Volunteer to Save Zilker Park

Dear Lovers of Zilker Park,

At times, the struggle to protect our beloved Zilker Park from the blind-to-public-sentiment-and-needs Zilker Park Vision Plan feels like a David and Goliath story. How can we possibly fight the big money interest of Live Nation and C3 which has penetrated our community’s allegedly pro-environmental non-for-profit organization such as the Barton Springs Conservancy?

Two local citizens, Teri Adams and Tanya Payne, have been spearheading the efforts. Teri is volunteering a year of her life to save Zilker Park; Tanya is linked with a group making this valiant attempt called Rewind Zilker, with the support of long-standing and highly respected organizations. Rewild Zilker Park is a joint project funded by Zilker Neighborhood Association (ZNA), Barton Hills Neighborhood Association, Bouldin Creek Neighborhood Association and Save our Springs Alliance. Our group has members from Sierra Club, Austin Master Naturalists, Safe Bike Austin and has been endorsed by the Austin Neighborhood Council.

Many of us appreciate their efforts and wish them best of luck. But that is not enough. Don’t leave it to others, or it may not get done. Please don’t just go to the pool, sit on your haunches, an wish them luck. We can do more! We can HELP THE CAUSE.

Following is a list of things (V2) for which many volunteers are needed. Our community of Zilker Park lovers is rich with talent and professional skills. Do you have what it takes? Please reach out to rewildzilker.org if you can pitch in:

• Financial planning—We need someone who can write up a budget that will be needed to fight the fight.
• Fundraising — Once we have a budget, we can get the funds needed from individuals and local businesses
• Marketing — to identify the best venues or advertising what’s going on and what is needed
• Advertising — to take out ads in local media
• PR — to contact local and national media to call attention to the proposed travesty of digging three-story underground garages next to Barton Springs creek
• Graphic design — make signs, posters, print ads, videos
• Research — to figure out what is at stake and how to protect it
• Community outreach — to man a table as Teri and Scott have been doing at the pool on busy days
  Legal expertise — to understand and shed light on the bureaucratic boondoggle that surrounds PARD and City of Austin politics
  Social media — to use all possible avenues to address this issue
  Project manager/Volunteer coordinator — to organize all this work and relieve the burden on the leaders
  Where are the COA documents that initiated the payments to the city to be paid to nonprofits for the use of the park and facilities?
  Who negotiated and signed the documents?
  When did this happen?
  Was there a legal opinion at that time from COA attorneys?
  How much money has C3 paid each year and in total to the COA?
  How much money has C3 paid each year and in total to the nonprofits?
  How many nonprofits are involved?
• How much money is paid as salaries or bonuses or benefits to nonprofits members (including tickets and parking)?
  What other benefits are paid to the COA or COA employees or COA consultants? (including tickets and parkiing)
  What other benefits or tickets does C3 and or nonprofits provide for free to others?
• How much money has been spent from nonprofits receiving benefits and money from C3 on COA PARD or otherwise?
  Who signs the checks from the nonprofits involved?
  Does Live Nation give money to COA?
  Have the neighborhood groups been approached by C3 or Live Nation?

Even a small effort goes a long way.