Great progress has been made in the hiring of lifeguards, Parks and Recreation Department Director Kimberly McNeeley told City Council at Tuesday’s work session. In addition to the $20 per hour salary, McNeeley said those who complete their training and actually work as lifeguards can earn a $750 bonus. And anyone who completes the training […]
Parks
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Environmental Commission recommends Zilker vision plan along with list of conditions
The city’s Environmental Commission voted last week to approve a resolution recommending the Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan – albeit with a lengthy list of recommendations that include further public engagement and environmental monitoring. The resolution notes that the vision plan includes environmental site analysis of the general ecology of the park, review of environmental […]
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Zilker advocates form nonprofit to take lead as vision plan moves forward
Leaders from nonprofit groups attached to Zilker Park have formed a new nonprofit group intended to enhance and preserve the 351-acre metropolitan park that is expected to be transformed in the coming years. The Zilker 351 group announced its formation this week after initial meetings and filing incorporation paperwork last year. Many of its principal […]
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Austin is short lifeguards every year. One problem is the application process.
Austin consistently struggles to fully staff its public pools. A report out last week from the Office of the City Auditor suggests part of that struggle is due to an overly complicated – and unreliable – application process to become a lifeguard. To fully staff its 34 pools, Austin Parks and Recreation says it needs at least 860 lifeguards […]
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A closer look at the park spaces included in Waterloo Greenway phase two
The city’s Parks and Recreation Board learned more this week about the park spaces included in the next construction phase of the Waterloo Greenway. Phase two, which kicks off this spring, will focus on the 14 acres along Waller Creek between Lady Bird Lake and Fourth Street known as the Confluence. The board was provided […]
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New plan will bring more art to hike-and-bike trail
Visitors to the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail may soon have the opportunity to enjoy more art along Lady Bird Lake, thanks to a new plan that lifts an almost decadelong moratorium on new public art. Monday’s regular meeting of the Arts Commission included a presentation by the Trail Conservancy (TTC) regarding the creation […]
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Lifeguard hiring back on track after wage increase and dedicated outreach
Austin is on pace to hire a sufficient number of lifeguards to open all of its pools and splash pads this upcoming summer – aided by the city’s minimum wage increase to $20 an hour and dedicated outreach from its Aquatic Division. The Parks and Recreation Board was provided with an update on the hiring […]
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Parks board wants more public engagement on Zilker nonprofit idea
This week, the city’s Parks and Recreation Board recommended further public engagement surrounding the Zilker Vision Plan; in particular, the plan’s proposal to create a “unified umbrella nonprofit” to serve as a point of contact for the park . “The public engagement process for the Zilker Park Vision plan was seriously flawed and not representative […]
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Austin misses goal of having direction signs on all urban trails
Austin failed to install directional signs, also known as wayfinding, on all urban trails by 2022, a specific target outlined in the city’s far-reaching transportation strategy. The Austin Strategic Mobility Plan was adopted unanimously by the City Council in 2019. The ASMP – two years in the making, involving the input of thousands of Austinites – is supposed to […]
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Notley/Monitor Poll: Austinites can’t agree on greatest park challenges or solutions
Austin residents regularly use city parks but are divided over how they should be maintained, according to a January/February poll of 429 voters commissioned by Notley and conducted by national pollster Change Research for the Austin Monitor. The poll comes as Austin leaders continue to focus on parks and open space and projects like the […]
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Parks board tables recommendation on Zilker vision plan after public debate
The city’s Parks and Recreation Board became an outlet for pent-up concern about the draft Zilker Park vision plan last week. For more than two hours, community members and organizations including the Texas Sierra Club and Save Our Springs Alliance testified about concerns about the city’s public engagement process and components of the resulting vision plan. […]
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What happened to the Zilker Park mini-train?
Zilker Park, the crown jewel of Austin’s park system, used to be home to a miniature train amusement ride that delighted families for generations and became one of Austin’s most iconic attractions. “The first one I ever rode, I was about 10 years old maybe. It was really exciting,” said Fred Britton, who was lounging […]