Apr 27, 2026 Parks and Recreation Board

OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE JOHN HARRIS.

JOHN, CAN YOU HEAR US? YEAH.

HI EVERYBODY.

UH, THIS IS JOHN HARRIS.

I AM KATINA HARRIS HUSBAND.

UH, JUST, UH, DON'T WANNA, YOU KNOW, WASTE ANYBODY'S TIME BY JUST REPEATING ALL THE POINTS THAT KAT JUST MADE.

I THINK SHE HIT ON REALLY THE CRITICAL ONES, BUT I'M HERE JUST, UH, TO ADVOCATE FOR GARRISON POOL THAT REALLY, I, I THINK THIS IS THE DECISION TIME THAT, THAT WE'RE FACED WITH JUST BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE POOL, AS I UNDERSTAND IT HAS, YOU KNOW, JUST A FEW NUMBER OF YEARS LEFT WHERE IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO KEEP IT OPERATIONAL.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE BOND CYCLES DON'T COME AROUND, UH, THAT OFTEN, WHENEVER THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO APPROPRIATE SOME FUNDS FOR IT OR ALLOCATE SOME FUNDS FOR IT.

SO, UH, I I THINK THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME ESTIMATES THAT IT'LL TAKE IN THE TWENTIES OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE POOL, UH, WHICH JUST SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY BIG NUMBER, UH, BIGGER THAN I WOULD'VE GUESSED.

BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, AS, AS A LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBER AND SOMEBODY WHO'S DEVOTED, UH, A LOT OF TIME OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, UH, JUST KIND OF DOING MY OWN RESEARCH AND ENGAGING WITH NOT JUST MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, UH, NOT JUST, UM, ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUT ALSO DEPARTMENT, UH, HEADS, PEOPLE AROUND THE POOL, PEOPLE WHO WORK AT THE POOL, THAT THIS POOL MEANS A LOT MORE THAN JUST A COMMUNITY RESOURCE.

IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY'S OPERATIONS.

IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT ASSET FOR LIFEGUARD TRAINING THAT, UM, I KNOW THE AUSTIN AQUATICS DIVISION HAS, HAS, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR DOES, UH, A BIG LIFT JUST TO GET READY FOR POOL SEASON THAT WE'RE JUST KICKING OFF.

UM, AND TO LOSE THAT WOULD BE REALLY DIFFICULT TO OVERCOME, UH, IF ONLY FOR THE AQUATICS DIVISION, BUT ALSO FOR THE LOCAL FAMILIES THAT, UM, ARE ATTRACTED TO GARRISON PARK, UH, YEAR ROUND.

BUT WHENEVER IT'S SUPER HOT, IT WOULD, I THINK, BE HARD TO IMAGINE THERE BEING THE SAME LEVEL OF ATTRACTION TO IT IF THERE WERE NOT A POOL TO, UH, TO COOL OFF IN.

UM, IT'S A GREAT TRAINING RESOURCE.

IT'S TEACHABLE WATER.

UH, IT'S, IT'S A REASON THAT FAMILIES CAN, CAN HAVE, AND KIDS HAVE TO GET OUTSIDE AND GET OFF OF SCREENS.

UH, SO IS AN IMPORTANT, UH, RESOURCE AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE GENERATIONS OF SOUTH AUSTIN.

UM, SO I RECOGNIZE YOU ALL HAVE A VERY DIFFICULT TASK ON YOUR HANDS OF EVALUATING A TON OF PROJECTS, LOTS OF GREAT IDEAS, AND ALLOCATING RESOURCES TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY.

UM, YOU KNOW, THIS WOULD ALSO BE A GOOD FISCAL DECISION BECAUSE IT'S REPLACING AN EXISTING FACILITY, NOT ADDING NEW ONES THAT COMES WITH ADDITIONAL OPERATING COSTS.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW HOW MUCH, UH, SCRUTINY THERE IS JUST ON BUDGETING CONSTRAINTS THAT WE HAVE YEAR IN, YEAR OUT, UH, AS A MUNICIPALITY.

SO, UH, WITH THAT, JUST WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR THE TIME TO SPEAK AND HEAR, HEAR US OUT, UM, AND WISH YOU WELL AS YOU ENDEAVOR TO, UH, MAKING YOUR DECISIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL.

WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO OUR IN-PERSON SPEAKERS.

OUR FIRST SPEAKER, UH, SPEAKER IS GONNA BE NICHOLAS LITTLEJOHN, FOLLOWED BY SARAH HILGERS AND THEN PATRICIA BOBBECK.

AS A REMINDER, WHEN YOU HEAR THAT YOU'RE ON DECK, IF YOU CAN MOVE DOWN TO ONE OF THE CHAIRS NEAR THE MICROPHONES SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE TO TURN OVER QUICKLY DURING PUBLIC COMMENT.

YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU COULD BE SPEAKING.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UM, PARKS BOARD AND ALSO, UH, DIRECTOR.

I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOU GUYS.

I WANTED TO BRING SOMETHING

[00:10:01]

AS A CONCERNED CITIZEN.

UH, THAT'S ACTUALLY BEEN KIND OF UN UNFORTUNATELY GROWING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AT THE RECREATION CENTER.

THIS IS DUB SPRINGS DOVE SPRING DISTRICT PARK.

UM, OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS I'VE ESTIMATED GUYS, I'VE SPENT ABOUT A HUNDRED HOURS OF VOLUNTEERING AND SENDING EMAILS TO 3 1 1 TO CITY STAFF TO BRING UP JUST, UH, KIND OF DEPLORABLE CONDITIONS, NOT ONLY WITHIN OUR RECREATION CENTER WHERE I FEEL THAT THEY'RE NOT TAKING, UM, POSSIBLY EVEN THEIR, UH, COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE SERIOUSLY WHERE THEY'RE NOT CLEANING, UH, DAILY.

WE HAVE ISSUES WITH THE SHOWERS.

WHEN I FIRST CAME IN THERE, GUYS, I THINK THE PROBLEM IS IF YOU WERE TO SEE IT NOW, YOU WOULD SEE THAT WE'RE DOING REMODEL WEEK.

IT'S UNFORTUNATELY CLOSED FOR A WHOLE WEEK.

THAT PARTIALLY IS BECAUSE I'VE HAD TO MAKE ALL, I'VE BEEN FORCED AS A CITIZEN TO HAVE TO MAKE ALL THESE COMPLAINTS TO THE POINT OF ASKING PEOPLE TO DAILY CLEAN THE SHOWERS TO DAILY COME BY, PICK UP THE LITTER IN THE PARKING LOT.

WE HAVE C UH, STAFF UNFORTUNATELY WITNESSED AT SIX IN THE MORNING, UM, WITH TRASH IN OUR PARKING LOT BEFORE OPENING HOURS.

NOT ONLY STEPPING OVER THE PUBLIC TRASH, UH, BUT UH, GETTING THEIR OWN KITCHEN TRASH OUT OF THEIR CARS TO THROW INTO OUR PUBLIC DUMPSTERS.

SO WE HAVE SITUATIONS THAT I THINK ARE ABSOLUTELY UNREASONABLE.

UM, THE LIGHTING WAS LEFT BROKEN.

A LOT OF SAFETY LIGHTING WAS BROKEN UNTIL I COMPLAINED.

A TXN NOW IS ON THE LOBBY TV.

PREVIOUSLY THE TVS WERE BROKEN BECAUSE THEY'D FORGOTTEN.

THEY SAID THEY LOST THE POWER CORD.

THEY ARE NOT RECYCLING THE SCREEN THAT'S, UH, THAT'S UP BEHIND ME RIGHT NOW.

THEY ARE NOT RECYCLING.

THEY DO NOT COMPOST.

THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THEY'RE TOLD TO DO.

THEY CLAIM THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO IT.

THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET SUPPORT FROM A RR.

SO IT'S JUST UNBELIEVABLE Y'ALL.

AND EVEN WORSE, I THINK THE LACK OF COMMITMENT THERE IS ACTUALLY, UH, RADIATING TO THE LARGER PARK.

WE'VE SEEN PARKS, TRUCKS COME IN AT SIX IN THE MORNING.

THEY DRIVE PAST THE TRASH THAT'S BEEN LEFT FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE THAN THEY LEAVE.

IF I'VE HAD TAKEN EMAILS TO GET THEM TO FIX THE SAND VOLLEYBALL COURT THAT WAS FULL OF WEEDS TO GET SAFETY LIGHTING FIXED.

AND NOW WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH FRANK EIGHT WITH A POLICE DISTRICT, UH, REP SEAN IS TO SAY THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY ACTIVE SHOOTINGS IN THE PARK AT NIGHT.

WE HAVE A LOT OF SHOOTINGS.

WE HAVE FRESH BULLET HOLES IN THE SIGNS AT THE PARK.

UM, IT'S JUST UNBELIEVABLE.

AND SO THERE'S A HOMELESS CAMP GONE BY THE WAY, THAT HAS WAS CLEANED UP AT THE CREEK, BUT NOT CLEANED UP BY THE CONTRACTOR CORRECTLY.

SO THERE'S STILL NEEDLES THAT ARE LEFT THERE FOR CHILDREN WHO ENCOUNTER.

AND THERE, UH, AS OF, UH, KNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE RECENTLY GOTTEN, THERE'S THREE HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT ARE BACK WITH GUNS THAT ARE ACTUALLY THREATENING PEOPLE TO NOT GO INTO THEIR WOODS, AS THEY CALL IT.

WE HAVE DAILY A TV AND DIRT BIKES THAT ARE RACING AROUND THE PARK.

AND WHEN THEY WERE CONFRONTED, THEY SAID THAT THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD NEIGHBOR ARE UPSET.

THEY'RE COMING TO ME SAYING, I DON'T FEEL WELCOME AT MY RECREATION CENTER.

I DIDN'T KNOW THERE IS A WEIGHT ROOM.

WE FEEL THAT THE RECREATION CENTERS, THESE ARE THE SHOWER CONDITIONS, THAT THE RECREATION CENTERS AREN'T FOR THEM.

THEY'RE ONLY FOR CHILDREN, THEY'RE ONLY FOR ELDERLY.

WE'D LIKE TO SEE MORE ADULT OFFERINGS.

I'VE TALKED WITH WEST RECREATION BOARD TO SAY THAT WE NEED TO GET MORE PICKLEBALL.

WE NEED ANY OFFERINGS.

THERE'S A RECENT, UH, STUDY AND SURVEY THAT HAD OFFERINGS THAT ARE POSSIBLE AT REC CENTERS, NONE OF WHICH ARE AVAILABLE FOR ADULTS.

IT'S ONLY FOR SENIORS AND CHILDREN.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE SARAH HILGERS, FOLLOWED BY PATRICIA BOBBECK AND THEN HEATHER VAN D**E.

THIS IS SARAH HILGERS HERE.

PATRICIA BOBBECK.

YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.

OUT INTO THE, UM, INTO THE PARKING LOT.

THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE, AND THANK YOU TIM FOR LINING UP MY POWERPOINT.

SO I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE ZILKER CONCESSION STAND AND THE PARKING LOT.

HOW DO I ADVANCE? THANK YOU.

SO THE CONCESSION STAND WAS BUILT IN 1960.

THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE WHEN I MOVED TO AUSTIN.

AND IN 2016, FOR SOME REASON, AND APPARENTLY AFTER MANY YEARS OF LACK OF INSPECTION, THE UH, HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOUND STRUCTURAL DETERIORATION, CODE VIOLATIONS, OUTDATED UTILITIES, AND ASBESTOS AND LEAD, WHICH LED TO THE DEMOLITION OF THE CONCESSION STAND IN 2016.

THE CONSTRUCTION COST, UM, WAS ABOUT $1 MILLION, AND THAT INCLUDES A FAIR AMOUNT OF MY TAX MONEY.

THE NEW CONCESSION STAND WAS COMPLETED IN 2020 AND IT HAS BEEN VACANT SINCE COMPLETION.

AND I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT SIX YEARS TO FIND A VENDOR IS TOO LONG.

SO IN THE ABSENCE OF A CONCESSION STAND, WE'VE HAD FOOD TRUCKS MOVING IN.

WE HAVE FOOD TRUCKS STARTING IN JANUARY, ILLEGALLY PARKED, UM, CAUSING OBSTRUCTIONS TO TRAFFIC.

THESE ICE CREAM TRUCKS OFTEN STAND THERE FOR HOURS LEAVING THEIR, UH, DIESEL ENGINES RUNNING.

I'VE GONE IN TO SWIM AND COME OUT TWO HOURS LATER.

THE TRUCK IS STILL IN THE SAME PLACE.

THE DIESEL ENGINE IS STILL BELCHING THOSE TOXIC FUMES

[00:15:01]

SO THIS IS JANUARY 1ST AND NOW JANUARY 2ND, UH, WE HAVE THE SAME TRUCK RETURNING, TAKING UP A PARKING SPOT THAT A PARKED PATRON LIKE ME COULD USE.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

AND THEN WE HAVE FOOD TRUCKS THAT PARK IN THE HANDICAP SPOT.

YOU SEE IN THE PHOTO THERE IN THE BACK.

THIS TRUCK, UH, LICENSE PLATE SXG 34 67 IS PARKED IN A HANDICAPPED SPOT.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

AND ON FEBRUARY 7TH, TVJ 89 10 IS BACK TAKING UP A PARKING SPOT THAT I WANTED.

NEXT SLIDE.

AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER, UM, ICE CREAM TRUCK TAKING UP A NON-PAR SPOT.

HAPPILY HANGING OUT FOR MULTIPLE MINUTES.

I'M NOT SURE HOW LONG THIS GUY WAS THERE, UH, IN A NON-PAR SPOT.

NEXT SLIDE.

SO, AS LONG PAST TIME FOR THE ZILKER CONCESSION STAND TO OPEN, IT'S TIME FOR THE ALCOHOL ALCOHOL QUESTION TO BE FOREVER NEGATED.

IN THE INTEREST OF SWIMMER HEALTH AND LIFEGUARD SANITY, IT'S TIME FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO STOP TRYING TO INFLUENCE THE CHOICE OF VENDORS.

IT'S TIME TO GET THE ICE CREAM TRUCKS OUT OF THE PARKING LOT TO PREVENT THEM FROM OCCUPYING HANDICAP SPOTS FROM TAKING UP SWIM PAGE IN PARKING LOTS, AND TO PREVENT THEM FROM BELCHING TOXIC DIESEL FUMES INTO THE PARKING LOT AND ONTO PATRONS.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS HEATHER VAN D**E, FOLLOWED BY AUBREY RUDDER AND THEN LEANNE INMAN.

HEATHER, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

MY NAME'S HEATHER VAN D**E, LIKE THE FIRST TWO SPEAKERS.

I'M A MEMBER OF THE FRIENDS OF GARRISON PARK, PARK ADOPTERS GROUP HERE TODAY TO ADVOCATE FOR INVESTMENT IN THE GARRISON PARK POOL AS PART OF THE 2026 BOND PACKAGE.

JUST TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF, I'VE LIVED IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO GARRISON PARK FOR ABOUT EIGHT YEARS.

MY BACKYARD IS LITERALLY CONNECTED TO THE PARK, AND SO WE USED THE PARK DAILY WITH OUR DOGS AND WITH OUR THREE-YEAR-OLD CHILD USING THE TRAILS AND THE PLAYGROUND AND THE POOL.

UM, WHEN WE FIRST MOVED TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THERE WERE NO YOUNG CHILDREN ON OUR STREET OR THE ADJACENT STREETS.

AND NOW THERE ARE AT LEAST 30 FAMILIES WITH KIDS THAT ALL RELY ON THE, THE PARK AND THE POOL IN THE SAME WAYS THAT WE DO.

UM, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, THAT GARRISON PARK IS ONE OF THE TWO SEASONAL POOLS THAT ACTUALLY OPENED TODAY, AND IT'S THE ONLY ONE IN, IN SOUTH AUSTIN THAT'S THAT OPENED AS A SEASONAL POOL.

TODAY IT'S ONE OF THE FEW MULTI-GENERATIONAL GATHERING PLACES IN OUR AREA FOR SWIM LESSONS, NEIGHBORLY CONNECTION, ACCESSIBLE EXERCISE, LAP SWIMMING, AND IMPORTANTLY IN THE SUMMER, HEAT RELIEF.

UM, BACKYARD POOLS ARE VERY ATYPICAL IN OUR AREA, SO WE ALL REALLY RELY ON THE CITY POOL FOR THIS ACCESS.

UM, AND THERE'S AN IMPORTANT ECONOMIC IMPACT OF MAINTAINING THIS POOL AS WELL.

GARRISON IS ONE OF FIVE CHARGING POOLS IN THE CITY.

UM, AND ONCE IN THE POOL, YOU KNOW, WE MEET THERE AND THEN WE OFTEN GO AND GRAB A BITE TO EAT IN THE, THE NEIGHBORING BUSINESSES AFTERWARDS.

SO MANY OF THE NEIGHBORS PAY FOR SWIM LESSONS AT THE PARK AS WELL, WHICH I THINK KATINA MENTIONED START IN JUST A COUPLE WEEKS.

UM, AS ALSO MENTIONED, THE POOL'S AGING WITHOUT FUNDING.

WE'RE LOOKING AT CLOSURE IN JUST A FEW YEARS.

UM, IT'S WHERE OUR KIDS LEARN TO SWIM, WHERE WE GATHER THROUGH THE HOT SUMMERS.

UM, AND OUR COM OUR COMMUNITY AS IT GROWS, IS GROWING AND INCREASINGLY MORE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT RESOURCE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR AREA IF IN FACT, THIS POOL IS CLOSED.

SO WE RECOGNIZE THERE ARE SO MANY COMPETING PRIORITIES ACROSS THE CITY, BUT WITHOUT THIS FUNDING, WE'RE LEFT WITH ESSENTIALLY AN EMPTY POOL SURROUNDED BY BARBED WIRE, WHICH SENDS A CLEAR MESSAGE TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE JUST ESSENTIALLY AREN'T WORTH IT.

AND, UM, WE ASK THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, CONSIDER INVESTING IN GARRISON PARK POOL TO ENSURE A MODERN, SAFE AQUATICS FACILITY THAT PROVIDES EQUITABLE ACCESS TO SUMMER RELIEF WELL INTO THE FUTURE.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERING GARRISON PARK POOL IN YOUR FINAL BOND RECOMMENDATIONS.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE AUBREY RUDDER, FOLLOWED BY LEANNE INMAN.

IS SARAH HILGERS HERE? SARAH HILGERS.

HOSTED OUR ANNUAL LOVE LADY BIRD LAKE DAY WITH, UM, KEEP AUSTIN BEAUTIFUL, AN INITIATIVE THAT REFLECTS BOTH OUR MISSION AND OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE SPACE.

YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.

GOOD EVENING, PART BOARD MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS AUBREY RUDDER.

I SERVE AS DIRECTOR OF KAYAK AND PADDLE WATER OPERATIONS AT THE AUSTIN ROWING CLUB.

THE AUSTIN ROWING CLUB IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT HAS BEEN A PART OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY SINCE 1981.

FOR OVER FOUR DECADES, WE'VE PROVIDED ACCESSIBLE WATER RECREATION WHILE ALSO ACTING AS DAILY STEWARDS OF LAKEWOOD LAKE.

THIS PAST MONTH, WE

[00:20:01]

THIS IS A FREE COMMUNITY EVENT WHERE WE WELCOME MORE THAN 900 VOLUNTEERS TO OUR BOATHOUSE.

UM, VOLUNTEERS WERE ABLE TO GET OUT ON THE WATER IN KAYAKS, PADDLEBOARDS, UM, OR WALK ALONG THE TRAIL, ALL WORKING TOGETHER WITH A SHARED GOAL TO PICK UP AS MUCH TRASH AS POSSIBLE.

IN JUST ONE DAY, SIX HOURS, THOSE VOLUNTEERS REMOVED OVER 800 BAGS OF TRASH FROM THE LAKE AND SURROUNDING SHORELINE.

ALONG WITH THAT, WE PULLED OUT FOUR ELECTRIC SCOOTERS AND 122 SYRINGES ITEMS THAT POSE A REAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN.

OUR CLEANUP EFFORTS FOCUSED ON THE STRETCH OF LADY BIRD LAKE BETWEEN, UM, WALLER CREEK AND THE FA, UH, FIRST STREET BRIDGE.

WITHIN THAT AREA, THERE IS A NATURAL BEND, UM, NEAR OUR BOATHOUSE WHERE DEBRIS CONSTANTLY ACCUMULATES.

IT'S A SMALL SECTION OF THE LAKE, BUT IT HAS SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE OVERALL HEALTH AND APPEARANCE OF THIS CENTRAL CORRIDOR.

AS AN ORGANIZATION THAT OPERATES ON THE WATER EVERY SINGLE DAY, UM, I PERSONALLY SEE FIRSTHAND HOW QUICKLY CONDITIONS CAN CHANGE AND HOW IMPORTANT CONSTANT CARE IS TO THE LAKE.

THIS IS WHY STEWARDSHIP ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WE DO ONCE A YEAR.

IT'S EMBEDDED IN HOW WE OPERATE DAILY AND YEAR ROUND.

WE ARE PROUD TO PLAY A ROLE IN MAINTAINING THIS SPACE FOR THE THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS AND VISITORS WHO USE IT DAILY.

UM, TO GIVE A CLEARER PICTURE OF THE IMPACT, THIS SLIDE HERE SHOWS YOU, UM, BOTH THE SCALE OF THIS EVENT AND OUR CONTINUED EFFORTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

IT OUTLINES THE NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS, THE TOTAL VOLUME OF VOLUME OF TRASH COLLECTED, AND THE ESTIMATED VOLUNTEER, UM, VALUE OF THE VOLUNTEER HOURS DEMONSTRATING THAT, UM, NOT JUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, BUT REAL MEASURABLE CONTRIBUTION.

ALONGSIDE THAT, YOU'LL SEE OUR YEAR TO DATE, UM, DATA, WHICH REFLECTS, UM, THAT THIS WORK, IT JUST EXTENDS FAR BEYOND A SINGLE DAY.

UM, TONIGHT YOU GUYS ARE GONNA HEAR A PRESENTATION ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS.

UM, AUSTIN RUNNING CLUB IS NOT REALLY CONSIDER, WE'RE NOT CONSIDERED A PARTNERSHIP.

WE ARE A LATE CONCESSION.

SO WE JUST DO THIS OUT OF THE VALUE OF WE'RE JUST WHAT WE CARE ABOUT.

UM, AND AS LONG AS AUSTIN RUNNING CLUB REMAINS IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN UNTIL WE HAVE TO MOVE, UM, WE ARE COMMITTED TO CONTINUING THAT WORK AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO SHOW UP ORGANIZED AND TAKE CARE OF THE DOWNTOWN STRETCH OF LADY BIRD LAKE AND ITS SURROUNDING TRAIL.

WE'VE GOTTEN MOST OF THIS FUNDING IN LINE.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LEANNE INMAN, FOLLOWED BY MARK MAY.

WELL, MINE IS NOT NEARLY AS POLISHED AS THAT .

THIS IS MY FIRST TIME DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

MY NAME'S LEANNE INMAN, AND I AM THE TREASURER OF A GROUP CALLED FRIENDS OF GRAND MEADOW PARK.

AND IT'S A PARK THAT'S NEAR MY HOUSE DOWN IN SOUTH AUSTIN ON BAXTON, SOUTH OF WILLIAM CANNON AND EAST OF PLEASANT VALLEY.

WE'D LIKE TO, WE'RE FISCALLY SPONSORED BY FRUITFUL COMMONS, UH, SO THAT WE CAN BE, UH, 5 0 1 C3.

UH, WE'D LIKE TO THANK THE AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION FOR SUPPORTING ALL OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE HAD DONE SO FAR, THE OVERALL PARK PLANNING AND THE SURFACES FOR THE CONCEPT PLAN.

AND, UH, IT'S BEEN 25 YEARS OF A DREAM THAT'S FINALLY COMING.

TRUE.

WE'RE, WE'D LIKE TO THANK THE, UH, YOU FOR GRANTS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN TO SUPPORT THE BUILDING OF THE FIRST PHASE OF THE PARK.

AND OUR FENCES ARE UP AND IRRIGATION IS GOING IN, AND OUR COMMUNITY GARDENS ARE GONNA COME IN AND OUR FOOD FOREST IS COMING.

WE'RE JUST SO HAPPY TO BE HERE TO SHARE PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING SO FAR, UH, ON THESE GOALS THAT WE'VE SHARED WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARK DEPARTMENT.

AND AS A GROUP, WE'VE BEEN ENGAGED WITH THE COMMUNITY AND DOING SURVEYS AND GETTING COMMUNITY FEEDBACK FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS NOW.

AND WE'RE, WE FINALLY HAVE OUR FENCES UP AND THINK THINGS ARE ARE MOVING.

SO IT FEELS LIKE IT'S FINALLY COMING AROUND.

I'VE LIVED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR 26 YEARS AND HAVE BEEN DREAMING ABOUT A, A BETTER FIT FOR THIS PARK FOR FAMILIES FOR THE ENTIRE TIME.

, MY KIDS ARE NOW 38 AND 33, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE IT COMES A TIME, YOU GOTTA DO THIS FOR THE KIDS.

UM, THE PARK WORKERS HAVE BEEN MAKING A LOT OF PROGRESS AT ABOVE.

AND, UH, THE IRRIGATION COMING IN, THE PATHS ARE COMING IN.

WE'VE BEEN SEEING THEM TRANSPLANT TREES, AND IT USED TO BE A FLAT MEADOW WHERE MEADOW WAS JUST, UM, A MEADOW.

UM, AND NOW IT'S GOING TO HAVE A ALL KINDS OF WONDERFUL THINGS FOR THE KIDS.

UH,

[00:25:01]

UH, I'M THE TREASURER, SO I'M HELPING TO DEAL WITH THE FUNDRAISING AND WRITING GRANTS AND APPLICATIONS AND GETTING ALL THAT STUFF COMING AND HELPING TO PAY Y'ALL BACK WITH THOSE GRANTS.

UH, AND REALLY THAT'S ABOUT ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

SO I DON'T NEED THREE MINUTES , BUT THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH.

UH, AND WE HAVE TWO MORE OF THE PEOPLE FROM OUR GROUP THAT ARE SIGNED UP TO PARK TO TALK ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP.

SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE MARK MAY, FOLLOWED BY DANIEL KAMAN.

UH, HI THERE.

PAR, UH, MY NAME IS MARK MAY.

I LIVE IN, UH, D FIVE.

I'VE BEEN HERE A FEW TIMES ADVOCATING FOR IMPROVING THE NON, UH, PROFIT MODEL.

I THINK MY REQUEST IS REALLY PART OF A LARGER PROBLEM IN THAT, IN THAT THE PUBLIC HAS LOST FAITH THAT THE CITY MANAGES TAX DOLLARS.

WELL, THE PROP QA RESULT SHOULD BE SEEN THROUGH THIS, UH, LENS IN MY, IN MY VIEW, CONSIDER SOME OF, SOME OF OF THE INFORMATION I'VE SHARED WITH YOU, UH, BEFORE.

OVER TWO THIRDS OF AUSTIN PARK'S, UH, FOUNDATION FUNDING COMES FROM ACTUALLY RENTING OUT A PUBLIC PARK FOR ACL.

UNFORTUNATELY, A PF CAN'T, CAN'T SEEM TO GET THAT.

OH, THAT OF WINDFALL INTO THE GROUND AS HER LATEST IRS NINE 90 SAYS THEY ARE SITTING ON WELL NORTH OF 20 MILLION, MILLION DOLLARS.

WHAT ACTIONS IS A PR TAKING TO GET THAT MONEY SPENT AND SPENT IN OUR PARKS WISELY? WHY WOULD I VOTE TO RAISE MY TAXES IF A PR IS DOING NOTHING TO PUT A'S MONEY, WHICH IS MOSTLY OUR MONEY TO WORK? WE ALL KNOW THE NEED IN OUR PARKS IS GREAT.

UH, CONSIDER THE TRAIL A CONSERVANCY THAT I TALKED ABOUT LAST MONTH.

THE, UH, CITY BUDGET, UH, UH, DIRECT $714,000 THAT PREVIOUSLY WENT TO THE GENERAL FUND TO, UH, TTC.

THAT'S COLD HARD CASH FOLKS, THAT'S LIKE LEAVING OUR GENERAL FUND.

THAT HA HAS TO BE MADE UP.

TTC SELF REPORTED A VALUE OF $851,000.

WHO AT A PR IS MAKING SURE THAT THAT 851 VALUE IS ACTUALLY REAL? I THINK BEFORE YOU RETURN TO THE VOTERS WITH YOUR HANDS OUT, YOU, YOU REALLY NEED TO PROVE THAT $851,000 SPENT BY TCC IS BETTER THAN $714,000 SPENT BY AUSTIN PARKS AND REC.

HOW MUCH UNTRAINED VOLUNTEER TIME IS PART OF THAT 800 AND, UH, $51,000? I WOULD SURMISE THAT ALL DOLLARS ARE NOT, NOT THE SAME.

WE WERE, UH, SUPPOSED TO, UH, TALK ABOUT THE BRIDGE OVER BARTON CREEK HERE.

THE CITY POSES A MASSIVE 109 FOOT WIDE BRIDGE TO A CONNECT TO A ROAD THAT HAS JUST ONE TRAVEL LANE IN EACH WAY, PLUS BIKE LANES.

THERE ARE MANY REASONS TO OPPOSE OF THE PROJECT, BUT JUST FROM THE MONEY SIDE, WHY WOULD WE BUY A BRIDGE THAT'S NEARLY TWICE AS WIDE AS THE ONE THAT'S THERE NOW? IS THAT A GOOD USE OF TAX DOLLARS WHEN YOU HAVE THE CHANCE? I, I URGE YOU TO LIMIT THE DAMAGE TO ZUCKER PARK, BARTON CREEK AND THE CITY BY INSISTING ON A BRIDGE WIDTH THAT'S, UH, SIMILAR TO THE, UH, ONE THAT'S THERE, THERE.

NOW, OF COURSE, A A REHAB OF THE PRESENT BRIDGE COULD EASILY BE THE CHEAPEST AND THE BEST OPTION.

SO IF THE CITY HAS ANY HOPE OF PASSING A TAX RATE FROM BOND OR VOTERS, I THINK WE NEED TO SEE ACTION THAT THEY CAN MANAGE, UH, FUNDS WISELY.

HAD 576 VOLUNTEERS GIVE MORE THAN A THOUSAND HOURS OF THEIR TIME.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE DANIEL KAMAN, FOLLOWED BY GINO FERNANDEZ.

UH, GOOD EVENING CHAIR BEAN AND PARKS, UH, OH MY GOSH.

PARKS BOARD MEMBERS.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE.

UH, MY NAME IS DANIEL CAMAN.

I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE SHOAL CREEK CONSERVANCY.

UH, REALLY JUST TO THANK ALL OF YOU AND TO GIVE A BIG THANK YOU TO A PR.

UH, AND THE, WE'RE GONNA, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR WAY MORE ABOUT IT LATER, BUT THE PARTNERSHIP IMPACT REPORT, UH, WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO BE A PARTNER OF THE CITY AND TO HAVE HAD A GREAT EXPERIENCE COLLABORATING WITH AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION.

WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE ADDITIONAL STAFF RESOURCES NOW AVAILABLE TO THE PARTNERSHIP TEAM.

AND OF COURSE, THE RESUMPTION OF THE CAT PROGRAM.

UH, SHUL CREEK CONSERVANCY WE'RE A LEVEL B PARTNER.

UH, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS WE'RE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH, UH, WHICH IS OF COURSE INCLUDED IN THE IMPACT REPORT.

BUT IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, SHOAL CREEK CONSERVANCY

[00:30:01]

WE REMOVED MORE THAN 13,000 POUNDS OF LITTER FROM SHOAL CREEK, INSTALLED MORE THAN 500 PLANTS AND SEEDED ACRES OF LAND WITH NATIVE SEEDS.

WE ALSO HOSTED MULTIPLE EVENTS, UH, EVERY SINGLE MONTH TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AND EDUCATE PEOPLE ON THE VALUE OF GREEN SPACE IN AUSTIN.

UH, THIS WORK MOVES US CLOSER TO THE GOALS SET FORTH, UM, ESPECIALLY IN OUR WATERSHED ACTION PLAN CO-CREATED WITH THE CITY AND TCEQ, WHICH SC IS IMPLEMENTING WITH THE GOAL OF RESTORING SH CREEK TO A FISHBOWL AND SWIMMER WATER QUALITY LEVEL.

UH, WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL TO THE WORK OF THE CITY AND OUR YEARS OF COLLABORATION THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.

AND WE'RE ALREADY OFF TO A GREAT START AGAIN IN FISCAL YEAR OF 2026.

SO JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOME HIGHLIGHT AND TELL YOU ABOUT THE, UH, WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE AT SHOAL CREEK CONSERVANCY AND SAY THANK YOU YET AGAIN.

THANKS.

I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT.

UH, YES, GOOD EVENING.

UH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MY NAME IS CINO FELAND JR.

FORMER CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION EMPLOYEE FOR 18 YEARS.

MY LAST THING WAS, UH, ACTING SITE MANAGER AT THE SOUTH AUSTIN REC CENTER.

AND I HAVE DEEP LOVE FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION.

I LIVE TWO, TWO BLOCKS FROM, UH, THE COLORADO RIVER.

SO WE ARE ALWAYS, UH, DEALING WITH, UH, WITH STEWARDS OF THE COLORADO RIVER TOWN LAKE, UH, ONG PARK FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

THE REASON THAT I'M HERE IS 'CAUSE I'M REAL DISAPPOINTED IN A BEHAVIOR THAT AN EMPLOYEE DISPLAYED TO ME.

UH, AS ON RIVERSIDE, I WENT TO USE A ATM AND, UH, THERE WAS TWO PEOPLE IN FRONT OF ME AND THE HANDICAP SLOT WAS TAKEN.

SO I PARKED IN FRONT OF THE ATM BECAUSE AGAIN, I'M HANDICAPPED.

THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE IN FRONT OF ME, SO I CAN'T BE WAITING IN LINE.

SO I PARKED IN FRONT OF THE ATM UNTIL THE WAIT TILL THEY FINISHED.

AND, UH, SO WHEN THEY FINISHED, AS I WAS GETTING OFF, I NOTICED AN AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION TRUCK PARKED ON THE SIDE OF ME.

SO AS I'M GETTING OFF TO GO WALK TO THE ATM, HE, HE GETS OFF, HE WALKS TO THE ATM AND I TELL HIM, SIR, I'M NEXT.

I'M THE ONE THAT'S NEXT.

I WAS WAITING HIM AND HE TURNED AROUND AND SAID, WELL, WHY DON'T JUST GET OUT THE CAR? AND HE MADE, AND THEY'RE REAL, YOU KNOW, EMBARRASSING, YOU KNOW, HIGH TONE OF VOICE.

AND I SAID, WELL, I'M HANDICAPPED.

YOU KNOW, I, I CAN'T BE STANDING THERE.

I WAS WAITING THEN FOR THEM TO LEAVE.

SO HE WENT DOWN AND PROCEEDED TO THE ATM.

AND I WENT TO HIM AND I SAID, SIR, EXCUSE ME.

I WAS HERE FIRST BEFORE YOU WERE.

AND HE JUST LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, HE JUST WENT ON WITH THIS TRANSACTION.

AND TO ME, AS A PREVIOUS EMPLOYEE OF PARKS AND REC AND BEING AN AMBASSADOR, PARKS AND REC, WHEN WE REC WE DON'T TREAT PEOPLE LIKE THAT IN THE PUBLIC.

WE DO NOT.

AND I TOLD HIM, I'M GONNA SEND AN EMAIL AND I'M GONNA SEND IT TO THE CITY MANAGER AND THE PARKS AND REC.

HE SAID, I DON'T CARE WHO YOU SEND IT TO.

SO I WANTED TO SHOW THE PICTURES, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT DOESN'T COME UP.

BUT IT WAS ON APRIL THE 13TH WHERE HE TOTALLY WAS VERY RUDE, VERY UNRESPECTFUL OF A PUBLIC CITIZEN WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN VEHICLE AND ON CITY TIME BECAUSE IT WAS TWO O'CLOCK, SO IT WASN'T LUNCH OR, YOU KNOW, HE MAY HAVE BEEN AN EXEMPT EMPLOYEE, I DON'T KNOW.

BUT I THINK THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL NEEDS TO BE MADE ACCOUNTABLE AND BE GIVEN SOME TRAINING ON HOW TO WORK WITH THE PUBLIC, WHICH IS US, WHICH WE ARE THE TAXPAYERS TO HIS SALARY.

SO I DON'T KNOW WHO TO FOLLOW UP WITH TO SHOW THE PICTURES BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY IT WASN'T, TECHNOLOGY WASN'T ALLOWED TO HAPPEN, BUT I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED

[00:35:01]

IN THE BEHAVIOR.

AND I DO HAVE A SCHEDULED MEETING WITH THE CITY MANAGER.

THANK YOU, SIR.

UH, JUST A FOLLOW UP QUESTION.

UH, DO YOU HAVE YOUR EMAIL WITH MR. BECK OR YOUR PHONE NUMBER? WHO, UM, MR. UH, DO YOU, YEAH, MR. DO, UH, MR. BECK, IF YOU'LL CONNECT AND JUST MAKE SURE WE GET THE, THE PHOTO AND THE ITEMS THAT HE WANTED TO SHARE? YEAH.

I APPRECIATE, THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE IT.

UH, THAT IS THE END OF GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.

I KNOW THAT THERE WERE MORE PEOPLE THAT SIGNED UP THAT WANTED TO SPEAK.

IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO EMAIL THE PARKS BOARD MEMBERS, UH, YOU CAN SEND ME AN EMAIL.

WE HAVE SOMEONE REGISTERED.

SHE DIDN'T CALL HER NAME.

WHAT'S HER NAME? JANET .

UH, JANET, DIDN'T YOU SIGN SPEAK ON ITEM THREE? SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.

I DO HAVE YOU ON THE LIST TO SPEAK DURING ITEM THREE.

UH, I WAS COPIED ON HER EMAIL REQUESTING, UH, HER INITIAL REGISTRATION REQUEST, AND SHE DID SAY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AS I EXPLAINED.

THE ONLINE SPEAKER REGISTRATION IS ENGLISH ONLY.

SHE'S A SPANISH SPEAKER.

AND THAT IS WHY AS, AS DAVA LEADERSHIP, WE ENCOURAGE THEM TO USE WHATEVER METHOD WORKS EASIEST FOR THEM.

AND THAT'S EMAIL.

OKAY, I UNDERSTAND.

ONE MOMENT.

CHAIR, WOULD WE ACCEPT, UH, ONE MORE SPEAKER DURING GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT? YES.

THANK YOU, MR. DONDA.

ABSOLUTELY.

UH, JANET TURAY, FEEL FREE TO STEP UP AND YOU'LL BE ASSISTED BY ABSOLUTELY.

BY, UH, SUSANNA PITO.

UH, AND SO YOU'LL HAVE SIX MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING BECAUSE OF THE EXTRA TIME FOR THE TRANSLATION SERVICES.

HELLO.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

UH, EVERYONE, MY NAME IS JANINE IBE.

I LIVE IN NORTH AUSTIN IN THE 7 8 7 4, UH, FIVE FOUR ZIP CODE AREA.

UH, I AM STRONGLY ADVOCATING FOR AND URGING YOU TO INSTALL SPLASH PADS AT THE GAS GARCIA REC REC CENTER, AS IT IS ONE OF THE HOTTEST AREAS IN THE CITY.

AND THE, AND THEY WILL.

AND SO IT WILL HELP, UH, IT WILL HELP OUR COMMUNITY MITIGATE THE HEAT AND THE STREAM HEAT IN THIS AREA.

UM, THAT IT IS A, AN AREA THAT HAS SO MANY NEEDS.

I URGE YOU TO SEND A RECOMMENDATION TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, ASKING THEM TO INCLUDE THE WATER PLAY AREA ON THEIR PRIORITY LIST FOR THE 2026 BOND.

THAT THIS WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN WHAT IT IS TRULY NEEDED, UH, FOR BUILDING SOME EQUITY SINCE WE HAVE BEEN URGENT AND ADVOCATING FOR THIS TO HAPPEN FOR OVER THREE YEARS.

ARE, YES.

I WANTED TO SAY IN SPANISH THAT PLEASE, UH, LET YOUR, UH, NEIGHBORS KNOW THAT.

COME HERE AND SPEAK SPANISH AND BRING YOUR VOICES HERE BECAUSE IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU FEEL THAT YOU CAN COME AND,

[00:40:01]

AND BE HEARD.

UH, HERE.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONER.

THAT IS THE END OF GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.

MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, DISCUSSION ACTION ITEMS. THIS IS A PRESENTATION DISCUSSION AND APPROVE LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR THE AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTION SALAMANDER TEAM.

THAT BEING THE END OF, UH, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION GENERAL, WE WILL MOVE TO AGEN OR I'M SO SORRY, APPROVAL OF THE, THE MINUTES AGENDA.

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]

ITEM ONE.

WE WILL APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD REGULAR MEETING OF MARCH 23RD, 2026.

UM, IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO REVIEW.

I, ALL RIGHT.

ANYBODY HAVE CHANGES? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO REMOVE AS IS.

I'LL SECOND THE MOTION.

ALRIGHT, WE'VE GOT A MOTION FROM BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR AND A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER VILLALOBOS.

UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

TAYLOR.

OH, DID MS. FRANKLIN BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN, I'M SO SORRY.

I APOLOGIZE.

BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN.

UM, THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT, THE MOTION PASSES.

I WAS LOOKING RIGHT AT YOU.

I SWEAR I KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

I JUST GOT THROWN OFF.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

WE WILL

[2. Presentation, discussion and approve letters of support for the Austin Watershed Protection salamander team. (Sponsors: Bazan, Flowers) Presenter(s): Nathan Bendik, Conservation Program Supervisor, Austin Watershed Protection.]

MY KIDDOS ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE SALAMANDER PRESENTATION THAT THEY GOT TO GET A PREVIEW OF.

SO WE'LL TAKE THAT PRESENTATION AND WE HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT AROUND THE SIDE.

OH, WONDERFUL.

ALRIGHT, WE'LL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT.

OUR PUBLIC COMMENT WILL BE BILL BUNCH.

CAN I HEAR THE PRESENTATION FIRST SPEAK.

WE'D LIKE TO TAKE THE PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST.

IT'S JUST GENERALLY HOW WE DO THAT.

YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.

AND SO, UH, THE POOL DOESN'T GET NEAR AS STIRRED UP BY HAVING THAT NATIVE PLANT LIFE IN THE POOL, UH, KEEPING IT CLEAN AND, UH, PROVIDING HABITAT FOR FISH AS WELL.

UM, I'LL COMMENT ON THE PRESENTATION THAT I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT SAYS.

UH, I'M BILL BUNCH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SAVE SPRINGS ALLIANCE, ALSO ATTORNEY THERE.

UM, WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY, UH, BACK IN THE NINETIES WITH PROFESSOR, UH, MARK PATRICK, BIOLOGY PROFESSOR AT UT AND HIS, UH, THEN WIFE BARBARA MAHLER, WHO'S EARNING HER HYDRO PHD IN HYDROGEOLOGY.

AND THEY DRAFTED THE PETITION TO LIST THE BARTON SPRING SALAMANDER AS ENDANGERED.

UH, WE THEN HAD TO SUE THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION TWICE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

UM, AND THANKFULLY IT DID.

UM, IT'S OUR CANARY IN THE COAL MINE.

UH, SUBSEQUENTLY, AS Y'ALL KNOW, WE, UH, ALSO SECURED THE LISTING, UH, WITH THE CITY DOING A LOT OF THE LEGWORK, ACTUALLY.

UH, LISTING THE AUSTIN BLIND SALAMANDER ALSO IS ENDANGERED.

THEY'RE BOTH EXTREMELY VULNERABLE TO POLLUTION, UM, AND GET STRESSED IN THESE DROUGHT CONDITIONS, UH, WHICH HAVE BEEN QUITE SEVERE.

UM, DEFINITELY WANT TO COMMEND THE CITY SALAMANDER TEAM.

THEY'VE BEEN DOING A FANTASTIC JOB, UH, WORKING TO RESTORE SALAMANDER HABITAT IN THE POOL.

I WOULD NOTE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN'T AWARE OF IT, BUT ONCE THE SALAMANDER WAS LISTED ENDANGERED, AND WE STARTED MANAGING THE POOL TO PROTECT THEM AS A NATURE PRESERVE, THE POOL BECAME MUCH BETTER FOR HUMAN SWIMMERS.

UH, WE WERE HAVING PHENOMENAL, UH, ALGAE OUTBREAKS, BUT WHEN WE PLANT REPLANTED THE NATIVE, UH, ROOTED PLANTS, UH, THEY DISPLACED THAT ALGAE.

AND SO THE, THE POOL BECAME MUCH BETTER FOR PEOPLE ALSO, THOSE PLANTS HELD DOWN THE SILT.

[00:45:01]

UH, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN SNORKELING THERE, INVITE YOU TO JOIN US ON A SNORKELING TOUR.

UM, AND ALSO INVITE YOU, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN A CURRENT PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD THROUGH SUNDAY ON MOPAC SOUTH OF THIS GIANT EXPANSION.

VERY CLOSE TO THE SPRINGS RUNNING 8.8 MILES DOWN THE, UH, MIDDLE, UH, LINE, MORE OR LESS OF THE, OF THE, UH, RECHARGE ZONE SIX.

ADDING SIX TO EIGHT NEW LANES OF PAVEMENT.

MASSIVE CONSTRUCTION IS A HUGE THREAT TO THE SALAMANDERS.

I KNOW THE CITY, UH, STAFF IS WORKING ON COMMENTS, BUT WE NEED THE WHOLE COMMUNITY TO SPEAK UP AND DEMAND THAT THEY DO A FULL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, UH, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING THE SALAMANDERS AND THE SPRINGS.

AUSTIN HIGH LADY BIRD LAKE, THE BARTON CREEK GREEN BELT.

SO MANY OF OUR MOST VALUABLE AND VULNERABLE PARK RESOURCES ARE THREATENED AND WOULD BE HARMED BY THIS PROJECT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THAT IS THE END OF PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.

ALL SET.

OUTLETS OF BAR, THE BARTON SPRINGS COMPLEX.

MEMBERS OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD.

MY NAME IS NATHAN BENDICK.

I'M A CONSERVATION PROGRAM SUPERVISOR WITH THE AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.

AND I'M GONNA GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW ABOUT OUR SALAMANDER CONSERVATION PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE.

FIRST I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE MAIN CHARACTERS, THE SALAMANDER.

SO AUSTIN IS PRETTY UNIQUE.

SOME MIGHT SAY WEIRD, AND ONE OF THE REASONS IS I BELIEVE IT'S THE ONLY CITY IN THE ENTIRE WORLD THAT HAS THREE NATIVE ENDEMIC SPECIES OF SALAMANDER THAT LIVE WITHIN ITS, UH, ITS BOUNDARIES IN THE ITS GREATER METROPOLITAN AREA.

THE CENTRAL TEXAS REGION HAS THESE UNIQUE KARS OR LIMESTONE AQUIFERS THAT, UH, HOST AN ARRAY OF UNIQUE SPECIES, INCLUDING A NUMBER OF SALAMANDERS THAT ARE IN THIS SAME GROUP AS THE SPECIES WE HAVE HERE IN AUSTIN.

SO THEY LIVE IN THE GROUNDWATER AND THEY'RE FOUND AT MANY OF THE SPRINGS WE HAVE IN CENTRAL TEXAS.

SO IN AUSTIN, THE JOLLYVILLE PLATEAU SALAMANDER IS IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF THE CITY, KIND OF WEST OF MOPAC.

MANY SPRINGS THROUGHOUT BULL CREEK, FOR EXAMPLE, HARBOR THIS SPECIES.

AND THEN WHEN WE GO SOUTH OF THE COLORADO RIVER AT BARTON SPRINGS, THERE ARE TWO SPECIES THAT SHARE THAT HABITAT.

BARTON SPRINGS SALAMANDERS, AND AUSTIN BLIND SALAMANDERS.

NOW THE BLIND SALAMANDERS ARE IN FACT BLIND, AND WE VERY RARELY SEE THEM AT THE SURFACE.

IN FACT, THEY WEREN'T DISCOVERED, UM, UNTIL, UM, SEVERAL YEARS AFTER THE BARTON SPRINGS SALAMANDERS WERE FORMALLY DESCRIBED.

SO WE SEE THEM RARELY, UH, BUT THEY DO OCCUR AT THE SPRINGS.

AND THOSE ARE THE ONLY PLACES THAT WE'VE SEEN.

THE BLIND SALAMANDERS, THE BARTON SPRINGS SALAMANDERS INITIALLY DISCOVERED AT BARTON SPRINGS HAVE SINCE BEEN SEEN AT A NUMBER OF SITES THROUGHOUT THE RECHARGE AND CONTRIBUTING ZONE TO BARTON SPRINGS.

NOW FOR THIS PRESENTATION, BECAUSE YOU'RE THE PARKS BOARD, I'M GONNA BE FOCUSING ON OUR PROGRAM AS IT PERTAINS TO BARTON SPRINGS POOL.

NOW WHY IS THERE A SALAMANDER CONSERVATION PROGRAM TO BEGIN WITH? A BIG PART OF THAT ANSWER HAS TO DO WITH BARTON SPRINGS POOL AND THESE SALAMANDERS THAT LIVE THERE, BECAUSE THEY'RE FEDERALLY PROTECTED BY THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT, WE ARE REQUIRED, THE CITY'S REQUIRED TO HAVE A PERMIT TO OPERATE THE POOL AS A SWIMMING POOL.

IN ORDER TO GET THAT PERMIT, THE CITY HAD TO MAKE A NUMBER OF CONCESSIONS OR AGREEMENTS THAT WE WOULD DO SOME THINGS TO HELP PROTECT THE SALAMANDERS IN EXCHANGE FOR THIS PERMIT.

AND THAT'S WHAT'S LAID OUT IN THE HCP OR, UM, HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN.

THIS WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 1998.

IT WAS THEN RENEWED FOR 20 YEARS IN 2013.

AND I ANTICIPATE IN 2033 WHEN IT EXPIRES, THE CITY WILL PROBABLY RENEW IT AGAIN.

THE HC PRE, EXCUSE ME, THE HCP COVERS THE FOUR PRIMARY SPRING

[00:50:01]

THAT INCLUDES PARTHENIA SPRING.

THAT'S THE MAIN SPRING THAT FILLS A BARTON SPRINGS POOL.

ELIZA SPRING, THAT'S BY THE CONCESSION STAND IN THE ZILKER EAGLE OLD MILL SPRING, OR SUNKEN GARDEN SPRING, ALSO KNOWN AS OPIA.

SPRING OCCURS ON THE SOUTH SIDE NEAR THE BALL FIELD.

AND THEN UPPER BARTON SPRING IS THE SMALLEST SPRING.

IT'S UPSTREAM OF THE POOL COMPLEX ALONG THE BARTON CREEK GREEN BELT.

AND, UH, HAS BEEN DRY FOR ABOUT THE PAST TWO YEARS BECAUSE OF THE DROUGHT.

SO THE HCP HAS 45 DIFFERENT SPECIFIC CONSERVATION MEASURES IN IT.

I'M NOT GONNA GO OVER ALL OF THOSE, JUST KIND OF HIT SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS HERE.

UH, BUT THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO MAKING SURE WE COMPLY WITH THOSE CONSERVATION MEASURES.

AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT, UM, OUR PROGRAM WITH, WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION, BUT ALSO THE WORKING RELATIONSHIP AND COORDINATION WITH THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT, SPECIFICALLY THE AQUATICS DEPARTMENT WHO OPERATES BARTON SPRINGS POOL.

WE WOULDN'T REALLY BE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE DO WITHOUT THEM.

SO I WANT TO EXTEND SOME APPRECIATION TO, UH, TO AQUATICS.

I'LL GO OVER A FEW OF THESE THINGS, BUT THEY REALLY SPAN THE GAT, THE, EXCUSE ME, THE GAMUT FROM HABITAT PROTECTION, HABITAT RESTORATION, TO JUST IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THE RULES WE HAVE AROUND THE POOL.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE THINGS OUR STAFF WILL DO IS WE'LL ATTEND DRAWDOWNS, FOR EXAMPLE, AFTER FLOODS OR DURING CLEANING OR MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES.

SO THIS IS WHEN THEY LOWER THE WATER LEVEL OF THE POOL, SEVERAL FEET.

AND THIS EXPOSES SALAMANDER HABITAT AND SALAMANDERS WILL GET STRANDED AND WE'LL HAVE TO PICK THEM UP AND RE AND MOVE THEM BACK INTO THE SPRINGS TO PROTECT THEM.

WE'RE ALSO THERE WHEN THERE ARE PARTICULAR TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES IN OR NEAR THE POOL.

FOR EXAMPLE, DURING SPRING CLEAN, THERE WAS THIS SKIMMER DRAIN REMOVAL PROJECT I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD OF.

SO WE WERE THERE MONITORING THAT WE HAD PLACED SOME ADDITIONAL HABITAT AFTER THAT WAS REMOVED.

WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT'S ACTUALLY GONNA IMPROVE THINGS FOR SALAMANDERS, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'LL KEEP AN EYE ON MOVING FORWARD AS WE DO OUR SURVEYS IN THIS AREA.

ANOTHER BIG PART OF OUR PROGRAM IS THE CAPTIVE BREEDING POPULATION.

WE HAVE AT THE AUSTIN SALAMANDER CONSERVATION CENTER, WE HAVE ABOUT 400 SALAMANDERS IN CAPTIVITY.

60% OF THOSE ARE BARTON SPRING SALAMANDERS, AND 40% ARE AUSTIN BLIND SALAMANDERS.

THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A BACKUP POPULATION IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THEM IN THE WILD AND WE NEED TO REPATRIATE THEM.

THANKFULLY, THIS HASN'T HAPPENED YET.

UH, WE'VE NEVER REPATRIATED ANIMALS FROM THE CAPTIVE FACILITY INTO THE WILD, AND WE HOPE TO NEVER HAVE TO.

BUT THIS IS ESSENTIALLY AN INSURANCE POLICY.

WE'VE DONE SOME HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECTS.

THE BIGGEST ONE HAS BEEN THE ELIZA DAYLIGHTING PROJECT.

THIS FINISHED IN 2017.

YOU CAN SEE IN THE TOP PHOTO THAT GRASSY HILLSIDE THERE.

AND THEN BELOW IT'S TURNED IN INTO ESSENTIALLY A NEW STREAM, A NEW OLD STREAM.

THERE WAS A STREAM THERE OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AGO, AND THEN THAT GOT BURIED.

SO WE UNEARTHED IT A PROCESS CALLED DAYLIGHTING, AND IT CREATED APPROXIMATELY 24 SQUARE METERS OF NEW SALAMANDER HABITAT.

SO HERE'S A COUPLE MORE MODERN PICTURES OF THE VEGETATION GROWN IN.

ANOTHER THING WE WORK ON IS SURVEYS.

SO WE DO QUARTERLY SURVEYS AT THE SPRINGS.

YOU CAN SEE OUR TEAM UP THERE.

ON THE TOP LEFT, WE HAVE DIVER, EXCUSE ME, NOT DIVERS, BUT SNORKELERS IN WETSUITS.

AND THEY USE SMALL NETS AND TURKEY BASTERS TO SLURP UP THE SALAMANDERS AND PLACE THEM IN BASKETS.

THEY THEN GET PHOTOGRAPHED, CATALOGED TO PLACE BACK IN THE WATER.

UH, FROM THOSE PHOTOGRAPHS, WE CAN TELL IF WE'VE CAPTURED INDIVIDUALS BEFORE.

SO THEN WE CAN ESTIMATE THINGS LIKE POPULATION SIZE AND SURVIVAL OVER TIME.

NOW, WHILE THE METHODS HAVE CHANGED, UM, WITH ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY, THE CITY'S BEEN DOING SOME TYPE OF SALAMANDER SURVEY, UH, AT THE SPRINGS AS EARLY AS 1993.

SO WE HAVE A LONG, UH, RECORD OF DATA FOR THESE ANIMALS.

AND THIS IS A VIDEO.

I DON'T KNOW IF A CLICK WILL START IT.

NOPE.

IS THERE A WAY YOU CAN PLAY THAT VIDEO FOR ME? OH, IT'S A-P-D-F-I DID NOT REALIZE THAT HAPPENED.

IMAGINE A PERSON IN A TIME LAPSE VIDEO DOING

[00:55:01]

A, UH, A SURVEY HERE.

, ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SALAMANDERS, THEY, THEY LIVE UNDER THE ROCKS AND TO, TO FIND THEM AND CAPTURE THEM, WE LIFT UP EVERY SINGLE ROCK WITHIN OUR SURVEY AREA.

I WANTED TO SHOW THIS COOL VIDEO, BUT SORRY, THAT DIDN'T WORK.

I DO ASK THAT, UM, FOLKS RESIST THE URGE WHEN THEY'RE SWIMMING IN THE POOL TO GO AND, AND FLIP THE ROCKS AND LOOK FOR SALAMANDERS.

WE, WE DO THIS ONCE EVERY THREE MONTHS.

AND, UM, AND THAT'S THE EXTENT OF THE DISTURBANCE WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE.

SOMETIMES WHEN YOU STIR UP A SALAMANDER, IT'LL GO UP INTO THE WATER COLUMN.

THERE'S PLENTY OF FISH WAITING THERE FOR AN EASY MEAL.

UM, THEY CAN ALSO EASILY BE CRUSHED BECAUSE THEY ARE UNDER THAT, THAT LOOSE COBBLE.

THE LAST SLIDE I HAVE FOR YOU, I COULDN'T RESIST PUTTING SOME, UH, SOME GRAPHS IN.

HERE IS A SUMMARY OF OUR ABUNDANCE ESTIMATES FROM ELIZA SPRING.

NOW ELIZA IS WHERE WE HAVE THE MOST ROBUST SALAMANDER POPULATION AND THE MOST ROBUST DATA SET.

SO STARTING IN OCTOBER OF 2014, WE STARTED THIS CAPTURE RECAPTURE PROGRAM AND WE'RE ABLE TO PRECISELY ESTIMATE ABUNDANCE OVER TIME.

AND THIS GAVE US A NICE PICTURE OF WHAT HAPPENED ESSENTIALLY BEFORE AND AFTER THAT ELIZA STREAM RESTORATION PROJECT.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANNA KNOW IS WHEN WE DO HABITAT RESTORATION OR MANAGEMENT, DID IT WORK? HOW DID THE POPULATION RESPOND? AND IN THIS CASE, THEY SEEM TO HAVE RESPONDED VERY WELL GOING FROM AROUND TWO 300 SALAMANDERS 20 14, 15, 16.

AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE'RE HITTING 1500, 2000 SALAMANDERS.

UM, WE'RE IN A BAD DROUGHT AND THE ANIMALS, WE DON'T SEE THAT MANY AT THE OTHER SPRING SITES.

AS I MENTIONED, UPPER SPRING IS DRY, BUT AT THIS SITE IT KIND OF EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATIONS.

I WAS EXPECTING MUCH LOWER NUMBERS AS WE WENT INTO THIS DROUGHT AND IT JUST HA HA HASN'T MATERIALIZED.

IT MIGHT.

UM, BUT SO FAR IT'S, IT'S LOOKING REALLY GOOD IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH WITH HABITAT MANAGEMENT.

AND THAT IS ALL I HAVE.

I'M HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.

THE PRESENTATION.

UM, MR. BECK, ARE WE ABLE TO GET THE VIDEO AND ADD IT TO BACK UP BEFORE? HAVE YOU ALREADY DONE THAT? I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO PLAY IT RIGHT HERE IN JUST A MINUTE.

OH, OKAY.

BUT, UH, FEEL FREE TO GO WITH YOUR QUESTIONS.

QUESTIONS, COMMENTS.

THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.

IT WAS GREAT.

UM, QUESTION, HAVE YOU ALL LOOKED AT THE, AND I KNOW THIS WOULD BE PROBABLY, IT'S NOT PROBABLY IT IS DIFFICULT.

UM, SORT OF THE HISTORIC NUMBERS, UM, I KNOW THAT IT WAS DESCRIBED IN WHAT YEAR THE BARTON CREEK, BARTON SPRINGS SALAMANDER 1993, AUSTIN BLIND 2001.

ARE, DO WE KNOW IF THERE ARE HISTORICAL COMMENTS OR MENTIONS ABOUT SALAMANDERS IN THAT AREA? ANYTHING IN THE HISTORICAL DATA? THE EARLY, SO OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, YES.

I BELIEVE THE EARLIEST RECORD OF BARTON SPRING SALAMANDERS IS FROM THE FORTIES.

THAT'S, THAT'S A MUSEUM SPECIMEN.

SO THIS WOULD'VE BEEN AFTER WORK ON THE, I'M I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT IF THERE WAS A, WHAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE BUILDING OF THE BARTON SPRINGS POOL MIGHT HAVE BEEN ON WHATEVER THE ORIGINAL POPULATION WAS.

YEAH, WELL THAT'S A REAL CAN OF WORMS, BUT , UM, YOU KNOW, MY, MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION, IF YOU LOOK AT SAN MARCOS SPRINGS AND AU SPRINGS, YEAH, THEY SEEM TO HAVE MUCH LARGER SWATHS OF SALAMANDER HABITAT AND THOSE ARE ALSO MUCH BIGGER SPRINGS, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE ALSO DAMNED TO A CERTAIN DEGREE.

UM, SO THERE'S NO QUESTION IN MY MIND THAT THE DAMS HAVE SOME IMPACT.

THE NATURAL HYDROLOGY OF THE AREA HAS SOME, SOME IMPACT.

UM, AND WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH IN ELIZA SPRING, KEEPING THE WATER SHALLOW AND FAST MOVING AND, AND FLOWING EVEN, EVEN DURING THE DROUGHT, NOW WE DO SOME TRICKERY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

I'LL SAY MM-HMM .

BUT, UM, THE, THE POPULATION'S DOING REALLY WELL THERE.

WHEREAS IN BART SPRINGS POOL, WHEN WE DO OUR SURVEY, WE SEE A DOZEN 30, YOU KNOW, COMPARED TO HUNDREDS 1500 IN, IN, IN ELIZA SPRING AT SUNKEN GARDEN, WE'RE SEEING ZERO.

I DON'T RECALL THE LAST TIME WE SAW SALAMANDER THERE.

IT MIGHT'VE BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS NOT DOING GREAT THERE.

AND AS I MENTIONED, UPPER BARTON SPRINGS BEEN DRY, SO YEAH.

ANYBODY ELSE COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, WELL I AM GOING TO READ OUR LETTER AND THEN WE WILL, UM, ASK FOR A MOTION OF SUPPORT FROM THE BOARD.

THIS ONE IS, UM,

[01:00:01]

DATED APRIL 27TH, 2026.

AND IT SAYS, DEAR SALAMANDER CONSERVATION PROGRAM TEAM ON BEHALF OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, OH, YOU MOVED ON ME.

NO, YOU'RE FINE, YOU'RE FINE.

UM, WE WANNA EXTEND OUR APPRECIATION FOR THE THOUGHTFUL AND IMPORTANT WORK YOU DO TO PROTECT SOME OF AUSTIN'S MOST UNIQUE AND BELOVED RESIDENTS.

YOUR CARE FOR THE BARTON SPRINGS JOLLYVILLE PLATEAU AND AUSTIN BLIND SALAMANDERS, HIGHLIGHT YOUR DEDICATION TO PRESERVING A NATURAL TREASURE THAT MAKES AUSTIN SO SPECIAL.

THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BARTON SPRINGS POOL HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN, YOU BALANCE THE PROTECTION OF FEDERALLY LISTED SPECIES WITH THE CONTINUED ENJOYMENT OF ONE OF AUSTIN'S MOST ICONIC SPACES FROM HABITAT MANAGEMENT AND RESTORATION TO POPULATION MONITORING AND RESEARCH.

YOUR EFFORTS ENSURE THAT CONSERVATION AND COMMUNITY ACCESS CAN SUCCESSFULLY CO-EXIST.

WE ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE THE CARE AND CREATIVITY BEHIND YOUR CONSERVATION STRATEGIES.

WHETHER THROUGH THE AUSTIN SALAMANDER CONSERVATION CENTER RESTORATION PROJECTS LIKE THE ELIZA DAY LIGHTING OR LONG-TERM PLANNING FOR HABITAT PROTECTION, YOUR TEAM CONTINUES TO ADVANCE IN INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS THAT SAFEGUARD THESE SPECIES FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

THANK YOU FOR THE PASSION, FOR THE EXPERTISE AND DEDICATION YOU BRING TO THIS WORK.

YOUR EFFORTS NOT ONLY PROTECT THESE REMARKABLE SPECIES, BUT ALSO HELP TELL THE STORY OF AUSTIN'S CONNECTION TO ITS NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.

WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR ALL YOU DO TO KEEP THESE TINY AUSTIN AMBASSADORS THRIVING.

I WAS TRYING TO THINK OF SOMETHING SALAMAY AND IT JUST WASN'T WORKING.

UM, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU.

UM, OKAY.

DO I HAVE A MOTION? I'LL MOVE.

ALRIGHT, I SECOND WE'VE GOT, UH, MOTION ON THE BOARD OR ON, OH MY GOODNESS.

MOTION FROM VICE CHAIR FLOWERS AND A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR RAISE YOUR HAND.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU.

WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE.

NOT THAT THE OTHER ONES AREN'T FUN.

THAT WAS JUST A LOT OF FUN.

OH, LOOK AT THIS VIDEO.

HEY, THE VIDEO.

YEAH, THAT IS A TIME LAPSE QUITE SO FAST.

HE'S NOT JUST SUPER EXCITED ABOUT SALAMANDERS LIKE WE ARE.

WONDERFUL.

ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH.

ALRIGHT, WE

[3. Presentation, discussion and approve a recommendation to Austin City Council that the Parks and Recreation Board supports the Gus Garcia District Park Vision Plan. (Sponsors: Bazan, Flowers) Presenter(s): Charles Mabry, Project Manager, Austin Parks and Recreation. ]

UM, THIS IS A PRESENTATION DISCUSSION AND APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL THAT THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD SUPPORTS THE GUS GARCIA DISTRICT PARK VISION PLAN.

DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ONE? YES.

CHAIR.

UH, OUR FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTER WILL BE CHRIS FLORES.

CHRIS.

NOW, I BELIEVE THAT'S THE ONLY, I DON'T HAVE ANYONE ELSE SIGNED UP ON THIS ITEM.

SO, CHRIS, YOU'LL BE THE ONLY SPEAKER ON ITEM THREE.

YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.

UH, GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS CHRIS FLORES.

I LIVE IN DISTRICT 10.

I'M TESTIFYING IN FAVOR OF THE GUS GARCIA PARK VISION PLAN TONIGHT.

AND I HAVE ONE ASK THAT YOU APPROVE THE PRESENTATION SUGGESTING MORE INFORMATION BE ADDED.

THESE POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS OFFER A ROADMAP TO COMMUNITY GROUPS.

LIKE MANY PEOPLE REGULARLY IN THE AUDIENCE AT THESE MONTHLY PARK BOARD MEETINGS.

I'M AN ADVOCATE FOR A SMALL PARK IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT NEEDS WORK.

AND I'VE BEEN TRYING FOR MANY YEARS TO LEARN FROM THIS BOARD, CITY PARK STAFF AND MY FELLOW FRIENDS OF ADVOCATES, HOW THE VISION PLAN WORK HAPPENS AND CRITICALLY HOW MUCH MONEY HAS TO BE RAISED FROM WHAT CITY, STATE, OR PRIVATE FUNDS TOWARDS NOT ONLY A COUNCIL APPROVED VISION PLAN, BUT FOR THE ACTUAL BUILT UPGRADE OF A BELOVED EXISTING PARK.

UH, MR. CHARLES MARE'S PRESENTATION IS THOROUGH.

IT PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF GUS GARCIA PARK'S HISTORY.

IT ANSWERS THE QUESTION WHY NOW IT STATES THE REQUIRED COMMUNITY FEEDBACK WAS DONE.

IT PROVIDES AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE FINAL PARK PROPOSED FEATURES, AND IT CONCLUDES WITH TWO ACTION REQUESTS, DIRECTOR APPROVAL AND INFORM STAKEHOLDERS.

I THINK IT SHOULD ALSO SAY, UM, CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL.

UM, I GOOGLE SEARCHED FRIENDS OF GUS GARCIA PARK TO SEE IF THERE WAS A CITIZEN GROUP INVOLVED WITH THE VISION PLAN.

AND IF SO, WHAT PARK LEVEL WERE THEY? I FOUND INFORMATION FROM PRIVATE PARKS, AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION WEBPAGE, A HALF A MILLION DOLLAR GRANT FROM THE STATE MATCHED BY ANOTHER HALF MILLION FROM THE CITY FOR A COMMUNITY GARDEN.

UM, I FOUND IN THE AUSTIN PARKS DEPARTMENT WEBPAGE, THERE WAS A 1998 BOND ELECTION, A 2001 TO 2005 DELAY, A 2008 RECREATION CENTER, GRAND OPENING, UM, BITS AND PIECES OF A VERY, VERY

[01:05:01]

LONG HISTORY.

UM, UH, TONIGHT'S POWERPOINT DOES NOT MENTION THE ESTIMATED COST OF BUILDING THE VISION IN 2020 $6.

IT DOESN'T SAY WHAT BASIC INFLATION CALCULATOR OF THE COST OF BUILDING IT IS, IF IT'S DEFERRED YEAR OVER YEAR, IT DOESN'T SAY WHERE THE MONEY IS TO COME FROM, WHO APPLIES FOR WHAT KIND OF GRANTS, WHICH CITY DEPARTMENT OR PRIVATE NONPROFIT WOULD BE PAID TO DO THE WORK OF BUILDING, UM, AND, AND CARRYING OUT THE PLAN.

AND HOW MANY CITY STAFF AND FRIENDS OF SERVICE HOURS WENT INTO MAKING THIS VISION PLAN.

UH, I, UH, ASK THAT YOU MAKE THIS PRESENTATION AND EXERCISE IN TRANSPARENCY SO THAT AS THIS ITEM WINDS ITS WAY TO CITY COUNCIL, THE GREATER PUBLIC CAN GET A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT ACTUALLY TAKES TO DO THIS KIND OF WORK.

I BELIEVE THAT'S THE END OF PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.

IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE PARK, THE GREEN SHAPE IS, IS DESIGNATING A DOG OFF LEASH AREA.

WE'LL HAVE THE PRESENTATION.

GOOD EVENING PARK BOARD.

MEMBERS, MY NAME IS CHARLES MABERRY.

I'M A PROJECT MANAGER WITH, UH, PARK PLANNING DIVISION, AND I'M HERE THIS EVENING TO PRESENT THE GUS GARCIA PARK DIS, UH, VISION PLAN, UH, THE PROCESS FOR FORMALIZING THE EXISTING PLAN THAT WE ARE WORKING FROM, AND ALSO TO REQUEST YOUR RECOMMENDATION ON APPROVAL OF THE PLAN.

UH, FOR THOSE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE PARK, UM, THIS IS AN AERIAL OF THE PARK TO THE RIGHT OUTLINED IN LIGHT BLUE.

UM, THE PARK'S LOCATED AT 1201 EAST RUNDBERG.

IT'S A 47 ACRE DISTRICT PARK, ABOUT A HALF MILE EAST OF I 35, UM, SURROUNDED PRIMARILY BY MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL AND ALSO SOME SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL.

AND YOU'LL SEE ADOBE MIDDLE SCHOOL TO THE NORTH OF THE SIDE ACROSS RUNDBERG.

THE SIDE IS PRETTY SLOPED FROM RUNDBERG DOWN TO A TRIBUTARY OF LITTLE WALNUT CREEK.

UM, AND YOU CAN SEE IT'S, IT'S FAIRLY WOODED IN THE SOUTHWEST.

UM, PART OF THE, THE PARK.

THE CURRENT AMENITIES INCLUDE A 20,000 SQUARE FOOT RECREATION CENTER IN THE CENTER OF THE PARK, UM, IN THE ASSOCIATED PARKING WITH ABOUT 160 SPACES.

UM, THERE'S A PLAYGROUND AND FITNESS EQUIPMENT BEHIND THE REC CENTER.

THERE'S A FAIRLY LARGE PICNIC PAVILION.

THERE'S TWO MULTI-USE FIELDS, AND ONE OF THOSE IS A, IS A LIGHTED FULL-SIZE SOCCER FIELD, UM, UP BY RUNDBERG.

UM, THERE'S A VERY ACTIVE COMMUNITY GARDEN ADJACENT TO THE PARKING LOT.

THERE'S ALSO A LIGHTED BASKETBALL COURT, UM, NEXT TO THE PARKING LOT.

AND THROUGHOUT THE SIDE YOU'LL SEE, UM, GRANITE TRAILS.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

CAN I CONTROL THIS? THERE YOU GO.

SO OUR DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, UM, STARTED ACTUALLY, SORRY ABOUT THAT.

I THINK WE, SO THIS IS THE EXISTING DRAFT VISION PLAN THAT WE'RE WORKING FROM.

UM, THIS IS NOT A, WHAT WE'RE SHOWING HERE TODAY IS NOT A FULL-BLOWN, UM, VISION PLAN PROCESS.

WHAT WE'RE REALLY DOING IS, IS TAKING THE DRAFT VISION PLAN THAT, UM, IS EXISTING, UM, WITH THE PARK AND WE'RE REALLY FORMALIZING THAT PLAN.

AND THIS PLAN WAS DEVELOPED IN 2008, AROUND THE SAME TIME THAT THE RECREATION CENTER WAS DEVELOPED.

UM, AND IT WAS NEVER FORMALLY APPROVED AT THAT TIME.

THERE WASN'T A FORMAL PROCESS FOR APPROVING DISTRICT PARK PLANS WITHIN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.

UM, YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THE EXISTING AMENITIES WE'RE SHOWING THOSE LETTERED.

AND THE NUMBERED ITEMS ARE, ARE FUTURE AMENITIES THAT ARE PART OF THAT EXISTING, UM, VISION PLAN.

AND SOME OF THOSE ITEMS INCLUDE OVERFLOW PARKING IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE SITE.

UM, THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL COURTS IN BLUE, YOU'LL SEE AN AQUATIC CENTER, WHICH ACTUALLY IS CONFLICTING WITH, UH, EXISTING COMMUNITY GARDEN.

UM, THERE'S VOLLEYBALL COURTS TO THE SOUTH OF THAT.

UM, THE TWO YELLOW AMOEBA SHAPES ARE, ARE PICNIC AREAS.

AND TO THE EAST OF THE SITE, YOU'LL SEE TWO FORMAL BALL FIELDS FOR SOFTBALL OR BASEBALL.

AND

[01:10:01]

SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING TO FORMALIZE THIS PLAN FOR SEVERAL, SEVERAL REASONS.

UM, FIRST WE WANT TO DOCUMENT THE CURRENT PARK AMENITIES AND, AND SOME OF THOSE THAT DIDN'T, DIDN'T QUITE FOLLOW THE EXISTING PLAN.

WE WANNA UPDATE ANY FUTURE AMENITIES TO, TO STOP ANY CONFLICTS THAT MAY BE OCCURRING.

UM, OF COURSE, WE WANT TO COMMUNICATE ANY PROPOSED FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS.

UM, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMUNITY TO GIVE FEEDBACK ON THAT EXISTING PLAN.

AND ALSO IT'S, UH, AGAIN, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FORMAL APPROVAL, UM, BY THE, THE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION.

AND WITH THESE REALLY, THESE LAST THREE BULLETS REALLY HELP US IN, UM, COMMUNICATING, UM, FOR BOND AND GRANT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FUTURE.

SO OUR DEVELOPMENT PROCESS REALLY STARTED, UM, BACK IN THE SUMMER OF 2025 LAST YEAR.

UM, AND WE STARTED BY REVIEWING HISTORICAL COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.

AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THAT THE AMENITIES THAT WERE SHOWN IN THE 2008 PLAN WERE STILL VALID.

UM, AND THEY, THEY DEFINITELY WERE.

UM, AND WE ALSO TOOK A LOOK AT THE CURRENT PARK AMENITIES AND, AND ALSO THE PARK ITSELF AND THE, AND DOING A SITE ANALYSIS OF THE PARK AND MAKING SURE THOSE FUTURE AMENITIES STILL WERE IN IDEAL LOCATIONS.

AND WITH THAT, WE DEVELOPED A NEW DRAFT PLAN.

AND IN OCTOBER OF 2025, HAD ONE ROUND OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOLLOWED BY AN UPDATE TO THAT, UM, PLAN WE, WHICH WE CALL THE FINAL DRAFT VISION PLAN.

AND FOLLOWED UP WITH, THROUGH NOVEMBER, WE HAD ANOTHER ROUND OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

AND HERE WE ARE TODAY, UM, IN THE SPRING TO APPROVE THE VISION PLAN.

SO LOOKING AT THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL, UM, AGAIN, WE STARTED ROUND ONE IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, AND WE, WE HAD A DISPLAY BOARD OF THE, OF THE DRAFT PLAN THAT WE CREATED AT THE RECREATION CENTER, HAD LINKS TO AN ONLINE SURVEY, UM, AND HAD TRANSLATION IN SPANISH AND VIETNAMESE FOR THAT SURVEY TO MAKE SURE WE WERE REACHING OUT TO OUR, UM, TO OUR PARK USERS AT THE SITE.

THERE'S ALSO A SATURDAY POP-UP EVENT AND ALSO A MEETING WITH, UH, RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD THAT OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM HANDLED.

AND WITH THAT, WITH THIS, WE RECEIVED 48 SURVEY RESPONSES.

UM, OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE RESPONSES.

I THINK PEOPLE ARE EXCITED TO SEE THAT THERE, THERE ARE, THERE IS A FUTURE, UM, GROWTH PLAN FOR THE PARK AND FUTURE AMENITIES ARE, ARE PLANNED.

UM, FROM THIS SURVEY, WE, WE CREATED A, OUR FINAL DRAFT PLAN AND THEN HAD ANOTHER ROUND OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, STARTING IN AT THE RIGHT, AT THE END OF OCTOBER THROUGH NOVEMBER.

UM, WE UPDATED THAT DISPLAY BOARD AT THE REC CENTER, UM, WITH ANOTHER LINK FOR, FOR COMMENTS, UM, AND HAD A PRESENTATION AT A HALLOWEEN EVENT.

AND YOU CAN SEE A COUPLE OF PHOTOS FROM, FROM THAT EVENT.

AND SO OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STAFF, UM, SHOWING SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE HALLOWEEN ATTENDEES.

UM, AND FROM THAT WE RECEIVED 33 COMMENT CARDS.

AND, AND FROM THIS COMMUNITY GUYS, WE WERE REALLY LEAVING IT OPEN-ENDED TO ASK, YOU KNOW, IS, ARE THERE ANY, UM, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE PLAN? ANY CONCERNS? AND AGAIN, VERY POSITIVE.

YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE QUOTES ON THE SLIDE FROM, FROM SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE WE RECEIVED IN BOTH ROUNDS.

SO THIS IS OUR DRAFT FINAL VISION PLAN.

UM, AND THIS IS THE PLAN THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION, UM, ON APPROVAL.

UM, SOME OF THE PLAN CHANGES INCLUDE EXPANDING THE FORMAL AND NATURE TRAILS.

AND BY FORMAL IT'S THE GRANITE TRAILS.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO CLOSE SOME LOOPS AND, UM, AND CREATE A BETTER OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO GET AROUND THE PARK.

THE NATURE TRAILS NUMBER 10 ARE THE WHITE DASH LINES, AND YOU CAN SEE THOSE THROUGHOUT THE PARK.

AND WE TRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT, THAT WOODED AREA DOWN NEAR THE LITTLE WALNUT CREEK TRIBUTARY.

UM, WE RELOCATED THE SPORTS COURTS NUMBER TWO UP IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER TO BE CLOSER TO THE BASKETBALL COURT.

WE RELOCATED THE AQUATIC CENTER SO IT DIDN'T

[01:15:01]

CONFLICT WITH THE COMMUNITY GARDEN.

AND THAT'S IN THE FAR NORTHWEST CORNER.

NUMBER THREE, UM, RELOCATED THE SAND VOLLEYBALL COURTS NUMBER FIVE.

WE MOVED THOSE OUT OF THE WOODED AREA AND GOT 'EM TO A MORE ACTIVE OPEN AREA OF THE PARK.

UM, EXPANDED SOME OF THE PICNIC AREAS TO THE EAST OF THE REC CENTER.

THAT'S NUMBER SIX.

UM, YOU CAN SEE SOME NATURE TRAILS GOING THROUGH THAT AREA, UM, ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE PARK.

AND IT'S, IT'S PRETTY WOODED.

SO A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR SHADE OVER THERE.

UH, RELOCATED, UM, ACTUALLY ADDED A MULTI-USE FIELD NUMBER SEVEN, AND THIS IS WHERE THE FORMAL BALL FIELDS WERE LOCATED AND WE REALLY FELT THOSE WERE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THIS.

UM, CORNER OF THE SIDE IS A FAIRLY WELL SLOPED AREA, AND IT'S ALSO ADJACENT TO, UM, SOME SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND IT IS JUST TOO CLOSE TO THOSE HOMES.

BUT WE DID ADD BACK IN A MULTI-USE FIELD.

UM, SO THERE IS STILL THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR RECREATIONAL PLAY FOR BASEBALL, SOFTBALL OR, OR SOCCER OR ANY SPORT.

UM, WE RELOCATED THE DOG OFF LEASH AREA NUMBER EIGHT.

UM, WE, WE MOVED THAT NORTH TO GET TO A MORE ACTIVE AREA OF THE PARK.

THE SOUTHERN AREA OF THE PARK IS, IS FAIRLY ISOLATED AND THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF ACCESS TO THE PARK IN THIS AREA, SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THOSE USERS THAT WANTED TO GO TO THE DOG OFF LEASH AREA HAD A BETTER OPPORTUNITY.

UM, AND FINALLY WE WERE SHOWING THE NEW SENIOR CENTER WING NUMBER NINE IN PURPLE ADJACENT TO THE EXISTING REC CENTER.

AND THIS IS A PROJECT THAT OUR DEVELOPMENT TEAM IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON A PRELIMINARY DESIGN FOR, AND THEY HOPE TO HAVE THAT DONE LATER THIS YEAR TO, TO COINCIDE WITH THE BOND ELECTION.

SO AGAIN, WE ARE HERE TO ASK FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION ON THE APPROVAL OF THE GUS GARCIA DISTRICT PARK VISION PLAN.

AND UPON YOUR, YOUR RECOMMENDATION, THE NEXT STEPS ARE APPROVAL BY THE DIRECTOR, UM, OF THE VISION PLAN.

AND FROM THERE WE'LL INFORM THE STAKEHOLDERS OF APPROVAL BY WITH THE LETTER AND ALSO, UM, PLACING A, A NEW BOARD AT THE REC CENTER AND ALSO, UM, PUTTING IT ON THE WEBPAGE FOR THE PROJECT.

AND I ALSO ALSO WANTED TO, UM, JUST RECOGNIZE THAT THIS WAS A TEAM EFFORT, UM, BY THE, BY AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION AND, AND UNDER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE STAFF MEMBERS WHO HELPED OUT WITH THIS PROJECT.

AND WITH THAT, I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.

YEAH, THIS IS NOT A QUESTION FOR YOUR EFFORTS ON THE VISION PLAN.

UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR A WHILE, ARE FOLLOWING THIS FOR SOME TIME, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS PREVIOUSLY ABOUT GUS GARCIA.

UH, I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT, UH, THE GROUPS THAT I'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH OF CONSTITUENTS ARE VERY HAPPY WITH WHERE WE ARE GOING WITH THIS PLAN.

AND I HAD A PLEASURE OF SEEING THIS PRESENTATION A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER VELA AND, AND VERY SUPPORTIVE.

SO I JUST WANNA THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR EFFORTS IN THIS SPACE.

I THINK THIS IS REALLY A GOOD PLAN MOVING FORWARD, FORWARD FOR THE RECREATION CENTER.

QUESTIONS BOARD MEMBERS.

I, I JUST HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE DOG OFF LEASH AREA, JUST BECAUSE WE'VE HAD, UM, PEOPLE COMMENT AROUND DOG OFF LEASH ZONES BEFORE.

HOW IS THAT, LIKE, IS IT SIMILAR TO DOWN BY ZILKER PARK OR LIKE, HOW'S IT DESIGNATED AS OFF LEASH? UM, YEAH.

THIS, THIS WOULD BE A, IT WOULD BE FENCED AND SO IT WOULD BE A, IT'D BE OBVIOUS THAT IT'S AN AWFULLY SHERRY WOULD BE SIGNED AND FENCED.

THAT'S SUPER HELPFUL.

YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.

I BELIEVE IT'S NUMBERED AS NUMBER 10, UM, WHERE THE TRAIL GOES BY LITTLE WALNUT CREEK, I BELIEVE IT'S IN THE DASH LINE MM-HMM .

UM, YES.

IS, IS THERE BASICALLY LIKE A LITTLE BRIDGE THAT'S GOING TO BE CROSSING THE CREEK THAT'S PROBABLY IN THAT AREA? I, YOU KNOW, IT'S, THIS CREEK DOES NOT ALWAYS RUN, BUT, UM, I THINK WE'D EITHER HAVE A LOW WATER CROSSING, YOU KNOW, WITH A ROCK HOP OR, OR IT COULD BE A SMALL BRIDGE.

AND WE HAVEN'T QUITE DETERMINED THAT YET.

AND THIS IS REALLY, THIS IS CONCEPTUAL.

SO WE'RE, WE'RE JUST, WE'RE SHOWING THE IDEA OF NATURE TRAILS IN THIS WOODED AREA.

WE'RE NOT SURE IF THEY'RE GONNA LAY OUT EXACTLY LIKE THIS.

THE QUESTION IS IN PEOPLE'S MIND AS WELL.

I, I FOLLOW FOLLOW UP QUESTION.

UM, AND THIS IS, UM, FOR MY OWN CURIOSITY, MAYBE IT'S,

[01:20:01]

UM, ARE THERE ANY SAFETY STUDIES ABOUT, UM, UM, BASICALLY FLOODING IN THE AREA OR, UH, AND HAVING A TRAIL, UM, ADJACENT TO THE CREEK? I'M NOT AWARE OF SAFETY STUDIES, BUT THESE ARE, THESE, THESE ARE NATURE TRAILS, SO THEY WILL JUST BE BASICALLY DIRT TRAILS.

UM, SO THEY WILL, THEY'RE UNFORTUNATELY NOT GONNA BE A DA ACCESSIBLE OR, OR VERY FORMAL TRAILS.

THEY'RE, THEY'RE REALLY NARROW.

THEY, THEY'RE PLANNED TO BE NARROW TO DIRT TRAILS THROUGH THE WOODED AREA.

RIGHT? SO THAT'S IN CONTRAST WITH THE OFFICIAL TRAILS THAT ARE BEING, UM, PROPOSED IN, IN THE GRAPHIC, THE FORMAL TRAILS, RIGHT? YEAH, YEAH.

THE, THE, THE TRAILS YOU SEE IN, IN THE, THE BROWNISH COLOR, THE, THE NUMBER ONE TRAILS ARE, A LOT OF THOSE ARE EXISTING, BUT THOSE ARE INTENDED TO BE ACCESSIBLE GRANITE TRAILS LIKE YOU SEE ON LADY BIRD LAKE.

BOARD MEMBERS ONLINE, ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.

UM, WITH THAT, NO QUESTIONS.

UM, I CAN ENTERTAIN A MOTION THEN I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE, UH, VISION MASTER PLAN, UH, AS PRESENTED TONIGHT, UH, FOR GUS GARCIA RECREATION CENTER AND PARK, I SECOND.

ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FROM VICE CHAIR FLOWERS AND A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER ABARA.

UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT.

NOT HEARING ANY, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE.

ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

ALRIGHT, IT'S UNANIMOUS.

MOVE ON TO, LET'S SEE WHAT TIME IT IS, SEVEN 30.

APPRECIATE IT.

AND WHAT A FINE DAY FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.

YEAH, REMEMBER .

ALRIGHT, UM, WE WILL

[4. Presentation, discussion, and approve recommendations to the Austin City Council regarding the proposed 2026 General Obligation Bond. (Sponsors: Bazan, Flowers) Presenter(s): Alyssa Tharrett, Project Management Supervisor and Liana Kallivoka, Assistant Director, Austin Parks and Recreation. ]

UM, TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, THIS IS, UM, PRESENTATION DISCUSSION, APPROVED RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL REGARDING THE PROPOSED 2026 GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND.

DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS ON THIS? I BELIEVE WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER ON THIS.

TED SIF.

TED, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.

CHAIR BZA AND, AND, UH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

I'M HERE SIMPLY TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM.

I APPEAR AS A, UH, REPRESENTING MYSELF, BUT ALSO AS A MEMBER OF THE AUSTIN OUTSIDE AD HOC BOND COMMITTEE.

AUSTIN OUTSIDE IS A COALITION OF BUSINESSES AND NON-PROFITS DEDICATED TO IDENTIFYING PUBLIC FUNDS TO GET US ALL CLOSER TO NATURE.

SO EVERYTHING THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS PROPOSING AND THIS BOND UPDATE IS SOMETHING THAT WE SUPPORT.

I WOULD PARTICULARLY EMPHASIZE THAT SINCE THE LAST FUNDING BOND FUNDING FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT EIGHT YEARS AGO, THEY'VE EXPENDED THEIR FUNDS AND AS IS WILL BE REPRESENTED IN JUST A MOMENT IN DETAIL, THERE'S DRAMATIC NEEDS FOR NEW ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR AQUATICS FACILITIES, FOR PARKLAND INFRASTRUCTURE, FOR PARKLAND IMPROVEMENTS, AND FOR THINGS LIKE THE GUS GARCIA SENIOR CENTER.

SO, UH, UH, I APPLAUD THE PARKS DEPARTMENT FOR DEVELOPING THIS $250 MILLION PACKAGE IN RESPONSE TO THE SUB QUORUM COUNCIL SUB QUORUMS POST JUST A WEEK AGO, BECAUSE THE BOND TASK FORCE IN ITS 18 MONTHS WORTH OF DELIBERATION, ALL WELL SPENT TIME, BUT BECAUSE OF THE IMMENSE NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, THE BOND TASK FORCE'S LARGE PACKAGE RECOMMENDATION, WHICH WILL BE A 700 TO $750 MILLION TOTAL PACKAGE WILL ONLY FUND PARKS AT SOMETHING AROUND 150, NOT 250.

SO I APPLAUD YOUR HOPE, I HOPE YOU RECOMMEND THIS PACKAGE, UH, TO COUNCIL AND IT WILL ENCOURAGE THE BOND TASK FORCE, WHICH HAS ONE MORE MEETING NEXT MONDAY TO LOOK AT IT TO RE MAKE THEIR OWN RECOMMENDATIONS IN RESPONSE TO THE SUB QUORUMS POST AND INCLUDE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PARKS IN IT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

[01:25:08]

THAT EQUALED 15, 20 AND 25% OF THE PROPOSED 20 $750 MILLION BOND PACKAGE.

THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION AND PRESENT THE, UH, UPDATE ON THE 2026 BOND PROGRAM TO, UH, TO THE PARKS BOARD.

I'M LIANA KAKA.

I AM AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR PARKS RECREATION DEPARTMENT, AND I'M HERE WITH, UM, ALYSSA THARE, WHO IS, UH, AN ARCHITECT AND THE DIVISION MANAGER OVER, UH, ARCHITECTURAL DEVELOPMENT.

AND, UH, A, UM, A LEAD FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BOND, UM, PROGRAM.

I WANT ALSO TO RECOGNIZE ANOTHER TEAM MEMBER HERE TONIGHT, RACHEL MORRIS.

SHE IS OUR, UM, CAPITAL, UH, UH, PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT, UM, MANAGER.

AND SHE HAS ALSO BEEN PART OF THE CORE TEAM FOR, FOR THE BOND.

AND WITH THAT, I WILL PASS IT ON TO THE ELISA TO ELISA TO, UH, START THE, UH, PRESENTATION.

HELLO.

THANKS FOR HAVING US HERE.

UM, WE WANTED TO PROVIDE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE BOND PROGRAM PROGRESS SINCE WE LAST COMMUNICATED WITH THE BOARD, WHICH WAS IN A MEMO, UH, LAST AUGUST, UH, PARALLEL TO THE CITY'S BOND PROGRAM TEAMWORK.

THE, UH, BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE HAS ALSO BEEN REVIEWING AND DEVELOPING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PROPOSED 2026 BOND.

UH, WE'LL GO OVER SOME OF THESE KEY MILESTONES SHOWN IN THIS, UH, SCHEDULE AND THE FOLLOWING SLIDES.

I'M GONNA STEP BACK JUST SLIGHTLY FROM THE PREVIOUS TIMELINE.

WE SHOWED, UH, THERE WAS A MEMO ISSUED TO COUNSEL IN JULY OF 2025, AND IT OUTLINED EACH DEPARTMENT'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE BOND WITHIN THAT.

THE PARKS RECOMMENDED $410 MILLION, UH, ORGANIZED INTO PROGRAM BUCKETS, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE CHART HERE.

AND WHILE THIS DOESN'T REPRESENT OUR TOTAL UNIVERSE OF NEEDS FOR THE PARKS, WHICH IS CLOSER TO 1.4 BILLION, IT WAS THE AMOUNT THAT THE DEPARTMENT REASONABLY COULD DELIVER IN A SIX YEAR BOND CYCLE.

THE ENTIRE CITY, UH, ALL DEPARTMENTS HAD AN EXTENSIVE $3.9 BILLION OF PROJECT IDENTIFIED.

SO THE CITY WENT THROUGH AN INTERNAL PROJECT REVIEW BOARD PROCESS LED BY CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES TO IDENTIFY WHICH PROJECTS SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED IN THE BOND PACKAGE THAT WAS BELIEVED AT THE TIME TO BE CLOSE TO 700 MILLION IN TOTAL.

THE PROCESS EVENTUALLY LED THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION RELEASED IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, AND CONCURRENTLY BE DIFF UH, WORKING GROUPS.

UM, WE MET WITH BE DIFF WORKING GROUPS TO PRESENT, UH, THIS $410 MILLION SCENARIO IN MORE DETAIL OF WHAT EACH OF THOSE PROGRAMS COULD INCLUDE AS EXAMPLE PROJECTS.

UH, AND YOU CAN FIND THOSE PRESENTATIONS LINKED IN THE PRESENTATION EXCELLENT.

IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, UH, FINANCIAL SERVICES ENDED UP RECOMMENDING A MAXIMUM OF 750 MILLION.

THAT'S UP 50 MILLION FROM WHAT THEY THOUGHT PREVIOUSLY.

AND THEN IN SHORTLY THEREAFTER, CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES ISSUED ANOTHER, UM, MEMO TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL WITH THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE THE TOTAL BOND PACKAGE.

UH, THEY IDENTIFIED $140 MILLION FOR THE PARKS ORGANIZED INTO PROGRAMS. AS OUTLINED IN THE CHART HERE, THIS RECOMMENDATION GENERALLY ALIGNS WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT'S PRIORITIES WITH THE HIGHEST NEED AND FUNDING RELATED TO THE CENTRAL MAINTENANCE COMPLEX FACILITY, FOLLOWED BY FUNDING FOR PARKLAND ACQUISITIONS AND LEAVING MINIMAL FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR ALL THE OTHER PROGRAMS FOR EMERGENCY NEEDS.

HOWEVER, THESE FUNDS MIGHT NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO FUND ALL OUR CRITICAL NEEDS.

THE DEPARTMENT WILL DO THE BEST TO KEEP ALL THE FACILITIES OPERATIONAL, BUT DUE TO THE EXTENDED AGE, WHICH IS AT LEAST 50 YEARS OLD, ON AVERAGE OF MOST OF OUR FACILITIES, THEY MAY EXPERIENCE MAJOR SYSTEM FAILURES THAT COULD NOT BE RESOLVED WITH THIS LEVEL OF FUNDING.

UH, THROUGHOUT FEBRUARY, THE CITY HOSTED SEVERAL OPEN HOUSE EVENTS AS WELL AS A PUBLIC SURVEY.

UH, I'LL PROVIDE A SUMMARY OF THESE EVENTS IN THE FOLLOWING SLIDES, BUT THE MAIN FEEDBACK TAKEAWAYS WERE, UM, RESPONDENTS PRIORITIZED IMPROVING EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE OVER BUILDING NEW THE PARKS PROJECTS HAD THE LARGEST SHARE OF GENERAL FEEDBACK AND CONSISTENT SUPPORT, AND 60% OF THE RESPONDENTS SUPPORTED PAYING MORE FOR A BOND.

UH, EARLIER THIS MONTH.

UH, BIFFS PARKLAND WORKING GROUP ALSO SHARED THEIR INITIAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PARK PORTION OF THE BOND.

THE WORKING GROUP WAS TASKED WITH DEVELOPING THREE SCENARIOS

[01:30:01]

AND IN THIS CHART YOU'LL SEE THAT IT'S THE 20% SCENARIO OF 150 MILLION THAT THEY SHARED AT THEIR APRIL 13TH MEETING.

IN THIS RECOMMENDATION, IT'S SIMILAR TO CDS STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION IN THAT IT GENERALLY ALIGNS WITH OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY OF THE CENTRAL MAINTENANCE COMPLEX AND PARKLAND ACQUISITIONS WITH MINIMAL FUNDING FOR EMERGENCY NEEDS AT REC CENTERS.

IT HAS A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR AQUATICS, BUT IT'S NOT SUFFICIENT FOR A FULL FACILITY REPLACEMENT.

UM, AND AGAIN, YOU MAY SEE SOME MAJOR SYSTEM FAILURES IN OUR AGED FACILITIES.

HERE'S A QUICK, UH, SUMMARY OF A COUPLE PARK FOCUSED ITEMS FROM THAT ENGAGEMENT SURVEY I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, YOU CAN SEE THERE WERE TWO METHODOLOGIES.

THEY HAD A REPRESENTATIVE SURVEY, WHICH WAS ONLINE, AND THEN A MORE ENGAGED SURVEY THAT THEY DID IN PERSON AT EVENTS.

BOTH SURVEY RESULTS, UM, IDENTIFIED AS APPROVING EXISTING CITY OWNED PARKS AS THE HIGHEST SCORING PROGRAM, AND THEN THE RENOVATIONS FOR AQUATIC FACILITIES.

SENIOR AND RECREATION CENTERS WERE RANKING ON THE LOWER SIDE COMPARED TO THE OTHERS.

BUT ALL WERE GENERALLY SUPPORTED IN RESPONSE TO CDS STAFF RECOMMENDATION AT THAT 140 MILLION SCENARIO AND B DIFFS RECOMMENDATION, WHICH WAS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.

THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE TWO ALTERNATE FUNDING SCENARIOS FOR THOSE TWO AMOUNTS.

THE 140 MILLION SCENARIO MATCHES THE AMOUNT THAT CDS BROUGHT FORWARD IN JANUARY, AND THE 187 SCENARIO 0.5 SCENARIO REPRESENTS BIFFS 25%.

UH, SCENARIO OF THE $750 MILLION DISCUSSED EARLIER, THIS IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THE ONE 50 MILLION YOU SAW IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE BECAUSE THERE WAS A FURTHER DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLY ADDING A COUPLE SIGNATURE PROJECTS LIKE GUS GARCIA, SENIOR WING AND GARRISON THAT COULD MOVE THAT 150 MILLION A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.

UH, THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE SIMILAR, HOWEVER, THE KEY DIFFERENCE INCLUDES COMBINING THE BUILDING IMPROVEMENT AND RECREATION CENTER PROGRAMS BUCKETS TOGETHER.

THIS MOVE WOULD ALLOW MORE FLEXIBILITY TO OPEN UP POTENTIAL PROJECTS LIKE THE GUS GARCIA SENIOR CENTER IF THE CENTRAL MAINTENANCE COMPLEX FACILITY IS NOT SOLD TO ORACLE, WHICH MAY ALLOW THE DEPARTMENT TO PHASE THAT DEVELOPMENT OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME WHILE REMAINING AT THE EXISTING CMC.

AND THE OTHER MAIN DIFFERENCE INCLUDES PROVIDING FUNDING FOR SOME PARKLAND IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING PARKS, WHICH WAS NOT INCLUDED IN BETA'S INITIAL RECOMMENDATION.

YOU ALREADY SAW THE NUMBERS FOR, UH, A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT SCENARIOS AND AS TED SAFE ALREADY MENTIONED, LAST MONDAY, WE HAD ANOTHER PROPOSAL FROM A SUB QUORUM OF, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS.

AND THAT WAS FOR A BOND PROGRAM AT ABOUT 375 TO 400 MILLION RATHER THAN THE 700 TO 750 MILLION THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING BEFORE.

AND THAT, UM, BOND WILL FOCUS ON PARKS, UM, COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS.

AND IN THAT PARTICULAR, UH, PROPOSAL, THE PA THE PARKS COULD GO AS HIGH AS 250 TO 260 MILLION.

AND THAT AMOUNT WILL NOT INCLUDE MAINTENANCE FACILITIES.

SO, AS ELISA HAS MENTIONED, MAINTENANCE FACILITIES ARE A CRITICAL NEED FOR THEIR DEPARTMENT.

UM, BUT, UM, THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT THIS WILL BE COVERED THROUGH AN ALTERNATIVE DEDICATION, UH, DEDICATED FUNDING THAT PROBABLY WILL BE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.

SO OBVIOUSLY THAT SCENARIO IS ALLOWING US, UM, MUCH MORE FLEXIBILITY.

AND THIS IS THE PROPOSAL THAT WE HAVE PUT FORWARD THAT, UM, IS FOR BUILDINGS RECREATION AND SENIOR CENTER IMPROVEMENTS AT 65 MILLION FOR PARKLAND ACQUISITIONS AT 50 MILLION PARKLAND INFRASTRUCTURE AT 25 MILLION, AQUATICS AT 65 AND PARKLAND IMPROVEMENTS AT 45 MILLION FOR A TOTAL OF TWO 50 WITHOUT INCLUDING THE MAINTENANCE FACILITIES.

AS YOU WILL SEE FROM THIS PROPOSAL, WE ARE NOW ABLE TO

[01:35:01]

GO BACK AND, UM, HAVE, UH, A HEALTHIER LIST OF EXAMPLE PROJECTS THAT WE BELIEVE WE WILL BE ABLE TO DELIVER DURING THE, THE NEXT SIX YEARS.

UM, AND I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW, UM, KEY POINTS ON THAT.

THE FIRST ONE IS, UM, THAT WE HAVE NEW FACILITIES, WE HAVE NEW AMENITIES, WE HAVE NEW PARK DEVELOPMENT, UM, FOR THIS SCENARIO, UM, IN ADDITION, THE FUNDING IS, UM, DISTRIBUTED AMONGST ALL PROGRAM AREAS AND, UH, UH, THAT MEANS THAT, UH, ALL PROGRAMS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME FUNDING TO MOVE FORWARD.

EXAMPLE, PROJECTS ARE PRIORITIZED AND SELECTED BASED ON THE CITYWIDE CRITERIA THAT WERE DEVELOPED.

WERE ESTABLISHED EARLY ON, BUT WITH THIS ADDITIONAL FUNDING, WE ARE ABLE TO IDENTIFY PROJECTS IN ALL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE CITY.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT ALL DISTRICTS GET EQUAL AMOUNTS, BUT ALL PROJECT, ALL DISTRICTS HAVE EXCITING PROJECTS AND THIS IS NOW BECOMING A PARKS BOND FOR, FOR ALL.

AUSTIN.

I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, NOTE THAT THE EXAMPLE PROJECTS ARE, UM, MAKE, THEY MAKE UP ABOUT 60 TO 70% OF THE, UH, TOTAL AMOUNT WITHIN THE PROGRAM.

THIS IS BY DESIGN BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY CONTINGENCY FOR CRITICAL FAILURES, INFLATION AND COST ESCALATIONS DURING THE NEXT SIX YEARS, SO THAT BE ABLE TO DELIVER ALL OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE WANT, UM, TO HAVE TO MAKE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY.

AND I WILL, UM, HIGHLIGHT AGAIN THAT THIS SCENARIO DOES NOT INCLUDE THE MAINTENANCE FACILITIES AND WE HOPE THAT THAT WILL BE FUNDED THROUGH, UM, ALTERNATIVE, UM, FUNDING SOURCES.

SO WHAT IS COMING UP? UM, NEXT, NEXT MONDAY, UH, THERE WILL BE ANOTHER MEETING BY THE BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE AND THEY HOPE TO FINALIZE THEIR RECOMMENDATION TO CANCEL.

AT THE SAME TIME, THE, UH, CITY STAFF WILL FINALIZE THE RECOMMENDATION TO CANCEL SHORTLY THEREAFTER.

CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES, WHICH IS THE DEPARTMENT THAT IS LEADING THE BOND DEVELOPMENT, IS NOW EXPECTED TO PROVIDE A BRIEFING TO THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE ON MAY 20TH.

THE NOTE THAT WE HAVE THERE, THAT THE COUNCIL MEETING THAT WILL DETERMINE THE FINAL RESOLUTION ON THE BOND HAS NOW MOVED TO MAY 28TH.

SO WE HOPE THAT THAT WILL BE THE TIME THAT COUNCIL WILL, UM, MAKE A DECISION ON THE 2026 BOND.

AND IF WE ARE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A BOND, THEN UM, THE LANGUAGE FOR THE BALLOT HAS TO BE SET BY AUGUST 17TH, AND OF COURSE THE VOTERS WILL SPEAK ON NOVEMBER 3RD.

SO WITH THAT, UM, WE HOPE THAT THE BOARD WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN ON A, UM, ON ONE OF THOSE SCENARIOS ON OR MULTIPLE SCENARIOS, UH, SO THAT, UM, THAT WILL BE A RECOMMENDATION FOR COUNCIL AND MAY PROVIDE ALSO FEEDBACK FOR THE BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE THAT THEY HAVE.

THE, THE MEETING NEXT, UH, NEXT MONDAY.

AND WITH THAT, THANK YOU AGAIN AND, UH, WE ARE, WE WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS ONLINE? OKAY, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? OH, SURE.

BOARD MEMBER YOU THINK GONNA WAIT AND SEE ANYBODY ELSE? I DON'T.

DOES ANYBODY? NOPE, GO, GO FOR IT.

I'M ASSUMING WE'RE, WE ARE ASSUMING, OR YOU ARE ASSUMING IS A SORT OF A WORK IN PROGRESS, UM, BETWEEN NOW AND MAY 28TH, THIS COULD CHANGE.

UH, THANKS FOR THAT PRESENTATION.

UH, I I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

UM, THE 400, $450 MILLION BOND PROPOSAL, UM, IS A, UH,

[01:40:01]

I SEE TED SAYING YES.

YES, YES.

UH, THIS, THIS COULD BE.

SO, UH, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE ASKING US AS A POINT OF CLARIFICATION IS SUPPORT FOR THE LARGER NUMBER FOR PARKS, LET'S JUST BE SIMPLE.

IT'S THE 250 OR MORE THAT WOULD BE GOING TO PARKS VERSUS THE SMALLER NUMBER THAT WAS IN THE ACTUAL LARGER BOND.

WE THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE, UH, A BETTER, UM, BOND FOR THE DEPARTMENT.

IF YOU AGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT, THEN YES.

AND IF I JUST MIGHT ADD, I BELIEVE THAT IT'S UP TO US AS A BOARD TO HAVE A DISCUSSION AND MAKE A DECISION ON WHAT WE WILL RECOMMEND.

THEY'RE SIMPLY, UM, SHOWING US SOME VARIOUS SCENARIOS TO CHOOSE FROM, SO RIGHT.

DON'T BELIEVE THEY'RE, EVEN THOUGH THEY MIGHT HAVE AN OPINION OR NOT NECESSARILY TELLING US WHICH ONE TO CHOOSE.

NO, I, I DIDN'T, THAT'S MY, THAT WAS MY QUESTION, .

OH, THAT WAS IT.

UM, OTHER QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS.

UM, WE CAN ENTERTAIN A MOTION AND, UM, IF SOMEBODY FEELS STRONGLY ABOUT ONE OR THE OTHER, AND THEN WE'D HAVE A DISCUSSION AND THEN GO FROM THERE.

IT'S POSSIBLE THAT SOMETHING THAT COMES FORWARD COULD NOT HAVE THE VOTES.

AND SO, UM, THAT'S JUST HOW, HOW IT, HOW IT WORKS.

UM, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, IN SPEAKING WITH, UM, MY COUNCIL MEMBER, HE FEELS REALLY STRONGLY ABOUT THE, UM, FULL SUPPORT.

AND SO, UM, THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT I AM LEANING.

UM, BUT AS CHAIR, I'M GOING TO RESERVE AND, AND SEE WHAT OUR OTHER BOARD MEMBERS SAY BEFORE I PUT FORTH A RECOMMENDATION.

AND WE DO HAVE A DRAFT RECOMMENDATION, UM, THAT BOARD MEMBER BECKER AND, UM, VICE CHAIR FLOWERS AND I DID WORK ON JUST AS A PIECE TO START WITH, UM, THAT, UM, LOOKS AT THE FULL RECOMMENDATION.

BUT AGAIN, IT'S A DRAFT AND A PLACE TO BEGIN SO THAT WE'RE NOT WRITING A FULL RECOMMENDATION HERE TONIGHT.

SO WE'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.

UM, IF I COULD JUST SPEAK TO THE SURE.

THE DRAFT RECOMMENDATION, WHICH DOES RECOMMEND SUPPORT FOR THE FULL $250 MILLION PACKAGE, UM, JUST BASED ON SOME UNDERSTANDING AND SOME OF THE DETAILS IN THE LONG WHERE SECTION THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THE SITUATION.

UM, I DID WANNA CALL OUT IN THE DRAFT RECOMMENDATION.

THERE ARE TWO, UH, TWO, TWO SORT OF TWO CALL OUTS.

ONE IS, UM, WE DID CALL OUT AQUATICS SPECIFICALLY.

I KNOW THAT THAT WAS PART OF THE, UM, UH, RESIDENT COMMUNICATION AT THE BEGINNING.

SO WE DID CALL OUT AQUATICS AND THE NEED FOR MAINTENANCE, NOT SPECIFICALLY NOT ANY SPECIFIC POOL, BUT WE DID NOTE THAT THAT WAS A SIGNIFICANT AREA OF CONCERN AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS DRIVING THE LARGER RECOMMENDATION.

UM, AND THEN THE SECOND ONE WAS WE ALSO, UM, NOTED THAT, UH, THAT IT, IT IS SORT OF A LOWER, AT A LOWER FUND AT IN THE LOWER FUNDING SCENARIOS, THE CENTRAL MAINTENANCE COMPLEX, THE CMC IS ACTUALLY A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT HIT.

SO THERE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL TO, UH, IF IT'S NOT CALLED THAT SEPARATELY IN THE BOND TO FIND AN ALTERNATE FUNDING MECHANISM AS OPPOSED TO TAKING THE MONEY FROM PARKS IN ORDER TO DO THAT, BECAUSE THAT IS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.

SO THOSE ARE TWO THINGS THAT WE CALLED OUT.

AND THEN FINALLY THERE IS A SORT OF A VERY LIGHTWEIGHT AT THE, THE END SAYS SORT OF IN ADDITION, AND THEREFORE WE FURTHER RECOMMEND, BASICALLY SAYS IF THE ALLOCATION FALLS BELOW 250 MILLION AND PRIORITIZATION, UM, IS REQUIRED SORT OF AN INITIAL ATTEMPT TO SORT OF SUGGEST WHAT PRIORITIZATION SHOULD BE, I SHOULD SAY IT'S VERY LIGHTWEIGHT.

SO IF WE DO DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS AND OTHER FOLKS HAVE STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT WHAT SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED, HAVE AT IT.

I, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATION AS POSTED IN BACKUP ON THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD WEBSITE, WHICH IS THE ONE THAT WE HAVE HERE, WHICH IS TITLED 2026 BOND PROGRAM RECOMMENDATION FOR AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION.

AND A SECOND FROM VICE CHAIR FLOWERS AND DISCUSSION.

WE HAVE A MOTION.

SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FROM BOARD MEMBER VILLALOBOS

[01:45:01]

I'M HAPPY TO GIVE A MOMENT TOO FOR FOLKS TO READ THIS IF THEY HAVEN'T.

YEAH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I REALIZE THIS IS MOVING REALLY FAST.

UM, YEAH, TAKE, TAKE SOME TIME ON THE CENTRAL MAINTENANCE COMPLEX WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S EXCLUDED FROM THE BOND PACKAGE TO FIND AN ALTERNATIVE MECHANISM, WHAT ARE SOME THOUGHTS FOR WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE? UH, THOUGHTS WITH YOU? SO MY UNDERSTANDING FROM CONVERSATIONS WITH STAFF IS THAT THE, UH, THE COST OF THE CMC IS ESTIMATED BETWEEN, THIS IS IN THE DOCUMENT SOMEWHERE ESTIMATED IT BETWEEN 50 AND 80 MILLION, WHICH IS A LOT OF MONEY, UM, AND WOULD EAT SIGNIFICANTLY, PARTICULARLY AT SOME OF THE LOWER DOLLAR ESTIMATES, RIGHT.

SO TO ONE 40 OR 180, THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT CHUNK OF IT, ALTHOUGH OBVIOUSLY A LARGE CHUNK OF IT AT TWO 50 AS WELL.

UM, SO GIVEN THE SIZE AND THE SCALE OF THAT, IT SEEMED PRUDENT TO RECOMMEND A COUNCIL THAT THEY CONSIDER AT LEAST CONSIDER ALTERNATE FUNDING MECHANISMS RATHER THAN PULLING IT FROM THE PARKS BOND BECAUSE IT WOULD BE, UH, UH, BECAUSE WE WOULD, IT WOULD BE SO HEAVILY WEIGHTED TOWARDS THAT ONE SPECIFIC THING AS OPPOSED TO BEING MORE SPREAD OUT OVER THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.

SURE, SURE.

THAT ABSOLUTELY MAKES SENSE.

IT IS A LARGE AMOUNT.

I'M JUST WONDERING IF IT DOESN'T COME FROM THE PARKS BOND, LIKE WHERE, WHAT ARE OTHER OPTIONS OR SOURCES FOR THE FUNDING, LIKE BOND FROM A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT OR REALLOCATION OF PARK FUNDS FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE? I'M JUST NOT SURE WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE.

I, I I MEAN I THINK I UNDERSTOOD THE QUESTION, BUT THERE'S A SPECIAL TYPE OF BOND CATEGORY SPECIFICALLY THAT FUNDS TYPES OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR WHICH THIS PARTICULAR RENOVATION IS QUALIFIED.

SO, OH, I SEE.

THE THOUGHT PROCESS IS IT WOULD FALL UNDER THAT CATEGORY, WHICH GIVES THEM MORE FLEXIBILITY THAN IF IT IS PUT WITHIN THE PARKS AND RECREATION CATEGORY.

BUT IF I GOT THAT WRONG STAFF OR SOMEBODY ELSE WHO WAS IN THAT MEETING LAST WEEK, FEEL FREE TO CORRECT ME.

BUT THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING, WALKING AWAY FROM THAT MEETING THROUGH A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS BOND CATEGORY.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT'S CALLED, SO DON'T QUOTE ME ON THAT , BUT IT'S A SPECIAL BUCKET OF FUNDING THAT'S SPECIFICALLY FOR, UM, ONLY CERTAIN QUALIFIED TYPES OF PROJECTS CAN FALL UNDER IT.

AND THIS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED THAT IT WOULD BE A QUALIFIED TYPE OF PROJECT THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO PUT IT IN THAT BUCKET RATHER THAN WITHIN THE LARGER PARKS AND RECREATION BOND NUMBER.

THAT MAKES SENSE.

WE CAN MAKE THE MAXIMUM USE OF AVAILABLE FUNDS FOR OUR PARKS.

SURE.

IF I CAN CLARIFY, IT'S CALLED A NON-VOTER APPROVED GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND, UH, AND IT DOESN'T REQUIRE VOTES ON IT AND IT CAN BE, UH, DECIDED BY CITY MANAGEMENT TO USE FOR QUALIFIED PROJECTS LIKE A MAINTENANCE FACILITY.

I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS HERE.

UM, IN THIS, UH, WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING, A NUMBER, UM, I THINK IT'S THREE AT THE, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE END PAGE, LAST PAGE UNDER THE THEREFORE YEAH, THE THEREFORE NUMBER THREE, STRATEGIC LAND ACQUISITION.

UH, LAND ACQUISITION IS A PRIORITY FOR I THINK PARKS AND CERTAINLY FOR ME, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT CALLED OUT NOT AS SIMPLY PART OF, UH, A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, BUT LAND ACQUISITION FOR THE SAKE OF LAND ACQUISITION.

IN OTHER WORDS, INVENTORYING PARK LAND, GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A GROWING POPULATION AND WE HAVE, UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA MAKE ANY MORE LAND .

SO LAND ACQUISITION, UH, I THINK, UH, I'D LIKE TO SEE IT SOMEHOW PULLED JUST A LITTLE BIT MAYBE WITH AN UNDERLINE OR SOMETHING, UH, TO WHERE IT'S NOT WRAPPED INTO, UH, THE WAY IT'S STATED HERE.

YEAH, I MEAN CERTAINLY WE COULD BREAK OUT STRATEGIC LAND ACQUISITION AS A THIRD AND THEN MAKE A, THE FOURTH POINT PROJECTS THAT DELIVER VISIBLE COMMUNITY SERVING CAPITAL.

DO YOU HAVE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE YOU'D BE INTERESTED IN USING? WELL, YOU GOTTA, YOU GOTTA RUN IT BY THE GUY WHO ACTUALLY PROPOSED THE MOTION.

TAKE A OH, SURE.

FRIENDLY.

ARE YOU FRIENDLY TO THIS? YES, I AM AS WELL.

TO SHOW HOW THE MONIES WERE SPENT THE LAST TIME AROUND.

THE, THE OTHER RECOMMENDATION I WOULD MAKE, AND THIS WOULD BE, UM, I GUESS IT GOES INTO THIS, UM, I THINK IT'D BE REALLY HELPFUL IF WE'RE GOING TO REALLY PUSH FOR THIS

[01:50:01]

IN OTHER WORDS, SHOWING THE VALUE TO THE PUBLIC, UH, THAT CAME FROM THE INVESTMENTS THAT WERE MADE.

WHAT WAS THAT, 18 TO 2018? YES.

AND WE HAVE A REAL TRANSPARENT, UM, ACCOUNTING FOR THAT, UH, SO THAT THE PUBLIC GIVEN CONCERNS THAT ARE BEING EXPRESSED, UH, CAN BE REASSURED OF, UH, HOW THAT MONEY WILL BE SPENT.

UH, OH, GO AHEAD.

OH, GO AHEAD.

I, GOING BACK JUST REALLY QUICKLY TO THE LAND ACQUISITION, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CLEAR THAT IF WE GET TO WHAT, I'M SORRY, I'M JUST TAKING NOTES.

OH, YOU'RE ALREADY PUTTING, UM, WE WOULD GET TO THIS SCENARIO ONLY IF THE ALLOCATION FELL BELOW THE 250 MILLION.

I THINK IT'S STILL IMPORTANT TO BREAK IT OUT, AS YOU SAID, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS CLEAR TO EVERYBODY.

THIS IS, THIS IS, UM, IF, IF IT WEREN'T TO MOVE FORWARD AT THE FULL 250 MILLION, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE STILL SHOWING THAT ALL OF THESE THINGS WERE IMPORTANT AND THAT'S WHY IT'S BROKEN OUT THAT WAY.

SO, BUT WE DO HAVE LAND ACQUISITION IN THE FIRST, UM, PARA PARAGRAPH WHEREAS AS WELL.

SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE OKAY.

COMFORTABLE WITH WHERE IT SITS THERE, WHERE IS THE, WHERE THE FIRST WHEREAS YEAH.

JUST TO POINT THAT OUT SO THAT FOLKS ARE LIKE THAT, THAT IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT THE LAND ACQUISITION APPEARS IN THE, IN THE DRAFT.

AND JUST TO BE REAL FAST ON THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT MM-HMM .

SO I PUT SOME LANGUAGE IN HERE, WHICH I'D LOVE IT IF YOU ALL WOULD APPROVE.

I BROKE OUT.

SO I BROKE OUT STRATEGIC LAND ACQUISITION SEPARATELY AS A THIRD POINT AND WROTE A STRATEGIC LAND ACQUISITION TO SUPPORT ACCESS TO PARKS FOR A GROWING CITY POPULATION.

AND THEN, AND, AND THEN THE FOURTH POINT IS NOW PROJECTS THAT DELIVER VISIBLE COMMUNITY SERVING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ACROSS PARKS, AQUATICS, RECREATION, SENIOR SERVICES, AND TRAILS.

GREAT.

COOL.

BACK TO YOUR SECOND POINT.

UM, ONE THOUGHT I HAD ON THAT WAS, I MEAN, WE COULD PUT A, SO WE HAVE FIVE RECOMMENDATIONS UNDER THERE.

FOUR, WE COULD PUT A SIXTH ONE THAT WAS ABOUT SUPPORTING, UH, THE, WE ENCOURAGE THE CITY TO PROMOTE THE SORT OF THE EVERYTHING THAT WAS ACHIEVED THROUGH THE 2018 BOND.

THE TRANSPARENCY OF HOW THIS IS DONE.

YEP.

SO AGAIN, HAVE TO CHECK WITH THE PERSON WHO MADE THE MOTION.

YEP.

NO VOTER GENERAL OBLIGATION LIMITED IN CASE THERE IS ANOTHER, IF, IF, IF I COULD ADD JUST ONE POINT TO THAT IS, UH, AND IS I, I'M JUST ANTICIPATING SINCE IT'S GOING BEFORE THE VOTERS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE BEST SALES APPROACH TO MAKE, UH, IN OUR RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL? I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I'M UNDERSTANDING THE, UM, THE QUESTION, THE BEST SALES APPROACH, KNOWING THAT VOTERS ARE GOING TO SEE OUR RECOMMENDATION, BUT THEY'LL GET YES.

SAY WILL, WELL, VOTERS AND, AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT TRYING TO MAKE AN ANALOGY, BUT THE TWO, BUT THE SAME VOTERS VOTED ON PROP Q FOR SURE.

FOR SURE.

I THINK THIS WOULD BE BACKUP TO THAT.

UM, SO THIS WOULDN'T BE THE LANGUAGE THAT THE VOTERS NECESSARILY GET, BUT I'M, NO, DON'T, I'M DEFINITELY DON'T HEARING, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOTTEN LOTS OF EMAILS AROUND THIS.

UM, AND SO TRUST IS A HUGE, UM, YEAH.

UM, PRIORITY.

AND SO I BELIEVE SOMETHING THAT YOU GOT IT SAYING WE'RE TRANSPARENT AND SHOWING WHERE THE MONEY IS SPENT, WHICH I FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOT A GOOD START HERE WITH A BREAKDOWN OF, UM, WHAT YOU HAD IN THE PRESENTATION OF WHAT'S GOING TO AQUATICS OR, OR VARIOUS AREAS.

AND SO, UM, I FEEL LIKE WE COULD DO ADDITIONAL BACKUP LIKE THAT OR REQUEST THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE THINGS ARE, ARE BROUGHT FORTH.

UM, BUT CERTAINLY OPEN TO RECOMMENDATIONS AND I THINK, AND INDIVIDUALLY AGAIN, US TALKING WITH OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND SEEING HOW WE CAN HELP CONTINUE THIS FORWARD.

BECAUSE THIS ISN'T, THIS ISN'T THE, THE THE LAST PLACE THAT THIS, YOU KNOW, NO.

WILL BE.

UM, I COULD ALSO ADD THAT, UM, FIRST OF ALL, WE HAD EXAMPLE PROJECTS IN THE 2018 BOND, AND I CAN SAY THAT WE HAVE DELIVERED ALL OF THEM.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE ARE PROUD ABOUT.

AND WE ARE ALSO, UM, VERY CLOSE TO HAVE THAT BOND PACKAGE

[01:55:01]

COMPLETELY SPENT.

WE ARE KEEPING A CONTINGENCY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THROUGH, UM, THE REMAINING MONTHS HOPING THAT THERE IS GONNA BE A 2026 BOND.

SO, UH, SO ONE SUGGESTION I MIGHT HAVE IS THAT A SIX POINT, JUST, I'M JUST, I LOVE, I LOVE DOING THE LIVE, LIVE EDITING IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE, ACT ACTION BACKED.

UM, UH, SO AFTER THE FIFTH POINT ABOUT THE CENTRAL MAINTENANCE COMPLEX, I WROTE A SIXTH ONE THAT SAYS, IN ADVANCE OF THE BOND ELECTION, UH, RECOMMENDS THAT AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL SHOULD IN ADVANCE OF THE BOND ELECTION, LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES AND CHANNELS TO PROMOTE THE SUCCESS OF THE PROJECTS THAT WERE ACCOMPLISHED BY A PR, UM, TO THE PUBLIC AS A RESULT OF FUNDS BROUGHT IN BY THE 2018 BOND.

SORT OF A SIMPLE THING ABOUT MM-HMM .

GOOD TO ME.

OR YOU'LL ACCEPT THAT AS FRIENDLY.

ONE, AND THIS IS JUST A SUGGESTION, WE DON'T HAVE TO PUT THIS IN THERE, BUT GOING BACK TO NUMBER FIVE UNDER THE FIRST, THEREFORE I BELIEVE, UM, UM, AFTER ALTERNATIVE MECHANISM POTENTIALLY IN PARENTHESES SUCH AS THE NO VOTER, CAN YOU REMIND ME WHAT THAT'S GENERAL.

WE CALL CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATIONS, WHICH ARE NON VOTER APPROVED BONDS, CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATIONS, CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION.

MM.

MAYBE WE DON'T NEED THAT.

NON VOTER APPROVED BONDS WOULD BE, YEAH, I JUST, YOU CAN JUST LEAVE IT ALTERNATE, ALTERNATE FUNDING MECHANISMS. WE'LL LEAVE IT ALTERNATE.

I'M REELING THAT BACK.

BOARD MEMBERS ONLINE.

SO YOU'LL HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THESE OR ANYTHING THAT YOU WANNA ADD.

I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOUR VOICES ARE HEARD AND THEN FROM, I JUST WANTED THAT I SUPPORT WHAT YOU GUYS ARE TALKING ABOUT, ESPECIALLY THE LAND ACQUISITION PART.

I THINK IT ALL SOUNDS GREAT AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR EDITING ON THE FLY, .

NO PROBLEM.

SURE.

CAN I ADD SOMETHING? SURE.

NOT, NOT TO OVERLY COMPLICATE THE, THE, THE WORK YOU'RE DOING AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR THIS DISCUSSION.

I JUST WANNA SORT OF, UH, TAKE A STEP BACK AND, AND REMIND THE BOARD THAT THE 250 TO 260 PACKAGE IS DEPENDENT ON THE SUB QUORUMS PLAN MOVING FORWARD, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN THE, THAN THAN COULD BE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THEY END UP RECOMMENDING.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA, YOU KNOW, RECOMMEND THAT AND OR IF THAT DOESN'T PASS ONE OF THE OTHER, ONE OF THE OTHER PACKAGES OR, OR YOU MAY CHOOSE NOT TO, BUT JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU TO CLARIFY THAT THIS IS ONE SPECIFIC SCENARIO THAT COUNCIL MAY CHOOSE TO ACT ON OR NOT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.

SO YOU'RE BEATING AROUND THE BUSH, BUT YOU'RE SAYING WE SHOULD BE MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT WHICH SCENARIO ARE NOT JUST THESE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT, BUT WE RECOMMEND THE $187.5 MILLION SCENARIO.

I KNOW YOU'RE NOT TELLING ME THAT SCENARIO, BUT THAT I SHOULD BE THAT SPECIFIC.

NO, I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS IT SOUNDS LIKE THE BOARD IS DISCUSSING WHETHER THEY'RE GONNA RECOMMEND THE 250 TO 260 MILLION SCENARIO AND THAT'S OKAY.

AND, AND IF YOU, IF YOU AGREE WITH THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION OR A STAFF'S PROPOSAL THERE, BUT IN THE EVENT THAT THAT DOESN'T, THAT ISN'T, YOU KNOW, THAT SORT OF THAT SMALLER BOND WITH A LARGER PARTS PACKAGE DOESN'T MAKE IT PAST THAT, THEN THEN YOU COULD RECOMMEND ONE OF THE OTHER SCENARIOS.

AND THERE IS CONTINGENCY LANGUAGE FOR THAT IN HERE, BUT JUST NOT SPEC, IT'S NOT THAT SPECIFIC.

SO I THINK THAT'S A QUESTION FOR THE BOARD OF SHOULD WE BE MORE SPECIFIC IN THAT CONTINGENCY LANGUAGE INSTEAD OF SAYING WE SHOULD PRIORITIZE FUNDING, YOU KNOW, GENERAL CATEGORIES OF THINGS.

SHOULD WE SAY WE BELIEVE THE 187.5 MILLION, WE WOULD GO THE NEXT ONE DOWN SCENARIO IS, IS YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.

BUT I THINK THAT'S A FAIR QUESTION.

SO IT'S A LARGER PARKS PORTION OUT OF A SMALLER OVERALL BOND OR A LARGER CITY BOND WITH A SMALLER PARKS PORTION.

BASICALLY.

LIKE THERE'S THE, THERE'S THE 250 OUT OF THE SMALLER AMOUNT, I THINK IT WAS 400, SO IT'S 250 MILLION, THEN THERE'S ONE.

SO PARKS.

YEAH, JUST PARKS.

AND THEN THERE'S THE, I BELIEVE 700 MILLION AND OF THAT THEN IT'S 180 7 1 7.

UH, YEAH.

AND SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WHERE YOU SEE ON THE SECOND PAGE WHERE WE SAY, UM, THEREFORE IN SUCH A SCENARIO THAT THE 250 MILLION DOES NOT PASS OR THEY DON'T MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT ONE, THAT THEN, AND ONLY THEN AS A CONTINGENCY WE WOULD PRIORITIZE X, BUT WE'RE SAYING THAT THAT'S WHERE WE SHOULD SAY, THEN WE WOULD GO WITH THE NEXT HIGHEST NUMBER, ESSENTIALLY THE 180 7.

TO WANT THE MOST AVAILABLE AND I WOULD LIKE TO MAYBE WRITE SOMETHING IN THAT WAY, LIKE THE NEXT SCENARIO THAT OFFERS THE MOST AVAILABLE FUNDING.

AND SO WE JUST NEED TO, IF WE'RE IN AGREEMENT, I THINK ADD THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE

[02:00:01]

YEAH, I, I, YEAH, I WOULD RECOMMEND PUTTING SOME LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, WE BELIEVE ONLY THE $250 MILLION AMOUNT CAN MEET ALL OF THE CRITICAL NEED NEEDS WITHIN THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.

HOWEVER, IF FOR WHATEVER REASON A LOWER AMOUNT IS PRIORITIZED, YOU SHOULD STRIVE TO GET AS CLOSE TO THE $250 MILLION NUMBER AS POSSIBLE.

I WOULDN'T EVEN NAME THE SPECIFIC, DON'T NAME ANY OTHER ONE.

I WOULD JUST BASICALLY MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE ARE SAYING THE $250 MILLION, OUR PREFERENCE AND YEAH.

UNLESS WE'RE GONNA GET INTO LIKE LINE EDITING, BECAUSE THEN I THINK WE HAVE TO GO KEEP GOING.

180 7, 1 47.

UM, JUST LOOKING AT FOLKS ONLINE, UM, WERE YOU ABLE TO FOLLOW KIND OF THAT, THAT THINKING AND YOU CAN JUST GIMME A THUMBS UP OR A IF, IF YOU'RE GOOD WITH MAKING SURE WE'RE GETTING THE MOST AND JUST MAKING IT VERY CLEAR THAT THE TWO 50 IS REALLY THE WAY WE WANT TO GO.

I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT.

IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE TAKING THIS AS A FRIENDLY AND SOMEBODY IS TYPING THIS UP.

I'M TYPING.

SO, UM, OKAY.

SO WHAT I WROTE WAS WHILE ONLY THE 250.

SO IN ADDITION, WE STRONGLY AFFIRM ALL IDENTIFIED PROGRAM AREAS REPRESENT CRITICAL AND WORTH INVESTMENTS.

WE RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, DIFFICULT PRIORITY DECISIONS MAY BE REQUIRED IF THE NUMBER FALLS BELOW 250 MILLION WHILE, AND THEN I WROTE, WHILE ONLY THE $250 MILLION AMOUNT CAN MEET ALL THE CURRENT NEEDS OF THE CITY'S PARK SYSTEM, IF A LOWER AMOUNT IS DETERMINED TO BE NECESSARY, UH, COUNCIL SHOULD WORK TO ENSURE THE FINAL NUMBER REMAINS AS CLOSE TO THE $250 MILLION LEVEL AS POSSIBLE.

SO THIS, I CAN ASK THE QUESTION.

OF COURSE.

UM, SO THIS RESOLUTION WILL BE A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING NOT SO MUCH THE BOND, BUT THE PORTION OF THE BOND THAT'S RELATED TO IT.

AND SO WE'RE SENDING A RECOMME, THIS IS OUR RECOMMENDATION GOOD TO COUNCIL.

AND THEN IT COULD CHANGE, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF CHANGE BETWEEN HERE AND THERE, BUT WE'RE, YEAH, WE'RE SHOWING OUR SUPPORT AS A, AS A BODY, UM, AND TRYING TO MAKE IT CLEAR WHAT THINGS ARE CRITICAL TO US.

JUST GOOD, I THINK.

WELL NO, I THINK AND THAT WE WANT THE MOST FOR OUR PARKS, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THAT WE'RE IN THIS SCENARIO MM-HMM .

OF 700 AND SOMETHING AND ZERO CORRECT.

AND DELAY TILL 28.

WE'VE GOT ALL THESE SCENARIOS RIGHT.

FLOATING.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR OUR VOICE SAYING THIS IS WHAT PARKS HAS TO HAVE.

SO THIS STAMPS OUR VOICE IN THAT AND THEN WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK, UM, OUT IN COMMUNITY AND YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE SPEAKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT OUR RECOMMENDATION.

TO PARKS FOR OUR GROWING CITY POPULATION.

UM, WE SHOULD CONFIRM WITH PEDRO THAT HE, THAT HE IS GOOD WITH THE ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE.

DO YOU MIND GIVING JUST A BRIEF OVERVIEW, A RECAP ON THE CHANGES SINCE A RECAP? A RECAP OF THE CHANGES? THANK YOU.

UH, YES.

THE FIRST CHANGE THAT WE MADE IS TO ADD A, UH, SO UNDER THE SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS UNDER THE FIRST, THEREFORE, UH, AFTER NUMBER FIVE WE ADDED A SIXTH THAT SAYS IN ADVANCE OF THE 2026 BOND ELECTION, UH, COUNCIL SHOULD LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES AND CHANNELS TO PROMOTE, UH, OR THE CITY SHOULD LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES AND CHANNELS TO PROMOTE TO THE PUBLIC THE SUCCESS OF THE PROJECTS THAT WERE ACCOMPLISHED BY A PR AS A RESULT OF FUNDS BROUGHT IN BY THE PREVIOUS 2018 BOND.

UM, THE SECOND CHANGE IS AFTER THE FIRST SENTENCE IN, IN ADDITION, UH, AFTER IT SAYS DIFFICULT PRIORITIZATION, DOES WE RECOGNIZE DIFFICULT PRIORITIZATION DECISIONS MAY BE REQUIRED.

THE ADDED SENTENCE IS, WHILE ONLY THE $250 MILLION AMOUNT CAN MEET ALL THE RECURRENT NEEDS OF THE CITY PARK SYSTEM, IF A LOWER AMOUNT IS DETERMINED TO BE REQUIRED, COUNCIL SHOULD WORK TO ENSURE THE FINAL AMOUNT REMAINS AS CLOSE TO THE $250 MILLION LEVEL AS POSSIBLE.

UM, AND THEN THE THIRD CHANGE, UH, IS TO, SO AND THE THEREFORE FURTHER RECOMMENDS, SO WHAT TO DO IF THE MONEY IS LOWER, THE PRIORITY LIST.

UM, WE HAVE BROKEN OUT STRATEGIC LAND ACQUISITION AS 0.3.

SO IT SAYS STRATEGIC LAND ACT 0.3 IS NOW STRATEGIC LAND ACQUISITION TO SUPPORT ACCESS

[02:05:01]

UM, AND THEN THE REST OF THAT, WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY THREE IS NOW FOUR.

SO IT NOW IT SAYS OTHER PROJECTS THAT DELIVER VISIBLE COMMUNITY SERVING IMPROVEMENTS, ET CETERA.

UM, ALRIGHT.

I LIKE TO GIVE EVERYBODY A MOMENT JUST TO READ OVER ONE MORE TIME IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE.

UM, DID SOMEBODY, OKAY, I'M HEARING THINGS ALRIGHT.

OH, SORRY.

YEAH, WE'LL JUST TAKE ANOTHER COUPLE MINUTES.

I ONLY HAVE ONE SLIGHT CHANGE AND I SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THIS BEFORE, BUT WE HAVE SENIOR SERVICES HERE AND I'M NOT SURE IF IT SHOULD BE SENIOR CENTERS.

ON THREE.

ARE WE OKAY WITH THAT? VICE CHAIR AND PEDRO? OKAY.

UM, CENTERS DONE.

ALRIGHT, PERFECT.

UM, ALL RIGHT.

LAST CALL FOR ANY DISCUSSION LOOKING ONLINE.

SEEING NONE.

ALRIGHT, WE'VE GOT A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FROM BOARD MEMBER VILLALOBOS AND WE'VE GOT A SECOND BY VICE CHAIR FLOWERS AND WE CAN NOW TAKE A VOTE.

SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD RECOMMENDATION WITH EDITS LOOKING AT MR. DUNBACK.

UM, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

ALL RIGHT.

AND THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK AND WE WILL BE BACK.

AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE, WHICH IS DISCUSSION AND APPROVE AND AMENDMENT TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION.

AND THANKS TO YOU ALL, ALL FOR DRAFTING.

SAY JUST A BUNCH OF PASSES.

YEAH, I WAS REALLY GIVEN UNNECESSARY CREDIT THERE 'CAUSE IT WAS JUST THE BOARD, REBECCA AND AND UH, CHAIR WAS ON.

I WROTE A TINY PORTION RIGHT HERE GOING AGAIN.

THANK YOU ALL.

WE'LL MOVE TO

[5. Discussion and approve an amendment to the Parks and Recreation Board by-laws to remove the Contracts and Concessions Committee. (Sponsors: Bazan, Becker) ]

OH TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD BYLAWS TO REMOVE THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE.

THIS WAS ON OUR PREVIOUS AGENDA AND UM, DUE TO TIME WE, WE MOVED IT TO THIS MONTH AND I'D LIKE TO GIVE BOARD MEMBER BECKER A CHANCE TO JUST SHARE A BIT MORE, OH SORRY.

NOPE, NO PUBLIC COMMENT TO SHARE MORE ON THIS.

GOING ON WITH CONTRACTS AT THE CITY, OUR PREFERENCES FOR THEM TO HAPPEN IN THIS MEETING RATHER THAN IN A SEPARATE COMMITTEE MEETING.

YEAH, UH, AS THE CHAIR OF THE CONTRACT, SO, AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE, I'M ACTUALLY IN SUPPORT OF DOING THIS.

I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UM, LAST MONTH WE DID HAVE SEVERAL, UH, CITY RESIDENTS GET UP AND SPEAK IN FAVOR OF NOT SHUTTING DOWN THE COMMITTEE BECAUSE, AND I AGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF SUNLIGHT, A LOT OF TRANSPARENCY ON THE CONTRACTS THAT GO THROUGH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.

UH, THAT WOULD BE TRUE EVEN IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE, UH, WE KNEW THAT FOLKS WEREN'T HEAVILY CONCERNED.

AND AS WE'VE SEEN MONTH OVER MONTH, THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN AND UH, A LOT OF DESIRE TO SORT OF, AGAIN, HAVE A LOT OF SUNLIGHT AND TRANSPARENCY ON HOW THESE CONTRACTS WORK.

AND I FULLY AGREE WITH THAT.

I WILL SAY THAT THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE AS IT IS SET UP, IS NOT THE RIGHT VENUE TO DO THAT, UM, BECAUSE IT IS NOT DESIGNED FOR THAT KIND OF REVIEW OF CONTRACTS.

SO, JUST SO EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS, WHEN THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE MEETINGS WERE ORIGINALLY SET UP, THE GOAL WAS ACTUALLY TO TAKE, THE GOAL WAS ACTUALLY TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WAS SPENT FOCUSING ON CONTRACT REVIEW AND APPROVAL IN THIS MEETING.

SO THE IDEA OF THE COMMITTEE WAS THAT WE WOULD TAKE SOME OF THE, UM, CONTRACTS THAT WERE OF LESS CONCERN AND BASICALLY PUT THEM INTO THAT SPACE SO THAT WE COULD DEAL WITH THEM THERE BECAUSE UH, SOME OF YOU KNOW, THESE MEETINGS CAN RUN LONG.

UM, AND IT WAS AN ATTEMPT TO KIND OF MANAGE THE TIME.

UH, WELL WE HAVE SINCE DETERMINED, UH, IS THAT ACTUALLY BECAUSE OF THE LEVEL OF INTEREST IN CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS IN GENERAL AND BECAUSE OF THE DESIRE OF THE BOARD TO PARTICIPATE IN ALL OF THIS.

WE HAVEN'T ACTUALLY BEEN USING THE COMMITTEE FOR THAT PURPOSE.

WE HAVE JUST BEEN DOING ALL OF THAT WORK HERE WHERE THERE'S GENERALLY MORE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE, THERE'S MORE OPPORTUNITY, UM, UH, UH, FOR COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.

IT'S EASIER TO GET HERE THAN IT IS TO GET SOME OF THE PLACES THAT WE HAVE THOSE MEETINGS 'CAUSE THEY'RE AT AWKWARD TIMES OF DAYS AND ELSEWHERE.

UM, JUST GENERALLY, IF THE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE, UH, MORE TRANSPARENCY AND INSIGHT INTO WHAT'S

[02:10:01]

UM, AGAIN, RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF OPPORTUNITIES I THINK THAT THIS BOARD CAN TAKE AND WELCOME FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC ON, UH, LIKE CONTRACTS OR OTHER THINGS THAT WE SHOULD LOOK INTO.

THERE ARE OTHER STRUCTURES LIKE WORKING GROUPS THAT THIS GROUP CAN UH, PUT TOGETHER, UH, THAT ACTUALLY CAN INCLUDE, UH, CITIZEN AND RESIDENT PARTICIPATION.

UM, AND I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY LOOK TO OP LOOK FOR SOME OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES GOING FORWARD.

BUT, UH, SO AGAIN, JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE AND THE CONCERN THAT WAS COMING FORWARD.

THIS IS ACTUALLY ABOUT CREATING MORE EXPOSURE TO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS.

NOT LESS, EVEN IF IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE IT BECAUSE WE'RE SHUTTING DOWN THE COMMITTEE BECAUSE OF THE ODD, ODD NATURE OF HOW THESE THINGS WORK.

THAT BEING SAID, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MOTION TO REMOVE THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE BOARD MEMBER BECKER? OH, SURE.

HOW EXCITING.

I'M WORKING MYSELF OUT OF A JOB.

UM, , UH, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, UM, TO APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD BYLAWS TO REMOVE THE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE.

ITEM NUMBER SIX, WHICH IS A DISCUSSION AND APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL THAT CITY STAFF SHOULD CONDUCT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT RELATED TO PERRY PARK PRIOR TO RENEWING THE PARK USE AGREEMENT WITH NORTH AUSTIN SOCCER ALLIANCE.

WE'VE GOT A MOTION FROM BOARD MEMBER BECKER.

UM, I WILL SECOND, UM, DISCUSSION QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, FOLKS ONLINE.

OH, JUST ONE OTHER QUICK COMMENT.

I SHOULD ALSO NOTE, UH, THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR A WHILE.

WE'VE ACTUALLY ONLY HAD ONE CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS MEETING IN THE LAST YEAR.

UM, AND THEN THE REASON THAT WE DID THAT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS, UM, IT WAS TIED TO SOMETHING THAT WE KNEW THERE WOULD BE A LOT OF PUBLIC INTEREST IN AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A LOT OF PUBLIC COMMENT.

AND IT WAS BASICALLY CREATE TWO OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

ONE IN THAT MEETING AND THEN ONE HERE IN THIS MEETING WHEN WE REPEATED IT.

SO YEAH, AND I WILL JUST ADD TO THAT BY HAVING, BY REMOVING THE COMMITTEE AND BRINGING THOSE MEETINGS HERE, IT ALSO GIVES US OUR STAFF BACK SOME OF THAT TIME.

AND SO IT HELPS US USE OUR RESOURCES IN OTHER WAYS.

UM, AND SO I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S A PART OF THIS AS WELL.

UM, BUT DEFINITELY TO BRING MORE TRANSPARENCY TO CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS.

SO, UM, IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AND I'M NOT SEEING ANY, UM, THEN THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FROM BOARD MEMBER BECKER AND A SECOND, UM, FOR ME.

SO ALL THAT, THOSE IN FAVOR OF REMOVING CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

ALRIGHT, AND THAT PASSES 10 ZERO, SO THAT'S UNANIMOUS.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

UM, THAT MOVES US TO

[6. Discussion and approve a recommendation to Austin City Council that City staff should conduct community engagement related to Perry Park prior to renewing the park use agreement with North Austin Soccer Alliance. (Sponsors: Eubanks, Abou-Emara) ]

DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS ON THIS? YES.

CHAIR.

OUR FIRST SPEAKER WILL BE CHRIS FLORES.

GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS CHRIS FLORES.

I LIVE IN DISTRICT 10.

I AM TESTIFYING IN FAVOR OF THIS RECOMMENDATION FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.

I WAS AT THE MARCH PARKS BOARD MEETING AND HEARD THE COMPELLING STATEMENTS OF A FATHER AND HIS TWO CHILDREN ABOUT HOW THEY GOT CONFLICTING INFORMATION AND SOMETIMES ZERO INFORMATION FROM VARIOUS PARK STAFF.

UM, THEY JUST WANTED TO PLAY BALL IN THEIR PARK.

THEY HAD TO SEEK A PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST TO LEARN ABOUT A CONTRACT THAT EXCLUDED THE PUBLIC FROM THEIR PARK.

PRETTY MUCH 24 7 EXCEPT FOR 20 MINUTES A DAY.

I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

WHY OR HOW WAS A CONTRACT LIKE THIS WITH A SOCCER GROUP ENTERED INTO WITHOUT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE, UM, IS AT THE PARK'S NORM? DOES A CONTRACT GET DONE AND THEN WORRY ABOUT ALIENATING THE PUBLIC LATER? UM, I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND YOU ALL THAT, UH, IN 2023, AN INFORMAL SURVEY OF AUSTINITES FOUND 56% OF THEM WANTED AUSTIN CITY LIMITS FESTIVAL MOVED.

LOTS OF ADULTS SINCE THEN HAVE COME TO THIS MONTHLY BOARD MEETING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT BEING ALIENATED FROM OUR ZILKER METRO PARK FOR FOUR CONSECUTIVE MONTHS, A YEAR FOR FESTIVALS WHICH NEED TO SET UP, TAKE DOWN AND RECOVER, UM, DURING THE MOST TEMPERATE WEATHER THAT WE HAVE IN AUSTIN.

HOW ABOUT CAN WE GET A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT RECOMMENDATION FROM YOU? THANK YOU.

THAT IS THE END OF PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.

IS, UM, THE IDEA BEHIND THIS IS REAL NARROW AND RELATIVELY SMALL AND REALLY COMES OFF OF THE DISCUSSION THAT HAPPENED LAST MEETING THAT WE HAD CONCERNING, UM, THE USE OF, UH, THE SOCCER FIELD, I WILL SAY.

THAT BEING THE END OF PUBLIC COMMENT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO BOARD MEMBERS, EUBANKS AND ABARA, WHO HAVE ADDED THIS TO THE AGENDA.

UH, THANK YOU.

AND CHAIR IT

[02:15:01]

AND, UH, UH, THAT A PR HAS BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE, STAFF HAS BEEN RESPONSIVE.

I THINK A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED.

UM, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, PARTICULARLY AFTER THIS HAS HAPPENED.

AND SOME OF THE ISSUES RE REGARDING RENDON IS THAT WE HAVE A REALLY CLEAR, UH, UH, IDEA OF HOW THE PUBLIC GETS TO SPEAK ABOUT ITS DESIRES BEFORE WE ENTER INTO THESE CONTRACTS.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN IS, IS, UM, UNSTRUCTURED RECREATION, UNSTRUCTURED PLAY, WHICH IS, UM, I THINK THE DIRECTOR CAN PROBABLY GIVE A SPEECH ON THAT.

UH, UH, AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PROTECT SOME OF THESE FIELDS FOR JUST WHAT THAT SAYS, WHICH IS KIDS THAT WANNA PLAY AFTER SCHOOL AND NOT BE IN A CONFLICT WITH THE LEAGUE.

THIS IS NO CRITICISM OF THE LEAGUES.

I THINK NASA'S A GREAT LEAGUE.

THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT SOCCER LEAGUES, BASEBALL LEAGUE, ET CETERA.

BUT THIS, UH, LAND IS OWNED BY EVERY TAXPAYER IN THIS CITY.

AND, UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE THOSE KIDS HAVE ACCESS, UM, TO THEIR PARKS, UM, UH, AT PARTICULAR TIMES.

AND SO THAT'S REALLY THE IDEA BEHIND THIS.

THIS IS FOR ONE CONTRACT, WHICH I BELIEVE IS COMING UP IN AUGUST AND, UH, FOR ONE LOCATION.

BUT IF THIS GOES WELL AND THE PUBLIC'S VOICES HEARD, ET CETERA, PERHAPS WE CAN VISIT THAT THIS AFTER THAT.

UH, NOW THAT WE HAVE THE WONDERFUL PLAN THAT YOU ALL DEVELOPED FOR BASEBALL FIELDS AND SOCCER FIELDS, ET CETERA, PERHAPS THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN LATER ON LOOK AT AFTER WE GO THROUGH THIS ONE PARTICULAR STEP.

THAT'S IT.

BOARD MEMBER ABARA, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD OR, I DON'T.

I DON'T HAVE ANY.

I AM WELL, IS THERE A MOTION? IS THERE THERE'S NOT.

I'D BE HAPPY TO MAKE THE MOTION.

I NEED TO FIND IT.

DO YOU HAVE THE MOTION? OKAY.

NO, I DON'T HAVE A COPY ACTUALLY.

WOULD THAT BUSINESS IT? THAT'S NOT IT.

I'M SORRY FOR THE DOOR.

NO, WE'RE TOTALLY FINE.

I HAVE TOO MANY PIECES OF PAPER.

ALRIGHT, HERE WE GO.

I HAD LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT WE, UH, APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL THAT CITY STAFF SHOULD CONDUCT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT RELATED TO PERRY PARK PRIOR TO RENEWING THE PARK USE AGREEMENT WITH NORTH AUSTIN SOC ALLIANCE.

WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FROM BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS.

IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION FROM BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS AND A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER OF OMA DISCUSSION.

I WOULD, ISN'T IT ALREADY INCLUDED? DID YOU ALREADY INCLUDE THAT IN THE, IT'S ALREADY INCLUDED.

UM, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS BOARD MEMBERS.

UM, MY ONLY REQUEST IN REGARDS TO THIS IS I KNOW THAT BOARD MEMBER BECKER AND CHAIR BISON HAD A SOCCER RELATED, UH, RECOMMENDATION THAT PASSED A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.

MM-HMM .

UM, AND I THINK THAT THE ISSUE THAT WE SAW LAST MEETING THAT WAS, UH, TOLD TO US BY THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS IS AN ISSUE THAT A LOT OF SOCCER FIELDS ARE FACING.

SO I WOULD REQUEST, UM, THAT THE MOTION BE, UM, UH, RECOMMENDATION TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL THAT CITY STAFF SHOULD CONDUCT COMMUNITY, UH, ENGAGEMENT RELATED TO ALL CITY OWNED SOCCER FIELDS PRIOR TO RENEWING THE PARK USE AGREEMENT WITH, PRIOR TO RENEWING ANY PARK USE AGREEMENT.

COULD WE, I JUMP ON, COULD WE DO THAT AND THEN ALSO CALL OUT PERRY PARK SPECIFICALLY SINCE IT DID COME UP HERE, LIKE AS A SORT OF A FOLLOW ON, YOU KNOW, BEGINNING WITH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT?

[02:20:01]

MM-HMM.

SO I THINK WE'RE WHAT'S INCLUDED OR SORRY, SORRY.

THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY MADE PREVIOUSLY IN THE ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATION IS INCLUSIVE OF ALL THE CONTRACTS LIKE THAT THEY ALL SHOULD BE, UM, TAKEN UP AND REVIEWED.

UH, WELL THAT WE SHOULD, SORRY, I DON'T BELIEVE IN THE, YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER 'CAUSE IT WAS A FEW MONTHS AGO, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE SPECIFICALLY MADE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIFICALLY.

WE DID.

THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WAS NOT INCLUDED.

SO THAT IS A DIFFERENT PIECE.

YES, CORRECT.

IS THAT THE ONE WHERE WE WERE ADVOCATING FOR A CENTRALIZED, UM, DATABASE WHERE PEOPLE CAN ACCESS CONTACT INFORMATION? YES.

AND THOSE WERE BASEBALL FIELDS TOO? UH, BASEBALL AND SOCCER.

AND SOCCER, YEAH.

IT WAS BOTH.

SO I, BUT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PIECE I DON'T THINK WAS CALLED OUT.

UM, BUT I DO LIKE BOARD MEMBER VILLA LO'S LINE OF THINKING, LIKE MM-HMM .

I THINK IF WE PUSH IT FORWARD, UM, INCLUDING OTHER, 'CAUSE I IMAGINE THAT THIS IS HAPPENING IN MORE LOCATIONS.

WE JUST HAVEN'T HAD, YOU KNOW, THOSE PARTICULAR PEOPLE COME, I KNOW, I THINK I TALKED ABOUT, UM, OH GOODNESS, THE PARK NEAR CIRCLE C THERE'S LIKE A PLACE WHERE THERE'S A SIGN THAT SAYS YOU CAN'T PLAY THERE, RIGHT? YEAH.

UM, IT'S VERY SIMILAR SITUATION TO THIS.

AND SO, SO I THINK I'M GONNA, SO THIS IS WHAT I'M GONNA ASK FOR.

I, I MOVE THAT WE AMEND THE RECOMMENDATION TO READ QUOTE, EH, APPRO, UH, TO THAT WE APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION QUOTE TO AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL THAT CITY STAFF SHOULD CONDUCT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT RELATED TO ANY CITY OF AUSTIN OWNED SOCCER AND BASEBALL FIELD PRIOR TO RENEWING THE PARK USE AGREEMENT.

UM, ONE THOUGHT I HAVE, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, FROM ALL THE WORK THAT WE DID ON THIS, I THINK THESE CONTRACTS ARE ONLY A YEAR LONG.

UH, A LOT OF THE CONTRACTS THAT INVOLVE SORT OF, WHICH, SO WE SHOULD PROBABLY SPECIFY SOME LEVEL OF FREQUENCY EVERY YEAR SEEMS EXCESSIVE.

RIGHT? I ALSO WOULDN'T WANNA MISS A CONTRACT JUST BECAUSE IT WAS SORT OF UNDER SOME SORT OF ROUTINE, UH, RENEWAL.

THAT, THAT'S ALONG MY LINE OF THINKING IS HOW, HOW, HOW DO WE CAPTURE WHICH CONTRACTS ARE ABOUT TO EXPIRE BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, UM, THAT A CONTRACT IS ABOUT TO EXPIRE IN AUGUST AND, AND WHICH IT SHOULD BE REVIEWED.

BUT THEN IF WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT EVERY SINGLE, UM, CONTRACT THAT'S, THAT'S USING THESE FACILITIES, THEN IS THE OWNERS GOING TO FALL ON THE BOARD OR ON PART OR ON THE CONSOLE TO BASICALLY FLAG WHEN, WHEN THAT CONTRACT, I GUESS IS THERE A RESOURCE THAT CAN SHOW WHEN THESE CONTRACTS ARE GOING TO EXPIRE? THEY HAVE THE, THEY HAVE THAT.

NO, THAT, THAT DEFINITELY EXISTS MY CONCERN.

SO YES, I THINK THAT THAT PART IS RELATIVELY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

MY CONCERN IS MORE JUST LIKE IF A CONTRACT IS GETTING RENEWED EVERY YEAR, THAT IS MM-HMM .

YEAH, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

IT'S A MAJOR STEP.

SO IT WOULD BE, OKAY.

SO IT WOULD READ, UM, I WOULD JUST MAKE IT TO THE NEXT IMMEDIATE PARK USE AGREEMENT BOARD MEMBERS.

I MAY OFFER A WORD OF CAUTION, UH, THAT WE'RE STRAYING PRETTY FAR FROM WHAT THE POSTING LANGUAGE IS.

MM.

AND THE QUESTION NEEDS TO BE ASKED IS, WAS THE PUBLIC PROPERLY NOTICED ABOUT A POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATION THAT INCLUDES ALL CITY OF AUSTIN SOCCER FIELD? OKAY.

SO THEN, LET ME ASK THIS.

I WOULD, WOULD, UH, BOARD MEMBER EUBANK BE OKAY WITH POSTPONING THIS IN THE NEXT MEETING SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE ALL OF THE SOCCER AND BASEBALL FIELDS? YES, I WOULD WELCOME.

INCLUDING ALL THE BASEBALL AND SOCCER FIELDS.

OH, WOULD YOU BE OKAY EXPLAINING IT? OKAY.

SO THEN BOARD MEMBER OF OMA? YES.

I THINK THAT GIVES US THE TIME TO CHANGE THE LANGUAGE.

COME WITH A MORE THOROUGHLY WRITTEN RECOMMENDATION.

ARE THEY WITH BRIAN THEIR MOTION? YES.

I'LL WITHDRAW.

BUT WE WILL THEN, THAT WILL BE ON FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. WE'LL MAKE SURE TO YES, MA'AM.

BRING THAT BACK UP AS A YEAH.

AS A, AS A BROADER RECOMMENDATION THEN COME FORTH.

AND THEN, SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT AT THAT POINT THEN.

, THAT'S WHY HE WAS WEARING THIS SUIT TODAY.

ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH IS CONDUCT OFFICER ELECTIONS FOR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD BOARD MEMBERS.

ALRIGHT, THIS BRINGS US TO

[7. Conduct officer elections for Chair and Vice Chair of the Parks and Recreation Board. ]

UM, YOU WOULD'VE RECEIVED, UM, UM, MEMO FROM MR. DOBA JUST EXPLAINING THE BOARD WILL HOLD ELECTIONS FOR OFFICER POSITIONS AND HOW, HOW THAT WILL GO.

[02:25:01]

I WILL JUST POINT OUT HERE THAT ANY BOARD MEMBER CAN MOTION TO NOMINATE ANOTHER BOARD MEMBER OR THEMSELVES TO AN OFFICER POSITION.

UM, A NOMINATION MOTION REQUIRES A SECOND, AND THEN IT'S CUSTOMARY TO ASK THE BOARD MEMBER IF THEY ACCEPT, IF THEY, UM, OBVIOUSLY NOMINATE THEMSELVES.

I HOPE THEY ACCEPT.

AND THEN ONCE THERE'S A MOTION, A SECOND, THEN DISCUSSION IS LIMITED TO THAT PARTICULAR MOTION.

IT MUST BE STRAIGHT UP OR DOWN VOTE.

SO THERE'S NO PROCESS FOR VOTING FOR MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS.

AND SO, UM, WE CAN, UM, WE WILL START WITH CHAIR, I SUPPOSE, AND THEN MOVE TO VICE CHAIR.

UM, AND THEN IF, UH, YEAH, IF THERE'S ANY IMMEDIATE DISCUSSION, WE CAN HOLD SPACE FOR THAT.

WELL, I'LL START OFF.

SO I, NOT THAT I'M TRYING TO CUT OFF DISCUSSION, BUT, UM, I DO THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PERSON THAT'S GONNA BE NOMINATED FOR A CHAIR TO HAVE ONE TIME TO GET TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE JOB IS AND GET THEIR FEET WET.

AND THEN TWO, ONCE THEY HAVE OVERCOME THAT LEARNING CURVE, WHICH ISN'T, IT'S NOT OVER, IT'S NOT A LOT, BUT THERE IS A LEARNING CURVE, UM, THAT THEY THEN HAVE THE TIME TO THEN EXECUTE ON, UH, SOME OF THE STUFF THAT THEY'VE WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH.

SO I THINK THAT CHAIR WAS ON THAT.

YOU'VE DONE A REALLY GREAT JOB AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU CONTINUE BEING CHAIR.

I DON'T THINK AS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN CHAIR, I DON'T THINK WHEN YOU'RE SUFFICIENT TO DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO AS CHAIR.

SO, UH, I WOULD NOMINATE YOU TO BE OUR CHAIR FOR THE NEXT YEAR, UM, TO GIVE YOU A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF TIME TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, DO WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO AS CHAIR.

UM, SO THAT'S MY NOMINATION.

I NOMINATE, UH, CHAIR.

ARE YOU MAKING A MOTION? I MOVE TO MAKE, I MOVE.

I'M JUST ASKING .

I MOVE, I MOVE THAT WE NOMIN THAT WE ARE YOU SURE YOU WANNA DO THAT? WAIT, JUST MAKING SURE , BECAUSE YOU KNOW, ONCE WE GO TO THAT, OH YEAH.

THAT'S GONNA, THAT'S GONNA BE, YEAH, THAT'S GONNA BE MY MOTION THAT I'LL MAKE HERE IF I HEAR, IF I DON'T HEAR ANYTHING .

SO YOU'RE NOT, YEAH.

I GUESS ONE THING I WOULD ADD, JUST FOR SOME DISCUSSION YES.

FOR CONSIDERATION ON A DISCUSSION POINT IS THAT I OBVIOUSLY WILL BE VACATING THE VICE CHAIR SEAT, WHICH MEANS THAT THIS SEAT WILL TURN OVER.

I DO THINK HAVING BEEN ON THE SPORT A LONG TIME, HAVING TWO NEW PEOPLE IN THE ROLE OF CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR CAN BE DIFFICULT.

SO, AND THAT, AND NOT TO SAY, OF COURSE, I AGREE WITH, UH, WHAT BOARD MEMBER VILLA LOBO SAID, BUT I ALSO THINK SOME CONSISTENCY IS HELPFUL IN ONE OF THE ROLES.

UM, SO THAT'S JUST MY ADDITIONAL 2 CENTS.

I THINK BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NOMINATIONS, I'D BE INTERESTED IN SEEING WHO ALL IS INTERESTED IN RUNNING FOR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR BEFORE WE HEAD STRAIGHT TO NOMINATIONS.

SURE.

I WILL SAY THAT I WILL HAPPILY ACCEPT THE ROLE OF CHAIR AGAIN.

UM, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT.

I'VE, I'VE ENJOYED MY TIME.

UM, AS CHAIR, AS BOARD MEMBER VILLALOBOS SAID, IT DOES TAKE A TAKE A MINUTE TO GET USED TO, UM, EVERYTHING THAT IS INVOLVED.

AND, UM, YEAH, I'M VERY HONORED TO BE ABLE TO SERVE IN THIS CAPACITY AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO SERVE AS YOUR BOARD CHAIR ONCE AGAIN.

UM, BUT OPEN TO DISCUSSION AS WELL.

SO, AND, UH, SINCE COMMISSIONER FRANKLIN ASKED FOR ALL THE NOMINEES, I, UH, RESPECT THE FACT THAT, UM, CHAIRPERSON BAAN HAVE, UM, GIVEN HER LEADERSHIP FOR THE PAST YEAR, AND I AGREE WITH MR. VILLALOBOS THAT, UH, UH, PROBABLY A SECOND YEAR WOULD BE, UH, PRUDENT.

I WILL JUMP ON WHAT, UH, UM, BOARD MEMBER FLOWERS SAID THAT CONSISTENCY IS KEY.

SO I WOULD BE REALLY HAPPY TO BE THE, UH, NEW PERSON THAT WOULD ASSIST, UH, AS VICE CHAIR FOR, UM, THE BOARD.

UH, LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY ABOUT ME.

I LIVED IN AUSTIN FOR, UH, 25 YEARS NOW AND I LOVE THE CITY.

I'VE SEEN IT GROWN.

I, UH, ESTABLISHED SOME, UM, MEETINGS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH SOME OF THE STAFF AND, UM, UM, I'M ALWAYS LEARNING AND, UH, IF, IF, UH, PEOPLE ARE, UM, HAVE, YOU KNOW, SEEING MY, MY DEMEANOR AND MY PERFORMANCE ON THIS BOARD AND, UH, IF THEY ARE, UM, IN INTERESTED IN HAVING ME AS VICE CHAIR, I WOULD BE HONORED.

UM, BUT YEAH, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

ALRIGHT, OTHER MEMBERS? UM, I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN THE VICE CHAIR ROLE, BUT I'M ALSO VERY OPEN TO NOT HAVING IT .

SO I, UH, UH,

[02:30:02]

WOULD BE PRETTY OPEN.

I THINK HAVING, UM, UH, CHAIR OMA IN THAT ROLE.

I'M ALSO OPEN TO GETTING, I'M HONESTLY, I COULD GO EITHER WAY ON THIS ONE.

I'D BE PRETTY HAPPY FOR HIM TO DO IT.

I'M ALSO OPEN TO GETTING NOMINATED IF SOMEONE'S INTERESTED.

I'LL ASK THIS QUESTION.

YOU, YOU'VE BEEN SERVING FOR THREE YEARS.

I THINK I CAUGHT FROM A PREVIOUS DISCUSSION, SO YES.

I DON'T WANT TO ROB YOU OF THAT.

NO.

THIS IS THE PROBLEM WITH THESE CONVERSATIONS WHEN YOU'RE LIKE, GENERALLY PRETTY PRO SOMEBODY ELSE, I THINK LIKE I AM ALSO NO, YOU GO FIRST.

NO, YOU, YEAH, NO, THAT, YEAH, IT'S VERY, IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING.

I, I'M, I'M, YOU KNOW, HONESTLY, I WOULD SAY I'M VERY MUCH IN SUPPORT OF YOU, UH, IN THAT POSITION IF IT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE REALLY MOTIVATED TOWARDS.

I APPRECIATE IT.

IS THERE ANYONE ELSE? ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY.

BOARD MEMBERS ONLINE.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS? OKAY.

UM, UM, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, UH, ELECT, UH, CHAIR ZA AS CHAIR FOR THE UPCOMING, UH, TERM.

THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR AND A MOTION FROM BOARD MEMBER VILLALOBOS AND A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER MERITS, UM, DISCUSSION.

I THINK THIS IS, WE, YOU KNOW, HEARD A LITTLE BIT FROM ME.

UM, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE THINGS THAT, THAT ARE TO COME.

WE'VE GOT THE NO DISCUSSION IS UP AND DOWN.

UM, EXCUSE ME, IT'S A SECOND.

IT'S UP AND DOWN NOW.

IT'S UP AND DOWN.

UM, SO ANYWAY, STOP TALKING.

STOP TALKING.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.

IT'S AN ODD SPOT TO BE TALKING ABOUT YOURSELF.

UM, I JUST, UM, THANK YOU.

I I'M, GO AHEAD.

SORRY.

I I'M A LAWYER, SO I JUST LIKE TO JUST BE SOMETIMES DIRECT TO MY OWN DETRIMENT.

UM, SO, UM, I'M MAKING THIS MOTION WITH THE RATIONALE THAT, UM, THIS PERSON HAS BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

I'VE SEEN THE LEADERSHIP AS CHAIR OF THE CONTRACT AND CONCESSIONS COMMITTEE.

UM, AND I ALSO KNOW HOW THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER, WHICH IS GONNA BE NECESSARY IN CASE YOU'RE NOT HERE, CAN'T BE HERE IN PERSON.

UM, SO FOR THOSE REASONS, I'M GONNA NOM, I'M GONNA MOVE TO NOMINATE, I'M GONNA MOVE THAT WE ELECT, UH, BOARD MEMBER LAND BECKER AS VICE CHAIR.

IS THERE A SECOND? ? OKAY.

WE'VE GOT A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO NOMINATE BOARD MEMBER BECKER AS VICE CHAIR.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

WE'VE GOT A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER MERIT.

AND WE CAN MOVE TO A VOTE.

UM, SO THIS IS STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN.

SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF BOARD MEMBER BECKER.

OH, CAN WE DISCUSS IT AT THIS POINT? WE CAN, WE CAN.

WELL, YOU CAN'T LIKE START ALSO ADD THIS PERSON, WHATEVER.

WE CAN HAVE TWO PEOPLE IN VOTE.

LIKE THREE, ONE PERSON, SOME ANOTHER.

SORRY.

THAT'S MY BAD.

SEE SO BAD OVER THERE.

IF I COULD ASK A QUESTION.

ABSOLUTELY.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN THE CASE WHEN YOU HAVE TWO NOMINEES FOR THE SAME POSITION? WELL, WE DON'T TECHNICALLY BECAUSE THAT'S WHY LIKE WE'VE, HE'S NOW CALLED TO VOTE.

SO AT THIS POINT WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THIS NOMINATION SPECIFICALLY OF THIS PERSON.

IF IT FAILS, THEN ANOTHER PERSON COULD BE NOMINATED.

UH, DO YOU FEEL LIKE, SO SORRY.

SO THAT'S WHAT THE, THAT'S WHAT THE UP DOWN IS, IS THAT ONCE THERE'S I'M SORRY.

OH, I'M SORRY.

YEAH, IT'S OKAY.

I DIDN'T CONTINUE.

IT'S TOO LATE NOW, SO I'M SO SORRY.

I JUST THOUGHT WE WERE DISCUSSION.

WE ARE DISCUSSING, BUT WE CAN ONLY DISCUSS, WE CAN ONLY DISCUSS THE NOMINATION AT HAND, WHICH I GUESS, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IN THEORY YOU COULD DISCUSS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO ABOUT THE NOMINATION A AND I SUPPOSE RIGHT.

THERE'S NOTHING STOPPING US FROM DOING THAT, TIM.

SO THAT IS ONE POSSIBILITY IS THAT WE COULD DISCUSS OUR INTENT WITH THE NOMINATION A AND AND PROCEEDED FOR.

BUT WE ALL AS BOARD MEMBERS HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE.

I JUST WANNA ADD IN THAT I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE HAD A GREAT GROUP OF BOARD MEMBERS WHERE EVERYONE'S BEEN WORKING TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, WELL AS, YOU KNOW, BEING OPEN TO DISCUSSION ITEMS AND, YOU KNOW, WORKING THROUGH, WHETHER IT'S REVISING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE FLY OR COMING UP WITH ITEMS THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY.

SO I FEEL LIKE, UM, EACH BOARD MEMBER REPRESENTING A DISTRICT HAS AN IMPORTANT PART TO PLAY AND HAS AN EQUALLY IMPORTANT ROLE IN MAKING THEIR VOICES AND THEIR DISTRICT'S VOICE HEARD.

SO JUST TO ADD ON, I FEEL LIKE IN ADDITION TO CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR ROLES, WHICH OF COURSE TAKE ON ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITY,

[02:35:01]

SO, NO, I, I CONCUR.

AND JUST FOR MEMBERS WHO ARE WATCHING, WE HAVE BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE SERVING ON COMMITTEES, BOARD MEMBERS WHO'VE BEEN ON VARIOUS WORKING GROUPS ARE TAKING UP SPECIAL PROJECTS.

AND SO, UM, CERTAINLY THERE'S A LOT OF WORK BEING DONE OUTSIDE OF THESE PARTICULAR ROLES, CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.

SO, UM, DEFINITELY NOT DISCOUNTING THE WORK OR THE WORTH OF ANYBODY WHO, UM, WOULD BE UP FOR, FOR ONE OF THE ROLES.

SO, AND SOMETIMES IT'S JUST, YEAH.

AND I'LL SAY, AS A PERSON WHO PUT US IN THIS CURRENT POSITION THAT I REALLY LIKE YOU BOTH, AND I THINK YOU'RE BOTH GREAT AND YOU BRING A LOT TO THE BOARD, AND, UM, I THINK BOTH EITHER OF YOU WOULD DO A GREAT JOB IN THIS ROLE.

I THINK I WOULD, UM, AT THIS POINT I WOULD SUPPORT BECKER, UH, BOARD MEMBER BECKER, JUST BECAUSE I'VE SEEN SO MUCH, UM, WORK OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

UM, AND HE SERVED IN LEADERSHIP ROLE ON THE CONTRACTS AND COMMISSIONS COMMITTEE AS WELL.

SO, AND, AND AS BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN WAS SAYING AS WELL, THERE'S, THERE'S OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEADERSHIP TOO.

UM, AND BOARD MEMBERSHIP ON THIS BOARD IS, YOU KNOW, USUALLY LASTS ABOUT FOUR YEARS, SO THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT AS WELL.

UM, AND THAT'S IT.

I, UH, ASKED, UM, BOARD MEMBER BECKER IF, UH, I, I ACKNOWLEDGED HIS SENIORITY OVER ME.

SO I AM, I, I AM WITHDRAWING MY NOMINATION FOR MYSELF.

SO YOU CAN, YOU CAN VOTE FOR, UH, BOARD MEMBER BECKER WITH CLEAR CONSCIENCE.

, I CAN STOP MAKING THESE UNCOMFORTABLE FACES.

UM, WE LIKE BOTH OF YOU, BELIEVE ME, AFTER WE'RE SAYING IT'S VIDEO, TO BE CLEAR, WE'RE NOT VOTING ON ANYONE'S VALUE AS A HUMAN BEING ON THIS BOARD.

RELAX EVERYBODY.

THIS FEELS LIKE PICKING A PERSON FOR YOUR BASEBALL TEAM.

IT'S NOT FUN.

NO, I'M JUST KIDDING.

I'M KIDDING.

ALRIGHT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING? BOARD MEMBER BECKER? OTHERWISE, I'M GOING TO CALL THE QUESTION AND WE'RE GONNA CALL IT, WE'RE GONNA VOTE.

ALRIGHT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF BOARD MEMBER BECK.

HECK, I CAN'T SAY NAME TODAY.

BOARD MEMBER BECKER OR VICE CHAIR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

ALRIGHT, WE JUST WENT THROUGH, UM, WE GOT THROUGH IT GUYS.

ALRIGHT, WE GOING TO MOVE ON TO STAFF BRIEFINGS.

CAN I, CAN I FLY? OH, ABSOLUTELY.

FLY REALLY FAST.

BEFORE WE STOP, UH, JUST SO WE DON'T FORGET WHEN IT GETS TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, I DEFINITELY AM GOING TO STEP DOWN FROM THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.

SO ONE OF YOU IS GOING TO HAVE TO JUMP IN.

, WE GOT A LIMITED AMOUNT OF VOLUNTEER TIME IN ME .

WE'RE BRASS UP AGAINST THE CEILING WE'RE GONNA HAVE.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, ROOM FOR MANY PEOPLE TO STEP UP, IT SOUNDS LIKE.

ALRIGHT, UM, STAFF

[8. Staff briefing on the Barton Springs Road bridge replacement project. (Sponsors: Bazan, Flowers) Presenter(s): Eric Bailey, Deputy Director, Capital Delivery Services. ]

BRIEFINGS.

UM, AGAIN, ITEM NUMBER EIGHT WAS, UM, PULLED FROM THE AGENDA.

SO WE'RE MOVING TO NINE, WHICH IS A STAFF BRIEFING CHEER ON THE CHAIR.

YES, SORRY.

UH, WE, WE WILL SNAP, STILL HAVE TO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM EIGHT SINCE IT WAS POSTED.

OH.

OH, OKAY.

MEETING, WE DISCUSSED A POTENTIAL SOLUTION, ONE THAT WAS CHEAPER, AS IN REHABILITATE THE BRIDGE AND ADD A SEPARATE NARROW BRIDGE NEARBY TO ACCOMMODATE PEDESTRIANS AND BIKES.

CAN WE DO THAT NOW? OH, OKAY.

I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT.

ALRIGHT, SORRY ABOUT THAT.

NO, THAT'S OKAY.

I, I MISUNDERSTOOD.

I APOLOGIZE.

WE WILL GO TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT.

OUR FIRST SPEAKER ON ITEM EIGHT WILL BE PATRICIA BOBBECK, FOLLOWED BY CHRIS FLORES AND THEN GAIL ROAD OR ROTI HERE.

YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.

GREAT.

THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR TIME AND SERVICE.

I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE BARTON SPRINGS ROAD BRIDGE BUILT IN 1946 WITH GRACEFUL ARCHES, ARCHES, AND A PLEASURE TO WALK UNDERNEATH.

IT IS A CONTRIBUTING FEATURE OF THE ZILKER PARK NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORICAL DISTRICT.

AND A 20, UH, 2022 ASSESSMENT INDICATED THAT THE BRIDGE WAS SOUND AND WOULD BENEFIT FROM SOME MAINTENANCE AT A FEBRUARY 4TH HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION MEETING.

HOWEVER, I LEARNED THAT CITY COUNCIL HAD VOTED TO DEMOLISH THE BRIDGE.

THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION HAD NOT BEEN CONSULTED.

THE COMPANY HIRED TO ASSESS REPARATION OF THE BRIDGE WAS A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, WHICH CONSTITUTES A FLAGRANT CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

IN MY OPINION, THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION DIDN'T HAVE SUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO EVALUATE THE BRIDGE.

THEY HAD NO ENGINEERS REPORT.

AND THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION EXCORIATED THE CITY FOR ITS HANDLING OF THE BRIDGE EVALUATION AND ITS A LACK OF CONSULTATION.

AT THAT FEBRUARY 4TH

[02:40:01]

THIS IS AN EVEN SAFER SOLUTION BECAUSE IT HAS THE ADDED ADVANTAGE OF KEEPING PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLES AWAY FROM CARS AND TRUCKS.

DRUNK DRIVERS AT .

AT THE MARCH, MARCH 4TH HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION MEETING, I LEARNED THAT THE CITY HAD WITHDRAWN THE BRIDGE FROM THE AGENDA.

AND WE HAD A SHORT DISCUSSION OF THE BRIDGES IN PARIS, FRANCE, WHICH I'M VERY FAMILIAR, VERY FAMILIAR WITH.

THE OLDEST BRIDGE IS THE PO, WHICH MEANS NEW BRIDGE, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY THE OLDEST BRIDGE BUILT IN 1578 TO 1607.

IT TOOK 30 YEARS BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY MECHANIZED EQUIPMENT.

IT'S ALL DONE BY MEN AND WOMEN DIGGING.

THE, THE BRIDGE WAS RENOVATED IN 18 48, 18 55, AND THEN IT WAS RESTORED IN 1994 TO 19 TO 2007.

SO THAT BRIDGE HAS BEEN AROUND WHAT A GOOD 500 YEARS.

SO I SAY LET'S SET UP A MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR PROGRAM FOR ALL AUSTIN BRIDGES.

IN MEANTIME, LET'S SAVE THIS LITTLE JEWEL, THE 1946 BARTON SPRINGS ROAD BRIDGE.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE CHRIS FLORES.

TIM, DO YOU WANNA PUT THE PICTURES UP? NOPE, THAT'S NOT IT.

IT'S A, UM, IT'S A WORD DOCUMENT WITH BEAUTIFUL BRIDGES.

THERE YOU ARE.

I AM JUST GONNA TAKE YOU THROUGH SOME BEAUTIFUL PICTURES.

WE HAVE THE LOOP 360 BRIDGE.

WE HAVE THE BARTON SPRINGS ROAD BRIDGE.

NEXT SLIDE, UM, POND.

NEW, UM, OLDEST BRIDGE IN PARIS.

ON THE RIGHT, YOU'LL SEE WHERE CHRISTO WRAPPED IT IN FABRIC FOR AN ANNIVERSARY.

THE BRIDGE IS BEAUTIFULLY LIT.

UH, NEXT SLIDE.

UM, ANOTHER VERY OLD BRIDGE IN PARIS.

NOTE HOW THE BRIDGES ARE LIT UP AT NIGHT.

THESE BRIDGES ARE DESTINATIONS IN AND OF THEMSELVES.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

UM, THIS BRIDGE HAS A VERY INTERESTING STORY.

UM, IT, IT BEGAN AS A WOOD PLANK PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, AND IT WAS, UM, UPGRADED, UM, INTO TWO BRIDGES.

AND, AND THIS WAS DONE IN STAGES.

SO THE NEW PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE WAS BUILT AND THEN ALONGSIDE IT, ANOTHER BRIDGE TO CARRY MOTOR VEHICLES AND RAIL.

AND THOSE TWO BRIDGES WERE, THAT WERE BUILT IN THE EARLY 19 HUNDREDS, STILL STAND.

THE ONE FOR CARS STILL CARRIES CARS.

IT'S A DOUBLE DECKER AND THE ONE, AND, AND IT CARRIES THE PARIS METRO.

SO FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS, A REPAIRED STEEL BRIDGE IS STILL IN USE.

IT'S BEAUTIFULLY LIT UP AT NIGHT.

AND THESE OPTIONS WERE NOT EVEN CONSIDERED FOR OUR AUSTIN BRIDGE, WHICH IS NOT NEARLY AS OLD OF PUTTING UP A TEMPORARY STRUCTURE WHILE THE OLD ORIGINAL ONE GETS REPAIRED.

BUT IT, IT'S WORTH THE MONEY.

IT'S WORTH THE INVESTMENT.

IT'S WORTH THE TIME TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO PRESERVE THESE THINGS BECAUSE IF WE DON'T, THEY'RE GONE.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE GAIL.

RODDY.

TO CONSI TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER LOWER COST ALTERNATIVES.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND YOUR DEDICATION TO PROTECTING AND IMPROVING OUR PARKS.

MY NAME IS GAIL RODDY.

I LIVE IN D FIVE AND I LEAD AN ADOPT A CREEK PROJECT IN ZILKER PARK.

I'M ASKING THIS BOARD TO RECOMMEND THAT COUNCIL TAKE A MORE ROBUST AND BETTER INFORMED APPROACH TO THE UPGRADE OF THE HISTORIC BARTON SPRINGS ROAD BRIDGE THAN THE ONE THAT IS LEADING US TOWARDS TOTAL REPLACEMENT AND ESSENTIALLY PUTTING A HIGHWAY THROUGH OUR PARK.

I HAVE SOME PROCESS CONCERNS ABOUT THE APPARENT RUSH TO REPLACE THE BRIDGE, ESPECIALLY THE WAY THIS BOARD AND THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION WERE NOT INVOLVED EARLY ON THE POSSIBLE BIAS TOWARDS REPLACEMENT OVER RESTORATION AND THE APPARENT FAILURE

[02:45:01]

HOWEVER, MY MAIN CONCERNS ARE THAT THE DEMOLITION OF THE CURRENT BRIDGE AND THE BUILDING OF A NEW LARGER BRIDGE WILL BE THE MOST, WILL BE THE MOST DETRIMENTAL OPTION IN SEVERAL IMPORTANT RESPECTS.

ONE, HOW MANY ACRES OF PARKLAND WILL WE LOSE? THERE ARE ALREADY PRESSURES TO COMMERCIALIZE PARKLAND AND TO USE IT FOR DRAINAGE TO ACCOMMODATE NEARBY DEVELOPMENT.

HOW MUCH MORE GREEN SPACE WILL WE ALLOW TO BE COVERED IN CONCRETE? SECOND, WHY DOES IT SEEM AN AFTERTHOUGHT TO PROTECT THE NATIVE AMERICAN ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE KNOWN AS VERA DANIEL SITE? THIS SITE IS A NATIONAL TREASURE.

IT MAY BE A HEMISPHERIC TREASURE.

PERHAPS SOME OF YOU HAVE VISITED THE GAULT ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE ABOUT AN HOUR NORTH OF HERE.

UH, IF YOU HAVEN'T, I I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO SO BECAUSE IT WILL GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT WE LIKELY HAVE HERE IN AUSTIN.

INKER, THE PROTECTION OF THIS SITE MUST BE HIGH ON OUR LIST.

THIRD, WHAT OPTION WILL ALLOW US TO BEST PROTECT THE ECOLOGICAL HEALTH OF BARTON CREEK, OF LADY BIRD LAKE AND OF THE NEARBY SPRINGS THAT PROVIDE SALAMANDER HABITAT? HABITAT.

AND FOURTH, WE ARE A CREATIVE COMMUNITY.

IS IT SO HARD TO BUILD THE NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE IN A MANNER AND IN A DESIGN THAT IS BOTH CONSISTENT AND PROPORTIONAL TO OUR GREEN SPACES? I UNDERSTAND THAT MANY OF MY CONCERNS WILL BE ADDRESSED IN A NEPA PROCESS, BUT IF WE HAVE ALREADY NARROWED OUR OPTIONS WITHOUT THE FULL INVOLVEMENT OF CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS WELL AS FULL ACCESS TO THE REPORTS, THEN THESE ISSUES HAVE ALREADY BEEN SIDELINED AND THE BOX IS CHECKED.

SO PLEASE DO WHAT YOU CAN NOW TO SAVE THE BRIDGE TO SAVE OUR MONEY AND TO SAVE OUR PARK.