SPECIAL-CALLED MEETING JOINT COMMITTEE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION & PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD Friday, February 7, 2020 – 11:30 A.M. Board and Commission Room, Room 1101, City Hall 301 W. 2nd St, Austin, Texas 78701 COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Parks and Recreation Board Rich DePalma (Mayor) Romteen Farasat (D-4) Dawn Lewis (D-10) Vacant AGENDA A. CALL TO ORDER B. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Environmental Commission Linda Guerrero – Chair (D-9) Peggy Maceo (D-7) Mary Ann Neely (D-5) Pam Thompson (D-3) Speakers must be signed up prior to the meeting being called to order, and each speaker will be allotted three (3) minutes to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. C. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Approve the minutes of the Joint Committee of the Environmental Commission & Parks and Recreation Board meeting of October 16, 2019. D. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS 1. Presentation on Stakeholder and Public Notification Requirements When Considering New Tree Plantings at Barton Springs Pool, Lucas Massie, Parks and Recreation Department 2. Upper Dam Project Update, Mike Kelly, Watershed Protection Department 3. Discuss and Set Future Meeting Dates, Linda Guerrero, Committee Chair E. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS F. 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) Page 1 of 2 before the meeting date. Please call Sammi Curless, with the Austin Parks and Recreation Department, at 512- 974-6716, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Joint Committee of the Environmental Commission & the Parks and Recreation Board, please contact Sammi Curless at sammi.curless@austintexas.gov or by phone at 512-974-6716. Page 2 of 2
JOINT COMMITTEE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION & PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD October 16, 2019 – 11:30 AM Council Chambers, City Hall 301 W. 2nd Street, Austin, Texas 78701 MINUTES ATTENDANCE: Parks and Recreation Board: Present: Dawn Lewis (left meeting at 1:28 pm) Rich DePalma Absent: Tom Donovan Romteen Farasat Environmental Commission: Present: Mary Ann Neely (left meeting at 2:12 pm) Linda Guerrero—Chair Peggy Maceo Pam Thompson A. CALL TO ORDER Meeting called to order by the Chair at 11:35 a.m. B. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Committee Member Lewis moved to approve the minutes of the Joint Committee of the Environmental Commission and the Parks and Recreation Board meeting of May 29, 2018. Motion was seconded by Committee Member Maceo. Motion carried on a vote of 6-0, with two committee members absent. C. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION There was one general citizen communication. D. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION 2. Upper Dam Project Update, David Johns, Watershed Protection Department After presentation of the agenda item by City staff, there were seven citizen communications, with additional citizens donating time to speakers. Committee Chair Guerrero moved to have the City of Austin Watershed Protection Department outline a stakeholder process for the Upper Dam Project with consideration for a third-party analysis, and notify the Joint Committee of the Environmental Commission and the Parks and Recreations Board of the outcome of that decision, reporting back on the stakeholder process for review by the Joint Committee. Motion was seconded by Committee Member Lewis. Motion carried 6-0, with two committee members absent. 3. Barton Springs Bathhouse Update, Sergio Altamirano, Public Works Department & John McKennis, Parks and Recreation Department After presentation of the agenda item by City staff and project consultant, there were three citizen communications. No action was taken by the Joint Committee. Due to staff time constraints, Item D5 was moved up on the agenda and heard before D4. 5. Review, clarify, and discuss notification requirements for tree plantings on the South side of the Barton Springs pool including written agreements with the public and stakeholders, Linda Guerrero, Committee Chair & Peggy Maceo, Committee Member. There were two citizen communications. After staff presentation and discussion, Committee Chair Guerrero moved that the Parks and Recreations staff and the Forestry Division staff will devise a written agreement with stakeholders, partner groups, and nonprofits that request planting within the Barton Springs pool area. The written planting agreement will be directed to the …
Barton Springs Tree Planting Process Joint Committee Ask PARD Staff and Forestry Staff will devise a written agreement with stakeholders, partner groups and nonprofits that request tree plantings within the Barton Springs Pool area. The written planting agreement will be presented or communicated to the Joint Committee as a notification process. Planting Guiding Principles • Masterplan • • “new trees should be planted to preemptively replenish the canopy and to densify the shade” “selected from the native Texas tree palette and should be chosen for their beauty, their durability and their appropriateness to their waterside location” • Age Diversity • Species Diversity Planting Notification • Planting will be shard via a memo by July 1st each year • Presentation when the Joint Committee meets between July 1st and the start of the tree planting season Steps After Notification • PARD makes tree purchases. Possible donation support • Planting dates established • Maintenance details coordinated • Work with volunteers and support groups Tree Inventory
M E M O R A N D U M Joint Committee of the Environmental Commission & Parks and Recreation Board Michael P. Kelly, P.E., Managing Engineer Environmental Resource Management, Watershed Protection Department January 16, 2020 TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Joint Committee of the Environmental Commission & Parks and Recreation Board, Item 4b, Upper Dam Project Update In response to discussions at the October 16, 2019 Joint Committee meeting on the Barton Springs Pool Upper Dam proposal, staff has the following update. Staff presented a proposal to install three gates into the upper dam that would allow periodic inflows of Barton Creek water into Barton Springs Pool. Public testimony on the proposal included the following categories of concern: Increases in pollutant concentration, risk to human health; Increases in algae; • Changes to temperature; • • • Certainty of gate operations; • Costs/benefits and • Certainty of ecological benefits. Staff from Watershed Protection and Parks and Recreation appreciate this first round of stakeholder input. The concerns raised by the public echo questions posed by staff in developing a plan to further investigate the feasibility of this proposal. After examining the existing data and information and determining what is needed to make conclusive projections regarding the performance of the gates, staff decided that we are unable at this time to recommend moving forward with the next phase of the gate project. In order to move forward, staff needs to gain a more complete understanding of the pool ecosystem that will allow us to define a desired condition warranting the investments in a gate system. That understanding requires more information on historical and baseline conditions in the pool. It also requires that we develop a more comprehensive model of the pool system that will allow staff to manipulate the inflow variables to calculate impacts on temperature, pollution concentration, impact on pool cleaning and gate operations. To that end, staff will develop a workplan for consideration in Fiscal Year 2021 that outlines all the needed steps to develop a more complete understanding of the pool. Should this plan rise to high priority as a department activity, staff will include in our project list for Fiscal Year 2021. At that time, we will be able to provide an updated briefing on potential next steps. Should the Joint Committee members have any follow up questions, please contact Mike Kelly at 512- 974-6591 or mike.kelly@austintexas.gov. cc: Jorge …
JOINT COMMITTEE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION & PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD 2020 Meeting Schedule Wednesday, April 22, 2020 Wednesday, July 22, 2020 Wednesday, October 28, 2020
Barton Springs Tree Planting Process Joint Committee Ask PARD Staff and Forestry Staff will devise a written agreement with stakeholders, partner groups and nonprofits that request tree plantings within the Barton Springs Pool area. The written planting agreement will be directed to the Joint Committee as a notification process. Planting Guiding Principles • Masterplan • • “new trees should be planted to preemptively replenish the canopy and to densify the shade” “selected from the native Texas tree palette and should be chosen for their beauty, their durability and their appropriateness to their waterside location” • Age Diversity • Species Diversity Planting Notification • Planting will be shard via a memo by July 1st each year • Presentation when the Joint Committee meets between July 1st and the start of the tree planting season Steps After Notification • PARD makes tree purchases. Possible donation support • Planting dates established • Maintenance details coordinated • Work with volunteers and support groups Tree Inventory Contact Lists Twitter Facebook Nextdoor Barton Springs Conservancy Barton Springs Conservation District AISD Save Barton Creek Association Hill Country Conservancy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Friends of Barton Springs Expedition School Keep Austin Beautiful Sunshine Camps The Trail Foundation Communities in Schools Central Texas Austin Parks Foundation Zilker Botanical Gardens Conservancy Save Our Springs Alliance Zilker Neighborhood Association Friends of Zilker Neighborhood Barton Hills Neighborhood Association Trail of Lights Foundation and Zilker Kite Festival Blues on the Green Austin City Limits Music Festival Zilker Park Boat Rentals Watershed Protection Austin Water Waterloo Disc Golf Association Zilker Hillside Theater Austin Nature and Science Center Friends Group Umlauf Sculpture Gardens
