Residents push for farmland preservation, Garcia Rec splash pad and more North Austin investment

During the Citizens Communication portion of the Bond Election Advisory Task Force meeting, several residents and advocates urged the task force to include specific priorities and to improve outreach.

Matt Simon, formerly on the Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board and active with a Farmland Preservation Working Group, urged the task force to keep farmland preservation on the table. He said farmland has been under-prioritized in past preservation efforts; that about 60,000 acres have been preserved by the City of Austin but little of it was farmland; and that, at the current rate of loss, farmland in the five-county region could be developed by 2035. Simon suggested bond dollars could be used to leverage federal RCPP and USDA matching funds to enlarge preservation impact.

Monica Guzman, policy director at GAVA, asked why Garcia Recreation Center’s need for a splash pad was not categorized as “extreme critical need” in preliminary bond recommendations. She explained aquatic facilities are typically funded with general obligation bonds for construction while maintenance is funded via annual budgets, urged better Spanish interpretation outreach during public engagement, and asked task force members to meet with residents.

North Austin neighborhood advocate Cindy Reed said community open houses and staff materials felt disconnected from the projects on the staff list, and she urged more equitable investment north of 183 in libraries, rec centers, parks and shade trees. A young resident, Aubrey Reed, told the task force simply: bring more trees and water features to North Austin so people can be outside in hot weather.

Task force members acknowledged these public comments and said they would consider public input as working groups revise their lists under the $750 million planning guidance.