[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6553853,"mediaKeyId","5065386-e63fd0afde4ab2d79d8f154bd958d35c","parentId",5065386,"title","Task force debates process, criteria and public engagement plan for drafting 2026 bond recommendations","audioSeconds",2018,"startMs",5331000,"endMs",7349000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5065386-e63fd0afde4ab2d79d8f154bd958d35c&start=5331&end=7349","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5065386-e63fd0afde4ab2d79d8f154bd958d35c/thumbnail_5331000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6553853/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Task-force-debates-process-criteria-and-public-engagement-plan-for-drafting-2026-bond-recommendations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6553853-311cfbde28a728d8672ca86e2a08a2ac/orig.mp4?Expires=1770423689&Signature=gYtsHHkqXiJ3zRK0Ol6pALQLm55YQ23EQC3xU3SB024l5wS8pNZJf3FvYtiH~LUSNn-BG9vRnhoPGixkNMj-ku55kKh9lp~oir4YdK0zPO~LBif4n~EbpxJrsbZ4852KdAE606sNk5xwjp2iWgI8v0z9JdOGjiiGDnIqRk-KkLahEwxO9Y8ENwk9YMwheYx6yynKLVplwsQfuIzIDNGlPz1WKn6DvAc0SM5IOj45OILu~0Qfg5k1-JDhm4p9FAnfyn4z8TV3JDxRhC5TOgjhbn3JEeaJB0frf4kAq7G6djuetyyxxYnhPvorTXlU6KcAaKTH7Y0Iy~z5ESGhoTP2eg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Austin","date","2025-06-23T00:00:00Z","article","The task force spent its agenda item on June 23 debating how it will move from a large, citywide inventory of possible projects to a recommended bond package for 2026.

Task force vice chair Nicole Conley and other members proposed a staged process: collect the comprehensive project list from city staff, let working groups evaluate and refine projects in their topical areas, then reconvene to consolidate recommendations for council. Conley said the work will require discipline because \"we have infinite needs but finite resources,\" and she urged clear public engagement timelines.

Members offered competing but complementary process ideas. Some argued staff recommendations should be weighted heavily because departments run the services and can identify urgent needs; others said working groups should become subject-matter experts, host public meetings on particular project sets, and return recommendations. Several members urged the task force to build climate and greenhouse-gas impacts into criteria and to require information about ongoing operations and maintenance costs for proposed projects.

Task force members emphasized transparency and early public outreach. Committee members suggested survey results and public-submitted ideas be made available to working groups and the public, and they discussed the need to post clearer labels for meeting backup materials on the task force website. Members also recommended that public comment and deep-dive presentations be routed to working-group meetings so subject experts and staff can be present.

Timing questions were central. Members said a council handoff in April 2026 is a key milestone and that the task force needs cost estimates and staff project lists well in advance. Some asked staff to consider presenting the project list before the next regular meeting or to delay that meeting slightly if the list arrives late.

Votes at a glance: The task force approved the minutes of its May 27, 2025 meeting by voice/hand-raise. (The motion to approve the minutes was moved and seconded on the record; no named tally was recorded and staff counted raised hands.) The meeting adjourned by motion later in the session.

Ending: The task force asked members to submit process and criteria ideas to staff leads for distribution and agreed to prioritize a process discussion and draft criteria for the next meeting so working groups could begin their evaluations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Austin - 2026 Bond Election Advisory Task Force - Jun 23, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Members discussed how to narrow a large universe of possible projects, whether to assign funding buckets to working groups, and how to gather public input before recommending a bond amount to council.","taxTitle","Austin, Travis County, Texas","taxId",2819,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6553857,"EMS, fire and police present station needs and scoring rubrics for 2026 bond",942,2094000,3036000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5065386-e63fd0afde4ab2d79d8f154bd958d35c&start=2094&end=3036","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5065386-e63fd0afde4ab2d79d8f154bd958d35c/thumbnail_2094000.jpg","/articles/6553857/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/EMS-fire-and-police-present-station-needs-and-scoring-rubrics-for-2026-bond","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6553857-7993a18fa48a8a15849a3a55f23cc5c7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770423689&Signature=N84-Ve3uL-bOlv9ZluEt2zQr~~fkyTjOBSv45kVBOAkZHEGLeOWf-sGhnBsDxCkww0Pl5L1lxcp4Ye2cvUGBU7mbYZv5mNuRjU7yMhD1W5rrxAMN7d93T-ZzJX8BMRlt3g41ViP-70AFVYjvQ-IQSMyb1K-6jT-Tv9Ses9SwbuTZYui~1mA2oQda~AGqXaItENgurH3TOnnjSxHf3UwF~1T~9JpSHJ71SpViB5b79~CFbJbJXWK09l8hjbAqCDupTnfsui1FcpFLba4JQp3r-qsFTnu4NB-ySuX8XYMIzM8-bBqvxuEGff~hboq2fSg4HCqBQw-ABZrQNepLRZYtGQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Three public-safety agencies presented their 2026 bond priorities and the technical scoring frameworks they will use to evaluate projects.

Assistant Chief Steven White of Austin-Travis County EMS told the task force the agency operates 44 EMS stations and handled \"almost 140,000 calls for service\" in 2024. He said the department has 714 authorized sworn paramedics and EMTs and 99 civilian staff and serves a daily population the presentation listed as about 1.3 million across Travis County. White described a proposed scoring matrix built around six guiding principles (affordability, sustainability/resilience, innovation, equity, customer trust and proactive prevention) with affordability, equity, prevention, and innovation each weighted heavily in their rubric.

White also reviewed past bond and capital activity: bond allocations in 2006 and 2012 funded station projects, and the 2018 bond provided an unprecedented $25 million for renovations. He said the department allocated $98.3 million for five new stations and had spent $79.2 million to date on those projects; additional gap funding earlier required certificates of obligation to complete some work.

Assistant Chief Thayer Smith and Fire Chief Joel G. Baker presented Austin Fire Department needs. AFD reported about 1,303 sworn members and roughly 110,000 incidents last year, operating from 54 stations and 104 apparatus with 154 civilian staff. Like EMS, AFD described a rubric focusing on equity, affordability, innovation, sustainability/resilience and proactive prevention. Smith said many recent joint EMS/AFD projects from the 2018 cycle are now operational and that the department has prioritized stations in areas of high density and high growth where response coverage has deteriorated over the last decade.

Representatives of the Austin Police Department (Patrol Commander Richard Eagle, Assistant Chief Lee Rogers and Chief Administrative Officer Michelle Schmidt) described APD's guiding principles for scoring projects, which mirror citywide priorities: equity, affordability, innovation, proactive prevention, community trust and sustainability. APD told the task force it has about 1,480 sworn officers, four dedicated substations and averages about 23,800 calls per month. The presenters said APD received bond funding in 2006 and 2012 but not in 2018, and that a recently built public-safety headquarters was funded with certificate of obligations rather than a general obligation bond.

Task force members asked questions about funding sources and intergovernmental cooperation. Members pressed EMS on the mix of city and county funding, and EMS said it is funded from the city general fund with a contract arrangement with Travis County and that billing revenue returns to the general fund. APD representatives described a small electric-vehicle pilot and said rollout will require coordination with Austin Energy for charging infrastructure and resilience planning.

Presenters emphasized that capital investments alone will not change response performance without operational staffing commitments: departments said station additions and renovations must be paired with personnel and other operating resources to improve response times over time.

Ending: The three departments left the task force with draft scoring rubrics and data on past capital spending; the rubrics will feed staff and working-group discussions as the bond package is developed.","Austin-Travis County EMS, Austin Fire Department and Austin Police Department briefed the bond task force on past bond spending, service trends and the technical scoring criteria they plan to use to prioritize capital projects for the 2026 bond.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6553862,"Umlauf Sculpture Garden asks task force to back preservation, access and stormwater work in 2026 bond",333,1459000,1792000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5065386-e63fd0afde4ab2d79d8f154bd958d35c&start=1459&end=1792","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5065386-e63fd0afde4ab2d79d8f154bd958d35c/thumbnail_1459000.jpg","/articles/6553862/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Umlauf-Sculpture-Garden-asks-task-force-to-back-preservation-access-and-stormwater-work-in-2026-bond","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6553862-ececa8d23996f2acd9cb3da0f19a6a01/orig.mp4?Expires=1770423689&Signature=HmqZ7Q8q8BaOSnBua3LxzYHJ4EiB3oGXonWVt91aCYccSku6y6y-Au7o5K5n9nzxXR0TgQlGAdBB-7KwWHQdR0eXNZLeTQixzixF68qKV6XduLuN58Ulxi0vd70x7xlQCkMMmfSVOspi~IU77QkHO3MYEotR6Pq-IRMKxddsB-skabzTeyQP0yB4M9Z4Gj387ENjkYFGBofSYlw5y-iJauIinILV8z3zKveLQveYmLj3U3J5NtBWMtXqqSoVE4b7iYqtB49EZqeWgkYVoxY2m~gXRBT5DWpTyR-b9V9jAJhI7qugufWSQCja-f4YE5JG1U1GQqCf-M9vNdlgdlboKw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representatives of the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum asked the Bond Election Advisory Task Force on June 23 to include projects from the Umlauf's historic preservation, expansion and unification (HPEU) plan in the 2026 bond.

Bella (museum manager), Amanda Volbrack (director of operations) and Katie Robinson Edwards (member of the public and longtime curator) described an 8-acre site that includes a sculpture garden, the artist's historic home and studio, and two acres of currently inaccessible land they call the \"Natural Zone.\" Bella said the museum welcomes more than \"35,000 visitors each year\" and described the site as a longtime public asset located alongside Barton Springs and Lady Bird Lake.

Volbrack presented the HPEU plan that consultant Page Architecture developed with Parks and Recreation guidance. She said the plan would preserve and open the historic home and studio, make the homestead accessible via a new building called the Treehouse with an elevator from the garden, and address stormwater entering the site from Barton Boulevard through detention ponds, swales, rain gardens and pond adjustments. Volbrack said the city owns the land and existing buildings and that the nonprofit Umlauf organization will continue to raise operating funds and grants.

The project list the Umlauf highlighted as aligned with the 2026 bond includes stormwater management, making existing trails and new natural-zone trails ADA-compliant and accessible, and construction of the Treehouse to connect the garden to the homestead. Volbrack said the plan also proposes a new \"Gateway\" building near the entrance for classroom and event space and improvements to the parking lot and crosswalks to improve pedestrian safety.

Volbrack said the HPEU plan has been reviewed and recommended by five boards and commissions, adopted by city council and endorsed by the Zilker Neighborhood Association. She told the task force the museum is pursuing a mix of funding sources, including historic-preservation grants, tax credits, foundation grants, private fundraising and, she said, a request for City of Austin bond support.

Ending: Umlauf representatives asked the task force to consider their projects during the bond prioritization process and said they would work with staff to refine phasing, cost estimates and funding sources.

","Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum representatives presented a long-range historic-preservation and unification plan and asked the task force to consider bond funding for stormwater management, accessibility upgrades and a new 'treehouse' building to connect the site.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6553866,"Residents and nonprofits urge 2026 bond to prioritize parkland, trees and green infrastructure",282,138000,420000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5065386-e63fd0afde4ab2d79d8f154bd958d35c&start=138&end=420","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5065386-e63fd0afde4ab2d79d8f154bd958d35c/thumbnail_138000.jpg","/articles/6553866/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Residents-and-nonprofits-urge-2026-bond-to-prioritize-parkland-trees-and-green-infrastructure","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6553866-9ddae635bba38b736ff84d7653602830/orig.mp4?Expires=1770423689&Signature=UYYnT7Ua9Z9FnmylYZbJzj7uQfkdP9O5~QO-naKYoQWR3JrYY4e5wnSWiw4H9virL1vBJpL5FVgUy4g9SmMpq0SS4VktefEAyi4Gq0zwf-j5X9R3jpQ6RLfvEBcyeyikNcPbl752otSjvz5iyAQHu7eAXEXp4NAgV5Q9RTXfW~5pe8CFkuH9Dv82dxjnVluI9WCQD28F8LWs760Vd94Z-DV6TOQoEzcNi7VhvMBrorHDV2GhM6Frx~2CbUsbfzvVHv-djbLs6Ffiw-l5L6GtD26oQIGYlTF3jOxprJ2NOxvtSU9bZVKdLhB2sgikyW7ADt2sYdGz0WY7xWWVo00QzQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the June 23 meeting of the 2026 Bond Election Advisory Task Force, residents and nonprofit representatives urged the panel to prioritize parkland acquisition, urban forestry and green infrastructure in the bond package.

The comments, made during the meeting's citizen-communication period, reflected concerns about Austin's declining national park rankings and the financial and time pressures that make land acquisition difficult. Jess Manichia, a Crestview resident and board member of Evergreen Austin, told the task force that Austin's ParkScore ranking has slipped over time and argued that \"parks are a powerful catalyst for economic vitality and community well-being.\" She said Austin ranked 19th when her son was born in 2012, 30th in 2015 and 44th in the 2024 ParkScore ranking.

The case for land acquisition was echoed by Melba Watley of Evergreen Austin, who noted long-term trends in local bond funding and growth: \"The last time a park bond package funded only land acquisition was 1992 for Barton Creek Wilderness Park,\" she told the task force, adding that much of the city's secured green space dates from earlier eras of acquisition. Watley also cited an Evergreen Austin poll of 400 voters in 2024, saying 88% agreed the city should acquire land now because \"when it's gone, it's gone forever.\"

Nonprofit partners described how city investment in green infrastructure can multiply public benefits. Ben Bertram, of TreeFolks, called trees \"green infrastructure\" and urged attention to tree canopy, maintenance and planting programs to reduce urban heat, improve air quality and provide other ecosystem services. Valerie Tamberry, also with TreeFolks, cited published research and said urban tree canopy can sequester carbon and cool summer daytime temperatures by 2 to 10 degrees in shaded areas.

Clark Smith, CEO of American YouthWorks, urged the task force to consider workforce-linked investments that pair conservation and green-infrastructure projects with youth job-training programs. Smith described the organization's Conservation Corps and said the model \"maximizes city dollars\" by combining infrastructure work with workforce development.

Several speakers urged the task force to consider both acquisition and the ongoing operations and maintenance costs that follow capital projects. Ryan Saunders, a District 3 resident, presented a separate idea for a neighborhood-center program to incentivize smaller-scale, walkable development; he positioned it as complementary to green infrastructure by increasing local business activity and pedestrian access.

The task force did not take formal action on the public comments, but staff and members acknowledged the themes as they proceed with drafting bond recommendations and scoring criteria.

Ending: Speakers asked the task force to consider early land purchases, tree-planting and workforce partnerships when framing bond asks, and several pledged to follow up with staff and working groups as the package is developed.","Speakers at the 2026 Bond Election Advisory Task Force meeting on June 23 pressed the task force to fund land acquisition, urban forestry, maintenance and workforce programs in the 2026 package.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Task force debates process, criteria and public engagement plan for drafting 2026 bond recommendations

EMS, fire and police present station needs and scoring rubrics for 2026 bond

Umlauf Sculpture Garden asks task force to back preservation, access and stormwater work in 2026 bond

Residents and nonprofits urge 2026 bond to prioritize parkland, trees and green infrastructure