D: Director's Report — original pdf

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PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD DIRECTOR’S REPORT DATE: June 2021 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS: Highland Neighborhood Park – Phase 2, Community Meeting #2, June 24: The concept plan implementation process continues June 24 at 5:30pm with the second, virtual community meeting. The project team will share the results from the online survey and will present the proposed scope and opinion of probable cost for the next phase of implementation. Highland Neighborhood Park features existing sports fields that are utilized by the University Hills optimist club and the surrounding community. The plan balances the requests of the neighborhood with the recreational program. The meeting will be held via Zoom. Zoom meeting registration. Project webpage: https://www.austintexas.gov/HighlandParkProject. District 4 Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan, Community Meeting #1, June 29: The Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) and the consultant team, led by Design Workshop, work to finalize the plan’s Site Analysis and Needs Assessment Report. The draft site analysis and needs assessment were presented to the Urban Transportation Commission and Environmental Commission in May. The findings along with draft guiding principles and goals will be shared for community input in the first community-wide meeting on June 29 at 6pm (virtual). Additionally, PARD is currently scheduling a series of in-person pop- up events for July, with one pop-up opportunity in each Council District plus one in Zilker Park. Further details including Zoom meeting registration and video recordings of the 15 small group discussions held in May are available on the project website at: https://www.austintexas.gov/ZilkerVision. Districts 5 and 8 Colony Park Aquatic Facility Virtual Community Meeting #3, June 30: PARD will host the third virtual community meeting on June 30 at 5:30pm. At the second community meeting in April, PARD presented three preliminary concepts for consideration. Based on feedback from that meeting, subsequent survey and community conversations with students at area schools, the Project Team will present the proposed 1  final concept for the new pool and facility at the third meeting. Community members will be asked to identify how well the draft final concept connects with key values and aligns with feedback collected. Zoom meeting registration and project webpage: http://www.austintexas.gov/department/colony-park- aquatic-facility. District 1 Givens Aquatic Facility Renovation Virtual Community Meeting #3, July 1: PARD will host the third virtual community meeting on July 1 at 5:30pm. At the second community meeting in April, PARD presented three preliminary concepts for consideration by the community. Based on feedback from that meeting, subsequent survey and discussions from outreach in Givens Park on May 8, the Project Team will present the proposed final concept for the new pool and facility. Community members will be asked to identify how well the draft design ideas connect with key values and align with feedback collected. Zoom meeting registration and project webpage: http://www.austintexas.gov/givenspool. District 1 Brownie Neighborhood Park Concept Plan Implementation Community Meeting #2, July 15: The second community meeting will be held on July 15 at 5:30pm to continue the concept plan implementation process. During this meeting the project team will share the results from the first online survey and will present the proposed scope and opinion of probable cost for the next phase of implementation. The plan implementation provides an opportunity to make a lasting impact for the surrounding community in the mostly undeveloped park. The meeting will be held via Zoom. Citizens are encouraged to sign up through the project webpage: https://austintexas.gov/browniepark. District 4 PLANNING UPDATES: George Washington Carver Museum Facility Expansion Plan: On June 10, PARD brought the plan before City Council. The plan was unanimously approved with added language for further consideration of parking reductions, which will be explored during the design phase. This was the final step in the facility expansion plan’s approval process with presentations made over the last couple of months to various Council offices, the African American Resource Advisory Commission, Design Commission, Library Commission, Arts Commission, and the Parks and Recreation Board. Project website: https://www.austintexas.gov/CarverATXplanning. District 1 Statesman Planned Unit Development (PUD): The Statesman PUD is currently under review, and the applicants have expressed an interest in parkland superiority. Park superiority will be based on the 2  dedication by deed of parkland fronting on Lady Bird Lake, and commitment to construct amenities beyond what is required in current code. Possible examples include amenities shown in the South Central Waterfront Plan. The applicant has indicated that dedication by deed is acceptable. Conversations with the applicant are ongoing, and progress is being made, although there is still a high level of uncertainty on project details. District 9 Project Connect: Project Connect internal meetings continue to take place. Recent discussions have been about the 15% design and what type of process will be needed to acquire the parkland for transportation purposes, such as Chapter 26 Public Hearing , Section 4F of the Department of Transportation Act, and Section 6F of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act. Project website at: https://capmetro.org/project-connect. • Waller Creek Boathouse and Boat Docks – the Blue Line is expected to come directly through this location and necessitate removal of the Boathouse and docks. Impacts will need to be quantified, and mitigation identified. PARD will advocate for appropriate mitigation and a suitable replacement land and location for the Boathouse. Coordination with Texas Parks and Wildlife (necessitated by Section 6F) is occurring. • Transmission Tower and lines, north of the boathouse, are proposed to be relocated onto parkland, prompting a discussion with Austin Energy, and depending on the outcome, inclusion in a Chapter 26 process. • Norwood Park – a strip of land will be taken parallel to the existing ROW on E Riverside Drive. Coordination with current site plan effort for Norwood is occurring. IH-35 Project, North, Central and South: PARD continues to participate in bi-weekly meetings with TxDOT on the north and central IH-35 Expansion Project. The Virtual Public Hearing for the North IH-35 project was open from May 10 through June 10. The parkland being impacted due to the expansion of Right-of-Way along the frontage roads of the interstate includes Walnut Creek and Little Walnut Creek Greenbelts. More detailed project information can be found at: https://my35capex.com/. Brodie Oaks (PUD): The Brodie Oaks shopping center redevelopment is a proposed Planned Unit Development (PUD) located at Loop 360 and South Lamar. Generally, the project proposes a mixed-use center that includes mid- and high-rise multifamily, hotel, office, and shopping center land uses. PUD zoning is intended to produce developments superior to the development that would occur under conventional zoning and subdivision regulations. Parkland is one of the categories for which the development will seek superiority. City staff, including PARD, will review the PUD application over the coming months. Once staff review is complete, the PUD will be brought forth to the Parks and Recreation Board for a recommendation to City Council. District 5 Park System: Austin is growing, and so is its Park System! As Austin grows, PARD continues to expand the parks system equitably to maintain a high level of park service across the city. Since November 2018, PARD’s Park Planning team has grown the park system by approximately 200 acres over 51 new or expanded parks — that’s about 20 new or expanded parks a year for Austinites. PARD has created and debuted a new feature video that showcases all these new additions to the parks system. 3  PARD Long Range Plan – American Planning Association (APA) Planning Excellence Award: On June 10, the American Planning Association (APA) announced that PARD was awarded a 2021 National Planning Excellence Award for Our Parks, Our Future Long-Range Plan. APA’s National Planning Awards program recognize outstanding planning efforts that help lead communities forward to a stronger, more equitable, and sustainable future. PARD's Long Range Plan provides a blueprint to guide land acquisition, capital improvements, and the development of programs and new amenities. The planning effort began with inventory, evaluation of park and facilities, an analysis of demographic data, and trends and industry standards for parks. Public outreach played a critical role throughout the process with in-depth engagement of citizens, park supporters, conservancies, neighborhood associations, nonprofit organizations, and public partners. The result is a blueprint to guide the growth and development of Austin’s park and recreation system for the next 10 years. Our Parks, Our Future was led by WRT, a national planning and design firm, and was funded in part through contributions from Austin Parks Foundation. The plan was previously awarded an APA Sustainable Communities Award and an Honor Award from the Texas Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. DEVELOPMENT UPDATES: Downs Field Grandstands Rehabilitation: Construction will begin on the rehabilitation of the historic Downs Field Grandstands in June. The project includes replacement of the corrugated metal roof and structural upgrades to the roof’s wood-framing and steel supports. Additional scope includes replacing the wood screen at the back of the bleacher seating and repainting the grandstands. This project is being funded through Hotel Occupancy Tax allocation and construction work is being performed by Brown & Root Services. Downs Field is a historic baseball field and grandstands in the heart of East Austin on 2816 E 12th Street. The field is sited along the Upper Boggy Creek Urban Trail, which connects Downs Field to the MLK Metrorail Station. For more than a century, Downs Field played a significant role in the cultural and sporting history of Austin and Texas. The property’s history as a sports landmark dates to the 1914 purchase by leadership of Samuel Huston College, a Historically Black University, which used the field as the college’s baseball stadium beginning in the late 1920s. Eventually becoming Huston-Tillotson University (HTU), the field continues to be used as the HTU Rams home field today. As a landmark of sports tourism, Downs Field is the site of one of the few surviving home ballfields associated with Negro League Baseball along with Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama; Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey; and Hamtramck Stadium in Detroit, Michigan. The field was home to the Austin 4  Senators, an all-Black semi-professional baseball team, from the Texas Negro League. The team began playing here in the summer of 1927 and went on to win the Negro World Series in 1934. District 1 Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park Playground Opening: The playground at Walnut Creek Metro Park was recently renovated to provide a leading, accessible playground for children of all ages and abilities in North Austin. The design features a loop exploration path through a sensory garden, rubber safety surface with a variety of ground-level play opportunities, and an iconic platform structure that thematically aligns with the natural areas surrounding the playground. An area of the park was also transformed into PARD’s first official Nature Play Space. The signature play feature is the Fairy Pavilion, re-homed from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s Fortlandia exhibit. Additional nature play features include all-natural elements that invite children to climb, build, and explore the space. This nature-play expansion is supported by a grant from St. David's Foundation. Project website: http://austintexas.gov/department/walnut-creek-metro-park-playground. District 7 Shipe Park Shelter House – Preservation Texas Award: PARD, Friends of Shipe Park, and Austin Parks Foundation received a 2021 Preservation Texas Honor Award for Rehabilitation for the Shipe Neighborhood Park historic Shelter House from Preservation Texas. Shipe Neighborhood Park is among Austin’s first parks and the Shipe Park Shelter House was constructed in 1930 shortly after the establishment of Austin’s PARD. The restoration project included a new cedar shake roof, replacement of deteriorated logs, and adding new chinking and daubing to the structure. The project previously received a merit award from Preservation Austin. District 9 Kingsbury Commons at Pease Park Opening July 2: The Kingsbury Commons project is being implemented by Pease Park Conservancy through a parkland improvement agreement with PARD. The team designed a world class park with features that include an adaptive repurposing of the Tudor Cottage as a community gathering space with new terraced seating, a unique nature play area, a state- of-the-art water play feature, an innovative treescape, safe and inviting park gateways, a spring-fed water feature, improved basketball court and baseball field, a new volunteer plaza and storage building, 5  multigenerational workout equipment, enhanced restrooms, new bocce court and numerous new native plantings. The park opening is anticipated in late June depending on weather. Project website: https://peasepark.org/kingsbury-commons. District 9 Montopolis Recreation and Community Center – American Institute of Architects (AIA) Austin Design Award: The Montopolis Recreation and Community Center was awarded a Design Award Commendation for Affordable Sustainability at the Austin Chapter of the AIA annual awards ceremony on May 20. This project was collectively delivered by the Public Works Department, Austin Public Health and PARD, and was completed in summer 2020. The award acknowledges the center’s commitment to sustainable design, which was also awarded a LEED Gold Certification. More information on the project’s sustainable components and AIA jury’s comments can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPJc8RBCN38&ab_channel=AIAAustin. District 3 MAINTENANCE UPDATES: Zilker Eagle Train Restoration: PARD and Austin Parks Foundation are partnering to restore the operation of the Zilker Train, recently re-named the Zilker Eagle via a community naming contest. This project will replace the rail in its current location and shorten the route with a turnaround near Lou Neff Point. The depot building will be restored with greater accessibility for visitors of all abilities, and the train will be replaced with a new, electric model. Construction will begin in June and is expected to continue throughout the summer. Lou Neff Road, a park arterial, will be closed from July 6 through July 31. Project website: http://www.austintexas.gov/zilker-eagle-restoration. District 8 6  McBeth Recreation Center: Renovations at the McBeth Recreation Center continue, as work on the courtyard is underway. With the assistance of PARD Maintenance, a contractor is completing the work which includes demolition and excavation of the old pavers, installation of a new drainage system to prevent future flooding, and the installment of new stonework to make for a more accessible space for all people. The work began in early June and is expected to be completed by the end of the month. Golf Course Condition Update: Sites are continuing to monitor turf and transition challenges due to the prolonged freeze in February and cooler temperatures and cloudy days in May. The construction team has begun the process of cutting out damaged sod from greens areas and resodding with improved turf. The most significant damage was at Morris Williams; however, both Hancock and Grey Rock will also have some larger areas of repair. Districts 1, 9 and 8 Lions Golf Course Food and Beverage Concession Operations: The University of Texas System approved the vendor, Cisco foods, and sent a signed agreement for City Manager’s approval. The temporary food trailer has ceased operations. The pro shop is selling a limited variety of drinks and snacks until the vendor agreement is finalized. District 10 PROGRAM UPDATES: Inclusion: Recently Kipa Smith, Inclusion Supervisor, was asked to participate in a panel discussion led by the Age- friendly Austin Forum. As a panelist, Kipa spoke about the Inclusion Unit and the work the Department is doing to address diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) through its programs and services. Moderator was Charles Curry, AustinUP Board Member and Chair of the City of Austin Joint Inclusion Committee. Panelists in addition to Kipa included Joshua Robinson, Equity & Inclusion Program Coordinator with the City’s Equity Office and Shubhada Saxena, founder of SAIVA and other organizations that help older Asian Americans. 7  Youth Sports Updates: The Little League and Youth Soccer organizations have been very eager to get back on the fields over the past year. In March 2021, PARD released the Little Leagues and the youth soccer organizations to begin play with COVID-19 restrictions. Twelve organizations were able to open and register over 2,500 participants to begin playing. This of course meant the volunteers were reengaged and happy to do their part in maintaining fields and coaching the children again. It has been fabulous to get these young athletes back onto the fields to improve their skills, make friends and work together as a team playing the sport they love. Youth organizations are also hosting events this summer, while following recommendations from the CDC. IME Soccer is hosting a tournament in early July and the Little League District 11 will be hosting the City All Star games, All Star Tournament and State Sectional Tournament here in Austin. Mendez Recreation Center Healthy Living Drive-Thru Luau: Mendez Recreation Center hosted the Healthy Living Drive-Thru Luau on May 26. Participants drove through a festively decorated area which included painted totem poles, inflatable palm trees and tropical birds. The Mendez staff, dressed in grassed skirts and leis, danced to the Hawaiian-inspired soundtrack playing in the background. Bags filled with pamphlets related to healthy living and senior resources as well as an assortment of healthy snacks and a lei were distributed. Before leaving, each participant was given a chance to spin the prize wheel for a chance to win potted tomato plants with cages, herb plants, exercise bands, exercise books and DVDs, lumbar support cushions foam rollers and box fans. Fifty-eight older adults participated in this event. The smiles, laughter and post-surveys indicated that a good time was had by all, and that the participants appreciated being included in the drive-thru event! 8  Delores Duffie Recreation Center Kid’s Day Out Camp: The first day of summer camp for eight participants started on May 28. Participants were able to join in on the Lamar Senior Activity Center’s Outdoor Concert to celebrate Older Americans Month on Boggy Creek Trail. The campers were excited to get out of the Center and dance. Each of them enjoyed their goodie bags full of snacks, bubbles, and maracas. Asian American Resource Center CelebraASIA: On May 1, the Asian American Resource Center hosted virtually CelebrASIA, its annual signature event that honors Asian Pacific American Heritage month in May. This year's theme was Uniting Cultures to celebrate and honor our diverse and multifaceted Asian Pacific American identities, histories and cultures. The virtual event included community leaders sharing what Asian American Pacific Heritage months means to you, live trivia game, community fashion show, highlighting local restaurants, and musical and dance performances. The event reached over 24,000 participants and supported 15 artists. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VCEBgh5ZfA. Dougherty Arts Center Exhibit – Sarah Luna and Michelle Gardella: From June 28-August 28, the Dougherty Arts Center is proud to host an exhibit of two Austin-based photographers; Sarah Luna and Michelle Gardella. Discover Luna's process of sculpture and photography, and her use of color, energy, and form to create a visual poem in luminous moments. Then experience Gardella's eleven years of devotion to photographing River Story, a series exploring the reunification of women with water, and what it means to belong. https://austintexas.gov/department/julia-c-butridge-gallery. George Washington Carver Museum Juneteenth 2021-Stay Black and Live Vol. 2: A virtual Juneteenth festival presented by Six Square, CarverMuseumATX, and the Black Austin Coalition, in partnership with Jump On It, the Austin Area Urban League, Austin Justice Coalition, and Greater East Austin Youth Association (GEAYA).The day-long celebration on Saturday, June 19, kicks off with a car parade hosted by the Austin Area Urban League and Greater East Austin Youth Association. During lunchtime, the 10,000 Fearless First Responders will join the committee in distributing free meals to the communities most in need on the East Side. Six Square and CarverMuseumATX’s virtual program will start with a panel discussion about the history and celebration of Juneteenth with speakers Dr. Lisa B. Thompson and Dr. Charles Daniel Carson of UT’s African and African Diaspora Studies Department moderated by Carre Adams, Manager of the Carver Museum. https://juneteenthatx.com. Attendance estimate: 4,000. 9  Elisabet Ney Museum: The Museum reopened on Wednesday, June 9, resuming its regular hours of noon to 5pm. The exhibitions look great and the installation by Jade Walker positively glitters with color and reweaving hope in the Contemporary Art Gallery. Happily, the reopening was heralded by a story in the West Austin News and in Sightlines online art magazine, as well as in a compelling short piece on KXAN TV. Soon the site will be brimming with happy guests once again. Oakwood Cemetery Chapel “To Elevate”: “To Elevate” is the spring digital exhibit highlighting the legacy of Huston-Tillotson University. The project received significant press in May, including an article in the Austin American- Statesman, an Ujima Magazine Cover, and an interview on KAZI and Fox 7 News. http://www.austintexas.gov/page/oakwood-cemetery-chapel-exhibits. Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center: The ESB MACC Caminos Teen Program graduation was held on Friday, June 11, with 35 friends and family, all masked and socially distanced. Eleven teens participated throughout the year and produced and starred in their own online variety show called Vamonos! They met three times per week and worked on career development, various types of art mediums, health and wellness topics and organized their own mental health teen conference. Applications are currently being accepted for 2021-2022 school year. Visit our website for more information: http://austintexas.gov/page/esb-macc-teen-leadership-program. Facilities Reopening: Facilities, including the Austin Nature and Science Center, several museums and cultural centers, as well as recreation centers will be reopening. The current plan is based on current Austin Public Health risk-based stages and an expected decline in COVID-19 risk. Reopening plans include: • Summer Camp: June 21, 2021 • Reservations only or Special Programs: July 9, 2021 • Complete reopening: August 16, 2021 Zilker Botanical Garden: The Zilker Botanical Garden will be featured in Texas Monthly Online June 15- July 15, thanks to support from the PARD Historic Preservation program. The Garden celebrated the opening of the popular annual Woodland Faerie Trail, which draws visitors young and old in search of faeries each summer. The Trail consists of over 40 faerie homes created and installed by dedicated faerie architects throughout the region and will be open throughout July. Austin Civilian Conservation Corp: The Corp program received a $5 million dollar allocation as part of the America Recovery Act funding. PARD is an active partner in this program and will continue to work with Watershed Protection, Office of Sustainability, the Innovation Office, and the Economic Development Department to complete projects that benefit City parks and serves as a workforce development opportunity to those impacted by COVID-19. People Experiencing Homelessness Current Efforts: • Cleanup of abandoned camps • Phase I Notification implemented 10  • Phase II Notification in process • Establishing displacement priority list for enforcement including areas needed for upcoming community celebrations Camp/Litter Abatement May 9-June 10, 2021, of 38,074 lbs. from the following locations: • Williamson Creek East Greenbelt 5,760 lbs. • Brookcrest Neighborhood Park 2,475 lbs. • Gillis Park 2,495 lbs. • Michael Butler 4,555 lbs. • Onion Creek Metro 10,050 lbs. • Slaughter Creek Greenbelt 6,965 lbs. • Gus Garcia 2,342 lbs. • Shoal Beach 1,685 lbs. • SouthPark Meadows 725 lbs. • Gus Garcia 675 lbs. • Little Walnut Greenbelt 347 lbs. Barton Springs Pool: Barton Springs Pool re-opened on Friday, June 11. The Pool has expanded available reservations for the month of June thanks to the hiring and training of additional open water lifeguards. The Aquatic Division plans to discontinue Barton Springs Pool reservations and will begin accepting in-person sales by the end of June. This will allow patrons the opportunity to pay for admission via the front entry, online or the new kiosks that now accept cash. Deep Eddy Pool: Deep Eddy Pool expanded its hours while Barton Springs Pool was closed. With Barton Springs reopening, Deep Eddy Pool returned to its regular modified hours on Saturday, June 12. Balcones Pool, Bartholomew Pool, Big Stacy Pool, Deep Eddy Pool, Dittmar Pool, Govalle Pool, Shipe Pool, and Springwoods Pool: Pools are open to the public on a modified schedule due to the current shortage of lifeguard staff. The Aquatic Division has increased capacity at its public pools during recreational swim hours to accommodate more patrons. Capacities will continue to be determined on the ability to increase staff at each site. The Aquatic Division continues to use an equity access lens to open a tiered list of pools for summer. The training and hiring of lifeguards continue and will dictate ability to open more facilities. The focus currently is to be able to open the following pools on or before June 26: Montopolis, Parque Zaragoza and Rosewood. Lions Golf Course Firecracker Championships: The Golf Division will host the annual Firecracker Championships at Lions Golf Course July 2 - 4. This included two qualifier events on June 14 and June 19. The Firecracker Championship is one of the largest amateur golf events in the State of Texas and has many out of town participants. ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES: FY 2022 Budget Development: PARD submitted its Fiscal Year 2022 (FY 2022) Proposed Budget submission in May. The Proposed Budget contains a total request of $1.13 million to support General Fund operations and programming and a request of $577,000 for the Golf Enterprise operations. The 11  City of Austin has launched a survey for residents to weigh-in as the City plans for FY 2022 Budget Year. Click here to view survey. Here are some upcoming key dates from the COA Budget Timeline: Proposed Budget Presentation to Council CALENDAR Jul 9 Jul 22, Jul 29 Community Budget Input Meetings Jul 27, Aug 3 Council Budget Work Sessions Aug 11-13 Tax Rate Hearing and Budget Readings End-of-Year Deadlines for Financial Services: Each year, the Financial Services Division releases an end- of-year schedule addressing purchasing and accounting-related activities and their corresponding deadlines for the remainder of the current fiscal year. The deadlines, within the End-of-Year Schedule, are important to ensure any needed procurements are completed in time to utilize the current fiscal year funds, as well as ensuring the Department’s ability to manage the budget and fund balances. PARD Summer Hiring: PARD anticipates hiring approximately 500-800 temporary employees to assist with the summer season. The following divisions currently have temporary job postings and are currently hiring to meet the needs of summer programming: Golf, Aquatic, Community Recreation, Ground Operations and Maintenance, Museums, Natural Resources and various intern positions through the Department. PARD Human Resources has hired an additional temporary HR Assistant to assist in processing new employees. Lifeguard Applicants: As of June 14, there are 791 active lifeguard applicants and 242 have been registered for training classes through the end of June. Since March, the Aquatic Division has trained 250 lifeguards and 24 cashiers; in May 62 new applicants and 43 renewal applicants were certified and are now out working in the aquatic system. Class sizes have increased from 20 to 24 to max out the current instructor-to-participant ratio to allow for more individuals to become trained at a time. The July training schedule was released the week of June 14. To ensure as efficient of process as possible, in most cases, Aquatic Division staff are contacting applicants within 48 hours of receipt of applications for scheduling completion of hiring paperwork and registration for training classes. City of Austin Vaccine Clinics: In addition to continued communication of City of Austin vaccine clinics, PARD Human Resources is working with Austin Public Health to schedule vaccine clinics onsite at various PARD locations. More information to be announced in the coming weeks. 12  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 concession is located at 2418 Stratford Drive. Due to the ongoing Zilker Park vision planning process, the anticipated term for the new contract, resulting from this solicitation, will have an initial term of three years, with three 3-year extension options. This item will be presented to the Contracts and Concessions Committee in August. Solicitation for Recreation Management Information System: With the expiration of the current contract with Vermont Systems Inc. coming in September 2022, Contact staff has initiated the development of a solicitation for these services with the Information Systems Management Division. Work has begun on the development of a scope of work in anticipation of the solicitation release. Additionally, PARD is working closely with the Communications and Technology Management Department to release an RFI (Request for Information) prior to the finalization of the scope of work. The finalization of the RFI is underway. Moreover, stakeholders have provided input regarding the scope of work prior to the release of the Request for Proposal (RFP). The CTM Department has identified a project manager to assist PARD with the development of the scope of work, the development and release of the RFI and the final solicitation. The responses to the RFI will assist the City in finalizing the scope of work and releasing it. Performance Measure Dashboard: The Information Systems Management Performance Management unit is actively working to develop a dynamic scorecard/dashboard to provide PARD management and staff with up-to-date data visualizations regarding the status of PARD related performance measures. Special emphasis is being applied to Key Performance Indicators and SD23 measures. An image of the new dashboard is provided below. Harmful Algae Abatement Pilot Program: The Watershed Protection Department (WPD) will treat 20 acres of Lady Bird Lake near Red Bud Isle with lanthanum modified-bentonite clay, June 21-24, as part of a pilot project to reduce nutrient levels in the lake. Lower nutrient levels may reduce harmful algae. The treatment is safe for the environment, humans, and wildlife. Effectiveness of the treatment will be monitored by WPD. Harmful Algae Dashboard 13