D1-1: PARD Director's Report, March 2022 — original pdf

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PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD DIRECTOR’S REPORT DATE: March 2022 PLANNING UPDATES: Bolm District Park Vision Plan: The Bolm District Park vision planning process is scheduled to commence in the Summer of 2022. The funding for the vision plan has been identified and the Park Planning Division will manage the process. Park Planning will proceed with developing the scope of work and negotiating/contracting consulting services with a planning/design firm. At that time (anticipated in 2023) the planning team will be reaching out to the community to start the engagement process and seek feedback. District 3 Mendez Recreation Center: Mendez Recreation Center recently completed construction of its shade fabrication for the facility splash pad. The pre-construction onsite meeting was held on February 24th, with the installer meeting on site for construction February 28th. The project installation was completed on March 3rd. The new structure will now provide shaded space for the splash pad for families and children in the community. District 3 Turner Roberts Recreation Center Facility Repairs: The City of Austin’s Turner Roberts Recreation Center resumed facility renovations and repair after a recent halt in the project. The project sub- contractors have completed the necessary inspections and reports of the facility space before moving forward with the next stage in repairs. Completion of the project is still scheduled for Late April 2022. District 1 Rosewood Neighborhood Park Tennis Court Resurface: The Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) Planning Team continues to move forward with the tennis court resurface project at Rosewood Neighborhood Park. After community input and meeting with local pickleball advocates, the decision was proposed to remove one permanent tennis court and provide two permanent pickleball courts and striping for two temporary pickleball courts. The project was recently halted to receive final approval as the project planning team ran into some structural issues with tree roots on the south side of the court, requiring changes to the project. Once that is complete, changes will be submitted to the Contractor to determine the cost increase/decrease for this work. As a result of these changes the project will not be completed by the initial projected completion date of March 25th. District 1 Givens Recreation Center: Givens Recreation Center recently completed the demolition of flooring in the lobby and office area in anticipation of the facility renovation. In addition to the demolition, an asbestos abatement was also done in preparation of the project. Due to scheduling and programming conflicts, in addition to the recent bad weather, the project was postponed until after spring break to be able to facilitate current facility programming. The project will resume completion with an asbestos abatement in the gym on March 14th-15th. Upon completion of the facility abatement in the gym, construction will begin in the staff office and multi-purpose room on March 21st. District 1 1  PARD Land Management Plan: Development of PARD’s land management plan for approximately 10,000 acres of parkland natural areas (project name: “Recommended Land Management Strategies and Climate Vulnerability Analysis”) officially kicked off on March 3rd with meetings between the consulting team – comprised of Ecosystem Design Group, Biohabitats, and RES – and staff from PARD, AFD, and Austin Water BCP. PARD staff have begun contacting key community organizations to understand current land management projects being implemented by volunteer groups. The goal for 80% completion is October 2022 with final completion before January 2023. Multiple Districts. Project Connect: PARD staff continues to collaborate with the Project Connect, Blue Line and Orange Line teams. Recent activity includes: • Thirty percent (30%) drawings for the Blue Line were released on March 11. PARD staff has two weeks to review. • Meetings continue with the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP), the Line teams, and COA legal representatives to map a path forward for ATP acquisition of parkland – full taking of title, permanent easements, and temporary easements. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process will be first, followed by multiple Chapter 26 cases, then condemnation. City attorneys will guide proposals through the correct process. • PARD has additional questions about the 6F process, which mandates an equal value replacement of taken land, and how it would apply to Auditorium Shores, Shoal Beach and Walnut Creek Metro Park. The most prominent case remains Waller Beach, where a conversion process would take place. PARD staff will need to identify one or more replacement properties for the land. • For mitigation beyond Waller Beach, there will be opportunities to acquire parkland in partnership with Project Connect as part of large eminent domain cases needed for the line. PARD staff has expressed interest in acquiring additional land and will conduct analysis and discuss with leadership before making requests. • PARD continues to track and participate in design workshops and meetings as needed. More information can be found at the project website: https://projectconnect.com/ Districts: Multiple Parkland Acquisitions: On March 24, 2022, Financial Services will request authorization for the negotiation and execution of all documents necessary for the acquisition of two properties to be dedicated as parkland. The first, located at 8401 Bangor Bend in District 4, is approximately 0.3617 acres and will be used as a critical parkland connection to the adjacent Jamestown Neighborhood Park and as a recreational creek corridor. PARD is funding this proposed neighborhood park connection through the 2018 General Obligation Bond Program Proposition C. Total amount not to exceed $510,000 including closing costs. The second, located at 13007 Silver Creek Drive, is approximately 1.889 acres near Walnut Creek, and will be used as a pocket park in a park deficient area of District 7. The site is gently sloped with an open field, a creek corridor, and large mature trees. This acquisition is funded through parkland dedication fees and the 2018 General Obligation Bond Program Proposition C. Total amount not to exceed $110,000 including closing costs. Districts 4 and 7 2  Identified acquisitions at Banger Bend and Silver Creek DEVELOPMENT UPDATES: Rainey Street Trailhead – The Trail Foundation and PARD are working towards a final site development permit for a new 2-acre trailhead project at the southern end of Rainey Street. The Rainey Street Trailhead project, which is being designed by landscape architects dwg., enhances the existing open space into a series of accessible spaces including a nature playground, improved neighborhood lawn, patio seating area, water access point and native restoration areas throughout the site. The nature play incorporates the goals outlined in the Cities Connecting Children to Nature guidelines by creating non- traditional play elements in a natural setting. The project also responds to the City SD2023 goals by integrating nature into the city by providing environmentally safe open spaces and an accessible and inclusive park to a community lacking in park space. The team is progressing a Parkland Improvement and Maintenance Agreement and formatting a Competitive Sealed Proposal for Council approval this spring. Construction is anticipated to begin late summer 2022. District 9 Current conditions at Rainey Street 3  Renderings of proposed improvements 4  Brush Square Phase I Implementation: In 2018, PARD launched a vision planning effort for Brush Square, located in downtown Austin. The approved Vision Plan resulted in the funding to begin a Phase I Implementation Plan. This first phase includes improvements to the sight lines and circulation through improved grading and drainage. New walkways will lead park users through the site while maintaining an ordered pattern for circulation. The expansive event lawn will allow the O. Henry Pun Off storied history of events to continue with room to grow. Low walls and raised decking will provide ample seating opportunities for park users while maintaining safety throughout with new lighting, benches, and landscaping. The reconstructed parking lot for Fire Station #1 will provide improved short-term use while providing areas for enhanced rain gardens and storm water treatment. On March 24, 2022, City Council was asked to approve the construction contract in the amount of $2.79M for Phase I Implementation. Muniz Contracting, Inc is the lowest responsible bidder. The project is funded through the Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) Historic Preservation Fund and the 2018 General Obligation Bond Program Proposition C (Parks and Recreation). More information can be found at the project’s website: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/brush-square-plan-implementation. District 9 Brush Square Phase I Implementation Plan 5  Dougherty Arts Center (DAC) Replacement Project: This project will be presented to the City’s Design Commission for approval of the proposed design on April 25th. The project’s preliminary design was previously presented to the Design Commission in February of 2021, prior to receiving City Council approval in May 2021. A community update meeting will follow shortly thereafter. This will be the first community meeting since a more robust community engagement process during the project’s preliminary design phase. A link to register for the meeting will be shared through email and made available on the project website. www.austintexas.gov/dacproject. District 5 Rudy Mendez Splash Pad Improvement Project: Construction on a new shade structure for the Mendez Splash Pad began on February 28th. The 40’x40’ shade structure will provide much-needed shade to the existing splash pad area and the Rudy Mendez Recreation Center program activities. Fun Abounds was the prime contractor and the installation was performed by Premier Outdoors. The project was completed on March 4, 2022. The project was funded through the 2021 City of Austin Council funds provided to the Aquatic Division Budget for FY2022. District 3 The new shade structure is a welcome addition to the Rudy Mendez Recreation Center MAINTENANCE UPDATES: Pickfair Recreation Center: The recreation center is in the process of getting Pickfair’s park sign replaced. The current sign fell off the poles during a recent storm. District 6 Gus Garcia Recreation Center: The outdoor multi-purpose basketball/pickleball court construction has broken ground and is in progress. The crew is steadily working on the court as the construction materials are acquired. The project should be completed by the end of April 2022. District 4 Pan Am Recreation Center: Pan Am Recreation Center continues to move forward on the renovation of the building space to include the addition of security cameras inside and around the exterior of the building. The next phase of the project will include improvements to the basketball hoops, weight room and men’s and women’s locker rooms. The facilities annual maintenance week is scheduled for the second week in April, 2022. District 3 6  Dittmar Recreation Center: Athletic field lights are currently being installed on the sports field in Dittmar Park. These lights will allow youth and adult sports leagues to practice and play games after the sun goes down. District 2 Lamar Senior Activity Center Asbestos Abatement: Central Maintenance Complex is in the process of requesting asbestos abatement in the following areas: • Supervisor Office • Program Office • Computer Lab • • South Room Lobby/Administration Office The south end of the facility will be closed during abatement and then wall and floor repair. No timeline provided as of this report. Outdoor Security Camera system still in limbo while waiting for additional cameras which are held up in transport. District 9 South Austin Senior Activity Center Parking Lot Update: Working with James Wheeler with Park Development to identify funding sources to add additional ADA parking spaces, re-line existing parking spots, and install additional speed bumps. There is no timetable for project completion. District 5 Conley Guerrero Senior Activity Center Boiler Update: The boiler was replaced. District 1 Conley Guerrero Senior Activity Center Drain Repairs: Drains in main women’s shower, men’s shower and boiler room have collapsed and need to be replaced. Staff are working with facility maintenance, CIP, and construction to get the project going. District 1 Roy Kizer Golf Course: Roy Kizer Golf Course has started a greens resurfacing project. Currently the project crew is shooting grades, marking lines and removing sod for holes 10-18. The Golf Course will remain open for play thru approximately April 5th and the date is dependent on weather. The greens will be returned to original size and design. Mutated grass will be replaced and overall wear and tear areas on the golf course will be repaired. The project is scheduled to be complete by the end of July 2022. District 2 Oakwood Cemetery Chapel: Save Austin’s Cemeteries is helping to pay for minor renovations to the stage at the Oakwood Cemetery Chapel by an outside contractor/fabricator, Andrea Nelson. She is creating storage carts that slide under the stage to hold the 50 folding chairs which are currently stored in a closet that is over 8’ above the stage and only accessed via ladder. Project will be completed in March 2022. District 1 7  Old Bakery and Emporium: The Old Bakery and Emporium will be partnering with the Downtown Alliance on revitalizing its Park Plaza. The project will be funded by the Community Parknership Program that will include the following: • Spatial Changes including removal of central berms and shrubbery to open the space, • Additional lawn chairs, umbrellas, and tables, • Addition of collapsible stage for small, unamplified music performances, • A mural on the North wall highlighting Austin history. District 9 Elisabet Ney Museum Balcony Reconstruction: The Elisabet Ney Museum’s balcony is being carefully reconstructed due to its structural instability. The wood will be replaced with new wood, but with every piece matching its original design. The iconic stars in the handrail are being recreated. All the masonry, with the exception of a few stones that need replacing, is being stacked and recorded in order to be replaced in the same location by contractor Brian Ash, considered the state’s preeminent historic restoration stone mason. The project should be finished by late April 2022. The facility remains open. District 9 Mayfield Cottage and Gardens: A 35-foot section of the historic stone wall surrounding Mayfield Cottage collapsed but has been repaired through the responsive support of the Friends of Mayfield group. The Friends had an existing grant for repairs on other sections of the wall, and with remaining funds were able to extend the contract to include and complete this section also. Their ongoing support and care for Mayfield Cottage and the gardens surrounding it are much appreciated. District 10 Austin Nature & Science Center: The sky roof was replaced at the Visitors Pavilion at the Austin Nature & Science Center and has greatly improved the light in the facility and improves the visitor experience. District 8 Camacho Activity Center: Camacho trailside fitness station is at 75% completion of installation. The next project is a shade structure for waterfront outdoor instruction area. District 3 8  PROGRAM/EVENT UPDATES: Lifeguard Recruiting: The Aquatics Division will continue lifeguard recruiting efforts at the following locations. • 03/18/2022 – PARD Hiring Fair - S. Austin Senior Activity Center. District 5 • 03/24/2022 – Dittmar Senior Event – Casino Evening. District 2 • 03/30/2022 – St. Edwards University. District 3 • 03/31/2022 – Youth Career Festival. District 9 • 04/2/2022 – 1st Annual Food Truck Competition - Givens Recreation Center. District 1 • 04/5/2022 and 4/6/22 – LBJ High School. District 1 • 4/9/2022 – Givens Eggstravaganza. District 1 • 4/9/2022 – Turner-Roberts Eggstravaganza. District 1 • 4/9/2022 – Dittmar Easter Spring Fling Event. District 2 • 4/19/2022 and 4/20/22 – Anderson High lunch time recruiting. District 10 Givens Recreation Center: The City of Austin Project Planning and Community Engagement Team have begun planning to conduct community engagement talks for the proposed Givens community garden. Recent discussions have so far included community advocates, PARD’s Environmental Program Coordinator and Water Shed Protection (WSP). PARD will now work with the Public Information Office to provide community engagement related to the proposed garden plan and layout based on the following scheduled below. District 1 Austin Memorial Park Wildflower Meadow (Prairie Project) Community Meeting: A virtual community meeting to discuss Prairie Project was held on Thursday, March 10th. The community-driven project aims to fulfill the purposes of the Austin Memorial Park Cemetery by improving and preserving the property by allowing a natural respite to pray, meditate, or reflect in ways that honor those who are interred here while also contributing ecological benefit to the cemetery property. District 6 Totally Cool, Totally Art (TCTA) and Mexic-Arte Museum 23rd annual Teen Art Exhibition: The Mexic- Arte's curatorial team came to Delores Duffie Recreation Center and chose 80 pieces of art. Student- made films, digital art prints, traditional paintings, small sculptures, and three large scale sculptures were housed in the Museum from February 14th-28th. The student reception held on February 23rd was a great success with over 100 people in attendance. Many awards were given out and joy was shared. District 9 9  Summer Camp – Early Registration: Austin Parks and Recreation provides accessible, diverse, and inclusive summer camps, and this year we offered early registration for community participants who qualify for financial aid, adaptive and inclusion support programs. Finding ways to reduce barriers in our programs and provide more equitable opportunities are goals that this decision for early registration is helping to achieve. Many of our community members are unable to access the technology or time needed for online registration. They are unable to change work schedules to accommodate the registration time or have language barriers and need to reach out to facilities in person or over the phone. Early registration was held from February 8th-18th and during that time sixteen percent (16%) of our maximum enrollment registrations were financial aid participants and two percent (2%) were those who qualify for our inclusion services. Looking back in 2019 you can see an increase in financial aid registrations in our specialty camps that are very competitive and without the early registration, would have been a barrier to participation. Open registration for all community members opened after the early registration period and are still accepting registrations where there is availability. Pan Am Recreation Center: The Pam Am Recreation Center recently initiated their S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) program every Wednesday and concluding at the end of May. The program began March 9th in partnership with Austin Police Athletic League (PAL). The program is held once a week in the gym and includes curriculum focused on science and technology for after school program youths 10-12 years of age. The PAL team provided different units within the police department interacting with the participants through instruction and practice of police procedures. The first class included the police robotics unit that provided a demonstration of drone usage. Each child was then allowed to operate a drone under instruction. There were 15 youth participants in May. Special thanks to APD 10  and the PAL unit for their collaboration to provide auxiliary programming for Pan Am’s afterschool program. District 3 Mendez Recreation Center: Mendez Recreation Center recently completed the Basketball Skills & Drills Clinic for 2022. Seventeen participants practiced various skills such as dribbling, shooting and passing over a month-long period. During the final practice, participants used what they learned to scrimmage with one another. They were rewarded with a medal and certificate for a job well done! District 3 George Morales Dove Springs Recreation Center: The George Morales Dove Springs Recreation Center concluded its Run Drills, Build Skills basketball clinic in February. This clinic introduced youth ages 5-12 to the fundamentals of basketball. All participants received a t-shirt and medal. A total of 48 participants enrolled in this program. The clinic was led by Program Specialist Marco Olivares. District 2 Lamar Senior Activity Center: Austin Acoustical Café concert returned March 12th for the first concert since March 2020. There were about 70 tickets sold for this event and about 60 attendees. South Austin Senior Activity Center: The South Austin Senior Activity Center is partnering with Ascension and Dell Seton to host a six-week fall prevention course. The course will include exercises, activities, and general safety and fall prevention information. The first session will be held on March 30th. 11  Brush Square Museums: Brush Square Museums have been busy preparing both for the re-opening of the O. Henry Museum in the coming months and SXSW Festival. It has been wonderful to welcome out of town guests back to Austin and the museums. SXSW festival visitors have been enjoying looking through our indoor and outdoor exhibits. The Oakwood Chapel: The Oakwood Chapel Winter 2022 exhibit "To Liberate" reveals the cultural history of the Watson Chateau, believed to have been built in 1853 by Margaret Neville Bowie, Rezin Bowie’s widow, and sister-in-law to Jim Bowie. Subsequent owners included doctors, land speculators, attorneys, farmers, a hairstylist, a secretary, and lastly, a gay professional couple. The house still stands but is rapidly deteriorating. https://www.austintexas.gov/page/oakwood-cemetery-chapel-resources The Friends of the Elisabet Ney Museum “Amplify The Ney”: The Friends of the Elisabet Ney Museum, the official community group formed to support the site, raised over $12,000 in 2022’s Amplify Austin. The museum’s Friends group set a goal of $8000, but clearly blew past that figure. The money will be designated to help fund the museum’s contemporary art program, which focuses on Austin-and Texas-based women artists. Asian American Resource Center Monthly Senior Garden Group: For March’s Senior Garden Group Meet-up, the AARC facilitated the first seed swap where participants volunteered to share a total of seven seeds of different types of vegetables commonly grown in Asia, from pumpkin seeds to silk melons. Seeds were mailed to participants’ home, and a Travis County Master Garden volunteer taught participants how to take care of their new seeds. When the vegetables are ready for harvest, the group will do recipe sharing. The group is led by a Travis County Master Gardener’s volunteer. There were eight active group participants. Dougherty Arts Center: A joint artist reception for Exhibits Life with Water and Precision and Perception was held March 17th. Life with Water is the cumulative exhibition of resident visual artists, Bonnie Brushwood and Regina McIlvain, featuring ceramic water pitchers, and photographs of celebrated aquafers and streams. Precision & Perception features new works by Melanie Farris, Michael W. Hall, Dan Hurlbut, Natalie Keuss, and Christina Moser Brill. 140 attendees at the event. Julia C. Butridge Gallery | AustinTexas.gov 12  George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center: The Carver opened one of its most high profile exhibits in its history. Funk icon, extraterrestrial, and Afrofuturist—George Clinton opened his first solo museum exhibit at the Carver Museum, Thursday, March 10th. The exhibit, Grooves from the Deep and the Space Math of George Clinton features a collection of mixed- media paintings and teleports viewers to the inner- outer spaces of the artist's imagination. Inspired by the things we cannot yet see or imagine from the vantage point of earth, Clinton explores the nature of humanity, non-linear. Mr. Clinton was in attendance along with 333 attendees. ESB MACC: The ESB MACC celebrated MACCnifico! from Thursday March 17th-Saturday, March 19th. The Tejano and Latino band showcase featured live performances from the Latino Artist Access Program, Tejano bands, and Latino / Funk / Cumbia bands. We also had Frida Friday ATX provide a vendor / market area featuring local BIPOC artists. We had food trucks and information boots and a vaccination clinic by Travis County Constable Precinct 4. The attendance numbers were 357 on Thursday, 420 on Friday, and 575 on Saturday. PARD leads Austin as a Bee City: City council unanimously voted to designate Austin as a Bee City USA affiliate, with PARD as the responsible entity. Zilker Botanical Garden: The Garden was honored to host a memorial service in honor of Kako Ito, a prominent leader in the Austin Asian community, at the Garden on March 5th in the Taniguchi Japanese Garden Tea House. This was conducted in coordination with the Japan America Society of Greater Austin (JASGA), as Kako Ito was a former president and longtime member of that organization. Members of JASGA provided volunteer service in the Garden for several weekends prior to the ceremony, working with Garden staff to refresh the Garden and prepare for the traditional Buddhist ceremony. This was a wonderful example of planning and collaboration that resulted in cultural exchange, learning, and new relationships developed between JASGA and the Garden that are leading to new and more programming collaborations. We were honored to work with JASGA in honoring Itosan. Zilker Botanical Garden: The Garden also celebrated Dino Days with an expanded calendar, opening March 5th-April 10th, in order to provide a longer time to enjoy the seasonal exhibit along with greater ability for visitors to social distance and return for multiple visits. The expanded timeline also encompasses AISD Spring Break, offering Austin families a fun and safe venue during school holidays. Exhibit components include a dinosaur-themed story walk in the Children’s Garden called We Love Dinosaurs, by Lucy Volpin; new interpretive signs in the Hartman Prehistoric Garden, and a special scavenger hunt focused on the Hartman Garden. Added hands-on activities will also be offered on Saturdays from 10 am-2 pm in the Hartman Garden, and several special lectures are being planned that will be of interest to dinosaur-loving adults as well. 13  Austin Community Gardens Program: Coordinator Jennifer Steverson conducted a virtual Train-the- Trainer workshop on Wicking beds in March. Materials for demonstration-sized sample planters were distributed to participants in advance, with the training held virtually. Wicking beds provide help conserving water in gardens and can be a useful technique for gardeners working to grow food. Trainers from this workshop will be better able to use the technique in their community gardens and will be able to teach it to their fellow gardeners. Austin Community Gardens Program: Spring is a busy time for community gardens, with Coordinator Jennifer Steverson and Americorps-Vista Intern Eleanor Haworth conducting It’s My Park Day cleanup activities at Gus Garcia Community Garden on March 5th, as well as a Volunteer Day taking place at Mendez on March 14th. 35 attendees at the event. Zilker Botanical Garden: PARD’s public-private partner, the Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy, hosted an afternoon of Music in the Garden on Thursday, March 17th. The performance was free with regular admission, offering guests added outdoor entertainment at the Garden during spring break. 100 attendees at the event. Camacho Activity Center: The Camacho teen mountain bike team competed in a race event with the National Interscholastic Cycling Association at Reveille Peak outside of Burnet, Texas March 19th-20th with 24 teens competing. Camacho is the only organization in the league representing students from East Austin. Staffing continues to be a challenge for Camacho Activity Center with only 33% of staff hired for summer. Recruitment and marketing for summer staffing is in full swing. Additionally, one of Camacho’s three FTE programming positions remains vacant. Mayors’ Monarch Pledge: We renewed Austin’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge with the National Wildlife Federation for 2022. In addition, because we were able to demonstrate at least eight actions toward improving monarch habitat and related community engagement in 2021, Austin is now recognized as part of the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge Leadership Circle. 14  Park Ranger Operations, February 10, 2022-March 10, 2022: • 1215 contacts regarding Laws, Safety, Service and Education. • 159 contacts were logged for Dogs off leash during this time frame. • Since October 1, 2021, Rangers have held 61 programs, for a total of 135 hours with 767 participants. Programs are focused on Leave No Trace recreational practices, and responsible park visitation. • Since October 1, 2021, Park Rangers have had 354 contacts with park visitors who had their dogs off the leash to request compliance with leash laws. 15  Ranger Brandon Contreras, and Ellyssa Saldivar at It’s My Park Day- Leave No Trace clean up at Gaines Entrance. Ranger Brandon Contreras at Zilker Botanical Garden with Park Ranger Cadet Class. Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan: The Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) and the consultant team presented three draft plan concepts in Community Meeting #4 on February 15, 2022. The meeting had 177 unique Zoom attendees excluding panelists, 27 Facebook Live attendees, and 235 questions and comments addressed via Q&A. During spring break, PARD displayed boards of the concepts in an exhibit style walk-through at Dittmar Recreation Center, Givens Recreation Center, Mendez Recreation Center, and Montopolis Recreation and Community Center for community members to leave feedback, and will 16  host a pop-up style event at Zilker Park for an off-campus excursion of UT students. Additionally, PARD engaged in several conversations centered on equity and inclusion throughout the month of March with various groups. More information including the draft concepts and survey may be found on the project website at https://www.austintexas.gov/ZilkerVision Districts 5 and 8 Asian American Resource Center (AARC) Phase 2 Improvements: The building design phase has begun for the Performing Arts Center and associated improvements as outlined in the 2019 Plan that was approved by City Council. The Phase 2 project is being led by the City of Austin project team, Trahan Architects, and the Construction Manager-At-Risk, FlintCo. The project team has completed small group meetings with stakeholders and has prepared a community survey in 7 different languages for distribution. The upcoming community engagement meeting on March 29, 2022, will serve as a project kick-off meeting. The project team will introduce the project and share ways the community can provide input through the engagement process. Most importantly, the meeting will serve as a platform to identify community members who will share the project’s progress within their communities throughout the design and construction process. Input received from small group meetings, community meetings and public surveys will be utilized to identify building requirements and desired project outcomes to inform the schematic design of the new theater. The project will support the AARC’s vision to empower Austin's diverse communities through cultural understanding and life-enhancing opportunities and will be informed by pan-Asian cultural and architectural sensibilities. This Phase 2 project is funded through $7,000,000 from the 2018 General Obligation Bond Program. District 1 https://www.austintexas.gov/department/asian-american-resource-center-phase-2-improvements AARC Phase 2 Improvements AARC Phase 2 Community Kickoff Meeting 8401 Cameron Rd. Tuesday, March 29, 6:30 p.m. Project Webpage 17  Blue Trees at Pease Park: The Pease Park Conservancy (PPC), in collaboration PARD and the Development Services Department, will bring The Blue Trees by Konstantin Dimopoulos to Pease District Park. This environmental art installation will help us visualize what we might lose through deforestation. The Austin community will help create the art installation by applying the colorant to the trunks of a designated canvas of trees in the park, creating a visual that is surreal and feels out of this world. What is applied to the trees is not a paint; the colorant is a water-based formula that does not harm the trees or the surrounding environment and washes away over several months, reflecting environmental changes that happen over time. The Blue Trees by Konstantin Dimopoulos will be installed just north of Kingsbury Commons in Pease District Park in late March. PPC invites the Austin community to visit The Blue Trees starting in April. The colorant should be visible on the canvas of trees for several months. District 10 https://peasepark.org/the-blue-trees Photos of previous installations of The Blue Trees 18  ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES: Golf Revenue: The Golf Enterprise fund continues to recognize success. Through February, fund revenues are at 115% as compared to 2020-21. Supply chains for equipment and supplies continue to be our biggest struggle. We anticipate a downturn in revenue due to the Roy Kizer Golf Course resurfacing project being close to $750,000 over the budgeted timeline for the project. Public Gardens: Program Manager Dr. Cynthia Klemmer and Community Gardens Program Coordinator Jennifer Steverson participated in a special food-focused programming series during South by Southwest, taking advantage of the local opportunity to gain insight on food security and local/community agriculture. Ridgeline Neighborhood Park Virtual Community Meeting: The final community meeting for Ridgeline Neighborhood Park will be held virtually on Thursday, April 21 at 5:30 p.m. The proposed concept plan, developed from community input, will be presented. In addition, the project team will present options on specific play and fitness items to be discussed with community members. Virtual Community Meeting Thursday, April 21, 5:30 p.m. Registration Link District 6 Zilker Vision Plan Survey Advertising: The advertising campaign for Survey #5 launched 3/14 on Univision, KAZI, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to boost community engagement. Interviews on Despierta Austin and KAZI will be on-air the week of 3/21. Survey closes March 31. Hiring Campaigns: In March, PARD continued efforts to recruit candidates to fill Summer Camp and Lifeguard positions. Communications included a wide-compliment of advertising, in-person Hiring Fairs March 14, 16, and 18, and information campaign about newly approved $500 Summer Completion Bonus which began on March 14. According to the 3/15 sentiment analysis insight report from Zen City: “In 2022 thus far, engagement with Austin's city workforce recruitment messaging has generated over 2.7K interactions (January 1 - March 15). This interaction count represents 1% of all online traction prompted by the city, slightly above the average across ten other major US Zen cities*, which stands at .94%. The higher-than-average engagement suggests that Austin's messaging is successful compared to other peer cities. The Parks and Recreation Facebook page was the leading driver of engagement this year (41%). The Austin Police Department Recruiting Facebook page followed with 13%, followed by Austin Bergstrom International Airport with TSA positions (6%) and Austin City Jobs (4%).” Zilker Train: The Parks and Recreation Board (PARB) received an update on January 5, 2021, regarding the execution of the Construction, Operations, and Maintenance Agreement for a Miniature Train Operation at Zilker Metropolitan Park with the Austin Parks Foundation (Foundation). The Foundation anticipates the amenity will commence operation by April 2022. The Foundation has a website that provides details on opening and activities related to the train at https://www.zilkertrain.org/. Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA): Interlocal agreement (ILA) with LCRA for the installation of buoys at Lake Austin, Lady Bird Lake, Decker Lake, and the area surrounding Water Treatment Plant #4 on Lake Travis. This agreement will replace the current agreement expiring on December 30, 2022. Per 19 the agreement, PARD and LCRA agree to mutually determine locations and number of buoys needed at each. LCRA will install buoys with PARD reimbursing LCRA for materials and labor. PARD anticipates presenting the ILA to PARB in June 2022 for recommended action of approval by Council. New Applications Coming Online: The new Temporary Employee Hiring Application has been employed by the Aquatics Division to bring on board the many lifeguards and safety personnel they require to operate the pools for the coming season. The Invoice Processing System for Finance is currently in user acceptance testing (UAT) and the first phase of the Program Tracking System is also undergoing UAT. Public Access Computer Filtering: The ISM Group will soon be rolling out new software to provide content filtering on the many public access PC’s available within PARD facilities. The ContentProtect software is no longer available and so ISM is evaluating ForcePoint - the system in use by the COA Library Department - as well as NetNanny which is very similar to ContentProtect. 20