Wednesday, October 22, 2025, 9 a.m. (Austin time), Austin City Hall
Committee: Climate, Water, Environment, and Parks Committee
0:05 Good morning everybody. I will call this meeting of the climate water environment and parks committee to order.
0:12 It is Wednesday, October 22nd at 9:00 am we are in the boards and commissions room in Austin City Hall
0:19 through one, uh, west second street.
0:22 A quorum of the committee is present, so we will start, um, with our public communication.
0:31 I understand we have some speakers.
0:32 Yes, we have six.
0:33 Alright, let's call 'em up.
0:35 Um, if I can have Mike kti
1:14 starting by punching them.
1:15 Right. But good morning, uh, y'all, uh, Mike kanati with, uh, time has expired.
1:21 <Laugh>, that was great testimony.
1:23 Thank you very much.
1:25 Start again. Uh, good morning.
1:27 I'm Mike kanati. I'm the chair with, uh, zilker 3 5 1.
1:30 And today I wanted to briefly describe some of the zilker environmental priority projects from the council approved
1:36 barton springs pool master plan.
1:38 Uh, these will help address drainage erosion, enhanced water quality, uh, with a series of projects including restoring
1:45 the shoreline, uh, removing invasive trees and planting new trees, and improving trail connections and accessibility at zilker.
1:52 But it will also help, uh, leverage private funding that can show up with, uh, direction from council.
1:58 Uh, I'm just gonna kind of show you briefly without belaboring the, the, the, the background here.
2:04 But for over 20 years, City Council has noted there are chronic conditions that zilker, that need immediate
2:10 need for improvements for 20 years we've been saying that.
2:12 So this, this particular plan I want to draw your attention to is one of many that relate
2:17 to improvements that can be done at, uh, barton springs, the zilker park.
2:21 And for today, I wanted to focus on the barton springs pool master plan.
2:24 This was approved by council in 2009.
2:28 Uh, and it includes as this slide shows that I've, I've left you some printouts that you can
2:33 read, but there, there's a number of projects, uh, that are in and around the pool.
2:38 So some of the long-term projects in the pool area, like the bathhouse renovation and the south grounds
2:43 improvement have already been done.
2:45 But I wanted to make sure you are aware that there are other improvements downstream from the pool.
2:49 It's called the dog park improvements and further downstream, uh, there's also recommendations throughout the plan to have
2:56 tree plantings, uh, all around the park.
2:59 Uh, and then there's also a recommendation to complete what's called the zilker loop trail.
3:03 And I want to draw your attention to the fact that this is a different zilker loop than
3:07 you're gonna be hearing about later today, which is a bus loop.
3:09 So there might be some confusion about the different loops.
3:13 Um, in this slide, I just wanted to show some of the details of the dog park and
3:17 downstream improvements. Um, but basically they call for restoring the shoreline so that all the trampoline that happens
3:24 with the heavy visitor usage can be, uh, mitigated and we can have more trees in a more
3:29 natural area and better water quality outcomes, less erosion.
3:32 Um, the, uh, this slide shows some of the details of what's the zilker loop, which would be
3:39 completed. This was actually permitted, I didn't realize this, in 2000 by part.
3:44 And many of the, if you can imagine the, the loop loop circling around the, the broader pool
3:49 area, there would be a, a connection both below the pool, uh, down by what is currently the,
3:54 the historic barton springs road bridge.
3:57 But above the pool, there is a bridge proposed and there was detailed schematic designs proposed for that.
4:03 Uh, that would basically be upstream from the little concrete slab and right where the old, uh, bridge
4:09 county road bridge used to be located, this could be merged into the upcoming violet crown trailhead.
4:15 Um, and so we think this is another recommendation from the barton springs pool master plan that we
4:20 would like to see endorsed.
4:22 And then I've tried to show in this slide some of the tree planting areas that can happen
4:27 along the shoreline. Out of time, I'll thank you very much for the presentation and for being here.
4:35 Next up, can we have robin rather followed by chris flores?
4:44 Chris flores,
5:01 oh,
5:12 test, test. Thank you.
5:15 Uh, good morning. Chris flotis, district 10.
5:18 Um, I have a couple of words to say about zilker park.
5:21 Um, nearly three generations ago, austinites voted for a bond to buy zilker park with interest.
5:28 It was meant to be a place of natural respite for austin's workers.
5:32 Our city grew more parks were purchased, and more people are using them forward to today.
5:39 We have invited a commercializer system to operate, presumably to fund our parks.
5:45 It has failed. The flow of funds are going from city coffers to the nonprofits, not the other
5:50 way around. And commercializers, like ticketmaster and trail of lights are using zilker as a rent-free venue.
5:57 And the revolving door of parks staff working for the commercializers has corrupted the parks department.
6:04 The commercializer contracts are not public.
6:06 They're hidden from elected people and hidden from public.
6:10 In order to debate them, I think it's time to put the public's alienation from our parks by
6:15 commercializers seeking to activate their profits on, on the ballot.
6:21 Put every contract on the council agenda for active discussion and end the revolving door.
6:27 Thank you. Thank you for being here.
6:32 If we can have mark May followed by karen kocher.
6:49 Morning, mark. Uh, hi.
6:52 Um, my name is mark.
6:55 May I live? Oh, good.
6:59 Okay. Sorry. Um, and you know, I live in d five.
7:03 I'm here today to talk about park funding.
7:06 Now we all know that there is a, you know, teary on the ballot whose, uh, language implies
7:12 a good bit of the money will go to parks.
7:14 I'm not sure that of the language imp prop queues actually binding, but I've heard that other, that
7:20 the numbers around six, uh, $6 million is gonna be spent for parks.
7:26 Alright, so we're at a place where you are asking the taxpayers to pay more money for city
7:34 basics. So let me ask you this.
7:37 Have you asked our nonprofit partners to bear more of the burden?
7:42 A few months back, the head of a pf was here.
7:45 There was some gentle questions from cm uchin and pretty much lavish praise from all the others.
7:54 And you took his comment that they preferred not to do maintenance without any pushback.
8:02 From my read of the a pf nine, 90 70% of their funding comes from actually renting out
8:09 our premier public park.
8:11 This means public money.
8:14 In my book, however, they pay themselves private sector, uh, salaries.
8:20 Their ceo is compensated much more than our Mayor.
8:26 In the same year, they bank $3.6 million for a grand total of nearly $22 million.
8:35 How does this make sense given our city budget?
8:39 So I ask again, why can't our nonprofit partners do more?
8:45 Why is it easier for you all to ask the voters for $6 million for parks maintenance and nothing
8:52 from a pf when they have $22 million in the, in the bank?
8:57 This is like something out of trump world.
9:01 Please understand my comments.
9:03 I'm not saying a pf does no good work or that the nonprofit model is, uh, fundamentally unsound.
9:12 I like and have done several, it's my park days I've actually donated to a pfi am saying
9:19 that this, uh, that this nonprofit model with a pf is broken right now, and I'm asking you
9:26 to take a step to fix it.
9:28 Now, I know the big a acl photo shoot is coming where you all will stand by the
9:33 big check and act like all that money is going to parks.
9:38 As I've said, their own nine 90 shows way too much is going to salaries and into the,
9:44 and into their bank account.
9:46 I challenge you all to treat the nonprofit partners no better than you treat your own voters and
9:53 ask them to do more.
9:55 Thank you. Thank you, mark.
10:00 If we can have karen kocher.
10:05 Hello. Good morning. I survived mopac on my way to get here, which is great.
10:13 Um, and you've already won for the day.
10:15 What's that? You've already won for the day.
10:17 Whew. That's maybe true.
10:20 Well, um, I'm here as part of the barton springs conservancy and the creator of the living springs
10:26 documentary series. And, um, one of the greatest challenges to protecting the springs, the aquifer and the habitat,
10:32 is effectively educating the park visitors.
10:35 And, um, there are four opportunities to do this I'd like to speak about, and there's some slides
10:42 up here. Um, one is the quonset hut and the maintenance barn.
10:47 And with the loss of the classroom space in the bathhouse, this location could be converted into an
10:53 amazing educational space to be used by watershed protection department's.
10:58 Earth camp, the Austin nature and science center programs, and the sunshine camp park rangers could also make
11:05 use of the space to educate visitors from around the world.
11:09 It's a type of adaptive reuse that is an environmentally sound way to go with a strong equity
11:15 component as well. Um, another opportunity for interpretive education would be the creation of an overlook on the
11:24 north side of barton creek that looks across the sunken garden, providing additional opportunity to tell the story
11:31 of sunken garden's place within zilker four springs.
11:35 It is also visible evidence of the aquifer below.
11:38 There could be information on water quality and quantity, and of course, the barton springs and Austin blind
11:44 salamanders. Um, it would allow folks to learn about a key park feature that they would otherwise miss
11:50 unless they go over to the south side, which is actually quite a distance.
11:55 Um, the ilra ponds provide yet another opportunity for environmental uplift, environmental education, and increasing accessibility.
12:03 Currently, the path through this area from the upper parking lot is dangerous for the mobile and inaccessible
12:10 to those who are mobility impaired.
12:13 Um, it is full of non-native plants and currently no interpretation is provided.
12:17 So there's a lot of potential there to uplift this, um, ccc project.
12:23 Um, finally, and arguably also an opportunity for education are the proposed restrooms and changing areas on the
12:30 south side of the pool.
12:32 The nearest bathroom is close to half a mile round trip and up a flight of 32 stairs
12:37 if you've ever taken time to count them.
12:40 So it's not hard to imagine where people relieve themselves.
12:43 If only 20% of barton springs attendees came through the south side each year, this is close to
12:49 a hundred thousand people.
12:51 I'll just ask you to use your imagination and think about water quality.
12:56 Um, it would be great if we could take care of this environmental hazard, and I was not
13:01 kidding when I about the opportunity for interpretation within that space.
13:06 The great thing about all of these four projects is that there is an opportunity to unlock private
13:10 funds to pay for them and not costing the taxpayers ascent.
13:16 So, um, we would love to get these things moving with a recommendation from this committee since the
13:21 zilker vision plan blow up.
13:23 The parts staff is waiting for City Council or the city manager to act.
13:28 Anyone would be grateful.
13:29 Have your blessing so that we can get these important projects going.
13:32 Thank you. Um, it's been a long time.
13:35 Thank you. Thank you so much for being here.
13:37 Mr. K, do you have one more copy of the yes.
13:42 Lastly we have nico howard.
13:47 He might be stuck.
13:48 <Inaudible>. Alright. I don't see nico either, but we will, if he shows up later, we'll give him
13:58 the opportunity to speak.
14:00 Um, all right, uh, just for the record show that vice chair Ellis is present.
14:07 Um, with that, I'd like to move to item number one, approval of the minutes.
14:12 Uh, could I get a motion to approve the minutes?
14:14 Vice chair Ellis seconded by Council Member uchin.
14:18 Um, and no objection, the minutes from our September 24th, 2025 meeting are approved.
14:27 With that, we can move to item number two, a briefing on long range planning at the Austin
14:32 water facilities capital improvement program and major construction projects.
14:37 And I see the Austin water team before us, so I'll, uh, let director rolson take it away.
14:49 Good morning chair council members, thank you for having us here today to talk about, uh, Austin water's
14:55 long range planning. Uh, so as you all know, um, we're a large, uh, water utility.
15:02 We serve over a million people in central texas.
15:04 And so we do a number of long range planning exercises that are, that are well integrated with
15:11 one another and hence the, the, the presentation by our combined team here.