Design firm Lake Flato invited to lead Blue Hole Nature Center public engagement; discovery fee trimmed

Richard, Parks Director, said the city finalized a first meeting with design firms Lake Flato and Lionheart to begin public engagement for the Blue Hole Nature Center. Lake Flato and Lionheart provided a survey and engagement framework that staff will review; if the survey language is approved, public engagement could start in late September. Richard told the board the firms reduced the discovery-phase fee from $122,000 to $58,000 by trimming scope and assigning facilitation to city staff. Richard said Lake Flato is working on language for the next phase’s contract and hopes to provide that language for the board’s October meeting. He also told board members he expected a fee proposal for concept drawings in several weeks and asked board members to attend a virtual meeting on Tuesday the 16th at 3:30 p.m. to review survey items and provide input. Board members discussed ways the Parks Board could support the public-engagement rollout, including hosting a workshop at an upcoming board meeting where staff and board members could review survey questions together. Richard said staff will share cost punch lists for concept drawings and that the board’s input would inform whether specific aspects make sense given cost estimates. No formal action was taken; the board agreed to keep the nature center as a standing agenda item and to review Lake Flato’s proposed contract language and the public-engagement schedule.