PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MEETING MINUTES JULY 22, 2024 PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD REGULAR MEETING MINUTES JULY 22, 2024 The PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD convened in a REGULAR meeting on July 22, 2024 at 301 W. 2nd Street in Austin, Texas Chair Villalobos called the PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD Meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Board Members in Attendance: Pedro Villalobos, Kathryn Flowers, Stephanie Bazan, Lane Becker, Cathleen Eady, Jennifer Franklin, Holly Reed. Board Members in Attendance Remotely: Nicole Merritt. Board Members Absent: Shelby Orme, Kim Taylor. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Nicole Netherton - Pease Park Conservancy Claire Krebs - Festival Beach Community Garden Grace Gilker - Festival Beach Food Forrest Liz Barhydt - Austin Rowing Club Santiago Tza-Wan - Historic pecan grove at Festival Beach Scott Cobb - Barton Springs Lifeguard Gail Rothe - PARD PARKnership Program Chris Flores - PARD PARKnership Program Bertha Delgado Rendon - East Town Lake Citizen Neighborhood Association Elisa Montoya - East Town Lake Citizen Neighborhood Association APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Parks and Recreation Board regular meeting of June 17, 2024. The motion to approve the minutes of the Parks and Recreation Board regular meeting of June 17, 2024 was approved on Chair Villalobos’ motion, Vice Chair Flowers’ second on a 7-0 vote with one vacancy. Bord Member Eady abstaining. Board Members Orme and Taylor absent. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. Presentation, discussion and approve letters of support for community members and active participation in community engagement for the playscape replacement at Metz Neighborhood Park. Reynaldo Hernandez, Project Manager, Jonathan Haynes, Program Supervisor and Seth Conway, Activity Specialist, Parks and Recreation Department gave a presentation. 1 PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD MEETING MINUTES JULY 22, 2024 The motion to approve letters of support for community members and active participation in community engagement for the playscape replacement at Metz Neighborhood Park was approved on Chair Villalobos’ motion, Vice Chair Flowers’ second, on an 8-0 vote with one vacancy. Board Members Orme and Taylor absent. 3. Approve the Parks and Recreation Board Annual Internal Review and Report. Board Members discussed this item. The motion to approve the Parks and Recreation Board Annual Internal Review and Report was approved on Chair Villalobos’ motion, Vice Chair Flowers’ second on a 7-0 vote with one vacancy. Bord Member Eady abstaining. Board Members Orme and Taylor absent. STAFF BRIEFINGS 4. Staff briefing on Parks and Recreation Department …
PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD RECOMMENDATION YYYYMMDD-XXX Date: Subject: Expedition School Concession and Amendment to Holly Shores/ Edward Rendon Sr. Vision Plan Seconded By: Motioned By: Whereas on Dec. 15, 2019, the Austin City Council passed Ordinance No. 20191205-070 to expedite authorization of a boating concession on Lady Bird Lake for the Expedition School1 Whereas Ordinance No. 20191205-070 was an unprecedented Council directive for a boating concession approval in that it waived the requirements of City Code Section 8-1-74 (Review of a Proposal Seeking a Concession) by-passing review by the Parks Board, the Environmental Commission, Design Commission, and related public engagement process2 Whereas, by waiving the requirements of City Code Section 8-1-74, Ordinance No. 20191205-070 conflicts with City Charter Article 2, Chapter 7, Section A3 Whereas Ordinance No. 20191205-070 authorized an amendment to the Holly Shores / Edward Rendon Sr. Park Master Plan without notification to the community and public stakeholders who have collaborated in good faith with the Parks and Recreation Dept. on the Park Master Plan since it was approved in 20154 Whereas community stakeholders have significant issues with a large boating concession that was not part of the original Holly Shores / Edward Rendon Sr. Park Master Plan and have expressed to the Parks and Recreation Board their difficulty in having their issues addressed in the current process5 Whereas the City of Austin and State of Texas recognize the Mexican American heritage, cultural and historical significance of the Holly Shores / Edward Rendon Sr. Park Whereas the proposed location of the commercial dock for the Expedition School Concession is within an area that has poor water quality and may create additional negative environmental impact and public safety concerns Whereas the Parks and Recreation Dept. has not amended the Holly Shores / Edward Rendon Sr. Park Master Plan to indicate the location of the Expedition School boating concession, as directed by Ordinance No. 20191205-070 over four years ago 1 Ordinance No. 20191205-070 https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=333264 2 City Code 8-1-74 3 Section 7 Powers of the Council 4 Holly Shores / Edward Rendon Sr. Master Plan 5 Open Letter In Opposition RE: Permit and Concession for Expedition School et al, Opposition Letter 1 of 3 Whereas PARD staff, working with the Expedition School, but not the community stakeholders, identified a long-term location at Edward Rendon Senior Park Festival Beach Lagoon west end for the operation of the watercraft concession, in conflict with …
REGULAR MEETING of the LIBRARY COMMISSION August 26, 2024 – 6P.M. St. John Branch Library 7500 Blessings Ave. Austin, Texas This meeting is being held in a hybrid format, with both in-person and online virtual participation. Some members of the Commission may be participating by videoconference. Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by to speak remotely, call or email Laura Polio, 512-974-9624, telephone. To register laura.polio@austintexas.gov. CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS/COMMISSIONERS: Lynda Infante Huerta, Chair Andrea Herrera Moreno Kezia Frayjo Mark Smith Sheila Mehta, Vice Chair Cristina Masters Magen Davis Steve DeRosa AGENDA REVISED CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first five speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Approve the minutes of the Library Commission's special called meeting on August 3, 2024. STAFF BRIEFINGS Staff briefing on the City of Austin Mentor and Tutor Program by Odera Anyasinti, Program Administrator, COA Mentor/Tutor. 1. 2. Staff briefing on the August Director’s Report covering public programming highlights, and APL facilities updates, by Roosevelt Weeks, Director of Libraries. 3. DISCUSSION 4. Discussion on Board and Commission recommendations related to the Austin Public Library provided in the City of Austin Public Engagement Report. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 5. Discussion and approval on a library commission member on the Poet Laurette Committee. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Laura Polio at the Austin Public Library Department, at 512-974-9624 for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Library Commission, please contact Laura Polio at 512-974-9624 or laura.polio@austintexas.gov.
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES MONDAY, JULY 22, 2024 The Human Rights Commission convened in a regular meeting on July 22, 2024, at 301 W. 2nd Street in Austin, Texas. Chair Duhon called the Human Rights Commission meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Kolby Duhon, Chair Gabriella Zeidan, Vice Chair Morgan Davis Harriet Kirsh Pozen Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Meebs Aslam Danielle Bryant Mariana Krueger Srini Raghavan Michael Stevenson Alicia Weigel Commissioners Absent: Jeffrey Clemmons PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. DISCUSSION ITEMS 1 Approve the minutes of the Human Rights Commission regular meeting on June 24, 2024. The minutes from the meeting of June 24, 2024, were approved on Vice Chair Zeidan’s motion, Commissioner Davis’ second on an 8-0 vote. Commissioner Krueger abstained. Commissioner Stevenson was off the dais. Commissioner Clemmons was absent. Discussion of changing the Human Rights Commission December 23, 2024, meeting date. A motion to look into cancelling the Commission’s December 23, 2024, meeting and hold a of a December 16, 2024, special called meeting was approved on Commissioner Zeidan’s motion, Commission Bryant’s second on a 10-0 vote. Commissioner Clemmons was absent. Discussion of upcoming community back to school events. Discussed. 3. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS Approve the Human Rights Commission 2023 Annual Internal Report and Review, including the Commission’s goals and objectives for the next year. The 2023 Annual Internal Report and Review was approved with the following amendment on Commission Davis’ motion, Vice Chair Zeidan’s second on a 10-0 vote. Commissioner Clemmons was absent. The amendment was to revise Section 1. to include a list of the of all the recommendations approved by the Commission during the year covered by the report. The list will be in chronological order and include the title of each recommendation. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS A presentation from the SIMS Foundation was requested by Vice Chair Zeidan and Chair Duhon. A discussion item related to future educational opportunities was requested by Vice Chair Zeidan and Commissioner Bryant. ADJOURNMENT Chair Duhon adjourned the meeting at 6:39 p.m. without objection. The minutes were approved at the XX meeting on Commissioner XX’s motion, Commissioner XX’s second on a X-X vote. 2. 4. 2
Homelessness Assistance Outcomes Follow-Up OFFICE OF THE CITY AUDITOR August 2024 Background Background 2021 Follow-Up Background 2018 Allocation of City Resources Recommendation 1: Improve data about the homeless population Recommendation 2: Develop strategies to meet the current housing need Implemented In Progress 2018 Allocation of City Resources Recommendation 1: Implemented To improve the quality and accuracy of data collected about the homeless population. Improvements • The City uses Coordinated Assessments. • Data is published in the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition(ECHO)’s dashboard. 2018 Allocation of City Resources Recommendation 2: In Progress To develop and implement strategies to meet current need for housing. Permanent Supportive Housing Pipeline 1345 1228 Updates • The City increased the supply of Permanent Supportive Housing. • The City does not have a clear and updated goal. May 2024 Dec 2024 Dec 2025 Dec 2026 Dec 2027 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 237 988 530 2019 Outcomes of City Efforts Recommendation 1 Measure long-term success Recommendation 2 Improve contracts Recommendation 3 Enhance and develop new prevention programs Recommendation 4 Improve coordination among case management providers In Progress In Progress In Progress In Progress 2019 Outcomes of City Efforts Recommendation 1: In Progress To review how the City measures long-term success of homelessness efforts. Updates • The Homeless Strategy Office(HSO) is creating a strategic plan. Recommendation 2: In Progress Updates To ensure contracts include long-term outcomes, client feedback, client prioritization, and appropriate resources are dedicated. • Not all contracts require all items. • Vendors may still be taking actions towards items. 2019 Outcomes of City Efforts Recommendation 3: In Progress To enhance the capacity of existing homeless prevention programs and develop new programs. Updates • The Homeless Strategy Office(HSO) manages two prevention programs. • HSO plans to develop additional programs. Recommendation 4: In Progress To design and implement changes to improve coordination and collaboration among entities providing case management. Updates • The HSO and the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition(ECHO) host meetings with case management entities. Questions?
Herlinda Zamora, Culture & Arts Program Manager Parks & Recreation Department Mission Statement Austin Heritage Museums are a part of the Museums & Cultural Programs Division of PARD, which celebrates Austin’s unique stories within Texas. They share knowledge of Texas history through community engagement, collections management, and robust scholarship. Vision Austin Heritage Museums aim to be dynamic, trusted, and engaging storytellers, rooted in the material culture, landscape, and fabric of the City whose stories they tell. Objectives Austin Heritage Museums will accomplish this vision by expanding best practices in preserving our venerable places and their contents. We are telling stories that: Present a comprehensive, equitable, and accurate history of Austin Seek out and elevate diverse voices Encourage historical curiosity Incorporate both traditional and innovative storytelling techniques, including the interpretive power of artistic expression Engage all visitors and whenever possible, maximize opportunities to listen to them Provide a meaningful visitor experience and make Austin’s history relevant FY 2024 in Numbers 69,564 visitors across all sites 61 programs with 29,241 participants 281 Local artists were given places to show their work and sharpen their craft The Old Bakery & Emporium welcomed visitors from over 30 states and 20 different countries The 47th Annual O. Henry Pun-Off hit its highest-ever number of attendees with over 1200 guests 10th Annual Ney Day doubled attendance from last year with 500 guests 11,000 followers on social media and 3,500 email subscribers FY 2024 Museum Visitors Brush Square 16.5% 11,497 The Ney 26.4% 18,380 69,564 Total Visitors 39,687 Old Bakery 57.1% FY 2024 Museum Highlights The Old Bakery & Emporium completed an 18-month community engagement project with the Downtown Austin Alliance resulting in the first mural to be painted on the historic building, entitled “Generational Ties”. The mural was unveiled at the 3rd Annual Midsummer Festival A new program, Naturalist at the Ney, was developed based on public engagement in 2023 Brush Square has been focusing heavily on expanding education and outreach programming within the community Museum Highlights Cont. Through the ongoing grant with the International Sites of Conscience, the museums have worked closely with the Refugee Collective in Austin, and they increased their language offering to include Spanish tours and gallery guides in both Spanish and German OBE is partnering with AVAFest (Austin Veteran Arts Festival) on a new project to support veterans and youth with PTSD, as part of the ISOC grant The OBE artisan …
Austin Raza Round Table August 26, 2024 Chair Pedro Villalobos Parks and Recreation Board P.O. Box 1088 Austin, TX 78701-1088 Dear Chair Villalobos and PARB Members: At least five car clubs have met at the Festival Beach parking lot just southwest of the Johnny Degollado Pavilion on Saturdays for most of the 20th and all of the 21st centuries so far. This area is known by the Mexican American community as Chicano Park. The car clubs share their love of their classic cars, many of which have been modified to be lowriders. Today, they continue to show their cars and barbecue at Chicano Park on weekends. Neighbors have fished off the existing dock, walked the accompanying trails, held family picnics, and held celebrations for events such as birthdays and weddings. Cinco de Mayo and Diez y Seis de Septiembre celebrations are held at the Johnny Degollado Pavilion. The Expedition School has operated for almost two decades at Festival Beach, first at the Lorraine "Grandma" Camacho Activity Center and now at the boat ramp at the end of Nash Hernandez Street. The school offers educational programming, private events and public rentals. It operates as a for-profit concessionaire with a nonprofit component for its educational purposes. The school wants a new boating dock and storage facility on the lagoon down the slope from the parking lot these car clubs have used for many decades. The car club members are concerned that the traffic created by kayaking and stand-up paddle board rentals service will push them out of the park by taking up the limited parking area and grounds. Raza RoundTable of Austin supports the car clubs, East Town Lake Citizens Neighborhood Association, and Hispanic Advocates Business Leaders of Austin (HABLA) in their opposition to the dock. We believe that this will be the final step to push all local neighbors’ use of the park out not only of the Camacho Center but all of Chicano Park. We request that the City rescind the 2019 ordinance that granted the Expedition School the concession and not allow them expand. If you have questions about this issue, please contact our Co-Chair, Dr. Jane Rivera at janehrivera@austin.rr.com. Respectfully, Raza Round Table of Austin: 1 Susana Almanza Larry Amaro Daniel Baladez Dr. Paul Barton Skylar T. Bonilla Alejandro Caceres Ernesto Calderon Ruby Calderon Mario Cantu Remi Carbajal Marylou Castillo Ricardo A. Chavira Viola Cobos Dave Cortez Marta …
Dear Parks Board Members, 7/30/2024 We are requesting that the Parks Board recommend that City Council rescind the December 2019 Expedition School ordinance which without stakeholder notification or input went against the whole letter and spirit of the Holly Shores/Edward Rendon, Sr. Parks Master Plan, (Master Plan) by creating an unauthorized private enterprise in a public park. The Expedition School (TES) plans to construct a large dock in the Master Plan area of Festival Beach. TES is a for profit entity with a non-profit component. The group prospers by rentals and luxury adventure group consulting for substantial fees. TES began using the Camacho Activity Center in 2006. After taking over much of the activity center, TES decided to expand further in our park and even opened a facility in San Antonio. In 2019 a December City ordinance passed that circumvented stakeholder involvement and gave the TES the opportunity to use one end of a Festival Beach Lagoon for a large dock with storage buildings. Locals did not know of the ordinance until well after it had passed. Now TES is poised to move ahead, creating a park concession that is not and never has been part of the vetted Master Plan. In short, TES is responsible for the following breaches and oversights: · Blatant disrespect & disregard for community and stakeholders · Employing highly questionable possibly illegal methods to circumvent official processes · Misrepresenting the enterprise status as a 501C3 · Ignoring and bypassing environmental checks of the proposed expansion/dock · Overlooking the local mandate for a wild/tranquil park The above concerns cast doubt upon a positive outcome of any current or future TES project within the Master Plan area. Moreover, TES recently employed a lobbyist to represent them at city hearings which raises questions about their use of donor funds. Does the group deem itself too wealthy to meet stakeholders face to face? This questionable deal is the tip of the iceberg. In past months we’ve seen an erosion of the trust in city park administration, much of it surrounding the non-profits. A handful of non-profit businesses and enterprises are carving up our parks for their own interest—in the guise of providing vital services. It’s time to rethink how we interact with non- profit entities. Meanwhile, injustice is never a done deal. It’s not too late to rescind the shadowy TES ordinance amendment—which should never have passed. Let us …
Thursday, August 22, 2024 at 16:40:21 Central Daylight Time Thursday, August 22, 2024 at 16:40:21 Central Daylight Time Subject: Subject: Date: Date: From: From: Fw: Letter of Support Tuesday, August 6, 2024 at 11:39:50 AM Central Daylight Time Kimery Duda To:To: Attachments: Outlook-horizontal.png, FINAL Exp School Support Letter 2023-10-30.docx Attachments: Katherine Nicely, Michele Rogerson Lynch [Outside Email] Kimery Duda Founder The Expedition School www.expeditionschool.com From: Diane Mackey <diane@austinadventurers.org> Sent: Monday, October 30, 2023 1:54 PM To: Kimery Duda <kimery@expeditionschool.com> Subject: Letter of Support Hi Kimery, Please find attached the letter for support of the Expedition School from the Adventurers Academy. If you need it to say more or anything different, please let me know. Good Luck! Diane 1 of 1 7106 Shadywood Drive, Austin TX, 78745 Tel 737-203-5494, Fax 1-888-300-6396 adventurers@austinadventurers.org www.austinadventurers.org Tax ID 45-4299243 Enriching lives of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Adventurers Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization October 30, 2023 Kimery Duda Expedition School Dear Kimery, The Adventurers Academy of Lifelong Learning is pleased to submit this letter in support of our partnership with the Expedition School as you seek to receive a grant for your organization. The Expedition School has been an excellent and valued partner since 2020 as the Adventurers Academy serves adults in the greater Austin area with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Academy’s mission is to help adults become more independent and connect with their community. The paddling instruction and experiences provided by the Expedition School enables them to access recreational resources of Lady Bird Lake, one of the central features of the Austin community, with confidence and safety. Adventurers really look forward to paddling and have gained confidence in their ability to learn new skills. Most of our families would not be able to afford the cost for their Adventurer to go paddling on a weekly basis without the generous donations and discounts provided to us by the Expedition School. If the Expedition School is awarded this grant, we would hope to build our partnership by adding a multi- day kayak Adventure to the paddling we get to do on a weekly basis! We are grateful for the Expedition School’s support of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and look forward to continuing our partnership! Sincerely, Diane Mackey Director, Adventurers Academy Thursday, August 22, 2024 at 19:17:01 Central Daylight Time Thursday, August 22, 2024 at 19:17:01 Central Daylight Time Subject: …
8/16/24, 8:26 PM Gmail - REMINDER! Member Survey on Neighborhood Developments 🏡 David Kinsey <davidkinsey2011@gmail.com> REMINDER! Member Survey on Neighborhood Developments 🏡 2 messages Holly NA <hollyneighborhoodassocation@193250530.mailchimpapp.com> Reply-To: hollyneighborhoodassocation@gmail.com To: davidkinsey2011@gmail.com Mon, Aug 12, 2024 at 7:13 PM View this email in your browser Holly Members, The board and development committee of The Holly Neighborhood Association has identified two development items in our neighborhood in which we would like to poll our members before taking a stance on the projects. As a non-profit seeking to represent our neighbors, we are asked time to time by various parties to express an opinion related to a development. In many cases we abstain, and instead do our best to share information with our members so that their inclinations can be expressed privately. However, we believe these two projects are impactful enough that taking a collective stance on the development would be beneficial to the residents of Holly. Below, we have a link to a quick survey and detail surrounding both projects - we’d love to get your feedback! Start Survey! EV Charging Stations Voltera conditional use permit appeal to City Council to allow for commercial electric vehicle charging stations https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=fa5d35766f&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f:1807229135023140212&simpl=msg-f:180722913502314021… 1/5 8/16/24, 8:26 PM Gmail - REMINDER! Member Survey on Neighborhood Developments 🏡 HISTORY: EV charging company Voltera is seeking City Council support to build charging stations for commercial vehicles on their properties at 2711 E Cesar Chavez and 2730 E Cesar Chavez. In April, Voltera's initial application was denied by the Planning Commission, citing the lack of fit a charging station would have in our neighborhood, and resident opposition. The vote was 7-3-3, seven opposed, three in favor, and three abstaining. Following this ruling, Voltera initiated an appeal of the Planning Commission decision. CONSIDERATIONS: The Holly NA board has expressed concerns over the degree of fit a commercial charging port has in our neighborhood, the persistent on-site lighting and potential noise from the generators, the quoted/expected number of vehicles to pass through the site daily, the upkeep of the landscaping over time, and the small number of public charging spaces currently available. Here is a short presentation from Voltera on the proposed sites, and this link details a California project designed by Voltera for trucks (Cesar site for sprinter vans or smaller only). ADDITIONAL DETAIL: Following the Planning Commission hearing, Voltera has proposed changes to their project plans to include two public …
PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD RECOMMENDATION 20240826-4 August 26, 2024 Hays Common Municipal Utility District Application Date: Subject: Motioned By: Pedro Villalobos Recommendation The Parks and Recreation Board recommends to Austin City Council to find that the Hays Common Municipal Utility District application is superior with respect to parkland dedication. Vote The motion to recommend to Austin City Council to find that the Hays Seconded By: Kathryn Flowers Common Municipal Utility District application is superior with respect to parkland dedication was approved on Chair Villalobos’ motion, Vice Chair Flowers second on a 9-0 vote with one vacancy. Board Member Taylor absent. Pedro Villalobos, Kathryn Flowers, Stephanie Bazan, Lane Becker, Cathleen Eady, Jennifer Franklin, Nicole Merritt, Shelby Orme, Holly Reed. Tim Dombeck, Board and Council Liaison, Parks and Recreation Department. None. None. Kim Taylor. For: Against: Abstain: Absent: Attest: 1 of 1
PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD RECOMMENDATION 20240826-3 Date: Subject: August 26, 2024 Expedition School Concession and Amendment to Holly Shores/ Edward Rendon Sr. Vision Plan Seconded By: Nicole Merritt Motioned By: Holly Reed Whereas on Dec. 15, 2019, the Austin City Council passed Ordinance No. 20191205-070 to expedite authorization of a boating concession on Lady Bird Lake for the Expedition School1 Whereas Ordinance No. 20191205-070 was an unprecedented Council directive for a boating concession approval in that it waived the requirements of City Code Section 8-1-74 (Review of a Proposal Seeking a Concession) by-passing review by the Parks Board, the Environmental Commission, Design Commission, and related public engagement process2 Whereas, by waiving the requirements of City Code Section 8-1-74, Ordinance No. 20191205-070 may conflict with City Charter Article 2, Chapter 7, Section A3 Whereas Ordinance No. 20191205-070 authorized an amendment to the Holly Shores / Edward Rendon Sr. Park Master Plan without notification to the community and public stakeholders4 Whereas community stakeholders have significant issues with a large boating concession that was not part of the original Holly Shores / Edward Rendon Sr. Park Master Plan and have expressed to the Parks and Recreation Board their difficulty in having their issues addressed in the current process5 Whereas the City of Austin and State of Texas recognize the Mexican American heritage, cultural and historical significance of the Holly Shores / Edward Rendon Sr. Park Whereas the Parks and Recreation Dept. has not amended the Holly Shores / Edward Rendon Sr. Park Master Plan to indicate the location of the Expedition School boating concession, as directed by Ordinance No. 20191205-070 over four years ago 1 Ordinance No. 20191205-070 https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=333264 2 City Code 8-1-74 3 Section 7 Powers of the Council 4 Holly Shores / Edward Rendon Sr. Master Plan 5 Open Letter In Opposition RE: Permit and Concession for Expedition School et al, Opposition Letter 1 of 3 Whereas PARD staff, working with the Expedition School, but not the community stakeholders, identified a long-term location at Edward Rendon Senior Park Festival Beach Lagoon west end for the operation of the watercraft concession, in conflict with the Master Plan6 Whereas in Dec. 2022, the Assistant City Manager approved Contract Terms and a Parkland Improvement Donation Agreement for the Expedition School Boating Concession, including an interim two-year period during which the vendor was required to meet specific development and fundraising benchmarks7 Whereas the Contract Terms …
Budget Public Engagement Report Fiscal Year 2025 African American Resource Advisory Commission African American Resource Advisory Commission FY 25 Budget Recommendations Elaina Fowler, Chair (District 10) Charelle Vanbrakle, Vice Chair (District 4) Budget Recommendation #1 Austin Public Library Black Literature Expansion: $1.5M Justification: The current political climate has had a detrimental impact on youth who seek to connect with and learn from their cultural heritage through literature. This issue is particularly evident in the realm of African American authors and their works, which shed light on the struggles and experiences of African American communities. Public libraries are an integral part of our society, nurturing the minds of future generations. As Public Schools continue to reclaim their library autonomy it is vital Austin Public libraries expand their catalog to educate and inspire all individuals through the power of cultural reading. Public libraries serve as a vital resource for African American communities, offering summer reading programs and access to culturally specific literature and media. Therefore, the insufficient amount of African American literature in Austin Public Libraries would be a disservice to African Americans residing within the city limits and to all who have the curiosity to embrace diversity and learn from their stories. Investing in culturally significant African American literature would be a positive step for the Austin Public Library system, reinforcing Austin's commitment to inclusivity and diversity by addressing challenging topics such as institutional racism and implicit bias. It is essential for the City of Austin to increase the budget of the Austin Public Library beyond the zero-based budget to support a meaningful investment in African American literature within the library's collection. This investment would not only benefit the African American community but also underscore Austin's dedication to embracing diversity and promoting equitable access to valuable literary resources. Budget Recommendation #6 Establish an Austin Texas Poet Laureate Program: $50,000 (per Annum) Justification: Since the 1600’s, poet laureate positions have existed in cities, states, and countries to be stewards of poetry in their communities through programs that positively impact the public. As of 2022, Austin is the only major city in Texas without a Poet Laureate program, and we, the undersigned, are of the belief that Austin could benefit from a socio-politically engaged Poet Laureate who uses poetry to promote literacy across the city and to integrate poetry into the fabric of Austin’s history, politics, and culture. According to the National Assembly …
