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PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD DIRECTOR’S REPORT DATE: March 2021 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS: MLK Station Neighborhood Park Nature Play Virtual Community Meeting #2: The next community meeting will be held on March 27 at 10am. The Parks and Recreation Department’s (PARD) Cities Connecting Children to Nature (CCCN) program will share the final nature play design and show how community input helped shape it. The meeting will be conducted on Zoom, meeting registration. Project Webpage: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/mlk-station-neighborhood-park-nature- play. District 1 Highland Neighborhood Park Virtual Community Meeting: Implementation of the park plan continues at Highland Neighborhood Park. Phase 2 Implementation will kick off with a virtual community meeting on March 31 at 5:30pm. During this meeting, the project team will share information on park designs outlined in the adopted concept plan and seek feedback from the community to prioritize elements to include in the current construction phase. The meeting will be conducted on Zoom, meeting registration. Project Webpage: https://www.austintexas.gov/HighlandParkProject. District 4 Beverly S. Sheffield Northwest District Park Vision Plan: RVi, the consultant for the plan, hosted a kickoff meeting and initial TAG (technical advisory group) meeting with City staff in late February. The vision planning process began this month with a community survey (launched on March 23). The first of three, public small-group meetings is scheduled for April 6, with the proposed focus being recreation and park activities. A small-group meeting on April 20 will focus on neighborhoods, community, and school feedback, and on April 28, PARD will hold a small-group meeting looking at nature and environmental issues for the park. The first community-wide meeting is scheduled for May 4, meeting registration. Project Webpage: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/beverly-s-sheffield- northwest-district-park-vision-plan. District 7 Givens Aquatic Facility Renovation: On April 26 at 5:30pm, PARD will host a virtual community meeting to reveal draft concepts. The ideas presented will be created from the community input received so far through input at Givens Swims in 2019, the first community meeting in January, and the community survey that followed. Community members will be asked to identify how well the draft design ideas connect with key values and align with feedback collected. The meeting will be conducted on Zoom, meeting registration. Project Webpage: http://austintexas.gov/givenspool. District 1 Colony Park Aquatic Facility: On April 28 at 5:30pm, PARD will host a virtual community meeting that will be shared over YouTube Live and Facebook Live to reveal draft concepts of the new aquatic facility. The ideas presented will be created from the community input received so far through input at the first community meeting in January and the community survey that followed. Community members will be asked to identify how well the draft design ideas connect with key values and align with feedback collected. Project Webpage: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/colony-park-aquatic-facility. District 1 1  PLANNING UPDATES: Central Williamson Creek Greenway Vision Plan: The draft plan community feedback period was extended to March 22. The partner team led by Community Powered Workshop and Asakura Robinson will present the finalized draft vision plan to the Environmental Commission on April 7, with the support of the Watershed Protection Department (WPD) and PARD. Following the Environmental Commission review, the team will seek approval from the Parks and Recreation Board (PARB) on April 27. The draft vision plan can be found at https://www.centralwilliamsoncreek.net. District 2 George Washington Carver Museum Facility Expansion Plan: PARD and the consultant team, Smith & Company with Perkins & Will are prepared for the expansion plan’s approval process with presentations anticipated in April and City Council review in May. The draft expansion plan can be found at https://www.austintexas.gov/CarverATXplanning. District 1 Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan: PARD and the consultant team, led by Design Workshop, worked to establish a comprehensive community engagement plan to drive the planning process. On March 3, the team hosted its first TAG meeting composed of an extensive range of City departments as well as relevant external agencies. As the team begins to compile the site analysis and existing conditions report, they anticipate hosting several small group discussions in April and the first community-wide meeting in May. For additional information please visit the project’s webpage at https://www.austintexas.gov/ZilkerVision. Districts 5 and 8 Project Connect: PARD team members are participating in Project Connect meetings along with other City departments and stakeholders. Recent discussions have focused on the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) process, which is just beginning, rail alignments (Locally Preferred Alternatives), as well as station locations and entry portals – where the rail will go subsurface. Of particular interest to PARD are the locations where the rail will cross over, under, or through parkland. The project team is aware that they will need to go through a Chapter 26 process. Areas of special interest where the Blue Line will have an impact on parkland or park facilities are as follows: • Brush Square Park – an entrance to the Blue Line Station will be adjacent to the park, • Norwood Estate Dog Park – the Blue Line will run close to the park and there will be a station at the north end of Travis Heights, which may impact the park, • Waller Creek Boathouse on Trinity Street – the Blue Line will come directly through and necessitate the removal of the Boathouse. Discussions about the future of the Boathouse, and the material stored at the Boathouse are ongoing and • The Blue Line Bridge across Lady Bird Lake will have a pedestrian component, similar to the Pfluger Bridge. Parkland Acquisitions: City Council will consider the acquisition of four new park properties during the March 25 meeting. Two land acquisitions are part of a partnership with the Housing and Planning Department (HPD) to provide parkland alongside affordable housing developments. They are located at 1127 Tillery Street (2.48 acres, purchase price not to exceed $784,201, District 3) and 1212 W Slaughter Lane (4.2 acres, purchase price not to exceed $4,217,044, District 5), and will serve as neighborhood parks. The third park is located along Bull Creek on Spicewood Springs Road (10 acres, purchase price not to exceed $3,515,490, District 10) and will serve as a park node along the Upper Bull Creek 2  Greenbelt and includes a scenic overlook over the greenbelt. The fourth land acquisition is located on Poquito Street in East Austin (0.18 acres, purchase price not to exceed 378,400, District 1) and will connect Rosewood Courts and the surrounding community to amenities along the Boggy Creek Greenbelt. Walnut Creek Sports Complex Request for Information (RFI): PARD has been working closely with the City’s Purchasing Department to issue an RFI for Walnut Creek Sports Complex. PARD is requesting proposals from interested parties that would like to partner with PARD to develop a sports complex on parkland along Johnny Morris Road. Once the RFIs are evaluated, PARD may choose to enter into a Request for Proposal (RFP), which is more of a contractual agreement with PARD, in the future. The deadline to submit an RFI is March 23. District 1 Statesman Planned Unit Development (PUD): The Statesman PUD is currently under review and the applicants have expressed an interest in parkland superiority. PARD reviewers have made it clear that superiority will be based on the dedication, by deed, of parkland fronting on Lady Bird Lake. Currently, the Butler Hike and Bike Trail exists only within an Easement, but under the PARD requirement, all this area would become dedicated parkland. The applicants have stated that they would like to retain control of the area, in part because they fear encroachment by people experiencing homelessness (despite the current prohibition on camping in City of Austin parkland). Further, the applicant will need to commit to improvements within the park, and agree to an expenditure per unit, above the amount required in current code. Other areas of concern are limiting the size of the proposed ponds and rain gardens in the parkland; and design for the bat viewing area. Finally, PARD and WPD are jointly interested in moving the Hike and Bike trail a few feet inland and restoring the waterfront on the eastern shoreline of the Statesman site. At this time, HPD will determine whether the item should move forward to Boards and Commissions. If HPD determines to move it forward with no changes from the current submittal, PARD will schedule the item for presentation to PARB, state the reasons that the PUD is not superior from a parks standpoint, and recommend against its approval. District 9 Appeal by the Applicant to Staff Recommendation of the Parkland Dedication Ordinance related to Wilder Site Plan (4802 S. Congress): For this site plan, parkland dedication is being required; and this includes pedestrian access to the Williamson Creek Greenbelt. This access will be essential because other nearby properties have steep slopes with limited accessibility. The applicant is pushing back on PARD’s requirement for a Public Access easement, which would overlap with the driveway and fire lane (staff intends to work with the applicant on pedestrian-safe design solutions). The applicant has relayed that their attorneys and lenders are uncomfortable with a public access in this location. However, PARD consistently requires public access for parkland and has done so for several similar cases. Additionally, this future trail, with its access to South Congress Avenue, is identified as a Tier II Trail in the Urban Trails Master Plan. The applicant is not opposed to the dedication of parkland. However, they feel that their only avenue to challenge this requirement is to use a code section (25-1-605 (F)) that would request the right to pay fee in lieu of dedication of parkland, and appeal staff’s denial of this request. If the applicant is successful in their appeal, an opportunity will be missed for an important connection to the Williamson Creek Greenbelt, as well as a key strip of land along the east side of the creek for a future trail. The item appeared at PARB on January 26. The Board voted 9 – 1 to recommend to the Planning Commission to deny the applicant's request to pay fee in lieu of land dedication and uphold staff’s recommendation for the dedication of parkland. Following postponements, the item will appear at 3 Planning Commission on March 23. PARD staff have communicated with the neighborhood frequently, and provided information concerning the site plan, geography of the area, and the Williamson Creek Greenbelt plan. District 3 4  DEVELOPMENT UPDATES: Waterloo Greenway, Waterloo Park: This project, currently in construction and being developed via the City’s partnership with the Waterloo Greenway Conservancy, is requesting approval of the proposed Parks Special Use of permitting alcohol consumption in designated areas of Waterloo Park. Waterloo Greenway Conservancy will be doing outreach to communicate with property owners, neighborhood entities and other community stakeholders. Support for the Conditional Use Permit will be requested from the Waller Creek Local Government Corporation (LGC) on April 7 and the Parks and Recreation Board on April 27, prior to presenting to the Planning Commission (tentatively in May). The 11-acre Waterloo Park redevelopment project, including the new Moody Amphitheater, is nearing completion after two years of construction, and will hopefully open this summer. Current work on site includes commissioning of the building, completing the utility, wetland, and landscape work in the southeast corner of the park, and a heritage tree support structure. The project is the first phase of the Waterloo Greenway, which will eventually stretch from 15th Street to Lady Bird Lake along Waller Creek. Project webpage: https://waterloogreenway.org/category/news-and-events/waterloo-park/. District 1 Drone photo of Waterloo Park construction progress as of March 5, 2021. Waterloo Greenway, Creek Delta: This project, nearing 90% construction documents and preparing to be bid this summer, will seek support via Boards and Commissions over the next several months, including a Heritage tree removal variance. Support will be sought by the ESB-MACC Advisory Board on April 7, prior to presenting to PARB in May. For additional information please visit: https://waterloogreenway.org/overview/creek-restoration/. District 9 5  Rendering of the Creek Delta, showing the lattice bridges and creek restoration, Michael Van Valkenburgh Assoc. Zilker Metro Park – Maintenance Barn Replacement: The project is scheduled for Council action on April 8, for authorization to award and execute a construction contract with Sayers Construction LLC (MBE/MH), for a total contract amount not to exceed $2,147,063. The maintenance barn will house staff responsible for maintaining the park grounds at Zilker Metro Park, including landscapes, trails, playscapes, sports fields, courts, buildings, and the pool. The proximity of the maintenance barn is critical to maintaining the highly sought after, world-famous 350-acre public park which holds major City events throughout the year. The City’s permitting process ensures that extreme care has been taken to protect the sensitive grounds of Zilker Park. The existing maintenance barn that is located within the Barton Creek Watershed, near to Barton Springs Pool, is undersized, and in extremely poor condition. The replacement maintenance barn will be relocated within the Eanes Creek Watershed, in a less-trafficked area of the park and will have adequate perimeter security fence, area lighting, and a water quality biofiltration pond. The building is pursuing LEED-Silver Certification. The project is funded by 2012 and 2018 G.O. Bonds. District 8 office space, work area and storage space. The maintenance barn will be a 4,000 sq. ft. pre- engineered metal building, with 1,500 sq. ft. of finished office space and 2,500 sq. ft. of maintenance/warehouse space. In addition to the building, site improvements will include a paved parking and site area which includes two open pole barns, enclosed storage building, landscaping, 6  Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center: After a period of Community Engagement with key stakeholders was completed in early 2021, the building program for the Phase 2 Expansion of the ESB-MACC was completed. The ESB-MACC Advisory Board unanimously supported the proposed building program on March 3. The program will be presented to the Hispanic Quality of Life Advisory Commission on March 23 and will define the scope of work for the project team, Joint Venture Miro Rivera Architects and Tatiana Bilbao Estudio and Rogers-O’Brien Construction (CMR). Site construction is anticipated to begin in late 2022 with a grand opening of the expanded and improved center in summer 2024. Project information at: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/emma-s-barrientos-mexican- american-cultural-center-phase-2-improvements. District 9 Dougherty Arts Center (DAC) Replacement Project: In late April, this project will seek City Council’s support of the preferred design scenario for redevelopment at Butler Shores Park and approval to move forward into design and construction phases following the completion of an expanded preliminary design and community engagement phase. The Council action will follow eight Board and Commission presentations, which are taking place over the course of February and March. The expanded scope of preliminary design, which considers several different visions for the new DAC, is being led by Studio 8 Architects, a local Austin firm. The project scope also considers a comprehensive parking strategy and traffic demand management plan for the new DAC site. This project is funded in the amount of approximately $28 million from both the 2012 and 2018 General Obligation (GO) Bonds. Following approval to move forward into architectural design, construction is anticipated to begin in late 2022 with a project completion in summer of 2024. Construction will be led by Bartlett + Cocke Contractors under the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery method. http://austintexas.gov/department/dougherty-arts-center-redevelopment-project. District 5 Option 1B, one of the four redevelopment scenarios for the DAC, and the project team’s preferred scenario. 7  MAINTENANCE UPDATES: LED Ball Field Light Replacement Project: The installation of Musco LED ball field lights is complete at the front softball field at Givens Park. Parque Zaragoza baseball field is almost complete and South Austin Recreation Center’s ball field will be receiving materials and starting work soon. This project is for the replacement of five ball fields lights that were older with malfunctioning systems, to updated and sophisticated LED lighting that is better for the surrounding community and more efficient with electronic control systems. District 1 and District 3 Austin Community Gardens Program: The Community Gardens Program reached out to its 26 community gardens on City land following the winter storm to assess damage. Certainly, many plants were killed and will have to be removed and replanted, but only one significant water line break was noted. The Reduced Pressure Zone assembly that controls water access for the Adelphi Acre Community Garden ruptured, cutting off irrigation to the garden. A water tank was brought in for temporary use, but in the face of a significant backlog of priority plumbing repairs in PARD, Austin Public Works – owner of the property that is licensed for use as a community garden – stepped in and was able to complete the repair. Water supply has been re-established at Adelphi Acre Community Garden just in time for spring planting. District 7 Aquatic Maintenance as Result of Winter Storm Uri: Due to the recent winter storm, most aquatic facilities sustained some damage to both pool system pipes as well as domestic plumbing lines. Over the past couple of weeks, Aquatic Maintenance has been conducting storm damage assessments to all aquatic facilities and making repairs to pools that should currently be open. Additionally, several pools with plaster had damaged pipes thus not allowing them to be filled, therefore they also have a high priority at this time. Further delays are being projected since the City mandates that asbestos and lead testing be conducted prior to doing any building/wall plumbing repairs. Barton Springs Pool: Barton Springs Pool re-opened on February 25 after the winter storm. The pool was closed from March 1 through March 12 for annual maintenance to include commercial dredge services, which remove flood debris from the pool. Staff are continuing to work with plumbers to restore water to the bathhouse. District 5 Deep Eddy Pool – Deep Eddy also re-opened on February 25 and staff are continuing to work with plumbers to restore water to the bathhouse. District 10 Springwood Pool: Springwoods Pool was closed because of the winter storm, however, after some minor repairs it resumed operations on March 9. District 6 Bartholomew Pool and Big Stacy Pools: The Pools remain closed to the public due to damage from the winter storm. District 4 and 9 Butler Pitch & Putt Golf Course: The Contractor is wrapping up final improvements. The course will have a soft opening in March with a full opening in early April. The exact timeline is still dependent on final permit process and grass moving through winter transition. District 8 8  Jimmy Clay Irrigation Project: The irrigation system is installed, and staff is working to complete the final punch list and irrigation mapping with the contractor. The course is completely open; however, the irrigation lines and trenching will continue to settle and be rough in some areas. The Golf Division construction team will work on sod installation to repair trench lines over the next month. District 2 Jimmy Clay/Roy Kizer Driving Range: The Golf Division Construction team completed the new synthetic tee installation and the tee opened on Monday, March 8. District 2 Grey Rock Driving Range: The contractor is working to complete barrier netting improvements to improve safety corridors along the maintenance areas and the adjacent play of the ninth hole. District 8 Evergreen Cemetery: All restoration of the vandalized monuments is completed. The final phase of the inscriptions process was completed. Quotes are currently being sought for road repairs and security options. District 1 Austin Memorial Park Cemetery: Work continues on the roadway improvement project. Upon completion, the project will resurface the road system within Austin Memorial Park (AMP) and construct a curbing system to delineate between road and grounds surface. The resurfacing and curb construction is anticipated for completion in spring 2021. District 7 9  PROGRAM UPDATES: Wooldridge Square: On March 10, Austin’s Wooldridge Square, was one of eight Texas parks honored with designation as a Lone Star Legacy Park by the Texas Recreation and Parks Society in a ceremony at the association’s annual institute held in Frisco. A Lone Star Legacy Park is a park that holds special prominence in the local community and the state of Texas. To qualify for consideration, the park must have endured the test of time and become iconic to those who have visited, played, and rested on its grounds. Wooldridge Square, in the northwest quadrant of downtown, remains relatively unchanged and retains a high degree of historic integrity. The space was neglected for decades until 1909 when Mayor A.P. Wooldridge launched improvement efforts fueled by a wave of civic pride. The park became known as an area where politicians and great orators were able to connect with the public, and where rallies were held supporting women’s suffrage. Wooldridge Square’s significance is closely tied to significant statewide and national events. In 1948, Lyndon Baines Johnson, who would later serve as the 36th U.S. President, launched his U.S. senatorial campaign at a rally at Wooldridge Square. Oertli Neighborhood Park Community Engagement #1: PARD hosted virtual meeting #1 on March 17 for the Oertli Neighborhood Park Concept Plan. The six-acre park is currently a vacant field divided by a fence row of trees. The park is surrounded by single family homes and multifamily apartments, with access from Blaine Road and Pearl Retreat Drive. The park was acquired through parkland dedication funding. Project webpage https://www.austintexas.gov/OertliPark. Govalle Neighborhood Park Improvements: PARD and the Austin Parks Foundation (APF) held the third and final public meeting on March 10, to discuss the proposed improvements to Govalle Neighborhood Park. At the meeting, APF shared the playground equipment selection that was identified through the online survey. The team also discussed improvements to the basketball court and new multipurpose field. The meeting presentation and a link to the final community survey can be found on the project website: http://www.austintexas.gov/department/govalle-neighborhood-park-improvements. 10  Three renderings shared at the most recent public meeting Zilker Botanical Garden: The Garden reopened to the public on March 3, after intense clean-up in the aftermath of winter storm Uri. Totally Cool Totally Art (TCTA) Virtual Gallery & Award Ceremony: In partnership with the Mexic-Arte Museum, TCTA was able to host a virtual gallery and award ceremony for teens who have been participating in the virtual TCTA program. Overall, the event was a huge success as teens from across Austin were able to interact, socialize and share artwork with one another. Additionally, family and friends were able to watch the ceremony via livestream and join in the student’s success. • Facebook Live Stream February 25 (https://fb.watch/4atrH7exWF/) • Zoom Stream with Students (unlisted on YouTube) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0zNe9mF3kw) 11  Youth Sports Organizations Re-Opened: PARD and Austin Public Health Department (APH) understand and agree with the importance of youth sports and the health benefits they provide to the community and appreciate the Youth Sports Organizations that contribute to this effort and thank them for their patience throughout this unprecedented time to allow PARD to prepare for a safe return to operations. On March 3, PARD held a virtual meeting with all Youth Sports Organizations to discuss pre-approved modified operation plans, reopening procedures and announce that operations may begin with approved plans in place. Each organization had submitted their plans for a safe reestablishment of operations that mitigates the risk of spreading COVID-19 to the PARD Athletics Team. South Austin Recreation Center (SARC): The block of 1100 Cumberland Road that surrounds SARC is undergoing a trail renovation. The trail will encircle the block and parkland from South 5th Street to Bouldin Creek. Additionally, SARC is getting new field lights installed. Once lights are complete, fencing, irrigation and new sod will be placed for a major facelift at the SARC sports fields. Lamar Senior Activity Center Programs: The Center continues to reach out to Adult 50+ participants to keep them engaged, active and informed. Programs highlights offered during February 2021 include: • Buddy Phone Calls • Newsletters with activities and valuable resources • Book Club-Zoom • Pilates-Zoom • Exercise (M/W)-Zoom • Zumba Gold-Zoom • Find Balance-Zoom • Aging Is Cool activities: o Painting with Rebecca- for pick up or delivery o Valentine’s Day cards (65) handmade sent to local memory & nursing care homes o Mad Science Zoom meeting & projects o Book Club • Birthday postcards to February birthdays • Thinking of You cards (working on sending to list all registered participants) 12  Asian American Resource Center – My API Live: The Asian American Resource Center (AARC), as part of the City’s Asian Pacific Islander Task Force, has been collaborating with APH and Austin Public Library staff on My API Live, a bi-monthly virtual broadcast to discuss accurate COVID-19 information for the Asian American Pacific Islander Community and friends. Topics keep viewers up to date on resources for staying healthy, safe, and informed during the pandemic. Interpretation is provided in Burmese, Vietnamese and Chinese. This project is part of AARC’s long-term plan for language access for Limited English Proficiency communities. This program started in January 2021. Dougherty Arts Center – Femenina: On March 18, the Dougherty Arts hosted a virtual screening of the award-winning short film Femenina, followed by an interactive discussion with director Ilana Garcia Mittleman and Bears Rebecca Fonte, Artistic Director of aGLIFF (All Genders & Lifestyles International Film Festival). Femenina follows Nick, a boxer who lives his life in the ring, and Nina, the newest member to join the boxing gym. As they forge a relationship, Nick's perception of his own sexuality is called into question when he realizes that Nina is transgender. More information: https://austintexas.gov/page/dougherty-arts-center-programs-and- events. E.S.B.-Mexican American Cultural Center – Arts A Responders: Art as Social Practice program of the Museums and Cultural Programs commissioned artists to train in Social Practice, and to organize and engage community in an artistic response to cope with and overcome COVID-19. The ESB-MACC commissioned two local artists Guateque Son and J Muzacz. Guateque Son is a Son Jarocho band that produced a music video focused on sharing safety tips. J Musacz is a muralist who created a mosaic mural in East Austin of a Latinx masked Austinite to encourage mask wearing. Guateque Son Video Project: Video Link and J Muzacz Mural Project Photo: Page Link. George Washington Carver Museum – Small Black Museum Residency Project: The George Washington Carver Museum has named the first cohort of artists for its Small Black Museum Residency Project. Adrian Armstrong, Temitope Olujobi and Hypatia Sorunke will engage in the three-month residency program during which they will develop new artwork and engage in professional development initiatives. The residency program was started to support and promote both established and emerging artists of African descent who are largely underrepresented in institutions. The residency project officially launched on February 27 and will run through June. During the same month, LIFEWTR donated $30,000 to the George Washington Carver Museum after selecting the work of Dawn Okoro, who made her solo exhibit debut at the Museum to grace the bottle of their artisan water brand. Money secured from the donation will be used, as per the funder’s specifications, to purchase work for the Museum's collections and fund the Small Black Museum Residency Project. 13  Elisabet Ney Museum: The Friends of the Elisabet Ney Museum, the Ney’s support group, joined hundreds of other nonprofit agencies citywide for the annual Amplify Austin event, hosted by I Live Here I Give Here, on March 4 and 5. This year, the group was able to raise $4,000 in donations for their account at the Austin Community Foundation. They have been an invaluable help in creating a bridge from the museum to the community as well as raising significant funds (including the $150K from the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2019) to benefit the museum. Oakwood Cemetery Chapel: The Oakwood Cemetery Chapel’s Winter 2021 exhibit, To Remember, considers the various types of grief, loss, and love across cultures. Oakwood Cemetery Chapel collaborated with the Mexican American Cultural Center to produce and promote “Remembrance of Those We’ve Lost,” an online community memorial for people who died because of COVID-19 on February 28. https://youtu.be/-_oTlxzp6Io and http://www.austintexas.gov/page/oakwood-cemetery- chapel-exhibits. EAT Initiative: The EAT Initiative, coordinated by the PARD Homeless Response Coordinator and APH, delivered 30,000 meals to cold weather shelters during the week of the snow and ice storm. Land Management Plan: Staff are in the process of evaluating proposals with Council approval expected by June. The Land Management Program Manager will be the Contract Manager once the award is made and will work to coordinate the project with other PARD workgroups as well as with the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan Coordinating Committee Secretary and Austin Water Utility’s Balcones Canyonlands Preserve staff. Park Ranger Operations: Park Rangers handled daily operations including 473 contacts regarding laws, safety, service, and education – 216 contacts were logged for dogs off-leash during this time frame. Since October 1, Park Rangers have had 1,220 contacts with park visitors who had their dogs off-leash. Park Rangers also focused efforts on emergency sheltering, and site assessments over Winter Storm URI during this timeframe. Contact breakdown for February 10th – March 10th: 14  COVID contact data since March 27, 2020 #DiscoverParksATX: Park Rangers and the Community Engagement Unit are working together on a social media campaign designed to highlight parks and greenspaces with low attendance and/or ample parking or public transportation options, to alleviate the strain on popular parks. The campaign began the week of March 8 and will continue through April. 15  ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES: Fiscal Year 2020 Department Annual Report: View the Austin Parks and Recreation Department FY20 Annual Report or download FY20 Annual Report (PDF). Paper copies are also available. Fiscal Year 2022 (FY2022) Budget Development: PARD has submitted its FY2022 Financial Forecast, and the PARD Finance Unit is currently working on the various FY2022 Proposed Budget deliverables that are due on May 7 to the City Budget Office. Here are some upcoming key dates from the COA Budget Timeline: CALENDAR Boards and Commissions Recommendations Due Council Briefing: Forecast Presentation 5-year CIP Plan due from Depts. Proposed Budget due from Depts. Proposed Budget Presentation to Council Apr 9 Apr 16 May 7 May 7 Jul 9 Jul 22, Jul 29 Budget hearings Jul 27, Aug 3 Council Budget Work Sessions Aug 11 Tax Rate Hearing and Budget Readings FY2022 Boards and Commissions Presentations: The City Manager’s directive is for City departments to engage with Board and Commissions with a focus on operational efficiency, equity, and strategic alignment, not new funding. The Financial Services Division is currently planning public engagement opportunities with several Boards and Commissions during the months of March and April. B&C Parks and Recreation Board African American Resource Advisory Commission Commission for Women Mexican American Cultural Center Advisory Board Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilities LGBTQ QOL Advisory Commission Commission on Seniors Asian American QOL Advisory Commission Hispanic/Latino QOL Resource Advisory Commission 2021 Meeting Dates Tuesday, March 23, 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 6, TBD Wednesday, April 7, TBD Wednesday, April 7, 6 p.m. Friday, April 9, TBD Monday, April 12, 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 14, 12 p.m. Tuesday, April 20, 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 27, TBD COVID-19 Financial Impact: PARD is continuing to limit discretionary spending related to travel, training, promotions, and award and recognition budgets. As of the end of February, PARD has incurred costs of approximately $3.2M related to the COVID-19 pandemic; $1.8M in General Fund revenue has been collected as compared to $2.4M collected at the end of February 2020. The majority of the first quarter revenue proceeds result from Boat Concessions, Cemetery services and sales. Due to record-breaking attendance for the last three months, Golf Fund revenue is up significantly compared to same period the prior year. Golf revenue equaling $3.7M has been collected as of the end of February, which is up compared to the $2.5M revenue collected during the same period last year. 16  The Rowing Dock: Contract staff has begun the solicitation process for The Rowing Dock, a Town Lake concession that is scheduled to expire in April 2022. The agreement was established in November 2000, for an interim period that expired in April 2002. Upon the expiration of the interim period, an initial period of five years with three additional five-year periods was established. The concession is located at 2418 Stratford Drive. Park Ranger Cadet: Temporary Park Ranger Cadets will be hired for summer 2021. Active Lifeguard Applicants: As of March 3, the Aquatic Division has 83 active lifeguard applicants. All applicants have been contacted with next steps for hiring and are in various stages of the hiring process. With the downgrade to COVID-19 Stage 3, in-person training will commence at the end of March or first part of April once repairs resulting from the winter storm have been completed. Lifeguard Hiring Campaign: A social media campaign was launched the week of March 1 focusing on aquatic jobs in hopes of seeing an increase in applications. In addition, Aquatic staff have attended virtual hiring events with Austin Youth Council and Austin Community College. Lastly, there are currently 18 new applicants and 22 dormant applicants who are ready to sign-up for a certification class once in- person training is finalized. More information: www.lifeguardaustin.com. 2021 Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) Extension: On January 12, the City announced that it would extend the use of EPSL of up to 80 hours available to employees experiencing issues related to COVID- 19. EPSL extension was available from January 1 through February 27. As of March 11, the City Manager is deciding whether to extend the 2021 EPSL. Since February, PARD Human Resources has received 50 applications from employees related to COVID-19. These employees were unable to work because they were quarantined and/or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and sought medical diagnosis. COVID-19 Vaccine Temporary Employee Re-Assignment: The City ‘s Human Resources Department has requested assistance from all Departments for the temporary re-assignment of staff to assist Austin Public Health at the City’s Vaccine Pods. PARD has currently offered 28 temporary employees re- assignment to this duty. These employees will be temporarily assigned for up to 3 months. Cities Connecting Children to Nature Temporary Position: The WPD funded a temporary CCCN Program Coordinator position for PARD. The position that is funded through September 2022, which has been filled, will focus on advancing the goals associated with the CCCN initiative. This position will advance programs associated with the Green School Parks, such as green storm water infrastructure; develop an implementation plan to increase nature-based opportunities at Recreation Centers; meet with Green School park campuses and communities to determine the most applicable WPD activities for that site (if not already determined); and begin enacting activities that complement WPD’s existing programs. Hancock Golf Course: PARD in collaboration with Austin Energy’s Data Analytics and Business Intelligence Division (AE) deployed a survey on March 9, asking citizens for their opinions regarding the current and future use of the Hancock Golf Course. Austin Energy deployed an email link to approximately 40,000 citizens across all 10 Council Districts and will have the survey open for a two- week period. This random list of survey participants was created from an analysis based on the demographics and psychographics of those likely to engage in outdoor activities as well as representing all Council districts. The analytics and the selection process will allow for a statistically valid analysis of 17  the survey data. Additionally, a separate open link has been provided to various Hancock Neighborhood Associations, Conservancy groups and golf partners to allow them the opportunity to respond. The AE team will monitor responses to these surveys for duplication or replication of responses so that we can ensure fairness and equity across the survey data. At the conclusion of the survey, PARD will work with AE to report the survey results and provide an update to the Board. Survey open link: https://austinenergy.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1Tyloojt1kmzAc6. Concessionary Agreements: The Office of Special Events has completed the following concessionary agreements for the period of March 1 through August 31: PARD/Sno Mo – Zilker Park Parking Lot 2 • PARD/Southside Flying Pizza – Zilker Park Volleyball Courts • • PARD/Jim Jim’s Water Ice – Deep Eddy & Zilker Café Park Entry Ticketing (2021 Season): – The Office of Special Events has completed reservation programming in the RecTrac system on park entry and ticketing for the following: Friday – Sunday until end of October (cars) Emma Long and Walter E. Long Metropolitan Parks • Vehicle and Pedestrian entry • • Pedestrian tickets will end after Labor Day Monday Zilker Metropolitan Park • Pay station meters are up and running • Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays 18