[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER]
WE'RE GONNA START, UH, WITH A QUICK ROLL CALL.UM, SO, UH, FIRST CHAIR, VILLALOBOS NOT PRESENT.
PRESENT, UH, MYSELF, I'M PRESENT.
UH, AND THEN BOARD MEMBER OR BOARD MEMBER MERIT PRESENT.
PRESENT BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN FRANKLIN.
PRESENT BOARD MEMBER BECKER PRESENT.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
START WITH ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION.OUR FIRST SPEAKER DURING GENERAL PUBLIC COMMUNICATION WILL BE WOLF SITLER FOLLOWED, FOLLOWED BY CAROL BAXTER, AND THEN, THEN SCOTT COBB.
MR. MR. SITLER, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.
I REPRESENT THE REVIVE NORWOOD ALLIANCE, AND I'M A MEMBER OF SOUTH RIVER CITY CITIZENS.
UH, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE NORWOOD HOUSE AND, UH, EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NORWOOD HOUSE.
YOU CAN FIND IN THE REPORT THAT WAS RELEASED ON FRIDAY BY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS THE NORWOOD HOUSE IN SITE REPORT, WHICH GIVES YOU ALL THE HISTORY AND SOME OTHER FUTURE POSSIBILITIES.
WE WERE HOPING THAT, UH, THAT REPORT WOULD ENDORSE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE HOUSE, BUT, UH, INSTEAD IT, UH, LISTED THREE OPTIONS, WHICH IS RECONSTRUCT IT, DEMOL, DEMOLISH IT, AND REPLACE IT WITH A VIEWING PLATFORM OR DEMOLISH IT.
AND, UH, JUST LET THE SITE BE.
UH, SOUTH RIVER CITY CITIZENS HAS LONG BEEN A SUPPORTER OF RECONSTRUCTING THE SITE AND MAKING IT LOOK LIKE IT USED TO LOOK, UM, AND USING IT AS EVENT CENTER AND A COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND, UM, SO WHAT WE'RE DOING, OR OUR RESPONSE TO REPORT IS THAT WE'RE NOT, UH, EMPLOYEES OR CIVIL SERVANTS, SO WE CAN THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.
AND IN KEEPING WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING, WE'RE PLANNING A SITE VISIT WITH AN ARCHITECT AND A CONTRACTOR TO, UH, PROPOSE, UH, OUR OWN OUTSIDE OF THE BOX PROPOSAL FOR HOW TO RECONSTRUCT THE HOUSE.
UM, THE, UH, REPORT SHOWS THAT, UH, THE, UH, MASTER PLAN WAS CREATED.
B BETWEEN THE, UH, PARKS FOUNDATION OR NORWOOD PARKS FOUNDATION AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
AND THE PRESENT COST FOR REDOING THE ENTIRE SITE IS SOMETHING LIKE BETWEEN 20 AND $25 MILLION.
UH, I WOULD NEVER SUPPORT THAT AS A TAXPAYER.
AND, UH, BUT UH, THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
AND, UH, WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS SCALE DOWN THE PROJECT, START SMALL, START AFFORDABLE, UH, AND START WITH JUST FIXING UP THE HOUSE AND, UH, THE, UH, THE REPORT SITES, THE FACT THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE LOTS OF CONSTRUCTION ON THAT SITE BECAUSE OF I 35 EXPANSION AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT IT IS WHAT IT IS, BUT THAT WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH THE PHYSICAL LOCATION OF THE HOUSE.
AND WE THINK TO HONOR THE, UH, EFFORTS OF OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH SPAN 40 YEARS OF TRYING TO GET THAT HOUSE OPERATIONAL, THE, UH, THE BEST OUTCOME WOULD BE TO, FOR THE CITY TO, FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THIS BOARD TO SUPPORT, UH, RECONSTRUCTION OF THE HOUSE, BUT IN A DIFFERENT MANNER THAN PROPOSED IN THE REPORT.
UM,
SO THAT'S, I DON'T SUPPOSE THAT'S SOMETHING YOU ALL CAN DO ANYTHING ABOUT, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO FINALLY STEP UP AND FUND OUR PARKS THE WAY THEY SHOULD BE.
'CAUSE EVERYBODY LOVES THE PARKS, BUT THEY, YOU KNOW, NOW THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT A USER FEE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO, TO MAKE THEM, UH, YOU KNOW, WORK WELL.
ANYWAY, UH, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PLANNING ON DOING.
UH, WE WILL BE BACK, UH, NEXT TIME YOU HAVE A MEETING AND AT THAT TIME WE HOPE TO HAVE A, UH, A VIABLE PLAN.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE CAROL BAXTER, FOLLOWED BY SCOTT COBB.
[00:05:02]
AND THEN, AND THEN I THINK THAT'S IT.I'M CAROL BAXTER, GENERAL MANAGER OF THE AUSTIN ROWING CLUB.
TONIGHT I'D LIKE TO SUMMARIZE OUR 43RD YEAR ON LADY BIRD LAKE.
AND THANK PART FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE WERE VERY BUSY.
AUBREY, MY COWORKER HERE IS GONNA SHOW US AIR C'S FISCAL YEAR 2024.
ANNUAL REVENUE WAS OVER $3.3 MILLION.
THIS IS OUR THIRD YEAR IN A ROW WITH OVER 3 MILLION IN BOATHOUSE REVENUE.
TOTAL PAYMENTS TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 WAS OVER ONE QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS.
WE PROVIDED OVER 100 PEOPLE WITH PART AND FULL-TIME WORK.
IN ADDITION TO ARC'S ROWING AND PADDLING, OUR BOATHOUSE PARTNERS INCLUDE RETRO BOAT, THE PERCH, RURAL FITNESS, AUSTIN COOLERS, DRAGON BOATS, AND OUTRIGGER CANOE.
AS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, OUR MISSION IS TO PROMOTE HEALTH AND WELLNESS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND ENSURE ACCESSIBILITY TO OUR WATERWAYS.
ON LADYBIRD LAKE, WE HAVE MULTIPLE OUTREACH PROGRAMS TO TEACH ROWING AND PADDLING AT NO COST TO ITS PARTICIPANTS.
THOSE INCLUDE $50,000 IN JUNIOR SCHOLARSHIPS THIS YEAR ALONE, 350 PARD, SUMMER CAMPERS FROM 14 RECREATION CENTERS ACROSS AUSTIN.
220 COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER CENTER'S WELLNESS PROGRAM, 400 PLUS MARTIN AND MESON MIDDLE SCHOOLERS WITH THE RISE PROGRAM, WHICH STANDS FOR ROWING IN SCHOOL EXCELLENCE SO THAT THE AUSTIN BROING CLUB HAS STARTED, AS WELL AS WOMEN CANCER SURVIVORS WITH TEAM SURVIVOR AND PARA ATHLETES AND PARA VETERANS AT THE TEXAS REGIONAL GAMES.
LASTLY, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, WE HAVE COLLECTED ALMOST 200,000 POUNDS OF GARBAGE FROM LADY BURG LAKE AND ALONG THE TRAIL THIS YEAR ALONE, THIS COULD NOT HAPPEN WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF OUR VOLUNTEERS GIVING 2,700 PLUS VOLUNTEER HOURS.
OVER THE COURSE OF THIS PAST YEAR, A RC IS LOOKING FORWARD TO THEIR 44TH YEAR OF CONTINUED STEWARDSHIP OF LADY BIRD LAKE AND WE HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE SCOTT COBB.
AND THEN I JUST WANNA CONFIRM THAT ROBIN RATHER ISN'T IN ATTENDANCE.
I WORK FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, IS A LIFEGUARD.
I'M GONNA TALK TODAY ABOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS BECAUSE I KNOW YOU HAVE A BUDGET WORKING COMMITTEE.
I ALSO KNOW THAT COMMITTEE MEETS IN SECRET, DOESN'T INVITE THE PUBLIC, DOESN'T TELL WHO'S ON IT, WHAT TO DO, WHAT YOUR AGENDA IS.
I DOUBT IF ANYTHING, ANYONE ON THERE REPRESENTING CITY EMPLOYEES, YOU'RE CERTAINLY WELCOME TO INVITE ME TO PARTICIPATE.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, HERE'S WHAT I THINK WE SHOULD DO WITH THE BUDGET.
NUMBER ONE, SOME OF THESE DON'T COST ANY MONEY.
A REVISED POLICY ON DATING ON SEXUAL EXPLOITATION ISN'T GONNA COST ANY MONEY.
IT MAY COST A FEW, COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR TRAINING MATERIALS, BUT THAT'S ABOUT IT.
THE CURRENT DATING POLICY, A MANAGER OF 35 YEARS OLD COULD DATE A 17-YEAR-OLD.
AS LONG AS THEY REPORTED THAT IT WOULD BE OKAY, THEY WOULD STILL NOT GET PUNISHED AS LONG AS THEY REPORT IT.
THE POLICY WASN'T EVEN ADOPTED UNTIL THIS SUMMER AFTER WE PUSHED FOR IT.
BIGGEST PRIORITY IS SPEND SOME MONEY ON CREATING A SYSTEM WHERE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUBJECT TO DISCIPLINARY ACTION HAVE AN APPEALS PROCESS.
ALSO WOULD NOT COST VERY MUCH MONEY.
THERE'S ALREADY A SYSTEM SET UP.
LIFEGUARDS DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THAT SYSTEM.
THEY COULD BE, OR THEY COULD HAVE A SEPARATE SYSTEM WITHIN PARK.
RIGHT NOW YOU'RE FIRED, YOU'RE OUT.
STATE OF TEXAS, YOU'RE AN AT AT-WILL EMPLOYEE.
IF YOU'RE A TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, MAYBE YOU AGREE WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS.
I THINK PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING YEARS SHOULD HAVE AN APPEALS PROCESS ALSO WOULD NOT COST VERY MUCH MONEY GETTING TO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WOULD COST MONEY.
PEOPLE WORK ON JUNETEENTH, THEY DON'T GET HOLIDAY PAY.
OUR MANAGERS WHO WORK ON THOSE HOLIDAYS DO GET
[00:10:01]
IT.ASPEN FINALLY SPOKE UP AT THAT, THE LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING A FEW WEEKS AGO, BUT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT FOR YEARS.
WE CAN'T ACCRUE PAID TIME OFF.
IF YOU DON'T GET PAID TIME OFF, YOU HAVE TO TAKE LEAVE.
IF YOU TAKE LEAVE, THE NUMBER OF HOURS YOU WORK IS REDUCED AND YOU MAY NOT QUALIFY FOR THE HEALTHCARE AT THE MOST AFFORDABLE RATE IF YOU DON'T AVERAGE 30 HOURS OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR PER WEEK.
THAT'S WHY YOU NEED PAID TIME OFF.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ON PAYROLL FOR YEARS.
I'VE BEEN ON PAYROLL FOR 2011.
SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE REALLY RIDICULOUS THAT IT'S HASN'T BEEN DONE.
AT THIS POINT I HAVE MORE, I HAVE MORE.
INVITE ME TO YOUR WORKING GROUP.
I WILL TELL YOU WHAT THEY ARE.
JUST FOR CLARITY, THE BUDGET WORKING GROUP HAS NOT MET THIS YEAR.
THE MEMBERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AND THE MINUTES WILL BE POSTED.
I SAID, JUST FOR CLARITY, THE BUDGET WORKING GROUP HAS NOT MET THIS YEAR.
THE MEMBERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AND THE MINUTES WILL BE POSTED.
AND YOU CAN CONTINUE TO EMAIL.
THAT'S TIME THAT'S HAPPENED WITH THE BATHHOUSE WORKING GROUP.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
GONNA MOVE ON, UH, TO APPROVING THE MINUTES OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD REGULAR MEETING OF OCTOBER 28TH.IF EVERYONE WANTS TO TAKE A MOMENT TO PLEASE LOOK OVER THOSE MINUTES.
UM, IT'S FAIRLY MINOR, BUT ON POINT 11 IT SAYS, BOARD MEMBER BECKER GAVE AN UPDATE.
UPCOMING, I THINK IT SHOULD BE, GAVE AN UPDATE ON UPCOMING BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.
ANY OTHER EDITS? UM, I, I THINK TIM, UH, CHAIR VILLALOBOS ADJOURNED THE MEETING.
LAST TIME HE WAS HERE, SO I'M PRETTY SURE IT WAS HIM AT THE END.
IF ANYONE IS READY, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THEM WITH THOSE EDITS.
OR IF ANYONE HAS ANY OTHER EDITS, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
SO THAT'S A MOTION, UH, FROM BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY AYE.
SORRY, I'M LOOKING AT THE TIME REAL QUICK.
[2. Discussion and approve a letter of recognition for Council Member Alison Alter for her legacy of service to Austin's parks during her eight-year tenure as a City Council Member. (Sponsors: Reed, Taylor)]
MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS, UH, DISCUSSION INTO APPROVE A LETTER OF RECOGNITION, RECOGNITION FOR COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER.UH, AND THE SPONSORS ARE BOARD MEMBER REED AND BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR.
UH, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? NO CHAIR.
UM, THEN I THINK I'M GONNA PASS IT OFF TO BOARD MEMBER REED, UH, WHO IS GONNA READ THE LETTER? THANK YOU.
THIS IS A LETTER OF APPRECIATION TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER.
UH, DEAR COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER, WE ARE WRITING TO EXTEND OUR DEEPEST GRATITUDE AND RECOGNITION FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND YOUR COMMUNITY FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS AS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER REPRESENTING DISTRICT 10, YOUR DEDICATION, HARD WORK, AND UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO AUSTIN'S BELOVED PARKS, TRAILS, AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES HAS RESULTED IN BETTER ACCESS, SAFETY, PRESERVATION, AND IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
PRIOR TO BEING ELECTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL IN 2017, YOU SERVED ON AUSTIN'S PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD AND CAME TO BE KNOWN AFFECTIONATELY AS THE PARKS LADY.
YOUR DEVOTION TO OUR PUBLIC PARKS HAS CONTINUED THROUGHOUT BOTH YOUR TERMS AS A COUNCIL MEMBER AND YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE MANY.
YOU HAVE WORKED TO ENSURE THAT EVERY AUSTINITE CAN LIVE OR WORK WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF A GREAT PARK.
YOU HAVE ADVOCATED FOR PARK IMPROVEMENTS AT GREAT HILLS, TARRYTOWN, AND ALER NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS, AND AT MEISON POOL.
YOU'VE WORKED TO IMPROVE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES AT EMMA LONG METROPOLITAN
[00:15:01]
PARK LYONS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE, DEEP EDDIE POOL AND WALSH BOAT LANDING.YOU SAW BULL CREEK DISTRICT PARK THROUGH ITS FINAL PHASE OF RENOVATIONS STARTING THE PROCESS WHEN YOU SERVED ON THE PARKS BOARD.
YOUR SPECIAL COMMITMENT TO SAVING MUNI AND TO FINDING A SOLUTION TO PRESERVE THIS ICONIC PART OF AUSTIN'S HISTORY HAS BEEN VITAL TO ITS SURVIVAL.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR WORK TO ACQUIRE AND SECURE NEW PARKLAND AS AUSTIN GROWS AMONG MANY OF YOUR EFFORTS TO ACQUIRE NEW PARKS AND WILDLIFE.
PRESERVES THE ACQUISITION OF TWO MAJOR TRACKS OF PARKLAND ALONG SPICEWOOD SPRINGS ROAD, NEAR Y POND DRIVE WILL ALLOW THE CREATION OF A CONTINUOUS TRAIL ALONG THE UPPER AND LOWER BULL CREEK GREEN BELTS FROM BULL CREEK DISTRICT PARK TO ST.
YOUR LEADERSHIP WORKING TO INCREASE PARKS, FUNDING AND INVESTMENTS IN OUR CITY PARKS AND POOLS SPANS EIGHT YEARS OF CITY BUDGET CYCLES.
YOU CO-LED THE EFFORT WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS, TOVO TRUCKS, CLAIRE KITCHEN AND POOL TO REDIRECT SOME OF OUR HOT OR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES, FUNDS TO FINANCE IMPROVEMENTS TO HISTORIC PARKS AND BUILDINGS SUCH AS BARTON SPRINGS, MAYFIELD PARK, AND THE DRISCOLL VILLA.
AT LAGUNA GLORIA, YOU ENSURED THAT WE FUNDED OUR CAPITAL REHABILITATION FUND AND THAT A GOOD PORTION WOULD SUPPORT UPGRADES TO PARD FACILITIES.
YOU ALSO PUSHED FOR LARGE INVESTMENTS IN ACQUISITION AND PARK AND POOL RENOVATIONS IN OUR 2018 PARKS BOND.
YOU MOST RECENTLY WORKED WITH THE PARK BUDGET OFFICE TO QUANTIFY LEVELS OF PARKLAND MAINTENANCE AND SUCCESSFULLY LED ON FUNDING 16 NEW FULL-TIME MAINTENANCE EMPLOYEES.
YOUR ATTENTION TO ACHIEVING AUSTIN'S CONSERVATION AND CLIMATE GOALS, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, WILDFIRE RESILIENCE, AND ENSURING THAT OUR GREEN SPACES PROMOTE BIODIVERSITY, MITIGATE CLIMATE EFFECTS, AND PROVIDE HABITAT FOR WILDLIFE HAVE BEEN INDISPENSABLE.
YOU HAVE TRULY ESTABLISHED A PARKS LEGACY IN AUSTIN AND OUR COMMUNITY WILL BE FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR ALL YOUR WORK AS OUR PARKS LADY.
SINCERELY, THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD.
UM, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LETTER TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER? OKAY.
UM, WE WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER FOR HER SERVICE TO THE PARKS HERE IN AUSTIN.
UH, AND I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION, UH, TO, UH, APPROVE THIS LETTER OF RECOGNITION FOR HER.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
[3. Discussion and approve a letter of recognition for Council Member Leslie Pool for her legacy of service to Austin’s Parks during her ten-year tenure as City Council Member. (Sponsor: Villalobos, Flowers).]
ON, UH, TO OUR NEXT LETTER OF RECOGNITION, WHICH IS FOR COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE, WHO I SAW JUST CAME IN HERE A MOMENT AGO.UM, SO, UH, CHAIR VILLALOBOS AND I ARE BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD, AND IN HIS ABSENCE I WILL READ THE LETTER FOR COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE.
DEAR MAYOR PRO, TIM LESLIE POOLE.
ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, WE EXTEND OUR DEEPEST GRATITUDE AND ADMIRATION FOR YOUR UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO ENHANCING AND PRESERVING AUSTIN'S PARKS, OPEN SPACES AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES.
YOUR VISIONARY LEADERSHIP AND STEADFAST COMMITMENT HAVE PROFOUNDLY ENRICHED OUR COMMUNITY AND THE LIVES OF ITS RESIDENTS.
YOUR INSTRUMENTAL ROLE IN SECURING OVER $4 MILLION IN NEW FUNDING FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT IN THE 2021 CITY BUDGET HAS SIGNIFICANTLY BOLSTERED THE MAINTENANCE PROGRAMMING AND STAFFING OF AUSTIN'S PARKS, ENSURING THEIR VITALITY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
THESE EFFORTS, COUPLED WITH YOUR ADVOCACY FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE PARK RANGER PROGRAM AND ENHANCED FACILITIES AND GROUNDS MAINTENANCE, HAVE DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE SAFETY, ACCESSIBILITY, AND QUALITY OF OUR PARKS AND RECREATIONAL SERVICES.
UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP, AUSTIN EARNED THE PRESTIGIOUS DESIGNATION OF AN OFFICIAL BIRD CITY BY TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE IN AUDUBON, TEXAS IN 2023.
THIS RECOGNITION UNDERSCORES YOUR DEDICATION TO PROTECTING URBAN HABITATS AND PROMOTING BIRD FRIENDLY PRACTICES DEMONSTRATING YOUR COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND BIODIVERSITY.
YOUR VISION ALSO BROUGHT FORTH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILDREN'S OUTDOOR BILL OF RIGHTS, WHICH HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN FOSTERING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO NATURE FOR ALL CHILDREN IN AUSTIN.
THIS INITIATIVE CONNECTS YOUTH WITH THE OUTDOORS PROMOTING HEALTH EDUCATION AND A LIFELONG APPRECIATION FOR OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
YOUR ADVOCACY FOR EQUITABLE ACCESS TO PARKS HAS ENSURED THAT AUSTINITES FROM ALL COMMUNITIES HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF NATURE, FOSTERING HEALTH, WELLNESS, AND CONNECTION.
BY SECURING FUNDING FOR PARKLAND ACQUISITION AND TRAIL DEVELOPMENT, YOU HAVE CREATED NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR RECREATION AND COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACES, WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE AS CORNERSTONES OF AUSTIN'S IDENTITY.
THROUGH YOUR LEADERSHIP, THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT HAS STRENGTHENED PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND RESIDENTS
[00:20:01]
CREATING A COLLECTIVE VISION FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND ECOLOGICAL PRESERVATION.YOUR COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, EQUITABLE ACCESS, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HAS SET A HIGH STANDARD FOR PUBLIC SERVICE INSPIRING US ALL TO REIMAGINE WHAT IS POSSIBLE WHEN PARKS SERVE AS A UNIFYING FORCE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AS YOU REFLECT ON YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE, WE HOPE YOU TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN KNOWING THAT YOUR WORK HAS SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTED TO MAKING AUSTIN A GREENER, HEALTHIER, AND MORE CONNECTED CITY.
YOUR ENDURING LEGACY AS AN ADVOCATE FOR PARKS, OPEN SPACES AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES HAS LEFT AN INDELIBLE MARK ON THE CITY AND WILL BE CHERISHED BY GENERATIONS TO COME.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXTRAORDINARY DEDICATION AND FOR BEING A TRUE CHAMPION OF AUSTIN'S PARKS AND OPEN SPACES WITH HEARTFELT APPRECIATION, THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, BOARD, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE, FOR STOPPING BY.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS AND IT WAS COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED.
UM, BUT IT IS VERY MUCH, UM, A WORK OF MY HEART AND MY CAREER TO ADVOCATE FOR OPEN SPACE AND PARKLAND IN THE CITY THAT I HAVE LIVED IN FOR A LONG TIME.
AND LIKE YOU ALL LOVE, UM, THOSE OF US WHO ARE FORTUNATE TO LIVE HERE REALLY DO PUT DOWN ROOTS.
AND, UM, I THANK YOU FOR THE SERVICE THAT YOU HAVE PROVIDED TO THE CITY THROUGH YOUR VOLUNTEER SERVICE ON THE PARKS BOARD.
IT IS AN IMPORTANT AND IMPORTANT APPOINTMENT AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW, 10 YEARS, UM, IT'S A LONG TIME, BUT IT'S ALSO GONE BY IN A FLASH.
AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING THERE AND TO SHARE IT WITH ME.
AND HERE'S TO MORE REALLY GOOD WORK THAT FOLKS LIKE YOU AND LIKE ME AND OTHERS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVEN'T IDENTIFIED YET WILL, UH, BRING TO THIS CITY BECAUSE WE ALL LOVE THIS TOWN AND WE WANT THE BEST FOR THOSE WHO LIVE HERE, AND WE WANT THE BEST TO BE AS GREEN AND AS HEALTHY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN MAKE IT.
I SO APPRECIATE THIS RECOGNITION.
THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
SO I'LL NOW MAKE A MOTION, UH, TO APPROVE THIS LETTER OF RECOMME REC OF RECOGNITION FOR COUNCIL MEMBER LESLIE POOLE.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY AYE.
AND WE'RE GONNA TRY TO DO IT WITH THIS SCREEN TOO.
THANK Y AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
ALRIGHT, WITH THAT WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM
[4. Discussion and approve a letter of recognition for Council Member Mackenzie Kelly for her legacy of service to Austin’s Parks during her four-year tenure as City Council Member. (Sponsor: Eady, Reed).]
NUMBER FOUR.I DON'T THINK I ASKED FOR THE LAST ONE, BUT THERE'S, ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? UH, OKAY, GREAT.
UM, SO THE NEXT ONE IS, UH, ANOTHER LETTER OF RECOGNITION.
THIS TIME FOR COUNCIL MEMBER MCKENZIE KELLY, UM, AND BOARD MEMBER ED SPONSORED THIS.
AND WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ THE LETTER? GREAT.
DEAR COUNCIL MEMBER MCKENZIE KELLY, WE ARE WRITING TO EXTEND OUR GRATITUDE AND RECOGNITION FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND YOUR COMMITTEE COMMUNITY FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS AS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER REPRESENTING DISTRICT SIX, YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE PARKS, TRAILS, AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES OF AUSTIN IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
DURING YOUR TENURE, YOU HAVE GIVEN PRIORITY TO CITY PARKLAND AND ENSURED THAT THOSE PARKLANDS HAD IMPROVED AND BEEN WELL CARED FOR, INCLUDING REQUIRING SAFETY, PRESERVATION AND ACCESS FOR THOSE PARKLANDS.
YOUR CONTRIBUTION OF FUNDS FROM YOUR OFFICE BUDGET DURING YOUR TERM FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF A PIECE OF UNDEVELOPED PARKLAND IN NORTH AUSTIN IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
AS A RESULT OF YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS, IMPROVEMENTS TO A PIECE OF UNDEVELOPED PARKLAND, LOCATED THE INTERSECTION OF SPICEWOOD SPRINGS ROAD AND OLDLAND PASSES TRAIL WILL HELP TRANSFORM THAT SPACE INTO A VIBRANT AREA WHERE FAMILIES CAN GATHER AND ENJOY NATURE.
YOUR CONSULTATION WITH RESIDENTS NEAR THE PARKLAND TO DETERMINE THE BEST USE OF THE MONEY WAS A SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY AND ASSISTED IN DRESSING, PARKS AND RECREATIONAL NEEDS IN THAT AREA.
YOU HAVE ASSISTED IN PARKLAND CONVERSION AT UNDEVELOPED PROPERTY AND SOUGHT THE APPROVAL OF BOND DOLLARS AND OTHER PARKS FUNDING TO BE USED TO IMPROVE PARKLAND SITES WITH NEW AMENITIES AND FULLY OPEN THE LAND TO THE PUBLIC.
IT WAS INFORMATIVE FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS TO LEARN ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE PARK, SPRINGWOOD PARK IN THE NORTHWEST
[00:25:01]
AUSTIN, AND YOUR DEDICATION TO PROVIDING AUSTIN RESIDENTS WITH BEAUTIFUL OUTDOOR SPACES.YOUR PARTICIPATION IN MY PARK STAYS AND YOUR ATTEMPTS AT GETTING PLAYED FOR ALL ABILITIES PARK IN DISTRICT SIX ARE APPRECIATED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO THE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND THE BEAUTIFUL PARKS IN THE CITY WITH HEARTFELT APPRECIATION, THE PARKS BOARD.
BOARD MEMBER, UM, IF YOU ALL COULD JOIN ME AGAIN IN THANKING COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY AS WELL FOR HER SERVICE TO THE PARKS.
UM, I WILL NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS LETTER OF LETTER OF, UH, RECOGNITION.
I'M MAKING A MOTION TO APPROVE THE LETTER.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY AYE.
UH, ALRIGHT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM OF THANKFULNESS.
[5. Presentation, discussion and approve letters of support for Parks and Recreation and City Staff who provided critical maintenance to Barton Springs Pool in September 2024. (Sponsors: Villalobos, Flowers). (PARD Long Range Strategies: Park Access for All, Urban Public Spaces).]
UH, IS THE PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION AND APPROVAL OF LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION AND CITY STAFF WHO PROVIDED CRITICAL MAINTENANCE TO BARTON SPRINGS POOL.ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTERS ON THIS ITEM? YES.
WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENTER, SCOTT COBB.
YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.
MY NAME IS SCOTT COPP AND I SUPPORT THIS LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FOR FIXING THE BARTON SPRINGS PIPE.
SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ATTENTION PAID TO IT OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES.
YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE BROKEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER.
BUT ANYHOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION GOING ON TODAY.
WHAT I DO NOT SEE IS A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION OR THANK YOU TO ONE GROUP WHO OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE DONE MORE TO IMPROVE AQUATICS THAN ANY OTHER GROUP.
WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO HIRE OVER A THOUSAND LIFEGUARDS IF IT WEREN'T FOR LIFEGUARDS THEMSELVES ADVOCATING, RISKING THEIR JOBS, RISKING RETALIATION BEING RETALIATED AGAINST IF THEY HAD NOT TAKEN ACTION, IF THEY HAD NOT GONE TO CITY COUNCIL.
IF THEY HAD NOT SPOKEN TO PAR.
MET WITH THE PAR DIRECTOR, SPOKEN AT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.
I HAVE SEEN PEOPLE FIRED RETALIATED AGAINST.
THERE'S NO, WHERE'S THAT? WHERE'S OUR LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION? WHERE'S OUR THANK YOU.
I WAS ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE STATESMAN.
ANOTHER LIFEGUARD COMES FROM AN IMMIGRANT FAMILY YOU SHOULD KNOW, SPOKE TO MANIA AFTER THAT HAPPENED.
BOTH SHE AND I GOT LETTERS SAYING, IN ORDER FROM NOW ON, YOU NEED TO GET PERMISSION TO SPEAK TO THE MEDIA.
THAT FLAG MEANS SOMETHING STILL, AT LEAST UNTIL JANUARY 20TH.
IT MEANS WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK UP FOR BETTER PAY AND WORKING CONDITIONS.
WE DID, WE RISK OUR, OUR JOBS, OUR REPUTATIONS, AND SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE WERE SILENCED.
THAT 17-YEAR-OLD GIRL WHO GOT THAT EMAIL ABOUT DO NOT SPEAK TO THE MEDIA, HAS NOT SPOKEN TO THE MEDIA, HAS NOT COME TO CITY COUNCIL, HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED SINCE THEN.
THAT LETTER WAS OUT A BOUNDS OUT OF ORDER.
THIS THAT FLAG, THAT POW FLAG, THAT MEANS SOMETHING.
AND WHERE IS OUR LETTER? WHERE IS THE LETTER THINKING? NOT JUST ME, NOT JUST HER.
THE OTHER LIFEGUARDS WHO SPOKE UP DENTAL PAY, BILINGUAL PAY.
IT WAS LIFEGUARDS WHO CAME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR JOAN MEANS COBEL.
WE GOT COUNCIL MEMBER VALET TO SPONSOR THAT.
WHERE'S OUR LITTER? AQUATICS NEEDS TO DO BETTER.
APOLOGIES THAT THIS ONE DID NOT MAKE IT UP INTO, INTO BACKUP EITHER.
SO I AM GOING TO READ THIS LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION AND CITY STAFF WHO PROVIDED CRITICAL MAINTENANCE MAINTENANCE TO BARTON SPRINGS POOL IN SEPTEMBER, 2024.
YEAH, WE DO HAVE A PRESENTATION.
PLEASE, LET'S HAVE THE PRESENTER.
I'M JUST ROLLING THROUGH THESE LETTERS OF, UH, RECOGNITION.
SO GOOD EVENING BOARD, UH, LUCAS MASSEY, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
UM, ALTHOUGH I AM, I AM THE INDIVIDUAL SPEAKING UP HERE ON BEHALF OF BARTON SPRINGS, PLEASE KNOW THAT WE ARE GONNA COVER A LARGE SECTION AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE, UH, THAT WERE, UH, DID HEAVY LIFTS AS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
UM, SO I WAS UP HERE SEVERAL YEARS AGO, UM, WHEN I FIRST KIND OF MOVED OVER AND TOOK OVER AQUATICS TO TALK ABOUT, UH, THE LONG TERM PLAN FOR PARKS AND RECREATION AND HOW WE INCREASE
[00:30:01]
SAFE ACCESS TO WATER AND WHY IT'S MISSION CRITICAL FOR PARD.UM, WE TALKED ABOUT RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING.
MAINTENANCE WAS ONE OF THE THINGS I MENTIONED THERE.
AND, AND THAT IS A KEY THEME IN TODAY'S PRESENTATION.
SO, JUST A BRIEF HISTORY OF BARTON SPRINGS.
UM, IT'S ACTUALLY A GROUPING OF FOUR SPRINGS AND IT'S FOURTH LARGEST IN TEXAS.
UM, IN TERMS OF MODERN DAY DEVELOPMENT, IT STARTED IN, IN THE TWENTIES, UH, DEVELOPING AND WORKING ON THE DAM, UM, BUILDING OUT INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE THIRTIES AND FORTIES WITH THE SIDEWALKS AND THE BATHHOUSE.
UM, IN 69 AND AND SEVENTIES, WE DID, UM, WITH PARK BOARD APPROVAL BUILD A A, A BYPASS THAT WAS GONNA HELP WITH FLOODING AND REDU AND REROUTE WATER, UH, AROUND THE SPRINGS.
UM, AND THEN IN THE LATE NINETIES, SALAMA PROTECTION AND SPLASH, OUR EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT OPENED UP.
I DID WANT TO INCLUDE SOME PICTURES AND, AND REALLY THE, THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING THIS IS TO, TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN THE POOL.
A LOT OF PEOPLE COME TO THE POOL AND HAVE VERY NATURAL KIND OF FEEL TO IT, AND THAT'S THE WAY WE WANT IT TO LOOK.
BUT AS A REMINDER THAT THIS IS A MANMADE, UH, AREA, CAN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF AUSTIN WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT FLOODING.
AND BARTON SPRINGS IS CERTAINLY NO EXCEPTION.
UM, OVER THE YEARS, MAJOR FLOODING EVENTS HAVE OCCURRED FREQUENTLY, UM, LESS SO OVER THE RECENT DECADES, BUT EARLY ON IN THE, THE, THE POOL'S OPERATION, IT WAS, UH, AN ANNUAL EVENT NEARLY.
UM, THESE, THESE RECURRING FLOODS, UH, CAN CAUSE IMMEDIATE DAMAGE, BUT ALSO CAN CAUSE DAMAGE OVER TIME, UM, AND AFFECT THE INTEGRITY OF, OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THERE.
SO, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, WE, WE HAVE A PICTURE OF THE ORIGINAL KIND OF HOLT THAT WAS DISCOVERED IN OLD INFRASTRUCTURE ON AUGUST 29TH, RIGHT BEFORE LABOR DAY.
UNFORTUNATELY, UM, THE POOL, UH, IT IS KIND OF CREATING A POTENTIAL ENTRAPMENT CONDITIONS.
AND FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, POOL ENTRAPMENT IS A LIFE-THREATENING HAZARD WHERE A PERSON OR OBJECT CAN BE, CAN BECOME STUCK IN THE SUCTION OF A POOL, MOST COMMONLY A DRAIN IN A POOL.
BUT IN THIS CASE, IT WAS THE OLD INFRASTRUCTURE INSIDE BARTON SPRINGS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
BARTON SPRINGS WAS IMMEDIATELY CLOSED AND PAR BEGAN WORKING WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION TO DEVELOP A REPAIR PLAN.
UH, SO ONLY A COUPLE DAYS LATER, THOSE, THOSE TWO SMALL HOLES HAD MERGED INTO ONE, UH, WITH THE SUCTION BEING FORCEFUL ENOUGH TO, TO HAVE THOSE TWO MERGE.
AS YOU CAN SEE THERE WITH THE, THE NEATLY DRAWN CIRCLES, UH, WHIRLPOOL HAD DEVELOPED AND IT KIND OF DEMONSTRATES THE SUCTION, UH, THAT'S OCCURRING THERE AND WHY THAT MIGHT BE A, A LIFE-THREATENING THING.
UH, AS WE KIND OF WORKED THROUGH AND PROBLEM SOLVED, THERE WERE NUMEROUS UNFORESEEN COMPLICATIONS THAT MADE THIS REPAIR PROCESS MORE COMPLICATED AND CHALLENGING THAN THAN ONES WE HAD FACED IN THE PAST.
UM, SAL SALAMANDER PROTECTION IS, UH, OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO US, UM, THE WATER LEVELS AND DAMAGE OF WHERE IT WAS.
UH, SO IT WAS IN AN AREA THAT WAS UNABLE TO BE KIND OF LOWERED.
SO WE HAD TO CONDUCT THE REPAIR WITH THE WATER IN THE POOL.
UM, THAT'S ALSO PART OF THE, THE SALAMANDER PROTECTION, UH, LIMITED ACCESS INSIDE THE POOL.
SO THE, THE BYPASS THAT CURRENTLY OPERATES IS UNDERNEATH THE SIDEWALK THERE, MEANING WE COULDN'T PUT ANYTHING HEAVY ON THE SIDEWALK, WHICH COMPLICATED.
THE MATERIALS HAD TO BE, UH, USED IN THE POOL, HAD TO BE SUITABLE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE SALAMANDER.
AND, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY WE HAD THE GOAL OF REOPENING THE POOL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
UH, GIVEN THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS THE END OF THE SUMMER, TRY AND TRY AND GET THAT LAST LITTLE BIT OF SWIMMING IN.
UM, HERE WE GO AS A, A MAP OF KIND OF, OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE DOTTED LINE IS THE BYPASS TUNNEL, UH, THAT IS NO LONGER IN USE.
IT'S A SKIMMER DRAIN, QUOTE UNQUOTE, I BELIEVE.
AND THEN THE RED AREA THERE IS, IS OUTSIDE THE DAM, UM, IS WHERE IT EXITS.
UH, SO THE HOLE WAS, MM, IT'S NOT REALLY THERE IT IS RIGHT THERE WITH THE LITTLE TRIANGLE.
SO WORKING WITH WATERSHED WHO WERE REALLY THE EXPERTS AND DID MOST OF THE HEAVY LIFTING AND IN TERMS OF THE REPAIR, UH, DEVELOPED A, A STRATEGY FOR BRINGING IN, UH, A MAINTENANCE CREW, UM, ONE OF THEIR, THEIR CONTRACTOR VENDORS THAT THEY, THEY'RE ABLE TO GET THROUGH THE ROTATION LIST TO PERFORM THE REPAIR.
SO WE HAD A TEMPORARY STAGING AREA IN THE PARKING LOT.
WE WERE ABLE TO WORK AROUND THE RAILROAD TRACKS, WHICH IS RECENTLY OPENED, IS ONE MORE, ONE MORE HURDLE IS TRYING TO WORK WITH OUR VENDORS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT INTERRUPTING THEIR SERVICE.
UM, AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO CLOSE THE AREA HIGHLIGHTED
[00:35:01]
IN YELLOW AND CONDUCT THE REPAIR.SO AS I STATED, UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF WATERSHED PROTECTION, THE CONTRACTOR BEGAN MOBILIZATION ON SEPTEMBER 13TH AND COMPLETED THE WORK.
BY SEPTEMBER 14TH, A CONCRETE PLUG WAS INSTALLED IN THE PIPE FROM DOG BEACH.
UH, IT RUNS UP THROUGH THE DAM, PROVIDING A LONG-TERM LUCIAN THAT EFFECTIVELY ELIMINATES THE RISK OF RECURRENCE.
UH, BARTON SPRINGS REMAINED CLOSED FOR A FEW ADDITIONAL DAYS TO ENSURE ABSOLUTELY THAT THE CONCRETE FULLY CURED.
AND DURING THAT TIME PART ALSO TOOK THE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO READ, SAW SOME AREAS THAT CONDUCT SOME ROUTINE TREE MAINTENANCE, UM, AND SOME OTHER, UH, VARIOUS PAINTING AND KIND OF MINOR MAINTENANCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FACILITY SO THAT WHEN WE REOPENED, WE WERE IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE AND WE DID REOPEN SEPTEMBER 19TH, FOUR WEEKS AFTER DISCOVERING THE HOLE IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE REPAIR WAS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS OF OVER 100 CITY OF AUSTIN STAFF MEMBERS FROM MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS.
AND WE TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN OUR WORK TO RESTORE THE OPERATIONS SWIFTLY WHILE ENSURING THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF CARE FOR THIS CHERISHED PLACE AND ITS VISITORS.
SO A LIST OF INDIVIDUALS HERE, AND I WAS HOPING IT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY SCROLL THROUGH, UH, BUT IT IS, IT IS NOT.
SO EVERYONE HERE LISTED AS A PART OF THE, THE PROCESS, UM, AND IT CONTINUES TO SCROLL AND I'M SORRY FOR THAT.
AND WE CAN SHARE IT MAYBE WITH YOU GUYS IF YOU WANNA SCROLL THROUGH ALL THE NAMES.
UM, BUT A BIG THANK YOU TO, UH, DIRECTOR AM MEANS AND DIRECTOR MORALES WHO ARE HERE TODAY.
AND, UH, THERE'S SEVERAL OTHER WATERSHED STAFF MEMBERS AND AQUATIC STAFF MEMBERS.
IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY PARTICULAR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REPAIR OR THE EFFORTS, WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER OR SPEAK ABOUT THOSE.
THANK YOU BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
UM, I THANK YOU GUYS FOR THIS MONUMENTAL EFFORT, NOT A JOB I WOULD'VE WANTED TO HAVE.
UM, SO I'M GONNA READ THE LETTER OF SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE DRAFTED, UH, FOR EVERYONE, ALL A HUNDRED PLUS PEOPLE WHO WORKED, UH, ON THIS IMPORTANT PROJECT.
DEAR PARD, WATERSHED PROTECTION, AUSTIN WATER, CPIO, AND CITY STAFF MEMBERS, WE ARE WRITING TO EXTEND OUR DEEPEST GRATITUDE AND RECOGNITION FOR YOUR EFFORTS IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR TO SAFEGUARD AND PROTECT ALL USERS OF BARTON SPRINGS POOL.
AFTER DAMAGE WAS DISCOVERED DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, OVER 100 OF YOU WORKED COLLABORATIVELY TOGETHER TO ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY, PROTECT CRITICAL WILDLIFE HABITAT AND REOPEN AS SOON AS WAS FEASIBLE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
YOUR DEDICATION, HARD WORK, AND UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO KEEPING THE PUBLIC SAFE, PRESERVING SALAMANDER HABITAT AND REOPENING AS SOON AS WAS FEASIBLE IS COMMENDABLE.
THE POTENTIAL LIFE-THREATENING NATURE OF THE ENTRAPMENT CONDITIONS WARRANTED QUICK ACTION.
YOUR IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY IS A TESTAMENT TO THE IMPORTANCE OF CROSS-COLLABORATION AND COOPERATION TO ACHIEVE THE BEST OUTCOME FOR BOTH POOL USERS AND THE NATIVE SALAMANDERS.
ACCOMPLISHING A MAJOR REPAIR EFFORT ON A HISTORIC AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE POOL LIKE BARTON SPRINGS, IS NO SMALL FEAT.
AND EACH OF YOU HAVE CONTRIBUTED IN MEANINGFUL WAYS.
YOUR EFFORTS RESULTED IN A CONTRACTOR BEING QUICKLY SECURED, THE SALAMANDER HABITAT BEING SAFEGUARDED AND THE THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY BEING RESOLVED.
IN ADDITION, YOU WERE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF OTHER MAINTENANCE EFFORTS ALONGSIDE THE CLOSURE TO HOPEFULLY LIMIT OTHER POTENTIAL CLOSURES IN THE FUTURE FOR SAID EFFORTS.
IN ADDITION TO THIS CRITICAL REPAIR, YOU WORK BEHIND THE SCENES ALL YEAR TO COLLABORATE ON ISSUES THAT ARISE RELATED TO BARTON SPRINGS.
STEWARDSHIP OF THIS UNIQUE COMMUNITY TREASURE REQUIRES CLOSE COMMUNICATION AND PARTICIPATION ACROSS MANY DEPARTMENTS.
THE REPAIR EFFORT IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED BY DEDICATED STAFF WORKING TOWARD A GOAL TOGETHER.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR SUCH WONDERFUL STEWARDS OF THIS SPECIAL PLACE.
KIND REGARDS, CHAIR VILLALOBOS AND VICE CHAIR FLOWERS.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN THANKING THIS GROUP, UH, FOR THEIR EFFORTS ON THIS IMPORTANT REPAIR EFFORT.
SO I'LL NOW MAKE A MOTION, UH, FOR US TO APPROVE THIS LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR THE CITY STAFF AS I READ IT.
I HEAR A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER EDEDIE.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? IF YOU COULD PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY AYE.
THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
THANK YOU AGAIN TO ALL THE STAFF THAT WORKED ON THIS PROJECT.
AS I SAID, IT'S NOT A JOB I WOULD'VE WANTED TO HAVE.
[6. Presentation, discussion and approve a recommendation to support the Bolm District Park Vision Plan. (Sponsors: Villalobos, Flowers). (PARD Long Range Strategies: Relief from Urban Life, Park Access for All, Program Alignment).]
MOVE FORWARD, UH, TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS ITEM NUMBER SIX.UH, DO WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? YES.
WE HAVE, UH, SEVERAL PUBLIC COMMENTERS ON THIS ITEM.
UH, OUR FIRST SPEAKER WILL BE ROBIN STALLINGS, FOLLOWED BY DALE DOHERTY
[00:40:02]
AND THEN CULLEN MCMURRY.YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.
UH, UH, MADAM CHAIR AND, UH, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE AND FOR BEING HERE.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BIKE TEXAS.
UH, WE'VE BEEN AROUND FOR 33 YEARS TRYING TO ADVANCE BICYCLE ACCESS, SAFETY AND EDUCATION AT THE LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL LEVEL.
WE VERY MUCH SUPPORT THE CITY STAFF'S PLAN FOR BOMB DISTRICT PARK AND WE ARE, UH, TWO MILES.
OUR OFFICE IS TWO MILES FROM THERE.
MY HOME IS THREE MILES FROM THERE.
IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT AMENITY FOR EAST AUSTIN.
AND I WOULD, WE WOULD BE APPRECIATIVE IF YOU ALL WOULD VOTE IN SUPPORT OF ADOPTING THIS PLAN.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL WILL BE DALE DOHERTY, FOLLOWED BY COLIN MCMORROW.
ALRIGHT EVERYBODY, I'M DALE DAUGHERTY.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY.
I REPRESENT AUSTIN RIDGE RIDERS, UH, MOUNTAIN BIKE CLUB.
WE ARE TEXAS'S OLDEST MOUNTAIN BIKING NONPROFIT SINCE 1987.
WE HAVE A LITTLE OVER 600 MEMBERS, AND I'LL JUST KEEP THIS SHORT.
I'M FOR ITEM SIX, THE B PARK PLAN BECAUSE I SUPPORT PLANTING THE SEEDS OF TREES WHOSE SHADE WE MAY NEVER SIT IN.
FOR ME, THIS GOES BEYOND THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF BO PARK AND CONCERNS COMMUNITY HEALTH AND HAPPINESS.
THIS PLAN COULD PROVIDE A SPACE FOR RESIDENTS OF ALL AGES TO FIND AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE AND BUILD FRIENDSHIPS ON COMMON GROUND IN WAYS OTHER PARKS IN AUSTIN CURRENTLY DO NOT OFFER.
THE INITIAL COMMUNITY INPUT PHASE HAS SHOWN THAT THERE IS PHENOMENAL SUPPORT FOR EXACTLY THIS SORT OF COMMUNITY SPACE, ESPECIALLY THE BIKE PARK.
AS MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR RIDGE RIDERS, I OFTEN GET ASKED WHY OUR MEMBER, BY OUR MEMBERS, WHY AUSTIN LACKS THE RECREATIONAL CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE OF SOME OF THE SMALLER CITIES IN AMERICA? WHICH I FEEL IS A VALID QUESTION.
THIS PROJECT IS NOT JUST A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT A MASSIVE LEAP ONTO THE PLAYING FIELD THAT OUR PEERS HAVE ALREADY JOINED.
THANK YOU AND PLEASE SUPPORT THIS PROJECT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE COLIN MCMORROW, FOLLOWED BY NICK HILL.
AND THEN AFTER NICK WILL BE ARIEL MARLOW.
HI, I AM COLIN MCMORROW, AUSTIN RIDGE RIDERS VICE PRESIDENT.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO THANK CHARLES MABRY AND AARON COOPER, UH, CHARLES WITH PARKS AND REC.
THEY DID A PHENOMENAL JOB ON THE PUBLIC INPUT FOR THE LAST YEAR.
UH, WE GOT A LOT OF, UM, PEOPLE FROM ONLINE, BUT ALSO LOTS OF OUR FRIENDS THAT LIVE IN EAST AUSTIN.
UM, OUR CLUB REPRESENTS PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE CITY, INCLUDING OTHER COUNTIES, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE VERY CLOSE TO THIS PARK AND ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
UM, THE PLAN INCORPORATES DIFFERENT INTERESTS, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S DOG PARK, THERE'S PICKLEBALL, THERE'S NATURE WALKS, UM, AND AS WELL AS THE CYCLING IN OR THE RECREATIONAL BIKING INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND UM, A LOT OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED TO TAKE 'EM ON PUBLIC STREETS.
YOU KNOW, BIKE LANES ARE FANTASTIC.
WE LOVE BIKE LANES, BUT BEING ABLE TO GO TO A PARK AND JUST KIND OF PLAY AND HAVE FUN ON BIKES IS LIKE A REAL BIG DEAL.
AND WE GO TO ROUND ROCK FOR THAT RIGHT NOW.
AND WE'VE ALSO GONE TO SAN ANTONIO FOR IT.
SO HAVING SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN EAST AUSTIN WOULD BE FANTASTIC.
UM, WE'VE GOT FRIENDS AT CAMACHO ACTIVITY CENTER, WHICH IS A CITY RUN, UH, UH, REC CENTER THAT DOES LIKE MOUNTAIN BIKING CAMPS IN THE SUMMER.
SO I CAN SIGN MY SON UP AND THEY'LL HAVE A PLACE TO GO FROM CAMACHO, WHICH IS FANTASTIC.
UM, WE'VE ALSO GOT FRIENDS AT GLO CYCLING INITIATIVE AND THEY, THEY TEACH BIKE RIDING AND BIKE MECHANICS.
SO ONCE AGAIN, WE'VE GOT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SPACE WHERE THEY COULD PROGRAM THAT KIND OF THING.
UM, AND THEN DALE KIND OF ALLUDED TO IT, BUT YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF CITIES ACROSS THE, ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT WE CAN LOOK TO FOR EXAMPLES RIGHT HERE IN TEXAS, YOU KNOW, HOUSTON, SAN ANTONIO, EVEN PLACES LIKE PARIS, TEXAS AND SUGAR LAND HAVE GOT IT GOING ON.
UM, BUT ALSO PLACES LIKE CHICAGO AND SAN FRANCISCO, DAYTON, OHIO.
AND, UM, HALF ASSOCIATES DID A GREAT JOB LOOKING UP, UH, EXAMPLES.
YOU KNOW, KIND OF STATE OF THE ART AND THAT KIND OF THING.
SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND I HOPE YOU VOTE IN SUPPORT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE NICK HILL, FOLLOWED BY ARIEL MARLOW.
UM, I'M WITH AUSTIN YELLOW BIKE PROJECT.
UH, WE'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE 1997.
UH, WE PROVIDE BICYCLES FOR FREE TO THE COMMUNITY.
LAST YEAR WE RELEASED OVER A THOUSAND ADULT AND KID BIKES FOR FREE AND ALSO HAVE REFURBISHED BIKES FOR PURCHASE, UH, AT CHEAPER PRICES.
[00:45:01]
WORKSHOPS WHERE PEOPLE CAN LEARN HOW TO WRENCH ON BIKES.UH, WE HAD OVER 250 HOURS LAST YEAR, UH, WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME IN AND JUST LEARN HOW TO DO IT THEMSELVES WITH FREE ACCESS TO TOOLS AND, UH, USE PARTS FOR FREE.
UM, WE'RE IN SUPPORT OF THIS AND, UM, WE PARTNER WITH ZALO, LIKE THAT WAS MENTIONED.
WE HOUSE THEIR MOUNTAIN BIKES AND, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF OVERLAP WHERE THOSE BIKES THAT WE'RE REFURBISHING AND RELEASING IN THE COMMUNITY COULD BE USED ON THE EAST SIDE.
WE'RE ALSO ON THE EAST SIDE, SO THAT'S ALL.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE ARIEL MARLOW, FOLLOWED BY CHARLES EU REU.
I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK HERE BEFORE YOU ALL TODAY.
UH, I'M AN ORGANIZER OF AND A RIDE LEADER FOR A BLACK HISTORY BIKE RIDE.
UH, WE'RE A LOCAL NONPROFIT, UH, WHO LEADS INFORMATIVE SOCIAL RIDES WHERE PEOPLE CAN BE IN, CAN LEARN ABOUT THE BLACK HISTORY OF AUSTIN.
IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS, WE'VE BEEN ORGANIZING THESE COMMUNITY EVENTS.
WE'VE SEEN THE POSITIVE IMPACT THAT CREATING SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO CONNECT ON BIKES TOGETHER HAS HAD.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I SUPPORT THE PLAN FOR BULL PARK BECAUSE I KNOW THAT PEOPLE IN OUR CITY DESERVE TO HAVE MORE SAFE OPTIONS FOR RIDING AND CONNECTING.
UM, AND SELFISHLY AS AN ACTIVE CYCLO CROSS RACER, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVE TO THIS PLAN THAT WILL PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO RIDE AND TRAIN.
AND WHILE I'M FORTUNATE FOR ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST, UH, TO BE OUTSIDE IN AUSTIN, I DO LOOK ENVIOUSLY AT CITIES LIKE SAN ANTONIO AND HOUSTON AND SEEMINGLY EVEN COLLEGE STATION, UM, THAT HAVE CREATED THE DEVELOPED PLANS, UM, UH, PARKS, EXCUSE ME.
AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING OUR OWN PERMANENT PLACES IN AUSTIN TO SAFELY RIDE MEET UP AND, UH, GROW TOGETHER.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHARLES EU, FOLLOWED BY DAVID LMER.
HELLO, I'M CHARLES REU AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE AUSTIN RIDGE RIDERS AND I'D ALSO WANT TO SUPPORT THIS PLAN.
UM, AND I WANTED TO JUST REITERATE THAT WE'RE A NONPROFIT THAT IS, UM, BEEN A PARTNER WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR A LONG TIME AND THERE'S BEEN A, A LOT OF NEED FOR ADDITIONAL AS THE CITY'S GROWN, JUST, JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER RECREATIONAL PARK USER GROUP, UH, FOR MORE FACILITIES LIKE THIS.
AND I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THIS PLAN.
AND, UM, AND I THINK THAT, UM, A, A USED SPACE IS, IS A SPACE THAT'S GONNA STAY SAFE AND, UM, HAVE POSITIVE, UH, EFFECTS FOR, FOR NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO, UM, THERE'S LOTS OF, OF PLACES IN TOWN THAT WE'VE, UH, ADVOCATED FOR DEVELOPMENT OF, OF TRAILS AND, UM, THE MORE, THE MORE USERS AND THE MORE CITIZENS THAT GET OUT AND USE EVERY, EVERY PARK SPACE WE HAVE THE BETTER.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DAVID LMER.
HI, MY NAME IS DAVID COMER, UM, AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE VIOLET CROWN SPORTS ASSOCIATION.
WE'RE A NONPROFIT HERE IN TEXAS AND BASED IN AUSTIN.
WE'RE OVER 350 MEMBERS SUPPORT ANOTHER THOUSAND MOSTLY ROAD RIDERS.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UH, USED CYCLING, UM, PROGRAMS. UM, I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE, THE PROPOSED BULL DISTRICT PARK VISION PLAN.
UM, THOSE KIDS PROGRAMS THAT WE RUN, UM, ACTIVATE PARKS IN NEIGHBORHOODS, AND WE WANT THEM TO BE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE FOR MOST OF OUR USERS.
OVER THE PAST YEAR, WE'VE HAD 200 KIDS OR SO PARTICIPATE IN THOSE ACTIVE PROGRAMMING, UM, AND WE'VE PARTNERED WITH THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY TO DO THAT.
UM, WE GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM PARENTS OF THAT GROUP THAT TELL US THAT THEY DON'T HAVE PLACES THAT THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE TAKING THEIR YOUNG CHILDREN AND THEIR FRIENDS TO GO RIDE TOGETHER.
AND WE FILL THAT GAP WITH OUR PROGRAM RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND I BELIEVE THAT A FACILITY SUCH AS PROPOSED AT BOM, UH, COULD REALLY BE, UM, TRANSFORMATIONAL FOR OUR OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE ACTIVE PROGRAMMING TO FILL THAT GAP FOR, FOR PARENTS AND FOR THE CYCLING COMMUNITY HERE IN TOWN.
SO I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS, UH, SUPPORT THAT.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE PRESENT THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE PARKS BOARD ON THIS ITEM? THAT IS THE END OF PUBLIC COMMENT.
I THINK WE CAN HAVE THE PRESENTATION NOW.
MY NAME IS CHARLES MAYBERRY WITH THE PARK PLANNING DIVISION OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, AND I'M JOINED TONIGHT BY WITH AARON COOPER AND WITH HALF ASSOCIATES.
AND WE'RE HERE THIS EVENING TO PRESENT THE BA DISTRICT PARK VISION PLAN PROCESS IN THE FINAL DRAFT CONCEPT AND TO ASK FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION TO SUPPORT THE PLAN.
[00:50:03]
I'D ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE SOME OTHER PARKS DEPARTMENT STAFF WHO ASSISTED WITH THE PROJECT, INCLUDING RACHEL MORRIS WITH PARK PLANNING AND OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STAFF, ADRIAN O'KEEFE AND JUSTIN SCHNEIDER.UM, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT CONTRACTED WITH HALF ASSOCIATES AND THEIR PLANNING TEAM IN THE SPRING OF 2023 TO DEVELOP THE VISION PLAN.
AND THIS TEAM INCLUDED PLANNERS, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALISTS, AND WORK ON THE PLANS STARTED IN THE SUMMER OF 2023 AND INCLUDED APPROXIMATELY NINE MONTHS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS VISION PLAN IS TO PROVIDE AN OVERALL FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF BALM DISTRICT PARK, INCLUDING PROJECT PHASING AND SECURING DEVELOPMENT FUNDS AND ALL THE PARK PROJECTS YOU'LL SEE IN THE RECOMMENDED THAT ARE RECOMMENDED IN THE DRAFT VISION PLAN.
WE'LL GO THROUGH A MORE DETAILED DESIGN AND PERMITTING PROCESS AND MAY INCLUDE ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND AT THIS POINT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO AARON TO TAKE US THROUGH THE PLANNING PROCESS AND DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAFT PLAN CONCEPT.
AND, UH, THANK YOU BOARD MEMBERS FOR HAVING ME HERE THIS EVENING.
I'M VERY EXCITED TO, UH, SHARE WITH YOU THE PLAN, A SUMMARY OF THE PLAN THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, UM, WITH A TALENTED TEAM OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS.
UM, SO IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH WHERE BOM DISTRICT PARK IS, IT IS IN THE EAST, EAST SIDE OF AUSTIN.
IT'S BETWEEN 180 3 AND THE COLORADO RIVER.
UM, IT'S JUST OVER 68 ACRES IN SIZE.
UM, IT'S, IT'S BEEN HISTORICALLY KIND OF, UH, VACANT OR USED FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES, AND THEN IT WAS USED, UM, FOR MANY YEARS BY CAPITAL AGGREGATES AS SORT OF AN AGGREGATE, UM, OPERATION AND, AND CONCRETE FACILITY.
AND THEN, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN PURCHASED THE F UH, THE PROPERTY IN 2013.
THE, UH, CURRENT CONDITIONS OF THE PROPERTY ARE, UM, THERE ARE LOTS OF REMNANTS FROM THOSE, UH, UM, CAPITAL AGGREGATES ACTIVITIES.
THERE'S LOTS OF SPOILS, PILES OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF AGGREGATES.
UM, THERE'S SOME INDUSTRIAL REMNANTS INCLUDING A, A BUILDING STRUCTURE AS WELL AS LOTS OF CONCRETE PILLARS AND BLOCKS AND, AND GIANT, UH, LIMESTONE BLOCKS.
UM, THERE'S ALSO, UH, THE REMNANTS OF A BRIDGE THAT ACTUALLY USED TO CROSS THE COLORADO RIVER HERE.
UM, AND THEN, UH, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT TO THE, UH, TOP OF THIS IMAGE, THE FUTURE CENTRAL MAINTENANCE COMPLEX.
UM, SO THIS IS THE, UH, UH, THE LOCATION THAT WAS DETERMINED TO BE USED FOR THE FUTURE CENTRAL MAINTENANCE COMPLEX.
UM, THE PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH WITH, UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, UH, WE DID NOT HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THIS.
UM, IT IS APPROXIMATELY 15 ACRES IN SIZE, UM, BUT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE THE MOST OF THAT.
UM, SO THIS IS A BRIEF, UH, OVERVIEW OF OUR SCHEDULE.
AGAIN, WE STARTED, UM, IN, UH, EARLY MID, UM, 2023, UM, AND WE HAD SEVERAL ROUNDS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
I'LL, I'LL PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT THAT HERE ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, BUT ESSENTIALLY BETWEEN EACH ONE OF THOSE ROUNDS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WE WERE, UM, CREATING CONCEPTS AND, UH, TESTING IDEAS, UM, TO TRY AND END, UH, WITH A, UH, VISION PLAN THAT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY WOULD SUPPORT FOR THOSE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, WE DID START OUT WITH WHAT WE'RE CALLING COMMUNITY VALUES MEETING.
UM, SO WE MET HAD BOTH VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON MEETINGS WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS AND NONPROFITS.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE 18 PARTICIPANTS.
UM, AND, AND THROUGH THAT PARTICIPATION WE WERE ABLE TO DEVELOP, UH, GOALS FOR THE PARK.
UM, AND, UH, I HAVE SLIDE ON THOSE GOALS LATER.
BUT, UM, THOSE GOALS WERE REALLY CRITICAL BECAUSE WE WANTED, UH, EACH DECISION THAT WAS MADE TO BE POINT, TO BE ABLE TO POINT BACK TO THOSE GOALS AND SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE MADE THIS DECISION BECAUSE IT IS SUPPORTED BY THESE GOALS.
SO EACH OF THESE ROUNDS, UH, YOU SEE ROUND ONE, TWO, AND THREE, UM, EACH OF THEM HAD A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY, UH, MEETING COMPONENT.
SO WE HAD A ONLINE MEETING, UM, IN PARENTHESES.
THOSE ARE, UH, THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS, NOT INCLUDING, UM, STAFF OR CONSULTANTS.
UH, WE ALSO HAD POP-UP MEETINGS.
UH, SO WE UTILIZED EXISTING ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE KNEW THERE WOULD BE PEOPLE, UH, AND WE WENT TO THOSE LOCATIONS AND INTERACTED, UH, WITH, UH, PEOPLE THERE.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAD AN ONLINE SURVEY COMPONENTS.
UM, AND, AND THIS WAS REALLY A FANTASTIC, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, UH, WORKING, UH, BOTH WITH CITY STAFF AND, AND, UH, SUB CONSULTANTS.
WE HAD AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF PEOPLE SHOW UP, UM, IN OVER 3000, UM, INTERACTIONS, UM, AND DATA POINTS.
UH, THESE ARE THOSE COMMUNITY VALUES.
UH, I'M NOT GONNA READ EACH ONE OF THOSE TO YOU.
UM, BUT THEY'RE AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO READ
UM, BUT AGAIN, IT WAS CRITICAL THAT, UM, ANY DECISIONS THAT WE MADE LAYING OUT THIS PARK, UM, AND, AND FIGURING OUT WHAT A MINIS WOULD BE PROVIDED THAT THEY WOULD BE SUPPORTED BY THESE COMMUNITY VALUES.
[00:55:02]
UM, IN ADDITION TO, UH, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, THERE WERE OTHER THINGS THAT WE NEEDED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, LIKE THE LONG RANGE PLAN, UM, AS WELL AS AN ONSITE VISIT WHERE WE GO AROUND AND DOCUMENT WHAT'S THERE, UM, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFY ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES.UM, WE ALSO, UH, PERFORMED A COMPARABLE PARK STUDY.
SO WE LOOKED AT OTHER DISTRICT PARKS WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO CONSIDER, WELL, WHAT DO THEY PROVIDE? WHAT'S SUCCESSFUL, WHAT'S MISSING? UM, WE ALSO LOOKED AT AN EXISTING PARK SYSTEM ANALYSIS.
SO, UH, THAT TOP RIGHT IMAGE, KIND OF A TWO MILE BUFFER AROUND THE PARK.
SO WE LOOKED AT ALL THE PARKS WITHIN THAT AREA, AND IT DID KIND OF THE SAME, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S PROVIDED, WHAT'S MISSING, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, CROSS REFERENCE THAT WITH THE LONG RANGE PLAN.
WE ALSO HAD TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP MEETINGS.
AND, UM, SO THAT WAS, UH, REPRESENTATIVES FROM, UH, SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE, UH, ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN.
AND THEN, UM, WE DID DEVELOP A NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
UM, SO THAT'S A PRIORITIZED LIST OF, UH, PARK AMENITIES.
THAT'S KIND OF THAT BOTTOM IMAGE.
SO THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS THAT ARE IN THIS PARK PLAN, AND THAT'S SORT OF THE PRIORITIZED LIST THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DEVELOP.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, THE PARK DOES NEED TO BE SITE CERTIFIED.
UM, SO HERE'S THE VISION PLAN, AND I REALIZE YOU CAN'T SEE MUCH AT THIS SCALE.
SO WE'RE GONNA BREAK IT DOWN, UH, SECTION BY SECTION.
UM, SO THERE'S, THERE'S FIVE SECTIONS IN GENERAL.
WE HAVE SPORTS ACTION, SPORTS NATURE INTERACTION, ACTIVE PLAY, AND PASSIVE PLAY.
UM, THESE ARE STRATEGICALLY LOCATED, UM, UH, SORT OF THE MORE ACTIVE AND NOISIER FEATURES MIGHT BE SLIGHTLY CLOSER TO 180 3, WHEREAS A MORE PEACEFUL, UM, ACTIVITY MIGHT BE LOCATED, UH, AS A BUFFER FOR, UH, SURROUNDING, UH, ADJACENT NEIGHBORS.
UH, BEFORE WE START BREAKING DOWN EACH OF THE ZONES, I WANNA TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT VEHICULAR CIRCULATION.
SO WE ONLY HAVE ONE POINT OF ACCESS CURRENTLY, UH, THAT'S ON THE SOUTH END, WHICH IS THE BOTTOM END OF THIS, UM, UH, PHOTO IN THE RED.
UM, BUT WITH THE FUTURE CENTRAL MAINTENANCE COMPLEX, THERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR AN ENTRANCE AT THAT LOCATION, UM, AS WELL AS POTENTIAL SHARED PARKING THAT'S THAT YELLOW AREA.
SO WHILE IT'S 15 ACRES IN SIZE, THERE IS STILL, UM, A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF SPACE THAT COULD BE UTILIZED BY THE PUBLIC AFTER HOURS.
UM, THAT ORANGE LINE, UM, THAT YOU SEE THROUGHOUT THE IMAGE IS A PARK ROAD.
UM, AND ALONG ITS ARE, UH, THE RED DASHED LINES AND THOSE ARE PARKING STALLS.
UM, SO WE HAVE LOTS OF PARKING AND WE DON'T BISECT THE PARK.
UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE A DIVIDE ACTIVITIES WITH A VEHICULAR CIRCULATION.
AND WE ALSO HAVE THAT, UH, THAT BLUE LINE.
IT'S A GAS EASEMENT THAT RUNS NORTH TO SOUTH, SO IT'S ABOUT A HUNDRED FEET WIDE.
AND THERE'S A HIGH PRESSURE GAS LINE THAT RUNS THROUGH THERE FOR PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION.
UM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE THE EXISTING CHARITIES PATH ALONG 180 3.
UM, THERE IS ALSO THE FUTURE TRAIL ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER, WHICH IS REFERENCED IN, UH, THE FUTURE TRAIL PLAN.
UM, THAT BALLOON LINE IS A PAVED HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL.
UM, AND THEN WE CONNECT TO THOSE EXISTING CHARITIES, PATHS AND ALSO THE FUTURE TRAIL.
AND THERE'S ALSO THE POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT, UM, TO THE NORTH THROUGH THAT GAS LINE, UM, DIRECTLY CONNECTING TO ADJACENT RESIDENCES.
UM, SO WE'RE NOT VERY FAR FROM, UH, SOUTHERN WALNUT CREEK TRAIL, UH, WHICH HAS LOTS OF, UM, TRAFFIC, SO THIS IS GREAT TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT TO THAT.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE THE, UH, PEDESTRIAN CROSSING AT THE END OF BALM ROAD, WHICH YOU CAN SEE SORT OF ON THE BOTTOM LEFT OF THIS IMAGE.
UM, ALL IN ALL, WE HAVE ABOUT THREE MILES OF TRAILS WITHIN BALM DISTRICT PARK.
SO FOR THE FIRST OF THE FIVE, UM, AREAS THAT WE'RE GONNA BREAK DOWN IN SPORTS, UH, WE DO HAVE PICKLEBALL COURTS AND TENNIS COURTS, AS WELL AS TWO MULTI-USE SPORTS FIELDS, UH, THAT COULD CATER, CATER TO A VARIETY OF SPORTS, UM, AS WELL AS A MULTI-USE COURT.
I HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF A MULTI-USE COURT IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT OF THIS SLIDE.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT IT CAN BE RETRIED TO CATER TO LOTS OF ACTIVITIES AS THOSE, UM, NEEDS FOR, UH, ACTIVITIES CHANGE OVER TIME.
WE ALSO HAVE SOCIAL GAMES AND BASKETBALL COURTS AND SAND VOLLEYBALL COURTS FOR ACTIVE PLAY.
WE HAVE A LARGE PLAYGROUND, UH, WHICH IS ABOUT 15,000 SQUARE FEET OR ABOUT A THIRD OF AN ACRE.
UM, THERE'S A SPLASH PAD AREA, WHICH IS 5,000 SQUARE FEET, UM, 1000 OF WHICH WOULD BE A SPLASH PAD FOR NATURE PLAY.
UH, THAT'S ABOUT 10,000 SQUARE FEET AND ABOUT A QUARTER ACRE.
AND THEN THE ADVENTURE PLAY IS, UH, 12,000 SQUARE FEET.
I HAVE A, UH, ARTIST'S RENDERING OF WHAT THE ADVENTURE PLAY COULD LOOK LIKE, POTENTIALLY UTILIZING SOME OF THOSE EXISTING ONSITE MATERIALS FOR PASSIVE PLAY.
UM, WE DO HAVE, UH, AN OPEN SPACE FOR FREE, UM, PROGRAM PLAY.
SO THAT'S JUST A LARGE FIELD THAT CAN BE ANYTHING.
PEOPLE CAN PLAY FRISBEE, PLAY CATCH KICK, SOCCER BALL, UM, FLY KITE.
UH, WE DO HAVE AN OBSERVATION, OBSERVATION DECK
[01:00:01]
AND TOWER, WHICH, UH, I'LL, I'LL GET A LITTLE BIT INTO THAT LATER.I DO HAVE A, A RENDERING OF THAT.
THERE'S A, AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM COMPONENTS AS WELL AS A OFF LEASH DOG PARK THAT IS JUST 1.75 ACRES IN SIZE AND AN ART GARDEN
SO AS I HAD MENTIONED ABOUT THE OBSERVATION DECK, UM, SO WE WERE THINKING IT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT, UM, TO UTILIZE SOME OF THE EXISTING ON ONSITE STRUCTURES.
UM, SO WE PROPOSED SUSPENDING A DECK FROM THOSE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN GET A HIGHER PERSPECTIVE OF THE PARK.
UM, AND THEN BRINGING IN SOME OF THESE, UH, VESSELS THAT YOU WOULD TYPICALLY SEE IN CONCRETE PLANTS, UM, YOU CAN ACTUALLY PURCHASE THEM USED, UM, BUT USING THAT AS A OBSERVATION TOWER.
SO BEING ABLE TO GO UP TO THAT AND LOOK FURTHER OUT, SEE THE COLORADO RIVER AND THE BRIDGE OVER, UM, THE COLORADO RIVER.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE FUNCTIONAL WITH THE, UH, THE ADVENTURE PLAY OR NATURE PLAY, UH, FOR THAT NATURE INTERACTION.
UM, THERE ARE SEVERAL BIRDING AND NATURE VIEWING OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, RIVERBANK RESTORATION IS FOUR ACRES IN SIZE.
UH, THE COMMUNITY WAS REALLY KEEN ON SEEING, UM, RIVERBANK RESTORATION, WHICH WAS REALLY AWESOME TO SEE.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A VEHICLE DROP OFF.
UM, SO THOSE ORANGE LINES PREVIOUSLY ON THE SLIDE WERE SHOWING VEHICULAR CIRCULATION.
WE DO HAVE A ROUNDABOUT AT THE END OF THAT DEAD END ROAD, UM, WHERE PEOPLE CAN DROP OFF PERSONAL WATERCRAFT, UM, TO UTILIZE THE, UH, PERSONAL WATER SPORTS, UM, ACCESS, WHICH WOULD BE A, A RAMP INTO THE WATER.
AND FINALLY WE HAVE ACTION SPORTS.
UM, SO THERE ARE MOUNTAIN BIKE SKILLS TRAILS, UH, THERE.
UP AT THE NORTH END OF THE PARK, UH, THERE IS A PUMP AND JUMP TRACK, WHICH IS HALF AN ACRE IN SIZE.
THERE'S A BIKE PARK, WHICH IS FIVE ACRES, AND THEN A SKATE PARK, WHICH IS A QUARTER ACRE.
SO CATERING TO LOTS OF DIFFERENT ACTION SPORTS AND, UH, THERE'S LOTS OF A VARIETY OF RIDING OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE RESTROOMS. SO BECAUSE, UH, BM DISTRICT PARK WOULD BE SUCH A LARGE PARK, UH, WITH MANY ACTIVITIES CATERING TO HOURS, IF NOT DAY LONG USE, UM, THERE, THERE DO NEED TO BE RESTROOM FACILITIES.
UM, SO OUR VISION PLAN PROPOSES THREE LOCATIONS FOR THAT.
UH, WE'LL START AT THE TOP AND WORK OUR WAY DOWN.
SO WE WOULD HAVE A PLAZA, A PAVILION, AND A RESTROOM, UH, FUNCTIONING AS SORT OF AN ENTRY INTO THE PARK, UM, FROM THAT SHARED PARKING LOT.
UM, THERE WOULD ALSO BE THE POTENTIAL TO, UM, UTILIZE, UH, THE EXISTING STRUCTURE, BOTTOM RIGHT IMAGE ON THIS SCREEN, UM, UH, AND UTILIZING THAT TO BE UH, A RESTROOM FACILITY.
AND THEN FINALLY, UH, THERE WOULD BE RESTROOM FACILITIES, UH, NEAR THE DROP OFF FOR THE CANOE AND KAYAK RAMP.
UM, AND HERE'S, HERE'S A ARTIST RENDERING OF WHAT THAT POTENTIAL RESTROOM COULD LOOK LIKE, UTILIZING THAT EXISTING BUILDING, AND WE THOUGHT IT'D BE NEAT TO BRING THAT DECK ACROSS THE TOP OF IT AND JUST PROVIDE FOR A, A, A GREATER EXPERIENCE EXPLORING THE PARK.
UM, THERE ARE OTHER AMENITIES THAT, UH, I DIDN'T TALK ABOUT.
UM, THERE'S WILDFLOWER MEADOWS, THERE'S TONS OF THEM.
UM, THERE'S ALSO TONS OF PUBLIC ART OPPORTUNITIES.
THIS CAN REALLY BE INTEGRATED INTO EVERY FEATURE OF THE PARK.
UM, RAIN COLLECTION WAS REALLY DESIRED BY THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO HAVING PAVILIONS THAT COLLECT RAINWATER, UM, AS WELL AS BIOSWALES THAT CAPTURE RUNOFF AND FILTER IT BEFORE IT, UH, MAKES ITS WAY DOWN TO THE COLORADO RIVER.
THERE'S ALSO LOTS OF PAVILION AND PICNICKING OPPORTUNITIES, AS WELL AS A 6,500 SQUARE FOOT COMMUNITY GARDEN.
SO, SO THE, THE ENTIRE VISION PLAN, UH, HAS A LOT IN IT, AND WE REALIZE THAT IT CAN'T ALL BE DONE AT ONCE.
SO WE'RE PROPOSING AN INITIAL PARK OPENING TO ACTIVATE THE SPACE.
UM, AND WHAT THAT WOULD BE DOING IS, IS BE REMOVING INVASIVE SPECIES AND PROMOTING, UM, THE GROWTH OF NATIVES.
UM, IT WOULD BE REMOVING DEBRIS, UM, THAT COULDN'T BE USED FOR FUTURE PARK ACTIVITIES.
UM, ALSO INSTALLING ACCESS GATES TO PREVENT VEHICLES FROM DRIVING THROUGH THE PARK.
UM, AND THEN, UM, PROVIDING THAT, UH, ONE MILE TRAIL, BUT INSTEAD OF PAVING IT IMMEDIATELY AND THEN HAVING TO TEAR IT UP WITH FUTURE CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES, WE COULD JUST CALL IT A, AN EARTH AND COMPACTED TRAIL.
UM, BUT THAT WOULD REALLY ACTIVATE THE SPACE AND GET PEOPLE THROUGH IT AND MOVING.
UM, IN ORDER TO USE THAT, THERE WOULD BE NEED TO BE A TEMPORARY PARKING LOT, UM, AND IT WOULD HAVE TO HAVE PAVED A DA SPACES, WHICH IS AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT.
UM, FOR PHASING, WE ARE PROPOSING A FIRST PHASE.
UM, AND THIS IS, UH, REALLY IN RESPONSE TO THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED.
UM, SO THIS FIRST PHASE, UH, HAS, UH, BIKE PARK FACILITIES, NOT
[01:05:01]
ALL OF 'EM, BUT IT DOES HAVE THAT FIKE FIVE ACRE AREA IN THERE, UH, AS WELL AS LOTS OF TRAILS, UM, THE PAVED TRAIL, UM, SPORTS COURTS AND NATURE ACCESS.UM, SO THE, THE APPROXIMATE PRICE ON THIS, UH, IS 14 MILLION, AND THAT IS CONTRACTOR PRICING WITH A HEALTHY, UM, UH, CONTINGENCY.
UM, YEAH, AND I'D LIKE TO INVITE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, THAT Y'ALL MAY HAVE.
BOARD MEMBERS, WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE? I JUST HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION, JUST MORE ABOUT, UM, SOME OF THE GROUPS SUPPORTING THE, THE PLAN WE HEARD FROM THE CYCLE COMMUNITY, BUT ARE THERE OTHER GROUPS YOU CAN SHARE? I'D BE HAPPY TO.
SO WE DID REACH OUT AND HEAR FROM SEVERAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, INCLUDING GO VAL, UM, UH, THE, GOT SOME NOTES HERE, UH, THE KNOLLWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, MONIS AND JOHNSTON TERRACE.
UM, AND WE HAD, UM, UH, DISCUSSIONS WITH PODER AS WELL AS GO AUSTIN, BA AUSTIN.
WERE THEY IN THAT? THAT'S NOT ALL OF THEM.
WERE THEY IN SUPPORT OF THE PLAN? UH, YES.
OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? I HAVE ONE VICE CHAIR.
UM, SO WE HAD, UH, CITIZEN, SEVERAL CITIZENS WHO COULD NOT BE HERE TONIGHT, WHO, UM, SENT A LETTER TO THE PARKS BOARD, UM, ASKING US AS WE REVIEW AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX, TO CONSIDER, UM, POSTPONING OR IF APPROVING TO CONSIDER EXPLORING A PARK PLAN WITH AN OPTION B TO HAVE A LARGE YEAR-ROUND SWIMMING POOL.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SPOKE WITH ANY OF THE CITIZENS THAT WERE IN FAVOR OF THIS, BUT, UM, I FELT LIKE I SHOULD READ THIS SO THAT IN, IN THE NATURE OF DEEP EDDIE AND BARTON SPRINGS, JUST SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THIS PARK, WOULD THIS BE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED AS A FUTURE PHASE? AND IS THERE AN AREA THAT THIS COULD BE PUT IN? AND, UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, JUST CONSIDERING THE CLIMATE CHALLENGES WE'RE EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO, TO COOL OFF, UH, WOULD A POOL BE A POSSIBILITY AT THIS LOCATION? SO A POOL WOULD BE A POSSIBILITY, UH, THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDED FROM OUR SCOPE BECAUSE THOSE LOCATIONS ARE TYPICALLY IDENTIFIED BY OTHER STUDIES.
UM, THEY LOOK AT THE CITY AS A WHOLE AND, UH, WHERE, WHERE THAT SERVICE MAY BE REQUIRED.
SO IF, IF ONE OF THOSE STUDIES WERE TO RECOMMEND THAT, IT COULD CERTAINLY, UM, BE WORKED INTO THE VISION PLAN.
OTHER QUESTIONS? I JUST HAD ONE A, A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, SO THE COMMUNITY VALUES THAT ARE LISTED IN YOUR PRESENTATION, THAT WAS SUMMARIZED FROM THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
THAT WAS, UH, THOSE WERE DEVELOPED FROM THE, UH, PRELIMINARY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS THAT WE HAD WITH, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, PADER GO, AUSTIN, BAAS AUSTIN, THOSE TYPES OF GROUP GROUPS.
SO WE, WE KIND OF SUMMARIZED EVERYTHING THAT WE HEARD AND, AND CREATED SOME WORKING STATEMENTS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, RAN THOSE BACK AND FORTH.
AND, UM, THEN WE DID CONFIRM THOSE WITH THE COMMUNITY DURING OUR FIRST ROUND OF ENGAGEMENT.
LIKE, DID, DID WE HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD OR DO WE NEED TO REWORK THESE? OKAY.
UM, ESPECIALLY I WANTED TO READ, PRESERVE, ENHANCE, AND CELEBRATE THE PARK'S EXISTING NATURAL FEATURES TO ALLOW PARK USERS TO CONNECT WITH NATURE.
AND THAT WOULD BE THE AREA OF THE PLAN WHERE YOU HAVE, THERE WILL BE TREE PLANTING, I GUESS, BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE A LOT OF TREES IN THE AREA.
ARE THERE EXISTING TREES RIGHT NOW? THERE ARE PLENTY OF EXISTING TREES, YES.
UM, IN FACT, WE HAVE AN ANALYSIS OF TREE CANOPY COVERAGE ON THE SITE.
UM, AND A LOT OF THAT IS UP AGAINST THE COLORADO RIVER, WHICH IS, UM, IN GENERAL SHOULD NOT BE DEVELOPED IN THE FIRST PLACE.
UM, BUT THERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR NATURE INTERACTION IN THOSE LOCATIONS, UM, AS WELL AS LOTS OF TREE CANOPY THAT ARE, THAT IS NEAR THE EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD.
SOMETHING LIKE, SO THAT WOULD BE IN THE NATURE INTERACTION AREA WHERE YOU HAVE FOREST EXPLORATION AND, AND SMALL TRAILS THAT GO THROUGH THAT AREA? CORRECT.
CAN YOU KIND OF GIVE ME AN IDEA OF HOW MUCH, UM, PERVIOUS COVER VERSUS IMPERVIOUS COVER IS PLANNED? WE DO HAVE THOSE NUMBERS.
I DON'T KNOW THEM OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD AND I'D BE HAPPY TO GET THEM FOR YOU.
YEAH, I, I'D BE CURIOUS BECAUSE I, I DO SEE A LOT OF CONCRETE, UM, BUT IT, IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW WHAT THAT IS VERSUS THE, THE PERVIOUS COVER PARTS OF THE PLANS.
[01:10:01]
OKAY, GO RIGHT AHEAD.SORRY, ONE MORE REGARDING THE FUNDING.
UM, HAS THIS BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS, UM, ALREADY BEEN ALLOCATED THROUGH PARD OR IS THIS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE A PROCESS TO WORK ON THE FUNDING? IT WILL BE A PROCESS.
THERE IS NO FUNDING ALLOCATED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF OKAY.
ANY OTHER LAST QUESTIONS? OKAY.
IF NO ONE HAS ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, UH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION TO SUPPORT THE BOM DISTRICT PARK VISION PLAN.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
BOARD MEMBER BECKER PROVIDES A SECOND.
UM, ANY DISCUSSION THAT ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE? I THINK THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY IS I, I WOULD CONSIDER, I, UM, WOULD LOVE IT IF Y'ALL WOULD ADD THE GROUP SUPPORTING THE PROJECT.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO SEE, UM, ALL THOSE GROUPS WHO ARE INVOLVED, UM, AS PART OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
BOARD MEMBER BAAN, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? I AGREE WITH BOARD MEMBER BAAN AND WE HEARD FROM OUR CITIZENS WHO, WHO REALLY SUPPORT THE BIKE PART OF THE PLAN, WHICH I, I THINK IS GREAT AS WELL.
BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW WHICH OTHER GROUPS WE'RE SUPPORTING MORE OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE PARK AND IN CONNECTION WITH NATURE TO HEAR THAT.
AND WHAT, JUST ONE OTHER THING.
UM, THIS IS OPEN FOR CONTINUED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND, AND THE PHASING PLAN WOULD GO FROM WHEN YOU START NOW UNTIL, IS THERE ANY TIMELINE ON THIS? UM, AS FUNDS ARE REQUIRED?
IF NO OTHER DISCUSSION, I'LL MOVE TO A VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY AYE.
LOOKS LIKE IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
[7. Presentation, discussion and approve a recommendation to Austin City Council to approve 17,836 sq. ft. of permanent water and wastewater use and 16,105 sq. ft. of temporary use, not to exceed a total of 396 calendar days on parkland located at Edward Rendon Sr. Metro Park at Festival Beach, and Waller Beach at Town Lake Metro Park and 572 calendar days at Norwood Tract at Town Lake Metro Park. Total Mitigation to be paid by Austin Water is $2,739,882. (Sponsors: Villalobos, Flowers). (PARD Long Range Strategies: Operational Efficiency, Program Alignment).]
THAT WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.UM, I'M NOT GONNA READ THE WHOLE TITLE OF THIS ONE, BUT ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM CHAIR? GREAT, THANK YOU.
THEN I THINK WE CAN SEE THE PRESENTATION AND OH, YES.
I WANTED TO NOTE THAT I AM RECUSING MYSELF ON THE VOTE FOR THIS ONE.
I PLAN TO SIT THROUGH THE PRESENTATION, BUT OTHERWISE WE'LL BE REFUSING MYSELF ON ITEM SEVEN.
UH, I'M WITH, UH, CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES AND I OVERSEE A PROGRAM WITH, UH, RELOCATION OF, UH, AUSTIN WATER FACILITIES, UH, WITHIN, UH, JURISDICTION OUTSIDE OF THE CITY RIGHT AWAY.
AND TODAY WE ARE MAKING A PRESENTATION AS PART OF THE, UH, TEXTILE I 35, UH, CAPITA EXPRESS, ET CETERA, UH, CONSTRUCTION.
AND I DO HAVE, UH, STACY GO WITH ME WITH, UH, PEP DOIN AND SHE'LL BE MAKING THE PRESENTATION ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
UM, SO, UH, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
WE'RE GONNA GO WITH THE OVERALL PROJECT SUMMARY, UM, AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT WATERLINE EASEMENTS.
UM, THERE ARE SOME NORTH OF THE LAKE AND SOUTH OF THE LAKE, UM, BOTH IN PARKLAND.
AND THEN WE HAVE A WASTE WATERLINE EASEMENT THAT IS NORTH OF THE LAKE.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL JUST KIND OF SUMMARIZE ALL THAT.
UM, SO IN GENERAL, UM, I 35 IS COMING THROUGH AND OUR, UM, OUR PART OF THE PROJECT IS FOR AUSTIN WATER.
UM, AND WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE AUSTIN WATER CUSTOMERS HAVE, UM, A RELIABLE SYSTEM, UM, THAT, UH, IS ACCESSIBLE AND MAINTAINABLE, UM, IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF OUR MAIN GOAL.
UM, FOR, SO FOR THE PROPOSED WATER AND WASTEWATER WITHIN PARTY EASEMENTS, UM, THERE'LL BE 245 LINEAR FEET OF 24 INCH WATERLINE ALONG EAST AVENUE, UM, EAST OF I 35.
AND THEN JUST ON THE WEST SIDE, UH, 335 LINEAR FEET OF 24 INCH PIPE.
UM, AND THEN SOUTH OF, UH, OF THE RIVER, WE HAVE 375 FEET OF WATER, UH, IN NORWOOD DOG PARK.
AND THEN, UM, WE HAVE 245 FEET OF WATER OF WASTEWATER, UM, NORTH OF THE PARK.
UH, I MEAN NORTH OF LAKE, SORRY.
[01:15:01]
NOW THERE IS NOT A, UM, WATER LINE THAT CROSSES KIND OF NORTH, UH, TO SOUTH OF THE RIVER WITHIN THAT DOWNTOWN CORRIDOR.UM, AND SO IT'S BEEN KIND OF A LONG-TERM GOAL OF AUSTIN WATER TO GET THAT CONNECTIVITY TO PROVIDE MORE RELIABLE WATER SOURCE.
UM, AND SO THE TI 35 PROJECT COMING THROUGH HAS KIND OF, UM, PRESENTED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AUSTIN WATER TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT CONNECTION, UM, BECAUSE THEY ARE, UM, REDOING THE BRIDGES ACROSS THE LAKE.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE'S GOING TO BE A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE.
AND SO THEY'RE GONNA ALLOW AUSTIN WATER TO ATTACH A 24 INCH, UM, PIPELINE TO THAT PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S GOING TO PROVIDE THIS NORTH SOUTH CONNECTIVITY.
AND SO THIS JUST KIND OF SHOWS WHAT YOU, WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE THE, THE WATERLINE SYSTEM TO THE NORTH, AND THEN YOU SEE IT TO THE SOUTH, AND THERE'S THIS KIND OF, THIS BIG GAP IN THE, UM, UH, OVER THE RIVER.
UM, AND THEN THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, UNDER THIS PROJECT WE HAVE THIS 24 INCH WATERLINE THAT GOES ON THE BRIDGE.
UM, AND SO WHEN WE COME OFF THE BRIDGE, WE HAVE TO FILL, WE HAVE TO FILL THAT GAP TO GET TO THE, THE SYSTEM TO THE SOUTH AND THE SYSTEM TO THE NORTH.
UM, AND SO WHEN WE COME OFF THAT BRIDGE, UM, ON THE NORTH SIDE, UM, WE, WE ARE IN PARKLAND, UM, ON BOTH SIDES.
UM, AND, AND THEN WHEN WE COME OFF ON THE SOUTH, WE'RE ALSO, UH, IN THE PARK.
UM, AND SO THAT IS, UM, WHY WE'RE ASKING FOR EASEMENTS.
UM, AND SO, UH, IF WE LOOK AT THE SYSTEM THAT IS NORTH OF THE RIVER, UM, THERE'S A 24 INCH, UH, WATER LINE CROSSING, UM, THAT IS, UH, UM, JUST SOUTH OF CAESAR CHAVEZ.
AND, UM, AND THAT LINE, UM, IS, IS ONE OF THE PRI PRIMARY, UM, FEEDS FROM WATER FROM THE WEST SIDE TO THE EAST SIDE.
AND SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE THAT KIND OF CONNECTIVITY THERE TO PROVIDE RELIABLE WATER.
UM, AND SO, UM, WE'LL GO OVER WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, BUT, UM, THE REST OF THE SYSTEM HERE IS, UM, PRIMARILY SIX INCH.
THERE EVEN GOES DOWN TO LIKE SOME TWO AND A QUARTER INCH WATER LINES, SO IT'S REALLY OLD.
UM, AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO BE, YOU KNOW, REALLY BEEF THIS UP, UM, AS PART OF THIS PROJECT.
AND SO, UM, THIS 24 INCH CROSSING IS GOING TO ALLOW THAT, BUT IT'S ALSO GOING TO REPLACE A LOT OF THOSE LINES THAT ARE ON I 35 WITH THIS 24 INCH LINE THAT'S GOING TO PROVIDE BETTER WATER SERVICE FOR AUSTIN.
UM, AND SO IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT, AT THIS, UM, KIND OF IN THE, IN THE BACKGROUND THERE IS WHERE THAT 24 INCH WATER LINE IS RIGHT NOW,
UM, AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE BUILDINGS ON THE LEFT AND THE BUILDINGS ON THE RIGHT, THAT'S THE EXISTING GROUND.
AND SO THAT LINE WOULD BE SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE.
AND WHEN YOU DEPRESS ALL THE LANES, ALL OF A SUDDEN THAT WATER LINE IS FLOATING, UH, IN THE MIDDLE THERE.
UM, NOT REAL CONDUCIVE TO WATER LINES.
SO, UM, IF WE WERE TO BURY IT IN THAT LOCATION OR KIND OF RECONSTRUCT WHAT'S THERE, UM, THAT WATER LINE WOULD END UP BEING ABOUT 70 FEET DEEP, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GO UNDERNEATH, NOT ONLY TO THE DEPRESSED LINES, BUT THEN WE WOULD ALSO HAVE TO GO UNDERNEATH, UM, THE RETAINING WALLS AND WHATNOT.
UM, AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE LOOKED AT KIND OF HAVING THAT 24 INCH WATERLINE CROSSING CLOSER TO CAESAR CHAVEZ.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IT HAS THE CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGES OF THE DEPTH.
AND THEN ONCE IT'S DOWN THERE, IT'S GONE, RIGHT? SO WE, THERE'S NO ACCESSIBILITY FOR THAT FUTURE MAINTENANCE.
UM, AND EVEN IF WE REPLACED IT WHERE IT IS, IT STILL DOESN'T TIE INTO THE WATER LINE THAT CAME ACROSS THE BRIDGE.
UM, SO WE STILL HAVE TO TIE BACK INTO THAT.
UM, AND SO WE LOOKED AT A, A, A SERIES OF OTHER PLACES WHERE WE COULD CROSS.
UM, WE LOOKED AT LAMBE STREET, UM, THERE'S GOING TO BE A LARGE WASTEWATER TUNNEL THAT GOES THROUGH THERE.
AND SO THAT ALIGNMENT IS TAKEN.
UM, WE LOOKED AT CLAREMONT, UM, ALTHOUGH IT'S A LITTLE LESS SHALLOW THAN THE, THE 70 TO 90 FEET, IT STILL IS, UM, EXTREMELY DEEP.
UM, AND THEN ANYWHERE SOUTH OF FLORES, UM, THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THE TYPE OF TRENCHLESS CROSSING THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED, WE WOULD ESSENTIALLY HAVE TO HAVE A DIFFERENT EASEMENT FROM PARDON, UM, BECAUSE WE WOULD NEED CONSTRUCTION EITHER ON, YOU KNOW, THE WEST SIDE OR, OR WE WOULD LAND KIND OF SOUTH OF FLORES BACK IN, PARDON LAND.
SO IT DO, IT, IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER WHERE WE CROSSED SOUTH OF THAT, WE WOULD BE BACK ASKING FOR A DIFFERENT EASEMENT.
SO, UM, THIS IS KIND OF, UH, WHERE WE DECIDED TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF AT THE END OF ALL THAT EVALUATION TO TAKE THE 24 INCH LINE WAS TO KIND OF TAKE IT DOWN EAST AVENUE, UM, FOR THE MOST PART.
AND SO, UM, WE'LL GO ON THE, THE RIGHT, THE EAST SIDE FIRST.
[01:20:01]
UM, THIS ONE IS, UH, THE ALIGNMENT ON THIS SIDE IS REALLY, UH, WE TOOK ALL THE TREES.UM, WE HAVE A TREE SURVEY AND WE TOOK ALL THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONES.
AND SO THAT ALIGNMENT REALLY, YOU KNOW, SPLITS ALL OF THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONES AND IT'S UNDER PAVEMENT.
UM, AND SO, UM, WE'LL INSTALL A WATER LINE AND AT THE END OF THE DAY YOU WON'T SEE IT AND IT'S NOT AFFECTING REALLY ANY TREES OR OR WHATNOT.
UM, ONCE WE GET UNDER THE BRIDGE, WE'RE ACTUALLY IN TECH STOP RIGHT AWAY.
UM, BUT THEN WHEN WE GET TO THE OTHER SIDE, UM, WE DO NEED TO, UM, UH, IT'S BETTER SHOWN HERE.
UM, WHEN WE GET TO THE OTHER SIDE, UM, WE WILL HAVE TO PULL OUT INTO, UM, INTO THE PARK, UM, FOR A BIT.
UM, AND REALLY WHAT THAT IS, IS AS WE COME OFF THE BRIDGE, WE NEED A LARGE VAULT, UM, IN ORDER TO REALLY CONTROL, UM, THE WATER GOING ACROSS THE BRIDGE, UM, AND SAFELY FILL THAT FILL OR DRAIN THAT LINE.
AND SO THERE'S A LARGE VAULT THERE, AND WE DON'T WANT AUSTIN WATER EMPLOYEES KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.
AND SO WE'VE, YOU KNOW, THE PROPOSED IS TO TAKE THAT VAULT INTO THE PARKLAND SO THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY PROTECTING, UM, EMPLOYEES ON THAT SIDE.
WE DO CROSS THIS, UH, LARGER TREE ON THE LE ON THE, ON THE WEST SIDE.
UM, THAT IS ALL TRENCHLESS CONSTRUCTION.
UH, WE'RE NOT OPEN CUTTING ANY PORTION OF THAT.
UM, AND AFTER WE CROSS THAT, WE GET BACK IN, BACK INTO THE STREET.
UM, SO, UM, THIS IS KIND OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AFTER WE BUILD ALL OF IT IS, UM, THERE'LL BE THE 24 INCH LINE COMING ACROSS, UM, AND SO, UH, ACROSS THE RIVER, BUT THEN INSTEAD OF THAT CROSSING AT CESAR CHAVEZ, WE TAKE THAT CROSSING DOWN TO TO, TO EAST, UH, EAST AVENUE.
AND THEN IT PROVIDES THIS COMPLETE SYSTEM OF A LARGER DIAMETER PIPE, UM, THAT WILL, YOU KNOW, BE BETTER IN THE LONG TERM.
UM, SO, UM, WATER NORTH OF THE LADY BIRD LAKE, UM, AGAIN, WE'RE BORING.
THE TREE, UM, THAT WE DO ENCOUNTER, UM, THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE OF, UM, THE OPEN CUT CONSTRUCTION IS LIMITED TO OUTSIDE THE HALF CRITICAL ROOT ZONE.
PRIMARILY WE'RE UNDER THE, THE PAVEMENT OF EAST AVENUE.
UM, AND THEN THE WATER LINE DEPTHS RANGE FROM SIX FEET TO 20 FEET.
AND SO THAT MAKES IT MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR AUSTIN WATER IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AND THEN, UM, UH, WE'RE NOT AN EDWARDS AQUIFER OR ANY OF THAT.
UM, AND THEN, UM, JUST, UM, FOR Y'ALL'S INFORMATION RIGHT NOW, THERE IS NOT A WATER LINE DOWN THERE.
SO, UM, Y'ALL DON'T HAVE A LOT OF FIRE FIRE PROTECTION IN THAT AREA.
AND SO IN ADDITION, AND THIS IS WITH THE WATER LINE, WE'RE GOING TO BE ADDING A SERIES OF FOUR NEW FIRE HYDRANTS THAT WILL BE DOWN BY THE PARK THAT WILL ADD ADDITIONAL FIRE PROTECTION.
UM, AND SO THERE'S ALSO GOING TO BE, UM, JUST SO YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALSO GOING TO BE A, UM, IRRIGATION.
THERE'S GONNA BE THREE IRRIGATION METERS OFF OF THERE TO WATER THE PARKLAND ON THE EAST SIDE OF I 35, UM, WHERE ALSO THERE, UM, THE CURRENT LINES WOULD NOT HAVE ADEQUATE CAPACITY TO PROVIDE THAT FOR THE PARK.
UM, AND SO, UM, WE'VE REALLY TRIED TO MITIGATE FROM THAT POINT OF VIEW.
UM, AND SO IN GENERAL, FOR BOTH OF, FOR EVERYTHING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE ARE JOINT BED WITH TXDOT, AND SO WE'RE GOING WITH THEIR PHASING PLAN, AND SO THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL SHUTDOWNS.
UM, SO WHATEVER TDOT WAS GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SHUT DOWN AND WHATEVER'S PART OF THEIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, WE'RE JUST FOLLOWING, WE'RE JUST FOLLOWING ALONG WITH THAT.
UM, SO THERE'S NOTHING, IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE GONNA SHUT IT DOWN, THEN WE'RE GONNA SHUT IT DOWN.
SO, UM, KIND OF NORTH WATER, UM, WE, UM, CONSIDERED A LOT, A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE'VE TRIED TO MITIGATE, UM, FOR, FOR WHAT WE CAN.
UM, SO WE'RE JUST CONFIRMING THAT WE'VE MET THE OBLIGATIONS OF CHAPTER 26 THERE.
UM, AND SO NOW WE'RE HEADING AHEAD SOUTH OF THE RIVER.
SO AGAIN, WE COME OFF OF THE BRIDGE.
UM, AND SO WE'RE GOING THROUGH NORWOOD DOG PARK.
UM, AND IN THIS CASE, UM, AGAIN, WE ARE PRIMARILY FOLLOWING THE PAVEMENT, UH, THE DOG PARK, UM, THE VAULT, UM, WHICH IS KIND OF WHERE THE PURPLE GETS A LITTLE WIDER, UM, IS THE ONLY LOCATION WHERE WE DO COME INTO.
UM, WE, WE LEAVE THE PAVEMENT, UM, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A TREE THERE THAT WE'RE GOING TO AFFECT, BUT THAT, UM, TREE ACTUALLY HAD, UM, UH, FREEZE DAMAGE AND HAS ALREADY BEEN REMOVED, UM, AT BY PART, UM, NOT US.
AND SO, UM, THAT IS, UM, THAT TREE ISN'T THERE.
UM, AND SO, UH, THE FARTHER YOU GET TOWARDS THE LAKE, THAT'S ACTUALLY, THAT LAST PART IS ACTUALLY TRENCHLESS CONSTRUCTION.
UM, SO, UM, THIS IS KIND OF THE ALIGNMENT AND
[01:25:01]
AS SOON AS WE CAN GET OUT, WE GET OUT AND WE HEAD TO RIVERSIDE AND WE WERE ABLE TO CONNECT TO THE SOUTH SIDE.UM, AND SO, UM, AGAIN, UM, AS WE COME OFF, UM, WHERE THE BRIDGE ENDS, THERE'S A ROCK FACE WALL.
UM, AND SO THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE ITSELF HAS A, A SERIES OF OBSTRUCTIONS THAT REALLY WON'T LET US FOLLOW ALONG IN THE, UH, TXDOT RIGHT AWAY.
AND SEE THE ONLY OPTION FOR US TO GET OFF OF THAT BRIDGE IS TO GO THROUGH THE PARK.
UM, AND SO, UM, THERE WILL BE ONE TREE REMOVAL THAT IS CLOSER TO THE, TO THE BLUFF.
UM, WE'VE ALREADY GONE THROUGH, UM, MITIGATION CALCULATIONS.
UM, AND THEN THE, THE TENANT, 10.25 INCH HACKBERRY WAS ALREADY REMOVED BY PAR DUE TO FREEZE DAMAGE.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, WE'RE FOLLOWING THE PAVEMENT.
SO WE LOOKED AT SEVERAL OPTIONS TO TRY TO GET OFF THE BRIDGE.
UM, BUT WE CAN'T MAKE IT THROUGH TECH SOTS, UM, RIGHT AWAY, UH, TO, TO, TO MAKE THAT EXIT.
UM, AND SO THEN NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK NORTH OF THE RIVER, UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT A WASTEWATER EASEMENT.
SO WE'VE SWITCHED GEARS FROM WATER TO WASTEWATER.
UM, AND SO THIS IS A 48 INCH, UM, WASTEWATER LINE THAT WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR AN EASEMENT FOR.
UM, AND THIS IS A LITTLE BIT BUSY, UM, BUT IN GENERAL, THE WASTE SPOTTER LINE, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE IT GOING OUT.
UH, THERE'S A MANHOLE OUT IN, UM, PROBABLY NOT, UM, OUT, UH, OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF I 35 AND IT GOES BACK, UM, THAT IS IN CONFLICT WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S BEING BUILT OUT THERE.
UM, AND SO WE NEED TO CONNECT THE EXISTING WATERLINE, UH, WASTEWATER LINE FROM WHERE IT IS ON THE NORTH SIDE TO WHERE IT IS ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
UM, WE CAN'T GO THROUGH WALLER STREET, UM, BECAUSE THEY ARE CUTTING DOWN WALLER STREET.
THEY'RE TAKING THE ELEVATION AND DROPPING IT.
AND SO IF WE WENT THROUGH THERE, OUR WASTE SPOTTER LINE WOULD BE EXPOSED.
UM, AND, UM, AND SO WE REALLY HAVE TO PULL IT BACK TO A PLACE WHERE THE, THE GROUND IS CLOSER TO WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHAT THIS ALIGNMENT IS.
UM, AND, UM, SO IT'S REALLY THE ONLY WAY WE CAN MAKE IT
UM, AND SO THERE WEREN'T A LOT OF ALTERNATIVES LOOKED AT ON THIS ONE BECAUSE WE CAN'T, WE WE'RE TIED INTO TWO ELEVATIONS THAT WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T MAKE IT ANY OTHER WAY.
UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF SUMMARY THERE IS, IT'S IN CONFLICT WITH I 35.
UM, THE ELEVATION OF THE STREET IS BEING CUT DOWN.
UM, AND SO WE NEED, WE NEED TO GET OUT, UM, WE ARE, UM, GOING, THERE'S, UH, TWO SMALLER TREES, UM, THAT WILL BE AFFECTED.
UM, BUT ALL OF IT IS A PRODUCT, THE 26 INCH LIVE OAK THAT'S AT THE STREET.
UM, AND THEN THE OPEN CONSTRUCTION DOES NOT GO THROUGH THE CRITICAL REASON OF ANY OF THE PROTECTED TREES.
UM, AND SO WE GO BACK HERE, WE'VE MET THE REQUIREMENTS, UM, OF CHAPTER 26.
UM, AND SO THIS IS JUST A SUMMARY, UM, THAT, UM, SO NORTH OF I 35 ON THE WEST SIDE, WE'RE REQUESTING, UM, 7,767 SQUARE FEET FOR TEMPORARY REUSE AND 6,135, Y'ALL CAN READ THE NUMBERS.
UM, AND SO THESE ARE THE, THE EASEMENTS THAT WE'RE REQUESTING.
UM, BUT EDWARD RENDON WILL BE ON THE EAST SIDE, UM, FOR WATER, AND THEN THE SOUTH, UH, AND THE WATER AND WASTEWATER.
AND THEN NORWOOD IS THE WATER.
AND SO THIS IS, UM, THE TOTAL MITIGATION TO BE PAID BY AUSTIN WATER IS $2,739,000, 888 2 730 $9,882.
UM, AND, UM, THAT IS WHAT WE ARE REQUESTING.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS? GREAT, THANK YOU.
WHAT QUESTIONS DOES THE BOARD HAVE? I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
I'M LOOKING AT THE MAP, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS GOING AROUND.
THERE'S A VESSEL BEACH, FOOD FOREST AND A COMMUNITY GARDEN, IT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT THERE IN THAT CORNER OF THE PARK.
AND I WANTED TO KNOW IF THIS WAS GONNA INTERFERE WITH THAT USE AT ALL.
UM, SO, UM, THEY ARE ACTUALLY EVEN FARTHER.
[01:30:01]
SO, UM, THE LINE THAT IS THERE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE OUTSIDE OF ALL OF THIS.SO THE WASTEWATER IS THE FARTHEST NORTH THAT WE GO.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY RIGHT HERE, HERE, THEY'RE LIKE OVER BY THE 20.
UM, AND SO ACTUALLY THIS, THE, THE WATER LINE THAT'S GOING TO BE CONNECTED THROUGH HERE, THEY HAVE ACTUALLY ASKED FOR A NEW METER, UM, AND SOME IRRIGATION.
SO THE WATER LINE WILL ACTUALLY BENEFIT THEM.
IS THIS THE PURPLE PIPE LINE THAT THEY'RE GONNA USE FOR IRRIGATION? UH, THERE IS NOT A PURPLE PIPELINE HERE,
UM, SO, UM, PURPLE PIPE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S RECLAIMED WATER THAT DOES NOT EXIST IN THIS AREA CURRENTLY.
UM, THAT, UM, THAT IS A LONG TERM PLAN FOR AUSTIN WATER.
UM, IT IS DEFINITELY PART OF, PART OF THEIR GOAL, BUT TO BE CLEAR, THERE HAS NOT RECLAIMED WATER IN THIS AREA.
UM, AND GETTING IT TO THIS AREA, UM, WILL BE A, UM, LIKE THAT, THAT'S A MUCH BIGGER PROJECT.
UM, SO I, I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR, THIS IS POTABLE WATER.
UM, AND THEN JUST BECAUSE, UM, THIS PARK TENDS TO, UM, GET A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WHEN ANYTHING HAPPENS IN THIS PARK.
SO, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE FOOD FOREST, IS THERE ANY OTHER LIKE, USE RESTRICTION THAT WILL HAPPEN FOR ANYBODY AT THE PARK WHILE THIS IS GOING ON? UM, SO THIS WASTEWATER WINE IS JUST IN THIS CORNER OVER HERE.
AND SO I, I, I DOUBT THAT THAT CORNER HAS A LOT OF USE.
UM, I, I THINK MOST OF IT IS GOING TO BE CLOSER TO WHERE THE WATER LINE IS.
UM, AND SO, UM, BUT THE WATER LINE IS GOING WITH TDOT'S CONSTRUCTION.
UM, AND SO WHATEVER TXDOT WOULD BE SHUTTING DOWN IS WHAT THIS WILL SHUT DOWN.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH, YEAH, THAT'S HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND.
OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? GO AHEAD.
SO, UM, I'M NOT A REAL FAN OF CHAPTER 26, AND WHEN YOU WERE WORKING WITH TXDOT, IT SEEMS LIKE, UM, TAKING PARKLAND SHOULD BE IN CONFLICT WITH THE EXPANSION OF I 35 BY TDOT TDOT WAS NOT WILLING TO WORK IN ANY WAY TO TRY AND ACCOMMODATE THE WATER LINE, NOT HAVING TO GO THROUGH PARKLAND.
SO WHEN WE COME OFF OF THE BRIDGE, UM, SO THE BRIDGE THE BRIDGE LANDS IN, IN PARKLAND, UM, AT THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE DOES.
AND SO WHERE IT, WHERE IT LANDS, UM, WHERE WE COME OFF OF THE BRIDGE, UH, WE HAVE TO EXIT AT THAT LOCATION BECAUSE THE BRIDGE STRUCTURE ITSELF ACTUALLY CHANGES FROM A BRIDGE THAT CAN SUPPORT A 24 INCH WATERLINE TO A SECTION OF, THERE'S A SPAN OF BRIDGE THAT, UM, BECAUSE IT HAS TO CROSS EAST AVENUE AND THEN IT, IT LEADS INTO THE RAMP THAT CIRCLES AROUND THE PEDESTRIAN RAMP.
UM, THAT'S KINDA, UM, I, I BELIEVE Y'ALL REQUESTED, UM, IS, UM, BECAUSE OF THAT CONNECTIVITY, THAT TYPE OF BRIDGE CANNOT SUPPORT THE WATERLINE.
UM, AND SO WHERE WE COME TO, WE HAVE TO GO DIRECTLY DOWN.
UM, AND SO ONCE WE'RE IN THE GROUND AT THAT POINT, UM, THERE'S NOWHERE, THERE'S NOWHERE TO GO BUT THROUGH THE PARK.
UM, AND SO WE TRY TO GET OUT OF DIRECT PARKLAND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE KIND OF PRIMARILY USING EAST AVENUE LIKE PAVEMENT.
UM, BUT IT'S WHERE THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE ENDS IS REALLY MORE OF THE ISSUE.
SO LOOKING ON YOUR SLIDE, IT'S, IT'S 12 AT THE, I GUESS AT THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER WHERE IT GOES TO EAST AVENUE.
SO IT COULDN'T CONTINUE TO GO ALONG THE ACCESS AREA FROM WALLER STREET, RATHER THAN HAVING TO GO ALL THE WAY UP TO EAST AVENUE AND THEN COME BACK DOWN AND ACROSS CROSS, YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? UP IN THE NORTH, LIKE THE RIGHT HAND CORNER, UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER.
SO THAT IT, IT COULDN'T GO JUST STRAIGHT ACROSS THERE FROM WALLER STREET TO EAST AVENUE WITHOUT FOLLOWING THROUGH AND GOING THROUGH PARKLAND IN THAT AREA.
SO IF YOU GO, IF WE GO BACK TO WHAT, WE'LL HAVE TO GO TO WASTEWATER ONE 'CAUSE IT'S PROBABLY THE BEST SHOWN, MAYBE
[01:35:01]
I'M NOT SEEING EVERYTHING HERE, BUT IT IS.UM, SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT, AT THIS SECTION HERE, UM, THIS IS, UM, THERE'S A SERIES, WELL, THERE'S A SERIES OF, THIS WHOLE PARK AREA HERE HAS A LARGE QUANTITY OF ELECTRICAL ILLUMINATION, UM, AND WHATNOT THROUGH IT.
UM, AND THEN ALSO THE, THERE'S A 66 INCH STORM LINE THAT COMES THROUGH HERE THAT, THAT'S A PRETTY BIG CONFLICT FOR US.
UM, AND SO, AND THEN THIS, THE, THESE WALL, THE LITTLE TRIANGLE LOOKING THINGS UP THERE, THAT'S A HUGE RETAINING WALL THAT STARTS TO SUPPORT THE, UM, DEPRESSED MAINLINES.
AND SO, UM, WE CAN'T, WE DON'T REALLY WANNA BE ANYWHERE NEAR NEAR THAT.
UM, UH, THAT'S KIND OF THE START OF THE DEPRESSION.
UM, SO IT, AND TO GET THROUGH THAT PORTION, WE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE OUT A BUNCH MORE TREES THAN FOLLOWING EAST AVENUE, UM, WHICH IS PAVEMENT.
AND SO IF WE GO STRAIGHT, YOU CAN SEE KIND OF THE TREES THAT ARE OUT THERE.
UM, WE WOULD, WE, WE CAN'T MAKE IT THROUGH THERE WITHOUT CLEARING, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD CLEAR A PATH, UM, AND IT'S TEXT UP RIGHT AWAY.
SO TECHNICALLY I GUESS WE COULD RIP THEM ALL OUT.
UM, BUT
NO, WE, WE WOULDN'T WANT THAT.
SO THE, IT'S A, IT'S A 15 FOOT PROPOSED PERMANENT EASEMENT.
AND HOW DEEP WILL THE WATER LINE BE AT WHERE THE, WHERE YOU'RE SHOWING THE GREEN AREA, HOW, HOW DEEP INTO THE GROUND IS THAT PART OF IT? THIS PART? YEAH, THIS PART IS, THIS IS WASTE WATER.
SO THIS IS ABOUT, WE'RE ABOUT SIX FEET BECAUSE WE ARE AT, UM, WE'RE AT A MINIMUM BECAUSE WE HAVE, WE HAVE WASTE WATER IS FLOWING, YOU KNOW, OUT AND OVER.
AND SO FROM WHERE WE HIT THAT MANHOLE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE SCREEN TO THE OTHER SIDE, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO TIE IN.
AND SO WE ACTUALLY ARE NOT, WE'RE GETTING EXCEPTIONS FROM AUSTIN WATER FOR THIS DESIGN BECAUSE IT'S SO TIGHT.
UM, THE, THIS IS KIND OF THE ONLY WAY WE CAN MAKE IT ACROSS.
THE OTHER THING TO KNOW ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR EASEMENT, UM, FOR THE WASTEWATER IS THAT LONG TERM THERE'S GOING UNDER THE DOWNTOWN, UM, I 35 PROJECT, THERE'S GOING TO BE A, UM, A WASTEWATER TUNNEL THAT COMES IN AND THIS WHOLE LINE WILL BE ABANDONED.
SO THIS, THIS PORTION HERE WILL GET RETURN RETURNED.
SO, BECAUSE WE WERE NOT GOING TO NEED THE
UM, AND SO ASSUMING YOU CAN HOLD TDOT TO 2033, YEAH, BUT I, I DO NOT CONTROL THAT
UM, IT WAS LIKE, UH, BUT THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE DEAL, RIGHT? SO THIS IS, UM, THIS PARTICULAR EASEMENT HERE WILL, WILL NOT BE NEEDED ONCE THE, ONCE THE WASTEWATER TUNNEL IS BUILT.
THAT'S WHY THERE'S KIND OF THIS LIKE INTERIM, HEY, THIS ISN'T EXACTLY THE WAY WE WOULD WANT TO DESIGN IT, BUT WE NEED A BANDAID UNTIL WE CAN GET TO THE TUNNEL.
UM, BECAUSE THE TUNNEL IS A MUCH MORE COMPLEX ENGINEERING FEET.
AND SO WE NEED TIME, UM, TO GET TO THAT POINT.
AND ABOUT HOW WIDE IS THE DIG ONCE YOU START DIGGING INTO THE LAND? JUST FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW.
SO IT'S GONNA BE SIX FEET DEEP.
AND HOW WIDE IS THE TRENCH? LIKE THEY'LL STAY WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THAT FOR THIS PART, THE 15 FEET? YEAH.
AND THEN IT WILL BE COVERED OVER WITH JUST GRASS OR, YEAH.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, LIKE YOU'LL SEE A MANHOLE LID AT THE TWO TWO THERE, AND YOU'LL SEE A MANHOLE LID OVER THERE.
UM, BUT THEN YOU'LL JUST SEE GRASS.
AND YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE TREE ON THE, THE TWO TREES ON THE RIGHT, IF YOU'RE GOING TO WHERE IT COMES ACROSS THE PARKLAND, THE TWO TREES ON THE RIGHT WILL BE PRESERVED, OR ONE OF THOSE IS THE ONE THAT WAS ALREADY NON.
SO, UM, THESE TREES ARE A LITTLE, UH, UH, THE TREES THAT ARE SHOWN ARE A LITTLE WONKY.
UM, SO THE ONE THAT'S IN THE CORNER DOWN BY THE RETAINING WALL, THAT'S LIKE THE BIGGER CIRCLE.
UM, THAT'S THE ONE THAT WE'RE PRESERVING THE LITTLE TREES THAT YOU SEE ALONG THERE, THAT'S
[01:40:01]
TEXTILES, LANDSCAPING PLAN.THOSE ARE NOT, THOSE DON'T EXIST RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND SO THAT, THOSE AREN'T, I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THAT OUT OR ANYTHING BY MY CONSTRUCTION 'CAUSE IT DOESN'T EXIST.
UM, THAT'S A TO BE ADDED LEADER THING BY TXDOT.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.
IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, THEN I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE 17,836 SQUARE FEET OF PERMANENT WATER AND WASTEWATER USE, AND 16,105 SQUARE FEET OF TEMPORARY USE NOT TO EXCEED A TOTAL OF 396 CALENDAR DAYS ON PARKLAND.
METRO PARK AT FESTIVAL BEACH AND WALLER BEACH AT TOWN LAKE METRO PARK, AND 572 CALENDAR DAYS AT NORWOOD TRACK AT TOWN LAKE METRO PARK.
TOTAL MITIGATION TO BE PAID BY AUSTIN WATER IS $2,739,882.
ANY DISCUSSION? I'M, I'M GOING TO ABSTAIN FROM THIS BECAUSE I WOULD'VE HOPED THAT THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A WAY TO MITIGATE IT SOME OTHER WAY WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE PARKLAND.
I, I, I KNOW THAT THAT WOULD BE MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE AND, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THERE WOULD'VE BEEN A POSSIBILITY.
SO IT ALSO IS GOING TO, UM, IMPACT 396 CALENDAR DAYS OF PARKLAND ON THE PARKLAND AT EDWARD REON SR.
METRO PARK AND FESTIVAL BEACH, AND ALSO 572 CALENDAR DAYS AT NORWOOD TRACK.
SO, UM, IT, THAT'S A BIG IMPACT ON OUR PARKLAND, SO I WILL BE ABSTAINING.
CAN I CLARIFY ONE THING REAL QUICK? SURE.
UM, WE HAVE WORKED, UH, WITH THE PARK, UH, GROUP TO, WE WILL BE MODIFYING THE FENCE AT THE DOG PARK TO MAINTAIN ACCESS TO THE DOG PARK AT ALL TIMES, EVEN WHILE WE'RE BUILDING THAT LINE.
SO JUST
AT THIS POINT I'M GONNA CALL A VOTE FOR THE ITEM.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY, AYE.
SO THAT IS SIX VOTES IN FAVOR.
UM, ALL THOSE, UH, AGAINST NAY, RAISE YOUR HAND, ALL THOSE ABSTAINING.
IT'S BOARD MEMBER REED AND BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN HAS ALREADY RECUSED HERSELF FROM THE ITEM.
SO I BELIEVE WE, THAT ITEM PASSES WITH 6 0 1 AND ONE RECUSAL.
[8. Presentation, discussion and approve a recommendation to Austin City Council to approve Permanent Wastewater Use (9.3 acres) and Temporary Use (8.9 acres), for a period not to exceed a total of 1,735 Calendar Days on parkland located at Williamson Creek Central and East Greenbelts. The total mitigation value for the use of parkland to be paid by Austin Water has been calculated at $2,287,068. (PARD Long Range Strategies: Operational Efficiency, Program Alignment).]
ANOTHER CHAPTER 26 ITEM HERE.UM, I BELIEVE, UH, OH, WELL, FIRST, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO CHAIR.
UH, THEN IF WE CAN, UH, GO INTO THE PRESENTATION PLEASE.
JUST REALLY QUICKLY, WHO WERE THE SPONSORS ON THIS? OR WERE THERE SPONSORS? UH, YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT.
THE SPONSORS ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA, BUT IT IS CHAIR, VILLA LOBOS AND MYSELF ARE THE TWO SPONSORS OF THIS ITEM.
WE DON'T HAVE A PROCEDURAL ISSUE, TIM? UH, NO, THAT'S, UH, WE CAN PROCEED.
I'M CRAIG MCCULLOCH FROM, UH, CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES.
I'M THE OVERALL PROJECT MANAGER FOR THIS PROJECT, AND, UH, STEVEN VARGAS IS THE SPONSOR FROM AUSTIN WATER, AND HE'LL BE MAKING THE, UH, PRESENTATION.
I WANTED TO INTRODUCE THIS AS, UM, IT'S BEEN A REAL PRIVILEGE TO WORK WITH A GREAT TEAM ACROSS DEPARTMENTS ON THIS PROJECT.
UH, WE ARE FUNDAMENTALLY TAKING AN EXISTING, UH, SURFACE INFRASTRUCTURE OF AUSTIN WATER AND ANCIENT, UH, PIPELINE INTERCEPTOR AND MOVING IT MOSTLY INTO A TUNNEL ABOUT 60 FEET UNDERGROUND.
AND WE SAW THAT THERE WERE OPPORTUNITIES
[01:45:02]
TO PARTNER WITH PARD AND, UH, WATERSHED ALONG THE WAY AND ENHANCE THE ASSETS OF ALL THREE DEPARTMENTS AT THE SAME TIME.AND I THINK AN EXAMPLE OF THAT, UM, PARTNERSHIP THAT IS FORMED IN THE COURSE OF THIS PROJECT IS THAT REPRESENTATIVES ON THEIR OWN FROM BOTH WATERSHED AND PARD CAME TO OUR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN JUNE.
AND, UH, NOT ASKED BY US, THEY ON THEIR OWN TO SHOW THAT PARTNERSHIP.
SO IT'S BEEN A REAL PRIVILEGE TO WORK WITH THE PARTNERS ACROSS MANY DEPARTMENTS ON THIS.
AND THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME COME IN AND SPEAK WITH YOU, WITH YOU MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
SO TODAY I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THE, UH, WILLIAMSTON CREEK INTERCEPTOR, AND AT AT THE END, THE THE CONCLUSION WE'RE GONNA ASK YOU TO, UH, MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE SOME, SOME LAND USE.
AGAIN, MY NAME IS STEVE VARGAS.
I'M WITH AUSTIN WATER PROJECT SPONSOR.
UM, SO JUST TO GO OVER THE, THE, THE ENTIRE PROJECT, UH, THIS IS, UH, UH, A, A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT THAT'S GONNA BE, UM, REPLACING OVER 18,800 LINEAR FEET, OR JUST OVER THREE AND A HALF MILES OF 72 INCH, UH, NEW, UH, 72 INCH, UH, GRAVITY WASTEWATER INTERCEPTOR.
UH, WE WILL BE USING A, A TUNNELING TWO PASS TUNNELING METHOD.
UM, CURRENTLY, UH, THE, THE CURRENT NEED THERE FOR, FOR THIS PROJECT IS TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THE AREA.
UM, THE, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE THERE HAS, UH, AGED, UH, IT'S BEEN, IT'S, UH, BUILT IN THE SIXTIES, SO IT'S SHOWING ITS AGE.
AND WE ARE ALSO GONNA REDUCING, UH, THE, THE POTENTIAL FOR, UH, SEWER OVERFLOWS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
YOU CAN KIND OF SEE FROM THE GRAPHIC, THE GENERAL LOCATION OF THIS, UH, OF THIS PIPELINE IS GONNA BE SOUTH OF 71.
UM, AND STRADDLES I 35 STARTING, UH, FROM THE WEST SIDE HERE AT SOUTH FIRST AND GOING ALL THE WAY TO, UM, PLEASANT VALLEY DOWN BY WILLIAM CANNON.
SO SOME OF THE, THE CHALLENGES WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING WITH THE CURRENT INTERCEPTOR IS, UH, AGAIN, DURING IT'S, UH, UNDERSIZED, UH, IT'S A 36 INCH IN, IN MANY SPOTS, AND THE AREA HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY IN THE RECENT YEARS.
AND THE, UH, IT'S EXCEEDED ITS CAPACITY.
UH, THERE ARE, UM, UH, SEVERAL CONDITIONS THERE THAT MAKE THE PIPE, UH, SUSCEPTIBLE TO, TO OVERFLOWS, UH, THAT IF YOU WALK THE CREEK, YOU'LL SEE MANY AREAS OF, OF THAT ARE EXPOSED MANHOLES AND PIPES THAT ARE OF THIS, UH, UH, PIPE CURRENT INTERCEPTOR THAT'S EXPOSED.
AND RIGHT NOW THERE'S NOT REALLY A A, THERE'S NO ODOR CONTROL, UM, UH, SYSTEMS, UH, ALONG, UH, THAT, THAT AREA.
SO WE WILL BE INSTALLING, UH, ONE OF THOSE AS PART OF THIS PROJECT.
SO SOME OF THE MAJOR COMPONENTS THAT, UH, UH, THIS PROJECT WILL ENTAIL IS, AGAIN, A, A TUNNELING, UH, UH, PRIMARY, A TUNNELING EFFORT.
UH, AND OF THAT TUNNELING, UH, UH, ALL OF IT WILL BE, UH, OUTSIDE, ENTIRELY OUTSIDE THE EROSION HAZARD ZONE.
SO WE'RE, UH, AVERAGING AROUND 60 FEET DEEP, UH, BUT THE RANGE GOES FROM 20 TO 90 BELOW THE GRADE.
UM, OF, OF THAT, UH, 18,800 FEET, UH, 18,600 FEET OF THAT WILL BE 72 INCH.
AND, UH, 200 FEET OF THAT WILL BE 84 INCH.
AND THAT WILL ALL BE CONSTRUCTED OF A, A FIBERGLASS PIPE, WHICH IS CORROSION RESISTANT.
AND, UH, UH, THE, THE ANNULUS WILL BE GROUTED, UH, ALONG THE ENTIRE ENTIRE LENGTH.
THERE WILL BE SIX O AND M SHAFTS ALONG THE ALIGNMENT, UH, 10 CONNECTION SHAFTS, UH, WHICH WILL ALLOW FOR CONNECTING THE EXISTING, UH, FLOWS IN THE, IN THE AREA TO THE PROPOSED TUNNEL.
AND THEN ONE DOWNSTREAM CONNECTION SHAFT, WHICH WILL BE, UH, NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF WILLIAM CANYON IN THE SOUTH PLEASANT VALLEY.
SO WHAT, WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS A MAP THAT KINDA SHOWS THE OVERALL TUNNELING, UH, PICTURE, UH, IN WITHIN AUSTIN.
SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE DONE, UH, THE CITY HAS DONE MANY TUNNELING PROJECTS IN THE PAST.
THIS IS NOT A NEW, UH, ENDEAVOR.
UH, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT, WE'VE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH, WITH TUNNELING, UH, AND THEY'RE ALL, THEY'VE ALL BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
AND YOU CAN KIND OF SEE HERE SOME, SOME PICTURES OF A CUTTER HEAD AND KIND OF HOW A, UH, A TUNNEL MIGHT LOOK LIKE DURING CONSTRUCTION WITH RAILS AND, AND, UH, VENTILATION.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, UH, WE WILL BE HAVING, UH, 22 LOCAL
[01:50:01]
PIPELINE RECONNECTIONS, AND THAT WILL RANGE IN SIZE FROM EIGHT INCH TO 48 INCH, AND A JACK AND BOAR, UH, UH, METHOD, WHICH WILL, UH, RANGE IN SIZE FROM 12 TO 54 INCH.AND TH THOSE ARE ALL TO CONNECT, UH, EXISTING LOCAL FLOWS TO THE NEW, TO THE NEW, UH, TUNNEL.
UH, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE WILL BE REMOVING AND ABANDONING, UM, UH, MANY OF, UH, ALL OF THE, UH, EXISTING PIPELINE THAT'S CURRENTLY IN THE CREEK NOW.
UM, THE, THERE, THERE WILL BE A NEW BIOLOGICAL ODOR CONTROL FACILITY, UH, WITH A FUTURE TRAIL HEAD AND, AND RAIN GARDEN, UH, THAT WILL BE DESIGNED FOR, FOR THE FUTURE.
IT'S NOT PART OF THIS CURRENT PROJECT, BUT IT'LL BE SOMETHING THAT WILL BE CONSTRUCTED IN THE FUTURE.
THERE WILL BE A PORTION OF THIS PROJECT THAT WE WILL, THAT WILL NOT BE, UM, A NEW TUNNEL.
WE WILL, WE WILL BE REHABILITATING THE EXISTING, UH, 36 INCH PIPE, UH, WHICH IS A, A CONCRETE PIPE, UH, UP TOWARDS THE, THE, THE, THE HEAD END OF THIS PROJECT.
AND THAT WILL BE REHABILITATED WITH A-C-I-P-P, WHICH IS STANDS FOR CURED IN PLACE PIPE.
UH, THAT'S A TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY, UH, BUT WE WILL BE REQUIRED TO GO DOWN INTO THE CREEK AND, AND WORK, UH, WITHIN THOSE AREAS.
UH, THERE WILL BE, UM, UM, EXTENSIVE, UH, SITE RESTORATION EFFORTS, UH, AS PART OF THIS OVERALL CONSTRUCTION, UH, WHICH WILL INCLUDE NATIVE SEEDING, UH, TREE PLANTINGS AND THAT SORT OF, THAT SORT OF, UH, THOSE SORT OF MEASURES.
UM, SO WHAT, WHAT YOU HAVE HERE, IT'S VERY BUSY, BUT WHAT, UH, WHAT THIS KIND OF, UH, DEMONSTRATES IS THAT THE PROJECT TEAM SPENT NEARLY TWO YEARS, UH, EVALUATING DIFFERENT ROUTE OPTIONS.
SO WHAT THIS SHOWS IS, UH, THAT WE HAD 18 DIFFERENT ALIGNMENTS THAT WERE EVALUATED, AND WE USE A SCORING, UH, METRICS, UH, AGAINST EACH OTHER.
UH, WE FACTORED IN COMMUNITY IMPACTS, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, IMPACTS CONSTRUCTABILITY OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AND COSTS.
UH, THERE ARE, UH, 22 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS THAT WERE ALSO ALSO CONSIDERED.
UH, THOSE INCLUDE WETLANDS, UH, CRITICAL WATER, WATER QUALITY ZONES, FLOODPLAINS CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES, AND ANY KIND OF STORAGE TANKS.
AND THIS IS A, A MORE ZOOMED IN, UH, LOOK AT SOME OF THE ALIGNMENTS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, SORT OF DROVE THIS ALIGNMENT IS, YOU KNOW, WHY DOES THE ALIGNMENT HAVE TO BE WITHIN WILLIAMSON CREEK? AND, UH, YOU KNOW, GRAVITY IS YOUR FRIEND WHEN IT COMES TO WASTEWATER, AND SO THE CREEK'S A NATURAL LOW POINT.
AND SO ALL, ALL OF WASTEWATER FLOWS FROM HIGHER ELEVATIONS TO LOWER ELEVATIONS.
AND SO, UM, SINCE THIS WAS BUILT IN THE SIXTIES, UM, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S THE NEED FOR, FOR DOING A MAJOR REHAB AT THIS POINT.
AND WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THESE NUMBER DOTS ARE THE, UH, EXISTING CONNECTIONS THAT WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN.
SO THIS IS A, A LOT OF, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE HAS BUILT ONTO THE EXISTING, UH, AND TIED INTO THE EXISTING, UH, INTERCEPTOR.
SO THAT, THAT SORT OF DRIVES, UH, THE NEED TO KIND OF CONTINUE IN OUR, WELL, THAT DROVE THE NEED FOR OUR CURRENT, UH, PROPOSED ALIGNMENT.
WE DID, UM, PARTNER, UH, EXTENSIVELY WITH, WITH, UH, WATERSHED, UH, PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, AND WE RECEIVED A, UH, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION APPROVAL BACK IN SEPTEMBER.
UM, PART OF THAT, UH, PART OF THAT EFFORT WAS WE, THE, ALL OF THE EXPOSED AND ENC CASE, UH, MANHOLES AND ENCASED PIPE IN THE CREEK WERE TO BE ABANDONED OR, AND OR REMOVED.
AND THE, THOSE LOCATIONS THAT ARE SENSITIVE WITH, WITH TERMS OF, OF LIKE EXISTING MANHOLES THAT WHERE THE CREEK HAS GROWN UP AROUND IT, UM, SOME OF THOSE HAVE TO, TO STAY THERE BECAUSE WE, IF YOU REMOVE IT, IT'LL CAUSE MORE, MORE, UH, MORE DETRIMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT THAN ABANDONING THOSE IN PLACE.
AND THERE'S PROCEDURES THAT, THAT SPEAK TO THOSE, THOSE ABANDONMENT, UH, PROCEDURES.
WE ARE INSTALLING A NEW ODOR CONTROL FACILITY THAT'S, UH, THERE'S NOT CURRENTLY ONE THERE.
UM, AND SO THIS IS A, A A PLUS TO THE, TO THE AREA.
UH, THERE WILL BE, UH, OVERSIZED RAIN GARDENS AND, AND FOR FUTURE TRAILHEAD ACCESS AND, AND PARKING.
UH, AND AGAIN, UH, THE, THE, THE PARKING LOT IS NOT A PART OF THIS PROJECT, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE WILL THEN ALLOW PARD TO DEVELOP, UH, IN THE FUTURE.
AND SO WITH THAT, WE, THEY'VE ASKED FOR, UH, CONCRETE PAVED ACCESS INSTEAD OF GRAVEL, WHICH WAS THE ORIGINAL, UH, PROPOSAL.
[01:55:01]
UH, CHOSEN THE CONCRETE, UH, PATHWAY FOR THEM.UM, THERE WILL ALSO BE, UH, THREE ACRES OF ACQUIRED PROPERTIES, UH, NECESSARY THAT WE'LL BE USING TO DO THE TEMPORARY, UH, CIPP WORK, UH, UP AT THE, AT THE HEAD END OF THE PROJECT.
AND AFTER, UH, THE PROJECT IS COMPLETE, THESE AREAS WILL THEN BE TRANSFERRED TO PARD, UH, AND THEN PART WILL COMPENSATE AUSTIN WATER FOR THE, UH, FOR THE FULL APPRAISED VALUE ON THOSE.
AND DOWN AT THE SOUTHERN END, UH, WE'RE GONNA TRANSFER, THERE WILL BE A TRANSFER OF, UH, ALMOST 40 ACRES TO PAR FOR THE FUTURE TRAILHEAD ACCESS AND TO JIMMY CLAY GOLF COURSE.
UM, AND SO THIS, AGAIN, THIS IS ALSO WHERE THOSE OVERSIZED RAIN GARDENS WILL BE.
UM, SO THIS IS JUST, THIS IS ALMOST SEEING THE SAME THING, BUT IT'S JUST KIND OF A LOCATIONAL, JUST WANTED TO JUST POINT OUT, UH, WHERE THE PROPOSED TRAIL HEAD AND PARKING LOT LOCATIONS WILL BE IN RELATION TO THE OVERALL PROJECT.
TOTAL 43 ACRES OF ADDITIONAL PARK LAND, UH, FOR FU FUTURE TRAIL ACCESS AND PUBLIC BENEFIT WILL BE CONVEYED TO PARD.
AT THE CONCLUSION OF THIS PROJECT, AS CRAIG MENTIONED, WE, UM, ENGAGED, UM, UH, PUBLIC, WE HAD SOME PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, UH, BUT WHICH INVOLVED SOME OPEN HOUSES.
UM, SEVERAL, WE HAD SEVERAL OPEN HOUSES, UH, WHERE A LOT OF FOLKS, UH, CAME.
WE DID RECEIVE SOME POSITIVE FEEDBACK.
COMMENTS WERE EVALUATED AND INCORPORATED, UH, WHERE WE, WHERE POSSIBLE.
AND AN EXAMPLE OF THAT WOULD BE, UH, FOR, UH, TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION.
UM, INSTEAD OF USING THE, THE THE THREE BY FIVE, UH, GRAVEL, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, WE ARE NOW GONNA BE USING ENVIRONMENTAL MATS THAT WE'LL THEN BE ABLE TO PICK UP AT THE END OF THE PROJECT AND NOT HAVE A, A PERMANENT, UM, IT'LL MAKE SITE RESTORATION A LOT EASIER THERE.
UM, WE DID, WE ARE ALSO COORDINATING WITH, UH, OTHER NEARBY PUBLIC PROJECTS.
UH, THERE'S A, A, A GAVA NAVA TRAIL AND, UH, BRASSY WOOD, A STORM IMPROVEMENT, UH, PROJECT THERE.
SO WE ARE ENGAGING WITH THOSE FOLKS AND, AND COORDINATING THE, THE TIMING.
AND WE'RE ALSO, UH, IN CONTACT WITH THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE AND, AND A PD TO HELP US, UH, MITIGATE, UH, ANY, UH, HOMELESS IMPACTS THAT THIS PROJECT WILL, WILL, WILL HAVE.
SO WITH THAT, I WANTED TO, UM, ASK THE, UH, THE PARKS BOARD FOR, UH, RECOMMENDATION FOR THE, UH, THE LANGUAGE THAT'S, UH, UP ON YOUR SCREEN.
I, AND WITH THAT, I'LL, UH, OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, BOARD, WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE? I HAD A QUICK QUESTION.
SO, UM, 20 TO 90 FEET BELOW THE GROUND AND, AND WILL, MOST OF IT WILL RUN ACTUALLY UNDERNEATH THE CREEK WILLIAMSON CREEK? THAT'S CORRECT, YES.
IT'LL BE ENTIRELY, UM, UM, UNDER, UNDER THE CREEK.
SO THE ONLY POINTS OF SORT OF IMPACT THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL SEE CONSTRUCTION HAPPENING WILL BE AT THE, AT THE SHAFT LOCATIONS.
AND THOSE SHAFT LOCATIONS ARE, ARE WHERE MOST OF THE CRANES AND, AND EQUIPMENT STAGING AREAS WILL BE.
AND THE EXISTING LINE IS ALSO UNDERNEATH WILLIAMSON CREEK.
HOW FAR APART WILL THAT BE? IT'S GONNA VARY.
UM, SO THERE'S, THERE THEY ARE IN APPROXIMATE ALIGNMENT WITH EACH OTHER, BUT NOT ENTIRELY EXACTLY, UH, UH, EXACT, UM, THERE ARE PORTIONS THAT ARE EXPOSED CURRENTLY, AND SO THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO DRIVE IT WAY UNDERGROUND KIND OF OUT OF THE WAY.
UM, SO THAT WAY, BUT IT'S ENTIRELY OUT OF THE EROSION, UH, HAZARD ZONE AS WELL.
SO, UM, AND, AND YOUR INITIAL POINT, WHERE WILL YOU START FIRST? UM, IT'LL BE AT THE WHERE THE JIMMY CLAY GOLF COURSE.
UH, AT THE OLD WILLIAMSON WILLIAMSON CREEK WASTEWATER WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
IS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN SHOW THE MAP, BUT IT'S, UM, YEAH.
IS THAT ON LIKE THE SEVENTH SLIDE? YEAH, RIGHT THERE OVER TO THE RIGHT, RIGHT THERE WHERE YOU SEE WILLIAMSON CANNON AND UH, UH, PLEASANT SOUTH PLEASANT VALLEY WHERE THE, WHERE THE ARROW IS, THAT'S THE, THERE'S A CONE THERE, LIKE A TRAFFIC CONE THAT THAT'S KIND OF THE, THE, THE FIRST SHAFT AND WE'RE GONNA WORK OUR WAY WEST.
[02:00:01]
THANK YOU.I DID HAVE A QUICK CLARIFYING QUESTION.
UM, JUST THAT, AND I THINK I'M UNDERSTANDING THIS, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE PERIOD OF TIME FOR THE PROJECT THAT BEFORE YOU'RE COMPLETELY DONE IS THAT 1,735 CALENDAR DAYS.
SO THAT IS OVER ALMOST FIVE YEARS.
BUT THAT WON'T BE, IT WON'T THE WHOLE AREA.
SO IT'S, YOU'RE GONNA BE MOVING ALONG OBVIOUSLY THROUGHOUT, BUT YOU'RE EXPECTING THAT THE PROJECT WILL NOT REACH FULL COMPLETION UNTIL CLOSE TO THAT FOUR, I THINK IT'S FOUR AND THREE QUARTERS, EXACTLY.
AND THAT, THAT WILL INCLUDE SUBSTANTIAL AND FINAL, LIKE GETTING TO THAT POINT.
YOU'VE GIVEN YOURSELF ENOUGH TIME THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU WILL HOPEFULLY BE DONE WITHIN WHAT WE APPROVED YOU FOR
OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD, AND I GUESS WITH THE, UH, CALENDAR DAY DURATION FOR CONSTRUCTION, THERE IS NO RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS TO ANY EXISTING PART FACILITIES WITH CONSTRUCTION, CORRECT? SAY THAT AGAIN? THERE IS NO LIMITATION TO EXISTING FACILITIES LIKE FOR PUBLIC ACCESS? YES.
UM, WELL THERE, I THINK THERE, THERE, THERE WOULD BE, I WOULD IMAGINE DURING SOME PARTS OF THE CONSTRUCTION THERE WOULD BE SOME, SOME ACCESS LIMITATIONS.
YOU MEAN TWO SECTIONS OF THE CREEK, RIGHT? I MEAN, OR TO EACH END? NO, LIKE THE ENTIRE, THE ENTIRE LOC WON'T BE RESTRICTED AT THAT.
AT THAT, FOR THAT DURATION IT'LL BE, THERE'LL BE STAGED IN, IN SEQUENCE OF CONSTRUCTION.
BUT YOU IMAGINE THERE WOULD BE SECTIONS THAT MIGHT BE INACCESSIBLE FOR PERIODS OF TIME WITHIN THAT WIDER TIME RANGE? YEAH, AND, AND THE CONTRACTOR SETS HIS, HIS SCHEDULE AND HE'LL SHARE THAT WITH US ONCE WE, ONCE HE'S SELECTED, WE DON'T KNOW WHO IT, WHO IT IS YET.
AND THEN WITH THAT WE'LL KNOW WHICH AREAS WE'LL BE THEY'LL BE WORKING ON FIRST.
THEY MAY START THE TUNNELING AT FIRST OR THEY MAY START THE CUTOVERS, UM, STARTING SOME OF THOSE THAT WORK.
UM, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S A FIVE YEAR OR FOUR AND A FOUR AND A HALF YEARS SCHEDULE.
AND YEAH, THERE WILL BE PERIODS OF TIME WHEN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE PARKS WILL BE INACCESSIBLE, BUT THIS IS A GREEN BELT, RIGHT? I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS AREA.
SO THIS IS LIKE A GREEN BELT PARK, IT'S NOT LIKE THERE'S A DEVELOPED HIKING TRAIL OR ANY KIND OF DIVINE SEEING A NO BACK THERE.
SO THERE'S NO ACTUAL DEVELOPED.
YEAH, IT'S AN UNDEVELOPED GREEN BELT AREA.
SO SECTIONS OF THAT GREEN BELT WOULD BE INACCESSIBLE DURING THE PROJECT, BUT THAT'S THE EXTENT.
WHERE IS THE TEMPORARY WORK AREA? IT SAYS 8.9 ACRES.
IS THAT PARKLAND? SO THERE'S, THERE'S, UM, THE TEMPORARY LOCATIONS ARE KIND OF SCATTERED ALL THROUGHOUT AND THROUGHOUT THE LOC AND AS I MENTIONED, MOST OF THE WORK WILL BE HAPPENING WITHIN THE SHAFT LOCATIONS AND THAT'S WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE WORK WILL, WILL, WILL HAPPEN.
UM, THERE ARE GONNA BE PARTS OF, OF THE PARK THAT ARE OF, OF THE LLC THAT ARE GONNA BE PARD, UH, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY NOT THE ENTIRE LLC IS IS PARKS.
THERE'S, I'M NOT SURE IF I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION, BUT I JUST, A PORTION OF THAT WILL BE, AND I THINK IT'S IN THE LANGUAGE.
AND IT ALSO, ONE OF YOUR SLIDES DETAILS THAT THREE ACRES OF ACQUIRED PROPERTIES FOR TEMPORARY WORKSPACE AREAS WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO PART AFTER THE CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETED.
SO I, I CAN SEE THAT ON THE MAP, BUT IS THAT THE, THAT'S NOT THE TOTAL AREAS OF NO.
SO THE, THE PERMANENT WASTEWATER USE IS 9.3 ACRES AND THEN TEMPORARY USE IS 8.9 ACRES AND AT THE END OF THE PROJECT WE'LL BE TRANSFERRING 43 ACRES TO PARD FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO YOU WERE SAYING THAT IT, IT'S ALSO GONNA BE PHASED, SO YOU WON'T BE USING 8.9 ACRES ALL AT ONE TIME, CORRECT? CORRECT.
OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? OKAY.
IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, I WILL GO AHEAD AND UH, MAKE A MOTION TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL OF PERMANENT WASTEWATER USE 9.3 ACRES AND TEMPORARY WORK AREA 8.9 ACRES FOR A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED A TOTAL OF 1,735 CALENDAR DAYS ON PARKLAND.
LOCATED AT WILLIAMSON CREEK CENTRAL AND EAST GREENBELTS.
TOTAL MITIGATION TO BE PAID BY AUSTIN WATER IS $2,287,068.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION?
[02:05:02]
OKAY, THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE.ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY AYE, PLEASE.
IT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S EVERYONE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
[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).]
WE CAN MOVE ON TO OUR LAST ITEM HERE.ITEM NUMBER NINE, UH, THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
ALRIGHT, GOOD EVENING, BOARD CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBERS.
I'M ANGELA MEANS INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, AND IT'S MY PLEASURE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THIS NOVEMBER'S DIRECTOR'S UPDATE REPORT.
THERE ARE SEVERAL ITEMS WITHIN THE REPORT, AND AS I SAY EVERY MONTH, PLEASE REFER TO THE REPORT, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT A LOT OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE'VE HELD.
ON NOVEMBER 16TH, THE DEPARTMENT'S HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND TOURISM PROGRAM PREMIERED A SHORT DOCUMENTARY FOCUSED ON THE HISTORIC HASKELL HOUSE AT THE BOYD VANCE THEATER IN THE GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER CULTURAL CENTER AND MUSEUM.
THE HASKELL HOUSE IS RECOGNIZED AS THE OLDEST DOCUMENTED RESIDENCE WITHIN THE, WITHIN THE CLARKSVILLE NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT THE, UH, THEATER WAS PACKED WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND IT WAS A A NIGHT OF CELEBRATION.
THE EARLY NEIGHBORHOOD PARK RIBBON CUTTING WAS HELD ON NOVEMBER 22ND.
THE NEWLY DEVELOPED PARK FEATURES A LOOP TRAIL THAT CONNECTS TWO PARK ENTRANCES, SHADE TREES, A PLAYGROUND AREA WITH A PAVILION FITNESS EQUIPMENT, A FENCED IN OFF-LEASH DOG AREA, AND AN EXTENSIVE SPACE FOR OPEN PLAY.
THE HILL COUNTRY CONSERVANCY ALSO HOSTED A RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY AND GRAND OPENING TO CELEBRATE THE COMPLETION OF THE NEWLY FINISHED SECTION OF THE VIOLET CROWN TRAIL.
ENC CIRCLE C METROPOLITAN PARK.
THIS MARKS THE COMPLETION OF THE FIRST 13 MILES OF THE REGIONAL TRAIL SYSTEM ON DECEMBER 1ST.
THE ER HOLIDAY TREE WILL BE LIT DURING A TREE LIGHTING EVENT.
THE EVENT WILL FEATURE LOCAL LIVE MUSIC AS WELL AS FOOD AND BEVERAGE CONCESSIONS.
AND WE WANT TO THANK OUR PARTNERS AUSTIN ENERGY AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
YOU ALL, I BELIEVE YOU ALL HEARD ON NOVEMBER 21ST, CITY COUNCIL APPROVE A RESOLUTION DIRECTING STAFF TO EXPLORE ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES FOR PARK MANAGEMENT, LAND ACQUISITION AMENITIES, FACILITIES, AND MAINTENANCE AS PART OF THIS RESOLUTION, STAFF WILL CONDUCT AT LEAST TWO PUBLIC INPUT SESSIONS AT THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD TO REVIEW AND GATHER FEEDBACK ON THE DRAFT PUBLIC RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE PRESENTING THEM TO CITY COUNCIL.
AND WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY HOLIDAY THIS WEEK.
LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR MEANS ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? UH, YES, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR MEANS FOR YOUR REPORT.
UM, ON THE LAST PAGE OF THE REPORT, THE ADMINISTRATIVE UP UPDATES, UM, THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL SUMMARY, UM, I JUST WANTED TO CALL THE BOARD'S ATTENTION, UM, CONCERNED THAT IN OUR RECOMMENDATION ABOUT THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL, WE HAD SAID DIRECT THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT TO PAUSE THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL PARK, LAND IMPROVEMENT, DONATION AGREEMENT, CONCESSION AGREEMENT, AND AMENDMENT TO THE HOLLY SHORES EDWARD RENDON SENIOR MASTER PLAN UNTIL NOVEMBER 30TH, WHICH IS COMING UP PRETTY QUICKLY HERE.
AND, UM, IN YOUR UPDATE ABOUT THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL, THERE WILL BE, UH, A, A 60 DAY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY, AND THIS WOULD BE COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY, 2025.
UH, MY, MY QUESTION IS WILL WE CONTINUE TO PAUSE THAT CONTRACT? UM, THAT IS AFTER WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION HAD SAID.
OUR GOAL WAS TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL, AND WE'VE DONE THAT.
WE HAVE TAKEN THE TOUR, UM, ON TO VISIT SEVERAL DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.
UM, WE ARE GIVING THEM SOME GRACE AS THEY'RE THINKING THROUGH, UH, SOME POTENTIAL, UH, ADDITIONAL SITES.
UH, WE DO PLAN ON MEETING WITH THEM EARLY DECEMBER, UH, AS THEY MAKE THEIR FINAL, UM, RECOMMENDATION.
UH, EVERYONE IS FULLY AWARE THAT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS DOES NEED TO TAKE PLACE, UM, BASED UPON THE SITE THAT IS SELECTED.
AND SO, ALTHOUGH WE DID SAY NOVEMBER, UM, IT'S TAKEN US A LITTLE BIT LONGER FOR US TO WORK WITH THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL AND IDENTIFY A POTENTIAL, UH, ALTERNATIVE LOCATION.
SO YES, THE PLAN IS TO HOLD UNTIL WE CAN COME TO EITHER
[02:10:01]
AN AGREEMENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AN ADDITIONAL SITE OR RESUME THE ORIGINAL, UH, LOCATION.IS THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ABLE TO SHARE THE, UM, POTENTIAL ALTERNATIVE LOCATIONS AT THIS TIME OR IS THAT, UM, SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE STILL WORKING WITH THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL ON? WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTOR MEANS? OKAY.
ONE, I WANTED TO APPLAUD THE STEM CLUB.
I GOT TO CHECK OUT THE STEM CLUB AT DITMAR.
LOTS OF REALLY ENGAGED KIDDOS AND GIGGLING AND, UM, JUST ENJOYING THE ACTIVITIES THAT THEY WERE DOING.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO ACROSS OUR REC CENTERS.
IT WAS JUST REALLY FUN TO POP IN ON THEM.
AND THEN JUST A QUESTION AROUND THE PUBLIC INPUT SESSIONS AROUND, UM, THE FUNDING.
ANY IDEAS ON WHEN THOSE MIGHT BE, OR IS IT STILL TOO EARLY TO TO TELL? WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT NOW.
WE, AS SOON AS THERE IS A SCHEDULE AND A TIMELINE, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE COMMUNICATE THAT OUT.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF EXCITEMENT, UH, FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS PROJECT, SO WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THE, UH, THAT WE COMMUNICATE, UH, VERY THOROUGHLY TO THE PARK SPORT.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR MEANS THANK YOU.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS DOES ANYONE WANNA BRING UP? SO, UM, ARE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE MET ON NOVEMBER 15TH AND, UH, DURING THAT MEETING, UM, THE 2024, THE, THE APPROVAL OF THE 2024 ANNUAL CONCESSIONS REPORT WAS POSTPONED UNTIL OUR NEXT PARKS BOARD MEETING AND THE FULL PARKS BOARD WOULD HEAR THAT CORRECT, MR. DOBA.SO THAT IS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM THAT I WANTED TO MENTION.
UM, AND THEN I WOULD ALSO REQUEST A, ANOTHER REPORT ON THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL IN, AT THE END OF JANUARY, IF POSSIBLE, FROM THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, JUST TO KNOW HOW THAT'S GOING FOR THE JANUARY PARKS BOARD MEETING.
BOARD MEMBER REED, WHAT OTHER ITEMS? I HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU.
WILL THE, UH, BUDGET WORKING GROUP MEMBERS BE ANNOUNCED? YES, BUT TO BE HONEST, I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WITH IT SINCE WE LAST DID IT.
SO I KNOW A FEW PEOPLE HAVE SENT INTEREST, SO I NEED TO SEND A MESSAGE TO CHAIR VILLALOBOS IF HE HAS SOME OF, IF HE'S HEARD ANYTHING THAT I HAVEN'T.
BUT WHEN I SAID TO MR. COBB THAT NOTHING HAS HAPPENED, TRULY NOTHING HAS HAPPENED, I WAS REMINDED WHEN HE BROUGHT IT UP THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING SINCE THE LAST MEETING.
SO, UM, AND IF YOU ARE INTERESTED AND YOU HAVEN'T REACHED OUT, YOU CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT TO EITHER OF US.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE REACHED OUT SO FAR, BUT I THINK THE AGREEMENT WAS THAT FOUR IS PROBABLY WHAT MAKES SENSE JUST TO AVOID ANY ISSUES OF LIKE A WALKING QUORUM OR ANYTHING.
UM, YEAH, AND I REALLY, I WOULD'VE LIKED TO GET THAT STARTED SOONER.
IT WAS BOARD MEMBER MERIT'S SUGGESTION, BUT NOW WE'VE HIT THANKSGIVING AND IT'LL BE, UH, THE HOLIDAYS BEFORE YOU KNOW IT.
UH, I DO HAVE TWO MORE, THE TWO ITEMS I BROUGHT UP LAST TIME DURING FEATURE AGENDA ITEMS. UH, I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE THEM SINCE I HAVEN'T GOTTEN AN UPDATE ON EITHER ONE.
WELL, A FULL UPDATE ON THEM YET.
I KNOW, UH, I TALKED TO, UH, LEONNA, VOCA NOT THAT LONG AGO ABOUT THE DISTRICT PARK QUESTION I HAD, SO I THINK THAT'S STILL IN PROGRESS.
UM, BUT I DID WANNA FOLLOW UP ON THE QUESTION I HAD ABOUT THE POOLS AND, UH, ANY YOUTH PROGRAMS THAT WERE HAPPENING AT POOLS BECAUSE I HAVE A, A VERY PERSISTENT AND ENGAGED COMMUNITY MEMBER WHO WANTS SOME UPDATES ON, ON THAT.
YES, I THINK THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT I GATHERED, BUT MAYBE WE LEFT IT A LITTLE BIT UNCLEAR, SO I WOULD LOVE A MEMO IF
OFFICIALLY FOR THE RECORD, NOW THAT I HAVE THE MIC, WE WERE GONNA PREPARE A MEMO IF THAT'S, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH THE BOARD? YEP.
YEAH, A MEMO IS PERFECTLY FINE.
I JUST WANNA BE ABLE TO GIVE HER SOME SORT OF FORMAL UPDATE ON, I I, TO BE FAIR, I DO HAVE THE DETAILS FOR MY STAFF.
I JUST NEED TO ORGANIZE IT IN A, IN A, A FASHION THAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR YOU GUYS.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HADN'T FALLEN OFF THE RADAR.
SO ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? OKAY.
IF NOTHING ELSE, THEN I'LL GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN THE MEETING.
HOPE EVERYBODY HAS A GREAT THANKSGIVING.