLA PROPERTY.
THE RIGHT TWO PHOTOS SHOW AN EXAMPLE OF DAMAGE CAUSED BY STORM WATER FROM BARTON BOULEVARD.
WATER THAT DOES NOT SEEP INTO THE GROUND HERE CONTINUES INTO BARTON CREEK.
SEVERAL STRATEGIES ARE RECOMMENDED TO ADDRESS STORM WATER, INCLUDING DETENTION PONDS, GREEN MULCH, RAIN GARDENS, AND ADJUSTMENTS TO THE POND.
AND THEN AS YOU MAKE YOUR WAY THROUGH THE EXISTING GARDEN, YOU'LL COME ACROSS AN ENTRYWAY NESTLED IN THE TREES, WHICH WOULD LEAD TO THE FOURTH AND FINAL ZONE.
THIS NEW BUILDING NICKNAMED THE TREE HOUSE, WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF GETTING UP THE STEEP HILL TO THE HISTORIC HOMESTEAD AND IS KEY TO UNIFYING THE ENTIRE PROPERTY.
THE NEXT FEW SLIDES SHOW CONCEPTUAL RENDERINGS OF WHAT THE TREE HOUSE COULD BE.
THE ENTRYWAY WOULD BE MODEST AND FEATURE ADDITIONAL EXHIBITION SPACE THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR MORE OF THE MOF COLLECTION TO BE TAKEN OUT OF STORAGE AND MADE VISIBLE TO THE PUBLIC AS IT WAS INTENDED TO BE.
THE MID-LEVEL WOULD INCLUDE INDOOR EVENT SPACE TO BE USED FOR COMMUNITY GATHERING AS WELL AS A REVENUE GENERATOR TO SUPPORT THE MUSEUM'S OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE, AND PROGRAMMING BUDGET.
WE ENVISION A YEAR ROUND OPPORTUNITY WHERE THE EVENT SPACE COULD ALSO SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF OTHER ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS AT LITTLE OR NO COST.
THE SMALL THIRD LEVEL WOULD BE FLUSH WITH THE HILLTOP DRIVEWAY OF THE HOME AND STUDIO.
THE TOP LEVEL COULD CONTAIN AN INTERPRETIVE HISTORICAL EXHIBIT OF THE MLA'S LIFE LEGACY AND ARCHIVAL DRAWINGS AND SCULPTURES.
THE TREE HOUSE WOULD SIT QUIETLY IN THE TREES NOT TO DISTRACT FROM THE SCULPTURE GARDEN OR THE HISTORIC HOMESTEAD.
LASTLY, THE PLAN INCLUDES A, AN EXTENSIVE SUSTAINABILITY SECTION WITH SIX KEY IMPACT CATEGORIES SHOWN HERE IN THE LOWER LEFT.
THE MAIN STRATEGY STRATEGIES FROM EACH IMPACT CATEGORY ARE IMPROVING OCCUPANT HEALTH AND WELLBEING, ACHIEVING AN ANNUAL NET ZERO ENERGY, REDUCING EMBODIED CARBON EMISSIONS BY 50%, REPLENISHING THE MIDDLE LEVEL LAYER OF ECOLOGY WITH REGENERATIVE SPECIES TO CREATE PLANT DIVERSITY, TARGETING 100% OF THE IRRIGATION AND WATER FEATURE TO BE SUPPLIED BY NON POTABLE SOURCES
[00:50:01]
AND PRESERVING THE SITE THROUGH REGULAR RAINSTORMS AS WELL AS A 500 YEAR FLOOD EVENT.YOU CAN SEE HOW THESE SIX IMPACT CATEGORIES WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED THROUGHOUT THE SITE, WORKING TO TOGETHER TO CREATE A SITE THAT GIVES BACK MORE THAN IT USES.
ON BEHALF OF THE UMLA STAFF BOARD AND VOLUNTEERS, THANK YOU FOR LETTING US SHARE THIS PLAN.
AND I THINK WE'LL END WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
GREAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, AND I JUST WANNA SAY FOR MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS, I DUNNO IF ANYONE ELSE WAS ABLE TO, BUT I DID ATTEND A TOUR AT THE UMLA LAST WEEK.
I EMBARRASSINGLY HAD NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE.
UM, AND I I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED, UH, WITH WHAT THEY'RE DOING, BUT ALSO WITH THERE IS A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE.
UM, AND SO I'VE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE PLAN SINCE THEN.
I HOPE SOME OF YOU HAVE AS WELL.
UM, BUT I THINK I, I GOT MANY OF MY QUESTIONS ANSWERED THERE.
SO FOLKS THAT HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE GO AHEAD FOR THE PRESENTERS.
I JUST HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
UM, I NOTICED THAT, UM, DURING THE WORK SESSIONS, THERE WERE SEVERAL NAMES THAT WERE REPEATED OVER MULTIPLE SESSIONS.
DO YOU KNOW THE, THE NUMBER OF UNIQUE ATTENDEES YOU HAD FOR THOSE SESSIONS? I BELIEVE WE DO, BUT I, I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
WE CAN DEFINITELY GET THAT TO YOU THOUGH, FOR SURE.
AND THEN JUST ONE MORE QUESTION.
I, UM, WAS READING THROUGH THE MOBILITY, SO EXCUSE ME IF I MISSED THIS, BUT, UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UM, CYCLISTS OR, UH, BIKE RACKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, IS THAT IN THE PLAN? AS OF NOW, YES.
WE HAVE BIKE RACKS ON SITE, UM, AS WELL, BUT CERTAINLY, UM, THAT IS IN THE PLAN FOR SURE.
OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? HI, YES, IT'S, SORRY, GO AHEAD.
I DON'T THINK BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR WAS GONNA ASK ANYTHING.
UM, YEAH, THE QUESTION IS, UM, AND THIS MAY BE FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
UM, I WAS CURIOUS, UM, AS FAR AS THE FUNDING GOES, UM, WHAT'S IN THE PLAN FOR THE VISION PLAN? UH, WHAT, WHAT IS THE, THE AMOUNT OF THE, FROM THE PARKS DEPARTMENT THAT'S GOING INTO THE PLAN? OR IS THAT, HAS THAT EVEN BEEN DISCUSSED OR DESIGNATED IT? AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THERE ARE NO COST ESTIMATES THAT ARE SOLIDLY TIED.
UM, BECAUSE THE PLAN, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU COVERED THE PHASING, BUT THE PRIORITY PHASING WOULD BE TO HANDLE SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES AND SOME OF THE ISSUES RELATED TO STORM WATER MANAGEMENT FIRST.
NEXT WOULD BE THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMPONENT, AND THEN FINALLY WOULD BE THE EXPANSION.
AND SO IT'S GONNA DEPEND ON, YOU KNOW, THE POINT OF TIME AT WHICH THESE PROJECTS COULD BE DEVELOPED.
BUT AT THIS TIME IT'S VERY MUCH THE CONCEPTUAL PHASE.
SO NO, NO SOLID COST ESTIMATES RIGHT NOW.
AND, AND REGARDING THE, THE CONCEPT PHASE, UM, ARE, ARE, ARE THERE TREE REMOVALS PLANNED AND CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT? TALK ABOUT THAT? MM-HMM,
SO WE CANNOT SAY WITH 100% CERTAINTY EXACTLY WHICH TREES OR THE TOTAL NUMBER OF TREES THAT MIGHT BE IMPACTED.
BUT WHAT I CAN SAY WITH CERTAINTY IS, UM, WE COMPLETED, AS PART OF THE, UM, THE GETTING READY FOR THIS PLAN, WE COMPLETED A TREE SURVEY FOR THE ENTIRE SITE.
SO BASED ON THE LOCATION OF THE TWO NEW BUILDINGS THAT ARE BEING RECOMMENDED, THERE WOULD BE NO HERITAGE OR PROTECTED TREES IMPACTED BY EITHER OF THE TWO NEW BUILDINGS.
AND, AND THE REASON WE CAN'T SAY THE EXACT NUMBER OF TREES IMPACTED IS BECAUSE IT IS CONCEPTUAL AND THE SIZE OF THE BUILDING MIGHT CHANGE SLIGHTLY OR SHIFT HERE OR THERE, UM, ONCE WE GET TO THE DESIGN PHASE, BUT WE DO KNOW THE LOCATION OF ALL OF OUR HERITAGE AND PROTECTED TREES.
I CAN ALSO ADD THAT THE PROJECT WOULD GO THROUGH THE TYPICAL SITE DEVELOPMENT FA, UH, PROCESS, WHICH INVOLVES REVIEW BY CITY ARBORISTS FOR TREE IMPACTS AND MITIGATING TREE IMPACTS.
OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? OKAY.
SO, UM, I, I WOULD LIKE TO GO AHEAD, UH, AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE ADOPTION OF THE UMLA SCULPTURE GARDEN AND MUSEUM HISTORIC PRESERVATION, EXPANSION AND UNIFICATION
[00:55:01]
PLAN.IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND ANY DISCUSSION WE'D LIKE TO HAVE AS A BOARD.
IF NO DISCUSSION, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY AYE.
THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
APPRECIATE Y'ALL COMING HERE TONIGHT.
AND I THINK, UH, I THINK IT'S, SORRY, I'M LOOKING AT THE AGENDA.
I THINK IT'S BEST TO KEEP US ON THE DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I IMAGINE, HOW MANY PUBLIC COMMENTERS DO WE HAVE SIGNED UP FOR? SEVEN.
AND ARE THERE ANY SIGNED UP FOR FOUR OR FIVE? NO CHAIR.
THEN, UM, IF EVERYONE'S OKAY WITH IT, I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO ITEM SEVEN.
OKAY, THEN I THINK WE'RE GONNA BRING
[Additional Item 2]
FORWARD ITEM SEVEN DISCUSSION AND APPROVE, DISCUSS, AND APPROVE RECOMMENDATION ON THE RECRUITMENT OF AND THE PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE NEXT PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR.AND IF WE COULD HAVE THAT PUBLIC COMMENTER.
MR. BECK, OUR FIRST SPEAKER ON ITEM SEVEN IS GAIL RO ROTI.
SECOND TIME OR FIRST TIME
MY NAME IS GAIL ROTI AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING REWILD AUSTIN.
I CAME BEFORE THIS BOARD IN JUNE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS OF THE NEXT PART.
DIRECTOR, THANK YOU FOR PASSING ALONG THAT INFORMATION.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME GLARING ADMISSIONS IN THE JOB POSTING, AND WE REQUEST YOUR IMMEDIATE HELP TO INCORPORATE THE FOLLOWING IDEAS INTO THE SELECTION PROCESS.
THE EMISSIONS INCLUDE GOAL NUMBER FOUR OF THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, WHICH IS BY 2030 INCLUDE ALL CITY OWNED LANDS UNDER A MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT RESULTS IN NEUTRAL OR NEGATIVE CARBON EMISSIONS AND MAXIMIZES THE COMMUNITY CO-BENEFITS.
HOWEVER, THERE IS NO MENTION IN THE JOB POSTING OF EXPERTISE IN OR EVEN AWARENESS OF CLIMATE.
THERE IS NO MENTION OF NATURAL LANDS MANAGEMENT AND RESTORATION NOR OF BIODIVERSITY, AND THERE IS NO MENTION OF THE NEED FOR A DIRECTOR WITH A TRANSFORMATIVE VISION AROUND ALTERNATIVE FUNDING MODELS.
WE FEAR THAT THESE EMISSIONS WILL RESULT IN A NEW DIRECTOR WHO WILL LEAD AND MANAGE THE DEPARTMENT AS IT HAS BEEN LED AND MANAGED IN THE PAST, WHERE THE HUGE POTENTIAL OF PARKLANDS FOR CLIMATE MITIGATION IS IGNORED.
WHERE PARD CONTINUES TO LIMP ALONG GETTING A BANDAID NOW AND THEN, AND WHERE OUR CITY LEADERS CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE ILLUSION THAT COMMERCIALIZATION OF OUR PARKS WILL FILL THE BUDGET HOLE.
SPECIFICALLY, WE ASK THE CITY TO IMMEDIATELY COMMUNICATE WITH THE CONSULTING FIRM REF TEIS TO INCORPORATE LANGUAGE THAT ONE IS CONSISTENT WITH OUR CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, AND TWO, EMPHASIZES THE CHALLENGE OUR PARKS FACE REGARDING SUSTAINABLE EQUITABLE FUNDING.
THERE IS AN URGENCY IN OUR REQUEST BECAUSE THESE IDEAS MUST BE INCORPORATED NOW INTO THE SELECTION OF CRITERIA FOR THE INITIAL SLATE OF CANDIDATES.
THESE IDEAS SHOULD BE INCORPORATED INTO AN AMENDED POSTING INTO APPLICANT'S SCREENING CRITERIA INTO INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND INTO THE FINAL SCORING.
AND FINALLY, WE ASK THE CITY TO IMMEDIATELY FACILITATE A MEETING BETWEEN REF TELLIS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS, ESPECIALLY GROUPS FROM MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES WHO CONTINUE TO BE LEFT OUT OF KEY DECISION MAKING FOR THEIR HISTORIC COMMUNITIES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
SO I BELIEVE BOARD MEMBER REED AND BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR BROUGHT THIS FORWARD.
SO IF Y'ALL WANT TO, UH, GIVE SOME BACKGROUND.
UM, I WANNA THANK GAIL ROADIE, UM, FOR HER INPUT, UM, AND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO VISITED THE PARKS BOARD ON, UH, AT, AT OUR JUNE MEETING.
AND IF IT'S ALL RIGHT, VICE CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO READ THE RECOMMENDATION.
ARE YOU GONNA MAKE A MOTION ON IT AND THEN WE'LL DISCUSS IT DURING DISCUSSION? OR HOW DO YOU WANNA, I MEAN, IF YOU'RE GONNA READ IT, I JUST FIGURED IF WE'RE I CAN DO IT EITHER WAY, BUT I MEAN NO, IT'S OKAY.
[01:00:01]
BASED ON PUBLIC INPUT REALLY, AND ALSO ON THE FACT THAT, UM, I HAD A MEETING WITH, UM, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, STEPHANIE HAYDEN HOWARD, AND SHE HAS BEEN TAKING INPUT FROM, UH, CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, I BELIEVE.UM, SOME MEMBERS OF THE PARKS BOARD MET WITH HER AS WELL TO GIVE INPUT ON THIS JOB SEARCH AND THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR A NEW, UH, PARKS DIRECTOR.
AND I FEEL LIKE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE PARKS BOARD AS A WHOLE WEIGH IN ON AT THIS POINT IN TIME BEFORE ANY SORT OF FINALIZATIONS ARE MADE, UM, OR, UH, WITH THE APPLICANTS.
SO, UM, YES, I'LL MAKE A MOTION AND I CAN READ THE SURE.
MAKE A MOTION THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD RECOMMENDS A, THE AUSTIN CITY MANAGER AND REF TELLIS, THE FIRM, THE CONSULTING FIRM INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING, PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS FOR DIRECTOR AND PARKS OF PARKS AND RECREATION IN THEIR CANDIDATE RECRUITMENT APPLICATION.
REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR APPLICANTS AND SCREENING PROCESS NUMBER ONE, KNOWLEDGE OF ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF PERMANENT CITY FUNDING FOR PARKS, PARKLAND, ACQUISITION, PRESERVATION, AND MAINTENANCE.
NUMBER TWO, A CLEAR AND TRANSFORMATIVE VISION OF HOW TO ACHIEVE PERMANENT, SUSTAINABLE, EQUITABLE, AND MULTIFACETED FUNDING FOR AUSTIN'S PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND ITS CITIZENS WITHOUT THE NEED TO PRIVATIZE, COMMERCIALIZE, OR CLOSE PARKS FOR DAYS, WEEKS, OR MONTHS FOR EXCLUSIVE USE.
NUMBER THREE, EXPERTISE IN CLIMATE SOLUTIONS IN TERMS OF DROUGHT, FLOODING, AND THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT.
URBAN PARKS SERVE TO MITIGATE THESE CLIMATE IMPACTS AND ARE ESPECIALLY CRITICAL AND UNDERSERVED AREAS.
NUMBER FOUR, UNDERSTANDING OF AN ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, PARTICULARLY GOAL NUMBER FOUR, WHICH WAS MEN MENTIONED BY A SPEAKER BY 2030 INCLUDE ALL CITY OWNED LANDS UNDER A MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT RESULTS IN NEUTRAL OR NEGATIVE CARBON EMISSIONS AND MAXIMIZES COMMUNITY CO BENEFITS.
NUMBER FIVE, EXPERTISE IN NATURAL LANDS MANAGEMENT, INCLUDING REWILDING IS A NATURE-BASED SOLUTION THAT WORKS TO ENHANCE, NOT REPLACE RECREATION AND PROGRAMMING.
NUMBER SIX, DEMONSTRATED ABILITY TO PRIORITIZE ACCESS TO NATURE, SHADE BIODIVERSITY IN PLACES TO SWIM FOR THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS.
THESE PROVIDE NUMBER SEVEN, EXPERIENCE WORKING ACROSS CITY DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS WATERSHED PROTECTION, TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC WORKS, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, A PD, NOT LIMITED TO THOSE TO ACHIEVE COMMON GOALS.
NUMBER EIGHT, EXCELLENCE IN BEST PRACTICES OF ONGOING EQUITABLE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
NUMBER NINE, A CLEAR TRACK RECORD IN TRANSPARENCY, ETHICS, AND INTEGRITY.
AND SECONDLY, THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD RECOMMENDS THE AUSTIN CITY MANAGER ASKED COMMUNITY GROUPS TO MEET DIRECTLY WITH CONSULTANT REF TELLIS REGARDING THE RECRUITMENT OF A NEW DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION.
IS THERE A SECOND FOR BOARD MEMBER READS ITEM SO WE CAN HAVE DISCUSSION? I SECOND.
OKAY, WE CAN OPEN IT UP, UM, FOR DISCUSSION.
UH, I DO HAVE A, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT I CAN START WITH, UH, FOR BOARD MEMBER READED AND BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR, I GUESS, AND I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'VE OBVIOUSLY HEARD A LOT OF COMMENTARY ABOUT, UH, DIFFERENT OPINIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT WHAT THE PARKS AND REC RECREATION DIRECTOR, WHAT QUALITIES THEY SHOULD HAVE, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE CITY HEAR THAT.
I GUESS I HAVE A, A COUPLE OF CONCERNS THAT MAY BE TALKING THROUGH THIS WILL HELP ME ADDRESS.
THE FIRST ONE, UM, IS THAT THESE ARE VERY SPECIFIC PIECES OF FEEDBACK WHICH WE DID HEAR.
UM, SO I HEAR THAT I, WE'VE DEFINITELY HEARD ALL OF THIS FEEDBACK BEFORE, BUT I GUESS MY CONCERN IS BY NATURE OF IT BEING SPECIFIC FEEDBACK, IT'S A, IT'S SPECIFIC TO THE PEOPLE WHO GAVE IT, AND THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF FEEDBACK WE DIDN'T HEAR.
UM, AND SO I'M A LITTLE, I FEEL A LITTLE WARY ABOUT RECOMMENDING SPECIFIC FEEDBACK FORWARD WHEN I KNOW THERE'S PROBABLY OTHER FEEDBACK OUT OUT THERE THAT'S NOT INCLUDED OR THAT MAY EVEN BE IN, IN OPPOSITION TO SOME OF THESE.
BUT THEN MY SECOND CONCERN IS A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, AND I APOLOGIZE, BUT KIND OF PARLIAMENTARY, WHICH IS, UM, THIS FEELS, I I ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS RELATED TO THE WORK WITH THAT WE DO, BUT IT FEELS A LITTLE WEIRD TO ME JUST BECAUSE THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT WRITES THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS.
AND I GUESS I, I DON'T KNOW, IT FEELS SOMEWHAT UNCOMFORTABLE TO ME THAT LIKE THE JOB DESCRIPTION IS OUT THERE, THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS NOT A DEPARTMENT THAT
[01:05:01]
YOU KNOW, WE ARE DIRECTLY, YOU INFLUENCING, RIGHT.WROTE THE DESCRIPTION AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE IS HIRING THE POSITION AND WE ADVISE CITY COUNCIL.
SO I GUESS I'M JUST FEELING LIKE A LITTLE BIT, LIKE I QUITE DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND WHERE THIS FITS.
SO IT'S KIND OF TWO SEPARATE CONCERNS, UM, WHICH YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ADDRESS, BUT MAYBE OTHERS CAN WALK ME THROUGH THEIR THINKING AND HELP WITH THAT.
UM, AFTER HAVING MET WITH ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, STEPHANIE HAYDEN HOWARD, UM, SHE SAID THAT THE, WHAT WAS WRITTEN UP IN THE JOB SEARCH AND ALSO IF YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE, IT'S IN THE BACKUP TO READ REP'S, UH, DESCRIPTION IN THEIR POSTING.
THERE ARE SOME VERY SPECIFIC POINTS, AND THIS WAS ACCORDING TO THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, BASED ON MEETING WITH QUITE A FEW OF THE PARKS PARTNERS AND ALSO MEETING WITH YOU AND THE CHAIR, AND ALSO MEETING WITH, UM, A FEW OTHER MEMBERS OR READING SOME OF THE INPUT FROM PAST PARKS BOARD MEETINGS AND WHERE THIS WOULD BE USED.
VICE CHAIR IS NOT NECESSARILY, UM, AT THIS CERTAIN TIME, BUT THESE, THESE POINTERS WOULD BE THINGS THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED DURING PERHAPS, UM, INTERVIEWS WITH THE PRIMARY APPLICANTS AS THEY'RE SCREENING TO TRY AND COME UP WITH A FINALIST.
AND SO ASKING A QUESTION ABOUT, WELL, DO YOU HAVE A KNOWLEDGE OF, OF, UM, ALTERNATE WAYS OF FUNDING PARKS OR HAVE YOU HAD ANY EXPERIENCE WITH THAT? UM, THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THAT WE WERE HOPING FOR.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE KEY AREAS OF FOCUS, UH, UM, THE NEXT DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION, WE'LL HAVE, UM, WHICH IS LISTED IN REF TELLIS'S POSTING, THEY ARE VERY SPECIFIC, UM, EVEN DOWN TO EXPAND PARKLAND BY ACQUIRING 4,000 TO 8,000 ACRES OF NEW PARKLAND OVER THE NEXT DECADE.
THIS IS A, THESE ARE, UM, POINTS THAT WERE LISTED BY REF TELUS, ONE OF WHICH SAYS, DEVELOP PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS BY COLLABORATING WITH PRIVATE ENTITIES AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT PARK DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRAMMING.
SO, UM, I THINK IT'S PERFECTLY FINE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, TO ADD THIS AS SOME KEY POINTERS THAT ARE OPTIONS FOR THE CONSULTANT TO GIVE THE APPLICANTS AS THEY ARE APPLYING THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AND TO FIND OUT IF PERHAPS THE EACH APPLICANT HAS ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THESE OR HAS ANY EXPERIENCE WITH THESE.
BECAUSE I DO FEEL LIKE THAT THIS, WHAT I'VE LISTED HERE ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT THE PUBLIC INPUT HAS BEEN TO THE PARKS BOARD REGARDING WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE IN A NEW PARKS DIRECTOR.
DOES THAT HELP AT ALL? I HOPE SO.
BOARD MEMBER REED, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS NOT, DOESN'T USUALLY BEAR ON MY PRESENCE HERE, BUT I DO HR AT THE UNIVERSITY.
UM, AND SO WHEN I SEE THE LANGUAGE AROUND PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS, TO ME THAT HAS A VERY SPECIFIC MEANING, WHICH, LIKE WHAT YOU DESCRIBED AS MORE ABOUT LIKE THE INTERVIEW PRO.
LIKE, AND THAT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT, RIGHT? LIKE PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS IS THE WRITTEN, LIKE WHEN YOU'RE EVALUATING A CANDIDATE, THERE'S REQUIREMENTS FOR THEM AND THEN THERE'S PREFERENCES.
AND IF SOMEONE HAS THE PREFERENCES, THEY THEN WOULD SORT OF LEAP AHEAD OF SOMEONE WHO MIGHT ONLY HAVE THE REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS.
AND SO I GUESS THAT PIECE THREW ME OFF.
BUT I ALSO WANNA SPEAK TO THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PIECE BECAUSE I DON'T DISAGREE THAT WE HEARD ALL OF THESE THINGS AND THAT IT DOES SUMMARIZE A LOT OF THE PUBLIC INPUT.
I THINK MY LARGER POINT IS ABOUT INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHICH, AND I DID, I MEAN, FULL DISCLOSURE, THE CHAIR AND I DID MEET WITH ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, HAYDEN HOWARD.
UM, CERTAINLY NONE OF MY FEEDBACK WAS AS SPECIFIC AS WHAT'S IN THE JOB DESCRIPTION.
WE WERE TALKING MORE BROADLY AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE EMPHASIZED WITH HER WAS INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DURING THIS PROCESS.
THAT WAS A HUGE PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
SO I GUESS I'M, I JUST FEEL A LITTLE BIT WEIRD ABOUT SORT OF PREEMPTING THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH SAYING, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR WHEN I DON'T THINK WE'VE DONE A FULL BREADTH OR THERE HAS BEEN A FULL BREADTH OF INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, BUT I THINK BOARD MEMBER MERIT WAS GOING TO SAY SOMETHING.
SO, AND OTHERS MAY HAVE THOUGHTS.
ECHOING SOME OF THE STUFF YOU'VE SAID, LIKE I THINK, UM, I DO THINK THIS REPRESENTS A LOT OF WHAT WE'VE HEARD, BUT I THINK THAT WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A CALL TO THE PUBLIC TO COME IN AND TALK ABOUT IT.
WE HAD REALLY, UM, ENGAGED CITIZENS THAT CAME IN AND, AND GAVE US THIS FEEDBACK, WHICH IS WONDERFUL.
IT'S GREAT THAT THEY HAVE COME AND, AND GIVE US, GIVEN US THEIR PERSPECTIVE, BUT I WORRY THAT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KIND OF INVITE THE PUBLIC TO COME AND GIVE THEIR FEEDBACK, WE ONLY HEARD FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE, UH, WHO ARE LIKE REALLY PAYING ATTENTION AND, YOU KNOW, WE, AND, AND WE DIDN'T REALLY PUT OUT AN INVITATION TO THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO IT'S, IT'S ISOLATED FEEDBACK TO ONLY THOSE FOLKS.
[01:10:01]
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE OF IT IS THAT I WONDER IF THIS SHOULD BE A RECOMMENDATION IN THIS FORMAT, AND I WONDER IF IT SHOULD BE A RECOMMENDATION TO CHANGE THE JOB DESCRIPTION.I'M NOT GONNA REPEAT WHAT YOU JUST SAID, BUT IT WILL ECHOING A LOT OF YOU.
JUST WHAT YOU JUST SAID TO ME, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD LOOK MORE LIKE A LETTER TO, UM, MAYBE PAR AND THE, UM, CONSULTING FIRM THAT SAYS, THIS IS SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE THINK WOULD BE GOOD FOR YOU TO TALK TO CANDIDATES ABOUT.
BECAUSE I, I ALSO HAVE TO DEAL WITH, UH, HR AND EMPLOYMENT AND STUFF, AND I, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR US TO BE GOING IN AND DICTATING THE JOB DESCRIPTION, BUT I DO THINK IT'S NECESSARY TO FORMALLY PROVIDE INFORMATION TO THE BOARD AND TO THE CONSULTANT FIRM ON LIKE WHAT WE ARE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO I, I MAYBE WOULD CHANGE THE FORMAT OF THIS FROM A RECOMMENDATION TO A LETTER THAT, UM, ACKNOWLEDGES THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO PERHAPS IF I CHANGE, IF WE CHANGED THE, UH, THE WORDING IN THE, IN PART A, THE AUSTIN CITY MANAGER AND REF TELLIS CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS FOR DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION IN THEIR CANDIDATE RECRUITMENT APPLICATION REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR APPLICANTS AND SCREENING PROCESS.
SO ASKING THEM TO CONSIDER, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT THE ASSISTANT MAN CITY MANAGER ACTUALLY ENCOURAGED ME TO DO AND SAID I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE PARKS BOARD AT LARGE.
AND SHE, UM, WAS I, I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S THERE RIGHT NOW, IF ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, HAYDEN HOWARD IS THERE, I CAN'T SEE.
BUT SHE'S NOT JUST FOR THE RECORD.
UM, DID ENCOURAGE ME AND SAID I AM REACHING OUT TO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
THEY DID NOT WANNA HAVE A LARGE SURVEY AS THEY DID IN 2019 WHEN THEY WERE DOING, UM, JOB RECRUITMENT TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC AT LARGE IN THE JOB SEARCH.
I'M NOT TRYING TO SAY THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE THE JOB SEARCH NECESSARILY, BUT THIS IS MORE DIRECTION TO THE OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER AND TO THE CONSULTING FIRM AS FAR, AND THEY'RE BROAD TOPICS.
THESE ARE NOT HIGHLY SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE OF AL ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF PERMANENT CITY FUNDING FOR PARKS, LIKE PARK PARKS DISTRICTS IS A VERY BROAD TOPIC.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING SUPER SPECIFIC.
AND SOME OF THESE OTHER ABOUT THE CLIMATE IN SO MUCH, UM, KNOWLEDGE OF CLIMATE IMPACT, HEAT, HEAT ISLAND IMPACT, JUST TO HAVE THIS AS A CONSIDERATION WHILE THEY ARE SCREENING APPLICANTS AND WHILE THEY ARE SPEAKING TO APPLICANTS IS PRETTY MUCH WHAT THE GOAL OF THIS RECOMMENDATION WAS.
SO I WAS THINKING IF WE, IF WE CHANGE THE WORD THE AUSTIN CITY MANAGER AND REF TELLIS CONSIDER FOLLOWING PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS FOR DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION IN THEIR CANDIDATE RECRUITMENT APPLICATION REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR APPLICANTS IN SCREENING PROCESS, WOULD THAT, WOULD THAT BE HELPFUL? YEAH, I MEAN THAT DOESN'T REALLY ADDRESS MY CONCERN.
'CAUSE I, YEAH, IT'S NOT ABOUT, AND JUST SO I'M CLEAR, IT'S NOT ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT I THINK THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BECAUSE I DO THINK IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED, BUT I THINK IT'S MORE ABOUT THIS IDEA THAT THERE'S OTHER FEEDBACK OUT THERE THAT'S NOT CAPTURED HERE.
AND BY PASSING A RECOMMENDATION THAT PREFERENCES A SET OF FEEDBACK JUST BECAUSE WE HEARD IT TO BOARD MEMBER MERIT'S POINT, IT'S SORT OF, IT, IT COULD BE PERCEIVED.
I FEEL LIKE, AND LET ME JUST BE FROM MY DISTRICT, IT COULD BE PERCEIVED BY SOME PEOPLE IN DISTRICT FOUR IF THIS WERE TO COME LATER THAT LIKE, WELL WHY DIDN'T DISTRICT, WHY WEREN'T WE INVITED TO COME GIVE FEEDBACK AND WHY WAS THIS PASSED WHEN I DON'T AGREE WITH THIS AND MY FEEDBACK WASN'T HEARD? AND SO YOU'RE ACTUALLY TO ME, DISENFRANCHISING PEOPLE A LITTLE MORE BY PASSING SOMETHING BECAUSE I DO, I DO AGREE IT'S IMPORTANT.
AND, AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT LIKE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE THERE.
I THINK THIS FEEDBACK'S VERY IMPORTANT, BUT I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE IMPACT FOR THE PEOPLES WHOSE FEEDBACK IS NOT IN THIS.
AND I DO THINK IT'S, I MEAN, FRANKLY, WE'VE ALL BEEN HERE A WHILE.
I THINK THIS DIRECTOR SEARCH IS LIKE HUGELY, THERE'S A REPAIR THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN FOR THE CITY FOR SURE IN TERMS OF PUBLIC TRUST IN THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND THE NEW LEADER.
AND I, I WORRY THAT THIS ACTUALLY UNDERMINES THAT A LITTLE.
JUST NOT FOR THE CONSTITUENT, NOT FOR THE PEOPLE WHOSE FEEDBACK IS REPRESENTED HERE, BUT FOR THE PEOPLE WHOSE FEEDBACK ISN'T.
SO THAT'S KIND OF MY, WELL, VICE, VICE CHAIR, MAY I SAY, I WOULD, I WELCOME ADDITIONAL, UM, SUGGESTIONS TO ADD FROM, FROM EVERY ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THE PARKS BOARD TONIGHT.
YOU, BUT I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR MY CASE.
I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR SOMEBODY ELSE WHO'S NOT PRESENT.
I, I WANNA MAKE A QUE I I HAVE, I HAVE, I HAVE SOMETHING TO ASK AND TO SAY.
SO VICE CHAIR, I, I, I HEAR WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING IS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE A LARGER CALL
[01:15:01]
FOR COMMUNITY INPUT AROUND THIS PROCESS.IS THAT WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING? YEAH, LIKE I WOULD BE, I WOULD BE COMFORTABLE IF WE WANTED TO REVISE THE RECOMMENDATION TO BE MORE BROAD IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, INCORPORATING NOT ONLY FEEDBACK, PUBLIC INPUT WE'VE ALREADY HEARD, BUT ALSO ENCOURAGING THE FIRM THAT THEY NEED TO GO OUT AND SOLICIT MORE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT THAT'S REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CITY.
I'M, YEAH, I WOULD BE FULLY IN FAVOR OF THAT.
SO, SO WHAT I, SO WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING IS WHAT WE COULD DO IS SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'VE HEARD SO FAR.
THESE ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'RE BASED ON WHAT WE'VE HEARD BECAUSE PEOPLE, BECAUSE I GUESS I'VE NEVER BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE WE IS, BECAUSE I DO COMMUNITY OUTREACH AS A, AS AS MY, IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I DO AS A PROFESSION.
AND I'VE NEVER HEARD OF A SITUATION WHERE WE DON'T TAKE THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK THAT WE GET BECAUSE THERE MIGHT BE SOMEBODY WHO HAS YET TO TALK, TELL US THEIR, THEIR FEEDBACK.
I GUESS I THINK THE MORE INFORMATION IS MORE POWER AND I THINK THAT WE GIVE THEM THE INFORMATION WE HAVE AND THEN WE CAN ALSO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY DO A COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY OUTREACH ENGAGEMENT.
BECAUSE I JUST, I, I, I GUESS THAT'S WEIRD TO ME.
THAT FEELS REALLY WEIRD TO ME.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN THEIR TIME AND ENERGY, PEOPLE WHO AREN'T MAKING ANY MONEY OFF OF THIS, WHO ARE COMING TO THE CITY, YOU KNOW, COMING TO OUR MEETINGS AND, AND WRITING TO US AND TELLING US, GIVING US FEEDBACK ABOUT WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE.
SO WE'RE HEARING THAT THOSE ARE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ALL OF WHICH WE ALL REPRESENT, AND TO DISCOUNT WHAT THEY'RE SAYING BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM OTHERS WHO MIGHT OR MAY OR MAY NOT WANT TO TO GIVE US FEEDBACK.
I JUST, THAT, THAT FEELS REALLY WEIRD TO ME.
I, I THINK, I THINK I HEAR, I ABSOLUTELY HEAR YOU BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR.
I THINK MY CONCERN IS THAT LIKE ELEVATING IT TO THE LEVEL OF A RECOMMENDATION THAT COMES FROM THE, THE BOARD ACTUALLY DOES SAY THE PEOPLE WHO SHOWED UP ARE THE ONES WHO ARE SORT OF GETTING PRIDE OF PLACE.
WELL ISN'T THAT HOW WE, ISN'T THAT HOW WE DO MOST OF OUR VOTES THAT PEOPLE COME, THEY COME, THEY TALK TO US AND THEN WE VOTE BASED ON WHAT WE'RE HEARING.
I MEAN, IT'S OUR JOB AS A BOARD TO REPRESENT OUR, OUR CONSTITUENTS AND, AND IF WE WE'RE, WE'RE SAYING IF WE ADD IN A RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY DO A BROADER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORT, THIS IS WHAT WE HEARD SO FAR, DO A BROADER COMMUNICATION EFFORT FOR THOSE WHO MAY OR MAY NOT PARTICIPATE AND THEN YOU CAN GET MORE INFORMATION.
SO I GUESS THAT'S REALLY BECAUSE I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYBODY ON THIS BOARD CALLING FOR UNTIL THIS POINT CALLING FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGE A GREATER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORT OR MEMBER BECKER, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO SAY? ARE YOU SPEAKING TO ME OR SOMEONE ELSE? YEAH, NO, YOU BOARD MEMBER BECKER.
UH, YEAH, SO, UH, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT I MEAN.
IF WE LOOK AT, UH, PART A NUMBER FIVE, EXPERTISE IN NATURAL LANDS MANAGEMENT, INCLUDING REWILDING AS A NATURE-BASED SOLUTION THAT WE'RE TO ENHANCE, NOT REPLACE RECREATION AND PROGRAMMING.
FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, THERE IS AN ORGANIZATION IN THIS, UM, CITY THAT FREQUENTLY PRESENTS TO THE PARK BOARD THAT IS CALLED, THAT JUST PRESENTED, THAT IS CALLED REWILD ZILKER.
AND TO ME IT IS VERY EASY TO LOOK AT 0.5 AND WITHOUT A LOT OF ADDITIONAL CONTEXT, BASICALLY ASSUME THAT WHAT 0.5 IS DOING IS PUSHING FORWARD A PARTICULAR VIEW THAT IS, UH, SORT OF OWNED AND PROMOTED BY A NONPROFIT HERE IN TOWN.
AND THAT, THAT ABSOLUTELY IS THE CASE.
BUT IT FEELS TO ME LIKE BY TAKING A SUBSET OF THIS AND PRESENTING IT AS SOMETHING, UH, AS, AS A RECOMMENDATION, IT SUGGESTS THAT WE ARE PUTTING AN EMPHASIS ON THAT ORGANIZATION, WHICH DOES SHOW UP AND PRESENT TO US AND IS OFTEN QUITE INFORMATIVE TO US QUITE A BIT.
BUT I, I DO THINK, YEAH, THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO DON'T HAVE THE TIME, DON'T HAVE THE ENERGY, DON'T HAVE THE INCLINATION NECESSARILY TO SHOW UP AND HAVE THEIR OPINIONS MADE.
THAT'S PART OF THE REASON THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GOES OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY INSTEAD OF EXPECTING EVERYBODY TO SHOW UP FOR US.
AND IT JUST FEELS LIKE RIGHT NOW THIS IS A DOCUMENT THAT'S LARGELY FOCUSED ON THE FOLKS WHO HAVE THE TIME, ENERGY, AND INCLINATION TO SHOW UP FOR US.
AND I THINK THAT IS JUST NECESSARILY TOO SMALL A SUBSET OF THE PUBLIC.
WHEN I READ THIS, I WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE THING AND THEN I GOT TO B AND I WAS LIKE, B IS AWESOME.
THE AUSTIN CITY MANAGER ASKED COMMUNITY GROUPS TO MEET DIRECTLY WITH, WELL, I DON'T ABOUT MEETING WITH THE CONSULTANT 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT VALUE THAT WOULD HAVE, BUT JUST SOME STRUCTURE OR SOME PROGRAM TO, UH, TO GET MORE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
I HEAR THAT MAYBE IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY DIDN'T WANNA DO A BIG ONE.
I THINK PUSHING FOR A BIG ONE OR A BIGGER ONE AT LEAST WOULD BE TERRIFIC.
BUT I'M ALSO, I'M COMFORTABLE IN THAT WAY.
BOARD MEMBER BECKER AND CHAIR, UH, VICE CHAIR FLOWERS.
UM, I WANNA RESTATE THE FACT THAT THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER WHO ENGAGED THE CONSULTING FIRM ENCOURAGED ME TO BRING THIS RECOMMENDATION FORWARD TO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE PARKS BOARD AT LARGE.
[01:20:01]
THE VICE CHAIR AND CHAIR HAVE ALREADY MET WITH HER TO GIVE THEIR IDEAS ON THE JOB SEARCH.MOST OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE NONPROFIT PARTNERS OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAVE MET WITH HER TO GIVE THEIR INPUT.
I BROUGHT THIS, THIS RECOMMENDATION FORWARD BASED ON INPUT THAT WE HAVE HEARD FOR MONTHS.
NOT JUST IN IN JUNE, BUT PROBABLY SINCE I'VE BEEN A PARKS BOARD MEMBER.
AND I WELCOME ADDITIONAL NUMBERS OF WHAT COULD BE SUGGESTED.
IF YOU WANNA TAKE, IF YOU THINK THAT USING THE WORD REWILDING, WHICH IS NOT THE ORGANIZATION REWILD, BUT THE TERM REWILDING IS TOO SPECIFIC FOR SOMETHING HERE, WE CAN CHANGE THAT.
BUT I THINK THESE OTHER QUALIFICATIONS ARE BROAD QUALIFICATIONS TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE SCREENING PROCESS.
UM, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, HAYDEN HOWARD ALSO TOLD ME THAT AFTER THE INITIAL SCREENING PROCESS OF APPLICANTS THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE A SPEAK UP AUSTIN OPPORTUNITY, HOWEVER, THAT WOULD BE PROBABLY WHEN THEY HAVE FEWER APPLICANTS AND MORE LIKE FINALISTS.
UM, AND THE PUBLIC WILL BE A ALLOWED TO WEIGH IN AT THE POINT WHERE THERE ARE ONE, UH, TWO OR THREE FINALISTS KIND OF LIKE THEY DID WITH UM, THE CITY MANAGER SEARCH PROCESS.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I FELT WAS VERY NECESSARY TO, AND I, ONCE AGAIN, I SAY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD OTHER THINGS? IS THERE ANYTHING MISSING HERE THAT YOU HAVE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC SINCE YOU'VE BEEN A PARKS BOARD MEMBER ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK WOULD QUALIFY THE NEXT PARKS DIRECTOR THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO ADD TO THIS? I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO CHIME IN FOR A LITTLE BIT HERE.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BRINGING FORWARD THE RECOMMENDATION.
I THINK WE DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DIRECTOR IS, YOU KNOW, CHOSEN SOMETIME SOON SO WE CAN HAVE ADDITIONAL LEADERSHIP AND ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK FROM THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
PERSONALLY, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH ANY KIND OF DOCUMENT THAT IS GOING TO PROVIDE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PARKS DIRECTOR.
I THINK THEY ARE ALL GOOD POINTS.
HOWEVER, IT HAS A VERY SPECIFIC FOCUS AND I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PARKS DIRECTOR.
SOME OF WHICH I'M SURE THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO ON, UM, THAT STAFF DO AND YOU KNOW, WE SEE A GOOD DEAL OF THOSE THROUGH OUR BOARD ACTIVITIES, BUT I DON'T PRETEND TO KNOW WHAT ALL OF THOSE QUALIFICATIONS ARE.
AND I WOULD HESITATE TO HAVE A SPECIFIC LIST BASED ON FEEDBACK, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE HEARD FROM THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE SO FAR.
UM, I DON'T THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO DELAY HIRING A DIRECTOR AND I THINK HAVING A FOCUSED POOL OF APPLICANTS MAKE SENSE SO THAT WE FIND SOMEONE THAT HAS THE INITIAL QUALIFICATIONS NEEDED.
I THINK IF WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE A SUGGESTION THAT EXTENDS THE TIMEFRAME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, ONCE THE POOL HAS BEEN NARROWED, I MEAN THERE COULD BE PEOPLE THAT APPLY THAT AREN'T QUALIFIED IN ANY MANNER WHATSOEVER.
I THINK SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE ALSO HEARD DURING PUBLIC MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, AS AN ADVISORY BOARD, IT'S ALSO OUR JOB TO SAY THOSE THINGS DURING THE PUBLIC MEETINGS, RIGHT? WE HAVE RECEIVED FEEDBACK, UM, FROM PEOPLE DURING PUBLIC COMMENT AND TO INTERIM STAFF OR THE NEW DIRECTOR OR TO OTHER STAFF, WE CAN BRING UP THESE ISSUES THAT WE'VE SEEN.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THESE ARE ALL GOOD POINTS AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN BRING UP, ASK FOR MORE INFORMATION, HAVE STAFF PRESENTATIONS, SAY THAT THESE ARE ISSUES THAT WE'VE BEEN MADE AWARE OF THROUGH MULTIPLE ISSUES OF PUBLIC COMMENT.
HOWEVER, PERSONALLY, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH ISSUING A SPECIFIC SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS AS ULTIMATELY, I'M NOT A HIRING MANAGER FOR THE CITY, BUT YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE PARKS BOARD AND YOU HAVE, WE ALL HAVE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH WHAT THE PARKS DIRECTOR OVERSEE AND WHAT THEY DO.
AND THESE ARE BROAD CATEGORIES THAT I HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD FOR US TO TRY AND APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO INITIALLY HAVE IN FRONT OF A CONSULTING FIRM THAT IS SCREENING APPLICANTS.
IT'S NOTHING MORE THAN THAT AND THIS IS NOT GOING TO DELAY THAT SCREENING WHATSOEVER.
UM, IT WAS ENCOURAGED THE ACTUAL JOB SEARCH, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO READ THE QUALIFICATIONS THAT ARE ALREADY WRITTEN UP IN REF TELLIS'S, UM, POSTING.
THOSE ARE BASED ON A ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, HAYDEN HOWARD INTERVIEWING AND SPENDING TIME
[01:25:01]
WITH THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE PARTNERS WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, WITH VICE CHAIR FLOWERS AND AND CHAIR VILLALOBOS AND WITH I THINK A FEW OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO MET WITH HER.THIS IS WHAT I HAVE HEARD FROM HER.
AND SO I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE AS A BOARD AT, AT A WHOLE BOARD GAVE SOME INSIGHT AND HAD THIS PASSED ON VIA THE CITY MANAGER AS TO REF TELL US AS THEY ARE INTERVIEWING APPLICANTS.
I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR WHAT IS, WHAT YOU THINK IS SO SPECIFIC ABOUT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU WOULDN'T BE COMFORTABLE.
IT'S NOT TRYING TO TELL THEM HOW TO DO THEIR JOB, IT'S MORE OF SAYING SOMETHING VERY BROAD THAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED WOULD BE GREAT QUALIFICATIONS IN OUR NEXT PARKS DIRECTOR.
CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT IS SO SPECIFIC ABOUT THESE? SO I JUST LIKE AN OPPORTUNITY SINCE IT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP SEVERAL TIMES AND SURE.
VILLALOBOS IS NOT HERE TO MAKE IT CLEAR WHAT WE MET WITH THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER ABOUT, IT WAS A 30 MINUTE MEETING AT 12 OR 1230 OVER THE LUNCH HOUR.
GENERALLY, SHE JUST ASKED WHETHER OR NOT WE HAD ANY FEEDBACK THAT SHE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING FOR THE PROCESS, NOT FOR THE POSITION.
I DIDN'T, I MEAN, NONE, I DON'T RECOGNIZE ANY OF THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE JOB DESCRIPTION.
I KNOW YOU'LL HAVE TO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, BUT WE MAINLY TALKED ABOUT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ACTUALLY.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THIS STILL COMES DOWN TO FOR ME.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION TO BOARD MEMBER REED AND TAYLOR IS ARE YOU OPEN TO TAKING OUT SOME OF THE SPECIFIC THINGS IN THIS RECOMMENDATION OR YOU REALLY FEEL THAT THE SPECIFIC THINGS NEED TO REMAIN IN? I MEAN, 'CAUSE THAT'S ULTIMATELY UP TO YOU, BUT I THINK THAT WE'RE HEARING FEEDBACK THAT THE SPECIFICITY, AND I KNOW YOU, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE YOU'RE UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AROUND SPECIFICITY AND I'M NOT SURE HOW TO BE, HOW TO CHANGE HOW I'M DESCRIBING IT.
I JUST DON'T THINK WE'RE COMMUNICATING CLEARLY.
BUT TO ME THESE ARE VERY SPECIFIC.
EVERYTHING UNDER A IS A VERY SPECIFIC ITEM, RIGHT? I'M NOT SAYING IT'S MORE OR LESS SPECIFIC THAN THE JOB DESCRIPTION, BUT IT'S A VERY SPECIFIC PIECE OF FEEDBACK.
AND THAT'S WHERE MY CONCERN IS, IS AROUND THE SPECIFIC PIECES OF FEEDBACK.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE OTHERS MAY SHARE THAT CONCERN.
CAN WE GO THROUGH THEM ONE AT A TIME? AND THEN, SO KNOWLEDGE OF ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF PERMANENT CITY FUNDING FOR PARKS.
WE COULD TAKE OUT THE WORD ALTERNATIVE AND SAY KNOWLEDGE OF METHODS OF PERMANENT FUNDING FOR PARKS, PARK, LAND ACQUISITION, PRESERVATION, AND SORRY, AND MAINTENANCE, JUST BOARD MEMBER REED.
I UNDERSTAND I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH ANYTHING BETWEEN THE NUMBER ONE AND THE NUMBER, THE END OF THE SENTENCE IN NINE.
LIKE IT, I, NO AMOUNT OF WORD REMOVAL IS GONNA HELP ME THERE.
IT'S THAT I WANT IT TO BE LESS SPECIFIC AND MORE FOCUSED ON GENERAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
BUT IF YOU'RE NOT AMENABLE TO THAT, THAT'S OKAY.
IT'S YOUR RECOMMENDATION, BUT I'D LIKE TO CALL A VOTE ON IT IF YOU'RE NOT AMENABLE.
I, I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S REPRESENTATIVE OF MANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT HAVE COME AND, AND SPENT TIME AND SPOKEN TO US OVER MANY MONTHS.
AND SO I, I WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE REFERRED TO THE CITY, CITY MANAGER AND TO THE CONSULTING FIRM.
AND SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING IT.
THANKS BOARD MEMBER REED AND I APPRECIATE THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOUR RIGHT TO HAVE IT AS IS.
SO I THINK LET'S GO AHEAD AND CALL A VOTE ON THE ITEM.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, IF YOU COULD PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY, AYE, I'VE GOT TWO FOLKS IN FAVOR.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
LOOKS LIKE SIX AND ALL THOSE ABSTAINING.
WE'VE GOT ONE BOARD MEMBER OR ME.
I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THIS FORWARD BOARD MEMBER REID, AND BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR.
AND IF YOU, IF THERE IS SOMETHING LATER ON IN THE PROCESS, I ENCOURAGE ANYONE HERE TO BRING THIS UP AROUND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
I DO THINK IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, SO I HOPE WE CAN SEE THAT WE ALL AGREE ON THAT PORTION, UM, OF THIS.
UH, ONE LAST THING I'D LIKE TO SAY, UM, THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER DID ENCOURAGE EACH OF US INDIVIDUALLY AND SAID SHE WOULD BE CONTACTING EACH OF US INDIVIDUALLY TO GIVE ANY INPUT THAT WE, WE WANTED TO GIVE AT THIS STAGE BEFORE OCTOBER 15TH.
I HOPE YOU WILL GIVE HER YOUR INPUT ON WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN A NEW PARKS DIRECTOR.
AND THAT IS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER HAYDEN HOWARD, FOR ANYONE WHO HAS NOT TALKED TO HER, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THAT AS WELL.
WE WILL MOVE ON TO STAFF BRIEFING ITEMS. UH, SO YEAH, STAFF BRIEFING ITEM
[4. Staff briefing on the Palm Park community engagement process and results. (PARD Long Range Strategies: Relief from Urban Life, Urban Public Spaces). Presenter(s): Lana Denkeler, Project Manager, Parks and Recreation Department; John Rigdon, Waterloo Greenway Conservancy, Laura Cortez, Cortez Consulting.]
NUMBER FOUR ON THE PALM PARK COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS AND RESULTS IS UP NEXT.THANK YOU VICE CHAIR FLOWERS AND BOARD MEMBERS, UM, FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING.
[01:30:01]
LANA DINKLER AND I SERVE AS THE PROJECT MANAGER IN THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WATERLOO GREENWAY CONSERVANCY TO DELIVER THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ALONG WALLER CREEK AND DOWNTOWN AUSTIN IS OUTLINED IN THE COUNCIL APPROVED WALLER CREEK DESIGN PLAN.OUR TEAM IS HERE TONIGHT TO PRESENT ON THE NEXT PHASE OF WORK IN THE DISTRICT, SIRTE PALM NEIGHBORHOOD PARK OR PALM PARK FOR SHORT.
UM, MORE SPECIFICALLY WE'LL BE SHARING THE RESULTS OF THE MOST RECENT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FEEDBACK RECEIVED OVER THE PAST YEAR.
AND I SAY MOST RECENT BECAUSE, UH, THE PROJECT COMPLETED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
AT THAT TIME, FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY INCLUDED A STRONG DESIRE FOR THE PARK AND THE PALM SCHOOL SITE NEXT DOOR TO SPEAK TO EACH OTHER AND TO BE CONNECTED.
UH, THE PALM SCHOOL SITE IS OWNED BY THE COUNTY AND THERE WAS SOME UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THAT SITE'S REDEVELOPMENT.
SO IT WAS DECIDED BY CITY AND CONSERVANCY STAFF AT THE TIME TO PAUSE THAT EFFORT AND WAIT FOR SOME MOVEMENT.
UM, AFTER ABOUT FIVE YEARS, THE CITY AND CONSERVANCY TEAM DECIDED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PARK, UH, WORK IN THE PARK DESIGN, AND SHORTLY AFTER THE COUNTY ALSO BEGAN TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR WORK.
UH, SINCE THEN, UH, SINCE IT HAD BEEN SOME TIME SINCE WE HAD GONE TO THE COMMUNITY AND RECEIVED THEIR FEEDBACK, IT WAS DECIDED THAT WE'D GO BACK AND DO A COMMUNITY RE-ENGAGEMENT EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE HEARD THE FIRST TIME AROUND WAS STILL WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTED TO SEE.
UM, SO WE KICKED THAT, UH, RE-ENGAGEMENT OFF LAST AUGUST IN 2023, UM, AND HAD MEETINGS THROUGH THE END OF APRIL OF THIS YEAR.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO THE WATERLOO GREENWAY CONSERVANCY'S VICE PRESIDENT OF PLANNING AND DESIGN, JOHN RIGDON, TO START THE PRESENTATION AND SHOW THE RESULTS OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORT.
ALL RIGHT, WELL THANK YOU LANA ISAN, CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME OKAY? YOU HAVE TO CLICK THE BUTTON.
CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME NOW? GREAT.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE Y'ALL AN UPDATE ON PALM PARK.
UH, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE BACK HERE AND SHARE THE RESULTS OF SOME WONDERFUL COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS WE HAD, AS WELL AS AN UPDATE ON THE DESIGN, UH, AND THE SCHEDULE OF WHERE WE'RE GOING NEXT.
UH, SO JUST FOR SOME CONTEXT, UM, WATERLOO GREENWAY IS THE 35 ACRES OF PARKS AND OPEN SPACE YOU SEE HERE, KIND OF ROUGHLY OUTLINED IN GREEN.
UH, IT'S ALONG A MILE AND A HALF OF WALLER CREEK THAT WE'RE RESTORING, AND THERE'S ABOUT THREE MILES OF ACCESSIBLE TRAILS WITHIN THE SYSTEM.
PALM PARK IS NOTED THERE IN THE BOTTOM LEFT, UH, RIGHT ALONG I 35 BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD STREET, AND IS PART OF THE SECOND PHASE OF WORK WE'RE DOING.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE UNDER CONSTRUCTION ON THE PHASE WE CALL THE CONFLUENCE, WHICH IS FOURTH STREET DOWN TO THE LAKE FOCUSED ON THE TRAILS AND CREEK RESTORATION.
AND WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH A THREE YEAR CONSTRUCTION PROCESS WITH THAT.
AND SO OUR GOAL IS TO, UH, AGAIN, BE READY TO BRING PALM PARK TO CONSTRUCTION AS SOON AS THE CONFLUENCE IS COMPLETED, HOPEFULLY IN 2026.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL PASS IT TO MY COLLEAGUE LAURA CORTEZ, UH, TO TALK ABOUT THE ENGAGEMENT WORK WE DID, UH, OVER ABOUT 10 MONTHS, UH, LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR.
SO JUST A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, BACKGROUND ON HOW THIS GOT STARTED.
AS LA LANA MENTIONED, UM, THIS WAS A REBUILD ON THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORK DONE IN 2016.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO DO AS A TEAM, UH, ALONG WITH PARD AND THE CONSERVANCY, WAS TO REALLY MAKE IT CLEAR ON WHAT WAS HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE MONTHS WE WERE DOING ENGAGEMENT.
SO THERE WAS THREE PHASES OF, OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT WAS MULTIFACETED AND MULTILINGUAL.
IT LAUNCHED IN JUNE OF 2023 WITH TWO GALLERY OPEN OPEN HOUSES.
AND THIS WAS REALLY JUST TO GROUND THE PROJECT, TO LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW THAT WE WERE STARTING THE WORK.
UM, AND IT WAS REALLY SUCCESSFUL.
UM, THE SECOND PHASE OF THE WORK WAS ENVISIONING AND THIS RAN IN FALL.
UM, AND THIS IS WHERE THE BULK OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOOK PLACE IN VARIOUS DIFFERENT ASPECTS.
WE DID SMALL GROUP CONVERSATIONS AS WELL AS MULTIPLE TABLING EVENTS.
WE ALSO LAUNCHED THE VIRTUAL SURVEY AND THEN HELD A POP-UP POP-UP ACTIVITY AT THE CREEK SHOW.
AND THEN THE LAST PHASE WAS PREPARING FOR THE VISION, UM, AND CO-CREATING AND HOLDING ONE LARGE PUBLIC MEETING, BUT REALLY WORKING THROUGH THE DESIGN PHASE AND SCENARIOS AND GETTING READY FOR THE REPORT.
THROUGHOUT THE TIME THAT WE MET WITH THE COMMUNITY, WE ENSURED THAT WE WERE CONSTANTLY REFERRING TO THE PLACE IN WHICH WE WERE IN ENGAGEMENT, AND WE SHARED THIS TIMELINE WITH THEM.
SO THEY HAD A GOOD PERSPECTIVE OF WHERE WE WERE AT THE TIME THEY WERE ENGAGING WITH US, AND THEN WHERE WE WERE MOVING TOWARDS THE FUTURE.
AS I MENTIONED, THIS WAS MULTILINGUAL, MULTI-PHASED, AND WE USED A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT STRATEGIES TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC.
WE WANTED TO DO PLACE-BASED ENGAGEMENT, MEET COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHERE THEY WERE AT, BUT ALSO
[01:35:01]
COLLABORATE WITH ORGANIZATIONS SO THAT WE COULD GO TO COMMUNITY EVENTS WHERE WE COULD MEET FAMILIES.UM, WE ALSO BLOCK WALK SPECIFICALLY IN THE AREA AROUND PALM PARK, UH, MEETING WITH CLOSE TO 500 HOMES IN THAT AREA.
AND THEN WE ALSO SPOKE WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS, MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE HAVING THOSE ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS, UM, LISTENING TO SOME OF THEIR CONCERNS AS WELL AS INCORPORATING ANYTHING THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
SO WHAT DID WE HEAR? UM, SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE DID, JUST AN OVERVIEW.
AND WE HIGHLIGHTED HERE FOR YOU, UM, THE PALM SCHOOL ALUM THAT PARTICIPATED.
WE FELT THIS WAS REALLY CRITICAL TO OUR ENGAGEMENT.
WE ALSO WORKED REALLY CLOSELY WITH TRAVIS COUNTY TEAM, INVITING THEM TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES, UM, AND ENSURING THAT THEY WERE THERE THEY COULD SHARE ABOUT WHAT THE PROJECT THEY WERE DOING WITH PALM SCHOOL.
AND I THINK THAT HAS JUST RECENTLY LAUNCHED, BUT IN TOTAL WE HAD ABOUT OVER 2000 AUSTINITES, UM, INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT.
UM, WE HAD, UM, A REALLY ROBUST SMALL GROUP CONVERSATION.
UM, WE SAW EVERYONE FROM YOUNG INDIVIDUALS, UM, YOUNG, UH, WE DID ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG ADULTS, UM, AND THEN YOUNG CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES.
WE ALSO LAUNCHED A SURVEY THAT WAS BILINGUAL AND WE HAD CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE DESIGN CONVERSATIONS.
AND THEN AS I MENTIONED, WE DID QUITE A BIT OF TABLING AND WE WERE REALLY INTENTIONAL THAT WHEN WE HAD INDIVIDUALS IN ENGAGE IN CONVERSATIONS AT THE TABLE, WE WERE RECORDING THEM AS WELL AS HAVING A POPUP EVENT THAT WAS FEATURED AT THE CREEK SHOW, WHICH WAS EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL.
SO ANOTHER THING WE WANTED TO SHARE AND BE CONSCIOUS ABOUT OUR ENGAGEMENT WAS THAT IT WAS REPRESENTED OF LOCAL, UH, RESIDENTS THAT WERE GONNA BE IMPACTED BY THIS PARK OR HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT WITH SOME TIME.
AND SO WE JUST WANTED TO SHOW HERE THIS WORD CLOUD THAT THE MAJORITY OF INDIVIDUALS WERE FROM 7 8 7 0 2, UM, HIGHLY REPRESENTED IN COUNCIL, UH, CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT NUMBER THREE.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE ALSO LEARNED THAT YOU'LL SEE HERE IS 7 8 7 4 4 AND 7 8, 7 4 7, WHICH IS THE NEW LOCATION OF THE PALM SCHOOL.
BUT MANY FAMILIES WHO LIVE CENTRAL EAST HAVE NOW MOVED SOUTHEAST.
AND SO WE WERE MEETING FAMILIES WHO SAID, OH YEAH, MY DAD OR MY UNCLE OR MY AUNT ATTENDED PALM SCHOOL, UM, AND REMEMBERED ENJOYING THE PARK.
SO WE WANTED TO REPRESENT HERE THAT BOTH IN OUR SURVEYS AND OUR SMALL GROUP CONVERSATIONS, THAT WE ARE REALLY CONSCIENTIOUS THAT WE WERE REPRESENTING THOSE FAMILIES THAT WERE MOST IMPACTED AND ENJOYED THIS PARK AND WANTED TO HAVE A SAY IN THIS PARK.
AND THEN FINALLY IN PHASE TWO, AS I MENTIONED, IS WHERE WE WERE GATHERING THE MAJORITY OF OUR DATA.
AND YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT WE HAD ABOUT 632 COMMENTS, UM, THAT WE WENT THROUGH AND PUT INTO THEMES AND MADE SURE WE SHARED WITH THE DESIGN TEAM.
BUT WE REALLY WANTED TO ASK SOME KEY QUESTIONS AROUND THIS, WHICH IS HOW DID THEY WANNA SEE THE AREA TRANSFORMED AND WHAT THE PARK SHOULD FEEL LIKE.
AND I'M JUST SHOWING HERE, WE JUST SHOWED A FEW BULLET POINTS, BUT REALLY THEY WANTED THE PARK TO BE A CULTURAL ANCHOR.
THEY WANTED IT TO BE A PLACE THAT'S WELCOME TO ALL FAMILY FRIENDLY AND ALSO SOMETHING THAT COULD PROVIDE INFORMATION AND EDUCATION AROUND THE HISTORY OF THE PARK.
AND THEN WE ALSO ASKED QUESTIONS AROUND HOW THEY WANTED TO SEE THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF PALM PARK REFLECTED IN THE DESIGN, AND THEN HOW COULD THIS SPACE BEST BE USED? AND JOHN'S GONNA BE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
BUT WE REALLY HEARD HOW WE COULD HONOR THE POOL HISTORY, HOW WE COULD CELEBRATE THE MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOW COULD WE BE CONNECTING EAST AND WEST AUSTIN? AND THEN HOW COULD THIS BE A SPACE WHERE PEOPLE COULD ACTUALLY GATHER AND BRIDGE DOWNTOWN.
AND THEN FINALLY, WE'RE JUST SHOWING YOU HERE AN OVERVIEW OF THE AMOUNT OF OUTREACH THAT TOOK PLACE DURING THIS TIME, AS LANA MENTIONED.
AND JOHN, THIS WAS ABOUT A 10 MONTH ENGAGEMENT PROCESS THAT WAS TO BUILD UPON WHAT WAS DONE IN 2016.
THESE WERE THE NUMEROUS ACTIVITIES THAT TOOK PLACE DURING THIS TIME.
AND THESE ARE JUST SOME PHOTOS OF THE ACTIVITIES WE DID.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GREEN SPACE, THAT IT WAS FUN, THAT IT WAS ENGAGING.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, WE EVEN HAD A SPACE FOR CHILDREN TO KIND OF GIVE US THEIR VISION OF WHAT THEY SAW IN THE PARK.
UM, AND THEN WE WERE JUST SO GRATEFUL TO ALL THE STAFF OF PARD AND WATERLOO GREENWAY, WHO ALWAYS CONTINUALLY OFFERED DIFFERENT IDEAS OF WAYS WE CAN INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY AT THEIR ACTIVITIES.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK TO JOHN.
GREAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH, LAURA.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUILDING ON THAT, UH, WONDERFUL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, UH, WORKING WITH OUR DESIGNERS AT MICHAEL VANVALKENBERG AND ASSOCIATES, UH, THEY BEGAN TO DEVELOP CONCEPTS BASED ON THAT COMMUNITY
[01:40:01]
FEEDBACK.SO, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANTLY, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY THE CONTEXT AROUND US, SO WE WANT TO CONSIDER THE SCHOOL BOTH ITS ITS FUTURE AND ITS, AND ITS PAST, UH, THE EXISTENCE OF THE REST OF THE WATERLOO GREENWAY THAT WE'RE BUILDING, AND THEN THE SURROUNDING THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING LIKE CAP AND STITCH AND BETTER CONNECTIVITY, EAST WEST REVITALIZATION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
SO THIS EXISTS IN A CONTEXT, UH, IN ADDITION TO ALL THE WONDERFUL FEEDBACK WE GOT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO WITH THAT CONTEXT BUILDING BOTH ON THE PHYSICAL ASSETS AND THE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS, JUST HIGHLIGHTING A FEW OF THOSE THINGS THAT REALLY CAME THROUGH IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
SO, AS LAURA POINTED OUT, OBVIOUSLY RESPECTING THE, THE PARK'S HISTORY, UH, THOSE ARE THE STORIES, BUT ALSO THE PHYSICAL ASSETS.
AND I'LL TOUCH ON SOME OF THE KEY ONES IN THE PARK.
UM, MAINTAINING A POTENTIAL CONNECTION TO PALM SCHOOL.
SO WE HAD TRAVIS COUNTY THERE, UH, ENGAGED IN OUR PROCESS, BUT WE DON'T YET KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE OF THE SCHOOL LOOKS LIKE, BUT WE WANNA MAINTAIN THE FLEXIBILITY SO THESE SITES CAN BE WELL STITCHED TOGETHER AS THEY WERE IN THE PAST.
UH, TREES, WE HAVE SOME WONDERFUL HISTORIC TREES IN THE SITE, AND THOSE WERE CENTRAL TO THE PARK'S HISTORY.
SO WE WANT TO PRESERVE THOSE AND ENHANCE THAT TREE CANOPY, UH, TO REALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT GREAT SHADE AND KIND OF BUILD THE FUTURE TREE CANOPY, CONNECTING TO THE REST OF THE PARK SYSTEM AND STITCHING THAT TOGETHER WITH AN ACCESSIBLE TRAIL NETWORK.
UH, ALSO, YOU KNOW, GETTING A LITTLE IN THE WEEDS OF PLAY SCAPE DESIGN, BUT MAKING SURE WE HAVE PLAY FOR ALL AGES AND THEY'RE APPROPRIATELY SEPARATED FOR SAFETY AND CONVENIENCE.
UH, AND THEN CAREFULLY CONSIDERING ALL OF THE EDGE CONDITIONS AROUND HERE.
WE HAVE A HIGHWAY, WE HAVE ROADS THAT ARE DRAMATICALLY CHANGING, LOTS OF CONSTRUCTION DEVELOPMENT.
SO THOSE EDGES ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER.
SO WHEN WE WENT THROUGH ALL THE COMMENTS, THE MANY, MANY COMMENTS THAT LAURA POINTED OUT, UH, A HANDFUL OF THEMES BEGAN TO EMERGE THAT THESE COMMENTS COULD REALLY BE CLUSTERED INTO.
AND, AND THOSE ARE LISTED HERE, AND I'LL WALK THROUGH SOME OF THE DESIGN CONCEPTS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT.
SO A LOT OF COMMENTS ABOUT THE TREES AND THE SHADE.
THEY PROVIDE A HUGE FOCUS ON FAMILY AND PLAY AND INTERGENERATIONAL SPACES, UH, GATHERING SPACE IN GENERAL, REALLY INFORMAL GATHERING SPACE AS A, AS A PRIME THEME HERE.
UH, PLACES OF MEMORY, REMEMBERING THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF THE SITE, AND THEN REFLECTING THE IDENTITY OF THE COMMUNITY THAT USED THE SPACE AND ALSO THE COMMUNITY THAT, YOU KNOW, WANTS TO USE THE SPACE NOW.
SO HERE'S JUST A, A CLOUD OF SELECTED COMMENTS, BUT REALLY LITERALLY TAKING ALL OF THE COMMENTS AND CLUSTERING THEM INTO THEMES, UH, WAS AN EXERCISE THAT WAS DONE TO GET US TO THIS POINT AND KIND OF HELP STEER THE CONCEPT DESIGN.
SO PARK TREES, UH, I MENTIONED SOME OF THIS, BUT WE HAVE THIS WONDERFUL EXISTING TREE CANOPY, UH, INCLUDING THESE, THIS, UH, UH, STATE CHAMPION DURAND OAK, WHICH IS THIS VERY UNUSUAL TREE YOU SEE THERE IN THE TOP RIGHT.
UH, AND THOSE TREES HAVE SERVED AS KIND OF THE, SOME OF THE MAJOR ASSETS OF THE PARK FOR GENERATIONS.
UH, SO WE HAVE THOSE TREES, BUT THEY DON'T ALONE PROVIDE ENOUGH SHADE, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE PLANTING A TREE CANOPY FOR THE FUTURE AS WELL.
SO YOU CAN SEE HERE THE PRESERVATION OF THOSE BEAUTIFUL EXISTING HERITAGE AND PROTECTED TREES, UH, BUT ALSO THE EXPANSION OF THE TREE CANOPY WITH SOME NEW PLANTINGS GOING IN.
AND THIS REALLY ADDS TO THE SIGNIFICANT PLANTING THAT'S HAPPENING ALONG WALLER CREEK.
UH, JUST FOCUSING ON THE CONFLUENCE, THIS SECTION OF THE PROJECT FROM FOURTH STREET TO THE LAKE AND THAT AREA ALONE, WE'RE PLANTING NEARLY 200,000 PLANTS AND 1600 TREES.
SO REALLY TRYING TO STITCH THAT INTO THIS LUSH CANOPY, PROVIDING SHADE AND COOLING AND REDUCING THAT URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT FAMILY SPACE.
THIS WAS PROBABLY NUMBER ONE IN IN OUR COMMENTS, UH, ACROSS MULTIPLE ERAS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
PEOPLE REALLY WANNA SEE THIS REFLECT ITS HISTORY AS A, AS A SPACE FOR THE FAMILIES TO GATHER AND, AND ALSO PROVIDE NEW AMENITIES TO SUPPORT THAT.
SO THE PARK REALLY, THE CONCEPTS REALLY FOCUS ON THIS IS AN AREA OF PLAY, UM, AND SEPARATING THOSE AGE-BASED PLAY AREAS, UM, FOR THE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, KIDS OF DIFFERENT AGES AND SIZES, UH, WITH A FOCUS ON NATURE PLAY AS WELL.
SO ONE OF THE CONCEPTS, YOU KNOW, LEARNING FROM OTHER PARK SPACES LIKE WATERLOO AND ALSO A LOT OF THE WORK THAT MVVA HAS DONE WITH THEIR OWN IN-HOUSE PLAY SCAPE DESIGNERS IS REALLY SEPARATING THOSE AREAS, BUT PROVIDING SPACES WHERE, UH, CAREGIVERS CAN SIT AND HAVE EXCELLENT VIEW OVER BOTH OR ALL OF THOSE AREAS FROM ONE SINGLE POINT, UM, SO THAT KIDS ARE SAFE AND OBSERVED, BUT CAN GO OUT AND PLAY AND ENJOY, ENJOY THE PARK.
UH, ONE REALLY COOL THING THAT KIND OF WAS, UH, EMERGED OUT OF OUR WONDERFUL, UH, ENGAGEMENT WITH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES DURING OUR INITIAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, UH, WAS A CO-DESIGN OF PLAY FEATURES WITH COMMUNITY CHILDREN.
UH, SO WE HAVE THESE WONDERFUL PLAYSCAPE DESIGNERS ON OUR TEAM, AND THEY CAN REALLY BUILD ANY CUSTOM PLAY STRUCTURE AND IT WILL COMPLY WITH ALL THE NECESSARY RULES AND REQUIREMENTS.
SO THROUGH THAT PROCESS OF THESE KIDS DRAWING ALL THESE WONDERFUL FANTASTICAL CREATURES ON THE WALLS OF OUR COMMUNITY MEETINGS, UH, WE DECIDED TO REALLY TAP INTO THAT.
AND WE DID A WORKSHOP WITH THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER SUMMER CAMP AND OUR PLAYSCAPE DESIGNERS TO CO-DESIGN, UH, ANIMALS OF TEXAS, UH, THAT WE WILL THEN WORK WITH OUR PLAY SCAPE DESIGNERS TO BUILD SOME OF THESE
[01:45:01]
CREATURES, WHETHER REAL OR FANTASTICAL, WE STILL HAVEN'T DETERMINED QUITE YET, BUT LITERALLY BUILDING FROM TWO DIMENSIONAL DRAWINGS THE KIDS DID TO MODELING THEY DID WITH CLAY, AND THEN ALL OF THOSE MATERIALS WERE PHOTOGRAPHED AND RECORDED AND GIVEN TO OUR PLAY SCAPE DESIGNERS FOR INSPIRATION SO THAT WE CAN COME BACK AND PRESENT SOME REALLY COOL, UH, PLAY FEATURES THAT WERE CO-DESIGNED BY OUR COMMUNITY AND PARTICULAR THE CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACE.UM, YOU KNOW, THIS ONE SEEMS LIKE AN OBVIOUS ONE, BUT IT WAS REALLY REINFORCED.
THIS IS A PLACE OF GATHERING, PARTICULARLY INTERGENERATIONAL GATHERING.
SO ENTIRE FAMILIES OF ALL AGES NEED PLACES WHERE THEY CAN COME AND GATHER TOGETHER.
UH, WHETHER THAT'S OBSERVING THE PLAY AREAS LIKE YOU SEE WITH SOME OF OUR TERRACE SEATING, UH, MOVABLE FURNITURE.
SO YOU CAN KIND OF CHOOSE YOUR OWN SIZE OF GROUP GATHERING.
UM, HAVING THOSE DECKS AND FLAT AREAS UNDERNEATH THE SHADE OF TREES AND THEN OPEN LAWN SPACES SO YOU CAN KIND OF CREATE YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE WITH PICNIC BLANKETS.
SO REALLY SITUATING THAT STRATEGICALLY THROUGHOUT THE PARK, LEVERAGING THAT GREAT, UH, CANOPY OF TREES, PLACES OF MEMORY.
ANOTHER REALLY IMPORTANT SET OF CONVERSATIONS WE HAD.
UH, THE PARK HAS A WONDERFUL HISTORY AND HAS SOME GREAT EXISTING HISTORIC ASSETS AND THEN HAS SOME, UH, ASSETS THAT WERE REMOVED, UH, THAT WE STILL WANT TO BE ABLE TO HONOR AND REFLECT IN THE PARK'S FUTURE.
SO ONE OF THE GREAT EXISTING ASSETS IS THIS BEAUTIFUL SHELTER HOUSE.
UH, SO THERE'S OVER A DOZEN OF THESE AROUND OUR CITY REALLY REFLECTING THIS GREAT PERIOD OF EARLY INVESTMENT IN OUR PARK SYSTEM, UH, WITH BATHROOMS WITH STORAGE.
THIS WAS A PLACE WHERE PLAYS WERE PUT ON WHERE MOVIE NIGHTS WERE HOSTED.
AND SO WE STILL HAVE A BEAUTIFUL STRUCTURE IN THE PARK.
AND SO, UH, WE WANT TO FIND WAYS TO PRESERVE THAT, UH, AND ALSO REFLECT THE HISTORY WITH SOME OF THESE, UH, FUN IDEAS FROM THE STORIES WE WERE TOLD, WHETHER IT BE FOURSQUARE IN ACTIVITIES, UH, SEATED GATHERING AREAS OR PROVIDING MORE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THOSE, UH, SMALL SCALE PLAYS AND READING AND STORY TIME AND THOSE OTHER THINGS.
ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE THE POOL.
SO DURING THE CITY'S AQUATICS MASTER PLAN, UH, THE POOL IN PALM PARK, UH, WAS SLATED FOR REMOVAL, AND THAT POOL HAS SINCE BEEN REMOVED.
HOWEVER, THERE IS A LOT OF, UH, GREAT HISTORY FOR THE COMMUNITY AND EMOTION AROUND THIS POOL AND WHAT IT MEANT TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO WHAT WE LOOK TO DO IS TAKE, UH, THAT AND THE USES OF THE POOL FOR GATHERING FOR SHADE, FOR COOLING, AND BE ABLE TO REFLECT THAT IN A STRUCTURE OR AN AMENITY IN THE PARK THAT BETTER FITS WHERE THE PARK IS TODAY WHILE STILL HONORING THAT HISTORY.
SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH IS DESIGNS OF A SHADE STRUCTURE, UH, WHERE FOLKS CAN GATHER UNDERNEATH AND THE SHADE STRUCTURE ARCHITECTURALLY, WHICH WE, WE HAVE NOT DESIGNED YET, BUT WE HAVE WONDERFUL ARCHITECTS WITH MURRAY LEG ARCHITECTURE WHO ARE WORKING WITH US, WHO WILL LOOK TO REFLECT THAT POOL, UH, PHYSICALLY IN THE DESIGN OF THE SHADE STRUCTURE OVERHEAD.
AND THEN OPPORTUNITIES FOR REALLY CREATIVE INTERPRETATION AND STORYTELLING ABOUT THE GREAT HISTORY OF THE POOL AND WHAT IT MEANT TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF A GREAT IDEA THAT CAME OUT OF THIS PROCESS IS LOOKING TO CO-CREATE THESE PORTALS INTO THE PARK.
UH, WE HAVE THESE WONDERFUL ARCHES AND PORTALS ALL AROUND OUR COMMUNITY, OFTEN MADE BY LOCAL ARTISANS.
SO LOOKING FOR WAYS WE CAN INCORPORATE THREE DIMENSIONAL ART, WORKING WITH LOCAL ARTISANS LIKE THESE ARCHWAYS OR PORTALS INTO THE PARK, CONNECTING KIND OF THOSE SIGNATURE CONNECTIONS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, UH, THROUGH THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
SO LOOKING AT, AT THOSE LOCATIONS AS WELL.
AND SO ALL OF THAT REALLY COMES TOGETHER AND YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THAT LAYERING HERE OF THOSE DIFFERENT COMMUNITY AREAS OF COMMENT AND CONVERSATION AND HOW ALL THAT STITCHES TOGETHER TO CREATE THIS, YOU KNOW, GREAT PLACE FOR FAMILIES AND CHILDREN TO ONCE AGAIN GATHER, UH, AND CONNECTED TO THE REST OF THE GREENWAY.
SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE COLOR CODED AREAS OF CONVERSATION AND, AND HOW OUR DESIGN TEAM DID A GREAT JOB OF PUTTING ALL THAT TOGETHER.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL PAUSE AND LAURA AND I ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER, UH, ANY QUESTIONS Y'ALL HAVE ABOUT THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS OR THE CONCEPT DESIGN SO FAR.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION AND THEN WE CAN OPEN UP TO WHAT ANYONE ELSE MAY HAVE.
UM, I'M CURIOUS ON THE DRAWING THAT WAS THAT LAST ONE YOU SHOWED, BUT, UM, ARE Y'ALL CONSIDERING FENCING? UH, I WAS JUST, IT'S SUCH A WEIRD, IT'S A WEIRD AREA.
I MEAN, I HAVE SMALL CHILDREN, SO EVERY TIME I LOOK AT IT, EVEN UNDER CONS, I'M JUST LIKE, OH, WOW, THAT'S SO CLOSE TO THE HIGHWAY.
SO I WAS CURIOUS IF THAT WAS FENCING THAT WAS THAT DOTTED LINE, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE YES,
SO, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S, IT'S NOT ALWAYS TYPICAL OF AUSTIN PARKS, BUT A LOT OF MORE URBAN PARKS AROUND THE COUNTRY DO HAVE FENCED ENCLOSURES, AND THAT'S ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT WITH THE DESIGN TEAM AND, AND WE'LL ALMOST CERTAINLY HAVE.
AND WE ALSO THOUGHT THAT WAS A GREAT WAY FOR THOSE PORTALS TO BE FURTHER ENHANCED IN THEIR PROMINENCE AND IMPORTANCE.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION AND THE URBANNESS OF THE SURROUNDING AREA WITH TRAFFIC AND EVERYTHING ELSE, WE ARE LOOKING AT FENCING.
OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, YEAH, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SO FIRST, THIS IS ABOUT THE, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND THE OUT OUTREACH FOR PHASE TWO.
[01:50:01]
IT SAYS THERE WERE 1055 PARTICIPANTS FOR THE CREEK SHOW, SO OVER HALF OF YOUR TOTAL CONTEXT WERE AT THE CREEK SHOW.I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE EXTREMELY PROUD OF, UH, BOTH THE 2000 TOTAL AND, AND THE THOUSAND AT THE CREEK SHOW, AS WELL AS THE SMALLER CONVERSATIONS WE HAD.
UH, WE HAVE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FOLKS JOIN US FOR CREEK SHOW, WHICH IS OUR LIGHT-BASED ART INSTALLATIONS.
UM, AND THAT TERMINATED IN WATERLOO PARK.
SO WE HAD THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THE BROADER WATERLOO GREENWAY PLANS, AND WE SET UP A, AN EXERCISE WITH A THREE DIMENSIONAL MODEL, UH, INSIDE OF, UH, WHAT WE CALLED OUR CREEK SHOW LOUNGE.
UH, AND WE DID A SORT OF PAIRED DOWN VERSION OF SOME OF THE SURVEY DATA THAT WE GATHERED, UH, WITH THOSE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHEN THEY CAME INTO THE CREEK SHOW LOUNGE.
AND IT WAS KIND OF A DOT DEMOCRACY EXERCISE WHERE WE HAD STICKERS AND SOME CHOICES ABOUT, UH, WHAT WE'D ALREADY HEARD FROM THE, THE PREVIOUS, UH, YOU KNOW, THOUSAND PLUS COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ENGAGED WITH US.
AND IT HELPED US REALLY FOCUS FURTHER AND GATHER SOME ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK FROM FOLKS WHO MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO JOIN US AT THOSE OTHER CONVERSATIONS.
SO IT WAS A, A QUICKER ENGAGEMENT, BUT SOMETHING CERTAINLY BUILT ON THE SURVEYS AND OTHER, UH, WORK WE'D DONE OVER THE PAST, YOU KNOW, SEVEN, EIGHT MONTHS BEFORE THAT.
AND, UM, CAN I ASK ONE MORE QUESTION OR SEVERAL PLEASE? SORRY.
UH, I ATTENDED, UM, I ATTENDED THE MEET AND GREET FOR THE STEERING COMMITTEE FOR, FOR PALM SCHOOL, AND I WANTED TO ASK HOW WATERLOO GREENWAY PLANS TO WORK WITH THE STEERING COMMITTEE, UM, BECAUSE OF THE HISTORIC, UH, KIND OF, UM, UH, CONJUNCTION BETWEEN PALM SCHOOL AND PALM PARK.
WILL YOU BE WORKING WITH THE STEERING COMMITTEE FOR PALM SCHOOL TO ENSURE A SEAMLESS HISTORIC CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TWO ENTITIES? YEAH, GREAT QUESTION.
UH, MY COLLEAGUE, EFEN VELES IS BACK BEHIND ME HERE AND HE IS ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE, UM, AND IS ALSO THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR, UH, PALM PARK FOR WATERLOO GREENWAY.
SO THAT'S A GREAT WAY FOR US TO ENSURE THAT CONNECTION.
ALSO, AS LAURA MENTIONED, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY JOINED US FOR NEARLY EVERY ENGAGEMENT AND WE WERE ABLE TO SHARE UPDATES ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT PROCESS.
UM, AND WE HOPE TO CONTINUE THAT ON THE FLIP SIDE, UH, WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THEIR MEETINGS UPDATED ABOUT, UH, PALM PARK.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE BRING THESE THINGS TOGETHER AND, AND, AND THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE BECAUSE THAT REFLECTS WHAT WE'VE HEARD FOR YEARS AND I THINK WE HAVE SOME GREAT OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THAT BUILT INTO HOW WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER.
UM, CAN I ALSO ASK IF YOU'VE DONE ANY RESEARCH, UM, ON THE PROJECTED, UH, PARK USE THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE PARK USERS? WE'VE NOT DONE ANY RESEARCH ON THE PROJECTED FUTURE DEMOGRAPHICS OF PARK USERS.
BUT YOU HAVE HAD A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH, UM, THE, THE, UM, HISTORIC COMMUNITIES WHO, UM, UH, I CAN SEE THIS FROM YOUR, FOR, FROM YOUR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
SO A LOT OF, A LOT OF, UM, CONTACT WITH, UH, THE MEXICAN AMERICAN FAMILIES AND, UH, THE HISTORIC COMMUNITIES THAT WERE AT PALM PARK AND PALM SCHOOL.
AND I'LL ALSO ADD, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH ADJACENT NEIGHBORS, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS TO, TO UPDATE THEM AS WELL.
AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE EXCITING THINGS ABOUT THE, THE ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY AT CREEK SHOW IS THAT'S ALSO A VERY BROAD CROSS SECTION OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM THE SURROUNDING AREA AND ALSO JUST FOLKS WHO WANT TO HAVE A, A GOOD TIME AT A FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTIVITY.
SO WE HAD A PRETTY WIDE RANGE OF COVERAGE IN OTHER AREAS AS WELL IN TERMS OF OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS, MAYBE THIS IS TOO EARLY IN THE STAGE, BUT UM, DO YOU HAVE THE INTERPRETIVE PLAN FOR PALM PARK ALREADY READY TO GO? THAT'S, UH, THAT ENSURES THE HISTORIC INTEGRITY OF THE PARK? DO YOU HAVE AN INTERPRETIVE PLAN? NO, NOT YET, BUT WE, WE DO HAVE A, A, A WONDERFUL HISTORY REPORT THAT WE PUT TOGETHER FOR THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.
UH, THAT HELPED INFORM SOME OF THE, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS WE DID.
AND THAT SERVED AS KIND OF A, A NICE GROUNDING DOCUMENT FOR THE INTERPRETIVE HISTORY WE'VE DONE IN, IN WATERLOO PARK AND ARE LOOKING TO DO IN THE CONFLUENCE.
SO WE'LL CERTAINLY BUILD ON THAT, BUT WE ALSO GOT SOME, SOME NEW LEADS DURING OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS WE WANNA WORK ON AND BUILD ON THAT.
BUT THAT WILL COME, UH, WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DESIGN.
OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT THAT I APPRECIATED, UM,
[01:55:01]
POINTING OUT WHEN THE ALUMNI WERE INCLUDED IN THE SMALL GROUP CONVERSATION, SURVEYS, DESIGN INFORMATION, UM, AND ALSO JUST SEEING THE PICTURES, UM, REALLY HELPS, UM, KIND OF JUST FULFILL, FULLY TELL THE STORY OF WHO WAS INVOLVED.AND HAVING, HAVING KIDS I THINK IS REALLY CRITICAL, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE GONNA BE GROWING UP IN THESE SPACES AND REALLY USING THESE SPACES AND, UM, TAPPING INTO THAT CREATIVITY, UM, IS JUST, UM, SOMETHING I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT I'M SEEING, UH, THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING IN THE DESIGN PHASE.
SO REALLY APPRECIATE THAT TOO.
IT WAS ALSO REALLY FUN FOR US, SO WE WERE GLAD TO DO IT.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? OKAY.
[5. Staff briefing on Parks and Recreation Department community engagement events, planning updates, development updates, maintenance updates, program updates and administrative updates. (Sponsors: Villalobos, Flowers).]
MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM FIVE, THE STAFF BRIEF BRIEFING.CAN YOU HEAR ME? GOOD EVENING.
MY NAME IS ANGELA MEANS THE INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
I HAVE A FEW ITEMS THAT I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU ALL THIS EVENING.
UH, FIRST WE ARE CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF ONE OF OUR BELOVED FRIEND AND COWORKERS, MR. WILLIAM MILLER, WHO PASSED AWAY LAST MONDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 16TH.
UH, WILLIAM WILL BE REMEMBERED AS A DEDICATED TEAM MEMBER OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
HE WORKED AT MORRIS WILLIAMS GOLF COURSE, ENJOYED WORKING AND PLAYING AT THE GOLF COURSE.
HE DEDICATED 20 YEARS TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND HE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED BY THE PARD FAMILY.
FUNERAL SURFACES ARE HELD, WILL BE HELD TOMORROW, OR I'M SORRY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 25TH AT THE CORINTH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH.
THE SECOND ITEM THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL IS SPARTAN SPRINGS POOL REOPENED TO THE PUBLIC ON SEPTEMBER THE 19TH.
FOLLOWING QUICK ACTION TO REPAIR TWO HOLES THAT FORMED IN THE ABANDONED SKIMMER PIPE AND CREATED A SAFETY HAZARD.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE PARTNER DEPARTMENTS THAT COLLABORATED WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ON THE REPAIRS.
THEY INCLUDED THE AUSTIN WATER DEPARTMENT WATERSHED PROTECTION, THE CORPORATE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE, AND THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION STAFF, PARTICULARLY THE AQUATICS DIVISION FOR THEIR TREMENDOUS WORK, ENSURING THE POOL OPENED TO THE PUBLIC QUICKLY, BUT WE WERE DOWN FOR ALMOST THREE WEEKS.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO PROVIDE A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL CONCESSION LOCATION.
WHAT I, UM, DISCUSSED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO IS THE DEPARTMENT WITH IDENTIFY POTENTIAL ALTERNATIVE LOCATIONS.
WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF ASSESSING THOSE LOCATIONS.
WE HAVE IDENTIFIED BETWEEN FOUR TO EIGHT SITES THAT WILL BE EXPLORED.
THE THE DEPARTMENT IS MEETING WITH THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL EARLY NEXT WEEK TO PRESENT THE POTENTIAL LOCATIONS.
IF AN ALTERNATIVE LOCATION IS IDENTIFIED AND SUITABLE FOR THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL, THE DEPARTMENT WILL CONDUCT A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS OVER THE NEXT 60 DAYS.
WE WANNA HEAR FROM ALL VOICES OF THE COMMUNITY.
THIS PROCESS WILL BE VERY TRANSPARENT.
THROUGH THIS PROCESS, WE WILL GATHER COMPREHENSIVE INPUT TO HELP INFORM THE SELECTION OF A SUITABLE LOCATION WITH THE GOAL OF RETURNING BACK TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD TO PROVIDE A SUMMARY OF OUR SELECTION PROCESS BY THE END OF 2024.
AND I WILL NOT HIGHLIGHT THE REST OF THE, UM, REPORT.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO, TO REVIEW IT.
WE DO HAVE A LOT OF ACTIVITIES THAT WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT.
MEANS DID, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON WHAT DIRECTOR MEANS REPORTED OUT ON OR ANYTHING INCLUDED IN HER REPORT? CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION? UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, ONE OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS BROUGHT UP THE CONCEPT OF THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL PROJECT BEING PUT ON HOLD.
WHILE ALL OF THIS IS FIGURED OUT, I ASSUME THAT WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT NO FURTHER DEVELOPMENT WOULD HAPPEN OR MOVE FORWARD AT THE PROPO AT THE INITIAL SITE UNTIL IT'S KIND OF CONFIRMED WHAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
IS THAT ACCURATE? THAT'S CORRECT.
THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
I JUST WANNA THANK DIRECTOR MEANS FOR, UM, FOR FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH OUR RECOMMENDATION FROM THE LAST PORT PARKS BOARD MEETING ABOUT THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL AND REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR WORKING VERY HARD WITH THE COMMUNITY TO, TO TRY AND FIND A SUITABLE ALTERNATIVE LOCATION.
UM, AND APPRECIATE YOUR KEEPING US UPDATED ON, ON THE PROCESS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? OKAY, THANK YOU DIRECTOR MEANS.
[02:00:01]
SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR AGENDA ITEMS FOR TODAY.[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
WE HAVE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST OR PROPOSE? I HAD ONE THOUGHT.I FEEL LIKE I'M TALKING A LOT TONIGHT.
UM, I WAS WONDERING IF IT'S TOO EARLY TO START LIKE FORMING A BUDGET WORKING GROUP TO START THINKING ABOUT THAT.
'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE THE NEW YEAR'S GONNA HIT AND THEN WE'RE GONNA WANNA YEAH, IT'S A FAIR QUESTION.
UM, I THINK IT DEPENDS ON, I MEAN, WE CERTAINLY CAN, I MEAN WE CAN FORM THE WORKING GROUP ANY TIME, BUT I THINK IT TIM, IS THERE A LIMITATION ON HOW LONG A WORKING GROUP CAN RUN? IT'S A YEAR, MAYBE NOT.
TYPICALLY JUST AS LONG AS IT'S STILL USEFUL.
TYPICALLY, TYPICALLY A WORKING GROUP WOULD, WOULD EXIST FOR LIKE THREE TO SIX MONTHS.
UM, SO IF THE BOARD IS INTERESTED, BUT THERE'S NOTHING STOPPING US FROM IF WE WANTED TO START A WORKING GROUP NOW, LIKE IT DOESN'T HAVE A TIME, AN EXPLOSIVE TIME BOMB THAT GOES OFF IN THE BYLAWS.
IF YOU DON'T
YOU'RE NOT AWARE OF ANY EXPLOSIVE TIME BOMB IN THE BOTH.
I THINK FORMING A WORKING GROUP IN OCTOBER IS, IS PERFECTLY INBOUNDS.
SO I THINK PROCEDURALLY WE COULD DO IT WHENEVER.
I THINK THE MAIN ISSUE YOU'LL FIND IS YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO GET ANY ENGAGEMENT ON THE CITY STAFF SIDE.
'CAUSE THEY WON'T, IT'S TOO EARLY FOR THEM TO KNOW ANYTHING.
BUT IF WE WERE TRYING TO ORGANIZE OUR OWN INTERNAL THOUGHTS, I THINK WE CERTAINLY LIKE YOU.
THERE'S NOTHING PREVENTING US, I DON'T THINK.
YEAH, THAT'S KINDA WHAT I WAS THINKING WAS LIKE STARTING TO LIKE GET, TRYING TO LIKE COMPILE OUR LIST OF PRIORITIES BASED ON WHAT WE'RE HEARING OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR SO THAT WE'RE READY WHEN THE CITY COMES OUT WITH PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION.
I MEAN WE COULD PUT IT ON THE, THE AGENDA FOR NEXT TIME, THE DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE BUDGET WORKING GROUP.
OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? I HAVE ONE IN THE WORKS, UM, RIGHT NOW AND IT CONCERNS THE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL AND THE LANDSLIDE ISSUE AND I MAY BE ABLE TO JUST BRING THAT FORWARD AS, UH, HOPEFULLY, UM, FOR IT IT WOULD BE A STAFF PRESENTATION.
IF NO OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, I'LL ADJOURN THE MEETING.
IT'S 8:03 PM THANK YOU EVERYONE.