* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [CALL TO ORDER] [00:00:05] CALL THE SPECIAL CALL MEETING OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD FOR FEBRUARY 2ND TO ORDER. UH, IT IS SOMETIME AFTER SIX, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE TIME HANDY, SO I'M SURE SOMEONE WILL NOTE THAT. I'LL START WITH ATTENDANCE AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMUNICATION. SO CHAIR BISON'S NOT PRESENT. UH, VICE CHAIR FLOWERS. I'M PRESENT. UH, BOARD MEMBER OR BOARD MEMBER? VA LOBOS. BOARD MEMBER. MERIT BOARD MEMBER. ABBU AMARA. WE CAN SEE YOU BOARD MEMBER ABARA, BUT I DID NOT HEAR YOU THERE. TIM. IS THAT AN ISSUE ON OUR SIDE OR HIS? JUST A MOMENT. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES. PERFECT. OKAY, SO BOARD MEMBER ABU AMARA. YES. PRESENT. ALRIGHT. BOARD MEMBER KERNS. OSTERWEIL. PRESENT BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR. BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN. PRESENT BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS. PRESENT. BOARD MEMBER BECKER PRESENT. GREAT. [PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL] WE'LL NOW GO INTO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION. IF WE COULD HAVE OUR FIRST SPEAKER. TIM, THANK YOU CHAIR. AND, UH, JUST TO NOTE BEFORE WE BEGIN PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, WE DID HAVE MORE THAN 10 PEOPLE SIGN UP FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, USING THE ONLINE FORM. SO I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE HERE THAT FILLED OUT HARD COPY FORMS, BUT WE ARE LIMITING GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT TO 10 SPEAKERS TONIGHT, AS IS THE NORMAL PROCESS FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD. OUR FIRST SPEAKER WILL BE ALLIE THARP, FOLLOWED BY NATALIE EVANS AND THEN KIT O'CONNELL AS SPEAKERS COULD STEP UP TO THE PODIUM AND WE'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME WE BEGIN SPEAKING. AND THEN YOU WHAT? OH, HELLO. CAN YOU HEAR ME? TESTING. TESTING. OKAY, CAN I HEAR YOU? MY NAME IS ALI THARP AND I HAVE DONATED 3000, OVER 3000 VOLUNTEER HOURS WITH FESTIVAL BEACH, FOOD FOREST OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS. IF ANYONE HERE IS ALSO WITH THE FOOD FOREST, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. WE ARE HERE BECAUSE WE'RE FACING IMMEDIATE EGREGIOUS HARM. I'VE PREPARED 54 PAGES OF DOCUMENTATION FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. PAGES ONE TO TWO SHOW THE EMAIL WE RECEIVED ON JANUARY 6TH FROM TXTS COMMUNITY LIAISON, THE FIRST EVER NOTICE TO THE FOOD FOREST AND OUR 5 0 1 C3 SPONSOR FRUITFUL COMMONS ABOUT THE WASTEWATER PIPELINE EASEMENT. PAGES THREE TO FIVE ARE THE PRESS RELEASE WE PUBLISHED LAST WEEK ABOUT THIS ISSUE. PAGES SIX TO EIGHT OUTLINE APPROXIMATELY $550,000 IN ESTIMATED INVESTMENTS TO DATE. THAT WILL BE HARMED ABOUT 120,000 IN ESTIMATED IMMEDIATE COSTS TO MITIGATE HARM AND A LIST OF 90 TREES AND SHRUBS IN THE PATH OF DESTRUCTION THAT WERE PLANTED BY OUR TEAM WITH CITY URBAN FOREST GRANT FUNDING. WE SENT THIS TO A PR STAFF ON JANUARY 23RD. PAGES NINE TO 10 ARE SECTIONS OF CHAPTER 26 OF THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE CODE, WITH TWO SEGMENTS HIGHLIGHTED WHERE I BELIEVE TXDOT AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAVE FAILED TO MEET THE LETTER OF THE LAW BY NOT DOING ALL REASONABLE PLANNING TO MINIMIZE HARM TO THE LAND AS A PARK RECREATION AREA, RESULTING FROM THE USE OR TAKING AND THE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CLAUSE. THE PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM OF A PR AND FRUITFUL COMMON SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN WRITTEN 30 DAYS NOTICE OF THE PUBLIC HEARINGS RELATED TO THIS PROJECT. PAGES 11 TO 13 ARE CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NUMBER 20 21 0 7, 29 DASH 15, WHERE THE CITY APPROVED A COLLABORATION WITH FRUITFUL COMMONS TO EXPAND THE FOREST TO THREE ACRES ENCOMPASSING THE AREA THAT THE WASTEWATER PIPELINE EASEMENT IS IN. PAGES 14 AND 15 ARE MEMOS FROM THE A PR DIRECTOR IN 2021 AND 2022 GIVING UPDATES TO THE MARION CITY COUNCIL ABOUT THE DESIGN PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PHASE TWO EXPANSION OF THE FOOD FOREST. NOTE, THE HIGHLIGHTED TEXT ON PAGE 15 THAT SAYS, QUOTE THE FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD FOREST HAS RECEIVED INITIAL APPROVAL FROM THE DEPARTMENT TO BEGIN IMPLEMENTING ITS PHASE TWO EXPANSION DATED NOVEMBER 29TH, 2022. PAGES 16 THROUGH 54 IS A COPY OF OUR FINAL SIGNED PARKLAND DONATION IMPROVEMENT MAINTENANCE AND PROGRAMMING AGREEMENT BETWEEN FRUITFUL COMMONS AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN. IT TOOK OUR TEAM THREE AND A HALF YEARS AND 11 ITERATIONS TO [00:05:01] FINALIZE THIS STEWARDSHIP AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY. PLEASE NOTE THE HIGHLIGHTED CLAUSE ON PAGE EIGHT OF THE AGREEMENT, PAGE 23 OF THIS PACKET, SECTION EIGHT CITY'S RESPONSIBILITIES, CLAUSE D, WHICH OUTLINES AN EXPECTATION THAT THE CITY GIVES AT LEAST 60 DAYS WRITTEN NOTICE TO THE NONPROFIT BEFORE COMMENCING ANY NON-EMERGENCY REPAIR MODIFICATION OR CONSTRUCTION. THIS CLAUSE HAS NOT BEEN UPHELD. WE ARE STILL WAITING TO GET OUR 60 DAYS WRITTEN NOTICE ABOUT THIS WA WASTEWATER PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION. IT IS ALSO OUR UNDERSTANDING FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS WITH A PR STAFF THAT THE MOU BETWEEN AUSTIN WATER AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS STILL NOT BEEN FINALIZED. GIVEN ALL OF THIS, WE ARE CALLING FOR AN IMMEDIATE PAUSE TO THE IMPENDING DESTRUCTION OF THE FOOD FOREST PHASE TWO BARRIER BERM THAT IS IN THE SAME EXACT LOCATION AS THE INTENDED WASTEWATER PIPELINE EASEMENT. WE ARE CALLING FOR ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL COMPENSATION FOR HARM MITIGATION ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT WAS IN THE DRAFT MOUS TO DATE TO ACCOUNT FOR ALL OF THESE PREVIOUSLY UNEXAMINED DAMAGES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT, OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE NATALIE EVANS, FOLLOWED BY KIT O'CONNELL AND THEN LILLIAN OD. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME TO BEGIN SPEAKING. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS NATALIE EVANS. I'M AN AUSTIN RESIDENT AND I'M A VOLUNTEER ON THE CORE TEAM OF THE FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD FOREST. I'VE GIVEN HUNDREDS OF HOURS OF MY PERSONAL TIME OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS TO THIS PROJECT BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN IT. I BELIEVE IN FREE PUBLIC ACCESS TO GREEN SPACES WHERE ALL PEOPLE ARE INVITED TO CONNECT WITH PLANTS, ANIMALS, AND WITH EACH OTHER WHERE WE CAN STEWARD LAND AND COMMUNITY AND HARVEST FRESH FOOD AND MEDICINE, NO QUESTIONS ASKED. AS THE CITY CONTINUES TO GROW IN, SO MUCH OF OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT HAS BEEN LOST TO DEVELOPMENT. SPACES LIKE THIS ARE ESSENTIAL TO OUR HEALTH AND COMMUNITY WELLBEING. THE FOOD FOREST MUST BE PRIORITIZED, PRESERVED, AND SUPPORTED IN COORDINATION WITH THE CITY. THE FOOD FOREST HAS BEEN PLANNING ITS EXPANSION, ALSO KNOWN AS PHASE TWO SINCE 2021. SINCE OCTOBER 20, 24, HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS HAVE CONTRIBUTED THOUSANDS OF HOURS TO CREATING OUR BARRIER BERM IN PHASE TWO. THIS BERM WAS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO FILTER INCREASED POLLUTION FROM CONSTRUCTION AND TRAVEL ON I 35, WHICH THE FOOD FOREST IS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO DUE TO CONSTRUCTION OF A WASTEWATER PIPELINE, WHOSE PLANNING PROCESS WE WERE COMPLETELY LEFT OUT OF. WE ARE NOW LOSING THIS PART OF THE FOOD FOREST RIGHT WHEN WE NEED IT THE MOST. HAD WE BEEN INCLUDED IN THESE CONVERSATIONS FROM THE BEGINNING, WE COULD HAVE INVESTED OUR LIMITED RESOURCES IN ANOTHER AREA OF THE FOOD FOREST. NOT ONLY ARE WE LOSING MONEY, LABOR TIME, PLANTS, AND SOIL AT A VALUE OF A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, WE ARE LOSING THE MOMENTUM AND ENERGY THAT WE HAVE WORKED SO HARD AS A VOLUNTEER TEAM TO GROW INTO PHASE TWO. PLANNING AROUND THIS PIPELINE HAS NOW CONSUMED ALL OF OUR TEAM'S RESOURCES AND WE ANTICIPATE ITS EFFECTS FOR YEARS TO COME. YOU'VE HEARD OUR REQUEST TO BE INCLUDED IN THE COORDINATION PROCESS, A FORMAL REVIEW OF COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWNS, FINANCIAL COMPENSATION AND MITIGATION TO PRESERVE AS MANY PLANS AS POSSIBLE. I URGE THIS BOARD TO PUSH FOR A PAUSE TO CONSTRUCTION TO ADDRESS THESE REQUESTS. WE DO NOT CONSENT TO THIS EXTREMELY TIGHT TIMELINE WE'VE BEEN GIVEN. WE COME BEFORE YOU AS A COMMUNITY, NOT JUST A FEW VOICES SPEAKING TODAY. AS OF THIS MORNING, WE HAVE OVER 1500 SIGNATURES ON OUR PETITION FOR A PAUSE WITH HUNDREDS OF PERSONAL COMMENTS ATTACHED TO THEM. I WANNA UPLIFT A FEW OF THOSE VOICES OF THE COMMUNITY AND READ A FEW OF THOSE COMMENTS. NOW. FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD FORCE REPRESENTS WHAT'S POSSIBLE IN A CITY AND ITS RESIDENTS COLLABORATE IN GOOD FAITH. I'M ASKING FOR A PAUSE SO THAT INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS CAN BE ADDRESSED WITHOUT ERASING YEARS OF PUBLIC INVESTMENT, ECOLOGICAL CARE AND COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP. THIS IS ABOUT SETTING A PRECEDENT FOR HOW WE TREAT SHARED LAND AND THE PEOPLE WHO STEWARD IT. ANOTHER COMMENT, I'M OUT IN THE FOOD FOREST FIVE DAYS A WEEK AS A TRAINEE WITH THE SENIOR COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT SERVICE PROGRAM THROUGH A A RP. IT IS A VERY SPECIAL PLACE THAT MEANS A LOT TO ME AND REMINDS ME OF MY PARENTS' GARDENS WHERE I GREW UP. I'M DEVASTATED BY THIS DESTRUCTION OF ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY'S HARD WORK OVER THE PAST YEAR. PLEASE PUT A PIPE, A PAUSE TO THIS PIPELINE INSTALLATION AND WORK WITH THE FOOD FORCE TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT, UNQUOTE. ANOTHER COMMENT QUOTE, THESE TREES AND SYSTEMS WEREN'T PLANTED CASUALLY. THEY WERE BUILT THROUGH YEARS OF COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY. PAUSING THIS PROJECT TO HONOR THOSE AGREEMENTS AND EXPLORE LESS DESTRUCTIVE ALTERNATIVES IS NOT UNREASONABLE. IT'S RESPONSIBLE UNQUOTE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE KIT O'CONNELL. KIT O'CONNELL. IS KIT O'CONNELL HERE NEXT? OH, THAT'S RIGHT. UH, JACKSON OR DANNY? DO WE HAVE, UH, KIT O'CONNELL? HELLO. DIALED IN. MR. O'CONNELL. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, I CAN HEAR YOU NOW. I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT. NOT AT ALL. UH UH YES, SO I THANK YOU. UH, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A COUPLE MINUTES OF YOUR TIME. UH, I'M NOT A CORE VOLUNTEER OF THE FOOD FOREST LIKE SOME OF THESE OTHER FOLKS ARE. UH, AND SO THEY HAVE THEIR DEMAND OR THEIR REQUESTS, UH, OF, OF Y'ALL WRITTEN, UH, VERY ELOQUENTLY. I'M JUST SOMEBODY WHO USES THE FOOD FOREST. UH, I'M A JOURNALIST IN MY DAY-TO-DAY LIFE, BUT I'M JUST HERE AS SOMEBODY WHO, [00:10:01] YOU KNOW, SEES OUT THE FOREST FOR STRESS RELIEF, UH, BECAUSE OF THE, THE HIGH PACE OF OF MY WORK. AND, UH, I'VE GOTTEN TO STICK MY HANDS IN THE DIRT THERE A COUPLE TIMES AND HELP THEM PLANT THINGS. BUT MOST OF THE TIME I'M JUST TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE CLASSES AND THE SPACE. UH, AND YOU KNOW, I WATCHED AS THE IH 35 EXPANSION HAS, YOU KNOW, UH, CREPT UP ON THE SPACE AND I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S OUT OF YOUR CONTROL. BUT I ALSO HAVE KEPT UP WITH, UH, THE VOLUNTEERS AT THE FOOD FOREST AS THEY WORKED, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CITY TO ENSURE THAT UH, THEY THOUGHT THAT THIS EXPANSION WASN'T GONNA HURT THIS BEAUTIFUL AND UNIQUE PARK THAT AUSTIN SO MANY PEOPLE IN AUSTIN LOVE SO MUCH. UM, AND THEN I, YOU KNOW, NOW I KNOW THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT THE CASE. THAT BECAUSE OF MISCOMMUNICATION OR SOME KIND OF OTHER ERROR IN THE CITY, THAT ACTUALLY THIS WASTEWATER PIPELINE THAT WE'RE TOTALLY UNPREPARED FOR IS COMING THROUGH. UH, YOU KNOW, A CRUCIAL PART OF THE EXPANSION OF THE FOOD FOREST. UM, SO I JUST, IT'S A REALLY BEAUTIFUL SPACE AND I REALLY HATE TO SEE THIS HAPPENING WITHOUT PREPARATION OR, OR THE ABILITY TO GET THE COMPENSATION THAT THEY'RE GONNA NEED TO PRESERVE THE LAND. SO I JUST HOPE THAT YOU'LL TAKE THEIR DEMAND SERIOUSLY TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE LILLIAN . IS LILLIAN HERE AFTER LILLIAN WILL BE EMILY DRYER AND THEN ALLISON EVANS HEARING. GREAT, THANK YOU. HI, MY NAME IS LILLIAN BE, I'M A CONSTITUENT FROM THE 7 8 7 5 1 ZIP CODE. JUST A FEW BLOCKS FROM HERE, BUT I USE THE FOOD FOREST ALL THE TIME 'CAUSE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PARKS WHERE I'M FROM, OR AT LEAST IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD I'M FROM, UH, MUCH LIKE THE ORGANIZERS, ORGANIZERS OF THE FOOD FOREST. I ONLY LEARNED ABOUT THIS WASTEWATER PIPELINE, UH, RECENTLY. IN FACT, THIS WEEKEND WHEN I WAS USING THE FOOD FOREST AS PART OF THEIR CLASS, THEIR YOGA CLASS. I ONLY HAVE A SHORT STATEMENT PREPARED. I JUST WANNA EXPRESS THAT TXDOT HAS NOT EXPRESSED APPRECIATION AND CARE FOR CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS THE WAY THAT THESE VOLUNTEERS HAVE THROUGH THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF WORK. AND I'VE SEEN THAT WORK THROUGH THE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN COMING TO AUSTIN FROM WHEN I LIVED IN SAN ANTONIO. FROM HERE NOW YEARS LATER, I'VE SEEN TREES GROW, I'VE SEEN SAPLINGS PRODUCE AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL. UM, THESE VOLUNTEERS DESERVE TO HAVE THEIR TIME AND THEIR EFFORT AND THEIR LABOR APPRECIATED THROUGH THE TIME THAT THEY NEED TO MITIGATE THE DAMAGE THAT TXDOT IS GOING TO DO TO THEIR SPACE AND THE TIME THAT THEY NEED TO MOVE THOSE SAPLINGS THAT THEY'VE GROWN THROUGH YEARS OF EFFORT. AND I JUST HOPE THAT YOU APPRECIATE THEM THE WAY THAT I DO. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE EMILY DRYER, FOLLOWED BY ALLISON EVANS AND THEN SHANNON BOXELL. HELLO, MY NAME IS EMILY DRYER. I'M A LIFELONG AUSTINITE AND A VOLUNTEER ON THE CORE TEAM OF THE FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD FOREST. I AM HERE TODAY TO SHARE MY DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THE TEMPORARY WASTEWATER PIPELINE THAT IS PLANNED TO BE RUN THROUGH THE BARRIER BERM IN PHASE TWO AS SOON AS THIS MONTH AND ASK THAT CONSTRUCTION EFFORTS BE PAUSED IMMEDIATELY TO EXAMINE THE IMPACT AND REDUCE DAMAGE. THE FOOD FOREST IS A VERY SPECIAL PLACE. IT REPRESENTS EVERYTHING I LOVE ABOUT THIS CITY. IT IS MORE THAN JUST A BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE. IT SIGNIFIES COLLABORATION, CULTURE AND CARE. IT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED BY THE COMMUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY, RELYING ON A LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY AND STEWARDED BY THOSE WHO SUPPORT ITS MISSION. IT PROVIDES AN OASIS IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR GROWING CITY, A PLACE TO LEARN, FORAGE AND COMMUNE WITH THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND WITH EACH OTHER. I AM CERTAINLY NOT THE ONLY ONE TO UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF THIS COMMUNITY ASSET. THE AREA SLATED FOR TRENCHING IS PART OF OUR CITY APPROVED PHASE TWO EXPANSION FUNDED THROUGH THE CITY OF AUSTIN URBAN FOREST GRANTS IN 2024. AND IN 2025, OVER 100 VOLUNTEERS PLANTED MORE THAN 90 TREES AND SHRUBS IN THIS AREA OVER THE PAST YEAR, GIVEN THE RESOURCES THAT WENT TO PLANNING OUR EXPANSION, IT'S NOT HARD TO IMAGINE OUR COLLECTIVE FRUSTRATION WHEN WE WERE NOTIFIED WITH JUST A FEW WEEKS NOTICE THAT THESE EFFORTS BOTH AT THE ORGANIZATIONAL AND CITY LEVEL, ARE SOON TO BE UNDONE BEYOND THE INITIAL SHOCK. THIS NEWS HAS SEIZED ALMOST ALL OF OUR TEAM'S FINITE CAPACITY. INSTEAD OF PLANNING OUR SPRING PLANTING OR DEVELOPING NEW COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING, WE HAVE HAD TO SHIFT OUR ENTIRE FOCUS TO DAMAGE CONTROL. [00:15:01] IF THIS MOVES FORWARD AS PLANNED, I FORESEE THIS WILL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT OUR OPERATIONS FOR MONTHS, IF NOT YEARS TO COME. WE BELIEVE THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT ONE FOOD FOREST, IT IS ABOUT WHETHER COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND VOLUNTEERS CAN RELY ON THE CITY AGREEMENTS, PUBLIC PROCESSES, AND GOOD FAITH COLLABORATION, OR WHETHER THOSE COMMITMENTS CAN BE BYPASSED DURING LARGE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. I URGE YOU TO CONSIDER THE IMPACT THAT THIS TRENCHING WILL HAVE ON THE LAND THAT WE STEWARD AND HOPE THAT YOU HEAR OUR CALL FOR AN IMMEDIATE PAUSE AND ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION. WE DO NOT CONSENT TO THIS TIMELINE. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE ALLISON EVANS, FOLLOWED BY SHANNON BOXELL AND THEN ANDROMEDA SMITH. ALLISON EVANS. HELLO, UM, MY NAME IS ALLISON. I HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE FOOD FOREST FOR NEARLY FOUR YEARS. UM, I WAS CONNECTED TO THE FOOD FOREST DURING A VERY DARK TIME IN MY LIFE. I WAS LIVING IN DALLAS AND I DESPERATELY NEEDED A NEW START. THE FOOD FOREST PROVIDED ME WITH TEMPORARY HOUSING AND A FOOD STIPEND IN EXCHANGE FOR WORKING AT THE FOREST THROUGH A PROGRAM CALLED WOLF, WHICH STANDS FOR WORLDWIDE OPPORTUNITIES ON ORGANIC FARMS AND IS STILL A PROGRAM THE FOOD FOREST SUPPORTS TODAY. NOT ONLY WAS I GIVEN TIME TO FIND HOUSING IN A JOB IN AUSTIN, BUT I WAS WELCOMED WITH OPEN ARMS INTO THE FOOD FOREST COMMUNITY. WORKING IN THE SOIL PLANTING TREES AND GROWING FOOD ALONGSIDE NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS HAS BEEN HEALING AND THERAPEUTIC. AFTER MY TIME, WOOING HAD COME TO AN END, I STAYED INVOLVED WITH THE FOOD FOREST VOLUNTEERING ON SITE WEEKLY AS PHASE TWO HAD JUST BEGUN. THE EXCITEMENT SURROUNDING OUR EXPANSION WAS FELT AMONG ALL THE VOLUNTEERS AS WE COLLECTIVELY IMAGINED AND MADE DECISIONS ON HOW TO DEVELOP OUR NEW SPACE. THE BARRIER BERM THAT WILL BE DESTROYED BY THE WASTEWATER LINE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PROJECTS WE STARTED ON AS WE FELT IT WAS CRUCIAL TO SHIELD OUR FOREST FROM THE LOOMING HIGHWAY EXPANSION. SO MUCH TIME AND LOVE WAS GIVEN TO THAT SPACE. FROM THE SOIL TO THE PLANTS AND EVEN THE SUPPORTING IRRIGATION SYSTEM. THE TIMELINE WE'VE BEEN GIVEN TO SALVAGE IT IS INSUFFICIENT AND FRANKLY JUST DISRESPECTFUL. MOVING FROM A CITY LIKE DALLAS TO A PLACE LIKE AUSTIN WAS COMPLETELY LIFE CHANGING. I NEVER KNEW HOW MUCH THE LACK OF GREEN SPACES I GREW UP THINKING WAS NORMAL AFFECTED ME. AUSTIN IS A WONDERFUL PLACE TO LIVE BECAUSE THE CITY HAS PRESERVED GREEN SPACES, UNLIKE THE OTHER LARGER CITIES IN TEXAS, THE FESTIVAL BEACH, FOOD FOREST AND EMBODIES WHAT AUSTIN IS TO ME. A PLACE THAT CARES ABOUT COMMUNITY, EMBRACES DIVERSITY AND PEOPLE FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS AND RESPECTS NATURE. AS THE HIGHWAY EXPANSION CONTINUES, I URGE THE BOARD TO NOT DISMISS THE COMMUNITIES IN GREEN SPACES, THE MAKE AUSTIN THE BEAUTIFUL AND UNIQUE CITY THAT IT IS. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SHANNON BOXELL, FOLLOWED BY ANDROMEDA SMITH AND THEN ANGIE HOLIDAY. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS SHANNON BOXELL. I'VE BEEN AN AUSTIN RESIDENT SINCE 2011. I'M CURRENTLY A GRADUATE STUDENT AND A FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD FOREST VOLUNTEER. I WANNA EXPRESS MY CONCERN FOR THIS PUBLIC EDIBLE FOREST GARDEN WHERE VISITORS CAN OPENLY FORAGE TO ENJOY FRESH FOOD AND MEDICINAL PLANTS. FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD. FOREST NOW FACES UNEXPECTED AND SIGNIFICANT DISRUPTION DUE TO AN AUSTIN WASTEWATER PIPELINE RELOCATION. MY FIRST TIME VOLUNTEERING AT FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD FOREST WAS IN 2016. SINCE THEN, THIS PUBLIC SPACE HAS BEEN COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED THROUGH THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION OF COUNTLESS COMMUNITY MEMBERS. JUST THIS PAST AUTUMN, I WORKED ALONGSIDE OTHER VOLUNTEERS ON PARTS OF THIS PUBLIC GARDEN THAT WILL NOW BE EXCAVATED. THERE HAS BEEN A COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN IN THE PLANNING FOR THIS IMPENDING CONSTRUCTION THAT HAS LEFT IMPORTANT STAKEHOLDERS UN UNAWARE OF THE PLANS TO LAY A WASTEWATER PIPELINE THROUGH THE NEWLY EXPANDED PORTIONS OF THIS PUBLIC GARDEN UNTIL JUST LAST MONTH, THERE SHOULD BE AN IMMEDIATE PAUSE TO INSTALLING THIS WASTEWATER PIPELINE IN THE FOOD FOREST TO ALLOW FOR THE FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD FOREST TEAM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND TXDOT STAKEHOLDERS TO ALIGN UTILITY NEEDS WITH THE EXISTING CITY APPROVED FOOD FOREST PLANS, ENSURING THAT LEGALLY BINDING PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS ARE HONORED. A DELAY IN THIS CONSTRUCTION CAN OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY TO MITIGATE THE DAMAGE AND FINANCIAL LOSS THAT WILL BE INCURRED FROM THIS PROJECT. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION COLLABORATE WITH THE STEWARDS OF FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD FOREST TO NAVIGATE THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME [00:20:01] AND ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE ANDROMEDA SMITH. ANDROMEDA SMITH AFTER ANDROMEDA WILL BE ANGIE HOLIDAY. HELLO. I'M NOT PART OF THE CORE FOOD FOREST TEAM, BUT WHEN I MOVED HERE AS A UT STUDENT FAR AWAY FROM MY ROOTS IN FLORIDA, THE FOOD FOREST IS ONE OF THE PLACES THAT HAS HELPED ME FIND MY, UH, NEW HOME HERE AND SOMETHING THAT I FELT PROUD OF HELPING TO BUILD. SO I'M HERE TO URGE THE CITY TO WORK WITH THE FOOD FOREST LEADERSHIP AS THEY HAVE PROVEN TIME AND AGAIN THAT THEY HAVE THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE TO HELP MITIGATE THE PROBLEM. THE FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD FOREST IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES TO GO IN THE CITY. A PLACE DEDICATED TO NATURE AND CULINARY EXCHANGE AND ONE OF THE BEST COMMUNITY PROJECTS IN AUSTIN. EVEN THOUGH I LIVE THREE AND A HALF MILES AWAY AND I DON'T OWN A CAR, I MAKE THE TREK TO LEARN ABOUT NEW PLANTS, ENJOY SUNDAY YOGA SESSIONS OR JUST FIND A NEW FRESH, UH, SOME NEW FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. IT'S WONDERFUL. IT'S A WONDERFUL LEARNING SPACE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND ADD SO MUCH RICHNESS TO OUR CITY. I'VE MET SO MANY WONDERFUL AUSTINITES UNDER THE SHADE OF THE FOOD FOREST AND I'M APPALLED TO HEAR THAT THE I 35 EXPANSION WILL THREATEN THIS BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY. WE WERE SO EXCITED TO EXPAND LAST YEAR AND THIS DEVELOPMENT IS CONCERNING. WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT AUSTIN IF WE PRIORITIZE CARS OVER HEALTH, COMMUNITY AND FOOD, FIND SOMEWHERE ELSE TO PUT THE PIPE. DON'T USE THE FOOD FOREST. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE ANGIE HOLLIDAY, FOLLOWED BY JOY KOVSKI. GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS. MY NAME IS ANGIE HOLIDAY. I'M THE PROGRAM MANAGER AT FRUITFUL COMMONS, A LOCAL NONPROFIT THAT FISCALLY SPONSORS THE FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD FOREST, UM, ALONG WITH FOUR OTHER COMMUNITY LED FOOD FORESTS, COMMUNITY GARDENS, ORCHARDS AND SEED SAVING INITIATIVES, ACROSST ACROSS AUSTIN. OUR MISSION IS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY LEADERS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO GROW FOOD, STRENGTHEN COMMUNITIES, AND FOSTER STEWARDSHIP OF THE NATURAL COMMONS. THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD FOREST EMBODIES AND EXCELS AT. FRUITFUL COMMONS DEEPLY VALUES OUR WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN. WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY AND PRODUCTIVELY FOR YEARS WITH AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, AUSTIN CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE, AND THE URBAN FOREST GRANT PROGRAM. THOSE PARTNERSHIPS HAVE RESULTED IN REAL MEASURABLE PUBLIC BENEFIT, INCLUDING THOUSANDS OF VOLUNTEER HOURS, 240,000 PLUS DOLLARS DISTRIBUTED IN PASSED THROUGH URBAN FOREST GRANT FUNDING TO COMMUNITY GROUPS WHO PLANT AND CARE FOR CRITICAL TREE CANOPY AND LONG-TERM STEWARDSHIP OF PARKLAND. WHAT BRINGS ME HERE TONIGHT IS A SERIOUS BREAKDOWN IN COORDINATION AROUND THE WASTEWATER PIPELINE RELOCATION PLANNED THROUGH FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD FOREST. I RESPECTFULLY ASK THIS BOARD TO SUPPORT A PAUSE IN CONSTRUCTION AND HELP GUIDE AN EQUITABLE PROCESS THAT HONORS BOTH OUR CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS AND OVER A DECADE OF PUBLIC INVESTMENT, VOLUNTEER LABOR AND STEWARDSHIP THAT HAVE BEEN LOVINGLY POURED INTO THIS LAND FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD FOREST IS A LIVING EXAMPLE OF WHAT'S POSSIBLE WHEN COMMUNITIES AND THE CITY COLLABORATE WITH CARE AND INTENTION, WITH THOUGHTFUL COORDINATION AND LEADERSHIP. THIS MOMENT CAN BECOME A POSITIVE MODEL RATHER THAN A CAUTIONARY TALE. I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME LISTENING TO ALL OF THESE BEAUTIFUL FOLKS HERE TONIGHT AND FOR YOUR SERVICE TO AUSTIN'S PARKS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE, OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE JOY KOVSKI. SORRY ABOUT THE CONFUSION THERE. UH, OUR NEXT PUBLIC COMMENTER IS GOING TO BE J SANTIAGO. WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCEPT THAT? SOUNDS GOOD. ABSOLUTELY. HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS SAM JET. UH, VOLUNTEERED SOME TIME OVER THE FOOD FOREST. MANY YEARS AGO, MY MOM WAS ACTUALLY ON THE BOARD OF FESTIVAL BEACH COMMUNITY GARDENS. NOW THEY HAD A LITTLE PRIVATE MEETING WITH TXDOT THEMSELVES AND UH, I KNOW THE [00:25:01] FESTIVAL BEACH COMMUNITY GARDENS RIGHT NEXT TO THE FOOD FOREST. THEY WERE ASSURED THAT THEY WEREN'T GOING TO BE IMPEDED ON. NOW I WONDER IF THE FOOD FOREST AT FESTIVAL BEACH HAD THAT SAME CONVERSATION WITH TEXDOT. NOW, EVERYTHING THAT THESE PEOPLE SAID TODAY IS CERTAINLY TRUE ON WHAT THAT FOOD FOREST GIVES THE PE FOR PEOPLE AND WHAT IT DOES FOR THE COMMUNITY. THAT IS BOTTOM LINE. IF ANY ONE OF Y'ALL HAVE EVER SPENT TIME IN THE FOOD FOREST, YOU WOULD KNOW THAT. BUT TODAY, WHAT THE REAL OPPORTUNITY IS HERE IS THIS I 35 TECH STOCK PROJECT. SO WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IS LITERALLY DOWN THE ROAD AS THEY KEEP BUILDING, WE'RE GONNA RUN INTO MORE INSTANCES LIKE THIS, MORE FREEDOMS GETTING ENCROACHED ON, AND MORE PEOPLE WHO WON'T HAVE A VOICE LIKE THESE PEOPLE DO, WHO WON'T HAVE THE, THE BACKING BEHIND THEM. AND THE OPPORTUNITY AS AUSTIN PARKS AND REC BOARD Y'ALL HAVE TODAY IS TO PUT A PAUSE TO THIS SO THAT OTHER PEOPLE MAY BE IN THE FUTURE. WHILE IT MAY NOT BE Y'ALL'S BOARD, IT MAY BE OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAY OVER IT, THEY WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO POSSIBLY GET THE SAME JUSTICE THAT THESE PEOPLE DESERVE. OKAY. AND SHORT AND SWEET, I KNOW WE'RE ALL READY TO GO HOME TONIGHT AND IT'S LATE, BUT SERIOUSLY, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TODAY AND TAKE IT INTO CONSIDERATION. OKAY. MY NAME IS SAM JET. THANK YOU FOR MY TIME. THANK YOU. THAT IS THE END OF GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE THOSE HERE THAT SIGNED UP THAT DID GET A CHANCE TO SPEAK. SO I DO WANNA SAY THAT THE EMAIL ADDRESSES FOR ALL THE PARKS BOARD MEMBERS IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT OUR MEMBER ROSTER. OR IF YOU'D LIKE, YOU CAN EMAIL ME DIRECTLY, TIM DOT DOM BECK AT AUSTIN TEXAS GOV AND I'D BE HAPPY TO FORWARD YOUR MESSAGES OR YOUR COMMENTS TO THE PARKS BOARD MEMBERS. MY EMAIL IS ALSO LISTED AT THE BEGINNING OF AND THE END OF TONIGHT'S AGENDA. THAT IS THE END OF GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. GREAT. THANK YOU TIM. UM, AND I JUST ALSO WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT AND I'M SORRY THAT NOT EVERYONE COULD SPEAK. UH, THE MESSAGE IS HEARD THOUGH, UH, AND I DO WANNA GIVE JUST A COUPLE PIECES OF FACTUAL INFORMATION AND KNOW THAT I'M COMMITTED TO FOLLOWING UP ON THIS 'CAUSE I HAVE QUESTIONS MYSELF. UH, THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD DID HEAR THIS WASTEWATER PROJECT IN NOVEMBER OF 2024. SOMEONE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WE PASSED A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE TAKING NOWHERE DID ANYONE THINK THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE EXCLUDED FROM THAT? THAT WAS 14 MONTHS AGO. SO IF I'M HEARING FROM CONSTITUENTS THAT THEY DID NOT HEAR THAT THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, THAT'S VERY CONCERNING TO ME BECAUSE IT WAS QUITE A LONG TIME AGO THAT WE APPROVED THAT WASTEWATER PIPELINE. SO I HAVE SOME FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS THAT I'LL HAVE TO ASK, UH, UH, THE DEPARTMENT, BUT, UM, FOR THE TIME BEING NO, THAT PROCEDURALLY WE CAN'T TAKE THIS UP THIS MEETING. SO, UM, JUST SO YOU ALL UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE HEARD IT AND I WILL BRING IT BACK FOR SOME CONVERSATION, UH, IF APPROPRIATE. BUT, UH, APPRECIATE YOU ALL COMING OUT TONIGHT. [APPROVAL OF MINUTES] OKAY, WITH THAT, WE ARE GONNA MOVE ON TO, UH, THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, UH, REGULAR MEETING OF NOVEMBER 24TH, 2025. SO IF, UH, MEMBERS COULD TAKE A LOOK AT THAT REAL QUICKLY. UH, AND THEN ONCE YOU'RE READY, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE. WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OR DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY EDITS? I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. GREAT, THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER, UH, KERN ZOSTER VILE. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. GREAT, THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. GREAT, THANK YOU. THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. ALRIGHT, WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER TWO, UM, WHICH IS RELATED TO THE PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION AND APPROVAL OF LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR THE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION CEMETERIES TEAM. SO I BELIEVE WE WOULD HAVE NO, I'M READING THE MINUTES. SORRY Y'ALL. I WAS LIKE, I WAS LOOKING AT THAT AND THINKING THAT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT, BUT I JUST KEPT READING. UM, THE [2. Presentation, discussion and approve the Austin Parks and Recreation 2025 Annual Concession Report. (Sponsors: Bazan, Flowers) (APR Long Range Strategies: Urban Public Spaces, Park Access for All). Presenter(s): Karen Charles, Contract Management Specialist and Denisha Cox, Contract Management Supervisor, Austin Parks and Recreation.] NEXT ITEM IS THE PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION AND APPROVAL OF THE ANNUAL CONCESSION REPORTS. SO, AND, UH, CHAIR, WE HAVE SOME PUBLIC COMMENTERS SIGNED UP PERFECT TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM. SO OUR FIRST, UH, SPEAKER WILL BE CODY ACKERMAN, FOLLOWED BY CAROL BAXTER AND THEN CLAIRE, DUDE, SKIER. UH, BEFORE THE COMMENTS START THOUGH, I DO WANT TO JUST MAKE A NOTE FOR THE, THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE PRESENT. UM, WE ARE AN 11 MEMBER BOARD, WHICH MAKES, UH, SIX, UH, A SIX MEMBER MAJORITY. SO NOW THAT WE'VE MOVED ON TO THE ACTION ITEM SECTION OF OUR AGENDA, I JUST DO WANNA REMIND THE BOARD THAT, UM, FOR THE [00:30:01] BOARD TO TAKE ANY ACTION TONIGHT, ANY MOTION WOULD HAVE TO PASS UNANIMOUSLY ANY BOARD MEMBER ABSTAINING, ANY BOARD MEMBER VOTING NAY WILL RESULT IN A FAILED MOTION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, CODY, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU, YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. GOOD EVENING. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE LADY BIRD LAKE CONCESSION SOLICITATION PROCESS AND IMPLICATIONS OF THE LEGACY STATUS BEING PURSUED BY SOME CONCESSIONAIRES. IN THE FALL OF 2022, MY BUSINESS PARTNER AND I APPLIED FOR THE ROWING CONCESSION RFP. AND IN MARCH OF 2023, WE WERE RECOMMENDED FOR AWARD OF THAT CONTRACT WITH A SCORE OF 79 OUT OF A HUNDRED, BEATING ALL OTHER APPLICANTS BY A WIDE MARGIN AND SCORING 20% HIGHER THAN THE CURRENT OPERATOR SUSAN GOLDBERG. SHORTLY AFTER WE WERE RECOMMENDED FOR AWARD, THERE WAS A PROTEST RAISED AND THE CITY SUBSEQUENTLY CANCELED THE RFP IN OUR AWARD RECOMMENDATION. ALONG WITH IT, I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT MS. GOLDBERG THREATENED LEGAL ACTION AGAINST THE CITY TO PREVENT THIS TRANSITION. THE RFP WAS REISSUED A FULL YEAR LATER IN THE SPRING OF 2024 FOR A PERIOD OF ONLY A FEW DAYS BEFORE, ONCE AGAIN BEING ABRUPTLY CANCELED BY THE CITY. SINCE THAT TIME, WE HAVE WATCHED AS THE ROWING DOCK RECEIVED ONE CONTRACT EXTENSION AFTER ANOTHER, NOW TOTALING SIX EXTENSIONS THAT STARTED IN MARCH OF 2022 WHEN THE ORIGINAL CON CONTRACT TERM ENDED. I HAVE 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN CENTRAL TEXAS PADDLE SPORTS AND IS EVIDENCED BY OUR PERFORMANCE IN THE BID PROCESS WOULD BE WELL POSITIONED TO STEWARD A CONCESSIONS BUSINESS ON LADY BIRD LAKE. WE MAINTAIN OUR DESIRE AND PROVEN ABILITY TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY AS AN OPERATOR OF A PADDLE RENTAL SITE ON LADY BIRD LAKE, BUT WE BELIEVE THE SOLICITATION PROCESS HAS BEEN, UH, HAS NOT BEEN FOLLOWED WITH FIDELITY, AND WE QUESTION THE POWER AND INFLUENCE THAT CURRENT OPERATORS USE TO PROTECT THEIR CONTRACTS. SO A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY. SUSAN GOLDBERG PURCHASED THE ROWING DOCK IN 2010 FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNER END QUOTE, BEFORE BUYING THE BUSINESS. SHE HAD NO EXPERIENCE IN THE OUTDOOR INDUSTRY. IN QUOTE, ACCORDING TO THIS IS ACCORDING TO HER DAUGHTER, THIS PARTICULAR CONCESSIONAIRE HAS NEVER WON A BID PROCESS WITH THE CITY, BUT INSTEAD BOUGHT THEIR WAY INTO THE CONTRACT AND HAVE FOUGHT TO KEEP CONTROL OF THIS CONTRACT WITH THE MOST RECENT EFFORT BEING TO URGE THE PARKS BOARD TO LOWER, LOWER THE LEGACY STATUS, UH, THRESHOLD TO 20 YEARS, AND TO CONSIDER WOMEN IN MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES AS PART OF THE CRITERIA, THEREBY LOCKING THIS CONTRACT UP IN PERPETUITY. I KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT THE PROCESS THAT THE BOARD WOULD WANT, AND IT'S NOT WHAT THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN EXPECT. THERE ARE LIMITED CONCESSION SITES ON LADY BIRD LAKE AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE PROCESS TO SELECT THE OPERATORS OF THOSE SITES IS FAIR AND RIGID. THE EXISTING BID PROCESS HAS ALREADY PROVEN INSUFFICIENT IN TRANSITIONING MANY OF THESE SITES. AS THE CURRENT OPERATORS WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO KEEP THESE CONTRACTS, I FEAR THAT THE LEGACY PROGRAM WILL ONLY GIVE THEM ONE MORE TOOL TO PREVENT A CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP THAT IN MANY CASES WOULD BE THE BEST FOR THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR THE TIME. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE CAROL BAXTER. THEN AFTER CAROL WILL BE CLAIRE, IT'S, IT'S, WHAT IS IT? KER. HE WAS DECKER. I ALWAYS TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT I, I GIVE AN HONEST EFFORT WHEN PRONOUNCING NAMES, UH, . OH, UH, BOARD. WILL WE BE ACCEPTING TIME DONATIONS DURING TONIGHT'S PUBLIC COMMENT? YEAH, I THINK THAT'S FINE. OKAY. SO, UH, CLAIRE, YOU WANT TO DONATE YOUR TIME TO CAROL? SO CAROL, YOU'LL HAVE SIX MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. GOOD EVENING PART BOARD MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TONIGHT. MY NAME IS CAROL BAXTER AND I'M THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN ROWING CLUB. THIS YEAR IS ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL FOR THE AUSTIN ROWING CLUB. IN 2026, A RC WILL OFFICIALLY ENTER ITS 45TH YEAR AS AN ORGANIZATION. WHILE HISTORICAL RECORDS SHOW ROWING ACTIVITY AS FAR BACK AS 1899, A RC WAS FORMALLY REESTABLISHED IN 1981, MAKING A RC THE OLDEST ROWING CLUB IN TEXAS FOR 45 YEARS, A RC HAS BEEN A TRUE COMMUNITY ASSET TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN. WE HAVE GROWN ALONGSIDE THE CITY FROM A MUCH SMALLER AUSTIN IN 1981 TO THE VIBRANT, FAST-GROWING CITY WE KNOW TODAY AIR C'S MISSION HAS REMAINED CONSISTENT AND TRUE TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE WATERWAYS OF LADY BIRD LAKE. THAT COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY COMMUNITY AND STEWARDSHIP HAS GUIDED US FOR DECADES AND CONTINUES TO DEFINE WHO WE ARE. ONE OF THE MOST SPECIAL PARTS OF OUR HISTORY IS OUR PEOPLE. [00:35:01] WE STILL HAVE ROWERS WHO HAVE HELPED ESTABLISH A RC IN 1981 WHO ARE STILL ACTIVELY ROWING AND RACING TODAY. THAT CONTINUITY SPEAKS TO THE STRENGTH OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE CULTURE THAT HAS BEEN BUILT ON LADY BIRD LAKE FOR GENERATIONS. IT'S TRULY AN HONOR TO BE PART OF AN ORGANIZATION WITH THAT LEGACY, AND WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT WHAT THE NEXT 45 YEARS WILL BRING. AS PART OF TODAY'S 2025 ANNUAL CONCESSION REPORT, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT ARC'S PERFORMANCE THIS PAST YEAR AND WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT THE CONTINUED DEMAND FOR ROWING AND PADDLING IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN. IN 2025, A RC GROSSED OVER $3 MILLION. THIS GROWTH GROWTH REFLECTS NOT ONLY STRONG ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP, BUT ALSO A CLEAR DESIRE FROM THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY TO ACCESS LADY BIRD LAKE FOR RECREATION, ROWING COMPETITION AND CONNECTION. IMPORTANTLY, THIS GROWTH HAS OCCURRED DURING A PERIOD OF EXTRAORDINARY CHANGE AROUND US. WE HAVE REMAINED OPEN AND OPERATIONAL WHILE SURROUNDED BY MAJOR CONSTRUCTION, INCLUDING NEW DEVELOPMENTS ON RAIN STREET, THE DEMOLITION OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, THE ONGOING BUILD OUT OF THE WATERLOO GREENWAY. DESPITE DUST CONSTRUCTION TRUCKS, BROKEN WATER LINES, AND CONSTANT DISRUPTION, A RC HAS CONTINUED TO GROW, EXPAND, AND SERVE THE PUBLIC. ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING MILESTONES THIS YEAR WAS THE OPENING OF OUR NEW KAYAK DOCK. THIS EXPANSION ALLOWS US TO REACH MORE PADDLERS AND INTRODUCE NEW USERS TO THE LAKE. WE'RE ESPECIALLY PROUD THAT THIS DOCK IS EIGHT A DA ACCESSIBLE, ENABLING US TO EXPAND OUR OUTREACH PROGRAMMING. ENSURE LADY BIRD LAKE IS TRULY ACCESSIBLE TO ALL AUSTINITES. COMMUNITY OUTREACH IS NOT AN ADD-ON FOR A RC, IT IS CORE TO WHO WE ARE UNDER OUR CONTRACT WITH THE CITY. A RC IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE $40,000 WORTH OF OUTREACH ANNUALLY. WE CONSISTENTLY MEET THAT REQUIREMENT AND GO FAR BEYOND IT BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT WE DO AND WHO WE ARE. IN 2025 ALONE, A RC GUESTS, MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS REMOVE MORE THAN 27,000 POUNDS OF TRASH FROM LADY BIRD LAKE. WE CONTINUED OUR RISE PROGRAM AT MARTIN AND MEIN MIDDLE SCHOOLS, INTRODUCING STUDENTS TO ROWING AND OPENING PATHWAYS TO LIFELONG ENGAGEMENT WITH THE WATER. WE PROVIDED NEARLY $50,000 IN JUNIOR SCHOLARSHIPS TO ENSURE THAT COST IS NEVER A BARRIER TO PARTICIPATION. WE WELCOMED THE PARD SUMMER CAMPERS TO EXPERIENCE ROWING AND PADDLING AT NO COST. OUR TOTAL OUTREACH INVESTMENT FOR OUR TOP FIVE ONLY PROGRAMS IN 2025 WAS NEARLY $275,000. WE ARE PROUD OF THAT COMMITMENT AND PROUD TO CONTINUE EXPANDING OUR OUTREACH PROGRAMMING AND MISSION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN. OUR JUNIOR PROGRAM CONTINUES TO GROW AND OUR ATHLETES CONTINUE TO IMPROVE. IN 2025, A RC SENT MULTIPLE ATHLETES TO COMPETE AT YOUTH NATIONALS AND FLORIDA PROPERLY PROUDLY REPRESENTING AUSTIN AND THE SHOWCASING THE HIGH LEVEL OF TALENT BEING DEVELOPED RIGHT HERE ON LADY BIRD LAKE. FINALLY, I WANNA SPEAK TO OUR HOME. WE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO CALL THE WALL CREEK BOATHOUSE OUR BASE OF OPERATIONS. IN 2025, WE INVESTED APPROXIMATELY 500, SORRY, $55,000 IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TO THE BUILDING AND SURROUNDING GROUNDS. THESE INVESTMENTS REFLECT OUR LONG-TERM COMMITMENT TO MAINTAINING AND ENHANCING THE PUBLIC ASSET FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CITY AND FUTURE GENERATIONS. AS WE LOOK AHEAD, A RC IS EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT 45 YEARS OF ROWING AND PADDLING ON LADY BIRD LAKE AND WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO EXPANDING ACCESS, GROWING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND CONTINUING TO SERVE AUSTIN AS A TRUSTED AND ENDURING COMMUNITY PARTNER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, YOUR SUPPORT, AND YOU CONTINUE TO PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTIN BRO CLUB. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JOY KOVSKI. HELLO. GOOD EVENING PARKS BOARD. MY NAME IS JOY KOVSKI. I'M, UH, WITH AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION. AND, UM, I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL TO THE, UH, CONCESSION REPORT THAT YOU GUYS ARE ABOUT TO RECEIVE THE REPORT ON. UM, TODAY, THE ANNUAL CONCESSION REPORT FROM FISCAL YEAR 25. UM, WE APPRECIATE WORKING WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND, UM, AGAIN, JUST WANTED TO, I KNOW IT'S A HEFTY DOCUMENT. I WANTED TO JUST HIGHLIGHT A FEW THINGS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE ZILKER EAGLE, UM, WHICH WE, WHICH WE OPERATE. UM, ONE OF THE, THE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS OPERATIONAL [00:40:01] CHALLENGES AND A COUPLE THINGS I JUST WANTED TO EXPOUND UPON IS THERE ARE A LOT OF OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES FOR ANYBODY WHO OPERATES A CONCESSION OR A BUSINESS THAT IS OUT THERE IN THE, IN THE, IN THE WEATHER, UM, AND IN A PUBLIC SPACE. AND, UM, LAST OR MEMORIAL DAY OF THIS YEAR, ACTUALLY, THERE WAS A CAR, UM, RACING THROUGH ZUCKER PARK AFTER DARK AND IT HIT THE CURB AND IT HIT THE TRAIN TRACKS AND IT CAUSED ABOUT $14,000 WORTH OF DAMAGE. AND THE TRAIN, UH, WAS OUT FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS. UM, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, OUR INSURANCE RATES HAVE INCREASED, UM, AND OUR STAFF, YOU KNOW, DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WHEN, WHEN THE TRAIN IS NOT OPERATIONAL. UM, AND THEN THE, UM, EVERYBODY REMEMBERS THE JULY FLOODS. LUCKILY WE DIDN'T, UM, SUFFER ANY, ANY, UM, LOSSES, BUT THERE WAS A HEAVY, UM, RAINS THOSE WEEKENDS OVER JULY 4TH. SO AGAIN, THAT THAT CAUSED, UM, UH, CHALLENGES WE, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO OPEN AND WE LOST A REALLY SIGNIFICANT WEEKEND NOT TO, NOT TO OPERATE. UM, CURRENTLY IN OUR CONTRACT, WE DON'T HAVE MUCH FLEXIBILITY FOR, UM, ALTERING THE, THE TRAIN SCHEDULE FOR SEASONAL, UM, UH, WEATHER CHANGES. THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON WITH THE CONTRACTS DEPARTMENT. UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, THIS YEAR, UH, AS WELL AS LAST YEAR, WE'VE DECREASED HOURS DURING JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, UM, JUST FOR THE, YOU KNOW, SIMPLE MATTER THAT PROBABLY NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE OUT IN THE PARK WHEN IT'S, YOU KNOW, HIGH OF 40 DEGREES. UM, LET'S SEE. UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO JUST HIGHLIGHT TOO, THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS. UM, SO THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR WE PROVIDED OVER 23,000 FREE TRAIN RIDES TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT JUST NEARLY JUST UNDER $140,000. SO THE MAJORITY OF THESE FREE TRAIN, UM, RIDES OCCURRED ON THE FIRST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH, UM, FREE FOR ANYBODY TO PARTICIPATE. WE ALSO WORKED WITH ORGANIZATIONS LIKE, UM, THE, UM, AUSTIN SUNSHINE CAMPS AS WELL AS HELPING HAND HOME FOR CHILDREN, UM, TO OFFER FREE TRAIN RIDES. AND THIS COMING YEAR WE WILL BE PARTNERING WITH A ISD AS WELL TO OFFER, UM, ADDITIONAL FREE TRAIN RIDES. UM, SO AGAIN, WE'RE WORKING ON SOME OF THOSE CONTRACT AMENDMENTS WITH THE, WITH THE, UH, PARKS DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS TEAM, BUT JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL SPECIFICALLY ABOUT OUR CONTRACT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 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. OKAY, GREAT. THEN I THINK WE CAN GO INTO THE PRESENTATION. ALL RIGHT. HOW IS THAT? ALRIGHT, UM, AGAIN, MY NAME IS KAREN CHARLES AND I'M THE CONTRACT MANAGER FOR THE CITY PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT IN THE CONCESSIONS AREA. OKAY. CON CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS. SO I MANAGE THE, UM, CONCESSIONAIRES, UM, UH, THOSE PARTICULAR BUSINESSES. UM, THANK YOU CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBERS FOR ALLOWING US TO MAKE THIS PRESENTATION TODAY FROM OUR ANNUAL CONCESSIONS REPORT. BUT BEFORE WE BEGIN, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO INTRODUCE A PR STAFF WHO'VE JOINED ME HERE. UM, FOR THIS PRESENTATION, TO MY LEFT IS DANISHA COX AND I'LL LET HER, DANISHA COX, WHO'S THE MANAGER OF THE CONTRACTS, UM, UH, GRANTS AND PURCHASING DEPARTMENT. OKAY, NEXT TO DANISHA IS OUR DIRECTOR. OKAY. AND THEN NEXT TO, UM, DIRECTOR GARY IS LUCAS MASSEY, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. LUC. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALRIGHT, SO WITH THAT, WHERE'S ERICA? ERICA, YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? OKAY. CHRISTINE. HI, I'M CHRISTINE AND I'M COMMUNITY WORKER. LEONI LEONI. NO. YEAH. THANK YOU GUYS. ALL RIGHT. UM, SO OOPS, SORRY, SORRY, WENT, WENT TOO FAR. ALL RIGHT. SO, [00:45:01] UM, FOR CITY CODE EIGHT DASH ONE DASH SEVEN THREE REQUIRES THAT ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 31ST OF EACH YEAR, THAT THE DIRECTOR SHALL DELIVER A REPORT TO THE CITY, TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION ON THE CONCESSIONS GRANTED UNDER THIS DIVISION. THE ANNUAL REPORT PREPARED UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL INCLUDE FOUR DIFFERENT SECTIONS, AND THAT'S THE NAME OF EACH CONCESSION OPERATING IN TOWN LAKE METROPOLITAN PARK, AND INCOME AND EXPENDITURE STATEMENT FOR EACH CONCESSION, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF WATER CRAFTS RENTED IN TOWN, LAKE METROPOLITAN PARK, AND A STATEMENT DESCRIBING ANY PROBLEMS CAUSED OR CREATED BY A CONCESSION. SO THIS MAP SHOWS THE CONCESSIONS CURRENTLY LOCATED AROUND LADY BIRD LAKE AND TOWN LAKE PARK. AT THE VERY TOP YOU SEE, UH, ROWING DOCK. THEN WE HAVE TEXAS ROWING CENTER, THEN WE HAVE WALLER CREEK BOATHOUSE, OUR AUSTIN ROWING CLUB, AS THEY'RE ALSO KNOWN BY, UM, AN EXPEDITION SCHOOL. THEN EPIC SUP AT THE VERY BOTTOM. AND THEN COMING BACK UPSTREAM WE HAVE LONE STAR RIVERBOAT BUTLER, PIGEON PUTT GOLF CONCESSION, AND THEN ZILKER PARK BOAT RENTALS, AND ALSO THE ZILKER CAFE, WHICH RIGHT NOW IT'S TEMPORARILY CLOSED. SO THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE CURRENT CONTRACT TERMS FOR EACH OF THE CONCESSIONS. SO JUST A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS. A PR REQUESTED AN ADDITIONAL ONE YEAR EXTENSION FOR ROWING DOCK TO ENSURE THE WATERCRAFT AMENITIES IS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. THE EXTENSION AMENDMENT WILL EXPIRE OCTOBER 31ST, 2026. A PR REQUESTED AN ADDITIONAL TWO YEAR EXTENSION FOR LONE STAR RIVER BOAT, WHICH WILL EXPIRE JULY 31ST, 2027. A PR REQUESTED AN ADDITIONAL TWO YEAR EXTENSION FOR AUSTIN ROWING CENTER, WHICH WILL EXPIRE DECEMBER 31ST, AUGUST 27TH, OR 60 DAYS PRIOR TO THE START OF DEMOLITION AS REFLECTED IN THE CITY'S DEMOLITION CONTRACT AND APPROVED PERMIT, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. ALRIGHT, THE NEXT SLIDE TALKS ABOUT THE CONCESSION LEGACY POLICY AND PROCEDURE UPDATE. UM, A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON MAY, 2025, A PR BEGAN WORK TO UPDATE THE POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR CONCESSIONS TO THE CITY PARK SYSTEM. CITY CODE TITLE EIGHT GRANTS, THE A PR DIRECTOR, THE AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO EXECUTE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR CONCESSIONS IN CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS IN ACCORDANCE WITH CITY POLICIES AND BEST PRACTICES. ORIGINAL POLICY AND PROCEDURES WERE SUGGESTED ON, UM, OR I'M SORRY, WERE SUPERSEDED ON MARCH 12TH, 1998 AND ADOPTED BY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 9 0 0 3 1 2 DASH 25 REVISED POLICY APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL UNDER RESOLUTION 2 0 2 5 1 1 0 6 DASH 0 4 3 ON NOVEMBER 6TH, 2025. SO SOME CRITERIA REGARDING LEGACY CONCESSIONS IS, AND YOU HAVE TO MEET ALL OF THESE. A LEGACY CONCESSION IS AN EXISTING CONCESSION OPERATING IN THE PARK SYSTEM UNDER AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY. THAT ONE HAS BEEN CONTINUOUSLY OWNED AND OPERATED IN THE SAME PARK LOCATION BY THE SAME PERSON, LOCAL OR BUSINESS, OR A FAMILY MEMBER OF THE PERSON OR OWNER OF THE LOCAL BUSINESS FOR AT LEAST 20 YEARS. NEXT, IT SHOULD OPERATE, HAVE OPERATED UNDER THE SAME OR SIMILAR NAMES THROUGHOUT ITS EXISTENCE AND THEN CONTRIBUTES TO THE CITY'S HISTORY AND CULTURE AND MAINTAINS ITS PHYSICAL FEATURES IN GOOD CONDITION. SO THIS NEXT GRAPH, UM, REPRESENTS THE CONCESSIONS, INCOME REPORTED EXPENDITURES AND PAYMENTS TO THE CITY. SO THE BLUE BAR REPRESENTS OUR THE GROSS SALES, AND THAT'S GONNA BE, UM, THE GROSS SALES PLUS THEIR SALES TAX. THE AQUA BAR OR THE NEXT BAR UP REPRESENTS THE REPORTED EXPENDITURES. THE LIGHT GREEN BAR REPRESENTS CONCESSIONS, PAYMENTS TO THE CITY, [00:50:01] INCLUDING MONTHLY FEES AND REVENUE SHARES. SO AS A REMINDER, EPIC SUP GOES TO RIGHT NOW EPIC SUP PAYMENTS GO TO THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY AND AS OF JANUARY 1ST, 2025, TEXAS ROARING CENTER REVENUE PAYMENTS NOW ALSO GO TO TTCZ OR EAGLE. THE NET REVENUE DISTRIBUTION IS UNDER REVIEW STILL BY A PR. SO ONCE APPROVED, ALL NET PROCEEDS FROM TRAIN OPERATIONS WILL GO TO NON-PROFITS SUPPORTING PARKS ACROSS CITY, THE CITY IN A TRANSPARENT AND EQUITABLE MANNER. THE PROCEEDS ARE TO BE USED FOR PARK SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS, UPGRADES, AMENITIES, AND MAINTENANCE. NOW THIS GRAPH SHOWS THE TOTAL CONCESSIONS GROSS SALES OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE WAS AN UPTICK IN FY 22 FROM COVID, AND NOW WE'RE STARTING TO SEE ACTIVITY LEVEL OFF. SO THIS NEXT SLIDE, UM, SHOWS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND EQUIPMENT UPDATES MADE BY THE CONCESSIONS FOR FY 25. SO THIS YEAR, TEXAS ROWING CENTER BUTLER PITCH PUTT ROARING DOCK, LONE STAR RIVERBOAT AND AUSTIN ROWING CLUB MADE IMPROVEMENTS TO THEIR SITES. BUTLER PITCH AND PUTT IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PROPERTY INCLUDED TREE REMOVAL, SAW TURF INSTALLATION, REPLACEMENT OF ROADSIDE SHRUBS BORDERING THE COURSE, AND THEN, UH, PUMP MOTOR REPAIR. ROWING DOCK IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDED GROUND IMPROVEMENTS PURCHASED. THEY PURCHASED KAYAKS, SUVS AND PADDLES, COMPUTER AND WEBSITE UPGRADES, DOCK AND BUILDING REPAIRS. LONE STAR RIVERBOAT REPLACED DECK WRIGHT WATERPROOF ROOF AND UPGRADED SPEAKERS AND AUDIO. THEIR AUDIO PA SYSTEM, TEXAS ROWING CENTER, MADE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE FACILITIES AND DOCK REPAIRS. THEY PURCHASED AND REPAIRED ROWING SHELLS, UPGRADED THEIR ROWING TRAILERS AND PADDLING EQUIPMENT AND VESTS. AND THEN AUSTIN ROWING CLUB. THEIR IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDED REPLACING TWO OVERHEAD ROLLING BAY DOORS, APPROVAL OF UH, REMOVAL OF A BULKHEAD DOCK PROJECT, PERMITTING ANCHORING OF TWO PUBLIC DOCKS, IMPROVING DRAINAGE AND LANDSCAPING ALONG TRAIL AND REPLACEMENT OF ERV AND AIR HANDLERS TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY. AND YOU CAN SEE HERE ON SOME OF THE AMOUNTS, TEXAS ROARING CENTER SPENT ABOUT $172,000 ROWING DOCK 81 AUSTIN ROWING CLUB 55 8 0 3 BUTLER PITCH AND PUTT 1 0 2, UM, LONE STAR RIVERBOAT ABOUT 55,000. ALRIGHT, UM, ON THIS SLIDE WE'VE PROVIDED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON OTHER A PR CONCESSION ACTIVITY. UM, AND THERE ARE SEVERAL CONCESSIONS SET UP AT A PR GOLF COURSES. WE HAVE CLAY KAISER AND MORRIS WILLIAMS. THEY BOTH HAVE FOOD AND BEVERAGE CONCESSIONS. TEJAS GOLF IS A DRIVING RANGE AND THEN ALL THREE OF THESE PAY A PERCENTAGE OF REVENUE TO A PR IN FY 25 GOLF A TX RECEIVED APPROXIMATELY 172,258 IN PAYMENTS FROM THESE THREE VENDORS. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS A FOOD AND BEVERAGE VENDOR AT LYONS GOLF COURSE AND THE REVENUE SHARE FROM THAT CO UH, CON CONCESSION GOES TO THE SAVE HISTORIC MUNI DISTRICT FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE GOLF COURSE AND FY 25 LIONS CONCESSIONS PAYMENTS TO SHMD TOTAL ABOUT $88,000. A PR ALSO RECEIVES REVENUE FROM SHORT TERM PERMITS FROM COMMERCIAL USE OF THE PARK LANDS. THE PERMIT PROCESS FOR TEMPORARY CONCESSIONS IS OVERSEEN BY THE SPECIAL EVENTS OFFICE AND PERMITS ARE ISSUED TO, UH, PERMITS ARE ISSUED FOR COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY SUCH AS VENDING OR MERCHANDISING, SALES, FITNESS TRAINERS AND PERFORMING ARTS. THIS TABLE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT HERE LISTS THE COST PER PERMIT. THE NUMBER OF PERMITS ISSUED FOR FY 25 AND THE TOTAL REVENUE FROM EACH PERMIT TYPE FEES WERE BASED ON THE TYPE OF USE AND THE TYPE OF PARK. METRO PARKS ARE $1,500 [00:55:01] AND ALL OTHERS ARE 500 FOR SIX MONTH PERMITS, $50 FOR ONE DAY PERMITS. FITNESS TRAINERS ARE CHARGED PER TRAINER WITH ADDITIONAL CHARGES PER ATTENDEE FOR FEE-BASED CLASSES WITH MORE THAN THREE ATTENDANCE. SO STAFF PRESENTED, UM, A PR RECOMMENDATIONS. STAFF PRESENTED THE FY 24 REPORT TO THE PARKS BOARD ON JANUARY 27TH OF LAST YEAR, AND THE BOARD VOTED SEVEN TO ZERO WITH ONE VACANCY AND BOARD MEMBERS, BECKER, REED AND TAYLOR ABSENT TO RECOMMEND TO THE CITY TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL. THE RECREATION CONTINUATION TERMINATION OR STATUS OF A CONCESSION, INCLUDING ISSUANCE OF A REQUEST PROPOSAL FOR A CONCESSION IN TOWN LAKE METROPOLITAN PARK FOR INCLUSION IN THE JOINT REPORT BETWEEN THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION THAT IS PROVIDED TO THE CITY COUNCIL ANNUALLY. AND THESE WERE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS. UM, FIRST THAT THEY WANTED US TO REQUEST, WELL, THEY WANTED TO REQUEST CITY COUNCIL INITIATE A CODE UPDATE TO REFLECT A CONCESSION REPORTS TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONS SHALL INCLUDE THE CONCESSIONS FROM PARKS AND OTHER THAN LADY BIRD LAKE B BE PRESENTED AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF THOSE CONCESSIONS. AS OF THIS REPORT, A PR HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION OR CITY COUNCIL REGARDING ACTION ON THIS REQUEST. THEIR NEXT RECOMMENDATION WAS THAT THEY REQUEST CITY COUNCIL INITIATE AN ESTABLISHMENT OF A CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMISSION TO ASSIST WITH THE OVERSIGHT OF THE CONCESSIONS IN ALL CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS AND PUBLIC LANDS. THE NEW COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE SHALL INCLUDE A MEMBER OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, PARKS BOARD AND OTHER RELATED COMMISSIONS AND BOARDS. AS OF THIS REPORT, A PR HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY FURTHER INFORMATION FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION OR CITY COUNCIL REGARDING THIS ACTION ON THIS REQUEST. THIRD, THE ADDITI, UH, ADDRESS EROSION AROUND LADY BIRD LAKE AND REPORT ON THE REVENUE NEW USED FROM THE CONCESSIONS TO REPAIR THE EROSION. A PR COLLABORATES WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION TO EVALUATE EROSION CONCERNS AND DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REMEDIATION. REVENUE GENERATED FROM A PR CONCESSIONS IS DEPOSITED INTO THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND AND IS NOT ALLOCATED SPECIFICALLY FOR EROSION REPAIR. AND THEN FOURTH, DELAY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PHASE TWO OF THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY PMA UNTIL IT CAN BE EXAMINED, UM, TO DETERMINE THE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT WITH THE PARKS AND THE ABILITY OF THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY TO MEET ITS ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS BASED ON ITS CURRENT FINANCES. SO AS NOTED IN THE PARKS OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT, OUR PMA SECTION IN OUR REPORT, TTC SUBMITTED IT SUBMITTED ITS 2025 ANNUAL IMPLEMENTATION DOCUMENTS BY OCTOBER, 2024 DEADLINE IN ACCORDANCE WITH PHASE TWO REQUIREMENTS. IN JULY, 2025, THE CITY EXECUTED AN ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION AGREEMENT TRANSFERRING TEXAS ROWING CENTER CONCESSIONS CONTRACT TO TTC. UNDER THE TERMS OF THAT PMA, TTC NOW ASSUMES FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR TRCS CONCESSIONS, OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT SUBJECT TO COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE RULES AND REGULATIONS, INCLUDING THOSE OUTLINED IN THE PMA. ALL REVENUE GENERATED FROM THIS CONCESSION IS DEDICATED TO THE MAINTENANCE OF BUTLER TRAIL AND TOWN LAKE METROPOLITAN PARK. THIS NEXT SLIDE DEALS WITH, UM, MARINE WASTE DISPOSAL. SO TO GIVE A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE MARINE WASTE DISPOSAL, THIS PERTAINS ONLY TO [01:00:01] LONE STAR RIVERBOATS, WHICH HAS ONE VESSEL WITH AN ONBOARD BOARD TOILET. AS YOU SEE, THERE ARE MULTIPLE GOVERN GOVERNMENTAL BODIES THAT REGULATE THIS TYPE OF BOAT AS PART OF APRS CONTRACT COMPLIANCE, A PR REQUESTS COPIES OF MANIFEST TO MAKE SURE LONE STAR RIVER BOAT COMPLIES WITH STATE AND CITY REGULATIONS. SO THESE MANIFESTS ARE INCLUDED IN THE WRITTEN REPORT SUBMITTED TO A PR AND ACTUALLY THE, THE MANIFEST ITSELF IS INCLUDED. BUT THE ACTUAL REPORTS WE STILL HAVE ON, WE HAVE ON FILE, UM, BACK AT A PR, THE ENVIRONMENT, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, AND MAYOR AND COUNCIL. OKAY, SO THESE MANIFESTS ARE, ARE INCLUDED IN THE WRITTEN REPORT SUBMITTED TO A PRB, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONS AND MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I'M SORRY, I KIND OF JUMPED AROUND A LITTLE BIT THERE. ALRIGHT, THE NEXT SLIDE DEALS WITH, UM, PEAK RENTAL VERSUS GENERAL WATERCRAFT RENTAL. SO AS PART OF, UH, LAKE SAFETY, WE ALSO ADDRESS UNLICENSED VENDOR ACTIVITY, WHICH IS MONITORED BY THE PARK RANGERS. ADDITIONALLY, CITIZENS CAN REPORT UNLICENSED ACTIVITY THROUGH THE 3 1 1 LINE. THE MOBILE APP HAS A CATEGORY FOR COMMERCIAL USE OF PARKLAND, WHICH IS FOR REPORTS OF UNLICENSED VENDORS AND WE WILL DISCUSS UNPERMITTED VENDORS MORE, UM, IN AN UPCOMING SLIDE. ALRIGHT, SO THIS SLIDE, UM, OUR TABLE RECORDS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF RENTALS FOR EACH CONCESSION IN FY 25 AS RECORDED IN THEIR MONTHLY REPORTS THAT THEY SUBMIT EACH MONTH. IN ADDITION, AUSTIN ROWING CLUB AND TEXAS ROWING CENTER FOR FY 25 SHELL RENTALS ARE INCLUDED IN THEIR TOTAL IN THE TOTAL COUNTS ABOVE A PR WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE NUMBER OF BOATS AND CONCESSIONS RENTALS INVENTORY. ADDITIONALLY, A PR STAFF AND PARK RANGERS, ALONG WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE, ALONG WITH THE LAKE POLICE, UH, RESPOND TO REPORTS OF UNPERMITTED CONCESSIONS INCLUDING WATERCRAFT ACTIVITIES. ALL RIGHT, SO FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, A PR HAS ASKED THE CONCESSIONS TO RECORD RECORD THE NUMBER OF RENTALS EACH DAY DURING DESIGNATED PEAK PERIOD. AND THAT'S ABOUT AN EIGHT DAY PERIOD. UM, THE TABLE THAT YOU SEE HERE SHOWS THE TOTAL NUMBER FOR EACH EIGHT DAY PERIOD. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THESE NUMBERS DO NOT REFLECT THE NUMBER OF BOATS ON THE LAKE AT ANY GIVEN TIME DURING THAT TIME PERIOD. ONLY THE TOTAL NUMBER OF RENTALS BY A PR CONCESSIONS. NOW THIS CHART SHOWS THE NUMBER OF WATERCRAFT IN EACH CONCESSIONS RENTAL INVENTORY, THE TEXAS ROARING CENTER AND AUSTIN ROARING CLUB INVENTORIES AGAIN, UM, INCLUDE ROARING SHELLS AND COACHING LAUNCHES THAT ARE USED FOR LESSONS, CLUBS, CAMPS, UM, ET CETERA. OTHER CONCESSIONS CONSIDERATIONS. NOW THIS SLIDE ADDRESSES STAFF RESPONSES TO OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE PARKS BOARD AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONS IN THE PAST FEW YEARS. A PR INCLUDED ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENT. A PR DOES INCLUDE ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS IN EACH RFP. ADDITIONALLY, A PR STAFF WORK WITH CORPORATE PURCHASING TWO SOLICIT REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS AND STAFF HAVE PUT IN PLACE STANDARD SCOPES OF WORK AND CONTRACT COMPONENTS WHICH ARE USED FOR EACH NEW SOLICITATION AND CONTRACT. ALRIGHT, PROBLEM AREAS, CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIC ACTIONS. WE HAD AN AUDIT OF AGREEMENTS WITH T-T-C-A-P-R LAUNCHED THE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM, WHICH INCLUDES PARK MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS AGREEMENTS OR S WITH NONPROFIT PARTNERS. IN RESPONSE TO COUNCIL RESOLUTION 2 0 2 0 3 2 1 PARKLAND IMPROVEMENTS AGREEMENTS WERE INTRODUCED TO THE FORMALIZED CAPITAL PROJECT ARRANGEMENTS AND WERE INCORPORATED UNDER [01:05:01] THE BROADER PMA FRAMEWORK. ON FEBRUARY 5TH, 2025, THE CITY RECEIVED A REPORT CONTAINING SEVERAL ALLEGATIONS INVOLVING THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY AND A PR. THAT INCLUDED A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY REGARDING A PR FUNDING, FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT AND INSTABILITY AT TTC AND ETHICAL VIOLATIONS BY A FORMER A PR DIRECTOR AS WELL AS FORMER TTC OFFICIALS AND BOARD MEMBERS. IN RESPONSE, THE CITY REQUESTED THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH INTERNAL AUDIT TO CONDUCT AN AUDIT OF APRS PMA WITH TTC, INCLUDING PIAS FOR THE RAINY STREET TRAILHEAD AND HOLLY STREET PROJECT. THE AUDIT WAS CONDUCTED THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE CALENDAR YEAR 2025. IN JANUARY 26, UH, JANUARY, 2026, A PR RECEIVED THE A P H'S INTERNAL AUDITS REPORT, DETAILING FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. A PR IS REVIEWING THE REPORT AND DRAFTING FORMAL RESPONSES TO ADDRESS THE IDENTIFIED ISSUES A RC OR THE BOATHOUSE. ON JULY 20TH, 2024, A PR ISSUED A RIGHT OF ASSURANCE LETTER TO AUSTIN ROWING CLUB TO CONFIRM COMPLIANCE WITH REPAIR AUTHORIZATION REQUIREMENTS, UM, FOR REIMBURSEMENTS. THE LETTER ALSO ADDRESSED THE OUTSTANDING SHORELINE AND WETLANDS REMEDIATION PLANS OVER FY 25 A RC WORKED TO FOLLOW PROPER PROCEDURES AND IS COMPLETING THE FINAL STEPS OF THE PROJECT. PHASE ONE OF THE PROJECT WAS COMPLETED IN MAY OF 2024, INCLUDING DOCK ROTATIONS AND REPLACING THE CAN DOCK. SIX SYSTEM PHASE TWO BEGAN IN DECEMBER, 2024 AND FINISHED IN SEPTEMBER, 2025, MEETING THE TIMELINE AND RESULTING IN A CERT CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY. IN OCTOBER, 2025. THE SHORELINE RESTORATION WAS APPROVED, BUT AN PERMITTED 160 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING AND EQUIPMENT WERE INSTALLED. THESE EXCEEDED CODE LIMITS AND WERE REMOVED IN NOVEMBER. PERMITTING FOR THE REMAINING ELECTRICAL COMPONENT IS STILL UNDER REVIEW FOR THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL THROUGHOUT 2025. A PR DISCUSSED ALTERNATE DOCK LOCATIONS WITH TES AND SEPTEMBER, 2025. THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL REPORTED A SAFETY CONCERN ABOUT AN ENCAMPMENT NEAR THEIR OPERATIONS AT HOLLY SHORES LAGOON. A PR STAFF VISITED THE SITE MULTIPLE TIMES. AS OF THE MOST RECENT INSPECTION THE PERSONS PREVIOUSLY OBSERVED NEAR THE BOAT RAMP ARE NO LONGER PRESENT. A PR WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE AREA AND ADDRESS ANY TU FUTURE CONCERNS AS THEY ARISE. ADDITIONALLY, ON DECEMBER 29TH, TES SUBMITTED A LETTER OF INTENT STATING THEY WILL NOT CONTINUE OPERATIONS AT HOLLY SHORES. THE CONTRACT WITH TES EXPIRES ON APRIL 28TH, 2026, ER EAGLE IN FFY 25. THE ZILKER EAGLE FACED SEVERAL OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES FROM JANUARY THROUGH EARLY MARCH A PF REDUCED HOURS TO COMPLETE ESSENTIAL ENGINE AND TRACK MAINTENANCE. IN APRIL A PR REVIEWED THE RIDER SAFETY, A RIDER SAFETY COMPLAINT. AFTER OBSERVING OPERATIONS, THE TEAM FOUND THAT THE RISK MINIMAL CITING PROPER SPEED AND RIDER EDUCATION ON AUGUST 28TH, A PF NOTED OR NOTIFIED A PR OF MIDWEEK CLOSURES THROUGH EARLY SEPTEMBER DUE TO A SHORTAGE OF QUALIFIED OPERATORS AND A TEMPORARY HIRING PAUSE UNTIL ALL ACL UNTIL AFTER THE ACL FESTIVAL. A PR REQUESTED CLARIFICATION AND A PF PROVIDED THE JOB DESCRIPTION WITH, UH, PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS. SO BETWEEN JUNE AND OCTOBER, A PF ALSO IMPLEMENTED MULTIPLE CLOSURES TO REPAIR TRACK DAMAGE AND ENSURE SAFE OPERATIONS [01:10:03] WATER BAN. ON JULY 7TH, 2025, THE CITY ISSUED AN EMERGENCY ORDER PROHIBITING ALL COMMERCIAL NAVI NAVIGATIONAL BOATING AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES ON THESE WATERWAYS. A PR WATERCRAFT CONCESSIONAIRES WERE NOTIFIED TO SUSPEND OPERATIONS UNTIL THE BAN WAS LIFTED THE FOLLOWING DAY. AS A RESULT, THE EXCESSIVE RAINFALL AND TEMPORARY LATE CLOSURES SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED OPERATIONS DUE TO THE PEAK 4TH OF JULY HOLIDAY, UH, DURING THE PEAK 4TH OF JULY HOLIDAY PERIOD. UNPERMITTED COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY IN THE PARKLANDS DUE TO ONGOING CONSTRUCTION ALONG 35 AND THE CLOSURE OF THE WALLER BEACH BOAT RAMP AT WALLER BEACH, AT TOWN LAKE METROPOLITAN PARK FOR CONSTRUCTION STAGING, WE'VE OBSERVED AN INCREASE IN UN PERMITTED VENDORS OPERATING IN THE FESTIVAL BEACH AT THE FESTIVAL BEACH BOAT RAMP. THE ACTIVITY INCLUDED CONDUCTING UNPERMITTED COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY FOR COMPENSATION REFERENCING FESTIVAL, BEACH, BOAT, RAMP, AND PARKLAND IN BUSINESS WEBSITES, SOCIAL MEDIA AND PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL USING CITY MANAGED DOCKS, RAMPS, AND PARKLAND FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES WITHOUT PROPER AUTHORIZATION, A PR PARK RANGERS CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE WITH LAKE PATROL WHEN POSSIBLE AND EDUCATE UN PERMITTED BUSINESSES ON CITY CODE REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS ON PARKLAND. ADDITIONALLY, A PR CONTINUES TO ISSUE CEASE AND DESIST LETTERS TO BUSINESSES FOUND IN VIOLATION, AND ENCOURAGES THE PUBLIC TO REPORT SUSPECTED UNPERMITTED ACTIVITY ON PARKLAND BY CONTACTING 3 1 1 BARTON CREEK CONCESSIONS, FEASIBILITY ON JANUARY 24TH, 2025. A PR STAFF INITIATED DISCUSSIONS REGARDING VULNERABILITY OF THE BARTON CREEK AREA, SPECIFICALLY FOCUSING ON RESTORATION OF CREEK BANK BANKS NEAR BARTON SPRINGS AND AROUND THE ZILKER PARK BOAT RENTAL WATERCRAFT CONCESSIONS LOCATED ON BARTON CREEK IN ZILKER PARK OFF ANDREW ZILKER ROAD ON MARCH 3RD, 2025, THE AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTION TEAM PROVIDED GUIDANCE INDICATING THAT THE CONTINUED DEGRADATION OF CREEK BANK OF THE CREEK BANK IS PRIMARILY DUE TO UNCONTROLLED RECREATIONAL USE BY GENERAL PARK VISITORS RATHER THAN A DIRECT STREAM BANK EROSION ISSUE THAT WOULD FALL UNDER THE STREAM BANK RESTORATION PROGRAM. A PF RECOMMENDED A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH LED BY A PR WITH TECHNICAL INPUT FROM THE APPLIED WATERSHED SCIENCE TEAM TO ADDRESS RIPARIAN AND CREEK HEALTH. ADDITIONALLY, A PWA A'S EROSION STAFF AND POLICY TEAM WILL BE AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE EXPERTISE ON BANK RESTORATION AND ASSIST WITH ANY CODE COMPLIANCE QUESTIONS AS NEEDED IN THE FUTURE. BARTON CREEK STREAM BANK RESTORATION, APPROXIMATELY 230 LINEAR FEET OF STREAM BANK WAS AFFECTED. AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTION AND A PR AND THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY COLLABORATED TO DEVELOP SOLUTIONS TO STABILIZE THE SLOPE AND PROTECT THE TRAILS. AS OF DECEMBER, 2025, THE FOLLOWING MILESTONES HAD BEEN ACHIEVED. SITE PREPARATION COMPLETED STORM DRAINAGE INSTALLED UNDER THE NEW SPUR TRAIL, COMPLETED PLACEMENT OF BOULDERS TO STABILIZE THE WATERSHED COMPLETED INSTALLATION OF STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS AND SOIL LIFTS ONGOING SLOPE RECONSTRUCTION. ONGOING SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION OF CONSTRUCTION IS ANTICIPATED BY SPRING OF 2025. SO, AS WE CONCLUDE THE PRESENTATION OF THE ANNUAL CONCESSIONS REPORT, WE JUST WANTED TO LEAVE YOU WITH A SUMMARY OF THE CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES OF THE CONCESSIONAIRES OR SOME OF THE CONCESSIONAIRES AS PART OF THEIR AGREEMENT TO MANAGE THE WALLER CREEK BOATHOUSE. AUSTIN ROWING CLUB IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND FREE PROGRAMMING TO UNDERSERVED [01:15:01] YOUTHS, INCLUDING SCHOLARSHIPS TO COVER ROWING FEES AND FREE BOAT RENTALS FOR A PR SUMMER CAMPS AND OTHER YOUTH GROUPS. 40,000 IN ROARING SCHOLARSHIPS ANNUALLY, AND AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO 10% OF THE ANNUAL REVENUE FOR BOAT RENTALS. WHILE IT MAY NOT BE REQUIRED BY CONTRACT, OTHER VENDORS ALSO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY IN NUMEROUS WAYS, INCLUDING POSTING OR PARTICIPATING IN FUNDRAISING AND LATE CLEANUP EVENTS, DONATING SERVICES AND GIFT CARDS, AND OFFERING DISCOUNTED RATES TO STUDENTS AND OTHER GROUPS. PARTICIPATION IN LAKE CLEANUP AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION EFFORTS IS REQUIRED IN ALL NEW WATERCRAFT RENTAL CONTRACTS. NEXT STEPS. SO AFTER TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION TO THE PARKS BOARD MEMBERS, WE WILL MAKE A PRESENTATION TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION. SO PER CITY CODE, WITHIN 30 DAYS OF OUR PRESENTATION PARKS, STAFF WILL SUBMIT A WRITTEN REPORT TO BOTH THE PARKS BOARD AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL. THE JOINT REPORT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD WILL BE PROVIDED TO COUNCIL. SO OUR, OUR REQUESTED ACTION TODAY IS FOR PARB, IS TO MAKE A JOINT RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL REGARDING RECREATION, CONTINUATION TERMINATION, OR STATUS OF A CONCESSION, INCLUDING ISSUANCE OF A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR A CONCESSION IN TOWN LAKE METROPOLITAN PARK FOR INCLUSION IN THE JOINT REPORT BETWEEN THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION. THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR ALLOWING US TO PRESENT THIS INFORMATION FROM OUR 2025 ANNUAL CONCESSION REPORT. SO AT THIS TIME, WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS MIGHT HAVE. GREAT. THANK YOU. SO I'LL OPEN IT UP TO MEMBERS OF THE BOARD FOR ANY QUESTIONS THEY'D LIKE TO ASK. YEAH, GO AHEAD. HI, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I HAVE A QUESTION ON SLIDE SIX. I WASN'T SURE HOW THE PAYMENTS LINE WAS CALCULATED. SO I SEE GROSS SALES REPORTED EXPENDITURES. YOU HAD MADE A REFERENCE, WHICH I, I KIND OF DIDN'T UNDERSTAND ABOUT, ABOUT FUNDS GOING TO TTC. CAN YOU MAYBE JUST RESTATE THAT? I'LL LET DEISHA ANSWER THAT QUESTION. OKAY, THANK YOU. HI, GOOD EVENING. SO, UM, WITH SOME OF OUR CONCESSIONS, UM, WE HAVE ONE CONCESSION WHO ACTUALLY HAS AN AGREEMENT THAT WAS THROUGH A RESOLUTION, AND THAT IS EPIC SUB AND THEIR REVENUE, UH, HAS BEEN GOING TO THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY. AND THEN, UM, WE THEN ESTABLISHED A POMA, WHICH IS THE PARKLAND OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT. AND UNDER THAT POMA AGREEMENT, UM, CERTAIN CONCESSIONS THAT ARE ALONG THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL, UM, WERE WERE THEN MOVED OVER THROUGH AN ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION AGREEMENT, UM, TO ALLOW THEM, THEN THEY WOULD BE MANAGED UNDER THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY TO KIND OF MOVE THAT AND, AND MAINTAIN ALL THAT AREA. AND THAT MONEY, IT GOES BACK TO THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY, BUT THAT MONEY IS TO BE USED FOR DIRECT MAINTENANCE OF THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL AND THE PARK SYSTEM. SO, UH, THE TEXAS ROWING CENTER, UM, IS THE ONE THAT WAS THE FIRST ONE THAT WENT UNDER THE OMA THAT HAS THEIR REVENUE SHARE HAS BEEN GOING TO THE TRAIL, UM, TRAIL CONSERVANCY. NOW, WHAT I DO WANNA SAY IS THE REPORTS AND EVERYTHING WE STILL RECEIVE AND WE'RE ABLE TO SEE, UM, EVERYTHING, SO THE PAYMENTS AND WHAT REVENUE SHARE THEY ARE GETTING. DID THAT HELP TO EXPLAIN? IT DOES, I'M, I'M STILL WONDERING HOW THE PAYMENT LINE IS CALCULATED. SO WE, WE HEARD THAT A, UM, THE COMMENT REGARDING THE ZILKER EAGLE AND THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING, BUT I NOTICED THAT THEY DO HAVE GROSS REVENUE. THEY HAVE EXPENDITURES, BUT THERE'S ZERO PAYMENTS. I WAS JUST, THAT WAS THE ONE THAT JUST KIND OF FOR WHO WAS A FLASH FOR YOU SAID FOR THE TRAIN. YEAH, THAT'S BECAUSE THE, I MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT THE NET DISTRIBUTION PLAN, TURN YOUR MIC, THAT, UM, IS STILL UNDER DEVELOPMENT. [01:20:02] OKAY. AND SO THEY HAVEN'T MADE ANY PAYMENTS YET. THAT MONEY IS SITTING IN A, IN AN ACCOUNT, AND AS SOON AS WE GET THAT DISTRIBUTION PLAN APPROVED, THEN THOSE MONIES WILL BE ALLOCATED TO THOSE NONPROFITS. OKAY. YEAH. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . AND, AND ALSO THAT PARTICULAR AGREEMENT IS DIRECTLY WITH THE CITY AND AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION. THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS? YES. UM, IF WE CAN, LET'S LOOK AT PAGE 30. THE BOTTOM OF PAGE 30 WHERE YOU SAY ALL REVENUE GENERATED FROM THIS CONCESSION, I THINK YOU MEAN THESE CONCESSIONS IS DEDICATED TO THE MAINTENANCE OF THE BUTLER TRAIL AND THE TOWN LAKE METROPOLITAN PARK. AND SO I'M GONNA ASK PART A PR NOW I I'LL GET IT DOWN. UM, ARE YOU LOOKING AT THE REPORT OR THE POWERPOINT? THE REPORT. OKAY. I'M SORRY. THAT'S OKAY. WE JUST, I WAS LIKE 30. WE DON'T HAVE 30 SLIDES. . OKAY. SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT THEIR PAGE 30 OF THE REPORT. OKAY. UH, MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, WHO MAINTAINS THE BUTLER TRAIL? AND I MEAN, THE TRAIL DECOMPOSED GRANITE FILL IN THE HALLS, PICK UP THE TRASH, YOU NAME IT, JUST THE TRADITIONAL PART MAINTENANCE TRAIL. WHO DOES THAT? IT, IT, IT'S A COMBINATION OF PARKS AND RECREATION STAFF AND THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY. YEAH. THERE'S CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THAT THAT WE DO IN CERTAIN ASPECTS OF TRAIL CONSERVANCY. MY UNDERSTANDING IS VIRTUALLY ALL OF IT'S DONE BY PART. IS THAT TRUE? UM, THIS COMES FROM YOUR STAFF, SO I'M JUST CURIOUS. YEAH, I I DON'T KNOW THE, THE EXACT RATIO. YEAH. YEAH. SO WHEN WE SAY ALL REVENUE IS GOING STRICTLY INTO THE MAINTENANCE OF THE BUTLER TRAIL IN TOWN, LAKE METROPOLITAN PARK, IS THAT AN ACCURATE STATEMENT? I THINK THAT THE INTENT THERE IS ALL THE REVENUE FROM THE CONCESSIONS ARE BEING ASSIGNED AND NOW BEING MANAGED BY THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY UNDER THE PARKS AND OPERATION MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT ARE GOING TO BE INVESTED BACK IN THE MAINTENANCE, UH, OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF THE TRAIL AND PROGRAMS AND ALL THE THINGS THAT THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY DOES ON BEHALF OF THE CITY. SO THIS ISN'T IN ANY WAY REPLACING ANY OF YOUR EXPENSE? IT, IT IS, IT IS ABSOLUTELY REPLACING SOME OF OUR EXPENSE, BECAUSE IF THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY DIDN'T EXIST, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO DO EVEN MORE TO MAINTAIN THE TRAIL AND ALL OF THE, THE PARK AREAS AROUND IT. YOU SURE? YES. . OKAY. SO I, IF YOU'RE ASKING ME THE QUESTION IS, IS THAT IF THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY DIDN'T EXIST, WE WOULD HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF, OF MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS, UM, BY THE PARKS AND RECREATION TEAM? UH, THE, THAT, THE ANSWER TO THAT WOULD BE, WOULD BE NO, WE WOULD HAVE, WE WOULD BE DOING EVEN MORE THAN WE'RE ALREADY DOING. SO, YEAH, I MEAN, EXAMPLE IS WITH SHO CREEK TRAIL, YOU MAINTAIN SHO CREEK TRAIL. PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY DOES A WONDERFUL JOB OF MAINTAINING PEACE PARK. MM-HMM . YOU WORK IN TANDEM, BUT IT'S NOT FAIR TO SAY PEACE PARK IS MAINTAINING THE TRAIL, YOU'RE SAYING AT BUTLER TRAIL IT'S A DIFFERENT SITUATION. I, I, I GUESS I'M NOT REALLY SURE I UNDERSTAND YOUR, THE DISTINCTION, YOUR QUESTION. I CAN CERTAINLY, I CAN CERTAINLY, UM, WE CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT SPECIFICALLY THE ACTIVITIES THAT THE PARKS AND RECREATION STAFF DOES VERSUS WHAT THE VARIOUS, UH, CONSERVANCY STAFF OR, OR VOLUNTEERS DO. I'M, I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND YOU. WELL, I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT QUESTION RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE WE'RE FACING SURE. AS YOU KNOW, A BUDGET DEFICIT, WE JUST HAD A DEFEAT OF PROP Q. YEP. WE'RE GONNA BE FACING A BOND WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE A STRONG ARGUMENT ABOUT THESE THINGS. AND WHEN WE SPEND MONEY, MONEY IS TRANSFERRED MM-HMM . FROM YOU TO ANOTHER ENTITY, WHATEVER THE ARRANGEMENTS, WHATEVER THE PALM, WHATEVER THE AGREEMENTS, IT, IT, IT LOOKS TO SOME IN THE PUBLIC TO BE QUESTIONABLE. I'M NOT SAYING IT IS, I'M JUST SAYING THE WAY IT LOOKS. SO I'M TRYING TO BE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT HOW THIS IS OPERATING. SURE. I, I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION. I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT. I THINK, AGAIN, UM, THE, THE RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE WITH THE CONSERVANCIES, AND PARTICULARLY THE ONES THAT HAVE THE POMAS, IS THAT THEY, THEY SUPPLEMENT THE WORK THAT WE DO. THEY DO WORK THAT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO WITHOUT ADDING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. NOW, IN PARTICULAR, SPECIFIC TO THESE CONCESSIONAIRES, UM, THE REASON WE AT THE DEPARTMENT, UH, APPRECIATE THIS MODEL IS THAT THOSE CONCESSION REVENUES, INSTEAD OF GOING [01:25:01] BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND, NOW CAN GO BACK DIRECTLY INTO THE MAINTENANCE AND, AND PROGRAMMING AND OPERATIONS OF THE TRAIL OR THE, THE PEACE PARK. SO DEPENDING ON THE POPE. OKAY. I GUESS IF I MAY, ON THE AGREEMENT WITH THE TTC WHERE THEY'RE RECEIVING FUNDS FROM AT LEAST TWO OF THE CONCESSIONS AT THIS POINT, THEN THE MONEY THAT THOSE CONCESSIONS BASICALLY TRANSFERS TO THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY. THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY STILL HAS EXPENDITURES HIGHER THAN THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING FROM BOTH CONCESSIONS. THEY'RE SPENDING MORE THAN YES. THAT IN AN EFFORT TO MAINTAIN THE MATERIAL SYSTEM. RIGHT? SURE. THEY DO THEIR OWN ADDITIONAL, IN ADDITION TO WHAT THEY'RE GETTING FROM THE CONCESSIONS, THEY DO A LOT OF FUNDRAISING, AND THAT IS DOCUMENTATION THAT THE CITY REVIEWS YEAH. ANNUALLY AS WELL. YEAH. OKAY. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ONLINE? OTHER QUESTIONS IN THE ROOM? IF NOT, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ANNUAL ION REPORT. GREAT. THANKS. BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN, UH, IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. GREAT. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER BECKER. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? YES, GO AHEAD. I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS SITUATION WITH HOW THIS MONEY IS FLOWING. I'M SORRY, WITH HOW THE MONEY IS, THESE AGREEMENTS, POEMS, AND HOW IT FLOWS. AND I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR US TO ACTUALLY SEE THAT, HAVE A PRESENTATION ON EXACTLY HOW THAT MONEY IS FLOWING TO AND FRO. UM, BECAUSE IT IS COMPLICATED WHEN WE HAVE $25 MILLION GOING TO THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY OUT OF A TECH STOP MITIGATION. WE'RE NOT TALKING CHUMP CHANGE, WE'RE TALKING SIGNIFICANT DOLLARS FOR SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS. THEY'RE GREAT. THE, THE, UM, WISHBONE BRIDGE IS GREAT SURE. PAID FOR BY THE TAXPAYERS OF AUSTIN, PAID FOR BY THE TAXPAYERS OF AUSTIN. THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW HOW ARE THEIR PUBLIC ASSETS BEING USED AND HOW ARE THEIR PUBLIC MONIES BEING SPENT? YEAH. I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU. UM, YES. UH, AND, AND I WILL SAY THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY'S NOT RECEIVING $25 MILLION. THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY TDOT IS PAYING $25 MILLION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A BOARDWALK THAT'S GOING TO BE MANAGED BY THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY. SO THAT MONEY IS NOT GOING TO THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY. IT'S GONNA BE IN THE, AND, AND THE ASSET WILL BE A CITY ASSET THAT WILL BE MAINTAINED BY THE, BY, UM, OUR PARTNERS AT PARKS AND PARKS AND, UH, EXCUSE ME, UH, PUBLIC WORKS. UH, BUT IN TERMS OF THE, THE, THE TRANSPARENCY ISSUE THAT YOU'RE RAISING, I I, I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH YOU. I THINK, AGAIN, THESE ARE VERY COMPLICATED, UM, AGREEMENTS AND RELATIONSHIPS, AND EVERY ONE OF THEM IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE THE SPACES THAT THEY'RE HELPING US WITH IS DIFFERENT. THE WORK THAT THAT TTC IS DOING IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT PIECES IS DOING IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WATERLOO IS DOING IS DIFFERENT THAN SHOW CREEK, ET CETERA. SO THERE ARE, UM, THERE ARE LOTS OF COMPLICATIONS THERE, BUT FUNDAMENTALLY, OUR GOAL, THAT DEPARTMENT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE RESOURCES THAT ARE, THAT ARE BEING CREATED BY THE CONSERVANCIES ARE BEING ADDITIVE TO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING. AND, AND IN THE CASE OF THESE CONCESSIONS, WE SAW THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENSURE THAT THOSE, THOSE REVENUES WOULD STAY IN THE AREA AS OPPOSED TO GOING BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND AND THEN COMPETE. WE'D HAVE TO COMPETE WITH EVERYBODY ELSE FOR THOSE FUNDS. SO, YEAH. I DO HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION, ROB, GO AHEAD. THIS WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION ON THE FIFTH. THE 18TH. 18TH, OKAY. WILL YOU BE BRINGING UP THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS AND WHY THAT HAD THOSE HAVEN'T PROGRESSED? THEY'LL, YOU KNOW, THAT LIST OF FOUR, THEY'LL GET THE SAME. THEY'LL GET THE SAME. OKAY. SO THEY'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO RESPOND TO YES, THOSE, OKAY. DEFINITELY. THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS. [01:30:01] OKAY. I'LL REMIND EVERYONE THAT THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS TO APPROVE THE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION 20 20 20 25 ANNUAL CONCESSION REPORT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL THOSE ABSTAINING, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL THOSE VOTING AGAINST GREAT MOTION FAILS. THANK YOU. WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT MOTION FAILING, IF I MAY ASK PROCEDURALLY? ARE THERE ANY, UH, I BELIEVE THAT THE EVENTUAL CONCESSION REPORT, WE'LL JUST GO TO CITY COUNCIL WITHOUT OUR, WITHOUT ANY ACTION FROM IT. THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE. GREAT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, WE'LL MOVE ON [3. Presentation, discussion and approve a recommendation to Austin City Council to authorize the negotiation and execution of revenue legacy concession contract with Zilker Park Boat Rental to operate and maintain a watercraft concession at the Barton Creek location within Zilker Metropolitan Park. (Sponsors: Bazan, Flowers) (APR Long Range Strategies: Urban Public Spaces, Park Access for All). Presenter(s): Lucas Massie, Assistant Director and Denisha Cox, Contract Management Supervisor, Austin Parks and Recreation.] TO THE NEXT ITEM, UH, WHICH IS THE PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION, AND APPROVAL OF A RECOMMENDATION DAW CITY COUNCIL ABOUT THE NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF REVENUE LEGACY CONCESSION CONTRACT WITH ZILKER PARK BOAT RENTAL. YOU CAN READ THE REST OF THE SENTENCE. SO DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTERS FOR THAT? NO CHAIR. OKAY. THEN WE'LL GO INTO THE PRESENTATION. HI, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS DANISHA COX. I'M THE CONTRACT MANAGEMENT SUPERVISOR WITH, UM, AUSTIN PARKS AND REC, UM, WITH CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS. UM, WITH ME, I HAVE LUCAS, LUCAS MASS, THIS DIRECTOR, AND WE ARE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT YOU THE, UM, ZILKER PARK BOAT RENTAL LEG LEGACY CONCESSION ON BURTON CREEK. AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY IS, UM, ONE, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE LEGACY CONCESSION POLICY, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UM, NEXT STEPS. SO UNDER THE AUTHORITY, UM, THE REVISED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR CONCESSIONS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS WERE APPROVED BY COUNSEL ON NOVEMBER 6TH, 2025, UNDER RESOLUTION 20 25 11 0 6 0 4 3. AND WE TOUCHED ON THAT IN THE REPORT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CITY CODE TITLE EIGHT, THAT AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR HAS THE AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO EXECUTE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR CONCESSIONS IN AUSTIN PARKS IN ACCORDANCE WITH CITY POLICIES AND BEST PRACTICES. UNDER CITY CODE EIGHT DASH ONE DASH 71 THROUGH 73, THE DIRECTOR SHALL EVALUATE A PROPOSED LEGACY CONCESSION AND DETERMINE IN THEIR SOLE DISCRETION WHETHER IT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS SET FORTH IN THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. SO WITH THE LEGACY CONCESSION, UH, POLICY, THIS WAS, UH, AN ADDITION TO THE, UH, POLICY AND PROCEDURES THAT WE HAD UPDATED RECENTLY. AND SO WHEN WE ARE, UH, LOOKING AT CONCESSIONS, UM, A CONCESSIONAIRE CAN PROPOSE TO BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE LEGACY CONCESSION POLICY. AND SO TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS, THEY HAVE TO BE AN EXISTING CONCESSION OPERATING IN THE PARK SYSTEM UNDER AN AGREEMENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT THAT IT HAS TO BE CONTINUOUSLY OWNED AND OPERATED IN THE SAME PARK LOCATION BY THE SAME PERSON, LOCAL BUSINESS OR FAMILY MEMBER OF THE PERSON OR OWNER OF THE LOCAL BUSINESS FOR AT LEAST 20 YEARS. THEY HAVE TO HAVE OPERATED UNDER THE SAME OR SIMILAR NAME THROUGHOUT ITS EXISTENCE, UM, CONTRIBUTED TO THE CITY'S HISTORY AND CULTURE AS DETERMINED SOLELY BY THE DEPARTMENT AND MAINTAINED ITS PHYSICAL FEATURES IN GOOD CONDITION. SO THE ZILKER PARK BOAT RENTAL SUBMITTED A PROPOSAL, UM, TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE LEGACY CONCESSION AGREEMENT AND JUST SOME CONTENT. ZUCKER PARK BOAT RENTALS OPEN FOR BUSINESS IN 1969 AS A CANOE RENTAL SERVICE FOR BARTON CREEK AND TOWN LAKE. AND LATER THEY INCLUDED KAYAKS AND STANDUP PADDLEBOARDS, UM, ALSO KNOWN AS SUVS AMONG THEIR BOAT INVENTORIES. THEIR CURRENT AGREEMENT WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, OR WITH A PR IS, UH, EXPIRES ON FEBRUARY 28TH OF THIS YEAR. AND, UM, ON FEBRUARY 28TH, 2006, WE ENTERED INTO A REVENUE CONCESSION AGREEMENT. THE INITIAL AGREEMENT PERIOD EXPIRED ON MARCH 1ST, 2011 WITH TWO ADDITIONAL FIVE-YEAR EXTENSIONS. AND THE CITY EXTENDED THIS AGREEMENT FOUR ADDITIONAL TIMES WITH THE LAST EXTENSION EXPIRING ON FEBRUARY 28TH, 2026. SO YOU CAN HEAR, YOU CAN SEE HERE THE BASIC CONTRACT PERIODS ALONG WITH EXTENSIONS, AND THEN THE CURRENT CONTRACT EXPIRATION DATE. NOW, UNDER THE CURRENT AGREEMENT WITH THE REVENUE SHARE, THE AGREEMENT AGREEMENT INCLUDES LANGUAGE REVENUE OBLIGATIONS WITH PAYMENTS OF A MINIMUM OF 18,000 ANNUALLY, PLUS [01:35:01] 10% OF ANY AMOUNT, OVER 180,000 GROSS REVENUES. AND SO HERE YOU CAN SEE A BREAKDOWN OF THEIR ANNUAL GROSS REVENUE AND THE ANNUAL CONCESSION PAYMENTS TO THE CITY. NOW, LIKE I SAID, THEY PRO UH, THEY SUBMITTED A PROPOSAL AND THE PROPOSAL WAS REVIEWED AND THE DIRECTOR DID, UM, APPROVE THE LEGACY DESIGNATION FOR A LA LEGACY CONCESSION. SO NOW WHAT WE ARE DOING IS WE ARE WORKING THROUGH, UM, A CONTRACT WITH KER PARK BOAT RENTALS FOR A LEGACY CONCESSION AGREEMENT. SO CURRENTLY IN THE, UH, LANGUAGE, UH, THE TERM IS AN INITIAL TERM OF 10 YEARS WITH TWO OPTIONAL FIVE YEAR EXTENSIONS. ALSO, THE CONTRACT WILL INCLUDE, UM, WHICH IS WHAT WE ADDRESSED ALSO IN THE ANNUAL CONCESSION REPORT. WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE CONTRACTS MORE STANDARDIZED. SO IT WILL ALSO INCLUDE, UH, UPDATED REVENUE SHARE LIVING WAGE, A DA UPDATES, ENVIRONMENTAL AND LEAVE NO TRACE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES, UM, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, REPORTING REQUIREMENT SAFETY, AND, UH, CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS AND PUBLIC BENEFIT. AND BECAUSE WE ARE, UM, WORKING THROUGH, UM, THE NEGOTIATION OF IT, UM, WE CAN'T GO INTO, UM, DETAIL ON WHAT THAT IS BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T ESTABLISHED THE FINAL AGREEMENT YET. SO WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR TODAY IS FOR THE BOARD TO RECOMMEND A CITY COUNCIL TO AUTHORIZE A NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF A REVENUE LEGACY CONCESSION CONTRACT WITH ZUCKER PARK BOAT RENTAL TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN A WATERCRAFT CONCESSION AT THE BARTON CREEK LOCATION WITHIN ZILKER METROPOLITAN PARK. AND BEFORE YOU TAKE THIS ACTION, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, THIS ITEM WILL GO BEFORE COUNSEL ON FEBRUARY 5TH. ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? ANY QUESTIONS ONLINE? SORRY, Y'ALL ARE JUST COMING BACK ON SCREEN HERE. NO, IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. I'LL ASK THE QUESTION. OH, GO AHEAD. UM, A GENTLEMAN ASKED IN THE PUBLIC COMMENTS, I BELIEVE THAT, UM, I, I BELIEVE BASICALLY THERE WAS A GRIEVANCE ABOUT THE SELECTION PROCESS OF THE CONTRACT AND THE SCORING AND SO FORTH. IS THAT, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE AT LIBERTY AT, UH, UM, DISCUSSING? WHAT COMPETITION HAVE YOU BEEN SEEING FOR OPERATING THE CONCESSIONS? SO WHAT I CAN, OF COURSE THAT'S, THIS IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE THIS WAS NOT COMPETED. THIS WAS, UH, AN AGREEMENT ESTABLISHED DUE TO THAT LEGACY CONCESSION THAT WE NOW HAVE. BUT I CAN SPEAK TO PRIOR SOLICITATIONS, AND WE DO HAVE, UM, INTEREST, UM, CONSISTENT INTEREST IN BECOMING A VENDOR FOR WATERCRAFT, UM, OPERATIONS IN THE CITY. NOW, I CAN'T SPEAK DIRECTLY BECAUSE CENTRAL PROCUREMENT LED THE, THE CONS, UH, THE SOLICITATION THAT HE WAS REFERRING TO, AND THEY'RE THE ONES WHO COUNSELED AND TOOK THE ACTION ON THAT. UM, BUT YES, SO WE DO HAVE INTEREST, UM, FROM OTHER VENDORS IN OBTAINING WATERCRAFT CONCESSIONS. IT JUST SO HAPPENS FOR THIS INSTANCE, WE DIDN'T COMPETE THIS ONE BECAUSE THIS ONE, UH, MET THE LEGACY CONCESSION STANDARD. THANK YOU. OKAY. OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. HAVE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. SO MOVE. GREAT. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS. IS THERE A SECOND? YES. GREAT. THANK YOU. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. GREAT. THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I GOT IT. WAS IT BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN THAT SECONDED THAT MOTION? OH, NO. IT WAS BOARD MEMBER KERN ZOSTER WHILE, THANK YOU. [4. Presentation, discussion and approve a recommendation to Austin City Council to authorize a contract for the rental of a mobile security trailer and monitoring services for various parkland areas for Austin Parks and Recreation with LiveView Technology d/b/a LVT, for an initial term of three years with up to two one-year extension options in an amount not to exceed $2,000,000. (Sponsors: Bazan, Flowers) (APR Long Range Strategies: Relief from Urban Life, Park Access for All). Presenter(s): Amanda Ross, Natural Resources Division Manager, Austin Parks and Recreation.] UM, OKAY. SO WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM HERE, WHICH IS ITEM NUMBER FOUR, A PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION, AND APPROVAL OF A RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO AUTHORIZE A CONTRACT FOR THE RENTAL OF A MOBILE SECURITY TRAILER AND MONITORING SERVICES. UM, SO ARE THERE, UH, ANY PUBLIC COMMENTERS ON THIS ITEM? YES, CHAIR. OKAY. OUR FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTER WILL BE LILLIAN PORRO, FOLLOWED BY CYRUS HARP. THANK YOU. HELLO AGAIN, MY NAME IS LILLIAN RO. UM, I'M [01:40:01] HERE TO VOCALLY OPPOSE THE PROPOSED CONTRACT WITH LIVE VIEW. UM, AUSTIN TAXPAYERS HAVE EXPRESSED AS RECENTLY AS LAST YEAR WHEN THIS CAME BEFORE CITY COUNCIL FOR THE PILOT PROGRAM, THAT THEY DO NOT WANT PUBLIC FUNDS TO BE USED FOR SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY, SUCH AS THIS OTHER SECURITY MEASURES ARE AVAILABLE AND AFFORDABLE, AND THEY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BEFORE SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY SUCH AS LIVEVIEW. NOT ONLY WOULD THIS CONTRACT PROVIDE A SMALL BENEFIT TO THE US TO THE AUSTIN CONSTITUENTS, IT WOULD CREATE A OPPORTUNITY FOR HARM TO THOSE CONSTITUENTS. OUR CITIZENS HAVE NOTHING MORE THAN A PROMISE FROM LIVE VIEW THAT THIS DATA WILL BE DELETED AFTER 60 DAYS. THERE ARE NO REPERCUSSIONS FOR LIVE VIEW IF THEY DISHONOR THIS AGREEMENT. THERE'S NO LEGAL METHOD FOR THE CITY TO PURSUE, UH, CONSEQUENCES IF THEY DO DISHONOR THIS AGREEMENT, AND IT, I CONSIDER IT LIKELY LIVE VIEW AND TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS ITSELF HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO DATA LEAKAGE, AND THAT DATA THAT THEY STORE FOR 60 DAYS IS NOT SECURE. AUSTIN PARK GOERS MAY EXPERIENCE SERIOUS RISK AND CONCERN SIMPLY BY TRYING TO USE THEIR PUBLIC SPACES. AND I PERSONALLY WOULD BE UNCOMFORTABLE KNOWING THAT ANY PARK THAT I GO TO, I'M BEING RECORDED AND SOMEONE'S GOING TO BE WATCHING ME. I DON'T WANT THAT TO BE TRUE. IT'S BAD ENOUGH THAT IT'S ON OUR STREETS. IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE IN OUR PUBLIC GREEN SPACES AS WELL. PLEASE HONOR THE WISHES OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND OPPOSE THIS MOTION SO THAT CITY COUNCIL HAS EXPRESSED, HAS CLEAR DIRECTION FROM THE PARKS DEPARTMENT THAT THIS IS NOT WHAT THEIR CONSTITUENTS WANT. WE ALREADY HAVE A BUDGET DEFICIT. THERE IS NO REASON TO SPEND $2 MILLION ON TECHNOLOGY THAT AUSTIN PAC TAXPAYERS DON'T WANT IN THE FIRST PLACE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CYRUS HARP. CYRUS HARP CYRUS. 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. ALL GREAT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WE CAN GO AHEAD WITH WHATEVER PRESENTATION WE HAVE. I AM OBVIOUSLY SHORT. ALL RIGHT. YOU GUYS CAN HEAR ME? OKAY. AWESOME. GIMME A SECOND TO GET SETTLED. THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING TO YOU GUYS TONIGHT. UM, A REVIEW OF OUR CAMERA TRAILERS PILOT PROGRAM, AS WELL AS OUR KIND OF NEXT STEPS. I'M AMANDA ROSS. I'M A DIVISION MANAGER WITH THE NATURAL RESOURCES GROUP WITHIN THE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. AND I HAVE LEANNE ISH COMER HERE WITH ME. SHE'S OUR PROGRAM MANAGER OVER OUR PARKS AND RECREATION, UM, PARK RANGER TEAM. SO I'M GONNA TAKE YOU BACK TO A COUPLE YEARS. UM, IN 2022, IT WAS NOT UNCOMMON TO VISIT MANY OF OUR PARK SPACES AND SEE PILES OF GLASS WINDSHIELDS BROKEN OUT. UH, THE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS WE WERE GETTING WERE VERY HIGH, AND WE HAD, UM, KIND OF, WE STRUGGLED TO, TO KNOW WHAT TO DO NEXT. WE WERE WORKING WITH AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AT THAT POINT IN TIME. UM, SPECIFICALLY ON BURGLARY VEHICLE. SEEMED TO BE WHAT WAS MOST CONSISTENT. PEOPLE WERE COMING TO PARKS, BRINGING THEIR FAMILY OUT TO ENJOY MOUNT PINAL FROM OUT OF TOWN, COMING BACK TO THEIR CAR. AND THEIR WINDOWS WERE SMASHED AND THEIR PURSES WERE STOLEN, THEIR WALLETS WERE STOLEN, MONEY WAS GONE. AND WE, WE WERE HEARING THEIR CONCERNS. IT WAS MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO ENJOY SOME OF OUR MOST CHERISHED PUBLIC SPACES. AND SO WITH THAT, UM, WE, WE LOOKED AT DIFFERENT WAYS TO HANDLE THIS, AND THAT IS WHERE WE, UM, WORKED ON THIS PILOT TO BRING IN THESE VERY LARGE TRAILERS THAT HAVE MOBILE CAMERAS ON THEM. AND THOSE CAMERAS CAN BE, UM, CAN SEE THE AREA. UM, WE WORKED WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT ON THAT AS WELL. AND SO, BEFORE I GET TOO MUCH INTO THAT, UM, IN THE PILOT PROGRAM, I DID WANNA ADDRESS A COUPLE THINGS THAT WE HAVE HEARD IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ON THESE CAMERAS. AND SOME OF THESE CONCERNS. AS MUCH OF A CONCERN AS IT IS FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE AFRAID OF THEIR WINDOWS BEING BROKEN INTO IT IS JUST AS MUCH OF A CONCERN FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY FEELS WELCOME IN THOSE SPACES, AND THAT THEIR PRIVACY IS PROTECTED IN A WAY THAT MAKES THEM STILL FEEL LIKE THEY CAN ENJOY THIS SPACE. SO WE HAVE TO BALANCE THOSE THINGS AS COMMUNITY SERVANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING THOSE. AND SO WHEN WE DID THAT, WE REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING THAT. AND SO WE HAVE HEARD SOME COMPLAINTS, UM, AND SOME CONCERNS, AND [01:45:01] WE HAVE WORKED TO ADJUST WHERE WE ARE NOW. SO I'M GONNA SKIP A LITTLE BIT AHEAD, AND THEN I'M GONNA GO BACK IN TIME HERE IN A SECOND AND GO BACK OVER OUR PILOT. UM, SO WHAT WE SAW, OR WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE IS THAT ULTIMATELY THERE'S A CONCERN ASSOCIATED SPECIFICALLY WITH THE TECHNOLOGY ITSELF. SO WE DID WORK WITH OUR TECHNOLOGY TEAM OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS, AND WE HAVE A FEW, UH, CHANGES TO THE CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THAT. THAT HELPS US HOPEFULLY ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS AS WELL. SO WE DO HAVE EXCLUSIVE OWNERSHIP OF THE FOOTAGE AS PART OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN. AND IN THE CONTRACT, IT'S ALSO PART OF A CIS COMPLIANT CLOUD AND US BASED ENCRYPTION PROCESS AS WELL WITH, WITH OUR VENDOR, UM, OR POTENTIAL VENDOR. WE HAVE STRICT PROHIBITIONS ON FACIAL RECOGNITION OR BIOMETRIC IDENTIFICATION TECHNOLOGY USED. THOSE ARE CONCERNS WE ALL HEARD ABOUT, AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE IN THE CONTRACT AS WE MOVE FORWARD. UM, AND THEN IN ADDITION, JUST AN AUTOMATIC DELETION OF DATA, UM, AFTER 60 DAYS. SO I JUMPED AHEAD A LITTLE BIT IN TIME, BUT IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW YOU WHAT ONE LOOKS LIKE. THIS IS A CAMERA THAT WAS PLACED AT, UM, THIS IS 360 AT THE ENTRANCE TO, UH, BARTON CREEK GREENBELT. UM, AS YOU'RE WALKING INTO TWIN FALLS, BASICALLY THIS IS KIND OF YOUR MAIN ENTRANCE. UH, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE EDGE OF THE DUMPSTER, NOT THE GREATEST PICTURE, BUT THE EDGE OF THE DUMPSTER THERE. AND YOU CAN SEE THE HOW LARGE THIS, UM, THIS IS, IT'S A SOLAR PANEL. IT'S A VERY LARGE TRAILER, AND THEN THERE'S CAMERAS AT THE TOP AND THEY ARE BASICALLY POINTING AT THE PARKING AREA. UM, THIS WAS ONE OF OUR HOTSPOT AREAS. WE CHOSE LOCATIONS FOR THE CAMERAS DURING THE PILOT, WHICH OCCURRED IN 23, 24, AND 25 BASED ON CRIME DATA AND WHERE WE WERE SEEING THE MOST BREAK-INS. AND SO THEY WERE PLACED THERE. AND THIS WAS ONE OF OUR HOTSPOT AREAS. SO I'M JUST GONNA TAKE YOU A LITTLE BIT BACK. WE PLACED THEM AT A VARIETY OF PARKS THROUGHOUT. UM, WE TRIED A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS. SO WE TRIED PARKING LOTS. WE TRIED ILLEGAL DUMPING TO SEE IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO HELP US WITH SOME ILLEGAL DUMPING SITES. WE HAD, PARTICULARLY NEAR THE COLORADO RIVER WILDLIFE SANCTUARY. IT WAS NOT EFFECTIVE NECESSARILY FOR THAT FOR US. UM, BUT IT WAS EFFECTIVE ASSOCIATED WITH BURGLARY OF VEHICLES GIVEN THE DATA WE HAVE. UM, SO PARTICULARLY AT MOUNT BONNELL, WE DID SEE A REDUCTION IN, UM, CRIME THAT WAS PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL, UM, IN 2022, WHICH WE KIND OF CONSIDER THE BASELINE. 'CAUSE THAT WAS THE LAST YEAR BEFORE WE HAD ANY, UM, CAMERAS PLACED. THERE WERE, UM, OVER THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY, THREE HUNDRED SEVENTY THREE TO BE EXACT REPORTED CASES OF BURGLARY VEHICLES. AND THAT'S THE PEOPLE WHO CHOSE TO REPORT IT TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THERE WERE LIKELY OTHERS THAT, THAT DIDN'T EVEN GO THAT FAR WITH THAT. AND THEN AS OF AUGUST OF LAST YEAR, SO NOT A COMPLETE YEAR, I WANNA BE TRANSPARENT ON THAT. THERE WERE 88 LAST YEAR. SO JUST COMPARING THOSE NUMBERS AS A SUBSTANTIAL DECREASE IN CRIME, PARTICULARLY AT THE, UM, MOUNT BONNELL LOCATION. AND IN ADDITION, A PD HELPED US WITH SOME OF THE DATA ANALYSIS ON SOME OF THEIR, UM, OPEN RECORDS. THEY FOUND THAT NINE OF THE SITES WHERE WE HAD PLACED THE CAMERAS ACTUALLY DID SEE A REDUCTION OF OVERALL CRIME AS WELL. AND SO THAT WAS ALSO HELPFUL FOR THAT. UM, OUR PURPOSE WITH THESE CAMERAS IN THAT PILOT AND MOVING FORWARD HAS BEEN ONE, THEY SERVE AS A DETERRENT. PEOPLE SEE THIS VERY LARGE ITEM THAT SAYS, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT, MAYBE THIS ISN'T THE BEST PLACE FOR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY TO, UM, THE VIDEO CAN BE USED TO SUPPORT INVESTIGATIONS MOVING FORWARD SO THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS THE ABILITY TO GO TO, UM, TO LOOK BACK AND SAY, WHAT, WHAT DID OCCUR AT THIS TIMEFRAME? AND IS THERE EVIDENCE THAT COULD BE USED TO SUPPORT, UM, NEXT STEPS IN AN INVESTIGATION? AND THEN I WANTED TO BE CLEAR IN THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, WE AREN'T LOOKING AT EVERY LOCATION AND NOT EVERY PARK SPACE. WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IS, UM, MOBILE TRAILERS THAT WE WOULD MOVE TO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS BASED ON HOTSPOTS AND CRIME DATA. AND SO RIGHT NOW WE THINK THAT WILL BE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SIX AND 10 LOCATIONS A YEAR, AND THAT THEY WOULD BE PLACED, UM, AGAIN, BASED ON CRIME DATA, WHERE WE'RE SEEING PROBLEMS, WHERE WE'RE SEEING HOTSPOTS. UM, AND THEN THEY WILL BE, UM, ULTIMATELY MOVED TO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. SO WE DON'T EXPECT THEM TO STAY THERE ALL YEAR. UM, WE WOULD ROTATE THEM THROUGH, PULL THEM OUT DURING THE LESS BUSY TIME OF THE YEAR SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME OF THOSE, UH, FINANCIAL SAVINGS AS WELL. BUT CURRENTLY WHERE WE ARE, UM, AFTER THE PILOT, WE DID GO OUT FOR A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. WE DID GET, UM, A BIDDER OR MULTIPLE BIDDERS ON A CONTRACT. AND AT THIS POINT IN TIME, UM, THAT CONTRACT WAS BROUGHT UP ORIGINALLY AT THE END, KIND OF END OF THE SUMMER. WE HEARD SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS. AND SINCE THEN, WE'VE REALLY WORKED WITH OUR TECHNOLOGY STAFF TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE CAN DO AS A CITY TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT THOSE PEOPLE AT OUR PARKS ARE WELCOME AND SAFE AND DO BOTH OF THOSE THINGS. AND [01:50:01] SO THIS FRIDAY IS CURRENTLY WHEN WE'RE SCHEDULED TO BRING THIS BACK UP, UM, SORRY, THIS THURSDAY, UM, ON THE FIFTH BACK UP WITH CITY COUNCIL. UM, THE CONTRACT ITSELF IS SET AS AN INITIAL THREE YEAR TERM WITH, UH, TWO ONE YEAR EXTENSIONS. UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE GONNA PUT MANDATORY SIGNAGE ON EVERY TRAILER STATING EXACTLY WHAT IT'S DOING, THAT IT IS RECORDING. IF YOU HAVE A CRIME THAT IS OCCURRED, YOU NEED THIS ACCESS REFERENCE TO THIS LOCATION SO THAT THAT CAN BE PART OF THE INVESTIGATION. IN ADDITION, UM, THERE IS, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'LL BE A RESOLUTION, UM, THIS THURSDAY AS WELL. THAT ALSO PUTS OUT GUIDELINES, UM, FOR SUR SURVEILLANCE WITHIN THE CITY BY CITY COUNCIL. AND WE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT ANY CONTRACT MOVING FORWARD WOULD COMPLY WITH ALL THOSE GUIDANCE REGULATIONS AND GUARDRAILS THAT ARE SUGGESTED AT THAT POINT IN TIME. AND THEN LASTLY, JUST WANNA MENTION THAT AGAIN, THIS, THE GOAL ISN'T EVERY PARK SPACE ISN'T EVERY GREEN SPACE. IT REALLY IS TO FOCUS ON AREAS OF HIGH, UM, CRIME POTENTIAL, WHICH TYPICALLY HAS BEEN OUR, UM, OUR PARKING LOTS SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS, UM, THIS PILOT AND THIS PROJECT. UM, WITH THAT, I'LL ASK IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS. GREAT. THANK YOU. QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? YES, GO AHEAD. HI, THANKS FOR THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. UM, I'M LOOKING AT THE MEMO ON PAGE THREE. UM, AND I I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM, WHEN DID THE CAMERAS FOR THE PILOT PROGRAM GET INSTALLED IN THESE LOCATIONS? WHAT YEAR WAS THAT? WAS THAT 2023? SO IT WAS 2023. SO 2022 IS OUR BASELINE DATA OF IT AS WELL. AND SO BASICALLY THEY WERE ORIGINALLY INSTALLED IN MAY, MAY 31ST, 2023. OKAY. AND YOU MADE A COMMENT ABOUT, UM, THE PRESENCE OF CAMERAS AS BEING A DETERRENT. UM, I HAVE CAMERAS ALL OVER MY HOUSE. I HAD MY CAR STOLEN OFF MY DRIVEWAY, , I GAVE THE VIDEO TO THE POLICE. NOTHING HAPPENED, UH, TO THE PEOPLE WHO STOLE MY CAR. MY CAR WAS RECOVERED, YOU KNOW, YAY. TRAVIS COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT. I, I'M WONDERING IS IS IT REALLY A DETERRENT OR IS THE DATA THAT YOU PRESENTED ON SLIDE THREE JUST, UM, A DOWNTURN IN THE CRIME RATE? I, I GUESS WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS THAT DATA OF THE CAMERAS AND OVERALL CRIME RATE IS, IS IT REALLY THE CAMERAS THERE OR IS CRIME RATE GOING DOWN? ARE WE DOING A BETTER JOB EDUCATING THE PUBLIC? DON'T LEAVE YOUR PURSE ON THE FRONT SEAT OF YOUR CAR EVEN IF IT'S LOCKED. I MEAN, ARE WE, ARE WE DOING A BETTER JOB EDUCATING AND THAT'S WHY THESE NUMBERS ARE GOING DOWN? IS THE CRIME RATE GOING DOWN? YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. UM, SO WE KNEW BURGLARY VEHICLES WAS A PROBLEM BEFORE 2023, RIGHT? SO WE KNEW FOR, FOR SEVERAL YEARS, WE TRIED A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS. OUR PARK RANGERS, WE INCREASED PATROLS TO AREAS. WE ALSO TOOK, UM, THE EFFORTS TO INSTALL ADDITIONAL TAKE LOCK HIDE SO THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD BE NOTIFIED, THIS IS AN AREA, IF YOU SEE THE SIGN, YOU, YOU REALLY NEED TO TAKE LOCK HIDE HERE. RIGHT? AND SO THAT WAS DONE AS WELL. UM, AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, SOMETIMES WHEN THOSE CAMERAS ARE REMOVED, YOU'LL SEE A SPIKE BACK UP AND WHEN THEY'RE PUT BACK DOWN. UM, AND THEN YOU'LL ALSO SEE THAT SOME OF THEM DID HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE LASTING IMPACT AS WELL. UM, SO WE CAN'T NECESSARILY SAY, BECAUSE THERE WAS A CAMERA THERE, THE CRIME RATE OR THE BURGLARY VEHICLES WENT DOWN SPECIFICALLY THAT IS, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO DO. I KNOW A PD PUT A LOT OF ENERGY AND EFFORT INTO PARTNERING WITH US AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY WERE USING THAT, UM, INVESTIGATION DATA TO HELP THEM PROSECUTE TO THAT, TO HELP GET THAT TO THE PROSECUTOR SO THAT THEY COULD GET IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL AS WELL, SO THAT THEY COULD SHOW THAT PREVIOUSLY WHEN YOU HAD A BURGLARY VEHICLE CASE AND, UM, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT WOULD BE CLOSED, RIGHT? UNLESS IT WAS PART OF A LARGER THING. SO IF THEY DON'T HAVE EVIDENCE TO MOVE ON, IT IS DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO CONTINUE INVESTIGATING. AND THIS ALLOWED THEM TO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL DATA THAT THEY COULD USE AS WELL. AND ALSO, I'M VERY SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR CAR. GLAD IT WAS RECOVERED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION. I, I DO, I AM CONCERNED, YOU KNOW, WITH THE STATE OF OUR CITY BUDGET, THE COST OF THIS, UM, I'M NOT, I'M NOT AGAINST HAVING ADDITIONAL ITEMS THAT WILL HELP, UM, SECURITY AND HELP KEEP PEOPLE SAFE AND REDUCE BURGLARY. I I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE PRIVACY AND THE COST. THANK YOU. YEAH. AND I ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, SOME FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS RELATED TO THAT. AND I KNOW YOU CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. SO THE STATEMENT I'M GONNA MAKE BEFOREHAND, NO ONE'S HERE TO DEFEND IT. THEY CAN COME FOR ME, THEY'LL KNOW WHERE TO FIND ME. UM, BUT I HAVE NOT FOUND THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES INVESTIGATE PROPERTY CRIMES, PERIOD, WHETHER THERE IS, AND THAT'S BECAUSE THEY CLAIM TO BE UNDERSTAFFED, WHICH THEY VERY [01:55:01] WELL MAY BE. I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON THE POLICE, BUT I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PERSONAL INSTANCES, NOT MYSELF, BUT OTHERS I KNOW WHERE VIDEO WAS EXISTED AND NOTHING WAS DONE ABOUT THE CRIME. SO I APPRECIATE THE SENTIMENT THAT PERHAPS IT WOULD BE USEFUL FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF A CRIME, BUT FOR ME, THAT'S NOT REALLY A REASON TO PUT THIS HERE BECAUSE I THINK DE DETERRING MIGHT, AGAIN, THE DATA IS KIND OF MIXED TO ME. BUT COMING BACK TO, UH, BOARD MEMBER KERNS, OSTER ROSS'S COMMENT, I AM A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT THE COST OF MYSELF GIVEN THE STATE OF OUR CITY BUDGET. UH, $2 MILLION IS A LOT OF MONEY. ARE WE SAVING $2 MILLION IN PROPERTY DAMAGE? MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE YOU GUYS DID RESEARCH ON THAT, BUT THAT'S SORT OF THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE, IS IT'S A LOT TO SPEND, AND I KNOW IT, I AM SYMPATHETIC TO THE FACT THAT IT IS PROBABLY MORE COST EFFECTIVE THAN HAVING PEOPLE BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND MAY EVEN BE MORE EFFECTIVE IN TERMS OF DETERRING BASED ON YOUR NUMBERS. BUT I GUESS FOR ME, IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE, I DON'T LOOK AT THIS AND SEE JUST LIKE A STANDOUT WINNER OF A CASE ON $2 MILLION IN MY MIND. SO I WANNA CLARIFY THE $2 MILLION A LITTLE BIT. SO IT'S NOT $2 MILLION IN A FISCAL YEAR, AND IT'S NOT ASKING FOR ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS. WE RECEIVED OPERATING FUNDS FOR SECURITY PURPOSES A COUPLE YEARS AGO IN THE AMOUNT OF ABOUT $254,000. AND SO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO USE THAT ON SECURITY ITEMS. AND THERE'S A VARIETY OF THINGS WHICH ARE ON THAT UMBRELLA, INCLUDING THIS. AND THE GOAL WOULD BE TO SPEND AN AMOUNT OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS THAT COULD ADD UP TO, WITH CONTINGENCY IN AN UP TO $5 MILLION. SO, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, IT'S NOT $2 MILLION IN A FISCAL YEAR, AND IT'S NOT EVEN $2 MILLION IN THREE FISCAL YEARS. IT'S THE LIFE OF THE CONTRACT, WHICH IS FIVE YEARS. AND SO WE DO EXPECT, OUR GOAL WOULD BE TO SPEND SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 150 AND $200,000 A YEAR, WHICH WOULD ALLOW US TO HAVE ABOUT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SIX AND 10 CAMERAS. UM, WHICH JUST FOR YOUR REFERENCE, IS ABOUT 27 50 A MONTH. SO 2700, 20 $700 A MONTH. YEAH. GREAT. THANKS FOR THAT CLARIFIER. 'CAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS IN THE THREE YEAR PERIOD, SO THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT IT'S IN THE FIVE YEARS. SO, OTHER QUESTIONS? YES. UM, YES, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. UM, ONE IS, DID DID YOU LOOK CLOSELY AT RESURRECTING THE PARK POLICE? DID YOU LOOK CLOSELY AT EVEN CONTRACTING THAT, UM, PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY CONTRACTS WITH A COMPANY THAT PATROLS THE PARK ALL NIGHT, UM, AND REPORTS BACK TO PEACE PARK ON WHAT THEY FIND, ET CETERA, AND IT SEEMS TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR THEM. SO I'M, I'M ASSUMING THAT YOU'VE LOOKED CLOSELY AT THAT DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR BENEFIT FOR BENEFIT. YEAH. UM, AND SO, UM, WE DO HAVE A CONTRACT IN THE ABILITY TO HAVE OVERNIGHT OR JUST ADDITIONAL SECURITY PRESENCE. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY UNDER A CONTRACT TO USE. UM, PEACE PARK IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF ALSO WHERE ADDITIONAL BREAK-INS WERE OCCURRING AND MM-HMM . I WANNA CLARIFY, THIS WAS NOT OVERNIGHT. THESE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY WHEN PEOPLE WERE THERE. AND SO, UM, WE'VE LOOKED AT THAT AT ULTIMATELY, UM, IT WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE SOMEONE STANDING THERE THE ENTIRE TIME. UM, AND THEN ALSO, UM, THE, THE WAY THESE ARE DONE IS, IS THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE PRETTY SMART. THEY, THEY COME IN AND THEY JUST KIND OF CAN HIDE IN BETWEEN CARS AND DO THAT. SO IT WOULD BE REALLY DIFFICULT FOR ONE, AN INDIVIDUAL STANDING THERE. PEACE PARK IS A PRETTY SMALL PARKING LOT, BUT SOMEPLACE, UM, LIKE SOME OF OUR LARGE, LIKE THE BARTON CREEK GREEN BELT, THAT WOULD BE A DIFFICULT PLACE TO PATROL THAT SPACE AS WELL. AND SO ULTIMATELY, I DON'T, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY COST MORE COST EFFECTIVE, AND IT'S ACTUALLY PRETTY DIFFICULT FOR, FOR ONE INDIVIDUAL TO, TO DO THAT, PARTICULARLY IN THESE SPACES WHERE YOU HAVE PEOPLE COMING AND GOING CONSTANTLY AS WELL. OKAY. SO, AND THE SECOND QUESTION IS, AND I'M GONNA GO BACK TO WHAT BOARD MEMBER FLOWERS WAS ASKING ABOUT. I'M CONFUSED ABOUT THE MONEY AND THE TERM. IS IT FIVE YEARS? IS IT THREE YEARS? WHAT'S THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT? YEAH, SO THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT IS THREE YEARS WITH TWO ONE YEAR EXTENSIONS AVAILABLE. SO IF WE DO THREE YEARS AND WE CONSIDER IT WORKING, WE CAN CONTINUE THAT. SO THE LIFE OF THE CONTRACT IS UP TO FIVE YEARS AT THAT POINT IN TIME. AND THE BUDGET FOR THREE YEARS WOULD BE THE BUDGET FOR THE THREE YEARS. I, IT'S THE WHOLE LIFE OF THE CONTRACT IS FIVE YEARS AND IT'S $2 MILLION. AND SO I, THE, I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT IT, IT'S $400,000 PER YEAR. SO FOR THREE YEARS IT'D BE 1.2 MILLION. OKAY. 400,000 PER YEAR IS THE AUTHORITY WE HAVE UP TO PER YEAR. SO AT THREE YEARS IT WOULD BE 1.2 MILLION. SO IF IT'S 400,000 A YEAR AND YOU'VE GOT 200, HOW MUCH WERE YOU GIVEN WE, WE HAVE 254 THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY, YOU GOTTA COVER THE ONE 50 FROM, WELL, THE 254 WOULD, YEAH, THE ONE 50 WOULD COME OUT OF THAT 2 54. SO THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD GET THAT 2 54 WOULD GO TOWARDS POTENTIALLY COVERING ALL OF THOSE EXPENSES, DEPENDING ON WHAT WE WANNA [02:00:01] DO THERE. I FEEL LIKE I'M NOT ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION THOUGH. YEAH, I, I THINK, I THINK MAYBE, UH, WHAT BOARD MEMBER YOU BANKS WAS ASKING IT ISN'T THAT WE HAVE TO SPEND $400,000 A YEAR. IT'S, WE, WE CAN CHOOSE, WE'RE GONNA DO BETWEEN SIX AND 10 OF THESE AT THAT COST. SO WE HAVE $250,000 IN OUR BUDGET. THAT'S THE MOST WE'RE GONNA SPEND. UH, BUT WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY IF WE, YOU KNOW, FIND MORE MONEY OR DECIDE OH, OKAY. OR IF ONE OF OUR PARTNERS DON'T HAVE TO SPEND THE FULL AUTHORITY IF ONE OF OUR PARTNERS WERE INTERESTED. SOMETHING LIKE THAT TOO, THAT ALLOWS US SO YOUR YOUR, YOUR INITIAL COMMITMENT'S TWO 50. OKAY. THE ONLY, THE ONLY THING I'LL SAY IS THIS, YOU KNOW, THE POLITICAL RAMIFICATIONS, RIGHT? I MEAN, I'VE BEEN BURIED IN EMAILS, . YEAH. UH, I, BUT, UH, THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT IS, AND I'M VERY SYMPATHETIC TO THAT. I WILL TELL YOU THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT IS I'M IN DISTRICT 10. WE HAVE SOME OF THE PARKS THAT HAVE BEEN HIT THE HARDEST, AND PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SECURITY, AND THAT'S A LEGITIMATE CONCERN TOO. SO I'M GONNA SUPPORT THIS BECAUSE I KNOW COUNCIL'S GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS WHEN THEY MEET. UH, AND, UM, UH, I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE PUTTING TOGETHER SOME GUIDELINES. UM, AND SO I THINK THAT'LL BE, WE'LL HOPEFULLY ADDRESS THE POLITICAL RAMIFICATIONS. YEAH, AND THAT'S A GREAT POINT. AND, AND YES, I MEAN OBVIOUSLY WE, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN REALLY TRYING TO, UM, AS, AS AMANDA SAID ORIGINALLY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, WHEN THE RFP WAS PUT OUT AND, AND WHERE WE ARE NOW, WE'RE GOING BACK TO ENSURE THAT THE CONTRACT, ONCE IT'S IMPLEMENTED, RESPONDS TO AS MANY OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC IN TERMS OF, IN TERMS OF THE BIOMETRIC DATA, IN TERMS OF AI AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND, AND WORKING WITH OUR TECHNOLOGY FOLKS AT THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT IN SAFEGUARDS SO THOSE THINGS CAN, CAN BE ADDRESSED. UM, BUT YES, I MEAN, I, I, I THINK FOR US, IT, IT, IT IS A BALANCE BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR PARKS FEEL SAFE AND SECURE FOR FOLKS. AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE SAW SOME DATA. WE'RE GONNA TRY TO, TO SEE IF THAT DATA CONTINUES TO PLAY OUT. AND IF IT DOESN'T, THEN WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK FOR SOMETHING ELSE. YEAH. OKAY. AND THE SIGNAGE, I THINK WILL BE IMPORTANT AS WELL. AND I WOULD ALSO ADVISE YOU, UM, AND YOU, YOU ALL KNOW, WELL, MOUNT BONNE HAS A MULTI-ETHNIC VISITATION. IT'S EXTRAORDINARY, REALLY, UH, THE ETHNICITY, UH, THE MAKEUP OF WHO COMES TO MOUNT BONNE, AND, UM, SOME OF THAT SIGNAGE IS GONNA NEED, NEED TO BE AT LEAST BILINGUAL, IF NOT MULTILINGUAL, BECAUSE OF WHO'S VISITING THOSE SITES. GO AHEAD. YEAH, SORRY, I'VE GOT A CLARIFICATION JUST BASED ON, UM, THE, UH, RESIDENT WHO SPOKE BEFORE THE ITEM. UM, SO THE, SO THE CONTRACT HAS NOT, JUST TO CLARIFY, THE CONTRACT HAS NOT BEEN NEGOTIATED YET. WE ARE AUTHORIZING THE NEGOTIATION OF THE CONTRACT. THAT'S CORRECT, YES. UM, YES, WE PUT SOME, AND THERE IS INITIAL DRAFT, OBVIOUSLY, RIGHT. AND THEN WE HAVE SOME TERMS THAT WE'VE ADDED TO THAT DRAFT AS WELL THAT HAS GONE BACK TO THE CONTRACTOR CURRENTLY. AND SO THAT'S WE'RE, BUT WE HAVEN'T MOVED FORWARD WITH A LOT OF THAT UNTIL WE REALLY HAVE COUNCIL APPROVAL. RIGHT, OKAY. THAT, THAT HELPS JUST BECAUSE THE, THE, THE STATEMENT FROM THE RESIDENT EARLIER, IT SORT OF HAD SUGGESTED THAT THERE WASN'T MUCH RECOURSE. I'M, AS SOMEONE WHO SORT OF WORKS WITH THESE TECHNOLOGIES IN MY, UH, DAY JOB, YOU KNOW, MY EXPERIENCE IS THAT LEGAL, LEGAL PROTECTIONS ARE THE STRONGEST PROTECTIONS. I MEAN, RECOGNIZING THAT THERE'S SORT OF, UM, UH, BENEFITS AND NEGATIVES TO USING CAMERAS IN ALMOST ALL SITUATIONS, UH, LEGAL PROTECTIONS HAVE, IN MY EXPERIENCE, BEEN THE STRONGEST PROTECTIONS THAT YOU CAN PUT IN PLACE. SO IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT THERE IS AWARENESS THAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT IT, THAT COUNCIL'S THINKING ABOUT IT, AND THAT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, REMUNERATION OR SORT OF PUNITIVE ACTION IF, UH, IF, UH, IF THE VENDOR FALLS THROUGH. SO JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM THAT. THANK YOU. I HAD A QUESTION AS WELL ON THE, UM, SORRY, GIMME A MINUTE. I JUST BLANKED ON IT. UH OH. DOES THIS FALL IN LINE WITH THE ADDITIONAL SECURITY THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR NEAR THE LAKE IN DISTRICT NINE AS WELL? THERE WAS REQUEST, I BELIEVE, FOR THAT. ARE THE CAMERAS GOING TO BE SITUATED IN THOSE AREAS OR IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT, A DIFFERENT USE. OH, FOR ILLEGAL VENDING CONCERNS? IS THAT, OR BECAUSE THERE WERE ISSUES BY THE LAKE, RIGHT? THERE WERE DROWNINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS A REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL SECURITY. OH, AT THE RAINY STREET TRAIL HEAD AREA. [02:05:01] THERE WAS A CAMERA INSTALLED AT THE RAINY STREET TRAIL HEAD. UM, AND IT WAS, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH THE, THE TRAIL HEAD ITSELF. UM, AND I DON'T BELIEVE, UH, YEAH, SO THIS WOULD NOT, THIS WOULD NOT NECESSARILY SERVE THAT. NINA, I BELIEVE THAT THERE, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT CAMERA IS STILL ACTIVE, BUT THERE HAD BEEN A CAMERA INSTALLED AT THE RAINY STREET TRAILHEAD ORIGINALLY. UM, BUT I, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WOULD, UM, I DON'T KNOW. WE WOULD WORK WITH A PD IF THERE'S HOTSPOTS AND CONCERNS AND WE COULD LOOK AT THAT LOCATION, BUT THAT, RIGHT NOW I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A CAMERA THERE OR HAPPEN. I SEE. I GUESS TO CLARIFY, IS THE USE OF THESE SIX TO 10 LOCATIONS FOCUSED ON THE, UH, BOV BURGLARY OF VEHICLES ONLY AND NOT OTHER REQUIREMENTS? OR IS IT ANY PARK LOCATIONS THAT MAY HAVE INCIDENTS WHERE NEEDS FOR THE USE OF A CAMERA? RIGHT NOW WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON BURGLARY VEHICLES. UM, THAT SEEMS TO BE WHAT'S BEEN THE MOST EFFECTIVE. WE DID, UM, TRY IN A COUPLE DIFFERENT OTHER SITUATIONS AT, UM, MONTOPOLIS, WE HAD, UM, COPPER WIRING BEING STOLEN FROM THE FIELDS. AND SO WE PUT UP THE CA PUT UP A CAMERA DURING THE PILOT TO SEE IF IT WOULD, FIRST OF ALL, DETER, SECOND OF ALL, PROVIDE INFORMATION TO HELP WITH THAT INVESTIGATION. AND IT, AND IT WASN'T NECESSARILY VERY HELPFUL WITH THAT. AND SO WHAT WE HAD FOUND IS THAT THAT WASN'T NECESSARILY THE CASE. THE OTHER OPTION WE HAD TRIED WAS, UM, A LEGAL DUMPING THAT I'D MENTIONED TO THE COLORADO RIVER WILDLIFE SANCTUARY. AND THAT ALSO, WHICH IS KIND OF LIKE UNDERNEATH 180 3 NEAR LA VANDER LOOP. AND, UM, THAT WASN'T NECESSARILY THE MOST HELPFUL EITHER. SO RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE FOUND TO BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE IS FOR BURGLARY VEHICLES. THAT DOESN'T MEAN TO SAY THAT THERE MIGHT NOT BE A SITUATION THAT WE JUST HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF THAT THIS MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDED IN OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH A PD TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR THAT. SORRY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN BY IT WASN'T THE MOST HELPFUL. YOU COULDN'T SEE THE PEOPLE OR LIKE WHAT WAS YEAH, IT WAS, IT WAS BASICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE IN THAT AREA, YOU COULDN'T TELL WHO WAS COMING IN AND DROPPING STUFF OFF. SO, SO THE CRIMES WERE STILL BEING COMMITTED, BUT YOU COULDN'T TELL WHO WAS DOING IT VIA THE CAMERA, LIKE SORT OF ANGLE? YES. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, I DO HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION, SORRY, JUST SO THAT I'M CLEAR ON THIS, UH, THIS FOOTAGE THAT THE CAMERA, SO THESE CAMERAS ARE PRESUMABLY RECORDING FOOTAGE ALL THE TIME. THIS FOOTAGE IS NOT BEING MONITORED UNLESS SOMETHING IS REPORTED AND THEN SOMEONE'S GOING BACK TO CHECK IT, OR IT'S BEING MONITORED. IT'S NOT BEING MONITORED. WE DON'T HAVE THE STAFF TO SET MONITOR MONITOR. YEAH, I FIGURED. BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S CLEAR THAT IT'S NOT BEING MONITORED. IT'S ONLY, YOU WOULD ONLY GO BACK TO THE FOOTAGE IF SOMETHING WAS REPORTED AS A CRIME IN THEORY. AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS BASED ON THE LANGUAGE THAT'S IN THE MEMO, AND I, I KNOW THIS IS PERHAPS VAGUE FOR REASON, BUT AUTHORIZED CITY OF AUSTIN PERSONNEL WILL REVIEW FOOTAGE. WOULD THAT BE A PD OR WOULD THE PARKS DEPARTMENT BE INVOLVED IN THAT OR, YEAH, SO WE HAVE KIND OF A, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT, BUT ULTIMATELY WE WOULD KEEP IT WITH, UM, SOME PARK STAFF, SOME HIGH LEVEL SUPERVISOR ABOVE PARK STAFF, UM, WHO ARE ASSOCIATED WITH KIND OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH A PD AND SOME OF THOSE LARGER, UM, NEEDS FOR, YOU KNOW, CRIME PREVENTION. SO WE WOULD KEEP IT WITH THOSE LEVEL STAFF IS KIND OF WHERE WE ARE. THAT'S OUR, OUR, OUR DRAFT OPERATING PROCEDURE. AND THEN IN ADDITION, WE'VE TALKED TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND PREVIOUSLY THEY DID HAVE ACCESS TO OUR PILOT CAMERAS, UM, AND IT WAS THROUGH OUR DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES. AND WHILE THAT WAS HELPFUL, WHAT WE CAME BACK TO WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS THAT THEY WILL BE ASSIGNING KIND OF A SINGLE PERSON A POINT OF CONTACT THAT WILL BE, UM, SO IF THERE IS A CRIME, IF THERE'S SOMEBODY AT A PD, THEY KNOW WHO TO GO TO TALK TO AND HOW TO GET SOME OF THAT INFORMATION THROUGH THAT POINT OF CONTACT AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO SOMEONE AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACCESS AS WELL. SO, AND I'M, IF YOU CAN'T ANSWER THIS QUESTION, IT'S TOTALLY OKAY, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK THROUGH CONCERNS PEOPLE MAY HAVE. SURE. SAY WE ALL KNOW THERE'S A CAMERA AT X PARK. IF SOMEONE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DECIDES THEY HAVE LEGITIMATE REASON TO SEE THE FOOTAGE FROM THAT CAMERA AT ANY TIME, YOU'RE TELLING ME THEY COULD GO TO THE DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE WITHIN THEIR OWN DEPARTMENT AND REQUEST IT FOR WHATEVER PURPOSE. YEAH, THEY COULD GO TO THEIR POINT OF CONTACT AND, AND REQUEST IT. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS? AND I ALSO BELIEVE THAT CONTINUE ON FROM WHERE YOU STOPPED, UM, UNDER SB FOUR AND SBA, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAN REQUEST THAT AS WELL FOR 60 DAYS. CAN THEY NOT? SO, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. WE'VE TALKED TO OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT ABOUT THAT, AND ULTIMATELY, UM, WE WOULD FOLLOW, OBVIOUSLY ANY LEGAL GUIDELINES THAT WE'RE GIVEN. UM, ULTIMATELY THAT IS THE, THE PURPOSE OF THESE IS REALLY FOR VERY SPECIFIC NEEDS, BUT I WOULD HAVE TO RELY ON THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON WHAT WE COULD DO THERE. I CAN SAY THAT THE VENDOR CANNOT TURN IT OVER WITHOUT EXPLICIT CITY APPROVAL. WELL, BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER [02:10:01] IF A PD HAS FULL ACCESS TO IT FOR THE QUESTION THAT I'M ASKING. SO, UM, OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, I, UH, AS, AS WE WERE DISCUSSING THIS, I, UH, LOOKED UP THE COMPANY AND, UH, I CAME ACROSS A, UH, TWO POINTS THAT I THINK ARE OF CONCERN, UH, LIVEVIEW TECHNOLOGIES, IF YOU LOOK IT UP ON GOOGLE. BASICALLY IT'S A UTAH BASED PROVIDER OF MOBILE SURVEILLANCE AND SECURITY SOLUTIONS. HAS A, A DOCUMENTED PARTNERSHIP WITH KMU, AN AI BASED VIDEO ANALYTICS COMPANY LOCATED IN ISRAEL. UH, THE, UH, FIRST CONCERN I HAVE IS ABOUT AI AND HOW THE VIDEO ANALYTICS WOULD GO INTO THIS. WE CAN SAY IT'S NOT FACIAL RECOGNITION, BUT WE CAN SAY THAT ANALYTICS ARE INVOLVED AND WE DON'T KNOW AT WHAT CAPACITY THEY WOULD BE INVOLVED IN THIS. THE OTHER CONCERN I HAVE IS THE KIND OF RESEARCH THAT IS BEING DONE BY THE COMPANY, UH, HAVING READ BOOKS SUCH AS THE PALESTINE LABORATORY AND UH, THE, LIKE SOME OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES WERE DEVELOPED BY SURVEILLING PALESTINIAN PEOPLE AND GAZA STRIP AND THE WEST BANK. AND I DON'T THINK I CAN IN GUT CONSCIOUS SUPPORT THE USAGE OF SUCH VENDOR WITHOUT VETTING THE AI USE AND THE ETHICS OF HOW THE TECHNOLOGY WAS DEVELOPED BEFORE AGREEING TO IT MORE LIKE A STATEMENT THAN A QUESTION. BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS IT, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER. OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS? WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION? I GOING ONCE? YES. BOARD MEMBER BECKER? YEAH. I'LL MAKE A MOTION. OKAY. SO MOVED BY BOARD MEMBER BECKER. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. SECONDED BY BOARD MEMBER. FRANKLIN, DID YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? TIM? AND BOARD MEMBERS, JUST TO CLARIFY, YOU'RE MAKING THE MOTION AS WRITTEN ON THE AGENDA, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT. YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CAN WE, OKAY, THE MOTION, UH, IS ON THE FLOOR. SECONDED. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY, THEN I WILL CALL A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. I GUESS ON ITEM FOR DISCUSSION, I THINK THAT, UH, BOARD MEMBER ABARA HAD BROUGHT UP SOME INTERESTING POINTS. IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW SOME OF THESE PRIOR TO APPROVING THE AGREEMENT? I THINK WE HAVE A PROCEDURAL PROBLEM BECAUSE WE WERE ALREADY VOTING, UM, RIGHT TIM? IT'S A LITTLE STICKY, BUT, BUT YES. ONCE THE VOTE IS CALLED FOR THE VOTE SHOULD BE RESOLVED BEFORE, YES. WITHOUT ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION. YEAH. SO BECAUSE WE ALREADY STARTED VOTING, NO FURTHER DISCUSSION. OKAY. UM, OKAY, SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AGAIN. OKAY. I SEE BOARD MEMBER BECKER, ALL THOSE, UH, AGAINST, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. OKAY. BOARD MEMBER ABARA, MYSELF, BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS AND BOARD MEMBER KERNZA AND ALL THOSE ABSTAINING, PLEASE RAISE THEIR HAND BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN, THE MOTION FAILS. THANK YOU. OKAY, UM, UH, WE HAVE ONE MORE ITEM PRIOR TO THE STAFF BRIEFING. UH, HOW IS EVERYBODY DOING HERE? DO WE NEED A BATHROOM BREAK IN THE ROOM OR, YES, THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING. OKAY, GREAT. SO LET'S TAKE A SHORT BREAK. FIVE MINUTES, UM, 8 22. IF WE CAN BE BACK HERE AND WE WILL RESUME. THANK YOU. GREAT. OKAY, WE ARE ALL HERE. SO WE WILL RESUME. IT'S 8 24. [5. Presentation, discussion and approve a recommendation to Austin City Council to adopt Local Standards of Care for the City of Austin Parks and Recreation and Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment's Youth Programs. (Sponsors: Bazan, Flowers) (APR Long Range Strategies: Program Alignment). Presenter(s): Christa McCarthy, Recreation Services Division Manager, Austin Parks and Recreation.] WE CAN MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE, WHICH IS PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION, AND APPROVAL OF RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT LOCAL STANDARDS OF CARE FOR CITY OF AUSTIN, PARKS AND RECREATION AND AUSTIN ARTS CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT'S, YOUTH PROGRAMS. SO DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM, ITEM, TIM? NO CHAIR. OKAY, GREAT. THEN WE'LL TAKE THE PRESENTATION. GREAT. GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS. UM, I, MY NAME IS KRIS MCCARTHY. I SERVE AS THE, UM, DIVISION MANAGER OVER RECREATION SERVICES. AND I'M HERE FOR YOUR SHORTEST, UM, PRESENTATION OF THE EVENING. AND PROBABLY THE YEAR FOR ANNUAL LOCAL STANDARDS OF CARE. UM, WE, THIS IS AN ANNUAL ADOPTION OF OUR STANDARDS OF CARE BY ORDINANCE. THAT HAS TO BE DONE AFTER [02:15:01] PUBLIC HEARING. IT IS PART OF THE STATE OF TEXAS HUMAN RESOURCE CODE CHAPTER 42, WHICH EXEMPTS MUNICIPALITIES OF CHILDCARE LICENSING. UM, AND I JUST WANNA SAY THESE ARE THE, THE, UM, REQUIREMENTS FOR OUR ORDINANCE, BUT THEY ARE THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS. AND, UM, A LOT OF OUR OPERATIONS, UM, ARE ABOVE THOSE REQUIREMENTS. THEY'RE VERY SPECIFIC TO THE ELEMENTARY AGES, UH, FIVE TO 13 PROGRAMS. UM, WE HAVE TO HAVE A ORDINANCE FOR THE MECHANISMS OF MONITORING AND ENFORCING THE ORDINANCE, THE MINIMUM SAFETY, UH, OR I'M SORRY, THE MINIMUM STAFFING AND SUPERVISION RATIOS, UH, STAFF QUALIFICATIONS, MINIMUM FACILITY HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS. AND THEN, UM, THE MEANS OF DISTRIBUTION. SO ENSURING THAT ALL OF OUR, UM, HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS ARE, UM, AWARE OF THE ORDINANCE AND THAT IT'S NOT A LICENSED, UH, FACILITY AND WHAT THOSE, UM, REQUIREMENTS ARE. SO OUR ACTION, OR OUR REQUEST TONIGHT IS FOR APPROVAL OF RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO ADOPT LOCAL STANDARDS OF CARE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION AND THE AUSTIN ARTS CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT CHIEF PROGRAM. SO IN THE ORDINANCE, WE DID DO A LITTLE MINOR DRAFT TO INCLUDE BOTH DEPARTMENT NAMES, UM, AS REQUIRED FOR THE TEXAS CHILDCARE LICENSING CONSUMPTION, UM, FOR A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE CITY COUNCIL ON MARCH 26TH. GREAT. ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? YES. RIGHT. THAT, HI, THAT WAS THE SHORTEST ONE. THANK YOU, . UM, AND I HAVE THE MOST QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE. OKAY. SO, UH, JUST AS BACKGROUND, I HAVE THREE CHILDREN. MM-HMM . TWO OF THEM. UM, ONE IS NO LONGER A LIFEGUARD. SHE'S GRADUATED COLLEGE. BUT I HAVE A, MY YOUNGEST SON IS CURRENTLY A LIFEGUARD, UM, AT THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER. SO I, AND I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE THERE WITH SWIM TEAM AND THE REQUIREMENTS THAT THEY HAVE AT THAT FACILITY. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I'M COMING FROM. I ALSO HAVE, MY OLDEST SON IS DISABLED, UM, PHYSICALLY AND INTELLECTUALLY DISABLED. UM, SO PART SIX OF, OF THE DOCUMENT, THERE'S A REFERENCE. UM, I, THERE THERE WERE NO REFERENCES TO CHILDREN'S SWIMMING ABILITIES, BUT I BELIEVE THAT IS A REQUIREMENT WITH, IS THAT NOT A REQUIREMENT IF YOU HAVE A CHILD THAT'S IN A PROGRAM THROUGH THE CITY, THAT THEY MUST HAVE SOME KIND OF SWIMMING ABILITY. UM, SO THE WAIVERS THAT THEY SIGN, THEY HAVE TO, THE PARENT HAS TO SIGN WHETHER OR NOT THEIR CHILD CAN SWIM OR CANNOT SWIM. IF THEY SAY THAT THERE IS, UM, A, THEY, THEY SAY THEY CANNOT SWIM. OR IF THERE IS, UM, A RISK FOR SWIMMING AND THEY MARK THAT THE CHILD HAS TO WEAR A LIFE JACKET. AND THESE ARE RULES SET BY THE SWIMMING, UH, AQUATIC FACILITIES AS WELL. WE DO PROVIDE THE LIFE JACKETS WITHIN OUR PROGRAMS. OKAY. VERY GOOD. UM, AND THERE'S ALSO REFERENCES TO ACTIVITY LEADER PER, AND I'M LOOKING AT PART SIX. SO ONE ACTIVITY LEADER FOR EACH EIGHT PARTICIPANTS, AGE FIVE TO SEVEN. SO IS THERE A REQUIREMENT THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A VOLUNTEER OR AN AIDE TO, TO, UH, TO HELP THAT ACTIVITY LEADER? OR IS THERE SERIOUSLY AN 18-YEAR-OLD WHO'S DEALING WITH EIGHT, FIVE TO 7-YEAR-OLD SWIMMING? SECOND PART, THERE'S ONE, UM, STAFF MEMBER ONE TO EIGHT. UH, THESE ARE THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AGAIN, SO THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THAT IS WHAT WE DO. WE HAVE A 15, MOST OF OUR FACILITIES THAT DO GO SWIMMING ARE UTILIZING A 15 PASSENGER VAN, UH, WHICH REQUIRES TWO STAFF MEMBERS, ONE IN THE BACK. SO THAT BRINGS IT DOWN TO 12 KIDS IN A VAN FOR TWO STAFF MEMBERS. SO THAT'S ONE TO SIX THAT WE TYPICALLY GO OUT SWIMMING. OKAY. UM, THE OTHER COMMENT, AND I, AND I, I KNOW WHAT SEVEN YEAR OLDS LOOK LIKE, SWIMMING AND, AND THEY'RE NOT GREAT AND UNDER PART SIX. SO YOU'VE GOT ONE LEADER FOR 12 PARTICIPANTS FROM EIGHT TO 13 YEARS OLD. SO THERE'S A BIG GAP THERE BETWEEN SWIMMING ABILITY OF AN 8-YEAR-OLD VERSUS A 13-YEAR-OLD. SO I, I THINK MY CONCERN IS THE, THE RATIOS. UM, AND THIS GOES TO, AND THIS IS MY LAST COMMENT ON SECTION PART SIX, SECTION C, UM, RECREATIONAL PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR PARTICIPANTS WITH A DISABILITY. UM, IT FRIGHTENS ME AND, AND I HAVE MY CHILD AND I HAVE LOTS OF EXPERIENCE WITH KIDS WHO HAVE PHYSICAL DISABILITIES AS WELL AS INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES. SO YOU'VE GOT ONE PERSON, UM, FOR EIGHT PARTICIPANTS, AGE FIVE TO 13. AND THAT IS A HUGE GAP FOR A TYPICAL CHILD. A CHILD WITH A DISABILITY, ESPECIALLY ONE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES [02:20:01] WHO MAY BE, HAS A HARD TIME LISTENING, UM, WHEN YOU'RE IN A POOL AND MAY NOT BE A HUNDRED PERCENT FOCUSED ON WHAT THAT LEADER IS SAYING. I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THOSE RATIOS. IF THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE NOW, I DO NOT THINK THAT THAT IS ACCEPTABLE. SO FOR OUR REQUIREMENTS FOR SUPERVISION, FOR PARTICIPANTS NON AQUATIC, IT IS ONE TO FOUR FOR FIVE TO 12 YEAR OLDS FOR THOSE WITH A DISABILITY, AND THEN ONE ACTIVITY LEADER FOR EACH EIGHT PARTICIPANTS, 12 TO 13 YEARS OLD. SO WE DON'T CHANGE NECESSARILY, EVEN THOUGH THAT MIGHT BE THE REQUIREMENT FOR AQUATIC, WE DON'T NECESSARILY CHANGE THOSE RATIOS. SO WE STILL HAVE ONE TO FOUR FOR OUR FIVE TO 12 YEAR OLDS, AND THEN ONE TO EIGHT FOR 12 TO 13 YEAR OLDS. CAN, CAN THIS LANGUAGE BE MORE CLEAR THEN? I STILL DON'T LIKE THOSE RATIOS. SO WHAT, BUT SECTION C, IT JUST, IT DOESN'T READ THAT WAY. THAT'S THE ONLY REFERENCE. IF I'M READING THIS, DID I MISS ANOTHER SECTION OR CAN YOU, WHAT YOU JUST STATED SHOULD BE IN HERE THAT THE RATIOS DO NOT CHANGE. SO THIS IS, OH WAIT, HOLD ON. LET'S SEE. SO I DID WANNA ACQUIRE LUCAS MASSEY, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. JUST, I, I, I HEAR A LOT OF THE CONVERSATION ABOUT SWIMMING ACTIVITIES. SO WE'LL ONLY TAKE OUR SUMMER CAMP PARTICIPANTS TO POOLS THAT ARE GUARDED OR, OR WATER FEATURES THAT ARE GUARDED. SO THE, THE COUNSELORS WHERE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, OUR MINIMUMS ARE ALREADY EXCEEDED. AND THEN IN, IN ADDITION, WE HAVE A AQUATIC STAFF THAT ARE TOTALLY SEPARATE, THAT ARE LIFEGUARDS THAT ARE NOT COUNTED IN THE RATIO, BUT ARE REGARDED IN POOLS. I KNOW, BUT THE LIFEGUARD IS IN CHARGE OF ALL THE SWIMMERS. THAT'S CORRECT. IF YOU'VE GOT EIGHT KIDS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES AND YOU'RE IN CHARGE OF THEM, THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING, ARE THERE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE HELPING TOO? I, I'M, I'M AN EXPERIENCED SWIMMER. MM-HMM . I'M EXPERIENCED WITH KIDS WITH DISABILITIES. I COULDN'T DO THAT. I COULD, IF YOU ASKED ME TO WATCH TWO I'D, I'D SAY, OKAY, I THINK I MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THAT. I, I JUST THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THESE RATIOS. IF, IF THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE NOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO DO BETTER. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? JUST 'CAUSE NOW I'M, I'M KIND OF CURIOUS, UH, , SO, AND FORGIVE ME THAT IT'S, I'VE HAD A VERY LONG COUPLE OF WEEKS, SO MAYBE I KNOW THIS AND I'M JUST FORGETTING, BUT IN, FOR AN ORDINANCE LIKE THIS, WHAT IS THE PROCESS BY WHICH IT WOULD BE CHANGED? WE WOULD MAKE THE, THE CHANGES TO THE DRAFT AND THEN THIS IS THE PROCESS. WE WOULD MAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS. OKAY. CHANGE IT HERE, BRING IT TO YOU GUYS, TAKE IT TO COUNSEL FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING. OKAY, GREAT. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS CLEAR. 'CAUSE THE, YEAH. THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS? CAN YOU REPEAT, CAN YOU REPEAT WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE SUPERVISION OR PART FIVE FOR NON AQUATIC RECREATIONAL? I'M NOT CLEAR. YOU'RE SAYING THAT THAT ALSO APPLIES TO IN SUPERSEDES PART SIX C. YES. WHY DOES SIX C EXIST THEN? WHY WOULDN'T IT JUST REFERENCE FIVE B? IT'S PROBABLY, IT MIGHT JUST BE A, I'M NOT REAL SURE BECAUSE TO BE HONEST, IT'S, IT'S LESS RESTRICTIVE IN THE SIX CLAUSE. CORRECT. CONFUS AND IT'S MINIMUM. SO MAYBE IT'S A, A RE SOME SORT OF A REASON WHERE MAYBE THERE'S A ONE-ON-ONE NEEDED WITH ONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS. AND SO THAT MAYBE CHANGES THE RATIO JUST A TAD BIT. I'M NOT SURE. I GUESS MY OTHER QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT STAFFING LEVELS THAT IT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A DESIGNATED MINIMUM. WE ALREADY EXCEED THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS, BUT ARE THOSE STAFF THAT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT ALL QUALIFYING STAFF TO BE DEFINED AS AN ACTIVITY LEADER? OR IT'S SORT OF A GRAY AREA WHERE WE HAVE MORE EYES ON CHILDREN THAN WHAT STATED IS THE MINIMUM, BUT THEY DON'T TECHNICALLY QUALIFY AS AN ACTIVITY LEADER? IT COULD BE THE CASE. WE ACTUALLY HAVE A, OUR OPERATING PROCEDURES ARE, OUR STANDARDS ARE THAT WE, ALL OF OUR ACTIVITY LEADERS ARE MEET THE [02:25:01] REQUIREMENTS. SO IF WE WERE IN THE PAST, WE USED TO HAVE COUNSELORS AND TRAINING, THEY WOULD NOT BE PART OF THE RATIO BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T QUALIFY WITH THE STAFFING QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THE ORDINANCE. SO THEY WOULD BE THERE, THEY WOULD BE EYES, BUT THEY WOULD NOT BE PART OF THE RATIO OR THE REQUIREMENTS. IS THAT THE QUESTION YOU WERE ASKING? YES. OKAY. BUT OUR, OUR STANDARDS AND PRACTICES ARE THAT ALL OF THEM MEET THOSE, THE STAFFING QUALIFICATIONS AS PART OF THE ORDINANCE. SURE. HI, UH, YOU MADE A COMMENT ABOUT ONE-ON-ONES. UM, WHEN MY SON WHO REQUIRES A ONE-ON-ONE AIDE GOES TO A, UM, UM, A CITY PARK PROGRAM, HE HAS TO BRING HIS ONE-ON-ONE WITH HIM. THAT IS NOT A REQUIREMENT FOR A CHILD WHO DOES NOT HAVE PHYSICAL DISABILITIES. CORRECT. OR DO YOU REQUIRE, AND I'M JUST THINKING OF A FRIEND OF MINE WHO HAS A DAUGHTER WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES AND SHE'S A RUNNER AND SHE'LL JUST TAKE OFF. UM, DO YOU HAVE A REQUIREMENT FOR CHILDREN LIKE THAT IF THEY ATTEND CAMP, THAT THEY MUST BRING A ONE-ON-ONE? OR IS THE LEADER WHO'S IN CHARGE OF ALL THE KIDS IN THE POOL AND SEES ONE OF THEM TAKE OFF AND START RUNNING? IS THERE SOMEBODY ELSE THAT'S GONNA WATCH THE REST OF THOSE KIDS? OR, I, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET AN IDEA. SO THOSE QUESTIONS, THOSE QUESTIONS PROBABLY FALL MORE ALONG WITH THE THERAPEUTIC RECREATION DIVISION AND OUR, UM, MODIFICATIONS, UM, THAT WE WOULD PROVIDE TO STAFF OR TO PARTICIPANTS. WE DO A FAMILY ASSESSMENT AND WE'LL KIND OF GO THROUGH, AND A LOT OF TIMES THAT'S REDUCING RATIO, UM, WITH, BY ADDING ADDITIONAL, UM, STAFF FOR THOSE PARTICIPANTS THAT ARE NEEDING IT. UH, WE DON'T INCLUDE THOSE IN THE MINIMUM STANDARD BECAUSE THAT'S AN ABOVE KIND OF AN AND BEYOND THING THAT WE PROVIDE AS A CITY DEPARTMENT. UM, AND WE'RE, UM, GRATEFUL TO HAVE THOSE ADDITIONAL SERVICES FOR THAT. BUT THAT ALL, THAT ALL DEPENDS ON THE PARTICIPANTS. AND WE DO A, AN ASSESSMENT AND MEET WITH THE FAMILIES AND DECIDE SOMETIMES THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL AS, UM, AIDS NEEDED OR ADDITIONAL STAFF NEEDED. SOMETIMES THE STAFF ARE NOT ENOUGH AND WE ASK FOR PERSONAL ASSISTANCE DEPENDING ON WHAT THE LEVEL OF NEED IS. THAT MAKES SENSE. THANK YOU FOR THAT. YES. UM, I DO ALSO, SINCE I HAVE THE MIC, I, I WOULD LIKE, IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THIS, SINCE THIS IS THE MINIMUM STANDARD, I DON'T THINK THAT THE LANGUAGE IS CLEAR. I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE WRITTEN IN A WAY THAT SAYS WHAT YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS SECTION, YOU KNOW, MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS, UH, YOU KNOW, SUPERSEDE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER. IT, IT JUST, IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME IN READING THIS. AND IT, WHAT I READ WAS, YOU'RE ONLY GETTING ONE ACTIVITY LEADER FOR EIGHT PARTICIPANTS. AGE FIVE TO 13. IF YOU HAVE A DISABILITY, IF YOUR CHILD IS, IS DISABLED. I, I, IT NEEDS TO BE CLEARER WHAT THOSE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS ARE. UM, THANK YOU. YEAH, AND I MEAN, JUST FROM A PROCEDURAL STANDPOINT, I, I MEAN I APPRECIATE BOARD MEMBER, UH, ENCE, OSWELL BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION, BUT I PROCEDURALLY, WHEN I AM READING THIS, I HEAR WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, BUT THE WAY IT IS WRITTEN, LINE 54 DOWN, THAT'S PART FIVE, SECTION B APPLIES ONLY TO NON AQUATIC RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS. AND THEN LINE 70 71. SO SIX C APPLIES TO AQUATIC ONE. SO THOUGH IN PRACTICE YOU MAY BE FOLLOWING FIVE B FOR AQUATICS, THE MINIMUM STANDARD OF CARE IS TO PROVIDE SIX C, WHICH IS ONE ACTIVITY LEADER FOR EACH EIGHT PARTICIPANTS. FIVE TO 13 YEARS OLD IF IT'S DESIGNED FOR PARTICIPANTS WITH THE DISABILITY. THAT'S HOW I'M READING THIS AT LEAST. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS THE INTENT THOUGH. 'CAUSE IF IT'S NOT THE INTENT, IT SHOULD CERTAINLY BE FIXED. AND IF IT WAS THE INTENT, THEN I THINK BOARD MEMBER KERN ZOSTER, WHILE COMMENT IS WORTH US CONSIDERING. SO THE ONLY THING I CAN SEE AS A DISTINCT DISTINGUISHING FACTOR IN THIS IS THAT THIS ONE SAYS THAT RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS DESIGNED FOR PARTICIPANTS WITH A DISABILITY THAT INCLUDES SWIMMING VERSUS JUST TAKING PARTICIPANTS TO A POOL THAT MAY HAVE A DISABILITY. THAT'S THE ONLY DISTINGUISHING FACTOR THAT I MIGHT SEE, SUCH AS MAYBE OUR SPECIAL SPECIAL OLYMPICS SWIMMING TEAM. BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AND SEE IF MAYBE THAT WAS THE REASON WHY WE WROTE IT SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. YEAH, I MEAN, I, I GUESS I DO FIND IT A LITTLE PROBLEMATIC IF WE DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S THIS WAY. SO WELL CORRECT. WE CAN GO BACK AND, AND CHANGE IT IF YOU LIKE. I WILL SAY THAT WE HAVE [02:30:01] A TIMELINE, SO WE HAVE TO HAVE IT DONE BY APRIL 1ST, OTHERWISE WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE, UM, BUT BY APRIL 1ST FOR COMPLIANCE, IT HAS TO BE APPROVED BY APRIL 1ST. SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS THE, THIS IS A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, FORMERLY THE JANUARY MEETING. WE HAVE A FEBRUARY MEETING AND A MARCH MEETING PRIOR TO APRIL 1ST. SO PERHAPS IF WE COULD GIVE SOME FEEDBACK AT THIS MEETING THAT WAS CLEAR, IT COULD RETURN AT THE FEBRUARY MEETING. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT NOBODY'S UNCOMFORTABLE AND THAT WE HAVE AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION. AND YEAH, THAT'S FINE. I MEAN, THAT'S JUST A, THAT'S A SORT OF AN OPEN QUESTION FOR THE BOARD TO DECIDE IF, SO. YEAH, I, UM, I HAVE A THOUGHT. SO WHEN I'M READING A DOCUMENT LIKE THIS, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S TRYING TO RESTRICT. UM, SO MAYBE FOR OUR EDUCATION, FOR EXAMPLE, GROUP SIZES, UM, AGE LIMITATIONS, UH, WHAT ARE THOSE REPLACING RULES THAT ARE MAYBE, UH, TOO BROAD IN ANOTHER DOCUMENT THAT, UH, WOULD, WOULD'VE BEEN, UM, TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IF THIS ORDINANCE WAS NOT IN PLACE? I MEAN, WHAT KIND OF RULES EXIST THAT WE ARE TRYING TO RESTRICT IN THIS ORDINANCE? I, I THINK, I THINK THAT WILL BE EDUCATIONAL FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT VERY FAMILIAR. YEAH. WITH WHAT, WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO COME UP WITH HERE. YEAH. BOARD MEMBER ABBU AMARA, AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG FROM STAFF, BUT I THINK THIS IS A STATE LEVEL REQUIREMENT. SO THE STATE REQUIRES US TO HAVE LOCAL STANDARDS OF CARE THAT MEET, I ASSUME A CERTAIN SET OF RESTRICTIONS THAT THE STATE HAS. I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE WHAT THE STATE REQUIRES AS SOMETHING WE COULD SHARE, BUT, UM, I ASSUME WE WROTE OUR LOCAL STANDARDS OF CARE TO COMPLY WITH THE STATE'S REQUIREMENTS, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT. MAYBE MORE OR LESS RESTRICTIVE, I DON'T KNOW. YEAH. I'M PRETTY SURE WE'RE MORE RESPECTED. YEAH. AS AN EXAMPLE, I THINK A RATIO THE STATE MAY REQUIRE IS LIKE A ONE TO 20. COOL. SO YEAH. SO THAT, THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL AS A PIECE OF BACKUP DOCUMENTATION THAT WE COULD RECEIVE WOULD BE LIKE, WHAT ARE THE STATE'S REQUIREMENTS SO THAT IT COULD BE THEN EASILY COMPARED, UM, TO WHAT IS HERE. SURE. WE CAN DO THAT FOR, FOR SURE. I KNOW A LOT OF THE OTHER THINGS ARE BATHROOM ACCESSIBILITY. IT SHOULD BE SINGLE BATHROOMS FOR CHILDREN. WE DON'T HAVE THOSE IN OUR FACILITIES. UM, BUT YEAH, WE CAN LOOK AND SEE WHAT KIND OF THE DIFFERENCES ARE BETWEEN A CHILDCARE THAT'S LICENSED. YEAH. JUST SOME SORT OF CONTEXT TO PROVIDE TO PEOPLE OF WHAT IS IT THAT THE STATE IS REQUIRING AND WHAT ARE WE PROVIDING TO MEET THAT LOCAL STANDARD OF CARE. AND THEN I THINK ALSO WE DO NEED CLARITY TO BOARD MEMBER KERNS AL'S POINT ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES HERE BETWEEN WHAT IS LISTED UNDER FIVE B VERSUS WHAT IS LISTED UNDER SIX C AND WHY SIX C MIGHT EXIST. UM, SO IS, ARE THERE OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? IS, IS EVERYONE PRESENT COMFORTABLE WITH, IF WE CAN GET CLARITY ON THOSE TWO ISSUES, WE COULD BRING THIS BACK AT THE FEBRUARY MEETING FOR HOPEFULLY RESOLUTION IN PASSING, KNOWING THAT THIS MUST PASS FOR US TO BE COMPLIANT WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS BY APRIL 1ST. I, YEAH, I AGREED. UH, WHAT WERE YOU GONNA SAY, SIR? I WAS JUST GONNA ADD THAT, THAT IN ADDITION TO, I HAD ON, SORRY, WE, WE ALSO HAVE TO BRING IT BEFORE COUNCIL, SO WE HAVE TO MANAGE THAT SCHEDULE. SURE. SO, BUT WE WOULD STILL BE GOOD AT THE FEBRUARY MEETING IF WE WERE TO YEAH. SO WHAT I WOULD ASK FROM STAFF IS IT WOULD BE, THAT'LL BE A TIGHTER TURNAROUND. 'CAUSE THIS WAS A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING. SO IF WE COULD GET THAT INFORMATION SENT TO THE BOARD AHEAD OF TIME, UM, THAT WAY FOLKS HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT. AND THEN WHAT I WOULD ASK OF THE BOARD IS COME PREPARED TO POTENTIALLY MAKE, WE CAN MAKE EDITS IN THAT MEETING THAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND. OR HOW WOULD THAT WORK IF FROM, FROM A TIMELINE PERSPECTIVE, IF, FOR EXAMPLE, EDITS TO LANGUAGE WERE REQUESTED, HOW WOULD THAT WORK? UM, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I THINK WE WANNA TAKE A SHOT AT TRYING TO, TO MODIFY, I THINK, AND THEN WE COULD SHARE IT. I DON'T KNOW. YEAH, I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE, WHAT PROCEDURALLY MAKES SENSE TO ME IS IF IN THAT ME, OF COURSE YOU COULD EDIT IT BEFOREHAND AND CIRCULATE IT TO MEET THE, THE REQUEST, BUT IF IN THAT MEETING WE WANTED TO TWEAK ANY LANGUAGE IN IT, COULD WE PASS A RECOMMENDATION RECOMMENDING TO COUNSEL TO TAKE IT UP OR RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF IT WITH THESE EDITS AND THAT WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO MEET Y'ALL'S? I THINK THAT, BUT, BUT I GUESS I WOULD, I WOULD ADD A CAVEAT THAT IF WE'RE DOING WITH CLARIFYING LANGUAGE, I THINK WE COULD WORK THROUGH THAT. IF, IF WE'RE GOING TO ENGAGE IN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SHIFTING THE, THE RATIOS, I THINK THAT'S A MUCH BIGGER [02:35:01] CONVERSATION FOR US, THE DEPARTMENT. OKAY. GOOD CLARIFICATION. SO I GUESS MY QUESTION TO BOARD MEMBER KERNS, OSTER AND ANYONE ELSE ON THE BOARD IS IF WE ADDED CLARIFYING LANGUAGE, ARE WE COMFORTABLE OR IS THERE A GREATER CONCERN HERE? I MEAN, I KNOW THERE'S A CONCERN, BUT IS THERE A GREATER CONCERN THAT WE CAN'T GET PAST? NO, I DON'T THINK SO. OKAY. I MEAN, ESPECIALLY SINCE WHAT WAS WRITTEN FOR NON AQUATIC RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS, THOSE RATIOS, AND IT SPELLS OUT, YOU KNOW, FOUR PARTICIPANTS, FIVE TO 12 YEARS OLD. IT'S JUST WHAT WAS WRITTEN FOR THE AQUATICS OR I'M SORRY FOR THE, THE YEAH. AQUATICS, WHICH, WHICH KIND OF, IT DIDN'T MATCH. SO IF, YEAH. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE UNLESS ANYBODY ELSE HAS A FURTHER CONCERN THAT YES, WE COULD MAKE SOME OR YOU COULD MAKE SOME TWEAKING, BRING IT BACK AND HOPEFULLY THAT WOULD ALLEVIATE THE CONCERN. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ANYONE WANTS TO BRING UP OR CLARIFICATIONS? OTHERWISE, IF WE, TIM, IF YOU CAN MAKE A PROCEDURAL NOTE THAT WE'LL NEED THIS BACK IN FEBRUARY. OKAY. IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, THEN THAT'S WHAT I'D ASK. I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S FEEDBACK OR DO Y'ALL ACCEPTING THE FEEDBACK AND US CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION. [6. Staff briefing on Parks and Recreation Department community engagement events, planning updates, development updates, maintenance updates, program updates and administrative updates. (Sponsors: Bazan, Flowers) (APR Long Range Strategies: Relief from Urban Life, Urban Public Spaces, Park Access). Presenter(s): Jesús Aguirre, Austin Parks and Recreation Director.] OKAY. SO WE WILL MOVE FORWARD, UH, ONTO THE LAST ITEM, WHICH IS THE DIRECTOR'S, UH, UPDATE. I GUESS WE SHOULD THINK TWICE BEFORE WE GIVE Y'ALL A BREAK BECAUSE THAT BECAME A MUCH MORE ROBUST CONVERSATION THAN WE MAY HAVE HAD IF YOU HADN'T HAD A BREAK. BUT, UH, THANK YOU. UM, YEAH, I, I'LL I'LL SORT OF DO A COUPLE HIGHLIGHTS, UH, ON THE REPORT, BUT I ALSO WANNA JUST ADDRESS A COUPLE THINGS AND, AND CERTAINLY HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. BUT, UM, JUST WITH, I WANNA FIRST OF ALL EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION TO ALL OF YOU FOR BEING WILLING TO, TO, TO RESCHEDULE THE MEETING THAT WAS ON, ON, UM, THAT WE GOT FROZE FROZEN OUT OF, UH, BUT ALSO REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE FOLKS FROM THE FOOD FORCE WHO CAME OUT TO, TO PROVIDE SOME TESTIMONY. AND I WILL SAY THAT IS, THAT IS A, A, A REALLY POSITIVE AND VERY MUCH APPRECIATED PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE. AND, UM, IT WAS, IT'S, IT'S FRUSTRATING TO HEAR THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE CAUSING. AND, AND I GUESS WHAT I'LL SAY AS PART OF THAT PROCESS IS, UM, WE, WE AS A CITY, WE AS A DEPARTMENT, UH, HAD SOME MISSTEPS THERE IN COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION. WE'RE TRYING TO FIX THEM. UH, AS YOU MENTIONED, UH, VICE CHAIR FLOWERS, THIS WAS AN ITEM THAT WAS BROUGHT TO YOU ALL IN NOVEMBER AND THEN TO COUNCIL IN JANUARY OF THIS LAST YEAR, SO QUITE A WHILE AGO. AND WE JUST DIDN'T COORDINATE THE WAY WE SHOULD HAVE COORDINATED. UM, AT THIS POINT, WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR PARTNERS AT AUSTIN WATER TO, TO TRY TO CONTINUE TO MITIGATE ANY OF THE IMPACTS OF THE CONSTRUCTION. WE, WE CANNOT HOLD, UM, HALT THE CONSTRUCTION AT THIS POINT, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO INTERVENE TO, TO MITIGATE ANY FURTHER IMPACT. AND THEN, UH, AUSTIN WATER HAS, HAS BEEN VERY, UM, UH, HAS BEEN WORKING WITH US TO, TO TRY TO MITIGATE THOSE IMPACTS AND, AND PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR THE, FOR THE FOOD FOREST AND TRY TO, UH, MAKE THEM WHOLE, SO TO SPEAK, AND WE'LL WORK WITH 'EM TO DO THAT. YEAH. AND I APPRECIATE THAT SENTIMENT AND I ALSO KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT THE TRUST DAMAGE IS IRREPARABLE PROBABLY. ABSOLUTELY. UM, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHY WE HAVE, I THINK, SO MANY PROBLEMS IN THE CITY IS, AND I I'M SO SYMPATHETIC. I KNOW Y'ALL ARE UNDERSTAFFED. THERE WAS A LOT OF TRANSITION. I'M SURE IT WAS AN OVERSIGHT. I KNOW I FEEL CONFIDENT THERE WAS NO BAD ACTION, BUT THAT DOESN'T CHANGE PROBABLY HOW THEY ALL FEEL. AND I AGREE. IT'S, YOU KNOW, I THINK A SHAME THAT IT'S THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN. YEAH. SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO HELP THOSE CONSTITUENTS FEEL THAT THEY'RE BEING HEARD AND A REPAIR IS ATTEMPTING TO BE MADE. YEAH. EVEN IF WE CANNOT CHANGE THE CONSTRUCTION, I THINK IS VALUABLE. YEAH, NO, I, I AGREE. AND, AND, AND WE ALSO HAVE SOME, SOME, OBVIOUSLY SOME LESSONS LEARNED. UH, TYPICALLY CHAPTER 26 CASES DON'T MOVE THAT QUICKLY. AND I THINK IN, IN AN EFFORT TO TRY TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF SOME OF THE, SOME OF OUR, OUR, UM, OTHER PARTNERS, WE RUSHED IT AND WE SHOULDN'T HAVE. AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO. UM, AND FACT, WE'RE ALSO REALLY LOOKING CLOSELY AT THE OVERALL PROCESS FOR CHAPTER 26, JUST TO BE CLEAR. IT'S, IT'S BECOME CLEAR THAT, THAT THERE'S SOME, UM, NEED FOR, FOR BETTER COMMUNICATION ABOUT HOW THAT PROCESS WORKS AND, AND WHAT IT MEANS AND, AND HOW WE, HOW WE, UM, MOVE THROUGH THAT PROCESS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT NOT JUST COMMUNITIES IS AWARE, BUT ALSO OUR OWN SISTER AGENCIES WHO, WHO COME TO US FOR THOSE THINGS. SO, YEAH. UM, AND THEN I ALSO WANTED TO POINT OUT TO, AND I SHARED THIS ALREADY WITH, WITH A BOARD MEMBER UBANKS, BUT IN TERMS OF THE, THE QUESTIONS AROUND THE EXPENDITURES BY THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY. SO WE'VE GOT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, WE PUT TOGETHER A REPORT FROM ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, AND IN HERE IT HAS INFORMATION ABOUT, UH, HOW MUCH THEY SPEND ON OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AND, AND, UM, IT'S ON OUR WEBSITE. SO WE CAN, WE CAN SORT OF TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND, AND HAPPY TO, TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS. SO, UM, I THINK THAT WAS, YEAH, SO, AND IN TERMS OF OUR REPORT, AND I KNOW IT'S LATE AND YOU GUYS [02:40:01] HAVE IT, BUT, BUT JUST, JUST HIGHLIGHTING A FEW THINGS. UM, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT WE TRY TO DO WITH THESE REPORTS IS, IS, IS OBVIOUSLY RECOGNIZE THAT THE GREAT WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT, UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, A REALLY ROBUST FOOTPRINT OF THINGS THAT WE DO ON A REGULAR BASIS. AND SO, UH, I DON'T WANT CERTAINLY THE TEAM TO FEEL THAT JUST BECAUSE THIS ALWAYS COMES AT THE END OF THE MEETING. I RUSH THROUGH IT. IT ISN'T BECAUSE THEIR WORK IS NOT IMPORTANT AND, AND IT ISN'T WORTH, UH, HIGHLIGHTING. BUT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO CONTINUE TO GET BETTER AT RECOGNIZING THEIR GREAT WORK. BUT, UM, NOT ON THE SLIDE, BUT I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF WE HAVE IT UP ANYWAY. UM, UH, A COUPLE JUST UPDATES. UH, WE JUST LAUNCHED OUR REGISTRATION FOR SUMMER. UM, AND, AND IT IS, IT IS ONE OF THE MORE, UM, POPULAR, UH, UH, SORT OF EVENTS THAT WE DO. LOTS OF FOLKS GET, GET, UM, VERY FOCUSED ON, UH, HAVING ACCESS TO THESE CAMPS. AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED THAT WE'RE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE, UH, SCHOLARSHIPS, UH, BOTH THROUGH, THROUGH SUPPORT FROM A PF AND, AND THE PARKS AND LIBRARY FUND. UM, AND, AND WE DID HAVE, UM, UH, WITH SO MANY PEOPLE TRYING TO GET ON IT ONCE, WE DID HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A, OF A TECHNICAL ISSUE, UH, ON SATURDAY OR SUNDAY, ONE OF THE DAYS THIS WEEKEND. UM, IT WAS RESOLVED PRETTY QUICKLY, BUT, BUT FOR FOLKS WHO WERE TRYING TO GET ON, IT WAS PRETTY FRUSTRATING. SO, UH, WE'RE SORT OF WORKING THROUGH THAT AND, AND I WILL SAY THAT THE KRISTEN AND TEAM ARE REVAMPING, UM, THE, WITH WITH OUR NEW RECREATION SOFTWARE, THE REVAMPING THAT PROCESS. SO NEXT YEAR IT'LL BE MUCH CLEANER AND SMOOTHER AND, AND FEEL, UH, MUCH CLEANER AND SMOOTHER. UM, UH, MAYBE WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT, THE NEXT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, SORRY, I DON'T HAVE GUESS I CAN CLICK. SORRY. MY APOLOGIES. UM, YOU KNOW, ON, ON OUR, OUR, UM, SUSTAINABILITY RESILIENCE DIVISION, UM, WE, WE CONTINUED WITH OUR 39TH YEAR OF THE, UH, RECYCLING, UH, IN, IN CONCERT WITH A RR AND, AND A BUNCH OF VOLUNTEERS. SO THAT CONTINUED, UH, NEXT YEAR WILL BE OUR 40TH YEAR, AND WE'LL HAVE TO KEEP SEEING HOW, HOW, UM, THIS SERVICE KEEPS, CONTINUES TO BE USED. UM, ON THE PARK PLANNING SIDE OF THINGS, UM, WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH, UH, CONVERTING THE CIRCLE C OFF-LEASH DOG AREA TO A PERMANENT, UH, OFF-LEASH DOG AREA AS A PILOT. AND THEN IT WAS SPONSORED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, UH, ELLIS, UH, AND, AND MOVING THAT TO PERMANENT. SO THAT'S MOVING FORWARD. UM, NEW PLAYGROUND OVER AT ROSEWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD PARK IN, IN, UM, COLLABORATION WITH AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION. IT IS NOW OPEN AND, AND YOU CAN SEE SOME PICTURES OF A, OF, UH, UH, A PRETTY NICE, UH, PLAYGROUND WITH, WITH LOTS OF SHADE. UM, WE'VE GOT A FEW THINGS THAT WANTED TO MAKE THE BOARD AWARE OF IF, IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE TO JOIN US. WE HAVE TWO SIGNIFICANT RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONIES COMING UP. UH, THE FIRST ONE'S GONNA BE AT ROY GI GUERRERO, WHICH IS CELEBRATING THIS CREEK STABILIZATION PROJECT DONE BY WATERSHED, BUT IT ALSO REPLACED, UM, THIS BRIDGE. UM, AND THEN THE WISHBONE BRIDGE THAT YOU SEE IN THE PICTURE AT THE BOTTOM THAT, THAT WAS COMPLETE. IT, IT'S, IT'S COMPLETED. AND THAT ONE'S GONNA HAVE A RIBBON CUTTING ON SATURDAY. SO FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE, PLEASE JOIN US FOR THOSE. UM, AND THEN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES SHOW A LOT OF VARIOUS AWARDS THAT ARE, UM, TEAMS HAVE BEEN RECEIVING. UM, THE, THE REHABILITATION OF THE, OF THE, UM, HENRY G MATSON CABIN WITH PARKS FOUNDATION RECEIVED AN AWARD, UH, AND A BUNCH OF COMMUNICATION AWARDS, UH, BY OUR, BY OUR, UM, COMMUNI COMMUNICATION ENGAGEMENT TEAMS. UM, AND THEN LOTS OF EVENTS WE HAD, I MENTIONED THE, THE, THE, THE TREE RECYCLING. WE ALSO HAD OUR TREE LIGHTING, UM, THIS, UH, DECEMBER AND TRAIL OF LIGHTS AND OUR NEW YEAR AND THE FUN CONTINUED. SO LOTS GOING ON IN PARKS MIGRATION. QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU. IS THAT ROY G**O BRIDGE, THE ONE THAT WAS DESTROYED IN 2015? YEAH. WOW. LONG TIME COMING. YEAH. CONGRATS. I KNOW WATERSHED HAD A HUGE PART OF THAT. YEAH, NO, THEY HAD, THIS IS ONE OF THEIR BIGGER PROJECTS. THAT'S, YEAH. YEAH. WOW. YEAH. THANK YOU. YEAH. OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE DIRECTOR? I HAVE A COUPLE. SURE. UM, AND SOME CLARIFICATION ABOUT WHAT, WHAT'S BROUGHT BEFORE THE BOARD. UM, I GOT LOOKED AT YOUR QUIP AND I HATE TO USE THESE, BUT I I'M, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME HEARING YOU. I'M SORRY. LET ME, LET ME GET THIS UP HERE. THERE WE GO. UH, YOU SPOKE AT QUIP, I THINK LAST WEEK. OH, SORRY. YES. I DIDN'T KNOW, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. I MEAN, I, I'M CONFUSED ABOUT ALL WHAT, WHAT ALL THESE MEAN. I COULDN'T EVEN TELL YOU CLIMATE, WATER, ENVIRONMENT PARTS. YEAH. AND, AND, UM, AMONG THE THINGS THAT YOU SPOKE ABOUT WERE JUST SORT OF THE GOALS AND YOUR ASPIRATIONS, ET CETERA. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I NOTICED WHEN YOU WERE SPEAKING, YOU MENTIONED, AND I WILL BRING IT UP HERE SO I CAN READ IT. UM, THE, UH, REVISED THE AUSTIN PARKS [02:45:01] AND REC LONG TERM WRONG RANGE PLAN. UH, IF I REMEMBER IN THE CHARTER AND BYLAWS, WE, WE HAVE A ROLE, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY IN A, IN A ROLE, BUT IT'S NOW BEEN BROUGHT TO COUNCIL. WHEN WOULD THAT BE BROUGHT TO US? YEAH, WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T FINISHED OUT THE SCOPE OF WORK THERE. OBVIOUSLY IT'S A PRETTY BIG ENDEAVOR. AND, AND, AND IT'S AN UPDATE TO THIS 10 YEAR PLAN. SO, UM, AS WE, AS WE CREATE THAT SCOPE AND, AND MAP OUT THAT PROJECT, IT'LL, IT'LL INCLUDE LOTS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND CERTAINLY WE'LL INCLUDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IT TO THE BOARD. I DON'T HAVE A DATE YET. UH, FOR ONE WE'RE GONNA DO THAT, BUT THAT'LL BE PART OF THE PLAN. UH, THE SECOND THING IS, I KNOW IN THE NEXT ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEETING, I GUESS IT'S WATERSHED OR WATER, WHATEVER WE'RE CALLING THEM, UH, IS GOING TO BE PRESENTING ON NORTHWEST PARK AND THE POND THAT WE DISCUSSED HERE AT THE BOARD A FEW MONTHS AGO, UM, UM, WOULDN'T THEY BE NORMALLY BRINGING THAT TO US SINCE IT'S A PARK ? YEAH, I'M NOT, I HAVEN'T SEEN THE AGENDA FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, SO I WAS AWARE THE REPRESENTATION. SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING PARKS IS EVEN AWARE OF THE WELL, NO, WE WE'RE AWARE OF THE, I MEAN, WHAT THEY'RE PRESENTING, I'M SURE OUR TEAM IS, I'M PERSONALLY NOT AWARE OF. OKAY. OKAY. YEAH. YEAH. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE AWARE OF THESE THINGS BECAUSE AS YOU WELL KNOW, WE WILL GET AN EMAIL OR A TELEPHONE CALL OR IT POPS UP ON AN EMAIL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND, AND, UM, OR THE COUNCIL PERSON WILL ASK US MM-HMM . WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? AND I DON'T HAVE A CLUE. SO I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL THAT I UNDERSTOOD HOW THINGS ARE BROUGHT HERE. YEAH. UM, I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK WE HAVE A, A REGULAR MEETING WITH THE CHAIR TO COME UP WITH THE AGENDAS FOR THESE MEETINGS. MM-HMM . AND CERTAINLY, UM, SO THAT'S ONE THING. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY ITEMS THAT WE BRING TO COUNCIL, WE BRING HERE FIRST FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION. UM, AND NOW WITH REGARD TO THAT PARTICULAR PRESENTATION, I, YOU KNOW, I'M SORRY, I JUST DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION AND MOST OF THE TEAM HAS GONE SO WE CAN, WE CAN FOLLOW UP AND SEE. OKAY, THAT'S FINE. THAT'S FINE. I MEAN, IT'S ALSO WORTH NOTING THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MAY HAVE REQUESTED A PRESENTATION ON THE TOPIC. AND THOSE ARE HARD SOMETIMES TO KEEP TRACK OF, WHICH WOULD BE, MY GUESS IS THAT ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WAS CONTACTED JUST AS WE WERE ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. SOMEONE ON ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, A COUPLE OF PEOPLE SPONSORED AN ITEM AND ADDED IT, WOULD BE MY GUESS. YEAH. OKAY. WELL, I'LL FIND OUT. YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU. SURE. THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE DIRECTOR? [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS] OKAY. ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT ANYONE WANTS TO PROPOSE? YES, GO AHEAD. BOARD MEMBER, THEY'LL BE COMING. CAN WE GET AN, AN UPDATE ON THE, UM, THE FOOD FOREST? WILL WE BE ABLE TO, I'M SORRY, SAY THAT AGAIN? OH, CAN WE GET AN UPDATE ON, ON UH, FESTIVAL BEACH AND THE FOOD FOREST? YEAH. I KNOW YOU JUST GAVE AN UPDATE, BUT IN OUR NEXT MEETING, CAN WE GET ANOTHER SURE, WE CAN DO THAT. THANK YOU. YEAH. ANYTHING ELSE? I, I DO HAVE ONE ISSUE THAT SURE. ONE ITEM I GUESS FOR THE AGENDA. I MEAN, WE COULD BRING IT UP AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE, THE PART, AS YOU WELL KNOW, UH, SOME OF US, TWO OF US, UH, WHO WERE IN, ARE INVOLVED AT WRE SQUARE, THE MOST HISTORICAL PARK IN THE CITY, UH, ARRANGED TO HAVE A HERITAGE TREE MOVED FROM TEXAS BANKER OVER TO WOOLDRIDGE SQUARE. THAT WAS, UM, FOUR AND A HALF YEARS AGO, $500,000 PROJECT THAT BENEFITED THE CITY OF AUSTIN. AND THE TREE HAS DIED, TRIED, DIED DURING THE DROUGHT, AND THERE'S A SURETY BOND THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PUT UP BY TEXAS BANKERS TO COVER THE MAINTENANCE OF THAT TREE FOR FIVE YEARS, YOU KNOW, GUARANTEED. AND WE'VE NOW FOUND OUT, OR YOU HAVE FOUND OUT YOUR STAFF THAT THAT BOND EITHER WAS NOT PUT UP OR WAS RELEASED EARLY. AND GIVEN WHAT'S GOING ON WITH ORACLE, ET CETERA, I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT HERITAGE, HERITAGE, TREES, THESE MOVINGS OF TREES. GIVEN WHAT WE HAVE JUST EXPERIENCED, WE NOW HAVE A DEAD STUMP IN WILDRIDGE SQUARE RATHER THAN A BEAUTIFUL LIVE OAK. CAN WE GET SOME INFO? I TELL YOU WHAT, I'M JUST GONNA ADD THAT TO THE AGENDA THERE. WELL, I MEAN, YOU NEED SOMEBODY ELSE TO ADD IT TO THE AGENDA, BUT YOU ARE, I DON'T THINK I'LL HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. THAT'S NO PROBLEM. I'M, I'M JUST SAYING THAT THE DIRECTOR MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION PRIOR TO THE NEXT MEETING IF YOU'RE, I I CAN TRY. I DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION SITTING HERE, BUT YEAH. ABOUT WILDRIDGE, ABOUT, ABOUT THE SURETY AND THE THINGS YOU DESCRIBED. OKAY, THANK YOU. I KNOW [02:50:01] THE DETAILS. ALRIGHT. YEAH, YEAH, NO, ANYTHING ELSE? IS THERE AN UPCOMING TREE RELOCATION THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF? ORACLE. OKAY. YEAH. THAT, THAT ONE'S PENDING AND THERE'S CONCERNS THERE. SO, YOU KNOW, HERE'S ONE EXAMPLE. HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN OR WE REDUCE OUR RISK? ANYTHING ELSE? CHAIR, CAN I, CAN I ADDRESS THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEM SECTION JUST A BIT. PLEASE GO FOR IT. BUT YEAH, JUST, JUST FOR CLARITY, UM, THE AGENDA FOR EVERY PARKS BOARD MEETING BELONGS TO THE BOARD. AND THE ONLY REQUIREMENT FOR AN ITEM TO BE ADDED TO ANY AGENDA IS THAT A RECEIVE SPONSORSHIP FOR, UH, BY TWO BOARD MEMBERS. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST SORT OF A BASIC PRINCIPLE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THE ITEM IS CLEAR ENOUGH TO INFORM THE PUBLIC. TYPICALLY THIS SECTION OF THE MEETING FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, IT IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BOARD MEMBERS TO KIND OF SHARE ITEMS THAT THEY'RE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN, CONCERNED ABOUT. AND OFTENTIMES STAFF WILL RESPOND TO THOSE, UM, WITH EMAILS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF INFORMATION BETWEEN, UH, BOARD MEETINGS. UM, IF, IF ANY BOARD MEMBER IS INTERESTED IN ADDING AN ITEM TO ANY FUTURE AGENDA, THEY OF COURSE CAN, YOU KNOW, RAISE THAT ITEM DURING FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS SECTION. BUT IT'S ALSO KIND OF MUCH MORE HELPFUL DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FUTURE AGENDAS WHEN I SEND OUT THE DRAFT AGENDAS FOR, FOR BOARD MEMBERS TO INFORM THAT POINT THAT THEY WANT TO ADD A, ADD AN ITEM SO THAT I CAN, UH, HELP CLARIFY THAT PROCESS. SO I JUST WANT BOARD MEMBERS TO HAVE A, A FULL AND COMPLETE PICTURE OF HOW THEY CAN GET ITEMS ADDED TO AGENDAS IF THEY SO WANT TO. THANKS FOR THAT PROCEDURAL CLARITY, TIM. APPRECIATE IT. YES. THANK YOU FOR TRIGGERING MY MEMORY. 'CAUSE I KNOW WE HAD EMAILED ABOUT THIS, UM, I WANTED TO I GUESS FIND OUT WHAT THE PROCESS IS OR WHAT THE KIND OF BACKGROUND IS WHEN WE HAVE EVENTS LIKE TRAIL OF LIGHTS, UM, WHERE, UM, THERE IS, THERE ARE SOME, UM, EVENINGS WHERE IT'S FREE TO THE PUBLIC, OTHERS WHERE IT, YOU MUST PAY. UM, BUT WE'RE STILL RESTRICTING PARKING, UM, ACCESSIBLE PARKING. UM, AND THIS IS, MY SON GOES EVERY YEAR WE HAVE A WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VAN AND, YOU KNOW, SHAME ON US THAT WE DIDN'T PLAN BETTER. ALL THE WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE PARKING, WHICH WAS FAR AWAY WAS SOLD OUT. AND SO I, I GUESS I JUST WANNA, I, I WANT THE UN EVERYTHING WORKED OUT FINE FOR HIM. I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT THE THINKING IS BEHIND THE PLANNING WHEN THERE IS A FREE EVENT IN THE PARK, BUT YET WE'RE RESTRICTING PARKING AND WE'RE MAKING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WHO HAVE, WHO HAVE MOBILITY ISSUES THAT REQUIRE THEM TO USE THEIR, THEIR OWN VEHICLE. UM, AND WE'RE REQUIRING THEM TO PAY TO PARK AND THEN WE'RE LIMITING THE PARKING THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE. SO I JUST WANNA GET SOME BACKGROUND ON THAT AND SEE IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MAYBE IMPROVE THAT TO MAKE IT MORE EQUITABLE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO ACCESS FREE PROGRAMMING IN OUR PARKS FOR EVENTS LIKE THIS. THANK YOU. UM, SO, UH, IF WE COULD GET THAT ON A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, IF I HAVE ANOTHER SPONSOR, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. YEAH, I PERHAPS ALSO WE COULD SEND SOME SUPPORTIVE INFORMATION ON WHAT THE CURRENT POLICIES ARE. 'CAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S GREAT TO, TO HEAR THAT KIND OF FEEDBACK, RIGHT? BECAUSE THESE, THESE EVENTS ARE ORGANIZED BY, BY, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON THE EVENT, BY OTHER PARTNERS, ET CETERA. SO IF WE DON'T ASK THE QUESTIONS, THEN THEN, YOU KNOW, THINGS WON'T CHANGE. SO THIS IS A GREAT, UM, FORM TO BRING IT UP. AND, AND SO WE'LL WE COULD CERTAINLY TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT. UM, YES, I USED TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE VANS TOO. YEAH. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? OKAY. IF NOT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN THE MEETING. IT'S 9 0 3. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.