Versión en español a continuación. Financial Committee of the Parks and Recreation Board Special Meeting June 17, 2021 Financial Committee of the Parks and Recreation Board to be held June 17, 2021 with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance (June 16, 2021 by noon). All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the June 17, 2021 Financial Committee of the Parks and Recreation Board Meeting, members of the public must: • Call or email the board liaison at 512-974-6716 or sammi.curless@austintexas.gov no later than noon, (the day before the meeting). The information required is the speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, and a telephone number or email address. • Once a request to speak has been made to the board liaison, the information to call on the day of the scheduled meeting will be provided either by email or phone call. • Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start time in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. • Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. • Handouts or other information may be emailed to sammi.curless@austintexas.gov by noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. If this meeting is broadcast live, residents may watch the meeting here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live • Reunión del Financial Committee of the Parks and Recreation Board June 17, 2021 La junta se llevará con modificaciones de distanciamiento social Se permitirán comentarios públicos por teléfono; no se permitirá ninguna entrada en persona. Todos los oradores deben registrarse con anticipación (June 16, 2021 antes del mediodía). Todos los comentarios públicos se producirán al comienzo de la reunión. Para hablar de forma remota en la reunión, los miembros del público deben: • Llame o envíe un correo electrónico al enlace de la junta en 512-974-6716 or sammi.curless@austintexas.gov a más tardar al mediodía (el día antes de la reunión). Se requiere la siguiente información: nombre del orador, número (s) de artículo sobre el que desean hablar, si están a favor / en contra / neutral, dirección de correo electrónico (opcional) y un número de teléfono (debe ser el …
PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD FINANCIAL COMMITTEE MONDAY, MAY 10, 2021 – 3:00PM VIA VIDEOCONFERENCING MINUTES The Financial Committee convened in a regular meeting on Monday, May 10, 2021 via videoconference in Austin, Texas. Chair Faust called the meeting to order at 3:05pm. Committee Members in Attendance: Chair Sarah Faust, Laura Cottam Sajbel, Richard DePalma, Kate Mason-Murphy, Kimberly Taylor and Dawn Lewis, Ex Officio. Staff in Attendance: Kimberly McNeeley, Suzanne Piper, Vanorda Richardson, Nicholas Johnson, Steven Linett, Ed Morris and Sammi Curless. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL No registered speakers. A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes from the special meeting of April 12, 2021 Financial Committee were approved unanimously on Committee Member Cottam Sajbel motion and Committee Member DePalma second. B. NEW BUSINESS: PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS 1. Presentation and discussion of the process for the annual adoption of fees and charges. Ed Morris, Financial Analyst III with the Parks and Recreation Department made a presentation. The Committee discussed but no action was taken. 2. Discussion on Committee agenda development for 2021. Chair Faust led the discussion of topics for the Committee’s 2021 agenda. The Committee took no action. C. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS • June meeting: park-focused fee on utility bill, impacts of COVID on Department revenues; cost drivers for major programs of the Department; presentation of Page 1 of 2 Alternative Funding working group recommendations. Chair Faust adjourned the meeting 4:33pm. Page 2 of 2
PARKS AND ENVIRONMENT WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS May 10, 2021 PARKS AND ENVIRONMENT WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS 1 | Page Table of Contents Introduction A. Directive from Tourism Commission B. Overview of Working Group Process and Recommendations C. Overview Description of Proposed Projects, Activities and Programs to Benefit Parks and Environment Under Chapter 351 Environment Under Chapter 334 D. Overview Description of Proposed Projects, Activities and Programs to Benefit Parks and Exhibit A - Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) Eligible Projects, Activities And Programs That Can Benefit Parks And Environment I. PARKS AND ENVIRONMENT WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS 2 | Page I. Introduction This document provides recommendations from the Parks and Environment Working Group to identify Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) eligible projects, activities, and programs that can benefit parks and environment in our community. A. Directive from Tourism Commission On February 20, 2020, the Tourism Commission appointed the Parks and Environment Working Group look into (1) Chapter 351 funding options for using hotel occupancy tax funds to benefit parks and/or environment, (2) Chapter 334 funding options for using hotel occupancy tax funds to benefit parks/environment, (3) park amenities to leverage tourism funding for park- specific projects, and (4) Palm Park HOT funding options. The appointed members of the Parks and Environment Working Group include Commissioners Bunch, Cannatti, Fuentes, and Joslove, and also include community/stakeholder representatives Ladye Anne Wofford (Austin Parks Foundation), Clark Hancock (Save Barton Creek Association), Dan Eck (Hill Country Conservancy) Angela Richter (Save Barton Creek Association), Heath Riddles-Sanchez (Pease Park Conservancy), Adrienne Longenecker (Colorado River Alliance), Molly Alexander (Downtown Austin), Ted Siff, (Shoal Creek Conservancy), Heidi Anderson (The Trail Foundation), Chuck Smith (Pease Park Conservancy), Sarah Story (Umlauf Sculpture). B. Overview of Working Group Process and Recommendations Working virtually, the Working Group identified a list of funding categories under the state’s hotel occupancy tax statute that could benefit our parks and environment. For each funding category, we identified the “statutory basis” for the expenditure, any geographic limitations under state law, whether “maintenance and operations” can be funded, the existence of any “statutory cap” under state law, any “real world examples” of such expenditures, and a summary of the position of the Texas Municipal League regarding HOT expenditures in each category. In addition, we included a description of proposed projects to illustrate how the expenditures might be implemented with HOT funds. The details of this analysis are attached at Exhibit A, and an …
Austin Parks and Recreation Department Financial Services Division June 17, 2021 1 PARK MAINTENANCE FEE The purpose of a park maintenance fee would be to provide for the operation and maintenance of the parks and facilities within the City of Austin Parks & Recreation Department. A parks maintenance fee would be paid by the responsible part for each developed property within the corporate limits of the city. Collection of the fee would be made by a monthly charge included on the City Utility Bill. Fees collected would be deposited into a City special revenue park fee account. *Source Central Point Oregon Parks & Rec Ordinance 2 PARK MAINTENANCE FEE OPTIONS MODELS Option One – Fixed Monthly Fee, similar to the Clean Community Fee Possible charge of $8.95/residents and $20.75/commercial per month Option Two – Dwelling Type Allocation, similar to the Transportation User Fee Possible charge of about $12.79/residents and $63.99/commercial per acre per month 3 CITIES WITH PARK MAINTENANCE FEES Population Served* Number of Homes Monthly Fee Estimated Annual Collection Type Canby, Oregon 18,000 6,600 $5 per dwelling $396,000 Central Point, Oregon Longmont, Colorado Rocklin, California San Antonio, Texas 18,000 7,000 $3 per dwelling $252,000 95,000 36,800 $2 per dwelling $883,200 65,000 23,146 $10-30 per dwelling $8,332,560 1,530,000 550,000 $1.50 per dwelling $9,900,000 Austin, Texas 950,807 415,000 $8.95 per dwelling $44,820,000 Austin, Texas 950,807 415,000 $11-13 per dwelling $63,700,000 Monthly Fixed Fee Monthly Fixed Fee Monthly Fixed Fee Based on Dwelling type Monthly Fixed Fee Monthly Fixed Fee Based on Dwelling type 4 PARK DISTRICT A Park District is a form of local special- purpose district for providing public parks and recreation in or near its geographic boundaries. Some park districts also own or maintain related cultural facilities such as monuments, zoos, sports venues, music venues, or museums. The Park District would be separate from the General Fund Park Districts allow taxes to be levied separate from the traditional city property taxes Admission and registration fees would supplement the Park District 5 PARK DISTRICT MODELS Model #1: Independent governance Stand-alone government entity separate from COA Dissolve current structure of board and PARD leadership structure Board of Commissions/Chief Operating Officer/Personnel Board Workforce: District hired vs. COA Park District fee could be used to create expanded programming including concession programming, sponsorship, advertising & promotion programming …
M E M O R A N D U M May 24, 2021 Parks and Recreation Board Financial Committee Members Vanorda Richardson, Financial Manager III Austin Parks and Recreation Department Kimberly A. McNeeley, M.Ed., CPRP, Director Austin Parks and Recreation Department TO: THRU: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: At the May 10 Parks and Recreation Board (PARB) Financial Committee meeting members requested information related to the impacts of COVID-19 on the Park and Recreation Department’s revenue position for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY 2021). Major impacts are as follows: General Fund As of May 2021, the current year estimated revenue (CYE) is expected to total $4,779,141 for the General Fund. This is a net decrease of approximately $9.8M when comparing the budgeted FY 2021 revenue of $14,531,571. The variance is primarily the result of the COVID-19 pandemic and related modified operations. Fiscal Year 2021 Parks and Recreation Department’s Revenue Activity Summary • Estimated decrease in Service Fees ($1.9M ) ACL related funding will not be received in FY 2021. • Estimated decrease in PARD Entry Fees ($3.9M ) Pool entry fee revenue has not been collected fiscal year to date (YTD) through April. The FY 2021 estimate assumes that, even with modified operating hours, revenue will begin to be collected during the summer. • Estimated decrease in PARD Registration ($3.3M ) Minimal registration fees have been collected YTD through April. The FY 2021 estimate assumes that summer programming will be offered at a modified capacity starting in late June, and thus revenue collection will begin to be collected during the summer. Golf Enterprise Fund As of May 2021, the Golf Enterprise’s FY 2021 CYE revenue is $9,353,168. The CYE represents a net increase of $584,561 when compared to the budgeted FY 2021 revenue of $8,768,607. Golf Fund revenue has increased significantly when compared to the same period of the prior year - $5.6M has been collected as of the end of April, versus the $3.6M revenue collected by April 2020. Also, to be noted, the projected revenue for FY 2021 mentioned above includes a revenue transfer of $1 million from the City of Austin’s General Fund. Please refer to the attached documents for current year revenue summary reports for the Department’s General Fund and the Golf Enterprise Fund, along with a glossary of terms document. Should you have any questions, please contact Vanorda Richardson at (512) 974-6709 or vanorda.richardson@austintexas.gov. Suzanne Piper, DBA, Chief …
Austin Parks Attract Tourists Get Outside! If you live for the outdoors, you’ll find Austin has plenty to offer. Get out there an explore our top picks. The Butler Trail @ Lady Bird Lake Austin Helicopter Tours Barton Creek Greenbelt Barton Springs Pool Deep Eddy Pool Zilker Park Mount Bonnell McKinney Falls Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Other Hill Country Ideas ACVB Uses Austin Parks to Attract Tourists Austin City Limits Festival at(cid:1)Zilker Park. Credit Charles Reagan Hackleman, courtesy ACL. Zilker Metropolitan Park is considered "Austin's most-loved park." This 351-acre park is home to a variety of recreation opportunities and special events for individuals and families. ACVB Uses Austin Parks to Attract Tourists Barton Springs Pool. Courtesy of Austin Parks and Recreation Department Barton Springs Pool is always at or near the top lists of things to do in Austin. Locals and visitors hang out all summer long to socialize, swim, relax and most importantly, cool off from the hot Texas sun. The man-made pool is a three acre controlled reservoir, fed by a natural spring that keeps the water at a cool 68 degrees temperature. This is the best place in Austin to stay cool through the hot summers. ACVB Uses Austin Parks to Attract Tourists Austin City Limits Festival alone brings over 325,000 guests to the City with nearly all participants enjoying our parkland “PARD estimates that more than 80,000 non- residents visited Barton Springs Pool in 2016 based on point of sale data.” 13 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Austin, TX https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/austin-us-tx-a.htm 1. The State Capitol and Visitors Center 2. Zilker Metropolitan Park Attractions 3. Lady Bird Lake 4. See the Bats from Congress Avenue Bridge 5. Explore the Attractions at the University of Texas 6. Go for a Dip at Barton Springs Pool 7. Bullock Texas State History Museum 8. Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum 9. Mexic-Arte Museum 10. McKinney Falls State Park 11. Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum 12. Mount Bonnell 13. Day Trip to Texas Hill Country (cid:29)(cid:33)(cid:30)(cid:32)(cid:1)(cid:9)(cid:24)(cid:13)(cid:25)(cid:26)(cid:18)(cid:13)(cid:1)(cid:11)(cid:26)(cid:1)(cid:8)(cid:15)(cid:21)(cid:11)(cid:18)(cid:1)(cid:3)(cid:24)(cid:13)(cid:13)(cid:17)(cid:1) (cid:5)(cid:16)(cid:25)(cid:26)(cid:21)(cid:24)(cid:16)(cid:12)(cid:1)(cid:4)(cid:21)(cid:28)(cid:20)(cid:26)(cid:21)(cid:28)(cid:20)(cid:1)(cid:2)(cid:24)(cid:27)(cid:25)(cid:15)(cid:1)(cid:8)(cid:23)(cid:27)(cid:11)(cid:24)(cid:13)(cid:1) (cid:29)(cid:33)(cid:31)(cid:32)(cid:1)(cid:2)(cid:11)(cid:24)(cid:26)(cid:21)(cid:20)(cid:1)(cid:8)(cid:22)(cid:24)(cid:16)(cid:20)(cid:14)(cid:25)(cid:1)(cid:7)(cid:21)(cid:21)(cid:18)(cid:1)(cid:1)(cid:2)(cid:11)(cid:26)(cid:15)(cid:15)(cid:21)(cid:27)(cid:25)(cid:13)(cid:1) (cid:10)(cid:11)(cid:18)(cid:18)(cid:13)(cid:24)(cid:1)(cid:3)(cid:24)(cid:13)(cid:13)(cid:17)(cid:1)(cid:11)(cid:26)(cid:1)(cid:7)(cid:11)(cid:18)(cid:19)(cid:1)(cid:7)(cid:11)(cid:24)(cid:17)(cid:1) (cid:2)(cid:11)(cid:24)(cid:26)(cid:21)(cid:20)(cid:1)(cid:8)(cid:22)(cid:24)(cid:16)(cid:20)(cid:14)(cid:25)(cid:1)(cid:7)(cid:21)(cid:21)(cid:18)(cid:1)(cid:6)(cid:16)(cid:20)(cid:13)(cid:25)(cid:1) Austin Parks Need Help
