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- How Trump’s federal funding freeze is beginning to affect Austin
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Parks
Parks working group to look for new revenue options
The city’s parks board is set to look for new ways to fund the needs of the city’s parks system, in an attempt to deal with anticipated tight city budgets as a result of coming caps on revenue enacted by…
Parks • By Chad Swiatecki • Jul 2, 2019
Austin City Council vote brings new management to Butler golf course after 70 years under one family
The Austin City Council voted 8-3 on Thursday to lease Butler Pitch and Putt golf course to Pecan Grove Partners, marking the end of an era for the Kinser family, who have run the course since construction began in the…
Parks • By Jimmy Maas • Jun 21, 2019
Visions of Zilker Park split over parking
After months of meetings beginning in September of last year, the Zilker Park Working Group was not able to reach a consensus on recommendations for the Polo Fields and Butler Landfill, two areas currently used for overflow parking. According to…
Parks • By Ryan Thornton • Jun 18, 2019
Amphitheater, planetarium among $880M in improvements planned for Walter Long Park
Money from last year’s bond package approved by voters in November is expected to be used to fund the first of hundreds of millions of dollars in improvements and development at Walter E. Long Metropolitan Park in East Austin. Family-style…
Parks • By Chad Swiatecki • Jun 13, 2019
No decision on Butler Pitch & Putt contract
With Mayor Steve Adler and Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison both absent for a vote at Thursday’s meeting, City Council has postponed approving a contract of up to 20 years for Pecan Grove Golf Partners for managing Austin’s nearly 70-year-old Butler…
City Council • By Ryan Thornton • Jun 7, 2019
Start of summertime brings trash to Austin's greenbelts
Austin’s greenbelts, though beautiful, have had a fraught history of visitors contaminating the wild beauty of the Central Texas landscape with their trash. At the May 28 meeting of the Parks and Recreation Board meeting, Board Member Rich DePalma brought…
Parks • By Jessi Devenyns • Jun 3, 2019
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Parks board critiques Butler Pitch & Putt solicitation, recommends change of hands
The Parks and Recreation Board yielded to the authority of city procedure Tuesday when it passed a recommendation for Council to approve an agreement with Pecan Grove Golf Partners to take over the management of Butler Park Pitch & Putt…
Parks • By Ryan Thornton • May 30, 2019
Lifeguard shortage forces Austin to stagger openings of city pools
With the opening of the Walnut Creek and Mabel Davis pools over the weekend, all municipal pools in Austin are up and running for the summer. The city says it’s waiting until smaller neighborhood pools are properly staffed before opening…
Parks • By Jimmy Maas • May 28, 2019
Kitchen backs reopening Butler Park golf course contract
City staff has been directed to examine options to reopen the bid process for management of the Butler Park Pitch and Putt golf course so the longtime owner of the course can be considered for a contract extension. City Council…
Parks • By Chad Swiatecki • May 13, 2019
With mural saved, East Austin groups seek clarity on public art process
A community gathering Wednesday at Givens Park in East Austin is expected to look at how the city and residents can work together to prevent a repeat of controversy over a mural created to memorialize a recent murder victim. The…
Parks • By Chad Swiatecki • May 6, 2019
Golf course owner hopes Council will intervene in Butler Park contract dispute
The owner of Butler Park Pitch & Putt golf course is hoping City Council will reopen the contract process that threatens to end the nearly 70-year family operation. Lee Kinser, owner and president of the small golf course tucked off…
Parks • By Chad Swiatecki • May 2, 2019
Parks and Recreation lacks $2.4 million in funding, potentially faces more cuts
As the question of property tax caps continues to loom in the state Legislature, city departments are wrestling to pare down their budgets in anticipation of what management expects to be a $51.7 million gap in funding for the entire…
