Austin finally has enough lifeguards. This week, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department celebrated the hiring of more than 1,000 lifeguards this swim season. That allowed PARD to open all 32 operational pools in its expansive aquatics system and extend hours of operation at Deep Eddy Pool. In recent years, Austin has suffered from lifeguard […]
aquatic master plan
In 2016, the city completed its Aquatic Master Plan, which guides pool improvements and planning throughout the park system.
Posted inParks
Council approves pools plan but funding questions remain
On Thursday, City Council overwhelmingly approved the Aquatic Master Plan, a 640-page document crafted by the Parks and Recreation Department that provides guidance for repairing and expanding the city’s aging system of pools. The plan says that the capital costs necessary to improve the system range from $152 million to $193 million, “depending on how […]
Posted inParks
City likely to exceed its budget for pools, again
While City Council members have decidedly mixed opinions about a proposed $124 million bond aimed at upgrading Austin’s aquatics system, everybody acknowledges that the city’s pools are in desperate need of repair. The problem, of course, is that right now the Parks and Recreation Department doesn’t have the money needed to make even small but […]
Posted inParks
Council divided over $124M pools proposal
City Council appears divided over a nine-figure bond that the Aquatic Master Plan Task Force has said is necessary to repair, upgrade and expand Austin’s pool system. The bond proposal comes four months after the Parks and Recreation Department unveiled the Aquatic Master Plan, which presented a number of alternative approaches for dealing with the […]
Posted inParks
Aquatics task force says in all scenarios, Austin pools need more money
After several months of scrutiny by both the public and the City Council-appointed Aquatic Master Plan Task Force, the 150-page Aquatic Master Plan is getting the final touches to be presented to Council in December. The redesign of Austin’s aquatics system is a monumental undertaking that in every proposed permutation seems to require a lot […]
Posted inParks
Aquatic Master Plan Task Force moves forward
It’s no secret that Austin city pools are on life support. Last month, City Council put off a vote on the dense and troubling Aquatic Master Plan. Instead, Council members created a task force to take a closer look at a plan that was nearly four years in the making. The task force will be […]
Posted inParks
Austin pools face major problems
Austin pools are in big trouble. In a presentation to the Parks and Recreation Board Tuesday night, Acting Department Director Kimberly McNeeley described a system of aging pools that are on life-support due to a lack of investment in maintenance and upgrades. Commercial pools have a typical lifespan of 25 to 30 years, said McNeeley, […]