* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [CALL TO ORDER] [00:00:04] ONE. IT IS NOW SEE 6 0 5. AND WE'LL BEGIN THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD. UM, I WILL CALL ATTENDANCE. SO STEPHANIE BISON PRESENT. WE'VE GOT BOARD MEMBER BECKER. PRESENT BOARD MEMBER OR BOARD MEMBER VILLALOBOS. BOARD MEMBER MERIT PRESENT BOARD MEMBER KELLY. PRESENT BOARD MEMBER ABARA. PRESENT BOARD MEMBER KERNS OSTER WILD BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR. PRESENT BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN PRESENT AND BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS PRESENT. ALRIGHT, THERE BEING QUORUM, WE'LL [PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL ] MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION GENERAL. UM, BUT BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I JUST WANNA MAKE A, A QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT THAT, UM, WE'VE GOT QUITE A FEW SPEAKERS ON ITEM NUMBER EIGHT. SO I'M GONNA PULL THAT TO, UM, HIGHER UP IN THE AGENDA. SO WE'LL HAVE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES, AND THEN WHEN WE GET TO DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS, WE'LL TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER EIGHT AND THEN WE WILL RUN THROUGH, UM, THE REST OF THE COURSE OF THE MEETING. THEY'RE ALL IMPORTANT. THIS ONE JUST HAD A LARGE NUMBER OF, UM, PEOPLE FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS, SO IF, IF FOLKS CAN GET SOME OF THEIR TIME BACK, I'D LIKE TO DO THAT, TO DO THAT. UM, ALRIGHT, THAT BEING SAID, UM, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMUNICATION RESERVE FOR THE FIRST 10 SPEAKERS TO ADDRESS ITEMS THAT ARE NOT POSTED ON THE AGENDA. MR. BECK, THANK YOU CHAIR. BEFORE I START CALLING NAMES, I JUST WANNA LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT I'M GONNA BE PULLING FROM MY MILWAUKEE BREWERS WHO ARE GONNA START THEIR GAME AGAINST THE TAMPA BAY RAYS IN ABOUT ONE HOUR. IF YOU HEAR ANY WHOOPING OR CHEERS FROM THE SIDE OF THE ROOM, JUST KNOW IT'S ALL IN GOOD FUN. AND, UH, GO BREWERS. UH, OUR FIRST SPEAKER DURING GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT IS GONNA BE CHRIS FLORES, FOLLOWED BY RICHARD BRIMMER AND THEN GAIL RODIE. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. THERE WE GO. UH, GOOD EVENING. UM, PARKS BOARD MEMBERS. MY NAME IS CHRIS FLORES. I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT 10. UM, I'M ASKING YOU TONIGHT IN GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT TO CONSIDER A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM. UH, HOW ABOUT A WORKING GROUP TO COLLECT CITIZEN IDEAS ON TAKING DOWN PARKS DEPARTMENT INTERNAL SILOS TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCIES AND BETTER SERVE THE PUBLIC? WE PUBLIC PARKS USERS OBSERVE THESE THINGS AND WE HAVE IDEAS. I'M BRINGING ONE TO YOU TONIGHT. UM, THE CITY MANAGER ASKED, UH, ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS TO DO THIS IN 2025. UH, HERE'S MY SUGGESTION. UH, AS AN EXAMPLE, ASK THE PARKS MAINTENANCE TEAM LEADS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE AQUATICS TEAM, LEADS ABOUT MAINTENANCE STAFF, CLEANING POOL RESTROOMS INSTEAD OF LIFEGUARDS. A PILOT COULD BE TRIED AT DEEP EDDIE AND BARTON SPRINGS POOLS. UM, THE MAINTENANCE TEAM THAT CLEANS THE WEST SIDE PARKS AND BOAT RAMP EVERY DAY IS FANTASTIC. THEY'RE THOROUGH, THEY'RE FAST, THEY DISINFECT, THEY BLOW THE LEAVES, ALL OF IT. THEY DO IT ALL WITHIN HALF AN HOUR EACH, EACH RESTROOM. UM, THE LIFEGUARDS DO NOT CLEAN MUCH AND THEY DO NOT HAVE TIME TO DO THAT CLEANING. UM, YET THEY WORK WITHIN MINUTES FROM EACH OTHER. THE POOLS AND THE PARKS ARE ADJACENT. AND SO THAT'S JUST AN ITEM I'D LIKE TO LEAVE WITH YOU, PERHAPS FOR SOMEBODY TO LOOK AT IN FUTURE. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE RICHARD BREMMER, FOLLOWED BY GAIL RODIE AND THEN OER SARWAR. AS YOU HEAR YOUR NAME, FEEL FREE TO MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE, THE FRONT OF THE ROOM. UH, IF YOU KNOW YOU'RE INTO THE NEXT SPEAKER, THAT'LL SAVE US TIME BETWEEN SPEAKERS. COMMISSIONER, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS, UH, RICK BRIER. I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SIX. I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON A TOPIC THAT'S BEEN IN THE NEWS A LOT LATELY. LATELY. DOGHEAD, SPECIFICALLY AS IT APPLIES TO THE PARKS BOARD, THE TOTAL LACK OF PUBLIC PARKS AND TRAILS IN THE 2,700 ACRE DEVELOPMENT WAS RECENT. THAT WAS RECENTLY ANNEXED INTO THE CITY. IF YOU READ THE DOGHEAD AGREEMENT, ADOPTED IT BY COUNCIL ON MAY 21ST, 2026. THE AGREEMENT ALLOWS FOR 206 6 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE AND TRAILS, WHICH ARE OWNED, MANAGED BY A PRIVATE ENTITY. THE DOGS HEAD, HOA, THE FINAL FOOT FOOTPRINT OF THIS SPACE WILL NOT BE SET UNTIL THE END OF THE AGREEMENT IN 30 YEARS. PROGRAMMING AND ACCESS TO WILL BE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE HOA, BUT WILL BE SIMILAR TO THAT OF CITY PUBLIC PARTS. NOTE THE TERM SIMILAR, NO PROGRAMMING REVENUE WILL FLOW TO THE CITY. THE HOA WILL MAINTAIN THE OPEN SPACE AT THEIR EXPENSE. NO FUNDS WILL [00:05:01] BE PROVIDED TO THE PARK MITIGATION FUND. I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE AT THIS TIME, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IS STEPPED UP AND TAKING THE LEAD IN ADDRESSING THE SHORTCOMINGS OF THE DOGHEAD AGREEMENT AND PROPOSING SPECIFIC ACTIONS THE DEVELOPER AND CITY SHOULD IMPLEMENT DURING THE COURSE OF THE DEVELOPMENT. TO ADDRESS THE LACK OF PUBLIC PARKS, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE OVER A DOZEN SPECIFIC ACTIONS AND CORRECTIONS TO INCLUDE PUBLIC PARKS INTO THE DEVELOPMENT. AS A CITIZEN OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, I'M DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED THE PARKS BOARD HAS TAKEN NO ACTION GUARANTEE THE INCLUSION OF PUBLIC PARKS. AS PART OF THE DOGHEAD DEVELOPMENT, I CHALLENGED THE PARKS BOARD TO DEVELOP A RECOMMENDATION TO MODIFY THE AGREEMENT AND THE REGULATING PLAN TO INCLUDE PUBLIC PARKS WITH PUBLIC CONTROL OVER THEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GAIL RODIE, FOLLOWED BY AMER SARWAR AND THEN ALYSSA VARGAS. GOOD EVENING. UM, AS ALWAYS, I'M GRATEFUL TO YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY. MY NAME IS GAIL ROADIE, D FIVE. SINCE 2014, I'VE BEEN DEEPLY INVO INVESTED IN ZILKER PARK. FIRST AS A VOLUNTEER LEADING AN ADOPT A CREEK PROJECT, THEN AS A MEMBER OF THE ZILKER PARK WORKING GROUP AND THE TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE. AND THEN AS A CONCERNED CITIZEN, PROVIDING COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT ZILKER PARK VISION PLAN. I'M HERE TODAY TO COMMENT ON THE PARKS DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSAL TO ELIMINATE PARKING AT THE POLO FIELD AS A PRECURSOR TO RESTORATION, AND SPECIFICALLY TO COMMENT ON A RECENT REQUEST TO WITHDRAW THAT PROPOSAL. IF THIS ISSUE COMES BEFORE THIS BOARD, AS I HOPE IT WILL, I ASK FOR THINGS FIRST. DO NOT FRAME THIS REQUEST. DO NOT FRAME THIS REQUEST FOR REVERSAL AS ONE OF ACCESS VERSUS ENVIRONMENT. THAT IS A LOSE LOSE PROPOSITION. BOTH ARE ESSENTIAL. SECOND, PLEASE DO NOT BACKTRACK. WE MAY BE MOVING FORWARD SLOWLY AND IMPERFECTLY TOWARDS A PARK THAT IS BOTH ECOLOGICALLY HEALTHY AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL. BUT REVERSING THIS DECISION WILL REVERSE THAT EFFORT. ANY SHORT TERM GAIN FOR SOME IS NOT MOVING US TOWARDS THIS LONG-TERM GOAL FOR ALL. THIRD, PLEASE QUESTION, DOES MAINTAINING PARKING LEVELS TRULY SUPPORT ACCESSIBILITY? HAS REDUCING THE NUMBER OF SPACES FROM ABOUT 3,500 TO ABOUT 2,500 IN RECENT YEARS LED TO A REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING TO THE PARK? I DON'T THINK WE HAVE DATA ON THAT, BUT MY GUESS IS, I THINK NOT, I THINK IT MORE LIKELY TO HAVE SPURRED PEOPLE TO FIND OTHER MODES OF TRANSPORTATION. AND FOURTH, PLEASE CONSIDER WILL MAINTAINING PARKING, INCENTIVIZE A TRANSPORTATION STUDY AND LEAD TO ALTERNATIVE ALTERNATIVE MODES OF ACCESS. I THINK THE OPPOSITE. MAINTAINING EXTENSIVE PARKING ON THE POLO FIELDS PROVIDES THE CITY THE EXCUSE IT NEEDS NOT TO DO A TRANSPORTATION STUDY AND ULTIMATELY NOT TO IMPLEMENT, IMPLEMENT A CITYWIDE SOLUTION. GREAT PARKS ALL OVER THE WORLD HAVE GREAT ACCESS WITH LITTLE OR NO PARKING. WE ARE NOT INVENTING THE WHEEL HERE. WE ARE LACKING THE LEADERSHIP TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. AND I HOPE YOUR DISCUSSION AND YOUR FRAMING AND ULTIMATELY YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL ARE THE FIRST STEP IN THAT LEADERSHIP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE OOMA SARWAR, FOLLOWED BY ALYSSA VARGAS AND THEN LESLIE IVY. YEAH, GO AHEAD. THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. AWESOME. UM, GOOD EVENING. I'M AMER SOAR. I LIVE ON THE EDGE OF THE SOUTH AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD PARK AND THE NEIGHBORS SEATED HERE BESIDE ME, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, A NUMBERS, UH, OF FOLKS ONLINE, UH, USE THE DAILY AND WHAT, UM, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO PROPOSE HERE TODAY IS ESSENTIALLY TO FORMALIZE A SOCIAL CONTRACT THAT ALREADY EXISTS AND TO TAKE ON THE BURDEN OF STEWARDSHIP THAT THE CITY LACKS THE RESOURCES TO PROVIDE, UH, IN OUR PARK. UM, TODAY THE WHOLE 24 ACRE PARK IS ESSENTIALLY OFF LEASH AND PRACTICE. AND AS THIS BOARD RECOGNIZED IN 2022, UM, IT'S REALLY CHALLENGING FOR ENFORCEMENT TO, UH, TO KEEP UP. UM, SO NEXT SLIDE. SO OUR ASK IS REALLY SIMPLE, YOU KNOW, UH, A SIX MONTH PILOT UNDER PARS, EXISTING OFF LEASH, UM, UH, DLA PROGRAM, UM, IN ONE OF THE TWO CANDIDATE ZONES THAT WILL, UH, SHOW YOU SHORTLY. AND WE BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE THERE'S [00:10:01] INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ALREADY EXISTS, UH, IT'S ALREADY IN PLACE. THE ONLY NEW ITEM THAT WE LIKELY NEED FOR THIS PILOT WOULD POTENTIALLY BE SIGNAGE. UM, NEXT SLIDE. SO AS YOU ALL KNOW, GALINDO IS CHANGING REALLY FAST. UM, SO THERE'S A SWATH OF NEW DEVELOPMENTS, UH, COMING ALONG, UH, COMING ONLINE JUST WITHIN A FEW BLOCKS OF OUR PARK. AND SO TO US THAT'S MORE NEIGHBORS, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT NEIGHBORS WITH SMALL TO NON-EXISTENT YARDS. AND THE RISK OF MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND CONFLICT IN OUR PARK IS POTENTIALLY GONNA GO UP. AND SO OUR PROPOSED PILOT, UM, WE BELIEVE IT SERVES, UH, OUR NEIGHBORS WITHOUT DOGS AS WELL, BECAUSE ONE DESIGNATED ZONE FOR DOGS MEANS CALMER AMENITIES, INCLUDING THE FIELDS, THE COURTS, THE PLAYGROUND FOR, FOR EVERYONE ELSE. UM, NEXT SLIDE. AND YOU KNOW, AS WE WERE DOING RESEARCH, WE THINK WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT THIS IS THAT IT ALREADY FITS A PROGRAM THAT PAR, YOU KNOW, ALREADY RUNS. UH, IT WAS PART OF YOUR LONG RANGE PLAN. UM, YOU KNOW, UH, IT WAS POINT NUMBER SIX THAT, YOU KNOW, SUGGESTS THAT THERE'S CALLS FOR OFF-LEASH AREAS IN INAPPROPRIATE LOCATIONS. AND I THINK THIS BOARD VOTED UNANIMOUSLY, UH, BACK IN 2022, UM, FOR, UH, SUCH PROGRAMS IN DENSE NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, LIKE OURS THAT LACK THEM. UH, NEXT SLIDE. SO, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD PROPOSE TWO ZONES, OR, OR OUR PREFERRED ZONE WOULD BE ZONE A, WHICH IS NORTH OF THE COURTS. AS YOU SEE, IT'S A WOODED AREA, IT'S SHADED. UM, IT DOESN'T CONFLICT WITH ANY OTHER EXISTING AMENITIES. UM, AND IT'S ACTUALLY NATURALLY FENCED IN BY, UH, BACKYARD FENCES ALL, ALL AROUND THIS AREA. UM, AND THE OTHER BENEFIT IS THAT PARKING AND WASTE STATIONS ARE ALREADY IN PLACE HERE. UM, AND THEY'RE CITY SERVICE AND, AND IT WOULD DRAW DOGS AWAY FROM ALL THE OTHER SOUNDS. UM, NEXT SLIDE. AND YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT I'D LEAVE YOU ALL WOULD, WOULD BE THAT I THINK THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE COMMUNITY AROUND THIS WOULD, WOULD SPONSOR THE STEWARDSHIP HERE. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD, UH, WOULD THE CITY SUPPORT, UH, ENFORCE, YOU KNOW, DOULA'S EXISTING RULES THAT EVERY ENTRY AND WOULD ALSO SUGGEST, YOU KNOW, LEASHING UP EVERYWHERE ELSE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. IF WE COULD HAVE THAT PRESENTATION, MR. BECK, SINCE WE DIDN'T GET TO GET THROUGH IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE, OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE ALYSSA VARGAS, FOLLOWED BY LESLIE IVY. AND THEN AUBREY RUDDER. THERE'S A PRESENTATION. BEAR WITH US A MOMENT WE'RE, UH, SORTING THROUGH A TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY. THERE'S A PRESENTATION THAT GOES ALONG WITH THESE COMMENTS. YES, NO WORRIES. UH, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON WHILE WE SORT THROUGH THAT TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE LESLIE IVY, FOLLOWED BY AUBREY RUDDER AND THEN SANTIAGO SWAN. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. GOOD EVENING, MY NAME IS LESLIE. I, MY NAME IS LESLIE IVY AND I'M HERE ONCE AGAIN TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF OBSERVING AUSTIN'S ADULT VOLLEYBALL LEAGUES. FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK THE BOARD FOR INCLUDING THIS ISSUE ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA. AND I APOLOGIZE, I'LL NEED TO LEAVE EARLY, BUT I HAVE A GAME AT EIGHT O'CLOCK, WHICH PERFECTLY ILLUSTRATES HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO ME AND ALSO WHY OUR OVERALL TURNOUT AND THE AUDIENCE IS LOWER TONIGHT. THIS IS MY THIRD TIME SPEAKING TO YOU, SO I'LL TRY NOT TO REPEAT ANYTHING I'VE SHARED BEFORE. BUT I DO WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE PLAYED IN THESE LEAGUES FOR 25 YEARS. WE STARTED AS NEWLYWEDS, CONTINUED WHILE RAISING THREE CHILDREN AND STILL PLAY TODAY. I NOW PLAY TWICE A WEEK IN BOTH CO-ED AND WOMEN'S LEAGUE NIGHTS, WHICH I COUNT MYSELF VERY LUCKY TO BE DOING. AT 50 YEARS OLD, THESE LEAGUES HAVE BECOME A FAMILY TRADITION. I GREW UP WATCHING MY DAD PLAY IN AUSTIN'S CITY'S BASKETBALL LEAGUES AND SOFTBALL LEAGUES FOR DECADES. AND NOW MY 23-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER PLAYS IN BOTH THE CO-ED AND WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL LEAGUES. THAT'S THREE GENERATIONS OF MY FAMILY WHO HAVE BENEFITED FROM AUSTIN'S RECREATIONAL SPORTS. LAST MONTH I TALKED ABOUT HOW UNIQUE OUR LEAGUES ARE, PARTICULARLY FOR WOMEN. THE CITY OFFERS EQUAL NUMBER OF COED AND WOMEN'S LEAGUES WITH THREE SKILL LEVELS IN EACH DIVISION. PRIVATE LEAGUES SIMPLY DON'T OFFER THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES, ESPECIALLY FOR WOMEN. ELIMINATING THIS PROGRAM WOULD MEAN [00:15:01] LOSING SOMETHING THAT CANNOT EASILY BE REPLACED. BUT TONIGHT, I WANNA EMPHASIZE SOMETHING ELSE. THIS IS NOT A STRUGGLING PROGRAM THAT THE CITY IS TRYING TO SAVE. THIS IS A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM THAT THE CITY IS CONSIDERING ELIMINATING REGISTRATION FILLS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. DEMAND HAS BEEN SO STRONG THAT FRIDAY NIGHT LEAGUES WERE ADDED LAST YEAR, AND WE HAVE AN OUTSTANDING PARKS AND REC STAFF MEMBER MANAGING THIS PROGRAM WHO HAS DONE MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE EVER HAD, HAS HAD IN HIS POSITION, AND HAS HELPED MAKE AN ALREADY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM EVEN BETTER. I UNDERSTAND THE CITY FACES DIFFICULT BUDGET DECISIONS, AND I RESPECT THAT NOT EVERY PROGRAM CAN BE FUNDED WITHOUT LIMITS, BUT WHEN A PROGRAM IS THIS POPULAR, THIS WELL RUN, AND THIS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY, SHOULDN'T WE FIRST EXPLORE EVERY REASONABLE OPTION TO PRESERVE IT? I BELIEVE THE PEOPLE WHO RUN THIS PROGRAM AND THE PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATE IN IT DESERVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE BEFORE A DECISION IS MADE. MY REQUEST TONIGHT IS SIMPLE. PLEASE DON'T ELIMINATE THESE LEAGUES WITHOUT FIRST MAKING A GENUINE EFFORT TO FIND A WAY TO KEEP THEM. FOR 25 YEARS, THIS PROGRAM HAS GIVEN MY FAMILY A PLACE TO STAY ACTIVE, BUILD FRIENDSHIPS, AND CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY. THESE LEAGUES REPRESENT EXACTLY THE KIND OF HEALTHY CONNECTED COMMUNITY THAT OUR PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT EXISTS TO SUPPORT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE AUBREY RUDDER. I JUST WANNA NOTE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BOARD THAT UH, EVEN THOUGH THE SCREEN ABOVE YOU IS BLACK, WE DO STILL HAVE THE WEBEX GOING. SO THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING ON WEBEX CAN STILL SEE AND HEAR US. ALRIGHT, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. GOOD AFTERNOON PARK BOARD MEMBERS. UH, MY NAME IS AUBREY RUDDER. I AM DIRECTOR OF OUTDOOR RECREATION AT THE AUSTIN ROWING CLUB. THE AUSTIN ROWING CLUB IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN AT THE WALLER CREEK BOATHOUSE. USUALLY AROUND THIS TIME OF YEAR, WE ARE PREPARING TO HOST OUR ANNUAL HEAD OF THE COLORADO REGATTA. UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO THE ONGOING I 35 CONSTRUCTION, WE HAVE HAD TO CANCEL THIS YEAR'S EVENT. AUSTIN ROWING CLUB HAS BEEN HOSTING THIS REGATTA SINCE 1992, MAKING IT A 34 YEAR TRADITION HERE IN AUSTIN. THESE REGATTAS BRING THOUSANDS OF ATHLETES AND SPECTATORS TO LADY BIRD LAKE FROM ACROSS TEXAS, OKLAHOMA, LOUISIANA, MEXICO, FLORIDA, KIND OF ALL OVER THE SOUTHERN REGION. WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO HOST THE HEART OF TEXAS REGATTA THIS FEBRUARY AND CONTINUE TO WELCOME ATHLETES AND VISITORS TO AUSTIN. WHILE WE WILL NOT BE HOSTING THE HEAD OF THE COLORADO THIS YEAR, OUR ROW ROWING PROGRAM CONTINUES TO ACCOMPLISH, UM, INCREDIBLE THINGS. JUST RECENTLY WE SENT 13 YOUNG WOMEN TO COMPETE AT THE PRESTIGIOUS HEAD OF, OF THE CHARLES REGATTA IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS ATHLETES TOOK FIRST PLACE IN THE WOMEN'S YOUTH FOURTH FOURS EVENT, WHICH IS AN OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT ON A NATIONAL STAGE. WE ARE BUILDING AN INCREDIBLE ROWING PROGRAM HERE IN AUSTIN, AND IT'S EXCITING TO SEE THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION PAYOFF ON THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH SIDE. OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH KEEP AUSTIN BEAUTIFUL TO LAUNCH A WEEKLY KAYAK CLEANUP PROGRAM EVERY WEDNESDAY EVENING. FOR THE LAST TWO MONTHS, VOLUNTEERS HAVE JOINED US ON LADY BIRD LAKE TO PADDLE AND COLLECT TRASH FROM THE WATERWAY. THIS RESPONSE HAS BEEN FANTASTIC. WE'VE CONTINUED TO SEE THE PROGRAM GROW EACH WEEK, HOWEVER, WITH DAYLIGHT SAVINGS COMING TO AN END, WE WILL BE WRAPPING UP THE WEDNESDAY EVENING CLEANUPS FOR THE SEASON, BUT WE'RE EXCITED TO BRING THEM BACK IN THE SPRING. IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS, THIS PROGRAM ITSELF HAS PICKED UP 1100 POUNDS OF TRASH AND SEVEN LIME SCOOTERS FROM THE LAKE. DURING THESE CLEANUPS, WE ARE ONLY REALLY IN BETWEEN CONGRESS BRIDGE AND WALLER CREEK, SO IT'S A VERY SMALL AREA THAT WE'RE PICKING UP SO MUCH TRASH FROM CONTINUOUSLY BETWEEN OUR COMPETITIVE ROWING PROGRAMS AND OUR CON AND CONTINUED ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP EFFORTS, WE ARE PROUD OF THE WORK. AUSTIN ROW CLUB IS DOING BOTH ON AND OFF THE WATER. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. OUR AUDIO VISUAL CAPABILITIES HAVE RESUMED. UH, SO I'M GONNA RECALL ALYSSA VARGAS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. AND AFTER ALYSSA WE'LL GO TO SANTIAGO SWAN AND THEN PHIL THOMAS ALYSSA, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. GOOD EVENING PARKS BOARD MEMBERS. MY NAME IS ALYSSA VARGAS AND I SERVE AS THE ADVOCACY MANAGER AT AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU TONIGHT ABOUT ONE OF THE AUSTIN'S LARGEST AND MOST BELOVED VOLUNTEER TRADITIONS. IT'S MY PARK DAY NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION HAS BROUGHT NEIGHBORS TOGETHER THROUGH THIS BIANNUAL EVENT HELD ON THE FIRST SATURDAYS OF MARCH AND NOVEMBER. THIS EVENT IS ABOUT MUCH MORE THAN PICKING UP LITTER OR SPREADING MULCH. IT'S ABOUT BUILDING COMMUNITY, ENCOURAGING STEWARDSHIP, AND GIVING AUSTINITES A MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE OWNERSHIP IN THE PUBLIC SPACES. WE ALL SHARE. WHAT MAKES IT'S MY PARK DE SO SPECIAL IS ALMOST EVERY PROJECT IS LED BY A COMMUNITY MEMBER. [00:20:01] THESE ARE NEIGHBORS WHO RECOGNIZE A NEED IN THEIR LOCAL PARK AND TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. DURING OUR SPRING, IT'S MY PARK DAY. EARLIER THIS YEAR, MORE THAN 4,500 VOLUNTEERS CAME TOGETHER TO IMPROVE OUR PARKS IN GREEN SPACES. COLLECTIVELY, THEY REMOVED MORE THAN 16,150 POUNDS OF TRASH AND SPED 1027 CUBIC YARDS OF MULCH TO SUPPORT OUR CITY'S TREES. AT AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION, VOLUNTEERING IS AT THE HEART OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO. WE BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE INVEST THEIR TIME AND ENERGY INTO THE NEIGHBOR PARKS, THAT THEY'LL DEVELOP A STRONGER CONNECTION TO THESE SPACES AND A GREATER COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING THEM. BUT BEYOND THE COMMUNITY BUILDING BENEFITS, VOLUNTEERISM ALSO PROVIDES A TREMENDOUS VALUE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN THROUGH ACTIVITIES LIKE LITTER COLLECTION, TREE MULCHING, INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL, AND GENERAL PARK MAINTENANCE VOLUNTEERS HELP ADDRESS CRITICAL MAINTENANCE NEEDS ACROSS OUR PARK SYSTEM IN 2025 ALONE ARE TWO, IT'S MY PARK DAY EVENTS GENERATED MORE THAN $670,000 IN VOLUNTEER LABOR VALUE. AND WHILE VOLUNTEERS CAN CERTAINLY NOT REPLACE THE ESSENTIAL WORK OF AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION STAFF, THEY CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN SUPPORTING THAT WORK AND HELPING OUR PUBLIC DOLLARS GO FURTHER. AND PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, THESE EVENTS REMIND US THAT MAINTAINING A THRIVING PARK SYSTEM IS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. ON ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH, WE WILL CELEBRATE OUR IT'S NEXT. IT'S MY PARK DAY WITH ALMOST A HUNDRED VOLUNTEER PROJECTS TAKING PLACE IN EVERY DISTRICT ACROSS AUSTIN. FOR MANY OF OUR VOLUNTEERS, THIS IS A DAY THEY LOOK FORWARD TO ALL YEAR. SO TONIGHT I'D LIKE TO EXTEND A PERSONAL INVITATION TO EACH OF OUR PARKS BOARD MEMBERS, AS WELL AS EVERYONE JOINING THIS EVENING TO PARTICIPATE IN A PROJECT NEAR YOU. WHETHER YOU VOLUNTEERED WITH US FOR YEARS OR THIS WOULD BE YOUR FIRST TIME, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU JOIN US BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S MY PARK DAY IS MORE THAN PROVING OUR PARKS. IT'S ABOUT STRENGTHENING THE COMMUNITY THAT MAKES THOSE PARKS WORTH PROTECTING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, YOUR SERVICE TO AUSTIN PARKS AND FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF OUR COMMUNITY. YES. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE SANTIAGO SAAN, FOLLOWED BY PHIL THOMAS. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. PRESENTATION AUSTIN MARK BOARD 10 26. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. PARKS BOARD. UH, I'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE QUITE A FEW TIMES. UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. I ALSO WANT TO THANK, UM, THE, WHAT FEELS LIKE A GENUINE ENGAGEMENT FROM CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, STAFF, INCLUDING THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT, UM, AUSTIN WATER, AUSTIN ENERGY, UH, AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. UM, I'VE BEEN VOLUNTEERING AT FESTIVAL BEACH FOR NEARLY 10 YEARS, UH, ATTEMPTING TO STEWARD A PLACE OF TRANQUILITY. UM, HERE IS A RENDERING THAT IS SHOWING A BOARDWALK THAT IS BEING PROPOSED BETWEEN SOUTH FIRST AND SOUTH CONGRESS. I'M CURIOUS HOW MUCH HYATT IS PAYING ON THIS AND WHY TXDOT IS PROVIDING THE FINES WHEN, UM, THIS IS THE CURRENT EXISTING, UM, BOONDOGGLE, UH, GOING ON AT I 35, UM, LOOKING EAST. UM, HERE ARE SOME TECHNICAL DRAWINGS FROM UH, T DOT. THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE AFFECTIONATELY CALLING ACE BUOY, UM, WITH, UH, A BUNCH OF LINES AND, UM, SOMEWHERE WITHIN, THERE ARE TUNNELS THAT ARE A SHARED USE PATH GOING BENEATH RIVERSIDE. UM, HERE ARE MORE LINES ILLUSTRATING THE BRIDGE OVER LADY BIRD LAKE, UM, AND A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE THAT WILL BE DESTROYING PART OF A HISTORIC PECAN GROVE. HERE. SOME MORE LINES LEADING UP TO, UH, HOLLY STREET, WHERE THE ROAD WILL BEGIN TO GO. SUBTERRANEAN. UM, HERE IS A DOCUMENT FROM THE TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, COURTS, UH, SHOWING THE, UH, ACQUISITION OF A TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION EASEMENT. UM, AND HERE ARE SOME OF THE TREES THAT ARE BEING TAKEN OUT FROM THAT CONSTRUCTION EASEMENT, INCLUDING A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION FROM FEBRUARY 7TH, 2024 TO ATTEMPT TO PRESERVE THESE PECAN TREES. TWO OF THEM HAVE ALREADY [00:25:01] BEEN REMOVED, AND AN ADDITIONAL ONE AT THE TOP CENTER WAS REMOVED BY AUSTIN WATER EARLIER THIS YEAR. UM, HERE IS A SLIDE ILLUSTRATING THE HOLLY SHORES MASTER PLAN FROM 2015. UH, IF YOU'LL LOOK AT LINE NUMBER THREE, YOU'LL SEE $16 MILLION, UH, RECOMMENDED FOR THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE. UM, UH, HERE IS, UH, WAL THE CURRENT STATE OF WALL STREET. UM, THIS BUS STOP WAS CLOSED, UM, LAST YEAR, AND IT CONTINUES TO BE OUT OF SERVICE. UM, I DON'T IT, I DON'T HAVE ANY TIME TO ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT THIS. THIS IS ALL SCOPE, SO THE MOST BEST RECOMMENDATION I HAVE IS THAT MAYBE, UH, BRING BACK A PRESENTATION ON THE HOLLY SHORES MASTER PLAN AND FIND OUT WHY, UM, THAT MONEY'S NOT BEING SPENT, INCLUDING THE TOTAL OF $45.65 MILLION. UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE PHIL THOMAS. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. GOOD EVENING CHAIR. GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS. I'M PHIL THOMAS, UH, LIVING IN DISTRICT THREE HERE WITH THE, UH, D POLY ADVOCATES TONIGHT. ZILKER PARK IS ONE OF AUSTIN'S GREATEST TREASURES, TREASURES. AND WE SHOULD HAVE AN, AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT IT REMAINS A WONDERFUL RESOURCE FOR ALL. WE URGE YOU TO SUPPORT A ZILKER PARK WORKING GROUP THAT GIVES THE COMMUNITY A MEANINGFUL VOICE IN SHAPING ITS FUTURE. THE VOICES SHOULD INCLUDE THE PUBLIC AT LARGE, NEARBY RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES IMPACTED BY, UH, ACL CLOSURES AND OTHERS WHO USE AND CARE ABOUT THE PARK BY LISTENING TO ONE ANOTHER AND WORKING COLLABORATIVELY. WE CAN MAKE BETTER DECISIONS ABOUT THIS MUCH LOVED PUBLIC SPACE. WE RECOGNIZE THE VALUE OF ACL TO, UH, TO AUSTIN, BUT WE NEED TO ADDRESS ITS, I IMPACT ITS IMPACT ON ZILKER PARK. WITH A HOTTER AUSTIN, OUR GREEN SPACES ARE MORE VITAL THAN EVER. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A DIALOGUE AROUND A SMALLER FESTIVAL FOOTPRINT, SUBSTANTIALLY SHORTER CLOSURE PERIODS AND SERIOUS CONSIDERATION OF ALTERNATIVE VENUES THAT COULD ALLOW ACL TO GROW AND FLOURISH WHILE REDUCING THE BURDEN ON THE PARK. ITS GROUNDS AND ITS DELICATE. ECOLOGY, TRANSPARENCY AND EQUALITY ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT. WE ASK THAT THE FULLY THE CITY FULLY DISCLOSE THE ROLES, AUTHORITY AND FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS AND TAXPAYER COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH NONPROFIT PARTNERSHIPS. PARK OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENTS DESERVE CAREFUL PUBLIC SCRUTINY AND REVIEW BEFORE THEY'RE ADOPTED. WHILE THERE'S STILL AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MEANINGFUL PUBLIC INPUT. MOREOVER, ANYONE ENTRUSTED WITH STEWARDING PUBLIC PARKLAND SHOULD MEET THE SAME STANDARDS AND TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY THAT ARE REQUIRED OF THE CITY ITSELF. WE BELIEVE AUSTIN CAN FIND A BETTER BALANCE BETWEEN USING OUR PARKS AND PROTECTING WHAT MAKES THEM SO SPECIAL. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER TOWARDS THAT GOAL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, MR. BECK, I JUST OH, YOU'RE FINE. JUST WANNA REMIND FOLKS THAT IF YOU'RE SPEAKING AT GENERAL PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, IT SHOULD BE FOR ITEMS THAT ARE NOT, UM, ON THE OTHER AREAS OF THE AGENDA. THANK CHAIR. UH, THAT IS NINE SPEAKERS, WHICH MEANS WE HAVE ONE MORE SPACE FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. DOES ANYONE PRESENT WANT TO ADDRESS THE PARKS BOARD DURING GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT? THAT IS THE END OF GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. BECK. UM, WE WILL MOVE ON, [APPROVAL OF MINUTES ] UM, TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. SO WE WILL APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE PARKS BOARD FROM SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2026, AND WE'LL GIVE YOU JUST A MOMENT TO REVIEW THOSE ONCE AGAIN. [00:30:08] ALL RIGHT. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. SO GOOD. ALL RIGHT. WE'VE GOT A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FROM BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS. DO I HAVE A SECOND ON THE MINUTES? SECOND. WE'VE GOT A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER ABARA. UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING OUR PARKS BOARD MINUTES FROM SEPTEMBER 28TH? RAISE YOUR HAND. ALRIGHT, IT'S NINE ZERO UNANIMOUS. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE WILL MOVE ON. [8. Discussion and create a working group related to the preservation, conservation, restoration and sustainability of Zilker Park. (Sponsors: Abou-Emara, Eubanks, Taylor)] UM, NOW AS THE POINT OF THE AGENDA, WE'VE, I ANNOUNCED EARLIER, BUT FOR ANYBODY WHO JOINED US AFTER THE START OF THE MEETING, WE ARE PULLING ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, UM, HIGHER UP IN OH OH. OKAY. WE'RE PULLING ITEM NUMBER EIGHT UP TO THE TOP OF THE DISCUSSION ACTION ITEMS. IT HAS A LARGE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, AND SO I WANNA ALLOW FOLKS TIME TO, UM, UH, SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS HERE WITHOUT HAVING TO WAIT UNTIL MIDNIGHT. AND SO, UM, THAT IS THE HOPE. AND SO, MR. DUNBACK, WE'LL START WITH, UM, COMMUNICATION FOR ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, PLEASE. AND THEN FROM THERE WE'LL GO RIGHT BACK INTO THE ORDER STARTING AT TWO AND, AND SO FORTH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR. WE HAVE A FEW PEOPLE OF THAT HAVE, UH, DIALED IN TO GIVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. WE'LL BEGIN WITH DIANA PROCTOR, FOLLOWED BY DANA HAGAR AND THEN SARAH FAUST. DIANA, CAN YOU HEAR US? YES. ALL RIGHT, WE CAN HEAR YOU. UH, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS DIANA PROCTOR. I SUPPORT ITEM EIGHT. EACH PARKS BOARD MEMBER IS APPOINTED BY A COUNCIL MEMBER TO ADVISE COUNCIL FOR THE PEOPLE WHO USE OUR PARKS. FOUR OF YOU BOARD MEMBERS, BAAN TAYLOR KERNS AFTER WHILE AND EUBANKS WERE APPOINTED BY THE FOUR MEMBERS OF COUNCIL CLIMATE, WATER ENVIRONMENT, AND PARKS COMMITTEE. ACCORDING TO ITS WEBSITE, THAT COUNCIL COMMITTEE MAY REVIEW ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS, CLIMATE, RESILIENCE AND ADAPTATION, FORESTRY, OPEN SPACE PARKS, AQUIFERS, WATER QUALITY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND FINANCIAL POLICIES. ZILKER IS A PUBLIC PARK. ITS VALUE IS A SWIM AT BARTON SPRINGS, A PICNIC ON THE GREAT LAWN, A WALK ALONG BARTON CREEK AT LITTLE OR NO COST. PRIVATE EVENTS USE ZILKER TWO, EARNING MONEY IN THE PARK. THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT INTERESTS. THIS BOARD SPEAKS FOR THE PUBLIC TO COUNCIL. THE CLIMATE COMMITTEE IS REVIEWING THE FEES. LARGE EVENTS, PAY RESOLUTION. 20 26 0 8 12 DASH 13 ASKED THE CITY MANAGER TO REPORT TO THE CLIMATE COMMITTEE IN JANUARY, 2027. THAT IS WHY I RAISED THE FEES TONIGHT. LOOK AT THE CALENDAR V'S FOUR LARGE SPECIAL EVENTS. ACL TRAIL OF LIGHTS, KITE VEST, AND BLUES ON THE GREEN RESERVE, ALL OR PART OF THE PARK FOR ABOUT 124 DAYS A YEAR, ROUGHLY ONE DAY IN THREE ON MOST OF ACL DAYS, IT PAID $500 PER DAY WHILE THE PUBLIC WAS FENCED OUT. TRAIL OF LIGHTS, A CITY CO-SPONSORED EVENT PAYS NO PARKS DEPARTMENT FEES AT ALL. ONLY AN ELECTRICITY BILL. FOR EXAMPLE, IN 2024, ABOUT $140,000 IN TRAIL OF LIGHTS PARK USE FEES WERE WAIVED. IN ADDITION, THE TRAIL OF LIGHTS HAVE NOT BEEN ASKED TO CHARGE AND REMIT TO THE CITY. THE PER TICKET MAINTENANCE FEE TICKET BUYERS WOULD PAY IT, NOT THE ORGANIZER. IT COULD BE ADDED TO VIP TICKETS, PRICED OVER A HUNDRED DOLLARS, AND IT WOULD HELP SUSTAIN THE PARK. A CITIZEN LED ZILKER PARK WORKING GROUP IS IN STEP WITH THE CLIMATE COMMITTEE. IF THE CLIMATE COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL UPDATE THE UPDATE THESE EVENT FEES, AS I HOPE THERE MAY BE MONEY TO PAY FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS. THE PARK IS A PUBLIC ASSET SERVING THE PUBLIC GOOD. YOUR WORK COULD INCLUDE THE GREAT LAWN, THE POOL TRASH, THE NATURE AND SCIENCE CENTER ADJACENT TO UPCOMING MOPAC SOUTH CONSTRUCTION, AND HOW THE LONG-TERM IMPACT OF LARGE SPECIAL EVENTS CAN BE MORE SUSTAINABLE. THE PARK NEEDS AN ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE AND THE CLIMATE, WATER ENVIRONMENT AND PARKS COMMITTEE SHOULD HAVE YOUR BACK. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DANA HAGAR. DANA, CAN YOU HEAR US? HELLO . WE CAN HEAR YOU. MY NAME IS DAN. OKAY. AND I WANNA THANK AND KIM TAYLOR FOR SUPPORTING ITEM EIGHT AND ESPECIALLY TEDDY. THANKS FOR BRINGING THIS WONDERFUL IDEA. FORWARD WORKING GROUP IS A GREAT IDEA. THESE TIME HAS DEFINITELY SOME I WANNA FOCUS ON THE GREAT LAWN, PARTICULARLY THE HEALTH OF THE SOIL. [00:35:01] SOIL HEALTH TELLS US A GREAT DEAL ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE PARK OVERALL THAT SUPPORTS HEALTHY PLANTS, INSECT LIFE, THE WIDER, WIDER ECOSYSTEM, INCLUDING, UH, WE NEED TO MEASURE SOIL HEALTH AND NOT SIMPLY JUDGE IT BY WHETHER THE GLASS IS FREEING. WHAT DOES RESTORATION ACTUALLY MEAN? DOES IT MEAN RESTORING THE HEALTH OF THE SOIL BENEATH THE GRASS, OR SIMPLY LAYING NEW THAW AND GETTING THE LONG GREEN IN TIME FOR THE NEXT EVENT? HOW DO I THINK WE NEED TO DRAW ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT WHAT RESTORATION MEANS? HOW SO CITY EVALUATED NATIVE GRASSES, LIKE LITTLE BLUE STEM AND SIDE OAK GRAMMAR ARE A MIX OF GLASSES AND MEADOW AREAS AND SPACES FOR SPORTS AND PLAY TO, WE SUPPORT MORE BIODIVERSITY WITHOUT TAKING A CENTIMETER AWAY FROM HUMANS AND DOGS. AND SPEAKING OF DOGS, WHAT WILDLIFE USES THE GREAT LAWN WHEN PEOPLE AREN'T THERE? LIKE AT NIGHTTIME, HOW MIGHT REPEATED EVENTS OF SUCH WILDLIFE HABITAT AND MOVEMENTS THROUGH THE PARK, WHAT ABOUT OUR WATERWAYS TOWN, LAKE LADY, BIRD LAKE AND BARTON CREEK BORDER, THE PARK? WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT STORM WATER AND FERTILIZER RUN OFF FROM THE GREAT LAWN? AND THERE ARE POTENTIAL EFFECTS ON THOSE WATERWAYS. WHAT MONITORING IS DONE AND HOW COULD WE REDUCE POLLUTING? SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS MAY ALREADY HAVE ANSWERS, AND I'VE SEEN SOME OF THE ANSWERS AND I'VE SEEN SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION THAT MAKES ME BELIEVE THEY'RE WORTH ASKING. AND I HOPE THE WORKING GROUP CAN BRING EXISTING SCIENCE TOGETHER, IDENTIFY WHAT'S STILL UNKNOWN, AND ESTABLISH MEASURABLE STANDARDS FOR THE PARK'S LONG TERM ECOLOGICAL HEALTH. THE PUBLIC PARK OUGHT TO BE MANAGED FOR MORE THE HOST ABILITY TO HOST THE NEXT EVENT. AND I ACTUALLY HAD MORE, BUT I ALREADY WROTE THAT PIECE OF PAPER, SO THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME. ALRIGHT, OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE FORMER PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MEMBER SARAH FAUST. SARAH, CAN YOU HEAR US? YES, I CAN. ALL RIGHT. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. THANKS. HI, MY NAME IS SARAH FAUST. AS TIM MENTIONED, I WAS PREVIOUSLY ON THE PARKS BOARD AND HAVING THAT EXPERIENCE, I DO WANNA THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE. I KNOW THAT IT IS A, UM, A SERIOUS ENDEAVOR. SO I WAS SPEAKING TONIGHT IN FAVOR OF SUPPORTING A WORKING GROUP RELATED TO THE PRESERVATION, CONSERVATION, RESTORATION AND SUSTAINABILITY OF ZILKER PARK. THERE'S SO MANY IMPORTANT ISSUES AT KER PARK THAT NEED ATTENTION, AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT A SMALL GROUP OF THOUGHTFUL, COMMITTED CITIZENS CAN BRING CHANGE TO KER TO BORROW A LINE FROM MARGARET MEAD. ONE ISSUE I WANTED TO SURFACE TONIGHT IN PARTICULAR IS THE CONCESSION STAND. I WAS AT THE BARTON SPRINGS POOL WITH MY SON THE OTHER DAY, AND WE HAD A GREAT TIME. IT WAS PEACEFUL AND BEAUTIFUL, BUT WE WERE THINKING ABOUT HOW DISAPPOINTING IT IS THAT HE'S NINE YEARS OLD. HE WAS BORN IN 2018 AND THE CONCESSION STANDS HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR HIS WHOLE LIFE. UM, NOT ONLY HAS THE CONCESSION STAND BEEN CLOSED, THERE'S NO PICNIC TABLES, THERE'S NO SEATING, THERE'S NOWHERE TO EVEN HAVE A PICNIC ON THAT, UM, THAT SIDE OF THE POOL. AND AS YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T BRING FOOD INTO THE SWIMMING POOL. SO IT REALLY DOES MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, A CHALLENGING EXPERIENCE FOR CHILDREN. UM, WHEN IT'S REALLY HOT IN AUSTIN, YOU CAN'T LEAVE YOUR FOOD IN THE CAR AND YOU'RE REALLY DOWN THERE WITH JUST, YOU KNOW, A BOTTLE OF WATER. UM, SO I'M HOPING THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT THE WORKING GROUP COULD LOOK INTO IN PARTICULAR, LIKE ALSO GETTING THE CONCESSION STAND GOING, BUT LIKE PICNIC TABLES AND PLACES TO SIT. UM, WE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY REMODELING THAT CONCESSION STAND, AND IT'S BEEN FINISHED FOR SIX YEARS, BUT IT'S STILL BEEN EMPTY AND INOPERABLE FROM A FOOD AND CON, YOU KNOW, A CONCESSION PERSPECTIVE. I ALSO THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT IF THEY SOLD TOWELS AND HATS AND ECOLOGICALLY SAFE SUNSCREEN TO OUT OF TOWN VISITORS? YOU OFTEN SEE PEOPLE GET THERE AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, WAIT, THIS LOOKS REALLY COOL, BUT I DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW WHAT? I NEED A TOWEL AND SUNSCREEN. I THINK IT COULD MAYBE RAISE SOME GOOD MONEY FOR THE POOL. UM, I JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S A PLACE THAT WE ALWAYS SAY IS LOVE TO DEATH, BUT THIS PARTICULAR ASPECT, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S REALLY BEEN LEFT AND, AND NEGLECT. UM, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, A LONG HISTORY WITH THE DIFFERENT CONTRACTS FOR THAT STAND, AND IT DOES FEEL LIKE THERE MIGHT, YOU KNOW, BE SOME PEOPLE HOLDING [00:40:01] THAT AREA HOSTAGE UNTIL THEY GET WHAT THEY WANT. I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. I KNOW THERE'S PEOPLE FIXATED ON ALCOHOL SALES, BUT I WOULD POINT OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD, THERE'S BEEN AN OPERATING CONCESSION STAND THERE SINCE THE 1930S, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, SELLING SNACKS UNTIL 2016. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UM, CONSIDERING THIS ITEM. I HOPE YOU PASS IT AND THANK YOU TO THOSE WILLING TO TAKE ON THE BEING ON THE Z REPORT WORKING GROUP. UM, I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT COMES FROM IT. THANK YOU. WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE IN-PERSON SPEAKERS. I'M JUST GONNA REMIND EVERYBODY THAT AS YOUR NAME IS CALLED, IF YOU KNOW YOU'RE ONE OF THE NEXT SPEAKERS THAT'S GOING TO BE CALLED, FEEL FREE TO MOVE DOWN TO ONE OF THESE CHAIRS FRONT OF THE ROOM. THAT'LL REALLY HELP REDUCE THE NUMBER, THE AMOUNT OF TIME BETWEEN SPEAKERS. WE'RE GONNA BEGIN WITH CEDAR STEVENS, FOLLOWED BY CHRIS FLORES AND THEN DIANA. OH, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO GAIL ROADIE. AFTER THAT, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING PARKS BOARD. THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR CITY. MY NAME IS CEDAR STEVENS AND I'M WITH FREE ZILKER COALITION. AND I WANNA COME AND EXPRESS MY VERY ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT FOR, UH, THE VERBIAGE OF ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, UH, FORMING THE WORKING GROUP TO STUDY, UH, THE RESTORATION AND CO UH, CONSERVATION OF ZILKER PARK. UH, THIS IS ALL TANGLED UP IN THE CONTROVERSY OF ACL VERSUS ZILKER, WHICH IS REALLY COMPLICATED WITH CONTRACTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES, OF WHICH I CONSIDER MYSELF ONE. SO THEREFORE, I WOULDN'T BE, UH, ELIGIBLE TO BE ON THIS COMMITTEE, . UM, BUT I THINK THAT A FOUNDATION FOR A COMMON UNDERSTANDING SHOULD BE BASED ON UNBIASED SCIENCE AND SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY. I'M HOPING THAT THE COM COMPOSITION OF THIS WORKING GROUP WOULD FOCUS ON, UH, SOUND ECOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGICAL, UH, STUDY, UM, UH, FOCUSED ON, UH, RESTORATION OF WHAT THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN WENT FOR ZILKER. I'M HOPING THAT IT WILL INCLUDE ECOLOGISTS AND PARK PROFESSIONALS, UH, LOCAL BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVES AND LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE MOST IMPACTED BY WHAT GOES ON IN ZILKER, UH, OVER PEOPLE WITH VESTED FINANCIAL INTERESTS. UH, I ALSO THINK THAT, UH, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER HAVING AN ARCHEOLOGIST APPOINTED TO IT AS THE, UH, VAST VERA DANIELS. UM, ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE COVERS MUCH OF ZILKER. UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN I HEAR THE TERM WORKING GROUP IN CITY OF AUSTIN POLITICS, IT'S, WE HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF WORKING GROUPS, UM, OPERATING BEHIND CLOSED DOORS WITHOUT PUBLIC INPUT. SO I'M VERY HEARTENED BY THE, UM, WORDING OF THIS PROPOSITION THAT THESE MEETINGS WOULD BE HELD, UH, AS OPEN MEETINGS IN DIFFERENT PARTS, GETTING, UH, INPUT FROM CITIZENS ALL OVER AUSTIN AS ZILKER PARK IS THE FLAGSHIP PART FOR ALL OF AUSTIN. UM, WE ALREADY KNOW THAT HARVESTER ANTS AND HORN LIZARDS HAVE BEEN EXTIRPATED FROM THE GREAT LAWN. SO LET US NOT PROMOTE FURTHER EROSION OF THE ECOLOGY OF ZILKER, BUT WORK FOR ITS RESTORATION. THANKS SO MUCH, Y'ALL. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE CHRIS FLORES, FOLLOWED BY GAIL RODIE AND THEN ANNA AGUIRE. UM, GOOD EVENING, CHRIS FLORES, DISTRICT 10. I I AM IN FAVOR OF THIS, UH, PROPOSAL FOR A WORKING GROUP. UH, WOULD LIKE FOR SPECIAL ATTENTION TO BE GIVEN TO SOME KIND OF WAY TO ALLOW THE WISDOM OF THE PUBLIC WHO COMES HERE TO TESTIFY IN FRONT OF YOU, TO BE FUNNELED INTO THIS WORKING GROUP. I APPRECIATE THAT. YOU KNOW, CERTAIN EXPERTS AND CERTAIN BOARD MEMBERS WILL FORM THE WORKING GROUP, BUT THERE SHOULD BE A WAY TO CONDUIT ALL THIS CITIZEN WISDOM IN. UM, MS. DIANA PROCTOR HAS DONE A TON OF PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS AND ANALYSIS, AND, UH, THERE ARE EXPERTS IN THIS AUDIENCE WHO JUST BLOW ME AWAY WITH ALL THEIR KNOWLEDGE. AND THIS KNOWLEDGE IS VALUABLE. IT SHOULD BE PART OF THE, OF THE GATHERING OF INFORMATION THAT THE WORKING GROUP COULD BRING TOGETHER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GAIL RODIE. [00:45:04] GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING AGAIN. GAIL RODIE. D FIVE. UM, I SUPPORT ITEM EIGHT ON THE AGENDA AND HERE'S WHY. FIRST, NOW IS THE TIME TO FIND SOLUTIONS THAT ENHANCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RECREATION AND FOR THE SPACES THAT ALLOW IMMERSION IN THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. SECOND, THE FOCUS ON PRESERVATION, CONSERVATION, RESTORATION AND SUSTAINABILITY IS WHERE I SEE THE BROADEST CONSENSUS. AND THIRD, A PARKS BOARD LED EFFORT IS THE BEST WAY TO INCORPORATE MEANINGFUL PUBLIC COMMENT FROM ACROSS ALL 10 COUNCIL DISTRICTS. THE ZILKER PARK WORKING GROUP, OF WHICH I WAS A MEMBER, ATTEMPTED TO GET INPUT FROM ACROSS THE CITY, BUT OUR SURVEY RESPONSES COULD NOT REALLY BE CONSIDERED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CITY AS A WHOLE. LIKEWISE, WHILE I THINK THE PARKS DEPARTMENT MADE A GOOD EFFORT TO GET INPUT ON THOSE ZILKER PARK VISION PLAN, PUBLIC INPUT CAME AFTER A LOT OF WORK HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE FAIRLY LATE IN THE PROCESS AND NOT EARLY ON. SO FOR THIS, UH, THESE ARE THE REASONS I SUPPORT ITEM EIGHT. WE NEED TO GET THIS RIGHT THIS TIME, AND I BELIEVE THIS BOARD IS THE RIGHT VEHICLE FOR DOING THIS. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE ANNA AGUIRE, FOLLOWED BY ELIZABETH MCGREEVY, AND THEN NATALIE RESLEY. ANNA, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE CHAIR, BAAN AND BOARD MEMBERS. MY NAME IS ANNA AGUIRE AND I'M A D TWO RESIDENT. I'M SPEAKING IN MY OWN PERSONAL CAPACITY ON ITEM EIGHT AND MEANINGFUL SUPPORT OF THIS ITEM. I WANT TO SAY A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE SPONSORS. I RECOGNIZE THIS ITEM IS SPECIFIC TO ZILKER PARK. IN LIGHT OF THE CURRENT CONDITIONS OF ZILKER PARK, THERE IS A GREAT, THIS IS A GREAT START, AND THE CURRENT CHALLENGES ZILKER PARK IS EXPERIENCING MUST BE ADDRESSED AND FIXED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT MOVING ACL TO ANOTHER LOCATION, I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST A FUTURE ITEM BE ADDED SO THAT THIS BOARD CAN DO THIS CITYWIDE ON ALL CURRENT AND FUTURE PARKS, AND SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE THE SAME PROTECTIONS AND CONSIDERATION. THE SEAL CARE PRO PROBLEM MUST NOT BE PASSED ON TO ANY OTHER PARK OR NEIGHBORHOOD. I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THE WORKING GROUP CONSIDER TRUE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS PART OF THIS PROCESS. PLEASE ENSURE THERE IS FULL ACCOUNTABILITY OF EVERY TAXPAYER'S PENNY AND AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. TRUE. AND AGAIN, FULL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. AS PART OF THIS, I HAVE MANY CONCERNS INVOLVING SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS THAT PRIORITIZE CERTAIN AREAS AT THE EXPENSE OF VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES IN REGARDS TO EQUITY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, CONSIDER FREE AND ONGOING PUBLIC ACCESS TO SEALER AND ALL AUSTIN PARKS FOR AUSTIN RESIDENTS. AS YOU MAY KNOW, EAST AUSTINITES DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF A PROMINENT HEAT ISLAND AND GRID DISPROPORTIONAL DISCREPANCY IN THE TREE CANOPY. WHEN COMPARING THE QUALITY OF LIFE CONDITIONS BETWEEN EAST AND WEST AUSTIN, THESE DISCRIMINATORY CONDITIONS ARE NOT SUSTAINABLE. I LIVE IN EAST AUSTIN AND WE'RE STILL IN MUCH NEED OF YOUR FULL CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION AND SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE ELIZABETH MCGREEVY, FOLLOWED BY NATALIE LEY AND THEN MEGAN MEISENBACH. IS ELIZABETH HERE? NO, UH, IS NATALIE LEY HERE? AFTER NATALIE WILL BE MEGAN MEISENBACH. AND THEN MARK, MAY YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING TODAY. GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBERS. TONIGHT I'M HERE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO SUPPORT ITEM EIGHT. THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE IS PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY FOR PUBLIC LAND. WHILE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, PRIVATE DONORS, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS MAKE VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR PARK, STEWARDSHIP PRIVATE RESOURCES MUST NEVER SUBSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC OVERSIGHT, TRANSPARENT DECISION MAKING AND MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION. TONIGHT, I'M NOT ARGUING AGAINST PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. INSTEAD, I'M ARGUING FOR MAKING THOSE NONPROFITS PRIVATE DONORS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PUBLIC THEY SERVE. EVERY AUSTIN PARK DESERVES EQUITABLE STEWARDSHIP AND PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY. BUT ER IS NOT JUST ANOTHER PARK. ER IS ONE OF AUSTIN'S MOST REVERED PUBLIC LANDSCAPES. [00:50:01] ITS POPULARITY COMPETING USES ENVIRONMENTAL PRESSURES TO THE POINT OF CRACKING AND VERY COMPLEX RELATIONSHIPS WITH PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS CREATE STEWARDSHIP CHALLENGES THAT REQUIRE OUR LASER-FOCUSED ATTENTION. A CITYWIDE PROBLEM DOES NOT PRECLUDE AILER SPECIFIC SOLUTION. IN FACT, ZILKER OFFERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP A MODEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY THAT COULD BENEFIT AUSTIN'S ENTIRE PARK SYSTEM. SECTION TWO DASH ONE DASH 1 65 OF THE CITY CODE ASSIGNS THIS BOARD AN ADVISORY ROLE CONCERNING PARK DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING AND MAINTENANCE. AND JUST LAST MONTH, COUNCIL EXPRESSLY ADDED PARK CONCESSIONS AND NONPROFIT AGREEMENTS TO THIS BOARD'S ADVISORY ROLE. ITEM EIGHT DOES NOT ASK THIS BOARD TO TAKE OVER PARK MANAGEMENT OR PREDETERMINED SILK'S FUTURE. INSTEAD, IT ASKS YOU TO ESTABLISH A PROCESS FOR EXAMINING HOW THIS IRREPLACEABLE PUBLIC RESOURCE CAN BEST BE PROTECTED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. I URGE YOU RESPECTFULLY TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP THAT EXAMINES EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS, IDENTIFIES GAPS IN TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, WELCOMES OUR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND DEVELOPS RECOMMENDATIONS GROUNDED IN CONSERVATION, SUSTAINABILITY, AND THE PUBLIC'S INTEREST. THE QUESTION TONIGHT IS NOT WHETHER PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD HELP CARE FOR ZILKER PARK. THE QUESTION IS, WHO REMAINS ACCOUNTABLE FOR ER'S FUTURE? THAT RESPONSIBILITY MUST REMAIN IN PUBLIC HANDS. PLEASE SUPPORT ITEM EIGHT. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MEGAN MEISENBACH, FOLLOWED BY MARK MAY. AND THEN BILL BUNCH. GOOD EVENING PARKS BOARD, THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND FOR YOUR WORK AND SERVICE. I ALSO SUPPORT ITEM EIGHT ON THE AGENDA, WHICH PROVIDES A WORKING GROUP JUST TO GET GOING. AND YOU'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT, UM, HOW THIS WILL BENEFIT AUSTIN. I THINK NATALIE REALLY POINTED OUT THE WAY THAT THE WORKING GROUP CAN CREATE, UH, TRANSPARENCY FOR THE CITIZENS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON. SO WITH, UM, ITEM 72, YOU HAVE, UH, IF THAT PASSES, YOU HAVE SPECIFIC AUTHORITY TO ADVISE THE COUNCIL ON THE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION ON BEHALF OF THE CITY AND THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. I THINK THIS WILL BE A WONDERFUL WAY TO ENGAGE THE CITIZENS WITH THE WORKING GROUP. AS YOU KNOW, AND YOU'VE HEARD BEFORE, THE ZILKER IS OWNED BY EVERYONE AND CAN BE USED BY EVERYONE. NO DISTRICT AS, UH, MR. EUBANK SAYS IS UNTOUCHED BY THIS PARK. ZILKER IS SIMILAR TO THE GREAT PARKS OF OUR NATION, SUCH AS GRANT PARK IN CHICAGO AND CENTRAL PARK IN NEW YORK. AND DUE TO RECENT EVENTS, THE THREATENED DEMOLITION OF THE BARTON SPRINGS BRIDGE, THE DEMISE OF THE AUSTIN BOTANICAL GARDENS CONSERVANCY, THE AUSTIN C CITY LIMITS FESTIVAL, THE BATHHOUSE, WHICH IS OVER BUDGET AND A YEAR LATE. THIS IS THE MOMENT TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE MARK MAY, FOLLOWED BY BILL BUNCH. AND THEN JEFFREY BOWEN. IS MARK HERE? YES, I'M RIGHT. HEY, MARK, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. OKAY. UH, SO, UH, UH, MY NAME IS MARK MAY. UM, I LIVE IN D FIVE. SORRY I'M LATE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S UP WITH THIS NEW FAST PARK SPORT. I ATE DINNER, WAS PLANNING ON BEING HERE FOR THE DURATION, BUT, UM, HERE WE ARE. UM, SO ANYWAY, I'M IN FAVOR OF, UH, THE WORKING GROUP, UH, TO LOOK INTO THE, UH, WELFARE OF, UH, A ZILKER PARK. THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME TO DO THIS WORK, SO WE CAN ALL SEE THE TOLL TAKEN ON THE, ON THE PARK. UH, DURING THE FALL. IT'S WORTH ACTUALLY NOTING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE BURDEN ON THE PARK IS NOT DONE AS A TRAIL OF LIGHTS WILL, UH, SET UP SOON AND, AND WILL NOT BE GONE UNTIL AFTER THE NEW YEAR. SO OVER THE YEARS, BOTH, BOTH ACL AND TRAIL OF [00:55:01] LIGHTS HAVE GROWN WITHOUT A CLEAR PLAN FOR HOW TO MAINTAIN THE HEALTH OF THE LARGER PARK. IT IS PART OF YOUR CHARTER TO, UM, ADVISE COUNSEL ON IMPROVING AND, UH, MAINTAINING OUR PARKS. UH, THIS IS A LARGE TASK, AND IN THE CASE OF A ZILKER PARK, THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE THAT USE THE PARK WITH MANY DIFFERENT, UH, VIEWPOINTS. THUS, IT'S MUCH, MUCH TOO LARGE OF A TOPIC FOR LIKE THE MONTHLY PAR UH, MEETINGS. BUT THE WORKING GROUP CAN ACTUALLY PROVIDE ENOUGH DISTANCE AND SPACE TO CAREFULLY THANK THANK THROUGH THE TRADE-OFFS AND COME UP WITH A THOUGHTFUL PLAN FOR COUNCIL. UM, I ALSO BELIEVE THAT, UH, THE WORKING GROUP IS AN IMPORTANT PLACE FOR THE PUBLIC TO, UH, PROVIDE INPUT ABOUT THE PARK. UM, WE, WE LIVE IN A TIME UNFORTUNATELY WHERE BIG, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, MONEY RULES AND THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY MADE IN, IN THE PARK EVERY YEAR. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND ABOUT THE OUTSIDE INFLUENCE OF THIS, UH, MONEY IN OUR, UH, CITY. AND BECAUSE OF THIS, WE NEED TO VENUE FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE HEARD AND BE A FORMAL PART OF THE PROCESS. UM, I THINK THE INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC IS A, A CRUCIAL PIECE OF INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED TO, UH, SECURE THE GREATEST, UH, PUBLIC WELFARE AS IS PART OF YOUR CHARTER. SO THEREFORE, I SUPPORT THE WORKING GROUP AND ASK YOU TO DO THE SAME. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE BILL BUNCH, FOLLOWED BY JEFFREY BOWEN, AND THEN DOROTHY LOPEZ BARNETT IS BILL BUNCH HERE. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE JEFFREY BOWEN. UH, GOOD EVENING, UH, BOARD MEMBERS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. UH, JEFFREY BOWEN. I'M FROM DISTRICT EIGHT. UM, I'M THE PRESIDENT OF AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOODS COUNCIL. I'M ALSO OF THE BOARD, OR ALSO THE CHAIR FOR THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS. SO I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT WE GO THROUGH AS BEING COMMISSIONERS AND BOARDS. BUT I'M SPEAKING TONIGHT, UH, FOR MYSELF AND ALSO FOR AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOODS COUNCIL. UH, I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 37 YEARS. UH, I'M NOT A NATIVE AUSTINITE, BUT I FEEL LIKE THE AMOUNT OF TIME I'VE BEEN HERE, I'VE SEEN A LOT IN MY TIME, UH, IN THIS ENTIRE PROCESS. UH, IT'S AMAZING TO ME HOW WE CONTINUE TO GO AROUND AND ROUND, AND YET WE KEEP TRYING DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT NOTHING SEEMS TO, TO KIND OF, UH, ATTACH. UM, I, I RECENTLY DID SOMETHING, UH, TO WHERE I TALKED ABOUT WE WERE GOING TO LOSE SILK OR BECAUSE OF ACL AND, AND TALKED ABOUT THAT. AND MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE NEW TO THE AREA, WERE FINDING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND THE ENTIRE CONCEPT. UM, I AS BEING HERE FOR 37 YEARS, I GOT TO SEE THE GREAT MUD, THE MUD PIT FROM 2009. AND THEN AS WE GO BACK AROUND, UM, IT IS BY NO MEANS THAT I WOULD WANT TO SEE ACL LEAVE BECAUSE IT IS AN ECONOMIC SHOT IN THE ARM FOR THIS COMMUNITY. BUT WITH WORKING GROUPS, I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS ACTUALLY INVOLVED. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT, JUST SPEAK UP AUSTIN. I'M TALKING ABOUT ACTUAL INVOLVEMENT. UM, RECENTLY, UH, ONE OF OUR, ONE OF OUR MEMBERS OF A NC POSTED ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE ABOUT THIS UPCOMING MEETING AND THE AMOUNT OF ATTACK, UH, THE AMOUNT OF, OF ENGAGEMENT IT HAS BROUGHT ABOUT, WHICH KIND OF LEADS TO HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE KIND OF HERE TONIGHT TALKING ABOUT THAT. BUT WE ARE FULLY IN SUPPORT OF THE SU UH, OF THE RESPIRA OF THE RESTORATION, THE PRESERVATION, THE CONSERVATION, AND THE SUSTAINABILITY. BUT WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE NOT TO ALLOW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS TO OVERRIDE THOSE INTEREST. UH, AND THOSE OF THE TAXPAYERS OR THE RESIDENTS OF THIS CITY. UH, I, I RECENTLY SAID THAT, UH, THIS IS OUR PARK. IT IS NOT THE CITY'S PARK. THE CITY'S SUPPOSED TO MAINTAIN IT. IT IS OUR PARK AS RESIDENCE. AND I'VE HAD PEOPLE PICK UP ON THAT, ON THAT ENTIRE, UH, CONCEPT, WHICH I FOUND TO BE RATHER AMUSING AT PARTS, BUT ALSO AMAZING. BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE CLEAR TRANSPARENCY WITH WHAT ARE THE CONTRACTS, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE NEW HERE THAT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT CONTRACTS, THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT'S OUT THERE. THERE'S A WEALTH OF INFORMATION BEHIND ME THAT IS WILLING AND ABLE TO STAND UP AND BE PART OF THIS PROCESS. THIS PROCESS CAN BE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE USED TOWARDS THE REST OF THE GROWTH OF ALL OF THE LAND THAT'S SETTING, WAITING TO BE TURNED INTO NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS. DON'T LET THIS OPPORTUNITY GO BY. MAKE THE BEST OF IT THAT YOU CAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE DOROTHY LOPEZ BARNETT, FOLLOWED BY DAVID WEINBERG. MS. DOROTHY HERE. UH, DAVID WEINBERG. [01:00:01] IS DAVID HERE? UH, NEXT WOULD BE HOLLY REED. OH, SORRY ABOUT THAT. DOROTHY LOPEZ BARNETT WILL BE OUR NEXT SPEAKER, FOLLOWED BY HOLLY REED. THEN KAREN KREPPS AND ROBIN RATHER. DOROTHY, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. WHO'S GOING FIRST? YOU'RE GOING, I'M GOING FIRST. . OKAY. THANK YOU. DOROTHY LOPEZ BARNETT HERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. UM, I'M FULLY SUPPORTING ITEM EIGHT AND I WAS GONNA ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT I HAVE, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT THAT'S BEEN ADDRESSED ALREADY. SO I'M GONNA READ YOU GUYS A POEM BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I DO. UM, I TAUGHT CREATIVE WRITING FOR 25 YEARS AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE. I'VE BEEN IN AUSTIN SINCE 1965. I'VE SEEN A LOT OF THINGS COME AND GO. COME YOU MASTERS. AGREED. AND THIS IS AFTER BOB DYLAN ON HIS 82ND BIRTHDAY. YOU THE BUILD BUILDINGS AND FREEWAYS AND CANYONS OF CONCRETE AND GLASS, YOU THAT TEAR DOWN ANCESTRAL HOMES BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT BIG ENOUGH, BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT FANCY ENOUGH. YOU THAT SAY WE NEED SOMETHING BETTER THAN GREEN SPACE, OPEN SPACE. YOU THINK WE DON'T CARE, BUT WE DO CARE IN ALL DIRECTIONS OF OUR CITY, AND WE ARE WATCHING. YOU CAN HIDE BEHIND YOUR MASK, FALSE WORDS, YOUR MEANINGLESS WORDS THAT SAY YOU CARE FOR OTHERS, FOR TREES, FOR CHILDREN, FOR OUR FUTURE. MEANINGLESS WORDS FOR THE HAVE NOTS, THE VOICELESS. YOUR EMPTY PROMISE. WORDS PROMISE, INCLUSION, PROMISE, CARING, PROMISE BETTER. WILL THERE BE ENOUGH MONEY FOR YOU THIS TIME? WILL THERE BE ENOUGH TO BUY BACK YOUR SOUL? CAN YOU BUY BACK YOUR SOUL? SO IN THE WORDS OF BOBBY BRIDGER TO PRINCE CHARLES YEARS AGO, HOW'S YOUR MAMA AND THEM? WOULD YOUR MAMA AND THEM THINK, WHAT WOULD YOUR MAMA AND THEM THINK OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO OUR PARKS, OUR CITY? SOME OF YOU ARE NOT FROM AROUND HERE, ARE YOU? THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GONNA BE HOLLY REED, FOLLOWED BY KAREN KREPPS AND THEN ROBIN, RATHER, FORMER PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MEMBER HOLLY REED, I SHOULD SAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. BECK. I'M HOLLY REED, RESIDENT OF DISTRICT 10, AND A FORMER MEMBER OF THIS BOARD. I MISS YOU ALL. . I'M HERE TO VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR THE FORMATION OF A PARKS BOARD WORKING GROUP RELATED TO THE PRESERVATION, CONSERVATION, RESTORATION AND SUSTAINABILITY OF ZILKER PARK. THE IMPACT OF THIS YEAR'S ACL FEST ON ZILKER PARK HAS ALERTED THE PUBLIC AND THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SOMETHING THAT MANY HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT FOR A LONG TIME IS THE CLOSURE OF ZILKER PARK TO THE PUBLIC, AS WELL AS THE DAMAGE TO ZILKER GREAT LAWN AND OTHER AREAS OF THIS FOR THIS MASSIVE PRIVATE EVENT AND OTHER EVENTS SUCH AS THE TRAIL OF LIGHTS AND BLUES ON THE GREEN SUSTAINABLE. YOU CAN'T HAVE A PARK PROVIDE COMMUNITY EVENTS AND A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE FOR PEOPLE IF THAT PARK IS NOT PROPERLY CARED FOR IN THE FIRST PLACE. I HOPE THIS WORKING GROUP WILL ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS ABOUT THE WEAR AND TEAR ON ZILKER CREATED BY LARGE EVENTS AND THE CLOSURE OF ZILKER TO THE PUBLIC. WE CANNOT PRIORITIZE MAKING MONEY OFF OF PUBLIC PARK LAND OVER PRESERVATION OF PUBLIC PARK LAND. I HOPE THIS WORKING GROUP WILL ADDRESS TRANSPORTATION OF LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE TO THE PARK DURING PEAK USE. WEEKENDS SUCH AS JULY 4TH, IT CAN BE DONE WITHOUT PARKING ON PARKLAND THAT NEEDS RESTORATION LIKE THE POLO FIELD. ONE THING ACL FEST HAS PROVED IS THAT 75,000 PEOPLE A DAY CAN GET INTO ZILKER PARK WITHOUT PARKING IN THE PARK. I HOPE THIS WORKING GROUP WILL ADDRESS CONCERNS OVER THE NATURAL ECOLOGY OF THE PARK, INCLUDING TREES, OPEN GRASSY FIELDS, AND THE ABILITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO MAINTAIN ZILKER PARK AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL FOR THE SAKE OF THE PARK, I HOPE THIS WORKING GROUP WILL ASSESS ALL OF THE HISTORIC RESOURCES IN ZILKER PARK, INCLUDING ALL CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES [01:05:01] FOR THE BE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE BEST WAY TO PRESERVE AND SUSTAIN THEM. I HOPE THIS WORKING GROUP WILL ADDRESS CAPACITY AT ZILKER PARK AND CONSIDER THE HEALTH OF THE PARK AS EQUALLY IMPORTANT AS THE NUMBER OF VISITORS TO THE PARK EACH DAY. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS WORKING GROUP FORWARD FOR ENGAGING THE PUBLIC AS YOU WORK TOWARD THE BEST RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ZILKER PARK. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE KAREN KREPPS, FOLLOWED BY ROBIN RATHER. AND THEN MARY FARROW. HELLO, MY NAME IS KAREN KREPPS. I LIVE IN DISTRICT EIGHT. I WANNA THANK YOU FOR HAVING THIS PUBLIC FORUM AND PUTTING ITEM EIGHT AT THIS TOP OF THE AGENDA. I DON'T HAVE PREPARED REMARKS, BUT I'LL JUST TELL YOU THAT I AM A LOCAL RESIDENCE. I LIVE ON SPY GLASS. I EITHER DRIVE MY CAR OR RIDE MY E-BIKE TO BARTON SPRINGS TO SWIM EVERY DAY. I'VE BEEN DOING THAT SINCE ABOUT 1996 AND I'VE SEEN ACL COME INTO THE PARK AND JUST TRASH IT EVERY SINGLE YEAR AND EVERY YEAR IT GETS BIGGER AND MORE MONSTROUS. FOR THE PAST FIVE OR SIX YEARS, THEY'VE HAD THIS HUGE DEPARTMENT STORE BUILDING THAT THEY PUT ON THE ENTRANCE TO THE POOL AND THE PLACE LOOKS LIKE A CONCENTRATION CAMP WITH ALL THE WIRE FENCES EVERYWHERE. UM, I AM VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF ITEM EIGHT AND THE WORKING GROUP GROUP. I'M DELIGHTED BY THE SHOWING OF PEOPLE HERE IN SUPPORT OF IT. I'M A LITTLE SKEPTICAL. ABOUT 10, 15 YEARS AGO, I SERVED FOR SIX MONTHS ON A CITIZENS GROUP TO HELP MANAGE THE SIGNAGE AROUND THE POOL. WE MET MONTHLY FOR HOURS. WE CAME UP WITH A BIG DOCUMENT. NONE OF OUR DIS NONE OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO LIMIT SIGNAGE AROUND THE POOL ARE IN EVIDENCE. THERE'S NEW SIGNS THERE ALL THE TIME. SO I DO HOPE THAT THIS WORKING GROUP HAS SOME INFLUENCE AND CLOUT AND THAT YOU PAY ATTENTION TO IT. I WANT TO RESPECT YOU FOR YOUR VOL, YOUR WORK HERE ON THE BOARD, BECAUSE YOUR ROLE IS REALLY TO KEEP THE PARK A PARK. LAST WEEK I POSTED ON FACEBOOK THAT I WANTED ACL OUT OF THE PARK BECAUSE IT'S NOT, THE PARK IS A PARK, NOT AN ENTERTAINMENT VENUE. I WAS SHOCKED BY HOW MANY PEOPLE RESPONDED TO ME SAYING IT IS AN ENTERTAINMENT VENUE. I HAVE A GREAT TIME AT THE FESTIVAL. AND IT'S LIKE, I DON'T CARE. IT'S A PARK, IT'S A PUBLIC PARK. IT SHOULD BE OPEN TO EVERYBODY ALL THE TIME. I DON'T WANT THE GIANT CELEBRITIES THERE OR THE ALCOHOL SALES. I WANT TREES AND ANIMALS AND CHILDREN AND BICYCLES. I WANNA BE ABLE TO SWIM IN THE PARK FREELY AND NOT HAVE TO FIGHT THE GIANT FINANCIAL INTERESTS AND THE PRIVATE INTERESTS THAT ARE IN THAT. AND I ALSO SUPPORT FREE ELKER. I'M AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THAT GROUP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE ROBIN, RATHER, FOLLOWED BY MARY FARROW. AND THEN PHIL THOMAS IS ROBIN RATHER HERE. UH, IT'LL BE MARY PHARAOH, THEN FOLLOWED BY PHIL THOMAS. GOOD EVENING BO BOARD MEMBERS. AND UH, THANK YOU. THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BROUGHT THIS FORWARD, I AM DEFINITELY IN SUPPORT OF ITEM EIGHT. UM, I AGREE WITH SO MANY OF THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE TONIGHT. UM, THERE IS, WE'RE AT A POINT IN AUSTIN WHERE THE ECONOMIC INTERESTS ARE COMPETING WITH OUR HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL VALUES AND WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO RETAIN OF THAT, WHAT, WHAT PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN. SO MANY OF THE THINGS WE OFFER HAVE BECOME TOO EXPENSIVE FOR MANY PEOPLE TO, TO, TO ENJOY. SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO PRESERVE SOME OF THE ICONIC THINGS ABOUT ZILKER PARK, THAT THAT REALLY HELPED AUSTIN BECOME KNOWN FOR WHAT AUSTIN IS, WOULD BE WONDERFUL. THE CULTURAL, THE HISTORIC, THE ECOLOGICAL VALUES, AUSTIN, THE GREEN CITY, UM, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT ARE, ARE, ARE OFFERED IN THE PARK. CERTAINLY HAVE WONDERFUL ASPECTS TO THEM. I'VE GONE DOWN TO THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS. I'VE ENJOYED A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE, HAVE BEEN PROVIDED. UM, BUT I, I DON'T WANT US TO LOSE WHAT IS AT THE HEART OF THIS PARK. AND THAT IS THE ABILITY FOR, FOR PEOPLE IN THIS CITY TO GO TO THE PARK TO [01:10:01] ENJOY BEING THERE. THE RECREATIONAL ASPECTS OF IT, JUST THE SOLACE OF BEING THERE AND THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ALL EXPERIENCE. SO WHATEVER HAPPENS, I, I DO HOPE THIS WORKING GROUP WILL BE ABLE TO CONSIDER THE WIDE RANGE OF THINGS, FIND THAT BALANCE THAT'S NEEDED, AND MOVE FORWARD IN A WAY, A MEANINGFUL WAY THAT WILL PRESERVE THE ZILKER THAT WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE PHIL THOMAS. PHIL THOMAS, AND AFTER PHIL, I'LL GO DOWN A LIST OF NAMES OF PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T, WEREN'T HERE WHEN I CALLED. AND THEN WE'LL BE DONE. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. GOOD EVENING, CHAIR BOARD MEMBERS. I'M PHIL THOMAS, DISTRICT THREE HERE WITH DEEP HOLLY ADVOCATE TONIGHT. UH, IN ANTICIPATION OF WORDS OF CAUTION FROM THE CHAIR, UH, I'VE GOT PREPARED REMARKS FOR ITEM EIGHT, AND I, UH, WANNA APOLOGIZE TO MR. BECK FOR HAVING DRAWN HIM INTO IT. BUT ANYWAY, WE URGE YOU TO SUPPORT A ZILKER PARK WORKING GROUP THAT GIVES THE PUBLIC NEARBY RESIDENTS AND STAKEHOLDERS A MEANINGFUL ONGOING VOICE IN SHAPING THE PARK'S FUTURE. IT WOULD ALSO PROVIDE A FORUM TO EVALUATE THE PARTNERSHIPS AND EVENT IMPACTS ON THE PARK AND THE SCIENCE TO PROTECT IT. THIS BOARD MAY NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO ALL THOSE THINGS. GIVEN GIVING THE COMMUNITY A MEANINGFUL ROLE IN SHAPING ZILKER FUTURE CAN ONLY STRENGTHEN THE PARK AND THE COMMUNITY IT SERVES. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND PLEASE CONSIDER ADOPTING ITEM EIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CHECKING TO SEE IF ELIZABETH MCGREEVY HAS SHOWN UP, OR BILL BUNCH. DAVID WEINBERG, ROBIN RATHER. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE PRESENT THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD ON THIS ITEM? THAT IS THE END OF PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM. THANK YOU. AND, UM, BOARD MEMBERS, YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY SEEN THIS, BUT ROBIN RATHER DID ALSO SEND COMMENTS, UM, VIA EMAIL. EXCUSE ME. UM, AND SO, UM, SINCE SHE WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT, IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO, TO VIEW THOSE. ALRIGHT. UM, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. UM, I AM GOING TO TURN THIS OVER. WE HAD THREE SPONSORS ON THIS ITEM. BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS, BOARD MEMBER ABARA, AND BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR. UM, AND SO I WILL TURN THE FLOOR TO YOU AND, UM, HAPPY TO HELP WITH WHERE YOU NEED ME. THANK YOU. WE COULD HAVE THAT PRESENTATION. WELL, FIRST I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TONIGHT, UH, TO SPEAK. IT'S VERY, UH, REFRESHING TO HEAR YOUR VOICES. ALWAYS. I WELCOME THEM. WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS WHAT THIS PROPOSAL IS ABOUT REGARDING A ZILKER PARK WORKING GROUP. UM, IN THIS WE HAVE FOCUSED ON THE VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD SET OF ISSUES, AND I WANT TO EXPLAIN THOSE AS WE GO FORWARD. UM, IT'S REALLY ABOUT THE CONSERVATION OF THE PARK AND TYPICALLY WE USE THE WORD CONSERVATION IN PARKS RELATING TO THE NATURAL WORLD, THE ECOLOGY, BIODIVERSITY OF THE PARK PRESERVATION. AND IN THIS CASE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUILT STRUCTURES IN THE PARK. AND AS I'M SURE MANY OF YOU KNOW, UM, WE HAVE NUMEROUS HISTORICAL STRUCTURES IN THE PARK. MANY OF THOSE DATE TO THE NEW DEAL. IN FACT, IT'S ONE OF THE, UH, PROBABLY BEST EXAMPLES OF NEW DEAL, UH, CONSTRUCTION AND ARCHITECTURE, UM, IN THE STATE. UM, THE RESTORATION OF THE PARK. UM, A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE CLUBHOUSE. EVERYBODY KNOWS THE CLUBHOUSE. IT IS CURRENTLY BEING RESTORED. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE, THE, UH, LOOKOUT, UM, WHICH IS JUST DOWN FROM THE CLUBHOUSE, WHICH HAS BEEN IN A STATE OF DISREPAIR COVERED WITH GRAFFITI, ET CETERA, FOR MANY YEARS. YET THAT WAS ALWAYS A PLACE PEOPLE WOULD GATHER AND, UH, HAVE A VIEW OF THE CITY. IT, IT COULD BE THE REC CENTER, BUT ACROSS FROM THE REC CENTER IS THE KC HALL. AND THAT'S A HISTORIC SITE. YES, IT IS THE BOROUGH DANIELS PALEO, PALEO SITE THAT'S, UH, PART OF THE GREAT LAWN. IT'S [01:15:01] THE BATHHOUSE. ALL OF THESE STRUCTURES HAVE GREAT HISTORICAL MEANING AND CULTURAL MEANING. AND I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT. WE LOOK AT THE BOTANICAL GARDENS, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE WE HAVE NOT ONLY DINOSAUR FOOTPRINTS AND WHAT WAS A QUARRY, BUT IT'S ALSO A PLACE OF GREAT CULTURAL VALUE. I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW MANY QUINCEANERAS HAVE BEEN HELD IN THE BOTANICAL GARDENS. COUNTLESS. AND PEOPLE ALL HAVE THAT MEMORY IN THEIR FAMILIES. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO THINK ABOUT THE CULTURAL VALUES THAT NEED TO BE SUSTAINED OVER TIME. AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT SUSTAINABILITY IS ABOUT. SUSTAINING ALL OF THIS OVER TIME AS WELL. FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY. HOW DO WE PAY FOR IT? HOW DO WE KEEP ZILKER IN OUR PARKS FINANCED? I KNOW IT'S A BROAD RANGE OF ITEMS, BUT I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE AT THIS TIME, GIVEN WHERE WE ARE IN OUR CITY. NEXT. I THREW THIS MAP UP HERE JUST SO WE WOULD REMEMBER WHERE WE ARE. UH, IT, I THINK WE NEED A NEW MAP, BUT THIS, I THINK THIS DATES TO OH NINE OR SOMETHING. THERE ARE MANY OTHER LOCATIONS WITHIN THE PARK THAT HAVE GOT GREAT VALUE. UM, AND WE CAN START, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH ALL THE SITES THAT ARE LISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTRY. AND I THINK THEY'RE OVER 40, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT. SO IT'S A PRETTY IMPRESSIVE NUMBER FOR ONE HISTORICAL DISTRICT. AND THESE CHANGE OVER TIME. SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE WORKING WITH WHEN WE BEGIN NEXT. HERE'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO, IF YOU DON'T MIND. IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHY WE CAN ACT AND WHY WE MUST ACT. WHY WE THE BOARD. I WANNA READ PART OF THE CITY CHARTER. THE CHARTER, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT A CHARTER IS, IS THE CITY'S HIGHEST LOCAL LAW ORDINANCES, CONTRACTS, AND DEPARTMENT AGREEMENTS ALL SIT BELOW IT. THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR ACTS UNDER AUTHORITY. THE CHARTER AND THE CITY COUNCIL GIVE, SO IT CAN'T AGREE TO DO SOMETHING. THOSE DON'T PERMIT. UNDER TEXAS LAW. A GOVERNMENT CONTRACT MADE UNDER THE GOVERNMENT'S LEGAL AUTHORITY IS GENERALLY VOIDED OR UNENFORCEABLE, AT LEAST FOR THE PART THAT EXCEEDS THE AUTHORITY. STATE LAW SITS ABOVE THE CHARTER AND WE KNOW WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH PARKS FUNDING, STATE LAW HAS PREEMPTED SOME OF OUR FUNDING MECHANISMS. TEXAS HOME REAL CITIES CANNOT ADOPT CHARTER PROVISIONS THAT CONFLICT WITH STATE STATUTES. SO IN OUR CITY, THE CHARTER SITS HERE. NEXT, MR. THE BI CAN, I'M GONNA PAUSE FOR JUST A MOMENT, JUST 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T RECEIVE THIS AHEAD OF TIME. SO I HAVE NO, UM, IDEA OF THE PRESENTATION AND DIDN'T EXPECT A FULL PRESENTATION. CAN YOU NO. BE SHORT. JUST TELL US MORE. OKAY. UH, THE BYLAWS ARE THE WAY WE ENACT THE CHARTER AND THOSE BYLAWS CAN BE AMENDED BY CITY COUNCIL NEXT. AND UNDER OUR BYLAWS, WE'RE GIVEN THE RIGHT TO ADVISE ON THE ACQUISITION DEVELOPMENT IMPROVEMENT EQUIPMENT, PROGRAMMING AND MAINTENANCE OF ALL LANDS AND FACILITIES. AND WE NOW, AS OF I BELIEVE, 9 24, HAVE THE RIGHT TO ADVISE ON CONCESSIONS AND ADVISE ON NONPROFITS. NEXT, WE ALSO HAVE THE RIGHT TO OUTLINE A GENERAL PLAN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF LAND, FACILITIES AND PROGRAMS. NEXT, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, OUR BOARD WILL PROMOTE THE CLOSE COOPERATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND ALL PRIVATE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, AGENCIES INTERESTED IN THESE RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES. OUR JOB IS TO SECURE THE GREATEST GENERAL PUBLIC WELFARE, THE GREATEST GENERAL PUBLIC WELFARE. NEXT, THEREFORE, I'M RECOMMENDING THAT WE DEVELOP A STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CONSERVATION PRESERVATION, RESTORATION AND SUSTAINABILITY OF ZILKER METROPOLITAN PARK. THREE STEPS. ONE, I'M RECOMMENDING THAT WE IDENTIFY THROUGH CONSENSUS. LET ME EMPHASIZE THAT WITH THE PUBLIC CONSENSUS, WE'LL NEVER REACH UNANIMITY ON ANYTHING, BUT WE CAN REACH CONSENSUS. THERE IS A CONSENSUS ON CERTAIN SHORT TERM EARLY ADOPTION RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAN BE BROUGHT BACK TO THIS BOARD FOR APPROVAL AND THEN FORWARDED THE CITY COUNCIL. AND I THINK AN EXAMPLE OF THAT IS, VIRTUALLY EVERYONE WOULD AGREE WE NEED TO DEAL WITH THE EROSION ON BARTON CREEK. I THINK [01:20:01] WE PROBABLY HAVE CONSENSUS ON THAT ITEM. THERE ARE GONNA BE LONG-TERM RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'LL NEED ADDITIONAL RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION WITH THE PUBLIC IN ORDER TO REACH CONSENSUS. THIS IS NOT A RACE, THIS IS NOT A RUSH. WE NEED CONSENSUS IN DEALING WITH THE PUBLIC AND GAINING THEIR IDEAS. AND FINALLY, WE MAY IDENTIFY MEASURES THAT ARE NEEDED FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF PARK WHERE CONSENSUS CANNOT BE REACHED. I'M AN OPTIMIST. I'M HOPEFUL THEY WILL NOT OCCUR, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THAT COULD HAPPEN NEXT. THEREFORE, AND I THINK THERE WAS SOMETHING ON THERE SOMEWHERE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT WHAT, WHAT I'M PROPOSING IS NOT A REPEAT OF WHAT'S BEEN, WHAT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, BUT CREATING A VENUE, A PLATFORM, AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE ALL HAVE A VOICE IN OUR PARK AND GATHERING INFORMATION THAT CAN BE BROUGHT TOGETHER AND THEREFORE ACTED UPON, ACTED UPON THERE. THANK YOU, MR. EUBANKS. UM, I JUST WANTED TO NOTE, I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T RECEIVE THE PRESENTATION AS A BOARD AHEAD OF TIME. AND SO, UM, I THINK JUST NOTING HERE THAT FOR FUTURE SHARING INTENTIONS WITH YOUR BOARD COULD BE HELPFUL, UM, TO ALLOW US SOME TIME TO FURTHER UNDERSTAND. I JUST PRESUME YOU KNEW THE CHARTER AND THE BYLAWS. I DO KNOW THE CHARTER AND THE BYLAWS. I ABSOLUTELY DO. UM, ALRIGHT. UM, WE CAN GIVE, UM, BOARD MEMBER ABARA, BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR, IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. I DON'T HAVE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR. YEAH, I JUST WANNA, UM, SAY, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT SPEAKER AFTER SPEAKER AND, AND IN CORRESPONDENCE VIA EMAIL, UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE EXPRESSED THAT THEY DON'T FEEL HURT ON ZILKER. AND I THINK THAT PROPOSING THIS WORKING GROUP, UM, WITH MEMBERS FROM OUR BOARD AND THEN COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT DON'T HAVE ANY FINANCIAL TIES TO, UM, ANY OF THE EVENTS IN THE PARK WOULD BE A GOOD WAY TO MAKE TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE HEARD. SO I JUST WANNA PUT, PUT THAT OUT THERE. UM, AND THEN ALSO JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF THE WORKING GROUPS WHEN WE'RE READY. OKAY. DID Y'ALL WANNA TALK ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF THE WORKING GROUPS? AND I'LL LET, UH, BOARD MEMBER, UM, THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS TALK ABOUT THAT AND THEN I CAN GIVE HIM MY INPUT FIRST. WHY DON'T WE MOVE INTO I'M DISCUSSION. YEAH, LET'S GET TO DISCUSSION. I IMAGINE THAT WE'LL GET THERE. SO, UM, YEAH. UM, MOTION ON THE FLOOR BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS SECOND? YEAH, I SECOND. OKAY. WE'VE GOT A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER ABBU AMARA. AND THEN WE CAN OPEN FOR DISCUSSION. SO, UM, BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR, I'LL TURN IT BACK TO YOU FOR THE, UM, PROCESS OF YOUR WORKING GROUP. WELL, AND YOU BEING LIKE A BOARD MEMBER, I DON'T KNOW IF HE HAD A NUMBER IN MIND AND I'M NOT EXACTLY CLEAR, AND I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'D HAVE TO GET CONFIRMED BY THE, UH, UM, BUT BY PART IS HOW MANY MEMBERS WE CAN HAVE IN THE WORKING GROUP AND HOW MANY OF THOSE AND CAN COMMUNITY MEMBERS BE VOTING MEMBERS IN THAT GROUP? UM, I'LL LEAVE THIS TO TIM, BUT I'LL SAY AT LEAST ON THE BOARD SIDE, IT HAS TO BE LESS THAN A QUORUM, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. RIGHT, OF COURSE. YEAH. AT LEAST IT WOULD BE FIVE OR LESS, BUT YES. BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, IF WE'RE, 'CAUSE I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS PART OF THE WORKING GROUP, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW SURE. AND I DON'T, I MEAN, CAN TELL US WHETHER OR NOT, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANY OFFICIAL VOTING STRUCTURE IS THERE FOR A WORKING GROUP. IT'S JUST SORT OF WHAT YOU ALL, WHAT YOU ALL DECIDE TO PUT FORWARD AS A RECOMMENDATION. YES, THAT'S TRUE. UH, WORKING GROUPS ARE MADE UP OF A LESS THAN A QUORUM OF BOARD MEMBERS. AND THE GROUP CAN ALSO INCLUDE NON-BOARD MEMBERS. UH, AND OKAY. THEY ARE NOT LIKE A COMMITTEE IN THAT THERE IS NO, UM, OFFICIAL VOTING STRUCTURE AS VICE CHAIR MENTIONED. MM-HMM . UH MM-HMM . THERE'S ALSO NOT, UM, THEY'RE NOT BOUND BY TOMA. SO THE MEETINGS DON'T HAVE TO BE PUBLIC. ALTHOUGH THE BOARD DOES LIKE TO MAKE A PRACTICE OF INFORMING THE PUBLIC OF, YOU KNOW, THE DISCUSSIONS IN THOSE MEETINGS JUST TO MAINTAIN TRANSPARENCY. OKAY. MR. BECK, WILL YOU ALSO SHARE THAT, UM, STAFF DOESN'T SET UP FOR [01:25:01] PRESENTATIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT? LIKE IT IS UP TO THE WORKING GROUP? THAT'S, THAT'S TRUE. UH, CITY STAFF DOES NOT SUPPORT WORKING GROUPS IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE WOULD, UH, A BOARD OR A COMMITTEE. UH, IT'S UP TO THE, THE BOARD MEMBERS THEMSELVES TO SCHEDULE THOSE MEETINGS AND, AND LEAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS. AND IS THERE A LIMIT? I MEAN, SO YOU CAN HAVE PEOPLE, IS THERE A LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF, FOR A, FOR A RESIDENT WORKING GROUP? IS THERE A LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS THAT YOU CAN HAVE ON PERMANENTLY VERSUS THOSE THAT YOU JUST SORT OF HAVE SHOW UP? WELL, AGAIN, I MEAN, THE IDEA OF A PERMANENT MEMBER, THAT SORT OF STRUCTURE DOESN'T NECESSARILY EXIST IN A WORKING GROUP. I THINK MY GUIDANCE WOULD BE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD MEMBERS COULD ORGANIZE THE WORKING GROUP IN WHATEVER THEY WAY THEY WANTED. IT CAN INCLUDE AS MANY INDIVIDUALS AS THEY THOUGHT WERE NECESSARY. UM, YOU KNOW, THAT IT DOESN'T REQUIRE THAT KIND OF STRUCTURE. WHAT STAFF SUPPORT CAN PARD PROVIDE FOR THE MEETINGS, THE MONTHLY MEETINGS? SO SAY THE WORKING GROUP MEETS FOR A YEAR, UM, WHAT STAFF SUPPORT CAN THEY PROVIDE AND, UH, WHAT QUORUM RULES DO WE NEED TO FOLLOW? WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ANY SUPPORT, SO TO SPEAK. OKAY. AS IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED AN ASSIGNMENT OF WORK. UM, AND THEN THE ONLY QUORUM RULE WOULD BE THAT, UH, WE COULDN'T HAVE MORE THAN FIVE BOARD MEMBERS IN ANY MEETING. 'CAUSE AT THAT POINT IT WOULD REPRESENT A QUORUM OF THE PARKS BOARD AND, AND WE'D BE IN VIOLATION OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT. WELL, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT THE WORKING GROUP WOULD HAVE. AND SO THAT'S WHAT I MEAN BY PROVIDING THAT SUPPORT. IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS OF PAR, WOULD, WOULD YOU ALL BE ABLE TO, TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS OR MAYBE ATTEND ONE OF THE MEETINGS? WELL, I, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR MY COLLEAGUES. YEAH. I THINK BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR IN THE PAST AND SOME OF THE WORKING GROUPS THAT I'VE BEEN A PART OF, UM, WE'VE SCHEDULED TIME TO HAVE, UM, YEAH. FOLKS ATTEND SO THAT THEY CAN PLAN TO BE THERE FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME. UM, AND THEN WE'RE ABLE TO, TO ASK OUR QUESTIONS, UM, IN THAT WAY. AND THEN, UM, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS THAT YOU SEND VIA EMAIL, IT JUST DEPENDS ON, AGAIN, KIND OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY HAVE. IF THEY'VE ALREADY GOT A MEMO RELATED TO SOMETHING, THEY CAN SHARE THAT. UM, BUT WE JUST HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH THE, THE WORK PRODUCT, UM MM-HMM . YEAH. BUT DEFINITELY I THINK WITH THE WORKING GROUPS WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST, WE'VE HAD LOTS OF PEOPLE COME IN. YES. AND SHARE. YEAH. GO AHEAD MR. BECK. YES. HOW DOES THAT CONTRAST TO A VISIONING PLAN, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT IS, IS THAT, DOES THE FORMAT AND STRUCTURE LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF CITY SUPPORT AND STAFF INVOLVEMENT AND TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT? ARE YOU REFERRING TO LIKE A VISION PLAN FOR A PUBLIC PARK? YES. UH, UH, THAT'S A DIFFERENT PROCESS. AND I'M, I'M NOT A SUBJECT OR EXPERT, BUT YOU ARE CORRECT THAT OUR VISION PLANS DO, UH, INCLUDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. THAT COULD BE DONE IN THE FORM OF SURVEYS OR TABLING EXERCISES, FOCUS GROUPS. UH, I WOULD SAY IT'S, IT'S DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE WAY A BOARD MIGHT USE A WORKING GROUP. BUT, BUT YES. THANK YOU. GO AHEAD. OKAY. UH, MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE MATTER WAS WERE THAT WE WOULD BEGIN WITH THE, WITH THE SMALL CORE GROUP FROM THE BOARD THAT COULD START THE ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESS OF THIS. UM, I PRESUMED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING THERE WOULD BE NO SUPPORT FROM A PR. I THINK I UNDERSTAND HOW WORKING GROUPS FUNCTION. UM, AND I THINK THE WORKING GROUP ITSELF IS IMPORTANT ONLY IN THAT THE WAY THESE, THIS INFORMATION IS THEN CRAFTED AND BROUGHT BACK TO THIS BOARD FOR ACTION. WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT IS ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PUBLIC. AND THE WAY I HAVE SEEN THIS WORKING GROUP WORKING IS ACTUALLY GOING TO THE PUBLIC TO HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS RATHER THAN EXPECTING THE PUBLIC TO COME TO US. I THINK IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC, AND I MEAN PUBLIC WITHOUT ANY SIDEBOARDS. UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY PRESUMPTION OF WHAT PEOPLE WOULD SAY OR WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS ARE AND WHAT THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS ARE. I THINK WE HAVE TO BE WILLING TO LISTEN TO EVERYONE. BUT I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE PROCESS STARTS, IS IN IT'S THE VOX POPULI. IT'S GETTING HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC, THE GENERAL PUBLIC, ALL THE DISTRICTS. 'CAUSE THEY'RE ALL TOUCHED ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS ABOUT THE SUSTAINABILITY OF ZILKER PARK AND WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE [01:30:04] BOARD MEMBERS. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I THINK, WELL, I, GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD. WELL, I, I JUST, I THINK, AND I, I UNDERSTAND WE'RE, UM, BOARD MEMBER UBANKS WANTS TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC, BUT I THINK, UM, MY VISION OF THIS IS MORE OF A, THE WORKING GROUP WHERE WE INVITE CERTAIN MEMBERS FROM CERTAIN COMMUNITIES, UM, THAT, THAT REPRESENT, YOU KNOW, CONSERVATION, ENVIRONMENTAL, HISTORIC PRESERVATION, UM, EVENT BASED USERS. UM, AND HAVE THOSE COME TO EACH OF THE GROUPS. SO WE'RE GETTING THE INPUT BECAUSE I MEAN, I'M JUST, AS SOMEONE WHO DOES COMMUNITY INPUT ENGAGEMENT, IT'S COSTLY AND IT'S TIMELY. AND IT'S, I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT WE, WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES AS A WORKING GROUP JUST TO DO THAT. SO I THINK IF WE COULD JUST COMMIT TO DOING A CERTAIN NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM EACH OF THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, CERTAIN NUMBER OF BOARD MEMBERS THEY MEET, AND THEN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION IF WE WANNA DO SOMETHING CITYWIDE AND LARGER, WHAT'S GONNA COST A LOT MORE, WHICH WILL REQUIRE A LOT MORE RESOURCES. SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE ON THIS BEFORE WE, BEFORE WE VOTE ON THIS, BECAUSE, UM, IF WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THIS, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO AND THAT WE DO WELL. NO, I APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK, YOU KNOW, I WAS GONNA FOLLOW UP WITH THAT. UM, 'CAUSE IT DOES SOUND LIKE MAYBE, UM, BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR AND NEWBANK ARE ON A DIFFERENT, UM, OH, NO, I SEE PAGE ON THE, EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID. A CERTAIN NUMBER OF OH, YEAH. OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS. MM-HMM . OKAY. UM, THE OTHER THING I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP, I DID READ EVERYBODY'S EMAILS THAT CAME THROUGH RELATED TO ALL THIS. AND I JUST WROTE SOME OF THE TOPICS THAT CAME UP. UM, YOU KNOW, ACL FOR, AGAINST SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE PARTNERSHIPS, SILK OR VISION PLAN, TRAIL OF LIGHTS, BLUES IN THE GREEN KITE FESTIVAL, POOL, BOTANICAL GARDENS, TREE CANOPY BRIDGE. UM, FORMER BOARD MEMBER FAUST BROUGHT UP THE CONCESSION STAND. UM, AND THEN WE HAD SEVERAL MEMBERS OR PEOPLE WRITE ABOUT ALL OF OUR PARKS OR LIST OTHER PARKS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF OTHER QUOTES FROM MEMBERS TODAY THAT THERE'S SO MANY ISSUES THAT NEED ATTENTION, THAT THERE'S A WIDE RANGE OF THINGS. UM, THERE'S A LOT THAT COULD FALL UNDER THIS, THIS WORKING GROUP. AND, AND SO GETTING TO A SPACE WHERE AS A BOARD, WE FEEL LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAN GO TO A WORKING GROUP AND IT'S NOT BECOMING A MINI BOARD, MINI PARKS BOARD, UM, IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT WE, WE NEED TO DISCUSS. UM, AND SO I JUST SHARE THAT BECAUSE THOSE ARE ALL THE THOUGHTS AND EMAILS AND MESSAGES THAT CAME FROM OUR COMMUNITY, UH, YOU KNOW, ABOUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM. ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT. THEY COULD ALL BE THEIR OWN WORKING GROUP. WE COULD TAKE THE CONCESSION STANDS JUST AS MS. SPOUSE SAID AND SPEAK JUST TO THAT. UM, AND SO I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, TAKING ANYTHING AWAY FROM ANY OF THOSE. UM, BUT I WANNA SET US OFF IN A GOOD DIRECTION SO THAT WE CAN COME BACK WITH A VIABLE RECOMMENDATION. SO I'M JUST A LITTLE, WELL, MY THOUGHT A LITTLE TORN MY THOUGHTS AT THE BEGINNING WERE THAT, THAT, THAT'S WHY I CRAFTED THE WORDING THE WAY I DID, WHICH IS CONSERVATION, PRESERVATION, RESTORATION, SUSTAINABILITY, TO PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK SO THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE DONE THROUGH THAT LENS. THERE ARE GONNA BE SOME THINGS, I THINK YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT, ARE GONNA HAVE TO BE BROUGHT BACK FOR FUTURE WORK, RESEARCH AND INVESTMENT. BUT THE DISCUSSION CAN BEGIN. THE DISCUSSION CAN BEGIN NOW. UH, YEAH. AND I, I AGREE WITH THAT. UM, I ALSO THINK, I THINK EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID IN THAT WORDING, I AGREE WITH THAT BEING THE SCOPE, THE, THE SCOPE ALSO BEING THE EVENT IMPACTS AND PUBLIC ACCESS, WHERE THE MONEY FLOWS AND THE LEGAL CONSTRAINTS AROUND THE MONEY FLOWING AND GOVERNANCE AND NONPROFITS. I MEAN, I THINK THE GOVERNMENTS, THE GOVERNANCE AND NONPROFITS OF THE PARTNERSHIPS, I THINK, I THINK PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT FOR A REALLY LONG TIME AND HAVE HAD CONCERNS. AND I THINK THAT THE, IF WE CAN START HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS PUBLICLY WITH EVERYONE FEELING REPRESENTED AT THE TABLE, I THINK THAT WE CAN, UM, UH, ADDRESS A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY'S CONCERNS. I MEAN, MY CONCERN WITH THIS IS THAT IT IS VERY BROAD MM-HMM . AND I THINK THAT'S SORT OF WHAT, UM, CHAIR ZAM WAS GETTING AT. LIKE, I AM JUST SORT OF WHAT, LIKE, I I, THERE WERE, YES, THERE WERE 10, 15, 20 DIFFERENT IDEAS BROUGHT FORWARD. AND I THINK ANY ONE OF THOSE INDIVIDUALLY COULD BE ADDRESSED BY A SPECIFIC WORKING GROUP . UM, I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT, I MEAN, I'M OPEN TO VOTING FOR THIS. I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A CHALLENGE FOR ANY WORKING GROUP, WHICH IS THIS SMALL CONTAINER [01:35:01] TO TRY AND HOLD AS MUCH AS YOU ALL ARE TRYING TO PUT INTO IT. MM-HMM . I THINK THAT'S MY CONCERN HERE IS LIKE, I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING TO WORK OUT WELL FOR THE WORKING GROUP. I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO WORK OUT PARTICULARLY WELL FOR THE BOARD. I WOULD LOVE TO, LIKE CONS, I DON'T KNOW. I WOULD LOVE FOR THE WORDING OF THE LANGUAGE IN THIS IN SOME WAY, BE MORE SPECIFIC IN A WAY THAT LIKE, MADE IT CLEAR. LIKE, WHAT IS THE PROCESS? WHAT ARE WE GOING FOR HERE? WHAT IS THE OUTCOME THAT YOU ALL ARE AIMING FOR? THAT'S, THAT IS MY BIGGEST CONCERN. AGAIN, I'M NOT SAYING THAT I WON'T VOTE FOR IT. IF YOU ALL DECIDE THAT YOU WANT A BIG, A SORT OF A BIG BROAD BRUSH FOR THIS, I'M OPEN TO THAT CONVERSATION. I JUST AM MORE CONCERNED THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK AND THAT EVERYONE'S GOING TO COME OUT VERY DISAPPOINTED. SO I, BUT THAT BEING SAID, WHAT CHANGES? I MEAN, LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT. I MEAN, I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD'S CONCERNS ABOUT THIS AND, AND NARROW THE SCOPE SO EVERYBODY'S VERY CLEAR ON WHAT THE, THE WORKING GROUP WOULD DO. SO I THINK THAT IF, IF THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS THAT SPONSOR THE CO-SPONSORS ARE, ARE AMENABLE TO THIS, I REALLY THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD IS HEARD AND, AND AROUND THIS. AND, UM, AND I AGREE, I THINK NARROWING THE SCOPE, SO WE'RE VERY CLEAR WHAT THE MISSION OF THE WORKING GROUP IS, UH, IS REALLY IMPORTANT. AND I, AND, AND YES, I UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE, COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE, HAVE WEIGHED IN, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, I MEAN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, AND I THINK UNFORTUNATELY IN, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO GET INTO THE DETAILS WHEN WE PUT IT ON THE AGENDA. SO I THINK THAT, THAT, I THINK IT'S, THIS IS THE TIME AND PLACE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION BOARD MEMBER. FRANKLIN, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I THINK THAT MY MAIN CONCERN FOR THE WORKING GROUP SO FAR, WHICH I DON'T SEE HOW WE WOULD REALLY SPECIFICALLY HAVE ACTIONABLE ITEMS, IS THERE ARE SO MANY TOPICS, AND I AGREE, I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF STUFF THAT WARRANTS WORK OR FURTHER DETAIL, FURTHER RESEARCH ON KER PARK. HOWEVER, I WORRY THE SCOPE IS SO BROAD. HOW WILL WE RECEIVE INPUT FROM EVERYONE THAT THIS MATTERS TO? AND NOT JUST A VERY LIMITED NUMBER OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THE PRIOR VISION PLAN HAD, UM, FUNDING BACKED BY THE CITY. HOW WILL WE MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS AWARE OF THESE MEETINGS, HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK? HOW ARE WE REACHING OUT TO GROUPS THAT MAYBE SOMEONE ON THE WORKING GROUP HASN'T THOUGHT OF? YOU KNOW, JUST MAKING SURE THAT IT'S EQUITABLE AND EVERYBODY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, GIVEN THAT RESOURCES WILL BE A LITTLE MORE LIMITED, AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE'S ABLE TO PARTICIPATE. WELL, DOES IT, DOES IT MAKE SENSE THAT THE WORKING GROUP WOULD THEN, UM, MAYBE JUST BUILD THAT SCOPE OUT AND THEN REQUEST FOR FUNDING TO GET THE, TO GET A, A BIGGER VISION PLAN DONE? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I MEAN, I THINK JUST VOTING THIS DOWN BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE IT WORKED OUT AND THE MONEY AND ALL OF THAT. I MEAN, I THINK WE NEED TO FIGURE THAT OUT. I MEAN, I THINK IT'S CLEAR THAT IT'S SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT IN A COUPLE OF YEARS SINCE THE VISION PLAN PASSED AND THEN WAS SHUT DOWN BY THE, YOU KNOW, NOT SHUT DOWN THE MAYOR, YOU KNOW, UM, STOPPED IT. I THINK THAT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO REVISIT. SO HOW DO WE GO ABOUT DOING THAT? AND I THINK THAT, I'M GUESSING THAT THAT'S WHAT, UM, MY OTHER, UH, CO-SPONSORS WERE WANTING TO DO AS WELL. IT'S LIKE, LET'S JUST HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AND, AND THE WAY THAT WE DO THAT, AND I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, I DO WANT ALL, ALL PARTIES REPRESENTED. UM, AND I DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE THE, THE RESOURCES OR THE SETUP FOR THIS WORKING GROUP TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AND DO WHAT THE VISION PLAN, UM, WAS INTENDED TO DO. UM, BUT MAYBE THAT'S WHAT THIS WORKING GROUP DOES. IT JUST SETS UP A PROPOSAL TO THAT WE COME BACK AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO SEE HAPPEN AND ASK THE CITY COUNCIL TO, TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. SO ONE, ONE THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION. SO WHEN MR. EUBANK, UH, PROPOSED THE WORKING GROUP, I THINK THAT WAS SPURRED BY THE SEPTEMBER 24TH, UM, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEETING. AM I CORRECT ON THAT? BECAUSE IN IN, IN PART, YEAH, BECAUSE THAT, THAT BASICALLY IT, UM, DELEGATES TO US THE, ONE OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES IS, UH, TO REVIEW PARK CONCESSIONS AND ALL AGREEMENTS WITH NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. SO I MEAN, THAT CAN BE A SPRINGBOARD INTO LIKE, UH, WHAT, WHAT AGREEMENTS ARE THERE BETWEEN CITY OF AUSTIN AND NONPROFITS THAT ARE, UH, OPERATING ON Z CAR PARK OR IF ANY OF THOSE ARE COMING UP. AND THEN THOSE CAN BE PUT INTO REVIEW AND HAVE PEOPLE'S INPUT ON THOSE. UM, I MEAN, AND WE'RE TALKING ONLY ABOUT ZUCKER PARK. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT, UH, LIKE OTHER PARKS IN, IN THE CITY OR ANYTHING LIKE [01:40:01] THAT. UH, I MEAN, ZUCKER PARK IS HUGE AND IT'S, IT'S, UH, VERY IMPORTANT FOR, TO THE PUBLIC AND TO THE CITY. UM, SO I MEAN, THAT CAN BE A SCOPE THAT NARROWS THIS A LITTLE BIT AND, AND, UM, UM, FOCUSES WHAT THE DISCUSSIONS ARE GOING TO BE TO START WITH. BUT I MEAN, IF MR. EUBANK, YOU, YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE, 'CAUSE I MEAN, YOU HAVE FOUR THINGS THAT YOU HAVE. I'M, YEAH, I'M ACTUALLY, MY THOUGHTS, WERE PRETTY NARROW ABOUT THIS. IT IS KER PARK AND IT DEALS WITH ITS SUSTAINABILITY. THAT, THAT IS WHERE MY FOCUS WAS. I UNDERSTAND THE INTEREST IN THE NONPROFIT AGREEMENTS, ET CETERA, BUT SINCE WE DON'T HAVE COMMITTEES NOW AND WE DO REVIEW, THAT WILL COME TO THE BOARD AS A WHOLE. AND YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE THAT AUTHORITY FROM THE BOARD. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, SINCE WE DID, WE DID AWAY WITH THAT COMMITTEE, RIGHT, TO BRING IT, BRING IT OUT HERE TO THE PUBLIC, RIGHT? EVERYTHING COMING TO THE BOARD. UM, MY FOCUS IS ON, IF THERE ARE ISSUES RIGHT NOW THAT WE COULD BE ACTING ON THAT REALLY DEAL WITH THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PARK, AND WE COULD GET INTO WHAT I THINK IS NOT BEING NOT SUSTAINABLE, WHICH IS DEGRADATION OF HISTORICAL BUILDINGS, ET CETERA, UH, THEN LET'S PUT TOGETHER THE WORKING GROUP THAT WORKS WITH THE PUBLIC TO IDENTIFY ALL THOSE ACTIONS. MY, MY FOCUS IS ACTION, NOT, NOT JUST DISCUSSION. AND IF THIS IS PROBLEMATIC AND WE HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THESE PROBLEMS, I'D RATHER GET STARTED ON WORKING THROUGH THE PROBLEMS THAN SITTING BACK AND NOT DOING ANYTHING FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS BOARD MEMBERS ONLINE. DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE A QUESTION, COMMENT, SOMETHING TO ADD TO THE DISCUSSION? UM, THANK YOU, CHAIRWOMAN. I AGREE WITH THE SPIRIT AND INTENT, THOUGH I, IN SUPPORT OF TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, I, I DON'T SEE THIS AS THE BEST FORUM TO SUPPORT THE SPIRIT AND INTENT OF THE AGENDA ITEM. SO BOARD MEMBER KELLY, CAN I, OKAY. SORRY. BOARD MEMBER MERIT. GO AHEAD. SORRY. IF WE CAN HEAR FROM BOARD MEMBER MERIT AND THEN WE CAN GO TO BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR. OKAY. I'M JUST GONNA SAY THAT I, I JUST WANNA REITERATE SOME OF THE STUFF OTHER FOLKS ARE SAYING, LIKE, TO ME, LIKE, UNLESS THIS IS QUITE NARROW, I DON'T SEE HOW A WORKING GROUP CAN LIKE, REALLY SOLVE THE PROBLEM OR LIKE REALLY EVEN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO SOLVE A PROBLEM. SO LIKE THE EXAMPLE OF THE CONCESSION STAND, LIKE FOR A WORKING COMMITTEE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON THAT, LIKE I COULD SEE SOMETHING THAT'S LIKE VERY NARROW OR EVEN LIKE AN ISSUE OF SUSTAINABILITY, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANNA, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANNA WORK ON, I THINK THAT THERE'S LOTS OF SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES WITHIN THE PARK THAT YOU COULD IDENTIFY FORM A WORKING GROUP, AND THEN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON THAT'S, THAT'S NARROW ENOUGH FOR THEM TO FOCUS ON, FOR YOU TO BRING IN THE RIGHT PEOPLE AND THEN BRING A RECOMMENDATION AND THEN YOU CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM. SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT TO ME, LIKE IF THE SCOPE IS TOO BROAD, THEN IT'S UNCLEAR WHAT, WHAT THE PROBLEMS WOULD ADDRESS. AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD JUST SNOWBALL INTO THIS HUGE ISSUE. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY, IF WHAT YOU WANT IS TO FORM A WORKING GROUP TO RECOMMEND ANOTHER VISION PLAN OR RECOMMENDED REVISIONS TO THE VISION PLAN THAT WERE, THAT WAS PRESENTED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THEN MAYBE, MAYBE THAT'S A CONVERSATION. BUT TO ME, THE WAY THAT THIS IS BEING PRESENTED RIGHT NOW, IT, I DON'T SEE HOW IT'S GOING TO RESULT IN ANY KIND OF ACTION THAT THE BOARD CAN TAKE ACTION ON. THAT'S IT. BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR. WELL, YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY, SO I, I, AND I THINK, UM, BOARD MEMBER, UH, MERRI ACTUALLY GAVE ME MY ANSWER BECAUSE I WAS LIKE, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU THINK WOULD WORK TO HAVE THIS WORKING GROUP TO GET IT STARTED? AND THESE CONVERSATIONS START, START HAPPENING. I MEAN, I THINK IN MY MIND THERE, THERE'S FOUR TOPICS THAT ARE VERY, THAT ARE MUCH MORE NARROW THAN WHAT EVERYONE WAS TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT IS BASICALLY THE PARK CONDITION. LIKE START TALKING ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE PARK AND WHAT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HEARING, WE HEAR DIFFERENT THINGS, UM, IN THE NEWS AND IN THE REPORTS. AND SO I THINK THE PARK CONDITION, THE EVENT USE, THE MONEY FLOW AND THE PUBLIC INPUT ON THOSE THINGS. I MEAN, I THINK IT'S THOSE FOUR THINGS IN MY MIND. UM, WHICH ALL GO TO WHAT, UM, TO SAY SUSTAINABILITY PIECE THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER. SO I THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT I WOULD [01:45:01] PROPOSE THAT WE WOULD, THIS WORKING GROUP WOULD DO, IS REALLY JUST TALK ABOUT THE PARK CONDITION, GET INPUT FROM ALL PARTIES, UM, WHICH IS WHY I WANT THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, THE EVENT PLANNERS, THE ENVIRONMENTALISTS, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORHOODS NEARING THAT, THAT ARE NEAR ZILKER PARK. ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE AT THE TABLE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION AND THEN MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON THAT, BECAUSE WE REALLY DON'T, AS BOARD MEMBER MERIT SUGGESTED, YEAH, MAYBE IT IS ANOTHER VISION PLAN, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT, OR MAYBE IT'S AMENDING THE ORIGINAL ONE. I, WE DON'T KNOW UNTIL WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS, BUT HAS IT BEEN FOUR YEARS OR I KNOW WHAT MEMBER MERIT, I THINK YOUR FIRST VOTE WAS ON THAT VISION PLAN, UM, . SO I THINK, I THINK THAT WE, IT'S JUST SOMETHING LIKE, WE, WE CAN VOTE THIS DOWN TONIGHT, BUT THIS, THESE ISSUES AREN'T GONNA GO AWAY. AND SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT IF WE CAN, IT WOULD BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO AT LEAST, AT LEAST VOTE SOMETHING THAT'S VERY SPECIFIC AND, AND WE CAN AMEND THE, UM, WE CAN AMEND THE REQUEST SO THAT WE'RE VOTING ON SOMETHING THAT'S MORE SPECIFIC, IF YOU ALL HAVE SOME THOUGHTS AND IDEAS AROUND THAT. BUT I CAN, I, CAN I SAY ONE THING? I'M, I'M A LITTLE SURPRISED BY HOW PEOPLE ARE FOR, LIKE, WOULD, LIKE, WOULD LIKE TO THINK OF A WORK GROUP AS SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE, UH, VERY FOCUSED ABOUT A SPECIFIC ISSUE. I MEAN, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT. I'VE SEEN ONE WORKING GROUP WHERE, UM, UM, BOARD MEMBER LANE WAS, UH, WAS DISCUSSING LIKE THE SOCCER, UH, FIELD CONTRACTS AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND, UM, BUT I MEAN, I THINK THE GOAL OF THIS WORKING GROUP IS TO SEE WHAT THE PUBLIC CONCERNS ARE AND IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO BRING SOMETHING TO THE TABLE. I MEAN, THERE, THERE AS, AS THE CHAIR, UH, BAAN MENTIONED THAT LIKE, THERE ARE A BUNCH OF ISSUES THAT ARE CONCERN TO THE PUBLIC THAT WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN IF, IF THE PROPOSAL TO CREATING THIS WORK GROUP DID NOT, UM, UH, COME TOGETHER AND WOULDN'T HAVE HEARD ABOUT THESE THINGS. SO, I MEAN, STARTING A WORKING GROUP WHERE LIKE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE FROM THE BOARD, UH, HAVE, UH, SOLICIT FOR INPUT FROM, UH, MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY ABOUT ZILKER PARK AND SEEING WHAT ARE THEIR TOP ISSUES. WE CAN ORGANIZE THESE ISSUES. I ACTUALLY COME TO THE BOARD AND SAY, HEY, WHEN WE HAD A MEETING WITH THE PUBLIC, WE HAD THESE ISSUES THAT CAME UP AND WE THINK THAT ARE, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD REPORT TO YOU ON THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO GO AND PURSUE. AND, AND, AND IF THERE ARE ISSUES AND PROBLEMS, DEVELOP SOME ACTIONS PLANS TOWARD THEM. IF, IF THERE ARE TOO MANY AND THEY, UH, WE THINK THAT THERE IS A RISK OF BASICALLY BEING DISAPPOINTED AND THERE WILL BE A FAILURE, THEN WE TAKE THE ACTION ITEMS FROM WHAT THE MEMBER OF THE PUBLICS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT AND WE FOCUS ON THOSE. BUT I, I THINK GIVING IT A, A CHANCE AT LEAST TO TAKE OFF, UM, IS, IS A WISE DECISION IN, IN MY OPINION. I'M, I'M GONNA PAUSE THIS JUST REALLY QUICK. WE'RE NEARLY TO, TO EIGHT O'CLOCK, AND I, I AM, I DEFINITELY HEAR YOU BOARD MEMBER ABARA. I I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, WE, WE GOT A LOT OF, UM, IDEAS AND, AND THOUGHTS FROM THE PUBLIC THROUGH THIS. UM, WE DO HAVE THE AVENUE OF GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT AND PEOPLE CAN EMAIL US ALL THE TIME ABOUT ANYTHING THAT THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD LIKE US TO POTENTIALLY TAKE UP. AND SO THERE'S, THERE ARE AVENUES FOR THAT. AND SO I'M, I THINK I'M STILL, I'M, I HEARD BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR GIVE ME VERY SPECIFIC BULLET POINTS. THERE WERE FOUR, UM, FOR SOMETHING TO BE MOVED FORWARD, UM, AS A POTENTIAL WORKING GROUP. UM, BUT I AM NOT HEARING THE THREE SPONSORS COME TOGETHER WITH THE SAME THOUGHT AROUND WHAT THAT WORKING GROUP CAN BE. AND SO I'D LIKE US TO TAKE A BREAK. WE'LL TAKE A BREAK FOR PEOPLE TO GET WATER. WE'LL TAKE 10 MINUTES IF Y'ALL WANNA COME BACK TO US, TO THE BOARD WITH, UM, MAYBE SOME NEW LANGUAGE. I JUST WANNA GIVE YOU THAT TIME, UM, TO DO THAT AND BE ON THE SAME PAGE AND WE'LL COME BACK AT 8 0 5. WE'RE GONNA RESTART THE MEETING. UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE MISSING, UH, AND I DON'T KNOW OF THIS IDEA. THANK YOU. THAT WAS [01:50:01] MY APOLOGIES. I, I, UH, REALIZE WE'RE STILL MISSING BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS, WHO'S A SPONSOR. SO WE'LL JUST GIVE IT ANOTHER MINUTE HERE. MR. BECK, I HAVE A QUESTION. . ALRIGHT. ARE WE ABLE TO TABLE MOVE ON TO ADDITIONAL ITEMS AND COME BACK OR, UH, I BELIEVE, YEAH. UH, WE DON'T, I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE LANGUAGE YET, SO I CAN HOLD BOOKS UP, LIKE THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. WELL, THERE IS A MOTION BEFORE THE BOARD NOW MADE BY EUBANK, SECONDED BY ABARA. UH, BUT A MOTION TO TABLE FOR LATER IN THE MEETING WOULD BE A SUPERSEDING MOTION. SO IF THE BOARD WANTED TO DO THAT, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT SOMEONE MAKE THE MOTION TO TABLE THIS ITEM UNTIL LATER IN THE MEETING. THEN THAT MOTION BE SECONDED AND THEN VOTED UPON AS A SUPERSEDING MOTION. YEAH. I'M, I'M GONNA, I'M GOING TO MOTION TO TABLE IT FURTHER. WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT READY AND WE'VE GOT A LOT OF ITEMS TO GET THROUGH SOME THAT ARE COMING BEFORE COUNSEL, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN WEIGH IN ON THAT. ARE WE? YEAH. OKAY. OKAY. ARE WE DONE? YES. OKAY. I'M GOING TO WITHDRAW THAT MOTION. WE'RE DONE. REAL BOARD MEMBER. WOULD YOU LIKE TO PRESENT THE NEW LANGUAGE? YES, I'D LIKE TO, THIS IS THE FUN PART WHERE EVERYBODY GETS TO WATCH THIS EDIT IN REAL TIME AND, UH, IS BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR WITH US, UM, THE WORDING THAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED IS AS FOLLOWS, UM, TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP TO DEVELOP A REPORT INFORMED BY PUBLIC INPUT ON ENSURING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR ZILKER PARK. EXAMPLES OF TOPICS TO ADDRESS INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO ISSUES OF HISTORICAL PRESERVATION, EROSION, LAND USE, PARK CONDITION, AND PUBLIC ACCESS. SO BOARD MEMBER, JUST TO BE CLEAR, YOU'RE MOTIONING TO AMEND YOUR ORIGINAL MOTION, AMEND THE LANGUAGE OF THE ORIGINAL MOTION? YES. OKAY. AND BOARD MEMBER ABU OMAR, DO YOU ACCEPT THAT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? YES. OKAY. THAT IS THE NEW MOTION BEFORE THE BOARD. ALRIGHT. ANY DISCUSSION? BOARD MEMBERS? OKAY. I MEAN, I'LL JUST SAY IT'S ONE OF THE INTERESTED PARTIES WHO IS TRYING TO SUPPORT THIS. WHAT WE WERE AIMING FOR WITH THIS, AND PARTICULARLY WITH THE REPORT LANGUAGE, WAS TO FIND A WAY TO ENCAPSULATE THE GOAL OF FIGURING OUT HOW TO TAKE SORT OF THIS BIG BROAD SET OF ISSUES AND FO FOCUS IT DOWN INTO A DOCUMENT. UM, SO THIS ISN'T, WHICH I SHOULD JUST SAY DOESN'T PR FOCUS IT DOWN INTO A DOCUMENT THAT CAN CONTAIN THOSE ISSUES IN A MEANINGFUL WAY. AND THEN IT DOESN'T PRECLUDE [01:55:01] RECOMMENDATIONS COMING OUT OF THAT REPORT. RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD COME FROM THAT REPORT, BUT THE REPORT WOULD GIVE IT SORT OF A CENTRALIZING FUNCTION THAT I HOPE ADDRESSES THE ISSUES THAT WE WERE HEARING ON THE BOARD ABOUT THE, THE, THE CON THE CONCERNS, INCLUDING MINE ABOUT SORT OF NOT HAVING ANYTHING, UM, SPECIFIC TO ATTACHED TO, OKAY, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO BY BOILING IT DOWN TO WHAT THE RESULT WILL BE. BUT I, I'M NOT SURE THAT IT STILL ADDRESSES THE BROADNESS OF WHAT THE WORKING GROUP WILL BE ADDRESSING AND LOOKING INTO. I THINK IT STILL FEELS SO BROAD, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS INPUT. YEAH. UM, BOARD MEMBER, KELLY, DID YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? I, I AGREE WITH BOARD MEMBER MERIT. IT STILL FEELS VERY BROAD. UM, I HEAR THAT AND, AND GET IT. I I DO THINK ONE OF THE GOALS WITH THIS WAS TO WHAT I WAS HEARING, AND AGAIN, EVERYBODY'S GONNA HAVE THEIR OWN POSITION ON THIS. WHAT I WAS HEARING WAS THE ASK FROM THE GROUP WAS, UM, WHICH I DO THINK THAT THIS DOES, WHICH IS TO SORT OF CREATE A CONTAINER STRUCTURE THAT ALLOWS THEM TO GO FROM A LARGE SET OF ISSUES TO A NARROWER SET OF ISSUES THAT THEY WANNA FOCUS ON. YEAH. LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, THIS IS THE PRECURSOR TO WHAT ISSUES THEY WOULD FOCUS ON? UH, YEAH. IS THAT WHAT YOU MEAN? I THINK SO, YES. LIKE, AGAIN, SORRY, NOT TO SPEAK FOR YOU, BUT THE, BUT, BUT THE, I'M JUST, I'M HERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SORT OF MAKE THIS FIT. UM, THE IDEA WAS THAT YES, BY HAVING A REPORT STRUCTURE, IT WOULD SORT OF CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT TO WHICH YOU COULD SAY, OKAY, THESE ARE THE ISSUES AT LIKE OF ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HEARD AND ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE SORT OF COMING FORWARD. IT WOULD GIVE THE MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP THE OPPORTUNITY TO LENS IT INTO A SPECIFIC DOCUMENT THAT THEY COULD THEN USE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS. SO YES, I DON'T THINK THAT IT NECESSARILY TAKES AWAY FROM THE FACT THAT THERE IS A BROAD SET OF ISSUES OUT OF THE GATE. I THINK IT'S JUST TRYING TO CREATE A STRUCTURE THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO NARROW THOSE ISSUES THROUGH THE PROCESS OF THE WORKING GROUP. MY UNDERSTANDING AS A MODEL IS THAT, AN EXAMPLE IS WHEN THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION APPARENTLY TOOK ON THE DOG HEAD MATTER, THEY HAD A WORKING GROUP OF 20 SOME ODD PEOPLE AND THEY HAD A BROAD VISION AND THE WORKING GROUP IN THEIR FIRST MEETING NARROWED IT DOWN TO THE SET OF ISSUES. THE WORKING GROUP NARROWED IT DOWN TO WHAT THEY FELT THEY COULD ACT UPON. THEY ALSO CAME UP WITH A WONDERFUL REPORT. SO IT DID, IT WORKED. IT WAS SUCCESSFUL. AND I HAVE EVERY FAITH THAT WE COULD DO THE SAME. YEAH. UM, BOARD MEMBERS. ANYTHING ELSE? UH, YEAH, I'D LIKE TO, I, AND I GUESS I, I THINK I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS, UM, BOARD MEMBER MERIT AND BOARD MEMBER KELLY, AND, AND JUST ASK THEM WHAT WOULD MAKE THEM FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE. WHAT, I MEAN, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE PUBLIC HAS CONCERNS ABOUT ZILKER PARK. IT'S CLEAR THAT GOING BACK A NUMBER OF YEARS WHEN WE HAD THE ZILKER PARK PARK VISION PLAN, THAT SINCE NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE SINCE THEN, THAT IT'S, IT'S AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. SO, I MEAN, I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO BE ON THIS, ON THIS BOARD BECAUSE I'M DONE AS OF DECEMBER, SO AT THE END OF DECEMBER. SO I JUST REALLY WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL, LIKE, WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH THIS? BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO, TO, THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ONE PARK IN THE CITY. UM, AND WE'RE TALKING, TALKING ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LIKE, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT CAN HELP WITH THAT ISSUE, THE SUSTAINABILITY. SO PARK, I MIGHT INTERRUPT BOARD MEMBER, UM, AND, AND CALL THE QUESTION. SO WE MAY HAVE A VOTE. I, I, I, IT SOUNDS LIKE TO ME THAT A LOT OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS HAVE INTEREST AROUND MANY OF THESE TOPICS. UM, AND I THINK I, I'M STILL IN A PLACE WHERE I'M NOT FEELING AS COMFORTABLE WITH, WITH THE LANGUAGE, UM, IN WHERE THIS IS GOING. I'M GONNA, I'M GOING TO ABSTAIN. AND SO I JUST WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW, UM, THAT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT I DON'T CARE ABOUT OUR PARKS. I DO, I CARE ABOUT OUR PARKS AND THE ENVIRONMENT AND OUR REC CENTERS AND ER AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. UM, I JUST DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING. AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE THERE'S NOT GOOD INTENTION. I DON'T FEEL LIKE THE SPONSORS ON THIS ARE EVEN ON THE SAME PAGE AND I WANNA GET THERE, BUT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GONNA GET THERE EVEN IN THE NEXT HOUR HERE. 'CAUSE WE'VE NOW, YOU KNOW, BEEN OVER 90 MINUTES ON THIS, ON THIS TOPIC. AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT ENOUGH THAT WE'RE WANTING TO HAVE DISCUSSION ABOUT IT. WE [02:00:01] WANTING TO COME. I DON'T THINK, YOU DON'T SHOULD BLAME IT ON THE SPONSORS NOT HAVING AN AGREEMENT ON THIS. WE BASICALLY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A GROUP THAT'S BASICALLY PEOPLE CONCERNED ABOUT ZILKER, WHAT ARE THE ISSUES WITH ZILKER, COME TOGETHER, TALK ABOUT IT, AND THEN REPORT BACK TO, TO THIS BODY. IT'S A VERY SIMPLE REQUEST, AND I'M NOT, I'M, I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I EVER SERVE ON A BOARD AND I REALLY SECOND GUESSING MY CHOICE OF ZONING A, A BOARD HAVING TO GO THROUGH SUCH BUREAUCRACY TO HAVE SOMETHING PASSED WHERE WE'RE LIKE, WE'RE JUST LIKE, BUNCH OF PEOPLE GONNA MEET AND TALK. IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, THROW IT IN THE TRASH. BUT IT, IT'S, I I REALLY, I I I REALLY DON'T GET IT. I, I REALLY, I'M, I AM REALLY BAFFLED, UH, THE, I FELT THAT WE WERE GONNA ZIP THROUGH THIS QUICKLY, BUT I MEAN, IF, IF, UM, UH, I'M REALLY SURPRISED. I MEAN, THAT'S THE MY FIRST BOARD I EVER JOINED. AND IF THIS IS THE EXPERIENCE I'M GOING TO HAVE, I OR FRANKLIN, I, I, I WANNA SECOND WHAT, UM, WHAT WAS JUST SAID BECAUSE HONESTLY, I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD FOR EIGHT YEARS LONGER THAN ANYBODY ON THE BOARD, AS YOU ALL KNOW. UM, IT HAS, I HAVE NEVER, UM, IT'S BEEN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS THAT THIS BOARD, IT, IT JUST, IT, YEAH, EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE NITPICKED AND WE'RE REALLY, WE USED TO JUST DO WORKING GROUPS. UM, WE DID WORKING GROUPS ON HOW DO WE FIND MORE FUNDING FOR PARKS IN AUSTIN. I MEAN, WHAT COULD BE MORE BROAD THAN THAT? UM, I SAID ON THAT WORKING GROUP A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, LIKE, SO I DON'T, I AGREE. I, I I DON'T UNDERSTAND. IT'S, WE, IT IS JUST A BUNCH OF PEOPLE MEETINGS, BOARD MEMBERS, MEETING WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO TALK ABOUT ZILKER AND WAYS THAT WE CAN ADDRESS CONCERNS. UM, AND IT'S NOT TAKING A STANCE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER ON THE NONPROFITS OR THE EVENTS OR ANY OF THAT. I MEAN, IT'S, I'M SAYING INCLUDE EVERYBODY INVOLVED. SO I AGREE WITH THAT STANCE. SURE. THANK YOU. I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THAT I, YOU SUPPORT THE WORKING GROUP, UM, MOVING FORWARD. I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HEAR, UM, EVERYTHING THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND UH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD HAVE TO SAY. I STILL FEEL LIKE IT'S, UM, VERY BROAD, UM, AND KIND OF A DUPLICATIVE SESSION OF SOME OF THE WORK THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE. BUT IF THAT IS A DESIRE IS TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS OVER AGAIN, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BRING THOSE FORWARD, MAYBE BRING NEW IDEAS FORWARD AND, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S NO ACTIONABLE ITEMS, WHICH I CERTAINLY HOPE THERE ARE, THEN WE'LL AT LEAST HAVE HAD THIS DISCUSSION, UM, AS A REFRESHER AND SOMETHING THAT IS A LITTLE MORE CURRENT. ALRIGHT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE. UM, THANK YOU. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE WORKING GROUP? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. BOARD MEMBER KELLY, SIX BOARD MEMBER. KELLY, WE NEED YOUR CAMERA ON. ALRIGHT. SHE MAY HAVE STOPPED. WE'LL SAY THAT SHE'S OFF DAY IF, IF BOARD MEMBER KELLY CAN'T COME BACK ON CAMERA. I, OKAY. MM-HMM . I DON'T KNOW WHY SHE LEFT THE CAMERA. OKAY. WELL SHE'LL, SHE'LL BE NOTED AS OFF DAIS. UM, ALL THOSE OPPOSED, ALL THOSE ABSTAINING AND THEN BOARD MEMBER KELLY'S OFF. 6 0 2, IT PASSES. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALRIGHT, WE'LL MOVE ALONG. [2. Presentation, discussion and approve letters of support for Austin Parks and Recreation’s Community Recreation staff who worked to create the MLS GO youth soccer program. (Sponsors: Bazan, Becker) Presenter(s): David Crabb, Community Recreation Division Manager, Austin Parks and Recreation. ] WE'RE GOING TO GO TO ITEM NUMBER TWO, UM, WHICH IS A PRESENTATION DISCUSSION AND APPROVE LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATIONS COMMUNITY RECREATION STAFF WHO WORK TO CREATE THE MLS GO USE SOCCER PROGRAM. DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS? NO CHAIR. OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU GOT IT, . ANYHOW, I AM THE DIVISION MANAGER FOR COMMUNITY RECREATION AND WE'RE HERE TONIGHT TO PRESENT ON THE MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER GOALS, SOCCER PROGRAM. TO MY LEFT IS DELANO BROWN, HE'S OUR DISTRICT MANAGER FOR THE CENTRAL AREA, AND THIS WAS HIS PROJECT. SO I'M GONNA LET HIM PROCEED. UH, THANK YOU DAVID. UH, GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME TODAY. UH, WE'RE EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY, UH, [02:05:01] FOR THE 2026 MLS GO, UH, FALL SOCCER SEASON. UH, THIS PROGRAM WAS A NEW COLLABORATION THAT WE HAD WITH FOUR A TX AND AUSTIN FC, UH, TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND AND PROVIDE DIFFERENT SERVICES FOR OUR YOUTH SOCCER PROGRAM. AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE VERY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT. UH, NEXT SLIDE. SO TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT THIS PARTNERSHIP, UM, TWO PARTNERSHIPS, ONE MISSION WITH SOCCER FOR EVERY KID. UH, THE COLLABORATION OF THIS, UM, THIS ENDEAVOR INCLUDED NOT JUST OUR DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO MLS GO FOR A TX FOUNDATION WHO SERVES AS THE NONPROFIT AFFILIATE FOR AUSTIN FC AND IN ST. DAVID'S HEALTHCARE AS A SPONSOR AS WELL, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOUTH SOCCER CLINICS FOR OUR PARTICIPANTS THAT ARE REGISTERED IN OUR FALL YOUTH SOCCER PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE. SO, RECENTLY OUR, UH, TEAM WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE A SERVICE OF YOUTH SOCCER CLINICS THIS PAST SPRING, UH, TO OUR YOUTH CO-ED PARTICIPANTS IN THE, UH, SPRING SOCCER PROGRAM, AGES SEVEN TO 11. UH, AGAIN, THIS PROGRAM WAS SPONSORED BY ST. DAVID'S HEALTHCARE AS WELL AS, UH, FOR A TX TO EXPAND THEIR PARTNERSHIP TO BRING ABOUT THE SOCCER PROGRAMS TO ALL YOUTH PARTICIPANTS IN SOCCER OR IN THE, IN THE STATE OF AUSTIN, IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. UH, THEY PRESENTED THIS PROGRAM AS A FIFTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR BY THE, UH, FOUR A TX FOUNDATION. UM, AGAIN, AUSTIN'S NONPROFIT ARM AND THE FOUNDING PROPHET ST. DAVID'S WHO BROUGHT ABOUT THIS PROGRAM FIVE YEARS AGO. UH, WE WERE SO LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THIS TO OUR PARTICIPANTS, ALMOST 150 PARTICIPANTS THAT WE HAD ENROLLED IN OUR SPRING SOCCER PROGRAM, WHERE THE KIDS AND THE PARTICIPANTS GOT TO LEARN ABOUT SOCCER SKILLS, LEADERSHIP SKILLS, SIDE BY SIDE WITH SOME OF THEIR FAVORITE AUSTIN FC PLAYERS AND STAFF. EVERY PARTICIPANT GOT A CHANCE TO MEET THE AUSTIN FC PLAYERS AND WERE ABLE TO TAKE HOME THEIR VERY OWN SOCCER BALL. NEXT SLIDE. SO THESE WERE JUST A FEW OF THE PHOTOS THAT WE HAD FROM THE CLINIC. UH, YOU SEE, UH, WE HAD ABOUT 150 PLUS PARTICIPANTS, YOUTH VOLUNTEER COACHES WHO, UH, VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME AND EFFORT AND TWO OF THE AUSTIN FC PLAYERS THAT TOOK THE TIME TO NOT ONLY, UH, PROVIDE CLINICS AND DRILLS FOR THE KIDS, BUT TAKE A PHOTO AND SIGN EVERY, UH, CHILD'S BALL THAT WERE WAS ABLE TO ATTEND. THE CHILDREN HAD AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THE AUSTIN FC PLAYERS, WHICH ALSO ADDED A LAYER OF EXCITEMENT AND INSPIRATION. THESE ENCOUNTERS NOT ONLY MOTIVATED THE KIDS, BUT THEY ALSO REINFORCED THE, REINFORCED THE IMPORTANCE OF STAYING FIT, HAVING FUN, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY BEING PHYSICALLY ACTIVE. FURTHERMORE, THESE CLINICS, UH, EMPHASIZE NOT JUST ACT ACTIVATION OF, UH, SPORTS AND ENGAGEMENT, BUT ALSO INCLUSION AND, AND IN SUPPORT ENSURING THAT EVERY CHILD VALUED AND A PART OF THE TEAM THROUGH TEAM PLAY, THEY LEARNED VITAL LIFE SKILLS SUCH AS TEAMWORK AND LEADERSHIP. THE PROGRAM LED A SIGNIFICANT COMMUNITY IMPACT, FOSTERING A SENSE OF CONTRIBUTION AND MEAN AND BELONGING TO ALL THE YOUTH PARTICIPANTS. UH, NEXT SLIDE. SO THIS KIND OF LED TO THE NEXT PORTION OF THE PROGRAMMING PHASE IN WHICH WE USE THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, FOR A TX TO LEVERAGE OUR, UH, START OF AN MLS GO PROGRAM. SO MLS GO, UH, SERVES AS A, UH, YOUTH, UH, AFFILIATE OF THE MLS SOCCER LEAGUE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOUTH SPORTS SOCCER PROGRAMS TO PARTICIPANTS ALL THROUGHOUT THE US. THIS PAST SEASON, WE WERE EXCITED TO LAUNCH LAUNCH THIS INITIATIVE AFTER WORKING WITH AUSTIN A, UH, FC AND FOUR A TX AND KICK OFF OUR FIRST SEASON OF CO-ED MLS GO LEAGUE. THE PROGRAM WHICH LAW, WHICH LAUNCHED IN SEPTEMBER, REPRESENTED A FRESH COLLABORATION BETWEEN AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION, R-C-X-M-L-S GO TO BRING ABOUT A GOAL TO ELEVATE YOUTH SOCCER EXPERIENCES OFFERING LEAGUE THAT'S INCLUSIVE, INCLUSIVE FOR BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS, AGES FOUR TO 12. WHAT'S PARTICULARLY EXCITING ABOUT THIS LEAGUE IS THE ROBUST SUPPORT FROM MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER AND AUSTIN FC BACKING THAT ENSURE THAT OUR LEAGUES WILL PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY CURRICULUM AND TRAINING RESOURCES, SETTING A NEW STANDARD FOR COACHING FOR OUR YOUTH PROGRAMS. UH, NEXT SLIDE. SO WHAT'S NEW ABOUT THE PROGRAM? SO, BEGINNING IN THE FALL, UH, THIS PAST SEPTEMBER, WE STARTED REGISTRATION, UH, WITH A PROGRAM THAT INCLUDED NEW SOCCER CURRICULUM, NEW JERSEY'S, AND A NEW BRANDING LOOK FOR OUR LEAGUE. IT ELEVATED OUR EXISTING, UH, EXISTENCE OF OUR CURRENT FALL AND SPRING SOCCER PROGRAM, AND IT REMAINED OPEN TO YOUTH PARTICIPANTS AGES FOUR TO 11 ACROSS ALL RECREATION CENTERS IN NORTH, SOUTH AND CENTRAL AUSTIN. UM, THIS SEASON, EACH PARTICIPANT THAT REGISTERED RECEIVED A REVERSIBLE AUSTIN FC SOCCER JERSEY SHORTS, SOCKS, SHIN GUARDS, AND THEIR VERY OWN QUIT KIT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE HOME AT THE END OF THE SEASON. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THIS, UH, PROGRAM ALSO RECEIVED GRANT FUNDING [02:10:01] THROUGH RCX SPORTS AND NRPA TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE OUR PART PARTICIPANTS, UH, SHIN GUARDS AS WELL TOO, EFFECTIVELY LOWERING THE COST BARRIER FOR PARTICIPANTS TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN A SOCCER PROGRAM WITHOUT THE ADDED BARRIER OF INCREASED COST FOR EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS FOR ALL, UH, PARENTS ENROLLED. UH, NEXT SLIDE. SO, AT A GLANCE, THIS KIND OF JUST GIVES US A SNAPSHOT OF HOW THE PROGRAM OPERATED. SO AGAIN, WE SERVED THREE DISTRICTS IN NORTH, SOUTH AND CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN, INCLUDING 15 RECREATION CENTERS SERVING CO-ED PARTICIPANTS, AGES FOUR TO 12. UH, THE FOUR AGE GROUPS THAT WE OFFERED WERE U FOUR BEING THE YOUNGER AGE GROUP, U SIX, U EIGHT, U 10, AND U 12 FOR A FALL SOCCER SEASON. THAT, UH, BEGAN RECENTLY OCTOBER 10TH AND WE'LL CONTINUE UNTIL NOVEMBER 14TH. THE BIGGEST NUMBER THAT STOOD OUT WAS THE 915 PARTICIPANTS THAT ENROLLED, WHICH IS A 39% INCREASE FROM OUR FALL SOCCER ENROLLMENT FROM 2026 SOMETHING OUR WORK GROUP IS VERY EXCITED ABOUT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE OUR PARTICIPANTS. UH, NEXT SLIDE. SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS FOR AUSTIN FAMILIES? AGAIN, IT CONTINUES TO PROVIDE US, UH, ALLOW US TO PROVIDE CO-ED LEAGUES THROUGHOUT NORTH, SOUTH AND CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN WITHOUT REALLY RAISING THAT COST BARRIER, LIMITING OUR, OUR PARENTS, UH, FROM BEING ABLE TO ACCESS THIS PROGRAM. WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE A STRUCTURED OUTDOOR LEAGUE THAT BUILDS TEAMWORK AND CONFIDENCE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY FOR OUR CHILDREN WITH AGE GROUPS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THE SKILL LEVEL FOR EACH PARTICIPANTS. AGAIN, GOING AS LONG YOUNG AS YOU FOUR ALL THE WAY UP TO PARTICIPANTS. 12. AND IT'S A PREDICTABLE FORMAT FOR OUR FAMILIES BECAUSE THEY'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE SERVICES AND THE RECREATIONAL SPACES WHERE THE LEAGUES ARE OFFERED, AS WELL AS THE PRACTICES AS WELL. UH, NEXT SLIDE. UH, THE FINAL, THE FINAL BIT OF INSTALLMENT THAT WE ADDED TO THE PROGRAM WAS THE GRANT INVESTMENT. SO AGAIN, WE ALSO RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE RCX SPORTS LLC AND A NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARKS ASSOCIATION FOR $25,000 GRANT OVER THE NEXT, UH, FIVE YEARS OF WHICH $10,000 WAS, UH, PROVIDED TO US FOR THIS SEASON TO GO TOWARDS OPERATING COSTS AND SHIN GUARDS. AGAIN, LOWERING THAT COST BARRIER FOR PARTICIPANTS. WE'RE ALSO FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO RECEIVE THE, UH, FUNDING FROM OUR MAYOR WATSON, WHO MATCHED THAT, UH, DONATION WITH $25,000 TO ADD TO THE PROGRAM AS WELL, FURTHER EXPANDING THE RESOURCES THAT WE'RE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROGRAM TO OFFSET THOSE COSTS TO OUR PARENTS. UH, NEXT SLIDE. SO THE YEAR ONE IMPACT OF THAT PROGRAM, 10,000 AND MLS GO PLAY FUNDING FOR 20, UH, 16, UH, WHICH REDUCED THE REGISTRATION COST FOR OUR PARTICIPANTS FREE SHIN GUARDS PROVIDED TO EVERY ENROLLED MLS GO PARTICIPANT. AND THE INITIAL THRESHOLD FOR THE PROGRAM WAS A MINIMUM OF 600 PARTICIPANTS REGISTERED AGAIN FOR THIS SEASON. WE FAR EXCEEDED THAT WHEN 915 PARTICIPANTS THAT WERE REGISTERED IN THE PROGRAM AS WELL TOO. UH, NEXT ONE. SO AGAIN, THE SERVICES FOR THIS PROGRAM IS KEEPING COSTS LOW WITHOUT LOWERING THE, THE, THE BAR OF THE PROGRAM. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO, UH, ENSURE THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN THE QUALITY OF OUR PROGRAM FOR ALL OF OUR PARTICIPANTS REGARDLESS OF THEIR DEMOGRAPHIC, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS OR WHERE THEY MAY LIVE IN AUSTIN, ENSURING THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO QUALITY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. A LOT OF EFFORT WENT, WENT INTO MAKING THIS PROGRAM A SUCCESS. WE WANT TO THANK OUR, OUR STAFF, UM, DIFFERENT MEMBERS FROM WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT, PATRICIA ROSET, ANDREW BEDFORD, WHO HANDLED OUR CONTRACTS AS WELL AS MATTHEW WHO OVERSAW THE GRANT AND OUR LEAGUE SP IN EACH AREA, RICK COAN, UM, SEL DIGS AND MARK VALEZ, WHO THAT ALL THE SERVICES AND PROGRAMMING WERE PROVIDE PROVIDED ACROSS THE, UH, THE DIVISION AND DEPARTMENT. AND IT LOOKED COMPLETELY THE SAME TO ENSURE THAT WE MAINTAIN THE SAME STANDARD FOR ALL OF OUR PARTICIPANTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, BOARD MEMBERS? OKAY. HI. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. THIS SOUNDS LIKE AN AMAZING PROGRAM. UM, TWO QUESTIONS. YES. UM, WHY, WHY THE AGE RANGES? WHY DOES IT STOP AT AGE? I THINK 11 YOU SAID. YES. SO, UH, THE 12 AND UNDER AGE GROUP IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE AGE GROUPS THAT WE STRUGGLE THE MOST. MOSTLY BECAUSE A LOT OF THE PARTICIPANTS AT THAT POINT TRANSITION TO, UM, EITHER, UH, MORE COMPETITIVE PLAY OR PLAY WITHIN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL. SO IT IS SOMETHING WE ARE TRYING TO REVISIT TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND IT. BUT THE AGE GROUPS THAT WE TEND TO GET THE MOST AMOUNT OF PARTICIPANTS ARE RIGHT AROUND THE, UH, INTRODUCTORY RANGE OF SIX U EIGHT U, AND THEN 10 U, ONCE THEY GET THE 12 U THEY KIND OF TRANSITION OUT OF THE RECREATIONAL SIDE TOWARDS MORE COMPETITIVE PLAY. BUT IT IS SOMETHING WE'RE CONTINUOUSLY TRYING TO LOOK INTO, TO BROADENING. OKAY. THANK YOU. THE SECOND QUESTION IS, UM, I HAVE A YOUNG ADULT SON WITH DISABILITIES [02:15:01] AND THERE ARE NOT MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR KIDS WITH INTELLECTUAL OR PHYSICAL DISABILITIES TO PLAY SPORTS. I KNOW THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF PROGRAMS. MY SON PLAYED BASEBALL WITH THE MIRACLE LEAGUE, UM, IN NORTH AUSTIN. AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL, UM, CPA IS ONE OF THEM WHO THEY SPECIFICALLY WORK WITH, WITH KIDS WHO HAVE PHYSICAL DISABILITIES AND USE WHEELCHAIRS. I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOUR PROGRAM, UM, IF, IF YOU THOUGHT ABOUT INCLUDING, UM, KIDS WITH DISABILITIES, WHETHER IT BE INTELLECTUAL, PHYSICAL INTO THIS PROGRAM. 'CAUSE I DIDN'T SEE ANY, ANYTHING, ANY MENTION ABOUT THAT. WHAT, WHAT IS THE, THE THINKING? WERE THEY, YEAH. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS THOUGHT ABOUT? ARE YOU DOING OUTREACH TO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS? YEAH, SO ABSOLUTELY. SO WITH ALL OUR PROGRAMS, THERE IS AN INCLUSIVE COMPONENT. UM, WHILE WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY PARTICIPANTS WITHIN A CERTAIN PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS THAT MIGHT WANNA PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM, WE DO ACCOMMODATE A, A, A GROUP OF PARTICIPATION, UH, PARTICIPANTS FROM VARIOUS BACKGROUNDS THAT MIGHT HAVE, UH, LIMITATIONS THAT WE ALWAYS TRY TO MAKE IT A ACCOMMODATION TO BE ABLE TO, TO, TO ENSURE THAT WE PROVIDE. UM, ACTUALLY ONE OF OUR RECREATION SITES IS A THERAPEUTIC RECREATION SITE THAT ALSO PROVIDES, UM, THEIR, UH, THEY SUPPORT THAT LEAGUE WITH PARTICIPANTS FROM THEIR SIDE AS WELL TOO. SO WE ALSO DO HAVE INCLUSIVE PARTICIPANTS, UH, FROM THAT SIDE. UM, I WOULD URGE YOU TO BE MORE PROACTIVE ABOUT IT BECAUSE AS A MOTHER AND MY SON IS NOW 24, UM, I, WE HIT BRICK WALLS ALL OVER THE PLACE. UH, WE TRIED TO DO SOCCER AND, AND WE WERE MET WITH, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE WOULD DO THAT. I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT WOULD WORK BECAUSE HE'S, HE USES A WHEELCHAIR AND HE WOULD NEED SOMEONE TO HELP HIM. ABSOLUTELY. SO, MIRACLE LEAGUE FIGURED IT OUT FOR BASEBALL. I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE MORE PROACTIVE. MAYBE TALK TO SOME MEMBERS IN THE COMMUNITY AND SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN DO. 'CAUSE THIS IS SUCH A GREAT PROGRAM AND I LOVE, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'VE PARTNERED WITH AUSTIN FC. WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO THE, THE STADIUM, SO WE LOVE GOING TO GAMES THERE. SO, UM, I APPLAUD YOU ON THIS. I JUST, UM, WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU GUYS EXPAND IT TO MORE KIDS IN THE COMMUNITY. YES. THANK YOU. WE HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT. THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? BOARD MEMBERS? I, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE NUMBERS. UM, JUST BECAUSE IT, IT'S A PROGRAM BASED ON THE, UH, SOCCER REC PROGRAM. UM, WHAT WERE THE NUMBERS IN COMPARISON TO LAST YEAR'S NUMBERS? UM, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT ENROLLMENT AS FAR AS WHAT WE HAD LAST YEAR. I DO KNOW IT, THERE WAS A LARGE, UM, INCREASE THAT WE HAD FOR JUST THIS SEASON ALONE IN THE FALL. OKAY. UH, FOR 39%, BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THAT EXACT NUMBER WAS FOR THE FALL. OKAY. AN INCREASE FROM FALL TO FALL? CORRECT. FALL 2025 TO FALL 2026. OKAY. WE JUST, THE PROGRAM ACTUALLY JUST STARTED THREE WEEKS AGO. OKAY. YEAH, THAT WAS MY QUESTION. JUST BASED ON LIKE, IF THERE WERE MORE SCHOLARSHIPS IN THOSE THINGS, DID IT TRULY OFFER MORE OPPORTUNITIES SINCE WE WEREN'T STARTING AT A BASE OF ZERO? I WAS CURIOUS OF THE, OF THE INCREASE. YEAH. OKAY. UM, ALRIGHT. ANY, ANYTHING ELSE? BOARD MEMBERS? ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA, UM, I'M GONNA READ OUR LETTER, UM, AND THEN, UM, I WILL ASK, UH, I, I'LL ASK FOR A FIRST AND A SECOND. UM, THIS, UH, LETTER IS ADDRESSED TO, UM, A-P-R-M-L-S GO PROGRAM TEAM. IT SAYS, ON BEHALF OF THE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION AND ITS PARTNERS FOR BRINGING MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER MLS GO PROGRAM TO AUSTIN. THE MLS GO PARTNERSHIP BRINGS THE EXCITEMENT, BRANDING, AND RESOURCES OF MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER TO THE CITY'S EXISTING YOUTH SOCCER LEAGUE, CREATING AN EVEN MORE ENGAGING EXPERIENCE WHERE CHILDREN CAN BUILD SKILLS, GAIN CONFIDENCE, AND ENJOY BEING PART OF A TEAM. THIS IS A LITTLE PICTURE FROM, UH, I THINK A WEEK OR SO AGO I WAS OUT, OUT ON THE FIELD AND I GOT TO SEE THE KIDDOS GET THEIR, GET THEIR UNIFORMS THROUGH PROGRAMMING ACROSS NORTH, SOUTH AND CENTRAL EAST. AUSTIN. MLS GO IS HELPING MAKE SOCCER ACCESSIBLE TO MORE FAMILIES. SUPPORT FROM AN MLS GO PLAY FUND HELPS REDUCE REGISTRATION COSTS THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS AND EVERY PARTICIPANT RECEIVES A SOCCER KIT COMPLETE WITH SOCKS AND FREE SHIN GUARDS. THESE EFFORTS HELP REMOVE BARRIERS SO MORE CHILDREN CAN GET ON THE FIELD AND PLAY. THE BOARD ALSO RECOGNIZES THE FOUR A TX FOUNDATION AND ITS CLINICS FOUR A TX PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDE FREE SOCCER OPPORTUNITIES FOR CENTRAL TEXAS CHILDREN THROUGH SKILL BUILDING ACTIVITIES, COACHING FROM AUSTIN FC STAFF AND OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT WITH AUSTIN'S FC PLAYERS. THESE CLINICS HELP YOUTH DEVELOP THEIR ABILITIES AND EXPERIENCE THE FUN OF BEING PART OF THE SOCCER COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR AUSTIN'S YOUNG PEOPLE TO PLAY, TO GROW AND TO BE PART OF A TEAM. WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE COLLABORATION AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO CHEER YOU ALL ON IN THE MISSION OF SOCCER FOR EVERY KID. SO THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH. ALRIGHT. YEAH. STOP NOW. ALRIGHT. UM, DO [02:20:01] I, DO I HEAR EMOTION? A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, APPROVE LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR AUSTIN PARK AND RECREATION COMMUNITY RECREATION STAFF WHO WORK TO CREATE THE MLS GO YOUTH SOCCER PROGRAM. ALRIGHT, WE'VE GOT A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FROM BOARD MEMBER BECKER AND A SECOND, I'LL SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN. A LOT OF PEOPLE, UM, WANNA BE PART OF THIS. AND, UM, ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR, OR QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT FOLKS, UM, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL RIGHT. AND THE MOTION PASSES. NINE ZERO. THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH. THANK YOU AGAIN. WE'LL GIVE THEM ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM. I DON'T HAVE MY AGENDA. HERE WE GO. THANK YOU. UM, THIS IS ITEM NUMBER [3. Presentation, discussion, and approve a recommendation for City Council to authorize negotiation and execution of an interlocal cooperation agreement with the Austin Independent School District to support the Literacy First Program and Tutoring Intervention Program for a 12-month term though September 30, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $100,000, with four 12-month renewal options in amounts not to exceed $100,000 per renewal option, for a total agreement amount not to exceed $500,000. (Sponsors: Bazan, Becker) Presenter(s): David Crabb, Community Recreation Division Manager, Austin Parks and Recreation. ] THREE IS A PRESENTATION DISCUSSION AND APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR CITY COUNCIL TO AUTHORIZE NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF AN INTERLOCAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT WITH THE AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TO SUPPORT THE LITERACY FIRST PROGRAM AND TUTORING INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR A 12 MONTH TERM THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2027. AN AMOUNT NOT TO, TO EXCEED A HUNDRED THOUSAND WITH FOUR 12 MONTH RENEWAL OPTIONS AMOUNTS NOT TO EXCEED A HUNDRED THOUSAND PER RENEWAL OPTION FOR A TOTAL AGREEMENT AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 500,000. AND WE'LL TAKE, ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THIS? OKAY. THEN WE'LL TAKE THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. I LOST MY COURSE, UH, CHAIR. IF THE BOARD DOES NOT OBJECT, UH, STAFF IS PREPARED TO DO AN ABBREVIATED PRESENTATION ON THIS ITEM OF JUST A FEW MINUTES. YES. THANK YOU. AND THAT'S ME AGAIN, . I, UM, YES, THE, UH, LITERACY FIRST AGREEMENT IS WITH ID IT'S BEEN IN EFFECT SINCE, UH, 2006. IT, WE PROVIDE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR TO A SD TO DO A READING AND, UM, WRITING TUTORING PROGRAM THAT A SD STAFF DELIVERS AT AT FOUR SITES. THEY DO THAT AT ALLISON ELEMENTARY, ORTEGA ELEMENTARY, SANCHEZ ELEMENTARY, AND VAL ELEMENTARY. UM, LAST YEAR IN 2025, THERE WERE 151 STUDENTS WHO GRADUATED FROM THAT PROGRAM. UM, LET'S SEE, WHAT'S SOME OTHER HIGHLIGHTS? THE TERMS OF THE, THE AGREEMENT IS THAT, UM, WE PROVIDE THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, AND I'M GOING TO HAVE TO REMOVE MY LONG RANGE GLASSES TO READ THIS. UM, A SD MAKES MAKES THE PROGRAM AVAILABLE TO 200 STUDENTS. THEY WAIVE THE RENTAL FEES FOR, FOR THE CITY'S CREATIVE CLUB AT OAK ELEMENTARY. THEY ALSO WAIVE FEES FOR THE CITY USE AT IDENTIFIED FACILITIES, UM, FOR, UH, PUBLIC MEETINGS OR, UH, OTHER NON, UH, UH, OTHER CITY USE FOR MEETINGS. ANYWAY, A-I-D-A-S-D BASEBALL FIELDS ARE ALSO MADE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC USE AFTER HOURS AND DURING OFF SEASONS. AND THEN A SD ALSO U USES THEIR TRANSPORTATION TO PROVIDE YOUTH TO THE CITY AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS. SO 36 KIDS ARE BROUGHT FROM ZILKER ELEMENTARY TO DOTY ART CENTER. 36 KIDS ARE BROUGHT FROM GULLAH ELEMENTARY TO NORTHWEST REC RECREATION CENTER. 36, UM, KIDS ARE BROUGHT FROM MAPLEWOOD TO HANCOCK AND 24 KIDS ARE BROUGHT FROM CASEY TO DITMAR. UM, UM, THE ASDS OTHER COMMITMENT TO THIS AGREEMENT IS TO ASSIST THE CITY WITH MARKETING ALL OF OUR AUSTIN PARTS AND RECREATION PROGRAMS THROUGH THEIR SCHOOLS. UM, AND THEN THEY HAVE AN ANNUAL DELIVERABLE WHERE THEY PROVIDE A REPORT CITING THE PROGRAM SUCCESSES. AND, UH, THAT USUALLY INCLUDES THE TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS SERVED, UH, WITH GRADE LEVEL BENCHMARKS. IT DISCUSSES THE ANNUAL BUDGET AND THE USE OF FUNDS OF THE, OF THE MONEY THAT WAS PROVIDED, AND ALSO ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REFLECTING ON STUDENT SUCCESS. SO, UM, AND THEN THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IS A REIMBURSES ISD FOR THEIR EXPENSES UP ON INVOICE AND A CONFIRMATION OF THE ANNUAL REPORT CITING THE GOALS. UM, AND THEN AT, SO THAT'S KIND OF IT IN A NUTSHELL, AND AS YOU SAID IN YOUR OPENING STATEMENT, WE'RE SEEKING THE BOARD'S RECOMMENDATION TO SEEK CITY COUNCIL AUTHORITY FOR THIS AGREEMENT AS DESCRIBED. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION. IS, UH, IS THIS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE, THE CITY HAS DONE THIS PROGRAM WITH A IC BEFORE? OR IS IT, NO, IT'S BEEN GOING SINCE 2006. GOT IT. OKAY. THANK YOU. I WILL, I WILL ALSO JUST ADD WITH, UM, I BUDGETS DECREASING OR THINGS CHANGING WITH BUDGETS. I, I KNOW THAT LITERACY FIRST [02:25:01] HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONTINUE IN A LOT OF THE SCHOOLS THAT THEY WERE BEFORE. UM, THIS IS A REALLY CRITICAL, UM, PIECE OF, OF SUPPORTING YOUNG, YOUNG PEOPLE. AND SO, UM, BUT ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? BOARD MEMBERS? ALRIGHT, WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO, UM, ASK FOR MOTION. OKAY. WE'VE GOT A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FROM BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS. UM, WE'VE GOT A SECOND SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN. UM, ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, WE'LL MOVE AHEAD TO A VOTE. CAN OH, YES, GO AHEAD. SURE. UM, SO THIS AUTHORIZES THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO NEGOTIATE. UM, OKAY. SO IT, IT'S BASICALLY THE, THE AGREEMENT OR LIKE THE CONTRACT WOULD BE BETWEEN C THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE LITERACY FIRST PROGRAM IS THAT, AM I UNDERSTANDING THIS CORRECTLY? YES, IT'S THE, THE CONTRACTS BETWEEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. OKAY. RIGHT. WHICH THEN ALLOWS THEM TO BRING IN LITERACY FIRST, WHICH IS THE, IN A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES, THANK YOU. OKAY. I WAS MOVING WAY TOO QUICK, SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I DON'T WANNA SPEED ANYBODY UP IF Y'ALL HAVE MORE, UM, THINGS TO TALK ABOUT HERE. OKAY. UM, ALRIGHT, WELL THEN HEARING NONE, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO A VOTE. SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, YOU PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL RIGHT. LOOKS LIKE ALL NINE, SO IT'S UNANIMOUS THAT PASSES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE YOU. OKAY FOLKS, WE'LL MOVE RIGHT ALONG. UM, I'M GETTING A LITTLE CROSS SIDES. LET ME JUST MAKE SURE I'M ON THE RIGHT FOUR. WE'RE ON ITEM [4. Presentation, discussion and approve a recommendation for City Council to authorize a change in use of dedicated parkland, known as Waller Beach at Town Lake Metro Park (East Avenue,) to permanently use approximately 7,475 sq. ft. and temporarily use approximately 3,590 sq. ft. of parkland in order to construct Austin Water infrastructure and associated improvements, related to the IH-35 CapEx Project. Funding: This item includes a mitigation payment in the amount of $1,055,440 from Austin Water to Austin Parks and Recreation and, as a result, there is no impact to the General Fund. (Sponsors: Bazan, Becker) Presenter(s): Kevin Koeller, Managing Engineer, Austin Water. ] FOUR. UM, PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION, APPROVE, OR RECOMMENDATION FOR CITY COUNCIL TO AUTHORIZE A CHANGE IN USE OF DEDICATED PARK LINE KNOWN AS WALLER BEACH AT TOWN LAKE METRO PARK EAST AVENUE, TO PERMANENTLY USE APPROXIMATELY 7,475 SQUARE FEET AND TEMPORARILY USE APPROXIMATELY 3,590 SQUARE FEET OF PARKLAND IN ORDER TO CONSTRUCT AUSTIN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND ASSOCIATED IMPROVEMENTS RELATED TO THE IH 35 CAP X PROJECT FUNDING. THIS ITEM INCLUDES A MITIGATION PAYMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,055,440 FROM AUSTIN WATER TO AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION. AND AS A RESULT, THERE'S NO IMPACT TO THE GENERAL FUND. ARE THERE ANY SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM, MR. BECK? YES. CHAIR. WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER. SANTIAGO ZWAN. OKAY. SANTIAGO, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. UH, THANK YOU AGAIN, BOARD MEMBERS. I, UM, I THINK I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO REMIND, UH, ONE OF THE, THE SPEAKERS WITH THE, THE ZILKER PARK WORKING GROUP, UH, APPROACHED ME AND, UM, MADE THE RECOMMENDATION TO HAVE REVERENCE FOR PROCESS NO MATTER HOW MUCH TIME IT TAKES. UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, HAS BEEN A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME OVER THE PAST, UH, THREE YEARS IS, UM, UH, FEDERAL PRECEDENCE, UM, AND, AND IN PARTICULAR, UM, THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION ACT OF 1965, UH, WHICH WALLER BEACH IS AFFECTED BY. UM, AND SEVERAL YEARS AGO, ORACLE ATTEMPTED TO ACQUIRE LAND, UH, PARKLAND, UH, PARK MAINTENANCE FACILITY. AND BEFORE THAT, UH, SECTION SIX F UM, REPLACEMENT LAND SWAP COULD BE MOVED FORWARD. IT HAD TO GO TO A CITY VOTE BECAUSE AS THE SPEAKER MADE EARLIER, THIS IS OF THE PUBLIC BENEFIT. THIS IS PUBLIC LAND. THIS DOES NOT BELONG TO PAR, THIS DOES NOT BELONG TO THIS BOARD, UM, AND DOES NOT BELONG TO ANY DEPARTMENT. SO, UM, NOT TO JUST PUT A HUGE WRENCH IN THE WHEEL, BUT, UH, I WAS JUST SORT OF DOING A BRIEF SEARCH ONLINE AND SEEING WHERE THERE WAS AN EMAIL FROM HEATHER, UH, FROM TXDOT IN MAY 15TH, 2023, EXPLORING IDEAS, UM, AND MENTIONS THE IDEA OF SWAPPING FOR, UH, 0.6 ACRES OVER THE WATER WITH BANK RESTORATION. UM, [02:30:02] AND THE VALUE OF THAT LAND WAS, WHERE DID IT SAY $32 MILLION. UM, SO YEAH, JUST AGAIN, WANTED TO REMIND, UM, THIS DIOCESE THAT THAT IS INFORMATION TO TAKE CONSIDERATION FOR THE UPCOMING PRESENTATION. UM, AND, UH, YEAH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, CHAIR. IF THE, THE BOARD DOESN'T OBJECT STAFF FAIR TO DO AN ABBREVIATED PRESENTATION FOR THIS ITEM. AND WE'RE AROUND FIVE TO EIGHT MINUTES. YEP. THANK YOU. UH, GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS. MY NAME IS ZACH SOMBERG. I'M A SENIOR PLANNER WITH AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION. UH, I'LL BE INTRODUCING ITEM FOUR ON THE AGENDA, A CHAPTER 26 APPLICATION FOR THE RELOCATION OF AUSTIN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE RELATED TO TDOT'S I 35 CAPEX PROJECT. UH, THE ITEM IS PRESENTED FOR RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL FOR A PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY CHANGE OF USE OF PARKLAND AT WALLER BEACH AT TOWN LAKE METRO PARK, MORE SPECIFICALLY REFERRED TO AS EAST AVENUE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION STAFF WILL MONITOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND ENSURE FULL RESTORATION FOLLOWING PROJECT COMPLETION. UH, NOW I'LL PASS TO AUSTIN WATER AND TS PRESENTERS FOR MORE INFORMATION. YEAH, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME'S KEVIN KOHLER. I'M THE MANAGING ENGINEER FOR AUSTIN WATER. MY TEAM DOES RELOCATIONS. I HAVE MARK STANKO IS, UH, ONLINE, UM, AND HE'S GONNA GIVE THE PRESENTATION TODAY. UM, WE ALSO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM TXDOT THAT ARE ONLINE, UM, THAT CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. WHEN THAT COMES UP. IT'S ALL YOURS. MARK. THANKS KEVIN. UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY IN THE ROOM? YES. YES. EXCELLENT. OKAY. UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO, TO MAKE THIS, UH, AN ABBREVIATED PRESENTATION, UH, I PRESENTED LAST MONTH AS WELL, UH, FOR A SIMILAR PROJECT. SO I'LL, I'LL SKIP THROUGH THE FIRST FEW SLIDES. SO GO. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. UH, THIS JUST GIVES A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE, THE NEED FOR TEXDOT TO EXPAND SOME OF THE WATER AND WASTEWATER RELOCATIONS OUTSIDE OF T RIGHT OF WAY INTO CITY RIGHT OF WAY. UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. UH, THIS IS, GIVES THE OBJECTIVES FOR THE CAPEX PROJECT AND THESE UTILITY RELOCATIONS. NEXT SLIDE. UM, SO I WANNA GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT THAT'S HAPPENED. THIS SLIDE WAS PRESENTED LAST MONTH AS WELL RELATING TO THE CAPEX PROJECT. UM, THERE'S BEEN ESSENTIALLY BEEN A NUMBER OF MEETINGS WITH, WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS AROUND THESE NE NEEDS FOR PARKLAND AND FOR, FOR EASEMENTS TO ACCOMMODATE AUSTIN WATER UTILITIES FOR, FOR THE CAPEX PROJECT. SO THERE'S BEEN A RANGE OF MEETINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED STARTING FROM 2025 AND MORE RECENTLY ON IN 2026 FOR THIS PARTICULAR, UM, DECLARATION OF USE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. IN TERMS OF STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, UM, ALSO AWARE OF TECH DOT HAVE ENGAGED WITH STAKEHOLDERS IN AND AROUND THE E AVENUE AREA. AND I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT, ABOUT THE PARTICULAR DECLARATION OF USE IN A MOMENT. BUT THERE'S BEEN, UH, MEETINGS IN THEN EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE AND CALLS WITH THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY, TOWERS OF TOWN, LAKE EAST, CAESAR CHA, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, HOLLY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, HOLIDAY INN, AND NEARBY PROPERTIES. UH, THERE'S ALSO SOME ONGOING ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION HAPPENING, UH, FOR WORK OUTSIDE OF THE STATE'S RIGHT OF WAY. UM, IT'S BEEN CONFIRMED WITH TPWD TO ENSURE THAT THE PROJECT MET SECTION SIX F REQUIREMENTS AND THIS NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACT, SECTION 1 0 6 EVALUATION ONGOING. AUSTIN WATER, UH, ARE LEADING. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. OKAY. SO TO GIVE YOU THE SPECIFICS HERE, SO WHAT, WHAT'S BEING REQUESTED IS, UM, THREE SEPARATE DECORATIONS OF USE. ONE IS A PERMANENT WASTEWATER LINE TO BE LOCATED IN WALLER BEACH AT TOWN LAKE METRO PARK NEAR EAST AVENUE. UH, THAT'S FIVE 5,980 SQUARE FEET. THERE'S THEN A SUBTERRANEAN WASTEWATER DECORATION OF USE, WHICH IS CLOSE TO 1500 SQUARE FEET, AND ALSO A TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION, UH, DECORATION OF USE CLOSE TO 3,600 SQUARE FEET. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THE REASONS FOR THESE DECORATIONS OF USE IS TO INSTALL A 15 INCH WASTEWATER LINE THAT PICKS UP FLOW FROM A NUMBER OF PROPERTIES, UH, IN, IN THIS PART CLOSE TO IH 35. AND IT TAKES IT THROUGH PARKLAND TO EAST AVENUE TO CONNECT INTO A, A REALIGNED WASTEWATER NETWORK THAT I'LL TALK THROUGH SHORTLY. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO THIS JUST HIGHLIGHTS THE THREE DECLARATION OF USE AREAS. UM, THE RED THERE SHOWS THE SUBTERRANEAN EASEMENT. THE REASON FOR THAT IS WHAT WE WANT TO PROTECT THE TREES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THAT PARK. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE TUNNELING UNDERNEATH THE TREES TO PROTECT THEM AND AVOID ANY, ANY DAMAGE OR REMOVAL [02:35:01] OF THEM. UH, THE GREEN AREA IS FOR THE WASTEWATER LINE. IT'S THE PERMANENT DECORATION OF USE, AND THE YELLOW IS THE TEMPORARY DECORATION OF USE, WHICH WE'VE KEPT AS SMALL AND AS NARROW AS POSSIBLE. UM, THE MAJORITY OF THE WORK IS AN OPEN SPACE WITH MINIMAL RECREATIONAL IMPACT IN THIS PARK. UM, AND THEN SOME WORK IS REQUIRED IN THIS PARK. REGARDLESS OF THE OPTIONS WE LOOKED AT, WHICH I'LL TALK THROUGH SHORTLY, UM, IT AVOIDS IMPACTS ON ACCESS AND USE OF ROAD PROPERTIES AS WELL WITH THIS OPTION. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. UH, SO THE WORK IN PARKLAND, SO WE NEED TO INSTALL A SHALLOW 12 TO 15 INCH DIAMETER WASTEWATER LINE TO REDIRECT WASTEWATER FLOWS FROM EXISTING PROPERTIES, UH, AROUND THE PARK, UH, THAT THERE'LL BE OPEN TRENCH THROUGH THE GRASS AREAS AND THEN TRENCHES BELOW THE TREES. AS I MENTIONED, UM, THE ONLY VISIBLE FEATURES WILL BE TWO MAN NEW MANHOLES, BUT ONLY THE LIDS WILL BE VISIBLE WITHIN THE PARK PROPERTY AND THE LIDS WILL BE LEFT FLUSH WITH THE FINISHED GROUND SURFACE. UM, THE GRASS AREA WILL BE RESTORED TO EQUAL OR BETTER CONDITION AT THE END OF THE WORK. NEXT SLIDE. JUST GONNA TALK THROUGH BRIEFLY THE ALTERNATIVES THAT WE LOOKED AT. NEXT SLIDE. UM, SO THE TOP IMAGE THERE JUST SHOWS THE EXISTING 48 INCH WASTEWATER LINE. THE PICK UP FLOWS FROM THE TOWERS OF TOWN LAKE PROPERTY, THE HOLIDAY INN, AND THE TOWN LAKE LOFTS, WHICH, WHICH SURROUND IT, THAT EXISTING 48 INCH LINE HAS TO BE ABANDONED DUE TO THE UPGRADES HAPPENING TO IH 35. SO THE WASTEWATER FLOWS CAN NO LONGER TRAVEL UNDER IH 35. SO WE NEED TO PICK UP THOSE YELLOW DOTS ON THE BOTTOM IMAGE AND TAKE THEIR WASTEWATER FLOWS TO THE NEW NETWORK, WHICH IS SHOWN BY THAT YELLOW LINE ON THE TOP LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE BOTTOM. I IMAGE THERE. THAT'S A NEW TUNNEL THAT'S BEING PUT IN TO TAKE WASTEWATER FLOWS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. UM, SO THE FIRST OPTIONS WE LOOKED AT WERE TO AVOID, UH, PARKLAND USE ALTOGETHER. UM, SO THE, THE RED LINES SHOWN HERE, PICKING UP THE, THE VARIOUS YELLOW DOTS, WHICH IS THE WASTEWATER SERVICES. UM, WE LOOKED AT WHETHER WE COULD ROUTE THEM THROUGH THE TOWERS OF TOWN LAKE PROPERTY, UM, AND ALSO SORT OF AROUND UP SAN MARCO STREET. AND THEN THROUGH THE PROPERTY TO THE NORTH. THESE OPTIONS WEREN'T TAKEN FORWARD 'CAUSE THEY WOULD CAUSE DISRUPTION TO PROPERTY USE TO PARKING TO ACCESS. THEY ALSO MAKE, UH, MAINTENANCE ACCESS CHALLENGING FOR AUSTIN WATER 'CAUSE THEY WOULD NEED TO ACCESS PRIVATE PROPERTY, POTENTIALLY MOVE VEHICLES AND THERE'D BE A NUMBER OF MANHOLES FOR THEM TO, TO ACCESS ON PRIVATE LAND. UM, AND THEN ALSO THERE'S A LOT OF UNKNOWN UNDERGROUND CONDITIONS WITHIN THAT PRIVATE PROPERTY. THERE COULD BE LOTS OF CONFLICTS THAT, THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO ASSESS. UM, THE PINK IMAGE AT THE BOTTOM THERE IS A EXISTING PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT, WHICH I'LL TALK THROUGH NOW ON THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO THAT EXISTING PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT RESUMED IN HERE IS CONGESTED WITH EXISTING GAS COMMS FIBER, UH, ELECTRIC. AND THERE IS THE EXISTING 48 INCH WASTEWATER LINE, BUT THE TOWERS, UM, OF TOWN LAKE PROPERTY HAS BEEN BUILT VERY CLOSE TO THAT LINE. SO WE CAN NO LONGER USE THAT AS, AS A, AS A ROUTE FOR A WASTEWATER LINE. SO WE NEED TO PICK UP THE TOWER OF TOWN LAKE'S WASTEWATER SERVICE AND TAKE IT OUT INTO THE NEXT AVAILABLE SPACE, WHICH IS THE EDGE OF THE CITY PARKLAND SHOWN AT THE BOTTOM. UH, WE CAN'T REPURPOSE THAT FOR A INCH LINE BECAUSE OF ITS, ITS ITS AGE AND, AND IT'S IN CONFLICT WITH THE IH 35 UPGRADES. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. UM, WE ALSO LOOKED AT AN OPTION WHICH WOULD REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF PARKLAND WE USE WITH, WITH ONLY DIRECTING THE TOWERS OF TOWN LAKE WASTEWATER LINE THROUGH THE PARKLAND AND THEN TAKING IT NORTH, UH, UP ONTO THE FRONTAGE ROAD. BUT THE REASON WE COULDN'T TAKE THAT FORWARD IS THAT THERE'S, THERE'S NEW WATER LINES GOING IN THERE AS WELL, AND WE CAN'T FIND ENOUGH SPACE, UH, TO MEET TCQ REQUIREMENTS FOR A SEPARATION BETWEEN WATER AND WASTEWATER SO THAT THAT ROUTE WAS UNVIABLE TO TAKE FORWARD AND IT WOULD STILL NEED THE SMALL SECTION OF, OF WASTEWATER PIPE WITHIN PARKLAND. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. ALTERNATIVE TWO, UH, WAS SIMILAR TO WHAT I SHOWED EARLIER. UH, INVOLVES A LITTLE BIT OF WORK WITHIN PARKLAND AND, UH, LITTLE BITS THROUGH THE TOWERS OF TOWN LAKE, UH, PARKING LOT. UH, SO IT STILL REQUIRES SOME USE OF PARKLAND AND THE ROUTES UNVIABLE 'CAUSE IT WOULD'VE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT. THAT'S THE MAIN ACCESS ROUTE TO THE TOWERS OF TOWN LAKE PARKING LOT. SO WE WOULD NEED TO, TO DIG UP AND, UM, BLOCK THEIR ACCESS FOR, FOR A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME. SO THAT WASN'T TAKEN FORWARD. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. AND ALTERNATIVE THREE WAS TO AGAIN, PICK UP THAT WASTEWATER FLOW FROM THE TOWERS OF TOWN LAKE AND THEY ROTATE IT AROUND. IT HAS TO GO THROUGH THE PARK UNDER THE TREES AND THEN IT WOULD GO TO THE SOUTH IN PRIVATE PROPERTY ONTO EAST AVENUE AND THEN BACK UP. UH, SO THIS IS QUITE A, A LONG LENGTH OF WASTEWATER LINE, WHICH ADDS MAINTENANCE ISSUES FOR AUSTIN WATER IN TERMS OF THE, THE FLOW DIRECTION CHANGES AND THE NUMBER OF MANHOLES THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO MAINTAIN ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. SO IT STILL [02:40:01] NEEDS TO PARK, UM, USE THERE AS WELL. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. OKAY. I'LL JUST PROVIDE A SUMMARY. UH, UM, SO JUST CONFIRMING, UM, THAT THERE'S NO FEASIBLE IMP PRUDENT ALTERNATIVE TO THE USE OR TAKING OF SUCH LAND. SO WHAT I'VE JUST DEMONSTRATED THERE IS THE WORK WE'VE DONE TO ASSESS WHETHER THAT WAS POSSIBLE AND WE'VE CONFIRMED THAT. AND THEN THE PROGRAM OR PROJECT INCLUDES ALL REASONABLE PLANNING TO MINIMIZE HARM TO THE LAND, UH, AS A PARK RECREATION AREA, ENT AREA, WILDLIFE REFUGE OR HISTORIC SITE RESULTING FROM THE USE OR TAKING. UM, SO WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING WITH, WITH OUR TO, TO REDUCE THOSE IMPACTS AND, UH, CONFIRM THAT. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO JUST A SUMMARY THERE. SO THE PERMANENT USE, WHICH IS THE COMBINATION OF THE, THE WASTEWATER PERMANENT AND THE SUBTERRANEAN IS 7,475 SQUARE FEET. THE TEMPORARY IS FIVE, UH, 3,590 FEET FOR, FOR TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION. AND THAT TEMPORARY AND THE CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES ARE NOT TO EXCEED, UH, 156 CALENDAR DAYS. SO IT'S APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS. UH, AND THE TOTAL MEDICATION BEING PAID FOR THIS IS JUST OVER A MILLION DOLLARS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. UH, SO DURING CONSTRUCTION THERE'LL BE COORDINATION WITH AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION REGARDING PARK EVENTS AND, AND TRAFFIC CONTROL. AND THEN THERE'LL BE TREE PROTECTION TO FULLY, UH, FOLLOW THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA MANUAL AND THERE'LL BE COORDINATION, UH, WITH AUSTIN PARKS REC FOR THE HERITAGE TREES AND PROTECTING THAT AS WE, AS WE GO UNDERNEATH THOSE TREES. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. UM, SO MAY, 2030 IS WHEN CONSTRUCTION'S EXPECTED TO START WITH IT COMPLETED BY THE END OF OCTOBER. WE EXPECT IT TO TAKE LESS TIME THAN THAT, BUT WE'VE ALLOWED A BIT OF BUFFER FOR, UH, ANY CONTINGENCY THAT'S REQUIRED OR ISSUES WE FACE WITH CONSTRUCTION. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. AND THAT'S THE PROJECT TEAM. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, QUESTIONS BOARD MEMBERS, BOARD MEMBER ABU OMAR? YEAH, I HAVE, UH, ONE QUESTION. IT'S MORE OF A GENERAL QUESTION TO THESE, UH, TYPES OF REQUESTS BECAUSE I KNOW THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, UH, WE GET DIFFERENT PRESENTATIONS OF THIS SORT AND, UM, I I THINK VOTING ON EACH ONE SEPARATELY MAKES SENSE. IF THIS IS, AS THE PROJECT IS GOING AND THE DEVELOPMENT IS HAPPENING AND THE NEED ARISES AND THEN YOU GUYS DO THE STUDIES AND COME TO US, UM, I, I GUESS, UM, MY QUESTION IS, IS THIS, IS THE, IS THIS THE SCENARIO, IS THIS BASICALLY WE'RE GETTING THESE PROPOSALS AS, AS THE WORK IS ONGOING? UM, OR DO WE KNOW OF OTHER PROPOSALS THAT ARE GOING TO BE COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE? UM, IT'S MORE OF A GENERAL QUESTION, REALLY NOT PERTAINING TO THIS ONE SPECIFICALLY. HEY, BOARD MEMBER. UH, I THINK I'LL, UH, ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THIS ONE AND JUST SAY THAT WE BRING CHAPTER 26 ITEMS TO THE PARKS BOARD WHEN THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY TO CITY COUNCIL. SO WE PRESENT THEM SORT OF AT THE LAST POSSIBLE PARKS BOARD MEETING BEFORE CITY COUNCIL HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER THEM. SO YOU CAN LIKELY EXPECT MORE ALSO. YEAH, MY, MY CONCERN IS THAT DO, UM, BECAUSE WE, WE DON'T KNOW THE RISK THAT WE ARE TAKING BY VOTING ON THEM SEPARATELY AND HOW THEY ARE GOING TO AFFECT, UM, THE PROPERTY THAT'S, UH, IN CONTROL OF PARKS OR, UM, I MEAN YOU MIGHT, YOU MIGHT IMAGINE WHAT DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT, THAT, THAT MIGHT ENTAIL. BUT, BUT I MEAN THAT, THAT'S THE THING THAT POPPED TO MY HEAD AND I THOUGHT TO ASK. I MEAN, YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTIONS. UH, THANK YOU BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN. YEAH, JUST A QUICK QUESTION FOR ME, FOR THE WASTEWATER LINE THAT'S GOING THROUGH THE PARKLAND AREA, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT THE MANHOLE COVERS WOULD BE MORE OR LESS FLUSH WITH THE GROUND. I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THERE WERE ANY VENTS ABOVE GROUND OR IF THE MANHOLE COVERS WERE GASKETED TO HELP REDUCE ODORS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. FOR THE NEW LINE GOING IN, KEVIN KOHLER WITH AUSTIN WATERS, SO THE MANHOLES WILL BE BOLTED AND GASKETED AND THERE WILL NOT BE ANY EVENTS. NICE. THANK YOU. OKAY. BOARD MEMBER EUBANK, UM, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, UM, I GUESS FOR TIM, I'M BACK. UM, THE, UH, CAN WE JUST, UM, MAKE SURE ON THESE MINUTES ARE OUR AGENDA THAT THIS CHAPTER 26 IS ATTACHED TO MITIGATION PAYMENT? SO WE, RIGHT NOW IT JUST SAYS MITIGATION PAYMENT [02:45:01] AND I BELIEVE THIS IS CHAPTER 26, CORRECT? YEAH. IF WE COULD JUST DENOTE THAT AS BEING CHAPTER 26. AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS, WE'RE YOU'RE ASKING FOR THIS APPROVAL AND YET THE 1 0 6, UH, SECTION 1 0 6 IS NOT COMPLETED, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. IT'S ONGOING AND WE ANTICIPATE COMPLETING BY THE END OF THE YEAR, I PRELIMINARY IN INDICATIONS ARE THAT THERE ARE NO HISTORICAL, UM, ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS CHAPTER 26 WITH THE 1 0 6. YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY, OTHER QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS, ANYTHING FROM OUR FOLKS ONLINE? OKAY. ALRIGHT, WITH THAT I CAN ENTERTAIN A MOTION. I'LL MOVE. OH, YOU'LL STILL MOVE? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. OKAY. UM, I'LL SECOND. ALL RIGHT. AND WE'VE GOT A, A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FROM, UH, VICE CHAIR BECKER AND A SECOND FROM BOARD MEMBER TAYLOR, ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, BOARD MEMBERS? IS, UM, MR. EUBANKS THE 1 0 6, IS THAT THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE AREA OR, I'M JUST TRYING TO CLARIFY THAT FROM YOU. THEY'RE DIFFERENT. UH, CHAPTER 26 IS REALLY WHAT TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE IS INVOLVED IN AND INVOLVES LAYING A WATER CONSERVATION FUND. AND IT HAS TO DO WITH PARKLAND 1 0 6 IS A MUCH LARGER, BROADER FEDERAL REGULATION THAT DEALS WITH, UH, THE HISTORICAL RESOURCES. UM, SO, AND IT'S STILL ONGOING. DID I GET THAT RIGHT? ? CORRECT. , OKAY. UH, AND, AND IN ANSWER TO WHAT YOU HAD SAID, AND THIS IS MY COMMENT, I'M GONNA VOTE NO, UH, AND I WILL ALWAYS VOTE NO ON THESE AS LONG AS THIS PROCESS IS BEING DONE AND IN ADVANCE OF THE COMPLETION OF 1 0 6. UH, I THINK I, I'M NOT VOTING ON THE MERITS, I'M VOTING ON THE PROCESS. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER. UM, ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY, WE'VE GOT A MOTION ON THE FLOOR AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. ALL THOSE OPPOSED ONE? NO. ABSTENTIONS. THE MOTION PASSES. EIGHT ONE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK Y'ALL. ALRIGHT, WE'LL MOVE RIGHT ALONG [5. Presentation, discussion and approve a recommendation for City Council to approve the Operations and Maintenance Phase Plan for Pease District Park. (Sponsors: Bazan, Becker) Presenter(s): Christine Chute-Canul, PARKnership Program Manager, Austin Parks and Recreation and Nicole Netherton, CEO, Pease Park Conservancy. ] TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE, WHICH IS A PRESENTATION DISCUSSION AND APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE PHASE PLAN FOR PEACE DISTRICT PARK. UM, DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS ON THIS ONE, MR. DOPA? YES. CHAIR. I BELIEVE WE HAVE FIVE. OKAY. UH, WE'LL BEGIN WITH BAILEY HARRINGTON AND THEN CHUCK SMITH FOLLOWED BY, OH, ACTUALLY, UH, ONE MOMENT. UH, WE'LL ACTUALLY BEGIN WITH, UH, DIANA PROCTOR, WHO IS DIALED INTO OUR MEETING. UH, DIANA, CAN YOU HEAR US? DIANA, CAN YOU HEAR US? GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS DIANA PROCTOR. I DO NOT OPPOSE PEACE PARK CONSERVANCIES TAKING ON MORE OF THE PARK, BUT THE DRAFT PEACE PARK PHASE PLAN WAS SUBMITTED TO A PR IN 2023. IT COULD WAIT A FEW MORE MONTHS IF YOU NEED TIME TO RECOMMEND IMPROVEMENTS. IN 2024, THE CITY REVIEWED THE DRAFT VERSION AND ASKED FOR DETAILED FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR THE PHASE PLAN EXPANSION. TWO YEARS LATER, YOU ARE SEEING A BUDGET FOR YEAR ONE ONLY, AND THE CONSERVANCY'S FIVE YEAR REVENUE PLANNING HAPPENS NEXT YEAR AFTER YOU VOTE. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS BOARD IS NOT ANNUALLY GIVEN THE PARK PARTNER DOCUMENTS WHAT I AM CALLING THE PRIMARY SOURCES. TONIGHT. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PPC, BUT THERE ARE OTHER POMA PARK PARTNERS. THE PARTNERSHIP PRESENTATIONS YOU SEE FROM THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION OR THE ANNUAL PARTNERSHIP REPORT DO NOT SHOW YOU THE GAPS IN PARK PARTNER PERFORMANCE ONLY DATA AND PRIMARY SOURCES. THE ACTUAL REPORTS FROM PARTNERS AND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEES CAN DO THAT. I HAVE A LIBRARY OF PRIMARY SOURCE DOCUMENTS, JUST ONE FOR EXAMPLE, A PROGRAMMING PLAN EVENT ENCLOSURE. OVERVIEW SHOWS YOU EVENT DATES AND SIZES, WHICH WOULD GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHETHER A PARK IS BEING OVERUSED, YOU DON'T SEE IT. OPERATIONS PLANS, IMPLEMENTATION PLANS, PROGRAMMING PLANS, IMPACT REPORTS, [02:50:01] AND POMA COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES. YOU COULD RECOMMEND THAT THEY BE PRESENTED HERE AT THE PARKS BOARD. COMMERCIALLY EARNED REVENUE ON PARKLAND IS IMPORTANT. THE PARTNERS TO MINIMIZE OPERATING EXPENSES AND MAXIMIZE GROSS REVENUE AND THAT REVENUE WILL BE DEPOSITED IN THE PARK PARK OPERATIONS FUND. I HAVE FOUND NO REPORT OF AN OPERATIONS FUND. THE DEPARTMENT SAYS IRS NINE 90 AND AUDITS PROVIDE FINANCIAL FISCAL TRANSPARENCY, BUT NO LINE IN THE NINE 90 OR THE AUDIT SHOWS A PARK OPERATIONS FUND AND NOTHING SHOWS THE RESERVE FUNDS REQUIRE TARGET OR PROGRESS TOWARD IT. SO I ASKED YOU TO APPROVE THE PHASE PLAN, BUT WITH CONDITIONS FOR IMPROVED TRANSPARENCY, YOU MAY NEED TO POSTPONE UNTIL YOU CAN DRAFT A RECOMMENDATION REQUIRING ALL PMA PARTNERS TO PROVIDE THE PARKS BOARD WITH ALL PARK PARTNER ANNUAL PLANS, IMPACT REPORTS AND PA QUARTERLY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, AND THAT THE OPERATIONS FUND AND RESERVE FUND WITH ACCOUNT TRANSACTION NUMBERS BE REPORTED TO YOU DURING BUDGET REVIEW SEASON. I HAVE SENT AN EMAIL WITH MORE DETAILS. I HOPE YOU WILL POSTPONE TO BE MORE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REQUEST PARTNER TRANSPARENCY. TRANSPARENCY. THANK YOU. AND GOODNIGHT. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE BAILEY HARRINGTON. IS BAILEY HERE. AFTER BAILEY WILL BE CHUCK SMITH. AND THEN MARK, MAY YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. GOOD EVENING, CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS BAILEY HARRINGTON, CHAIR-ELECT OF THE PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AN AUSTIN RESIDENT, A VETERAN, AND A FREQUENT USER OF PEACE PARK. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO ASK YOU TO RECOMMEND THE PROPOSED PHASE PLAN BEFORE YOU FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL. KINGSBURY COMMONS PROVED WHAT IS POSSIBLE WHEN THE CITY, A COMMITTED NONPROFIT AND AN ENGAGED COMMUNITY WORK IS ONE. AND NOW THE CONSERVANCY IS READY TO EXTEND THAT PARTNERSHIP TO ALL 84 ACRES OF PEA PARK. THE CONSERVANCY KNOWS WHAT THIS REQUEST REQUIRES OF US. THE EXPANDED OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE POMA WILL BRING NEW DEMANDS CONSISTING OF CONSTANT CARE, SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE, AND LONG-TERM INVESTMENT. WE WILL NOT TAKE ON NEW RESPONSIBILITIES SIMPLY TO HOPE THAT THE RESOURCES WILL FOLLOW. THE CONSERVANCY WILL GROW DELIBERATELY BUILDING ON THE LESSONS OF KINGSBURY COMMONS WHILE MAINTAINING OR INCREASING SERVICES FOR PARK VISITORS. IN CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, GROWING RESPONSIBILITY MEANS FOUR THINGS FOR THE CONSERVANCY. ONE, A REALISTIC FINANCIAL MODEL FOR EXPANDED OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE. TWO, A BALANCED FUNDRAISING STRATEGY ACROSS INDIVIDUALS, FOUNDATIONS, CORPORATE PARTNERS IN THE BROADER AUSTIN COMMUNITY. THREE IN INVESTMENT IN STAFF AND SYSTEMS FOR A LARGER OPERATIONAL DEMAND AND FOR CLEAR MEASURES OF SUCCESS. SO THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY CAN TRANSPARENTLY SEE EXACTLY WHAT THEIR INVESTMENT DELIVERS. WORKING ALONGSIDE THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, WE SEE THE PHASE PLAN AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD CAPACITY ACROSS THE WHOLE PARK, INCLUDING MORE HANDS, MORE RESOURCES, AND MORE PROGRAMMING SO THAT EVERY VISITOR FROM ALL PARTS OF AUSTIN AND BEYOND FEELS THE BENEFIT OF OUR SHARED STEWARDSHIP. THIS WORK IS ALREADY BEGINNING AND IN JANUARY WE PLAN TO LAUNCH A FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN BUILT AROUND THIS EXPANSION AND THE REVENUE TO SUSTAIN IT. OUR AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY ANTICIPATED THIS MOMENT THE DAY THAT THE CONSERVANCY WOULD BE READY TO EXTEND ITS WORK ACROSS THE ENTIRETY OF THE PARK AND THAT DAY HAS COME. PEACE PARK IS ONE OF AUSTIN'S MOST TREASURED PUBLIC ASSETS. ITS FUTURE DEPENDS ON BOTH AMBITIOUS VISION AND RESPONSIBLE EXECUTION. THE CONSERVANCY COMMITS TO BOTH AND TO BEING ACCOUNTABLE FOR EVERY RESPONSIBILITY, WHICH COMES WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE FACE PLAN. I BRING MY TWO YOUNG DAUGHTERS TO PEACE PARK ON A VERY REGULAR BASIS, AND I WANT THEM AND EVERY AUSTIN FAMILY TO ENJOY IT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME AS A GREEN OASIS IN THE HEART OF THE GROWING CITY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY AND FOR YOUR CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP FOR CARING FOR AUSTIN'S FIRST PARK. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE CHUCK SMITH, FOLLOWED BY MARK MAY. AND THEN CHRIS FLORES. GOOD EVENING, UH, CHAIR, BZA AND PARKS BOARD MEMBERS. MY NAME IS CHUCK SMITH, DISTRICT 10 RESIDENT, AND I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TONIGHT IN SUPPORT OF THE PEACE PARK OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE PHASE PLAN. I RETIRED LAST YEAR AS THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY FROM 2019 TO 2021. I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF HELPING MANAGE THE RENOVATION OF KINGSBURY COMMONS FROM 2019 TO 2023. I WORKED FOR FOR TOWARD THE EXECUTION OF THE PARK OPERATIONS AND [02:55:01] MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT OR POMA BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE CONSERVANCY. AND THROUGH MARCH OF 2025, WORKED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY FOR THE ONGOING OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE, AND PROGRAMMING AT KINGSBURY COMMONS. KINGSBURY COMMONS WAS A TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECT FOR PEACE PARK AND THE COMMUNITIES IT SERVES. THE $10 MILLION RENOVATION COMPLETED IN 2021 TRANSFORMED THE PARK SOUTHERN GATEWAY INTO A VIBRANT, WELCOMING DESTINATION FOR AUSTINITES OF ALL AGES. WE UNDERSTOOD FROM THE BEGINNING THAT THE RENOVATION WAS ONLY PART OF THE WORK WE HAD TO DO. COMMITTING THAT PEACE PARK WOULD BE STEWARDED AND PROGRAMMED TO A STANDARD WORTHY OF THE COMMUNITY'S INVESTMENT WAS OUR TOP PRIORITY. SINCE COMPLETION OF THE KINGSBURY COMMONS RENOVATION, THE CONSERVANCY HAS TAKEN ON PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE, AND PROGRAMMING IN KINGSBURY COMMONS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE POMA. THIS PHASE PLAN IS THE NEXT STEP OF THE VISION THAT THE CONSERVANCY AND THE CITY HAVE FOR PEA PARK. THE RESULTS AT PEASE DEMONSTRATE THE VALUE OF THIS PARTNERSHIP. THE DEDICATED OPERATIONS TEAM AT PPC KEEPS FACILITIES CLEAN, SAFE, AND WELCOMING. COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING, VOLUNTEERS AND CONSERVATION PROJECTS BRING PEOPLE INTO THE PARK AND DEEPEN THEIR CONNECTION TO NATURE AND EACH OTHER. NOW IS THE TIME TO EXPAND FROM KINGSBURY COMMONS TO THE BALANCE OF THE 75 ACRES IN PEAS PARK. AND THE SUCCESS OF THE WORK IN KINGSBURY COMMONS GIVES US A WORKING MODEL OF HOW A PARK PARTNER CAN HELP DELIVER A CONSISTENCY HIGH STANDARD OF CARE FOR A DISTRICT PARK. THAT'S WHY THE PHASE PLAN IS SO IMPORTANT. WE BEGAN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS PHASE PLAN, PHASE PLAN WHILE I WAS STILL ON STAFF AT PPC. AND THE TEAM HAS WORKED IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY TO COME UP WITH A PLAN THAT SERVES BOTH THE PARK AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE IT. MORE THAN TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING, IT'S NOW READY FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION. A PHASED EXPANSION OF THE CONSERVANCY'S OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE RESPONSIBILITIES OFFERS A THOUGHTFUL PATH TOWARD EXTENDING THE HIGHER LEVEL OF CARE THROUGHOUT THE PARK. THIS PHASE PLAN ALLOWS RESPONSIBILITIES, STAFFING, AND RESOURCES TO SCALE SUSTAINABLY AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH. THE PHASE PLAN BUILDS ON THE SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN PPC AND THE CITY AND CREATES A SUSTAINABLE MODEL FOR LONG-TERM STEWARDSHIP. KINGSBURY COMMONS HAS DEMONSTRATED WHAT THIS PARTNERSHIP CAN ACCOMPLISH. THIS PLAN IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD ON THAT SUCCESS AND EXTEND ITS BALANCE, ITS BENEFITS TO THE BALANCE OF PEACE DISTRICT PARK. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO RECOMMEND THIS PHASE PLAN BE APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE MARK MAY, FOLLOWED BY CHRIS FLORES. ALL RIGHT. HI, UH, THIS IS MARK MAY. UM, I LIVE IN D FIVE. YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU GUYS KNOW ME AS THE PERSON THAT ALWAYS COMES UP AND TALKS ABOUT THE NON, UH, PROFITS AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO ACTUALLY IMPROVE IT. SO I GUESS I HAVE TO SAY THE LAST TWO FOLKS THAT TALKED HERE MAKE ME, MAKE ME ACTUALLY OPTIMISTIC THAT THERE IS A NONPROFIT IN TOWN THAT KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE DOING. UM, MY COMMENTS SHOULDN'T, SHOULDN'T REALLY BE A DIRECTED TOWARD THEM, BUT I THINK IN GENERAL, THIS IS LIKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A POEM DONE. RIGHT? AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE DONE RIGHT IS WE NEED TO BE SHOWN ALL OF ALL OF THE FINANCIALS ON LIKE AN ANNUAL BASIS AND WHY ANY, UH, ANY A PARTNERSHIP IS GOOD FOR, UH, THE CITY. THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S GOOD FOR THE NONPROFIT TO GET OUT THERE AND SHOW THEIR DONORS WHY THEY'RE DOING GOOD WORK. IT'S GOOD FOR THE TAXPAYERS TO SEE THAT THESE, UH, PARTNERSHIPS ARE ACTUALLY, UH, FRUITFUL. SO WHILE, WHILE I DO THINK YOU SHOULD APPROVE THIS, UH, POMA, I DO THINK YOU SHOULD, YOU SHOULD MAKE IT A A STANDARD PRACTICE. THERE'S AN ANNUAL, A REPORT IN FRONT OF THIS BOARD THAT GOES THROUGH THE FINANCIALS AND SHOWS WHAT THE CITY GETS OUT OF ALL OF A NONPROFIT, UH, UH, RELATIONSHIPS. UM, YOU KNOW, I HOPE THESE GUYS DON'T LET ME DOWN, BUT I'M ACTUALLY OPTIMISTIC FROM WHAT I HEARD AND WHAT I SAW ON THEIR IRS UH, FILING. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE CHRIS FLORES. HELLO EVERYBODY. CHRIS FLORES AGAIN. UM, I VISIT PEACE, UH, PARK A LOT. UM, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT PEAS PARK IS TRULY A LOVELY PLACE UNDER THE CONSERVANCY STEWARDSHIP. I ASK THAT YOU POSTPONE APPROVAL OF, UH, THE EXPANSION UNTIL A FULL AUDIT CAN BE DONE. UM, I'M ECHOING THE [03:00:01] SENTIMENTS OF THE LAST TWO SPEAKERS, BUT IN MY WORDS, UM, THE TAXPAYERS DESERVE TO KNOW IF THIS CONTRACT IS A FISCAL GOOD DEAL, COULD THE PARK HAVE BEEN MANAGED AS WELL? AND WOULD IT BE AS LOVELY IF IT WERE INSOURCED AND STEWARDED BY PARKS DEPARTMENT STAFF? I, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT I HAVE A SUSPICION THAT YES, UM, PARK STAFF COULD HAVE MADE IT JUST AS LOVELY. WE CAN'T KNOW THAT THOUGH, UNLESS WE SEE THE NITTY GRITTY FINANCES. I'LL GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLE QUESTIONS THAT I'M CURIOUS ABOUT. I WENT TO THE WEBSITE AND I WENT TO SEE HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO RENT THESE, UH, FEATURES THAT THE CONSERVANCY HAS INSTALLED. THE CONSERVANCY'S ASSETS LIKE THE TREE HOUSE, UH, THERE'S A SPLASH PAD, HAS SOME, UH, MAINTENANCE TROUBLES. SO IT'S NOT AVAILABLE, UH, AS FREQUENTLY AS IT WOULD LIKE. THEY WOULD LIKE IT TO BE. UM, WHAT DO THESE THINGS COST TO INSTALL? UM, WHAT WAS THE COST TO UPKEEP THEM? IS THE CONSERVANCY IN THE BLACK ON THESE THINGS AT A A $1,000 AN HOUR RENTAL PER HOUR FEE FOR THE TREE HOUSE? HAS IT PAID FOR ITSELF YET? THESE ARE THINGS WE'D LIKE TO KNOW, AND I'M SURE OTHER NONPROFITS WHO WORK IN PARKS WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE SAME THINGS. UM, IT SHOULD BE IN AN ANNUAL REPORT. UM, WHAT ABOUT THE TROLL? THE TROLL WAS A RENTED ART, UH, INSTALLATION AND IT BURNED TRAGICALLY THERE WAS AN INSURANCE SETTLEMENT. WHAT WERE THE LESSONS LEARNED? I READ SOME ARTICLES THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD SOME COMMENTS TO MAKE ABOUT WHERE TO LOCATE, UH, FLAMMABLE ART INSTALLATIONS IN THE FUTURE. THERE SHOULD BE A PAGE FOR THE LESSONS LEARNED OF THE TROLL. UM, THESE LESSONS, UH, CAN BE APPLIED TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND THE NONPROFITS AND THE CITIZENRY. WE, WE JUST WANNA KNOW, UM, AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH NOT INCLU, I MEAN WITH INCLUDING IT. UM, WHILE I'M ON THE TOPIC, I'M GONNA SUGGEST A COUPLE OF CHANGES, UH, THAT YOU COULD ADD AS A CONDITION OF YOUR APPROVAL. ONE WOULD BE THAT THE PICNIC TABLES BUILT IN 1930 WITH FEDERAL DOLLARS DURING THE DEPRESSION ERA NOT BE RENTED FOR MORAL REASONS. THEY WERE NOT INSTALLED BY THE CONSERVANCY AND THEY WERE MEANT TO BE FREE. UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE IN THE PLAN HOW HERITAGE TREES WILL BE WATERED EITHER BY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT OR THE CONSERVANCY TO AVOID FURTHER HEAT, STRESS AND FREEZE TREE DEATHS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE PRESENT THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD ON THIS ITEM? THAT IS THE END OF PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM CHAIR. IF THE BOARD DOESN'T OBJECT, STAFF AND PARTNERS ARE PREPARED TO DO AN ABBREVIATED VERSION OF THIS PRESENTATION SOMEWHERE IN THE AREA OF FIVE TO EIGHT MINUTES. OKAY. WE'LL TAKE THAT PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. CAN YOU HEAR ME? GREAT. HI, UM, I'M CHRISTINE CHU KUL AND I AM THE PARTNERSHIP MANAGER AT THE AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. AND I HAVE WITH ME NICOLE NETHERTON FROM PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY. WE DON'T HAVE TO SHARE MINE . UM, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY. UM, I'LL START WITH AN OVERVIEW TODAY OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY, THE POMA AGREEMENT AND THE SUCCESSES OF THE PARTNERSHIP TO DATE. THEN WALK THROUGH THE DETAILS OF THE NEXT PHASE. THE BACKUP MATERIALS THAT YOU HAVE INCLUDE A TWO PAGE SUMMARY OF KEY HIGHLIGHTS AND THE DETAILED OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE PLAN FOR THE, THE ADDITIONAL PARKLAND WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY. SO QUICKLY, I'LL GO THROUGH THIS. UM, THIS IS JUST TO HIGHLIGHT THE LONG PARTNERSHIP THE DEPARTMENT HAS HAD WITH PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY OVER THE PAST 18 YEARS. IT HIGHLIGHTS THE EVOLUTION OF THE PARTNERSHIP, UM, INCLUDING THE CONSERVANCY'S GROWTH IN ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY AND THE ABILITY TO ASSUME GREATER RESPONSIBILITIES WITHIN THE PARK. OVER TIME, THE INITIAL PARKLAND IMPROVEMENT AGREEMENT COVERED THE, THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF KINGSBURY PARK IMPROVEMENT, AND THEN WAS REPLACED BY THE COMPREHENSIVE PARKS OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT IN 2023. UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE EVOLUTION LED TO THAT EX EXECUTION OF THAT CURRENT PARK OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY. NEXT SLIDE. UH, THE PMA FOR FORMALIZED SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES BETWEEN THE CITY AND PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY FOR OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE AND PROGRAMMING ACROSS APPROXIMATELY 75 ACRES OF PEACE DISTRICT PARK WITH THE INITIAL PHASE [03:05:01] CONCENTRATION AT THE NEWLY REDEVELOPED KINGSBURY COMMONS. ON THE MAP, YOU CAN SEE KINGSBURY COMMONS IN THE HATCHED AREA WITH REMAINING AREAS OF THE DISTRICT PARK SHOWN IN GREEN. UH, PPCS EXISTING RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF KINGSBURY COMMONS, THE WATER FEATURE, ENHANCED PARK CONSERVANCY, PARK SERVICING, MAINTENANCE OF AMENITIES AND NATIVE PLANTINGS AND LAND MANAGEMENT. FROM THE BEGINNING, THE AGREEMENT ANTICIPATED PEAS PARK CONSERVANCY EXPANDING ITS RESPONSIBILITIES BEYOND KINGSBURY COMMONS, ULTIMATELY SUPPORTING THE ENTIRE DISTRICT PARK. ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY HAS BEEN SUPPORTING, UH, THE DISTRICT PARK OUTSIDE OF KINGSBURY COMMONS PER THE AGREEMENT, $50,000 PER YEAR INVESTED OUTSIDE, UH, KINGSBURY COMMONS. WHAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD TODAY IS THE NEXT AND FINAL PHASE AS ENVISIONED IN THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT. THIS IS NOT A NEW AGREEMENT PROVISION WITHIN THE POMA STATES THAT PPC IS TO DEMONSTRATE FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL CAPACITY, PROVIDE AN UPDATED MAINTENANCE PLAN AND OBTAIN CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF THE PHASE PLAN. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THIS, UH, HIGHLIGHTS THE POMA OVERSIGHT AND AGREEMENT MONITORING THAT EXISTS. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY NOT BE AS FAMILIAR WITH THE POMA PARTNERSHIPS, THIS SHOWS, UH, ALL OF THE LEVELS OF REPORTING AND REVIEW AND REQUIREMENTS OF OUR POMA PARTNERS. UM, THERE IS INCLUDED IN THIS IS ONGOING COMMUNICATION OVERSIGHT, AS WELL AS OTHER MONTHLY LEADERSHIP MEETING CALLS, AS WELL AS FIELD OPERATION BIWEEKLY CALLS THAT EXIST BETWEEN THE CONSERVANCY AND, UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO, TODAY WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT HOW BOTH THE, HOW PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY HAS BEEN IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE POMA SINCE 2023. THEY'VE DEMONSTRATED PERFORMANCE, FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL CAPACITY, AND A DETAILED THOROUGHLY REVIEWED PLAN FOR EXPANSION. THIS THREE YEARS OF DEMONSTRATED SUCCESS, DELIVERING AND EXCEEDING THE AGREED UPON SERVICES AT KINGSBURY COMMONS, INCLUDING THE KINGSBURY COMMONS MAINTENANCE, THEY'VE INVESTED THREE AND A HALF TIMES THE REQUIRED FUNDING IN LAND MANAGEMENT OUTSIDE OF KINGSBURY COMMONS. SO THREE AND A HALF TIMES, UH, TIMES WHAT THE 50,000. THEY'VE DEMONSTRATED GROWTH IN OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE CAPACITY, INCLUDING THE ABILITY TO TAKE ON EXPANDED RESPONSIBILITIES, UH, SUPPORTED BY THE CONSERVANCY'S FINANCIAL REPORTING, WHICH NICOLE WILL GO INTO IN MORE DETAIL. THE O AND M PLAN WAS DEVELOPED THROUGH A DELIBERATE COLLABORATIVE PROCESS INVOLVING MORE THAN 23 STAFF MEMBERS AT, UH, THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND FOUR CITY DEPARTMENTS. UH, THE FINAL PLAN HAS BEEN REVIEWED AND IS SUPPORTED BY STAFF WHO WORK DIRECT DIRECTLY AT THE SITE AND COORDINATE CLOSELY WITH PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO, PART OF THE VALUE THAT THE CONSERVANCY CAN BRING TO THE PARTNERSHIP IS ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE SPACE, THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY, THE COMMUNITY AND THE CONSERVANCY HELPS US TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR THE PARK IN TERMS OF TIME AND RESOURCES, AS WELL AS COMMUNICATING WITH AND ENGAGING PARK VISITORS. THE CONSERVANCY CAN ALSO PROVIDE AN ENHANCED LEVEL OF PARK SERVICE. OUR OPS TEAM CAN BE RESPONSIVE TO NEEDS ON THE GROUND SINCE THEY'RE IN THE PARK EVERY DAY AND THEY'RE HERE TONIGHT. OUR TEAM ALSO PROVIDES FREE PROGRAMMING AND COORDINATES VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARK VISITORS WHO COME FROM EVERY AUSTIN ZIP CODE. A DISTRICT PARK IS MEANT TO ENGAGE THE ENTIRE CITY. CONSISTENT ACTIVATION CONTRIBUTES TO A HEALTHY AND SAFE PARK. PS RECEIVED THE HIGHEST MARKS FOR CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN IN THE RECENT A PR AUDIT BECAUSE OF THIS THOUGHTFUL DESIGN IN KINGSBURY COMMONS AND STRONG ACTIVATION OF THIS SPACE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. TAKING ON MORE WORK IN THE PARK WILL REQUIRE PPC TO SCALE OUR CAPACITY, AND WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT WE HAVE A GOOD PLAN IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO DO SO SUSTAINABLY. FIRST, WE WILL WORK ON A NEW STRATEGIC PLAN IN EARLY 2027 TO BE SURE WE ARE VISIONING AND PLANNING APPROPRIATELY FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. WE'RE COMMITTED TO LAUNCHING THE PHASE PLAN WITH STRONG ATTENTION TO OUR FUNDRAISING AND BUDGET STRATEGY FROM THE START. SECOND, WE HAVE ALREADY PLANNED IN OUR CURRENT BUDGET TO ADD TO OUR OPS TEAM HEADCOUNT IN FISCAL YEAR 27 AND LIKELY AGAIN IN 28. THIS WILL ALLOW OUR HARDWORKING TEAM TO HAVE SUPPORT FROM THE OUTSET SO THAT THEY CAN ASSESS ANY SCALING CHALLENGES EARLY. WE ALSO PLAN TO ADD VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE PARK SO THAT WE ARE ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY IN ADDITIONAL RESTORATION WORK AS WELL. FINALLY, OUR TOP PRIORITY FOR FUNDRAISING IS A FOCUS ON A BALANCED BUDGET AND FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE LONG TERM. AS YOU HEARD TONIGHT, THE CONSERVANCY'S [03:10:01] BOARD AND LEADERSHIP TEAM KNOW HOW IMPORTANT PEACE PARK IS AND HAS BEEN TO THE COMMUNITY FOR MORE THAN 150 YEARS. WE'RE COMMITTED TO GROWING OUR ENDOWMENT AS WELL AS BRINGING IN PHILANTHROPIC DOLLARS NEEDED EACH YEAR TO SERVE THE PARK AND THE COMMUNITY AT THE ENHANCED LEVEL EXPECTED IN THE POMA AND THE PHASE PLAN. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO WHAT DOES THE THE PHASE PLAN CHANGE? IT WILL EXPAND OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PPC THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PARK. THIS MEANS PPC WILL COLLECT TRASH RECYCLING AND PET WASTE RECEPTACLES THROUGHOUT THE PARK, MITIGATE, MITIGATE GRAFFITI, EXCEPT ON THE HISTORIC BRIDGES AT 24TH AND 29TH STREET, WHERE WE WILL CONTINUE TO COORDINATE DIRECTLY WITH A PR AND WE'LL MAINTAIN CERTAIN EXISTING FEATURES LIKE PICNIC TABLES, THE VOLLEYBALL COURTS, UH, THAT YOU SEE ALONG LAMAR, AND THE SPLIT RAIL FENCE AT THE KISSING TREE IN LIVE OAK MEADOW. UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE VALUABLE LAND MANAGEMENT THROUGHOUT THE PARK THAT WAS ALREADY CONDITIONED IN THE PO AS CHRISTINE SAID, AND WE WILL INCREASE OUR LAND MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES AND ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION PROJECTS WITH THE PHASE PLAN. IN ADDITION, UH, CERTAIN RIDES FOR PPC WILL EXTEND FROM KINGSBURY COMMONS TO THE HOLD PARK. SO COORDINATION OF VOLUNTEERING, PROGRAMMING, RENTALS AND CONCESSIONS AND EXCLUSIVE USE OF THE PARK FOR MARKETING AND FUNDRAISING PURPOSES. FINALLY, WE PLAN TO EXTEND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO GET PUBLIC INPUT ON THE WHOLE PARK, UM, IN THE COMING YEARS. PPC WOULD LOVE TO PROPOSE NEW IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE PARK IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE COUNCIL APPROVED 2014 VISION PLAN. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SEVERAL IMPORTANT THINGS WILL NOT CHANGE WITH THE ADOPTION OF THIS PHASE. PLAN OUR POEM AS IT RELATES TO KINGSBURY COMMONS AND ALL THE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THAT SPACE. STAY THE SAME. PPC IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MOST NEW AND RENOVATED FEATURES IN KINGSBURY COMMONS, AND THE CITY MAINTAINS THE URBAN FOREST, THE BUILT TRAILS, SHOAL CREEK, AND THE SURROUNDING PARK ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE. OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN STAYS THE SAME. PEACE PARK WILL ALWAYS BE PUBLIC PARKLAND, AND THE CITY WILL CONTINUE TO MANAGE, OVERSEE, AND COLLABORATE ON THIS WORK. PPC WILL FOLLOW ALL CITY REVIEW PROCESSES AND WE COMMIT TO THE PRINCIPLES THAT WE HAD FOR THE KINGSBURY COMMONS PROJECT. THAT'S, IF WE BUILD IT, WE WILL MAINTAIN IT. THE CITY OF AUSTIN WILL CONTINUE SOME BASE LEVEL MAINTENANCE WORK AT PEACE PARK, INCLUDING TREE CARE, UP TRAIL UPKEEP AND MOWING. AND PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, PPC IS NOT ASKING FOR ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING. AS A PART OF THIS PHASE PLAN. UNDER THE PMA EACH YEAR, THE CITY PROVIDES A MANAGEMENT FEE OF $36,000 THAT REIMBURSES PPC FOR A PORTION OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S UTILITIES, WHICH BOILS DOWN TO SOME OF THE WATER AND ELECTRICAL COSTS FOR THE SPLASH PAD. THERE'S NO CITY FUNDING TIED TO THE PHASE PLAN, AND THE GOAL IS THAT THIS PHASE PLAN HAS A POSITIVE FISCAL IMPACT BY OFFSETTING THE CITY'S COSTS TO MAINTAIN THE PARK AND IMPROVE ACCESS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC. NEXT SLIDE. UM, SO PC HAS BROUGHT SIGNIFICANT COMMUNITY BENEFIT IN THE NEXT PHASE, UH, WE'LL EXPAND THIS. SO TO SUMMARIZE, STAFF HAS EVALUATED PPCS ABILITY AND THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE PLAN IS IN SUPPORT OF IT. PC WILL REDUCE APRS OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE WORKLOAD AT PEACE PARK PARK VI VISITORS WILL BENEFIT FROM ENHANCED SERVICES, DAILY STAFF PRESENCE AND WELCOMING SPACES FOR GATHERING AND RECREATION. PPC WILL MAKE PARK IMPROVEMENTS AND INFORMED BY COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, THE VISION PLAN AND ONGOING ENGAGEMENT. PPC WILL EXPAND A LOGICAL ECOLOGICAL STEWARDSHIP, IMPROVING HABITAT SHADE, BIODIVERSITY AND WILDLIFE PROTECTION. THE PHASE EXPANSION PLAN WAS ALWAYS INTENDED UNDER THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED POMA AND BUILDS ON PPCS. DEMONSTRATED CAPACITY PHASE PLAN WILL DEVELOP, WAS DEVELOPED WITH 23 STAFF ACROSS FIVE CITY DEPARTMENTS. COMMUNITY FEEDBACK HAS BEEN POSITIVE THROUGH PPC AND CITYWIDE SURVEYS AND THE PHASE PLAN PROCESS. A PR WILL MAINTAIN OVERSIGHT THROUGH THE EXISTING POMA ANNUAL REPORTING AND ONGOING COORDINATION, AND THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL COST TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. TODAY OUR REQUEST FOR ACTION IS TO RECOMMEND TO CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY'S PHASE PLANNED UNDER THE EXISTING PARK OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT FOR PEACE DISTRICT PARK, EXPANDING THE CONSERVANCY'S OPERATIONS MAINTENANCE AND LAND MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMING, EVENT COORDINATION AND VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES BEYOND KINGSBURY COMMONS TO ADDITIONAL AREAS OF PEASE DISTRICT PARK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, QUESTIONS BOARD MEMBERS, BOARD MEMBERS ONLINE? ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE ONE QUESTION. OKAY. UM, IS A [03:15:01] YEARLY MAINTENANCE PLAN, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S PROVIDED BY YOU GUYS OR BY THE, BY THE BY A PR IS ANNUALLY THE PARTNER PROVIDES A MAINTENANCE PLAN THAT IS REVIEWED ANNUALLY BY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND APPROVED. OKAY. AND IS THERE A REQUIREMENT FOR THAT TO BE PUBLIC OR NO? THE, THE, IT CAN BE, IT'S, UM, I WILL SAY IT'S PROBABLY ABOUT 175 PAGES. OKAY. UM, AND IT IS IN GREAT DEAL DETAILED OF LEVELS OF SERVICE AND CARE FOR EACH SECTION OF THE PARK. SO IF, IF A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO READ IT, DO THEY SUBMIT LIKE A FOIA OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? YES. OKAY. AND, UM, SO I, I MEAN, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THIS, AS WE MIGHT HAVE HEARD FROM, UH, A COUPLE OF SPEAKERS. BUT, UM, ONE, ONE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE THAT WAS BROUGHT UP IN THE, ONE OF THE EMAILS I RECEIVED, UM, A RESERVE FUND BALANCE MINIMUM. SO DO YOU GUYS HAVE THAT, UM, AT HAND IN, IN THE CONSERVANCY? AND I MEAN, DOES IT MEAN, AND LIKE, CAN, CAN A PR ATTEST TO, UH, THE AVAILABILITY OF THAT? YEAH. DO YOU WANT ME TO ANSWER? YEAH. YES. UM, YES, THAT IS, UH, WE HAVE, UM, OUR MONTHLY FINANCIALS, UH, ALLOCATE. THERE'S A, THERE'S A RESERVE SECTION MM-HMM . UM, THAT HAS THE REQUIREMENTS, THE, THE MONIES THAT WE HAVE TO SET ASIDE THAT THE CITY REQUIRES. THOSE ARE ALL, UM, DOCUMENTED IN ALL OF OUR, UH, FINANCIALS. THAT, AND OUR BOARD, UH, REVIEWS THOSE EVERY MONTH. OKAY. YES. AND THEY ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PARK EXPERIMENT TO REVIEW AND TO VERIFY. OKAY. AND, AND THEY MEET THE MINIMUMS THAT THE YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER. YEAH. NO MORE QUESTIONS. YEAH. THANKS. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER EUBANK. YEAH, I, I I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. UH, AS ONE WHO USES THE PARK EVERY DAY, UM, THE, THE CHALLENGE I THINK THAT YOU ALL FACE, AND I DO BELIEVE YOU'RE THE MODEL, UH, FOR THIS CITY, UH, YOU IS THE PART WHERE IT IS STOPS AT 24TH AND BEGINS GOING UP CREEK, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHERE THE PARK STOPS AND THEN HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY, THE GREENWAY, AS YOU KNOW, THERE'S A MASSIVE LANDSLIDE THAT IS BLOCKED THE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL NOW FOR, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MANY YEARS NOW. A NUMBER OF YEARS. EIGHT OR NINE. YEAH. AND PEOPLE ARE FORCED TO CROSS AT THE LOW WATER CROSSING. IT'S HARDLY A DA COMPLIANT, NOT REMOTELY. UH, THAT'S GONNA BE A CHALLENGE. YOU'RE, YOU'RE FACING, UH, A PR, THE CITY PEACE PARK. I THINK YOU'RE AS, AS WELL PREPARED TO DO THAT AS ANYONE, BUT IT IS STILL A MASSIVE CHALLENGE TO BE ABLE TO RESTORE THAT TRAIL. IS THAT PART OF YOUR PLAN FOR THE NEXT WHATEVER NUMBER OF YEARS IT IS? UH, DO YOU HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS NOW WITH THE CITY? WE'VE BEEN TALKING FOR A LONG TIME ABOUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE LANDSLIDE, AND WE'VE HAD SPECIFIC CONVERSATIONS MORE RECENTLY ABOUT AT LEAST TRYING TO MAKE IT EASIER TO GET AROUND IT. AS YOU SAY, INSTEAD OF HAVING THE ROCK HOP, WHICH IF YOU CAN'T WALK, I BROKE MY LEG. IT'S VERY HARD TO, TO GET ANYWHERE ON THE TRAIL. ABSOLUTELY. UM, BUT THAT IS A, IS A PROJECT THAT WE HAD HOPED WOULD, UM, BE ABLE TO FIND DOLLARS PERHAPS FROM A BOND OR SOMETHING, AND WITH THE, UM, MORE LIMITED BOND THAT WE'VE SORT OF HAD TO TABLE IT FOR NOW. BUT I THINK IT'LL CONTINUE TO BE A CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CONSTITUENTS AT THE PARK AND OUR DONORS ABOUT HOW WE CAN PARTNER TO, TO MAKE THAT AREA MORE USEFUL FOR THE PUBLIC. IT IS A, IT IS A HUGE CONCERN, BUT ALSO, UM, A REALLY STICKY PROBLEM. SO IT, IT WILL BE A PART OF WHAT WE CONTINUE TO TALK. YEAH. I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND TWO THINGS AS PART OF THIS IS ONE IS CON CONSIDERATION OF PUTTING IN A BRIDGE AT THAT LOW WATER CROSSING, JUST LIKE WE HAVE AT THE SOUTH END OF THE PARK. UM, UH, BUT THE SECOND THING IS, UH, THIS, THE LANDSLIDE WHERE PEOPLE HAVE PIONEERED TRAILS. SURE. ACROSS THE LANDSLIDE. I WALKED IT THE OTHER DAY. SOMEHOW IT IS EXTRAORDINARILY DANGEROUS. UH, I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FENCE THAT AREA PENDING A SOLUTION, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE, I THINK, SOME PROBLEMS UP THERE. BUT OTHERWISE I'D STRONGLY SUPPORT YOU ALL TAKING THIS ON. THANK YOU. OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS. OKAY. ONE MORE QUICK COMMENT AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE ALSO FOR, FOR THE BOARD, I THINK SOME OF THE ISSUES BROUGHT UP CONCERNING REPORTING AND OMAS, ET CETERA, ARE LEGITIMATE, BUT THEY'RE REALLY NOT ADDRESSED THAT THIS ONE CASE, THEY KIND OF COVER ALL THE CASES AND WE'LL DEAL WITH THAT I THINK AS WE MOVE FORWARD. [03:20:01] YEAH. UM, I THINK, I DON'T WANT TO DIRECT THEM HOW TO SOLVE A PROBLEM, BUT IF WE WANT TO NOTE SOME OF THE THINGS OKAY. YEAH. NOTE THAT THAT'S A CONCERN. YEAH. NOTE THAT THAT'S A, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE'VE BROUGHT UP. WE NEED TO IT, I THINK THEN WE NEED TO, WE WON'T GET INTO THE DAY TO DAY. I DON'T WANNA HOLD THIS UP, BUT WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT. OKAY. UM, WELL THEN, UM, IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. UM, I'D LIKE TO MOTION TO APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE PHASE PLAN FOR PEACE DISTRICT PARK. UM, AND I'VE GOT A SECOND FOR MR. EUBANKS ALL. SO WE'VE GOT A FIRST, UH, MOTION AND A SECOND. UM, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, DISCUSSION, BOARD MEMBERS? ALL RIGHT. HEARING NONE, I'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE. SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL RIGHT. AND WE'VE GOT EIGHT, AND SO IT'S UNANIMOUS, IT'S APPROVED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. WE'RE ALL MOVING A LITTLE SLOWER AT 9 37. OKAY. WE WILL KEEP GOING IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT. BOARD MEMBERS, UM, WE'VE [6. Discussion and approve setting the Parks and Recreation Board 2027 regular meeting schedule as the 4th Monday of each month, except December, at 6:00 p.m. (Sponsors: Bazan, Becker)] GOT ITEM NUMBER SIX HERE, DISCUSSION AND APPROVED SETTING THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD 2027 REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULE AS THE FOURTH MONDAY OF EACH MONTH, EXCEPT DECEMBER AT 6:00 PM UM, YOU'VE GOT A DOCUMENT IN FRONT OF YOU THAT, THAT NOTES THE 2027 MEETING SCHEDULE. UM, RIGHT NOW WE HAVEN'T HAD TO MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS TO THE REGULAR, UM, CADENCE. AND SO WE'LL TAKE A MOMENT AND THEN IF FOLKS HAVE QUESTIONS. NO, THE ONE CLOSEST IS HERE. THAT'S THE THANKSGIVING WEEK. OH, OKAY. THAT'S FINE. THAT'S MONDAY, RIGHT? IT'S A MONDAY, YEAH. BOARD MEMBER BECKER WAS ASKING ABOUT, UM, IF ANYTHING LANDED ON HOLIDAYS AND THEY DO NOT. AND THE CLOSEST THING WE HAVE IS, UM, NOVEMBER 22ND, WHICH IS THE MONDAY OF THANKSGIVING WEEK. AND SO JUST MAKING SURE TO NOTE THAT FOR FOLKS AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I CAN ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR OUR SCHEDULE. GOT A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FROM BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. OH, OKAY. OH, SORRY. WE GO FOR IT. OKAY. TAKE IT . WE'LL, OKAY. WE, OKAY. WELL, BOARD MEMBER KERNS ASKED A WHILE, THEN WE'LL BE THE SECOND ON THAT ONE. UM, ALL THOSE, OH, ANY DISCUSSION? HOPEFULLY NOT. ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL RIGHT. WE'VE GOT ALL EIGHT. THE MOTION PASSES. MOVING RIGHT ALONG, WE'VE GOT ITEM [7. Discussion and create a working group to partner with the Givens community on developing a feasibility plan for a commercial kitchen at the Givens Recreation Center. (Sponsors: Eubanks, Orme)] NUMBER SEVEN, DISCUSS AND CREATE A WORKING GROUP TO PARTNER WITH THE GIVENS COMMUNITY ON DEVELOPING A FEASIBILITY PLAN FOR A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN AT GIVENS RECREATION CENTER. AND I BELIEVE WE DO HAVE A SPEAKER ON THIS ONE. WE DO. UH, IS ROBIN RATHER HERE? ROBIN RATHER? NO, WE DON'T HAVE ANY SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM. OKAY. I WILL NOTE THAT ROBIN DID ALSO SEND IN A COMMENT RELATED TO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, UM, UH, IN FAVOR OF, OF THIS ITEM. OKAY. UH, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO, TO YOU BOARD MEMBER. WELL, REVISITING WHAT WE DISCUSSED LAST MONTH. THIS IS TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP TO DISCUSS THE CREATION OF A, UM, OR DEVELOP A PLAN FOR A KITCHEN AT THE GIVENS REC CENTER. UH, WHAT I WANTED TO CLARIFY IN THIS IS IN MY DISCUSSIONS WITH GIVENS, UH, WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR IS NOT A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN, UM, AS IS REFLECTED IN APRS DOCUMENTATION. WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR IS A COMMUNITY KITCHEN, WHICH IS A MUCH SMALLER SCALE. AND I THINK WE CAN CREATE THIS WORKING GROUP WORK WITH THEM AND COME BACK VERY QUICKLY WITH A RECOMMENDATION. DO WE NEED TO ADJUST THE LANGUAGE TO FEASIBILITY PLAN FOR COMMUNITY KITCHEN THEN, OR COMMUNITY KITCHEN. OKAY. UM, YES. OKAY. SO THEN WHEN WE MO MAKE THAT MOTION, IT WOULD BE FOR A COMMUNITY KITCHEN. YES. UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE SCRATCHING THAT LANGUAGE. UM, OKAY. UM, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS, YOU WANNA MAKE THE MOTION AND I'M HAPPY TO SECOND YES. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE CREATE A WORKING GROUP TO WORK WITH THE GIBBONS RECREATION CENTER COMMUNITY ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PLAN FOR A COMMUNITY KITCHEN. OKAY. AND THEN, OH, DID YOU WANNA MAKE THIS? NO, I'LL SAY OH, OKAY. SURE. BOARD MEMBER BECKER WILL BE THE SECOND. THAT'S FINE. UM, ANY DISCUSSION, COMMENTS? UM, WELL, I'D [03:25:01] LOVE TO KNOW SORT OF WHO FROM THE BOARD WOULD BE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING ON THIS ONE. JUST 'CAUSE MM-HMM . YOU'RE GONNA BE BUSY. I'M BE BUSY. SO I WAS THINKING IT WOULD BE GOOD TO JUST, I'D LOVE TO GET A SENSE FOR WHO ELSE MIGHT BE SORT OF OPEN TO COMMITTING TO WORKING ON THIS. I KNOW BOARD MEMBER, BOARD MEMBER KELLY, UM, IS INTERESTED IN, UM, I KNOW BOARD MEMBER ORM IS NOT HERE TONIGHT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE GOT A SENSE, MR. EUBANKS, IF SHE'D BE WORKING ON THE, I'D IMAGINE SHE'D BE ON THE COMMITTEE OR THE WORKING GROUP. YES. OKAY. PERHAPS, CAN WE GET THAT DONE? YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY, YEAH. WAS A SPONSOR FOR THIS ITEM, RIGHT? YEAH. RIGHT. YEAH, SHE IS FOR, I THINK, YEAH. YEAH. YEAH. SO THAT WOULD BE THREE BOARD ON THIS ITEM. OKAY. AND THEN THERE'S, UM, UH, THERE ARE, THERE'S A MEMO IN OUR INBOX WITH SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD PLACE TO START. UM, OKAY. UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN? I WAS JUST GONNA SAY TENTATIVELY IF YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR FOLKS ON THE WORKING GROUP AND WE'RE NOT IN DANGER OF HITTING QUORUM, SO TENTATIVELY OKAY. YEAH. WE WOULDN'T BE AT QUORUM YET. SO, UH, BOARD MEMBER FRANKLIN IS INTERESTED. RIGHT. UM, AND EVEN IF IT, WHAT, HOW THE WORKING GROUP WORKS, I THINK YOU COULD ALSO COME IN, COME IN AND OUT IF THERE WERE, AS LONG AS THERE WERE MEMBERS WHO WERE CONTINUOUS THROUGHOUT THAT. OKAY. UM, SO WE'VE GOT THE BASIS OF A PLAN HERE, BOARD MEMBER BECKER. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS RELATED TO, UM, THE SETUP? NOTHING FROM ME. OKAY. UM, THEN WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CREATING A WORKING GROUP TO PARTNER WITH GIBBS COMMUNITY ON DEVELOPING A FEASIBILITY PLAN FOR A COMMUNITY KITCHEN AT THE GIVENS RECREATION CENTER. PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALRIGHT. MOTION PASSES. EIGHT TO ZERO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, ALRIGHT. UM, ITEM NUMBER NINE, [9. Discussion and approve an appointment to the Parks and Recreation Board’s seat on the Joint Sustainability Committee. (Sponsors: Bazan, Becker)] DISCUSS DISCUSSION AND APPROVE AN APPOINTMENT TO THE PARKS AND RECREATIONS BOARD SEAT ON THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE. UM, I KNOW BOARD MEMBER ORM IS STILL ON THAT COMMITTEE BOARD MEMBER. YOU, WELL, GO AHEAD. WELL, I WAS GONNA SAY LAST TIME WE DISCUSSED IT WITH BOARD MEMBER ORM, SHE HAD SUGGESTED SHE'D BE OPEN, SHE'S NOT HERE, MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T DO THIS WITHOUT HER HERE, ALTHOUGH I GUESS WE CAN. RIGHT. BUT, UH, SHE HAD SUGGESTED SHE'D BE OPEN TO MOVING TO THE PRIMARY SPOT ON THAT ONE. RIGHT. I ALSO, YEAH, SHE'S NOT HERE AND SHE'S D ONE. RIGHT, RIGHT THERE IS THAT I SAID ANYTHING. SO I THINK ALTHOUGH THAT SHE WAS WILLING TO DO THAT, I, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE BEST. IT'S A SHORT FIX. . YEAH. UM, BOARD MEMBER EUBANK, I'M LOOKING AT YOU 'CAUSE THE LAST TIME WE TALKED YOU WERE WILLING TO DO IT. OKAY. YEAH, GO FOR IT. ARE YOU SURE? YES, I'M HAPPY TO DEFER. UH, WELL, I, WERE YOU STILL INTERESTED? THEY MEET ON WEDNESDAYS AND, UM, I, I JUST CANNOT COMMIT TO THAT RIGHT NOW, SO. OKAY. I'LL, I'LL DEFER TO YOU ON THAT. OKAY. I'LL LAY OUT A POSSIBILITY, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CHANGE IN COUNCIL D ONE IF BOARD MEMBER ORS WERE NOT TO CONTINUE. UM, MAYBE A SECOND. THERE MIGHT BE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, RIGHT? I THINK IT'S WHAT I'M SAYING TO BE A PARTNER IN IT AND NOT HAVE TO BE THE LEAD. I SEE. SO I JUST LEAVING THAT ON THE TABLE FOR FUTURE, BUT YEAH. OKAY. UM, SO RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT BOARD MEMBER ORM AS UM, THE SECOND. SO WE ARE GOING TO, UM, VOTE TO APPROVE IF BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS FOR THE APPOINTMENT TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD SEAT ON THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE. UM, I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE THAT MOTION AND THEN IF WE CAN HAVE A SECOND FROM, I'LL SECOND. OKAY. FROM BOARD MEMBER ABBU AMARA. UM, WE'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION COMMENT RELATED TO THAT? I'M LOOKING AT MY FOLKS ONLINE. OKAY. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALRIGHT, THE MOTION PASSES. EIGHT ZERO. ALRIGHT. MOVING RIGHT ALONG TO DISCUSSION ITEMS. [10. Discussion on adult athletic leagues. (Sponsors: Eubanks, Kearns-Osterweil) ] ITEM NUMBER 10, DISCUSS DISCUSSION ON ADULT ATHLETIC LEAGUES. DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS? UH, YES. CHAIR IS LIZ GUTIEREZ HERE. LIZ, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES FROM THE TIME YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. AND THANK YOU FOR HOLDING UP UNTIL THE BITTER END GOOD EVENING BOARD. MY NAME IS LIZ GUTIERREZ. I'VE PLAYED IN THE CO-ED AND THE WOMEN'S INDOOR VOLLEYBALL LEAGUES FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS. THESE YEAR-ROUND INDOOR LEAGUES HAVE BECOME A WEEKLY TRADITION AND SUPPORT OUR PHYSICAL MENTAL HEALTH AND CONNECT US TO OUR COMMUNITY. THESE PROGRAMS ALSO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR [03:30:01] LIFELONG RECREATION. THEY FOSTER MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS AND HELP RESIDENTS STAY ACTIVE WELL INTO ADULTHOOD. THESE LEAGUES ALSO HELP BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER FROM ALL PARTS OF AUSTIN AND SURROUNDING AREAS. I PLAY WITH FOLKS FROM ALL PARTS OF AUSTIN. WE HAVE ONE FROM BASTROP. I'M FROM ROUND ROCK, AND WE HAVE ONE FROM PFLUGERVILLE. WE'VE ALSO HAD SOME COME IN FROM NEW BRAUNFELS. THIS IS THE ONLY ADULT SPORTS LEAGUE THAT OFFERS THREE WOMEN'S INDOOR VOLLEYBALL LEAGUES THAT ARE DIVIDED BY LEVEL OF PLAY. THE ONLY OTHER WOMEN'S LEAGUE THAT I KNOW OF IS IN ROUND ROCK, AND IT COMBINES ALL LEVELS OF PLAY FOR WOMEN INTO ONE LEAGUE. THE PROPOSAL TO ELIMINATE THESE ADULT SPORTS LEAGUES BY MOVING FROM A PUBLIC COMMUNITY LEAGUE TO A PAY TO PLAY FACILITY RENTAL MODEL REDUCES PUBLIC ACCESS AND CONFLICTS WITH THE MISSION OF THE AUSTIN PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC RECREATION. THIS WOULD MAKE PARTICIPATION LESS AFFORDABLE, REDUCE COMMUNITY ACCESS, AND MOVE THESE PUBLIC SPACES AWAY FROM BROAD COMMUNITY USE POTENTIAL OPTIONS OR ALTERNATIVES. UM, TO HELP REDUCE COSTS WOULD BE TO SOME MODEST FEE INCREASES IN OPERATIONAL ADJUSTMENTS SUCH AS PLAYERS CALLING LINES AND KEEPING SCORE. WE'VE DONE IT IN THE PAST. THESE PROGRAMS CONTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE HEALTH CONNECTION AND QUALITY OF LIFE THAT, THAT MAKES AUSTIN SUCH A SPECIAL PLACE TO LIVE. I RESPECTFULLY URGE YOU TO WORK TOWARDS A SOLUTION THAT PRESERVES THESE INDOOR ADULT SPORTS PROGRAMS FOR CURRENT PARTICIPANTS AND FUTURE AUSTINITES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO BOARD MEMBERS, EUBANKS AND STER. WELL NOW WE HAVE THIS AS A DISCUSSION ITEM, RIGHT? IT YES, IT'S A DISCUSSION ITEM. UM, WHAT I WOULD PUT UP FOR DISCUSSION IS THE FACT THAT WE HAVE, WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS WITH MULTIPLE LEAGUES NOW WITH, UH, WE HAD BASEBALL LITTLE LEAGUES, WE'VE HAD SOCCER, WE'VE HAD NOW VOLLEYBALL, BASKETBALL. UM, WE NEED AN OVERARCHING LEAGUE POLICY, LEAGUE APPROACH. AND, UM, I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ACT UPON THAT AND BUILD UPON WHAT BOARD MEMBER DECKER'S GROUP DID FIRST. THE SORT OF THE GROUND'S BEEN PLOWED. I MEAN, WE HAVE A GREAT SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN BUILD ON. UM, THOSE, THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS ABOUT IT. I MEAN, SEEMS TO BE WORKING GROUP SEASON. UM, SO THAT IS ANOTHER OPTION HERE ACTUALLY IS WE DID THAT LAST TIME. IT WAS FAIRLY SUCCESSFUL FOR WORKING WITH THE, UM, WITH THE, UH, THE, UH, BASEBALL AND SOCCER FIELDS. I THINK THAT SITUATION IS SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT HERE, BUT WE COULD CONSIDER, I DO THINK, I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS I THINK THIS REQUIRES A LEVEL OF LIKE FOCUS ATTENTION AND PARTICIPATION WITH THE INVOLVED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, SOME OF WHOM ARE HERE , UM, MANY OF WHOM HAVE BEEN HERE THE LAST PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, WHICH I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE. I DO FEEL LIKE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, MY SENSE IS THE SITUATION AS IT WAS IS NOT GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN RETURN TO. SO IT'S NOT GOING BACK TO WHAT THE PREVIOUS STATUS QUO WAS, BUT I THINK THERE'S A GENERAL SENSE FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT THE CURRENT SOLUTION IS NOT IDEAL. AND SO I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO POTENTIALLY WORK WITH THEM TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WAS MORE EFFECTIVE AND IDEALLY ALSO WORK WITH MEMBERS OF THE CITY STAFF TO FIND SOMETHING THAT FEELS LIKE SOMETHING THAT THE CITY CAN SUPPORT AS WELL. MY, MY MY SENSE AFTER HAVING BEEN UP, SITTING UP HERE DOING THIS FOR A WHILE IS THAT THIS IS A SITUATION THAT NO ONE IS HAPPY WITH, INCLUDING, CERTAINLY NOT THE, THE, THE, UM, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO ARE DEALING WITH THE REPERCUSSIONS. BUT MY SENSE IS THAT IT IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT THE, THAT THE CURRENT SITUATION IS ALSO NOT SOMETHING THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS PARTICULARLY HAPPY WITH. SO MY HOPE IS THAT IF WE COULD COME UP WITH A SORT OF A THIRD PATH THROUGH THIS, THAT IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WAS WELCOMED BY ALL SIDES. UM, BUT YES, THAT WILL PROBABLY REQUIRE ANOTHER WORKING GROUP. UM, SO MAYBE SOMETHING FOR ANOTHER, FOR A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM FOR NEXT MONTH OR SOMEBODY ELSE MIGHT HAVE A BETTER IDEA. SO DO WE NEED A WORKING GROUP? IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYBODY IS ON BOARD WITH, WITH TRYING TO ADDRESS IT. IS THIS SOMETHING, AND I WAS THINKING, WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS HERE? IS THIS SOMETHING WHERE WE CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL? CAN WE, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT WE, I WENT BACK TO MY NOTES. I THINK WE FIRST HEARD ABOUT THIS BACK IN AUGUST. AND IN LIGHT OF THE COMMENT ABOUT CAN WE JUST LIKE ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING, DO WE NEED TO LIKE KICK THIS DOWN THE ROAD? BECAUSE [03:35:01] I, I WANNA SAY THE EXTENSION ONLY WENT THROUGH MARCH OR MAY OR YEAH. I, I, SO YES, WE CAN DO OTHER THINGS. YOU, WE CAN WRITE A RECOMMENDATION AND BRING IT, BRING IT FORWARD NEXT TIME. YOU, WE COULD WRITE ONE HERE, WHICH I WOULDN'T SUGGEST. NO . UM, I WILL SAY, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW HOW MUCH Y'ALL CAN SHARE BECAUSE IT'S EXPLORATORY, BUT I KNOW THAT, UM, UM, PARKS IS LOOKING INTO OTHER, OTHER OPTIONS SO THEY'RE NOT SITTING AND NOT DOING ANYTHING. UM, OH, I MEANT US NOT THEM, BUT RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT. BUT JUST SO, SO THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS, LIKE IT'S NOT STALLED AT, AT NOTHING. UM, 'CAUSE I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, WE HAD SHARED BEFORE IS THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET UNFORTUNATELY GOT CUT. UM, AND SO WE WERE LOOKING FOR OTHER WAYS TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THESE LEAGUES. AND SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT THAT, UM, THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE BEING EXPLORED. ALTHOUGH AN OPPORTUNITY HAS NOT, HAS NOT SHOWN YET. I, OH, SORRY. I THOUGHT MR. BECK WAS GONNA SAY SOMETHING. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS, YOU MENTIONED THE OTHER SPORTS RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE PUT FORWARD BEFORE, UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S A, A SHOE HORN INTO THAT NECESSARILY. UM, I, I CAN'T, I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT TO, TO SEE WHERE, WHERE SOMETHING FOR, FOR VOLLEYBALL MIGHT FIT, BUT YEAH, NO, FOR SURE. UM, I HEAR YOU. I MEAN, I THINK IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO STEP UP AND TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE OF SORT OF PUTTING THE, THAT'S THE CHALLENGE IS PUTTING THE RECOMMENDATION TOGETHER. I DO THINK THERE WOULD BE SOME VALUE IN THIS. SO ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF A WORKING GROUP IS THAT IT DOES GIVE YOU SOME TIME TO COORDINATE WITH MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. AND IT DOES GIVE YOU SOME TIME, YOU KNOW, WITH THEIR LIKE, SUPPORT. AND OBVIOUSLY WITHOUT BEING IN A POSITION TO COORDINATE WITH MEMBERS OF, UM, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AS WELL, JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOURSELF SOME SPACE AND TIME. BUT YOU'RE CORRECT THAT IT DOES TAKE LONGER. NOT, NOT, I'M CERTAINLY NOT OPPOSED TO SOMEBODY GRABBING THE MANTLE AND RUNNING OFF AND DOING IT. I MEAN, SOMETHING I WAS THINKING, BECAUSE I HAVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, LIKE ALTERNATIVES FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, IT'S GOOD TO MAYBE GET THEIR EMAILS OR LIKE, BASICALLY SEE WHAT THE INPUT THAT THEY HAD AND COMMUNICATE THAT WITH A PR AND SEE WHAT THEIR OPINION ABOUT THAT AND SEE IF SOMETHING COMES OUT OF IT. I MEAN, I, I'M, I'M SEEING THAT AS LIKE FIRST STEP TOWARD WHAT IDEAS THERE MIGHT BE IN, IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION. UM, AND I MEAN, I THINK THAT WILL NOT TAKE TOO MUCH TIME TO LIKE, GET THAT INPUT FIRST AND LIKE MAYBE DISCUSS IT WITH MEMBERS FROM A PR AND, AND SEE DO, DO WE HIT A WALL OR, OR LIKE THERE IS ACTUALLY AN OPPORTUNITY THERE. THAT'S SOMETHING I'M WILLING TO DO. OKAY. YEAH. YOU CHANGED MY MIND. SAME HERE. AS LONG AS WE HAVE, IF IT'S CLEARLY DEFINED AND WE, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE WORKING UP AGAINST A DEADLINE AND WE, YOU KNOW, THEN I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. THAT WE'RE NOT JUST ABOUT PROGRAMMING FOR KIDS. ALTHOUGH I LOVE CHILDREN, I HAVE THREE OF THEM, BUT I DON'T WANNA FORGET ABOUT THE ADULTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC THAT THEY'VE BEEN IN THIS LEAGUE FOR 25 YEARS OR MORE. WE'VE HEARD FROM MANY PEOPLE. I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING THAT NEED. YEAH, AND IT, I MEAN, IT COULD BE, AS YOU SAID, TAKING THE THINGS THAT WE'VE HEARD TODAY AND BEFORE AND MAKING AND PUTTING THAT IN A DOCUMENT, UM, AND THEN MAKING SOME SUGGESTIONS AROUND THAT. AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE, YOU KNOW, PROCESS SOMETHING THAT TAKES SIX MONTHS. YOU CAN, YOU CAN GATHER THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE HEARD THUS FAR AND PUT YOUR SUPPORT BEHIND FUTURE BUDGET. OKAY. I'M WILLING TO, AND THAT'S JUST A, LIKE, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT'S THE ONE, BUT LIKE THAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY. UM, AND WE CAN GO FROM THERE, BUT YOU CAN DO IT OFFLINE AS BOARD MEMBERS AND DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A WORKING GROUP NECESSARILY. SO, YEAH, TO ME, I DO THINK THAT THIS ENDS UP LOOKING LIKE PART OF OUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE. 'CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE IT WAS TAKEN FROM AND THAT'S WHERE WE WANTED TO GO BACK TO. SO LIKE, TO ME IT SEEMS LIKE THE MOST, LIKE, WHEREAS I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN LIKE THE SOCCER FIELD'S ISSUE, RIGHT? BECAUSE THERE WE WERE RECOMMENDING SOLUTIONS THAT THEN WOULD NEED TO BE FUNDED. BUT HERE IT'S LIKE, IT MAY BE A MORE SIMPLE BUDGET ASK, NOT THAT IT'S SIMPLE, BUT THAT MAY BE THE SOLUTION. I COULD ALSO SEE SORT OF A TWO STEP VERSION WHERE ONE IS SPECIFICALLY LIKE, HERE'S WHAT WE THINK SHOULD HAPPEN BASED ON, OR A RANGE OF THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN BASED ON SORT OF INTERACTION WITH THE, AND FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY, FOLLOWED BY A BUDGET ASK. SO THAT'S ANOTHER APPROACH. LOTS OF OPTIONS. OKAY. [03:40:02] I MAKE A MOTION. . OH, I DON'T, WE, THIS ONE DOESN'T NEED A, A MOTION. IT'S SIMPLY A DISCUSSION ITEM. AND SO IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'VE GOT WHAT YOU NEED TO MOVE AHEAD, WE'VE KIND OF HAD A DISCUSSION HERE. YOU'RE OPEN TO, YOU KNOW, CONNECT. OKAY. SEPARATELY WITH BOARD MEMBER ABARA, IT SOUNDS LIKE Y'ALL ARE BOTH INTERESTED IN MOVING THIS AHEAD. NOT THAT WE ALL AREN'T ALL INTERESTED IN, IN THE LEAGUE, BUT, UM, IF Y'ALL TAKE OFF ON THE LEAD ROLE IN THAT, WE CAN SPEARHEAD, SPEARHEADED. YEP. THEN THAT WOULD HELP. OKAY. AWESOME. OKAY. THANK YOU. LOVELY. AND WE ARE LIKELY GONNA GO SLIGHTLY OVER MR. BECK, DO WE TAKE A VOTE NOW TO GO JUST BEYOND 10 OR WOULD YOU SUGGEST I WAIT THREE MINUTES? UH, YES, CHAIR. UH, THE MOTION LANGUAGE IS, IT WOULD BE A MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES TO ALLOW THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD TO MEET AFTER 10:00 PM AND IF ANY BOARD MEMBER WANTED TO MAKE THAT MOTION, THEY COULD JUST SAY, SO MOVED. SO MOVED. I NEED A SECOND. WE'RE, WE'VE GOT ITEM NUMBER 11 THAT WE'D LIKE TO GET THROUGH. I'LL SECOND. ALL RIGHT. AND WE'VE GOT A SECOND. SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, UH, GOT EIGHT ZERO. SO IT PASSES AND WE'LL MOVE RIGHT ALONG TO ITEM NUMBER [11. Staff briefing on Parks and Recreation Department community engagement events, planning updates, development updates, maintenance updates, program updates and administrative updates. (Sponsors: Bazan, Becker) Presenter(s): Jesús Aguirre, Austin Parks and Recreation Director. ] 11. ARE THERE ANY SPEAKERS ON THIS ONE, MR. BECK? OKAY. HAVE THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WELL, GOOD EVENING. UH, THANK YOU FOR STAYING LATE AND WORKING THROUGH THIS. AND, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT CAME OUT, UM, TO, TO EXPRESS THEIR THOUGHTS AND THEIR IDEAS ON ALL THINGS PARKS AND RECREATION. UM, WE HAVE OUR REGULAR MONTHLY REPORT THAT I'D LIKE TO GO THROUGH RELATIVELY QUICKLY, BUT I WILL START OFF WITH, UM, EXCUSE ME, THE ARCHITECTURAL DEVELOPMENT DIVISION AND, AND I'LL, I'LL GO BRIEFLY, BUT JUST CELEBRATING THE CITY COUNCIL'S RECENT DESIGNATION OF THE DORIS MILLER AUDITORIUM AS A CITY OF AUSTIN HISTORIC LANDMARK. UH, THIS FACILITY HAS DEEP HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE, UH, FROM ITS ORIGINS AS THE W WORLD WAR II USO RECREATION CENTER FOR BLACK SURFACE MEMBERS TO ITS ROLE AS A MAJOR STOP ON THE CHITLIN CIRCUIT. SO WE'RE PROUD TO CONTINUE STEWARDING THIS IMPORTANT CULTURAL ASSET FOR EAST AUSTIN. SOME AMAZING PHOTOS THERE, UH, ON THE AQUATICS DIVISION. UH, EVEN THOUGH SORT OF OUR REGULAR POOL SEASON HAS WON DOWN, UH, WE CONTINUE INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS. OUR SWIM A TX NOW SUPPORTS THREE SCHOOLS WITH, UH, FOURTH ONE EXPECTED IN THE NEAR FUTURE PROJECT SAFE IN OUR, OUR FISCAL YEAR 27 PROGRAM, PLANNING OUR PROGRESSING SMOOTHLY THROUGH PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. WE HAVE FREE ADULT SWIM LESSONS AT COLONY PARK. THEY'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL AND WE'RE EXPLORING ADDING ADDITIONAL CLASSES BASED ON SURVEY FEEDBACK. UM, AT BARTON SPRINGS, UM, ACL FESTIVAL, WEEKENDS CONCLUDED WITHOUT ISSUES IN BARTON SPRINGS UNIVERSITY WILL TAKE PLACE ON OCTOBER 27TH. MAINTENANCE AND STAFFING UPDATES, INCLUDING ONGOING LIFEGUARD RECRUITMENT. BIG STACY POOL'S UPCOMING HOT WEATHER WELL REPLACEMENT. AND THE PLAN. NOVEMBER CLOSURE OF DEEP EDDY POOL FOR VAB, UH, VALVE REPLACEMENT PROJECT ARE ONGOING. UM, YOU HEARD FROM OUR COMMITTEE PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR EARLIER, BUT THE DEPARTMENT RECENTLY ALSO LED AN EXTREME HEAT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD ROUNDTABLE, WHICH WAS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HARVARD CENTER ON THE DEVELOPING CHILD AND THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES. AND THIS WAS A ROUND TABLE WITH, UH, FOLKS THROUGHOUT AUSTIN AND VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. THE COMMUNITY BUILD WITH KABOOM AT NORTH OAKS NEIGHBORHOOD PARK WAS A HUGE SUCCESS. UH, AND IT, IT BEGINS A LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP TO EXPAND, EXPAND PLAY OPPORTUNITIES CITYWIDE WITH KABOOM. OH, AND ALSO WE, THIS MONTH WE ALSO CELEBRATED 10 YEARS OF CITIES CONNECTING CHILDREN TO NATURE. UH, THIS PROGRAM, UH, IS A PART OF A NATIONAL PROGRAM THAT HAS MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS AND MADE AUSTIN A MODEL, UH, IN CONNECTING YOUTH TO OUTDOOR SPACES. AND LASTLY, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY CONTINUES. THEY'VE HAD OPEN HOUSES FOR BOTH THE EAST SIDE FAMILY GARDEN AND THE CONCEPT, UH, PLAN FOR SEA HOME WATERFRONT. OUR GOLF DIVISION, UH, HAS HAD A RECORD YEAR REACHING SIX POINT $16.2 MILLION IN REVENUE AND 383,000 ROUNDS THAT WERE PLAYED, UH, WHICH IS STRONG AND STEADY GROWTH. MORE THAN $3 MILLION IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS WERE COMPLETED OR CONTRACTED THIS FISCAL YEAR. UH, AND A MAJOR MILESTONE AHEAD IS A PROPOSED AGREEMENT WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, WHICH, WHICH IS PENDING COUNCIL APPROVAL THAT COULD, WOULD TRANSFER OWNERSHIP OF THE ALLIANCE MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE TO THE CITY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 50 YEARS. UH, OUR NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION, UH, WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE UPCOMING ROOTS AND WINGS FESTIVAL, UH, AT ZILKER BOTANICAL GARDENS HAPPENING ON OCTOBER 31ST. AND AS MANY OF YOU KNOW AND HAS BEEN MENTIONED TODAY, TODAY EARLIER, THE OPERATING AGREEMENT WITH THE ZILKER BOTANICAL GARDENS CONSERVANCY CONCLUDED ON SEPTEMBER 30TH, UH, A PR RESUMED DIRECT MANAGEMENT OF THE GARDENS [03:45:01] ON OCTOBER 1ST, AND THE GARDEN IS OPEN. UH, THEY, THEY, THE GATES WERE OPEN ON OCTOBER 16TH, UH, AND WE WELCOME NEARLY 2000 VISITORS, VISITORS ON THAT OPENING WEEKEND. SO KUDOS TO THE TEAM FOR, FOR TAKING THAT ON. MM-HMM . UH, AND WE CONTINUE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE AUSTIN AREA GARDEN COUNCIL AND THE MEMBER CLUBS TO ENSURE CONTINUITY AND STRONG COLLABORATION TURNING TO OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE. UH, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, OUR TEAMS WORK CLOSELY WITH C3, UH, TO SUCCESSFULLY COORDINATE ACL ACTIVITIES, UH, DESPITE DIFFICULT, CHALLENGING WEATHER CONDITIONS. UM, ALSO YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THE GREAT LAWN REMEDIATION IS UNDERWAY AND THERE ARE PARTIAL CLOSURES THAT ARE GONNA CONTINUE AS WE MOVE INTO THE TRAIL OF LIGHTS. UM, REMEDIATION, UH, YOU CAN SEE HERE IS, IS, UH, IS PLAN INCLUDES THREE PHASES FOCUSED ON IMPROVING GRADING, ENHANCING IRRIGATION, AND RESTORING A HEALTHY TURF CONDITIONS TO ENSURE THE LONG-TERM POSITIVE DRAINAGE OF THE FIELD. THE GRASS, THE PARK DEVELOPMENT DIVISION, UH, JOHN TRAVINA METROPOLITAN PARK IS MOVING FORWARD, UH, TO BID FOR THEIR PHASE ONE CONSTRUCTION. THIS IS AN EXCITING, UH, PROGRESS HERE. THIS PHASE FOCUSES ON NATURAL RESTORATION AND COMMUNITY AMENITIES, SUCH AS A WILDFLOWER MEADOW, INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL, PICNIC SHELTERS, TRAILS, AND A NATURE PLAY AREA, AND A NEW RESTROOM, UH, FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT COMES FROM 2018 BONDS, UH, AND SUPPORTING, UH, GRANT RESOURCES AS WELL. UH, WITH CONSTRUCTION IS ANTICIPATED TO START IN THE SPRING OF 2027. AND OUR RECREATION SERVICES DIVISION, UH, THEY'RE IN FULL SWING WITH FALL PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING THERAPEUTIC RECREATION EVENTS LIKE TRAIL OF TREATS, HOLLYWOOD, UH, EXCUSE ME, HALLOWEEN DANCE AND ADAPTIVE DANCES ACROSS MULTIPLE CENTERS. THESE PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPANTS OF ALL AGES AND ABILITIES. UH, AND THAT IS ALL WE HAVE. THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR, YOUR WORK HERE TONIGHT AND EVERY YEAR, EVERY DAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING, UH, THE BOTANICAL GARDENS. I KNOW WE HAD QUESTIONS ON THAT, AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU ADDING THAT. AND, UM, I HAD A QUESTION JUST RELATED TO THE KABOOM GRANT. 'CAUSE I KNOW OFTENTIMES YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SPACE READY AND IT TAKES A WHILE. SO HOW LONG WERE WE IN Q FOR A POTENTIAL KABOOM GRANT? UH, WELL, WE ACTUALLY GOT THE PLAYGROUND INSTALLED THAT DAY. SO THESE, THESE, THESE PLAYGROUND, UH, PROJECTS ARE MONTHS AND MONTHS IN PREPARATION. AND THEN WE HAD A VOLUNTEER DAY WHERE FOLKS CAME IN AND HELPED US INSTALL IT. SO THERE IS A PLAYGROUND THAT WAS INSTALLED, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH KABOOM THAT WAS FUNDED BY, BY, UH, I'M FORGETTING THE, OF THE ORGANIZATION, BUT IT WAS FUNDED BY A CORPORATION. NO, NO, NO. I, I'M SORRY. YEAH, I DIDN'T ASK THE QUESTION VERY WELL. UM, I WOULD, MY QUESTION WAS, UM, WHEN WAS THE INITIAL ENGAGEMENT WITH KABOOM? 'CAUSE I KNOW SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T HAPPEN RIGHT AWAY. LIKE THEY'VE GOT SEVERAL, UM, PROSPECTS AND IT DEPENDS ON THE CORPORATION TO CHOOSE THE, THE GROUP. AND SO, UM, I WAS JUST CURIOUS AND THEN ALSO IF WE'RE POTENTIALLY, IF THERE'S A POSSIBILITY FOR KABOOM IN THE FUTURE, LIKE, DO WE HAVE ANOTHER SPACE THAT'S UP? UH, I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT TIMELINE ON THE PLAYGROUND THAT WE JUST DID, BUT IT IS, IT DOES TAKE, TAKE A WHILE AND IT'S A COUPLE MONTHS, BUT, BUT I'M EXCITED. YOU KNOW, KABOOM HAS BEEN, HAS EXPRESSED A LOT OF INTEREST IN WORKING WITH US CLOSELY IN AUSTIN. AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH TO TRY TO MAP OUT SOME ADDITIONAL PLAYGROUNDS HERE IN THE CITY. THAT'S GREAT. YEAH. OKAY. UM, YEAH, IT'S JUST A CURIOSITY 'CAUSE I KNOW IT'S SUCH A GOOD GRANT. UM, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE READY WHEN THEY'RE READY. UM, AND THEN NOW THAT WE HAVE THIS ONE AND, AND IF IT WORKED WELL, THEN THERE'S POSSIBILITY FOR MUCH MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM. SO THAT'S JUST AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY AND I WAS GLAD TO SEE THAT, UM, IN THE REPORT. ALL RIGHT. BOARD MEMBERS, ANYTHING ELSE? NOTHING. WE ARE SO EXCITED WE HAVE NO MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, THANK YOU. UM, MR. BECK, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU THAT MAY FIT WITH THIS, OR IF NOT, THEN IT WILL GO INTO THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. SO HOLD TIGHT 'CAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE, UM, WE HAD A COUPLE THINGS COME UP AROUND, UM, JUST THE CHANGES TO THE BYLAWS. UH, UM, ITEM 72. AND SO I JUST WANTED YOU TO WEIGH IN ON THAT BRIEFLY. 'CAUSE I THINK THERE'S MAYBE SOME CONFUSION AROUND THAT. UH, YES, CHAIR. UH, SO AT THE SEPTEMBER, I BELIEVE 24TH MEETING, UH, CITY COUNCIL AMENDED PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD'S, BYLAWS, UH, SECTION TWO, ARTICLE TWO, WHICH IS THE PURPOSE AND DUTY SECTION. AND THEY ADDED LANGUAGE, UH, STATING THAT THE BOARD, UM, YOU KNOW, SHOULD PROVIDE A ADVISED COUNCIL ON ISSUES RELATED TO CONCESSIONS AS WELL AS AGREEMENTS WITH NON-PROFIT PARTNERS. UH, SO I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS AMENDMENT WITH THE CITY CLERK BECAUSE IT IS RATHER UNUSUAL FOR CITY COUNCIL TO DECIDE TO AMEND OUR BYLAWS WITHOUT THOSE BYLAWS HAVING FIRST BEEN INITIATED BY THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD. UM, AND [03:50:01] IT, IT ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, MY VIEW IS THAT, UM, CONCESSIONS ON PARKLAND AND AGREEMENTS FROM NON-PAR PROFIT PARTNERS ARE AREAS OF A PARK SYSTEM THAT ARE KIND OF WELL ESTABLISHED OVER THE PAST YEARS AND ONES WITH THE, WHICH THE BOARD ALREADY WEIGHS IN ON IN SEVERAL WAYS. A GOOD EXAMPLE WOULD BE THE PRESENTATION OF THE PEACE PARK PHASE PLAN TONIGHT RELATING TO NONPROFIT PARTNERS, OR IN THE CASE OF CONCESSIONS ON PARKLAND, IN ADDITION TO THE BOARD HAVING A, A ROLE IN REVIEWING RECOMMENDATION OR REVIEWING, UH, ONCOMING CONCESSIONAIRES AROUND TOWN LAKE PARK, WHICH IS, UH, ESTABLISHED IN CITY CODE AS A ROLE OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD. UH, THE BOARD ALSO MAKES A, AN ANNUAL REVIEW OF OUR, UH, CONTRACTS AND CONCESSIONS REPORT, UH, HERE AT THE PARKS AND RECREATION. UH, SO THOSE ARE TWO EXAMPLES OF WAYS THAT, UH, THE BOARD ALREADY KIND OF PROVIDES USEFUL INPUT AND, UH, ADVICE ON THOSE AREAS. UM, AND I KNOW THERE HAVE ALSO KIND OF BEEN QUESTIONS ABOUT THE, THE REVIEW AUTHORITY. IN MY VIEW, IT DOESN'T REALLY CHANGE THE WAY THAT, UM, THE BOARD AND THE DEPARTMENT WORK TOGETHER. UH, WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO THE BOARD WHEN ASKED. UM, AND IF THE BOARD REQUESTED INFORMATION OF US RELATED TO CONCESSIONAIRES OR NONPROFIT AGREEMENTS, WE WOULD CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THAT. IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY CREATE ANY NEW RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE BOARD AND IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE NATURE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP, WHICH IS COLLABORATIVE. THERE'S, THERE REMAINS NO CITY PROCESS THAT WOULD BEGIN OR END BASED ON A BOARD ACTION. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, OKAY. THANK YOU DIRECTOR. ALRIGHT, WE'LL MOVE TO FUTURE AGENDA [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ] ITEMS. AND I KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE, UM, AT LEAST ONE ITEM FROM BOARD MEMBER KELLY THAT WE'RE GONNA REVIEW POTENTIALLY NEXT MONTH RELATED TO, UM, SKATE PARKS. MM-HMM . UM, AND SO THAT CONTINUES TO BE HERE, UH, YOU KNOW, IN IN OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, BOARD MEMBER. KELLY, DID YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING ELSE TO THAT? UH, NO, BUT I DID WANNA APOLOGIZE FOR THE TECHNICAL BUTCH EARLIER AND . WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU BACK. OKAY. ANY, ANY OTHERS? BOARD MEMBERS? BOARD MEMBER EUBANKS? UM, I DO WANT US TO, UM, TAKE UP THE, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING DOG HEAD SPECIFICALLY DEALT WITH PARKS. THEY HAVE, I DON'T REMEMBER, 50 SOME ODD RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT THERE'S SOME VERY SPECIFIC TO PARKS AND I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO SUPPORT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IN THAT REGARD AND BRING, I'LL BRING THAT UP AS AN AGENDA ITEM FOR NEXT MONTH. OKAY. I BELIEVE IT. DID WE ALL RECEIVE A COPY OF THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS? I HAVE, I HAVE A COPY, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S THROUGH. OH, WE CAN, WELL IF WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THAT YEAH. UH, HAVE THE ECS RECOMMENDATIONS, THEN WE'LL IF YOU'LL JUST FOLLOW UP WITH AN EMAIL. YES, I'LL DO THAT TO MR. DON. I'LL THAT, AND HE'LL BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THAT EMAIL. BUT THAT WILL BE AN AGENDA ITEM, UH, THAT I'LL NEED A SECOND FOR. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? BOARD MEMBERS? ALL RIGHT. OKAY. UM, IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, I WILL UM, ADJOURN THE BOARD MEETING AT 10:09 PM THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.