* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:02] TYPICALLY MEETING, SO BEING WHICHEVER YOU PROBABLY, YEAH, MAYBE Y'ALL WE'RE ALL AROUND THE SAME TIME, SO WHICHEVER WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHICH ONE. YEAH. ALRIGHT, EVERYONE, GOOD EVENING. [CALL TO ORDER] IT IS NOW SIX 11 AND WE'RE GONNA GET THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD FOR APRIL THE 28TH, 2025. UH, STARTED. I'M GONNA DO A CALL TO ORDER, UH, PAGE REVIEW LEVELS. PRESENT VICE CHAIR FLOWERS PRESENT, UH, BOARD MEMBER OR PRESENT. UH, BOARD MEMBER MERIT PRESENT. BOARD MEMBER VAAN PRESENT BOARD MEMBER ABBU ABARA. PRESENT BOARD MEMBER KERNS OSTERWEIL. PRESENT BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR. PRESENT BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN PRESENT BOARD MEMBER REED PRESENT AND BOARD MEMBER BECKER PRESENT. ALRIGHT, THERE BEING A QUORUM. WE'LL MOVE ON TO PUBLIC [PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL] COMMUNICATION IN GENERAL. UM, THIS IS RESERVED FOR THE FIRST 10 SPEAKERS TO ADDRESS YOUR CONCERNS REGARDING ITEMS NOT POSTED ON THE AGENDA. SO THE FIRST 10 SPEAKERS WHO SIGN UP NOT, UH, TO ADDRESS CONCERNS REGARDING ITEMS NOT POSTED ON THE AGENDA. UM, MUNOZ. UH, FIRST SPEAKER IS NICOLE NETHERTON, FOLLOWED BY DANA WILLIAMS. GOOD EVENING CHAIR VILLA LOBOS AND MEMBERS. MY NAME IS NICOLE NETHERTON AND I'M THE CEO OF THE PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY. OUR ORGANIZATION IS AN EXAMPLE OF A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP CREATED FOR THE BENEFIT OF PARKS. AND ON BEHALF OF OUR HARDWORKING STAFF OF 10, I'M VERY PROUD TO SHARE SOME OF THE GOOD WORK WE ARE DOING FOR THE LOVE OF PEAS DISTRICT PARK FROM OUR 2024 IMPACT REPORT. FOUNDED IN 2008 AS TREES FOR PEAS, PEASE PARK CONSERVANCY BECAME A 5 0 1 C3 IN 2013, AND SINCE THEN HAS PARTNERED WITH THE CITY TO HELP STEWARD AUSTIN'S OLDEST PUBLIC PARK. IN FACT, 2025 IS THE HUNDRED AND 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GIFT OF THE FIRST 23 ACRES OF PEACE PARK TO THE CITY IN 1875. YOU'LL BE HEARING MUCH MORE ABOUT OUR SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS LATER THIS YEAR. OUR IMPACT REPORT CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE, PEACE PARK.ORG. ON THE WHAT WE DO PAGE, AND HERE ARE SOME OF ITS HIGHLIGHTS. WE ARE NOW IN OUR SECOND YEAR OF WORKING UNDER OUR PARK OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT OR POMA WITH THE CITY THAT WAS EXECUTED IN JANUARY OF 2023. UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, THE CONSERVANCY HAS PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE, AND PROGRAMMING WITHIN THE SEVEN ACRES OF KINGSBURY COMMONS, AS WELL AS SUPPORTIVE CONSERVATION AND LAND MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE 84 ACRES OF PEACE. IN 2024, OUR SMALL BUT MIGHTY PARK OPS TEAM WAS ON SITE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, UM, BEING SURE TO, IN ENSURING A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE FOR MORE THAN 227,000 VISITORS FROM 51 AUSTIN AREA ZIP CODES PROVIDING CLEAN AND RESTOCKED RESTROOMS, FREQUENT TRASH PICKUPS, GRAFFITI REMOVAL, AND RECURRING INSPECTIONS OF THE PLAYGROUND TREE HOUSE AND SPLASH PAD, OUR CONSERVATION TEAM AND ALMOST 1600 PEAS. CORE VOLUNTEERS REMOVED HUNDREDS OF CUBIC METERS OF INVASIVE SPECIES, MULCHED, WATERED, PLANTED, AND PRUNED HUNDREDS OF TREES AND PICKED UP AN AWFUL LOT OF LITTER. OUR PROGRAMMING TEAM SERVED ALMOST 12,000 PARTICIPANTS ACROSS FOUR PILLARS OF FREE PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING CONSERVATION, WELLNESS, ART, AND LEARNING. I'M PARTICULARLY PROUD OF OUR PEAS COLLEGE SCHOOL FIELD TRIP PROGRAM, WHICH SERVED ALMOST 1400 K THROUGH SIX STUDENTS AND TWO THIRDS OF THE 19 SCHOOLS WE SERVED LAST YEAR ARE TITLE ONE AND THE CONSERVANCY PROVIDES TRANSPORTATION AND LUNCH. WE ARE OFFICIALLY ABOUT TO BEGIN THE CONSERVANCY'S FIFTH SUMMER IN KINGSBURY. WE WILL ALSO BEGIN THE ANNUAL PROCESS OF DRAFTING OUR 2026 OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE AND PROGRAMMING PLANS THAT WE'LL SUBMIT TO PARD AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR. WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON A COMPREHENSIVE PHASE PLAN THAT WILL HELP IMAGINE NEXT STEPS TOWARDS THE CONTINUED EXECUTION OF OUR 2014 VISION PLAN. WE'LL HOPE TO BRING THOSE IDEAS TO YOU AND TO COUNCIL FOR DISCUSSION AND APPROVAL LATER THIS YEAR. WE'RE SO GRATEFUL FOR THE COLLEAGUES AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT ALLOW THE CONSERVANCY TO DO ITS WORK, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING FUTURE UPDATES WITH YOU ABOUT THE WAYS WE SERVE AND CARE FOR PEACE PARK. THANK YOU. DANA WILLIAMS, FOLLOWED BY SCOTT COBB. GOOD EVENING BOARD. MY NAME IS DANA WILLIAMS AND I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN ROWING CLUB. I JUST STARTED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, AND SO THIS EVENING I WANTED TO UPDATE YOU ON THE EVENTS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKING PLACE AT THE WALLER CREEK BOATHOUSE DURING THE LAST MONTH. [00:05:01] SO OUR JUNIOR ROWING TEAMS HAVE BEEN TRAVELING TO REGATTAS IN CINCINNATI AND INDIANAPOLIS IN EARLY APRIL, AND THEY'RE GETTING READY TO COMPETE IN OKLAHOMA CITY AT A REGIONAL REGATTA WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE AT NATIONALS. WE HAVE OVER 104 ATHLETES AND COACHES WHO WILL BE REPRESENTING US IN OKLAHOMA CITY. IN ADDITION, THE JUNIORS HAVE A VERY SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISER TO HELP PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS AND EQUIPMENT FOR THEIR PROGRAM. WE HAVE OVER A HUNDRED ATHLETES THAT PARTICIPATED IN THAT EVENT AS WELL. IN MID-APRIL, SEVERAL OF OUR OWN MEMBERS VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME TO CLEAN AND PAINT THE BOATHOUSE SPACES, AND WE ARE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE DEDICATED MEMBERS WHO ASSIST US IN MANY KEY PLACES IN KEEPING THE BOATHOUSE CLEAN, MAINTAINING OUR EXTERIOR GARDENS, AND ASSISTING WITH OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS AND REGATTAS. AND THEN FINALLY, I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE AUBREY RED RUDDER IS HERE NEXT TO ME AND SHE'S OUR RENTALS OPERATIONS MANAGER FOR THE EXCELLENT WORK SHE DID. THIS LAST SATURDAY, WE HAD OUR, UM, AUSTIN ROWING CLUB EARTH DAY EVENT ON SATURDAY. WE HAD 532 COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS SIGN UP. THEY, UH, JOINED US THROUGHOUT THE MORNING AND THE AFTERNOON ON THE LAKE IN OUR KAYAKS OR WALKING THE TRAIL AND PICKING UP TRASH. WE HAD OVER 6,000 POUNDS OF TRASH THAT WAS PICKED UP AND ALONG WITH THAT 25 COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT CAME OUT AND SUPPORTED OUR EVENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER IS SCOTT COBB, FOLLOWED BY CHRIS FLORES. HELLO, MY NAME IS SCOTT COBB. I'VE WORKED AS A LIFEGUARD FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN. DONE SO SINCE 2011, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GOT THE MEMO, BUT, UH, THE PAR DIRECTOR SENT A MEMO TO CITY COUNCIL ON MARCH 25TH ANNOUNCING THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE A THIRD PARTY INVESTIGATION OF ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION, HARASSMENT AND GROOMING OCCURRING IN AQUATICS BY MANAGERS INVOLVING YOUNG LIFEGUARDS. I DIDN'T SEE IT MENTIONED IN THE BAR DIRECTOR'S UPDATE. UH, THERE'S A MEMO RIGHT HERE, AND I FOUND IT KIND OF DISTURBING. IT SAYS THESE ALLEGATIONS WERE INVESTIGATED FULLY BY BOTH PARD AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, AND THE RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THIS WAS NOT OCCURRING. I DON'T KNOW WHY PEOPLE WRITE THINGS THAT ARE JUST PATENTLY FALSE AND PUT IT IN OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THERE ARE INTERNAL EMAILS THAT VERIFY THAT THESE INAPPROPRIATE RELATIONSHIPS WERE TAKING PLACE AND THERE WERE INTERNAL DOCUMENTS AND REPORTS THAT THEY WERE NOT FULLY INVESTIGATED. THERE WAS TWO LIFEGUARDS MENTIONED BY FIRST NAME THAT HR CLAIMED THEY COULD NEVER FIND IN THE DATABASE, AND THEY DID NOT CONTACT THEM OR CONDUCT ANY INVESTIGATIONS OF THOSE ALLEGATIONS. EVEN THOUGH IF THEY HAD GONE TO PARTON SPRINGS AND ASKED ANY EMPLOYEE, THEY WOULD'VE FOUND OUT IMMEDIATELY WHO THOSE PEOPLE WERE AND THEY COULD HAVE INVESTIGATED THAT. I KNEW IMMEDIATELY WHO THEY WERE. THEY WERE NOT INVESTIGATED AT ALL. I GOT AN EMAIL MARCH 27TH THE DAY I SPOKE TO CITY COUNCIL FROM ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE, LIFEGUARDS. SHE SAID, WHEN YOU'RE A TEENAGER WORKING AT BARTON SPRINGS FOR THE FIRST TIME AND YOU'RE GETTING ATTENTION FROM YOUR, YOUR 30 PLUS YEAR OLD BOSSES, YOU THINK THAT'S JUST HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO GO AND THAT IT'S FUN AND NEW. THEN YOU'RE ENTANGLED WITH ADULT MEN WHO JUST PREY ON EACH NEW BATCH OF GIRLS THAT COME EACH SUMMER. AND THEN SHE GOES ON TO SAY, WORKING THERE WAS F*****G TRAUMATIC AS A TEENAGER. THERE ARE OTHER CASES THAT WERE NOT INVESTIGATED. I KNOW OF A CASE A WOMAN LIFEGUARD WAS A VICTIM OF A SEX CRIME ON PROPERTY AT A POOL THAT SHE REPORTED AND NO ONE FROM PART OR HR PICKED UP THE PHONE OR SENT AN EMAIL TO A PD AND REPORTED THAT CRIME. THANK YOU, MR. MR. OTHER CASES I CAN MENTION GO [00:10:01] ON AND ON. IT'S A LONG LIST. AND AS MY TIME IS UP ALREADY, YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CHAIR VILLA. CAN I ASK HIM A QUESTION PLEASE? UM, WE, UH, WE JUST RECEIVED IN THE TRAINING THAT I WENT TO, THEY JUST TOLD US THAT, UH, DURING PUBLIC CITIZEN COMMUNICATION WE CAN ASK CLARIFYING QUESTIONS OF THE PERSON'S COMMENT IF THAT IS WHAT YOU'RE SEEKING. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M SEEKING. ALRIGHT. IF THE PUBLIC CITIZEN WOULD LIKE TO, ARE YOU OPEN TO A QUESTION SEEKING CLARIFICATION? SPEAK LOUDER. WOULD YOU BE OPEN TO ANSWERING A QUESTION THAT SEEKS CLARIFICATION? UH, SURE. THANK YOU MR. COBB. AND, UH, I'M SO SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THIS. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IF, JUST TO CLARIFY, DID THE LIFEGUARDS REPORT THIS DIRECTLY TO AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT OR JUST TO PARD AND TO STAFF, UH, REGARDING WHICH CASE? THERE ARE A LOT OF CASES. ANY OF THEM. WERE ANY OF THEM REPORTED BY THE LIFEGUARDS DIRECTLY TO AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT? NO, THEY WERE NOT. UM, THEY REPORTED TO PARD. IT WAS PART'S RESPONSIBILITY. WHEN THEY RECEIVE A REPORT OF A SEX CRIME TO DO ONE OF TWO THINGS DIRECTLY CONTACT A PD OR AT THE VERY LEAST, TELL THE VICTIM, YOU HAVE THIS OPTION TO CONTACT A PD. THEY SHOULD DO IT THEMSELVES. THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE IT THEMSELVES. THEY DID IT IN OTHER CASES, NOT THIS ONE. SO, YEAH. UM, BUT THE CASES THAT WERE NOT INVESTIGATED, THEY REPORTED IT, IT WAS FILED THROUGH THE CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE. AND, UH, I UNDERSTAND ALSO IN PERSON EARLIER, UH, THE NAMES WERE MENTIONED IN THE REPORT AND HR HAS AN INVESTIGATION THAT THEY ISSUED IN 2023, AND IT LITERALLY SAYS WE CANNOT FIND THESE TWO PEOPLES IN THE DATABASE, EVEN THOUGH THE NAMES FIRST NAMES ARE RIGHT THERE. PEOPLE, WHEN THEY REPORT THESE THINGS, THEY, YOU KNOW, TRY TO DON'T PUT THE WHOLE NAME SOMETIMES, BUT THERE WAS NO INVESTIGATION. I KNEW IMMEDIATELY WHO THEY WERE. THANK YOU FOR THE CLAR CLARIFICATION. I APPRECIATE IT. THERE WERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, MR. COBB. NEXT SPEAKER IS CHRIS FLORES, FOLLOWED BY KAYLA REESE. GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS. UH, MY NAME IS CHRIS FLORES OF DISTRICT 10. I'M A DAILY SWIMMER AND A PARKS ADVOCATE. I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF FRIENDS OF DEEP BETTY AT PARK AND POOL IN MS. REED'S DISTRICT. I'M USING MY TWO MINUTES TONIGHT TO THANK MS. REED ON HER LAST CARDBOARD MEETING FOR HER VOLUNTEER SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN. MS. REED CAME TO EVERY BOARD MEETING PREPARED, HAVING READ ALL THE BACKUP MATERIALS. SHE ASKED THE QUESTIONS WE CITIZENS HOPED BOARD MEMBERS WOULD ASK. SHE LISTENED TO US WHEN WE SPOKE. SHE SHOWED US EMPATHY AND RESPECTED OUR DIGNITY AS HUMAN BEINGS. THANK YOU AGAIN, MS. REED. I BROUGHT YOU SOME FLOWERS. THANK YOU. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO SERVE. LAST SPEAKER FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMUNICATION IS KAYLA REESE. GOOD EVENING PARKS BOARD AND WELCOME NEW MEMBERS. WE'RE EXCITED THAT Y'ALL ARE HERE. UM, MY NAME IS KAYLA REESE. I'M THE ADVOCACY MANAGER WITH, UM, AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION. AND I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK TODAY ABOUT JUST KIND OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE BONDS, UM, AND A POTENTIAL 2026 BOND CAMPAIGN. I SPOKE EARLIER TODAY AT THE BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE. I THINK I GOT THAT RIGHT, UM, IN SUPPORT OF AT LEAST A $300 MILLION BOND FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. UM, THAT'S REALLY WHAT IS NEEDED RIGHT NOW TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN GET THEIR WORK DONE. AND I WANTED TO PUT THAT IN FRONT OF Y'ALL. USUALLY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS A SIX YEAR BOND CYCLE WITH 2026 BEING THE NEXT BOND. THAT MEANS THAT IT'S BEEN EIGHT YEARS SINCE THE LAST BOND. AND IF YOU ARE AWARE OF THE TRUST REPUBLIC LAND PARKS SCORE, UM, IN 2020, AUSTIN WAS RATED THE 36TH, UH, CITY IN THE NATION FOR PARKS, AND WE ARE NOW THE 44TH. SO WE HAVE LOST GROUND THERE. AND A LOT OF THAT IS BECAUSE OF LACK OF PUBLIC FUNDING. UM, AND WE REALLY SHOULD EMPHASIZE [00:15:01] THE NEED FOR MORE PUBLIC FUNDING FOR OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT. THE BOND WOULD INCLUDE THINGS LIKE TREES, SHADE, AQUATICS POOLS, SPLASH PADS, ALL THE THINGS THAT I'M SURE Y'ALL HEAR ABOUT. I HEAR ABOUT A LOT FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE WANTING IMPROVEMENTS OR NEW THINGS IN THE, UH, CITY. UM, AND ADDITIONALLY, I WANTED TO JUST PUT IN FRONT OF Y'ALL, UM, I BELIEVE I'VE EMAILED ALL OF Y'ALL INVITATIONS FOR THE, UM, PARK CHECK PRESENTATION FROM, UH, C3 PRESENT AND AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION TO PRESENT THE ACL UH, CHECK TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT FOR, UM, FUNDING. BUT I APPRECIATE Y'ALL AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. UM, THAT BEING OUR LAST, UH, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION GENERAL SPEAKER, WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER [APPROVAL OF MINUTES ] ONE, WHICH IS OF THE MINUTES OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION REGULAR BOARD MEETING OF MARCH THE 24TH, 2025. OKAY. AND THERE ANY SUGGESTIONS, ANY CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE TO THE MEETING MINUTES? ALL RIGHT, AT THIS TIME I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD REGULAR MEETING OF MARCH 24TH, 2025. SECOND. THERE'S A SECOND BY VICE CHAIR FLOWERS. ALL THOSE, UH, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. MOTION PASSES. 11 ZERO. THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE. WE'LL NOW MOVE [2. Presentation, discussion and approve letters of support for PARD Staff working behind the scenes in the Support Services Division to maintain excellent administrative services across a large, diverse department. (Sponsors: Villalobos, Flowers) (PARD Long Range Strategies: Park Access for All, Urban Public Spaces). Presenter(s): Ben Rustenhaven, Business Process Consultant and David Hillers, Financial Services Division Manager, Parks and Recreation Department. ] ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS, UH, PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION AND APPROVED LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR PAR STAFF WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES IN THE SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISION TO MAINTAIN EXCELLENT ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ACROSS A LARGE DIVERSE DEPARTMENT. UM, DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTERS ON THIS ITEM? WE DO NOT. OKAY. WE'LL BEGIN THE PRESENTATION. GOOD EVENING, OUR MEMBERS. UM, I'M DAVID HILLERS. I'M THE FINANCE MANAGER HERE AT PARK AND REC. I HAVE, UH, BEN WITH ME HERE. HE'S OUR BUSINESS PROCESS CONSULTANT AND WE ARE PLEASED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE, UH, EXCELLENT SERVICES THAT OUR SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISIONS HAVE GIVEN US OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO BEN. OKEY DO, CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE? ALRIGHT. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TONIGHT. I'M EXCITED TO HIGHLIGHT THE WORK OF OUR SUPPORT SERVICES TEAM. YOU KNOW, WHEN MOST PEOPLE THINK ABOUT PARKS AND RECREATION, THEY THINK ABOUT PLAYGROUNDS, TRAILS, POOLS, REC CENTERS, SUMMER CAMP, THAT KIND OF STUFF. BUT BEHIND EVERY PROGRAM AND EVERY SERVICE AS A TEAM, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE PEOPLE, THE TOOLS, THE FUNDING AND THE DATA TO SUCCEED, THE SUPPORT SERVICES MISSION IS TO BE VALUE ADDED BUSINESS PARTNERS THAT GIVE RESULTS. THAT'S WHAT WE DO. AND TONIGHT I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT HOW EACH OF THE DIVISIONS YOU SEE HERE, LISTED IN OR COLORED BLUE ON THE ORG CHART THERE, UH, GET RESULTS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO THE COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT UNIT, CEU AS WE CALL THEM, GETS RESULTS BY KEEPING THE COMMUNITY INFORMED, ENGAGED AND CONNECTED TO OUR PARKS AND PROGRAMS THROUGH STRATEGIC MEDIA OUTREACH AND BRAND MANAGEMENT. CEU BUILDS TRUST AND DRIVES PARTICIPATION. UM, YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THE SLIDE THAT, UH, CEU IS MADE UP OF A COUPLE DIFFERENT, UM, UNITS. HERE WE HAVE PUBLIC INFORMATION AND MEDIA RELATIONS, MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT, WEB AND CREATIVE SERVICES, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, THIS UNIT HAS WON A LOT OF AWARDS, 10 SINCE 2021. UM, SO THEY ARE, UH, DOING GREAT WORK AND, AND GET RECOGNIZED FOR IT. UH, ONE LITTLE DATA POINT THAT WE WANTED TO POINT OUT WAS THAT, UM, WE GET ON AVERAGE 388 MEDIA REQUESTS EACH YEAR, SO MORE THAN ONE PER DAY. UM, AND FY 24, WE ONLY HAD 257, UH, BUT, UH, SOME YEARS ARE, ARE HEAVIER THAN OTHERS. UM, CURRENTLY AT THE CLOSE OF QUARTER TWO, WE HAD 87 MEDIA REQUESTS. BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, UH, THEY START REALLY ROLLING IN, IN Q3. SO WE SHOULD START SEEING, UH, THAT PICKUP HERE IN, UM, MAY AND JUNE. NEXT SLIDE. HR. SO HUMAN RESOURCES, HUMAN RESOURCES GETS RESULTS BY ATTRACTING, HIRING AND RETAINING THE TALENT. OUR DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO DELIVER OUTSTANDING SERVICES. HR ENSURES COMPETITIVE EQUITABLE COMPENSATION AND TRAINING AND SUPPORTS POSITIVE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE. SO HERE ON THE SCREEN WE HAVE, UM, [00:20:01] A FOCUS ON THE EMPLOYMENT AND COMPENSATION TEAM. UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE PICTURES OF THEM OUT AND ABOUT, UH, DOING, UH, ATTENDING JOB FAIRS AND, AND SCHOOL, UH, CAREER FAIRS TRYING TO RECRUIT FOR OUR DEPARTMENT. UM, AND THE PICTURE IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER SHOWS, UM, A, A PRESENTATION THAT HR DOES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY EMPLOYEES AS FAR AS, UH, FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO IMPROVE THEIR, UM, INTERVIEW SKILLS. SO THAT'S A, A TRAINING THAT THEY LEAD FOR, FOR CURRENT EMPLOYEES. UM, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE STATS HERE. YOU KNOW, THEY HIRED 173 FTS LAST YEAR, 76 SO FAR THIS YEAR. WE HAVE A 11% VACANCY RATE, 45 ACTIVE RECRUITMENTS AND EIGHT RE CLASSES IN THE WORKS ALONG WITH THE EMPLOYMENT AND COMPENSATION TEAM. WE ALSO HAVE LEAVE MANAGEMENT AND PAYROLL, ANOTHER UNIT WITHIN HR THAT HELPS, UH, TRACK OUR LEAD, MAKE SURE WE'RE FOLLOWING CITY OF AUSTIN POLICY AND PROCEDURE, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS, UH, PART EMPLOYEES GET ARE BEING OFFERED THE BENEFITS THAT THEY QUALIFY FOR. AND ANOTHER UNIT WITHIN HR IS ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT. THESE ARE THE FOLKS WHO LEAD, UM, NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION, UM, AS WELL AS OTHER TRAININGS FOR CURRENT EMPLOYEES. WE HAVE ONE CALLED DOOR THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW THAT'S, UH, CALLED DEPARTMENT ONGOING ORIENTATION REFRESH FOR ALL THE FOLKS WHO'VE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME AND COULD USE A, A REFRESH ON, UM, THE STUFF THAT'S MENTIONED IN NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION. AND THERE'S ALSO A LEADERSHIP ONE-ON-ONE CLASS FOR CURRENT EMPLOYEES WHO ARE, UH, ASPIRING SUPERVISORS OR MANAGERS. NEXT SLIDE, SAFETY. SO PART SAFETY GETS RESULTS BY PROMOTING A CULTURE OF SAFETY FOR BOTH STAFF AND THE PUBLIC. SO THROUGH PROACTIVE TRAINING, RISK ASSESSMENTS AND INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SAFETY PROTECTS OUR PEOPLE AND OUR OPERATIONS. WHAT YOU SEE ON THE LEFT HERE IS, UM, ONE OF OUR SAFETY TEAM MEMBERS, JOHN NELSON OUT IN THE FIELD, GIVING AN AWARD TO AN EMPLOYEE WHO, UM, SMELLED A FIRE, TRACKED IT DOWN, REPORTED IT, AND WAS ABLE TO LIMIT THE, THE DAMAGE OF, UH, UH, A FIRE. SO HE WAS AWARDED ONE OF OUR, OUR SAFETY AWARDS. AND YOU CAN SEE WE DID SIX OF THOSE LAST YEAR, AND WE'VE ALREADY DONE EIGHT OF THEM IN FY 25. UH, THE, THE SAFETY TEAM IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR FACILITY AND GROUNDS INSPECTIONS. SO YOU CAN SEE THEY DID 315 INSPECTIONS LAST YEAR, AND THEY'VE DONE 143 SO FAR THIS YEAR, AND THEY ALSO DO A LOT OF TRAINING. UM, THEY'VE TRAINED OVER 1600 STAFF IN FY 24 DID OVER 3000 HOURS OF TRAINING AND OVER A HUNDRED COURSES WERE DELIVERED. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HALFWAY THROUGH THIS YEAR AND WE'VE ALREADY, UM, GOTTEN CLOSE TO THOSE NUMBERS AND, AND PROBABLY WILL PASS THEM BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. NEXT SLIDE. FINANCIAL SERVICES, FSD, AS WE CALL THEM, GETS RESULTS BY MANAGING PARTS BY FINANCIAL RESOURCES RESPONSIBLY AND TRANSPARENTLY. FSD SUPPORTS BUDGETING, FORECASTING AND FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY SO THE DEPARTMENT CAN MAXIMIZE ITS IMPACT. IF YOU LOOK AT THE CHARTS ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE HERE, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE BUDGET HAS GROWN OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS. UH, WE DO SEE A, A SHARP INCLINE, UH, BETWEEN FY 24 AND 25. THAT'S DUE TO, UH, PAR TAKING ON THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION UNIT FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. AND SO THE FUNDING AND EMPLOYEES CAME OVER IN THAT TRANSITION. I MEAN, YOU COULD SEE OUR FTE INCREASES OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS AS WELL. SPEAKING ABOUT THE FINANCE AND BUDGET TEAM, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY OVERSEE, UH, OVERSAW $137 MILLION LAST YEAR, 180 MILLION THIS YEAR AND SEE THAT FTE GROWTH BETWEEN FY 24 AND 25, THE ACCOUNTING TEAM WHO'S, UM, RESPONSIBLE FOR, YOU KNOW, PROCESSING, UM, PRO CARD TRANSACTIONS, WHICH ARE THE CITY CREDIT CARDS THAT EMPLOYEES HAVE PROCESSED OVER 26,000, UH, TRANSACTIONS LAST YEAR. AND THEY'RE ALREADY UP TO 13,000 THIS YEAR. AND THE ACCOUNTS PAYABLE TEAM HAS, UM, TURNAROUND TIME OF 23 DAYS IN FY 24, AND WE'VE REDUCED THAT DOWN A DAY IN FY 25, AND ARE HOPING TO LOWER THAT EVEN MORE BY THE END, END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. NEXT SLIDE. INFORMATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT. THAT'S WHAT, UM, I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS WOULD CALL IT. THESE ARE THE FOLKS WHO HELP WITH OUR, UM, TECHNICAL, UM, SOFTWARE, UH, HARDWARE QUESTIONS. UM, THEY GET RESULTS BY PROVIDING RELIABLE MODERN TECHNOLOGY TOOLS THAT HELP STAFF WORK EFFICIENTLY AND SERVE THE PUBLIC EFFECTIVELY. ISM DELIVERS SYSTEM AND HARDWARE SUPPORT ALONG WITH INNOVATION INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS. SO YOU COULD SEE THERE ASSIST THAT IS OUR INTERNAL TICKETING SYSTEM. IT'S CALLED, IT'S A ACRONYM, A SUPER SIMPLE ISSUE SUPPORT TRACKING SYSTEM. THAT IS WHERE EMPLOYEES CAN GO IN AND PUT IN, UM, REQUESTS FOR, YOU KNOW, PERMISSIONS AND REC TRACK OR SHAREPOINT UPGRADES, MAYBE EVEN, UH, HAVE AN APP BUILT FOR THEIR PARTICULAR BUSINESS NEED. SO YOU COULD SEE SOME OF THE STATS THERE FROM THE LAST COUPLE YEARS AS FAR AS WHAT THE ISM TEAM'S BEEN BEEN WORKING ON. UH, THEY HAVE CREATED THESE INTERNAL APPLICATIONS THAT YOU SEE LISTED THERE ON THE BOTTOM LEFT, ALONG WITH ASSIST, THEY HAVE CREATED COPS, WHICH IS FOR CONTRACT PURCHASING POPS, WHICH IS FOR ALL OTHER PURCHASE REQUESTS. UH, THEY'VE HELPED WITH THE PT APP, THAT'S PROGRAM TRACKING. SO ALL OF PARTS PROGRAMS GO THROUGH A A PROCESS, UM, YOU KNOW, A LIFE CYCLE OF APPROVAL, IMPLEMENTATION EVALUATION. AND SO THAT'S TRACKED [00:25:01] IN THE PT APP. AND THEN THERE'S THE TOPS APP, WHICH IS FOR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE ONBOARDING AND OFFBOARDING. AND THEN WE HAVE AN APP CALLED TRIP FOR TRAVEL APPROVAL. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. CONTRACTS, PURCHASING AND GRANTS GETS RESULTS BY SECURING THE GOODS SERVICES AND FUNDING NEEDED FOR OPERATIONS AND STRATEGIC INITIATIVES. CPG ENSURES COMPLIANCE MAXIMIZES VALUE, AND OPENS DOORS TO ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. UM, AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, UM, THEY HAVE THREE, YOU KNOW, THREE MAIN, UH, ITEMS THAT THEY WORK ON. AND JUST A COUPLE OF FIGURES FOR THESE. UH, THE PARD, THE POPS THAT I SPOKE ABOUT IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE PROCESSED OVER 1100 TOTAL REQUESTS LAST YEAR. UH, OVER A THOUSAND WERE APPROVED AND COMPLETED. AND AN FY 25 WERE ALREADY UP TO 500 PLUS TOTAL REQUESTS WITH 402 COMPLETED AND 51 ACTIVE. YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT THE CONTRACTS TEAM MANAGES 346 CONTRACTS. UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE THE GRANTS TEAM WORKING ON FIVE GRANTS FROM THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE, AS WELL AS THE SENIOR TRANSPORTATION GRANT THAT INVOLVES CAP METRO AND CAP COG. AND THERE'S THREE PENDING APPLICATIONS FOR TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE GRANTS WORTH OVER $8 MILLION. AND AN FY 24 CPG PERFORMED 429 DESK REVIEWS OF VARIOUS PARK CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS. NEXT SLIDE RECORDS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS. THE RECORDS AND PEER TEAM GETS RESULTS BY PRESERVING PARTS RECORDS WITH INTEGRITY AND ENSURING TIMELY TRANSPARENT RESPONSES TO PEERS. THIS TEAM SAFEGUARDS PUBLIC TRUST AND MAKES SURE PAR MEETS LEGAL OBLIGATIONS. LOOKING AT THE CHART THERE, YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR PEERS HAVE INCREASED SINCE 2022. EVERY YEAR WE'RE GETTING MORE AND MORE. UM, HOWEVER, OUR AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAYS OPEN HAS DECREASED. SO, UM, WHILE WE'RE GETTING MORE REQUESTS, WE'RE WE'RE TURNING THEM AROUND MORE QUICKLY. AND THAT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, PEERS ARE SOMETHING THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF PARTS CONTROL. UH, FOLKS ARE, CAN SUBMIT AS MANY AS THEY'D LIKE. AND SO, UM, THAT'S A CHALLENGE FOR US WITH THE SMALL TEAM WORKING ON THIS TO, TO GET, UM, THE REQUESTED INFORMATION AND MAKE THE REDACTIONS AND GET THAT TURNED IN, UM, WITHIN THE, UH, LEGALLY REQUIRED TIME LIMITS. AND AS FAR AS RECORDS MANAGEMENT GOES, UM, THE SAME EMPLOYEE THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR PEERS IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR RECORDS MANAGEMENT. AND IN FY 24 COMPLETED 89 DISPOSITION LOGS. AND SO FAR IN FY 25, THEY'VE COMPLETED 21. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT, THAT'S MORE OF MY WHEELHOUSE, WHAT I WORK ON DAY TO DAY. UM, PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT GETS RESULTS BY MEASURING WHAT MATTERS AND USING DATA TO DRIVE IMPROVEMENT. UH, WE ALIGN OUR WORK WITH STRATEGIC GOALS LIKE THE CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE PARK LONG RANGE PLAN. WE TRACK OUTCOMES AND SUPPORT DECISION MAKING ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT. SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE HERE ON THE SCREEN IS A, UM, ONE SLIDE FROM A POWER BI REPORT ON PARTS PERFORMANCE MEASURES. THESE ARE THE SIX KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, UH, FOR OUR DEPARTMENT. AND THESE ARE THE FY 24 ACTUALS, UM, FOR THESE KPIS. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR Y'ALL TODAY. I JUST WANNA CLOSE BY SAYING THAT SUPPORT SERVICES MAY NOT ALWAYS BE VISIBLE TO THE PUBLIC, BUT WE ARE ESSENTIAL TO DELIVERING HIGH QUALITY PARKS, RECREATION, AND COMMUNITY SERVICES. WE'RE PROUD TO BE INTERNAL PARTNERS TO ALL OF THE DIVISIONS THAT HELP THIS DEPARTMENT THRIVE. AND THANK YOU PARKS BOARD FOR ALLOWING US TO PRESENT TONIGHT AND FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND TRUST AS WE CONTINUE HELPING THIS DEPARTMENT GROW AND SERVE THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, BOARD MEMBERS, DOES ANYONE HAVE A, ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? OKAY. CHAIR, CAN I ASK ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE LAST SLIDE? UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU ALL DO. UM, UH, WHO EVALUATES, UH, HARD FOR THE KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS? HOW IS THAT EVALUATION DONE? OKAY, WELL, LOOKING AT THESE SIX, YOU'LL SEE THAT THREE OF THEM ARE RELATED TO THE, UH, BIANNUAL CITIZEN SURVEY. SO THAT IS, THAT GOES OUT TO THE CITIZENS, UM, YOU KNOW, STATISTICALLY VALID SAMPLE OF CITIZENS AND THEY COMPLETE THAT SURVEY AND WE GET THE RESULTS BACK ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS WHO HAVE QUESTIONS RELATED TO THEM ON THAT SURVEY. UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THREE ARE INTERNAL, YOU KNOW, TO TO US, THEY TALK TO OUR FUNDING. UM, YOU CAN SEE THEIR 8, 9, 9 7 FUNDING AND PARTNERSHIPS AND GRANTS PER DOLLAR OF CITY INVESTMENT CAPITAL PROJECTS KIND OF FALLS OFF THERE, BUT, UM, THAT IS TRACKED ON A FIVE YEAR ANNUAL AVERAGE THAT THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT MORE TO THAT CALCULATION, BUT, UM, THAT'S REPORTED ON BY THE PLANNING, UM, PLANNING TEAM IN PART. AND WE ALSO HAVE, UH, LET'S SEE, PERCENT OF FOLKS WHO, PERCENT OF PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE RECEIVING FINANCIAL AID THAT'S TRACKED THROUGH THE CENTRALIZED PROGRAMS DIVISION. THEY, THEY TAKE A LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY SCHOLARSHIPS WERE AWARDED, HOW MANY WERE UTILIZED, AND THEN WE, WE RUN THAT ACROSS ALL OF THE REGISTRATIONS TO GET THAT, THAT MEASURE THERE. AND WHERE IS THE OTHER 1% OF RESIDENTS WHO HAVE ACCESS TO PARKS TRAIL AND OPEN SPACE? THAT IS, UH, ONE OF OUR KPIS THAT IS ALSO A SD 23 MEASURE AND A CURRENT CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN MEASURE THAT, ONCE AGAIN, THE PARK PLANNING TEAM, [00:30:01] SPECIFICALLY THE GIS FOLKS RUN THE ANALYSIS EACH YEAR AND, AND, AND TELL HOW MANY FOLKS LIVE WITHIN A HALF MILE, UM, WALK TO A PARK OR A QUARTER MILE IN THE URBAN CORE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. BOARD MEMBER BECKER. OH YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY IN MY CAPACITY AS THE CHAIR OF THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE, I WORK WITH THE CONTRACTS, PURCHASING AND GRANTS UNIT TEAM QUITE A BIT AND HAVE ALWAYS BEEN IMPRESSED BY THEIR DEDICATION AND PROFESSIONALISM. CERTAINLY THEIR ABILITY TO MANAGE THE SIGNIFICANT WORKLOAD THAT THEY HAVE. JUST WANTED TO, UH, THROW MY SUPPORT BEHIND THAT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS? ALRIGHT. UM, BEFORE YOU SIT BACK, UM, I WANNA READ THIS LETTER AND THEN ASK, I'M GONNA ASK A MOTION FROM THE BOARD. SO IT'S DATED APRIL THE 28TH, 2025, AND IT'S, UH, ADDRESSED, UH, UH, THE PARKS AND RECREATION SUPPORT SERVICE STAFF. ON BEHALF OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD. WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS YOUR SINCERE APPRECIATION FOR THE SURROUNDING WORK THAT YOU DO IN SUPPORTING THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. SUPPORT SERVICES ARE THE BACKBONE OF A DEPARTMENT'S SUCCESS. YOUR EFFORTS IN OPTIMIZING AND IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY OF THE DEPARTMENT'S OPERATION HELP ENABLE THE REST OF THE DEPARTMENT TO TRULY EXCEL IN THEIR GOALS OF SERVING RESIDENTS. CITYWIDE WITH DEDICATED PROFESSIONAL SPANNING AREAS SUCH AS COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT, HR, SAFETY, FINANCIAL SERVICES, CONTRACTS, PURCHASING AND GRANTS, INFORMATION SYSTEM MANAGEMENT AND RECORDS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT. YOU ELEVATE THE QUALITY OF PAR OPERATION, MAINTENANCE, OPERATIONS, AND MAINTENANCE WHILE UPHOLDING EQUITABLE PARK ACCESS AND ENSURING A SUSTAIN, SUSTAINABLE AND WELL BALANCED BUDGET. SUPPORTING SUCH A LARGE, LARGE AND DIVERSE DEPARTMENT IS NO EASY TASKING. YOUR TEAM GIVES THEIR FULL EFFORT EVERY DAY. THE VOLUME OF REQUESTS THAT YOU FULFILL IN A GIVEN YEAR ACROSS ALL AREAS IS, IS SUBSTANTIAL. AND YOU HAVE RIGHTFULLY RECEIVED FORMAL RECOGNITION FOR YOUR MANY EFFORTS. NO DEPARTMENT COULD FUNCTION WITHOUT A DEDICATED TEAM KEEPING THE TRAINS RUNNING IN THE BACKGROUND. AND FOR THAT, WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL. EVERY RESIDENT ENJOYS A DAY OUT IN THE PARK, EVERY DAY, EVERY DAY RESIDENT, EVERY, EVERY, SORRY, SORRY. EVERY RESIDENT ENJOY THE DAY OUT IN THE PARK, SEES THE INDIRECT IMPACT OF YOUR EFFORTS, WHICH TOUCH EVERY ASPECT OF THE DEPARTMENT, WHETHER IT'S FULFILLING A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST, SUPPORTING EMPLOYEE SAFETY TRAINING, OR MANAGING THE DEPARTMENT SOCIAL MEDIA. YOUR TEAM DOES IT ALL WITH POSITIVITY AND DEDICATION THAT YOU SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF. YOUR WORK DOES NOT GO UNNOTICED. AND WE ARE INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR THE EXPERTISE, DEDICATION, AND PASSION YOU BRING TO SERVING PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES. AND ENSURING EVERY EMPLOYEE CAN FOCUS FULLY ON THEIR CONTRIBUTE CONTRIBUTION, KNOWING THAT THE DETAILS IN THE BACKGROUND ARE TAKEN CARE OF, KINDEST REGARD, AND ASSIGN THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD. UM, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THE, YOUR OUTSTANDING WORK, UH, BOARD MEMBERS AT THIS TIME. I'M GONNA JUST ASK FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE LETTER ANY SECOND. MAKING THE MOTION, OR, I'M SORRY, I, I'M, I'M MAKING A MOTION TO APPROVE THE, UH, UH, APPROVE A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR PARTS STAFF WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES IN THE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES DIVISION TO MAINTAIN EXCELLENT ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ACROSS A LARGE DIVERSE DEPARTMENT. I'M MAKING THAT MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. THERE'S A SECOND. FROM BOARD MEMBER MERIT. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE OR RAISE YOUR HAND. ALRIGHT. MOTION CARRIES. 11 ZERO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, BOARD [3. Conduct officer elections for Chair and Vice Chair of the Parks and Recreation Board. ] MEMBERS, WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE, ANY PUBLIC COMMENTERS. WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER, SCOTT COBB. UH, MY NAME IS SCOTT COBB AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE LEADERSHIP AS WELL AS MEMBERSHIP OF THIS COMMITTEE OR COMMISSION BOARD. AND THAT IS PROGRESSIVE VALUES THAT DON'T SHRINK AWAY FROM PEOPLE WHO MIGHT INTIMIDATE YOU OR GET YOU TO BE SILENT OR WANT YOU TO GO AWAY OR SHUT UP. THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENED TO ME OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS. IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO INTIMIDATE ME THOUGH. AND I WANT SOMEBODY WHO'S UP THERE WHO WON'T BE INTIMIDATED. I KNOW YOU'RE UP THERE. I ALSO DON'T BELIEVE IN ELECTIONS THAT ARE NOT CONTESTED. I BELIEVE IN DEMOCRACY. I BELIEVE YOU SAY, THIS IS WHAT I STAND FOR, THIS IS WHAT I'M RUNNING ON. VOTE FOR ME OR VOTE FOR THEM. THAT'S DEMOCRACY. ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE BEEN INTIMIDATED, TRIED PEOPLE TRY TO INTIMIDATE ME. I FAILED TO MENTION EARLIER IS THAT THE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND GROOMING THAT TOOK PLACE, ALSO INVOLVED MANAGERS PROVIDING DRUGS TO LIFEGUARDS AND [00:35:01] THEN HAVING DATING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM. IF I HAD NOT, IF I HAD GIVEN UP, THERE WOULD NOT BE AN EXTERNAL INVESTIGATION. AND I KNOW THERE ARE ISSUES THAT YOU BELIEVE IN THAT WILL NOT COME FORWARD IF YOU DO NOT RUN FOR OFFICE, WHETHER IT'S OFFICE HERE, OFFICE AT THE LEGISLATURE, CITY COUNCIL, STAND UP. TELL US WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN AND RUN FOR OFFICE I'D, HOW YOU MAKE SOCIETY BETTER. I'VE ALREADY MADE, I BELIEVE AQUATICS BETTER. WE PUSHED FOR A LIVING WAGE. THAT'S THE ONLY REASON YOU'RE ABLE TO HIRE A THOUSAND LIFEGUARDS. NOW, MANAGEMENT ONLY WON AT $1 OR $500 BONUS. WE PUSHED AND PUSHED WHEN IN THE MEDIA WE WERE TOLD, DO NOT SPEAK TO THE MEDIA, BUT I KNOW MY CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. I WILL SPEAK TO THE MEDIA WHEN I'M PUSHING MY AGENDA, AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT IN A LEADER OF THESE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. DO NOT SHIRK AWAY FROM SPEAKING OUT. LET'S HAVE AN ELECTION AND VOTE FOR THE PEOPLE YOU BELIEVE IN WHO SHARE YOUR VALUES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THAT BEING THE ONLY SPEAKER. WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE. UM, BOARD MEMBERS. I BELIEVE EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED, UH, THE SAME EMAIL FROM MR. BECK. UH, I THINK HE SENT THAT OUT THREE TIMES AND HE ALSO, UH, PROVIDED FOR US, UM, HERE IN WRITTEN FORMAT. SO, UM, AT THIS TIME, THAT BEING SET, UH, AT THIS TIME, UH, I'LL GIVE EVERYONE JUST A FEW SECONDS TO JUST CATCH UP ON THIS, BUT IF NOT, WE'LL BEGIN. SO THE FIRST THING THAT WE'LL TAKE UP IS THE ELECTION FOR, UH, CHAIR, UH, FOR A, THE TERM TO BEGIN ON MAY THE FIRST, 2025. UM, I'M GOING TO, I'M NOT RUNNING FOR CHAIR AGAIN, SO DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT. UM, AND, UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID IS I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE, UM, BOARD MEMBER STEPHANIE WASON FROM DISTRICT FIVE TO BE THE NEXT PARKS BOARD CHAIR. THE REASON THAT I BELIEVE THAT SHE IS VERY QUALIFIED TO BE ON THE PARKS BOARD, UH, TO BE THE NEXT CHAIR IS BECAUSE SHE HAS, UH, DEMONSTRATED THAT SHE'S DEDICATED TO SHOWING UP TO THE MEETINGS. SHE ALSO, UH, DOES HER HOMEWORK, UM, AND ASKS GOOD QUESTIONS. UM, UH, EVERY TIME THAT WE, UH, CONFRONT SOMETHING, WHETHER IT'S CONTROVERSIAL OR NOT CONTROVERSIAL, UM, SHE'S ABLE TO, UH, REALLY ASSERT HERSELF, UM, AND GET DOWN TO THE DETAILS THAT NEED TO BE ASKED AND, AND ALL THAT TYPE OF STUFF. UM, I BELIEVE THAT SHE HAS THE TEMPERAMENT IN ORDER TO LEAD THESE MEETINGS PROFESSIONALLY, UH, AS WELL, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT. UM, AS YOU CAN, AS MANY US KNOW, THESE BOARD MEETINGS CAN GET TESTY AT TIMES. AND, AND I HAVE KNOWN, I HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO LOSE MY TEMPER AS, SO I BELIEVE THAT A BOARD MEMBER , UM, IS A MUCH BETTER PERSON THAN I AM IN THAT REGARD. UM, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO ELECT SOMEONE THAT REFLECTS THE COMMUNITY. UM, I WAS DOING A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH BEFORE THE MEETING STARTED, AND, UM, UNLESS THIS IS MISTAKEN, WHICH IT COULD BE, UM, THE PARKS, THE, THE FIRST ITERATION OF THE PARKS AND PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD WAS CREATED IN 1928. DURING THAT TIME, SINCE 1928, WHICH WERE THREE YEARS SHY OF. SO THE PARKS BOARD HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR 97 YEARS. UM, THERE HAS ONLY BEEN ONE LATINA CHAIR, AND IT'S NEARLY 100 YEAR HISTORY AND ONLY ONE LATINO CHAIR THAT BEING ME. UM, SO I BELIEVE THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ELEVATE VOICES THAT HAVE NE HAVEN'T NECESSARILY HAD A SEAT AT THE TABLE. SO WHAT BETTER WAY TO ELEVATE A VOICE THAN TO PUT THEM AT THAT HEAD TO PUT, NOT JUST PUT THEM AT THE TABLE, BUT PUT 'EM AT THE HEAD OF THE TABLE. SO FOR THOSE REASONS, I NOMINATE, UH, BOARD MEMBERS. STEPHANIE WAS ON. UM, AT THIS TIME, I WILL, UH, ASK IF THERE IS A SECOND ON THAT MOTION. I'LL SECOND. THERE'S A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER, UH, BECKER, UH, BOARD MEMBER. UH, STEPHANIE BAAN, DO YOU ACCEPT THE NOMINATION? I DO ACCEPT THE NOMINATION. THANK YOU. UH, CHAIR VILLALOBOS AND THANK YOU, UH, BOARD MEMBER BECKER. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, THERE BEING A NOMINATION AND THERE BEING A SECOND, UH, THERE MUST THERE THE MOTION MUST BE RESOLVED WITH A STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN VOTE. SO AT THIS TIME I WILL ASK DISCUSSION. OH, A SECOND THEN JUST, OH, SORRY, SORRY. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION ON THAT MOTION? I, I SKIPPED AHEAD. SORRY, Y'ALL. ANY DISCUSSION? YEAH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO, UM, ASK BOARD MEMBER BAAN [00:40:01] WHAT YOUR VISION FOR THE PARKS BOARD MOVING FORWARD WOULD BE. WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES? WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THIS BOARD ACCOMPLISH? UM, AS CHAIR? YEAH, I THINK MY VISION WOULD ECHO THE VISION OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. SO THE VISION IS REALLY TO, UM, HAVE INNOVATE, BE AN INNOVATIVE LEADER IN THE PARKS AND RECREATION SPACE, UM, FOR OUR DEPARTMENT. AND SO TO DO THAT, I THINK YOU NEED TO HAVE A CHAIR AND A, A GROUP WITH THEM ALONGSIDE THEM WHO'S WILLING TO DO THAT AND HAVE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS AND BRING THINGS, UM, TO THE FOREFRONT THAT MAYBE HAVEN'T BEEN THOUGHT OF BEFORE OR HAVE, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, TRY IT A DIFFERENT WAY. UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO ME, AND I HEAR THAT FROM OUR COMMUNITY AND FROM PEOPLE WHO, WHO SIT UP HERE WITH ME, UM, IS THE FUNDING AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO SUPPORT OUR, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, NOT JUST IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO, BUT REALLY FOR YEARS TO COME, FOR WHEN WE'RE NOT HERE ANYMORE. SO HOW ARE WE CREATING THAT SUSTAINABLE FUTURE? UM, AND AGAIN, IT'S NOTHING THAT, THAT I WOULD DO ALONE OR EVEN THE, THE PARK STAFF WOULD DO ALONE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DO TOGETHER IN COMMUNITY. UM, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT, YOU KNOW, I ORIGINALLY RAN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE AND TOOK MYSELF OFF THE, YOU KNOW, BACK AND, AND INTO PUBLIC SPACE, WAS TO PROMOTE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE AND TO HAVE ACCESS FOR FOLKS AND MAKE SURE THAT COMMUNITY VOICES WHO WEREN'T TRADITIONALLY HEARD WERE HEARD. AND I KNOW THAT IT'S OUR, IT'S OUR ROLE AS WELL TO BRING THOSE VOICES TO THE TABLE. UM, AND AGAIN, APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES DO. UM, NOT JUST ON THESE MONDAYS, BUT DAY IN, DAY OUT WHEN WE'RE ANSWERING EMAILS OR WHEN WE'RE SPEAKING TO SOMEBODY AT A DOG PARK AND REALLY ASKING QUESTIONS AND LISTENING TO THEM AND BRINGING THOSE THINGS TO THE TABLE. SO, UM, IT'S MORE THAN JUST ONE, UH, ONE THING. AGAIN, THE FUNDING IS A BIG PIECE, BUT IT'S THE EVERYDAY HOW PEOPLE ARE TRULY ACCESSING THESE SPACES. WHETHER THEY'RE SOMEBODY AT A SENIOR CENTER WHO'S UPSET THAT THEIR SENIOR CENTER DOESN'T LOOK AS NICE AS THE ONE ACROSS THE WAY, AND WHAT IS REALLY THE ROOT OF THAT, YOU KNOW, AND HOW CAN WE HELP THEM THERE? UM, OR IF IT'S SOMEBODY WHO, UM, IS WANTING A SPLASH PAD IN THEIR AREA BECAUSE THERE'S NOWHERE TO GO AND COOL OFF IN THE SUMMER. AND SO JUST BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT A RANGE OF THOSE THINGS AND, UM, KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE THINGS. WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET AS THE, AS A WHOLE RECENTLY, WE HAD TO MAKE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, PUT A FEW THINGS TO THE FOREFRONT, BUT THAT DOESN'T SAY THAT WE DON'T CARE ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY. IT SAYS THAT WE'RE PRIORITIZING SO THAT WE CAN MOVE A FEW THINGS FORWARD AND THEN CONTINUE TO GROW AS A, AS A GROUP. SO, UM, AGAIN, BUDGET, MAKING SURE COMMUNITY VOICES ARE HEARD, CONTINUING THE RECOGNITION THAT CHAIR VILLALOBOS HAS BROUGHT FORTH. UM, WHETHER WE'RE RECOGNIZING STAFF OR SERVICES OR PROGRAMMING, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WE'RE UP HERE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THERE'S CHALLENGES. THERE'S THINGS THAT ARE REALLY HARD TO TALK ABOUT. WE'RE MAKING TOUGH DECISIONS, SO IT'S NICE TO BALANCE THAT WITH THE GOOD THAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENTS. UM, SO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE REALLY TRANSPARENT AS WELL. AND, UH, SHARING WITH OUR, WITH OUR COMMUNITY WHO CAN'T, WHO CAN'T READ ALL THE REPORTS AND CAN'T DO ALL THE BACKGROUND LIKE THAT IS, UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, PART OF OUR JOB TO BRING THAT OUT. UM, AND BITE SIZE WISE. SO I'M GONNA STOP NOW, BUT , THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU. THAT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? BOARD MEMBERS? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AT THIS TIME I WILL GO AND, UH, ASK FOR A VOTE. ALL, UH, THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL THOSE OPPOSED ALL IS ABSTAINING CHAIR. I'M GONNA ABSTAIN AS I'M ROLLING OFF THE PARKS BOARD. ALRIGHT, MO, MOTION CARRIES 10 0 1. UH, CONGRATULATIONS, . UM, THE NEXT, UH, ELECTION WE HAVE TO TAKE UP IS AN ELECTION FOR VICE CHAIR THERE. UM, ANY, IS THERE ANY MOTION OR NOMIN OR ANY MOTION OR NOMINATION? UM, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, REELECT, UM, BOARD MEMBER FLOWERS. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION. UM, I'LL SECOND. THERE'S A SECOND BY, UH, OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER BECKER. THERE'S A SECOND BY, UH, BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN, UH, VICE CHAIR FLOWERS. DO YOU ACCEPT? I'LL ACCEPT. ALRIGHT. THERE IS A DEC ACCEPT THERE'S BEEN AN ACCEPTANCE. UM, WE'LL NOW TAKE UP DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION. UM, JUST SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, I'VE APPRECIATED, UM, VICE CHAIR OF FLOWERS, UH, [00:45:01] CONTRIBUTIONS AND THE TIME THAT I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, SHE'S ALWAYS BEEN, SHE'S VERY, SHE'S VERY PRESENT, SHE'S VERY ACTIVE. SHE OFTEN STATES THINGS THAT, UH, I WISH I HAD SAID FIRST AND BUT MUCH MORE CLEARLY DIRECTLY THAN I THINK I WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO MYSELF. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. LIKE SHE HAS A FANTASTIC SORT OF, UM, EYE FOR QUESTIONING AND DEBATE. JUST APPRECIATE HER TIME THAT SHE'S ALREADY SPENT AS VICE CHAIR AND WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF SHE CONTINUED. THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? UM, I JUST WANTED TO OFFER THAT I HAD ALSO, AND IN FAVOR OF THIS, I APPRECIATE THE STABILITY THAT IT BRINGS TO, TO OUR BOARD AND, UM, JUST THE, THE POLICY BACKGROUND AND ALL THE, UM, EXTRA KNOWLEDGE THAT SHE BRINGS THIS TABLE. IT'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OFTEN SOMETHING WHERE IT COMES UP AND I'M JUST NOT SURE THE ANSWER OF IT. AND WE CAN GO TO, UM, CHAIR FLOWERS AND SHE'S GOT, SHE'S GOT THE WONKY ANSWER, IF YOU WILL. AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT, APPRECIATE THAT. AND AS OUR MOST SENIOR MEMBER, I THINK IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. THAT'S TRUE. YEAH. , THAT IS TRUE. UM, WHO IS BOARD MEMBER? I APOLOGIZE, THAT'S MY NOT BEING HERE WHEN Y'ALL ARE HERE FIRST. SORRY. YEAH, UH, SORRY ABOUT THAT. UM, ALRIGHT, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? I WOULD JUST ECHO WHAT THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ALREADY SAID, WHICH IS THAT I APPRECIATE, UH, VICE CHAIR FLOWERS IS A DECISIVE, UH, LEADERSHIP AND HER EXPERIENCE ON THE BOARD SO FAR. SO, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. ALRIGHT, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? I'LL ASK THE SAME QUESTION. VICE CHAIR FLOWERS. WHAT DO YOU SEE MOVING FORWARD AS PRIORITIES FOR US TO ACCOMPLISH AS A PARK PARKS BOARD? YEAH, SURE. BOARD MEMBER REED, I MEAN, I DON'T THINK I COULD SAY IT MORE ELOQUENTLY THAN BOARD MEMBER BISON ALREADY DID. UM, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS IN THE ROLE OF THE VICE CHAIR, MY GOAL IS TO SUPPORT THE CHAIR. UM, THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN MY ROLE WITH CHAIR VILLALOBOS. AND I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO ME, PERIOD, IS EQUITABLE ACCESS TO OUR CITIES PARKS. UM, SOMETHING THAT I KNOW BOARD MEMBER BISON IS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT. UM, OBVIOUSLY I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT MY DISTRICT, BUT THERE ARE MANY PARTS OF TOWN THAT DO NOT HAVE THE SAME ACCESS AS OTHERS TO FACILITIES, TO, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES. AND MAKING SURE THAT THOSE ARE HIGHLIGHTED HERE IS, UM, CERTAINLY A PRIORITY. I THINK FUNDING, IT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE THAT FUNDING IS GONNA CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM, I THINK AT THE, FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE, NOT JUST FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD. AND SO I THINK WE HAVE TO FACE THAT ISSUE HEAD ON. UM, THOSE WOULD PROBABLY BE THE TWO THINGS I WOULD CALL OUT. I COULD CERTAINLY LIST MANY MORE. I THINK ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT OUR PARK SYSTEM IS IT IS VERY WELL LOVED AND THERE WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO SERVE EVERYONE. SO I THINK IF WE CAN FOCUS ON, UH, ALLOWING THERE TO BE MORE ACCESS FOR MORE PEOPLE, MORE EQUITABLY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ADVOCATING FOR FUNDING FOR THE DEPARTMENT, THAT WOULD BE WHERE I THINK WE SHOULD SPEND OUR TIME. BUT IN MY ROLE AS VICE CHAIR, I REALLY VIEW IT AS SUPPORTING AND HELPING TO AMPLIFY, UH, THE, THE CHAIR'S, UH, PRIORITIES AND THAT OF THE BOARD AS A WHOLE. THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? UM, I, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY ONE THING. I AM, UH, A NEW MEMBER TO THIS COMMISSION AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU. AND, UM, THIS IS MY SECOND MEETING AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE HONEST, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HEAR A SERIOUS ALLEGATION, UH, COMING IN FRONT OF THIS BOARD. AND, UH, I AM NOT EXPERIENCED AND, UH, I'M LOOKING, UH, UP TO THE, TO YOU GUYS AND THE EXPERIENCED PEOPLE, AND ESPECIALLY THE CHAIR AND THE, AND THE FUTURE CO-CHAIR TO, UM, WORK, UM, TOWARD TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND JUSTICE FOR THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN. UM, I'M ONLY BRINGING THIS UP HERE WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ELECTIONS BECAUSE I'M JUST SHAKEN HEARING WHAT HAS BEEN, UM, ECHOED IN THE CHAMBER TODAY. AND, UM, UM, UM, SO I, I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, WORKING WITH THE CHAIR AND THE NEW, UM, UH, VICE CHAIR AND, UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING TO ADDRESS, UM, THE PUBLIC CONCERNS, UM, SERIOUSLY AND TRANSPARENTLY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? YES. YES. HI, DIANE ZOSTER FIRST MEETING. UM, I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT, UH, THAT I APPRECIATE BOTH OF YOU SAYING THAT ACCESS TO CITY PARKS IS A GOING TO BE A PRIORITY. I HAVE A YOUNG ADULT SON WITH MULTIPLE DISABILITIES AND HE USES A WHEELCHAIR AND ACCESSES FREQUENTLY A PROBLEM FOR HIM. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE ENTIRE BOARD ON IMPROVING THAT FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS AND VISITORS TO AUSTIN, UH, WHO HAVE DISABILITIES AND MAKING OUR PARKS, YOU KNOW, UM, MOVE UP FROM NUMBER 44, WHICH [00:50:01] WAS A SAD NUMBER. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, AT THIS TIME I'LL TAKE A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALRIGHT. ALL THOSE OPPOSED, ALL THOSE ABSTAINING. ALRIGHT, MOTION CARRIES. 9 0 2, CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEW CHAIR AND OUR RETURNING VICE CHAIR. UM, THAT BEING SAID, I WILL JUST TAKE THIS TIME AS IT RELATES. I'M VERY, VERY, I'M, I'M, I'M STRETCHING THE DEFINITION OF AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, BUT JUST TO THANK A BOARD MEMBER, UH, REED, UH, FOR HER SERVICE, HER AND I STARTED, UM, AT THE SAME TIME. UM, AND TODAY'S GONNA BE HER LAST MEETING. SO, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE DEDICATION THAT YOU'VE SHOWN. I KNOW WE HAVEN'T AGREED ON A LOT OF STUFF AND WE HAVE AGREED ON A LOT OF STUFF, BUT JUST BEING ABLE TO TALK TO YOU, UH, THROUGH THESE ISSUES HAS DEFINITELY ELEVATED MY, UM, UNDERSTANDING OF A LOT OF ONGOINGS IN AUSTIN. AND I KNOW YOU BRING A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE, UM, TO, TO THE BOARD, UM, AND TO ALL OF US. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE ON THE PARKS BOARD AND WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT WE GOT TO SPEND WITH YOU HERE ON THE DA. AND, UM, I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF WE CONTINUE TO SEE YOU JUST A FEW, JUST A FEW FEET AWAY. A FEW ADDING A FEW MORE FEET TO US THOUGH. UM, THANK YOU. ON THE OTHER SIDE AS A CITIZEN . YEAH. YEAH, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, BOARD MEMBER. THANK YOU CHAIR VILLALOBOS. UM, ALRIGHT, WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO [4. 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). Presenter(s): Jesús Aguirre, Parks and Recreation Director. ] AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR. UM, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER, KATHLEEN SCHNEEMAN. HELLO. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. IT'S SO NICE TO SEE YOU ALL AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO ON THE PARKS BOARD. KATHLEEN LY SCHNEEMAN ON THE CEO FOR EXPLORE AUSTIN. WE ARE OPERATING MOSTLY OUT OF D ONE. WE ARE A NONPROFIT 20 YEARS, UM, IN EXISTENCE AND WE SERVE YOUTH IN OUTDOOR ADVENTURE PROGRAMMING. SO WE PADDLE, WE BACKPACK, WE, UH, CLIMB AND UH, MOUNTAIN BIKE THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR PARKS FOR NINE MONTHS OF THE YEAR THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. AND THEN WE'RE UP AND OUT IN THE SUMMER TO ALL OF OUR JUST AMAZING WILDERNESS LOCATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. ADDITIONALLY, AS A CITIZEN, I LIVE IN D FIVE AND I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH PARKS FOR OVER A DECADE AND VERY MUCH INVOLVED THROUGHOUT THE YEARS IN VARIOUS ROLES THAT I'VE BEEN IN WITH THE AQUATICS DEPARTMENT AND OTHER, UH, DEPARTMENTS WITHIN PARD. REALLY JUST GREATLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS. SO WHILE I WAS AT THE YMCA, I GOT TO WORK WITH THE AQUATICS DEPARTMENT ON BRINGING FORWARD A LIFEGUARD TRAINING PROGRAM WHERE WE LEARNED TO, WE TAUGHT CHILDREN HOW TO SWIM AND FROM LEARNING HOW TO SWIM LBJ AND THEN REAGAN HIGH SCHOOL THEN BECAME LIFEGUARDS. SO THIS IS THE TYPE OF THING WE CAN DO WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER. I'VE ALSO BEEN ON THE PEACE PARK BOARD AND INVOLVED WITH WHAT WAS JUST AN INCREDIBLY RICH OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD OUT THAT AMAZING SPACE THAT TRULY COULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED OTHERWISE. UH, NOW AS THE HEAD OF EXPLORE AUSTIN, WE'VE PURCHASED PROPERTY IN D ONE NEAR WALT TREE LONG PARK, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL THAT WE PLAN TO DO IN THAT AREA AND WHAT IS TENDS TO BE AN UNDERUTILIZED PARK AT THE MOMENT. WE SERVE 300 YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES. THEY'RE EAGER TO BE OUTSIDE, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SPACE. UM, SOME OF THEM ARE FEE-BASED AS WE LONG IS, WE'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT OVER TIME. VERY MUCH WANNA KEEP REITERATING THE IMPORTANCE OF ALL THESE PARTNERSHIPS AND I FEAR THAT WE DON'T HEAR THAT ENOUGH. AND THE NUANCE OF ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING BOTH PUBLICLY AND WITH YOU AND PRIVATELY TOGETHER. ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERING PROGRAM WAS ABLE TO BRING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNER OR, UH, PARTNERING, UH, PARK TOGETHER MANY YEARS AGO, 2012. AGAIN, THAT WAS THROUGH JUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHICH WAS RICH AND ROBUST. SO GRATEFUL FOR STEPHANIE BISON AS OUR D FIVE REP. HUGE BELIEVER IN THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PIECE, WHICH CAN ALWAYS FEEL A BIT LACKING. AND I THINK THE MOST JUST CRITICAL ASPECT IS MAKING SURE WE'RE GETTING TO WHERE ALL THE PEOPLE ARE AND, UH, AND WORKING WITH THEM DIRECTLY. SO THANK YOU. APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO. THANKS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR THANK YOU SO MUCH. PARDON? I SAID THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU BET. ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTERS? ALRIGHT, THAT BEING THE LAST ONE, UH, DIRECTOR AGUIRE, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS NEW PRESENTATION. WE, [00:55:01] I'LL STAND, IT'S VERY BRIGHT HERE. GOOD EVENING, . UM, AND, AND CHAIR , THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE AND, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOU CONTINUING TO, TO SERVE ON THE BOARD. UH, VICE CHAIR FLOWERS, THANK YOU FOR AGREEING TO CONTINUE TO, TO SUPPORT AND, AND OF COURSE, CHAIR-ELECT BAAN. THANKS FOR STEPPING UP AND, AND BEING WILLING TO, TO SERVE. UH, I ALSO WANNA JUST BRIEFLY ALSO THANK BOARD MEMBER REED FOR ALL OF HER GREAT ADVOCACY. AND I ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE AND AGREE THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE ON OUR SIDE OF THE DAIS, UH, NEXT MONTH AND CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO PARKS AND RECREATION AND TO THE RESIDENTS. UM, I DO WANNA, SO, SO WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO, TO CREATE A DIFFERENT, UM, UH, SORT OF FORMAT FOR THE DIRECTOR'S UPDATE JUST TO GIVE YOU ALL INFORMATION. AS, AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM THE VARIOUS PRESENTATIONS, UH, EACH MONTH, UH, THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT IS A PRETTY BROAD DEPARTMENT IN TERMS OF THE SCOPE AND RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE, AND IT'S A PRETTY COMPLICATED DEPARTMENT IN TERMS OF ALL THE VARIOUS DIVISIONS. UH, SO WE'LL, WE'LL ATTEMPT TO DO, UH, WITH THESE UPDATES IS JUST, UM, GET, GET SOME, SOME HIGH LEVEL UPDATES FROM EACH OF THE DIVISIONS, EACH OF THE, THE OVERALL DIVISIONS, SO YOU GET A FLAVOR OF, OF THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE DEPARTMENT. SO I'LL GO THROUGH THESE AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, ANY QUESTIONS THAT MIGHT COME UP. I DO WANNA VERY BRIEFLY JUST RESPOND TO SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT. AND FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANNA, UM, UH, JUST ASSURE THE BOARD, UH, THAT WE AT THE DEPARTMENT TAKE ALL ALLEGATIONS OF, OF ANY MISCONDUCT SERIOUSLY. AND OUR GOAL REALLY IS TO MAKE SURE, SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE AT THE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION, BE THEY LONGTIME EMPLOYEES OR NEW EMPLOYEES, UH, FEEL SAFE AND, AND ARE SUPPORTED AND ABLE TO DO THEIR WORK. UH, WE DO, UM, INVESTIGATE THESE ALLEGATIONS, WHETHER WE DO 'EM INTERNALLY AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HUMAN RESOURCE RESOURCES DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN WITH AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT. UM, WE, WE ALL ARE ALSO ENGAGING, UH, WITH A THIRD PARTY REVIEW OF SOME OF THESE INVESTIGATIONS JUST TO MAKE SURE AND, AND GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THESE AGAIN. AND WE'RE ALSO DOING A THIRD PARTY, UM, SORT OF CULTURAL SCAN OF THE, OF THE DIVISION TO REALLY GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S HAPPENING, THEIR POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND TRY TO GET SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT, AGAIN, WE CAN CONTINUE TO ENSURE THAT EVERYBODY, UH, WHO COMES TO THIS DEPARTMENT, UH, FEELS SAFE AND IS ABLE TO DO THEIR WORK. UM, I ALSO WANNA JUST EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION TO ALL THE PARTNERS THAT CAME UP TONIGHT TO, TO SHARE THEIR, THEIR GREAT WORK. UH, AS, AS VICE CHAIR FLOWERS MENTIONED, I I, I ABSOLUTELY AGREE THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS DEPARTMENT AND THE WORK THAT WE DO IS, IS WELL LOVED, BUT THERE NEVER WILL BE ENOUGH, UH, RESOURCES FOR US TO MEET ALL OF THE NEEDS AND DEMANDS OF EVERY RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN. UH, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CASE IN ANY CITY, SO DON'T FEEL BAD. I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S JUST TRUE OF THE, THE NATURE OF THE WORK. UH, AND SO WE CAN'T DO OUR WORK, OUR PARTNERSHIPS, UM, AND, AND WE'RE REALLY FORTUNATE HERE IN AUSTIN TO HAVE LOTS OF FOLKS WHO ARE WILLING TO STEP UP AND HELP. UH, CERTAINLY WE NEED TO DO BETTER, UH, TO, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AND, AND JUST DO BETTER ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT, UM, THE WORK THAT OUR PARTNERS ARE DOING IS FULLY IN SUPPORT AND IN LINE WITH THE MISSION AND THE VISION AND THE VALUES OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. AND THEN WE'RE HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE AND ALSO HOLDING OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE. AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT WORK, UH, WITH YOU ALL AND WITH ALL OUR PARTNERS. UM, WITH THAT SAID, I'LL, I'LL JUMP INTO THE REPORT, UM, EVERYBODY BUT NEEDS ME KNOWS HOW TO USE THIS. OKAY. UM, AND, AND I'LL START US OFF WITH JUST, JUST GENERALLY, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO GROUND OURSELVES IN, IN THE OVERALL VISION AND MISSION OF THE DEPARTMENT. AND, AND WE'RE HERE TO SERVE EVERY SINGLE AUSTINITE AND ALL OF THE, THE VISITORS TO, TO INSPIRE AUSTIN TO LEARN, PLAN AND PROTECT. LEARN TO LEARN AND PLAY, AND THEN ALSO PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT AND THEN CONNECT TO EACH OTHER. UM, YOU KNOW, WE HIGHLIGHTED ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE GOALS HERE IN SHORE PARK LAND OFFERS RELIEF FROM URBAN LIFE IS ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE SORT OF KEY DRIVERS OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. UH, AND IT ALIGNS WITH THE CITY'S STRATEGIC PLAN. UM, I'M SO GLAD TO HEAR, UH, FOLKS TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WALKABLE ACCESS AND, AND, AND I, I AGREE OUR PARK SCORE ISN'T WHERE WE WANT IT TO BE, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THAT. AND, AND UNFORTUNATELY, UNFORTUNATELY IN, IN SOME CASES, UH, THE BEST WE CAN DO, JUST KEEP BUYING LAND AND, AND THERE ISN'T A WHOLE BUNCH MORE AVAILABLE THAT WE CAN BUY AND, AND CERTAINLY CONTINUES TO BE EXPENSIVE. BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT AND, AND, AND MAKING SURE THAT THE SPACES THAT WE DO PROVIDE ARE INDEED EQUITABLE AND ACCESSIBLE. AND, AND, UH, I I SHARE YOUR COMMITMENT TO MAKING SURE THAT TRULY IS ACCESSIBLE, UH, FOR FOLKS, WHETHER THEY'RE, THEY'RE LIMITED MOBILITY OR, OR ET CETERA. SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT. UM, UH, WE'LL START OFF WITH THE PEOPLE SIDE OF THE WORK THAT WE DO. UH, ALTHOUGH YOU HEARD A TON OF WORK THAT OUR SUPPORT SERVICES DOES, AND I'LL, I'LL TALK ABOUT THEM IN A SECOND. BUT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO, UH, OUR THERAPEUTIC RECREATION, UH, DIVISION, UH, HOSTED A COUPLE OF OF EVENTS. YOU KNOW, THEY DID ART IN THE PARK ON APRIL 10TH AT FIESTA GARDENS WITH A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT, UH, UH, PARTICIPATION OF 900 PEOPLE. UM, THEY AT THE ALAMO REC CENTER, UH, THAT YOU CAN SEE THE PICTURE THERE OF, OF, UH, FOLKS LEARNING HOW TO FISH, UM, WHILE JUST BEING THERE ON THE PIER. UM, OUR COMMUNITY INITIATIVES, OUR, OUR TEENS IN LEADERSHIP TRAINING, UM, GRADUATED 24 FOLKS WHO ARE NOW 24 STUDENTS WHO ARE NOW GONNA PARTICIPATE AND HELP US DURING THE SUMMER PROGRAMS, WHICH IS A REALLY NICE, UM, AS JUNIOR ACTIVITY SPECIALISTS ARE GONNA SUPPORT OUR WORK THERE. UM, AND, AND THE SOUTH AUSTIN LITTLE LEAGUE CELEBRATED THEIR 70, 75TH ANNIVERSARY, [01:00:01] UH, ON MARCH 30TH, AND HAD A TON OF FOLKS OUT THERE CELEBRATING WITH THEM. UH, AGAIN, THAT'S A SNAPSHOT OF THE MANY, MANY, MANY THINGS THAT HAPPEN ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT, UH, ON THE COMMUNITY OF RECREATION SIDE OF THINGS. UM, HANCOCK RECREATION HOSTED THEIR TWEENS NIGHT OUT, UH, AND, AND THEY, UH, DID A, A HUNGER GAMES EDITION. SO, SO MAYBE NEXT YEAR WE'LL INVITE YOU ALL TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT. UM, UH, SOUTH AUSTIN REC CENTER, UH, DID THEIR CRAFTY TOTS. UH, WE ALSO HAD OUR, OUR 12TH ANNUAL DOG EXTRAVAGANZA WITH OVER 72 DOGS AND 130 PEOPLE PARTICIPATING. UH, IN, IN, I'M NOT SURE WHAT A DOGGY GAME IS, BUT SOME HUMAN GAMES AS WELL, UH, AT THE MENDEZ RECREATION CENTER, UH, AND VARSITY GAMES. AND, AND FOR YOU YOUNG FOLKS ON THE DIOCESE, THAT MEANS PEOPLE THAT ARE A LITTLE OLDER AND PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROGRAMS. UM, THEY, THEY HOSTED, UH, UH, SOME GAMES ON THE 11TH AND 12TH, AND THEN JUST MORE RECENTLY, SOME, SOME PICKLEBALL, UM, TOURNAMENT, UH, ACTIVITIES ON THE 26TH AND 27TH AT TURNER RECREATION CENTER. ON THE AQUATIC SIDE OF THINGS, UM, AS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WE'RE WE'RE REALLY RAMPING UP TO, TO CONTINUE TO OPEN MORE POOLS FOR THE SUMMER, UH, DOING A LOT OF WORK ON THE EXISTING POOLS AND, AND REPAIRING AND GET EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING READY FOR THE POOLS AND THE SPLASH PADS. UH, BARTON SPRINGS, OUR LARGEST AND HIGHEST USE POOL, UH, REOPENED AFTER A SUCCESSFUL CLEANING. UH, DEEP BETTY IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING A CLEANING, UH, PROCESS. IT'S ANNUAL CLEAN, UH, CLEANING PROCESS, AND WE CONTINUE TO, TO HIRE LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF LIFEGUARDS, AND, AND THAT INCLUDES MANY TRAINING, MANY OF THEM. AND, AND, AND, UM, IN LIFEGUARD CLASSES, WE'VE GOT ALREADY OVER 377 LIFEGUARDS READY TO WORK FOR THE SUMMER. WE NEED ABOUT 650 TO TO, TO OPERATE ALL OF OUR ADDITIONAL POOLS IN THE SUMMER AND, AND, UH, ARE WELL ON OUR WAY TO DO THAT. AND I'LL SHARE SOME STATISTICS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SUPPORT SERVICES. UH, WE'VE GOT TWO POOLS THAT ARE OPENING UP. COLONY PARK WILL BE A BRAND NEW POOL IN OUR PORTFOLIO THAT'S, UH, SCHEDULED TO OPEN UP AT THE END OF MAY. UH, AND THEN, UH, GIS, UH, IS ALSO BEING SUBSTANTIALLY REFURBISHED, AND THAT WILL ALSO OPEN UP, UM, AT THE END OF MAY. UH, OUR SUPPORT SERVICES FOLKS, UH, THEY'RE REALLY, YOU KNOW, WORKING HARD TO HIRE ALL OF THESE LIFEGUARDS, UH, IN TIME FOR THE SUMMER AND, AND, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THEY'RE GREAT WORK AND THE GREAT WORK OF OUR AQUATICS TEAM. THEY'RE WELL AHEAD OF 2024. IN TERMS OF THE APPLICANTS AND HIRINGS. WE HAVE OVER 900 PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE PROCESS APPLYING TO BE, UH, LIFEGUARDS, UH, ON THE COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT PIECE. UM, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, I'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME JUST LISTENING TO FOLKS, A LOT OF INTERNAL ENGAGEMENT AND NOW HAVE BEGUN SOME EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT. UH, UNFORTUNATELY WE HAD TO CANCEL, UM, ONE OF THE LISTENING SESSIONS THAT WE HAD PLANNED, UM, AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL RESCHEDULE THAT, UH, SOON, AND WE'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN THAT HAPPENS AND INVITE YOU TO, TO HELP US. UM, THE, THE FINANCIAL SERVICES FOLKS HAVE BEEN WORKING REALLY, REALLY, REALLY HARD TO, TO BOTH, UM, UH, UH, MONITOR AND, AND LOOK AT OUR BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR, AND THEN PLAN AHEAD FOR THE NEXT YEAR AS WE PARTICIPATE IN THE CITY'S BUDGETING PROCESS THERE. UH, AND OUR CONTRACTS AND, UH, PURCHASING AND GRANTS, UH, DEPARTMENT'S BEEN DOING A TON OF WORK, UH, AND, AND THE ZILKER CAFE. UM, UH, AS YOU MAY HAVE, MAY KNOW, THERE WAS AN RFP OUT FOR AN OPERATOR THERE. AND, AND WE'VE, UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY EVALUATING THE, THE SOLE, UH, RESPONDER FOR THAT CONTRACT. UM, A FEW THINGS ON, ON ON BOND. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT BONDING THAT'S HAPPENED AND THIS, THIS IS JUST SORT OF OUR UPDATE FOR, FOR OUR QUARTERLY UPDATE FOR THE BONDS. UH, AS YOU MIGHT RECALL, FOR 2018, WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF BONDS. PROPOSITION B HAD THE, THE NAMED, UH, PROJECTS UNDER LIBRARIES, MUSEUMS, AND CULTURAL CENTERS. UM, AND PROPOSITION C UH, CREATED SPECIFIC PROGRAMS, AQUATICS, PARKS, PARKLAND, ACQUISITION PARK, IMPROVEMENTS IN BUILDING RENOVATIONS AND INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, ON THE PROPOSITION. UM, LET ME LOOK AT MY UPDATE HERE ON THE PROPOSITION B, WE'RE AT, AT, UH, 39%, UH, SPEND, AND, UH, ANOTHER 18% ENCUMBERED. SO THAT'S A, A TOTAL OF 57, 7% COMMITTED. AND JUST AS A REMINDER, THOSE ARE FUNDS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY ALLOCATED TO PROJECTS. SO WE HAVE TO SPEND 'EM ON THOSE PROJECTS. AND DEPENDING ON HOW, HOW THEY'RE FUNDED AND, AND HOW THEY MOVE ALONG THE, LIKE THE CENTER, ART CENTER, UH, ET CETERA, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THOSE FUNDS SORT OF ARE, ARE ENCUMBERED FOR THOSE PROJECTS. UH, ON THE, UH, PROPOSITION CA TON OF WORK I MENTIONED COLONY PARK POOL, THAT'S SUBSTANTIALLY FUNDED BY PROPOSITION C GIVEN POOL, AND LOTS OF OTHER PROJECTS ARE GOING THERE. AND, AND WE TEND TO DO BETTER, UH, IN TERMS OF EXPENDITURES ON THE BONDS WHEN THEY'RE ALLOCATED TO SPECIFIC PROGRAMS THAT ALLOWS US SOME FLEXIBILITY. SO IT DOESN'T NAME A SPECIFIC POOL. WE NAME AQUATICS, AND WE'RE ABLE TO REALLY DO A, A MUCH BETTER JOB THERE MAKING SURE THAT WE SPEND THE, THE FUNDING THAT'S AVAILABLE, UH, ON ONE PORTION OF PARK PLANNING AND, AND DEVELOPMENT. UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN OUT TO ONE OF OUR PARKS, WE'RE VERY, UH, MUCH FOCUSED ON CONTINUING OUR GROWTH OF NATURE PLAY INSTALLATIONS. AND, AND THESE INSTALLATIONS ARE GREAT BECAUSE WE USE, UH, REUSE MATERIALS, UM, FROM, FROM OTHER SPACES ACROSS THE CITY. AND, AND, UH, WORKING WITH OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, WE'VE OPENED IN 20 25, 6 NEW NATURE PLAY AREAS [01:05:01] AND, AND HAVE FOUR MORE COMING, UH, LATER THIS YEAR. AND, AND ALL OF THIS IS RELATED TO THE, THE PROGRAM OF CITIES CONNECTING CHILDREN TO, TO NATURE, UH, REALLY FOCUSING ON AND MAKING SURE THAT, THAT, THAT KIDDOS REALLY ENGAGE IN NATURE FOR, FOR, UM, LOTS OF INCREDIBLE BENEFITS. UM, ON ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE PARK PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, THIS, THIS IS A GROUP THAT, UM, REALLY MANAGES ALL OF THESE GREAT PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE. UH, SO THERE ARE EVENTS HAPPENING LITERALLY, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY ON THE WEEKENDS, BUT EVERY DAY, UM, KEEP AUSTIN BEAUTIFUL, HAD THEIR 40TH, UH, BEAUTIFICATION DAY ON APRIL 12TH. THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY DID THEIR EARTH, THEY CLEAN, UH, YOU HEARD ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER PARTNERS DOING THEIR WORK. UH, AND WE HAVE A, UH, RIBBON CUTTING MAY 10TH, UH, FOR THE HOLLY UH, FISHING PIER COMING UP AT 10:00 AM SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN JOINING US FOR THAT, THEN THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY IS MANAGING THAT TO COME OUT AND JOIN US. UM, AND THEN, UH, LOTS AND LOTS OF REALLY LARGE EVENTS. KITE FESTIVAL, REGGAE FESTIVAL, DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL, LONGHORN FESTIVAL. UH, A LOT HAPPENING IN OUR PARKS AND, AND OUR OFFICE OF SPECIAL EVENTS HAS BEEN, UH, SUPPORTING AND MANAGING THOSE EVENTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE OTHER CITY, UM, DEPARTMENTS. UH, OUR NATURAL RESOURCES TEAM CONTINUES TO PLANT TREES AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION AND A CCC AND TREE FOLKS. UM, WE HAD AN, UH, NATURE DAY ON APRIL 19TH. WE'VE HAD AN APRIL 26TH MEET THE ANIMALS DAY AT OUR NATURE SCIENCE CENTER. UH, OUR PARK RANGERS CONTINUE SORT OF THEIR ROLE OF BOTH BEING PRESENT IN THE PARK, BUT HELPING US WITH SECURITY. UM, AND, AND YOU SEE A PICTURE OF FIRE THERE, DON'T WORRY. THAT'S AN ACTUAL PRESCRIBED BURN THAT WE DID IN ONE OF OUR NATURE PRESERVES, UH, TO, AS PART OF OUR OVERALL LAND MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES. UM, AND THAT'S A WORLD ON TOUR OF SOME OF THE STUFF HAPPENING APART FROM RECREATION. ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS? I JUST HAVE A COMMENT. I THINK I MAY HAVE COMMENTED LAST TIME ON THE PICKLEBALL THAT Y'ALL ADDED FOR LITTLE KIDS OR THAT Y'ALL, UM, ANYWAY, THAT Y'ALL ADDED MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT. AND, UM, THANKS TO PARKS AND RECREATION, MY DAUGHTER WILL BE STARTING RUGBY AS THE 6-YEAR-OLD NEXT WEEK, I THINK. WOW. UM, BECAUSE IT'S ON OFFER AS WELL FOR $10. SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS JUST THE, UM, LOW BARRIER ENTRY FOR SOME OF THOSE THINGS I THOUGHT WAS FANTASTIC. UM, AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO ANOTHER REC CENTER THAT WE DON'T USUALLY PARTICIPATE IN. AND SO I'VE JUST REALLY APPRECIATED ALL THE SMALL, LIKE IT'S JUST A SHORT FOUR WEEK, FOUR TO FIVE WEEK OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO JUST TRY THINGS OUT. I THINK THAT'S REALLY GREAT FOR THEM. SO I JUST COMMEND YOU ON THAT AND I'M THANKFUL. THANK YOU. THANKS FOR HIGHLIGHTING THAT. THANKS FOR THE TEAM FOR DOING THAT. HI. UM, DIANE KERNS, OAL. UM, WE ARE COMING UP ON SUMMER. DID YOU HAVE AN UPDATE ON WHERE, WHERE WE STAND WITH SUMMER CAMPS? UM, JODY J HAS AN UPDATE, BUT WE'RE DOING WELL. I THINK WE'RE ALL FULLY ENROLLED. UM, AND THOSE CAMPS GO VERY, VERY QUICKLY IN TERMS OF THE ENROLLMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE PRETTY LOW PRICE. UM, ANY ANY SPECIFIC UPDATES YOU WANNA SHARE? OTHER THAN IT'S GONNA BE A WHOLE LOT OF FUN THIS SUMMER. , DO YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT IT? OR ENROLLMENT IS, IS RIGHT WHERE WE WANT IT TO BE. YEAH, I, I NEED TO DO SOME MORE RESEARCH ON MY END, BUT I DID HEAR THAT THERE WAS A CHANGE IN HOW ENROLLMENT, HOW THE ENROLLMENT PROCESS HAPPENED. THIS IN 2025 YOU MIGHT BE REFERRING TO, TO, UM, THE WAY THAT WE, WE OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS. AND DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE, THE PRE-ENROLLMENT AND THE EARLY, EARLY REGISTRATION? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO? YES, THANK YOU. YEAH. YEAH. THERE WAS A CHANGE. YEAH. UM, JODY JI SERVE AS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR PARKS AND RECREATION. UH, WE HAD A THREE YEAR PILOT PROGRAM WHERE, UM, WE HAD, UH, EARLY REGISTRATION FOR THOSE WHO, UM, HAD SCHOLARSHIPS. AND THOSE WITH, UM, OUR, IN OUR, UH, WHAT, WHAT IS THE WORD? SPECIAL NEEDS, HUH? NO SPECIAL NEEDS. YEAH. THE, OR SPECIAL NEEDS, UM, PARTICIPANTS, CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES. YES. IS THAT OKAY? YEAH. THANKS. INCLUSION SERVICES. THAT WAS THE WORD I WAS TRYING TO COME WITH. AND, UM, THIS YEAR, UH, WE, UM, ELIMINATED THE INCLUSION SERVICES AND WENT WITH, UH, THE, UH, THE SCHOLARSHIP PARTICIPANTS. IS THERE A REASON THAT THE CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES WAS ELIMINATED FROM THAT? JUST TO CLARIFY, WE DIDN'T ELIMINATE THE PARTICIPATION, RIGHT. THE, YEAH, THE EARLY REGISTRATION. THE EARLY REGISTRATION, RIGHT. THAT WAS IT. YEAH. THAT, THAT WAS ONE OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT I HEARD WAS MM-HMM . YEAH. BECAUSE OF THAT, IT WAS MORE DIFFICULT FOR FAMILIES WHO HAD CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES TO GET ENROLLED IN THE SUMMER CAMPS. SO IT WAS, THERE WAS A UNCON UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE WITH THE EARLY REGISTRATION. SO WE HAD SOME OF OUR, UH, CAMPS HAD SOMETIMES SIX PARTICIPANTS PER, PER 12, UH, PARTICIPANT CLASS. THAT KIND OF BECAME ANOTHER, UM, UH, UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE. SO WE NEEDED TO SPREAD THE PARTICIPANTS AROUND TO ALL SITES. AND WE ALSO INCLUDED, UM, ANOTHER SITE THAT WAS, UM, FOR, UH, INCLUSION [01:10:01] SERVICES SO THAT THEY HAD MORE PARTICIPATION FOR THIS SUMMER . I'M NOT SURE I FOLLOWED THAT, JUST TO BE HONEST. I, THAT WAS CONFUSING TO ME. SO COULD YOU MAYBE RESTATE IT WITH WHAT EXACTLY LIKE YOU SAID TO SPREAD THAT YOU HAD, WAS IT AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE THIS YEAR OR IN THE PAST? LAST YEAR. OKAY. SO LAST YEAR YOU HAD LESS FULL CLASSES BECAUSE OF THE PRE-REGISTRATION. I'M, YEAH. I'M JUST NOT FOLLOWING. MAYBE YOU COULD RESTATE IT AND I WILL BETTER UNDERSTAND. YEAH, I, I'LL TRY. UM, SO THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE WAS THAT, UM, WHEN YOU HAVE EARLY REGISTRATION, UM, FOR THOSE THAT ARE INCLUSION SERVICES, UM, MAJORITY OF THE STUDENTS THAT WERE IN SOME OF OUR, UM, CAMPS, UM, WERE LIKE SPECIALTY CAMPS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, AUSTIN NATURE AND SCIENCE CENTER IS FOR AN EXAM IS A SPECIFIC LOCATION THAT LAST SUMMER WE'D HAVE, UM, SIX, UM, INCLUSION PARTICIPANTS IN A CLASSROOM WHEN I HAD 12 KIDS. AND THERE WERE SOME UNCON UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES THERE. FOR THE STAFFING? FOR FOR THE STAFFING, YES. 'CAUSE WE REDUCE, YEAH, I'M SORRY, I DON'T . SO A CLASS OF 12, ONLY SIX PARTICIPANTS AND SIX MORE KIDS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN ADDED. NO, IT, SO WE WOULD HAVE SIX KIDS THAT HAD, UM, INCLUSION SERVICES. RIGHT. THAT, UM, REDUCED THE RATIOS. AND SO IF YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, SIX KIDS THAT MIGHT HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, A HIGHER NEED MM-HMM . THEREFORE HIGHER, HIGHER, HIGHER STAFF NEED. OKAY. RIGHT. AND THERE'S NO FLEXIBILITY TO ADD MORE STAFF TO ASSIST. WE DID. OKAY. BUT NOT ENOUGH, BUT NOT ENOUGH. GOT IT. ARE THERE PLANS TO ANALYZE WHAT WAS LEARNED LAST YEAR TO ADDRESS STAFFING SO MORE KIDS COULD BE SERVED? IT'S NOT, IT DOESN'T DECREASE THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS. IT'S JUST MAYBE NOT GETTING INTO THE, UM, THE HMM. PREFERRED LOCATION. RIGHT. SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. WHAT WE, WHAT WE DID LEARN WAS THAT, UM, WHEN WE HAD EARLY REGISTRATION ONLY, UM, 30% OF THOSE THAT HAD INCLUSION SERVICES, UM, ASKED FOR INCLUSION SERVICES, RIGHT? SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT, UM, THOSE THAT HAD MAYBE, UM, DYSLEXIA WERE GETTING EARLY REGISTRATION, BUT DIDN'T NEED INCLUSION SERVICES FOR SUMMER CAMP. UM, SO THEY WERE TAKING A SPACE, UM, WITHOUT GETTING, THEY WERE TAKING A SPACE WHEN NOT GETTING, UH, SERVICES. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WE , IF I UNDERSTAND THAT CORRECTLY, YOU'RE BASICALLY SAYING THAT THIS, THIS, THE CHILD WAS BEING ACCOUNTED FOR UNDER A CATEGORY THAT THEY DIDN'T NEED SERVICES FOR, THAT DIDN'T NEED SERVICES FOR MM-HMM . THEREFORE YOU WERE, IT WAS EXCLUDING A CHILD WHO DID NEED RIGHT SERVICES. RIGHT. BUT WE'LL LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AGAIN. UM, THERE, WE HAD THREE YEARS OF DATA AND I'M HAPPY TO SEND YOU A PRESENTATION THAT BREAKS DOWN THE NUMBERS OR IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SIT DOWN WITH ME AND OUR INCLUSION SERVICES TEAM, UM, WE CAN ANSWER ALL YOUR QUESTIONS AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I SAY YES TO BOTH. OKAY. PERFECT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE DIRECTOR? A QUICK ONE, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU DIRECTOR AGUIRE FOR THE COMPLIMENTS AND I, I REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, WHAT YOU SAID YOUR SENTIMENT. UM, I HAVE HEARD FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC A CONCERN ABOUT THE ALGAE IN LADY BIRD LAKE AND, UM, WONDERING IF, UH, YOU'RE WORKING WITH WATERSHED FOR AN ANALYSIS OF THAT AND ALSO ABOUT THE, UM, THE HOUSTON TILLSON UNIVERSITY STUDY ABOUT CAPACITY ON THE LAKE AND HOW IS THAT BEING APPLIED AS WE APPROACH SUMMER AND WE'RE STARTING TO SEE MORE AND MORE, UM, PEOPLE ON THE LAKE USING THE LAKE AND, UH, POSSIBLE CONTAMINATION OF THE LAKE, WE CAN CERTAINLY FOLLOW UP ON THE ALGAE. I KNOW THAT, THAT WE'RE AWARE AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THE HEAT COMING EARLIER, THAT'S GONNA CONTINUE. SO WE'LL WE CAN FOLLOW UP SPECIFICALLY, UM, ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING ABOUT THAT IN TERMS OF WATERSHED, UH, IN TERMS OF CAPACITY, I THINK YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE STUDY THAT WAS DONE AS PART OF THE, THE FOR CONCESSION CAPACITY. UM, YEAH, I'LL HAVE TO FOLLOW UP TO, TO LET YOU KNOW SORT OF WHERE THE STAND, WE HAVE THAT AND, AND IT'S BEING USED AS WE THINK ABOUT, UH, WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE CURRENTLY NOT SOLICITING NEW CONCESSIONAIRES, BUT A FEW OF THOSE ARE COMING UP AND THAT'S GONNA GONNA BE INFORMING WHERE WE, WE, UH, SEEK TO HAVE CONCESSIONAIRE OPERATE. YEP. ANY OTHER FURTHER QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS? [01:15:02] ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU DIRECTOR. THANK YOU. WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO FUTURE [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS] AGENDA ITEMS AND THIS FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE NEW, THIS IS JUST AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, YOU TO FLAG SOME THINGS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, THERE'S NOTHING THAT SAYS YOU HAVE TO DO IT NOW EITHER. YOU JUST HAVE TO REALLY HAVE YOU AND ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBER, UH, REQUESTED ON AN AGENDA OFFICIALLY. UH, THAT'S THE OFFICIAL WAY ABOUT DOING THINGS, BUT THERE'S OTHER WAYS AROUND IT TOO. SO, UM, YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING NOW AND YOU COME UP WITH SOMETHING LATER. DON'T FEEL LIKE YOUR OPPORTUNITY HAS BEEN LOST. YOU STILL HAVE TIME. SO ANY FUTURE. I ACTUALLY HAVE ONE. UM, I'D LIKE AN UPDATE ON HOW THE DEPARTMENT IS, UH, ADAPTING TO THE PARKLAND DEDICATION CHANGES THAT WERE REQUIRED BY LEGISLATION. LIKE JUST A GENERAL UPDATE ON HOW FUNDS ARE, LIKE HOW THINGS ARE BEING SPENT ON PARKLAND DEDICATION FUNDS. UM, 'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE I'VE LOST THE THREAD ON THAT AFTER ALL THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR. SO ANY, ANY, ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEM? I HAVE A QUICK ONE AND THIS MAY BE JUST TEEING IT UP FOR THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS . UM, LAST MEETING, UH, BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN ASKED FOR AN INTERMEDIARY REPORT ON PARKLAND ALTERNATIVE FUNDING RESOLUTION. AND SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST AS I'M LEAVING THE BOARD AND UH, THANK YOU ALSO CHAIR VILLALOBOS FOR THE KIND WORDS, UM, FOR A, UH, A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEM. MAYBE EVEN, UH, THE IDEA OF FORMING A WORKING GROUP FOR THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. UM, AND THIS WOULD REALLY NEEDS TO BE BASED ON, ON TWO THINGS, ONE ON, ON THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND WHAT WHAT WOULD BE A FIGURE, UM, FROM THE PARKS DEPARTMENT THAT WOULD IDEALLY COVER MAINTENANCE. ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THE PARKS NEED RIGHT NOW. THE PARKS, I'M TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE AND OF COURSE BEING IN A CLIMATE EMERGENCY, WE NEED TO PRESERVE AND RESTORE EVERY INCH OF GREEN THAT WE HAVE. AND SO GETTING A REALLY SOLID NUMBER FROM THE PARKS DEPARTMENT OF WHAT IS AN IDEAL NUMBER IN, IN THE PARK SUPPORT SERVICES PRESENTATION. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. UM, THE TOTAL OPERATING BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 IS $180.2 MILLION AND YOU HAVE 837 TOTAL FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES. SO, UM, IS THAT THE IDEAL NUMBER OR IS THERE A LARGER NUMBER IF, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR OPTIMAL MAINTENANCE AND RUNNING THESE PARKS, EV EVERY PARK IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WHAT WOULD THAT NUMBER BE? AND THEN HOW WOULD YOU FIND ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR IT? AND, UH, I ASKED, UH, MR. DOBE IF WE COULD PULL UP THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR PARKS PRESENTATION REALLY QUICKLY THAT WE SAW LAST MONTH IN MARCH. SO THIS COUNCIL RESOLUTION, I KNOW THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS WORKING ON THIS RIGHT NOW AND YOU'RE ALSO WORKING WITH SOME CONSULTANTS AND, UH, YOU'RE THE CITY MANAGER I GUESS IS GOING TO GET BACK TO THE COUNCIL WITH THIS REPORT. IS IT THE END OF MAY, MAY 31ST, SO POSSIBLY NEXT MONTH THE, THE PARKS BOARD WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HAVING A DISCUSSION ITEM ON ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR PARKS. AND THAT'S, UH, BEEN A DEEP CONCERN FOR MINE, UH, OF MINE HAVING SERVED ON THE PARKS BOARD AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL REALLY WORK ON THAT MOVING FORWARD. UM, I'VE ALSO SENT YOU ALL A PRESENTATION THAT WAS DONE BY FORMER BOARD MEMBER RICH DE PALMA IN 2021 AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE NUMBERS ARE KIND OF THE SAME THAT, UM, IT'S, IT'S UH, WORKING TOWARDS DIFFERENT, WHAT DIFFERENT CITIES HAVE POSSIBLY DONE. CHICAGO, MINNEAPOLIS, SEATTLE. AND WE HAVE THE EXAMPLE OF UM, ONION CREEK PARK THAT IS USING A MUNICIPAL MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. SO I HOPE THAT UH, OUR PARKS BOARD WILL VERY ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE AND WORK ON FUNDING SOLUTIONS FOR OUR PARKS THAT ARE SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER REED, ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? YEAH, THANK YOU BOARD MEMBER REID FOR BRINGING THAT UP. I WAS GOING TO ASK FOR A FOLLOW UP ON THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES PRESENTATION FROM UH, LAST MONTH. AS YOU MENTIONED, IT GOES TO CITY COUNCIL, I BELIEVE IT'S SCHEDULED FOR THE END OF MAY. UM, I GUESS IF WE COULD HAVE SOME OF THAT SINCE WE WON'T BE MEETING AGAIN PRIOR TO THAT OR I GUESS IT'LL GO TO CITY COUNCIL RIGHT AFTER, RIGHT? IF WE COULD HAVE SOME OF THE INFORMATION PERHAPS [01:20:01] EMAILED OVER, I THINK THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL. UM, SO NOT NECESSARILY AN AGENDA ITEM, BUT MORE REQUEST FOR INFORMATION. THANK YOU. YEAH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW A DIRECTOR HERE GIVE A THUMBS UP. SHE'S ACTUALLY ALREADY ON SCHEDULE FOR THE 19TH. OH, BECAUSE WE HAVE AN EARLY MEETING NEXT TIME. YES WE DO. YEAH, I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THAT. UM, ALRIGHT, ANY FURTHER AGENDA ITEMS? ALRIGHT, YES, JUST REALLY QUICK. THIS IS LIKELY ALREADY, UM, IN THE, IN THE WORKS BUT THERE ARE SOME UM, DOG OFF LEASH AREA PILOTS GOING ON ONE IN FIVE EIGHT AND SO YEAH, I'M GETTING THE NOD BUT YEAH, SO JUST CURIOUS ABOUT HOW THAT COMES BACK UP. APPRECIATE IT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS. ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? ALRIGHT. OH, ONE LAST THING. IT'S YES AGENDA ITEM, BUT, UH, CHAIR LOBOS, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR, UH, YOUR SERVICE AS OUR, UM, BOARD'S CHAIR AND THEN LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER WITH YOU, UM, AS NOT CHAIR, BUT FOR HAVING YOU ON THE BOARD ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. THERE YOU GO. THANKS. THANKS . I'M JUST KIDDING. , I APPRECIATE IT. I APPRECIATE YOUR KIND WORDS. UM, I KNOW THE BOARD'S IN GOOD HANDS WITH BOARD MEMBER VICE , SO, UM, I WOULD, I'M NOT GONNA MIND SITTING ON THE CORNERS. SO . UM, THAT BEING SAID, IT IS NOW 7:32 PM AND WITHOUT ANY OBJECTION, I'M GONNA ADJOURN THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MEETING FOR TONIGHT. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.