4. Recommendation Number 20260715- 004: FY 2026 Bond for Parks — original pdf

Recommendation

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RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Economic Prosperity Commission Recommendation Number 20260715- 004: FY 2026 Bond for Parks WHEREAS, bond programs are a primary source of capital funding for Austin Parks and Recreation (APR) projects, including pool replacements, land acquisition, new park development, recreation and senior centers, and other capital improvements; and WHEREAS, the Economic Prosperity Commission is mandated to make recommendations to Council on issues related to jobs and construction; and WHEREAS, the most recent parks-focused bond proposition was Proposition C in 2018, which provided $149 million for parks, and the anticipated 2024 bond cycle was not issued; APR has substantially obligated and exhausted its 2018 bond funding, while maintaining only modest contingency funds for urgent failures that may arise before new bond funds could be received if a 2026 bond is approved by voters; and WHEREAS, the Economic Prosperity Commission, the Joint Sustainability Commission, and the Bond Election Task Force have each passed recommendations supporting a parks bond proposal to be approved by Council and placed before voters in November 2026; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin's population has increased by an estimated 92,000 people according to the Texas Demographic Center, while the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metropolitan area has increased by 380,000, thereby increasing city and regional demand on the park system; and WHEREAS, local parks, pools, and recreational facilities are a sound community investment and a source of positive economic benefit; organizations such as the American Planning Association have found that parks enhance property values, increase municipal revenue, attract homebuyers and workers, and attract retirees; and WHEREAS, APR staff conducted a department-wide capital needs assessment that identified approximately $1.4 billion in capital improvement needs, and subsequently developed a supportable proposal of approximately $410 million based on departmental capacity, urgency, and market conditions; and WHEREAS, current citywide bond discussions contemplate a parks and transportation bond package substantially below that amount, requiring that APR's needs be scaled accordingly; and WHEREAS, APR staff have outlined multiple funding scenarios ranging from $140 million to $250 million, where lower-dollar scenarios would largely fund emergency repairs, critical system failures, and a limited number of high-priority projects rather than meaningful expansion of park and recreation assets; and . WHEREAS, the City's aquatics system includes multiple pools that have reached or exceeded their expected useful life, at least two of which were already identified as critical failures in the 2018 aquatics assessment; under lower-funded bond scenarios the Department would be limited largely to emergency response rather than proactive replacement, increasing the risk of pool failures and extended closures before construction funding becomes available; and WHEREAS, a funding level of $250 million would allow the Department to move beyond emergency stabilization and support critical projects across the parks system, including senior centers, recreation facilities, aquatics, neighborhood and district parks, trails, electrification, and parkland acquisition; and WHEREAS, City documents show that approximately 91% of Austin's total trail mileage has inadequate nighttime lighting; crime and safety concerns are the top reason cited by residents for not using parks, according to APR's Long Range Planning process; and approximately 90% of park- related crime occurs in just 16 of the City's nearly 400 parks; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Economic Prosperity Commission recommends that Austin City Council: 1. Vote to approve putting a bond election before voters on the November Ballot that puts forth a parks allocation at the staff-presented $250 million scenario, as it is the option that best allows APR to address urgent system needs while delivering visible, community-serving capital improvements across parks, aquatics, recreation, senior centers, trails, and land acquisition; and 2. Apply the following priorities to these funds: a. Public safety and lighting, with available funding directed to ensure that parkland is not merely acquired but can be used by residents without fear for themselves or their property; b. Repairs and capital projects in underserved areas lacking park infrastructure and burdened with backlogged repairs; c. d. e. Activation of undeveloped parkland for recreation in areas lacking open fields for youth sports; Trees and shade structures, prioritizing parks identified as lacking adequate shade in the Staff Update on Installation of Park Shade Structures (Ordinance No. 20220817-004) and areas with a low Tree Equity Score, to ensure parks are accessible year-round; Ensure that parks and transportation bond funds approved by voters in the November 2026 election are directed to communities without an alternative funding source, and are not used to construct, improve, or subsidize infrastructure — including roads, trails, crosswalks, bike lanes, sidewalks, bridges, and multi-modal connectivity — within any area that: i. lacks a substantial existing residential population demand as of the date the bond is approved; or . ii. is already or expected to be subject to a separate development agreement, tax increment reinvestment zone (TIRZ), public improvement district (PID), or municipal utility district (MUD) that has assumed a funding mechanism or contractual developer obligation for that same infrastructure; provided that this exclusion shall not apply to infrastructure serving residents who resided within such an area prior to its inclusion in the applicable development agreement, TIRZ, PID, or MUD. Supporting Documentation 1. American Forests Tree Equity Score Map – Austin, TX 2. Austin Parks Foundation – "Lights" (trail lighting initiative) 3. KXAN – "Austin plans lighting upgrades to make trails, roads safer at night" 4. BREC – "Parks for Economic Development" (white paper) 5. Austin Chronicle – "Taxpayers on the Hook for Bridge to Tesla Gigafactory in Proposed Plan for Dog's Head Development" Date of Approval: July 15, 2026 Motioned By: Chair Gonzales Seconded By: Commissioner Zapata Vote: 6-0 For: Chair Gonzales, Vice Chair Randall, Commissioner Joshi, Commissioner Pleuthner, Commissioner Valdez-Sanchez, Commissioner Zapata Against: None. Abstain: None. Off the dais: Commissioner Nahas, Commissioner Rashed Absent: Commissioner Tomaszewski, Commissioner Roberts Attest: Chelsea Pfeifer, Staff Liaison