Posting Language
Title
Approve the phase plan for Pease District Park under the existing Park Operations and Maintenance Agreement with the Pease Park Conservancy, expanding the Conservancy’s responsibilities for operations, maintenance, land management, programming, event coordination, and volunteer management beyond Kingsbury Commons to additional areas of Pease District Park to help offset City costs. Funding: This action has a positive fiscal impact by offsetting the City’s costs to maintain Pease District Park and will result in improved access for the general public.
De
Lead Department
Austin Parks and Recreation.
Fiscal Note
This action has a positive fiscal impact by offsetting the City’s costs to maintain Pease Park and will result in improved access for the general public.
Prior Council Action:
March 12, 2020 - Council approved Resolution No. 20200312-041 which directed the City Manager to work with parks nonprofit partners that have established relationships with Austin Parks and Recreation (APR), including but not limited to The Trail Foundation and the Pease Park Conservancy, to create opportunities or partnership agreements that benefit the community, and to outline roles and responsibilities between those groups and APR.
May 20, 2021 - Council authorized the negotiation and execution of a park operations and maintenance agreement with Pease Park Conservancy for the operation, maintenance, and programming of certain portions of Pease District Park. Council provided direction to submit the first two Annual Programming Plans under the agreement to Council for review and direction.
February 3, 2022 - Council approved the Pease Park Conservancy's Annual Programming Plan for Kingsbury Commons within Pease District Park.
April 13, 2023 - Council approved the Pease Park Conservancy's Annual Programming Plan for Kingsbury Commons within Pease District Park.
November 21, 2024 - Council approved Resolution No. 20241121-072, which directed the City Manager to explore additional funding strategies to sustain City parks, including public-private partnerships and expansion of the Community PARKnerships Program.
For More Information:
Erica Saenz, Assistant Director, 512-974-6717; Christine Chute Canul, Program Manager III, 512-579-1013.
Council Committee, Boards and Commission Action:
April 27, 2021 - The Parks and Recreation Board recommended Council approve the negotiation and execution of a partnership agreement with Pease Park Conservancy for the operations, maintenance and programming for Kingsbury Commons within Pease District Park on a vote of 9-0. Recommendation No. 20210427-2.
November 30, 2021 - The Parks and Recreation Board recommended Council approve the Pease Park Conservancy’s Annual Programming Plan for Kingsbury Commons within Pease District Park on a vote of 8-0. Recommendation No. 20211130-10.
February 27, 2023 - The Parks and Recreation Board recommended to Mayor and Council in support of Pease Park Conservancy’s Annual Programming Plan for Kingsbury Commons within Pease District Park. Recommendation No. 20230227-8.
October 26, 2026 - Recommended for approval by the Parks and Recreation Board on a vote of 8-0. Recommendation No. 20261026-005.
Additional Backup Information:
The City and Pease Park Conservancy (PPC) agree that the public benefits of Kingsbury Commons at Pease Park District Park would be substantially enhanced through the improvements of the park in accordance with a previously developed Pease District Park Vision Plan for the Park, approved by Council on October 16, 2014. PPC led fundraising and development in the park consistent with the vision plan for Pease District Park as detailed in the Parkland Improvement Donation Agreement executed on May 6, 2019.
On March 12, 2020, Council approved Resolution No. 20200312-041, which directed the City Manager to work with parks nonprofit partners that have established relationships with APR to create opportunities for partnership agreements that benefit the community, and to outline roles and responsibilities between those groups and APR.
On May 20, 2021, Council authorized the negotiation and execution of a park operations and maintenance agreement with PPC for the operation, maintenance, and programming for certain portions of the Pease District Park.
The City and PPC executed a Park Operations and Maintenance Agreement (POMA) on January 12, 2023. POMAs allow eligible nonprofit organizations to provide operations and maintenance services on public parkland, which can help offset City costs. The existing POMA establishes a framework for PPC to assume additional operations and maintenance responsibilities beyond Kingsbury Commons through a phased approach, subject to review by the Parks and Recreation Board and approval by Council.
Under the current agreement, PPC contributes a minimum of $50,000 annually toward land management activities outside Kingsbury Commons and provides additional maintenance support in coordination with APR as resources allow.
The proposed Phase Plan outlines the gradual expansion of PPC’s responsibilities to additional areas of Pease District Park, including operations, maintenance, land management, programming, event coordination, and volunteer management. Approval of the Phase Plan would formalize these expanded responsibilities under the existing POMA, establishing a phased transition of designated park maintenance and operational activities from the City to PPC.
Community benefits of the Phase Plan provide a higher level of service for park visitors, the addition of park improvements in future based on community feedback, and more ecological work in the park. There is no additional cost to the City of Austin.
The Phase Plan has been reviewed and approved by all pertinent City departments and the Director of APR.