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PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD DIRECTOR’S REPORT DATE: August 2020 PLANNING UPDATES: Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan: The City Council authorized the negotiation and execution of a professional services agreement with Design Workshop, Inc., to provide planning services for the Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan at its August 27 meeting. Districts 5 and 8 Walter E. Long Metro Park Vision Plan: The park vision plan is scheduled to be presented to the City Council on September 1 during work session and on September 3 for action. The draft vision plan and additional information can be found at the project’s website: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/walter-e-long-park-master-plan. District 1 John Trevino Jr. Metropolitan Park at Morrison Ranch Vision Plan: The vision plan for John Trevino Jr. Metro Park was presented to the Environmental Commission on August 5 and the Commission recommended the plan for adoption by City Council. The Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) intends to bring the vision plan to City Council on September 17 to request approval for adoption. The draft vision plan can be found at: http://www.austintexas.gov/department/john-trevino-jr- metropolitan-park-vision-plan. District 1 George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center Facility Expansion Plan: PARD and the consultant team are transitioning from the “project initiation” phase to the “planning” phase. With eight small group discussions completed, the team has gained critical insight into the opportunities and challenges experienced by Carver's most avid and passionate visitors, users, supporters and staff. The meetings included the first virtual Technical Advisory Group meeting and conversations about history and culture with East Austin area experts. The initial surveys closed on August 1, for results to be captured for the community-wide meeting held on August 8, as a virtual event on Zoom. The meeting was also streamed on the Carver Museum's Facebook page. The meeting recording is available on the project’s website (https://www.austintexas.gov/CarverATXplanning), as well as SpeakUp Austin (https://www.speakupaustin.org/carveratx-planning) and offers community members the opportunity to provide feedback on the same discussion questions posed in the meeting. The second community meeting is tentatively scheduled for October 3 where the community will be shown several concepts for the Carver campus. District 1 Central Williamson Creek Greenway Vision Plan: This community-led planning process evolved from 2019 efforts by community leaders in partnership with Community Powered Workshop, The Nature Conservancy, Public Green & Wild and the National Park Service to engage in a series of community activation events called Explore! Williamson Creek. In 2020, The Nature Conservancy and partners received grant funding through St. David's Foundation Healthy Parks Program to continue the visioning process for a nearly 2-mile stretch of connected green space. The area consists of 58 acres of parkland and 17 acres of residential floodplain buyout properties (Menchaca Road to Congress Avenue). The planning and landscape architecture firm, Asakura Robinson was secured with the grant funding. Community Powered Workshop is the project lead and PARD and the Watershed Protection Department (WPD) participate in a working group of City staff and partners. The team hosted the initial community 1 engagement events on July 30 and August 1. For additional information, upcoming events and opportunities to get involved visit the partner website at https://www.centralwilliamsoncreek.net/ or PARD's website at https://austintexas.gov/department/central-williamson-creek-greenway-vision-plan. District 5 2  DEVELOPMENT UPDATES: Brush Square – O. Henry Museum Restoration: The O. Henry Museum, built in 1889, is a City of Austin Historic Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The restoration project will address improvements to the building envelope including needed roof repairs, window and door restoration, wood siding repair and repainting. Also planned are systems upgrades to include replacement of the HVAC system, electrical wiring, security system and installation of a fire protection system, all to the benefit of the interpretation and conservation of the unique historic collections within. Site work will include improvements to landscape, irrigation and lighting. Construction of a new stone patio at the back of the house will better facilitate programming opportunities within Brush Square. A construction contract with Gadberry Construction as General Contractor was executed on August 4 and the project team held a preconstruction meeting that same day. Gadberry Construction was selected through a Competitive Sealed Proposal solicitation process to evaluate General Contractors’ qualifications, experience in historic preservation and best value for the City. Construction mobilization started the week of August 17. In July, PARD museum staff packed and organized the move and storage of collections for safekeeping during the restoration work. This project is part of the City Council allocated Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) funding in Fiscal Year 2018. HOT revenue provides PARD with needed funding to promote and preserve the historic park facilities that are adjacent to the Convention Center or that are in areas frequented by tourists and convention visitors. District 9. Brownie Neighborhood Park Open Playfield: PARD’s Facility Construction is currently constructing a 100 ft. x 300 ft. irrigated multi-purpose playfield at Brownie Neighborhood Park. Construction is scheduled to be complete in early fall, and after the turf grow-in period, the field is anticipated to be ready for use in November/December 2020. District 4. Lamar Beach Park Improvements: A Community Facilities Agreement (CFA) was approved by the City Council on August 27, to “authorize the negotiation and execution of a CFA with Pressler RRI, L.P.” The pedestrian and bicycle trail improvements at Lamar Beach Park and a trailhead around the intersection of 5th and Pressler Streets will be constructed by Pressler RRI. The purpose of the CFA is to allow public dollars to be used with private funding to construct these park improvements that are consistent with the Lamar Beach Park Vision Plan approved by Council in 2016. District 9 3  MAINTENANCE UPDATES: Lions Municipal Golf Course: Golf administration is working to coordinate two large purchases, barrier netting and seven golf carts, facilitated by the Save Historic Muny District and Austin Parks Foundation (APF). Funds for these purchases were donated by HEB. District 10 Butler Pitch and Putt: The Butler Pitch and Putt will remain closed at this time. The construction across the street from Butler and along the entrance will make access to the course very difficult. The planned renovation to the facility has been scaled back to make necessary repairs to the failing irrigation system and allow for resurfacing the greens. In addition, the contractor is working to secure permits to add an ADA accessible bathroom and improve the service area of the interior of the current pro shop building to allow for expanded food service. The maintenance work and new bathroom expansion should take approximately four months with an anticipated re-opening in December 2020. District 9 Jimmy Clay Golf Course: The irrigation renovation project will begin construction the second week of September which will address leaks and hydraulic tubing failures. This project will include replacing the main line throughout the course as well as irrigation in fairways, tees and roughs. The greens surrounds were replaced in 2015; however, some components will need to change for communication with the new electric system. Disruption to the green’s areas should be minimal. The irrigation project is anticipated to last five months. The construction team is working to keep nine holes open throughout the project. Staff will continue to water the course with water trucks to preserve turf. This project is funded through 2018 bonds. District 2 Golf Course Tree Maintenance: Prior to golf courses re-opening, Forestry crews took advantage of the closures to perform some needed routine maintenance. Maintenance was prioritized at Morris Williams, Grey Rock and Lions Golf Courses. Districts 1, 8 and 10 Austin Memorial Park Cemetery: Cemetery Operations is preparing to install and repair the roads in Section 12. This project is funded through 2018 bonds. District 7 Oakwood Cemetery: The annex building is undergoing rehabilitation into a maintenance and conservation workshop and break room. District 1 Rosewood, Northwest, Walnut Creek, Garrison and Mabel Davis Swimming Pools: Aquatic Maintenance recently drained the pools for the conclusion of the 2020 swim season. Districts 1, 3, 5, 7 Austin Nature & Science Center: Maintenance projects have included refurbishing the ADA access boardwalk to the pond and Dino Pit; replacing old and splintering handrails along the boardwalk with new composite material; power washing all buildings and sidewalks throughout the campus; and installing automatic road gates. District 8 4  PROGRAM UPDATES: Community PARKnerships Adopt-A-Park Program: The Adopt-A-Park Program (AAP) is a collaborative partnership between PARD and APF to build community and stewardship at neighborhood parks throughout Austin. Below is the latest quarterly report on the Adopt-A-Park Program and recent outreach and educational opportunities: Waterloo Greenway: PARD Office of Special Events, the Austin Center for Events (ACE) and representatives of Waterloo Greenway have begun meeting regarding the 2021 opening of the greenway with discussion of draft event site plans, sound management and related items. The desired maximum occupancy is 5,000. Park Entry Reservations: Ticket sales for park entry (vehicles/walk in) went live in May as part of park entry and safe assembly management at select park sites (Emma and Walter Long, Commons Ford and Barton Creek Greenbelt). Current total ticket offering is 4,900 tickets per Thursday - Sunday period across all the sites. Golf Operations: All golf sites, with the exception to Butler Pitch and Putt, have re-opened operations under modified COVID procedures. Golf sites will begin to transition to eliminate Bring Your Own Booze (BYOB) starting in the Fall of 2020. Notice of this transition has been posted online at each site. Hancock Golf Course: PARD has postponed any additional community engagement meetings related to Hancock golf operations until additional flexibility is allowed for in-person gatherings or other creative virtual feedback opportunities are available. Aquatics Division: All sites currently remain closed to patrons. Barton Springs and Deep Eddy lifeguards are supporting PARD with park monitor positions and other alternate assignments throughout the city. The Aquatics Division is currently working to develop an alternative schedule for reopening pools. The schedule will be determined by the number of staff available once we are given a reopening date. 5  Asian American Resource Center (AARC) “Dear Aunty and Uncle”: The AARC hosted an online workshop in July entitled, Dear Aunty and Uncle, for Asian Americans who are interested in building solidarity with the Black community and how to talk about anti-Blackness and racism with their own families. Inspired by the Letters for Black Lives Project, this workshop reached its registration capacity in two days. For senior programs, AARC is offering weekly virtual Tai Chi classes and hosted an interactive virtual game titled, “Guess Where.” The game featured photography from "Doors", an exhibit by 2020 Heritage Artist Laureate Peter Shen. To view more online senior programs visit: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/aarc- senior-programming Brush Square Museums Education Programming: Education staff have been converting the in-person education trunk programming into digital content for educators to use for the upcoming year. All our Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) aligned lesson plans will now have digital forms or digital supporting content for those who wish to use our Texas History Trunk Programming. All content will be published online once the final videos are complete. Visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chAqjVc9J1o Dougherty Arts Center (DAC) Art You! Virtual Teen Community Engagement Event: The DAC hosted the Art You! virtual event on July 18, to celebrate Austin's future artists, creators, and community leaders. With a full schedule of online events, 35 high-school students explored opportunities in the arts with artist talks, demos, and mentorship sessions. Participants had the chance to meet and network with industry professionals, learn artist professional development skills, and voice their thoughts about what they would like to see in an ongoing teen program. Visit: https://spark.adobe.com/page/vXPGqO0GD7fZq/ Elisabet Ney Museum SUFFRAGE NOW: On August 6, the Elisabet Ney Museum opened SUFFRAGE NOW: A 19th Amendment Centennial Exhibition. In it, women photographers nationwide were invited, via a juried open call, to share photos that comment on the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. The exhibition is mounted online-only in honor of Elisabet Ney’s lifelong role as a firebrand artist and activist who fought bravely for democracy and women’s suffrage in Europe and America but did not live to see it secured. The exhibit was featured on Fox 7 Austin. Visit: www.austintexas.gov/elisabetney ESB Mexican American Cultural Center Viva México 2020: The ESB- MACC will host their annual Viva México celebration on September 16 from 6-9 pm, live streamed on Facebook and www.vivamexico2020.net. The Consulate General of México Pablo Marentes will give the classic Grito de Independencia (call of independence) and Roen Salinas, founder of Aztlan dance, will host the event, presenting content including hands- on activities that families can do at home, a folkloric dance lesson and performance, cooking demonstrations and artist talks. The community can participate by submitting clips of them celebrating at home in the contest for the best Grito! 6  George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center TUTU (Atonement) A Public Performance by AKIRASH: On July 12, the Carver Museum presented a special outdoor public performance by AKIRASH titled, ÈTÙTÙ (Atonement) that was streamed Live to Facebook. The artist asks viewers to consider what it would take to truly repair the injuries that have been inflicted on Black, Indigenous and people of color communities. When is a debt really considered paid? This performance is an invitation to look within ourselves while also exploring larger communal narratives around racial justice and equity. To date, the performance has received 1,100 unique views on the Carver's Facebook page. Oakwood Cemetery Chapel “To Vote”: In July, the Chapel released its summer online exhibit “To Vote.” To Vote recognizes Austin's suffragists during the 100th, the 55th and the 45th anniversaries of all women gaining the right to vote in America. Many people who worked hard for that right are buried in Austin’s municipal cemeteries. Visit: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/oakwood-cemetery-chapel-resources Old Bakery and Emporium “Open Lens”: On August 5, the Old Bakery Emporium designed FotoATX: Open Lens, its first online exhibit featuring six local artists - Deborah Cole, Carol Acurso, Michael Penn Smith, Lesley Bradstreet, Karen Limbaugh and Robert Ward. Since it went live there have been 500 “likes.” Visit: https://spark.adobe.com/page/CwWuc7x296rht/ Virtual Programming and Participation: Athletic Programs: Austin PARD offered its first ever E-Sports League featuring 8-weeks of competitive Madden, FIFA, NBA and Mario Kart play July 14-September 4. McBeth Recreation Center Virtual Adult Day-Hab Camp: Participants are staying active, healthy and safe by participating in fun recreational, educational and cultural interactive adaptive programming online. Average 30-50 unique participants per week. Totally Cool Totally Art: Theater Camp Final Project Tennis Centers: On August 15, Austin, Caswell, Blondie Pharr and South Austin Tennis Centers resumed operation under reduced capacity and COVID-19 Modified Operating Procedures. Event Camps: Event Camps, designed so the children of the City’s essential employees have a safe place to go while parents are at work, which began in March will continue into the fall. This fall, staff will add virtual learning since these children will be attending school. Brighter Bites/Dimarie COVID-19 Food Access Partnership: The final week of PARD and Brighter Bites/DiMare Fresh partnered community produce box distribution took place August 17; Brighter Bites 7  is shifting operations back to school-year programming and DiMare Fresh is seeking additional funding to continue community distribution service – the partnership distributed 19,334 produce boxes (348,012 pounds of produce) May-August 2020: Metrics May June July August Total Recreation Center Givens Gus Garcia Turner-Roberts TOTALS Boxes Pounds Boxes Pounds Boxes Pounds Boxes Pounds 1,008 18,144 1,176 21,168 1,200 21,600 3,384 60,912 1,486 26,748 2,304 41,472 1,920 34,560 5,710 102,780 1,664 29,952 2,496 44,928 1,472 26,496 5,632 101,376 1,216 21,888 2,176 39,168 1,216 21,888 4,608 82,944 5,374 96,732 8,152 146,736 5,808 104,544 19,334 348,012 Care Packet/Back to School Backpack Distributions: George Morales Dove Springs Recreation Center, Montopolis Recreation Center, Turner Roberts Recreation Center and Gus Garcia Recreation Center are working with their Advisory Boards to distribute care packets or back to school backpacks. COVID-19 rules and regulations are being followed, but this is a way to let the communities know that we are here and thinking about them as the children prepare for a new school year. Eating Apart Together (EAT) Initiative: At the end of July, the City’s EAT initiative completed its 17th week of operations. To date, the initiative has provided over 200,000 meals. The EAT Initiative was formed to get nutrition to those who need it in a way that helps them participate in the public health response to COVID-19. Austin Community Gardens Program: On July 28, 45 people attended the first online gardening webinar. The Community Garden webinar series will be held monthly on the last Friday of the month. Staff also conducted two seed giveaways for the fall planting season in partnership with the Travis County AgriLife Extension Service and the Central Texas Seed Savers to support local food production through home and community gardens. Zilker Botanical Garden Programming: On August 12 and 13, 125 teachers took part in Texas Children in Nature online symposium providing guidance for teachers to foster knowledge and confidence in using school gardens as tools for learning. Nature Based Programs Programing: On July 28 Ryan Eaker represented PARD for the Governor’s Committee for People with Disabilities webinar series in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the passing of the American Disabilities Act with a session titled “Outside for Everyone – Adaptive Recreation”. Austin Nature & Science Center (ANSC) Virtual Programming: ANSC provided 31 virtual programs and 20 virtual outreach programs with the Culture & Arts Division, Stay Creative Camps. In July, 283 participants registered for and attended the ANSC virtual programs; ANSC provided 1,363 participant hours of programming with new topics every day and more than 50 participants were on the waiting list 8  for virtual programs from ANSC. Below are a few of the comments from families that participated in the programs. “Kudos to you and everyone at ANSC for really rising to the occasion and giving Austin kids some extra special activities during these challenging times. I guarantee that other organizations have not been able to pull off such top-notch programming, and our city's kids are so lucky to have y'all.” “My son, Eli, participated in last week's ANSC virtual camp and really enjoyed it. He mentioned today that he wanted to do it again next week.” – Jen B. “We are LOVING this program. My boys are big ANSC fans. If ANSC offered a paid weekly version for this class in fall, we would happily sign up as well.” – Liz Camacho Activity Center Virtual Programming: Camacho Activity Center is running weekly virtual programs, camps, and activities for youth and families. Weekly posts include the following: • Two Wheel Tips for at home bicycle maintenance. • Virtual Club (six one-hour sessions of outdoor and environmental science activities). • Family Cooking night on Wednesdays, where families are sent a $15 shopping list ahead of time and all sign on together to make a hands-on meal from scratch with culinary instruction led by Camacho staff. • Weekly fitness challenges are uploaded to the Strava app and emailed to our followers. • Weekly Quicktivity videos and wilderness survival tips are uploaded to Instagram and YouTube weekly. • Virtual Film Camp: In July, Camacho hosted two sessions with 12 students in each session. Projects are being compiled into a “Quarantine Diaries” film that will premiere at Camacho’s 20th anniversary Film Festival in Spring 2021. Camacho Activity Center Bicycle Maintenance Services: Camacho is offering simple bicycle maintenance services to families in need free of charge. Park Monitors: During the month of July, Park Monitors were stationed in multiple locations to help share the closure message and communicate back areas of concern. The Spillway continues to be an area where aggressive individuals seek access. Parking lots on Azzie Morton were closed to help reduce access to the closed area of the park. The Barton Creek Greenbelt reopened on August 8 to the reservations system. Reservations are required Thursday-Sunday. Park Monitors are stationed at all seven official entrances to the Greenbelt to share the closure message and manage the reservation system. Park Ranger Operations: From July 14 to August 15, Park Rangers handled daily operations including 2,881 contacts regarding laws, safety, service and education with 1,243 of those focused directly related to COVID-19 operations for social distancing, park closure, and trail directional compliance and 216 for dogs off leash. 9  Overall Contact Breakdown: Contacts by Location: 10 EVENTS AND AWARDS: Brownie Neighborhood Park Award: The Brownie Neighborhood Park team was recognized by the Texas Society of Architects with the 2020 Studio Award for creating a successful concept plan for the neighborhood park. The team competed with 60 other notable entries, with 6 being selected for an award. The winning designs will be featured in an upcoming issue of Texas Architect magazine. The firm who worked on the concept plan is Kristine Stiphany and Jason Sowell, Stiphany Sowell Architecture and Urbanism. Information at: https://magazine.texasarchitects.org/2020/07/22/2020-studio-awards/. Austin’s New Year (ANY) 2020/2021: Prior to the pandemic, a decision was pending with the City Manager’s Office on moving forward with ANY. Staff is seeking guidance on the approach desired with Council and timing as direction will be required, soon, considering impacts/budget if 2020 NYE will be viable. 11  ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES: Planning Terms Updated: After careful consideration, PARD has shifted away from the use of “master plan” and has adopted more precise planning language for plans undertaken by the PARD Planning Division. PARD recognizes that words have deep meaning, and the term “master plan” carries an additional burden for community members, particularly Black Austinites. In addition, the term’s vagueness required constant explaining. New terms and definitions can be found at http://www.austintexas.gov/department/project-terms-and-definitions. COVID-19 Communications Coordination: The Community Engagement Unit (CEU) continues to coordinate communications regarding COVID-19 protocol with the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM). Weekly posts regarding COVID-19 updates are disseminated among all social media channels using approved language via austintexas.gov/COVID-19. Harmful Algae: PARD has continued working closely with WPD to coordinate and communicate messaging about harmful algae to public. Leave No Trace 2020: The Leave No Trace campaign launched on August 17 with social media advertisements on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and public service announcements (PSAs) on Univision, Charter Spectrum Cable and YouTube. The social media posts and PSAs will highlight respectfulness to others via social distancing, keeping our parks clean and emphasize staying on trails. All images and videos have been vetted to showcase social distancing and mask wearing. Additional in- park signage will be created this month to display in parks and near Leave No Trace Hotspots. View the PSA at https://youtu.be/orObqnAw_i8. COVID-19 Financial Impact: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted PARD’s General Fund and Golf budgets. Of the $98.4 million General Fund budget, 68.6% or $67.5 million has been obligated as of the end of the third quarter as compared to 71.7 % spent in the third quarter of the prior fiscal year. The decline in spending is due to the citywide cost savings initiative and hiring freeze. Due to pools being closed, concessions halted, in-person programming and summer camps being cancelled, PARD has experienced a decline in revenue collection during the months of March through June. Only $6.2 million of the $14.8 million budgeted General Fund revenue has been collected as of the end of June. Of the $8.03 million Golf budget, 74.4 % or $5.9 million has been obligated as of the end of the third quarter. This is equal to the third quarter of the prior fiscal year. Sixty four percent of budgeted Golf Fund revenue has been collected, down 6.1 percent or $0.5 million compared to the previous year. COVID-19 Cost Tracking and Reporting: The COVID-19 event has been officially declared as a national disaster by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). PARD Finance is working closely with the HESM in a citywide effort to track and report costs in the effort to be reimbursed by FEMA through its Public Assistance program. As of the end of June, PARD has incurred costs of approximately $1.5 12  million relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Expedition School Boating Concession: The City Council has directed the City Manager to provide a boating concession for The Expedition School through a Council Resolution. PARD Contract Management staff is working closely with the vendor to develop a proposal that will serve as an essential component of a resulting contract. The Expedition School has completed its preliminary proposal and provided it to PARD staff. Staff has requested clarification on proposal elements, and vendor discussions are ongoing. PARD has been granted an extension to December 31,2020, to complete the contract negotiation process. Zilker Zephyr Train Concession: In response to the February 20 Council resolution, PARD contract staff developed a draft Miniature Train Concession Agreement between the City and Austin Parks Foundation (APF). The Law Department is currently reviewing the agreement and once the review is complete, the agreement will be provided to APF for review and approval. Walnut Creek Park: Contract staff is working closely with PARD Planning staff and Corporate Purchasing staff to develop a Request for Information (RFI) to determine interest in the development of Walnut Creek Park. Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) Update: PARD Human Resources (HRD) received a total of 511 applications related to COVID-19. An estimated 258 applications, since March, are in support of employees unable to work because they were quarantined and/or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and sought medical diagnosis. An additional 253 applications, since March, were received from employees related to health concerns of a spouse and/or care for a child. These employees were unable to work because of need to care for an individual that was subject to quarantine or to care for a child whose school/childcare provider was closed and/or unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19. There has been an increase of applications 443 to 511 since July 10 through August 6. PARD Position Vacancies: Positions that become vacant due to resignations, transfers, etc., will automatically transition into a frozen status. It is likely the hiring freeze will remain in place for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2020 with approximately 66 PARD positions frozen. COVID Enhancement Pay: The COVID Enhancement Pay will be a one-time payout and available for non-sworn, regular and temporary employees who have consistently provided in-person services in the office or to the public since the start of the COVID pandemic. There have been several questions related to who qualifies for this pay and how it will be structured. The process and additional details are below. There will be approximately 773 PARD employees who will receive the enhancement pay based on their eligibility. 13