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Tag Archives: City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department
Prop B: City to vote on East Austin parkland swap
Austin voters will have a chance in the Nov. 2 election to authorize the city to trade nine acres of city-owned parkland for at least 48 acres of waterfront property that will complete the existing John Treviño Park. The nine-acre…
Bonds & Propositions • By Jo Clifton • Oct 5, 2021
PARD needs more funding, audit update shows
Since audits in 2016 and 2017, the Parks and Recreation Department has taken actions to address the management of its resources as well as cash handling problems. However, according to a follow-up report by the Office of the City Auditor,…
Parks • By Jo Clifton • Sep 23, 2021
City tax bills could go down for 2022
City Council’s decision to enact a 20 percent maximum homestead exemption will save the typical homeowner $33 on next year’s tax bill if Council members decide to go along with City Manager Spencer Cronk’s proposed 3.5 percent increase in the…
Budget • By Jo Clifton • Aug 6, 2021
North Austin park poised to be renamed Heron Hollow Pocket Park
It took nearly two decades, but Payton Gin Pocket Park in North Austin is destined to be formally renamed Heron Hollow Pocket Park, a goal of the North Austin Civic Association and other stakeholders since the early 2000s. The Parks…
Parks • By Amy Smith • Jul 1, 2021
PARD continues to work through lifeguard staffing shortages
After a year of lockdown measures and closures aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus, Austinites have entered the summer season ready to interact with the world again. But as people head outdoors, they’re noticing that the city’s aquatics operations…
Parks • By Sean Saldaña • Jun 29, 2021
Waterloo Greenway seeks alcohol permit before its August debut
A decade after closing for Waller Creek tunnel repairs, Waterloo Park, which once stretched along the shadows of state-owned parking garages, has morphed into the renovated and rebranded Waterloo Greenway, poised to reopen in August. The once no-frills park, home…
Parks • By Amy Smith • Jun 1, 2021
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PARD publishes update on Montopolis Negro School preservation effort
For nearly three decades in the 20th century, the Montopolis Negro School gave Black children an education in an era when they were not welcome in Austin schools. The schoolhouse at 500 Montopolis Drive was not just a place of education,…
Preservation • By Sean Saldaña • May 13, 2021
PARD requests budget increase for security, staffing and program expansion
Last week, the Parks and Recreation Board unanimously voted to approve recommendations for budget increases for the 2021-22 fiscal year. According to the recommendation, Austin’s parks system has experienced an increase in off-leash dog violations, illegal parking, notifications of homeless…
Budget • By Sean Saldaña • May 6, 2021
City gains parkland along Williamson Creek, but access proves tricky
The Planning Commission tried to settle a dispute Tuesday over public park access between the Parks and Recreation Department and the developer of a South Congress multifamily project. When finding the best solution for both parties proved elusive, commissioners blamed the…
Planning • By Jonathan Lee • Apr 29, 2021
Park rangers continue reworking operations ahead of summer season
In a memo sent to City Council last week, Parks and Recreation Director Kimberly McNeeley provided an update about PARD’s upcoming summer operations, detailing “Covid-19 modified protocols, winter storm recovery challenges and general operational details for the season.” The update…
Parks • By Sean Saldaña • Apr 14, 2021
PARD begins to reimagine public safety
Last summer, in the wake of protests against the police killings of Mike Ramos and George Floyd, Austin City Council announced its Reimagining Public Safety initiative. A timeline was released with the goal of reforming “public safety over the years, including conducting…
Parks • By Sean Saldaña • Mar 4, 2021
PARD director estimates $1 million in weather-related damages
At last week’s Parks and Recreation Board meeting, Parks and Recreation Department Director Kimberly McNeeley presented the most recent director’s report for the department, highlighting PARD’s response to the historic winter storms and the power outages in the region. According to McNeeley,…
