Oct 28, 2024 Parks and Recreation Board

CHAIR.

WE HAVE 10 PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.

BEFORE WE GET TO THEIR NAMES.

I WANTED TO LET, UH, BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN KNOW THAT THE CAMERA SYSTEM HERE AT CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS IS BEING A LITTLE FINICKY.

AND SO FOR TONIGHT, WE'RE ONLY GONNA HAVE THE WIDE ANGLED VIEW OF THE ENTIRE DEUS.

OUR FIRST SPEAKER DURING GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT IS GOING TO BE, UM, LARRY AKERS.

AFTER LARRY WILL BE KATHY COCO, AND THEN JERRY COCO.

YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN.

BOARD MEMBERS, I'M LARRY AKER.

I'M PRESIDENT OF THE FRIENDS OF THE PARKS OF AUSTIN, BUT I'M ALSO VERY INTERESTED IN, IN TRANSIT AND AN ASPECT OF A PROPOSAL THAT WE HAVE, UH, BEEN PROMOTING THAT CAN BE USED TO RELIEVE, WE BELIEVE, A SERIOUS PARKING PROBLEM AT ZILKER PARK, MICHAEL BUTLER PARK, AND OTHER HEAVILY USED PARKS WHERE THERE'S, UH, LIMITED, UH, PARKING COMPARED TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO COME.

THAT PROPOSAL IS WHAT WE'RE CALLING HYBRID PUBLIC TRANSIT, UH, FOR AUSTIN.

AND WE BELIEVE THAT IT'S, UH, A LESS COSTLY, MORE EXTENSIVE, MORE USABLE, MORE, UH, EQUITABLE AND MORE FORWARD LOOKING MODEL OF TRANSIT, UH, FOR THE CITY.

IS THIS HOW I, UH, MOVE THE SLIDE PROJECTOR? IS THAT RIGHT? OKAY.

SO WHAT IS IT? WHAT'S A, IT'S A HYBRID OF WHAT BASICALLY TWO MAIN COMPONENTS, UH, RAPID BUS SYSTEM FOR, UH, HEAVY, UH, HEAVY DENSITY, HEAVY DEMAND CORRIDORS.

WE ALREADY HAVE, UH, SOME OF THOSE, UH, WITHIN THE CITY.

AND THEN PROJECT CONNECT.

THERE'S, UH, UH, PROPOSALS TO ADD MORE OF THEM, AND WE SEE THIS AS, AS AN EXCELLENT WAY TO MOVE A LOT OF PEOPLE, UH, IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.

BUT EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THIS CITY, WE WANT TO PROVIDE ON DEMAND MICRO TRANSIT.

AND, UH, WE BELIEVE BY DOING THAT, NOT ONLY CAN WE MOVE PEOPLE FROM ANYWHERE IN THE CITY TO ANYWHERE THEY WANT TO GO, BUT WE CAN ALSO PROBABLY STREAMLINE AND ELIMINATE SOME OF THE, UH, FIXED RATE, FIXED ROUTE, UH, BUS, BUS ROUTES THAT WE HAVE.

HAVE.

SO WHAT IS ON-DEMAND MICRO TRANSIT, BASICALLY, IT'S A, A FLEET OF, UH, OF MINIVANS TYPICALLY, UH, 10 SEAT EVS THAT ARE USED FOR SHARED DOOR TO DOOR RIDES, SUMMONED INDIVIDUALLY ON AN, ON AN UBER-LIKE APP, UH, FROM, UH, UH, FROM A CELL PHONE OR BY PHONE CALL.

AND UNLIKE WHEN THE PROJECT CONNECT PROPOSAL WAS PUT TOGETHER, THE TECHNOLOGY IS AVAILABLE NOW FOR DISPATCHING SYSTEMS THAT CAN, CAN LOCATE THE AVAILABLE VANS, UH, CALIBRATE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE MOVING ALONG A PARTICULAR ROUTE AND CREATE AN OPTIMAL, UH, DYNAMICALLY CREATED OPTIMAL ROUTE FOR PICKING UP AND DROPPING OFF THOSE PEOPLE WHERE THEY WANT TO GO.

UH, IT CAN BE INTEGRATED WITH THE RAPID BUS SYSTEM IN THE SENSE THAT IF IT'S FASTER, UH, TO DROP SOMEBODY AT A RAPID BUS STOP, THEN, UH, THEN TO TAKE THEM DIRECTLY TO THEIR DESTINATION, THEN THAT TRIP CAN BE OFFERED AS AN OPTION, UH, WHEN THE, WHEN THE USER BRINGS UP THE APP.

SO IT'S BASICALLY, UH, A SYSTEM OF, OF UBER-LIKE TRANSIT, UH, THAT IS ALREADY ACTUALLY BEING USED IN THE CITY.

UH, WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED PICKUP, UH, ZONES AROUND THE FRINGE OF THE CITY.

IS, IS THAT MY TIME? YES, SIR.

HAVE GREAT HILLS PARK, WE HAVE TO DRIVE THERE.

KATHY CAN PICK UP, UH, WHERE I LEFT OFF.

THEN OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE KATHY COCO, FOLLOWED BY JERRY COCO.

HELLO, MY NAME'S KATHY COCO AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT 10.

AND, UH, AS YOU KNOW, UM, LARRY'S PROPOSING A SOLUTION.

SO YOU SAY, OKAY, WELL, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM? WHAT PROBLEMS DO WE HAVE WITH THE PARKS? WELL, I WOULD SAY ONE PROBLEM IS, IS HOW DO YOU GET TO THE PARKS? AND RIGHT NOW, FOR THE MAJORITY OF US, WE HAVE TO TAKE OUR CARS IN D 10, WE HAVE BULL CREEK PARK, WE

[00:05:01]

SO HOW DO WE GET THERE WHEN WE DRIVE EASY ENOUGH? BUT HOW DO WE, WHEN WE GET THERE, HOW DO WE PARK? AND IT GETS VERY CROWDED.

SO I'VE LIVED IN AUSTIN 32 YEARS, AND IN 32 YEARS, THE PARKS HAVEN'T GROWN.

THE PARKING SPACES HAVEN'T GROWN IN MY AREA, BUT THE PEOPLE HAVE GROWN.

WE'VE GOTTEN MORE AND MORE PEOPLE WANTING TO USE THE PARKS, AND I BELIEVE EVERYBODY HERE IS GOOD STEWARDS AND WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE THAT.

SO HOW DO WE DO THAT? HOW CAN WE GET MORE PEOPLE TO THE PARKS EASILY AND EFFICIENTLY WITHOUT HAVING MORE PAVEMENT TO GET THERE? SO THIS SOLUTION IS, IS I THINK, VERY GOOD FOR HOW TO GET, ESPECIALLY IN D 10.

UM, LARRY BRIEFLY MENTIONED PROJECT CONNECT.

AS YOU KNOW, IN D 10, WE DON'T HAVE THAT THERE, SO IT DOESN'T HELP FOR US TO GET ALL THE MASS TRANSIT OR PUBLIC TRANSIT THERE, BUT THIS SOLUTION CAN DO IT.

I CAN CALL SIMPLY ON MY PHONE, HAVE THEM COME PICK ME UP AND BRING TO THE PARK.

THE SECOND PROBLEM THAT THIS, UM, SOLUTION THAT LARRY IS PROPOSING SOLVES IS ACTUALLY, UM, THE SAFETY OF THE PARKS.

UM, I, I'VE HAD VISITORS COME HERE.

I'VE HAD, UM, MY HUSBAND AND I, JERRY MENTOR, UM, STUDENTS THAT HAVE NOW COME BACK.

THEY STAY AT OUR HOUSE, WHICH IS LOVELY, AND I WAS SHOCKED WHEN THEY WENT TO THE PARK AND THEN THEIR, WITHIN 10 MINUTES THEY HAD THEIR CAR BROKEN INTO.

SO I SAID, WOW, THIS IS A PRETTY WEIRD OCCURRENCE.

NO, IT ISN'T.

I WENT TO A, A TOWN HALL WITH ALLISON ALTER AT MONT PINAL.

APPARENTLY THEY'RE BREAK-INS EVERY DAY.

AND SO WE HAVE, UM, A VERY GRACIOUS NEIGHBOR WHO GOES EVERY DAY TO WALK AROUND DALE PARK AND GOES THROUGH THE GARBAGE THERE LOOKING FOR PURSES, COMPUTER BAGS, AND EVERYTHING THAT'S JUST BEEN DUMPED AND STOLEN.

AND WE DON'T HAVE A SOLUTION FOR THAT.

SO I THINK THIS IS A REALLY GOOD ANSWER.

WE WON'T HAVE BREAK-INS TO CARS.

WE WON'T, WE WON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE PARKING SOLUTION.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU KNOW, CHILDREN, TEENAGERS, AND OTHER PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A CAR, IT'S ALMOST AN EQUITY ISSUE FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO USE THE PARKS.

AND NOT ONLY THE PARKS, BUT ALSO THE POOLS.

I GREW.

UM, MY CHILDREN GREW UP HERE USING, UM, THE POOLS IN, UM, NORTHWEST AUSTIN, AND WE WOULD GO, UM, TO, UH, THE POOLS, UM, OFF OF BURNETT ROAD IN THE NORTHWEST PARK.

SO I THINK THAT THIS IS A GREAT SOLUTION THAT SOLVES MANY PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE IN, UM, IN OUR GREAT CITY.

AND I FEEL LIKE, UM, YOU ALL CAN, UM, HELP SUPPORT THIS TYPE OF SOLUTION TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE.

AND THIS WILL GET US, UM, IT'S AN IMPLEMENTABLE SOLUTION WITHIN A YEAR, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE FIRST RAIL TO OPEN, WHICH I THINK IS 2036.

SO, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE JERRY COCO.

I CAN'T FOLLOW THAT.

UNDERSTOOD.

UH, OUR NEXT SPEAKER THEN WILL BE, UH, JERRY JOE BENSON, FOLLOWED BY LAURA ESPARZA AND THEN LUCKY LAMU.

UH, MY NAME IS JERRY JOE BENSON, AND I WANTED TO SPEAK ON THE VOLLEYBALL, SAND VOLLEYBALL COMMUNITY, AND SOME PLACES THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO THE, UH, PARKS THROUGH THAT, UH, PROGRAM.

UM, SO WE HAVE AN ESTIMATED ABOUT 8,000 ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN THE SAND VOLLEYBALL COMMUNITY.

12 PLUS PRIVATE COMPANIES USE OUR FACILITIES.

UH, AND JUST THIS YEAR, THE PRO VOLLEYBALL CIRCUIT CAME BACK TO AUSTIN AFTER BEING GONE FOR TWO YEARS.

UH, THERE'S A STRONG VOLLEYBALL CULTURE HERE.

UH, UT WOMEN WON NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS THIS YEAR IN OUR, THE CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIPS.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY AROUND THIS.

UM, AND WE HAVE SOME GREAT FACILITIES, BUT THEY COULD USE SOME WORK.

UM, , UH, THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A ANIMATION.

UM, BUT YEAH, SO WE HAVE A VERY LARGE COMMUNITY.

UH, THIS IS ROUGHLY ABOUT THE THREE FOURTHS OF THE SIZE OF , THE, UH, MARATHON COMMUNITY.

UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT PARKS HERE.

UM, AND SO IT'S, IT'S MORE ABOUT WHAT WE CAN KIND OF DO RIGHT NOW IS IMPROVING CURRENT FACILITIES.

UH, I'VE KIND OF IDENTIFIED SIX, UH, CURRENT PARKS THAT HAVE SAND VOLLEYBALL COURTS ON THEM, BUT THAT ARE IN NEED OF IMPROVEMENT, UH, IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS.

SO PEACE PARK, WALNUT CREEK, UH, MUELLER, WHICH IS ALSO MARY ELIZABETH, DICK NICHOLS, AND CRAIG FIELD IN GARRISON PARK.

CRAIG FIELD AND ZILKER ARE OBVIOUSLY OUR PREMIER COURTS, UH, HAVING THE MOST, UH, THE OTHER COURT, UH, OTHER COURTS ARE A LITTLE BIT SMALLER AND NOT AS BIG, UH, BUT CRAIG FIELD, IT CERTAINLY HAS THE NICEST COURTS.

THEY HAVE LIGHTS, THEY HAVE NICE SAND, THEY HAVE, UM, GOOD NETS.

AND THE NETS ONE IS KIND OF A BIG, UM, CHALLENGE THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY FACING.

UH, NONE OF THE COURTS, EXCEPT FOR CRAIG, AND YEAH, JUST CRAIG, HAVE ADJUSTABLE NETS.

UM, THIS MEANS THAT IT'S ONLY PLAYED AT ONE HEIGHT, SO THIS WOULD BE LIKE HAVING A LOPSIDED BASKETBALL NET THAT'S SET FOR MEN.

UH, ONLY MEN CAN PLAY ON THAT.

UM, IT'S NOT, THERE'S DIFFERENT HEIGHTS FOR WOMEN FOR CO-ED, FOR YOUTHS.

[00:10:01]

UH, AND SO RIGHT NOW THESE NETS ARE REALLY NOT USEFUL TO A COMMUNITY.

UM, AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE NEED TO, TO HAVE ARE SHADE AND WATER CONNECTIONS.

OBVIOUSLY, TEXAS IS A VERY HOT, UM, STATE BEING OUT ON THE SAND CAN BE VERY ROUGH ON PEOPLE.

UH, I KNOW THAT PARKS HAVE IDENTIFIED BUILDING MORE SHADE STRUCTURES, SO THIS IS A WAY THAT WE COULD FIND IMPROVEMENTS.

UM, AND ZILKER COURTS, WHILE OFTEN UNAVAILABLE TO, DUE TO EVENTS LIKE ACL AND TRAIL OF LIGHTS, TRYING TO FIND OTHER PLACES THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN STILL PLAY.

UM, SO EASY WINS.

DICK NICHOLS HAS GREAT LIGHTING, GOOD SANDS, BUT NEEDS BETTER NETS.

SAME THING WITH MUELLER.

UH, PEASE DISTRICT HAS SPACE IN EXISTING COURTS, AND IT'S USED OFTEN, UH, BUT THIS IS A PLACE THAT COULD USE SOME REVAMP AS WELL AS WALNUT CREEK AND GARRISON HAVE SPACE FOR, FOR EXPANSION AND NEED REVAMP.

UM, CRAIG FIELD IS GONNA BE COMING.

DOING IS DUE FOR, UH, AN IMPROVEMENT PROJECT KIND OF OVERALL.

THE, UH, DRAINAGE STRUCTURE THERE IS IN, IN NEED OF IMPROVEMENT IN THE CITY, HAS SET ASIDE FUNDS AND IDENTIFIED IT TO GET IMPROVED.

BUT THIS IS A, A PLACE THAT WE CAN, WE NEED SHADE STRUCTURES.

UM, I HAVE A PICTURE HERE OF SHADE STRUCTURES, OOPS.

FOR THE BASEBALL COURTS, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

CAN YOU, CAN YOU EMAIL THAT TO MR. BECK, YOUR POWERPOINT? I'M SORRY.

CAN YOU EMAIL YOUR POWERPOINT TO MR. BECK? SURE.

YOU CAN.

YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET IT TO US.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE LAURA ESPARZA, FOLLOWED BY LUCKY LAMU, AND THEN MALCOLM YATES.

GOOD EVENING, UH, COMMISSIONERS.

MY NAME IS LAURA ESPARZA, AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF FRIENDS OF THE DOHERTY.

UM, WE ARE AN ALL VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION THAT FORMED ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO TO SUPPORT THE DOHERTY ARTS CENTER AND THE DOHERTY.

UM, THE, THE FRIENDS OF THE DAC HAVE COLLECTED NOW OVER 500 SIGNATURES ON A PETITION ASKING CITY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT THE COMPLETION OF THE DOHERTY REPLACEMENT PROJECT.

WE ARE ULTIMATELY ADVOCATES FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE DOHERTY ARTS CENTER.

SO IF YOU HAVE NOT, UH, BEEN FAMILIAR WITH THIS HISTORY, IT'S A LONG HISTORY.

UM, THE DOHERTY ARTS CENTER HAS HAD SEVERE MAINTENANCE ISSUES, UH, FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.

IT'S AN 80-YEAR-OLD NAVAL RESERVE CENTER, UM, THAT EXPERIENCES FREQUENT FLOODING AND IS AN ENERGY SIEVE.

IT JUST, UH, FOUR HVACS AND SIX WINDOW UNITS.

UM, IT HAS A LOT OF FAILING SYSTEMS, DISINTEGRATING PLUMBING, ROOFS, STRUCTURAL AND 88 ISSUES.

UH, AND IN, IN THE COURSE OF A SEVEN YEAR PERIOD OF TIME, 2,555 DAYS, IT HAD OVER 3,500, UH, MAINTENANCE ISSUES.

THAT'S MORE THAN ONE A DAY THAT INTERRUPTED PROGRAMMING OR INTERRUPTED USE OF SOME OF THE FACILITY.

AND SO, PART HAS BEEN MARVELOUS.

THEY'VE JUST BEEN FANTASTIC IN ADDRESSING ALL OF THESE ISSUES FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

SO FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS, THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS WITH, UH, A, UM, A CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT IN 2010, A BOND PROGRAM IN 2012.

IN 2015, A, UM, A FEASIBILITY STUDY IN 2017, AN ARCHITECTURAL PROGRAM IN 2018, UH, ANOTHER BOND OF 25 MILLION, AND THEN A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT WENT ON AND ON AND ON.

UM, AND, UM, THE, UM, APPROVAL OF ULTIMATELY OF THE SITE AT BUTLER SHORES RIGHT BEHIND PARD, MAINE.

SO A LOT HAS HAPPENED TO COMPLETE THE DESIGN, TAKE IT ALL THE WAY UP THROUGH CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS.

WE WERE RE READY TO PERMIT WHEN WE WERE STOPPED AT THE DOOR, AND WE COULD NOT GO TO PERMIT.

AND THIS IS AFTER $4.6 MILLION WORTH OF DESIGN AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.

SO, UM, IN 2024, UM, JESUS GARZA SUGGESTED THAT WE SHELVE THE DESIGN AND START ALL OVER AGAIN, UH, WITH A NEW DESIGN AND A NEW COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

AND WE'RE SAYING NO.

UH, WE'VE SPENT 4.6 MILLION ALREADY ON THIS, AND WE WANNA MOVE ON.

UM, LUCKY LEMU WILL COVER THIS SLIDE.

UM, THE PROJECT CHALLENGES, UH, CONTINUED TO MOUNT, UH, CONSOLE, EXPANDED THE PROJECT SCOPE, ADDING AN UNDERGROUND, UM, PARKING GARAGE.

COVID, OF COURSE DOUBLED CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND MADE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES.

AND SO THIS IS WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING.

SO I'LL HAVE HAND IT OVER TO LUCKY LAMU.

LUCKY THANKS.

OKAY, I CAN DO THAT.

UM, GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY.

I, MY NAME'S LUCKY LAMU.

[00:15:01]

I'M PRESIDENT OF THE FRIENDS OF THE DOHERTY ART CENTER.

AND, UH, THANK YOU LAURA, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

UM, I'VE BEEN AT THIS A LONG TIME AS WELL.

I'VE BEEN PRESIDENT FOR OVER, I GUESS, ALMOST 15 YEARS.

AND FROM THE BEGINNING OF ESTABLISHING THE NEED FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AND THE REBUILDING OF THE DOHERTY ART CENTER, UM, WE'VE BEEN THERE, ACTUALLY, YOU'VE BEEN THERE THROUGH ALL OF IT TOO.

THE, UH, THE NEED HAS BEEN WELL ESTABLISHED.

THE SITE HAD BEEN SELECTED, THE, THE DESIGN PLANS, WE'VE BEEN TO ALL THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETINGS.

SO I SAW THE PARKS AND REC BOARD YEARS AGO.

UH, AND CITY COUNCIL WAS AT THE BOND ELECTION.

SO PROJECT WAS ALREADY AT THE END AND IT WAS PUT ON HOLD.

YES, COVID HAPPENED.

AND YES, THERE WAS A REDESIGN, UH, WHERE THERE WAS A UNFUNDED MANDATE FOR THE PARKING GARAGE UNDERNEATH.

BUT TRUTH BE TOLD, DECEMBER, UM, 20, UH, I GUESS MARCH, 2024, THE PROJECT WAS PUT ON HOLD BY THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.

WHAT'S REALLY CRAZY AND WHAT REALLY, UH, GETS US IS COUNCIL, WHEN THIS CAME BACK, LOOKING AT THE RESOLUTION, THE RESOLUTION NUMBER, UM, IT'S LONG, RIGHT? BUT DECEMBER, UH, 2022, DECEMBER 8TH, COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY PASSED A RESOLUTION THAT SAID THAT HE DIRECTED THE CITY MANAGER TO PROCEED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE DOHERTY ART CENTER WITH WITHOUT A REDUCTION IN THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT, THE THEATER OF THE GALLERY, THE SCHOOL, KEEP IT TOGETHER, AND LET'S GET ON WITH IT.

RIGHT? AND THEN LET'S LOOK FOR FUNDS TO FINISH THAT PROJECT IN THE 2024 GENERAL BOND.

WELL, OF COURSE, THAT WAS KICKED DOWN THE ROAD, AND NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT 2026.

SO EARLY, WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING IS TO MOVE THE PROJECT FORWARD.

OUR PARTNERS AT PARD HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL.

THE DESIGN STILL, THE SITE'S THERE, THE DESIGN IS STILL VALID.

UM, IT CAN BE, THE DESIGN CAN WORK EVEN WITHOUT THAT UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE, OR IF THAT'S FUNDED, THAT CAN HAPPEN.

BUT WE DO, UH, EITHER WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS A COMMITMENT BY COUNCIL TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.

IT'S BEEN, WHAT, 15 PLUS YEARS? THE BUILDING'S FALLING INTO THE GROUND.

THERE'S DEMAND.

EVERYBODY LOVES THE PROJECT.

THERE'S NO DEBATE ABOUT THE BENEFITS AND, AND THE, THE WILL OF THE PROJECT, BUT IT STUCK.

AND WE NEED TO GET IT UNSTUCK.

AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TO ASK FOR YOUR HELP AND, UH, TO SUPPORT NOT ONLY THAT RESOLUTION, UH, THE COUNCIL HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO ACT ON THAT.

'CAUSE THE CITY MAN, THE FORMER ACTING CITY MANAGER, PAUSED THAT.

BUT AGAIN, NOW, UH, TIME TO MOVE FORWARD, YOU SUBMITTED A RECOMMENDATION AND, AND THE RECOMMENDATION HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO COUNCIL AGAIN, TO CONSIDER THAT, TO THE PARKS BOARD.

TO THE PARKS BOARD AS WELL.

WE HAVE ONE SUBMITTED, BUT WE WANNA MOVE FORWARD AND ALSO PRO, UH, SUPPORTING AN ALTERNATIVE MARKETING SOLUTION, AND TO ASK FOR FUNDING FOR THE REST OF THE FUNDING.

WE'VE HAD APPROVAL TO END THE 2026 BOND, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING, LIKE, PLEASE, PLEASE MOVE THIS FORWARD.

IT'S SUCH A GREAT PROJECT AND A GREAT CITY NEED THAT'S BEEN THERE, AND SO MUCH HAS BEEN DONE.

GOING BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL.

EVEN PAR OUR, OUR PARTNERS PAR UH, AGREE WITH THAT.

SO I THINK THAT IS WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR.

AND AGAIN, ANYBODY ELSE WHO'S HERE, WE HAVE A PETITION OUT THERE, AND WE'RE FRIENDS OF THE DAUGHTY.COM.

WHEN, WHEN YOU SAY THE, SORRY, WHEN YOU SAY THE PETITION OR THE RESOLUTION, THAT'S BEEN, WAS THAT THE ONE YOU EMAILED? WE, WE, UH, YES.

I, I SUBMITTED A RECOMMENDATION TWICE.

THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONE I GOT, RIGHT? YES.

THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION PASSED IT.

THAT'S THE ONE YOU GOT.

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS ON THE SAME PAGE.

AND THEN WE HAVE A COMMENT, UH, OR A QUESTION FROM BOARD MEMBER REED.

I WAS JUST GONNA ASK IT.

THE PRESENTATION COULD BE SENT TO US AS WELL.

AND, UM, ON DEMAND MICRO TRANSIT, FOR PARKING.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR, AND THEN WE HAVE A, A QUESTION FROM BOARD MEMBER.

NO.

SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO CLAIM UTILITY EASEMENTS AND CONVOLUTED SHAPES AS RECREATIONAL FACILITIES.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE MALCOLM YATES, FOLLOWED BY ED MILLER AND THEN DIANA PROCTOR.

MY NAME IS MALCOLM YATES.

I'M THE CHAIR OF THE EAST RIVERSIDE OLD TURF COMBINED CONTACT TEAM.

THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF PARKLAND DEDICATION PROJECTS IN THE EAST RIVERSIDE AREA THAT INDICATE THAT MORE TRANSPARENCY AND CITIZEN OVERSIGHT IS NEEDED IN THE PARKLAND DEDICATION PROCESS.

IRAQ ASKED THE AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOODS COUNCIL TO REVIEW SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, AND A NC HAS APPROVED A RESOLUTION REQUESTING MORE CITIZEN OVERSIGHT OF THE PARKING PARKLAND DEDICATION PROCESS.

I WILL PRESENT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TONIGHT, BUT FIRST, I WANTED THE PARKS BOARD TO UNDERSTAND WHY IRAQ AND A NC BELIEVE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE NEEDED.

THESE FOUR EXAMPLES ARE ALL IN THE EAST RIVERSIDE AREA BETWEEN PARKER LANE AND SOUTH PLEASANT VALLEY ROAD.

THIS IS THE PARKS DEPARTMENT MAP SHOWING THESE PARKS.

THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE NEWEST PARK EDITION IN THE EAST RIVERSIDE AREA, THE ROYAL CREST POCKET PARK.

THIS LAND WAS DEDICATED AS A PARK IN 2021 FOR ONE OF THE NEW APARTMENT BUILDINGS BEING BUILT ON RIVERSIDE DRIVE.

NOTE THE STRANGE SHAPE OF THE PARK.

THIS IS AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE ROYAL CREST POCKET PARK.

IT IS A UTILITY EASEMENT.

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE ABUSE OF A DEFINITION OF A PARK.

DEVELOPERS

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THIS IS THE WOODLAND POCKET PARK AT WOODLAND AND ROYAL CREST ALSO ACQUIRED IN 2021.

IT IS A RESIDENTIAL LOT OF ONE THIRD OF AN ACRE WITH NO IMPROVEMENTS.

THIS IS THE STREET VIEW OF THE WOODLAND POCKET PARK.

THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD DID NOT REALIZE THIS VACANT LOT WAS THEIR NEW PARK.

THE PARKS DEPARTMENT DID NOT NOTIFY THE ROCK CONTACT TEAM OR THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF THIS PURCHASE OR INSTALL ANY SIGNS.

THIS IS THE PARK DEPARTMENT DESCRIPTION OF THE WILLOW CREST GREEN BELT.

NOTE THAT THIS GREEN BELT IS PRIVATELY OWNED AND NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

THIS IS THE AERIAL VIEW OF THE GREEN BELT.

IT IS A DRAINAGE DITCH IN A NARROW UTILITY EASEMENT BETWEEN TWO LARGE APARTMENT COMPLEXES.

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE ABUSE OF THE DEFINITION OF A GREEN BELT.

THIS PHOTO IS THE NEW FOUR STORY APARTMENT COMPLEX BEING BUILT AT WILLOW CREEK AND RIVERSIDE DRIVE.

THE PARKLAND DEDICATION FEES FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT FUNDED IMPROVEMENTS IN THE HOLLY SHORES AT TOWN LAKE PARK.

THIS PARK IS NORTH OF LADY BIRD LAKE IS IN A DIFFERENT PARK PLANNING AREA AND IS NOT WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF THE APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT GENERATED THE FUNDS.

THE HOLLY SHORES AT TOWN LAKE PARK IS OVER A MILE AWAY FROM THE DEVELOPMENT THAT FUNDED THE IMPROVEMENTS IS AND IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LAKE.

THIS IS THE AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL RESOLUTION APPROVED SEPTEMBER 25TH, 2024.

THE RESOLUTION LISTS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING THE PARKLAND DEDICATION PROCESS.

YOU SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WAS SENT TO YOU IN AN EMAIL ACCOUNT.

THESE ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE A NC RESOLUTION.

THIS IS A LIST OF THE ACTIONS REQUESTED BY IRAQ CONTACT TEAM AND THE AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL.

WE REQUEST THAT THE PARKS BOARD REVIEW THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE A NC RESOLUTION AND THEN APPROVE A COUNCIL COMMITTEE AGENDA ITEM.

REQUEST THAT, REQUEST CITY COUNCIL TO TAKE ACTION ON THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.

THANK YOU FOR THE SERVICE TO, FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE ED MILLER, FOLLOWED BY DIANA PROCTOR AND THEN RY RUDDER.

I I HAVE A, JUST A QUICK QUESTION FOR THIS IS A REALLY QUICK QUESTION ON THOSE AERIAL VIEWS THAT YOU SHOWED US.

HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU GONE TO SEE, 'CAUSE SOMETIMES AERIAL VIEWS ARE OUTDATED.

I WAS WONDERING IF THOSE ARE UP TO DATE OR IF YOU HAD GONE TO SEE THE EASEMENT OR ANYTHING? IF, IF, IF, IF IN FACT, IT DOES LOOK LIKE THAT, RIGHT? I LIVE IN THE AREA, SO I DRIVE BY THESE.

GOOD EVENING ON THE DAAS.

I'M ED MILLER.

I'M ALSO WITH E ROCK.

AND UH, I WANT TO TALK TO PARK AND RECS ABOUT THE FACT THAT EAST RIVERSIDE DOESN'T HAVE ANY PARKS OR RECREATION AND NEEDS IT.

YOU'VE GOT THE MOST DENSE POPULATION.

IT'S ESSENTIALLY ZIP CODE 7 8 7 4 1 50,000 PEOPLE IN EIGHT SQUARE MILES.

SIMPLE MATH SHOWS.

THAT'S 6,000 PEOPLE, A SQUARE MILE, 90% LIVING IN APARTMENTS, MOST WITH A SIX MONTH LEASE, WHICH MEANS THERE'S A BIG TURNOVER OF PEOPLE COMING AND GOING.

IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT EAST RIVERSIDE IS THE HIGHEST CRIME, HIGHEST POVERTY, HIGHEST ILLITERACY, HIGHEST SCHOOL DROPOUT, AND HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE CITY, AND HAS NO SERVICES.

IS THAT A COINCIDENCE? WE THINK NOT.

WE THINK IT'S CAUSE AND EFFECT.

WE THINK IF WE HAD PARKS, IF WE HAD REC CENTER, IF WE HAD A LIBRARY, WE MIGHT HAVE A NICE, PEACEFUL NEIGHBORHOOD INSTEAD OF THE CENTER OF CRIME IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.

WHEN I FIRST STARTED WORKING THERE 30 YEARS AGO, THE CRIME CENTER WAS AT PLEASANT VALLEY AND EAST RIVERSIDE.

THAT'S WHEN WE HAD CHURCHES TO WORK IN.

WE STARTED IN PRINCE OF PEACE.

THEY TORE IT DOWN FOR A CAR WASH.

WE MOVED TO PARKER LANE METHODIST.

THEY TORE IT DOWN.

THERE WERE ALREADY 58 LOW RENT APARTMENTS IN THE AREA.

NOW THERE'S 59 WHERE THERE USED TO BE A WONDERFUL FACILITY.

WONDERFUL BECAUSE WE COULD DELIVER SERVICES, SERVICES THAT ARE NECESSARY.

THAT LITTLE RED RECTANGLE IN THE BOTTOM LEFT IS WHERE THE CHURCH WAS.

THE OTHER ONE WAS JUST UP THE STREET.

NOW THE INTERSECTION OF PARKER MION AND IS THE CENTER FOR CRIME, FOR PROSTITUTION, FOR DRUGS, FOR VIOLENCE.

THE NEIGHBORS DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

THE POLICE ARE

[00:25:01]

SHORT STAFFED.

THEY CAN'T PUT AN ARMY IN THERE TO PROTECT PEOPLE, WHICH THEY NEED.

SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOME PUBLIC FACILITIES THAT WE CAN OFFER SERVICES FROM.

WE USED TO DO THAT AT THE CHURCH.

NOW WE HAVE TO DO IT AT TRAVIS HIGH SCHOOL IN LINDA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BECAUSE THERE'S NO OTHER PUBLIC FACILITIES WHERE WE CAN HAVE RESOURCE FAIRS AND OFFER SERVICES TO THE PEOPLE.

WHAT KIND OF SERVICES ARE MISSING? WELL, WHAT WE USED TO HAVE AT PARKER LANE METHODIST, WE WERE PART OF A MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING GROUP.

THERE WAS A PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE DOWN THE HALL, IMMIGRATION ATTORNEYS FOR FREE RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO OUR OFFICE.

YOUTH OUTREACH, A FOOD PANTRY, THRIFT STORE, CLOSED CLOSET, REGULATION SIZED BASKETBALL COURT WITH A CONCERT STAGE AND SOUND SYSTEM, AND A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN.

AND WE FED THE COMMUNITY.

YOU CAN SEE WHAT WE DON'T HAVE.

WE'RE JUST HERE TO TELL YOU AND ASK YOUR HELP.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE DIANA PROCTOR, FOLLOWED BY AUBREY RUDDER.

HELLO, MY NAME IS DIANA PROCTOR.

AS YOU MAY KNOW, I AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTING A CITIZENS REVIEW OF THE CONTRACT FOR THE TRAIL OF LIGHTS FOUNDATION WITH THE CITY WHILE THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY AUDIT IS ALREADY UNDERWAY.

THIS IS ANOTHER DIFFERENT CASE WHERE THE FINANCIALS MAY NOT BE IN THE PUBLIC'S INTEREST, LET ALONE IN THE CITY'S BEST INTERESTS.

THERE MAY EVEN BE FRAUD AND SERIOUS VIOLATIONS OF THE EXISTING CONTRACT.

INTERIM DIRECTOR MEANS RECEIVED A COPY OF AUDIT REQUEST CASE NUMBER 3 7 2 7, CITY MANAGER.

BROAD NEXT, MET WITH US LAST WEEK TO DISCUSS DETAILS BY 2023 COUNCIL RESOLUTION.

THE POTENTIAL FOR CONTINUED CONTRACT VIOLATIONS HAS BEEN BAKED INTO THE BUSINESS MODEL OF THE EVENT UNTIL 2032.

AND NO ONE IN THE CITY APPEARS TO HAVE ASKED ABOUT THE PROFITS BEING EARNED OR THE ACCRUED CASH RESERVES YEAR OVER YEAR.

BOTTOM LINE IS, IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS, THE EVENT HAS EARNED OVER $1.4 MILLION IN PROFITS.

AFTER ALL SALARIES AND EXPENSES WERE PAID BY COMPARISON IN JUST ONE YEAR.

2023, OVER $136,000 OF PARK USE FEES WERE WAIVED BY THE PREVIOUS PAR DIRECTOR.

25% OF THOSE FEES WERE TO BE NON-REFUNDABLE.

THE PART DIRECTOR'S CHOICE TO IGNORE CONTRACT TERMS, WHICH SHE SIGNED ANNUALLY, RESULTING IN LOST POTENTIAL REVENUE TO THE GENERAL FUND IS APPALLING.

NONE OF THAT $1.4 MILLION IN PROFIT IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS APPEARS TO HAVE COME BACK TO THE PUBLIC OR THE CITY.

AN AUDIT WILL DETERMINE IF IT WAS KEPT BY THE NONPROFIT.

IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE HOW THIS IS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST.

FURTHERMORE, THERE MAY BE CON CONFLICTS OF INTEREST CONCERNING TRAIL OF LIGHTS LEADERSHIP AND THE PREVIOUS PART, DIRECTOR.

THE CITY NEEDS TO REEXAMINE WHAT IT IS GETTING FROM THIS PARTNERSHIP.

MEANWHILE, AS WE SPEAK, THE 2024 EVENT CONTINUES TO OVERCHARGE FOR GENERAL ADMISSION, CHARGING $8 PLUS FEES INSTEAD OF $5 MAX PER PERSON SELLS VVIP AND CIP ADMISSIONS ON NIGHTS REQUIRED TO BE 100% FREE AND CONTINUES THE PROGRAM OF ZIP ADMISSIONS TO ALLOW PAYING CUSTOMERS TO SKIP TO THE HEAD OF THE LINE, WHICH DAMAGES SOCIAL EQUITY.

DETAILS ABOUT THE AUDIT REQUEST ARE POSTED AT TODAY IN ZILKER PARK.COM.

YOU'VE RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM ME TODAY WITH LINKS.

I URGE YOU TO REVIEW THE INFORMATION AND PASS A RECOMMENDATION AT A FUTURE MEETING TO REQUIRE TRA TRAIL OF LIGHTS FOUNDATION TO MEET THE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS.

THIS ACTION IS PART OF YOUR CHARTER TO IMPROVE THE OPERATION OF OUR PARKS.

I'M AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND TO GO OVER THE DETAILS IF YOU WOULD LIKE.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR TAKING THIS MATTER SERIOUSLY.

PARK DAY PUT ON BY THE AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE AUBREY RUDDER.

HI EVERYONE, MY NAME'S AUBREY RUDDER.

I'M WITH THE AUSTIN ROWING CLUB.

I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU GUYS SOME UPDATES ON OUR, UH, MONTHLY PROGRAMMING.

THIS PAST SATURDAY, WE HOSTED OUR 40TH ANNUAL HEAD OF THE COLORADO REGATTA AT FESTIVAL BEACH.

UM, TEAMS FROM ALL OVER TEXAS, OKLAHOMA, LOUISIANA, COLORADO, AND MEXICO, ALL CAME TO RACE ON BEAUTIFUL LADY BIRD LAKE.

UM, WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONTINUE THIS TRADITION FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS.

UM, THIS SATURDAY WE ARE GONNA BE HOSTING, WE'RE GONNA BE PARTICIPATING AND IT'S MY

[00:30:01]

WE'RE GONNA BE HOSTING A LADY BIRD LAKE KAYAK CLEANUP FROM 9:00 AM TO 11:00 AM IF ANYBODY IS INTERESTED IN GETTING OUT ON SOME KAYAKS AND, UH, CLEANING UP THE LAKE.

LASTLY, ON NOVEMBER 9TH, THE FOLLOWING SATURDAY, WE ARE GOING TO, UM, A RC IS HOSTING A COMMUNITY DAY AT THE BOATHOUSE FROM 9:00 AM TO NOON.

WE'LL BE OFFERING FREE KAYAK RENTALS, UH, FREE LEARN TO ROW OPPORTUNITIES, MUSIC ON THE TRAIL PARK RANGERS, AND, UM, MANY MORE ACTIVITIES.

SO IF ANYBODY'S AVAILABLE AND WANTS TO SWING BY THE BOATHOUSE, UM, OR THERE.

IS THERE ANYONE ELSE PRESENT THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE PARKS BOARD DURING GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT? THAT IS THE END OF GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.

AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE, APPROVING THE MINUTES FOR PARKS OF RECREATION BOARD, THE REGULAR MEETING, SEPTEMBER THE 23RD, 2024.

WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

UM, I'LL GIVE Y'ALL A MOMENT TO LOOK OVER THOSE.

AND IT LOOKS LIKE MS. BOARD MEMBER BAAN HAS A SUGGESTION.

YEAH, IT'S JUST A SLIGHT EDIT THAT, UM, CHAIR VILLALOBOS WAS NOT PRESENT, BUT IS LISTED AS BEGINNING AND ENDING THE MEETING.

I WAS HERE .

ANY OTHER EDITS? I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE PROXIMATE RECREATION BOARD REGULAR MEETING OF SEPTEMBER THE 23RD, 2024.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

THERE'S A SECOND FOR VICE CHAIR FLOWERS.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

UM, ONE, ONE SECOND.

SORRY.

UH, BUT WE ARE CHANGING IT TO VICE CHAIR FLOWERS CALLED THE PARKS AND RECREATION.

NOW MOVE ON TO DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. ANY, UH, SPEAKERS FOR DISCUSSION? UH, FOR AGENDA? UH, FOR AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO? NO SIR.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

YES, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

[2. Presentation, discussion and approve letters of support for the Park Ranger Program for their work as ambassadors for Austin's park system that promote responsible recreation, cultivate stewardship, and conserve parks' cultural and natural resources for the benefit of our community. (Sponsors: Villalobos, Flowers). (PARD Long Range Strategies: Park Access for All, Urban Public Spaces).]

ALL RIGHT.

THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS.

WE'LL NOW MOVE ON.

UM, SO WE, WE CAN HEAR NOW FROM OUR PRESENTERS.

PLEASE.

THANK YOU GUYS FOR HAVING US THIS EVENING.

UM, MY NAME IS AMANDA ROSS AND I'M THE DIVISION MANAGER FOR NATURAL RESOURCES.

AND I BROUGHT SOME PARK RANGERS WITH ME TODAY.

AND I WANTED TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT OUR PARK RANGERS DO ON A DAILY BASIS.

UM, I HAVE ANNE, UM, ALYSSA, AARON CAMERON AND OUR, UH, PROGRAM MANAGER, LEANNE WITH US TODAY.

AND SCOUT IS, UH, HANGING OUT WITH LEANNE AS WELL.

SO, UM, ALWAYS A GOOD GROUP TO HAVE AROUND.

WE CALL OUR PARK RANGERS OUR KIND OF SWISS ARMY KNIFE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.

THEY'RE KIND OF THERE WHEN YOU NEED THEM.

THEY'RE, YOU DON'T EVEN NECESSARILY THINK EXACTLY HOW YOU'RE GONNA NEED THEM, BUT THEY'RE THERE, THEY'RE READY, THEY'RE TRAINED AND THEY OFFER A VARIETY OF APPROACHES TO MANY DIFFERENT SITUATIONS.

SO I'M GONNA TALK YOU THROUGH JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THEY DO KIND OF ON A DAILY BASIS TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA.

AND, UH, WE'LL GO FROM THERE.

SO I'LL READ YOU THEIR MISSION STATEMENT, WHICH IS THAT THEY'RE AMBASSADORS FOR THE AUSTIN PARK SYSTEM THAT PROMOTE RESPONSIBLE RECREATION, CULTIVATE STEWARDSHIP AND CONSERVE PARKS, CULTURAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY.

WE HAVE 24 FULL-TIME PARK RANGERS.

THEY WORK SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

I SHOULD CLARIFY NOT ALL 24 WORK SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

UM, THEY DO WORK, UM, IN SHIFTS OF 10 HOURS.

UM, AND WE HAVE THEM SO THAT WE HAVE THE MAJORITY OF OUR TEAM WORKING ON THOSE BUSIER DAYS WITHIN OUR PARKS.

WE ALSO HAVE A SEASONAL PARK RANGER PROGRAM THAT WE'VE DONE THE PAST FEW YEARS THAT ALLOWS US TO HIRE TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES AND EXPAND OUR AVAILABLE OFFERINGS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER MONTHS, SOME OF THOSE BUSIER MONTHS IN OUR PARKS.

WE ALSO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM WITH AIKENS

[00:35:01]

HIGH SCHOOL, UM, TO KIND OF WORK WITH STUDENTS ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD BE TO BE A PARK RANGER.

AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE SEVERAL FULL-TIME STAFF THAT ACTUALLY GREW OUT OF THAT PROGRAM.

SO SPECIFICALLY, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A PARK RANGER AND HOW WOULD YOU START YOUR DAY? UM, THAT COULD MEAN SOMETHING.

USUALLY THEY START OUT JUST FRIENDLY, POSITIVE, THEY REALIZE PEOPLE ARE THERE TO ENJOY PARKS AND THEY'RE THERE TO APPRECIATE PARKS AND THEY JUST WANNA HAVE A GOOD TIME WITH THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN PARKS.

AND SO PARK RANGERS APPROACH ANY SITUATION IN OUR PARKS IN A FRIENDLY, UM, A FRIENDLY WAY.

AND SO THEY ARE OFTEN SEEN BIKING IN OUR PARKS.

THEY'RE OFTEN, OFTEN SEEN HIKING IN OUR PARKS AND THEY PROVIDE A UNIFORM PRESENCE.

AS YOU CAN TELL, YOU CAN VERY MUCH SEE OUR PARK RANGERS.

UM, THEY'RE WELL TRAINED, THEY'RE EDUCATED VERY WELL.

UM, THEY HAVE LEAVE NO TRACE TRAINING.

THEY WORK WITH A VARIETY OF STAFF ON HOW TO SHARE MESSAGING IN A POSITIVE WAY.

IN FACT, LAST YEAR THEY PROVIDED OVER 40,000 INDIVIDUAL CONTACTS TO PEOPLE VISITING OUR PARKS.

SO THAT MEANS THEY HAD INDIVIDUAL CONVERSATIONS.

THEY ALSO HAVE A PRETTY INTENSE DATA SYSTEM WHERE THEY TRACK WHERE THEY GO, HOW LONG THEY'RE THERE, WHICH PARKS THEY'RE IN.

OF THOSE OVER 300 PARKS AND 20,000 ACRES WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

UM, THEY ALSO CAN TALK IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.

WE HAD OVER 300, ALMOST 400 CONTACTS IN SPANISH LAST YEAR AS WELL, SO THAT THEY CAN BE WELCOMING TO EVERYBODY WHO'S ENJOYING OUR PARKS.

UM, THEY CAN PROVIDE JUST HELPFUL INFORMATION TO VISITORS TO PARKS.

SO THAT CAN BE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS, HEY, WHERE ARE THE BATHROOMS TO SOMETHING MORE COMPLICATED.

THAT IS, THIS IS AN AREA THAT IS AN ON LEASH DOG AREA WITHIN OUR PARK SYSTEM.

HERE IS WHERE AN OFF-LEASH DOG AREA CAN BE FOUND.

AND THEY DO THAT IN A WAY THAT IS FRIENDLY, APPROACHABLE, AND TRYING TO SEE THAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO HAVE A GOOD TIME WITHIN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND HOW TO USE THAT SPACE APPROPRIATELY.

IN FACT, LAST YEAR THEY SPOKE TO OVER 4,000 PEOPLE ABOUT DOG OFF LEASH, UM, CONCERNS.

THEY ALSO HELP BY WRITING PARKING TICKETS.

SO SAY YOU HAVE AN AREA WHERE WE HAVE CARS THAT ARE CONTINUALLY PARKING ON THE GRASS THAT KIND OF TAKE THAT PARK LAND OUT OF USE AND MAYBE BECOME A PARKING LOT.

AND SO THEY WILL WRITE TICKETS FOR USE OF A SPACE THAT IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THAT WAY.

UM, THEY ALSO CAN HELP WITH CLEANUPS.

UM, THEY'LL ACTUALLY BE OUT THIS WEEKEND AS WELL.

THEY PROVIDE LEAVE NO TRACE EDUCATION AND HELP IN THOSE HIGH AREAS OF USE AND CONCERNS WITHIN OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT.

THEY ALSO TWICE A YEAR, UM, WORK WITH PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ON PARKLAND AND DO AN ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUATION ON PARKLAND.

AND WE'VE HAD THAT FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS.

SO WE CAN KIND OF TRACK AND UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION ON PARKLAND.

AND I GO A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICALLY.

SO, UM, THERE'S THOSE AREAS THAT ARE REPEAT CONCERNS WITHIN OUR, SO WE HEAR ABOUT THOSE AREAS.

AND SO WHAT OUR PARK RANGERS DO IS THIS KIND OF APPROACH.

AND SO USUALLY IT IS A VISIT TO THE SPACE TO UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION.

THAT COULD BE, DO WE NEED MORE SIGNAGE HERE? IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, A A, A BARRIER OF SOME SORTS, WHETHER IT BE ROCKS SO THAT PEOPLE AREN'T COMING OFF OF THE ROAD TO PARK IN THE GRASS.

WHAT ARE THE SITUATIONS? IS IT UM, IS THERE A SECURITY CAMERA NEED? WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE NEEDED IN THIS PARK? AND THEY CAN DO THAT APPROACH.

COULD ALSO BE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS, HEY, THERE COULD BE SOME MORE PUBLIC EDUCATION ON THIS.

WE'RE GONNA DO SOME SOCIAL MEDIA AROUND IT.

UM, AND SO THEY'LL APPROACH THAT.

UM, THE NEXT STEP THEY DO IS THEY WORK THROUGH VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE.

SO THESE ARE HAVING SOME PRETTY HARD CONVERSATIONS SOMETIMES WITH PEOPLE AND TRYING TO FIND COMMON GROUND ABOUT THE AUTHORITY OF THE RESOURCE THROUGH LEAVE NO TRACE, WHICH IS WE ALL VALUE THIS SPACE.

WE ALL WANT IT TO BE SUSTAINABLE.

AND HERE FOR OUR, FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, CAN YOU HELP US GET THERE? AND HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP US GET THERE.

THROUGH VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE, IF WE CONTINUE TO HAVE AN AREA OF CONCERN, THEY WILL MOVE IT TO THE NEXT STEP, WHICH IS KIND OF FOCUSED OUTREACH.

AND SO YOU WILL SEE, UM, THERE'S ACTUALLY A PICTURE THERE OF SOME BARK RANGERS.

SO THAT IS A PROGRAM WHERE YOU CAN HAVE YOU AND YOUR DOG CAN BECOME BARK RANGERS AND ACTUALLY AMBASSADORS ABOUT HOW TO BE A GOOD STEWARD, HOW TO BE A GOOD DOG OWNER ON PARKLAND, AND HOW TO BE A, AN AMBASSADOR DOG ON DARK LAND DOG, UH, EXCUSE ME, DOG ON PARKLAND ABOUT HOW EXACTLY TO BEHAVE ON PARKLAND AND BE ON LEASH AND UM, IN THE APPROPRIATE AREAS.

UM, THEY, IT COULD ALSO BE JUST SIMPLY ADDITIONAL TABLING IN AN AREA, ADDITIONAL PRESENCE IN THE AREA, WHATEVER THAT SITUATION IS.

THAT'S KIND OF THAT NEXT STEP.

IN ADDITION, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO WRITE PARKING TICKETS AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, OR ISSUE WARNINGS.

SOMETIMES THOSE ARE JUST SIMPLY, UM, IF SOMEBODY IS VENDING IN AN AREA WITHOUT A PERMIT, THEY WILL ACTUALLY PROVIDE INFORMATION ON HOW TO GET A PERMIT AND THEY WILL USUALLY DO THAT IN WRITING.

UM, OUR PARK RANGERS ARE NOT COMMISSIONED POLICE OFFICERS AND SO THEY DO NOT HAVE THE SAME AUTHORITY AS OUR, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.

SO YOU'LL SEE THE KIND OF OUR LAST, UM, OPTION THERE, KIND OF WHEN WE'VE ELEVATED IT IS WHEN WE DO JOINT EFFORTS.

AND THIS COULD BE WITH OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS, THIS COULD BE WITH OUR PARTNERS, INCLUDING THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.

UH, THE PARKS POLICE WERE DISBANDED IN 2020 AND MOVED TO PATROL.

[00:40:01]

CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH OUR DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ARE REALLY GRATEFUL TO HAVE THEM AS SUCH A STRONG PARTNER FOR OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT.

AND SO LAST YEAR THEY DID 505 DIRECTED PATROLS, WHICH IS BASICALLY WHERE THEY WENT TO AN AREA OF CONCERN AND KIND OF WORKED THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

UH, AND THEN THEY GET TO DO SOME REALLY AWESOME THINGS TOO, RIGHT? THEY GET TO ENGAGE PEOPLE IN AN EDUCATIONAL MANNER.

SO THAT COULD BE LEAVE NO TRACE PROGRAMMING, HOW TO ENJOY THE PARKS USING THOSE SEVEN ETHICS FROM THE UM, CENTER FOR OUTDOOR ETHICS, WHETHER IT BE STAY ON DUAL DURABLE SURFACES, PLAN AHEAD WHEN YOU GO OUT TO A NATURAL SPACE.

UM, THEY'LL USE THOSE IN OUR PARK SYSTEM.

COULD BE TRAIL SITE EDUCATION, UH, COULD BE WITH OUR CADETS, WHICH IS OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

I MENTIONED, UM, IT COULD BE THROUGH THE BARK RANGERS AND GETTING OUR BARK RANGERS CERTIFIED.

WE ACTUALLY HAD, UM, 84, UH, DOGS CERTIFIED AS BARK RANGERS LAST YEAR.

IT COULD BE OUR JUNIOR PARK RANGER PROGRAM, WHICH IS BASICALLY WHERE YOU CAN, UM, A CHILD COULD COMPLETE A HANDBOOK AND BECOME A JUNIOR RANGER.

THEY TAKE A VOW AND BECOME AMBASSADORS IN THE PARKS AND SUPPORTERS OF THE PARKS AS WELL AS JUNIOR RANGERS.

AND THEY GET A BADGE FOR IT.

IT COULD BE, UM, SOME OF THE MONTHLY PUBLIC HIKES THEY DO TO SOME OF OUR LESS KNOWN PARKS.

COME OUT AND SEE THE SPACE, GET TO KNOW IT IN A WAY WHERE YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT THE SPACE AND DO IT IN A COMFORTABLE ATMOSPHERE.

UH, YOU CAN STOP BY AND HAVE COFFEE WITH A RANGER IN ZUCKER PARK ON THE WEEKENDS AS WELL.

UM, THEY DO CAREER DAYS AT SCHOOLS AND THEY HAVE ONE OF THE BEST SOCIAL MEDIAS.

IF YOU HAVE, DON'T FOLLOW THEM ON FACEBOOK.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND, UH, GOING AND FOLLOWING THEM ON FACEBOOK.

THEY PROVIDE GREAT INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO ENJOY OUR PARK SPACES AND IT'S FUN TOO.

UM, AND THEN JUST A COUPLE HIGHLIGHTS.

UM, YOU CAN SEE CAMERON, HE'S IN THE TOP BUBBLE THERE.

UM, SO WE HAD OUR SEASONAL PARK RANGER PROGRAM.

THE PAST COUPLE YEARS WE'VE HAD BETWEEN FIVE AND 10 PARK RANGER SEASONAL PARK RANGERS AND IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING TO TO KIND OF GROW AND STABILIZE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

'CAUSE IT'LL, IT'S A FORCE MULTIPLIER IN THE SUMMER MONTHS.

UM, WE WERE ABLE TO HELP WITH BARTON SPRINGS POOL SUPPORT WHEN THEY HAD SOME ADDITIONAL CONCERNS KIND OF TOWARDS THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.

AND CAMERON THERE IS SHOWING GOING OUT THERE AND HELPING CLOSE OFF AREAS OF THE, OF BARKING SPRINGS FOR SAFETY CONCERNS.

UH, AGAIN, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF JUST BEING NIMBLE AND QUICK AND ADJUSTABLE.

UM, WE ALSO HAVE THE SECURITY CAMERA PILOT.

THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR WE'VE RUN THAT WHERE AREAS OF CONCERN, I HEARD MOUNT BANAL MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS IS A PLACE WHERE WE HAVE A CAMERA AND WE PARTNER WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT WHO HAS ACCESS TO THOSE DETAILS SO THAT IF SOMEBODY HAS A BREAK-IN, THEY CAN GO VIEW THAT, UM, CAMERA, THEY CAN VIEW THAT, UH, THE RECORDINGS OF THOSE DAYS WHEN THAT HAPPENED AND HAVE ADDITIONAL DETAILS FOR THAT POTENTIAL BREAK-IN.

AND WE'VE SEEN A REAL REDUCTION IN BREAK-INS ASSOCIATED WHEN A CAMERA IS PUT IN PLACE.

AND THEN LASTLY, OUR PARK RANGER CADETS, WHICH ARE, UM, A GREAT GROUP WHO ARE YOUNG, ENTHUSIASTIC OUTDOOR LEADERS AND GETTING TO BE BETTER EVERY DAY AND LEARNING HOW THEY CAN BECOME PARK RANGERS.

AND YOU'LL SEE ONE OF THEM THERE, UM, LEADING SOME PROGRAMMING FOR CHILDREN AS WELL.

AND IN THEIR FUTURE WE HOPE TO, UH, WORK WITH 3 1 1 AND GET INTO OUR DISPATCH SYSTEM SO THAT WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB WITH CONNECTING SOME OF THE CONCERNS TO SOME OF THE DATA.

THAT'S THE OUTPUTS THAT WE HAVE.

AND SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS WORKING TO, TO WORK THROUGH THAT.

AND LASTLY, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU GUYS.

THANK YOU TO OUR PARK RANGER TEAM, UM, FOR THE ENTHUSIASTIC, PASSIONATE, ENERGETIC AND POSITIVE THING THEY BRING TO EVERY DAY.

UM, AND IF YOU GET A CHANCE, COME AND JOIN 'EM THIS WEEKEND AT IT'S MY PARK DAY AT ONE OF THESE LOCATIONS.

THANK YOU ALL.

I HAVE A QUESTION.

IS SCOUT FULL-TIME WITH Y'ALL? SCOUT IS FULL-TIME.

TRUE.

IS, IS THERE OTHER SCOUTS, OR SCOUT? THE ONLY SCOUT SCOUT IS ONE OF A KIND.

I FEEL LIKE SHE'S TOO SPECIAL.

, SHE'S VERY SPECIAL.

IS SHE THE ONLY IS SHE LOVES, IS SHE, IS IT, I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE'S NOT FACING YOU AND ASKING ME TO COME MEET ALL SHE'S SHY RIGHT NOW.

UM, IS SHE THE ONLY DOG ON WITH Y'ALL? YES.

OH, THAT'S AWESOME.

THAT WAS MY LITTLE QUESTION.

OH YEAH.

UM, HOW MANY TOTAL PARK RANGERS DO WE HAVE RIGHT NOW? WE CURRENTLY HAVE 24 FULL-TIME PARK RANGERS.

AND, UM, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT THERE'S ADEQUATE BUDGET IN, IN PART FOR PARK RANGERS OR HAVE YOU BEEN SEEKING ADDITIONAL PARK RANGERS? I KNOW THAT THAT'S BEEN PROPOSED IN THE BUDGET BEFORE.

YEAH, WE'VE BEEN, UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, THERE'S SO MUCH NEED AND YOU GUYS HEARD A LOT OF IT EARLIER TODAY.

UM, OUR PARK RANGER UNIT, UM, HAS RECEIVED SOME POSITIONS OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS AND TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR SEASONAL.

OF COURSE, AS THE PARKS GROW AND THERE'S MORE AND MORE PEOPLE IN OUR PARKS, IT'S, IT'S A GREAT RESOURCE AND WE ALWAYS LOVE TO SEE MORE, BUT WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THE NEED IS GREAT THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT AND THAT IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEREVER IT GOES, IT'LL BE BENEFICIAL.

THANK YOU AND THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO.

THANKS

[00:45:01]

GUYS.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, I APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I WILL, UH, YOU CAN STAY THERE FOR RIGHT NOW.

UM, SO MEMBERS AS IS, UH, AS IS OUR TRADITION, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND READ A LETTER 'CAUSE IT WAS NOT IN BACKUP, UM, THAT I JUST MODIFIED BECAUSE OF SCOUT.

UM, SO, UM, THIS IS DATED OCTOBER THE 28TH, 2024, UM, TO OUR EXT EXTREME PARK RANGERS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

AND EVERY HEART OF, IN THE HEART OF EVERY TRAIL, THE TRANQUILITY OF EVERY GREEN SPACE AND THE BEAUTY OF EVERY AUSTIN SUNRISE LIES THE UNWAVERING DEDICATION OF OUR CITY OF AUSTIN PARK RANGERS.

ON BEHALF OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, IT IS WITH IMMENSE GRATITUDE AND ADMIRATION THAT WE RECOGNIZE THE EXTRAORDINARY IMPACT EACH OF YOU HAS HAD ON OUR COMMUNITY.

YOU ARE MORE THAN STEWARDS OF AUSTIN PARKS, YOU'RE CHAMPIONS OF NATURE'S AMBASSADORS OF EDUCATION AND GUARDIANS OF EXPERIENCES THAT LIVE UPLIFT AND CONNECT US ALL THROUGH YOUR DAILY COMMITMENT.

OUR PARKS BECOME PLACES OF PEACE, JOY, AND DISCOVERY SANCTUARIES WHERE AUSTINITES OF ALL AGES COME TO FIND SOLACE, ADVENTURE AND CONNECTION.

YOUR SERVICE IS WOVEN INTO THE FABRICS OF AUSTIN.

YOUR SERVICE IS WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC OF AUSTIN ITSELF, INSPIRING EVERYONE TO CHERISH AND PROTECT THESE SPECIAL PLACES.

THIS YEAR.

YOUR WORK HAS TAKEN OUR PARKS, THE NEW HEIGHTS PROGRAM, SUCH AS THE SEASONAL PARK RANGER PROGRAM.

YOUR SUPPORT AT THE BARTON SPRINGS POOL, THE INNOVATION, THE INNOVATIVE SECURITY CAMERA PILOT, AND THE, UH, PARK RANGER CADET PROGRAM HAVE LEFT AN INDELIBLE MARK ON OUR COMMUNITY.

WHETHER LEAVING, WHETHER LEADING LEAVE, NO TRACE INITIATIVES AND ENGAGING FUTURE CONSERVATIONISTS THROUGH THE JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM, OR SHARING COFFEE AND STORIES WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS, YOU CREATE A LASTING, UH, YOU CREATE A LASTING IN FOSTER AND ENDURING LOVE FOR OUR NATURAL WORLD.

A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT ALSO GOES TO SCOUT OUR DEDICATED FOUR LEGGED RANGER WHO BRINGS AN EXTRA DOSE OF ENTHUSIASM AND JOY TO OUR PARKS WITH A WAGGING TAIL AND A PLAYFUL SPIRIT.

SCOTT REMINDS US ALL THAT EVERY DAY IN NATURE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE, CONNECT, AND APPRECIATE THE WORLD AROUND US.

EVERY HIKE THAT YOU LEAD AS PARK RANGERS, EVERY FRIENDLY ENCOUNTER, EVERY MOMENT YOU SPEND EDUCATING AND GUIDING LEAVES A LEGACY OF CARE AND RESPECT FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT.

YOU MAKE OUR PARKS A PLACE OF INSPIRATION, BELONGING, A HOME IN NATURE FOR EVERY AUSTIN NIGHT.

YOUR WORK DOES NOT GO UNNOTICED.

IT REVERBERATES IN THE SMILES OF FAMILIES AND THE LAUGHTER OF CHILDREN AND THE GRATITUDE OF ALL WHO VISIT AUSTIN'S TREASURE QUEEN SPACES, KINDNESS, REGARDS, UH, SIGNED, UH, THE PARKS AND REC BOARD.

SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO.

UM, ANYONE ELSE HAS ANY COMMENTS OR ANYTHING BEFORE I MAKE A MOTION? ALL RIGHT.

UM, I MAKE A MOTION THAT THE LETTER AS READ, UH, BE, UH, PASSED BY THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

THERE'S A SECOND FROM VICE CHAIR FLOWERS.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY, UH, RAISE YOUR HAND.

ALRIGHT, MOTION CARRIES YOU UNANIM.

AND MS, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND YOU'LL GET A COPY OF THE LETTER AS WELL.

MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR.

ALRIGHT, WE'LL NOW

[3. Presentation, discussion and approve a recommendation to Austin City Council to approve the permanent use and temporary use, not to exceed 420 days of parkland located at Salt Springs Neighborhood Park, 6401 E. William Cannon Drive, total mitigation fee is $297,992. (Sponsors: Villalobos, Flowers). (PARD Long Range Strategies: Operational Efficiency). ]

I MEAN THREE.

IS THERE ANY PRESENT, ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS MR. BECK? NO CHAIR.

ALRIGHT, WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO THE SPEAKER.

YEAH, THE, THE SLIDES.

THAT'S A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW.

UM, THE PROJECT IS TO INSTALL A 36 INCH WASTEWATER INTERCEPTOR THAT WOULD ALLOW THE ABANDONMENT OF THE EXISTING LIFT STATION LOCATED AT THE MARBLE CREEK FLOODPLAIN.

AND GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS CLAUDIA CORSETTI.

I AM THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE, UM, SPRINGFIELD LIFT STATION AND ABANDONMENT PROJECT.

UM, THIS I AM WITH THE CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

I AM HERE TO PRESENT THE PROJECT.

UH, THIS IS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT NUMBER 31 68 0.125.

UH, THIS IS OUR REQUIRED CHAPTER 26 APPLICATION FOR AUSTIN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN PARKLAND AT ONION CREEK METRO PARK AND MARBLE CREEK, UH, GREENBELT.

UM, THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION IS AS FOLLOWS.

I'LL GO OVER THE PROJECT SUMMARY.

UH, BACKGROUND ROWDY EVALUATIONS CONSIDERED BY AUSTIN WATER, UH, THE IMPACTS OF THE PARKLAND AND THE PROJECT TIMELINE.

AND I'LL LEAVE SOME TIME FOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

[00:50:02]

UM, THERE IS AN EXISTING LIFT STATION AT THE, UM, MARBLE CREEK FLOODPLAIN.

UH, THERE'S APPROXIMATELY 3,400 LINEAR FEET OF 36 INCH, UH, PVC UH, WASTEWATER LINE THAT IS PROPOSED.

UH, FOUR BOARD PITS, APPROXIMATELY 1000 LINEAR FEET OF TRENCHLESS CONSTRUCTION.

AND, UM, APPROXIMATELY 2,400 LINEAR FEET OF OPEN CUT.

UH, BRIEF BACKGROUND ON THIS PROJECT.

UH, THE AREA HAS EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE FLOODS.

UM, VARIOUS HISTORICAL FLOODS HAVE OCCURRED DURING THE HALLOWEEN, UM, HOLIDAY, UM, INCLUDING THE 2013, 2015 AND THE 2016 HALLOWEEN FLOODS IN THIS AREA.

UH, THE CITY ACQUIRED THE SUBDIVISION, UH, THAT IS WITHIN THE FLOOD PLAIN, AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, UM, IN THE MAP, UM, VIA FLOODPLAIN BUYOUT.

AND THEN THE LIFT STATION CURRENTLY LIES, UM, MORE THAN 10 FEET BELOW THE A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN.

RAPID REDEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTING, EXPECTED AND RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT INCREASES TO THE WASTEWATER FLOWS.

NO ACCESS DURING FLOODS CONTINUES TO BE A NEAR TERM OPERATION.

UM, SORRY.

CONTINUED NEAR TERM OPERATION OF THE LIFT STATION WILL REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT REHABILITATION TO EVAC TO ELEVATE THE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT ABOVE THE FLOODPLAIN DUE TO THE SPACE CONSTRAINTS AND COST.

COST, UH, UPGRADING THE LIFT STATION TO MEET FUTURE, UH, CAPACITY REQUIRED REQUIREMENTS IS NOT A PRACTICAL SOLUTION.

UM, I WILL GO THROUGH THE ROUTE EVALUATIONS THAT WERE CONSIDERED BY THE CITY.

UH, THE FIRST ROUTE, UM, SEE YOU CAN SEE THEM IN TWO COLORS HERE IS GOING THROUGH THE WILLIAM CANNON UM, UH, AREA.

LET'S SEE.

OPTION ONE IS, UH, GREATER AREA OF PARKLAND.

IT'S THE RED LINE.

UM, IT WOULD BEGIN RIGHT AT THE LIFT STATION AND THEN ACROSS THROUGH MARBLE CREEK GREEN BELTS, THEN ACROSS, UH, WILLIAM CANNON AND THEN OVER THROUGH SOME A PRIVATE PROPERTY.

AND ALSO, UM, TWO, UH, PETROLEUM PIPELINES THAT GO THROUGH THERE.

SO THAT OPTION, OPTION ONE AS AS WAS EVALUATED BY THE CITY, UH, WOULD REQUIRE A LOT MORE CITY, CITY LAND AND ALSO REQUIRE MORE EASEMENTS FROM OUTSIDE ENTITIES AND CONFLICTS TO AVOID.

SO THAT WOULD BE A MORE COSTLY ROUTE.

THE SECOND OPTION THAT WAS CONSIDERED WAS, UM, JUST UTILIZING THE CITY'S RIGHT OF WAY.

AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, THE CITY DID PURCHASE A BIG PORTION OF THAT SUBDIVISION WHERE, WHERE IT'S SHOWN ON THE MAP AS ONION CREEK METRO PARK.

UM, SO THE LINE, THE OPTION THAT WAS CHOSEN WAS THE YELLOW LINE WHERE IT WILL BEGIN THE SPRINGFIELD LIFT STATION, WHERE THE BLUE.IS.

AND THEN IT WOULD GO THROUGH MARBLE CREEK GREEN BELT AND ACROSS WILLIAM CANNON, UM, THROUGH THE SALT SPRINGS NEIGHBORHOOD PARK, ACROSS SALT SPRINGS AND THEN OVER THROUGH ORLAND AND THEN DIXIE AND THEN FINALLY TYING INTO THE SYSTEM SECOND.

UH, SO THE PROJECT STARTS AT ONION CREEK WITH A SIX, WITH A 54 INCH WASTEWATER LINE TIE IN.

UM, IT WOULD CROSS A BOAR PIT TO, UH, DIXIE DRIVE AND ORLAND DRIVE, UH, WHERE IT WOULD BE OPEN TRENCHED.

UM, THEN IT WOULD FOLLOW THROUGH AT A BOAR PIT AT SALT SPRINGS AGAIN TO ALLOW ACCESS TO THE ROAD.

AND THEN ANOTHER OPEN TRENCH ACROSS SALT SPRINGS.

UM, AND THEN A BOAR PIT ACROSS WILLIAM CANNON.

AND FINALLY, A BOAR, A BOAR PIT ACROSS THE WOODED AREA, UM, TO THE EXISTING LIFT STATION.

UM, THIS OPTION WAS ROUTE WAS THE BEST OPTION TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACTS, UM, TO THE PARK AS WELL.

UM, HERE I CAN, UM, SHOWING THE, UH, PERMANENT EASEMENTS THAT WOULD BE RE REQUESTED AT THIS TIME.

WE HAVE A 70 FOOT, UH, PERMANENT EASEMENT, UM, IN RED.

AND THEN WE HAVE THE 30 FOOT TEMPORARY EASEMENTS.

UM, AGAIN, THERE'S A PORTION OF THE AREA THAT IS WITHIN THE CITY'S RIGHT OF WAY THAT'S STILL CITY OWNED LAND.

AND THEN THERE'S THE PARK, UH, SALT SPRINGS NEIGHBORHOOD PARK.

AND THEN CLOSER TO THE EAST WOULD BE, UM, THE MARBLE CREEK GREEN BELT.

ATION WILL BE COMPLETED COMPLETELY RE RE-VEGETATED AND THEN ALL DIS DISTURBED PARKLAND WILL BE RESTORED AND RE-VEGETATED.

UM, THE MOMENT WE ARE, UH, UH, GOING TO DO THE FOLLOWING TO MINIMIZE IMPACTS TO THE PARKLAND, UH, JACK AND BOAR TO PRESERVE TREES AND PREVENT ROAD CLOSURES, ZERO HERITAGE TREES WILL BE REMOVED.

THAT WAS A BIG, BIG NEED.

UM, THE PROTECTIVE FENCING WILL BE USED TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO NEARBY TREES AND NATURAL AREAS.

CONTRACTOR WILL FOLLOW A ROBUST ENGINEERED DESIGNED TO PREVENT SETTLEMENT AND EROSION.

ABANDONMENT OF

[00:55:01]

UM, THE PROJECT TIMELINE IS, UH, AS FOLLOWS, THE DESIGN PHASE ENDED THIS SUMMER IN 2024.

WE, WE, UM, ARE COMPLETED THE, WE'RE IN THE BID PHASE RIGHT NOW AND WE'RE LOOKING TO DO THE AWARD, UM, BY THIS, UM, WINTER.

UM, SO BID AN AWARD PHASE STARTED THIS FALL.

AND THEN THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE, UH, IS STARTED, IS ANTICIPATED TO START WINTER OF 2025.

AGAIN, UH, WE ARE HERE TO PRESENT UH, A REQUEST FOR THE CHAPTER 26.

UM, THIS IS SECTION 26.001 PROTECTED LAND NOTICE OF TAKING.

UM, THE STATE ENTITIES CANNOT APPROVE PROGRAMS OR PROJECTS THAT USE OR TAKE LAND, PUBLIC LAND DESIGNATED FOR PARKS, RECREATION, SCIENTIFIC AREAS, WILDLIFE REFUGE OR HISTORIC SITES, UNLESS THEY'RE AUTHORIZED GOVERNING BODY OR OFFICER DETERMINES THAT THERE IS NO, THERE IS NO FEASIBLE OR PRUDENT ALTERNATIVE TO THE USE OF, USE OF OR TAKING OF SUCH LAND.

THE PROGRAM OR PROJECT INCLUDES ALL THE REASONABLE PLANNING TO MINIMIZE THE HARM TO THE LAND AS PARK RECREATION AREA AND SCIENTIFIC AREAS, UH, WILDLIFE REFUGE OR HISTORIC SITES RESULTING FROM THE USE OR TAKING.

AND ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? YES MA'AM.

UM, SO NO HERITAGE TREES WILL BE REMOVED.

UM, HOW MANY OTHER UNPROTECTED TREES DO YOU IMAGINE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE TAKEN OUT FROM THE PARKLAND? UM, YEAH, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CALL ALAN RAMES UP HERE.

UM, HE IS WITH UH, CDM SMITH.

HE'S A CON CONSULTANT.

I'M ALAN RAMES WITH CDM SMITH.

I'M THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE CONSULTANT.

AND TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I MAY NEED TO LOOK AT THE LIST FOR JUST A MINUTE.

I APOLOGIZE.

I KNOW THAT AT LEAST IN SALT SPRINGS NEIGHBORHOOD PARK, THERE ARE NO TREES THERE 'CAUSE I, THAT'S MY, THIS IS LIKE, YEAH, THAT IS CORRECT.

THAT'S ISSUE TWO.

UM, I NOTICED IT E ESSENTIALLY IN A NUTSHELL, UM, WE ARE BORING UNDER, UNDER, UM, ONION CREEK ON EITHER SIDE.

SO THERE'LL BE NO REMOVAL IN THE BORE SECTION.

UH, ONCE WE GET INTO THE BUYOUT SUBDIVISION, WE'LL BE BORING, UM, FROM A BORE PIT IN ORLEANS DRIVE AND GOING STRAIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF ORLEANS DRIVE.

SO WE'RE NOT PROPOSING ANY TREE REMOVAL IN ORLEANS AT ALL.

WE CROSS SALT SPRINGS AND THEN WE GO ACROSS THAT BIG TRIANGULAR PIECE THAT'S PARKLAND, BUT THERE'S NO TREES IN THERE WHATSOEVER.

WE WILL THEN TURN AND BORE UNDER WILLIAM CANNON, PAST WILLIAM CANNON.

UM, THERE ARE SOME SMALLER TREES AS WE TURN THE CORNER BEHIND THE EXISTING WATER QUALITY POND ON WILLIAM CANNON.

AND THEN THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF POST OAK AND OTHER ITEMS THERE.

AND SO WE HAVE TWO BORE SECTIONS.

ACTUALLY IT'S ONE LONG BORE WITH A PIT IN THE MIDDLE, UH, TO AVOID ANY TREE DAMAGE IN THERE.

SO LET ME DO A QUICK COUNT FOR YOU.

IS OFFICIALLY CONTROLLED BY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, BUT THE ROAD RIGHT OF AWAYS HAVE NOT BEEN VACATED.

AND THEN SECOND QUESTION, UM, HAS AN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY BEEN DONE TO, UM, SHOW THAT IMPACT POSSIBLY ON ONION CREEK AND ALSO ON THE PARKLAND? UH, YES.

WE HAD UH, UH, BOTH AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DONE.

UH, AND WE ALSO HAD AN ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION DONE ON THE SITE.

UM, THE CREEK ITSELF WERE BORING COMPLETELY UNDER THE CREEK, SO THERE'S NO OPEN CUT THERE.

UM, THE BIGGEST DISTURBANCE ON, UH, RELATIVE TO THE CREEK IS THERE'S A 54 INCH WASTEWATER INTERCEPTOR THAT RUNS DOWN THE WEST SIDE OF THE CREEK AND PARALLELS THE CREEK.

IT WAS PUT IN YEARS AGO.

SO WE'LL BE TYING INTO THE 54 INCH INTERCEPTOR.

THE, UM, BOAR STOPS JUST A FEW FEET SHORT OF THE INTERCEPTOR AND TIE IN.

SO WE TRIED TO MINIMIZE THAT.

BUT THERE, THERE WILL CERTAINLY BE SOME DISTURBANCE.

WE HAVE TO DIG UP AN INTERCEPTOR THAT'S 20, 20 SOMETHING FEET IN THE GROUND THERE.

SO, UM, AND JUST, JUST BY WAYS OF BACKGROUND, UM, 'CAUSE THIS IS DISTRICT TWO, I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS AREA.

UM, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE, WHERE IT'S, WHERE ORLAND STREET DRIVE STARTS, ALL OF THAT IS THE ONION CREEK BUYOUT.

SO IT'S, IT'S TECHNICALLY PARKLAND, BUT IF YOU GO DRIVE THROUGH IT, IT'S VERY EERIE BECAUSE IT USED TO BE A NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO IT'S STILL HAS LIKE REMNANTS OF DRIVEWAYS AND STREETS.

SO THIS IS WHERE THE HALLOWEEN FLOOD THAT HAPPENED TWICE BACK TO BACK THAT IT'S JUST THE BUYOUT.

SO LIKE, IT FEELS LIKE YOU'RE DRIVING THROUGH A NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT IT'S LIKE A LITTLE BIT LIKE WALKING DEAD 'CAUSE IT'S VERY STRANGE.

SO IT'S VERY UNIQUE.

IT'S VERY UNIQUE.

AND IF I COULD ADD PART OF TOWN THAT, IF I COULD ADD TO THAT, UM, THE, THE LAND

[01:00:01]

SO THEY'RE ALL TECHNICALLY STILL ROADS.

ORLEANS'S THE ONE WE'RE WORKING ON, 100% OF THE HOUSES ON BOTH SIDES HAVE BEEN RIPPED OUT OF THE GROUND.

BUT IT'S GETTING A LOT OF DUMPING 'CAUSE THERE'S NOBODY THERE.

SO IF YOU GO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BLOCK, THERE'S A LOT OF TRASH THAT'S DUMPED.

WE'RE ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY REMOVING ORLEANS DRIVE, UH, AT, AT THE REQUEST OF THE PARK STAFF.

SO WE'LL BE, UH, BASICALLY WHEN WE'RE DONE, THAT'LL BE CONVERTED BACK TO GRASS.

UH, THERE'LL BE NO MORE ROAD THERE AT ALL.

I'M ACTUALLY VERY GLAD TO HEAR THAT BECAUSE THIS PARK NEEDS A, THIS PARK AND I USE THAT TERM VERY LIGHTLY.

'CAUSE IT'S TECHNICALLY PARKLAND, BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A PARK WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING THROUGH IT.

UM, IT'S VERY MUCH NEEDED IN, UH, REHABILITATION EFFORT.

SO I'M ACTUALLY VERY GLAD TO HEAR THAT IT'S GONNA BE TAKEN OUT AND GONNA BE REHABILITATED FOR GRASS AREA.

SO IT CHAIR, IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THERE IS GOING TO BE A LOSS OF USE OF PARKLAND TO THE CITIZENS THAT LIVE AROUND THERE.

AND ACTUALLY, I THINK THIS, UH, THIS IS ACTUALLY DESPERATELY NEEDED BECAUSE THIS PARTICULAR SECTION OF DISTRICT TWO IS BOOMING AND THERE'S JUST DEVELOPMENTS GOING UP LEFT AND RIGHT EVERY SINGLE DAY, UM, IN THIS AREA.

SO, UM, YEAH.

I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT Y'ALL FOUND A WAY FOR IT TO GO THROUGH THE, UM, UH, ONION CREEK, UH, BUYOUT NEIGHBORHOOD.

IT, IT, AFTER WE LOOKED AT IT, IT'S ALMOST A STRAIGHT LINE AND IT MADE THE MOST SENSE.

IT'S 34 TREES, MA'AM.

TOTAL, UH, A LOT OF THOSE ARE HACKBERRIES AND ASH TREES AS WELL.

THAT'S THE LARGEST TREE, I THINK IS A PE IS AN, IS A PECAN, THE TREES THAT WILL BE REMOVED, IS THAT CORRECT OR IS THAT JUST TREES? NO, THAT'S TREES THAT WILL BE REMOVED.

NOW, A LOT OF THEM, THEY'RE, WELL, I COULD PROVIDE IF, IF Y'ALL NEEDED IT.

NO, IT'S OKAY.

UM, WE HAVE A COMPLETE TREE LIST ON THE DRAWINGS.

UM, WILLIAM CANNON WE'RE BORING UNDER WILLIAM CANNON.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS DO HAVE A QUESTION.

I DO HAVE A QUESTION ACTUALLY.

UM, I'M JUST MAKING SURE.

SO IT SAYS ONLY CITY OWNED LAND, BUT ARE THERE ANY, UM, DURING THIS PROCESS, WILL THERE BE ANY SORT OF INCONVENIENCE TO FOLKS WHO LIVE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD OR ANYTHING THAT WILL BE CLOSED OFF? AND WHAT DOES THAT, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? SO THE, ALL OF THE HOUSES THAT REMAIN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND THERE ARE SOME HOUSES TO OUR SOUTH ON HIGHER GROUND THAT YOU, SOME MONEY MIGHT DRIVE THROUGH THERE, UM, ACCESS THROUGH THAT AREA WILL STILL BE MAINTAINED.

WE WILL BE COMPLETELY, BASICALLY WE'RE REMOVING ORLEANS DRIVE IN ITS ENTIRETY, BUT THERE, THERE ARE NO HOUSES ON THE STREET WHATSOEVER.

UM, THE OTHER STREET THAT COMES AROUND DIXIE DRIVE, WHICH KIND OF IS THE OUTSIDE EDGE OF THE BOUGHT OUT SUBDIVISION, INSTEAD OF GOING RIGHT UP TO THE CREEK AND BORING UNDER, WE JUST SLID THE BORE BACK SO IT GOES UNDER DIXIE AND THE CREEK.

UM, SO, UH, SALT SPRINGS WILL BE THE ONLY, UM, UM, AREA WHERE WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE DISTURBANCE, BUT THERE ARE ROUTES AROUND THAT.

PERFECT.

NOW MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR.

I WAS FOLLOWING ON THE MAP AS YOU TALKED.

MM-HMM.

, I APPRECIATE THAT.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? BOARD MEMBERS? OKAY, AT THIS TIME I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE RECOMMENDATION TO THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE PERMANENT USE AND TEMPORARY USE NOT TO EXCEED 420 DAYS OF PARKLAND, LOCATED AT SALT SPRINGS NEIGHBORHOOD PARK.

6 4 0 1 EAST WILLIAM CALLEN DRIVE WITH A TOTAL MITIGATION FEE OF IT IS WHERE A TOTAL MITIGATION FEE IS 297,992.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

THERE'S A SECOND FROM VICE CHAIR FLOWERS.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

[4. Presentation, discussion and approve a recommendation to Austin City Council to adopt the Equity-Based Preservation Plan as an element of the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan. (Sponsors: Villalobos, Flowers).(PARD Long Range Strategies: Urban Public Spaces, Program Alignment). ]

IS THERE ANY, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT? YES, CHAIR.

UH, OUR FIRST SPEAKER? NO, WAIT.

UM, ONE AHEAD.

UH, THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS FOR ITEM FOUR.

ALRIGHT, THEN WE WILL, DO WE HAVE A PER CENTER ON THIS? YEAH.

OH, IT'S ON THE NEXT PAGE.

IT'S ON THE NEXT PAGE.

OH, OKAY.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

KARA BERTAN WITH THE CITY'S PLANNING DEPARTMENT.

UM, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME THIS EVENING, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.

I'M HERE TO PRESENT ABOUT THE EQUITY-BASED PRESERVATION PLAN, WHICH, UM, I LAST SPOKE WITH YOU ABOUT IN LATE APRIL.

THIS IS KIND OF A CLOSING LOOP PRESENTATION, UH, IN APRIL.

I WAS HERE TO INVITE YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN GIVING FEEDBACK ON THE DRAFT PRESERVATION PLAN.

NOW WE HAVE A FINAL PLAN THAT'S HEADED TO COUNCIL NEXT MONTH.

AND SO WANTED TO LET Y'ALL KNOW HOW OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT WENT AND GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL ABOUT THE PLAN IF YOU, IF YOU CHOOSE.

[01:05:02]

SO, AS A QUICK REFRESHER, THE EQUITY-BASED PRESERVATION PLAN WAS DEVELOPED BY A COMMUNITY WORKING GROUP.

IT'S DIFFERENT THAN, UM, MOST OTHER CITY PLANS.

IT'S A GROUP OF 26 PEOPLE WHO CAME FROM AROUND THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND REFLECT AUSTIN'S RACIAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY.

THEY ALSO BROUGHT A REAL VARIETY OF EXPERTISE TYPES FROM ARCHEOLOGY TO PLANNING, TO DEVELOPMENT, TO PRESERVATION, OF COURSE, TO FOLKS WHO HAVE, UH, REALLY DEEP CONNECTIONS WITH THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS OR THEIR FAMILIES HAVE BEEN IN AUSTIN FOR GENERATIONS.

THOSE 26 PEOPLE HEARD FROM ABOUT 275 OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COURSE OF DEVELOPING THE DRAFT PLAN.

THAT'S THE SUMMARY ON THE, ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE SCREEN.

THERE WAS A COMMUNITY HERITAGE SURVEY THAT SHAPED THE VISION FOR THE PLAN.

THERE WERE THREE FOCUS GROUPS, A TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP OF STAFF FROM 12 CITY DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING PARKS DEPARTMENT STAFF THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS.

UM, A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE LANDMARK COMMISSION AND A TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PANEL, UM, THAT WE, UH, DID IN, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE.

HERE'S THE VISION FOR THE PLAN.

UM, HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN AUSTIN ACTIVELY ENGAGES COMMUNITIES IN PROTECTING AND SHARING IMPORTANT PLACES AND STORIES.

PRESERVATION USES THE PAST TO CREATE A SHARED SENSE OF BELONGING AND TO SHAPE AN EQUITABLE, INCLUSIVE, SUSTAINABLE, AND ECONOMICALLY VITAL FUTURE FOR ALL.

AND THIS VISION CAME PRETTY DIRECTLY FROM THE RESPONSES TO THE COMMUNITY HERITAGE SURVEY.

THE PLAN HAS 14 GOALS AND 107 RECOMMENDATIONS.

I'M NOT GONNA RUN THROUGH, UH, ALL 14 GOALS OR ALL 107 RECOMMENDATIONS.

OF COURSE, I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THREE THEMES THAT THESE FALL INTO WHAT WE PRESERVE, WHICH IS THE FIRST FIVE GOALS, WHO PRESERVES, WHICH IS GOAL SIX THROUGH EIGHT.

AND THE THIRD THEME IS HOW WE PRESERVE, AND THAT'S ALL THE, THE GOALS ON IN THE RIGHT COLUMN.

UM, I WILL SAY THAT, UH, KIND OF IN AN OVERARCHING WAY, THIS PLAN AND THESE GOALS REALLY REFLECT THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION GOALS FROM THE, OUR PARKS ARE FUTURE PAR LONG RANGE PLAN.

SO WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH PARD STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS ALIGNS WITH AND SUPPORTS THE EXISTING, UM, PARKS DEPARTMENT PLAN AND, YEAH.

AND IN A PROACTIVE WAY, ALTHOUGH CERTAINLY IT'S BEEN A LONGSTANDING, UH, ROLE OF THESE AND OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS, REALLY AS, AS I MENTIONED, THEY, THEY SUPPORT WORK THAT PARD IS ALREADY DOING TO PROMOTE LOCAL HISTORY, YOU KNOW, WITH HISTORIC DESIGNATIONS, MARKERS, OTHER INTERPRETIVE, UM, MATERIALS LIKE PANELS AND PROGRAMMING.

SO THAT FIRST THEME, HOW WE PRESERVE THE BIG IDEA IS REALLY TO THINK BROADLY ABOUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT AND, UM, HOW WE ARE CONNECTING PRESERVATION TO OTHER COMMUNITY PRIORITIES.

SO REALLY RECOGNIZING OUR CITY'S RICH AND COMPLICATED HISTORY THROUGH WORKING MORE ACTIVELY WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND INTERPRETING WHY PLACES ARE IMPORTANT, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE DOES NOT DO, ALTHOUGH PART STAFF ARE ACTIVELY WORKING ON, THROUGH INTERPRETATION OF, OF PARKS PROPERTIES TO BETTER RECOGNIZE AND PROTECT CULTURAL HERITAGE, LIKE LEGACY BUSINESSES AND MURALS, AS WELL AS ARCHEOLOGICAL RESOURCES, AND TO USE PRESERVATION TOOLS TO SUPPORT OTHER COMMUNITY PRIORITIES LIKE DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.

UNDER THE WHO PRESERVES THEME, THE BIG IDEA IS REALLY TO INVITE MORE PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE AND SUPPORT THEM.

IN THAT PARTICIPATION, WE STARTED TO ENGAGE NEW PARTNERS AND AUDIENCES AS PART OF OUTREACH AROUND THE PLAN, AND WE WANNA CONTINUE THAT WITH IMPLEMENTATION, WANNA MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAVE THE RESOURCES, RESOURCES THEY NEED, AND TO SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE WORK IN HANDS-ON WAYS IN, YOU KNOW, IN, IN A VARIETY OF OF WAYS.

THE FINAL THEME, HOW WE PRESERVE IS REALLY KIND OF ABOUT THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF HOW WE REGULATE AND REVIEW HISTORIC PROPERTIES.

AND WE WANT TO BE MORE STRATEGIC AND MORE EFFECTIVE.

SO UPDATING OUR DESIGNATION CRITERIA, SUPPORTING OUR HISTORIC PROPERTY OWNERS WHO ARE MOSTLY PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS IN WAYS THAT ARE, UM, EFFECTIVE AND MORE EQUITABLE TO BE STRATEGIC WITH THE REVIEW WE'RE DOING, IMPROVE ENFORCEMENT, UM, AND TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN COLLABORATIVELY.

SOME SELECTED RECOMMENDATIONS I LIKE TO GO THROUGH.

AND, YOU KNOW, OUT OF THE 107 RECOMMENDATIONS, WHAT, WHAT IS A KIND OF SHORT LIST THAT PARTICULARLY RELATES TO A, A COMMISSION THAT I'M SPEAKING WITH OR A BOARD.

THERE'S A LONG LIST THAT THAT RELATES.

A RELATIVELY LONG LIST THAT RELATES TO, UM, THE PARK AND PARKS AND RECREATION BOARDS WORK, INCLUDING, UH, INTERPRETATION, UM, WHICH AS I MENTIONED, PARK STAFF ARE ACTIVELY WORKING ON THINKING ABOUT EXTERIOR MURALS.

UM, REALLY FORMALIZING OUR PROCESS FOR LANDSCAPE, HISTORIC LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT AND OUR STANDARDS FOR THOSE.

UM, RECOGNIZING SIGNIFICANT ARCHEOLOGICAL RESOURCES, SUPPORTING CRAFTSPEOPLE WHO WORK IN HISTORIC BUILDINGS, CERTAINLY INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, TO PARKS DEPARTMENT STAFF.

UM, IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL HERITAGE TOURISM SITES, UM, AND SUPPORTING EXISTING SITES, MANY OF WHICH ARE ON PARKS PROPERTIES.

UM, PARTNERING WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS LIKE PARD TO DESIGNATE SIGNIFICANT PUBLICLY OWNED PROPERTY AND, AND RECOGNIZING, UM, AND SUPPORTING PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY OWNED HISTORIC CEMETERIES IN A WAY THAT WE, AT LEAST AS THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE HAVE NOT DONE HISTORICALLY, UM,

[01:10:01]

AND IT'S BEEN GREAT THROUGH THIS PROCESS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT PAR IS DOING AND HOW WE CAN PARTNER WITH AND LEARN FROM THEM.

SO, UH, BACKING UP TO THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT THAT WE DID THIS SPRING, I WOULD JUST GIVE Y'ALL A QUICK SUMMARY.

IT LASTED FOR FOUR MONTHS.

FROM FEBRUARY THROUGH MAY, WE ENGAGED MORE THAN 2,500 PEOPLE, WHICH I THINK IS AN EXTREMELY CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE.

UM, THIS IS AT EVENTS WHERE WE COUNTED PEOPLE AND THERE WERE LOTS OF EVENTS WHERE WE DID NOT ACTUALLY COUNT THE PEOPLE WE TALKED TO.

UM, WE DID MANY PRESENTATIONS TO CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS PRESENTED TO COMMUNITY GROUPS, UM, WHEREVER WE WERE ABLE TO TALK TO PROFESSIONAL STAKEHOLDER ORGANIZATIONS, WE DID POPUPS AROUND THE CITY.

WE HOSTED SMALLER CONVERSATIONS AND WE ALSO HOSTED, YOU KNOW, FOUR SPECIFIC CITY EVENTS ABOUT THE THE PLAN.

I THINK ONE THING THAT MADE THE OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS REALLY SUCCESSFUL WAS THAT WE PARTNERED WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN SUBSTANTIAL WAYS.

SO WE PAID NINE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO TALK ABOUT THE PLAN WITH THEIR NETWORKS.

UM, AND WE AWARDED MANY GRANTS TO FIVE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.

UM, AND THE, THE GOAL OF THOSE PROGRAMS WAS REALLY TO REACH COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE NOT HISTORICALLY PARTICIPATED IN CITY PLANNING PROCESSES AND, AND THAT ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN OUR DESIGNATED HISTORIC RESOURCES.

SO WHEN WE LOOK AT WHO WE HEARD FROM THROUGH, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE PLAN, MOST PEOPLE PARTICIPATED THROUGH A COMMUNITY SURVEY THAT WAS ONLINE AND ALSO ON PAPER.

UM, TOOK ABOUT FIVE MINUTES TO FILL OUT.

UH, AND WHEN WE COMPARE THOSE SURVEY RESPONDENTS TO THE SHARE OF THE SAME GROUP FROM THE CITY AS A WHOLE, WE HAVE ABOUT THE SAME SHARE OF PEOPLE OF COLOR WHO, WHO RESPONDED TO THIS SURVEY, A MUCH HIGHER SHARE OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND PEOPLE WHO BELONG TO THE LGBTQA PLUS COMMUNITIES.

THAT ALL THAT WAS REALLY EXCITING.

WE HAD A LOWER SHARE OF RENTERS, SO ABOUT 30% COMPARED TO THE CITY'S ROUGHLY 60%, 30% IS STILL, IT'S PRETTY GOOD FOR A CITY PROCESS, BUT WE STILL, AS WE IMPLEMENT THE PLAN, WANNA KEEP THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN CONTINUE IT TO BETTER ENGAGE RENTERS.

PEOPLE CAME FROM ALL OVER THE CITY, YOU CAN SEE ON THE MAP ON THE LOWER RIGHT, AND ABOUT 60% OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN IN AUSTIN FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS.

SO WE HAD A LOT OF OF LONG TIMERS WHO WERE BRINGING A LOT OF, OF HISTORY AND PERSPECTIVE TO THEIR INPUT AS WELL AS A GOOD NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN HERE A SHORTER TIME.

THE COMMUNITY SURVEY INCLUDED SEVEN PRIORITIES THAT WERE AGGREGATED FROM THE 14 PLAN GOALS AND THE VERY, I'M NOT GONNA RUN THROUGH EACH OF THESE, UM, SPECIFICALLY, BUT THE QUICK TAKEAWAY IS THAT ALL OF THESE PEOPLE SAID ALL THESE THINGS WERE IMPORTANT.

SO THE LOWEST SCORE, YOU KNOW, AVERAGE SCORE HERE WAS 73%.

WHEN WE TRIED TO GET A SENSE, WE'LL START WORKING ON MANY OF THESE AT THE, YOU KNOW, UH, INITIALLY, BUT WHEN WE WANTED TO GET A SENSE OF PEOPLE'S PRIORITIES.

SO WHEN YOU SAID, WELL, WHAT SHOULD WE START WORKING ON FIRST, MORE THAN HALF OF PEOPLE SAID, KEEP PEOPLE IN BUSINESSES IN PLACE.

ANOTHER 20% SAID, HELP THE PLACES THAT FEEL LIKE AUSTIN KEEP FEELING LIKE AUSTIN.

UM, I THINK THAT THOSE TOGETHER, THOSE 71% REALLY REFLECT THE, THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THAT, THAT, UH, URGENT CHALLENGES THAT THE CITY IS FACING TODAY.

UM, ABOUT HALF OF THOSE COMMENTS WERE ACTIONABLE, MEANING THEIR, UH, REQUESTED ACTION ARE ALLOWABLE WITHIN CITY CODE AND OR THE PURVIEW OF THE PLAN.

AND IN THE REVISION PROCESS, HALF THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE DRAFT PLAN WERE CHANGED.

SO, YOU KNOW, UH, THE WORKING GROUP THAT REVISED THE THE PLAN REALLY TOOK THAT COMMUNITY FEEDBACK INTO ACCOUNT AND ADDED EIGHT NEW RECOMMENDATIONS, INCLUDING THAT, UM, THE SUPPORT FOR STEWARDS OF HISTORIC CEMETERIES THAT I, THAT I CALLED OUT EARLIER AND, AND SUPPORT FOR HERITAGE TOURISM SITES, WHICH WERE THINGS THAT THE DRAFTING GROUP HAD JUST, UH, HAD OVERLOOKED.

AND SO IT WAS GREAT THAT PEOPLE PARTICIPATED AND TOLD US WHAT WE WERE MISSING.

I THINK IT'S A MUCH STRONGER PLAN FOR THIS PROCESS.

HERE'S A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE TIMELINE FOR THE PLAN.

IT'S BEEN A THREE AND A HALF YEAR PROCESS, UM, FROM WHEN THE WORKING GROUP STARTED ITS WORK, IT TOOK THEM ABOUT A YEAR TO DEVELOP THE DRAFT PLAN, UM, THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE LANDMARK COMMISSION IN THE FALL OF 2022.

AND AT THAT TIME, COUNCIL ALLOCATED SOME FUNDING FOR OUTREACH WHILE WE WERE GETTING THE, IT TOOK US A LITTLE WHILE TO GET THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE TO DO THAT OUTREACH, AND WE DID A VERY LOW-KEY LOW BUDGET AWARENESS CAMPAIGN TO BE LIKE, MAYBE TRY TO INVITE MORE PEOPLE TO, TO MAYBE THEY'RE INTERESTED IN PRESERVATION.

UM, THEN WE DID THAT ROBUST OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGN THIS SPRING.

AND, UM, THE PRESERVATION PLAN WORKING GROUP WORKED WITH A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE LANDMARK COMMISSION TO REVISE THE PLAN THIS SUMMER, UM, IN A SERIES OF FOUR VERY LONG,

[01:15:01]

UH, REVISION MEETINGS.

UM, AND THEY FINALIZED THE PLAN.

HERE WE ARE AT BOARD AND COMMISSION BRIEFINGS, AND WE ARE PLANNING TO TAKE THE PLAN TO COUNCIL FOR REVIEW AND POSSIBLE ADOPTION ON NOVEMBER 21ST.

NOW, AFTER THE PLAN IS ADOPTED, THAT'S WHEN, UH, THE WORK CONTINUES.

UH, WE WILL, WE HAVE IDENTIFI, WELL, THE WORKING GROUP AND THE LANDMARK COMMISSION HEAD OF HAVE IDENTIFIED A SHORT LIST OF HIGH IMPACT RECOMMENDATIONS.

SO WE'LL START WORKING ON THOSE WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE NOW, AND ALSO LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WILL REQUIRE, UH, ADDITIONAL STAFF AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES.

HOPEFULLY STARTING NEXT FALL, WE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC DASHBOARD TO TRACK PROGRESS ON THE PLAN.

UM, WE WILL BE WORKING, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS TO ALIGN OUR WORK WITH THEIRS.

THAT CERTAINLY INCLUDES PARD PARS LISTED AS A POTENTIAL PARTNER ON A NUMBER OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, COVERING A BROAD, A BROAD, UM, SPAN OF, OF TYPES OF RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND WE'LL CONTINUE OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PARTNERSHIP BUILDING, WHICH HAS REALLY BEEN AT THE, AT THE CORE OF THIS PROCESS.

I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S IT FOR ME.

I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PLAN OR IF YOU, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A, A RECOMMENDATION, UM, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.

BOARD MEMBER REED.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, KARA, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS.

I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.

UM, ONE ABOUT, AND YOU KIND OF ANSWERED THIS IN NEXT STEPS, BUT, UM, IMPLEMENTATION AND INCENTIVES.

IS THIS GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTED AS IT IS KIND OF NOW THROUGH THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION? IN OTHER WORDS, THEY WILL BE REFERENCING THIS NEW, UM, EQUITY BASED, HI, HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN WHENEVER THEY'RE MEETING.

AND THE SECOND QUESTION IS ABOUT HOW ARE YOU, DOES THE PLAN ADDRESS INCENTIVES FOR PRESERVATION? BECAUSE THAT'S THE MOST DIFFICULT PART.

IF AN OWNER DOES NOT WANT TO PRESERVE A HISTORIC SITE, UM, IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE, REGARDLESS OF A VOTE BY THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION OR BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION OR THE CITY COUNCIL.

IT'S VERY DIFFICULT.

EITHER OF THOSE IS, IS A GOOD OPTION.

THANK YOU FOR, FOR THOSE QUESTIONS.

IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTATION, UM, I THINK THE LANDMARK COMMISSION WILL BE REFERENCING THE PLAN AS IT KIND OF, I THINK TO SOME DEGREE IN ITS MEETINGS, BUT MORE IN THE WORK OF ITS COMMITTEES IN LOOKING AT, AT POLICY CHANGES.

IT'S CERTAINLY WORK THAT WILL, UM, DIRECT THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE STAFF IN CODE CHANGES, THINKING ABOUT POLICY CHANGES, THINKING ABOUT NEW, DEVELOPING NEW TOOLS.

BUT IT'S NOT SAY AS THE PLAN WON'T BE AS DIRECTLY REFERENCED TO SAY THE HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE LANDMARK COMMISSION IS REVIEWING CASES, IT'S MUCH MORE OF A, A POLICY AND PLANNING DOCUMENT AT A A HIGHER SCALE, HIGHER LEVEL.

UM, IN TERMS OF, UH, AND, AND WE HOPE, AGAIN, WE, AS I SAID BEFORE, WE HOPE THAT IT WILL BE USED BY OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND THEIR WORK AND THAT WE CAN SUPPORT THEIR WORK.

THAT THAT ALIGNS WITH THE PLAN AS WELL.

IN TERMS OF DESIGNATION, YES, IT DOES INCLUDE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INCENTIVES FOR, FOR DESIGNATION, UM, THAT INCLUDES A, A POTENTIAL, A PROPO.

ALL THIS IS PROPOSED, YOU KNOW, A PROPOSED NEW INCENTIVE FOR, UM, NEWLY DESIGNATED PROPERTIES THAT WOULD BE TIME LIMITED.

SO IT'S KIND OF 10 YEAR TAX FREEZE AND CITY TAXES, AN EXPANDED TAX ABATEMENT, WHICH IS A PROJECT BASED TAX INCENTIVE THAT'S CURRENTLY OFFERED ONLY IN HISTORIC DISTRICTS ONLY BY THE CITY.

AND THE PLAN PROPOSES, UM, EXPANDING IT TO MAKE IT MORE EFFECTIVE, CHANGING THE PROGRAM TO MAKE IT MORE EFFECTIVE AND EXPANDING IT TO OTHER TAXING JURISDICTIONS IF THEY AGREE.

AND ALSO EXPANDING IT TO HISTORIC LANDMARKS.

THERE'S ALSO A RECOMMENDATION FOR TRANSFERS OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, WHICH I THINK IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IN, UM, IN OUR, OUR DOWNTOWN WITH OUR, OUR VERY RELATIVELY QUITE SMALL HISTORIC PROPERTIES COMPARED TO WHAT ZONING ALLOWS AND TRANSFERS OF DEVELOPMENT, DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, BASICALLY.

I'M NOT SURE I'VE EXPLAINED THIS BEFORE, MICROPHONE COHERENTLY OR BRIEFLY, BUT I'M GONNA TRY HERE.

BASICALLY ALLOWS PROPERTY OWNERS TO TAKE UNUSED AIR RIGHTS.

SO IF YOU HAVE A SMALL PROPERTY AND ZONING ALLOWS YOU TO GO UP TO HERE, IT ALLOWS A PROPERTY OWNER TO BASICALLY MONETIZE THOSE AIR RIGHTS AND SELL THEM TO ANOTHER PROPERTY OWNER WHO COULD BUILD ABOVE WHAT, WHAT THE ZONING ALLOWS THERE.

PRETTY GOOD.

UM, SO THAT WOULD START OFF WITH A MARKET ANALYSIS TO MAKE SURE IT WOULD WORK HERE AND HOW IT WOULD WORK, BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE A VERY, VERY POWERFUL TOOL.

CAN I ASK ONE MORE, UM, ONE MORE QUESTION.

HOW WILL THE PUBLIC BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY AND CONTACT, WOULD, WOULD THEY CONTACT THE, UM, THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION OR, OR, UH, OR THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE? IF THEY HAVE WANT TO IDENTIFY SOMETHING HISTORIC,

[01:20:01]

PROBABLY THE EASIEST THING WOULD BE TO EMAIL PRESERVATION STAFF AT, JUST FOR ANYONE WHO'S LISTENING, PRESERVATION@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV WITH TEXAS SPELLED OUT, UM, THAT, THAT IS A GENERAL STAFF INBOX THAT WE MONITOR, BUT THEY CAN ALSO REACH OUT TO ANY MEMBER OF THE LANDMARK COMMISSION OR COME TO A LANDMARK COMMISSION MEETING.

CAN I ALSO, SORRY I, THAT WAS SUCH A CONCISE ANSWER.

I WANNA ADD MORE, ONE MORE THING, WHICH IS THAT ONE OF THE PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS THAT IS VERY EXCITING IS A CULTURAL MAPPING PROGRAM.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE SORT OF PUTTING THE GROUNDWORK IN PLACE AND HOPING TO GET FUNDING FOR IT STARTING IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, SO STARTING NEXT FALL.

AND THAT WOULD INVOLVE MORE PROACTIVE OUTREACH TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, TO ASK THEM WHAT PLACES ARE IMPORTANT AND TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT PUBLICLY IN A WAY THAT COULD HOPEFULLY WILL HELP US TO, TO PROACTIVELY IDENTIFY MORE, UH, POTENTIAL LANDMARKS IN DISTRICTS, BUT ALSO COULD JUST BE A WAY TO RECOGNIZE IMPORTANT PLACES THAT MIGHT NOT QUALIFY AS HISTORIC, BUT THAT STILL FORM THE STORIES AND, AND PART OF THAT IMPORTANT FABRIC OF A COMMUNITY.

NUMBER NINE REAL QUICK, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO FIVE.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR BOARD MEMBERS? ALL RIGHT.

ANY MOTIONS BOARD MEMBERS? I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION, UH, THAT WE APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO ADOPT THE EQUITY-BASED PRESERVATION PLAN AS AN ELEMENT OF THE IMAGINE AUSTIN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

UH, THERE'S A MOTION BY, BY SHERIFF FLOWERS.

IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

THERE'S A SECOND BY, UH, BOARD MEMBER BAAN.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, AT THIS TIME I'LL TAKE A VOTE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.

UM, AT THIS TIME WE'LL BE TAKING A 10 MINUTE RECESS, SO PLEASE, UH, COME BACK AT 7:37 PM THANK YOU TO IT THEN.

IT'S FINE.

WE'RE FINE.

UM, OH, THERE.

OH, UH, 7:37 PM WE'RE BACK FROM RECESS.

UH, BUT WE ARE GOING TO DO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, UH, REALLY QUICKLY FIRST, AND THEN, UH, GO BACK TO NUMBER.

NO, NOT NUMBER EIGHT.

OH, THAT NUMBER NINE, SORRY.

WE'RE GONNA GO DO A AGENDA ITEM.

UH, ARE, WE'RE GONNA DO AGENDA ITEM

[9. Staff briefing on Parks and Recreation Department community engagement events, planning updates, development updates, maintenance updates, program updates and administrative updates. (Sponsors: Villalobos, Flowers). (PARD Long Range Strategies: Relief from Urban Life, Urban Public Spaces, Park Access). ]

SO, UH, DIRECTOR? YES.

UH, BOARD MEMBERS, I'M ANGELA MEANS INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.

I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW ITEMS FROM THE DIRECTOR'S UPDATE REPORT, AS WELL AS PROVIDE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE 2026 BOND PROCESS.

COMMUNITY GARDEN CLUBS AND AS A VENUE FOR GARDENS TO ENHANCE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS.

PART HAS BEEN PARTICIPATING IN THE INTEGRATED BOND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT ACROSS DEPARTMENTAL EFFORT ORGANIZED BY CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES SINCE THE FORMATION IN MARCH, 2024.

AS PART OF THESE EFFORTS, PARD HAS DEVELOPED A UNIVERSAL ROLLING NEEDS ASSESSMENT SPREADSHEET THAT HAS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, OVER 700 IDENTIFIED PARD PROJECTS.

THESE NEEDS WERE GATHERED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES, INCLUDING PARS, LONG RANGE PLAN, ACTIVE VISION AND FACILITY PLANS, COORDINATION MEETINGS WITH EACH PAR DIVISION, AND OTHER PLANS, GUIDING DOCUMENTS, STUDIES, AND REPORTS.

THE INTEGRATED BOND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT TEAM HAS ALSO DEVELOPED SIX BOND PROGRAM GUIDING PRINCIPLES, WHICH ARE THE BASIS FOR PRIORITIZATION OF ALL CITY BOND PROJECTS.

THESE GUIDING PRINCIPLES INCLUDE EQUITY, AFFORDABILITY, INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE, PROACTIVE PREVENTION AND CUSTOMER TRUST AND RELATIONSHIPS.

PAR HAS DEVELOPED AN INITIAL TECHNICAL SCORING MATRIX FOR BOND PROJECTS BASED ON THESE GUIDING PRINCIPLES.

THE NEXT STEPS INCLUDE FINALIZING PARTS, BOND PROJECT STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS BY JANUARY OF 2025, AND PRESENTING THEM TO THE BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE.

AND COUNCIL DISTRICTS ONCE FINALIZED, THERE WILL BE A ROBUST COMMUNITY OUTREACH EFFORT PRIOR TO FINALIZING RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNSEL.

SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL WHERE, WHERE PART IS IN THAT PROCESS.

LAST FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25TH, THE AUSTIN AREA GARDEN CENTER CELEBRATED THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEDICATION OF THE GARDEN CENTER, ORIGINALLY DEDICATED IN 1964.

THE GARDEN CENTER HAS SERVED AS A GATHERING PLACE FOR

[01:25:01]

ORIGINALLY, THERE WERE SIX GARDEN CLUBS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THE, UH, DISCUSSIONS, AND NOW THERE ARE 23 GARDEN CLUBS WITH OVER 1000 MEMBERS.

THE AUSTIN AREA GARDEN COUNCIL HAS SERVED AS OUR PARTNER FOR ALMOST 70 YEARS NOW FOR SOME OF THE, UH, HALLOWEEN FESTIVITIES.

ON OCTOBER 19TH, THE GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER HOSTED ITS ANNUAL PUMPKIN FESTIVAL.

THE CARVER STAFF, COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND VOLUNTEERS COLLABORATED TO CREATE A FESTIVE ATMOSPHERE WHERE FAMILIES ENJOYED PUMPKIN CARVINGS, COSTUME CONTESTS, AND A RANGE OF FUN ACTIVITIES AND GAMES.

THIS WAS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HEBI WILL SAY THERE'S MANY OF THESE, UH, HALLOWEEN FESTIVALS THROUGHOUT OUR PARK SYSTEM, WHICH IS A REALLY GOOD TIME FOR THE AUSTIN PARKS, UH, DEPARTMENT.

IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER, STARTING IN OCTOBER, THE RU RODOLFO RUDY MENDEZ RECREATION CENTER WILL HOST ITS ANNUAL FALL MOVIE SERIES.

THE FREE EVENT HELD IN METS PARK FEATURES A MONTHLY MOVIE SCREENING ON FRIDAY NIGHTS THROUGH DECEMBER.

FAMILY, FRIENDS AND PETS ARE INVITED TO ENJOY.

A DELIGHTFUL EVENING OF FILM AND POPCORN MOVIES BEGAN AT SUNSET.

THE NEXT SCREENING WILL BE THE GARFIELD MOVIE ON NOVEMBER 8TH, ON SEPTEMBER 7TH, THE LAMAR SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER HOSTED THE RETURN OF THE AUSTIN ACOUSTICAL CAFE PROGRAM ATTRACTING MORE THAN 80 PARTICIPANTS.

THE AUSTIN ACOUSTICAL CAFE OCCURS ON THE SECOND SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH, CONTINUING THROUGH MAY, 2025, STARTING AT 7:00 PM I THINK I WILL PAUSE IT THERE.

YOU CAN READ ABOUT ALL OF OUR OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT WE'VE HAD THROUGHOUT OUR PARK SYSTEM IN YOUR ATTACHMENT.

I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, DIRECTOR.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE DIRECTOR? THANK YOU.

DIRECTOR MEANS, UM, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE UPDATE ON PARKLAND AGREEMENTS BETWEEN NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.

UM, THIS IS, UH, A MEMO THAT WAS SENT TO THE PARKS BOARD PARK IS PARTNERING WITH THE, WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH'S INTERNAL AUDITORS TO REVIEW CURRENT AGREEMENTS WITH THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF A CONTRACT AUDIT TO ENSURE THAT ALL PARTIES INVOLVED IN A CONTRACT ARE MEETING THEIR OBLIGATIONS AND THAT THE CONTRACT IS BEING EXECUTED PROPERLY.

UM, AND THERE ARE OTHER OBJECTIVES AS WELL.

MY QUESTION IS, ARE THE, WELL, ARE THE PARKS OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENTS BEING PAUSED AND NOT MOVING FORWARD DURING THIS PROCESS? NOT AT THIS TIME.

WE'RE, WE ARE, HAVE NOT STALLED OUT ON THE POMA AGREEMENTS.

UM, BUT THEY, THOSE TWO, I WOULD SAY THE PALMER PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY AND PEACE PARK ARE PART OF THIS REVIEW THAT THE INTERNAL AUDITOR WILL TAKE A LOOK AT ALONG WITH THE TRAIL OF LIGHTS, UH, CITY CO-SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT.

BUT AS FAR AS MOVING TO OTHER PHASES OR PROGRESSING THAT THERE IS NOT A PAUSE DURING THIS PROCESS OF AUDIT, OUR PREFERENCES IS NOT TO MAKE ANY, UM, NOT TO DO A, A FORMAL PAUSE, BUT WE DEFINITELY WANT THE, UH, INTERNAL AUDITOR TO DO HER WORK BEFORE WE ADVANCE FORWARD.

SO WE'RE HOPING TO WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR PARTNERS DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME.

AND, UM, AT, AT CONCLUDING THAT AUDIT, WILL THE PARKS BOARD HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM THE PARKS DEPARTMENT FROM THE RESULTS OF THE AUDIT? YES, HE WILL.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT,

[5. Discussion and approve a recommendation to Austin City Council to complete an audit of the agreements between the City and external organizations that manage maintenance and access to City-owned baseball and soccer fields. (Sponsors: Bazan, Becker, Villalobos). ]

TERMS, YOU KNOW, WHEN DO THEY EXPIRE? WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS TO RENEW? MAKE SURE YOU HAVEN'T, UM, EX EXCEEDED OR YOU AREN'T GOING TO EXCEED YOUR NOT TOCE AMOUNTS THAT WERE APPROVED YEARS BACK.

WE'LL NOW MOVE BACK ON TO AGENDA NUMBER FIVE.

UH, ANY SPEAKERS MR. BECK? YES.

CHAIR.

WE HAVE, UH, A FEW SPEAKERS IN THIS ITEM.

UH, WE'RE GONNA BEGIN WITH, UH, BEN SOBE, AND THEN AFTER BEN, WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM JOELLE MANSO AND THEN JOFFREY LEWIS.

MR. SOBE, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.

HELLO, MY NAME'S BEN EBBY.

JUST A QUICK NOTE.

UH, I'M SPEAKING, UH, IN MY PERSONAL CAPACITY, NOT ON BEHALF OF MY EMPLOYER OR, UH, THE UNION, I'M A PROUD AND ACTIVE MEMBER OF OR ANY NONPROFIT BOARD THAT I SIT ON.

UM, AND I WANNA SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF ITEM FIVE.

UM, THE, THE THREE OUTLINED POINTS ON THERE, UH, ON THE RESOLVED PART, UH, MAKE JUST A LOT OF SENSE.

UM, I'LL START ON, ON THE FIRST ONE.

UH, THE AUDIT OF CONTRACTS.

YOU KNOW, KNOWING WHAT YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, IS JUST A GOOD, IT'S JUST GOOD BUSINESS, RIGHT? UM, KNOWING THAT WHAT THE, WHAT THE BOUNDS, WHAT THE BORDERS ARE, WHAT THE SURFACE AREA OF YOUR EXISTING CONTRACTS ARE, THEIR

[01:30:01]

THAT'S JUST GOOD POLICY.

KEEPS YOUR NAME OUTTA THE NEWSPAPER AND, AND KEEPS YOU FROM GETTING SUED, HOPEFULLY, RIGHT? UM, I'LL JUMP TO THREE.

UM, THE, THE DATA ON COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, NOW YOU'VE COVERED YOURSELF ON THAT FIRST PART, THAT NEXT PART'S THE COUNTERPARTY, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE FOLLOWING THEIR SIDE OF THE DEAL.

UH, AND WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS IF THEY DON'T, ARE WE KEEPING TRACK? YOU KNOW, UH, THREE STRIKES ARE OUT, ONLY COUNTS ONLY AS GOOD IF YOU'RE COUNTING THE STRIKES, RIGHT? UH, I ALSO HAVE TO, UH, MENTION HOW IRONIC IT IS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BASEBALL FIELDS WHILE GAME THREE IS, IS PLAYING .

UM, I THINK THE BULLET 0.2 THOUGH, IS WHERE WE GET TO THE HEART OF IT.

THIS IS WHERE, UH, ALL THOSE OTHER ONES ARE PUBLIC INTEREST, RIGHT? I'M A PUBLIC BUDGETS GUY.

THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE MY HEART IS.

BUT THE MAJORITY OF OUR COMMUNITY REALLY CARES ABOUT BULLET 0.2, MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY ACCESS TO OUR PUBLICLY OWNED GOODS IS, IS WORKING, RIGHT? UH, IF PEOPLE ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY ACCESSING THESE PUBLICLY OWNED GOODS, IS THERE A DIFFERENT WAY WE CAN APPROACH THIS? ARE THERE SOME INADVERTENT HURDLES THAT HAVE BEEN SET UP, UH, THAT ARE BLOCKING PEOPLE FROM ENJOYING THESE THINGS THAT WE PUBLICLY OWN AND SHARE? UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE EXTREME CASE THAT WE WOULD ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, WANNA AVOID IS ANY PRIVATE ENTITY, UH, EXERTING EXTREME CONTROL OR EXCLUSIVE CONTROL OF SOMETHING THAT'S ACTUALLY PUBLICLY OWNED AND PUBLICLY HELD.

UH, I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT'S THE CASE.

I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA TO LOOK INTO THIS, SEE WHERE WE'RE AT, UH, AND THAT CAN PROVIDE OPTIONS AND PATHWAYS AND, AND, UH, WAYS TO MOVE FORWARD THAT, UH, HELPS US BETTER USE THESE THINGS THAT WE ALREADY OWN, MAY HELP BETTER MAINTAIN THEM AND REALLY GET THE, THE PUBLIC GOOD OUT OF, UH, OUR BASEBALL AND SOCCER FIELDS.

UH, YOU KNOW, THE, I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS GOOD FOR PEOPLE IN AUSTIN OF ALL AGES AND ALL OUR COMMUNITIES, BUT IT, IT KEYS IN ON SPECIFIC COMMUNITIES THAT MANY TIMES ARE OVERLOOKED AND IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, ENJOY THE OUTDOORS, BUT ALSO FORM COMMUNITY.

IT'S A GOOD IDEA.

, OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE JOEL MANZO, FOLLOWED BY JEFFREY LEWIS, AND THEN JUSTIN GRANBERG, BER GRABBER.

GOOD EVENING, MANTO, DISTRICT SEVEN.

FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK YOU BOARD FOR LETTING ME SPEAK ESPECIALLY, UM, LANE AND, UM, UM, STEPHANIE, UM, BAZAAR AND, UH, PEDRO VO.

Y'ALL BEEN REALLY SUPPORTIVE THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

I'M HERE TO, UH, SUPPORT THIS RECOMMENDATION, REVIEW AND AUDIT OF THE BASEBALL AND SOCCER FACILITIES.

UM, BASEBALL AND SOCCER ARE VERY DIVERSE, UM, ACTIVITIES.

WE HAVE MEN, WOMEN IN QUEER TEAMS. UM, THIS PAST WEEKEND THEY HELD A SANDLOT, UM, ALL WOMEN'S NON-BINARY QUEER, UH, GAME AT GO VALLEY PARK.

UM, I RECENTLY WAS IN A, UH, ROUND TABLE WITH PARKS AND RECS, AND THEY CONSULTED WITH POSITIVE COACHING ALLIANCE, UH, FROM OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA TO GIVE THEM RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW THEY CAN, UM, ELEVATE THE EXPERIENCE OF OUR YOUTH PROGRAMS. AND ONE OF THEM WAS TO COLLABORATE WITH THE ADULTS.

UH, THEY PROVIDED, UM, MEANS OF FUNDS, UM, VOLUNTEER FOR UMPIRES AND COACHES AND MAINTENANCE.

I ACTUALLY RECEIVED A PHONE CALL THIS AFTERNOON FROM, UM, RICK CASTANERA, RICK AND CARMEN CASTANERA FIELD IS, UH, DOWN AT GARRISON PARK.

THESE FIELDS ACTUALLY NAMED AFTER THEM, THE GENTLEMAN WE'VE BEEN TALKING.

AND HE CALLED ME AND ASKED, WHEN ARE YOU GONNA COME PLAY IN OUR FIELD? IT'S BEEN SITTING VACANT.

UM, SEEING THESE FACILITIES STRUGGLE AND HAVING OUR HAND TO HELP THEM CAN ELEVATE THE EXPERIENCE FOR THE YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY.

UM, WE ALSO NEED TO REVIEW THE ORDINANCES.

IT'S REALLY NOT THE CONTRACTS THAT ARE, ARE PREVENTING US FROM USING, USING THE FACILITIES.

IT'S THE ORDINANCES, UH, THAT SUPPOSEDLY SAY ADULTS CAN'T USE OR SHARE THE SAME FIELD AS, UH, THE YSO, UH, WHICH I'VE REVIEWED THE CONTRACTS AND ORDINANCES.

THERE'S NOTHING THAT REALLY SAYS THAT.

IT JUST STATES THAT YSO CANNOT, UH, UM, CONTRACT WITH ADULTS ONLY WITH OTHER YSO.

UM, AND THIS ULTIMATELY WE'RE OUT HERE FOR OUR PHYSICAL MENTAL HEALTH.

UH, THIS COMING DOWN HERE IS PRETTY STRESSFUL.

UM, WE COULD GO BACK EVIDENCE FROM 2008 WITH THE STRUGGLES OF THE BASEBALL FIELDS.

UM, I'VE BEEN AT THIS SINCE 2018.

I'VE HAD A MEETING WITH, UH,

[01:35:01]

LUCAS MASSEY, UH, BACK IN 2021, AND I'M GLAD THAT WE'VE GAINED TRACTION WITH THE SUPPORT OF PARKS AND RECS AND THE PARKS BOARD.

UM, SO AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND, UM, I SUPPORT THIS, UM, AUDIT IN REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE SOCCER AND, UM, BASEBALL FACILITIES.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE JOFFREY LEWIS.

HEY EVERYONE, THANKS FOR HEARING US OUT.

UM, I CAME TO AUSTIN ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO AND FINDING THE STAND LOT BASEBALL COMMUNITY HAS BEEN AMAZING AND ILLUMINATING, UM, BEAUTIFUL CHANCE FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE TO BE WITH OLDER PEOPLE.

UM, YOU KNOW, AT A TIME WHEN WE'RE LACKING FOR THIRD SPACES AND AT A TIME WHERE EVERYONE IS SORT OF IMMERSED IN THEIR OWN WORLD OF REMOTE WORK, UM, IT'S NICE TO BE ABLE TO SHOW UP TOGETHER WITH, UH, REALLY COOL CAST OF CHARACTERS.

AND IT'S REALLY EXPOSED ME TO SEEING OTHER FAMILIES, YOU KNOW, SEEING FATHERS WHO PLAY BASEBALL AND KNOWING THAT THAT TIME IS REALLY, REALLY HARD TO COME BY, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PARENTS IN THE ROOM.

UM, WEDNESDAY FROM FIVE TO 7:30 PM MIGHT BE THE ONLY TIME YOU GET TO REALLY DO SOMETHING MAYBE NOT TOTALLY ACCOUNTABLE OR GOING TOWARD THE MISSION OF RUNNING THE HOUSEHOLD.

SO IT'S REALLY NICE TO BE ABLE TO BE AROUND OTHER KINDS OF PEOPLE AND YEAH, TO GET TO KNOW MORE OF THE CITY, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOTTEN TO PLAY AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT PARKS, SEVERAL DIFFERENT FIELDS, AND EVERY TIME I GET TO GO TO A NEW COMMUNITY, IT'S A CHANCE TO LEARN ABOUT THAT LOCAL, LOCAL COMMUNITY.

PATRONIZE THOSE BUSINESSES, GET TO HEAR STORIES.

AND, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE AVID USERS OF SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU KIND OF GET TO SHARE THOSE STORIES WITH PEOPLE WHO WOULD NEVER GET TO SEE THOSE KINDS OF PLACES.

AND THE MORE THAT BASEBALL GROWS HERE IN AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GONE FROM LIKE EIGHT TEAMS TO OVER 20 TEAMS IN JUST A FEW YEARS.

UM, I JUST HAVE NOTHING BUT, YOU KNOW, DOZENS AND DOZENS OF STORIES IN RELATIONSHIPS I'VE, I'VE FOUND THROUGH BASEBALL.

AND, UM, SO YEAH, IF YOU CAN HELP KEEP THAT GOING, THAT WOULD BE AMAZING.

THANKS A LOT FOR LISTENING.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE JUSTIN GRABBER, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

MY NAME IS JUSTIN GRABBER, SELF-PROCLAIMED BASEBALL ENTHUSIAST AND COMMUNITY ADVOCATE.

THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH Y'ALL THIS EVENING ABOUT THE IMPACT AND VALUE OF ACCESS TO THESE COMMUNITY PROPERTIES AND FIELDS.

UH, AS YOU'VE HEARD HERE, A NUMBER OF FOLKS CAN ATTEST TO THE VALUE, NOT ONLY OF THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY, BUT EXPERIENCING THE OUTDOOR VALUE AND PARTICULAR BENEFITS OF THESE BEAUTIFUL CITY ASSETS THAT WE ARE ALL INTERESTED IN SHARING IN THE RIGHT ORDER WITH ALL INTERESTED PARTIES IN THE CITY, UM, WITH YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS ADULT BASEBALL ORGANIZATIONS.

FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE METRO LEAGUES, THERE'S AN AUSTIN SANDLOT LEAGUE, AND OTHER RECREATIONAL ENTITIES THAT WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THESE PROPERTIES AND SHARE THESE EXPERIENCES IN THE RIGHT SEASON AND TIME AND PLACE, AND KIND OF PRIORITIZE RELATIVE TO YOUTH SEASONS AND CYCLES THAT ARE ONGOING AT ALL OF THESE PROPERTIES.

UH, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW OF THE FIELDS OF INTEREST THAT WE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN BEING IN THE MIX WITH ACCESS AND RENTAL TWO, UH, DOWNFIELD GOVALLE OR GOE PARK, ZARAGOZA, ROY G. GUERRERO, NORTHWEST PARK, PRESTON FIELD, AND GARRISON FIELD ARE ALL FIELDS THAT WE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN CONTINUING TO CONTRIBUTE IN KIND LABOR AND OTHER PROPERTIES AND IN KIND ASSETS THAT WOULD IMPROVE MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP AND OTHER DIMENSIONS OF THE EXPERIENCE OF THE SPORT THAT WOULD REDUCE THE BURDEN AND COST TO THE CITY, AND ALSO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF PLAY.

UH, THIS, AS YOU'VE HEARD, IS OF TREMENDOUS VALUE TO NOT ONLY THE ADULTS, BUT THE FAMILIES THAT GET TO ENJOY THESE PROPERTIES.

SO, EXAMINING THE CONTRACTS, MAKING SURE THAT THEY WERE EQUITABLE, AND GIVES EVERYBODY A FAIR SHOT AT RENTALS THAT MAINTAIN A VERY TRANSPARENT AND EASY TO UNDERSTAND RENTAL PROCESS THAT MAKES IT VERY CLEAR TO EVERYBODY WHO IS APPLYING WHAT THE TIMEFRAME MIGHT BE AND THE EXPECTATIONS AND THEY UNFOLD THROUGHOUT THE CALENDAR YEAR.

UH, I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION OF THIS MATTER AND APPRECIATE BEING WITH YOU.

THAT IS THE END OF PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.

I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO BOARD MEMBERS, BAAN AND BOARD MEMBER BECKER, BOARD MEMBERS.

I'LL NOW TURN IT OFF TO, OH,

[01:40:01]

UM, THANK YOU CHAIR.

UH, I ACTUALLY FEEL LIKE OUR, UM, PUBLIC SPEAKERS DID MOST OF THE WORK FOR ME ON THIS ONE, WHICH I APPRECIATE.

UH, JUST IN OUTLINING THE DETAILS, BUT, UM, FOR MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE LESS FAMILIAR WITH THE CURRENT STATE OF THINGS, I'LL JUST SUMMARIZE WHERE WE ARE AND WHY WE PUT THIS, UM, RECOMMENDATION IN FRONT OF YOU.

UH, THE SORT OF SHORT VERSION, THE SHORTEST VERSION OF THE STORY IS THAT THE CITY CONTRACTS, UM, FOR MAINTENANCE, UH, BOTH SORT OF MAINTENANCE OF THE FIELDS AND CONTROL OF ACCESS TO A VARIETY OF LOCAL NONPROFIT AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, UM, LARGELY FOR REASONS ASSOCIATED WITH COST.

MAINTAINING A BASEBALL FIELD OR A SOCCER FIELD CAN BE EXPENSIVE.

EXPENSIVE IN TERMS OF THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH ALL THE MATERIALS AND RESOURCES THAT YOU NEED FOR UPKEEP.

UPKEEP, AND ALSO EXPENSIVE IN TERMS OF PEOPLE'S TIME.

IT TAKES SOME TIME, UH, EVERY TIME, EVERY TIME YOU PLAY A GAME, THERE'S SOME WORK TO DO.

YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME YOU COME BACK BEFORE YOU PLAY A GAME, THERE'S SOME WORK TO DO JUST TO ENSURE THAT THE FIELDS ARE PROPERLY MAINTAINED, THAT COSTS MONEY.

SO THE CITY IS ABLE TO SAVE MONEY BY CONTRACTING WITH THESE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.

THE CHALLENGE, UH, IS THAT SOME OF THESE CONTRACTS HAVE SORT OF VERY LONG TIMELINES, UM, AND SOME OF THEM, IT SEEMS WERE NOT NECESSARILY WRITTEN, UH, AS CLEANLY LET'S SAY, OR AS SPECIFICALLY AS THEY NEEDED TO BE.

ADDITIONALLY, SOME OF THEM WERE SIGNED FOR VERY LONG TIME PERIODS, AND THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND HAS CHANGED, YOU KNOW, IN THE 10, 15 YEARS THAT THE CONTRACT HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE, THE PEOPLE HAVE CHANGED, THE ENVIRONMENT HAS CHANGED, THE NEED HAS CHANGED, NEW, UH, NEW USES APPEAR, NEW PEOPLE IN THE CITY APPEAR WHO WANT TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THESE.

SO WHAT BECAME CLEAR TO US ON THE, THE BASEBALL FIELD WORKING GROUP THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER, UH, BACK IN THE SUMMER, UH, AS WE WERE MEETING, WAS JUST THAT WE NEEDED MORE INFORMATION IN ORDER TO REALLY BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO PROCEED OR HOW WE MIGHT BEST BEGIN TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.

BECAUSE THERE ARE CERTAINLY ISSUES FOR ACCESS, PARTICULARLY AMONGST, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SANDLOT, UH, ADULT LEAGUES THAT ARE TRYING TO GET ACCESS TO IT.

UM, UH, PART OF THIS PROCESS WE ALSO CAME TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SIMILAR ISSUES WITH THE SOCCER FIELDS, AND PERHAPS SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES CAN SPEAK TO THOSE.

UM, SO WHERE WE ARE AS A WORKING GROUP RIGHT NOW IS WE JUST, WE FEEL THAT WE NEED MORE INFORMATION AND THE LEVEL OF INFORMATION THAT WE REQUIRE, I THINK IS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WE CAN JUST ASK FOR IN TERMS OF CAN WE SEE THE CONTRACTS? IT REQUIRES A LITTLE BIT AS YOU, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS RECOMMENDATION, IT REQUIRES A LITTLE BIT OF ANALYSIS, A LITTLE BIT OF CARE, AND SOME, SOME WORK TO ENSURE THAT IT'S COMPREHENSIVE.

UH, SO WE DECIDED THAT THE MOST EFFECTIVE APPROACH WOULD BE TO PUT IT IN FRONT OF THIS GROUP AS A RECOMMENDATION.

UM, AND IN ORDER TO ASK COUNSEL, UH, TO REQUEST THAT THIS INFORMATION BE PROVIDED.

AND JUST FOR CLARIFICATION PURPOSES, THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION BROUGHT BY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, NOT THE WORKING GROUP, RIGHT? UH, YES, THAT'S CORRECT.

SO THE, THE THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.

THE ISSUE WAS IDENTIFIED IN THE WORKING GROUP, BUT IT WAS THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD THAT DETERMINED THAT THIS WAS, UH, A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE NEEDED TO PUT FORTH.

APPRECIATE IT, UH, BOARD MEMBERS AND I, UM, OBVIOUSLY I'M A SPONSOR FOR THIS ITEM, UM, BECAUSE I COLLABORATED WITH Y'ALL IN REGARDS TO BRINGING IT FORTH.

YEAH, I DON'T HAVE TOO MUCH MORE TO ADD OTHER THAN TO SAY THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITY IN THE CITY.

AND SO WHEN YOU SEE THAT THERE ARE, UM, TIMES WHEN FIELDS ARE, ARE UNUSED OR THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR SUPPORT WITH REPAIR, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS, UM, WHICH CONTINUES TO COME UP OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN, IN OTHER, IN OTHER AREAS, IT'S CERTAINLY WORTH LOOKING INTO.

UM, AND KNOWING THAT THERE ARE, UM, YEAH, LOTS OF MEMBERS FROM, FROM THE COMMUNITY, UM, WHETHER THEY'RE PLAYING SOCCER OR BASEBALL OR, UM, JUST WANT TO GO OUT ONE DAY AND, AND ENJOY WATCHING THAT FOR THEIR WELLNESS.

UM, I THINK THAT'S JUST IMPORTANT ACROSS THE BOARD.

AND AS YOU'VE HEARD SOME OF THE SPEAKERS SAY, UM, IT TRANSCENDS LIKE AGE AND DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.

SO A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR CITY AS A WHOLE.

UM, THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT MEANT AS A GOTCHA TO CATCH ANYBODY.

WE WANT TO JUST SEE THE DATA AND BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD AND BE BETTER FOR OUR CITY.

AND SO REALLY APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO WORK TOGETHER WITH SOME OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS TO BRING THIS FORWARD.

IF I MAY JUMP IN ON THAT REALLY FAST, I ACTUALLY THINK, UM, BOARD MEMBER BEAN'S POINT IS A REALLY GOOD ONE, SO I WANT TO EMPHASIZE IT HERE FOR THE RECORD.

UH, MY OBSERVATION OR OUR OBSERVATION AT THIS STAGE IS THAT IT REALLY IS MORE OF A STRUCTURAL ISSUE, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE INTERESTED IN THE CONTRACTS AND THE LANGUAGE OF THE CONTRACTS.

THERE ISN'T REALLY, AREN'T REALLY ANY BAD ACTORS IN THE MIX.

IT'S A BUNCH OF FOLKS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THE BEST AND THE RIGHT THING IN A SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES THAT HAVE CHANGED.

I JUST, I REALLY WANTED TO EMPHASIZE THAT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY KEY TO UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND UNDERSTANDING WHY WE'RE TAKING THIS APPROACH TO ADDRESSING IT.

[01:45:01]

UM, I'LL TAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN ANTAGONISTIC APPROACH TO IT.

AND THAT'S THAT I LIVE IN DIS, I LIVE IN DISTRICT TWO.

I REPRESENT DISTRICT TWO.

I LIVE IN, UH, THE, ONE OF THE POOREST DISTRICT, UH, ZIP CODES IN, UH, IN, IN TRAVIS COUNTY.

UM, AND AS I DRIVE HOME EVERY SINGLE DAY OR FROM HOME, EVERY SINGLE DAY, I PASS BY THE ONION CREEK SOCCER COMPLEX.

IT IS COMPRISED OF ABOUT 10, IT IS COMPRISED OF 10 SOCCER FIELDS, 10 STANDARDS TO THE ICE SOCCER FIELDS.

SO IMAGINE HOW BIG THAT IS.

UM, THERE'S TWO ENTRANCES TO ENTER THE COMPLEX.

THERE'S ALWAYS ONE CLOSED AND THEN THERE'S ALWAYS ONE OPEN.

THE ONE THAT'S OPEN IS ALWAYS THE ONE THAT I BELIEVE TO BE THE MORE HIDDEN ENTRANCE.

SO FOR ME, I GET VERY ANNOYED EVERY TIME I PASS BY IT BECAUSE IT'S, THERE'S A PHYSICAL INDICATION OF THE COMMUNITY BEING TOLD THAT THEY'RE NOT WELCOME ON A COMMUNITY SPACE THAT SHOULD BE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY.

SO FOR ME, THAT IS THE TUS FOR SUPPORTING THIS OR FOR THIS RESOLUTION AND FOR PUSHING FOR THIS RESOLUTION.

'CAUSE I THINK AT A CERTAIN POINT THERE NEEDS TO COME, UH, UH, THERE NEEDS TO COME A TIME WHERE WE TELL ALL THESE ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE GOOD INTENTIONS, I DO BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE GOOD INTENTIONS, BUT THERE COMES A TIME WHERE WE NEED TO TELL THEM LIKE, YOUR GOOD INTENTIONS ARE GETTING IN THE WAY YOUR SUPPOSED GOOD INTENTIONS ARE GETTING IN THE WAY OF COMMUNITY ACCESS TO THESE SPACES.

UM, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE SHOULD DISSOLVE ALL OF THESE PARTNERSHIPS, BUT THERE ARE SOME THAT NEED TO BE RE-LOOKED AT, AND IF WE NEED TO END THOSE CONTRACTS, THEN WE, WE SHOULD.

BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS A RESOLUTION THAT I THINK IS VERY MUCH NEEDED.

AND IF THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO BE GOOD PARTNERS, WHETHER IT'S DOWNFIELD, WHETHER IT'S THE ONION CREEK SOCCER COMPLEX, WHETHER IT'S VIA LIKE, I DON'T CARE, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT WILLING TO BE A GOOD PARTNER WITH US, WITH THE CITY, THEN WE NEED TO RE-LOOK AT OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU BECAUSE THIS IS A TWO-WAY STREET.

SO THAT FOR ME IS THE MORE ANTAGONISTIC APPROACH BECAUSE I DO GET ANNOYED A LOT WHEN I DRIVE DOWN WILLIAM CANDIDATES SEE THAT.

UM, OTHER THAN THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT.

IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? I HAVE A QUESTION ACTUALLY.

UM, AND THANKS FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.

I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID.

I'M JUST CURIOUS IF, UM, ON NUMBER THREE, YOUR INTENT THERE RELATED TO BREACHES OF CONTRACT, I ASSUME THAT INCLUDES, UH, WHATEVER THE CONTRACT WOULD PUT FORTH ABOUT MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS.

UM, I ASK THAT JUST BECAUSE, UH, I, LIKE PEDRO, HAVE A SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE WITH BARTHOLOMEW PARK.

UM, AND I BROUGHT THIS TO THE DIRECTOR WHEN I WAS FIRST PUT ON THE BOARD THAT IT'S ALWAYS IN LIKE COMPLETE DISARRAY.

THE FIELDS THERE JUST REALLY NOT WELL MAINTAINED.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS FOR THAT THAT GET INTO EQUITY AND OTHER THINGS.

BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE EVALUATING WHETHER, NOT JUST WHEN THE ACCESS IS THERE, BUT ALSO ARE THEY BEING MAINTAINED THE WAY THAT IT IS AGREED ON IN THE CONTRACT.

SO JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WAS ON Y'ALL'S RADAR AS PART OF THE, BECAUSE I, I MEAN, THAT'S A VERY BROAD LANGUAGE, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT'S PART OF THE CONTRACT, BUT MAYBE IT, UM, NO, I, I APPRECIATE THAT.

UH, I MEAN, YES, WE ARE CURIOUS TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT MAINTENANCE IS INCLUDED AS PART OF THESE CONTRACTS OR, UM, AND, AND WHETHER THERE'S SORT OF ANY REMEDIES AROUND LACK OF MAINTENANCE, UH, UH, SORT OF AN OPEN QUESTION AND CERTAINLY ONE THAT ONCE WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE CO REVIEW, THE CONTRACTS, WE CAN REPORT BACK TO THE WHOLE, UH, BOARD ABOUT.

YEAH, AND I THINK WE WILL FIND THAT THERE ARE SOME, JUST GOING BACK TO SOME OF THE ORDINANCES, UM, THERE, THERE MAY BE ISSUES JUST BECAUSE OF LACK OF, UM, FUNDS OR RESOURCES TO DO SOME OF THAT.

SO IT MAY BE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT EQUITY ISSUES AS WELL AROUND THAT AND NOT NECESSARILY NOT TAKING CARE OF SOMETHING BECAUSE SOMEBODY DOESN'T WANT TO.

UM, AND SO, BUT ALL OF THAT IS IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT BECAUSE, UM, IT JUST HELPS US FURTHER DEVELOP WHAT WE CAN DO HERE AS A, AS A BOARD AND THEN, UM, AND INFORMS THE WORKING GROUP AS WELL.

GREAT.

IS THERE GONNA BE, IS THERE A MOTION? YES.

U USUALLY YOU ASK US IF WE WANT TO DO THE MOTION AND SO I WAS JUST PATIENTLY WAITING FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.

IT'S STILL HOT IN A LITTLE BIT.

IT'S FINE.

UM, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO PUT FORTH A MOTION TO APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO COMPLETE AN AUDIT OF THE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE CITY AND EXTERNAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT MANAGE MAINTENANCE AND ACCESS TO CITY OWNED BASEBALL AND SOCCER FIELDS.

SECOND.

AND UM, THIS IS REGARDING THE RECOMMENDATION AS POSTED IN BACKUP.

YES, CORRECT.

ALRIGHT, AT THIS TIME I'LL TAKE A VOTE.

THERE'S A SECOND BY, THERE'S A MOTION.

THERE'S A MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER BECKER.

THERE'S A SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER BAAN.

IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION?

[01:50:01]

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? UH, THE MOTION AS PROPOSED BY BOARD MEMBER BECK, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

MOTION, CARRIE, SEVEN ZERO.

WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX.

GOOD JOB.

UH,

[6. Discussion and approval of setting the Parks and Recreation Board 2025 regular meeting schedule as the 4th Monday of each month, except May and December; and May 19th at 6:00 p.m. (Sponsors: Villalobos, Flowers).]

UH, DISCUSSION APPROVAL OF SETTING THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD 2025, REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULE IS FOURTH MONDAY OF EACH MONTH, EXCEPT MAY AND DECEMBER.

UM, AND, AND AS MAY 19TH, UH, 6:00 PM UM, SO Y'ALL GOT A SHEET WITH THE PROPOSED SCHEDULE.

THIS IS KEEPING IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR VERY LONG, UH, STANDING SCHEDULE OF MEETING THE FOURTH MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH.

UM, THE ONLY ONE WHERE WE DID MOVE IT WAS MAY.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE IT CONFLICTS WITH THE HOLIDAY.

WHICH HOLIDAY IS THAT? YES, JARED CONFLICTED WITH MEMORIAL DAY.

OH, MEMORIAL.

IT CONFLICTS WITH MEMORIAL DAY.

SO WE'RE MEETING, UH, THE MONDAY BEFORE, AND THEN WE ALSO DON'T MEET IN DECEMBER, JUST 'CAUSE IT'S HARD TO SCHEDULE A MEETING IN DECEMBER BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, OBSERVANCES, UM, THAT WE CAN'T SCHEDULE REALLY AROUND THAT WHOLE MONTH.

UM, SO, UM, YOU CAN SEE THERE THE SCHEDULE AND THE SCHEDULE IS ALSO POSTED IN BACKUP AS WELL.

ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, CONCERNS? UM, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE AWARE, THIS ALWAYS COMES UP EVERY FEW YEARS, BUT THAT SEPTEMBER MEETING IS THE FIRST NIGHT OF ROSH HASHANAH, UM, WHICH IS A VERY BIG JEWISH HOLIDAY.

I DON'T PERSONALLY, I MEAN, WE CAN WORK AROUND IT, I THINK, BUT JUST KNOW THAT IT COULD AFFECT PEOPLE'S ABILITY TO COME TO THE MEETING FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

THAT'S A JEWISH NEW YEAR.

YEAH, IT MOVES AROUND EVERY YEAR IS THE PROBLEM.

SO IT'S NOT USUALLY BEEN A CONFLICT.

UM, BUT THE FIRST NIGHT IS THE BIGGEST NIGHT OF THAT HOLIDAY, SO IT MAY AFFECT THE PUBLIC'S ABILITY TO ATTEND FOR SOME PEOPLE.

YEAH, I GUESS WE JUST, IS THERE ANYONE THAT MEETS THIS THIRD MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH AT HERE? I GUESS I'M, I'M ASKING YOU A QUESTION THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE SCHEDULE IS, THAT'S A, A DIFFICULT, UM, QUESTION TO ANSWER.

UH, THE CITY CLERK HAS ALWAYS ADVISED THAT FOR BOARDS LIKE THE PARKS BOARD, IF, IF THEY MAINTAIN THEIR REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULE, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE FOURTH MONDAY OF THE MONTH THAT, UM, THEIR REGULAR MEETING LOCATION IS, IS KEPT FOR THEM, KEPT AVAILABLE.

SO IF THE BOARD DID CHOOSE TO MOVE THE SEPTEMBER MEETING, I, I'M SURE WE COULD FIND A LOCATION FOR IT, BUT I, I COULDN'T GUARANTEE THAT IT WOULD BE HERE IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS OR ACROSS THE HALL IN BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

I THINK WE SHOULD JUST MOVE IT TO SEPTEMBER THE 15TH.

UM, CHAIR, CAN I COMMENT? YES.

THERE'S A SEPTEMBER 29TH AVAILABLE.

UH, SEPTEMBER ACTUALLY HAS FIVE MONDAYS.

DO YOU KNOW IF THERE'S A MEETING HERE SEPTEMBER 29TH, 2025? I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE SITUATIONS WHERE WE JUST PICK A DATE AND WE'LL EITHER MEET HERE ACROSS THE STREET OR WE'LL GO BACK TO THE PDC.

UM, THE 15TH IS THE FIRST DAY, WELL THIS IS NOT A HOLIDAY, BUT IT'S THE FIRST DAY OF HISPANIC HERITAGE.

SO I WAS JUST THROWING OUT THE 29TH AS A POSSIBILITY BECAUSE IT'S THE LAST MONDAY IN SEPTEMBER.

YEAH, LET ME LOOK AT SOMETHING REAL QUICK.

IT'S, I MEAN, THAT COULD WORK.

THAT COULD WORK BECAUSE IT'S FOUR WEEKS UNTIL THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE HAVING A REALLY TIGHT TIMELINE THERE.

SO YEAH, IF WE CAN JUST MOVE IT TO THE 29TH, WOULD THAT WORK FOR EVERYONE? WELL, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR SCHEDULE, DO YOU HAVE YOUR PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR? UM, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY BETTER THAN THE START OF THE STATE HERITAGE BECAUSE I THINK WE CAN MISS WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE EVENTS.

AND, AND SO I MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, CHANGE THE SEPTEMBER 22ND, 2025 DATE TO SEPTEMBER THE 29TH.

UH, 2025.

IS THERE A SECOND? THERE'S A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER BISON.

ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.

ALRIGHT, ANY FURTHER, UH, COMMENTS ON ANY OF THESE DATES OR ? JUST A QUICK THING, AND I, I'M NOT SURE IF THIS UM, MATTERS OR NOT, BUT IN THE BACKUP THERE, THE SCHEDULES LISTED AS FIVE ONE AND SIX ONE, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE, WHERE WE CAN CLEAR OH YEAH, THE, THE ACTUAL PUBLIC BACKUP YEAH.

FOR THE PUBLIC BACKUP SCHEDULE TWICE.

UH, BOARD MEMBER, UM, THE NUMBERING OF THE AGENDA ITEMS GOT, UH, CAME KIND OF DOWN TO THE WIRE.

WE HAD A, UH, AN ITEM FIVE THAT WAS SORT OF SLOTTED IN.

SO, UM, YEAH, NO WORRIES.

IT JUST FOR, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN CLEAR THEM, IF WE CAN TAKE THAT OFF ONCE IT'S BEEN POSTED OR WE CAN TAKE IT OFF.

PROBABLY NOT.

YEAH, I DIDN'T THINK SO.

THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY, THEY'RE THE SAME DOCUMENT.

IT'S JUST, I, I POSTED AGAIN AS 6.1 JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS ACCURATE TO THAT EXTENT.

NOT NOTED.

BOARD 2025 MEETING SCHEDULE, UM, WITH THE CHANGE THAT WE MADE WITH SEPTEMBER, ALL, UM, ALL THE, THOSE, WELL, LEMME, LEMME REPHRASE THAT.

IF ANYONE'S WATCHING THIS ON REPLAY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BACKUP SIX ONE.

ALL RIGHT.

ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.

I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE PARKS AND RECREATION

[01:55:01]

I'M, I MAKE A MOTION TO SET THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD 2025 REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULE AS THE FOURTH MONDAY OF EACH MONTH, EXCEPT IN MAY, WHICH WILL BE MAY THE 19TH.

MAY THE 19TH, AND THEN SEPTEMBER, WHICH WILL BE SEPTEMBER THE 29TH AND NO MEETING IN DECEMBER.

UM, ANY SECOND? I SECOND.

THERE'S A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER REED.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

ALL RIGHT.

MOTION CARRIE.

SEVEN ZERO.

WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO AGENDA

[7. Discussion and approval of the creation of a Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget Working Group. (Sponsors: Merritt, Villalobos). ]

ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, DISCUSSION AND APPROVAL OF THE AND CREATION OF THE FISCAL YEAR OF A FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26 BUDGET WORKING GROUP.

UM, WE DID THIS LAST YEAR, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO ALWAYS TRY TO GET STATE ONE HEAD AHEAD, ONE STEP AHEAD OF THE, OF THE BUDGET.

AND WE KNOW LIKE BASICALLY THE BUDGET DOCUMENTS ARE BEING REQUESTED IN FEBRUARY.

IS, AM I CORRECT ON THAT? IF WE WANNA STAY AHEAD OF THE GAME? WE'RE TRYING TO GET IT DONE BY FEBRUARY.

FEBRUARY IS A GOOD MONTH.

THE EARLIER THE BETTER.

I WOULD ACTUALLY SAY IF YOU COULD DO IT IN JANUARY, THAT WOULD GET, THAT WOULD BE PRIOR TO THE FINANCIAL FORECASTING PERIOD.

SOUNDS GOOD.

UM, OKAY.

UM, DO, DO, DO, UM, SO THIS IS, UH, IF YOU WEREN'T HERE AT THE LAST WORK, YOU DON'T REMEMBER WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR? UM, IT'S THAT WE CREATED A FISCAL BUDGET WORKING GROUP.

UM, BASICALLY IT WAS JUST A WORKING GROUP FOR US TO BE ABLE TO COLLABORATE, UM, AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS IN REGARDS TO HOW, WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS WE WERE GONNA MAKE IN REGARDS TO THE BUDGET.

UM, AND BASICALLY EVERYTHING'S ON THE TABLE, UM, AT THAT POINT TO TRY TO BETTER FACILITATE THE DEPARTMENT.

UM, I KNOW WE GOT A LOT OF, A LOT OF THE RECOMMENDATION, A LOT.

WE MADE A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS.

NOT ALL OF 'EM WERE ADOPTED, BUT A LOT OF THEM WERE ADOPTED.

UM, AND PRIOR TO AT LEAST ME BEING ON HERE, AT LEAST THAT ONE YEAR THAT WHEN I GOT HERE, WE WERE A LITTLE BIT BEHIND THE BALL AND WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET, UH, A LOT OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS IN BEFORE THE DEADLINE.

SO THAT KIND OF LIKE MADE THAT YEAR NOT THAT GREAT.

UM, THAT ALL BEING SAID IS, THIS IS JUST, UH, A FORUM BY WHICH WE CAN, LIKE I SAID, LIKE COLLABORATE AND START COMING UP WITH THESE IDEAS FOR THE UPCOMING, UH, BUDGET YEAR.

AND AS YOU HEARD, DIRECTOR MEANS SAY JANUARY WOULD BE THE BEST, BUT I DON'T NECESSARILY SEE HOW THAT WOULD HAPPEN.

MAYBE IT WILL, UM, BUT BY FEBRUARY DEFINITELY AT THE LATEST WE WANT TO GET THIS DONE.

UM, THAT BEING SAID, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ON THIS AGENDA ITEM BEFORE I MAKE A MOTION? DO WE HAVE, DO WE APPOINT, UM, MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP TONIGHT OR WOULD THAT BE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM? UH, NO, WE WOULD JUST, UH, WE WOULD JUST BOARD MEMBER BARRETT IS MERIT IS NOT PRESENT.

SO, AND I KNOW SHE BROUGHT THIS FORWARD.

I THINK THE ONLY THING THAT WE HAVE TO DO RIGHT NOW IS THAT JUST TO POINT THE CHAIR OF THE GROUP.

JUST CREATE IT.

I THINK YOU CAN TAKE INTEREST.

LIKE WE, IF PEOPLE HERE ARE INTERESTED, YOU CAN HAVE PEOPLE RAISE THEIR HANDS, BUT THEN YOU CAN ALSO ASK PEOPLE WHO ARE ABSENT IF THEY YEAH, WE DON'T, YEAH.

WORKING GROUP, WE DON'T COMMITTEES.

WE HAVE TO APPOINT WORKING GROUPS.

WE DO NOT.

BUT, BUT THE, YOU HAVE TO KEEP IT BELOW A QUORUM.

THAT'S THE CHALLENGE.

NOW MOVE A ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.

AND I THINK LAST YEAR WE ALSO, WE ALSO HAD THIS DISCUSSION AND QUORUM IS SIX, BUT WE WANT TO KEEP IT BELOW FOUR FOUR AT THE MOST BECAUSE THEN YOU HAVE A WALK-IN QUORUM.

WE WERE INTO WALKING QUORUM ISSUES, SO WE DON'T HAVE THE POINT RIGHT NOW.

SO I WILL SAY THAT I THINK VICE SHARE FLOWERS HAS BEEN VOLUNTOLD THAT SHE, I'M HAPPY TO CHAIR THE GROUP AGAIN, THAT SHE'LL BE CHAIRING THE GROUP AGAIN.

UM, AND I KNOW BOARD MEMBER MERIT DOES HAVE STRONG BLASTERS, SO YEAH.

UM, ALRIGHT, SO AT THIS TIME I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CREATION OF A FISCAL YEAR 20 25, 20 26 BUDGET WORKING GROUP.

IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

THERE'S A SECOND FOR OUR BOARD MEMBER BECKER.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

MOTION, CARRIE.

SEVEN ZERO.

WE WILL

[8. Staff briefing on work associated with the Shoal Creek Landslide Area and other Shoal Creek Trail projects. (Sponsors: Reed, Villalobos). (PARD Long Range Strategies: Urban Public Spaces). ]

ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR AGENDA ITEM NUMBER EIGHT? UH, YES.

CHAIR.

WE HAVE UH, TWO PUBLIC COMMENTS.

UM, OUR FIRST SPEAKER WILL BE CHUCK SMITH.

AFTER CHUCK WILL BE CORY POMEROY.

I THINK THE REPORT WILL TALK ABOUT THERE ARE NUMEROUS REASONS, FINANCIAL, LITIGATION, AND GEOLOGICAL THAT MAKE THAT DIFFICULT, UH, AT THE PRESENT TIME, BUT THAT FROM A LONG-TERM STANDPOINT, UM, THERE, THERE IS AND STILL WILL BE AN ONGOING NEED TO RESTORE THAT TRAIL AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.

I'M CHUCK SMITH.

I SERVE AS THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY.

UM, I GUESS I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT WHAT I THINK IS IN THE REPORT SINCE THE BRIEFING HASN'T BEEN DONE FIRST, BUT BASED UPON WHAT'S IN THE BACKUP.

UM, FIRST I WANNA SAY, UH, THAT, THAT WE ARE STILL VERY MUCH INTERESTED, UH, IN A LONG-TERM SOLUTION TO THE PARK TRAIL THAT IS ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF SHO CREEK.

THAT WAS DESTROYED IN, IN THE LANDSLIDES.

[02:00:01]

UH, DO WANNA EXPRESS, UH, EXTREME GRATITUDE TO DEANN WILLIAMS IN THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, UH, FOR THEIR WORK ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF, UH, THE EAST SIDE ALTERNATIVE PARK TRAIL, UH, AS WELL AS TO THE URBAN TRAILS PROGRAM FOR WORK THAT IS NOW ADVANCING, UH, ON THE SOUTH TRAIL CONNECTIVITY GAP AND THE EXPANDED SCOPE FOR THE LOWER MIDDLE TRAIL GAP.

BOTH OF THESE ARE ON THE EAST SIDE OF SHOAL CREEK, UH, BUT BOTH, WHICH CONTRIBUTE GREATLY TO IMPROVING CONNECTIVITY IN AND AROUND THE LANDSLIDE AREA.

UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MIGHT NOT BE IN THE REPORT, BUT HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF CONVERSATIONS, UH, BETWEEN PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY, SHO CREEK CONSERVANCY, UH, AND FOLKS AT WATERSHED PROTECTION AND URBAN TRAILS, UH, IS THAT WE'RE VERY EXCITED AND SUPPORTIVE OF EXPLORING, UM, THE CONCEPT OF LOW WATER CROSSINGS OR A LOW WATER CROSSING, UH, SOUTH OF THE SLOPE.

FAILURE AS A MEANS TO RECONNECT THE TRAILS ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE CREEK AND THE WEST SIDE OF THE CREEK.

THAT IS INDEPENDENT OF ANY RESOLUTION OF PENDING LITIGATION OR THE GEO GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF THE LANDSLIDE AREA.

UM, THIS IS A HUGE ADVANCEMENT.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT AND HOPE THAT CAN MOVE FORWARD IN THE FUTURE.

UH, I'LL JUST SAY I THINK IT'S ALSO, UH, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR POTENTIAL CO COLLABORATIONS, UM, BETWEEN PARTNERSHIP ORGANIZATIONS TO WHERE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT THERE WOULD BE OPPORTUNITIES, UM, TO RAISE SUPPORTIVE FUNDS THAT COULD A, UH, AUGMENT, UH, MUNICIPAL FUNDS IN THAT EFFORT.

UM, ALSO LOOKING FORWARD BEYOND TO THE CONCEPT OF LOW WATER CROSSINGS THAT COULD IMPROVE CONNECTIVITY, UM, THROUGHOUT PEACE PARK.

UH, THE, UH, UH, OTHER THAN THE 24TH STREET, 24TH STREET AND THE, UH, 2,600 BLOCK OF SHOAL CREEK, THERE ARE NO A DA CONNECTIONS THAT CONNECT THE EAST SIDE OF PEACE PARK TO THE WEST SIDE OF THE PEACE PARK.

SO LOW WATER CROSSINGS THAT COULD REPLACE EXISTING ROCK HOPS.

UH, THE ONE SOUTH OF THE LANDSLIDE IS PROBABLY THE HIGHEST PRIORITY.

UH, BUT SUCH A METHOD COULD ALSO BE USED TO CONNECT KINGSBURY COMMONS AT THE SOUTH END OF THE PARK TO ETTE HOLLOW, WHICH IS THE AREA WHERE THE VOLLEYBALL COURTS ARE.

AND THEN TO CONNECT ETTE HOLLOW TO LIVE OAK MEADOW AGAIN TO PROVIDE SOME A DA CONNECTIONS TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO, UH, CONNECT THE PARK FROM THE EAST SIDE TO THE WEST SIDE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

IT SERVES AS, AS AN EXTENSION TO THE NORTH OF PEACE PARK ALONG SHOAL CREEK AND IS USED BY, UH, RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN FROM, FROM ALL OVER THE CITY BECAUSE OF ITS SITUATION, IT BEING, BEING IN THE URBAN COURT AND NEAR DOWNTOWN.

I'VE ANSWERED ANY QUESTIONS.

IF THERE ARE ANY THANKS.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE CORY POMEROY.

HI, MY, MY NAME IS CORY POMEROY.

UH, I'M A RESIDENT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT ABUTS THE, UH, TRAIL THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY.

I ALSO AM A BOARD MEMBER OF THE PEMBERTON HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.

THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, IS ABUTS THE ENTIRETY OF THE TRAIL PORTION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHERE THE LANDSLIDE OCCURRED.

I'M WITH MR. SMITH IN THE SENSE THAT I'M ACCUSTOMED TO MAKING COMMENTS AFTER, UM, THE, THE MAIN, UH, PRESENTATION, BUT HAVING HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO REVIEW THE BACKUP, AND THANK YOU FOR POSTING THAT.

I THINK I'LL FOCUS ON, ON THREE THINGS, AND THEN I'LL MAKE A COMMENT.

UH, WITH RESPECT TO MR. SMITH'S, UH, TESTIMONY.

THE FIRST IS, THE EAST TRAIL IS NOT A REPLACEMENT OR A SUBSTITUTE TO REPAIRING THE, THE WEST TRAIL, THE EAST, UM, WHAT IS NOW A, A PAVED, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN PAVED, BUT THERE, THERE'S WORK BEING DONE TO IMPROVE THE PAYMENT SERVES AS A NORTH, NORTH SOUTH CONNECTIVITY FOR THE CITY.

COMMUTERS ON BIKES GETTING FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH, SOUTH TO THE NORTH, NORTH IN A QUICK WAY AWAY FROM AWAY FROM TRAFFIC ON THE STREETS.

THE NEIGHBORHOODS SUPPORTS THAT FOR SURE, BUT IT'S NOT A, IT, THE, THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THAT DON'T SERVE AS A REPLACEMENT TO THE WEST SIDE OF THE TRAIL, WHICH IS, UH, CRUSHED GRANITE SERVES FOR WALKERS, SERVES FOR NATURE OBSERVERS SERVES FOR RUNNERS AND HAS BEEN IN BASICALLY BOARDED OFF WITH SIGNS AT, AT ENTRANCE AT BOTH TERMINAL ENDS OF DO, DO NOT ENTER FOR FOUR TO SIX YEARS.

UH, MAYBE, MAYBE LONGER.

I DON'T HAVE ON ON HAND THE, THE DATE OF IT.

SO THAT'S THE FIRST POINT.

THE SECOND POINT IS HAVING REVIEWED THE BACKUP, THERE WAS A COMMENT THAT THE, UH, EFFORT COULD BE USED FOR OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY.

I, I WOULD JUST NOTE THAT THE TRAIL IS ONE OF THE MANY HEARTBEATS OF THE URBAN CORE OF THE CITY OF BOSTON.

IT'S AN EXTENSION OF PEACE PARK.

UM, AND IT'S, IT'S IN NATURE.

[02:05:01]

AND THEN THE THIRD POINT I WOULD MAKE, HAVING REVIEW THE BACKUP IS FOR YOU ON THE BOARD TO, TO INQUIRE OF CITY STAFF ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THIS BECAUSE AT ONE POINT IN TIME, THERE WAS FUNDING TO, AT POST LANDSLIDE, THERE WAS FUNDING ALLOCATED TO REPAIR WORK ON THE TRAIL.

AT SOME POINT AFTER THAT, WITHOUT USING ANY OF THE FUNDS, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT WAS, UM, THAT IT WAS, THE MONEY WAS MOVED THE WAY NO WORK WAS DONE.

UH, THERE IS LITIGATION AS MR. SMITH DISCUSSED.

THE QUESTION WOULD BE, IS CONSIDERATION OF REPAIR ONGOING? UH, WHAT, WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF LITIGATION? AND, UH, WHAT IS THE LONG-TERM PLAN TO CONSIDER REPAIR OF THE TRAIL? THANK YOU AND CONSIDERATION OF THAT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, SIR.

WILL I HEAR FROM THE PRESENTERS? GOOD EVENING BOARD.

UM, MY NAME'S LINDSAY MOCKER.

I'M PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUPERVISOR FOR PARK DEVELOPMENT IN THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.

UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF CO-PRESENTERS HERE WITH ME.

UM, WOULD YOU WANNA INTRODUCE YOURSELF? HI THERE.

JANAE SPENCE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION.

I'M CECILY FOOTE AND I'M A DESIGNER WITH TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

ALL RIGHT, SO THE PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENTATION IS TO GIVE YOU A BRIEFING ON SOME WORK THAT'S HAPPENED, UM, IN THE AREA OF THE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL, SPECIFICALLY BETWEEN, UM, ROUGHLY 24TH STREET AND 29TH STREET AND THE AREA WHERE LANDSLIDE HAS HAPPENED.

UH, I'LL ALSO JUST MENTION I'M STANDING IN FOR DEANNE WILLIAMS, UM, WHO'S THE PROJECT MANAGER TODAY.

UH, SHE'S SICK, SHE'S HOMESICK, SO I'M FILLING IN FOR HER.

UH, SO FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T AS FAMILIAR, I WAS GONNA START WITH A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE EVENTS IN THE AREA IN MAY OF 2018, AND AGAIN, IN MAY OF 2019, SLOPE FAILURES, UH, DESTROYED A SECTION OF THE PARK TRAIL AND WASTEWATER LINE IN THE AREA.

THE LANDSLIDE IMPACTED BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROPERTY.

FOLLOWING THE COLLAPSE, THE CITY EXPLORED STABILIZATION OPTIONS, UM, USING AN EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT PROCEDURE TO BRING ON A CONSULTANT TEAM TO STUDY, UH, THE POSSIBILITIES.

UH, IN JUNE, 2019, THAT DESIGN ENGINEERS SUBMITTED CONCEPTUAL OPTIONS, UH, PRELIMINARY DESIGNS TO CITY STAFF.

AND IN JANUARY OF 2020, THE POTENTIAL WORK WAS HALTED DUE TO INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS, ACCESS LIMITATIONS, AND SHIFTING PRIORITIES TO PUBLIC SAFETY TO MINIMIZE FLOODPLAIN IMPACTS AND EROSION DAMAGE TO PARKLAND FOR SOME VISUAL CONTEXT, UH, HERE IS AN AERIAL IMAGE SHOWING SOME OF THE CONTEXT IN THE AREA.

UM, JUST TO ORIENT YOU, RUNNING LEFT TO RIGHT ACROSS THE SCREEN IN BLUE IS SHOAL CREEK.

UM, THE HATCHED AREA THAT YOU SEE IN RED DISPLAYS THE AREA IMPACTED BY LANDSLIDES.

UM, AS I MENTIONED, IT DOES IMPACT BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC PROPERTY.

WITHIN THAT HATCHED LANDSLIDE AREA, YOU CAN ALSO SEE A PURPLE LINE, WHICH REPRESENTS THE WASTEWATER LINE THAT WAS DAMAGED DURING THE LANDSLIDE, AND, UH, A RED LINE, WHICH IMPACTS THE TRAIL THAT WAS DAMAGED DURING THE LANDSLIDE.

UH, THIS PLAN ALSO SHOWS, UH, IN GREEN, UM, THE INITIAL TRAIL DETOUR.

YOU'LL NOTE THIS PLAN WAS CREATED IN 2018.

UM, SO IT'S SOMEWHAT DATED IN THE SENSE THAT THIS IS NOT WHAT THE CURRENT TRAIL DE DETOUR LOOKS LIKE.

AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UM, THE EVOLUTION OF THAT TRAIL A LITTLE BIT LATER IN THE PRESENTATION.

UH, I ALSO HAVE FOR YOUR REFERENCE A FEW SITE PHOTOS TO GIVE YOU CONTEXT OF THE AREA TAKEN AT DIFFERENT TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST, UM, HOWEVER MANY YEARS IT'S BEEN SINCE 2018.

UM, THE, UH, I'LL START WITH THE IMAGE ON THE TOP RIGHT, JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.

UM, THAT'S AN AERIAL IMAGE TAKEN WITHIN THE LAST FEW MONTHS OF THE, UM, SLOPE FAILURE AREA.

ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE IMAGE, YOU CAN SEE, UM, A BLUFF, UH, FROM, UH, ADJACENT TO OR ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.

UM, MOST OF WHAT YOU SEE IN THE IMAGE IS THE LANDSLIDE AREA, AND ON THE LEFT OF THAT

[02:10:01]

IMAGE IS SHOAL CREEK.

UH, MOVING AROUND CLOCKWISE, UH, WE HAVE, UH, THE BOTTOM RIGHT IS AN IMAGE OF, UM, RELATIVELY RECENT TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS, UH, ON THE WEST SIDE LEADING UP TO, UM, THE SLOPE FAILURE AREA.

UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE ARE SOME ONGOING, UH, MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE NECESSARY TO, UM, MAINTAIN SOME OF THE, THE FLOODING IMPACTS AND EROSION IMPACTS.

UM, MOVING ACROSS THE BOTTOM IN THE CENTER, THERE IS ANOTHER IMAGE OF THE BLUFF THAT YOU CAN SEE FROM WHICH THE LANDSLIDE HAPPENED.

UM, AND BOTH OF THE TWO PHOTOS ON THE LEFT ARE, UH, OLD PHOTOS CLOSE TO, UM, THE DATE, UM, OF THE ORIGINAL LANDSLIDE OCCURRENCES.

AND YOU CAN SEE THE DAMAGE TO BOTH, UM, THE TRAIL AND IN THE BOTTOM IMAGE YOU CAN SEE THE WASTEWATER LINE THAT'S DAMAGED AS WELL.

UM, SO TO SUMMARIZE, UH, THE CURRENT CITY PRIORITIES RELATED TO THIS AREA, UM, THEY ARE AS FOLLOWS.

SO FIRSTLY, TO MINIMIZE FLOODING AND EROSION IMPACTS, UH, OF THE LANDSLIDE MATERIAL TO BOTH LAMAR BOULEVARD N PEACE PARK RESPECTIVELY.

AND THIS IS A MAIN PRIORITY OF THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.

AND THAT INCLUDES MAINTAINING THE STABILIZATION PROJECT THAT TOOK PLACE ON THE EAST BANK TO PROTECT HERITAGE TREES AND THE PARKLAND, AS WELL AS MONITORING FLOOD FLOODPLAIN IMPACTS OF THE LANDSLIDE ENCROACHMENT INTO THE FLOOD PLAIN FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.

OUR PRIORITY IS TO ESTABLISH A TRAIL ON THE EAST SIDE OF SHOAL CREEK, AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.

UM, BUT FIRST I'LL PASS IT OVER TO JANAE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT'S PERSPECTIVE.

GIVEN THAT THIS IS A, A REASONABLE ALTERNATIVE THAT WE ARE PURSUING AT THIS TIME.

TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CONSTRAINTS ON THE FULL SCALE STABILIZATION, UH, STABILIZING THE SLOPE WOULD BE LARGE, COSTLY, AND VERY COMPLEX.

UM, AND AS WE TALKED ABOUT, WE HAD LOOKED AT THIS PRIOR, BUT THERE ARE ALSO CONSIDERABLE RISKS AS WELL AS UNCERTAINTIES.

UH, THERE ALSO CONTINUES TO BE MOVEMENT IN THE SOIL MASS, UH, LACK OF CERTAINTY ON WIND, OR IF THAT SIDE MATERIAL WILL BE STABLE WITHOUT A SUBSTANTIAL STABILIZATION.

UH, THE FLOODPLAIN IN THIS AREA INCLUDES THE ROADWAY AS WELL AS PRIVATE PROPERTY ON THE EAST SIDE.

ANY ADDED STRUCTURES, OF COURSE, WOULD HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THOSE FLOODPLAIN IMPACTS.

AND, UH, AS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, YOU KNOW, FOCUSING ON THIS STRETCH TO TRAIL, IF WE DIVERTED FUNDS OVER TO THIS, WOULD HAVE, UH, LESS FUNDING AVAILABLE TO DO OTHER, UH, HIGH PRIORITY PROJECTS ACROSS THE CITY.

UH, WORK TODAY AS, AS WE MENTIONED, NEW REPLACE WASTEWATER LINE, THE EAST CREEK, UH, BANK STABILIZATION, WHICH WAS PROTECTING THOSE HERITAGE TREES.

UH, REROUTE OF THE STORM DRAIN SYSTEM FROM WOOL RIDGE DRIVE, THE NATURE TRAIL DETOUR DETOUR OPTION THAT WAS BUILT IN 2021, UH, REPAIRS TO THE EAST SIDE CREEK WALL OF WHICH WERE JUST, UH, RECENTLY DONE DAMAGED DURING THE HIGH RAIN EVENTS DESIGN AND PERMIT FOR THE EAST SIDE SIDEWALK AND URBAN TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS, UH, REMOVAL OF THE AUSTIN ENERGY GUIDEWIRE OBSTRUCTIONS.

AND THEN CONSTRUCTION OF THE LAMAR SIDEWALK TRAIL COMPLETED OCTOBER 25TH, AND YOU COULD SEE SOME OF THE PICTURES HERE, UH, SHOWING THAT STABILIZATION AS WELL AS THE, UH, DETOUR TRAIL OPTION.

ALL RIGHT, BACK TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE, THE TRAIL IMPROVEMENT SPECIFICALLY.

UM, SO, UH, THE, UM, ON THE LAST SLIDE, JANAE HAD JUST MENTIONED THAT THE TRAIL WAS COMPLETED OCTOBER 25TH.

THE PROJECT IS ACTUALLY STILL ONGOING.

UM, THE, THE 12 FOOT WIDE URBAN TRAIL AND SIDEWALK ALONG LAMAR ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE CREEK, UM, IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

I'LL SHOW YOU THE PLAN FOR THAT.

UM, THIS ALIGNS WITH THE URBAN TRAILS PLAN AND WHAT'S SHOWN FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL ALONG LAMAR, UM, WHICH WAS INITIALLY ADOPTED IN 2014 AND INCLUDED IN THE MOST RECENT UPDATE IN 2024, OR THE VERY END OF 2023, UM, WHICH CALLS FOR REPLACING THE LAMAR SIDEWALK WITH A MULTI-USE, UM, TRAIL.

UH, THIS IS THE SITE PLAN SHOWING THE EXTENT OF THE EAST, UH, BANK TRAIL, UM, THAT IS GOING IN.

CURRENTLY IT'S APPROXIMATELY 800 LINEAR FEET OF, UH, TRAIL EXTENDING FROM THE NORTHERNMOST EDGE AT SOUL CREEK BOULEVARD, UM, DOWN TO SORT OF JUST NORTH OF 25TH STREET.

UM, THIS, UH, IS CONVERTING A SIX FOOT SIDEWALK TO A 12 FOOT WIDE TRAIL.

UM, IT IS PUSHING THE, UM, UH, WALK PATH FARTHER FROM THE RIGHT OF WAY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WHILE MAINTAINING THE EXISTING TREE STANDS.

UM, SO IT'S TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AS MUCH OF THE PARKLAND THAT'S THERE AND THE SHADE FROM THE TREES AS POSSIBLE, UM, WHILE ALSO, UM, SERVING THE, UM, ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION PURPOSES OF, OF A URBAN TRAIL AS WELL.

UH, SO WHILE THIS IS NOT AN EQUIVALENT TO A, UM, THE TRAIL THAT WAS ON THE WEST SIDE, UH, WE BELIEVE WITH THE CONSTRAINTS,

[02:15:01]

UM, AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO CECILY TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT FUTURE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL IMPROVEMENT.

THANKS.

AND YOU CAN SEE WE'VE BROKEN IT DOWN INTO DIFFERENT SEGMENTS.

UM, Y'ALL MAY HAVE LOOKED AT THE PUBLIC PROCESS MATERIALS, BUT ESSENTIALLY TO SUMMARIZE THE GOAL OF THE DESIGN, IT'S AIMING TO LIKE THE, TO THE CURRENT PART SECTION TO CREATE THAT, TO REPURPOSE THAT SIDEWALK SPACE ALONG LAMAR CURRENTLY AND MANIPULATE STREET SPACES NEEDED TO CREATE A TRULY FUNCTIONING URBAN TRAIL ALONG LAMAR.

SO BICYCLISTS, OTHER WHEELED MOBILITY DEVICES, PEOPLE MOVING AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS CAN PASS EACH OTHER MORE EASILY.

UH, COMMUTERS, RECREATIONAL USERS, ALL KINDS OF FOLKS CAN USE, UM, THE LAMAR ADJACENT AREA TO TRAVEL ALONG THE SHOAL CREEK CORRIDOR.

SO I'M EXCITED TO SHARE THAT WE ARE ACTIVELY PURSUING THESE PROJECTS.

WE'RE IN THE THICK OF THE DESIGN PHASE AND MOVING THEM ALONG.

AND THAT IS THE LAST SLIDE IN OUR PRESENTATION.

SO WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT.

ANY QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS? I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.

HOW, HOW, WHAT IS THE DISTANCE THAT THIS REPRESENTS THE, THE, UM, CONNECTIVITY GAPS THAT Y'ALL ARE INCORPORATING HERE? YEAH, I COULDN'T TELL YOU MILEAGE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT IT WOULD CONNECT, UH, TO THIS, THE UNDERPASS UNDER 24TH STREET.

THAT WOULD BE THE SOUTHERN EXTENT, UP TO THAT NEW PARD SECTION UP BISHO CREEK BOULEVARD.

MM-HMM.

AND THEN FROM THERE UP TO WEST 31ST STREET, WHERE WE'VE RECENTLY, UH, REPLACED THE PREVIOUSLY PREVIOUS PILOT PROJECT ON THE TRIP ON THE STREET, UM, WITH A PEDESTRIAN PATH AND NEIGHBORHOOD BIKEWAY TREATMENTS.

SO FROM 24TH TO 34TH, ESSENTIALLY.

YEAH, I'M LOOKING, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT AND IT'S NI I MEAN, THERE'S SO MANY TIMES, UM, IF YOU'RE WALKING AND YOU LIKE POP OFF ON THE TRAIL ENDS FOR YOU, IT CAN BE QUITE FRUSTRATING.

AND SO, UM, YEAH.

I THANK YOU.

IT'S A MILE AND HALF.

THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THANKS TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT THAT BROUGHT THIS UP.

UM, APPRECIATE YOU DOING THAT.

IT CLEARLY THE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL IS VERY IMPORTANT AS A NATURE TRAIL TO THE, THE COMMUNITY USERS.

UM, I THINK WE HEARD FROM, UM, FROM THE FOLKS THAT SPOKE, AND I, MY QUESTION IS REGARDING THE WEST SIDE OF THE TRAIL.

SO, UH, ON THE EAST SIDE, I KNOW THAT, UM, HAVING THE, THE COMMUTER TRAIL AND THE URBAN TRAIL, WHICH IS, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THE, THE WIDENED SIDEWALK OF COURSE.

AND THIS WILL FACILITATE MANY NEEDS, BUT A, A NATURE TRAIL THAT IS MORE LIKE WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE THE LANDSLIDE, I KNOW IS, IS WHAT THE, THE FOLKS WHO USE THE TRAIL ARE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING.

AGAIN.

SO THERE IS A BRIDGE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THAT'S ON THE SOUTH SIDE THAT GOES ACROSS SHOAL CREEK CONNECTING THE TWO TRAILS.

IS THERE A POSSIBILITY OF, I KNOW THERE'S THE ROCK HOPS, BUT IS THERE A POSSIBILITY OF CONSTRUCTING ANOTHER BRIDGE TO CONNECT TO THE WEST SIDE TRAIL AT ANY POINT? UM, THAT WOULD BE A SAFE AREA TO U REUTILIZE THE WEST SIDE TRAIL.

AND JUST SO I MAKE SURE THAT I'M UNDERSTANDING YOU CORRECTLY, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE, THE BRIDGE THAT'S BY THE SOUTH OF THE, SOUTH OF THE LITTLE BIT SOUTH OF THE VOLLEYBALL SAND VOLLEYBALL COURT? YES.

YEAH, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD LOOK INTO.

I KNOW THERE ARE FLOODPLAIN IMPACTS DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF THE BRIDGE.

I KNOW THEY MENTIONED A LOW WATER CROSSING.

UM, THIS IS A DIFFICULT AREA THAT DOES OBVIOUSLY GET VERY HIGH WATERS WHEN WE HAVE, UH, SUBSTANTIAL RAIN EVENTS.

AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, AS WATERSHED, WE'D BE HAPPY TO BE PARTNERS IN LOOKING INTO THOSE SOLUTIONS.

BUT, UH, THERE ARE DIFFICULTIES WITH IT.

I KNOW IT IS AN OPTION THAT, UH, IF IT'S ROCK FORWARD THAT WE CAN TRY OUR BEST TO, TO PARTNER AND SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE.

UH, IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT WITH, GIVEN THE, THE FLOOD IMPACTS AND LOW WATER CROSSING, AS I MENTIONED, COULD BE A POSSIBILITY, BUT IT HASN'T BEEN LOOKED INTO, UH, IN DEPTH.

SPEAKING FROM MY, MY OLD URBAN TRAILS HAT WHERE I USED TO COME FROM AND THEN NOW WATERSHED.

UH, THERE'S DEFINITELY SIGNIFICANT DIFFICULTIES WITH IT.

TO, TO HELP FUNDING FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

UM, W WOULD WATERSHED AND, UM, AND PAR BE WILLING TO MEET WITH THE COMMUNITY AND DISCUSS THAT? BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S AN INDICATION THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME PARTNERSHIPS

[02:20:01]

YEAH, I WOULD SAY YES.

WE ARE WILLING TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, FOR SURE.

I ALSO JUST WANNA ADD THAT AS PART OF THE TRAIL GAPS PROJECTS, UH, WE HAVE PROPOSED A PEDESTRIAN PATH ON THE SOUTHERN END OF THAT SHOAL CREEK BOULEVARD LOOP.

THAT BRIDGE.

SO THERE WOULD BE PROTECTION DEVICES KEEPING PEOPLE, UH, MORE SEPARATED FROM VEHICLES USING THE BRIDGE FOR SAFER CROSSING ACROSS THE WATER ON THE EXISTING BRIDGE.

YOU WERE TA YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE 24TH STREET BRIDGE? JUST NORTH OF 24TH STREET ON SHOUL CREEK BOULEVARD.

OH, OKAY.

YEAH, I, SORRY, I THOUGHT MR. SMITH WAVING NOTES.

SO I WAS LIKE, IMMEDIATELY, I'M LIKE, OKAY, I GOT IT WRONG, .

I KNOW, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION.

REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A FUTURE FOR THE WEST SIDE TRAIL AGAIN SOMEDAY.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

11, UM, BOARD MEMBERS BECKER.

UM, MR. BECK, ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER NINE? NO CHAIR.

DID WE JUST DO OH, WE ARE DEAD DENIED.

[10. Update from the City-Owned Baseball Fields Working Group regarding recent and upcoming working group meetings and upcoming recommendation language. (Sponsors: Becker, Bazan). ]

AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 10.

UM, BOARD MEMBER BECKER.

BOARD MEMBER BAAN.

UH, SURE.

SO THIS IS A, UH, AN UPDATE ON THE, UM, WHAT IS THE OFFICIAL NAME OF THE GROUP? UH, ON THE CITY OWNED, UH, FROM ABOUT THE CITY OWNED BASEBALL FIELDS WORKING GROUP.

WE MET RECENTLY.

YOU CAN READ THE MINUTES, UH, IN BACKUP IF YOU ARE SO INCLINED.

UH, 'CAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO DO A GOOD JOB OF DOCUMENTING THE MEETINGS.

UM, AND THE UPDATE IS, BUT WE JUST PASSED A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL, WHICH YOU WERE THERE FOR.

UM, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING THE, A RESPONSE TO THAT IN THE NEW YEAR SO THAT WE CAN, UM, START, UH, WORK TOWARDS ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION OR PR POTENTIALLY A SERIES OF RECOMMENDATIONS ONCE WE HAVE A BETTER HANDLE ON HOW TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION.

I, I THINK, YEAH, OTHER THAN THAT, INVITING SOME GUESTS TO JOIN US, UM, SO THAT WE CAN LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE'LL GO INTO TO FACTORING OUR, UM, OUR RECOMMENDATION.

BUT THAT'S IT.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE WORKING GROUP BOARD MEMBERS? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

BOARD MEMBERS.

UM, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER

[11. Update on the Joint Sustainability Committee regarding natural systems working group budget recommendations. (Sponsors: Becker, Orme). ]

UH, YES.

SO THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, UM, HA WHICH, UH, MYSELF AND BOARD MEMBER ORME ARE, UH, MEMBERS OF OR, OR, OR, OR I, AFTER I SAID IT, I WAS LIKE, THAT'S NOT RIGHT.

UM, UH, HAS FORMED SEVERAL WORKING GROUPS TO, UH, SEVERAL WORKING GROUPS TO ADDRESS ASPECTS OF THE BUDGET THAT THE JSC WISHES TO PUT FORWARD OR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE COMING FISCAL YEAR BUDGET THAT THE JSC WISHES TO PUT FORWARD.

WE WERE ATTACHED TO THE NATURAL SYSTEMS GROUP, WE BEING THE, THE PARKS BOARD MORE BROADLY, AND THOSE OF US WHO WERE MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP, UH, SORRY, MEMBERS OF THE JSC.

UH, SO WHAT I WANTED TO JUST SORT OF SAY TO EVERYONE HERE ON THE BOARD IS THAT IF YOU HAVE PARTICULAR AS WE ARE WORKING THROUGH BUDGETARY ISSUES AS PART OF OUR OWN WORKING GROUP PROCESS OR INDEPENDENTLY, IF THERE ARE ASPECTS OF OUR WORK THAT YOU FEEL LIKE WOULD BENEFIT FROM SOME ADDED, UM, UH, SOME COORDINATED EFFORT ACROSS BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, PARTICULARLY AS REGARDS THE NATURAL SYSTEMS IN OUR CITY, UH, UM, MYSELF AND BOARD MEMBER OR WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT THOSE SO THAT WE CAN SEE ABOUT GETTING, GETTING THEM PUT INTO OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE JSC SIDE AS WELL.

'CAUSE IF A RECOMMENDATION FOR A BUDGET ITEM IS GOOD FROM ONE BORDER COMMITTEE, IT'S GREAT FROM TWO.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR BOARD MEMBER BECKER? CAN YOU ELABORATE ON WHAT YOU MEAN BY NATURAL SYSTEMS I GUESS? UH, YEAH, THE, UM, I MEAN IT'S REALLY NATURAL SYSTEMS FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL POINT OF VIEW IS JUST PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING INVOLVING OUR PARKS, OUR PARK SYSTEMS, OUR TREES, ANY OF THE OTHER SORT OF TOOLS, SYSTEMS OR PROCESSES THAT WE USE TO KIND OF MANAGE NATURE HERE IN THE CITY.

SO IT'S ACTUALLY A PRETTY BROAD REMIT.

ANY OTHER FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR BOARD FOR THAT? WE HAVE

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

PUT FORWARD THAT THIS IS NOT MY AREA OF EXPERTISE, BUT I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENT.

UH, WE'RE NOW MOVE ON TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. I, I HAVE TWO THINGS.

UM, I GOT SOME QUESTIONS AND I'LL UH,

[02:25:01]

THE FIRST ONE HAS TO DO WITH, UM, I GOT SOME CITIZEN QUESTIONS AROUND, UH, SWIMMING LESSONS AS OFFERED BY PAR AND WHAT COULD BE DONE ESSENTIALLY TO OFFER SWIMMING LESSONS ON THE EAST SIDE.

I'M GONNA JUST START BY SAYING AGAIN, I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS AND I DID SOME LIGHT RESEARCH, BUT I FOUND IT CONFUSING.

SO THE COMMUNITY MEMBER WHO CONTACTED ME AND THEN SHE HAD SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE THAT WERE INVOLVED WAS SPECIFICALLY ASKING ABOUT BARTHOLOMEW POOL AND THERE WAS SORT OF SOME, UH, FEELING IN THIS PREDATES MY TIME IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THAT POOL WHEN IT CAME IN AND WAS HEATED THROUGH THE WINTER, THAT THERE WAS A HOPE THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME PROGRAMMING FOR KIDS TO BE ABLE TO LEARN HOW TO SWIM.

SAID INDIVIDUAL SAYS THAT THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, DEARTH OF THAT ON THE EAST SIDE AND I ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE HER, UM, MY KIDS ARE, YOU KNOW, NOT QUITE AT THE AGE WHERE THEY'RE PARTICIPATING IN ORGANIZED SWIM.

UM, SO, BUT UH, SHE SAYS SHE'S TRIED TO CONTACT PARKS DEPARTMENT BEFORE AND I GUESS, UM, HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THROUGH.

AND SO THE TWO QUESTIONS I HAVE ARE, CAN I GET SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT DOES IN TERMS OF LESSONS FOR KIDS, PARTICULARLY DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR.

I KNOW THERE'S STUFF GOING ON IN THE SUMMER, BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING GOING ON IN THE SCHOOL YEAR, WHAT, WHERE IS IT? WHAT'S GOING ON? AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE BARRIERS THAT YOU SEE TO IMPLEMENTING ANY ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING IN THAT SPACE? MM-HMM.

OR, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE NOT OFFERING PROGRAMMING LIKE THAT, SORT OF WHY AND, AND WHAT'S THE BACKGROUND BECAUSE I'M JUST TRYING TO HELP HER UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT'S EVEN OUT THERE AND THEN ALSO WHY SOMETHING MIGHT NOT BE OFFERED.

RIGHT.

SO THAT'S ONE AND I'LL PAUSE IN CASE THERE'S ANY CLARIFYING QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.

YES, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANY CLARIFYING QUESTIONS.