[00:00:03]
THE AAV TECH SAYS WE'RE READY TO GO LIVE.
SO IF YOU WANT TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER, WE'RE GOOD HERE.
[Call to Order ]
EVERYBODY.WE'RE BACK ON VIDEO AND IT'S WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD, AND THIS IS A MEETING OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD, AND I'M GLAD TO SEE EVERYBODY'S FACES.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UM, I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND CALL, CALL ROLL.
HE'S HERE, UH, FOR MEMBER DIPLOMA.
WE'RE MEMBER RINALDI, OR MEMBER DICARLO HERE, OR, BUT BOARD MEMBER MASON MURPHY.
WE'RE A MEMBER FAUST PRESENT WHERE MEMBER MORGAN IS EVIDENTLY NOT HERE.
REMEMBER LUCA IS ALSO NOT HERE.
I FORGOT ONE MEMBER TAYLOR AS IT AND BOARD MEMBER COTTON SEIBEL IS NOT HERE, HERE, LOUIS.
I HAVE A TEXT FROM BOARD MEMBER, COTTON SEIBEL.
SHE'S HAVING A TECH TROUBLES AND SHE'LL BE ON IN JUST A FEW.
WELL, WE CAN JUST GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
SO LET'S MOVE AHEAD TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
[Additional Item 1]
I'M SORRY.WE DO HAVE ONE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION.
IT'S BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SEE THEM THAT I AM CONSTANTLY FORGIVING.
SO PLEASE GO AHEAD AND, UM, WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM THEM.
WE HAVE ONE, UH, PERSON THAT HAS CALLED IN KEVIN.
HELLO? OH, I SHOULD SAY HELLO AGAIN.
UH, KEVIN REIGN IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN ROWING CLUB AND, UH, HOPE EVERYBODY'S WELL, UH, CERTAINLY AS WE ALL KNOW, 2020 HAS BEEN A REALLY CHALLENGING AND TOUGH YEAR FOR NONPROFITS, SMALL BUSINESSES, AND WE CERTAINLY HAVE HAD SOME SERIOUS IMPACTS, BUT I WANTED TO SHARE AND NOT TAKE AWAY FROM WHAT KIMBERLY'S GONNA SAY LATER.
A BRIGHT SPOT FOR US IN 2020 IS THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE RECONSTRUCTION OF OUR RUNNING DOCKS AT THE WALNUT CREEK BOAT HOUSE.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW GREAT THAT MAKES EVERYBODY FEEL, YOU KNOW, IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT TO BE ABLE TO GET OUTDOORS AND EXERCISE.
AND WE'RE DOING, WE HAVE VERY, VERY STRICT PROTOCOLS.
UM, I GET SO MANY COMPLIMENTS FROM ROWERS AND OTHERS THAT USE THE FACILITY ON HOW BEAUTIFUL THE DOCS LOOK.
SO I WANTED TO PASS THAT ON AND ALSO PERSONALLY THANK LEANNA AND KIMBERLY FOR ENABLING THAT TO HAPPEN.
GEORGE MOUNT MALDONADO AND LEO ALANA'S WERE JUST FABULOUS TO WORK WITH VERY PROFESSIONAL, POLITE AND TF HARPER.
THE CONTRACTOR DID A GREAT JOB.
IS THAT, IS THAT ALL WE HAVE SAMEY? YES.
WE DO HAVE BARBARA ATTWELL ON THE LINE AS WELL, BUT SHE IS HERE TO JUST ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS RELATED TO ITEM B ONE.
WHICH WAS FULL WE'LL DO IN JUST A MINUTE.
[A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Approve the minutes of the Parks and Recreation Board special meeting of September 2, 2020.]
UM, MOVE ON TO APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THOSE AND SEE IF THEY HAD ANY CHANGES OR, UM, THAT THEY'D LIKE TO SUGGEST.
AND IF NOT, IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO MOVE TO APPROVE THEM SHARE.
MY NAME IS MISSPELLED AT, SEE IT'S IT'S SPELLED WITH TWO A'S.
IT SHOULD BE S H E L HAS TO CLARIFY.
I'M SURE THEY CAN HOPEFULLY FIX THAT.
UM, DOES ANYBODY WANT TO MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OR MAKE A CHANGE? THE MEN AMEND THE MINUTES.
I SECOND IT OKAY FOR THANK YOU.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES.
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ANY NAYS? ANY ABSTENTIONS? OKAY.THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
[B1. NEW BUSINESS: PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS Make a recommendation to the City Council on the official naming of “Ebba Springs” in response to a proposal filed by a local property owner to the United States Board on Geographic Names, that concerns an unnamed spring located on private property in the City’s extra-territorial jurisdiction near Commons Ford Ranch Metropolitan Park and the Austin Lake Hills neighborhood. Presenter: Kimberly McNeeley, Director, Parks and Recreation Department (SD23 Outcome: Health & Environment)]
WE HAVE THE, UH, WHERE WE HAVE, WE CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL, THE OFFICIAL NAMING OF EBIS SPRINGS IN RESPONSE TO A PROPOSAL FAR BY A LOCAL LOCAL PROPERTY OWNER TO THE UNITED STATES BOARD ON GEOGRAPHIC NAMES THAT CONCERNS AN UNNAMED SPRING LOCATED ON PRIVATE PROPERTY IN THE CITY'S EXTRA TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION, NEAR CUMMINS FORWARD BRANDS, METROPOLITAN PARK, AND THE AUSTIN LAKE HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD.SO WE HAVE DIRECTOR MCNEELY, UM, FOR THE PRESENTATION, YOU HAVE A FACT SHEET AND A MAP, AND YOU HAVE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT ALICE SPRINGS.
SO THIS IS UNLIKE LIKE MAIMINGS THAT ARE GOVERNED BY OUR ORDINANCE.
THIS IS OUTSIDE OF THAT PROCESS.
SO BASICALLY LET'S FORWARD OF GEOGRAPHIC THEMES.
UM, THEY RECEIVED A PROPOSAL FROM THE PROPERTY OWNER, UM, AND ONE OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS, MRS. BARBARA, MISS BARBARA, IS ON THE LINE TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS.
AND THEY RECEIVED A PROPOSAL TO NAME A SPRING THAT ORIGINATES ON THEIR PROPERTY OF A SPRINGS.
AND WE ARE AN ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER, WHICH IS WHY, UM, THE BOARD OF GEOGRAPHIC NAMES CONTACTED THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT BECAUSE SPRINGS AND THINGS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH WATER ARE ALSO, UM, SOMETHING THAT THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT IS INTERESTED IN.
I ALSO FORWARDED THIS INFORMATION TO THEM JUST SO THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE SITUATION.
UM, THE BOARD OF GEOGRAPHIC NAMES IS RESPONSIBLE FOR, UM, STANDARDIZING THE WAY IN WHICH, UH, YOU NAME THINGS FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND SO PARTLY THE SPRING DOESN'T HAPPEN.
UM, BUT IT IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT IT COULD BE JUST GREAT.
AND SO THE, UM, THE G THE GEOGRAPHIC NAMES, LET ME GO AND LET THE CITY OF AUSTIN KNOW THAT THEY LIKE TO SAY SOME IMPORTANCE ON THE LOCAL OPINION.
AND THEREFORE THEY SENT US THIS INFORMATION FOR US TO BE ABLE TO, UM, HAVE COMMENT ON AND THEY ASK FOR SOME INPUT.
AND, UM, YOU AS INDIVIDUALS WHO HELP REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT INPUT.
UM, THE REAL PROPERTY OWNER STATES THAT THE SPRING HAS BEEN KNOWN LOCALLY FOR MANY YEARS IS EBIS SPRINGS.
AND THAT THE PROPERTY IS KNOWN AS EBIS SPRINGS, WILDLIFE REFUGE.
SO EVEN THOUGH IT HAS NOT BEEN FORMALLY NAMED THAT IT'S SOMETHING, OR IT'S A COMMONLY KNOWN NAME BY INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH THAT SPACE, AND THE CITY COUNCIL HAS BEEN ASKED TO PROVIDE ITS RECOMMENDATION.
AND THEY ALSO WERE ALSO THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY, I'M SORRY, TRAVIS COUNTY WAS ASKED TO PROVIDE THEIR RECOMMENDATION.
AND SO THE THING THAT CHANGED FROM THE TIME THAT WE WERE ABLE TO POST, AND THE TIME THAT I'M TALKING TO YOU NOW IS THAT TRAVIS COUNTY DECIDED THAT IN A WAY THAT THEY WERE GOING TO RESPOND TO THIS REQUEST IS THAT THEY WERE GOING TO BASICALLY HAVE NO OPINION.
THEY DON'T HAVE ANY SPECIFIC CONCERNING INFORMATION, OR DO THEY HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF WHY IT SHOULD NOT BE NAMED THE SPRINGS, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE THE STANCE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE.
NO, THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE NO ACTION.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE AN OPINION AS TO WHETHER IT SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT BE NAMED EBIS SPRINGS.
AND WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT AT THE TIME OF THIS POSTING, AND THIS ITEM COMES TO YOU AS A COURTESY, AS A COURTESY REVIEW, BECAUSE IT'S NOT GOVERNED BY OUR ORDINANCES.
SO IT'S NOT REALLY WITHIN OUR AUTHORITY, BUT BECAUSE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UNDER THE BOARD OF GEOGRAPHIC NAMES, UM, WANTED TO SEE IF YOU HAD ANY INPUT, I'M BRINGING IT BEFORE YOU, UM, THE COUNCIL, THEY MAY OR MAY NOT CONSIDER THIS ITEM.
AND SO THE COUNCIL MAJOR FURTHERS ITEM, UM, OR THE LOT DEPARTMENT, THEY DETERMINE THAT IT'S APPROPRIATE TO DEFER THIS ITEM, TO LEAVE THE CITY LEADERSHIP, BUT EITHER WAY, I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO BRING IT FORWARD TO YOU SO THAT I COULD UNDERSTAND IF YOU HAD ANY SPECIFIC CONCERNS OR SPECIFIC OPINIONS ARE RELATED TO THE NAMING.
AND I WILL RELAY THAT INFORMATION EITHER TO THE CITY COUNCIL, IF THEY ARE GOING TO BE THAT ENTITY THAT FINALLY MAKES A DECISION OR AN OPINION, OR WHETHER I'LL JUST FORWARD THIS INFORMATION TO OUR CITY LEADERSHIP.
AND THE REASON WHY IT'S IN THE LAW DEPARTMENT IS BECAUSE WITH TRAVIS COUNTY'S DECISION, UM, THEY, THERE'S NO REAL FORMAL PROCESS.
THERE'S NO LEGAL REASON WHY COUNCIL HAS TO CONSIDER IT.
BUT WE WERE ASKED BY THE BOARD OF GEOGRAPHIC NAMES TO CONSIDER.
AND SO THEY'RE JUST KIND OF FIGURING OUT WHAT'S THE REAL, WHAT'S THE EXACT RIGHT PROCESS FOR US TO DO SO PLEASE KNOW THAT IN OUR BASIC RESEARCH OF THIS SITUATION, THERE'S NO SPECIFIC CONCERNING ISSUE INFORMATION RELATED
[00:10:01]
TO THE PROPOSED GAMES.UM, IT'S SURFACE, NOTHING HAS SURFACED AS PART OF OUR BASIC BASIC RESEARCH.
THAT WOULD SAY THAT THERE'S SOMETHING OBJECTIONABLE REGARDING THIS NAME, AND WE HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANYTHING THAT'S OFFENSIVE OR UNDESIRABLE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS NAME.
AND SO THEREFORE I LEAVE IT TO YOU AS A BOARD TO DECIDE WHETHER YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE NO, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY OBJECTION.
YOU CAN SAY, WE HAVE NO OBJECTION AND VOTE ON THAT.
YOU COULD SAY WE HAVE NO OPINION, AND YOU COULD VOTE ON THAT.
AND YOU COULD SAY THAT YOU SUPPORT IT, OR YOU COULD SAY THAT YOU HAVE, UM, YOU HAVE, UM, A CONCERNED THAT YOU WANT TO BRING FORWARD.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT AGAIN, THAT PROPERTY OWNER IS ON THE LINE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT I'M NOT ABLE TO ANSWER, UM, AND I WILL LEAVE IT UP TO YOU NOT TO DELIBERATE.
SO THE, FOR THE PURPOSES OF BIG THROUGH OUR AGENDA, CAN I GO AHEAD AND JUST OFFER A MOTION FOR DISCUSSION AND THE MOTION BEING THAT PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD OPERAS? NO OBJECTION TO THE NAMING.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT? JUST A SECOND.
SO, AND SO WE JUST HAVE EMOTION TOO.
CAN YOU PLEASE REPEAT YOUR, YOUR MOTION IS TO APPROVE OR TO NO.
THE, THE PARTS OF THE PARKS AND BOARD REC, UH, THE PARKS AND RECREATION OR OFFERS? NO OBJECTION, NO OBJECTION TO THE NAME.
AND I THINK WE'RE JUST DOING THIS REALLY TO JUST HELP OUT THIS PARTNER AGENCY AND SUPPORT THEM.
IS THAT PRETTY MUCH WHY WE'RE LISTENING TO THIS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO OR MEMBER, I MEAN, DIRECTOR MCNEELY.
AND ALSO, BECAUSE AS I RECALL FOR CONSIDERATION AND I WANTED TO BE AS CANDID AS POSSIBLE THEN, SO YEAH.
SO HOW ABOUT OUR AGENCY NOT TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE? WELL, WE, WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE TRANSPARENCY.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER DEPALMA AND, UH, UH, SECOND BY BOARD MEMBER MORGAN.
SO WE CAN JUST, UNLESS THERE'S ANY DISCUSSION, I CAN GO AHEAD AND VOTE ALL IN FAVOR, ANY OPPOSED? ANIMOUS THANK YOU.
[B2. Presentation and discussion of the Barton Creek Greenbelt reservation pilot. Presenter: Amanda Ross, Natural Resources Division Manager, Parks and Recreation Department (PARD Long Range Plan Strategies – Operational Efficiency, Urban Public Spaces, Park Access for All; SD23 Outcomes]
NUMBER TWO, PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF THE BARTON CREEK GREENBELT RESERVATION PILOT, AND OUR PRESENTER IS AMANDA ROSS.CAN YOU HEAR ME TODAY? I AM HERE.
I JUST GOT A COUPLE OF TECHNOLOGY THINGS HAPPENING.
UM, SO I AM AMANDA ROSS AND I AM HERE TO PRESENT TO YOU ON THE BARTON CREEK GREENBELT RESERVATION PILOT.
UM, IF YOU HOPEFULLY HAVE ALL OF THE SLIDES IN FRONT OF YOU AND I'LL BE ASKING FOR THOSE TO BE ADVANCED, I CAN SEE YOU.
SO IF YOU DO HAVE ANY STRUGGLES OR CONCERNS OR SOMETHING ISN'T WORKING, IF YOU DO DO WAVE YOUR HAND AT ME ABOUT THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
UM, SO I AM THE DIVISION MANAGER FOR NATURAL RESOURCES, UM, WHICH INCLUDES A VARIETY OF NATURE BASED PROGRAMS. UM, AND, UM, THAT SPECIFICALLY ALSO INCLUDES OUR PARK RANGER UNIT AND OUR PARK RANGER UNIT, PARTICULARLY WITH COVID HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN OUR PARK MONITORING PROJECT IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR GROUNDS AND OPERATIONS UNIT.
UM, AND SO THIS RESERVATION PILOT KIND OF GREW OUT OF OUR PARK MONITOR PROJECT.
AND SO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU WILL SEE I'LL GIVE IT A SECOND TO GET CAUGHT UP THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SLIDE TWO, SLIDE TWO IS UP AMANDA.
IT'S ALL THE BIRDS AND OH, PERFECT.
I'M NOT SEEING IT ON I'LL STOP.
I'LL STOP WATCHING THE ATX AND VERSION THEN I'M NOT SEEING IT ON THAT VERSION.
SO THE BARTON CREEK GREENBELT IS DEFINITELY AN ICONIC SPACE WITHIN AUSTIN.
IT'S KNOWN HERE AND AN OUTSIDE OF THE CITY.
IT HAS A SEVEN MILE TRAIL THAT GOES FROM THE HELL OF LIFE DOWN TO BARTON SPRINGS POOL.
UM, IT IS, UM, ENDANGERED SPECIES HABITAT FOR OUR GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLER.
IT IS MOSTLY CLOSED CANOPY, OAK JUNIPER WOODLANDS.
IT HAS, UM, BARTON CREEK RUNNING THROUGH IT THAT IS AT TIMES A FLASHY CREEK, UM, AND CAN BE PROBLEMATIC FOR FLOODING.
IT ALLOWS HIKING AND BIKING, ROCK CLIMBING, AND A VARIETY OF NATURE APPRECIATION
[00:15:01]
WITHIN ITS SPACE.UM, AND IT HAS BEEN WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT FOR, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE OVER 30 YEARS.
UM, AND IT HAS BEEN PART OF THE BALCONIES PRINT, UH, KENYON LAND PRESERVED SINCE 1996, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THAT ONE.
UM, NEXT SLIDE IS GOING TO BE ON CHALLENGES.
SO WITH ANY SPACE THAT IS ICONIC AND AS GRAND AS THAT SPACE IS, WE ALSO SEE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
UM, AND SPECIFICALLY CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE SEEN, UM, MORE RECENTLY HAVE INVOLVED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.
UM, A SURVEY FROM 2013 SHOWED THAT WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 400,000 PEOPLE TO THE BARTON CREEK GREENBELT EACH YEAR.
UM, AND WITH THOSE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE, WE SEE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS FROM SOCIAL TRAILS, UM, THAT ARE CREATED IN AN UNSUSTAINABLE MANNER, UM, INCREASED EROSION, UM, COMPACTED TRAILS, COMPRESSED COMPACTED, CREEKSIDE, THINGS ALONG THOSE NATURE.
UM, WE ALSO SEE ADDITIONAL LITTER.
UM, FLOODING IS ALSO PROBLEMATIC IN THIS SPACE.
IT IS A SPACE THAT HAS, UM, A FLASHY CREEK, AS I'D MENTIONED BEFORE.
AND AS A RESULT, WE HAVE CLOSED THE BARTON CREEK GREENBELT AND OUR DIRECTOR HAS THE AUTHORITY TO CLOSE THE CREEK AS IN COORDINATION WITH THAT.
SO THAT IS ALSO A CHALLENGE FOR US IS HOW TO CLOSE THAT SPACE SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THE SAFETY OF INDIVIDUALS.
WE HAVE HAD A DEATH IN THE CREEK AS WELL.
UM, IN ADDITION, WE HAVE SAFETY CONCERNS IN THE SPACE.
UM, SOMEONE'S HIKING, WE'VE HAD INDIVIDUALS FALL AND HURT THEMSELVES PRETTY SEVERELY, AND OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAMS ARE COMING IN, UM, FROM THE CITY AND WORKING TO GET TO THEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND THEN WE OVERALL HAVE SOME NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERN, CONCERNS RANGING FROM WILDFIRE CONCERNS TO, UM, PARKING CONCERNS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, TO TRASH IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FROM USERS OF THE SPACE AS WELL.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OVERALL CONCERNS THAT WE TYPICALLY SEE IN THIS SPACE.
SOCIAL DISTANCING HAS ALSO BEEN A CONCERN.
THE, UH, PHOTO THAT YOU SEE THERE IN FRONT OF YOU IS ACTUALLY FROM A WEB POST FROM EARLY MAY.
UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT, UM, AS FAR AS THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE, UM, IN EARLY MAY DURING A SPACE THAT IS TYPICALLY BUSY, UM, DURING A STAY AT HOME ORDER, NEXT SLIDE, UM, IS ON RECENT EFFORTS.
SO BEFORE OUR COVID COVID COVID SPECIFIC EFFORTS, WE WERE LOOKING AT HOW WE COULD WORK TO, UM, JUST UNDERSTAND OUR CHALLENGES A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO WE'VE BEEN DOING QUARTERLY TRASH SURVEYS OF THE BARTON CREEK GREENBELT WITH OUR PARK RANGER UNIT, UM, FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT TRASH IS THERE, UM, CATEGORIZING THAT TRASH.
UM, WE FOUND THAT POOP BAGS, CIGARETTE BUTTS, UM, AND CANS AND GLASS ARE THE MOST FREQUENT THINGS THAT WE SEE AS WELL.
AND THOSE EFFORTS, UM, WE'VE DONE A LEAVE, NO TRACE HOTSPOT, UM, THAT WAS DONE IN FEBRUARY, UM, IN EARLY MARCH, ACTUALLY RIGHT BEFORE, UM, THE STATE HOME ORDER WAS ISSUED.
AND THAT IS A NATIONAL PROGRAM WITH OUR LEAD, NO TRACE, UM, PARTNERS AND THAT INVOLVED ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING AND MEDIA AND JUST, UM, ADDITIONAL ATTENTION TO THE BARTON CREEK GREENBELT.
WE ALSO, UM, HAVE INCREASED PROGRAMMING IN THE AREA AND WE REALLY RELY ON PARTNERS FOR INCREASED PROGRAMMING IN THE AREA.
UM, SAY BARTON CREEK ASSOCIATION DOES OFTEN DOES A VARIETY OF PROGRAMMING AND THE GREENBELT TO JUST HELP RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE SPACE ITSELF AND, UM, THE UNIQUENESS OF THOSE ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES OF THE GREENBELT AS WELL.
WE'VE ALSO WORKED TO, UM, OUR GROUND STAFF IN PARTICULAR HAS WORKED REALLY HARD ON UPGRADING THE ENTRY AREAS WITH TRASH AND RECYCLING AND SIGNAGE SO THAT WE CAN CREATE SOME OF THOSE CUES OF CARE.
SO THAT A VISITOR TO A SPACE CAN SAY, OH, SOMEONE, SOMEONE CARES ABOUT THIS SPACE.
SOMEONE IS, IS HERE AND TAKING CARE OF IT.
AND AS A RESULT I NEED TO DO, I NEED TO ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MY ACTIONS IN THIS SPACE AS WELL.
UM, AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE MORE RECENT EFFORTS WITH COVID.
WE ALSO, UM, INCREASED SOME PARK RANGER PRESENCE IN THE AREA, UM, AND WORKED WITH APD PARTNERS TO ALSO INCREASE SOME PRESENCE IN THE AREA, JUST BECAUSE WE WERE SEEING SOME SOCIAL DISTANCING CONCERNS.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE IS ON OUR, JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE PILOT PROJECT SPECIFICALLY.
UM, THE PILOT PROJECT INVOLVES FREE RESERVATIONS.
THAT ONE MUST RECEIVE ONLINE FROM THE PARK'S WEBSITE, AND YOU CAN GO ONLINE, CREATE AN ACCOUNT AND SIGN UP FOR FREE RESERVATION AT ANY OF THESE SEVEN ENTRANCES.
UM, THE TIMES FOR RESERVATIONS ARE REALLY BASED ON WHEN WE HAD SEEN HIGHEST USAGE.
SO THE GOAL ISN'T TO SAY THAT NO ONE CAN GO AT ANY POINT IN TIME THAT YOU ALWAYS NEED A RESERVATION, BUT IT IS DURING THOSE PEAK HOURS TO TRY AND HELP REDUCE, UM,
[00:20:01]
SOME OF THAT PEAK USE AND TRYING TO SPREAD IT OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE EVENLY.UM, THROUGHOUT TIME TIMEFRAME, WE WERE LOOKING AT REALLY MANAGED SPACE MANAGE RESERVATIONS DURING THOSE PEAK TIMES, AND THE RESERVATIONS ARE AVAILABLE TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE RESERVATION DATE ITSELF, AND WE HAVE PARKS PERK MONITORS IN PLACE, UM, WHICH WE WERE THANKFUL TO HAVE SUPPORT FROM OUR AQUATICS TEAM, UM, AND OTHER TEMPORARY STAFF WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT AT ALL SEVEN ENTRANCES, UM, TO CHECK RESERVATIONS.
SO THEY SIMPLY ASK, UM, DO YOU HAVE A RESERVATION? CAN I GET YOUR NAME? AND THEN THEY CHECK OFF THE INDIVIDUAL ON THE LIST ITSELF, THEIR GOAL OF THOSE MONITORS, AS WELL AS TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND INFORMATION BACK TO USERS, UM, IF THEY ARE THERE AND THEY DON'T HAVE A RESERVATION, HOW THEY CAN EARN A RESERVATION NEXT TIME, HOW THEY CAN GO ONLINE AND GET ONE, UM, AND THEN WHERE THEY CAN GO THAT DAY.
SO HERE'S SOME OTHER PARKS THAT CURRENTLY, UM, DON'T REQUIRE RESERVATIONS.
UM, HERE'S SOME PLACES THAT YOU COULD GO IMMEDIATELY WITH YOUR FAMILY, UM, TO, TO ENJOY, TO ENJOY NATURE.
SO SOME OF THE GUIDING QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD WITH THIS PILOT PROJECT WERE BASICALLY CAN MANAGE TO ACCESS WORK.
UM, SO WE MOVED TO THE NEXT SLIDE FOR GUIDING QUESTIONS.
UM, YOU'LL SEE THOSE QUESTIONS IN FRONT OF YOU THERE, KEN MANAGED ACCESS WORK AND STILL PROVIDE AN ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE, OR DOES IT REALLY MAKE IT SUCH THAT SOMEONE'S EXPERIENCE IS NOT AS ENJOYABLE? UM, IS IT TOO DIFFICULT TO GET A RESERVATION? ARE YOU NOT ABLE TO GET A RESERVATION, UM, QUESTIONS LIKE THAT? WE'LL BE LOOKING INTO THAT TO UNDERSTAND THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE, OR IS IT THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO GO AND ENJOY IT WITH LESS PEOPLE AND THEREFORE IT'S A BETTER ENVIRONMENT EXPERIENCE FOR YOU.
SO WE'LL BE ASKING KIND OF THAT QUESTION AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS PROJECT, UM, KIND OF RESERVATION SYSTEM BE IMPLEMENTED EQUITABLY THAT'S, THAT'S A BIG ONE FOR US.
UM, WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS, UM, FOR PEOPLE TO ENJOY THIS SPACE AND UNDERSTANDING THAT AND SEEING WHAT CAN BE DONE, IF ANYTHING AT ALL, AND THAT, OR IF IT, IT CAN'T BE DONE, AND THEN IT'S JUST THE MODEL THAT COULD WORK IN OTHER PARKS AS WELL.
UM, WE DO MANAGE ACCESS CURRENTLY IN A FEW OTHER SPACES ASSOCIATED WITH COVID.
SO IS THIS SOMETHING THAT COULD WORK IN OTHER SPACES? AND IF SO, HOW, AND WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? UM, AND THEN WHAT ARE SOME OF THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF INCREASING STAFFING LEVELS AT THE GREENBELT? IS IT DIFFICULT TO GET CONSISTENT TRAIN STAFF? UM, IS IT, IS IT DIFFICULT TO ALSO, SO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT, UM, PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO GET IN AND ENJOY IT AND HAVE A GOOD INTERACTION.
UM, AND THEN WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS? IF, IF THERE'S HAVING ADDITIONAL STAFF THERE IS THAT, IS THAT BENEFICIAL TO THE INDIVIDUALS IN THE, IN THE PARK COULD BE RESPOND TO SITUATIONS QUICKER.
AND THEN LASTLY, ARE THERE ANY ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES AS A RESULT OF MANAGED ACCESS MOVING FORWARD THROUGHOUT THE PILOT? SO MOVING ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE ON DATA COLLECTION, UM, THESE ARE SOME OF THE PIECES OF DATA THAT WE'LL BE COLLECTING.
UM, AND THIS IS ALL, ALL FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
THE NUMBER OF RESERVATIONS, WE'RE ALSO ASKING OUR PARK MONITORS AT THE ENTRANCES, UM, TO KEEP TRACK OF WHO SHOWS UP.
UM, AND THEN THOSE WHO SHOW UP THAT ARE TURNED AWAY BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A RESERVATION DURING THE RESERVATION TIMEFRAME.
WE ALSO ARE ABLE TO COLLECT SOME DEMOGRAPHIC DATA WHEN A RESERVATION IS MADE ONLINE.
THERE'S JUST SOME DATA THAT'S ENTERED AS PART OF THAT RESERVATION WILL CONTINUE.
UM, WE ARE CONTINUING THE TRASH SURVEYS.
WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING THEM MORE FREQUENTLY DURING THE PILOT PROJECT, JUST TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHAT TRASH, UM, CHANGES MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
UM, WE ARE ALSO DOING, UM, WE'LL BE, WE HAVEN'T ROLLED PORTION OUT YET, BUT THAT'S OUR NEXT PHASE IS A PUBLIC SURVEY AND SOME PUBLIC FEEDBACK.
AND THEN SOME, SOME DATA JUST ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, ARE THERE AREAS THAT, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY ARE TRIPLED THAT WE'RE SEEING LESS, LESS OF THAT, OR, OR WE SEEING MORE OF IT, BUT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, TO GIVE YOU SOME QUICK DATA, UM, AGAIN, WE'RE ABOUT FIVE WEEKS IN, SO WE DON'T HAVE ALL OF OUR DATA YET, BUT, UM, WE DO HAVE OTHER RESERVATIONS SITES.
WE ARE SEEING RESERVATIONS CLAIMED AT EMMA LONG AND MOULTRIE THREE LONG, WHICH ARE PAID RESERVATIONS AT ABOUT 75%, UM, AT COMMENTS FORWARD, UM, WHICH IS A NON-PAID RESERVATION, SIMILAR TO THE BARTON CREEK GREENBELT.
WE'RE AROUND 30%, THAT'S 30% OF THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE RESERVATION, UM, SHOW UP FOR THE RESERVATION.
WE ARE SEEING SOMETHING IN LINE SIMILAR TO THAT AT THE BARTON CREEK GREENBELT, BUT WE DO SEE SOME, SOME LOWER NUMBERS IN THAT AS WELL.
SO WE ARE ADJUSTING AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD TO TRY AND ACCOUNT FOR THOSE CHANGES, UM, THAT WE WEREN'T, WE CAN'T NECESSARILY CONTROL WHETHER SOMEONE COMES OR DOESN'T COME.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'LL BE WORKING ON.
AND THEN WE'VE ALSO, WE'VE ALSO INCREASED THE NUMBER OF RESERVATIONS AS WELL OVER TIME.
UM, AS WE, AS WE MOVED INTO STAGE THREE, THERE WERE SOME ADJUSTMENTS MADE AS WELL AS PART OF THAT
[00:25:01]
PROCESS.UM, SO IT IS, IT IS A FREE RESERVATION, SO THERE'S A LITTLE LESS OF A COMMITMENT AS WELL.
UM, SO THAT MAKES IT SO THAT IT CAN BE A LITTLE CHALLENGING TO MANAGE SOME OF THAT SPACE ON OUR LAST SLIDE HERE.
SECOND TO LAST SLIDE IS JUST THE NEXT STEPS.
UM, AND THE NEXT STEPS INVOLVE, UM, THE PROJECT JUST KIND OF ALLOWING IT TO COMPLETE ITSELF, BEING ABLE TO FINISH THAT DATA COLLECTION.
WE'LL BE ROLLING OUT ADDITIONAL PUBLIC FEEDBACK HERE SHORTLY.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL BE ANALYZING THE DATA AND MAKING SOME OFFICIAL RECOMMENDATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
AND THEN, UM, THE LAST SLIDE IS JUST, IT'S JUST SOME QUESTIONS, UM, UH, QUESTIONS SIDE.
SO I'M JUST GONNA GO AROUND, I THINK THAT THE GROUP AND JUST ASK EACH PERSON, IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS, I THINK THIS IS THE EASIEST WAY TO DO IT WHEN WE'RE, UM, WE'RE LIKE THIS, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THOSE WHO ARE ON THE PHONE, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T SEE THEM.
SO, UM, AND I'M JUST GOING TO GO IN THE ORDER WHERE I SEE, SO THAT, THAT SPORT, UH, COTTON CYBIL DO YOU HAVE, I, DO I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS? I'M WONDERING, I KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE MEDIA SAVVY, BUT THERE ARE OTHERS THAT ARE NOT, AND I'M WONDERING WHAT WE'VE DONE.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAVE IS WHAT ARE WE DOING TO GET THE WORD OUT TO PEOPLE ABOUT THESE RESERVATIONS? AND, UM, I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION WHICH IS, UM, QUICK THAT THERE IS A WAY TO UNREGISTER, WHICH MIGHT ALSO BE A, AN IMPORTANT FEATURE IF PEOPLE AT THE LAST MINUTE WANT TO UNREGISTER AND LET OTHERS COME.
UM, AND I'M WONDERING, WELL, THOSE ARE GOOD ENOUGH.
UM, SO FOR GETTING, GETTING THE WORD OUT, WE DID A FAIRLY LARGE SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH ASSOCIATED WITH IT AND SOME MEDIA INFORMATION ON IT AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN IT IS IT'S ON OUR WEBSITE.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE, WE'VE SHARED IT WITH, UM, THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER AS WELL, TO HELP SHARE THAT MESSAGE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
WE ALSO HAVE INSTALLED SIGNAGE AT ALL OF THE TRAILHEADS THAT EXPLAINS IT.
SO IF SOMEONE'S VISITING ON A TUESDAY THAT THEY CAN SEE SOME OF THAT SIGNAGE, UM, WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF THAT SIGNAGE REMOVED, SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A GAME TO KEEP UP WITH THAT AS WELL.
UM, AN INDIVIDUAL CAN UNREGISTER, IT JUST NEEDS TO BE DONE THE DAY BEFORE.
UM, SO THAT, UM, WE JUST, FOR OUR PROCESS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE RESERVATION WAS GOING OUT TO THE INDIVIDUALS IS, UM, IS THE MOST UPTODATE LISTS.
SO THERE IS A, THERE'S A TIMEFRAME, UM, AND I NEED TO DO IT BY OR ELSE OR ELSE THEY'RE THERE THEY'RE LOCKED IN AND THEY CAN REGISTER.
MY QUESTION GOES BACK TO, AND IT SEEMS LIKE ALL THE WAYS THAT YOU'RE INFORMED WHEN PEOPLE ARE STILL ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
SO WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT LIKE MY MOTHER IS NOT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT SHE WOULD LIKE TO GO FOR A WALK.
HOW ARE THOSE FOLKS SUPPOSED TO GET THEM DUES WITHOUT GOING THERE? IT IS, IT IS DIFFICULT TO REACH PEOPLE WHO AREN'T NECESSARILY, UM, FREQUENT USERS OF THE SPACE, UM, OR WHO ARE NOT ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR WHO ARE NOT DOING MEDIA.
WE'VE ALSO DONE TRADITIONAL MEDIA AS WELL.
SO IT'S NOT JUST SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT WE HAVE HAD MEDIA COVERAGE.
THAT'S NOT JUST TRADITIONAL MEDIA.
UM, SO WE ARE SHARING THE MESSAGE, UM, THAT WAY AS WELL, WE'VE HAD, UM, COVERAGE FROM KX AND, UM, AS WELL AS KUT.
SO WE'VE HAD SOME ADDITIONAL MEDIA COVERAGE AS WELL.
UM, WE'RE OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS IF, IF YOU HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR, FOR HOW BETTER TO REACH PEOPLE ABOUT THAT, UM, WE'D BE, WE'D BE HAPPY TO LOOK INTO IMPLEMENTING SOME ADDITIONAL NOTIFICATIONS.
THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBER DEPALMA, BUT YOU HAVE A QUESTION.
SORRY, TAKE A WHILE FOR A REGISTER BUTTON.
WE'RE REALLY NOT A QUESTION, BUT DO YOU SEE IN ONE BOARD MEMBER KHAN, SEIBEL HAD SOME GREAT, GREAT QUESTIONS AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE RESULTS OF THE PILOT STUDY TO BE ABLE TO FIND OUT SOME OF THOSE RESULTS.
I DO SEE THAT ONLINE, UM, THE BARTON GREENBELT BARTON CREEK GREENBELT, UM, HAS REFERENCED TO THE RESERVATION REQUIRED, UH, YOU KNOW, AT SOMETHING AT A LARGER OUTSIDE OF JUST THIS.
UM, I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED IF IT WAS FEASIBLE TO, TO HAVE YOU PART OF A TEXT MESSAGING SYSTEM, UM, THAT PEOPLE CAN REGISTER OR BASED UPON WHATEVER THEIR PREFERENCES, UH, THAT THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE, BUT IT GOES TO WHERE IT WAS, WHERE THAT SORT OF SYSTEM COULD BE IMPLEMENTED.
[00:30:01]
WHAT, I'M SPECIFICALLY WHAT I LIKED THE ADJUSTMENTS Y'ALL ARE MAKING, UH, RELATING TO YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE, THE USAGE THAT THOSE WHO ACTUALLY SHOW UP, MAKING A FLEXIBILITY, WANTING TO KNOW IF YOU'RE DOING THAT ON AN HOURLY BASIS OR ON A DAILY BASIS.AND THEN, UM, SECOND IS I'M REALLY INTERESTED TO HEAR THE FEEDBACK FROM STAFF.
I KNOW I WENT OUT THERE THE FIRST WEEKEND TO CHECK ON THEM AND I'VE HAD THE CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR AND STUFF OR ESTABLISHED IS GETTING BEATEN DOWN AND ANOTHER, THEY ARE, THEY'RE NOT ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE USUALLY ENTRY LEVEL POSITIONS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, BUYING EVEN THE $15 HAT OR $20 HAT, AND SOME OF THESE THINGS KIND OF ADDS UP FOR THEM.
AND SO I NEVER, I, IT WAS LOOKING FOR AN INPUTTING IN SHADE STRUCTURES, A TEMPORARY STRAIGHT STRUCTURE, AS WELL AS, UM, A CLOTHING THAT'S APPROPRIATE.
AND THEN I, I PROPERLY I'VE USED THEM.
SO I WANTED TO SEE IF THAT WAS DONE TO YOU.
SO I GUESS THOSE ARE THE TWO QUESTIONS WHAT'S BEEN DONE WITH STAFF.
AND THEN THE SECOND ONE, ARE YOU TRACKING ON A DAILY OR HOURLY BASIS AND MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO RESERVATION SYSTEMS? SO, UM, SO WITH STAFF, WE ARE DEFINITELY WORKING, UM, TO GET THEM, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES THAT THEY NEED.
WE'VE, WE'VE ADDED SHADE STRUCTURES.
UM, AND, AND WE ALSO HAVE A ROTATING TEAM OF SUPERVISORS FROM OUR AQUATICS TEAM THAT GO OUT AS WELL AS OUR PARK RANGERS THAT CHECK ON THEM, BRING THEM WATER THINGS ALONG THOSE NATURE, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
WE DO ASK THAT THEY BRING A CHAIR SO THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT.
WE ARE NOT REQUIRING THEM TO STAND.
IT'S OBVIOUSLY IT'S A, IT WAS A HOT SUMMER, UM, AND THINGS HAVE COOLED OFF, BUT IT IS A DIFFICULT JOB.
AND IT IS THIS DIFFICULT WHEN, UM, UM, WITH SOME OF THE LANGUAGE THAT'S BEING USED TOWARDS THEM.
UM, SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE SEEN, UM, AND WE'VE ENGAGED.
WE'VE ENGAGED SOME SUPPORT FROM THE, UM, EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER AND SOME OF THAT, UM, THINK TANK TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL SUPPORT, UM, WHERE WE'VE HAD STRUGGLES, UM, TO HELP PREPARE FOR SOME OF THAT AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN WE ARE WORKING ON, UM, WE ACTUALLY, WE HAVE A HAT ORDER THAT, UM, WILL BE IMPLEMENTED AS OF OCTOBER ONE THAT WAS PLACED AND IS READY, UM, AS WELL AS NAME TAGS.
UM, AND IT'S JUST SOME ADDITIONAL BRANDING FOR CONSISTENCY FOR THEM AS WELL.
SO THAT HOPEFULLY THAT PRESENCE, UM, CAN BE, CAN BE THAT PRESENCE OF KIND OF A UNIFORMED AND A, IN A FRIENDLY UNIFORMED MANNER.
CAN, CAN HELP PROVIDE SOME, SOME NEEDS TO THE SITUATION THAT THEY'RE IN AS WELL.
YEAH, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS AND I'M SITTING LIKE MY CONNECTION CUT OUT FOR A MINUTE THERE.
SO I, I APOLOGIZE IF I'M REPEATING, UH, ANY QUESTIONS CAUSE I DID MISS A LITTLE BIT THERE.
UM, SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS, IS IT POSSIBLE TO MAKE YOUR RESERVATION VIA PHONE OR IS IT ONLY ONLINE? IT IS AN ONLINE SYSTEM THAT THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT USES THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS. SO JUST AS YOU WOULD RESERVE FOR SUMMER CAMP, IT WOULD BE DONE ONLINE.
THERE IS THE ABILITY TO CALL AND IF YOU'RE STRUGGLING, UM, YOU CAN CALL AND HAVE SOMEONE, UM, GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT, BUT IT IS NOT A ONLY RESERVATION ONLINE SYSTEM.
IT IS MOSTLY RESERVATION ONLINE.
UM, SO, UM, SORRY, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU GUYS ARE HAVING TROUBLE HEARING ME.
SO ONE, IT, SO THAT IT IS MOSTLY ONLINE.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS IS THAT WE'VE WORKED TO, UM, WE WORKED WITH OUR AQUATIC STAFF WHEN THEY OPENED THE POOLS THEY HAD DONE SPECIFICALLY.
THIS WAS BACK IN JULY WHEN POOLS WERE OPEN.
UM, OR I GUESS JUNE WHEN POOLS WERE OPEN, THEY HAD DONE AN ONLINE SYSTEM AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, UM, AND, AND AS WELL AS CALLING IN, BUT THEY FOUND THAT MOST PEOPLE, ONCE IT WAS KIND OF UP AND RUNNING, THAT PEOPLE HAD KIND OF STOPPED CALLING AND THAT REALLY HAD FOCUSED ON MOSTLY ONLINE.
DID YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MOVING TO CARLA? SORRY.
I WAS JUST SAYING, IT SEEMS LIKE FROM THIS PRESENTATION THAT MAYBE EVEN IF, EVEN IF COVERT ENDED TOMORROW THAT Y'ALL MIGHT STILL BE INTERESTED IN DOING THIS RESERVATION SYSTEM BASED ON THE OTHER CHALLENGES, IS THAT ACCURATE? I THINK IT'S ACCURATE THAT WE'D LIKE TO COMPLETE THEIR PROJECT AND KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHAT'S
[00:35:01]
POSSIBLE.UM, COVID WAS DEFINITELY THE IMPETUS TO GET IT STARTED AND IT WAS DEFINITELY THE OVERWHELMING, UM, KIND OF REASON FOR IT, BUT THERE ARE OTHER CHALLENGES AT THE SITE.
SO THE QUESTION WAS, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT COULD WORK? UM, SO WE WERE DEFINITELY INTERESTED IN THAT LARGER, LARGER QUESTIONS AS WELL.
AND I MIGHT'VE MISSED THIS IN YOUR PRESENTATION, BUT AS FAR AS THE DATA COLLECTION GOES, HOW LONG HAS THAT, UM, BEEN GETTING COLLECTED? UM, AND DO YOU HAVE ANY RESULTS TO SHARE SO FAR? SURE.
SO, UM, WE STARTED COLLECTING DATA ON AUGUST 8TH.
THAT WAS WHEN THE RESERVATION SYSTEM OPENED, SO THAT WE STARTED WITH THAT, UM, WITH THE OPENING WEEKEND OF THAT.
UM, AND LIKE I SAID, WE ARE, WE ARE FINDING, I THINK THE BIGGEST ONES ARE KIND OF JUST HOW FEW PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY SHOWING UP WHO ARE MAKING RESERVATIONS.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE ADJUSTING FOR AS MUCH AS WE CAN, BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, WE, WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE, WE JUST DON'T WANT IT TO BE EMPTY.
WE WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO BE THERE AND COME AND ENJOY.
UM, WE'D LIKE TO, TO ADJUST AS MUCH AS WE CAN FOR THAT.
UH THAT'S THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS.
WE'LL REMEMBER MORGAN, IN QUESTION, THE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN ASKED OR, OR THE KIND OF QUESTIONS I WOULD BE ASKING, SO, OKAY.
NO, I JUST REALLY WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT THIS HAS BEEN DONE.
AND, UM, I, I DID NOTICE TODAY, ACTUALLY I WAS DRIVING BY THERE THAT THERE WAS A CAR PARKED UP THERE.
IS THAT BECAUSE THEY'VE HAD PROBLEMS OR IS THAT JUST SOMETHING RANDOM? WE HAVEN'T HAD PROBLEMS TODAY.
THE RESERVATION SYSTEM IS NOT IN PLACE TODAY.
UM, SO IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN FOR A SPECIFIC INCIDENTS THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF.
HOW DOES AGES THE TRAFFIC GOING BY THERE'S UM, WHICH IS NICE.
AND, UH, SO I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING IT.
UM, YEAH, I HONESTLY HAVE TO SAY THAT THE NOTION OF LIMITING ACCESS TO A REALLY SPECIAL AND IMPORTANT PUBLIC PLACE LIKE THE BARTON CREEK GREENBELT IS JUST REALLY TROUBLING TO ME.
UM, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS TIME WHERE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE SO DESPERATE TO BE OUTSIDE AND OUTSIDE IS ACTUALLY THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE RIGHT NOW, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO SPEND TIME, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH ANYONE ELSE.
UM, I DO, I COMPLETELY RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE ALL OF THESE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES AND IMPACTS THAT COME WITH HAVING A PLACE THAT PEOPLE LOVE SO MUCH THAT THEY JUST WALK TO IT.
I MEAN, THAT DOES MAKE A REAL IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT.
BUT I THINK THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO REALLY TURN, UM, THIS HIGH TRAFFIC INTO AN ASSET FOR THE GREEN BELT, BY MOBILIZING THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE IT TO TAKE CARE OF IT AND BECOME AMBASSADORS FOR, UM, THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS CONCEPT THAT LIKE, IF YOU USE THE BELT, YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO, UM, TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE THAT PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, LITTERING THERE AND LEAVING TRASH AND THAT KIND OF THING.
I MEAN, THAT'S LIKE, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY, UM, UH, SHOULD THAT'S HORRIBLE.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT WE CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN INVEST RESOURCES AND STAFF TO SECURE THE ENTRANCES TO THE GREEN BELT, WHY CAN'T WE TAKE THAT AND, AND TAKE THOSE RESOURCES AND INVEST THEM IN MAYBE STAFF TO MANAGE SOME KIND OF PROACTIVE RESPONSE TO ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.
SO MAYBE INSTEAD OF LIKE MONITORING ENTRANCES, THEY COULD, YOU KNOW, START A TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS THAT, YOU KNOW, IS MANAGED BY PART AND GOES OUT ON A REGULAR BASIS TO, YOU KNOW, TO DO SOME KIND OF MAINTENANCE WORK, WHATEVER IT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS RIGHT NOW.
I'M JUST THINKING OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I FEEL LIKE THERE'S, I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE NOT TO, WHEN WE SEE THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE IMPACTS, UM, TO A REALLY SPECIAL PLACE LIKE BARTON CREEK GREENBELT.
UM, I REALLY WANT US TO RESIST THE IMPULSE TO SHUT OFF ACCESS TO A PLACE LIKE THAT INSTEAD OF, UM, YOU KNOW, TURNING, WE CAN
[00:40:01]
TURN THE FAMILY OF PEOPLE THAT LOVE BARTON CREEK INTO THE INTER PROTECTORS OF BARTON CREEK.AND THAT'S MORE, THAT'S WHERE I'D LIKE TO SEE US GO INSTEAD OF, UH, A SOLUTION LIKE THIS.
UH, WHAT MEMBERS AREN'T, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, THIS IS, THIS IS THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MASSEY.
CAN I GET SOME KIND OF VERBAL CONFIRMATION ON MUTE FOR A LITTLE BIT? WE CAN HEAR YOU.
UM, BOARD MEMBER, I JUST, I DO, I DO WANT TO CHIME IN HERE AND SAY THAT, UM, PART OF THE REASON FOR THE PILOT IS, IS A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT YOU SAID THERE, BUT REALLY THE LIMITATION OF THE RESTRICTION OF ASSET ACCESS IS SPECIFICALLY TIED INTO COVID AT THE MOMENT, THE INTENT LONGTERM WOULD BE TO NOT RESTRICT, UM, THAT KIND OF ACCESS, BUT MORE OF A EDUCATIONAL AWARENESS, UM, UH, UH, LEAVE NO TRACE COMPONENT, UM, AND TO, TO ASSIST PEOPLE ON THE TRAIL.
YEAH, I HAVE TO SAY, I STILL WISH THAT, UM, OH, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT RESTRICTING ACCESS TO A PLACE LIKE BARTON CREEK GREENBELT IS THE RIGHT WAY TO RESPOND TO COVID RISK.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THERE IS THE, UM, THERE IS THE RISK OF LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE GATHERING THERE JUST LIKE THEY COULD, YOU KNOW, IN ANY OUTDOOR SPACE.
BUT I THINK THAT IT, I THINK THAT RIGHT NOW, UM, WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT HOW TO USE, YOU KNOW, THESE REALLY GREAT PUBLIC OUTDOOR SPACES AS AN ASSET, YOU KNOW, ON OUR LONG ROAD, YOU KNOW, RECOVERING FROM COVID BECAUSE THESE COVID RESTRICTIONS ARE GOING TO BE IN PLACE FOR A LONG TIME.
THIS ISN'T A SHORT TERM THING.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME FORM OF RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE FOR A LONG TIME AND PEOPLE, THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE IS OUTSIDE.
AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO MANAGE THOSE NEEDS TOGETHER.
THAT IS PART OF THE REASON THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THE PILOT IS ADDITIONAL DATA TO HELP US MANAGE THE SYSTEM.
I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND BOARD MEMBER RENALDI RAISED SOME GOOD POINTS, THOUGH.
I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE AHEAD BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT THE TIME AND UNFORTUNATELY, THESE MEETINGS, THESE, UM, VIDEO CONFERENCE MEETINGS ARE WAY TOO SHORT, SO I'LL REAL QUICKLY SEE IF THE VICE CHAIR FARSAD OR A BOARD MEMBER FAUST HAS ANYTHING TO SAY.
UM, I, UH, I JUST, UM, I HAVEN'T CONSIDERED SOME OF THE THINGS THAT NINA HAD JUST MENTIONED BEFORE.
UM, AND, UH, I THINK SHE RAISED SOME GOOD POINTS, BUT I THINK, UM, MAYBE NINA AND I I'LL, WE SHOULD TALK OFFLINE ABOUT, ABOUT THAT.
UM, I THINK THAT COVID IS SERIOUS.
YOU KNOW, MY MOM HAD COVID SHE'S OVER 60 AND IN FOUR DIFFERENT RISKS, HEALTH RISKS CATEGORIES.
SO I GET THE, THE DESIRE TO LIKE WANT TO BE SAFE A LOT.
UM, BUT, UH, ONE THING TO CONSIDER IS THAT, LIKE, WE HAVE BEEN IN THIS SITUATION FOR OVER SIX MONTHS NOW WITH COVID AND PEOPLE NOT BEING AROUND OTHER PEOPLE.
AND THE TOLL THAT THAT HAS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF, OF THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT AS WELL.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BEST WAY IS TO EVEN, UM, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO PRIORITIZE OR HOW TO PRIORITIZE OR WHAT THE BEST WAY IS.
I HAVEN'T HASHED THAT STUFF OUT IN MY MIND DOES I'M LIKE JUST NOT RECONSIDERING.
UM, BUT, UH, UM, I, ONE THING THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO LOOK AT, I'M SORRY IF I ACTUALLY MISSED THIS ALREADY, BUT I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW HOW LONG THE WAIT TIME IS TO, TO, FOR A RESERVATION.
LIKE IF YOU MADE A RESERVATION, LIKE HOW, LIKE, CAN YOU GET IN TOMORROW? AND THEN THE OTHER THING WOULD BE, UM, LIKE HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE WE TURNED AWAY FROM THE GREENBELT IN TOTAL SINCE THE BEGINNING? I'M SORRY IF THOSE HAVE ALREADY BEEN THE QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND I DON'T NECESSARILY ACTUALLY NEED THEM ANSWERED RIGHT NOW FOR THE SAKE OF TIME I CAN GET, WE CAN, I CAN GET THEM VIA EMAIL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT, UM, THAT'S JUST THE WAY THAT I'M THINKING ABOUT THIS.
SO IF YOU CAN ANSWER THOSE QUICKLY THEN, UM, PLEASE DO SO.
AND IF NOT, MAYBE YOU COULD SEND THAT TO, I MEAN, VICE CHAIR FOR OUR, AND OR THE REST OF US AS WELL.
I'LL, I'LL TAKE A QUICK STAB AND THEN I'LL GET YOU MORE DETAILS ON THE, THE NUMBERS.
UM, SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR, OUR ROLE IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS ALSO TO MANAGE ACCESS IN A WAY THAT IS INVITING.
SO THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE FEARFUL AND WANT TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE WALKING INTO A SAFE SPACE, OR LIKE, HEY, I CAN GO HERE.
I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO SOCIAL DISTANCE AND DO IT IN A WAY THAT'S ENJOYABLE.
[00:45:01]
JUST IMPORTANT TO MENTION, AND THEN I CAN GET YOU THE COMPLETE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE SINCE AUGUST EIGHT.I THINK IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO COMPLETE THE ENTIRE PROJECT SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE JUST LIKE OVERALL, WHICH WE ONLY HAVE ANOTHER MONTH OR SO OF THE PROJECT, BUT WE CAN GET YOU THOSE DATA, THE DATA SPECIFICALLY.
AND BOARD MEMBER FIRST, I KNOW THAT YOU, YOU HAD INTEREST IN THIS ISSUE.
SO DO YOU WANT TO, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ADD, PLEASE DO.
SO YES, I DO ACTUALLY REQUESTED THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I WANTED TO SAY FIRST HOW IMPRESSED I WAS AND HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THE STAFF THAT RESPONDED AT THE ENTRANCES BECAUSE THE TREATMENT THEY RECEIVED WAS COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE, UM, AND UNFORTUNATE.
AND SO I REALLY COMMEND, UM, THOSE PEOPLE WORKING AT THE ENTRANCES AND THE PEOPLE THAT TRAIN THEM.
I THINK THAT THEY DID A REALLY, UM, HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB IN SOME REALLY TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MYSELF AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN TRYING TO SORT THROUGH THAT I'D LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT IS AS WE KNOW, THE REALLY INTENSE USE IN THE GREENBELT UMS IN THE MONTHS WHEN WE HAVE HAD RAINFALL AND THE CREEK IS SWIMMABLE.
SO THAT'S GENERALLY APRIL, MAY AND JUNE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS PAST SPRING, IT WAS PRETTY MUCH LIKE THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL WAS WHEN WE GOT A GOOD RAIN AND GUS FRU WAS READY TO GO.
AND THAT THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF PEOPLE AT THE GREENBELT CHANGED AND OVERNIGHT.
SO HOW DOES A PILOT STUDY IN THE LATE SUMMER AND FALL, YOU KNOW, AUGUST WHEN IT'S REALLY HOT, THEN SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER BEING LIKE COOLER, NICER MONTHS, NICE FOR HIKING, BUT NOT, UM, NICE FOR SWIMMING AND THERE'S NO WATER.
HOW DOES THAT INFORM A PILOT STUDY FOR A RESERVATION SYSTEM THAT WOULD BE IN PLACE IN THE SPRING AND, AND AN ONGOING, I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE DON'T, I WAS VERY GLAD TO HEAR THAT LONGTERM RESTRICTED ACCESS IS NOT THE GOAL, BUT IT IS, UM, WE, WE REALLY DON'T KNOW HOW LONG WE'RE GOING TO BE IN THE SITUATION.
SO COULD I GET, COULD SOMEBODY JUST TALK ABOUT HOW YOU INTEND TO APPLY WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FALL TO THE SPRING? BECAUSE I JUST FEEL LIKE IT'S A REALLY GROUP OF USERS RE HONESTLY, UM, I THINK THAT THE TRAIL GETS TREATED DIFFERENTLY AND I, I REALLY FEEL LIKE PEOPLE THAT ARE SORT OF THE LOWER IMPACT USERS THAT ARE MORE OFTEN TO MORE LIKELY TO BE USING IT IN THE FALL OR MORE IMPACT ARE BEING IMPACTED, UM, BY THE HEAVY IMPACT USERS AND THEIR MISBEHAVIOR IN THE SPRING.
I MEAN, GENERALLY, LIKE IF YOU'RE A FAMILY WITH SMALL CHILDREN, YOU'RE OUT OF THERE DURING THOSE SUPER HEAVY TRAFFIC TIMES, LIKE WE KNOW BETTER, YOU KNOW, I'M OUT BY 1:00 PM NOON.
UM, SO CAN YOU JUST TALK ABOUT HOW THE FALL RESULTS WILL TRANSLATE TO SPRING? AND IF THAT CHARACTERIZATION IS RIGHT, BECAUSE I'M SURE I'VE SEEN A DIFFERENCE, I'VE SEEN IT DIFFERENTLY.
SO I, I, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.
SO WHAT WE RELIED ON WAS, UM, THE SURVEY FROM 2013, WHICH WAS REALLY INFORMATIVE, IT WAS A YEAR LONG, UM, JUST DATA COLLECTION OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING INTO THE GREENBELT.
AND WHAT IT SAW WAS THAT OCTOBER, SEPTEMBER, AND OCTOBER.
SO JUST AS HIGH AS USAGE AS, UM, APRIL AND MAY, SO THAT HOPEFULLY WILL HELP US.
UM, I THINK WE CAN MAKE SOME COMPARISONS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN SAY ABOUT THE SPECIFIC USER, UM, AND HOW THEY MIGHT BE DIFFERENT, BUT WE CAN SAY AT LEAST AS FAR AS NUMBERS GO, THAT WE EXPECT, UM, THE NUMBERS IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER TO BE COMPARABLE TO WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE IN THE SPRING.
SORRY, IS IT NUMBERS OF PEOPLE OR, UH, THE IMPACTS, THE TRASH AND THE, UM, DEGRADATION AND THE EROSION.
SO IT WAS AN IT, SO THAT WAS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE WERE SEEING.
UM, THE TRACK AND EROSION, UM, ARE, ARE TIED PRETTY STRONGLY TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AS WELL.
SO THAT IS, UM, WOULD BE DIFFERENT THAN MY OBSERVATIONS.
CAUSE YOU USUALLY SEE A LOT OF THE BEER CANS IN THE COOLERS AND THE TRASH, LIKE THE PICTURE WE SHOWED, YOU KNOW, IN MAY, BUT ABSOLUTELY.
IF YOU DID A STUDY IN 2013, UM, I ALSO THINK THOUGH IT, WELL, THAT'S AN A POINT FOR ANOTHER DAY.
SO, AND SO YOU EXPECT THAT WHATEVER HAPPENS IN THE FALL WILL LIKE IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF RESERVATIONS REQUESTED AND USED WILL BE THE SAME AS IN THE SPRING.
IT APPLIES, IT APPLIES THAT WAY.
I THINK WE COULD, WE COULD START THERE.
UM, AGAIN, COVID ALSO THROWS A LITTLE BIT OF A CURVE BALL AND
[00:50:01]
THIS AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE, UM, TRYING TO PROVIDE MANAGED ACCESS SO THAT THOSE WHO WERE COMING COULD ALSO SAY I CAN EXPECT TO, TO BE ABLE THE SOCIAL DISTANCE IN THE SPACE SAFELY.UM, AND SO WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE INCREASED THE NUMBER OF RESERVATIONS AND WE EXPECT TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THIS PILOT SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY TO SEE IF THOSE IMPACTS CHANGE.
THIS IS OUR DIRECTOR, KIMBERLY MCNEALY.
IF I COULD JUST ADD SOMETHING THAT ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO MOVE THROUGH THIS PILOT PROGRAM IS THAT IF THERE'S GOING TO BE ANY SORT OF A CHANGE IN THE WAY THAT WE WANT TO MANAGE THIS SYSTEM, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO HAVE, UM, RESOURCE INFORMATION.
WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO HAVE BUDGET COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS, AND WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO HAVE THAT BY JANUARY EARLY FEBRUARY.
AND SO, WHILE I REALIZE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS IS THAT WE MIGHT NOT GET THE FULL PICTURE BECAUSE WE STARTED THIS A LITTLE BIT LATER.
IF WE WAIT TO GET THE FULL PICTURE AND WE DON'T HAVE THOSE COSTS AND RESOURCE INFORMATION UPFRONT, WE MAY MISS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IS NEEDED FOR US TO MANAGE THAT SPACE.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT TO THE CONVERSATION.
UM, ANOTHER QUESTION IS I HAVE YOU MENTIONED IN THE SLIDE SHOW ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC FEEDBACK, AND I WASN'T, IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY PUBLIC MEETINGS OR, YOU KNOW, REQUESTS FOR COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, I'VE MISSED OUT ON THOSE.
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE OR WHAT OPPORTUNITIES PEOPLE COULD CURRENTLY BE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO COMMENT DIRECTLY TO THE DEPARTMENT INSTEAD OF, UM, JUST BOARD MEMBERS OR SURE.
SO WE WILL BE LAUNCHING A SPEAKER, A SPEAKER OFTEN PAGE AND BE USING THAT SPECIFICALLY.
AND THEN OUR GOAL IS TO REACH OUT TO, UM, REGULAR USERS, EITHER THROUGH OUR CLIMBING COMMUNITY OR BIKING COMMUNITY OR HIKING COMMUNITY.
UM, SOME OF OUR MORE KIND OF ESTABLISHED USERS, UM, AND, AND DO SOME SMALLER FOCUS GROUPS WITH THEM.
AND THEN WE ALSO WILL BE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO ANYONE THAT WAS ABLE TO RECEIVE A RESERVATION SINCE WE HAVE THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THEM AT THE END OF THE PILOT AS WELL.
CAN I JUST JUMP IN THERE AND SAY AGAIN, THAT SEEMS LIKE IT'S NOT REACHING ANYBODY BUT ONLINE AND I WANT TO ADD, I THINK THAT THERE'S, AND I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE A SOLUTION TO THIS, BUT IT IS JUST AN ISSUE IN MY MIND IS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION FROM PEOPLE THAT TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE RESERVATION SYSTEM AND SHOWED UP IN ANYBODY THAT WAS DISCOURAGED BY THE EXISTENCE OF A RESERVATION SYSTEM.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST COULDN'T GET IT TO POPS INTO THE GREENBELT WITHOUT PLANNING A WEEK IN ADVANCE.
NORMALLY I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE FIND OUT HOW MANY PEOPLE JUST DIDN'T GO AND DIDN'T ENJOY THAT RESOURCE BECAUSE OF THE SYSTEM.
BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT'S JUST AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, I THINK MAYBE THAT'S, I THINK YOU MENTIONED SPEAK UP AUSTIN, BUT YOU KNOW, A WAY TO JUST REACH OUT, IT'S NOT SPEAKING TO THE PEOPLE THAT DID USE THE SYSTEM, BUT TO THE PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO THEM TO THAT POINT.
WHAT DID THEY DO AS AN ALTERNATIVE? CAUSE I KNOW I TRIED TO GET IN A HABIT.
I HAD A DAY AVAILABLE WHEN TO GO TRY TO USE THE SYSTEM.
IT WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS RESERVED.
I GOT ANOTHER TRAIL AND THAT WAS A MORE UNDERUSED, UM, HERE IN SOUTHWEST AUSTIN.
SO IT, THAT MIGHT BE AN ADDITIONAL SURVEY QUESTION THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO ASK.
YOU KNOW WHAT, I THINK I'M GOING TO LET BOARD MEMBER MASON MURPHY, JUST COMMENT.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE ON TO GET MORE MEMBER LUCA TOO, BUT SHE'S SHE'S GOOD.
CAN I ASK, CAN I JUST MAKE ONE, ONE FINAL POINT? I JUST WANT TO PLAN IN TERMS OF RESTRICTING ACCESS.
AND AGAIN, I REALLY HOPE THIS IS A LIMITED PROGRAM, BUT, UM, RIGHT NOW AT THE BEVERLY SHEFFIELD EDUCATION CENTER AT BARTON SPRINGS, ALTHOUGH IT'S CLOSED, THERE'S THIS REALLY AMAZING EXHIBIT THAT THE STATE BARTON CREEK ASSOCIATION, UM, AND KAREN COKER PUT TOGETHER THAT GIVES YOU THE HISTORY OF THE CREATION OF THE BARTON CREEK GREENBELT AND PRESERVATION OF BARTON CREEK AND, YOU KNOW, TO SHORT CUT IT WITHOUT EXTREME CITIZEN ADVOCACY AND YEARS AND YEARS OF CITIZENS WHO HAVE ENJOYED BARTON CREEK AND ENJOYED THAT, WANTED THAT TO BE A PRESERVE.
AND SO MY, MY REAL, MY BIG PICTURE CONCERN IS THAT THE MORE WE LIMIT ACCESS TO IT, THE MORE WE'RE LIMITING THE OPPORTUNITIES TO EDUCATE PEOPLE AND TO CONTINUE TO PROTECT THAT RESOURCE AND HAVE IT AVAILABLE.
REMEMBER MASON, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
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YOU CAN TRY TO KEEP IT AS SHORT AS YOU CAN.AND THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR ALL YOUR, I THOUGHT WE HAD SOME EXCELLENT INPUT.
I THINK IT'S AN INTERESTING TOPIC AND I, I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS I WANTED TO ASK, BUT I'M GOING TO HOLD BACK.
I DO WANT TO JUST SAY THAT IT DOES KIND OF IN WATCHING THIS PRESENTATION, YOU REALIZE THAT SOME OF THE FLAWS ARE REALLY EXPOSED THAT WE HAVE AND SOME OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE, AND I THINK WE, THAT COULD BE ADDRESSED AND JUST TRASH AND RECYCLING FOR ONE THING, I THINK WE, THERE ARE WAYS TO DO THAT.
THAT MIGHT NOT TAKE AS MUCH HUMAN BODY POWER, BUT MORE CAM YOU KNOW, USING THEIR ALL KINDS OF CREATIVE WAYS TO DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM THROWING TRASH AND FOR DESTROYING THE PARK.
SO I THINK WE COULD WORK ON TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO DO THAT AS WELL, BUT THANK YOU.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
IT'S ONE OF THE FRUSTRATING PARTS ABOUT THESE ONLINE MEETINGS AND THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE HAVE.
WE CAN GO UP TO FOUR 45, BUT WE STILL HAVE A FEW MORE THINGS TO DISCUSS.
SO I AM APOLOGIZE FOR CUTTING PEOPLE OFF.
SO, AND OF COURSE, MOVING ON TO
[B3. Presentation and discussion of people experiencing homelessness response on parkland. Presenter: Lucas Massie, Assistant Director and Kimberly McNeeley, Director, Parks and Recreation Department (PARD Long Range Plan Strategies – Operational Efficiency, Urban Public Spaces, Park Access for All; SD23 Outcomes – Health & Environment)]
THE, UM, THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS, UM, THE PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE ON PARKLAND.AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, LUCAS MASI AND KIMBERLY MCNEELY, MORE MEMBERS.
I'M GOING TO KIMBERLY MCNEALY.
I'M GOING TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THE PRESENTATION.
UM, AND I DO WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS THAT YOU COULD NOT GET ANSWERED, I PLEASE, UM, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLEASE EMAIL, UM, SAMMY OR MYSELF AND WE WILL ABSOLUTELY GET YOU ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS.
AND I DID TAKE NOTES FOR THE THINGS THAT WERE UNANSWERED SO FAR, BUT I RECOGNIZE YOU MAY HAVE OTHER THINGS YOU, YOU MIGHT WANT TO ASK AND WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE.
UM, EITHER IN, IN WHATEVER FORM OR FASHION MAKES MOST SENSE AND MAKING SURE THE ENTIRE BOARD GETS THE INFORMATION.
UM, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT HOMELESSNESS AND I HAVE THIS, UM, I HAVE THIS PRESENTATION, UM, TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DEDICATED RESOURCES AND THE CODE ENFORCEMENT AND THE, AND THE WAY IN WHICH, UM, THE AUTHORITY THAT THE PARKS AND RECREATION HAS TO, UH, TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.
SOME OF THE CHALLENGES ARE, ARE, UM, FACED WITH THAT WE ARE FACED WITH.
AND THEN ALSO SOME OF THE PROCESSES THAT ARE USED WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE WITHIN THE PARK SYSTEM.
SO THE FIRST THING IS TO TALK ABOUT OUR STAFFING LEVELS.
WE HAVE ONE FULL TIME STAFF MEMBER THAT IS DEDICATED TO, UM, HELPING US WITH, UH, ALL THINGS THAT ARE RELATED TO INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR PARK RANGERS THAT WILL HELP ASSIST THAT INDIVIDUAL.
AND SO THE THINGS THAT THIS PERSON IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHO, AND IT HAPPENS TO BE WESTPAC I'M, IF YOU, IF YOU'VE MET HIM, HAS HE'S RESPONSIBLE AS A LIAISON TO THE LARGER STUDENT GROUP.
THAT'S DEDICATED TO THE RESPONSE ON HOMELESSNESS FOR THE ENTIRE CITY.
UM, HE HAS ALSO, UH, THE INDIVIDUAL THAT HELPS THE VISIT THE ENCAMPMENTS TO, TO DETERMINE WHAT THE NEXT RESOURCES ARE THAT NEED TO BE SCHEDULED.
HE IS, ARE AN ENCAMPMENT SERVICE COORDINATOR.
AND SO HE MAKES SURE THAT HE'S SCHEDULING THE, UM, THE SERVICES THAT NEED TO BE, UM, UH, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT NEED MET BEFORE WE DETERMINE WHETHER IT'S GOING TO BE MOVED OR, UM, OR WHETHER THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO STAY, BUT THEY STILL NEED SOME ASSISTANCE.
AND HE'S ALSO THE INDIVIDUAL THAT COORDINATES ALL THE CAMP CLEANUPS, AND HE'S ALSO HELPS, UM, KEEP TRACK OF THE DATA AND REVIEW THE DATA TO DETERMINE, UH, THE SITUATION SPECIFICALLY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PARK SYSTEM.
AND I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY APPROXIMATELY 20,000 ACRES OF PARKLAND IN 300 PARKS.
AND SO WE HAVE ONE FULL TIME DEDICATED PERSON TO HELP US, UM, DO ALL OF THAT NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE PLEASE KNOW THAT WEST IS ABLE TO, UH, ALSO ENGAGE OTHER PARTNERS TO HELP US, UH, WITH, WITH THE, THIS PROCESS OF ASSESSING THE SITUATION AND PROVIDING SERVICES.
AND SO WE HAVE A HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM, WHICH IS COMMONLY KNOWN AS POST, AND THEY HELP WITH, UM, MEDICAL, MENTAL, UH, MENTAL, UH, MENTAL HEALTH.
THEY HELP WITH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, THEY PROVIDE COUNSELING.
UM, IN SOME CASES THEY'RE ALSO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE HOUSING, BUT THAT'S NOT A READILY AVAILABLE SERVICE THAT IS PROVIDED IN MOST CASES BECAUSE THERE'S A WAITING LIST.
UM, THERE'S THE COORDINATED ASSESSMENT THAT THE HOST TEAM AND ALSO THE
[01:00:01]
PLATH TEAMS WILL HELP INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE, UM, COMPLETED.UM, THIS TASK TEAM ALSO HELPS CONNECT INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WITH OTHER RESOURCES, INCLUDING THAT THE MEDICAL HEALTH AND MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELING.
AND THEN AGAIN, LASTLY HOUSING AND IT'S ALL THROUGH SOMETHING THAT THE CITY HAS CALLED THE COORDINATED ASSESSMENT.
AND SO WHEN WE SAY THAT, WES DOES, IT'S AN CAMPSITE OR OUR RANGER TEAM VISITS, A CAMPSITE, UH, AND THEN IS DETERMINING WHAT SORT OF SERVICES THOSE INDIVIDUALS MIGHT BE BASED UPON WHAT IT IS THAT THE OBSERVATION IS OR WHAT IT IS THAT WE SEE AT THAT CAMPSITE WES OR OUR RANGER TEAM, THEN CONTACTS, UM, OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS WITH KIM THEN GO OUT AND HELP CONNECT.
UM, THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS TO RESOURCES.
ANOTHER, ANOTHER PART OF THE PROGRAM IS WORKING WITH OUR PARTNER IN THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION, WHICH IS CALLED THE WORKFORCE FIRST PROGRAM.
AND SO THESE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING WITH THE OTHER ONES FOUNDATION ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE FORMERLY, OR EVEN CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, BUT ARE, UM, ABLE TO BE EMPLOYED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, THE WORKFORCE FIRST PROGRAM, WHERE INDIVIDUALS CAN EARN MONEY FOR HELPING US KEEPING, KEEPING THE PARK SYSTEM CLEAN AND CLEANING UP, UM, VARIOUS CAMPSITES THAT HAVE BEEN ABANDONED.
UM, THEY'RE ALSO, IT'S ALSO PART OF AN ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM TO PAN HANDLING.
AND THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION IS THE KEY ENTITY THAT HELPS COORDINATE, UM, THIS SERVICE.
PLEASE KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW WITH THE FUNDING THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO THE OTHER ONES FOUNDATION, WE HAVE TWO SERVICE CREWS THAT ARE ABLE TO HELP US WITH ENCAMPMENT CLEANUPS AND OTHER SPECIAL, SPECIAL CASES.
WE MAY HAVE TO ENGAGE A CONTRACTOR.
UM, AND I SAY THAT, OR WE MIGHT HAVE TO ENGAGE OTHER RESOURCES BECAUSE THERE MAY BE SOME CAMPSITES THAT ARE BEYOND THE ABILITY OF THE INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE WORKFORCE FIRST PROGRAM TO CLEAN UP.
SO IF THERE IS, UM, LARGE MATTRESSES OR OTHER KINDS OF MATERIALS THAT ARE, WE REQUIRE, UM, UM, MACHINERY TO REMOVE, UM, WE MIGHT HAVE TO, OR, OR DIP INTO OUR OTHER RESOURCES WITHIN OUR OWN MAINTENANCE TEAM OR WITH OTHER PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
WE ALSO COORDINATE WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.
SO AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE NUMBER OF CREEKS THAT, UH, THAT ARE GOING THROUGH PARKLAND.
AND SO WE ALSO COORDINATE WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT TO HELP MANAGE CLEANUPS.
AND SOMETIMES IN SPECIAL CASES FOR WATERSHED DEPARTMENT MAY RELY UPON US TO HELP THEM WITH A PARTICULAR SITE DEPENDING UPON WHAT IS NEEDED.
AND WE ALSO COORDINATE SERVICES WITH AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE FUNDING AND, AND STORAGE ASSISTANCE FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
SO WE CAN DIRECT THOSE, UM, ONE OF THE RESOURCES OR ONE OF THE SERVICES THAT WE CAN DIRECT, UH, INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESS TO IS A STORAGE OPPORTUNITY OVER ABILITY TO KEEP THEIR BELONGINGS SAFE.
IF THEY'RE, UM, IF THEY'RE IN SOME SORT OF TRANSITION, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO THE CODES THAT GOVERN HOW WE CAN RESPOND TO INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ON OUR, ON A PAR PLAN INCLUDE, UM, OUR, OUR TARP RULES AND SPECIFICALLY SECTION 22.
AND THAT, AND THE IDEA THAT, OR THE RULE THAT THERE IS NO OVERNIGHT CHAMPING, UNLESS IT'S IN ANY SPECIFIC AREA OF THE PARK SYSTEM.
UM, WE CAN RELY ON, UH, ORDINANCE EIGHT DASH ONE DASH 11, WHICH ALSO SAYS THAT A PERSON CANNOT FISH OR CAMP, UH, IN A PUBLIC RECREATION AREA.
UH, THAT'S A NON ALLOWABLE PUBLIC RECREATION AREA BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 10 TO 5:00 AM.
AND WE USUALLY REFER TO THIS PARTICULAR PART OF THE CODE AND ORDINANCE AS THE CURFEW.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE ALSO RELY UPON EIGHT DASH ONE DASH 11 G OR A PERSON CANNOT REMAIN IN A PUBLIC RECREATION AREA IF THEY'RE ADVISED THAT THEIR BEHAVIOR IS DISRUPTIVE, OR IF THEY'RE INSTRUCTED TO LEAVE BY A, UH, AN EMPLOYEE OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT OR A SUPERVISOR OF THAT PARTICULAR SPACE.
AND ALSO THERE'S ORDINANCE NINE DASH FOUR DASH 11, WHICH IS CAMPING AND EXTRA OBSTRUCTION IN CERTAIN PUBLIC PLACES.
WE CAN RELY UPON THAT ORDINANCE TO TELL INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY'RE NOT PERMITTED TO CAMP ON PARK LAND, BUT IT'S A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT.
AND THAT'S WHAT I HOPE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES.
A COMMANDMENT THAT WE HAVE MADE MULTIPLE TIMES, AND WE HAVE MADE TO OUR CITY COUNCIL IN TALKING ABOUT, UH, WHEN WE ARE ASKING INDIVIDUALS TO MOVE FROM A PARTICULAR
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LOCATION, UM, WE HAVE MADE THE COMMITMENT THAT PRIOR TO ANYBODY MOVING PRIOR TO US EVICTING, IF YOU WERE, ARE ASKING SOMEONE TO VACATE A SPACE ON PARKLAND, THAT WE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT WE CONNECTED THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO SERVICES.AND THIS MEANS THAT PRIOR TO IMPLEMENTING A CURFEW VIOLATION OR A DISRUPTIVE OR INCLUSIVE USE VIOLATION, OR EVEN USING OUR CRIMINAL TRESPASS WARNING, UM, OR OUR CRIMINAL TRESPASS NOTICE TOOL IN OUR TOOL BOX.
THE FIRST THING THAT WE WANT TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOTIFYING THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, THAT THEY'RE NOT PERMITTED TO BE ON PARKLAND AND TELLING THEM THAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO CONNECT THEM WITH SERVICES AND THAT THE SERVICE PROVIDER WILL COME OUT WITHIN A GIVEN AMOUNT OF TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR MENTAL HEALTH SITUATION IS TAKEN CARE OF.
THEY'VE COMMITTED, THEY'VE COMPLETED A COORDINATED ASSESSMENT THAT THEY HAVE.
UM, THEY HAVE, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT MEDICAL, UM, RESOURCES MAY BE AVAILABLE TO THEM.
SO BEFORE WE WOULDN'T USE ANY OF THESE, UM, THINGS THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN TO ENFORCE A REGULATION, THE FIRST THING THAT WE DO IS WE HAVE THE SERVICE PROVIDER COME OUT AND THEN WE WOULD REVISIT THAT IN CANTONMENT AND SAY, OKAY, WE TOLD YOU THAT YOU'RE NOT PERMITTED TO BE ON CAMP LAND, I'M PARKLAND.
AND NOW WE'VE HAD A SERVICE PROVIDER COME OUT TO HELP YOU.
UM, WE'RE GIVING YOU THE FINAL NOTIFICATION THAT YOU'LL NEED TO REMOVE YOURSELF FROM THIS PARKLAND.
OTHERWISE WE'LL HAVE TO, UM, HAVE APD COME OUT AND HELP US ENFORCE THAT REMOVAL BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, NONE OF US AS PARKS AND RECREATION EMPLOYEES, NOR DO OUR PLAQUE RANGERS HAVE ANY KIND OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY.
AND SINCE THESE REGULATIONS ARE UNDER CODE, IF IT DOESN'T SELF RESOLVE, WE RELY UPON THE, THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT TO HELP US WITH THAT REMOVAL PROCESS.
IF YOU COULD PLEASE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO WE HAVE SOME PARTICULAR CHALLENGES WITH THE PROCESS THAT I JUST LET YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT I OUTLINED.
AND THAT IS THAT, UM, LIKE WE SAID, WE HAVE 292 PLUS PARKS AND ABOUT 17,000 ACRES OF PROPERTY.
UM, I'VE ALREADY HELPED YOU UNDERSTAND THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE PERSONALLY, AS A PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
AND SO THE OTHER THING THAT I HAVE TO HELP YOU, OR I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO KNOW IS THAT OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS, UM, THAT WE RELY UPON TO HELP ENGAGE INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, THEY TOO HAVE RESOURCE ISSUES.
AND SO THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY RESPOND TO A SITUATION AND APD ALSO HAS RESOURCES SHOES.
AND SO THEY MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY RESPOND TO ANY GIVEN ISSUE.
ANOTHER THING THAT IS A CHALLENGE IS THAT, AND I WILL GIVE YOU A VERY SPECIFIC EXAMPLE.
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN SOMETHING IN THE PAPER JUST RECENTLY AND RELATED TO SHOAL CREEK AND ANCHO CREEK.
THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ABOUT A PARTICULAR ENCAMPMENT THAT, UM, THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT THAT, THAT THEY HAD RESOLVED.
HOWEVER, THE COMMUNITY WAS LETTING US KNOW AND LETTING THEIR PANTS A LOT, THIS KNOW THAT THIS ISSUE HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE THERE WERE MULTIPLE ENCAMPMENTS ALONG THAT PARTICULAR SPACE.
AND WHAT WE THOUGHT WE HAD IDENTIFIED AS BEING THE CHALLENGE WAS NOT THE CHALLENGE IN THE COMMUNITY'S EYES.
AND IT DID TAKE US MULTIPLE DAYS TO LOCATE THAT PARTICULAR ENCAMPMENT.
AND IT'S TAKEN US A MULTIPLE DAYS TO EVEN, EVEN WHEN WE VISIT THE ENCAMPMENT, IT TAKES YOU MULTIPLE DAYS TO REACH SOMEBODY WHO MIGHT PHYSICALLY BE IN THAT SPACE WHEN YOU ACTUALLY LOCATE THE ENCAMPMENT.
I THINK IT'S SOMETIMES IN PEOPLE'S MINDS, THEY THINK TO THEMSELVES, OH, I CAN GO CREATE IT.
YOU TELL THEM THE SERVICE PROVIDERS SHOW UP AND YOU MOVE THEM.
BUT SOMETIMES THAT TIMELINE IS EXTENDED BASED UPON THE AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES OR WHETHER SOMEBODY IS PHYSICALLY IN THAT ENCAMPMENT SPACE.
UM, ANOTHER CHALLENGE IS OUR ENCAMPMENT STRATEGY.
AND SO AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME, BECAUSE WE HAVE, UM, WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC, THE CDC HAS SAID TO US THAT IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE, AND THEY DO NOT RECOMMEND FROM A CDC PERSPECTIVE, UM, EVICTING OR MOVING ENCAMPMENTS DURING THE PANDEMIC.
THEY, THEY HAVE RECOMMENDED THAT IT'S MOST APPROPRIATE TO ALLOW ENCAMPMENTS, TO REMAIN IN THE SPACE WHERE THEY ARE SO THAT WE ARE ABLE TO, SHOULD THERE BE AN OUTBREAK OF, OF THE VIRUS WE'RE ABLE TO LOCATE THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR CONTACT TRACING AND THAT WE DON'T HAVE A, UM, AN AREA VERDUN SPREAD OF THE DISEASE BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE MOVING AROUND.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT'S SPECIFIC TO THIS PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME.
BUT ANOTHER CHALLENGE IS, IS THAT, UM, OUR HOUSING OPTIONS ARE NOT AS, AS PREVALENT AS WE WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO BE.
AND SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IS WE HAVE MORE INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
THEN WE HAVE HOUSING ACTIONS AVAILABLE
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TO THEM, AND THAT'S ALL HOUSING OPTIONS.PEOPLE TALK ABOUT TRANSITIONAL HOUSING OR BRIDGE HOUSING OR TEMPORARY HOUSING OR TEMPORARY SHELTERING, OR EVEN PERMANENT SPACE.
BUT THE CITY IS STRUGGLING RIGHT NOW TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ENOUGH OF THOSE ACTIONS, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE HOUSING FOR MANY OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AND, UM, THOSE INDIVIDUALS THEN REMAIN UNSHELTERED AND ARE LOOKING FOR A PLACE THAT THEY CAN REMAIN AND CAN BE SAFE AND ACCESS RESOURCES.
AND SOMETIMES THOSE RESOURCES ARE NOT JUST THE RESOURCES THAT WE PROVIDE, BUT MAYBE THEY HAVE A JOB IN THAT GIVEN AREA, OR MAYBE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO SOMETHING IN THAT GIVEN AREA.
THAT'S A SUPPORT TO KEEP THEM GOING AND, AND MOVING THEM FROM THAT SPACE AND NOT BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THEM SOME SORT OF PERMANENT OR TEMPORARY HOUSING OPTION MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO RELOCATE IT.
I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHEN WE ACTUALLY VISIT A SITE.
I DID TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, BUT I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE USUALLY RECEIVE ONE, ONE REPORTS OR WE GET DIRECT CONCERNS AT OUR DEPARTMENT.
AND WE CONTINUE TO PUT THOSE ON A LIST, A PRIORITIZATION LIST, SO THAT EITHER ARE OUR SINGLE HOMELESS OR A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL WHO RESPONDS TO ISSUES RELATED TO HOMELESSNESS, OR OUR RANGERS ARE ABLE TO GO OUT AND LOOK AT AND SEE WHERE THESE, THESE ENCAMPMENTS ARE AT.
UM, ONCE WE LOCATE THE IN CANBY, WE MAKE AN EFFORT TO RECORD THE CONDITIONS AND TO ASSESS THE CAMP, TO DETERMINE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE IS IT ON A MATRIX, WHICH I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU AT THE VERY END OF THIS PRESENTATION.
AND THEN WE ALSO TRY TO TRACK IT VIA GIS SO THAT WE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHERE THIS ENCAMPMENT IS, IS PHYSICALLY AT, UM, SITES ARE PRIORITIZED BY CONDITION, WHICH MEANS THAT WE MIGHT GO OUT AND BE ABLE TO VISIT 10 SITES OR 20 SITES IN A WEEK, BUT WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO, UM, IT MIGHT NOT EVEN BE APPROPRIATE FOR US TO ASK THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO MOVE BASED UPON, UM, THE, THE ASSESSMENT OF THAT CAMP.
AND THEN WE ALSO NOTIFY OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS BY EMAIL AND SOMETIMES BY PHONE CALL TO INITIATE A SERVICE REQUEST SO THAT THEY CAN GO OUT TO THAT GIS CHAT SPACE AND, AND HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE LIVING WITHIN THAT ENCAMPMENT.
UM, WE DO PROVIDE AS A DEPARTMENT, WE PROVIDE RESOURCES SOMETIMES UPON REQUEST OF THE ENCAMPMENT.
AND SOMETIMES BECAUSE WE HAVE ACTUALLY, UM, UM, SEEN A NEED FOR A PARTICULAR RESOURCE, LIKE TRASH BAGS, LIKE SHARPS CONTAINERS, UM, MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE DIRECTIONS TO THE NEAREST RESTROOM.
UH, IN SOME CASES, THE CITY HAS SET UP, UM, HYGIENE STATIONS IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE CITY THAT THEY ARE, UM, THAT ARE LOCATED THERE, ENCAMPMENT SITES, SO THAT THERE IS AN EASY ACCESS TO HYGIENE OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, AFTER THE VISITATION, ANY ABANDONED, IF WE'D GO TO A SITE THAT WE SEE THAT IS ABANDONED, AND THEN WE CAN, WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING THAT NO ONE'S ACTUALLY LIVING THERE.
WE IMMEDIATELY HAVE TO, UM, THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION AND THE WORKFORCE FIRST PROGRAM COME IN AND CLEAN UP THAT TRASH.
A LOW PRIORITY SITES ARE MANAGED BY OUR STAFF, WHICH MEANS THAT IF THEY'RE NOT REACHING TO A LEVEL OF PUBLIC SAFETY WHERE THERE'S A LARGE PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE OR A MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE, OR, UM, SOMETHING THAT COULD CAUSE HARM TO THE PUBLIC OR TO THE CAMPERS, THEN WE PUT THAT A LITTLE BIT LOWER ON THE SITE AND WE TRY TO MANAGE IT WHILE WE ADDRESS THE OTHER SITES THAT ARE HIGHER ON THE MATRIX.
HIGH PRIORITY SITES ARE TARGETED FOR REMOVAL.
AND WHEN I SAY THAT, THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACT ON THOSE IMMEDIATE.
SO IF WE SEE PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES THAT THEY'RE BLOCKING ENTRANCES OR ACCESS TO CERTAIN AMENITIES FOR THE PUBLIC, THAT THERE ARE SOME BEHAVIORS THERE'S EVIDENCE OF ILLICIT DRUG USE.
THERE'S SOME MAJOR PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE THAT WE CAN SEE IMMEDIATELY.
INDOOR HAS BEEN REPORTED BY THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE START TO TAKE THOSE FIRST ON THE LIST FOR REMOVAL BEFORE WE WOULD, UM, TAKE CARE OF THE LOWER PRIORITY SITES THAT JUST SEEM TO HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CAMPING OUT THERE, KEEPING A CLEAN SPACE.
HERE'S SOME OF THE DATA THAT WE, WE COLLECT, WE COLLECT REPORTS FROM THREE, ONE NINE, AND WE TRY TO FOLLOW THE LIFESPAN OF AN ENCAMPMENT.
AND SO WE TRY TO UNDERSTAND, WHEN DID WE FIRST NOTICE THAT AN ENCAMPMENT IS ON PARKLAND? AND THEN WHEN IS THAT ISSUE RESOLVED? EITHER IT'S RESOLVED BECAUSE WE HAD A REMOVAL OR ITSELF RESOLVED BECAUSE INDIVIDUALS HAVE ANOTHER ACTION OR, OR DECIDE TO, UM, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A DIFFERENT OPTION.
WE ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR SERVICE REQUESTS AND TRY TO KEEP TRACK OF THE NUMBER OF EMAILS THAT WE ARE, THAT WE SEND OUT TO OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS REQUESTING FOR ASSISTANCE.
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WHAT IN CAMP, WHAT THE ENCAMPMENTS MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE RECEIVED AS FAR AS RESOURCES.AND WE ALSO TRY TO TRACK INFORMATION ABOUT THE EXACT LOCATION VIA GIS.
HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS ARE WITHIN THAT CAMP? OBVIOUSLY WE TALKED ABOUT PRIORITIZATION, WHAT KIND OF FINAL LAW MIGHT BE NEEDED? DO WE NEED TO TAKE PHOTOS SO THAT WE CAN PUT IT IN OUR DATABASE TO KNOW THAT IT'S A LOW PRIORITY OR HIGH PRIORITY ENCAMPMENT? SO THAT'S THE KIND OF DATA COLLECTION, SOME OF THE DATA COLLECTION THAT HAPPENS.
AND ALEXA, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THIS LAST SLIDE TO SHOW YOU, UM, OUR PRIORITIZATION.
AND SO WHEN WE GO TO A CAMP AND IT'S ABANDONED, IT'S A LEVEL ONE, AND WE IMMEDIATELY CONTACT OUR PARTNERS AND THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION AND THE WORKFORCE FIRST PROGRAM TO GO AHEAD AND BEGIN THE CLEANUP PROCESS OF, OF THAT PARTICULAR IN CANTON, IF INDIVIDUALS, WE GO TO THE CABIN AND IT APPEARS SAFE AND CLEAN, WE DON'T SEE ANY OBVIOUS SIGNS OF PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES.
THERE'S NO GARBAGE LAYING AROUND, UH, EVERYTHING IS IN ITS PLACE.
THEN WE WOULD PLACE THAT AS A LOWER PRIORITY.
UH, AND IT'S, UH, SPECIFICALLY IF IT'S NOT REALLY NEAR ANY RESIDENTS, IT WOULD BE A LOWER PRIORITY FOR US TO ACTUALLY TRY TO PHYSICALLY REMOVE THAT CAMP AND IMPLEMENT THE PROCESS THAT I DESCRIBED TO YOU WITH THE SERVICE PROVIDERS AND THEN ENGAGING APD, IF THERE ARE, UM, UH, SPACES THAT ARE MAYBE NOT AS CLEAN AS YOU WOULD SEE IN A LEVEL TWO, BUT THEY COULD SELF RESOLVE OR THEY COULD, THEY COULD MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT CLEANER.
WE WANT TO GIVE INDIVIDUALS THAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.
UM, IF THEY'RE ADJACENT TO RESIDENTS OR WITHIN THE PARK SYSTEM, WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO MITIGATE ANY SORT OF CONFLICTS AND, AND HELP THOSE INDIVIDUALS, UM, KEEP A CAMPSITE THAT IS, UM, DOESN'T DRAW ATTENTION TO ITSELF.
HOWEVER LONG WE GET TO FOUR OR FIVE IN THAT, THAT IN CAMERON IS BEGINNING TO IMPACT THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH OF, OF THE COMMUNITY OR THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH OF INDIVIDUALS, WHICH WERE INDIAN CAMP BOOT.
THEN THAT'S WHAT THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE'RE PRIORITIZING AND THAT WE'RE WORKING TO.
I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THAT I PERSONALLY HAVE GONE OUT WITH SOME OF OUR RANGER TEAMS AND I'VE PERSONALLY GONE OUT AS HAVE ALL OF THE EXECUTIVE TEAM.
UM, WE'VE PERSONALLY GONE AND VISITED, UM, SOME ENCAMPMENTS WITH, WITH, UH, WE'VE TAKEN HIKES IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE PARK SYSTEM WITH LESS.
AND SO I CAN, I CAN TELL YOU THAT I HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN OVER A HUNDRED ENCAMPMENTS OF VARIOUS LEVELS, MOST OF THEM IN THE THREE OR BOTH LITTLE CATEGORY.
UM, AND SO I OFFER THAT TO YOU AS SOMEBODY WHO DOES NOT DO THIS JOB ON A REGULAR BASIS, BUT CAN TELL YOU THAT THEY'RE PRETTY, THEY'RE, I'M PRETTY POSITIVE THAT I'VE SEEN AT LEAST A HUNDRED CANTONMENTS.
THERE HAS GOT TO BE THROUGHOUT A PARK SYSTEM OF 17,000 ACRES.
WE ESTIMATE THAT THERE'S MANY MORE, THAT WE'VE EITHER YET TO COME ACROSS, OR THAT WILL BE DISCOVERED IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AS, AS THE SITUATION AS LEAVES START TO FALL OFF, THE TREES AND FALL STARTS TO COME INTO, INTO, UM, INTO SEASON AND PEOPLE BEGIN TO SEE HAVE A DIFFERENT VIEW OF THE PARK SYSTEM WILL BEGIN TO IDENTIFY MORE SPACES PERHAPS WHERE PEOPLE WERE CAMPING.
AND THAT'S THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
I'M PREPARED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
OKAY, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR MCNEELY.
SO ONCE AGAIN, HERE WE ARE, IT'S NOW FOUR 20 AND WE HAVE, UM, 20, 25 MINUTES LEFT, WHICH WE DIDN'T ACCOMPLISH.
UM, AS MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO IT, AS I HAVE SAID SEVERAL TIMES, IT IS FRUSTRATING AT THIS POINT.
[Additional Item 2]
THINK WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS JUST COVER, LET YOU GUYS ASK A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HOMELESS, AND THEN WE'LL JUST GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE ITEM NUMBER, UM, C ONE, THREE AND FOUR TO THE NEXT MEETING.THEN WE'LL JUST TALK ABOUT THE, UM, THE POOLS.
SO LET'S JUST GO AHEAD AND DO THAT.
I, I ACTUALLY TEXTED BOARD MEMBER FOSTER.
SHE'S FINE WITH MOVING THAT ONE TO THE NEXT MEETING.
SO, UM, SO I, I WILL SAY THAT LISTENING TO THIS REPORT AND I'M GOING TO LET EVERYBODY ELSE TALK.
I I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY READ OUT THE QUESTION THAT, UM, BOARD MEMBER MASON MURPHY SENT ME BECAUSE SHE CAN'T TALK, BUT I WILL SAY THAT I, THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT, UM, IT'S A HUGE, AND WE HAVE VERY FINE NIGHT RESOURCES WITH, AT OUR, AT PART TO DEAL WITH IT.
AND IT IS, UM, THERE'S A LOT I COULD SAY ABOUT THIS, BUT I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND LET YOU GUYS TALK.
SO LET ME, LET ME ASK HER FIRST, WHICH IS, UM,
[01:20:02]
HOW DO WE PREVENT CAMPS FROM REAPPEARING AFTER ABANDONMENT INVASIVES REMOVED AND BASE OF REMOVAL IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO.LIGA STROMA ARE A HUGE PROBLEM AND PROVIDE YOU AROUND SHADE AND COVER.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS.
AND I'LL SEND YOU HER NEXT QUESTION.
IF YOU CAN JUST, THEY OFTEN CAMP IN VERY DEADLY FLOODWAYS PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE AND ESPECIALLY UPSETTING TO RESIDENTS IN THE FLOOD BUYOUT AREAS WHO HAVE BEEN TOLD THEIR HOMES AREN'T EVEN SAFE.
AND THEN SHE SAYS, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR MCNEELY.
SO TO ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT HOW DO WE, I AGREE THAT THERE IS AN ABSOLUTELY, UM, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
THERE ARE SOME, UH, THERE ARE SOME INVASIVE PLANTS THAT ARE IN OUR, IN OUR, UH, PARK SYSTEM THAT HELPED PROVIDE SHADING COVER AND CERTAINLY, UM, THROUGH VOLUNTEER GROUPS AND, UH, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
THE REMOVAL OF THOSE WOULD LIKELY WOULD VERY LIKELY BE VERY HELPFUL IN NOT PROVIDING A SPACE WHERE PEOPLE FEEL AS THOUGH THEY'RE MORE COMFORTABLE IN THAT SPACE.
UM, I WOULD SAY TO YOU THAT ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT I DIDN'T MENTION, BUT CERTAINLY IT IS A CHALLENGE, BUT, UM, BOARD MEMBER MASON, MURPHY JUST POINTED OUT IS THAT WE CAN ASK SOMEONE TO RE WE COULD REMOVE SOMEONE FROM A SPACE WITHIN THAT WITHIN THE PARKLAND.
AND WE MAY FIND THEM RETURNING A MILE DOWN THE ROAD, A HALF MILE DOWN THE ROAD.
UM, THEY MIGHT RETURN TO THE EXACT SAME SPOT WITHIN A GIVEN AMOUNT OF TIME, BECAUSE THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR SPACE THAT THEY FIND, UM, THAT THEY MIGHT FIND TO BE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THEM.
SO I'LL JUST GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
WE HAD SOME SITUATIONS THAT HAVE PARQUETS, THERE ARE THOSE SOCKS, AND WE WERE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY REMOVE INDIVIDUALS OFF OF PARKLAND AND PARTIES.
THEY'RE A, AND THEY MOVED ACROSS THE STREET ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AND PRIVATE LAND, UM, THAT HAD TO DO WITH A SONIC AND SOME OTHER PRIVATE SPACES.
AND SO THE ISSUE ITSELF, WHILE IT'S NO LONGER A PARK LAND ISSUE, THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SELF RESOLVE THE ISSUE.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND THEM PERMANENT OR TEMPORARY OR ANY SORT OF HOUSING AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME.
AND SO THE COMMUNITY IS STILL EXPERIENCING ON THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HOMELESS ARE STILL EXPERIENCING THAT SAME SITUATION.
IT'S JUST THAT IT'S NO LONGER ON OUR PLAN.
SO THAT'S A CONTINUED CHALLENGE.
UM, AND I KNOW THE DEPARTMENT HAS AN ENTIRE TASK FORCE.
THE CITY HAS AN ENTIRE TASK FORCE THAT ARE WORKING ON SUPPORTS AND WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN, UM, TRY TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE IS JUST NOT GOING NEARLY AS FAST, I THINK, AS IT WOULD BE, UM, AS IT COULD AS, AS MAYBE GOING FAST AT ALL, IT'S NOT GOING AS FAST AS WE NEED.
AND, UM, NOT GOING FAST AT ALL.
WE, IN 2018, WE PASSED A $250 MILLION HOUSING BOND OF WHICH $94 MILLION WAS, WAS FOR THIS SORT OF SUPPORTIVE HOUSING WITH THE LAST ECHO COUNT.
WE HAD 2,500 PEOPLE IDENTIFIED.
WE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S $37,000, YOU KNOW, OVER 30,000, $37,000 A PERSON.
AND WE KNOW THERE'S FAMILIES, IT'S FRUSTRATING AND IT'S NOT YOU, AND IT'S NOT YOU, BUT IT'S, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO MAKE SURE I GET THAT FRUSTRATION OUT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE GOT REPORT AFTER REPORT AND THIS IS NOT, THIS IS NOT PARKS DEPARTMENT.
FIRST DEPARTMENT IS DOING GREAT AND IT'S INSULTING THAT WE ONLY HAVE ONE FTE INWARD TO HELP ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES, BUT WE GOT STRATEGIC BLUEPRINT.
WE HAVE THE IMPLEMENTATION, WE HAVE THE ECO ACTION PLAN.
WE HAVE THE RECENT REPORT FROM BARBARA POPE AND ASSOCIATES.
I MEAN, IT IS FRUSTRATING FOR EVERYBODY.
AND I HOPE THAT THE CITY, I HOPE THAT THE CITY MANAGER GETS IT TOGETHER AND STARTS MOVING ON STUFF.
SORRY THAT I HAVE A LOT MORE DETAILS, BUT I'M GOING TO LEAVE IT TO EVERYBODY ELSE.
I THINK DON, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, JUST A COUPLE OF QUICKLY, DR.
MCCAIN NEELY HAD MENTIONED THAT CDC DOESN'T RECOMMEND MOVING ENCAMPMENTS RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO IT WAS THE PARKS DEPARTMENT SIDING WITH THAT RECOMMENDATION AND WHAT WE DOING ANY MOVEMENTS OF ENCAMPMENTS RIGHT NOW, IT IS TIME TO ABIDE BY THAT.
BUT THEN THERE ARE CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE COMMUNITY IS EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT AS THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE INDIVIDUALS CUTTING CABINET THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE WE HAVE DEEMED MOST APPROPRIATE A BOARD MEMBER, MASON MURPHY SAID, OH, IN THE PROXIMITY TO AN AREA WHERE A FLASH FLOOD OR SOMETHING
[01:25:01]
OF THAT NATURE COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS.UM, THERE IS A DANGER TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, BASED UPON THE BEHAVIORS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE ENCAMPMENT.
SO WHILE IT HAS NOT BEEN A WIDESPREAD, IT HAS HAPPENED.
UH, WE DO OUR BEST TO TRY TO CONTAIN THE ENCAMPMENT AND HELP THEM, UM, THAT THE INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN THAT ENCAMPMENT TO REDUCE WASTE AND TO BECOME AN ENCAMPMENT, THAT WOULD BE MORE OF A LEVEL THREE OR TWO, BUT SOMETIMES IT'S JUST NOT POSSIBLE IF WE DEEM IT APPROPRIATE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE PERKS, BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, IT'S THE EXCEPTION, NOT THE RULE.
AND THEN THE DATA THAT Y'ALL BEEN COLLECTING BASED ON THE REPORTS FROM THREE ONE, ONE, AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT, UM, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO, TO SEE THAT DATA? SURE.
WE CAN DO A DEAL WITH YOU AS A FOLLOWUP.
MAYBE THAT'S ARGUING WITH THE I'M WITH RICH IN TERMS OF THE BIGGER PROBLEM IN COORDINATION IS NOT PART JUST CANNOT DO ALL THIS.
SO I APPRECIATE AND COMMEND WHAT, UH, THE DEPARTMENT'S BEEN DOING WITH ONE FULL TIME EMPLOYEE.
THAT'S THE OTHER PIECE THAT JUST SEEMS CRAZY, BUT I UNDERSTAND THE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS THAT LEAD TO THAT.
SO I APPRECIATE THE REPORT AND I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS THAT ARE BEING DONE AND THE COORDINATION THERE'S THE PARK DEPARTMENT'S TRYING TO DO WITH THE OTHER PARTNERS.
AND, UH, AND, UH, SO I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE ANY, UM, I'M WITH RICHARD IN TERMS OF FRUSTRATION, BUT IT'S NOT THE PARK DEPARTMENT THAT I'M FRUSTRATED WITH.
UM, I HAVE A, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ACTUALLY.
UM, SO, UM, I KNOW THAT Y'ALL SAID THAT Y'ALL TRY TO CONNECT FOLKS THAT GET EVICTED, WHAT RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THEM AND THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I'M WONDERING WHAT THE SUCCESS RATE FOR THAT, WHAT KIND OF PERSONNEL ARE OUT THERE? HOW, LIKE, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE TIME THAT FOLKS GET EVICTED? ARE WE HAVING LIKE PERSONNEL OUT THERE WHO LIKE, ARE, UH, ABLE TO, TO APPROPRIATELY, UM, GIVE THEM THIS INFORMATION? SO I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE MAKE AN EFFORT ANY TIME, ANY TIME ASKING SOMEBODY TO REMOVE THEMSELVES FROM PARKLAND, ASKED THE SERVICE PROVIDER EITHER PATH OR HOST OR INTEGRAL CARE OR SOMEBODY WHO HAS A MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR, OR HAS THAT APP, HAS THOSE, THOSE SORTS OF, UM, THAT'S KIND OF SKILL AND ABILITY TO GO OUT AND TALK TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME, THE THING THAT IS MOST NEEDED BY THE INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IS A PLACE TO START.
SO WE CAN OFFER THE MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING.
WE CAN OFFER HELPING THEM GET THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE.
WE CAN OFFER CONNECTING THEM TO OTHER SORTS OF, UM, UH, FINANCIAL RESOURCES OR CONNECT THEM TO CELL PHONE, UM, OPPORTUNITIES AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
AND THOSE SERVICE PROVIDERS DO ALL OF THAT.
UM, BUT IN THE END, THE THING THAT IS MOST NEEDED BY THE MAJORITY OF INDIVIDUALS IS A PLACE TO STAY.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE CONTINUING TO STRUGGLE AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME.
AND SO I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT FOLLOWUP.
I WOULD HAVE TO, UM, I'LL HAVE TO ASK THE TEAM IF WE TRACK EACH INDIVIDUAL.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE, THAT WE, AS A PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT TRACK EACH INDIVIDUAL, BUT ONE OF OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS, OUR PARTNERS MAKE.
SO I'D LIKE TO GET BACK TO ON THAT, THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, VICE CHAIR.
UM, AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD ONE PART ABOUT THAT CORRECTLY.
SO EVERY TIME THAT THERE IS AN EVICTION, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A MENTAL HEALTH EXPERT TO BE OUT THERE AND TALK TO THEM THAT WE MAKE THAT EFFORT EVERY SINGLE TIME.
RIGHT? SO THE ANSWER TO THAT IS, IS WE, WE, YES.
AND NOW I CANNOT GUARANTEE YOU THAT EVERY SINGLE TIME AN INDIVIDUAL IS ABLE TO CONNECT WITH A MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR OR THAT THEY EVEN WANT TO TALK TO THE MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR.
SO WE MAKE THAT EFFORT COULD, IS THERE ANY WAY TO KNOW HOW MANY TIMES A MENTAL HEALTH EXPERT ACTUALLY SHOWS UP ON SITE TO ATTEMPT COMMUNICATION WITH, WITH THE PERSON EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS? YOU CAN FIND OUT IF WE CHECK THAT INFORMATION, YOU CAN GET THAT INFORMATION TO THEM.
AND THEN DO WE ARE, UH, ARE WE SPENDING, UM, APD OFFICERS OUT EVERY TIME DURING AN, UH, DURING
[01:30:01]
AN EVICTION LIKE THAT IN ORDER FOR US TO PHYSICALLY, IF PEOPLE DO NOT SELF RESOLVE, SO WE TRY TO, WE TRY OURSELVES, RIGHT? WE GO OUT, WE LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY NEED TO MOVE TO GET A MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR OR, OR A SERVICE PROVIDER TO GO OUT AND REMIND THEM THAT, HEY GUYS, WE'RE HERE TO HELP YOU, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE.WE USUALLY GO OUT ANOTHER TIME AFTER THAT AND SAY, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE YOU MOVE THOUGHT A CERTAIN TIME.
AND THEN IF WE SCHEDULE WITH APD, THE ACTUAL OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT AND HAVE THAT ENCAMPMENT REMOVED, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE ENFORCEMENT ABILITY.
SO WE WOULD NEED APD TO BE ABLE TO, I WILL TELL YOU THAT MANY TIMES THE SITUATION SELF RESOLVES AFTER HAVING MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS AND KNOWING THAT THE NEXT TIME WE COME OUT, IT'LL INCLUDE AN APD OFFICER.
SOME INDIVIDUALS ARE ABLE TO SELF RESOLVE SOME, SOME DO NOT, BUT, BUT EVERY INDIVIDUAL, AT LEAST ONCE IS GIVEN A NOTIFICATION BEFORE APD IS CALLED OUT.
UM, AND, AND, UH, YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT, UH, THE CDC SAYING NOT TO EVICT FOLKS RIGHT NOW, CURRENTLY FROM PARKS, UH, EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, UM, IS THAT, UM, PART IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THAT, RIGHT? OR VERY FEW EXCEPTIONS TO THAT RULE, IF THERE IS A PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUE THAT WE DEEM TO BE, TO BE EXTREME OR TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, TO BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE CDC REGULATION THAT WE HAVE, BUT IT'S THE EXCEPTION, NOT THE RULE AND WOULD APD, UM, LIKE WITHOUT PART GO IN AND EVICT PEOPLE THAT IN A WAY THAT'S NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH CDC, UM, THEY MAY, BUT THAT'S PROBABLY A BETTER CONVERSATION FOR APD.
I CAN ANSWER THAT, BUT WE, WE WORK VERY HARD TO BE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM.
UM, I WOULD ASSUME THAT IF THERE WAS AN EXTREME CASE AND SOMETHING, UM, THAT WAS AN IMMEDIATE, IMMEDIATE RISK, THEY WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO ACT.
I THINK THEY WOULD LIKELY BE OBLIGATED TO ACT WHERE WE WORK IN, IN COORDINATION WITH THEM.
SO I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION WITH A HUNDRED PERCENT ACCURACY, BUT, UM, WE, WE WORK IN COORDINATION.
SO, AND THIS IS WHY I'M FRUSTRATED.
I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE ALL THESE BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE TAKING TIME OUT OF THEIR WORKDAY TO COME AND DO THEIR DUE DILIGENCE AND DO WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE BOARD MEETINGS.
AND WE'RE STUCK HAVING TO RUSS THROUGH EVERYTHING IN AN HOUR AND A HALF TIME, WHICH IS WAY NOT ENOUGH FOR US TO REALLY DO A GOOD JOB AND LET EVERYBODY ASK GOOD QUESTIONS AND PROVIDE GOOD INPUT TO SUPPORT PARKS DEPARTMENT.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN CHANGE ANY OF THAT, BUT I, AGAIN, HERE WE ARE, IT'S I HAVE TO WRAP THINGS UP PRETTY SOON, AND IT IS JUST, I'M FRUSTRATED ABOUT THAT.
THANK YOU CHAIR FOR PAIRING THAT BECAUSE IT IS, IT FEELS LIKE IT'S STIFLING CONVERSATION AND STIFLING THE WORK OF THE BOARD.
AND SO WHAT IF YOU HAVE THIS SCHEDULE, THESE EVEN MORE FREQUENTLY TO GET THROUGH THE BOARD'S WORK, BUT IT IS EXTRAORDINARILY FRUSTRATING.
AND I, AGAIN, WE, UM, WE NEED TO PROBABLY START WRAPPING THINGS UP AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT EXTENDING THIS, UM, OTHER MEETING.
WE MAY, MAYBE IF WE CAN ONLY GET THESE ONE AND A HALF HOUR BLOCKS, WE MAY HAVE TO TRY TO MEET TWICE A MONTH.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO BECAUSE WE, WE JUST CAN'T SEEM TO MAKE A DENT IN THE WORK THAT WE'D LIKE TO GET ACCOMPLISHED.
SO I DON'T KNOW, SAM, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, PEOPLE WOULD BE ON BOARD WITH THAT.
IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ME AND MAYBE OTHERS TO, TO HAVE IT AT A REGULAR TIME.
AND ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, I LIKE MOST OF YOU ARE PROBABLY TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR WORKDAY TO, TO DO THIS.
I THINK IT MAY BE UNLIKELY THAT WE ARE ABLE TO GET TO ALL OF THE NEEDS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS WITH ALL THE NUMBER OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS LAST TIME, THE AGENDA.
SO THERE COULD BE MORE FRUITFUL CONVERSATION THAT WILL MEAN THAT THINGS WILL BE DELAYED.
UM, YOU MIGHT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO MORE MEMOS CAUSE THERE'S THREE, WE'RE LIKELY NOT GOING TO GET ANOTHER MEETING, BUT WE COULD PUT LESS ON THE AGENDA FOR MORE INTENSE CONVERSATION AND WE CAN DO MORE MEMOS.
UM, THE THINGS THAT WE HAD ON THE AGENDA TODAY WERE THINGS THAT, UM, HAVE BEEN OTHER THAN THE ABBOTT SPRAINS OR THE THINGS THAT THE BOARD HAD REQUESTED, BUT WE CAN SPREAD THOSE OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE IF THAT WOULD BE, IF THAT WOULD BE MORE TO THE LIKING OF THE BOARD.
WELL, I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE IF WE'RE GOING TO COME TOGETHER, WE, IN OTHER WAYS TO TRY TO GET AS MUCH ACCOMPLISHED AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE DON'T MEET THAT OFTEN ANYWAYS.
[01:35:01]
THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES THAT COME UP, NOT JUST, I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS THE BOARD MEMBERS ASKED FOR THESE TOPICS BECAUSE THEY'RE HEARING FROM MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITY OR THEY'RE HAVE LEGITIMATE CONCERNS ABOUT THINGS.AND SO IT'S HARD TO CRAM EVERYTHING INTO AN HOUR AND A HALF, AND I DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO CUT BACK AND CUT BACK AS WELL.
JUST GET MORE AND MORE BEHIND WITH EVERYTHING THAT PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT.
BUT AT THIS POINT THAT WE CAN TRY TO FIGURE THIS OUT AND MAYBE WE CAN, SAMMY CAN LOOK INTO IT AND SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE.
[C2. Discussion of swimming pools and COVID-19 modified operations. Presenter: Board Member Laura Cottam Sajbal]
I WOULD LIKE YOU, I KNOW BOARD MEMBER, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, GEORGIA MINEOLA, YOU HAD AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE ITEM THAT, UM, ABOUT THE SWIMMING POOLS.IF YOU COULD JUST PLEASE JUST LET US KNOW ABOUT THAT REAL QUICKLY BEFORE WE, WE WRAP UP.
SO I'M ON YOUR AGENDA AND SEE TWO, ARE THERE ONE CONVERSATION ABOUT SWIMMING POOLS? AND COVID CERTAINLY YOU CAN EMAIL ME QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT AFTER TWO MEETINGS THIS WEEK WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITIES, AND SPECIFICALLY WITH DR.
S SPOT, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE INDICATORS, THE HOSPITALIZATION NUMBERS, ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY, THAT AS A HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WE LOOK AT, UM, WITH REGARDS TO REESTABLISHING OPERATIONS, THEY ARE IN A SPACE WHEN IT WILL BE SAFE AND APPROPRIATE FOR US TO OPEN UP SWIMMING POOLS UNDER MODIFIED OPERATIONS.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BOARD UNDERSTANDS THAT THIS IS NOT A PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, INDEPENDENT DECISIONS.
SO I DON'T HOLD, UM, I DON'T HOLD THE FULL RESPONSIBILITY NOR THE FULL DECISION MAKING POWER WITH REGARDS TO THE, TO THE OPERATIONS THAT ARE IN THE PARK SYSTEM.
I'M IN CONSTANT CONTACT IN CONSTANT CONVERSATION WITH OUR PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS WHO ARE GUIDING US ON TRENDS.
AND NOW IT SAYS THINGS THAT THEY THINK MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN.
THERE WERE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER THAT, UM, THAT CAUSED US TO BE PUSHED BACK ONE BEING A LABOR DAY AND THE SECOND BEING THE UT GAME THAT WAS ALLOWED THAT ALLOWED APPROXIMATELY 25,000 PEOPLE TO ATTEND THE GAME.
AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS VERY INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS OF THOSE KINDS OF GATHERINGS OR THOSE KINDS OF BEHAVIORS THAT HAPPENED ON HOLIDAY WEEKENDS AND THE KINDS OF BEHAVIORS THAT MIGHT HAPPEN, UM, FOR FOOTBALL GAMES.
AND SO THEREFORE THEY NEED TIME TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE DATA AND ANALYZE HOW THAT MAY IMPACT OUR LOOK, THE LOCAL CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR VIRUS.
UM, THE SECOND THING IS THAT I HAD BEEN REMINDED BY THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, IS THAT IN OUR, OUR, AND MAYBE FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, THAT OUR RUSHED TO OPENING IN THE MONTH OF MAY INTO JUNE, WE SAW A MAJOR INCREASE IN CASES, AND IT'S TAKEN US A LONG TIME TO COME BACK DOWN FROM THAT TO BE IN A SPACE.
AND WE DIDN'T WANT TO REPEAT THAT KIND OF, UM, WE DON'T WANT TO GO BACKWARDS, SO WE DIDN'T WANT TO REPEAT THAT SAME SITUATION AGAIN.
SO WE WERE BEING VERY DELIBERATE, UM, VERY INTENTIONAL IN THE CONVERSATIONS, VERY CAUTIOUS IN LOOKING AT THE DATA TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WON'T HAVE TO GO BACKWARDS.
SO ONCE WE OPEN SOMETHING THAT WILL LIKELY OR HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO REMAIN OPEN, CAUSE WE DON'T SEE A SPIKE IN CASES.
AND THEN LASTLY, THE BIGGEST GOAL THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS IS TO BE PREPARED FOR WHEN THE YOUTH GO BACK TO SCHOOL IN THE ELEMENTARY AND THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS, WE WANT TO BE AS, AS LOW, AS LOW AS POSSIBLE, UH, UNDER THE 5% POSITIVITY RATE AS POSSIBLE WHEN KIDS ARE REQUIRED TO START RETURNING TO THE CLASSROOM.
SO WE WANT TO BE AS STABLE AS POSSIBLE WITHIN THE AUTHORITY THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO THE GOOD NEWS IS THE SWIMMING POOLS WILL BE OPEN THIS SATURDAY AND WE'RE ALREADY WORKING ON COMMUNICATIONS AND THOSE PROCESSES.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU SOME CONTEXT AS TO HOW THE DECISIONS ON, OKAY, THANK YOU.
I KNOW THERE WAS DEFINITELY SOME PEOPLE THAT HAD SOME, SOME, PROBABLY WANTED TO COMMENT ABOUT THAT AND ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW ALL THOSE DECISIONS WERE MADE IN THE PAST.
[E. FUTURE ITEMS FROM BOARD MEMBERS ADJOURNMENT]
GOING TO HAVE TO, TO MOVE ON AND CLOSE OUT AND I'LL GO AROUND AND SEE WHO HAS ITEMS FOR THE FUTURE.ALTHOUGH IF IT'S A PRIORITY, LET US KNOW, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING EVERYTHING ON THE AGENDA FOR 'EM UNTIL WE GET PAST THIS PARTICULAR STAGE THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH.
A BOARD MEMBER TO CARLA, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? NO, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING.
REMEMBER, LUCA BOARD MEMBER MASON.
NO BOARD MEMBER CUT AND CYBIL YEAH, I HAVE ONE AND THAT WE COULD DO PROBABLY NOT IN THE MEETING, BUT IF WE COULD DO A MEMO, IT'S COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THERE IS A COMPANY ABOUT
[01:40:01]
TO SECURE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY, UM, THAT WOULD RELEASE SOME POLLUTION INTO BARTON CREEK.SO I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM, UH, THE W P D ABOUT THE ISSUE, IT'S THE SAWYER AND I'M SORRY, I CAN'T READ MY HANDWRITING OR SOMETHING COMPANY AND SAWYER CLEVELAND.
IF WE COULD GET, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU A DEMO, SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF THAT WOULD RELATE TO THE PARKS.
RINALDI DIPLOMA FOR BOARD MEMBER COTTON.
CYBIL, I'LL BRING THAT FORWARD TO THE JOINT COMMITTEE TO SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S RELEVANT TO THEM.
UM, AND THEN I THINK WE, YEAH, THE VICE CHAIR FOR US IS ALSO A JOINT COMMITTEE WITH THE ENVIRONMENT.
WE CHANGED THAT, REMEMBER HE'S, HE'S NOT ON THAT ANYMORE.
AND NOW ACTUALLY REMEMBER CUTTING CYCLE IN BOARD MEMBER FASTER OR ON THERE WITH, WITH YOU.
AND YEAH, I WAS AWARE OF THIS.
SO MAYBE THAT'S THE REASON TO, TO, TO HAVE A MEETING AND HAVE THAT DISCUSSION THERE.
UM, THE OTHER THING WAS THE COUNCIL HAS ALREADY GIVEN THEIR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.
SO THE PREVIOUS MEETING, OR EARLIER IN THE MONTH, I HAD REQUESTED WHAT WERE SOME OF THE, UH, STATUTORY ISSUES TO DO PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS AND, AND PUBLIC PUBLIC PRIVATE, UH, PUBLIC PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE MAY HAVE MISSED, UM, THAT, THAT OPPORTUNITY.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING FORWARD AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, HOPEFULLY, UM, IF I CAN GET A SECOND WOULD BE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE, A RECOMMENDATION TO SEEK COUNSEL RELATING TO THE USE AND RENEWAL OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP, SHIP AGREEMENTS WITH MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICTS AND LIMITED DISTRICTS FOR THE MAINTENANCE OPERATION FEES ON PUBLIC ACCESS OF PUBLIC PARKLAND, INCLUDING TRAILS.
AND THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO ISSUES WE HAVE SEEN OVER AT LOST CREEK AND AT RIVER PLACE.
AND I'M TRYING TO GET THAT SO WE CAN HAVE SOME STANDARDIZED LANGUAGE, SO IT, THEY HAVE MORE EQUITABLE ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND SO WE CAN SEE LIKE INCREASE AND MIL AND FOLLOWING THAT EXAMPLE, UM, AND TANGLEWOOD FOLLOWING THAT EXAMPLE.
SO, BUT I WOULD NEED A SECOND TO HAVE THAT ON THE AGENDA.
I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THAT I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT GETTING YOU THAT INFORMATION.
SO I HAVE NO OTHER EXCUSE THAN TO JUST SAY I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DO IT.
OH, UH, OH, UH, DIRECTOR MCNEELY.
I DON'T FAULT YOU AT ALL THAT.
I MEAN, THAT WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION AND I, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, IT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S UP ON MY RADAR FOR A WHILE AND I SHOULD'VE, I SHOULD'VE MADE THE REQUEST ONCE AGO, BUT, UM, YEAH, IT JUST IS WHAT IT IS.
IT DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T GO THROUGH TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE OR ONE OF MY WONDERFUL PLACES LIKE THIS THAT I KNOW.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? YES, PLEASE.
I WOULD LIKE TO CARRY OVER THE ITEM ON THE BYLAW AMENDMENTS AND TO NOTE THAT, UM, IF THE BOARD WERE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE VOTED ON AT THE NEXT MEETING, UM, TO COMPLY WITH PROCEDURE.
AND SECONDLY, I WAS WONDERING IF, UM, AND THIS COULD, THE RESPONSE COULD BE IN A MEMO.
MY THOUGHT ABOUT ALL OF THE FACILITIES CLOSURES WITH COVID AND THE OPENING AND THE REOPENING.
NOW THAT WE'RE A FEW MONTHS INTO IT AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THE SCIENCE AND EVERYTHING, OUR RESPONSE IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING, BUT, UM, IS IT POSSIBLE TO DEVELOP SOMETHING WITH AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH AND TRAVIS COUNTY THAT GIVES JUST SOME BROAD DESIGNATION SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHAT MAYBE TO EXPECT? SO IN STAGE ONE, WE EXPECT TO HAVE POOLS OPENING OPEN, BUT IN A RESERVATION SYSTEM AND WITH MASKS AND STAGE TWO, WE EXPECT LIMITED THIS IN STAGE THREE, WE EXPECT, YOU KNOW, THE GREENBELT TO VIEW AVAILABLE, BUT JUST SOME REAL BROAD GUIDELINES SO THAT THE PARK USERS AND THE SWIMMERS DON'T FEEL JUST SO IN THE DARK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT PLANS THEY CAN MAKE.
AND I WOULD THINK LIKE, AT LEAST I KNOW WITH SCHOOLS THAT WAS REALLY HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND WE'RE LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, I THINK THEY SAID IT WAS A 5% INFECTION POSITIVITY RATE.
IT'S JUST SOME, SOME FRAMEWORK AND WOULD ASK FOR US ALL OVER IT.
THESE AREN'T DECISIONS, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THE DECISIONS IN THE MOMENT STILL, BUT THIS IS A GUIDELINE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S POSSIBLE OR NOT POSSIBLE.
THAT'S JUST THE QUESTION I'D LIKE TO BE ADDRESSED.
[01:45:01]
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO, UM, READ OUR DIRECTOR'S REPORT ON OUR, ON TIME BECAUSE WE ARE DEFINITELY OUT OF TIME, BUT I THINK YOU GUYS ARE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.I'M SORRY THAT WE GET, WE COULDN'T REALLY HAVE THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'D LIKE TO HAVE.
I HOPE EVERYBODY HAS A WONDERFUL REST OF YOUR OKAY.