* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] FOR YOUR PATIENCE. THE TIME IS NOW [CALL TO ORDER ] SIX OH FIVE AND I WILL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER. I'M GOING TO TAKE ROLE HERE. SO, STEPHANIE , CHAIR AND PRESENT. UM, VICE CHAIR CATHERINE FLOWERS. BOARD MEMBER ORM. BOARD MEMBER VILLALOBOS. PRESENT BOARD MEMBER MERIT PRESENT BOARD MEMBER ABARA. BOARD MEMBER KERNS STERILE PRESENT BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR. BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN PRESENT BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS PRESENT AND BOARD MEMBER BECKER PRESENT. ALRIGHT, THEY'RE BEING QUORUM. WE CAN MOVE AHEAD. UM, OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS [PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL ] IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION IN GENERAL. UM, I DO WANNA NOTE THAT WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE, UM, BILINGUAL SPEAKER. AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE BOARD, UM, IF IT'S OKAY TO ALLOW THEM DOUBLE THE TIME FOR THE TRANSLATION. THIS JUST ENSURES EQUITY THAT THEY HAVE THEIR FULL THREE MINUTES TO PROPERLY SPEAK AND THE TRANSLATION DOES NOT CUT INTO THEIR THREE MINUTES. SO IF THERE'S ANY OBJECTION, IF YOU COULD LET ME KNOW. ALL RIGHT. WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GRANT, UM, ANY OF OUR BILINGUAL SPEAKERS THAT ADDITIONAL TIME. SO THAT'S FOR A TOTAL OF SIX MINUTES WITH THE TRANSLATION. UM, WE'VE ALSO BEEN SENT A REQUEST BY A GROUP, UM, WHO'S SPEAKING ON FESTIVAL BEACH TO, UM, GIVE THEIR TIME TO SHARE THEIR TIME. I KNOW WE'VE BEEN ASKED THIS IN THE PAST AND WE GENERALLY DON'T ALLOW SHARED TIME TO LUMP ALL THAT IN. UM, WE DID JUST RECEIVE THAT MESSAGE TODAY, SO SOME OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS MAY NOT HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO READ THAT NOTE YET. UM, I WILL GIVE THEM A MINUTE TO CHECK THEIR EMAIL AND READ THAT NOTE IF THEY'D LIKE. AND THEN I'D LIKE TO START WITH BOARD MEMBER MERIT. UM, THIS IS AFFECTING HER DISTRICT, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION AROUND WHETHER OR NOT WE WILL ALLOW THAT SHARED TIME IN THIS ONE INSTANCE. UM, SO WE'LL GIVE BOARD MEMBERS A MOMENT AND THEN WE'LL START WITH BOARD MEMBER, MERIT BOARD MEMBER, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. YEAH. I'M HAVING A HARD TIME LOGGING INTO MY EMAIL, BUT I WILL, I MEAN WE CAN, WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR ME. UM, DO YOU WANT ME TO JUST GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED? UM, WE CAN, DID YOU WANNA READ, FULLY READ THAT? I FEEL THAT THAT COULD BE A FIGHT. I MIGHT NOT WIN ANYTIME SOON, SO I MIGHT AS WELL JUST, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT A BIT. SO I THINK, UM, I DON'T WANNA SET A PRECEDENT MOVING FORWARD, BUT I THINK UNDER THE, THESE ARE EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES, I THINK BECAUSE OF THE, BECAUSE OF THE FAST MOVING NATURE OF THIS ISSUE AND BECAUSE WE'VE HEARD FROM, UM, FROM THESE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY A FEW TIMES BEFORE. SO I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF ALLOWING THEM TO DONATE THEIR TIME. UM, BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE. DO ANY OF THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANYTHING TO SHARE ON THIS TOPIC OF DONATING TIME? I, UM, BOARD, OR SORRY, TIM, THE, DO WE KNOW WHAT THE TOTAL TIME WOULD BE? THAT'S A QUESTION WE'VE HAD BY THE BOARD. UH, I BELIEVE WE HAVE LIKE EIGHT OR NINE PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM THREE. SO I, I AM NOT SURE WHO WOULD BE DONATING THEIR TIME TO WHO OR, OR WHAT KIND OF BLOCK OF TIME THEY'RE LOOKING TO REQUEST. THEY'RE SAYING THEY'RE FINE WITH WITHOUT TIME DONATIONS. OKAY. OKAY. IF THEY'RE FINE WITH IT, THEN WE'RE FINE WITH IT. YEAH, IF, IF THEY'VE RESCINDED THEIR REQUEST, THEN THERE'S NO LONGER A REQUEST, SO WE WILL MOVE AHEAD. OKAY. UM, ALRIGHT, WITH THAT WE WILL MOVE TO, UM, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION GENERAL THANK YOU CHAIR. AND BEFORE WE BEGIN GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, WE DO HAVE A FEW PEOPLE THAT THAT CALL, UM, SIGNED UP [00:05:01] TO PROVIDE REMOTE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM SPECIFIC ITEMS OR ITEM SPECIFIC COMMENTS. SO AGAIN, IS OKAY WITH THE BOARD THAT AFTER WE FINISH GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT, WE MOVE DIRECTLY INTO THOSE PUBLIC COMMENTS SO THAT THOSE THAT HAVE CALLED IN DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR THOSE ITEMS TO COME UP. IS THAT OKAY WITH THE BOARD? YES, THAT'S FINE. SOUNDS GOOD. UH, THEN OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS GOING TO BE MONICA GUZMAN, WHO IS DIALED IN. AND NOW AT THIS POINT I'LL ALSO ASK, UH, SUSANNA PITO TO MAKE HER WAY TO THE FRONT OF THE ROOM. BE RIGHT HERE. UH, MONICA, CAN YOU HEAR US? I NEED INTERPRETATION. SOUNDS GOOD. CAN YOU HEAR US? I CAN HEAR YOU. CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN. UH, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. UH, OKAY. UH, THANK YOU. UM, GOOD EVENING. I MEAN, I'LL TRY AND BE QUICK. ONE, THE RESIDENT WHO NEEDED INTERPRETATION, I DON'T KNOW IF SHE MADE IT INTO THE QUEUE. SHE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS. I HOPE IF SHE CALLS IN, YEAH. WILL LET HER IN. HER NAME IS TERESA RIVERA. MY NAME IS MONICA GUZMAN. I AM POLICY DIRECTOR FOR GAVA GO AUSTIN, BAMO AUSTIN. I DON'T THINK I'LL HAVE TIME TO READ ALL MY TALKING POINTS. SO I'M GONNA CHERRY PICK FROM COMMENTS I MADE AT THE MARCH 9TH BOND ADVISORY TASK FORCE AND I WILL EMAIL MY FULL COMMENTS TO YOU WHEN I AM DONE. UM, I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF DAVA RESIDENTS LIVING IN THE BROOK AREA. UH, MANY OF THEM MAKE UP THE URBAN HEAT MITIGATION GROUP HERE AT GAVA. ONE OF OUR ORGANIZERS, UH, SUPPORTS THEM IN ADDRESSING HEAT MITIGATION. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, VERY MINIMAL URBAN CANOPY COMPARED TO OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY, EVEN OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN. WE HAVE EXCESSIVE IMPERVIOUS COVER. WE NEED MORE TREES, WHICH WILL BE WORKED ON THIS YEAR OR NEXT, ESPECIALLY ALONG BERG SHELTERED BUS STOPS. SO WHAT THEY'VE REALLY BEEN ADVOCATING ON FOR THREE AND A HALF YEARS NOW IS A SPLASH PAD AT THE GARCIA REC CENTER. THEY BEGAN IN SEPTEMBER, 2022 IN A PRIVATE MEETING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER VELA EVERY OPPORTUNITY THEY'VE HAD TO ADVOCATE EVEN WHEN THEY HAD TO PIVOT IN, UH, THE SUMMER OF 2023 WHEN ADVOCATING FOR FISCAL 24 BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS. THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT LACK OF ACCESS TO THE SCHOOLS, WALNUT CREEK, TO THE NORTH BARTH, OMY TO THE SOUTH. THEY ARE THE CLOSEST LARGE NEIGHBORHOOD OR METROPOLITAN SWIMMING POOLS. SOME OF THE RESIDENTS DON'T HAVE THEIR OWN TRANSPORTATION. THEY RELY ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND EVEN THEN THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS ABLE TO, TO TAKE IT TO GET TO THE POOLS. AND EVEN IF, REGARDLESS OF THEIR TRANSPORTATION, IF THEY'RE ABLE TO GET THERE, THEY AREN'T ALWAYS TO PAY, AREN'T ALWAYS ABLE TO PAY THE ADMISSION FEE. THAT WAS PART OF THEIR ADVOCACY IN 2023. AND ON AUGUST 8TH, 2023, COUNCIL ANNOUNCED WAIVING THE POOL ADMISSION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SEASON IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER OF 2023. BUT THEY CONTINUED TO ADVOCATE. THEY NEED THAT. WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT NEEDS TO BE BOND FUNDED TO BUILD IT IN THE FIRST PLACE. AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE BEEN HITTING EVERY OPPORTUNITY. I PARTICIPATED IN A FEBRUARY, UH, VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE FOR THE BOND LAST MONTH, AND THEY RECOMMENDED WE SPEAK AT THIS MEETING AND WE ARE URGING YOU TO SEND A RECOMMENDATION TO PARKS AND REC TO DIRECTOR RE WHO I BELIEVE I SAW ONLINE IS SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE TO ADD THIS BECAUSE IT IS AN EXTREME CRITICAL NEED. AND WE WERE VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT IT WAS NOT LISTED ON CARDS. PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE 2026 BOND. IT'S, IT'S EXTREMELY HOT OUT HERE, ESPECIALLY FOR FOLKS WHO CAN'T AFFORD THEIR UTILITIES. THEY'RE DRIVING AROUND IN THEIR CAR, SO THEY HAVE AC FROM THEIR CARS. THANK YOU. THEY NEED A WAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, SUSANNA, IF YOU COULD BEGIN TRANSLATING FOR ME, UM, THERESA RIVERA, CAN YOU HEAR US MR. RIVERA? YES, I'M LISTENING. THANK YOU, THERESA. YOU'LL HAVE SIX MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. OKAY? [00:10:44] YES. UH, MY NAME IS TERESA RIVERA AND I LIVE HERE AT THE 7 8 7 5 3 ZIP CODE, UH, IN ROMBERG STREET. I WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A SPLASH PADS REFRESHING AREAS HERE AT THE GAS GARCIA REC CENTER. FAMILIES WILL BENEFIT GREATLY FROM THIS. CHILDREN WILL HAVE A PLACE TO HAVE FUN DURING THE SUMMER WHEN IT GETS VERY HOT. THEY SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THEM WITHOUT HAVING TO PAY FEES. AND IT'S BETTER IF IT'S NEARBY SINCE THE CLOSEST ALTERNATIVE IS THE WALNUT CREEK POOL. BUT CHILDREN NEED TO TAKE BUSES TO GET THERE, WHICH IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE THERE IS NO THERE, THERE IS NO SAFE WAY TO CROSS LAMAR STREET. OR FAMILIES NEED THE KIND OF RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT OTHER MORE AFFLUENT COMMUNITIES HAVE. I REQUEST A RECOMMENDATION BE SENT TO PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT OR THEM TO INCLUDE THIS IN THEIR LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE 2026 BOND. THANK YOU. THANK YOU . UH, OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE KAYLA REESE. KAYLA, CAN YOU HEAR US? YES. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. THANK YOU. UH, MY NAME IS KAY LARE AND I'M THE CURRENT ADVOCACY MANAGER AT THE AUSTIN PARK FOUNDATION. AND I JUST WANTED TO SHARE SOME UPDATES, UM, ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS WITH Y'ALL. WE JUST HAD, UM, IT'S MY PARK DAY ON MARCH 7TH. IT'S OUR 21ST YEAR. UH, IT'S MY PARK DAY. UH, WE HAD A GREAT TURNOUT WITH, UH, MORE THAN, UH, 4,500 VOLUNTEERS ACROSS A HUNDRED OF EIGHT PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. AND THROUGH THOSE VOLUNTEER EFFORTS, THEY ADDRESS MAINTENANCE NEEDS, ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION, INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT, AND MORE. WE'VE SPREAD OVER A THOUSAND CUBIC YARDS OF MULCH AND DIVERTED MORE THAN 16,000 POUNDS OF LITTER. AND ALL THAT TRANSLATES TO OVER, UH, 455,000 IN LABOR VALUE. UM, SO THAT WAS A, A REALLY GREAT TURNOUT. WE HOPE SOME OF Y'ALL WERE OUT THERE. UM, ON, IT'S MY PARK DAY AND WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER ONE COMING UP THE FIRST SATURDAY OF NOVEMBER. UH, WE ALSO WANTED TO SHARE, UM, ABOUT SOME, UH, SHADE UPDATES AS THE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS HAVE TALKED ABOUT, LIKE SUMMER IS COMING AND WE'RE ALL WORRIED ABOUT HOW HOT IT'S GOING TO BE IN AUSTIN. UH, SHADE IS SUPER IMPORTANT AND, UM, WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO SHARE THAT AUSTIN PARK FOUNDATION HAS SURPASSED THE 1 MILLION MARK IN OUR $2 MILLION COMMITMENT TO EXPAND SHADE ACROSS AUSTIN'S PARK SYSTEM. THIS MARKS A MAJOR MILESTONE IN OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN COM TO COMBAT EXTREME HEAT AND IMPROVE PARK ACCESSIBILITY. YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THOSE COMPLETED PROJECTS AT PALMER, LOU PARK, UM, LEY PARK, COLONY PARK, ROY G MON TRAILHEAD PARK, DODY JORDAN NORTHWEST PARK, AND PARK AOSA WITH MORE PLANNED, UM, IN THE FUTURE. AND FINALLY, UM, I WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE BOND. UM, I KNOW THEY WILL HEAR AN UPDATE ON THE 2026 BOND PROGRAM TONIGHT, AND I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE NEED FOR A REALLY ROBUST PARKS BOND OF AT LEAST 200 MILLION THIS YEAR. AND I REALLY MEAN AT LEAST THAT'S LIKE BARE MINIMUM NEEDS OF THE DEPARTMENT. UM, I'M SURE AS Y'ALL ARE AWARE, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WAS ON A SIX YEAR CYCLE AND WE ARE NOW EIGHT YEARS OUT. UM, AND WE CAN'T JUST KEEP PUSHING OFF THE PARKS BOND. THE NEEDS ARE ONLY GONNA GET LARGER. THINGS ARE ONLY GONNA GET MORE EXPENSIVE. AND A BOND THAT DOESN'T SUBSTANTIALLY MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS ESSENTIALLY USELESS. UM, I KNOW THAT THE BOND ADVISORY TOP COURSE IS WORKING HARD, CAN MEET ALL THE NEEDS ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT. UM, BUT REALLY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT STANDS ALONE IN THAT ALL OF THEIR BOND MONEY HAS BEEN SPENT AND THEY EXPECTED BOND TWO YEARS AGO. THAT IS REALLY CRUCIAL TO THEIR NEEDS. UM, IN THE END, COUNCIL HAS A DECISION OVER HOW THE BOND SHOWS UP ON THE BALLOTS FOR VOTERS. AND Y'ALL HAVE THE ABILITY TO ADVOCATE FOR THE PARKS NEEDS AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TO HAVE A ROBUST BOND THIS YEAR. AGAIN, IT NEEDS TO BE AT LEAST 200 MILLION, UM, I THINK EARLY ESTIMATES FOR [00:15:01] 400 MILLION TO ACTUALLY MEET THE NEEDS. AND SO EVEN 200 MILLION DOESN'T NECESSARILY GET ALL THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO SEE WITH THE BOND. THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY. UM, AND HAVE A GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE HOLLY REED, FORMER PARKS BOARD MEMBER HOLLY REED. CAN YOU HEAR US? YES. UM, MEMBERS OF THE PARKS BOARD, THIS IS HOLLY REED. I SERVED ON THE BOARD ALONGSIDE MANY OF YOU. FOR TWO YEARS. WE AGREED THAT AUSTIN'S PARKS ARE SACRED AND THEY BELONG TO THE PEOPLE. YOU ARE THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE. PLEASE HEAR OUR CONCERNS AND ACT TO MAKE GOOD CHANGES FOR THE BENEFIT OF AUSTIN'S PARKS AND THE PEOPLE WHO NEED THEM. TODAY. MY ASK IS SIMPLE. RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY TERMINATE ITS CONTRACT WITH THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY AND REEVALUATE THE BENEFITS OF THIS PARTNERSHIP TO OUR CITY. WHY THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY'S RECENT ACTIONS REVEAL A PATTERN OF EXPLOITING PUBLIC RESOURCES WITHOUT PROPER OVERSIGHT OR TRANSPARENCY. THEY HAVE MISSED REVENUE TARGETS PRESSURED CITY STAFF, AND PURSUED LARGE PUBLIC FUNDS FOR PRIVATE PROJECTS. MULTIPLE AUDIT REQUESTS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE CITY CONCERNING THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY'S ETHICAL AND FINANCIAL VIOLATIONS OF THEIR PARKS, OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT. I URGE YOU TO READ THESE AUDIT REQUESTS. THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY IS DESPERATE FOR MONEY. THEY TRIED TO FAST TRACK THEIR CONTRACT PHASING TO MANAGE AND TAKE IN MONEY FROM ALL BOATING CONCESSIONS ALONG LADY BIRD LAKE WITHOUT MEETING THEIR CONTRACTS REQUIRED RESERVED FUNDING. IN 2024, THE CITY AUTHORIZED THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY TO MANAGE TWO CONCESSIONS, EPIC SUP AND TEXAS ROWING CENTER. BUT WHEN TRAIL CONSERVANCY FELL SHORT OF THEIR $450,000 REVENUE TARGET IN 2025, THEY PUSHED TO RETROACTIVELY TAKE AUSTIN ROWING CLUB'S FOURTH QUARTER PAYMENT TO THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND, ABOUT $257,000. EVEN THOUGH AUSTIN ROWING CLUB WAS NOT APPROVED FOR TRAIL CONSERVANCY MANAGEMENT AT THAT TIME, THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY HAS PUT PRESSURE ON PARKS DEPARTMENT STAFF, INCLUDING THREATS OF LEGAL ACTION, ASKING STAFF TO CONSIDER QUOTE CREATIVE OPTIONS TO DELIVER AUSTIN ROWING CLUB REVENUE TO THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY. THESE CREATIVE OPTIONS, THE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION STAFF DO NOT WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW ABOUT. FOR TWO YEARS, THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY WAS PURSUING TDOT'S $25 MILLION IN PARKLAND MITIGATION FUNDS FOR A BOARDWALK PROJECT DESIGNED BY A LUXURY DEVELOPMENT ALONG LADY BIRD LAKE WITHOUT PARKS DEPARTMENT INVOLVEMENT AND ENTIRELY OUTSIDE OF THEIR OWN COMA. THE PROPOSED BOARD WALK USES PUBLIC PARKLAND AND PUBLIC DOLLARS AND SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO FULL CITY OVERSIGHT. WITHOUT PUBLIC SCRUTINY, THOSE FUNDS WOULD'VE GONE DIRECTLY TO THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY. AND IF WE'RE NOT VIGILANT MAY STILL BE DIRECTED THERE VIA PARKS DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP. THIS IS ABOUT GOVERNANCE, TRANSPARENCY, AND PUBLIC TRUST. I URGE YOU THE PARKS BOARD TO RECOMMEND THE IMMEDIATE TERMINATION OF THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY'S CONTRACT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE IN-PERSON SPEAKERS. OUR FIRST IN-PERSON SPEAKER WILL BE ROBIN SANG, FOLLOWED BY OZZI SANG, AND THEN JUDE SANG ROBIN SEAT IN FRONT. AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE, UM, SO YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. HI, UH, MY NAME IS ROBIN SANG. MY FAMILY AND I, UH, ARE USERS OF PERRY PARK, AND IT'S A PARK LOCATED IMMEDIATELY NEXT TO A HIGHLAND PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THERE ARE TWO SOCCER FIELDS THERE, AN UPPER FIELD AND A LOWER FIELD. UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. I'M HERE TODAY TO SHARE MY PERSPECTIVE ON THE DIFFICULTY ON STAYING ON THE FIELD BEFORE BEING ASKED TO LEAVE. SO THERE'S A GROUP CALLED NASA. UM, THIS IS THEIR WEBSITE AND WE USUALLY PLAY ON THE UPPER FIELD AND ON THEIR OWN WEBSITE IT SAYS THAT THEY HAVE PRACTICE AT HIGHLAND PARK ELEMENTARY ONLY ON THE LOWER FIELD. IN ONE OCCASION, WE WERE ASKED TO LEAVE THE UPPER FIELD, AND ON A DIFFERENT OCCASION, WE WERE ASKED TO MOVE. UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. IN AT LEAST OH, BUT ONE SLIDE, PAUL. YES, PLEASE. [00:20:01] IN AT LEAST ONE OCCASION, WHICH IS ON THE NINTH OF THIS MONTH, ON A DAY WHERE THEY DO NOT HAVE PRACTICE ON A MONDAY. WE WERE PLAYING, MY SON AND I WERE PLAYING AT THE UPPER FIELD, AND A LARGE GROUP CAME WITH A COACH AND THEY TOOK OVER THE FIELD. IT WAS A SAD DAY FOR MY SON BECAUSE HE WAS REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO PLAY. UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO, THROUGH A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST, TO MY SURPRISE, I FOUND OUT THAT THE FIELD, THE BOTH FIELDS TO MY UNDERSTANDING, ARE LEASED OUT TO NASA FROM MONDAY TO FRIDAY DURING THE PEAK TIME OF FIVE 15 TO 7:30 PM THIS REALLY LIMITS PUBLIC ACCESS BECAUSE SCHOOL USE IS ROUGHLY TILL, LET'S SAY THREE 30. AND THEN THERE'S AFTERSCHOOL CARE, UH, ACTIVITIES AT THE PARK TILL AROUND 4:55 PM THIS LEAVES ONLY ABOUT 20 MINUTES OF TRULY FREE OPEN FIELD SOCCER FIELD SPACE FOR PUBLIC ACCESS BEFORE THE NASA LICENSE PERIOD BEGINS. UH, I DON'T KNOW IF 20 MINUTES IS ENOUGH TIME FOR PUBLIC ACCESS. UM, I HOPE YOU GUYS CAN MAYBE, UH, LEAVE ONE FIELD OPEN, UH, FOR PUBLIC USE OR MAYBE JUST ON CERTAIN DAYS LEAVE IT OPEN FOR THE PUBLIC. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE OZZI SANG, FOLLOWED BY JUDE SANG AND THEN CARSON BUCKNER. I I HAVE A, I HAVE A CLARIFYING QUESTION. YES, PLEASE. SO WHEN YOU WENT THERE LAST TIME, WHO TOLD YOU TO LEAVE? WHAT? OH, YOU SAID IT WAS A COACH? UH, ONE CO SO THE ONE ON THE NINTH THIS MONTH, THE MOST RECENT TIME WE WERE THERE. AND, UH, WE COACH CAME OVER AND SAID, I DON'T WANT TO KICK YOU OFF. UH, YOU ARE WELCOME TO STAY, UH, AND PLAY WITH US. SO, UM, THOSE KIDS WERE A LOT OLDER THAN MY KID. HE TRIED TO PLAY FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND, UH, NOBODY PASSED HIM THE BALL. AND I DOCUMENTED THIS WRITING TO MY DISTRICT, UH, BOARD MEMBER, MR. EUBANKS. UM, AND THEN, BECAUSE HE WAS SAD, SO WE LEFT. YEAH. AND WHO WAS THE, UH, COACH FOR? I, I BELIEVE THEY'RE NASA BECAUSE BEFORE WE LEFT I ASKED ONE OF THE KIDS THAT WAS A GOALIE WITH THAT TEAM, UH, ARE YOU GUYS WITH NASA? HE SAID YES. AND I ASKED WHAT GRADE? THEY SAID FIFTH AND SIXTH AND MY SON'S THIRD GRADE. YEAH. RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE OZZI SANG FOLLOWED BY JUNE, SANG, AND THEN CARSON BUCKNER OZ WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. DO I PUSH THIS? NO, YOU'RE GOOD. OKAY. HELLO, MY NAME IS OZ AND I'M A STUDENT AT, I MEAN, I LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF HIGHLAND PARK ELEMENTARY. AND I'M ALSO HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE USE OF THE PERRY PARK SOCCER FIELD BECAUSE WHEN SOMETIMES ME AND MY FRIENDS WILL PLAY, NASA WILL COME AND THEY'LL KICK US OFF. AND I WAS JUST WONDERING IF WE COULD LIKE ONLY GIVE THEM ONE OF THE TWO FIELDS BECAUSE WE, ME AND MY FRIENDS ALWAYS PLAY ON THE UPPER FIELD. AND THEN SOMETIMES THEY'LL COME AND THEN THEY'LL USE THE BOTTOM FIELD AND THEN THEY'LL COME TO THE UPPER FIELD AND THEN THEY'LL LIKE KICK US OFF AND THEY'LL MAKE US GO TO THE BOTTOM FIELD OR LEAVE. AND IT JUST LIKE MAKES US LIKE NOT WANNA GO THERE BECAUSE THEN WE COULD GET KICKED OFF AND WE CAN'T PLAY ANYMORE. AND YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE JUDE SANG, FOLLOWED BY CARSON BUCKNER. AND THEN MARK MAY, JUDE, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. OKAY. HELLO, MY NAME'S JUDE SOLOMON SANG, AND I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND PUTTING UP A SIGN TO THE FIELDS THAT ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AT ALL TIMES. SO IF SOMEONE COMES WITH A LARGE GROUP OR A TEAM AND ASK TO KICK ME OFF, I CAN TELL THEM TO LOOK AT THE SIGN AND I CAN KEEP PLAYING. UH, AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOMMEND PUTTING UP A SIGN AT THE FIELDS THAT ARE RESERVED AND WHAT TIME THEY'RE OPEN AT, SO OTHER PEOPLE. AND I CAN KNOW WHAT TIME IT'S OPEN AT AND WHEN IT'S NOT. AND ANOTHER REASON WHY I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND PUTTING IT UP THERE IS BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A PHONE, BUT I HAVE A WATCH SO I CAN SEE WHAT TIME, UM, IT'S OPEN AT. AND LAST, UM, I WOULD LIKE THE NASA SOCCER TEAM [00:25:01] TO USE THE BIGGER FIELD AND WE GET THE SMALLER ONE. SO I HAVE ONE FIELD OPEN AND I CAN PLAY THERE WITH MY FRIENDS AND I CAN BUILD A BETTER FRIENDSHIP WITH THEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING TO SPEAK TODAY. WE APPRECIATE YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE CARSON BUCKNER, FOLLOWED BY MARK MAY. HI EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS CARSON BUCKNER. I'M THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR BRIDGE LACROSSE. UH, I'M JUST HERE TO SHOW AND SHARE HOW WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE KIDS IN EAST AND SOUTHEAST AUSTIN TO BE ABLE TO PLAY LACROSSE THROUGH OUR ORGANIZATION. WE HAVE EXISTED FOR OVER 20 YEARS AS AN ORGANIZATION. UH, WE STARTED IN DALLAS AND OVER THE PAST YEARS WE'VE EXPANDED DOWN TO AUSTIN AND WE HAVE LAUNCHED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTIN PARKS IN REC COMMUNITY. OFFICIALLY OVER THIS PAST SPRING, WE'VE BEEN PRACTICING AT MONTOPOLIS REC CENTER. UH, YOU CAN SEE A PICTURE HERE WITH A BUNCH OF THE KIDS THAT'VE BEEN ABLE TO COME OUT AND PLAY LACROSSE WITH US. UH, WE PRIMARILY, UH, HAVE KIDS FROM GO VALLEY, MONTOPOLIS AND THE DOVE SPRINGS AREA, AND WE CONTINUE TO LOOK TO EXPAND AND GROW THE PROGRAM OVER THE, THE COMING YEARS AND WANT TO JUST EDUCATE Y'ALL ON WHAT WE DO AND WHAT WE PROVIDE FOR THE COMMUNITY. SO OUR MISSION IS TO USE LACROSSE TO BROADEN THE HORIZONS OF OUR YOUTH. AND OUR VISION IS FOR OUR COMMUNITIES YOUTH TO HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO THE UNIQUE BENEFITS OF LACROSSE AND ULTIMATELY CLOSE THE OPPORTUNITY GAP THAT EXISTS FOR KIDS. IF Y'ALL ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE SPORT OF LACROSSE, IT IS USUALLY, UH, RELEGATED TO A HIGH INCOME, UH, PREP SCHOOL TYPES OF COMMUNITIES AND INTRODUCTION COSTS FOR A KID TO EVEN GET INTO PLAYING LACROSSE CAN COST ANYWHERE FROM 500 TO A THOUSAND DOLLARS. SO IT'S JUST INACCESSIBLE TO A LARGE PORTION OF THE POPULATION. SO OUR ORGANIZATION IS HERE TO HELP BRIDGE THAT OPPORTUNITY GAP AND ALLOW KIDS TO BE ABLE TO PLAY LACROSSE, WHICH IN MY OPINION, IS THE BEST SPORT. I HAVE A TON OF FUN WITH IT. I PLAYED IT GROWING UP, AND I JUST THINK IT'S SO, SO MUCH FUN AND IT PROVIDES SO MUCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR THESE KIDS TO GROW IN LEADERSHIP CHARACTER, AND REALLY BUILD COMMUNITY. AND WE'VE BEEN SEEING THAT FIRSTHAND OUT HERE AT MONTOPOLIS. I DON'T HAVE ANY DIRECT ASK OR ANYTHING TODAY REALLY JUST WANTING TO SHOW MY FACE TO THE BOARD AND LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT WE'RE OUT HERE AT THE MONTOPOLIS REC CENTER AND PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THESE KIDS AND LOOK TO, YEAH, JUST CONTINUE TO BUILD OUR PARTNERSHIP HERE AND, UH, YEAH, REALLY BUILD A GREAT THING. I APPRECIATE Y'ALL, AND IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO HEAR, BUT IF NOT, THANK YOU ALL. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE MARK. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE MARK MAY BOARD. HI, UH, MY NAME IS MARK MAY. UM, I LIVE IN D FIVE. SO I'M HERE, UH, TODAY TO FOLLOW ON WITH SOME OF MY, UH, COMMENTS THAT I, THAT I, THAT I MADE HERE LATE LAST YEAR WHEN I SHARED SOME OF MY, UH, CONCERNS ABOUT THE POOR DEALS THAT THE CITY IS GETTING FROM SEVERAL OF THE LARGER PARKS NON, UH, PROFITS. YOU'LL RECALL ONE OF THE GROUPS I SHARED INFORMATION ABOUT WAS A TRAIL, A CONSERVANCY. I BECAME VERY, UH, CONCERNED WHEN TTC CAME TO THE CITY IN MARCH, 2024 BECAUSE THEIR, UH, DONATIONS WERE DOWN AND ASKED THE CITY TO TRANSFER, UH, CONCESSION FUNDS WELL BEYOND WHAT WAS SHOWN IN THE OMA TO HELP BALANCE THEIR FINANCES. SO AT A TIME WHEN THE CITY BUDGET WAS DEEP IN THE RED AND VOTERS WERE BEING ASKED TO PAY MORE IN TAXES, TTC WAS ABLE TO GET A HANDOUT FROM THE, UH, CITY BUDGET. BUT IT, BUT IT TURNS OUT THAT WAS JUST POCKET CHANGE. UH, KUT PUBLISHED A PIECE EARLIER THIS MONTH, UH, DOCUMENTING HOW TTC WAS WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES TO GET $25 MILLION FROM TDOT, UH, TRANSFERRED TO THEM INSTEAD OF AUSTIN PARKS AND REC. I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO READ, UH, THE ARTICLE. IT'S, UH, SOMETHING ON A TRUMP WORLD, THIS MONEY SHOULD, SHOULD BE GOING TO A PR AND NOT A NONPROFIT, BUT BY THAT, BY THEIR OWN DOCUMENTS IS HAVING FINANCIAL PROBLEMS. SO, WHO IS ACTUALLY MINDING THE STORE HERE AND ACTUALLY LOOKING OUT FOR THE CITY BUDGET? I'VE READ THE POMA AND WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW IS NOT WHAT THE POMA ENVISIONED. THE POMA ENVISIONED A NONPROFIT BRINGING, UH, UH, RESOURCES AND OUTSIDE DONOR MONEY TO OUR PARKS AND SLOWLY TAKING OVER, UH, CONCESSIONS [00:30:01] AS THEY SHOWED THEY HAD THE TRACK RECORD TO DO SO. INSTEAD, WE SEEM TO HAVE A NON-PROFIT URGENTLY FOCUSED ON, UH, DIVERTING MONEY AWAY FROM THE CITY AND WORKING BACKROOM DEALS TO DO IT. THEY CLEARLY HAVE SOME FUNDRAISING SKILL, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE FOCUSED ON OUTSIDE DONORS, NOT ON THE CITY, AND NOT ON TDOT. SO I'M ASKING PAR TO USE YOUR OVERSIGHT ROLE TO BRING THESE ISSUES FORWARD AT ONE OF YOUR MEETINGS SO THE PUBLIC CAN UNDERSTAND MORE FULLY WHAT IS, UH, GOING ON. UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE CHAIR FOR MEETING WITH ME AND, UH, CHATTING ON THIS TOPIC A FEW WEEKS BACK. UM, SO I THINK, UH, GIVEN THE KUT, UH, STORY AND SOME OF THE MORE, UH, RECENT EMAILS, I THINK THE NEED FOR THIS, UH, CONVERSATION IS URGENT. IT'S OBVIOUS MANY THINGS NEED TO CHANGE HERE, AND I THINK THE FIRST STEP IS TO GET IT ALL OUT IN THE OPEN. IF, IF THE PUBLIC IS TO, UH, SUPPORT A FUTURE BOND, WE NEED TO SEE THAT PUBLIC MONEY CAN BE WISELY MANAGED AND NOT GIVEN AWAY TO NONPROFITS WITH LITTLE OR NOTHING BACK TO THE PUBLIC. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE PATRICK, I WONG. PATRICK, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. UH, GREETINGS, UH, BOARD MEMBERS. MY NAME IS, UH, PATRICK WONG. I'M AN ARCHITECTURE LANDSCAPE AND PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER HERE IN AUSTIN. UM, I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN SINCE 1969 AND A RESIDENT OF, UH, THE GA GLENDO NEIGHBORHOOD SINCE, UH, 2006, SO ABOUT 20 YEARS. UM, I WAS, UH, UH, ASKED TO SPEAK HERE TODAY, UM, BY, UH, OTHER USERS OF THE SOUTH AUSTIN PARK IN REGARDS TO THE LEASH LAW. UM, THEY ASKED ME YESTERDAY, UH, TO COME HERE AND SPEAK TO THIS BOARD, UM, BECAUSE THERE WAS CONCERNS, UH, THAT SOMEONE HAD COME TO SPEAK TO YOU ALL, UH, SAYING THAT THE LEASH LAW WAS NOT BEING ENFORCED AND THAT, UH, UM, THEY WANTED MORE VIGOROUS ENFORCEMENT. AND, UH, THE FOLKS THAT THAT SPOKE TO ME, UH, YESTERDAY ASKED ME TO, UH, SPEAK TO YOU ALL ABOUT MAYBE, UM, SETTING ASIDE A, A BIT OF THE PARK, UH, SHARING THE PARK, UH, FOR OR OR SETTING ASIDE PART OF THE PARK FOR, UH, THE, THE DOGS TO BE OFF LEASH. IT'S A PRETTY BIG, UH, PARK. UM, UH, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THEY ASKED ME TO, UH, SPEAK TO Y'ALL, UH, ASIDE FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVING LIVED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD A LONG TIME IS THAT I'M, I SUPPOSE I'M SEEN AS SOMEWHAT OF A, UH, A PRIVATE STEWARD OF THE PARK. UM, I MYSELF, UH, WALK MY DOGS, UH, TWICE A DAY THEIR MORNING IN THE EVENING. AND, UH, SINCE, UH, 2011, I'VE BEEN PICKING UP TRASH IN THE PARK SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK WITH A, YOU KNOW, FIVE GALLON BUCKET FROM HOME DEPOT AND A PICKUP STICK. UH, AND THE REASON WHY I STARTED DOING THAT IN 2011 IS BECAUSE WHEN I WOULD WALK MY DOGS IN THE PARK, THEY WOULD, THEIR PAWS WOULD GET CUT, UH, FROM ALL THE GLASS. SO I JUST STARTED PICKING UP ALL THE GLASS. AND THEN, UM, AFTER A FEW YEARS I'D DONE THAT, BUT I'D GOTTEN IN THE HABIT OF PICKING UP TRASH. AND SO, UH, UH, PICKING UP GLASSES. SO I JUST STARTED PICKING UP ALL THE TRASH WHENEVER I WOULD, UH, WALK MY DOG. SO, LIKE I SAID, I, I DO THAT SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK AND I'M, IT'S JUST KINDA SOMETHING THAT I DO. AND, UH, I GUESS THE OTHER PEOPLE IN THE PARK HAVE SEEN ME DO IT. UH, AND SO THEY THOUGHT I WOULD BE A GOOD PERSON TO COME TO TALK TO Y'ALL ABOUT, UM, SHARING THE PARK, UH, OR, AND BY SETTING ASIDE, UH, SOME PORTION OF THE PARK, UH, FOR PE THE FOLKS TO HAVE THEIR DOGS, UH, OFF LEASH. UM, UH, LET'S SEE HERE. UH, I MYSELF HAVE, HAVE, UH, WELCOME. SORRY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THAT IS THE END OF GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. I KNOW THERE WERE SOME OTHER PEOPLE HOPING TO GET ON, BUT WE ARE AT 10 SPEAKERS FOR THIS MEETING. UH, CHAIR. IS IT OKAY IF, UH, I ASK IF, UM, HOLLY REED WANTS TO GIVE HER COMMENTS ABOUT ITEM SEVEN NOW SINCE SHE DIALED IN? THAT WOULD BE FINE. YES. MUTE. HOLLY, CAN YOU HEAR US? [00:35:02] YES, I CAN. WOULD YOU LIKE BOARD MEMBERS? HOLLY, HOLLY REED HERE, CAN YOU, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH. WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE YOUR COMMENTS NOW OR, OR DO YOU WANNA REMAIN ON THE LINE UNTIL WE TAKE UP ITEM SEVEN? UM, IT'S, YOU CAN HEAR THEM NOW, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. GREAT. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME AND BEGIN SPEAKING. SO, BOARD MEMBERS, I'M, UM, COMMENTING ON ITEM SEVEN REGARDING THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE. UM, DURING MY TERM ON THE PARKS BOARD, I SERVED ON THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE AND I FELT COMPELLED TO SERVE ON THIS COMMITTEE BECAUSE IT GAVE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC INPUT ON THE USE OF PUBLIC PARK LAND. RIGHT NOW WE NEED MORE NOT LESS PUBLIC OVERSIGHT OF CONTRACTS WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND CONCESSIONS ON PUBLIC PARK LAND. PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE THIS IMPORTANT COMMITTEE. THE CITY HAS SPECIFIC RULES FOR PROCUREMENT AND COMPETITIVE BIDDING TO AWARD CONTRACTS. THE, THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY ASKED TEXDOT TO BYPASS THE CITY'S RULES AND SIMPLY AWARD THEM A $25 MILLION CONTRACT. A PARK NONPROFIT. OUR OWN PARKS DEPARTMENT MIGHT STILL BE PREPARING TO DO THE SAME THING WITHOUT OPENING THIS $25 MILLION PROJECT TO COMPETITIVE BIDDING. NONE OF THIS SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT DETAILED REVIEW BY THE PARKS BOARD AND THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE. THE LEVEL A PARTNERSHIP CONTRACTS WITH LARGE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD BE REGULARLY REVIEWED AND THEIR CONTRACT COMPLIANCE APPROVED BY THE PARKS BOARD, CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE. THE 25 YEAR CONTRACT WITH THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY AND THE 10 YEAR CONTRACT WITH THE TRAIL OF LIGHTS FOUNDATION WERE EXECUTED WITHOUT INPUTS FROM THE PARKS BOARD. IN ADDITION, USING THE SOLE AUTHORITY OF THE PARKS DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE AN UNPRECEDENTED 15 YEAR CONTRACT WITH ACL IS EFFECTIVELY AN UNEXPLAINED 15 YEAR ARRANGEMENT WITH THE AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION. A PARTNER CURRENTLY HOPING TO RECEIVE A PARKS OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT CONTRACT WITH THE CITY BECAUSE THE AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION'S CORRESPONDING 15 YEAR CONTRACT IS HIDDEN FROM THE PUBLIC. CITIZENS KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE FUTURE REVENUE COMMITMENT BY C3 LIVE NATION TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN VIA THE AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION DONATION AGREEMENT. ACL BRAGGED THAT THEY RAISED OVER $8 MILLION AT THE 2024 FESTIVAL FOR AUSTIN'S PARKS, BUT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT ONLY HAS DOCUMENTATION FOR AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION EXPENDITURES OF $2.7 MILLION. THE BALANCE OF THAT 8 MILLION ACCORDING TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS SIMPLY UNKNOWN FOR HOW IT WAS SPENT TO IMPROVE AUSTIN'S PARKS BECAUSE THE PARKS DEPARTMENT DOES NOT ASK AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION FOR THIS FISCAL DATA. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS BEING EARNED OFF OF PUBLIC PARKLAND. FOLKS, WE NEED A CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE MORE THAN EVER TO ALLOW THE PEOPLE A GREATER STAY IN WHAT HAPPENS ON OUR PUBLIC PARKLAND. PLEASE VOTE TO KEEP THE CONTRACT AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE FOR THE SAKE OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY AND OVERSIGHT OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS WITH LARGE NONPROFITS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. THAT IS THE END OF PUBLIC COMMENT ON THAT. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER [APPROVAL OF MINUTES] ONE, WHICH IS APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION, UM, BOARD MEETING OF FEBRUARY 23RD. SO I'LL JUST GIVE BOARD MEMBERS A MOMENT. CHAIR AT THIS TIME I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD REGULAR MEETING OF FEBRUARY THE 23RD, 2026. ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION [00:40:01] ON THE FLOOR TO APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES. DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. WE HAVE A SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER MERIT. UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. SIX. ALRIGHT, SEVEN, IT PASSES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU EVERYONE. UM, WE WILL NOW [2.Presentation, discussion and approve letters of support for the Austin Parks and Recreation Land Management Team. (Sponsors: Bazan, Flowers) (APR Long Range Strategies: Operational Efficiency, Park Access for All). Presenter(s): Matt McCaw, Environmental Conservation Program Manager, Austin Parks and Recreation. ] MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. THIS IS A PRESENTATION DISCUSSION IN APPROVAL OF LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR THE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION LAND MANAGEMENT TEAM. UM, WE WILL TAKE THAT PRESENTATION NOW. I DID RECEIVE ONE EMAIL. UM, I THINK THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION AROUND THIS BEING A PLAN, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT THIS IS A, A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE TEAM AND SOME OF THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AND NOT ABOUT A PLAN. WE ARE NOT APPROVING A PLAN TONIGHT. THANK YOU. THANKS. UM, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US THIS EVENING. UM, GOOD EVENING PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD. UM, I'M AMANDA ROSS. I'M THE DIVISION MANAGER FOR NATURAL RESOURCES WITHIN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, AND IT'S MY PRIVILEGE TONIGHT TO INTRODUCE OUR LAND MANAGEMENT TEAM AND HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING FOR US. UM, JUST QUICK BACKGROUND. THIS SPECIFIC TEAM WAS REALLY CREATED IN 2019, SO THEY'VE ONLY REALLY BEEN AROUND FOR SEVEN YEARS. UM, AND THEY'RE REALLY KIND OF AN INVISIBLE BACKBONE TO SOME EXTENT. WORKING ON OVER 10,000, 300 ACRES OF PARKLAND, THAT IS CONSIDERED PART OF THE NATURAL AREA WITHIN OUR LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN AND WORKING NOT ONLY TO MAINTAIN THAT AREA, BUT REALLY WORK TOWARDS RESTORATION. UM, AND SO THIS PRESENTATION'S REALLY ABOUT THE GOOD WORK AND THE MEASURABLE IMPACT OF THAT TEAM IN THAT SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. AND MATT MCCALL, WHO'S OUR PROGRAM MANAGER OVER THAT TEAM'S GONNA PROVIDE ALL THE DETAILS FOR US. GOOD EVENING. UH, IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH YOU THIS EVENING. UM, AND I WANNA THANK YOU ALSO FOR THIS RECOMMENDATION, UH, FOR THIS RECOGNITION. UH, NEXT SLIDE. SO IT MAY OR MAY NOT COME AS A SURPRISE THAT MANY OF OUR NATURAL AREAS, NOT JUST ON OUR PARKS, BUT UM, IN GENERAL, ARE DEGRADED BY DECADES, IF NOT CENTURIES OF, UH, YEARS OF DAMAGE AND ULTIMATELY NEGLECT. AND MOST HAVE NOT BEEN ACTIVELY MANAGED FOR ECOSYSTEM HEALTH. AND, UH, AS A RESULT ARE VULNERABLE TO VARIOUS CLIMATE STRESSORS LIKE, UH, EXTREME HEAT, DROUGHT DISEASE, ULTIMATELY INTENSE WILDFIRE. UH, I I SHOULD ALSO SAY THIS IS THE ONLY, THE ONE BUMMER SLIDE. ALL THE REST OF THEM ARE PRETTY UPBEAT, . UH, AND I WASN'T DONE WITH THAT BUMMER SLIDE THOUGH, BY THE WAY. , UM, IN 2019, UH, AN AUDIT, UH, FOUND, UH, THE WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS AUDIT, UM, FOUND, UH, THERE WERE FOUR FINDINGS. ONE WAS PARTICULAR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT FOUND THAT, UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT DID NOT HAVE ADEQUATE CAPACITY TO MANAGE OUR NATURAL AREAS, IN PARTICULAR TO MITIGATE WILDFIRE RISK. IN RESPONSE, THE DEPARTMENT, UH, COMMITTED TO DEVELOP A LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN TO HELP US TO, TO GUIDE WORK, TO MITIGATE RISK AND RESTORE, UH, ECOSYSTEM SERVICES. AND WE ALSO COMMITTED TO DEVELOP A PROGRAM TO IMPLEMENT THAT PLAN. UH, IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO READ THAT PLAN IN FULL, THE URL IS RIGHT THERE. NEXT SLIDE. UM, THE MISSION OF THE PROGRAM IS TO RESTORE PARKLAND NATURAL AREAS TO MITIGATE RISK AND PROVIDE VITAL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES TO AUSTIN RESIDENTS IN PERPETUITY. I WANNA UNPACK THAT MISSION A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT THERE. FIRST, UM, THE, WHAT WE DO IS RESTORE NATURAL AREAS AND RESTORATION IS ACTIVE. UM, WHY TO MITIGATE, NOT JUST TO MITIGATE WILDFIRE RISK, BUT ALSO TO PROVIDE A, A WHOLE SUITE OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES THAT ARE VITAL TO, UH, QUALITY OF LIFE IN AUSTIN AND TO THE, THE VITALITY OF AUSTIN AS A, AS A CITY, UM, HOW LONG, FOREVER. UM, SO IT'S A BIG MISSION, BUT IT'S A FUN MISSION. WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, VEGETATION COMMUNITIES THAT ARE DIVERSE AND RESILIENT TO THOSE CLIMATE STRESSORS I MENTIONED, UM, THAT ARE, UM, HAVE A LOW PROBABILITY OF CROWN FIRE, WHICH IS THE TYPE OF WILDFIRE THAT'S, UH, MOST THREATENING TO ECOSYSTEMS AND OUR, UH, HUMAN COMMUNITIES. UM, IT'S ALSO CRITICAL THAT WE HAVE HIGH RELIABILITY WORK GROUPS. SO WE TRACK SUCCESS NOT JUST BY HOW THE LAND IS FUNCTIONING, BUT BY HOW OUR STAFF WORK GROUPS ARE FUNCTION AND HOW WE COORDINATE AND COLLABORATE WITH THE COMMUNITY. OUR STRATEGY IS TWOFOLD. SHORT TERM HAZARD FUEL REDUCTION TO MITIGATE WILDFIRE RISK TO OUR NEIGHBORS, AND ALSO LONG TERM ACTIVE ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION. UM, [00:45:01] WE HAVE SOME PRETTY AMBITIOUS GOALS, ONE OF WHICH IS TO TAKE ACTION ON ALL LAND, ALL 10,000 PLUS ACRES IN THE LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN BY 2040. NOW, TAKE ACTION MAY MEAN ACTION, BUT IT ALSO MAY MEAN NO ACTION IF NO ACTION IS NEEDED. BUT THAT SHOULD BE AN AFFIRMATIVE DECISION SUPPORTED BY THOROUGH ANALYSIS, NOT JUST A PASSIVE DEFAULT. NEXT SLIDE. UM, WE ENGAGE IN A LOT OF ACTIVITIES, UH, NOT LEAST AMONG THEM, SOME SELECTIVE THINNING AND INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL, ACTIVE FUEL MITIGATION THAT I MENTIONED, PRESCRIBED FIRE PLANTING, SEEDING, ALL GEARED TOWARD, UH, REDUCING WILDFIRE RISK AND IMPROVING ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION. NEXT SLIDE. SOME OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, UH, THAT PLAN I MENTIONED TOOK US TWO OR THREE YEARS, BUT IT WAS COUNCIL APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL IN 2023. IT COVERS OVER 10,300 ACRES. THAT'S ABOUT 60% OF OUR PARTS REAL ESTATE. UH, SINCE 2020, WE'VE IMPLEMENTED OVER 1,900 ACRES. THAT'S ROUGHLY THREE SQUARE MILES OF RESTORATION AND FUEL MITIGATION TREATMENT IN 32 DIFFERENT PARKS ACROSS TOWN. UM, WE'VE DEVELOPED A MODEL TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY IN A UNIFIED FASHION TO CREATE JOINT WORK PLANS AND TO IMPLEMENT THOSE WORK PLANS. UH, THIS IS A FUN THING. WE'VE, UH, WE'VE WORKED WITH LOCAL ARTISTS TO INCORPORATE ART INTO THIS TYPE OF WORK, WHICH CAN TYPICALLY BE VERY, UM, SORT OF DATA HEAVY. UM, SO THAT'S BEEN FUN TO BE ABLE TO REACH PEOPLE IN NEW WAYS. UH, ONE PARTICULAR HIGHLIGHT IS WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF RESTORING OVER 50 ACRES OF REMNANT RELIC BLACKLAND PRAIRIE. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, THIS IS THE ONLY LEFT REMAINING IN TRAVIS COUNTY. BLACKLAND PRAIRIE IS, UH, A VEGETATION COMMUNITY THAT'S BEEN ALMOST COMPLETELY WIPED OUT AND IT'S OF GLOBAL SIGNIFICANCE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT, BUT MOST HAVE NEVER SEEN, BUT WE GET TO BRING IT BACK. NEXT SLIDE. UM, HOW DO WE DO IT? I HAVEN'T MENTIONED YET, BUT WE'RE ONLY TECHNICALLY FOUR EMPLOYEES, UH, INCLUDING MYSELF. AND I'M KIND OF A DEAD WEIGHT, BUT WE HAVE EXPERIENCE, EXPERTISE IN ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION, WILDLAND FIRE, FOREST ECOLOGY, RESEARCH, MONITORING, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, AND WE RELY ON, BUT ALL OF THOSE EMPLOYEES, UM, ARE REALLY FORCE MULTIPLIERS. UH, WE PLAN, OVERSEE, COLLABORATE WITH, UM, I DON'T KNOW, DOZENS, MAYBE HUNDREDS OF OTHER INDIVIDUALS. UM, WE HAVE A, A STRONG STABLE OF CONTRACTORS THAT WE CAN WORK WITH, THAT WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH IN THE FIELD. WE WORK WITH NUMEROUS OTHER PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, PROBABLY THE WHOLE ENTIRETY OF THE REST OF THE DEPARTMENT, BUT I NEED TO CALL OUT FORESTRY SAFETY. THE PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM, COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, FINANCE AND PURCHASING OUR EXECUTIVE STAFF HAVE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE. I ALSO NEED TO CALL OUT THE PARK RANGERS BECAUSE THIS PROGRAM REALLY SPUN OUT OF THE PARK RANGER PROGRAM. AND PARK RANGER IS REALLY INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING US OFF THE GROUND. UH, IN THE EARLY DAYS, WE HAVE FORMAL COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER CITY, COUNTY, STATE, FEDERAL AND NON-PROFIT LAND MANAGEMENT ENTITIES. UM, AND THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, THERE ARE TOO MANY TO NAME, BUT I SHOULD CALL OUT A COUPLE. ONE, THE FRIENDS OF RED BLUFF IS A NEWER ORGANIZATION. THEY'VE BEEN AROUND TWO OR THREE YEARS, BUT THEY'VE REALLY DONE A LOT OF WORK IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. AND THE BLEND CREEK PARTNERSHIP IS REALLY OUR MODEL FOR HOW WE'VE WORKED WITH THE COMMUNITY. THEY'VE BEEN ACTIVE FOR 10 OR 20 YEARS. UH, AND I DON'T KNOW, WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT 'EM. NEXT SLIDE. SO I, SOMETHING ELSE I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT REALLY, UH, BRINGS TOGETHER A LOT OF THE COLLABORATION THAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT. AND THAT'S OUR PARKS AND RECREATION PRESCRIBED FIRE CREW. SO IN 2021 OR SO, WE STARTED PUTTING TOGETHER AN AN IN-HOUSE PRESCRIBED FIRE CREW, PARTIALLY TO HELP GET GOOD FIRE BACK ON THE GROUND. ALSO PARTIALLY TO HELP THE STAFF WHO DO THE WORK AND COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC ABOUT WILDFIRE RISK TO UNDERSTAND FIRE FROM A FIRSTHAND PERSPECTIVE AND TO BE ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS ON THE GROUND TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. UM, CURRENTLY IT'S ABOUT 12 STAFF FROM LAND MANAGEMENT, FORESTRY SAFETY, AND EVEN ONE EMPLOYEE FROM WATERSHED PROTECTION. ALL ARE QUALIFIED THROUGH THE NATIONAL WILDFIRE COORDINATING GROUP. THAT'S THE FEDERAL SYSTEM OF WILDLAND FIRE. UH, OPERATIONS ALL HAVE OR ARE WORKING ON ADVANCED WILDLAND FIRE QUALIFICATIONS, ALL FIELD LEADERSHIP ROLES ON PRESCRIBED BURNS. AND THEY'RE ALL COLLATERAL. THEY ALL HAVE REGULAR DAY JOBS IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. AND WHEN THEY, WE DON'T TAKE ANYTHING OFF [00:50:01] OF THEIR PLATE, THEY'RE STILL DOING THEIR ENTIRE DAY JOB AND THEY'RE COMING AND ASSEMBLING AS PART OF THIS CREW, UM, TO DO MORE WORK, MORE DIFFICULT WORK FOR NO EXTRA PAY. AND I, I ASK MYSELF SOMETIMES WHY ? IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. WHY WOULD YOU VOLUNTEERER TO DO MORE JOB? TO DO MORE WORK FOR NO EXTRA PAY? PART OF THE, AND A LOT OF THEM ARE HERE. IF YOU WAVE YOUR HAND, IF YOU'RE PART OF THE FIRE CREW, THERE THEY ARE. IT'S ABOUT HALF OF THEM, MAYBE MORE. UM, THEY'RE EXCEPTIONAL INDIVIDUALS, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF EXCEPTIONAL INDIVIDUALS IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. UM, ANOTHER PART OF THE ANSWER IS THE WORK IS EXCITING, BUT THE REST OF THE ANSWER IS THEY BELIEVE IN THE CAUSE THAT I'VE JUST TALKED ABOUT. WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER THEM, UM, THE ABILITY TO USE THEIR TIME AND THEIR TALENTS IN PURSUIT OF THAT CAUSE IN A WORK CULTURE BUILT AROUND TRUST. AND WE FIND THAT WHEN WE DO THAT, WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MOTIVATING PEOPLE BECAUSE MOTIVATED PEOPLE FIND US AND THEY WORK HARD AND THEY SACRIFICE AND THEY'RE NOT WORKING FOR ME OR YOU, OR THEY'RE WORKING FOR EACH OTHER AND FOR SOMETHING BIGGER THAN ALL OF US. UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. AND AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS RECOGNITION. THANK YOU. UM, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS AND I'LL OPEN IT UP, UM, IF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONS. WE DID GET A COUPLE OF EMAILS AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS WHO WEREN'T ABLE TO BE HERE TONIGHT, THEIR QUESTIONS GET ASKED, UM, VIA ME. UM, SO THIS IS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD AND IT WAS JUST BASED ON THE USE OF GAS POWERED ENGINES. AND I KNOW WE'VE HAD, UM, PEOPLE COME SPEAK TO US IN THE PA IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS ABOUT HOW WE'RE MOVING TO MORE CLIMATE FRIENDLY, UH, OPTIONS. SO CAN YOU JUST SPEAK TO SOME OF THE TOOLS AND THINGS THAT Y'ALL ARE USING AND ANY, ANYTHING THAT MIGHT HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW WE'RE MOVING TO BE MORE CLIMATE FRIENDLY? WELL, CURRENTLY TO MY KNOWLEDGE, MOST OF OUR ENGINES ARE CURRENTLY GAS POWERED. BUT I, I DO KNOW THAT BROADLY AS A CITY, WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE THAT DIRECTION. UM, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, I HAVE ONE TRUCK UP FOR REPLACEMENT. UH, THAT IS, UM, I THINK WE'RE LOOKING TO IDENTIFY THAT AS A, AN EV BUT THE DIRECTOR COULD PROBABLY SPEAK. YEAH. UH, I'LL CHIME IN A LITTLE BIT AND MAYBE OTHER FOLKS CAN. I MEAN ABSOLUTELY. THAT'S A, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND CERTAINLY AS A DEPARTMENT AND AS A CITY, WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING INTO HOW DO WE TRANSITION MORE AND MORE AWAY FROM THE GAS POWERED ENGINES. I THINK, UH, AS MATT SAID, WHENEVER WE GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO RENEW EQUIPMENT, WE DO AN ASSESSMENT TO SEE IF WE CAN DO THAT. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THE CHALLENGES ARE ABOUT CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE AS WELL AS ABOUT WHETHER THE, THE, THE, UH, EQUIPMENT THAT WE USE ACTUALLY IS CAPABLE OF BEING UTILIZED IN A REAL COMMERCIAL, UH, FORM AS WE DO. AND, AND THE INDUSTRY'S GOTTEN MUCH BETTER. AND SO PART OF, UH, THE CITY'S OVERALL, UH, APPROACH TO THIS IS DOING SOME ANALYSIS AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE CAN'T DO. AND SO THE DEPARTMENT HAS CREATED, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF A, WELL, NOT A LITTLE BIT CREATED A PLAN WHERE WE'RE GONNA START TO MOVE THAT WAY. UH, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY GONNA TAKE TIME AND RESOURCES. SO, SO AGREE WITH THE, THE SENTIMENT AND THE QUESTION AND, AND ABSOLUTELY ARE LOOKING TO, TO DO AS MUCH OF THAT AS WE CAN. NO, THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU. AND I DEFINITELY, I REMEMBER THE PRESENTATION, BUT JUST MORE FOR PUBLIC WHO MAY NOT HAVE BEEN, UH, ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT. UM, PREVIOUS ONE AND ONE, ONE QUICK HIGHLIGHT, I'LL ADD, AS WELL AS YOU MAY KNOW, WE ARE, UH, REBUILDING THE MAINTENANCE BARN OVER AT ZILKER. UH, AND THERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PILOT WHERE WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY INSTALL SOME OF THIS INFRASTRUCTURE. 'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S ABOUT THE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE, IT'S ALSO ABOUT HOW YOU SECURE AND STORE THESE BATTERIES THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, STILL HAVE SOME, SOME TECHNOLOGICAL, TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES TO BE MADE THERE. BUT, UH, SO WE'RE VERY COMMITTED TO THIS AND, AND WE'LL WORK FORWARD, WORK TOWARDS GETTING BETTER AT. WONDERFUL, THANK YOU. AND THEN, AGAIN, NOT A QUESTION FOR ME. I UNDERSTAND HOW, HOW IT WORKS, BUT, UM, THE PRESCRIBED BURNING, I THINK SOMETIMES WHEN, UM, PEOPLE HEAR THAT WE'RE BURNING IT CAN SEEM REALLY, UM, WORRISOME. SO JUST SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE TO THE PROCESS THERE AND WHY WE DO THAT. I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR, FOR FOLKS WHO MAY NOT TOTALLY UNDERSTAND, WELL, WHY WE DO IT. UM, THE EASIEST ANSWER IS FIRES THE NATURAL PROCESS. AND, UH, RESTORING ECOSYSTEMS REQUIRES PUTTING NATURAL PLOT PROCESSES BACK IN PLACE. SO WHERE WE CAN DO THAT SAFELY AND APPROPRIATELY, WE, WE DO OUR BEST. HOW DO WE DO IT? UM, I MENTIONED THE NATIONAL WILDFIRE COORDINATING GROUP. THAT'S A, UM, NATIONAL LEVEL STANDARDS THAT WE CAN, UH, ADOPT AND FOLLOW. UH, THEY'RE REALLY, REALLY ROBUST. UM, THE PROCESS IS MONTHS, IF NOT YEARS LONG. IT INVOLVES REALLY RIGOROUS PLANNING, UM, PERMITTING BY THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, COLLABORATION WITH ALL OF THE ENTITIES I MENTIONED, INCLUDING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. UM, UH, ALL OF THE FOLKS, UM, WHO ARE INVOLVED IN PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING THESE FIRES HAVE YEARS [00:55:01] OF EXPERIENCE. FOR EXAMPLE, UM, ON MANY OF, UH, THE BURNS THAT ARE IMPLEMENTED ON PARKLAND, I SERVE AS WHAT'S CALLED THE BURN BOSS. SO I'M THE INDIVIDUAL IN CHARGE OF THE OPERATION ITSELF. UH, THE FIRST BURN I EVER WAS, UH, PART OF WAS IN 2001. SO I'VE GOTTEN LIKE 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND A LOT OF THESE GUYS HAVE FIVE, 10 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. SO IT'S A, IT'S A REALLY RIGOROUS PROCESS AND IT'S A, UM, JODY WANTS TO SAY SOME. HI, JODY JI SERVE AS THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION. UM, I CAN SAY THAT, UM, LEARN LEARNING THIS PROCESS IS REALLY A BOOTS, BOOTS ON THE GROUND, UM, EXPERIENCE. AND, UH, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO INVITE ANY OF THE PARKS BOARD MEMBERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO COME TO OUR NEXT BURN SO THAT YOU CAN SEE HOW WE DO THE WORK. AND, UH, YOU CAN, UM, REALLY REST EASY AFTER YOU WATCH THE, THE BEAUTIFUL WORK THAT THEY DO. WHEN IS THE, WELL, WHEN IS THE NEXT? UH, WE, WE DON'T HAVE IT EXACT, WE DON'T HAVE A DATE NOW, BUT I CAN MAKE SURE AND LET EVERYONE KNOW. THANK YOU. OKAY. AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION THAT CAME IN, UM, WAS AROUND, UH, PRICKLY POPPY. UM, AND I THINK THERE WAS A CONCERNED CITIZEN, UH, WHO SAID THEY OBSERVED THAT THAT, UM, WAS BEING SPRAYED AND THEY WERE NOT SURE IF THAT WAS NOT BEING TOLERATED AS A NATIVE PLANT. THEY JUST WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE PRICKLY POPPY. PERSONALLY, I DON'T OKAY. HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON PRICKLY POPPY. IT'S NOT ONE THAT WE WOULD TARGET. OKAY. UM, THAT'S HELPFUL. I THINK WHATEVER INFORMATION YOU CAN FORWARD, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK ON THIS. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. I'M TRYING TO UNDER, NOW, I REALLY WANNA KNOW WHAT PRICKLY POPPY IS BY, I'M SORRY. FOR SURE. NO, AGAIN, THIS, THIS IS, UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHEN UH, CONSTITUENTS HAVE QUESTIONS AND THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO BE HERE, THAT WE'RE, WE PRESENT THEM HERE AND WE CAN FOLLOW UP AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET AN ANSWER TO THAT. UM, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS. YEAH, I HAVE A, A, A FEW PLEASE. UM, AND BY THE WAY, TEXAS PRICKLY POPPY, BIG WIDE FLOWERS. SO YOU'VE SEEN IT, IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS AND IT STICKS YOU. UM, I APPRECIATE YOUR, UM, COMMENTS ABOUT WILDFIRE, BUT OF COURSE, EVERY SPECIES IS NOT WILDFIRE DEPENDENT. WE HAVE A LOT OF NON-DEPENDENT SPECIES, AND I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT BIODIVERSITY IN OUR NATURAL LANDS. ARE YOU ALL THE ONES RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT? ESTABLISHING BASELINES, MAKING SURE WE'RE RESTORING, UH, RESTORING ENDEMIC SPECIES. ENDANGERED SPECIES, YES. BRACK TWIST FLOWER AT MOUNT BONNE. WHO'S PROTECTING THAT OR NOT? UH, ARE YOU REFERRING SPECIFICALLY TO BRACK TWIST FLOUR OR BIODIVERSITY IN GENERAL? WELL, IT'S JUST ONE THAT I, I'LL BE GLAD TO TALK. THE, THE NEW BEE THAT'S NOW WE'VE NOW FOUND THAT'S DEPENDENT ON CINDY, SO I'M SURE WE'LL DISCOVER IT ON OUR LANDS AND IT'LL BE ANOTHER ENDEMIC. I MEAN, WE COULD GO DOWN THE LIST IF YOU'D LIKE. I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW THAT FITS IN. I'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT WILDFIRE. WILDFIRE NOW TAKE EVERYTHING ELSE. HOW DOES THAT FIT INTO WHAT YOU'RE DOING? SHORTEST ANSWER HOW BIODIVERSITY FITS WITH WILDFIRE IS WE FIND THAT SPECIES DIVERSITY AND STRUCTURAL DIVERSITY ARE POS, ARE, ARE, ARE METRICS AND TOOLS FOR ACTUALLY REDUCING WILDFIRE RISKS, SO THEY GO HAND IN HAND. SO DIVERSE ECOSYSTEMS TEND TO HAVE LOWER POTENTIAL FOR INTENSE WILDFIRES THAT WOULD THREATEN STRUCTURE. SO IT'S ABSOLUTELY, THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I MENTIONED OUR, OUR NUMBER ONE LONG-TERM STRATEGY IS LONG-TERM ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION. AND THAT OKAY. ABSOLUTELY INVOLVES BIODIVERSITY. I'M JUST GONNA ADD TO THAT A LITTLE BIT. UM, AND I WOULD JUST SAY TOO, WE TRY REALLY HARD TO MANAGE THESE LANDS FOR RESTORATION, RIGHT? AND SO THE IDEA IS THAT A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT IS WHERE EVERYTHING IS GOING TO THRIVE, THAT, SO OUR GOAL IS TO, TO RETURN BACK FOR THOSE SPECIES THAT ARE IMPORTANT. AND THERE IS, WE DO INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO IT'S WILDFIRE IS ONE TOOL. THERE ARE OTHER TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX AS WELL. AND REALLY OUR GOAL IS FOR RESTORATION OF THAT, THOSE SPACES SO THAT EVERYTHING THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY HUMANS IN PARTICULAR THRIVE, RIGHT. OR THOSE THINGS THAT ARE IMPACTED BY CLIMATE, UM, HAVE A BETTER PLACE TO THRIVE AND, AND CAN BE BETTER ADAPTED OVER TIME AS WELL. OKAY. COULD YOU SEND ME WHAT A LIST OF WHAT THOSE OTHER TOOLS ARE THAT YOU'RE USING? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WILD FIRE AND BOTTOM LINE HARDWOOD FOREST ALONG ONION CREEK WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE. [01:00:01] SO I'M INTERESTED IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN THOSE SORTS OF LANDS. SURE, YEAH, DEFINITELY. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YES. YEAH. OKAY. THE OTHER I'M CON I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT OR CURIOUS ABOUT, LET'S TAKE CURIOUS OR CAST SPECIES WHERE WE ARE NOT HARDLY WILDFIRE DEPENDENT, AND I'M CURIOUS WHERE THAT FITS INTO YOUR REGIMEN. SO, OH, GO AHEAD. YEAH, I WOULD SAY ONE THING WE, UH, WE'VE DONE IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS IS REACTIVATE, UH, A CAVE COLLABORATION COMMITTEE BETWEEN PARKS DEPARTMENT, AUSTIN WATER AND WATERSHED PROTECTION. MM-HMM . UH, SO WE, THOSE THREE DEPARTMENTS ARE, THOSE ARE THE ONES PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR CAVE MANAGEMENT AND ON CITY OF AUSTIN LANDS. AND, AND IT REALLY TAKES ALL THREE DEPARTMENTS WORKING TOGETHER. SO WE'VE REACTIVATED THAT PROCESS TO MAKE THE COLLABORATION, UH, MORE SEAMLESS. AND IS THAT LEADING TO REACTIVATED CAVES? YOU KNOW, SO MANY ARE BLOCKED, SO MANY HAVE BEEN BLOCKED OFF. SO MANY ARE FULL OF TRACK. I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE LIST THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED. SURE. IT, IT JUST GIVES JOB GIVES US THE, THAT YOUR JOB, SORRY. IT JUST GIVES US THE ABILITY TO, TO UNDERTAKE ACTION, WHATEVER THAT ACTION IS NEEDED SO WE CAN REMOVE ANY ROADBLOCKS AND WORK DIRECTLY WITH, UM, THE KART EXPERTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY. OKAY. THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS? THANK YOU FOR, FOR EVERYTHING AND FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FOR ALL THE WORK. I APPRECIATE EVERYONE BEING HERE AS WELL. SO THANK YOU. I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT TOPIC. GREAT. A LOT OF WORK THAT YOU'RE ALL DOING, SO WE APPRECIATE IT. I WILL, UM, , I'M GONNA READ OUR LETTER. YEAH. UM, I'LL READ OUR LETTER AND THEN I'LL ASK FOR A MOTION FROM THE BOARD. UM, IT IS DATED MARCH 23RD, 2026, AND IT SAYS, DEAR AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION LAND MANAGEMENT TEAM, ON BEHALF OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, WE EXTEND OUR SINCERE APPRECIATION FOR THE CRITICAL WORK YOU'RE LEADING THROUGH THE LAND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. YOUR EFFORTS TO RESTORE AND STEWARD AUSTIN'S NATURAL AREAS ARE ESSENTIAL TO ENSURING THE LONG-TERM HEALTH, RESILIENCE AND SAFETY OF OUR PARK SYSTEM AND OUR COMMUNITY. WE RECOGNIZE THE SCALE AND THE URGENCY OF THIS WORK WITH MANY NATURAL AREAS IMPACTED BY DECADES OF DEGRADATION AND INCREASING CLIMATE PRESSURES. YOUR LEADERSHIP AND IMPLEMENTING A COMPREHENSIVE LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN, GUIDING OVER 10,000 ACRES REFLECTS A STRONG COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING THESE SPACES FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS THROUGH RESTORATION AND FUEL MITIGATION ACROSS NEARLY 2000 ACRES. AND IN 32 PARKS, YOU'RE IMPROVING ECOSYSTEM HEALTH WHILE REDUCING WILDFIRE RISK FROM PRESCRIBED FIRE TO INVASIVE SPECIES. REMOVE SPECIES REMOVAL AND SEEDING YOUR WORK IS BOTH STRATEGIC AND DEEPLY IMPACTFUL. WE'RE ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR COLLABORATIVE APPROACH AND THE DEDICATION OF YOUR HIGHLY SKILLED TEAM OF MANY OF WE'VE HEARD DO LOTS OF EXTRA VOLUNTEER HOURS AND THERE'S TOO MANY COMMUNITY GROUPS TO BE NAMED HERE, BUT WE'RE, UM, DEFINITELY RECOGNIZING THEM. BY LEVERAGING PARTNERSHIPS AND EXPERTISE ACROSS AGENCIES IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU CONTINUE TO EXPAND YOUR REACH AND STRENGTHEN OUTCOMES FOR AUSTIN'S PARKLAND. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO PRESERVING AUSTIN'S NATURAL LANDSCAPES AND BUILDING A MORE RESILIENT FUTURE WITH SINCERE APPRECIATION, YOUR PARKS BOARD. ALL RIGHT. UM, AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO HEAR IF THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO APPROVE. I MOVE TO APPROVE LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR THE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION MANAGEMENT LAND MANAGEMENT TEAM. ALRIGHT, WE'VE GOT A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FROM BOARD MEMBER VILLALOBOS. DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. OH, GO AHEAD. OKAY, WE'VE GOT A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER MERIT AND THEN . WE'RE ALL VERY EXCITED. UM, WE WILL TAKE A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF OUR LETTER OF SUPPORT, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL RIGHT. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT, WE WILL MOVE [3.Presentation, discussion and approve a recommendation to Austin City Council to approve 15,368 sq. ft. of permanent Transmission Line use within parkland at Edward Rendon Sr. Metro Park at Festival Beach. Total Mitigation to be paid by Austin Energy is $2,414,240. (Sponsors: Bazan, Flowers) Presenter(s): David Tomczyszyn, Vice President of Electrical System Engineering and Mac Kammerer, Public Information and Marketing Program Manager, Austin Energy.] TO THE NEXT AGENDA. ITEM WE GO. WE'VE GOT ITEM NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS, UH, PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION AND APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE 15,368 SQUARE FEET OF PERMANENT TRANSMISSION LINE USE WITHIN PARKLAND AT EDWARD RONE SENIOR METRO PARK AT FESTIVAL BEACH. TOTAL MITIGATION TO BE PAID BY AUSTIN ENERGY IS, OH MY GOSH, 2 4 1 4 2 4 0 SPONSORED BY BZA AND FLOWERS. THAT IS TOO BIG OF A NUMBER. SHOULD WE BEGIN WITH A PUBLIC COMMENT? UH, OUR FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTER ON THIS ITEM WILL BE CHRIS [01:05:01] FLORES, FOLLOWED BY ALI THARP. AND THEN ANGIE HOL. CHRIS, IF YOU COME TO THE FRONT. GOOD EVENING, UH, BOARD MEMBERS. MY NAME IS CHRIS FLORES, I LIVE IN DISTRICT 10 AND I'M SPEAKING AGAINST ITEM, UM, NUMBER THREE AS PROPOSED. I'M ASKING YOU TONIGHT TO MAKE YOUR APPROVAL OF THE PERMANENT TAKING OF RONE PARK LAND BY THE CITY'S ELECTRIC UTILITY, CONDITIONAL ON THE 2 MILLION MITIGATION PAYMENT BE SPENT ENTIRELY BACK IN RENDO PARK. PLEASE LET THIS BE A NEW TRADITION. I HAVE SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO SPEND THE 2 MILLION ON RENDO PARK AS WELL. ONE MANDATE THAT THE HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINES BE BURIED AS THEY ARE BEING DONE IN EUROPE, INCLUDING AUSTIN'S SISTER, CITY OF COLEN, GERMANY, WHICH IS BURYING THE ULTRA NET LINE OVER 78 KILOMETERS LONG. WHY ARE THEY DOING IT? IT IS HEALTHIER TO HUMANS AND MORE BEAUTIFUL. YES, IT COSTS MORE, BUT THERE'S THE I 35 HIGHWAY BEING BUILT RIGHT ACROSS AUSTIN, RIGHT THROUGH THIS PARK, AND THERE ARE DOLLARS FOR THIS UPGRADE. THE TXDOT RENDERING OF THE NEW BRIDGE DOES NOT FEATURE ANY HIGH VOLTAGE LINES. I'M SURE IT WILL HAVE BEAUTIFUL PEDESTRIAN AND BIRD FRIENDLY LIGHTING WHEN IT'S ALL DONE. UM, AND ALSO ON THE, ON THE TOPIC OF ELECTRICITY TOO, UH, MY ASK IS THAT THE ELECTRIC, UM, UTILITY ELECTRIFY RENDON PARK, SINCE THEY'RE THERE AND THEY'RE PUTTING IN ELECTRICITY, THIS WOULD BE A GREAT TIME TO GO AHEAD AND ELECTRIFY THE PARK. SO THAT PEOPLE CAN PROMENADE AND THERE CAN BE INCREASED EVENING USAGE BY PARK GOERS, WHICH IS IN KEEPING WITH THE PARK MASTER PLAN AND CAN BE DESIGNED WITH COMMUNITY INPUT. UM, I, I LASTLY ASK THAT EVERY NICKEL OF THE 2 MILLION BE SPENT BY CITY DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PEOPLE WITH NOT 1 CENT DIVERTED TO PRIVATE, UH, NONPROFITS SUCH AS THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY, UM, FOR VANITY PROJECTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE ALLIE THARP, FOLLOWED BY ANGIE HOLIDAY. AND THEN JODY LANE. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME'S ALI THARP AND I'M HERE WITH THE FESTIVAL, BEACH FOOD FOREST AND FRUITFUL COMMONS TEAM, AS WELL AS OUR, UH, FRIENDS AT THE COMMUNITY GARDEN NEXT DOOR. IF YOU'RE HERE WITH THE FOOD FOREST OR THE COMMUNITY GARDEN, IF YOU WOULD RAISE YOUR HAND. UM, SO WE ARE, WE'RE SISTER PROJECTS AND I'VE BEEN INVOLVED FOR 10 YEARS WITH THE FOOD FOREST AND, UM, YOU'VE SEEN ME TESTIFY LATELY ON THE WASTEWATER PIPELINE EASEMENT. UM, SO WE WANNA JUST EXPRESS THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT OF THESE UTILITY EASEMENTS. CONSIDER THIS IN CONCERT WITH THE WASTEWATER LINE THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS. UM, I WILL JUST ACKNOWLEDGE AUSTIN ENERGY ACTUALLY TALKED TO US, ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH, UM, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT WITH US AT THE TECH STOCK QUARTERLY MEETING. SO IT'S KIND OF A TALE OF TWO EASEMENTS IN THAT SENSE. THIS WAS A MUCH BETTER PROCESS, BUT WE STILL HAVE OUTSTANDING CONCERNS AROUND MEETING THE STANDARDS OF CHAPTER 26 TO DO ALL REASONABLE PLANNING TO MITIGATE HARM. SO I WANTED TO SHOW THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, TIM. UM, SO, SO WE'VE HAD A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH WITH AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, AND IN, UM, THE DOCUMENTATION I SENT YOU, YOU CAN JUST READ THROUGH THAT IF YOU WANT TO, BUT I WANTED TO PULL THIS OUT 'CAUSE THIS IS MY PRIMARY OUTSTANDING CONCERN AROUND DOING ALL REASONABLE PLANNING TO MITIGATE THE EFFECTS TO THE FOOD FOREST. UM, WE HAVE A AREA WHERE WE DROP OFF MULCH AND COMPOST AND OTHER MATERIALS THAT WE DISTRIBUTE THROUGH THE ENTIRE FOOD FOREST. AND THAT AREA IS, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE HIGHLY LIKELY TO BE UNABLE TO USE THAT AREA FOR THOSE DELIVERY DROP-OFFS ANYMORE. WHEN WE RAISED THAT CONCERN TO AUSTIN ENERGY, THIS WAS THE RESPONSE THAT WE GOT. AND, UM, IT POINTS TO A SIGNAGE AND WASTE RECEPTACLES. THOSE CURRENTLY ARE NOT AN ISSUE. I'M NOT SURE THAT THEY WILL BECOME AN ISSUE DUE TO THE TRANSMISSION TOWER, BUT THEY DON'T CURRENTLY PREVENT BLOCKAGE. THE, THE WASTEWATER LINE CONSTRUCTION, UM, CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES ALLOWS THE TRUCK INTO THE CONSTRUCTION AREA IN ORDER TO MAKE THE DROPS. SO THAT ALSO IMPACTED IT, BUT WE FOUND A WORKAROUND. UM, BUT I WANNA POINT TO THE FACT THAT THIS IS SAYING WE SHOULD WORK WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TO USE FUNDS RECEIVED AS PART OF CHAPTER 26 TO MODIFY THE RETAINING WALL [01:10:01] AS A PROPOSED SOLUTION TO THIS. AND JUST POINT TO THE FACT THAT, UM, I MEAN, JUST ACKNOWLEDGING ALL THE CONVERSATION ALREADY TONIGHT, CLEARLY USE OF MITIGATION FUNDS IN COLLABORATION WITH A NONPROFIT PARTNER IS A HIGHLY CONTENTIOUS ISSUE RIGHT NOW. UM, AND SOMETHING OF HIGH CONCERN, WE ARE A, A LARGELY VOLUNTEER LED COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION THAT'S BEING IMPACTED DIRECTLY BY THESE UTILITY RELOCATIONS AND THE THE I 35 PROJECT. AND, UM, WE'VE BEEN GIVEN NO, NO CONCRETE COMMITMENTS THAT MITIGATION FUNDING CAN GO TO SUPPORTING THINGS IN THE FOOD FOREST. AND WE'VE BEEN TOLD IT WILL TAKE YEARS TO EVEN POSSIBLY ACCESS THIS MONEY. SO THIS IS NOT A VIABLE SOLUTION FOR US BECAUSE AS SOON AS CONSTRUCTION STARTS, WE'RE LIKELY TO LOSE THE DROP OFF POINT FOR THE MATERIALS THAT WE USE TO, TO BUILD PATHWAYS TO, UM, PROVIDE AMENDMENTS TO THE TREES. AND SO, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST IMMEDIATE SUPPORT TO DO ALL REASONABLE PLANNING TO, UM, MINIMIZE THIS IMPACT TO THE FOOD FOREST. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE ANGIE HOLIDAY, FOLLOWED BY JODY LANE AND THEN PHILLIP THOMAS. GOOD EVENING CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBERS. MY NAME IS ANGIE HOLIDAY. I AM THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR AT FRUITFUL COMMONS, THE NONPROFIT THAT SUPPORTS AND SPONSORS THE FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD FOREST. I WANNA SPEAK TO ITEM THREE THROUGH THE LENS OF WHAT IT ACTUALLY TAKES TO SUSTAIN A COMMUNITY LED PUBLIC ASSET LIKE THIS. OVER TIME, FRUITFUL COMMONS EXIST TO SUPPORT PROJECTS LIKE THE FOOD FOREST WITH ADMINISTRATION, COORDINATION, COMPLIANCE, AND PROGRAMMING INFRASTRUCTURE. WE HELP TRANSLATE COMMUNITY ENERGY INTO LONG-TERM FUNCTIONING SYSTEMS THAT SERVE THE PUBLIC. AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW IS THAT THOSE SYSTEMS ARE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY STRAINED. AT FESTIVAL BEACH, WE ARE STILL ACTIVELY NAVIGATING THE IMPACTS OF THE AUSTIN WATER WASTEWATER PIPELINE RELOCATION. LIKE ALLIE SAID, THAT PROCESS IS NOWHERE NEAR RESOLVED. RESTORATION HAS NOT YET STARTED. AND, UM, JUST AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM US IN THE LAST TWO BOARD MEETINGS, OUR TEAM IS STILL SPENDING SIGNIFICANT TIME MANAGING THE UNCERTAINTY COORDINATING ACROSS DEPARTMENTS AND STABILIZING THE SITE AND OUR PROGRAMMING. THEY'RE CONTINUE TO BE NEW AND UNEXPECTED COMPLICATIONS, SUCH AS THE TEXT DOT EXISTING RIGHT OF WAY THAT REMOVED A RETAINING WALL ON WALLER STREET THAT PUTS OUR SOIL AND PLANTS IN PERIL IN THE EVENT OF A SHOWER OR STORM THAT WE ALL DESPERATELY HOPE WILL SHOW ITS FACE SOON. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS AUSTIN ENERGY PROPOSAL, IT DOES NOT EXIST IN ISOLATION. IT EXISTS AS PART OF A PATTERN OF CUMULATIVE IMPACT ON THESE TWO SITES THAT ARE ACTIVELY STEWARDED YEAR ROUND BY VOLUNTEERS. UM, AND WE'VE, YOU KNOW, LIKE ALLY SAID, BEEN ENGAGING WITH AUSTIN ENERGY CHAPTER 26 AND TEXT LIAISONS FOR OVER A YEAR NOW ON THIS EASEMENT PROJECT. AN OPPORTUNITY WE WERE NOT AFFORDED WITH THE WASTEWATER LINE RELOCATION. THE CITY'S OWN FRAMEWORK CLASSIFIES THIS AS A PERMANENT HIGH IMPACT USE OF PARKLAND WITH $2.4 MILLION IN MITIGATION FUNDING ATTACHED. THAT TELLS US THE SCALE OF IMPACT IS ALREADY UNDERSTOOD. SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING TONIGHT IS THAT THE RESPONSE MATCHES THAT SCALE. WE'RE ASKING THAT LANGUAGE BE WRITTEN INTO YOUR RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL THAT COMMITS TO SUPPORTING AND SAFEGUARDING THE FESTIVAL BEACH COMMUNITIES AS WE FACE DISRUPTION THAT A PR WORKS DIRECTLY WITH FRUITFUL COMMONS, THE FOOD FOREST AND THE COMMUNITY GARDEN TO DETERMINE HOW RESTORATION IS DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED, AND TO ENSURE THAT MITIGATION FUNDING IS USED FOR ONSITE RESTORATION, SITE REDESIGN AND RECOVERY, INCLUDING IMPACTS TO CAPACITY AND OPERATIONS. WE'RE ASKING THAT FULL RECOVERY FROM THE WASTEWATER PIPELINE DAMAGE IS ADDRESSED. SO THIS PROJECT DOES NOT COMPOUND UNRESOLVED HARM AND THAT COORDINATION, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP WITH A PR ARE STRENGTHENED MOVING FORWARD SO THAT WE ARE NOT REPEATEDLY PUT IN A POSITION OF REACTING TO DAMAGE AND HARM AND CAN INSTEAD FOCUS ON OUR PROGRAMMING THAT SERVES THE COMMUNITY AND STEWARDS THESE FIVE BEAUTIFUL ACRES OF AUSTIN'S PARKLAND. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE JODY LANE, FOLLOWED BY PHILLIP THOMAS AND THEN BRIANNA LAVOY. THERE WE GO. HELLO. I'M GONNA ECHO WHAT YOU JUST HEARD FROM BOTH ALLY AND ANGIE. UM, MY NAME IS JODY LANE. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FRUITFUL COMMONS AND ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE FESTIVAL, BEACH FOOD FOREST. HAPPY TO BE WITH YOU TONIGHT. UH, CHAIR BAAN AND BOARD MEMBERS FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD FOREST BEGAN AS A COLLABORATION WITH LONG STANDING EAST AUSTIN COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WANTED TO KEEP EDWARD RENDON, SENIOR PARK, [01:15:01] FAMILY ORIENTED, TRANQUIL, AND A PLACE TO GROW FOOD THAT'S FREE FOR ALL. TODAY WE HOST TOGETHER OVER 200 PUBLIC EVENTS EACH YEAR, STEWARDING HUNDREDS OF TREES, CONTRIBUTING MORE THAN 10,000 VOLUNTEER HOURS ANNUALLY IN OUR PARKS PROJECTS. WE APPRECIATE OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT ALLIES, AND ARE ENCOURAGED THAT THEY CELEBRATE IN THEIR ANNUAL IMPACT REPORTS, THE VALUABLE PROGRAMMING, VOLUNTEER TIME AND FUNDING THAT WE BRING. WE JUST ASK FOR THAT EFFORT TO BE MATCHED IN THIS MOMENT. I'M HERE REGARDING ITEM NUMBER THREE, THE PROPOSED PERMANENT TRANSMISSION LINE EASEMENT. AND WE, I LOOK FORWARD TO TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION. WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCED ON SITE IS THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT, AS YOU'RE HEARING FROM MULTIPLE PROJECTS SPEARHEADED BY MULTIPLE VOICES. TEXT O AUSTIN WATER, A PR AUSTIN ENERGY, ALL WITHIN THE SAME SMALL FOOTPRINT, AND THE SYSTEMS TO PROTECT COMMUNITY BUILT ASSETS ARE NOT WORKING WELL. WE ARE A VERY SMALL NONPROFIT THAT SUPPORTS GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY PROJECTS, AND WE'RE STRUGGLING TO DEAL WITH UNRESOLVED DAMAGE AND CONFUSION FROM THE WASTEWATER PIPELINE PROJECT THAT UPROOTED 90 OF OUR TREES AND PLANTS LAST MONTH. THERE'S STILL A LACK OF CLARITY ON RESPONSIBILITY FUNDING, AND WHAT FULL RE RESTORATION MEANS. I WANNA EMPHASIZE TONIGHT THAT THESE IMPACTS ARE NOT JUST PHYSICAL, THEY ARE AFFECTING OUR CAPACITY AND OPERATIONS AS IT TAKES TIME, YOU KNOW, AND COORDINATION AND RESOURCES TO RESPOND TO REPEATED DISRUPTIONS, MANAGE UNCERTAINTY, AND KEEP THE SPACE AND OUR PROGRAMMING FUNCTIONING FOR THE PUBLIC. I'M HERE TO ASK THIS BOARD ONE REVISE ITEM NUMBER THREE, COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION TO SAY THAT A PR WILL PRIORITIZE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH FRUITFUL COMMONS FESTIVAL, BEACH FOOD, FOREST AND FESTIVAL, BEACH COMMUNITY GARDEN TO ENSURE MITIGATION FUNDS ARE USED FOR ONSITE RESTORATION, SITE REDESIGN AND RECOVERY, INCLUDING RECOVERY FROM IMPACTS TO CAPACITY AND OPERATIONS. TWO, THAT THE CITY ENSURES FULL RECOVERY FROM THE WASTEWATER PIPELINE DAMAGE AND THAT THIS TRANSMISSION LINE PROJECT DOES NOT COMPOUND UNRESOLVED HARM. THREE, THAT STRONGER COORDINATION, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND ADVANCED NOTICE ARE EMBEDDED IN OUR FUTURE AGREEMENTS WITH A PR TO AVOID THIS HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE. I ASK YOU THESE THINGS BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS ARE INVESTING SWEAT EQUITY EQUITY TO BUILD PUBLIC ASSETS ONLY TO HAVE THOSE INVESTMENTS UNDERAPPRECIATED WHEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ARISE. WE'RE READY TO PARTNER AND RESTORE AND CONTINUE STEWARDING THIS EXTRAORDINARY GYM AND GROW MORE THROUGHOUT AUSTIN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. OUR NEXT, OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE PHILIP THOMAS, FOLLOWED BY BRIANNE LAVOY AND THEN IAN PIERSALL. GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS CHAIR. I'M PHIL THOMAS. I LIVE IN COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE. FIRST I WANNA THANK AUSTIN ENERGY FOR THE WORK DONE SO FAR. UH, MY BACKGROUND IS, UM, A, UM, A MEMBER OF THE, UH, EDWARD REDONE SENIOR PARK MASTER PLAN, CITIZEN ADVISORY GROUP AS, UH, AN ALUM OF THE EAST TOWN LAKE CITIZENS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PLANNING TEAM. I'LL NEED TO REGISTER MY OPPOSITION TO THE OPTION PROPOSED BY AE FOR THE RELOCATION OF THE TRANSMISSION STRUCTURES, PARTICULARLY STRUCTURE 13. I, UH, WAS IN ATTENDANCE AT THE COUNCIL MEETING WHERE THE FOOD FORCE WAS ENSHRINED INTO THE MASTER PLAN. AND I GOTTA SAY, THEY HAVE PROVEN TO BE RESILIENT NEIGHBORS. ANYWAY, THE, UM, OPTION PROPOSED BY AE SEEMS TO BE MERELY THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE. THAT'S A PUN OF SORTS, I JUST REALIZED IT RISE TO THE OCCASION AE TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THE OTHER TWO OPTIONS PROPOSED. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE BRIANON LAVOY, AND THEN IAN PEARSALL, FOLLOWED BY JULIO PEREZ BRIANON. HERE YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU, YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. THANK YOU. HI, MY NAME'S BRIANNE. I'M THE FACILITATOR AT THE FESTIVAL OF BEACH COMMUNITY GARDEN. LIKE THE SPEAKERS BEFORE ME, I WANNA RERADIATE WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE FESTIVAL. BEACH COMMUNITY IS NOT ABSTRACT. IT'S SHOWING UP IN REAL TIME ON THE GROUND. WE ARE SEEING THE STEADY INDUSTRIALIZATION OF OUR SPACES, SPACES THAT HAVE BEEN UP BY HANDS, BY LOVE, AND BY OUR COMMUNITY. CURRENTLY WE HAVE GARDENERS THAT CAN'T GARDEN DUE TO DUST AND NOISE MEMBERS WHO CAN'T TEND ON WEEKENDS BECAUSE OF PARKING, AND MEMBERS WHO ARE HESITANT TO RENEW [01:20:01] THEIR MEMBERSHIPS IN OUR PARKS AND PARTICIPATE IN OUR PARKS. DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTY THAT IS CURRENTLY ONGOING WITH THE CHANGES, ONCE THAT SHIFT STARTS, IT DOESN'T STOP ON ITS OWN. WHILE WE WILL CONTINUE TO ASK THAT THE PURCHASE NOT BE APPROVED BY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT MAY BE THE REALITY. THERE'S $2.4 MILLION IN MITIGATION FUNDS TIED TO THESE IMPACTS. WE ARE ASKING THE A PR WORKS WITH US TO ENSURE THAT THE FUNDS ARE ACCESSIBLE IN A WAY THAT REPAIRS WHAT IS BEING DISRUPTED AS THE SPACE HAS RESHAPED THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN CARING FOR IT, GROWING FOR IT, SPENDING TIME AND ENERGY ON MAKING IT A COMMUNITY SHOULD HAVE A SAY IN HOW THE MITIGATION FUNDS ARE SPENT AND ENSURE THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY. WE ALSO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE ECOLOGY OF THE SPACE. THIS ISN'T JUST LAND, IT'S HABITAT. POLLINATORS THAT ARE IMPACTED BY VOLTAGE LINES WILL NEED TO SPACES AWAY FROM THE EASEMENT SOIL AND FUN OFF IMPACTS THE INABILITY TO EXPAND OUR COMMUNAL SPACES THAT HELP, UM, PROVIDE TO THE RBJ FOOD PANTRY AND DESIGNATED HABITATS FURTHER ALL DEGRADE THE YEARS OF WORK THAT WE'VE PUT IN. MINIMIZING HARM ISN'T OPTIONAL, IT'S PART OF DOING THIS WORK WITH INTEGRITY. WE ASK FOR A PR TO STAND UP FOR US, STAND WITH US, AND SUPPORT US AS COAST STEWARDS OF THE LAND AND ENSURING MITIGATION FUNDS ARE KEPT IN AN ACCESSIBLE AND EASY WAY FOR THE FESTIVAL BEACH COMMUNITY TO ACCESS. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE IAN BIALL, FOLLOWED BY JULIO PEREZ AND SANTIAGO. I, GOOD EVENING. I'M IAN PEARSALL. I'M A, I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY GARDEN AT FESTIVAL BEACH FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS NOW, AND A MEMBER OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE WITH BRIANNE FOR THE PAST YEAR. UH, AND I'VE BEEN, UH, PUTTING TIME IN AT THE FOOD FORCE AS WELL AND APPRECIATING THE BENEFIT OF ALL THE WORK THAT THEY'VE PUT IN THE SWEAT EQUITY, ET CETERA. UH, I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE WHAT MY, UH, WHAT THE OTHER SPEAKERS HAVE ALREADY SAID. UH, AND EMPHASIZE THE, THE ONGOING AND INCREASING, UH, ECOLOGICAL AND COMMUNITY HARM CAUSED BY THE EXPANSION OF I 35 AND THE CASCADING IMPACTS ON INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE EAST CAESAR CHAVEZ AND HOLLY NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, PARTICULARLY ALONG EDWARD RENDON PARK AND WITHIN THE FOOD FORCE AND THE COMMUNITY GARDEN. UH, AND WE'RE ASKING FOR A PR TO WORK WITH US TO ENSURE THAT THESE IMPACTED COMMUNITIES HAVE SUPPORT AND ACCESS TO THE, THE MITIGATION FUNDS THAT ARE GOING TO BE, UH, GOING TO COVER THE, THE DAMAGES OR THE IMPAIRED ACCESS ON THIS VERY VALUABLE PARKLAND THAT WE HAVE PUT COUNTLESS HOURS INTO IMPROVING, UM, IN WAYS THAT BENEFIT NOT ONLY US, BUT THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY. UH, YEAH, PLEASE WORK WITH US TO, UH, USE THIS NEGATIVE SITUATION OUTSIDE OF THE CITY'S CONTROL TO IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND COMMUNITY, UH, RESILIENCE AND HEALTH IN THIS, UH, IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD THAT CONTINUES TO BE THREATENED BY SUCH INDUSTRIALIZATION AS THE I 35 EXPANSION. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE JULIO PEREZ, AND THEN AFTER HIM WILL BE SANTIAGO AND THEN CLIFFORD PERKINS. OKAY. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JULIO PEREZ. I'M THE SITE MANAGER FOR THIS FESTIVAL, BEACH COMMUNITY GARDEN. I'VE BEEN A VOLUNTEER FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS AT THE COMMUNITY GARDEN. I'VE PUT IN LOTS AND LOTS OF HOURS TO KEEP THE PLACE LOOKING GOOD, HOPEFULLY. UM, I DUNNO IF ANYBODY'S EVER VISITED, BUT Y'ALL ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO COME VISIT. UM, I JUST, UM, WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT, UM, Y'ALL HELP MITIGATE THE FUNDS THAT ARE GONNA BE, UH, DISTRIBUTED, UH, THROUGH THE TXDOT OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT, UH, THAT'S BEING DONE TO HELP US KEEP THE GARDEN AND, AND THE FOOD FOREST TOGETHER. UH, WE DO A LOT OF WORK TO HELP THE COMMUNITY GET FED. UH, WE GROW A LOT OF VEGETABLES AND DISTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY FOR FREE, FOR ORGANIC VEGETABLES, UH, TO ANYBODY THAT NEEDS 'EM. UM, BASICALLY THAT'S ALL I WANT TO SAY IS THAT, THAT WE WILL HOPE THAT YOU, WE HAVE YOUR SUPPORT IN KEEPING OUR GARDEN AND THAT WHOLE AREA INTACT AND KEEP IT AS BEAUTIFUL AS IT IS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE SANTIAGO, FOLLOWED BY CLIFFORD PERKINS AND THEN [01:25:01] MARCOS DELIO. YOU HAD ON DISPLAY DURING YES. THIS, YOU KNEW THE OTHER ONE FIRST. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. UM, THIS PHOTO IS TAKEN, UH, AT THE FOOD FOREST. UM, ON THE RIGHT SIDE IS THE FOOD FOREST WHERE THE RETAINING WALL HAS BEEN REMOVED. AND ON THE LEFT IS, SORRY. ON THE RIGHT IS THE FOOD FOREST. ON THE LEFT IS, UM, WALLER STREET. UH, WALLER STREET HAS BEEN CLOSED SINCE SEPTEMBER. UM, I'M HERE TO, UH, TRY NOT TO BE TOO MYOPIC ABOUT THE AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, CONUNDRUM. UM, I'VE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO NAVIGATE WITH, UM, A LOT OF CITY EMPLOYEES, AND I'M PRETTY EXHAUSTED FROM DOING ALL OF THIS. UM, ONE OF THE ALTERNATIVES FOR PART OF THE CHAPTER 26 FOR A LOCAL PREFERENCE WOULD BE TO PUT THE TRANSMISSION TOWER IN THE MIDDLE OF WALLER STREET. UM, AN ADDITIONAL ONE, WHICH WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, WOULD BE TO UTILIZE THE, UH, 25 FOOT DIAMETER STORMWATER TUNNEL, UM, THAT'S GOING UNDER AND LOCATE THAT, UH, TRANSMISSION LINE THROUGH THERE. REMOVE ALL THE TRANSMISSION LINES FROM HOLLY SHORES. UM, I WANNA READ THIS, THIS QUOTE FROM, UM, 1978 BY A WOMAN NAMED JANE JACOBS. UH, IT'S AN OLD PLAN THAT DATES BACK TO 1929. JUST THINK OF THAT. NEW YORK PRIDES ITSELF ON BEING UP TO DATE AND IT'S BEING RUN BY A HALF CENTURY OLD PLAN. WE HAVE OUR PIECES OF THIS PLAN THAT KEEPS SURFACING EVERY FEW YEARS. NOBODY WOULD EVER CONSENT TO THE INSANITY OF DOING THE WHOLE THING. AND YET, PIECE BY PIECE IT GETS DONE. ROBERT MOSES WAS A MASTER AT THIS TECHNIQUE. HE WOULD BUILD A BRIDGE. CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? HE WOULD BUILD A BRIDGE WITHOUT SAYING THERE MUST BE A HIGHWAY AT EITHER END, OR HE'D BUILT A ROAD AND SAY NOTHING ABOUT A GREAT BIG BRIDGE THAT WOULD BE NEEDED. IT WAS A PIECEMEAL APPROACH, AND THE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE HAD A FIT IF THEY HAD SEEN THE WHOLE THING. AND WHAT IT IMPLIED. SO THIS IS AN IMAGE, UH, FROM TUTS, UH, SCHEMATIC DRAWINGS. UM, THE FOOD FOREST WOULD BE IN THE TOP LEFT CORNER. UM, THEY ARE REMOVING THE EXISTING EAST AVENUE TURNAROUND AND UTILIZE WILL BE UTILIZING WALLER STREET, UH, FOR INTERSTATE TRAVEL TO GET BACK ONTO THE HIGHWAY UTILIZING FLORES. UM, THIS IS A REALLY INTENSE DRAWING. IT'S ONLY 500 FEET OF, UH, RIGHT OF WAY, INCLUDING A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE THAT GOES ON THE TOP LEFT. WHAT I'M ADVOCATING FOR IS DE DEDICATE SOME STAFF TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO, UH, THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE, TO THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, TO CITY COUNCIL TO DO SOMETHING SIMILAR TO WHAT CABIN STITCH WAS FUNDING, UM, AND LOOK AT WOODLAND AVENUE ALL THE WAY TO HOLLY STREET TO DO A COMPREHENSIVE MULTIMODAL MOBILE MO MULTI MOBILITY, UH, TRANSPORTATION STUDY. UM, THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY THAT'S GETTING ALLOCATED TO THIS, ONE OF THEM BEING THROUGH THE TEXAS, TEXAS MOBILITY FUND. UM, SO PLEASE LOOK INTO THESE THINGS. I APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, SUPPORT. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE CLIFFORD PERKINS, FOLLOWED BY MARCOS DE LEON, AND THEN BERTHA RONE ORTIZ, FOREMAN DELGADO. HELLO, COUNSELORS. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO, FOR ME TO SPEAK. I, UM, I'M A RESIDENT OF THE RBJ AND A USER OF THE, UH, COMMUNITY GARDEN, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT. I DON'T HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF INFORMATION ABOUT ALL THE CONSTRUCTION AND ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEEN GOING ON, AND, BUT I DO KNOW THAT WHEN A BIG PROJECT LIKE THIS HAPPENS, THAT [01:30:01] GREAT MINDS GO TO WORK ON FIGURING OUT HOW TO GET IT DONE AS QUICKLY AND AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE. AND PLACES LIKE THE COMMUNITY GARDEN ARE OFTEN PUSHED OFF AS BEING NOT THAT IMPORTANT, BUT BELIEVE ME, IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME AND TO OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT USE IT. AND IT'S OUR OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, UH, TO GET IN TOUCH WITH NATURE, TO SEE THE BIRDS, TO LISTEN TO THE, THE WIND IN THE SKY. AND THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE EVERY WEEK THAT COME INTO THIS AREA AND USE IT. AND RIGHT NOW, AS I CAN SEE IT, THE AREA'S GONNA TAKE A HAIRCUT, IT'S GOING TO BE SWIPED ALONG THE SIDE, AND THEY'RE GONNA PUT SOME BIG TRANSMISSION LINES IN, AND THEY'RE GONNA PUT A BIG WALL THAT'S GONNA BE HELPFUL IN TERMS OF, OF, UM, CUTTING DOWN THE, THE NOISE THAT'S GONNA EMANATE FROM THE TRAFFIC. BUT IT'S GONNA HAVE A HUGE IMPACT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WALL. IT'S GONNA BE A PLACE WHERE GRAFFITI IS GONNA GROW, AND IT'S GONNA BE A PLACE THAT'S GONNA ISOLATE THE AREA AND IT'S GONNA HAPPEN. I KNOW IT'S GONNA HAPPEN. I'M NOT SAYING WE CAN'T HAPPEN, OR, OR, OR WE CAN'T ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN, BUT, UH, THE VERY LEAST THAT YOU CAN DO IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MONEY THAT'S GENERATED CAN BE USED BY THE PEOPLE IN THE PARK TO DO THEIR BEST, TO MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE AND A MORE USEFUL PLACE FOR ALL THE RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN THAT USE IT AND LOVE IT. AND THAT'S ALL I'M GONNA SAY. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE MARCO DE LEON, AND THEN AFTER MARCO WILL BE BERTHA RENDON ORTIZ FOREMAN DELGADO. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS MARCUS DEON, BORN AND RAISED IN EAST THOUSAND, BORN IN THE HOUSE ON EAST 12TH STREET. WHEN I'M HERE TO ASK, I'M GONNA READ A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT THE AG GAVE US. IT SAYS, KEY PARTNERS, SSA BEACH FOOD FOREST WAS GOOD FESTIVAL BEACH COMMUNITY GARDEN, WHICH IS GOOD RESIDENTS OF THE SENIOR WAS GOOD, WAS MISSING HERE. AND LOOK AT THE MAP. WHAT THE BLUE LINE'S GONNA GO IS MEMBERS OF EAST TOWN LAKE CITIZENS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION FOR OTHER MEMBERS. THEY'RE NOT LISTED HERE. AND YOU LOOK AT THE BLUE LINE THAT AGS PROPOSING, IT GOES RIGHT INTO ABOUT 15 HOMES, AND THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO COME AND SPEAK AND ADDRESS. WHAT I'M GONNA ASK YOU OUTTA RESPECT ARE THIS DISTRICT THREE REPRESENTATIVE IS FOR A POSTPONEMENT. SO WE GET A LOT, OUR, OUR NEIGHBORS, LIKE THE FOOD FOLKS NOTICE ABOUT IT, AND THEY, THEY HAVE A LEGITIMATE GRIPE, BUT SO DO WE WHO LIVE HERE. WE HAVE A LEGITIMATE GRIPE. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD IS GONNA HAPPEN TO THE HOMES THAT LIVE THERE. AND A LOT OF MY NEIGHBORS ARE STILL HERE WHO HAVEN'T BEEN DISPLACED, STILL GO DOWN THERE. I GO DOWN WALLER WHERE I USED TO NOW, AND I'VE GOTTEN CALLS FROM THE THESE FOLKS AND FOLKS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE FOOD GARDEN. BUT HOW CAN THAT BE THAT LA RIO ARE NOT INVITED TO PARTICIPATE OR SOMETHING'S GOING TO GREATLY AFFECT THEM. AND NOW THAT THERE'S GONNA BE 2.4 MILLION, WHICH IS VERY LITTLE COMPARED WITH THE WHAT THE MITIGATION'S GONNA OCCUR IN THIS COMMUNITY, ALL AT FIVE, 6 MILLION, THE DAMAGE IS GONNA COST TO THIS COMMUNITY. SO I'M ASKING OUR REPRESENTATIVE FROM JOSE VELA TO, AND HAVE A SECOND TO POSTPONE IT SO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CAN COME AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT OUR CONCERNS ARE. BECAUSE AS I SEE IT NOW, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ALLOWED. I JUST GOT THIS THROUGH THE EMAIL, THROUGH MY, THROUGH MY EMAIL, AND I READ THE, IT'S A LOT AND IT'S VERY DEVASTATING. [01:35:01] BUT THE, THE POINT GETS ME AS FORMER COUNTY COMMISSIONER IS THAT WE ALWAYS ALLOW THE FOLKS THEIR TIME IN COURT, SO TO SPEAK, ALLOW THEM TO COME AND LISTEN TO THEIR CONCERNS. AND YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S NOT HERE. WE HAVE NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN AN HONEST DISCUSSION, AND THAT'S ALL WE ASK IS POSTPONE IT FOR ANOTHER COUPLE OF WEEKS OR ANOTHER. I DON'T CARE. BUT OUR FOLKS NEED TO BE HERE, AT LEAST GIVE 'EM THE CHANCE TO EXPRESS THEIR CONCERNS. SO YES, I'M ASKING FOR A NON VOTE OTHER THAN A POSTPONEMENT FOR ALLOW US TO COME AND SPEAK TO YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE BERTHA RENDON ORTIZ. BARMAN DELGADO. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, BERTHA RENDON ORTIZ. I STILL SERVE AS A PRESIDENT OF THE EAST TOWN LAKE CITIZENS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, WHICH MANY OF YOU ALL, I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER BEEN TO ANY OF MY MEETINGS, BUT PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS, AUSTIN ENERGY HAS, WE WERE THE PILLARS. AND MARCO STALLION, FORMER TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER THAT JUST SPOKE, WAS A FORMER PRESIDENT BEFORE ME FOR 20 YEARS. AND BEFORE HIM, MY GRANDFATHER, EDWARD RENDON, WAS A FORMER PRESIDENT AND THE CO-FOUNDER ALONG WITH CHICANO BROWN BERET, PAUL HERANDEZ, MY GODFATHER. SO OUR RAA AND OUR FAMILY HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT OF THIS DISCUSSION. I WAS JUST NOTIFIED A FEW DAYS AGO THAT THIS WAS ON YOUR AGENDA. DO YOU THINK THAT THAT'S FAIR, THAT 15 HOMES ARE GOING TO BE DEMOLISHED IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD? THAT OUR PARK IS GONNA HAVE A 15,000 SQUARE FOOT ELECTRIC TRANSMITTER PUT IN OUR PARK THAT WE FOUGHT TO PRESERVE. DO YOU THINK IT'S FAIR THAT WE ARE NOT ON THE TABLE TO DISCUSSION WITH AUSTIN ENERGY AND TDO AND THAT OUR COUNCIL MEMBER JOSE VELASQUEZ, HAS NOT INFORMED US ABOUT THIS? IT'S NOT FAIR. IT'S ACTUALLY, IT'S DISRESPECTFUL. THIS IS GONNA CAUSE HARM TO US. MITIGATION WORD IS HARM, AND YOU WANNA GIVE US A LOUSY $2 MILLION WHEN WE ARE THE PILLARS THAT FOUGHT AUSTIN ENERGY TO SHUT THAT POWER PLANT THAT GAVE GENERATIONS OF FAMILIES HEALTH PROBLEMS AND DISABILITIES TO THEIR CHILDREN. AND WE NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY SUE AUSTIN ENERGY FOR THE DAMAGES OF OUR FAMILIES FOR GENERATIONS. INSTEAD, WE NEGOTIATE WITH YOUR DEPARTMENTS AND THEN YOU TURN AROUND AND AUSTIN ENERGY DOES THIS TO US AND PARKS DEPARTMENT TELLS US, OH, IT'S TXDOT. SO IT SEEMS LIKE THE BALL JUST KEEPS GOING IN DIFFERENT COURTS. WELL, WE WANNA BE A PART OF THIS DISCUSSION AND NOT WHEN IT'S COMING TO YOUR DAAS FOR DISCUSSION AND IMPROVE AND APPROVAL. IT NEEDS TO COME TO THE COMMUNITY, TO THE PEOPLE OF COLOR, NOT JUST TO COMMUNITY GARDEN, NOT JUST TO FOOD FOREST, TO THE RESIDENTS AND THE TAXPAYERS OF THESE PROPERTIES THAT LIVE ADJACENT TO THE PARK, TO THE COMMUNITY, AND THE HISTORICAL VALUE OF THIS PARK AND THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SERVED COUNTLESS AND TIRE TIRELESSLY, JUST TRYING TO PRESERVE THE GREEN SPACE, THE TREES, AND THE CULTURE, AND THE HISTORICAL VALUE OF MY GRANDFATHER'S NAME AND THE PARK AND THE PILLARS OF THIS COMMUNITY. AND I'VE COME TO YOU TIME AFTER TIME AND AFTER TIME, HOW MUCH TIME DO I HAVE TO COME? ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. APPRECIATE YOU POSTPONE THE ITEM. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE ETHAN GUION. ETHAN, HELLO, AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING AND LISTENING TO THESE WONDERFUL PEOPLE WITH THEIR GREAT OPINIONS OF HOW TO CONSERVE AND PROTECT OUR LOCAL ENVIRONMENT THAT ISN'T JUST A CITY SCAPE. THESE ARE NATURAL RESOURCES, OPEN SPACES LIKE PUBLIC PARKS THAT WE HAVE, THOSE CAN BE REDEDICATED UNDER REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE AND PERMACULTURE TO CLEAN OUR WATERWAYS [01:40:01] TO CREATE SUSTAINABLE FOOD AT A LOWER COST AND HIGHER APPRECIATION OF NUTRITION THAT IS REMITTING THE DOWNTOWN AREA TO PROTECT LADY BIRD LAKE FROM TOXINS, FROM PLASTICS AND OTHER RUNOFF THAT IS BEING CREATED BY I 35. IF WE DON'T GET UNDER CONTROL OF UNDERSTANDING, WE CAN USE OUR NATURAL ORGANIC, WILD SCAPES TO CLEAN, CONSERVE, PROVIDE FOOD, CREATE NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS THAT BRING ECOLOGY, BRING ECOSYSTEMS OF ECONOMY THAT MAKE PEOPLE ENGAGE IN THEIR OUTDOORS. MORE SO THAN DOWNTOWN SIXTH STREET, WE HAVE THE OPTION OF GOING EASTER WEST. I DO SEE THE DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES GOING EAST. THIS IS AFFECTING PEOPLE'S FAMILIES. THIS IS AFFECTING OUR OVERALL LANDSCAPE TO THE POINT WHERE IT'S TOXIFYING NOT JUST THE LANDSCAPE AT THIS POINT. IT'S TOXIFYING PEOPLE'S MINDS HOW THEY ARE PERCEIVING THE CITY COUNCIL. WHEN WE ARE PLAYING A MISMANAGED GAME OF IT'S THIS PERSON'S FAULT, IT'S THIS PERSON'S FAULT, GO TO THIS DEPARTMENT, GO TO THIS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, GO TO TDOT. WHO DO WE SPECIFICALLY GO TO TO NOT JUST HAVE OUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED, BUT ON THE LINES OF DAMAGES BEING DONE ON A MICROBIOLOGICAL LEVEL OF WHICH BENEFICIAL MICROBES THAT ARE CLEANING OUT THIS NATURAL SYSTEM OF RUNOFF WATER EVERY SINGLE TIME THERE IS A RAINFALL AND THERE IS DAMAGES TAKING AWAY THOSE NATURAL MICROBES THAT IF WE GO TO THE STORE AND LOOK AT HOW MUCH PREBIOTICS COST, IF WE WERE TO EVALUATE THE DAMAGES BASED OFF OF SOIL SAMPLES, WHAT KIND OF BENEFICIAL MICROBES WERE PRESENTLY THERE, AND HOW MUCH IS BEING DESTROYED IN THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTION AND CREATION. THIS IS AN IMPACT THAT WE HAVE FOR MULTIPLE GENERATIONS. IT'S AN OPTION TO CHOOSE NATURAL ENVIRONMENTALISM AND NOT FALL BY THE WAYSIDE OF NATURAL AMERICANISM IN ITS PRODUCT PRACTICES, AND USE WHAT EUROPE AND OTHER NATIONS ARE USING TO CHANGE THEIR NATURAL WILDLIFE, CHANGE THEIR ECONOMY, CHANGE THE RESOURCES THEY HAVE FOR THE PEOPLE LIVING THERE AND TRULY PROVIDE. THAT'S ONE THING THAT I WANT Y'ALL TO THINK ON. WHAT ARE YOU PROVIDING TO THE COMMUNITY, TO THE PEOPLE? AND WHAT SCIENTIFIC INPUTS ARE YOU CONSERVING? THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE PRESENT THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD ON THIS ITEM? THAT IS THE END OF PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. OKAY. UH, CHAIR AND PARKS COMMISSION OR BOARD MEMBERS? MY NAME IS DAVID TOM CHES, AND I'M VICE PRESIDENT OF ELECTRIC SYSTEM ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL SERVICES AT AUSTIN ENERGY. I'M JOINED, UH, BY MAC, UH, CAMERON, WHO, UM, IS, UH, THE MANAGER OF OUR PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE DESIGN STAFF, UH, FOR THE PROJECT. UM, WE'RE HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT A CHAPTER 26 APPLICATIONS, UH, SPECIFICALLY, UH, AS A RESULT OF THE CAPITAL EXPRESS EXPANSION, UH, THE CENTRAL PORTION OF IT, NEAR LADY BIRD, UH, UH, LAKE, AND SPECIFICALLY, UH, THE EFFECT ON EDWARD, UH, RENDON SENIOR METRO PARK AT AL BEACH. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, FOR OUR AGENDA. I'M GONNA, UH, GO AHEAD AND GO OVER THE, UH, PROJECT SUMMARY A LITTLE BIT. THEN I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THE, UH, PROJECT LOCATION ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED, UH, CHAPTER 26 REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING MITIGATIONS AND THEN STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT. AND FINALLY, UH, ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THANK YOU. SO FROM A PROJECT SUMMARY STANDPOINT, OFFICER ENERGY IS REQUIRED TO REROUTE AN EXISTING TRANSMISSION LINE TO, UH, TO ACCOMMODATE THE TX DOTS EXPANSION OF I 35 CENTRAL. UM, THEY'RE EXPANDING THE RIGHT OF WAY AND THEREFORE, UH, WE ARE REQUIRED TO MOVE. UM, WITH THAT IS THE TRANSMISSION LINE THAT, THAT WE'RE BEING ASKED TO MOVE IS OUR CIRCUIT 10 15. IT'S A CRITICAL, UH, ELEMENT IN AUSTIN ENERGY'S ELECTRIC SYSTEM, ENSURING RELIABLE SERVICE FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS, UH, BOTH DOWNTOWN AND IN EAST AUSTIN. UH, THERE'S THREE STRUCTURES THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT TODAY. ONE IS STRUCTURE 13. IT'S AN EXISTING, THIS IS AN [01:45:01] EXISTING TRANSMISSION LINE THAT, THAT'S AN EXISTING STRUCTURE. UM, THE TRANSMISSION STRUCTURE ALREADY LOCATED ON THE PARK PROPERTY THAT WE WILL HAVE TO REJOIN. UM, AND IT'LL REMAIN WHERE IT IS, THERE WILL BE NO CHANGES TO IT. UM, BUT THERE ARE TWO, TWO STRUCTURES THAT WE'LL WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL. UM, UH, AND THAT IS STRUCTURE 14 AND 15, WHICH WILL BE PLACED ALONG THE TRANSMISSION ALIGNMENT. UM, STRUCTURE 14 WILL FALL WITHIN THE PARK PROPERTY AND STRUCTURE 15 WILL BE PLACED OUTSIDE, UH, THE PARK PROPERTY ON THE ROAD, UH, RIGHT AWAY. UM, AND AGAIN, OUT OUTSIDE OF THE PARK BOUNDARIES. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO THERE'S A FEW COLORS, UH, ON YOUR SCREEN HERE. THE MAGENTA LINE THAT YOU SEE THERE IS THE EXISTING, UH, TRANSMISSION LINE. UM, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN IS, YOU KNOW, UH, CONNECTS FROM EAST TO WEST ACROSS I I 35. YOU SEE THE, UM, THE BLUE LINE IS THE NEW TXDOT RIGHT OF WAY. AND THEN THE BROWN LINES ARE THE EXISTING, UH, CITY RIGHT OF WAY, WHICH, WHICH YOU DO SEE IS THE NEW TXDOT IS THERE. THEY ARE PUSHING FURTHER EAST AND THEREFORE WE'RE REQUIRED TO, TO MOVE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO, ALTERNATIVES THAT WERE CONSIDERED NEXT SLIDE. FIRST ONE THAT WAS CONSIDERED, AND IT'S, IT'S NOT A, A HUGE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE TWO. AND SO, YOU KNOW, EVEN, UH, THE, THE NUMBER OF PATHS ARE SOMEWHAT LIMITED. THAT BEING SAID IS THE FIRST OPTION THAT, UH, WE LOOKED AT THAT IS, UH, THAT WAS NOT SELECTED, IT'S NOT FEASIBLE. UM, IS THE GREEN LINE THAT YOU SEE THERE, WHICH BASICALLY IS LAMBE GOING DOWN, UM, UH, EAST AVE, UH, GOING BY THE, UH, UH, THE PARKLAND ALONG, UH, ANN AND, AND ROY BUTLER HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL. AND THEN, UH, TRYING TO COME ACROSS, UM, I 35 THERE. IT'LL ACTUALLY BE, UM, UH, WIDEN THERE QUITE A BIT AS YOU'RE APPROACHING THE RIVER. AND, AND WITH THAT, UH, WE, WE SAW A NUMBER OF, OF CHALLENGES, TECHNICAL CHALLENGES. ONE IS IT DOES NOT MEET NATIONAL ELECTRIC SAFETY CODE FOR WHICH WE ARE REQUIRED TO, TO MEET. UM, THE NEXT ONE IS, UM, YOU CAN SEE, ESPECIALLY WITH A, A LOT OF THE TREES AND PICTURES, THERE WAS, UH, FROM A, A SIDING STANDPOINT OF THE STRUCTURES THAT THERE'S, THERE WAS POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO CRITICAL ROOT ZONES THAT COULD HARM TREES. UM, UH, THIS IS GREATER IMPACT TO THE PARKLAND BECAUSE IT AFFECTS NOT EVEN, YOU KNOW, UH, THE, UH, NOW THE WEST SIDE, BUT ALSO IF YOU LOOK, UM, WHERE IT CONNECTS BACK INTO THE, THE PARK, THERE'D BE A, A MUCH LARGER STRUCTURE THERE, UH, WHERE IT'S THE, UH, UM, UH, WHERE IT CONNECTS. AND, UM, AND THEN FINALLY JUST, IT'S DIFFICULT TO MAIN THE I THE I 35 CROSSING. UM, WHEN YOU HAVE, UH, LONG STRETCHES LIKE THAT, PART OF IT IS WE HAVE TO PUT PROTECTIONS IN PLACE WHEN WE'RE STRINGING LINES AND SO FORTH FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE PUBLIC. AND, UH, WHEN IT'S, IT'S THAT FAR, IT CAN BE, UH, QUITE CHALLENGING FROM THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC. NEXT SLIDE. THE, THE SECOND OPTION THAT WE, THAT WE TOOK A, A LOOK AT, UM, AGAIN, IT WAS NOT SELECTED DUE TO, UH, FEASIBILITY. UM, MOSTLY TECHNICAL, BUT IT DOES NOT MEET NATIONAL ELECTRIC SAFETY CODE AS WELL. UM, AND AGAIN, IT, I DIDN'T TOUCH ON THAT BEFORE. THAT'S A COMBINATION OF, UM, UM, PROXIMITY TO BUILDINGS, BUT THERE'S ALSO TREES AND, AND AND SO FORTH, AS WELL AS OTHER TYPES OF, UM, UH, UTILITIES AND THEN, UH, IMPACTS TO CRITICAL ROOT ZONES. UM, YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF TREES WHERE, UH, WHERE THE PATH GOES, ESPECIALLY ON THE EAST SIDE, UH, OR SORRY, THE WEST SIDE, APOLOGIES. AND THEN, UH, AGAIN, DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN THE I 35 CROSSING AS WELL. UM, AND CONGESTED SPOTTING CONSTRAINTS, UH, YOU ALSO, UH, COULD SEE IS, UH, BECAUSE ANYTIME YOU'RE, YOU'RE DOING A SHARP TURN WITH A TRANSMISSION LINE, IT REQUIRES A MUCH LARGER STRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THOSE TENSIONS. SO AGAIN, THIS WAS, WAS NOT FEASIBLE. NEXT SLIDE. SO THE ONLY, UH, FEASIBLE ROUTE, UM, UH, THAT IS, THAT IS REQUIRED IS TO, AS YOU CAN SEE THERE IN THE GREEN LINE, AND AGAIN, AS WE ARE, WE ARE MERELY COMING FROM EXISTING TRANSMISSION LINE FROM THE, THE, THE, UH, UH, WEST OF 35, UH, REROUTING IT SLIGHTLY, UM, UH, UH, ALONG LAMBE STREET AND THEN DOWN WALLER STREET. AND THEN ULTIMATELY CONNECTS BACK UP WITH THE, UM, STRUCTURE 13 THAT I MENTIONED THAT IS NOT CHANGING, UH, IT'S ALREADY THERE, UH, ON THE, ON THE PARK PROPERTY. AND I'LL GO INTO MORE DETAIL ON THIS. UM, I HAVE SOME OTHER SLIDES ON THIS NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO, THE EASEMENT FOOTPRINT, UH, ON THE PARK PROPERTY, UM, WHICH WHAT WE SHOW THERE IS, UH, AND THIS IS THE EFFECT THAT THE, THE, THE LINE WOULD HAVE. UH, MOST, MOST OF IT IS THE, UH, POTENTIAL BLOWOUT OF THE, THE CONDUCTORS. UM, AND THE REASON I SAY IS 'CAUSE STRUCTURE 15 IS, IS IN THE, IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. UH, STRUCTURE 14, WHICH IS THE ONE IN THE MIDDLE, THERE IT IS ON IT IS A NEW, UH, STRUCTURE ON PARKLAND. AND OF COURSE, UH, UH, STRUCTURE 13 IS EXISTING. THE MAGENTA, UH, CROSS HATCH LINE THAT YOU SEE, SEE THERE AS WELL. UH, THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT PARCELS, AND SO THAT'S WHY THEY'RE JUST SHOWN SEPARATELY. BUT, UH, THE, THE TOTAL OF THEM IS, IS ULTIMATELY WHAT, UH, THE $2 MILLION WOULD BE FOR. AND WE'RE SHOWING ALSO LIMITS OF CONSTRUCTION. YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE IN THE BLACK LINES, UH, AROUND, UM, THE, UH, STRUCTURE 15 AND THEN, AND THEN AGAIN, IT'S 14 AND 15 WHEN THE, WHEN THE WORK IS, UH, WHEN [01:50:01] THE CONSTRUCTION'S UNDERWAY. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO, MINIMIZING IM, UH, UH, IMPACT TO PARKLAND. UM, NEXT SLIDE. THANK YOU. SO THERE WAS A, A NU A NUMBER OF MITIGATIONS THAT WE WERE, THAT WE LOOKED AT. UM, I'LL GO INTO MORE DETAIL, BUT AT A, AT A HIGH LEVEL, UH, THE PROJECT APPLIES WITH, UH, UH, CHAPTER 1 91 OF THE TEXAS NATURAL, UH, SOURCES CODE. THERE'S ZERO, UH, WITH THE, THE REQUIRED PATH, THE ONLY FEASIBLE PATH, ZERO CRITICAL, UH, TREE ROOT ZONES AFFECTED. WE'LL HAVE A SLIDE ON THAT. THE TRANSMISSION STRUCTURE FOUNDATION'S LOCATED OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY GARDEN FENCE ITSELF ON, ON THE, UH, FOR, ON THE OFF THE PROPERTY. AND THEN ON THE PROPERTY TRANSMISSION ARMS HOLDING THE WIRE WILL BE ORIENTED TOWARDS WALLER STREET. WE HAVE A GREAT, UM, PICTURE SHOWING THAT AWAY FROM THE PARK, WHICH MINIMIZES THE IMPACT TO THE PARK. UH, ALSO IT MINIMIZES, UM, VEGETATION MANAGEMENT BECAUSE WE'RE OVERHANGING THE ROAD. THE PROJECT IS NOT, UH, EXPECTED TO REQUIRE RELOCATION OR REMOVAL OF GARDENS OR TREES, AND NO, UH, PROJECT IMPACTS TO FUTURE PLANNING PHASES. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO THIS IS SHOWING, UH, TO THE LEFT THERE, UM, YOU HAVE THE EXISTING STRUCTURES THAT ARE, THAT ARE THERE TODAY. UM, IT IS ACTUALLY ONE CIRCUIT, 10 15, BUT WE HAVE TWO SETS OF WIRES, ONE ON EACH SIDE OF THE, THE, THE POLE. UM, FOR THIS PROJECT, IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE IMPACT TO PARKLAND, WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, THE, THE DESIGN THAT'S BEING PROPOSED, WE PUT IT ALL ON ONE SIDE OF THE POLE AND PUT BOTH SETS OF WIRES, UH, UH, OVERHANGING THE STREET. AND WHAT THAT DOES IS IT MINIMIZES THE, THE OVERHANG ONTO THE, UH, THE, THE PARK PROPERTY. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. UH, ADDITIONALLY, UM, BECAUSE OF, UH, WHERE THE STRUCTURES ARE PLACED, UM, IN PARTICULAR STRUCTURE 15 WILL BE LOCATED OUTSIDE, UH, THE ROAD, UH, OR INSIDE THE ROAD RIGHT AWAY, UH, RIGHT OF WAY, AND THEREFORE WILL NOT IMPACT IRRIGATION LINES WITHIN THE PARK. A BOUNDARY. YOU ALSO SEE, YOU KNOW, THAT OVERHANG THAT I WAS REFERRING TO. SO EVERYTHING'S ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE STRUCTURE, UH, UH, TOWARDS WALLER STREET. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. FOR STRUCTURE, LOCATIONS AND, AND, UH, AND CRITICAL ROOT ZONES, YOU CAN SEE THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONES OF THE TREES, UH, THAT ARE, UM, THAT ARE OUT THERE TODAY. THAT'S THAT WHAT YOU SEE IN THE GREEN CIRCLES THERE. UM, THE ESTIMATED FOUNDATION DIAMETERS, UM, AGAIN, THE TWO, TWO STRUCTURES ARE 15 FROM THE LEFT, 14 IN THE MIDDLE, UH, WILL BE EIGHT, UH, 8.5 FEET FOR, UM, UH, 14. AND BECAUSE OF THAT TURN, I MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY TURNING, THERE'S MORE TENSIONS AS YOU HAVE TO DO A BIGGER, UH, A LITTLE BIT LARGER FOUNDATION. AND THEN STRUCTURE 15, UM, IS, UH, FIVE FEET IN, UH, DIAMETER. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. AGAIN, JUST KIND OF SHOWING THE, THE LIMITS OF CONSTRUCTION. UM, I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE, UH, TOUCHED BASE ON IT, BUT JUST WANTED TO SHOW IT ONE MORE TIME. AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE, THE, UH, BLACK, UH, OUTLINES THERE. NEXT SLIDE. THIS IS, THIS IS AN AUGMENTED VIEW. UM, AND AGAIN, IT'S THE TWO STRUCTURES. SO THIS IS STRUCTURE 14, SO IT'S THE ONE IN THE MIDDLE THAT WILL BE ON, UH, UH, PARK PROPERTY. UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT. SO IT'S, IT'S INSET INTO THE PROPERTY, UH, JUST SLIGHTLY. UM, THIS IS, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE EXPECT IT TO LOOK LIKE. NEXT SLIDE. AND THEN STRUCTURE 15 WILL BE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. SO IT'D BE OUTSIDE THE PARK PROPERTY, AND WE EXPECT IT TO LOOK SOMETHING LIKE THIS AS WELL. AND YOU CAN EVEN SEE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, AS TO THE, IF YOU LOOK UP IS ALL THE, THE, THE WIRES AND SO FORTH ARE ALL ON ONE SIDE OF THE POLE. UH, THAT IS THE DESIGN WE WOULD, WE WOULD, UH, TAKE IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE AND BACK TO PARKLAND. NEXT SLIDE, UH, SUMMARY OF, OF, UH, STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT. UM, SO PART OF HIS OFFICER, YOU KNOW, CONTINUES TO ENGAGE. I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, DIALOGUE EVEN OUTSIDE OF, OF THE, THE VARIOUS, UH, ONSITE MEETINGS THAT YOU SEE AT, AT ENGAGEMENT STARTED WELL OVER A YEAR AGO. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, ENGAGING WITH OUR LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS. UM, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL IS, IS TO PROMOTE TRANSPARENCY AND ADDRESS CONCERNS. UM, THOSE THAT WE'VE MET WITH, YOU KNOW, INCLUDE THE, UH, FESTIVAL, BEACH FOOD FORCE FESTIVAL, BEACH COMMUNITY GARDENS, AND THE RESIDENTS OF RBJ SENIOR LIVING, UH, APARTMENT BUILDING. UH, THERE WAS, UH, A TOTAL OF FIVE ONSITE MEETINGS THAT YOU SEE. THERE'S SOME WERE HOSTED BY AUSTIN ENERGY, OTHERS WERE HOSTED BY TXDOT. UH, BUT WE, BUT WE, AND THOSE ARE, UH, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO, PROJECT COORDINATION AND, AND PARTNER SUPPORT DURING CONSTRUCTION, UM, OFFICER ENERGY WILL COORDINATE CLOSELY AND WORK AROUND SCHEDULED PARK EVENTS WHERE FEASIBLE. UM, I, I'LL, I'LL TOUCH BASE A LITTLE BIT ON, ON THAT. PARK. ACCESS WILL REMAIN OPEN THROUGHOUT THE PROJECTS, AND WE, UH, REMAIN COMMITTED TO PROACTIVE ER COMMUNICATION WITH IMPACT TO PARTNERS. UM, WITH THAT IS, WHILE WE OWN TRANSMISSION LINES IN ERCOT, IN ORDER TO TAKE OUTAGES AND, UH, TO DO ANY TYPE OF WORK, WE DO HAVE TO GET PERMISSION OF ERCOT THAT OPERATES THE TRANSMISSION LINES IN, IN, IN ERCOT, PREDOMINANTLY TEXAS. AND SOMETIMES, UH, YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE A, AN OUTAGE SCHEDULE WORK PREPARED, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN SOMETHING CHANGES OR THEY TELL US YOU NEED TO, YOU KNOW, PUT IT BACK IN SERVICE, UH, FOR SOME REASON HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING HAPPENED ON THE GRID, BUT PART OF IT [01:55:01] IS IT'S BEING TRANSPARENT AND, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE KNOW SOMETHING, UH, SHARE IT WITH THE, WITH, WITH, UH, THE COMMUNITY AND IMPACT PARTNERS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO, NEXT STEPS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE TODAY IN, YOU KNOW, MARCH, UH, OF COURSE CHAPTER 20, UH, SIX, UH, PRESENTATION. UM, UH, WE LOVE YOUR, YOUR, TO HAVE YOUR SPORT TODAY. UM, WE'RE TARGETING SOMETIME IN THE SPRING TO SEEK COUNSEL APPROVAL. UM, AGAIN, PART OF THIS IS WE'RE REQUIRED TO MOVE, AND SO WE DO HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, FIND, YOU KNOW, WELL, WE FOUND A SOLUTION, BUT, BUT ULTIMATELY IMPLEMENT IT AND NOT, YOU KNOW, CAUSE, UH, OTHER IMPACTS WITH, UH, TDOT, UM, THE, WE PLAN TO COMPLETE EASEMENT ACQUISITIONS, UH, APPROXIMATELY IN AUGUST AND THEN OCTOBER TO MAY. IT WILL NOT BE THAT ENTIRE TIME, BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE, UM, THE, UH, TIME TIMEFRAME WITH THAT. WE, WE EXPECT IT TO BE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE ABOUT FIVE WEEKS IN THERE. UM, THERE'S TIMES WHERE YOU, YOU, YOU POUR A FOUNDATION FOR A STRUCTURE AND THEN YOU GOTTA WAIT LIKE 28 DAYS FOR IT TO CURE. SO IT'S NOT CONSTANT, BUT PART OF IT IS WE WANTED TO SHOW THE, YOU KNOW, THE POTENTIAL TIME, OF COURSE, THAT WILL BE DEPENDENT ON ERCOT OUTAGES, UM, IN ORDER TO, UH, DO THE WORK FOR THE RELIABILITY OF THE GRID. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO, IN SUMMARY, UH, FOR YOUR, UH, CONSIDERATION, A RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO AUTHORIZE A CHANGE IN THE USE, UH, FOR 15,368 SQUARE FEET OF DEDICATED, UH, PARKLAND AT EDWARD, UH, RENDON SENIOR METRO PARK AT FESTIVAL BEACH, UH, TO REROUTE AND MAINTAIN, UH, A TRANSMISSION LINE 10 15 AFFECTED BY THE TXDOT CAPITAL EXPRESS PROJECT. UM, FOR THE FUNDING, THIS, THIS ITEM INCLUDES A MITIGATION PAYMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF, UH, UH, 2,000,414, UH, THOUSAND, UH, 200 AND, UH, $40 FROM AUSTIN ENERGY TO AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION. AND AS A RESULT, THERE, THERE IS NO IMPACT TO THE GENERAL FUND. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. AND SO, WITH, WITH THAT IS WE HAVE OUR, UH, PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT TEAM THAT'S BEEN PART OF THIS FOR, WELL, YOU KNOW, WELL OVER A YEAR. I'VE BEEN AT EVERY SINGLE MEETING AND SO FORTH. THEY'RE HERE TODAY. UM, JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE THEIR, THEIR CONTACT AND THEY'RE AVAILABLE, UH, AT ANY TIME TO ASK QUESTIONS, EVEN OUTSIDE OF PUBLIC MEETINGS. I KNOW THEY'VE, THEY'VE BEEN IN, UH, CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH, UM, UH, AFFECTED STAKEHOLDERS AND NEXT SLIDE. AND I THINK THAT'S, UH, HAVE, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU. UM, UH, DO YOU KNOW IF THERE'S ANY COMMUNITY GARDEN BEDS IN THE BLOWOUT ZONE SLASH EASEMENT AREA, UM, THAT WAS HIGHLIGHTED IN GREEN IN THE MAP THAT YOU HAD PULLED UP? I'M GONNA ASK, UH, MAC, DO YOU MIND COMING UP AND IS THAT SOMETHING YOU'RE SURE? WHAT'S THE QUESTION? SHE'S ASKING IF THERE'S ANY, UM, ANY GARDEN BEDS, CORRECT, OR, YEAH, LIKE WE'RE TRYING TO, WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, UM, IF, IF IT'S, IF IT'S JUST IN THE RIGHT OF WAY OUTSIDE OF THE COMMUNITY GARDEN OR WHETHER THERE, THERE'S GONNA BE LIKE ANY FUTURE OR FURTHER IMPACT TO THE COMMUNITY GARDEN OR LIKE HOW, HOW THAT'S DESIGNED, BASICALLY, I'LL BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT. OKAY. YEAH. I'M MATT CAMERON, I'M THE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT MANAGER, BUT I'M GONNA GIVE THAT TO ONE OF OUR ENGINEERS, UH, WALTER CONNOR, HE'S GONNA BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THE, TO THE TECHNICAL ASPECT OF THAT. OKAY. YEAH, IT'S WALTER CONNOR. I'M THE ENGINEER OF RECORD FOR THIS PROJECT, AND THE, UH, I'M A HIGH VOLTAGE ENGINEERING CONSULTANT. UH, SO THE, THE COMMUNITY, THE, THE GARDENS WOULD NOT BE IMPACTED. UH, IT'S ALL MORE FOR AERIAL PROTECTION TO MAKE SURE NO, NO HIGH RISES OR ANYTHING ARE BUILT. UH, THE, THE STRUCTURE 15 WAS OUTSIDE OF THE, THE, THE FENCE AND ALL THE CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES WILL ALSO TAKE PLACE OUTSIDE OF THE FENCE. UM, SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE LIMITS OF CONSTRUCTION, UH, AT STRUCTURE 15, EVERYTHING WILL BE OUTSIDE, UH, STRUCTURE 14 THAT WAS IN THE FOOD FORCE ITSELF. SO THERE WERE NO IMPACTS ALSO TO THOSE COMMUNITY GARDEN BEDS. OKAY. SO YOU DON'T, OKAY, SO YOU EXPECT THAT LIKE, THERE SHOULD, THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY SURPRISES BASICALLY THAT THERE'S GONNA BE ANY FUTURE, ANY, ANYTHING THAT'S LIKE OUTSIDE OF THE CURRENT PLAN? CORRECT. OKAY. YEAH. OKAY. UM, THIS MIGHT BE MORE OF A QUESTION FOR PAR, BUT I'M WONDERING MORE ABOUT THE, THE USE OF THE, OF THE MITIGATION FUNDS. SO ONE OF THE FOLKS FROM THE FOOD FORCE SPOKE ABOUT HOW THEY WERE TOLD THAT IT WAS GONNA BE YEARS BEFORE THOSE FUNDS WOULD BE AVAILABLE. SO I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT PROCESS LOOKS LIKE. KEEPING IN MIND THAT THERE'S, THERE'S ALSO THE WASTEWATER MITIGATION, SO THAT'S LIKE SOME, THAT'S ADDITIONAL AMOUNT IN FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE. AND SO I'M JUST KIND OF WONDERING WHY THAT, HOW THAT PROCESS WORKS AND HOW, WHY THAT TAKES SO LONG. YEAH, SO THIS IS PAUL BOOKS. I'M A PRINCIPAL PLANNER WITH AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION. SO THE MITIGATION FUNDS ARE APPROPRIATED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. SO FUNDS THAT WOULD BE PAID TODAY WOULD BE APPROPRIATED IN OCTOBER. SO THAT EXPLAINS THE DELAY. UM, BUT WE DID URGE THE COMMUNITY GROUP THAT THEY COULD WORK WITH THEIR PROJECT MANAGER WHO'S A CITY, UH, YOU KNOW, A PARKS AND RECREATION [02:00:01] EMPLOYEE MM-HMM . WHO COULD SUBMIT A REQUEST FOR FUNDING, AND WE COULD SEE IF THERE'S FUNDING THAT MEETS THE CRITERIA TODAY THAT IS AVAILABLE. OKAY. YEAH. 'CAUSE THERE'S QUITE AN EMERGENCY THAT HAS EMERGED. I MEAN, FROM, THIS WAS JUST A MUCH MORE KNOWN, BUT I MEAN, FROM THE WASTEWATER, WHICH I THINK WAS MUCH MORE OF A SURPRISE, BUT, UM, CAN YOU TELL ME, LIKE, CAN YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT HOW IT WORKS? LIKE HOW, HOW, WHERE, HOW, WHERE ARE THE MITIGATION FUNDS TYPICALLY ALLOCATED TO? YEAH, SO WE HAVE, UM, I THINK I GAVE A, A BRIEFING ON THIS A COUPLE MONTHS AGO. SO WE HAVE SPENDING CRITERIA THAT WE APPLY, SO THEY'RE USED WITHIN A GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION, UM, FROM WHERE THEY WERE, UM, FROM THE IMPACTED PARKLAND. UM, AND THEN THAT, THAT'S USED FOR, UM, LAND ACQUISITION PLANNING OR DEVELOPMENT OR REDEVELOPMENT OF, UH, RECREATIONAL AMENITIES ON PARKLAND. SO IT'S, I I THINK I REMEMBER THAT PRESENTATION. SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THAT IT GOES BACK TO LIKE THE EXACT PARK OR THE EXACT, LIKE, TO ACTUALLY REMEDY LIKE THE EXACT HARM, BUT IT CAN BE USED KIND OF MORE BROADLY THAN THAT. IS THAT CORRECT? SO THE INTENT IN ALL IS TO LOOK FOR PROJECTS AT THE PARK THAT WAS IMPACTED. HOWEVER, THE, THE GEOGRAPHIC LIMITATIONS AND THE SPINNING, UH, CRITERIA DO HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY IF A PROJECT COULDN'T BE IDENTIFIED AT THE PARK. BUT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THERE'S AN APPROVED VISION PLAN AT THIS PARK AND OBVIOUSLY TWO ACTIVE, UH, STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, UM, WITH THE, YOU KNOW, PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS AT THE PARK. SO, UM, THAT'S UN YOU KNOW, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY APPLY HERE. OKAY. AND SO, BUT YOU WERE SAYING THERE'S OTHER FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE, FOR LIKE IMMEDIATE MITIGATION, RIGHT? BECAUSE LIKE, LIKE THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, THEY LOST TREES. THEY HAVE, THEY'VE LOST THE ACCESS POINT TO THEIR, TO, TO, TO GET THE, LIKE, BIG PROJECT MATERIALS IN. SO HOW DOES THAT WORK? I DO WANNA CLARIFY THAT WHEN IT COMES TO THE AUSTIN WATER IMPACTS, UM, THE REQUESTING DEPARTMENT IS REQUIRED TO RESTORE THE PARKLAND TO EQUAL OR BETTER TO WHAT IT WAS MM-HMM . BEFORE. OKAY. SO THAT'S REALLY A DIFFERENT, UM, DISCUSSION. GOT IT. THAT'S NOT, THAT WOULDN'T BE INCLUDED IN THE, THE MITIGATION FEED. WE WOULDN'T NEED TO ASSIGN ASSIGN, BUT THE TRANSMISSION THAT'S BEING PUT, THE NEW ONE THAT'S BEING PUT IN IS GONNA BLOCK THEIR ACCESS TO THE PARK. SO THAT CHANGES HOW THE, HOW THEY'RE ABLE TO KIND OF OPERATE THE, THE FOOD FORCE OF THE COMMUNITY GUARD NOW. SO THAT WOULD, THAT MITIGATION WOULD COME WOULD, IS, IS A KIND OF A CURRENT EMERGENCY THAT'S, THAT'S ARISING FROM A SITUATION, I THINK, UM, YEAH. SO IF THERE NEEDED TO BE IMPROVEMENTS TO, YOU KNOW, A, A MULCH STAGING AREA OF SOMETHING OF, OF THAT KIND, THEN, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD BE A, A PROJECT THAT A PROJECT MANAGER AT AUSTIN PARKS DIRECTOR AND TAKES ON AND REQUESTS FUNDING FOR. OKAY. YEAH. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? YEAH, I THINK I JUST WANNA FOLLOW UP TO THIS. I THINK WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM SOME OF THE SPEAKERS BEFORE IS THE CONCERN ABOUT THE RESTORATION AND RECOVERY. AND SO I CAN UNDERSTAND WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED, THEIR WORRY ABOUT NOT HAVING LIKE A SAFE GUARD FOR WHAT THEY MIGHT LOSE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PARTS THAT GO TO THIS IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN POINT TO, UM, THAT MIGHT JUST HELP US FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE SECURE ABOUT THE, THE PLAN MOVING FORWARD? WELL, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH THESE AFFECTED STAKEHOLDERS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. WE'RE GONNA STAY IN TOUCH WITH THEM. WE DID GO OUT AND WALK THE SITE AND WE LOOKED AT THE LOCATION OF STRUCTURE 14, AND WE, WE LOOKED INTO THAT WITH OUR ENGINEERING TEAM TO SEE IF WE COULD MOVE IT JUST A LITTLE BIT. AND I MEAN, I THINK WALTER COULD SPEAK A LITTLE MORE OF THAT, BUT I MEAN, WE, WE DID EVALUATE THAT AS AN OPTION SO THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO BLOCK THAT MULCH DELIVERY ZONE. AND THEN IN THE END IT JUST, IT JUST, THE ENGINEERING OF THE PROJECT DIDN'T ALLOW FOR IT. BUT LIKE, GOING FORWARD, UM, WE WANT TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH THESE FOLKS SO THAT THEY KNOW WHAT'S COMING AT THEM SO THAT THERE ARE NO SURPRISES. YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN ENGAGED THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, BUT WE'RE VERY COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING THAT LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION. UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GREAT GROUP. WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO TRY TO, UM, JUST MAKE THIS PROCESS EASY ON THEM. UM, AND SO, YEAH, JUST FEEL AS THOUGH THEY KEEP GETTING SURPRISED THOUGH. UM, LIKE, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU, YOU, LIKE, THEY DOES SEEM THAT THERE'S AN OPEN DIALOGUE AND ALL OF THAT'S GOOD, BUT I THINK WHAT'S MISSING IS LIKE AN ACTUAL COMMITMENT TO MAKE THINGS WHOLE FOR THEM, LIKE FROM PARD. AND SO I THINK THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT THESE MITIGATION FUNDS BECAUSE THAT'S AN AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S AVAILABLE THAT'S IMMEDIATELY ARISING FROM THE SITUATION, BUT THAT'S NOT GONNA SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS TODAY, RIGHT? LIKE, DOESN'T LIKE SAVE THE TREES THAT THEY HAD TO PULL UP AND IT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, CREATE A NEW ENTRY POINT FOR THEM AND IT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, MITIGATE THE, THE WHATEVER IMPACTS THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA FACE FROM THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS MM-HMM . SO I, YOU KNOW, KNOW, I, I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S MISSING, RIGHT? IS LIKE THAT THERE'S, THERE'S ENGAGEMENT, BUT THERE'S THIS LACK OF COMMITMENT, UM, THAT'S SAYING LIKE, WE WILL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO ALLOCATE THIS MONEY OR WE'RE GOING TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, RIGHT? SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT FEELS LIKE IT'S MISSING. AND I CAN MAYBE COMMENT ON THAT AS FAR AS THE, THE, THE MONEY THAT'S, THAT IS GIVEN, YOU KNOW, THAT IS PAID TO, UM, UH, PARKS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SEPARATE. BUT I MEAN, FROM STANDPOINT, ANYTIME [02:05:01] WE'RE WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, WE DO OUR BEST TO TRY TO RESTORE IT BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND THAT'S A EXPECTATION. IT'S NOT, NOT EVEN REALLY JUST A TO REQUEST, NOT SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT, WHEN IT HAPPENS IN, IN, IN REAL TIMES, THERE'S GONNA BE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON, YOU KNOW, WAS IT ENOUGH OR, OR THIS AND THAT. BUT PART OF THAT IS, THAT'S WHERE THE COMMUNICATION IS. AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, AS WE'RE BEING, WE'RE BEING VERY TRANSPARENT, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS OUR PUBLIC OUTREACH FROM START TO FINISH AND MAKE SURE THAT WE, ONE IS, WE ALWAYS HAVE PEOPLE AVAILABLE TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AND SEND PEOPLE OUT, TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO, TO RESTORE IT. I CAN'T, I CAN'T SPEAK WITH OTHER, FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS. I'M GONNA SPEAK FOR AUSTIN ENERGY, BUT, UH, UM, I THINK WE DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB, UH, ALONG BOTH TRANSMISSION AND OUR DISTRIBUTION RIGHT AWAYS DOING, DOING JUST THAT. HI. UM, QUESTION ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. I NOTICED THAT THE SLIDE DID NOT LIST THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND WE HAD, UM, A COUPLE SPEAKERS YEAH. THAT WERE OBVIOUSLY VERY UPSET THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT, AND THEY, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S SOME OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE BEYOND KIND OF OUR PURVIEW WITH REGARDS TO PARKS, BUT I I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT LIKE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. LIKE HOW DO YOU LET MAYBE THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE ALONGSIDE THE PARK KNOW, HEY GUYS, THIS IS COMING. I, AND I KNOW IT HAPPENS WHEN THERE'S, YOU KNOW, BUILDING HAPPENING, IT'S HAPPENING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE I GOT A LETTER IN THE MAIL THAT SAID, HEY, FYI, THIS IS COMING. SOMEONE HAS ASKED TO BUILD A BUILDING HERE. DO YOU GUYS DO SIMILAR TYPE OF ENGAGEMENT? BECAUSE I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE SOMEBODY DROPPED THE BALL AND, AND YOU KNOW, THESE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION FOLKS HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS COMING COMPLETELY. YEAH, I MEAN, UM, I, I DEFINITELY TAKE THE POINT. I TAKE THE POINT OF THE EAST TOWN LAKE ASSOCIATION, THEY, THEY WEREN'T NOT A PART OF THE STAKEHOLDER GROUP. UM, WE HAD BEEN FOCUSING OUR EFFORTS THROUGH THE LENS OF THE FESTIVAL, BEACH, FOOD, FOREST, AND THE COMMUNITY GARDEN. THOSE WERE THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT HAD ENGAGED US. THOSE WERE, THAT'S THE LOCATION OF THESE TWO NEW STRUCTURES FOR AUSTIN ENERGY. AND SO WE WERE JUST LOOKING AT IT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE AND THIS CHAPTER 26 PROCESS. AND SO IN THAT, YEAH, I MEAN, THE EAST TOWN LAKE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WASN'T INVOLVED. WE WOULD LOVE TO BE INVOLVED WITH THEM GOING FORWARD, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY PART OF OUR PLAN, OUR COMMUNIC COMMUNICATION PLAN GOING FORWARD. UM, BUT YEAH, UP UNTIL NOW THEY HAVEN'T BEEN A PART OF THE STAKEHOLDER GROUP AND IT'S REGRETTABLE. DO YOU, DO YOU WAIT FOR STAKEHOLDERS TO REACH OUT TO YOU OR DO YOU GUYS PROACTIVELY GO OUT AND NOT TYPICALLY. NOT TYPICALLY. OKAY. SO CAN WE MAYBE FIND OUT WHAT YOUR PROCESS IS AND HOW YOU'RE GOING TO CHANGE THAT MOVING FORWARD? BECAUSE I MEAN, IT'S, IF IT WERE ME AND I FOUND OUT THAT THIS GIANT TRANSMISSION LINE WAS GOING TO GO UP ACROSS THE STREET, I, I'D WANNA KNOW, AND ESPECIALLY SINCE YOUR TIMELINE, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU WANNA GO UP THIS SPRING AND GET APPROVAL FROM COUNCIL. YEAH. SO I MEAN, I, I GUESS THANK YOU FOR ENGAGING THEM NOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK, I THINK THEY PROBABLY HAVE SOME THOUGHTS AND ABSOLUTELY I AS A CITIZEN WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE GONNA CHANGE YOUR PROCESSES. SO THIS KIND OF THING DOESN'T HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE. AND I, I KNOW THIS IS A BIG PROJECT, DEFINITELY IT'S NOT, IT'S TDOT. I KNOW WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN. I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, YOU SHOWING US THE ALTERNATIVES AND THAT YOU'VE THOUGHT THIS THROUGH, BUT AGAIN, THE BIG TRANSMISSION LINE THAT'S GOING UP IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, SO YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT. I MEAN, TYPICALLY WE WOULD, UH, ENGAGE A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS. AND ALL I, ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THIS CASE, UM, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. WE WERE LOOKING, AGAIN, WE WERE LOOKING AT THE PROJECT THROUGH THE LENS OF THIS SPECIFIC STAKEHOLDER AND JUST GOT KIND OF LOCKED IN WITH THE, WITH THE FOOD FOREST FOLKS. SO DID THE CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE AREA, NOT WAS, WERE THEY NOT IDENTIFIED? 'CAUSE I MEAN, THEY ALL HAVE CONSTITUENT LIAISONS. THEY COULD HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. I MEAN, I THINK WE HAD SOME COUNCIL, WE HAD LIKE COUNCIL STAFF AT SOME OF OUR MEETINGS. I, I, THANKS. THAT'S GREAT. BUT I MEAN, YOU GUYS NEED TO BE A LITTLE MORE PROACTIVE, NOT WAIT FOR PEOPLE. LIKE, DID ANYBODY ASK, HEY, DID WE HEAR BACK FROM ANYBODY ELSE? YEAH. I MEAN, I JUST FEEL LIKE THAT COMMUNICATION'S NOT THERE. IT'S NOT TWO WAY YOU'RE LIKE CHECKING A BOX. YEAH. YOU KNOW, SOMEONE FROM THIS OFFICE WAS THERE, DONE, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S, YOU KNOW, SOME FOLKS HERE THAT ARE VERY UPSET. YEAH, I UNDERSTAND. YEAH. AND I, I WAS GONNA SAY IS, I MEAN, UH, APPARENTLY, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE'LL BE TAKEN BACK AND, AND DEFINITELY, UH, REACHING OUT, UM, AGAIN, IS, YOU KNOW, PART [02:10:01] OF IT IS THAT WE, THERE'S STILL SOME, SOME TIME, UH, FROM A TECHNICAL STANDPOINT, THERE'S ONLY SO MANY OPTIONS, BUT WE DO WANNA HEAR THE FEEDBACK. I WILL SAY THAT WHILE IT MAY HAVE, IT MAY HAVE BEEN AN OVERSIGHT IS WHAT I'M, I'M HEARING OR SO FORTH, UM, IT IS PART OF OUR PROCESS TO IDENTIFY ALL, UH, STAKEHOLDERS ON ALL PROJECTS. I KNOW, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN DOING, YOU KNOW, SOME WORK, LIKE FOR INSTANCE IN THE DOWNTOWN AND SO FORTH, AND I KNOW WE HAD AN EXHAUSTIVE OUTREACH MM-HMM . OF EVERY SINGLE CUSTOMER, UM, THAT WAS, UH, IMPACTED AND SO FORTH. AND SO, UH, WE WILL TAKE, WE WILL TAKE THAT AS FEEDBACK AND, AND NOT JUST FEEDBACK, BUT UH, REACH OUT AS WELL AND, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ENGAGING ALL STAKEHOLDERS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. AND THEN LAST QUESTION, AND THIS IS A STUPID ONE, I KNOW IT, AND ONE OF YOU GUYS IS GONNA HAVE A GOOD ANSWER. WHAT IS THE REASON WHY YOU CAN'T BURY THESE? GREAT, GREAT QUESTION. YEAH. NO, NO. GREAT, GREAT QUESTION. SO, TO, TO BURY, UH, IT IS A COMBINATION THING TO, TO BURY A, A, UH, A TRANSMISSION LINE. THE REASON YOU DON'T SEE THAT JUST EVERYWHERE THERE, UM, UH, IS BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT 11 TIMES THE COST. AND FOR PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS ABOUT A $16 MILLION PROJECT. SO I THINK IT'S SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF LIKE, UM, COULD BE, AND IT DEPENDS ON THE DESIGN OR SO FORTH. UH, UH, IT COULD BE SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, 106, UH, $176 MILLION FOR IT TO REROUTE THIS. UH, THERE'S A TON OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HAS TO GO, UH, IN THE GROUND AND THESE VERY LARGE MANHOLES AND SO FORTH THAT CAN OCCUPY. AND IN MOST CASES YOU DON'T HAVE ROOM, YOU KNOW, IN THE STREET TO EVEN DO IT. UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE TO WORK ON IT. SO IN, IN SOME CASES IT CAN ACTUALLY, WHILE IT MAY NOT FROM THE SURFACE LOOK LIKE IT'D BE EVEN MORE IMPACTFUL TO, TO THE, UH, COMMUNITY, ADDITIONALLY, IS THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS, UM, UH, REFUNDED AS, AS LONG AS IT'S PRUDENT REASONABLE FROM TECH STOCK BECAUSE THEY'RE FORCING US TO MOVE. AND THAT, UH, WITH THAT IS, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD NOT, UM, BE PAID FOR. BUT, UM, WE DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF UNDERGROUND TRANSMISSION. UM, AND IT'S USUALLY FOR VERY, VERY SHORT STRETCHES FOR THE SHEER COST OF IT. OKAY, THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. I THINK I GOT MY ANSWER IN THE LAST SENTENCE, BUT I'LL GO BACK TO IT. WHO'S PAYING FOR THIS TECH STOCK? WELL, WHEN I SAY THAT IS, NO, LEMME, LEMME CLARIFY. BE CLEAR. YEAH, NO, THAT'S FINE. WE, UH, AS FAR AS AS PART OF CHAPTER 26, WE TRANSFER THE MONEY. PART OF IT WITH ALL TECH STOCK PROJECTS IS WE HAVE A REQUIRED, UH, AND THEY HAVE A VERY, UH, FORMAL PROCESS OF ITEMIZING EVERYTHING, AND THEN THEY REVIEW THAT AND THERE'S A BACK AND FORTH. AND THEN ULTIMATELY THEY PAY US AT THE, AT THE COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT. IT'S NOT UP FRONT, IT'S AT THE COMPLETION AFTER EVERYTHING IS, IS, IS DONE. OKAY. I KNOW THAT PROCESS, THIS IS A SECTION 1 0 6 AT FEDERAL FUNDS ARE INVOLVED, AND THE RENDON PARK ALL THE WAY TO FIESTA GARDENS, ET CETERA, IS ONE OF THE AREAS THAT HAS BEEN IN, UM, HISTORIC RESOURCE ASSESSMENT TO BE DESIGNATED AS BEING ELIGIBLE UNDER CRITERIA A MEANING MITIGATION OR AVOIDANCE IS REQUIRED. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH CHAPTER 26. IT STARTS WITH 1 0 6, CHAPTER 26 STATE CODE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FEDERAL CODE. FEDERAL HIGHWAY. SO THE MONEY'S COMING TO YOU AND YOU'RE DOING THE WORK, AND I'M NOT QUESTIONING EVEN THE WORK, BUT YOU'RE GONNA FUND THE WORK WITH FEDERAL FUNDS THAT ARE SECTION 1 0 6, CORRECT? I, I, I I WOULD'VE TO GIVE, DO YOU KNOW SECTION 1 0 6? ANYBODY HERE? I DO NOT. OKAY. WELL, IT'S WHERE THE FEDERAL FUNDING WILL COME FROM. JUST TRUST ME. I DON'T WANT TO GO INTO THE, UH, TO THE HISTORICAL PRESERVATION ACT, BUT THIS MONEY, THEREFORE, AND I WOULD ASK, I'LL ASK FOR PARDON'S HELP ON THIS HERE. PARDON'S HELP FOR F COME ON GUYS. UM, SO I, I'M JUST GONNA LIKE, BUT IN HERE AND SAY LIKE, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE MET, QUESTION AND ANSWER. AND WE SHOULD ALSO BE RESPECTFUL OF STAFF. UM, THANK YOU. I I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP ON THIS ONE. THANK YOU. YES. BUT I'M TELLING YOU THAT I CHAIR, I WOULD LIKE TO AT THIS POINT MAKE A POINT OF ORDER THAT BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS IS VIOLATING OUR BYLAWS AND IS EITHER VIOLATING THEM BY, UM, CROSSING THE LINE INTO BEING ARGUMENTATIVE WITH STAFF. ALL I'M ASKING FOR IS FOR THE CHAIR TO RULE ALL MY POINT ORDER AS TO WHETHER MEMBER EUBANK IS BEING DISRESPECTFUL OF STAFF. I'M NOT PREVENTING HIM FROM ASKING ANY QUESTIONS. I JUST DON'T THINK THAT IT'S APPROPRIATE TO BE DISRESPECTFUL OR PEDANTIC TO STAFF [02:15:01] WHEN THEY'RE HERE JUST TO PROVIDE US INFORMATION. HE CAN BE PASSIONATE. I'M NOT ASKING HIM NOT TO BE PASSIONATE. I'M ASKING HIM JUST TO DIAL IT BACK A LITTLE BIT. SO I WOULD LIKE FOR THE CHAIR TO ROLL ON MY POINT OF ORDER. YEAH. UM, ON THAT I HEAR POINT OF ORDER, UH, BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO POSE AN ALTERNATE QUESTION OR POSE THAT IN A DIFFERENT WAY? OH, I'D BE HAPPY TO DIAL IT BACK. , I HEAR YOUR SARCASM. ALL RIGHT THEN. WAIT, I'D BE HAPPY TO. UM, THE QUESTION, THE REASON I'M ASKING THIS QUESTION IS BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND I'M AM CONCERNED AND WOULD LIKE CLARITY ON HOW, BECAUSE OF THE MULTIPLE PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING ON, OF WHICH I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN SEVERAL PALM SCHOOL, PALM PARK, ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THIS SAME AREA, ALL OF WHICH INVOLVING 1 0 6 ALL HAVE THESE CONVOLUTED FLOWS OF DOLLARS. I'M CURIOUS, FROM YOUR STANDPOINT, HOW DOES THIS MONEY FLOW FROM THIS PROJECT TO YOU? BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, CLAR, I CAN'T DO THAT. RIGHT? CAN'T BE PEDANTIC. LET'S SEE. I'LL, MY UNDERSTANDING, AND YOU CAN CLARIFY IT, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UM, VISUAL IMPACTS ARE PART OF WHAT GOES INTO BEING REGISTERED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER. AND IT SEEMS LIKE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THIS RELOCATION OF THESE LINES DOES HAVE A VISUAL IMPACT. AND THEREFORE, TO ME, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY BEING ALLOCATED SEEMS VERY SMALL THERE. CAN YOU CLARIFY THAT? ARE YOU ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION ON HOW THE MITIGATION WAS CALCULATED? THAT WOULD BE FINE. SURE. SO, UM, THE MITIGATION WAS CALCULATED BASED OFF OF THE APPRAISED VALUE OF AN ADJACENT CITY OF AUSTIN OWNED PARCEL AND THE, UH, DISTURBANCE VALUE, UM, THAT WAS USED FOR THE OVERHEAD ELECTRIC USE. UM, AND SO, UH, WE CALCULATED A VALUE PER SQUARE FOOT BASED OFF OF THAT ADJACENT CITY OF AUSTIN PARCEL, MULTIPLIED IT BY THE REQUESTED AREA, AND THEN BY THE RELEVANT DISTURBANCE VALUE TO FIND THE MITIGATION VALUE, WHICH WAS THE 2.4 MILLION. AND WAS THAT ADJACENT PIECE OF PROPERTY A SIMILAR PROPERTY IN THE SENSE THAT TALKING ABOUT THE CULTURAL VALUE, BUT THE, UM, IT'S ELIGIBLE FOR, FOR BEING LISTED ON THE NATIONAL RE REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES? UM, I'M NOT SURE IF IT IT'S ELIGIBILITY FOR THAT, BUT THE, THE PARCEL WAS ACROSS THE STREET ON WALLER. I THANK YOU MR. EUBANKS. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, I, I HAVE TWO. SO IN REGARDS TO THE TWO MAIN COMPLAINTS THAT I'VE HEARD TONIGHT, RIGHT? AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE SOLUTIONS ORIENTED. UM, THE FIRST ONE IS IT SEEMS LIKE, AND I HOPE THAT, AND, AND THIS IS, I I I'M ASKING YOU, DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT, WHICH IS, IT SEEMS LIKE IN YOUR DESIRE TO BRING IN FESTIVAL BEACH INTO THE FOLD OF THIS CONVERSATION THAT THERE WAS AN OVERCORRECTION AND THEREFORE THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE HOMES ASSOCIATE AND THAT SURROUNDING AREA WERE NOT PROPERLY ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS. WAS THAT A FAIR STATEMENT TO MAKE? WELL, I, I, NO, SO WELL, UH, SOMEWHAT, I MEAN FROM, THERE'S ONLY ONE TECHNICALLY FEASIBLE PATH FOR ALL THE REASONS THAT WE, WE TALKED ABOUT. UM, IT'S A, IT'S A SHORT AREA WE'RE TRYING TO ALIGN EXISTING LINE, AND AGAIN, THERE'S ALREADY STRUCTURES ON THE PROPERTY, SO WE HAVE TO REJOIN THAT AT SOME POINT IN TIME. AND IT'S, AND IT IS JUST TRYING TO REROUTE, YOU KNOW, FROM BASICALLY WHERE WE'RE BEING, UH, UH, TOLD THAT WE HAVE TO MOVE. IT'S, THE LINE'S BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME, UH, FROM A STANDPOINT IS YES, I MEAN WE, WE CLEARLY NEEDED, UH, TO BE DOING A LITTLE BIT MORE OUTREACH FROM A TECHNICAL STANDPOINT. THERE WAS ONLY ONE, ONE SOLUTION. THERE WAS ONLY ONE ROUTE THAT WAS EVEN DOABLE. AND, AND SO, YOU KNOW, PART OF IT IS, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL, UM, YOU KNOW, INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS, HIGHLY VALUED. AND, AND, AND WE WILL BE DOING BETTER GOING FORWARD. ABSOLUTELY. BUT FROM A STANDPOINT IS THERE WAS ONLY ONE TECHNICAL PATH THAT, THAT WAS EVEN FEASIBLE. AND AGAIN, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE FOR CHAPTER 26 BECAUSE, UM, I KNOW PARKS, I COULD SPEAK TO THIS, I KNOW, UH, I'VE GOTTEN OUTTA MY WAY EVEN VERY RECENTLY, UH, TO NOT BRING SOMETHING TO A CHAPTER 26, UM, CONSIDERING ALL OPTIONS FROM A TECHNICAL STANDPOINT, TRANSMISSION LINES, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH YOU CAN DO WITH THEM BECAUSE OF THE TENSIONS AND SO FORTH. AND THIS WAS THE ONLY FEASIBLE PATH. RIGHT. BUT MY QUESTION THAT MY STATEMENT WASN'T ABOUT FEASIBLE PATH, MY [02:20:01] QUESTION WAS ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FAIR. AND, AND WE, WE WILL, UH, WE WILL BE FOLLOWING UP AND, UH, ON ANY, UH, AND, AND DOING SOME MORE, UH, OUTREACH. OKAY. YES, SIR. AND THEN MY SECOND THING IS IT SEEMS LIKE THE PEOPLE WHO COMMENTED WERE, WHAT THEY'RE SEEKING IS CONTINUED PROACTIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH THEM AS THIS PROCESS MOVES DOWN THE LINE, RIGHT? WHICH I'M HOPING THAT YOU ALL ARE COMMITTING TO DO. IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, 100%. WE'RE FULLY COMMITTED TO THAT. AND, AND THAT'S WHY THE LAST SLIDE, WHICH IS, IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, UM, UH, UH, BOTH MAC AND CAROLYN IS PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT. AND THEN PART OF IT, THEY WILL ENGAGE WITH ANY OF THE, IF THERE NEEDS TO BE DESIGN STAFF OR WHOEVER NEEDS TO, BUT THE POINT IS, IS THEY'VE BEEN PART OF IT OVER THE LAST YEAR AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT. THANK YOU. THOSE WERE MY TWO QUESTIONS. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN, BOARD MEMBER BECKER. ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY, I JUST HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION. THAT'S, THAT'S FINE. IT'S A NARROW QUESTION, I PROMISE. UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LIKE HOW, UM, DO YOU THINK THAT THE SIDEWALKS ARE GONNA BE, UM, UNAVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR A PERIOD OF TIME? AND WILL THERE BE ANY OTHER LIKE, IMPACTS TO THE PUBLIC FOR ANY USE OF THE PARKLAND DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE AND HOW LONG? AND YOU, I THINK YOU SAID HOW LONG THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE WAS GONNA BE, BUT CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? YES. SO WE SAT DOWN WITH CONSTRUCTION AND WE LOOKED AT WHAT AREAS THEY NEEDED TO WORK IN. UH, THERE ARE SOME AREAS, UH, THAT WILL BE IMPACTED DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE. THEY'LL BE TEMPORARILY JUST CLOSED OFF, BUT THAT'S MORE FOR THE, THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC. MM-HMM . UM, WE, WE DID OUR BEST TO MINIMIZE, UH, THE OVERALL HOW MUCH AREA WE HAD TO CLOSE OFF. UH, SO THERE WILL BE SOME, SOME BARRIERS PUT UP TEMPORARILY. UH, PRIMARILY DURING, THERE'S TWO MAJOR PHASES OF CONSTRUCTION. ONE OF THEM IS THE FOUNDATION INSTALLATION, UH, WHERE WE ACTUALLY PUT THE, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE THE FOUNDATION IN THE GROUND. UH, THEN WE'LL COME BACK APPROXIMATELY A MONTH LATER, MAYBE A LITTLE LONGER DEPENDING ON ERCOT APPROVAL OUTAGES. AND THEN WE'LL RAISE THE STRUCTURE AND STRING UP WIRE. UH, AND DURING THAT TIME, WE'LL ALSO NEED TO TAKE SOME CLOSURES OF, FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC AS WELL. OKAY. SO IS IT GONNA BE BLOCKED OFF THE WHOLE TIME OR JUST DURING THE PERIODS OF TIME WHERE YOU'RE DOING ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION? JUST DURING THE PERIODS OF ACTIVE. OKAY. ACTIVE, ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP. 'CAUSE SIDEWALKS ARE MY THING BECAUSE I HAVE A SON IN A WHEELCHAIR. AND HOW DID I FORGET THAT? SO I DID NOTICE THAT THERE WAS A CROSSWALK THERE. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT IF YOU DO BLOCK ANY CROSSWALKS, ANY SIDEWALKS, TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER THE REROUTE IS INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY FOR CURB CUTS OR RAMPS OR WHATEVER. SO PEOPLE WHO ARE PUSHING STROLLERS OR IN WHEELCHAIRS THAT THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, MAKE THEIR PATHWAY OVER TO THE PARK. THANK YOU. I'LL REVIEW THE TRAFFIC CONTROL PLANS THAT MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS. OKAY. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS AT THIS TIME, I CAN ENTERTAIN A MOTION. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT A VOTE ON THIS BE DELAYED UNTIL THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AND I'M SURE THAT THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO CAN GIVE YOU A LIST OF WHO THOSE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, ET CETERA ARE. ALRIGHT, WE'VE GOT A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO DELAY. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. OKAY. WE'VE GOT A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FROM BOARD MEMBER EUBANK AND A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER STERILE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF POSTPONEMENT, ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DISCUSS FIRST? OH, WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION. YES. I'M JUST CURIOUS. WE COULD LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE, JUST SEE HOW IT MIGHT IMPACT THE SCHEDULE IT WAS ORIGINALLY OUTLINED. THAT WOULD BE MY CONCERN, IS THAT WE WOULD, WE, I DON'T WANNA LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A RECOMME RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL BY DELAYING THE VOTE AND WHEN, AND, AND I, I FEAR THAT AS HE SAID, THIS IS LIKE THE ONLY ROUTE THAT IS POSSIBLE. SO I'M NOT SURE THAT, I THINK COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. I THINK IT'S OBVIOUS THAT WE'VE LEARNED SOMETHING HERE ABOUT HOW TO MOVE FORWARD FOR FUTURE PROJECTS, AND YOU NEED TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY FOR THIS PROJECT AS WELL. BUT I FEAR THAT THERE'S NO OTHER PATH, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT IT'S INFORMATIVE TO COUNCIL AND THAT WE DON'T LOSE THAT OPPORTUNITY. MR. BECK, OR IS THERE SOMEBODY ELSE WHO CAN TELL US A BIT ABOUT TIMING? 'CAUSE ON THE TIMELINE IT JUST, IT'S SAID SPRING FOR COUNCIL. WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A, A MONTH THERE. YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD LOOK TO THE PRESENTERS. IS THIS LIKELY TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL BEFORE APRIL 27TH? [02:25:02] UH, I THINK ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IS LOOKING AT COUNCIL'S SCHEDULE AND, AND I ALSO, I KNOW THEY BREAK FOR THE SUMMER RECESS AS WELL, SO THAT CAN BE ONE OF THE CHALLENGES AS WELL FROM A TIMING STANDPOINT. APRIL 27TH WOULD BE THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE BOARD TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON THIS. RIGHT. SO AM I READING THIS CORRECTLY IN THAT IF IT'S NOT ALREADY ON COUNCIL'S SCHEDULE, IT'S LIKELY THAT WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY AT THE NEXT MEETING? MR. BECK? IS THAT WHAT IT, I MEAN PARKS AND RECREATION ITEMS? I KNOW ABOUT MAKING IT ON A COUNCIL AGENDA ABOUT 30 DAYS IN ADVANCE, , BUT I CAN'T SPEAK TO OKAY. ANOTHER DEPARTMENT PROJECT. I CAN ALSO ADD PART OF THE, UM, CHAPTER 26 REVIEW BY THE COUNCIL REQUIRES A PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH HAS, HAS DIFFERENT POST RECORDS AS WELL. SO WE POSSIBLY HAVE TIME TO MAKE IT ON OUR NEXT AGENDA. I'M WONDERING WHAT WOULD CHANGE BETWEEN NOW AND THEN ASIDE FROM THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE INPUT. I'M NOT SURE WHAT WOULD CHANGE POTENTIAL REBUTTALS. I HEAR YOU. SO THERE, THERE ARE STILL OPPORTUNITIES, AND DEPENDING HOW WE VOTE, THERE'S STILL OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO WRITE YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SEND US EMAILS. I SAW SEVERAL PEOPLE RAISING OUR HANDS, AND I WOULD SAY, UM, TO DEFINITELY GET WITH MR. BECKER, OUR EMAILS ARE ALL ONLINE AND SEND US ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECAUSE THERE'S STILL TIME FOR THAT NO MATTER WHICH WAY IF WE VOTE THIS WAY OR ANOTHER. YEAH, I THINK THE, THE SHOULD, THE CHAPTER 2016 PORTION OF THIS, THE FACT THAT THERE'S REMEDIATION FUNDS AVAILABLE, AND THE QUESTION OF LIKE, I MEAN, I, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A PROCESS FOR HOW THE FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED AND, UM, LIKE THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, I THINK WOULD BE BETTER OFF HAVING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT THE REMEDIATION IS AND HOW THAT RESTORES THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS OF THE PARK RATHER THAN MAKE, THAN, THAN, THAN IT POSSIBLY CHANGING. LIKE WHAT ACTUALLY IS GONNA HAPPEN HERE. BUT I, I DON'T KNOW. I'M OPEN TO DISCUSSIONS. I I THINK I'M SIMILARLY MINE, I THINK I WOULD BE, I'M MORE FOCUSED RIGHT NOW ON MAKING SURE THAT WE PASS A RESOLUTION THAT ADDRESSES THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMENTERS, WHO SPOKE AT LENGTH, UH, ONE AFTER ANOTHER ABOUT THEM WANTING TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS THAN WANTING TO BE INVOLVED IN THE MAKE IN THE MITIGATION PROCESS SPECIFICALLY. UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT WHEN WE'RE A FEW YEARS, A FEW YEAR, A YEAR, A YEAR, A FEW YEARS DOWN THE LINE, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, TAKE THEIR INPUT AND ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT IT AND USE SOME OF THIS MITIGATION FUNDS OR SOME OF THE PROJECTS OR STUFF THAT THEY WANT. OKAY. UM, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND CALL THE QUESTION. WE DO HAVE, UM, A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. AND SO DEPENDING ON HOW THIS VOTE GOES, WE, IT PASSES. IF PASSES. IF NOT, WE'LL HAVE A POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER MOTION WITH FURTHER RECOMMENDATION. UM, SO THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS AND SECONDED BY BOARD MEMBER ENCE. OAL IS THAT WE POSTPONE. UM, SO WE'LL TAKE A VOTE ON THAT. SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL RIGHT, WE'VE GOT TWO IN FAVOR OF THE POSTPONEMENT. ALL THOSE OPPOSED, RAISE YOUR HAND. 2, 3, 4, 5 OPPOSED? ALL THOSE ABSTAINING. OKAY, SO THE MOTION FAILS, UM, TWO TO FIVE. UM, SO THERE'S AN OPTION FOR ANOTHER MOTION. I WANNA MAKE A MOTION, BUT GIMME A SECOND TO WORK THROUGH IT. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE, BUT WITH THE CONDITION THAT HARD AND, AND, UM, AUSTIN ENERGY ENGAGE WITH BOTH THE, UM, THE FOOD FOREST AND THE COMMUNITY GARDENS, WHICH JUST SPOKE OF SPECIFIC REMEDIATION NEEDS TO THEIR USE OF THE PARK. AND TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT WERE LEFT OUT OF THE STAKEHOLDER HOLDER PROCESS TO, TO THEY CAN PROVIDE INPUT ON THEIR IMPACTED USE OF THE PARKS AND ANY MITIGATIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE AS WELL. OKAY. I'LL SECOND THAT MOTION. SO IT'S JUST FACTORING INTO THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE HEARD AS PROMISES ARE BROUGHT TO FRUITION. YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. UM, DISCUSSION. WHAT? OH, WE COULD DO THAT. ALRIGHT. UM, THANK YOU BOARD MEMBERS. WE WILL TAKE JUST A SHORT RECESS SO THAT WE CAN GET IT WRITTEN DOWN PROPERLY. SO WE'LL BE BACK IN, WE'LL GIVE US 10 MINUTES SO WE CAN DO A COUPLE OTHER THINGS DURING THAT BREAK. THANK YOU. PATIENCE. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. WE ARE GOING TO COME BACK TO [02:30:01] ITEM NUMBER THREE. YES. AND I AM, UH, GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO BOARD MEMBER MERIT FOR MOTION. OKAY. UM, OKAY. I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO, UM, MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE 15,386 SQUARE FEET OF PERMANENT TRANSMISSION LINE USED WITHIN THE PARKLAND AT EDWARD WIND AND SENIOR METRO PARK AT FESTIVAL BEACH. TOTAL MITIGATION TO BE PAID BY AUSTIN ENERGY IS $2,441,240. WE FURTHER RECOMMEND THAT PARD AND AUSTIN ENERGY PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND RESTORATION AND RECOVERY TO THE FOOD, FOREST AND COMMUNITY GARDEN AND CONTINUE ENGAGE THAT TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE THEM TO RETURN THE IMPACTED PARKLAND TO ITS USE. WE FURTHER RECOMMEND THAT PARD AND AUSTIN ENERGY PROACTIVELY SEEK OUT ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS REPRESENTING THE AREA, ENGAGE AND ENGAGE THEM AS KEY PARTNERS TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS TO THE PARKLAND RESULTING FROM THIS EASEMENT. OKAY. AND I, I SECOND THAT MOTION. UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? BOARD MEMBERS, BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN ONLINE, I DON'T HAVE ANY COMMENTS. I DO APPRECIATE THE, UH, THOUGHTFUL LANGUAGE THAT, UH, BOARD MEMBER MARRIAGE AND THE REST OF THE GROUP HAS PUT TOGETHER. ALRIGHT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE THEN. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALRIGHT. AND THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT, WE ARE GOING [7.Discussion and approve an amendment to the Parks and Recreation Board by-laws to remove the Contracts and Concessions Committee. (Sponsors: Bazan, Becker) ] TO, JUST IN LOOKING AT TIME, UH, GONNA CHANGE UP THE AGENDA JUST A BIT. WE'VE GOT SOME FOLKS HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, SO WE'RE GONNA PULL THAT UP, TAKE THOSE COMMENTS. UM, WE ARE POSTPONING OUR DISCUSSION ON THIS. UM, AND I JUST WANT TO NOTE, AND MR. BECK, TELL ME IF THIS'S OKAY. THAT, UM, HOW THE, THE LANGUAGE IS POSTED. IT SOUNDS AS IF WE WERE, WE ARE GONNA REMOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE. UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE DISCUSSING WHEN WE DO DISCUSS THIS, ABOUT BRINGING CONVERSATIONS RELATED TO CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS TO THE FULL DICE. UM, THAT'S CORRECT. ALRIGHT. BUT WE WILL TAKE THE PUBLIC COMMENT NOW FOR ITEM NUMBER SEVEN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU CHAIR. OUR FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTER WILL BE PHILIP THOMAS, FOLLOWED BY CHRIS FLORES, IS PHILIP THOMAS. HERE WE'RE TAKING UP ITEM SEVEN, WHICH WAS THE ITEM TO AMEND THE PARKS BOARD BYLAWS TO REMOVE THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS CHAIR. UH, I'M PHIL THOMAS. I LIVE IN COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE. I'M HERE TO EXPRESS DEEP CONCERN ABOUT REMOVING THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE. THIS COMMITTEE PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE PROVIDING FOCUSED OVERSIGHT OF AGREEMENTS THAT AFFECT OUR PUBLIC PARKS. FROM VENDOR CONTRACTS TO CONCESSION OPERATIONS. THESE DECISIONS OFTEN INVOLVE COMPLEX FINANCIAL TERMS, LONG-TERM COMMITMENTS, AND REAL IMPACTS ON ACCESS, AFFORDABILITY, EQUITY, AND COMMUNITY USE. WITHOUT A DEDICATED COMMITTEE, THAT LEVEL OF DETAILED REVIEW RISKS BEING REDUCED OR COMPRESSED INTO ALREADY FULL BOARD AGENDAS THAT COULD MAKE IT HARDER TO CATCH ISSUES, ENSURE TRANSPARENCY OR FULLY CONSIDER COMMUNITY IMPACTS. WHILE EFFICIENCY IS IMPORTANT, IT SHOULDN'T COME AT THE EXPENSE OF CAREFUL OVERSIGHT AND PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO HOW PUBLIC PARK LAND IS USED AND WHO BENEFITS FROM IT. I ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO RETAIN THE COMMITTEE OR CONSIDER REFORMS THAT STRENGTHEN ITS FUNCTION RATHER THAN ELIMINATE AND IT ELIMINATED ENTIRELY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR ATTENTION AND YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE CHRIS FLORES. UH, UM, GOOD EVENING PARKS BOARD MEMBERS. CHRIS FLORES, DISTRICT 10, AGAIN SPEAKING AGAINST AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN AS WRITTEN. UM, I GUESS, UH, THE WAY IT WAS WRITTEN IS JUST A DOCUMENT THAT SAYS NO COMMITTEE. AND SO WE MADE THE ASSUMPTION THAT, UM, NO ONE WOULD BE TALKING ABOUT CONCESSIONS ANYMORE. UM, MAYBE IN IN THE FUTURE WE COULD BE PERMITTED TO SPEAK AFTER A PRESENTATION. JUST AN IDEA. UM, I SEE, [02:35:01] I CAN SEE DISSOLVING A COMMITTEE THAT NO LONGER MEETS THE FUNCTION OF REVIEWING CONCESSION CONTRACTS, HOWEVER, STILL HAS TO HAPPEN IN ORDER FOR YOU PARKS BOARD MEMBERS TO FULFILL YOUR DUTIES UNDER SECTIONS A, B, AND C OF THAT AMENDED DOCUMENT, YOU REPRESENT THE ELECTED COUNCIL POINTERS AND, UM, YOU SHOULD BE SCRUTINIZING THE CONCESSIONS AND THE NONPROFITS PROFITING FROM THE USE OF OUR, OUR, THE PEOPLE'S PARK LAND. WE'VE BEEN COMING TO YOU FOR YEARS ASKING FOR PROFIT LOSS STATEMENTS, ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION AND TRANSPARENCY IN THE MANAGEMENT DECISIONS BY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. THE RESPONSE BY DIRECTOR AGUIRE IS TO DIG IN HEELS, STICK TO THE ABSOLUTE BARE MINIMUM OF A CONCESSION REPORT, AND MAKE MULTIMILLION DOLLAR AGREEMENTS IN A BACKROOM. OUTSIDE OF THIS BOARD'S PURVIEW AND THE PUBLIC SCRUTINY, SOME OF THESE CONTRACTS LAST FOR DECADES TO COME FAR BEYOND THE CURRENT ELECTED PEOPLE'S TERMS. SO IF A CONCESSION COMMITTEE IS NOW A NO COMMITTEE, WHAT WILL BE THE ACTION TAKEN BY THIS BOARD TO MONITOR AND MAKE SUGGESTIONS TO COUNCIL ABOUT THE PARK? COMMERCIALIZERS, WHAT DO YOU NOW RECOMMEND COUNCIL? I'D BE INTERESTED TO HEAR HOW, HOW YOU PLAN TO WORK THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE PRESENT THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD ON THIS ITEM? I, I SENT IT ITEM SEVEN. OH YEAH. UH, OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE BERTHA RDO ORTIZ. GOOD EVENING. YES. UM, I SAW THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT THAT AND THAT ALSO CONCERNED ME. UM, I AM VOTING AND ASKING YOU ALL TO VOTE IN OPPOSITION OF THAT CHANGE BECAUSE THAT CONCESSION COMMITTEE IS WHERE THEY DO OVERSIGHT AND ALL THE CONCESSIONS ON MY PART. IT'S CONCERNING BECAUSE TRAIL'S CONSERVANCY AND OTHER NONPROFITS ARE READY TO DO CONCESSION IN MY AREA. AND THAT WAS ALLOWED, UH, ON A RESOLUTION THAT FORMER COUNCIL, BILL RENTERIA ALLOWED THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL TO DO SOME CONCESSIONING, BRINGING SOME REVENUE TO THE PARK, WHICH ARE VERY BAD ACTORS, AND THEY'VE CAUSED A LOT OF DISTRACTION AND A LOT OF CHAOS. WE HAVE A LOT OF VIDEO THAT'S BEING, THAT'S CURRENTLY CIRCLING FROM THE LAST INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED OVER THE WEEKEND. SO CONCESSIONING IS VERY, VERY, UM, CONCERNING FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE MONEY ON PARK LAND, UH, AND ESPECIALLY IN THE EDWARD RE AND HOLLY SHORES MASTER PLAN. WE DON'T WANT CONCESSION THERE. WE DON'T WANT EXPEDITION SCHOOL MAKING MONEY. WE DON'T WANT ANYONE MAKING MONEY ON OUR PARK PARKLAND IN OUR AREA. WE WANT TO KEEP THE COMMERCIAL OF BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL AND ALL OF THIS STUFF THAT PEOPLE ARE SUGGESTING AND RECOMMENDING AND THINGS ARE GOING TO OUR PARK. WE WANT YOU ALL TO BE THE EYES AND THE EARS OF THE RESIDENTS OF THIS COMMUNITY AND MAKE SURE THAT THINGS LIKE THIS ARE NOT PASSED AND THAT WE HAVE OVERSIGHT IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND IN THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. IT, IT IS JUST HEARTBREAKING TO SEE OUR GOVERNMENT BODY AND THE COMMUNITY BE SO SEPARATED AND DIVIDED AND WE HAVE NO BRIDGE. THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, PUTTING US IN YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS. AND I HOPE TO SEE THAT A LOT OF THESE ENTITIES THAT ARE READY TO GRAB PARK LAND AND MAKE PROFIT, UH, AND THE PEOPLE THAT WANNA COME INTO PARK LAND AND CREATE CONCESSION, UNDERSTAND THAT WE WANT THE PRESERVATION AND WE WANNA KEEP THE GREEN SPACE. AND WE DON'T WANT A LARGE TOURIST ATTRACTION AND A LOT OF PEOPLE SELLING ALCOHOL ON THE LAKESHORE OF OUR LAKE. I THINK THAT YOU ALL AS A PARKS BOARD, UH, COMMISSIONERS OR BOARD MEMBERS, WHATEVER YOU CALL YOURSELF, YOU NEED TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR US BECAUSE THAT BEHAVIOR OF DRUNK PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WATER AND ALL OVER OUR PARKS HAS CAUSED A BIG, A BIG SAFETY ISSUE AND A DISTRACTION. AND I DON'T THINK THAT ANY OF YOU'RE ARE TAKING IT SERIOUS. SO WE DO NOT APPROVE OF DISMANTLING THIS CONCESSION, UH, COMMITTEE THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MANY YEARS. I JUST SEE IT VERY AWKWARD AND STRANGE THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN Y'ALL WANNA CHANGE EVERYTHING IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. Y'ALL WANNA AMEND MASTER PLANS AND Y'ALL WANNA MOVE FORWARD ON INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENTS IN OUR PARK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. 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. THANK YOU MR. BECK. AND I JUST WANT TO, FOR SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE STILL HERE FROM ITEM [02:40:01] UM, NUMBER THREE, I SAW THAT YOUR HANDS WERE RAISED. IF YOU, IF YOU DO HAVE FURTHER THINGS TO SHARE, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EMAIL US. EMAIL YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER. I KNOW I SHARED THAT EARLIER, BUT SOME PEOPLE WEREN'T BACK FROM THE BREAK. UM, SO YOU STILL DO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. WE READ ALL OF THOSE EMAILS, UM, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR, UM, YOUR FEEDBACK. ALRIGHT, WE'LL [4. Presentation, discussion and approve a recommendation to Austin City Council to adopt Local Standards of Care for City of Austin youth programs. (Sponsors: Bazan, Flowers) (APR Long Range Strategies: Program Alignment). Presenter(s): Christa McCarthy, Recreation Services Division Manager, Austin Parks and Recreation.] MOVE NOW TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS A PRESENTATION DISCUSSION. APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO ADOPT LOCAL STANDARDS OF CARE FOR CITY OF AUSTIN YOUTH PROGRAMS. GOOD EVENING. UH, CHAIR OF AND BOARD MEMBERS. MY NAME'S KRISTA MCCARTHY. I'M DIVISION MANAGER FOR RECREATION SERVICES WITH THE AUSTIN PARK AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. UH, BEFORE I GET STARTED, I DO WANT TO THANK BOARD MEMBER, UM, KERNS AUSTIN WHEEL FOR, UM, REQUESTING A REVIEW OF THE ORDINANCE IN REGARDS TO, UH, PROGRAMS DESIGNED FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. I DID HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH THE, UM, DISTRICT MANAGER OVER THERAPEUTIC RECREATION, WHO WAS ALSO KIND OF NOT SURE WHERE THAT RATIONALE CAME FROM, UM, FROM THE ORIGINAL. AND SO WE DID LOOK AT IT AND MADE A FEW CHANGES THAT WE'D LIKE TO PRESENT TONIGHT. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. ALL RIGHT, SO THIS, THE, UM, LOCAL STANDARDS OF CARE IS A, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO BE EXEMPT FROM, UM, CHILDCARE LICENSING, UM, THROUGH AN ANNUAL ADOPTIONS OF STANDARD OF CARE, UM, AFTER A PUBLIC HEARING. PROGRAMS THAT ARE OPERATED BY THE CITY ARE RECREATIONAL IN NATURE. THEY'RE NOT INTENDED TO BE LICENSED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS AS CERTIFIED DAYCARE PROGRAMS OR FACILITIES. UH, THE STANDARDS OF CARE TEND TO BE THE VERY MINIMAL STANDARDS FOR WHICH THE CITY WILL OPERATE CITY YOUTH PROGRAMS. UM, THE NEXT SLIDES, WHICH YOU CAN GO TO ARE GONNA BE A COMPARISON OF, UM, WHAT THE STATE OF TEXAS REQUIRES FOR A LICENSED CHILDCARE AND THEN KIND OF WHAT OUR STANDARDS OF CARE ARE. SO JUST AS A, UM, A COMPARISON THAT WAS REQUESTED FROM LAST TIME. SO YOU CAN SEE, UM, THIS ONE IS PARTICULARLY WITH FACILITY HEALTH AND SAFETY. THE MAIN, UM, DIFFERENCES INCLUDE SQUARE FEET PER CHILD REQUIREMENTS. THERE'S A SLIGHT DIFFERENCE IN TEMPERATURES THAT EXIST. AND THEN, UM, MEDICATION SUPPLY REQUIREMENTS ARE, UM, STRICTER WITHIN OUR ORDINANCE THAN THEY ARE FOR THE STATE. NEXT SLIDE. FOR STAFF QUALIFICATIONS, UM, THEY'RE VERY SIMILAR. WE HAVE A FEW DISCREPANCIES. THERE'S, UM, 15 TO 17 YEAR OLDS FOR OURS, IF THEY ARE SUPERVISED CAN BE PART OF THE RATIO. UM, CPR FOR AID BASIC WATER ARE THE SAME EQUIVALENT. AND THEN, UM, THEY'RE BOTH DIFFERENT TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR STATES THAN FOR CITY, BUT THEY ALL HAVE VERY OVERLAPPING SAME THEMES. UM, JUST TO KIND OF REFERENCE ON A FEW OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR TRAINING, THEY WOULD INCLUDE, UM, RULES FOR THIS ORDINANCE, OF COURSE, NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION, ANNUAL YOUTH DEVELOPMENT TRAINING, DRIVER SAFETY TRAINING, UM, AND THEN ESSENTIAL REQUIRED TRAINING TO INCLUDE A DA REQUIREMENTS. UM, ALL RIGHT, SO SUPERVISION RATIOS WHERE WE DID MOST OF OUR REVIEW. UM, THERE'S A FEW THAT WE DID. YOU CAN SEE THERE'S QUITE A BIG DIFFERENCE ON OUR SUPERVISION RATIOS, UM, FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN VERSUS THE STATE. UM, THE MAIN ONE WAS THE SWIMMING POOL RATIOS. SO WE LEFT THEM THE SAME ON SWIMMING, BUT WE DID CHANGE OUR WAITING POOL RATIOS TO MATCH THE SWIMMING POOL. UH, PREVIOUSLY THE RATIOS WERE ONE TO FIVE FOR FIVE YEAR OLDS, ONE TO 12 FOR FIVE TO 13 YEAR OLDS. UM, AND THE REASON FOR THE, THE DIFFERENCES IN THE RATIOS WAS MORE APPROPRIATE BACK WHEN THE, UM, SITES HAD STANDALONE WAITING POOLS, WHICH WE NO LONGER HAVE WITHIN THE CITY. UM, THIS ALIGNS WITH OUR AQUATIC ORDINANCE AND THEN ALSO IT MADE, UM, LOGICAL SENSE TO CREATE THIS SIMILAR RATIO BECAUSE OF OUR NEW KATIE'S LAW, OR COULD BE CADDY, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S KATIE'S LAW ACT REQUIRING PDFS FOR THOSE WHO, UM, ARE UNABLE TO SWIM. FOR THE PROGRAMS DESIGNED FOR, UH, PARTICIPANTS WITH A DISABILITY, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE STATE DOESN'T HAVE SPECIFIC RATIO REQUIREMENTS. THEY REQUIRE PROGRAMS TO BE INCLUSIVE WITH REASONABLE MODIFICATIONS PER A DA. SO I BELIEVE THAT OUR DEPARTMENT GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND IN OUR REQUIREMENTS FOR PROGRAMS DESIGNED FOR PARTICIPANTS WITH DISABILITIES. WE ARE, UM, MATCHING BOTH THE SWIMMING AND UM, WAITING POOL TO BE, UM, ONE TO FOUR FOR AGES FIVE TO 12, ONE TO EIGHT FOR 12 TO 13. THIS IS THE SAME WHETHER THEY'RE, UM, AQUATIC OR NON AQUATIC PROGRAMS. I WILL LET YOU KNOW THAT WE DO MORE OF A ONE TO TWO FOR AQUATIC. UM, BUT WE WANTED TO, SINCE THESE ARE JUST THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS, WE'RE LEAVING THEM AT ONE TO FOUR. UM, AND THOSE WHO ARE KIND OF NOT AWARE, THE CADDY'S [02:45:01] LAW, UM, ARC ARCADES LAW DOES HAVE THE PDF REQUIREMENT FOR THOSE INDICATING, UM, INABILITY TO SWIM OR IS AT RISK OF INJURY OR DEATH WHEN SWIMMING. AND THAT IS DETERMINED ON, UM, PARTICIPANTS WAIVERS WHEN THEY REGISTER FOR PROGRAMS. RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS, UM, OPERATE IN COMPLIANCE WITH APPROPRIATE STATE LAW IN THIS ORDINANCE. AND THE PROGRAM RULES ARE ADOPTED BY ORDINANCES. RULES CAN BE MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN THE MINIMUM STANDARDS ADOPTED BY THIS ORDINANCE. OUR RULES ARE, UM, MADE BY OUR DIRECTOR AND ARE, AND ALL OF OUR TRAINING MATERIALS ORDINANCE IS POSTED AND MADE AVAILABLE FOR PARENTS AND GUARDIANS OF PARTICIPANTS. WE WOULD LIKE TO, UM, MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL FOR RENEWABLE LOCAL STANDARDS OF CARE FOR AUSTIN PARKS RECREATION AND FOR THE AUSTIN ARTS CULTURAL MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENTS YOUTH RECREATION PROGRAMS. UM, THIS IS SOMETHING WE DO ON AN ANNUAL BASIS AND WE ARE HEADED TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL ON MARCH 26TH. DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UM, NOT A QUESTION, BUT A COMMENT. I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THAT YOU GAVE ME IN PROVIDING INPUT AND GOING OVER, UM, AND MAKING THE UPDATES TO THE PRESENTATION AND THE, THE DRAFT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. TRULY APPRECIATE IT. I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER AS A CITIZEN, AS A MOTHER OF TYPICAL CHILDREN AND ALSO A CHILD WITH A DISABILITY. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU ARE WELCOME. OKAY. BOARD MEMBER VILLALOBOS DOES HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTION. ALRIGHT. YOUR BOARD, UH, UH, CHAIR. I MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO ADOPT LOCAL STANDARDS OF CARE FOR CITY OF AUSTIN YOUTH PROGRAMS. ALL RIGHT, WE'VE GOT A MOTION I SECOND AND A SECOND. WE'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND. UM, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL RIGHT. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. EIGHT ZERO. YAY. WELCOME BOARD MEMBER FLOWERS. ALRIGHT, WE ARE [5.Presentation, discussion and approve a recommendation to Austin City Council to authorize negotiation and execution of an inter-local agreement between the City and Austin Independent School District (AISD) for parkland use at the athletic fields located at 400 Grove Boulevard. (Sponsors: Bazan, Flowers) (APR Long Range Strategies: Relief from Urban Life, Park Access for All). Presenter(s): Christa McCarthy, Recreation Services Division Manager, Austin Parks and Recreation.] GOING TO MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE, WHICH IS A PRESENTATION DISCUSSION, APPROVE OF RECOMMENDATION AUSTIN C CITY COUNCIL TO AUTHORIZE NEGOTIATION EXECUTION OF AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR PARKLAND USE AT THE ATHLETIC FIELDS LOCATED AT 400 GROVE BOULEVARD. I'VE ASKED MY COLLEAGUES IF THEY WOULD CONSIDER, UM, GOING AHEAD WITH THE RECOMMENDATION SINCE WE HAVE HAD A PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM. UM, IF THERE'S ANYONE OPPOSED TO THAT, YOU CAN SPEAK UP NOW. OTHERWISE, UM, I WILL GO AHEAD AND MOTION THAT WE MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION. ALRIGHT, SO, ALRIGHT, SO MOTION THE RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO AUTHORIZE NEGOTIATION EXECUTION OF AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR PARKLAND USE AT THE, AT THE ATHLETIC FIELDS LOCATED AT 400 GROVE BOULEVARD. DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. OKAY, WE'VE GOT A SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER BECKER. ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION? NOT SEEING ANY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL RIGHT, THE MOTION PASSES. EIGHT ZERO. THANK YOU EVERYBODY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU KRISTA. ALRIGHT, UM, WE [6.Presentation, discussion and approve a recommendation to Austin City Council regarding the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget. (Sponsors: Bazan, Flowers)] ARE AT ITEM NUMBER SIX, UH, PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION, AND APPROVE OR RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL REGARDING FISCAL YEAR 20 26, 20 27 BUDGET, UM, AND BOARD MEMBER FLOWERS PUT TOGETHER, UM, A RECOMMENDATION FOR US BASED ON, UM, 25 26 REPORT AND SOME OTHER, UM, DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD HAD PREVIOUSLY, BUT IS QUITE LENGTHY AS IT HAS, UM, MANY OF THE OPTIONS THAT WE HAD. BOARD MEMBER FLOWERS. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU, YOU IF YOU WANTED TO ADD ANYTHING ADDITIONAL, BUT I KNOW WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE A BIT OF DISCUSSION ON THIS. YEAH. SO HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS CAN HEAR ME OKAY. UM, APOLOGIES. UM, IT'S GREAT. UM, I'M JOINING FROM HOUSTON WHERE I'M ON ANOTHER BOARD AND I'VE BEEN THERE ALL DAY, SO, UM, BUT I'M GLAD I COULD JOIN IN TIME FOR THIS. UH, SO WHAT I DID DO HERE IS AN APPROACH THAT I DON'T NORMALLY LIKE. UM, AND THE REASON THAT I DID IT, I WILL EXPLAIN, WHICH IS THAT I TOOK EVERYTHING FROM THE ENHANCEMENTS DOCUMENT AND DISTILLED IT INTO ONE RECOMMENDATION IN WHICH I LEFT NOTHING OUT. THE PRIMARY REASON I DID THAT IS 'CAUSE I DIDN'T THINK I WAS GONNA MAKE THIS MEETING AND I RECEIVED NO FEEDBACK FROM ANYONE. WHEN WE SENT OUT THE EMAIL, TIM AND I, WE DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY RESPONSES. UM, I KNOW IT'S BUSY TIME. I KNOW THIS GOT STARTED LATE, SO NOT BLAMING ANYBODY FOR THAT. UM, BUT I WENT AHEAD AND INCLUDED EVERYTHING FOR THAT REASON. I GENERALLY PREFER TO BE MORE FOCUSED WITH THESE. UM, YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THE THINGS IN, THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE PERENNIAL ISSUES THAT WE HAVE [02:50:01] BEEN NEEDED FUNDING IN PARKS AND REC FOR SOME TIME. SOME OF THE THINGS ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC, BUT ALL THE LANGUAGE IS EFFECT AND THE NUMBERS ARE ALL EFFECTIVELY FROM THAT ENHANCEMENTS REPORT. UM, YEAH, I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S BEEN FIXED, BUT THAT'S NO ONE NO LONGER ONLINE FOR SOME REASON, OR AT LEAST IT WASN'T AS OF THIS WEEKEND, I WAS ABLE TO GET AN OLDER COPY OF IT. UH, SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE SOURCE DOCUMENT, YOU MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TROUBLE FINDING IT. I'M SURE I COULD GET IT TO TIM AND HE COULD SEND IT AROUND. BUT, UM, THAT IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENT THAT I WENT OFF OF, SO I REALLY MADE NO OTHER MODIFICATIONS TO IT. SO IT IS THE SAME BASELINE DOCUMENT JUST PUT INTO RECOMMENDATION FORM. SO I DON'T KNOW THAT I WOULD ADD ANYTHING ELSE. CHAIR . THANK YOU VICE CHAIR. I'M GONNA GIVE EVERYBODY JUST A MOMENT TO LOOK OVER THIS. I KNOW WE HAVE, BUT IT'S BEEN A LONG NIGHT, SO WE'LL TAKE JUST A MINUTE HERE AND THEN SOME DISCUSSION. I HAVE A QUESTION. IS THIS THE RE IS THE RESOLUTION WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US IS THE ONE, IS IT THE ONE THAT WAS POSTED IN BACKUP? YES. THANK YOU. AND I'LL JUST NOTE THAT, UM, IF WE DO CHOOSE TO STRIKE SOME OF THESE THINGS, IT IS NOT BECAUSE WE DON'T THINK THAT THEY'RE IMPORTANT. WE, I THINK MENTIONED THAT LAST TIME THAT WE WERE AT BUDGET SESSION. THESE ARE ALL REALLY IMPORTANT ITEMS AND THINGS THAT WE NEED AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO ASK FOR MORE FOR OUR PARKS. UM, IT JUST SOMETIMES VERY MUCH HELPS TO PRIORITIZE OR PULL OUT A FEW THINGS, UM, SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT THERE'S FOCUS ON THEM. AND SO I JUST DON'T WANT THE PUBLIC TO THINK THAT IF WE WERE TO PULL AN ITEM THAT IT'S BECAUSE WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR THING OR THINK THAT IT'S WORTHY. UM, UH, CHAIR, I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION, THE RECOMMENDATION TO OFFICE CITY COUNCIL REGARDING THE FISCAL YEAR 20 26, 20 27, BUDGET AS POSTED IN BACKUP. AND THEN I HAVE DISCUSSIONS AS WELL WHEN WE GET THERE. I'LL SECOND THERE'S, OKAY, WE'VE GOT A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. UM, AND A SECOND AND WE WILL OPEN UP FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION NOW. SO IN REGARDS TO WHY I'M MAKING THIS MOTION, OBVIOUSLY, UM, THERE'S BEEN SOME IN THE, IN THE PRIOR YEARS, WE'VE ALWAYS KIND OF LIKE FOCUSED A LITTLE BIT MORE ON CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE BUDGET AND EMPHASIZED CERTAIN TYPES OF THINGS. HOWEVER, I THINK GIVEN THE, UH, PROJECTION, I THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA BE FIGHTING WITH A LOT OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS FOR MONEY. SO I THINK THAT THIS IS ONE OF THESE YEARS WHERE WE JUST HAVE TO THROW EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN AGAINST THE WALL AND HOPE THAT SOME OF THIS STICKS OR AS MUCH OF IT STICKS. SO IT'S MY PREFERENCE THAT WE JUST ASK FOR EVERYTHING AND SEE WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO GET. UM, ADDITIONALLY, I KNOW THAT BOARD MEMBER, UH, VICE CHAIR FLOWERS HAS DONE THESE, UM, THIS THIRD, FOURTH YEAR IN A ROW THAT SHE'S DONE THIS. SO I TRUST HER JUDGMENT. THIRD, I TRUST HER JUDGMENT IN REGARDS TO THIS. UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UM, I THINK SHE PULLED, I MEAN SHE BASICALLY TOLD US WHERE SHE PULLED ALL THE INFORMATION FROM, WHICH IS THAT THIS IS PRIORITY FOR THE DEPARTMENT. SO I THINK THAT IF IT'S PRIORITY FOR THEM, THEN IT SHOULD BE PRIORITY FOR US. AND GO BACK TO MY FIRST POINT. LET'S JUST ASK FOR EVERYTHING. BOARD MEMBER SESAL. YEAH, I APPRECIATE THE REPETITION, UH, NOT THE REPETITION, BUT I APPRECIATE SORT OF THE, THE, THE, THE GREATEST, THE GREATEST ITS NATURE OF THIS FROM THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR CONSISTENTLY AND I APPRECIATE THAT THEY'RE BACK IN THE DOCUMENT THIS YEAR. HI, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND MY APOLOGIES FOR NOT PROVIDING INPUT BEFORE ON SECTION FIVE. DO WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADD SOMETHING TO THIS OR MAYBE REPHRASE THE, THE WORDING? UM, I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WHEN I SERVED ON THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, WE CONTINUALLY ASKED FOR FUNDING TO EXPAND PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES AS PART OF THE RECREATION PROGRAMS. UM, I SEE THAT IN HERE THERE'S FUNDING FOR SENIOR OUTREACH FUNDING FOR, UM, CHILDREN'S SUMMER CAMPS, BUT NOTHING SPECIFICALLY CALLING OUT THOSE PROGRAMS. I, I KNOW THE LANGUAGE DOES SAY INCLUDING, UM, IF WE COULD MAYBE ADD A LINE THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF OTHER PROGRAM, OTHER RECREATION PROGRAMMING FOR, AND MAYBE IF WE COULD ADD, [02:55:01] UM, SERVING, UM, YOU KNOW, KIDS AND ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT BOARD MEMBER VIA LOBOS AND MERIT. WILL Y'ALL TAKE THAT AS A FRIENDLY YEAH. WHERE WOULD, WHAT DO YOU WANNA ADD? YES, WHERE WOULD YOU WANNA ADD THAT LANGUAGE? WOULD IT BE A FIVE E? YEAH. IN SECTION FIVE E, UM, OR DID YOU WANNA CHANGE SOME OF ONE A THROUGH D ONE OF THOSE? SO DID YOU WANNA AMEND ONE OF THE LETTERS OR ADD AN ADDITIONAL LETTER OR DID YOU WANNA ADD SOMETHING IN THE, OR LIKE THE FIVE IN THE OPENING LANGUAGE MAYBE? YEAH, THAT WOULD BE FINE. OR ADD SOMETHING TO A OR D. LIKE YOU COULD SAY, WELL, AS A, UM, THE MOTION NEEDS TO BE SPECIFIC AS IT RELATES TO THE, THE RECOMMENDATION BEING CONSIDERED. OKAY. SO IN THE INTRODUCTION, BOTH IN, UM, ADDRESS THE UNDER RESOURCING OF RECREATION CENTERS AND SENIOR CENTERS SERVING, UM, MAYBE SOMETHING LIKE KEEPING IN MIND CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES. THAT WORKS. OKAY. SO WE COULD, YEAH, SO I THINK I'M SAYING BOTH IN PROGRAMMING, PHYSICAL CAPACITY AND YEAH, I THINK INCLUDING IN PROGRAMMING, PHYSICAL CAPACITY AND IN PROGRAM. YEAH, MAYBE CLOSER TO THE WORD PROGRAMMING. BOTH IN PROGRAMMING. OKAY. BECAUSE I, PHYSICAL WELL, SO I MEAN, YEAH. SO SAY BOTH IN PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING PROGRAMMING FOR PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT ABILITIES AND PHYSICAL, PRO PHYSICAL CAPACITY. HOW ABOUT BOTH IN PHYSICAL, WHAT IF WE FLIP IT BOTH IN PHYSICAL CAPACITY AND PROGRAMMING? INCLUDING INCLUDING KIDS AND ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES? WITH DISABILITIES? YEAH. AND THEY WOULD, THOSE WOULD BE COMMA, INCLUDING AGAIN, INCLUDING AGAIN, RIGHT? YEAH. YEAH. IS THAT THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND PROGRAMMING OR OKAY. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR DISCUSSION. CAN, CAN WE ADD IT? UM, NOT, NOT SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF NOT, UH, THAT IT'S THIS BUT NOT EXCLUSIVE TO THESE ITEMS. HOW DO YOU SAY THAT? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO. THANK YOU. YES. INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED. ARE WE STILL TALKING ABOUT FIVE? I BELIEVE SO, YES. FIVE. THANK YOU. AND IS THAT A BOARD MEMBER? VILLALOBOS MERIT STILL? OKAY. OKAY. YEAH. SO BASICALLY I HAVE THAT YOU'RE, I THINK WE HAVE A MOTION TO AMEND TO, TO, I MOVED TO MODIFY, TO MODIFY THE LANGUAGE TO SAY THE ALLOCATION OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING ON TOP OF ANY PROPOSED A PR FY 2027 BUDGET TO ADDRESS THE UNDER SOURCING OF RECREATION CENTERS AND SENIOR CENTERS, BOTH IN PHYSICAL CAPACITY AND PROGRAMMING FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN WITH, UH, DIFFERENT ABILITIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO. AND THEN SUB A SUB, CAN WE STRIKE DIFFERING ABILITIES AND JUST SAY WITH DISABILITIES DISABILITY? YEAH. YEAH. THANK YOU. YEAH. AND IT'S BOTH IN BUT NOT LIMITED TO. YEAH. BOTH IN PROGRAMMING INCLUDING AND PROGRAMMING. YEAH. INCLUDING, RIGHT. CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES? YES. OKAY. INCLUDING ADULTS AND CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THEN SUB BASE OF BEAT SUB C. SUB D. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH, WE'LL CUT THAT. I WILL JUST NOTE, EVEN THOUGH I WAS THE ONE WHO DID SAY TO, IF WE FOCUSED IN STRUCK THINGS, THAT THAT WAS FOR CERTAIN REASONS THAT I'M QUITE HAPPY TO INCLUDE THEM ALL. I THINK THEY'RE ALL WORTHY. AND SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC UNDERSTOOD THAT WE WERE PAYING ATTENTION TO ALL THESE. [03:00:01] UM, I KNOW THAT WE HEARD A LOT TODAY, ESPECIALLY AROUND OUR TREE CANOPY AND IT BEING HOT AND THE POOLS. UM, SO I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO, TO KEEP THAT, UM, IN THE CONVERSATION IN OUR REQUESTS. UM, ALRIGHT, WELL IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, WE CAN PUT THIS TO A VOTE. UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR WITH THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE FLOOR WITH THE, WITH THE, YEAH. RAISE YOUR HAND, . SORRY IT'S LATE. ALRIGHT, WE'VE GOT 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. ALRIGHT, THE MOTION PASSES. EIGHT TO ZERO. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS. OKAY. I KNOW. ALRIGHT, WE ARE ON ITEM NUMBER. MR. BECK, I NEED . WE'VE MOVED THINGS AROUND A BIT. I THINK [8.Discussion, and amend the 2026 Parks and Recreation Board annual meeting schedule to move the regular scheduled meeting on May 18, 2026 to May 19, 2026. (Sponsors: Bazan, Flowers) ] WE ARE GOING TO MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, UM, WHICH IS, UM, WE HAD TO BRING THIS BACK BECAUSE OF POSTING LANGUAGE. SO DISCUSS DISCUSSION AND AMEND THE 2026 PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD ANNUAL MEETING SCHEDULE TO MOVE REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING ON MAY 18TH, 2026 TO MAY 19TH, 2026. SO THIS DID APPEAR ON OUR AGENDA LAST TIME. JUST A SLIGHTLY, YEAH, DIFFERENT WORDING. MR. BECK? YEAH, I GOOPED ON THAT ONE. SO THE, THE ACTION TAKEN BY THE BOARD LAST MONTH DIDN'T INCLUDE THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE THAT SAID THAT WE ARE AMENDING THE ANNUAL MEETING SCHEDULE. SO THE CITY CLERK SENT ME BACK, OF COURSE, THIS, THIS IS THE RIGHT LANGUAGE. SO THIS IS THE CORRECT LANGUAGE COURSE, CITY CLERK. UM, AND, UH, YEAH, DO WE HAVE A MOTION? AND A SECOND I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THE 2026 PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD ANNUAL MEETING SCHEDULED TO MOVE THE REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING ON MAY 18TH, 2026 TO MAY 19TH, 2026. ALRIGHT, I'LL SECOND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? NOT HEARING ANY. WE'LL MOVE TO A VOTE. ALL THIS IN FAVOR? ALRIGHT, AND THE MOTION PASSES. EIGHT ZERO. AND THEN, UM, ITEM NUMBER [9.Discussion and appoint an alternate for the Parks and Recreation Board seat on the Joint Sustainability Committee. (Sponsors: Bazan, Flowers)] NINE IS DISCUSSION APPOINTED AN ALTERNATE FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD SEAT ON THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE BOARD MEMBER, OR HAS, UM, INDICATED THAT SHE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE, UM, ON THE COMMITTEE. WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROPERLY DO THE, THE, THE NOTARY. I THINK THERE WAS JUST AN ISSUE WITH THE NOTARY. SO, UM, AND SHE REITERATED THAT VIA TEXT. SHE'S NOT WITH US HERE TODAY, UM, BUT DID SHARE WITH ME THAT SHE IS QUITE HAPPY TO BE, UM, TO BE APPOINTED. SO I WOULD SUGGEST WE CONTINUE WITH BOARD MEMBER ORM. UM, SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION, UH, TO APPOINT BOARD MEMBER ORM AS ALTERNATE FOR THE PARKS OF RECREATION BOARD SEAT ON THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE. DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. AND WE'VE GOT A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER BECKER WHO IS SERVING ON THAT COMMITTEE. UM, ANY DISCUSSION? NOT HEARING ANY. WE'LL MOVE TO A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? WE'LL RAISE HANDS. ALL RIGHT, MOTION PASSES. EIGHT TO ZERO. THANK YOU. UM, WE ARE GOING TO, UM, TABLE THE STAFF BRIEFING ON THE 2026 BOND PROCESS, WHICH [11.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. ] BRINGS US TO ITEM NUMBER 11, UM, WHICH WE CAN ALSO HOLD, I KNOW WE HAVE THAT IN OUR BACKUP, BUT, UM, I DO WANNA GIVE, UM, THE DIRECTOR A CHANCE TO ADDRESS US AND SHARE ANYTHING, UH, IN THIS TIME. BUT FEEL FREE TO HAVE A, A SHORTER, A BRIEFER BRIEFING, IF YOU WILL, MORE BRIEF BRIEFING YEARS TO A BRIEFER BRIEFING. UM, SURE. I, I'M HAPPY TO, AND AS YOU SAID, TREVOR IS ON, THIS IS IN THE BACKUP AND, AND I CERTAINLY DON'T WANNA, UM, UH, LEAVE OUT ALL THE GREAT STUFF THE DEPARTMENT DOES AND, AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD A LOT OF ROBUST CONVERSATIONS HERE, SO I'M HAPPY TO ALSO A ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. I KNOW THERE'S BEEN, UM, LOTS OF DISCUSSIONS RECENTLY ABOUT THE VARIOUS CHAPTER 26 MITIGATION AND FOUR F AND SIX F AND, UH, OTHER, OTHER, UH, ITEMS THERE. I MEAN, I THINK FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, MAYBE I WILL, I WILL SAY THAT FROM THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, CERTAINLY WE ARE COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH AUSTIN WATER AND AUSTIN ENERGY ON THESE PARTICULAR, UH, PROJECTS AS WE DO WITH OTHER AGENCIES WHO COME TO US TO, TO, UM, HAVE ACCESS TO PARKLAND WITH REGARDS TO THE, THE ASK FOR MITIGATION FOR, FOR, UH, REPAIRING THE CHALLENGES AND, AND RESTORING. AND, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS, AS THE FOLKS ON THE, ON THE TEAM EARLIER, WE'RE TRYING TO DESCRIBE, THERE IS A PROCESS FOR US TO, TO REALLY, UH, DETERMINE HOW TO SPEND THESE FUNDS AND, AND OUR FIRST, UM, ESSENTIALLY THE FIRST CRITERIA REALLY IS ABOUT, UH, REPAIRING [03:05:01] ANY DAMAGE THAT'S BEING DONE AND REALLY LOOKING AT, AT RESTORING WHAT, WHAT WAS THERE. OBVIOUSLY IT HAS TO BE IN, IN THE PARK. SOMETIMES THAT'S NOT, UH, POSSIBLE BASED ON DEPENDING ON THE, THE, THE VARIOUS PROJECTS. UH, UM, AND IF WE CAN'T REPAIR, WE ALSO LOOK TO ENHANCE. AND IF WE CAN'T REPAIR, ENHANCE IN THAT PARK, WE HAVE TO DO IT IN THE PARK THAT'S IN THE LOCAL AREA. AND IF WE CAN'T DO IT THERE, THEN YOU, YOU SORT OF HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, UH, SUPPORT THE ENTIRE SYSTEM. SO, SO THERE'S VARIOUS CRITERIA THAT WE GO THROUGH AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO DOING THAT. UH, AND IN FACT, WE'VE MET WITH THE FOOD FOREST FOLKS. I KNOW MY TEAM MET WITH 'EM, UH, AS LATE AS I THINK THURSDAY, RECENTLY AS THURSDAY, JUST TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND, AND ASSURE THEM OF, OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO. AGAIN, WORKING WITH AUSTIN WATER, UM, ON THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PIECE, THAT'S A REALLY CRITICAL PART OF THIS. UM, AND, AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE'RE NOT OUT SOLICITING FOLKS TO COME TO US TO TAKE THE, THE, THE PARKLAND WE'RE RESPONDING TO THESE PROJECTS WHEN THEY COME, OBVIOUSLY. AND, UM, WHEN THE TEAM PRESENTED TO YOU ALL A A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, UH, THEY SHARED A REVISED PROCESS THAT WE HAVE AND, AND REALLY THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PIECE IS ONE THAT WE'RE REALLY HOPING TO DOUBLE DOWN ON IN TERMS OF NOT JUST HOLDING THE, THE, THE, UH, THE ASKING AGENCIES, SO IN THIS CASE, AUSTIN AIR ENERGY OR AUSTIN WATER TO DO THEIR ENGAGEMENT, BUT THEN OURSELVES ALSO DO A BETTER JOB OF ENGAGING WITH THE VARIOUS PARTNERS. UM, AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THESE ARE, THESE ARE FAIRLY COMPLICATED AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE FAST MOVING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE, ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, RELATED TO REALLY CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. SO, YOU KNOW, OUR TEAM IS DOING A, A FANTASTIC JOB NAVIGATING ALL OF THAT. BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO, TO BE AS RESPONSIVE AS, AS MAYBE WE SHOULD. AND, AND WE'LL, WE'LL KEEP WORKING ON THAT OURSELVES AS WELL. SO WE'RE GONNA SHARE THOSE THOUGHTS. AND, AND JUST TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO CAME OUT TO, TO PRESENT, UH, TO YOU ALL, ESPECIALLY THE, THE TWO YOUNG MEN, UH, SIAS AND, AND JUDE WHO CAME TO TALK ABOUT THEIR DESIRE TO BE OUT THERE AND BE, BE MOVING AND PLAYING SOCCER. AND WE APPRECIATE THAT AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL WORK ON THAT AND, AND TRY TO, UH, UNDERSTAND SORT OF THAT, THAT ORGANIZATION AND, AND SEEING HOW WE CAN AT LEAST COMMUNICATE BETTER. AND THAT ALWAYS JUST RAISES THE ISSUE OF, UM, WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FIELD SPACE FOR EVERYBODY. AND, AND THE IDEA OF, UH, SUPPORTING OUR, OUR, UH, LITTLE ONES ARE ENGAGED IN LEAGUE IS REALLY IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR, FOR A PARENT TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT THERE AND JUST KICK THE BALL AROUND WITH THEIR KIDS. AND SO THAT'S AN ISSUE THAT, THAT IS NOT EASILY SOLVABLE, BUT, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE WANNA KEEP THINKING ABOUT. UM, I, I'LL, I'LL TAKE, IF SHE'S STILL HERE, PUT HER ON THE SPOT. I'LL TAKE ALSO TO, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO WELCOME ONE OF THE NEWEST ADDITIONS TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION TEAM. UH, WE'VE JUST HIRED OUR FIRST EVER, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR WHO HAS JOINED US, UH, MS. ADINA LONG, AND I'M SURE YOU'LL GET TO SEE HER, UH, BECAUSE NOW I GET TO TAKE VACATIONS WHEN, BECAUSE SHE'S HERE. UM, BUT ADINA COMES, UH, WITH, WITH LITERALLY DECADES OF WORK IN THE PARK, PARKS AND RECREATION SPACE. SHE CURRENTLY SERVES ON THE CITY PARK ALLIANCE BOARD, WHICH IS THE, THE GROUP THAT IS BRINGING THE GREATER GREENER CONFERENCE HERE TO AUSTIN. UH, SHE STARTED HER CAREER OFF AS A PARK RANGER IN NEW YORK CITY, UH, ROSE THROUGH THE RANKS AND BECAME A DEPUTY COMMISSIONER IN NEW YORK CITY, AND THEN MOVED OVER TO PORTLAND WHERE SHE SERVED AS A PARKS AND RECREATION DEPART, UH, DIRECTOR IN PORTLAND. SO, UH, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE HER HERE AND, AND, UH, CONTINUE TO BRING SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE GREAT PERSPECTIVES SHE BRINGS. SO, UM, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF Y'ALL HAVE THEM. UH, OR, OR I CAN GO THROUGH A FEW OF THE SLIDES IF THAT'S, THAT'S YOUR PREFERENCE. I KNOW IT'S LATE. I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I WAS RECENTLY A MENTALIS WRECK, UM, TO CHECK OUT THIS BRIDGE LACROSSE THAT WAS HERE EARLIER, AND THE KIDS WERE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE, WHAT THEY WERE SEEING FROM THE POOL. UM, AND SO JUST, JUST KNOW THAT THEY ARE WATCHING AND ANTICIPATING THAT, AND IT'S GREAT TO SEE THAT THAT'S GONNA COME ONLINE. SO YEAH, WE HAVE TWO POOLS COMING ONLINE THIS YEAR, UH, THE OPIS AND, AND NORTHWEST AND, AND I DO JUST SORT OF STUMBLED ON, UH, THAT ACTIVITY, THE LACROSSE TEAM, AND IT WAS REALLY EXCITING TO SEE THE, THE, THE TEAMING ACTIVITY AT OPIS RECREATION CENTER THAT EVENING WITH THE, WITH THE LACROSSE FOLKS IN LOTS OF THE OTHER ACTIV THAT WAS HAPPENING. SO IT WAS REALLY A REALLY GOOD, GOOD, UM, UH, SORT OF EXAMPLE OF WHAT HAPPENS IN PARKS AND RECREATION PROPERTIES ACROSS THE CITY BOARD MEMBERS. DID Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR DO YOU JUST WANT THE DIRECTOR TO DO A FEW HIGHLIGHTS? I HAVE A QUICK ONE. OH, SURE. UH, DIRECTOR, UH, JUST BRIEFLY, UM, IN ALL OF THIS THAT'S GOING ON REGARDING THE 35 EXPANSION, WHICH IS HARD FOR ANYONE TO KEEP UP WITH, AND I DON'T, I I DO EMPATHIZE AND SYMPATHIZE WITH WHAT YOU ALL ARE TRAINED TO GO THROUGH. UM, WE, IN THE TWO ISSUES THAT HAVE COME BEFORE US WITH THE WATERLINE AND NOW THE POWER MOVEMENT, UM, IS IT SAFE TO SAY FOR ME THAT IT, FOR ME TO SAY IS, LIKE FOR ME TO SAY THAT TDOT, SINCE [03:10:01] THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE REALLY HEAD UP, THE 1 0 6 EFFORT, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE PUSHED THIS INTO CHAPTER 26? I, I, I GUESS WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT BOTH FOR AUSTIN WATER AND FOR AUSTIN ENERGY, IN THIS CASE, THEY'RE MOVING UTILITIES THAT WERE, UM, UH, IN TEX STOP RIGHT OF WAY, NOW THEY HAVE TO BE MOVED INTO CITY OF AUSTIN PROPERTY. GIVEN THE LOCATION OF THOSE, UH, UTILITIES. THERE'S VERY LITTLE OPTION OTHER THAN THE PARKLAND. AND THAT'S WHAT TRIGGERS THE CHAPTER 26 WHEN A CITY AGENCY IS, IS REQUESTING USE OF PARKLAND, EITHER TEMPORARILY OR PERMANENTLY. UH, THAT'S WHAT TRIGGERS THE CHAPTER 2026 PROCESS. I, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT IT ALSO, SINCE IT'S ALREADY BEEN LISTED IN THE HISTORICAL ASSESSMENT, THE RESOURCE ASSESSMENT AS BEING ELIGIBLE FOR LISTING RENDON PARK, IT MAKES IT SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT. AND I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THIS, THIS IS THE DIRECTION TDOT WANTS TO GO. CORRECT. AGAIN, I'M NOT SURE YOUR QUESTION, WHICH IS THE DIRECTION, THE DIRECTION OF EXPANDING I 35? NO, NO, NO. I'M TALKING ABOUT JUST HOW THE MITIGATION IS BEING DEALT WITH. I, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION. OKAY, THANK YOU. YEAH. OKAY. I THINK THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO HEAR IT. SURE. I'LL HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS. UM, I THINK, I THINK YOU HOPEFULLY SAW ON THE, IN THE NEWS WE, UM, REOPENED THE BARTON SPRINGS POOL AFTER IT'S SPRING CLEANING AND SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIRS. UH, IT'S GETTING WARM OR IS WARM ALREADY IN AUSTIN. SO WE ARE, WE ARE PREPARED FOR WHAT WILL BE, AGAIN, ANOTHER REALLY BUSY HOT AND, AND, UM, UH, JUST GENERALLY SEASONED. SO THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF FOLKS IN PARKS. UH, ALL OF OUR TEAMS ACROSS THE SYSTEM ARE READY FOR THAT. UM, WE'VE GOT A LOT GOING ON. UM, YOU MENTIONED, UH, PARKS, UH, YOU HEARD THE PARKS FOUNDATION TALK ABOUT. IT'S MY PARK DAY. THAT WAS A, A GREAT SUCCESS. UH, WE'VE HAD, UM, I DO WANNA BRING UP THE, THE GUS GARCIA. I KNOW THAT GROUP CAME UP AND, AND ASKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, SORT OF THE, TO INCLUDE THE, UH, SPRAY PARKS, ET CETERA. AND, AND I WILL SAY THAT THE GUS GARCIA, UH, VISION PLAN IS, IS BEING SORT OF SOLIDIFIED AND, AND WORKING THROUGH TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT COMMUNITY'S REALLY LOOKING FOR. AND, AND AN AQUATIC FACILITY IN THAT PLAN, UH, HAS BEEN CONTEMPLATED FOR YEARS. AS, AS IS, UM, UH, OUR OTHER AMENITIES AND, AND IT'S ON OUR LIST OF GENERALLY, UM, REQUESTS FOR BOND FUNDING. UM, YOU WOULD'VE HEARD TODAY AND, AND WE'LL HEAR SOON, UH, UH, OUR PRIORITIES IN TERMS OF THE, AND YOU'VE HEARD 'EM BEFORE, OUR PRIORITIES IN TERMS OF WHAT WE WOULD LIKE IN A BOND PACKAGE. UM, AND, AND, UM, UNFORTUNATELY THERE'S JUST OUR EXPECTATIONS. THERE'S JUST NOT GONNA BE ENOUGH MONEY TO GO AROUND. SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH WHATEVER FUNDING IF WE GET ANY FUNDING, BECAUSE AGAIN, THE COUNCIL STILL HAS TO DECIDE, UM, UH, WHAT IF ANY BOND PACKAGE IS GONNA GO OUT. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE. OH, WE HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION. OH, FOLLOW UP QUESTION ON GUESS GARCIA. UM, THE LA I THINK IT WAS A LADY WHO, WHO DURING PUBLIC COMMENT HAD UH, MENTIONED THE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS FREE ENTRY INTO WALNUT CREEK PARK POOL. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF PARKS IS THINKING ABOUT MAKING THAT AVAILABLE TO SOME OF THE CITIZENS. I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WAS DONE IN PREVIOUS YEARS. MAYBE IT WAS JUST 'CAUSE IT WAS SO HOT IN JULY AND AUGUST. WAS IT LAST YEAR? THE YEAR BEFORE? YEAH. THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I ACTUALLY, I'LL HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT AND AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT THERE, THERE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF POOLS THAT WE CHARGE ADMISSION TO AND RIGHT. AND, UH, NOT FOR THE ENTIRE SEASON EITHER. UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR LONG TERM IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CONTINUE TO REDUCE THOSE FEES, RIGHT. MAYBE, MAYBE CHARGE A LITTLE MORE AT A PLACE LIKE BARTON SPRINGS THAT BRINGS IN A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM OUT OF TOWN AND, AND TRY TO MITIGATE SOME OF THE, THE COST OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY. BUT AGAIN, THAT'S, THOSE ARE LONGER CONVERSATIONS. OKAY. YEAH, AND I WAS LOOKING AT THE MAP 'CAUSE I COULDN'T REMEMBER HOW FAR, AND I'M BIASED 'CAUSE I LIVE RIGHT BY WALNUT CREEK. BUT IT'S A BEAUTIFUL POOL AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, MORE CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO THAT BOARD MEMBER AND, AND KNOW THAT MONEY IS NOT, YOU KNOW, THE BARRIER BOARD MEMBER. THANK YOU. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR LUCAS MASSEY IS WATCHING AND, AND HE WANTED US TO, TO LET THE BOARD KNOW THAT UH, WALNUT CREEK POOL IS FREE. OH, THERE YOU GO. OH, OKAY. HOW QUICKLY WE SOLVED THAT PROBLEM. ALL WE'RE GREAT. THAT'S WHAT I, TO VICE CHAIR FLOWERS? YEAH. I THINK IT'S A FREE POOL. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT LUCAS, I THINK WE'RE DONE. THANK YOU. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. I KNOW AT THE LATE NIGHT WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO THIS WORK. SO GOOD NIGHT. LET'S PLACE MY THING. UM, ALL RIGHT, WE'LL MOVE ON [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS] TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS [03:15:02] IF THERE ARE ANY. THIS IS GENERALLY ITEMS THAT ARE READY BE TO BE PRESENTED AND YOU CAN ALWAYS EMAIL AS WELL. ALL RIGHT. DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THERE'S ANY, UM, ALRIGHT. IT IS NOW 9:37 PM AND WITHOUT OBJECTION, I WILL WILL 9 38. I APOLOGIZE. I WILL ADJOURN THE MEETING OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. * 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.