[00:00:04]
[CALL TO ORDER]
FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO, UM, OPENING THIS MEETING.
WE'LL BEGIN THE REGULAR MEETING IN THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD FOR SEPTEMBER 29TH, 2025.
PRESENT BOARD MEMBER OR PRESENT? BOARD MEMBER VILLALOBOS.
BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN PRESENT BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS PRESENT AND BOARD MEMBER BECKER.
OH, AND WE'VE GOT, WE'LL HOLD ONE SECOND.
WE'RE JUST TAKING ROLES, SO, UM, IF YOU'LL ANNOUNCE YOUR PRESENT MEMBER ABU PRESENT.
THERE BEING QUORUM, WE'LL MOVE TO, UM, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION GENERAL.
THIS IS RESERVED FOR THE FIRST 10 SPEAKERS TO ADDRESS ITEMS NOT POSTED ON THE AGENDA.
UM, AND JUST A QUICK NOTE THAT, UH, AFTER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION WE WILL DO THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES, AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO SHIFT AND HAVE ITEM NUMBER THREE, UH, DONE AFTER THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR AUDIENCE AND WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM THEM.
UH, SO WE'LL MOVE Y'ALL UP TO NUMBER TWO.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
START WITH PUBLIC COMMUNICATION ON WEBEX.SO I WANT TO SEE IF YOU ALL HEAR ME, UH, WANNA MAKE SURE THAT DAVID TODD CAN HEAR US.
MR. TODD, ARE YOU WITH US? MR. TODD, CAN YOU HEAR US? YES, I CAN.
YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.
UM, SO MY NAME IS DAVID TODD, AND I WAS JUST CALLING ON IN, UH, ON BEHALF OF A, UH, PROPOSAL FROM THE SOUTH RIVER CITY CITIZENS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION TO RECOGNIZE JEAN MATHER, WHO WAS ONE OF OUR FOUNDERS, UM, UH, OVER 50 YEARS AGO, UM, FOR RECOGNITION WITH A PLAQUE ON, UM, THE LITTLE STACY PARK PAVILION.
AND WE GOT WORD TODAY, UH, THAT, THAT, UH, THE PARKS RECREATION DIRECTOR OF MR. AGUIRE, UH, HAD APPROVED THAT.
AND WE ARE JUST DELIGHTED AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, JEAN IS THE SORT OF PERSON THAT I THINK IS JUST SUCH A PRIVILEGE TO CELEBRATE BECAUSE SHE, UM, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT GREAT MEANING TO PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, YOU KNOW, HELPING US UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT, UH, HAVING A HOME, UH, YOU KNOW, IS MORE THAN JUST HAVING A LIVING ROOM AND A BEDROOM AND A YARD.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY, UM, FINDING A COMMUNITY, FINDING A NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, THAT YOU CAN, CAN BE A PART OF AND, AND SHARE.
AND I THINK SHE, SHE SAW ALSO THAT, UM, GOVERNMENT CAN BE MORE THAN JUST COMMUNICATING WITH OUR, UM, REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS AND GOVERNORS AND SO ON.
IT CAN BE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND, AND, UH, IN THOSE WAYS, I THINK SHE JUST HAS BROUGHT, UM, A LOT OF, OF NEED AND VALUE TO, TO LIVING IN AUSTIN FOR ME AND FOR A LOT OF OUR NEIGHBORS.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO, UH, I THANK JEAN AND, AND, UH, UM, I GUESS IN, IN, IN MEMORY OF HER.
UM, AND THEN ALSO THANK THE, UM, PARK RECREATION DEPARTMENT FOR APPROVING THIS PROPOSAL, UH, THAT IT'LL BE NICE TO, TO HAVE HER COMMEMORATED, UM, LIKE HERE LOCALLY IN, IN THE TRAVIS HEIGHTS AREA.
SO THAT, THAT'S MY, UH, MY INPUT FOR TODAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING.
I APPRECIATE, UM, ALL THAT THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD DOES.
UH, THE REST OF OUR SPEAKERS ARE IN PERSON.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS GOING TO BE MARY PHARAOH, FOLLOWED BY CAROL BAXTER AND THEN CRAIG NAZER.
MARY, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU GET BEGIN SPEAKING, AND I BELIEVE THERE ARE PHOTOS TO GO ALONG WITH THESE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[00:05:01]
I AM MARY FARROW.I WAS HERE LAST MONTH AND SPOKE ABOUT THE POND AT NORTHWEST PARK, AND I'M BACK TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE, LITTLE MORE INFORMATION.
UM, I AM A, A NEIGHBOR OF, UH, NORTHWEST PARK AND LIVE IN DISTRICT SEVEN.
UM, I HAVE BEEN A FAN OF THE PARK AND IT'S BEEN PART OF MY LIFE FOR, YOU KNOW, NEARLY 50 YEARS.
UM, I HAVE TOLD YOU ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE AGES GO TO THE PARK AND LOVE IT.
YESTERDAY I WAS THERE AND TALKED WITH A MUSICIAN WHO'D BEEN MEETING WITH GROUPS, UH, AT, ON SUNDAYS FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS.
THERE, UH, THERE WAS ALSO A WOMEN'S SUPPORT GROUP THERE SITTING BY THE POND.
UM, SO, UM, THERE'S ALL SORTS OF FOLKS THERE, UM, FROM KIDS WHO LOVE THE TURTLES TO TEENS WHO FISH.
UM, BUT ALL OF THEM I SPOKE WITH YESTERDAY WERE PRETTY ALARMED ABOUT THE STATE OF THE POND.
THIS PHOTO SHOWS YOU, UH, AUGUST 19TH.
AND THEN AS WE GO FORWARD, A COUPLE MORE, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER SLIDE.
YOU'LL BEGIN TO SEE THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN TAKING PLACE OVER THE LAST MONTH.
UM, AND, UM, SO, UH, YOU CAN KEEP GOING.
UH, THIS IS THE ONE THAT IS PRETTY ALARMING.
IT'LL SHOW YOU HOW MUCH WATER HAS DEPLETED.
UH, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO HARD FORESTRY FOR BRINGING SOME, UH, YOU CAN KEEP GOING, UH, SOME WATER TRUCKS TO TRY AND SAVE THESE TREES THAT ARE SUFFERING MIGHTILY THERE.
UM, AND UM, SO THERE WERE A NUMBER OF STUDIES THAT WERE PROPOSED IN THE, A VISION PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED IN JANUARY OF 2022.
I RECOGNIZE THAT NEITHER DIRECTOR, NOR ANY OF YOU BOARD MEMBERS WERE HERE AT THAT TIME.
BUT THE VISION PLAN, UH, SAID POND LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS CALLED FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF TESTING, TOPOGRAPHY, BATHYMETRY, GEO GEOTECHNICAL DATA, AND BIOLOGICAL AND ECLO ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM STUDIES.
UM, THERE ARE SOME LOCAL EXPERTS WHO ARE STELLAR INDIVIDUALS WITH TREMENDOUS CA CAPACITY, WHO ARE DOING SOME STUDIES AND RESEARCH AND WILL BE WILLING TO TALK WITH THE PARD BOARD, UH, AND STAFF, UM, WATERSHED AND AUSTIN WATER AS WELL.
AND THE STUDIES THAT THEY ARE DOING ARE LOOKING AT POTENTIAL WATER RESOURCES THAT CAN BE, UM, DISCOVERED AT THE PARK REDISCOVERED AND TRY TO TAKE CARE OF THIS, UM, SITUATION WE'VE GOT HERE.
UM, CITY STAFF HAS AN UNPRECEDENTED OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM THESE EXPERTS.
AND, UM, AGAIN, THIS AMENITY IS WELL LOVED IN ALLENDALE AND THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND I URGE YOU TO ACT QUICKLY TO RESTORE THIS PRETTY ALARMING SITUATION THAT'S HAPPENING THERE AT THE POND.
THIS IS MORE ABOUT, MORE THAN ABOUT A PROJECT, A JOB, OR A PLAN.
IT'S A UNIQUE WILDLIFE HABITAT AND SOMETHING THAT TOUCHES THE LIVES AND THE HEARTS OF MANY PEOPLE FROM ACROSS AUSTIN.
UH, MAY, MAY I HAVE TO CLARIFY MY QUESTION.
YOU MENTIONED THAT THIS WAS PART OF, UH, THIS IS, UH, PARK IS, UM, A PART OF A VISION PLAN THAT WAS ALREADY PASSED.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
IS THIS, WAS THIS POND A PART OF THAT VISION PLAN? YES.
AND IN FACT, UM, UH, BOARD MEMBER BERNARD, WHO WAS REPRESENTING, UH, REPRESENTING DISTRICT SEVEN AT THE TIME, UH, MADE THE MOTION, UM, FOR THE FINAL ADOPTION THAT SAID SHE RECOMMENDS THE NORTHWEST VISION PLAN BE ADOPTED WITH THE FOLLOWING CONTINGENCIES THAT PAR CONTINUES TO INVOLVE AND SOLICIT COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, UM, THAT PARD WILL CONSERVE THE INTEGRITY OF THE CURRENT POND'S LAYOUT AND STRUCTURE AND MAINTAIN ITS CONTROL AS A PART AMENITY.
AND FINALLY, THAT PART WILL COMMISSION THE FOLLOWING STUDIES OF THE POND, A BATH BATHYMETRY STUDY, WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT, HYDROLOGICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL STUDIES.
UM, IF ANY OF THOSE HAVE BEEN DONE, THE COMMUNITY IS NOT AWARE OF THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION.
OH, AND BY THE WAY, HER MOTION WITH THAT CONTINGENCY LANGUAGE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE, IN THE MINUTES THAT FOLLOWED.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE CAROL BAXTER, FOLLOWED BY CRAIG NASER AND THEN LINDA MENDOZA.
CAROL, WE'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.
HI EVERYONE, MY NAME IS AUBREY RUDDER.
I AM THE DIRECTOR OF RENTALS AT THE AUSTIN ROWING CLUB.
UM, HERE TO SHARE SOME EXCITING NEWS.
UM, WE JUST RECENTLY LAUNCHED A NEW SA, UH, SAFETY INITIATIVE, OUR LIFE JACKET LOANER PROGRAM.
[00:10:01]
NOT ONLY TO EXPAND ACCESS TO ROWING AND PADDLING, BUT ALSO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE CAN ENJOY LADY BIRD LAKE SAFELY.AT OUR BOATHOUSE, WE HAVE PUBLIC DOCKS THAT ARE SEPARATE FROM OUR KAYAK DOCKS, UM, THAT A RC MANAGES.
WITH THIS PROGRAM, WE'VE INSTALLED A FREE, EASY TO USE LIFE JACKET STATION AT THESE DOCKS.
ANYONE HEADING OUT ONTO LADY BIRD LAKE, WHETHER IN THEIR OWN WATERCRAFT, CANOE, PADDLEBOARD, OR ANYTHING ELSE NOW HAVE ACCESS FREE ACCESS TO US COAST GUARD, APPROVED LIFE JACKETS AND A RANGE OF SIZES.
BY PLACING THIS PROGRAM AT THE PUBLIC DOCKS, WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT SAFETY IS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY, NOT JUST THOSE PARTICIPATING IN, UM, AUSTIN ROWING CLUBS PROGRAMS. I'M GONNA PASS IT ON TO CAROL BAXTER.
HI, MY NAME IS CAROL BAXTER, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN ROWING CLUB.
I'M PLEASED TO FOLLOW AUBREY AND SHARE SOME HISTORY ABOUT A RC.
UM, THE FIRST PUBLIC COMMENT TALKED ABOUT GENE MATHER.
WELL, IN 1981, AUSTIN ROWING CLUB WAS REESTABLISHED AND INCORPORATED AND PROUD TO BE THE OLDEST ROWING CLUB IN TEXAS.
GENE MATHER WAS ONE OF THOSE KEY MEMBERS IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES GETTING US OFF THE GROUND.
OVER THE PAST 44 YEARS, A RC HAS EXPANDED ITS MISSION AND DEDICATED TO FOSTERING A LOVE FOR ROWING, KAYAKING, PADDLE BOARDING, AND DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
OUR MISSION IS TO PROMOTE PHYSICAL FITNESS, TEAMWORK, AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP.
THROUGH OUR VARIOUS PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY EVENTS, WE OFFER A WIDE VARIETY OF OUTREACH PROGRAMS TO YOUTH, VETERANS, LOW INCOME GROUPS, PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED GROUPS, AND OTHERS THAT MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE HAVE ACCESS.
WE ARE PRIVILEGED TO ROW AND PADDLE ON LANDY BIRD LAKE THAT ABOUND WITH NATURAL BEAUTY AND WILDLIFE AND AN URBAN SETTING.
WE HOST TWO OFFICIAL US ROWING SANCTIONED REGATTAS EACH YEAR, WHICH BRING HUNDREDS OF ATHLETES AND SPECTATORS FROM ALL OVER TEXAS AND OTHER STATES TO RACE ON LADYBIRD LAKE.
ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25TH, WE WILL HOST THE 41ST ANNUAL HEAD OF THE COLORADO, AFFECTIONATELY REFERRED TO AS PUMPKIN HEAD AT FESTIVAL BEACH PARK.
RACING WILL BE HAPPENING ALL DAY AND VISIBLE FROM THE SHORELINE ON THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL, AS WELL AS THE BOARDWALK.
WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US AND COME SAY HELLO AT REGATTA VILLAGE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE CRAIG NAZER, FOLLOWED BY LINDA MENDOZA AND THEN ROBERT MENDOZA IS CRAIG NAZER.
HERE, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.
HELLO, MY NAME IS CRAIG NASER.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT SEVEN AND I'M THE CONSERVATION CHAIR OF THE LONE STAR CHAPTER OF THE SIERRA CLUB IN THE GRACIE WOODS NEIGHBORHOOD.
IN 2012, THE NEIGHBORS ORGANIZED TO CHANGE THE PARK MOWING IN THE GRACE IN THE NORTH STAR GREEN BELT, WHICH AT THAT TIME WAS CONTRACTED OUT TO A PRIVATE COMPANY.
AND THE SMALL PARK IS A CREEK WITH A SPRING AND AT LEAST TWO SEEPS THAT FLOWS NORTH THROUGH GRACIE WOODS INTO WALNUT CREEK METROPOLITAN PARK.
WE OPTED FOR A RIPARIAN RESTORATION RECOMMENDED BY THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, AND WE WORKED WITH THE GRACIE WOODS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION TO GET THE PROJECT UNDERWAY.
WE HAD MANY MEETINGS WITH NEIGHBORS.
WE ESTABLISHED 90% PLUS BUY-IN.
WE CAREFULLY NEGOTIATED MOWING LINES AND THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT ERECTED SIGNS.
WE HAD VOLUNTEER PLANNING DAYS WHERE MANY VOLUNTEERS PLANTED HUNDREDS OF PURCHASED SAPLINGS AND SEEDLINGS IN THE RESTORATION AREA.
MANY HUNTERS OF HOURS HAVE BEEN SPENT BY MYSELF AND NEIGHBORS TO MAKE THE PROJECT A SUCCESS.
THIS RESULT IS MOSTLY MAGNIFICENT.
BUY-IN CONTINUES TO BE EXCELLENT.
THE BENEFITS INCLUDING TAX SAVINGS, INCREASED WILDLIFE COOLER TEMPERATURES, CLEANER WATER, DECREASED FLOODING, AND INCREASED CARBON.
SEQUESTRATION ARE MANY, BUT THERE CONTINUES TO BE ONE SIGNIFICANT REPETITIVE PROBLEM VIOLATION OF THE NOMO LINES BY MOWING CREWS, EVEN THOUGH PART RECENTLY HAS DENIED THAT THEY DO THIS ON TUES, UH, ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3RD.
AND, UH, THE FOLLOWING PICTURES SHOW THE DAMAGE DONE.
UM, SO HERE IS WALKING TO THE PARK FROM PARKFIELD.
NOW HERE'S LOOKING BACK INTO THE WATERSHED, THE CREEK'S IN THE BACK HERE, BUT NOTICE THERE'S SOME HEAVY TREES THERE, BUT SOMEHOW THE MOWER WENT BACK.
YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE GREEN GRASS WAS AS THE MOW LINE AND WENT BACK THERE.
HERE'S WHAT IT LOOKS BACK BY THE CREEK MOWED TO WITHIN A QUARTER OF AN INCH.
NEXT PICTURE FURTHER DOWN, YOU CAN SEE THERE'S SOME THICKER GROWTH ON THE LEFT, BUT THE MOWER WENT BACK INTO THE RIGHT NEXT PICTURE.
YOU CAN SEE MOWED DOWN BACK BY THE CREEK ON THE RIGHT, JUST DOWN TO A QUARTER OF AN INCH.
NOW YOU SEE THE LITTLE NOMO SIGN RIGHT THERE.
YOU CAN SEE IT AND NOTICE HOW IT'S MOWED.
NOW THERE'S A NOMO SIGN UP THERE.
IT'S AT A CRACK, BUT IT'S LIKE, UH, UH, THREE QUARTERS OF THE WAY ACROSS.
NOTICE HOW 20 FOOT BACK FROM THE NOMO SIGN HAS BEEN MOWED TO
[00:15:01]
A QUARTER OF AN INCH.THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN IT HASN'T BEEN MOWED FOR 15 YEARS AND THIS IS WHAT PEOPLE WANT NEXT TO THE CREEK.
THIS IS WHAT WE GOT IN SOME PLACES.
WHAT I WOULD ASK IS THAT SOMEONE IN PART WHO DOES MOWING, UH, COME TO TALK WITH WATERSHED IN ME IN THE PARK AND DECIDE WHAT'S GOING ON AND MAKE SOME PERMANENT CHANGES HERE.
UH, JUST A CLARIFYING QUESTION VERY QUICK.
CAN YOU TELL ME THE NAME OF THE PARK, PLEASE? PARDON THE NAME OF THE PARK ONE MORE TIME.
IT'S CALLED THE NORTH STAR GREEN BELT, AND IT'S THE SECTION PART OF THAT IS AN LCRA RIGHT OF WAY.
THIS IS THE SECTION THAT STARTS AT PARKFIELD AND RUNS NORTH TO THE RIGHT LCRA.
OUR NEXT SPEAKERS WILL BE LINDA MENDOZA AND ROBERT MENDOZA.
ARE Y'ALL GIVING YOUR STATEMENTS JOINTLY OR ARE YOU GONNA TAKE TURNS? TAKE TURNS.
UH, LINDA, YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.
UM, WE COME BEFORE YOU AS EAST, WHICH MEANS EAST AUSTIN SPORTS TEAMS. UH, WE ARE HERE TO SPEAK FOR SUPPORT FOR THE ROY VELASQUEZ SENIOR COMPLEX CONTRACT.
EAST WAS FORMED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ROY VELASQUEZ SENIOR COMPLEX IS AWARDED TO A NONPROFIT ENTITY WHOSE SOLE INTEREST IS TO PRESERVE THE CITY OWNED FIELDS FOR RECREATIONAL USE BY AUSTIN YOUTH EAST AS A 5 0 1 C3 PLANS TO OPERATE IN AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT MANNER.
OUR GOAL IS TO BRING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER AND INVITE PUBLIC INPUT AND PARTICIPATION.
WE WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THAT EAST IS READY TO IMMEDIATELY TAKE OVER THE LEAGUE FOR THE FALL SEASON AND WILL HONOR ANY CURRENT TEAMS, SCHEDULES AND REGISTRATIONS.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE FALL SEASON IS UNDERWAY AND HAVE NO INTENTION OF INTERFERING WITH THE CURRENT SEASON.
EAST ONLY WANTS TO ENSURE THE LEAGUE AND FIELDS ARE PROPERLY ADMINISTERED.
IF ANY OTHER ASSURANCES ARE NEEDED, WE ARE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THEM.
OUR EAST ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS HAVE BEEN MANY, MANY YEARS OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE RUNNING A LEAGUE.
I MIGHT ADD THERE IS A FIELD BATTING CAGE OR FACILITY NAMED AFTER THEM AT THIS COMPLEX.
EAST ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS ARE ROBERT MENDOZA, PRESIDENT LINDA MENDOZA, SECRETARY TONY OTTOS, TREASURER, BUSTER CAPPUCCINO, TONY CASTILLO, ROBERT MARTINEZ, RODRIGUEZ, ROY MORGAN, ALEX CERNA, ROBERT, BOBBY VELAZQUEZ, AARON CHANCELLOR.
AND I HAVE SOME, UM, STUFF I'D LIKE TO PASS TO THE BOARD OR I CAN HAVE SOMEBODY GIVE TO THE BOARD TO PASS OUT.
THANK, THANK I HAVE A CLARIFYING QUESTION.
UM, IS IS, SORRY, IS THERE, IS THERE A CONTRACT THAT'S UNDER NEGOTIATION OR, I'M SORRY, I'M JUST CONFUSED AS TO, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE YOU'RE, WHAT, UH, BROUGHT YOU HERE TODAY? 'CAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE I, THAT WE'RE PROPERLY ADDRESSING IT.
UM, WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE OUR LEAGUE BACK.
UM, AS THE BOARD MEMBERS, WE'RE ALL, WE ALL OWN THE FIELDS.
OUR FAMILIES AND FAMILY MEMBERS, WE ALL OWN THE FIELDS.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, KEEP EAST AUSTIN OUR YOUTH INTO EAST AUSTIN.
UM, I RATHER THAN HAVING THEM GO TO MENTALIS RATHER THAN HAVING GOING TO VILLE TO DIFFERENT, TO DIFFERENT, UM, LEAGUES BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO BE A PART OF THE LEAGUE OR EITHER THEY'RE BANNED OR WHATNOT.
AND I GUESS MY QUESTION I UNDERSTAND THAT IS, IS THERE A CONTRACT THAT'S ABOUT TO BE A NEGOTIATION? UM, IS THERE SOMEONE TRYING TO, WHAT'S WHAT, WHAT'S GOING LIKE, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, I'M SORRY.
WHAT'S THE CITY RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS? I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I GET THAT.
SO THAT WAY WE CAN PROPERLY ADDRESS IT.
WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO BE HEARD.
HEY, UH, GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS ROBERT MENDOZA AND I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN EAST AUSTIN.
I WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE GREATER EAST AUSTIN YOUTH LEAGUE, ALONG WITH MY WIFE AND A FRIEND, BUSTER CAPPUCCINO.
IN 1990, WE STARTED WITH ABOUT A HUNDRED KIDS IN TWO SMALL FIELDS.
BY MIDYEAR WE ARE, WE HAD SURPASSED 450 KIDS.
THE AREA THAT WE WERE WORKING WITH WAS, UH, DETERIORATING THROUGH, UH, NEGLECT.
IT WAS A HANGOUT FOR, UH, GANG MEMBERS AND DRUG USERS.
WE TOOK QUICK ACTION TO SAVE OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR KIDS.
WE WERE ABLE TO TRANSFORM IT IN TWO YEARS TO A POPULAR SPORTS COMPLEX AND, UH, RENAMED IT, UH, ROY VELASQUEZ COMPLEX.
THE PROGRAM DID MAJOR, MAJOR, UH, CHANGES TO THE KIDS.
[00:20:01]
MAJOR IMPROVEMENT IN THE DECLINE IN GANG MEMBERSHIP.ATTENDANCE IN OUR SCHOOL IMPROVED.
WE TOOK THE KIDS OFF THE STREET.
WE HAD TOTAL POSITIVE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, OR, OR COMPLEX WAS A SAFE HAVEN FOR ALL.
AND OUR TIME, WE ADDED THREE BASEBALL FIELDS, ONE LARGE FIELD FOR OLDER KIDS, TWO SMALL FIELDS FOR THE SMALLER KIDS.
WE EXPANDED THE CONCESSION STAND.
WE BUILT AN INTERIOR BATTING CAGE, REPAIRED TWO OLD FIELDS.
WE STARTED A GR A GIRLS' SOFTBALL PROGRAM.
THE, UH, PROGRAM PLANNED TO ABOUT 1400 KIDS AND HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS.
WE ALSO, UH, DESIGNED, UH, MY WIFE AND I DESIGNED THE CAMACHO CENTER FOR KIDS TO STUDY AT, YOU KNOW, DURING THE GAMES AND AFTER THE GAMES, WHENEVER THEY HAD A LITTLE EXTRA TIME AND THEY WERE ABLE TO USE COMPUTERS.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, IF THE MOST OF 'EM DIDN'T HAVE COMPUTERS AT HOME.
AND, UM, SO WE WERE THERE TO, TO HELP 'EM OUT.
AND, UH, TRYING TO GET, GET 'EM OFF THE STREETS.
I MEAN, OUR, UH, COMMUNITY WAS INFESTED WITH, UH, GANG MEMBERSHIP, A LOT OF DRUGS, A LOT OF VIOLENCE IN THE AREA.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO, AGAIN, TO TRANSFORM IT IN TWO YEARS.
SO THEN WE ADDED, UH, FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL AND, UH, WE GOT HELP FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE.
UH, COACH DALE ROYAL, UH, COACH FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HELPED TO DONATE FOR THE, UH, ONE OF THE TWO FIELDS IN THE BACK, THE NEW FIELDS.
UH, WE HAD, UH, LEE VINNO, PROBABLY TWO YOUNG TO KNOW WHO LEE VINNO IS THE GOLFER.
BUT HE, UH, DONATED $5,000 TO US.
UH, WE HAD, UH, CHOICE THAT, UH, DONATED THEIR TIME AND THEY DID A, UH, A PUBLIC AUCTION.
AND, UH, WE HAD DONATIONS FROM, UH, TOM AND, UH, ROSEANNE ARNOLD.
AND, UH, WE HAD A PILLOW, UH, SIGNED BY ELVIS PRESLEY THAT THEY DONATED.
WE HAD GEORGE STRAIT DONATE A GUITAR, WILLIE NELSON.
AND, UH, WE HAD A LOT OF, A LOT OF, UH, PEOPLE TO DONATE.
BUT AGAIN, WE WANT TO KEEP THE, THE AREA, THE FIELDS IN THE HANDS OF THE EAST AUSTIN, OF THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY OF EAST AUSTIN.
AND, UH, WE'RE ASKING YOU TO SUPPORT US AGAIN.
WE HAVE A LOT OF YEARS IN THE, UH, BASEBALL PROGRAM, AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO, TO HELP THE KIDS THAT ARE IN OUR, UH, COMMUNITY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE TONY CASTILLO, FOLLOWED BY ISRAEL LOPEZ.
MR. CASTILLO, YOU HAVE, UH, THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME HE BEGINS SPEAKING.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US IN HERE.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR, FOR HAVING US HERE THIS EVENING.
UH, LIVED IN EAST AUSTINSON FOR 30 PLUS YEARS.
MOVED ACROSS A RIVER BECAUSE I WANTED TO STAY CLOSER TO EAST AUSTIN.
ATTENDED VAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, ALLEN JUNIOR HIGH, UH, JOHNSTON HIGH SCHOOL.
GRADUATED FROM THERE, WENT BACK, WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND THEN WENT BACK TO MY HIGH EAST AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL WHERE I ATTENDED AND SPENT THE NEXT 30 YEARS COACHING AND TEACHING THERE.
UH, BEEN INVOLVED IN THE LEAGUE SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
UH, ONCE AS A FUNDRAISER, ONCE AS A COACH, AND A, UH, UH, UMPIRE AS WELL.
WHERE ARE OUR CHILDREN GOING TO PLAY BASEBALL? WHERE? TOOK A LITTLE TRIP TODAY IN EAST DAWSON.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I KNEW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.
I'M SURE SOME OF YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S AT, BUT IT'S THE ICONIC SCHOOL.
IT'S LOCATED ON 35 AND CHAVEZ PALM.
NOT A PLACE WHERE KIDS CAN GO PLAY.
AND WHEN FURTHER, EAST KOALA USED TO BE THE HUB OF HISPANIC GATHERING SOCIAL AND FOR ATHLETIC PURPOSES AS WELL.
NOT A PLACE TO PLAY FIELD IS TOO SMALL.
NOWHERE WHERE THE KIDS COULD PRACTICE,
[00:25:01]
KEPT GOING, WENT TO METS SCHOOL.ALWAYS HAD A NICE LITTLE FEEL IN THE BACK WHERE OUR CHILDREN COULD GO AND PLAY.
SOMEONE HAD, HAS DONE A BEAUTIFUL JOB OF PUTTING THINGS WHERE KIDS CAN PLAY.
NICELY DONE, BUT NOT A PLACE WHERE KIDS CAN PLAY.
METS PARK THE AREA BETWEEN THE BIG SWIMMING POOL AND THE RECREATION CENTER THERE.
MYSELF COACHED THERE, MYSELF, NASA PARKING LOT WENT THE KIDS PLAYING, WHERE CAN THEY GO? WENT FURTHER EAST.
WENT TO GO VALLEY PARK LEADER THERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
USED TO HAVE A NICE LITTLE FIELD.
GOT PAID MY $25 A MONTH TO DO WHAT I HAD TO DO THERE WITH THEIR LITTLE TEAMS. DOESN'T EXIST WHERE GETS PLAYING.
I APPRECIATE ANY SUPPORT THAT CAN BE GIVEN TO THIS ORGANIZATION.
WE HAVE SOME PARENTS THAT ARE, THEY'RE COMMITTED TO SUPPORT THEIR KIDS AND PROVIDE RECREATIONAL PLAY FOR THEM.
OUR NEXT SPEAK WILL BE ISRAEL LOPEZ, FOLLOWED BY KAYLA REESE.
ISRAEL LOPEZ, MONT LITTLE LEAGUE.
I'M GONNA TOUCH BASE ON THE, OUR FIRST, UH, TWO REPS THAT WE HAD HERE.
THE CONTRACT IS THE SAME CONTRACT THAT I HAVE WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN SINCE I'M PRESIDENT OF THE LEAGUE.
BEEN AT MONTOPOLIS FOR 30 YEARS.
UH, THE CONTRACT, WE ALL, THERE'S THE STIPULATIONS ON OUR CONTRACTS AND WE'LL TOUCH BASE ON ITEM NUMBER THREE LATER.
BUT THE STIPULATIONS ON OUR CONTRACT ARE PRETTY ROUGH.
THEY'RE TOUGH WHEN WE HAVE TO.
THEY'RE, IT TAKES, IT TAKES A MINUTE.
IT TAKES QUITE A FEW OF US ON OUR BOARD, MY BOARD SPECIFICALLY FROM ON TOPLESS TO PUT THIS, THIS PAPERWORK TOGETHER.
AND THEN EMAILS AND EMAILS WITH THE CITY.
UM, THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE CAYL.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY LOST THEIR, THEIR 5 0 1 C3, UH, ALMOST FIVE YEARS AGO, SIX YEARS AGO.
THAT'S WHERE THE, THAT, IT'S NOT A CON THE CONFUSION.
THAT'S WHERE WE WANT TO BRING IN NEW REPRESENTATION.
THE LEAGUE, THE LEGENDS THAT JUST SPOKE HERE, NOW WE WANT TO BRING THEM BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITY.
OUO IS GOING TO COMMIT MYSELF, IS GOING TO COMMIT BOTH PHYSICALLY AND MONEY TO BRING THOSE FIELDS BACK.
NOW, IRONICALLY, SHE SAYS SHE DOESN'T WANT THE KIDS TO GO TO MONTA.
I DON'T THINK SHE MEANT IT THAT WAY.
WE WANT TO KEEP THEM IN AT CAYL WHERE THEY'VE BEEN.
THE MCGERN FAMILY HAS BEEN THERE FOR YEARS.
FROM WHAT I COULD TELL YOU FROM WHAT'S HERE NOW, MORGAN, ALEX, ALL THOSE GUYS ARE REALLY GOOD PERSONAL FRIENDS OF MINE.
THIS ADVISORY BOARD HAS A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE, IS HAS THE SUPPORT AND NOW HAS OUR SUPPORT IN MONTOPOLIS LITTLE LEAGUE TO GET THOSE KIDS BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITY, THEIR PERSPECTIVE LEAGUE.
WE WANT THIS ADVISORY BOARD TO TAKE OVER THERE.
WE JUST WANT YOU GUYS TO HA HAVE THAT BUG IN YOUR EAR.
WHEN WE, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, CANCELING, AND I, I HATE TO SAY IT TO SAY, BUT THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT'S GONNA BE.
IF THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR PAPERWORK TOGETHER IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS, WE DON'T WANT ANOTHER ORGANIZATION TO COME IN AND MAKE DEALS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS TO GET THAT FACILITY.
WE WANT SEE, WE WANT, WE WANT TO SEE THEM BACK.
WE WANT TO SEE THAT COMMUNITY BACK.
WE WANNA SEE THOSE FIELDS PUT BACK INTO THE WAY THEY WERE BEFORE.
AND JUST A CLARIFYING QUESTION.
UM, WHO CURRENTLY HAS THE CONTRACT? UH, THERE'S, THERE'S CAYO HAS THEIR OWN, UM, THEIR OWN BOARD MEMBERS.
UH, THEY HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY.
FROM WHAT WE KNOW FROM MEETINGS THAT WE JUST HAD A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WITH THE CITY.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF THEM, COUPLE OF YOUTH LEAGUES THAT HAVEN'T SIGN THE CONTRACT BECAUSE THEY'RE MISSING THE, THE PROPER DOCUMENTATION.
THERE'S AN INTERNAL, THERE'S INTERNAL THINGS HAPPENING THERE WITH THEIR BOARD.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S HOW WE'RE LOSING KIDS THERE.
AM I ABLE TO ASK AT THIS TIME FOR SOME CLARIFICATION JUST FOR BOARD MEMBERS? WE'RE A BIT CONFUSED ON, ON THE CONNECTION HERE AND MAYBE WHAT, WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO? SURE.
[00:30:10]
DO YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS OR SHOULD WE GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW? I MEAN, I, I THINK A QUICK OVERVIEW.DO YOU HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC QUESTION? OH, UM, SO COULD YOU PLEASE CLARIFY FOR US WHAT CONTRACT IS BEING REFERENCED BY THE SPEAKERS FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE? SURE.
SO THIS IS THE ANNUAL CONTRACT WITH THE YOUTH SPORTS ORGANIZATION TO BE SIGNED WITH THE VARIOUS LITTLE LEAKS.
UM, AND, AND, UM, WELL THERE, THERE'S A COUPLE OF GROUPS AS, AS WAS REPORTED THAT ARE STILL PENDING SOME DOCUMENTATION THAT WE NEED IN ORDER TO ENTER THAT CONTRACT.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW WITH THAT PARTICULAR GROUP.
AND COULD YOU CLARIFY THAT IS DUE, THAT DOCUMENTATION IS DUE BY TOMORROW BASED ON WHAT THE SPEAKERS, YES.
AND THEN THIRD CLARIFYING QUESTION, UM, WHAT HAPPENS IF THAT DOCUMENTATION IS NOT SUBMITTED? WHAT'S THE PROCESS? SO, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I THINK THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A CHALLENGE.
SO WE HAVE A PROCESS WHERE YOU HAVE TO NOTIFY US AND LET US KNOW THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THIS CONTRACT IF YOU NOTIFY US.
AND IT'S BASICALLY A FIRST COME FIRST SERVICE, ASSUMING YOU CAN MEET ALL THE, ALL THE REQUIREMENTS.
THIS GROUP THAT IS PENDING DOCUMENTATION HAS BEEN OPERATING THIS.
IF FOR SOME REASON THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE THE RIGHT DOCUMENTATION, WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT.
UM, THEY'VE ALREADY REGISTERED CHILDREN TO PLAY.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE SORT OF IN A CHALLENGING SITUATION 'CAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE KIDS ARE ABLE TO PLAY.
SO WE'RE INTERNALLY, WE'RE COMING UP WITH SOME, SOME ALTERNATIVE PLANS THAT WE'LL MEET WITH THE GROUP TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND.
BUT WE'RE STILL GONNA GIVE THEM TILL TOMORROW TO, TO SUBMIT THE INFORMATION THEY NEED.
I HAVE ONE MORE CLARIFYING QUESTION BASED ON THAT.
SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THERE ISN'T AN ESTABLISHED CITY PROCESS FOR WHAT ONE WOULD DO THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DECIDE HOW TO PROCEED IF THEY DON'T SUBMIT THE DOCUMENTATION? THERE'S NO ESTABLISHED CITY PROCESS, WHAT TO DO IF THEY HAVEN'T SUBMITTED THE DOCUMENTATION? YEAH, THAT'S, YEAH, THAT WAS THE QUESTION, RIGHT? QUESTION? YEAH.
UM, AND, AND YOU SAID THEY'VE BEEN OPERATING UP UNTIL THIS POINT AND IT'S THIS YEAR'S DOCUMENTATION THAT'S MISSING.
IS THIS DOCUMENTATION THAT'S MISSING, IS IT NEW? WHAT IS IT THAT'S MISSING IT? I DON'T THINK IT'S NEW DOCUMENTATION.
I THINK WHAT, WHAT IS MISSING IS THE DOCUMENTATION THAT THEY HAVE.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY IT HA IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A 5 0 1 C3 OPERATING.
IT COULDN'T BE A COMMUNITY GROUP.
I, I BELIEVE THE ORDINANCE SPECIFICALLY INDICATES A 5 0 1 C THAT IT HAS TO BE A 5 0 1 C.
SO IN 24 HOURS, LIKELY NOT, OR I, I'LL REVERSE.
UM, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY OF AN EXTENSION? IT SOUNDS LIKE NOT, I DON'T KNOW IF THE ORDINANCE IS SILENT ON IT OR IT DOESN'T, IT CLARIFIES THAT NO.
UM, CITY, UM, ATTORNEYS HAVE CONFIRMED WITH US THAT THERE'S NO EXTENSION.
UM, THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE THE 5 0 1 C3 BY, UH, TOMORROW.
AND ONE MORE CLARIFYING QUESTION, I APOLOGIZE.
SO, UM, IF SOMEBODY WERE TO STEP IN LINE NEXT WHO WAS A 5 0 1 C3, THEY WOULD BE THE, THEY WOULD BE THE NEXT IN LINE ESSENTIALLY? YES.
SO WE RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM EAST, UM, THAT THEY ARE INTERESTED IN BEING THAT, THAT PERSON OR THAT, THAT ORGANIZATION THAT TAKES OVER THAT YSO OR THOSE FIELDS.
UM, AND WE WOULD JUST HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW BEFORE WE CAN PUT A PLAN, PLAN IN PLACE, UM, ON HOW WE MOVE FORWARD.
I DO HAVE ONE LAST CLARIFIER THOUGH.
THIS, THIS IS TOMORROW AND IT IS NOT A POST AGENDA ITEM.
SO AT THIS POINT WE AS A BOARD, THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN TAKE ANY ACTION ON WHATSOEVER.
I'M MAINLY JUST SAYING THAT OUT LOUD FOR THE SURE.
BUT, UM, CLARIFYING WISE, YOU'RE IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT, CORRECT? YES.
BUT APPRECIATE THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS UNLESS ANYONE HAS ANY, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO WHO THEY NEED TO BE SPEAKING TO.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE ALREADY CONNECTED, BUT IF THERE'S ANY OTHER RESOURCES OR INFORMATION WE CAN SHARE.
I APPRECIATE YOU CLARIFYING ALL THAT FOR US.
CONTINUE WITH A GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
SHOULD WE I COULD NOT HEAR THAT.
UH, OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE KAYLA REESE.
I'M THE ADVOCACY MANAGER AT AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION.
UM, AND I'M JUST HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE LAND ACQUISITION TEAM.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA, BUT I JUST WANNA SPEAK IN MORE GENERALLY AND COMMEND THEM FOR THEIR WORK AND HIGHLIGHT LIKE HOW DIFFICULT IT HAS BEEN FOR THEM TO DO THEIR WORK AFTER HB 1526
[00:35:01]
THAT PASSED IN 2020.UM, AND I JUST WANNA ALSO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE HAVE A BOND OPPORTUNITY COMING UP IN 2026 AND THAT ON THAT BOND THERE SHOULD BE A GOOD PORTION FOR PARKLAND ACQUISITION.
UM, AND MORE SO FOR A PR IN GENERAL, THERE'S A LOT OF NEEDS AND UNLIKE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, THE US UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS NOT, UM, HAD A BOND ON THE SAME CYCLE, WHICH IS USUALLY A SIX YEAR CYCLE.
UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF NEED I KNOW FOR THIS BOND IN 2026.
BUT THE AUSTIN, UH, PARKS, PARKS AND RECREATION, UH, DEPARTMENT IS DEFINITELY IN NEED.
AND I WANTED TO JUST HIGHLIGHT THAT FOR Y'ALL.
AND ALSO COMMEND, UM, BRANDY SCOTT'S TEAM, UM, WITH LAND ACQUISITION.
I KNOW WE HAVE ITEM SPECIFIC COMMENT COMING UP, BUT IS THERE ANYONE PRESENT THAT WANTS TO ADDRESS THE PARKS BOARD DURING GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT? THAT IS THE END OF GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
UM, WE WILL MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD REGULAR MEETING OF AUGUST 25TH, 2025.WE'LL TAKE A MOMENT TO REVIEW THE MINUTES IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.
I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD.
MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD.
REGULAR MEETING OF AUGUST 25TH, 2025 SECOND.
ALRIGHT, THERE IS A MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER VILLALOBOS AND A SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER FLOWERS.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE ARE NOW GOING TO MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. THIS WILL BE, UM, OH GOSH, LOST MY, UH, DISCUSSION.
[3. Discussion and approve a recommendation to City Council regarding improving access to public ball fields. (Sponsors: Becker, Bazan)]
APPROVE, UH, RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL REGARDING IMPROVING ACCESS TO PUBLIC BALL FIELDS.DO WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? MM-HMM
UH, JUST TO QUALIFY, UH, CLARIFY, UH, WE MOVE TO ITEM THREE, CORRECT? I, I APOLOGIZE.
WE'RE MOVING ITEM THREE UP JUST 'CAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, YOUNGER PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE AUDIENCE IN CASE THEY WANTED TO SPEAK TO THAT.
SO ACTUALLY, WHY DON'T WE STICK WITH THE NORMAL ORDER SINCE THE KIDS EXITED? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, WE DO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTERS ON ITEM THREE.
OUR FIRST, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTER WILL BE TYLER SNEAD, FOLLOWED BY OEL MANZO.
AND THEN JOSIAH MERCER IS TYLER SNEAD HERE.
MR. SNEAD, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.
I'M DEFINITELY GONNA, NOT GONNA NEED THREE MINUTES 'CAUSE MY VOICE HAS ALREADY BEEN HEARD ON THIS ITEM ENOUGH AS HAS.
WHO ELSE? BUT HE JUST DOES A BETTER JOB TALKING THAN I DO.
UM, BUT I'LL INTRODUCE MYSELF.
SO I'M TYLER SNEAD, AND I'M, UH, YOU KNOW, A BRIDGE BETWEEN A LOOSE COLLECTIVE OF OVER 500, UH, CITIZENS OF AUSTIN THAT PLAY SANDLOT BASEBALL.
UM, COULD PROBABLY BEST BE DESCRIBED AS LIKE, EVERYBODY TRIES HARD ENOUGH FOR IT TO BE COMPETITIVE, BUT NOBODY REALLY CARES.
AND, UH, BEING, BEING THAT BRIDGE HAS LED LIKE, BEEN BEEN PRETTY INTERESTING, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S CAUSED ME TO HAVE TO DIG MY WAY THROUGH THE SPIDERWEBS OF CITY BUREAUCRACY TO FIGURE OUT HOW IN THE WORLD I CAN GET BASEBALL FIELDS, ENOUGH ACCESS TO
[00:40:01]
BASEBALL FIELDS THAT CAN SUPPORT 500 PEOPLE.UM, OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR, I MEAN, I THINK IN SPRING OF THIS YEAR WE HAD LIKE 84 GAMES THAT GO BALL AND THEN FALL, WE'RE GONNA HAVE LIKE 92 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND IT, UH, IT'S BEEN A JOURNEY TO, TO FIGURE OUT WHO TO TALK TO, WHEN TO TALK TO 'EM, TO GET CONFIRMATION OF THESE THINGS.
AND, UH, AS JOELLE STARTED LOBBYING THE PARKS BOARD AND WE STARTED WORKING WITH THE WORKING GROUP, I JUST REALIZED THAT LIKE, UH, SO
AND THAT, THAT, UH, ENABLED ME TO DIG MY WAY THROUGH THIS SPIDERWEB.
AND IF YOU ARE JUST A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC THAT WANTED TO FIGURE OUT, HEY, I'VE GOT 20 FRIENDS THAT WANNA GO PLAY BASEBALL THIS WEEKEND, WHERE CAN WE DO IT? NOT MANY PEOPLE ARE GONNA PUT IN THREE MONTHS OF EFFORT THAT I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHO IN THE WORLD TO TALK TO.
AND SO, EVEN THOUGH FOR AUSTIN SANDLOT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE GOT A FIELD NOW THAT WE HAVE PRETTY REGULAR ACCESS TO, UM, IT, IT'S ALWAYS TEMPORARY.
WHO KNOWS WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
AGAIN, THAT TRANSPARENCY AROUND WHAT'S CHANGING WITH ACCESS TO FIELDS IS LIKE, YOU HAVE TO BE VERY PROACTIVE TO FIGURE IT OUT.
BUT, UH, I, I THINK THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL, WILL AGAIN, LIKE NOT EVEN REALLY HELP US AT THIS POINT BECAUSE WE'VE PUT IN YEARS AND YEARS OF WORK ON THIS, BUT, UH, WE'LL ENABLE ACCESS FOR THE PUBLIC THAT JUST ISN'T THERE TODAY.
IT'S ALMOST JUST UNTENABLE TO FIGURE IT OUT IF YOU'RE SOMEONE FROM THE PUBLIC.
SO I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THAT AND LET EVERYBODY ELSE THAT'S GONNA DO A MUCH BETTER JOB SPEAKING TO SOME OF THIS STUFF THAN, THAN I AM.
SO I'LL SEED MY TIME TO HOEL AND THE REST OF THE SANDLOT CREW THAT'S BACK THERE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE HOEL MANZO, FOLLOWED BY JOSIAH MERCER.
I PLAYED TWO BASEBALL GAMES, THREE SOFTBALL GAMES AT THE CITY OLYMPICS IN A UMPIRED ONE GAME AT THE WONDERFUL LONGTIME TEXAS, WHICH I'LL HOPE TO, HOPE Y'ALL CAN COME OUT SOMETIME.
AGAIN, MY NAME IS JO MONSO, DISTRICT SEVEN, BORN AND RAISED IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
I GREW UP PLAYING AT PFLUGERVILLE LITTLE LEAGUE, NORTH AUSTIN OPTIMIST.
PLAYED AT CONLEY HIGH SCHOOL, PROBABLY THE LAST INDIVIDUAL ROUND.
AND I PLAYED IN THE ZARAGOZA COLLEGIATE LEAGUE.
I'VE PLAYED AN AWESOME METRO BASEBALL LEAGUE.
I PLAYED IN THE MORE GRASSROOTS LEAGUE, LIKE THE LA THE AUSTIN CTBL, FORMERLY KNOWN AS CENTRAL TEXAS BASEBALL LEAGUE.
NOW THE CAPITAL TEXAS BASEBALL LEAGUE.
AND NOW I PLAY IN THE WONDERFUL SANDLOT LEAGUE, WHICH IS INTERNATIONAL.
I VOLUNTEERED FOR RBI, AUSTIN GETTER, EAST AUSTIN YOUTH ASSOCIATION EAR, UH, EAST AUSTIN EARLY COLLEGE.
I'VE ALSO CREATED A YOUTH BASEBALL CLUB, THE AUSTIN BLACK SENATORS, ALL RANGING FROM 10 YEARS OLD TO 18 YEARS OLD.
WHAT I'VE COME TO FIND OUT IS BASEBALL IS THE HARDEST ACTIVITY TO ACCESS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I FIND IT LESS WELCOMING THAN ANY OTHER ACTIVITY LIKE BASKETBALL, LIKE SOCCER, LIKE SWIMMING.
THIS IS WHY I'VE BEEN SO ADAMANT ON ADVOCATING FOR BASEBALL RIGOROUSLY SINCE 2018.
COMING TO THESE MEETINGS, MEETING WITH WITH UM, UM, I ALWAYS FORGET HIS NAME, SORRY.
UH, MEETING WITH THE, WITH THE DIRECTORS AND, AND ASSISTANT DIRECTORS CREATING A PARKS BOARD, UM, TO ADVOCATE.
'CAUSE WE ARE ADVOCATING WITH RESPECT TO THE YOUTH TO HOPEFULLY ELEVATE THEIR EXPERIENCE AS WELL.
NOT ONLY WILL THIS ELEVATE THIS EXPERIENCE, THIS WILL ALLEVIATE THE BUDGET STRUGGLES THAT WE HAVE COMING UP IN THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE.
SO OPENING UP FIELDS, FACILITIES THAT ARE STRUGGLING, HELPING WITH THOSE FACILITIES WILL HELP OUT.
NOT ONLY THE ADULTS WILL HELP OUT THE YOUTH.
THE NEXT ONES THAT ARE GONNA BE PLAYING AT THESE HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE SANDLOT LEAGUE.
UM, PLEASE VOTE ON THIS RESOLUTION TO GO TOWARDS, UH, GO UP TO CITY COUNCIL.
AND WE'RE ALSO MISSING A MAJOR, MAJOR, UM, HISPANIC COMMUNITY IS NOT INVOLVED HERE.
THEY EITHER DON'T KNOW THE, THE, THE PROCESS OR THEY'RE WITH THIS ADMINISTRATION SCARED TO BE OUT HERE DURING THIS PROCESS.
SO I THINK I SPEAK WITH EVERYBODY HERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
I DON'T WANNA WASTE Y'ALL'S TIME.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE IN SOLIDARITY TO, TO ADVOCATE FOR BASEBALL AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S TIME THIS EVENING.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE JOSIAH MERCER, FOLLOWED BY CATALINA BERRY AND THEN DANIEL BIRD.
I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE ITEM AS WELL.
THANKS TO JOEL AND TYLER FOR DOING SO MUCH WORK ON THIS.
I'M ONE OF THE CAPTAINS OF THE TOWN LAKE NIGHT CRAWLERS.
WE ALSO CALL OURSELVES THE WORMS. UM, WE'RE A CO-ED TEAM.
UM, I ALSO WANT DO THIS, WILL EVERYONE INVOLVED IN SANDLOT PLEASE JUST RAISE YOUR HAND OR STAND UP HERE.
UM, I DON'T THINK EVERYONE'S GONNA BE TALKING, UM, BUT THIS IS A REALLY AMAZING COMMUNITY AND IF YOU COME TO ONE OF THE GAMES, YOU'LL SEE HOW LOVELY INCLUSIVE AND
[00:45:01]
FUN SANDLOT BASEBALL IS.MAYBE THE ONE OR ONE OR TWO OF THOSE LITTLE LEAGUES THAT DON'T MAKE THE PRO BALL WILL TURN OUT TO PLAY ON THE WORMS ONE DAY.
OUR COMMUNITY CONTAINS SOME OF THE MOST PASSIONATE BASEBALL PEOPLE IN THIS CITY.
UH, WE'RE GREAT ABOUT MAINTAINING THE FIELDS THAT WE PLAY ON.
UM, WE KNOW HOW TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN A MOUND AND FILL IN THE HOLES IN A BATTER'S BOX.
UM, THIS COMMUNITY HAS MAINTAINED THE BASEBALL FIELD AT PATTERSON'S PARK FOR ABOUT A DECADE.
UH, WE'VE WORKED ON CTS AND PARK, UH, FLATTENING THE INFIELD, WHICH WAS TOTALLY MESSED UP, PICKED UP LOTS OF TRASH OFF OF THAT FIELD AND CLEANED UP THE DUGOUTS.
AT ECHO VALLEY WHERE WE PLAY MOST OF OUR GAMES, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO WILL COME OUT AND WATER THE MOUND AND THE BATTER'S BOX ON DAYS THAT THEY'RE NOT EVEN PLAYING A GAME JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FIELD IS IN A GOOD CONDITION FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, BUT WE DON'T JUST PLAY GAMES.
MY TEAM HAS A GREAT TRADITION WE CALL THE WEDNESDAY WORMS, WHERE WE GET TOGETHER FOR PRACTICE ON WEDNESDAY EVENINGS.
IT'S QUICKLY BECOME A, AN IMPORTANT DAY OF THE WEEK FOR ALL OF US.
THESE PRACTICES ARE INCLUSIVE.
IF ANYONE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WALKS UP AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE DOING WITH WOODEN BATS? THEY CAN COME AND PLAY WITH US.
UM, I'VE EVEN HAD PEOPLE COME UP TO ME AND THANK ME FOR WORKING ON THE FIELD BECAUSE NOW THEY CAN TAKE THEIR CHILDREN OUT THERE AND THEY HAVE A GOOD MOUND AND A GOOD SET, YOU KNOW, FLAT INFIELD SO THEY DON'T GET HIT IN THE FACE.
UM, THERE'S LOTS OF FIELDS IN AUSTIN, NOT JUST THE PREMIER, BUT YOU KNOW, 300 FOOT OUTFIELD FIELDS WITH FENCES.
THERE'S LOTS OF NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS THAT HAVE BACKSTOPS, UM, THAT WOULD WORK WELL FOR DEFENSIVE PRACTICE OR FOR KIDS TO PRACTICE ON, BUT RIGHT NOW THEY'RE USED AS DOG PARKS.
THEY'RE NOT MOWED, THEY'RE NOT FLAT.
YOU REALLY COULDN'T PLAY BASEBALL ON THEM EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE ORIGINALLY SET UP AS A BASEBALL FIELD.
SO, YOU KNOW, MY MAIN POINT IS JUST TO HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMITTED COMMUNITY AND WE NEED TO FIND A WAY FOR THE CITY AND THIS COMMUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER TO IMPROVE FIELD ACCESS AND QUALITY EVERYWHERE IN THE CITY FOR EVERYONE.
AND, YOU KNOW, AS, AS TYLER SAID, WE ALREADY HAVE A PLACE TO PLAY, BUT WE'RE COMMITTED TO, YOU KNOW, IMPROVING BASEBALL ACCESS IN THIS CITY, NOT JUST FOR US, BUT FOR THE KIDS.
AND THIS SHOULD BE A BASEBALL CITY.
UM, I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T TALK ABOUT THE MAJOR LEAGUE PLAYERS THAT ARE FROM AUSTIN AND HOW THEY'RE FEWER THAN THERE USED TO BE, BUT IT'S TRUE.
AND UH, WE MADE WILLY WELLS AND THIS SHOULD BE A BASEBALL CITY, SO I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S TIME.
UM, PLEASE VOTE YES, THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT BIG WILL BE CATALINA BERRY, FOLLOWED BY DANIEL BIRD AND THEN GRADY REED RE MY NAME IS CATALINA AND I'M HERE TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSED RECOMMENDATIONS, ESPECIALLY THE FOCUS ON CENTRALIZED ACCESS, CLEAR AGREEMENTS, AND CONSISTENT ACCOUNTABILITY.
WHILE I'M NOT A BASEBALL PLAYER, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE SOMETHING THAT SOMETIMES GETS OVERLOOKED.
ORGANIZED SPORTS ARE A POWERFUL COMMUNITY BUILDING TOOL, NOT JUST FOR KIDS, BUT FOR ADULTS TOO.
I DID NOT REALLY HAVE A COMMUNITY WHEN I FIRST MOVED TO AUSTIN, AND IT WAS THROUGH PLAYING SOCCER THAT I FOUND A SENSE OF BELONGING.
THOSE WEEKLY GAMES WERE MORE THAN JUST EXERCISE.
THAT'S HOW I MADE FRIENDS, HOW I CONNECTED TO THE CITY, AND ULTIMATELY PART OF HOW I DECIDED TO STAY IN AUSTIN.
I THINK MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, CAN RELATE TO THAT.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUITABLE ACCESS TO LEAGUES, SCHEDULING AND FACILITIES, IT'S IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT THE FULL LIFESPAN OF SPORTS.
A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW FOUND THAT ADULTS WHO PARTICIPATE IN TEAM SPORTS TEND TO HAVE BETTER MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES, INCLUDING LOWER LEVELS OF DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND STRESS BETTER THAN THOSE AND WHO THOSE WHO DON'T PARTICIPATE.
AND PARTICIPATION LOOKS LIKE DIFFERENT THINGS TO THE DIFFERENT PLAYERS INVOLVED, NO PUN INTENDED.
OBVIOUSLY THE TEAMS ARE GATHERING TO PLAY, BUT I'M ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT IS CREATED FOR THE SPECTATORS.
THOSE WALKING THE DOG CAN FEEL THE ATMOSPHERE CREATED AND THOSE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, ESPECIALLY THE LEGACY NEIGHBORS, CAN SEE THE BRIGHT LIGHTS AND ARE BROUGHT BACK TO THE MEMORIES OF WHAT THE FIELDS USED TO REPRESENT TO THEM BEFORE.
THAT'S WHY THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND CENTRALIZED INFORMATION, STANDARDIZED CONTRACTS, AND STRONG ACCOUNTABILITY MATTER, THEY'RE NOT JUST TECHNICAL FIXES, THEY'RE TOOLS FOR EQUITY, WELLNESS, COMMUNITY AND INCLUSION.
THEY HELP ENSURE OUR PUBLIC FIELDS AND PROGRAMS ARE WELCOMING AND ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYONE.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, I MAY NOT BE A BASEBALL PLAYER, BUT ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES GROWING UP WAS THE SANDLOT.
HOW GREAT WAS IT THAT BENJAMIN FRANKLIN RODRIGUEZ WAS THERE TO GET SMALLS OUTTA THE BIGGEST PICKLE OF HIS LIFE? I HOPE YOUR VOTE TONIGHT CAN BE OUR BENJAMIN FRANKLIN RODRIGUEZ AND GET US OUT OF THIS PICKLE OF HAVING A LACK OF ACCESS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND WORKING TO MAKE OUR PUBLIC SPACES MORE OPEN, CONSISTENT, AND COMMUNITY CENTERED
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE DANIEL BY, FOLLOWED BY GRADY REED.
UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE INCREDIBLE ACCESS I ALREADY HAVE TO GREEN SPACES IN AUSTIN.
UM, I'VE BEEN LIVING HERE FOR 13 YEARS.
I ALMOST LEFT 10 YEARS AGO IF IT WASN'T FOR ME FINDING THIS SANDLOT COMMUNITY.
UM, IT'S A PRETTY INCREDIBLE THING.
UM, AND I KNOW, UM, JUST DOING SOME PRELIMINARY RESEARCH, I THINK IN 2019 THE PARKS, THE PARD BOARD DID A SURVEY THAT SAID 17% OF ADULTS AND AUSTIN PARTICIPATED IN A PARD PROGRAM IN THE LAST YEAR, WHICH WAS DOWN FROM 32% ON THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
[00:50:01]
A LOT WE CAN DO, UM, TO HELP CLOSE THAT GAP IN A WAY THAT IS, UM, EASIER AND MORE EQUITABLE AND MAKING USE OF EXISTING FACILITIES, UM, JUST BY MAKING AND OPENING UP AND KIND OF CLEARING SOME OF THE WEB THAT TYLER INDICATED, UM, THAT WE CAN CAPTURE DEMAND NOT JUST FOR BASEBALL, BUT FOR MULTITUDE OF TEAM SPORT.I THINK THAT WE EXIST WELL WITHIN THOSE CONFINES BECAUSE OFTEN LITTLE LEAGUES ARE NOT USING FACILITIES ON SATURDAY, FRIDAY NIGHT STARTING AT SEVEN.
AND SO IT'S LIKE I SEE US AS BEING AWAY IN A VEHICLE FOR FILLING IN SOME OF THOSE HOLES ON OTHERWISE UNUSED FIELDS.
UM, AND SO I PUT MY FULL SUPPORT BEHIND THIS.
I THANK YOU FOR CREATING A COMMUNITY THAT WAS ABLE TO GET, MAKE IT THIS FAR AND, UM, I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT OTHER TYPES OF COMMUNITIES WE COULD BRING INTO THE FOLD, UM, BECAUSE IT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE GRADY REED, FOLLOWED BY NICK FOWLER AND THEN JUSTIN GRABBER.
UM, AND I'VE DEDICATED MY CAREER TO WORKING IN PARKS AND DELIVERING QUALITY GREEN SPACE FOR PEOPLE IN THE CITIES THAT I'VE LIVED IN.
BUT BEFORE I FOUND THAT LOVE, I FOUND MY FIRST LOVE IN BASEBALL AND THE BENEFIT THAT IT BROUGHT TO TEACH PEOPLE FOR TEAMWORK, COMMUNICATION, COLLABORATION.
AND HONESTLY, AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, IT HAD BEEN 15 YEARS SINCE I PLAYED AND THAT'S WHEN I WAS INTRODUCED TO SANDLOT IN THE SUMMER OF 21.
UM, AND IMMEDIATELY FELL IN LOVE WITH JUST THE INCLUSIVENESS.
UM, UM, AND THE OVERALL COMMUNITY OF SANDLOT.
I THINK IT SPEAKS VOLUMES, THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE BEHIND US HERE TODAY.
I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT THE VOLUNTEER EFFORTS THAT WE PUT FORTH AT VALLE PARK OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS IN COLLABORATION WITH A PF PARKS AND REC.
UM, IN ORDER TO DO, IT'S MY PARK DAYS AT GOVALLE.
SO EACH YEAR, OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, WE'VE HAD OVER 90 PEOPLE SHOW UP TO THE BASEBALL FIELD.
WE'VE DONATED OVER 600 HOURS OF VOLUNTEER SERVICE.
WE'VE LEVERAGED OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS OF SANDLOT FUNDED AND SPONSORSHIP FUNDED SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS FOR THESE DAYS.
WE'VE ALSO SPREAD 60 YARDS OF MULCH UNDERNEATH THE TREES AT GOVALLE PARK TO ENSURE THAT, TO ENSURE THAT THEY PROVIDE THE ADEQUATE SHADE NEEDED FOR THOSE BLEACHERS IN THE LONG RUN.
WE'VE ALSO DONE THINGS SUCH AS TOP DRESSING THE INFIELDS TO GET RID OF THE POTHOLES THAT CREATE REALLY ROUGH, UM, GROUND BALLS.
WE FILLED IN ALL THE POTHOLES IN THE OUTFIELD THAT TURN AS ANKLE BREAKERS IN THE OUTFIELD.
WE'VE ALSO REBUILT THE MOUND TWO YEARS IN A ROW.
WE'VE RESET THE INFIELD SKINS AND WE'VE ALSO REBUILT THE BATTER'S BOXES.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THESE PEOPLE LOVE BASEBALL SO MUCH THAT AFTER THREE HOURS OF HARD WORK ON A BASEBALL FIELD, WHICH IS REALLY HARD WORK, WE TURN AROUND AND WE PLAY A BASEBALL GAME ON IT AND WE HAVE A COMMUNITY EVENT.
UM, I'M OBVIOUSLY IN SUPPORT OF THIS RESOLUTION.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY ON NOT JUST BASEBALL FIELDS, BUT ALL GREEN SPACE IN AUSTIN.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE NICK FOWLER, THEN JUSTIN GRABBER, AND THEN DAVID ORAGE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? HELLO, MY NAME IS NICK FOWLER.
UM, I PLAY FOR A TEAM CALLED THE SOUTH AUSTIN PARAKEETS.
WE GOT STARTED IN THE SUMMER OF 2018, UH, WITH A GOAL OF ESSENTIALLY DOING WHAT ALL THESE PEOPLE HERE ARE DOING, JUST ENJOYING THE GAME THAT WE LOVE TO PLAY AT AN AGE THAT, UH, BAY HAS BASICALLY TOLD US THAT WE'RE TOO OLD TO PLAY.
UM, SO IT'S JUST CONTINUING TO DO THE THING THAT WE LOVE THE MOST.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I I DO, I WILL SAY IS VERY, UH, UNIQUE I THINK TO THE SOUTH AUSTIN PARAKEETS IS WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO WORK WITH THE SOUTH AUSTIN REC CENTER ON, UM, A PROJECT THAT MORE OR LESS RESTORED, UH, THAT SPACE.
AND WHILE THAT SPACE IS A MULTI-USE FACILITY, IT'S NOT ALWAYS THE MOST CONDUCIVE TO BASEBALL BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HAVE A FENCE.
UM, AND SO THROUGHOUT THE YEARS WE'VE KIND OF SOUGHT OUT OTHER FIELDS THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY PLAY WITH IN THE SOUTH AUSTIN AREA BECAUSE IT IS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT'S, IT'S PROVEN TO BE, UM, PRETTY TOUGH, UM, TO SAY THE LEAST.
AND SO, UM, I'M OBVIOUSLY IN SUPPORT OF, UH, THIS RESOLUTION.
I JUST THINK IT WOULD ULTIMATELY ALLOW A LOT MORE ACCESS FOR ADULTS LIKE MYSELF, FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT, UM, I'VE STRIVED REALLY HARD TO BE A PART OF AND TO ADVOCATE FOR, BUT ALSO TO AGAIN, LIKE I THINK
[00:55:01]
LIKE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEARD, YOU KNOW, THE KIDS SAY IS THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO PLAY BALL IN THEIR COMMUNITY.I WANT TO BE ABLE TO HELP KIDS LIKE THAT CONTINUE TO PLAY BALL WELL AFTER THEY'RE 12 YEARS OLD, UM, EVEN AFTER 18 WHEN THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, SUPPOSED IF THEY DON'T GO TO COLLEGE AND PLAY.
SO, UM, YEAH, I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE RESOLUTION AND I JUST THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME OUT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE JUSTIN GRABBER, FOLLOWED BY DAVID HORRIDGE AND THEN CHRIS FLORES.
GOOD TO BE HERE WITH YOU THIS EVENING.
UM, YOU ALL HAVE HEARD VERY COMPELLING AND ROBUST SUPPORT FOR THIS INITIATIVE AND THIS RECOMMENDATION FROM THE SANDLOT COMMUNITY HERE.
FIND FOLKS AND THEY'VE ALL DONATED A LOT OF TIME, A LOT OF HARD WORK.
I THINK YOU CAN SEE THE, THE VALUE AND THE BENEFIT, UM, THAT THIS KIND OF ACCESS TO BASEBALL FIELDS CREATE HERE IN THE CITY.
UH, I'D LIKE TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO WHAT THE EXPERIENCE MIGHT BE IF THIS RECOMMENDATION WERE TO PASS IN ADVANCE TO THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, AND SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MAYBE THE EXPERIENCE OF WHAT THAT MIGHT BE LIKE.
UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, UH, GO PARK.
IT'S BEEN A FANTASTIC OUTLET AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY SCHEDULING GAMES THAT WE ALL LOOK FORWARD TO ON FRIDAY NIGHTS ON SATURDAYS.
THAT'S A BRIGHT SPOT OF THE WEEK FOR A LOT OF FOLKS.
UH, WE HAVE POINTS OF CONTACT WITH THE CITY THAT HAVE BEEN RESPONSIVE AND HELPFUL.
LOOKING TO DUPLICATE THAT EXPERIENCE AT OTHER PARKS AROUND TOWN WOULD BE THE HOPE AND THE INTENTION.
NAVIGATING THAT PROCESS, LET'S SAY FROM SCRATCH.
I THINK HAVING SOME, SOME KIND OF CLEAR CUT RESOURCES AND ACCESS TO WHETHER IT BE PHONE NUMBERS, UM, CITY OFFICIALS OR OR PART EMPLOYEES THAT ARE POINTS OF CONTACT, UM, A SCHEDULING SYSTEM OR SOFTWARE THAT'S EASY TO UNDERSTAND AND VIEW VISIBILITY OF WHAT IS OUT THERE, WHAT IS NOT EXCEPTIONS FOR HOLIDAYS.
I THINK MOST FOLKS ARE IN AGREEMENT HERE THAT THE PRIORITIZATION OF YOUTH BASEBALL ACTIVITY AT THESE FACILITIES, UM, ARE PARAMOUNT.
AND SO MAINTAINING THAT AND PROTECTING THAT, IT'S NOT REALLY A ZERO SUM TYPE OF DEAL.
WE'RE LOOKING TO UTILIZE THE FIELDS WHEN THEY'RE NOT OTHERWISE OCCUPIED.
THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S NEW TO FOLKS OR MAYBE A CONFUSION ON THIS POINT WHERE IT'S JUST ABOUT MAXIMIZING OCCUPANCY.
UH, AND THE IN KIND CONTRIBUTION OF LABOR MATERIALS UPKEEP TO SPECIALIZED NEEDS OF A BASEBALL FIELD.
UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE AND OFFER THESE KIND OF IN KIND CONTRIBUTIONS.
UM, PERSONALLY I FEEL AS THOUGH A BASEBALL FIELD DOESN'T LOOK QUITE THE SAME WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, A WINDSCREEN NETTING IN THE OUTFIELD, UH, YELLOW CAP FENCING ALONG THE TOP, IT CUTS DOWN CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT'S A HOME RUN AND WHAT'S NOT A HOME RUN, WHICH IF YOU COME TO A GAME YOU'LL SEE IS A CONSTANT ISSUE.
THERE'S SO MANY HOME RUNS THAT WE NEED THIS TO HELP DETERMINE
UM, SO IT'S BEEN A TREAT FOR ME.
I REALLY ENJOY GETTING OUT HERE.
I THINK EXPANDING THAT TO UH, UTILIZING OTHER, YOU KNOW, PREMIUM ACCESS TO, TO FIELDS THAT ARE A JOY TO REALLY PASS BY AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, I CAN VISUALIZE A GAME ON THIS PART.
I CAN SEE EVERYBODY HAVING A GREAT TIME HERE.
UH, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GONNA BE CHRIS FLORES, FOLLOWED BY ISRAEL LOPEZ.
GOOD EVENING PARKS BOARD MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS CHRIS FLORES FROM DISTRICT 10 SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF ITEM NUMBER THREE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE BALL FIELD WORKING GROUP.
I COME TO SING THE PRAISES OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED, WHO OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR THOUGHTFULLY ANALYZED THE ISSUES AND CAME UP WITH THOROUGH RECOMMENDATIONS.
WHEN I HEARD BOARD MEMBER BECKER'S AUGUST 25TH SUMMARY, I WANTED TO SHOUT OUT AMEN BROTHER.
UM, I OFFERED SOME SPECIFIC PRAISES ON AUDIT, TIMING, RECOMMENDATIONS, NOBLE INTENT AND PRAGMATIC IMPLEMENTATION.
FIRST OF ALL, THE CITY AUDIT ON THE CURRENT STATE OF THINGS, A NEUTRAL PARTY.
UH, AND IT WAS AN OUTSTANDING AUDIT.
UH, YOU PRESENTED THIS ON AUGUST 25TH WITH A FULL MONTH FOR THE PUBLIC TO STUDY AND TALK ABOUT IT BEFORE YOU VOTED ON IT TONIGHT.
UM, THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE PRESENTED IN SIX KEY POINTS, CONCISELY, EASY TO CONNECT THE DOTS.
ONE ISSUE LED TO THE NEXT I CAN SUMMARIZE THEM.
[01:00:01]
SOURCE FOR THE PUBLIC ACCESS, ROBUST PUBLIC RESERVATION SYSTEM, ONLINE STANDARDIZED CONTRACT LANGUAGE REGARDING WORK COSTS AND PUBLIC RIGHTS REVISED YOUTH SPORTS ORGANIZATION AGREEMENTS, CLEAR AND CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE ACCOUNTABILITY AND CITY ORDINANCE CHANGES.I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT BASEBALL, BUT I GOT IT.
UM, I LIKE THE NOBLE INTENT TO REBALANCE THE ORGANIZATIONS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC BALL FIELD USERS.
AND LASTLY, A PRAGMATIC APPROACH IN SHORT AND LONG-TERM STEPS TO ENSURE THE CHANGES ARE ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED.
A FUTURE PARKS BOARD MEETING TOPIC, PERHAPS ASK THE PUBLIC TO SUGGEST FUTURE WORKING GROUP AREAS OF FOCUS.
THE BALL FIELD WORKING GROUP IS MADE A MAP OF HOW TO DO IT.
YOU BOARD MEMBERS, CAN YOU KEEP IT GOING PLEASE? THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE ISRAEL LOPEZ.
I'M HERE AGAINST THE, UM, AND REPRESENTING OTHER LEAGUES THAT WE'VE HAD.
UH, SANDLOT IS, IT'S A VERY PASSIONATE GROUP.
I MEAN THEY'VE GOT A WHOLE BUNCH OF THEM HERE, BUT WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FROM WHAT WE UNDERSTAND AT OUR MEETINGS WITH THE YOUTH GROUPS, WITH EVERYONE INVOLVED AT THE YOUTH IS THAT THEY WANT TO USE THE FIELDS AND USE 'EM FOR FREE.
THEY WANT TO PUT ANYBODY ON AND LISTENING TO THEM.
NOW, I DON'T UNDER, IF I RUN A LEAGUE AND I'VE BEEN RUNNING A LEAGUE FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW.
GREW UP IN MON TOPLESS SINCE 1973, PLAYED BASEBALL THERE MY WHOLE LIFE, BEEN PRESIDENT SINCE 2009.
WHAT THEN IF YOU HAVE KIDS PLAYING IN YOUR SANDLOT LEAGUE, WHY AREN'T THEY PLAYING IN OUR BASEBALL LEAGUES? I DON'T SEE HOW YOU WOULD MIX PUTTING KIDS IN THERE PLAYING WITH THE ADULTS.
I KNOW I WOULDN'T HAVE MY 13-YEAR-OLD OUT THERE PLAYING WITH MAN.
'CAUSE THERE'S SOME GOOD BALL PLAYERS.
A COUPLE OF 'EM ARE GOOD, BUT I DON'T THINK USING KIDS AS PAWNS, YOU KNOW, YOU, I'VE NEVER SEEN A KID OUT THERE PLAYING WITH THEM UNLESS HE'S PLAYING CATCH BEFORE A GAME OR BEFORE A PRACTICE.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO READ.
I CAN ONLY TELL YOU THE TRUTH.
AND THEY JUST TOLD ME ABOUT THIS A COUPLE HOURS AGO.
SO I'M HERE NOW WITH, I'M CONFUSED BECAUSE WE, WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE, EVEN THE LADY THAT GOES IN AND GIVES THE KIDS ORANGES IN OUR DUGOUTS TEAM, MOM, GUESS WHAT SHE HAS TO DO.
BACKGROUND CHECK MY ADVISORY BOARDS, BACKGROUND CHECKS.
THAT, THAT FRESH OUTTA COLLEGE THAT ARE HELPING ME CUT GRASS ON THE FIELD.
HOW ARE WE GONNA DO THAT? HOW IS THE CITY GONNA DO THAT THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO FIX ANYTHING.
IT'S ALWAYS A BUDGETING ISSUE.
IT'S ALWAYS, OH, WE GOTTA WAIT TILL OCTOBER.
AND IF YOU GUYS THINK, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE BEEN TO MONTOPOLIS, BUT THEY WANT MONTOPOLIS FOR A REASON BECAUSE I SPENT MORE THAN A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
I'VE GOT SEVEN GRAND INTO THAT FIELD SINCE JUNE MAKE, I MAKE THIS THING LOOK LIKE A THOU LIKE A MILLION DOLLAR PARK.
SO HOW ARE WE GONNA LET THESE GUYS COME IN HERE? ANYONE COME IN AND JUST GET, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT THERE, WE'RE GONNA USE IT.
A THOUSAND DOLLARS IS NOT GONNA FIX A AMOUNT IN A WEEK.
A LOT OF OTHER LEAGUES THAT ARE, THAT ARE DOING THEIR OWN THING, THEY PAY FOR A LOT TOO.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THE OTHER LEAGUES AREN'T HERE TODAY.
A COUPLE OF 'EM ARE GONNA, ARE GONNA REPRESENT, BUT FOR ME, I HAVE TO BE AGAINST THIS.
BUT DON'T, DON'T, DON'T TELL US THAT YOU HAVE KIDS OUT THERE.
YOU JUST GOTTA PAY FOR IT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE DOES.
YOU RENT THE FIELD, YOU PAY FOR IT.
THAT'S HOW THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN.
WE AIN'T COMING TO ON TOP OF THIS.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE PRESENT THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE PARKS BOARD ON THIS ITEM? THAT IS THE END OF PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.
UH, PLEASE APPROACH THE, THE FRONT OF THE, UH, SURE.
TO BEGIN WITH YOUR NAME? YEAH.
HI, UM, MY NAME IS HANNAH SIMON.
UM, I'M ALSO PART OF THE SANDLOT LEAGUE.
UM, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T PLAN TO SPEAK SO I DIDN'T DRESS UP
[01:05:01]
THE COMMUNITY ASPECT OF THE THING.WE'RE ALL TRYING TO WORK TOGETHER TO OPEN UP THESE FIELDS AND ACCESS TO THESE FIELDS SO THAT EVERYBODY CAN WORK TOGETHER AND KEEP THEM NICE AND KEEP THEM GOOD.
UM, I WANNA GO BACK TO CATALINA WHEN SHE SAID THAT AS ADULTS, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE ACCESS TO TEAM SPORTS THE WAY THAT WE DID WHEN WE WERE KIDS.
AND IT'S BEEN REALLY SPECIAL TO ME TO FIND THAT ACCESS AGAIN IN ADULTHOOD, UM, THROUGH SANDLOT.
I'M ON TWO DIFFERENT SANDLOT TEAMS.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO COME UP AND SAY AGAIN HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO INCLUDE EVERYONE.
AND, UM, I, WE DON'T HAVE CHILDREN ON OUR TEAMS. UM, THEY'RE WELCOME TO COME HANG OUT, BUT, UH, WE WANNA JUST SHARE ACCESS.
THAT IS THE END OF PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.
UM, I AM GONNA TURN THIS OVER TO BOARD MEMBER BECKER IN JUST A MOMENT.
UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, IT HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, A YEAR OF WORKING, WORKING THROUGH THIS.
UM, AND THE REASON BEING IS BECAUSE THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE TO CONSIDER, A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WERE COMING TO US.
UM, WE LOOKED AT THIS AT EVERY ANGLE WE COULD, AND WE KEPT HEARING OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT PEOPLE REALLY WANTED THE ACCESS TO THESE FIELDS.
THEY WANTED TO LOVE AND CARE FOR THEIR SPACES JUST LIKE WE ALL DO.
UM, I'M CONTINUING TO HEAR THAT.
UM, AND SO REALLY THE THOUGHT WHEN WE STARTED THIS WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE BEING CLEAR ON WHAT SPACES WERE AVAILABLE, HOW YOU COULD ACCESS THEM, WHO YOU WOULD REACH OUT TO.
'CAUSE ALL OF THAT COULD BE REALLY CONFUSING.
UM, AND WHAT PEOPLE JUST WANTED TO DO WAS PLAY.
AND SO I HOPE THAT WE'RE MOVING, YOU KNOW, IN THAT DIRECTION SO THAT WE ARE OFFERING THESE SPACES TO EVERYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO USE THEM AND CAN USE THEM, UM, AND THAT THE FOLKS WHO ARE DOING THAT ARE CONTINUING TO CARE FOR THESE SPACES AND LEAVE THEM BETTER THAN THEY FOUND THEM FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.
SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MR. BECKER.
BOARD MEMBER BAZAN, UM, BOARD CHAIR BAZAN.
UM, WE DISCUSSED THIS AT LENGTH LAST MONTH, AND I WILL GO BACK OVER THINGS, BUT I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO QUITE AS FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE, I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO QUITE AS MUCH DETAIL AS I DID LAST TIME.
UM, ONE THING I DID WANT TO POINT OUT, SO, AND ACTUALLY ONE OF OUR, UM, CITY RESIDENTS HAS ALREADY DONE A FINE JOB OF SUMMARIZING WHAT'S IN HERE.
UH, AND IT'S AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR ANY OF THE REST OF YOU THAT WOULD LIKE TO READ IT IN DETAIL.
UM, BUT I'M COMFORTABLE THAT THE BOARD HAS ENOUGH FAMILIARITY WITH IT.
BUT I JUST WANT TO NOTE A FEW THINGS, UH, THAT HAVE CHANGED SINCE LAST MONTH.
UM, ONE IS, UH, ITEM SIX, AS I MENTIONED, UH, HAS BEEN INCLUDED.
IT WASN'T ON THE COPY THAT WE PRESENTED LAST MONTH.
SO THIS IS AN AMENDED CITY ORDINANCE REGARDING YSO.
UM, SO IT'S JUST SPECIFYING WHICH CITY ORDINANCE THE, UM, COUNCIL WOULD BE REQUIRED TO UPDATE IN ORDER TO ALLOW, UH, ADULT, UM, ADULTS TO PLAY ON FIELDS THAT HAVE BEEN PRIMARILY DESIGNATED FOR YOUTH SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, SO IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR, THE WAY THAT THIS WORKS RIGHT NOW IS YOUTH SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS HAVE EXCLUSIVE ACCESS.
UM, ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE DOCUMENT, UM, NUMBER FOUR, REVISED AGREEMENTS FOR YOUTH SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS SUGGESTS THAT THE CITY, UM, CREATE A MINIMUM NUMBER OF DAYS WHEN, UH, OTHERS CAN PLAY ON THE FIELDS.
SO INSTEAD OF COMPLETELY EXCLUSIVE ACCESS, IT'S SUGGESTING PRIMARILY EXCLUSIVE ACCESS, BUT ALLOWING, UM, ADULT PLAY ON THE FIELDS FOR CERTAIN SPECIFIED DAYS.
UM, NUMBER OF DAYS, PRESUMABLY A SMALL NUMBER OF THIS WOULD BE UP TO THE CITY, WHAT DAYS THIS WOULD BE NEGOTIATIONS.
SO IT'S NOT VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT THAT.
BUT REALLY THE PRIMARY CHANGE THAT IT'S ASKING RELATIVE TO YOUTH SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS IS THAT ONE THING I THOUGHT WAS NOTABLE WHEN THE SANDLOT FOLKS WERE SPEAKING AND THEY WERE ALL SORT OF TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENT DATES THAT THEIR, UM, THAT THEIR TEAMS, UH, WERE CREATED.
I THINK THE EARLIEST ONE THAT I HEARD WAS 2018.
SO, UH, IT'S RELATIVELY, IT'S A RELATIVELY RECENT CHANGE, THE SANDLOT FOLKS.
AND I THINK ONE THING I WANNA NOTE IS, YOU KNOW, THE LIKE ACCESS TO PUBLIC LAND, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO GIVING A PRIVATE ENTITY EXCLUSIVE USE OVER ANY PART OF PUBLIC LAND, IT'S, IT'S A COMPLICATED MATTER, RIGHT? LIKE, WE ALL OWN THESE PARKS.
EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THIS ROOM, EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THIS CITY OWNS THESE PARKS.
UH, AND MANAGING A PRIVATE RELATIONSHIP IN THAT SPACE CAN BE COMPLICATED.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IT BEHOOVES US TO DO AS A CITY IS SORT OF REVISIT AGREEMENTS LIKE THESE AT TIMES AND TO SAY, HOW HAS THE CITY CHANGED? HOW SHOULD THESE AGREEMENTS CHANGE IN RELATION, RIGHT? THERE ARE A LOT MORE ADULTS THAT WANT TO PLAY
[01:10:01]
ON BASEBALL FIELDS NOW THANKS TO GROUPS LIKE SANDLOT.SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THESE AGREEMENTS AND SAY, HOW CAN WE MODIFY THEM IN WAYS THAT ALLOW FOR THAT WITHOUT TAKING AWAY ALL THE VALUE THAT WE HAD PREVIOUSLY.
WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO IN THIS DOCUMENT, AND PARTICULARLY THE ISSUE AROUND Y SOS, IS REALLY SPECIFY THAT A FEW DAYS, NOT MANY, UH, CARVED OUT SPECIFICALLY FOR THEM.
I'LL ALSO NOTE SINCE, UM, UH, ONE OF THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS MENTIONED THIS, THIS DOCUMENT DOESN'T MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATION RELATIVE TO PAYMENT.
IT DOES TALK ABOUT RESERVATIONS AND ACCESS TO RESERVATIONS.
I KNOW THAT THE CITY AND THE FOLKS THAT WORK IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT SPEND A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT HOW TO DO EQUITABLE AC EQUITABLE ACCESS, HOW TO ALLOW PAYMENT FOR RESERVATIONS AND WAYS THAT ALLOW GROUPS ACCESS, BUT ALSO ALLOW THINGS LIKE MAINTENANCE TO HAPPEN.
I HAVE FULL FAITH AND CONFIDENCE IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ABILITY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THE MONEY WORK RELATIVE TO THIS.
UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S ABOUT FREE ACCESS.
I ABSOLUTELY THINK THAT ESPECIALLY FOR SOMETHING LIKE A BASEBALL FIELD OR A SOCCER FIELD THAT REQUIRES MAINTENANCE, THERE HAS TO BE SOME SORT OF FINANCIAL CONSIDERATION INVOLVED.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I HAVE FULL FAITH THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, IF AND WHEN THEY DO THIS SORT OF WORK, UH, WILL BE ABLE TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
SO THAT WAS ONE CHANGE THAT I WANTED TO NOTE WAS NUMBER SIX.
THE ONLY OTHER ITEM, WELL I ALSO MADE SOME, WELL, I SHORTENED IT.
I HAD AN EXTRA MONTH, SO I TIGHTENED IT UP A BIT.
SO THERE'S LESS LANGUAGE, BUT IT ALL MEANS THE SAME THING.
UM, THE ONLY OTHER CHANGE BESIDES THAT THOUGH IS, UH, AN ITEM THREE UNDER STANDARDIZED CONTRACT LANGUAGES, OR SORRY, UNDER STANDARDIZED CONTRACT LANGUAGE.
THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL PARAGRAPH AT THE END.
SO THIS IS THE SECTION THAT SAYS, UM, PART SHOULD STANDARDIZE THE CONTRACT LANGUAGE REGARDING PUBLIC ACCESS REQUIREMENTS GENERALLY AND ALL ITS CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENTS.
THEY'RE A LITTLE BESPOKE AT THE MOMENT, AND HAVING SOMETHING THAT'S MORE CONSISTENT AND MORE RELIABLE, UM, WILL BE HELPFUL.
AND THIS WAS OUT, UH, IN A WAY THAT WAS OUTLINED ON THE CITY AUDITOR'S SPECIAL REPORT.
THE ONLY CHANGE THAT WE MADE IS THE LAST SENTENCE OF NUMBER THREE NOW SAYS, PAR SHOULD APPLY THESE SAME CONTRACTUAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WHEN CITY FUNDS ARE USED TO SUPPORT PUBLIC ACCESS TO PRIVATELY OWNED FIELDS AND FACILITIES.
THERE ARE A FEW CASES WHERE THE CITY DOES ACTUALLY SPEND MONEY WITH PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS TO ALLOW ACCESS TO THEIR FIELDS.
WE'RE JUST SAYING IF YOU HAVE RULES THAT APPLY WHEN WE'RE SPENDING CITY MONEY ON PUBLIC FIELDS, THEN THERE SHOULD BE SIMILAR RULES THAT APPLY WHEN YOU SPEND CITY MONEY ON PRIVATE FIELDS.
NOT EVERY TIME THAT PRIVATE FIELD IS USED, BUT WHEN IT'S USED IN A PUBLIC CAPACITY.
SO JUST TRYING TO BE AS THOROUGH AS POSSIBLE.
AND THOSE ARE ALL THE CHANGES WE'VE MADE.
ANY QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS REGARDING THE CHANGES? OKAY.
UM, AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO ASK FOR A MOTION FROM THE BOARD.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO BE VERY SPECIFIC, UM, TO APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL REGARDING IMPROVING ACCESS TO PUBLIC BALL FIELDS.
THERE WE HAVE A MOTION FROM BOARD MEMBER, BOARD MEMBER BECKER APOLOGIES, AND THEN A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER VIA LOBOS.
UM, ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? NO, I, I JUST HAVE ONE QUICK COMMENT.
UM, I THINK THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO PASS THIS AGENDA ITEMS FOR MANY OF THE SAME REASONS THAT, UH, BOARD MEMBER BECKER, UH, TALKED ABOUT, UH, AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING.
UM, FOR ME, I'M SUPPORTING THIS AND I THINK BOARD MEMBER BECKER, YOU AND I STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS A FEW MONTHS BACK, BUT I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO GO TO A SYSTEM IN WHICH SOCCER FIELDS, BASEBALL FIELDS, THESE PLAYING FIELDS ARE GIVEN, OR THE DEFAULT SHOULD BE PUBLIC ACCESS AND GREATER PUBLIC ACCESS AS OPPOSED TO THE DEFAULT BEING, WELL, YOU GET WHATEVER DATES AND TIMES ARE LEFT OVER.
I THINK THE DEFAULT NEEDS TO BE THE REVERSE OF THAT, AND I THINK THIS IS ONE STEP FORWARD TOWARDS CHANGING THAT DYNAMIC.
UM, THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT I DON'T THINK THAT ANY ORGANIZATION OR GROUP OR YSO THAT HAS CURRENTLY HAD ACCESS TO BASEBALL FIELDS, UM, HAS BEEN DOING A BAD JOB OR, UH, HAS HAS NOT BEEN, YOU KNOW, PULLING THEIR WEIGHT IN REGARDS TO, UH, MAINTAINING FIELDS ARE GIVEN, UH, ACCESS TO OTHER GROUPS.
UM, THOUGH I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE DEFICIENCIES, I DON'T THINK THAT AS A WHOLE THEY'VE DONE A BAD JOB, BUT I DO THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME UP, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO CREATE A SYSTEM IN WHICH PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE HERE TONIGHT WITH THE SAN SANDLOT LEAGUE, UM, AREN'T HAVING TO FIGURE OUT FOR THREE MONTHS ON END HOW TO ACCESS A PLAYING FIELD.
UM, AND IF IT'S HARD FOR THEM, IMAGINE
[01:15:01]
HOW IT IS FOR SOMEONE WHO IS OF LOWER, LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS.UM, SO THEY HAVE BEEN IN EFFECT, BEEN SHUT OUT OF OUR PUBLIC FIELD AND OUR PUBLIC, UH, PARKS.
SO FOR ME, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE KIND OF LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD, NOT JUST FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE IN THE ROOM TODAY WHO ARE REPRESENTING WITH THE SANDLOT LEAGUE, BUT FOR THOSE THAT AREN'T ABLE TO BE IN THE ROOM TODAY.
UM, BUT WHO WILL WANNA PARTICIPATE IN THESE SPORTS, UM, LATER DOWN, DOWN THE LINE.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU BOARD MEMBER BECKER AND BOARD MEMBER BEAN FOR, UH, CHAIR BEAN FOR BRINGING THIS RESOLUTION FORWARD AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH IT, VOTING FOR IT.
ANYBODY ELSE? ALRIGHT, UM, MR. BECK, JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
WE HAVE A TYPO IN THE, THE TITLE RECREATION AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT OTHER THAN IT NEEDS TO BE UPDATED.
THERE'S NOTHING PRO PROCESS WISE.
UM, ALRIGHT, WELL I JUST WANNA THANK, UM, THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ONCE AGAIN.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY CAME TO SPEAK TO US MANY MONTHS IN A ROW AND BROUGHT THIS, UH, TO OUR ATTENTION.
UM, THANK YOU FOR, UH, BOARD MEMBER BECKER FOR TAKING ON THIS WORKING GROUP.
UM, AND FOR THE FOLKS WHO WORKED, UH, WITH US ALONG THE WAY, UM, HE REALLY DID THE BIG LIFT.
I THINK I WAS GRAMMAR GIRL IN THE END.
BUT, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS AND I AM GOING TO ASK US TO TAKE A VOTE.
UM, SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, UM, OF APPROVING PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD RECOMMENDATION.
IT'S NINE ZERO PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
[2. Presentation, discussion and approve letters of support for the Austin Parks and Recreation Parkland Acquisition team for their work toward ensuring that residents of Austin live within a 5 to 10-minute walk from a park and enjoy a robust network of trails that connects all parts of the city. (Sponsors: Bazan, Flowers) (PARD Long Range Strategies: Park Access for All, Urban Public Spaces). Presenter(s): Randy Scott, Parkland Use and Acquisition Manager; Robynne Heymans, Planner Principal; Scott Grantham, Planner Principal, and; Paul Books, Planner Principal, Austin Parks and Recreation.]
RIGHT, NOW WE WILL MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO.UM, IT'S STILL UNDER DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. THIS IS A PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION AND APPROVAL OF LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR THE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION PARKLAND ACQUISITION TEAM.
AND DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THIS ONE, MR. BECK? NO SPEAKERS ON THE SIDE.
UM, THEN WE CAN MOVE TO THE PRESENTATION.
MY NAME IS LIANA KALUKA AND I AM ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR THE PARKS CENTER CREATION DEPARTMENT.
AND WE ARE REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE TO DISCUSS THE PARKLAND ACQUISITIONS PROGRAM.
UM, FIRST WE WILL, UH, REVIEW LAND ACQUISITIONS SINCE 1998 AND WE WILL REVIEW THE PROGRESS ON OUR LONG-TERM GOALS.
UH, WE WILL DISCUSS THE IMPACTS OF HOUSE BILL 1526, THE IMPACTS ON PARKLAND DEDICATION.
UM, WE WILL THEN, UM, DISCUSS THE BENEFITS FROM LAND BANKING AND THE COST FOR MAINTENANCE.
AND, UH, WE WILL CLOSE WITH, UM, THE GOALS FOR THE 2026 BOND.
YOU WILL GET TO MEET AND HEAR FROM A NUMBER OF, UM, MEMBERS FROM THE PARKLAND ACQUISITION TEAM.
AND, UH, I HAVE THE PLEASURE NOW TO, UH, INTRODUCE AND PASS THIS ON TO PAUL BOOKS PRINCIPAL PLANNER.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I'M A PRINCIPAL PLANNER HERE AT AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION.
UM, SINCE 1998, THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN WORKING HARD TO INVEST IN PARKLAND ACQUISITION IN HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
THIS ANIMATION ON THE SLIDE SHOWS THAT THE MAJORITY OF NEW PARKLAND HAS BEEN ACQUIRED IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT OF THE CITY, UM, SINCE 1998 WITH THE DARK YELLOW REPRESENTING NEW PARKLAND AND AREAS IN RED HIGHLIGHTED AS HIGH THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF THAT NEW PARKLAND.
UM, IN TOTAL WE'VE ACQUIRED OVER 3,300 ACRES, UM, AND OVER A HUNDRED AND,
[01:20:01]
EXCUSE ME, 197 NEW PARKS OR PARK EXPANSIONS, UM, IN THAT TIME PERIOD.UM, THIS CAME AT THE COST OF 20 MILLION IN PARKLAND DEDICATION FEES AND, UM, AND 96 MILLION IN BOND FUNDING.
THE ACQUISITION OF PARKLAND CONTRIBUTES DIRECTLY TO THE LONG-TERM GOALS SET BY THE DEPARTMENT WITH WHICH KATHLEEN WE'LL NOW COVER.
UM, GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS.
UH, MY NAME IS KATHLEEN STANFORD AND I'M A PLANNER THREE ON THE PARKLAND TEAM PARKLAND DEDICATION ACQUISITIONS TEAM.
UM, AND I'LL BE PRESENTING THIS SLIDE ON LONG-TERM GOAL PROGRESS.
UM, SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT AUSTIN, PARKLAND AND AUSTIN, WE THINK ABOUT HOW WELL IT SERVES AUSTIN'S RESIDENTS, BOTH EXISTING AND NEW.
AND ONE OF THE BEST METRICS FOR THAT IS OUR PARK LEVEL OF SERVICE, WHICH IS EXPRESSED, UM, IN NUMBER OF ACRES PER 1000 RESIDENTS.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT THE GRAPH ON THE LEFT.
UM, SO THE 2018 AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION LONG RANGE PLANS SET A GOAL OF 24 ACRES OF PARKLAND PER 1000 RESIDENTS.
SO IN 2006, AS POPULATION, AS AUSTIN'S POPULATION WAS BOOMING, UNFORTUNATELY WE STARTED TO DIP BELOW THAT PARK SERVICE GOAL AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE CONTINUED TO DECLINE UNTIL THE ADOPTION OF THE 2016 PARKLAND DEDICATION ORDINANCE.
UM, HOWEVER, THE 2016 PARKLAND DEDICATION ORDINANCE REQUIRED, COUPLED WITH THE 2018 BOND HELPED US INCREASE PARK SERVICE LEVEL FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER A DECADE.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE GRAPH, OH, ACTUALLY THAT'S NOT ON THE GRAPH, BUT THERE'S TWO, SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE LIKE IT STARTS GOING DOWN AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER INFLECTION POINT WHEN IT STARTS GOING UP.
SO THOSE ARE LIKE THE TWO POINTS IN TIME THAT YOU WANNA LOOK AT.
UM, SO IN 2009, UM, SO NOW WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE GRAPHIC ON THE RIGHT.
UM, SO IN 2009, CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED THE URBAN PARKS INITIATIVE, WHICH SET A GOAL TO PROVIDE PARKS WITHIN A FIVE TO 10 MINUTE WALK OF ALL RESIDENTS.
SO AS OF 2025, 70% OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE TO A PARK.
SO I THINK THIS GOES TO SHOW THAT PARKLAND DEDICATION HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT TOOL IN REACHING THESE LONG-TERM GOALS.
HOWEVER, NOW WE'RE FACING NEW CHALLENGES AS A RESULT OF PASS BILL 1526, AND I WILL PASS IT OVER TO GABRIEL IF SHE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM CHAIR BOARD MEMBERS.
PLANNER THREE, UM, HOUSE BILL 1526 CHANGES THE WAY THAT PARKLAND DEDICATION WORKS FOR AUSTIN RESIDENTS BY DRASTICALLY REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF LAND THAT IS REQUIRED TO BE DEDICATED AS A PARK.
THIS CHANGE IS EXPRESSED ON THE CHART AS A LEVEL OF SERVICE OR THE NUMBER OF PARK ACRES PER 1000 RESIDENTS.
THE 2016 PARKLAND DEDICATION ORDINANCE SET THE LEVEL OF SERVICE AT 9.4 ACRES PER 1000 PEOPLE.
WERE MEETING ABOUT 40% OF THE DEPARTMENT'S PARK SERVICE GOAL OF 24 ACRES PER 1000 PEOPLE.
THIS IS CONSIDERED A PROPORTIONAL SHARE OF NEW RESIDENCE IMPACT, UM, AND HOUSE BILL 1526 CHANGES TO THE SHARE, REDUCING THE LAND DEDICATION REQUIREMENT AND REMOVING ANY KIND OF PROPORTIONAL IMPACT FROM THE EQUATION.
AT BEST, THE NEW STATE, UM, LEGISLATIVE PARKLAND DEDICATION ORDINANCE MEETS ABOUT 12% OF THAT 24 ACRE GOAL OUT IN THE SUBURBAN AREAS.
WITH A LEVEL OF THREE ACRES PER 1000 PEOPLE IN DOWNTOWN THAT PLUMMETS TO LESS THAN A 10TH OF AN ACRE PER 1000 PEOPLE FOR REFERENCE, THAT'S A THOUSAND PEOPLE CRAMMED INTO THE FOOTPRINT OF JOE'S COFFEE AND PATIO ON SOUTH CONGRESS.
GOING FORWARD, THE DEPARTMENT WILL RELY MORE HEAVILY ON BONDS, UH, BONDS FUNDING TO KEEP UP WITH AUSTIN'S DESIRED LEVEL OF PARK SERVICE AND WATCH OUR PARK SERVICE OR WATCH OUR PARK SERVICE PLUMMET, UH, IN A RAPIDLY DENSIFYING CITY.
CHANGING THE NATURE OF AUSTIN ITSELF.
UNDER OUR PREVIOUS ORDINANCE, EVERY DOLLAR OF BOND FUNDING WAS MATCHED WITH 33 CENTS FROM PARKLAND DEDICATION FUNDS AND PLD BROUGHT IN UP TO 25 OR 26 MILLION ANNUALLY TO SUPPORT ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPMENT OF AUSTIN PARKS.
THIS FUNDING WAS COLLECTED AT, AT THE TIME OF DEVELOPMENT, APPLICATION APPROVAL, MEANING IT COULD BE APPROPRIATED AND INVESTED IN A PARK NEAR NEW RESIDENCE AND READY WHEN THEY MOVED IN.
HB 1526 CHANGED THE COLLECTION TIME TO CER CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY DELAYING THE INVESTMENT OF THESE FUNDS BY AN AVERAGE OF FIVE YEARS.
THIS RESULTS IN A SHORT TERM FUNDING GAP OF ABOUT 15 TO $20 MILLION A YEAR FOR UP TO FIVE YEARS, AND A SIGNIFICANT DELAY IN THE DELIVERY OF PARKLAND TO NEW RESIDENTS IN ORDER TO DEVELOP, IN ORDER TO DELIVER, DEVELOP PARKS TO AUSTIN TO KEEP UP WITH POPULATION GROWTH.
IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE INVEST IN LAND AS SOON AS FUNDING BECOMES AVAILABLE.
THIS PRACTICE OF PURCHASING LAND FOR LATER DEVELOPMENT IS CALLED LAND BANKING, WHICH ANN WILL EXPLAIN
[01:25:01]
ON THE NEXT SLIDE.GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS, MY NAME'S AND DE SANUS SENIOR PLANNER.
LAND BANKING IS AN ESSENTIAL PRACTICE FOR ANY GROUP THAT MANAGES LAND.
ACQUIRING LAND AT TODAY'S PRICES SAVES AUSTIN RESIDENTS MONEY AS THE COST OF LAND GENERALLY APPRECIATES OVER TIME.
FOR PARKLAND, THAT'S MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF SAVINGS PER PARK OVER 10 YEARS, AND LAND BANKING SERVES AS MORE THAN JUST A GOOD FINANCIAL INVESTMENT.
THE LAND IS PROTECTED FROM COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND PROVIDES NUMEROUS ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS, INCLUDING CARBON SEQUESTRATION.
DEPENDING ON TREE COVERAGE, PARKS CAN SEQUESTER UP TO 1.85 METRIC TONS OF CARBON PER ACRE PER YEAR.
ADDITIONALLY, PARKS CONTRIBUTE TO URBAN COOLING AND ARE ON AVERAGE FIVE DEGREES COOLER THAN THE REST OF THE CITY, WHICH WE ALL KNOW IN AUSTIN MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
THEY ALSO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROACTIVELY MANAGE WILDFIRE RISKS THROUGH FUEL REDUCTION.
UNDEVELOPED PARKS ARE ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION AND THE MANAGEMENT OF EROSION HAZARD AND WATER QUALITY ZONES.
FINALLY, UNDEVELOPED PARKS CONNECT OUR COMMUNITY TO NATURE THROUGH PASSIVE RECREATION AND TRAILS.
WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW IS THAT THE MANAGEMENT OF THE LAND TO YIELD THESE BENEFITS COSTS VERY LITTLE IN ALL CASES.
MAINTAINING UNDEVELOPED PARKLAND COMES AT THE VERY LOW COST OF HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS PER AC PER ACRE ACRE ANNUALLY.
COMPARED TO THE RAPID LAND APPRECIATION COSTS OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS PER ACRE ANNUALLY OVER THE COURSE OF 10 YEARS, WE ARE SAVING THE PUBLIC MILLIONS PER PARK IN PUBLIC ACQUISITION FUNDS BY PRIORITIZING PURCHASING LAND TODAY AND KEEPING THE LAND FOR PASSIVE RECREATION RATHER THAN DELAYING THE PARK LAND INVESTMENT TO THE FUTURE.
NOW THAT WE'VE COVERED THE IMPORTANCE OF GROWING OUR PARK SYSTEM, AS AUSTIN GROWS AND INVESTING IN PARKLAND WITH AVAILABLE FUNDING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE GOALS FOR THE UPCOMING 2026 BOND.
THE DEPARTMENT WILL WILL WORK TO CLOSE OUR PARK DEFICIENCY GAPS THROUGH THE CITY AND BRING MORE THAN 70% OF AUSTINITES WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF A PARK THROUGH INFILL POCKET AND NEIGHBORHOOD PARK ACQUISITIONS.
BOND FUNDING WILL BE INVESTED INTO LAND ACQUISITION FOR A RECREATION CENTER, WHICH THE RECREATION CENTER GAPS ANALYSIS IDENTIFIED SHOULD BE IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN.
BOND FUNDING WILL GO TOWARD CONTINUED ACQUISITION OF RO COLORADO RIVER FRONTAGE FOR A TRAIL CORRIDOR IN RECREATIONAL NODES, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COLORADO RIVER VISION PLAN AND COUNCIL DIRECTION.
LIKEWISE, BOND FUNDING WILL BE FOCUSED ON GAPS IN GREEN BELTS AND GREENWAYS CLOSING CRITICAL HOLES IN TRAIL SYSTEMS LIKE ONION CREEK, WILLIAMSON CREEK, SOUTH BOGGY CREEK, REINER CREEK, AND LITTLE IN NORTHERN WALNUT CREEK, WHERE FEASIBLE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION WILL TAKE A ONE CITY APPROACH.
THIS MEANS TEAMING UP WITH COMPLIMENTARY DEPARTMENTS FOR LAND ACQUISITION THAT MEETS MULTIPLE CITY GOALS SUCH AS MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS, LIBRARIES, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND WATER QUALITY.
ALL OF THESE GOALS INHERENTLY AND DELIBERATELY CONTRIBUTE DIRECTLY TO MEETING THE GOALS OF THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, ENSURING THE CONTINUED EXPANSION OF THE NATURAL SYSTEMS RESPONSIBLE FOR SEQUESTERING CARBON AS IDENTIFIED IN THE PLAN THROUGH LAND ACQUISITION.
I'LL PASS IT OFF TO RANDY MADAM CHAIR BOARD MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY.
UH, I'VE BEEN WITH THE DEPARTMENT SINCE 1996.
UH, I WAS BROUGHT ON, UH, BY THE TRUST PUBLIC LAND.
ACTUALLY, I WAS UNDER CONTRACT, UH, TILL 97, UH, WRITING THE LONG RANGE PLAN FOR PARKS OR FOR LAND AND FACILITIES.
UH, 96, I WAS HIRED ON FULL-TIME IN NINE SEVEN BY THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
UH, I'VE, UH, BEEN IN LAND ACQUISITION.
UH, THE MAP THAT YOU SAW EARLIER WAS KIND OF FROM THE FIRST BOND PACKAGE THAT I WORKED ON ALL THE WAY TILL TODAY.
UM, I'VE BEEN, WELL, BEEN WITH THE DEPARTMENT FOR A LONG TIME, UM, AND I, I DON'T, UH, HAVE A JOKE HERE THAT MY, UH, TEAM WROTE FOR ME.
SO, UH, THEY, SOME OF THIS WAS THEIR FIRST PRESENTATION TONIGHT IN THE CHAMBERS AND THEY DID A WONDERFUL JOB.
AND I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE MY TEAM NOW
[01:30:01]
AND, UH, ASK Y'ALL TO STAND UP IF YOU DON'T MIND.UH, MINDY MARSHALL BUSINESS PROCESS CONSULTANT.
SCOTT GRANTHAM, PRINCIPAL PLANNER.
PAUL BOOKS PRINCIPAL PLANNER, ROBIN HAYMONDS, PRINCIPAL PLANNER AND DESANTIS PLANNER SENIOR.
AND SHIRLEY MPI IS NOT HERE TODAY.
UH, KATHLEEN STANFORD PLANNER.
THREE, UH, BARRY SIMONS BACK IN THE CORNER.
STEVEN PRATHER, UH, NIGHT HERE TONIGHT.
SUSANNA DE MS. ROCHE PLANNER, SENIOR OT WILLIS PLANNER THREE.
AND GAVIN TABONE VIDEOGRAPHY IS NOT HERE AS WELL EITHER, BUT THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TONIGHT.
ANY QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS? DO YOU HAVE A CLARIFYING QUESTION? I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.
I'M ASSUMING YOU ARE WORKING AND LOOKING CLOSELY AT THE A ISD CLOSURES, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT INVOLVE SCHOOL AND JOINT SCHOOL AND PARKLAND, AND YOU'LL BE BACK WITH US TO TALK ABOUT THAT ONCE A ISD LETS US KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
YES, WE'VE REVIEWED THOSE 12 SITES.
UH, I'VE ONLY SEEN 12, BUT I'VE HEARD 14 AS WELL.
UM, FOUR OF THOSE, WHICH, UH, A ISD CONDEMNED OUR INTEREST IN, UH, WHERE WE HAD A SCHOOL PARK THERE PREVIOUSLY AND NOW THAT, UH, HEARD THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE ON THE OPEN MARKET.
SO YES, WE'RE REVIEWING THOSE, ANALYZING THEM TO SEE IF THAT WILL HELP WITH THE PARK DEFICIENCY CURRENTLY.
UH, AND THE SECOND QUESTION IS JUST A GENERAL QUESTION.
WE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND RANKED SOMEWHAT LOW ON OUR PARK ACREAGE, I THINK 41 OUT OF A HUNDRED.
UH, AND WHAT CONCERNS ME IS AS, HERE'S THE QUESTION.
ARE WE KEEPING UP, UH, IF WE LOOK AT UHI AND LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE TODAY, WE NEED MORE LAND THAN POPULATION GROWTH, BUT ARE WE FALL, ARE WE CONTINUING TO FALL BEHIND POPULATION GROWTH? THE, THE CHART ON THE LEFT, AND I KNOW THE YEARS ARE VERY SMALL UNDER THERE, UH, AND MY EYES ARE VERY BAD, BUT THE HEAVY BLUE LINE IS THE ACRES PER 1000, UH, POPULATION IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND WAY OVER TO THE LEFT IS 1985, WAY OVER TO THE RIGHT IS 2025.
UM, THAT CHART SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT WE ARE NOT KEEPING UP.
UH, WE ARE STEADILY DROPPING IN ACRES PER THOUSAND IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, YOU NOTICE IN THE, WHERE IT DOES START TO INCLINE, THERE WAS THE PASSAGE OF THE 2016 PARKLAND DEDICATION ORDINANCE, UH, BEFORE THE STATE ALLEGED, UH, TOOK ACTION AND HAD HB 1526 PASSED AND SIGNED IN LAW BY THE GOVERNOR, UH, WHICH AGAIN BE CONTINUED US BACK DOWN THAT DECLINE.
UH, WHAT IT DID WAS TAKE, UH, THE BURDEN OF ING UH, ACQUIRING PARK LAND, UH, TO MEET POPULATION GROWTH AND SHIFT IT FROM THE NEW RESIDENTS THAT ARE MOVING HERE, AND A GREATER BURDEN TO THE EXISTING RESIDENTS HERE, WHICH MEANS RELYING HEAVILY, UH, ON BOND PACK PACKAGES MM-HMM
FOR LAND ACQUISITION MUCH MORE THAN IN THE PAST.
CAN I ADD SOMETHING TO THAT AS WELL FOR THE, THE PEANUT GALLERY? UH, AND, AND FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA CONGRATULATE THE TEAM FOR ALL THE GREAT WORK, AND THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT THERE.
I FELT LIKE WE ALL SHOULD HAVE APPLAUDED WHEN YOU STOOD UP, SO I'M GONNA APPLAUD FOR YOU.
UM, I, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
BOARD MEMBER VE 'CAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE TWO CHARTS, CERTAINLY FROM A PO POPULATION STANDPOINT, FEEL WE ABSOLUTELY ARE ARE FALLING BEHIND.
AND THERE'S LOTS OF REASONS BEHIND THAT.
BUT I ALSO WANNA POINT TO THE, TO THE OTHER METRIC THAT WE USE AS EQUALLY IMPORTANT, WHICH IS REALLY ABOUT ACCESS.
SO WHEN THE TEAM IS, IS LOOKING FOR PROPERTIES AND LOOKING TO ACQUIRE LAND, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO BE INCREDIBLY STRATEGIC ABOUT WHERE, AND LOOKING OVER
[01:35:01]
THE GAPS ARE.YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND.
SOME OF THOSE PARK SYSTEMS THAT ARE AT THE TOP OF THAT LIST, MINNEAPOLIS, WASHINGTON, DC I THINK THEY'RE, THEY'RE BEHIND US ON THE ACREAGE PER THOUSAND, BUT THEY'RE WAY AHEAD OF US ON WHERE THOSE, WHERE THAT ACREAGE IS.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WE WANNA REALLY FOCUS ON BOTH OF THEM.
UH, THE CITY LAKE SEATTLE HAS ROUGHLY 10 ACRES PER THOUSAND RESIDENTS, WHICH IS ALMOST HALF OF WHAT WE HAVE.
AND YET, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE PROBABLY AT 95% OF THE RESIDENTS ARE, ARE WITHIN A HALF MILE WALK.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT TO THE DENSITY OF A CITY.
THERE'S A LOT TO, TO SORT OF THE TYPES OF, OF, UH, DEVELOPMENT THEY WOULD INCLUDE IN THOSE PARKS.
AND AGAIN, BOTH OF THESE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT.
LOTS OF BENEFITS TO PARKS, BOTH FROM A ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY STANDPOINT, BUT ALSO FROM A, FROM A SORT OF THE PEOPLE SIDE OF THIS.
THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR APPLAUSE, I GUARANTEE IT.
UM, I AM GOING TO READ OUR LETTER AND THEN I'LL ASK FOR A MOTION FROM THE BOARD AND THEN HOPEFULLY THERE'LL BE A LOUD APPLAUSE AFTER THAT.
UM, THIS IS DATED SEPTEMBER 29TH, 2025, AND IT READS, DEAR AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION PARKLAND ACQUISITION PROGRAM TEAM.
ON BEHALF OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, WE WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND OUR DEEPEST APPRECIATION FOR THE CRITICAL WORK YOU'RE LEADING THROUGH THE PARKLAND ACQUISITION PROGRAM.
YOUR EFFORTS ARE ENSURING THAT AUSTIN CONTINUES TO GROW WITH AN INTENTIONAL FOCUS ON EQUITY ACCESS, AND LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR CITY'S PARK SYSTEM.
THE IMPACT OF YOUR WORK IS CLEAR AND MEASURABLE.
SINCE THE 2018 BOND, YOU'VE REQUIRED OVER A HUNDRED ACRES OF NEW PARKLAND CREATED OR EXPANDED 25 PARKS AND INCREASED THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF A PARK BY 6%.
EACH BOND DOLLAR HAS BEEN STRATEGICALLY LEVERAGED WITH PARKLAND DE DEDICATION FEES, MAXIMIZING PUBLIC INVESTMENT AND STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY BENEFIT.
YOUR COMMITMENT TO LAND BANKING IS WORTH NOTING BY ACQUIRING LAND TODAY, YOU ARE PROTECTING CRITICAL CONNECTIONS BEFORE THEY'RE LOST TO DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE, SAVING MILLIONS FOR THE PUBLIC OVER TIME, AND PROVIDING IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY BENEFITS THROUGH PASSIVE RECREATION, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND NEIGHBORHOOD COOLING FROM CARBON, CARBON SEQUESTERING TO FLOOD MITIGATION AND WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION.
THESE INVESTMENTS SUPPORT BOTH PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN POWERFUL WAYS.
WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THE CHALLENGES YOU ARE NAVIGATING, PARTICULARLY IN THE WAKE OF HB 1526 AND ITS IMPACT ON FUNDING.
YOUR PERSISTENCE IN CLOSING SERVICE GAPS DESPITE REDUCED RES RESOURCES, REFLECTS A DEDICATION TO AUSTIN'S LONG-TERM GOALS, INCLUDING ADVANCING CLIMATE EQUITY, PROTECTING WATER QUALITY, AND ENSURING THAT EVERY RESIDENT, REGARDLESS OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS ACCESS TO GREEN SPACE.
LOOKING AHEAD, THE VISION YOU'VE LAID OUT FOR 2026 IS AMBITIOUS FROM ADDRESSING PARK DEFICIENCIES AND CREATING A RECREATION CENTER IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN TO ADD, ADVANCING THE COLORADO RIVER CORRIDOR VISION PLAN AND FILLING GREENBELT GAPS, YOU ARE ENSURING THE AUSTIN'S PARK SYSTEM CONTINUES TO GROW STRATEGICALLY, SUSTAINABLY, AND EQUITABLY.
THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO TO PROTECT AND EXPAND AUSTIN'S PARKLAND WITH GRATITUDE, YOUR PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD.
I'M GOING TO ASK FOR A MOTION FROM THE BOARD.
ALRIGHT, WE'VE GOT A MOVE BY BOARD MEMBER FLOWERS AND A SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS.
YES, WE HAVE, UH, UH, LATE LATE EDITION.
[4. Discussion and approve a recommendation to Austin City Council to approve revisions to Austin Parks and Recreation’s policies and procedures for concessions in City’s Parks Systems to include Legacy Concessions. (Sponsors: Bazan, Flowers)]
WE'LL KEEP GOING.WE ARE GOING TO MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
UM, THIS IS A DISCUSSION TO DISCUSS AND APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE, UM, REVISIONS.
SORRY YOU GUYS, LET ME GET THIS RIGHT.
UM, TO APPROVE REVISIONS TO AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATIONS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR CONCESSIONS IN CITIES PARK SYSTEM TO INCLUDE LEGACY CONCESSIONS.
AND WE DO HAVE COMMUNICATION ON THIS ITEM.
WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.
OUR FIRST SPEAKERS WILL BE KATIE, I FORGOT HOW TO SAY IT.
AND THEY SEE YOU ALL SIGNED UP TOGETHER.
ARE YOU GONNA BE SHARING THE THREE MINUTES OR WOULD YOU LET OKAY, SOUNDS GOOD.
UH, AFTER OUR FIRST TWO SPEAKERS, UH, WE WILL BE CHRIS FLORES.
DO WE HAVE SHARE? NO, YOU'RE, YOU CAN HAVE THREE MINUTES A PIECE.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER WILL BE SUSAN GOLDBERG.
YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.
[01:40:26]
GREEN BUTTON.GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU TONIGHT.
MY NAME IS SUSAN GOLDBERG AND I CO-OWN ROWING DOCK WITH KATE, MY DAUGHTER.
AND, UM, SHE WILL BE FOLLOWING ME SPEAKING RIGHT AFTER ROWING DOCK IS LOCATED AT 24 18 STRATFORD AND HAS SERVED THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY SINCE 2000.
I PURCHASED THE BUSINESS IN 2010 TO PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY WATERCRAFT RENTALS TO THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY FROM OUR HIGH QUALITY FLEET TO OUR FOCUS ON CUSTOMERS.
ANYWAY, KATE AND I ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR TO PAR, UH, FOR THE PARTNERSHIP THAT HAS ALLOWED US TO DO THAT.
ROWING DOCK IS SUPPORTED BY AN ALL FEMALE FULL-TIME MANAGEMENT TEAM OF FIVE WOMEN AND BETWEEN 20 AND 50 PART-TIME STAFF.
THIS NOVEMBER WILL MARK 25 YEARS OF SERVICE.
AND IN THAT TIME, ROWING DOCK HAS BECOME PART OF THE FABRIC OF WHAT MAKES AUSTIN SUCH AN INCREDIBLY UNIQUE AND SPECIAL PLACE.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY IN ALL ASPECTS OF OUR RENTAL OPERATION.
FROM THE RENTAL FLEET TO OUR FOCUS ON OUR CUSTOMERS TO OUR DEDICATION TO PHILANTHROPY.
THIS PAST YEAR WE HAVE PUT OVER 3,300 PEOPLE ON THE WATER FREE OF CHARGE AND HAVE PROVIDED, UH, OVER $360,000 IN PHILANTHROPIC VALUE TO THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY.
AND NOW I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO KATE.
CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? THERE WE GO.
UM, WE ARE HERE TONIGHT TO RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR A REVISION TO THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA IN THE PROPOSED LEGACY CONCESSIONAIRE DESIGNATION.
WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A LEGACY CONCESSIONAIRE, UM, BUT IS CURRENTLY WRITTEN THE REQUIREMENT OF 30 CONTINUOUS YEARS UNDER THE SAME FAMILY WOULD LEAVE ONLY ONE CONCESSIONAIRE ELIGIBLE.
WE BELIEVE LEGACY STATUS SHOULD EMPHASIZE LONGEVITY AND INCLUSIVITY, ALSO RECOGNIZING BUSINESSES WITH EXISTING WOMEN OR MINORITY OWNED OWNERSHIP WHO MIGHT FACE GREATER RISKS OF DISPLACEMENT, UH, DESPITE DECADES OF CONTRIBUTIONS TO AUSTIN'S CULTURE AND RECREATIONAL SERVICES.
WITH THAT IN MIND, WE'D LIKE TO PROPOSE EXPANDING THE DEFINITION.
A CONCESSION SHOULD QUALIFY IF IT HAS BEEN CONTINUOUSLY OWNED AND OPERATED IN THE SAME LOCATION BY THE SAME FAMILY FOR AT LEAST 30 YEARS, OR HAS OPERATED IN THE SAME LOCATION FOR AT LEAST 20 YEARS AND IS CURRENTLY A CERTIFIED MBE OR WBE.
ALL OTHER CRITERIA WOULD REMAIN THE SAME.
THIS REVISION WOULD ENSURE WOMEN AND MINORITY-OWNED CONCESSIONAIRES ARE RECOGNIZED AS WELL.
ROWING DOCK IS PROUD TO BE A PART OF AUSTIN'S STORY AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE SERVING GENERATIONS OF AUSTINITES FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.
WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT THE ADOPTION OF THIS, WITH THE ADOPTION OF THIS REVISION LONGSTANDING COMMUNITY PARTNERS LIKE ROWING DOCK CAN BE ACKNOWLEDGED ALONGSIDE OTHERS, OTHERS WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED SO MUCH TO OUR CITY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION ON THIS MATTER.
WE'VE PROVIDED A ONE PAGER, WHICH I JUST HANDED OUT TO YOU GUYS, AS WELL AS THE FULL, UM, PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WITH OUR SUGGESTED OR RECOMMENDED RED LINE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE CHRIS FLORES.
UM, CHRIS FLORES, RESIDENT OF DISTRICT 10, SPEAKING AGAINST ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
I'M ASKING FOR THIS ITEM TO BE POSTPONED SO THAT IT CAN BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE ENVIRONMENTAL, FINANCIAL, AND PUBLIC SAFETY RESPONSIBILITY UPDATES TO THE CONCESSIONAIRES BEFORE THIS ITEM GOES TO COUNCIL.
ON AUGUST 25TH, STAFF BROUGHT THIS ITEM TO YOU.
THE UPDATE IS FOCUSED ON LEGACY CONCESSIONS.
SUBSEQUENTLY, ON SEPTEMBER 18TH, 2025,
[01:45:01]
THE CITY PUBLISHED AN INTER-AGENCY MEMO ON LADYBIRD LAKE SWIMMING BAN, WHICH DIRECTLY IMPACTS LATE CONCESSIONS AND WHICH WAS CO-AUTHORED BY PARKS DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR AGUIRE.THE MEMO RECOMMENDS PUBLIC EDUCATION AND PUBLIC SAFETY ACTIONS.
A CONCESSION POLICY UPDATE AFTER 9 18 25 MUST INCLUDE THE PUBLIC RECOMMENDATIONS OR IT WOULD APPEAR TO BE CHERRY PICKING A LE A LEGACY ISSUE OVER FAR MORE SERIOUS PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES.
I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE TWO MORE CONCESSION POLICY UPDATES.
ONE, AS PART OF THE PUBLIC'S POSITIVE EXPERIENCE, WE NEED A POLICY THAT SPELLS OUT THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO EXPERIENCE A DECIBEL DEFINED NOISE LEVEL AND AN ENVIRONMENTAL AND AN ENVIRONMENT FREE FROM TRASH AND DISORDERLY CONDUCT.
THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS WELL AWARE OF UNPERMITTED DISC JOCKEY PADDLEBOARD PARTIES DISTRIBUTING ALCOHOL ON THE LAKE CURRENTLY.
SECONDLY, AS A PART OF THE FINANCIAL RETURN ON CONCESSIONS POLICY, WE CITIZENS HAVE BEEN COMING TO YOU FOR TWO YEARS FOR TRANSPARENCY WITH REGARD TO CONCESSION PROFITS IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT'S ANNUAL CONCESSION REPORT.
LASTLY, GIVEN THE PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS OF THE LAKE DESCRIBED IN THE 9 18 25 MEMO, IT MAKES NO FISCAL SENSE FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT'S TRAIL CONSERVANCY PMA CONTRACT TO GIVE THE CITY SHARE OF CONCESSION REVENUE TO THE CONSERVANCY.
IT SHOULD INSTEAD BE GIVEN ENTIRELY TO CITY'S PUBLIC SERVANTS, LIFEGUARDS, AND POLICE IN ORDER FOR THEM TO PATROL THE LAKE ON THEIR WATERCRAFTS.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE PRESENT THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE PARKS BOARD ON THIS ITEM? THAT IS THE END OF PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.
UM, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND READ THE RECOMMENDATION, UM, AND JUST REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION ON THE LEGACY CONCESSIONS POLICY CHANGE, NOT NECESSARILY, UM, ALL THE PROCEDURES AND DEFINITIONS AND, AND, UM, EVERYTHING ELSE THAT GOES INTO THE POLICY PIECE.
UM, AND I BELIEVE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, MR. BECK, BUT THIS IS MOVING FORWARD TO COUNCIL FOR OCTOBER 9TH AND COULD MOVE AHEAD EITHER WAY.
UM, BUT OUR RECOMMENDATION IS IN SUPPORT.
UH, THE, THE ITEM WILL MOVE, UH, MOVE TO THE COUNCIL AGENDA ON OCTOBER 9TH.
NO MATTER WHICH WAY THE BOARD VOTES.
UM, SO SHOULD OUR, THIS RECOMMENDATION, UH, RELATED TO THE LEGACY CONCESSION POLICY CHANGE, NOT PASS THE ITEM STILL MOVES TO COUNCIL.
SO JUST WANNA KEEP, MAKE, MAKE SURE THAT'S CLEAR.
SO WHAT WE ARE VOTING ON OR DISCUSSING AND THEN POTENTIALLY VOTING ON IS TO PUT OUR, UM, SUPPORT IF WE PUT OUR SUPPORT BEHIND THIS OR NOT.
UM, SO THIS IS PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD.
RECOMMENDATION 2 0 2 5 0 9 2 9 DASH FOUR.
UM, SUBJECT, LEGACY CONCESSION POLICY CHANGE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD RECOMMENDS TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE REVISIONS TO AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATIONS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR CONCESSIONS AND CITIES PARK SYSTEMS TO INCLUDE LEGACY CONCESSIONS.
UM, AND LIKE YOU CAN READ THE RATIONALE, I WON'T READ THAT TO EVERYBODY.
THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN POSTED AS BACKUP.
AND THEN ONCE YOU'VE TAKEN A MOMENT, IF WE HAVE A, UM, A MOTION, THEN WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION.
WE'VE GOT, UM, BOARD MEMBER MERIT MOVES TO APPROVE.
UH, SO, UH, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
AND NOW, UM, YEAH, ANY DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT.
UH, BOARD MEMBER EUBANK AND THEN BOARD MEMBER MERIT LIMITING THIS, JUST TALKING ABOUT THE LEGACY COMPONENT OF IT.
I, I THINK THE ISSUES THAT WERE BROUGHT UP BY SPEAKERS, ALL OF THEM ARE IMPORTANT, BUT I'M ONLY SPEAKING RIGHT NOW ABOUT THE LEGACY COMPONENT.
[01:50:01]
WITH THE CHANGE.I GUESS THIS CHANGE IS, UH, BUT I ALSO, UM, WOULD LIKE TO SEE US LOWER THE NUMBER OF YEARS TO BE QUALIFIED FROM 30 TO 25.
UH, IF YOU LOOK NATIONALLY AT MANY OF THE PARKS AGENCIES, I THINK SAN ANTONIO'S 25, A FEW OTHERS, 25 AND EVEN LESS SEEMS TO BE SORT OF THE NORM.
30 SEEMS EXCESSIVE AND WE DO WANT TO PROTECT LEGACY BUSINESSES.
UM, AND SO I THINK WE HAVE AN INCENTIVE, UH, TO MAKE IT REASONABLE.
AND I THINK 25 WOULD BE MORE REASONABLE THAN 30.
MR. BECK, IS SOMEBODY HERE ABLE TO SHARE? I KNOW IN CONCESSIONS IN CONTRACTS, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS.
UM, AND WHERE, WHERE WE, WHERE WE GOT TO THE NUMBER? THANK YOU.
YES, WE HAVE, I THINK THAT WILL HELP FOR THE FULL BOARD TO HEAR.
WE HAVE DANISHA COX, OUR PROCUREMENT SUPERVISOR HERE.
UM, SO FROM DIRECTION FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE DOWN, UM, THE DIRECTION CAME FOR THE CRITERIA THAT WE PUT FORTH TO YOU IN THE POLICY AND PROCEDURE.
UM, I WILL LET YOU KNOW THAT IF WE DO REDUCE IT TO 25, UM, ONE OTHER CONCESSIONAIRE WOULD CURRENTLY QUALIFY, UM, UNDER 25, WHO WOULD THAT BE? AND THAT WOULD BE, UH, TEXAS ROWING CENTER THAT WE JUST CAME.
IS THAT JUST, WE JUST CAME TALK TO US? NO, NO.
THE ROWING DOCK OKAYING CENTER DOC TWO SEPARATE BUSINESS.
DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HOW MANY WOULD QUALIFY IF IT WAS 20 YEARS? WELL, AND THEN CURRENTLY ALSO JUST TO SHOW, YOU KNOW, TEXAS ROWING CENTER'S CONTRACT, UM, GOES TO, IT STILL HAS ANOTHER 10 YEARS LEFT ON IT.
SO HOW, HOW MANY BUSINESSES QUALIFY? I KNOW I PROBABLY ASKED THIS QUESTION ALREADY AT THE CONTRACTS, BUT MEETING OR SOMEONE DID, HOW MANY QUALIFY IF IT WENT DOWN TO 20? JUST THOSE TWO STILL.
SO IT SEEMS SO, AND, AND IT, IT FALLS BACK TO, UM, ROWING DOCKET 15 YEARS, BUT IT STARTS BECAUSE OF HOW THE POLICY IS WRITTEN AT WHEN THEY PURCHASED, UM, AND THEIR CONTRACT STARTED WITH THE CITY AND THUS WITH THAT, UM, THEY HIT, THEY WOULD BE AT THE 15 YEAR MARK RIGHT NOW.
I, I TEND TO, I I I TEND TO AGREE WITH BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS IN REGARDS TO LIKE MAKING THE YEAR REQUIREMENT NOT BE SO HIGH, WHEREAS PEOPLE HAVE TO DEDICATE THREE DECADES OF THEIR LIVES OR FAMILY HAS DEDICATED THREE DECADES OF THEIRS COLLECTIVE LIVES IN ORDER TO GET THAT LEGACY STATUS.
THAT ALSO BEING SAID IS, I DO THINK THAT THERE IS SOME MERIT TO THE ARGUMENT THAT WE JUST HEARD FROM THE ROWING DOCK, UM, IN REGARDS TO, I WISH THAT, I WISH THAT THIS WOULD'VE BEEN BROUGHT SOONER TO US BECAUSE I THINK THIS WOULD, THIS WOULD'VE BEEN IMPORTANT, UH, TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AT THE CONTRACT COMMITTEE, WHICH I DO THINK THAT THERE IS MERIT TO THE IDEA OF HAVING MBES AND WBE, UM, THAT THRESHOLD BE A LITTLE BIT LOWER.
UM, AS LONG AS THEY MEET A ACTUAL, THEY MEET THE ACTUAL DEFINITION.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY FEEDBACK IN REGARDS TO THAT.
THE, THE POLICY AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS UNDER THE DIRECTION WE WERE PROVIDED, UM, IS AS WRITTEN, IT DID NOT INCLUDE ANY SPECIFICATIONS FOR MWWB AND DIRECTOR SON.
DO YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? YEAH, NO, THANK YOU.
AND, AND I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION AND, AND CERTAINLY AND, AND DANISHA AND TEAM ON PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN, UH, HAVING DISCUSSIONS AT THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO UNDERSTAND IF THERE'S ROOM TO SORT OF MOVE THAT, THAT, UM, THE, THE CRITERIA THERE.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, TO BOARD MEMBER, YOU BACK BACK THIS POINT, THERE ARE OTHER JURISDICTIONS THAT HAVE A LOWER, A LOWER CRITERIA.
I THINK FOR US IT'S ALSO TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN SUPPORTING OUR LEGACY, UH, BUSINESSES AND PARTICULARLY, UM, YOU KNOW, MINORITY OWNED, BUSINESS OWNED, EXCUSE ME, WOMEN OWNED.
UM, BUT ALSO WITH THE, THE IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, THESE CONCESSIONAIRES CAN BE PROFITABLE AND THERE'S A LOT OF BUSINESSES WHO, WHO TO SOME EXTENT WE'RE MANAGING PUBLIC LAND.
SO THERE'S, WE GOTTA FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE TO HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW ACCESSIBLE DO WE MAKE THESE TYPES OF THINGS TO FOLKS.
SO, UH, THAT'S SORT OF WHERE, WHY WE LANDED WHERE WE LANDED.
BUT I, BUT I CERTAINLY THINK THAT, UH, THE REASON THAT, THAT THE ROYAL DUCK CURRENTLY, UH, EVEN IF WE GO DOWN TO, TO 20 YEARS AT THIS POINT, UM, IS BECAUSE THE, THE CRITERIA ALSO SAYS THAT IT HAS TO BE CONTINUALLY OWNED BY THE SAME FAMILY.
'CAUSE WE ALSO WANT TO AVOID A SITUATION IN WHICH SOMEONE WOULD, WOULD JUST CONTINUE TO SELL THE BUSINESS TO SOMEBODY ELSE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS LEGACY CONCESSION OR FUNCTION.
[01:55:01]
THAT ARGUMENT.AND I THINK WE, YOU TALKED, NOW THAT YOU'RE SAYING ALL THIS, I'M LIKE, OH YEAH, IT'S, WE, THIS IS LITERALLY THE SAME THING WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE CONTRACT CONCESSIONS MEETING, WHICH IS KIND OF WHY KIND OF DEFAULTED BACK TO THE 30 YEARS.
UM, ANYWAY, BUT THEN THE ARGUMENT THAT WAS MADE TODAY ABOUT THE MINORITY OWNED BUSINESS AND WOMAN OWNED BUSINESS ASPECT THING, WAS THAT TAKEN.
ARE THERE OTHER JURISDICTIONS THAT DO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN DETERMINING LEGACY CONTRACTS? UM, I, I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T KNOW IF BOARD MEMBER BACK BANKS, IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE? YEAH.
AND I DON'T THINK ALL IS LOST HERE.
LIKE, THERE'S STILL THE POSSIBILITY FOR OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO, TO MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS.
UM, AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT A VERY THIN SLICE OF THIS.
UM, I WANNA GO TO BOARD MEMBER MERRIT 'CAUSE SHE HAD HER HAND RAISED ACTUALLY, YOU GUYS GONNA ASK ME THE QUESTION? SO, OH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, I'M GOOD.
AND THEN IF ANY OF OUR, UM, FOLKS JOINING US VIRTUAL, WE'LL LOOK TO YOU GUYS NEXT.
I JUST WANTED TO NOTE, I MEAN ONE THING HERE, WHICH IS THAT THE RECOMMENDATION ACTUALLY DOES, WE'RE NOT ASKED TO GET INTO THIS.
WE'RE NOT GETTING INTO THE SPECIFICS ON THE RECOMMENDATION.
WE'RE LITERALLY JUST SAYING WE APPROVE REVISIONS WITHOUT SPECIFYING THOSE REVISIONS.
AND I'M LIKE, I'M, WE CAN CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION HERE, BUT I DO THINK ONE OF THE DISCUSSIONS WE SHOULD HAVE IS LIKE, DO WE WANT TO GET MORE FINE GRAIN THAN THIS, WHICH IS WHAT WE WOULD'VE TO DO TO ADDRESS THIS? OR DO WE WANT TO JUST PUNT IT TO THE COUNCIL MEETING WHERE ALL THESE THINGS ARE GOING TO GET ARGUED ABOUT ANYWAY? YEAH, I MEAN, I DON'T, TO THAT POINT, I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK THAT WE NEED TO LIKE, DEFINE AND, AND WE DON'T NEED TO PUT IN DEFINITE TERMS WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
BUT I DO THINK THAT IT MAY BE WORTHWHILE ASKING CITY COUNCIL TO EXPLORE THE IDEA OF WHETHER THERE IS MERIT TO, UH, GIVING, UH, LOWERING THE THRESHOLD EVEN BY FIVE YEARS OR WHATEVER TO, UH, BUSINESSES THAT ARE OWNED BY THE SAME FAMILY, BUT ALSO HAPPEN TO BE EITHER WOMAN OWNED OR, UH, MINORITY OWNED.
SO IT'S SORT OF A MIDDLE GROUND OF SUGGESTING THAT COUNCIL LOOK INTO IT OR EXPLORE IT OR THERE'S, OR OR EVEN EVEN, WE CAN EVEN GO BROADER ON THAT AND JUST SAY LIKE, IS THERE A WAY IN WHICH, IS THERE A WAY IN WHICH WE CAN TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION MINORITY OWNED ROOM OWNED BUSINESSES AND THAT WOULD STILL FIT THE INTENT? NO, I MEAN THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME.
I'M TRYING TO, I'M TRYING TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING TOO FAR AWAY FROM WHAT, LIKE I THINK WE CAN ASK THEM TO LOOK AT THE, WHAT THAT DEFINITION IS, UM, FOR THE LEGACY CONCESSION.
SORRY, I'M LOOKING AT YOU NICOLE, JUST 'CAUSE I'M JUST THINKING, UM, OH, GO AHEAD.
WELL, IN OUR, ADMITTEDLY IN OUR ADVISORY ROLE, UM, TO COUNSEL, UM, I DON'T SEE A PROBLEM WITH PROVIDING DETAIL, UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S, WE'RE JUST PROVIDING ADVICE.
WE'RE JUST PROVIDING A, A PERSPECTIVE AND COUNSEL WILL DO, HIS COUNSEL DOES.
BUT I THINK FROM, FROM OUR STANDPOINT, IF WE AGREE THAT PERHAPS THESE LIMITS ARE TOO HIGH AND THEY SHOULD BE LOWERED, WE CAN SAY THAT.
I'M GONNA BE HONEST THAT I DON'T THINK I HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO SAY WHETHER OR NOT I THINK THE LIMITS ARE TOO HIGH.
I DON'T, I MEAN, THAT'S HOW I FEEL CURRENTLY.
LIKE SURE THERE MIGHT 30 YEARS, IT'S A LONG TIME.
SO IS 2025 AS WELL, YOU KNOW, SO WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN THE POLICY IMPLICATIONS OF THE THREE OF THEM? I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET, AT LEAST FOR ME, I DON'T KNOW THAT I'LL GET THAT QUESTION ANSWERED IN A WAY THAT I WOULD SATISFACTORILY FEEL COMFORTABLE RECOMMENDING ONE OR THE OTHER.
UM, THAT'S JUST ME PERSONALLY THOUGH.
AND NOT TO SAY THAT I THINK THIRTY'S RIGHT, BUT I AM NOT SURE TWENTIES, LIKE 20 MIGHT HAVE ADVERSE IMPLICATIONS I COULD NOT PREDICT BASED ON THE INFORMATION I HAVE TODAY.
I, I WONDER IF THERE'S SOMEWHERE WE CAN PUT IN AND JUST TO FURTHER REVIEW THE DEFINITION OF THE LEGACY CONCESSION, BECAUSE I, I KEEP GOING BACK TO THE, UM, CONCESSIONS AND CONTRACTS MEETING WHERE WE WENT THROUGH, WHAT ABOUT 20, WHAT ABOUT 25, WHAT ABOUT 30? AND WE LANDED ON, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GENERALLY IN A GOOD SPACE, LIKE LET'S CONTINUE IT.
LIKE LET'S KEEP IT MOVING KNOWING, UM, THAT WE CAN INDIVIDUALLY TALK WITH OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, THOSE VARIANCES.
[02:00:02]
BOARD MEMBER OR GO AHEAD.UM, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, GENERALLY WHEN WE'RE HAVING A HARD TIME COMING UP WITH LIKE THE SOLUTION IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS, I DEFAULT THE WAY THAT I WANNA VOTE, I GUESS, UM, TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND I THINK WE'VE HEARD FROM THE MAJORITY OF SPEAKERS TODAY THAT THE DEFINITION THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS NOT WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS.
AND SO I'M JUST VOICING MY THOUGHTS THERE.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW, I I I ECHO BOARD MEMBER OR VICE CHAIR FLOWERS, UH, THERE THAT I DON'T HAVE THE PERFECT SOLUTION OR WHAT THE ANSWER IS, BUT I THINK WE'VE HEARD THAT THERE'S NEED FOR LIKE A BETTER RECOMMENDATION THERE.
I ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION NOW.
WHO WAS ON THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE AT THE TIME Y'ALL HAD THE CONVERSATION CHAIR WAS ON? UM, IT WAS BOARD MEMBER VILLALOBOS ME, BOARD MEMBER BECKER, THOSE PAUL, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S WHO IT WAS.
AND SO THEN I GUESS MY FOLLOW UP QUESTION IS THE THREE OF Y'ALL DISCUSSED THIS MORE DEEPLY.
DO YOU FEEL YOUR OPINION HAS CHANGED SINCE THAT ORIGINAL DISCUSSION BASED ON NEW INFORMATION OR, 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'M SORT OF LIKE, WAS THIS ISSUE WITH THE, IS THAT BROUGHT UP? YEAH.
SO AND YOU BANK WITH HER? IT DID NOT.
SO THE ISSUE OF, UM, UH, HAVING A WOMAN OWNED BUSINESS OR A MINORITY OWNED BUSINESS, UH, AS A DID NOT COME UP.
UM, AND I DO THINK LIKE I AM TO, UM, TO BOARD MEMBER BU SUGGESTION, I AM OPEN TO SORT OF ADDING TO THIS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE THINK COUNCIL SHOULD CONSIDER THAT AS WELL BECAUSE IT WAS NOT DISCUSSED IN THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE.
AND THEN ADDING IT AS AN IN AN EXPLORATORY WAY, HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR VARIOUS COUNCIL MEMBERS SEEMS LIKE AN OPTION.
I JUST THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S WHERE THE, THAT'S WHERE THE ARGUMENT ABOUT THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
SO YEAH, LIKE I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN PUT IT IN AS JUST FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION WITHOUT MAKING AN ACTUAL RECOMMENDATION TO WHAT WE THINK.
BECAUSE LIKE I, WE HAVE NO BENCHMARKING DATA.
LIKE WE HAVE NO INFORMATION ON LIKE, WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF WE DO 20 YEARS VERSUS FIVE YEARS? LIKE, IS IT, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE SAYING TO THE CITY? ARE WE SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP THESE TYPES OF BUSINESSES? OR ARE WE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ANY OF IT MEANS.
SO I, WITHOUT THE DATA, SO I WOULD JUST SAY THAT WE WOULD JUST RECOMMEND THAT THEY LOOK INTO IT.
SO IF I'M, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I'M HEARING OUR BOARD MEMBERS CORRECTLY.
WE'RE SAYING THAT WE'RE ESSENTIALLY IN LINE WITH THE RECOMMENDATION, BUT ADDING THAT, UM, THAT THEY CONSIDER REVIEWING THE, THE YEARS THAT, AND THAT CONSIDER REVIEWING, UM, POTENTIALLY AN ADDITION OF MBES AND WBE, LIKE TWO SEPARATE THINGS, BUT WE'RE NOT, RIGHT, IT'S TWO SEPARATE THINGS, BUT NOT NECESSARILY THAT ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR MUST CHANGE.
WE'RE NOT ADDING, 'CAUSE THEN WE'RE GETTING REALLY INTO THE YEAH.
INTO THE WEEDS OF LIKE CHANGING YEAH, WHAT I WROTE, THIS IS GONNA BE MY, MAYBE THIS IS GONNA BE MY RECOMMENDATION IS AT THE, WHERE IT JUST BE RESOLVED.
UM, SO THAT LAST SENTENCE, SYSTEMS TO INCLUDE LEGACY CONSENSUS AND TO CONSIDER HOW MBS AND WBE FIT INTO POSSIBLE REVISION.
WHERE WERE YOU LAST? SORRY, THAT LAST PARAGRAPH TO THE BE IT RESOLVED.
SO THE LAST PART, THE LAST TO READ.
UH, SO IT'S, IT WOULD READ BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD RECOMMENDS THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE REVISIONS TO AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATIONS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR CONCESSIONS IN CITY PARKS SYSTEMS. THAT'S A LOT OF S UH, TO INCLUDE LEGACY CONCESSIONS AND TO COMMA AND TO CONSIDER HOW MBE AND WBE FIT INTO POSSIBLE REVISIONS.
SO, UH, JUST TO CLARIFY, UH, BOARD MEMBER VILLALOBOS, YOU'RE MAKING AN AMENDMENT, YOU'RE MOTIONING TO AMEND THE ORIGINAL MOTION, WHICH WAS MADE BY BOARD MEMBER MERIT AND SECONDED BY CORRECT.
BUT I'M STATING IT FIRST BEFORE WE, I MAKE THE MOTION SO PEOPLE AREN'T CONFUSED.
UM, AND WOULD YOU BE OKAY SAYING TO CONSIDER HOW, UM, THAT MBS AND W MAY INSTEAD OF WILL, LIKE, WILL 'CAUSE THEN WE'RE MAKING AN ASSUMPTION THAT THEY WILL, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? MM-HMM
I DIDN'T EVEN SAY MAY OR WILL.
HOW MBE AND WS FIT INTO POSSIBLE REVISIONS AND TO CONSIDER HOW MPS AND WBE FIT INTO POSSIBLE REVISIONS.
I IT CAN WE ADD MAY BECAUSE THEN MAY FIT? YEAH.
JUST SO THAT WE'RE NOT MAKING AN ASSUMPTION THAT THEY DO FIT.
UM, SO I WILL MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO THE, THE BE RESOLVED PARAGRAPH, ADD COMMA, AND TO CONSIDER HOW MPS AND WBE MAY FIT INTO POSSIBLE REVISIONS.
YOU CAN ACCEPT IT AS A FRIENDLY, I DO ACCEPT IT AND I ACCEPT IT AS A SECOND AS FRIENDLY.
AND THEN IF WE WANNA JUST HAVE A DISCUSSION AROUND THE, THE NUMBER, UM,
[02:05:01]
IT SOUNDS TO ME, UM, LIKE NOBODY'S LANDING ON A PARTICULAR NUMBER CHANGING IT UP HERE.UM, BOARD MEMBER MERRIT, DO YOU HAVE A THOUGHTS ON WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THIS ONE, OR? I LIKE WHAT WE'VE COME UP WITH.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE LIKE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO MAKE AN ACTUAL STATEMENT.
I'D ALSO PREFER TO STICK WITH THE 30 NUMBER IF I, JUST GENERALLY SPEAKING, I FEEL LIKE WHEN WE'RE MAKING CHANGES LIKE THIS ONE, CHANGE IS VERY EFFECTIVE AT SORT OF SENDING A MESSAGE AND THEN WHEN WE START PILING ON, IT BECOMES LESS EFFECTIVE WITH EACH ADDITIONAL CHANGE.
SO I FEEL LIKE GOOD OPPORTUNITY HERE WITH THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO SORT OF SAY WE THINK THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION AND THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD BE MY SORT OF STRATEGIC REASON BESIDES THE FACT THAT I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION FOR JUST KEEPING EVERYTHING ELSE, INCLUDING THE NUMBER AS IS.
AND, UM, JUST WANNA GO TO BOARD MEMBER OR, BECAUSE, UM, I'M SORRY.
UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT AMENDMENT, THAT FEELS GOOD.
'CAUSE YOU HAD BROUGHT UP THE KIND OF YEAH, I'LL GET ON MY END.
AND THEN BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS.
WELL, I'M TRYING TO FIND A SOLUTION WHERE WE CAN SATISFY WHAT YOU JUST SAID, WHICH I DON'T DISAGREE WITH, BUT, UM, IT'S SORT OF INTEGRATED INTO THE, THE MO THE MOTION, AT LEAST THE AMENDMENT THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING, WHICH IS JUST TO HAVE COUNSEL CONSIDER IT THE NUMBER OF YEARS MWE, THE, ALL OF THAT.
BUT IN ONE SENTENCE,
I JUST, I ALSO THINK THAT MY SUSPICION IS THAT LIKE THE NUMBER WILL BE DISCUSSED IN COUNCIL, REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE SAY, I THINK IT'S COMING UP JUST BE BECAUSE OF THE PRESENTATION AND HOW IT WENT IN CONCESSIONS AND CONTRACTS.
IT WAS A, IT WAS A MAJOR PORTION OF THE DISCUSSION AND WE DID, UH, GET, YOU KNOW, BEST PRACTICES AND WHERE THOSE NUMBERS CAME FROM.
UM, SO WITHOUT MUDDYING THIS UP TOO MUCH, I THINK I CAN, YOU KNOW, FROM MY END, I FEEL REALLY GOOD WITH THIS GOING FORWARD AND REACHING OUT TO MY COUNCIL MEMBER, KIND OF LETTING HIM KNOW WHERE WE LANDED MM-HMM
AND WHERE THAT DISCUSSION WAS AND THE PIECE THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT IN.
UM, BUT I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR ANYBODY ELSE.
AND SO WE'LL YEAH, AND, AND, AND JUST LET ME USE THIS OPPORTUNITY ALSO TO CLEAR UP THAT LIKE TOTALLY ON BOARD WITH THAT I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS M-B-E-W-B-E FITS INTO THIS.
I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE FOR THE NEXT STEP TO FIGURE FOR, FIGURE THAT OUT.
UM, IN MY HEAD I HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW MBE FITS INTO THIS.
'CAUSE YOU CAN HAVE A FAMILY WHO IS MINORITY, WHO HAS OWNED A PARTICULAR CONCESSION FOR MANY DECADES.
I DON'T KNOW HOW, I GUESS YOU COULD HAVE A SERIES OF WOMEN, I WOULD DO THAT.
PASSING THE DOWN GENERATION GENERATION.
SO THAT'S NOT TO SAY IT'S LIKE IT WILL, WELL, I'M NOT TRYING TO FIT A SQUARE INTO A CIRCLE HOLE.
I'M LIKE SAYING LIKE, IF THERE IS A SHAPE WE CAN FIT IN THERE, THEN LET'S LOOK AT, LET'S LOOK AT IT.
ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE I CALL FOR A VOTE? OKAY.
ALRIGHT, SO, UM, WE WILL TAKE A VOTE NOW.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE, THE MINORITY RECOMMENDATION AS AMENDED, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND PLEASE.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK SO WE'LL BE BACK.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
I THINK WE'VE GOT EVERYBODY BACK.
[5. Presentation, discussion and approve a recommendation to City Council to approve the temporary use of 4,756 sq. ft. of parking lot on parkland located at 1108 W. Riverside Dr. for temporary storage and staging area for a period not to exceed 150 calendar days. Total Mitigation is $74,313. (Sponsors: Bazan, Flowers) (PARD Long Range Strategies: Operational Efficiency, Program Alignment). Presenter(s): Oystein Moen, Engineer, Austin Water.]
GONNA MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE.THIS IS A PRESENTATION DISCUSSION AND APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE TEMPORARY USE OF 4,756 SQUARE FEET OF PARKING LOT ON PARKLAND.
LOCATED AT 1108 WEST RIVERSIDE DRIVE FOR TEMPORARY STORAGE AND STAGING AREA FOR A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED 150 CALENDAR DAYS.
[02:10:01]
BOARD MEMBERS.THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE ABOUT OUR PROJECT, UH, HERE TONIGHT.
MY NAME IS, UH, OAN MOEN AND I AM THE AUSTIN WATER PROJECT SPONSOR FOR THE WEST RIVERSIDE RECLAIM WATER MAIN.
THE PROJECT MANAGER IS ALSO HERE TO HELP RESPOND TO QUESTIONS AT THE END.
AND THEN WE HAVE GREG MONITORS FROM, FROM PARK, UH, SORRY,
THIS IS A LARGE DIAMETER PIPELINE PROJECT IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AND WE SEEK, UH, TEMPORARY USE OF A PAR, UH, PORTION OF PARKING LOT.
SO I'LL FIRST PROVIDE A PROJECT SUMMARY AND SOME, UH, BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
I WILL THEN NOTE WHAT STEPS WERE TAKEN BEFORE ARRIVING AT THE NEED TO GO THROUGH CHAPTER 26.
TO CONCLUDE, I WILL PRESENT OUR APPROACH TO MINIMIZE THE PROJECT IMPACT AND GIVE A GENERAL TIMELINE FOR THE PROJECT.
THE WEST RIVERSIDE RECLAIM WATER MAIN, SHOWN ON THIS MAP AS A, A PURPLE DOTTED LINE.
IT'S AN AUSTIN WATER PIPELINE PROJECT AS EXTENDING, EXTENDING FROM SOUTH FIRST STREET IN THE EAST TO LEE BARTON DRIVE IN THE WEST, CONNECTING TO OTHER FORTHCOMING PROJECTS SHOWN IN RED ON THE MAP.
IT'LL ALSO CONNECT TO THE EXISTING PIPELINE THAT CROSSES UNDER LADY BIRD LAKE, SHOWN HERE IN A PINK SOLID LINE.
THE PROJECT CONSISTS OF 2,800 LINEAR FEET OF PIPE, OF WHICH APPROXIMATELY 2,150 FEET ARE 24 INCH DIAMETER INSTALLED USING CONVENTIONAL OPEN TRENCH METHODS AND REMAINING 650 FEET OR 30 INCH DIAMETER INSTALLED USING HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONAL DRILLING OR HDD FOR SHORT.
WITH THIS, UH, RECLAIMED WATER MAIN AUSTIN WATER AIMS TO INCREASE REDUNDANCY AND RELIABILITY FOR ITS CUSTOMERS.
EXTEND THE SERVICE AREA FOR RECLAIMED WATER AND OFFSET DRINKING WATER USE.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE EXTENT OF EXTENT OF THE HDD IN THE TOP RIGHT.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE PARKING LOT NEAR THE TOP IS IN THE IDEAL LOCATION FOR S STAGING AND STORAGE FOR THIS CONSTRUCTION METHOD, WHICH IS THE SAFEST AND MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE WAY OF CROSSING WEST BOULDERING CREEK.
AUSTIN'S RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM IS GROWING BOTH A NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS AND THE AMOUNT OF WATER USED.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE TWO DEAD END OR CAPPED SYSTEMS. ONE IS FED WITH WATER FROM THE WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IN THE NORTHEAST, AND THE OTHER IS FED FROM THE SOUTH AUSTIN REGIONAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IN THE SOUTHEAST.
THE WEST RIVERSIDE RECLAIMED WATER MAIN IS ONE IN A SERIES OF FIVE PROJECTS REQUIRED TO CONNECT THESE TWO SYSTEMS. IN DOING SO, WE CAN PROVIDE A MORE RELIABLE LOOPED RECLAIMED WATER SUPPLY, WHICH WILL HELP IN THE EVENT MAJOR REPAIRS NECESSARY.
A PROJECT DRIVER IS ALSO TO EXPAND THE RECLAIM WATER SERVICE AREA AND OFFSET DRINKING WATER USE WHERE POSSIBLE RECLAIM WATER CAN BE USED FOR NON-DRINKING PURPOSES, SUCH AS IRRIGATION, COOLING, MANUFACTURING, AND TOILET FLUSHING.
THIS PROJECT WILL ALLOW MORE USERS AND DEVELOPMENTS TO USE RECLAIMED WATER IN THE FUTURE, AND IT'LL ALLOW NEARBY PARKS TO IRRIGATE WITH RECLAIMED WATER AS WELL.
THIS IMAGE SHOWS A PROFILE VIEW OF THE HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONAL DRILL GOING AT LEAST 25 FEET BELOW THE CULVERTS OF WEST BALD CREEK.
YOU CAN SEE THE CULVERTS IN THE CENTER OF THE IMAGE.
THE ENTRY AND EXIT POINTS FOR THE DRILL ARE ON EITHER SIDE, AND THE PIPELINE WILL BE CONSTRUCTED WITH A TRENCHLESS INSULATION TO CLEAR BOTH THE CREEK AND THE RAILROAD.
THE HATCHED AREA IS THE OUTER LIMITS OF WHERE THE PIPE WILL BE INSTALLED.
IN PLANNING THE RECLAIMED WATER MAIN, THE PROJECT TEAM EXPLORED ALTERNATIVES SUCH AS ATTACHING THE PIPE TO THE BRIDGE OR CULVERTS ACROSS WEST BOWLING CREEK.
BUT THIS WAS NOT ALLOWED OR FINDING A WAY TO INSTALL THE PIPE SHALLOWER ABOVE THE CULVERT, WHICH WAS NOT A FEASIBLE ALTERNATIVE.
ADDITIONALLY, BORING UNDER THE CREEK, USING CONVENTIONAL METHODS COULD CAUSE ISSUES WITH A RAILROAD TRACK.
HTD PROVIDED TO BE THE BEST METHOD TO CROSS BOTH THE CREEK AND THE RAILROAD.
WE NEEDED TO PROVIDE RECLAIM WATER TO AN EXISTING PIPE BETWEEN SOUTH LAMAR BOULEVARD AND LEE BARTON DRIVE.
THAT'S THE STAR NEAR THE TOP OF THIS MAP.
WE ALSO NEEDED TO CONNECT TO THE EXISTING PIPE ACROSS THE LAKE, WHICH
[02:15:01]
IS A STAR NEAR THE ROUNDABOUT.WHILE MOST OF THE PIPELINE IS INSTALLED USING A CONVENTIONAL OPEN TRENCH METHOD, THIS WAS NOT POSSIBLE NEAR THE CREEK.
THEREFORE, HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONAL DRILLING OR HDD WILL BE USED FOR THE REMAINING 650 LINEAR FEET.
THE HDV REQUIRES HEAVY MACHINERY AND IT WOULD BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO MOBILIZE AND DEMOBILIZE DAILY, WHICH IS WHY USING THE PARKING LOT FOR TEMPORARY STAGING AND STORAGE IS NECESSARY.
DAILY MOBILIZATION WOULD HAVE A GREATER IMPACT ON THE LOCAL TRAFFIC.
WE ARE REQUESTING THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD'S APPROVAL OF A TEMPORARY WORK AREA FOR A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED 150 CALENDAR DAYS.
TO MINIMIZE THE PROJECT'S IMPACTS, WE HAVE WORKED TO REDUCE THE TIME NEEDED FOR THE STAGING AND STORAGE AREA FROM 18 MONTHS TO THE MINIMUM REQUIRED FOR THE HDD INSTALLATION, WHICH IS FIVE MONTHS.
THE PROJECT TEAM IS ACTIVELY COORDINATING WITH SPECIAL EVENTS TO WORK AROUND PLANNED EVENTS IN THE AREA.
MOBILIZATION TIME WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BY STORING THE DRILLING EQUIPMENT ON SITE, REDUCING THE TIME THE CONTRACTOR WILL BE IN THE AREA.
UTILIZING HDD IS FASTER THAN CONVENTIONAL METHODS AND WILL ALLOW US TO OPEN THE STREET TO LOCAL TRAFFIC SOONER.
THERE WILL BE EROSION AND SEDIMENTATION CONTROL IN PLACE AND ONCE THE HDD PHASE IS COMPLETE, THE PARKING LOT WILL BE REHABILITATED AND THIS WILL OCCUR WITHIN THE 150 DAYS WE ARE REQUESTING.
AS FOR THE PROJECT TIMELINE, WE HELD A PUBLIC MEETING ON AUGUST 21ST.
THE BID AWARD PHASE IS PLANNED TO BEGIN NEXT MONTH IN OCTOBER OF 2025, AND WILL TAKE AROUND SIX MONTHS.
WE SHOULD HAVE A CONTRACTOR UNDER CONTRACT IN THE SPRING OF 2026.
THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE IS ESTIMATED TO BEGIN IN THE SUMMER OF NEXT YEAR, AND IS EXPECTED TO TAKE APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS.
SO TO SUMMARIZE, WE ARE REQUESTING A TEMPORARY WORK AREA OF 4,756 SQUARE FEET FOR A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED A TOTAL OF 150 CALENDAR DAYS.
THE CALCULATED MITIGATION FEE IS $74,313.
AND TO STAY UP TO DATE ON THE PROJECT, THE PUBLIC CAN SIGN UP FOR EMAIL UPDATES.
WE WILL GO BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN, AND THEN BOARD MEMBER.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE AN EXTENSION OF THE CITY'S RECLAIM SYSTEM.
ONE IS ON THE, UM, USE OF THE PARKING LOT AS A TEMPORARY STAGING AREA.
WILL THE PUBLIC BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO USE A SIDEWALK THAT'S ADJACENT TO THAT PARKING LOT DURING ITS USE OF STAGING AS WELL? WILL THAT WILL REMAIN OPEN? GOOD EVENING.
I'M THE PROJECT MANAGER WITH, UH, CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES.
UH, TO MY KNOWLEDGE THAT SIDEWALK, UH, WILL REMAIN OPEN DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE OF, UH, THE HT V.
AND SECOND QUESTION ON THE, UH, POWERPOINT.
I NOTICED THAT IT SAID THAT, UM, THIS EXTENSION OF THE SYSTEM WOULD ALLOW FOR RECLAIMED SERVICES TO BE BROUGHT CLOSER TO EXISTING CITY PARKS.
COULD YOU SHARE A LIST OF WHAT SOME OF THOSE PARKS ARE AND ALSO WHAT OTHER IMPROVEMENTS ARE NEEDED TO BRING RECLAIMED WATER TO THOSE CITY OWNED PARKS? I THINK THAT'S A FABULOUS OPPORTUNITY AND SOMETHING THAT THE CITY SHOULD DEFINITELY CONTINUE TO INVEST TOWARDS.
I'M WONDERING, WITH THIS EXTENSION OF A SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH CLOSER DOES IT BRING US AND WHICH PARKS ARE SOONEST TO BE IMPROVED? SO WE HAVE HAD MEETINGS WITH THE PARK PERSONNEL ON, UH, PART THE AUDITORIUM SHORES IN THE EVENT THE LAKE, UH, WATER PUMP SYSTEM WERE TO FAIL, FOR INSTANCE.
OR THEY REQUIRE A LOT OF OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE FROM MY UNDERSTANDING.
UH, WE'VE ALSO BEEN TALKING, UH, TO PARK PERSONNEL ABOUT PARKS ON TOY ROAD, WHERE THIS MAIN WILL ESSENTIALLY, UH, EVENTUALLY EXTEND IN A, IN A DIFFERENT PROJECT.
SO TO RECAP, YOU SAID, UH, NEAR AUDITORIUM SHORES IN TOY ROAD.
BOARD MEMBER, YOU BEING, SO THE EXTENSION STOPS AT LEE BARTON FOR THIS PROJECT? YES, IT STOPS AT LEE BARTON.
WE, THERE'S CURRENTLY A RECLAIM LINE
[02:20:01]
IN THE GROUND BETWEEN LEE BARTON AND SOUTH LAMAR.SO IT'S CONNECTING TO THAT LINE.
SO WHAT, UH, SO IT GOES TO SOUTH LAMAR.
WHAT'S THE PURPLE PIPE AT ZILKER? THERE IS NO ACCESS, UH, PER NOW, AND I DO NOT BELIEVE ZILKER PARK IS A, IS A REALISTIC CUSTOMER IN THE FUTURE, EITHER BECAUSE OF ITS PROXIMITY TO, UM, BARTON SPRINGS POTENTIALLY.
BOARD MEMBER KERN, LAST WHILE.
HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? WE CAN, I, I CAN'T TELL FROM THE DOCUMENTATION THE, IN THE PARKING LOT, ARE THERE ANY WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE SPOTS IN THAT PARKING LOT THAT WILL BE TAKEN AWAY? I, IS THAT ON THE, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S ON THE PART, THE PROPERTY SIDE OR IF THAT'S ON THE RIGHT OF WAY SIDE OF THE PARKING LOT, THOUGH.
I THINK THE, THE SPACES THAT WERE SHOWN WERE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
SO THERE WERE THE SPACES CLOSEST TO I THINK, UH, RIVERSIDE.
I KNOW IT'S IN THE PRESENTATION.
IT'S IN THE PRESENTATION YOU SAID, CAN WE PULL RIGHT THAT THE, THE ACTUAL ILLUSTRATION OF THE PARKING LOT? SO I THINK THE, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT SLIDE IT WAS ON SLIDE SEVEN.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE THE SPACE THAT'S HATCHED IS THE ACCESSIBLE SPACE, WHICH IS CLOSEST TO WEST RIVERSIDE DRIVE NEAREST THE SIDEWALK.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE THERE MIGHT BE ONE OR TWO SPOTS THAT WILL BE LOST FOR THAT DURATION, FOR THE DURATION OF THE FIVE MONTHS.
WILL, WILL THERE BE AN ACCOMMODATION MADE IN OTHER, UH, IN OTHER PARKING IN THAT AREA TO INCREASE ACCESSIBLE PARKING? IS THAT PART OF THE PROJECT? ARE YOU AT THAT LEVEL TO NO, THAT IS NOT PART OF THE, THAT IS NOT PART OF THIS, UH, THIS PROJECT? NO.
SO WE'RE LOSING HOW MANY ACCESSIBLE PARKING SPOTS ACCORDING TO THE DRAWING, IT LOOKS LIKE ONE TO TWO SPACES.
SO CAN YOU CLARIFY FOR ME? I'M SORRY.
SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LOSE ACCESSIBLE SPACES, IT'S NOT PART OF THE PROJECT TO TRY TO MAKE ADDITIONAL ACCOMMODATIONS.
WE HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, THE MARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT, UH, UH, SPECIFICALLY WITH GREG MONTES AND HIS TEAM, UH, TO LOOK AT, UH, SOME OPTIONS POSSIBLY AT THE, UH, ZACH SCOTT THEATER, UH, THAT'S ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF, UH, SOUTH LAMAR.
UH, SO LOOKING IN TO SEE IF THERE ARE SOME OPTIONS TO PROVIDING, UH, SOME PARKING OPTIONS.
YEAH, I, I DO WANNA SAY JUST BECAUSE MY HUSBAND AND MY SON WERE THERE LAST, THIS PAST SUNDAY, YESTERDAY, AND THERE WERE, BECAUSE THERE WERE, THEY'RE SO LIMITED ACCESSIBLE PARKING SPOTS.
HE, HE ACTUALLY PARKED OVER THERE BY ZACH THEATER AND GOT A $40 PARKING TICKET.
YOU KNOW, SO I JUST, I'M CONCERNED THAT THERE'S LIMITED SPOTS TO BEGIN WITH AND THEN WHEN YOU TAKE THEM AWAY, IT MAKES IT EVEN WORSE FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED THOSE SPOTS.
SO, NOT GREAT THAT THEY'LL HAVE TO CROSS OVER, UM, TO, TO ZACH THEATER, BUT IF, IF THERE CAN BE AN AGREEMENT MADE SO THOSE TWO PARKING SPOTS AREN'T LOST COMPLETELY.
AND, AND I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE IDEAL.
'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S NOT A GREAT SITUATION TO BEGIN WITH.
UM, SO WE DON'T WANNA MAKE IT WORSE, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT HAVE OTHER OPTIONS AND THEY, THEY NEED THOSE PARKING SPOTS.
SO WHILE, WHILE IT'S NOT BEEN PART OF THIS PROJECT, UH, WHILE THIS HTD INSULATION IS ONGOING, THE WESTBOUND LANES WILL BE CLOSED.
UH, I KNOW THAT WEST RIVERSIDE LEADING TOWARDS SOUTH LAMAR IS, HAS THREE LANES I BELIEVE.
SO THERE MIGHT BE SOME WAY TO MAKE, UH, UH, TEMPORARY OR PARKING ACCOMMODATIONS IN THAT RIGHTMOST LANE, FOR INSTANCE.
BUT THAT, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN, UH, HEY, I HAVE A QUESTION.
SO I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON, UH, PARKING, CERTAINLY NOT COMPARED TO OUR FELLOW BOARD MEMBER FOR A DA SPACES, BUT I GUESS I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED.
IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE IF YOU WERE TAKING AWAY REQUIRED SPACES, UM, THAT YOU'D HAVE TO REPLACE 'EM, BUT IS THAT NOT THE CASE HERE? BECAUSE YOU'RE TAKING AWAY A WHOLE PARKING LOT?
[02:25:01]
LIKE I, I MEAN, I GUESS MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE A DA WAS A PERCENTAGE OF SPACES IN A GIVEN LOT HAS TO BE ALLOCATED FOR THAT.IS THIS LIKE, ARE YOU NOT REQUIRED TO REPLACE IT BECAUSE YOU'RE TAKING AWAY THE WHOLE LOT? NO, I, I WANNA SAY THAT WE COULD LOOK INTO PROVIDING THOSE TWO SPACES, IF THAT'S EXACTLY THE TWO.
I THINK IT'S TWO SPACES THAT WOULD BE LOST.
SO WE COULD LOOK AND WORK WITH THE TEAM TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE TWO SPACES ARE REPLACED NEARBY IN THAT AREA.
UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME OTHER PARKING LOTS AND PARKING ON THE STREET THAT COULD MAYBE BE LOOKED AT.
UM, LEE BARTON OR TO ME MIGHT BE, NOT TO ME, BUT LEE BARTON MIGHT BE ANOTHER LOCATION.
'CAUSE WE DISCUSSED THAT INTERNALLY AS WELL.
YEAH, I MEAN, I JUST, AND THIS IS JUST, I APPRECIATE BOARD MEMBER, UM, OAL BRINGING IT UP BECAUSE TO ME IT SEEMS THAT IF YOU'RE REMOVING SPACES THAT SOMEONE REALLY NEEDS FOR
I MEAN, I AGREE THAT PARKING THAT AREA IS HORRIBLE AND IT'S HARD WITH CHILDREN.
BUT IT'S EVEN HARDER IF YOU'RE WORKING WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS LIMITED MOBILITY.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE WORTH LOOKING INTO.
YEAH, I APPRECIATE YOU DOING THAT.
AND THEN ALSO IF IT, IF IT DOES COME TO FRUITION, MAKING SURE THERE'S APPROPRIATE SIGNAGE.
SO SOMEBODY THAT DOESN'T REALIZE THAT THAT PARKING LOT IS GONE, THAT THEY KNOW WHERE, WHERE THE OPTIONS ARE AND THEY HAVE A PLACE TO GO.
I'D HATE FOR SOMEONE WHO NEEDS THAT PARKING SPOT NOT TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY OUR PARKS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO PARK A MILE AWAY AND THEN THEY JUST GIVE UP AND GO HOME.
I WOULD SECOND WHAT OUR OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE SAID ABOUT IF IT IS CLOSED THE WHOLE PARKING LOT, THEN MAKING CLEAR WHERE THE ALTERNATIVE SPACES WOULD BE LOCATED.
BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA ARE PROBABLY GONNA NAVIGATE THERE BY MEMORY FIRST AND LOOK TO SEE A PARKING LOT THAT'S CLOSED.
AND MAYBE YOU CAN'T EVEN GET OVER TO THAT SIDE IF THE WEST LANES ARE CLOSED.
AND SO HAVING SOMETHING THAT, UM, YOU CAN EASILY SEE WHERE THE ALTERNATIVE SPACES WOULD BE.
UH, ON THIS SAME SUBJECT, UH, MY RECOMMENDATION PARTICULARLY TO PART IS LOOK AT A DA AND LOOK AT TEMPORARY SITE VIOLATION.
SO, UH, THERE'S GONNA BE A REQUIREMENT, UH, IF YOU'RE GONNA AVOID VIOLATION TO DO THAT.
SO I WOULD ASK THAT YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION? OKAY.
UM, I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK THROUGH HOW WE, UM, ADD SOME OF THE ADDITIONS FOR OUR CONCERNS HERE.
YEAH, MR. BECK, I'M LOOKING FOR, FOR YOUR HELP.
'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING WRITTEN FOR THIS.
UM, UH, FOR, OH, UH, TYPICALLY WE, WE JUST MAKE THE MOTION BASED ON THE AGENDA POSTING LANGUAGE.
YEAH, I THINK TO VERBALIZE THE LANGUAGE, I, I JUST LIKE SOMETHING BASED ON OUR DISCUSSION, UM, WE HAVE FULL FAITH THAT, THAT PEOPLE WILL LOOK INTO THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, BUT IT'D BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
UH, Y'ALL PRESENT, UH, MAKE A MOTION FROM THE DAY TO INCLUDE ANY LANGUAGE, ANY RECOMMENDATION LANGUAGE THAT YOU LIKE.
UH, THE WAY THAT I WOULD HANDLE THAT IS THAT I WOULD JUST MAKE A, A NOTE OF THE TIME AND THEN CHECK BACK SO THAT I COULD TRANSCRIBE WHATEVER THE RECOMMENDATION WAS.
SO IF YOU WANTED TO VOTE TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION, YOU KNOW, AS WRITTEN IN THE, THE POSTING LANGUAGE, BUT THEN ADD ANY ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE, THEN WE CAN CAPTURE THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT IT MAKES ITS WAY TO COUNSEL.
[02:30:11]
OKAY.WE'LL TALK THIS OUT TOGETHER Y'ALL, AND WE CAN ADJUST IF NEEDED.
BUT, UM, I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION, UM, THAT WE APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE TEMPORARY USE OF 4,756 SQUARE FEET OF PARKING LOT ON PARK LINE LOCATED AT 1108 WEST RIVERSIDE DRIVE FOR TEMPORARY STORAGE AND STAGING AREA FOR A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED 150 CALENDAR DAYS WITH THE CONSIDERATION TO ENSURE REPLACEMENT OF A DA ACCESSIBLE PARKING SPOTS LOST.
AND BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN SECOND.
ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION COMMENTS? I THINK I WOULD SLIGHTLY MODIFY THE LANGUAGE JUST TO SAY, AND LET ME
UM, SO WITH THE CONSIDERATION THAT STAFF ENSURE REPLACEMENT OF A DA ACCESSIBLE PARKING SPACES LOST DURING THE TEMPORARY USE OF THE PARKING LOT.
OKAY, I CAN TAKE THAT ON A FRIENDLY BOARD MEMBER.
FRANKLIN, DOES THAT SOUND I WOULD, I WOULD ADD, UM, SORRY, COULD YOU READ IT ONE MORE TIME? IT'S KIND OF SCRAPPY.
SO WE ADDED WITH THE CONSIDERATION, UH, THAT STAFF ENSURE REPLACEMENT OF A DA ACCESSIBLE PARKING BASES LOST.
UH, AND THEN I SAID DURING THE, DURING THE TEMPORARY USE OF THE PARKING LOT.
AND I WOULD JUST SAY MAYBE TO CAPTURE ALL OF WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT AS WELL AS APPROPRIATE SIGNAGE AND NOTIFICATION FOR THE PUBLIC.
SO I WOULD JUST PUT A COMMA AT THE END OF THAT AND SAY AS WELL AS APPROPRIATE SIGNAGE AND WHAT ELSE COULD YOU SAY? NOTIFICATION AND NOTIFICATION OF THE PUBLIC ABOUT ALTERNATIVE PARKING OPTIONS.
GOT THAT MR. BECK
MY LITTLE SCRAPS THAT ARE NOT GONNA DO WELL AFTER TONIGHT.
WE'LL ACCEPT THAT ON A FRIENDLY YES.
UM, AND THEN ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION COMMENTS? ANYBODY WHO'S ONLINE BOARD MEMBER KERN ZOSTER? WHILE UH, NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, I'M GOOD WITH THE, UH, CHANGES.
THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PUT THAT UP FOR A VOTE.
SO, ALL IN FAVOR AND WE'VE GOT IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
[6. Presentation, discussion and approve a recommendation to City Council to approve Conditional Use Permits for the sale of alcohol at Jimmy Clay – Roy Kizer and Morris Williams golf courses. (Sponsors: Bazan, Flowers) (PARD Long Range Strategies: Operational Efficiency, Program alignment). Presenter(s): Reynaldo Hernandez, Project Manager, Austion Parks and Recreation.]
WE WILL MOVE NOW TO ITEM NUMBER SIX.THIS IS A PRESENTATION DISCUSSION AND APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS FOR THE SALE OF ALCOHOL AT JIMMY CLAY, RORY KAISER, AND MORRIS WILLIAMS GOLF COURSES.
GOOD EVENING CHAIR AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT AND PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
AND I'M HERE TO, UH, PRESENT THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT PRESENTATION.
UH, ON MY LEFT HERE IS, UH, LUCAS MASSEY, WHO IS THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, UH, FOR THE GOLF DIVISION.
AND HE'S HERE TO, UH, HELP WITH SOME QUESTIONS THAT MIGHT COME UP.
SO THE UH, CUP PROCESS INVOLVES, UH, SEVERAL ENTITIES.
ONE BEING THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND THE GOLF DIVISION AND TWO VENDORS.
UH, ONE OF THE VENDORS IS STAG AND FINCH SCOTTISH ALEHOUSE, THAT'S OPERATING AT JIMMY CLAY AND THE RORY KAISER GOLF COURSE.
AND THE OTHER ONE IS FAIRWAYS CANTINA, WHICH OPERATES AT MORRIS MORRIS WILLIAMS GOLF COURSE.
AND THE PURPOSE OF THE CUP IS TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE WITH ZONING REGULATIONS.
SO RIGHT NOW, UH, BOTH JIMMY CLAY AND MORRIS WILLIAMS ARE SELLING AND SERVING ALCOHOL, UH, OUT OF COMPLIANCE WITH CITY CODE.
AND SO WE'RE HERE AND, UH, TO PRESENT TO YOU HOW WE GOING TO ALIGN, UH, THE SALE OF ALCOHOL CURRENTLY THAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE AUSTIN LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
AND JUST TO GIVE YOU A BIT OF A HISTORY, UH, UH, WATERLOO PARK, UH, REPUBLIC SQUARE AND WALLER CREEK BOATHOUSE HAVE GONE THROUGH THE CUP PROCESS AND ARE NOW, UH, IN COMPLIANCE WITH CITY CODE.
TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF OVERVIEW AND BACKGROUND, UH,
[02:35:01]
JIMMY CLAY, UH, WAS OPENED IN 1974.THERE WERE SOME RENOVATIONS IN 2007 AND 2025.
AND IN 1994, THE ROY KAISER, UH, GOLF COURSE COMP, UH, CO GOLF COURSE, EXCUSE ME, WAS COMBINED WITH THE JIMMY CLAY AND IT, UH, TURNED OUT TO BE A 36 HOLE PUBLIC COMPLEX.
AND THAT IS, UH, VENDOR AT THAT LOCATION IS STAGIN FINCH.
AND THEY RECEIVED THEIR, UH, TEXAS ALCOHOL BEVERAGE COMMISSIONED PERMIT TO SELL BEER AND WINE IN OCTOBER OF 2016.
THE MORRIS WILLIAMS GOLF COURSE, THAT COURSE OPENED IN 1964.
IT BECAME THE THIRD, UH, PUBLIC COURSE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND IT'S NAMED AFTER MORRIS WILLIAMS JR.
WHO WAS ONE OF THE BEST GOLFERS AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, DEVELOPED THE VENDOR THERE IS FAIRWAYS CAFE AND THEY RECEIVE THEIR TABC PERMIT FOR THE SALE OF WINE AND BEER, UH, WHICH BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2021.
SO THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT IS A REQUIREMENT BY CITY CODE, UH, BASED ON SECTION 25 DASH 2 6 25 PART FOUR.
AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT THE, UH, CODE DOES IS IT ALLOWS FOR THE SALE AND IT'S A CHANGE IN ZONING.
UH, SO IN THIS CASE IT WOULD BE FROM, UH, PUBLIC TO PARK AND RECREATION SERVICES OR PEACE SPECIAL, WHICH WILL ALLOW AND PERMIT THE SALE OF ALCOHOL AND CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL ON PROPERTY.
AND JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, THERE IS NO CONSTRUCTION BEING PROPOSED AT ANY OF THESE TWO SITES.
TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND ON THE TEXAS ALCOHOL AND BEVERAGE COMMISSION, IT'S A STATE COMMISSION AND IT GOVERNS THE SALE OF WINE AND BEER ON THE PREMISES AND IN DESIGNATED AREAS.
THE LICENSE IS GOOD FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, BUT IT IS, UM, RENEWABLE.
UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE VENDOR WOULD TAKE CARE OF.
THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT CAN ISSUE YOU CITATIONS FOR THE CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL OUTSIDE AND IN THE DEFINED AREAS, UH, OR IN VIOLATION OF ANY OTHER STATE LAWS.
NO ONE UNDER THE AGE OF 18 CAN SELL ALCOHOL, AND NO ONE UNDER THE AGE OF 21 CAN CONSUME ALCOHOL.
AND THE CURRENT EXPIRATION DATES FOR TABC FOR S AND FINCH IS OCTOBER, 2026.
AND, UH, FAIRWAYS CANTINA AT MORRIS WILLIAMS IS DECEMBER, 2025.
THE CURRENT OPERATION PLAN AT BOTH OF THESE VENDOR LOCATIONS, SAG AND FINCH, UH, THEY BASICALLY SELL SIMPLE MENUS, I'M SORRY, SIMPLE GOURMET MENU.
UH, FOODS, THEY OPERATE MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY FROM EIGHT TO FOUR, AND DURING THE WINTER HOURS, THEY'RE CLOSED MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY AT FEBRUARY'S CANTINA.
THEY FOCUS ON SIGNATURE TACOS, GRAB AND GO FAIR AND BREAKFAST ITEMS. AND THEY'RE OPEN DAILY, UH, FROM SEVEN TO NINE, AND IN THE WINTER THEY CLOSE AT 7:00 PM AND FOR FEBRUARY'S CANTINA, THEY DO CLOSE THE SECOND MONDAYS OF EVERY MONTH.
THE AREA, UH, FOR THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR THE CONSUMPTION SALE ALCOHOL, UM, IS ON, UH, THE DISPLAY HERE.
IT TOTALS 218 ACRES FOR JIMMY CLAY.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED? MEANING WHAT ARE, WHERE THE, UH, CONSUMPTION, THE SALE OF ALCOHOL IS NOT PERMITTED IS IN PARKING LOTS AND IN THE AUSTIN PARKS RECREATION, UH, MAINTENANCE BUILDINGS AND SERVICE AREAS AND SIGNAGE WILL BE PROVIDED, UH, FOR VISITORS SO THEY CAN BE AWARE OF WHERE THEY CAN, UH, CONSUME ALCOHOL.
AND FOR MORRIS WILLIAMS, AS IS THE CONDITION WITH JIMMY CLAY, IT IS THE, THE WHOLE GOLF COURSE WITH, AGAIN, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF, UH, THE PARKING LOT, AUSTIN PARKS, RECREATION, MAINTENANCE, BUILDING AND SERVICE AREAS.
AND FOR MORRIS WILLIAMS IS 108 ACRES.
AND AGAIN, SIGNAGE WILL BE PROVIDED FOR VISITOR AWARENESS.
THE SIGNAGE, UH, THAT IS PROPOSED, IT WILL BE BOTH IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, AND IT'LL BASICALLY JUST INFORM FOLKS THAT THEY'RE NOT TO CONSUME OR, UM, BRING ALCOHOL INTO THESE CERTAIN AREAS.
AND IT DOES INCLUDE THE PRO SHOP, UH, THE RESTROOMS AND ANY INTERIOR SPACE THAT IS MANAGED BY THE AUSTIN PARKS RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
AND THE SIGNS ARE VERY SIMPLE.
THEY CAN EITHER BE MOUNTED ON A POLE, A PERFORATED POLE, OR THEY CAN, THE SIGNS CAN BE PLACED ON TWO WALLS AND THEY'LL BE LOCATED IN, IN THE AREAS WHERE FOLKS ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO KNOW IF THEY'RE ALLOWED TO BRING ALCOHOL BEYOND A CERTAIN POINT.
AND SO TODAY WE ARE HERE TO ASK FOR, UH, THE COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE
[02:40:01]
CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS FOR JIMMY CLAY OR KAISER AND MORRIS WILLIAMS GOLF COURSES FOR THE SALE OF ALCOHOL, AND TO BRING THESE SITES INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.AND WITH THAT, UH, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
I HAVE JUST A QUICK QUESTION AND JUST, I COULDN'T TELL, THERE WAS A SLIDE WHERE IT SHOWED, I THINK THE DOVE SPRINGS RECREATION CENTER.
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE DISTANCE IS OR WHAT, A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR SLIDE.
SO I BELIEVE THAT'S OVER AT, UM, JIMMY CLAY AND, UH, THE DOVE SPRINGS RECREATION CENTER.
IN ORDER TO FIT THIS IMAGE ON THIS, ON THE SLIDE, I HAD TO MAKE NORTH GO TO THE, UH, TO THE RIGHT.
SO THERE'S A CREEK, UH, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S OPEN SPACE AND THERE'S A CREEK AND THEN THERE'S THE DOVES RECREATION CENTER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT CREEK.
THERE IS NO ROAD, UM, OTHER THAN THE ROAD THAT LEADS YOU INTO THE JIMMY, UH, CLAY GOLF COURSE, WHICH IS A PRIVATE ROAD.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, THAT'S THE ONLY ROAD THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH THAT CONNECTS THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE GOLF COURSE.
NO, I WOULD ADD, BUT IT, IT, IT IS THROUGH THE CREEK.
IT'S PROBABLY, I WOULD SAY AT LEAST A QUARTER MILE IN DISTANCE, BUT IT'S A HEAVILY WOODED AREA THAT'S NOT REALLY POSSIBLE.
OTHER QUESTIONS WITH THE CHANGE IN ZONING FROM PUBLIC TO PE SPECIAL, IS THERE ANY DIFFERENCE IN LAND USE ASIDE FROM THE AVAILABILITY OF AN ALCOHOL PERMIT, OR IS IT PRETTY MUCH EXACTLY THE SAME? UM, IT'S EXACTLY THE SAME.
UH, WHAT THE CUP DOES IS IT OVERLAYS ANOTHER ZONING, UM, LAYER, AND THAT ZONING LAYER JUST PERMITS THE SALE OF ALCOHOL AND CONSUMPTION.
UH, I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO THE QUESTION OF HOW DID CISCO ON SO LONG WITHOUT US KNOWING IT, SO I'LL AVOID THAT ONE.
BUT
WHAT, WHAT ARE THE RULES ABOUT GUY SHOWING UP WITH A ICE CHEST FULL OF BEER AND HE THROWS IT IN THE BACK OF HIS CART? YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN PROHIBITED FOR, UH, MULTIPLE YEARS NOW.
WHAT I HEARD WAS PEOPLE BRINGING THEIR OWN ALCOHOL TO THE COURSE.
SO THIS IS JUST FOR THE SALE OF ALCOHOL AT THESE GOLF COURSES? YES, CORRECT.
AND ONLY BY THOSE PARTICULAR, UM, UM, YEAH, VENDORS, RIGHT.
OH, OH, UH, SORRY, JUST TO JUMP IN THERE.
WE ACTUALLY HAD A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.
WOULD IT BE OKAY IF THEY GAVE THEIR COMMENTS NOW BEFORE THE BOARD TOOK ACTION? YES.
UM, BOARD MEMBER MERIT, IS THAT OKAY IF THEY GIVE THEIR, THERE WAS A PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO WE'LL DO THAT AND THEN COME TO YOU.
NO, IT'S NOT YOUR DON'T DON'T, DON'T BE TOO EAGER TO PASS THIS ONE.
OUR PUBLIC COMMENTER IS CHRIS FLORES.
CHRIS, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.
UH, CHRIS FLORES, D 10 RESIDENT SPEAKING NEUTRALLY ON, UH, ITEM SIX.
UH, I READ A CITY COMMISSIONED REPORT FROM 2019 BY A CONSULTANT NAMED NGF.
UH, THE TITLE OF THE REPORT IS A REVIEW OF OPERATIONS AND STRATEGIC PLANNING OF AUSTIN'S MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSES.
UM, IN IT, IT SAYS THAT THE AUSTIN PARKS DEPARTMENT PERMITS GOLFERS TO BRING THEIR OWN FOOD AND BEVERAGES, INCLUDING ALCOHOL.
THE CONSULTANT, UH, NOTED THAT THIS IS NOT DONE IN THE GOLF INDUSTRY BECAUSE OF CONCESSION AND LIABILITY CONCERNS.
SO I'M KIND OF CONFUSED 'CAUSE UM, MR. MASSEY SAID IT'S PROHIBITED, BUT YOU HAVE A PRINT A, A CITY, UH, CONSULTANT IN A REPORT IN 2019 SAYING IT IS PERMITTED.
BUT MY QUESTION WAS, WELL, IF IT'S PERMITTED, WHAT DO WE NEED A BAR FOR AT THE RESTAURANT IF PEOPLE ARE BRINGING THEIR OWN BOTTLES TO THE GOLF COURSE? UM, UH, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD IS BY CHANGING, UH, THE BY PERMITTING ALCOHOL, UH, ARE THERE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD REVIEWS
[02:45:01]
NEEDED, UH, FOR ZONING PURPOSES? I'M JUST ASKING.UH, AND THEN I HAVE ONE FINAL QUESTION.
IT KIND OF RELATES TO A TOPIC YOU DON'T WANNA HEAR ABOUT, BUT I'LL SAY IT.
IF, IF AN OUTFIT IS PERMITTED TO SELL ALCOHOL WITHOUT THIS CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS, AND THEN YOU CHANGE AND ADD THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO JUSTIFY THE ALCOHOL THAT'S BEING SOLD, HOW DO WE CITIZENS KNOW, UH, HOW, HOW CAN WE BE GUARANTEED THERE WILL NOT BE ALCOHOL SOLD AT ANOTHER PLACE LIKE ZILKER CAFE WHERE THE PUBLIC IS DEAD SET AGAINST IT? THAT'S ALL I HAD TO SAY.
I'M SORRY YOU HAD TO WAIT FOR THAT.
WE ARE GONNA GO TO BOARD MEMBER MERIT.
UM, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION CITY COUNCIL TO PROVIDE THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS FOR SALE OF ALCOHOL AT JIMMY CLAY AND ROY KAISER AND MORRIS WILLIAMS GOLF COURSES.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
WE HAVE A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN.
ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION? I AM INTERESTED IN, UH, LISTENING TO ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS.
I THINK MR. EUBANKS HAD HIS OKAY.
SO, UM, YEAH, SO WE CAN'T DIRECTLY ANSWER QUESTIONS.
YOU CAN ASK A CLARIFYING QUESTION.
UM, YOU'RE WELCOME TO DO THAT OF MR. MASSEY.
UM, I, I THINK THE QUESTION WAS, I, WELL, NOT ABOUT IT GOING FOR, FOR FOR TOO LONG, BUT, UM, THE, THE PRECEDING QUESTION I MIGHT BE ABLE TO OFFER.
SO WHEN DID THE CITY END? ITS BYOB POLICY AT GOLF COURSES.
IT WAS AFTER 2019, RIGHT? THAT THAT'S CORRECT.
WAS IT 2020? UH, IT WAS ROUGHLY ABOUT THAT, YEAH.
MR. MASSEY, DID YOU HAVE QUESTIONS SURROUNDING ANY THAT'S GOOD, THANK YOU.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER PART FACILITIES SUCH AS THIS WHERE ALCOHOL ISN'T BEING SERVED WITHOUT A PERMIT, WITHOUT A CUP? WE WILL BE BRINGING A COUPLE MORE FORWARD.
AND I, I DON'T KNOW THE THE EXACT REASON WE STAGGERED THEM, BUT I THINK IT, IT HAS TO DO WITH THE WORKLOAD OF BRINGING THEM FORWARD.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT, IT WILL BE A COUPLE MORE GOLF PROPERTIES.
JUST FOR THE, JUST TO PROVIDE SOME, SOME CLARITY.
SO THE TWO REMAINING GOLF PROPERTIES, ONE OF 'EM IS ALLIANCE GOLF COURSE, MUNI GOLF COURSE, AND THE OTHER IS, UH, GRAY, I BELIEVE IT'S GRAY ROCK, UH, GOLF COURSE.
UH, GRAY ROCK IS OPERATING, UM, OR RATHER IT'S ZONE AS IIR ZONING, WHICH DOES ALLOW FOR, UH, THE SALE OF ALCOHOL, UH, FOR THAT VENDOR THAT'S THERE.
AND THEN THE, UM, THE FUTURE OF THE LIONS CLUB PROPERTY IS QUESTIONABLE.
AND SO WE, UH, ARE NOT, AS FAR AS I KNOW, AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND, THE DEPARTMENT ISN'T GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THAT, UH, ANYTIME SOON.
AND THEN THE OTHER, UH, PROPERTY OR OR VENDOR THAT MAY COME UP IS THE, UH, ZUCKER CAFE.
WHICH I'M NOT, I DON'T REALLY HAVE A QUESTION.
I REALLY HAVE MORE OF LIKE A COMMENT, AND I GUESS IT'S JUST FOR THE BOARD.
UM, I SAW WHEN THIS WAS POSTED AS AN AGENDA ITEM, AND I WAS WONDERING HOW, AND YOU WERE GONNA SHOW UP DURING PUBLIC COMMUNICATION TO SPEAK ON THIS AGENDA ITEM.
UM, AND I THINK WE ONLY HAD ONE COMMENTER, WHICH IS MS. FLO.
SO I'M GONNA COMMEND HER FOR AT LEAST BEING CONSISTENT IN HER OPPOSITION OR NEUTRALITY IN REGARDS TO ALCOHOL BEING SOLD AT PARKS FACILITIES.
UM, BUT I'M GONNA VOTE TO APPROVE THIS ITEM, BUT I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT THERE IS SOME QUESTIONS LINGERING IN MY HEAD WHEN WE DO EVENTUALLY REACH THE ZILKER PARK CAFE, WHICH IS, UM, OUR PEOPLE NOT HERE FOR THE AGENDA ITEM TODAY BECAUSE THESE TWO COURSES ARE IN, UH, EAST AUSTIN, UH, WHERE THERE'S A PREDOMINANTLY MINORITY POPULATION, UM, OR PEOPLE HERE ARE NOT HERE BECAUSE GOLF IS USUALLY TRADITIONALLY CATERED TO MORE AFFLUENT POPULATIONS.
UM, OR THIRD, UM, DO PEOPLE ONLY CARE ABOUT ALCOHOL SALES BEING SOLD, ALCOHOL SALES AT Z PARK CAFE AS A MEANS TO EXCLUDE PEOPLE FROM ENJOYING Z PARK CAFE AND THE AMENITIES AROUND IT.
SO, UM, IT REALLY PUTS IN CONTRAST, I THINK, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX WHEN WE, I ASSUME EVENTUALLY TAKE UP THE Z PARK CAFE AND WE SEE
[02:50:01]
THE UPROAR OFF OF THAT.AND THOSE QUESTIONS WILL REMAIN IN MY MIND.
AND I HOPE THAT THEY REMAIN IN THE MIND OF EVERY SINGLE BOARD MEMBER BECAUSE I THINK THE SILENCE THAT WE'RE HEARING TODAY AS IT PERTAINS TO TWO FACILITIES THAT EXIST IN A VERY, VERY DENSELY POPULATED MINORITY PART OF THE CITY, UM, SPEAKS VOLUMES TO ME.
UM, AND I HOPE THAT IT DOES SPEAK VOLUMES TO THE PARKS BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE TODAY.
BUT I WILL BE VOTING FOR THIS.
UM, AND I HOPE EVERYONE KE KEEPS WHAT I JUST SAID IN MIND FOR THE FUTURE.
UH, MEMBER VILLA LOBOS, CAN YOU ELABORATE? YOU'RE BRINGING SOME SERIOUS CONCERNS YET YOU'RE SAYING YOU'RE GOING TO VOTE TO APPROVE IT.
MY CONCERNS IS, I GENERALLY, I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A GOOD POP, GOOD THING, BUT I HOPE THAT THE BOARD MEMBER TAKES INTO ACCOUNT WHO IS HERE TODAY, WHO'S SPEAKING OUT AGAINST IT, AND WHAT THOSE REASONS MAY BE FOR WHY THERE IS NEAR SILENCE ON THE ISSUE TODAY AS IT PERTAINS TO TWO EAST AUSTIN FACILITIES, TO TWO FACILITIES IN A MINORITY PART OF THE CITY, UM, AND WHY THERE'S SUCH A STRONG POSITION TO IT HAPPENING AT BOULDER PARK.
THOSE ARE QUESTIONS THAT WILL REMAIN LINGERING IN MY HEAD.
BOARD MEMBERS, WE HAVE, UM, A MOTION ON THE TABLE AND IT'S, WE'VE GOT A, A SECOND, AND SO I WILL, UM, TAKE A VOTE.
UM, ALL OF THOSE OPPOSED? WE HAVE ONE, TWO, ALL THOSE ABSTAINING.
ALRIGHT, WE WILL MOVE TO, THANK YOU.
[7. Staff briefing on Parks and Recreation Department community engagement events, planning updates, development updates, maintenance updates, program updates and administrative updates. (Sponsors: Bazan, Flowers) (PARD Long Range Strategies: Relief from Urban Life, Urban Public Spaces, Park Access). Presenter(s): Jesús Aguirre, Austin Parks and Recreation Director.]
WE WILL MOVE TO STAFF BRIEFINGS, UH, STAFF BRIEFING ON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS, PLANNING AND UPDATES.DIRECTOR, I GET THREE MINUTES.
UH, AGAIN,
THANKS SO MUCH, UM, FOR THE ROBUST DISCUSSIONS TODAY.
I WANNA THANK ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO CAME, UH, TO, TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS AND CONCERNS ABOUT THESE TOPICS THAT, THAT HOPEFULLY, UH, ANYONE WATCHING, OR CERTAINLY FOLKS HERE IN THE ROOM OR ON THE DAIS, UM, RECOGNIZE HOW IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO CHALLENGING THE VARIOUS ISSUES THAT WE DEAL WITH AT PARKS AND RECREATION.
SO TRULY APPRECIATE THE ROBUST DISCUSSION.
UM, I WANTED TO JUST SHARE A FEW UPDATES, UM, AND, AND CERTAINLY WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THE TOPICS EITHER THAT WE'VE TALKED TONIGHT OR, OR THE, THE ASPECTS THAT ARE GONNA BE IN THIS DIRECTOR'S UPDATE.
UM, EACH, EACH, UH, FOR EACH OF THESE BOARD MEETINGS, WE ASK OUR TEAMS TO, TO SEND IN SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING.
AND SO THE BREVITY OF THIS REPORT DOESN'T REFLECT THE, THE MAGNITUDE OF THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING IN PARKS AND RECREATION EACH AND EVERY DAY.
SO I'LL, I'LL HIGHLIGHT A FEW, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT, THAT THERE AREN'T MANY, MANY MORE THAT ARE, THAT ARE HAPPENING.
SO, UH, I'LL START OFF WITH THE NEXT SLIDE, WHICH, WHICH IS, UM, A COUPLE OF UPDATES FROM OUR, UH, PARK PLANNING DIVISION.
WAIT, I'M SUPPOSED TO CLICK, SORRY.
UM, UH, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO ATTEND A RIBBON CUTTING FOR SENIOR BROOK POCKET PARK, UH, A REALLY INTERESTING, EXCITING PARK THAT WAS DONE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS WITH THE PARKS FOUNDATION.
UH, AND THIS IS A PARK THAT UTILIZED, UH, PARKLAND DEDICATION FUNDS TO, TO DEVELOP IT.
UM, INTERESTINGLY, THIS IS A POCKET PARK, AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SORT OF THE AERIAL VIEW TO THE LEFT OF THE SLIDE YOU DON'T SEE, BUT THERE'S ANOTHER SECTION OF THE PARK THAT IS, IS SORT OF BEING PRESERVED FOR, UM, UH, SORT OF THE, THE, THE ROLE THAT IT PLAYS IN TERMS OF WATER RETENTION AND, AND, UM, SORT OF FILTRATION, ET CETERA.
SO, UH, IT'S A, IT'S A SMALL PARK AND, AND WORKING REALLY, REALLY HARD.
AND, AND THERE'S A, UM, A LOT OF, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING IN THIS PARK.
THIS USED TO BE PART OF, I BELIEVE AN HOA AND THEN WORKING WITH THE TEAM THAT YOU HEARD FROM TODAY, UH, IT WAS, IT WAS ACQUIRED BY THE CITY AND THEN DEVELOPED.
SO, UM, REALLY FUN LITTLE PARK.
UM, ANOTHER PARK THAT, UH, WELL, THIS IS A PLAYGROUND THAT JUST OPENED IN ANOTHER PARK, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THIS ONE AS WELL.
AND THIS IS OUR LARGEST, UH, NATURE PLAY SPACE, UM, THAT WAS INSTALLED, UH, AT HERITAGE OAKS.
WE HAD AN EVENT WHERE LOTS OF KIDDOS AND, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAME TO ENJOY THE SPACE.
UM, AND, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH NATURE PLAY, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS NOT A TRADITIONAL PLAYGROUND WITH SOME OF THE MORE TRADITIONAL, UM, EQUIPMENT, AS YOU SAW IN THE PRIOR SLIDE.
THESE ARE RECLAIMED, UM, UH, SORT OF, UH, COMPONENTS WHICH ARE TREES.
AND, AND MOST OF THESE COME FROM PROJECTS ACROSS THE CITY WHERE TREES WERE, WERE NEEDED TO BE, UH, TAKEN DOWN.
AND, AND WE REP, WE STORE THEM AND THEN REPURPOSE THEM FOR,
[02:55:01]
FOR A PLACE SPACE AND EXPLORATION.AND IT'S SUCH A REALLY FANTASTIC, UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR KIDDOS TO, TO BE IN NATURE, BUT TO BE, UM, IN, IN SORT OF A WELL-DESIGNED PLAY SPACE.
UH, THIS ONE ALSO IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE, UH, PARKS FOUNDATION.
IT'S A GREAT, GREAT, UH, SPACE.
UM, ALSO THE PARK DEVELOPMENT TEAM IS, IS, UM, CELEBRATING THE SELECTION OF, OF THREE PROJECTS THAT RECEIVED, UH, PRESERVATION AUSTIN EMER AWARDS.
AND, AND, UM, WE ARE THREE OF 10 PROJECTS THAT RECEIVED THESE, AND THOSE WILL BE CELEBRATED ON NOVEMBER 18TH.
UH, THE FIRST ONE IS A DOCUMENTARY THAT WAS CREATED, UH, TO SORT OF TALK ABOUT THE HASKELL HOUSE IN HISTORIC OF CLARKSVILLE.
AND, AND WHEN FOLKS, UM, ENTER THE HASKELL HOUSE, THEY, THEY CAN SEE THIS VIDEO.
SO, UH, REALLY DOES AN AMAZING JOB OF, OF CAPTURING THE HISTORY AND, AND ALL OF THE, THE SORT OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT, UH, FACILITY.
UH, A COUPLE OF OTHERS THAT RECEIVED THE, THE REWARD, THE AWARD, THE BEAUFORT TOWER REPAIRS THAT YOU SEE ON THE TOP TWO PICTURES HERE, UM, THAT THIS IS LISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.
AND, AND THERE WAS DAMAGE AND, AND THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED IN 2023.
AND YOU CAN SEE A PRETTY BIG, UH, CHANGE THERE.
AND THEN THE HENRY G MADISON CABIN RECEIVED AN AWARD FOR RESTORATION.
AGAIN, THIS IS A TEXAS LANDMARK IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN LANDMARK.
UH, AND THIS CELEBRATES AUSTIN'S FIRST A AFRICAN AMERICAN COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, MOVING ON RECREATION SERVICES, A LOT, A LOT, A LOT OF STUFF HAPPENING IN RECREATION SERVICES.
AS WE RAMP DOWN FROM FROM SUMMER, THE, THE FUND NEVER STOPS, THE PARKS AND RECREATION, WE START RIGHT BACK UP.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE PARTICIPATE IN FOR, FOR ADULTS IS THE CITY OLYMPICS.
UH, WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE VARIOUS CONTRACTS WE HAVE WITH FIELDS.
WE HAVE LOTS OF OTHER CONTRACTS, WHETHER THE CONCESSIONS, BUT ALSO, UH, CONTRACTING INSTRUCTORS.
SO WE'VE BEEN ENTERING INTO, UM, OVER 70 CONTRACTS TO THAT ARE GONNA BE RENEWED.
UH, AND THESE ARE PARTNERS THAT HELP US CONTINUE TO PROVIDE, UH, RECREATION SERVICES ACROSS THE CITY.
UH, OSA CELEBRATED FS ON SEPTEMBER 13TH.
UM, THE HANCOCK REC CENTER, UM, CELEBRATED THEIR, THEIR, UM, UH, FOR SUMMER FOREVER, HANCOCK ON OCTOBER THE EIGHTH.
200 PEOPLE CAME OUT TO CELEBRATE WITH THEM.
UM, I'M GONNA KEEP SCROLLING HERE, NOT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IMPORTANT.
AND THEN OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, UH, OUR NATURAL PROGRAMS AND, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MOVING FROM SUMMER PROGRAMMING TO, TO THEIR ONGOING PROGRAMMING.
AND YOU CAN SEE A LIST OF ALL THE EXCITING THINGS THAT CAMACHO ACTIVITY CENTER HOSTS, UH, AND ALL THE EXCITING THINGS THAT AUSTIN NATURE AND SCIENCE CENTER HOSTS AND REALLY HELPS KIDDOS EXPLORE THE CITY AND EXPLORE THE NATURE OF THE CITY.
REALLY FANTASTIC PROGRAMS. ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO COME OUT AND, AND OBSERVE AND, AND IF YOU HAVE KIDDOS IN YOUR LIFE, BRING THEM OUT TO THOSE.
UM, AND THAT'S IT FOR TONIGHT.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE, UM, POOL AT MENTALIS.
UM, IS THAT STILL ON SCHEDULE FOR I THINK IT'S SOMETIME IT'S STILL IN CONSTRUCTION.
AND IF I WERE TO GUESS AND SAY NO, I MIGHT BE RIGHT, BUT I'M GONNA SEE IF, UM, IT'S ON SCHEDULE.
I JUST HAD SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS ASK SURE.
THEY'RE THINKING ALREADY AHEAD TO THE SUMMER YEAH.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL.
AND I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING FACETIOUS.
I'M EXCITED THAT IT'S STILL ON SCHEDULE.
ANYBODY, UH, I HAVE ONE QUESTION ABOUT, UH, NORTHWEST PARK YEP.
UM, ANY IDEAS ABOUT WHAT THE NEXT STEPS WILL BE? UM, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AS, AS YOU HEARD FROM THE TESTIMONY, YOU SAW THE PICTURES AND, AND IF YOU'VE READ SOME OF THE HISTORY, IT'S A CHALLENGING, UH, SITUATION THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.
UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AT WATERSHED PROTECTION AND, AND WATER TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO AND, AND JUST SORT OF BY WAY OF BACKGROUND TO, TO THE REST OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, UH, THIS IS A POND THAT IS IN NORTHWEST PARK AND HISTORICALLY IT WAS BEING MAINTAINED IN TERMS OF THE WATER LEVEL, UH, BY, BY THE BACKWASH FROM THE SWIMMING POOL THAT WOULD BE TREATED.
AND THEN PUT IN THERE AS WELL AS, UH, AT THE TIME THERE'S CONSIDERATION THAT THERE'S SOME WATER, UH, FROM THE POOL THAT WAS IN THE, IN THE PUMP ROOM THAT WOULD GET PUMPED IN THERE.
UM, BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO REPAIR AND REPLACE A LOT OF OUR FACILITIES, THAT SWIMMING POOL'S BEEN REPAIRED.
AND SO THE BACKWASH ISSUE HAS BEEN REDUCED.
SO THERE'S VERY LITTLE BACKWASH.
UH, AND IT TURNS OUT THAT, THAT, UM, THE WATER FROM THE PUMP ROOM WAS ACTUALLY A LEAKY PIPE UNDERGROUND THAT WAS THEN REPAIRED.
SO NOW THERE'S VERY LITTLE WATER GOING INTO THAT POND.
UH, AND THAT POND SORT OF HAS A VERY SMALL WATERSHED, SO THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SORT OF NATURAL DRAINAGE TO, TO KEEP IT GOING.
SO WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO, UM, BY, BY CODE.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, WE CAN'T JUST FILL IT WITH PORTABLE WATER, RIGHT? WE THOUGHT ABOUT DO WE JUST BRING A BUNCH OF TRUCKS AND BRING 'EM IN?
[03:00:01]
AND WE DID THE MATH AND THERE WAS, THERE WAS MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY TRUCK FULLS OF WATER THAT WE HAD TO BRING IN, WHICH, WHICH OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T DO.UH, SO WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A SOLUTION AND WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS, UH, OUR TEAMS IN FORESTRY, ET CETERA, ARE, ARE, UM, GOING TO THE SIDE AND WATERING THOSE TREES AND MAKING SURE, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN KEEP THEM, UM, FROM, FROM PERISHING.
BUT IT'S A PRETTY CHALLENGING SITUATION THAT, UH, WE CREATED BY FIXING ANOTHER PROBLEM.
WELL, UH, MY ONLY, UH, COMMENT ON THAT IS, I, I FOLLOWING UP ON MY QUESTION IS, UM, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORY OF THE PARK, UH, WHICH IS POST 1981 FLOOD, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THAT GIANT BATHTUB THERE, BUT THERE'S A 72 INCH STORM WATER PIPE THAT RUNS ALONG THE LEDGE ON THE EAST SIDE THAT DRAINS ABOUT 106 ACRES, WHICH INCLUDES BURNETT ROAD THAT WE STRAIGHT PIPE INTO SHOAL CREEK.
SO THERE ARE SOME CHOICES, AND I WOULD HOPE I'M ASKING, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT YOU ALL CAN LOOK WITH WATERSHED AND OTHERS OVER SOME REALLY CREATIVE SOLUTIONS? SURE.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR CREATIVE SOLUTIONS AND, AND THERE'S A, OBVIOUSLY CHALLENGES, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS FUNDING.
SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY FUNDING FOR THIS.
AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S COMMENTARY ABOUT THE VISION PLAN.
AND THE VISION PLAN CLEARLY TALKED ABOUT THESE STUDIES AND TALKED ABOUT THE, THE, THE POND BEING A PART OF THAT VISION PLAN.
BUT VISION PLANS ARE, ARE ONLY IMPLEMENTED WHEN THERE'S FUNDING ALLOCATED TO THAT.
UH, BUT, BUT MORE SPECIFIC TO, TO YOUR QUESTION, ABSOLUTELY WE'RE WORKING WITH, UH, OUR PARTNERS IN THE CITY TO TRY TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING CREATIVE AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
FEW FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND I KNOW WE'VE GOT SOME THINGS COMING UP, SO IF YOU'VE SHARED THEM WITH ME BEFORE, UM, WE'VE GOT SOME ON THE DOCKET FOR OCTOBER, BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S READY TO PRESENT OR IF YOU'VE GOT QUESTIONS ABOUT THINGS YOU CAN ASK NOW, YOU CAN ALWAYS SEND AN EMAIL.UM, QUESTIONS FOR MR. MASSEY ACTUALLY.
UM, SO THE SHADE STRUCTURE AT BARTHOLOMEW, HAVE Y'ALL DECIDED TO WAIT UNTIL THE PRIMARY POOL SEASON IS TOTALLY OVER TO REPLACE THAT OR IS IT DELAYED? I KNOW WHEN IT FIRST CAME DOWN Y'ALL HAD THOUGHT, OH, MAYBE IT WAS GONNA BE HERE IN AUGUST, BUT JUST CURIOUS, UH, THAT'S A, THAT'S A CUSTOM SHADE STRUCTURE, SO JUST THE MANUFACTURING TIME HAS TAKEN A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN WE THOUGHT.
SO WE, OUR PLAN IS TO LITERALLY GET IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO YOU GUYS ARE PLANNING TO INSTALL IT WHEN YOU GET IT, BUT IT'S JUST BEEN DELAYED? CORRECT.
SOMEBODY ASKED ME ABOUT IT LAST WEEK AND I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.
IT'S BEEN, I MEAN I THINK IT'S GREAT.
LIKE Y'ALL DID A GREAT JOB KEEPING THE POOL OPEN WITHOUT THE SHADE STRUCTURE, BUT JUST THOUGHT I'D GET AN ANSWER.
I HAVE, I HAVE A PICTURE AGAIN, ITEM OR MEMO, WHICHEVER SOMETHING AN EMAIL
UM, I GOT AN EMAIL IN REGARDS TO DIPMAR REC CENTER.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ALREADY BEEN, UH, UH, ADDRESSED WITH ONE OF Y'ALL WHERE THERE WAS ISSUES WITH MAINTENANCE.
UM, IT SAYS THAT, UM, WHEN THEY SHOWED UP TO PLAY SOCCER ON SEPTEMBER THE 22ND THERE, UM, LIKE PEDRO THERE, THE FIELD HAD NOT BEEN CUT FOR OVER A WEEK.
UM, AND SOME, AND UH, SOME PEOPLE HAD ATTEMPTED TO GET THAT FIELD CUT, UH, FOR OVER A WEEK.
UM, AND IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT SOCCER PRACTICE OR THAT SOCCER DAY DID NOT GET CANCELED, UH, PEOPLE LIKE PEOPLE, PARTICIPANTS LITERALLY WERE USING LIKE A SPIN, LIKE A HAND PUSH MOWER TO CUT AS MUCH AS THEY COULD.
SO I GUESS THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP AND WE'LL CONFIRM WITH THE TEAM, BUT, BUT I THINK PART OF THE CHALLENGE THERE IS, IS COMMUNICATION THAT WAS A FIELD THAT WAS JUST, HAD BEEN REPLANTED AND IT WAS, IT WAS STILL IN SORT OF THE GROWTH PHASE AND THAT'S WHY THEY DIDN'T CUT IT.
UM, SO I THINK WE NEEDED A BETTER JOB OF JUST COORDINATING.
SO YEAH, YOU ARE AWARE OF THIS THEN? YEAH.
AND IT'S ALREADY BEEN ADDRESSED.
AND IS IT ALL GONNA BE ON A REGULAR CUTTING SCHEDULE THEN? OKAY.
UM, SORRY TO DRAG THIS OUT, BUT I HAVE ONE LAST THING.
UM, I HEARD FROM ONE OF THE, UH, CITY RESIDENTS WHO WAS ASKING ABOUT, UM, RIPPNER TENNIS, THE SOUTH AUSTIN TENNIS CENTER.
THEY, UM, RAISED THEIR RATES BY A DOLLAR AND SAID IT WAS IN RESPONSE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN INCREASING ITS COURT FEES BY A DOLLAR.
I DID A BUNCH OF DIGGING AND THEY, THEY WERE HONESTLY, THEY WERE WONDERING IF THAT WAS TRUE.
UM, AND I WAS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW.
SO I READ THROUGH THE CONTRACT AND I COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING IN THE CONTRACT ABOUT COURT FEES BEING SET BY THE CITY.
SO I WOULD JUST LOVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT PROCESS BETTER.
AND IF IN FACT THE CITY DID RAISE COURT FEES BY A DOLLAR,
[03:05:01]
UM, YEAH, I'M NOT, BYE.I, I'M GONNA SQUEEZE IN ONE LAST ONE IS THANK YOU TO LIANA AND OTHERS.
UM, IF YOU REMEMBER I SHOWED A VIDEO OF THE FLOODING IN CHO CREEK IN THE DETENTION POND THAT WAS ALL GROWN UP, GROWN UP AND WATERSHED SHOWED UP TWO DAYS LATER AND MOWED THE DETENTION POND AND THEN PART GOT OUT AND MOWED THE REST OF THE AREA AROUND THAT AREA OF PEACE PARK, WHICH IS NOW REVEALED WHERE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS ARE.
SO WE HAVE A MEETING THERE ON OCTOBER 7TH WITH SOME OF THE PARTS STAFF AND PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY, ET CETERA.
AND UH, SO THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH FOR TAKING CARE OF THAT
ANY OTHER COMPLIMENTS PEOPLE WILL NEED TO GET THAT
ALRIGHT, WELL WITH THAT IT IS NOW, WHERE'S MY TIME? 9:18 PM AND IF WITHOUT ANY OBJECTION, I'LL ADJOURN THIS MEETING OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD.