Posting Language
Title
Approve an ordinance amending the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Austin Parks and Recreation Department Fee Schedule (Ordinance No. 20250911-001) to authorize additional rental fee waivers for the Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2026. Funding: This item is expected to result in unrealized revenue in the amount of $5,250 to the General Fund.
De
Lead Department
Austin Parks and Recreation.
Fiscal Note
Unrealized revenue to the General Fund is adjusted from a previously projected $276,512 to an updated total not to exceed $281,762 for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2026.
Prior Council Action:
June 28, 2018 - Council approved an ordinance authorizing negotiation and execution of the initial public-private partnership agreement with the Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy (Item 036).
September 11, 2025 - Council approved the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Fee Schedule.
For More Information:
Amanda Ross, Division Manager, Austin Parks and Recreation, 512-978-2601.
Additional Backup Information:
The City and the Austin Area Garden Clubs have maintained a successful public-private partnership for over 50 years. In 2015, the Austin Area Garden Council established the Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy (ZBGC) as a 501(c)(3) non-profit managing partner to guide, enhance, and help co-fund operations and community outreach at the Zilker Botanical Garden.
As the managing partner for the Austin Area Garden Clubs, ZBGC coordinates facility use to support community-centered programming. The vast majority of these requested rental fee waivers will directly cover room and space usage for the garden clubs that make up the Austin Area Garden Clubs. This ensures they can continue hosting regular educational meetings, plant shows, sales, and horticultural workshops that remain fully open and accessible to the general public.
The requested update adjusts the financial capacity of the waiver authorization for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2026. Austin Parks and Recreation compared actual waivers provided in calendar year 2025 against updated fee rates for facility rental rates at the Zilker Botanical Garden in 2026 to determine the fee waiver amount. The fee waiver is in line with previous amount of rentals.
By analyzing historical usage patterns broken down month-by-month and factoring in a cumulative running total, the projected waiver requirements for room rentals have shifted:
Original Authorization Baseline: $276,512
Adjusted FY26 Total Required: $281,762
Net Variance (Additional Unrealized Revenue): $5,250
Please note that this adjustment strictly applies to internal facility room rentals and programming spaces used by the garden clubs. Per the current agreement, fee authorizations do not need to be updated or altered for ZBGC gate/entry waivers, which will remain at their currently approved levels. Approval of this ordinance ensures uninterrupted public programming and protects the long-term viability of this valuable community partnership.